Nick Hunter OAM

Nick Hunter OAM has dedicated more than four decades to Australian rowing, serving as an elite athlete, transformative coach, respected umpire, pioneering administrator, and generous mentor. His lifelong commitment to the sport, both on and off the water, has left an enduring impact across all levels of Australian rowing.

Nick began his rowing journey with the Australian National University Boat Club in 1980, where he quickly rose to become club captain by 1984. As an athlete, he represented Australia at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and competed at four World Rowing Championships (1984, 1986, 1987, 1990), proudly wearing the green and gold.

His transition to coaching was equally influential. As Head Coach of the ACT Academy of Sport from 1994 to 2000, Nick played a central role in talent identification and Olympic athlete development. Under his guidance, seven athletes were selected for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and five for the 2000 Sydney Games. Over the span of his coaching career, which included national junior and Paralympic teams, he helped shape the careers of more than a dozen Australian representatives—three of whom became Olympians.

As an administrator, Nick helped guide the evolution of Rowing ACT into a fully independent state association, played a key role in securing funding and facilities for the AIS Rowing Centre in Yarralumla, and contributed to numerous strategic infrastructure upgrades for the ANU Boat Club and Rowing Australia. He served on the Rowing ACT Board for more than two decades, including during key governance transitions and facility expansions.

Nick’s contribution to officiating has also been ground-breaking. A national and international umpire, he became the first Australian appointed to the World Rowing Umpires Commission in 2014. He continues to deliver umpire education across Asia and Oceania and has officiated at World Rowing events annually since 2013, while still actively serving as a Boat Race Official at local ACT regattas.

In recognition of his extraordinary service to the sport, Nick was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2016 and is a Life Member of both Rowing ACT and Rowing Australia. Through his unwavering dedication, Nick Hunter has shaped the trajectory of Australian rowing and continues to mentor the next generation of coaches, athletes, and officials.