Simeon Barnard

Simeon Barnard (c. December 1844 – 17 November 1924) was a horse racing official in South Australia, one of the founders of the South Australian Jockey Club and its secretary from 1874 to 1884, and acted in an honorary capacity for four years while the Club was in recess.

Mr. Barnard was born at Portsmouth in February. 1844, and at the age of 17 was brought to South Australia with his parents. He was educated at St. Peter's College, and afterwards became one of Adelaide's leading auctioneers. He was a partner in the accountancy firm of Barnard & Chambers.

When Barnard succeeded C. J. Coates as secretary of the South Australian Jockey Club in 1874 he found the club heavily in debt to the English, Scottish, and Australian Bank. W. B. Rounsevell, William Pile, Sir Richard Chaffey Baker, John Crozier, and Barnard elected to pay off the overdraft. In February 1874 the Hon. Thomas Elder offered about 160 acres (65 ha) of land on the Glenelg line of railway, near the Morphett Arms Hotel, as a racetrack. The task of forming a company to administer the property fell to Barnard. To this end, the South Australian Jockey Club Company (Limited), a non-profit Company was formed by a small group of men in March 1874 with a capital value of £1000, and Barnard was appointed its hon. secretary. The directors elected at the first general meeting of the Company were Sir Henry Ayers, Sir John Morphett, Thomas Elder, John Crozier, R. C. Baker, Philip Levi, Joseph Gilbert, E. W. Pitts, and H. B. Hughes, all highly influential gentlemen and racing enthusiasts. The Company promptly spent the money subscribed on establishing essential racing facilities on the Morphettville property. The course was laid out by R. C. Bagot, first secretary of the Victoria Racing Club. The course was partly walled in, a ladies' lawn laid, and a grand stand, judge's box, stewards' stand, telegraph office, loose boxes erected.

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