Arthur Fydell Lindsay


Arthur Fydell Lindsay was a politician in the early days of the colony of South Australia.

History

Lindsay was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, and emigrated to South Australia on arriving in December 1836 in company with Governor Hindmarsh, James Hurtle Fisher, Osmond Gilles, and the Rev. C. B. Howard, and was present at the proclamation of the province under the historic gum tree at Glenelg.
Lindsay was trained as a surveyor and worked in that profession for a number of years, notably laying out the town of Hindmarsh for the Governor in a partnership with the Governor's son John as "Lindsay & Hindmarsh". In July 1839 they transferred ownership of the land to A. F. Lindsay and George Milner Stephen. then took up a farm in the Encounter Bay district.
Lindsay served as the first member of the House of Assembly for the single-person electorate of Encounter Bay for the terms March 1857 – April 1860, when his colleagues were Benjamin Herschel Babbage and Henry Strangways. He was succeeded by John Lindsay, then served the same electorate April 1870 – December 1871, with Emil Wentzel; and September 1873 – April 1878, with William Rogers and James Boucaut. He argued strongly for the construction of light railways on the narrow gauge system, but received little support, though he was later largely vindicated.
He donated land for St. Augustine's church at Victor Harbor, and was their third lay reader, serving in that position for over twenty years.

Family

Lindsay married Charlotte Henrietta Leworthy on 20 July 1852; they had a farm "Edyell" in Victor Harbor. Their children included:
His brother, solicitor Richard Fydell Lindsay married Isabella Leworthy. He was convicted for assaulting John Hindmarsh in November 1860.
He was not related to John Lindsay, who followed him as a representative for Encounter Bay.