Adelaide University Boat Club

The Adelaide University Boat Club (AUBC) is a rowing club affiliated with the University of Adelaide.

The club was founded on 4 August 1881, two weeks after the opening of Torrens Lake.  It was the second university boat club in Australia; Melbourne’s was founded in 1860 and Sydney’s in 1885 (although Sydney University men had rowed with Sydney Rowing Club as early as 1860, which SUBC claim as their foundation date).

In 1896 the AUBC helped to form the Adelaide University Sports Association. The main clubrooms, donated by Robert Barr Smith in 1909, are located on the north bank of the River Torrens on War Memorial Drive, adjacent to the Adelaide University Sports Grounds. The shed has two boat bays, a gym and weights room and a small bar.

Members have included rowers of all levels, from total beginners to Olympic Gold Medallists. The club shares the nickname "The Blacks" with the Adelaide University Football Club.

One of the primary purposes of the Adelaide University Boat Club, as stated in its constitution, is to field competitive crews in the Intervarsity Championships, especially for the Oxford and Cambridge Cup (Men's Eight). AUBC also competes in local regattas, and has a number of oarsmen who compete at South Australian Sports Institute time trials and the National Regatta.

Notable members have included:

• Sir Collier Cudmore - Gold Medallist in the Men's Coxless Four at the 1908 London Olympics. Although he rowed for Great Britain, he was the first Australian to win an Olympic Gold Medal for rowing.
• Tim Willoughby - Rowed twice in the Olympic Men's Eight (1980 and 1984), winning Bronze in '84.
• Kate Slatter - Three time Olympian in the Women's Coxless Four (1992) and Coxless Pair (1996 and 2000)
• Jaime Fernandez - Three time Olympian in the Men's Eight (1992, 1996 and 2000)
• Amber Halliday - Three time World Champion in the Women's Lightweight Double Scull (2002,'03, '07) and in the Lightweight Quad Scull (2001), Olympian (2004, 2008) and multiple winner at the National Championships
• Marguerite Houston - World Champion in the Lightweight Quad Scull in 2002, and the Lightweight Double Scull in 2007 with double-partner Amber Halliday. Houston and Halliday competed together in the Lightweight Double Scull at the 2008 Olympics
• Chris Morgan - World Champion in the Quadruple Scull in 2011 and Coxed Pair in 2010, 4th place in the Quadruple Scull at the 2004 Olympics.

Taken from:

• Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_University_Boat_Club - Accessed 11 January 2021
• Adelaide University Boat Club - https://www.aubc.asn.au/about-aubc/ - Accessed 21 February 2021