George Hall (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
George Hall, M.L.C., often styled "Captain Hall", was a South Australian shipping agent, company director and politician.
He was born at Bromley, Kent
and left school at an early age to become a merchant seaman, and later captained ships on the East Indian and West Indian trade routes. His involvement with the South Australian Company began when David McLaren
, manager of the South Australian Company, controversially contracted him to transport goods for the Company from Singapore to Port Adelaide in the "Guiana", becoming, on 7 October 1840, the first to unload goods at the new wharf.
from around May 1840 to April 1841 which may have been him, though it is difficult to reconcile the first date with the record of Captain Hall's movements. In 1844 he returned to South Australia on the "Taglioni", and started a business salt-curing beef using a setup of his own design. He worked for a time on a cattle property near Angaston
then set up a shipping business in Port Adelaide; the ships he represented included "David Malcolm", "Punch" and "Velocity".
He was on the committee of the South Australian Railway Company which in 1849 amalgamated with the Adelaide City and Port Railway Company and subsequently folded. It would appear the shareholders lost their money.
He was on the committee of the Chamber of Commerce from its first AGM in 1851 to 1860 and chairman 1856 – 57
He was a director on the board of several mining companies, notably, from 1851, the South Australian Mining Association, owners of the Burra Burra mine. He was founder (with J. C. Verco, Philip Santo
, F. H. Faulding and a few others) of the Kurilla mine near Wallaroo
, purchased in 1863.
He was a founder, with Henry Ayers
, F. H. Faulding and a dozen others in 1861, of the South Australian Gas Company.
In March 1857 he was elected to the newly-formed Legislative Council
, and remained a member until his death.
but dying around 25 October 1888 at St. Leonards-on-Sea. They had no children.
From 1857, or perhaps earlier, he was the owner of "Woodside House", a 15-room home on 20 acres on Fullarton Road, Upper Mitcham which he irrigated, and which was later incorporated into Peter Waite
's "Urrbrae".
Banker Nathaniel Oldham (died 20 June 1888 at Semaphore) and family lived there from around 1867 to 1873 or later.
It served as home and schoolhouse for the Rev. W. H. Mudie from 1876 to 1883.
Suffering ill-health, he travelled to England but returned without the improvement he had hoped for and died.
His estate included "Wongyarra", 320 acres of farmland near Mount Remarkable, and substantial warehouses and offices on Lipson Street and Divett Street, Port Adelaide.
George's brothers Robert Liddell Hall (ca.1809 – 5 March 1864) and Anthony Hall (ca.1813 – 23 August 1880) followed him to South Australia, Robert living at The Grange, Goodwood Road and Anthony at the Semaphore. Robert's son George Liddell Hall made newspaper headlines when he disappeared off Glenelg jetty on 5 January 1891.
Mount Hall was named for him by John McDouall Stuart
in 1861.
The Hundred of Hall was named for him, and possibly the town of Halbury
, located within that Hundred.
He was born at Bromley, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and left school at an early age to become a merchant seaman, and later captained ships on the East Indian and West Indian trade routes. His involvement with the South Australian Company began when David McLaren
David McLaren (Colonial Manager)
David McLaren was a Scottish accountant and lay preacher who served as Resident Manager of the South Australian Company for the Colony of South Australia from 1837 to 1841.-Biography:...
, manager of the South Australian Company, controversially contracted him to transport goods for the Company from Singapore to Port Adelaide in the "Guiana", becoming, on 7 October 1840, the first to unload goods at the new wharf.
Business
A George Hall acted as private secretary to Harbour Master Thomas LipsonThomas Lipson
Thomas Lipson, R.N. generally known as Captain Lipson was born in Dartmouth, England, he joined the Royal Navy at an early age and had a successful if unspectacular career, ending as Harbour Master of Port Adelaide from 1836 to 1855.-Career:*1793 Lipson joined the Royal Navy as a first-class...
from around May 1840 to April 1841 which may have been him, though it is difficult to reconcile the first date with the record of Captain Hall's movements. In 1844 he returned to South Australia on the "Taglioni", and started a business salt-curing beef using a setup of his own design. He worked for a time on a cattle property near Angaston
Angaston, South Australia
Angaston is a town in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, 77 km north east of Adelaide. Its elevation is 347 m, one of the highest points in the valley, and has an average rainfall of 561 mm...
then set up a shipping business in Port Adelaide; the ships he represented included "David Malcolm", "Punch" and "Velocity".
He was on the committee of the South Australian Railway Company which in 1849 amalgamated with the Adelaide City and Port Railway Company and subsequently folded. It would appear the shareholders lost their money.
He was on the committee of the Chamber of Commerce from its first AGM in 1851 to 1860 and chairman 1856 – 57
He was a director on the board of several mining companies, notably, from 1851, the South Australian Mining Association, owners of the Burra Burra mine. He was founder (with J. C. Verco, Philip Santo
Philip Santo
Philip Santo was a South Australian politician and businessman. He 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...
, F. H. Faulding and a few others) of the Kurilla mine near Wallaroo
Wallaroo, South Australia
Wallaroo is a port town on the western side of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, 160 kilometres north-northwest of Adelaide. It is one of the three Copper Triangle towns famed for their historic shared copper mining industry, and known together as "Little Cornwall", the other two being Kadina ...
, purchased in 1863.
He was a founder, with Henry Ayers
Henry Ayers
Sir Henry Ayers GCMG was Premier of South Australia five times between 1863 and 1873, but is perhaps best remembered for having Uluru/Ayers Rock named for him.- Overview :...
, F. H. Faulding and a dozen others in 1861, of the South Australian Gas Company.
Politics
In July, 1851 he was elected to the South Australia's first parliament for the seat of Port Adelaide, his opponent being William Giles, manager of the South Australian Company. He submitted his resignation in July 1853 around the same time as that of J. T. Bagot, forcing the prorogation of parliament, and travelled to Great Britain, returning in August 1854.In March 1857 he was elected to the newly-formed Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
, and remained a member until his death.
Personal
Mrs Hall arrived in South Australia on the "Guiana" with her husband in 1840. The last newspaper reference to Mrs Hall in Adelaide was in March 1866 so she may have left some time between then and 1867 when their house had been let. Her last years were spent in England; living at Notting HillNotting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
but dying around 25 October 1888 at St. Leonards-on-Sea. They had no children.
From 1857, or perhaps earlier, he was the owner of "Woodside House", a 15-room home on 20 acres on Fullarton Road, Upper Mitcham which he irrigated, and which was later incorporated into Peter Waite
Peter Waite
Peter Waite was a South Australian pastoralist, businessman, company director and public benefactor. Waite's philanthropic endeavors provided significant benefit to the University of Adelaide and to local public schools, and generations of students have benefited from his largesse.-Career:Waite...
's "Urrbrae".
Banker Nathaniel Oldham (died 20 June 1888 at Semaphore) and family lived there from around 1867 to 1873 or later.
It served as home and schoolhouse for the Rev. W. H. Mudie from 1876 to 1883.
Suffering ill-health, he travelled to England but returned without the improvement he had hoped for and died.
His estate included "Wongyarra", 320 acres of farmland near Mount Remarkable, and substantial warehouses and offices on Lipson Street and Divett Street, Port Adelaide.
George's brothers Robert Liddell Hall (ca.1809 – 5 March 1864) and Anthony Hall (ca.1813 – 23 August 1880) followed him to South Australia, Robert living at The Grange, Goodwood Road and Anthony at the Semaphore. Robert's son George Liddell Hall made newspaper headlines when he disappeared off Glenelg jetty on 5 January 1891.
Recognition
Hall Street, Port Adelaide, near where he owned considerable property was probably named for him.Mount Hall was named for him by John McDouall Stuart
John McDouall Stuart
John McDouall Stuart was one of the most accomplished and famous of all Australia's inland explorers. Stuart led the first successful expedition to traverse the Australian mainland from south to north and return, and the first to do so from a starting point in South Australia, achieving this...
in 1861.
The Hundred of Hall was named for him, and possibly the town of Halbury
Halbury, South Australia
Halbury is a former railway town in South Australia, west of the Clare Valley, halfway between Balaklava and Auburn. At the 2006 census, Halbury had a population of 363.-Etymology:...
, located within that Hundred.