H. Dalton Hall

Harold Dalton Hall (29 October 1881 – 1 August 1946) was a South Australian amateur artist noted for marine subjects. A lasting example of his work is the model cast in bronze of HMS Buffalo atop the Centenary memorial, Moseley Square, Glenelg, in South Australia. He was referred to as "Dalton–Hall" in his death notices, but rarely elsewhere; he signed his paintings "H. D. Hall".

History Hall was born in Semaphore, South Australia, second surviving son of clerk Charles James Hall and his wife Susannah Maria Hall, née Dalton (died 11 July 1909), who married in 1872. They had thirteen or fourteen children, but around half died young. Hall's father was proved insolvent in 1892 and died before 1909, but further details are yet to emerge. Sylvia was related to the English parliamentarian Hugh Dalton, and his father Rev. John Neale Dalton, Canon of Windsor and Domestic Chaplain to the King. By 1894 he was working on the South Australian Navy ship Protector as a cabin boy. He joined the Royal Navy, and did the gunnery course at HMS Excellent and was trained on torpedoes at HMS Vernon, both shore establishments. He underwent further training aboard HMS Victory, which from 1889 to 1904 served as a base for the Naval School of Telegraphy. This was prior to practical wireless telegraphy, semaphore and Morse code using signal lamps being then the principal means of ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication. He served on repairing ship HMS Assistance, where he was in charge, with two other people, of the dynamos. but was largely self-taught. He had a senior position with the GPO (predecessor of the PMG) as electrician in charge of the Glenelg telephone exchange, and painted mostly on weekends.

He painted, in oils and other media, ships from the original Australian colonies' navies to more modern vessels. Examples of his work were in the collections of the Prince of Wales, Lord Jellicoe, Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey; others were on sale to the public through an art dealer. One large oil painting, of the 1st AIF convoy 1914, hung in the RSL clubhouse, Glenelg. In 1916 he made another model of HMS Victory, which was purchased by the firm of W.D. & H.O. Wills to present to the Navy League, and was exhibited at Royal Naval House in Sydney. His own contribution, floating on the sea near the Patawalonga River, is illustrated here. He had earlier built the wooden pattern from which the bronze Buffalo for the monument was cast.

In 1943 Hall was transferred to the GPO telephone workshops at Sydenham, New South Wales. Vernon died at Gloucester House on 31 August 1955. Sylvia was at the Rockdale address in 1951, and resided there until her death in hospital on 2 August 1968.

Recognition Hall was awarded a gold medal by the Glenelg Council for his contribution to the Australia Day procession of 26 July 1918.

Family Siblings who survived to adulthood were Caroline Elizabeth Hall (1873–1953) married Howsin Spafford in 1913; Gerald Percy "Perce" Hall (1878–1967), Rupert Charles Hall (1884–1938), Violet May "Lettie" (1888–1969) and Dora Gertrude Hall (1890–1950).

Harold Dalton Hall married Sylvia Muriel Rubena Schrader (1891–2 August 1968) on 22 February 1914. They had one son, Vernon Dalton Hall (12 September 1916 – 31 August 1955), and lived at Second Avenue, Helmsdale (now Glenelg East) until his transfer to Sydney, then had a house at 33 Bryant Street, Rockdale, New South Wales. Vernon was a prominent member of the Cessnock Photographic Society, interested in technical aspects of the craft. He instigated a novel competition amongst members for best photo taken with a Kodak "Box Brownie" camera, purchased by the Club.