![John Howard Angas 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/John_Howard_Angas_2.jpeg)
John Howard Angas (5 October 1823 – 17 May 1904) was an Australian pioneer, politician and
philanthropist.
Early life and education
John Howard Angas was the second son of
George Fife Angas
George Fife Angas (1 May 1789 – 15 May 1879) was an English businessman and banker who, while residing in England, played a significant part in the formation and establishment of the Province of South Australia. He established the South Aus ...
and his wife Rosetta née French. He was born in
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
. There were six siblings including
Sarah Lindsay Evans, temperance activist, and
George French Angas
George French Angas (25 April 1822 – 4 October 1886), also known as G.F.A., was an English explorer, naturalist, painter and poet who emigrated to Australia. His paintings are held in a number of important Australian public art collections. ...
, artist.
When around four years old, John was boarded out with a couple in
Hutton, Essex
Hutton is an area of Brentwood and former civil parish, now in the unparished area of Brentwood, in south Essex, England. It has good links to Central London (around to the south west) via Shenfield train station which is just from Hutton. Bren ...
where his parents were living. He later attended the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
for short time.
When 18 years of age, Angas was told by his father that he must prepare himself to go to
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
to take charge of his father's land in the
Barossa Valley
The Barossa Valley (Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in South Australia located northeast of Adelaide city centre. The valley is formed by the North Para River. It is notable as a major wine-producing region and tourist destina ...
. As part of his preparation he learned
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, so that he might be able to converse with the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
settlers and studied land surveying.
Career
He left England on 15 April 1843 and was still only in his twentieth year when he arrived in South Australia. The colony was in financial difficulties, and he needed all his courage, caution, and good judgment. With better times the estate began to pay, good
shorthorn cattle
The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late eighteenth century. The breed was developed as dual-purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however, certain blood lines within the breed always em ...
and
merino sheep
The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the breed ...
were purchased, and when his father arrived in 1851 it was realized that the property was now a valuable one.
In 1854, the younger Angas sailed to England on a holiday and on 10 May 1855 was married to Susanne Collins (c. 1834 – 14 April 1910) at
Bowdon near Manchester.
![Collingrove, Angaston](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Collingrove%2C_Angaston.jpg)
They returned in 1855 and settled at
Collingrove near his father's estate. Country life did not agree with Mrs. Angas however, and on their next visit to the England, she remained there, and for six years her husband lived alternately there and in South Australia, supervising his pastoral interests. A son
Charles Howard Angas
Charles Howard Angas (21 April 1861 – 11 December 1928) was a pastoralist in South Australia.
History
John Howard Angas (5 October 1823 – 17 May 1904) and Susanne Angas née Collins (c. 1834 – 14 April 1910) met and were married in England ...
was born at his grandmother's house in
Upper Clapton
Clapton is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Hackney.
Clapton is divided into Upper Clapton, in the north, and Lower Clapton to the south. Clapton railway station lies north-east of Charing Cross.
Geography and origi ...
, England, on 21 April 1861, and his sister Lilian Gertrude Angas on 13 December 1862. In May 1863, John and Susanne Angas returned to South Australia on the steamer ''Pera'', with their two infant children. The family was in England again in 1879 when news of the death of John's father George Fife Angas was received, and they immediately returned to South Australia.
When Angas was developing the land at Barossa, he had to make important decisions while quite young, and was a fine type of early pioneer. Like his brother,
George French Angas
George French Angas (25 April 1822 – 4 October 1886), also known as G.F.A., was an English explorer, naturalist, painter and poet who emigrated to Australia. His paintings are held in a number of important Australian public art collections. ...
, he had some talent as an artist, but the responsibilities thrown on him in early life prevented him from developing it to the same extent.
[
]
In the 1860s, Angas purchased from his father the fine residence "Prospect Hall" on Torrens Road at the corner overlooking the Park Lands (not to be confused with J. B. Graham's "Prospect House", aka "Graham's Castle" on Prospect Road, Prospect). which served as his home while parliament was sitting. He was anxious to preserve the amenity of the area, and went to some pains to dissuade tradesmen such as the Champion Brothers Francis Henry Champion (c. 1817 – 29 March 1902) and Richard Champion (c. 1802 – 17 January 1870) were soap makers in South Australia who in an important legal case were sued by a neighbouring property owner for odours produced in the practice o ...
from establishing disagreeable industries nearby.
He became a breeder of Hackney ponies, Shorthorn cattle
The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late eighteenth century. The breed was developed as dual-purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however, certain blood lines within the breed always em ...
and Merino
The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the bree ...
and Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
sheep, and is known to have paid as much as £1000 for a single ram
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* ...
. The prizes won by him at shows for livestock and wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
were numerous. He was a member of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society and its president from 1886 to 1888. In 1871, he was elected a member of the South Australian Legislative Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.
Overview
The House of Assembly was creat ...
for Barossa but resigned in 1875 on account of his health. In 1887, he re-entered politics as a member of the South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the South Australian House of Assembly, ...
and remained a member for seven years.
Philanthropy
He made numerous gifts to all kinds of charitable movements, religious institutions, and hospitals, and gave £10,000 to the University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
to found scholarships. Among his charitable giving, a lasting memorial to Angas was his endowment enabling the building of a house (one of 64) at Dr Barnardo’s Home, The Village Home, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex. It was known as John Howard Angas Cottage and for about 100 years was home, at any one time, to 12 of the children in Barnardo’s care. Angas Cottage was one of many houses at The Village to be demolished to make way for a Tesco Supermarket and its car park on Cranbrook Road, Barkingside.
Death
He died on 17 May 1904 and was survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Angas Chair of Chemistry
In 1884, Angas gave £6,000 to the University of Adelaide which, along with a "Covenant and Declaration of Trust", established a "Chair or Professorship of Chemistry".
The Angas Professors have been:
Notes
References
Sources
*''The Adelaide Register'', 18 May 1904
*E. Hodder, George Fife Angas
*
*Burke's Colonial Gentry, 1891.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Angas, John Howard
1823 births
1904 deaths
Australian philanthropists
19th-century Australian businesspeople
Members of the South Australian Legislative Council
Members of the South Australian House of Assembly
Settlers of South Australia
Adelaide Club
19th-century Australian politicians
Politicians from Newcastle upon Tyne
People from Hutton, Essex
19th-century philanthropists
English emigrants to colonial Australia