Arthur E. Syme

File:TT3258 Arthur E. Syme.png and Chaffey of VATC — caricature by Reynolds]]

Syme was the third son of David Syme, owner of The Age and The Leader, and his wife Annabella Syme, née Johnson (1837–1915). He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne and Edinburgh University.

In 1895 he set up in medical practice at Lilydale, Victoria,{{efn|The Age obituary uses the town's earlier spellng, "Lillydale".}} where he remained, visiting patients by horse and buggy in the Dandenong district as far as Warburton.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article206850194 |title=Death of Dr A. E. Syme |newspaper=The Age |issue=27387 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=28 January 1943 |accessdate=1 April 2025 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}

As a young man he played Australian rules football with Essendon.

He joined the Victorian Mounted Rifles, and was a crack shot, reaching the rank of major. He played tennis and cricket, but was best known in the equestrian sports of hunting and racing.

He was longtime committee member of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club and Williamstown Racing Club.

He raced a number of good horses, at first under his own name then from around 1914 as "Mr S. A. Rawdon": Nigel won the Australian Steeplechase in 1908; Blague won the Caulfield Guineas, Newmarket and Goodwood handicaps; Deckard was second to Green Cape in 1938, and Waterline beat Phar Lap in the C. B. Fisher Plate at Flemington; Hayston won the Launceston Cup in 1914 and Bucklaw won it in 1917.

He died in a private hospital and following a service at St John the Baptist Anglican Church, Lilydale, his remains were interred in the local cemetery.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245953542 |title=Dr Syme's Funeral |newspaper=The Herald (Melbourne) |issue=20,501 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=29 January 1943 |accessdate=1 April 2025 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Syme married Amy Horne on 13 February 1895;{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197431170 |title=Fashionable Weddings |newspaper=The Leader (Melbourne) |issue=2041 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=23 February 1895 |accessdate=1 April 2025 |page=29 |via=National Library of Australia}} they had four daughters:

• Kathleen Alice Syme (1896–1977), journalist, company director and welfare worker
• Hilda Elaine Syme (1897–1972) married Cyril James Dennis (not the noted writer) on 7 August 1923.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223350125 |title=Dennis—Syme Wedding |newspaper=The Weekly Times (Melbourne) |issue=2818 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=18 August 1923 |accessdate=1 April 2025 |page=62 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• (Edith) Amy Syme (1899–1975) married Reginald Johnston on 19 September 1928.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article267621351 |title=Johnston—Syme Wedding |newspaper=The Lilydale Express |location=Victoria, Australia |date=21 September 1928 |accessdate=1 April 2025 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• Ursula Marjorie Syme (1903–1971) married Noel Mason on 28 August 1941.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article278658946 |title=Mason-Syme Wedding |newspaper=The Sun News-pictorial |issue=590[?] |location=Victoria, Australia |date=29 August 1941 |accessdate=1 April 2025 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Syme married again, to Hilda Kathleen Moroney (died 30 January 1952){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article267413627 |title=Obituary |newspaper=The Lilydale Express |location=Victoria, Australia |date=8 February 1952 |accessdate=1 April 2025 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}

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Category:1863 births

Category:1943 deaths

Category:Australian medical doctors

Category:Australian racehorse owners and breeders