The Boat Sheds on the River Torrens: In the Adelaide City region of South Australia
Some are traditional, others very British in appearance. In fact they'd look quite at home at Cambridge or Henley on Thames. Others are more, well, shall we say plain and practical. They are the boathouses - the rowing sheds along the banks of the Torrens.
The River Torrens and Lake are a beautiful feature of our city. But left to its own devices, the Torrens 'river' reverted to a string of smelly, muddy waterholes through summer in colonial times. The first weir, a wooden prisoner-built affair was in place in the 1860s.
But as we saw a couple of years back, the Torrens can become a dangerous torrent - and the first weir was washed away.
By 1881 a permanent stone structure was completed and the lake underwent a dramatic transformation. It became a spectacular stretch of water that just was just begging to be used. The gentry obliged and the first Regatta on the Torrens was held that same year.
A year later, 125 years ago, the Adelaide Rowing Club was formed and is still going strong in its landmark boat shed in front of the Convention Centre.
"I think rowing is one of the hardest sports you'll ever endure," said Club Captain, Tom Guthrie. "Anything worthwhile is never easy and often requires a bit of pain … but we love it."
Tom admits most of the serious training is now done at West Lakes but he's proud that many a South Australian champion began their career here on the Torrens. Adelaide Rowing Club's own world champ, Amber Halliday began here as a schoolgirl coxswain. And who could forget Kate Slatter's gold at Atlanta in '96?
Visit the club room and you'll see an old wooden boat with "I'Zingari" painted on the bow. It was the club's original name. Zingari is Italian for gipsy and was the name of an informal team of 'gentlemen' cricketers back in London. With no home ground or clubhouse they wandered around - a bit like gypsies playing social matches.
In 1882, the gentlemen in Adelaide liked the idea and adopted the name and their colours here. The Zingari name didn't stick - after all, they weren't gypsy wanderers - they built a clubhouse in their founding year. Even if it was washed away in a flood a few years later in 1889.
The second boathouse burnt down and the current one was built in 1931 - designed by renowned architect, Kenneth Milne who also designed the Adelaide Oval scoreboard across the lake.
The boathouses are now a recognisable landmark on the Torrens and house more than a dozen rowing clubs along the river.
If you want to give it a go contact the South Australian Rowing Association. They have fun 'give it a try' sessions. And to help celebrate the Adelaide Rowing Club's 125th year give them a call or check out their website.
South Australian Rowing Assoc.
(SARA)
Ph 8242 6244
www.rowingsa.asn.auAdelaide Rowing Club
Festival Drive
Torrens Lake
Ph 8231 6572
www.adelaiderowingclub.com.auPublished 6th May 2007
