Ted van Heemst is the third longest serving Chairman in the history of the Western Australian Turf Club, his 19 years at its helm surpassed only by Ernest Augustus Lee Steere and Ernest Henry Lee-Steere.
Ted van Heemst is the third longest serving Chairman in the history of the Western Australian Turf Club, his 19 years at its helm surpassed only by Ernest Augustus Lee Steere and Ernest Henry Lee-Steere.
Born in the Netherlands in 1946, Van Heemst is a graduate of both the University of Melbourne and the University of Western Australia who was elected to the WATC Commitee in 1995. Twelve months later, Van Heemst succeeded Wilson Tuckey as Chairman of the WATC and, during his tenure, the organisation signed a Belmont Park property deal with the Golden Group and formed close ties with Asian clubs, particularly the Singapore Turf Club and its Malayan Racing Association peers, ties that continue to benefit Perth Racing. Van Heemst is a life member of the WATC and his family operates Lynward Park Stud, the home of Bondi and Mahuta.