William Townsend (mayor)

Townsend was born in the London Borough of Southwark, and worked assisting his brother, a potato salesman, and subsequently as a clerk. He married Emma Slade at St Pancras on 25 December 1852, and soon after set sail for Adelaide. He, his wife and child arrived in South Australia aboard the Dutch ship Fop Smit on 2 August 1853. Emma died soon after arrival. He subsequently married Jane Hooper.

At first he was employed as a boot salesman, and subsequently opened a business as a boot-maker. On the advice of F.J. Botting, he became an auctioneer, gaining experience with several Adelaide firms. He helped found Townsend, Botting & Kay with F. J. Botting and William Kay. Ultimately he became a leading auctioneer, forming his own business, "Townsend and Son".{{cite Australasia|Townsend, William}}

A fluent and forcible speaker, he became a popular public lecturer, and a lay preacher of the Congregational Church. He was interested in the formation of responsible government in South Australia from its beginnings, and helped frame the 1855 Constitution. He unsuccessfully stood in the colony's first election, but entered the South Australian Legislative Assembly in a by-election on 23 December 1857 for the seat of Onkaparinga. He held that seat until 1870, when he was elected member for Sturt, which he held until his death.{{Cite SA-parl|pid=3997|name=William Townsend|former=yes|access-date=17 December 2022}} He was Commissioner of Public Works in the 11-day Francis Dutton Ministry of July 1863, and Commissioner of Crown Lands and immigration in the 16-day John Hart Ministry of September–October 1868. As Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Blyth Ministry from November 1871 to January 1872, he initiated a survey of the Northern Territory. He was acting Speaker in the assembly from 1872 until his death, and in 1876 he succeeded John Carr as Chairman of Committees in the Assembly, a position he also held until his death on 25 October 1882.

Townsend served two terms as mayor of Adelaide in 1864–66, and was mayor of Unley in 1878–81.

"Townsend House" was founded in 1874 by Townsend who, after two terms in office as Mayor of Adelaide, set about fulfilling his ambition to establish a "Blind Asylum in the City of Adelaide". Founded as the South Australian Institution for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb (Incorporated), the charity opened its doors to five blind and two deaf students, beginning a commitment that continues today under the name CanDo4Kids. Townsend was chairman of its committee from 1875 until his death in 1882.

Townsend lived at "Waverley" in Lower Mitcham.South Australian homes and gardens, June 1953, p. 33 & 35 Aged 61, he died of phthisis on 25 October 1882 at Mitcham, survived by his second wife, four daughters and three sons.

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{{s-bef|before=William Milne}}

{{s-ttl|title=Commissioner of Public Works|years=4 Jul 1863{{spaced ndash}}15 Jul 1863}}

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{{s-bef|before=William Dawes}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member for Onkaparinga|years=1857–1870|alongside=William Milne, Thomas Playford II}}

{{s-aft|after=Friedrich Krichauff}}

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{{s-bef|before=Frederick Spicer}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member for Sturt|years=1870–1882|alongside=John Lindsay, John Barrow, William Mair, Samuel Way, Thomas King, Josiah Symon}}

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{{s-bef|before=Samuel Goode}}

{{s-ttl | title = Mayor of the Corporation of Adelaide | years =1864–1866}}

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;Library catalogue references (State Library of South Australia)

• Norman, W. A. (1954) [http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/record=b2261838 "William Townsend"] in History of the City of Mitcham, p. 285-287
• [http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/record=b2284775 Obituary], Frearson's weekly illustrated, 28 October 1882, p. 599
• [http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/record=b2239758 Death of Mr. William Townsend, M.P], Adelaide observer, 28 October 1882, p. 32, col. a; p. 33, col. a-d
• [http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/search~S1?/dTownsend%2C+William%2C+1821-1882+--+Obituary/dtownsend+william+1821+1882+obituary/-3%2C-1%2C0%2CB/exact&FF=dtownsend+william+1821+1882&1%2C18%2C Townsend William 1821–1882], list of references at the State Library of South Australia

;Newspaper articles ("Trove" nla.gov.au)

• {{cite news |date=1 November 1882 |title=Obituary: Mr William Townsend |page=4 |newspaper=The Border Watch |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article77568492 |accessdate=17 December 2022 |via=Trove}}

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Category:Mayors and Lord Mayors of Adelaide

Category:1821 births

Category:1882 deaths

Category:Australian auctioneers

Category:19th-century Australian politicians

Category:English emigrants to colonial Australia

Category:19th-century deaths from tuberculosis

Category:Colony of South Australia people

Category:19th-century Australian businesspeople

Category:Members of the South Australian House of Assembly

Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Australia

Category:Infectious disease deaths in South Australia