Hazel Inkley

Hazel Inkley (née White) 28 July 1936 – 24 October 2025

Born in Semaphore in 1936, Hazel was the great-granddaughter of Charles Calnan, who arrived in South Australia aboard the Africaine in November 1836 with his parents, Jeremiah and Mary Ann Calnan. Her maternal grandparents were Mary Ann Calnan and William Skea Taylor, son of a Keeper at the Cape Willoughby Lighthouse.

Hazel was the daughter of Elizabeth (Bess) Taylor & Henry Luxford White and grew up in Semaphore alongside her older brother Brian. The siblings spent many happy days visiting their Taylor grandparents in Birkenhead.

In 1958, Hazel married Max Inkley at St Paul’s Church, Port Adelaide—the same church where her parents had wed 32 years earlier. Max was the son of Leslie Inkley, whose family operated Dunrobin Bricks from 1914 to 1938, supplying bricks to the Brighton community. Hazel and Max raised four children together before Max’s untimely passing in 1972 at the age of 45.

Hazel joined the Kangaroo Island Pioneers Association in 1992 and served on its Executive Committee from 2006 to 2018, including several years as Archivist. Her dedication to preserving history was evident in the countless hours she spent organising and cataloguing the Association’s extensive archival materials. She meticulously collated the Minutes and Newsletters from the Association’s first 15 years, arranging for their professional binding as part of the Jean Nunn Collection. Hazel also curated the correspondence of the Association’s founder, Dene Cordes, applying her deep knowledge of Kangaroo Island history to ensure accuracy and preservation.

In recognition of her outstanding contribution, Hazel was awarded Life Membership of the Kangaroo Island Pioneers Association at the 2019 AGM. She was a cherished member and friend, held in the highest regard by all who knew her.

Hazel’s legacy lives on through her family, her historical work, and the many lives she touched with her warmth, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to community.