Hawson family of South Australia

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The Hawson family
EXTRACT. EARLY PORT LINCOLN. FOUNDERS OF THE DISTRICT. [III.—By the Rev. John Blacket.] In dealing with the founders of Port Lincoln, the first place most be given to Henry Hawson . . . Another prominent member of the family was Capt. Henry Cowell Hawson, son of Henry Hawson. He had charge of the 'Abeona', and lived first on Kirton Point, then at the Little Swamp, and also on the North road, Port Lincoln. He became Clerk of the Court and postmaster at Port Lincoln, and then went on some land, about 10 miles from Port Lincoln. Removing further West, he took up land about 200 miles distant, near to Denial Bay. Leaving this, he went to the Darling, and finally settled at Payneham, where he died on December 22 (sic, 20), 1882. The house in which he lived on the North road, Port Lincoln, is still standing. ^[1]

Early Eyre Peninsula Family
DEAR ELEANOR BARBOUR, So many readers seem to be interested in the pioneers on Eyre Peninsula that I think they will enjoy this story of one of the early families, the Hawsons, as taken mainly from the Archives by Mr. G. C.Morphett of the Pioneers' Association.
Many people who have lived over this way will remember one or other of the descendants of the original settler, Henry Hawson, who was born in Devonshire in 1792. The first two of his 13 children were bom in England before he migrated to Newfoundland, where the next ten children were born, but depression hit the family there, so in 1834 the whole family embarked on the Abeona, a 100 ton brig which Henry Hawson owned, and of which his eldest son, Henry Cowell Hawson, was the captain.
In seeking fresh fields they landed at Rio de Janiero, where they stayed some time, and then called next at the Cape of Good Hope, but a rising of the Kaffirs, which was thought to be serious, decided them to continue the trip to Western Australia. Here the youngest child was bom. They lived in Albany, and the Abeona was engaged in trading as far as Timor, and also right around the south coast of Australia and to Tasmania. It was on these travels that Captain Hawson decided that Adelaide was infinitely superior in point of soil, climate and general capabilities to all other parts of Australia, so he transported his family to South Australia, and they settled finally at Port Lincoln in 1839.
At this time much interest was shown in Port Lincoln and its harbor, which was thought to offer possibilities for a settlement to outrival Adelaide, so Henry Hawson, with one Charles Smith, promoted a 'syndicate of 42 members to apply for a special survey of 4.000 acres from the centre of Boston Bay. The survey was granted, and the surveyor engaged to lay out the township was B. Pratt Winter, after whom the hill behind Port Lincoln was named.
Also in the party was Robert Tod. whose name is very well known now to residents over a great part of Eyre Peninsula through the extensive water system. Henry Hawson erected a house at Kirton Point and established a pastoral holding at Little Swamp, where two of his sons lived in a hut. The one 12 years of age, Francis, was fatally speared here by the aborigines in 1840, and was buried near the Hawson home in Port Lincoln, but it was later discovered that the grave was on a public road, so 70 years later his remains were removed to the monument which now dominates the point.
Many readers will have read the inscription on the monument giving the details of his death, and ending 'Although only a lad, he died a hero.' The story of the spearing shows how brave he was. He and his elder brother, Edward, had been camped at ' an outstation at Little Swamp, and Edward had ridden into Port Lincoln to get stores. When natives surrounded the hut and asked for food, Francis gave them all he had — bread and rice— but they tried to enter the hut, so he fastened the door and stood outside with a gun by his side, and a sword to frighten them. He did not make any signs of using them, but when one of the children gave him a spear to throw, Francis received two spears in his chest.
He took the gun and shot one native, who fell, but got up and ran away. Francis tried to cut off the ends of the seven-foot spears without success, and he also found he could not walk home, so he just sat on the ground and put the ends of the spears in the fire to try to burn them off. Thus he was found eleven hours after the spearing by his brother Edward, who sawed off the spear ends, placed him on horseback, and took him into Port Lincoln. The lad died, however, after reaching his home.
After this tragedy the family moved out to , Little Swamp, where Henry Hawson built a two-storey house named Towalla, which is still in good repair with all its cedar fittings transported originally in the Abeona. Henry Hawson himself died as the result of an accident in 1849, but his name was honored by his descendants.
Mr. Morphett, who says that the Somerville Collection in the Archives was found very useful in compiling his story of the Hawson family, and who recommends it to anyone making a research into Eyre Peninsula history, gives a detailed account of what happened to each one of the 13 children. I will give you, however, just a few points which I feel would be of interest to readers.
Captain Henry Hawson, the eldest son, who had eleven children, accompanied Tod's expedition to the north, discovering the Tod River, Mount Gawler and Cowan Vale, and he also joined C. C. Dutton's party to the south, discovering. Mount Dutton, and Hawson (now Marble) Range. He also took part in other expeditions and was one of the party which accompanied Darke to Wedge Hill.
Incidentally, he is credited with bringing the first sheep and cattle to Eyre Peninsula, and he was one of the pioneer pastoralists, leasing some 300 square miles, known as Point Brown, in the Streaky Bay district.
The fifth child of Henry Hawson, Jane, married Henry James Smith, who followed pastoral pursuits from his residence near Towalla, and about 1862 purchased Big Swamp. His name is in the records of 1856 as 'holding the lease of 12 square miles at Lake Wangary at a rental of £6 per annum.' One of his sons, Matthew, is mentioned in John Lewis's book, 'Fought and Won. While mustering at Mickera Station, Matthew broke his leg, which was set by Dr. Steadman, who was brought by John Lewis from Little Swamp. He recovered after careful nursing by the Tolmers, who were at Mickera, but always had a limp afterwards.
Two other sons of Henry Hawson, both unmarried, settled at Polda, to the north-west of Port Lincoln, and two of the sisters kept house for them. The property passed to a nephew, Gregory, and at the time when Mr. Morphett prepared this history a couple of years ago. his son Arthur owned the property.
Four of the daughters of the original Hawson family, by the way, remained unmarried. There are many names of descendants mentioned by Mr. Morphett and it is quite likely that some of them are among the readers of 'The Chronicle.' Anyway, I hope that this letter will awaken memories for some of our readers who are interested in the early days of Eyre Peninsula. Best wishes from 'WEST COAST RAMBLER.' ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) 16 Jan 1915, p45
2. ↑ National Library oof Australia - Trove: Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) 10 Ju 1948, p27