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Note: Family papers indicate that Hezekiah came to Adelaide in 1849 with a group of Cornish miners, who settled at Burra, SA, where copper mining was established. He went to Turong in New South Wales after the discovery of gold there. This later became one of the richest goldfields in the Australian colonies in the 1850s.
Hezekiah moved to Victoria and was on the Bendigo goldfield by 1851.
Later in the 1850s he was a builder. He built the Myall Hotel, corner Punt and Commercial Roads, Prahran, and held the licence there for about six years and witnessed a murder there in 1857. He lived for some time in a neighbouring street.
Later, at Landsborough, he again left mining for some time to run a hotel, although while at Landsborough he held 30 five-pound shares in the UK Gold Mining Company, which was registered on June 4, 1869.
Borough of Stawell rate books for 1878 show Hezekiah Painter, storeman, owned house and land at Crowlands Road, annual value 10 pounds (No. 704). Also 1882 (no 1189). Also 1888 (no 1047).
Source: Judith Green, Samuel and Edith Painter, Their Antecedents and Descendants (February 1983)
Hezekiah came to Adelaide aboard the ship Trafalagar. The shipping list records his occupation as miner. There were 275 passengers aboard the Trafalgar on that trip.
After arriving in Adelaide in January 1849, by November 5, 1849, he had followed the Victorian gold rush to Forest Creek, and washed on the Red Hill there, and it is believed he sank the first shaft in Golden Gully, and the first shaft at the head of Spring Gully, Fryer's Creek, a tributary of the Loddon River.
Many years later he described his experiences in a newspaper article (possibly in the Stawell Times) as follows: "I arrived at Bendigo the first week of December 1851. Dr Barker got word from his brother that gold had been found on the run, and we started off in two separate parties for the place.
"The first people we saw were two women cradling for gold in the bed of the Bendigo Creek. A little further on we found a few men working at a patch of ground about 150 feet long by 40 feet wide. My two mates tried the surface, whilst I sank a shaft, which I claim to have been the first put down on the Bendigo goldfields. We got only about an ounce of gold for the first week's work. If Dr Barker or Mr W. McLellan were alive, they would vouch for the truth of my statement. The only reason I am not in the historic photo of old Bendigonians is that I was not in Bendigo at the time."
Hezekiah later moved to Prahran, where he was a brickmaker, and at some stage a ropemaker. Prahran had swampy clay soil that was suitable for bricks and bricks were in great demand as Melbourne was growing rapidly.
Hezekiah and Elizabeth returned to the goldfields after some years in Prahran. Hezekiah had bought land in both Prahran and Dandenong, which they sold in 1859. It is likely that Hezekiah could not write, as his signature on his son's birth certificate in 1862 is a cross.
By late 1859 the family was living at Kangaroo Flat, near Bendigo. They later moved to Back Creek, the old name for Talbot, early in 1860. In 1862 they were at Redbank, a goldfield near Avoca, and by 1864-65 they were in Landsborough, near Stawell, where they were still living in February 1872. In 1873 Hezekiah and Elizabeth settled in Stawell, where they remained until the end of their lives. Their final residence was The Pines, Crowlands Road, Stawell.
Hezekiah worked for some time at road making.
At his burial, an Anglican minister, Rev Davidson, officiated.
On the Federation referendum electoral roll, 1899, Hezekiah is listed at Crowlands Road, Stawell, miner.
Obituary
Stawell News, June 20, 1907
Death of Mr Hezekiah Painter
A veteran colonist
One of the early pioneers of this state, Mr Hezekiah Painter, died at his residence, Crowlands Road, Stawell, on Tuesday in his 81st year. He was a resident of Stawell for the last 36 years. From the time of his arrival in South Australia in 1849 he interested himself in mining pursuits, his first energies being devoted to the old Borough (should be Burra) mines there. News of gold being discovered in Victoria attracted him to Bendigo in 1851 and he was the first to sink a shaft in that district. He was also the first to prospect by sinking a shaft at Forest Creek and thus may justly be accorded the honour of having been a pioneer of two most important goldfields, a fact which should have been recognised by the government. The state has reason to hold in regard the memory of such veterans, whose energy and pluck have meant the accession of millions sterling to Victoria's wealth. For a short time after being successful in his very early operations, Mr Painter turned his attention to brick making at Prahran, and there built the Myall Hotel, which he conducted for some years; but the gold fever once more came upon him and he followed the fortunes as such places as Talbot, Redbank, Landsborough and many others through all the stirring times. He has paid calls on the Stawell reefs over the greater period of his time here. Deceased leaves a wife to mourn his loss after 54 years of wedded life, besides sons and daughters. Mr John Painter, his son, late secretary of the Stawell AMA, died just six weeks ago. The three surviving sons live in Melbourne, Samuel, William and Edward, the former spending the last 11 days by his father's bedside. The old gentleman was held in the highest regard by all who came in contact with him and his death is much regretted. The funeral leaves his late residence, Crowlands Road, this afternoon at 3.15 o'clock. The members of the Stawell AMA are asked to attend.
Hezekiah registered a residence area at Crowlands Road, Stawell, on September 13, 1886, an unsurveyed block on Section 152, 264 feet to Crowlands Road, by 165 feet, making in all one acre. This was registered under miner's right 3928 on September 13. He re-registered this area each year until 1899. On November 17 of that year he registered this area with allotments 10, 11, 12 and 13 added. On August 26, 1892, Elizabeth Painter registered a residence area, Section 152, allotments 7, 8 and 9, 198 feet to Myrtle Street by 165 feet to Lucy Street. Elizabeth re-registered these until May 17, 1899. Section 152 was the site of The Pines.
After service in World War II, Ian R. McCann bought the area that included The Pines, and built a house there. He said, at that time there was the remains of a garden and three old pine trees, one of which was still standing in late 2001.
Landsborough school opened in 1864, and Ann, James, John and Samuel were among the foundation pupils, their names appearing on the first page of the roll.
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