The rowing scene in Brisbane
Brisbane is the heart of Queensland rowing. The Brisbane River through West End, Toowong, Hamilton and East Brisbane hosts the senior community clubs and most of the GPS and BSRA school boatsheds, while Lake Wivenhoe (north-west of the city) is the still-water venue used for state championships and national-level crew selection.
Key numbers
The Brisbane River winds through the city centre with the main rowing reaches at Milton, West End, Toowong, Hamilton and East Brisbane - sheltered tidal water shared by community clubs, university boat clubs and GPS / BSRA school crews. Lake Wivenhoe, a large freshwater reservoir about 80km north-west of the city, is the flat-water venue used for the Queensland State Championships and national-level selection regattas.
All 26 rowing clubs in Brisbane
Sorted by founding year. Every entry links to the club's own website; we verified all URLs in May 2026. If you spot an error or your club is missing, let us know.
| Club | Founded | Location | Reach | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Commercial Rowing Club
Established 1877 - Queensland's oldest continuously active rowing club, based at Davies Park in West End and home to many Australian representatives. |
1877 | Davies Park Rowing Complex, 150 Jane Street, West End | Brisbane River (Milton / West End reach) | Senior community |
|
Rowing Queensland
The state governing body for rowing in Queensland, affiliated to Rowing Australia. Runs the Queensland State Championships and the safety-course accreditation used by every Brisbane River club. |
1881 | Brisbane, QLD | State-wide (Brisbane River and Lake Wivenhoe) | State governing body |
|
Toowong Rowing Club
Long-standing senior community club on the Toowong reach, running Learn-to-Row, masters and competitive squads alongside the BBC and UQ boathouses. |
1888 | Toowong, Brisbane | Brisbane River (Toowong reach) | Senior community |
|
Ipswich Grammar School Boat Club
IGS contested the very first inter-school race against Brisbane Grammar in 1890 before a 1893 flood paused the programme; the boat club has long since rejoined GPS rowing. |
1890 | Ipswich, QLD | Bremer River and Brisbane River | GPS school (boys) |
|
The Southport School Boat Club
TSS is a Gold Coast Anglican boys school whose boat club joined GPS rowing in 1908. Competes against the Brisbane GPS schools at the annual Head of the River. |
1908 | Southport, Gold Coast | Nerang River (training) and GPS HOR venue | GPS school (boys) |
|
University of Queensland Boat Club
UQ Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Queensland, training on the St Lucia reach and producing Australian U23 and senior representatives. |
1912 | St Lucia, Brisbane | Brisbane River (St Lucia reach) | University |
|
Great Public Schools Association of Queensland
Nine-school boys association whose Head of the River (the O'Connor Cup) has been contested since 1918 and is the dominant schoolboy rowing competition in Queensland. |
1918 | Brisbane, QLD | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe / Hinze / Kawana for HOR | Boys school sports association |
|
Brisbane Grammar School Boat Club
BGS was one of the two original participants in the very first inter-school rowing contests on the Brisbane River in 1890 and has competed in the GPS Head of the River since 1918. |
1918 | Spring Hill, Brisbane (boatshed on the Brisbane River) | Brisbane River | GPS school (boys) |
|
Brisbane Boys' College Boat Club
BBC is a Uniting Church day and boarding school in Toowong with a boatshed on the adjacent Toowong reach and a Head of the River programme dating back to 1918. |
1918 | Toowong, Brisbane | Brisbane River (Toowong reach) | GPS school (boys) |
|
Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) Boat Club
Known as Churchie, ACGS has been competing in the GPS Head of the River since 1920 and is one of the most decorated boys boat clubs in Queensland. |
1920 | East Brisbane | Brisbane River (East Brisbane reach) | GPS school (boys) |
|
Brisbane and GPS Rowing Association
Open senior club catering for adult rowers and GPS old boys, running a Saturday-morning Learn-to-Row programme out of West End. |
- | West End, Brisbane | Brisbane River (West End / Milton reach) | Senior community |
|
Brisbane Rowing Club
A welcoming micro-club catering to masters rowers (40-70+), beginners, social rowers and competitive athletes on the Brisbane River. |
- | Brisbane River, Brisbane | Brisbane River | Senior community (masters and beginners) |
|
St Joseph's Nudgee College Boat Club
Nudgee College is a Catholic boys boarding school in Boondall with a long-running GPS rowing programme. |
- | Boondall, Brisbane (school) - boatshed on the Brisbane River | Brisbane River | GPS school (boys) |
|
St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace Boat Club
Commonly known as Gregory Terrace, the Christian Brothers boys college fields a full GPS rowing programme from a Brisbane River boatshed. |
- | Spring Hill, Brisbane | Brisbane River | GPS school (boys) |
|
Toowoomba Grammar School Boat Club
Toowoomba Grammar travels east to Brisbane and Wivenhoe each season to contest the GPS Head of the River alongside the Brisbane boys schools. |
- | Toowoomba, QLD | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (Head of the River venue) | GPS school (boys) |
|
St Peters Lutheran College Boat Club
St Peters is a co-ed Lutheran college in Indooroopilly whose girls have won the BSRA Head of the River twice and boys compete in GPS rowing. |
- | Indooroopilly, Brisbane | Brisbane River (Indooroopilly reach) | Co-ed school (GPS / BSRA) |
|
Brisbane State High School Rowing
Brisbane State High is the only public school in the GPS and runs a sporting selective-entry pathway feeding into GPS boys and BSRA girls Head of the River squads. |
- | South Brisbane | Brisbane River | GPS / BSRA school |
|
St Margaret's Anglican Girls School Boat Club
St Margaret's has the most BSRA Head of the River Open 1st VIII titles of any Brisbane girls school, with 16 championship wins to date. |
- | Ascot, Brisbane | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
|
Somerville House Boat Club
Won the inaugural BSRA Head of the River in 1990 and has six Open 1st VIII championship titles to its name. |
- | South Brisbane | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
|
All Hallows' School Rowing
All Hallows' is a Catholic girls school in Fortitude Valley with five BSRA Open 1st VIII championship wins. |
- | Fortitude Valley, Brisbane | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
|
Stuartholme School Boat Club
Catholic girls boarding school in Toowong with two BSRA Open 1st VIII championship wins. |
- | Toowong, Brisbane | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
|
St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School Boat Club
Anglican girls school in Corinda; won the BSRA Open 1st VIII in 2004 and is a regular podium contender. |
- | Corinda, Brisbane | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
|
Brisbane Girls Grammar School Boat Club
Sister school to Brisbane Grammar; the BGGS boat club is a long-running BSRA Head of the River participant with one Open 1st VIII championship. |
- | Spring Hill, Brisbane | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
|
Lourdes Hill College Rowing
Catholic girls college in Hawthorne, directly across the Brisbane River from New Farm Park; a regular BSRA Head of the River competitor. |
- | Hawthorne, Brisbane | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
|
Moreton Bay College Boat Club
Uniting Church girls college in Manly West (bayside Brisbane) competing in the BSRA Head of the River circuit. |
- | Manly West, Brisbane | Brisbane River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
|
St Hilda's School Boat Club
Anglican girls boarding school on the Gold Coast competing in the BSRA Head of the River with one Open 1st VIII title. |
- | Southport, Gold Coast | Nerang River and Wivenhoe (HOR venue) | BSRA school (girls) |
Major regattas in or near Brisbane
Mid to late March (venue rotates between Wivenhoe / Hinze Dam / Lake Kawana)
Late August or early September
Early in the season (Wivenhoe)
Throughout the season
Software for Brisbane rowing clubs
Most of the 26 clubs above still run their boat booking, member admin, session attendance and crew lineups on a combination of spreadsheets, WhatsApp groups and printed sheets on the boathouse wall. Row HQ is rowing-club management software built specifically for clubs like these.
If your committee is hitting the predictable problems - lineups in the wrong file, fees uncollected, attendance unrecorded, captain on holiday with the password - book a 30-minute demo. We've ported clubs from spreadsheets in a weekend.
See Row HQ for your club
Free forever for clubs of up to 20 active members. No card needed.
Other rowing-club cities
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From the blog
If you're researching the rowing scene in Brisbane as a club admin or captain, these are the most useful pieces we've written.