Rowing
Sydney Girls High School has a proud place in the history of schoolgirl rowing in NSW. We have been rowing since the 1980s and we were one of the very first girls’ schools in NSW to offer rowing. In 1991, we won the very first NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River and we have had great success over the years since.
We are one of the few girls' public schools in NSW to offer a full rowing program from our own rowing facility. The Margaret Varady Rowing Facility is a magnificent sparkling new rowing facility on the banks of Tarban Creek near the Gladesville Bridge. The Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO, officially opened the boatshed on June 28, 2009.
Our motto is “Fun, challenge and memories for life” – and this is our aim for our girls. We don’t want to just to win races. We want to give every girl a unique experience through this wonderful sport. We want to give them the opportunity to represent their school and the means to develop themselves both personally and as a team member.
Rowing is a formal extra-curricular activity at the school. It is overseen by our rowing coordinator, Con Zamagias (a teacher at the school) and a team of enthusiastic and committed coaches.
Parents help through the Rowing Support Group, which raises funds and assists with the day-to-day management and organisation of the club.
The rowing season starts in the second half of term 3 and runs through to the end of term 1 each year. Highlights of the season include:
- Sleepovers at the shed once a week in terms 4 and 1
- Rowing camps for both juniors and seniors in Penrith in late January, staying at the Log Cabin on the banks of the Nepean river
- Regular weekly racing in Sydney and Penrith
- The Sydney Girls High School Rowing Club regatta – which we host in Iron Cove in February
- The NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith, where the Sydney Olympic rowing events were held
- The Combined High School Rowing Championships - held in Penrith and Grafton in alternative years.
- The annual presentation night and end of season party.