J. B. Graham

John Benjamin Graham (8 March 1813 – 8 November 1876) was an English settler in the early days of South Australia, who became very wealthy thanks to his mining interests, then left the colony, but not before establishing a mansion for many years known as "Graham's Castle".

Graham grew up in Sheffield, England, and at age eighteen was apprenticed to an upholsterer in London. At his employer's urging and with ₤250 of his money to invest as well as £40 of his own, he emigrated to South Australia aboard Recovery, arriving in September 1839. He found work with an Adelaide ironmonger, but soon went into business on his own account and was quite successful.

Around 1845, after the discovery of copper at Burra Burra, he invested all his savings in South Australian Mining Association ("Snobs") shares, which repaid him handsomely: soon he was S.A.M.A.'s largest shareholder, with £1,090 in £5 shares, roughly 9% of the original total shareholding of £12,320, having presumably purchased additional scrip from early profit takers. Directors (all major shareholders) were Charles Beck, James Bunce, John Benjamin Graham, John Bentham Neales, William Paxton, William Peacock, Charles Septimus Penny, Emanuel Solomon, and Samuel Stocks, jun., with (later Sir) Henry Ayers as secretary. In two years he was in receipt of £16,000 in dividends per annum, tens of millions of dollars in today's currency.

In 1846 Graham purchased a 52 acres (21 ha) property, on the Lower North Road (now Prospect Road) in the suburb of Prospect, previously owned by John and Maria Richmond.

He erected a 3 metre-high stone fence, and engaged architect Thomas Price to build for him an opulent mansion of 30 rooms, dwarfing every other pile in the city, including Government House.

Tenders were called on 22 August 1846 to build a ten foot (3 metre) high limestone wall around four acres of the property and three weeks later tenders were invited from various trades to build the mansion, followed by tenders for coachhouse, and stables. It is likely, but not certain, that the Richmonds' cottage was retained, perhaps as servants' quarters.

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