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97
ROSS
Early in 1850, on the breaking up of the Oatlands and Jericho
stations , Hampton offered Hal l the conjoint appointment of Superintendent
and Medical Officer of all the convict estab lishments at Ross . By this
time Hall's reputation as a capab le, reliable and trustworthy pub lic
officer was firmly estab lished and he was warmly recommended for the
position by Principal Medical Officer Dr Dawson . As the appointment was
responsible and onerous , Hall, in accepting , candidly told the
Comptroller-General that , if the time ever arose when he felt he could
_
not execute the duties of the office with satisfaction either to him
(Hampton) or to himself, he would promptly resign. On February 1, 1850,
he began his duties at Ross with an increased salary and greatly
increased responsibilities some of which were different from those to
which he was accustomed in Van Diemen 's Land .
Twenty-two miles to the north of Oatlands , Ross was a small
town built on the banks of the Macquarie River where it intersected the
main north-south road at a point some seventy-five miles from Hobart Town
and forty-nine from Launceston. The suitability of the site for a town
had first impres sed Governor Macquarie on his journey across the island
in 1811; the following year a small military garrison was posted there
to protect travellers, and in 1821 on Macquarie's second visit the
designated town was named Ross. Gradually it became a centre for the
pastoral industry which flourished in the extensive fertile plains and
a Government farm was established there for some time . During the
Probation System period the Convict Department built a punishment station
and a hiring depot, using the local stone which was very good.
Th ere were five well-ventilated and fairly secure wards
sufficient to accommoaate about two hundred and twenty men, the largest
ward housing seventy men when full; and two yards separated by a wooden
partition, one for the prisoners in chains and one for the passho lders .
Water for drinking and washing was obtained from the river two hundred
yards away, and water for laundry purposes from two wells . There were
two excellent stone troughs where the prisoners washed. The men in
chains were emp loyed on the main road whilst the passholders , when not
under hire for which there was a good demand, were engaged in preparing
stone, sawing wood for the rebuilding of the church and the erection of
a military barracks. In May, 1847, sixty acres of vegetables were under
cultivation . In Ross , too , there was good watch house strongly bui lt