Dr John Woodforde (c. 1808 – April 1866) was a medical professional, one of the earliest settlers to the British colony of
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 ...
and its capital,
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 ...
.
History
Woodforde was born in
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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, a son of Dr John Woodforde
[ and his wife Harriet. He gained his medical qualifications in 1832 and sailed for South Australia aboard ''Rapid'', one of the "]First Fleet of South Australia
In 1836, at least nine ships in 1836 carried the first European settlers from England to the south coast of Australia for the establishment of the City of Adelaide and the province of South Australia.
Although not all of the ships sailed toge ...
", as surgeon to the survey party brought out by Colonel Light
William Light (27 April 1786 – 6 October 1839), also known as Colonel Light, was a British- Malayan naval and army officer. He was the first Surveyor-General of the new British Province of South Australia, known for choosing the site o ...
, arriving in August, 1836.
He continued to practice after the survey party dissolved, with his surgery on Hindley Street "opposite the old Blenheim Hotel".
He succeeded to the post of City Coroner with the death of George Stevenson JP (c. 1799 – 19 October 1856). He remained Light's personal physician, and with Dr. Edward Wright attended him in his final illness, and was one of his pallbearers.
In 1844, he was one of the founding members of the Medical Board of South Australia, and from 1849 to 1852 a medical officer at the Adelaide Hospital, resigning to concentrate on his private practice.
In 1847, he was one of the 65 proprietors of what became St Peter's College. At least two of his sons, however, were students at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution
Adelaide Educational Institution was a privately run non-sectarian academy for boys in Adelaide founded in 1852 by John Lorenzo Young.B. K. Hyams'Young, John Lorenzo (1826–1881)' ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 6, Melbourne Unive ...
(AEI).
He died aged around 57, leaving a widow Caroline and five children.
It is not likely that the Adelaide suburb of Woodforde was named in his honour.
Family
Woodforde married Caroline Carter (c. 1813 – 29 August 1878) on 18 August 1837. Carter arrived aboard Isabella in February 1837, having befriended the Hack family on the voyage. Their eight children included:
*William John (or John William) Woodforde (20 January 1841 – 4 June 1910) married Margaret Theresa Lennon on 20 July 1868. He was a member of Stuart's 1862 expedition but was dismissed for insubordination on account of his refusal to be parted with his greatcoat
A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the ...
.Thomas Shuldham O'Halloran
Thomas Shuldham O'Halloran (25 October 1797 – 16 August 1870) was the first Police Commissioner and first Police Magistrate of South Australia.
Early life
O'Halloran was born in Berhampore (now Baharampur) India, the second of eight sons of ...
, on 23 April 1862
*Caroline Annie Woodforde (c. 1844 – 22 August 1863)
*Frank Dudley Woodforde (6 April 1846 – 1 March 1907) was a prize-winning student at AEI 1854–1862 and was employed by the National Bank, later practiced as accountant. He married Jane Beckett in 1873, had five sons.
First Eight Ships website
Woodforde had a home on Hindley Street before moving to his property (Town acres 747 and 900) in North Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.
History
Surveyor-General Colonel William Light of the colo ...
.
Journal
Extensive extracts from Dr. Woodforde's "''Rapid''" Journal (May 1836 – April 1837) were published in 1894 by the ''Port Augusta Dispatch''
Echoes from the Past
(1894, July 13). ''The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle'' (SA : 1885 - 1916), p. 4. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via National Library of Australia.
Echoes from the Past.
(1894, July 20). ''The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle'' (SA : 1885 - 1916), p. 4. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via National Library of Australia.
District Council of Kanyaka.
(1894, July 20). ''The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle'' (SA : 1885 - 1916), p. 4. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via National Library of Australia.
Echoes from the Past.
(1894, August 3). ''The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle'' (SA : 1885 - 1916), p. 4. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via National Library of Australia.
Echoes from the Past.
(1894, August 10). ''The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle'' (SA : 1885 - 1916), p. 4. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via National Library of Australia.
“Paving the Way.”
(1894, August 10). ''The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle'' (SA : 1885 - 1916), p. 2. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via National Library of Australia.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodforde, John
1808 births
1866 deaths
19th-century Australian medical doctors
Australian coroners
History of Adelaide