Quick Facts
Biography
John Henry Mason Hawkes (9 July 1851 – 5 May 1944) was a businessman in the early days of Adelaide, South Australia
History
Hawkes was born in Goodwood, South Australia, the eldest surviving son of John Henry Mason Hawkes (c. 1827 – 14 October 1858) and his wife Frances Sarah Ann Hawkes, née Symonds (c. 1831 – 15 February 1902). Both were early settlers; Hawkes aboard Gratitude in August 1848, and Frances Sarah Anne Symonds on Marion in February 1849. They married later that same year. She was in 1880 to marry again, to the recently widowed William Henville Burford.
Hawkes grew up in Port Adelaide, and like his brother James attended Adelaide Educational Institution, but unlike him was not a prize-winning student.
In 1871 he began marketing writing ink and branding inks (used with a stencil for labelling bales of wool etc.), manufactured at premises at 88 Currie Street, then the following year moved to Coromandel Place, off Grenfell Street, where his four or five employees also produced animal charcoal for filtering water and a washing powder. The business was wound up in 1878.
When the South Australian Government adopted a protectionist policy around 1880, the management of D. & J. Fowler, Limited, decided to begin manufacturing groceries, and began offering farmers a market for products such as chicory, which had previously been imported.
Around 1885 they appointed Hawkes manager of that side of their Adelaide business, with a staff of eight, which forty years later had grown to ninety.
Other interests
In May 1878 he was succeeded Dedman as treasurer of the South Australian Football Club, and was a member of the Flinders Cricket Club in 1880.
Around 1881 he purchased 464 acres (188 ha) in the Hundred of Davenport.
Hawkes represented D. & J. Fowler at the SA Chamber of Manufactures
He was a member of the Church of Christ, and helped found churches at Maylands and Nailsworth, was a leader of the Men's Bible Class at Norwood and was for 25 a reader, in rotation with John Verco and W. C. Brooker, and served as lay preacher at Queenstown.
He was a member of the St. Peters Model Parliament, and the Chapel Street (Norwood) Literary Society, of which he was president in 1893.
In October 1921 he and Alexander H. Dobbie were appointed to the State Advisory Council on Science and Industry.
Family
Robert Hawkes (c. 1803 – 30 August 1866) married to Sarah ; he was land agent of King William Street; home on Magill Road, Norwood. Arrived SA August 1848 aboard Gratitude with their family:
- John Henry Mason Hawkes (c. 1827 – 14 October 1858) married Frances Ann Symonds (c. 1831 – 15 February 1902) in 1849. Their children included:
- Elizabeth Ann Hawkes (c. 1829 – 19 August 1923) married Edward B. W. Glandfield on 14 September 1848. He was later Mayor of Adelaide.
- Charles Flaxman Hawkes (c. 1832 – 19 February 1875) married Frances Annie Johns in 1857. Killed himself with a chisel.
- Robert Joseph Hawkes (c. 1836 – 10 October 1861)
- Jonathan Lea Hawkes (c. 1839 – 3 July 1932)