Rowing was one of six sports included in the inaugural Commonwealth Games (then known as the British Empire Games) held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930. Henry ‘Bobby’ Pearce was Australia’s sole rowing representative and he won its first gold medal, taking out the men’s single sculls.
Rowing was again on the program in 1938, 1950, 1954 and 1958, with Australia performing consistently well with medals in nearly all boats throughout that period.
At the 1962 Games in Perth, women’s rowing was included for the first time with Australia winning a total of five medals. Rowing was last held at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games but remains recognised by the Commonwealth Games Federation as a sport with potential for inclusion in future Games.
AUSTRALIAN RESULTS
EDINBURGH 1986
Men’s Single Scull
Richard Powell
SILVER
Men’s Lightweight Single Scull
Peter Antonie
GOLD
Men’s Double Scull
Paul Reedy, Brenton Terrell
SILVER
Men’s Lightweight Four
Joe Joyce, Simon Cook, ?Merrick Howes, Brian Digby
SILVER
Men’s Coxed Four
James Galloway, Andrew Cooper, Michael McKay, James Tomkins, Dale Caterson (cox)
BRONZE
Men’s Coxless Pair
Glenn Myler, Iain Belot
5th
Men’s Coxless Four
Craig Muller, David Doyle, James Battersby, Neil Myers
4th
Men’s Eight
James Galloway, Malcolm Batten, Andrew Cooper,? Michael McKay,? Mark Doyle,James Tomkins, ?Ion Popa, Steve Evans, Dale Caterson (cox)
GOLD
Women’s Single Scull
Adair Ferguson
4th
Women’s Lightweight Single Scull
Adair Ferguson
GOLD
Women’s Coxless Pair
Alison Smith, Kate Hall
BRONZE
Women’s Coxed Four
Marilyn Kidd, Susan Chapman-Popa, Robyn Grey-Gardner, Debbie Bassett, Kay Fry (cox)
SILVER
Women’s Lightweight Four
Amanda Cross, Virginia Lee, Debbie Clingeleffer, Gail Toogood
SILVER
Women’s Eight
Ursula Kay, Vicki Spooner, Annelies Voorthuis,? Marilyn Kidd, Susan Chapman-Popa, Robyn Grey-Gardner,? Debbie Bassett, Margot Fraser, Kay Fry (cox)
GOLD
1962 PERTH
Men’s Single Scull
Ian Tutty
BRONZE
Men’s Double Scull
Barclay Wade, Graeme Squires
BRONZE
Men’s Coxless Pair
Roger Ninham, Bill Hatfield
BRONZE
Men’s Coxless Four
David Boykett, Maurice Grace, Peter Raper, Simon Newcomb
Eliminated in repechage
Men’s Coxed Four
David John, David M Caithness,? Derek E Norwood, David B Ramage, Phillip Sarah (cox)
SILVER
Men’s Eight
Ian Douglas, Charles Lehman, Duchan Stankovich, Terry Davies, Paul Guest, Graeme McCall, Martin Tomanovits, Neville Howell, David Palfreymen (cox)
GOLD
1958 CARDIFF
Men’s Single Scull
Stuart Mackenzie
GOLD
Men’s Double Scull
Stuart Mackenzie, Mervyn T Wood
SILVER
Men’s Coxless Pair
Steve Roll, Kevyn P Webb
BRONZE
Men’s Coxless Four
Bruce Evans, Kenneth Railton, Neville Clinton, Victor Schweikert
4th
Men’s Coxed Four
Bruce Evans, Neville J Clinton, Kenneth P Railton, Peter R Waddington, Lionel P Robberds (cox)
SILVER
Men’s Eight
Bruce Evans, Neville J Clinton, Ralfe R Currall,? Victor A Schweikert, Kenneth P Railton,? Peter R Waddington, Graeme K Allen, Kevin J Evans, Lionel P Robberds (cox)
SILVER
1954 VANCOUVER
Men’s Single Scull
Peter Evatt
4th
Men’s Double Scull
Murray S Riley, Mervyn T Wood
GOLD
Men’s Coxless Pair
Geoff Williamson, David R Anderson
BRONZE
Men’s Coxed Four
Mervyn T Wood, Peter M Evatt, Geoff Williamson, David R Anderson,? Lionel P Robberds (cox)
GOLD
1950 AUCKLAND
Men’s Eight
Robert N Tinning, Phillips A Cayzer, Peter Holmes a Court, Bruce H Goswell, Ross L Selman, Eric O Longley, Edward O Pain, Alan W Brown, ?Jim E Barnes (cox)
GOLD
Men’s Coxed Four
Ken T Gee, C William Winkworth, Erwin E Eder, Lance E Montgomery, Kevin Fox (cox)
SILVER
Men’s Coxless Pair
Jack W Webster, Walter J Lambert,
GOLD
Men’s Double Scull
Murray S Riley, Mervyn T Wood
GOLD
Men’s Single Scull
Mervyn T Wood
GOLD
1938 SYDNEY
Men’s Single Scull
Herbert J Turner
GOLD
Men’s Double Scull
W F Bradley, Cecil A Pearce
GOLD
Men’s Coxed Four
Gordon Freath, D H Fraser, S J Elder, J T Fisher, William Kerr (cox)
GOLD
Men’s Eight
W G Thomas, ?F A W LeSoeuf?, G H Yewers?, R L Paramor, ?E R Bromley?, W J Dixon?, A B Gould, ?A J Gregory, Douglas W Bowden (cox)
SILVER
1930 HAMILTON
Men’s Single Scull
Henry ‘Bobby’ Pearce
GOLD