Noel F Wilkinson AM BEM
South Hawthorn Rowing Club (1927-30) then Banks Rowing Club
1956 - Official at the 1956 Olympic Games
1957 – Interstate Championships Victorian team manager
1961 – Interstate Championships Victorian team manager
1962 – British Empire & Commonwealth Games – team manager
1965 – Interstate Championships Victorian team manager
1969 – Interstate Championships Victorian team manager
1970 – World Championships – team manager
1977-90 – Honorary Treasurer of ARC
1978 – World Championships – team manager
1980 – Olympic Games – administrative staff
1987 – Awarded AOF Order of Merit
1987-91 – Honorary Treasurer of Rowing Australia
1990 - Board member of the Organising Committee for the 1990 World Championships
1992 – Life member of Rowing Australia
Life member of Rowing Victoria – 18 years treasurer and 33 years on executive.
Life member and Vice-President of Banks Rowing Club Captain 4 years, Secretary and Treasurer 5 years, Vice-Captain and Social Secretary 20 years, Chairman 20 years
Victorian, Australian and FISA Umpire.
Noel Wilkinson, who actively competed up to elite level in rowing to the age of 45, has worked for Amateur Sport in a voluntary capacity since leaving school. He was fiercely an honorary contributor to the sport, never holding any remunerated position either in rowing or in any sporting area in his life. He was an example of volunteerism at its best.
Noel as team manager in 1978
Noel had enormous vitality which he applied to fund raising to his club Banks, his State Association, his National Association and his national Olympic Federation. In Victoria, we are most grateful for establishing a sound financial base for the State Association which it has maintained ever since. Specifically, his fundraising over 16 years resulted in the creation of the substantial Interstate and International Funds which fully fund the Interstate Team and annually assist Victorian international representatives with their seat fees.
He was also treasurer of Rowing Australia (13 years) and National Co-ordinator of the International Rowing Foundation, a capital fund to support Australian rowing teams. For over 15 years, he was the fund raiser for national teams.
He was also treasurer of the Victorian Olympic Council for 7 years and was Appeal Co-ordinator for three Olympic Games raising much money for Olympic teams. As Treasurer, he set up a capital fund from 1972 onwards which assists Olympic teams. The fund created grew to a significant amount of money. He was awarded the AOF Order of Merit for such outstanding service to the Olympic movement. Julius Patching when President of the Victorian Olympic Council, summed up Noel's work for this Council in 1990 as follows: "...he has been State Olympic Fund Raising Co-ordinator for the last 20 years. He has achieved in this role, by way of his unrelenting drive also devotion to his responsibilities the means whereby our fund raising endeavours have always been highly successful." He added that he has been a very devoted and long serving servant to sport.
In a tribute written by the Victorian Olympic Council, the following comments were included: As State Appeal Co-ordinator for each of the last four Olympic Games he has worked full-time for at least 18 months leading up to each of the Games. His rowing work was done in the evenings at home.
He established a fund raising office in the City which was initially also used as Council's administration office. The accomnodation and furniture being donated by his previous employer, the T&G Life Society. He set up a team of 9 volunteers, ex-employees of the T&G, who gave their services freely to assist our Olympians.
The funds raised in Victoria have far exceeded the amounts raised by any other State and over this period have exceeded $3 million . In 1988 $1.3 Million was raised which included a magnificent $750,000 being the net proceeds from the Prime Minister's Dinner. This effort was the brain child of our Chairman, Sir Donald Trescowthick.
Noel’s name adorns the trophy for the Interstate Men’s Youth Eight Championship and well as the Victorian Youth eight Championship.
Other Interests included being a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club and Hon Life Member of the Victoria Club.
As was mentioned by many in Australia during his life, we were fortunate to have enjoyed the rare opportunity to have a “Wilkie” in our midst. He was a great supporter and tireless worker for the sport of rowing and died in 1992.
Andrew Guerin 2010 (updated 2022)