History of Adelaide Through Street Names
Streets Named on the 23rd May, 1837
Pennington Terrace I7
James Pennington became a Commissioner in January 1836, when George Fife Angas resigned to float The South Australian Company. Pennington worked for the Finance Committee and the Act of Parliament Amendment Committee.
Pirie Street J13
Pulteney Street J14
Roberts Place J7
Rundle Street I11
Stanley Street K5
Strangways Terrace D6
Sturt Street E16
Tynte Street* G4
Alderman John Pirie was a Director of The SA Company and one of its largest financiers. He had the largest shipbrokers in London.
Later on, he became Lord Mayor of London and a member of The SA Society in 1840, started to uphold the Wakefield principles of our Land and Emigration Fund.
One of the first ships despatched to the Colony in 1836 for the Company was the 2 masted schooner John Pirie. In 1846 this ship was the first to enter a good landing place in Spencer's Gulf since known as the town of Pt. Pirie. John Pirie had no children and died in 1851.
Pulteney street, after Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm was named at the behest of Governor Hindmarsh. Malcolm had recommended Hindmarsh's appointed as Governor of South Australia. Theoretically, the Admiral was our second European 'land owner' after Hindmarsh, as his name was promoted as Patron to attract capitalist investors to South Australia.
Sir Pulteney Malcolm had a distinguished career in the navy serving in the West Indies, Quebec, East Indies, China and under Nelson in the Mediterranean. Two of his nephews came out to South Australia on the Buffalo, which he helped Hindmarsh to purchase. The nephews settled on his land at Magill. His name is also perpetuated in the name of the Pulteney Grammar School, opened on May 29th 1848 and Point Malcolm on our suburban coast.
Josiah Roberts another Commissioner, like Pennington, appointed in January 1836. Roberts worked as a liaison between the Commissioners and the Treasury.
John Rundle MP was a Director and financier of The SA Company floated in January 1836. He owned the original 'Bee-hive' corner - King William Street and Rundle Street - in 1849. John Rundle died in January 1864.
After Edward G. Stanley 1799-1868. Stanley became Colonial Secretary under Earl Grey's administration in 1830. It was to him that Whitmore, on behalf of the founders, re-introduced the project of a colony in SA on the 6th July 1833. Stanley gave the first indication that a colony in SA would receive Parliamentary sanction if certain conditions were met relating to religion and education.
To meet these requirements, South Australia ended up with its own Constitution unique in the world.
Through the interference of Governor Hindmarsh, this street was named after Thomas Bewes Strangways, a prospective son-in-law. As Strangways was also on the street naming committee, it may be difficult to ascertain who should have received the honour. There would be another twenty people more deserving.
Captain Charles Sturt, the scientist explorer reconciliationist, whose statue is in Victoria square, was born near Bengal, India and saw military service in Canada, France, and Ireland before going out to Sydney in 1827 as a soldier in charge of convicts.
It was his explorations down the River Murray in 1829 and 1830 that first directed the founders of SA to southern Australia as a potential place for an experimental democracy based on Torrens and Wakefields emigration schemes. After a term at Norfolk Island, then a penal settlement, Sturt returned to England on sick leave.
His letter to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on behalf of The South Australian Association in February 1834, virtually predicted the future site of Adelaide and Pt. Adelaide. He eventually came to South Australia in 1838 as Assistant Commissioner to Governor Gawler, where he helped to stabilise the new colony and played a major part in the government. From 1842 until 1853 Charles Sturt lived at The Grange.
He retired to England on a pension in 1853 and died there in 1869 aged 74.
Nothing much is known about Colonel Kemeys-Tynte 1778-1886, other than that he was probably a friend of Governor Hindmarsh or Judge Jeffcott.
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*Tynte Street updated 4 March 2005