Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Monday 29 December 1902, page 4


THE LATE MR THEODORE

HACK.

A COLONIST OF 62 YEARS.

Public and religious life in this State will be the poorer by the death of Mr. Theodore Hack, which took place on Saturday at his residence, in Miller-street, North Unley. He was born on November 17, 1840, at Echunga, near Mount Barker, and was the fifth son of Mr. John Barton Hack, who arrived in Port Adelaide by the ship Isa-

bella from Tasmania with a considerable number of sheep and cattle in February, 1837. three months after Sir John Hind-marsh had proclaimed South Australia a British province. The elder Mr. Hack, whose father was a banker in Chichester, and whose mother, herself an authoress, was a sister of Bernard Barton, the Quaker poet and friend of Charles Lamb, was very close-ly associated with the early life of this com-munity. The vessel in which he arrived was commanded by Captain John Hart, (afterwards Premier on several occasions), with whom he was associated in whaling operations at Encounter Bay. Mr. Hack also took up the first special surveys under

the Government-those at Little Para and Echunga-and he was one of the committee appointed to name the streets of Adelaide, in which he purchased 64 acres at the ori-ginal Government sale. . He would have be-come one of the wealthiest men in Austra-lia had he retained this property, but he was involved in the financial crisis in 1842 by the dishonoring of the drafts drawn by Colonel George Gawler, K.H., the second Governor, on the Imperial Government, and had to part with his estates. Mr. Hack died at the Semaphore on October 4, 1884, at the age of 79 years, his wife, whom he married in 1829, having predeceased him. She was a daughter of Mr. William Watson, of Hardshaw, in Lancashire. It is a sad coincidence that the son of this worthy pioneer should have died on the eve of Proclamation Day. Mr. Theodore Hack was educated at Mr. John L. Young's school on North-terrace, where the Right Hon. C. C. Kingston, and many other per-sonages now holding prominent positions, were also pupils. After spending some time in the bush on the Coorong, Mr. Hack re-turned to Adelaide in the early sixties, and entered the Civil service as landing officer at the Semaphore, whence he went to Port Willunga as harbormaster. Afterwards he became corresponding clerk in the Engineer-in-Chief's Department, and railwaystorekeeper. In the seventies Mr. Hack left the Civil service, and entered into the timber trade at Port Adelaide in partner-ship with Mr. Robin. The whole of their immense stock was destroyed by fire in 1884, and two years later Mr. Hack estab-lished himself in Adelaide as a valuator and architect.

Mr. Hack took a deep interest in public affairs, and was always ready to place his services at the disposal oí his fellowcitizens. For several years he was a mem-ber of the Port Adelaide Council, and for two years he fulled the office of mayor of that important municipality. He also had the distinction of being the first mayor of the Semaphore. At the Jubilee Exhibition in 1887, Mr. Hack was appointed a juror, and from 1S90 to 1893 he sat in Parliament as one of the representatives for Gumer-acha. As a member of the Central Roads Board and of the Fire Brigades' Board, he devoted much attention to the perfor-mance of his duties. Mr. Hack belonged to the Methodist Church, and he threw himself earnestly into the work of the de-nomination. For 30 years he was a zealous local preacher, and his col-leagues recognised his ability and power by appointing him president of the

Local Teachers' Association. His religious energy found further scope in his connec-tion with the Australasian General Metho-dist Conference, the local Methodist Con-ference, as well as with several standing committees of the Conference. The govern-ing body of Prince Alfred College also bene-fited by Mr. Hack's grasp of affairs anti practical wisdom.. Among the various phil-anthropic efforts that had Mr. Hack's ac-tive support may be mentioned the Prison-ers' Aid Society. As chairman and trea-surer of the executive committee of this in-stitution he did much to promote the suc-cess of a movement that is full of hope and promise. A reference to the work done by Mr. Hack would be incomplete without mention of the influence he exercised in regard to the operations of the Chamber of Manufactures. He constantly advocated the establishment and development of colonial industries, and took a prominent part in two inter-State Conferences on the subject of the proposed Federal tariff, held in Ade-laide and Melbourne.

The late Mr. Hack was twice married, and he leaves a widow and eight children. Of the five sons, two are in Adelaide, two in the West, and one in the United States. Mr. Hack had six brothers, one of whom is Mr. Bedford Hack, manager of the Sewage Farm. Mr. Hack's death was due to Bright's disease, from which he had suffered for a long time.