Several members of the Rowing Australia family have been recognised for their services to the sport and excellence in other fields as part of the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours list.

Former Rowing Australia (RA) President and Rowing Australia Life Member, the Hon. Patrick McNamara, was honoured with the Membership of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant services to rowing, the Parliament of Victoria and to the community in a variety of roles.

McNamara, a former Deputy Premier of Victoria, was pivotal in developing the rowing course at Nagambie, increasing government funding to Rowing Australia, and even making his local rowing club in Nagambie a commercial success. He spent nine years as RA President and is also a former President of Rowing Victoria.

Former RA Director Sally Capp was inducted as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her distinguished service to the people of Melbourne, to local government as Mayor of Melbourne and to the community through various organisations including Rowing Australia.

Another past RA Director, Andrew Guerin, who also chaired the RA Umpires Committee, was past President of both Rowing Victoria and Mercantile Rowing Club, and also is our rowing historian, was acknowledged with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to rowing and sports history.

Other inductions into Membership of the Order of Australia (AM) include prominent Sydney University Boat Club member Jane Spring for significant service to disability advocacy in sport and to public service administration, and Reeconian and Ulverstone Rowing Clubs member Roger Blake, who was recognised for his significant work in sport as a competitor, administrator, and statistician.

Medals of the Order of Australia were awarded to several prominent rowers including Anne Caterson for her services to life saving and Simon Pennington for his services to rowing as a competitor and coach in New South Wales.

Richard Sivyer was inducted for his services to rowing and to the community which included his work at St Josephs College – Gregory Terrace in Queensland. Peter Stroud of Drummoyne Rowing Club was inducted for his services to rowing as a competitor, coach, selector, and administrator.

Sydney University Boat Club members were again recognised with another prominent member, Anne Titterton, being inducted for her services to rowing. Murray Bridge Rowing Club member Ken Wells was recognised for his services to the community of Murray Bridge.

Rowing Australia Chief Operating Officer Sarah Cook said the sport is indebted to the many dedicated servants who have helped shape rowing over the past decades.

“Rowing Australia extends its congratulations and gratitude to those who have been recognised on the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours List. The number of appointments and awards shows the depth and passion of those who underpin everything we strive to be as a sport, and also the contribution of those from rowing to their wider communities” Cook said.

“The names span every aspect of our sport, from former Rowing Australia President Pat McNamara to dedicated club members like Anne Titterton, and our cherished historian Andrew Guerin OAM, who has chronicled rowing so brilliantly for so many years.”