Name details

Hatch Hill

Australian Antarctic Gazetteer Id 134467

Feature type: Hill

Origin

This name originates from Australia. It is part of the Australian Antarctic Gazetteer.

Narrative

A low but prominent hill rising from the north shore of Square Lake, with catchments flowing to both the east coast via Finch Creek and the west coast via Stony Creek.

Joseph Hatch was born in London, England, and emigrated to Melbourne in 1856. There he worked for a drug company. He first saw Macquarie Island en route from Melbourne to New Zealand in 1862, while moving to New Zealand to open a new pharmaceutical branch for Youngman, McCann and Company. In New Zealand he became an entrepreneur and also got involved in national and local politics, becoming mayor of Invercargill. He eventually took over the Macquarie Island oiling industry license from Elder & Co and sent his first crew down to the island in 1887. He employed gangs working on sea elephant and penguin oiling until the license was cancelled by the Tasmanian government in 1920. The remoteness, the difficulty of working in the weather conditions on Macquarie and the shipping technology of the day all created significant challenges for Hatch and the industry was often beset by controversy. On one occasion the New Zealand government chartered the ship Kakanui to relieve Hatch's crew which had been left on the island it picked them up but foundered in a storm on the return journey with the loss of all aboard. Three of Hatch's ships were subsequently wrecked on the east coast of Macquarie wreckage of them, and the remains of his oiling plants - can still be seen on the coast of the island. Hatch was always held in regard for his entertaining public meetings and he drew large crowds to hear him extol his enterprise and try to discredit his opposition, although he was not above being liberal with the truth. Hatch moved to Hobart in 1912 and in the following years lobbied strongly to continue his oiling industry on Macquarie Island. However public opinion led by prominent public figures including English zoologists and the likes of Sir Douglas Mawson and Frank Hurley swung against Hatch and the license was eventually cancelled. Compensation was not forthcoming to remove his investments in infrastructure and so the five sets of digesters remain visible on the island today. Hatch died in September 1928 aged 91, and is buried in the Cornelian Bay cemetery in Hobart.

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