Lehmann Henschke - Person Sheet
Lehmann Henschke - Person Sheet
Obituary
The Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1923) Tue 13 Feb 1917114013
LATE MR. R. H. EDMUNDS.
Eventful Career Ended.
Mr. R. H. Edmunds, who died at North
Adelaide on Monday, was Superintendent
of tlie Yatala Labour Prison lor about 1:2
years prior to his retirement from the position'
on June 30. 1904. His career was
more than ttsually eventful. Mr. Edmunds
was born in London, at Great Marlborough
street, on April 12, 1834, and was educated
at Caversham, near Reading, Oxfordshire.
He arrived in Adelaide in 1850. After
having spent a couple of years at tea, he
entered the South Australian Government
service as a surveyor on April 15, 1855.
There were then oniy seven civilians in the
department none of whom wai permanently
employed. On January 1, 1858, he
was chosen with three othere to be placed
on the initial list of first-class officers.
—Terrible Hardships.—
Mr. Edmunds remained in the branch
until 1863, when he was transferred to the
Customs, and was appointed tub-collector
at Wallaroo. He did not proceed to that
Port. however, for on receipt of news from
the Hon. B. T. Filings, then Government
Resident in the Northern Territory, urgently
requesting immediate assistance, lie
appeared before Cabinet on October 27,
1861, and was appointed to the command
of tbe second expedition to Escape Cliffs.
The Government had chartered a line new
steamer, the South Australian, and on
October 29 the party sailed from Port Adelaide.
There were two other officers—
Messrs. H. Packard and C. Young. Escape
Cliffs was reached on December 5, 1864.
While in the territory Mr. Edmunds atiied
as surveyor and second in command of the
party under the late Mr. John McKinlay,
which was sent out to explore the country
between the Victoria River and the Guff
of Carpentaria. Terrible hardships were
undergone, particularly during' the rainy
season. On one day the progress made between
8 a.m. and 5 p.m. was only a mile
and a half, so boggy was the country.
Rations ran so short that flour had to be
eked out at the rate of 28 oz. a week for
each man, while tea and suorar were distributed
in equally scanty proportions. In
honour of the anniversary of Queen Victoria's
birthday they killed and dined off
the blood and bones of a horse that Governor
Sir Dominic Daly had driven in hie
carriage. The starved animal's flesh, when
dried, weighed orly 31 lb. So bad was the
food the (Travellers had to eat chat their
liealth suffered severely. All became weak
;n the legs, and they were shoeless and
ragged. Mr. Edmunds lost 33 lb. in
weight but he considered that he remained
fitter than any one else. Finally they had
to abandon everything and return to the
settlement by way of the Fast Alligator
River on a rough punt constructed of sap-
lings and covered with horsehide. The
alligators followed in the river, and at sea,
sharks and sawfish turned their attention
upon the punt, attracted probably by the
stench of the skins. The drinking water
became so bad that only a sip or two eould
be taken, and the men suffered in consequence.
Two stiff breezes blew the
voyagers out of their course and made
them dread foundering. When they at
last reached the settlement and the punt
touched the beach it fell to pieces. The
men were too exhausted to be hungry, and
a glass of norter was administered by the
doctor. To take any food caused great
pain for about a week. In a later excursion
Messrs. McKinlay and Edmund were
the first whites to ascend the Daly River,
of which the latter made a survey. They
examined the present site of Port Darwin,
and got back to Escape Cliffs after an
absence of 12 days in an open boat.
—Able Conscientious Official.—
On returning to Adelaide after an
absence of two years Mr. Edmunds received
an appointment in the Treasury.
In September, 1870, he was again transferred
to the Customs, but in April. 1874,
was promoted to the office of storekeeper
at the Yatala Labour Prison; From December
1, 1892, to June 30, 1904, he occupied
the important and responsible position
of Superintendent of tbat institution,
and retired under the Septuagenarians'
Act. The most important public service
he performed after that was as a member
of the Lunacy Commission. He and his
colleagues, Dr. Ramsay Smith and the iate
Mr. James Gordon, made a thorough investigation
into lunacy administration in
South Australia, New South Wales, and
Victoria, and as a result of their recommendations
improvements were, made in
the conduct of the Parkside Lunatic Asylum.
Mr. Edmunds was highly esteemed
for the able and conscientious niannt-r in
which he «has performed his duties,
and for his courteous and genial
manner. A widow and a family
of seven children survive—Messrs. D. T.
Edmunds (architect, of Katanning, Western
Australia). H. J. (accountant's office,
Islington), A. M. S. (engineer, Islington),
and C. A. (solicitor), and Mesdames E. W.
Ryton, P. Croft, and F. J. Blades (Adelaide).
There are about a dozen grandchildren.
LATE MR. R. H. EDMUNDS.
Eventful Career Ended.
Mr. R. H. Edmunds, who died at North
Adelaide on Monday, was Superintendent
of tlie Yatala Labour Prison lor about 1:2
years prior to his retirement from the position'
on June 30. 1904. His career was
more than ttsually eventful. Mr. Edmunds
was born in London, at Great Marlborough
street, on April 12, 1834, and was educated
at Caversham, near Reading, Oxfordshire.
He arrived in Adelaide in 1850. After
having spent a couple of years at tea, he
entered the South Australian Government
service as a surveyor on April 15, 1855.
There were then oniy seven civilians in the
department none of whom wai permanently
employed. On January 1, 1858, he
was chosen with three othere to be placed
on the initial list of first-class officers.
—Terrible Hardships.—
Mr. Edmunds remained in the branch
until 1863, when he was transferred to the
Customs, and was appointed tub-collector
at Wallaroo. He did not proceed to that
Port. however, for on receipt of news from
the Hon. B. T. Filings, then Government
Resident in the Northern Territory, urgently
requesting immediate assistance, lie
appeared before Cabinet on October 27,
1861, and was appointed to the command
of tbe second expedition to Escape Cliffs.
The Government had chartered a line new
steamer, the South Australian, and on
October 29 the party sailed from Port Adelaide.
There were two other officers—
Messrs. H. Packard and C. Young. Escape
Cliffs was reached on December 5, 1864.
While in the territory Mr. Edmunds atiied
as surveyor and second in command of the
party under the late Mr. John McKinlay,
which was sent out to explore the country
between the Victoria River and the Guff
of Carpentaria. Terrible hardships were
undergone, particularly during' the rainy
season. On one day the progress made between
8 a.m. and 5 p.m. was only a mile
and a half, so boggy was the country.
Rations ran so short that flour had to be
eked out at the rate of 28 oz. a week for
each man, while tea and suorar were distributed
in equally scanty proportions. In
honour of the anniversary of Queen Victoria's
birthday they killed and dined off
the blood and bones of a horse that Governor
Sir Dominic Daly had driven in hie
carriage. The starved animal's flesh, when
dried, weighed orly 31 lb. So bad was the
food the (Travellers had to eat chat their
liealth suffered severely. All became weak
;n the legs, and they were shoeless and
ragged. Mr. Edmunds lost 33 lb. in
weight but he considered that he remained
fitter than any one else. Finally they had
to abandon everything and return to the
settlement by way of the Fast Alligator
River on a rough punt constructed of sap-
lings and covered with horsehide. The
alligators followed in the river, and at sea,
sharks and sawfish turned their attention
upon the punt, attracted probably by the
stench of the skins. The drinking water
became so bad that only a sip or two eould
be taken, and the men suffered in consequence.
Two stiff breezes blew the
voyagers out of their course and made
them dread foundering. When they at
last reached the settlement and the punt
touched the beach it fell to pieces. The
men were too exhausted to be hungry, and
a glass of norter was administered by the
doctor. To take any food caused great
pain for about a week. In a later excursion
Messrs. McKinlay and Edmund were
the first whites to ascend the Daly River,
of which the latter made a survey. They
examined the present site of Port Darwin,
and got back to Escape Cliffs after an
absence of 12 days in an open boat.
—Able Conscientious Official.—
On returning to Adelaide after an
absence of two years Mr. Edmunds received
an appointment in the Treasury.
In September, 1870, he was again transferred
to the Customs, but in April. 1874,
was promoted to the office of storekeeper
at the Yatala Labour Prison; From December
1, 1892, to June 30, 1904, he occupied
the important and responsible position
of Superintendent of tbat institution,
and retired under the Septuagenarians'
Act. The most important public service
he performed after that was as a member
of the Lunacy Commission. He and his
colleagues, Dr. Ramsay Smith and the iate
Mr. James Gordon, made a thorough investigation
into lunacy administration in
South Australia, New South Wales, and
Victoria, and as a result of their recommendations
improvements were, made in
the conduct of the Parkside Lunatic Asylum.
Mr. Edmunds was highly esteemed
for the able and conscientious niannt-r in
which he «has performed his duties,
and for his courteous and genial
manner. A widow and a family
of seven children survive—Messrs. D. T.
Edmunds (architect, of Katanning, Western
Australia). H. J. (accountant's office,
Islington), A. M. S. (engineer, Islington),
and C. A. (solicitor), and Mesdames E. W.
Ryton, P. Croft, and F. J. Blades (Adelaide).
There are about a dozen grandchildren.
Spouses
Birth17 Jun 1844, Netley, SA54074
Christen1 Aug 1844 Age: <1
Death28 May 1925, Grange, SA54074 Age: 80
FatherBEARE, Thomas Hudson (1792-1861)
MotherBULL, Lucy (2829-1887)
ChildrenDaniel Thomas (1864-1925)
Horace Julian (1867-1951)
Charlotte Mary Lucy (1869-1882)
Arthur Melita Strickland (1871-1930)
Alice Emily (1873-1948)
Louis George (1875-1911)
Robert Hugo (1877-1909)
Myra Jane (1879-1885)
John Leonard (1881-1881)
Charles Augustus (1883-1941)
Olive Lucy Mary (1884-1971)
Ida May (1887-1973)