George Tinline
George Tinline | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1815-10-28 Near Jedburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 1895-02-04 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, politician, pastoralist |
| Years active | 1830s–1890s |
| Known for | Issuance of gold guinea coins during South Australian gold rush; member of South Australian Legislative Council |
George Tinline (28 October 1815 – 4 February 1895) was a prominent banker and political figure in nineteenth-century South Australia. He is notably remembered for his involvement with the Bank of South Australia’s issuance of 25,000 gold guinea coins, a strategic response to the currency shortage during the gold rush period.
History
Tinline was born near Jedburgh, Scotland, in 1815 to humble parents Esther and John. He spent twelve years working at the Jedburgh branch of the Bank of Scotland. In 1838, he emigrated to Sydney and joined the Bank of Australasia before relocating to its Adelaide office. Shortly thereafter, he secured the position of accountant at the Bank of South Australia, earning an annual salary of £400. His brother John arrived in 1840 and later gained recognition as a sheep farmer and philanthropist.
In 1860, after the departure of manager Stephens, Tinline stepped into the role of acting manager. During the gold rush, South Australia grappled with a labor shortage and financial instability caused by an influx of gold coupled with inadequate currency circulation. Tinline championed the creation of an assay office and mint to transform gold into bullion coins. The Bullion Act enabled the production of roughly 25,000 £1 coins, although these were not officially sanctioned by the Bank of England. For his crucial efforts in preventing an economic crisis, Tinline was awarded a purse containing 2,000 guineas (£2,200) along with a silver salver, which is currently preserved by the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Following substantial financial losses due to a client’s default, Tinline was dismissed by the bank in 1859. Subsequently, he collaborated with his brother-in-law, A. B. Murray, to develop pastoral leases at Wirrabara.
As one of the Lands Commissioners, Tinline was elected to the Legislative Council in April 1860 but resigned unexpectedly in May 1863 to return to England. His partially completed Mount Lofty home was eventually sold and repurposed as Stawell School for Girls.
Tinline made a brief return visit to Adelaide around 1894 or 1895 before passing away in Melbourne.
Other interests
Tinline maintained financial involvement with the Hindmarsh Brewery, initially operating under "Crawford & Tinline" before transitioning management to "Crawford & Sons."
Family
On 30 November 1843, George Tinline married Helen Madder from Jedburgh. The couple lived on Stanley Street in North Adelaide and had six children.
His father John Tinline (1791–1861), widowed at that time, along with sister Margaret Tinline (c. 1823 – 17 August 1907), arrived in South Australia aboard the Symmetry in February 1844. Margaret later became A. B. Murray’s second wife on 23 June 1857.