History of Cardross Rowing Club 1947-52

Chapter 1 - Formation

Colors- Light blue with gold V. 

Rowing Victoria Club number 39.

The Cardross Rowing Club, while it had only a short existence, it had a very interesting one. While most rowing clubs were established on existing lakes and rivers, Cardross had no natural existing body of water. The Cardross Lakes are 15 kilometres from Mildura and were established in the 1930’s as part of Australia’s first irrigation drainage scheme and relied on drainage inflow to sustain water levels in the lakes. In later years increased irrigation efficiencies such as pipeline meant decreased inflows to the lakes and increased salinity. Cardross Lake is now only a lake in name, as there are insufficient inflows of water to maintain a body of water that could be called a lake. The Cardross lakes are now termed a wetland and are managed by Lower Murray Water.

It was announced in January 28, 1947 according to the report in the Sunraysia Daily, that a rowing club was to be formed at Cardross. The Cardross Progress Association, which had developed and had control of the picturesque Cardross Lake was supporting the move . The President of that Association, Mr. Syd B. Webb, mentioned that there were about 20 young men who were keen to start a rowing club.

The Progress Association was extremely active and supported the many sporting clubs already in Cardross. They approached Mildura Rowing Club who also put their support behind the idea and hoped to loan the club a boat so that they could start rowing.

Mr. Webb and the Progress Association wasted no time and called a meeting of interested person on February 10, 1947, at which the Cardross Rowing Club was formed. Membership was open to all Sunraysia residents. The President of the Mildura Rowing Club, Mr. S. Nash and several of the Mildura Rowing Club committee attended to give support. The officers elected were President; Mr. Syd Webb, vice-presidents; Mr. Don Mackay and Jim Simpson; secretary, Mr. Bruce Midgley; treasurer, Mr. W. Cumper; committee, Messrs. D. K. Gilham, W. Roper, A. Skipsey, Robert (Bob) Crump, W. Bildsteein, Norman Vale and J. Davidson. (Sunraysia Daily 11 February 1947).

Inset President Mr. S. B. Webb; cox, Don Mackay; stroke, Norman Vale; 3, Jim Simpson; 2, Bob Simpson and bow, Bob Crump.
Sunraysia Daily, Thursday 20 February 1947, page 5.

Just 10 days later, it was reported that the club had 16 members and that members of the committee had had their first outing in a four-oared boat on loan from Mildura RC.

The report went on to state that; “ Cardross officials are confident that their district will co-operate in the movement to provide recreation and healthy exercise and at the same time form the nucleus of a scheme to beautify and utilise Lake Cardross.”

Don Mackay, the coxswain in this picture, was a former Geelong College oarsman. He raced in the College first VIII in 1944 that won the Head of the River and obviously took on the task of teaching members to row, as well as rowing in crews himself. The Geelong College Journal, The Pegasus, (June 1949 page 42) named him as the founder of the club.

 In the Weekly Times, June 4,1947 “Swivel” reported:

“A rowing club has been formed at Cardross. Mr. D. W. Mackay, who rowed No.3 in the Geelong College crew, which won the Head-of-the -River race in 1944, is a vice-president. While on holidays in Melbourne Mr. Mackay got a four-oared boat from the Yarra Yarra club. He would like to hear from any club which has a second-hand boat for sale.” Such was the difficulty of getting boats from Melbourne to Cardross it did not arrive until mid-August.

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