George Strickland Kingston
Encyclopedia
Bandon, County Cork
Bandon is a town in County Cork, Ireland. With a population of 5,822 as of census 2006, Bandon lies on the River Bandon between two hills. The name in Irish means "Bridge of the Bandon", a reference to the origin of the town as a crossing-point on the river. In 2004 Bandon celebrated its...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
– 1880 at sea) arrived in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
on the Cygnet in 1836. He was the Deputy Surveyor to William Light
William Light
Colonel William Light was a British military officer and the first Surveyor-General of the Colony of South Australia...
, engaged to survey the new colony of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
Early life
Kingston was one of five children of George Kingston and Hester Holland. Strickland's father owned a lumberyard, a tenementTenement
A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...
(Kingston Buildings), and was credited with being involved in the three canal plans for Bandon
Bandon, County Cork
Bandon is a town in County Cork, Ireland. With a population of 5,822 as of census 2006, Bandon lies on the River Bandon between two hills. The name in Irish means "Bridge of the Bandon", a reference to the origin of the town as a crossing-point on the river. In 2004 Bandon celebrated its...
. Strickland emigrated to England and was employed in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in 1832. He subsequently took an active part in promoting the South Australian Act
South Australia Act 1834
The South Australia Colonisation Act 1834 is the short title of an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom with the long title...
in 1834 and helped to lobby successfully for its passage through the House of Commons.
Deputy Surveyor, South Australia Colony
Kingston was appointed deputy surveyor general to the new colony and sailed with most of the surveying party in the CygnetCygnet (ship)
Cygnet may refer to several ships :* a ship with which George Strickland Kingston arrived in South Australia in 1836* a privateer ship captained by Charles Swan and with which William Dampier explored the coastline of Western Australia in 1688 and 1699* Cygnet 44, a yacht model by Caribbean...
in March 1836. Because he detoured to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
for supplies the Cygnet did not arrive at Nepean Bay until 11 September 1836, nearly a month after Colonel William Light, who was therefore left short-handed at a critical time. However it was Kingston with John Morphett
John Morphett
Sir John Morphett was a South Australian pioneer, landowner and politician.-Early life:Morphett was born in London, the second son of Nathaniel Morphett, a solicitor, and his wife Mary, née Gliddon, of Cummins, Ide, Devon, and was educated at Plymouth and Highgate Grammar Schools...
and Lieutenant W.G. Field who discovered the River Torrens
River Torrens
The River Torrens is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains and was one of the reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the Adelaide Hills near Mount Pleasant, across the Adelaide Plains, past the city centre and empties...
, and the surveys of the city site were largely carried out under Kingston's supervision. The balance of credit due to Light or Strickland in surveying the city of Adelaide has often been discussed.
Kingston's ability as a surveyor was frequently questioned and it was he who was spared to return to England in August 1837 to ask for reinforcements for the Survey Department. The colonization commissioners sent him back next June with orders unpalatable to Light, who resigned with all his staff. Kingston proceeded with the country surveys almost single-handed but, soon after Governor George Gawler
George Gawler
-External links: – Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK...
's arrival in October 1838, he resigned.
Later career
Kingston established himself as a civil engineer, architect and surveyor, and in 1840 the Adelaide Municipal Council briefly engaged him as town surveyor. He was later engaged as inspector of public works and, buildings. Among his works still standing are the south-eastern corner of Government HouseGovernment House, Adelaide
Government House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the Governor of South Australia.-History:The original 'Government Hut' was a thatched hut constructed by the seamen of the HMS Buffalo...
(1839), the original section of the Adelaide Gaol
Adelaide Gaol
Adelaide Gaol was an Australian prison located in Thebarton, South Australia, Australia. The gaol was the first permanent one in South Australia and operated from 1841 until 1988...
(1840), Cummins House at Camden Park
Camden Park
Camden Park is the name of several different locations:* Camden Park, New South Wales, Australia - an outer suburb of Sydney, near Camden* Camden Park Estate, New South Wales, Australia - a property owned by John Macarthur, near Camden...
(1841) and Kingston Historical House
Kingston Historical House
Kingston Historical House is a pioneer house found in Kingston Park, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.-Early History 1840-1918:...
(1840, 1851). He also designed the first monument to Colonel Light in Light Square
Light Square, Adelaide
Light Square is one of five squares in the City of Adelaide. Located in the centre of the north-western quarter of the Adelaide city centre, the Square is named after the city's planner, Colonel William Light....
(1843).
In 1851, Kingston was sworn in as a member of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
's first elected parliament and held his seat in the Legislative Council
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 House of Assembly...
until he retired in October 1880. In 1854, Kingston became the first Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the newly established House of Assembly
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 :...
, a position he also retained until his retirement.
Kingston was prominent in forming the South Australian Mining Association to keep the mineral wealth of the colony from overseas speculators. With Edward Stephens
Edward Stephens
Edward Stephens was one of the earliest settlers in the Colony of South Australia.He was born in London, the tenth child of Rev. John Stephens , sometime president of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference...
, he investigated copper finds at Burra
Burra, South Australia
Burra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company mining township that, by 1851, was a set of townships ...
in 1845, and then played a leading role in the 'snobs' party to defeat the 'nobs' for the mine. An original shareholder, he was appointed surveyor and architect of the mining association and with William Jacob carried out the Burra special survey of 20,000 acres (8094 ha). In April 1848 he was elected a director, deputy-chairman in October 1856 and chairman from 1857 until his death. In its first five years the 'monster mine' paid fifteen dividends each of 200 per cent.
In 1858 he was part of the team who surveyed the namesake town of Kingston, later renamed Kingston SE
Kingston SE, South Australia
Kingston SE is a town approximately 297 km southeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and 44 km from the town of Robe. It is at the southeastern end of Encounter Bay and the Coorong. At the 2006 census, Kingston SE had a population of 1,443.-History:The town was named after...
as a part of a private real estate development. Kingston was knighted in 1870. He died in 1880 aboard the RMS Malwa on his way to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and he was buried at sea
Burial at sea
Burial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean, normally from a ship or boat. It is regularly performed by navies, but also can be done by private citizens in many countries.-By religion:...
.
Kingston was interested in the first volunteer movement and was once captain of the East Adelaide Rifles. He was also a founding member and later Master of The South Australian Lodge of Friendship and of the Statistical Society, keeping a valuable register of Adelaide's rainfall in 1839-79. Kingston was also one of the founding members of the Freemasons South Australian Lodge of Friendship No. 613
South Australian Lodge of Friendship No. 613
The Province of South Australia was established by an Act of the British Parliament and was assented to by King William IV on 15 August 1834. Freemasonry became included in the plans for the proposed new settlement with the establishment of a new Lodge in England...
(under a Warrant or Charter of Constitution which was issued at Adelphi, London, England on 22 October 1834). The original Lodge to which Kingston belonged was Irish Lodge No 81. Kingston was the first Senior Warden of the new South Australian Lodge and on 14 August 1838, Kingston was elected Master.
Personal life
Kingston married three times, being widowed in his first two marriages. He married his first wife Henrietta Ann McDonough in 1829; she died ten years later and their only child died soon after childbirth. Six children were born to his second wife, Ludovina Catherina da Silva Cameron (daughter of Charles CameronCharles Cameron
Charles Cameron may refer to:* Charles Cameron , wrote Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji?* Charles Cameron , Scottish architect who worked in Russia...
), after their marriage on 10 April 1841. She died ten years later and Kingston married widow Emma Lipson (1816–1876), daughter of Thomas Lipson
Thomas Lipson
Thomas Lipson, R.N. generally known as Captain Lipson was born in Dartmouth, England, he joined the Royal Navy at an early age and had a successful if unspectacular career, ending as Harbour Master of Port Adelaide from 1836 to 1855.-Career:*1793 Lipson joined the Royal Navy as a first-class...
R.N., South Australia's first harbourmaster, on 4 December 1856 (no children resulted from this marriage). Kingston's youngest son, Charles Cameron Kingston later become the Premier of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
from 1893–1899.
Memorials
Kingston's name has been applied to the HundredHundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
of Kingston, Mount Kingston near Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake in Australia and 18th largest in the world...
, Kingston Park
Kingston Park, South Australia
Kingston Park is a small beachside suburb, 17 km south of Adelaide. Kingston Park is within the City of Holdfast Bay and neighbouring suburbs are Marino, Seacliff and Brighton.-Overview:...
(a suburb of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
) and the township of Kingston SE
Kingston SE, South Australia
Kingston SE is a town approximately 297 km southeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and 44 km from the town of Robe. It is at the southeastern end of Encounter Bay and the Coorong. At the 2006 census, Kingston SE had a population of 1,443.-History:The town was named after...
. The township of Kingston-on-Murray
Kingston-On-Murray, South Australia
Kingston-On-Murray is a town on the south bank of the Murray River in the Riverland region of South Australia. It was named after Charles Kingston who was Premier of South Australia from 1893-99. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 257....
was named after his son, Sir Charles Cameron Kingston
Charles Kingston
Charles Cameron Kingston, Australian politician, was an early liberal Premier of South Australia serving from 1893 to 1899 with the support of Labor led by John McPherson from 1893 and Lee Batchelor from 1897 in the House of Assembly, winning the 1893, 1896, and 1899 state elections against the...
.
List of buildings attributed to Sir George Strickland Kingston
- Ayers House, Adelaide
- Old Adelaide GaolAdelaide GaolAdelaide Gaol was an Australian prison located in Thebarton, South Australia, Australia. The gaol was the first permanent one in South Australia and operated from 1841 until 1988...
, Adelaide - Original Treasury Building, Victoria Square, AdelaideVictoria Square, AdelaideVictoria Square is a public square in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. The square is in the centre of the city's grid of one square mile, and was named by the Street Naming Committee on 23 May 1837 after Princess Victoria, heir presumptive of the British throne. Less than a month later the...
- Government House, AdelaideGovernment House, AdelaideGovernment House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the Governor of South Australia.-History:The original 'Government Hut' was a thatched hut constructed by the seamen of the HMS Buffalo...
- Customs House, GlenelgGlenelg, South AustraliaGlenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...
- Cummins House, 23 Sheoak Avenue, Novar Gardens, South AustraliaNovar Gardens, South AustraliaNovar Gardens is an inner south-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, in the City of West Torrens.Originally to be called Morphettville, the name was changed to honour the family estate of Ronald Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar, Governor-General of Australia from 1914 to 1920, who visited...
- Colonel William Light MonumentLight's VisionThe first surveyor-general of Adelaide, South Australia, Colonel William Light designed a layout and development programme for the city. This plan is now known as "Light's Vision"...
, Light Square, Adelaide (later relocated to Montefiore Hill) - Kingston Historical HouseKingston Historical HouseKingston Historical House is a pioneer house found in Kingston Park, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.-Early History 1840-1918:...
, BrightonBrighton, South AustraliaBrighton is a coastal suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, situated between Seacliff and Glenelg and aside Holdfast Bay. Some notable features of the area are the Brighton-Seacliff Yacht Club, the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club, the Brighton Jetty, and its excellent beach... - Residential Cottage Home, 3 Market Street, BurraBurra, South AustraliaBurra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company mining township that, by 1851, was a set of townships ...
Further reading
- Langmead, Donald George Strickland Kingston: Pioneer and Architect, PhD thesis, Flinders University, 1983 (More comprehensive than Accidental Architect, below.)
- Langmead, Donald Accidental Architect: the Life and Times of George Strickland Kingston, Darlinghurst; Crossing Press, 1994 ISBN 0-646-16006-0
- Sansom, P History of the First Fifty Years of the South Australian Lodge of Friendship from 1834 to 1884, Adelaide, 1886
External links
- http://www.communitywebs.org/~KPDC Website of the Kingston Park Development Committee, containing historical information regarding Kingston House, George Kingston and Charles Kingston.
- http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020054b.htm George Strickland Kingston, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition.