Alfred Catt

He was Commissioner for Public Works under John Cox Bray from 1881 to 1884 and again under Thomas Playford II from 1887 to 1889.

[1] Catt arrived in South Australia in 1847, and for ten years engaged in agricultural pursuits at Balhannah and Strathalbyn.

[3] Catt accepted the post of Commissioner of Crown Lands in John Bray's first administration, on 24 June 1881, and held it till 23 April 1884, under circumstances of special difficulty.

Disasters had fallen thickly upon the farmers of the colony, especially in the northern districts lying beyond Goyder's Line of rainfall, where thirsty and often heavily timbered country had been taken up at extravagant prices by the competing agriculturists, who in some cases had offered as much as £6 6s.

[2] The attempt to grow wheat in these parts proved that the selectors could not pay the stipulated price, and the Government of the day came to the rescue with a proposal that the farmers should be allowed to surrender their land and compete for it again.