Francis Stacker Dutton

CMG CMG may refer to: Companies * Capitol Music Group, a music label * China Media Group, the predominant state radio and television broadcaster in the PRC * China Media Group Co., Ltd., publicly listed Chinese holding company in the media sector * ...

(18 October 1818 – 25 January 1877) was the seventh

Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier ...

, serving twice, firstly in 1863 and again in 1865.

History

Dutton was born at

Cuxhaven Cuxhaven (; ) is an independent town and seat of the Cuxhaven district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town includes the northernmost point of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the shore of the North Sea at the mouth of the Elbe River. Cuxhaven has a ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

, where his father was

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vice-consul A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

, in 1818. He was educated at

Hofwyl College Philipp Emanuel von Fellenberg (27 June 1771 – 21 November 1844) was a Swiss educationalist and agronomist. Biography He was born at Bern. His father was of patrician family, and a man of importance in his canton, and his mother was a grandda ...

, near Bern in Switzerland, and afterwards at the high school at

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in Germany. At 17, he went to Brazil as a junior clerk and was there for about five years, in

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest ...

and

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. In 1839, he joined his older brothers Hampden, Pelham and

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederi ...

in Sydney, went overland to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

, and followed mercantile pursuits for about 18 months, He then joined his brother Frederick at

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater A ...

and in 1842 or early in 1843, discovered

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...

Kapunda Kapunda is a town on the Light River and near the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was established after a discovery in 1842 of significant copper deposits. The population was 2,917 at the 2016 Australian census. The southern entrance ...

, 45 miles north of

. He showed the specimen he had found to Captain

Charles Bagot Sir Charles Bagot GCB (23 September 1781 – 19 May 1843) was a British politician, diplomat and colonial administrator. He served as ambassador to the United States, Russia, and the Netherlands. He served as the second Governor General of ...

, who produced a similar specimen that his son had found in the same locality. The land was purchased and samples were sent to England, which showed a high percentage of copper. Dutton visited England in 1845 and sold his interest in the mine for a large sum. While in London, he prepared for publication his ''South Australia and its Mines'', a work of 360 pages, a valuable contemporary account of the new colony published in 1846. Dutton returned to South Australia in 1847 and in 1849, became a member of the Adelaide board of city commissioners. He was elected a member of the Legislative Council for East Adelaide in 1851 and sat until 1857, when he was elected to the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gover ...

as member for

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(9 March 1857 to 18 March 1860) and then for

Light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...

(19 March 1860 to 22 Apr 1862; and 17 November 1862 to 28 September 1865). He was Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration in the

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government from 30 September 1857 to 2 June 1859, and was premier from 4 to 15 July 1863. He formed his second cabinet on 22 March 1865 and was premier and commissioner of public works until 20 September of the same year, when he became agent-general in London for South Australia. He was a good linguist, able to speak French, German and Portuguese, and had an excellent knowledge of business which enabled him to carry out his duties with success until his death on 25 January 1877.

Recognition

Dutton was made a Commander of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in hono ...

(CMG) in 1872. Dutton's Bluff, later Dutton Bluff, a hill some 66 km north-west of Quorn, was named for him and the

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government botanist named '' Eremophila duttonii'' in his honour.

Family

Dutton married Caroline MacDermott (ca.1822 – 1 June 1855), a daughter of

Marshall MacDermott Marshall MacDermott (c.1791 – 3 November 1877) was a British Army officer and member of the South Australian Legislative Council 1855 to 1857 and a member for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Flinders from 1857 to 1859. Army c ...

on 7 November 1849; they had two sons and a daughter: :*Francis "Frank" MacDermott Dutton (1850 – c. 9 May 1932) :*Caroline Birch Dutton (15 August 1852 – 1950) married barrister Charles Thomas Mitchell in Norland,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbourin ...

on 17 August 1878. Her portrait was painted by Carlile Henry Hayes Macartney :*Sir Frederick Dutton (14 April 1855 – c. 10 October 1930), solicitor of Wilkins, Blyth, Dutton and Hartley, married Beatrice Aimee Bridger MBE (1863 – 1 August 1928) in 1883.

William Hampden Dutton William Hampden Dutton (29 October 1807 – 21 November 1849), generally known as Hampden Dutton, was a pioneering pastoralist in New South Wales and South Australia. History Hampden was the eldest child of Frederick Hugh Hampden Dutton and his ...

(1805–1849), pastoralist of Anlaby Station and miner at

, was a brother, as was pastoralist and parliamentarian

Frederick Hansborough Dutton Frederick Hansborough Dutton (2 April 1812 – 22 April 1890) was a pastoralist and politician in the colony of South Australia. Early Life Frederick Hansborough (sometimes Hansbrow) Dutton was born on 2 April 1812 at Colne, Lancashire, an ...

(1812–1890). Note: William Dutton (1811–1878), sometimes referred to as "William Pelham Dutton", ship's captain, whaler and pioneer of

Portland, Victoria Portland is a city in Victoria, Australia, and is the oldest European settlement in the state. It is also the main urban centre in the Shire of Glenelg and is located on Portland Bay. As of the 2021 census the population was 10,016, increas ...

, was not closely related. Author

Geoffrey Dutton Geoffrey 'Geppie' Piers Henry Dutton AO (2 August 192217 September 1998) was an Australian author and historian. Biography Dutton was born into a prominent pastoralist family of Anlaby Station near Kapunda, South Australia in 1922. His grandfa ...

, great-grandson of W. H. Dutton, warned against this confusion in his article on F. S. Dutton in the Australian Dictionary of Biography. For his relationship to other people prominent in the history of South Australia see separate article.

References

Sources

Parliament of South Australia - Dutton
*''

South Australian Register ''The Register'', originally the ''South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register'', and later ''South Australian Register,'' was South Australia's first newspaper. It was first published in London in June 1836, moved to Adelaide in 1837, and f ...

'' and '' South Australian Advertiser'', 29 January 1877. *F. Dutton (1846)
''South Australia and its Mines''
London: T. and W. Boone. * * , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dutton, Francis Stacker Premiers of South Australia Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George 1818 births 1877 deaths 19th-century Australian politicians Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Members of the South Australian Legislative Council