Burra mines power player Henry Ayers, of rock fame, South Australia premier seven times in 1863-73

Henry Ayers was a Legislative Council member for 37 years including being its president 1881-93.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia

Henry Ayers was premier of South Australia seven times but he is best remembered for having Ayers Rock (Uluru) named after him.

Ayers emigrated, as a carpenter, to South Australia in 1840 with his wife Anne (née Potts) with free passages. He worked as a law clerk until 1845 when he became secretary of the Burra Burra mines in charge of more than 1,000 men. He was in charge of this mine for nearly 50 years, rising to managing director. He became rich from Burra Burra’s “monster mine” that also secured the colony’s wealth.

With South Australia's responsible fully-elected government in 1857, Ayers was the youngest member elected to the Legislative Council and continued as a member for 37 years, including being president 1881-93.

In a divided and barely workable parliament, Ayers was premier seven times between 1863 and 1873.

In 1861 he resisted overtures to accept the premiership because his family wanted to visit England. The trip was postponed indefinitely and in 1863 he became minister without portfolio in Francis Dutton’s cabinet. But the council demanded it should have an executive minister to represent the government. When Dutton refused, and had to resign after only 11 days in office, Ayers, as premier and chief secretary, formed his own ministry in 1864. On July 22, his cabinet was reconstructed but fell on August 2.

Ayers became chief secretary in premier Arthur Blyth’s ministry until its defeat in 1865. He continued as chief secretary in Francis Dutton’s second administration until it fell and then formed his third ministry. He was defeated a month later for refusing to grant what he believed was excessive relief to the drought-stricken northern pastoralists.

He was premier again from May 1867 to September 1868 and, in October, formed his fifth ministry that lasted only 20 days and was defeated on its land policy. On  January 22, 1872, he became premier again and, after it was rebuilt on March 4, his seventh ministry lasted until July 1873. The House of Assembly was enlarged in 1875 and Ayers was never premier again, although he held office as chief secretary in John Colton’s ministry 1876-77.