Charles Davison
Haberfield Rowing Club (NSW)
The following tribute to Charles Davison was written by Kevyn Webb in his 1950 history of Haberfield Rowing Club.
Haberfield has been fortunate in having had several Committee men of the high standard suggested by Lord Burghley. Perhaps the best known of these men is Charles Davison who has attended more than 200 meetings of the Club Committee since 1928 (or more than half a year of nights he has devoted to Club administration).
“Charlie” Davison joined Haberfield Rowing Club in February 1928 while living at Dulwich Hill. He has since that date laboured long, assiduously and without interruption to his interest, to promote the sport at Haberfield Rowing Club and with the New South Wales Rowing Association.
Despite Davison’s retiring and modest demeanor he is a fighter, no matter what the objective the Club Committee has had in mind, Charles never quits working until that objective has been achieved.
During his early rowing days, Davison, never a heavy weight oarsman, always gave all he had, winning many races for Haberfield in the days when the new club had to work so very hard to score even one win.
As his rowing career closed, Charles turned to the administrative side of the Club. He has now been a member of the Club Committee for twenty two years and in that time, he has missed on an average of only one Committee meeting a year.
In 1933 and in the following year he served as Secretary of the Club. In 1935 he was elected by the members to the position of Captain. In the years that followed as the Club’s Senior Committee man he served as the right hand man to three Club Presidents, F. J. Herlighy, M.C. Kent and D. I. Jones.
It must be remembered that during this period Charles Davison has retained many outside interests, being Secretary and Treasurer of the Maloola Tennis Club of which he is an active left hand player, a member of a Bowling Club, the local P. & C. Association, and the Lands Department Social Club.
Today Charles lives with his wife, Beryl and family in Summer Hill, works at the Lands Department in Sydney and is an elected member of the New South Wales Rowing Association. A great lover of the Art of rowing and a recognized expert in Club affairs, Davison has commanded the respect and admiration of the hundreds of young oarsmen who have passed through the Club since Charles Davison joined in 1928.
Andrew Guerin
July 2024
Source: Haberfield Rowing Club, the First 25 Years, by Kevyn Webb, self published in 1950