British government slavery compensation money slushes through into founding of South Australian colony

Edward Stirling, illegitimate son of slave owner Archibald Stirling in Jamaica, became a prominent contributor to the early South Australian colony.

Edward Stirling, whose name is carried by the Adelaide Hills town, was the son of a slave or her daughter, fathered by slave owner Archibald Stirling on a Jamaican sugar plantation.

Edward and his brother William, along with Charles and John (also illegitimate sons of Archibald’s younger brother) were sent to Scotland to be educated and then funded by Archibald to establish themselves in South Australia.

Money from slavery earnings slushed into the founding of South Australia. The colony’s start in 1836 coincided with an enormous £20 million compensation fund decided by the British parliament to those who had suffered loss of “property” after the freeing of slaves in its empire. The names of prominent early South Australians have been revealed in University of London’s look into the data on recipients.

George Fife Angas acted as an agent for slavers, collecting a total of £6942 compensation, and also used slaves in his own mahogany business in Honduras.

Curries & Co., the family bank of Raikes Currie (as in Currie Street, Adelaide), received £15,400. Currie was a big donor to colony and, in particular, the Church of England in Adelaide. Influential member of that diocese, the Rev. Charles Marryat Jnr, belonged to an extended family that received £34,000 for its 900 slaves. Jacob Montefiore (Montefiore Hill/Road) was the son of the holder of 211 slaves in the British West Indies.

South Australia’s Musgrave Ranges commemorates Anthony Musgrave, the colony’s governor 1873-77, whose father was a slave holder, along with his uncles and father in law.

Edward Stirling’s father Archibald received £10,000 in 1835 for his 460-plus slaves. He gave Edward £1000 in 1838 when he left for South Australia. Edward contributed to the colony by helping write its constitution and as a Legislative Council member. His sons Edward and John, continued that contribution.