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with limestone caves - the Wombeyan Caves. He did the journey with Reverend Forrest, Reverend J. Troughton, his brother, two school friends and some servants and they explored several of the caves. The Church, the Organand the Theatre. This was the first of many journeys to these caves and later to the Bungonia Caves.

In the years after he left school James Hassall gained farming experience by managing his father's 4000 acre property at the Oaks, eight miles from Camden, a property in which he seemed to maintain an interest in for many years at least until 1853 when he leased it. This experience stood him in good stead when we has a minister in the bush and the long hours in the saddle doing the business of the farm were very beneficial when he later managed a widespread parish. During this period he attained his majoirty in October 1844 and received from servants in his father's employment a testimonial letter (held by this Society) which indicated that he had the respect and admiration of those who worked for him and the family. The letter spoke of his "inestimable worth both in public and private life" and his "impartiality" - these qualities which were apparent thourhgout his long career.

The influence of his father, Thomas Hassall, and grandfather, Samuel Marsden, no doubt played a larget part in his choice of career. In his In Old Australia, written at the end of his life, he wrote of his admiration for Samuel Marsden, not only for his ministry but also for his contribution to the development of the colony particularly in sheep breeding and pastoral development and, according to his grandson, ought to share equal recognition with the Macarthurs for the development of the wool industry. He admired the way Marsden had developed the church from the time of his arrival when there was not a church for him to preach in. He admired the effort taken to minister to the needs of the criminals as well as to establish schools for the children of the colony. As he wrote, Marsden
"had qualities suitable to his day. He knew not what fear was. He was the bold reprover of vice and, it may be said, the only one at that day. Governers, officers, officials, settlers and emancipists, all alike came under his stern rebuke, whenever he saw wrong, injustice, or profligacy practiced. No wonder that he was hated, maligned, misrepresented by and evil community".

Above all Hassall admired Marsden's work in New Zealand where he introduced the Christian religion earning the name "the Apostle of New Zealand". Marsden bought and outfitted a ship, the Active, and led a mission to New Zealand, the first of seven visits he made there. A manuscript account of Marsden's New Zealand mission, written by himself, was brought to Queensland by James Hassall but was unfortunately lost in the 1893 flood - a great loss to the recognition of Marsden's achievements.

With such a background James Hassall began his training for the ministry and in 1845.