Robert Bristow (1806 - 1863)

Born 1806 in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 26 Apr 1863 at about age 57 in Hog Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Biography

Robert Bristow came free to the Colony of South Australia (1836-1900)

Robert Bristow was an Englishman, born in Lincolnshire, son of George Bristow. In 1836, when he was aged about 30, Robert emigrated to the new British colony of South Australia, landing at Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island, in the ship Cygnet. His occupation at the time was Labourer.

What work Robert did in the first few years of the colony is not clear, but there was plenty of employment with the South Australian Company who brought prefabricated huts and other equipment to be assembled, and took responsibility for provision of essential supplies and services.

Later, when the capital city was established at Adelaide, on the mainland, Robert Bristow was Licensee of the Marino Inn, now Kingston House at Kingston Park.

From 1855 Robert Bristow was on Kangaroo Island again, farming 230 acres at Hog Bay. His wife Janet was Post Mistress at Hog Bay from 1860.

He died 26 April 1863 and is buried in a lone grave at Penneshaw East, Kangaroo Island.

Note

Note: George Strickland Kingston came to South Australia aboard the `Cygnet` in 1836 as Deputy Surveyor to Colonel Light. He purchased the property on which Kingston House stands in April 1839. In 1840 he granted Robert Bristow permission to build an Inn on it, which was to cater for the workers from the nearby Quarry and sailors from ships using the Pier at the proposed harbour in Marino Bay (which never enventuated). Bristow built the original 3 rooms from prefabricated timber panels shipped out from England and built a verandah all around it. http://www.communitywebs.org/KingstonHouse/history.htm .... In 1840 Kingston leased the premises to fellow Cygnet passenger, Robert Bristow, who began the first hotel in the Brighton-Marino district. Bristow was granted a licence to sell beer and wine in September 1840. Patronage for the inn was expected from fishermen, quarrymen and sailors given the nearby fishing village, newly opened quarry and newly built pier. Management changed hands in late 1841 to Mr Burslem who maintained it as the Marino Hotel and Boarding House until 1843. From then until 1851, Kingston leased the land to farmer Samual Oakley. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston_Historical_House

Sources

• 1836 Cygnet - Old Colonists Bristow, Robert
• Kingston House, Kingston Park - Wikipedia
• The History of Marion on the Sturt, by Alison Dolling
• The Vanishing Sands, by Averil G. Hill
• State Library of South Australia http://guides.slsa.sa.gov.au/c.php?g=410270&p=2794886
• Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australian_Company
• Bound For South Australia (History S.A. and The Dept of Education) http://boundforsouthaustralia.com.au/journey-content/the-south-australian-company.html

Acknowledgments

Contributors: David Wilson and Anne Tichborne and Kangaroo Island Early Settlers Project