,1 • V -r Q=»<(3^Q=<(P^Q==<CP^Q=<Cr^Ci;:^Cr^Q=5{G^(l=<(?^t=<Cr^Cb=<C5^Ci=»sC3^<i==<Cr^Q=»s© ^ I I ^ I District Council of Enfield j ^> ^ J ^ 1 :■ ^ I J • . ^ ij ■ I^ ^ Historical Records | ' f I3 I 1853-1935 ®Qs:<(p<Q=»sC?^Q=^(j==^Q=s<Cr^Q==<Cr^Q==<(3=^G=^(j=^Q-^<P^ r ■it V;.' • 1. ,. ■ • ■' J ,v: ;.^ ;jir'\"- t!' } I . il ''■Mlr\. ■' ■ f ■ k ' ,1 7: M ' •T, . I ■'' .7 ■wrVj ' )./Z. W'V^ -. ■ .^\ % ■ i2?' ('• ;■* JU^ I 3 f •-iS ' '*''' (t A /f ■ ■' ■ ■ ' v/' ' . I / .. ■■ ^ , , 'i '<!:•'.■.' ■■•■;, ■■ : ' , %- . ■ 4^#^" ■■ .j;.^. '-i'- -. ■ ■ [' ■.y- ■■tl ■*' li' District Council of Enfield Historical Records 1853- 1935 NEW COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1935. Cr. J. Simcock, J.P, C-. A. H. Nelson Cr. T. Reece Cr. J, P. McArthur, J.P Cr. T. K. Shutter, J.P Chairman Cr. A. E. Walter, J.P Cr. T. W. Chesson R. A. Foote District Clerk DISTRICT COUNCIL of YATALA SOUTH Cr. W. H. Breynard 1934 Cr. C. W. Carrol, J.P. COUNCIL AND STAFF, 1935. Council. Chairman—Councillor T. K. Shutter. J.P. (Centre Ward). Councillor j. P. McArthur, J.P. (C'entre Ward). Councillor C. W. Carroll. J.P. (St)uth Ward). Councillor W. U. ISreynard (South Ward). Councillor .A. C. Q. Cray. J.P. (Xorth-Fast Ward). Councillor Duncan Fraser. J.P. (North-Fast Ward). Councillf)r Thomas Reece (Fast \^'ard). Councillor Jacob .Simcock. J.P. (East \\'ard). Councillor Thomas W. Chesson (West Ward). Councillor Carnet W. AVilson (W'est Ward). Staff. District Clerk and Overseer of Works: R. A. Foote. ■Assistant C^lerk and 1\v]nste: Miss A^. A'l. Natit)n. Rate Collector: T. M. M. Watt. Foreman of Works: J. J. Donaldson. Medical Officer of Health: C. R. AVest, M.R.. RS Atiditor: H. Cole, A.C.A. 7 The Origin of the District of Enfield HISTORIC RECOLLECTIONS. Yatala. "Yatala" was the name applied to the country north of the River Torrens. extcndine: from Port Adelaide to Tea Tree Gully. "Yatala" is taken from the native word "Yertalla," which, according to C. G. Teichelmann (an early T.utheran missionary), means "water running by the side of a river, inundation, cascade." Much of the country to which the name was applied was. and still is, subject to flooding by fresh and salt water. With the chan.ging of the names of the districts of Yatala North and "S'atala South, the name 'A'atala" is now preserved in the names of the Hundred immediately north of the River Torrens: and a suburb situated within the boundaries of the Port .Adelaide City Cotmcil. Klemzig. Tn .April, 1836. the Rev. .Augustus Kavel approached Mr. George hhfe .Angas at his London office on behalf of a number of German peo])le who desired to emigrate, had thou.ght of .South Australia as a suitable place to go. and requested his advice and assistance. It appeared that the union between the Reformed and l.utheran Churches in Prussia ha\ing iieen adopted nearly everywhere in 1817. the Government had prepared and desired to establish uniform re.g'ulations for worsliip. The new liturgy was introduced by Cabinet order in 1822, but it jirovcd unacceptable on points of doctrine to many Lutberans. and its use was resisted. .After much contention a new edition of the liturgy was issued in 1829. and its adoption made imperative from June. 1830. As opposition continued coercion was resorted to, recalcitrant ministers were imprisoned or banished, places of worship taken forcible possession of. fines inflicted, police supervision enforced, and the people represented bv Pastor Kavel. amon.g others, unable to endure the sj^stem'of petty tyranny, determined to seek fresh homes where they might worship according to the dictates of their own conscience." As told to Mr. Ang-as the tale fell c)n sympathetic ears. He was full of South .Australia at the time, having just dispatched the first three vessels; hut as the would-be emigrants were unable to paj' their passage mone}'. the South Australian Company, of which Mr. Angas was managing director, could not undertake their cause. Thus it was that Mr. .Angas took the personal responsi bility of settling the emigrants in .South Australia, and on November 16th, 18,38, the "Prince George" arrived with about two hundred Germans on board, in charge of Mr. Flaxman, representing Mr. Angas, rvhom he subsequently compromised and nearly ruined by his unauthorized land purchases, which afterwards brought his principal to South .Australia and proved extremely valuable. Flaxman settled the "Prince George" party a few miles east of Adelaide on the Torrens at Klemzig, which they named in remembrance of their Prussian home. Pastor Kavel, who also came out in the "Prince George," here established the first Lutheran Church in South .Australia, and within five months of the establishment of the settlement, more than thirty cottages were built of mud and roofed with brushwood. .All these houses, including the church, were built on Felixstowe Road, and the old T.utheran cemetery was situated a little to the east of the settlement. The memorials on the graves were constructed of wood and have long since rotted away, leaving practically no t)Utward signs of the existence of this old historical cemetery. Gardening was the chief occupation of these pioneers, and using water from the Torrens, they soon established one of the principal gardening districts in the metropolitan area. The name "Felixstowe" originated from one of the old preliminary sections adjoining Klemzig, which was acquired by the late Rev. Thomas Quinton Stow 'fi rst congregational minister in South .Australia). It was named by him after a village in .Suffolk, his native county, and means "Happy Place." It may be of interest to note here that the native name applied to the River Torrens was "Karrawirrapari,' which means "River of the Redgum Forest." Following the outbreak of the Great War, the name of the Klemzig township was changed to Gaza, and the adjoin ing section on the west side, known as Heidelburg, was 10 re-naiiK'd Kohandilla. It is interesting" to note that the Government has recently intimated that it proposes to restore the old historical name of Klemzig, together with other towns founded by German pioneers. Enfield. Ifntield was originally known as "Poor Man's Section" for a reason that is rather interesting. In the early days, when South Australia was severely afflicted with a financial depression, employment became very difficult to obtain, and many settlers were compelled to olitain Government relief. Instead of applying to the Government for rations, a small band of industrious men exerted their spirits of independence by taking up a section of land about four miles north of .\delaide. The district at this time was thick with native pines, and the land was considered to be particularly good. The men lived in dug-outs and obtained casual eiuployment from Charles hfi-ench l"-olland. senr., Edmund Bowman, and lolin Ragless, senr. One of the proprietors of "Poor Man's Section" was Mr. M. Hecose, a vendor of cordials in Adelaide, and the name of the section was later changed to Enfield, after the birth place of Mr. Mecose, a small town near London. The .'Vngmering Section (Enfield Park) was taken up by john Ragless, senr., and his seven sons in 1839, and in 1840 •'.Vngmering House," the first house north of Adelaide, was built on the Great North Road. This road, now known as the Main North Road, from the River Torrens to Enfield, was blazed mainly by the Ragless family. Mr. Ragless, senr., a pitsawyer, was born on July 14th, 1791, at Angmering, a small country town in Sussex, and ai rived in the barcjue "Eden" on June 24th, 1838. Having" brought his jjitsaws with him. he supplied timber for the earlv buildings in Adelaide, and in fact he cut timber from this' section for over forty years Some of the timber used in the construction of the first (lovernment House \\"as taken from this section. His eldest son, John Ragless, junr., built a flour mill at Gepps Cross in 1846, and he supplied the district for over twelve years and sent large fiuantities of flour to X'ictoria 11 k ■■V' rtJ. JOHN RAGLESS, Junr. ANDREW W. SHILLABEER Member of the first Council, 1853, and second Chairman of the Council for fourteen consecutive Chairman of the District, 1855. years, 1908-1922. during- the gold rush. It was while at (lepps Cross that lohn Ragless, junr., gave Ridle}' valuahle assistance in the design ing of the first reaping machine. Ridley was elected to the District Council of Yatala in 1862. Ragless, junr., was a member of the first District Council of Yatala and was the second Chairman of the Council. In 1875 he rebuilt Angmering House, which is situated on the Main North Road and adjoins the Council property on the north side. The house i.s at present occupied by a son of John Ragless. The land on which the Enfield Institute is built, was presented to the Institute Trust by John Ragless. In 1932 the Council changed the name of First Avenue, Enfield Park, to ''Ragless" .-Vvenuc in honour of the Ragless family. Charles French Eolland. senr., arrived in South Australia in January, 1839, from Devonshire, and after living for three years at Pennington Terrace, North .Adelaide, he moved to Pine h'orest, Enfield. It was from this property that the first piles used in the Port River were obtained. Mr. Eolland was a member of the Council for several years, and was Chairman in 1864.