Obituaries Australia

Daniel Hatten, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 January 1924

Daniel William Field Hatten, late stock inspector at Bourke, N.S.W., who died on 31st October last, was an interesting pioneer of western New South Wales. He came of a family which had held a small property in Buckinghamshire for upwards of 500 years, when it was, in the early twenties of last century, dissipated in law suits. His father, Thomas Hatten, with wife and four children, including D. W. F., sailed for Australia in the ship Royal Archer, September 1847, and arrived at Adelaide February 1848.

In 1852 Thomas Hatten took up a run, called Narrana, adjoining John McKinlay's settlement at Owanigan's Gap, South Australia. From this place, in 1856, John McKinlay "borrowed" young "Bill" Hatten to help fetch horses to Lake Victoria Station, then called Walkminga. On Walkminga he learned all about cattle, and in 1861 moved to Para Station as head stockman for the Scotts, and so commenced life on the Darling; from Para to Polia, then on to Cuthero and Netley. He did some cattle buying in Queensland for Mr. Jos. Dunne in 1868. One trip he bought and drove a mob from Franklin Vale, near Brisbane, to Netley, and on to Adelaide —in all a fourteen months' trip.

In 1874, in partnership with E. B. L. Dickens, a son of the novelist, he bought Yanda Station, near Bourke, and resided there until the nineties, when he was forced out by drought, rabbits and overdraft.

In 1880 Mr. Hatten joined with three others (James Robertson, of Jandra Station; J. T. Gibson, and Dr. Sides, both of Bourke) in a pastoral venture in the Northern Territory, west side of the Gulf of Carpentaria. This proved to be a dead loss to all concerned, and the country was abandoned.

In 1866 Mr. Hatten married Miss Mary Knight, who predeceased him. He leaves a family of sons and daughters. Mr. Hatten became stock inspector at Bourke on leaving Yanda Station, and held that position until his death, aged eighty.