Barry Robinson: A man with ‘the heart of Phar Lap’
The twenty-ninth of July 1959 was not destined to go down as one of the great dates in New Zealand rugby. A combined side chosen from the Marlborough-nelson-golden Bay-motueka unions took on the might of the British Isles in Blenheim before a crowd of 10,000. The result broke records.
T.P. Mclean, doyen of New Zealand rugby writers, gave an account of the match sensitive to silver linings. If the provincial side’s tackling was below par overall, there were individual exceptions. One such player was the short but powerful half-back. Barry Robinson, wrote Mclean, “was tough and very often astonishingly quick behind the scrum”.
Barry would enjoy vastly more success as a sportsman on other occasions. As an exponent of the national game, at his peak he counted among the top 60 players in the country. As a rower, he won a multitude of national titles. A keen golfer, squash player and lawn bowler, he was competitive at any sporting code he turned his hand to. However, he retained an affection for Mclean's review and the memory of a Lions game played in his hometown.
Barry was a gentleman. Humble and quietly spoken, he neither sought nor enjoyed being the centre of attention. Seldom if ever angry, he was comfortable with silence, giving his words particular gravitas when he did speak, a trait that proved a strength as both a father and as a rowing coach. At the same time, there were reserves of humour within. Barry had a sparkle in his eye and possessed a cheeky grin. Witty asides were his speciality. And those that misjudged his unflashy nature or short stature for weakness did so at their peril. He had an abundance of determination, a work ethic second to none and - as his son Mark puts it - "the heart of Phar Lap".
Barry Michael Robinson was born October 18, 1936 in Blenheim, the second of the three children of Mervyn Leo Robinson and Freda Kathleen Robinson (nee Bradley). He was raised on his parents’ small property, five miles west of the town, a sheep farm and orchard.
The Robinsons were a sporting family. Barry and his brothers were encouraged to play rugby and tennis and to row. Attending Rapara Primary School, Barry's physique lent itself to the half-back position, where he quickly excelled. He was selected for the combined Marlborough Primary Schools' side.
At Marlborough College, Barry made the First XV in 1952 and was to captain the side. Playing for the local Moutere Rugby Football Club, in 1955 he gained selection to the Marlborough Junior Representatives and the following year played for Marlborough for the first time, enjoying regular success in the Seddon Shield competition. A consistent selection 1956-1959, Barry's rugby career reached its zenith in 1959, praised by the nation's pre-eminent sporting journalist, winning a trial for the New Zealand Juniors and playing in the curtain raiser of that year's North Island vs South Island All Black trial. Barry joined the Blenheim Rowing Club in 1954, with immediate success, recording 17 wins in minor grades, including a silver placing in the Maiden Fours and the National Championships.
Leaving school aged 15, Barry commenced a joinery apprenticeship. Late in 1959, by then a fully qualified and experienced builder, he relocated to Hamilton, where he joined the Frankton Rugby Club. With his provincial experience and competitive spirit, Barry became a force to be reckoned with in Hamilton club rugby, playing for the Frankton seniors 1960-1965, captaining the side 1961-1962 and turning out for Hamilton city on eight separate occasions.
When, in 1963, Barry shifted to Blenheim to build a house for a cousin, Frankton's loss was his home province's gain. Back again in the Marlborough side, Barry served as its captain for a season before returning to Hamilton to settle permanently.
Barry began rowing in the North Island with the Hamilton Rowing Club in 1959, winning six races. Thereafter, he joined the freshly established Waikato Rowing Club. Competing in the lightweight division, Barry, says longtime friend and sporting contemporary Alec Auld, "was not just a fine oarsman but had attributes of a leader and a good club man". He lent his labour and professional skills to raising funds for the club and was central to the construction of sheds in Hamilton and Karāpiro.
In the 1964/65 season Barry was part of a lightweight four, together with Mick Jonson, Roger Kenah and coxswain Colin Maisey that won 15 times, inclusive of a New Zealand title. Altogether the combination of Robinson, Jonson and Kenah rejoiced in an unbroken series of 42 victories, taking out national titles in 1963, 1965 and 1966. Barry's career statistics boasted a total of 88 competition wins. Along with his three titles in the lightweight fours, at national level he achieved 10 wins in the premier fours, 17 wins in the premier pairs and 52 wins in other crews. President of the Waikato Rowing Club 1976-1978, he was made a life member in 1981 and was its patron at the time of his passing.
In 2004 Barry was inducted into the Waikato Rowing Club's Hall of Fame.
In 2010 he took a leading role in raising funds for the researching and writing of a book celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Waikato Rowing Club's founding, a project which reflected his commitment to the club for all but one of those years.
Beyond sport, the young Barry was a participant in Hamilton's thriving dance scene in the early 1960s, particularly at the Starlight Ballroom, where he first saw his future wife Coralie Wilson performing. Meeting Coralie sometime later at a wedding, romance quickly blossomed. Engaged in September 1966, a mere three months after first acquaintance, Barry and Coralie were married February 4 1967.
A house on the banks of the Waikato River was the stuff of a rower's dream. In 1968 Barry built such an abode on Ann St, where he Coralie lived and entertained for the following 52 years, its deck a pictorial backdrop to the couple's regular parties.
Sally, Barry and Coralie's first child, was born on the 10th anniversary of the Waikato Rowing Club. Mark, Barry and Coralie's second child, was born two years later.
Professionally, Barry's building work in Hamilton began in partnership with GG Warren before he established his own roofing company, Barry Robinson Roofing. In 1981 his expertise in the field led to a fourmonth job demonstrating roofing products in the United States. The Robinsons lived for a spell in Santa Barbara, California.
For a decade Barry worked with former New Zealand cricketer Wynne Bradburn as a financial adviser.
As both a parent and a rowing coach, Barry was a man of few words, inspiring respect by example. Never raising his voice, those whom he sought to instruct, says son Mark, "had nothing to push back against", leaving them no choice but to heed his actions and "words not spoken".
Not the least of his coaching successes came with his own children. Devoting hours and hours to the instruction of Hamilton Girls' High and Hamilton Boys' High crews, under Barry's tutelage Sally was part of a lightweight four which won gold at the New Zealand Secondary School Championships and Mark part of a novice eight which had equal success.
Barry had a great love of the ocean and was known for his distinctively adorned, somewhat worn wetsuit in the waters around Mt. Maunganui.
In 2020 Barry and Coralie shifted into the Ryman Linda Jones Village. Barry bore his decline in health and mobility with dignity and, whilst challenged by dementia, retained his essential character and sense of humour.
Barry Michael Robinson died April 7 2024. He is survived by his wife of 57 years Coralie, children Sally and Mark, son-inlaw Simon and grandchildren Lily, Paige, Fletcher and Matt.