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| Could this be the future of Grafton Rowing Club boatshed - an upper floor with tinted glass windows looking out over the river ?? |
Grafton Rowing Club News
Planned Expansion of Grafton Rowing Club
GRAFTON could become the rowers' training centre of Australia if plans envisaged by long time club president, Greg Thompson, come to fruition. The Grafton Rowing Club sheds and environs are already among the finest if not the finest in any country centre in Australia. Then there is the mighty Clarence River right at the club's doorstep.
What is envisaged is to add another facility, a building on top of the present structure. The new building would have accommodation for visiting school teams or club crews obviously eager to train here. The accommodation would include sleeping quarters, kitchen, toilet, shower and gymnasium facilities.
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| Could this be the future of Grafton Rowing Club boatshed - an upper floor with tinted glass windows looking out over the river ?? |
Schools such as Scots College of Sydney, Brisbane Grammar and the champion Queensland school The Southport School (TSS) have in the past used the facilities at Grafton a number of times each and currently the St George Rowing Club has 18 members plus coach here.
Each of these have had to find outside accommodation. Nothing wrong with that but it would be handier to be right at the core of the training zone.
Officials here with the visiting Sydney GPS School, Kings College, for the Head of the Northern Rivers Regatta in early December heaped praise on the Grafton facilities and the rowing course and said they would spread the word among other Sydney schools. The Kings head coach also mentioned that if accommodation quarters could be added schools from all over Australia would be keen to make Grafton their summer training centre.
Greg Thompson has done a preliminary estimate of what the construction of accommodation facilities would cost and has come up with the figure of $280,000. Of course the rowing club could not find that sum alone and would need the assistance of Grafton City Council and State and Federal sports grants.
By the way the Grafton Rowing Club is the oldest continuous sports club in Grafton, formed in 1882 and there is a good chance the club is the oldest rowing club in Australia (only Sydney Rowing Club can claim to be older as it was formed in 1870 from the Australian Subscription Rowing Club [1859]).