Robert "Bob" Alan Shirlaw (born 9 April 1943) is an Australian former

rower Rowing, often called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars (called blades in the United Kingdom) are attached to the boat using rowlocks, while paddles are ...

and stalwart school level rowing coach. He rowed at the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...

and the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

Club and state rowing

He was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and his senior rowing was with the Mosman Rowing Club. In 1963 and 1964 he was the New South Wales selected sculler to contest the President's Cup - the interstate single sculls championship - at the Australian Interstate Regatta. He placed third on both occasions. Then in 1967 he won the President's Cup and the interstate single sculls championshi
1967 Interstate Regatta
In 1964 and 1966 he won the national coxless pair title at the

Australian Rowing Championships The Australian Rowing Championships is an annual rowing event that determines Australia's national rowing champions and facilitates selection of Australian representative crews for World Championships and the Olympic Games. It is Australia's pre ...

- both times paired with Roger Ninham. In 1966 he also contested the coxless four title in a composite Haberfield/Mosman crew.

International representative rowing

In 1964 as the Australian champion coxless pair, Shirlaw and Roger Ninham were selected as Australia's coxless pair to compete at the

1964 Tokyo Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequ ...

in the

coxless pair A coxless pair, abbreviated as a 2- and also known as a straight pair, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars. The crew consists of a pair of rowers, each ...

. They finished third in the B final for an overall ninth place. Four years later he won the silver medal in the bow seat of the Australian eight at the

Mexico Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

. Shirlaw had been a reserve for the 1968 victorious New South Wales King's Cup crew who were selected in toto as the Australian eight to represent at the

. Phil Cayzer recruited several of the rowers from Mosman including Shirlaw, to

Sydney Rowing Club Sydney Rowing Club is the oldest rowing club in New South Wales, Australia formed in 1870. It has occupied its current site on Port Jackson's Parramatta River at Abbotsford, New South Wales, Abbotsford Point since 1874. The club has a focus on it ...

to create the New South Wales crew in the first place and then coached them as the Australian eight both at home and in Mexico. Final selections for the eight saw David Douglas and Shirlaw selected in place of John Nickson and Mosman's John Clarke who became reserves. In the final in Mexico the Australian eight raced superbly. They kept a low profile in the first 1200m Australians, and then moved up to the leading crews 100 metres from the line. In the final sprint the Germans in a boat some 34 kg lighter than any other in the race, held on by less than a second in front of the Australians.

Coaching career

From 1979 Shirlaw was rowing coach at Shore, the Sydney Church of England Grammar School for 34 years. In 2013 he moved to St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and assisted that school in 2015 win its first Head of the River (New South Wales), AAGPS Head of the River win in 42 years. He moved to The Scots College in 2017 as Director of Rowing. Shirlaw received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the

2008 Australia Day Honours The 2008 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2008 by the Governor General of Australia, Michael Jeffrey The Australi ...

for "service to rowing as a coach, administrator and competitor, and to education".

References

External links

profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shirlaw, Bob 1943 births Living people Australian male rowers Olympic rowers for Australia Rowers at the 1964 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Australia Olympic medalists in rowing Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Australian rowing coaches Rowers from Sydney Sportsmen from New South Wales 20th-century Australian sportsmen