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THE White family is sad to announce the death of prominent civil engineer and Thoroughbred breeding and racing identity Geoff White.
Mr White, pictured with his wife Beryl, died peacefully at Wolper Hospital in Woollahra on the evening of Sunday July 8, following a short illness.
He was 81.
Mr White is survived by wife Beryl, children Helen, Sue, Greg and Judy, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Mr White's company, White Industries, has been responsible for the construction of a number of well-known public buildings including the National Art Gallery, High Court of Australia, and National Mint in Canberra, as well as significant projects throughout Australia and in Fiji, Singapore and India.
A fixture at the races for many years with Beryl, the family's purple and white racing silks have graced the winner's circle at major race days for decades.
Mr and Mrs White founded a Thoroughbred dynasty with their 1982 Golden Slipperwinner Marscay, and enjoyed ongoing success with broodmare daughters of the champion stallion's family.
The family recently offered iconic Scone Thoroughbred nurseries Bhima and Invermien for sale, planning to secure a smaller property and continue to breed to race.
For many years horses bred and reared at Bhima and Invermien ensured the farms were among prominent vendors at major sales, but it has always been racing their own horses – planning the matings, foaling down, raising the yearlings and watching them succeed on the track – that has been most satisfying for the family.
Marscay's daughter Triscay proved a champion, winning five Group 1 races, and the family rates Eremein, out of their Marscay mare Marrego, as their best ever horse; he retired with $4,260,445 earnings.
Other Group 1 winners carrying the white, purple star and hooped sleeves have been Euclase, Jetball, Filante, Yippyio, and Reenact, to name a few.
The White Thoroughbred empire had its beginnings at the 20.2 hectare Robrick Lodge near Richmond, on the outskirts of Sydney, before the family purchased the 160 hectare Bhima and neighbouring 313 hectare Invermein in 1994, rejuvenating and merging the two properties.
Since 1976, the White family has bred 380 horses, for 301 runners, 66 per cent winners, seven individual Group 1 winners – enviable statistics by any measure.
Details of a memorial service likely to be held on Friday July 13 will be advised.
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