Bairnsdale Rowing Club

Bairnsdale Rowing Club was established in 1872 and rows on the heritage-listed Mitchell River. Members launch sculling and sweep boats from the rowing jetty on the river's east bank near Mitchell Bridge.

The volunteer-run community club caters for different ages and levels of experience. Members elect its committee at an annual meeting, while fundraising pays for rowing boats and improvements to club facilities.

Rowing Australia named Bairnsdale the AON Club of the Year at the 2018 Australian Rower of the Year Awards, recognising its achievements and inclusive approach.

The club hosts the Head of the Mitchell Regatta each year. In 2023 more than 105 athletes from across Victoria raced, with competitors ranging from teenagers to rowers in their seventies.

That regatta drew visiting clubs from Geelong, Nagambie and Melbourne alongside local crews. It included single sculls, mixed masters quad sculls and a large Gippsland Grammar contingent.