John Barton Hack

John Barton Hack. He was a prominent early settler, businessman, and politician in the colony of South Australia. A key figure in the colony's formative years, his diverse ventures in pastoralism, copper mining, and commerce were both pioneering and ultimately financially ruinous. His public service included a term in the South Australian Legislative Council and significant involvement with the South Australian Company.

Early life and family

Born in Chichester, England, he was the son of a solicitor. After working in a London counting house, he emigrated to the Colony of South Australia aboard the Coromandel, arriving at Holdfast Bay in 1837. He was accompanied by his brother, Stephen Hack, and soon joined by his wife, the former Mary Ann Giles, whom he had married in London in 1834. The family established themselves among the early colonial elite in Adelaide, with connections to other founding families and officials of the South Australian Company.

Business ventures

Hack rapidly became a central figure in the colony's early economic life. He partnered with John Morphett and Edward Stephens in various mercantile and banking endeavors. His most significant and risky investments were in pastoralism and mining. He established the extensive Hack's River station at Encounter Bay and was a pioneer of the Port Lincoln district. His most famous venture was the Kapunda copper mine, discovered on his land in 1842, which became one of Australia's first major metal mines. He also invested heavily in the failed Burra Burra mine speculation and operated a large but unprofitable bacon curing works.

Political career

His standing in the community led to his appointment to the inaugural South Australian Legislative Council in 1851, serving as an official member until 1855. During this period, he served on various select committees addressing the colony's development. His political career, however, was overshadowed by his escalating financial troubles, and he did not stand for election when the council became elective. He remained a respected voice on matters of immigration and land policy.

Later life and death

By the late 1850s, Hack's extensive and often speculative business investments culminated in catastrophic financial failure. The collapse of the Bank of South Australia in 1849 severely impacted his operations. He was declared insolvent in 1859, with debts exceeding £80,000, leading to the loss of most of his property, including Kapunda. He spent his later years in reduced circumstances, working as an accountant and estate manager for former associates like John Morphett. He died at his residence in Hackney, a suburb named for his family, and was buried in West Terrace Cemetery.

Legacy

Despite his commercial failures, Hack is remembered as a quintessential colonial risk-taker whose ventures were crucial to early South Australia. The discovery at Kapunda directly sparked the colony's first mining boom, attracting capital and immigrants. The suburb of Hackney and Hackney Road in Adelaide are named for his family's estate. His life exemplifies the volatile blend of opportunity and ruin in a frontier economy, and his detailed diaries provide valuable records of early colonial life for institutions like the State Library of South Australia.

Category:1805 births Category:1884 deaths Category:People from Chichester Category:South Australian pastoralists Category:Members of the South Australian Legislative Council Category:Businesspeople from Adelaide