History

The origins of the Bendigo Club go back to 1872 when John Godfrey , a mining surveyor and keen rower moved from Tasmania to the mining town of Sandhurst ( later Bendigo ). With the enthusiasm he created amongst the locals during that year, meetings were held and the Sandhurst Rowing Club was formed . The original Rowing venue was the Grassy Flat Reservoir about a 1 hour horse ride from the town. Competition was fierce within the fledgling rowing community and shortly after a sprinter group left and called themselves the Bendigo Rowing club creating their own sheds nearby at the same Reservoir.

In 1876, 45 acres of land was set aside by the Sandhurst council for “the building and formation of a lake for boating and recreational activities”. At the time the lake had a fence around it and over the next three years cost 10,000 pounds to construct.

In 1877 a defect was discovered in the walls of the Grassy Flat Reservoir rendering it unsuitable for Rowing and by 1880 the Boat clubs were required to build new sheds at the new “Lake Weeroona” (Koori for “we rest”).

John Godfrey rowed into the beyond in 1927 and his boats were left to the club. His single scull has been beautifully restored and now takes a pride of place on the wall of the Club Gymnasium.

In 1928 the Sandhurst and Bendigo clubs merged to become the Bendigo Rowing Club.

The war years naturally began a decline in club activity with peaks again in the 50s and continually since the 1970s.

Mr John Godfrey Esq.. Founder of the Bendigo Rowing Club 1872