North End Rowing Club Inc.

A SHORT HISTORY (from 125th Celebrations 2017)

The North End Rowing Club is now into its 128th year and during those years it has grown from small beginnings to be one of the strongest Clubs in the South Island. It has a proud history, which is briefly outlined below.
Mark Higgins founded the Club in 1892. He and seven others, J.Gloag,  W.Treseder,  W.McInnis,  J.Dixon,  D.Murchison,  J Donald  and C.Lambeth,  held a meeting ( in what was Mills Hotel, later known as the Oriental.) in September 1892 and one month later the Club was established. Mark was the first Club Captain and a Dentist named S.S.Myers, was elected President.
On boxing day 1893 at Port Chalmers, the Club won its first race - the maiden fours. A year later the first Clubhouse was completed and the Club began to grow.
After less than four years had passed, the Club showed signs of leadership when in 1896, S.S.Myers donated an eight to the Club. This may well have been the first eight in New Zealand - The Star Boating Club in Wellington received one around the same time.
Two years later the 1898 NZ Champs were held here in Dunedin and the Burk brothers, Albert and Jim, finished a creditable second in the Champion pairs.
By 1901 there were two eights on the harbour and in February of that year the first eight oared Tournament in New Zealand was held. In the final, rowing in the Dunedin Amateur Boating Clubs boat, North End were victorious.
A month later the Otago Association led the way by staging the first Interprovincial race in New Zealand at Lake Waihola. J.Mitchell from our club was in the Otago crew, which beat a combination from Southland.
By 1904 our double sculling combination was proving that the Club could also handle that facet of the sport at a high level. Foster & Rennick finished 2nd in the Champion double at the NZ Champs held that year on Lake Waihola.
The Clubs colours had gone through three changes but around 1910 the red & black quarters became the uniform, which has lasted to this day.
1912 was special as it was the first year that North End won the Otago Premiership shield. This Shield first came into being in 1903 and is awarded to the Otago Club with the most wins in a season.
Rumblings in Europe brought the world to war and like many Clubs of the time, membership slumped. Forty-three members exchanged the red & black quarters for Olive drab uniforms and heeded the call to arms. The Club fought back after that conflict, to record many victories.
When the position of Patron was established in 1925, S.S.Myers became the Clubs first. His part in the Clubs history was amazing - President for 32 out of the first 33 years. Only Wattie Glengarry with 33 years as Patron and Darryl Monaghan with 26 years as Treasurer, can compete for years of service in any single office
By 1927 the Clubhouse had to be shifted from its original site to a new location at the North end of the boat harbour.
The following year the Club suffered its first major disaster when the newly established shed was blown down in a gale resulting in almost total destruction of plant and Building. With the help of sister Clubs, rowing was continued from the Ravensbourne Boating Club in borrowed boats, until a new, slightly larger, shed was built on the same site.
In 1935, at Monty Butterfield's instigation, the Clubs name changed from Boating Club to Rowing Club.
World War Two intervened before the Club embarked on a growth programme that saw many new boats purchased including the first plywood skiffs on the Otago Harbour. These in fact were very close to being the first plywood skiffs in the country.
The late forties & early fifties saw many near misses in the Champion fours , finishing 3rd in 1946, 3rd in 1950 & 2nd in 1951. Victory, and the much sought after Red Coats, finally came our way in 1960.
The first Otago Club to open its doors to school rowing was North End in 1952. Club support for school rowing has involved a total of ten Dunedin schools over the years and continues  for eight schools at present.
NZ's first Best & Best coxed convertible pair/double was purchased by this club in 1960 and showed the Clubs commitment to it’s rowers. This commitment to having top class racing equipment continues to this day.
The 60's proved to be a very successful period for the club with 5 members gaining NZ selection, and the shift from the boat harbour wall to the present site occurred in 1969.  Since that time the Club has never looked back.
A 2nd major disaster occurred in 1988 when 11 boats were damaged, many beyond repair, in a trailer accident. Thanks to sister Clubs again, the effects of this disaster, like the one in 1928, were lessened by their generosity in loaning equipment till replacements could be purchased.
Two further Championship titles were won in the eighties - The Champion lightweight double in 1985 and the same event, with a different combination, in 1987
The much desired eight oared title eluded the Club until 1991 when the Men’s Champion Lightweight Eight came home at the head of the field. Our Women won the Champion LW4- back to back in 1994 and 1995 and the Men’s Champion Junior Single was won in 1995.
There have also been many wins recorded in non championship events at the Nationals over the years and the Club can boast 31 NZ Representatives who have Rowed, Coached or Managed rowing crews for their country, on 43 occasions since 1961. A further 29 have achieved NZ University Representation since 1981.
At Present the Club has an excellent Clubhouse and a selection of first class racing equipment. It also has a training facility on the Henley River South of Dunedin