The Macdonald Legacy in Rowing: A Tribute to Athol and Chester

Rowing in South Australia, and indeed across the nation, owes much to the Macdonald family. Brothers Athol (HWK 1971) and Chester (HWK 1977) built outstanding rowing careers, beginning their journey at St Peter’s College. Both started in underage crews and progressed to the prestigious First VIII, with Chester rowing in the victorious 1976 crew.

It was after their school years that their rowing careers truly flourished, with both earning State and National representation. They competed in numerous State crews, including the Men’s VIII, Coxed Pair, Youth VIII, Junior Pair, and IV, achieving several notable victories. Several of these crews included Tim Willoughby, who had rowed alongside Athol at Saints and went on to row in the Men’s VIII at the 1980 Olympics.

Athol realised that he would not be considered for National selection if he remained in SA, so moved to Sydney in 1976.  When he began, his “ergo” time wasn’t as good as his competition, but by sheer determination, he soon improved so much he was selected in the NSW Men’s VIII.  In 1978 he was in the winning Men’s VIII and Coxless IV.  His move led to coaches looking beyond NSW for National crews.

Athol represented Australia in the Men’s VIII at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, a pinnacle in his rowing careers.  Athol went on to row with John Sivewright who has written a tribute below.  Then, in 1994, Athol and Chester won the World Masters Pair race, with Chester having already secured several interstate Masters Pair titles in the lead-up.

My Mate Athol by John Sivewrigrht

Athol Christopher Macdonald

Athol was a phenomenal athlete.

We rowed together in the pair, four (IV) and the eight (VIII). He was a champion in all classes.

Before any of this he had already rowed in the Kings Cup event for South Australia and raced in the Australian Olympic VIII at the 1976 Montreat Olympic Games qualifying for the final in which they finished fifth.

The 1976 Australian team which raced in Montreal was an outstanding crew. Coached by Michael Morgan, who has created his own history in the sport of rowing, and every member of the crew, including the coxswain was an outstanding athlete. They had trained and raced in Europe and performed well with the intention of peaking for the Montreal Olympics. In Montreal during the lead up training for the event the crew excelled and was seen as a medal candidate and indeed won their heat. Unfortunately, Mal Shaw, one of the many outstanding athletes of the crew fractured his sacrum in the heat and was unable to race thereafter. His place was taken by reserve Peter Shakespeare, a fine athlete in his own right, but the balance of the crew was irrevocably altered and Peter was in fact not rowing on his preferred side. Despite this they finished a creditable but disappointing fifth.

After 1976 Athol started rowing for New South Wales and was selected in the New South Wales eight in 1978. The crew won the King’s Cup handsomely by over a length. Athol and I rowed in the coxless IV at that regatta. He stroked the crew and we won the Australian Championship by three lengths.

For the 1979 season Sydney Rowing Club was able to boat two VIII crews with Athol rowing in the 4 seat of the first crew. Remarkably the two Sydney crews finished in a dead heat well ahead of the third place by over eight seconds!

I had the privilege of rowing with Athol in the number first crew. We also won the NSW pair championships that year.

It has now become traditional to hold a reunion for the two VIII crews every ten years, Athol is sorely missed as the only absentee.

More racing beckoned and Athol rowed in the Sydney VIII in 1981 winning the NSW Championship. We also travelled to Ballarat in that year and won the Victorian championship. The crew in fact was undefeated throughout the season and was one of the few crews to have won the Victorian and New South Wales championship in the same year.

The following year in 1982 he was selected as Stroke in the Sydney VIII and performed magnificently to take the crew to a very hard won victory defeating the Victorian VIII by 3 feet!

Athol and I travelled to Queensland in 1981 and won the Australian Champion Coxed pair. We raced in the coxless pair and came third with the winning crew having been Willoughby and Bentley. I understand that Willoughby was one of his classmates from St Peters.

Athol was indeed an exceptional athlete. He was enthusiastic about developing improved training techniques and was able to apply prodigious power in the boat.
 

Chester Macdonald’s Remarkable Career

Chester’s rowing journey mirrors Athol’s in a number of ways beginning in the First VIII at Saints.  Then, after he left school, it transformed into an extraordinary career.

Like Athol, he began representing SA in National competition, winning Junior IV and VIII and then the Men’s VIII (with Tim Willoughby) before he too, moved to Sydney and represented NSW in the Men’s VIII.

State and National Achievements

1978: Rowed in the State Youth VIII, finishing 5th at Nationals.

1979: Won State Youth IV, Junior II, Junior IV, and stroked the Adelaide crew to the Australian Youth IV national title.

1980: Named reserve for the prestigious King’s Cup.

1981: Won the King’s Cup in the bow seat (stroke side) with Tim Willoughby. Represented Australia in the world Under 23 champs placing 5th in the pair 

1982: Secured another King’s Cup victory (bow side in the 2 seat) alongside Tim.

1983: Moved to Sydney and stroked the Sydney VIII to an unexpected victory after a dramatic turnaround in performance losing by 14 seconds 2 weeks before the championship day, 

Chester was moved into the stroke seat, saying “Let me have a go and at least go down fighting”.  The Sydney crew won by 2 seconds. Later that year he represented NSW and came third in the Kings Cup

Back in SA, in 1987 he switched to surf boat rowing, making the State team and contributing to Grange’s sixth consecutive state title. The crew narrowly missed the final but achieved South Australia’s best result to date. The following year his crew achieved an unprecedented victory in the interstate Surf Boat race, defeating six crews, followed by a national title, winning by an astonishing 13-second margin.

Masters Rowing and Hall of Fame Induction

1994: Athol and Chester triumphed in the World Masters Open Pair, having trained only on their way to the event, while their competitors had undergone 11 sessions a week for 18 months. Chester had also won eight SA Masters and six Victorian titles that season.

2018: Inducted into the South Australian Surf Hall of Fame for surf boat rowing. On his way to the induction dinner, he found himself sitting opposite Olympic legend Steven Bradbury—a fitting coincidence given his own history of dramatic, come-from-behind victories.

A Testament to Dedication and Grit

Athol’s and Chester’s careers were marked by perseverance, determination, and an ability to rise to any challenge.

The Macdonald brothers’ legacy in rowing remains an inspiration for future generations, demonstrating the power of resilience, teamwork, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Athol died in April 2013, Chester lives in Rockhampton, Queensland.

This article was compiled by the Blackmore Club, on behalf of and with assistance from the Macdonald family et al.