160 years ago, on 6 March 1865, it was announced that Adam Lindsay Gordon was elected as a new Member to the fourth South Australian House of Assembly. He joined returning Member for the electorate of Victoria, John Riddoch.
Gordon had beaten the incumbent, Attorney General Randolph Stow by 11 votes, to become a Member of the Victoria district of South Australia. This brought about the resignation of the Henry Ayers Ministry.
The electorate of Victoria covered the whole of South Australia between the River Murray and the Victorian border.
Adam Lindsay Gordon’s foray into political life came about at the end of 1864 when the electors of the district were becoming dissatisfied with the incumbent representative, Attorney General Randolph Stow, who was considered to be giving too much support to the squatters.
Gordon and his young wife Maggie had already been living at Dingley Dell for about six months and he was becoming well known throughout the electoral district of Victoria, South Australia, where he lived, for his horsemanship and poetical talents. In August 1864 Gordon’s poem The Feud was published in the Border Watch, a month after he executed his famous dare-devil leap over a fence on the edge of the Blue Lake and, in October, his verses inspired by ‘My Old Black Pipe’ were published in Bell’s Life. The electors wanted a local man who could go to Adelaide and give proper attention to their interests.
On 11 January 1865, a deputation of the townspeople went to Dingley Dell with a ‘respectably signed’ requisition to encourage Gordon to stand for the coming elections. Gordon did not think he was suitable for such a responsible office, being a poor public speaker, and also having little acquaintance with the pressing issues of the day. However, with some influence from John Riddoch, and further persuasion from Father Julian Tenison Woods, who believed it would give Gordon ‘a much-needed and useful occupation, and might even lead to a brilliant career’, brought about his acceptance.
At a public meeting in Mount Gambier on 18 January, chaired by Dr Wehl, Gordon put forward his priorities for attention should he be elected. He was in favour of the Real Property Act, of the government borrowing money for such works as roads, bridges, jetties, and so on – whatever would benefit the colony and develop its resources – provided it was managed by a wise government. He promised to do his best to ensure ‘that the country districts obtained their fair share of the revenue for public purposes’. He was in favour of having a good road between Penola and MacDonnell Bay and would ‘advocate an immediate inspection and report as to the best mode to do it’. He also favoured continuing with the existing education system and of increasing the salaries of country teachers.
SA Hansard on 23 May 1865 recorded that ‘Mr. GORDON took the oath and his seat for the Electoral District of Victoria.’ On 31 May, Gordon made his first parliamentary speech:
Mr. GORDON said that it appeared to him that there were two questions to be considered – first, the amount of evil, real or imaginary, which would accrue to the holders of present annual leases; and secondly, what amount of good, if any, would be reaped by the general public as a set-off to the losses of the lessees. Any person having the most superficial knowledge of pastoral affairs must see that disastrous consequences would fall upon the lessees if compelled to leave the land at a short notice. It was, however, an ill wind that blew nobody good, and perhaps some land-sharks might make a dishonest penny in running up the leases. It was clear to him that neither agriculturist nor merchant, nor any honest class of the community, would profit by the loss entailed on the lessees by the forced sale of their runs. The hon. member Mr. Townsend spoke as if nearly every member of that House came pledged to support Mr. Goyder’s valuations. He was not a squatter, and had no interest in squatting; but he was not returned pledged to support Goyder’s valuations. In fact, he told his constituents in language not strictly Parliamentary – (a laugh) – that he would not support Goyder’s valuations. He believed that in many respects the squatters had only themselves to blame; and in the question of valuations especially, if they had any grievance to complain of, it arose out of their own consent to accept the valuations of one individual. (Hear, hear.) He might say that he knew plenty of places where 240 sheep were calculated to the square mile which could perhaps fairly carry from 40 to 80 head. They had heard of a gentleman in advance of his time who had recently been charged with lunacy. He thought that the squatters might with equal justice have been taken up on the same charge. He thought that there could be no advantage in sacrificing the squatters, and no man could fail to see the hardship that must accrue to many of them if their runs were put up to auction as proposed. If any class could be shown to derive a benefit, perhaps they would not complain; but it would be folly to throw the squatters overboard if nobody was to be a gainer. He was disposed to support the motion.
Gordon also favoured seeking a grant to erect a district hospital at Mount Gambier, and this he promised to do without delay. John Riddoch had already promised a handsome sum for this work as a supplement to any Government grant. Lindsay disagreed with George Goyder’s valuations of leases for the squatters, saying the system was grossly unjust, that it was not fair to appoint one man to value all the runs in the colony. Many of the runs were greatly overvalued and several lessees were later forced to sell. Although Lindsay was considered to be an advocate of the squatters, he had no interest in squatting property and showed no favouritism towards the squatters. He sought merely to ensure fair dealings for all, whether squatter or farmer. Despite being fond of racing personally, he did not believe the country should support racing, but rather the Government should ‘support gymnasiums and kindred sports that promoted the healthy development of the body, more especially in connection with public schools’.
During his term in the House of Assembly, Gordon spoke nine times, presented four petitions, carried a motion for the erection of a hospital at Mount Gambier, lost by 12 votes to 16 a motion for building a railway from Naracoorte to Robe, and attended sundry other matters for his constituents.
He soon tired of politics and was reported spending much time drawing caricatures of the members and making sketches of horses; his abstinence from speech-making became noticeable and his appearance in the House gradually lessened. On 26 October 1866 a ‘call of the House’ was made, and it is recorded that ‘Mr Gordon was the only member who did not answer nor excuse his absence’. Adam Lindsay Gordon resigned his seat in the South Australian House of Assembly on 20 November 1866. While in the House he was popular and was greatly missed by many who enjoyed his company, wit and interesting conversation.