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BURKE'S COLONIAL GENTRY
Hillary, in. first, Letitia Conway, and by her had issue, one son ; and,
secondly, Ellen Wiles (sic) , and by her has issue.


In 1851 Hillary was sent by his father to Mr. John Taylor's station, Mount Arden (six miles north of Quora) to learn sheepfarming.

His first experience of bush life was to go with Mr. Taylor from Kapunda, then the end of the railway, with three horses to the station. They lost one horse on the way, and in trying to cross the flooded Willochra Creek, almost lost another. On arrival at the station Mr. Taylor left for Adelaide. Young Boucaut was set to work, and for seven years was most of his time camping out and driving sheep between the station, Rylands, at a wage of 8/- a week and food.

In 1855, Mr. London, the manager of the station, allowed him to go with J. McDouall Stuart on an exploratory trip in search of pastoral country, from Port Augusta to the north-west in the direction in which the east-west railway now runs. They were out about six weeks, and on the return the horses were hard put to it to reach Thompson's Crossing, north of Port Augusta, for want of water. Young Boucaut thought Stuart. a wonderful man as a friend, and guide.
 
In 1861 Capt. Boucaut purchased half the Ketchowla Run, in partnership with Mr. Christopher Giles, who lived near Mintaro, where he had other land and sheep. Hillary Boucaut went to reside on Ketchowla, and Mr. Alfred Giles stayed with him at Ketchowla until his brother, Ray Parkin Boucaut, took his family to live at Anabama; and for several years he lived at Anabama and Hillary at Ketchowla.

From 1861 to about 1864 all went well with both stations. Giles and Boucaut carried on Ketchowla satisfactorily, and ran 17,000 sheep; but they had spent £10,000 in searching for water and in dams and improvements. Ray Parkin Boucaut and Hillary Boucaut were in a separate partnership carrying on Anabama. In the years 1864-6 (in which period only 7 in. of rain fell on the station), the sheep on Ketchowla got reduced through drought, and by reason of the killing of lambs to save the ewes, to about 3,000. Sheep brought as little as 2/6 a head at Burra market— then the principal market— and wool realized only 3¾d. to 5d. lb. As a result largely of these facts, Giles and Boucaut were sold up, and both had to start life afresh.
 
In the Legal Profession. Being ruined but still a young man, Mr Boucaut became articled to the legal firm of Boucaut, Bruce, and Stuart, and served them till 1876, when he was admitted as a practitioner of the Supreme Court, and in May of that year the late Mr. Thomas Wilson Fleming and he started business as Fleming and H. Boucaut in a small office in King William street opposite where the Majestic Theatre Hotel now stands. About a year later, the late Mr. Joseph Ashton joined, and the firm of Fleming, Boucaut, and Ashton was started in Waymouth street. Shortly afterwards Mr. Boucaut went to Jamestown and opened an office there, which he conducted until 1919, when he went to the Adelaide office, and remained there until 1923-24. His residence in Jamestown was intimately associated with all movements for the improvement of the town.
 
He was Mayor, a member of the Municipal Council for four years. He was largely responsible for the acquirement by the Government of the Yongala Estate for closer settlement. He was one of the oldest members of the Belalie Agricultural Society. From its inception he had been connected with the Jamestown Hospital. On the formation of a University centre at Jamestown, Mr. Boucaut was appointed Chairman. In the Anglican Church, which he attended, and for years as a member of Synod, he rendered invaluable service. ............

.....During recent years Mr. Boucaut had led a quiet life at his home in Unley Park....
.....Mr. Boucaut was twice married. His first wife was a Miss Conway, niece of Capt. Watts, the first Postmaster-General of South Australia. She died in 1870. Subsequently he married a daughter of the late Mr. George Hiles, and she died in June, 1923. Five sons and three daughters survive—Messrs. R. (Perth, W A)