Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Sir John Hindmarsh KH (baptised 22 May 1785 – 29 July 1860) was a naval officer and the first

Governor of South Australia The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the monarch, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-general of Aust ...

, 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. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...

. He was pressed into the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, and eventually became a

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, 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 ...

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 in 1794 and the

Battle of the Nile The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay; ) was fought between the Royal Navy and the French Navy at Abu Qir Bay, Aboukir Bay in Ottoman Egypt, Egypt between 1–3 August 1798. It was the climax of the Mediterranean ca ...

in 1798. He was promoted to First Class Volunteer, when he was nine, for his actions at the Battle of the Glorious First of June. 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 The spritsail is a four-sided, fore-and-aft sail that is supported at its highest points by the mast and a diagonally running spar known as the sprit. The foot of the sail can be stretched by a boom or held loose-footed just by its sheets. A ...

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 Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

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 A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a type of hematoma of tissue, the most common cause being capillaries damaged by trauma, causing localized bleeding that extravasates into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Most bruises occur clo ...

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 was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

, 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 William Light (27 April 1786 – 6 October 1839) was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He was the first Surveyor General of South Australia, Surveyor-General of the History of South Australia#British preparation for est ...

captained the

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

the ''Nile'' from

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

to join the

Egyptian Navy The Egyptian Navy (), also known as the Egyptian Naval Forces, is the maritime branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest navy in the Middle East as well as Africa, and is the twelfth largest (by the number of vessels) navy in the w ...

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, s ...

, 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 The Colonial Office was a government department of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, first created in 1768 from the Southern Department to deal with colonial affairs in North America (particularly the Thirteen Colo ...

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 An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

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), Nile, 17 June 1795 (known as

Cornwallis's Retreat Cornwallis's Retreat was a naval engagement during the French Revolutionary Wars in which a British Royal Navy squadron of five ships of the line and two frigates was attacked by a much larger French Navy fleet of 12 ships of the line and 11 fri ...

) 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 William Light (27 April 1786 – 6 October 1839) was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He was the first Surveyor-General of the new British Province of South Australia, known for choosing the site of the colony's capi ...

's surveyors), , and . Initially they landed on

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island (, ) is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Poi ...

, and sent out the team of surveyors led by Light to find a suitable place for the capital city of the new colony. Hindmarsh, who had no rights in the matter, wanted it at

Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a city on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of South Australia. Known as Galinyala by the traditional owners, the Barngarla people, it is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, ...

, rather than the present site as selected by Light. Light eventually chose the site of

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

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

Gulf St Vincent Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger Sp ...

near

Holdfast Bay 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 The colonial settlement at Holdfast Ba ...

, now known as Glenelg, South Australia (named after Lord Glenelg, the then Colonial Secretary). 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 List of mayors and lord mayors of Adelaide, Mayor ...

, and the two came into open conflict. Feeling ran high and when Hindmarsh went so far as to suspend Robert Gouger 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. The '' Southern Australian'', for one, was pleased to see him go; partly as a military man in what should be a civil position, and the divisive nature of his rule, but also hints of personal character defects.

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 (; , ; Heligolandic Frisian: , , Mooring Frisian: , ) is a small archipelago in the North Sea. The islands were historically possessions of Denmark, then became possessions of the United Kingdom from 1807 to 1890. Since 1890, the ...

, 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 Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

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

Hove Hove ( ) is a seaside resort in East Sussex, England. Alongside Brighton, it is one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove. Originally a fishing village surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th century in respon ...

, 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, 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 (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 is an open space public park within the

City of Adelaide The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council, is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia. It is legally defi ...

. *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, which has now been amalgamated into the City of Charles Sturt *The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, or "The Gov", on Port Road, Hindmarsh, a popular

live music A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

venue. *The

Division of Hindmarsh The Division of Hindmarsh is an Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian Electoral Division in South Australia covering the north western and western coastal suburbs of Adelaide. The division was one of the seven establ ...

federal electorate takes in the area near the proclamation site.

Regional SA

*The Hindmarsh River, which flows into

Encounter Bay Encounter Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the state's south central coast about south of the state capital of Adelaide. It was named by Matthew Flinders after his encounter on 8 April 1802 with Nicolas Bau ...

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 Hindmarsh Island () is an inland river island located in the lower Murray River near the town of Goolwa, South Australia, Goolwa, South Australia. The island is a tourist destination, which has increased in popularity since the opening of the ...

is near the town of Goolwa, close to the

Murray Mouth Murray Mouth is the point at which the River Murray meets the Southern Ocean. The Murray Mouth's location is changeable. Historical records show that the channel out to sea moves along the sand dunes over time. At times of greater river flow ...

Interstate

* Lake Hindmarsh in the

Wimmera The Victorian government's Wimmera Southern Mallee subregion is part of the Grampians region in western Victoria. It includes most of what is considered the Wimmera, and part of the southern Mallee region. The subregion is based on the social ...

region of western Victoria, Australia. see also '' Early Experiences of Colonial Life in South Australia'' * Hindmarsh Drive runs through the districts of Weston Creek and

South Canberra South Canberra, or the Inner South, is a subdivision of Canberra Central in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. South Canberra is separated from North Canberra by Lake Burley Griffin. The two subdivisions combined form the district o ...

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

, Australia.

Notes

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