William Hall was born on May 17, 1851, in the bustling district of Battersea, near London, the first child of Charles Weavers Hall and Mary Bean. Little is recorded of his early years, but at the age of 25, his life took a dramatic turn when he joined the British Army and set sail for South Africa to serve in the Zulu Wars (1874–1879). As one of the 140 brave survivors of the legendary Battle of Rorke’s Drift, William faced overwhelming odds against 3,000 to 5,000 Zulu warriors, a testament to his courage and resilience.
After the war, William remained in South Africa for five more years, immersing himself in the rugged landscapes and vibrant communities of the region. In 1884, he returned to England, landing in Southampton with not a moment to reconnect with family, as that same day, he seized an opportunity for a working passage aboard the sailing ship The Honour, bound for Australia. After a gruelling 90-day voyage across the seas, he stepped onto the shores of Adelaide, ready to forge a new chapter.
The family he left behind – Parents seated: Charles Weavers Hall and Mary Bean, siblings L-R: Rose, Charles, Esther, Sarah, Jack and Lizzy. They would never see William again.
In January 1885, William ventured to the remote mining town of Tibooburra in New South Wales, where he purchased a Miner’s Right for 10 shillings and tried his hand at prospecting for gold. His efforts paid off, and upon returning to Adelaide, he had amassed enough wealth to purchase a hotel on Hindmarsh Street, which he named The Land of Promise. This establishment, still standing today, became a cornerstone of his new life.
It was in Adelaide that William met Eliza Ann Menhennett, the woman who would become his partner in life’s adventures. The couple married on December 8, 1890, at Eliza’s home in Mutooroo, South Australia. By then, they had already welcomed their first child, a daughter named Amy Myrtle, born in 1888. Their family grew with the arrival of a son, Reginald Evelyn Hall, in 1901, named in honour of Colonel Evelyn Wood VC, who had once saved William’s life during the South African Wars.
In 1894, after the birth of their third child, William Charles “Willie,” doctors advised William to seek a drier climate for his health. He sold The Land of Promise and set his sights on Western Australia, arriving first in Fremantle. From there, he paid 10 shillings to load his swag onto a dray and walked to Coolgardie, a journey known as “swamping,” arriving in 1895. In Coolgardie, William established himself as a baker and general storekeeper, supplying bread, water, hop beer, and cool drinks to locals and travellers alike. Eliza and the children soon joined him, but tragedy struck when their youngest, Willie, aged just one year and nine months, passed away on December 31, 1895, and was laid to rest in the Coolgardie Cemetery.
W Hall’s General Store and Bakery, Wittenoom St, West Toorak, Coolgardie 1899 – William Hall on left, the young boy is Reginald Evelyn Hall, who was William’s first son born in Adelaide in 1891. He was named after Colonel Sir Evelyn Wood VC, who saved William’s life in the Zulu Wars. He grew up on the WA Goldfields to become a sandalwood cutter with a camel team and dray in the Bulong and Pinjin areas. He later became an engine driver on the Woodline.
Despite this loss, the family grew with the births of daughters in Coolgardie, Mary Blanche in 1898 and Thelma Gladys in 1900. In 1905, William sold his bakery to Bill Crudace and relocated the family to Kurrawang, where he launched a greengrocer’s cart business, supplying fresh produce to workers along the Woodline. Another son, Maurice Claude, was born there in 1902. The family later moved to Kanowna, where two more sons, Percy Gordon (1905) and Herbert Henry (1908), and a final daughter, Mabel Olga (1911), completed their family.
In Kanowna, William’s greengrocer’s business thrived, and he supplemented his income by discreetly selling “sly grog” to Woodline workers, a lucrative but risky venture. The children attended Bulong State School, but as World War I erupted and Bulong’s prosperity waned, the family faced new challenges. A memorable moment came in 1910 when William woke his family to witness the awe-inspiring sight of Halley’s Comet, a rare spectacle that left a lasting impression.
As Bulong declined, William relocated his family to Trafalgar, east of Boulder, and eventually settled in Kalgoorlie/Boulder. There, he lived out his final years, passing away on November 21, 1948, at the remarkable age of 96 in Kalgoorlie Hospital. He was laid to rest in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery alongside his beloved Eliza, who had predeceased him by 21 years. William Hall’s life was a tapestry of adventure, resilience, and family, woven across continents and etched into the history of the places he called home.
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Hello Moya,
After searching the lists of survivors of Rorke’s Drift I could only find a lance corporal William Halley…..no Hall William ?
Can you comment whether he changed his name ?
Regards
I have not been able to find if he changed his name officially but it is quit possible.