Sir Cecil Harold HOSKINS Kt ¹

  General Notes:

Cecil Harold HOSKINS (1889 - 1971)
Most of Cecil's history in the iron and steel industry has been well documented elsewhere, so here will be given a summary of other facets of his career. He married Dorothy LOVERIDGE (1890 - 1982), daughter of Thomas LOVERIDGE, in 1913, and took up residence at Windarra, a roomy cottage on the Eskroy Park estate, at Bowenfels, near Lithgow. Here their six children were brought up, until they moved to Sydney in 1924. No long after Cecil assumed control of the steel company after Charles' retirement, he was asked to join the board of the Royal Insurance Company, and then of the United Insurance Company. This first exposure to Sydney's commercial life may have led to his appointment to the board of the Australian Mutual Provident Society (AMP) in 1929. Like his father, he found time to be a Councillor of the Chamber of Manufactures of New South Wales from 1925 to 1946, and was active in political affairs, but very much behind the scenes, such as his Chairmanship of the Institute of Public Affairs.

About 1930, he purchased a property of about 40 acres at Exeter, New South Wales, primarily as a country holiday home. It had once belonged to the Yates family, and had been used as a bulb and seed farm. There was a roomy weatherboard home, three cottages, as well as three springs on the area. About 1937, this home was demolished, and a new house called Invergowrie was built (Geoff LOVERIDGE was the architect), and several smaller farms, totalling about 1,400 acres were acquired, to the westward, and linked with a right-of-way to the original property. Cecil became one of the early pioneers of pasture improvement in the district, while the garden at Invergowrie was made into a quite famous show-piece, and it became the family home for some years, Cecil staying at the Directors' cottage at Unanderra when visiting Port Kernbla. Invergowrie was sold in 1949, unfortunately just before the boom caused by the Korean War caused prices of land to sky-rocket, and after a few years Cecil and Dorothy moved to Cardrona near Moss Vale, where another notable garden was created.

During this time Cecil also acted as chief executive of Southern Portland Cement, and the gardens at their works at Berrima are also due to his inspiration. His interest in gardens also led to his taking charge of the local section of the Remembrance Driveway, which it was hoped would stretch from Sydney to Canberra. A number of fine sections of road-side gardens around Berrima and Moss Vale resulted from his energetic attack on the task, but overall it must be admitted that the project was nearly a failure. His interest in this facet of life resulted in the naming of the Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve on the Wingecarribee River, near Moss Vale, which was conceived by Tom Lewis (Minister of Lands at the time, and later Premier of New South Wales, and a nephew of Essington Lewis of BHP).

Cecil was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Australian Mutual Provident Society in 1941, and Chairman in 1947. Major achievements during his term of office included expanding the investment powers of the Society, which needed an amendment to its own Act of Parliament, as a result of which AMP has in latter days become perhaps the biggest investor in Australian companies. He also presided over the development scheme in South Australia where about 500,000 acres of the so-called ninety mile desert were cleared and sown to pasture, with the aid of superphosphate with trace amounts of copper and zinc, and sold to soldier-settlers. Another innovation was the commencement of the Society's own fire and general insurance business. Cecil enjoyed generally a good working relationship with BHP, although in 1950 a decision of the Board that its leading executives should not hold outside positions led to his retiring as General Manager of AIS, while he continued as a Director and Consultant until 1959. He retired as Chairman of AMP in 1960, and from the Board in 1963.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence, 1937, Invergowrie, Exeter, New South Wales, Australia.

• Residence, 1924, Hillside, Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia.

Cecil married Dorothy Gwynn LOVERIDGE on 1 Nov 1913 in Burwood, New South Wales, Australia. (Dorothy Gwynn LOVERIDGE was born on 30 Jun 1890 in Bowral, New South Wales, Australia and died on 2 Dec 1982 in Bowral, New South Wales, Australia.)

  Marriage Notes:

CECIL HAROLD HOSKINS (1889 - 1971)
DOROTHY GWYNN LOVERIDGE (1890 - 1982)
(from 'Hoskins History' compiled by Donald G Hoskins, 1988)

Cecil's education at Newington (and at King's College, Goulburn while his parents were in the West on the Goldfields project) was unspectacular, and showed no portent of the success he would achieve, both in the steel business, and the A.M.P. Society. Before entering the Lithgow works with his father, he had only a short period of experience with Briscoe & Co., Iron and Steel merchants in Sydney. He learned no trade, and had no tertiary qualifications of any kind. In 1908, Charles took his family to reside at 'Eskroy Park' (except for Flo who was married in 1907). 'Illyria' was leased out for a while, and later sold.

There followed three eventful years for the family. Wilmot was married in 1910; a major strike at the works occured in 1911 and, in 1912, Hilda died tragically in an accident at the level crossing gates at 'Eskroy Park'. Charles' sons, now all helping in running the Lithgow enterprise, must have had very little time or opportunity for acquiring social graces!

Meantime, other important events were in train which would have a profound influence on the family. Only a few blocks away from 'St Cloud', Dorothy Loveridge lived in Shaftesbury Road with her parents. She attended P.L.C. Croydon, and probably like most young ladies of the time, her scholastic achievements were modest; but she was an accomplished artist, and quickly reached the standards of a concert pianist. Dorothy established a friendship with George Hoskins' daughters Irene and Gladys, who were of much the same age.

Dorothy's younger sister, Madge (still a teen-ager at the time), recalls that these Hoskins girls arranged a party, to which the Lithgow Hoskins boys were invited. (Included in the circle of friends were the Wise sisters, Irene and Ethel, whose sister Lillie had married William Hoskins in 1905; Ethel was to remain a life-long friend of Dorothy and Madge). This party led to the meeting of Dorothy and Cecil, and also to Guildford meeting Jeanie Mathieson (whose father Peter, a Sydney merchant, also lived in Strathfield). Later of course it may be said to have led to the marriage of Sid with Madge Loveridge. Cecil and Dorothy were married in 1913.

Their early days were spent at 'Windarra' which was part of the 'Eskroy Park' estate. The children went to school at Marrangaroo Public, walking to school, while Dorothy drove a horse-and-trap to pick them up at lunch-time so they could have a hot meal! After the tragic death of Guildford, Sid was living at 'Eskroy Park' and of course after Charles moved to Lawson, and then Sydney, the running of Lithgow devolved on Cecil and Sid. Cecil moved to Sydney in late 1924 (after which Ted and Kath Mackey occupied 'Windarra', from where Ted was to preside over the winding-down of the Lithgow works).

By then, the finished Kembla Building had become the head office of the Steel Company and Charles had recently retired. That was the start of several busy years for Cecil. He made frequent trips to Port Kembla, where construction was started.

In 1927, he undertook a major trip overseas, from which resulted many fruitful business transactions: the merging of interests with Baldwin's Ltd. and with Dorman Long Ltd., the flotation of Australian Iron & Steel Ltd. and the raising of Preference capital for A.I.S., considered at that time to be the biggest raising of company capital in Australia.

In between times, Cecil himself pegged out leases of limestone at Marulan, which were to become an essential factor in the Port Kembla operation. Adjoining leases were owned by the Taylor family, who had promoted the formation of Southern Portland Cement Ltd. Cecil arranged for the Steel company to take a minority interest in S.P.C. (later to be made into a majority interest), and set up an arrangement for the two companies to work their leases jointly, which is still in force to-day.

Cecil became General Manager of S.P.C., a position he held for many years. Another company, Southern Blue Metal Quarries, was formed to quarry crushed rock from Ginginbullen, near Moss Vale. This operation only lasted a few years, the rock being found too hard and expensive to work.

During this time, Cecil and Dorothy lived in the magnificent old home 'Hillside', in Woollahra. When the depression struck, it had to be sold (sadly it was demolished soon after, and replaced by three blocks of flats). In the meantime, Cecil had bought 'The Headlands' at Exeter, with about 40 acres, which was formerly a Yates seed and bulb farm. The old residence served as the family holiday home for some years. It was demolished when a new home 'Invergowrie' was built. At the same time, Cecil bought and amalgamated several farms nearby, totalling about 1,400 acres, and operated these as a mixed farm. In 1948, the property was sold, just before the Korean War caused the price of wool and the value of land to skyrocket!

The depression had a disastrous effect on the finances of A.I.S. from which it never really recovered. Always short of funds, it was unable to keep up with the pace set by B.H.P., and in 1935 Cecil faced up to the difficulty by seeking a merger with B.H.P. The rest is history - the arrangement led to increased prosperity for all members of the family, while Port Kembla was to become one of the world's great steel plants. Cecil remained with the merged company as General Manager, and later was retained as a Consultant.

During these years, Cecil had been invited to join one or two company boards, but for various reasons did not pursue this phase of commercial life, except as regards the Australian Mutual Provident Society (which claimed to be the largest mutual life office in the British Commonwealth). He was appointed to the Board of the A.M.P. in 1929, becoming Deputy Chairman, and then Chairman in 1947, a position which he held for a record term.

Cecil played a major part in transforming the A.M.P. from being an investor solely in government securities, into becoming Australia's largest investor in equity stocks, with the Society playing a large part in financing many of the major projects which have led to Australia's post-war development.

During his term, A.M.P. also became one of the largest station and cattle owners in the nation, and itself engaged in the clearing and pasturing of some half-million acres of the so-called "Ninety-mile Desert" in South Australia. The latter connection caused him to lead his own family into the development of an 8,000 acre property near Keith, S.A., which was later to be owned and operated by his daughter Elaine, and her husband, Rob Taylor.

Both Cecil and Dorothy were keen gardeners. As a result, they created together famous and extensive gardens at 'Invergowrie' in which they were much assisted by the lasting association with Paul Sorensen.

After the sale of 'Invergowrie', Cecil and Dorothy lived at 'Cardrona', near Moss Vale, where they established another notable garden. Cecil died there in 1971, having never been in hospital in his 81 years. Thereafter, Dorothy moved to 'Eastover', in Bowral, within sight of the place where she was born.

In her sixties, Dorothy took up painting in oils, and was recognised for her skill, particularly in still-life painting of the flowers which she so loved. Her memory is commemorated in a window in the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude in Bowral, and with Cecil, in one of the windows at Hoskins Memorial Church. In this Church, there is also a plaque which records the part played by Cecil and Sid in its establishment.

Cecil's interest in gardens extended into the public sphere; as well as the grounds of Hoskins Church, he directed the setting out of the grounds at Southern Portland, Berrima and of a large part of the Remembrance Driveway between Sydney and Canberra. This interest was recognised by the Hon. T. L. Lewis, N.S.W. Minister for Lands at the time, (he later became Premier of N.S.W and was incidentally a nephew of Essington Lewis of B.H.P.) in having named after him '7he Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve' which is located by the Wingecarribee River near Moss Vale.