James Henderson Howe (4 March 1839 – 5 February 1920), was a Scots-born mounted policeman, farmer and politician in

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 ...

History

Howe was born in

Forfar Forfar ( sco, Farfar, gd, Baile Fharfair) is the county town of Angus, Scotland and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town has a pop ...

, Forfarshire, Scotland, the son of James H. Howe and his wife Elizabeth, ''née'' Inverwick. and emigrated to South Australia at around age 17, and before age 18 was admitted to the mounted police force, a job which took him all over the colony, and introduced him to such explorers as John McDouall Stuart. He retired from the police force to go into 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 ...

, where he was associated with leading industrialist James Martin. In 1876 he took up farming at Mambray Park, and helped set up a Farmers' Association. Howe entered politics when a couple of vacancies arose 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 South Australian Legislative Council, Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament House in the st ...

seat of

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following the death of G. S. Kingston and the resignation of Charles Mann. Howe stood for the seat in conjunction with Alfred Catt; both were elected. He represented Stanley from 27 April 1881 to 1 April 1884; and Gladstone from 2 April 1884 to 24 April 1896. Howe was Commissioner of Public Works in the Downer Ministry from June 1885 to June 1887. He was also Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration in this period, when animosity between him and Professor Custance of

Roseworthy Agricultural College Roseworthy Agricultural College was an agricultural college in Australia. It was north of Adelaide and west of Roseworthy town. It was the first agricultural college in Australia, established in 1883. It is now part of the University of Adela ...

resulted in the latter's summary dismissal. He resumed the Crown Lands and Immigration portfolio in the Cockburn cabinet from June 1889 until May 1890, when he succeeded Thomas Burgoyne as Minister of Lands, holding that office till July 1890, when he resigned. Howe 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 South Australian House of Assembly, ...

for Northern District on 22 May 1897 and held that seat until 5 April 1918. 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 1886–1887. He was an old friend of

John Moule John Stuart Moule (born 29 May 1971) is the Warden of Radley College, and a former Head Master of Bedford School. Biography Born in Shrewsbury on 29 May 1971, John Moule was educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where he was a Scholar and ...

. He was particularly remembered for his work in establishing the

School of Mines A school of mines (or mining school) is an engineering school, often established in the 18th and 19th centuries, that originally focused on mining engineering and applied science. Most have been integrated within larger constructs such as mine ...

, and his life-long support of that institution. A son, Alexander Maxwell Howe (1878 – 14 August 1934), was one of its earliest graduates and went on to have a successful career in mining and metallurgy. He was a member of the Federal Convention in 1897, and is credited with making the age pension a Commonwealth responsibility. Howe died at his home of 30 years, "Mambray", Fifth Avenue, St. Peters, Adelaide on 5 February 1920; his wife Harriette, née Keynes, died there on 27 March 1908. They were survived by two sons and four daughters. His daughter Helen Gertrude Howe (1883–1953) married Udo Waldemar Seppelt (1879–1964), son of winemaker Benno Seppelt, on 26 October 1905.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howe, James Henderson 1839 births 1920 deaths Scottish emigrants to Australia Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Members of the South Australian Legislative Council People from Forfar