In 1853 Smith emigrated to South Australia aboard the California and began business as an importer of ironmongery at Adelaide, initially collaborating with his cousin James Alexander Holden. On 25 June 1857 he married Florence Stock, daughter of Robert Stock of Clifton, England. They would have two surviving children before she died in 1862.
Smith was Mayor of the Town of Kensington and Norwood during the years 1867–70 and 1871–73, and was afterwards elected to the Adelaide City Council. He served three terms as Mayor of Adelaide: in 1879–82, 1886–87 and 1887–88. In the city council he was always anxious to improve the city and it was a result of his advocacy that Adelaide had its first tramways, King William Street was extended, and the Torrens Lake was formed.
Smith entered parliament in 1871 as member for East Torrens in the South Australian House of Assembly, and except for a year while he was visiting England, continued to represent this constituency until he retired in 1893. Though an active member of parliament, he was not anxious for office, and only once was included in a government; he was Minister for Education in the Bray ministry from March to June 1884. He was, however, responsible for some useful legislation including a first offenders act, and he took a leading part in the promotion of the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition of 1887–88. For this and his other services to the colony, he was knighted in 1888. In 1894, he gave the city a bronze statue of Queen Victoria, which was placed in the geographic centre of Adelaide in the centre of Victoria Square.
Member of the Legislative Council
Smith was elected to the South Australian Legislative Council as member for Southern Districts in 1894 and remained a member until 1902. During the whole of his parliamentary experience he never lost an election.
Retirement and other interests
Smith retired from the active conduct of his business in 1888, and retired from parliament in 1902. In retirement he took a great interest in a large number of institutions, to which he gave both time and money. He was chairman of the national park commissioners, and a trustee of the Savings Bank of South Australia. He was an active worker in the management of the Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution; the Adelaide hospital; the old colonists' association; the Elder workmen's homes; Adelaide Botanic Garden; and Adelaide Zoo. He was a patron or office-bearer in every important Adelaide sporting organisation, including holding the presidency of the South Australian Cricket Association for about 30 years. He was a regular churchgoer and for many years a deacon of Clayton Congregational Church, in Kensington. His public benefactions included £2,000 to clear Norwood Oval's debt; £2,000 for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution; and £1,000 to start an insurance fund for the Commercial Travellers' Association. He was also a private benefactor to many other causes. Smith died of a cerebral haemorrhage on 25 December 1919 at his home, "The Acacias", in the eastern suburb of Marryatville.
Family
On 25 June 1857 he married Florence Stock, daughter of Robert Stock of Clifton, England. They had two surviving children:
Florence Ida Smith married George Henry Dean in 1882
S. Talbot Smith BA LLB married Florence Oliver Chettle in 1887
He married again in 1869 to Elizabeth Spicer. They had no further children.
When the Norwood Football Club decided in December 2005 to set up a "Hall of Fame", Smith was appointed one of the 10 non-playing inaugural members. "Sir Edwin Thomas Smith was patron of Norwood from the club’s first day in 1878 until his last, Christmas Day 1919". "More than any other individual, Sir Edwin ensured that the club built its early sporting life on solid foundations".
