Alexander Lang Elder (18 April 1815 – 5 September 1885) was a Scottish Australian businessman and politician in colonial South Australia.
Biography edit
Elder was the second son of George Elder of Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, by Joanna Haddo, his wife, daughter of Alexander Lang, of Leith, born at Kirkcaldy. He was the brother of pastoralist and businessman Thomas Elder. He emigrated on his father's schooner Minerva[1] to South Australia, arriving on 2 January 1840 in Port Adelaide as the only cabin passenger, under Captain David Reid.[2][3]
He founded the well-known mercantile firm of Elders Limited, later Elder, Smith & Co., of Adelaide.[1] He was a partner with Frederick Dutton in a 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) pastoral lease at Mount Remarkable in 1846.[4]
He married Mary Eliza Austin, a daughter of Rev. John Baptist Austin of South Australia, on 8 April 1847.[3]
He was elected by the West Adelaide district to the first mixed franchise Legislative Council in 1851, but resigned his seat on 30 March 1853,[5] leaving for England, where he headed of the firm of A. L. Elder & Co., of London, until his death in London on 5 September 1885.[1]
Legacy edit
The Elder Range, adjacent to Wilpena Pound, and its highest point, Mt Aleck, are named after Alexander Elder.[6]
References edit
- ^ a b c Mennell, Philip (1892). . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
- ^ "Overseas Arrivals to South Australia - early 1840". localwiki. Adelaide Hills. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ a b Gosse, Fayette (1972). "Elder, Alexander Lang (1815–1885)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 4. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. pp. 133–134. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ Dutton, Geoffrey (1966). "Dutton, Francis Stacker (1818–1877)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ "Alexander Lang Elder". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ Elder Range The Manning Index of South Australian History, State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 2 May 2023.