Hardy's land grants

Original land grant documents assigning country sections 222 and 223 to Thomas Hardy, both dated 15 May 1838.

Arthur Hardy was the youngest son of Thomas Hardy of Birksgate, Yorkshire and Harriet nee Hurst. He arrived in South Australia in 1839 to take up the land acquired by his father. Sections 222 and 223 are west of Adelaide in the Reedbeds district of the lower River Torrens. It appears however that instead of taking up this land he farmed further up the river some six miles east of Adelaide at what is now the suburb of Paradise. After a few years of farming, raising sheep and producing good harvests of wheat in this district, he also took up land in the Port Lincoln district and along the River Light.

Governor Gawler persuaded Arthur Hardy to return to his legal training and he was admitted as a practitioner of the Supreme Court of South Australia. He returned to England in 1848 where he married Martha and then returned to South Australia in 1851. He built the mansion 'Birksgate', at Glen Osmond (subsequently owned by Sir Thomas Elder), and opened the Glen Osmond Quarries in 1851. Arthur Hardy was a Chairman of the Education Board and a trustee of the Savings Bank for 20 years. He represented the District of Albert in the House of Assembly from 1875-1887. He was the first provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons in South Australia.

He died at Glenelg 13 July 1909, aged 94 years.

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