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Sir Edwin Thomas Smith (6 April 1830 – 25 December 1919)
[ was an ]English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
-born 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 ...
n brewer, businessman, councillor, mayor, politician and philanthropist.
Early years
Smith was born on 6 April 1830 at Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield.
Walsall is th ...
, Staffordshire, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, the son of Edwin Smith. He was educated at Queen Mary's Grammar School
Queen Mary's Grammar School (QMGS) is a boys' grammar school with academy status located on Sutton Road, Walsall, England, about a mile from the town centre and one of the oldest schools in the country.
The sixth form is coeducational.
Admiss ...
, Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield.
Walsall is th ...
, and on leaving school had business experience with an uncle. When only 20 years of age Smith was taking part in local politics.
Emigration
In 1853 Smith emigrated 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 ...
aboard the ''California''[ and began business as an importer of ironmongery at ]Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, initially collaborating with his cousin James Alexander Holden
James Alexander Holden (1 April 1835 – 1 June 1887) was the businessman who founded the South Australian company which eventually produced the Holden automobile.
History
James Alexander Holden was born in Walsall (at that time in Staffordshire ...
.
On 25 June 1857 he married Florence Stock, daughter of Robert Stock of Clifton, England. They would have two surviving children before she died in 1862.
Brewer
In 1860 he went into partnership with Edward Logue's brewery on King William Street, Kent Town
Kent Town is an inner suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters.
History
Kent Town was named for Dr. Benjamin Archer Kent (1808 – 25 November 1864), a medical practitioner of Walsall, Sta ...
. When Logue died in 1865, Smith continued the business as Kent Town Brewery
Kent Town Brewery was a brewery in Kent Town, a suburb adjacent to the city of Adelaide on its eastern side, in South Australia. Its original name was Logue's Brewery, after its first proprietor.
History
The brewery was founded on King Wil ...
. In 1876 he moved the business to the south-eastern corner of Dequetteville Terrace and Rundle Street
Rundle Street, often referred to as "Rundle Street East" as distinct from Rundle Mall, is a street in the East End of the city centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs from Pulteney Street to East Terrace, where it becom ...
. In 1888 he amalgamated his business with that of William Knox Simms to form the South Australian Brewing Company
The South Australian Brewing Company, Limited is a brewery located in Thebarton, an inner-west suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is a subsidiary of Lion, which in turn is owned by Kirin, a Japan-based beverage company. It manufactures ...
.[Alison Painter,]
25 December 1897/1919 W.K. Simms and E.T. Smith
Professional Historians Association (South Australia)[Alison Painte]
26 September 1980 West End Brewery
Professional Historians Association (South Australia)
The malt towers of the old Kent Town Brewery have now been turned into luxury apartments overlooking the Adelaide Park Lands
The Adelaide Park Lands are the figure-eight of land spanning both banks of the River Torrens between Hackney and Thebarton and separating the City of Adelaide area (which includes both Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide) from the sur ...
and 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 Ad ...
.
Local government
Smith was Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of the Town of Kensington and Norwood during the years 1867–70 and 1871–73, and was afterwards elected to the Adelaide City Council. He served three terms as Mayor of Adelaide: in 1879–82, 1886–87 and 1887–88.
In the city council he was always anxious to improve the city and it was a result of his advocacy that Adelaide had its first tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
ways, King William Street was extended, and the Torrens Lake
The River Torrens , (Karrawirra Parri / Karrawirraparri) is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains. It was one of the main reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the ...
was formed.
Member of the House of Assembly
Smith entered parliament in 1871 as member for East Torrens
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
in 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 creat ...
, and except for a year while he was visiting England, continued to represent this constituency until he retired in 1893. Though an active member of parliament, he was not anxious for office, and only once was included in a government; he was Minister for Education in the Bray ministry from March to June 1884. He was, however, responsible for some useful legislation including a first offenders act, and he took a leading part in the promotion of the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition
The Adelaide International Jubilee Exhibition of 1887 was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne on 20 June 1837, held in Adelaide, South Australia in 1887. It was also a celebration of the 50th annivers ...
of 1887–88. For this and his other services to the colony, he was knighted () in 1888.
In 1894, he gave the city a bronze statue of Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
, which was placed in the geographic centre of Adelaide in the centre of Victoria Square.
Member of the Legislative Council
Smith was elected to 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 House of Assembly. It sits in Parli ...
as member for Southern Districts in 1894 and remained a member until 1902.[ During the whole of his parliamentary experience he never lost an election.
]
Other roles, retirement and death
Smith was the founding president of the Kensington and Norwood Institute
Norwood is a suburb of Adelaide, about east of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, whose predecessor was the oldest South Australian local government municipality.
History
Before British colonis ...
, and largely responsible for the funding of its building in 1876, now the heritage-listed Norwood Library on The Parade in Norwood. Other public benefactions included £2,000 to clear Norwood Oval's debt; £2,000 for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution; and £1,000 to start an insurance fund for the Commercial Travellers' Association. He was also a private benefactor to many other causes.
He was a regular churchgoer and for many years a deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
of Clayton Congregational Church, in Kensington
Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
.
He was a patron or office-bearer in many important Adelaide sporting organisations, including holding the presidency of the South Australian Cricket Association
The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) is the peak body for the sport of cricket in South Australia. The association administers the Southern Redbacks based in Adelaide. SACA is the controlling body for the South Australian Grade Cri ...
for about 30 years.
Smith retired from the active conduct of his business in 1888, and retired from parliament in 1902. In retirement he took a great interest in a large number of institutions, to which he gave both time and money. He was chairman of the national park commissioners, and a trustee of the Savings Bank of South Australia
The Savings Bank of South Australia was a bank founded in the colony of South Australia in 1848, based in Adelaide. In the early 20th century it established a presence in schools by setting up a special category of savings accounts for schoolch ...
. He was an active worker in the management of the Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution; the Adelaide Hospital; the Old Colonists' Association; the Elder workmen's homes; Adelaide Botanic Garden
The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a public garden at the north-east corner of the Adelaide city centre, in the Adelaide Park Lands. It encompasses a fenced garden on North Terrace (between Lot Fourteen, the site of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital ...
; and Adelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo is Australia's second oldest zoo (after Melbourne Zoo), and it is operated on a non-profit basis. It is located in the parklands just north of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It is administered by the Royal Zoologic ...
.
Smith died of a cerebral haemorrhage on 25 December 1919 at his home, "The Acacias", in the eastern suburb of Marryatville
Marryatville is a small suburb about east of Adelaide's central business district, in the local council area of City of Norwood Payneham St Peters. Comprising low- to medium-density housing, two large schools, a church and several shops, it ...
.[
]
Family
On 25 June 1857 he married Florence Stock (c. 1837 – 12 February 1862), daughter of Robert Stock of Clifton, England. They had two surviving children:
*Florence Ida Smith (1859–1932) married George Henry Dean in 1882
* S. (Sydney) Talbot Smith BA LLB (1861– 3 October 1948) married Florence Oliver Chettle in 1887
He married again in 1869 to Elizabeth Spicer ( – 6 June 1911). They had no further children.
Legacies
Norwood Football Club
When the Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed the Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club competing in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in the state of South Australia. Its home ground is Coopers Stadium (Norwood Oval), which i ...
decided in December 2005 to set up a "Hall of Fame", Smith was appointed one of the 10 non-playing inaugural members. "Sir Edwin Thomas Smith was patron of Norwood from the club’s first day in 1878 until his last, Christmas Day 1919". "More than any other individual, Sir Edwin ensured that the club built its early sporting life on solid foundations".Sir Edwin T. Smith KCMG
Hall of Fame, Norwood Football Club.
He is known to have discovered a small 2 ounce of gold at Norwood oval in 1902. Edwin donated it to the football club, as well as his old pair of red socks. Ever since, Norwood has been known as the Redlegs.
Adelaide Oval
The Sir Edwin Smith Stand at the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...
was named in his honour in 1922. One of the roads leading up to the Oval is Sir Edwin Smith Way.
The Acacias
Smith bought the property on the corner of Portrush
Portrush () is a small seaside resort town on the north coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It neighbours the resort of Portstewart. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, ...
and Kensington Roads, known as The Acacias, in 1878 and made extensive additions and alterations to it. Upon his death in 1919, his home became Loreto Convent, then later Loreto College, Marryatville.
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Edwin Thomas
1830 births
1919 deaths
People from Walsall
Members of the South Australian House of Assembly
Members of the South Australian Legislative Council
Australian brewers
Mayors and Lord Mayors of Adelaide
People educated at Queen Mary's Grammar School
English emigrants to Australia
Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Australian politicians awarded knighthoods
19th-century Australian businesspeople