Benjamin Herschel Babbage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
B. Herschel Babbage
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| Member of the South Australian Parliament for Encounter Bay |
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| In office 9 March 1857 – 17 December 1857 Serving with Arthur Lindsay
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| Preceded by | New district |
| Succeeded by | Henry Strangways |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 August 1815 London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 22 October 1878 (aged 63) St. Mary's, South Australia |
| Spouse |
Laura Jones
(m. 1839–1878) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | William Wolryche-Whitmore (uncle) |
Benjamin Herschel Babbage (born 6 August 1815 – died 22 October 1878) was a talented engineer, scientist, explorer, and politician from England. He is best known for his important work in the early days of the South Australia colony. He often signed his name "B. Herschel Babbage" and was known as "Herschel Babbage." He was the son of the famous mathematician and inventor, Charles Babbage.
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Early Life and Family
Babbage was born in London. He was the oldest son of Charles Babbage, a well-known mathematician from Cambridge. His father is famous for coming up with the idea of a computer that could be programmed. His mother was Georgina Whitmore. His uncle, William Wolryche-Whitmore, was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the British Parliament. He helped create the colony of South Australia.
When he was 18, Babbage began training with William Chadwell Mylne, an engineer and architect. He worked on projects related to water systems. In the 1840s, he also worked with Isambard Kingdom Brunel on planning and building railways in Italy and England.
Babbage married Laura Jones in Bristol on 10 September 1839. They had seven children together.
In 1850, Babbage was asked to inspect the town of Haworth in West Yorkshire. He was very concerned about the poor health conditions there. His report, called The Babbage Report, led to improvements in the town's water supply and sewage system. He did a similar inspection in Bromyard, Herefordshire, that same year. He found many of the same problems and worked to improve public health.
Life in South Australia
In 1851, Earl Grey, the Colonial Secretary, asked Babbage to conduct a survey of the land and minerals in South Australia. Babbage arrived in South Australia on 27 November. Over the next few years, he worked on several government projects. He first set up the Government Gold Assay Office in Victoria Square. This office tested the purity of gold.
He became a Justice of the Peace in 1852. In 1853, he was named Chief Engineer for the company building the railway from Port Adelaide to the city. Babbage was also one of the first members of the Mitcham District Council in 1853. He served as the council's first chairman. A part of the City of Mitcham was named after him. In 1854, he was elected to the Central Road Board. In 1855, Babbage was the President of the Adelaide Philosophical Society.
In 1857, Babbage was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly. He represented the area of Encounter Bay. He left this role later that year. He was chosen to lead an expedition to explore the northern parts of the colony, between Lake Torrens and Lake Gairdner.
Babbage started exploring South Australia in 1856. He was looking for gold near the Flinders Ranges. During this trip, he discovered the MacDonnell River, Blanchewater, and Mount Hopeful. Mount Hopeful was later renamed Mount Babbage in his honor. Babbage also showed that Lake Torrens was not one large horseshoe-shaped lake. He found several gaps in the lake. On 22 October 1858, he discovered Emerald Springs.
Babbage also found that Lake Eyre (first seen by Edward John Eyre in 1840) was actually two separate lakes: a large northern one and a smaller southern one. A piece of land on Lake Eyre North was named Babbage Peninsula in 1963.
As Babbage continued his explorations, sometimes with his son Charles Whitmore Babbage, the government decided to replace him with Peter Warburton in 1858 to speed up the work. Babbage created many detailed pen-and-ink sketches during this expedition. These sketches are now kept at the Mortlock Library.
In his later years, Babbage built a large house near South Road in St Mary's. He had a great vineyard there and enjoyed making wine. He called his home The Rosary, but people in the area called it Babbage's Castle. It was built in 1873 using concrete in a unique style. The building later had problems and was torn down around 1935.
He passed away at his home and was buried in the family tomb at the cemetery of St Mary's on the Sturt.
Family Life
Babbage married Laura Jones (who lived from about 1813 to 1899) in Bristol on 10 September 1839. Some of their children were:
Charles Whitmore Babbage (1842 – 1923) was their oldest son. He was a very good student at the Adelaide Educational Institution. Charles joined his father on his exploration trips between 1857 and 1862. He kept a small sketchbook of the places they saw. He was also a member and secretary of the Adelaide Philosophical Society.
He married Amelia Barton in 1869. His family moved to New Zealand in 1881. He later lived in Wanganui, New Zealand, where he was active in local community groups. He was a prominent member of the Camera Club and the Wanganui Astronomical Society. He also worked to beautify the area, especially around Virginia Lake. His wife was on the board of the Wanganui Orphanage. He died at home after a short illness.
The National Library of New Zealand has a collection of his photographs. Babbage Place in Wanganui was named after him.
- Charles Ernest Babbage (1870 – 1878)
- Alfred Whitmore Babbage (1871 – 1957) married Kate Elizabeth Hobbs in 1900.
- Henry Herschel Babbage (1873 – about 1947)
- Herbert Ivan Babbage (1875 – 1916) was a well-known artist from New Zealand. He studied art in Paris. He passed away in England while serving in World War I. The National Library of New Zealand has his photographs, and the Sarjeant Gallery in Wanganui has six of his paintings.
- Gordon Swaine Babbage (about 1885 – about 1975) lived in Wanganui and married Florence Mabel Josephine Rutherford in 1914.
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- Dr. Stuart Barton Babbage (1916 – 2012) was born in Auckland. He became an Anglican Dean in Sydney and then in Melbourne.
Eden Herschel Babbage (about 1844 – 1924) was also a prize-winning student. He worked for the Bank of Australasia starting in 1860. He moved to Sale, Victoria and then became a manager in Wanganui, New Zealand. He continued to take on more important roles until he retired in 1906. He was very active in his community in Roseville, New South Wales. A memorial was built for him, calling him the "Father of Roseville." Babbage Road was named after him.
- Francis Eden Babbage (1873 – 1949) married Eleanor Mary Molesworth in 1903. He also worked for the Australasian Bank.
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- Max Babbage (1908 – )
- Neville Babbage (1912 – ) collected many items related to the Babbage family, which are now at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum.
- Zara Georgina (1875 – ) born in Adelaide.
- Laura Louise Irene Babbage (1881 – ) born in Wanganui, New Zealand.
Henry Stainton Babbage (1853 – 1889) was his youngest son and also a good student. He married Emma Rosetta Leverington. His twin sister, Ada Isabella Babbage, passed away in 1855.
- (Rupert Clement) Henry Stainton Babbage (1889 – 1943) married Dorothy Alexanderina Brown in 1912.
Ada Rosalie Babbage (1855 – 1936) married William D. Clare in 1881.
Dugald Bromhead Babbage
Herschel's brother, Dugald Bromhead (1823 – 1901), arrived in Adelaide in 1849. He worked on a farm and later as his brother's assistant. He helped start the Adelaide Philosophical Society in 1853. In 1854, he surveyed the path for the planned Port Adelaide to Adelaide railway. He married Anne Lea in Sturt in 1854. Their children included:
- Dugald Herschel Babbage (1854 – )
- Walter Henry Babbage (1856 – 1883)
- Louisa Ann Babbage (1859 – ?)
Images for kids
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Benjamin Herschel Babbage
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Benjamin Herschel Babbage
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Benjamin Babbage
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Grave of Herbert Ivan Babbage in Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff, Wales
