PORTRAIT - HENRY EDWARD HALL (REPRODUCTION)

Henry Edward Hastings Hall was born on February 8, 1790, in Shackerstone, Leicestershire, England. He married Sarah Theodosia Branson on November 22, 1815, in Coventry, Warwickshire. The couple had several children, including Henry Hastings Hall, who would later accompany them to Australia. Prior to emigrating, Hall was the proprietor of Shackerstone Manor in Leicestershire.
In 1830, Hall, in partnership with another settler, chartered the ship Protector and sailed to the Swan River Colony, arriving in Fremantle on February 26, 1830. Accompanying him were his wife, six children, and a group of servants and apprentices. The family brought with them livestock, farming equipment, and a 25-ton sloop. Initially, they resided in a wrecked ship hulk in Fremantle before establishing a more permanent residence.
In 1847, Hall purchased a 420-acre property near present-day Armadale, Western Australia, from George and John Armstrong, who had initially named it "Woodstock." Upon acquiring the land, Hall renamed it "Wungong." The Hall family developed the property by planting an olive grove, an orchard, and an oak tree planted by Sarah Theodosia. They also constructed a pug-walled homestead, which served as their residence.
Despite their efforts, Hall's farming activities at Wungong were not immediately successful, and the family had to rely on government rations for support. Nonetheless, their endeavors contributed to the early agricultural development of the region.
Henry Edward Hastings Hall passed away on April 20, 1859, in Perth, Western Australia, and was buried at East Perth Cemeteries.
The portraits of Henry Edward Hastings Hall and Sarah Theodosia Hall were donated to History House, Armadale, by Mrs. H. Margaret Wilson of Claremont, WA, the great-granddaughter of the Halls. The images were originally family-held, depicting Henry Edward Hastings Hall (1790–1859) and Sarah Theodosia Hall (1793–1858), early settlers of the Swan River Colony. The back of Henry Hall’s portrait records key biographical details and the family’s arrival in 1830 aboard the Protector. The objects’ custodial history within the Hall-Wilson family ensures authenticity and continuity, linking the portraits directly to the subjects and preserving an important family and regional heritage.