Robin Poke AM

Mosman Rowing Club (NSW) and then Canberra Rowing Club (ACT)

Robin is an accomplished journalist, author, sports historian and administrator.

English born, he migrated to Australia in 1969. He joined Mosman Rowing Club and won NSW State Championships. Later, he joined Canberra Rowing Club, rowing and racing in their masters squad.

As an accomplished journalist, he took senior roles such as Sports Editor Channel 9 Adelaide and Head of Sport, Capital Television, Canberra.

He has a distinguished list of academic achievements. First holding a masters degree in sports studies from the University of Canberra, then was a visiting associate of the Australian Centre for Olympic Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, a member of the Australian Society for Sports History, and finally was awarded a PhD by the University of Canberra in November 2019 for his innovative thesis, 'A Narrative History of Australian Rowing from 1770 to 2016'.

He founded the Australian Rowing magazine and was its inaugural editor. This publication was an important part of the sport of rowing for many years and marked a key part of development of the sport.

Throughout his career, he has lifted the profile of the sport through much press coverage which he either wrote or facilitated.

As a sports administrator, he served the Australia Rowing Council as its Executive Director 1988-90, later as Australian team manager, and then Chairman of Rowing ACT. At the Olympic level, he took on Olympic media roles, and later was President, ACT Olympic Council.

Robin commentating at 1990 selection trials at Penrith

Robin Poke hard at work at 1996 Olympic Games

In more recent years, despite failing eye sight, he has become a dedicated sports historian. Out of his masters thesis ‘A Case Study of Olympic, World and Commonwealth sculling champion Peter Antonie’ he authored the 2007 book Peter Antonie: Out of his Shell. He project managed and co-edited a book on Australia's greatest individual Olympians since 1896, writing one of the chapters - Olympic Gold, published by Murdoch Books in 2012. His final work comprised two volumes of Looking Back, Rating High, A History of Australian Rowing published by Walla Walla Press in 2019 and 2021. These volumes were based on his PhD thesis. His work is of the highest order and a major reference for rowers of our great history.

Little surprise that on Australia Day 2013, Robin was appointed Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the sport of rowing and the Olympic movement as an administrator, journalist and author.

Whilst not widely known in rowing circles, Robin was also active in charities and organisations supporting blind people.

Robin Poke with his parents at the 1990 World Championships

Some rowing highlights

1969-1973 - rower with Mosman Rowing Club (Sydney) winning State Championships

1978-81 - Founding Editor Australian Rowing Magazine

1978 - World Championships - Women's team manager

1982 - Co-commentator with Gordon Bray and Norman May at the Australian Rowing Championships for ABC TV

1988 - World Junior Championships - team manager

1988 - World Championships - team manager

1988-90 - Executive Director Australian Rowing Council

1990 - Member of the Organising Committee of the 1990 World Rowing Championships, Tasmania

1992-95 - Chairman then President of ACT Rowing Association

1994-1997 - Media Director, Rowing Australia

1996 - Olympic Games - Media Liaison Officer Australian team

1997-2009 - Australian and World Masters Games rowing medallist

2000 - Olympic Games - Senior journalist in the Australian team office main press centre.

2004 - Olympic Games - Co-ordinator of Australian team office at the main press centre.

2005-2017 - President, ACT Olympic Council

2007 - Peter Antonie: Out of his Shell published

2013 - Appointed Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the sport of rowing and the Olympic movement as an administrator, journalist and author.

2019 - Volume 1 (1770-1939) of Looking Back, Rating High, A History of Australian Rowing published

2021 - Volume 2 (1940-2020) of Looking Back, Rating High, A History of Australian Rowing published

Robin is a devoted servant of the sport.

Andrew Guerin, Dec 2017 (updated in 2025)

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, errors may exist. Please send advice of any errors or inaccuracies by email to:

Also your comments, suggestions and photos are sought to enhance this site.

The idea for this history originated from the Olympic Rowing and World Senior Rowing Championship histories written by Andrew Guerin and Margot Foster in 1991, 1992 & 1993 for the Australian team handbooks. Andrew Guerin developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
These contents of this history are copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted by the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. However given that the purpose of the history is to assist rowers and rowing clubs, written permission is not required for non-commercial usage by rowers and rowing clubs provided acknowledgement is made.

Disclaimer: Whilst extensive efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied, the editors take no responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from inaccuracies contained in this work.