Rowing ACT would like to congratulate Dr David Bagnall on being awarded an Order of Australia Medal, announced on the King’s Birthday long weekend.

David has a long history of supporting Rowing in the ACT, as a coach, board member and president, administrator, commentator and more. David was elected to Life Membership of Rowing ACT at the 56th Annual General Meeting on 28 September 2020, recognising his service as an administrator and rowing coach. David joined the Australian National University Boat Club upon arriving in Canberra during the 1974-75 season and soon became the Boat Club’s delegate to the ACT Rowing Association. Thus began a long record of service to the Association as an Executive Committee member, Senior Vice President (1976-77) and President (1985-88 and 2010-19). Over this time, he also contributed to the development of several clubs, notably Narrabundah (Black Mountain) Rowing Club, where he was a veteran of the lengthy battle to secure a grant of a boatshed site on Black Mountain Peninsula.

David is one the ACT’s most successful rowing coaches, whose efforts have greatly advanced the fortunes of his athletes and the reputation of rowing in the ACT. In the late 1970s he settled on a successful formula for recruiting and instructing lightweight women rowers at ANUBC. This involved recruitment of athletic students and training scheduled to fit in with study commitments and avoid cold winter mornings. This approach saw early success at State and National level and later contributed to international medals.

In his second term as President, David dealt with important developments on the Yarramundi Reach Course such as relocation of the spectator area from Lady Denman Drive to a sustainable site on Weston Park. This was followed by approvals for installation of landing pontoons. He was active in removing the threat of closure of Lake Burley Griffin to rowing following algal blooms by securing “secondary contact status” for the sport.

David has made a strong contribution to interstate competition as a selector and coach for the ACT and, prior to ACT rowing statehood, for New South Wales. He has facilitated staging of regattas at local, state and national level in his role as a well-informed commentator.