John Hassell

Description

Biographical informationCaptain John Hassell (1798-1883), pastoralist and merchant, was the son of Francis Carolus Tennant Hassell, shipbroker and merchant, and Sarah, née Govey, of London. He arrived first in Western Australia 28 January 1839 per Dawson but left shortly afterwards for Tasmania. On 1 March 1840 he returned to Western Australia per China to settle.

He married Ellen Boucher (1808-1886), the daughter of Charles Boucher, in 1838 in England. They had at least seven children
1) John Frederick Tasman (1839-1919);
2) Albert Young (1841-1918);
3) Ellen Belinda (1843-1913);
4) Alfred Govey (1846-c. 1880);
6) Francis Reuben (1849-);
7) Arthur Wollaston (1851-1906).
All of the children were educated at Albany School.

Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: "According to family tradition, he early joined the navy, transferred to the mercantile marine and then to the Chilean navy where he was taken prisoner by the Peruvians for about a year. He arrived in Van Diemen's Land in 1822 as first mate in the Belinda and in 1825-35 commanded ships trading out of Hobart Town, Launceston and Sydney. On the Tamar River in 1828 he was granted 500 acres (202 ha) where he ran cattle. About 1837 he returned to England where in partnership with Frederick Boucher he bought the Dawson and stocked it with merchandise. On 19 September 1838 Hassell married and a week later sailed for King George Sound. There he sold some goods and took up 20,000 acres (8094 ha) (Kendenup station). He sailed to Tasmania, sold the Dawson, the remaining cargo and his Tamar grant. In Sydney he bought sheep, cattle and farming equipment and chartered the China to carry the stock to Albany where he arrived on 6 March 1840. He drove his 850 sheep and cattle to Kendenup station and took up more land. By 1850 he had 25,000 acres (10,117 ha) freehold and 38,000 (15,378 ha) leasehold, mostly on Kendenup and Jerramungup stations. His partner Boucher had borrowed heavily from the British and Australasian Bank in London but when it failed in 1841 he assigned his assets to the bank. Hassell thus had the bank as partner in his enterprises and had a long struggle until accounts were settled. From 1840, apart from three years in England in the 1860s, he lived mostly at Albany where he had a business importing merchandise and station supplies, keeping the accounts of his properties and arranging wool shipments to England. He died on 15 August 1883, survived by his wife, five sons and a daughter."

Hassell bought Town Lots in Albany in the 1850s and 60s. He was a justice of the peace between 1840-1843. He held large pastoral leases including "Kendenup", "Jerramongup", "Warkelup", and "Blackwood" stations and owned many small free-holds. In 1873 he was the first in Western Australia to find gold at Kendenup and in 1874 he formed the Standard Gold Mining Co. By 1876 the company had failed. He employed 57 ticket of leave men in partnership with his son, Albert Young at Kendenup, 3 to 4 more at the Blackwood runs in 1869-1876. On 11 March 1861 he travelled to South Australia with his son per Balaclutha. He was commemorated in 1979 with a brass plaque in the Perth pavement for the year 1877.

In 1847 and 1848 he requested Chinese servants from the government. He employed Ah Chee (2) and Ah Quee.

Together with his three sons, Arthur, Albert and John, the Hassell family was one of the largest landowners in the Great Southern region. They were also one of the largest employers of Chinese labour - by 1886 the family employed 16 Chinese workers.Date of birth1798Date of death1883

Family

ChildAlbert Young HassellJohn Frederick Tasman HassellAlfred Govey HassellArthur Wollaston HassellFrancis Reuben HassellEllen Belinda Hassell

Connections

Subject (person)AH CHEE (2)AH QUEESubject (place)AlbanyRelated collectionAnne Atkinson CollectionCelebrating 200 Years - National Foundation for Australia-China Relations Project

Item information

ContributorSchool of Social SciencesSource of informationThe Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians

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John Hassell

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA