Matthew Moorhouse

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Matthew Moorhouse (1813 – 29 March 1876) pioneer in Australia, Protector of Aborigines, pastoralist and politician in South Australia.

He was educated for the medical profession, obtained the degree of M.R.C.S., came to South Australia in 1839 on the Sir Charles Forbes, and about the end of that year was appointed protector of aborigines. He endeavoured to guard their rights and interests, and in doing so sometimes came in conflict both with the authorities and the press. An attempt to teach the children in their native language was not successful, but his interest in this led Moorhouse to prepare A Vocabulary and Outline of the Grammatical Structure of the Murray River Language, which was published at Adelaide in 1846. In January 1849 he was a member of the provisional committee in connexion with the projected South Australian colonial railway.

Moorhouse was a member of parliament in 1861 and for a few days in October of that year was commissioner of crown lands and immigration in the first Waterhouse ministry. Having resigned the position of protector of aborigines he became a successful pastoralist in the northern district for several years, only practising his profession when there was urgent need of his services. He purchased shares in properties near Riverton and Saddleworth, but soon sold these and with Joseph Fisher and others bought 27,700 acres (11,210 ha) near the Hummocks. Moorhouse managed the station until Robert Barr Smith bought it in 1870. He died after a short illness on his station near Melrose on 29 March 1876, leaving a widow, two sons and a daughter.

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This article incorporates text from the public domain 1949 edition of Dictionary of Australian Biography from
Project Gutenberg of Australia, which is in the public domain in Australia and the United States of America.
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