John Ellis (pastoralist)
John Ellis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age |
| Died | March 22, 1873 (aged 69–70) Kempton Park, Middlesex, England |
| Occupation(s) | Pastoralist, businessman, politician |
| Years active | 1839–1873 |
| Known for | Early South Australian pastoralist and politician |
John Ellis (– 22 March 1873), often referred to as "Captain Ellis," was a notable figure in the early pastoral and business landscape of South Australia.
Biography
Ellis was born circa 1803 to Sarah and Thomas Ellis, the latter a Church of England minister. He emigrated from England to South Australia aboard the Buckinghamshire, arriving on 22 March 1839 alongside his brother George Ellis. Although commonly addressed as "Captain Ellis," the reason behind this designation remains uncertain.
In July 1839, Ellis partnered with Captain William Allen to purchase two-thirds of the Milner Estate near Port Gawler from George Milner Stephen. By 1855, Ellis had acquired Allen’s portion. This estate encompassed land that later became known as Buckland Park, which he sold in 1856 to J. H. Browne and Colonel P. J. Browne. Additionally, Ellis founded the Hummocks run in 1842 and secured the Barabba property northeast of Mallala in August 1844.
His landholdings extended beyond Australia, including acquisitions in New Zealand.
Starting in 1851, Ellis obtained over 50,000 acres of freehold land within the Hundreds of Benara and Blanche, situated between Mount Gambier and Port MacDonnell. Alongside this, he managed 34 square miles of leasehold territory supporting an estimated flock of 73,000 sheep. In 1875, he expanded his estate by purchasing the remaining portions of Benara (formerly spelled Benaira) and the neighboring Coola station from the South Australian Company; these included 22,000 acres freehold and 36,000 acres leasehold.
Managers
Hugh Cameron (circa May 1796 – 10 June 1884), originally from the Braes of Rannoch in Scotland, served as general manager for most of Ellis’s properties and played a significant role in their prosperity. Cameron arrived in South Australia around 1838 or 1839. The Hundred of Cameron was named in his honor.
Another influential manager was J. C. Kennedy (circa 1827 – 10 October 1897), also Scottish-born, who oversaw the Benara and Coola estates initially for Ellis and later for his son T. C. Ellis.
Politics
Ellis entered public service in June 1851 when he accepted a nomination to represent Flinders in the restructured Legislative Council, becoming one of South Australia's first sixteen elected members by August that year.
Retirement and death
After accumulating substantial wealth through his ventures in South Australia, Ellis retired to England with his wife Elizabeth and their family. His son Thomas took over management of the estates, which remained under family control into the next century. Ellis passed away on 22 March 1873 at Kempton Park, Middlesex, aged approximately 69 years, and was buried in Highgate Cemetery’s Terrace Catacombs.
Family
Ellis’s first spouse was Elizabeth Jane White Cathery (born 1819 in Longfleet, Dorset), with whom he had eleven children over an eighteen-year period.
His second marriage was to Susan Hindmarsh, daughter of Sir John Hindmarsh; she was born on 29 December 1810 in Rochester, Kent. They wed on 9 November 1864. Susan died on 24 August 1882 in Middlesex at age seventy-one.
Ellis had a brother named Thomas Ellis (circa 1808 – 12 May 1841), who arrived in Adelaide aboard the Lord Glenelg in May 1841 but died soon thereafter.