John Harvey Finlayson (3 February 1843 – 30 March 1915) was the editor and part-owner of the South Australian Register.
Employment and social advocacy He joined The Register in 1861 and became head reporter 1866, a proprietor in 1877 and editor in 1878, succeeding John Howard Clark, resigning in 1899 due to ill-health. He was then appointed resident reporter in Britain until retiring and returning to Adelaide in 1908, dying 7 years later.
As an editor he was an outspoken supporter of female suffrage, free secular education, free trade between the Colonies, and Federation.
Finlayson was an active Congregational churchman and was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1880.
In 1878 Finlayson built a residence "Strelda" in North Adelaide which still stands, at 217-221 Stanley Street.29. House, 217–221 Stanley Street , "Stanley Street Stroll", Historical Walking Trail, Lower North Adelaide pg.41, Adelaide City Council. Designed by R Rees in 1878 for newspaper editor John H Finlayson of the SA Register, the house was built as Strelda and presents itself to Stanley Street as being only one storey. At the rear, a magnificent segmented bay and balcony affords fabulous views across the Torrens Valley, to the City and the Adelaide Hills.
Finlayson Place, in the Canberra suburb of Gilmore, is named in his honour.
Family and education Finlayson was born at "Helenholm", Mitcham, South Australia.Finlayson, John Harvey Love, J. H. Australian Dictionary of Biography online accessed 14 July 2011Baptist Churches in Mitcham, Mitcham Local History Service and Heritage Research Centre, July 2006, last updated 3/12/2009, accessed 17 September 2011"Helenholm" still stands at 1 Finlayson Street, NetherbyNetherby City of Mitcham He was one of nine children born to William Finlayson (1813 – 18 December 1897) and his wife, née Helen Harvey (born Edinburgh 1811 – 20 October 1884).Departure of J Harvey Finlayson South Australian Register 24 June 1899 p.8 accessed 24 July 2011a poor original – replace when better quality reproduction of source foundThe Late Mr. William Finlayson South Australian Register 18 December 1897 p.7 accessed 24 July 2011
He was educated at George Mugg's school (founded 1847, later to become Mitcham Primary School, the oldest in South Australia) and Adelaide Educational Institution, where he emulated the successes of his older brother R. K. Finlayson.
Finlayson married Alice Shoobridge (ca. 1847 – 6 June 1933) on 20 March 1878. They had a son Harvey Pym Finlayson (a Boer War heroA Dashing South Australian Sydney Morning Herald 21 November 1900 p.7 accessed 24 July 2011 killed 27 February 1915 in Elwood, Victoria when the car he was driving left the road,Elwood Motor Accident The Register 10 March 1915 p.8 accessed 24 July 2011) and a daughter Katharine, "Kate", who never married.Death of Mr. John Harvey Finlayson The Register 31 March 1915 p.8 accessed 24 July 2011
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