Bill Waterhouse
Encyclopedia
Bill Waterhouse, born 22 January 1922, is an Australian bookmaker
, businessman and former barrister. He is also Tonga
's honorary consul-general in Australia.
Waterhouse was educated at Greenwood Primary School and North Sydney Boys High
. He completed an Arts/Law degree at Sydney University
in 1948. He had worked as a bookmaker’s clerk since 1938 with his father who was first licensed as a bookmaker in 1898. Waterhouse became a barrister in 1948 but took leave of absence in 1954 after the sudden death of his brother and partner, Charles, and never returned, making bookmaking his full-time career. He worked his way on to the 'rails' and rose to be reputed the world’s biggest bookmaker and gambler in 1968. He engaged in betting duels with giant punters such as Frank Duval (Hong Kong Tiger), Filipe Ismael (The Filipino Fireball) and Ray Hopkins. A man of large stature, he was dubbed ‘Big Bill’ and 'king of the bookies', remaining at the top for over 20 years. Waterhouse often turned over more than the tote
.
The high-profile patriarch of the Waterhouse racing dynasty, he ran his own racing newspaper The Referee and later wrote his own regular newspaper column for The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and the Sun. Media coverage of him included articles in The Bulletin
, the former National Times, The SMH
Good Weekend and in TV specials such as A Big Country and an interview by David Frost
.
Waterhouse represented the Sydney betting ring in Melbourne for a decade from 1959 and also was the first bookmaker to represent Australia at Royal Ascot and other leading English courses in 1967–1968.
Waterhouse was cleared of rumours surrounding the doping of Melbourne Cup
co-favourite, Big Philou
in 1969, when it was shown by AJC
officials he was not working on the race, by then being a Sydney bookmaker and did not stand to lose on Big Philou in the doubles business run by his staff.
Waterhouse is the father of bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse, and the father-in-law of horse trainer Gai Waterhouse
. In 1984 Waterhouse and his son Robbie lost their bookmakers’ licenses when it was alleged they had ‘prior knowledge’ of the Fine Cotton
ring-in and the AJC revoked their licenses, before waiting for the results of the Queensland police inquiry into the ring-in. Robbie Waterhouse also served eight months periodic detention for perjury before the Racing Appeals Tribunal in 1992. However, it was never alleged they had any involvement in the actual ring-in. Waterhouse always maintained his innocence. He was reinstated as a bookmaker in 2002 at 80 years of age when he announced he was coming back to train his grandson, Tom Waterhouse, as the fourth-generation Waterhouse bookmaker. They became Australia’s largest on-course bookmakers in 2007 and 2008.
Waterhouse was also a successful commercial and residential property developer and hotelier, building the first strata-titled home unit development in New South Wales and the top hotel licence in Australia in the 1960s. Other ventures have included mining licences and international betting shops.
His diplomatic post of Honorary Consul-General for the Kingdom of Tonga arose from a friendship at Sydney University's Law School with the young heir to the throne of Tonga. He has received several awards from Tonga including the Grand Cross of Queen Salote, from King George Tupou V in 2009.
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
, businessman and former barrister. He is also Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
's honorary consul-general in Australia.
Waterhouse was educated at Greenwood Primary School and North Sydney Boys High
North Sydney Boys High School
North Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective, public high school for boys, located at Crows Nest in Sydney, Australia.- History :...
. He completed an Arts/Law degree at Sydney University
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
in 1948. He had worked as a bookmaker’s clerk since 1938 with his father who was first licensed as a bookmaker in 1898. Waterhouse became a barrister in 1948 but took leave of absence in 1954 after the sudden death of his brother and partner, Charles, and never returned, making bookmaking his full-time career. He worked his way on to the 'rails' and rose to be reputed the world’s biggest bookmaker and gambler in 1968. He engaged in betting duels with giant punters such as Frank Duval (Hong Kong Tiger), Filipe Ismael (The Filipino Fireball) and Ray Hopkins. A man of large stature, he was dubbed ‘Big Bill’ and 'king of the bookies', remaining at the top for over 20 years. Waterhouse often turned over more than the tote
Tote board
A tote board is a large numeric or alphanumeric display used to convey information, typically at a race track or at a telethon .The term "tote board" comes from the colloquialism for totalizator , the name for the automated...
.
The high-profile patriarch of the Waterhouse racing dynasty, he ran his own racing newspaper The Referee and later wrote his own regular newspaper column for The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and the Sun. Media coverage of him included articles in The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
, the former National Times, The SMH
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
Good Weekend and in TV specials such as A Big Country and an interview by David Frost
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
.
Waterhouse represented the Sydney betting ring in Melbourne for a decade from 1959 and also was the first bookmaker to represent Australia at Royal Ascot and other leading English courses in 1967–1968.
Waterhouse was cleared of rumours surrounding the doping of Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
co-favourite, Big Philou
Big Philou
Big Philou was a notable New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He was by the good sire Le Filou from Pink Lady by Contact and he was trained by Bart Cummings....
in 1969, when it was shown by AJC
Australian Jockey Club
The Australian Jockey Club was founded in January 1842. It morphed from the former Australian Racing Committee set up in May 1840 to set the standards for racing in the colony...
officials he was not working on the race, by then being a Sydney bookmaker and did not stand to lose on Big Philou in the doubles business run by his staff.
Waterhouse is the father of bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse, and the father-in-law of horse trainer Gai Waterhouse
Gai Waterhouse
Gai Waterhouse is a Scottish-born, Australian resident horse trainer, businesswoman and a former actress-Career:...
. In 1984 Waterhouse and his son Robbie lost their bookmakers’ licenses when it was alleged they had ‘prior knowledge’ of the Fine Cotton
Fine Cotton
Fine Cotton was a brown Australian Thoroughbred gelding which was at the centre of a substitution scam which occurred on 18 August 1984, in the Commerce Novice Handicap over 1,500 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane, Queensland...
ring-in and the AJC revoked their licenses, before waiting for the results of the Queensland police inquiry into the ring-in. Robbie Waterhouse also served eight months periodic detention for perjury before the Racing Appeals Tribunal in 1992. However, it was never alleged they had any involvement in the actual ring-in. Waterhouse always maintained his innocence. He was reinstated as a bookmaker in 2002 at 80 years of age when he announced he was coming back to train his grandson, Tom Waterhouse, as the fourth-generation Waterhouse bookmaker. They became Australia’s largest on-course bookmakers in 2007 and 2008.
Waterhouse was also a successful commercial and residential property developer and hotelier, building the first strata-titled home unit development in New South Wales and the top hotel licence in Australia in the 1960s. Other ventures have included mining licences and international betting shops.
His diplomatic post of Honorary Consul-General for the Kingdom of Tonga arose from a friendship at Sydney University's Law School with the young heir to the throne of Tonga. He has received several awards from Tonga including the Grand Cross of Queen Salote, from King George Tupou V in 2009.
Further reading
- Monash Biographical Dictionary of 20th-century Australia, entry p. 538