A group of local residents in Nelson, a small town on the border of South Australia and Victoria, is planning to revive the historic Nelson Regatta in January 2026. This initiative aims to attract tourists back to the area, which has faced economic challenges over the past five years. The regatta, a popular event from the 1880s until its decline in the 1970s, will be held along the scenic Glenelg River from January 24 to 26, 2026.
Eathan Whitehead, one of the event’s organisers, expressed a deep personal connection to the regatta. “The regatta is an opportunity for me to, like my grandparents did, give back to Nelson,” he said. He reminisced about the vibrant atmosphere of his childhood, filled with summer activities like ice cream and fishing, which he feels has diminished in recent years. The closure of the historic Nelson Kiosk, the town’s general store and café, has highlighted the need for revitalization.
Reviving a Community Tradition
The first Nelson Regatta is believed to have taken place on New Year’s Day in 1886. Initially focused on rowing races, the event evolved to include a range of activities such as swimming, speedboat races, and beauty contests. Jim Millard, another local involved in the planning, fondly remembers the regatta as a “massive big party” during the 1960s when water-skiers formed pyramid formations on the river.
The regatta’s popularity waned in the 1960s as Nelson transitioned from a permanent settlement to a holiday destination. Christina McFarlane, who is organising a photo display for the upcoming event, noted that by the late 1950s, local entertainment options expanded, leading to a decline in attendance at community events. The regatta was last mentioned in the Border Watch newspaper in 1974, reporting an attendance of around 3,000 people, which marked its peak.
New Leadership and Fresh Ideas
In a bid to rejuvenate local tourism, lawyer Kerry Schroeder and her husband, Rob Grant, acquired the Nelson Hotel in October 2023. Their discussions with Whitehead sparked the idea to revive the regatta. With historical images of past regattas displayed in the hotel, Schroeder emphasized that the goal is not merely to recreate the old event but to capture its essence. “We are taking the soul that was that regatta and what it meant to Nelson and then using that to rebuild an event,” she stated.
The new regatta is designed to draw visitors, encouraging them to explore Nelson beyond the event itself. “We want to rebuild Nelson as a place where people think, ‘This is a great place to come to’,” Schroeder explained.
The planned festivities for the weekend will kick off on the afternoon of Saturday, January 24, with a slideshow and music at the Nelson Hotel, followed by an outdoor cinema that evening. The actual regatta will feature a parade of boats along the Glenelg River on Sunday, complemented by a market and a dinner-dance at the hotel. The weekend will conclude on Monday with an existing Australia Day breakfast and flag-raising ceremony at the local tennis club, along with a car show on the riverbanks.
Whitehead highlighted the importance of keeping the event manageable with a small team of volunteers, aiming for it to become a local tradition. “I just hope to see a lot of people having fun on the day in Nelson,” he said. He envisions a future where families create lasting memories at the regatta for generations to come.
