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Charles Farr (builder)

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Charles Farr (c. 1812 – 25 February 1888) was a timber merchant and builder in the young colony of South Australia.

History

Charles Farr c. 1885

Farr emigrated to South Australia from Britain aboard D'Auvergne arriving in March 1839.

Portion Victoria Square and Franklin Street taken from the GPO tower in 1865. Farr's woodyard in middle foreground.

Farr, by trade a bricklayer, had premises on Hindley Street, and by 1850 owned a business on Franklin Street, a timber yard possibly purchased from Philip Santo.[1] By 1868 he employed up to 115 men and his sawmill and timber yard, which employed around 35 men, extended over two acres between Franklin and Grote streets, and included the Farr residence.[2] He later moved to Waymouth Street, then in 1883 moved to Grote Street, west of Brown Street. That same year he had a timber yard in Wakefield Street.[3]

His two sons, who were educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution, were brought into the business, but later went their separate ways: Charles George was licensee of the Talbot Hotel, Gouger Street, then the International Hotel, Rundle Street; Alfred was city manager for Walter & Morris, who owned the Sarnia timber mills in Port Adelaide,[4] and influential president of the Builders and Contractors' Association.[5]

Farr died after several years an invalid. His remains were interred in the West Terrace Cemetery.

He evidently had good relations with the men in his employ, and paid skilled tradesmen slightly more than other employers; from 8/6d to 10s. per day.[6] For twenty years his company was probably second only to English & Brown / Brown & Thompson, who owned the Glen Ewin quarry.[7]

Some works

Built Name Architect Client Location Notes
1856 Head office Edmund Wright Union Bank Pirie Street Became "Union Hall", Adelaide headquarters of WCTU 1896, demolished 1925
1858[8] Church of the Immaculate Conception G. S. Kingston Catholic Church Port Adelaide
1859 Branch office E. Wright Bank of South Australia Commercial Road, Port Adelaide
1859 Branch office E. Wright Union Bank Lipson Street, Port Adelaide
1860[9] Head office James Macgeorge South Australian Savings Bank King William Street
1863[10] Coal store and retort house SA Gas Company Brompton
1863–1869 Adelaide Town Hall E. Wright
E. J. Woods		 Adelaide City Council King William Street
1864[11] Chemist's shop R. G. Thomas Mrs. A. M. Bickford Hindley Street
1864[12] Warehouse G. S. Kingston George P. Harris Gawler Place, Adelaide became Harris Scarfe
1865[13] "Kingsmead House" E. Wright,
E. J. Woods		 Charles Jacobs 75–78 Brougham Place
1865 Athelney E. Wright, E. J. Woods P. D. Prankerd Athelney Avenue, Kent Town Peter Dodding Prankerd married Lucy Amelia Wright, sister of the architect. They sold Athelney to H. B. Hughes in 1874. Now part of St Peter's College
1866 Wine and spirit store Daniel Garlick S. R. Hall King William Street adjacent a similar store same owner and architect but built by English & Brown.
1867[14] Department store G. S. Kingston George P. Harris Rundle Street became Harris Scarfe
1868[15] Prince Alfred College D. Garlick Methodist Church Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town foundation stone was laid by HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, on 5 November 1867.[16]
1869 Buck's Head Hotel D. Garlick W. H. Gray North Terrace, Adelaide rebuilt on same site
1868[17] Parkside Lunatic Asylum D. Garlick SA Government cnr Greenhill and Brownhill Creek (now Fullarton) roads
1868[17] York Hotel D. Garlick cnr Rundle & Pulteney streets rebuilt on same site
1869[18] Norwood Baptist Church James Cumming Baptist Association The Parade, Norwood
1871,1872[19] East, west wings J. Cumming Bushmen's Club SE corner, Whitmore Square sold to the Salvation Army (the current owner) in 1899
1871[20] Norwood Public School J. Cumming Education Department The Parade, Norwood
1871[20] Extension G. S. Kingston Bank of Australasia King William Street
1873 Residence D. Garlick Thomas Magarey Mills Terrace, N.A.
1875[21] "Kalymna" T. English C. A. Hornabrook 28 Dequetteville Tce, Kent Town still stands, as "Oreon House"
1876[22] drapery shop D. Garlick T. Wilcox cnr. Rundle & Pulteney streets
1876[22] King's Head Hotel T. English W. Thomson King William Street rebuilt on same site
1877[22] Universal Buildings T. English L. A. Jessop
M. C. Davis		 Grenfell Street
1878[23] Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution T. English Brighton Road, Brighton New building in front of the old one, previously the "Grace Darling Hotel".
1878 Royal Admiral Hotel T. English C. Banbury Hindley Street rebuilt on same site
1878[24] extensions D. Garlick G. & R. Wills
1879 Southern Cross Hotel D. Garlick William Chambers
F. J. Blades		 King William Street rebuilt on same site
1879[25] Clubhouse "Albert Hall" G. R. Johnson[26] Deutsche Club Pirie Street sold to the Salvation Army in September 1898, and became its HQ, "Memorial Hall"
1879[27] stores D. Garlick J. Hodgkiss & Co. Stephens Place, Adelaide
1879[27] clubhouse T. English New South Australian Club Pirie Street Not to be confused with (Trew's) South Australian Club Hotel on North Terrace,[28] this was an exclusive establishment comparable to the Adelaide Club. An earlier incarnation (1839–44) on Hindley Street, whose members included Sturt, Morphett and Fisher[29][30] failed financially.
1880 Exchange Building / Queens Exchange E. Wright]]
J. H. Reed		 eastern corner, Pirie Street and Exchange Lane "Commercial Union Building" demolished 1980
1880[31] Exchange Building E. Wright Exchange Land Company Currie Street
1882 Adelaide Swimming Baths Adelaide City Council King William Road
1882 Warehouse David Williams, jr. Blackwell, Felstead, & Co. Pirie Street, Adelaide
1884 Clubhouse Smeaton YMCA cnr. Grenfell Street and Gawler Place
1885[32] Institute R. Rees Summertown
1885[33] shops D. Garlick E & W. Hackett Rundle Street
1887 Western annexe, Jubilee Exhibition Building Withall & Wells North Terrace for Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition

Family

Farr married Sophia Morris (c. 1813 – 19 March 1879) before leaving for South Australia. Their children were:

  • Charlotte Farr (c. February 1839 – 4 September 1866) married Harry Bickford (1843–1927) on 24 February 1866. They had no children. He married again, on 10 March 1870 to Rosina Mary Ferguson (1845 – 5 October 1898). There was a dispute over a North Adelaide block given to Charlotte by Farr.[34]
  • Sophia Farr (1843 – 30 June 1918) died at the home of her sister Martha Laurence
  • Charles George Farr (1845 – 1 April 1908) married Paruna Minnie Ann "Mina" Russell (c. 1863 – 4 August 1940) on 26 June 1879
  • Alfred Farr (1847 – 29 May 1912) married Mary Prynn Sands ( – 7 March 1903) in 1865, lived on Hurtle Square. He married again in 1905 to Ann McInnes, died at Jaffrey Street, Parkside.
  • Alfred John Farr ( – 1938) married Mary Lucy Greayer ( – ) on 20 May 1907
  • Martha Farr (1849– ) married Walter Laurence ( – ) on 8 February 1871
  • Walter James Laurence (1883–1907)
  • Eliza Farr (1851 – 10 January 1930) died at Napier Terrace, Hawthorn

They had a home on Franklin Street, and from around 1880 on Grove Street, Unley Park, where he died. This residence may have previously been the property of Dugald Herschel Babbage.[35]

References

  1. ^ "Another Pioneer Gone". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XXV, no. 7, 260. South Australia. 27 February 1888. p. 3. Retrieved 25 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "The Sawmills of Adelaide". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXII, no. 6741. South Australia. 15 June 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia. Also mentioned are J. Pulsford, E. Wentzel, H. W. Ehmcke, English & Brown / Brown & Thompson, A. Clausen.
  3. ^ "A natural curiosity". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XX, no. 5, 915. South Australia. 24 September 1883. p. 2. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "The Sarnia Timber Mills, Port Adelaide". Adelaide Observer. Vol. LX, no. 3, 224. South Australia. 18 July 1903. p. 22. Retrieved 2 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "About Men and Women". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XXXIX, no. 11, 669. South Australia. 30 August 1902. p. 4. Retrieved 2 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "The Labor Question—Meeting at the Hotel Europe". The Adelaide Express. Vol. III, no. 800. South Australia. 28 July 1866. p. 3. Retrieved 30 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Glen Ewin Quarry". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. IV, no. 999. South Australia. 29 March 1867. p. 3. Retrieved 30 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia. The principals of the two companies were Thomas English, Henry Brown (died 30 May 1881) and Henry Thompson (died 4 March 1890)
  8. ^ "Port Adelaide". The South Australian Advertiser. Vol. I, no. 31. South Australia. 16 August 1858. p. 2. Retrieved 29 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "The New Savings Bank". The South Australian Advertiser. Vol. III, no. 685. South Australia. 25 September 1860. p. 4. Retrieved 29 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "The South Australian Gas Company's Works". The South Australian Advertiser. Vol. V, no. 1375. South Australia. 17 December 1862. p. 2. Retrieved 29 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Architectural Improvements". South Australian Register. Vol. XXVIII, no. 5665. South Australia. 24 December 1864. p. 6. Retrieved 29 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Opening of Mr. G. P. Harris's Store, Gawler-place". South Australian Weekly Chronicle. Vol. VI, no. 300. South Australia. 30 April 1864. p. 5. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Adelaidepedia: Kingsmead House". Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Building Improvements in the City". The South Australian Advertiser. South Australia. 16 January 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Building Improvements". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXII, no. 6626. South Australia. 31 January 1868. p. 4. Retrieved 29 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Visit of H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. IV, no. 1, 184. South Australia. 6 November 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 30 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ a b "Building Improvements". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXIII, no. 6938. South Australia. 2 February 1869. p. 4. Retrieved 29 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "Latest News". The Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. I, no. 60. South Australia. 13 March 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 25 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "Adelaidepedia: Bushmen's Club". Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  20. ^ a b "Building Improvements for 1871". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXVII, no. 7842. South Australia. 4 January 1872. p. 7. Retrieved 29 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "Private Houses". South Australian Register. Vol. XLI, no. 9098. South Australia. 12 January 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 30 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ a b c "Building Improvements during 1876". The South Australian Advertiser. Vol. XIX, no. 5687. South Australia. 10 January 1877. p. 6. Retrieved 31 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "The Blind and Deaf and Dumb Institution". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XIII, no. 3, 872. South Australia. 25 November 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 30 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ "Building Improvements for 1878". South Australian Register. Vol. XLIV, no. 10, 025. South Australia. 1 January 1879. p. 1. Retrieved 31 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. ^ "Opening of the German Clubhouse". The South Australian Advertiser. South Australia. 15 July 1879. p. 6. Retrieved 31 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^ George R. Johnson was a Melbourne architect, later based in Perth, remembered as designer of the Cremorne Theatre, Perth, opened 1896. He died of blood poisoning 25 November 1898 aboard Pilbarra between Albany and Adelaide
  27. ^ a b "Building Improvements during 1879". South Australian Register. Vol. XLV, no. 10, 338. South Australia. 2 January 1880. p. 5. Retrieved 31 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. ^ "Trew's South Australian Club Hotel". The South Australian Advertiser. South Australia. 29 October 1879. p. 5. Retrieved 3 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  29. ^ "Henry Calton versus South Australian Club". The Southern Australian. Vol. IV, no. 263. South Australia. 23 November 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 3 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  30. ^ "Resident Magistrate's Court". The Adelaide Observer. Vol. III, no. 156. South Australia. 20 June 1846. p. 4. Retrieved 3 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  31. ^ "Opening of the New Exchange". South Australian Register. Vol. XLV, no. 10, 494. South Australia. 2 July 1880. p. 6. Retrieved 1 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ "Opening of Summertown Institute". South Australian Register. Vol. L, no. 11, 922. South Australia. 29 January 1885. p. 7. Retrieved 2 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  33. ^ "Building Improvements". South Australian Register. Vol. L, no. 11, 969. South Australia. 25 March 1885. p. 5. Retrieved 2 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  34. ^ "Supreme Court — In Banco". South Australian Register. Vol. LI, no. 12, 376. South Australia. 14 July 1886. p. 7. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  35. ^ "Land and House Property". The South Australian Advertiser. South Australia. 11 November 1879. p. 1. Retrieved 2 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
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