Albert Young Hassell
Albert Young Hassell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Albany, Western Australia |
| Died | September 20, 1918 (aged 76) Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Pastoralist, Politician |
| Years active | 1861–1904 |
| Known for | Australian pastoralism and political service in Western Australia |
Albert Young Hassell (15 November 1841 – 20 September 1918) was a distinguished Australian pastoralist and political figure.
Hassell was born in Albany as the second son of John Hassell, a pioneering pastoralist who established settlements near Kendenup in the Great Southern area during 1840. Receiving private education in Albany, he left formal schooling at the age of eleven to contribute to the family farming operations.
Between 1861 and 1863, Hassell oversaw one of his father’s estates located near Jerramungup and became the first European to travel overland to Esperance. From 1864 until 1878, he partnered with his brother John Frederick Hassell in managing their family enterprises.
In his political career, Hassell secured a seat for Albany through a by-election in the colony's initial partially elected Legislative Council, serving from 1871 to 1874 before stepping down. Following the establishment of responsible government, he represented Plantagenet in the Legislative Assembly from 1890 to 1904. Additionally, he participated as Western Australia's delegate at the Australasian Constitutional Convention held between 1897 and 1898. After electoral boundaries were redrawn in 1904, he unsuccessfully contested the Albany seat and subsequently withdrew from public office.
In June 1878, Hassell wed Ethel Clifton, with whom he had seven children—four sons and three daughters.
Hassell played a significant role in the equine industry as both a breeder and owner. He was an inaugural member of the Albany Club, affiliated with the Weld Club, established the Plantagenet Lodge of Freemasons, served on the Albany Roads Board, fulfilled duties as a Justice of the Peace, and acted as an agent for P&O in Albany. The Hassell family introduced Saxon sheep breeds to their properties; Albert enhanced these flocks and earned a grand prix at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition for twenty-five fleeces, later receiving further gold medals for wool presentations both in France and Western Australia.
Albert Young Hassell passed away in 1918 in Melbourne and was interred at Memorial Park Cemetery located in Albany.
In recognition of his contributions, Victorian government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller named Chorilaena hassellii (currently known as Muiriantha hassellii) after him; this followed Hassell’s collection of plant specimens from the western slopes of the Stirling Range.