Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/576

 550 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY Mr. William Strawbridge BRISTOL, England, was the birthplace of Mr. William Strawbridge in 1843. He came to South Australia in 1852. On June i, 1862, he entered the Survey Department as a cadet, and gradually rose in the estimation of his brother-officers and in the service. In April, 1877, he became Chief Draughtsman, and in 1884-5 ^'^^ Acting Deputy Surveyor-General. On July I, 1886, he was appointed Deputy Surveyor - General. In this capacity he was called upon to perform important duties, and took a very substantial part in the management of the Lands Depart- ment. Upon the retirement of Mr. G. W. Goyder, C.M.G., in July, 1894, he became .Surveyor- General. He is an excellent successor of the excellent men who preceded him. He has a most intimate knowledge of the resources of South Australia, and has travelled the length and breadth of the land in official capacities. It is highly necessary that such an officer should possess not only a close acquaintanceship with the land laws of the Province, but a knowledge of the whole territory that he administrates. This Mr. Strawbridge may be said to have. He was Chairman, in 1887, of the first Land Board which sat in South Australia, and Hammer & Co., Photo ^^^ ^j^^ f^^ sevefal ycars Chairman of the Western. Northern, and Midland Land Hoards. He has been Chairman of the Pastoral Board since first appointment in 1893, and in the exercise of his duties with these bodies gained considerable exjierience in land values. As an evidence of the extraordinary confidence in his justice and judgment, the Legislature recently passed an Act allowing any Crown le.ssee to apply to him for reduction in rent or purchase-money, and to fix rentals on all surrenders for perpetual leases. Many thousands of leases have been dealt with by him. He is Chairman of the Board of Examiners for Licensed .Surveyors, Past- President of the South Australian Institute of .Surveyors, and has been President of the Public Service Association. He is a Justice of the Peace, and is very highly esteemed in South Australia.