OSCA
TWO REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTORS TO SCOTCH AND AUSTRALIAN ROWING
SIX MEMBERS OF SCOTCH ’ S WINNING 1973 HEAD OF THE RIVER CREW , PHOTOGRAPHED AT NAGAMBIE ON 25 MARCH . LEFT TO RIGHT : DAVID PARTON (’ 73 ), DOUGLAS BUCHANAN (’ 73 ), GEORGE LOW (’ 74 ), MARTIN AITKEN (’ 74 ), BRUCE DUMBRELL (’ 73 ), STEPHEN WEBSTER (’ 73 ).
ENDURING LEGACIES OF DAVID BOYKETT (’ 52 ) AND DON MACMILLAN
This is an edited version of a speech by OSCA President Stephen Webster (’ 73 ) at the 2023 Don Macmillan Cocktail Party on 15 March . Stephen was a member of Scotch ’ s winning Head of the River crew in 1973 , and from 2011-14 he was the President of the Cardinal Club , which is both an OSCA club and a parent auxiliary supporting Scotch rowing .
Tonight , I want to acknowledge the Scotch College Boat Club and the heritage of the Head of the River ( HoR ), and to celebrate two remarkable contributors to Scotch and Australian rowing – David Boykett (’ 52 – affectionately known as ‘ Crockett ’) and Don Macmillan ( staff 1959-87 ) whose enduring legacies have contributed to the ongoing success of Scotch rowing .
Tonight , we recognise the decade crews that end in 3 , the first of which was in 1873 . Scotch has participated in all 15 Heads of the River rowed with a year ending in 3 , winning four times , so far : 1873 , 1963 , 1973 and 2013 .
First rowed in 1868 , between Scotch and Melbourne Grammar , the HoR is the oldest schoolboy race in the world . A special guest is with us tonight : the Rev . Bill Morgan (’ 34 ) who rowed in the 1933 Scotch crew . Of the 154 HoRs held , Scotch has a living connection through Bill to 89 of those races .
‘ Rowing builds character ’ was at the heart of Dave Boykett ’ s and Don
Macmillan ’ s love of rowing , and their passion to challenge and develop youth to be the best they could be . As dual Olympians , they knew what it was to challenge themselves .
In 1973 , Crockett wanted Scotch to be the first Australian crew to race at the World Junior Championships , to be held in Nottingham , England , later that year . To qualify , we needed to win the HoR , but we didn ’ t win a race during that season . But in a masterstroke of coaching by Donny Mac , the first race the ‘ 73 crew won was the heat of the HoR and the second was the HoR in a new record time .
At the interstate championships we won our heat and final comfortably . The Australian Amateur Rowing Council ( as it was then ) decided that Scotch would represent Australia at the World Junior Championships , if we self-funded the tour and the Scotch headmaster agreed .
The coach of the winning 1963 Scotch crew , Bob Aitken , was Chairman of Selectors for Australia , and the cox of the 1933 Scotch crew was Harvey Nicholson (’ 34 ), a School Council member who headed the fundraising committee and helped persuade the then Principal , Colin Healey , of the benefits of the trip . Funds were raised , permission given , and we were off .
At the championships , we finished second in the B final to the only other schoolboy crew there ( Eton , representing England ). By contrast , the 2013 crew was undefeated in all races at both schoolboy and under 21 levels in Victoria and NSW , winning the NSW and the National Championships . Rowing Australia selected the crew to represent Australia at the World Junior Championships in Lithuania .
The crew qualified for the A final by beating the USA in a remarkable semi-final . Training at the AIS facility in Italy in the weeks between the Henley Royal regatta and the World Junior Championships led to the crew finishing fifth in the A final , the first for an Australian eight and validating Rowing Australia ’ s selection .
Dave Boykett ’ s and Don Macmillan ’ s plans to help develop Australian junior rowing came to fruition at Scotch under the leadership of Tom Woodruff . Tom has established one of the best rowing programs in the world , taking Scotch crews to the Henley Royal Regatta six times , including the 2017 win , and once to the World Junior Championships . Since 2011 rowing has enabled nearly 30 Scotch rowers to gain entry to elite US universities .
Dave Boykett , Don Macmillan and Tom Woodruff have all challenged student rowers to test their limits and see what is possible . It is no coincidence that all three are Scotch teachers . Importantly , the welfare and care of the boys always comes first .
Don Macmillan ’ s mantra , passed down through generations and perpetuated admirably by Woody is ‘ When you lose say nothing and when you win say even less ’.
68 Great Scot Issue 168 – May 2023