17 Facts About Francis Dutton

Francis Stacker Dutton CMG was the seventh Premier of South Australia, serving twice, firstly in 1863 and again in 1865.

Francis Dutton was born at Cuxhaven, Germany, where his father was British vice-consul, in 1818.

Francis Dutton was educated at Hofwyl College, near Bern in Switzerland, and afterwards at the high school at Bremen in Germany.

In 1839, Francis joined his older brothers Hampden, Pelham and Frederick in Sydney, went overland to Melbourne, and followed mercantile pursuits for about 18 months.

Francis Dutton then joined his brother Frederick at Adelaide, in the colony of South Australia, and in 1842 or early in 1843, discovered copper at Kapunda, 45 miles north of Adelaide.

Francis Dutton showed the specimen he had found to Captain Charles Bagot, who produced a similar specimen that his son had found in the same locality.

Francis Dutton visited England in 1845 and sold his interest in the mine for a large sum.

Francis Dutton returned to South Australia in 1847, and in 1849 became a member of the Adelaide board of city commissioners.

In 1850 Francis Dutton wrote "Constitution fuer Suedaustralien: Gesetz zur bessern Regierung der australischen Colonien Ihrer Majestaet" to bring discussions on the formation of a constitution in South Australia to the attention of German settlers.

Francis Dutton was elected a member of the Legislative Council for East Adelaide in 1851 and sat until 1857, when he was elected to the House of Assembly as member for City of Adelaide and then for Light.

Francis Dutton was Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration in the Hanson government from 30 September 1857 to 2 June 1859, and was premier from 4 to 15 July 1863.

Francis Dutton formed his second cabinet on 22 March 1865 and was premier and commissioner of public works until 20 September of the same year, when he became agent-general for South Australia in London.

Francis Dutton was a good linguist, able to speak French, German, and Portuguese, and had an excellent knowledge of business.

Francis Dutton was made a Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1872.

Francis Dutton was a Fellow of the Geographical Society, Associate of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and a Member of both the Royal Institution of Great Britain and Colonial Institute.

William Hampden Francis Dutton, pastoralist of Anlaby Station and miner at Kapunda, was a brother, as was pastoralist and parliamentarian Frederick Hansborough Francis Dutton.

Note: William Francis Dutton, sometimes referred to as "William Pelham Francis Dutton", ship's captain, whaler and pioneer of Portland, Victoria, was not closely related.