sirH.Ayers ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 287 years, and was Chairman of the Board for many years, filling the chair, indeed, up to the time of his decease. In the South Australian Gas Company he was a large shareholder, and was Chairman of Directors from 1862. He was one of the founders of the Bank of Adelaide, and acted as a director for a long period. He was also on the directorate of the Bank of Australasia from 1862 to 1865. In the year 1873 he was appointed a director of the South Australian Board of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, and afterwards chairman — which latter position he retained until he retired in accordance with the rules of the society. He was for 35 years Governor of the Botanic Gardens Board ; and of the Old Colonists' Association, which was formed in 1883, Sir Henry was the first President. He has been known, on occasions when the funds of the society were not sufficient to meet deserving cases of impecunious pioneers, to put his hands in his own pocket. Sir Henry showed a deep concern in the matter of education, and was long a member and Treasurer of the University Council. In politics. Sir Henry's public movements were governed by the same keen discrimination which made him so successful in the commercial world. To go back to the beginning of his political life means the turning over of numerous pages of an eventful past. On March 9, 1857, he was elected a member of the first Legislative Council after res()onsible government was conceded. At that time the whole Province voted as one constituency. There were 27 candidates for the 18 seats, and Sir Henry was the youngest member returned. Plight years later, in 1865, when he retired by eflluxion of time, he was re-elected at the head of the poll, there being then 13 candidates for eight vacancies. Again, in 1873, he headed the poll out of the 13 candidates who sought the vacant seats. Not only did Sir Henry top the [)oll for the whole Province, but also headed the voting in 15 out of the 18 chief polling districts into which it was divided. Offering himself again in 1 88 1, he alone was returned of the six retiring members who stood for re-election, although he was last on the list. All the old members had been subjected to much hostile criticism with regard to the reform of the Legislative Council, and true to his principles right throughout the campaign. Sir Henry had reason to congratulate himself on a victory carried in the teeth of a stormed citadel. In the session then opened the Constitution Further Amendment Act, 1881, was carried, and the Province was divided into four separate electoral districts. In 1888, Sir Henry and the Hon. J. Warren were chosen as representatives of the North-P^astern District. He retired in December, 1893, rich in political laurels, and bearing the kind opmions of his fellow-legislators. The foregoing is merely the shell oi Sir Henry's political record. Coming to details, as already stated, he was connected with 1 1 Ministries, in seven of which he was the Premier. The first of these was that formed by the late Mr. F. S. Dutton on July 4, 1863, Sir Henry representing the Government in the Legislative Council without portfolio. A difficulty arose on account of the Upper House taking strong umbrage at the Government being represented there by one who held no responsible executive office. The matter assumed a serious phase when the Council finally determined that it would not proceed with the business of the country unless its wishes were acceded to by the appointment of an executive Minister to conduct Government business in that Chamber. As a consequence, Sir Henry resigned ; and, although it had very heavy support in
