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CHAPTER 21
PHILANTHROPY
At a meeting in the Alliance rooms in Hobart To\.;n on August 24,
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1863, chaired by Sir Richard Dry, to raise subscriptions to\.;ards
alleviating distress in Ireland, Hall advocated the cause they had
gathered together to promote as fla cosmopolitan and Chri stianfl, as Hone
zho felt it his bounden duty to relieve every human being suffering distress,
regardless alike of country or of creedu . 1
have met with some scepticism, even derision;
In past years his words \'lould
no\'1' , they were accepted as
a statement of fact by a sincere man who \'lorked hard at great personal cost
to put his beliefs into practice.
This notable change in attitude on the part of his audience was
due , not so much to his efforts in Vaccination , Pub lic Health, National
Progress and the like, which were not always understood anyway , but to his
philanthropic work in the newly-formed Hob art To\m Benevolent Society where
his generosity, kindliness and selfless concern for the welfare of others
\'le:re appreciated and correctly appraised.
This Society, a vo luntary
organization of private citizens , under the patronage of the Governor,
Sir H. F. Young , and the presidency of the Mayor , H. Cook, \'las founded on
August 28, 1859 , at a meeting convened by Archdeacon Davies , assisted by
A. Kennerley, J.R. Bateman, R.A. Mather, E.S. Hal l, T.J. Crouch,
B.T. Solly and W. Tar leton, its obj ective being
to relieve the poor, the distressed and the afflicted and ,
thereby, to discountenance as much as possible mendi city
and vagrance and to encourage industry among the indigent,
irrespective of religious creed or denomination.2
From the commencement of its operations in 1860 unt il the granting of
some charitable relief by the Government in 1866, it was the only source
of assistance to the needy in the city and nearby country areas .
accomplish its obj ectives a fund of £500 was set up, and a maximum annual
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Mercury !
August 25, 1863 .
2
Mercury, April 23, 1862.
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