Head of the River (Australia)
The Head of the River is a name given to annual Australian rowing regattas held in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia. The regattas feature competing independent schools, and the winner of the 1st division boys or girls race is crowned the "Head of the River".
The name Head of the River is taken from similar regattas held in other countries including the Head of the River Race held annually on the Thames in London since 1926.
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[edit] New South Wales
[edit] NSW Head of the River Regatta
The Head of the River takes place in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia at the end of the first term (normally in March) at the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC). It is the culmination of the AAGPS (Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools) rowing season, and has been held since 1893, initially on the Parramatta River and then from 1936–1995 on the Nepean River. The senior events are 1st VIII, 2nd VIII, 1st IV, 2nd IV, 3rd IV and 4th IV. The VIIs rowed over a mile and a half and the IVs over a mile.
In 1996, the regatta was moved to the then preparatory Olympic course over 2000 metres . In 2001, a 3rd VIII event and the three year 10 VIII events were added to the progamme.
Eight of the nine GPS schools, with the exception of TAS (The Armidale School), are Sydney Grammar School, The King's School, Newington College, Sydney Boys' High School, The Scots College, St. Joseph's College, Saint Ignatius' College and Shore School, compete at the Head of the River.
Recently in 2011 the Sydney Grammar School won the Head of the River Race.
[edit] NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River Regatta
The NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River was first raced in 1991.[1] The inaugural Schoolgirl Head of the River Regatta took place in October 1991 on Middle Harbour Creek at Davidson Park, Roseville.[1] The regatta is now usually held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC), Penrith on the Saturday following the Schoolboy Head of the River. It is the culmination of the Schoolgirls rowing season that involves crews from Independent Schools, Catholic Colleges and State High Schools.[2]
The NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River is organised by the Combined Independent Schools Sports Council. Schools that are eligible to compete in the NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River are all affiliated schools of the NSW Combined Independent Schools Sports Council (NSWCISSC), NSW Combined High Schools Sports Association (NSWCHSSA) and the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Sports Association (NSWCCCSA).[3] The regatta is run in accordance with Rowing NSW laws of boat racing.[4]
[edit] Queensland
[edit] Queensland Head of the River Regatta
The Head of the River for schoolboys is contested between seven of the nine GPS (Great Public Schools) schools in Brisbane, with schools Brisbane Boys College, Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane State High School, Anglican Church Grammar School, St. Joseph's College Gregory Terrace, The Southport School and St. Joseph's Nudgee College competing. The GPS Head of the River has been held since 1918, with Southport winning in the inaugural year. The races have been held on the Brisbane River (Milton Reach), Wivenhoe Dam, Hinze Dam and now race at Lake Kawana. Crowds of several thousand attend the annual Championship Regatta at Lake Kawana but in earlier years there are reports of both sides of the river being lined with spectators and tens of thousands attending.
[edit] Queensland Girls Head of the River Regatta
On 13 October 1990 the Inaugural Schoolgirls' Head of the River was held on the Milton reach of the Brisbane River. The seven schools that competed were All Hallows', Brisbane State High School, St Aidan's, St Hilda's, St Margaret's, St Peter's and Somerville House. Sixteen events were competed with 118 competitors and 3 entries in the Open 8+. The newly formed Brisbane Schoolgirls Rowing Association conducted the Head of the River with additional competitors from Brisbane Girls' Grammar School, Clayfield College, Indooroopilly State High School, Kelvin Grove State High School and Stuartholme School. By 1992, entries in the Open 8+ had doubled to six, the number of events expanded to 19 and 11 schools competed.
[edit] Bundaberg Head of the River Regatta
A 'Head of the River' competition is also held among Bundaberg schools. It is held on an annual basis and has been for the past 18 years. All Bundaberg secondary schools except for the Bundaberg Christian College participate in the regatta. These schools are Bundaberg North SHS, Bundaberg SHS, Kepnock SHS, St. Luke's Anglican College, Gin Gin SHS and Shalom Catholic College. There has only ever been a single winner of the Travelworld Trophy awarded to the school with the greatest number of points, that is Shalom Catholic College. Races are held over a single Sunday every May and held at the Bucca Rowing Course.
[edit] Victoria
[edit] VIC Head of the River Regatta
The Victorian race is contested between the 11 Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS).
The race is usually the last race of the official APS rowing season and has recently been rowed on Lake Nagambie which is a full buoyed international standard course allowing six boat finals.
[edit] VIC Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta
1984 was the final year school girls participated in the APS Head of the River. The Principal of Morongo Girls’ School initiated a meeting that establishes the Head of School Girls’ Regatta. The first HOSG was held in 1987 at Ballarat with 7 events, 16 schools and 240 competitors. In 1987, the event moved to Geelong. In 1991, the HOSG Regatta Committee became an incorporated association.
[edit] Western Australia
[edit] WA Head of the River Regatta
The Perth race held in late summer/early autumn is contested between the 7 Public Schools Association members. The regatta consists of many races with points contributing to the Hamer Cup, and in the final race of the day, the 1st VIII crews from each school compete for the Head of the River trophy. The race is run on the Canning River, near Western Australian Institute of Sport's rowing shed at Canning Bridge.
[edit] WA Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta
In the winter several private Perth girls schools race for the title.
[edit] Tasmania
The Tasmanian Head of the River is currently held at the Lake Barrington Rowing Course. Held over the full championship distance, the schools associated with SATIS (Sports Association of Tasmanian Independent Schools) from both the north and south of the state compete for the 'holy grail' of Tasmanian schools rowing. The Hutchins School, Launceston Church Grammar, The Friends School, Guilford Young College, Scotch Oakburn College, St Patrick's College and St Brendan-Shaw College all compete in the boys race, while St Michael's Collegiate School, The Friends School, Fahan School, Scotch Oakburn College, St. Patrick's College, St Mary's College and Launceston Church Grammar all compete for the girls trophy.
The Head of the River regatta is often held the Saturday before Easter. However, in 2006 the Head of the River was postponed for the first time in its Tasmanian History with a limited regatta program being amalgamated in to the Tasmanian Masters Regatta. This was able to cater for the main races with Hutchins taking out the boys' Head of the River trophy and St Michael's Collegiate School the girls.
In 2007 Scotch Oakburn won their first Head of the River in a decade in a tight race with just a second between themselves, Launceston Church Grammar and The Hutchins School. The chance for Hutchins to claim their 5th consecutive title was denied. The Friends School came a distant 4th place after much hype. In the girls event the dominant Friends School Crew crew won easily over Launceston Church Grammar with surprise combination coming from Fahan School gaining second place.
In 2008, The Hutchins School regained the title from Scotch Oakburn in a close race, with St Patricks college in third.
The following year, The Hutchins School won after being challenged all season by a strong St Patricks College crew. In third spot was Scotch Oakburn College.
In 2010 The Hutchins School won, having dominant performances throughout the season. Scotch Oakburn collected up second spot and the Friends crew came in third.
The 2011 Tasmanian School Boys Head of the River saw yet another dominant performance from The Hutchins School taking the win by 10 seconds from Scotch Oakburn with Friends placing third. In girls race the victors were Grammar with Scotch Oakburn placing second.
- First VIII - "Tasmanian School Boys Head of the River"
[edit] South Australia
The South Australian Head of the River event had its inception on the Torrens Lake in 1922 as the result of a challenge between St. Peters and Adelaide High School. However St. Peters and their traditional rivals Prince Alfred have been racing for the Blackmore Shield which is to be contested only between the two schools since 1892. Since 1923 this race has been incorporated into the Boys 1st VIII race at the Head of the River.[5]
The regatta is currently held at West Lakes and involves junior coxed quadruple sculling events over 1,000m and 1,500m as well as senior coxed four and eight races over 2,000m. The South Australian Head of the River is held on the second-to-last Saturday of the first school term of each year.
Competing schools are drawn from Adelaide's traditional independent schools and an increasing number of state schools. Since the 1970s the number of girls competing in the regatta has increased significantly; Seymour College (an all girls school) gained entry to the regatta in 2006, and Annesley College (an all girls school) competed for the first time in 2007.
Until 2005 the Head of the River was officially known as the Public Schools' Regatta.[6] The name has since been changed to the "Schools' Regatta" by the Heads of Rowing Schools Committee, a committee of the Headmasters/Principals of the Head of the River Schools.
[edit] Competing schools
| School | type |
|---|---|
| Adelaide | Co-ed |
| Christian Brothers | Boys |
| Norwood Morialta | Co-ed |
| Pembroke | Co-ed |
| Prince Alfred | Boys |
| Pulteney | Co-ed |
| Scotch | Co-ed |
| Seymour | Girls |
| St Peter's | Boys |
| Unley | Co-ed |
| Walford | Girls |
| Wilderness | Girls |
[edit] SA Boys Head of the River results
- First VIII - "The Gosse Shield"
[edit] SA Girls Head of the River results
- First VIII - "The Florence Eaton Cup"
| Year | Winner | 2nd | 3rd | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008[7] | St Peter's | Pembroke | Prince Alfred | ||||||
| 2009[8] | St Peter's | Prince Alfred | Pembroke | 2010 | St Peter's | Scotch College | Prince Alfred | ||
| Year | Winner | 2nd | 3rd | ||||||
| 2006 | Wilderness | Pembroke | Pulteney | ||||||
| 2007[7] | Walford | Seymour | Wilderness | ||||||
| 2008[8] | Walford | Pembroke | Seymour
- |
2010[8] | Walford | Seymour
- |
2011[8] | Walford | Pembroke |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Williams, Daniel (20 December 1991). "Girls steer smooth course from humble start". Sydney Morning Herald: p. 34.
- ^ "Rowing NSW – Contact list of Independent Schools". Rowing New South Wales Incorporated. http://www.rowingnsw.asn.au/contacts/?clubs=school. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- ^ "NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River Rules". CISSC. http://www.aisnsw.edu.au/Services/CIS/Calendar/Documents/Row11SGHORRules_V5.pdf. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- ^ "NSWRA Law of Boat Racing (as revised June 2009)". Rowing New South Wales Incorporated. http://www.rowingnsw.asn.au/competition/laws-of-boat-racing.html. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- ^ General information, S.A. Head of the River Regatta
- ^ However, the SA Public Schools' Regatta was informally known as, and the Schools Regatta is informally referred to as, "The Head of the River".
- ^ a b 2007 S.A. Head of the River Regatta results www.rowingsa.asn.au
- ^ a b c d 2008 S.A. Head of the River Regatta results www.rowingsa.asn.au
