The last shout: Yarrawonga Club Secretary Deidre Poll holds up an old megaphone in front of the Yarrawonga Rowing Club clubrooms at the end of Botts Road.
After introducing hundreds of locals into the sport of rowing, hosting many regattas, even producing state champions the 110 year-old Yarrawonga Rowing Club has taken its last stroke and shelved its oars for the last time.
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Just before Easter the committee of the Yarrawonga Rowing Club announced the club has decided to wind up.
“It has been a very difficult decision to make considering the history of rowing in Yarrawonga,” long time club secretary Deidre Poll said.
“For some time, the club has failed to attract and retain members and have faced mounting costs with running the club including insurance and council rates.
“These factors, along with ever-increasing regulatory compliance requirements falling on the small group of dedicated members, meant the committee had little choice but to wind up the club.”
Ms Poll said current committee members have had a life-long and generational association with rowing in Yarrawonga and are saddened to see it shut down.
“Mary Mansfield for example was awarded life membership of the club last year and has rowed for over 50 years and celebrated a recent highlight competing at a regatta along with two of her children, Patrick and Emily and grandchildren Lucy and Liam in January 2023.
“These current members are saddened to see the end of the club.”
The original Yarrawonga Rowing Club was formed at a meeting held at Hunt’s Hotel in 1884, and went into recess when the original boatshed, located opposite the present Yarrawonga Football Club ground fondly known as the “Grove”, was washed away by the flood in 1917.
In August 1947, at a public meeting called by Yarrawonga Shire President, Cr Fred Lee, the Yarrawonga Rowing Club was reformed.
Two of those present at the public meeting in 1947 served the rowing club for a combined total of 104 years.
Rowing on Lake Mulwala in 1956.
Mr Roy Bowles held positions of president, treasurer, and regatta secretary from 1947 – 1997.
Mr Robert Todd held positions of president, secretary, captain, coach from 1947 – 2001. Both were awarded life membership.
An old sign marks the reset of the club in 1947.
After using the old flour mill (now demolished) at the rear of a property in Irvine Parade, near the (then) police station, a temporary clubhouse was erected on land owned by the Yarrawonga Urban Waterworks Trust several doors away – at the northern end of Hovell Street. This site was used from 1950 – 1961.
The club committee were given approval to use the current site at the end of Botts Road which was previously used as a market garden.
The original boat storage was two army mess-huts purchased at Bonegilla, dismantled, and brought to Yarrawonga then re-erected as one by a working bee in which every carpenter in the Yarrawonga-Mulwala area took part. The shed was re-erected in one weekend by these volunteers.
Unfortunately, this shed was destroyed by fire in 1973, and the present building at the end of Botts Road was erected by the club with the insurance money, public donations, and a government grant obtained by the late Mr Keith Bradbury (then the local Member of Parliament) for the club, and voluntary labour by members and the public of Yarrawonga and Mulwala.
In 1960 two local rowers, Grahame Stephens and Robert (Bob) Mansfield coxed by Gerald Richmond and coached by Peter Beaglehole won the Victorian Lightweight paired oared championship at Ballarat and they then went on to trial for Olympic selection.
With assistance and members of the rowing club, local schools had rowing on their sports programs and were successful competing at the state school regattas.
Ms Poll said that despite the closure being a sad time for the club’s few remaining members and past members other rowing clubs in the region have benefitted from donations of the club’s shells and oars.
“At least we know the equipment we build up over the years is going to worthy homes.”
