Stradbroke was the name given to the house and estate near the fourth creek in what is now Rostrevor. It was demolished in 1966 and the Stradbroke school now stands on the grounds.

Thomas Astbury Forrest

The House was built by Thomas Astbury Forrest in 1840, on Section 294 Hundred of Adelaide.   The house was then called “Waldend.”² Thomas was born in Edinburgh on the 17^th June 1810. He married Elizabeth Emma Helen Stenhouse, in Scotland, in 1834. A son, Mowbray Stenhouse Forrest was born, in Scotland in 1836. Their daughter was born in Gilbert Street Adelaide in May 1842.³ Just three months after the death of her father. Thomas Astbury Forrest died on January 18^th 1842 at Blairhill Onkaparinga.

Frederick Bayne

By 1844 the property was owned by Frederick Bayne. He built some additions and doubled the size of the house.⁴ He renamed the house Stradbroke, after Charlotte Maria Dowager Countess of Stradbroke, Suffolk. In February 1846 he was appointed the Sheriff of South Australia, by the Governor.⁵ His wife laid the foundation stone of the St. George Anglican church at Woodforde. The first consecrated Church in the Colony.⁶ In September 1845 he was made a proctor of the court and by 1847 he was an attorney, to Messrs Solomon, a renowned Adelaide law firm. In 1848 he suddenly disappeared. With his wife expecting their third child, he left her a note saying she would never see him again.  The press of the day reported him as having “done a runner.”⁷ There was much speculation as to why and as to where he had gone. Some believed he had taken passage to China aboard the Constance. Others believed he was nearer home, but in hiding. As to why, there were many rumours.  Some of the press refused to report the rumours as they were unsubstantiated. Others were not so reticent. They made it quite clear, in their opinion, as to why he had fled.  Among the many reasons were, forging of documents, misappropriation of funds, not paying bills. It appeared also he had taken money for sales of land, on which people had built homes, but had kept the money for himself. Now many people found that they had built a home on someone else’s land. There was naturally a call for him to be struck off.

Richard Beetson Esq.

After the disappearance of Frederick Bayne, the house was purchased by Richard Beetson Esq. He arrived from England with his wife, Alexander Beetson and family in November 1850 aboard the Northumberland. In mid 1851 he purchased Stradbroke House. In March 1866 a son was born to the Beetson’s at Stradbroke.⁹ The following year in September 28^th a daughter was born.¹⁰ As well as their own property they leased land near Morialta. So when the local firm of Messrs D & W Murray treated their employees to a picnic, on the Prince Of Wales birthday. The Beeston’s allowed them to use the rented land at Morialta. Three hundred and fifty people attended, brought to the picnic in 14 Omnibuses.¹¹ In 1882 Richard Beeston Esq. died at his home on Norwood Parade aged 68 years.

William Robert Swan

William Robert Swan was born in Northumberland England in 1821. He came to South Australia at the age of 26. Mr.Swan was well known on the Eyre Peninsula. He was employed by Mr. Price Maurice, and managed properties for him near Port Lincoln. Later in partnership with Robert Barr Smith they took up a pastoral run known as the Fowlers Bay Run.  Inspired by the explorations of Edward John Eyre on the west coast, he, and his partners acquired a number of properties there.  He was also involved in pastoral properties in Queensland and New South Wales.  Other partners as well as Robert Barr Smith were, Sir Thomas Elder, James Francis Cudmore, and J Fisher. This partnership came about by Cudmore over extending his finances in buying Welford Downs and Milo Stations.  A combined area of 5,100 sq. miles (13,209 sq.km). After creditors agreed to hold insolvency proceedings, Cudmore transferred his freehold properties to his wife and his sons and declared himself Bankrupt in 1888. William Swan went on to become a large Shareholder in Elder Smith Co.¹² William Swan married Mary Laing of Stirling, Scotland on May 1^st 1876, at Torrens Park.¹³ In October 1878 their only child, a daughter, was born at Stradbroke. William Swan died on 13 June 1892, age 72 at Stradbroke, Magill.

Samuel William Pearce

Samuel Pearce, son of Mr James Pearce of Kapunda a member of the Legislative Council. He married Mary Williams of Kapunda.  Samuel was a prospector and was engaged by The Adelaide Prospecting syndicate, of W.G. Brookman, and Charles De Rose to find gold in Western Australia. This syndicate became The Coolgardie Gold Mining and Prospecting Company. They discovered 17 mines in all including Ivanhoe Reef, Great Boulder Mine, Leviathan, Daisy, and Lady Mary Mine. (named after his wife.)¹⁴ His agreement with the syndicate was he was to earn one ninth interest in all he found. When the Company was floated in London his share agreement slipped into limbo. He still earned a lot of money but he maintained if his share agreement had remained he would have earned Three Million Pounds.¹⁵ Never one to stay in any place for any time he was always on the move. He went back to prospecting again, this time with his son. He eventually moved to Beach Road Grange where he stayed until he died in 1932 aged 84. He is buried in Payneham cemetery.

Walter Frederick Walkley

In March 1910 Stradbroke came up for auction and was passed in, not reaching the reserve price. W. F. Walkley had made an offer prior to the auction, so he and the auctioneer negotiated a sale, and the property passed to Mr. Walkley.¹⁶ He had not long returned to South Australia from Western Australia. There he was a founder of Castlemaine Brewery and with his partner had purchased the Pheonix Brewery.¹⁷ He was also a director of Wenzel’s Ltd. the soft goods warehouse of Flinders Lane Melbourne.¹⁸ He died in 1936.

C.L. Du Bois

In 1917 Stradbroke was bought by a well known horse racing identity Mr Du Bois, who was the owner of “King Ingoda” the winner of the 1922 Melbourne and Adelaide Cups.  King Ingoda was born at Stradbroke.¹⁹ When King Ingoda was only four months old he nearly died of “the strangles.” His owner thought many times he was not going to live.  Live he did and brought temporary fame and fortune to Stradbroke.

Researched and written by Jim Nelson, 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. https://localwiki.org/adelaide-hills/Inter-Colonial_Arrivals_to_South_Australia_-_1835_to_1849
2. www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/s/s7.htm
3. Southern Australian (Adelaide, SA : 1838 - 1844) Tuesday 10 May 1842 p 2
4. www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/s/s7.htm
5. Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Saturday 28 February 1846 p 3
6. South Australian (Adelaide, SA : 1844 - 1851) Friday 22 January 1847 p 6
7. Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Saturday 23 September 1848 p 2
8.  
9. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Tuesday 27 March 1866 p 7
10. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Wednesday 2 October 1867 p 2
11. Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912) Friday 10 November 1871 p 3
12. http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=5251
13. Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Saturday 6 May 1876 p 2
14. Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Saturday 28 September 1895 p 15
15. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/pearce-samuel-william-7999
16. The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931)Saturday 19 March 1910 p 12
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castlemaine_Brewery,_Western_Australia
18. Adelaide Advertiser 29 August 1936 p 14.
19. The Register Feb 3 1926 p 6