Edward Hamilton (Australian politician)

Edward Hamilton
Treasurer of South Australia
In office
12 May 1870 – 30 May 1870
Preceded byHenry Hughes
Succeeded byJohn Hart
Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Light
In office
5 April 1870 – 28 July 1871
Preceded byJohn Hart
Succeeded byJames White
Colonial Architect and Supervisor of Works of South Australia
In office
July 1856 – 1860
Succeeded byGeorge Soward
Personal details
BornEdward Angus Hamilton
(1831-02-27)27 February 1831
Spouse
Ellen Seymour
​
(m. 1856)​
Occupation
  • Architect
  • politician

Edward Angus Hamilton (27 February 1831 – after July 1871) was an architect and politician in colonial South Australia.

Early life and education

Edward Angus Hamilton was born on born 27 February 1831, the son of George Ernest Hamilton, a civil engineer.

He arrived in the colony of South Australia on 5 December 1849.

Career

Architecture

In April 1852 Hamilton began government service at the Assay Office, where remained until June 1853. Hamilton was then appointed Assistant to the Colonial Architect of South Australia, William Bennett Hays. By January 1854 he had been appointed Assistant Architect in the Colonial Architect's Office. When Hays left for England towards the end of 1854, Hamilton was placed in charge. On 10 July 1856 Hamilton was appointed Colonial Architect and Supervisor of Works with a salary of £450 per annum and a £112 gratuity.

Hamilton resigned as Colonial Architect around August 1860.

Hamilton and his father were involved in constructing the Kadina to Wallaroo railway, completed in 1866. Their partnership was dissolved later in 1866 when George was appointed to the Strathalbyn and Middleton Railway.[citation needed]

In 1866 Hamilton joined the architectural firm of Wright & Woods (with Edmund Wright and E. J. Woods), which he left in 1868 to become second-in-charge of the Colonial Architect's Department.[citation needed]

Politics

Hamilton was elected a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for the District of Light on 5 April 1870, served as Treasurer of South Australia from 12 May 1870 to 30 May 1870 and resigned a year later, unmourned, on 28 July 1871.

Works

Hamilton was responsible for designing the Institute Building for the South Australian Institute on North Terrace, Adelaide, which was designed in 1858 in Victorian Renaissance style, completed in July 1860, and opened on 29 January 1861.

He designed the present (Anglican) St George's Church in Gawler in Early English style. The foundation stone was laid on 6 January 1858 but the building was not consecrated until 23 April 1895 (by Bishop Kennion), initially due to the church trustees not accepting the Model Trust Deed.

He collaborated with Edmund Wright on the design of two prominent Adelaide buildings:

Personal life

Hamilton married Ellen Seymour in 1856.

It is thought that he left the colony sometime after 1871, for South America or California.

References

  1. 1 2 "Mr Edward Hamilton". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Hamilton, Edward Angus". Architects of South Australia. Adelaide University.
  3. ↑ Mennell, Philip (1892). "Hamilton, Edward Angus" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
  4. 1 2 3 "Digging up the Past". The Register. Adelaide. 15 November 1924. p. 10. Retrieved 25 August 2014 – via Trove.
  5. ↑ "Opening of the Wallaroo Railway". South Australian Weekly Chronicle. Adelaide. 14 July 1866. p. 7. Retrieved 14 August 2014 – via Trove.
  6. 1 2 Sullivan, Christine (2008). "Architect Personal Details: Wright, Edmund William". Architects of South Australia. University of South Australia. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Wanted, a Member". Kapunda Herald and Northern Intelligencer. Kapunda, SA. 21 April 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 15 August 2014 – via Trove.
  8. ↑ "South Australian Institute Building". Architects of South Australia. Archived from the original on 14 October 2026. Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  9. ↑ Elton, Jude. "Institute Building". SA History Hub. Archived from the original on 22 February 2026. Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "St. George's Church, Gawler". The Bunyip. South Australia. 1 May 1874. p. 4. Retrieved 12 December 2019 – via Trove.