James Cowan (South Australian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Cowan
MP
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| Born | 21 April 1848 |
| Died | 21 July 1890 (aged 42) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | North Adelaide Grammar School |
| Occupation | Farmer, flour miller, investor |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Ann Warren |
| Children | Henry Albert Cowan (1875–1964), William James Trafford Cowan (1877–1956), Horace Stanhope Cowan (1879–1945), Frank Gladstone Cowan (1881–1966), Leslie Thompson Cowan (1883–1968), Darcy Rivers Warren Cowan (1885–1958), George Dalrymple Cowan (1887–1963), Gladys Rosalind Lewis O.B.E. (1890–1954) |
| Relatives | Thomas Cowan (brother) John Cowan (nephew) John Lancelot Cowan (great nephew) James Cowan (great grandson) Essington Lewis (son-in-law) |
| Member for Yatala | |
| In office 23 Apr 1890 – 21 Jul 1890 Serving with William Gilbert
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| Preceded by | Josiah Bagster |
| Succeeded by | Richard Butler |
| Constituency | Yatala |
| Member of the South Australian House of Assembly | |
James Cowan (21 April 1848 – 21 July 1890), flour miller and investor, had been a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for the Yatala for only 2 months when he was killed in an accident at a railway crossing. Cowan was an early investor in BHP. The property associated with Erindale, Cowan's residence at Burnside, was sub-divided after his death into a new suburb which was also named Erindale.
Early life
Cowan who was born in County Tyrone, Ireland (now Northern Ireland), was the third son of John Cowan, a ploughman and shepherd, and his wife Margaret, née Lammey. Cowan, his parents and four other siblings immigrated to South Australia (SA), arriving in Adelaide on 3 August 1852. The family initially settled in North Adelaide where Cowan attended the North Adelaide Grammar School. When he reached the age of 14, he left to assist with his father's businesses in Two Wells (39 km north of Adelaide).
Business career
After starting his working life as a farmer, grazier and machinist in the mid-1860s, Cowan began a career as a flour miller. He later purchased the Two Wells mill and later expanded his operations to include mills at Gladstone, Quorn, Mallala and Allendale North and wharfs at Port Pirie and Port Augusta. He later merged all of these assets with those of others to form the South Australian Milling Company in which he was a major shareholder. The economic depression that affected South Australia in the early 1880s forced Cowan to assign his estate. About 1885, his fortunes improved when he became one of the early investors in BHP via the agency of his wife's brothers-in-law, William Wilson and S. Wilson. He was able to resume investing with a focus on agriculture and mining. At the time of his death, his portfolio included J. Hill & Company (coaching), the Australian Refining and Smelting Company, the Hamley Copper Mining Company, the Moonta and Wallaroo Copper Mining Company, the Bridgeport Coal Company, the General Electric Supply Company of Australia, Ballarat Tramway Company as well as a number of farms and other property holdings.
Personal life
Cowan married Sarah Ann Warren, the eldest daughter of Henry Warren & Annie Topham at Two Wells on 27 November 1873. They had eight children including Darcy Rivers Warren Cowan, who is notable as a medical practitioner, and Gladys Rosalind Lewis, OBE who is notable both for her marriage to Essington Lewis and her community service. After his death, Cowan's widow and eight children remained at the property in the Adelaide suburb of Burnside that he had purchased in 1889 and had renamed Erindale. In 1912, the property was sold and sub-divided into a new suburb which was named Erindale.
