The Hawkers, and Police, Of Bungaree
G. C. HAWKER gained his first experience of sheep farming on Anlaby, and when he and his brothers took up land on their own, they bought ewes from Fred Dutton at £2 a head.
They built their hut with their own hands.
Tolmer (MR. TOLMER'S REMINISCENCES.) says: —
'(They built Bungaree) when (not) engaged in scouring the country with a party of police in pursuit of offenders and affording protection to the northern pioneers.
I remained some time at Bungaree, and well remember the present Hon. G. C. Hawker, and his brothers. Charles and James, being engaged in building the homestead and giving it its finishing touches.
I assisted by mixing the mortar outside while George did the plastering inside.
The building in question was merely a hut, built of slabs, and eventually occupied by the mounted police.
This formed the homestead till the new house was built in the 'sixties.
In this hut. Mr. Edward Hawker, and his two elder sisters were born.
The blacks were exceedingly troublesome and dangerous when Bungaree was first taken up, so that men going about the station had to be armed.
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Early Bungaree by talented artist S T Gill, around 1850
Early police station probably one at the rear with fencing.
A Close Call:
In 1855 Mr. Hawker and family went to England for two years, and during their absence Mr. Hawker's closest friend, Mr. John Hope, of Wolta Wolta, Clare, looked after Bungaree.
In 1857, they returned by the Schomburgh, reckoned the fastest passenger ship of her time. This was wrecked near Cape Otway, Victoria, and. although no lives were lost, went to pieces a few days afterwards.
The SS Schomberg was a clipper built in Aberdeen by Alexander Hall & Co. for "the Black Ball line" (which was a subsidiary of James Baines & Co., of Liverpool) for carrying large cargoes and steerage passengers, and to "outdo the Americans".
When built, she was regarded as the most luxurious and well-built clipper of the period.
On Christmas day she sighted Cape Bridgewater, then 81 days out. She was wrecked on 27 December 1855 passing the Victorian coast.
She was nearing the end of her maiden voyage, close inshore off Cape Otway at Curdies Inlet (now called Schomberg Reef), east of Peterborough and 150 miles westward of Melbourne. When the wind suddenly dropped the ship drifted onto an uncharted reef and became stuck fast.
Her mail was redirected from Sydney on 31 September. Attempts to refloat her were unsuccessful, and she eventually broke up on 6 January 1856.
James Hawker sold out in 1842. and went up the Murray.
Charles Hawker took Anama as his share, and lived there with his wife (nee Miss Digby) and children. He died suddenly in 1861.
He was going to England the next day.
G. C. Hawker bought Anama, and incorporated it with Bungaree.
In 1845 G. C. Hawker married Elizabeth Seymour, daughter of Henry Seymour, of Killanoola in the South-East.
Mrs. Hawker married at 20. and had very strenuous times at Bungaree, as she was often without help and sometimes had to cook for the whole station.​​
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Mr. Hawker took great interest in politics, and was in Parliament 27 years.
He was Speaker twice, and held the portfolios of Chief Secretary and Minister of Public Works;
He was to have been knighted on the Queen's Birthday, but died three days before the honour was conferred upon his widow.
Mr. Hawker left a large family. 15 all told, though a girl died in infancy, and two boys died young.
George Victor Drogo "Kim" Montagu, 8th Duke of Manchester (17 June 1853 – 18 August 1892), styled Lord Kimbolton from 1853 to 1855 and Viscount Mandeville from 1855 to 1890. He was a British peer and Member of Parliament.
The grounding of the iron screw steamer Sorata at Cape Jervis in 1880
“The Orient steamer Sorata, 4014 tons, from London, having called at Adelaide, and landed mails, passengers, and cargo for that port, resumed her voyage on the evening of September 3, and went ashore a mile from Cape Jervis Lighthouse, South Australian coast, at half-past 8 o’clock the same night.”
On board were: The Duke of Manchester, Sir Herbert Sandford, British Commissioner to Melbourne Exhibition and Reverend Samuel Hebditch, afterwards of Adelaide.
In June 1881 the Duke of Manchester stayed at Bungaree with the Hon. G. C. Hawker. The Duke came out to the International Exhibition in Melbourne.
He sailed in the 'Sorata,' which went ashore on the ironed streaked rocks of Cape Jervis. No lives were lost, but the passengers and sailors filled the lighthouse to overflowing; the available beds were given given up to the women and children and the men sat or lay round the fire.
Bread ran out and the light house people had to set to work and bake a fresh batch for the hungry people.
When day dawned, vehicles arrived from Gleburn (now Delamere), and conveyed relays of passengers to catch the coach to Adelaide.
Bungaree homestead photo by Samuel White Sweet, c. 1880
Alexander Tolmer, S.A. Commissioner of Police, 1860.
Born in England of French refugee parents he migrated to South Australia in 1840 when he was 25. He had a history of brashness and brawling but was appointed Police Commissioner in 1852. He devised a gold escort from the Victorian Gold Fields. He was married twice and had 9 children.
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From Tales of the Troopers, 1999
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The blacks were exceedingly troublesome and dangerous when Bungaree was first taken up so that men going about the station had to be armed.
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In 1841, T.S. O'Halloran, Commissioner of Police, wrote to:
G. Hawker, Esq., J.P.
HUTT RIVER,
June 10 1841:
Sir,
I have the honour to forward a letter from the Colonial Secretary... to request that you endeavour to contact some intelligent native on your station who may be receiving rations regularly, and who may be very serviceable in integrating with the men of his tribe, and, also when necessary in tracking and apprehending them and giving you early information of any intended action on the part of his companions.
T.S. O'Halloran
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Native Constable Jimmy Shooke was subsequently bought from Adelaide, but at the first sign of trouble he bolted for town, taking a woman of the Bungaree tribe with him.
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In 1842 the first police station building in the north was erected on Bungaree Station, and the force moved into this simple thatched cottage.
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A new police station was built at Mount Remarkable, becoming the most northerly in the State, and in 1849 the Bungaree police transferred to Clare, in premises leased from a Mr. Mortimer Nolan.
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The police party at Bungaree patrolled over a wide area and on at least one occasion, accompanied by the Protector of Aborigines , Dr. M. Moorhouse.
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Blyth Agriculturist (SA), Friday 26 June 1931, page 3
OLD POLICE JOURNALS.
FIRST POLICE STATION IN THE DISTRICT WAS AT BUNGAREE IN 1846;
Sergeant Hanlin has shown us two old police journals, which he discovered in the Clare police station, from which we learn that the first police station in the district .was established at Bungaree in 1846, 10 years after the colony was founded.
Directions are given in this journal for the policeman in charge, and include that journals were to-be sent to headquarters each week, charge sheets to be sent in once a quarter, an inventory of Government property to be sent in once a quarter, and reports of extraordinary happenings, to be sent in at once.
The first entry on March 30, 1846, states that Lance-Corporal Pow and P.C. Carter are guarding the prisoner Kangaroo Jack.
Mr. Hughes arrived on April 1 to try he prisoner, and he was discharged, as there was no conclusive evidence against him. Why Kangaroo Jack was arrested is not stated.
Records of each day are given in the journal, chiefly referring to long riding trips made by the troopers.
On April 24, Inspector Tolmer visited the station, and paid visits to Mr. Hughes' station, Mr. White's station, Mr. Campbell's station, Mt. Remarkable, and other places.
On one of these trips a man was arrested on suspicion of being the bushranger Britten, and taken to the city.
On June 15 a man named Britteal became lost, and was found at Mr. Hope's station. Other persons who had been stealing were chased by the police.
The police constables mentioned in the journal were L. C. Pow, Wickham, Carter, Brooks, Lamb, Inspector Gordon, Kenny.
Lance-Corporal Wickham rode to Clare village to get his horse shod.
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Adelaide Observer (SA), Saturday 19 November 1864, page 5
BUNGAREE.
[From our Clare Correspondent.]
On November 8th St. Michael's Church, Bungargee, was opened and consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Adelaide, Augustus Short.
The building is in the Gothic style, and is most beautifully situated on a small eminence, and may be seen for some two or three miles in a north-east direction.
The dimensions are as follows-.—Length inside. 46 ft.; width, 20 ft.; width of dais, 10 ft.; height of spire, 54 ft.; height of roof, 30 ft.; and it is capable of containing from 130 to 140 people.
There are three windows on each side, two at the west end, and a triple light at the east end, but these are at present unglazed, nor is the ceiling or plastering completed; but the Bishop departed in this instance from his usual role not to consecrate unfinished churches, on account of his anticipated departure for England at an early date.
After the presentation of the deed of conveyance to His Lordship, at 3 p.m. the Rev. T. Field, chaplain of the Broughton Mission, read the petition, praying for the consecration of the church, and the Bishop then read the usual introductory address and prayer of consecration.
The service for the day was conducted by the Rev. T. Field, assisted in the reading of the proper lessons by the Rev. Button Green, Incumbent of the adjoining parish of Clare and Penwortham.
His Lordship preached a very appropriate and impressive sermon. The singing was led by a harmonium, lent for the occasion, and the canticles were well chanted.
A large number of persons were present from Clare, and a great portion of the church was occupied by the shearers, who were very attentive, and to whom a half holiday was given.
Immediately after the ceremony in the interior, the Bishop and clergy proceeded to the burial ground, which consists of about an acre of land, and was also duly consecrated.
The architect of the church was Mr. E. A. Hamilton.
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On June 2nd 1895 a memorial service was held in St. Michael's Bungaree for the founder of the station and Church, the Hon. G. C. Hawker.
George Charles Hawker was the son of Admiral Hawker of Petersham, England. This formed the homestead, till the new house was built in the sixties. In this hut the late Mr. Edward Hawker, and his two elder sisters were born.
Mr. Hawker took great interest in politics and was 27 years in Parliament.
He was speaker twice and held the Portfolio of Chief Secretary and Minister of Public Works. He was to have been knighted on the Queen's Birthday, but died three days beforehand, so the honour was conferred on his widow.
Mr. Hawker had fifteen children though a girl died in infancy, and two boys died young.
Mr. Hawker built St Michael's, Bungaree, according the designs of Edward Hamilton, Colonial Architect.
The church was opened and consecrated on Nov. 8th., though in an unfinished condition. Shearing was in full swing at the time and a half holiday was given to the shearers, many of whom were present at the service.
Mr Hawker endowed the church with £200 and other diocesan friends granted £300 more for the same purpose. In 1920 this original endowment was supplemented by a further capital sum of £1,200, subscribed by Messrs Hawker Brothers.
Group portrait of the sons of the Hon. George Charles Hawker:
Standing, l-r: Henry Colley; Richard MacDonnell. Sitting: Rev. Bertram; Robert; Walter; Edward William; Michael Seymour. They have been posed looking in different directions, a fashion in photography at the time.
See also:
Clare History Group | Re-visiting St. Barnabas
Clare Museum | Clare Historian Jean Schmaal
Clare Museum | Rosa Hawker – School Mistress at Clare