Seth "The Master" Ferry (25 May 1839 – 20 October 1932) was a prominent rider, dealer, owner and trainer of racehorses in South Australia.
Ferry and her daughter established a school for young ladies near the Maid and Magpie Hotel, which they dubbed "Providence House".
[4] Their next move was to Woodside, where Ferry senior founded a timber yard "at a little above ... Adelaide prices", and offered for sale roadside allotments subdivided from his survey.
While on such a purchasing trip to Robe he made the acquaintance of the young Tom Hales, who would become one of Australia's premier jockeys, and Adam Lindsay Gordon, with whom he would have many encounters later, and become something of a friend.
[12] He made several trips to Victoria, purchasing horses then droving the mob back to Adelaide and selling them at a substantial profit.
[14] Ferry sold Blackler a fine horse, Priam, at a very fair price, which surprised fellow members, thinking he would keep such a champion for himself.
[16] The 1873 recession in South Australia had a severe impact on the Adelaide Hunt Club, and Ferry was approached by senior members John Hart, Jr. and Arthur Malcom to take on the role of Master of the Foxhounds, which he accepted, and built kennels at his home property[13] on the corner of Unley Road and Commercial Road, Unley.
[19] His grey gelding Sir Ewan took the Hunt Cup in three consecutive years 1884–1886 with the same jockey, Frank T. Cornelius (c. 1848–1896), with an increasing handicap on each occasion.
[23] In 1875, or perhaps earlier, Ferry and W. H. Formby (c. 1818–1892) were commissioned to investigate the suitability of Sir Thomas Elder's property at Morphettville, then marshland known as "Bay of Biscay Flat", for a racecourse.
Ferry and a small group of sporting gentlemen leased the "Old Course" (later Victoria Park Racecourse) on the East Parklands, for a Queen's Birthday race meeting which they held on 24 May 1878.
[26] Subsequently Ferry, Gabriel Bennett, William Blackler, and Dr. Peel secured from the Adelaide City Council, with a right to enclose 15 acres (6.1 ha) and charge admission, the lease of the course for 21 years at nominal rental but with the requirement to effect considerable improvements.
[27] They then set about forming what became the Adelaide Racing Club, which culminated in a General Meeting held at the Globe Hotel on 14 October 1879, which decided to adopt a modified version of Victorian Racing Club rules; the committee to consist of the four lessees plus three elected members: G. Church, Henry Hughes, and W. F. Stock were proposed and elected unanimously.
[35] In mid-1883 the totalizator became illegal again, resulting in reduced attendance at the Adelaide's racetracks; then South Australia entered a period of economic downturn, brought about by the drought of 1884–1886, and the racing industry suffered further; the A.R.C.
He had, for no obvious reasons apart the desire to upstage the S.A.J.C., invested twice as much on improvements as the Council conditions had stipulated, notably on the grandstand, which was better appointed than that at Flemington.
Stake money was modest however, attracting few starters to races dominated by Ferry's own stable, and consequently poor attendance.
[40] On 11 October 1888, aware that the totalizator would soon become legal, a meeting of interested sportsmen held at the Globe Hotel resolved to re-form the Club once more.
In November 1888 the Blacklers agreed to take over the lease and the Club's debts to Ferry, assessed as £2,500, and brought in a new co-lessee, John Pile.
Jenkins was prepared to sell the property, and Ferry organised a syndicate which included Blackler, and Gawler businessmen James Martin, J. J. Mortimer and H. E. Bright, jr., to effect the purchase and erect a grandstand, fences and the other necessary improvements.
In 1896, he purchased the pony racing stables on South Road, Edwardstown opposite "Babbage's Castle", originally owned by Emmanuel Solomon, then became training stables owned by William Gerrard and Thomas "Tom" Jordan (1824–1906), "Jordan Park", which he renamed "Sydney Park" in honour of his elder son.
[54] Between 9 March 1918 and 1 February 1919 The Herald ran a weekly feature, Fifty Years of Racing: Sporting Reminiscences of "The Master" Seth Ferry.