PHOTO; Centre ; Barbara O’Donnell and Simon O’Donnell (Life Member of Rotorua Rowing Club)

PHOTO;Former Mayor of Rotorua Grahame Hall(Foundation Trust Settlor), Rt.Hon. Paul East ( Foundation Trust Settlor), Robin Parr (Commodore Rotorua Yacht Club), Sheryn Shoebridge (Pres. Rotorua Young Mariners,), James Boyce (Pres. Rotorua Rowing Club),Stuart Burns (Foundation Trust Settlor), Mayor of Rotorua Kevin Winters, on the verandah of the Rotorua Lakes Water Sports Centre.

PHOTO NAT STEPHENS (Ann Woolliams Photo) resident of Redwood Village and unable to attend due to health.

PHOTO john Kearney (Rotorua Library File Photo).

Celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Rotorua Lakes Water Sports Trust

The Rotorua Lakes Water Sports Trust (RLWST) is 20 years old on the 14^th august and celebrated with an afternoon tea at the Water Sports Centre on Sunday .

“The RLWST was born of an idea John Keaney, Rotorua’s Mayor from 1979 to 1993 had, in talks with Nat Stephens, the then President of the Rotorua Rowing Club” said Simon O’Donnell, Life Member and former Coach of the Rotorua Rowing Club(RRC).

Simon O’Donnell, John Mc Ginley (RRC Life Member and RLWST Foundation Trust member) and Stephens had to find a way to house the rowing skiffs in the city, by the water, and at a reasonable rent. There were surging school rowing numbers and their existing Lake Okareka location was no longer convenient.

“The distance of Lake Okareka from Rotorua proved difficult in our efforts to promote rowing among students from the local high schools” Nat Stephens told the Daily Post at the time.

“The water was good in the early mornings on Lake Rotorua and the school rowers could train before school”said Simon O’Donnell. “John Keaney suggested to Nat, to get together with the other water related clubs who were struggling as well.”

Stephens turned to Stuart Burns, the Yacht Club President at the time, who got the project underway.

“I am glad to see that a project that I started on following discussions with Nat Stephens has reached this milestone” said Burns.

Burns, as Trust Convenor sought two ‘settlors’ for the Trust in the Rt. Hon Paul East and Grahame Hall who was the Mayor of Rotorua in August 1993.

”Their support was of great assistance in sourcing funding and council support at that time” said Burns.

The RLWST was formed on the 14^thAugust 1993. Stage One of the existing RLWST building was finished in January 1994, with Stage Two completed in 1995. The building replaced the original Rotorua Yacht Club on the same site, and three clubs  joined together -the Rotorua Yacht Club, Rotorua Rowing Club and Rotorua Lakes Volunteer Coastguard.It was not long before the Rotorua Underwater Club and Rotorua Pleasure Boating and Fishing Club joined the Trust, followed by Rotorua Young Mariners.

20 years on, the Trust building is home to almost 80 school rowers, 20 Master rowers, 76 yachties, 180 Coastguard members, 6 Sailboarders,

18 Pleasure Boating & Fishing members and 13 Young Mariners.