Robert Barr Smith

Robert Barr Smith (4 February 1824 – 20 November 1915) was an Australian businessman and philanthropist in Adelaide, South Australia. He was a partner in Elder Smith and Company from 1863 (now Elders Limited).

Early life and education Smith was born at Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, Scotland, the son of the Rev. Dr Robert Smith, a Church of Scotland minister, and his wife Marjory, née Barr.

He studied for a time at the University of Glasgow.

Barr Smith was on the boards of the public library (State Library of South Australia) and of Adelaide Botanic Garden, and was a director of several companies. He was a keen judge and lover of horses, his colours were frequently seen at race meetings in South Australia and Victoria, and he was president for a time of the South Australian Coursing Club.

Between 5 November 1880 and 16 July 1897, Barr Smith served as the honorary consul for Sweden–Norway in Adelaide.

Philanthropy

Barr Smith was said to be an upright and modest man with intellectual sympathies. He shrank from publicity and he was said to have refused the offer of a knighthood.

Barr Smith's private charities were many, and he received a large amount of "begging-letter" mail. These letters were dealt with systematically and all deserving cases were helped. ). They planned and built a 30-roomed mansion in French Renaissance style around the existing hotel, to be used as their family's summer home. They later assigned the name Auchendarroch (later known as Auchendarroch House), which originates from the Scottish Gaelic language word for "holy place of the oaks", and proceeded to plant a lot of oak trees on the property. They assigned each for an orchard and a garden, with hedges planted around the whole property. The garden included large lawns and many English trees, including cedars, chestnuts, maples, conifers, and around 50 oak trees. It also had flower beds and vegetable gardens, with the produce given away in the community.

Barr Smith died of "senile decay" on 20 November 1915,

Son: Tom Elder Barr Smith (1863–1941) Grandson: Sir Tom Elder Barr Smith (1904–1968)

Third daughter: Joanna Fitzgerald Barr Smith (1866 – ) married George Charles Hawker, jun. (c. 1854 – 15 February 1889), son of George Charles Hawker, in 1886. Fourth daughter: Marjory Erlistoun Barr Smith (1868 – 3 August 1913) married William Mitchell on 18 January 1900