St Matthews Anglican Church & Cemetery - SA

St Matthew’s Anglican Church at Hamilton is a memorial church. Built and furnished in 1896, at the expense of one man, it replaced an earlier structure built in 1857. It was built by a nephew for his uncle, a husband for his wife, and, especially, by a father grieving the loss of his only daughter. It has possessed two fine organs, the first being relocated to St Oswald’s Anglican Church in Parkside, an Adelaide suburb.



Henry Dutton was the son of William H. Dutton who, with his brother Frederick, developed large pastoral leases in New South Wales and South Australia early in the 19th century. Using managers, Frederick, with another brother Francis, worked the South Australian property initially known as Pudna, then Anlaby. Frederick did not marry and lived most of his life in England. Brother Francis, with Charles Bagot, found copper in 1842 at Kapunda, sold his share in the mine and followed other pursuits, eventually becoming Agent-General for South Australia in London. It was he who handled the arrangements in connection with the Hill & Son organ for the Adelaide Town Hall.



William died in 1849 and his young son was sent to be educated at St Peter’s College in Adelaide. For the 30 years following his schooling, Henry was associated with the Bank of South Australia. He married Helen Elizabeth Thomas. In 1890 his bachelor uncle Frederick died and Henry, being the only surviving son of William, succeeded to Anlaby.