David Gall was a printer in the early days of colonial South Australia.
History
Gall was born in Woodbridge, Suffolk, where he served his apprenticeship as a printer, worked for a time in London, then with his young wife emigrated to South Australia aboard William Stevenson, arriving in Adelaide in May 1850. He found employment in the printing business, and in July 1855 was admitted to the partnership of Hussey & Shawyer, trading as Hussey, Shawyer and Gall on King William Street, "near Green's Exchange". Shawyer left in 1856 to open his own printery on Gawler Place, and Hussey and Gall continued to March 1857, when Gall took over the running of the business, at that time located at 47 King William Street, adjacent Green's Auction Mart, "at the end of a long passage". In August 1859 they moved to larger premises at 89 King William Street, opposite White's Rooms. They were still at the same address when Gall founded The Comet, a monthly magazine which he used, inter alia to promote his arguments for protection of native industries. In 1871 the business was saved from destruction when the "Nimble Ninepence" store next door was destroyed by fire. Reginald Sheridan , the manager, commenced removal of records and valuable paper after the first explosion, but in the event action by the fire brigade prevented the fire from spreading. In January 1873 Gall sold the business to Sheridan, who continued to run it as "Gall & Sheridan", until July 1875, when he sold it to George, Edmund and George Scrymgour, jun., the first two having been members of Gall's staff. They continued trading as Gall & Sheridan until November, when it became Scrymgour & Sons, and was still operating under that name at 115 King William Street in 1962.
Other interests
Gall was a prolific letter-writer to the Adelaide press, ever ready to push his views on a variety of subjects. He believed without protection, Australian industry and enterprise would never develop, and under the slogan "What shall we do with our boys?", and its reply "Encourage local industries, so as to give them profitable employment" strongly argued his case.
While on holidays in Europe, following his relinquishing of the business to Sheridan, he wrote regular reports for the South Australian press, and later, as "Delta", was a regular contributor to the South-Eastern Star, a Mount Gambier weekly published by James FletcherJones & Co. from 2 October 1877 to 13 October 1930, when it was taken over by its competitor The Border Watch.
He edited a Guide to Adelaide, published by Scrymgour & Sons, for the use of visitors to the Jubilee Exhibition.
Though never a political candidate he was, as a frequent auditor in the Strangers' Gallery, well informed on political debate in both houses of parliament.
He was an active member of the Field Naturalists Society, and a frequent participant in their rambles.
He was recognised as an amateur artist.
Family
Gall married Maria Cottingham before emigrating to South Australia in 1850.
Maria Gall
He married again, to Winnifred Mary Giles on 16 October 1857
Ernest Gall, the photographer
They had a family home at 17 Tynte Street, North Adelaide.
