Spectators
Head of the Yarra is a unique sporting event in Australia, and an exciting experience for spectators.
We welcome you to be a part of our event, and hope the information on this page provides some assistance to what it's all about! It is a free event held annually for the general public to visit. It is hosted by Hawthorn Rowing Club.
- Race commentary
- Where can I buy Programs?
- Food and drink
- Can I buy Merchadise on the day?
- Presentation to winners
- Carnival!
Please also refer to our obstruction and alert page for any details pertinent for spectators.
What is the Head of the Yarra event?
Head of the Yarra is a time trial for eight oared boats to compete over 8.6km from the Henley Staging (just upstream of the boat sheds near St Kilda Road in the city) to Hawthorn Rowing Club under the Bridge Road bridge. The Yarra River travels past many suburbs of Melbourne along this course. 130 crews entered in 2003, and this is certainly a sight to behold in itself. Levels of competition are diverse and can range from school children to masters, from novice to Olympians - and all in the one race.
How and where can I watch the race?
There are no official places to watch the race, however spectators are able to watch the race from the banks of the Yarra River at almost any point. View the course map here.
There are bicycle tracks on both sides of the River if you wish to follow the event or a particular crew. If you don't have your own, bicycles can be hired from
Hire a bicycle
Daily 11am-5pm
Yarra Bank South Side Princes Bridge
Ph 0417 339 203
There is no one best vantage spot to watch the race, however there are a number of favoured positions:
It is always amazing just seeing the starting area at Henley Staging, and here there are large lawns to sit on to watch the first moments of each crews race.
Big Bend is well known to river users, and even many locals know where you are talking about purely by the large bend in the road. Crews are about half way at Big Bend and it can be exciting to see the race progress at this point.
The bike track and lawns on the Richmond side of the Yarra at the finish are where spectators can see all the crews cross the finish line. Views from Bridge Road bridge down the straight provide aerial views of the action. There is street parking available along Yarra Boulevard, which runs close to the river.
Commentary will be provided at the start area from about an hour prior to the race commencing until the first crews begin.Race commentary will be provided from the finish line at Hawthorn before the first crew finishes until the end of the race.
Programs will be for sale in the city before the race, and at Hawthorn all day. Full crew lists and crew numbers are included the program to help spectators identify crews.
A variety of food and beverages are available from midday onwards at Hawthorn.
Can I buy merchandise on the day?
Of course! The full range of official Head of the Yarra merchandise will be available for sale at Hawthorn from midday onwards. The HOY merchandise can be viewed here.
The presentation begins about 15 minutes after the last crew finishes. Medallions are presented to winning crews in each category. This occurs on the lawns near Hawthorn Rowing Club.
There is definitely a lot of action occuring around the finish line at Hawthorn. Many spectators congregate here not just to watch the race, but also to soak up the atmosphere. A jazz band plays, the bbq's are fired up, cold beverages are available, boats are being marshalled off the river to racks. Slowly more and more people crowd the vicinity as rowers finish, cyclists arrive, and additional supporters turn up. The atmosphere is a buzz with excitement. The announcement of and presentation to the winners of each category then caps off a tremendous day.