Peter Waite

Born on 9 May 1834 at Pitcairn near Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, son of James Waite, farmer, and his wife Elizabeth, née Stocks. Left fatherless, Waite trained and worked as an ironmonger in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. On 8 June 1859 he arrived in Melbourne in the British Trident and went to his brother James's station, Pandappa, near Terowie, South Australia.

In 1862 with (Sir) Thomas Elder Waite bought the adjoining Paratoo run, and he took over Pandappa's lease when his brother died in 1863. On 21 November 1864 Waite married his first cousin Matilda Methuen (d.1922) at Woodville; they had eight children. Waite lived at Paratoo until he bought Urrbrae, near Adelaide, in 1874.

In the 1870s Waite was a patron of the arts and later became a benefactor to the pastoral and agricultural industry, donating Urrbrae Estate to the University of Adelaide in 1913, subject to life tenancy for himself and his wife; half was to be for agricultural studies and the rest for a park.

In 1915 Claremont and part of Netherby, also near Urrbrae, were bought and given to the University, followed in 1918 by 5880 shares in Elder Smith & Co. Ltd to enable the land to be used as intended. The total value of his gifts to the University was estimated at £100,000.

In 1923 the Waite Agricultural Research Institute was established.

Waite retired in 1921 and died of heart failure on 4 April 1922 at Victor Harbor; he was survived by his wife and four children and a memorial service was held at St Michael's Anglican Church, Mitcham. His state was sworn for probate at £160,000. His family continued the tradition of generous gifts to the university and the institute.