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Fr. J. Hinterœcker
S.J.,
Pastor and
Botanist
(This
article originally appeared in 'Christian Traveller' our parish magazine)
Fr. J. Hinterœcker, Norwood’s first parish priest, was born
at Spitz in Austria, where his father was a prosperous vigneron. Educated at the
Linz gymnasium and lyceum, he joined the Society of Jesus in 1839, and after the
usual course of studies, was ordained priest in 1851. Already a distinguished
botanist, in 1852 he was made Professor of Natural History in the Freinberg
College at Linz where he established a museum of natural history and a botanical
garden which earned him a European reputation.
In 1865, at his own request, he was sent on the S.A mission
of the Austrian Jesuits and arrived at Sevenhill on 1 February 1866. Here he
worked in the recently established college of St Aloysius (which is now used as
the Sevenhill residence) and made pastoral and botanical excursions into the
surrounding countryside. He projected for Sevenhill a museum and botanical
garden such as he had established at Linz, but was unable to do so, being called
away by the earnest requests of the then Bishop of Adelaide, Dr Shiel. In 1869
he took charge of the Norwood district where he formed the parish and built the
church which still stands. He was in great demand as a preacher and director of
missions and retreats, which left him little time for botany. In 1872 he
undertook a pastoral visitation of Tasmania at the request of Dr Murphy, Bishop
of Hobart Town. On this expedition he contracted a chill which turned to
pneumonia and he died at Launceston on 6 October 1872. The clergy of Adelaide
insisted on his remains being returned to them and his body was finally buried
where it still rests, at Norwood, in the church which he built.
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