Timeline
The Barcaldine Recreation Park opened in mid-December 2021.
Through enthusiastic work by various Barcaldine identities (Morgan Gronold), Rockhampton Grammar School donated a flotilla of 16 older sculls to Barcaldine. This included a quality boat trailer, oars, tools and spare parts. More good people, namely Andrew Pearce and others, delivered the trailer from Rockhampton to Barcaldine.
In February 2022, notices were placed on local bulletin boards asking if people would like to come and have a row.
Since that time, we have had over 30 beginners take to the water, from 65 year old grandmothers to 15 year old school kids. Whilst quite a few have had a swim or two, we now have over 10 rowers who regularly complete the 'lap'. Others are not far behind in mastering the tricky nature of a single scull.
There are three rowing sessions a week: Wednesday arvo (the "Wednesday Warriors"), Friday evenings (the "Friday Sundowners") and Saturday mornings (the "Coffee Club").
Without storage facilities, each session requires boats to reassembled and taken apart and put back on the trailer. This needs to change and will as the Barcaldine Recreation Park is developed under a BRC masterplan for the Park.
The Future
Basically watch this space.
There are several administrative actions needed to take place:
- Establish our club as an incorporated entity. This will formalise some of the planning process, establish what everyone wants from rowing in Barcaldine and address some insurance issues.
- Erect temporary storage facilities to store boats lake side so more time is spent rowing and less time putting riggers on a boat. In time we anticipate a permanent boat house will be built lakeside.
- Get more larger boats so Barcy rowers can row in more friendly boats.