James Crase

James Crase was born in Penryn, Cornwall (UK) in 1819 to George and Elizabeth Crase (nee Harris).^[1] James also had two brothers and two sisters; Mary Ann (1802 - 1823), Henry (1826 - 1868), Elizabeth (1826 – 1902) and Thomas (1831 - 1844).^[2] James was baptised at St Gluvias Church on the 28th of February 1819 in the Parish of St Gluvias Cornwall.^[3]

  George Crase worked as a butcher, a trade in which his son, James would later follow.^[4]

  James emigrated to Australia on board the Waterloo. The vessel left London on 13 June 1840, stopping at Falmouth on 5 July 1840. It then sailed under Captain George Robinson, arriving at Port Adelaide on 8 November 1840.^[5]

  James returned to Cornwall to marry Mary Ann Vivian Moyle, on the 3 May 1847, at Camborne, Cornwall. James’s occupation was listed as “miner”, whilst Mary’s was listed as a “spinster”. They were married by Father Banns, with the ceremony witnessed by Thomas Bawden and John Duckham.^[6]

 Mr Crase first worked in Port Adelaide building embankments that helped keep the seawater out of the township. He later lived in Kensington, and eventually moved to Allen’s Creek near Kapunda. In 1847 he worked as a miner at the Allen’s Creek Mine, from which he saved enough money to open his own business in Kapunda, a butcher and slaughterhouse.
 Crase opened a butcher store in Hill Street, where the information centre stands today. He worked as a butcher, but also as a stock dealer and wheat trader. He soon had enough money to invest in a farm on Clare Road, on which he would sometimes host sporting or social events.

Crase left Kapunda for the Victorian goldfields during the gold rush of 1852. It is thought this may have been where the money came from that later allowed him to improve his hotel and invest heavily in other areas of the town. He travelled to Melbourne from Adelaide on board the barque, Dreadnought, in September in 1852.^[7]  Crase returned to Adelaide, from Melbourne on the steamer, 'Cleopatra' on the 8 May 1853, returning from the Victorian Gold Fields.^[8]

 

Upon returning from the Victorian Goldfields, now flush with cash, Crase renewed his slaughtering licence, which was first granted in 1851, and re-granted in July 1853.^[9] James’ address was listed as Section 1401, at North Kapunda.^[10]

In 1854, James Crase purchased the North Kapunda Arms Hotel, which he would own for around 22 years. In 1865, Crase invested huge sums of money into his hotel, and rebuilt it in 1865, in readiness for a royal visit from Prince Alfred.
 James Crase served on Kapunda’s first council as the elected member of East Ward.

Crase was heavily involved in local goings-on and was a founding member of the local branch of the Oddfellows (M.U.) and the Foresters Lodge.

 

Mary Crase, who was well known, and much loved across South Australia, died in November 1884, which dramatically changed James’ life.^[11]  He retired from work in 1890 and moved to Dulwich to live with his daughter. James Crase died on 8 May 1905 at Dulwich, he was 85 years old. He was buried the following day at the Clare Road Cemetery alongside his wife, Mary.^[12]

A memorial for Mary from her daughters: "In loving memory of father and mother, who died May 8, 1905, and November 9, 1884. Not forgotten. —inserted by loving daughters, Mary, Lizzie, and Nellie." ^[13]

 

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018

Thanks to Jacki Williams for the link to a photo of Mr James Crase - obtained from the State Library of South Australia: [B 76601] - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+76601

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[1] "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SGJX-BDF : accessed 12 September 2018), entry for James /Crase/; file (2:2:2:MMSM-GYN), submitted 4 May 2011.

[2] James Crase in household of George Crase, Camborne, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

[3] Gill Hart and Bill O’Reilly, ‘James Crase’, Cornwall OPC Database, (2021), http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/more-info/?t=baptisms&id=2053023.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Diane Cummings, Waterloo 1840, State Library of South Australia, (2017), https://bound-for-south-australia.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/1840Waterloo.htm.; 'SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.', Adelaide Chronicle and South Australian Literary Record, (11 November 1840), p. 3.

[6] http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/more-info/?t=marriages&id=1045477.

[7] 1852 'SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900), 30 September, p. 2., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38459800.

[8] 1853 'SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900), 11 May, p. 3., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38462630.

[9] 1853 'BENCH OF MAGISTRATES.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900), 5 July, p. 3., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48548113.

[10] 1851 'BENCH OF MAGISTRATES.', Adelaide Observer (SA: 1843 - 1904), 13 September, p. 8., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165042820.

[11] 1884 'Family Notices', Kapunda Herald (SA: 1878 - 1951), 11 November, p. 2., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106579948.

[12] "THE LATE MR. JAMES CRASE." Kapunda Herald (SA: 1878 - 1951) 12 May 1905: 5. Web. 13 Sep 2018 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108433836>.

[13] 1884 'Family Notices', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900), 10 November, p. 2., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43807190.

Class of 1949 - Kapunda high School

Class of 1949 - Kapunda High School

After my Father's recent passing, I have inherited a lot of Kapunda related items. This photo is a watermarked scan of one such item. I have very little information about it, other than it was my Dads 1949 Kapunda High School " first-year" class photo. and the following information:

Approximate age: 14

Back Row: Unknown? , James Fahlbusch, David Maddocks, Eric Roberts, Lionel Hampel, Lionel Tiller, 

2nd Row: Eric Stevens, unknown 1, unknown 2, unknown 3, unknown 4, unknown 5,  Anthony Sando

Front Row: all unknown

Teachers: Margaret Grierson (possibly Margaret Bettison?)

Principal: Frank Thomas

The list of female students names for 1949:

Lorna Becker

Naomi Bettison

Margaret Kokegei

Jeanette Walpole

Gwendoline Evans

Margaret Hampel

Jillian Hazel

Marion Hossack

Valmai Koop

Janice Mattschoss

Mavis Scholz

Betty Schmidt

Lorraine Stewart.

If anyone could kindly fill in the missing gaps, that would be most helpful!

Thanks

Allen Tiller

William Thomas – Kapunda Mayor 1893 - 1895

William Thomas – Kapunda Mayor 1893 - 1895

 William Thomas became Mayor of Kapunda in 1893, retaining the privileged position until 1895.

Thomas was born in Glamorganshire, Wales in 1854, and at 8 years of age moved to Kapunda, South Australia with his parents, brothers John and Even and sister Anne.

 In 1876 he married Emma Harvey at her parent’s house in Kapunda. Together they had one child, a daughter, Hilda Beatrice Thomas.

 Upon leaving school, William found work as an apprentice with My H.B, Hawkes iron foundry, working as an apprentice moulder and iron founder. In the evenings he worked the Main Street of Kapunda, selling newspapers.

 After Mr Hawke sold his business to a local man, Mr Rees, William left the foundry. His previous work selling newspapers had been very lucrative, and he was able to become an agent, getting younger lads to sell the newspapers on his behalf. Meanwhile, he set up a stationary and bookselling shop in the main street – perhaps Mr Thomas was Kapunda’s first newsagent!

In 1879, Thomas gained a position on Council, after being elected to the West Ward. He also took positions on the boards of the Kapunda Institute Committee, The Kapunda hospital and the Dutton Park Management Committee.
Thomas was also a trustee board member of the local Druids lodge

.

 In 1893 he became the elected Mayor of Kapunda, a position he held from 1893 until 1895. In 1896 he was involved in a local scandal when Mr H.B. Barker accused him of stating that the Corporation of Kapunda has misappropriated several Government grants. 

 Thomas went on record denying he ever said anything of the sort, even going so far as to publish a statement in the Kapunda Herald on May 7^th, 1896 that Mr Barker was incorrect and unfounded.

In September 1900, Emma passed away, and only a few weeks later, after 5 weeks of being bedridden, William joined her. They are both buried in the Clare Road Cemetery.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018

Kapunda Snow

Kapunda Snow

In June 1909 Kapunda, Allendale and Eudunda Ranges were covered in snow!

In our modern times, this is almost unheard of, but in the early 1900s, it would seem it was a regular occurrence.
 The snow was reported in the Kapunda Herald (newspaper) in 1901, 1906, 1908 as well as 1909 falling steadily, and in enough volume around the district for locals to build snowmen!

 photo Source: State Library of South Australia: B69054/114

Kapunda Herald 13 August 1909, page 1.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018

Bibliography

1909 'SNOW AT KAPUNDA.', Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878 - 1951), 30 July, p. 4. , viewed 19 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108430017

1909 'Snow Scenes at kapunda', Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878 - 1951), 13 August, p. 1. (Kapunda Herald Illustrated Supplement), viewed 19 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108430204

1906 'General New', Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878 - 1951), 31 August, p. 5. , viewed 19 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108378502

Kapunda People: Henry Fairclough

Henry Fairclough

1911 'Advertising', Kapunda Herald 1 September, p. 3.

Mr Fairclough was born in Liverpool England in 1849. His family moved to Norwood, South Australia in 1850. As a youth, young Henry attended school at “Holdsworth School” in Norwood and also learned to be a caterer, later, he learned the trade of ironmongery as an apprentice of F. & S.Sach, who were located in Adelaide on the corner of Gawler Place and Rundle Street.

In the younger years of his adult life, he moved to New Zealand, and then later to the north coast of New South Wales.

Upon his return to South Australia he moved to Georgetown to work in the local hotel, and eventually fell in love, and married the sister of the publican. Soon he became a farmer near Moonta, but farming was dirty work with long hours, so he uprooted his family and moved to Kapunda.

Mr Fairclough had The North Kapunda hotel for 14 years and earned for himself a reputation for quality, unfailing courtesy and upholding the establishment to the strictest details of the licensing laws.

In 1903 Mrs Fairclough (nee Kewson) suffered a nasty injury when the cork in a bottle of aerated water she was trying to open, popped suddenly and hit her eye. The injury was so severe that she eventually lost her sight in her left eye.

In 1912 Mr Fairclough became very ill, and by November of that year, he had been confined to his bed as his sickness grew steadily worse. His liver was in failure, and his days, unfortunately, were numbered.

On Monday the 17th of November 1912, Henry Fairclough lost his battle with illness and passed away in the Kapunda hospital.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2012

Bibliography

1912 'OBITUARY.', Observer (Adelaide, SA: 1905 - 1931), 30 November, p. 41. , viewed 16 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163087430

1912 'Family Notices', Kapunda Herald (SA: 1878 - 1951), 22 November, p. 4. , viewed 16 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108342497

1903 'HAY-CUTTING.', Kapunda Herald (SA: 1878 - 1951), 13 November, p. 5. , viewed 16 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110277272

Kapunda Copper Mines

Kapunda Copper Mines

The Copper in the Kapunda Mines was first discovered by Francis Dutton in 1842. He began a partnership with Captain Bagot (Captain was a traditional Cornish term used for a manager) and together they purchased about 80 acres of land. They paid 1 pound per acre of land.

The pair set about taking samples from the numerous green rocks. The samples were then sent to England for testing, this would take almost two years before results would return to Australia. Upon the results reaching Australia, the business partners were astonished to find the copper was 22.5% pure, which at the time was the richest deposit found anywhere in the world.

The mine began small with Bagot employing labourers to dig the copper from the surface with shovels and picks. In their first year, they removed 600 tons of ore, valued at about 7000 pounds.

Around December 1844, Cornish miners began to arrive on-site, and tunnelling and underground mining began in earnest.

Francis Dutton decided to sell his 25% share in the mine in 1846, earning him the vast sum (at the time) of 16000 pounds, Captain Bagot now had the controlling 55% of the ownership of the mine.

In its beginnings, the mine would transport its ore via bullock dray to Port Adelaide, a journey of about 6 days, where it would be loaded onto ships and transported by vessels to Swansea in Wales. Loads were sent at 2 tonnes per load, by 1850, the mine was producing 100 tons of copper ore per month.

In the coming years the mine would expand significantly, and so would the town. Many jobs were created, and it seemed in this era that certain cultural backgrounds provided expertise in differing areas.
 The Welsh operating smelters, the Cornish, who were expert miners, and the Germans who began to cut down trees needed to power the furnaces of the smelters and began farms to feed the vast number of workers. Then there were the Irish who began as labourers, and to drive the Bullock teams to Port Adelaide – it was a cultural melting pot (lets also not forget a few Chinese men who started market gardens in Kapunda!)

Kapunda never had one distinct mine instead there were at least five or six distinct copper lodes in close proximity, which were mined from as many as ten separate shafts over time, these included: Wheal Bagot, Wheal Charlotte, Wheal Truscott, Wheal Lanyon, Wheal Harris, Wheal Major. There is no trace of any of them today, as they have all been obliterated by later workings of the mine (wheal being a Cornish mining term)

In 1849, Smelters made in Germany arrived in South Australia, reducing the need to ship ore overseas, however, the ships now brought back Coal from England for the smelters

In 1850, the mines had reached about 80 feet down and had started to go below the water table, a steam engine was brought in to pump the water out of the mine. At its deepest point, the mine reached about 480 feet or 150 metres.

In 1852, the Goldrush in Victoria began, this had a huge effect on Kapunda and its surrounds, many men left to try their luck at finding a quick fortune. For almost three years the production rate at Kapunda dropped to a minimal amount, however by 1857, production was at full speed again producing upwards of 4104 tonnes of ore

A sign in the Bagot mining Museum in Kapunda states that in 1861 the mine employed

43 miners - mostly Cornish

106 pitmen

23 children - mostly Cornish

82 labourers - mainly Irish

13 boys - mainly Irish

36 smelters and furnacemen - mainly Welsh

The mine at this time was employing 302 men and 36 boys

The Kapunda mines importance declined with the discovery of copper at Burra, with a lode four times greater than Kapunda, but even Burra couldn’t compete with Moonta, which had a lode almost 4 times greater than Burra's!

By 1863 the majority of the high-grade ore had been mined out, the mine was now a low-grade ore mine – soon it became an open cut mine.

The mine closed in 1878 and all the equipment was sold.

However, it did reopen again and continued until 1912 on a smaller scale. During this time 12,800 tonnes of copper ore were mined

Now, in 2018 the Copper mine stands as a tourist attraction at Kapunda’s Southern End, dominated by the large stone chimney that was used to provide air for the engine boilers below. The mine is the favourite place of artists who love the deep green hues of the water that fills the open cut mine and now features restored mining buildings and fantastic artistic sculptures.

Time Line:

1842 Copper ore discovered

1844 Mine opened

1845 Horse whim installed

         Mine Square Cottages built

1846 Dutton sold his share

         Captain John Richards appointed

1848 Draft engine purchased

1849 Draft engine at work

         Smelter built

1851 Buhl engine installed

         The mine closed by the Victorian gold rush

1855 Mine re-opened

1859 Captain Bagot retired

1860 Kapunda Mining Company formed in London

         Subsidence in workings

         Railway reached Kapunda

1861 Draft Engine re-located

1862 East Kapunda mines opened

1863 Mines operated at a loss

1865 Scottish company took over mines

1867 Henderson Plant in production

         Captain Osborne appointed

         Open cut extraction

1877 Crash in copper price

1879 Mines closed

1880 Hillside mine opened

1912 Tributers finished up

1938 Matthews Gravel Quarry on Block 19 opened

1949 Matthews Gravel Quarry on Block 19 closed

1962 Council acquired Block 24

1972 Council acquired Block 21

         Plaque placed on smokestack

         Charlotte open cut used as Council dump

1986 Jubilee 150 signage erected

1987 Site entered in SA Heritage Register

2008 Preparation of Conservation Management Plan for the site

 Researched and written by Allen Tiller - originally published on December 3rd 2013 on the Haunts of Adelaide: History, Mystery and the Paranormal, edited on Feb 16th 2018 - © 2018 Allen Tiller

The Bachelors Hall – North Kapunda Hotel

The Bachelors Hall – North Kapunda Hotel

  No one is quite sure what year the rear accommodation wing of the North Kapunda Hotel was built, but it is estimated to be somewhere between 1848 and 1855. It may have been earlier than 1848, though, built as part of the miner’s accommodation around the town by the North Kapunda Mining Company. The same company built the original structure that would eventually become the North Kapunda Arms Hotel, which was built in 1865. Mr Crase would rebuild it into the striking two-story hotel we see and know today.

  The downstairs section of the hallway, in 1865 contained the first official office of the newly formed Kapunda Council until they moved to bigger premises on the Clare Road (the building today is the Scout Hall). There were also two large, ornate rooms used by Jenkins and Coles bursars who dealt with the horse sales that were held at the rear of the hotel.

Bachelor's Hall.

By H. C. DODGE.

Hurrah ! hurrah for Bachelor's Hall;

The Queen's away and I'm monarch of all;

I don't have to hang up my coat or my hat,

And when I get lonely I talk to the cat.

I come when I like, and I go when I choose.

The finest cigars help me scatter the blues;

 No bundles I carry and nothing I buy;

There's no one to care about-only big “I”

 I revel in wildest confusion around;

There isn't a thing in its place to be found;

 My books and newspapers, they litter the room

That' hasn't for weeks seen the sight of a broom.

There's clothing or something on every chair;

My bed's never made, but it's little I care;

I sleep like a top, for there's no one to call

I take solid comfort in Bachelor's Hall.

I've used all the dishes and now it's my fate

To eat, when I'm home, on the back of a plate;

I'm learning to cook, but, alas. I confess

I choose to go hungry than, swallow the mess.

But, Bachelor's Hall with its comfort and quiet,

Is almost too spooky for regular diet;

No children live in it to welcome their dad,

No supper is waiting, no wife-O, so glad.

No! Nothing but ghosts of the loved ones away

Inhabit this tomb where alone I must stay,

Compelled to break the silence by having a chat

With my woeful companion, the strange acting cat.

O, gladly I'll yield my crown sceptre and all

The Kingly delights of a Bachelor's Hall

To the Queen of the Home when she comes with her train

To wisely and lovingly over me reign.

First Published in The Kapunda Herald - Tuesday 7 August 1888, page 6

  The Bachelor’s Hall saw its own scandal in 1885 when three residents found themselves facing the magistrate at the Kapunda Courthouse for disturbing the peace.

 Murray Thomson, Robert Anderton, and James Shakes Jr. faced the magistrate on May 12th, with Thomson and Anderton represented by Mr Glynn, and Shakes represented by Mr Benham.

 The men had been charged because someone had been firing guns in Franklin Street at about 10 past three in the morning.

  On the evening of the alleged crime, many people had been in town to see the bellringer's entertainment and had then retired to the North Kapunda Hotel for a supper hosted by Mr Crase, which included sing-alongs and speeches. The bar was closed, but the party continued in the commercial room upstairs and on the balcony.

 More than 125 gunshots were heard in Franklin Street in about a 10-minute time frame (Franklin Street has since been renamed Crase Street). The police tried to frame the defendants as being the guilty parties, but witnesses declared they had seen Mr Thomson in a room upstairs, light a candle and look out the window in his night clothes at the ongoing disturbance below.

 Mr Shakes wasn’t even within the town boundaries when the incident happened, so the case fell apart; instead, the Magistrate went after Mr Crase, under the guise of the crime occurring outside his hotel, he would be held responsible for the people there. Mr Benham quickly shot down this argument as Mr Crase was entertaining upstairs privately, and may not have known who these people were, nor had they been inside his hotel drinking.  The case was eventually thrown out of court.

Interestingly though, the story that circulated through the town was slightly different from the story that surfaced in court. Several young men had been drinking in local hotels and had gone to the bellringer's event. After the event, they began walking the town trying to entertain themselves. 

 About 15 of these young men were heard on Main Street and were asked to move on by William Thomas when they congregated in front of his bookshop, which most likely angered the young men. It was within the next hour the gunshots occurred in Franklin Street, which may have come about because these young men were refused entry into the North Kapunda Hotel to join the upstairs party!

Originally written as “Kapunda – The Hallway to Hell” and published on Tuesday, 7 June 2016 on The Haunts of Adelaide: History, Mystery and the Paranormal – edited on the 16^th of February 2018 by Allen Tiller

© 2016-2018 Allen Tiller