George Strickland Kingston was as he would often boast "the first Irishman to set foot in the colony". Once on shore he quickly found a suitable spot for the location of Adelaide the city he originally planned. The fact that this is often overlooked in some way reflects the brusque and powerful manner that this Irishman and his famous son used to help shape the colony and the nation.
Born
in August 1807 in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland, George completed his schooling
and decided to seek his opportunity with the British East India Army. On
returning to bleak job prospects in Bandon he decide to follow a carreer
as an engineer. Kingston trained in Birmingham and travel to London where
he volunteered to work for the association planning the new colony in Australia.
Kingston arrived in South Australia on the Cygnet in 1836 as Deputy Surveyor
to Colonel William Light.