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SA Schools Head of the River Winners of the Boys First Eight

Whilst the boy's first eights have raced from 1922, they have raced for the Gosse Shield since 1932.

The SA Head of the River website reports:

Presented in 1932 by the late Sir James Gosse and his family as a perpetual trophy.

The Gosse Shield was presented for the first time in 1932 by James H Gosse (1876-1952), son of William Christie Gosse, the government-appointed surveyor who documented Uluru (Ayers Rock) in 1873. 

James and his brother William Hay Gosse (1875-1918 killed in action an WWI) both rowed at St Peter’s College.

James rowed in the First Four in 1895 and 1896 (before the advent of eight-oared schoolboy crews). He went on to row for South Australia in 1902-05 and was the President of the Adelaide Rowing Club. As well as playing football for the Norwood Football Club as a ruckman (1894-1905), he captained Norwood in 1905 as well as the State Team. He was President of Norwood Football Club from 1920-39 and SANFL President from 1945 until his death in 1952.

Sir James Hay Gosse was knighted in 1947 with acknowledgement to his commerce and philanthropy commitment in South Australia. He was chairman of George Wills, Bank of SA, Adelaide Steamship Company, Executor Trustee & Agency Company.  He was President of the Port Adelaide Racing Club, Adelaide Chamber of Commerce, and Royal Zoological Society of SA. His philanthropy extended to being on the State Flora and Fauna Board where he spent considerable time and effort in the development of Flinders Chase on Kangaroo Island. He was also a member of the School of Governors.

The results of the men's first fours, then first eights, follow. The abbreviations index is at the foot of the table.

Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	Time
The first school boy races in Adelaide in fours
1893	AHS	PAC					Not known	Port River
1894	SPC	PAC					6:54	Port River
1895	SPC	PAC					6:32	Port River
1896	SPC	PAC					6:57	Port River
Modern era in eights and regarded as the commencement of the Head of the River
1922	AHS	SPC					Not known	Port River
1923	SPC	AHS					Not known	Port River
1924	SPC	AHS					7:07.8	Port River 1 mile
1925	SPC	AHS					Not known	Torrens Lake ½ mile
1926	SPC	AHS					Not known	Torrens Lake
1927 Apr	SPC	AHS					Not known	Torrens Lake
1927 Dec	SPC	SC	AHS				Not known	Torrens Lake
1928 Apr	SPC	SC	AHS				Not known	Torrens Lake
1928 Dec	SC	SPC	AHS				Not known	Torrens Lake
1929 Apr	SPC	SC	AHS				Not known	Torrens Lake
1929 Dec	SC	AHS					Not known	Torrens Lake
1930 Apr	SPC	SC	Knocked out in heats: PAC AHS RHS				Not known	Torrens Lake
1930 Dec	SC	SPC	PAC AHS				Not known	Torrens Lake
1931 Apr	SPC	SC	PAC AHS				3:04.0	Torrens Lake
1931 Dec	SPC						Not known	Torrens Lake
1932	PAC	AHS	SPC SC				3:01.3	Torrens Lake
1933	PAC	AHS	SPC SC				3:09.5	Torrens Lake
1934	SPC	SC	SPC AHS				3:01.5	Torrens Lake
1935	SPC	PAC	AHS SC				3:04.35	Torrens Lake
1936	SPC	AHS	PAC SC				3:04.5	Torrens Lake
1937	PAC	SC	SPC AHS				2:59.25	Torrens Lake
1938	PAC	SPC	AHS SC				3:08.0	Torrens Lake
1939	SC	PAC	SPC AHS				3:02.1	Torrens Lake
1940	SC/PAC						3:00.5	Torrens Lake
1941	PAC	AHS					3:02.0	Torrens Lake
1942	PAC	AHS	SC SPC				NTT	Torrens Lake
1943	SC						NTT	Torrens Lake
1944	SC						2:57.0	Torrens Lake
1945	SPC	PAC	AHS SC				2:57.5	Torrens Lake
1946	SPC	AHS	PAC SC				2:59.0	Torrens Lake
1947	SPC	PAC	AHS SC				2:55.5	Torrens Lake
1948	Regatta cancelled due to the poliomyelitis epidemic
1949	SPC	SC	AHS				2:58.0	Torrens Lake
1950	Regatta cancelled due to the poliomyelitis epidemic
1951	SPC	AHS	PAC SC				2:58.0	Torrens Lake
1952	SPC	AHS	PAC SC				3:04.25	Torrens Lake
1953	SPC	PAC	SC AHS				3:01.0	Torrens Lake
1954	SC	PAC	AHS SPC				2:54.0	Torrens Lake
1955	SPC	SC	AHS PAC				3:00.5	Torrens Lake
1956	SPC	SC	AHS PAC				2:55.5	Torrens Lake
1957	SPC	SC	AHS PAC				3:07.5	Torrens Lake
1958	AHS	SPC	SC PAC				2:57.5	Torrens Lake
1959	SPC	SC	PAC AHS				2:54.5	Torrens Lake
1960	SPC		AHS PAC SC				2:55.35	Torrens Lake
1961	PGS		SPC AHS PAC SC KC CBC				2:57.5	Torrens Lake
1962	SPC		PGS AHS PAC SC KC CBC				3:00.5	Torrens Lake
1963	KC		PGS AHS PAC SC SPC CBC				2:58.0	Torrens Lake
1964	SPC		PGS AHS PAC SC KC CBC				2:47.0	Torrens Lake
1965	SPC		PGS AHS PAC SC KC CBC				2:50.0	Torrens Lake
1966	KC		PGS AHS PAC SC SPC CBC				2:48.0	Torrens Lake
1967	KC		PGS AHS PAC SC SPC CBC				5:14.5	Port Adelaide
1968	PGS		SPC AHS PAC SC KC CBC				2:46.0	Torrens Lake
1969	PGS		SPC AHS PAC SC KC CBC				2:44.0	Torrens Lake
1970	PGS		SPC AHS PAC SC KC CBC				2:48.5	Torrens Lake
1971	PGS	PAC	SPC AHS SC KC CBC				2:45.0	Torrens Lake
1972	SPC						3:00.5
1973	SPC						2:53.5
1974	SPC						2:47.5
1975	SPC						2:46.0
1976	SPC						2:54.5
1977	PGS						4:40.0	West Lakes 1500m
1978	PGS						4:35.0
1979	PAC						4:57.5
1980	CBC						5:09.5
1981	SPC						5:09.5
1982	SPC						5:06.0
1983	PEM						4:50.0
1984	PAC						4:56.0
1985	SPC						4:36.1
1986	SPC						4:31.0
1987	UHS						4:39.0
1988	PEM						4:31.0
1989	CBC						4:41.6
1990	SPC						6:06.0	2000m
1991	SPC						6:06.2
1992	SPC						6:15.0
1993	PAC						6:05.0
1994	SPC						5:58.0
1995	SC						6:09.0
1996	SPC						6:07.0
1997	SPC						6:07.0
1998	SPC						6:01.0
1999	PAC						5:54.0
2000	SPC						6:02.0
2001	PAC						5:55.0
2002	PAC						6:13.88
2003	SPC						6:05.00
2004	PAC						6:02.61
2005	SPC						6:44.14
2006	SPC						5:56.04
2007	SPC						6:00.63
2008	SPC						6:09.66
2009	SPC						6:01.95
2010	SPC	SC	PAC	NMHS	PEM	PGS	5:58.92
2011	SPC	PAC	SC	PEM	CBC	PGS	6:54.18
2012	PAC	SPC	SC	PGS	PEM	CBC	6:07.81
2013	PAC	SPC	PEM	SC	CBC	UHS	6:03.25
2014	PAC	SPC	SC	UHS	CBC	PEM	6:35.63
2015	SC	PAC	SPC	PGS	UHS	PEM	6:03.93
2016	SPC						6:01.59
2017	SPC	PAC	SC	CBC	PGS	PEM	6:04.11
2018	SPC	PEM	UHS	SC	PAC	PGS	7:11.71
2019	SPC	PAC	PGS	SC	UHS	NMHS	6:07.29
2020	SPC	SC	PAC	PEM	NMHS	PGS	6:22.73
2021	SPC	PAC	SC	NMHS	PEM	AHS	6:06.23
2022	SPC	PAC	SC	NMHS	PGS	PEM	5:57.81
2023	SPC	PAC	SC	NMHS	PEM	CBC	6:03.59

Abbreviations

AHS - Adelaide High School

CBC - Christian Brothers College

KC - King's College (later name changed to Pembroke School)

NMHS - Norwood-Morialta High School

PAC - Prince Alfred College

PGS - Pulteney Grammar School

PEM - Pembroke School

SC - Scotch College

SPC - St Peter's College

UHS - Unley High School

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.