John Harvey Finlayson

John Harvey Finlayson (3 February 1843 – 30 March 1915), editor and part-owner of the South Australian Register.

John Harvey Finlayson
Born	(1843-02-03)3 February 1843 Mitcham, South Australia, Australia
Died	30 March 1915(1915-03-30) (aged 72) North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Occupation	Editor
Spouse(s)	Alice Shoobridge (1847–1933)
Children	Katharine Alice Finlayson (1879–), Harvey Pym Finlayson (1881–1915)
Parent(s)	William Finlayson (1813–1897) and Helen nee Harvey (1811–1884)
Relatives	Robert Kettle (R. K.) Finlayson, brother and William Randell, brother in law

Employment and social advocacy

He joined The Register in 1861 and became head reporter 1866, a proprietor in 1877 and editor in 1878, succeeding John Howard Clark, resigning in 1899 due to ill-health. He was then appointed resident reporter in Britain until retiring and returning to Adelaide in 1908, dying 7 years later.[1]

As an editor he was an outspoken supporter of female suffrage, free secular education, free trade between the Colonies, and Federation.[1]

Finlayson was an active Congregational churchman and was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1880.[1]

In 1878 Finlayson built a residence "Strelda" in North Adelaide which still stands, at 217-221 Stanley Street.[2]

Finlayson Place, in the Canberra suburb of Gilmore, is named in his honour.[3]

Family and education

Finlayson was born at "Helenholm", Mitcham, South Australia.[1][4][5] He was one of nine children born to William Finlayson (1813 – 18 December 1897) and his wife, née Helen Harvey (born Edinburgh 1811 – 20 October 1884).[6][7]

He was educated at George Mugg's school (founded 1847, later to become Mitcham Primary School, the oldest in South Australia) and Adelaide Educational Institution, where he emulated the successes of his older brother R. K. Finlayson.

Finlayson married Alice Shoobridge (ca. 1847 – 6 June 1933) on 20 March 1878. They had a son Harvey Pym Finlayson (a Boer War hero[8] killed 27 February 1915 in Elwood, Victoria when the car he was driving left the road,[9]) and a daughter Katharine, "Kate", who never married.[10]

ca.1900

1897 – At his home 'Streldon' (sic) in North Adelaide with "The more important members of the 'Register' staff". (Finlayson: front row, fourth from left.)

References

1. Finlayson, John Harvey Love, J. H. Australian Dictionary of Biography online accessed 14 July 2011
2. 29. House, 217–221 Stanley Street Archived 30 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, "Stanley Street Stroll", Historical Walking Trail, Lower North Adelaide pg.41, Adelaide City Council.
   Designed by R Rees in 1878 for newspaper editor John H Finlayson of the SA Register, the house was built as Strelda and presents itself to Stanley Street as being only one storey. At the rear, a magnificent segmented bay and balcony affords fabulous views across the Torrens Valley, to the City and the Adelaide Hills.
3. "Australian Capital Territory National Memorials Ordinance 1928 Determination — Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Periodic (National : 1977–2011), p.19". Trove. 15 May 1987. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
4. Baptist Churches in Mitcham, Mitcham Local History Service and Heritage Research Centre, July 2006, last updated 3/12/2009, accessed 17 September 2011
   "Helenholm" still stands at 1 Finlayson Street, Netherby
5. Netherby City of Mitcham
6. Departure of J Harvey Finlayson South Australian Register 24 June 1899 p.8 accessed 24 July 2011
   a poor original – replace when better quality reproduction of source found
7. The Late Mr. William Finlayson South Australian Register 18 December 1897 p.7 accessed 24 July 2011
8. A Dashing South Australian Sydney Morning Herald 21 November 1900 p.7 accessed 24 July 2011
9. Elwood Motor Accident The Register 10 March 1915 p.8 accessed 24 July 2011
10. Death of Mr. John Harvey Finlayson The Register 31 March 1915 p.8 accessed 24 July 2011

• Mennell, Philip (1892). "Finlayson, John Harvey" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.