John Ranch
John Ranch (16 November 1940 – 15 September 2022) was an Australian rower who won two national championships and a silver medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
Born in Bondi, New South Wales, he moved to Orange at age four when his father became licensee of the Tourist Hotel. He went to Santa Maria Convent and De La Salle College, Orange, and studied at Sydney University from 1959. He joined the Sydney University Boat Club and also rowed in surf boats at the Bondi Surf Club.
Ranch represented Australia in 1965 at a Trans-Tasman regatta against New Zealand, rowing in the four seat of the men’s eight; the Australian eight finished second in both races. In 1966 he rowed bow in the Australian men’s coxed four at the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia, finishing eighth. That year he also won a national title at the Australian Rowing Championships as part of a composite SRC/SUBC crew in the coxed four.
In 1968 he was in the Australian men’s eight, rowing at seat three, and the crew won the silver medal at the Mexico City Olympics. He also competed for New South Wales in the King’s Cup at the Australian Interstate Regatta in 1966, 1968 and 1969, winning the King’s Cup in 1968.
After retiring from competition, Ranch coached at Sydney University and the Sydney Rowing Club. He later competed again for Australia at the World Masters Games in Toronto in 1985.
John Ranch passed away on 15 September 2022, at the age of 81.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:33 (CET).