Bean Brothers
Encyclopedia
Bean Brothers was a company based in Adelaide, South Australia involved in tanning, leathergoods and shipping ventures in the latter half of the 19th Century. Bean Brothers Ltd was set up by the principals to consolidate their assets and develop as wool and produce brokers. They also founded the Adelaide and Port Darwin Sugar Company to develop a sugar plantation in the Northern Territory
of Australia
. Both ventures failed amid acrimony, recrimination and law suits.
at Torrensville
, and a "colonist of 32 years" was married to Ann, who was accidentally killed on 17 September 1862
n businessman and parliamentarian. He was elected to the Sixth Parliament
(paired with Hon. H.B.T. Strangways) for the District of West Torrens of the South Australian House of Assembly
, on 28 March 1870, until 23 November 1871, losing his seat after the dissolution of 1871. but was re-elected, with William James Magarey, to the Ninth Parliament (1878-1881) from 2 April 1878 to 19 March 1881, and re-elected, with Frederick Estcourt Bucknall, to the Tenth Parliament from 8 April 1881 to 19 March 1884. (G. T. Bean had held the seat previously and lost it under controversial circumstances. This is one of very few cases in Australia of a pair of brothers being parliamentarians). He campaigned again in 1878 for the West Torrens seat which he narrowly won. He did not contest the 1884 elections.
He conducted the Adelaide affairs of Bean Brothers while G. T. Bean was overseas from 1869 to 1878. He also organised a large number of wool, hide, meat and bark shipments in partnership with H. J. Wilke.
He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1872 but resigned in 1874.
W. H. Bean (with Wilke) bought into a gold discovery "Golding's Find" at Mount Torrens in 1870. and was a director in James Scott's "El Dorado" Mount Pleasant mine in 1872.
He was on the board of the South Australian Zoological and Acclimatization Society. He resigned or was dropped in 1884.
In 1884 Bean Brothers Limited successfully sued him in the Supreme Court for making unauthorised payments. He was declared insolvent in 1885.
He was in London at the time of his brother G. T. Bean's death in 1912.
n entrepreneur and parliamentarian. He was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution, and his business ventures included leather, shipping, and mining in South and Western Australia
, and sugar in the Northern Territory
of Australia
, often in conjunction with one or both of his brothers W. H. and Arthur Bean.
He was elected, with H. B. T. Strangways, to the Fifth Parliament (1868-1870)
for the District of West Torrens of the South Australian House of Assembly
, on 21 April 1868, the first SA-colony-born person to achieve this. On 19 November 1869 with J. A. Bean he left for London
on business, but his application for leave of absence was refused by Parliament, despite a petition from his constituents. His seat was declared vacant on 29 January 1870, due to his "failure to attend". While away he prospected for diamonds in Capetown, with some success, not returning until 1878. John Pickering won the resulting by-election on 10 February 1870, and the Fifth Parliament was dissolved on 2 March 1870. His brother W. H. Bean successfully stood for West Torrens at the election for the Sixth Parliament.
He was a popular speaker and frequently called upon to officiate at public occasions in the Hindmarsh area.
While an M.P. in 1869 G. T. Bean was brought into mining matters.
He was one of the original shareholders in the Port Augusta and Port Darwin Railway Co. Ltd.
George Bean with Alfred von Doussa proposed diamond mining at Echunga in 1879 but no evidence of any exploration.
G. T. Bean was Chairman of West Australian Mining Company in 1895.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
and of the Institute of Directors
in London. Following a number of operations for cancer, he died in London on 25 February 1912, aged 67. He was survived by his brothers, William living in England, and Arthur in Sydney.
He too was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution,
He was the driver of a dogcart
which overturned, killing his mother Ann.
He married Rosa Elizabeth Williams in 1866. They had at least eight children and she died 10 June 1917
From some time before 1867 they lived at "Bleak House", a substantial property on South Road, St Mary's. In 1882 he was found to have acted deceptively in attempting in 1880 to persuade Miss Selina Rogers of Tusmore
to sell her nearby property "Sarnia" to one Ernest Alfred Leonard of Western Australia
at a price around half its market value. It is not clear what Arthur's motives may have been, but in September 1882 he sold off much of his effects. In 1893 he sold "Bleak House".
He was living at Sussex Street, Glenelg
from at least 1902 to 1904.
In 1907 he was boarding and keeping shop at 235 Forbes Street Sydney, New South Wales under the alias "Henry Louis Burton". He was still in Sydney at the time of his brother G. T. Bean's death in 1912.
Arthur's son, Walter W. Bean took over the Hindmarsh tannery and leatherware shop at 158 Rundle Street in 1898.
A photograph of Arthur Bean may be seen here SLSA picture
He passed the tannery on to son William H. Bean in 1860. and moved to Sandhurst, Victoria (now named Bendigo
), where he was jailed for bankruptcy. In 1861 G. T. Bean, W. H. Bean and Arthur Bean opened as Bean Brothers in larger premises at 108 Hindley Street, retaining the tannery
and grindery at Torrensville
.
"On 20th January 1865 William Henry Bean, George Thomas Bean and Arthur Bean, of Torrenside, Tanners, were granted Title to 15 acres, part of Section 46 embracing the whole of the area later covered by Fauldings
’ premises in Reid Street..." The adjacent Beans Road (now part of Dew Street) may have been named for them. They commenced making shoe and boot uppers, and by the end of 1865 had 14 workers so engaged in King William Street, in part of the building owned by J. Clarkson & Co.
They moved offices to King William Street
early 1867 with Arthur handling the retail trade at No. 25 and G. T. Bean at the wholesale business at No. 27, while W. H Bean handled the import of leathergoods, hides and tanning materials. Arthur bought the retail business in April 1867 and the wholesale side in September 1867. On 26 November there was a major fire in the retail shop, determined at an inquest by the Supreme Court as almost certainly arson. Certain inconsistencies of evidence made G. T. Bean the prime suspect, but nothing could be proved. Sometime before 15 September 1868 Arthur sold the business to H. G. Crocker & Co. which was taken over before 4 June 1869 by F. Fischer. This company was affected by another fire, in December 1870, this time originating in the adjoining Adelaide Photographic Company's premises.
via Normanville, South Australia
for London. and by 1870 were exporting all the wattle-bark they could obtain. In one year they shipped 8,000 tons of bark, at prices ranging from £10 to £13 a ton.
In 1871 they purchased and refitted the 560 ton Joshua Bates and appointed Captain Thomas Bicknell to ship bark to London with a back-cargo of timber. Before it could make its first voyage, the ship was set fire by a disgruntled crewman, E. W. Holloway.
From 1877 they produced a monthly circular containing information as here http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/40779139 on demand and prices for wool, skins and bark.
. In 1882 he set up a trial sugar plantation on Cox's Peninsula (later Cox Peninsula) across Darwin Harbour from Port Darwin
, and organised the hire of 2,000 Singapore Chinese labourers to work the field at ₤1 per week. Investors included Benjamin Cohen De Lissa of Queensland
(and after whom the Cox Peninsula suburb and town Delissaville (now Belyuen
) and the nearby Delissaville airstrip were named), G. T Bean, W. H. Bean, Arthur Bean, Luther Scammell, George Scarfe and F. W. Stokes. Housing was erected, many cane tubers were supplied by the Government botanist M. W. Holtze from the nursery at Fannie Bay
, many more ordered from Queensland and locally and a mill was erected by the Delissa Pioneer Sugar Company. DeLissa, who had been appointed supervisor for his sugar plantation experience, made a trial crushing of 30 tons of cane in December 1881 which returned very little sugar. DeLissa quit in 1882, citing interference by G. T. Bean, who was scathing in his denunciation of DeLissa. W. H. Thompson was brought from Antigua
to take over management of the plantations. The machinery was bought for a tenth of its original £6,000 by W. H. Gray, for his Daly River Plantation Company but his plantation also failed, and it was left to rust away. In 1885 the 100,000 acre lease was resumed for non-compliance with the conditions. G. T. Bean was criticised for spending Adelaide and Port Darwin Sugar Company money on worthless land without due diligence, over-extending his stay in London
and overspending his allowance there.
, W. K. Simms, J.P., John Hill, Seth Ferry, F. E. Bucknall, M.P., and William Whinham of Mount Gambier
with W. H. Bean as manager. But two years later the company collapsed among a series of lawsuits, notably that in the Supreme Court against G. W. Bean for over £2000. At a shareholders' meeting it was revealed that it was necessary to make a call of ₤1 per share to pay creditors. The two brothers were insolvent and owed the company money, but were out of South Australian jurisdiction (G. T. Bean being in England and W. H. Bean in Melbourne). Among the causes for the company's collapse was W. H. Bean's unauthorised purchases on company cheques (speculating on chaff for instance). Nor had W. H. Bean maintained the books properly. At the shareholders' meeting anger was expressed that the liquidator, Mr C. Schlumberger, appeared to side with the company principals, not the ordinary shareholder who stood to lose the whole of their investment. The company went into voluntary liquidation in 1885.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Both ventures failed amid acrimony, recrimination and law suits.
Family tree
1. George Bean (ca.1805 – 25 April 1869), tanner, founder of a tannery and grindery on banks of River TorrensRiver Torrens
The River Torrens is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains and was one of the reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the Adelaide Hills near Mount Pleasant, across the Adelaide Plains, past the city centre and empties...
at Torrensville
Torrensville, South Australia
Torrensville is a middle-class suburb, two kilometres west of the centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It was named after Irish-born colonial premier Robert Torrens....
, and a "colonist of 32 years" was married to Ann, who was accidentally killed on 17 September 1862
- 2. "W. H. Bean", William Henry Bean
- 2. "G. T. Bean" (-1912), George Thomas Bean
- 2. Arthur Bate Bean married Rosa Elizabeth Williams (died 1917) in 1866.
- 3. daughter born 9 May 1867
- 3. daughter born 17 April 1869
- 3. daughter born 23 July 1871
- 3. son born 16 April 1873 may have been Walter W Bean whose wife Clara Adelaide Bean (nee Twining) died in childbirth 1902 aged 26.
- 3. son Harold Leonard born ca. 1875 died 13 February 1892 aged 16
- 3. daughter born 18 May 1878
- 3. son born 21 June 1880
- 3. son born 4 January 1884
- 3. son born 6 August 1890
W. H. Bean
George's eldest son William Henry Bean was a prominent South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n businessman and parliamentarian. He was elected to the Sixth Parliament
Members of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1870-1871
This is a list of members of the sixth parliament of the South Australian House of Assembly, which sat from 27 May 1870 until 23 November 1871. The members were elected at the 1870 state election.*, Parliament of SA, www.parliament.sa.gov.au...
(paired with Hon. H.B.T. Strangways) for the District of West Torrens of the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
, on 28 March 1870, until 23 November 1871, losing his seat after the dissolution of 1871. but was re-elected, with William James Magarey, to the Ninth Parliament (1878-1881) from 2 April 1878 to 19 March 1881, and re-elected, with Frederick Estcourt Bucknall, to the Tenth Parliament from 8 April 1881 to 19 March 1884. (G. T. Bean had held the seat previously and lost it under controversial circumstances. This is one of very few cases in Australia of a pair of brothers being parliamentarians). He campaigned again in 1878 for the West Torrens seat which he narrowly won. He did not contest the 1884 elections.
He conducted the Adelaide affairs of Bean Brothers while G. T. Bean was overseas from 1869 to 1878. He also organised a large number of wool, hide, meat and bark shipments in partnership with H. J. Wilke.
He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1872 but resigned in 1874.
W. H. Bean (with Wilke) bought into a gold discovery "Golding's Find" at Mount Torrens in 1870. and was a director in James Scott's "El Dorado" Mount Pleasant mine in 1872.
He was on the board of the South Australian Zoological and Acclimatization Society. He resigned or was dropped in 1884.
In 1884 Bean Brothers Limited successfully sued him in the Supreme Court for making unauthorised payments. He was declared insolvent in 1885.
He was in London at the time of his brother G. T. Bean's death in 1912.
G. T. Bean
His second son George Thomas Bean (ca. 1845 – 25 February 1912) (generally known as "G. T. Bean") was a prominent South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n entrepreneur and parliamentarian. He was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution, and his business ventures included leather, shipping, and mining in South and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and sugar in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, often in conjunction with one or both of his brothers W. H. and Arthur Bean.
He was elected, with H. B. T. Strangways, to the Fifth Parliament (1868-1870)
Members of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1868-1870
This is a list of members of the fifth parliament of the South Australian House of Assembly, which sat from 31 July 1868 until 2 March 1870. The members were elected at the 1868 state election.*, Parliament of SA, www.parliament.sa.gov.au...
for the District of West Torrens of the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
, on 21 April 1868, the first SA-colony-born person to achieve this. On 19 November 1869 with J. A. Bean he left for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on business, but his application for leave of absence was refused by Parliament, despite a petition from his constituents. His seat was declared vacant on 29 January 1870, due to his "failure to attend". While away he prospected for diamonds in Capetown, with some success, not returning until 1878. John Pickering won the resulting by-election on 10 February 1870, and the Fifth Parliament was dissolved on 2 March 1870. His brother W. H. Bean successfully stood for West Torrens at the election for the Sixth Parliament.
He was a popular speaker and frequently called upon to officiate at public occasions in the Hindmarsh area.
While an M.P. in 1869 G. T. Bean was brought into mining matters.
He was one of the original shareholders in the Port Augusta and Port Darwin Railway Co. Ltd.
George Bean with Alfred von Doussa proposed diamond mining at Echunga in 1879 but no evidence of any exploration.
G. T. Bean was Chairman of West Australian Mining Company in 1895.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
and of the Institute of Directors
Institute of Directors
The Institute of Directors is a UK-based organisation, established in 1903 and incorporated by royal charter in 1906 to support, represent and set standards for company directors...
in London. Following a number of operations for cancer, he died in London on 25 February 1912, aged 67. He was survived by his brothers, William living in England, and Arthur in Sydney.
Arthur Bean
Another brother, Arthur Bate Bean, was often a partner in George's business enterprises.He too was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution,
He was the driver of a dogcart
Dogcart
A dogcart is a light horse-drawn vehicle. There are several types:* A one-horse carriage, usually two-wheeled and high, with two transverse seats set back to back. It was known as a "bounder" in British slang...
which overturned, killing his mother Ann.
He married Rosa Elizabeth Williams in 1866. They had at least eight children and she died 10 June 1917
From some time before 1867 they lived at "Bleak House", a substantial property on South Road, St Mary's. In 1882 he was found to have acted deceptively in attempting in 1880 to persuade Miss Selina Rogers of Tusmore
Tusmore, South Australia
-History:In 1839, a pastoralist William Rogers, settled in the area and named his land Tusmore after his birthplace in Oxfordshire, England. In 1911 the area roughly corresponding to modern-day Tusmore, known as Section 291, was owned by the Colonial Board of Advice of the South Australian Company...
to sell her nearby property "Sarnia" to one Ernest Alfred Leonard of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
at a price around half its market value. It is not clear what Arthur's motives may have been, but in September 1882 he sold off much of his effects. In 1893 he sold "Bleak House".
He was living at Sussex Street, Glenelg
Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...
from at least 1902 to 1904.
In 1907 he was boarding and keeping shop at 235 Forbes Street Sydney, New South Wales under the alias "Henry Louis Burton". He was still in Sydney at the time of his brother G. T. Bean's death in 1912.
Arthur's son, Walter W. Bean took over the Hindmarsh tannery and leatherware shop at 158 Rundle Street in 1898.
A photograph of Arthur Bean may be seen here SLSA picture
Bean Brothers
The firm of Bean Brothers were leather, wool and produce brokers. In 1882 its principals floated a company Bean Brothers Limited to take over their assets.Leather goods
Robert Laundy Ingham and George Bean Snr. established the Thebarton Tannery in competition with William Peacock. In 1839 the partnership was dissolved and Bean Snr. took over the business. In 1840 Bean Snr. opened a shop in Hindley Street previously held by a Mr Crabb, and a year later moved to premises vacated by the firm of Grieve & Campbell on Rundle Street. He was declared insolvent in 1859. A creditor, ex-employee Carl Schoening, charged that Mr Bean withheld cash transactions from the accounts books. Other books which might have supported his claims were not to be found. At this time all three sons were in his employ.He passed the tannery on to son William H. Bean in 1860. and moved to Sandhurst, Victoria (now named Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
), where he was jailed for bankruptcy. In 1861 G. T. Bean, W. H. Bean and Arthur Bean opened as Bean Brothers in larger premises at 108 Hindley Street, retaining the tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
and grindery at Torrensville
Torrensville, South Australia
Torrensville is a middle-class suburb, two kilometres west of the centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It was named after Irish-born colonial premier Robert Torrens....
.
"On 20th January 1865 William Henry Bean, George Thomas Bean and Arthur Bean, of Torrenside, Tanners, were granted Title to 15 acres, part of Section 46 embracing the whole of the area later covered by Fauldings
F. H. Faulding & Co
F. H. Faulding & Co was a pharmaceutical company founded in Adelaide, South Australia in 1845 by Francis Hardey Faulding , a native of Swinfleet, near Goole in Yorkshire, son of Francis Faulding, a surgeon.-History:...
’ premises in Reid Street..." The adjacent Beans Road (now part of Dew Street) may have been named for them. They commenced making shoe and boot uppers, and by the end of 1865 had 14 workers so engaged in King William Street, in part of the building owned by J. Clarkson & Co.
They moved offices to King William Street
King William Street
King William Street may refer to:*King William Street, Adelaide - the central boulevard of Adelaide*King William Street - a street in Central Hamilton*King William Street - a street in London...
early 1867 with Arthur handling the retail trade at No. 25 and G. T. Bean at the wholesale business at No. 27, while W. H Bean handled the import of leathergoods, hides and tanning materials. Arthur bought the retail business in April 1867 and the wholesale side in September 1867. On 26 November there was a major fire in the retail shop, determined at an inquest by the Supreme Court as almost certainly arson. Certain inconsistencies of evidence made G. T. Bean the prime suspect, but nothing could be proved. Sometime before 15 September 1868 Arthur sold the business to H. G. Crocker & Co. which was taken over before 4 June 1869 by F. Fischer. This company was affected by another fire, in December 1870, this time originating in the adjoining Adelaide Photographic Company's premises.
Shipping
While Bean Brothers were running the tannery and leathergoods shop and factory, they were purchasing much of their hides and leather and other materials through agents, then seeing the commercial opportunities in exporting wattle-bark to tanneries in Great Britain, concentrated on that business. At first they were sending consignments as regular cargo but by 1869 they were chartering ships to export the bark from YankalillaYankalilla, South Australia
Yankalilla is an agriculturally-based town situated on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, located 72 km south of the state's capital of Adelaide...
via Normanville, South Australia
Normanville, South Australia
Normanville is a small rural town near the coast on the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia. It is situated next to the mouth of the Bungala River.-Location and geography:...
for London. and by 1870 were exporting all the wattle-bark they could obtain. In one year they shipped 8,000 tons of bark, at prices ranging from £10 to £13 a ton.
In 1871 they purchased and refitted the 560 ton Joshua Bates and appointed Captain Thomas Bicknell to ship bark to London with a back-cargo of timber. Before it could make its first voyage, the ship was set fire by a disgruntled crewman, E. W. Holloway.
From 1877 they produced a monthly circular containing information as here http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/40779139 on demand and prices for wool, skins and bark.
Sugar in the Northern Territory
In 1881 G. T. Bean floated a company Adelaide and Port Darwin Sugar Company to establish sugar plantations in the Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. In 1882 he set up a trial sugar plantation on Cox's Peninsula (later Cox Peninsula) across Darwin Harbour from Port Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, and organised the hire of 2,000 Singapore Chinese labourers to work the field at ₤1 per week. Investors included Benjamin Cohen De Lissa of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(and after whom the Cox Peninsula suburb and town Delissaville (now Belyuen
Belyuen
The Belyuen Shire is a Local Government Area in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is located near Wagait, across Port Darwin from the city of Darwin....
) and the nearby Delissaville airstrip were named), G. T Bean, W. H. Bean, Arthur Bean, Luther Scammell, George Scarfe and F. W. Stokes. Housing was erected, many cane tubers were supplied by the Government botanist M. W. Holtze from the nursery at Fannie Bay
Fannie Bay, Northern Territory
Fannie Bay is a middle/inner suburb of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.Situated in the suburb is the Fannie Bay Gaol museum, Fannie Bay Race Track and a monument to Ross Smith, captain of the Vickers Vimy that, in December 1919, was the first aircraft to fly from England to...
, many more ordered from Queensland and locally and a mill was erected by the Delissa Pioneer Sugar Company. DeLissa, who had been appointed supervisor for his sugar plantation experience, made a trial crushing of 30 tons of cane in December 1881 which returned very little sugar. DeLissa quit in 1882, citing interference by G. T. Bean, who was scathing in his denunciation of DeLissa. W. H. Thompson was brought from Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
to take over management of the plantations. The machinery was bought for a tenth of its original £6,000 by W. H. Gray, for his Daly River Plantation Company but his plantation also failed, and it was left to rust away. In 1885 the 100,000 acre lease was resumed for non-compliance with the conditions. G. T. Bean was criticised for spending Adelaide and Port Darwin Sugar Company money on worthless land without due diligence, over-extending his stay in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and overspending his allowance there.
Bean Brothers Ltd
In 1882 Bean Brothers floated Bean Brothers Limited wool and produce brokers with initial subscription of 6,000 £10 shares and total capital of £100,000. Its purpose was to acquire the assets of Bean Brothers (including properties in Grenfell Street, Coromandel Place and French Street) and continue their business as commission agents. Founding directors were W. B. Rounsevell, M.P., Robert Darling, J.P., of MundooraMundoora, South Australia
Mundoora is a settlement in South Australia. In 1876, Mundoora was connected to Port Broughton by a horse drawn railway. This has since fallen into disuse. At the 2006 census, Mundoora had a population of 248.-References:...
, W. K. Simms, J.P., John Hill, Seth Ferry, F. E. Bucknall, M.P., and William Whinham of Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier, South Australia
Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border....
with W. H. Bean as manager. But two years later the company collapsed among a series of lawsuits, notably that in the Supreme Court against G. W. Bean for over £2000. At a shareholders' meeting it was revealed that it was necessary to make a call of ₤1 per share to pay creditors. The two brothers were insolvent and owed the company money, but were out of South Australian jurisdiction (G. T. Bean being in England and W. H. Bean in Melbourne). Among the causes for the company's collapse was W. H. Bean's unauthorised purchases on company cheques (speculating on chaff for instance). Nor had W. H. Bean maintained the books properly. At the shareholders' meeting anger was expressed that the liquidator, Mr C. Schlumberger, appeared to side with the company principals, not the ordinary shareholder who stood to lose the whole of their investment. The company went into voluntary liquidation in 1885.