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Cassie Woolley

Albert Park Ladies' Rowing Club

Married name McRitchie.

Cassie Woolley is regarded as the 'mother' of Victorian women's rowing being a co-founder of the Albert Park Ladies' Rowing Club.

The following article appeared in the Melbourne Herald on Tuesday 20th June 1933 on page 20 which describes Cassie's work.

Women in Sport — Rowers of Other Days

Reaching out for a new freedom thirty years ago, Miss C. Woolley (Mrs C. McRitchie) broke away from approved games such as croquet and tennis and took to rowing on the Albert Park Lake. She did not want to just paddle about for pleasure. Her ambition was to row to win.

In May, 1901, the wish was gratified. She was victorious in an open sculling event on the Albert Park Lake.

Other women became interested in the sport, and by 1908 she felt the movement was strong enough to establish a club. She founded the Albert Park Ladies' Rowing Club. Members celebrated the club's silver anniversary last week and presented the foundress and Miss Lizzie Latchford, who was associated with her in the early days, with silver cups— and bouquets.

Three years after its formation the Albert Park Ladies' Rowing Club had its own boat house and racing boats, and a piano. Various teams have been successful in several interstate rowing matches. After settling down to look after a home and rear a family, Mrs McRitchic gave up strenuous rowing, but she has continued her association with the movement. At the anniversary party she was wearing a string of gold medals — all trophies, won by her skill in rowing. Her youngest son, Mr Roy McRitchic, who is settled on the land some miles out from Castlemaine, came to Melbourne to see his mother presented with the anniversary cup.

Taking a little exercise on the Albert Park Lake in 1910. — Miss C. Woolley (Mrs C. McRitchie).

Andrew Guerin
May 2026

Sources:

"Women in Sport--Rowers of Other Days" The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) 20 June 1933: 20. Web. 21 May 2026 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245420485>.
Rowing in Victoria, The First 100 Years of the Victorian Rowing Association 1876-1976 by Field Rickards, 1976

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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.

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