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History of the Queensland GPS Head of the River rowing regatta

First Eight - Rose Evans Memorial Trophy

 

Rose Evans was the initial force behind schoolgirls rowing in NSW. There is some evidence of schoolgirls rowing in the 1920’s, however it is not until the 1950’s that there are records indicating that schoolgirls were competing members of some clubs. Rose saw the future of rowing for our schoolgirls and canvassed the local schools for members.  She formed Mosman girls rowing in the 1950’s and organised it into a strong competitive force. Rose spent weekends on the water with schoolgirl crews and encouraged a large number of them to compete in Mosman colours. They did this with outstanding success. Rose Evans is the founder of the New South Wales Union of Ex-Oarswomen and set its goals as supporting women’s rowing and women rowers.

It is surprising that it was forty years on before there was a race for schoolgirls eights on the NSW Rowing Calendar. The first race was held at the Riverview Gold Cup in 1990 between Loreto Normanhurst, Sydney Girls’ High and Loreto Kirribilli. Father Greg O’Kelly, Principal of St Ignatius and Mrs Kathryn Greiner, wife of the then NSW Premier presented miniature silver oars to the winning crew.

The first NSWRA Schoolgirls Regatta was conducted by the Mosman Rowing Club at Davidson Park in October 1991. This was the first Schoolgirl Head of the River. There were 10 competing schools, 50 crews and 180 competitors.

The race for eight at the Gold Cup Regatta continued to act as the “Head” race for schoolgirls eights until 1992 when the university of NSW Rowing Club in conjunction with NSWRA provided a number of schoolgirls races including the NSW Schoolgirls Head of the River race for eights as part of the UNSW regatta, initially at Iron Cove and in December 1993 with eighteen school and 250 competitors, the main races continued as part of the UNSW regatta on the NSWRA calendar. In 1996, the third NSW Schoolgirl Regatta, the first at the Sydney International Regatta Centre was hosted by Loreto Normanhurst in conjunction with the NSW Combined Independent Schools Sports Council (NSWCISSC) and in 1997 by the NSWCISSC on behalf of the three education sectors in NSW and in liaison with the NSWRA.

In 1993 the NSW Union of Ex-Oarswoman donated a perpetual trophy for competition between schoolgirl first eight and it is fitting that it is named in the memory of Rose Evans. Since the first “Head” race in 1990 to the first competition for the trophy in 1992 and subsequent races the winners have been:

1990Loreto NormanhurstNo time
1991Sydney Girls HighNo time
1992Sydney Girls HighNo time
1993North Sydney Girls HighNo time
1994Sydney Girls HighNo time
1995Wenona - Bow: Libby North-Ash, 2: Emma Hodgkinson, 3: Katie Wildman, 4: Anna Hipsley, 5: Phoebe Hennessy, 6: Marguerite Morgan, 7: Emily Walker, Str: Victoria Morgan, Cox: Jane Webster7:05.85
1996SCEGGS DarlinghurstNo time
1997Loreto NormanhurstNo time
1998Pymble Ladies’ CollegeNo time
1999Pymble Ladies’ College7:03.43
2000Pymble Ladies - Bow: Harris, 2: Phelps, 3: Leckie, 4: Beveridge, 5: Bragg, 6: Clare, 7: Alison, Str: Macready, Cox: Unknown6:55.70
2001Pymble Ladies - Bow: Butterworth, 2: Windeyer, 3: Nawrot, 4: Warden, 5: Hardy, 6: Harris, 7: Bragg, Str: Clare, Cox: Smith6:56.70
2002Pymble Ladies - Bow: Elder, 2: Leckie, 3: Phelps, 4: King, 5: L’Estrange, 6: Warden, 7: Turner, Str: Smith, Cox: Gayleard6:51.22
2003Pymble Ladies - Bow: Creighton, 2: Turner, 3: Phelps, 4: Stewart, 5: Spokes, 6: Elder, 7: L’Estrange, Str: King, Cox: Slocombe6:55.35
2004Pymble Ladies - Bow: Abramowicz, 2: Fisher, 3: Neal, 4: Hosking, 5: Mulvey, 6: Handley, 7: Creighton, Str: Gerrand, Cox: Slocombe6:43.30
2005Pymble Ladies - Bow: Jennifer Kirkwood, 2: Kristina Scott, 3: Freya Mulvey, 4: Alicia Boehm, 5: Chloe O’Regan, 6: Tess Gerrand, 7: Alexandra Handley, Str: Chloe Nicholls, Cox: Jennifer Monaghan, Cch: Mark Cambell, Gill Campbell6:59.52
2006Pymble Ladies - Bow: Sophie Vohralik [PYMB], 2: Nina Dowling [PYMB], 3: Kristina Scott [LEICH], 4: Jessica Dalton [PYMB], 5: Sarah Handley [PYMB], 6: Chloe Nicholls [PYMB], 7: Alicia Boehm [LEICH], Str: Chloe O'Regan [LEICH], Cox: Josephine Hendy [PYMB], Cch: Gill Campbell, Mark Campbell07:00.96
2007Pymble Ladies - Bow: Mariam Hanna, 2: Olivia Heath, 3: Kaitlin Honson, 4: Veronica Dowling, 5: Eliza Carr, 6: Jessica Phillips, 7: Sam Doyle, Str: Sarah Handley, Cox: Nell Duly, Cch: Gillian Campbell, Mark Campbell06:46.98
2008Pymble Ladies - Bow: Louise Neal, 2: Vanessa Mitchell, 3: Kaitlin Honson, 4: Lauren Boehm, 5: Sarah Sackville, 6: Veronica Dowling, 7: Katrina Garrett, Str: Michelle Battersby, Cox: Laura Warden, Cch: Gillian Campbell, Mark Campbell
2009Pymble Ladies - Bow: Millie Richardson, 2: Elizabeth Dalton, 3: Olivia Black, 4: Bronte Osborn, 5: Nina Booyar - Rybak, 6: Eliza Flint, 7: Katrina Garrett, Str: Lauren Boehm, Cox: Hermione Nicholls, Cch: Gillian Campbell, Mark Campbell06:44.15
2010Queenwood - Bow: Jacqueline Morby, 2: Laura Collins, 3: Jennifer Bradley, 4: Lara Bouris, 5: Coco Bryant, 6: Emily Brown, 7: Jessica Buttel, Str: Georgina Gotch, Cox: Lucy Engelmann, Cch: Gonzalo Briones06:58.79
2011Queenwood - Bow: Sarah Ludowici, 2: Rosie Jeavons-Fellows, 3: Lucy James, 4: Lucy Lillas, 5: Coco Bryant, 6: Amy Brown, 7: Jacqueline Morby, Str: Georgina Gotch, Cox: Danielle Pettit, Cch: Alfie Young, Adam de Koning, Tess Dixon06:55.73
2012Pymble Ladies - Bow: Phoebe Donovan, 2: Serena Cox, 3: Anabelle Honner, 4: Alexandra Cropley, 5: Josie McCutcheon, 6: Genevieve Horton, 7: Georgia Pryce, Str: Madeleine Wallace, Cox: Grace Ellis, Cch: Mark Campbell, Gillian Campbell07:11.32
2013Queenwood - Bow: Zoe Elvy, 2: Saskia Hartog, 3: Georgia Dee, 4: Lucy Lillas, 5: Anna Neville, 6: Gillian Horne, 7: Rafaela Stalph, Str: Sophie Deans, Cox: Danielle Pettit, Cch: Adam de Koning, Richard Coakley06:52.72
2014Queenwood - Bow: Amelia Hellicar-Foster, 2: Charly-Rose Iron, 3: Dana Ganley, 4: Tessa Mapplebeck, 5: Gillian Horne, 6: Anna Neville, 7: Georgia Dee, Str: Rafaela Stalph, Cox: Kelly Lillas, Cch: Adam de Koning, Richard Coakley06:53.16
2015Loreto Normanhurst - Bow: Jane Cavanagh, 2: Isobel Sherwood, 3: Brooke West, 4: Adelaide Scott, 5: Olivia Dressler-Smith, 6: Grace Reid, 7: Olivia Bartram, Str: Lara Wainwright, Cox: Annabelle Gray, Cch: David Gely, Justin Quigley06:51.45
2016Queenwood - Bow: Gabrielle Agnew, 2: Ellie Clubb, 3: Sophie Houston, 4: Ella Mentzines, 5: Amelia Johnson, 6: Tessa Mapplebeck, 7: Jess Robinson, Str: Gabriela Chubb, Cox: Talia Barnet-Hepples, Cch: Adam de Koning, Ciaran Glynn06:44.72
2017Queenwood - Bow: Charlotte Fyffe, 2: Gabrielle Agnew, 3: Ellie Clubb, 4: Sophie Houston, 5: Amelia Johnson, 6: Jess Robinson, 7: Gabriela Chubb, Str: Ella Mentzines, Cox: Talia Barnet-Hepples, Cch: Adam de Koning, Ciaran Glynn06:40.64
2018Pymble Ladies - Bow: Phoebe Coles, 2: Mackenzie Penn, 3: Eliza Johnson, 4: Eliza Entwistle, 5: Sophia Carmody, 6: India Thomson, 7: Hannah Westhuizen, Str: Olivia Hunt, Cox: Allyson Campbell, Cch: Simon Pennington, Jeff Paterson06:46.33
2019Queenwood - Bow: Ellen Houston, 2: Sophia Feely, 3: Chelsea Proutt, 4: Ava Mcclean, 5: Alex Smits, 6: Alexandra Nell, 7: Ingrid Holtheuer, Str: Olivia O'Donnell, Cox: Kira Osterdal, Cch: Adam de Koning, Ciaran Glynn06:48.58

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