THE LATE Mr. JAMES TORR.
Another of the early colonists has passed away in the person of Mr. James Torr, of Mintaro, who died at his residence on Thursday evening. November 15. He came to South Australia in 1847, and perhaps few men have been more familiar with the vicissitudes of early colonial life than he was. He had had large experience in mining, both in Devonshire and Cornwall, as well as in Spain. Shortly after his arrival he went to the Burra Mine, and helped to develop what was at one time regarded as the mainstay of the colony. When the gold fever was at its height he visited the Victorian gold fields, and was one of the fairly lucky ones. Returning to South Australia, he settled in the neighbourhood of Mintaro and entered into farming pursuits, connecting with them the management of the Devonshire Hotel, Mintaro, at one time recognised as one of the finest hostelries north of Adelaide. In the early days of the auction sales of land he was a frequent visitor at the Land Office, and there are not many counties in South Australia in which he has not had land at one time or another. He had been known for many years as one of the largest landowners in the colony, and his kindness and liberality to his tenants wore proverbial. Once or twice he was asked to contest the District of Stanley, where he was best known, but his opponents proved too strong for him. Mr. Torr was married twice. His only son is dead, but he has several grandchildren, to whom the larger share of his extensive estates has been left. Dr. Torr (of Way College), Mr. Sydney Torr (of Farrell’s Flat), and Mr. Joseph Tickle (of Mintaro) are the executors of his will, and they have appointed Messrs. Fleming, Boucaut, & Ashton as their solicitors. A very large gathering of friends from the Burra, Clare, Auburn, and surrounding districts assembled at the Mintaro Cemetery on Saturday to follow the remains to their last resting-place.
