Portrait of the Hon. J. Bosworth from Purnatty from the S.A. Northern Pioneers' composite, 1850-1859 (shown in position on B 6912/1).

John Bosworth was born in London in May 1836. His family emigrated in 1848 arriving in South Australia on the Hooghly (ship). John was educated at St. Peter's College and settled near Riverton in a homestead named Edgehill. He later  acquired land on the River Wakefield. He tried to develop pastoral country in the Far North of South Australia at Pernatty (spelt incorrectly in the photograph) west of Lake Torrens but despite sinking many wells found only one with good water, and abandoned the property when dingoes devastated his flocks of sheep.

He became a member of the House of Assembly (1875-1884) and then the Legislative Council (1886-1894) and advocated for the pastoralists as well as the extension of the Trans Continental railway line north from Oodnadatta. He also suggested refrigerated cars on the railway with refrigerated works at Port Augusta and Marree.

He died 27 September 1917 in Adelaide.

Cockburn, R Pastoral pioneers of South Australia 2 v. (207; 263 p.) Adelaide : Publishers Limited, 1925-1927 ("Reprinted from the Adelaide Stock and Station Journal.") vol. 1 pp. 158-59

The Hon. J. Bosworth, M.L.C. Adelaide observer, 13 June 1891, p. 33, col. d

The Hon. John Bosworth, member of the Legislative Council Quiz and the lantern, 6 January 1893, p. 3 (Letters to public men)

Manning Index of South Australian history: Bosworth Creek and well

SA Memory: Taking it to the edge: Lake Torrens country