Sidney "Sid" Crawford was a South Australian businessman born in Victoria.
History
Edward James Frederick Crawford, at one time a prosperous brewer associated with the Hindmarsh Brewery. He was also a serious trader in real estate, but went bankrupt in the recession that accompanied the drought of 1864–1867 and in 1868 moved with his wife, three sons and a daughter to Victoria, out of reach of his creditors. His eldest son James John Crawford had a privileged childhood in Adelaide, living in North Adelaide and educated at St. Peter's College. An accountant, he moved to Whanganui, New Zealand, where he married, then to Warrnambool and Ararat where, according to at least one reference he had a penurious existence. He then settled in Koroit, Victoria, serving as secretary of the localRacing Club, in 1896 part-owner of the Koroit Sentinel, longtime secretary of the Mechanics' Institute, from 1909 or earlier served as Commonwealth Electoral Registrar for the region, appointed JP in 1914. He was organist for the town's Church of England for 35 years. Sidney Crawford, fourth son of James John Crawford, was born in Warrnambool, Victoria, attended Koroit School, and around 1900 won a scholarship to Surrey College on Union Road, Surrey Hills, some 300 km away, near Melbourne. He found employment with the E S & A bank and within a few years was manager of their Elsternwick, Victoria branch. By 1914 he had a residence in Murrumbeena. In 1917 he enlisted with the First AIF, following his brother into Motor Transport, and served in France with the 4th Australian Motor Transport Company and demobbed in 1919, when he accepted a position as manager of Tarrant Motors, at that time Melbourne's largest new car retailer. In 1922 he moved to Adelaide, and with L. M. Anderson and F. R. Burden founded a Fiat agency. He purchased a home in Brighton, South Australia, where he lived until his death. In 1926 he founded Adelaide Car Service Limited with a capitalisation of £50,000 in £1 shares for he purpose of taking over Adelaide Motors Limited and All-British Motor House Limited, and had the agency for Austin, Albion and Maudslay vehicles. In 1927 Adelaide Motors opened a new showroom and workshop at 67–69 Franklin Street. He was in 1934 founder and managing director of Commercial Motor Vehicles Ltd. in Flinders Street. Vehicles handled included Leyland, Diamond T and REO.
Church
Crawford was an adherent of the Church of England and a longtime worshipper at St Jude's Church, Brighton. The church building was considerably damaged in the Adelaide earthquake of 1 March 1954, and plans were made to have it demolished and replaced with something more modern. This was strongly resisted by Crawford, who found numerous allies in his determination to save the 100-year-old building. He threatened to go to the State's Supreme Court if necessary to avert its destruction. This in fact did occur, and the Supreme Court found for its preservation.
Other activities
He was chairman of the motor section of the Association of British Manufacturers
In 1928 he was appointed to the Motor Transport Control Board
He was a member of the council of the Taxpayers' Association of South Australia from 1929 to 1941.
He was in 1929 founding chairman of the Junior Legacy Committee.
In 1930 he was appointed a Harbors Board Commissioner, still active on the committee 20 years later, and chairman from 1946.
He appeared on various scientific and technical boards and on occasion acted as host to visiting academics.
He was a founding member of the think-tank Common Cause.
He regularly contributed articulate and thoughtful essays to the newspapers on topics as diverse as transport, employment and economics, to divorce and an obituary for his friend, the economist Professor L. F. Giblin.
He was a director of Howard Frederick Hobbs' Hobbs Gearless Drive Limited
He was the author of Hauling for Profit, foreword by W. G. T. Goodman.
Board member War Workers Housing Trust and the associated Commonwealth Housing Trust.
He was an executive officer with the Commercial Finance Co, Ltd., which specialised in financing motor vehicle purchases.
In 1947 he founded the C.M.V. Foundation, which supported the kindergarten movement and public libraries. The Crawford Room of the Mortlock Wing of the State Library was named in his honour.
Family
Edward James Frederick Crawford Adelaide brewer married Mary Ann Scott Frances Mitchell in Sydney on 31 July 1841.
James John Crawford married Ruth Harding of Wanganui, New Zealand, on 15 November 1879? 25 November 1880?. They lived Wanganui, then Commercial Road, Koroit, Victoria, then Brighton, South Australia. In 1896 he wrote a prize-winning story for Melbourne Punch. Both James and Ruth died in Brighton, South Australia. Their seven sons were:
They had a home at 22 Seaview Terrace, Brighton. For further information see Hindmarsh Brewery#Crawford family.
