Ben Chaffey
Ben Chaffey | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1876 Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 1937-03-03 Tullamarine, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, pastoralist, butcher |
| Years active | Late 19th century – 1937 |
| Known for | Contributions to horse racing industry; ownership of Caulfield Cup champions Manfred and Whittier; chairman of Victoria Amateur Turf Club (1930) |
Ben Chaffey (1876 – 3 March 1937) was an Australian entrepreneur, pastoralist, and butcher, recognized for his significant contributions to the horse racing industry.
Early life
Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Canada, he was the son of engineer George Chaffey and Ann. The family relocated to the Colony of Victoria in 1885, where Ben was raised in Mildura, Victoria.
Business interests
Starting his career as a butcher, Chaffey accumulated considerable wealth following a successful wager on his horse named "Mavis." He went on to own several pastoral estates, including Moorara station in New South Wales, as well as Tapio, Culpaulin, Cuthero, Avoca, Kilfera, Manfred, and Tolarno—properties many of which were later held by the Crozier family.
His leadership roles included chairmanship of United Distillers Pty. Ltd., a directorship at Goldsbrough Mort & Co., and managing directorship of Manfred Pastoral Co. In the realm of horse racing, he was a notable owner of Caulfield Cup champions such as Manfred and Whittier, and he served as chairman of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club in 1930.
Personal life
Chaffey was married to Cowra Crozier, daughter of Elliot Crozier, with whom he had one daughter named Mavis. Additionally, he maintained a lifelong partnership with Laura Treweek, fathering four children with her; their story is detailed in Louise Austin's Journey to Tobruk. He passed away at his residence in Tullamarine, Victoria.
Renowned for his lively character, Chaffey was an enthusiastic gambler on horse races and once humorously responded to criticism by joining others in jeering a horse he had backed that performed poorly.