Sydney University Boat Club

The Sherington/Georgakis reference quotes research that University archives record a meeting of officers of the SUBC and election of officeholders at point prior to 1861 and probably 1860. The university's first Chancellor Sir Charles Nicholson was named as the club's first president. This reference is the basis of the club's 1860 heritage claim. The first inter-university boat race was rowed in Melbourne in December, 1870. The Sydney University crew were all members of the then newly formed Sydney Rowing Club, being E. A. Iceton (bow), Edmund Barton, Dick Teece and Allan Yeomans (stroke). In 1885 the Sydney University Boat Club's first annual general meeting was held with Barton elected chairman at that inaugural meeting. A site was obtained in Woolloomooloo near that of the Woolloomooloo Bay Rowing Club and the Sydney Rowing Club's first shed and a clubhouse was built and opened in June, 1886. The club's contemporary rise to success in producing consistent national representative elite oarsmen and women has been driven by club president, Chris Noel from 1987. Noel is a boatshed alumnus from the 1960s and 1970s and was elected President of the SUBC in 1987. He became a personal financial benefactor the club; represented the club in senior positions on the University Sports Union and Senate Management committees; mentored athletes and coaches and drove a rowing sporting scholarship program. Noel was conferred an Honorary Fellowship of the university in 2007. ==Boatshed locations==

is the 1st building along the right shoreline The Sydney University Boat Club's first boatshed was opened in June, 1886 on Woolloomooloo Bay on Sydney Harbour. By 1902 the club became dissatisfied with the Woolloomooloo location, being too far from the university and the harbour water too rough. In 1902, the old shed was re-erected at Glebe Point and a new shed was completed in 1907 to accommodate the club's 150 odd members. In 1940, the university's Sports Union recommended demolition of the Blackwattle Bay clubhouse which was carried out in 1941. After the end of the war, efforts to find an alternative site commenced and were not finally successful until 1966. Since the fire and during the redevelopment planning and dispute period the SUBC borrowed facilities at the University of New South Wales' old boatshed at Tarban Creek on Sydney's Parramatta River. In 2017 after an eleven-year consultation, planning and construction period a new shed was opened at the Linley Point location on Burns Bay. Consultation was led by alumnus oarsman and former lightweight world champion Michael Wiseman. The Sydney University Women's Rowing Club row out of a boathouse located at the foot of Ferry Road, Glebe at Blackwattle Bay. This shed was the location of the Glebe Rowing Club for over 100 years until the 1990s. ==Competition history & representative success==

Intercollegiate rowing in fours was introduced in 1892 between the colleges of University of Sydney and at that same time University representative crews began competing in the club competition run by the New South Wales Rowing Association. In 1896, the SUBC supplied five rowers and the coach of the intercolonial eight. Sydney won six of the intervarsity races of the 1890s with Melbourne winning three and Adelaide one. From 1893, the race was rowed for the Oxford and Cambridge Cup presented by old Oxford and Cambridge boat race oarsmen. Club fortunes had reversed ten years later and in 1956, 1957 and 1958 the SUBC finished fourth at intervarsity and was unable to field crews for the state championships. Boat club members (and club alumni rowing at other Sydney clubs) represented at Olympic level at Helsinki 1952, Rome 1960, Mexico City 1968 and Montreal 1976 (see below). Ted O'Loughlin had a seat in the Australian men's eight at the 1974 World Rowing Championships in Lucerne while Anthony Anisimoff and Phil Winkworth represented in a coxless four at the 1979 World Rowing Championships in Bled. Under the drive of club president Chris Noel the club's high-performance program began to bear fruit from 2004 and took off when Brooke Pratley became the SUBC's first world champion in 2006. Five oarsmen and women were sent to Beijing 2008 winning two silver medals and nine club members were selected for London 2012. ==Members==

Notable members include: • Edmund Barton Australia's first Prime Minister was the SUBC's first chairman from 1885. In 1870, while at the time a competitive member of the Sydney Rowing Club, he represented the SUBC in the inaugural Australian intervarsity competition in Melbourne. • Brooke Pratley won silver in a double scull at London 2012 and competed in the women's eight at Beijing 2008. • Sally Kehoe competed in the women's eight at Beijing 2008, at London 2012 and has been selected in the W2X for Rio 2016. • Toby Lister and Nick Purnell competed in the men's eight at London 2012; Brodie Buckland competed in the coxless pair; Bronwen Watson in a lightweight double scull. • Jack Hargreaves and Alexander Purnell were Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions in the M4-. World champions include: • Brooke Pratley, double scull 2006. • Bronwen Watson, dual world champion lightweight sculler. • Jack Hargreaves, back-to-back world champion M4-, 2017 & 2018. == References ==