Ian D Johnston
Banks Rowing Club (VIC)
18 June 1947 - 4th September 2018
1960 – Olympic Games – Men’s Coxed Pair cox – eliminated in repechage
1962 - APS Head of the River, Carey 2nd VII, two seat - Fifth
1963 - APS Head of the River, Carey 1st VII, two seat - Eighth
1964 - APS Head of the River, Carey 1st VII, stroke - Sixth
Olympic coxswain, Ian Johnston passed away in 2018 after a battle with cancer. He remains Australia’s youngest Olympian, to date, after going to Rome in 1960 as cox for the Men’s Coxed Pair that finished fourth in its repechage.
Ian was 13 years and 75 days old when he steered Neville Howell and the Honourable Paul Guest QC OAM at Lake Albano, a volcanic crater in Lazio, south of Rome. Of note in the 1960 Olympic Team handbook, Johnston was noted as having received a commendation by the General Court of Directors of the Royal Humane Society of Australia for rescuing a drowning boy.
Ian is McVilly-Pearce pin number 113.
However, he was far better known in business circles. He worked in various businesses, starting with Gilette, but eventually as managing director of Cadbury Schweppes in both Australia and the United Kingdom. In 2007 he was made a director of Fosters Group Ltd, and in 2008 was asked to serve as Acting CEO after Trevor O'Hoy stepped down from that position. In September 2008 he took over as permanent CEO of Foster's. In September 2011, Foster's was taken over by SABMiller and Johnston stepped down and retired. His period at CEO was marked with both the eventual takeover and the dilemma of what to do with the wine business.
1960 Olympic Coxed Pair
Andrew Guerin
Updated Sept 2024