Philip Santo

Philip Santo (7 August 1818 – 17 December 1889) was a South Australian politician and businessman.

Philip Santo
South Australian Commissioner of Public Works
In office 8 October 1861 – 17 October 1861
Premier	George Waterhouse
Preceded by	Alexander Hay
Succeeded by	John Lindsay
In office 15 July 1863 – 4 August 1864
Premier	Henry Ayers
Preceded by	William Townsend
Succeeded by	William Milne
In office 20 September 1865 – 23 October 1865
Premier	Henry Ayers
Preceded by	Francis Dutton
Succeeded by	Thomas English
In office 3 May 1867 – 24 September 1868
Premier	Henry Ayers
Preceded by	Thomas English
Succeeded by	William Everard
In office 13 October 1868 – 3 November 1868
Premier	Henry Ayers
Preceded by	William Everard
Succeeded by	John Colton
Personal details
Born	(1818-08-07)7 August 1818 Saltash, Cornwall, England
Died	17 December 1889(1889-12-17) (aged 71) Adelaide, South Australia
Spouse	Elizabeth Pean

History

Santo was born on 7 August 1818, at Saltash, and trained to be a carpenter. At age 22, he left for South Australia on the ship Brightman, arriving in Adelaide in December 1840. He worked as a builder in Adelaide, then Burra. He moved to Melbourne during the rush to the Victorian goldfields but soon returned to set up a shop in Grote Street near Victoria Square in 1857, then Waymouth Street from 1866, then from 1873 as Philip Santo & Co in Waymouth Street and Lipson Street Port Adelaide; initially selling timber. then building materials then general hardware, riverboats and ships. By 1880, they had diversified into such disparate goods as patent medicines, perfumes and flavourings, American waggons, brooms, "kerosine", "gasoline" and cabinet organs.^[1] He was reported as the 1867 purchaser of Levi & Watt's newly-completed warehouse at 96 King William Street (now the site of the Commonwealth Bank) which became a warehouse for drapery wholesaler D. & W. Murray,^[2] but it appears he was acting for one T. Martin, an English investor.^[3]

Santo's Buildings, Waymouth Street, Adelaide

In 1880, his company erected a new building on Waymouth Street, designed by architect D. Garlick. Tenants included Conigrave & Collison, agents and patent attorneys, and the S.A. Chamber of Manufactures. Santo's company ceased advertising around 1890.

Santo was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1860 for the City of Adelaide district, 1862 and 1865 for East Adelaide then in 1868 for Barossa and was appointed Commissioner of Public works on a number of occasions for various periods, first in the Waterhouse cabinet, then with Henry Ayers to 1868. He lost his seat in 1870, during which year he was elected to the Legislative Council and held that seat for 10 years.^[4][5]

He was an active member of the Christian Church, of which Rev. Thomas Playford and Herbert Hussey were contemporary adherents, and as an Elder frequently preached in their chapels in Grote Street and Bentham Street.

He had residences "Clapham Park" in Mitcham^[6] and "Fernleigh House" on West Terrace, Adelaide, where he died on 17 December 1889, aged 71.^[7]