Alexander McNaughton
Ballarat City Rowing Club (VIC) and later Essendon Rowing Club (VIC)
27 July 1856 (Buninyong) - 7 June 1948 (East St Kilda)
Alexander was born in Buninyong near Ballarat in Victoria in 1856, the son of Daniel McNaughton. This was only 5 years after the discovery of gold in that district in 1851. He had a surviving brother Hugh and two surviving sisters, Nellie and Elizabeth.
He married Eleanor Jane Black (known as Lena) in 1884. They had four children, the first being a son Daniel born in 1885. Daniel was to go onto be a fine oarsman with Essendon Rowing Club and raced for Victoria in the Interstate Eight Oared Championships. His other children were Elsie May born in 1886, then another daughter Jean Hardy in 1888, and the last child named Amy Helen was born in Williamstown in 1890. Elsie married Arch Dobbie of Mercantile Rowing Club and Victorian Rowing Association fame. Arch was a distinguished rower like his brother in law Daniel and probably raced against him. Arch went onto Captain Mercantile, and be their President. Then became President of the Victorian Rowing Association. Elsie's life in rowing therefore continued throughout her life.
Alexander's rowing and sculling career was relatively long, finishing with an extraordinary senior eight win in 1885. It was extraordinary in that Ballarat City dead heated twice with Williamstown Rowing Club, before winning the race. This result is so unusual that it has not been heard of before at that level.
His race wins included:
1879 - Ballarat Regatta, Maiden Four, two seat - First
1882 - Melbourne Regatta, Maiden Sculls - First
1882 - Ballarat Regatta, Maiden Sculls - First
1882 - Ballarat Regatta, Maiden Eight, stroke - First
1882 - Ballarat Regatta, Senior Eight, stroke - First
1884 - Ballarat Regatta, Junior Scull - First
1885 - Geelong and Barwon Regatta, Senior Eight, four seat - First
Alexander was also a leader.
1884-86 - Vice-Captain Ballarat City Rowing Club
1886-89 - Captain Ballarat City Rowing Club
As mentioned above, they moved to Williamstown by the time Alex's last child was born. He had received a promotion in his government job which necessitated a move to Williamstown. Ballarat City Rowing Club provided him with an illuminated address upon his departure. He later moved to Ascot Vale.
His son Daniel was like his father, 6' 2" tall and well suited to rowing. He raced successfully with Essendon Rowing Club and Alex became Patron of the Essendon Rowing Club.
Alexander in buried in the Presbyterian section of the Melbourne General Cemetery.
Image from the Weekly Times, 29 December 1917, page 20 showing both Alexander and Daniel McNaughton
Andrew Guerin
December 2025
Sources:
- The Victorian Oarsman by John Lang, published in 1919 by Messina & Coy
- 1998 family history extract written by ancestor John Forster Holy of Camperdown provided by Peter Gill in December 2025
- The Boys from the Rush Beds - the history of Ballarat City Rowing Club by Kathryn M Elliott, published 2004 by Ballarat City Rowing Club
- WELL-KNOWN ROWING ENTHUSIASTS (1917, December 29). Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), p. 20. Retrieved December 13, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132699979