William Henry Shephard

William Henry Shephard (ca.1812 29 June 1848) was an early colonist of South Australia.

The son of a lawyer, Shephard arrived at Port Adelaide on the privately chartered Tam o' Shanter (which rather ignominiously got stuck on the mud flats)[1] in 1836. Thomas Maslin (for whom Maslins Beach is named) was a fellow emigrant and later his brother-in-law.

He opened the "Adelaide Tavern" on Franklin Street, near the present Rosetta Terrace, with a theatre upstairs capable of holding 400 people. It was at this inn that a reception was held for Colonel Light on 6 June 1838 with 250 invited guests.[2]

He sold the Tavern in March 1839, when it became the "Adelaide and Port Lincoln Hotel", and was later that same year renamed "Allen's Hotel". He settled on his property "Windsor Farm" at Sturt Hills (possibly now Eden Hills?).[2]

He died of tuberculosis at the age of 36.

His son William Thomas Shephard worked the land for his mother, and (using Thomas Maslin as a "dummy" or proxy because of his age) bought land "Brush Yards" near Woodside. His other son William Henry jun., founded a sheep station at Waikerie, South Australia and a wheelwright's shop near Darlington.[2]

Recognition

Shephard's Hill Road (now spelled Shepherds) was named for him.

Family

He married Ann Garrett at Holy Trinity Church on 4 June 1838. They had three children:

References

  1. Hasenohr, E. W. H. Gray - a pioneer colonist of South Australia Adelaide 1977 ISBN 0 9596673 0 X
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Out Among the People". The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 25 October 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 16 June 2012.