James Pile


James Pile was a South Australian pastoralist who had extensive holdings on the Darling River in New South Wales, and succeeded by his sons William, John and Charles, collectively known as the Pile brothers.

History

James Pile was born in Beverley, Yorkshire and left Scotland for South Australia aboard Anna with his wife and family and brother George, arriving November 1849 and settled at "Beckwith" near Gawler.
He was until 1852 licensee of the Old Spot Hotel on Murray Street, Gawler.
He acquired a considerable area of land at Gawler East and Gawler South, as well as properties at Munno Para East and Nuriootpa, which he stocked with horses and cattle droved overland from Sydney.
Around 1850 he was involved with the explorer John McKinlay, who became something of a family friend. McKinlay settled for a while on Yambro station on Lake Victoria station, and on his recommendation James Pile around 1860 took up land with western frontage on the River Darling, which became Cuthero station, of and Netley stations. A year or two later he sold the Netley station to Joe Dunne who drowned in Menindie Creek, while rescuing his horses, and his brother John. Around the same time he also acquired Polia station.
At first they stocked Cuthero and Polia with horses and some 1,200 cattle.
When his sons reached adulthood he left to them management of the properties, and built for himself a fine house "Oaklands" in Gawler East, where he retired, was appointed Justice of the Peace and served as a Town Councillor and Elder of the Presbyterian Church. McKinlay died at "Oaklands" in 1871.
Around 1870 the sons turned their attention from cattle to sheep, which thrived and soon they had built up their small flock to some 200,000.Then came the "seven years' drought" 1880–1886, and their numbers fell to 12,000. The sons ran the stations until 1899 when, in the grip of the Federation drought, the lease was resumed, was sold to Ben Chaffey in 1909, who later sold it to Arthur Crozier.
;William
Second son William Pile was born in Glasgow, and emigrated with his parents.
At the time of the Victorian gold rush, he drove sheep to Ballarat, where he sold them for a handsome profit.
William "Willie" Pile became manager of Polia station, and served as the local magistrate.
A keen racing man, he was a member of the South Australian Jockey Club's first committee, and owner of The Assyrian, Country Girl and First Water. For a time his horses were trained by J. Eden Savill, but after Savill sued certain members of the S.A.J.C. committee, Pile included, he withdrew his patronage and a year later sold his stables, horses and all his stock. Savill bought The Assyrian, which went on to win the 1882 Melbourne Cup.
He subsequently joined the Adelaide Gun Club, which in the days before clay pigeons used live birds as targets.
He had a hobby farm at Morphettville close to the racecourse and the Holdfast Bay railway line, and there built a pigeon tower with boxes for 700 birds, which became a well-known local landmark, and deliberately made larger and taller than that of "Ben" Rounsevell nearby.
;John
Born in Scotland, he emigrated to South Australia with his parents and was educated at Gawler, where he encountered Dick Holland, with whom, at age 13 or 14, he made his first overland droving trip from Sydney to Adelaide with horses, and made his next trip with John McKinlay, who shortly afterwards took over Lake Victoria Station.
He managed Cuthero station after the retirement of his father.
He retired to "Netherby", Mitcham. He was a notable racehorse owner and prominent member of the Adelaide Racing Club. His horses also raced successfully at Gawler, Wentworth, Wilcannia, Menindie, Broken Hill, Albury, Wagga and Hobart.
Mahdi, Havelock and the steeplechaser Confidence were among his best horses.
In May 1897 he sold all his racehorses. Seth Ferry purchased Havelock and Joe Carr bought Confidence.
Died at his home, High Street, Glenelg.
;Charles
Charles was the Piles' youngest son, and emigrated with his parents. He was educated at the school run by L. S. Burton.
He worked on Cuthero station, and while mustering cattle discovered the Hide family, whose five children had died of exposure and dehydration just a few hundred metres from the river.
He returned to "Oaklands", Gawler, where he died, intestate. Other reports have him dying at South Terrace, Adelaide.
He is not to be confused with Charles Ogleby Pile, Magistrate and Justice of the Peace of Bulahdelah on the Myall River.

Family

James Pile married to Isabella Pile
George Pile also on Anna, died at home of his brother James.

Possibly related

Several other people with the surname Pile, and also involved in the hotel and racing industries and subject of newspaper articles, but for whom no family connection has been found are:
Martha Pile, second daughter of John Pile married Charles Smith Hannington ; married Alfred Snelling on 31 October 1855. She married again, to Thomas Jellett on 1 July 1868. He bashed, then disowned her; she was confined to Destitute Asylum,
Edward Pile married Mary Ann Dugan, licensees, Somerset Hotel. Among their 3 sons and 4 daughters were: