About

At Outback Rowing, we’re building more than just a regatta, we’re creating a movement. Our mission is to improve the health, wellbeing, and social connectedness of rural and remote communities by making rowing accessible, inclusive, and community-driven.

From a single race in 2021, Outback Rowing has grown into a national network of rowers, supporters, and bush towns united by sport, storytelling, and the spirit of adventure.

Our annual regatta weekend, now known as the Bentleys Australian Outback Rowing Regatta, brings together participants from across Australia (and beyond!) for a festival of competition, connection, and country hospitality in the heart of Western Queensland.

We are proudly:

• Encouraging sport and wellbeing in rural Australia
• Supporting regional tourism and local economies
• Connecting communities through teamwork and tradition
• Growing a generation of new rowers, from kids to comeback crews

The Thynne McCartney Bush Towns Rowing Programs

Our regional programs are the heart of Outback Rowing.

With the support of the Thynne McCartney Family Foundation, we’ve established community-based rowing groups in towns including Chinchilla, Cunnamulla, St George, Moree, Burke, Barcaldine and Longreach. These programs are designed to make rowing accessible to people of all ages, whether returning to the sport or trying it for the first time.

Each town is spearheaded by a Learn/Return to Row weekend, followed by 12 weeks of support, equipment access, and coaching resources and guest coaching. We use eights and quads to promote teamwork, fitness, and fun, with a growing number of alumni rowers stepping up as leaders and mentors.

The Morts Bush Boats Bank

Thanks to the generous support of Mort & Co, we’ve established the Bush Boats Bank which is a mobile fleet of refurbished rowing boats delivered to outback communities.

These boats have been donated or purchased at low cost, then lovingly restored by our incredible volunteers, many of whom are members of Vikings Rowing Club. The boats are transported using our heavy-duty trailer (thanks to the David McTaggart Foundation) and rotated between towns for programs and regattas.

This innovative model removes the barrier of access and enables small towns to build their own rowing culture, one boat, one crew, one town at a time.

The Bentleys Australian Outback Rowing Regatta

Held across Barcaldine and Longreach from 3–5 October, the Bentleys Australian Outback Rowing Regatta is the beating heart of our movement, a weekend festival of rowing, road-tripping, and regional celebration.

Crews travel from across Australia, including NSW, Tasmania, WA, SA, ACT and even New Zealand, to compete in two unique formats:

• The Outback Sprints (Barcaldine)
• The Head of the Outback (Longreach)

With handcrafted trophies made from local Gidgee and Ironbark (thanks to John Simmers of Simmers Violins), the regatta celebrates both competition and community.

Beyond racing, our event showcases the very best of the region, from First Nations heritage sites to stockman museums, dinosaur trails, and the birthplace of Qantas. Visitors stay, explore, and spend, with our 2024 regatta series generating over $450,000 in regional tourism impact.

We’re proud to offer a sustainable event model, one that delivers economic value to the bush, fosters participation in organised sport, and builds a community of role models and champions for regional wellbeing.

Looking Ahead: Bush Kids, Big Dreams

In 2025, we launch our Bush Kids Program, delivered in partnership with ICPA, BUSHKids, Distance Education networks, Longreach School of Distance Education, and Teach Outback.

Designed for students from Years 5–12 living in remote regions, this two-day rowing experience introduces young people to the sport through a supportive, skills-based camp using coxed quads and land-based ergs.

It’s about more than rowing.  It’s about confidence, connection, and building lifelong skills. PlayOn! vouchers help subsidise participation, and every registered child receives a kit, insurance, coaching, and the chance to be part of something special.