CENTRAL DISTRICTS ROWING ASSOCIATION 1981 - 2020 An Historical Study Peter Bond June 2020 Central Districts Rowing Association - Office Bearers President Vice President Secretary/Treasurer 1981/82 Alan Sawyer Col Randell Graham Nix 1982/83 Alan Sawyer Ray McManus Graham Nix 1983/84 Alan Sawyer Ray McManus Graham Nix 1984/85 Ray McManus John Burgess Graham Nix 1985/86 no elections Graham Nix 1986/87 no elections Graham Nix 1987/88 David Munroe Paul Drinkwater Graham Nix 1988/89 David Munroe Robert Williams Graham Nix 1989/90 David Munroe Robert Williams Graham Nix 1990/91 Robert Williams Fred Bunt Graham Nix 1991/92 Robert Williams David Munroe Peter Bond 1992/93 Robert Williams Tim Morgan Peter Bond 1993/94 Robert Williams Graham Nix Peter Bond 1994/95 Robert Williams Graham Nix Peter Bond 1995/96 Graham Nix Val Kost Peter Bond 1996/97 Graham Nix Val Kost Peter Bond 1997/98 Graham Nix Tim Morgan Peter Bond 1998/99 Graham Nix Tim Morgan Peter Bond 1999/2000 Graham Nix Tim Morgan Peter Bond 2000/01 Graham Nix Tim Morgan Scott Barnett 2001/02 Graham Nix Tim Morgan John McLeod 2002/03 Graham Nix Tim Morgan John McLeod 2003/04 Graham Nix Tim Morgan John McLeod 2004/05 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2005/06 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2006/07 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2007/08 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2008/09 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2009/10 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2010/11 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2011/12 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2012/13 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2013/14 Graham Nix Brian Kelleher John McLeod 2014/15 Graham Nix Peter Bond John McLeod 2015/16 G Nix/P Bond P Bond / C Isaacs John McLeod 2016/17 Peter Bond Carol Isaacs John McLeod 2017/18 Peter Bond Carol Isaacs John McLeod 2018/19 Peter Bond Hugh McLeod John McLeod 2019/20 Peter Bond Hugh McLeod John McLeod 2020/21 Peter Bond Hugh McLeod John McLeod CENTRAL DISTRICTS ROWING ASSOCIATION 1981 - 2020 Historical Perspective In the late nineteenth century, various rowing clubs were formed in country regions outside metropolitan Sydney. On the Hunter River, short lived clubs were formed in Newcastle (1870-1874, 1880-1896 and 1940- 1941) and Maitland (1883-1890 and 1923-1931). On the far north coast, clubs were formed on the Clarence River at Grafton (1882) and Maclean (1885) and on a tributary of the Richmond River at Lismore (1896). These northern clubs were more long lasting and are still operational today. The New South Wales Rowing Association (NSWRA) was formed in 1878 with membership restricted to amateur oarsmen. As prize money was awarded at regattas on the Hunter and the northern rivers well into the 1950s, membership of the NSWRA in the first half of the twentieth century was limited to Sydney metropolitan clubs only. The Northern Rivers Rowing Association (NRRA) was formed in 1959 for NSW clubs north of the Hawkesbury River. With money prizes no longer presented at regattas, the NRRA affiliated with the NSWRA. Although Manning River RC was fully involved with the rowing and administrative activities of the NRRA, the club in Taree began to investigate the possibility of forming an association closer to their position on the mid-north coast of NSW. Prior to the formation of the CDRA, five clubs were operating at various levels of rowing activity in the mid- north coast region: Manning River Rowing Club at Taree, Newcastle University Boat Club (NUBC) on the Hunter River at Raymond Terrace, Hastings River Rowing Club at Port Macquarie, Central Coast Youth Club Rowing Club in Gosford and Hunter Valley Rowing Club in Singleton. Manning River Rowing Club boatshed – opened 1971 The Central Districts Rowing Association is formed At a meeting in the Macquarie Hotel, Port Macquarie on 6th June 1981, a resolution was passed to form the ‘Central Districts Rowing Association’ for rowing clubs within the boundaries of the Nambucca River in the north and the Hawkesbury River in the south. A committee of president Alan Sawyer (Manning), vice- president Col Randall (Hunter Valley) and secretary/treasurer Graham Nix (Manning) was elected. A club affiliation fee of $40 was set to cover the $100 affiliation fee with NSWRA. Founding members were Manning River RC, Hastings River RC, Hunter Valley RC, Central Coast Youth Club RC and NUBC. In July, a CDRA bank account was established with an initial deposit of $140.50 transferred from the NRRA, being half of that association’s bank balance at the end of June. The primary purpose of the association was to provide a means by which the local clubs could affiliate with the NSW Rowing Association. Although this could be achieved through the Northern Rivers association, the CDRA offered the additional benefit of a voice in discussions with the NSWRA that supported the interests of the mid-north coast rather than the far north. Annual general meetings followed in June 1982, 1983 and 1984, each at Port Macquarie following the Hastings River regatta. During this period, the only activity within the association was the conduct of an annual regatta by Manning River RC in October and by Hastings River RC in June. Manning River also conducted a limited number of events as part of the Manning River Aquatic Festival in mid-January. Hastings River RC changed their name to Port Macquarie RSL Club Rowing Club in 1983. “Reg” fours racing in the Manning River Aquatic Festival during the 1970s At the 1984 meeting, the affiliation fee was raised to $50 in response to NSWRA’s increase to $200. By this time, Hunter Valley RC had ceased to operate and NUBC was in hibernation. Port Macquarie went into recession soon after with the 1984 regatta their last to be conducted on the June long weekend. The club handed the shed keys to the council who called a public meeting in August where the keys were passed to Jim Young and Paul McReynolds who reformed the club as Port Macquarie Rowing Club. Hiatus The 1984 AGM was the last meeting held for three years with very little association activity during that time. Payment of the NSWRA affiliation fee in 1985 left a balance of $9.03 in the bank. No club affiliation fees were received by CDRA and no affiliation was paid to NSWRA for another two years. The association needed a kick start. In 1980 Bob Williams, a life member of Manning River RC, had moved to Warners Bay on Lake Macquarie where he coached schoolboys in a reg four on loan from Manning River. In 1987, boat storage was obtained in the Speers Point Sailing Club shed and Hunter Rowing Club was formed. Hunter Rowing Club regatta finishing at Speers Point Sailing Club – November 1991 CDRA Reactivated With the advent of Hunter as a viable rowing club in the Newcastle area, moves were made to re-invigorate the CDRA. A meeting labelled “annual general meeting” was held in the Speers Point Sailing Club on 9th August 1987 with representatives from Manning River RC, Port Macquarie RC and Hunter RC. Dave Munro (Port Macquarie) was elected president and Paul Drinkwater (Hunter) vice president with Graham Nix continuing as secretary/treasurer. A new fee structure was introduced with a $20 affiliation fee plus capitation fees of $5 per senior rower and $2 per junior. These fees would remain unchanged for 7 years. Member clubs of the re-activated CDRA were Central Coast Youth Club RC, Hunter RC, Manning River RC, NUBC and Port Macquarie RC. Four regattas were foreshadowed: Manning in October, Hunter in November, NUBC in March and Port Macquarie in March or June. In the following August, an attempt was made to hold an annual general meeting that failed with only 3 people in attendance. The $250 affiliation fee to NSWRA was outstanding with insufficient funds to meet the debt. The secretary/treasurer was directed to “write to each club outlining the alternatives to the continuation of the association” and asking clubs “to advise … if they feel that the association should continue to operate”. CDRA had been re-activated but not re-energised. In a document titled ‘Future of the Association’ it was stated “It is fair to say that virtually all that has been achieved is affiliation with NSW Rowing Association each year.” Alternative methods of affiliation were given as: ● Continue with the CDRA at an estimated cost of $120 for a club with 20 members plus $20.50 for each member to compete in NSWRA pointscore regattas. ● Disband the CDRA and clubs join NRRA for a similar cost. ● Disband the CDRA and clubs individually join NSWRA at an estimated cost of $2058 for a club with 20 members. The adjourned annual general meeting was successfully conducted in October 1988 with the resolution “that the current clubs remain within the CDRA and that the association continue in its present form”. Dave Munro and Graham Nix retained their positions with Robert Williams (Hunter) elected to the position of vice-president. Regattas were listed as Hunter in November, Manning in January and Port Macquarie in April. With the payment of fees to CDRA, the NSWRA affiliation fee, due before the beginning of the racing season, was finally payed at the end of the season. Port Macquarie Rowing Club – boatshed and clubhouse Regattas in the mid-north coast region up until this time had been club based with the host setting the events, accepting the entries, conducting the draw and running the regatta. Entry fees were paid to and retained by the club.