History of Rowing in the ACT

16. Radford College 

Rowing at Radford College began in November 1993, when PDHPE teacher Andrew Wrigley started the program with students in Years 9 and 10, borrowing an eight and a four from the Black Mountain Rowing Club. By the end of that first season, Radford had purchased its own second-hand boats and entered 36 rowers at the Independent Schools Rowing Association (ISRA) regatta in Penrith.

In 1994, Radford moved to the ANU shed on Sullivans Creek. Success soon followed, with novice wins at the ACT Championships. By 1997, Radford had expanded to 10 boats, moved into a space within the Daramalan shed on Black Mountain Peninsula, and purchased its first brand-new boats. Early Radford crews focused mainly on sweep rowing (eights and fours), though small boat sculling success quickly emerged.

Radford College’s first major wins came in the 1995–96 season, with ISRA and ACT titles in the Boys’ Double Scull, Schoolboys’ Four and Single, and the College’s first crew racing at Nationals. Over the next few seasons, Radford enjoyed further ISRA and ACT successes in doubles, quads, singles and schoolgirl fours, building a reputation for strong small-boat performances.

By 1999–2001 growth accelerated with the shed converting sweep fours into quads to accommodate increasing numbers of juniors. Under new Rowing Director Graham Tanner, Radford entered 120 rowers at the 2002 ISRA regatta. Despite disruptions like lake closures and cancellations, the program continued to strengthen.

In 2004, Radford celebrated its 10th anniversary with new Rowing Director Mark Partridge, who led the Boys’ First Eight and Four to ISRA victories – marking a turning point with greater success in big boats. Two years later, Philip Winkworth became Director, guiding Radford into an era of significant expansion. A lease was secured for a future boathouse, more sculling boats were added, and Radford crews began achieving on the national stage.

The 2006–08 seasons were especially strong, with the Senior Boys’ Quad winning ISRA, achieving podium finishes at NSW and Nationals, and travelling internationally to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta.

In October 2008, Radford moved into its own boathouse on Black Mountain Peninsula with 29 boats and 128 rowers. Success followed quickly – including ACT Rowing Premiership wins, a growing fleet, and Radford’s first National Championship title in 2011 when the Senior Boys’ Quad went undefeated domestically before winning the Schoolboy Quad in Adelaide.

Radford continued its rise through the 2010s. Under Winkworth, the program secured multiple ACT premierships and further National and NSW medals. In 2017, Vicky Spencer became Technical Director, overseeing new investment in facilities and equipment and leading Radford to historic dual National silver medals in the Senior Boys’ and Girls’ A Quads. Further podium finishes followed in 2019, before the 2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Nationals at Lake Barrington were a pinnacle moment – Radford College won seven medals and claimed both the Schoolboy and Schoolgirl point score trophies, earning recognition as the No. 1 school in Australian rowing.

In late 2022, Gordon Marcks was appointed Head of Rowing, continuing to build Radford’s proud tradition of excellence in sculling and quads. Under his leadership the program has continued to cement it reputation on the national stage. Recently, strong performances at the 2025 NSW State Championships delivered gold in the U19 Men’s Coxless Quad and Schoolboys Coxed Quad, along with silver and bronze in junior sculling events. At the 2025 Australian Rowing Championships, Radford’s success was highlighted by Isobel Egan’s outstanding campaign, where she won three national titles in PR3 sculling events. These results reflect the College’s sustained commitment to excellence in both performance and athlete development.

Today, Radford Rowing remains a leading ACT program, contributing to 60 years of rowing in Canberra and continuing to provide outstanding opportunities for its students at local, interstate and national levels.

Winter Training - Singles

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