Edwin Thomas Smith

Smith was born on 6 April 1830 at Walsall, Staffordshire, England, the son of Edwin Smith.[1] He was educated at Queen Mary's Grammar School, Walsall, and on leaving school had business experience with an uncle. By age 20, Smith was taking part in local politics.

In 1853 Smith emigrated to South Australia aboard the California[1] and began business as an importer of ironmongery at Adelaide, initially collaborating with his cousin James Alexander Holden.[2] On 25 June 1857 he married Florence Stock, daughter of Robert Stock of Clifton, England. They would have two surviving children before she died in 1862.

In 1860 he went into partnership with Edward Logue's[3] brewery on King William Street, Kent Town. When Logue died in 1865, Smith continued the business as Kent Town Brewery. In 1876 he moved the business to the south-eastern corner of Dequetteville Terrace and Rundle Street. In 1888 he amalgamated his business with that of William Knox Simms to form the South Australian Brewing Company.[4][5]

The malt towers of the old Kent Town Brewery have now been turned into luxury apartments overlooking the Adelaide Park Lands and Adelaide city centre.[6]

Smith was Mayor of the Town of Kensington and Norwood during the years 1867–70 and 1871–73, and was afterwards elected to the Adelaide City Council. He served three terms as Mayor of Adelaide: in 1879–82, 1886–87 and 1887–88. It was as a result of his advocacy that Adelaide had its first tramways, King William Street was extended, and the Torrens Lake was formed.

Smith entered parliament in 1871 as member for East Torrens in the South Australian House of Assembly, and except for a year while he was visiting England, continued to represent this constituency until he retired in 1893. Though an active member of parliament, he was not anxious for office, and only once was included in a government; he was Minister for Education in the Bray ministry from March to June 1884.[7]

He was, however, responsible for some useful legislation including a first offenders act, and he took a leading part in the promotion of the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition of 1887–88. For this and his other services to the colony, he was knighted (KCMG) in 1888. In 1894, he gave the city a bronze statue of Queen Victoria, which was placed in the geographic centre of Adelaide in the centre of Victoria Square.

Smith was elected to the South Australian Legislative Council as member for Southern Districts in 1894 and remained a member until 1902.[1] During the whole of his parliamentary experience he never lost an election.

Smith was the founding president of the Kensington and Norwood Institute, and largely responsible for the funding of its building in 1876, now the heritage-listed Norwood Library on The Parade in Norwood.[8]

He was a regular churchgoer and for many years a deacon of Clayton Congregational Church, in Kensington.[9]

Smith retired from the active conduct of his business in 1888, and retired from parliament in 1902. In retirement he took a great interest in a large number of institutions, to which he gave both time and money. He was chairman of the national park commissioners, and a trustee of the Savings Bank of South Australia. He was an active worker in the management of the Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution; the Adelaide Hospital; the Old Colonists' Association; the Elder workmen's homes; Adelaide Botanic Garden; and Adelaide Zoo.

Smith died of a cerebral haemorrhage on 25 December 1919 at his home, "The Acacias", in the eastern suburb of Marryatville.[1]

On 25 June 1857, Edwin Smith married Florence Stock (c. 1837 – 12 February 1862), daughter of Robert Stock of Clifton, England. They had three children:

• Horace Edwin Smith (1858–1858)
• Florence Ida Smith (1859–1932), married George Henry Dean in 1882.
• Sydney Talbot Smith BA LLB (1861– 3 October 1948), married Florence Oliver Chettle (died died 21 September 1935), in 1887, with whom he had four children.

Sir Edwin married again, in 1869, to Elizabeth Spicer (died 6 June 1911). This union was childless.

Smith bought the property on the corner of Portrush and Kensington Roads, known as The Acacias, in 1878 and made extensive additions and alterations to it. Upon his death in 1919, his home became Loreto Convent, then later Loreto College, Marryatville.

• Serle, Percival (1949). "Smith, Edwin". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.