Robert Cooper Bagot (c. 1827 – 14 April 1881) invariably referred to as R. C. Bagot, was a horse racing official in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, Australia. He was secretary of the
Victorian Racing Club
The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual "race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup, ...
and largely responsible for the early success of the
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Me ...
.
History
Bagot was the fourth son of (Anglican) Rev. John Bagot MA and brother of Canon Richard Bagot DD, of Fontstown, near
Athy
Athy ( ; ) is a market town at the meeting of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in south-west County Kildare, Ireland, 72 kilometres southwest of Dublin. A population of 9,677 (as of the 2016 census) makes it the sixth largest town in Ki ...
,
County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the ...
, Ireland. He emigrated to Sydney, thence to
Moreton Bay, Queensland
Moreton Bay is a locality split between the City of Brisbane and the City of Redland, both in Queensland, Australia. The locality includes all of the bay Moreton Bay (water and islands) between the mainland of the City of Brisbane and the Ci ...
in the mid-1840s
or 1849,
and moved to Victoria in 1848
or 1855.
[
By profession a civil engineer and surveyor, he was introduced to Australian sports administration when he was contracted by the Melbourne Cricket Club to redesign their ground,][ and gained such a reputation that in 1864 he was appointed secretary of the newly-formed VRC after its merger with the Victorian Jockey Club.][
He was largely responsible for the erection of a much larger grandstand, facetiously dubbed "Bagot's cowshed", at ]Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The race ...
. He filled in the swampy ground at the centre of the course and had it grassed, creating "The Flat", and persuaded the committee to purchase the rising property adjacent, which became "The Hill", both now celebrated features of Australia's premier racecourse. He has been credited with persuading the Victorian Government to declare Cup Day a bank holiday
A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or he ...
in lieu of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...
's Birthday,[which fell on 9 November.
Transparently even-handed, in all the years he was a VRC official, he never made a wager and was not interested in horse racing as a sport.][
His was not a strong constitution, but was working until a few days before his death. His remains were buried at the ]Melbourne General Cemetery
The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large (43 hectare) necropolis located north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North.
The cemetery is notably the resting place of four Prime Ministers of Australia, more than any other ...
. Punctilious in his methods, there was nothing left left undone, and it was agreed his successor would have no difficulty following his work.
Recognition
*He was made a life member of the Melbourne Cricket Club
The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is a sports club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest sports clubs in Australia.
The MCC is responsible for management and development of the Melbourne Cricket Ground ...
for his work on the MCG
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern ...
.
*The Bagot Plate (1884–1886) and Bagot Handicap (from 1887),
Family
He was twice married,[ to Jane Smith (1833–1873), sister of mayor John Thomas Smith and in 1874 to Maria Gregory (1844 or 1845–1928); he had a son by his first wife and two daughters, Nellie and Olive, by the second.
They had a home at ]Ascot Vale
Ascot Vale is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Ascot Vale recorded a population of 15,197 at the 20 ...
, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.
Maria Bagot married again, to Henry Capel Pigott (1825–1918).
Charles Hervey Bagot
Charles Hervey Bagot (17 April 1788 – 29 July 1880), often referred to as "Captain Bagot", was an Irish-born South Australian pastoralist, mine owner and parliamentarian, and was the ancestor of a number of notable South Australian citizens.
...
(1788–1880), Irish-born pastoralist in South Australia, who had a large and influential family, was not clearly related.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagot, Robert
1820s births
1881 deaths
People from the Colony of Victoria
People from County Kildare
Australian horse racing officials