George Stevenson (1799 - 1856)

Born 13 Apr 1799 in Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, England

Husband of Margaret (Gorton) Stevenson — married 12 May 1836 (to 19 Oct 1856) in Saint George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 19 Oct 1856 at age 57 in North Adelaide, South Australia

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Biography

George Stevenson is Notable.

George Stevenson was a pioneer newspaper founder and editor, as well as a horticulturalist in South Australia.

Born on 13 April 1799 at Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, England, Stevenson was the son of a gentleman farmer, who died when he was 12. He went to sea in an East Indiaman, returned to Scotland and briefly studied medicine. He then worked on his brother's ranch in Canada, visited Central America and the West Indies, and returned to England in 1830. He claimed that in 1835 he became joint editor of the Globe; more probably he was only a travelling correspondent, and he was heavily in debt to the owner, Colonel Robert Torrens. Next year he was appointed first secretary to the first Governor and first clerk of the Legislative Council in the new province of South Australia. He also applied to Lord Glenelg for appointment as Protector of the Aborigines, because of his experience with North American Indians and his benevolent character.^[1]

Stevenson formed a partnership with Robert Thomas, the owner of a printing, bookselling and law stationery business in London's Fleet Street.^[1][2] Together they produced South Australia's first newspaper the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register. Before leaving England Stevenson gave evidence before the select committee on the disposal of waste lands in the British colonies. Although claiming that 'incessant engagement in political warfare was not consonant to his taste', Stevenson, in the tradition of the English press of the period, was to prove outspoken on many fronts as he targeted powerful individuals.^[1][3]

Shortly before his departure for South Australia, Stevenson married Margaret Gorton, of Chester, on 12th May 1836 at St George Hanover Square, Middlesex. Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer was one of the witnesses.^[4] Margaret was the daughter of John Gorton, who had been an assistant editor of the Globe; she had helped to prepare his A General Biographical Dictionary published in London in 1828.^[1]

George Stevenson came free to the Colony of South Australia (1836-1900)

Stevenson and his wife Margaret emigrated to South Australia aboard the HMS Buffalo, one of the colonising fleet of 10 vessels. Together with the first Governor, John Hindmarsh, they arrived at Holdfast Bay, South Australia on 28th December, where later in the day Stevenson read the Governor's first proclamation to the assembled colonists.^[1][5][6]

The Proclamation of South Australia at Holdfast Bay on 28th December 1836 by Charles Hill, read to the assembled colonists by George Stevenson.

The first edition of the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register was published in London on 18 June 1836, announcing that "the intention of publishing its second number in a city of the wilderness of which the site is yet unknown, may appear to many more chimerical than interesting".^[7]

Front page of the first edition of South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, published 18th June 1836 in London.

The first years of settlement were challenging for the colonists, as they confronted the difficulties of establishing a community in an unknown land. They were attempting to become self-sufficient while putting into practice the founders' ideals and theories for a free society. Stevenson made the most of the South Australian press' almost unrestricted freedom with his outspokenness.^[3]

After the second edition of the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register appeared in Adelaide on 3rd June 1837, Stevenson's fiery articles aggravated antagonism to the Governor, and after the third issue James Hurtle Fisher, Col William Light and others began planning a second newspaper, the Southern Australian, edited by Charles Mann and John Brown.^[1][3]

The climax came on 29th July 1837 when the Register published a letter from "A Colonist" accusing Fisher of selling government owned bullocks to his own sons.^[8] The letter was the work of Stevenson's wife, Margaret. Fisher sued the Register for libel and won, however that did not stop Stevenson. He ridiculed the jury's decision with "We spit upon a verdict so obtained."^[3][9]

After Governor George Gawler arrived, Stevenson resigned his official appointments.^[1] His exposure of George Milner Stephen's corruption,^[10] together with the ongoing storm of controversy led to the retraction in June 1839 of the right of Robert Thomas and Co. to print the South Australian Government Gazette, and the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register became the South Australian Register.^[11][12] Robert Thomas and Co. were subsequently awarded another contract to fulfil the Government's printing requirements.^[13]

When Gawler sanctioned the killing of four Ngarrindjeri men in retaliation for the killing of all the Europeans on board the brig Maria at the Coorong in 1840,^[14] Stevenson believed Gawler's actions went against British law and he spoke out emphatically in the Register.^[15] Gawler's response was to withdraw the government printing contract from the Register.^[16] This resulted in bankruptcy of the firm of Thomas and Stevenson in 1842,^[17][18] and the subsequent sale of the Register to James Allen.^[3]

Stevenson was appointed South Australia's first Coroner and Postmaster General.^[19] In 1839 he was one of the original investors in land at Port Lincoln.^[20][21] He was elected to the Municipal Corporation of Adelaide, serving as alderman in 1840-41.^[22]

Stevenson returned to journalism in 1845 and revived the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register,^[23] which became the South Australian Gazette and Mining Journal in October 1847.^[24] Although a Presbyterian, he had some part in founding the Collegiate School of St Peter, and was one of the first directors.^[25] In 1849 his inveterate exposures brought him public blows from (Sir) Robert Torrens, but he later won a Pyrrhic victory in court.^[26]

In March 1852 Stevenson's newspaper ceased publication, and he briefly visited the Victorian goldfields.^[27]

Stevenson was also a pioneer in horticulture, and was known as the Father of Horticulture in South Australia. At his house at North Adelaide (set on four acres, 1.6 hectares) he grew a huge variety of fruit trees and vines to demonstrate that the hard Adelaide Plains soil was suitable for cultivation. He once predicted that South Australia would produce "orange groves as luxuriant and productive as those of Spain or Italy." His senior gardener, George McEwin was the author of the South Australian Vigneron and Gardeners' Manual, which became a guide for the cultivation of vine and the propagation of fruit trees and vegetables. Stevenson later set up the Glen Ewin orchards, which became famous for jam production. He was, with John Barton Hack, one of the first two winegrowers in SA, a state that now produces 65 per cent of Australian wines. The first grapes were planted at North Adelaide in 1837, a year after the colony was established. Stevenson and Hack had several properties in North Adelaide used for horticulture but by the early 1840s they were sold and sub-divided for housing. Stevenson then rented land near the city, later converted to the official Adelaide Botanic Gardens, which remain today. From his home gardens Stevenson supplied most of the colony with vine cuttings and fruit trees.^[28][29]

Stevenson died at his home, Lytton Lodge, in Finniss Street, North Adelaide, on 19th October 1856, in his 58th year,^[30] and was interred at St Matthews Church of England Cemetery at Kensington.^[31]

He was survived by his widow, Margaret, one daughter, Margaret, and two sons, one of whom, George, became Member for East Torrens in the House of Assembly in 1871-75 and Attorney-General in the Ayers ministry in 1872-73.^[32]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Stevenson, George (1799–1856)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stevenson-george-2699/text3785, published first in hardcopy 1967, accessed online 5 December 2020.
2. ↑ South Australian Advertiser, Adelaide. 2 Jul 1860, page 3, column 3. The Late Mr. Robert Thomas. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 28 Nov 2020)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} SA Memory - State Library of South Australia. A short history of the Register newspaper 1836-1931. (https://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=2564# : accessed 21 Nov 2020) archived at Wayback Machine.
4. ↑ City of Westminster Archives Centre; London, England; Westminster Church of England Parish Registers; Reference: STC/PR/7/21 (Ancestry.com. Westminster, London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935 [database on-line] : accessed 1 Dec 2020) Marriage record (Image) for George Stevens, bachelor, and Margaret Gorton, spinster, by license on 12 May 1836 at St George Hanover Square, Middlesex. Witnesses: Henry Lytton Bulwer, Henry Morgan Vane, Margaret Gorton, Mary B. Smith, Harriett Sophia Smith. Note: Record has George Stevenson but has been indexed as Stevens. Free Ancestry Image
5. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, London, England. 18 Jun 1836, page 1, column 3. List of ships that have sailed and are about to sail to South Australia. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 28 Nov 2020)
6. ↑ The Proclamation. Bound For South Australia. History Trust of South Australia's blog : accessed 28 Nov 2020, archived at Wayback Machine.
7. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, London, England. 18 Jun 1836, page 3, column 3. Erection and constitution of the colony. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 28 Nov 2020)
8. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, Adelaide. 29 Jul 1837, page 2, columns 3 & 4. Letters to the Editor. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 28 Nov 2020)
9. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, Adelaide. 19 May 1838, page 8, column 2. Mr James Hurtle Fisher and the Press. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 28 Nov 2020)
10. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, Adelaide. 1 Jun 1839, page 3, column 4. The Milner Estate. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
11. ↑ The South Australian Gazette, 20 Jun 1839, no. 74, page 1, column 1 (AustLII, http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/other/sa_gazette/ ; accessed 28 Nov 2020) Government Order for publication of South Australian Gazette.
12. ↑ South Australian Register, Adelaide. 22 Jun 1839, page 3, column 2. To Our Readers. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 28 Nov 2020)
13. ↑ Southern Australian, Adelaide. 24 Nov 1840, page 4. Governor Gawler and the Press. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 29 Nov 2020)
14. ↑ [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-05/murder-missing-gold-massacre-maria-shipwreck/6900330 Murder, missing gold and lost shipwreck: Dark tale of the Maria massacre. (ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/ : accessed 30 Nov 2020) archived at Wayback Machine 10 May 2017.
15. ↑ South Australian Register, Adelaide. 19 Sep 1840, page 2. Summary Execution of the Natives. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 29 Nov 2020)
16. ↑ South Australian Register, Adelaide. 21 Nov 1840, page 2. Governor Gawler and the Press. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 29 Nov 2020)
17. ↑ The South Australian Government Gazette, 4 Aug 1842, no. 239, pages 3-4. (AustLII, http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/other/sa_gazette/ ; accessed 28 Nov 2020) Declaration of Insolvency.
18. ↑ The South Australian Government Gazette, 18 Aug 1842, no. 241, page 11. (AustLII, http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/other/sa_gazette/ ; accessed 29 Nov 2020) Notice of fiat issued against Robert Thomas and George Stevenson.
19. ↑ Southern Australian, Adelaide. 6 Oct 1838, page 3, column 1. The Southern Australian. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
20. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, Adelaide. 13 Apr 1839, page 6, column 1. Advertising. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
21. ↑ The South Australian Government Gazette, 15 Aug 1839, no. 82, pages 5 &6. (AustLII, http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/other/sa_gazette/ ; accessed 5 Dec 2020) Town and Harbour of Port Lincoln.
22. ↑ Southern Australian, Adelaide. 6 Nov 1840, page 3. Address of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, to His Excellency the Governor. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
23. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, Adelaide.5 Jul 1845, page 1, column 4 To Our Readers. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
24. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Mining Journal, Adelaide. 9 Oct 1847, page 2, column 2. To Our Readers. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
25. ↑ South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, Adelaide.19 Jun 1847, page 1, column3. Church of England Collegiate School of South Australia. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
26. ↑ Adelaide Observer, South Australia.7 Jul 1849, page 1. Supreme Court - Criminal Side. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
27. ↑ South Australian Register, Adelaide. 25 March 1852, page 3, column 3. Public Breakfast to Mr. George Stevenson. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
28. ↑ Rex Jory. George Stevenson. (The Australian Media Hall of Fame, https://web.archive.org/web/20201119042431/https://halloffame.melbournepressclub.com/article/george-stevenson, archived at Wayback Machine 19 Nov 2020 : accessed 5 Dec 2020.)
29. ↑ Adelaide Times, South Australia. 20 Oct 1856, page 3, column 3. Obituary Notice. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 5 Dec 2020)
30. ↑ South Australia Deaths 1842-1972 (FindMyPast, https://www.findmypast.com : accessed 5 December 2020) database entry for Stevenson, George (Death Date: 19 October 1856, Marital Status: Not recorded, Age: 57y, Residence: North Adelaide, Death Place: North Adelaide) Reference: District: Adelaide, Book/Page: 5/373.
31. ↑ Burial Transcription (Genealogy SA, https://www.genealogysa.org.au/index.php : accessed 5 Dec 2020), database entry for Stevenson, George (Cemetery: Kensington St Matthew Anglican, Age: 57, Burial Date: 21 Oct 1856, Residence: North Adelaide, Source: Burial Register).
32. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "George Stevenson (Australian politician)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Stevenson_(Australian_politician)&oldid=879464727 (accessed December 5, 2020).

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