David Boykett first represented Australia internationally at the 1956 Olympics, where he won a bronze medal in coxed eights. He also competed at the 1964 Olympics, where he was eighth in coxed eights, the 1962 and 1966 World Championships, where he finished fifth and tenth, respectively, in coxed eights, and at the 1962 Commonwealth Games, where he competed in both coxed eights and coxless fours.
A lifelong member of Mercantile Rowing Club, Boykett won the King’s Cup (Australian national coxed eights championships) in 1956-58, 1961, 1964 and 1966. From 1960-96, he worked as a coach, rowing master, and mentor at the Scotch College in Melbourne. He also coached the Mercantile Rowing Club to King’s Cup victories in 1969 and 1970 and was the coach of Australian rowing teams at the 1970 and 1979 World Championships. In 1973, Boykett was the team manager of the Australian team at the inaugural World Junior Championships. He was a FISA Umpire from 1960-78 and an Australian Umpire from 1961 until the 1990s. Boykett was president of the Mercantile Rowing Club from 1993-97 and was chairman of the Victorian Rowing Association (now Rowing Victoria) for two terms.
Australia