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[Picture]
Parramatta township c1809, when today's Smith St ran down to the rocky river bed 'where all
further progress for boats was stopped by...large broad stones over which a fresh water stream
ran'. The Gaol Bridge at the end of Church St leads to the gaol. (ML, SLNSW)

From Kass, Terry et al., Parramatta, A Past Revealed.

In September 1800, on the recommendation of Reverand Samuel Marsden, Governor King
appointed Hassal to the charge of the granary at Parramatta which were in rooms owned by John
Jamieson, and the stores at Toongabbie, as government storekeeper. His job was to receive and
distribute the grain, a very precious commodity. This lasted only two years because he was
dismissed for ''not having discovered the constant frauds practised by repeated Forgeries of the
Deputy Commissary of Parramatta's initials to obtain wheat from His Majesty's stores...''65 A
description of him was given by his successor: ''He was a good man for the work he came here to do,
though his sermons would be all the better for being half as long, and his h's like sheep have gone
astray, but he is not sharp enough to be a match to catch rogues''.66

He moved from his temporary residence at George Barrington's and established a store of his
own at Parramatta. According to his grandson, Reverend James Samuel Hassall, Rowland Hassall
''...was the first to import wax headed dolls from England and they created quite a sensation
with people travelling from all parts to get them. They sold at £1 per doll. He also imported
the first privately owned piano.''67
In 1804 his store was robbed, a nightsafe was removed and found later at the back of the property.
Advertisements were placed in the Sydney Gazette for the restoration of the following articles which
give some indication of the goods which were sold:

63 Colonial Secretary's Correspondence, Reel 6037, pp.23-24.
64 As cited in Nowland, Horrie, ''Hassall of the Early Days'', Courier-Mail, 30 July 1932
65 Hassall family Bicentenary, 1798-1998, Newsletter No.5, April 1997.

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