John Darling, Jr. (24 January 1852 – 27 March 1914) was a Scottish 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 businessman and politician. He was a member of 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 ...
from 1896 to 1905, representing the electorates of
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 ...
(1896-1902) and
Torrens (1902-1905). He was
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
from 1902 to 1904.
After leaving politics, he was chairman of the board of directors of
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 ...
from 1907 to 1914.
Early life and business
Born in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, Scotland, the eldest son of
John Darling Sr., on 24 January 1852, Darling 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 ...
with his parents and brother, arriving 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 ...
early in 1855.
He was educated at the Pulteney Street School (later
Pulteney Grammar School
Pulteney Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, private day school. Founded in 1847 by members of the Anglican Church, it is the second oldest independent school in South Australia. Its campuses are located on South Terrace ...
) and at the age of 14 started work in his father's business.
In 1872 he was brought into partnership in his father's business, renamed
John Darling & Son. His father retired in October 1897, leaving him in sole control. Under his control, the company purchased the Eclipse flour mills,
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 ...
, and the goodwill of
J. Dunn and Co. in ???. He founded a hay-compressing business in
Gawler
Gawler is the oldest country town on the Australian mainland in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about north of the ...
, near the railway station. He became a director of
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 ...
in 1892 and was chairman of directors from 1907 to 1914.
[ He was on the local directorates of several insurance and mining companies with head offices in ]London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, a director of the National Mutual
AMP is a financial services company in Australia and New Zealand providing superannuation and investment products, financial advice, and banking products (through AMP Banking) including home loans and savings accounts. Its headquarters is in ...
Assurance Society, Victoria and the Port Adelaide Dock Company. He was an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Shipowners' Association, and the South Australian Employers' Union.[
]
Politics and social
Darling was part of 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 ...
(previously National Defence League) and represented 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 ...
the 1896 election to the 1902 election, and after a boundary redistribution, Torrens until the 1905 election.[ He served as eleventh ]Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
. He was involved in the reconstruction of the Ministry following the retirement of the Hon. J. G. Jenkins, and when (later Sir) Richard Butler took office in 1905 prior to the election.
He was proud of his Scottish heritage; he was a member of the Caledonian Society of South Australia
The Royal Caledonian Society of South Australia was founded in Adelaide in 1881 as the South Australian Caledonian Society to promote Scottish culture and traditions in South Australia.
History
Foundation members included A. W. Dobbie and Patric ...
, and its Chief 1904–1907.
Family
Darling married Jessie Dowie (1852 – 23 November 1915), cousin of the evangelist John Alexander Dowie
John Alexander Dowie (25 May 18479 March 1907) was a Scottish-Australian minister known as an evangelist and faith healer. He began his career as a conventional minister in South Australia. After becoming an evangelist and faith healer, he im ...
and aunt of the sculptor John Dowie (artist)
John Stuart Dowie AM (15 January 1915 – 19 March 2008) was an Australian painter, sculptor and teacher. His work includes over 50 public sculpture commissions, including the "Three Rivers" fountain in Victoria Square, "Alice" in Rymil ...
on 14 October 1875 and lived at "Lynton", Kent Terrace, Norwood. Their children included:
*Jessie Isabel Darling (1876–1907)
*Alexander John Darling (1878–1896)
*Elsie Darling (1880–1891)
*Florence Darling (1883– ) married Frederick Young, M.P. for Stanley
Stanley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Film and television
* ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film
* ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy
* ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short
* ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
, later Agent-General for South Australia.
*Harold Gordon Darling
John Darling and Son was an Australian wheat merchant and flour milling company founded in Adelaide, South Australia, for many years the largest in Australia.
It was founded by John Darling Sr. (1831–1905), a businessman of Scottish origin, ...
(1885 – 26 January 1950) became head of John Darling & Son and chairman of BHP.
*Gertrude "Gertie" Darling (1887–1968)
*Grace Darling (1889–1964)
*Leonard Darling (1891–) lived in UK from 1911 and served in World War I. His son Leonard Gordon Darling (1921 - 31 August 2015, born in London, England) served in World War II, reaching the rank of captain, became a director of 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 ...
in 1953 and chairman of John Darling & Son in 1963. He was a founding patron of the National Portrait Gallery.
*Norman Darling (1893–1964) became director of John Darling & Son in 1953.
He died in a Melbourne private hospital on 27 March 1914. He had been in that city a few days to chair a meeting of 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 ...
, when he took ill. His estate was valued at £1,694,500.
A brother, James Darling (2 September 1857 – 19 March 1929) married Jessie's sister Elizabeth "Bessie" Dowie (24 September 1862 – 12 June 1896) on 26 October 1882; had son Arthur Garfield Darling in 1883, daughter Ruth Darling in 1885. He purchased Glenaroua Station in Victoria from Thomas Singleton in 1901, then moved to Carnamah, Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
and became the largest landowner in the region, passed to son Arthur. Later lived at 41 Riversdale Road, Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Boroondara local government area. Hawthorn recorded a population of 22,322 at the 2021 census.
Glenferrie ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darling, John, Jr.
1852 births
1914 deaths
Politicians from Edinburgh
Scottish emigrants to Australia
Australian flour millers and merchants
Leaders of the Opposition in South Australia
Members of the South Australian House of Assembly
19th-century Australian businesspeople
BHP people