Sir Sidney Herbert Kidman

Biography

Sir Sidney Herbert Kidman was born on May 9, 1857 in 'Glen Stuart', Fifth Creek near Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. His parents were George Kidman and Elizabeth Mary Kidman (Nunn). He was a Landowner, Australian pastoralist .

Spouse: Isabel Brown Wright (1862–1948)

Children: Annie Gertrude Kidman (1886– ), Elma Thomson Kidman (1887–1970), Edna Gwendoline Kidman (1890–Deceased), Edith Kidman (1893–1895), Norman Sidney Palethorpe Kidman (1897–1898), Walter Sidney Palethorpe Kidman (1900–1970)

He died on September 2, 1935 in Eringa, 76 Northgate Street, Millswood, City of Unley, South Australia, Australia and was buried in Mitcham Cemetery, Old Belair Road, Mitcham, City of Mitcham, South Australia, Australia.

Sidney Kidman was born in Adelaide, third son of George Kidman (died December 1857), farmer, and his wife Elizabeth Mary, née Nunn. Kidman was educated at private schools in Norwood and left his home near Adelaide at age 13 with only 5 shillings and a one-eyed horse that he had bought with his savings. He joined a drover, and learned quickly. He worked as a roustabout and bullock-driver at Poolamacca and Mount Gipps Station, and later as a drover, stockman and livestock trader. He made money trading whatever was needed, and supplying services (transport, goods, a butcher shop) to new mining towns springing up in outback New South Wales and South Australia (including Cobar, Kapunda, Burra and eventually Broken Hill). Eventually he and his brothers ended up working on the same station, then bought their own.

He eventually owned or had a large interest in an enormous area of land variously stated to have covered from 85,000 square miles (220,000 km2) to 107,000 square miles (280,000 km2) covering some 68 separate station stocked with about 176,000 head of cattle and 215,000 head of sheep. Before World War I he was a millionaire, and was knighted in the 1921 Birthday Honours for his support of the war effort.

During World War I, Kidman donated wool, meat, horses, ambulances and even fighter aeroplanes to the government. He also guaranteed the jobs of employees who went to fight in the war, and assisted the widows of those who did not return. He was knighted in 1921.

Kidman died at his home Eringa at 76 Northgate Street, Millswood (now Unley Park) aged 78 on 2 September 1935 following a brief illness. He was survived by his son, Walter, and three daughters. His body was interred at the Mitcham Cemetery the following day in the presence of hundreds of mourners. Some 250 messages of condolence were received and 200 wreaths left and his cortege extended for over 1.5 miles (2.4 km) after leaving his home.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Kidman
• http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks15/1500721h/0-dict-biogI-K.html#kidman1
• http://www.abc.net.au/dynasties/txt/s983274.htm
• http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/kidman.htm
• https://web.archive.org/web/20060828031309/https://www.quadrant.org...