General News
29 April, 2026
Regatta up for Sporting award
YET another Dimboola event has gained state-level recognition, with the Dimboola Rowing Club's Regatta achieving nomination as a 2025 Victorian Sport Awards finalist for the MySport Live Community Sporting Event of the Year.
Regatta host Mick Salter, said the club was only recently informed of the honour, having no idea the event was being considered in one of the 18 categories.
“Our governing body, being Rowing Victoria, obviously thinks highly enough of us to nominate ... both the Saturday and Sunday regatta into this community sporting event of the year,” he said.
On the finalists page, the VicSport website mentions not just the appeal of rowing for various schools and clubs, but also the “true festive atmosphere” the local markets, shops and accommodation provide.
“This has been a major boost to an area of roughly 1600 residents that also experienced a population decline between 2016 and 2021,” the statement said.
Mick agreed and said the honour should be extended to the entire town, as the regatta relied on many locals who were not directly involved in rowing, which contributed to its success.
“We're a very small club by any stretch of the imagination, and to be nominated by our governing body – not just us, but the community (as well),” he said.
“I think that's what needs to be really spelled out. This is a community sporting event of the year, not a rowing sporting event of the year.
“I often say that the Dimboola Rowing Club doesn't own the regatta – the town of Dimboola does, and I'll continue to say that, because that's the reality of it.”
Mick said the awards were in Melbourne in a couple of weeks.
“Wednesday the 13th of May, in the MCG Members Function Room – I’m an MCC member so I know how classy this area is!” he quipped, but quickly added he would not be going himself.
“I've been the president a number of times, and we've got a new president (Lyn McDonald), a new vice-president (Colleen Bouts), and it’s their role to go down, it's their honour.”