William Hartland STRAWBRIDGE (1870-1922)

WILLIAM HARTLAND STRAWBRIDGE, land and commission agent, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, is the eldest son of Mr. William Strawbridge, Surveyor-General of South Australia, and was born at Adelaide in 1870. He received his education at Whinham and Prince Alfred Colleges, and upon the completion of his scholastic career entered an office in Adelaide in order to gain a general commercial training. After a short period of office life, he decided to obtain some insight into the pastoral industry, and with this end in view became associated with station life in the South-East for three years. Subsequently he proceeded northwards beyond Port Augusta,, and afterwards to Queensland and New South Wales, spending in all nine years in this connection. He also visited Western Australia to gain some experience of the conditions of life in that State.

Mr. Strawbridge then purchased land on Kangaroo Island, comprising 3,000 acres, but resided on an estate near Port Elliot, and attended to 1,000 sheep which he owned. The former property he fenced and applied to pastoral purposes, giving it the name of "Wisanger Park." The estate carried 1,500 sheep, and Mr. Strawbridge claims the distinction of having sent off the first shipment of fat sheep to the Adelaide markets, being responsible in all for the consignment of as many as three to four thousand "fats" from the island, many of which sold up to 20s. per head. The whole enterprise proved very successful, and in 1906, having established himself two years earlier in his present business, he accepted a very profitable offer to dispose of the property.

Since engaging in the land-agency and commission business, Mr. Strawbridge has effected many large sales of farms and estates on Kangaroo Island. In conjunction with his other affairs he also runs a grain and fodder business, and owns a large number of traps and horses, which are always obtainable on hire. He has interested himself in the advancement of the island, and with Messrs. A. Daw and Dewar, J.P., was instrumental in promoting the opening of a branch of the Union Bank of Australia, Limited, at Kingscote. He is a VicePresident of the Trades and Progress Association, and in this connection has assisted in the furtherance of many projects for the general development and welfare of Kangaroo Island.

- Cyclopedia of South Australia 1909, pp.1017-1018