Walter Duffield

Walter Duffield (1816 – 5 November 1882) was a pastoralist and politician in colonial South Australia, Treasurer of South Australia 1865 to 1867.^[1]

Duffield was born in Great Baddow, Essex, England, son of William Duffield, a farmer;^[1] the solicitor William Ward Duffield was a brother.^[2] Walter arrived in South Australia in the William Barras in December 1839.^[1] His first occupation was as manager for fellow-passenger Jacob Hagen's estate at Echunga, where his wine was some of the first produced in the colony.^[3] He left Echunga to build up the Para Para estate, near Gawler, and produced hams, wines and orchard fruit; he later had 40,000 Merino sheep.^[1]

He started business in Gawler as a flour miller ("The Victoria Steam Flour Mill", founded by Stephen King JP) and merchant in September 1847,^[4] and, in conjunction with Harrold Brothers as Duffield, Harrold and Company (later Duffield, Harrold and Hurd), owned Weinteriga and Outalpa stations.^[5]

Duffield was member for Barossa in the South Australian House of Assembly from 9 March 1857 to 6 April 1868 and from 14 April 1870 to 13 December 1871,^[6] and was Treasurer in the John Hart Government from 23 October 1865 to March 1866,^[7] and in the Ministry of James Boucaut, which succeeded it, from the latter date till 3 May 1867.^[6] Duffield subsequently sat in the South Australian Legislative Council from 3 April 1873 to 27 May 1879, when every four years one third of the Legislative Council was elected by the whole colony as one electorate "The Province".^[6]

Duffield died in Gawler on 5 November 1882 and was buried in Willaston General Cemetery.^[1]

Family

Walter Duffield married Phoebe Johnstone (c. 1814 – 15 May 1890) on 7 March 1842; their children were:

• Mary Ann Hawkes Duffield (1844– 21 August 1902) married Eli Thomas Humphry in 1880^[8]
• Louisa Caroline Duffield (1846– ) married Frank Makin in 1870
• Eleanor Duffield (1848 – 13 May 1934) married J(ohn) Davies Thomas MD (c. 1845 – 30 January 1893) on 10 June 1878. Thomas was for a time partner of H. T. Whittell MD.
• Emily Martha Duffield (1849– ) married Thomas Hopkins Bowen on 2 July 1873^[9] Bowen later acted as attorney for the Duffield estate.
• David Walter Duffield (1851 – 24 January 1922) married Florence Evangeline Kirkpatrick on 15 August 1878
  • Walter Geoffrey Duffield (1879 – 1929) grandson, astronomer buried at Mount Stromlo^[10]

References

1. Huxley, Molly. "Duffield, Walter (1816–1882)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
2. "Chelmsford's G.O.M.: Mr. W. W. Duffield Passes Away at 92". The Essex County Chronicle. No. 7, 716. Chelmsford. 9 August 1912. p. 5.  
3. "Death of Mr. Walter Duffield". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XIX, no. 5, 648. South Australia. 6 November 1882. p. 2. Retrieved 21 November 2016 – via Trove.
4. "Presentation to the Hon. W. W. Duffield". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide. 6 October 1877. p. 15. Retrieved 4 September 2015 – via Trove.
5. "The Late Mr. Joseph Harrold". South Australian Register. Adelaide. 8 April 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 19 October 2015 – via Trove.
6. "Mr Walter Duffield". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
7. Mennell, Philip (1892). "Duffield, Walter" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
8. "Deaths". The Times. No. 36889. London. 3 October 1902. p. 1.
9. "Family Notices". The Bunyip. No. 434. South Australia. 5 July 1873. p. 2. Retrieved 28 June 2020 – via Trove.
10. Allen, C W (1981). "Duffield, Walter Geoffrey (1879–1929)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. Retrieved 15 November 2022.

––