Just at Tarlee: Tarlee goes to the dogs

Two winners of a South Australian greyhound coursing championship in 1923:
'Mr F. Huckel's Lady Juno and Mr H Hagel's White Malley'. courtesy State Library SA

The first meeting of the Tarlee Coursing Club was held on 19 July 1895.

The following year significant prize money was on offer but racing held in July, midwinter, was weather dependent.

The Tarlee Coursing Club continued running meets until 1899.

A new club was re-formed in 1910 with the first meeting being held on June 22nd in Mr Kelly's paddocks. Reports of that meeting appeared in several newspapers of the day. Extensive reports in the local papers such as The Wooroora Producer and The Area's Express provided good coverage of the meet with many local names added to their reports. The Register, the Daily Herald, Observer were some of the Adelaide papers that also carried reports.

Each year advertisements for and reports of the results of the meets featured in the newspapers of the day. Forty years later after coursing had first started in Tarlee, the 1935 meet was held just a couple of years after that crippling 1933 depression. A few wagers were probably laid at this meet. Is your ancestor mentioned here or in any other of the numerous reports of coursing meets throughout the years?

COURSING

Two Dogs Divide Tarlee Stake

The Tarlee Coursing Club's annual meeting was concluded today, when exceptionally even ties were decided. Three of the four ties decided were won by the narrow margin of one point. The best course of the meeting was provided in the second tie. when Francis Wisp d. Paper Talk, as each dog was a winner on three occasions, but at the finish Francis Wisp prevailed. Francis Wisp had to go straight back into the slips, and although Jervious Flower led her two, she was actually one to the good when Jervious Flower again got in and killed. Jervious Flower and Strategist Lass, being both owned by Mrs. E. B. Kluske. then divided the stakes. The meeting was successful.

The following are the ties decided today:— Second ties—Jervious Flower d. Winsome Lady, no lead, won 1. Strategist Lass d. Rose Fidelis. led one. won one. Francis Wisp d. Paper Talk, led two. won 3½. Third ties—Jervious Flower d. Francis Wisp. led two, won one. Jervious Flower and Strategist Lass then divided the stakes. The officials were:—Patron. Mr. J. McInerney: president. Mr. P. J. Hogan; committee. Messrs. J. J. O'Sullivan. Dillon, Kenny. Alf Pitman. J. O Taylor. Bob Hogan. D. R. Gold-smith. A. Fleming, E Horgan. Alf Matthias. Spen Hooper F. J. Smythe, H. Linke: stewards. Messrs. J. J. O'Sullivan. H. Hooper. Dillon Kenny: controllers of beat and public. Messrs. J. J. O'Sullivan, D. Kenny. F. J. Smythe, H. Linke; slip stewards, Messrs. C. Branson, A Fleming Spen Hooper: slipper. Mr. T. L. Hansberry; Judge. Mr. A. B. Eekert; secretary, Mr. A. H. Watson.

A quick search for E. B. Kluske in Trove reveals that the family lived at Jervois and raced their dogs at meets in many different parts of the State. The dog's name was Jervois Flower however this reporter consistently referred to Jervious Flower.

Reports of meetings of the Tarlee Coursing Club continue with the last reported meeting occurring on 31 July 1939 with success for an appropriately named winning dog, "Tarlee Colleen."

1. 1895 'COURSING AT TARLEE.', Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912), 18 July, p. 4. (SECOND EDITION), http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198453707

2. 1896 'Advertising', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 20 June, p. 4. , viewed 05 Oct 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87184814

3. 1935 'COURSING', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 2 August, p. 14. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40063715