Lionel Robinson (29[1] August 1866 – 27 July 1922) was a leading financier in Australia and England who was known for his success in horseracing and his support of cricket, and later served as the High Sheriff of Norfolk.
This was the time of a great mining boom and Robinson discovered he had an aptitude for finances and at the comparatively early age of 22 was elected to the Melbourne Stock Exchange and went into partnership with William Clark (c. 1868 – August 1948),[2] also a member of the Melbourne Exchange,[1] as Clark & Robinson.
Robinson made substantial investments in the Hainault Goldmining Company, which proved highly profitable.
[4] For a couple of years Robinson and Clark ran their respective offices independently, then decided to reunite in London.
Robinson was ever on the lookout for business opportunities in Australia: in 1905 when the Broken Hill mines were struggling with a host of problems he organised a luxury private carriage on the "Barrier" train for an invited group of industrialists and investors, who invested thousands of pounds of British capital into the North and South mines, Zinc Corporation, and Amalgamated Zinc Companies.
As a director of the omnibus company he was concerned at the reputation motor 'buses had for unreliability, and insisted on a daily overhaul of each bus, whether giving problems or not, with immediate beneficial results.
[3] Robinson and Clark invested heavily in establishing woollen mills and associated factories in Victoria.
and were inseparable both in business and sport, but on the death of his partner Clark lost a great part of his enthusiasm for racing, and allowed his stable to become became a skeleton of its earlier self.
[11] He established Old Buckenham Stud to further his involvement in horse racing and also laid out two separate cricket grounds, each equipped with a thatched timber pavilion.
Australia were led by Warwick Armstrong and included Jack Gregory – who had made his first-class debut with the A.I.F team at Old Buckenham two years previously – Warren Bardsley and Charlie Macartney.
A crowd of up to 10,000 watched Hobbs bat on the second day, believed to be the largest ever to attend a cricket match in Norfolk.
Their Australian successes included: Although Clark and Robinson were living in England they continued over a long period to keep a few horses with Bradfield.
Robinson died of cancer at Old Buckenham Hall on 27 July 1922, having taken little part in financial affairs after the war.