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Alfred Blore (1860–1930)

The death occurred on Saturday of Mr. Alfred Blore, one of the outstanding personalities on the constructional side in yachting circles in Tasmania. As a designer of small river craft he possessed exceptional skill, and there could be no greater testimony to his cleverness and ingenuity than the numerous boats built to his plans which at present grace not only the waters of the Derwent, but also the waters of mainland States. He made a careful study of his work, which to him was also his hobby, and his extensive knowledge of boat designing was in constant demand. Among yachtsmen and motor-boat owners he was held in the highest esteem, and when the news of his death became known there were widespread expressions of regret. He was for years a keen follower of the sport, and his ideas were embodied in the construction of most of the more successful of the yachts at present racing on the Derwent. Until recently he was engaged at Messrs. Purdon and Featherstone's shipbuilding yards, but for a lengthy period he was a patient sufferer, and a few months ago was obliged to retire.

Among the large numbers of yachts built to his design were the two Spindrifts, which Mr. E. H. Webster had constructed, and which are now in Sydney. The Alwyn and the Grayling, two well-known performers in the "A" class racing, were also planned by him, and when the one design class was introduced to Hobart it was he who adapted the design to meet local requirements. The Caress, which was subsequently purchased by a Launceston yachtsman, was another of the fleet of one-designers with which he was associated, and in view of the attempt to revive the North v. South yacht race, it is interesting to recall that Caress was a competitor when the intra-State contests were fairly regular fixtures. The late Mr. Blore also took a prominent part in Tasmania's successful entry into the Forster Cup races for the 21-foot restricted class. He acted in conjunction with Mr. William ("Skipper") Batt and the late Mr. John Tarleton in conceiving the design of Tassie, and later Tassie Too, and the performances of these two boats give striking evidence of the skill of Mr. Blore and his confreres. He was responsible for the "cat" boat design in Tasmania, and it will be recalled that the Una, built to the order of the late Mr. O. Hedberg, was designed by him when the class was introduced. Deceased, however, did not confine his attention wholly to the designing of yachts. Many of the most modern of the fishing craft now operating from Hobart were built to his plans, and it was he who was really responsible for the improvement effected of late years in the type of boat used in the fishing industry. He also designed numbers of motor boats, one of the more recent being the luxurious cruiser Tanda, built to the order of Mr. Provost, the well-known Sydney architect, which left Hobart under its own power about two years ago. He had a most interesting collection of yachting photographs and books concerning boat designing, and was ever ready to lend his valued assistance to yachtsmen contemplating the construction of new boats. For some years he was employed at Blundstone's boot factory, but his love of yachting and aquatics prompted him to turn his attention to boat constructional work, and he later joined the staff of Messrs. Purdon and Featherstone.

Deceased, who was 71 years of age, is survived by his widow and a daughter, Mrs. Ailsa Houghton Jennings. The funeral will arrive at Cornelian Bay cemetery at 3.15 o'clock this afternoon.

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'Blore, Alfred (1860–1930)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/blore-alfred-13323/text23946, accessed 29 March 2024.

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