Reginald John Hailstone (1901–1963) was an Australian
grazier
Grazier may refer to:
*A person engaged in pastoral farming
People
*Margaret Hayes Grazier (1916–1999), an American librarian and educator
*Colin Grazier (1920–1942), a Royal Navy sailor
* John Grazier (born 1945), an American painter
* Kevin ...
and civic leader in the
Lachlan Valley area of
New South Wales.
Background
Reginald John Hailstone was born at
Woodstock on 1 November 1901, eldest son of Isaac Hailstone and his wife, Julia Finn. He was educated at home by his mother under a big
peppercorn tree
''Schinus'' is a genus of flowering trees and tall shrubs in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as pepper trees. The Peruvian pepper tree (''Schinus molle'') is the source of the spice known as pink pepperc ...
, which still stands at Green Gully, Mount McDonald.
Hailstone's parents were pioneers in the area, settling in the Woodstock district in the 1890s.
Civic positions and achievements
Reg Hailstone was president of the Pastures Protection Board; a councilor and president of the Waugoola Shire Council; Chairman of the Wyangala National Park Trust; and actively involved in the Lachlan Valley Development League, as the representative of the Waugoola Shire Council. He was also a member of the Central Tablelands County and the
Blayney Land Board.
Hailstone was very enthusiastic about the development of the Lachlan Valley, contending that the area had "unlimited possibilities, as a producer of food stuffs". He also saw great potential in elevating Wyangala 'National Park' (now Wyangala Waters State Park) to be an important tourist destination for the region. Hailstone was instrumental in getting the government to form the Wyangala National Park Trust, which focused on the development and beautification of the area.
Amongst his many civic achievements, Hailstone facilitated progress and development in the Lachlan Valley, bringing together opposing sides of politics for the benefit of the region.
Politics
Reg Hailstone was the nominated
Country Party candidate for the 1953 New South Wales state election, electorate of
Young. He was trying to unseat incumbent
Labor Party member,
Fred Cahill
Frederick Joseph Cahill (16 July 1898 – 5 November 1980) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until 1959 . He was a member of the Labor Party (ALP).
Cahill was born in Ballina, ...
. Hailstone was the underdog in the election, being relatively unknown in the area at the time.
Hailstone was defeated by Cahill by 2,716 votes, with Cahill receiving 10,802 votes versus 8,086 votes for Hailstone.
This was his only foray into State politics.
Death
Reg Hailstone collapsed and died after going swimming at Manly in 1963.
The road between
Wyangala
Wyangala is a small village in the Lachlan Valley, near the junction of the Abercrombie and Lachlan Rivers, just below the Wyangala Dam wall. It is in the South West Slopes of New South Wales, Australia, and about west of the state capital, ...
and
Woodstock was named "Reg Hailstone Way" in his honour.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hailstone, Reginald
1901 births
1963 deaths
Australian pastoralists