Thomas Hassall

Thomas Hassall (29 May 1794 – 29 March 1868) was an Anglican clergyman and the first Australian candidate for ordination. Hassall opened the first Sunday School in Australia in 1813 in his father's house at Parramatta.

Early life

Thomas Hassall was born in Coventry, London, the eldest son of missionaries Rowland and Elizabeth Hassall. He sailed with them as a three-year-old to Tahiti aboard the ship Duff in 1796 with missionaries approved by the directors of the recently formed London Missionary Society. Fifteen months later the Hassall family with Thomas and younger brother Samuel, sailed to the newly founded settlement of New South Wales, arriving in Sydney on 14 May 1798 aboard Nautilus. The Hassall family settled in Parramatta during which time the missionary's eldest son, Thomas, came to the attention of the Reverend Samuel Marsden. Thomas requested permission from Marsden to accommodate the school at St John's church Parramatta as numbers continued to grow. There were more than 200 children including Aboriginal children. Teachers included Thomas’ father, Rowland Hassall, and Rev. Marsden's children Ann, Elizabeth and Charles Simeon Marsden.

Training for the Ministry in Wales Having resolved to enter the Ministry, Hassall sailed for England in the Kangaroo in 1817, to undergo his training, the first Australian candidate for ordination.

Bathurst In 1826 Hassall was appointed to the Bathurst district. Living on his property Lampeter farm at O’Connell Plains he rode every Sunday to the town of Bathurst to hold Church services, returning in the evening to preach at ‘Salem Chapel’ which he built in close proximity to his residence.