John Jackson Oakden
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John Jackson Oakden (1818 – 31 March 1884), pastoralist, was an English explorer of South Australia, part of the
European exploration of Australia The European exploration of Australia first began in February 1606, when Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon landed in Cape York Peninsula and on October that year when Spanish explorer Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through, and navigated, Torres Strai ...
, and a pioneer runholder of the
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region of
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
.


Early life

Born in 1818 at Yeaveley, Derbyshire, England, Oakden was a son of Daniel Oakden, yeoman farmer, of ancient Bentley Hall at Hungry Bentley. He arrived in Australia in 1834 as a commercial cadet to his uncle, the banker and pastoralist Philip Oakden (1784–1851), of
Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk River, North Esk and South Esk River, South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River, Tasmania, Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, the Launc ...
. Through a paternal aunt, Patience Gilles, ''née'' Oakden, after whom the Adelaide suburb of Oakden was named in 1993, he was also a nephew of
Osmond Gilles __NOTOC__ Osmond Gilles (24 August 1788 – 25 September 1866) was a settler, pastoralist, mine owner and the Colony of South Australia’s first colonial treasurer. Born in London of Huguenot descent, in 1816 he went into partnership with Ph ...
, first Colonial Treasurer of South Australia. After visiting England, Oakden returned to Australia aboard the ''John Renwick'', arriving at
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 ...
in February 1837 as Philip Oakden's South Australian agent. Osmond Gilles, who was widowed and childless, thereafter placed Oakden under his patronage. Oakden travelled to Launceston in January 1838 for the purpose of importing livestock to the new colony.


Murray River expedition

In March 1838, four young men in their twenties, John Hill (c.1810-1860), William Wood (1813-1885), Charles Willis (1815-1886), and John Oakden (1818-1884), all being livestock importers from the eastern colonies, formed an exploration party in Adelaide. Their intention was to be the first to bring livestock overland from New South Wales to South Australia, following the
Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...
, for which purpose they sought to find a viable route through the
Mount Lofty Ranges The Mount Lofty Ranges are a range of mountains in the Australian state of South Australia which for a small part of its length borders the east of Adelaide. The part of the range in the vicinity of Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and d ...
between the
Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...
and Adelaide. Travelling on horseback with packhorses, after leaving Adelaide they first traversed the
Barossa Valley The Barossa Valley (Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in South Australia located northeast of Adelaide city centre. The valley is formed by the North Para River. It is notable as a major list of wine-producing regions, wine-producin ...
, finding and naming Cockatoo Valley. Continuing northeast past Nuriootpa to near Eudunda, they likely sighted and named the Light River along the journey. Upon reaching the Murray near present
Morgan Morgan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment'', also called ''Morgan!'', a 1966 comedy film * ''Morgan'' (2012 film), an American drama * ''Morgan'' (2016 film), an American science fiction thriller * ...
they were the first Europeans to visit the
Riverland The Riverland is a region of South Australia. It covers an area of along the Murray River, River Murray from where it flows into South Australia from New South Wales and Victoria (Australia), Victoria downstream to Blanchetown, South Australia ...
region, whether from Adelaide or from the eastern colonies, since Charles Sturt's open boat expedition in 1830. Oakden's report of this expedition was published in newspapers around Australia. In 1839–1840 Oakden was Second Clerk in the Treasury, under his uncle Osmond Gilles. In February 1839 Oakden was part of a syndicate of six, led by
William Finke William Finke (1814 or 1815 – 17 January 1864) was chief clerk to the first treasurer of the province of South Australia who arrived in the first fleet carrying British settlers there. He became an explorer, prospecting, prospector and pastoralis ...
(First Treasury Clerk), and including Osmond Gilles, which won the right to purchase the original town of Glenelg at £1 per acre, though Oakden failed to turn this to maximum financial advantage.


Kadlunga, South Australia

In 1839 Osmond Gilles was part of a syndicate of nine investors that established the Hutt River Special Survey in the
Clare Valley The Clare Valley is a valley located in South Australia about north of Adelaide in the Clare and Gilbert Valleys council area. It is the river valley formed by the Hutt River but is also strongly associated with the roughly parallel Hill Riv ...
. As a result, around 1841 Oakden relinquished town life to take up managing sheep grazing properties in that locality. Among these was Kadlunga (also spelt Cadlunga, Tadlunga and Katalunga in earliest times), held under an occupation licence by James Stein. Kadlunga, beside Mount Horrocks and near Mintaro, was in later decades a premium sheep stud owned by Sir Samuel Way. During Oakden's time in the Clare Valley Mount Oakden (altitude ) at nearby
Penwortham Penwortham () is a town and civil parish in South Ribble, Lancashire, England, on the south bank of the River Ribble facing the city of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The town is at the most westerly crossing point of the river, with major road ...
was named for him. He was a close associate of neighbouring pastoralist
John Ainsworth Horrocks John Ainsworth Horrocks (22 March 1818 – 23 September 1846) was an English pastoralist and explorer who was one of the first European settlers in the Clare Valley of South Australia where, in 1840, he established the village of Penwortham. ...
, whose brother Arthur Horrocks resided with Oakden at Kadlunga from 1846 until his marriage in 1850, at which Oakden was groomsman. In 1846 Oakden had leased Kadlunga from Stein, who in 1848 became insolvent. Oakden then managed it until 1850.


Oakden Hills, South Australia

In 1851, seeking fresh pastoralism opportunities on his own account, Oakden struck out into the remote and unexplored north of South Australia in partnership with Henry Stephen Hulkes (1812–1884), grandson of British M.P. James Hulkes. Oakden aimed for the same distant hills which the ill-fated Horrocks expedition never reached. This, the first expedition up the western side of
Lake Torrens Lake Torrens ( Kuyani: ''Ngarndamukia'') is a large ephemeral, normally endorheic salt lake in central South Australia. After sufficiently extreme rainfall events, the lake flows out through the Pirie-Torrens corridor to the Spencer Gulf. ...
, indicated a route northwards beyond the perceived barrier of the mysterious 'Horse-Shoe Lake' and gave an impetus for further explorations. The pair came by the Oakden Hills and Hulkes Hills, geographical features in the Woomera region that were named after them in 1858 by the Babbage expedition. The highest peak of the Oakden Hills is named Mount Oakden. They established a
pastoral farming Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. ...
run nearby, but gave this up in 1852 when Hulkes was enticed to the
Bendigo Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2022, Bendigo has a popula ...
gold rush. Additionally, they came under increased threat of attack on this frontier from local Aboriginals. When Oakden had broken up his station in March 1852, and was leaving the district, his party was sleeping under a bullock dray when they were disturbed by a number of Aboriginals approaching in the night. One of his party fired a shot amongst them, causing them to disperse, evidently without injury. Through association, Oakden Hills Station, 170 kilometres north of
Port Augusta Port Augusta (''Goordnada'' in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a coastal city in South Australia about by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the ...
, between Lake Gairdner and
Lake Torrens Lake Torrens ( Kuyani: ''Ngarndamukia'') is a large ephemeral, normally endorheic salt lake in central South Australia. After sufficiently extreme rainfall events, the lake flows out through the Pirie-Torrens corridor to the Spencer Gulf. ...
, today bears Oakden's name.


Acheron Bank Station, New Zealand

Returning to the
Clare Valley The Clare Valley is a valley located in South Australia about north of Adelaide in the Clare and Gilbert Valleys council area. It is the river valley formed by the Hutt River but is also strongly associated with the roughly parallel Hill Riv ...
, Oakden became associated with William Robinson, of Hill River Station. In 1854 he was deputed by Robinson to go to
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
with a view to selecting pastoralism land. This accomplished, he returned to South Australia to wind up his affairs and returned to New Zealand in 1855. He then purchased Acheron Bank Station near
Lake Coleridge Lake Coleridge () is in inland Canterbury, New Zealand's South Island. It is located northwest of Methven and has a surface area of . The lake is situated in an over-deepened valley formed by a glacier over 20,000 years ago in the Pleistocene ...
in the
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
region, which he successfully developed and held until 1877, when he sold up to enjoy an affluent retirement at
Riccarton Riccarton may refer to: New Zealand * Riccarton, New Zealand, a suburb of Christchurch ** Riccarton (New Zealand electorate), the electorate named after it ** The location of Riccarton Race Course * a locality on the Taieri Plains in Otago Scot ...
. Mount Oakden in the Mid-Canterbury Ranges bears his name. From the late 1860s he was a committee member of the Canterbury branch of the
Acclimatisation Society Acclimatisation societies were voluntary associations, founded in the 19th and 20th centuries, that encouraged the introduction of non-native species in various places around the world, in the hope that they would acclimatise and adapt to the ...
, being active in the introduction to New Zealand of
trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
and
Chinook salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Oncorhynchus, Pacific salmon. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include king salmon, quinn ...
, among other non-native fauna. Oakden visited family in England 1878–1882. He died at his
Riccarton Riccarton may refer to: New Zealand * Riccarton, New Zealand, a suburb of Christchurch ** Riccarton (New Zealand electorate), the electorate named after it ** The location of Riccarton Race Course * a locality on the Taieri Plains in Otago Scot ...
home on 31 March 1884, aged 66, of a liver complaint. An affable character, Oakden is reputed to have constantly dressed like a gamekeeper, and looked like one. Always keen on sporting pursuits, particularly the turf and the Hunt Club, he rarely engaged in public life and he never married. Some of his personal papers are held by the Canterbury Museum. Oakden holds the distinction of having three peaks named after him, yet there is no record that he ever ascended any one of them.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oakden, John Jackson 1818 births 1884 deaths Explorers of South Australia English explorers Settlers of South Australia Australian pastoralists Australian emigrants to New Zealand People from Christchurch 19th-century Australian businesspeople