Adelaide Educational Institution

Adelaide Educational Institution was a privately run non-sectarian academy for boys in Adelaide founded in 1852 by John Lorenzo Young

He avoided rote learning, punishment and religious instruction, but taught moral philosophy, physiology, political economy and mechanical drawing ... (and) surveying on field trips.

The school closed when he retired in 1880. By this time Prince Alfred College had emerged as a strong alternative for sons of well-to-do Protestants.

In 1852 Young opened a school with two, then three pupils (Hubert Giles,Caleb Peacock and John Partridge) in the "Peacock Chapel" lent by Mr Peacock in the rear of the (Congregational) Ebenezer Chapel in Ebenezer Place, off the east end of Rundle Street. The two grew to seventeen at years end. and he was advertising for evening classes in Geometry and Arithmetic, apply between 6 and 7pm at Stephens Place, off the west end of Rundle Street. Fees for day students were 10 guineas (₤10/10/-) per annum, (payable quarterly in advance). Facilities were available for boarding. His residence was also located on Stephens Place. By December 1855 the school had 107 students, perhaps close to 200 in 1857, 130 in 1862, 133 in 1868.

Next venue was the Congregational chapel in Freeman Street (now that section of Gawler Place between Pirie and Flinders Streets).

In 1872 new premises were built at Parkside in Young Street, which had been named after the headmaster.

Many of Young's pupils later attained positions of public and professional importance in the province and attested the value of the inspiration he had given. Ex-scholars included Caleb Peacock, William Bickford, Walter Samson, (Herschel) Babbage, Elias Solomon, W. P. Auld and Charles Kingston, premier and federationist. An Old Scholars' Association was formed and when the school closed in 1880 on Young's retirement, he was presented with 336 gold sovereigns and many grateful testimonials to his genial, sympathetic counselling.

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