William Blackler

William Blackler (1827 – 26 June 1896) was a noted horse breeder and sportsman in the early days of the Colony of South Australia.

Blackler was born at Newton Downs, Devonshire, in 1827, a son of Richard Blackler (c. 1791 – 30 January 1876) and Elizabeth Blackler ( –1851) and arrived in South Australia with his parents, sisters Ellen and Amelia and brothers John and Richard aboard Caroline in December 1839. His father started farming at Unley.

Blackler was in March 1851 barman at the Old Spot Hotel in Gawler, and that same year joined the gold rush for Bendigo, where he was fortunate, returning to Adelaide a wealthy man. By June 1853 he was lessee of the Port Hotel, Port Adelaide. His brother John Blackler was not so fortunate, and died on 7 September 1853 age 30 at the Bendigo diggings. Blackler took the Britannia Hotel, Port Adelaide c. 1863, which he relinquished in 1869, and brother Richard took the Port Admiral Hotel in 1860.

As a young man, Blackler developed a love of steeplechase riding, taking great delight in tackling fences and water jumps. In 1868 he purchased an estate of 268 acres (108 ha), of which 202 acres (82 ha) was grassy paddocks suitable for agistment, on Henley Beach Road near The Reedbeds, where he later established a horse stud dubbed Fulham Park Estate (now part of the suburb Lockleys). C. B. Fisher had an adjacent property, "Lockleys", Section 145. In 1869 he imported the first pack of hounds into the Colony, purchased in England by his brother Richard, signalling the formation of the Adelaide Hunt Club. He acted as Master of the Hounds for several years, then sold the pack to a club in Mount Gambier and donated the proceeds to the Mount Gambier Hospital.

He was a founder in December 1869, with Seth Ferry, Gabriel Bennett and his son Henry Bennett, George Church, and Dr. Peel, of the Adelaide Racing Club, formed to conduct events on the Old Adelaide Racecourse, which they leased from the Adelaide City Council. Blackler, Ferry, Bennett and Peel took out a 21-year lease from the council, and embarked on ambitious improvements, spending far more than was necessary, particularly on the grandstand, to comply with conditions of the lease. At some stage Bennett and Dr. Peel withdrew from the partnership. A totalizator was installed and bookmakers were charged 10 guineas to operate on the grounds. A Melbourne bookmaker, Joe "Leviathan" Thompson, refused to pay this charge, and sued the lessees for being refused admission. Thompson won the case, tried by Mr. Justice Boucaut. The Council had the right, by Act of Parliament, to specify in the lease under what conditions persons could be admitted, but had failed to do so, and this was the point that brought Blackler and Ferry undone. The Council promptly issued an amended lease contract.

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