Charles Kimber


Charles Kimber was an orchardist, flour miller and politician in colonial South Australia.
Charles was born in Newbury, Berkshire, and arrived in South Australia on the John Woodhall on 5 January 1849. He began as a storekeeper in Burra, then on Yorke Peninsula, and also tried farming in the vicinity of Mintaro. He moved to the Clare district, planting currant vines, which became a sizeable industry. In 1864 he took over Frederick Hannaford's flour mill in Clare, where the Town Hall was later built. In 1877 he leased it to Alfred Palmer and moved to Kadina to run that mill, returning to Clare in 1881 to run the mill in partnership with his sons Henry and Richard. later largely destroyed by fire. and Riverton, later run by his son, Charles Kimber Jr.
He was at one time Chairman of the Clare District Council, Mayor of Clare, a member of the North Midland Road Board, a member of the Education Board of Advice, and a member of the Clare Licensing Bench.
He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Stanley, which he held from April 1887 to April 1890.
He suffered a great deal of pain in his later years, and strangled himself with the string from his pyjamas to end the agony. The corner, J. Bentley, deemed an inquest unnecessary.

Family

Charles Kimber married Maria Nankervis on 16 September 1852; their home was "Woodleigh", Clare. Among their children were: