Name Henry Sparks | ||
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Too many kings by henry sparks
Henry Yorke Sparks (ca.1845 – 21 October 1900) was a pioneer businessman of South Australia, and a director of the South Australian Company,
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Henry was born in Montevideo where his father Henry P(alafox) G(erona) Sparks (ca.1810 – 18 April 1870), a Liverpool merchant, his wife Sarah (ca.1816 – 5 January 1898) and family had settled. To escape the turmoil which had erupted in Uruguay, he chartered the brig Bernard (240 tons, Crawney master) and sailed to South Australia, arriving in Adelaide in May 1853. He gained an appointment as accountant for the Water Board. Henry attended John Whinham's North Adelaide Grammar School, where he was a prize-winning student, then entered the office of Sir John Morphett. He next secured a post with the Bank of South Australia, then Elder, Smith, & Co., and finally in 1880, the Mortgage Company of South Australia as its foundation manager. On 26 June 1894, he was appointed manager of the South Australian Company, succeeding William J. Brind, and still held that position at the time of his death.
He also held directorships in the Executor, Trustee, and Agency Co., and the Glenelg Railway Company. He was a member of the Adelaide Society of Accountants.
Freefall by henry sparks
Sporting and civic
Henry, a keen athlete, was secretary of Adelaide Football Club and the South Australian Cricketing Association (succeeding John Pickering) and made a life member, the Adelaide Rowing Club, and the Glenelg Oval Association. He was foremost in the founding of the Adelaide Oval, the Adelaide Amateur Athletic Club, and the Glenelg Oval. He donated the Waterhouse Cup to the Holdfast Bay Yacht Club. He was appointed Justice of the Peace around 1880.
He was a Synodsman of the Church of England Christ Church, North Adelaide and a member of the North Adelaide Young Men's Society.
He was from around 1890 a resident of Glenelg, and in 1898 was elected mayor of Glenelg council (now the City of Holdfast Bay). In 1899 he presented the Council with its mayoral chair, designed by the previous mayor, G. K. Soward and constructed of timbers from the wreck of the HMS Buffalo.
He died during the night of 20 October 1900 of a heart attack.
His wife was a noted poultry breeder.
Family
Henry Palafox Gerona Sparks (ca.1810 – 18 April 1870) married Sarah Waterworth (ca.1816 – 5 January 1898). Among their children were: