William Theophilus Blakeney

Having arrived in New South Wales in 1853, Blakeney spent a few years in commerce. He became a public servant in the New South Wales Sheriff's Office in 1856. In 1859 he moved to the new colony of Queensland to take up a similar role in the Sheriff's Office in the newly established Queensland Public Service. In 1861 he was appointed the first under-sheriff of Queensland.[1][2]

In 1865 William Blakeney was appointed Deputy Registrar-General,[3] a post he held until 1883 when he was appointed the Registrar-General of Queensland.[1][4][5] In these roles he was called upon to give evidence in court cases relating to alleged bigamy.[6]

William Blakeney was Registrar for Friendly Societies in Queensland.[7] and also Registrar for Patents in Queensland.[8]

He was appointed one of the original trustees of South Brisbane Cemetery in 1866.[1]

He frequently served as returning officer for elections.

He authored a number of documents:

• "Law relating to registration of patents, designs, and trade marks in Queensland" (1890)[9]
• "Queensland : its population, area, resources, etc" (1893)[10]
• "Letters of registration granted for inventions during the year 1884 and part of the year 1885 : with abridgements of specifications in each case / compiled from the original documents in the office of the registrar of patents, Brisbane" (1895)[11]

Cooltigue, historic home of William Theophilus Blakeney, Highgate Hill, Brisbane

William Theophilus Blakeney was born on 9 September 1832 at his family home, Cooltigue Castle, County Roscommon, Ireland, the son of Charles William Blakeney and his wife Ellen Frances Jeffries.[2][5]

In 1853 he immigrated from Ireland to New South Wales.[1]

On 31 March 1853 William Blakeney married Eliza Louise Carr (born County Galway, Ireland, daughter of Frederick Carr and ).[5][12] The couple had the following children:

• Charles William (born & died New South Wales 1854)[5][13]
• Ellen Frances (born New South Wales 1855, married Thomas Henry Bowman Barron 1871)[5][13][14]
• Elizabeth Amy Augusta (born Sydney 1857, died Sydney 1858)[5][13][15][16]
• Amy Emma (born Sydney 1858, married Charles Ridley-Smith 1875)[13][14]
• Kate Mary (born Brisbane 1860, died Brisbane 1881)[14]
• Caroline Jane (born Brisbane 1863, died Brisbane 1866)[14][17]
• Mabel Henrietta (born Brisbane 1865, married George Edward Elliott 1892)[14]
• Louisa Grace (born Brisbane 1866, married Dr Sidney Legge)[5][12][14]
• Gertrude Isabel (born Brisbane 1870, married Stuart Brownrigg Leishman 1904)[14]

Some time in the early-mid-1860s the couple built a home 'Cooltigue' set in 16 acres of land in the suburb Highgate Hill, which in 1931 was described as one of Brisbane's historic homes.[2] It was named after the family home in Ireland.[18]

William Blakeney died at his home in South Brisbane on 26 June 1898 at the age of 65 years.[5][14][19] He was buried in South Brisbane Cemetery (of which he had been trustee) on 27 June 1898.[20] His wife died on 6 April 1907 and is buried with him and some of their children in South Brisbane Cemetery.[5][12][14][20]

Blakeney Street is named after him (it passed through or by the Cooltigue property). The parallel Julia Street is named after his maternal grandmother, Julia Jefferies. His parents owned a property on the corner of Gladstone road and Gloucester Sts, which was burnt in a massive fire, some time in the 1890s. The land behind his parents house was subdivided and sold in a land estate sale. The nearby Louisa, Mabel and Gertrude Sts are named after his three youngest daughters. [2]

• Mennell, Philip (1892). "Blakeney, William Theophilus" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.