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LH0211-04

HUMBLE MONUMENTS: THE STREET NAMES OF WEST TORRENS 1

A study of the origin of street names is one way of accessing the history of an area. Streets may carry the names of some of the prominent early business or landowners in a district, and thus reflect the kinds of land use or industries that developed there over time. Street names can also pay tribute to individuals who lived or worked in area for many years and whose contribution to the life of the district might otherwise be overlooked. Street names may also tell of events in the wider world, in particular of wars and those, including local residents, who fought in them.

This is not to deny that streets may carry names that are either bland or self- aggrandising: a study of West Torrens shows the propensity of some property developers for naming streets after themselves or their families. Nonetheless, though not as immediately engaging as statues, plaques and other monuments, street names are a simple, inexpensive and enduring way of remembering the past.

LANDOWNERS Prominent early large-scale landowners are well represented in the street names of West Torrens. Sir (1809-1892) established his 54- hectare (134-acre) estate Cummins at what is now Novar Gardens in 1841- 42. Although much of the property, excluding the house itself, was subdivided for residential purposes in the 1950s and 1960s, local street names have strong echoes of the Morphett family. Streets surrounding the Cummins home include Coach House Drive, Old Drive and New Drive (the Cummins driveway was diverted after the railway went through the southern part of the property in 1879). Cygnet Street, Novar Gardens, recalls the ship in which Morphett arrived in in September 1836. Two of the eleven children of Sir John and Lady Elizabeth Morphett are also remembered in nearby street names: Violet Court and Willoughby Avenue. Audrey Street is named after a great grand daughter of Sir John Morphett, while Amy Street is named for Amy Streeter, whose family worked for the Morphetts over three generations.

The influence of the White family is recognized in street names in the north- western part of West Torrens. John White (1790-1860) established his highly successful Fulham Farm in the area, on section 194, in 1837. White’s wife was Barbara, nee Willingale – hence today’s Willingale Avenue, Lockleys. White Avenue, Lockleys, is in an area of section 144 (east of section 194) once owned by John White’s eldest son, William (1834-1927). Weetunga Street, Fulham, is named after the home of John White’s second son Samuel (1835-1880). Samuel White, an explorer and ornithologist, built Weetunga, which is still occupied by descendants of the White family, in 1878-79. Samuel

1 NOTE: This paper concentrates primarily on the street names of the pre-1997 West Torrens council district – that is, the district that existed before the amalgamation of West Torrens and the Town of Thebarton. 2

Street, Fulham, may be named after this Samuel White or his son Captain Samuel Albert White (1870-1954). S.A. White was a soldier, horse breeder and hunter, as well as continuing the family’s interest in exploration and ornithology. In the 1920s John White Mellor (1868-1931), the grandson of John White, subdivided part of section 144 to create Mellor Park. (The Mellor family had owned Holmfrith, a substantial estate in the district, for many years). In recognition of the White family’s interest in the subject Mellor, who was himself the one-time president of Ornithological Society, gave several streets in Mellor Park names of an ornithological origin: Anthus Street (a type of pipit), Grallina Street (magpie lark), Malurus Avenue (wren), and Myzantha Street (bellbird). Mellor Park later became a part of Lockleys. Mellor Avenue, Lockleys, carries the family name.

The Everard family played a significant role in the history of West Torrens, beginning with the arrival in South Australia of Dr Charles George Everard (1794-1876) in November 1836. From 1838 Everard and his family farmed land along the Bay Road, now Anzac Highway, in sections 44, 45, 52 and 53. From the 1880s descendants of C.G. Everard subdivided much of this property; Everard-instigated subdivisions included Keswick (1882), Grassmere (1899) and Marshfield Estate (1899), the latter two now part of Kurralta Park. Members of the Everard family thus named most of the streets in these suburbs (though the precise significance of each name to the family is difficult to ascertain). In 1909 Charles John Everard, C.G.Everard’s grandson, subdivided the first Everard farm, Dr Everard’s Ashford, on sections 44 and 52, into a suburb of the same name. Everard Avenue, Ashford, is a reminder of the family’s involvement in West Torrens.

William Henry Gray (1808-1896) arrived in South Australia aboard the John Renwick in February 1837. A shrewd, determined and forceful individual, over the next few decades Gray amassed considerable personal wealth through farming and, more particularly, land acquisition. By the 1880s Gray owned over 1000 hectares (2500 acres) in West Torrens, representing around one-third of the area of the district and making him by far West Torrens’ largest landowner. Most of his property was in and around the area now taken up by the International Airport. Gray also had substantial holdings in the , rural South Australia and in the Northern Territory. Further, from 1856 Gray served on the West Torrens Council for periods totalling almost twenty-five years, including twelve years from 1866 as chair. It is therefore somewhat surprising that in today’s West Torrens only one street carries his name: Gray Street, Plympton.

Other prominent early West Torrens landowners are remembered in street names. Henry Mooringe Boswarva, a gentleman farmer, arrived in South Australia in 1838 and bought section 108, Hundred of Adelaide, a few months later. There, with John Bentham Neales (1806-1873), auctioneer and agent, Mooringe developed a village he named after his native town in Devonshire: Plympton. Mooringe’s wife was Emma – hence today’s Mooringe Avenue, Boswarva Avenue and Emma Place, Plympton.

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Hudson Court and Beare Avenue at Netley recall Thomas Hudson Beare (1792-1861). Beare, the second officer of the , arrived in South Australia in July 1836 aboard the Duke of York, the first of the colonists’ ships to arrive. He established a farm, ‘Netley’, named after Netley Abbey in his home county of Hampshire, on the 54-hectare (134 acres) section 101 in 1838. After some early prosperity, in 1859 Beare was declared insolvent. He had served on the West Torrens council in 1854-55.

The Prettejohn (or Prettyjohn) family farmed in the Reedbeds area from the early 1840s, beginning on section 161 with Nathaniel Prettejohn (c.1795- 1847). His son John Gillard Prettejohn (1842-1883) continued the tradition. J.G. Prettejohn also represented Reedbeds ward on the West Torrens council in 1879-82 (chair in 1881). Descendants of the Prettejohns remain in the district, making them, along with the Whites, among the longest continuously residing families in West Torrens. Prettejohn Court, Lockleys, is a reminder of their presence.

The Rowell family had strong links with West Torrens over many years. John Rowell (c1816-1893) was a farmer at Lockleys from 1854 and a West Torrens councillor in 1869-72 (chair in 1870). His son James Rowell (1851- 1941) among other achievements served on the West Torrens council for sixteen years, including 1890-1900 as chair; led the South Australian contingent to the Boer War; and was later a South Australian senator. Another son, John E. Rowell (1849-1928) served on the West Torrens council in 1900-1911, including four years as chair. Rowells Road, Lockleys, commemorates of the family’s contribution to the district.

May Terrace, Lockleys, is on the site of what was from the early 1880s the farm of Caleb May (c1843-1921); the property was known locally as ‘May’s Estate’. Shortly after May’s death 36 hectares (ninety acres) of his former land, plus 16 hectares (40 acres) previously belonging to John White Mellor, were used to establish the Kooyonga golf club. May’s former home remains on the property.

Henry Sherriff (c.1862-1935) was a significant landholder in the Underdale area (section 96) for almost forty years from the mid-1880s. Sherriff Street, Underdale, runs through the former site of his property. Sherriff was a member of the West Torrens council in 1900-1921, including eight years as chair.

RESIDENTS Many West Torrens streets are named in honour of residents who, although not necessarily large-scale landholders, lived in the district for decades. Streeters Road, North Plympton, takes its name from the Streeter family, in particular brothers George, Richard and Stephen, who came to Plympton in about 1880. Family members were still living in Plympton in the late 1940s. Richard Streeter served on the West Torrens for several years including four (1901-1905) as chair. Lasscock Avenue, Lockleys, reminds us that the Lasscock family has lived in the area since E.A. (Ted) Lasscock bought 4 land there around 1910. The family ran a successful plant nursery business in Lockleys for many years.

Retallack Avenue, Marleston, is named for the family that has lived in the vicinity since Albert and Clara Retallack arrived there in 1909. The Retallacks took up one of the one-hectare (2.5 acre) ‘workingmen’s blocks’ at Richmond created by the government in the 1890s. Under this scheme, which was largely a response to the local depression of the time, the government bought bulk quantities of land that was then subdivided and sold as individual blocks of up to eight hectares (20 acres) to low-income workers. Each block was used to grow crops to supplement the diet and income of the residents. The scheme helped to develop a cohesive community in this part of Richmond, and in other areas of Adelaide where it was tried.

Below is a selected list of other West Torrens streets named after long-term residents:

Collett Avenue and Ernest Place, Netley – In 1915 Richard Ernest Collett of Kensington Park, poultry farmer, bought 1.6 hectares (4 acres) in the Netley Estate. The land remained in the hands of the Collett family until the mid- 1960s.

Deacon Avenue, Richmond – Richard Thomas Deacon, a carter, first bought land at this site, then called Ellenville, in 1882. He lived in Main Street, close to the current Deacon Avenue, for about twenty years until his death in 1907. Thomas Richard Deacon, a carrier-carter and probably the son of the above, lived in the area from about 1899 until his death in 1944. His wife was Emma Virtue Deacon. Other members of the Deacon family have lived in the general area at various times during the years, and apparently continue to do so.

Goldfinch Avenue, Cowandilla – Henry Goldfinch (b.1846) of Thebarton, butcher, bought 2.4 hectares (6 acres) of land in section 92, laid out as Cowandilla, in 1886. Over the next twenty years Goldfinch sold allotments to various individuals, including family members. The Goldfinch family remained in Cowandilla until the mid-1950s.

Kellett Avenue, Lockleys - The Kellett family, beginning with Samuel and Ediva Kellett, lived in the Lockleys area for almost a century from 1899.

Pollok Street, Plympton – Andrew Pollok, driver, and his wife Lotte Mabel Pollok, owned land in section 108, a part of Plympton, from about 1909. Mrs. Pollok still lived in the area in the late 1960s.

Ralph Street, West Richmond – Susannah Ralph bought several acres in Penrhyn (section 102) in 1872; the property passed to her son, Alfred John Ralph, in 1910. Ralph, a dairyman, later extended his holdings in the area. He and his wife Maud Ethel Ralph lived on Marion Road, West Richmond (Penrhyn was subsumed by West Richmond in 1944) until 1952.

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Speed Avenue, North Plympton – William Daniel Speed, pastoralist, lived in section 108, later part of North Plympton, for about thirty years until 1941. His widow, Amy Alma Speed, lived in the area into the 1970s.

Other streets named after long-time residents include  Ayton Avenue, Fulham;  Barnes Avenue, Marleston;  Chapman Street, Torrensville;  Gardner Street, Plympton;  Kinnaird Avenue, Richmond;  McEwin Avenue, North Plympton;  Padget Street, Camden Park; and  Washington Street, Hilton.

HOMES Several West Torrens street names recall prominent homes within the district. Apart from Cummins and Weetunga, Palmyra, an impressive eight-room residence on Henley Beach Road, New Mile End (now part of Torrensville), is remembered via Palmyra Avenue, Torrensville. Palmyra was built in about 1905 by former grazier T.C.Best (1861-1926), who lived there with his wife Eva Annie Best (1860-1940) until around 1920. Palmyra Avenue runs along what was the southern boundary of the Best property. It appears that Palmyra remains standing, though in a much-modified form.

LAND USE Other street names tell us something of the early patterns of land use in West Torrens. The presence of fertile alluvial soil, an abundant water supply and relatively flat land meant that the western portion of the was ideal for the development of market gardens: Hank Street, Huelin Avenue and Noble Street, Lockleys, among others, are named after local market gardening families.

The Noble family for example, beginning with Amos Noble (c.1830-1873) in the 1860s, gardened in the Lockleys area for several decades.

Francis Huelin, kerosene merchant, bought about 2.8 acres (7 acres) of land at Lockleys in 1895-96. He farmed the land with his wife Edith until his death in 1940. In later years other family members, including Arthur and Harold Huelin, were also market gardeners in the vicinity. N.J. Hank began gardening in Lockleys in 1923; his family, which included champion footballer Bob Hank, remained in the area for almost seventy years.

WINE PRODUCTION Wine production was a feature of early West Torrens, most notably at Underdale. Jesse Norman (c.1827-1881) established a vineyard on three hectares of land in the area from 1853, while John Daykin Holbrook (d. 1880) began his Wilford vineyard at Underdale in 1855. (Holbrook named the property after his home village in Nottinghamshire). Both wineries became successful long-term businesses. But clearly the most celebrated of West Torrens’ early vignerons was Thomas Hardy (1830-1912). Hardy arrived in 6

South Australia in 1850 aboard the British Empire and in 1854 established his Bankside winery at Underdale; by 1875 he was producing over 50,000 gallons of wine annually. Hardy is widely regarded as the father of the South Australian wine industry.

Several streets at Underdale have names of a viticultural origin, including Hardy, Holbrook and Vintage Roads, Norman Street and Wilford Avenue. Golden Glow Avenue is named for a wine developed by the Norman family.

HORSE TRAINING West Torrens was also an early centre of horse training and breeding in Adelaide: the lush paddocks that could be developed along portions of the River Torrens were highly prized within the industry. C.B. Fisher’s section 144 Lockleys estate was probably the most notable of the earliest studs. Largely at the instigation of Edward Meade Bagot (mentioned in more detail later) a racecourse developed at west Thebarton in the 1860s (race meetings had been held in the same general area as early as 1838-40). When the site was auctioned off in the early 1880s the streets in the resultant new subdivision of West Adelaide, today part of Mile End, were named after -winning horses at the Thebarton track. These included Norma, Cowra, Tarragon, Roebuck and Darebin Streets, and Ebor (Robe spelt backwards) and Falcon Avenues.

The establishment of the in 1874 reinforced the tendency of breeders and trainers to locate in West Torrens. Fulham Park Drive, Lockleys, is on the site of the former Fulham Park stud, established by William Blackler (1829-1896) from 1874. Pastoral leviathan Sidney (later Sir Sidney) Kidman (1857-1935) bought the 120 hectare (300 acre) property from William Blackler the younger (b. 1862) in 1913. (A significant portion of the stud extended north of the Torrens and was therefore within the area of the Woodville district council).

Today at least ten streets in what was the West Torrens part of the stud, i.e. section 192, carry the names of Kidman properties: Arcoona, Clyde, Corona, Durham, Eringa, Macumba, Miranda, Netley, Strathmore and Rutland Avenues.

Horsley Street, Lockleys, is named for John Horsley, manager of Fulham Park stud during the 1920s and 1930s. Kidman’s son, Walter, sold off most of the Fulham Park property for residential subdivision during the 1940s and 1950s.

Pastoralist John Chambers (1815-1889) created the Richmond Park stud on part section 90, now part of Marleston, in the late 1850s. James Henry Aldridge (1849-1925) bought the property after Chambers’ death and built it into one of the most successful racing stables/studs in South Australia. Aldridge’s son, Leslie, briefly took over the running of the stud before its closure in 1929. Aldridge Terrace, Marleston, carries the family name. St. Anton was a champion sire at Richmond Park in the early decades of the twentieth century – hence today’s St. Anton Street, Marleston. 7

West Torrens attracted other horse trainers. Martin Whelan (1880-1942) was among South Australia’s most successful trainers of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as being a champion jockey. Whelan Avenue, Camden Park, located near the former site of his stables, is a reminder of his success. (Whelan had subdivided the area as Camden Gardens in the mid-1920s). Whelan named Bourlang Avenue and Fiscom Avenue, in the same subdivision and also now part of Camden Park, after two of his better horses: Bourlang won the Adelaide Guineas and the Goodwood Handicap in the early 1920s, while Fiscom was a champion hurdler of the same period.

Pistolier Street, Plympton, takes its name from the winner of the 1915 Cup, trained by another prominent Plympton-based trainer, Edward (Ted) Williams (d.1945), whose stables were nearby. Thomas Keily established the Moseleyville Training Stables, in what is now Plympton, in the late 1890s. For the next twenty years or more he was one of South Australia’s leading trainers and is remembered via Keily Street, Plympton.

The Barker brothers’ horse bazaar at Brooklyn Park, run by Alfred (1858- 1923) and John Barker (1847-1925) was an early twentieth century business specialising in the buying and selling of horses. Barker Street, Brooklyn Park, is on the former site of the business.

GREYHOUND RACING Greyhound racing was also a feature of early West Torrens. Almost continuously from 1896 to 1949 a site near the corner of the Bay Road and Stonehouse Avenue at Plympton was used for greyhound coursing. Nearby Zither Street, Plympton, is named for a champion greyhound of the early 1900s – perhaps the only street in Adelaide named after a dog. From about 1909 the Adelaide Polo Club owned the Plympton facility, which covered 24 hectares (sixty acres) in all. In 1959 the club sold part of the land (8 hectares) to the Myer company, which was looking to create a recreation ground for its employees. Though Myer eventually sold off its Plympton holdings Myer Avenue, Plympton, is a reminder of the company’s presence in the area.

INDUSTRY After its early prominence as a centre of agriculture, in the years immediately before and after the first world war West Torrens also became a magnet for the development of secondary industry. Apart from the closeness of parts of West Torrens to the central business district of Adelaide, the main reason for the trend was the opening of the Mile End railway yards in 1908 and the accompanying transport cost advantage. Land prices were also much lower than in the city of Adelaide, where several of the incoming firms had previously been based.

Among the companies that moved into West Torrens at this time – most located to the area on or near Railway Terrace, Mile End – were Humes Limited, which became a major manufacturer of concrete pipes and linings (1912); Perry Engineering, makers of builders’ ironwork, and later railway carriages and boilers (1912); and millers William Charlick Limited (1919). 8

The Horwood Bagshaw company was another.

John Stokes Bagshaw (1808-1888) had formed an agricultural implement making company in Adelaide in 1838. The company later became J.S. Bagshaw and Sons and moved to a 5 hectare (12.5-acre) site at Mile End in the early 1900s. Joseph Henry Horwood (1841-1913) had formed an engineering firm in Adelaide in the late 1880s. The company specialised in the manufacture of boring tools, hoists and pumping equipment. In 1922, by now a highly successful family business, Horwood and Sons acquired Illman and Sons, an agricultural implement firm based at Balaklava. Two years later Horwood took over Bagshaw and Sons to form Horwood Bagshaw; the company was based at Bagshaw’s Mile End site. Horwood Bagshaw’s first managing director was Mr William Johnston Barker, who held the post until 1946. He was succeeded by Mr Bruce Hope Farrow (b.1898), who held the position until his death in 1956. Horwood Bagshaw thrived from the beginning, and especially so in the years during and after the second world war. During the war, by which time it employed around six hundred, the company specialised in the manufacture of engines and aircraft parts. After the war it produced a variety of outputs, in particular drilling and pumping equipment. In 1972 Horwood Bagshaw sold its Mile End factory to the state government for use in its later-defunct M.A.T.S. plan.

This brief history of Horwood Bagshaw explains the origin of the names of several Mile End streets located on or near the company’s former site: Bagshaw Way, Barker Court, Farrow Place, Horwood Close and Illman Place.

Babidge Lane, Mile End, is on the former site of Babidge’s cooperage. Richard Babidge (1842-1914), carpenter, and J.N. Neuenkirchen, cooper, created the company in the city of Adelaide in 1881. The partnership later dissolved and in 1914 Babidge moved the business to the corner of Railway Terrace and Cuming Street, Mile End. There his son John joined him, R. Babidge and Son remaining at the site until a move to McLaren Vale in 1980.

FACILITIES A suburb’s closeness to a major facility can influence the naming of its streets. Novar Gardens for example adjoins the Glenelg golf course, and several of its streets carry the names of well-known golfers, among them, Devlin Road (Bruce Devlin), Miller Court (Johnny Miller), Nagle Crescent (Kel Nagle) and Thomson Court (Peter Thomson). Other streets in Novar Gardens are named after prominent British golf courses – Muirfield Street, St. Andrews Crescent, Sunningdale Avenue and Troon Street.

Similarly, Netley abuts the Adelaide Airport and several of the suburb’s streets have been given names of an aeronautical origin. There are streets named after types of aircraft: Comet Avenue, Concorde Street, Convair Street, Electra Street and Sabre Street. Streets are also named in honour of Australian aviation pioneers, for example Captain Henry John (Harry) Butler (1889-1924) - Butler Street - and Sir Reginald Myles Ansett (1909-1981) - Ansett Avenue. James Melrose Road at Novar Gardens, which forms part of the southern boundary of the airport, commemorates Charles James 9

(Jimmy) Melrose (1913-1936), the popular South Australian aviator of the early 1930s. Among his other accomplishments, Melrose was the youngest and only solo pilot to complete the England-Australia air race of 1934 (he finished third on handicap); in the same year he set a record for a round- Australia flight and a South Australian altitude record. Melrose was killed on a Melbourne to Darwin charter flight in July 1936.

It is apposite to mention that Ross Street and Keith Street, Torrensville, were named in honour of South Australian aviation heroes, Sir Keith Smith (1890- 1955) and Sir Ross Smith (1892-1922). In November-December 1919 the Smith brothers completed the first England to Australia flight. The venture had a strong West Torrens connection in that one of the Smiths’ flight mechanics, Walter (Wally) Shiers, spent much of his childhood on the family block at Richmond. Indeed, in the 1930s Shiers Street at Hilton was named in his honour. Somewhat strangely the street was later renamed Ruddock Avenue in recognition of James and John Ruddock, early West Torrens residents who between them had served locally as district clerk, councillor and local policeman. This is not to deny that the Ruddocks were worthy of recognition – but the decision to remove the name of one of West Torrens’ more audacious sons in order to do so seems odd.

SEAS AND OCEANS Also on the theme of appropriate nomenclature, ten streets at West Beach are named after seas, oceans or other bodies of water – among them Atlantic Avenue, Baltic Avenue, Pacific Parade and Timor Crescent.

DEVELOPERS Other West Torrens street names are of a more prosaic origin. Developers opening up new subdivisions sometimes had little hesitation in naming streets after themselves:

Henry Allchurch (1859-1943), farmer and storekeeper, laid out the subdivision of Kurralta Park in 1918, giving his own name to one street. Part of the development was later subsumed by North Plympton – hence, Allchurch Avenue, North Plympton.

Leslie Walter Boss (b. 1906), builder, subdivided land near Argylle and Desmond Avenues, Marleston, in the early 1940s. Boss Avenue was in the midst of the subdivision.

Henry James Bide (1885-1954), greengrocer, was a co-developer of the Bideville subdivision in 1912. Henry Street and James Street, Plympton, were the two main streets in the subdivision. Bideville has been a part of Plympton since the 1950s.

John Murdoch (1843-1923), farmer, subdivided part of section 2033 in 1923 as Grosvenor Park; it included Murdoch Avenue. The site is now part of North Plympton.

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Shierlaw Street was part of the Craigholme development laid out by pastoralist Howard Alison Shierlaw (1879-1951) in 1917. Craig Street, in the same subdivision, was probably named after Shierlaw’s father, Joseph Craig Shierlaw (1852-1925). Craigholme later became part of Richmond.

Horse trainer Edward Williams (d. 1945) laid out a small subdivision at Mornington North (now Plympton) in 1924. Two of its streets were Edward Street and Williams Avenue. (The decision of fellow trainer Martin Whelan to name streets in his 1925 Camden Gardens – now Camden Park – subdivision after himself and two of his horses has been noted).

Sometimes developers commemorated the names of family members. In laying out the subdivision of Moseleyville in 1879, for example, Henry Jackson Moseley included Alice Street, Maynard Road and Elizabeth Avenue: Moseley’s wife was Alice, nee Maynard (c1820-1895), while his daughters were named Alice (1856-c1930) and Elizabeth (1839-1924).

When Sir Thomas Elder created the Morphettville subdivision on section 136 in 1883 he similarly named its streets after female relatives. Only two of these streets are extant, and now are included in Camden Park. Jeanie Street was named after Mrs Jean O’Halloran Giles (1864-1921) of Mitcham, and Mabel Terrace after Mrs Mabel Fairfax Braund (1861-1946) of Chelsea, London. Both women were daughters of Elder’s sister, Mrs Joanna Barr Smith. Mesdames Priscilla Bickford (1852-1924), Ellen Lucas (1854-1932) and Fanny Weaver (c1844-1916) subdivided part sections 94 and 95 as North Richmond in 1912. They named the subdivision’s streets not only after themselves – Bickford Street, Lucas Street and Weaver Avenue – but also after their late parents: pastoralist and creator of the Richmond Park stud, John Chambers – Chambers Avenue – and Mary Chambers, nee Redin (c.1812-1904) – Redin Street.

SOUTH AUSTRALIANS Some streets recall individuals who although not necessarily residents of West Torrens played significant roles in the life of South Australia.

Bagot Avenue, Hilton –Edward Meade Bagot (1822-1886) had a range of local business interests. His family was prominent in the Kapunda copper discoveries of the 1840s, Bagot becoming director of the south Kapunda mine in 1852. He then took up pastoral pursuits, including the breeding of cattle and horses. In 1861-69 Bagot was secretary of the South Australian Jockey Club and it was on 54 hectares of Bagot’s land at Thebarton that the S.A.J.C. established its first racecourse in 1861. When the course closed a few years later Bagot, who by now had lost considerable sums in mining ventures, established a ‘boiling down’ works on the site. In 1870 Bagot tendered successfully to build the southern part of the Overland Telegraph. Later he re-established himself as a pastoralist and stock agent. Bagot never lived in West Torrens but owned land in section 48, the site of today’s Bagot Avenue.

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Milner Road, Richmond – George Milner Stephen (1812-1894) was crown solicitor and advocate-general of South Australia (1838-39), as well as serving briefly as colonial secretary and acting governor. A mercurial figure, Stephen was the target of allegations of improper property dealings and left South Australia in 1840. He returned in 1845 and worked as a barrister and land agent. In 1849 Stephen subdivided part section 49 on behalf of Matthew Davenport Hill, a London barrister and land speculator. The area is now part of Richmond. After leaving South Australia in 1851 Stephen worked as, among other things, a geologist and faith healer.

Parkin Court, Plympton – William Parkin (1801-1889) arrived in South Australia in 1839. After farming briefly at Willunga Parkin established a drapery in Adelaide. The business thrived, Parkin then becoming a shareholder in many local enterprises including the Advertiser. He was a member of the South Australian parliament for thirteen years in 1860-1877, and was a generous benefactor of the Congregational Church. The Parkin Theological College was named after him. Parkin bought 3.6 hectares (9 acres) at Plympton in 1858-59 and built Plympton House (sometimes called Parkin House). The striking home still stands; a reserve named in honour of Parkin and containing a bust of him is nearby.

Stonehouse Avenue, North Plympton – The Reverend George Stonehouse (1808-1871) was South Australia’s first Baptist minister, brought to the colony by businessman-philanthropist George Fife Angas. He farmed on section 2037 from 1845; Stonehouse Avenue runs along what was essentially the southern boundary of section 2037.

Wyatt Street, North Plympton – Dr. William Wyatt (1805-1886), a medical practitioner, arrived in South Australia in 1837 and went on to become, at various times, ; city coroner; inspector of schools; a visiting magistrate; honorary colonial naturalist; and a member of the Adelaide Hospital Board. The holder of a Preliminary Land Order, Wyatt was granted section 93, now part of North Plympton, in 1838. It appears Wyatt never lived at Plympton however; his home was Kurralta at Burnside.

MAYORS AND COUNCILLORS West Torrens has its share of streets named in honour of past mayors and councillors, among them:

Burt Avenue, Hilton – Alfred Burt (1877-1943), painter, represented Hilton ward in 1933-38, including two years as chair of the council.

Fewings Avenue, Brooklyn Park – John Fewings (b.1857), dairyman, represented Brooklyn ward on council in 1912-26.

Marjoram Place, Brooklyn Park – Richard Marjoram, gunsmith (arrived S.A. by 1862, died by 1912), represented Reedbeds ward in 1862-68.

Pearson Street, Hilton – Charles M. Pearson (c1822-1866), butcher, served on council in 1858, 1860 and 1861-65, including three terms as chair. 12

A grouping of streets at West Beach carries the names of some early members of the West Torrens council.

Davis Street – Abraham Davis (1796-1866) was a prominent pioneer settler, establishing Moore Farm on sections 220 and part 192 in 1838-39. (Davis was declared insolvent in 1861. In 1868 William Blackler purchased section 192, including the portion previously occupied by Moore Farm, with the intention of setting up a farming-grazing property. Six years later however Blackler created his Fulham Park stud on the site). Davis was chair of the West Torrens council from its inauguration in 1853 until 1859.

Foreman Street – John Foreman (c.1800-1882) was also a foundation member of the council in 1853, and again in 1854-55. He was a printer- compositor by trade.

Hector Street – John Hector (c.1788-1863) was a prominent early South Australian. An accountant, and first manager of the Savings Bank of South Australia, Hector was also a member of the first West Torrens council; indeed the council’s first meeting was held in his office at the Savings Bank. Hector served as auditor to the Corporation of Adelaide and was the first treasurer of the Glenelg corporation. Also a land agent, Hector is remembered in today’s suburb of Hectorville. It was Hector, incidentally, who sold the South Australian government the land upon which the Old Gum Tree stands.

Woodhead Street – John Woodhead (1797-1876) was a farmer at Plympton (section 2033) from about 1850 and a West Torrens councillor in 1856-57.

Also at West Beach is Charles Veale Drive, named in honour of C.R.J. Veale (1905-1970). Veale represented Hilton ward in 1939-45 and was mayor of West Torrens in 1945-53.

Several streets at Novar Gardens also carry the names of council identities. These include:

Bartlett Drive – Robert J. Bartlett (1903-1980) represented Morphett ward in 1947-53 and 1961-62 and was mayor in 1954-60.

Comley Court – Howard E. Comley (1906-1978) was a councillor in 1940-43 (Morphett ward), including 1941-43 as chair; he was West Torrens’ first mayor in 1944-45.

McLean Court – Arthur McLean (1883-1959) represented Plympton ward in 1934-39; he was council chair in 1939.

Stanford Avenue –Clifford Stanford (1887-1970) represented Brooklyn ward in 1927-32, the last year as council chair. The Stanford family has West Torrens links going back to Thomas Stanford (c.1803-1889), a market gardener in the Reedbeds area from the early 1870s.

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Also at Novar Gardens is Shephard Court, commemorating Vernon S. Shephard (1893-1976), for decades the chief executive officer of West Torrens.

POLITICIANS State and federal politicians are remembered in local street names.

The eastern portion of Marleston was designed in 1919 by Charles C. Reade (1880-1933), South Australia’s pioneer town planner. (Among his other South Australian projects Reade also designed parts of Kurralta Park and what was then Novar Gardens, now Glenelg North). The streets in Reade’s Marleston design were named after members of state cabinet at the time he was appointed to the task:

Anstey Crescent – E.A.Anstey was commissioner of crown lands and immigration and minister of repatriation in the Liberal Union –National Party coalition government of the day.

Barwell Avenue – H.N.Barwell, attorney-general, minister of industry.

Bice Street – J.G.Bice, chief secretary, minister of marine, minister of irrigation.

Harvey Street – William Harvey, minister of education, minister of mines.

Ritchie Terrace – George Ritchie, commissioner of public works, minister of railways, minister of agriculture.

Coneybeer Street is named after F.W.Coneybeer, speaker of the House of Assembly during the coalition years; Sir John Lancelot Stirling (Stirling Street) was president of the Legislative Council during the same period, and for many years besides. Nearby Peake Gardens is named in honour of the premier of the day, Archibald Henry Peake.

Other South Australian state or federal politicians recalled in local street names include:

Thomas H. Brooker (1850-1927), member of the House of Assembly for West Torrens 1890-1902 (Brooker Terrace, Hilton/Richmond).

Frederick William Holder (1850-1909), premier of South Australia 1892, 1899-1901, and the first speaker of the House of Representatives 1901-1909. K.C.M.G. 1902 (Holder Avenue, Richmond).

Charles Cameron Kingston (1850-1908), premier of South Australia 1893- 99, influential advocate of Federation, M.H.R. 1901-08, and minister of trade and customs 1901-1903 (Kingston Avenue, Richmond).

Alexander Poynton (1853-1935), M.H.A. (Flinders) 1893-1901 and M.H.R. (mainly for Grey) 1901-1922. Poynton briefly held several federal cabinet 14 portfolios, including periods as treasurer in 1916, minister for home affairs and territories, 1920-21, and postmaster-general, 1921-22. Poynton lived in the West Hilton area, very close to today’s Cowandilla, for about twelve years from 1913. (Poynton Street, Cowandilla).

Governors of South Australia are also remembered: Galway Avenue is named for Sir Henry Lionel Galway (1859-1949), governor in 1914-1920. The street, now included in North Plympton/Marleston, was part of Henry Allchurch’s 1918 Kurralta Park subdivision. Daly Street and Tennyson Street, Kurralta Park, recognise Sir Dominick Daly (1798-1868), governor in 1862-68, and Hallam, the second Baron Tennyson (1852-1928), governor in 1899-1902.

ABORIGINAL ORIGIN Like many areas of Adelaide, West Torrens is endowed with several street names of Aboriginal origin. Unfortunately very few of these names, in West Torrens and elsewhere, are derived from the language of the , the linguistic group originally occupying the Adelaide plain. In many cases it is difficult to specify to which language group particular street names belong. Indeed, given the sometimes limited skills of early translators the names may merely be inaccurately transcribed approximations of Aboriginal terms.

In addition, different sources sometimes offer variant meanings and spellings for phonetically identical, or near-identical, words.

Manning (Place Names of South Australia [1990], p.24) suggests that ‘ballara’ (Ballara Street, Mile End) means ‘camping ground’ in an (unnamed) Aboriginal language.

Manning also says that ‘daringa’ (Daringa Avenue, Mile End) means ‘place of birds and eggs’ (p.92), and that ‘wokurna’ (Wokurna Street, Plympton) is ‘to arrive’ (p.341), again both in uncited Aboriginal languages.

A.W. Reed (Aboriginal Place Names, [1998]) writes that ‘iluka’ (Iluka Street, Glenelg North) means ‘near the sea’ (p.44) and that ‘orana’ (Orana Avenue, Glenelg North) is ‘welcome’ (p.66).

H.M. Cooper (Australian Aboriginal Words and their Meanings [1962]) suggests that ‘berrima’ means ‘towards the south’ (p.8) and that ‘wongala’ means boomerang (p.38) (Berrima Street and Wongala Avenue, Glenelg North). Cooper also gives alternate meanings for ‘balara’ and ‘illuka’ (note the different spellings); he says the former means ‘good’ and that the latter refers to a native pine tree (pp.7, 13). In each case specific language groups are not given. There is a range of other West Torrens street names of Aboriginal origin. It would be appropriate if, with the participation of local indigenous groups, more specifically terms are included in future West Torrens street names.

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WAR REFERENCE Some street names recognise that West Torrens is part of a wider and sometimes turbulent world. Harry Watson (1862-1950), a long-time member and sometime chair of the West Torrens council, developed the subdivision of Speirsville in 1920. He named all three streets in Speirsville, now part of Plympton, in honour of Australian servicemen of the first world war. Eric Street and Wheaton Road, Plympton, commemorate Private Eric Reuben Wheaton (50th Battalion, Australian Infantry), son of Thomas and Eliza Wheaton of Plympton, who died of wounds in France in June 1917.

Clayton Avenue, Plympton, is named in honour of Private Vincent Theodore Clayton, an Australian Army driver killed in an accident at the Keswick Barracks in June 1920.

Watson named the third Speirsville street, Stanley Street, for his eldest son. Stanley Holm Watson (1887-1985) had an outstanding military career in the first world war, winning particular kudos as the designer and co-builder of ‘Watson’s Pier’, the first supply and evacuation point at Anzac Cove during the Gallipoli campaign. As officer commanding No.1 section, 2nd Australian Divisional Signal Company, Captain Watson also had responsibility for communication lines during the Anzac withdrawal of 18-19 December 1915. Watson offered outstanding service in France and Belgium in 1916-1918; he was promoted major in 1917, awarded the Military Cross (1916), the Distinguished Service Order (1919), and mentioned in despatches several times. In later life S.H.Watson became General Traffic Manager then Deputy Commissioner of the South Australian Railways. He became a Commander of the British Empire [C.B.E.] for services to transport in 1958.

Three streets at Glenelg North, part of the Golflands estate developed by the war service homes commission from 1952, recognise other South Australian heroes of war:

Mattner Avenue –In a four-month period in Belgium in 1917 Edward William Mattner (1893-1977), a member of the 6th Army Brigade, Australian Field Artillery, won the Military Medal, the Military Cross, and the Distinguished Service Order. Mattner was also promoted several times as a result of his outstanding war service. After the war he became a farmer at Balhannah. Mattner served briefly in the A.I.F. during the second world war, and was a senator for South Australia in 1944-46 and 1949-68; he was president of the senate in 1951-53.

McCann Avenue – William Francis John McCann (1892-1957) joined the 10th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, A.I.F. as a private in 1914. After service at Gallipoli McCann fought in France where he won the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross with Bar. By the end of the war McCann had been promoted to the rank of major. He was president of the state R.S.L. in 1925-31 and the South Australian Prices Commissioner in 1938-54. McCann was awarded the O.B.E. for public service (1935) and the C.M.G. (1954).

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Shannon Avenue – Although an Australian – he was raised in Bridgewater, South Australia, and was a grandson of Harry Watson, one-time chairman of the West Torrens council – David John Shannon (1922-93) served with the Royal Air Force during the second world war. In January 1943 while a member of 106 Squadron Flying Officer Shannon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In May 1943 he joined 617 Squadron and participated in Operation Chastise, the ‘Dambusters’ project; he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his role in the operation. In November 1943 and October 1944, still of 617 Squadron, now Squadron Leader Shannon was awarded Bars to his D.F.C. and D.S.O.. After marrying in England during the war Shannon settled there after 1945.

As a more general tribute to Australians who had served in war, in November 1924 the Bay Road, which had linked the city of Adelaide and Glenelg since the beginning of white settlement, was renamed Anzac Highway. The change was the culmination of several years of lobbying by the Anzac Highway Memorial League, a group made up largely of ex-service personnel. Anzac Highway was bituminised in the mid-1920s and in 1938-39 underwent a substantial redevelopment: the road was converted to a dual carriageway, with the addition of footpaths and a central plantation.

Not only Australian combatants are recognised in West Torrens street names.

Birdwood Terrace, North Plympton, commemorates General Sir William R. Birdwood (1865-1951), the British officer who commanded Australian troops in the first world war. Halsey Road, Fulham, recalls Admiral William F. (‘Bull’) Halsey (1882-1959). In October 1942 Halsey was appointed commander of American naval forces in the south Pacific; he became commander of the western Pacific Task Forces in June 1944 and was promoted to Fleet Admiral in 1945. Halsey retired from the U.S. navy in 1947.

Further, a grouping of streets at Fulham pays tribute to Australian and American participants in the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942):

Crace Road – Rear Admiral J.G.Crace commanded Task Force 17.3 (Support Group) in the Battle.

Fitch Road – Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch commanded Task Force 17.5 (Carrier Group).

Farncomb Road – Captain H.B.Farncomb commanded the ship Australia.

Good Street – Capt. Howard H. Good commanded the New Orleans.

Howden Road – Capt. H.L. Howden commanded the Hobart.

Hunter Street – Commander George P. Hunter commanded the Farragut.

Lowry Street – Capt. Frank J. Lowry commanded the Minneapolis.

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Phelps Court – the U.S.S Phelps was part of Task Force 17.5.

Portland Court and Portland Street – The U.S.S. Portland was a cruiser in Task Force 17.3.

Dewey Street – as was the Dewey;

Worden Street – the U.S.S. Worden was part of Task Group 17.6 (Fleet Train).

Warramunga Street at Fulham recalls the H.M.A.S Warramunga, a Royal Australian Navy destroyer that played an important support role in the south Pacific during the second world war. The ship, commissioned in 1942 and named after an Aboriginal tribal grouping based around Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, took a particularly significant part in the American campaign at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in late 1944. Admiral William Halsey was also heavily involved in that campaign: it is probably not coincidental that Halsey Road and Warramunga Street are adjacent to one another. The first H.M.A.S. Warramunga was decommissioned in 1959; a frigate of that name is currently in service in the R.A.N..

A street in West Torrens reminds us that the district was prey to the same anti-German xenophobia that engulfed Australia, and many other places, during the first world war. Beckman Street, Glandore, is named for a family that owned land in the vicinity from 1898. Heinrich Friedrich Beckmann (d.1932), a station hand, was the first of the Beckmanns to buy into the area; family members lived in Glandore until the mid-1930s. Until the first world war the family name was listed in the Sands and McDougall directories as ‘Beckmann’; during the war it became the more anglicised ‘Beckman’. Such name alterations were a not-uncommon practice among South Australians of German origin at this time. The family never publicly reverted to their original surname (although they remained as Beckmann on the state electoral rolls). Thus their namesake street, created in about 1918, became the technically incorrect but politically convenient Beckman Street.

The street names of West Torrens thus tell us much of the life and times of the district. Similar studies of other areas would reveal more interesting and important stories.

Paper written by Geoff Grainger West Torrens Historical Society January-February 2002.

From information supplied by the West Torrens Historical Society