George Charles Hawker

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George Charles Hawker (21 September 1818 – 21 May 1895) was an Australian settler and South Australian politician.

Hawker was the second son of Admiral Edward Hawker, and was born in London. He was educated partly on the continent, and entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1836. He qualified for his B.A. degree in 1840, and towards the end of that year went to South Australia. He had some capital to start with, and after trying two sites which were found to have insufficient water, established a sheep station some distance to the north of Adelaide, afterwards known as Bungaree. He had two brothers with him at first and all three soon adapted themselves to pioneer conditions; some of the early station buildings in fact were put up with their own hands. In 1841 they were members of a party of 10 that went out to reclaim a large number of sheep that had fallen into the hands of the aborigines. The aborigines heavily outnumbered them and they were fortunate in escaping with the loss of one horse with one member of their party wounded. Hawker eventually bought out his brothers and extended his land until he had some 80,000 acres (32,400 hectares). Much attention was paid to the breeding of his sheep, and his wool gained a high reputation.

In January 1858 Hawker entered the South Australian house of assembly as member for the district of Victoria, and in April 1860, though a comparatively young man and opposed by Boyle Travers Finniss and Francis Stacker Dutton, was elected speaker. He was successful in this position carrying out its duties with tact and dignity, and showing a good knowledge of parliamentary practice. He retired from parliament in 1865, went to England with his family, and did not return until 1874. He again entered parliament and, except for a few months, was a member until his death. He was twice asked to form a ministry and declined on each occasion, but several times held office. He was treasurer in the third Arthur Blyth ministry for a few days in 1875, and chief secretary in the second James Penn Boucaut ministry from March to June 1876. He was commissioner of public works in the third Boucaut ministry from October 1877 to September 1878, and held the same position in the William Morgan ministry until June 1881. In 1889 he visited India to inquire into the irrigation question, and on his return wrote a series of articles on this subject which appeared in the South Australian Register. He died on 21 May 1895; if he had lived a few days longer he would have been created K.C.M.G.; his widow's appeal for a posthumous award was approved by the Queen in September 1895. He married in December 1845 Bessie, daughter of Henry Seymour, who survived him with six sons and six daughters.

Hawker held a leading position as a citizen of South Australia. Wealthy, and a good employer, he was much interested in the every day life of the colony, a follower of cricket, racing, and coursing, a supporter of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society, and the Zoological Society. He was much respected in parliament through his long career of 26 years. In his earlier days a first rate speaker who sometimes rose to eloquence, Hawker as an old man contented himself with short speeches, which were, however, much to the point. He showed distinct administrative ability during his term as commissioner of public works.

Of Hawker's sons, Edward William Hawker (1850-1940), was for several years during his father's lifetime a member of the South Australian house of assembly. A grandson, Charles Allan Seymour Hawker (1894-1938), was a South Australian member of the Commonwealth House of Representatives from 1929 to 1938.

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This article incorporates text from the public domain 1949 edition of Dictionary of Australian Biography from
Project Gutenberg of Australia, which is in the public domain in Australia and the United States of America.
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