Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Monday 21 July 1913, page 14


DEATH OF MR. ANDREW

TENNANT.

PASTORALIST AND EX-LEGISLATOR.

The death on Saturday afternoon at Essendene, Moseley street, Glenelg, of Mr.

Andrew Tennant, has removed one of the most successful pastoralists of South Aus-tralia, and one who had done a great deal to advance the pastoral industry of this State. Mr. Tennant was 78 years old and for some considerable time he had been in indifferent health, so his death was not un-expected. He was born in Roxburgh, Scotland, and when three years of age ar-rived in South Australia with his father, Mr. John Tennant, who was one of the earliest pioneers of this State, having pas-toral interests in the Port Lincoln dis-trict, Burra, Lyndoch, and other places. Mr. Andrew Tennant was educated at the school of Mr. Wickes at North Adelaide, and

when 18 years of age he became actively engaged in the business which his father

had established. From Tallala, Port Lin-coln, he went with cattle and sheep to the far west, near the shores of Lake New-land, and took possession of a property that had been abandoned by Mr. Pinker-ton. This he held for a number of years. Afterwards he owned successively stations

at Mount Wedge, Coffin Bay, and  

Streaky Bay. In 1866 he leased a large area of country known as Baroota at Port Germein, but owing to severe droughts he was obliged to move, and subsequently he took over the Orrama and Barrotta

runs from Sir Thomas Elder. There Mr Tennant remained for a year or two, and then he sold out, and purchased the Alice Springs station, comprising 10,000 square miles. Later on he purchased Moolooloo and Willippa stations, and more re-

cently he established the Yardea station, which he abandoned later on. Mr. Ten- nant also held a considerable amount of city freehold property, besides about. 20,000 acres near Riverton, and in other parts.of

the State. For,six years-from 1881 to 1887 he was

a member of the House of Assembly for the Flinders district, his colleagues during that

time being, Messrs. Ebenezer Cooke, P B Coglin, W. R. Mortlock, and John Moule, all of whom are dead. He .was a member of the Pastoral Commission which sat dur-ing. 1897-8, and the result of his experi-

ences, was of great service to the board, in their deliberations as to the best means of furthering the pastoral indnstry in South Australia. In 1898 he was elected to the Legislative Council as one of the members for the Northern district, and he retained his seat until March 1902, since which year he had not been engaged in public affairs. Mr. Tennant was largely interested in many city business enter-prises, principal among which was the Adelaide Steamship Company of which,

he had been a director from its formation. He was also a director of the China Trad-ing Company, was a justice of the peace, and a Freemason. He was intimately acquainted with the pas toral       

development of South Australia, and had many interesting stories to tell of pio-neer life among the blacks on Eyre Penin sula and in the far North. He was also interested in mining, and had done much

to encoùràge prospectors at Tarcoola, as well as at other places. He leaves a family of three sons and three daughters, namely, Mr. John Tennant, of Princess Royal Station, Mr. F. Tennant, solicitor, of Adelaide; Mr W. Tennant, of Point Lowly station; Mrs W.T. Mortlock, wife of the well-known pastoralist; Mrs. R. M. Hawker ; and Mrs. Anstruther Thompson-Gray,whose husband, Colonel Anstruther Thompson-Gray was once on the vice-regal staff in Adelaide, and served in the South African war. Mr. Tennant's' body will be interred to-day in the Brighton Cemetery.