Philip Butler

Philip Butler was the youngest of three orphaned brothers from Oxfordshire, England. He arrived in South Australia, a well-educated, enterprising twenty years old and soon became one of the wealthy pastoralists in the Colony.

In 1849, he married Matilda Roe, a daughter of Captain J.S. Roe, Surveyor-General of Western Australia.

He purchased a number of acres South East of Gawler and built a large, two storey house. 'Yattalunga'. This house was known as 'Butler's Folly' because he obtained expensive building materials and was unable to proceed as the builders went away to the Victorian goldfields. When the house was completed, Philip's married brother and three young children arrived from England on 8 March 1854, and stayed at 'Yattalunga'. One of these children, Richard Butler, became a prominent member of the Mallala community, and councillor and chairman of the Grace council, before entering a parliamentary career.

Philip became a wealthy man and was also active in civic and church affairs. In 1857 he returned to England with his wife and children. His wife Matilda died on 12 April 1862. He remarried to Margaret Chesshyre in 1863 and the family sailed to South Australia, but they soon returned to England as his new wife refused to live in 'a wilderness'.

While in South Australia during 1872 and1873, Philip disposed of 'Yattalunga' and on his return to England gradually transferred land to his family.

29 July 1850     Matilda Mary South Para, SA
8 March 1852   Edith Lucille, Yattalunga, SA
23 Dec 1853     Alice Isabel, Yattalunga, SA
10 Aug 1855     Millicent Lecette, Yattalunga
15 April 1857     Charles Philip Roe, Yattalunga SA
1859                  Henry R, Brighton Sussex
Nov 1861          Bertha Ellen Mary and Etheldreda Minna, Cantebury, Kent

In 1850 soon after his marriage Philip Butler was appointed a Justice of the Peace.  The next year in 1851 he began building his Yattalunga homestead on property which had been part of 163 square miles leased by Philip Butler and Alexander Grant.  At the time  his project clashed with the finding of gold in Victoria and because of the exodus of workmen to seek their fortunes the homestead took several years to complete.

Butler was one of the first men involved in the Munno Para East District Council which was established in 1853. The new council consisted of “50 square miles of that portion of the Hundred of Munno Para lying to the east of the Main North Road”.   Butler  was appointed Chairman of the Council in 1854 and Returning Officer for the Electoral District of Barossa soon after.

For Philip Butler these early years at One Tree Hill must have been a very busy time.  He was overseeing the building of Yattalunga whilst pursuing his pastoral and business interests and fulfilling a busy community life.   

In 1854, Richard Butler, Philip’s brother, arrived from England.  His address was also given as Yattalunga and his occupation as “Proprietor, Magistrate” .

Philip Butler and family returned to England in 1858 where three more children including twin daughters were born.  In 1862 Butler’ wife Matilda died at Hastings, England.

Later in 1863 Butler remarried, his second wife Margaret Chesshyre, was the third  daughter of the Reverend W.J. Chesshyre, M.A.of  Barton-court, Canon of Canterbury, who had died in 1859.  

Butler brought his new wife back to Yattalunga.  She refused to live in such an isolated area and they returned to England where their four children were born.

In December 1872, Butler, at Yattalunga for a family wedding, arranged for the property to be leased to Messrs Grant and Stokes and later to William Briggs Sells. The Sells family were living there in 1878 when it was sold to Joseph Barritt who in turn leased it to Richard Butler, a relative of Philip, from 1878-1888.

Philip Butler returned to England where he had several successful business enterprises.  He died at the age of 81 on his estate, Tickford Abbey, in Surrey. At the  time of his death he owned no property in South Australia.

After Joseph Barritt died in 1881, his properties were divided up amongst his heirs and one of his successors eventually took up residence at Yattalunga in 1888. Yattalunga  remained in the Barritt family until sold in 1984.