William John Dixon (9 November 1912 – 10 June 1969) was an Australian

rower Rowing, often called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars (called blades in the United Kingdom) are attached to the boat using rowlocks, while paddles are ...

. He was a four-time national champion who competed in the men's double sculls event at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

Club and state rowing

Dixon was educated at

St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill St Joseph's College (abbreviated as SJC and commonly called ''Joeys'') is an independent Catholic secondary day and boarding school for boys, conducted in the Marist Brothers tradition, located in Hunters Hill, a suburb on the Lower North Sh ...

with 1929 as his senior year. His senior rowing was from the

Sydney Rowing Club Sydney Rowing Club is the oldest rowing club in New South Wales, Australia formed in 1870. It has occupied its current site on Port Jackson's Parramatta River at Abbotsford, New South Wales, Abbotsford Point since 1874. The club has a focus on it ...

and in the 1931–32 season he stroked a Sydney maiden four. He won a New South Wales state championship in the coxed four the following year. In 1933 Dixon made state selection in the New South Wales men's eight which contested and won the

King's Cup King's Cup (incl. translations), may refer to: Sports Football * Copa del Rey, Spanish for "King's Cup," the main national knockout tournament in men's football * King's Cup (Bahrain), the premier national knockout football tournament * King's ...

at the Interstate Regatta. He rowed in four successive King's Cup winning New South Wales eights between 1933 and 1936 and then contested the event on three further occasions from 1937 to 1939. In 1939 Dixon rowed in a

which contested the

Grand Challenge Cup The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing (sport), rowing competition for men's eight (rowing), eights. It is the oldest and best-known event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male cr ...

at the

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a Rowing (sport), rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It diffe ...

. They won their first round and were knocked out in the second.

International representative rowing

In 1936

Australian Olympic Federation The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is the National Olympic Committee responsible for developing, promoting, and protecting the Olympic Movement in Australia. The AOC has the exclusive responsibility for the representation of Australia at ...

funding was scarce. The NSW Police Rowing Club eight which dominated the Sydney club season and the New South Wales state championship was selected in toto as Australia's men's eight to compete at the

1936 Berlin Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

with their attendance wholly funded by the NSW Police Federation. Cecil Pearce was the selected single sculler and Herb Turner picked for the double. The selectors picked Dixon as the reserve sweep-oarsman and asked him to row the double-scull with Turner. Though Dixon had not sculled before selection, he and Turner were the best performers of the three Australian boats in Berlin. They made the Olympic final and placed sixth. In 1938 Dixon was one of five New South Welshman selected in the men's eight for the

1938 Commonwealth Games The 1938 British Empire Games were the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 yea ...

. That eight took the silver medal behind the British crew.

War service

WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Dixon served in the Australian Army. He enlisted early in the war in 1940 and had the rank of sergeant with the 2/5th Field regiment when was discharged at the war's end in 1945.Dixon at WWII Nominal Roll
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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Bill 1912 births 1969 deaths Australian male rowers Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games silver medallists in rowing Olympic rowers for Australia People educated at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill Rowers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1938 British Empire Games Rowers from Sydney Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian Army soldiers Medallists at the 1938 British Empire Games Sportsmen from New South Wales 20th-century Australian sportsmen