Philip Santo

Philip Santo (7 August 1818 – 17 December 1889) was a South Australian politician and businessman.

History

Santo was born at Saltash, Cornwall, and trained to be a carpenter. At the age of 22 he left for South Australia on the ship Brightman, arriving in Adelaide in December 1840. He worked as a builder in Adelaide, then Burra. He moved to Melbourne during the rush to the Victorian goldfields but soon returned to set up a shop in Grote Street near Victoria Square in 1857, then Waymouth Street from 1866, then from 1873 as Philip Santo & Co in Waymouth Street and Lipson Street Port Adelaide; initially selling timber. then building materials then general hardware, riverboats and ships. By 1880 they had diversified into such disparate goods as patent medicines, perfumes and flavourings, American waggons, brooms, "kerosine", "gasoline" and cabinet organs.[1] The company ceased advertising around 1890.

Santo was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1860 for the City of Adelaide district, 1862 and 1865 for East Adelaide then in 1868 for Barossa and was appointed Commissioner of Public works on a number of occasions for various periods, first in the Waterhouse cabinet, then with Henry Ayers to 1868. He lost his seat in 1870, during which year he was elected to the Legislative Council and held that seat for 21 years.[2] He was an active member of the Church of Christ, Grote Street and frequently preached there as an Elder. He died at his home, "Fernleigh House" on West Terrace, Adelaide.[3]

Santo was married and had four daughters: Mrs Gore (wife of Rev. T. J. Gore of the Grote St. church), Mrs J. Smith (wife of a business partner), Mrs J. S. Greer and a Miss Santo. His only son, Philip Santo jr., was a prize-winning student at Adelaide Educational Institution and worked for a time in his father's shop, but was diagnosed an having diphtheria and died shortly afterwards on 13 June 1868 leaving a wife and a child.[4]

References

  1. ↑ General Merchandise South Australian Advertiser 5 April 1886 p.8
  2. ↑ Death of Mr. Philip Santo The Advertiser 18 December 1889 p.5 accessed 15 April 2011
  3. ↑ Death of Hon. P. Santo South Australian Register 18 December 1889 p.6 accessed 16 April 2011
  4. ↑ http://saobits.gravesecrets.net/s.html