John Barker (businessman)
John Barker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1847 Yankalilla, South Australia |
| Died | 21 May 1925 |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, sports enthusiast |
| Known for | Chairman of the South Australian Jockey Club |
John Barker (1847 – 21 May 1925) was a prominent businessman and sports enthusiast from South Australia, best remembered for his extended tenure as chairman of the South Australian Jockey Club.
History
Alfred Barker (circa 1812 – 24 January 1880) and Priscilla Barker (1816 – 31 December 1900), née Chambers and sister to James Chambers, arrived in South Australia during 1836 and 1837 respectively, marrying in 1842. Alfred passed away at Baldina House, St. John's Wood—an area now incorporated into Prospect, South Australia—while Priscilla died at Henley Beach, South Australia.
Born in Yankalilla, John Barker received his education at John L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution before commencing work as a clerk at the Bank of Australasia. He married his cousin, Catherine Chambers, daughter of James Chambers.
John’s brother-in-law Hugh Chambers (1848 – 20 December 1893) managed Barker & Chambers, a firm of stock agents and auctioneers established in 1877. They operated the "Sturt yards" and launched the "Sturt Horse Bazaar" located on Grenfell Street, Adelaide. In 1885, F. J. Beck & Co. purchased Barker & Chambers’ property adjacent to the site of Patrick Gay's destroyed furniture factory to develop the Adelaide Arcade and Gay's Arcade. Subsequently, Barker & Chambers acquired the John Bull Livery Stables on Currie Street.
After Hugh Chambers died in 1893, Frank Cornelius partnered with Barker to form Barker & Cornelius. Following Cornelius’ death in 1896, John’s brother Alfred James "Joker" Barker joined the enterprise, which was then renamed Barker Brothers. Alfred eventually retired, leaving John as senior partner until his passing.
Together with his brother W. Pitt Barker and brothers-in-law Donald Maclean and Hugh Chambers, John was involved in acquiring several cattle stations in Queensland during the early 1880s. These properties were amalgamated under the name Comongin by 1888. After Donald Maclean’s death, his daughter Mary Stewart Maclean relocated to Comongin in 1890. In 1914, Comongin Pty. Ltd. was established to assume ownership; John Barker and Agnes May Chambers sold their shares for £88,360.
When cattle dealer Edward Meade Bagot (1822 – 27 July 1886), founder of Bagot, Shakes and Lewis, went missing in 1886, John Barker took charge of organizing the search efforts.
Other interests
John held directorships at both the Adelaide Steamship Company and the Executor, Trustee & Agency Company, while also serving on the local advisory board for Dalgety & Company, Limited. Throughout The Great War and afterward, he was actively engaged with the Red Cross Society.
He chaired the finance committee of the South Australian Soldiers' Fund, which was overseen by chairman A. A. Simpson. Additionally, he was a board member of the South Australian Chamber of Manufactures under president Wallace Bruce and secretary H. E. Winterbottom. A devoted member of the Church of England, Barker attended St. Cuthbert's Church in Prospect.
Horseracing
Starting out as a coursing enthusiast, Barker later transitioned to horse racing and partnered with James Hill from Clare on several horses including The Greek, which secured victory in the 1909 South Australian Derby. Another notable horse under their ownership was Gunadorah, which achieved multiple wins across Victoria.
He became a committee member of the South Australian Jockey Club in 1894 and ascended to chairman in May 1909 following Sir Richard Baker’s tenure. He retained both positions until July 1924 when he stepped down and was honored with life membership. Barker also acted as an honorary judge at meetings held by both the South Australian Jockey Club and Adelaide Racing Club; his rulings were widely respected throughout these organizations.
Family
Barker was united in marriage with his cousin Catherine Chambers (1843–1904), the daughter of pastoralist James Chambers, whose name was given to the town of Katherine, Northern Territory. Together, they had three children: Eleanor Kate Barker (1875–1954), Alfred Edward Barker (passed away in 1925), and Priscilla Mary Barker (1883–1918). Their residence was known as "Wingfield," located at 22 Alpha Road, Prospect.
His brothers and sisters included William Pitt Barker (1845–1914), Mary Barker (deceased 1890), Priscilla Barker (born 1853), and Alfred James Barker (1858–1923).