Fred Strachan QSM

Fred Strachan (QSM) Vice-Patron of New Zealand Rowing - Citation North End Rowing Club

Fred became a member of the club in 1944. In 1949 he was made Club Secretary, moving on to become Club Captain from 1950-54 and 1963-65, and President from 1959-62. Fred is a Life Member of the North End Rowing Club. While still at North End RC, Fred coached the 1960 Champion Four of Bart Scott, Les Arthur, Noel Montgomery, John Barton, and cox Keith Arthur; the first national title the club had won.

Otago Rowing Association: Fred was a Provincial Representative in 1948. He was a Delegate from 1950 for many years and President in 1961-62. Fred is a Life Member of the Otago Rowing Association. In 1969 Fred transferred to Christchurch as Butterfield’s Manager until 1978.

Avon Rowing Club: Fred is an excellent coach having coached many crews to be New Zealand Champions. The Coxed Pairs in 1973; the Coxed Four in 1974, 75, 76; the Men’s Eight in 1976 and the Coxless Fours in 1978 and 1979. Fred is Patron and Life Member of the Avon Rowing Club.

New Zealand Rowing Association:   Fred has held many titles within the association. From 1964-88 he was a New Zealand Selector, including convenor from 1966-88 and manager of the NZ team at Munich Olympics in 1972. He held the office of Councillor from 197273, Vice President twice in 1969-70 and 1980-85, and President from 1985-90. Fred was awarded a Service Award Blazer in 1979 and has been a Life Member of the New Zealand Rowing Association since 1990. FISA:  Internationally, Fred was Juge-Arbitre in 1964 at the Tokyo Games, officiating at World Championship and Olympic Games in 1968, 70, 72, 76, 78 and 1981, retiring in 1988 on reaching the age bar.

School Rowing: In 1952, Fred began coaching school boys from King Edward Technical College and later from Kings High School and currently from Otago Boys High School. He held the position of Secretary from 1955-69 and Chairman in 1985 of the Otago Secondary School Rowing Association, and he was the Otago representative on the Inaugural Executive Committee in 1967 for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 

Regatta Official: In 1967 he became a New Zealand Licenced Regatta Umpire No.3. Awards: Among the many awards that Fred has received the most significant must be the Queen’s Service Medal in 1991 and the Halberg Award – Lifetime Achievement in 2005. New Zealand Rowing is very proud to award the appointment of Vice Patron to Fred Strachan. 

Fred Strachan was nominated by Otago Rowing Association and accepted by acclamation at the NZRA 128th Annual General Meeting, Christchurch 22nd May 2015.        

Hamish Bond MNZM

Hamish began rowing at North End Rowing Club with Otago Boys High School under the coaching guidance of Fred Strachan. Hamish has represented New Zealand at the junior, Under-23 and elite level.

It is hard to put into words the impact that Hamish has had on rowing in New Zealand and particularly at North End, where it all began. His attitude towards training and attribute of leaving no stone unturned to acheive his goals has been apparent from a young age. Hamish is an amazing role model for the young rowers at North End and he has always been unselfish with his time to speak to our members at Maadi Cup and other regattas. Hamish has managed to acheive results that put him amoung the top rowers of the world EVER and balanced this with his tertiary studies and interests outside of rowing like cycling. He has been proud of his membership at North End which means a lot to us since the centralised system in RNZ means that he spent the majority of his time in Cambridge. Hamish has won multiple National titles and redcoats representing North End as part of the OBHS, the club itself and under the Southern RPC banner. He has won the Otago Rower of the Year countless times and been an amazing ambassador for rowing in Otago.

In his book "The Kiwi Pair", Hamish outlines his road to success from an initial unexpected trip to North End to try rowing for the first time to the substantial list below of all of his International acheivements. Hamish is currently racing as a cyclist and we watch with great interest to see what is next in the continuing story of Hamish's sporting career.

New Zealand Representation at World Cup, World Champs and Olympics

2003    6th 8+               World Junior Championships - Athens

2004    8th 8+               World Junior Championships – Banyoles

2005    11th 4-              World U23 Championships – Amsterdam

2006    9th 4-                World Championships - Eton

            5th 4-                World Cup III - Lucerne

            3rd 4-                World Cup II – Poznan

2007   Gold 4-            World Championships – Munich

            3rd 4-                World Cup III – Lucerne

            Gold 4-            World Cup II – Amsterdam

2008   7th  4-               Olympic Games – Beijing

            5th 4-                World Cup III - Poznan

            6th 4-                World Cup II – Lucerne

2009   Gold 2-            World Championships - Poznan

            Gold 2-            World Cup III - Lucerne

            Gold 2-            World Cup II – Munich

2010   Gold 2-            World Championships – Karapiro

            Gold 2-            World Cup III – Lucerne

            Gold 2-            World Cup II – Munich

            Gold 2-            World Cup I – Bled

2011   Gold 2-            World Championships - Bled

            Gold 2-            World Cup III – Lucerne

            Gold 2-            World Cup II – Hamburg

2012   Gold 2-            Olympic Games - London

            Gold 2-            World Cup III – Munich

            Gold 2-            World Cup II – Lucerne

2013   Gold 2-            World Championships – Chungju

            Gold 2-            World Cup III – Lucerne

            Gold 2-            World Cup II – Eton

2014   Gold 2-            World Championships - Amsterdam

            Gold 2+           World Championships - Amsterdam

            Gold 2-            World Cup III - Lucerne

            Gold 2-            World Cup II – Aiguebelette

2015   Gold 2-            World Championships - Aiguebelette

            Gold 2-            World Cup III - Lucerne

2016   Gold 2-            Olympic Games - Rio de Janeiro

            Gold 2-            World Cup III - Poznan

            Gold 2-            World Cup II – Lucerne


In all the Coxless pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray were never beaten in International competition for 69 races at World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Games between 2009 and 2016. Hamish won 16 World Cup Golds, 8 World Championship Golds, 2 Olympic Gold Medals and holds World Best Time for both the Coxless Pair and Coxed Pair

2018    Bronze          Commonwealth Games Cycling Time Trial - Gold Coast, Australia


Awards Hamish has won

2009       Halberg Award NZ Team of the Year with Eric Murray

2009       Henley Royal Regatta     Men’s Senior 2- Silver Goblets & Nickall’s Challenge Cup

2010       Henley Royal Regatta     Men’s Senior 2- Silver Goblets & Nickall’s Challenge Cup

2011       FISA Male Crew of the Year

2012       Halberg Award NZ Team of the Year with Eric Murray

2012       Halberg Supreme Award with Eric Murray

2012       Lonsdale Cup     Most outstanding contribution to Olympic and Commonwealth Sport

2013       Member of NZ Order of Merit (MNZM) New Year’s Honours for services to rowing

2013       Henley Royal Regatta     Men’s Senior 2-    Silver Goblets & Nickall’s Challenge Cup

2013       FISA June 2013 Athlete of the Month

2013       FISA Male Crew of the Year

2014       Halberg Award NZ Team of the Year with Eric Murray

2014       Halberg Supreme Award with Eric Murray

2014       FISA Male Crew of the Year

2016       FISA Top 10 Male Rowers of Year – Number 2 behind Eric   

2017       ASB Otago Sportsman of the Year (5th time)

2017       ASB Otago Supreme Sportsman of the Year (5th time to equal Greg Henderson’s number of wins)


2020       Otago Sports Awards ASB Athlete of the Decade