W. H. Burford & Son
Encyclopedia
W. H. Burford and Son was a soap and candle-making business founded in Adelaide in 1840 by William Henville Burford (1807 – 1895), an English butcher who arrived in the new colony in 1838. It was one of the earliest soapmakers in Australia, and up to the 1960s when it closed, the oldest. Its expansion, (in the latter part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century, at the hands of son William Burford) accompanied by a number of takeovers, made it the dominant soap manufacturer in South Australia
and Western Australia
, until it was in turn taken over by J. Kitchen & Sons, part of the Lever Brothers
empire. Its founders were noted public figures in the young city of Adelaide.
- ETSA - in 1946) and in 1989, the Tandanya aboriginal cultural centre.
Initially it was little more than a tin shed staffed by half-a-dozen workers. During one of the recessions that faced the colony, Burford was forced to sell the land then lease it back to keep the business running.
The second factory, opened in 1900 at Sturt Street
, on land previously owned by Tidmarsh & Co, occupied 4 acres of floor space ( 19,000 sq yards / 16,000m2) and employing over 200 men. Its most salient feature was the brick chimney - 152 ft 4in (46.5m) in height and a flue diameter of 4 ft (1.2m). The boiler room housed four boilers, one of which was 27 ft long and 7 ft 6in in diameter (8.2m x 2.3m) and the largest to have been built in South Australia. The still-room had six large stills: four for distillation of stearine and two for glycerine. The building was organised so that manufacture started on the top floor and progressed by chutes or conveyors to the second floor for wrapping and packaging, thence to the ground floor, all with a minimum of handling.
The factory on Adam Street, Hindmarsh
which Burford took over from Apollo Soap Ltd (and continued to be called the "Apollo Works"), was the site of work mostly peripheral to the core business of soap and candle making, such as rendering down of animal fats and grinding of corn, bone, starch and blacking.
After the Sturt Street premises were destroyed by fire, a new factory was then set up in Dry Creek
near the railway station where there had once been a smelter. Manufacture resumed in 1922. Much was made at the time of a model suburb to serve employees of the soap works and the nearby abattoirs. "Burford Garden Suburb" as it was named, was designed by W. J. Earle, the town planner behind Cadbury's model town at Claremont, Tasmania
. The Dry Creek lots were snapped up immediately they were offered for sale. The greater part of the Sturt Street property was sold around the same time. "Burford Gardens" as the name of a suburb has since vanished, though its streets remain: Flame Ave, Gum Ave, Wattle Ave, Grevillea Ave and Bushwood Ave, Dry Creek
.
In Western Australia, the Victoria Park
factory opened in 1897; and after taking over the Swan Soap and Candle Company Ltd., their Rocky Bay
factory opened in 1899. and Kalgoorlie
factories opened later.
The Council had other plans. In 1919 it offered Burfords £12,000 as an incentive to move out of the city altogether. The offer was turned down, so the Council amended the Health Act to prohibit such industries, then the fire engulfed the factory and the Dry Creek facility moved a big step towards reality.
On 25 December 1907, the factory on Adam Street, Hindmarsh, "The Apollo Works" was destroyed in one of the greatest fires in Adelaide's history, along with neighbouring skin dealers Wilcox and Co. in River Street (then Torrens Street). The nearby factory of G. H. Michell & Sons and David Reid's tannery suffered lesser damage.
In 1919 the works bounded by Sturt, Gilbert, Norman and Russell Streets were destroyed by fire and a new factory was then set up in Dry Creek; the office area was rebuilt and the rest sold.
The other major Australian soap manufacturer was J. Kitchen & Sons of Melbourne, which dominated the Eastern States much as Burfords had South and Western Australia. Lever Brothers
of England had a factory in Sydney
and one in Wellington, New Zealand.
, in the East End of London
. In 1838 he emigrated to South Australia
for his health's sake with his wife and three daughters on the Pestonjee Bomanjee, arriving at Glenelg
on 11 October. Initially he found work as a painter and glazier, and soon had one of the larger businesses in the Colony. In 1840, when a recession had made those trades unprofitable, he was able to start a soap and candle factory in 134 (154?) Grenfell Street. The business failed several times, but revived with the opening of the Burra
copper mine in 1848, then the Moonta
and Wallaroo
mines around 1863.
He was an alderman of the Adelaide Town Council
for 1840 and 1841. During his second term he earned the nickname of "ninepenny dips" for his proposal to more than double the council rates to that figure (and "dip" being a form of candle), and was reviled for proposing other stringencies. He was not elected the following year and was vindicated when the Council collapsed, bankrupt.
He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly
for the seat of Adelaide in 1857. He was prominent in debates and a strong supporter of Robert Torrens
' Real Property Act, but resigned in 1859.
He was a devout churchgoer, worshipping with the Independent Baptists, then Scotch Baptists and finally the Unley Church of Christ.
He was educated first at the Church of England Grammar School
in Pulteney Street then, with brother Benjamin, at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution in Stephens Place. Leaving school, he joined his father's business. In 1878 he and his brother Benjamin were taken into partnership, but after about eight years the latter withdrew from the enterprise.
In 1868, while on holiday in New Zealand
, William visited a soap works which boiled soap using steam rather than fire. On his return to Adelaide he wasted no time in getting his father to adopt this method.
He was chairman of directors of the company from 1895 until his death, in his Belair
home (on Sheoak Road) called "Birralee
". When he took the reins, the company had 6 employees; at the time of his death it had grown to over 500 spread over several factories, though his time as a hands-on manager had long since passed.
Mrs Burford was a prominent member of the Wattle Blossom League (later Wattle Day League) and held an annual function at "Monomeith", the Burfords' summer residence at Ashton
.
In his later years he was a serious bowls player.
He was a keen yachtsman, was a member of the Holdfast Bay Sailing Club (and Vice-commodore in 1896) and with son F. R. Burford owned the yacht Empress 1894 – 1896.
. Their 53 year marriage produced four sons and four daughters who survived childhood:
After the death of his wife, he sold the Glenelg mansion "Birralee" on Albert Tce and Seawall, in September 1921, and the summer home "Monomeith", on 3 acres (1.2 ha) at Ashton, South Australia
, in 1922. Burford had started building Birralee, Belair
in 1897. By 1921, both the Monomeith and Birralee Glenelg properties were mostly used by Mrs. Burford and her daughters.
He died peacefully on 6 March 1925 at his "Birralee, Belair
" home on Sheoak Road in Belair
, located next to the National Park
and overlooking the Adelaide Plains. He had suffered a heart attack a year previously. At some stage he had married the widow of William Finlayson jun.
and she nursed him in his final years.
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...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, until it was in turn taken over by J. Kitchen & Sons, part of the Lever Brothers
Lever & Kitchen
Lever & Kitchen were a major manufacturer, now part of Unilever.Related businesses included:*Lever Brothers**Lever Brothers Pty. Ltd.**Lever Brothers Factory, Balmain*J. Kitchen & Sons Ltd*Rexona Pty. Ltd.*W. H. Burford & Son...
empire. Its founders were noted public figures in the young city of Adelaide.
Factories
W. H. Burford's first factory was on 4 acres (1.6ha) on the corner of Grenfell Street and East Terrace, later the site of an Adelaide Electric Supply Company's building, (AESC became the Electricity Trust of S.A.Electricity Trust of South Australia
The Electricity Trust of South Australia was the South Australian Government-owned monopoly vertically integrated electricity provider...
- ETSA - in 1946) and in 1989, the Tandanya aboriginal cultural centre.
Initially it was little more than a tin shed staffed by half-a-dozen workers. During one of the recessions that faced the colony, Burford was forced to sell the land then lease it back to keep the business running.
The second factory, opened in 1900 at Sturt Street
Sturt Street, Adelaide
Sturt Street is a street in the south-western sector of the centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It runs east-west between West Terrace to King William Street, passing through Whitmore Square...
, on land previously owned by Tidmarsh & Co, occupied 4 acres of floor space ( 19,000 sq yards / 16,000m2) and employing over 200 men. Its most salient feature was the brick chimney - 152 ft 4in (46.5m) in height and a flue diameter of 4 ft (1.2m). The boiler room housed four boilers, one of which was 27 ft long and 7 ft 6in in diameter (8.2m x 2.3m) and the largest to have been built in South Australia. The still-room had six large stills: four for distillation of stearine and two for glycerine. The building was organised so that manufacture started on the top floor and progressed by chutes or conveyors to the second floor for wrapping and packaging, thence to the ground floor, all with a minimum of handling.
The factory on Adam Street, Hindmarsh
Hindmarsh, South Australia
Hindmarsh is an inner urban suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.-History:The suburb is named after South Australia's first Governor, Sir John Hindmarsh....
which Burford took over from Apollo Soap Ltd (and continued to be called the "Apollo Works"), was the site of work mostly peripheral to the core business of soap and candle making, such as rendering down of animal fats and grinding of corn, bone, starch and blacking.
After the Sturt Street premises were destroyed by fire, a new factory was then set up in Dry Creek
Dry Creek, South Australia
Dry Creek is a mostly industrial suburb located north of Adelaide, containing significant wetlands and a substantial area devoted to salt crystallization pans, managed by Cheltenham Salt Limited....
near the railway station where there had once been a smelter. Manufacture resumed in 1922. Much was made at the time of a model suburb to serve employees of the soap works and the nearby abattoirs. "Burford Garden Suburb" as it was named, was designed by W. J. Earle, the town planner behind Cadbury's model town at Claremont, Tasmania
Claremont, Tasmania
Claremont is a suburb of the City of Glenorchy, part of the greater Hobart area, Tasmania, Australia. It is named after Claremont House, which was built in the 1830s by local settler Henry Bilton, who named it after one of the royal homes of England. Claremont was the home of an Army training...
. The Dry Creek lots were snapped up immediately they were offered for sale. The greater part of the Sturt Street property was sold around the same time. "Burford Gardens" as the name of a suburb has since vanished, though its streets remain: Flame Ave, Gum Ave, Wattle Ave, Grevillea Ave and Bushwood Ave, Dry Creek
Dry Creek, South Australia
Dry Creek is a mostly industrial suburb located north of Adelaide, containing significant wetlands and a substantial area devoted to salt crystallization pans, managed by Cheltenham Salt Limited....
.
In Western Australia, the Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Western Australia
The Town of Victoria Park is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. It covers an area of 17.62 km² in metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Town of Victoria Park maintains 154.55 km of roads, a little over 1 km² of parks and gardens and has a...
factory opened in 1897; and after taking over the Swan Soap and Candle Company Ltd., their Rocky Bay
North Fremantle, Western Australia
North Fremantle is a small suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Fremantle. Its postcode is 6159.The suburb is situated on the Swan River, north of the Port of Fremantle...
factory opened in 1899. and Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
factories opened later.
Products
Products manufactured during the history of W. H. Burford & Son include:- Soaps: "Burford's Prize No 1" soap, "Signal" soap, mottled soap, yellow soap, transparent soap, White Naptha soap, Apollo laundry soap in various sized bars, Borax soap, "Sayso" carbolic family soap, "Snowflakes" extract of soap powder, Dr Bayley's medicated soap, sulphur soap. White Dove soap, kerosene soap (foliage spray for controlling insects)
- "Exhibition" candles, carriage candles, bedroom candles, piano candles.
- "Brunswick" stove blacking
- "Excelsior" blacklead
- Linoleum polish ("Roylat" brand in Western Australia)
- Boot polish, boot cream
- "Swansdown" starch
- Soda crystals
- Magic Egg Preserver (waterglass)
- "Southern Sky" washing blueBluing (fabric)Bluing, laundry blue, or washing blue is a household product used to improve the appearance of textiles, especially white fabrics. Used during laundering, it adds a trace of blue dye to the fabric.- Uses :White fabrics acquire a slight color cast after use , because they can never be cleaned...
- Snow-white starch
- Lubricating oils
- Greases
- Bone manure
Public nuisance
When Burford's soapworks and Peacock's tannery were founded on Grenfell Street, there were no residences nearby; nothing but virgin bushland. But as the population grew nearby (and to some extent attracted by the businesses), the number of complaints about smells grew until in 1866 a case was brought against Burford in the Supreme Court. The jury appeared to be convinced by the argument that the complainants had chosen to build knowing what trades were carried on there so had no right to complain, and found for the defendant.The Council had other plans. In 1919 it offered Burfords £12,000 as an incentive to move out of the city altogether. The offer was turned down, so the Council amended the Health Act to prohibit such industries, then the fire engulfed the factory and the Dry Creek facility moved a big step towards reality.
Fires
In 1885 a fire which started in a timber yard in Grenfell Street and East Terrace spread to Burford's factory, which was destroyed. This led to the establishment of a factory in Sturt Street.On 25 December 1907, the factory on Adam Street, Hindmarsh, "The Apollo Works" was destroyed in one of the greatest fires in Adelaide's history, along with neighbouring skin dealers Wilcox and Co. in River Street (then Torrens Street). The nearby factory of G. H. Michell & Sons and David Reid's tannery suffered lesser damage.
In 1919 the works bounded by Sturt, Gilbert, Norman and Russell Streets were destroyed by fire and a new factory was then set up in Dry Creek; the office area was rebuilt and the rest sold.
Competitors
Other early soap and candle makers of South Australia:- Apollo Soap and Candle factory at Adams Street, Hindmarsh (est. 1881) was taken over by W. H. Burford.
- Bunyip Soaps (1898 – ca.1955) had a factory at Winwood Street, Southwark and became Crompton Bunyip Soaps Ltd. (ca.1955 – ca.1991) and was still trading in 1962 with offices at 49 Flinders Street and factory at Winwood St Thebarton.
The other major Australian soap manufacturer was J. Kitchen & Sons of Melbourne, which dominated the Eastern States much as Burfords had South and Western Australia. Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
of England had a factory in Sydney
Lever Brothers Factory, Balmain
The Lever Brothers Factory in the Sydney, Australia suburb of Balmain was a soap factory which operated from 1895 until 1988. It employed many people from the local area and its large industrial buildings were a prominent feature of the landscape...
and one in Wellington, New Zealand.
Merger and Acquisition
In 1924, Lever and Kitchen and W. H. Burford and Sons formed Australian Producers Partnership Pty Ltd. Burford ordinary shares were held by Lever and Kitchen; around 1962 after a few more takeovers the parent company was renamed Unilever. The Burford's factory was still running profitably in the mid-50s, and the factory at Dry Creek was still listed as such in 1962; the office at 83 Sturt Street still bore the Burford's name, alongside that of its nominal owner J. Kitchen & Sons Ltd, Rexona Pty. Ltd. and Lever Brothers Pty. Ltd.W. H. Burford
William Henville Burford (24 January 1807 – 23 October 1895) was an apprenticed butcher with some experience as a tallow merchant and chandler in Cannon Street, St George's EastSt George in the East (parish)
St George in the East was a parish in the metropolitan area of London, England.-History:The parish was largely rural at the time of its creation, the main settlement a hamlet known as Wapping Stepney...
, in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
. In 1838 he emigrated to 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...
for his health's sake with his wife and three daughters on the Pestonjee Bomanjee, arriving at Glenelg
Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg 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...
on 11 October. Initially he found work as a painter and glazier, and soon had one of the larger businesses in the Colony. In 1840, when a recession had made those trades unprofitable, he was able to start a soap and candle factory in 134 (154?) Grenfell Street. The business failed several times, but revived with the opening of the 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 ...
copper mine in 1848, then the Moonta
Moonta, South Australia
Moonta is a town located on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, 165 kilometres north-northwest of the state capital of Adelaide. It is one of three towns known as the Copper Coast or "Little Cornwall" for their shared copper mining history....
and Wallaroo
Wallaroo, South Australia
Wallaroo is a port town on the western side of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, 160 kilometres north-northwest of Adelaide. It is one of the three Copper Triangle towns famed for their historic shared copper mining industry, and known together as "Little Cornwall", the other two being Kadina ...
mines around 1863.
He was an alderman of the Adelaide Town Council
City of Adelaide
The City of Adelaide is a local government area in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia. It covers the original Adelaide city centre settlement, , North Adelaide, and the Adelaide Park Lands which surround North Adelaide and the city centre.Established in 1840, the organisation now...
for 1840 and 1841. During his second term he earned the nickname of "ninepenny dips" for his proposal to more than double the council rates to that figure (and "dip" being a form of candle), and was reviled for proposing other stringencies. He was not elected the following year and was vindicated when the Council collapsed, bankrupt.
He was elected to the South Australian 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 :...
for the seat of Adelaide in 1857. He was prominent in debates and a strong supporter of Robert Torrens
Robert Torrens
Sir Robert Richard Torrens, GCMG was the third Premier of South Australia and a pioneer and author of simplified system of transferring land.-Early life:...
' Real Property Act, but resigned in 1859.
He was a devout churchgoer, worshipping with the Independent Baptists, then Scotch Baptists and finally the Unley Church of Christ.
Family of W. H. Burford
He married three times:- Elizabeth Messent (ca. 1814 – 14 July 1858) in May 1833
- Children:
- Elizabeth "Edith" Burford (ca.1832 – 28 January 1900)
- m. Charles Bowen (ca. 1834 – 5 September 1870) on 10 April 1857; their eldest son F. A. "Arthur" Bowen became manager of Burford & Son.
- m. Rev. R. K. Finlayson (27 April 1839 – 27 March 1917) on 19 August 1884 (his first wife, also Elizabeth, died 1880)
- Ann Burford second daughter (ca.1837 – 1 April 1852)
- Sarah Burford (died 1838 on voyage)
- Gertrude Burford (ca. 1841 – 18 August 1914)
- m. Robert Eddy 10 September 1885
- Benjamin Burford (ca. 1843 – 18 May 1905)
- m. Mary Jane Ware (d. 24 July 1930) 24 May 1866
- Benjamin died, aged 65, from a self-inflicted gunshot after suffering head pains and deafness for seven years. He had only five years previously built a large house "AttungaAttunga, Toorak GardensAttunga was a mansion which now forms part of a hospital.The mansion was built by Benjamin Burford in 1900 on 4.5 acres at 120 Kensington Road, in what was then Rose Park,...
" on 4.5 acres (1.8ha) at 120 Kensington RoadKensington Road, AdelaideKensington Road is a main road in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. It serves the eastern suburbs, primarily the northern side of the City of Burnside and the southern side of the City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters. Its western end, on the edge of the city centre, is at the infamous...
, in what was then Rose ParkRose Park, South AustraliaRose Park is a suburb with a population of 1,293 in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. It is located one kilometre east of Adelaide's central business district . Rose Park is a leafy, tree-lined and wealthy inner suburb containing a number of historical and contemporary attractions...
.
- William Burford (11 December 1845 – 6 March 1925) who oversaw the greatest development of the company
- Elizabeth "Edith" Burford (ca.1832 – 28 January 1900)
- Mary Ann Messent (ca.1815 – 22 September 1879), (sister of first wife Elizabeth Messent), on 31 October 1861
- Frances Sarah Ann Burford (ca. 1831 – 13 February 1902) (the widow of John H. M. Hawkes) in 1880
William Burford
William Burford (11 December 1845 – 6 March 1925) was born in a cottage at 154 Grenfell Street, Adelaide, adjacent to his father's factory.He was educated first at the Church of England Grammar School
Pulteney Grammar School
Pulteney Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, day school, located on South Terrace in Adelaide, South Australia.- History :...
in Pulteney Street then, with brother Benjamin, at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution in Stephens Place. Leaving school, he joined his father's business. In 1878 he and his brother Benjamin were taken into partnership, but after about eight years the latter withdrew from the enterprise.
In 1868, while on holiday in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, William visited a soap works which boiled soap using steam rather than fire. On his return to Adelaide he wasted no time in getting his father to adopt this method.
He was chairman of directors of the company from 1895 until his death, in his Belair
Belair, South Australia
Belair is a suburb situated in the southern foothills of Adelaide, South Australia.-Geography:A leafy suburb, Belair was established during the settlement of Adelaide as a source of timber. Parts of Belair have views of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Plains and the coast...
home (on Sheoak Road) called "Birralee
Birralee, Belair
Birralee is the name of two mansions built by William Burford in what is now the Adelaide metropolitan area.-Birralee, Belair:"Birralee" at Belair, South Australia was built in 1897 at 49 Sheoak Road, adjacent to Belair National Park, and overlooking the Adelaide Plains.Burford lived in the house...
". When he took the reins, the company had 6 employees; at the time of his death it had grown to over 500 spread over several factories, though his time as a hands-on manager had long since passed.
Philanthropy and Public Works
William Burford's many, many offices, services and philanthropic deeds included:- Justice of the Peace from 1890 to 1893.
- For over 60 years he was a member of the council of the Chamber of Manufactures, and served both as president and vice-president.
- For some years he was a member of the Adelaide Hospital Board, resigning in 1931.
- He was on the committee of the Home for Incurables.
- He was on the board of the Adelaide Licensing Bench from 1902.
- For 12 years he served as a member of the Unley CouncilCity of UnleyThe City of Unley, is a Local Government Area in the Adelaide metropolitan region. It is located directly south of the Adelaide city centre. The City of Unley was proclaimed in 1906.-Suburbs:-External links:***...
. - He was alderman and councillor on the Glenelg CouncilCity of Holdfast BayThe City of Holdfast Bay is a Local Government Area in the south western coastal suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia.-Origins:The council was formed 1 January 1997, when the former councils of Glenelg and Brighton were amalgamated by the State government...
. - He was a vice-president of the Industrial School for the Blind and Royal Institution for the BlindVision AustraliaVision Australia is a not-for-profit organisation and Australia's largest provider of services for people with blindness and low vision.-Vision and Mission:...
from its foundation, and of the organising committee for its Great Floral Fair. - He was treasurer of Adelaide City MissionMission AustraliaMission Australia is a provider of family and community services throughout Australia. The organisation has at least 3200 staff, 1,000 volunteers and 300 services in every state and territory of Australia, and is one of the largest community organisations in the nation. It is currently headed by...
until 1902. - He was on the board of the Adelaide Benevolent and Strangers' Friend Society.
- He was on the board of the Belair Inebriate Retreat.
- He was a life member of the Adelaide Y.M.C.A., and its president from 1914.
- He was, like his father, a lifelong member of the Church of Christ, originally with the Grote Street Church, then Unley and GlenelgGlenelgGlenelg may refer to:Places*Glenelg, Highland, Scotland*Glenelg, South Australia, a beachside suburb of Adelaide*Glenelg River *Glenelg River *Shire of Glenelg, Victoria, Australia...
, which were established largely due to his generosity. - He donated his property in Unley to the Church of Christ, to assist in establishing Ellerslie College, a Church of Christ school for girls at Magill Road, MagillMagill, South AustraliaMagill is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Burnside and the City of Campbelltown.-History:Magill is a suburb located approximately 7 km from the Adelaide CBD in the eastern suburbs. Magill was first established as the Makgill Estate, owned by two Scots, Robert Cock and William Ferguson,...
. - For over 30 years he supported Church missions to India and China.
- He was a generous supporter of the British and Foreign Bible SocietyBritish and Foreign Bible SocietyThe British and Foreign Bible Society, often known in England and Wales as simply as Bible Society, is a non-denominational Christian Bible society with charity status whose purpose is to make the Bible available throughout the world....
.
Mrs Burford was a prominent member of the Wattle Blossom League (later Wattle Day League) and held an annual function at "Monomeith", the Burfords' summer residence at Ashton
Ashton, South Australia
-Brief history:Ashton is a town in South Australia. It was named by George Hunt in 1858 after his home Ashton in England. Ashton is from the old English word 'aesctun', which means 'ash tree town'.-General information:...
.
Recreation
He was a life member of the South Australian Cricket Association and a member of the East Adelaide Cricket Club.In his later years he was a serious bowls player.
He was a keen yachtsman, was a member of the Holdfast Bay Sailing Club (and Vice-commodore in 1896) and with son F. R. Burford owned the yacht Empress 1894 – 1896.
Family of William Burford
William married Mary Richardson (1845? – 12 May 1921) on 11 November 1867. She died at their first home named "Birralee", in GlenelgGlenelg
Glenelg may refer to:Places*Glenelg, Highland, Scotland*Glenelg, South Australia, a beachside suburb of Adelaide*Glenelg River *Glenelg River *Shire of Glenelg, Victoria, Australia...
. Their 53 year marriage produced four sons and four daughters who survived childhood:
- William Henville II - b: 1 November 1868. m: Alice Louise Carr 17 September 1891
- Frederick Rumsey - b: 10 or 30 April 1870. Died 14 August 1928 at Glenelg.
- Lilian May - b: 2 March 1874. m: Thomas Eyres 13 October 1899)
- Evaline - b: 10 February 1876. m: Horace Cansfield Park 11 November 1919. Evaline lived in Birralee, Belair in the 1930s
- Twins (son and daughter) b: 21 May 1880 failed to survive
- Hubert Henry Richardson - b: 11 September 1881. m: Annie Morish 23 October 1907)
- J. C. Burford - b: 6 October 1883. Wife died in 1920s. Detective Inspector of Customs. Lived at Birralee, Belair in 1930s
- Only daughter Gwenyth Marshall Burford - engaged to Ronald F Angel, 18 February 1936 - engaged to W Douglas Verco, 9 April 1938 - married Wilfred Douglas Verco, 8 August 1938
- Richard Verco
- Only daughter Gwenyth Marshall Burford - engaged to Ronald F Angel, 18 February 1936 - engaged to W Douglas Verco, 9 April 1938 - married Wilfred Douglas Verco, 8 August 1938
- Emmie - never married - lived at Birralee, Belair in the 1920s and 1930s.
- "Allie Marian" married Octavius Cyril Beale, eight son of Mr. Beale (and the late Mrs. Beale) of 'Llanarth', Burwood NSW, on 11 November 1914, which was also the bride's parents 47th wedding anniversary. Alice Mary died 7 September 1925 at her residence, Birralee, Belair.
- Two daughters: Beverley Burford Beale and Megan Beale
After the death of his wife, he sold the Glenelg mansion "Birralee" on Albert Tce and Seawall, in September 1921, and the summer home "Monomeith", on 3 acres (1.2 ha) at Ashton, South Australia
Ashton, South Australia
-Brief history:Ashton is a town in South Australia. It was named by George Hunt in 1858 after his home Ashton in England. Ashton is from the old English word 'aesctun', which means 'ash tree town'.-General information:...
, in 1922. Burford had started building Birralee, Belair
Birralee, Belair
Birralee is the name of two mansions built by William Burford in what is now the Adelaide metropolitan area.-Birralee, Belair:"Birralee" at Belair, South Australia was built in 1897 at 49 Sheoak Road, adjacent to Belair National Park, and overlooking the Adelaide Plains.Burford lived in the house...
in 1897. By 1921, both the Monomeith and Birralee Glenelg properties were mostly used by Mrs. Burford and her daughters.
He died peacefully on 6 March 1925 at his "Birralee, Belair
Birralee, Belair
Birralee is the name of two mansions built by William Burford in what is now the Adelaide metropolitan area.-Birralee, Belair:"Birralee" at Belair, South Australia was built in 1897 at 49 Sheoak Road, adjacent to Belair National Park, and overlooking the Adelaide Plains.Burford lived in the house...
" home on Sheoak Road in Belair
Belair, South Australia
Belair is a suburb situated in the southern foothills of Adelaide, South Australia.-Geography:A leafy suburb, Belair was established during the settlement of Adelaide as a source of timber. Parts of Belair have views of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Plains and the coast...
, located next to the National Park
Belair National Park
Belair National Park is a national park in South Australia , 13 km south of Adelaide, covering an 835ha area. It was proclaimed in 1891 and was the first National Park in South Australia, second in Australia and the tenth in the world...
and overlooking the Adelaide Plains. He had suffered a heart attack a year previously. At some stage he had married the widow of William Finlayson jun.
William Finlayson (churchman)
William Finlayson was a churchman and farmer in the early days of South Australia, and father of nine children including two sons prominent in the early days of that colony.-William Finlayson:...
and she nursed him in his final years.
Sources
- The State Library of South Australia has a useful index of Burford articles at http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/b/b31.htm#burfordG
- and of the factories in Hindmarsh at http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/h/hindmar.htm#factories