Stephen King (surveyor)

He was part of the last John McDouall Stuart Expedition (1861–1862), successfully crossing Australia from south to north, and was appointed Surveyor of the Overland Telegraph party sent out by Darwent and Dalwood in 1870.

[4] Around 1845, King founded the Victoria Flour Mill in Gawler, "opposite Miss Calton's Old Spot Inn", named for his daughter not the monarch.

With increasing value of his (leasehold) land, it had become too valuable for grazing, and King was obliged to send his stock further north to Baldina, then to Outalpa, and spent large sums of money in sinking wells.

Then came a dreadful drought, when many pastoralists had heavy stock losses, and King was forced to sell up in a buyer's market, losing all his rural properties including Kingsford.

His last Government appointment was as inspector of timber, located in Western Australia, being responsible for jarrah imports for the South Australian Railways.

He also received training from Canon Coombs and Dean Russell,[8] presumably with a view to joining the Anglican clergy, He left his father's station in 1861, and joined Stuart's transcontinental party, enduring great hardships on the 4,000 miles (6,400 km) journey, which lasted from 1 October 1861 to February 1863, and on 25 July 1862 reached the north coast of Australia and hoisted the Union Jack on the shores of Adam Bay, 30 miles (48 km) from Darwin.

In 1864, King joined B. T. Finniss's expedition to the Northern Territory, and was put in charge of stock being carried by the steamer South Australian for the projected settlement at Adam Bay.

From December 1868 to March 1870, King worked for George Goyder in the survey of Darwin township, then from August 1870 was employed as surveyor by Darwent & Dalwood, who had contracted to construct the northernmost 600 miles (970 km) of the Overland Telegraph Line.

During this period he opened the first track for teams from Elsie Creek to the Roper River landing, and constructed a jetty near Leichhardts Bar.

In 1874, King returned to the Survey Department, and until 1893 was employed in a range of projects around the colony, but with health failing, less arduous work was found for him in Adelaide.

[10] He died on 8 October 1915 at the age of 74, and was buried in North Road Cemetery, Nailsworth, South Australia,[7] leaving a widow, three sons, and five daughters.

[10] Prior to his death, King and his cousin and brother-in-law J. W. Billiatt (then living in Devonshire, England) were the last survivors of the John McDouall Stuart exploration party, which successfully crossed Australia from south to north.