J. & D. Shearer was an engineering and farm machinery manufacturer based in
Mannum
Mannum is a historic town on the west bank of the Murray River in South Australia, east of Adelaide. At the 2016 census, the urban area of Mannum had a population of 2,398. Mannum is the seat of the Mid Murray Council, and is situated in the ...
between 1882 and 1912, founded by John (1845–1932) and David Shearer (1850–1936), and continued separately as John Shearer & Sons of
Kilkenny, South Australia
Kilkenny is an inner north-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt. It is named after Kilkenny ( Cill Chainnigh), Ireland.
History
Before the colonisation of South Australia in 1836, the land now ...
, and David Shearer & Co. (later David Shearer Ltd.) of Mannum.
History
John and David Shearer were two of a family of six children born to Peter Shearer (c. 1808 – 31 July 1891) and his wife Mary (c. 1814 – 28 May 1908) in
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
. The family migrated to South Australia in the ''Omega'', arriving in South Australia on 24 August 1852, living first at
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...
, where their father pursued his trade of stonemason, then at
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
,
where the youngest boys attended the local school.
At the age of twelve David left to work on a property at
Hoyleton, and after two years enrolled with J. S. Cole's
Stanley Grammar School
Stanley Grammar School was a private day and boarding school in Watervale, a small town in South Australia's Clare Valley. Its history, which dates from 1858 to 1904, is inextricably linked with that of its founder and headmaster, Joseph S. Co ...
in
Watervale for a year's tuition; the fees paid for out of his savings. He then worked for two years at his brother William's blacksmith shop at
Leasingham
Leasingham is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated less than north from Sleaford, and just off the A15. The hamlet of Roxholm lies to the north. When combined with Rauceby figures, ...
. At age 18 he went to work in W. Patterson & Co.'s foundry in Clare. When that business failed he moved to the other end of town where
J. G. Ramsay of
Mount Barker had a workshop.
.
John served his apprenticeship with
J. G. Ramsay, a farming implement merchant and manufacturer of
Mount Barker and in 1876 set up a workshop and smithy in
Mannum
Mannum is a historic town on the west bank of the Murray River in South Australia, east of Adelaide. At the 2016 census, the urban area of Mannum had a population of 2,398. Mannum is the seat of the Mid Murray Council, and is situated in the ...
, where David joined him in 1877, repairing farm equipment and paddle-steamers. Between 1877 and 1904 they designed and manufactured agricultural equipment. In 1888 they started manufacture of a wrought ploughshare using a resilient grade of steel developed for him by Meadow's company in England. A similar steel, "Resiflex" was produced by
BHP Steel in the 1920s. He invented a stump-jumping plough which he manufactured from 1884.
The company John Shearer and Sons was registered in 1923.
A visitor to the business in 1908, and again in 1910 with a parliamentary committee, said the company had trouble keeping up with demand for their products. He noted
strippers made by the firm were lined up outside the factory on the banks of the
Murray
Murray may refer to:
Businesses
* Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles
* Murrays, an Australian bus company
* Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust
* D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...
awaiting shipment by paddle steamer and barge.
In 1904 the two partners, each wishing to concentrate on their own specialities, separated as far as manufacturing was concerned, then dissolved their partnership in 1910.
Other interests
![1898 Shearer steam car](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/1898_Shearer_steam_car.jpg)
*In 1898 David Shearer built Australia's first motor car. Steam powered, it had a horizontal boiler with a working pressure of made by his nephew J. A. Shearer. The engine weighed 2 cwt, and developed 20 horsepower and in 1900 travelled from Mannum to Adelaide and return without problem and was shown at the exhibition of the South Australian Chamber of Manufactures.
[
*David Shearer served on the Mannum District Council for 40 years. He was a member of the institute committee, the hospital building committee, Progress Association, and Bowling Club and Rifle Club. He took a great interest in astronomy, and became a member of the British Astronomical Society in 1907. His private observatory built at his home in Mannum was fitted with a five-inch O.G. ]refractor
A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens (optics), lens as its objective (optics), objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptrics, dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope d ...
.[
]
Family
Peter Shearer (c. 1808 – 31 July 1891) and Mary née Kirkness (c. 1814 – 28 May 1908) had five sons and one daughter:
*second son James Shearer (1840 – 19 February 1936) married Mary Carlin (c. 1865 – 10 January 1927) on 29 December 1868. He was a wagon maker in Yongala, then worked constructing the railway between Hergott Springs and Oodnadatta
Oodnadatta is a small, remote outback town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia, located north-north-west of the state capital of Adelaide by road or direct, at an altitude of . The unsealed Oodnadatta Track, an outback road ...
, finally with his brothers David and John in Mannum. They had no children, lived at Harvey Street, Woodville.
*William Pottinger Shearer (5 July 1842 – 21 April 1903) married Martha. blacksmith of Coobowie in 1879, farmer with David 1879. They had three sons and two daughters.
*John Shearer (9 September 1845 – 9 August 1932) married Mary Jane Watkins (c. 1856 – 9 February 1942) on 15 July 1871. Home 84 Wilpena Tce, Kilkenny.
:*Ethel Mary Shearer ( – ) married Samuel Winwood ( – ) on 7 March 1901
:*John Albert Shearer ( – ) married Emily Larritt ( – ) on 18 January 1899. He was a founding partner in John Shearer and Sons 1923, and worked on his uncle David's pioneering motor car.
::*John Redvers Dundonald Shearer ( – ) married Hilda Mary Gask ( – ) on 12 October 1925 He was founding partner in John Shearer and Sons 1923.
:*Elsie Jean Shearer (c. 1880 – 4 April 1950) married Henry Guy Mildred (13 March 1874 – 24 May 1951), a son of Henry Hay Mildred
Henry Hay Mildred (17 August 1839 – 25 December 1920) was a lawyer and politician in the colony and State of South Australia.
History
Henry was born in Strangways Terrace, North Adelaide, just two years after the arrival in South Australia of ...
, on 3 May 1900. They lived in Tasmania.
:*Myra E. Shearer ( – ) married Tasmanian dentist H. Briner McChristie ( – ) on 6 September 1900
:*Annie Isabel Shearer ( – ) married James Loden ( – ) on 21 September 1904
:*John Albert Shearer ( – 31 January 1935) married Emily; home 78 Wilpena Tce. Kilkenny. He was a founding partner in John Shearer and Sons 1923.
:*Alwyn Huxley Shearer ( – ) married Rita Monteith on 23 April 1912. He was a founding partner in John Shearer and Sons 1923.
:*Thomas Leslie Shearer ( – 27 May 1944) married Elsie Moisella Mary Jane ( – 28 February 1954), lived at Wellington Square, North Adelaide. He was a founding partner in John Shearer and Sons 1923.
*David Shearer (7 November 1850 – 15 October 1936) married Mary Elizabeth Williams (c. 1856 – 11 July 1931) on 28 February 1883. They had 2 sons & 1 daughter.
*Margaret Shearer (13 March 1856 – 13 June 1946) married Ernest Emil Alexander Schulze ( – c. 18 August 1941) on 16 July 1877, lived at Yongala
Legacy
*David Shearer's steam car
A steam car is a car (automobile) propelled by a steam engine. A steam engine is an external combustion engine (ECE) in which the fuel is combusted outside of the engine, unlike an internal combustion engine (ICE) in which fuel is combusted ins ...
, also known as the Shearer Steam Car, was built in Mannum and completed in 1899. In 1900 it was driven to Adelaide city centre
Adelaide city centre (Kaurna: Tarndanya) is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Ade ...
and back. It was the third steam car to be built in Australia. It was presented by his grandson, Peter W. Shearer, to the people of South Australia in November 1975. It has been restored, and is an exhibit at the National Motor Museum, Birdwood
The National Motor Museum, formerly also known as The Old Mill and Birdwood Mill after its initial location, is an automobile museum in the Adelaide Hills in the township of Birdwood, South Australia.
History
The museum was started by Jack Ka ...
. The design of the perpetual trophy for the winners of the "Concours d’Elegance" is based on the car, and held at the museum.
*The John Shearer Memorial Gates and the David Shearer Sports Park, both in Mannum, were named for the two brothers.
Sources
*Cumming, D. A. and Moxham, G. ''They Built South Australia'' Published by the authors 1986
*Joyce Gibberd, 'Shearer, David (1850–1936)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/shearer-david-8526/text14767, accessed 26 July 2013.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shearer, J and D
Manufacturing companies of Australia