Long service to racing

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32706, 8 September 1971, Page 13

Long service to racing

Tributes to the services of Mr H. R. H. Chalmers to racing for many years will be paid at the annual meeting of members of the Wellington Racing Club on September 20 .Mr Chalmers who died recently at the age of 88, was president of the club from 1948 until 1959, and was made a life member in 1944.

Mr Chalmers had little success as a racing owner but was always an enthusiast, with a special liking for the stayers. This was reflected in the decision to introduce a two-mile race now known as the H. R. Chalmers Handicap at the Wellington Racing Club’s annual Mr Chalmers’s love of horses and interest in racing dated back many years. He used to recall "leaving” school at Te Awamutu to go to a race meeting when only 11 years old. At different periods Mr Chalmers raced three horses but only one, Farcical, the Phaleron Bay gelding, was a winner in the early 19405. In 1942 Mr Chalmers became president of the New Zealand Racing Conference. He retired in July, 1955. In that time he saw racing encounter and surmount wartime difficulties and enter the T.A.B. age. As president of the Racing Conference, he was always firm and decisive, and a formidable opponent of anyone holding contrary views. While president of the conference he was chairman of the Totalisator Agency Board in alternate years. Racing was Mr Chalmers’ chief outside interest. He was known also as a leading banker. He joined the Bank of New Zealand in 1899 and 54 years later was elected chairman of directors. In 1941, he served a term as

chairman of the New Zealand Bankers’ Association.

Mr Chalmers joined the board of directors of Felt and Textiles of New Zealand and later was elected chairman. He was also a director of Dunlop (N.Z.), Ltd, McKenzies Department Stores, Ltd, and for many years continued his voluntary work as a director of Karitane Products, Ltd. In his younger days Mr

Chalmers was keenly interested in Rugby. He played for Waipa and Hamilton, and was a member of the management committee of the Taranaki Rugby Union from 1909 to 1914. Mr Chalmers was awarded the C.M.G. in 1953 in recognition of his services to banking and racing. He is survived by his two sons.