William Giles, occasionally referred to as William Giles, sen. to distinguish him from his eldest son, was the third colonial manager of the South Australian Company, and a South Australian politician, who was prominent in the founding of the colony of South Australia.
An apparently close friend of one of the founders of the South Australian Company, George Fife Angas, Giles travelled to South Australia on the ship Hartley in 1837 accompanied by his new wife, Emily Elizabeth and their 1-year-old daughter Emily jnr. The Hartley was a three-masted vessel measuring 27.13 x 7.19 x 5.61 metres built at Sunderland in England in 1836. Her owner and captain was Thomas Fewson. Emily gave birth to her second child, George Hartley Giles during the voyage. William's new family was also accompanied by William's nine children from his earlier marriage to Sarah. On 16 October 1837 the Hartley arrived at Kingscote, Kangaroo Island where the Company's first settlement was founded. Once in South Australia, William and Emily had a further ten children.
Family
William married twice: to Sarah Roper on 1 November 1813, and to Emily McGeorge on 12 January 1835. In total he had 21 children and 78 grandchildren. ;Children with Sarah Roper
William Giles, married Margaret McFarlane, daughter of Allan McFarlane; home at Hackney then George Street, Norwood. He later had a business in Kanmantoo and was not involved in public affairs. Their son Alan McFarlane Giles, stationmaster at Tennant Creek, was the sole survivor of a relief party sent to Attack Creek in 1883, saved by an aboriginal woman, and died of brain fever at Renner Springs five years later, following a murder to which he was a close witness.
Henry Giles married Jane Leslie in Scotland in 1845; home "Braemar", Stirling West. Co-founded stock and station firm Giles & Smith. Their eldest daughter, Amy, married George Fullerton Cleland in 1878.
Mary Giles married Josiah Partridge on 22 June 1840; home "Malvern", near Clarendon.
Thomas "Tom" Giles married Mary O'Halloran on 20 January 1859. He developed pastoral leases on the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas.
James Giles married Eliza Dean in 1848
Jane Isabella "Minnie" Giles married Alfred Watts on 18 May 1842 They were the original owners of Leabrook. Watts was a fellow passenger on the Hartley with Giles and his family, as was Rev. T. Q. Stow, who performed the service.
Emily Rebecca Giles married Francis William Stokes on 17 April 1861 developed Konetta Station.
George Hartley Giles was born on ship Hartleyat sea; practised law, admitted to Supreme Court in 1862, but was struck off the rolls for misappropriation. He moved to Queensland, where he ran foul of the law several times. Later references are elusive – perhaps like Charles Whitmore Babbage, the family used its considerable influence to help him start over in another place, perhaps under another name.
Clement Giles, pastoralist, merchant and politician. A prizewinning student at Adelaide Educational Institution, he became Secretary-manager and first London representative of the South Australian Farmers' Co-operative Union, and later, sole elected representative of Australian farmers on the compulsory wheat pool of 1917. He married Isabel Cockburn on 7 August 1872
Louis Henry Lobeck Giles married Alice Margaret "Alison" Andrews, second daughter of Rev. Canon Andrews, on 26 November 1884. He was a prizewinning student at Adelaide Educational Institution then a licensed land broker at the Grange and Adelaide.
Acland Giles A student at Adelaide Educational Institution, he won prizes in 1856 and 1857, the second posthumously.
Mortimer Giles married Agnes Reid Andrews, the daughter of Mr. Justice Andrews, on 16 May 1874. He was a prizewinning student at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution. In 1904 he was appointed Registrar-General of Deeds, Registrar of Building Societies, Commissioner of Trade Marks, and Registrar of Copyrights.
Caroline Ada Giles married Charles Edward Stokes on 12 June 1877. She had some success as an artist.
Florence Giles married Rev. Francis Herbert Stokes on 3 September 1879
;Summary
Business life
Shortly after arrival on Kangaroo Island, Giles, T. H. Beare, and Henry Mildred imported a batch of Merino ewes from Van Diemens Land to Kangaroo Island, some of the first brought into the colony, though stock losses on the unusually long trip aboard the Cygnet were considerable. Giles was appointed Stipendiary Magistrate by Governor Hindmarsh in 1838 then appointed as the third colonial manager of the South Australian Company in January 1841, succeeding David McLaren. He continued as manager until 1861, when he retired.
