Arrival at Hynam, SA

Records don't show when the Hopes actually arrived at Hynam Estate, where Alice's sister, Jane and her husband Adam Smith and their family had established themselves. Hynam Estate is situated in the South-East of South Australia, 7 miles east of Naracoorte.

By the year 1870 all the Hope family were residing at or near Hynam, except Sarah, and no information, since the family's arrival in Australia, has come to light which has identified her whereabouts.

During the early 1980's Maggie and Norm Tucker visited the home of the Peter and Jan Smith and their family at Hynam House. Peter is the great-great-grandson of Adam Smith and Jane Armstrong. It is note-worthy to add that the descendants of Adam and Jane Smith are the only pioneering family still living on their original property (and in the same house) in the South-East of South Australia. Maggie and Norm stayed with Peter and Jan and the four of them went through the many records from those early years, trying to piece together the stories they could tell. Peter collected together all the paper work and journals for the period 1855 to about 1900 and while many of them were strictly business records and were never intended to assist future historians piece together family events and situations, nevertheless, they were of great assistance.

It was identified that the Hope lads found employment on the Hynam Estate, assisting Adam and his family run the property and other records indicate that the Hopes lived on or about Hynam Estate. Having been brought up on the Hynam Estate, Peter knew the property intimately and was perplexed as to where the two families could have lived. Maggie and Peter were not just trying to fit the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together, they were still trying to find some of the pieces.

Amongst the records were some old journals recording land Selections made by some of the Hopes. It appeared as though they selected land on behalf of the Hynam Estate as sections that they selected later appear under Hynam Estate holdings. The following was recorded:

Selected by Richmond Hope on 24 June 1870

Section 201 239 acres

Selected by Thomas Hope on 27 June 1870

Section 142 176 acres

Section 154 199 acres

Section 202 182 acres = 557 acres

Selected by David Hope on 27 June 1870

Section 596 250 acres

Section 599 312 acres

Section 598 78 acres = 640 acres

Selected by Maggie Hope on 28 June 1870

Section 134 220 acres

Section 135 192 acres

Section 141 228 acres = 640 acres

Selected by Thomas Hope (jnr) on 11 July 1870

Section 561 138 acres

Section 563 173 acres

Section 577 121 acres

Section 579 104 acres

Section 582 104 acres = 640 acres

When comparing these Section numbers with those issued 'today', they will not correspond, as the system was changed at the time of 'Closer Settlement' in about 1905.

None of the Smiths nor their 'helpers' selected more than was the upper limit of 640 acres as per the Strangways Act, although, as Peter went on to say, it looks like individuals were organised to select the maximum amount of land with the land being handed back to the organiser (in this case, Adam Smith).

In South Australia the Strangways Act of 1869 proclaimed certain agricultural areas open to Selection, in which any person could purchase up to 640 acres of agricultural land at one pound per acre, on payment of a deposit and the balance at the end of 4 years.

Naracoorte was predominantly settled by Scots and as such, the first church to be built in the district was the St Andrews Presbyterian Church in 1858. This was where both the Hope and Smith families worshipped as recorded in the historical accounts of the Church, where records show that 'Thomas Hope was acting as Precentor for a considerable period, walking the seven miles from Hynam for that purpose. The idea of instrumental music in churches was not entertained until a much later day.'

'Early in 1856 an important meeting was held at the Merino Inn, the only meeting-place in the early days. This was attended by the majority of the landowners and townsmen of the day. Two denominations were represented - the Anglican and Presbyterian. The meeting decided that a referendum should be taken for the purpose of ascertaining which denomination the majority of the settlers wished to see established, and what amount they were willing to subscribe for the purpose of securing and providing for a settled minister. The Presbyterians were found to be the more numerous and financially the stronger, or more liberal; and so the privilege fell to them. A condition was attached that the minister selected must be able to preach both in Gaelic and English, as a very large section of the settlers around Naracoorte hailed from the Highlands of Scotland, and were naturally attached to their native tongue. The Rev Dugald McCalman was duly inducted to labour in a charge stretching from Robe on the coast to Edenhope in Victoria, a distance of over 100 miles. While waiting for the completion of the Church, the congregation worshipped in the Court House. The First Communion was amongst the cherished memories of the early settlers, having been held at Easter-time in 1857 under the great red gums in a bend of the creek behind the Naracoorte Police Station. Some families travelled considerable distances to be present. Two or even three day journeys did not deter them.

'The people from afar brought tents with them or tilted conveyances and camped out in the picturesque vicinity. Friday was set apart for self-examination, Saturday for preparation, Sunday was "the great day of the feast' and Monday was the day of thanksgiving. In a large marquee, extemporised from tarpaulins, "the tables" were laid and filled by successive relays of earnest, reverent communicants. And so in a manner fraught with tender memories and associations, these Scottish exiles relieved their home-sickness, and "remembered" their Saviour.

'Then the scene shifts to the church upon, four acres of land upon the highest point within the bounds of the township. The land was gifted to the church by Mr William McIntosh. The same gentleman a little later presented a fine bell, the deep, clear toll of which still summons the worshippers to the House of God. In this church. Mr McCalman conducted the services for 16 years - the morning service in English and the afternoon in the Gaelic.'

It was common knowledge with older members of the Hope family that Thomas was a very unhappy man in Australia and had made arrangements to return to Scotland, when ill-health and then his subsequent death, cheated him of this wish.

Thomas died on 29 January 1876 at his home near Naracoorte, aged about 70 years of age. The Death Certificate for Thomas stated his residence had been Yallow Creek, also known as Yellock Creek, which runs near Hynam Estate. Alice Hope died on 8 August 1890 at the age of 78.

After Thomas' death in 1876, the family slowly dispersed from Hynam, with some moving across the border to Western Victoria. The four sons, Richmond, William, David and John, lived around Apsley, east of Hynam in western Victoria. They appeared to have several parcels of land which they shared amongst themselves; Fernside, Wytwarrone, Boikerbert, Bogalara and Powers Creek and at other times Apsley is recorded as well. When going through birth, marriage and death certificates, the names of places seem to be interchanged between the 4 brothers.

Richmond was the first to marry in 1877 and brought his young wife, Isabella Edgar to the family home at Fernside, Apsley. It was here that in 1878 their first child, Alice Burgess Hope, was born and it is recorded on her birth certificate that her uncle William was residing at Apsley and was the 'informant' for the occasion of her birth.Then followed in 1879, 1880 and 1882 the births of Halbert Edgar, Maggie Armstrong and Thomas Hope with their paternal grandmother, Alice Hope, being present at each of the above 4 births.

In 1882 William Bryce Hope married Eliza Ann Robertson and they also set up their home at Apsley with Richmond and his young family as well as brothers David and John. It was not long before the Hope family grew even more with William and Eliza's children all being born in the Apsley district as well. William Robert Hope was born in 1882 at Wytwarrone with Alice Hope being present to assist with her fifth grandchild's birth.

In 1883 Isabella Edgar Hope was born to Richmond and Isabella at Boikerbert and in 1884 Ailcie Elizabeth Hope was born to William and Eliza at Wytwarrone. Alice Hope, again, being present at both births.

Acknowledgement for material and statistics used herein: Peter Smith

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