Hervey Bay Highlights 2025
Making a Splash: Highlights from the 2025 Hervey Bay Masters Meet on 18 October
A glorious summer day greeted 64 competitors from across southeast Queensland for the annual Hervey Bay Humpbacks long course swim meet, held at the beautifully refurbished Hervey Bay Aquatic Centre.
After swimmers dove into the crystal-clear blue waters for warm-up, the meet was officially opened by the Mayor of Hervey Bay, George Seymour, who graciously gave up his time and stayed on for the first few events to assist with timekeeping. We extend a warm thank you to the Mayor for his valuable contribution.
Fifteen events were on the program for the day, ranging from 50-metre sprints of all strokes to the more challenging 200-metre events, as well as 400- and 800-metre postal swims. The individual events concluded with the club relays.
Out of the 264 nominated individual swims, the day produced passionate, high-quality competition from swimmers attempting their first-ever Masters meet through to seasoned competitors chasing rewarding PBs. As an incentive, the Hervey Bay Humpbacks offered cash prizes in five events for swimmers who swam closest to their nominated entry times, creating a fantastic and dynamic challenge.
There were also outstanding achievements by two swimmers who raised the bar in their respective age groups by setting State records: Aileen Mackinnon from Belgravia Masters (200m Freestyle) and Angus Von Douglas from Hervey Bay Masters (200m Breaststroke). These swims were applauded by all during the presentation function.
The end of the individual competition made way for the frantic club relays, which produced some very intense racing as clubs vied for relay bragging rights!
After a wonderful day of exciting racing filled with beaming smiles, fun, fitness, and friendship, all the famished competitors, officials, and families were treated to a smorgasbord of tasty nibblies, pizzas, and refreshments hosted by the Hervey Bay Humpbacks, along with a sing-along led by our very own in-house entertainer, Ken McDonald.
The presentations were attended by another Member of Parliament and State representative, the Honourable David Lee, who stayed on to hand out age group prizes and personally congratulate each swimmer. We sincerely thank the Honourable David Lee for his time, and extend huge congratulations to every age group placegetter!
As always, the culmination of the day’s events saw the club trophies awarded. After tallying the points, Belgravia Masters Swim Club won the Largest Club Trophy, while the Smallest Club Trophy was presented to Brisbane Northside Masters Swim Club. Congratulations to both clubs on your outstanding performances!
A very successful and fun-filled day was had by all who attended. As a club, we would like to formally thank all the officials from MSQ who assisted and helped the day run smoothly, all the volunteer timekeepers, and the countless other volunteers who contributed in various roles throughout the day. Special thanks to Bob Evans from Maryborough Masters, our announcer; the Hervey Bay Junior Swimming Club, who assisted with timekeeping equipment and provided our starter; our major sponsors who provided the cash incentives; the Hervey Bay Humpbacks committee for tireless work behind the scenes; our Meet Director Linda Hodkinson, who graciously gives up so much of her time organising the program and overseeing the day’s events; and last but not least, the athletes and their supporters. Without your unwavering support and patience, successful events like this could not transpire. From all of us at the Hervey Bay Humpbacks, we sincerely thank you for helping make the day so wonderful.
Congratulations once again to all the age group winners, cash prize winners, and major event winners! We look forward to seeing you all back next year for another fantastic day of fun, fitness, and friendship as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Masters Swimming in Queensland!
Major Event Winners
State Records
- Aileen Mackinnon – 200m Freestyle
- Angus Von Douglas – 200m Breaststroke
Club Trophy Winners
- Largest Club Overall: Belgravia Masters
- Smallest Club Overall: Brisbane Northside Masters
Closest to Nominated Time – Cash Prize Winners
- 200m IM: Clifford Davis
- 100m Backstroke: Rebecca Cawood
- 50m Freestyle: Louise Macdonald
- 50m Breaststroke: Warren McKean
- 100m Freestyle: Aileen Mackinnon
Meet Results:
