Wreck Of The Emily Smith
15 May 1877 Wreck of the Emily Smith One of the worst of Kangaroo Island’s many shipwrecks occurred in the early hours of 15 May 1877 when the brig Emily Smith crashed on to rocks near Cape du Couedic. The ship, believed to be carrying 25 passengers and 14 crew, was on a voyage from Albany, Western Australia to Port Adelaide. The weather was bad for the twelve days the ship took to cross the Bight with visibility very poor. In a south-westerly gale the ship was blown on to submerged rocks, lifted clear and flung down again, where it capsized and sank. Most of her complement were trapped below decks, but miraculously five men and a woman, clinging to wreckage, managed to get ashore. From there they began a nightmare journey along the coast seeking help. After six hours the woman and a youth fell exhausted. Four days later three wan, bedraggled Asiatic sailors reached Cape Borda Lighthouse. The search party observed bodies in the sea from the cliffs, but the three who expired on the walk were not found until many years later when a skeleton was discovered near an abandoned homestead. The Adelaide Chronicle , 2 October 1947, Newspaper Cuttings Book, Volume 3, p. 8.
Quorn
16 May 1878 Quorn The site of Quorn was chosen by railway surveyors who wanted a point roughly in line with Sydney and Perth, and north of Peterborough, to become the junction of the north-south and east-west lines. The town was proclaimed on 16 May 1878 and named by Governor Jervois after Quorndon in Leicestershire. On the same day in 1882 a special train left Adelaide to take visitors to Quorn for the opening of the line from Terowie, for this leg made Quorn the rail junction of the north with lines east to Terowie, west to Port Augusta and north to Government Gums just completed. On the following day, Governor Jervois arrived from Port Augusta to declare the lines open. In January 1911 the Commonwealth Government took over the northern line, under the terms of the Northern Territory Acceptance Act, although it was not until 1 January 1926 that the Government actually took control and, in 1927, began the line from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs, completed in 1929. The other Commonwealth line from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie, opened in 1917, was also standard gauge. One of the major problems with railways in Australia was the difference in gauges, both within states and between states. Each state government built lines of their own choosing without consultation with other states. This caused problems over the years and it was not until 1995 that the line between Adelaide and Melbourne was standardised making the railway line from east to west standard gauge all the way. Quorn and District Centenary 1878-1978 , Lynton, 1978, pp. 65,79.
Clayton Church
17 May 1883 Clayton Church Clayton Church on The Parade at Norwood was formally opened by Sir Samuel Davenport on 17 May 1883. The first place of worship of Congregationalists in the district was in a small chapel in the north-west area of Norwood. This was relinquished in 1844 when a brick building, funded by public subscriptions, was constructed in High Street, Kensington. A break-away group in 1854 rented temporary premises, and later bought the site, on the Parade for £190 and construction of this new church began in May 1855 with the foundation stone being laid by the Reverend Barrow on 5 June. The first service in the church, named for the Reverend John Clayton of London, was held on 13 April 1856. In 1882 it was decided to erect a new building in front of the existing one and the foundation stone for the present Clayton Church was laid by the Mayor of Norwood, Edwin Smith (later Sir), on 27 June 1882. The spire of the Gothic Revival Church is 72 feet in height and the marble relief on the west front was sculpted by William Maxwell. When a tall cross, lit at night, was placed on the front of the building facing down the Parade, the church became known as the ‘Church of the Lighted Cross’. The church remains a prominent landmark in Norwood. The Advertiser, 7 May 1929. Newspaper Cuttings Book, Volume 2. SLSA.
John Flynn And The Flying Doctor
17 May 1928 John Flynn and the Flying Doctor On 17 May 1928 Dr St Vincent, with pilot Affleck at the controls, answered the first call received by the Australian Inland Mission, and the Flying Doctor was a reality. In 1911 John Flynn, a Presbyterian Minister, was posted to the Smith of Dunesk Mission at Beltana in the north of South Australia. It was from this centre that he began his great work for the people of the inland. He made many journeys through outback South Australia to preach to all kinds of people in this desert region. In December 1911 he helped to establish a nursing hostel at Oodnadatta and in 1912 he was appointed superintendent of the Australian Inland Mission which began with one padre, one nursing sister, a nursing hostel and five camels. He spread his caring missions through northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland where, in 1928, he established the Aerial Medical Services at Cloncurry. For this to be successful he needed to have suitable radio transmissions and, after much trial and error, George Towns and Alf Traeger were able to develop a transmitter which could cover the great distances of the inland. On 7 May 1932, at the age of 51, Flynn married his secretary Jean Baird. In 1939 he was elected for a three year term as Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. He died in Sydney on 5 May 1951 and is fondly remembered as ‘Flynn of the Inland’. Bede Nairn, Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 8, pp. 531-534.
Goolwa To Port Elliot Railway
18 May 1854 Goolwa to Port Elliot Railway South Australia’s first railway line between Goolwa and Port Elliot opened on 18 May 1854. It was the first to be laid with iron rails in Australia. It was built for the purpose of moving produce transported down the Murray River to Goolwa and then to Port Elliot for shipment overseas. But Port Elliot proved to be unsuitable for shipping, as it was too dangerous in bad weather, and the line was extended to Victor Harbor, known as Port Victor at that time, in 1864, and Strathalbyn in 1869. Horses provided the motive power until steam trains were introduced in 1884/5. Victor Harbor became a busy port with its railway, screw pile jetty, wharf and breakwater. A large amount of wool was shipped from there after its journey from Goolwa via the train. The development of railways in Victoria, particularly to the river port of Echuca, and the competitive freight rates offered by the Victorian Railways saw the decline of the river trade through South Australia, and by the 1890s the good days were over. Nowadays the ‘Cockle Train’, as it is called, runs between the sea and river ports for the tourist trade. R.E. Fluck, R. Sampson, K.J. Bird, Steam Locos and Railcars of the South Australian Railways, Railway Museum, 1986, p. 8.
Glenelg Jetty
18 May 1969 Glenelg jetty On 18 May 1969 the new Glenelg jetty was officially opened by Mr Coumbe, the Minister of Marine and Harbors. It cost $128,500. An estimated crowd of 10,000 were at the opening in spite of the chilly, grey weather. The first jetty was opened by the Governor, Sir Richard MacDonnell on 25 April 1859, some twenty years after one was first planned. Even then there were problems as the ship bringing the cast iron sections from England had to jettison them when the vessel ran aground off Brazil. Eventually construction began in 1857 and the jetty, 1200 feet long with 61 bays each 20 feet 6 inches x 18 feet, which cost £31,294, was completed two years later. From then on the jetty received the mail and some cargo from incoming ships. In 1873 a lighthouse was added to the end of the pier and, following the construction of the railway to the city, rail lines were run to the end of the jetty where a crane unloaded freight into rail trucks. But as Port Adelaide developed as the major port for South Australia, Glenelg’s days as a port began to wane, however, it remained the premier seaside resort. In 1876 a bathing jetty for men only was added north of the main pier. A separate ladies section was added in 1881. In 1907 a large kiosk was built at the end of the jetty, and in 1929 an Aquarium was built near the middle. The foreshore was also developed with the construction, in 1930, of Luna Park, including a big dipper which five years later was dismantled and taken to Melbourne. Although the bathing jetty was demolished in 1928, and the kiosk wrecked in a storm in 1943, the jetty remained a favourite place for holidaymakers until the fierce gale of April 1948 destroyed it beyond repair. Glenelg had to wait another twenty years for a replacement. H.M. Cooper, A Naval History of South Australia , Adelaide, 1950, pp. 83-84. The Advertiser, 12 April 1948. The Advertiser, 27 December 1993. p. 28.
Fh Faulding And Company
19 May 1845 F.H. Faulding and Company On 19 May 1845 F.H. Faulding, the son of a surgeon, opened the doors of his business as a chemist at 5 Rundle Street. He arrived in South Australia after a brief stay in Sydney in 1842. His business grew rapidly as he made remedies for stock as well as people and he bought a site in Clarence Place, off King William Street, to give him more room for his manufacturing and wholesale business. In 1861 the firm F.H. Faulding and Company was formed when Francis Faulding went into partnership with Luther Scammell, a physician who had opened a pharmacy at Hindmarsh in 1849 and one in Port Adelaide some time later. In subsequent years the partners followed with interest the work of men like Pasteur, Koch and Lister, and Florence Nightingale. Unfortunately Faulding did not live to see the major advances in medicine as he died on 19 November 1868 at his home ‘Wooton Lea’ Glen Osmond (now Seymour College) without issue. Luther Scammell purchased Faulding’s share in the business and later took Philip Daker and Robert Foale into partnership and the business continued to expand. Scammell did have sons and in due course they were trained in pharmacy and came into the firm. World War I saw a great demand for pharmaceutical supplies and, with imports cut, the company was able to meet the increased local requirements. In 1923 the large laboratories at Thebarton were built and the company also became established in other states. In 1988 the company averted a takeover bid from ICI. 1845-1945 A Century of Medical Progress.
East End Markets
2 May 1904 East End Markets On 2 May 1904 the Adelaide Fruit and Produce Exchange on East Terrace opened for business. On 30 October 1903 a Bill which provided for the Exchange to be established was passed in the South Australian Parliament. This enabled William Charlick, proprietor of Charlick Brothers fruit and grocery business, to form a company, with a capital of £40 000, to build a new market on land which had been purchased between Rundle and Grenfell Streets. Richard Vaughan established the original East End Market in the 1860s. By the 1890s this area was not large enough to cope with the increasing trade forcing some traders out on to the street. This situation prompted William Charlick to decide to act. The memorial stone for the new market was laid by the Governor, Sir George Le Hunte, on 24 April 1904. Further extensions were made over the years to cover the four acres allowed under the Act. The ornate facade on Grenfell Street, with its cantilevered gabled canopies and symbolic cornucopia with the inscription ‘The Earth is the Lord’s and the fulness (sic) thereof’, has come under attention again, since the closure of the markets, with plans for the re-development of the site. The markets themselves have been re-located at Pooraka. Thus this colourful city institution came to an end on 30 September 1988. Susan Marsden, Paul Stark, Patricia Sumerling (eds), Heritage of the City of Adelaide, Corporation of the City of Adelaide, 1990, pp. 139-140.
The Bushmens Club
20 May 1870 The Bushmen’s Club On 20 May 1870 the Bushmen’s Club, an institution apparently unique to South Australia, was opened by the Governor, Sir James Fergusson. In 1866 William Hugo, said to be a relative of Victor Hugo, was in Adelaide after spending many years as a bush missionary, travelling through remote areas, helping those who needed help and accepting hospitality when it was offered. Hugo conceived the idea of establishing a home for men down from the bush, a place to stay which catered for their needs without being expensive. Through the generosity of George Fife Angas and his son John Howard, who was a Trustee, the first premises was the Adelaide Court House, better known as Judge Cooper’s residence, in the south-east corner of Whitmore Square. Over time additions were made so it could accommodate 150 boarders and the Club operated for years with Hugo as Resident Manager. The building is now the Salvation Army hostel. George Loyau, The Representative Men of South Australia, Howell, Adelaide, 1883. Aldine History of South Australia , 1890, p. 708.
Edward John Eyre
1 May 1839 Edward John Eyre On 1 May 1839 Edward John Eyre left Adelaide with a party of five men on an expedition to the north. At that time no-one had been further north than the head of Spencer Gulf. On his way he discovered a river which he named the Broughton, but north of the gulf he found the country more barren. He continued along the edge of the ranges, first seen by Flinders in 1802, but the outlook from one of the peaks was discouraging and he turned back. In August that year Eyre again set out to explore the inland. This time he decided to sail to Port Lincoln and begin his trek from there. With four white men and two Aborigines he followed the coast to Streaky Bay where he set up a depot. He and one Aborigine rode on for another 100 miles, but finding inhospitable country and little water, they were forced back. The party then struck east across the peninsula, which now bears his name, and made for their old camping site in the Flinders Ranges. From there Eyre travelled further north than on his first trip and sighted the large lake now called Lake Torrens. He returned to Adelaide in October. In June 1840 Eyre set out on his third trip to the north, this time reaching what is now known as Lake Eyre. He was convinced that there was one large horseshoe-shaped lake which blocked access to the centre of the continent through that area and again returned south. His most arduous journey was undertaken the following year. On 25 February 1841 he left Fowlers Bay with only his friend Baxter and three Aborigines, having sent the rest of the party back to Adelaide. They followed the coast around the Great Australian Bight in a determined effort to reach Western Australia. The journey with scant provisions through this virtually waterless and treeless country was made even more miserable by the heat, sandflies and mosquitoes. Eyre, like many early explorers had set off at the height of summer. Also, he had no idea of the Aboriginal attitude towards survival in the bush and was unaware that the Aboriginal men, Joey, Yarry and Wylie were increasingly unhappy with the dwindling daily rations. One night, while Eyre was watching the horses, Joey and Yarry shot Baxter and went off with most of the stores. Eyre and the remaining member of the group Wylie, struggled on. When nearly at the end of their meagre rations and in desperate need they sighted a whaling ship, the Mississippi , anchored near the shore. Captain Rossiter took care of them while they recovered their strength; then, with new provisions, Eyre and Wylie continued their journey to the west, reaching Albany, 1000 miles from Fowlers Bay, on 7 July 1841. Eyre returned to Adelaide by sea while Wylie, suitably rewarded, went back to his tribe in Western Australia at Albany. Eyre contributed to the financing of these expeditions himself. In 1845 he returned to England and was later made Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, then Governor of Jamaica. He died in 1901. Hans Mincham, The Story of the Flinders Ranges, Rigby, 1964, pp. 24-40.. M. McEwan, Great Australian Explorers, Bay Books, Sydney and London, 1985, pp. 230-238. Australian Junior Encyclopedia , Volume I, Georgian House, 1951, p.286