William Shakespeare Hall

William Shakespeare Hall (1825–1895) was a pioneer settler of the Swan River Colony and a well-known justice of the peace, explorer, pastoralist, and pearler. He was also known by some as 'the father of the north'.

He was born in London to Henry Edward and Sarah Theodosia. When the family sold Shackerstone Manor he emigrated with his parents and five siblings to Western Australia. They arrived in Fremantle in February 1830 on board .

The family received two land grants—of and —at Mandurah a characteristic that would later be instilled in his son Aubrey.

In 1835 and so moved north to that location. Here he was appointed to be the government's Justice of the Peace for that region. The Roebuck Bay settlement not being a success, the whole company moved to Roebourne and the port of Cossack. but his letter of resignation went down when the ship was wrecked and it is not known if he ever rectified this.

On 2 June 1868 he arrived in Fremantle on the cutter , which was carrying a cargo of wool and perl shell, and on 2 November that year he married Hannah Lazenby (daughter of George Lazenby) in Cardup and took her back to live in Cossack. He gave up trying to farm, and turned instead to shopkeeping for a short time, before the pearling industry began to develop in the region and he put to sea with a crew of 'Malay' pearl divers. With this he was successful, but when he soon gave up the ships and stayed ashore as a pearl trader, he was less so, and before long was back buying ships—this time with indigenous crew members.

He suffered a heart attack while swimming in Cossack Creek and drowned. A tombstone at his grave in Cossack was erected 'as a mark of appreciation and respect by the North West Pioneers'.