The Melbourne Argonauts is Australia’s first LGBTIQ+ rowing club and one of only a handful of independent LGBTIQ+ rowing clubs in the world.
The Melbourne Argonauts Q***r Rowing Club was formed in 2001 and held our first Annual General Meeting on a train from Melbourne to Geelong. During that train journey the club name was suggested by club founder Meredith (Maxi) Williams and selected from a list of names which included "The Glub Glub Club", "The St Kilda Rowing Club" and the "Melbourne Blades". The name was voted on by a process of
elimination and the "Melbourne Argonauts" was the last name standing. At the time there was some question as to the validity of the vote as some of the passengers on the train were not at all connected with the club and may have swayed the vote away from some other less likely starters
Our Mission
Our mission is to be a rowing club in the q***r community and a q***r club in the rowing community. We aim to provide an alternative and healthy environment where we can access the sport of rowing, to promote awareness of the q***r community in mainstream sport and to have some fun along the way! From a small group of strangers on a train the club is now an established participant in the rowing community with our own annual regatta, regular participation at local regattas, annual participation in the Head of the Yarra and representation on various governing boards and activities. We participate in the gay and le***an community as regular attendees at the Melbourne Pride March and by holding an annual Trivia Night. The Argonauts competed at the Montreal and Copenhagen Outgames and at the Chicago Gay Games. Being inspired by the heroes of ancient Greek mythology it seems almost logical that we named our first boat The Argo. Since then we have acquired a boat fleet with names variously inspired by our participation at our first Outgames (Montreal), figures of Greek mythology (Medea), literary figures and their writings (Katherine Mansfield: Truth and Risk), club personalities (Anastasia Beaverhausen) and founders (Sandy Mitchell).
