Oxford and Cambridge Cup entry into the boat race. In 1956 New South Wales, 1963 Monash, 1966 Australian National and Newcastle, 1969 LaTrobe and 1973 Macquarie Universities gained entry. The Australian higher education reforms of the early 1990s opened the door for many former Technical Colleges and Colleges of Advanced Education to enter the boat race for the first time. 1968 was the last year that the race was held over the traditional 'Thames Putney Mortlake' equivalent course. Due to increasing pressure for a standardised course distance, fairer courses, and the increasing focus of state and national programs on the Olympic distance, delegates from
Mortlake, New South Wales Mortlake, New South Wales Mortlake is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 17 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay. Mortlake sits on the southern bank of the Parramatta River and is home to the southern bank of the Mortlake Ferry or commonly known as the "Putney Punt", the last surviving punt service in Sydney. Mortlake is also The Terminus for bus routes 439 & L39 (to Circular Quay via Five Dock Shops and Leichhardt) and