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Obituary
DEATH OF MR E. HOLTHOUSE.—Between 1
and 2 o'clock on Sunday morning Mr. Edward
Holthouse, a well-known Adelaide and Port
identity, died rather suddenly at the ripe age
of seventy-seven. He had been ailing for some
time, but being of a vigorous constitution his
death came as a surprise to his friends.
Mr. Holthouse came out to the colony in the
Duke of Roxburgh in July, 1838, and landed
at the "Old Port," which, as pioneer colonists
will remember, was situated about a mile above
where the Jervois Bridge now is, "being
selected as offering greater facilities of access
to the hard ground from the river than any other
spot in the immediate neighborhood, the inter-
vening belt of mangroves being scarcely 400 yards
through" as Mr. Holthouse himself stated in
his reminiscences published in the Register two
years ago. When he left England he "was
tolerably independent of the heavy taxes on
housekeeping" many colonists had to endure,
as he had provided himself with a large stock
of the good things of tins life, not knowing
whether he would find "Australia a Land of
Goshen or a howling wilderness." Not many
early settlers came out so well furnished at that
time. He housed himself under a tarpaulin
for some weeks, doing his kitchen and scullery
work outside, as many a pioneer did then.
After disposing of his goods at a large profit to
the master of a trading schooner he purchased
a small freehold with water frontage for £11,
and built a shanty 10 ft. by 6 on the edge of a
swamp in "Starvation Row." He had purchased
a large cargo boat in England,
and did a little business with that,
and having a choice lot of Leicester sheep of
the improved Deshly breed presented to him
on the eve of his departure for Australia by a
wealthy Norfolk grazier be did fairly well, but
eventually sold them to a sheepfarmer in
Tasmania—then known as Van Dieman's
Land—the rage being for Merinos, and longwools
not being regarded with much favour in
South Australia. He sold a wooden house he
imported from England, and it was erected on
an open acre on North-terrace, opposite the
present railway station, and figured for sometime
as the "verandah Store." After going
up country and trying his hand at various
employments Mr. Holthouse entered into pastoral
pursuits on the Murray, and engaged in
an agency business, but finally found himself
in the Government service. He was first employed
in the Destitute Asylum, and then in
the office of the Registrar-General for a considerable
time, but left the Civil Service
about eighteen months ago, when he took a
trip to England, and returned to the colony
last year. He was a good specimen of the
hardy pioneer, hale, hearty, never discouraged
of genial disposition, and one who made many
friends. He leaves two daughters, both
married; one in Queensland, the other in England.
Three married sons are living at Wilmington
another married son resides at the
Semaphore. The deceased gentleman spent
some time in New Zealand. He did not occupy
any public position here except in the Civil
Service. His remains will be removed from
the residence at the Semaphore on Tuesday
afternoon for the Woodville Cemetery.
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