Arthur Fydell Lindsay

Arthur Fydell Lindsay (ca.1816 – 10 May 1895) was a politician in the early days of the colony of South Australia.

History

Lindsay was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, and emigrated to South Australia on the HMS Buffalo arriving in December 1836 in company with Governor Hindmarsh, Mr Fisher (the Resident Commissioner), Mr. Gilles (Treasurer), and the Rev. C. B. Howard (Colonial Chaplain), and was present at the proclamation of the province under the historic gum tree at Glenelg.

Lindsay was trained as a surveyor and worked in that profession for a number of years, notably laying out the town of Hindmarsh[1] for the Governor (who with his wife personally owned the land) in a partnership with the Governor's son John as "Lindsay & Hindmarsh". In July 1839 they transferred ownership of the land to A. F. Lindsay and George Milner Stephen.[2] then took up a farm in the Encounter Bay district.

Lindsay served as the first member of the House of Assembly for the single-person electorate of Encounter Bay for the terms March 1857 - April 1860, when his colleagues were Benjamin Herschel Babbage and Henry Strangways. He was succeeded by (the probably unrelated) John Lindsay, then served the same electorate April 1870 - December 1871, with Emil Wentzell; and September 1873 - April 1878, with William Rogers and James Boucaut. He argued strongly for the construction of light railways on the narrow gauge system, but received little support, though he was later largely vindicated.[3]

He donated land for St. Augustine's church at Victor Harbor (he also gave land for the Methodist and Presbyterian churches), and was their third lay reader, serving in that position for over twenty years.[4]

Family

Lindsay married Charlotte Henrietta Leworthy (ca.1823 – 6 February 1915) on 20 July 1852; they had a farm "Edyell" in Victor Harbor. Their children included:

  • Eleanor Charlotte "Nora" Stewart (1879-1966), ballet teacher[7]

His brother, solicitor Richard Fydell Lindsay (ca.1819 – 13 July 1861) married Isabella Leworthy (ca.1829 – 29 March 1905).[8] He was convicted for assaulting John Hindmarsh (son of Governor Hindmarsh) in November 1860.[9]

References

  1. "The Late Mr. A. F. Lindsay". South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 11 May 1895. p. 6. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  2. Parsons, Ronald Hindmarsh Town, Corporation of the Town of Hindmarsh 1974 ISBN 0 9598793 0 7
  3. "Death of Mr. A.F. Lindsay". The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 11 May 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  4. "Church History". Anglican Parish of Victor Harbor. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  5. "Death of Recluse.". The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 31 May 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  6. "Advertising.". The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 25 April 1903. p. 4. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  7. Jack Royans, 'Stewart, Eleanor Charlotte (Nora) (1879–1966)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stewart-eleanor-charlotte-nora-8662/text15147, published first in hardcopy 1990, accessed online 6 April 2015.
  8. "Leworthy, Betty". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  9. "Criminal Sittings". South Australian Weekly Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1858 - 1867) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 1 December 1860. p. 6. Retrieved 6 April 2015.