From Australia’s Jewish Past: Philip Levi – successful pastoralist, businessman and community stalwart
Jews have made a remarkable impact on the general and Jewish communities of South Australia.
Philip Levi
In the early years, there were a number of local mayors, lord mayors of the City of Adelaide, politicians, businessmen, landowners, and for a brief period, a premier. Today’s story is about another successful early settler – Philip Levi.
Philip was born in Brixton Hill, England on 1 February 1822 and, at the age of sixteen, travelled aboard the Eden with his parents Nathaniel and Sarah and their five other children. The family arrived in Adelaide in November 1838. It didn’t take Philip long to settle into the colony, becoming a successful pastoralist, influential businessman, and a licensed victualler – able to sell alcohol. He helped establish the foundations of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation in 1848, together with other Jewish colonists, mainly from England, who were involved with the building of the synagogue and its completion in 1850, as well as the establishment of a cemetery in 1852 and religious classes in 1862.
Philip’s pastoral interests involved sheep and cattle in different partnerships. Many of these were between 1855 and 1870 and involved a former cashier for the South Australian Company – Alfred Watts – who Philip had formed a good working relationship with its owner over that time and they together started as an import/export agency and moved into operating some very large pastoral properties. Philip was also interested in shipping and, together with sea captain Jacob Smith, had a share in a tug at Port Adelaide called ‘’Goodwa’’
In 1853, Philip purchased Vale House near the River Torrens, east of Adelaide which became one of the oldest surviving large homes in the later suburb of Vale Park. It also became the centre for the city’s social activities for the next number of years. In 1863 Philip was one of the founders and a trustee of the Adelaide Club on North Terrace. He was a good raconteur, full of stories and experiences and always helped those in need.
In 1870, Philip’s company sold up to six of his pastoral properties, which had stocked more than 70,000 sheep and 3,000 cattle.
Philip married Elizabeth Symes in 1842 when she was nineteen, and they had eleven children. The family lived between Vale House and a large home in the suburb of Mitcham. Philip passed away on 13 May 1898 at Vale House. His wife had pre-deceased him. He was buried in the Jewish section of the West Terrace Cemetery, where his father was the first to be interred. His estate was passed on to other members of his family. The last member of the family left Vale House in 1948. In Philip’s memory, the Vale Park Council named a caravan park after him.
The AJHS acknowledges the following references in the preparation of this story:-
Wikipedia; National Library of Australia; State Library of South Australia
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