History of Rowing in the ACT

6. ANU Boat Club

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a university in possession of a good stretch of water must be in want of a boat club”. 

So said Peter Sekuless in the opening chapter of the Australian National University Boat Club’s 50th Anniversary book ‘Up the Creek’.

Perhaps in anticipation of the fine stretch of water that would exist when Lake Burley Griffin eventually filled, the steering committee for the formation of the ACT Rowing Association co-opted two representatives from the ANU Sports Union for its 1963 meetings. By December that year they had also invited academic and rower Dr Pieter Arriens, newly arrived at ANU from Cambridge University and Lady Margaret Boat Club.

Pieter was a good recruit and quickly became one of the doers in the commencement of rowing in Canberra. He helped with sourcing the Association’s first boats and oars, building boat racks, building a float to promote rowing in the 1964 Canberra Day parade, recruiting volunteers to help at the 1964 Australian Championships, and rounding up future rowers.

On 20 March 1964, just a few days after the ACT Rowing Association had formally come into existence, Pieter chaired an informal meeting of thirty-six people who were interested in forming an ANU Boat Club. The meeting elected a steering committee, with Pieter as its chair.

By the next month everything was in place for the club to commence, and on 21 April 1964 the club held its Inaugural General Meeting, electing Pieter as its first President.

Meanwhile, actual rowing had commenced on the recently filled lake three days earlier, on 18 April 1964. The first crew to row on Lake Burley Griffin was a coxed four with potential ANUBC oarsmen under the oversight of ACTRA’s Fred Butters. The second crew on the lake was a four from the Australian School of Forestry, who were also joining the ANU Boat Club.

When the new Boat Club affiliated with the ANU Sports Union it received a generous start up grant of £800, which was four times what they had been hoping to receive. This enabled the club to quickly establish a small fleet of boats.

On 9 August the ANU Boat Club hosted a sprint regatta on East Basin, the ACT’s first interclub regatta. The regatta was held in a “howling ice-cold gale’, and Pieter’s record of the day ended on a prescient note that “already there are old scores to settle”.

An ominous incident occurred on 16 March 1965 when the ACT Water Police accidentally drove their boat over the top of the ANU eight that was out training. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, but the boat broke in two. 

The Boat Club steadily grew and flourished. By 1966 it was competing in the Australian University Championships “Intervarsity”, and by 1970 it was hosting that regatta.  In 1972 it produced its first Intervarsity gold medallist Rosalind Southwood-Jones, in 1976 its first Australian Champion Peter Nevett, and by 1982 its first international representatives Julie Ellett and Kate McLoughlin.

The club’s first boat shed was a Quonset hut near the John Curtin School of Medical Research. By 1972 the club’s current boat shed on Sullivan’s Creek had opened, making ANU one of the few Australian universities where it is possible to row from inside the campus.

The club’s first Paralympian was Kathryn Ross at the Rio 2016 Games, and first Olympian was Caleb Antill at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where he won a bronze medal. Two former ANUBC members also competed at Olympic Games: Kerry Jelbart in 1972 and Kerry Knowler in 2000. The ANU Boat Club's Commonwealth Games representatives were Merrick Howes and Nick Hunter in 1986. In all, thirty-six ANUBC members have represented Australia.

Now into its seventh decade, the ANU Boat Club continues to grow and adapt. It provides opportunities for those who would like to achieve something in their rowing, as well as those who would just like to row for fun and fitness, while all the time retaining its student focus.

ANU - their first entry in the men's eight 1967 Australian University Championships - Nepean River Penrith NSW.
Photo from regatta program and reproduced by Andrew Guerin

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