John Norman was the son of Robert Norman (1775-1844) and Sarah (nee Herbert) (1775-1854). John Norman, aged 22 years, married Elizabeth Ann Sayer (1808-1882), aged 20 years, at St Marks Church. Kennington, Surrey, England on 15 September 1828. Religion – Church of England. John Norman (31), his wife Elizabeth (29) and their four children Sarah Anna (10), Eliza (7), Fanny (3) and John junior (1) arrived in South Australia on board Thomas Harrison from London on 24 February 1839. John and Elizabeth Norman eventually had eight children (1 son and 7 daughters):
- Sarah Anna (1829-1899) married William Pethick (1825-1862) on 16 August 1853 at Willunga; she died at Unley
- Eliza (1831-1897) married Frederick George Hollis Boys (1831-1905) on 2 May 1857 at Willunga; she died at Fullerton
- Fanny (1836-1908) married Ebenezer Hewett (1829-1876) on 28 March 1855 at St Stephens Church, Willunga; she died at Caltowie
- John (1838-1889) married Selina Polkinghorne at the residence of Richard Polkinghorne, Willunga on 16 Sept 1869; he died at Yorketown
- Jane (1840-1915) married Ethelbert Hewett (1836-1914) at St Stephens Church, Willunga on 20 June 1860; she died at New Parkside
- Emma Ellen (1843-1919) born at Ashley Farm village married Samuel Arundall Paynter (1829-1902) at Wesleyan Chapel, Encounter Bay on 18 June 1864; she died at Broken Hill, New South Wales
- Kate (1845-1929) born at Willunga, married Edward Scoones Lillywhite (1842-1916) at the Episcopal Church, Normanville in 1869; she died at Port Pirie
- Mary (1848-1892) born at Willunga, married John Martin on 20 March 1873 at the residence of John Norman at Normanville; year and place of death unconfirmed
By 1840 John Norman was resident in Wright Street in the City of Adelaide. By 1841 John Norman was playing a wide-ranging role in civic affairs and public meetings in the colony. He was elected as a common councilman for the City of Adelaide, he was secretary of the Adelaide and Banking Trust Company and secretary of the “Memorial of the Artizans and Laborers of Adelaide” in 1841. Sometime between 1841 and 1844 John Norman moved to the Willunga District and he was probably resident from about 1844 until at least the early 1860s. John Norman was involved in establishing the Farmers’ and Stockholders’ Annual Show at Willunga in 1844 and he won the prize for the best cow at the Willunga Farmers Club in August 1844. In 1847 he was involved in arranging donations for the South Australian British Destitution Relief Fund (for the Irish Famine) and he donated £1 to the Fund. In the 1850s he paid rates on four sections of land (629, 639, 640 & 652) owned by the Bishop of Adelaide (Augustus Short) and located at Sellicks Beach. In 1851 he was involved in the establishment of the Aldinga Farmers Association and was elected as the inaugural Secretary. In 1858 John Norman was Chair of the Aldinga District Council at the time that the Sellick’s Hill Road was established. Recently established in 1858, the Sellick’s Hill Hotel was renamed Norman’s Victory Hotel to commemorate the “victory” to provide a new all-weather North-South route to Myponga and Yankalilla. He moved to Normanville in the early 1860s but continued to purchase, and pay rates on, land in the Willunga District. He had five allotments in the Willunga township (8, 9, 10, 79 & 80) and 4 sections, or parts of sections, (236, 702 761 and 765) close to the township.
John Norman, aged 66 years, died on 12 April 1873 at Normanville and he is buried in the Yankalilla Public cemetery. His widow Elizabeth died, aged 74 years, at Port Pirie on 26 March 1882.
