Matthew Moorhouse

Matthew Moorhouse (1813 – 29 March 1876) was an English pioneer in Australia, Protector of Aborigines, pastoralist and politician in South Australia.

Moorhouse studied medicine and obtained the degree of M.R.C.S. in 1836. He was practising medicine in Hanley, Staffordshire when the Crown appointed him protector of aborigines. He arrived in South Australia in 1839 along with the Rev. Ridgway William Newland on the Sir Charles Forbes.

Moorhouse endeavoured to guard the Indigenous people's rights and interests, and sometimes came in conflict both with the authorities and the press. An attempt to teach the children in their native language was not successful, but his interest in this led Moorhouse to prepare A Vocabulary and Outline of the Grammatical Structure of the Murray River Language, which was published at Adelaide in 1846. In January 1849 he was a member of the provisional committee in connection with the projected South Australian colonial railway. Moorhouse went to England in 1856 and lectured on South Australia and promoted migration. He then visited North America, where he travelled extensively by railroad and investigated various systems of education.

Moorhouse was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for the City of Adelaide (13 March 1860 to 9 November 1862). in 1860 and for 10 days in October 1861 was commissioner of Crown lands and immigration in the first Waterhouse ministry. Having resigned the position of protector of aborigines he became a successful pastoralist in the northern district for several years, only practising medicine in emergencies. Moorhouse purchased shares in properties near Riverton and Saddleworth, but soon sold out and with Joseph Fisher and others bought 27,700 acres (11,200 ha) near the Hummocks. Moorhouse managed the station until Robert Barr Smith bought it in 1870.

Moorhouse died after a short illness on his station Bartagunyah near Melrose, South Australia on 29 March 1876, leaving a widow, two sons and a daughter.