Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/299

 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 73 D His Honor James George Russell, Commissioner of Insolvency, Commissioner of Taxes, President of ike State Board of Conciliation, etc URING its history, the Civil Service of South Australia has been manned by some highly distinguished officers. Because of their splendid work in the organisation and management of State departments, and because of their many years of earnest, honorable, and patriotic service, their names find a prominent and remembered place in the annals of the Province. Their work, while probably more valuable, is not advertised abroad with the persistence significant of a politician, and therefore they do not receive such ephemeral glorification as does the parlia- mentarian. But stored in the archives of the Province are lasting memorials of their worth. Among such men the public services of Mr. Commissioner Russell have been prominent, and his integrity and good judg- ment are highly appreciated, both by the public service and by the country generally. He is the eldest son of the late James Russell, formerly of Richmond, Surrey, England ; and was born in that historical old town in March, 1848. Erom early child- hood the subject of this notice Hammer &^ Co., Fkoto coHccived a strong desirc to come to Australia, and the visit to England of his uncle, the late Mr. George Stacey, from Victoria, in i860, afforded the opportunity of gratifying his wishes. He arrived in South Australia by the ship Herzog Paul, in May, 1 860, being then 1 2 years of age. For several years he received tuition at the boarding school then conducted by the late Mr. E. Planta Nesbit at Angaston. After leaving school and travelling over all the settled parts of South Australia, Mr. Russell was engaged for a year in gold mining operations in Victoria. Upon his return, he resided at Wallaroo, where, in 1865, he commenced his law studies with the late Mr. H. a'Court Bloxam, of the Peninsula, and afterwards