Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH (baptised 22 May 1785 – 29 July 1860) was a naval officer and the first Governor of South Australia, from 28 December 1836 to 16 July 1838.

Family

His grandfather William Hindmarsh was a gardener in Coniscliffe, County Durham. His father, John Hindmarsh, was born on 27 June 1753 and baptised at St Cuthbert's Church,

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underw ...

. He was pressed into the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

, and eventually became a

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mo ...

of the ''Bellerophon''. On 23 August 1784 Hindmarsh (senior) married Mrs Mary Roxburgh, a widow, at St George's-in-the East, Middlesex.'The Journal of the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society, Volume 12, No 2, Summer 1987
p40, ''From Durham to the South Seas'', by FS Hindmarsh, (This is p13 of the pdf file.) At the time of the Battle of the Nile, Hindmarsh (senior) was the gunner of the ''Bellerophon'',United Service Magazine
''England's Wooden Walls, XI, Bellerophon'', by Joseph Allen, 1840, p467. (This was a warrant officer position.) Hindmarsh was John and Mary Hindmarsh's eldest son, and was baptised on 25 May 1785 at St Mary's Church, Chatham, Kent.

Naval career

Hindmarsh joined the

either in April 1793 (aged seven or eight),''Navy Estimates 1850-51''
p66. or on 19 July 1790 (aged five). In 1793 he was listed on the muster roll of the ''Bellerophon'' as the servant of his father. He was schooled by Mr Neale, the purser of the ''Bellerophon''. He saw action on the ''Bellerophon'' at the

Battle of the Glorious First of June The Glorious First of June (1 June 1794), also known as the Fourth Battle of Ushant, (known in France as the or ) was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic ...

in 1794 and the

Battle of the Nile The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay; french: Bataille d'Aboukir) was a major naval battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the Navy of the French Republic at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast off the ...

in 1798. He was promoted to First Class Volunteer, when he was nine, for his actions at the

. During the

on 1 August 1798, the fire on board the French line-of-battle ship ''l'Orient'' put the ''Bellerophon'' (1786) in danger; all the other officers on the quarterdeck on the ''Bellerophon'' were killed or wounded, so 13-year-old Midshipman Hindmarsh gathered some of the crew, cut the anchor cables, and raised a spritsail to get the ship moving. Captain Darby then came on deck from having his wounds dressed.''The Life of Captain Matthew Flinders, RN'', by Ernest Scott, first published 1914, pub Cambridge University Press, 2011, p15-16 Nelson knew of this incident and referred to it five years later when he gave Hindmarsh his promotion to lieutenant on 1 August 1803 on board the ''Victory''.''The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton, Vol. I. ''
Letter 33, 1 August 1803, says: "I have this day made… Mr. Hindmarsh, gunner's son, of the Bellerophon, who behaved so well this day five-year, a Lieutenant." Hindmarsh suffered a contusion during the Battle of the Nile that resulted in him later losing an eye.''Nelson s Battles: The Triumph of British Seapower''
by Nicholas Tracy, originally published 1965, pub Seaforth Publishing, 2008, p72. Hindmarsh transferred to the in May 1800, and took part in the Battle of Algeciras Bay in 1801. He served on at the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1 ...

, and was first lieutenant of the sloop , which took a conspicuous part in the Battle of the Basque Roads in 1809, and on the same sloop in the Walcheren expedition later in the year. He served in the in the invasion of Java in 1811. He was promoted to commander on 15 June 1814. A lengthy period of inaction on half-pay followed, but from March 1830 to December 1831 he commanded the , and was promoted to captain on 3 September 1831.''The new navy list for November 1840'', p37. William Light captained the

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...

the ''Nile'' from

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

to join the

Egyptian Navy The Egyptian Navy ( ar, القوات البحرية المصرية, El-Quwwāt el-Bahareya el-Miṣriyya, Egyptian Navy Forces), also known as the Egyptian Naval Force, is the maritime branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest navy ...

in 1834, reaching Alexandria in September. Hindmarsh, who had prepared the steamer for delivery at

Blackwall Yard Blackwall Yard is a small body of water that used to be a shipyard on the River Thames in Blackwall, engaged in ship building and later ship repairs for over 350 years. The yard closed in 1987. History East India Company Blackwall was a sh ...

on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

, travelled as a passenger on the ship on its journey to Alexandria, and was made captain of the ship by November. He received his commission as governor and commander-in-chief of the province of South Australia on 14 July 1836. On 11 July 1836 Hindmarsh sailed for South Australia on HMS ''Buffalo'' as its first governor after winning influential support and applying to the Colonial Office.

Naval General Service Medal

When the Naval General Service Medal, designed by William Wyon, was introduced in 1847, it was discovered that only two people were entitled to the medal with seven clasps (one clasp for each battle the recipient took part in): Sir John Hindmarsh and Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Alexander Gordon. The seven clasps on Hindmarsh's medal were for Java, Basque Roads 1809, Trafalgar, Gut of Gibraltar 12 July 1801 (the

Second Battle of Algeciras The Second Battle of Algeciras (also known as the Battle of the Gut of Gibraltar) was a naval battle fought on the night of 12 July 1801 (23 messidor an IX of the French Republican Calendar) between a squadron of British Royal Navy ships of ...

), Nile, 17 June 1795 (known as Cornwallis's Retreat) and 1 June 1794 (the " Glorious First of June"). He was listed to be awarded a good service pension of £150 under the 1850-51 ''Navy Estimates''.''The United Service Magazine''
January 1850, p139. He was promoted to rear admiral on the retired list in 1856.

First Governor of South Australia

"Bluff Jack Hindmarsh", as he came to be known, arrived in Holdfast Bay on 28 December 1836, in the ''Buffalo''. Prior to this, earlier arrivals included the Survey Brig , (carrying Colonel William Light's surveyors), , and . Initially they landed on Kangaroo Island, and sent out the team of surveyors led by Light to find a suitable place for the capital city of the new colony. Hindmarsh wanted it at Port Lincoln, instead of at the present site which had been selected by Light. Light eventually chose the site of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, and stationed the ''Cygnet'' at Port Lincoln to notify Hindmarsh that the capital would be located on the east Coast of Gulf St Vincent near

Holdfast Bay The Holdfast Bay is a small bay in Gulf St Vincent, next to Adelaide, South Australia. Along its shores lie the local government area of the City of Holdfast Bay and the suburbs of Glenelg and Glenelg North European settlement on Holdfast Bay ...

, now known as Glenelg, South Australia (named after Lord Glenelg, the then Colonial Secretary). (Through Lord Glenelg the name derives from Glenelg, Highland (previously Inverness-shire), Scotland.) The name Adelaide was chosen by King William IV in honour of his consort Queen Adelaide. Hindmarsh's proclamation on 28 December 1836 announced the commencement of colonial government and stated that Aborigines were to be treated justly and were 'equally entitled to the privileges of British subjects'. Although most South Australians have been taught that Hindmarsh's proclamation created the colony, it did not. William IV, having been empowered by an Act of Parliament in August 1834, in February 1836 Letters Patent 'Erected and Established' the Province of South Australia. No governor had the power to create colonies. There was some question as to the respective powers of the Governor and the Resident Commissioner,

James Hurtle Fisher Sir James Hurtle Fisher (1 May 1790 – 28 January 1875) was a lawyer and prominent South Australian pioneer. He was the first Resident Commissioner of the colony of South Australia, the first Mayor of Adelaide and the first resident Sou ...

, and the two came into open conflict. Feeling ran high and when Hindmarsh went so far as to suspend

Robert Gouger Robert Gouger (; 26 June 1802 – 4 August 1846) was one of the founders of South Australia and the first Colonial Secretary of South Australia. Early life Gouger was the fifth son of nine children of George Gouger (1763–1802), who was a pr ...

and other public officers, the commissioners brought the matter before the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Hindmarsh was then recalled to London in 1838.

Hindmarsh's Proclamation

Issued at Glenelg on 28 December 1836: :''In announcing to the Colonists of His Majesty's Province of South Australia the establishment of the Government, I hearby call upon them to conduct themselves at all times with order and quietness, duly to respect the laws, and by a course of industry and sobriety, by the practice of sound morality, and a strict observance of the ordinances of religion, to prove themselves to be worthy to be the Founders of a great and free Colony. It is also, at this time especially, my duty to apprise the Colonists of my resolution to take every lawful means for extending the same protection to the native population as to the rest of His Majesty's subjects, and of my firm determination to punish with exemplary severity all acts of violence and injustice which may in any manner be practised or attempted against the natives, who are to be considered to be as much under the safeguard of the law as the Colonists themselves, and equally entitled to the privileges of British subjects. I trust therefore, with confidence to the exercise of moderation and forbearance by all classes in their intercourse with the native inhabitants, and that they will omit no opportunity of assisting me to fulfill His Majesty's gracious and benevolent intentions towards them by promoting their advancement in civilisation, and ultimately, under the blessing of Divine Providence, their conversion to the Christian Faith.''

Governor of Heligoland

In 1840 Hindmarsh was made Lieutenant-Governor of

Heligoland Heligoland (; german: Helgoland, ; Heligolandic Frisian: , , Mooring Frisian: , da, Helgoland) is a small archipelago in the North Sea. A part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein since 1890, the islands were historically possession ...

, where he served until 7 March 1857. Hindmarsh was knighted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

on 7 August 1851, and retired in 1857 to the seaside town of

Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th ...

, England.

Legacy

Hindmarsh lived at 30 Albany Villas in Hove for a number of years, where there is now a blue plaque in his honour. Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh died in London on 29 July 1860 and is buried in the grounds of St Andrew's Church, Hove.

Marriage and children

John Hindmarsh (1785 – 29 July 1860) married Susanna Wilson Edmeades (1786 – 2 April 1859), daughter of Henry Dickson Edmeades, on 4 November 1809 at St Nicholas' Church, Strood, Kent. Their children were: *Susanna Hindmarsh (29 December 1810 – 24 August 1882) married John Ellis (c. 1803 – 22 March 1873), a South Australian pastoralist. She was his second wife. *Jane Hindmarsh (8 May 1814 – 8 May 1874) married Alfred Miller Mundy (9 January 1809 – 29 March 1877), MP of

Shipley Hall Shipley Hall was a country estate in Shipley, Derbyshire near Heanor and Ilkeston which now forms a Country Park. Early history The Shipley estate is an ancient manor that was mentioned in the Domesday Book. From the 14th century the land was ...

, Derbyshire, and cousin of the Duke of Newcastle. He was a South Australian MLC from 1843 to 1849. :*Maria Jane Mundy ( – 30 August 1902) married Sir (Edmund) Constantine Henry Phipps (15 March 1840 – 15 March 1911), British diplomat, on 7 October 1863 ::*Sir

Eric Clare Edmund Phipps Sir Eric Clare Edmund Phipps (27 October 1875 – 13 August 1945) was a British diplomat. Family Phipps was the son of Sir Constantine Phipps, later British Ambassador to Belgium, and his wife, Maria Jane (née Miller Mundy). Henry Phipps, ...

(27 October 1875 – 13 August 1945), also a British diplomat. :*Nellie Hindmarsh Miller Mundy (1844 – 27 June 1912) married Charles John Addington (17 March 1832 – 11 September 1903) :*Alfred Edward Miller Mundy (28 November 1849 – ) *Mary Hindmarsh (22 August 1817 – 27 December 1887) married George Milner Stephen (18 December 1812 – 16 January 1894), barrister of the Middle Temple, Acting Governor and Colonial Secretary of South Australia, on 9 July 1840.
This reference has a nice potted history of his naval career. *John Hindmarsh (24 May 1820 – 4 August 1903) married Mary Long (1824 – 1871). He was a barrister of the Middle Temple and J.P. of Port Elliot, South Australia. He married again, to the widow Matilda Drew Absalom, née Leworthy ( – ) on 6 January 1872. :*John Hindmarsh (1858–1922) :* Alfred Humphrey Hindmarsh (18 April 1860 – 13 November 1918) was an MP and first Labour leader in New Zealand. :*Mary Susan Hindmarsh (1862 – 1937) :*George Felix Hindmarsh (1864–1909)

Places named after John Hindmarsh

Adelaide

Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide Hindmarsh Square/Mukata (formerly Mogata) is one of five public squares in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia. It is located in the centre of the north-eastern quarter of the city, and surrounds the intersection of Grenfell and Pulte ...

is an open space public park within the City of Adelaide. *The Adelaide suburb of Hindmarsh was originally laid out as a speculative subdivision, the Village of Hindmarsh, on land owned by him. It was for many years the centre of a Local Government Area called the

Town of Hindmarsh The Town of Hindmarsh was a local government area in South Australia from 1874 to 1993, encompassing on the inner north west Adelaide suburbs of Hindmarsh, Bowden and Brompton. History The Corporation of the Town of Hindmarsh was proclaimed o ...

, which has now been amalgamated into the

City of Charles Sturt The City of Charles Sturt is a local government area in the western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, stretching to the coast. The council was formed on 1 January 1997 as a result of the amalgamation of the City of Hindmarsh Woodville and ...

*The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, or "The Gov", on Port Road, Hindmarsh, a popular

live music A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

venue. *The Division of Hindmarsh federal electorate takes in the area near the proclamation site.

Regional SA

*The Hindmarsh River, which flows into Encounter Bay at Victor Harbor, rises in the locality named "Hindmarsh Valley" and over a waterfall named "Hindmarsh Falls" about 15 km from the river mouth. * Hindmarsh Island is near the town of Goolwa, close to the Murray Mouth.

Interstate

Lake Hindmarsh Lake Hindmarsh, an ephemeral lake located in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia, is the state's largest natural freshwater lake. The nearest towns are Jeparit to the south and Rainbow to the north. After more than a decade of d ...

in the

Wimmera The Wimmera is a region of the Australian state of Victoria. The district is located within parts of the Loddon Mallee and the Grampians regions; and covers the dryland farming area south of the range of Mallee scrub, east of the South Aust ...

region of western Victoria, Australia. see also ''

Early Experiences of Colonial Life in South Australia ''Early Experiences of Colonial Life in South Australia'' is a book by John Wrathall Bull originally published as "''Early Experiences of Colonial Life'' by ''An arrival of 1838''" as weekly instalments in '' The Advertiser'', repeated in its ass ...

'' * Hindmarsh Drive runs through the districts of Weston Creek and South Canberra in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, Australia.

References

* *''From Powder Monkey to Governor, the Life of Rear Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh'', F Stewart Hindmarsh, Access Press 1995,

External links

Letters PatentThe proclamation handwritten notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hindmarsh, John Royal Navy rear admirals Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Governors of South Australia Governors of the Colony of South Australia Lieutenant Governors of Heligoland Knights Bachelor 1785 births 1860 deaths British colonial governors and administrators in Oceania