Turner (Mayor) Richard James
| Type of person | Individual |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1817 |
| Place of birth | Surrey England |
| Date of arrival | 1849 |
| Date of departure | 1869 |
| Date of death | 1888 |
| Place of death | South Australia |
Mayor 1857-60
The first Mayor of Gawler was Richard James Turner, who was baptised in the village of Frenscham in Surrey, England on December 30, 1817, (parents Richard and Mary Susan), and came to South Australia on the ship “Sophia Moffat” in 1849. On November 8, 1853, Richard married Sophia Squibb Helmore at St. Georges Church in Gawler, and they had seven children. Sophia died in 1878, and the following year Richard married Amelia Selina Macanley.
Gawler’s first Council was appointed by the Government, after the Municipality of the Town of Gawler was proclaimed on July 9, 1857, and Mr. R.J. Turner was given the honour as the town’s first Mayor, as chosen by the other councillors. Over the following two years, the Council had the responsibility of appointing the Mayor, with Mr. Turner again being nominated by his peers. From 1861 onwards ratepayers elected the Mayor, a process that has continued to this day.
Originally employed by Mr Cooke, one of Adelaide’s pioneer millers, Richard entered into partnership with Walter Duffield in the early 1850s, and was based in the old Victoria Mill, Gawler. Besides being the town’s first Mayor, he was also the first President of the Gawler Institute, and the first Captain of Volunteers. After dissolving his partnership with Mr. Duffield in 1859, Mr. Turner was appointed acting Stipendiary Magistrate, a position that became permanent, with his headquarters being in Gawler for 10 years.
From 1869 Richard and his family moved to Mount Gambier, and then in 1878, after the death of his wife, he relocated to the Mount Barker District. On leaving both Gawler and Mount Gambier, Mr. Turner was presented with valuable gifts from each town’s citizens in recognition of his community work.
Subsequently Mr. Turner moved to Semaphore and was appointed Stipendiary Magistrate at Port Adelaide, a position he held until his death on June 29, 1888, which was the very day upon which his leave of absence on account of ill-health expired. Richard is buried in the North Road Cemetery, Nailsworth, near Adelaide.
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