Stephen Barnett (Tea Tree Gully)
My great-great-grandfather, Henry Kempson, was long associated with the Tea Tree Gully community. He served as a trustee of the Tea Tree Gully Institute. Catherine, his wife, and children were involved in the opening ceremony of the second Institute building in 1896. Catherine was responsible for the produce stall, and Gladys, the youngest daughter, helped with the sweets stall. On another occasion Henry organised the children’s games.
It was fitting then that I chose to hold a family reunion at the Institute on February 1 1986 during South Australia’s Sesquicentenary. The photo was taken at that celebration. My son, Hugh Barnett, the sailor boy on the right still lives in Tea Tree Gully at Redwood Park. He is a carer to his mother Pam Barnett who is standing behind David,my older son, in the green hat. I am the geek in the colonial pith helmet in military uniform.
Henry Kempson was one of two sons to Henry Kempson Sr who arrived in South Australia on February 6 1840 on the Rajasthan. Henry Sr was a policeman in Adelaide between 1842 to 1852 and became a landholder at Darley, north-east of Campbelltownwith his sons. In January 1852 after a flood that destroyed much of his market garden, Henry went to the Victorian goldfields. His older son, Henry Jr followed his father to the goldfields a few years later.
Henry Kempson Jr returned to Paradise where, in 1865, he married Catherine Crowle, whose parents had also arrived also on February 6 1840, but on the Java. Both had been born in 1842, two years after their parents had arrived.
Henry and Catherine had market gardens at Paradise and then Tea Tree Gully, as well as clay pits for pottery near Whiting Road, St Agnes. They won prizes for the garden produce and for their clay that was used by several potteries in Adelaide. For many years Henry served in the colonial military volunteers, including the Tea Tree Gully Rifles. He was also a champion swimmer and shooter.
Henry and Catherine Kempson on their Golden Wedding in 1915