Bassett Town
| Place type: | Locality |
|---|---|
| Site type: | Land section |
| Town or Locality: | Bassett Town |
In 1857, the coming of the Gawler Railway Station, created demand for land in the area and an opportunity for the Bassett family; a portion of their farmland adjacent to the station, for which they paid £40, realising £3000, when subdivided to form the residential blocks of Bassett Town (Bunyip 6 Nov 1896).
The elder William Bassett (I) would have seen little if any of the development of his namesake town, passing in January 1859, in his 59th year. Whether random or targeted, his memorial stone in Gawler Town Cemetery was defaced in August the same year, his family offering a £5 reward for information (Adelaide Observer 13 Aug 1859), published details of the outcome have not been found. It is possible the stone was eventually relocated to St George’s Cemetery and placed on his son’s plot (G29), as that plot has a ‘slate’ memorial typical of those dating to the 1860s, and has William (I)’s details and then his sons, which appear to have been inscribed at a later time. By the time son William (II) died in 1909 memorials tended to be made of marble.
Five years after her husband’s death, Bassett family matriarch Elizabeth, took on the license for the newly renamed Criterion Hotel (formerly Engine and Driver), and to celebrate held a supper for her friends and the Railway employees of Gawler, but her time as proprietor was short lived, she succumbed to bronchitis just four months later in July 1864.
The Bassett family’s eldest son William (II), was a significant contributor to Gawler; in addition to farming and his involvement in the selling and subdivision of land for Bassett Town, he was the licensee of three hotels (Terminus Hotel in 1858, Engine and Driver in 1860-1861 and Wheatsheaf Inn 1867), a member of the Gawler South District Council and a warden for St George’s Church. Two of his sons, William John Horace Bassett (III) and Herbert Vosper Bassett, went on to serve as Gawler Councillors and eldest son Frederick William Britain Bassett, apprenticed to William Barnet of The Bunyip, before working at “The Advertiser” for a record 65 years (Bunyip 21 Oct 1949). At the time of his passing in 1909, William (II) had the honour of being Gawler’s oldest resident, he was just 76 years old!
Bassett Town is an historic area in Gawler, South Australia, established in 1857 as a subdivision to connect the Gawler Railway Station to the main township It was surveyed and laid out in 1858 by George Warren and initially represented speculative development along the railway line. with Elizabeth Street (now Twentyfirst Street), named after the wife and daughter of William Bassett and what was a main road to the Railway station Murray Street now Nineteenth Street
Bassett Town is situated west and east of the Gawler Railway Station, intended to facilitate settlement and development along the connecting routes. with Adelaide Road (later Barnet Road) defining the western boundary ,It was part of the broader plan to connect the railway station with Gawler's main street (Murray Street) and promote growth along the routes.
While initially experiencing slow growth, Bassett Town eventually saw residential and industrial development, particularly in response to the railway and other industries. The highly successful May Bros. Gawler Foundry was established in Bassett Town in 1885 by Frederick and Alfred May.
Bassett Town holds historical significance, with several buildings and sites listed on the Town of Gawler Local and Contributory Heritage List. Bassett Town eventually became part of Gawler South and was incorporated into the Gawler Corporation boundaries.
In the 1930s, Elizabeth Street in Bassett Town was renamed Twentyfirst Street as part of a numbering system when the area became part of Gawler South.
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