Clare. The roof tops of Hill River Station and its treed garden. Established 1841 by William Robinson. Later held by Charles Fisher then John Howard Angas. Homestead 1849 with major additions in 1927 for Dudley Angas.
Hill River and Hill River Station.
The Hill River which runs parallel to the Hutt River rises in the Clare Valley near Penwortham. The Hill River was named after early explorer John Hill. William Robinson was the first lease holder of the Hill River run around 1841 with a partner but he was soon the sole lessee. Records show that in 1844 Robinson had 8,000 ewes and 2,500 wethers on his Hill River run. He gave explorer John Horrocks of Penwortham thirteen goats to take with him on his 1846 expedition to the north of South Australia. William Robinson sold the lease of Hill River run to Charles B Fisher in 1855 as Robinson thought Yorke Peninsula was better country but he was mistaken. Robinson built the first part of an impressive homestead at Hill River in 1849. In 1855 after he sold his leasehold to Charles. B. Fisher of Bundaleer, Fisher converted 60,000 acres of leasehold land to freehold land. He ran 40,000 sheep on Hill River and grew wheat. By 1875 50,000 sheep were shorn at Hill River and cropping was also a major activity. 4,250 acres were cropped in that year with a ploughing team of 34 horses and it was harvested by 37 strippers each with a four horse team! Hill River run was the largest farm in SA. In 1876 Fisher ( a son of James Hurtle Fisher, First Resident Commissioner of the SA Company) sold Hill River to John Howard Angas , a son of George Fife Angas. John Howard Angas paid the amazing price of £220,000 for the property which was then about 60,000 freehold acres. The Angas family still reside in and own Hill River station. The homestead was enlarged and extended in 1827 with the same sandstone as the original 1849 part. The stone was quarried on the property. These extensions were made when Dudley Angas married Mary Abbot in 1925. But the government forced closer settlement at various times and Hill River station today is a mere 4,000 acres but with extensive stone outbuildings from the grand days of the station remain on the property.
Clare. The roof tops of Hill River Station and its treed garden. Established 1841 by William Robinson. Later held by Charles Fisher then John Howard Angas. Homestead 1849 with major additions in 1927 for Dudley Angas.
Hill River and Hill River Station.
The Hill River which runs parallel to the Hutt River rises in the Clare Valley near Penwortham. The Hill River was named after early explorer John Hill. William Robinson was the first lease holder of the Hill River run around 1841 with a partner but he was soon the sole lessee. Records show that in 1844 Robinson had 8,000 ewes and 2,500 wethers on his Hill River run. He gave explorer John Horrocks of Penwortham thirteen goats to take with him on his 1846 expedition to the north of South Australia. William Robinson sold the lease of Hill River run to Charles B Fisher in 1855 as Robinson thought Yorke Peninsula was better country but he was mistaken. Robinson built the first part of an impressive homestead at Hill River in 1849. In 1855 after he sold his leasehold to Charles. B. Fisher of Bundaleer, Fisher converted 60,000 acres of leasehold land to freehold land. He ran 40,000 sheep on Hill River and grew wheat. By 1875 50,000 sheep were shorn at Hill River and cropping was also a major activity. 4,250 acres were cropped in that year with a ploughing team of 34 horses and it was harvested by 37 strippers each with a four horse team! Hill River run was the largest farm in SA. In 1876 Fisher ( a son of James Hurtle Fisher, First Resident Commissioner of the SA Company) sold Hill River to John Howard Angas , a son of George Fife Angas. John Howard Angas paid the amazing price of £220,000 for the property which was then about 60,000 freehold acres. The Angas family still reside in and own Hill River station. The homestead was enlarged and extended in 1827 with the same sandstone as the original 1849 part. The stone was quarried on the property. These extensions were made when Dudley Angas married Mary Abbot in 1925. But the government forced closer settlement at various times and Hill River station today is a mere 4,000 acres but with extensive stone outbuildings from the grand days of the station remain on the property.