His father Jack was a competitive Torrens senior eight rower from the 1930s, had rowed in South Australian King's Cup crews from 1938[1] and was a senior clubman at war's end when South Australian rowing recommenced.

[3] Their mother, Vaughan's grandmother had a long involvement with the club from 1931 till her 1946 death.

[4] State representation first came for Vaughan Bollen in 1961 as the coxswain of the South Australian men's eight contesting the King's Cup at the Interstate Regatta.

[12] By 1978 in his effort to make the Australian lightweight four Bollen had relocated to Victoria and he rowed in the Victorian crew which won the Penrith Cup in 1978 and went on to represent Australia at that year's world championships.

That four containing Peter Antonie, Simon Gillett, Geoffrey Rees with Bollen won a bronze medal.