Ronald "Slim" G Lawrence
Torrens Rowing Club (SA)
28/04/1937 - 09/04/2026
One of South Australia's great coaches at school and club levels who died on 9th April 2026 aged 88 years. He was greatly respected by the rowing community and specifically those at Torrens Rowing Club and Christian Brothers College where he undertook much of his coaching. He is remembered at Torrens for coaching senior, junior and lightweight crews to many State Championships. At CBC he coached their first crew to their first ever victory in the Head of the River.
As a staunch Torrens Rowing Club member and coach, he was honoured for his services to the Club in 1980 by being elected an honorary life member. His coaching included In 2019, Rowing South Australia also honoured him with election as an honorary life member for services to the association.
Ron was a school teacher who encouraged many young people into the sport of rowing as he saw what benefit it could bring to them. Michael Eastaughffe noted that at CBC he encouraged many rowers to continue in the sport and are still involved in the sport. Some went on to represent Australia such as Jaimie Fernandez. Vaughn Bollen, Bob Cooper, Brian Richardson to mention a few. Jaimie was the stroke of the winning CBC crew at the Head of the River in 1989. Michael also noted that he also was involved with the creation of the Waikerie Rowing Club on the River Murray. Slim was a teacher and had postings at Waikerie as well as Tenant Creek. In summary Michael noted that Slim will always be remembered for his enthusiasm for the sport his encouragement to compete at your best. His passion certainly had an effect on me for the love of the sport and my enthusiasm to keep involved.
In a Torrens Rowing Club newsletter of 16th April 2026, Bob Russel is quoted as follows: We were both apprentices at the SA Railway Islington workshops. I had joined TRC in 1956 and talked Ronald (Slim) Lawrence into also joining. Slim never rowed for long, as he was more interested in coaching, and he excelled in coaching TRC to many Junior and Lightweight (LW) Championships, as well as coaching at CBC, from where most of our LWs were recruited.
Vaughn Bollen in the same newsletter is quoted: Slim was also the first coach from the club to begin training camps at Murray Bridge over weekends, where we did a lot of ks. He made a small boat trailer using a standard 6x8 trailer with a scaffold system connected on top, which could carry a four, plus oars, etc. He coached us from his own speedboat, which he built — a red clinker hull. From my memory, all of his time coaching and material resources over the years was done at no financial cost to the club.
He was also an active member of the SA Resting Rowers Consortium and enjoyed the camaraderie of rowers.
Not content with an impressive coaching record, Ron was also a Rowing South Australia and Rowing Australia umpire.
Known rowing record (excluding SA Championships)
1962 - Commenced coaching at Christian Brothers College
1967 - Interstate Championships, SA Penrith Cup, coach - Second
1968 - Interstate Championships, SA Penrith Cup, coach - Third
1969 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1970 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1972 - Interstate Championships, team manager
1973 - Schoolboy Championship conducted at Australian Championships, coach CBC First VIII
1977 - Interstate Championships, SA Youth Eight, coach - Second
1978 - Interstate Championships, SA Youth Eight, coach - Second
1979 - Interstate Championships, SA Youth Eight, coach - Fifth
1980 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII - First
1984 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1985 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1986 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1987 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1988 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII - Second
1989 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII - First
1990 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1991 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1992 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1993 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC First VIII
1994 - SA Head of the River, coach CBC Under 14 Div A
Andrew Guerin
May 2026
Sources:
- Discussions with Michael Eastaughffe 11th April 2026
- Emails from Paul Asselman 11th April 2026
- Results contained on this website
- Torrens Rowing Club newsletter of 16th April 2026