24/03/2024
The Committee of the Yarrawonga Rowing Club wish to announce that the club has decided to wind up.
It has been a very difficult decision to make considering the history of 110 years of rowing in Yarrawonga. For some time, the club has failed to attract and retain members and have faced mounting costs with running the club including insurance and council rates. These factors, along with ever-increasing regulatory compliance requirements falling on the small group of dedicated members, meant the committee have little choice but to wind up the club.
The original club was formed at a meeting held at Hunt’s Hotel in 1884, and went into recess when the original Boatshed, located opposite the present Yarrawonga Football Club ground in the “Grove”, was washed away by the flood in 1917. In August 1947, at a Public Meeting called by the Shire President, Cr. Fred Lee, the Yarrawonga Rowing Club was reformed.
Two of those present at the Public Meeting in 1947 served the Rowing Club for a combined total of 104 years. Mr. Roy Bowles held positions of President, Treasurer and Regatta Secretary from 1947 – 1997.
Mr. Robert Todd held positions of President, Secretary, Captain, Coach from 1947 – 2001. Both were awarded life membership.
After using the old flour mill (now demolished) at the rear of a property in Irvine Parade, near the (then) police station, a temporary clubhouse was erected on land owned by the Yarrawonga Urban Waterworks Trust several doors away – at the northern end of Hovell Street. This site was used from 1950 – 1961.
The Club Committee were given approval to use the current site at the end of Bott’s Road which was previously used as a market garden. The original boat storage was two army mess-huts purchased at Bonegilla, dismantled and brought to Yarrawonga then re-erected as one by a working bee in which every carpenter in the Yarrawonga-Mulwala area took part. The shed was re-erected in one weekend by these volunteers.
Unfortunately, this shed was destroyed by fire in 1973, and the present building was erected by the Club with the insurance money, public donations, and a government grant obtained by the late Mr. Keith Bradbury (then our local Member of Parliament) for the Club, and voluntary labour by members and the public of Yarrawonga and Mulwala.
In 1960 two local rowers, Grahame Stephens and Robert (Bob) Mansfield coxed by Gerald Richmond coached by Peter Beaglehole won the Victorian Lightweight paired oared championship at Ballarat they then went on to trial for Olympic selection.
With assistance and members of the rowing club, local schools had rowing on their sports programs and were successful competing at the state school regattas.
Other rowing clubs in the region have benefitted from donations of our shells and oars.
