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When Joseph and Sophia March arrived in South Australia in July 1846, the City of Adelaide was barely ten years old.
They had travelled from Aylsham in Norfolk, England, aboard the Canton, seeking a new life in a young colony. After settling at Peachey Belt, now part of modern-day Penfield, the couple became part of South Australia’s early farming community.
Now, 180 years on, their descendants are preparing to come together for a major family reunion in Balaklava.
On Sunday August 9 2026, descendants of Joseph and Sophia March will gather at the Balaklava Football and Netball Club to mark 180 years since the family’s arrival in Australia.
The milestone reunion will bring together branches of a family that has spread across South Australia and beyond, with descendants connected to the Adelaide Plains, Yorke Peninsula, Mid North, Riverland, Murraylands and other regional communities.
Joseph and Sophia had 11 children, nine of whom survived childhood. Eight of their children went on to marry and establish family lines that continue today.
As South Australia grew, members of the March family became closely connected with farming, local government, churches, community service, sport, education, business, music and science. Family lines were established through areas including Grace Plains, Dalkey, Willamulka, Alford, Bute, Port Broughton, Kadina, Balaklava and surrounding districts.
Among the family’s influential pioneer settlers were Joseph March and Mary Ann Featherstone, Charles March and Edith Fanny Matthews, Samuel March and Ada Atkinson, and Alfred March and Henrietta Hall Tiller.
What began with one Norfolk family has become an eight-generation South Australian story, with descendants contributing to communities across the state and overseas.
Research undertaken ahead of the reunion has uncovered a remarkable list of descendants.
Phineas Botten, grandson of Joseph and Sophia through their daughter Hannah March, became one of the founders of the South Australian Stock Exchange and was a prominent figure in the state’s mining and finance sectors during the late 19th century.
Dr Malcolm Hemmerling achieved national prominence through his leadership roles with the Adelaide Grand Prix, before later becoming Chief Executive Officer of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Organising Committee.
Ronald Keith Baker OAM also made a lasting community contribution. He served as Chairman of the Munno Para Council, became the first Station Officer of the Virginia Emergency Fire Service Brigade, received the National Medal and EFS Life Membership, and was later awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.
The family’s history also includes stories of education and humanitarian service.
Jessie Katherine March devoted much of her life to teaching and missionary work in Papua New Guinea. She spent 14 years teaching in New Britain and later became Principal of the Vunairima Girls School, helping provide education opportunities for young women in remote communities. During World War II, she was also involved in the evacuation of children from Croker Island.
Other descendants have contributed to science, communications and healthcare.
Keith Parker worked in communications and, in 1966, was transferred to Perth to oversee facilities supporting NASA’s Gemini and Apollo space programs. Ira Parker served in local government and healthcare, including 24 years as Chairman of the Balaklava Hospital Board.
Modern generations have continued that strong connection to achievement and community service.
Australian Opals basketballer Stephanie Talbot, captain of the Adelaide Lightning, has represented Australia internationally, including at multiple Olympic Games, in the WNBA and at the Commonwealth Games. Fellow descendant Krystel Pugsley represented Australia at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, where her women’s basketball team won gold.
The family also includes internationally recognised figures such as radio astronomer Professor Rod Davies, former Director of the Jodrell Bank Observatory; Professor Noel Baker of Imperial College London; Peter Brideoake of The Twilights, who later became a lecturer in music at the University of Adelaide; and musicians Benedict, Tobias and Elinor Lea.
Closer to home, descendants continue to play roles in regional South Australia, including Copper Coast Mayor Roslyn Talbot and Brenton and Joanne March, owners of Kadina Freight Service.
The August reunion will feature historical displays, photographs, military memorabilia and family treasures. Descendants will also be able to record family stories and memories as part of an oral history project designed to preserve the March family’s history for future generations.
Organisers hope the event will help connect relatives who may not yet know they are part of the wider March family story.
The March family 180-year reunion will be held on Sunday August 9 2026, from 11am to 4pm, at the Balaklava Football and Netball Club.
Descendants and relatives interested in attending can RSVP by emailing [email protected] with their name, contact details and number of attendees.
