H Brian Christian
Yarra Yarra Rowing Club (VIC)
28/8/1928 - 20/10/1998
Brian was a life long rower who thoroughly enjoyed his sport and his club.
Wins included
1949 - Sale regatta, maiden eight (6) seat.
1950 - Bairnsdale regatta, junior pair (bow).
1951 - Warrnambool regatta, junior pair (bow). Junior four (bow).
1951 - Ballarat regatta, junior four (3).
Administration included
1949/50 assistant secretary also 1951/52----1953/54
1951/52 Vice-Captain
1955/56 - 1957/58 committee also 1972/73—1972/73---76/77
1977/78 - 1987/88Vice President
1987/88 life member.
There was a pair named in his honour.
1997 photo Brian with 125th Anniversary Plaque.
From 1998/99 Yarra Yarra Rowing Club annual report:-
Joined 1946/47 active membership, passed away 20/9/1998 life member & vice president
Brian joined Yarra Yarra after a short time at Richmond. He had many successes in the fifties and helped the club gain its First Premiership in 1951-52. He was a great worker around the club with design, building repairs, refurbishing of the front area and photo refurbishment. These are just some of the many contributions Brian made to the club and in recognition of this he was made a life member and also had a boat named in his honour.
Brian rowed a coxless four to the Westgate Bridge on most Sundays for 7 years with Jim Evans, Leigh Hanna, Harry Trebilcock and other substitutes. Brian also served on the VRA for 5 years as a member of the permit committee. Brian passed away on the 20th September 1998 after a brief illness. There was in excess of 20 people at the funeral including many members of Yarra Yarra and other clubs.
Brian will be sadly missed and our condolences go to Marjory, his wife of 40 years, and his 5 children.
From the Yarra Yarra Rowing Club newsletter 'Yarra Yabbie' no 73 November 1998:-
Harry Brian Christian, born 1929
Brian’s father worked for the Victorian railways, and moved his family to Ouyen where his grandfather had a property. Brian spoke often and fondly of Ouyen a town he greatly enjoyed. The family then moved to Bairnsdale where Brian attended the local Technical School. This set his future as soon after, around the mid 40’s Brian began an apprenticeship with Vic Rail. . Brian then went on to study at Royal Melbourne Tech. and achieved a Diploma of Civil Engineering, working many years with John Connell and Associates.
Brian joined Yarra Yarra after a short time at Richmond (a sort of dry club?) He had many successes in the fifties and helped the club gain its first Premiership in 1951-52. He was a great worker around the club with design, building repairs, rehashing of the front area, steelwork to hold up the shed and photo refurbishment. These are just some of the many contributions he made to the club. For services to the club, he was made a life member and had the honour of having a boat named after him. He rowed in a coxless four to Westlake Bridge most Sundays for 7 years with Jim Evans, Leigh Hanna, Harry Trebilcock, and other substitutes. He was on the VRA for 5 years on a permit committee.
Brian was happily married for 40 years to Marjory and had 5 children. After a brief illness, he passed away 20 September 1998. There were in excess of 200 at the funeral, including many from Yarra Yarra and other clubs.
Brian will be sadly missed and our condolences go to his many friends and family.
Brian was the man with the thiolate checking measurements when the rear of the shed was raised in 1964.
Brian reframed most of the old photos in the old shed, as well as photographing these photos on film. These negatives now have been scanned, so we have a record of all if not most of photos that were in the old shed.
Other projects that Brian took on were various memorable items displayed around the shed.
Brian was a successful oarsman competing in many regattas and in later life masters events.
Clipping from the Sun 18/12/1951
Brian Christian jumped from the bow seat of a boat to rescue a man who had jumped into the river near Princes Bridge.
Jim Skidmore
June 2024