Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/255

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

Right Hon. Sir s. ]. Way ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 229 He has been President of the Ciardeners' Society since the death of its first President, the late Mr. Rupert Ingleby, O.C, in i<S<Si. I<"or many years the speeches of the Chief Justice on gardening toi)ics were the special featLire of the annual dinners of this society. Since August, 1893, he has been a men-ii)er of the Botanic Carden Board. Although his early predilections tor a quiet country life were not to be gratified he has always taken a keen interest in country pursuits. h'or more than 20 years he has been a sheepbreeder at Kadlunga, his beautiful estate near Minlaro, and he also has a smaller farm at Sea View, near Noarlunga. In 1889 he was, through the advice of his manager, Mr. Weston, the first to introduce into Australia the improved .Shropshire sheep- -a breed which has since become so popular. The Adelaide Children's Hospital is the charity of all others with which the Chief Justice's name and that of his brother-in-law, the late Hon. Dr. Cam])bell, as well as Mr. John Howard Angas' and the late Lady Colton's, will always be inseparably associated. The Chief Justice was the principal speaker at the meeting at the Town Hall when the establishment of the hospital was determined u[)on. He laid the foundation-stone of the building, as Acting-( Governor, on June 20, 1878, antl he has been the President of the institution from its commencement. In 1897, in recognition of his kjng services, the original structure was named the " Way Building." On May 17, 1880, Mr. Way was elected a member of the P)oard of Covcrnors of the vSouth Australian Institute, and he has continued to be a member of the Board, under its new constitution and title of the Public Librar)-, Museum, and Art Caller}', in 1884. Since November 17, 1893, he has been President of the Institution. During his Presidency the new Museum was opened i)U January 12, 1895, '^'i*-! '^'i^ "^w Art Callery on April 7, 1890. He has also been President of the affiliated .Scnith Australian .Society of Arts since its rehabilitation in 1892. Probably the Chief justice's greatest jjublic sc:rvices, outside his judicial duties, have been in the cause of education and to the University. His first public appointment was as a member of the old Board of Education, in 1874. The Education Act of 1875 (which is still the principal Act of the primary school system ot the Province) was drafted by Mr. Boucaut, the Premier, and settled by Mr. Way, as Attorne -(ieneral, who had the task of taking the Bill through committee its second reading having been carried after an elocjuent speech by the Hon. E. Ward, the Minister of EiUication. Mr. Way had discerned the great capacity of the late Mr. J. A. Hartley as an educationist and in administrative business, and, on his recommendation, Mr. Hartley was appointed the j^ermanent head of the new Educaticjn Department, with the title and office of President of the Council of Education. In later years the Chief Justice took a keen interest in urging upon the Government the acceptance of the offer of the University to make a tree attendance at the University lectures a part of the training of the public school teachers. In 1883 he had been successful in inducing the legal profession and the Judges to raise the standard of legal education by making attendance on the law lectures at the University compulsory on students cjualifying for legal practice. Mr. Way was a member of the University Association tbrmed in 1872 to take advantage of the offers of ^20,000 each by Sir Walter Watson Hughes and Sir Thomas Elder towards the endowment of a local University. On the j^assing of the L'niversity Act in 1874 Mr. W^iy was appointed a member of the first University Council. On the election of the Right Rev. Dr. Short as Chancellor, the; Chief Justice, on A])ril 26, 1876, was elected Vice-Chancellor, and after the Bisho[)'s resignation the Chief Justice, on January 26, 1883, became Chancellor, an office which he still holds. In recognitit)n of his academic as well as judicial services, the University of