Benjamin Mendes da Costa (17 July 1803 - 26 November 1868) was an English merchant and philanthropist. Da Costa was born in

Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...

, London, to Benjamin Mendes da Costa and his second wife, Louisa. Although da Costa's father was a Jew, the children of his second marriage were brought up as members of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

. In July 1840, da Costa emigrated to the newly settled colony of South Australia, becoming a successful merchant on

Hindley Street Hindley Street is located in the north-west quarter of the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs between King William Street and West Terrace. The street was named after Charles Hindley, a British parliamentarian and soc ...

. He acquired of land in the city centre, as well as fifteen country sections. He was elected to the committee of the Merchant's Institute, and became good friends with the colonial chaplain, James Farrell, and Bishop Augustus Short. Da Costa left the colony in 1848, returning to London. He died of lung cancer in November 1868. In his will, da Costa bequeathed his South Australian landholdings to

St Peter's College, Adelaide , other_name = The Collegiate School of St Peter , seal_image = St Peter's College, Adelaide Logo.svg , seal_size = 150 , image = SPSC chapel and memorial hall.jpg , image_size ...

. The estate was subject to the life interests of ten relations; the last died in 1910 upon which time the property was vested in the school. St Peter's has named a hall, a

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

and a scholarship in his honour.

References

Settlers of South Australia 1868 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in England People from Enfield, London 1803 births English people of Portuguese-Jewish descent {{Australia-bio-stub