Bob Oatley
Robert Ian Oatley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 June 1928 Mosman, Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 10 January 2016 (aged 87) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, vintner, sailor, benefactor |
| Known for | Proprietor of yacht Wild Oats XI; founder of Rosemount winery; owner of Hamilton Island |
Robert Ian Oatley (11 June 1928 – 10 January 2016) was a distinguished Australian entrepreneur, vintner, sailor, and benefactor. He gained prominence as the proprietor of the yacht Wild Oats XI, which secured victory in the Sydney-Hobart race nine times. In 2003, Oatley acquired Hamilton Island for $200 million and possessed retirement residences, including a villa located in Sardinia, Italy. He founded the Rosemount winery in the Hunter Valley region in 1969.
Biography
Oatley was born in Mosman, Sydney, in 1928 to Geoffrey Oatley and Isabel "Jean" Brown. His lineage traces back to British clockmaker James Oatley, and he was a great-grandson of James Oatley, who served as Lord Mayor of Sydney and was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
Following the death of his mother due to melanoma during his infancy, he was brought up by his aunt. His professional journey began circa 1943 at Colyer Watson, where he progressed from clerical roles to overseeing business activities. He developed expertise in trading coffee and cocoa beans sourced from Papua New Guinea.
In his early forties, Oatley purchased Colyer Watson’s Papua division, rebranding it as Angco and broadening its international trade operations. His achievements led to his receipt of the British Empire Medal in 1985. After Papua New Guinea attained independence in the mid-1970s, he divested these assets.
The Rosemount winery was founded by Oatley in 1968; after expanding into additional enterprises such as Oatley Wines near Mudgee with the Wild Oats label during the early 1990s, he sold Rosemount in 2001.
He passed away on 10 January 2016 at age 87 due to a lung infection.
Personal life
On 12 April 1951, Oatley wed Rosemary Nell Bray; their marriage ended in divorce by December 1982, shortly before her passing. The couple had three children: Andrew "Sandy," Ian, and Rosalind. Among his grandchildren are cousins Kristy Oatley and Lyndal Oatley, both Olympic equestrian athletes. Subsequently, he married Valerie.
Honours
In recognition of his services to Papua New Guinea’s coffee sector, Oatley was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1984. Later, in 2014, he was designated an Officer of the Order of Australia.