Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/553

 ADKI.AIDI' AND VICINITY 527 Mr. James Shaw PERHAPS no better example of popularity won by homely deeds and disinterested charity could be found among the leading commercial men of S.nith Australia than Mr. James Shaw. Horn at Belfast, Ireland, in 1846, Mr. Shaw was educated in that city of eminent engineers— a profession in which his father, Mr. Hugh Shaw, was a practitioner. In his youth he imbibed a longing for adventure, and, when 18 years old, in 1864, he sailed to Auckland. New Zea- land. Before he had attained his majority he launched (jut as a contractor, and youthful optimism and enterprise enabled him to take a leatling position. The power to calculate to a nicety must have been inherent in him, for, even at this youthful age, he succeeded in a notably risky occupation. He built many substantial houses in tlu; North Island, and accumulated a large connection. While he was thus engaged, the Maoris made one of their many efforts to overthrow the British. " Their lands -as great and lordly as themselves — had been theirs for centuries ; and to regain them they, with sinister fierceness, occasionally -isited the might of their arm on the white population." Continues a Western Australian biographer: — " Mr. Shaw went forth into the thickest of the fight, and did good service. In dangerous positions enough, he came through them unscathed ; and his pluck and .soldierly qualities were rewarded by a service medal. In 1866 the war was brought to a close." Mr. Shaw remained in New Zealand for four years after the war, when, in 1871, he came to South Australia. Adelaide was then rajMtUy becoming an imi)ortant city. About this time large areas in the Middle North were thrown ojjen to agriculture, and magnificent crops caused unparalleled e.xpansion in the Province. There was a general advance in the value of city land, and new buildings arose on all sides. Mr. .Shaw took advantage of this animation, and established himself as a contractor in the metropolis. He carried out