Northern Standard (Darwin, NT : 1921 - 1955), Tuesday 24 March 1931, page 5


DEATH OF MR. ALFRED GILES

Mr. L. H. A. Giles received sad news on Friday last of the death in Adelaide on that day of his father—Mr. Alfred Giles.

The late Alfred Giles was born at Datchet, England, on the 18th

February, 1846, and was therefore in his 86th year when the last call sounded. He came to Australia with his parents and three brothers and two sisters, by the barque "Cal cutta" which left London on 20/1/1849, the voyage taking six months. The actual date of the

family's arrival in Australia was the 22nd June, 1849. Shortly after reach ing South Australia Mr. Christopher Giles took up land and he and his wife and family went to reside at Ketchowla. Mr. Giles was educated at the late Mr. J. L. Young's Ac

ademy, Adelaide, and after leaving school joined a party which Mr.

John Ross had organised to trav erse the country. This was in the

year 1870. Mr. Giles was placed second in command, the party fol

lowing the tracks of John McDouall Stuart (1862) across the continent from Adelaide to Port Darwin. John Ross' party was the second to cross the unexplored interior of Central Australia. Hundreds of

miles of country were covered which had never previously been trodden by a white man, and the experience engendered a love for the bush which only ended when his eyes closed in death. Afterwards the late Mr. Giles crossed and recrossed the country seven times, piloting parties in connection with the building of

the Overland Telegraph line 1870-72. The line was completed by the joining of the two ends of the wire at Frew's Pond on August 22nd, 1872. The late Mr. Giles was the first to cross Leichardt's Bar on the Roper River, after the famous ex

plorer crossed it in 1845, but it was 1871 before Mr. Giles followed in

his footsteps. Besides much valuable exploratory work with his brother— Arthur John Giles—he opened up pastoral properties for the late Dr. Brown. Among these were New castle Waters Station, Springvale and Delamere. Cattle, horses and sheep were brought into the Terri tory at different times for the pur pose of stocking these properties. Mr. Giles' residence in the Territory was nearly half a century, and it

goes without saying that in the course of his long and adventurous career he had many most interesting experiences. These he published in a book under the title of "Exploring a book under the title of "Exploring lished by the Adelaide "Register" in

1926.

His father, Christopher Giles, died in 1885, at the age of 87 years.

The late Mr. Alfred Giles mar ried Miss Sprigg, in 1879, near Ad elaide, the union resulting in three sons and one daughter, viz., Major F. G. Giles, D.S.O., V.D., of Adel aide, Mr. Leslie Henry Alfred Giles, chief clerk and accountant in the Administration Branch, Darwin, and Mr. Harold Stanage Giles, manager of Elsey Station, N.A. The daughter Lady Cockburn Campbell died in 1925, leaving three sons now in Western Australia. Altogether there are twelve grandchildren.

The funeral took place in Adel aide on Saturday morning at 10

o'clock.

To the sorrowing relatives we ex tend our sincere sympathy in their

great loss.