Seth "The Master" Ferry (25 May 1839 – 20 October 1932) was a prominent rider, dealer, owner and trainer of racehorses in South Australia.
Biography
Seth Ferry was born at "Providence House", Ponders End, Lower Edmonton, Middlesex, where his parents John Mattinson Ferry and Mary Ferry, née Beckett, ran a school, and had a family of three daughters and four sons, of which Seth was the second. Other reports have him born in Enfield, Middlesex, purportedly within the sound of Bow Bells,
Ferry, senior, being dissatisfied with his financial position, health, and life in London, and having seen Allan Bell (c.1817–1894) of Mount Barker's prize-winning wheat at The Great Exhibition of 1851, decided on a new life for his family in the young colony. They sailed to South Australia aboard Derwent, and after a voyage of four months arrived in Adelaide in March 1853. Their first billet was in Norwood, where Mrs. Ferry and her daughter established a school for young ladies near the Maid and Magpie Hotel, which they dubbed "Providence House". 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. By 1857 he had returned to teaching, at the Lobethal school, and around 1868 moved to "Campbell House", Meningie, where he founded the public school.
Ferry, who had never shown any aptitude for schoolwork, became passionately fond of horses, particularly riding over jumps, much to his father's displeasure. He and his older brother John, after searching for gold at Mount Torrens and Stony Creek, with little to show for their efforts, embarked on the timber-getting business, John being particularly adept at splitting wood for shingles. Seth then purchased a team of bullocks and started a carrying business, which was so successful he employed a number of drivers. He then sold his interest in the business and worked breaking horses for J. H. Angas, a prickly character to deal with, he discovered. He made a business of buying up horses, giving them some training and selling at a substantial profit. 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. He made further trips to Wirrabara, Mintaro and G. C. Hawker's Bungaree station, trading and breaking promising horses.
Ferry got out of horse-breaking and took out an auctioneer's licence, against the advice of auctioneer King, who argued that a vendor could safely get a better price if he had no knowledge of the faults of the animal involved. Later in 1869 he sold up his stock and property apart from the Woodside house and half-a-dozen horses, and took to the road with his brother-in-law (Noble? Peterson?) and a small retinue, buying and selling in the South-East and across the border into Victoria. His tour extended to Ballarat, Geelong and Melbourne, joining in hunts at each location. He made several trips to Victoria, purchasing horses then droving the mob back to Adelaide and selling them at a substantial profit. Soon competition put an end to this lucrative activity and Ferry concentrated his attention on the auction business, first as Ferry & Dawnwell, then Ferry, Moore & Wilkinson.
Adelaide Hunt Club
He was an enthusiast for fox hunting, and was with William Blackler one of the earliest members of the Adelaide Hunt Club, founded after Blackler imported from England enough foxhounds to form a pack. 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. Ferry however had a "sorry looking nag" Gipsy Girl, which despite appearances was a fearless jumper and the better hunter. Gipsy Girl won the first Adelaide Hunt Club Cup in 1869, with J. C. G. "Candy" Harslett (1850–1937) in the saddle. 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 on the corner of Unley Road and Commercial Road, Unley. It was on this account he gained the nickname "The Master". He was noted for training horses for hunting and jumps races: hurdles and steeplechases. The Actor, Banjo, Cromwell. Gunn, Sir Ewan, Regent, Ronald, Sarchedon, Simpleton, Simulator, Syntax, The Trojan, and Wallaby were notable.