John Harvey (Australian politician)

John Harvey (22 July 1821 – 22 June 1899) was a farmer, horse breeder and politician in the early days of the colony of South Australia. He is remembered as the founder of the town of Salisbury, South Australia.

Harvey was born in Wick, Caithness, the home town of Sir Josiah Symon Q.C. His father was a native of St. Helena. After a good education he emigrated with Allan MacFarlane's family to South Australia on the Superb, arriving in October 1839, coincidentally with the Palmira, in which the Spence family were passengers.

In 1844 Harvey went to Gawler, staying at the Old Spot inn. He drove the mail for some time, then bought land on the plains where Bassett Town later stood; he was the only landholder between Dry Creek and Gawler. He took up a run from Port Gawler to Mount Torrens, which he made available to overlanders for agistment of their cattle and acted as stock agent for some. He next started growing wheat, which proved quite lucrative until farms in Mount Barker, Lyndoch and Aldinga stepped up production and the price dropped from 9/- to 2/6d. per bushel in 1846.

He built houses for settlers and the first stone building in Gawler. He opened a butcher's shop in Gawler. He purchased land and subdivided it as 40 and 20 acres (16.2 and 8.1 ha) blocks, then in 1856 laid out a township, named for Salisbury in England, near his wife's home town. Neales was his auctioneer. He built churches and a graveyard. He also laid out the coastal village of St Kilda.

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