John Robinson (Australian rules footballer)

The son of Rev. Samuel Robinson (1841-1899), D.D.,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9526370 Deaths: Robinson, The Argus, (Saturday, 1 April 1899), p.1]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189691107 Deaths: Robinson, The Age, (Saturday, 1 April 1899), p.3.][https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9526506 Death of the Rev. Dr. Robinson, The Argus, (Saturday, 1 April 1899), p.7]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189691132 Death of the Rev. Dr. Robinson, The Age, (Saturday, 1 April 1899), p.8]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144641528 The Late Rev. Samuel Robinson, D.D., The Prahran Telegraph, (Saturday, 8 April 1899), p.5]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/138611737 The Church, The Australasian, (Saturday, 9 December 1899), p.5.] and Annie Roger Robinson (1860-1939), née Ware,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/6220250 Marriages: Robinson—Ware, The Argus, (Wednesday, 6 February 1889), p.1.][https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204922239 Deaths: Robinson, The Age, (Monday, 7 August 1939), p.1.] and known as "Jack" to his family, he was born in St Kilda on 28 December 1891.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8393514 Births: Robinson, The Argus, (Saturday, 9 January 1892), p.1.] While at the university he was one of the secretaries of the Australian Student Christian Movement;[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165750200 Gordon College, The Geelong Advertiser, (Tuesday, 19 August 1919), p.2.] and, by 1922, he was its "travelling secretary".[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4623751 Personal, The Argus, (Thursday, 22 June 1922), p.6.]

He married Jean Hawthorne Hutchinson (1899-1990) on 25 July 1923;[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2009272 Marriages: Robinson—Hutchison, The Argus, (Saturday, 11 August), p.11.] they had a daughter, Judith MacRae, née Robinson.She married Ian Campbell Macrae in August 1950: The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday 25 August 1950), p.11. He died on 25 February 1966.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TItVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mpYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6644%2C4786174 Deaths: Robinson, The Age, (Monday, 28 February 1966), p.15]: scroll right from link to page 15.

Educated at Caulfield Grammar School from 1902 to 1911,Webber, 1981; Wilkinson, 1997.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203326420 Caulfield Grammar School, The Age, Monday 16 December 1912, p.15.] he studied at the University of Melbourne. His studies were suspended due to his war service; and he eventually graduated Bachelor of Arts (in absentia) in 1921.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242492114 Degrees Conferred, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 23 April 1921), p.5.]

A fine athlete, he competed in the high jump and 120 yards hurdles for Caulfield Grammar, in the team (which included Dick Gibbs)Photograph of the team, including Robinson and Gibbs, is at Wilkinson (1997), p.54. that won the 1911 Schools Amateur Athletic Association championships.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224940986 Athletics, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 18 November 1911), p.23.]

He had been captain of the School's First XVIII at Caulfield Grammar in 1911.Wilkinson (1997), p.50.

File:Melbourne University's Inter-Varsity Team (Adelaide 1914).tiff's team for the annual (inter-varsity) football match against University of Adelaide, played in Adelaide on 12 August 1914 (Robinson is far left, back row).]]

In addition to playing Inter-Varsity football for the University of Melbourne,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56704032 Football, The (Adelaide) Register, (Tuesday, 11 August 1914), p.5.]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/212156943 Inter-State 'Varsity Football, Victoria v. South Australia: Melbourne, The (Adelaide) Critic, (Wednesday, 19 August 1914), p.13.] and playing for the University in the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA) competition, he played well on the single occasion that he appeared for the Melbourne University First XVIII in the VFL competition (on 18 May 1912, against St Kilda).[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11676878 St. Kilda Outlast University, The Argus, (Monday, 20 May 1912), p.5.] He was awarded a full blue for football in 1913.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198372517 University Blues, The Leader (Saturday, 18 October 1913), p.22]: note that he is listed as "Robertson".

The University team withdrew from the VFL competition prior to the 1915 season; and, although he might have been given an automatic clearance to transfer from University to Melbourne, his enlistment meant that he was unable to play any more football at that time.

In 1920, when the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association decided to resume its inter-club competition (the competition had been suspended during the war), Old Caulfield Grammarians was one of the eight teams that competed in the competition's first year. Jack Robinson was the team's first captain.[https://www.caulfieldgrammarians.com.au/jack-robinson Alumni Profiles: History: First Captain of CGFC – Jack Robinson], at caulfieldgrammarians.com.au.

Suspending his University studies, he enlisted in the First AIF in October 1914, and served in the Australian Camel Field Ambulance; and, later, the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance. He sustained a gunshot wound in action in 1915, but soon returned to active service. He returned to Australia

• MiD: Mentioned in dispatches of General Sir Archibald James Murray, Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (London Gazette, 6 July 1917; Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 11 October 1917).[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232449755/24995915 (Despatch), Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No.174, (Thursday, 11 October 1917), p.2664.]
• DCM: Distinguished Conduct Medal, "the military decoration that is generally recognised as being only secondary to the Victoria Cross",[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119526144 (News), The Creswick Advertiser, (Friday, 21 June 918), p.2.] London Gazette, 24 April 1917; Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 21 August 1917):[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232472229/24999572 Award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No.133, (Tuesday, 21 August 1917), p.1786.]

:::"For gallantry and marked devotion to duty during and after the battle of Magdhaba on 23rd December, 1916. He was conspicuous in his efforts at the successful collection of wounded during and after the battle. But for his untiring and successful efforts many wounded would have undoubtedly been left out overnight. Also at the battle of Rafa on 9th. January 1917, this non-commissioned officer displayed great devotion to duty and rendered splendid service in the collection of wounded under fire. Both in the Field and in Camp he has displayed marked ability as Transport Serjeant." — (Original recommendation in full.)[https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1068079/document/5490262.PDF Recommendation for Award: No.838, Serjeant John Ware ROBINSON, Collection of Australian War Memorial.]

On his return from active service, and having graduated from University, he spent at least twenty years as a sheep grazier on "Nar-Darak", at Molesworth, Victoria.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/64699363 Molesworth, The Alexandra and Yea Standard, (Friday, 15 November 1929), p.3]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203079006 Selling Agents' Reports: Fat Sheep, The Age, (Wednesday, 28 May 1930), p.8.][https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224479562 Auction Stock and Property Sales, The Weekly Times, (Wednesday, 12 December 1951), p.10.]

Robinson enlisted in the Army Reserve in March 1942, at the age of 51, and served until late 1945.{{cite web |url=https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=651967&c=WW2 |title=World War II Roll: ROBINSON, John Ware |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs}}

He died at Melbourne, Victoria, on 25 February 1966.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TItVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mpYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2474%2C4803393 Deaths: Robinson, The Age, (Monday, 28 February 1966), p. 15]: note that link is to p.16; scroll to left to see death notice.

• List of Caulfield Grammar School people

{{Reflist}}

• Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
• [https://www.caulfieldgrammarians.com.au/alumni-profiles/jack-robinson Moran, Daryl, "Alumni Profiles: Jack Robinson: Golden Alumni, History, Sports & Recreation", Caulfield Grammarians' Association.]
• {{cite book | author=Webber, Horace | title=Years May Pass On... Caulfield Grammar School, 1881–1981 | publisher=Centenary Committee, Caulfield Grammar School, (East St Kilda) | year=1981 | isbn=0-9594242-0-2}}
• {{cite book | author=Wilkinson, Ian R. | title=The Fields At Play – 115 years of sport at Caulfield Grammar School 1881–1996 | publisher={{sic|Play|right|hide=y}} Publishing | year=1997 | isbn=0-949853-60-7}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{AFL Tables | J/John_Robinson }}
• {{AustralianFootball | john+robinson/3065 }}
• [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2238728 First World War Nominal Roll: W.O.1 John Ware Robinson (838), Australian War Museum.]
• [https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ViewPDF.aspx?B=1905153&D=D First World War Service Record: W.O.1 John Ware Robinson (838), National Archives of Australia.]

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Category:1891 births

Category:1966 deaths

Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne

Category:University Football Club players

Category:People educated at Caulfield Grammar School

Category:Australian recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal

Category:Australian military personnel of World War I

Category:Australian military personnel of World War II

Category:People from St Kilda, Victoria

Category:Military personnel from Melbourne

Category:Australian Army soldiers