Walter Russell Hall (22 February 1831 – 13 October 1911) was an Australian businessman and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

Biography

Hall was born in

Kington, Herefordshire Kington is a market town, electoral ward and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the Parish, the ward had a population of 3,240, while the 2011 Census registered a population of 2,626. Geography Kington is from the border w ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, eldest son of Walter Hall, glover (later a miller), and his wife Elizabeth Carleton, ''née'' Skarratt. He was educated in Kington and Taunton,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. Hall arrived in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

on 14 February 1852 with his two brothers, Thomas Skarratt Hall and James Wesley Hall with little money. Hall was employed for a short time by

David Jones Limited David Jones Pty Limited, trading as David Jones (colloquially DJs), is an Australian High-End department store, owned since 2014 by South African retail group Woolworths Holdings Limited. David Jones was founded in 1838 by David Jones, a Welsh ...

and then prospected for gold in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

with meagre success. From 1857 he was a major investor and administrator of the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

line

Cobb and Co Cobb & Co was the name used by many successful sometimes quite independent Australian coaching businesses. The first was established in 1853 by American Freeman Cobb and his partners. The name Cobb & Co grew to great prominence in the late 19th ...

. He was also an original shareholder and director of

Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company Limited Mount Morgan Mine was a copper, gold and silver mine in Queensland, Australia. Mining began at Mount Morgan in 1882 and continued until 1981. Over its lifespan, the mine yielded approximately of gold, of silver and of copper. The mine was o ...

, incorporated in 1886. Other directorships included the Mercantile Mutual Insurance Co. Ltd, and the Sydney Meat Preserving Co. Ltd. Hall married Melbourne-born Eliza Rowdon Kirk in 1874. They had no children. He died at their home in

Potts Point Potts Point is a small and densely populated suburb in inner-city Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney. Potts Po ...

, Sydney, in October 1911.

Legacy

Hall's widow Eliza founded The Walter and Eliza Hall Trust that led to the establishment of the

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research WEHI (), previously known as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, and as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, is Australia's oldest medical research institute. Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, who won the Nobel Prize in 1960 for ...

, using funds earned from Hall's business interests to establish the Trust. The locality of Walterhall beside the

Mount Morgan mine Mount Morgan Mine was a copper, gold and silver mine in Queensland, Australia. Mining began at Mount Morgan in 1882 and continued until 1981. Over its lifespan, the mine yielded approximately of gold, of silver and of copper. The mine was o ...

in Central Queensland was named after him.

References

1831 births 1911 deaths People from Kington, Herefordshire 19th-century Australian businesspeople {{Australia-business-bio-stub