W. B. Carr

{{Short description|Australian journalist and sportsman}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2017}}

'''Whitmore Blake Carr''' (12 October 1861 – 26 August 1943), was a journalist, sportsman in South Australia and longtime chairman of the Adelaide Stock Exchange. He has been referred to as "Doc" Carr.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106523509 |title=Fifty Years of Racing (32) |newspaper=The Daily Herald |volume=9 |issue=2672 |location=Adelaide |date=12 October 1918 |accessdate=5 August 2017 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==History== Carr was born in Dungog, New South Wales<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18684818 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser |volume=XVIII |issue=2097 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=29 October 1861 |accessdate=1 July 2016 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> the son of Anglican Rev. Whitmore Carr (c. 1820 – 18 May 1903),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207975548 |title=Death of the Rev. Whitmore Carr |newspaper=Evening Journal |volume=XXXVI |issue=10091 |location=Adelaide |date=19 May 1903 |accessdate=1 July 2016 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> who left New South Wales for South Australia around 1864 to take charge of St. Bartholmew's Church in Norwood.<ref name=death>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48765158 |title=Death of Mr. W. B. Carr |newspaper=The Advertiser |volume=LXXXVI |issue=26488 |location=Adelaide |date=27 August 1943 |accessdate=1 July 2016 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

He was educated at Adelaide Educational Institution, then at age 14 joined the staff of the ''South Australian Register''.<ref name=farewell/> For some years he was the ''Register'''s political reporter, and was noted for his integrity and discretion.<ref name=farewell/> He was also "caller" at Adelaide racetracks for many years.

He resigned from ''The Register'' in 1890 to take the position of Chairman of the Adelaide Stock Exchange, a position he held until 1930.<ref name=death81>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127315733 |title=Death at 81 Of Mr. W. B. Carr |newspaper=The News |volume=41 |issue=6,264 |location=Adelaide |date=26 August 1943 |accessdate=1 July 2016 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He was elected vice-president in 1902, and served as president in 1904, serving in that position for 25 years, a British Empire record.<ref name=death81/>

On the resignation of W. Moxon Cook, ("Trumpator" in ''The Register'') in 1892, to become "Terlinga" in ''The Australasian'', Carr was invited back as part-time racing journalist and wrote as "Tarquin" from then to 1904. He retired from ''The Register'' in May 1904, just prior to his marriage to Clara Jane Bonnin, and was succeeded by Hadrian Moody (pen-name "Mostyn"), for some years Carr's assistant.<ref name=farewell>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article200816666 |title=Farewell to "Tarquin" |newspaper=Evening Journal |volume=XXXVII |issue=10404 |location=Adelaide |date=30 May 1904 |accessdate=1 July 2016 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

He was elected to the Adelaide Racing Club committee, and succeeded James R. Anderson as chairman, serving from 1909 to 1919, when he resigned to join the committee of the South Australian Jockey Club. He was elected S.A.J.C. chairman in 1924,<ref name=death/> a position he held until 1940, when he declined to stand, but was reappointed to the committee every year thereafter, the last being just a few weeks before his death.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127319671 |title=S.A.J.C'S. Loss of £4,110 |newspaper=The News |volume=41 |issue=6,243 |location=Adelaide |date=2 August 1943 |accessdate=1 July 2016 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Other interests== He was a director of ''Advertiser'' Newspapers Ltd. for over 12 years<ref name=death81/> He was a director of the Adelaide board of Guardian Assurance Company. He was a committee member of Woodlands School. He was a President of the Amateur Athletic Association. He was a Chairman of the South Australian National Football League. He was a member of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Mount Lofty Convalescent Home and the Glenelg Institute.

He was a committee member of the Chamber of Commerce for over 30 years, and a delegate to the sixth congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire in London in 1906.<ref name=death81/>

==Recognition== *He was appointed honorary steward to the A.R.C., Tattersalls, Onkaparinga and Adelaide Hunt Clubs.<ref name=death81/> *He was elected life member of the Adelaide Stock Exchange, the only person to be so honoured.<ref name=death/> *He was made life member of the S.A.J.C. in January 1939. *He was made life member of the Adelaide Racing Club.<ref name=death/>

==Family== He married four times: *Jessie Annie Cooke on 9 December 1886 *Clara Jane Bonnin, née Simms, widow of solicitor Fred Bonnin (died 14 September 1901) on 2 June 1904. Clara was the youngest daughter of William Knox Simms. Clara Jane Carr died 6 January 1908. *Eleanor Josephine Kither, née Turnbull (15 April 1879 – 8 April 1928) on 3 October 1914<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163141076 |title=Social Notes. |newspaper=The Observer |volume=LXXI |issue=5,511 |location=Adelaide |date=17 October 1914 |accessdate=1 July 2016 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> *Millicent Myrtle Leitch on 15 February 1936<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35409328 |title=Mr. W. B. Carr And Mrs. M. M. Leitch Married |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=17 February 1936 |accessdate=1 July 2016 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He was survived by his widow, a stepson and two stepdaughters,<ref name=death81/> His home was at Partridge Street, Glenelg.

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carr, Whitmore}} Category:Australian journalists Category:People educated at Adelaide Educational Institution Category:Australian horse racing officials Category:1861 births Category:1943 deaths Category:Colony of South Australia people Category:People from Dungog, New South Wales