Edwin Blackmore, clerk of South Australia's parliaments, takes deep knowledge to running of the first federal houses
As clerk of South Australia's parliaments, Edwin Blackmore's organising and deep knowledge of proceedure made him essential to the conventions leading to Australian federation. He was made first clerk of the Australian parliaments and can been seen in that role (in wig, nearest on the front row) in Charles Nuttall's portrait of the opening of the first Australian parliament at Melbourne Exhibition Hall on May 9, 1901.
Images courtesy Museums Victoria Collection and National Library of Australia
South Australia’s Edwin Blackmore played a vital role in organising the conventions that led to Australian federation and to the running of the first Australian parliament.
Born in 1837 as a doctor’s son in Bath, Somerset, England, Blackmore was educated at a private school by the Rev. J. Richards MA, fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and at King Edward VI Grammar School, Bath. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1854 with his family on the advice of the eldest son Edward who was secretary to governor George Grey. Edwin Blackmore joined the Taranaki Rifle Volunteers and received the New Zealand Medal for his part in the Maori war.
In 1864, Blackmore went to South Australia where his brother James was a founder and paid secretary of the Adelaide Club; also assistant clerk and sergeant at arms of the House of Assembly in 1857-66; under treasurer for South Australia in 1870-75. In 1864, Edwin Blackmore was appointed sessional clerk of the House of Assembly, followed in 1865 as library clerk (1865), clerk assistant of the House of Assembly (1869), clerk in 1886, and clerk of the Legislative Council and of parliaments in 1887.
In 1897-98, Blackmore was clerk to the Australian federal conventions that framed the commonwealth constitution at meetings in Adelaide and Sydney in 1897 and Melbourne in 1898. He received formal thanks for his work at the conventions and acted as clerk of the constitutional committee and the special committee that drafted the commonwealth bill. As chief executive officer at the ceremony on January 1, 1901 at Centennial Park, Sydney, to honour the founding the commonwealth, he read the Queen's proclamation and the letters patent. On that day he was appointed to the order of St Michael and St George and, on April 3, became first clerk of the commonwealth senate and clerk of parliaments.
As clerk of parliaments in Adelaide, Blackmore took a scholarly interest in parliamentary procedures and constitutional law. He was commended by many, including Thomas Erskine May, for his published Adelaide works:The Decisions of the Right Hon. Evelyn Denison (1881); The Decisions of the Right Hon. Sir H. B. W. Brand (1882-87); The Decisions of the Right Hon. Arthur Wellesley Peel, 1884-1889 (1900); Manual of the Practice, Procedure and Usage of the House of Assembly of South Australia (1885); Manual of the Practice, Procedure and Usage of the Legislative Council of South Australia (1889); and The Law of the Constitution of South Australia (1894).
Blackmore was a key player in drafting procedural standing orders of both houses of the Western Australian parliament and clerk of the federal senate when its permanent standing orders were prepared.
Blackmore was active in Adelaide life. He was a founder of Adelaide Hunt Club in 1869 and its master in 1870-85 and secretary in 1870, 1879-82, 1884-85. He bought 2¾ acres for the club at New Thebarton for kennels and stables, designing and supervising them being built. His horses included Landsdowne, Bluefire, Colefire, Shiloh, Fitzjames, Whitefoot and Charlcombe.
As a “rowing theorist” and original the regatta committee member in 1884-87, he was South Australian Rowing Club chairman in 1889. He had major success as coach and donated the Blackmore challenge shield from 1893. When his decision as judge of the 1898 ladies challenge shield was reversed in his absence, he resigned and withdrew from the sport.
In the Boer War, he was honorary organising secretary of South Australia raising a Bushmen's Corps, and served on the sub-committee that equipped and mounted the corps; all recorded by him in The Story of the South Australian Bushmen's Corps (Adelaide, 1900).
For several years, Blackmore was an examiner and lecturer in history at Adelaide University, governor of St Peter’s College, chairman of the Anglican diocesan synod committee and a trustee for Poonindie mission.