Theodore Hack (17 November 1840 – 27 December 1902) was a

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

n politician. He was born at

Echunga, South Australia Echunga ( ) is a small town in the Adelaide Hills located south-east of Adelaide in South Australia. The area was settled by Europeans during the period of British colonisation of South Australia in 1839, with the town laid out in 1849. The na ...

a son of

John Barton Hack John Barton Hack (2 July 1805 – 4 October 1884) was an early settler in South Australia; a prominent farmer, businessman and public figure. He lost his fortune in the financial crisis of 1840 and despite his best efforts, never regained anything ...

and his wife Bridget Hack, née Watson, and was educated at the

Adelaide Educational Institution Adelaide Educational Institution was a privately run non-sectarian academy for boys in Adelaide founded in 1852 by John Lorenzo Young.B. K. Hyams'Young, John Lorenzo (1826–1881)' ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 6, Melbourne Univ ...

. Hack was by turns landing officer at

Semaphore Semaphore (; ) is the use of an apparatus to create a visual signal transmitted over distance. A semaphore can be performed with devices including: fire, lights, flags, sunlight, and moving arms. Semaphores can be used for telegraphy when ar ...

, harbormaster at Port Willunga, clerk with the Engineer-in-Chief's Department, railway storekeeper, timber merchant (with his sister-in-law Stella Ann Robin after the death of her husband Theophilus Robin), then valuer and architect. He was member of the Port Adelaide council (and for two years its mayor) and the first mayor of

, as well as a member of the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gover ...

, representing Gumeracha between

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship '' ...

and

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

. Hack was a judge at the

Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition The Adelaide International Jubilee Exhibition of 1887 was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne on 20 June 1837, held in Adelaide, South Australia in 1887. It was also a celebration of the 50th annivers ...

in 1887, a member of the Central Roads' Board and the Fire Brigades' Board, a lay preacher for the Methodist Church and active with several Methodist organisations. He was president of the Local Teachers' Association, the governing body of

Prince Alfred College , motto_translation = Do Brave Deeds and Endure , established = 1869 , type = Independent, single-sex, day & boarding , headmaster = David Roberts , chaplain = Reverend Ma ...

, chairman and treasurer of the Prisoners' Aid Society and an active member of the Chamber of Manufacturers. He died of

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanie ...

, from which he had suffered for some time.

Family

Theodore Hack married Elvira Louisa Ansell (c. 1842 – 7 October 1890) on 17 November 1864. Their children included: *Ernest Barton Hack (13 May 1867 – 27 March 1936) married Isabelle Maddison (c. 1870–1949) of Glenelg some time after 1890. He was a chess enthusiast and architect of

Coolgardie, Western Australia Coolgardie is a small town in Western Australia, east of the state capital, Perth. It has a population of approximately 850 people. Although Coolgardie is now known to most Western Australians as a tourist town and a mining ghost town, it wa ...

, had pyrrhic victory in WA Supreme Court 1898, moved to Kew, Victoria. *Harold Ansell Hack (2 July 1869 – 6 February 1937) married Maud May Southward in

on 14 September 1900 *Emily Bee Hack (1871–1952) married James Fergusson Ballantyne in 1901, lived in Glenburnie, South Australia. *(Theodore) Bernard Hack (26 February 1873 – ) moved to Tasmania *Stella Ellie Hack (12 January 1875 – 1957) lived in

Wayville, South Australia Wayville is an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide in the City of Unley. It is most notable for hosting of the Royal Adelaide Show at the Adelaide Showgrounds. The suburb is bordered to the north by Adelaide's South Parklands, to the west by Ade ...

. *Clement Alfred Hack (17 March 1877 – 8 June 1930) was a prominent patent attorney in Victoria. *Wilfred Hack (1879–1879) *Roy Darton Hack (7 February 1882 Adelaide – 1966 Armadale, Vic.) They adopted Elsie Miriam Earl (1881–1976), who was known for some time as Elsie Miriam Earl Hack. She was a student at Knightsbridge School and a fine pianist and singer. She married John Arthur Ballantyne (1873–1942) on 7 August 1907, lived in

. Hack married again, to Elizabeth Jane Almers, née Nancarrow (1858–1914) in Adelaide, in 1898.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hack, Theodore 1840 births 1902 deaths Australian timber merchants History of Port Adelaide Mayors of places in South Australia Members of the South Australian House of Assembly People educated at Adelaide Educational Institution Deaths from nephritis 19th-century Australian politicians 19th-century Australian businesspeople Australian people of English descent