John Haimes

John Haimes (c. 1826 – 26 May 1890) was pioneer mail coach operator, hotelier and brewer in South Australia, and pastoralist and racehorse breeder and owner in Victoria, Australia, where he was universally known as "Captain Haimes".

Haimes was born in Australia, perhaps in Sydney, a son of Richard Haimes ( – 31 March 1833), from 1832 licensee of the Waterloo Tavern, George Town, Tasmania. His father was killed at Sandy Bay when kicked by a horse, and his mother Margaret Haimes took over running the hotel. She married again, on 15 January 1835, to George Thomas Wilson; they ran the hotel until 1842.

Haines moved to South Australia, and by 1847 had the licence for the hotel at Marrabool Creek (possibly present-day Moorabool), near Geelong. In 1851 he took the licence for the Sir John Franklin hotel at North Kapunda.

He was involved in the mail contract business, operating out of Currie Street: as Simms & Haimes (dissolved January 1856), then Haimes & Co runnning a weekly service to Moorundee. This was the time of the gold rush, and much traffic was carried on the River Murray from such river towns to the diggings of Victoria. He established a depot at Gawler 1857, then sold the business in September and January 1858. He had a separate carrying company Haimes & Jewell with Peter Jewell, which operated from January 1856 to May 1857. When Jewell faced insolvency Haimes purchased his farm Lots 101, 111 and part of 112, Netley, which in 1858 became his place of residence, left 1860, sold 1872. He also owned Lot 238 Unley (did this become Waverley Brewery?).

He bred horses at Tullowie in the 1850s in a partnership with Peter Jewell which ended in acrimony and a lawsuit. He was judge at the Kapunda races; starter at Gawler races in 1859 and several meetings at the Thebarton course in 1860.

He was appointed Captain in the South Australian Volunteer Military Force in March 1860, the source of his assumed title "Captain", which he affected in Victoria (but not South Australia).

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