Portrait of James Chambers from Stuart's Creek from the S.A. Northern Pioneers' composite, 1850-1859.
James Chambers was born at Ponder's End, London and arrived in South Australia on the Coromandel (ship) in 1837. He started out by organising transport for fellow immigrants from Port Adelaide to the centre of Adelaide. Later he was the contractor for nearly all the inland mail services for South Australia as well as being the proprietor of the largest livery business in Adelaide. He also was involved in organising gold cartage from the Victorian gold diggings to Adelaide.
His brother John arrived in 1838 and initially held 1200 acres at Cherry Gardens where he ran a dairy and farmed sheep before moving to Richmond Park (near modern day Plympton). James Chambers bred horses, cattle and sheep on his properties, bringing quality stock out from England after a return visit there in 1854. By the early 1850s the brothers were established in the Flinders Ranges with the Moolooloo and Oratunga stations. They also operated a copper mine at Oratunga. The Chambers brothers had John McDouall Stuart survey their leases and also used him to explore for new pastoral lands north-west of Port Augusta. Together with William Finke they sponsored Stuart's major expeditions to cross the continent from south to north. Stuart always preferred to use the Chambers' tough bush-bred horses on his expeditions. In 1858 he discovered the watercourse which he named Chambers Creek. This was subsequently renamed Stuart's Creek, and Stuart took up a lease along it, but subsequently sold this to the Chambers.
Chambers Pillar in central Australia was discovered and named by Stuart on his third expedition; and Chambers Bay on the north coast of Australia, which he reached on 24 July 1862, was originally named Elizabeth Bay for James Chambers' daughter although this was subsequently changed to Chambers Bay after Stuart's return to Adelaide.
James Chambers died on 7 August 1862 aged 49 at his North Adelaide property, Carclew. This was before he could learn of Stuart's successful crossing of the continent.
