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Tuesday, 24 July 2018

Gawler's Hidden Secrets: "James Martin Memorial Statue"

Gawler's Hidden Secrets: "James Martin Memorial Statue"





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Remembered as “The Father of Gawler” James Martin’s Phoenix foundry on Calton Road produced railway locomotives, agricultural machinery and mining equipment. Established in 1848, the company soon became known as James Martin and Company Limited, and went on to employ 700 people in Gawler, making the town one of the most important industrial regions in South Australia of the time. Martin and Co Built 268 locomotives that were sent all over Australia.

 James Martin also went into politics and served firstly as an Alderman on Gawler’s first council, and in 1861 Mayor of Gawler, a position he served in for 8 years. He also served as the Member for Parliament for the Barossa from 1865-1868 and a Member of the Legislative Council from 1885 until 1899.

James Martin was also a Freemason, serving as Master of the Lodge of Fidelity from 1860 until 1870. He was the President of Gawler Institute, of which he had donated the land for the building to be constructed on, the President of the Gawler AH&F Society, an elected member of the Gawler School of Mines Council, a Co-Trustee of the St Georges Church fund, Captain of Gawler Rifles and a member of the Gawler Race club, just to name a few of his associations with the towns various organistions.

A statue commemorates industrialist James Martin. The statue was originally located at the corner of Murray Street and Calton Road. A plaque detailing a brief history of James Martin was added to the statue in 1998.

 After his death on December 24, 1899, a public meeting was held in Gawler in January 1900. It was decided a memorial fund would be created and that a memorial to Martin be established, in which it was voted that a Statue would be erected in his honour.
 The statue was carved by sculptor Gustave Henri Marchetti in Italy and is made from Carrara Marble, with a pedestal made from South Australian Granite. -it contains an inscription that reads: "James. Martin, 1821 -1899. A Public Tribute to His Worth."
The statue was unveiled with much pomp and ceremony on the 15th August 1903 by Sir Samuel Way in its original position, adjacent to the Foundry Office of James Martin and Co on the corner of Calton road and Murray street.

In 2014 the statue underwent restoration, with a little cosmetic surgery to fix Mr Martins nose which had been broken off may years previously.
It was relocated to its current position on Whitelaw Terrace on the 2nd of June 1969.

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