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Morialta House

Morialta House often stated as one of the finest in South Australia. Visitors to Morialta House included, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, and the princes, Clarence and George (later to be George V.) 1 The Governor of South Australia, Sir William Jervois, lived at Morialta, while he waited for his summer residence to be built at Marble Hill.2 The name Morialta is a Kaurna word, possibly from Mari (East) Yertalla (Cascade.)3

Morialta House

Photograph of "Morialta", Norton Summit C1890 Photo Courtesy of State Library S.A. B13762

Morialta House was built in 1847. It was built by John Baker, who was later to become a member of the Legislative Council in South Australia. A controversial figure, John Baker, was referred to as the “King of Morialta.” John Baker was born at Ilminster in Somerset, England, on the 28th of December 1813. He was the son of Richard Chaffey Baker and his wife Mary, nee Anstice. Seeking a new life, he arrived in Van Diemen’s Land in 1838. In June of 1838, he married Isabella Allen.4 Also in 1838 he visited South Australia. He liked what he saw, and returned in 1839 to buy land, on which to build a home. Morialta was completed in 1847, a bitter sweet time for the Baker family. In that year they moved into their new home, John’s mother died5, and a daughter was born there also.6

John Baker

Photograph of John Baker C 1869. Courtesy of State Library of South Australia B22103/1

John Baker was a non elected member of the first Legislative Council, as the member for Mount Barker. For 12 days he was the Premier of South Australia. He replaced Boyle Travers Finniss, the first Premier, and in return, was replaced by Robert Torrens. In 1870, when he was in the Legislative Council, and his son, Richard Baker, was in the House of Assembly. Both father and son moved a motion of “no confidence” in the Strangways Government, on the same day. The Government was defeated. Richard Baker became the Attorney General in the new Government.7

Richard Chaffey Baker

Photograph of Richard Chaffey Baker C 1860 Courtesy of State Library S.A. B3692

Richard Chaffey Baker inherited Morialta House upon the death of his father. He was born at North Adelaide in 1842. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge, in England. A lawyer, he specialised in Constitutional Law. He was a member of the Convention of 1897-98 that framed the Australian Federal Constitution. After Federation in 1901, he became the first President of the Federal Senate. He was the first South Australian born person, to serve in State Parliament, and to receive an honour from Queen Victoria. She granted him the C.M.G in 1886 and the K.C.M.G in 1888.8 Like his father before him he could be “controversial.” When challenged to a duel, in Victoria Square, by Charles Cameron Kingston, who had sent him a duelling pistol and named the time and place. He informed the police of the venue, and the time, and C.C. Kingston was arrested with a loaded revolver, and bound over to keep the peace.9

His son J.R. Baker inherited Morialta House on the death of his father. He sold it in 1924 to the Protestant Federation of South Australia. They purchased the house of 17 principle rooms, plus domestic staff quarters and 125 acres of land, for £7,000. It then became the Morialta Protestant Children’s Home. The Governor-General of Australia performed the opening ceremony.10 The home was run by a board that consisted of, three officials each, of the Baptist Church, the Church of Christ and the Congregational Church. Also on the board were a representative of the Loyal Orange Institution, the Protestant Federation, the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and private subscribers. In 1967 another home was purchased in Toorak Gardens South Australia by the Protestant Federation of South Australia. Both homes operated in this manner until 1974.

Researched and compiled by Jim Nelson, a volunteer with the Campbelltown Library “Digital Diggers” group.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the information in this local history article, please contact the Local History officer on 8366 9357 or hthiselton@campbelltown.sa.gov.au

References

  1. 1937 'ANOTHER HISTORIC HOME', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 13 May, p. 50. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92485115
  2. 1928 'STATELY HOMES OF ADELAIDE', The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954), 10 November, p. 12., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58563586
  3. Ed. Hercus, Hodges & Simpson, 2009. The Land is a Map: Placenames of Indigenous Origin in Australia. p 261. ANU Press: Pandanus Books. http://press.anu.edu.au/?p=29191
  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Baker_(Australian_politician)
  5. 1849 'Family Notices', Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), 25 August, p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158927967
  6. 1849 'Family Notices', Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), 6 October, p. 1., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158928120
  7. 1911 'OBITUARY.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 25 March, p. 43., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88679860
  8. 1911 'OBITUARY.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 25 March, p. 43., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88679860
  9. John Playford, 'Baker, Sir Richard Chaffey (1841–1911)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/baker-sir-richard-chaffey-5107/text8511, published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 12 May 2016.
  10. 1924 'PROTESTANT HOMES AT MORIALTA.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 13 October, p. 12., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43242204