 Stewart's first state representative selection for New South Wales came in 1992 in the youth eight who contested and won the Noel F Wilkinson Trophy at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships From 1994 to 2004 he rowed in eleven consecutive New South Wales men's senior eights competing for the King's Cup at the Interstate Regatta.Only the 2004 crew was victorious, with the Stewart brothers suffering a long period of Victorian King's Cup dominance.James made his Australian representative debut in 1994 competing at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Paris in a coxless pair with his twin brother Geoff.