Robert E Dawson
Mercantile Rowing Club (VIC)
Robert Dawson died at Black Rock Victoria on 16th December 1945.
Robert was one of the Club's first senior oarsmen and was a member of the Club's first ever winning senior Victorian Championship in 1895. He went onto win three Intercolonial Championships.
Mercantile's 1895 winning Victorian Championship Four with Dawson in the bow seat
Following his distinguished rowing career, Robert became a wine maker. His granddaughter Helen Christie advises that the wine making business was a partnership with Club founder and life member, Thomas Gilchrist. Gilchrist doesn't appear to be an active partner as all credit for subsequent wine making has been given to Robert. It is possible that the partnership was short lived for the purpose of establishing the business as Dawson is noted as the proprietor within a few years.The vineyard and wine making property was at Humevale, southeast of Whittlesea and was known as the Glenlinton Vineyard. He produced award winning wine made from semillon, hermitage and cabernet sauvignon grapes from Britain. The boom years of the 1920s appear to have been good for the vineyard with reports of fruit tress being removed for more vines. Fruit trees were also planted on the property. The property was purchased in about 1902 and sold as a going concern in 1937. In the auction advertisement, it was stated that Glenlinton is celebrated as producing the best light wines, claret, hock, and chablis in Victoria of late years, exactly similar in climate and type to the famous Upper Yarra wines of 20 to 50 years ago. Helen Christie put the sale of the business down to the Depression of 1930s, which of course impacted demand for quality wines, and a lack of interest by his sons to continue the business.
During his life he had also been appointed as a Magistrate in 1910, and to the Royal Agricultural Society in 1935.
Known rowing history
1891 - Melbourne Regatta, Maiden Pair, bow - First
1891 - Bairnsdale Regatta, Maiden Four, bow - First
1892 - Upper Yarra Regatta, Junior Pair, bow - First
1892 - Bairnsdale Regatta, Maiden Eight, seven seat - First
1893 - Melbourne Regatta, Junior Eight, seven seat - First
1893 - Upper Yarra Regatta, Senior Four, bow - First
1893 - Richmond and South Yarra Regatta, Junior Four, bow - First
1894 - Melbourne Regatta, Senior Four, bow - First
1894 - Upper Yarra Regatta, Senior Four, bow - First
1894 - Bairnsdale Regatta, Senior Pair, bow - First
1894 - Richmond and South Yarra Regatta, Senior Four, bow - First
1895 - Ballarat Regatta, Senior Four, bow - First
1895 - Geelong and Barwon Regatta, Senior Four, bow - First
1895 - Victorian Championship Senior Four, bow - First
1895 - Intercolonial Men's Eight Championship, bow - First
1896 - Melbourne Regatta, Senior Four, bow - First
1896 - Victorian Championships, Senior Eight, three seat - First
1896 - Intercolonial Men's Eight Championship, bow - First
1896 - Intercolonial Men's Four Championship, bow - First
Andrew Guerin
March 2023 (updated in June 2025)
Sources:
- Emails from Helen Christie in June 2025
- http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11059102
- Glenlinton Archives - Australian Wine Collectables -http://australianwinecollectables.com/tag/glenlinton