George HILL (1823-1895)

Chairman, Campbelltown District Council, 1868 to 1872; 1876 to 1881, (Campbelltown Ward).

George Hill served two terms as Chairman of the Campbelltown District Council, nine years in total. His first term was from 1st July 1868 to 1872 and his second term from 1876 to 1881. In all, he served 14 years and 4 months as both Councillor and Chairman. At this time, the population of the District of Campbelltown was 1,491 European people, according to the 1871 Census.

Hill was previously Chairman of the Payneham Council in 1866-1868, first elected in 1862 to represent the Norwood Ward, then re-elected each year until 1867, when he was elected to the newly formed Campbelltown District Council, which split from Payneham in 1868. During his first term as Chairman, the focus the Council appears to have been maintaining and upgrading the roads and waterways. Later, in 1877, he led deputations to the Commissioner of Public Works regarding the water supply to Athelstone.

George Hill arrived in South Australia in 1850 on the sailing ship Agincourt with his wife Mary (nee Jones) and family.  He held Block 9 (Section 309) on the corner of Lower North East Road and Hill Street, Campbelltown, for forty years. Hill Street was named after him. He later married Rachel (nee Hann) in 1881.

He was sworn in as a District Constable for Payneham in 1859 and during that year received a reward for brave conduct. “George Hill, a District Constable, having been severely stabbed in the execution of his duty, while endeavouring to secure a party supposed to be concerned in the robberies, lately so numerous in this district, the Council considered his brave conduct deserving of a liberal reward, they therefore initiated a subscription in his behalf, and requested the Clerk to solicit contributions for the same object.” Although he was later reprimanded for having provoked the incident.

It is believed that George Hill owned a horse stud, advertising the services of the draught horses Young Rantin Robin and Lord Dealcourt in the newspapers during 1879 throughout Campbelltown. He was described as ‘George Hill, Proprietor’. He also exhibited Young Rantin Robin at the 1876 Horticultural Show.

He was a member of the Loyal Newton Lodge of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. In 1879 when the Lodge was rebuilding their room, the plans were available for prospective builders from ‘Mr Hill’s Campbelltown’.

George Hill died on October 13, 1895, at his home in Hectorville and is buried at Payneham Cemetery.

Researched and compiled by Di Booker, a volunteer with the Campbelltown Library “Digital Diggers” group.
If you have any comments or questions regarding the information in this local history article, please contact Helen on 8366 9357 or hthiselton@campbelltown.sa.gov.au

References

New Road Bill. South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail 2 September 1871 page 5. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92266411

Deputation. Water Supply at Athelstone. The South Australian Advertiser 31 January 1877 page 6 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/33744809

Obituary for daughter Elizabeth Goodes. The Journal 14 September 1916

WARBURTON, Elizabeth (1986) "From the river to the hills: Campbelltown 150 years." The Corporation of the City of Campbelltown, Campbelltown (S. Aust.), page 76.

SA Register 15 September 1859 page 3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49825282

Evening Journal 18 August 1879 page 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197729153

Advertising (1880, September 18). Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), p. 48. Retrieved March 19, 2022, from
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160136458

Advertiser 15 October 1895 page 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/34525662

Advertiser 15 October 1895 page 2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/34525664

Advertising (1895, October 15). The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922), p. 2 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved March 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209049251