William Rounsevell

William Rounsevell (ca.1816 – 5 October 1874) was a businessman of Cornish origins who founded a livery stable and mail coach business in the early days of South Australia. His sons John Rounsevell (ca.1836–1902) and Ben Rounsevell (1842–1923) were prominent businessmen, pastoralists and politicians in South Australia.

Four children of John Rounsevell (ca.1780 – 6 November 1856) and Jenny (née Herring) (ca.1779 – 23 March 1858) of Boscastle, Cornwall emigrated to South Australia:

William Rounsevell, with his wife Grace (née Rowe) and son John (ca.1836 – 15 May 1902), emigrated from Boscastle in his native Cornwall, on the City of Adelaide, arriving on 6 July 1839, having been persuaded to emigrate by Sir Rowland Hill. William was a farmer, but having brought pit saws with him, proceeded immediately to fell and saw timber for the South Australia Company. He then joined the police force, soon reaching the rank of senior sergeant but resigned after a few years, perhaps in 1842.

While still working as a policeman for the South Australia Company, he purchased land on Pirie Street, Adelaide, where he established a stables and horse letting business, then in 1852 tried his luck at the Victorian gold diggings. On his return, he began running stagecoaches, a business which progressively grew until it was the largest such owned by any man in Australia. He took on mail contracting, and business ran profitably until December 1866, when he sold out to Cobb & Co, who took over services on 1 January 1867. The office he set up in Ackland Street passed to Cobb & Co., then served for their successors John Hill & Co. Ltd., Graves, Hill & Co., and finally Fewster & Co.

To provide feed for the horses, Rounsevell grew hay in various locations around Adelaide, the most productive of which was some 400 acres at Glenside on the site later to become the Parkside Lunatic Asylum. The land was owned by Sir Rowland Hill and Nathaniel Knox and managed by John Howard Clark. Similar farms were established at Kingston, Mount Barker, Nairne, Willunga and Wild Horse Plains. Among the grasses grown was perennial ryegrass and ribleaf or lamb's tongue, which he may have been responsible for introducing to South Australia, now both endemic weeds. He was the first to install a steam-powered chaff-cutter.

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