[South Australia]

Province of South Australia. Land Grant. Town Section No. 558 to O. Gilles Esq. [A printed document, with manuscript insertions]

Folio (approximately 385 × 245 mm), a bifolium (centrefold blank, last page docketed); the first page, with a small diagram of the section (on Sturt Street), and a paper-over-wax impressed seal, is dated 23 December 1837 and signed by James Hurtle Fisher as Resident Commissioner), and Osmond Gilles as Treasurer. Two witnesses have also signed the document: Captain Charles Berkeley, employed as a draughtsman to Fisher, and William Finke (later, a sponsor of John McDouall Stuart in his expeditions). The docketed page has lengthy annotations by two later Deputy Registrars-General, W.B.T. Andrews (31 January 1855), and G.H. Barnard (9 March 1855).

Three strong horizontal creases (when the document is folded thus, the docketed portion of the last page becomes visible on one of the exposed panels); one light central vertical crease; trifling signs of use (not least, a few inkspots); the two exposed panels of the folded document are a little marked and discoloured; overall, the document is in excellent condition.

The grant is for 'All that One Acre Section of Town Land numbered "558" in the Provincial Survey', purchased by none other than the Treasurer himself! Osmond Gilles (1788-1866) was an extremely interesting character by any account (not least, the one in the 'Australian Dictionary of Biography'): 'Of Huguenot descent and well-to-do, after the Napoleonic wars he travelled extensively on the Continent before settling in Hamburg as a merchant in partnership with his brother-in-law, Philip Oakden, in 1816. There he gained an extensive knowledge of the sheep and wool trade.... By 1835 he joined the circle of contenders for office in the projected province of South Australia. This mainly consisted of men of radical views, dogmatic, independent, intractable, some (including Gilles) republicans, and most of them full of theory and empty of practice. Gilles was appointed colonial treasurer partly because of his wealth and his loan for the initial expenses. He sailed in the "Buffalo" with Governor (Sir) John Hindmarsh and reached Holdfast Bay in December 1836.

He was one of the few who uniformly supported Hindmarsh, thereby drawing the fire of political opponents and many detractors. The Treasury was generally empty, but Gilles kept it going by personal loans, and carried on his land deals and other business activities as well as bickering with his fellows. Despite his public brawls and official independence, Gilles retained the favour of Hindmarsh. Governor George Gawler [who replaced Hindmarsh] also had a high regard for him but suffered from his neglect and failed to obtain satisfactory statements of accounts. As agent for Colonel Robert Torrens Gilles had powerful friends, but Gawler caused him to resign his offices of treasurer and accountant-general in October 1839. Gilles had at least kept the Treasury going; it owed him nearly £12,000, which Gawler repaid.

"Very irritable" and with an almost ungovernable temper when excited or provoked, his failure as an official was offset by his success in business. From the beginning his interests were many and varied, including land, stock, money-lending and general trading. His ventures in land were among the most extensive in the province and included town acres in Adelaide (the largest holder in 1837)'. This particular grant was issued before the colony had been established a year.

Item #123733

Price (AUD): $5,000.00
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