Sadly because this is a blog, I can’t insert pages in chronological order, so this may seem out of place, but having come across this information I have had for many years I will add it here, although many people studying the Heneker family may have also seen it. It still makes very interesting reading about an interesting life. Once again I am so pleased this man was my great great grandfather and wish I could have known him.
Mr James Heneker sen., recently died at his residence, Beltana, at the age of 90 years. he was born in Kent of December 4, 1826 and arrived at Holdfast Bay [Glenelg, South Australia] in He arrived on the ship Hoogli [sic] on June 19, 1839. He was employed soon afterwards as a shepherd at the foot of the Black Hill, now Marybank, at 30/- per week…and rations found.
He was afterwards shepherding at Thebarton, when the first house was built there. He remembered the funeral of Colonel Light [Col Light designed the city of Adelaide], and the Rev. C.B. Howard, the first colonial chaplain.At one time he worked as a bullock driver for Mr John Hill, who raised the flag at the proclamation of the province. [also at Glenelg].
View of the Beltana Cemetery, South Australia (after some rain)
James Heneker’s Headstone at Beltana Cemetery, Beltana, South Australia
He formed one of the party of 13 soldiers who were sent to the Murray in the early days to protect people travelling from New South Wales with cattle and sheep. It was Mr. Heneker’scartwheel which in 1841 turned up the galena on the Glen Osmond hill and led to the discovery of the Wheal Watkins silver mine, which was worked profitably awhile, and which was probably the first mine opened up in South Australia. Mr Heneker, while in the employ of Mr. Smith, commonly known as Long Jim”, drove the second lot of miners to the Burra Burra mine. In 1847 and 1848 he worked for the late Hon. J. Baker, and assisted to build that gentleman’s house at Morialta. He was married on December 18, 1849 at Trinity Church, Adelaide by Dean Farrell, to Mary Ann, daughter of Mr Joseph Spencer of Hampshire, England. Miss Spencer arrived from England in October 1839. Mr Heneker lived for a time at Dawesley, and then in the South-East for a few years. He went to Blinman in 1869 and had remained in the north ever since. In 1871 he was engaged to cart poles for the overland telegraph line and travelled as far north as Alice Springs. Mrs and Mrs Heneker, on the celebration of their gold wedding, were entertained by their relatives and friends in the Beltana Jubilee Hall. Mrs Heneker died in the Port Augusta Hospital on August 26 1915. Mr Heneker retired from work about seven years ago, on account of his age. There are three sons (Messrs James Heneker, of Beltana, Joseph Heneker, of Hawker [my great grandfather] and Thomas Heneker of Stone Hut, two daughters (Mrs Martha White of Blinman and Mrs Thomas Blinman of Beltana). 34 grandchildren and 40 great grandchildren.
This obit was published in The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A. : 1889-1931) Tuesday 6 March 1917, page 6.
[retrieved from http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/printArticleJpg/5567520/3 on 04/04/2012]
Heneker - a Pioneering family from Kent to South Australia 