John Winthrop Hackett

Sir John Winthrop Hackett Sr. (4 February 184819 February 1916), generally known as "Winthrop Hackett", was a proprietor and editor of several newspapers in Western Australia, a politician and a university chancellor.

Hackett was born near Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. He died suddenly on 19 February 1916 of a heart condition and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery.

Family On 3 August 1905, Hackett married the 18-year-old Deborah Vernon Brockman (1887–1965). He confided in his political ally Walter James, "This is in the strictest sense a 'marriage de convenance' ". The couple had four daughters, and a son also called John. John (1910–1997) also became Sir John Hackett, a popular and distinguished General in the British Army. After she was widowed, Lady Hackett remarried to become Lady Moulden, and finally – after an honorary doctorate and a further widowhood – married Basil Buller Murphy to become Dr. Deborah Buller Murphy.

A daughter Patricia Hackett (1908–1963) followed her father into the legal profession, and is today remembered for the Patricia Hackett Prize awarded by the University of Western Australia and endowed in her memory in 1965.

Legacy Hackett was awarded the honorary degree of LL.D. by Trinity College, Dublin in June 1902. He left £425,000 to the University of Western Australia. This was an unexpectedly large sum, because by the time that the university was ready to receive it in 1926, shares in The West Australian had increased greatly in value. £250,000 of interest went to the construction of buildings such Winthrop Hall and Hackett Hall, which were built in a much grander architectural style than might previously have been envisaged. Another £200,000 was used to set up a fund for scholarships and bursaries.

The suburb of Hackett, in inner North Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia bears his name, in recognition of his efforts to support the federation of the Australian colonies, which took place in 1901. Streets and a suburb in Perth are also named "Hackett" and "Winthrop".

The species epithet of the extinct giant echidna Murrayglossus hacketti honours Hackett.

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