Balmain Rowing Club was formed on 7 June 1882 at a meeting held at Dicks Hotel in Balmain. The chairman of that meeting, Mr S H Hyam, declared that he had long been of the opinion that it was absolutely necessary that the suburb of Balmain should have its own rowing club.

Things moved quickly after that. A site at White Horse Point was deemed “an exceedingly pretty one and very suitable for the purpose”; an existing boat builders shed on that site was duly purchased and presented to the fledgling club by Mr John Booth. Architect Harold Brees designed a new building, which was then built by a Mr Pritchard. On 25 November 1882, the mayor of Balmain, Mr W A Hutchinson, declared the Balmain Rowing Club open.

It was, by all accounts, quite a grand affair. The new clubhouse was festooned with flags of all colours and designs, the Albion and Coldstream bands provided music, the steamer Quandong turned up from Sydney, packed with visitors. Representatives from sister clubs arrived by water in skiffs and gigs. A flotilla of white-sailed boats passed slowly round White Horse Point, which was packed with spectators. A bottle of champagne was broken to christen the establishment, the club colours of yellow and black were hoisted over the clubhouse to applause and cheers and Balmain Rowing Club was officially opened.

The new building  measured about 23m x 9m, and was built of wood, with a corrugated iron roof, dressing rooms, bathrooms and a large club room.  The building remains on the original site today with sections having been renovated and restored throughout the decades.

The club very quickly thrived and began to produced many champion oarsmen and crews, successfully competing at state and interstate level by the 1890's.