Charles Donald
Wendouree Rowing Club 1889-1898 then Albert Park Rowing Club (Vic)
One of the great rowers and coaches of Victoria and Australia with an outstanding history of schoolboy coaching at Wesley College.
Major races
1894 – Intercolonial Men’s Eight Championship two seat – First
1895 – Intercolonial Men’s Eight Championship two seat – First
1896 – Intercolonial Men’s Eight Championship six seat – First
1896 – Intercolonial Men’s Four two seat – First
1899 – Intercolonial Men’s Eight Championship six seat – First
1900 – Intercolonial Sculling Championships – Second
1902 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship four seat - First
1903 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship six seat - First
1904 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship coach - First
1908 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship six seat - Second
1909 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship co-coach - Second
1910 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship co-coach - Second
1926 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship co-coach – Third
1901-40 - Coach of Wesley College 1st crew
1895 winning Victorian crew - Charles Donald seated on the right
Below is a letter from the Victorian Rowing Association Secretary to Charles congratulating him on his first Intercolonial win and hoping that it would not be his last. Forty years later, he was still coaching the race.
He also coached University and College crews to success. He proved that he could successfully inculcate his knowledge to his rowers and was at his time the best rowing authority in Victoria.
One of Victoria’s and Australia’s leading oarsmen of his day. He had won 32 first class wins with Wendouree before winning 82 first class wins with Albert Park. He was the first person in Australia to win more than 100 races which he reached in 1910. His first win was with his brother James in the maiden eight double at Ballarat and Barwon in 1889.
Newspaper cartoon of prominent Melbourne rowing figures on 6th May 1920
He coached the first crews at Wesley College in Melbourne from 1901-1940.
Tribute from Wesley College upon his retirement from Wesley College
Tribute upon the death of his death
Andrew Guerin and Jim Skidmore 2011 (updated 2023)