Thomas Burgoyne (10 June 1827 – 23 March 1920) was a builder and politician in the early days of the 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 ...

History

Burgoyne was born at Goab Farm (now, "The Gobe"), in the parish of Glaestrae (now,

Gladestry Gladestry ( cy, Llanfair Llythynwg) is a small village and community in Radnorshire, Powys, mid-Wales, close to the border with England at the end of the Hergest Ridge and south of the large moorland area of Radnor Forest. People living in Gl ...

Radnorshire , HQ = Presteigne , Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin = , Status = historic county, administrative county , Start ...

, Wales. He emigrated to South Australia, arriving on the ''Royal Sovereign'' in 1849. He set up business as a builder in

Grote Street Grote Street is a major street running east to west in the western half of Adelaide city centre, in Adelaide, South Australia. It is on the northern border of Chinatown and the Adelaide Central Market, and is a lively centre for shopping and r ...

, but in 1852 joined the gold rush to

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. He returned around 1856 and moved to

Port Augusta Port Augusta is a small city in South Australia. Formerly a port, seaport, it is now a road traffic and Junction (rail), railway junction city mainly located on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf immediately south of the gulf's head and about ...

, which was then being settled by pastoralists. He soon had a thriving business as architect, surveyor, and builder, employing around a hundred workers. He erected the first permanent building in the township as well as numerous head stations, woolsheds and the like. In 1868 he became surveyor to the Northern Road Board, and in 1875 was appointed town clerk of the

Corporate Town of Port Augusta The City of Port Augusta is a local government area located at the northern end of Spencer Gulf in South Australia. It is centred on the town of Port Augusta. The city was the site of South Australia's main power supplier, the Port Augusta p ...

, a position he held until 1879. He founded the Port Augusta ''Dispatch'' and edited that paper for three years. He was elected councillor and in 1881 was elected mayor of Port Augusta. 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 1884 to 1915, representing

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until 1902 and

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thereafter. In 1887 he was a member of the Railway Commission and the Defence Select Committee; he was Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration (1889–1890), Commissioner of Public Works in 1890, and Minister of Agriculture and Education for seven days in 1899. He had a reputation in Parliament as a logical, sound and persuasive debater, with great faith in the future of South Australia. He retired to his home at George Street Norwood, later moved to 83 Fullarton Road,

Fullarton Fullarton is a small area in Irvine, North Ayrshire. It is situated close to Irvine Bay and is next to several industrial estates, large supermarkets and retail stores and the town centre itself. Stagecoach Western buses operate the local bus s ...

Family

His first marriage was to Jane Lewis (c. 1827) in England, on 19 August 1848, which resulted in eleven children and ended in divorce in 1871. *Twin sons, William and Arthur Burgoyne (c. 1849–1849) were born aboard ''Royal Sovereign''. *Mary Jane Burgoyne (1850–1854). *Emma Burgoyne (1852 – 19 April 1884) married James Loudon, of Booboorowie, on 6 February 1883. *Frederick Lewis Burgoyne (1853–1854) married Ellen Gardiner on 15 September 1883 *William Ferrier Burgoyne (1855–1858). *Frederick George Burgoyne (1856–1890). *Mary Elizabeth Burgoyne (1857–1857). *Florence Jane Burgoyne (1858) married James Fabian Phillips on 3 July 1880. *Frank Herbert Lewis Burgoyne (1860– ) married Ellen Gardiner ( –1929) in 1883 *Thomas Harold Burgoyne (1862–1862). He married again, to Julia Frances Cotter (c. 1847 – 20 September 1909) on 30 September 1871. They had four sons: *George Cotter Thomas Burgoyne (25 February 1875 – 1901) *Geoffrey Lauderdale Burgoyne (30 April 1877 – ), editor of the Adelaide '' Daily Herald'', ''

The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...

'', then in 1924 the founding editor of the Hobart ''

News News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the tes ...

'', daughter publication of the Adelaide ''

''. He married Aimee Louise Oldham in 1908 :*Pauline Burgoyne (1909– ) :*Gordon Geoffrey Burgoyne (1911 – 11 May 1992) Gordon was also a journalist :*Dudley Burgoyne, also a journalist *Alfred William Burgoyne M.M. (3 June 1879 – 7 May 1918) died of wounds received in action. *Hugh Vivian Burgoyne (12 April 1887 – 1966)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgoyne, Thomas Members of the South Australian House of Assembly 1827 births 1920 deaths Welsh emigrants to colonial Australia People from Radnorshire Mayors of places in South Australia