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NEW SOUTH WALES The Head of the River rowing Regatta takes place in Penrith, New South Wales , Australia every March at the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC). From 1936-1995 the races were held on the Nepean River and before that on the Parramatta River . It is the culmination of the GPS (Greater Public Schools) rowing season for senior crews, and has been held since 1893. All eight GPS schools, being Sydney Grammar School , The King's School , Newington College , Sydney Boys High School , The Scots College , St. Joseph's College , St. Ignatius' College and The Shore School , send their crews to the Head of the River. The race is held over 2000m. It is the last race of the official GPS rowing season, following on from the Riverview Gold Cup held on the Lane Cove River . The Head of The River is one week after other summer sports premierships (such as Cricket and Basketball) have finished. This enables over ten thousand school students and other supporters to attend. The current (SIRC) record time for the First VIII is 5:42.6 set by the Shore School (Aaron Marshall-McCormack, Andrew Waite, Alex Koch, Michael Irvine, Nick Smith, Nick White, Evan Sturrock, Joe Marsh, Carter Mullins (cox) Gary Uebergang (Coach)) on March 23, 1996. Regatta The regatta consists of ten races.
In 2001, the last four races were added to the regatta. These are held before the IVs and the 2nd and 1st VIII race. VICTORIA The Victorian race is contested between the Associated Public Schools Of Victoria (APS) . The winning team is awarded the Fairbairn Cup. 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 bouyed international standard course allowing 6 boat finals. Scotch College , Geelong Grammar School , Carey Baptist Grammar School , Wesley College and Melbourne Grammar School all hold great traditions with the Head of the River rowing regatta. Scotch College have won the last three years in a row which has resulted with them winning highest amount of Head of the Rivers ahead of Geelong Grammar School . In 2006 Scotch College won every single final at the regatta (all divisions) with winning margains varying from around 2 seconds to even 17 seconds. History In 1868, John C. Field, on behalf of Mr Morrison's pupils at Scotch College, challenged Dr Bromby's pupils at Melbourne Grammar School to a "friendly four oar gig race to be rowed from the Botanical Bridge to Edward's Boathouse (Princes Bridge)". On the 18th June Scotch won the race and since then the "Head of the River" race, as it is now known, has been contested every year. The race was first rowed on the Barwon in 1879 and then every fifth or sixth year until 1916. Between 1921-1943 the Barwon saw it every fourth year and since 1948 the only use of the Yarra was in 1957 when Geelong College won. During World War 2 the Geelong Schools rowed a heat on the Barwon and the four Melbourne Schools rowed heats on the Yarra . These races were held after school, the winners met on the Yarra to decide the title except in 1943 when restrictions on travel were in force. From 1868 to 1897 racing was in fixed seat, four oared gigs, from 1889 to 1900 in sliding seat single streak outrigged fours and from 1901 to 1918 in sliding seat clinker built eights. Shells have been used since. Scotch College has been represented every year, gradually other schools have joined in, the most recent being Haileybury College who entered the Boys First Eight event for the first time in 1991. The first cup for competition was presented in 1875 by the Hon. TJ Sumner, to become the property of the school which should first win it three times. Scotch College won it in 1875, 1876 and 1879 and have retained it since that date. In 1911 Mr C Fairbairn presented the Challenge Cup and the winners of this handsome trophy and previous "Winners of the Race", as it was known then, are listed in this programme. The Head of the River races have weathered such difficulties as flooded rivers, disputes over ages, dead heats, disqualifications, and even the inability of a school to round up enough rowers to boat a crew. Before World War 2, only the first crew of each school took part in the Head of the River Regatta, but there was a race for second crews and sometimes third crews raced on the Saturday prior to the Head of the River race. In the early part of the century the race was held in October, but later it was moved to May and after World War 2 to April. When the race was in October it was possible for a boy to represent his school in Football, Cricket, Rowing and Athletics in the one year, as the latter were held in May after the Cricket season had ended. The first girl to row within the A.P.S. was a lone sculler from Geelong Grammar School in 1972. By 1975 there were 32 girls rowing and talk of girls competing at the Senior Regatta which, in fact, happened in 1981 when Geelong Grammar and Geelong College competed with MCEGGS, Morongo and Lauriston in 1st and 2nd Fours over 800m on the Friday. MLC and Carey joined the racing in 1982, with Carey boating a First Four in 1983. In 1984 there were seven girls' crews rowing in each of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Four events but in the next year the regatta reverted to an all A.P.S. affair with only GGS and GC boating a First Four. In 1986 Carey reappeared in the First Fours and Wesley joined, so finally, with Caulfield joining in 1987, all five co-educational schools were boating a first four over 1500m. Many of those who have competed have gone on to National and International success. In 1995 fourth and fifth girls' crews were introduced, racing over 1000m in regulation fours and in 1999 Year 1 Fours competed. Girls first eights (1998), second eights (1999) and third eights (2002) have replaced the open fours in the last few years. The schools take part in a number of R.V. Regattas, including those at Ballarat , Geelong , Footscray , Nagambie , Carrum and Melbourne while the Junior Crews compete in R.V. and A.P.S. School Regattas. The girls regularly compete at the Head of the Schoolgirls whilst many crews compete, when practical, for both State and National titles. WESTERN AUSTRALIA The Perth race is contested between the seven Public Schools Association boys schools in the summer. In the winter several private Perth girls schools race for the title. In 2006, the Head of the River race was won by Christ Church Grammar School , with the Hamer Cup going to Scotch . QUEENSLAND The Queensland Head of The River is held between the nine Queensland GPS schools, The Southport School , Anglican Church Grammar School , Brisbane Grammar School , Brisbane Boys' College , Ipswich Grammar School , Brisbane State High School , St Josephs Nudgee College , St Josephs Gregory Terrace and Toowoomba Grammar School , at the end of summer. The event begun in 1918 with the first race being won by The Southport School . The race is usually held on Wivenhoe damn over a 2,000 m course. The term "Head of the River" refers not only to the interschool championship event itself, "The Old Boys Cup". but more specifically the First VIII race which concludes the event. The Trophy for this race is "The O'Connor Cup". Due to water shortages at Wivenhoe The Head of The River, 2006, was held at the Hinze Dam and was won by TSS with ACGS a close second. There is also a Girls event later on in the year with schools from the QGSSSA taking part. 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 and St Patrick's College all compete in the boys race, while St Michael's Collegiate School , The Friends School, Scotch Oakburn College, St. Patrick'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. The Hutchins School has won the last three Head Of The Rivers (2003-2005) while Lauceston Church Grammar won the Head Of The River trophy for the girls (2005), claiming it off The Friends School who had held it for four years. A major part of the day is the juniors regatta that takes place, often seen as the most prestigious races to win. SEE ALSO |
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