In 1891 Clarke leased his father’s Cobram station near
Deniliquin,
New South Wales, and thereafter maintained a long association with pastoral interests in that State. Following his father’s death in May 1897, Clarke succeeded to the baronetcy and inherited extensive pastoral properties in Victoria, including Bolinda Vale, Red Rock and Rockbank, together comprising approximately 130,000 acres (52,600 ha). Over time he disposed of most of these holdings, retaining a reduced property at Bolinda Vale and approximately 800 acres (324 ha) near
Rupertswood known as
Kismet Park, on which he later built a residence after the sale of Rupertswood to his half-brother William Lionel Russell Clarke. Clarke successfully continued his father’s stud enterprises, breeding English Leicester sheep and Derrimut Shorthorn cattle. As his Victorian holdings diminished, he expanded his pastoral interests elsewhere, particularly in
Queensland, where he later owned Isis Downs in partnership with R. S. Whiting. In addition to pastoral activity, Clarke pursued a range of commercial ventures, not all of which proved successful. These included gold-mining at
Coolgardie,
Western Australia, in 1895; banana and peanut farming; and rubber and coconut plantations in the
Territory of Papua, the latter also in partnership with Whiting. In 1914 he financed and led an expedition up the
Fly River using his yacht
Kismet. Clarke also engaged in industrial and commercial enterprises while resident at Sunbury, including the establishment of a rabbit-canning factory and a butter and creamery factory, and in 1912 he undertook an unsuccessful experiment in peanut cultivation. In the early 1900s, with John Gunn and Clyde Meynell, he leased the
Theatre Royal, Melbourne and the
Criterion Theatre, Sydney. In July 1911 Clarke and Meynell amalgamated their interests with
J. C. Williamson Ltd, following which Clarke became a director of the company. In addition to his Australian properties, Clarke owned several residences interstate and overseas. In
New South Wales he lived at Caerleon and Bayview on the
Hawkesbury River. In England he leased
Brockwood Park in
Hampshire, and at Old Place,
Sussex. He also owned the
Villa des Abeilles in
Monte Carlo, where he died in 1926.
Political career Clarke entered the
Victorian Legislative Council in 1897 as a representative for
Southern Province and immediate successor of his father who had held the same seat in the Chamber. He held the seat until 1904, while continuing his involvement in banking, pastoralism and international business interests.
Military service In 1897 Clarke was commissioned as lieutenant commanding the Rupertswood Nordenfeldt Battery. During the
First World War he served as a lieutenant in the
Royal Army Service Corps. He was invalided from
Salonika in 1916 and discharged from service in 1917.
Sporting and yachting activities Clarke was keenly interested in sport, particularly
yachting and
horse racing. He owned the yachts
Kismet and
La Carrabine, and in 1904 sailed
La Carrabine through the
South Seas with his brother Ernest Clarke. He was associated with several leading Australian yacht clubs. == Personal life ==