Pirie Street Wesleyan Church where he was an active member for over 50 years.
Political career
In 1859 Colton was elected a member of the
Adelaide City Council, and on 17 November 1862 was returned to 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 ...
for
Noarlunga, at the head of the poll.
On 3 November 1868 he became commissioner of public works in the
Strangways ministry, but when this cabinet was reconstructed in May 1870 he was omitted. He was
Mayor of Adelaide 1874–5, and on 3 June 1875 joined the second
Boucaut ministry as
Treasurer of South Australia
The Treasurer of South Australia is the Cabinet minister in the Government of South Australia who is responsible for the financial management of that state's budget sector. The Urban Renewal Authority, trading as Renewal SA, lies within the T ...
, but he resigned in March 1876. On 6 June he formed his first ministry as premier and commissioner of public works. His ministry lasted until 26 October 1877, when it resigned after a constitutional struggle with the upper house, which had not been consulted about the new parliamentary buildings. The government, however, had succeeded in passing a liberalized crown lands consolidation bill, and a forward policy of public works in connexion with railways and water supply had been carried out.
Colton might have been premier again in June 1881, but stood aside in favour of
Bray. On 16 June 1884 he became premier and chief secretary in his second ministry, which in the following twelve months passed some very useful legislation, including a public health act, an agricultural crown land act, a pastoral land act, a vermin destruction act and a land and income tax act. The ministry was defeated on 16 June 1885. Seldom had a ministry done so much in so short a time, but Colton was prostrated by overwork and was compelled to live in retirement for some months. On his return to parliament he attempted to lead the opposition, but an attack of paralysis finished his political career and he resigned from parliament in January 1887.
Later years
Colton paid a visit to England and regained some of his health. Henceforth, he gave much of his time to philanthropic work. It was said of him that no society or charitable institution ever appealed to him in vain for either financial or personal assistance, if they could show that their aims were worthy. He took a great interest in
Prince Alfred College
, motto_translation = Do Brave Deeds and Endure
, established = 1869
, type = Independent, single-sex, day & boarding
, headmaster = David Roberts
, chaplain = Reverend ...
, and was its treasurer for many years, and was for a time chairman of the board of management of the Adelaide hospital. He was a great advocate for temperance and retained his interest in the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
Church throughout his life.
He was created on 1 January 1891. He died in
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 ...
on 6 February 1902.
Family
On 4 December 1844, Colton married
Mary Cutting (December 1822 – 30 July 1898) who, as "Lady Colton", is remembered as a philanthropist and suffragist. Their family included:
*John William Colton (20 January 1848 – 26 December 1906), partner with brother Alfred, later managing director of Harrold, Colton & Co.
*Alfred Cutting Colton (c.1854 – 29 July 1919) married Eliza Bosisto "Lizzie" Stirling (died 19 March 1947), daughter of George Stirling and niece of
Joseph Bosisto
Joseph Bosisto CMG, MLA JP (21 March 1827 – 8 November 1898), was a chemist and politician in colonial Victoria, Australia.
Background
Bosisto was the son of William Bosisto and Maria née Lazenby, of Cookham, Berkshire, and was born on 21 M ...
CMG (died 8 November 1898), on 10 February 1887, lived at
Lorne, Victoria
Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route. Lorne is in the Surf Coast Shire and at the had a population of 1,114 but ...
, then retired to
Elsternwick, Victoria
Elsternwick is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Glen Eira local government area. Elsternwick recorded a population of 10,887 at the 2021 ...
, where his brother-in-law, Dr. Robert A. Stirling (1855–1928), had a practice.
:*John Stirling Colton (23 May 1888 – 12 April 1951) married Dorothy Isabel Hawkes in 1914
::*John Blackler Colton (1 August 1918 – 21 December 1996)
*Elizabeth Mary "Bessie" Colton (24 October 1856 – 9 September 1870)
*Edwin Blackler Colton (4 May 1859 – 19 August 1916), solicitor of Adelaide, married Emily Gardner Wallace (died 3 January 1922) in 1884
*Ellen Hannah Colton (18 October 1863 – 12 February 1946) lived with her father in Hackney
*Frank Septimus Colton (25 May 1865 – 22 August 1902) was a medical practitioner in England
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Colton, John
1823 births
1902 deaths
English emigrants to colonial Australia
Mayors and Lord Mayors of Adelaide
Premiers of South Australia
Australian Methodists
Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Australian politicians awarded knighthoods
Members of the South Australian House of Assembly
Leaders of the Opposition in South Australia
Treasurers of South Australia
Burials at West Terrace Cemetery
19th-century Australian politicians