John Hallett

John Hallett was born at Woodford, Essex, England, in 1804, and died 10 June 1868, at his residence ‘Ilfracombe’, Wattle Park, South Australia, and is buried St. George’s Anglican Church, cemetery, Magill¹. Some authorities suggest that the Village of Woodforde, which is now part of Magill, was named after Dr. John Woodforde, who had been surgeon aboard Colonel Light's ship The Rapid, but it is more likely that it was named after the birthplace of John Hallett.

John Hallett went into partnership with Captain John Finlay Duff as ‘Hallett and Duff’ and they jointly financed the journey to South Australia of the barque Africaine in 1836². It is impossible to be sure exactly who was onboard the Africaine. The ship was chartered by Robert Gouger (Colonial Secretary), and John Brown, from the joint-owners Thomas Finlay and Captain John Finlay Duff, who commanded the ship. Also onboard was Samuel East, a carpenter, and his family, who later became the sole tenants of the vast ‘Woodforde Estate’. Being a privately-owned vessel, there is no record of the crew beyond the name of the master and the casual mention of a few passengers’ names in diaries kept onboard. However, John Hallett, Mrs. Hallett, and three children, are listed as being “cabin and intermediate passengers”. The ship arrived at Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island, on 6 November 1836³.

Soon after their arrival in 1836, Hallett and Duff took occupation of the 720-acre ‘Woodforde Estate’ in the hills above Magill, an area that was only officially opened for selection in August 1838. Here they depastured the sheep they had acquired at Cape Town, South Africa, during the voyage of the Africaine. While Captain Duff continued to ply his trade as a master mariner, John Hallett established a successful sheep and cattle station on the ‘Woodforde Estate’. In fact, John Hallett was credited by the local newspapers as being the first person in South Australia to export wool back to England, in 1837.

In 1841, the partnership between Hallett and Duff was dissolved and Captain Duff became the sole owner of all the land in Woodforde. Captain Duff then added an additional 300-acres of adjoining land in ‘South Stradbroke’ and ‘Finchley’, to the existing 720-acre ‘Woodforde Estate’, most of which he leased to Samuel East, until East’s bankruptcy in 1843. Captain Duff set aside 1½ acres in the north-west corner of the Village of Woodforde, now Magill, to build St George’s Church of England in 1847. This church went on to become the first consecrated Anglican Church in the Province of South Australia and the church is still standing today⁴. John Hallett and his brother, Alfred Hallett, both maintained land holdings in the District of Campbelltown, as well as in areas beyond Burra, in the mid-north of South Australia⁵.

John Hallett was elected the Member for Sturt in the South Australian House of Assembly from March 1857 to October 1862, having been narrowly re-elected in 1860. He was defeated at the next election in 1862 by Mr. R. V. Andrews. In August 1863 he was one of five candidates for three vacancies in the Legislative Council, but was unsuccessful. He withdrew from public life, and until his death lived in relative obscurity. Around 1860 he took up his residence at ‘Ilfracombe’, Wattle Park, South Australia. In July 1863 his health deteriorated, and he transferred his business to his brother, Alfred Hallett, and subsequently ventured to the City only once, in September 1865. In 1868 he had three attacks of "serious apoplexy" (perhaps strokes), followed by bronchitis and died an hour or two before midnight, 10 June 1868, surrounded by his family. At his request, the funeral and burial were private affairs with no public notice being issued. He left a widow and 10 children – five sons and five daughters⁶.

Mr. John Hallett was mentioned in the list of Grand Jurors as being the purchaser of a town acre at the first land sale held on 27 March 1837, and again as a contributor towards the erection of the first Wesleyan Chapel in Hindley Street, City, in January 1838⁷. On March 26th of the same year, he was appointed as one of six gentlemen elected by the colonists “for the purpose of considering matters and recommending measures relative to the aborigines”. His colleagues being the Revs. C. B. Howard, A. M. and T. Q. Stow, Messrs. J. B. Hack, E. Stephens, and J. Morphett. On 15 October 1838, he joined in the address of congratulation and welcome to Governor Gawler on his arrival, and a few days later he is mentioned as among those whose “liberal assistance” had called forth sincere gratitude from the Catholics of South Australia. It is, however, impossible to allude to every incident connected with his lengthened career in the colony. He engaged in pastoral pursuits in which he continued to have an interest until his death⁸.

Mount Bryan massacre

The Town of Hallett, in the mid-north of South Australia was posthumously named after John Hallett in 1870, as it was situated on one of his former properties called ‘Willogoleche’. However, in 1844 John Hallett’s stockmen at ‘Willogoleche’ were implicated in the brutal slaying of as many as 30 people from the local Ngadjuri people, in reprisal for the suspected theft of a large number of sheep, the incident later became known as the ''Mount Bryan massacre". One Aboriginal man, known as ‘Kangaroo Jack’ was charged with sheep stealing, and later released, but none of the stockmen were charged over the killings⁹.

John’s wife Maria arrived with John in South Australia in 1836 aboard the Africaine. John and Maria lived for a time on Kangaroo Island before moving to Glenelg. John Hallett owned the stations “Winnininnie” and “Mundi Mundi” in the Barrier Ranges. Maria died in 1891 (age 82) and is also buried at St. George’s Anglican Church cemetery.

Alfred Hallett

Alfred Hallett was born in 1814, London, England, and died 3 November 1877, at Medindie, South Australia. He was the brother of Richard Hallett, William Hallett, John Hallett, Mary Ann Hallett and 3 others. His first wife, Emma Hallett, died in 1845, and he married his second wife, Catherine Hallett (nee Young) in 1851. His children were, Alfred Hallett, George Hallett, Catherine Louise Hallett, son Hallett, Isabella M. Hallett and 2 others, some of whom were born at ‘East Payneham’, now Tranmere¹⁰.

Alfred Hallett arrived in South Australia in 1838, joining his brother John on the ‘Worthing’ farm along the Field River, near Reynella, where the previous year his brother John Hallett had discovered a small rocky beach that became known as Hallett’s Cove. The Worthing Mining Company was formed after copper was discovered on the property in 1847, with 10 men contributing 1,000 pounds each to begin. The company purchased the property from the Hallett brothers and Alfred was appointed mine manager. Cornish miners were employed under the supervision of Captain John Richards and mining began in 1849.

The company struggled when it lost most of its workforce to the Victorian gold rush during the 1850s. After the Worthing Mine was abandoned, Alfred went on to manage the Bremer Mine at Callington, which was also run by the Worthing Mining Company. Alfred Hallett was also a Lands Title Commissioner and was on the Railway Commission which recommended a railway system for South Australia. He was a member of the Central Road Board for 15 years and was chairman at his death¹¹.

Alfred Hallett went into partnership with his brother John, as the ‘Hallett Brothers’ from 1842 until John Hallett’s death in 1868. After John’s death, Alfred Hallett continued running their combined pastoral properties until his own death in 1877. The brothers owned a number of properties in the Mid North and northern Flinders Ranges, including ‘Wandillah’, ‘Willogoleche’, ‘Caroona’ and ‘Mutooroo’. Although, the properties were badly affected by drought in the 1860s¹².

Hallett Avenue, Tranmere, was named after Alfred Hallett, who owned a 39-acre property on the north-west corner of Hallett Avenue and modern-day Glynburn Road, in an area then known as ‘East Payneham’. The property included a 10-room house, and a number of outbuildings, it was the family’s primary residence between about 1856 and 1869.

Researched and compiled by Vaughan Williams and Sue Polkinghorn, volunteers with the Campbelltown Library “Digital Diggers” group.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the information in this local history article, please contact the Local History officer on 8366 9357 or hthiselton@campbelltown.sa.gov.au

References

1. Hallett Family Folder, local history room, Campbelltown Public Library, S.A., viewed 4 April, 2019.
2. Campbelltown City Council, Local History Articles, viewed 4 April, 2019 http://www.campbelltown.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=4614&c=27157
3. Magill Section 342 Woodforde Folder, local history room, Campbelltown Public Library, viewed April 4, 2019
4. Hallett Family Folder, local history room, Campbelltown Public Library, S.A., viewed 4 April, 2019.
5. St. George’s Magill, Self-guided interpretive cemetery tour 1848 to today (leaflet). viewed 4 April, 2019.
6. John Hallett (South Australian politician) Wikipedia. Viewed 4 April https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hallett_(South_Australian_politician)
7. WikiTree John Hallett (1804-1868) viewed 4 April, 2019. https//www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hallett-1097.
8. 1868 ‘OBITUARY’, South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA:1839-1900), 20 June, p.6., viewed 4 April, 2019, https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article 39185068.
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hallett_(South_Australian_politician), viewed 4 April, 2019.
10. Gen.i Alfred Hallett (1814-1877) – genealogy viewed 4 April, 2019. https://www.geni.com/people/Alfred-Hallett/6000000017018743827
11. State Library of SA. The Foundation of South Australia 1800-1851 SA Northern Pioneers: A Hallett. Viewed 4 April, 2019. www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=5222 .
12. State Library of SA. The Foundation of South Australia 1800-1851 SA Northern Pioneers: A Hallett. Viewed 4 April, 2019. www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=5222 .

Photo References

1. Wikipedia File: John Hallett.SA.jpeg viewed 4 April, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Hallett_SA.jpeg
2. State Library SA Mrs. John Hallett, viewed 4 April, 2019. https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+22871
3. State Library SA Old Colonists 1836-1840: Alfred Hallett, viewed 4 April, 2019. https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+8235/1/10T