Henry Hopwood
Encyclopedia
Henry Hopwood was an English convict
who established the thriving river town of Echuca in Victoria
, Australia
.
(Tasmania
, a British colony in Australia). A persuasive and manipulative character, within a year of arriving in the colony, Hopwood had been appointed as a police constable. However, he often found himself in trouble, mainly due to dalliances with women, and in 1839, he was sentenced to two years' servitude at the Port Arthur
penal settlement for 'aiding and abetting the abduction of his master's daughter'. He was eventually released and, in 1846, granted a full pardon after having served 12 years of his original sentence.
) where he worked his way north to the Murray River
in 1848. Here he found work in a tallow
plant, boiling down animal carcasses to extract their fat and oils, eventually becoming foreman. By 1850 the shrewd Hopwood noted the increasing numbers of drovers and farmers in the area, and used his savings to build both a hotel and a punt. He charged a small fee for river crossings and profited from drinkers at his hotel. By 1858 he had almost single-handedly expanded the lonely riverbank site into a small town, complete with a pontoon bridge, newspaper, school, warehouses and vineyards. The following year Hopwood constructed the Bridge Hotel, a more stylish double-storey brick building that still stands today.
Based on his record, Hopwood was a competitive, irascible and sometimes arrogant character who frequently became involved in petty feuds. On one occasion a large bucket from his river punt went missing; Hopwood placed an advertisement in the local newspaper stating that all punt crossings would be suspended until the bucket was returned, thereby halting all interstate transport and business.
Hopwood was married three times. His first wife and an infant son in England were left behind after he was transported; Hopwood never saw them again. He remarried in Melbourne in 1854 and again in 1860 following the death of his second wife. He had one child, a daughter, with his second wife.
Hopwood himself died of typhoid in 1869. He has gravestones in both Echuca Cemetery and the Melbourne General Cemetery
, and though his Echuca grave is a popular tourist destination records suggest his body is actually interred in Melbourne.
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
who established the thriving river town of Echuca in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Early life
Hopwood was arrested in 1834 for receiving stolen rolls of silk, and sentenced to 14 years' transportation to Van Diemen's LandVan Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
(Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, a British colony in Australia). A persuasive and manipulative character, within a year of arriving in the colony, Hopwood had been appointed as a police constable. However, he often found himself in trouble, mainly due to dalliances with women, and in 1839, he was sentenced to two years' servitude at the Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Tasmania
Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and the open air museum is officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. It is located approximately 60 km south east of...
penal settlement for 'aiding and abetting the abduction of his master's daughter'. He was eventually released and, in 1846, granted a full pardon after having served 12 years of his original sentence.
Echuca
Hopwood migrated to the fledging colony of Port Phillip (MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
) where he worked his way north to the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
in 1848. Here he found work in a tallow
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
plant, boiling down animal carcasses to extract their fat and oils, eventually becoming foreman. By 1850 the shrewd Hopwood noted the increasing numbers of drovers and farmers in the area, and used his savings to build both a hotel and a punt. He charged a small fee for river crossings and profited from drinkers at his hotel. By 1858 he had almost single-handedly expanded the lonely riverbank site into a small town, complete with a pontoon bridge, newspaper, school, warehouses and vineyards. The following year Hopwood constructed the Bridge Hotel, a more stylish double-storey brick building that still stands today.
Based on his record, Hopwood was a competitive, irascible and sometimes arrogant character who frequently became involved in petty feuds. On one occasion a large bucket from his river punt went missing; Hopwood placed an advertisement in the local newspaper stating that all punt crossings would be suspended until the bucket was returned, thereby halting all interstate transport and business.
Hopwood was married three times. His first wife and an infant son in England were left behind after he was transported; Hopwood never saw them again. He remarried in Melbourne in 1854 and again in 1860 following the death of his second wife. He had one child, a daughter, with his second wife.
Hopwood himself died of typhoid in 1869. He has gravestones in both Echuca Cemetery and the Melbourne General Cemetery
Melbourne General Cemetery
The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large necropolis located north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North.-History:...
, and though his Echuca grave is a popular tourist destination records suggest his body is actually interred in Melbourne.