Cliff Hutton
Former Collegiate Rowing Coach, Cliff Hutton, contributed to the great success of the Collegiate Rowing team for many years and with a new boat on the way, it is only fitting that it be named in his honour. The words below shine a light on the wonderful man that Cliff was.
Cliff was involved in rowing as school boy at New Norfolk High School in the 1950s, rowing at New Norfolk Rowing Club (NNRC). His crew stayed together post school and represented Tasmania in the Men’s Lightweight Fours at the King’s Cup Regatta in Ballarat in 1962.
He stayed connected to rowing as a supporter, parent, grandparent and coach for the rest of his life.
He began coaching around 1990 after the World Championships were held at Lake Barrington, resulting in an increased interest in rowing in various clubs , especially from girls. New Norfolk had hosted the Dutch National team in the weeks leading up to the event, so interest was keen.
He began coaching girls at NNRC for the next season just as his son Phil started rowing in Grade 8 at Hutchins and continued to serve in that capacity for the next ten years, doing his bit for Hutchins rowing by coordinating the ‘sheep poo’ fundraising days.
Dozens of girls from quite a few different schools were afforded the opportunity to row at NNRC, a small number really catching the rowing bug and continuing on in their later years to row at international and Olympic level.
A highlight after several years at NNRC was managing to field an U16 VIII, all from one school, Ogilvie High, who went on to be the first State School VIII to win the event at the All Schools Regatta with Collegiate in second place. He was extremely proud of them and of NNRC.
In 2000 he and Di moved to Hobart. He obtained employment at Collegiate and was invited to coach their Under 16 VIII which also went on to win All Schools and the HOR that year.
He certainly had no intention of coaching for another 10 years at that stage, but in fact, continued for another 13 years at DMCRC until illness intervened.
He coached his first Open Squad in 2009 and the achievements of those amazing young women with their Nationals win are now history. He had immense respect for the girls in this crew as individuals and collectively and credited their win in no small way to a special ‘X factor’ they created for themselves.
Cliff was a humble man of few words but was passionate about the benefits of rowing to the development of young people. He coached across all the age groups and was every bit as satisfied by teaching a very young rower to stay in the boat and make it down the course and seeing girls develop a love of their rowing as he was by the more noticeable achievements. He became a proud life member of both his rowing clubs.
His link to Collegiate began with his three daughters attending the School in the 1980s and 90s (no rowing at Collegiate then) and continued throughout his employment and coaching years.
He was passionate about the School in general and was affectionately known as ‘Cliffy’ school wide in his role as groundsman and bus driver.
He lived to see 2 of his 10 grandchildren start rowing in Under 13. Two grandsons have since rowed.
He would have been honoured by the use of his name on the new VIII but would also have firmly wanted the credit to go the girls who actually rowed the boats over the years.
