Apprentices' Stories
Sidney Turner
Sidney Turner was one of five participants in the scheme recruited from the Padcroft Boys' Home. He was placed with G. Francis Mahood at 'Fernbank', Yandia, near Booleroo Centre.
Unfortunately not long after his arrival he stole several items from Mahood, including a gun, and absconded. He was arrested and sentenced to six months in the State Childrens' Department's Magill Reformatory (now part of the University of South Australia’s Magill Campus).
The following letter to Immigration Officer Field, written by Turner while at Magill (archived at State Records of South Australia), explains his background in his own words:
Excuse me taking the liberty of writing to you only I would like to tell you the truth concerning myself in England. In the first place, Sir, when you so kindly visited me a few weeks back, you asked me if I had done anything wrong in England and I like a coward, told a lie and said no, well Sir, in the next few lines I will endeavour to tell you of my wrong doing and why I left England.
'Last June twelvemonth (1913) I was working as a Junior Clerk in the City and a part of my duties was to collect the cash off the carmen and one day I was suddenly tempted and ran away with ₤1-18-9. About a week later I returned to London and was at once arrested and taken before the Court and they put me under “The Probation Act” for twelve months, and I was out of work and had to pay my Landlady for my board and lodging for a week, the total of which amounted to 15/-, so not telling her I was leaving I packed up one or two things, which I required and left, leaving a suit behind me which was worth at least 15/- but Sir I would have stopped and paid her, if it had not been for her putting a strange fellow to sleep in my room without my consent first and as I was paying the rent of the whole room I did not think it fair.
'After leaving there, I went to the Court Missionary and asked him to send me back to the home, which he did and from there they sent me to Australia … I was not able to manage very well with my Stepfather, family affairs not permitting me, which I would disclose to you if you required me to … I stated that I had never been convicted, which is true, because the Manager of the Home told me so … I have resolved that when I come out, I am going to start life afresh and prove myself to be a true Englishman.'
Upon release from Magill, Turner travelled to Sydney, New South Wales, to live with his uncle. However, his resolution to reform came unstuck when he again absconded after stealing money from his cousin.
It is probable that Turner's behaviour was the basis of the South Australian Government's decision to reject any further applicants from the Padcroft Boys' Home.
Turner's replacement on Mahood's farm was Arthur Floate from the Redhill Farm School.