Walter Russell Hall

Who was Walter Russell Hall?

Walter Russell Hall was an Australian businessman and benefactor.

Hall was born in Kington, Herefordshire, England, eldest son of Walter Hall, glover, and his wife Elizabeth Carleton, née Skarratt. He was educated in Kington and Taunton, Somerset. He first arrived in Sydney on 14 February 1852 with his two brothers, Thomas Skarratt Hall & James Wesley Hall with little money. Hall was employed for a short time by David Jones Limited and then prospected for gold in Victoria with meager success. From 1857 he was a major investor and administrator of the Australian stagecoach line Cobb and Co. He was also a founder partner of the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company, Mount Morgan, Queensland.

Hall's widow, Eliza Hall, founded the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research using funds earned from Hall's business interests.