Portrait of J.R. Phillips from Kanyaka from the S.A. Northern Pioneers' composite, 1850-1859 (shown in position on B 6912/4).

His sister was the wife of S.A. Northern Pioneer William Marchant of Mannanarie, who was the most successful of Marchant brothers and this may have encouraged the move to South Australia. Phillips is best known for his sheep farming property, Kanyaka, 60 miles north east of Port Augusta. The first lease was taken out in 1851 and later extended to some 360 square miles. Prior to the severe drought of the 1860s Kanyaka ran 41,000 sheep; Phillips saved some of his flock by moving some to Mannanarie and the remainder to the Coorong. He moved his severely depleted flock of 10,000 sheep back to Kanyaka in 1866. He built the extensive stone buildings at Kanyaka and in good years employed 70 men with their wives and families.

In 1863 a small township, Kanyaka, was surveyed by the Government: Phillips built there the Great Northern Hotel. With 20 rooms, coach house and stables and a well with a reliable water supply the hotel was popular with travellers and teamsters until its closure in 1881.

Kanyaka station was resumed by the Government for wheat farming in 1888. Philips returned to Adelaide and lived with his in-laws, Sir William and Lady Milne at Sunnyside, Glen Osmond and Mount Lofty. He became a well known identity at the Commercial Travellers' club in Adelaide.

He died at Dulwich, S.A. on 22 March 1917 at 86 and is buried at the North Road Cemetery, near Nailsworth, S.A.

Cockburn, R Pastoral pioneers of South Australia Adelaide: Publishers Limited, 1925-1927 ("Reprinted from the Adelaide Stock and Station Journal.") vol. 1 pp. 200-201

Mincham, Hans The story of the Flinders Ranges Adelaide: Rigby, 1965

Fischer, G. L Notes on Kanyaka Station Research note, no. 596

Schmidt, R. H. Kanyaka Quorn, S.A.: District Council of Kanyaka, 1968

Kanyaka Station Flinders Ranges Research

Kanyaka ruins and cemetery

Kanyaka Station Homestead c. 1862 B 14773