Portrait of E. Bowman from Werocata from the S.A. Northern Pioneers' composite, 1850-1859 (shown in position on B 6912/3).

The Bowman family originally immigrated to Tasmania in 1829. Edmund was the first of his family to come over to South Australia firstly on the Parsea (ship) in 1838, and returning on the Porter (ship) in 1839. He and his brothers, John, Thomas and William were involved in pastoral properties in the Dry Creek and Enfield area where he built the elegant mansion Barton Vale, and later in the mid north in properties such as Werocata, Crystal Brook and Martindale. The family were noted for doing much of the hard graft of station work themselves-building fences and lambing pens, washing their sheep before shearing etc. They were also involved in carting copper ore from Burra to Port Adelaide and on the return journey would bring in station supplies.

Edmund Bowman married Elizabeth Hackney on 24 January 1854 in Adelaide. They had seven children including Edmund junior who built Martindale Hall in 1879.

Edmund senior was a director of the Union Bank, a member of the Central Road Board and a justice of the peace. He died tragically 14 August 1866, when he was drowned in a creek near Port Wakefield age 48.

Bowman, Edmund, 1818-1866

Bowman, John

Bowman, Thomas

Bowman, William

Parsea (ship)

Porter (ship)

Balaklava, change and challenge: a history of Balaklava and surrounding districts / Compiled by the Balaklava Centenary Book Committee Balaklava, S. Aust.: District Council of Balaklava, 1977 pp. 8-13

Our pastoral industry Adelaide: Australian "Garden & Field", 1910 pp. 57-68 Bowman family

Death by drowning of Mr. Edmund Bowman, J.P South Australian register, 29 August 1866, p. 4, col. g

Bowman, Edmund Letter to his parents and family from Edmund Bowman D 8304 (L)