The Derwent River swims have built a legacy of courage and endurance, inspiring marathon swimmers to tackle Tasmania’s storied waters for over four decades.
The Derwent River, winding through Tasmania’s capital of Hobart, is a waterway steeped in swimming history.
Since the early 1980s, its challenging currents and stunning scenery have hosted a proud tradition of races and solo marathon swims, linking Hobart’s historic Constitution Dock with Kingston Beach to the south.
It all began on January 17, 1981, when pioneering swimmer Chris Guesdon took to the water for the very first official swim over the course.
Conceived by the Kingston Beach Regatta Association, the event, nicknamed ‘Kingston or Bust’, was part of a wider festival that included running races, wheelchair events, a swim, and even a parachute arrival at Kingston Beach.
The marathon swim quickly became the hallmark of the event, with Guesdon setting the course for others to follow.
Over the next two decades, the Derwent River swims flourished.
“The Derwent River has a rich history of swimming events, including races and solo swims, dating back to the 1980s,” said Susanne Guesdon, a member of the International and Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF & AMSHOF).
“Significant international races and Australian Championship events have been conducted along the river, with swimmers tackling both directions: Hobart to Kingston and Kingston to Hobart.
“The Kingston course, in particular, became a popular venue for solo swims.”
Many athletes have risen to the challenge over the years, completing unassisted crossings of the river’s often unpredictable waters. However, history is not without its gaps.
“Unfortunately, the archives of the Australian Long Distance Swimming Federation (ALDSF) were lost or destroyed during the 1980s move of the Australian Swimming headquarters from Canberra to Melbourne,” said Ms Guesdon.
“This loss left behind a large, fragmented record of these events, which many will never know about.
“Despite the archival loss, the spirit of the swims has lived on through media reports, race results, and the memories of those who participate in events in the Derwent River.
“Even after the organised races ceased, solo swimmers have continued to test themselves on the course with many marathon swimmers tackling the event each year.”
A major revival occurred in 2015 when Dan Curtis from the USA reignited the community’s passion for marathon swimming by reviving the Derwent River Big Swim, a longer challenge from New Norfolk to the Tasman Bridge.
“This swim, dormant for 39 years, drew significant media attention across television, radio, and print, breathing new life into the Derwent’s marathon swimming heritage, ” said Ms Guesdon.
“In 2020, the launch of the Australian Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming further cemented the Derwent’s place in open water history.
“Swimmers must complete the Derwent River Big Swim (Tas) alongside the Port to Pub swim (WA) and the Palm to Shelly swim (NSW) to achieve this crown.
“Lynton Mortensen proudly became the first swimmer to complete the Triple Crown in the same year it was launched, finishing the Big Swim and inspiring others to take on the challenge.”
Today, while formal races are no longer held along the Kingston course, solo swims continue, keeping the tradition alive.
The river’s legacy is carried by the courageous athletes who have completed the Kingston swims over the decades, including:
Through their efforts, the Derwent River swims continue to inspire a new generation of marathon swimmers to tackle one of Australia’s most storied waterways, just as Chris Guesdon first envisioned over 40 years ago.
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