David James (1854 – 21 July 1926) was an Australian politician who represented the

South Australian House of 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 crea ...

multi-member An electoral system or voting system is a set of rules that determine how elections and referendums are conducted and how their results are determined. Electoral systems are used in politics to elect governments, while non-political elections m ...

seat of Wooroora from 1902 to 1918 for the

Australasian National League The National Defence League (NDL) was an independent conservative political party, founded in 1891 by MLC Richard Baker in South Australia as an immediate response to the perceived threat from Labor. Though renamed the Australasian National Lea ...

and the Liberal Union.

History

James was born in

Nantyglo Nantyglo () is a village in the ancient parish of Aberystruth and county of Monmouth situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Blaina and Brynmawr in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent. Governance An electoral ward in the same na ...

, Monmouthshire, Wales, son of Rees James and his wife Mary, and worked in the coal-mines as a youth. In 1877, after the death of his father, he emigrated to South Australia with his mother, sister, and brothers Edward and Evan aboard ''Lochee'', arriving in February 1877, and they settled in

Kapunda Kapunda is a town on the Light River and near the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was established after a discovery in 1842 of significant copper deposits. The population was 2,917 at the 2016 Australian census. The southern entrance ...

. He worked in various areas of the country as a contractor, and while sinking dams on Mount Gipps sheep-station, he and his mate Jim Poole were persuaded to join

Charles Rasp Charles Rasp, born Hieronymous Salvator Lopez von Pereira, Local Factbook > Charles Rasp">Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre > About Broken Hill > Local Factbook > Charles RaspAccessed 22 May 2014. (7 October 1846 – 22 May 1907) is known a ...

in pegging mineral claims on what would become

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. I ...

, the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mine. Led by

George McCulloch George McCulloch (February 22, 1792 – April 6, 1861) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. George McCulloch was born in Maysville, Kentucky. Upon the death of his p ...

, the "

Syndicate of Seven The Syndicate of Seven is the name given to the original members of the Broken Hill Mining Company formed in 1883, who lodged applications for mining leases along the Line of Lode at Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia. History The members, ...

" pegged further claims in the area and formed the Broken Hill Mining Company, later to become

Broken Hill Proprietary BHP Group Limited (formerly known as BHP Billiton) is an Australian multinational mining, metals, natural gas petroleum public company that is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was founded ...

. James sold half his share for £110; another quarter for £1800, but his remaining quarter share would entitle him to 500 shares in

BHP BHP Group Limited (formerly known as BHP Billiton) is an Australian multinational mining, metals, natural gas petroleum public company that is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was founded ...

. He returned to Kapunda, and was elected to the city council, serving as mayor 1888–1889 and 1900–1905, electing to have his mayoral allowance directed to local charities. He built a residence in the township, then in 1895 he purchased from James White a property "Albert Vale" which he renamed "Coalbrook Vale", around two miles from Kapunda on the Eudunda road. James was business partner with Rees Rees as owners of the H. B. Hawke & Co. engineering works of

from 1895 to 1903 when Rees became sole proprietor. In 1909 he became part-owner of the ''Kapunda Herald''. He was also known as a greyhound and racehorse owner and breeder; his dog Witchcraft sired many champions, and his horses include Auraria (

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Me ...

and VRC Victorian Oaks in 1895) and

, winner of the

Australian Cup The Australian Cup is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, held under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March ...

in 1894.

Family

On 19 February 1883 James married Emily Davies (c. 1856 – 19 March 1925), daughter of William Davies (died 13 April 1910) of Clydach, near Abergavenny, Wales. Their children include: *Alice Mary James (1886–1971) married Dr Walter Eugene Deravin (1878 – 28 June 1941) on 10 April 1907 *Edmund Rees James (1888–1952) married Marjorie Eulelia Bickford (1891–1971) of Kapunda in 1917. He was Lieut. James of 5th Reinforcements, 3rd Light Horse Regiment in 1915. She was a daughter of John Pepperell Bickford. *Emily Lois James (30 October 1891 – 31 March 1933) married Frank Kennington Taylor (1898–1980) of Walkerville He married again, to Ada Mullen (died 29 August 1949) in 1925. Ada was daughter of Kapunda saddler John Mullen (died 17 May 1890). Evan James (1859 – 21 September 1908) was a younger brother, builder and mayor of Kapunda. He married Catharine Elizabeth Meincke on 30 May 1882. Their children include: *David Ludwig James (1896–1954) of Kapunda served with

Australian Flying Corps The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until ...

in WWI, married Ada in 1925 *Philippa Myra Elizabeth "Myra" James (1894–1970) married Leslie John Miller in 1923 *Myfanwy James (1902– ) married Herbert Walter Trevena (died 1972) in 1934

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, David 1854 births 1926 deaths Members of the South Australian House of Assembly History of Broken Hill Mayors of places in South Australia

History

Family

See also

References