The Hingston family, now well known throughout Northern Tasmania, is this year celebrating the hundredth anniversary of their arrival in this state. The originals came to Tasmania from Victoria, arriving at Launceston in 1842, having arrived from Plymouth at Port Phillip a year earlier, and taken up positions on Roadwright's sheep station on the Baewon River. But the climate and conditions were such a contrast to Devon, England whence they came, and where their ancestors are are known to have lived for more than six hundred years. A scorching climate, numbers of inquisitive, jabbering aboriginals, and dingoes, necessitated the folding of the sheep at night, so they decided to come to Tasmania.

The family consisted of James Hingston (a widower), five sons, Henry, William, John, James, and Robert - and one daughter, Elizabeth, who later married Frederick Frampton, who farmed at Stoke and Butleigh Hill, in the Longford District, and then purchased from the late Alexander Clarke the well known Cornhill Estate, near Ulverstone, where their descendants still live.

The eldest son Henry, after managing Hyth, Longford, during the owner's absence, married and settled at Bishopsbourne, on a small farm. Later he moved to Oaks, and then to Glenore, to the farm now known as 'Rosaville' at present owned by his grandson, S J Hingston. While at Bishopsbourne they were robbed by two masked and armed men, who foraged the cottage for plunder, which proved scanty.

William the second son, purchased from Quamby Estate, Whitemore farm, later on he moved to Gawler N W Coast. His descendants still live in that locality.

John purchased Hawthorn, Exton, and later moved to Sidmouth, West Tamar. James also bought land at Exton, and lived there all his life. Robert farmed at Maitland in the Longford District, afterwards purchasing Hawthorn, where his son W R Hingston still lives. [died about 1942]

The majority of descendants have been content with rural conditions, agriculture and stock receiving chief attention, and generally with success. Taken generally the family has not been ambitious for public life. Andrew a son of Henry served many years as a councillor in the Westbury District. His son Edmund has been a councillor in the Deloraine District for over twenty years, and is at present Warden. Most of the Hingston family in Tasmania have been keen supporters of the Methodist Church, and many have been local preachers and stewards. Henry, the oldest male representative of the family, at present living at Woodvale Bishopsbourne, has been a local preacher for over fifty years.

Henry's eldest son (the first Henry) William, of Butleigh Hill, distinguished himself for his consistently high yield of wheat, having grown an average yield of 30 bushels per acre for over thirty years. In 1888 he won a trophy for the best managed farm in the Longford District. A photo of the cup is here reproduced. [not available]

Henry, the oldest male representative is today celebrating his 85th birthday. It will not be disputed that the Hingston family, have proved the class of citizen to strengthen and stabilise a state.

It is perhaps unique that the family in Tasmania possess a complete record of their male ancestry for over six hundred years, when Robert Hingston of Devon, married Alice La Mayne of London in 1311.

In the early fifties James Hingston and his brother in law F Frampton, caught the gold fever and went to Victoria in search of the precious metal but had little success.