George Morphett
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{For|the 20th century businessman and politician|George Cummins Morphett}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = George Morphett
| birth_date = {{birth_date|1811|05|21|df=yes}}
| birth_place = London, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1893|10|20|1811|05|21|df=yes}}{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53625527 |title=Death of Mr. George Morphett |newspaper=South Australian Register |date=21 October 1893 |access-date=24 March 2016 |page=5 |via=Trove}}
| parents = Nathaniel Morphett and Mary Morphett (née Gliddon)
| relations = John Morphett
| occupation =
}}
File:George Morphett B336.jpg, ca. 1849]]
George Morphett (21 May 1811 – 20 October 1893) was a settler in the colony of South Australia, and younger brother of John Morphett.
History
Morphett was born in London to solicitor Nathaniel Morphett and his wife Mary, née Gliddon, of "Cummins", Ide, Devon.
He travelled to Egypt in 1833 to meet up with his brother John. Together they toured Egypt and Italy before returning to England. He married Ann Hitchcock in 1835.{{cite web |url= http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/archivaldocs/prg/PRG239_MorphettFamily_serieslist.pdf |title= Morphett family PRG 239 |publisher= State Library of South Australia |access-date=9 April 2015}}
When the Secondary Towns Association was formed in London in October 1838 for the purpose of establishing sites for secondary towns in the colony of South Australia, Morphett was appointed its Secretary. He emigrated to South Australia, arriving at Holdfast Bay on 12 December 1840 on the Brightman.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71620516 |title= Late Arrivals |newspaper= The Southern Australian |date= 18 December 1840 |access-date= 9 April 2015 |page=2 |publisher= National Library of Australia}} In January–February 1841, accompanied by John Hill, he explored the arid plains due north of Morgan on behalf of the Association, searching for a reported fertile region, but found only hardship and disappointment. On 2 March 1841 Morphett was sworn in as a barrister and solicitor in the Supreme Court of South Australia.Southern Australian newspaper, 5 March 1841, p 3. He lived at North Adelaide, set up a legal practice in the city and returned to England.
He returned to South Australia in 1846 on the barque Enmore{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27451838 |title= Arrivals |newspaper=South Australian Register |date= 21 January 1846 |access-date= 9 April 2015 |page=3 |publisher= National Library of Australia}} with his wife and three children. A daughter was born during the voyage on 7 January 1846.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158921555 |title= Family Notices |newspaper= Adelaide Observer |date=24 January 1846 |access-date=9 April 2015 |page=4 |via=Trove}} James Philcox, land speculator, was on the same ship, also a return journey.{{cite web|website=localwiki|series=Adelaide Hills|url=https://localwiki.org/adelaide-hills/Overseas_Arrivals_to_South_Australia_-_1846|title=Immigration to South Australia – Shipping Lists 1836 to 1890: Overseas arrivals to South Australia – 1846|access-date=23 July 2019}}
He was involved in a large number of profitable transactions in the land speculation frenzy that the orderly Adelaide real estate market had become. One was the sale to a consortium of Jewish businessmen, including Morris Lyon Marks, of a block on Rundle Street for their synagogue.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58934901 |title=Adelaide Hebrew Congregation |newspaper=The Register |date=19 September 1908 |access-date=9 April 2015 |page=11 |via=Trove}} One of his last transactions was the sale, to wealthy Rundle Street draper George Hunt, of a block on Magill Road which became the site for his mansion, "Tranmere House", built in 1898.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}
Morphett was named in an article in the Adelaide Times in December 1856, along with his friend{{cite web|website=localwiki|series=Adelaide Hills|url=https://localwiki.org/adelaide-hills/GRO_Merge_%27Pes%27_-_%27Py%27|title=Extracts from SA General Registry Office (GRO) Information|access-date=22 July 2019}} James Philcox, John Grainger, Edmund Trimmer, and George Aston condemning certain land speculators for underhand practices, including conspiring to purchase government land at less than market prices. They were referred to as "land sharks" in the article.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207097757 |title=Land Agents — Land Speculators — Land Jobbers — Land Sharks — Land Conspirators |newspaper=Adelaide Times |date=11 December 1856 |access-date=21 July 2019 |page=2 |via=Trove}}
Morphett was appointed a director of the South Australian Marine & Fire & Life Assurance Company, the Bank of South Australia and several mining companies.
In March 1860 he was elected to the district of West Torrens as a member of the South Australian House of Assembly.{{Cite SA-parl |pid=3688 |name=George Morphett |former=yes |access-date=5 December 2022}}{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/AboutParliament/From1836/Documents/StatisticalRecordoftheLegislature1836to20093.pdf |title=Statistical Record of the Legislature, 1836 to 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312023915/http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/AboutParliament/From1836/Documents/StatisticalRecordoftheLegislature1836to20093.pdf |archive-date=12 March 2011 |publisher=Parliament of South Australia |page=50}} He was a conscientious and able member, a supporter of Robert Torrens's Real Property Act, but left the colony for London on the Orient on 31 October 1860 and never returned. His resignation from parliament was received in April 1861.
He was a Director of Underground Railways London and Metropolitan Railway Company.{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}}
Family
He married Ann Hitchcock.{{Who|date=April 2011}}{{Where|date=July 2011}} in 1835{{cite web|url=https://archival.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/prg/PRG239_MorphettFamily_serieslist.pdf |title=Morphett family PRG 239 |publisher= State Library of South Australia |access-date=8 October 2024}}
=Children=
- Three children were born in England, including:{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}
- Fanny Australia Morphett (born 1838, Islington)
- Nathaniel George Morphett (born 16 March 1840, Clerkenwell, died 23 September 1872), educated at Highgate School from 1849 to 1857{{cite book|title=Highgate School Roll 1833-1912|date=1913|page=68|edition=1st}}
- A daughter (born on 7 January 1846 aboard the Enmore from England)
- Eustace Morphett (born 21 December 1847, North Adelaide)