[1] Tinning's first state selection for New South Wales came in 1949 in the men's senior eight contesting the King's Cup at the annual Australian Interstate Regatta.

The entire 1949 New South Wales King's Cup crew was selected to represent Australia in competition at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland.

For the 1952 Helsinki Olympics an all New South Wales crew was selected twelve months in advance based on the 1951 King's Cup result.

However the selector Joe Gould stuck with the selected crew since a number of them including stroke Phil Cayzer, had severe adverse reactions to the vaccinations they'd taken for overseas travel.

[4] An orthopaedic surgeon, Tinning travelled as the official team doctor accompanying the Australian rowing squad who competed at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.