Charles Farr

Charles Farr (25 February 1888) was a timber merchant and builder in the young colony of South Australia.

History

Farr emigrated to South Australia from Britain aboard D'Auvergne arriving in March 1839.

Portion Victoria Square and Franklin Street taken from the GPO tower in 1865. Farr's woodyard in middle foreground. Farr, by trade a bricklayer, had premises on Hindley Street, and by 1850 owned a business on Franklin Street, a timber yard possibly purchased from Philip Santo. By 1868 he employed up to 115 men and his sawmill and timber yard, which employed around 35 men, extended over two acres between Franklin and Grote streets, and included the Farr residence. He later moved to Waymouth Street, then in 1883 moved to Grote Street, west of Brown Street. That same year he had a timber yard in Wakefield Street.

His two sons, who were educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution, were brought into the business, but later went their separate ways: Charles George was licensee of the Talbot Hotel, Gouger Street, then the International Hotel, Rundle Street; Alfred was city manager for Walter & Morris, who owned the Sarnia timber mills in Port Adelaide, and influential president of the Builders and Contractors' Association.

Farr died after several years an invalid. His remains were interred in the West Terrace Cemetery.

He evidently had good relations with the men in his employ, and paid skilled tradesmen slightly more than other employers; from 8/6d to 10s. per day. For twenty years his company was probably second only to English & Brown / Brown & Thompson, who owned the Glen Ewin quarry.

Some works

Built Name Architect Client Location Notes 1856 Head office Edmund Wright Union Bank Pirie Street Became "Union Hall", Adelaide headquarters of WCTU 1896, demolished 1925 1858 Church of the Immaculate Conception G. S. Kingston Catholic Church Port Adelaide 1859 Branch office E. Wright Bank of South Australia Commercial Road, Port Adelaide 1859 Branch office E. Wright Union Bank Lipson Street, Port Adelaide 1860 Head office James Macgeorge South Australian Savings Bank King William Street 1863 Coal store and retort house SA Gas Company Brompton 1863–1869 Adelaide Town Hall E. WrightE. J. Woods Adelaide City Council King William Street 1864 Chemist's shop R. G. Thomas Mrs. A. M. Bickford Hindley Street 1864 Warehouse G. S. Kingston George P. Harris Gawler Place, Adelaide became Harris Scarfe 1865 "Kingsmead House" E. Wright,E. J. Woods Charles Jacobs 75–78 Brougham Place 1865 Athelney E. Wright, E. J. Woods P. D. Prankerd Athelney Avenue, Kent Town Peter Dodding Prankerd married Lucy Amelia Wright, sister of the architect. They sold Athelney to H. B. Hughes in 1874. Now part of St Peter's College 1866 Wine and spirit store Daniel Garlick S. R. Hall King William Street adjacent a similar store same owner and architect but built by English & Brown. 1867 Department store G. S. Kingston George P. Harris Rundle Street became Harris Scarfe 1868 Prince Alfred College D. Garlick Methodist Church Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town foundation stone was laid by HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, on 5 November 1867. 1869 Buck's Head Hotel D. Garlick W. H. Gray North Terrace, Adelaide rebuilt on same site 1868 York Hotel D. Garlick cnr Rundle & Pulteney streets rebuilt on same site 1869 Norwood Baptist Church James Cumming Baptist Association 134 The Parade, Norwood heritage-listed on the SA Heritage Register in 1982. 1871,1872 East, west wings J. Cumming Bushmen's Club SE corner, Whitmore Square sold to the Salvation Army (the current owner) in 1899 1871 Norwood Public School J. Cumming Education Department The Parade, Norwood 1871 "Kalymna" T. English C. A. Hornabrook 28 Dequetteville Tce, Kent Town still stands, as "Oreon House" 1876 Universal Buildings T. English L. A. JessopM. C. Davis Grenfell Street 1878 Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution T. English Brighton Road, Brighton New building in front of the old one, previously the "Grace Darling Hotel". 1878 Royal Admiral Hotel T. English C. Banbury Hindley Street rebuilt on same site 1878 extensions D. Garlick G. & R. Wills 1879 Southern Cross Hotel D. Garlick William ChambersF. J. Blades King William Street rebuilt on same site 1879 Clubhouse "Albert Hall" G. R. Johnson Deutsche Club Pirie Street sold to the Salvation Army in September 1898, and became its HQ, "Memorial Hall" 1879 clubhouse T. English New South Australian Club Pirie Street Not to be confused with (Trew's) South Australian Club Hotel on North Terrace, this was an exclusive establishment comparable to the Adelaide Club. An earlier incarnation (1839–44) on Hindley Street, whose members included Sturt, Morphett and Fisher failed financially. 1880 Exchange Building / Queens Exchange E. WrightJ. H. Reed eastern corner, Pirie Street and Exchange Lane "Commercial Union Building" demolished 1980 1880 Exchange Building E. Wright Exchange Land Company Currie Street 1882 Adelaide Swimming Baths Adelaide City Council King William Road 1882 Warehouse David Williams, jr. Blackwell, Felstead, & Co. Pirie Street, Adelaide 1884 Clubhouse Smeaton YMCA cnr. Grenfell Street and Gawler Place 1885 Institute R. Rees Summertown 1885 shops D. Garlick E & W. Hackett Rundle Street 1887 Western annexe, Jubilee Exhibition Building Withall & Wells North Terrace for Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition

Family Farr married Sophia Morris (c. 1813 – 19 March 1879) before leaving for South Australia. Their children were: Charlotte Farr (c. February 1839 – 4 September 1866) married Harry Bickford (1843–1927) on 24 February 1866. They had no children. He married again, on 10 March 1870 to Rosina Mary Ferguson (1845 – 5 October 1898). There was a dispute over a North Adelaide block given to Charlotte by Farr. Sophia Farr (1843 – 30 June 1918) died at the home of her sister Martha Laurence Charles George Farr (1845 – 1 April 1908) married Paruna Minnie Ann "Mina" Russell (c. 1863 – 4 August 1940) on 26 June 1879 Alfred Farr (1847 – 29 May 1912) married Mary Prynn Sands ( – 7 March 1903) in 1865, lived on Hurtle Square. He married again in 1905 to Ann McInnes, died at Jaffrey Street, Parkside. Alfred John Farr ( – 1938) married Mary Lucy Greayer ( – ) on 20 May 1907 Martha Farr (1849– ) married Walter Laurence ( – ) on 8 February 1871 Walter James Laurence (1883–1907) Eliza Farr (1851 – 10 January 1930) died at Napier Terrace, Hawthorn They had a home on Franklin Street, and from around 1880 on Grove Street, Unley Park, where he died. This residence may have previously been the property of Dugald Herschel Babbage.