Edward Meade Bagot
Edward Meade Bagot | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Rockforest, Tubber, County Clare, Ireland |
| Died | July 28, 1886 (aged 63) |
| Occupation(s) | Pastoralist, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Substantial landholdings in Central Australia; breeding award-winning cattle and horses; involvement in mining and telegraph construction |
Edward Meade Bagot (13 December 1822 – 28 July 1886) was an Irish-born Australian pastoralist and entrepreneur who possessed substantial landholdings in Central Australia.
History
Originating from Rockforest, Tubber, County Clare, Ireland, Bagot was the second-born son of Charles Hervey Bagot and Mary (née MacCarthy). He received his education in Ennis and was originally prepared for a career with the East India Company but relocated to South Australia with his family in 1840.
His father founded a pastoral estate at Koonunga in 1841, where Edward played a role in its management. By 1843, he held the position of accountant and storekeeper at the Kapunda copper mine, later becoming a director of the South Kapunda mine starting in 1850.
Pastoral interests
Among Bagot’s landholdings were Murthoo Run (from 1846), Ned's Corner along the River Murray (from 1854), Kulnine, Wall Wall, and "Beefacres" (present-day Windsor Gardens, South Australia) situated on the River Torrens (1853–1864), as well as Mudla Wirra (in partnership with Richard Bowen Colley) beginning in 1865.
In 1872, he secured Northern Territory leases No.1 and No.2 at Undoolya Station, near Alice Springs. His son Ted, stepson James Churchill-Smith, and William Gilbert drove a herd of 1,000 cattle from Adelaide to establish the initial homestead. The following year, he obtained a pastoral lease on Dalhousie Springs, where he constructed a homestead that eventually deteriorated. This site held importance during the expedition searching for Ludwig Leichhardt. Additionally, Bagot commissioned Benjamin Babbage to supervise the building of the Overland Telegraph Line section near Oodnadatta. The Dalhousie property encompassed extensive grazing territory and was sold to John Lewis in 1896.
Bagot briefly ventured into mining in 1874 by founding the "Golden Reef Company," which he soon dissolved after concluding the claim lacked profitability.
He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1861 but resigned in 1876 due to financial troubles; however, after settling his insolvency, he was reinstated in 1877. That same year, together with partner Gabriel Bennett, he entered voluntary liquidation; creditors received five shillings per pound. Unlike many contemporaries who avoided their debts, Bagot fully reimbursed his creditors by 1880 despite liquidating most properties—including Undoolya Station, where he had invested £30,000—at a financial loss. He continued managing the station following its sale.
Other interests
Bagot gained recognition as an accomplished breeder of cattle and horses, earning numerous awards. His stallion Don Giovanni was sire to Don Juan, winner of the 1873 Melbourne Cup. The thoroughbred mare Cowra secured victories in the Adelaide Cup in both 1866 and 1867. Another horse named Neetlee had a single race start in 1867 but became notable for unseating her jockey. In 1880, Ned served on the committee of the South Australian Jockey Club and participated in a landmark legal case affirming the Totalizator Repeal Act, which exempted "the tote" from regulation under the Lotteries Act despite legal uncertainties.
Together with Bennett, Bagot owned grazing lands at Mile End, bordered by what are now Henley Beach Road, South Road, Darebin Street, and Bagot Avenue. Between 1838 and 1869, this tract functioned as a racecourse known as "The Barton Course" for the South Australian Jockey Club, hosting events including the inaugural Adelaide Cup in April 1864, Saint Patrick's Day races in 1853, and the Grand Annual Steeplechase in 1866.
His expertise as a livestock judge was frequently called upon by the Show Society.
Death
Following a Hunt Club gathering at H. E. Downer's establishment in Magill, his sudden disappearance triggered extensive search operations. He was recognized for his distinctive wardrobe—comprising knee-length breeches, gaiters, a shooting jacket, and a traditional broad-brimmed belltopper hat—and was observed on multiple occasions near North Adelaide before he went missing. Eventually, his body was discovered at the base of a quarry in Dry Creek, with the cause of death presumed to be an accidental fall.
The property he owned on Brougham Place was subsequently purchased by George Edward Fulton.
Family
Edward Meade "Ned" Bagot (1822–1886) entered into marriage with Mary Pettman (1830–1855) in 1853. Following her passing, he wed Anne Smith (née Walworth; 1830–1892), a widow, in 1857; she brought with her a son from her former marriage, James Churchill-Smith (1851–1922).
Bagot fathered thirteen children, among whom were:
- Edward Meade "Ted" Bagot Jr. (1848–1881)
- James Churchill-Smith (stepson, 1851–1922)
- George Wall Wall Bagot (1858–1919)
- Richard Neetlee "Dick" Bagot (1860–1934)
- Charles Mulcra Bagot (1863–1895)
- Lucy Cowra Bagot (1865–1898)
- Lille Nellnell Bagot (1867–1956)
- Sophie Rose Bagot (1869–1889)
- Annie Meade Bagot (1870–1910)
- Edgar Watermeit Bagot (1872–1895)
- Allan Walter Bagot (1874–)
His lineage extended to nine grandchildren, including:
- James Churchill-Smith Jr. (1894–1968)
- George Wall Wall Bagot Hughes, MBE (1878–1940)
- Frank Neetlee Bagot
- John Neetlee "Jack" Bagot (1898–1977)
- Richard Neetlee Bagot Jr. (born 1904)
- Edward Meade "Ned" Bagot III (1888–1976)
- Charles Ernest Bagot (1893–1915)
- Almerta Annie "Girlie" Bagot (born 1893)
- George Edgar Bagot (1895–1987)