On 6 March 1865 Gordon was elected to SA Parliament

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.

107 years ago, unprecedented storm topples monument over Gordon’s grave

About 5.45 pm on Saturday 2 February 1918, Brighton and Brighton Beach was lashed by a severe storm, described as the most furious windstorm in Melbourne since meteorological records, with wind estimated by Commonwealth meteorologist, Mr HA Hunt of Elsternwick, to have been more than 200 miles an hour (320 km/h).

The column on Adam Lindsay Gordon’s grave was broken and thrown some distance away, breaking the wreath, the only grave damaged.

After the storm formed and moved off Port Phillip, two tornadoes struck Brighton Beach simultaneously and proceeded inland, converging near the junction of Halifax and Church streets. The prevailing north-westerly winds were accompanied by heatwave conditions.

Two people were killed, a man and a boy, and several injured. The tornado completely destroyed the Hawthorn Road Methodist church, which was later rebuilt, and numerous homes were demolished. The tornado badly damaged the Brighton Baths, tore the roof off the Royal Terminus Hotel and destroyed the verandah of Grimley’s Hotel, as well as causing extensive infrastructure damage to the Sandringham railway line.

Chimneys collapsed, boats were capsized, trees uprooted, and telephone lines blown down. The Brighton Beach Baths were also destroyed.

Although reported as tornadoes, Mr Hunt explained that the technical term was ‘line storm’. (The Argus, Melbourne, Monday, 4 February 1918, p. 7.)

On 1 September 1918, several thousand people gathered at Gordon’s grave, the column having been restored after the storm damage. (Age, Melbourne, 2 September 1918, p. 6.)

Ernest Blake (pictured at the grave in 1919) was a member of the Gordon Memorial Committee and attended almost every memorial event. From 1925 he spent each weekend in a voluntary capacity attending the grave, and collecting seeds from the golden wreath wattle that then stood over the grave. More than 60,000 seeds were sent to schools and public institutions, etc., in Australia, New Zealand and parts of England. Blake was also largely responsible for the re-interment of Gordon’s daughter Annie Lindsay in 1919, and the unveiling of a plaque to this effect in 1935.

Ernest Blake died in 1938 and is buried not far from Gordon.

171 years ago, Adam Lindsay Gordon first set foot on Australian soil.

On 14 November 1853, Adam Lindsay Gordon arrived at Port Adelaide on the 510-ton three-masted barque SS Julia, under command of Captain GW Britton. The Julia was built only the previous year in Aberdeen by Alexander Hall & Sons for JJ Melhuish.

Besides Lindsay, there were 13 other passengers listed as being on board – Mr Taylor, Mr and Mrs Heegan, Dr Powell, Mr and Mrs Thompson and Mr Mortimor in the cabin; with Mr James Donaldson (District clerk) and two sons Charles and Ebenezer, Mr Bailey, Messrs Haigh (two), Mr Rayson, and Mr John, in the steerage.

Lindsay had just turned 20 during the voyage, on 19 October. The ship had departed St Katherine’s Docks, London, on 6 August.

Lindsay Gordon was met at the wharf in Port Adelaide by members of the Ashwin family of O’Connell Street, North Adelaide, with whom he initially stayed. The Ashwins were friends of Lindsay’s father. Charles Francis Godfrey Ashwin (a draughtsman for the Central Board of Main Roads) had arrived only two months previous and was staying with his older brother Alfred Jenkin Ashwin, an electoral clerk for North Adelaide. Three days later, on 17 November, Adam Lindsay Gordon enlisted with the South Australian Mounted Police as a trooper, despite letters of introduction from his father for a higher position.

Caption: Port Adelaide waterfront, 1848, Samuel Thomas Gill (State Library of South Australia, SLSA, B 3701). The light-coloured two-storey building at image centre is the second customs house, built in 1840.

191 years ago, life began for the poet of Australia …

On 19 October 1833, 191 years ago, life began for the poet of Australia – Adam Lindsay Gordon – in Charlton Kings, a village adjoining Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. His parents Adam Durnford and Harriet Gordon previously lived at No. 5 Columbia Place (originally spelt ‘Colombia’), a lovely terrace in Winchcombe Street (1-6 Colombia Place are now 112-122 Winchcombe Street). On 3 December 1833, Adam Lindsay was baptised at St Mary’s Church, Charlton Kings. For a short time, the family moved to the Portuguese islands of Madeira, where Lindsay’s sister Francesca Clara Ignez Gordon was born in 1837, before they returned in 1840 to Cheltenham, residing at 4 Pittville Villas (now 34-60 Prestbury Road) until 1845. The Gordons then moved to 25 Priory Street (now number 28), a ‘dignified tree-lined road’, close to the then new Cheltenham College where Lindsay attended in 1841-42 and again in 1851-52, and where his father taught Oriental languages from 1846 to 1857.

A few days before his second birthday Adam Lindsay Gordon was given a New Testament by his godfather CT Cooke.

The centenary of Gordon’s birth was celebrated in many places on 19 October 1933, including in Cheltenham, through the efforts of Douglas Sladen, who arranged a memorial tablet outside the Priory Street home, also a memorial for the Cheltenham College which celebrated the centenary, at which Sladen was invited to address the boys on the life and poetry of Gordon. Sladen and Gordon had both attended Cheltenham College.

Back in Victoria, wreaths were laid on 19 October 1933 at the Adam Lindsay Gordon statue in Spring Street, Melbourne, sculpted by Paul Montford, commissioned by the Gordon Memorial Committee. William H Everard, MLA, gave an address at the poet’s statue as did Paul Montford. President of the Gordon Memorial Committee, Charles R Long, also placed a wreath on the statue.

Sladen also co-authored with Edith Humphris the book Adam Lindsay Gordon and His Friends in England and Australia (1912).

Having left England for Australia at the end of 1879 at age 23, Douglas Sladen became an ardent devotee from the first night he stayed with his uncle Sir Charles Sladen in Geelong, when his uncle put into his hands a book of poems by Adam Lindsay Gordon.

Also, on the centenary of Gordon’s birth, Douglas Sladen was instrumental in having a memorial bust installed in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, unveiled on 11 May 1934, making Adam Lindsay Gordon the only Australian poet to have received such an honour. The bust was sculpted by Lady Hilton Young (Kathleen Scott, widow of the late Captain Robert Scott of Antarctic fame; she married Edward Hilton Young in 1922). The bust was unveiled by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Gordon Lang.

SA’s worst maritime disaster – 165 years ago!

On Friday 5 August 1859, less than two years after her maiden voyage from Scotland, the 209-ton iron-hulled screw steamer Admella departed Port Adelaide just before sunrise on a cold and grey winter morning at 5.30 am, on her usual voyage to Melbourne, under command of an experienced Captain Hugh McEwan. On board were 81 passengers (including 19 women and 18 children) plus a crew of 28 including one woman, a stewardess, and a cabin boy, aged 14. The ship was also carrying a cargo of copper cakes and ingots from the Kapunda mine, plus general cargo.

Also on board, in horse stalls secured on the deck, were six horses, including three racehorses destined for the Championship Stakes in Melbourne (forerunner of the Melbourne Cup).

After rounding Schnapper Point into Gulf St Vincent and the main shipping lanes in and out of the port, known as the Semaphore Roads, a stop was made at the Semaphore Anchorage to pick up three more passengers and a fireman, bringing the total complement on board to 113.

The waters in the gulf were calm that morning and passengers chatted on deck, where the horses became a topic of conversation. About 1 pm the Admella changed course, taking her departure from the Cape Willoughby light on the easternmost tip of Kangaroo Island, steering south-east by south, the same course the captain had taken on his previous voyages to Melbourne.

After leaving the shelter of Kangaroo Island, the Admella was confronted with the first heavy swells of the Southern Ocean. The discomfort of the rolling ship forced passengers below decks but for the horses, being transported in makeshift stalls on the deck, the motion must have been especially uncomfortable. They became quite distraught, being unable to counter the ship’s movement, and one horse was so agitated that he lost his footing on the rolling deck and fell in the stall unable to right himself.

About 3 pm, Captain McEwan ordered a change of course to starboard, away from the coast, so the ship was meeting the waves head on, and reduced speed to four or five knots. This enabled the deckhands and grooms to help the horse back on to his feet using a blanket as an improvised sling. The ship then resumed its previous course for Portland Bay, steaming parallel to shore but further out to sea.

At 4.45 am Saturday, the captain felt the ship’s keel graze the reef, and a following swell lifted her a further 20 or 30 metres on to the reef. Captain McEwan immediately ordered the engines stopped and the boats to be readied for launching. Passengers were hurried up on deck and huddled on the high side of the poop deck. One of the lifeboats was swamped and washed away as the ship fell on its port beam, the other was smashed by the falling funnel and rigging. A small boat on the starboard quarter, high out of the water, had its tackle tampered with by a distraught passenger and it fell end on, smashing its transom.

Within 15 minutes, the Admella had broken into three sections. For those on board it was the beginning of a horrific week, in mid-winter, at the mercy of the elements, as they clung to the wreck with pounding surf washing over them; or slipped to their death from cold and exhaustion. They could see the shore but could not reach it. Several tried and were either drowned or washed out to sea. They had no water and the captain shared out what little food they could retrieve.

A new book, Reef of despair: the story of the SS Admella, is being prepared for publication and will be available soon, describing the tragedy, then the colony’s worst maritime disaster, and the rescue attempts.

Gordon and ‘The Leap’ … 160 years ago

Australian poet and horseman Adam Lindsay Gordon made his famous daredevil ‘leap’ alongside the Blue Lake Mount Gambier 160 years ago, on 28 July 1864. He jumped his horse Red Lancer over a post-and-rail guard fence beside the Blue Lake and landed on a small 1.8 metre ledge, with a 60 metre drop to the water, then jumped back on to the road.

Gordon’s comrades on that occasion were Robert Learmonth, William Trainor, and a couple of other friends including John Locke (publican at Port MacDonnell), Jim Galpin and others were out riding the day after Mount Gambier’s Border Steeplechase which Learmonth won on Ingleside, followed by Trainor on Longbow, and then Gordon on Modesty. Each had dared the others to better their feats over certain fences, then Gordon thought he would execute a jump that he thought the others couldn’t emulate. He had no challengers.

However, a young horse trainer Lance Skuthorpe made several attempts over two days, with three different horses, in October 1900. At the end of the second day, on a horse named Wallace, he cleared the fence and landed sideways on the ledge very close to the drop. It is believed the fence was dismantled to return the horse to the road.

More than 17 years after Gordon’s famous ‘leap’, an obelisk was erected near the spot on a rocky ledge between the Blue Lake and Leg of Mutton Lake, where the road runs between. The foundation stone was laid by Gordon’s close friend John Riddoch, of Yallum Park, on 8 July 1887. Erected on a site six metres above the road level, the lower part of the base is constructed of grey dolomite, and the upper part of pink dolomite, while the shaft is cut out of solid granite.

The idea for a monument to commemorate Gordon was instigated by then Mayor of Mount Gambier William Thurston, and the manager of Moorak station Thomas Williams. Subscriptions came from Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, the Western District of Victoria, and all parts of the south-east. The Adam Lindsay Gordon Memorial Obelisk was listed as a State Heritage Place on 29 June 1989.

Caption: ‘The Leap’ by Almar Zaadstra, c. 2020.