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Plateau Court

“Plateau Court” is another of the historic houses still to be seen in the Campbelltown area. The land was owned by William Dean of “Dean and Laughton” stock and station agents. They later became “Dean and Son”, also a respected stock and station agent in South Australia. William Dean sold the land to William Wearne James.1

William Wearne James was born in 1855 in Gwithian, Cornwall. After leaving school, he worked on the land, before leaving for Monmouthshire, to work in the iron mines, at Ebbw Vale. He then decided to immigrate to South Australia with his brother Thomas W. James. On March 20th 1876 they sailed on the Northern Monarch for their new home2. After arriving in South Australia, William worked for Mrs Jane Wear of Payneham in her vineyards. After about two years he left for Ardrossan on the Yorke Peninsula. Things went well for a year or two, and then drought forced him from this venture. Whilst at Ardrossan he married the second daughter of Thomas Bowman, another pastoralist from Maitland. Returning to Adelaide he accepted employment from Mr Charles Hart, on the well-known Beefacres Estate. He then purchased five acres of land at East Marden, to become self employed and to grow grapes. He became prosperous enough to purchase a further seventeen acres nearby, and began to export grapes to the other Colonies and New Zealand. On an average he would export 3,000 cases of grapes per annum. This allowed him to build a fine house on his property which he named “Plateau Court”. His brother Thomas W James had a property nearby called “Trevarno”, also at East Marden3. The success of his East Marden property allowed him to purchase 150 acres of land near Kersbrook. This became one of the finest orchards in the district. Around 1919 he sold his East Marden property and moved to another orchard at Balhannah. At the time of his death, in 1929, he was the last surviving original director of the Adelaide Fruit and Produce Exchange. He was also one of the original directors of the Balhannah Cold Stores. He held a number of positions in the Payneham Methodist Church. In his teens, he was known as “the boy preacher”. He left a widow, three sons and three daughters4.

Plateau Court

Plateau Court in 1927

The purchaser of “Plateau Court” was Mr. Ernst Otto Bradtke. He moved in along with his wife Sarah Hulda Bradtke, and children Hilary Bradtke, and Melva Bradtke. The Bradtke’s were well respected in the Lutheran Community in South Australia. Daughter Melva was married in the Flinders street Lutheran church just like her parents. She married K. Waldemar Schubert of “Carrara” North Terrace Hackney5. “Plateau Court” was a great place for a party, and it saw many over the years, with different owners. When Hilary celebrated his coming of age, 36 guests were invited, and all had a great time, as reported in the papers of the day6. By 1927 with Melva married, the Bradtke’s decided to sell “Plateau Court” and its five acres of ground. The advertisement in the paper stated that they were looking to move to the seaside7. In 1947, when the death of Hilary was reported, at the age of 42 years, he was living at North Glenelg8. His mother had died in 1931 at Clarendon where father Otto was still farming9.

Plateau Court for sale in 1927

The new owner of “Plateau Court” was John Vivian Skewes. He was the son of Samuel Skewes, one of the pioneers of Millicent in the south east of South Australia. His father owned a newsagency and a boot making shop in the town, and went on to become one of the largest land owners in the district10. John Vivian Skewes married Gertrude Mary Lock of Millicent11. She died in 1923 and his second marriage was to Flora Wakefield of Goolwa12. Also In 1923, he formed a new company named R.G. Lock and Co13. The Company was formed to purchase a failing butter manufacturing business in Wilcox street Adelaide, and turn it around. Raymond George Lock, his former brother-in-law had been an executive with The Farmers Union Co-operative, in various locations around the state. In 1930 R.G.Lock and Co went into voluntary liquidation14.

R.G.Lock and Co

R.G.Lock & Co. Wilcox Street Adelaide

Just prior to the Second World War, F.C. Gladstone became the owner of “Plateau Court”. Once again the house welcomed visitors. Whether it was fund raising for the troops overseas, engagements of the third son of the house, meetings of the Volunteer Service Detachments, or a wake for a nineteen year old killed in an accident. The Gladstone’s had the power to attract; the wife of the Premier Mrs. Playford accepted an invitation to open a fund raiser for the Fighting Forces Comfort Fund15. The farewell to the American Consul, and the welcome to the wife of the new U.S. Consul, was also held at Plateau Court16.

Maurice McCarthy became the next owner of “Plateau Court”. He was the Adelaide representative of the Barmera trotting track. Owners and trainers in Adelaide, wishing to enter into races at the Barmera track, could do so through Maurice McCarthy. The Barmera track had opened on Australia Day 1947, after the South Australian Trotting League had approved the venue17. Maurice McCarthy was a known trotting driver and was often listed amongst the winners at this venue.

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. 1929 'Obituary.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 2 February, p. 47. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87453849.
  2. Archives.sa.gov.au. (2018). Passenger Lists | State Records of South Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.archives.sa.gov.au/passenger-lists-view/1876/ [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].
  3. 1929 'Obituary.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 2 February, p. 47. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87453849.
  4. 1929 'Obituary.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 2 February, p. 47. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87453849.
  5. 1927 'Schubert—Bradtke', News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), 29 August, p. 7. (HOME EDITION), viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129182498
  6. 1924 'COMING OF AGE PARTY.', The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), 15 August, p. 13. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59016337
  7. 1927 '"Plateau Court," Hectorville', The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954), 12 March, p. 12. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58544842
  8. 1927 'Family Notices', The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), 23 August, p. 8. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55037528
  9. 1933 'Family Notices', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 24 June, p. 18. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46982960
  10. 1908 'OBITUARY.', The South Eastern Times (Millicent, SA : 1906 - 1954), 5 June, p. 2. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202433581
  11. 1902 'Family Notices', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 28 May, p. 4. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4873300
  12. 1930 'CONCERNING PEOPLE', The South Eastern Times (Millicent, SA : 1906 - 1954), 7 January, p. 2. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article200999381
  13. 1925 'New Company Registered', News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), 2 April, p. 10. (HOME EDITION), viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129719374
  14. 1930 'R. G. Lock & Co., Limited', News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), 11 September, p. 12. (HOME EDITION), viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130221353
  15. 1940 'SOLDIERS' THANKS FOR COMFORTS', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 22 November, p. 23. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74460033
  16. 1945 'About People', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 18 October, p. 5. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48673168
  17. 1947 'S.A. League Approves Barmera Trotting Track', Murray Pioneer (Renmark, SA : 1942 - 1950), 31 July, p. 1. , viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109425125

Photo References

  1. 1927 'No Title', News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), 9 March, p. 11. (HOME EDITION), viewed 02 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129240669
  2. State Library of South Australia (2018). Wilcox Street, Adelaide. [image] Available at: https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+4202 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].