Vale Robin Poke AM

Rowing Australia has paid tribute to Life Member Robin Poke AM, a devoted servant of the sport whose influence shaped Australian rowing across competition, administration, media, and history.

Robin passed away December 12 surrounded by his family.

Born in England, Robin migrated to Australia in 1969 and quickly immersed himself in rowing, first with Mosman Rowing Club, where he won NSW State Championships, and later with Canberra Rowing Club, racing into his masters years.

His love for the sport extended far beyond the boat, underpinning a lifetime of service marked by intellectual rigour, leadership, and generosity.

An accomplished journalist and broadcaster, Robin held senior media roles including Sports Editor at Channel 9 Adelaide and Head of Sport at Capital Television in Canberra.

He founded Australian Rowing magazine and served as its inaugural editor, a publication that became central to the sport’s growth and visibility.

Through countless articles, broadcasts, and facilitated coverage, he elevated rowing’s public profile at a national level.

Robin’s administrative service was equally profound.

He served the Australian Rowing Council as Executive Director from 1988-90, managed Australian teams at World Rowing Championships and World Rowing Junior Championships, contributed to the organising committee of the 1990 World Rowing Championships in Tasmania, and later led the sport locally as Chairman and President of Rowing ACT.

His Olympic contributions spanned multiple Games, including media liaison and senior press-centre roles at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic Games, and culminated in his presidency of the ACT Olympic Council from 2005-2017.

A distinguished academic and historian, Robin earned a Master’s degree in sports studies and completed a PhD in 2019 with the landmark thesis A Narrative History of Australian Rowing from 1770 to 2016.

Despite failing eyesight in later years, his commitment to preserving rowing’s story never wavered.

His published works, Peter Antonie: Out of his Shell (2007), Olympic Gold (2012), and the two-volume Looking Back, Rating High: A History of Australian Rowing (2019, 2021), stand as definitive references for the sport, honouring generations of athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers, including Olympic champion Peter Antonie.

In recognition of his extraordinary contribution, Robin was appointed Member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2013 for significant service to rowing and the Olympic movement as an administrator, journalist, and author.

He was elected a Life Member of Rowing Australia in 2019.

Beyond rowing, Robin quietly dedicated time to charities and organisations supporting people with vision impairment, an extension of the empathy and service that defined his life.

Rowing Australia extends its deepest condolences to Robin's family, friends of Mosman Rowing Club and the Canberra Rowing Club community.