Gawler Gas Works - Hidden Secrets

Gawler Gas Works

10 Seventh Street, Gawler.

[Begin Transcript]  In 1868, The Provincial Gas Company was formed to be direct competition to the South Australian Gas Company. The company’s foundation members included local Gawler businesses men James Martin and Sir Walter Duffield (CORRECTION - Walter Duffield was never knighted.). The Provincial Gas Company planned to build three gas works, one in Strathalbyn, one in Kapunda and one in Gawler.

 Parliament granted incorporation of the company in 1869, with equipment ordered from England the same year.

The Gawler Gas Works were built on 7th street, Gawler. Its fires were lit on the 10th of September 1869 with gas commencing through lines from the 14th of October 1869.

 Gawler Council did not wish to outlay money towards lamp lights within the town. It took until 1879, with the donation of a lamp for the northern end of Murray Street, from the aptly named H.E. Bright Junior for Gawler to get its first lamp. The next lamp was situated at the corner of Murray Street and Calton Road, and again was a donation, this time from James Martin. G.M. Hawkes donated a lamp for the southern intersection of Murray Street and Bridge Street.

 A man was employed in Gawler to light and extinguish the lamps. He rode a bicycle with a ladder on his shoulder. Gawler Council refused to light the gas lamps for 6 nights before, and six nights after a full moon. It also demanded all lamps to be extinguished from 10:30 pm to save money.

From 1866 until 1897 Gawler’s lamplighter was Mr Creyghton. Creyghton was replaced in 1897 after a lamp exploded, and he could not explain to the council how it occurred.  Mr Coward started as lamplight in 1898 earning 2 pounds, two shillings and 6d per month for his service. Coward served as a lamplighter in Gawler until 1909. The combined position of Nightman and Lamplighter was advertised in Gawler that same year.

 The new lamplighter D Wells faced considerable opposition from Council and was accused of not doing his job properly, with many councillors wanting the position refilled. Councillor Thorrup opposed stating that, the new lamplighter had not received much training from the previous man employed and needed more time to improve. Wells quit the position in March 1910.

Gawler South appointed its own lamplighter from 1907, Mr Michael Regan. In 1908 the position went to H. Masters.

Electricity generation came to Gawler on the 16th of June 1912. Mayor Reibech flicked the switch to turn on the new electric streetlights at the official opening on the 16th of August 1912.

The Gawler Gas Works continued production, supplying gas in the region, but with the installation of electricity in the town, the demand for gas dropped. The outbreak of World War One added further problems to the gasworks, making the supply of machinery and coal from NSW harder to come by. The Gawler Gas Works officially closed on 30th of November 1917.

  After many years of being empty, the site of the former gas works became a racing stable, with a house built on the property as well. The house was demolished in 2017.
 In 2018 the site has been made available for sale, with real estate agents, McGees property stating on their website about the site:

Approval for a modern, single-storey medical centre of 543 square metres (approx.), 51 car parks and a separate administration building of 390 sqm (approx.)

The rear former gasworks is protected under heritage laws, and can be modified for adaptive use, but must be preserved in future plans. [end transcript].

Researched, written, compiled, filmed and edited by Allen Tiller. [© 2019 – Hidden Secrets]

My thank to McGees Property: https://www.adl.mcgees.com.au/

Find out more about the sale here: https://www.adl.mcgees.com.au/buying/commercial-listings.php?sid=758667&suid=3e3cfc28967fd35712c6761ffe1f9f6e

Gawler History Team: www.gawlerhistory.com

Gawler Gas Works: https://gawlerhistory.com/Gawler_Gas_Works

Mayor Rebbeck: https://gawlerhistory.com/Rebbeck_Charles_George

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

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

<Transcript>

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 2^nd of June 1969.

<End Transcript>

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018

You can also find more of Allen’s work on his Blog and facebook on the links below:

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For More history on the Town of Gawler, please visit the Gawler History Team page “Gawler: now and Then” at: http://www.gawler.nowandthen.net.au/Main_Page