| Philip Santo | |
| Office1: | South Australian Commissioner of Public Works |
| Term Start1: | 8 October 1861 |
| Term End1: | 17 October 1861 |
| Premier1: | George Waterhouse |
| Predecessor1: | Alexander Hay |
| Successor1: | John Lindsay |
| Term Start2: | 15 July 1863 |
| Term End2: | 4 August 1864 |
| Premier2: | Henry Ayers |
| Predecessor2: | William Townsend |
| Successor2: | William Milne |
| Term Start3: | 20 September 1865 |
| Term End3: | 23 October 1865 |
| Premier3: | Henry Ayers |
| Predecessor3: | Francis Dutton |
| Successor3: | Thomas English |
| Term Start4: | 3 May 1867 |
| Term End4: | 24 September 1868 |
| Premier4: | Henry Ayers |
| Predecessor4: | Thomas English |
| Successor4: | William Everard |
| Term Start5: | 13 October 1868 |
| Term End5: | 3 November 1868 |
| Premier5: | Henry Ayers |
| Predecessor5: | William Everard |
| Successor5: | John Colton |
| Birth Date: | 7 August 1818 |
| Birth Place: | Saltash, Cornwall, England |
| Death Place: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Spouse: | Elizabeth Pean |
Philip Santo (7 August 1818 – 17 December 1889) was a South Australian politician and businessman.
Santo was born at Saltash, Cornwall, and trained to be a carpenter. At the age of 22 he left for South Australia on the ship Brightman, arriving in Adelaide in December 1840. He worked as a builder in Adelaide, then Burra. He moved to Melbourne during the rush to the Victorian goldfields but soon returned to set up a shop in Grote Street near Victoria Square in 1857, then Waymouth Street from 1866, then from 1873 as Philip Santo & Co in Waymouth Street and Lipson Street Port Adelaide; initially selling timber. then building materials then general hardware, riverboats and ships. By 1880 they had diversified into such disparate goods as patent medicines, perfumes and flavourings, American waggons, brooms, "kerosine", "gasoline" and cabinet organs.[1] He was reported as the 1867 purchaser of Levi & Watt's newly-completed warehouse at 96 King William Street (now the site of the Commonwealth Bank) which became a warehouse for drapery wholesaler D. & W. Murray,[2] but it appears he was acting for one T. Martin, an English investor.[3] In 1880 his company erected a new building on Waymouth Street, designed by architect D. Garlick. Tenants included Conigrave & Collison, agents and patent attorneys, and the S.A. Chamber of Manufactures.Santo's company ceased advertising around 1890.
Santo was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1860 for the City of Adelaide district, 1862 and 1865 for East Adelaide then in 1868 for Barossa and was appointed Commissioner of Public works on a number of occasions for various periods, first in the Waterhouse cabinet, then with Henry Ayers to 1868. He lost his seat in 1870, during which year he was elected to the Legislative Council and held that seat for 21 years.[4] [5]
He was an active member of the Christian Church, of which Rev. Thomas Playford and Herbert Hussey were contemporary adherents, and as an Elder frequently preached in their chapels in Grote Street and Bentham Street.
He had residences "Clapham Park" in Mitcham[6] and "Fernleigh House" on West Terrace, Adelaide, where he died.[7]
Santo married Elizabeth Pean (23 September 1816 – 28 February 1904); they had four daughters and one son:
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