William Finke

William Finke (1814 or 1815 – 17 January 1864) was a prospector and pastoralist in South Australia, remembered as a sponsor, with the Chambers brothers, of John McDouall Stuart's exploratory journeys.

History

Finke, who may have been born Johann Wilhelm Finke from Cuxhaven,[1] arrived in South Australia aboard Tam O'Shanter in November 1836 as part of the First Fleet of South Australia. He was clearly a man with some financial backing and social position, but real information is hard to find.

He was a member of a syndicate with Osmond Gilles and his nephew John Jackson Oakden and three others[2] that entered the ballot in February 1839 for the right to purchase town acres in Glenelg, in which they were successful.[3]

He was appointed chief clerk to Osmond Gilles, the Colonial Treasurer, and in 1839 put in charge of mining galena for his Glen Osmond Union Mining Company, the first mine for metal-bearing ores in South Australia, perhaps Australia.[4]

He was appointed Hon. secretary of Glenelg Pier and Warehouse Company with offices in Gilles Arcade.[5]

He was an energetic explorer and prospector throughout South Australia, but particularly in the northern Flinders Ranges, where he established productive copper mines at Nuccaleena and Oratunga,[6] but missed the fabulously wealthy deposits at Burra and Kapunda. He frequently employed John McDouall Stuart as travelling companion on these trips: Finke had the resources; Stuart the resourcefulness.

Finke and James Chambers developed the Moolooloo station, from where Stuart's final and successful expedition departed; James died before the party's triumphant return and Finke not long after. John Chambers, as executor of his brother's Will, sold the run to Philip Levi & Co., who sold it to John Rounsevell in 1871.[7]

He died at the John Bull Inn, Currie Street. His remains were buried at the North Road Cemetery.[8]

Family

Readily available sources give no hint that he was married or had children.

It is likely that Anna Timmermann, Andreas Finke and Wilhelmina Arndt of Germany, for whom certain properties in Glenelg were liquidated shortly after Finke's death, were closely related.[9]

Recognition

The Finke River in central Australia and Mount Finke in South Australia were named for him by Stuart in 1858 and 1860 respectively.[10][11] Finke Bay on the coast of the Van Diemen Gulf in the Northern Territory is considered to be named by Stuart after Finke in 1862.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "The Durrant Family Website: Early land sales". Chris Durrant. Retrieved 22 March 2017. and would have been pronounced fink-e
  2. ↑ Other members were Gilles' ward Emily Blunden (died 1875) who also emigrated aboard HMS Buffalo, H. R. Wigley (Resident Magistrate and father of W. R. Wigley), and solicitor Matthew Smith (c. 1794 – 18 November 1858)
  3. ↑ "Choice of the Township of Glenelg and the new Port Section". South Australian Gazette And Colonial Register. II, (55). South Australia. 9 February 1839. p. 4. Retrieved 23 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ Margaret Goyder Kerr Colonial Dynasty: The Chambers family of South Australia ISBN 0 7270 1097 2
  5. ↑ "Advertising". South Australian Register. III, (111). South Australia. 7 March 1840. p. 6. Retrieved 23 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "The Great Northern Copper Mines". The South Australian Advertiser. III, (753). South Australia. 14 December 1860. p. 3. Retrieved 23 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ Pastoral Pioneers of South Australia Vol II, Reprints from Stock and Station Journal Publishers Ltd. Adelaide 1927
  8. ↑ "TOPICS OF THE DAY". The South Australian Advertiser. VI, (1711). South Australia. 20 January 1864. p. 2. Retrieved 23 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Advertising". The South Australian Advertiser. South Australia. 2 February 1866. p. 4. Retrieved 23 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "Search result for "Mount Finke (Mountain)" (Record no. SA0023969) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)"". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "Search result for "Finke River (STRM)" (Record no. SA0023966) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and "Place names (gazetteer)"". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  12. ↑ "Search result for Finke Bay (bay)". NT Place Names Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
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