Joseph Hawdon
Encyclopedia
Joseph Hawdon was a pioneer settler
and overlander of Australia
and New Zealand
.
Hawdon was born at Wackerfield
, Durham
, England
, the son of John Hawdon. At the suggestion of his brother elder brother John (who had arrived in Sydney in 1828), he decided to travel to Australia, arriving in Sydney
in November 1834. In 1836 Hawdon together with John Gardiner
and John Hepburn
made an overland journey to Melbourne
with cattle, the first to come from New South Wales
. Hawdon returned to Sydney but came to Melbourne again in 1837, and in August took up land near the present site of Dandenong
. About the end of that year the newly-established South Australian settlement was threatened with famine, and Hawdon, who had returned to New South Wales, with Charles Bonney
, drove 300 head of cattle from the Goulburn
district to Adelaide
, where they arrived on 3 April 1838. Along the route they discovered a fine lake, which Hawdon named after Bonney - Lake Bonney
. Charles Sturt
in an official report made in August 1838 said of this journey: "Messrs Hawdon and Bonney could not have taken a more direct line or shortened the journey more wisely".
Hawdon also became the official mail contractor between Melbourne and Yass
at the beginning of 1838. He made his headquarters at or near Melbourne for many years, and was one of the directors of the Pastoral and Agricultural Society when it was formed in 1840, and a member of the committee of the Victorian Horticultural Society which was inaugurated in November 1848. He had a property at Heidelberg
and in August 1851 discovered a few grains of gold near the Yarra River
. He remained in Australia until 1858 and then returned to England.
In 1863 Hawdon took up land between Christchurch
and Westland
, New Zealand
, and afterwards spent some years in England. He returned to New Zealand, was nominated to the New Zealand Legislative Council
in 1866. He died at Christchurch on 12 April 1871.
Hawdon River
and Lake Hawdon are named after him. He married in 1842 Emma (daughter of W. Outhwaite) who died in 1853. His eldest daughter Emma Josephine married Robert Campbell
on 2 December 1868 in Christchurch, and his daughter Alice married Edward Wingfield Humphreys
on 22 April 1869 in Christchurch.
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
and overlander of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Hawdon was born at Wackerfield
Wackerfield
Wackerfield is a hamlet in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the north west of Darlington....
, Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of John Hawdon. At the suggestion of his brother elder brother John (who had arrived in Sydney in 1828), he decided to travel to Australia, arriving in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in November 1834. In 1836 Hawdon together with John Gardiner
John Gardiner
John Gardiner may refer to:* John Gardiner * John Sylvester John Gardiner * John Gardiner , banker and grazier* John Gardiner , Scottish footballer...
and John Hepburn
John Stuart Hepburn
John Stuart Hepburn was an early pastoralist and landholder in Victoria, Australia.Hepburn was born in Scotland in 1800. He initially became a seafaring man and progressed to become a Master of a 226 ton brig, The Alice. In 1835 the Alice sailed for Hobart...
made an overland journey to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
with cattle, the first to come from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Hawdon returned to Sydney but came to Melbourne again in 1837, and in August took up land near the present site of Dandenong
Dandenong, Victoria
Dandenong is a suburb and major urban centre in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Situated on Dandenong Creek and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of...
. About the end of that year the newly-established South Australian settlement was threatened with famine, and Hawdon, who had returned to New South Wales, with Charles Bonney
Charles Bonney
Charles Bonney was a pioneer and politician in Australia.-Early life:Bonney was the youngest son of the Rev. George Bonney, a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and his wife Susanna, née Knight. He was born at Sandon, near Stafford, Staffordshire, England...
, drove 300 head of cattle from the Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
district to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, where they arrived on 3 April 1838. Along the route they discovered a fine lake, which Hawdon named after Bonney - Lake Bonney
Lake Bonney (Riverland)
Lake Bonney is a freshwater lake located in the Riverland region of South Australia. The town of Barmera is located on its shores. The lake was discovered by Europeans on 12 March 1838, when encountered by the overlanding party of Joseph Hawdon and Charles Bonney, who were the first to drove...
. Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
in an official report made in August 1838 said of this journey: "Messrs Hawdon and Bonney could not have taken a more direct line or shortened the journey more wisely".
Hawdon also became the official mail contractor between Melbourne and Yass
Yass, New South Wales
Yass is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Yass Valley Shire. The name appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word, "Yarrh" , said to mean 'running water'....
at the beginning of 1838. He made his headquarters at or near Melbourne for many years, and was one of the directors of the Pastoral and Agricultural Society when it was formed in 1840, and a member of the committee of the Victorian Horticultural Society which was inaugurated in November 1848. He had a property at Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Victoria
Heidelberg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule....
and in August 1851 discovered a few grains of gold near the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
. He remained in Australia until 1858 and then returned to England.
In 1863 Hawdon took up land between Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and Westland
Westland Province
The Westland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1873 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. The capital was Hokitika.-Area:...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and afterwards spent some years in England. He returned to New Zealand, was nominated to the New Zealand Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
in 1866. He died at Christchurch on 12 April 1871.
Hawdon River
Hawdon River
The Hawdon River is a river of New Zealand. One of the headwaters of Canterbury's Waimakariri River, it flows south through Arthur's Pass National Park, reaching the Waimakariri to the north of the settlement of Cass....
and Lake Hawdon are named after him. He married in 1842 Emma (daughter of W. Outhwaite) who died in 1853. His eldest daughter Emma Josephine married Robert Campbell
Robert Campbell (New Zealand politician)
Robert Campbell was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Otago, New Zealand.He represented the Oamaru electorate from 1866 to 9 April 1869, when he resigned. He was appointed to the Legislative Council on 13 May 1870 and served on it until he died on 10 December 1889.-References:...
on 2 December 1868 in Christchurch, and his daughter Alice married Edward Wingfield Humphreys
Edward Wingfield Humphreys
Edward Wingfield Humphreys was a New Zealand member of parliament representing Christchurch North from 1889 to 1890. He was also a farmer in Otago, and his extended family included a number of political figures.-Early life:...
on 22 April 1869 in Christchurch.