West End
Rowing Club
Rowing Club
142 years in photographs — every image from the club timeline, from the Ponsonby Club Hotel to the Whau.
Club is inaugurated at Ponsonby Club Hotel, Three Lamps
Clubhouse built in St Mary's Bay
Club colours adopted — and the club's first regatta victory.
Golden years of the Club - Large growth in members and Financial strength under Club Captain John Clark
Club uniform changed - previous one too similar to Hawkes Bay
World War 1, 200 West Enders fought overseas with 20 losing their lives to the war.
St Marys Bay Shed damaged by Cyclone
First win by an 8 oar crew from WERC, Orakei to Judges Bay Race.
New WERC crest created with the motto Ake Ake Kia Kaha.
First Goodwill eights race between ARC and WERC to commemorate the compassion shown by ARC to help out after the cyclone damaged the club
First 8 boat purchased by the club from Melbourne University Boat Club.
Club’s 50th Jubilee.
First school crew took to the water in Auckland, a Mt Albert Grammar crew.
World War 2
First Maadi Cup race held, won by Mt Albert Grammar crew. 1937 Mt Albert Eight pictured here.
WERC wins its first national title — the Men's Championship 8 at Lake Karapiro.
The WERC eight represents New Zealand at the Empire Games — Australia first, NZ second.
The bullseye goes onto the club's oars — Club Captain Dave Stotter saw it as a target to hit on every stroke.
Club Colours updated to two diagonal black stripes - inspired by Kerry Ashby having visited the States and seen Uni crews with diagonal stripes. WERC Life Member Peter Watkinson pictured.
WERC won the Championship 8 at the NZ Champs every year. 1955 crew pictured.
Empire Games, Vancouver — gold for Don Rowlands in the single, silver for the coxed four.
With the construction of the Harbour bridge and motorway the Club moved out of St Marys Bay into temporary facilities on the breakwater (today the Ponsonby Cruising Club building)
The club’s 75th Jubilee.
A new clubhouse rises on the marina's southern bank — built for £30,757 with volunteer club labour, opened 1967.
The start of a run of WERC Winning the Championship Double sculls every year, first with Peter and Murray Watkinson and then with Tony Hurt and John White
The new Clubhouse was opened
West End's first Olympic gold — Dudley Storey in the Men's Coxed Four, Mexico City.
West Ender Tony Hurt stroked the NZ Eight to the gold medal at the Munich Olympic Games.
Club was advised that the Westhaven Marina was to be expanded and the club would have no access to the water once completed
The Rowing World Championships were held at Lake Karapiro. On the organising committee were no fewer than 5 West Enders on the Organising Committee, led by Don Rowlands. This regatta was labelled by the President of FISA as 'The greatest Championship in all aspects in the 86 years of the Federation's activities' They were subsequently awarded the Olympic medal for their organisation of this event.
Mercer RC offered WERC half of the land donated by the Roose family on the western bank of the Waikato River at Mercer.
WERC won both the Centennial sculls for most sculling points at the regatta and Centennial Oar for the overall most points at the NZ Champs.
Mercer Boathouse was completed for the total cost of $17,500 for the land and buildings. Much of the money donated by Millicent Carter, wife of the late Club Captain Fred Carter.
Los Angeles Olympics — gold for Shane O'Brien in the coxless four, bronze for Kevin Lawton.
WERC Centennial Celebrations - One Hundred Years in St Mary's Bay Book Centennial celebration events were held at the RNZYS.
New Westhaven Clubrooms were completed
The decision of a Club SGM was made to move the Club to the Whau river
A significant milestone for the club was achieved in 1995 with women being allowed to be full members of the club. This was also the start of Baradene college rowing for WERC.
On the 30th of April West End RC connection with St Marys Bay came to an end with the club moving out of our clubhouse at Westhaven.
On the 28th October 2001 the club's new clubrooms on Saunders Reserve was official opened by the NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark.
West Enders Mahé Drysdale and Juliette Haigh compete at the Athens Olympic Games.
St Peter’s College start their rowing program out of West End.
Three West Enders become World Champions at Gifu, Japan — Mahé Drysdale in the single, Juliette Haigh and Nicky Coles in the pair.
Mt Albert Grammar restart their rowing program at West End after a 20+ year hiatus.
London Olympics — gold for Mahé Drysdale in the single, bronze for Juliette Haigh in the pair.
Mahé Drysdale wins his second Olympic gold in the single at Rio.
West End acquires a new clubhouse at 55 West End Rd, Cox's Bay to use as a base for Coastal Rowing.
WERC holds the very first Coastal Rowing Beach Sprints regatta in Auckland at St Heliers Bay Beach.
The club celebrates its 140th anniversary with a dinner at the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron, Westhaven.