North Shore Rowing Club is celebrating a big milestone in 2024: its 150th birthday. The club is certainly not standing still; as it celebrates, it is also working to ensure a solid future with fundraising for a substantial upgrade of one of its key training venues.
The club is putting on three jubilee events during 2024. These promise to be memorable occasions, reuniting old friends, teammates and fellow rowing enthusiasts.
The first of these events is being held early in the year, on Friday 16 February at the New Zealand Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro. October is when the 150th celebrations will be in full swing with a Jubilee cocktail function at Westlake Girls High auditorium on Friday 11 October followed by a Jubilee dinner at the Hilton Hotel, Princes Wharf, on Saturday 12 October.
The club also has a range of memorabilia being produced to celebrate 150 years. This includes a legacy-inspired Row Suit design that the club will compete in during the 2024 season. The club has also partnered with 1919 Distillery to produce a commemorative gin called 'Backsplash Blue'. The history of the club's 150 years is also being captured in a coffee table book.
“North Shore Rowing Club is among the country’s oldest rowing clubs and we are very proud to be celebrating our 150th anniversary,” says club president and life member Mike Stanley. “This will be an opportunity to revisit the colourful history of the club and those who contributed to it over the years and to celebrate the vibrant, successful community rowing club we are today.”
North Shore Rowing Club was first established in Devonport back in 1874, with the construction of a small shed on King Edward Parade. The club achieved early success there. In the 1970s, activities moved to the edges of Lake Pupuke, near Smale’s quarry. The lakeside venue offered access to water which wasn’t as affected by weather and led to an uplift in success for North Shore Rowing through the 1980s and 1990s.
The continuation of this success for the club was aided with club activities expanding to the upper harbour area, allowing longer distance training on calm water. For many years North Shore Rowing has operated out of an old storage shed at Greenhithe, which
needs replacing.
Throughout its history, the club has thrived when it has modernised its facilities and equipment. This is why, as they celebrate 150 years, club leaders have created the NSRC Building Fund. Their aim is to replace the existing facility at the Greenhithe Upper Harbour site, to continue to build the club’s legacy.
This new facility, to be known as the North Harbour Rowing Centre, will create a larger space for operations, providing more room to house boats and will also offer an environment that is safer for members and better equipped to protect the club’s valuable equipment.
NSRC Building Fund aims to raise $1.2 million to fund the build North Harbour Rowing Centre..
North Shore Rowing is seeking support from individuals and businesses to assist in building the club’s legacy with this capital project. This may be in terms of a financial donation or in-kind donation such as construction materials or services.
Financial donations to the club will be held in a specific NSRC Building Fund account. NSRC is a registered charity and all donations are tax deductible for New Zealand tax purposes. All donations will also be recognised on the legacy wall which will be made up of donor’s bricks in the new North Harbour Rowing Centre clubhouse.
“North Shore Rowing Club holds a legacy as one of New Zealand's rowing landmarks, a second home where lifelong friendships are nurtured and community ties are strengthened,” says Michael Brake, life member and Olympic Rowing gold medalist. “It's been the foundation of my rowing career and remains a touchstone in my life, even years after moving away. Building this new shed is not just an act of construction – it's an investment in enriching the club's legacy. Your support helps the club create more than just a physical space; it enables it to offer a richer experience for future athletes, attract greater talent, and expand the incredible community that so many of us hold dear.”
Club member Mathew Jensen is the event coordinator for the 150th jubilee. He is focused on getting a big crowd along for all three events.
"We would love to have the presence of as many past members, supporters and rowing enthusiasts as possible to come along to any or all of the events,” explains Mat. “Equally, if anyone has any memories, photographs or memorabilia, we would love to hear from you to enhance these events with images and to use in the book we are putting together.
To find out more about the event, and to register your interest, simply email the legacy event committee. Email: legacy@nsrc.org.nz. The North Shore Rowing Club website also has more information about the event and the NSRC Building Fund. Visit: northshorerowing.club
