Sidney Ricardo
M.L.A. South Bourke July, 1857 - August; 1859The Victorian Parliament was less than a year old when the first local resident was elected to represent our district. Sidney Ricardo, a successful farmer of Templestowe entered the Legislative Assembly in July, 1857.
Ricardo was 24 years old when he arrived in Port Phillip in 18#3. He joined the small community on Unwin's Special Survey and commenced a new life as a farmer. After a few years, Ricardo had become established and married Lucretia Flint at Heidelberg.
Ricardo’s farm of 150 acres was at the bend of the river north of the present Banksia street bridge. It was ideal farming land with deep rich soil and the river to provide water; as a result excellent crops of potatoes and vegetables were grown. By 1860, Ricardo's farm was reported by the Department of Agriculture to be the richest farm in South Bourke.
In 1856, moves were made to form a Roads Board at Templestowe. Ricardo, who had come from the background of business London, had the knowledge to handle the formalities for such a move. He led the residents in petitioning the government and when the Templestowe Roads Board elections were held he topped the poll and became the first Chairman of the Board. For six years the popular Ricardo was re-elected Chairman.
When elections were held for the first Victorian Parliament, a group of Templestowe men unsuccessfully nominated Ricardo for South Bourke. The next year when Pasley resigned, he was again nominated for the by-election.
Hotels were used for most public functions and this also applied to elections. Ricardo advertised that he would meet the electors to present his policy at "The Red Lion" and "Fletchers" hotels in Hawthorn and "The Malvern Hotel" at Gardiner. The poll was counted at the "Governor Hotham” hotel in Kew.
Ricardo was an outspoken radical who was off side with authority. His ideas fitted the needs of the small farmer. The demand to unlock the land that began at Eureka had reached a climax with the introduction of a bill which made no provision for the small farmer. Ricardo was a small farmer and understood the problem.
The gold miners had been outspoken, but in the city people were more conservative. There was still a tendency to "doff the cap to authority". Ricardo had the courage to he outspoken. He represented the small man of a few acres against the monopoly of the squatters. He spoke against the proposed land bill and for the interests of the agriculturalists. He said that "the prosperity of South Bourke consisted of the success of agricultural operation, and the advance of the colony is dependent on the advance of agriculture". He wanted to see the area around the gold fields divided into small agricultural holdings. He advocated a market for agricultural produce with two acres under cover for the farmers to exhibit their produce.
Ricardo was in favour of railways, but thought roads were more important to the farmers of South Bourke. He also advocated extensions to the franchise, parliamentary reform and an increase in the number of members. Ricardo inspired the voters and was elected with a sweeping majority.
Voting was by show of hands. At the Governor Hotham Hotel, counting stopped when Ricardo had reached 333 votes, as there was no probability of his majority being interfered with.
Parliament was still immature in 1857. Members attended after their day's work was done and although the session was due to commence at 4pm, on market days there was often a long wait till enough members arrived to make a quorum.
On 22 July, Ricardo made his maiden speech. He said "The clause of the 'Land Bill’ being debated that day was the most objectionable in the whole bill". He proceeded to detail what he believed to be the best way of dealing with crown land: repossession by the government from the squatters and subdivision into smaller runs, so that instead of six hundred squatters there should be as many thousands, and that, in the redivision of the land, due should be had to the proposition of the agricultural interests. He advised the government to withdraw the bill.
Later the government planned to establish an experimental farm. (The forerunner of the Burnley Horticultural College.) They intended to import a skilled director from England. Ricardo was a successful small farmer in contrast to his fellow members who were large land owners or business men. He was successful because he had learnt to farm under Australian conditions. He knew that an English director would only know English conditions. Parliament listened to Ricardo and agreed to appoint an Australian director at a salary of £500 a year. Again Ricardo leapt to his feet, this time in defence of the small man, for the labourers on the experimental farm were to be raid only £30 a year.
In August the next year Ricardo’s term was up. He did not recontest the seat for in some ways he was unsuited for the position. He could speak to a small group but was no orator and often members complained that they could not hear him. His farm and duties at Templestowe kept him busy. Twice he acted as Secretary to the Roads Board, and in the seventies was appointed Secretary to the Templestowe Cemetery.
Farming on the river flats had its own problems. The river, which provided water for his irrigation during times of drought, destroyed crops in times of flood. Ricardo's circumstances changed and in 1876 he ran a hay and corn store in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.
Ricardo owed his political success to having the right ideas at the right time. He had the courage and drive to carry out his ideas but was hopeless at the tedious routine of keeping books, much to the dismay of the Cemetery Trustees. His advice set the Burnley Horticultural College on the right track and he helped pave the way for the Duffy Land Acts.
After a full and eventful life, Sidney Ricardo died at Melbourne on 14 January 1896.
Templestowe High School Form 3 Australian History Class helped in the search for information for this article as a class project.
1976 02 DTHS Newsletter
Sidney Ricardo Sidney
Born: 9 April 1819 (London). Died: 14 January 1896 (Melbourne)Parents: Benjamin, broker, and Amelia, nee Linds
Marriage: 30 Sep 1852 Heidelberg, Lucretia Seymour (Flinn?); 8s. 2d.
Occupation: Farmer. Religion: Church of England?
Career: Arrived Port Phillip 1843; farming at Heidelberg and Templestowe; by 1856 had leasehold of house and land at Bulleen, freehold property at Heidelberg and both freehold and leasehold in Melbourne; active in farming interest; magistrate at Templestowe 1858; convened meeting to est. Templestowe road board 1860 and became chairman; briefly c1876-1877 had hay and corn store in Brunswick.;
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/details/675-ricardo-sidney
Heide 1
The site of Heide 1 had a long and interesting history associated with early settlement in the area. The land was originally part of the Unwin Special Survey at Bulleen, later subdivided into the Carlton Estate farm allotments by Robert Campbell. In 1858, Sidney Ricardo purchased one of these allotments (Farm 26) of almost 172 acres from Campbell at a cost of 8000 pounds. This valuable riverfront land stretched back from the Templestowe Road to the Yarra.)5; This property included the site of Heide 1. Ricardo, the owner, became an important district figure who, in 1857, was elected chairman of the first Templestowe District Road Board.356In April 1869, Thomas John Dowd purchased 140 acres of this land (including the site of Heide I) from Ricardo at a cost of 1000 pounds.
Doncaster and Templestowe Heritage Study Additional Research Carlotta Kellaway - July 1994 http://www.manningham.vic.gov.au/file/26136/download
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