James Martin

In June 1848 he established a blacksmith and wheelwrights shop, making carts, agricultural implements, drays and in 1863 he made 250 reaping machines.

The company expanded into steel work for bridges and opened branches in Gladstone(SA) and Quorn(SA).

In 1874 Frederick May was admitted to the business and they branched out into making railway rolling stock.

In 1883 the first branch was opened in Sydney and the operations were moved around to various locations over the ensuing years

James Martin was also in politics as an MLA from 1865-68 and as an MLC from 1885- 1899 when he died.

In 1907 the company went into liquidation and was purchased by the Gawler Implement Mfg Co

Advertising from 1916 by Gawler Implement Co Agricultural Enginers states that they were purchasers of agricultural business of the Late James Martin & Co.

Other names mentioned in Gawler Implement Co advertising are Todd & Reid of Gawler and Swan & Ivett coach builders, wheel wrights etc.

Ref Extracted from Ken Arnold's Vol 4 of, "A Century of Farmyard Relics in Australia 1840 - 1940

Item Picture	Item Description & Reference Number
We have not found any spanners attributable the the James Martin Co. If you can help, pls make contact.
Image ©D Symons
	Believed to be a spanner from the Gawler Implements works

THE LATE HON. JAMES MARTIN

Late Hon. James Martin was born at Foundry, in the Parish of St Stithians, Cornwall, England, on April 23, 1821. His father died before he was born, and
his mother with seven little children, was left in poor circumstances. James had very little schooling and had to earn his living at an early age. His occupation
was that of a millwright. Being a victim to asthma he left England when he was 26 and arrived in South Australia in the year 1847. After working for a time
with Mr. John Ridley, he came to Gawler in the year following— on June 15 th , 1848 and commenced business. It was uphill work, but the advance of
agriculture provided an opportunity for the manufacture of implements, and this he took full advantage of. Later on, the establishment extended its manufactures
to mining machinery, and then to the construction of locomotive engines. The jubilee of Mr. Martin's arrival in Gawler was fittingly celebrated in June 1898.
He filled a prominent place in the intellectual, social, and municipal life of the town, and represented the district in both Houses of Legislature. His death
occurred on December 27, 1899
Ref: Bunyip (Gawler, SA: 1863 - 1954), Friday 21 August 1903, page 2, by National Trust Gawler Branch Volunteers

Featured Maker - James Martin & Co & Gawler Implement Co.

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