John Lavington Bonython

This article is about Sir John Lavington Bonython (1875-1960)
His father was named Sir John Langdon Bonython (1848-1939)
His son was named John Langdon Bonython (1905–1992)
Sir John Lavington Bonython

John Lavington Bonython, Mayor of Adelaide,
ca. 1913
Born (1875-09-10)10 September 1875
Adelaide, South Australia
Died 6 November 1960(1960-11-06) (aged 85)
Occupation Newspaper editor
A young John Lavington Bonython in 1887.

Sir John Lavington Bonython (10 September 1875 – 6 November 1960) was a prominent public figure in Adelaide, known for his work in journalism, business and politics. In association with his father, he became involved in the management of newspapers including The Advertiser; he also served as editor of The Saturday Express and as a journalist. After The Advertiser was sold in 1929 and converted to a public company, he became a director, and for a time vice-chairman; an association that continued until his death. In 1901 he began a long association with the Adelaide City Council, serving as Mayor of Adelaide (1911–1913) and later as Lord Mayor of Adelaide (1927–1930). He was knighted in 1935.[1] The now removed Lavington Bonython Fountain on North Terrace was errected in front of the SA Museum in his honour.

Biography

Born in Adelaide on 10 September 1875, John Lavington Bonython was the eldest son of Sir John Langdon Bonython[2] and his wife Mary Louise Fredericka, née Balthasar.[1] He attended Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, and joined The Advertiser in 1896. During his time with newspapers, he worked on The Advertiser, Chronicle and the Express, serving as the editor of the Saturday Express between 1912 and 1930.[1]

Lavington Bonython became directly involved with the Adelaide City Council when he was elected as a councillor in 1901. He became an alderman in 1907, served as Mayor (1912-1913), and as Lord Mayor (1928-1930). His appointment in 1912 made Bonython the youngest person to serve as Adelaide's Mayor, and during his time with the council he was noted for his focus on Adelaide's heritage.[1] He was knighted in 1935.[3]

Amongst his other activities were a number of positions on company boards, including the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Municipal Tramways Trust, and serving as a director and Vice-Chairman of The Advertiser. In particular, Lavington Bonython was a member of the inaugural board for Minda Inc, remaining with the organisation for 62 years.[1]

Lavington Bonython died on 6 November 1960.[1][4][5]

Family

John Lavington Bonython married twice, in total producing six children.

Blanche Ada Bray

On 16 April 1904 he married Blanche Ada Bray, born on 10 November 1881 in Adelaide, only daughter of Sir John Cox Bray and Alice Maude Hornabrook, by whom he had a son and two daughters (John, Elizabeth and Ada). She died in childbirth on 5 November 1908, aged 26.[1][6][7]

Ada Bray Bonython (1908-1965) on her wedding day ca. 1930.
Back row: brother John Bonython, Beryl Ritchie, Denis Heath (groom), Ada (bride), and Joan Smeaton.
Front row: sisters Katherine and Elizabeth (Betty) Bonython, Molly Fotheringham and Nancy Rowena Bray.

Jean, Lady Bonython

Four years later, on 11 December 1912, Lavington Bonython married 21-year-old Constance Jean Warren,[15] (later Lady Bonython OBE[16]), with whom he had three children, Warren, Katherine and Kym. Lavington was Mayor of Adelaide at the time, and Jean was widely referred to as "the Baby Mayoress".[15] She was amazingly active and on dozens of committees too numerous to mention here. She had a major stroke in 1970, and in the period between then and her death in 1977, her son Warren wrote her biography: "I'm no lady : the reminiscences of Constance Jean, Lady Bonython, O.B.E. 1891-1977", edited by C. Warren Bonython, Issued in progressive chapter-instalments 1976-1981.

The Lavington Bonython Fountain, 2003

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 W. B. Pitcher, Bonython, Sir John Lavington (1875 - 1960), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, pp 341-342.
  2. W. B. Pitcher, Bonython, Sir John Langdon (1848 - 1939), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, pp 339-341.
  3. Knight Bachelor, 3 June 1935 Citation: In recognition of service to philanthropy
  4. Hundreds mourn Sir Lavington Bonython, Advertiser, 7 November 1960, p. 2, col. d-f
  5. Obituary (Sir John Lavington Bonython), Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch, vol. 61 (1960), p. 81
  6. Blanche Ada Bray
  7. 1 2 3 Richard Carruthers, Family tree, Richard Carruthers in unknown series (n.p.: n.pub., 1986).
  8. John Langdon Bonython, cyberzone.com
  9. 1 2 John Bonython AO (b. 1905) of Santos Oil, rootsweb.com
  10. Historical highlights Archived 19 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine., Santos.com
  11. Knight Bachelor, Keith Cameron Wilson, 1 January 1966, Citation: Public services & social welfare
  12. Elizabeth Hornabrook Bonython
  13. The Order of the British Empire - Member, Elizabeth Hornabrook Wilson, 1 January 1946, Citation: Charities
  14. The Order of the British Empire - Commander, Elizabeth Hornabrook Wilson, 13 June 1959, Citation: Social welfare
  15. 1 2 Joyce Gibberd, Bonython, Constance Jean (1891 - 1977), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, Melbourne University Press, 1993, pp 215-216.
  16. Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Constance Jean Bonython, 10 June 1954 Citation: In recognition of service to charities
  17. Warren Bonython, Bright Sparcs
  18. Christie Peuker (2011) Jets farewell officer and gentleman Kym Bonython, Adelaide Now, 20 March 2011
  19. Creswell, Toby; Trenoweth, Samantha (2006). 1001 Australians You Should Know. Pluto Press Australia. pp. 37–38. ISBN 978-1-86403-361-8.
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