“Jim Hancock (The Stockman), Caradoc Station, White Cliffs, NSW” – SOLD

Research Notes on the Hancock Family & this Portrait

James Charles Hancock (1934-1988) by Hugh Sawrey C.B.E. (1919-1999)

In the early 1900’s, a huge station “Tarella”, that was owned by cattle king and legendary pastoralist Sir Sidney Kidman (1857-1935), was divided up into smaller holdings.

James Charles Hancock (1876-1919) was given 30,000 acres from “Tarella” and arrived in 1910 to take his holding up, which he named “Caradoc”. He came with a bullock wagon, which he used to cart wool from “Yancannia” station to the paddle steamers on the Darling River in Wilcannia. James married Elizabeth and they had six children: James Robert Hancock (the eldest), Bronc (Neil), Daisy, Ivy, Bub & Jessie.

Life was extremely hard in the outback in the early years and when James was injured in an accident nine years later in 1919, he died at the young age of 43 and was buried at Pioneers Cemetery at White Cliffs, News South Wales. His wife Elizabeth was left to raise their six children and battle on so that she could eke out a living on the small holding.

When they were old enough, Elizabeth’s sons James Robert and Bronc (Neil) took over the property. James and Bronc bought more land and increased the size of “Caradoc” to 60,000 acres. Bronc never married and died aged 34.

Bronc’s older brother James Robert Hancock (1910-1954) took over management of the property and married Anne. They had one child born in 1934 who was named James Charles Hancock (after his grandfather, James Charles Hancock I). James and Anne’s son, James Hancock (1934-1988) is the man shown in this portrait by Hugh Sawrey.

James Robert Hancock (1910-1954) (the father of the man shown in this portrait), died in 1954 aged 44. He is buried in Broken Hill, New South Wales. His only child and son, James Charles Hancock (1934-1988) took over “Caradoc” station when he was 20 years old.

James Charles Hancock (1934-1988) or Jim as he was known, bought a neighbouring station called “Youldoo” and increased the size of “Caradoc” to 154,000 acres. Jim married Lola and they had four sons: Jim, Peter, David and Gary. Jim was a hard working ordinary man, always in his rough working clothes and old greasy hat, as he is portrayed in this portrait. Jim used his hat to water the working dogs, flog cattle and sheep when drafting and even to cut washers from the brim if an engine broke down in the paddock! Jim died in 1988 aged 54, and his family’s station “Caradoc” was sold, bringing about the end of an era for the Hancock family – a trend that was also reflected in the lives of other descendents from pioneering families with the change of life and fortunes of life in the outback.

This magnificent portrait by the prestigious Australian painter, Hugh Sawrey C.B.E. (1919-1999) was painted in the mid 1990’s with the aid of earlier photos of James Charles Hancock (1934-1988) taken of him at Caradoc Station at White Cliffs, New South Wales.

Grandfather: James Charles Hancock (1876-1919)
Father: James Robert Hancock (1910-1954)
Son: James Charles Hancock (1934-1988) – Subject of this portrait