Name William Blakeney | Died 1898 | |
 | ||
William Theophilus Blakeney (1832–1898) was the Registrar-General of Queensland.
Contents
Public life
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.
In 1865 William Blakeney was appointed Deputy Registrar-General, a post he held until 1883 when he was appointed the Registrar-General of Queensland. In these roles he was called upon to give evidence in court cases relating to alleged bigamy.
William Blakeney was Registrar for Friendly Societies in Queensland. and also Registrar for Patents in Queensland.
He was appointed one of the original trustees of South Brisbane Cemetery in 1866.
He frequently served as returning officer for elections.
He authored a number of documents:
Private life
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.
In 1853 he immigrated from Ireland to New South Wales.
On 31 March 1853 William Blakeney married Eliza Louise Carr (born County Galway, Ireland, daughter of Frederick Carr and ). The couple had the following children:
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. It was named after the family home in Ireland.
William Blakeney died at his home in South Brisbane on 26 June 1898 at the age of 65 years. He was buried in South Brisbane Cemetery (of which he had been trustee) on 27 June 1898. His wife died on 6 April 1907 and is buried with him and some of their children in South Brisbane Cemetery.
Blakeney Street is named after him (it passed through or by the Cooltigue property). The parallel Julia Street is said to be named for one of his daughters (although none appeared to have been called Julia).