George Downer

His only attempt at a position in Parliament was in 1870 when he contested the seat of Gumeracha against Ebenezer Ward and Arthur Blyth.

[4] Around 1880 he was appointed by the government to a Pastoral Commission and was in a large part responsible for lengthening the tenure of leases of Crown lands.

Pastoralist Francis John Whitby, a fellow student at Haire's Academy was a lifelong friend.

After his death at his (c. 170) South Terrace residence, his Adelaide Hills property "Monalta" (previously known as "Hope Lodge")[5] near the Belair railway station, was subdivided.

[6] Sir John, his brother, had predeceased him on 2 August 1915 and his sister Amelia Rivaz had died on 21 July 1916.