According to a family tree entry in ancestry.com, John Stephens was born on 11 October, 1827 at St Agnes, on the west coast of Cornwall, son of John and Susannah Stephens. Note, however, that his obituary states that he was born in Wales.

The Biographical Index of South Australians records that he came to Australia twice - the first time in 1850, and the second time in 1853, on the "Ramillies", this time embarking at South Australia.

A staunch Methodist, he was twice married, firstly to Eliza Sims, on 27 December 1853 in Adelaide, by whom he had seven children. After her death in 1886, he married Mary Jane Holman, on 22 December 1888, at Burra in South Australia.

In the Biographical Index he is listed as having been a teacher, miner, homœopath and physician.

In an autobiographical sketch of his life published a few years before his death, it is reported that Stephens gave a number of interesting reminiscences, mainly regarding his involvement with the Methodist Church. He also stated: - "Having studied medicine in my youth with a view to become a medical missionary, circumstances rendered it necessary to use that knowledge for the benefit of the public, and resulted in my visiting America in 1875 to complete my medical education. Shortly after my return I removed to Mongalata, which at that time was opened for settlement."

Given his medical studies prior to his arrival in Australia, it is therefore possible that John Stephens commenced providing homœopathic treatments from around 1853.

Stephens studied at the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, graduating in 1875.

In April 1877, the South Australian Register reported that he had been appointed to be a member of the Board of Management of the Burra Hospital.

During 1877, he was a doctor at Kooringa.

In June 1878, the Government Gazette reported that John Riccardo Stephens of Mongalatala was appointed to the Commission of the Peace, thus becoming a Justice of the Peace. In the South Australian directory for 1881 he was listed as a medical practitioner at Mongalatala, although he did not appear in the list of duly qualified and registered medical practitioners. This is probably because his American qualifications would not have been accepted by the Medical Board of South Australia.

John Stephens was very much involved with the rural activities of the area. In 1879 the Burra Record reported that he was Mongalatala's representative in a deputation to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, urging that prompt and unanimous action should be taken by the Government as well as by private persons for the destruction of rabbits in the locality.

In March 1883 the Burra Record reported that his partnership as a sheep farmer with John Brayley at Uloooloo had expired. In 1888 he reported on the large variety of fruit trees which he was growing successfully, without the aid of irrigation. He suggested that, with proper irrigation, even greater yields could be achieved in the district.

During the 1884 local elections, it was reported that 70 electors from all parts of the district had nominated Dr J. R. Stephens, J.P. of Ulooloo, to become their local representative. An advertisement recommended that people should "vote for your tried friend", who advocated local self government; the land for the people; taxation of the wealthy; free breakfast table.

John Stephens died on 2 September, 1912, aged 84, at Gumeracha in South Australia, where he is buried.

His obituary was published in The Register, 3 September 1912, under the heading "Death of Dr J.R. Stephens. An Interesting Personality".

© Barbara Armstrong