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Born in Mount Gambier on the 12th June 1907, Benjamin was the second son of James Thomas and Elizabeth Ann Hunt, having two sisters, Peggy and Nancy and an older brother, Roger. His father was born at Preston, Lancashire, England, and was well recognised as an outstanding sportsman, regarded as one of the greatest amateur athletes of the time. He played international Rugby against Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and was frequently referred to in the press as the best overall performer. He also played county cricket for Lancashire, excelling as a batsman. In the 1880’s, James came to Australia, eventually purchasing "Warreanga" at Wye where his main focus was on the management of his stock and the efficient running of his station.
Ben grew up with another local, Allan Pegler who was of a similar age, with both attending Mount Gambier High School. Ben proved to be a very capable student where he successfully completed his Intermediate exam, being mentioned for topping a History examination, coming second in Latin and being amongst the top achievers in Literature, Geometry and Chemistry. He balanced this with also following I his father’s footsteps of being a talented sportsman, especially in cricket. The Head Teacher in his end of year report commented that “Cricket is also of a high order for boys, and in Ben Hunt we have a bowler and a batsman of fine promise. The team has played five matches, with one defeat.”
Ben was just 17, when his 66-year-old father James, who had been ill for over a year, died in October ’24. The two brothers continued to maintain the family farm, which Roger officially inherited.
Playing for his local cricket team, regular mention was made of the fine skills Ben possessed. He was a medium paced left arm bowler and one of the most successful players in the district. Ben was once tipped to gain high honours if he played in the city, but he eventually retired in the twenties. His skills were recognised in 1929 with his winning of the Kilsby Medal, named after the donor, Mr G.M. Kilsby, described as an old and valuable supporter of cricket in the district. The Medal was awarded for the best all round performance in club matches during the season, with the Association allocating points for a variety of skills including wickets taken, caught and bowled, and for every 20 runs scored in an innings. Ben, playing for Nelson, secured 252 points, 192 of which resulted from his bowling.
Ben’s successes continued in the ensuing years including 7 for 21 against the Kookaburras. His best score with the bat was 171 in ’28. Despite gaining employment away from home, he continued to be remembered for his exceptional cricket skills, with the Border Watch commenting that ‘he will be a distinct asset to any team he may be able to join up with.’ Unfortunately, in April ’30 Ben suffered a fall whilst repairing a windmill, fracturing his right arm. At the time he was a member of the Nelson and Mount Gambier cricket teams. He was praised also as a sterling batsman when in form and an alert fieldsman.
The local paper gave a detailed summary of Ben’s achievements. ‘Mount Gambler cricket suffered a severe loss in 1931 when Ben Hunt, the Nelson allrounder, left the district for the North; but fortunately for the South-East this fine player returned after three or four years and is now a valued player in the Penola district. AS a lad at the Mount Gambier High School Hunt showed distinct promise with bat and ball, and in his early teens made his debut in A Grade cricket with the Standards, scoring 35 in his second match when at the age of 14. In the following season, 1923-4, he played regularly, his best performance being 5/30 against Kookaburras. On leaving school Ben's cricket was hampered, his work at his home in Wye taking his time and his appearances in Mount Gambier were limited to a few games. Nelson were admitted to A Grade in the 1926-27 season and Hunt again became a regular player, his batting and bowling being of the highest order. In his first six innings with Nelson, he scored 36 not out, 32, 46, 31, 31, and 28, while in other games he, secured 6/14 and 5/14.
‘The 1927-8 season was outstanding for the tall left-arm bowler, as he equalled the South-Eastern record of most wickets in one season, his 94 wickets being the same number as W. Nicholls had secured in 1884-5. Some of his bowling efforts are worth repeating 7-24, 5-29, 5-46, 4-35 (against Millicent), 428, 6-19 (Naracoorte only scoring 32), 6-30 (against Penola), 4-46, 4-27, 4-46, and 4-45. While maintaining his wonderful bowling form Hunt improved his batting in the following season, scoring a brilliant 171 against the Standards, while his outstanding achievements with the ball were 5-4, 5-34, 6-76, 5-10, 5-31, and 5-66, his club winning the Association premiership for the first time.
‘Nelson won the premiership in the following two seasons, their last and Hunt's last in A Grade. The young left-arm bowler did not claim his early success in these years, but nevertheless he was of great value, his best efforts with the ball being 5-20 (against Penola) and 7-21. For Nelson in A Grade matches he secured 194 wickets and scored 1408 runs, while in Whitty Trophy matches for Mount Gambier, he dismissed 57 batsmen (only Fred Pick and Ted Yeates having taken more), and compiled 297 runs.
‘Hunt visited Adelaide with the first official Mount Gambier team to play in the Country Carnival, and he secured 26 wickets at an average of 11.8, while he had a batting average of 20.8, scoring 125 runs. Hunt also played in Melbourne Country Carnivals with success. On two occasions he played against first-class city teams, his performances being 6, 13, 1-15 and 2-24 against the 1928 South Australian team, and 26 not out and 2-47 against Glenelg in A 1930. '
Ben later gained employment in the early ‘30’s on Nonning and Cariewerloo Stations, north-west of Port Augusta, before being employed with Mr. D. Skene at Krongart Station, Kalangadoo in ’35. He then proceeded to captain Kalagadoo where he continued his outstanding form. He headed the team which defeated the minor premiers, Penola in ’38, scoring all around the wicket and heading for a century. However, he was stumped, being a few inches outside his crease when an opposing player, instead of delivering the ball to the bowler, cunningly stumped Hunt. Other significant statistics included taking 0 for 12 off-six overs and when playing for Mount Gambier, and intertown fixtures, ‘this left arm bowler has claimed 313 wickets at an average of 11.5 and scored 2050 runs (111 highest score) at an average of 216.’ As well as being a classy cricketer, Ben was also a capable golfer, captaining the Penola Club in ’37.
In May ’35, Ben’s older brother Roger Thomas married Mary Botterill, a Mount Gambier young woman. Ben acted as Roger’s Best Man. Three years later, Ben announced his engagement to nurse Rosslyn Gordon who later nursed injured soldiers in Melbourne. War intervened and the marriage did not eventuate.
Following a huge recruiting drive in the South-East, Benjamin and good friend Allan Pegler both enlisted on the 3rd July 1940, with 47 others from the area. The local paper listed their diverse occupations which included solicitors, scoutmasters, bankers and sportsmen. Allan was given the number SX7727 and Ben the following number SX7728 with both allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. (Two years later, Ben’s 39-year-old brother, Roger also enlisted in April ’42 as S75591, a member of the Volunteer Defence Corps where he eventually became a Lance Corporal before being discharged in November ’45.)
Ben and Allan spent their initial days in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before these new enlistees headed to Woodside for preliminary training. The two young men, plus Henry Kennedy heard of lawyer Keith Laught (SX8260) enlisting, immediately phoning the Mount Gambier Club to convey their greetings at his farewell presentation night.
The young men returned home briefly in October to be farewelled by their community. A sherry party was also organised by the sisters of Corporal Henry Kennedy SX7784, also of the 2/48th Battalion. The venue was in the lounge of Jens' Hotel where a toast was proposed to Henry, and Privates Bob Harris and Ben. Further farewells followed with the Mount Gambier Club organising a similar party for the newly promoted Corporal Henry Kennedy and his friends. The Kennedys, Peglers, and Hunts were three of the best-known families in the district, with the evening beginning with a toast to ‘The King’ followed by the singing of the National Anthem. The trio were wished a happy time in the Army and a safe return before a presentation of a writing wallet was made to each of them. Speakers “expressed confidence in the boys succeeding in doing any job with which they were confronted, and would add lustre to the traditions of the A.I.F.” Each of the young men responded “thanking the members for their expressions of goodwill and their gifts. They all referred to their pleasant associations with the club and would look forward to renewing the companionship they had enjoyed with the members” adding that they “had already noted that a similar atmosphere prevailed among the men of the A.I.F. The military authorities, he said, aimed at grouping men who knew one another and were friends in the same unit. This practice had been adopted in many military forces, it being universally recognised that it made for contentment and efficiency.”
At the end of the month, the young men then boarded a train to return to Adelaide and their new battalions. Ben and his fellow 2/48th Battalion, headed overseas for the Middle East where they were to become one of the highly respected Rats of Tobruk. By March ’41 word was received that the 2/48th battalion was to become part of the 9th Division, causing initial disappointment to the men who thought they were to be further from the action – a belief that was to be totally reversed in the ensuing days and years. By the 12th March an advanced party left for the Western Desert with then Sergeant Hunt being part of the road convoy. By the 18th March, the Battalion was about forty miles west of Tobruk with John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan describing ‘the convoy turned off the road and followed a bumpy track, which skirted the Ain El Gazala aerodrome, and deposited the stiff and dusty troops in the battalion area near the sea. The country was one of utter desolation, flat barren and featureless, with a few galvanised sheds and the remains of a number of Italian planes to break the monotony of the view.” The men scrambled to make themselves comfortable with whatever was available. “In the midst of these activities, Corporal Ben Hunt was just taking a sheet of iron from one of the ‘drome sheds for his doover when he was confronted by Brigadier Tovell, who was inspecting the installations. Ben didn’t get his iron, but he did get the impression that his corporal’s stripes were likely to be temporary. The brigadier told him that the sheds etc would be required by the air force. – and he was right, but unfortunately the air force wasn’t ours. Within three weeks this airstrip was to be in the hands of the Germans.”
News continued to drift back to those at home, with letters published in the local paper. Corporal Henry Kennedy was a prolific writer with a letter written in Palestine on Christmas Eve ’40 carrying much news, including reference to his fellow soldiers. He wrote “WITH THE LOCAL BOYS The climate is pleasant the food good, and the work reasonably hard but I have little time to myself, and so cannot get much opportunity to write. There are still many I should write to. Phil Doe called to see me today. Les Barry and Tiger Lyons came to church with me this morning; all are well, including Ben Hunt and Alan Pegler. Hedley Buchanan is in our company now.” In July the following year Henry, who had been wounded, again wrote home describing his meeting with Ben Hunt and Angus Underwood, also of Mount Gambier saying "We reached a town and here transports were waiting for us. Ben Hunt was in charge, so I had a few words with him. Ben was full of business, clad only in grey flannel, and his trousers were hanging loosely on his hips. But Ben doesn't get excited. We had quite a yarn, though people were running and yelling orders to everyone else. "
In a letter published in January ’42, Corporal Kennedy again wrote saying he had seen Ben Hunt, who was at that time in hospital although not seriously, ill. A similar report was received from Hedley Buchanan in April but reporting that Ben was well.
Ben was abroad when he learned of the death of his 73-year-old mother, Elizabeth in December ’42. She and her daughter, Nancy were living together in a house called ‘Plane Cottage’ having moved there from the farm, ‘Warreanga’ which Roger had inherited. Peggy, Ben’s other sister, was working in Melbourne as a nurse. Elizabeth was interred with her husband in the local cemetery.
Finally, back home from the Middle East, Ben was one of the guests at the Victory of El Alamein celebrations. The Border Watch joyously reported in March ’43, Ben’s return home with a large group of his fellow soldiers. The newspaper was unsure how word had got out but excitedly reported ‘Men who comprised one of Australia's most famous divisions have arrived home from the Middle East and spent well-earned leave in visiting relatives and friends throughout the length and breadth of the land. Among them were many South Australians who were ‘Rats of Tobruk,’ and many took part in the initial break through at El Alamein which started Rommel on his long retreat across North Africa. There had been no official notification that the evening train from Adelaide one Saturday would carry many local boys who had just returned from the Middle East, but news had spread like wildfire during the day and the railway station was crowded as never before. The Railway authorities showed much consideration for wives, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and sweethearts who were awaiting the return of their loved ones, and amid cheers the train arrived right on time, and a crowd of a thousand people were on their toes as it steamed in. The Mayor (Mr. W. E. Pyne) and the President of the R.S. A. (Mr. W. R. Hunt) were among the crowd, although there was not an official word of welcome, which would probably have been out of place when all those who were to be considered most had but one thought, and that was to be together again. The Citizens' Band and Pipe Band were in attendance. The men looked fit and happy to be home again. Some had been away for as long as two years, others only months.’
A huge gathering in the Civic Hall followed where about 90 men who had seen service overseas and most of whom were fresh from fighting in the Western Desert where they met and repulsed Rommel's army at El Alamein. Silence was observed for their fallen comrades and the Ode of Remembrance recited. So many of the men also made remarks appreciative of the magnificent work done by the F.F.C.F., the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and the nursing sisters.
Later that year the Border Watch proudly reported that ‘Mr. R. T. Hunt, Mount Gambier, has received advice that the supplement to the London Gazette of June 24, 1943, mentions the conspicuous services rendered by Sergeant B.H. Hunt, of the Australian Military Forces. The citation states: "His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve that SX7728 Sgt. B. H. Hunt be mentioned in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East during the period May 1, 1942, to October 22, 1942." Sgt. B. H. Hunt enlisted in the A.I. F. in July 1940 and served in the Middle East. He was in Tobruk during the siege in 1941.
Unexpectedly, death in Ben’s family again struck in May ’44 when his sister, Matron Margaret Ellen (Peggy) died in a Melbourne hospital. She had been a devoted nurse for all her adult life and had attained the position of Matron of the District Nursing Society of Melbourne. Following her mother’s death, younger sister Nancy had then moved to Melbourne to be with Peggy. Again, Ben was overseas when the news reached him. Peggy was buried in the Cheltenham Cemetery.
Six months later, Ben was finally discharged on the 23rd November ’44. He returned to civilian life, living on the family farm ‘Warringa’, with his brother, Roger (whom he had listed as his next of kin at enlistment). By June ’46 Ben accepted a position with DeGaris, Sons and Co. Ltd, Mount Gambier Branch, as a stock salesman for the district. This proved to be a popular placement as Ben was well known and respected among pastoralists throughout the South- East.
By June ’47, Ben announced his engagement to Elsie May Mules, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Mules, or Kalangadoo. She had been on the staff of the Bank of New South Wales after five years’ service with the bank at Mount Gambier. Elsie’s friends organised a pre-wedding afternoon celebration in the local Riddoch Memorial Hall. Following the singing of the National Anthem, Elsie was presented with a dainty posy, followed by singing, games and afternoon tea. Her friends wished her every happiness for the future before presenting an electric toaster and reading lamp. Elsie suitably responded. By September 1st ’48 Ben and Elsie were welcoming the arrival of their son, born at the Mount Gambier Hospital.
Post war, Ben again immersed himself in cricket, becoming Penola’s leading bowler, with the Border Watch reporting that ‘the ex-Mount Gambier left-hander securing 8 for 52 off 12 overs, bowling unchanged for 75 minutes and having all the players watching him carefully.’ He was also passionate about the issue of plagues of moths and the need for the C.S.I.R.O. to appoint an entomologist. In October ’49 he reported that "In Mount Gambler districts these moths are flying in millions," said Mr. Ben Hunt, a delegate from Mount Gambier. "With a favourable summer for hatching they will be a greater menace than ever before," he added. Mr. Hunt urged that efforts be continued to attempt a solution and moved that the C.S.I.R.O. again be advised of the seriousness of the problem, and that they be asked to take steps to secure the services of an entomologist outside Australia If one were not available in this country. He would then be able to study the habits and the life cycle of the grub.” This motion was supported by those present.
In ‘51 Allan Pegler and Carlyn Mary of North Adelaide, announced their engagement. In March the following year Allan’s childhood friend Henry Kennedy who served with Allan in the 2/48th was in Adelaide to help celebrate the wedding in Christ Church, North Adelaide. Ben, who also survived the war having enlisted with Allan and Henry, fittingly acted as best man.
The two brothers, Ben and Roger became regular high performers in the State beef carcass competitions held in Adelaide in ‘53. They were two of the increasing numbers of South-Eastern beef cattle breeders represented at the beef carcase appraisement organised by the Australian Meat Board. The brothers also gained top prices for their Herefords. Ben’s return to country life had unexpected incidents, including the attempted escape of a bullock being unloaded at the Mount Gambier Show. It careered wildly from the top of the cattle pens out into Margaret Street, scattering people as it went. Ben helped corner the distressed animal near Dalgety's Store where unfortunately, it was shot, in the interest of the public’s safety.
The following year, Ben’s 51-year-old brother Roger died suddenly on the 3rd October ’54. A talented sportsman and well-known grazier, the Border Watch described his farm practice as ‘A firm advocate of pasture improvement, "Warreanga" from the time he assumed control until his death, was one of the most improved properties in the district. He lifted the carrying capacity to an enormous extent, with an increase in wool yield of up to 800 p.c., and cattle by a similar amount.’ Roger was also President of the Mount Gambier Branch of the Stockowners' Association and was a District council representative for Port Mac-Donnell. He also was buried in the Lake Terrace Cemetery. Ben’s sister Nancy died in October ’71.
The final years of Ben’s life were spent in the Boandik Lodge Aged care Facility at Mount Gambier. Aged 77, he died in April ’85. His remains are buried in the Carinya Gardens Cemetery at Mount Gambier, in the Eucalypt Garden. In Niche 13, Row E.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.