Elizabeth Whitby was a daughter of Rev. James Castleden, of Hampstead, London. She married Joseph Whitby, lived for a time in Yorkshire and had a small family. Joseph Whitby, Elizabeth and their four sons emigrated to Australia, arriving in Adelaide aboard Competitor in October 1848. She founded a school for girls in Carrington Street in that year. The fate of Joseph Whitby is as yet not known. Whitby advertised that she was prepared A year later her advertisements were more informative: In William Wyatt's 1851 survey of Government-approved and subsidised schools, of which there were 79 in South Australia, Whitby was receiving grants for 4 boys and 22 girls, and on the day of inspection she had 27 girls under instruction.
Family
Her four sons were:
Joseph James Whitby, generally known as J. J. Whitby, was educated at Francis Haire's Academy on Hindmarsh Square, then entered the office of solicitors Bartley, Bakewell, & Stow, and remained there for ten years, in the latter period articled to William Bakewell, then to William Wren, of Boucaut & Wren. On Wren's death in 1864 Whitby served out his term with James Boucaut, and after being called to the bar entered into partnership with J. J. Bonnar at Mount Barker. After a year, having fallen out with Bonnar, he joined Boucaut, but only stayed with him for a year. He then carried on business on his own account, and had the reputation as sound and able lawyer. From around 1872 he was mostly involved in drafting Bills for the SA Government, work for which he showed particular aptitude.
Francis John "Frank" Whitby, generally referred to as Frank or F. J. Whitby, was born in Yorkshire and, after arrival in Adelaide, was educated at Haire's academy and at Adelaide Educational Institution. His first employment was with James Robin & Co. of Grenfell Street, then entered the service of J. H. Angas, first at Collingrove, and when Angas took up Mount Remarkable, Whitby was employed there. He subsequently acted as manager of Wirrealpa, Stewart's Creek, and many other of Angas's stations in the north. When the Willowie Land and Pastoral Association took over those properties, Whitby remained as manager of Willowie Station, Mount Remarkable and general overseer of other northern stations until 1889, when he retired. He was immensely popular among a wide circle of friends. Among his other activities were:
Alfred Knight Whitby was a solicitor in the colony of South Australia, the subject of several sensational reports of altercations. He was educated at Adelaide Educational Institution. He was employed as a clerk in the Audit Office, and in August 1865 left to enter private practice. His friend Charles E. Aldridge, who was with the Post Office, left his employment at the Post Office at the same time, later to follow his brother James Henry Aldridge in the hotel business, taking the Crown and Sceptre Hotel on King William Street near the Railway Station in 1883. George Sydney Aldridge, another brother, was for many years Chairman of the Adelaide Stock Exchange.
