Notable South Australians/Ralph Wheatley Odgers Kestel
Ralph Wheatley Odgers Kestel,
BORN at Portreath, Cornwall, July 28, 1838; arrived in South Australia, with his parents, in February 1848, and was first employed at the Kapunda mine in dressing ore. In 1849 he went to the Burra mines where he was engaged in various works, ultimately turning his attention to the building trade, and locating at Kooringa. Left for Victoria in 1852, and made altogether six trips from South Australia to the Victorian and New South Wales diggings, and when not so engaged worked as a builder in and around Port Adelaide, at which place he at length settled, and entered into partnership with Mr. Henry Burge. Many of the principal buildings in the locality were erected by this firm, notably the model school. Stilling & Co's store at the new dock, the Bank of Adelaide, and other important structures. Mr. Kestel was elected councillor for Centre Ward in 1877, 1881, and 1883, holding office until May 1884, when he resigned to carry out the extension of the Town Hall buildings. He was instrumental in doing much good for Port Adelaide during his councillorship. He introduced a drainage scheme for the sanitary improvement of the town, but, although it was not adopted, it found much favour and led to prompt action by the civic body. He took a prominent part in the purchase of the land for the Corporation Wharf, and also in securing 1,000 feet of wharf frontage to Tam o'Shanter Creek, and strongly supported Mr. H. W, Thompson when mayor in introducing asphalt footpaths. Mr. Kestel was popular as a councillor, as shown by his representing a ward in which he held rateable property for more than seven years. He is a member of the Institute Committee, and connected with the S. A. Yacht Club.