Allen Martin

Allen Martin (12 August 1844 – 13 July 1924), sometimes misspelt Allan Martin, was an English sailor who founded a private school at Port Adelaide, in the colony of South Australia. He became the founding headmaster of Port Adelaide Central School, and was later an inspector of schools for the South Australian Department for Education.

Early life and education Allen Martin (sometimes misspelt Allan Martin in the local press ) was born on 12 August 1844 in Bosham, West Sussex, the son of John Martin, a master mariner engaged in the coastal trade. Martin was educated at a local church school, then entered the upper grade (reserved for sons of master mariners and naval officers) of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, where he trained as an instructor and achieved a teacher's certificate.

Career Sailor and labourer Martin taught for a while, then joined the shipping firm Soames Brothers, trading to India and Australia, eventually becoming mate of the Dartmouth.

There he tried to find work as a labourer, and found work at Reynolds timber yards. The story goes that he was rejected by both George Shorney (1829–1891), manager of Dunn's mill, and James T. Russell (1842–1929), manager of Hart's Mill. Three months later sons of these two men would be among his first pupils. The Rev. Garrett left for England at the end of that year, suffering ill health.

Martin re-opened the school in January 1869 with seven pupils, reaching fifty at the end of the first year. It soon became necessary to hire a couple of pupil teachers: Charles Charlton (c. 1862 – 15 March 1931), later superintendent of primary schools, and Richard Llewellyn (c. 1860 – 6 January 1935), later headmaster of LeFevre Peninsula school. In 1876 the school building was purchased by the Council of Education, and Martin appointed headmaster.

Confusingly, another, quite different school of the same name (previously Classical and Mathematical School, Port Adelaide) was conducted concurrently (1871–1876) by James McLaughlin in Dale Street, Port Adelaide. Port Adelaide Public School The school was taken over by the Government in 1876, initially in the old building, and Mr. Martin continued with the school as headmaster until 1 January 1900, when he was appointed an Inspector of Schools. By then the school population had grown to 1,500 students and 22 teachers. Martin was remembered, without rancour, for his strong discipline.

Seeing a value in supplementing an academic education with technical training, he set up a carpentry and wood turning shop and a small printing press for the instruction of his pupils. He was somewhat ahead of his time, however (this was before the School of Mines), and met with opposition from both the trades unions and Minister of Education, later Judge, John Hannah Gordon, and was forced to close them. and the boys could always tell on Monday morning how well the racing went. If successful he would joke and overlook minor transgressions; if otherwise, look out! Mr. Martin was handy with the cane.

He played (Australian Rules) football with the Old Woodville Football Club in the days when the Old Adelaide Football Club was the only other club. He helped found the Alberton Oval, The Allen Martin Garden was established in the school grounds in 1924 in his memory. Sir Roy Lister Robinson (1883–1952) won a scholarship to St Peter's College and was SA's second Rhodes Scholar Professor Herbert William Gartrell (1882–1945) won a scholarship to St Peter's College and later an Angas Scholarship David Bews (1850–1891), Minister of Education Medicos Chris Bollen, Percy Bollen, John Gething, H. Russell, Hains, F. Butler were well-known medical men Malcolm Reid, businessman of the furniture emporium in Hindley Street Edward Allan Farquhar (1871–1935), chairman of the Harbors Board