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Hugh Denison
Sir Hugh Robert Denison KBE, originally Hugh Robert Dixson (11 November 1865 – 23 November 1940) was a businessman, parliamentarian and philanthropist in South Australia and later New South Wales. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1901 to 1905, representing North Adelaide (1901–1902) and Adelaide (1902–1905). Outside of politics, he was involved in his family's tobacco business, a forerunner of the British-Australasian Tobacco Company, was involved with a number of newspapers, and founded the Macquarie Radio Network. He changed his surname by deed poll in 1907 to avoid confusion with his uncle Sir Hugh Dixson.
Denison was born the eldest son of Robert Dixson (16 May 1842 – 27 November 1891) and Ruth Dixson (née Whingates) near Forbes, New South Wales. His parents' marriage ended in acrimony, and Robert's will, which left the bulk of his considerable fortune to the University of Melbourne, was contested by his widow and children, and overturned with the university getting around half. Robert Dixson and his brother Sir Hugh Dixson (1841–1926) were partners in Robert Dixson & Co. which manufactured tobacco. Hugh was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne then when his father moved to Adelaide in 1878 to found a tobacco factory there, enrolled at Prince Alfred College. From 1881 to 1883 he studied at University College School, London.
The Dixson tobacco business was founded by Denison's grandfather Hugh Dixson (ca.1810 – 3 November 1880) of George Street, Sydney in 1839. He had been a tobacconist in Hanover Street, Edinburgh. In 1864 he set up a company Dixson & Sons with his two sons Hugh jun. and Robert. Robert Dixson set up his own business in William Street, Melbourne in 1872, taking advantage of a loophole in the acts governing interstate trade. Robert Dixson & Co. set up a factory in Halifax Street, Adelaide in 1877 around the same time as Feldheim, Jacobs and Co. of Melbourne.
He worked for his father from 1885 and in 1889 went to Perth, Western Australia, where he married. On the death of his father in 1891 he bought the South Australian and Western Australian businesses from his father's estate and returned to Adelaide to live.
In 1897 he purchased James Chambers' Montefiore Hill home, which had been the setting-out point for John McDouall Stuart's successful sixth expedition. He pulled down the house and replaced it with a grand residence of Germanic style, which he named "Stalheim" (perhaps named for the town in Norway). In 1908 he sold the property to Langdon Bonython, who renamed it "Carclew", the name by which it is known today.
He then purchased Richard Rouse's "Guntawang", near Gulgong, which he renamed Eumaralla Estate, where he bred thoroughbred horses and Dorset Horn sheep. In 1905 he bought the yearling Poseidon, which subsequently won the Australian Jockey Club Derby and St Leger, the Victoria Derby and the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup twice. His horse Dark Chief won the Moonee Valley Cup in 1936.
In 1902 the family's separate tobacco interests were merged in the Dixson Tobacco Company. which in 1903 merged with William Cameron Bros & Co, Melbourne, to form the British-Australasian Tobacco Company. Dixson was elected a director and in 1905 moved to Sydney.
In 1910, Denison as he was now named, founded Sun Newspaper Ltd and took over publication of the Sunday Sun and the Australian Star (renamed The Sun) with Montague Grover as editor-in-chief. In 1922 his company set up in Melbourne and published the Sun News-Pictorial and the Evening Sun but sold the business in 1925.
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Hugh Denison
Sir Hugh Robert Denison KBE, originally Hugh Robert Dixson (11 November 1865 – 23 November 1940) was a businessman, parliamentarian and philanthropist in South Australia and later New South Wales. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1901 to 1905, representing North Adelaide (1901–1902) and Adelaide (1902–1905). Outside of politics, he was involved in his family's tobacco business, a forerunner of the British-Australasian Tobacco Company, was involved with a number of newspapers, and founded the Macquarie Radio Network. He changed his surname by deed poll in 1907 to avoid confusion with his uncle Sir Hugh Dixson.
Denison was born the eldest son of Robert Dixson (16 May 1842 – 27 November 1891) and Ruth Dixson (née Whingates) near Forbes, New South Wales. His parents' marriage ended in acrimony, and Robert's will, which left the bulk of his considerable fortune to the University of Melbourne, was contested by his widow and children, and overturned with the university getting around half. Robert Dixson and his brother Sir Hugh Dixson (1841–1926) were partners in Robert Dixson & Co. which manufactured tobacco. Hugh was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne then when his father moved to Adelaide in 1878 to found a tobacco factory there, enrolled at Prince Alfred College. From 1881 to 1883 he studied at University College School, London.
The Dixson tobacco business was founded by Denison's grandfather Hugh Dixson (ca.1810 – 3 November 1880) of George Street, Sydney in 1839. He had been a tobacconist in Hanover Street, Edinburgh. In 1864 he set up a company Dixson & Sons with his two sons Hugh jun. and Robert. Robert Dixson set up his own business in William Street, Melbourne in 1872, taking advantage of a loophole in the acts governing interstate trade. Robert Dixson & Co. set up a factory in Halifax Street, Adelaide in 1877 around the same time as Feldheim, Jacobs and Co. of Melbourne.
He worked for his father from 1885 and in 1889 went to Perth, Western Australia, where he married. On the death of his father in 1891 he bought the South Australian and Western Australian businesses from his father's estate and returned to Adelaide to live.
In 1897 he purchased James Chambers' Montefiore Hill home, which had been the setting-out point for John McDouall Stuart's successful sixth expedition. He pulled down the house and replaced it with a grand residence of Germanic style, which he named "Stalheim" (perhaps named for the town in Norway). In 1908 he sold the property to Langdon Bonython, who renamed it "Carclew", the name by which it is known today.
He then purchased Richard Rouse's "Guntawang", near Gulgong, which he renamed Eumaralla Estate, where he bred thoroughbred horses and Dorset Horn sheep. In 1905 he bought the yearling Poseidon, which subsequently won the Australian Jockey Club Derby and St Leger, the Victoria Derby and the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup twice. His horse Dark Chief won the Moonee Valley Cup in 1936.
In 1902 the family's separate tobacco interests were merged in the Dixson Tobacco Company. which in 1903 merged with William Cameron Bros & Co, Melbourne, to form the British-Australasian Tobacco Company. Dixson was elected a director and in 1905 moved to Sydney.
In 1910, Denison as he was now named, founded Sun Newspaper Ltd and took over publication of the Sunday Sun and the Australian Star (renamed The Sun) with Montague Grover as editor-in-chief. In 1922 his company set up in Melbourne and published the Sun News-Pictorial and the Evening Sun but sold the business in 1925.