Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Friday 17 June 1949, page 4


Out Among The BY vox People.

YESTERDAY Mr. Rupert Trott and I enjoyed greatly looking at Miss Cathleen E. Edkins's exhibition of oil paint-

ings at the Society of Arts Gal-lery. We were amazed at the up-lifting industry of this young South-Eastem artist in produc-ing such charming and satis-fying work, which explains it-self to a majority of people as against Euclidian enigmas in-telligible to a small, exclusive coterie who have to explain to most people what they mean. The influence of Miss Edkins's master. H. S. Power, is apparent. She has a chance and ability to become an Australian Mun-nings, we thought, as we studied her thoroughbred horse sub-jects. E. S. Wigg Centenary HAVING made a notable con-tribution to the cultural development of South Austra-lia. E. S. Wigg and Son, Ltd., will have attained their 100th year in business in Adelaide on June 22. The founder had a good background. Edward Smith Wigg, of yeo-man farmer stock, was born in Suffolk in June. 1818. He be-came a bank clerk, and started among his colleagues what is now called a book club. He forsook banking, and opened a book shop in Warwickshire. After the birth of his son, Ed-ward Neale Wigg, his wife's ill-health made him seek a warmer climate, and they arrived at Port Adelaide in the ship Wil-liam Hyde on May 11, 1849. A fellow passenger was J. W. Parker, manager and resident director of the newly-formed company to build the State's first railway — to Port Adelaide. Mr. Wigg secured a reversion of a nine years' lease over a shop and dwelling at No. 4 Rundle street, Adelaide, and opened business there on June 22, 1849. Two months later, after the passing of the Muni- cipal Corporations Bill, a demand for account books arose, and Mr. Wigg started a stationery manufactory. He fortunately was able to buy from Mr George Elder (Elder, Stirling & Co.) at a nominal figure 600 reams of Austrian foolscap paper which had been lying unused in store for many months. Business Prospers A DAUGHTER was born (she did not live long) and Mrs. Wigg and the infant occupied a cottage at Unley, while her hus-band and son lived at the Rundle street premises. Daily at 5 a.m. he rose and pick-a-backed his small son across two miles of scrub to Unley for breakfast, and both returned in time to open the shop at 8 o'clock. In 1851 Mr. Wigg bought a block of land on Le Fevre ter-race, North Adelaide, and eventually built a cottage there. Business prospered, and in August, 1857, he moved to larger premises at No. 12 (No. 14 new number) Rundle street and within a decade a buying office was opened in London. He im-ported two homoeopathic chemists from London in 1863. and opened a pharmacy at 34

King William street He sold it in 1892 to Radcliff and Tilley. Edward Neale Wigg was made a partner in 1871, in which year his father bought Charles Platts's business, State's first bookseller. In November E. S. Wigg became a councillor for Robe ward, which be repre-sented in Adelaide Corporation for three years. He resigned to take his family for a trip abroad, returned, took up the civic running for two years, and was responsible for setting deep drainage for Adelaide. Mr. Davidson Arrives. E. N. WIGG was abroad when he married Miss Janet Davidson, and in 1873 her bro-ther, William Laidlaw David-son, arrived here in the Orient and joined the firm. The founder visited Europe again in 1880, and handed over the business to his son and Mr. Davidson, and two years later the handsome ecclesiastical red brick and terra cotta building was erected at 12 Rundle street(Somebody in recent years put a coat of white paint on the striking red facade!) In 1885 Mr. Davidson married Mr. Wigg's daughter. The founder died in 1899. E.N. Wigg was a director of the BHP Com-pany from 1890 to 1906, chair-man from 1897-99; he was in-strumental in Mr. G. D. Del-prat's appointment. E. S. Wigg & Son opened the State's first saw-tooth factory at Southwark in 1904. E. N. Wigg retired in 1910, and the business became a limited com-pany, with Mr. Davidson as chairman and managing direc-tor. They transferred to Grenfell street in 1921. Mr. Davidson was 72 when he died in October, 1924; his son. Mr. Hugh L. Davidson, succeeded him. Mr. W. L. Davidson and two fellow patrons of art. Mr. C. H. De Rose and Dr. H. H. Wigg. recognised Hans Heysen's pro-mise and sent him to Europe early in his successful career. Many Felicitations. Mr. James Slater told me yesterday that since I re- ferred to his completing 70 years' service with Harris, Scarfe & Co, he had been get-ting innumerable messages, let-ters and telegrams of congratu-lation, and "people coming in every five minutes of the day." He was grateful, and thanked them all, including strangers That Burnside Wheel. Mr. T. C. Borrow told me yes- terday apropos the picture in this paper of the wooden wheel, that it was originally used in a sawmill. His antecedent Boyle Travers Finniss bought it and converted it into the first water-driven mill for grinding flour at Finniss Brook, Burnslde. "The Finniss Brook home-stead sold the other day," he said, "is the second house of that name. The original is on the corner, it was once called Travers Brook, but when Mr. Finniss's son was drowned in the River Murray he changed the name to Finniss Brook. Father of Mr. G. K. Soward, the architect, bought the place and vineyard from Mr. Finniss."