Scroll To Top
History of the South Australian Schools Head of the River rowing regatta

≡ Menu for this Section

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.

YearWinner2nd3rd4th5th6thTime
The first school boy races in Adelaide in fours
1893AHSPAC



Not knownPort River
1894SPCPAC



6:54Port River
1895SPCPAC



6:32Port River
1896SPCPAC



6:57Port River
Modern era in eights and regarded as the commencement of the Head of the River
1922AHSSPC



Not knownPort River
1923SPCAHS



Not knownPort River
1924SPCAHS



7:07.8Port River 1 mile
1925SPCAHS



Not knownTorrens Lake ½ mile
1926SPCAHS



Not knownTorrens Lake
1927 AprSPCAHS



Not known
Torrens Lake
1927 DecSPCSCAHS


Not knownTorrens Lake
1928 AprSPCSCAHS


Not knownTorrens Lake
1928 DecSCSPCAHS


Not knownTorrens Lake
1929 AprSPCSCAHS


Not knownTorrens Lake
1929 DecSCAHS



Not knownTorrens Lake
1930 AprSPCSCPAC
AHS
RHS


Not knownTorrens Lake
1930 DecSCSPCPAC
AHS


Not knownTorrens Lake
1931 AprSPCSCPAC
AHS


3:04.0Torrens Lake
1931 DecSPC




Not knownTorrens Lake
1932PACAHSSPC
SC


3:01.3Torrens Lake
1933PACAHSSPC
SC


3:09.5Torrens Lake
1934SPCSCSPC
AHS


3:01.5Torrens Lake
1935SPCPACAHS
SC


3:04.35Torrens Lake
1936SPCAHSPAC
SC


3:04.5Torrens Lake
1937PACSCSPC
AHS


2:59.25Torrens Lake
1938PACSPCAHS
SC


3:08.0Torrens Lake
1939SCPACSPC
AHS



3:02.1Torrens Lake
1940SC/PAC




3:00.5
1941PAC




3:02.0
1942PAC




NTT
1943SC




NTT
1944SC




2:57.0
1945SPC




2:57.5
1946SPC




2:59.0
1947SPC




2:55.5
1948Regatta cancelled due to the poliomyelitis epidemic
1949SPC




2:58.0
1950Regatta cancelled due to the poliomyelitis epidemic
1951SPC




2:58.0
1952SPC




3:04.25
1953SPC




3:01.0
1954SC




2:54.0
1955SPC




3:00.5
1956SPC




2:55.5
1957SPC




3:07.5
1958AHS




2:57.5
1959SPC




2:54.5
1960SPC




2:55.35
1961PGS




2:57.5
1962SPC




3:00.5
1963KC




2:58.0
1964SPC




2:47.0
1965SPC




2:50.0
1966KC




2:48.0
1967KC




5:14.5Port Adelaide
1968PGS




2:46.0
1969PGS




2:44.0
1970PGS




2:48.5
1971PGS




2:45.0
1972SPC




3:00.5
1973SPC




2:53.5
1974SPC




2:47.5
1975SPC




2:46.0
1976SPC




2:54.5
1977PGS




4:40.0West Lakes 1500m
1978PGS




4:35.0
1979PAC




4:57.5
1980CBC




5:09.5
1981SPC




5:09.5
1982SPC




5:06.0
1983PEM




4:50.0
1984PAC




4:56.0
1985SPC




4:36.1
1986SPC




4:31.0
1987UHS




4:39.0
1988PEM




4:31.0
1989CBC




4:41.6
1990SPC




6:06.02000m
1991SPC




6:06.2
1992SPC




6:15.0
1993PAC




6:05.0
1994SPC




5:58.0
1995SC




6:09.0
1996SPC




6:07.0
1997SPC




6:07.0
1998SPC




6:01.0
1999PAC




5:54.0
2000SPC




6:02.0
2001PAC




5:55.0
2002PAC




6:13.88
2003SPC




6:05.00
2004PAC




6:02.61
2005SPC




6:44.14
2006SPC




5:56.04
2007SPC




6:00.63
2008SPC




6:09.66
2009SPC




6:01.95
2010SPCSCPACNMHSPEMPGS5:58.92
2011SPCPACSCPEMCBCPGS6:54.18
2012PACSPCSCPGSPEMCBC6:07.81
2013PACSPCPEMSCCBCUHS6:03.25
2014PACSPCSCUHSCBCPEM6:35.63
2015SCPACSPCPGSUHSPEM6:03.93
2016SPC




6:01.59
2017SPCPACSCCBCPGSPEM6:04.11
2018SPCPEMUHSSCPACPGS7:11.71
2019SPCPACPGSSCUHSNMHS6:07.29
2020SPCSC PACPEMNMHSPGS6:22.73
2021SPCPACSCNMHSPEMAHS6:06.23
2022SPCPACSCNMHSPGSPEM5:57.81
2023SPCPACSCNMHSPEMCBC6:03.59

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

Sources

The same sources detailed on the home page for this SA schools Heads of the River chapter.

Close

SA Head of the River

Index

Summary of Boy's Head of the River

Summary of Girl's Head of the River

Website by Hope Stewart—Website Design & Management