James Collins Hawker
| James Collins Hawker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
April 10, 1821 Catsfield, England. |
| Died | May 15, 1901 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | explorer, surveyor, aide-de-camp, diarist, author, settler |
| Notable work | Early Experiences in South Australia |
James Collins Hawker (1821-1901) was an English-born explorer, surveyor, diarist and pastoralist[1] of South Australia, aide-de-camp to Governor George Gawler,[2] and subsequently Comptroller of H.M. Customs at Port Adelaide.[2]
Early life
Hawker was born in Catsfield, England. He was a son of Admiral Edward Hawker, R.N. After an educational career in French, Swiss, and Italian academies, his education was completed at the High School in Tavistock Square, London.[3]
He had two brothers, George Charles Hawker and Charles Hawker, with both of whom he settled in Australia in 1841.
Australia
Hawker sailed to South Australia in 1838 with Governor George Gawler, who was an old friend of his father, and who was to succeed Captain Hindmarsh, R.N., the first viceregal representative in the colony. Gawler had made an offer to Hawker's father to take one of his sons to South Australia with him when he took up his new post. They duly arrived in Adelaide in October, and Hawker accompanied the new governor on his official entry into the city, and witnessed the swearing-in at the viceregal residence. In those days Adelaide was still described as a "wretched mudhole", and it was there that Hawker would meet his future wife, Louisa Lipson (1829 – 5 August 1918), and his future father-in-law, Captain Thomas Lipson, R.N.[4]
In December 1838, Hawker joined the party which conducted a survey on the Sturt River, led by J. W. McLaren who became Deputy Surveyor-General of South Australia.[4] Hawker was the fourth officer in that party, and subsequently led a survey party on the Onkaparinga River. Amongst the officers was Mr. John McDouall Stuart, explorer and draughtsman. Hawker executed surveys in other parts of the colony, before resigning and returning to Government House to assist in the Private Secretary's office. He was present at the public dinner given to Colonel Gawler in 1840, and later in that same year he left for England in the ship Katherine Stewart Forbes.[4]
Finding that his two brothers, George and Charles, had themselves only just left for Australia, Hawker returned almost immediately to join them, sailing on the barque Siam. Leaving England in December 1840, he arrived back at Holdfast Bay in South Australia on 25 April 1841.[4][5]
Within ten days of arriving, Hawker had volunteered to accompany a party which went out to retrieve 5,000 sheep stolen near Chowilla from overlander Henry Inman (his future brother in law) by local Aboriginal people. The party found themselves opposed by between 200 and 300 warriors, and were forced to return empty-handed, with their commander wounded, and his horse badly speared.[3] Hawker subsequently went out as commissary under command of Police Commissioner O'Halloran, their force succeeding in protecting other settlers who had been attacked and in retrieving their animals.
Hawker soon settled down with his two brothers, and all three engaged in sheep-farming, initially at Mount Dispersion, near Anlaby, north of Nuriootpa. On 22 December 1841 he discovered a permanent water supply in the Mid-North of South Australia at Bungaree, which was improved by sinking a well, and transferred his stock there.[3] In 1843, James Hawker sold his share in the Bungaree Station to his brother George, and relocated to Moorundie on the River Murray. He, along with E. J. Eyre (explorer and later Governor of Jamaica) plus E. B. Scott (one-time superintendent of Yatala Labour Prison) were the first three settlers on the Murray. However, his speculation proved unsuccessful and, in 1847, Hawker took up a post with H.M. Customs at Port Adelaide, eventually becoming comptroller in 1863.[3]
On 24 October 1850, Hawker married Louisa Lipson, the youngest daughter of Captain Thomas Lipson, Comptroller of Customs and Harbourmaster at Port Adelaide.[3]
In 1860 Hawker initiated the first rowing club at Port Adelaide, called the "Pelican", of which he was captain and an oarsman for many years.[3]
Diaries and publications
Hawker compiled diaries over much of his life, originally publishing them as articles that appeared in the South Australian Register and the Adelaide Observer. He subsequently published them in two books:
- Early Experiences in South Australia (1899), Adelaide: E.S. Wigg and Son.
- Early Experiences in South Australia, Second Series (1901), Adelaide: E.S. Wigg and Son.
The 1899 series gave detailed accounts of his journey to Australia on board the Pestonjee Bomanjee, his years there, the many acquaintances he met, including assisting the renowned ornithologist John Gould during his studies in 1839, and of his return to England on board the Katherine Stewart Forbes. The second series recounted his experiences for the years immediately after his return to Australia in 1842, including the establishment of the Bungaree station.[6]
Later life
In August 1872, Hawker retired from the customs branch, and went into private commercial life, establishing the business of land and station agency and surveyor. He also became a respected Freemason. At the time of his death in 1901, his business was continuing under the name of James C. Hawker & Son.[3]
In his later years Hawker lived a quiet life at Strangways-terrace, North Adelaide.[4] He died on 15 October 1901 and was buried at North Road Cemetery. He left a widow, three sons, and five daughters.[3]
References
- ↑ "Hawker, James Clarence (1859–1951)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. 1983. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- 1 2 "Hawker's diary". Treasures of the State Library. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The Late Mr. J. C. Hawker". The Register. 16 May 1901. Retrieved 25 September 2018 – via Trove.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Death of Mr. J. C. Hawker". The Advertiser. 16 May 1901. Retrieved 25 September 2018 – via Trove.
- ↑ "Hawker, George Charles (1818–1895)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Walsh, Kay; Hooton, Joy (1993). Australian Autobiographical Narratives: To 1850. Australian Scholarly Editions Centre/National Library of Australia. pp. 74–76. ISBN 0642105995. Retrieved 1 October 2017.