The rowing scene in Melbourne
Melbourne is the heart of Australian rowing. The Yarra River through Hawthorn, Richmond and South Yarra hosts more than a dozen senior community clubs along Boathouse Drive in Princes Park, plus Melbourne University Boat Club and Powerhouse on the same reach. Add the APS, AGSV and CAS school boat clubs that contest the famous Head of the River, and the 2km international racing course at Lake Nagambie 130km north, and Victoria is the deepest rowing state in Australia.
Key numbers
The Yarra River from Hawthorn down to Princes Bridge is the busiest stretch of rowing water in Australia. Boathouse Drive in Princes Park houses the historic senior clubs (Mercantile, Banks, Melbourne University, Powerhouse, Richmond, Yarra Yarra) and many of the APS and AGSV school boatsheds. The annual Head of the Yarra runs 8.6km upstream from Hawthorn to the Henley Landing every November. For 2km racing, Victorian crews travel 130km north to Lake Nagambie, the state's world-class buoyed racing course and home to the Victorian and Australian Rowing Championships.
All 22 rowing clubs in Melbourne
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Geelong Grammar School Boat Club
APS school 75km south-west of Melbourne with a long Head of the River pedigree. Trains on the Barwon River in Geelong and travels to Melbourne for APS racing. |
1858 | Geelong Grammar, 50 Biddlecombe Avenue, Corio | Barwon River (Geelong) and Yarra for APS races | School (APS) |
|
Melbourne University Boat Club
Founded 1859 - the oldest rowing club in Victoria and Australia's second oldest. Contests the Australian Boat Race against Sydney University as part of the Head of the Yarra. |
1859 | Boathouse Drive, Princes Park, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | University |
|
Melbourne Grammar School Boat Club
One of the foundation clubs of the APS Head of the River, first contested in 1868. Boating from Boathouse Drive alongside the senior clubs. |
1862 | Melbourne Grammar, 355 St Kilda Road, Melbourne | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | School (APS) |
|
Richmond Rowing Club
One of the oldest clubs on the Yarra, with senior, masters, novice and corporate rowing programmes from the Princes Park boatsheds. |
1863 | Boathouse Drive, Princes Park, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | Senior community |
|
Banks Rowing Club
Founded 1866 by bank clerks - one of the oldest senior community clubs on the Yarra. Boathouse on Boathouse Drive in Princes Park. |
1866 | Boathouse Drive, Princes Park, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | Senior community |
|
Wesley College Boat Club
Wesley College has rowed in the APS Head of the River since the contest began in 1868 and boats from a boatshed on the Yarra below the Boulevard. |
1868 | Wesley College, 577 St Kilda Road, Melbourne | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | School (APS) |
|
Yarra Yarra Rowing Club
Founded 1871 - a long-standing Yarra senior club with strong masters and competitive squads, boating from Princes Park. |
1871 | Boathouse Drive, Princes Park, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | Senior community |
|
Hawthorn Rowing Club
Founded in the 1870s on the upper Hawthorn stretch of the Yarra - the start line for the Head of the Yarra and a hub for masters and adult learn-to-row programmes. |
1875 | Hawthorn boatshed, Yarra Boulevard, Hawthorn | Yarra River (Hawthorn reach) | Senior community |
|
Scotch College Boat Club
Boat club of Scotch College, an APS school with one of the most successful Head of the River programmes in Victorian history. Boatshed on the Yarra at Hawthorn. |
1875 | Scotch College, 1 Morrison Street, Hawthorn | Yarra River (Hawthorn / Boathouse Drive) | School (APS) |
|
Mercantile Rowing Club
Founded 1880 - Australia's most decorated senior club, with more Olympic, world championship and King's Cup representatives than any other Victorian club. |
1880 | Boathouse Drive, Princes Park, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | Senior community |
|
Footscray City Rowing Club
The senior club for Melbourne's western suburbs, rowing on the Maribyrnong rather than the Yarra. Runs adult learn-to-row courses and a competitive squad. |
1882 | Maribyrnong River boathouse, Footscray | Maribyrnong River | Senior community |
|
Haileybury Boat Club
APS school with a long-running rowing programme; trains and races on the Yarra and rotates through the APS Head of the River. |
1892 | Haileybury, 855 Springvale Road, Keysborough | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) for racing | School (APS) |
|
Xavier College Boat Club
Catholic APS school in Kew with a strong rowing tradition. Joined the APS competition in 1906 and contests the Head of the River each year. |
1906 | Xavier College, 135 Barkers Road, Kew | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | School (APS) |
|
Methodist Ladies' College Boat Club
MLC competes at the Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta and through the GSV competition. Boatshed on the Yarra at Hawthorn. |
1907 | Methodist Ladies' College, 207 Barkers Road, Kew | Yarra River (Hawthorn reach) | School (GSV / Head of the Schoolgirls) |
|
Firbank Grammar School Boat Club
Girls school in Brighton with a strong rowing programme that competes at the Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta and through GSV. |
1909 | Firbank Grammar School, 51 Outer Crescent, Brighton | Yarra River (Hawthorn reach) | School (GSV) |
|
Carey Baptist Grammar Boat Club
Carey rows in the AGSV/AGS competition rather than APS. Boating from the Hawthorn reach of the Yarra, with both senior and junior crews. |
1923 | Carey Baptist Grammar, 349 Barkers Road, Kew | Yarra River (Hawthorn reach) | School (AGSV) |
|
St Kevin's College Boat Club
Catholic APS school in Toorak with a long-standing boat club that contests the Head of the River and the major APS school regattas. |
1934 | St Kevin's College, 31 Moonga Road, Toorak | Yarra River (Hawthorn / Boathouse Drive) | School (APS) |
|
Powerhouse Rowing Club
Founded 1947 as the State Electricity Commission Powerhouse Club; now an open senior community club on Boathouse Drive with development through to elite squads. |
1947 | Boathouse Drive, Princes Park, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | Senior community |
|
Monash University Boat Club
University boat club for Monash students based on Boathouse Drive; affiliated with Rowing Victoria and competes in Australian University Championships. |
1962 | Boathouse Drive, Princes Park, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | University |
|
Marcellin College Boat Club
Catholic boys school in Bulleen with a strong ACS rowing programme. Trains from the Bulleen reach and travels to Boathouse Drive for senior racing. |
1962 | Marcellin College, 160 Bulleen Road, Bulleen | Yarra River (Bulleen / Boathouse Drive) | School (ACS) |
|
RMIT Boat Club
RMIT University's student boat club, run through the RMIT Student Union with novice and intermediate squads training on the Yarra each week. |
1964 | Boathouse Drive, Princes Park, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | University |
|
Melbourne Girls Grammar School Boat Club
Independent girls school in South Yarra with a Boathouse Drive shed - among the largest girls' rowing programmes in Victoria and a regular Head of the Schoolgirls competitor. |
1972 | Melbourne Girls Grammar, 86 Anderson Street, South Yarra | Yarra River (Boathouse Drive) | School (GSV / Head of the Schoolgirls) |
Major regattas in or near Melbourne
Late November
Late March (Lake Nagambie or Sydney rotation)
Late March
Mid-March
February (Nagambie)
Late November (alternating Yarra / Parramatta)
Software for Melbourne rowing clubs
Most of the 22 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 Melbourne as a club admin or captain, these are the most useful pieces we've written.