On 15th January 1875 the Mudla Wirra South District Council met. It was agreed the Clerk would apply to the Destitute Board for continuation of rations for Mary Henniker[1].
Mary was embarrassed but grateful for the assistance. Mary recalled their excitement, anxiety and determination as Thomas, Mary and their six children boarded the emigrant ship Hooghly[2].
Times were harsh for settlers of the young colony of South Australia with Mary and Thomas living on the banks of First Creek with four more children being born there[3]. Mary fossicked for firewood, food and kept an eye out for snakes.
Moving to the thriving area of Gawler, they started market gardening. The children grew strong, eventually moving far and wide. Thomas and Mary grew even closer in their joint love of gardening, the warm summers and cool winters, the beautiful native birds.
In 1867 Thomas succumbed to illness and died[4]. Mary was strong, and continued to grow vegetables for sale. As time wore on though, Mary’s body started to tire, the birth of ten children and a lifetime of hard back breaking work was taking it’s toll. Eventually the cottage and land had to be sold.
Living in a rough hut giving little shelter to the climate, Mary had to rely on assistance from the Destitute Board to continue to live. In 1880, Mary passed away at Gawler, South Australia.[5]
[1] 1975 ‘DISTRICT COUNCIL’, Bunyip (Gawler, S.A.: 1863-1954) Fri 15 Jan 1875, p.3. Viewed 10 Jan 2019, http://nla, news-articles97220508
[2] www.slsa.gov.au/BSA/Shiplists, Henniker, 1939. South Australia Passenger Lists, 1836-1851
[3] George Heneker, Genealogysa.or.au. Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 [database-on-line] Unley, SA
[4] Thomas Heniker. Ancestry.com. Australia, Death Index 1787-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010
[5] Mary Henniker. Ancestry.com. Australia, Death Index 1878-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010
Heneker - a Pioneering family from Kent to South Australia 
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