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Alan Dixon

Ballarat City Rowing Club (VIC)

A legend of Ballarat City Rowing Club who led the Club both on and off the water. As the Club's first National Champion, he was an inspiration to generations of rowers who followed.

Some highlights include:

• Club Captain 1961-1966
• Secretary 1965-1971
• Life Member 2004
• 21 years of active club membership and active participation at the first four National Championships
• 1962 - First National Championships on Lake Wendouree - local organising committee member
• 1964 - Second National Championships, Lightweight Eight, seven seat - Fourth
• 1966 - Third National Championships, Lightweight Pair, bow - First
• 1966 - Third National Championships, Lightweight Four, bow -Second
• 1968 - Fourth National Championships, Lightweight Pair, bow - Unplaced
• 1968 - Fourth National Championships, Junior Eight, five seat - Third

Australian Champion Lightweight coxed pair, 1966, Lake Wendouree, Ballarat
Stroke: Daryl Brown, Bow: Alan Dixon, Cox: Stan Butler

And of interest, Alan was also a painter. His evocative oil painting of the the Ballarat City boatshed below adorns the cover of the author's history of the Ballarat City Rowing Club, The Boys from the Rushbeds published in 2004.

The author provided the following eulogy at Alan's funeral, Monday, November 1, 2004.

It is an honour and a privilege to represent the Ballarat City Rowing Club to speak about Alan’s time at the club. Although Alan’s rowing career ended just as mine was beginning, we travelled very similar paths in our time at the club.

For a long time I only knew of Alan Dixon by his photo on the wall as the club’s first Australian Champion in the pair with Daryl Brown. He was a legend to us new, young rowers-an Australian champion. Not that Alan would see himself like that. He was quiet and self-effacing, and he just loved rowing. Our paths first crossed fleetingly when I attended my first Open Day at the club aged about 16. We both raced in Open fours, Alan in his last race, me in my very first.

Over the past few years, I feel I came to know Alan as a friend and as I interviewed him and chatted about his rowing years, I discovered a kindred spirit with whom I shared a love of rowing and a deep loyalty and commitment to the City Rowing Club.

Rowers, as June (his wife) could no doubt tell you, are a funny lot. Once bitten by the rowing bug, nothing else is as important. Their entire life revolves around rowing. Where we rowers see dedication the rest of the world sees obsession.

June shared a story with me that bought home this truth. She and Alan were billeting a visiting rower from New Zealand. She was nine months pregnant with their son Murray. This evening Alan and his Kiwi mate went up to the boatshed for a row. After they left June realised that the baby was about to arrive. She walked up the rather steep hill to the neighbours to call the shed and tell Alan to come home and take her to hospital. She repeatedly called-three times in fact and three times the answer to her increasingly frantic query as to the whereabouts of her husband was “Sorry, Alan’s still out on the water.”

On the fourth trek up the hill and fourth phone call June left a message to say that her neighbour would run her to hospital. June not only got herself to hospital but also left tea ready on the table for when Alan and his friend returned from training!

Alan’s career started in 1952-53 when as a 16-year-old schoolboy he did some rowing with the Jones' twins. When he left school they gravitated to Ballarat City as the twin’s father was the legendary Teddy Jones who coxed crews not only from BCRC but from all over the state for 30 years.

When Alan started the club was still rowing out of St. Patrick’s College boatshed as the City shed had been completely destroyed by fire in November 1950. His time at the club would cover the next 20 years. He had his first wins as a novice in fours and eights in 1958 and he had his last win in lightweight senior pairs1968. He competed with distinction for over 10 years, with the most outstanding win being the Australian Championship pairs on Lake Wendouree in 1966. Not only was this the first Australian Championship for the club but the first for any rowers from Ballarat.

Alan was also in the winning Victorian Country Champion eight in 1967 and came within a whisker of winning the Victorian Champion Lightweight four in 1968. They placed second to Barwon Rowing Club by 3/4 length. Their time was 7.02.  Barwon were then selected to represent Victoria at the National Championships in the Penrith Cup. Had they had better equipment possibly it would have made the difference.

Club rowing in Victoria was at its height in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. If you were a good club rower you could mix it with the best in Victoria and even Australia. Alan and Daryl’s win inspired the next generation of rowers at the club to compete and succeed at National level. In the 1980’s these rowers at the club went on to do just that. I think Alan would be proud and little chuffed that he inspired us.

Alan not only contributed to the club as a successful oarsman but took on committee roles and assisted in all facets of running the club with equal dedication and hard work. He was captain for 4 years and secretary for 5 years. He combined these demanding tasks with full time employment and the demands of raising a young family.

His last year as secretary was 1970-71 when the club celebrated its Centenary. He organised the very successful Centenary dinner which was attended by over 150 people.

His time at the club started to wind down after that. He and his wife June then set off on travels around the world, having many adventures to remote and interesting places such as Matchu Pichu in Peru. They would often book on a freighter ship that took just a few passengers. Not for Alan the luxury cruise!

 In 1971 the Begonia City Ladies RC formed and rowed out of the City shed. My time at the club started in 1974.

Alan maintained his interest in the club always and would attend the AGM if he was not on holidays at some exotic location.

Alan also kept a copious file of newspaper clippings and photos from his competitive days which he generously gave me access to in 2000 when I was starting to write the club’s history, He also gave unstintingly of his time and memories and his talent as a painter is also evidenced by the gift he gave me - a painting of the club which became the front cover for the book on the club history “Boys from the Rushbeds.”

Alan was belatedly awarded a Life Membership in 2004 when the book was published. Sadly he was too ill to attend the AGM when it was awarded but he was thrilled when I took it around to him a day later and proudly pinned it to his pyjamas.

Alan’s contribution to the club is incalculable. The final paragraph from Boys from the Rushbeds reads:

“The club has seen many champions come and go. The true champions are not always those that have the greatest success on the water nor are they just the winners of gold medals. The true champions, in my opinion, are those people who not only raced hard but gave of their time, energy and loyalty for many years and kept the club going.”

Alan was a true champion in every respect. Well rowed Alan.

His legacy lives on in the many contributions he made to the club’s history.

Centenary Invitation, Alan Dixon Secretary 1971

Racing

Alan’s racing career took him from winning novice fours in 1958 to an Australian Championship in 1966. He continued rowing until 1970, rowing most of his later races as a lightweight.

He credits Pat Harrison (co-founder of Yea Rowing Club) with changing the training culture at the club which led to the club being very successful in the 1960’s. He said of Pat “ [H]e had us training 7 days a week and training through winter. He in many various ways bought a very positive approach and we won a lot of races under his guidance.” (Note: Pat’s legacy followed though until the 70’s and 80’s when club coach Danny Elliott sought to emulate his success.)

1958-1959 Novice four and Novice and Maiden eights.

1959-1960  At the start of the season in 1959 Alan won four Maiden fours in 14 days at VRA Championship Regatta, Nagambie, Yarrawonga and Rutherglen.

The crew comprised Neville Kerr (bow), Mick Walsh (3), Alan Dixon (2), Bob Coutts (str). Cox, Harrison and coach Pat Harrison.

1960-61, the same crew won four Junior fours in succession at Footscray Regatta, Scotch Mercantile Regatta, Ballarat and Albert Park Regatta. They also were the first crew across the line in the Victorian Sprint Four Championship at Dimboola in 1960 but were disqualified over a clash of oars as they crossed the line.

1961 with Alan in the novice scull

1963-1964 Alan won four Junior pairs with Bob Coutts (Bob later joined Mercantile RC and continued rowing success with the club).

1963 Winners of Junior pairs; VRA, Upper Yarra, Footscray, Dimboola.
Bob Coutts (str), Alan Dixon (bow) and cox, Philip  Dixon

The 1965-66 season was significant for Alan. He won four lightweight pairs with Daryl Brown and four lightweight fours in succession.

Winners of four lightweight fours -Ballarat, Barwon, Colac and Henley Regattas, 1966 
(B) Alan Dixon; (2) Ian Angow; (3) Mick Rowan, Str. Daryl Brown, Cox: Philip Dixon.

Then followed his win in the National Championships in the lightweight pair, and a second placing in the four. The four comprised bow: Alan Dixon, 2: Terry Austin, 3: Mick Rowan, Str: Darryl Brown, Cch: Frank Findlay.

In 1967, Alan was the seven man in the winning Victorian Country Championship Eight.

1967 Victorian Country Championship eight
Cox: Stan Butler, Daryl Brown (str), Alan Dixon (7), P. Brown (6), Mick Rowan (5), N. Quarrell (4), R.(Bob) Brown (3), Ian Angow (2) and bow.

Then in 1968 came the lightweight four that that almost became the Penrith Cup crew. The following image was after a race on the Barwon River on February 9,1968, placing second to Barwon R.C. by 3/4 length, in a time of 7.02.

1968 Cox: Daryl Calvert, stroke; Daryl Brown, (3) Alan Dixon, (2) Jim Morse, bow; Philip Dixon.

In my interviews with Alan, he mentioned that he only recorded the wins! He often raced a Senior pair or four as well, often placing second adding “Not quite enough oomph to win!” 

Alan was also selected in the Ballarat eight that raced as a representative crew of the three Ballarat clubs in Canberra in 1964 and Murray Bridge in 1968. The composite eight was an initiative of the Ballarat Rowing Association. The feeling was if the best rowers from each of the three clubs were combined in an eight they would be more competitive at a national level. Rowers from the three club’s Ballarat City, Wendouree and Ballarat trialled for positions in the eight. Alan was selected from BCRC in 1964 and Alan and Daryl were selected in 1968. Daryl Brown is in stroke seat and Alan Dixon is in seven seat.

Kate Elliott
October 2025