David Sutherland

David Sutherland (c. 1803 – 30 Aug 1879) was a South Australian merchant, farmer and politician. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1860 to 1868, representing the electorates of Noarlunga (1860-1862) and Encounter Bay (1862-1868). He was the uncle of future federal Senator Sir Josiah Symon.

History Sutherland was born in Wick, Caithness, a member of an old and prestigious family, and son of a prosperous merchant and shipowner. He inherited his father's business and for a time ran it with his two younger brothers, extending operations to Limerick, and traded throughout Great Britain and Europe. Around 1830 he married Caroline, daughter of James de Zouche, chief executive officer of the Bank of Ireland in Dublin. They had six children, two of whom died young. He joined the firm of Forbes, McNeill, & Co., of London, and was appointed to act as their agent in Australia, choosing to make South Australia his home, on account of the freedom of religion practised in that State. They arrived at Holdfast Bay on 7 July 1840, and for a time lived in a "portable cottage" before renting the fine house on Hurtle Square, Adelaide, owned by George Milner Stephen and previously occupied by E. C. Frome. This was in the time of Governor Gawler's lavish expenditure on public buildings and other infrastructure, and the city was for a time quite prosperous and Sutherland's merchandise sold at a good profit, mostly on credit, much of which he could never recover.

He was appointed in 1840 to the Hospital Board and in 1842, with Henry Watson and Captain Butler, to the Immigration Board, which was responsible for granting of relief to distressed immigrants, of which there was a multitude in the years of financial stringency imposed by Governor Grey following Gawler's recall. Eventually the farm began to pay, and though money was very scarce, living became very cheap and he prospered during the Victorian gold rush, selling the diggers flour and pressed hay. In politics he was a Liberal and Freetrader, opposed to State aid to religion in any form. He favoured a comprehensive system of State education, and worked to do away with nominated members in the Legislative Council, and considered that too much public money was being spent on unproductive works in the city, and more should be devoted to the development of the country by opening up by means of communication, leading to his being jocularly referred to as the "Colossus of Roads". Distressed at the way the Land Fund was being squandered on supporting a bureaucracy bloated by nepotism and personal favours, introduced the Land Fund Appropriation Bill, colloquially "Sutherland's Act", which, with the assistance of Sir Richard Hanson, – 11 June 1928) never married, lived at Glen Street, Burnside. James De La Zouche Sutherland (1836 – 9 January 1904), barrister and solicitor of Mount Gambier, sat on the Supreme Court of South Australia. He was a champion rifle shot, declared insolvent 1874. Ellen Sutherland (c. 1839 – 11 December 1917) married Malcolm Henry Leworthy ( – ) on 4 April 1876 His sister Elizabeth Sutherland (1815–1901) of Wick married James Symon (1808–1878) of Perth. Sir Josiah Symon was a son.