The Fulwood brothers

Brothers Thomas (1829-1901) and William Fulwood (1839-1917) emigrated to South Australia in 1847 and 1855 respectively. It is believed that Thomas arrived aboard PHOEBE, but the transcripts of the shipping list do not have him listed, and originals have not been sighted. Neither arrivals can be found in the newspapers of the day, or at various research sites.

First farm labourers and then farmers at Mount Pleasant, they married into the Phillis clan - to cousins Eliza Phillis & Susannah Dewell respectively. Thomas Fulwood worked his land grant on the main Mount Pleasant - Springton road, near his father-in-law’s James Phillis snr’s various homes and retired to Adelaide. His descendants sold the property to Ned Tapscott, Eliza Fulwood’s nephew. During 1893 William Fulwood departed for Tamworth in the New England district in NSW. While still at Mount Pleasant, both Fulwood families were loyal supporters of St John’s Anglican Church.

Eliza Fulwood nee Phillis arrived in South Australia with her father James, and the family, in 1839 on the ship DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND. She moved to Mount Pleasant with her father and family in 1842. She married Thomas Fulwood in April 1850, at Gawler.

Susannah Fulwood nee Dewell came to South Australia on the ship HAVILAH from Melbourne in January 1855, having arrived from England on the ship CARNTYNE to Melbourne in January 1855. James Phillis had returned to England to procure grain and stock for his farm, and found his siblings and their families wished to return to South Australia with him. Susannah married William Fulwood in May 1861 at St John’s Church, Mount Pleasant.

During 1851 Thomas Fulwood purchased a land grant of 77 acres, being Section 88 Hundred of South Rhine (now Jutland). During 1853 Section 7006 Hundred of Talunga, 78 acres, was purchased in partnership with Henry Phillis. Two more lots of 80 acres, being Sections 81 and 86, Hundred of South Rhine, was purchased in partnership during 1859. During 1855 171 acres being Section 6414 Hundred of Talunga was purchased and Section 87, Hundred of South Rhine, comprising 80 acres,  had been purchased during 1856. Parts of sections 7003 and 7001 Hundred of Talunga were purchased by Thomas in 1868, with the original grant for Section 7001 being granted to William Phillis in 1853. His occupation was listed variously as labourer, farmer and dairyman.

Fulwoods Road, between Mount Pleasant and Springton, is named after Thomas Fulwood, and he played an important role in the district generally and in particular the St John’s Church of England church. 

After 1871 and in 1872 Thomas was listed as a farmer at Gumeracha. Further farming activities thereon were carried out around Locheil, Snowtown and Johnburg, in the mid north, with leases in 1876 for Sections 147 and 151 at Cameron for 7 years, with the right of purchase. A purchase was made in 1878 from his son James, for Section 322 at Barunga, near Snowtown, with further purchases in 1881 of Sections 305 and 315 at Barunga, but these were transferred to son James in 1892.

A purchase of Section 8 at Snowtown in 1880 was transferred to William Fulwood in 1886. Thomas is said to have returned to Mount Pleasant in 1881 to 1882, and farmed at Condowie Plains from 1884 to 1886. Section 82 at Oladdie near Johnburg was leased in 1891 and sons James, William, George and Richard also had blocks adjoining this property. 

In 1890 part Section 7010 Hundred of Talunga was transferred to Elize ‘for her sole and separate use’ and this was transferred to Walter John Fulwood in late 1901. 

1894 had Thomas with leases of Sections 404, 406, and 407 Hundred of South Rhine for 7 years, and Sections 1283, 700 and 6432 Hundred of Talunga, for 7 years. Purchases of Sections 7013, 7014, 7036 and part section 7040 (known as Woodlands Farm) were made in the Hundred of Talunga in 1899. These latter sections were left to Eliza, after Thomas’ death, and were then transferred to son Charles in late 1901.

Thomas died on 5 September 1901 of prostate and kidney failure, aged 72 years, after some time at the Ward Street Hospital, North Adelaide.

Allotments at Springton were left to Eliza, with immediate transfer to son Frank.

Eliza died on 13 December 1902 of acute rheumatism and heart failure.

Sections 6414, 7003 and 7007 Hundred of Talunga were left to Eliza and sold after her death.