Richard HILL

HILL, RICHARD (b. London, England, 11 June 1782; d. Sydney, NSW, 30 May 1836). Anglican clergyman.

Son of Joshua, schoolmaster, at Milborough, Richard became an elementary teacher. With no tertiary qualifications, he was widely-read and became the owner of an impressive scholarly library. The details are unclear but Richard was patently influenced by philanthropic evangelicals, whose philosophy he was faithfully to adopt.

Ordained by the bp of London in 1818, with the intention that he follow a colonial ministry, Richard Hill was appointed assistant chaplain in NSW. Arriving on the Hibernia in 1819 (after a vigorous confrontation with a negligent ship's surgeon), Hill was made associate to Sydney's only chaplain, William Cowper (q.v.). In 1824, he became minister at the new church of St James', King St.

Richard Hill was a fine organiser—the ideal secretary. With Archdeacons Scott and Broughton taking a leading role at St James', he had scope to do what he did hest, to promote religious and philanthropic work in the rapidly growing town. He served with the Benevolent Society, the local Bible Society and the Religious Tract Society. He worked for the Natives Institution and the auxiliary of the Church Missionary Society. He was trustee of the Orphan Institutions.

Education was one of Hill's principal concerns. He and his wife, Phoebe, were childless but had a great love of children. They adopted one orphan girl and fostered many others. He wrote helpful tracts on child rearing. He developed large day and Sunday schools at St James', but his principal contribution to education was in the infants' department. Hill was perhaps the first teacher in Australia to realise that early childhood education had its own character and problems. In both theory and practice, he became a pioneer of kindergarten work.

Hill died suddenly of an apoplectic seizure. His dramatic death in his own church vestry, which came only six days before the installation of Australia's first bishop in St. James', was symbolic. A new church order was coming in, replacing the old evangelical chaplaincy. Richard Hill represented much of what was good in the original colonial religious structure: selfless personal labour together with a constructive approach to the colony's social and moral problems.

K J Cable, History of St James' Church, Sydney (Sydney, 1982); ADB 1

K J CABLE