Will'S FAMILY
Will's grandparents, William and Celia Willis
William Willis (1816-1897) was born in Trowbridge, a town located in the County of Wiltshire, England.[1] Although the passing of time has unfortunately obscured many of the details regarding William’s early life and his family in England, what is known is that his mother's name was Mary. While the name of William's father is not known it is possible he was called George.[2] The use of child labour was common in early 19th century Britain so it is not surprising to find that from a young age William was employed as a Carter’s boy.[3] A Carter was someone who carried or conveyed goods in a horse-drawn cart or wagon. As a Carter’s boy William would have assisted his employer with loading and unloading the cart and caring for the horses.[4]
It is also known that William was able to read.[5] Perhaps he acquired this ability as a result of attending a local Sunday school. At that time these institutions not only provided religious instruction, they also taught literacy skills to children from poor backgrounds.[6]
Importantly, the circumstances are known as to when and why William came to Australia. In March 1832, while in his early- to mid-teens (between 14 and 16 years),[8] William was convicted of stealing "a quantity of bacon, cheese and other articles" from a Trowbridge local by the name of Robert Hussey for which it was decided he should be transported to New South Wales for seven years.[9] After being sentenced at New Sarum (Salisbury) in Wiltshire on 3 March 1832 William was initially detained in the local Fisherton County Gaol until 22 March 1832 when he was transferred to the Prison hulk Euryalus.[10] This vessel, which was moored east of London at Chatham, was used to confine juvenile offenders and was well known for its strict regimen and the stern discipline meted out to inmates.[11] During his time on the Euryalus William's behaviour was reported as "good".[12] On 27 November 1832 he was relocated to the sailing ship Mangles to await transportation to New South Wales.[13] Not only would young William not see England again, he also faced the uncertainties and challenges of having to start a new life in a distant, unfamiliar land.
At this point it is important to explain a little of the context of the times in which William lived. He grew up during the Industrial Revolution (c.1760-c.1840), a period in England of momentous economic and societal change and dislocation. The political and social elites of the day benefited greatly from the changes that occurred during this time. In contrast, living conditions for those from the "lower orders" were very difficult with no government assistance or welfare support available for people experiencing financial hardship or destitution.[14] The increasing squalor of city life and greatly diminished work opportunities due to the fundamental changes that occurred in agricultural practices led to unrest and riots in the countryside, including in William's home County of Wiltshire.[15] In this climate it was not uncommon for some to steal food and goods in order to support themselves and their struggling families. Indeed, of all the convicts transported to Australia, three-quarters were sent for non-violent property offences.[16] For juveniles in particular, the impact of the societal and familial disruption arising from the Industrial Revolution was especially damaging and contributed to the antisocial behaviour of many.[17]
From the late 18th century until when it ceased being used as a sentencing option transportation to New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) (either for seven or fourteen years or for life) was applied to a range of offences for which death had previously been the penalty including the offence for which William had been convicted.[18] While many former convicts remained in the country after completing their sentences because they could not afford to pay the cost of the return journey to England, a few went on to do quite well for themselves.[19] William would become one of those who experienced success in their new homeland.
William Willis (1816-1897) was born in Trowbridge, a town located in the County of Wiltshire, England.[1] Although the passing of time has unfortunately obscured many of the details regarding William’s early life and his family in England, what is known is that his mother's name was Mary. While the name of William's father is not known it is possible he was called George.[2] The use of child labour was common in early 19th century Britain so it is not surprising to find that from a young age William was employed as a Carter’s boy.[3] A Carter was someone who carried or conveyed goods in a horse-drawn cart or wagon. As a Carter’s boy William would have assisted his employer with loading and unloading the cart and caring for the horses.[4]
It is also known that William was able to read.[5] Perhaps he acquired this ability as a result of attending a local Sunday school. At that time these institutions not only provided religious instruction, they also taught literacy skills to children from poor backgrounds.[6]
Importantly, the circumstances are known as to when and why William came to Australia. In March 1832, while in his early- to mid-teens (between 14 and 16 years),[8] William was convicted of stealing "a quantity of bacon, cheese and other articles" from a Trowbridge local by the name of Robert Hussey for which it was decided he should be transported to New South Wales for seven years.[9] After being sentenced at New Sarum (Salisbury) in Wiltshire on 3 March 1832 William was initially detained in the local Fisherton County Gaol until 22 March 1832 when he was transferred to the Prison hulk Euryalus.[10] This vessel, which was moored east of London at Chatham, was used to confine juvenile offenders and was well known for its strict regimen and the stern discipline meted out to inmates.[11] During his time on the Euryalus William's behaviour was reported as "good".[12] On 27 November 1832 he was relocated to the sailing ship Mangles to await transportation to New South Wales.[13] Not only would young William not see England again, he also faced the uncertainties and challenges of having to start a new life in a distant, unfamiliar land.
At this point it is important to explain a little of the context of the times in which William lived. He grew up during the Industrial Revolution (c.1760-c.1840), a period in England of momentous economic and societal change and dislocation. The political and social elites of the day benefited greatly from the changes that occurred during this time. In contrast, living conditions for those from the "lower orders" were very difficult with no government assistance or welfare support available for people experiencing financial hardship or destitution.[14] The increasing squalor of city life and greatly diminished work opportunities due to the fundamental changes that occurred in agricultural practices led to unrest and riots in the countryside, including in William's home County of Wiltshire.[15] In this climate it was not uncommon for some to steal food and goods in order to support themselves and their struggling families. Indeed, of all the convicts transported to Australia, three-quarters were sent for non-violent property offences.[16] For juveniles in particular, the impact of the societal and familial disruption arising from the Industrial Revolution was especially damaging and contributed to the antisocial behaviour of many.[17]
From the late 18th century until when it ceased being used as a sentencing option transportation to New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) (either for seven or fourteen years or for life) was applied to a range of offences for which death had previously been the penalty including the offence for which William had been convicted.[18] While many former convicts remained in the country after completing their sentences because they could not afford to pay the cost of the return journey to England, a few went on to do quite well for themselves.[19] William would become one of those who experienced success in their new homeland.
With more than 200 passengers on board, the Mangles finally set sail from England on 14 December 1832.[20] Previous voyages by the ship to New South Wales were comparatively fast, but on this occasion, it encountered some very heavy weather in the English Channel which delayed its journey:
… Sailing from London ... [the Mangles] struck a winter gale in the Channel and was forced to seek shelter at the Scilly Isles. She did not sail from there until January 1. Thus, although she was 126 days out from London when she arrived at Port Jackson, the Mangles made the passage from St. Marys’ Sound, in the Scillies, to Port Jackson in 100 days.[21]
… Sailing from London ... [the Mangles] struck a winter gale in the Channel and was forced to seek shelter at the Scilly Isles. She did not sail from there until January 1. Thus, although she was 126 days out from London when she arrived at Port Jackson, the Mangles made the passage from St. Marys’ Sound, in the Scillies, to Port Jackson in 100 days.[21]
The Mangles arrived in Port Jackson (Sydney) on 19 April 1833.[23] Although William needed to seek treatment from the ship's doctor on 12 December 1832 after suffering from a bout of obstipation (a severe form of constipation often experienced by ship-borne convicts),[24] newspaper reports from the time commented on how the new arrivals were mostly "… in a healthy state, which is generally the case when the vessel is kept clean and dry".[25]
On 6 May 1833 the convicts from the Mangles were brought ashore and taken to the Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney.[26] Generally, it was from here that newly disembarked convicts were sent to work either for the Government or for private individuals.[27] In the case of William and others from the Mangles who were under the age of 17, they were then conveyed to the nearby Carters' Barracks for Boys in order to await allocation.[28]
An official Government notice dated 2 May 1833 – while not naming any individual convict or the persons to whom they were assigned – indicates that the majority of those from the Mangles were allocated to "private service".[30] William was among those from the Mangles so assigned. Indeed, official records indicate that soon after disembarking he was sent to work for George Harper (c.1802-1841), a well-known "public servant, natural history collector and settler",[31] who owned a property called Abbotsford at Stonequarry, later called Picton.[32]
An earlier Government directive issued on 18 March 1833 had stipulated that from this date any newly arrived convicts under the age of 17 years were to be assigned to employers who lived at least 20 miles outside of Sydney. Under this directive employers of “convict boys” were required to provide their charges:
… with food and clothing, according to the regulations of Government in the case of adult male convicts; to afford them religious instruction, and, where practicable, to have them taught to read and write; and further, to accustom them to some kind of labour, whereby they may be enabled to earn an honest livelihood on attaining to freedom or manhood.[33]
Official Carters' Barracks' records for the period 1833-1834 indicate that William's assignment to
Mr Harper was made in accordance with the Government directive of 18 March 1833.[34]
As an assignee, William would have been involved in activities such as land clearing, building construction, growing and harvesting crops, and raising stock.[35] In keeping with the Government directive of 18 March 1833 Mr Harper would have been responsible for providing William with accommodation, food and clothing.[36] Also in line with this directive it is probable that during this time William gained some important farming, land and stock management skills which continued to be of use to him over the following years. Indeed, William went on to hold a variety of occupations with each having strong ties to the land including labourer, farmer, stock keeper, and grazier. By the end of his life, William was acknowledged as a “leading farmer” and “pastoralist”.[37]
During the period of William’s assignment, Mr Harper was a property holder in several districts including in the ruggedly beautiful country of the Burragorang Valley west of Sydney.[38] Although the Burragorang had been well known to its original Indigenous inhabitants for thousands of years, the first visit by Europeans to the valley only occurred in 1798 followed by the establishment of the first township in 1833.[39] It is possible that William became familiar with the Burragorang from working for Mr Harper on his various properties. It appears William was assigned to Mr Harper at least until 2 March 1839 when he applied for his Certificate of Freedom.[40]
An earlier Government directive issued on 18 March 1833 had stipulated that from this date any newly arrived convicts under the age of 17 years were to be assigned to employers who lived at least 20 miles outside of Sydney. Under this directive employers of “convict boys” were required to provide their charges:
… with food and clothing, according to the regulations of Government in the case of adult male convicts; to afford them religious instruction, and, where practicable, to have them taught to read and write; and further, to accustom them to some kind of labour, whereby they may be enabled to earn an honest livelihood on attaining to freedom or manhood.[33]
Official Carters' Barracks' records for the period 1833-1834 indicate that William's assignment to
Mr Harper was made in accordance with the Government directive of 18 March 1833.[34]
As an assignee, William would have been involved in activities such as land clearing, building construction, growing and harvesting crops, and raising stock.[35] In keeping with the Government directive of 18 March 1833 Mr Harper would have been responsible for providing William with accommodation, food and clothing.[36] Also in line with this directive it is probable that during this time William gained some important farming, land and stock management skills which continued to be of use to him over the following years. Indeed, William went on to hold a variety of occupations with each having strong ties to the land including labourer, farmer, stock keeper, and grazier. By the end of his life, William was acknowledged as a “leading farmer” and “pastoralist”.[37]
During the period of William’s assignment, Mr Harper was a property holder in several districts including in the ruggedly beautiful country of the Burragorang Valley west of Sydney.[38] Although the Burragorang had been well known to its original Indigenous inhabitants for thousands of years, the first visit by Europeans to the valley only occurred in 1798 followed by the establishment of the first township in 1833.[39] It is possible that William became familiar with the Burragorang from working for Mr Harper on his various properties. It appears William was assigned to Mr Harper at least until 2 March 1839 when he applied for his Certificate of Freedom.[40]
On 14 October 1839 William finally received his Certificate of Freedom after having completed his seven-year sentence.[41] In the period that followed, William likely worked for different landholders in the local area using the skills he had developed and honed during the time he was assigned to
Mr Harper. Perhaps he continued to work for Mr Harper up until the time of Harper's death in 1841.[42]
Another local landholder for whom William could have worked was Mr John Benton Wild of the Vanderville station, a 2000 acre property situated where The Oaks would later be established.[43] Indeed, this is suggested from the New South Wales "Register of Leases" for December 1843 which records a "William Williss of Vanderville" applying to buy a licence to occupy 640 acres of land near the confluence of Jourland's Creek with the Wollondilly River in the Upper Burragorang Valley.[44] The records show that William did in fact go on to acquire this particular land and subsequently, other property in the Burragorang and nearby districts.[45] During the years William lived in the valley he ran cattle, logged timber, and farmed crops such as corn and pumpkins.[46] Nowadays, William's Burragorang property lies within the catchment for the Warragamba Dam, the main water supply for the city of Sydney.[47]
While the Burragorang Valley was famed for its exceptional natural beauty, it was isolated and very difficult to access[48] which made it extremely challenging for early settlers like William. The early settlers of the valley also faced the constant threat posed by local bushrangers in the area.[49] In addition, living along the Wollondilly River meant William would have seen major floods as well as times of bushfire and drought.[50] There is no doubt of such events affecting his livelihood as a farmer and the quality of life for his family. Furthermore, during the 1840s Australia underwent the first of three economic depressions that have occurred over the course of its history, with the second occurring in the 1890s and the third in the 1930s.[51] The depression of the 1840s saw thousands of individuals, businesses and tradespeople consigned to unemployment and bankruptcy.[52] Like many others, William would have been affected by the severe economic conditions of that time. Any economic difficulties William experienced during this period were initially compounded when he found himself accused of receiving stolen property, although he was subsequently cleared of the charge by the local court.[53] Despite the challenges and setbacks, William showed resilience and strength of character by persevering and becoming a well-known and highly regarded member of the community.
William’s wife, Celia Mitchell (1830-1909), was born in Mereworth in the County of Kent, England.[54] As a young child Celia joined her parents, James (1792-1857) and Hannah (nee Fairhall) (1787-1870), and surviving siblings, Jane (1818-1916), Emma (1821-1883), James (Junior) (1822-1857), William (1824-1854), Richard (1826-1906), and George (1828-1897) in leaving Gravesend (located on the Thames River near London) England[55] to travel to New South Wales as free settlers ("assisted immigrants") aboard the Lady Nugent.[56] They arrived in Sydney on 27 November 1838.[57] Also on board this voyage was the woman after whom the famous "Granny Smith" apple was reputedly named, Maria Ann (nee Sherwood) Smith.[58] The Mitchells initially settled at Bringelly (near Camden) with James working for a person called Mr King.[59] Later, the family relocated to the vicinity of The Oaks before eventually moving to Bargo where James died in 1857.[60] Hannah died some years after James, in 1870, at Gunning, New South Wales.[61]
It is not known how William and Celia came to meet. William was some fifteen years older than Celia.
Perhaps there were occasions when he performed labouring work for her father which, in turn, could have provided an opportunity for them to become acquainted.[62] While the particular circumstances are now unknown, what is certain is that they were married on 7 July 1849 in the newly-constructed and consecrated St John's Church of England at Camden after which they went back to live in the Burragorang Valley.[63] Over the next 25 years William and Celia had twelve children: Mary (1850-1934), Harriet (1852-1886), George (1854-1941), John (1857-1934), Matilda (1859-1943), William (Junior) (1861-1941), James (1863-1889), Samuel (1866-1949), Celia (1868-1947), an infant daughter
who died soon after birth (1870-1870), Hannah (1871-1950), and Arthur (1876-1938).[64] All were born in the Burragorang, most likely at home,[65] except Arthur who was born after the family had moved to The Oaks.[66]
Sadly, three of William and Celia’s children predeceased them: their infant daughter (only two hours old) born and died on 30 January 1870 (cause of death: "weakness"), Harriet of typhoid fever in 1886, and James of Phthisis (tuberculosis) in 1889. At the time of her death, Harriet was the mother of four children aged five and under (William 5, Harriet 4, Amy 3, and Celia 11 months), while James had one child (a six-month-old daughter named Irene) when he died at the age of 26 years.[67]
Perhaps sensing an opportunity to improve their circumstances, the early 1870s saw William and Celia - while keeping some of their land in the Burragorang Valley[68] - relocate to another property not too far away, a few kilometres south of The Oaks, on the way to Picton, which they named Long Acre.[69]
Mr Harper. Perhaps he continued to work for Mr Harper up until the time of Harper's death in 1841.[42]
Another local landholder for whom William could have worked was Mr John Benton Wild of the Vanderville station, a 2000 acre property situated where The Oaks would later be established.[43] Indeed, this is suggested from the New South Wales "Register of Leases" for December 1843 which records a "William Williss of Vanderville" applying to buy a licence to occupy 640 acres of land near the confluence of Jourland's Creek with the Wollondilly River in the Upper Burragorang Valley.[44] The records show that William did in fact go on to acquire this particular land and subsequently, other property in the Burragorang and nearby districts.[45] During the years William lived in the valley he ran cattle, logged timber, and farmed crops such as corn and pumpkins.[46] Nowadays, William's Burragorang property lies within the catchment for the Warragamba Dam, the main water supply for the city of Sydney.[47]
While the Burragorang Valley was famed for its exceptional natural beauty, it was isolated and very difficult to access[48] which made it extremely challenging for early settlers like William. The early settlers of the valley also faced the constant threat posed by local bushrangers in the area.[49] In addition, living along the Wollondilly River meant William would have seen major floods as well as times of bushfire and drought.[50] There is no doubt of such events affecting his livelihood as a farmer and the quality of life for his family. Furthermore, during the 1840s Australia underwent the first of three economic depressions that have occurred over the course of its history, with the second occurring in the 1890s and the third in the 1930s.[51] The depression of the 1840s saw thousands of individuals, businesses and tradespeople consigned to unemployment and bankruptcy.[52] Like many others, William would have been affected by the severe economic conditions of that time. Any economic difficulties William experienced during this period were initially compounded when he found himself accused of receiving stolen property, although he was subsequently cleared of the charge by the local court.[53] Despite the challenges and setbacks, William showed resilience and strength of character by persevering and becoming a well-known and highly regarded member of the community.
William’s wife, Celia Mitchell (1830-1909), was born in Mereworth in the County of Kent, England.[54] As a young child Celia joined her parents, James (1792-1857) and Hannah (nee Fairhall) (1787-1870), and surviving siblings, Jane (1818-1916), Emma (1821-1883), James (Junior) (1822-1857), William (1824-1854), Richard (1826-1906), and George (1828-1897) in leaving Gravesend (located on the Thames River near London) England[55] to travel to New South Wales as free settlers ("assisted immigrants") aboard the Lady Nugent.[56] They arrived in Sydney on 27 November 1838.[57] Also on board this voyage was the woman after whom the famous "Granny Smith" apple was reputedly named, Maria Ann (nee Sherwood) Smith.[58] The Mitchells initially settled at Bringelly (near Camden) with James working for a person called Mr King.[59] Later, the family relocated to the vicinity of The Oaks before eventually moving to Bargo where James died in 1857.[60] Hannah died some years after James, in 1870, at Gunning, New South Wales.[61]
It is not known how William and Celia came to meet. William was some fifteen years older than Celia.
Perhaps there were occasions when he performed labouring work for her father which, in turn, could have provided an opportunity for them to become acquainted.[62] While the particular circumstances are now unknown, what is certain is that they were married on 7 July 1849 in the newly-constructed and consecrated St John's Church of England at Camden after which they went back to live in the Burragorang Valley.[63] Over the next 25 years William and Celia had twelve children: Mary (1850-1934), Harriet (1852-1886), George (1854-1941), John (1857-1934), Matilda (1859-1943), William (Junior) (1861-1941), James (1863-1889), Samuel (1866-1949), Celia (1868-1947), an infant daughter
who died soon after birth (1870-1870), Hannah (1871-1950), and Arthur (1876-1938).[64] All were born in the Burragorang, most likely at home,[65] except Arthur who was born after the family had moved to The Oaks.[66]
Sadly, three of William and Celia’s children predeceased them: their infant daughter (only two hours old) born and died on 30 January 1870 (cause of death: "weakness"), Harriet of typhoid fever in 1886, and James of Phthisis (tuberculosis) in 1889. At the time of her death, Harriet was the mother of four children aged five and under (William 5, Harriet 4, Amy 3, and Celia 11 months), while James had one child (a six-month-old daughter named Irene) when he died at the age of 26 years.[67]
Perhaps sensing an opportunity to improve their circumstances, the early 1870s saw William and Celia - while keeping some of their land in the Burragorang Valley[68] - relocate to another property not too far away, a few kilometres south of The Oaks, on the way to Picton, which they named Long Acre.[69]
The Long Acre property, which would eventually comprise some 630 acres, was situated on both sides of what was then called The Oaks Road, now known as Montpelier Drive.
William and Celia went on to prosper at their Long Acre property. One record, the 1885 Return of New South Wales Land and Stock Owners, notes how at that point William owned 500 acres of land,
11 horses, 80 head of cattle, and 16 pigs.[71] Many years later, when Long Acre was put up for sale after William and Celia had both passed away, the property was described as follows:
590¼ Acres Rich Agricultural and Grazing Land, highly improved, abundantly grassed, subdivided into seven farms, in areas 40 to 204¾ acres, securely fenced, permanently watered by creeks and dams. Timber killed many years. Within six miles Picton Station. Main road frontage. Comfortable house, stables, sheds, dairy, cow bails, sheds, and yards. Cultivation paddocks, etc. This property is adjacent to that rich dairying property, "Abbotsford," and is similar land. It has an abundance of grass on it at the present time, and has for many years been occupied by the deceased and his family as a dairy farm, with great success ...[72]
William and Celia continued to live at Long Acre for the rest of their lives.
William and Celia went on to prosper at their Long Acre property. One record, the 1885 Return of New South Wales Land and Stock Owners, notes how at that point William owned 500 acres of land,
11 horses, 80 head of cattle, and 16 pigs.[71] Many years later, when Long Acre was put up for sale after William and Celia had both passed away, the property was described as follows:
590¼ Acres Rich Agricultural and Grazing Land, highly improved, abundantly grassed, subdivided into seven farms, in areas 40 to 204¾ acres, securely fenced, permanently watered by creeks and dams. Timber killed many years. Within six miles Picton Station. Main road frontage. Comfortable house, stables, sheds, dairy, cow bails, sheds, and yards. Cultivation paddocks, etc. This property is adjacent to that rich dairying property, "Abbotsford," and is similar land. It has an abundance of grass on it at the present time, and has for many years been occupied by the deceased and his family as a dairy farm, with great success ...[72]
William and Celia continued to live at Long Acre for the rest of their lives.
William is an acknowledged and respected pioneer of the local area. As noted by the author of one local historical publication about the early settlers of the district: "Another well-known family name is that of Willis, William Willis of Long Acre being the founder."[73]
The indications are that William was active in the life of his community. For example, several newspaper reports from the time recount him entering and winning prizes for competing in the Picton Agricultural Show, including for cheese making.[74]
William was also known to have recognised and highly valued the importance of education.[76]
Consequently, it is not surprising to learn that in 1872 William allowed the Werriberri Provisional School to be constructed on his property at The Oaks,[77] and in his Will bequeathed money specifically for the education of his granddaughter, Irene Willis (1888-1966) and grandsons, William Harris (1879-1947) and John Harris (1880-1960).[78] Even while living in the isolated Burragorang Valley, William took steps to ensure several of his older children could attend school and benefit from the opportunities it afforded.[79]
In nearby Oakdale there is a Willis Park and a Willis Street which are said to have been named after William.[80] However, it appears these locations were more likely named in recognition of another Willis family who were not related to William.[81]
On 23 June 1897 William died at the George Inn at Picton where he had been staying for medical treatment.[82] The following obituary for William was published in the Camden News on 8 July 1897:
WILLIAM. WILLIS.
Aetat. 87.
The late Mr. Willis, of The Oaks road, was an identity of identities, a pioneer who witnessed the growth of The Oaks and Burragorang from almost the earliest times. Born in the County of Wilshire, England, before the battle of Waterloo, he arrived in this colony about the year 1830. After living with Mr. Harper at Stonequarry, he settled in Burragorang, where he remained for 30 years, following the cattle industry, and amassing money. Some 20 years ago, when the Church and School lands on The Oaks road were offered for sale, he purchased the large farm on which he resided until his death. Banking being almost unavailable in the early days, Mr. Willis kept his money, in the shape of gold, in his own possession, and his payment in cash for the farm included a number of the old spade guineas. The deceased gentleman was a good farmer and pastoralist, with a thorough knowledge of his vocation. A shrewd, far-seeing, inscrutable man, he kept his business to himself, and succeeded in life, winning by his integrity, uprightness and industry, the respect of the whole community. Mr. Willis, who was married to a sister of the late Mr. George Mitchell, leaves a large and reputable family of sons and daughters.[83]
Another newspaper article from the time reporting William's death described him as “... one of the pioneer residents of the district, and a leading farmer”.[84] It had been earlier reported in the Camden News that even though it had been a wet day there was a large number of attendees at William’s funeral.[85]
The following year, at a farewell for William’s son John on his transfer as a Police Sergeant from the Yass district to Queanbeyan, one of the speakers still fondly recalled William describing him as “a worthy father” and John, “a worthy son”.[86]
By the time William died, he and Celia had been married for almost 50 years. The life of the early settlers was undoubtedly hard and challenging. William and Celia would have worked together for the benefit of themselves and their family while also contributing to their local community. It is touching how William referred to Celia in his Will as “my dear wife”. His care for her may also be seen when a seemingly simple “Winter Buggy Rug” belonging to Celia was lost on the road somewhere between their property and Camden and William advertised a reward for its safe return.[87]
For her part, Celia likely contributed greatly to William’s success in life, business and family. Most certainly she would have shared with him the dangers, hardships and privations commonly experienced by the early settlers. Without her support, especially as family matriarch, he would not have been able to achieve what he did. Celia’s determination was such that even after William’s death she continued as a residential landholder/grazier at The Oaks.[88]
Like William, Celia made provision in her Will for various members of her family. She bequeathed money to her son, Arthur, and daughters, Celia and Hannah. She also bequeathed to Hannah the pictures of herself and late husband William, together with those of her late son James and late daughter Harriet. Celia directed that all other effects be sold with the proceeds kept in trust for her grandchildren, Cecil Wheeler (1894-1927), Irene Wheeler (1897-1974), and Vera Wheeler (1899-1996).[89]
Celia died at Picton on 6 November 1909. In acknowledging Celia after her passing one local newspaper described her as “... an old and respected resident of the district, having lived in it for the last 69 years. She leaves a family of five sons and four daughters.”[90]
William and Celia are buried together at the St Matthew’s Anglican Church Cemetery, The Oaks, Wollondilly Shire, New South Wales.[91]
The Long Acre property was finally sold in 1910,[92] in line with the directions William left in his Will.
The indications are that William was active in the life of his community. For example, several newspaper reports from the time recount him entering and winning prizes for competing in the Picton Agricultural Show, including for cheese making.[74]
William was also known to have recognised and highly valued the importance of education.[76]
Consequently, it is not surprising to learn that in 1872 William allowed the Werriberri Provisional School to be constructed on his property at The Oaks,[77] and in his Will bequeathed money specifically for the education of his granddaughter, Irene Willis (1888-1966) and grandsons, William Harris (1879-1947) and John Harris (1880-1960).[78] Even while living in the isolated Burragorang Valley, William took steps to ensure several of his older children could attend school and benefit from the opportunities it afforded.[79]
In nearby Oakdale there is a Willis Park and a Willis Street which are said to have been named after William.[80] However, it appears these locations were more likely named in recognition of another Willis family who were not related to William.[81]
On 23 June 1897 William died at the George Inn at Picton where he had been staying for medical treatment.[82] The following obituary for William was published in the Camden News on 8 July 1897:
WILLIAM. WILLIS.
Aetat. 87.
The late Mr. Willis, of The Oaks road, was an identity of identities, a pioneer who witnessed the growth of The Oaks and Burragorang from almost the earliest times. Born in the County of Wilshire, England, before the battle of Waterloo, he arrived in this colony about the year 1830. After living with Mr. Harper at Stonequarry, he settled in Burragorang, where he remained for 30 years, following the cattle industry, and amassing money. Some 20 years ago, when the Church and School lands on The Oaks road were offered for sale, he purchased the large farm on which he resided until his death. Banking being almost unavailable in the early days, Mr. Willis kept his money, in the shape of gold, in his own possession, and his payment in cash for the farm included a number of the old spade guineas. The deceased gentleman was a good farmer and pastoralist, with a thorough knowledge of his vocation. A shrewd, far-seeing, inscrutable man, he kept his business to himself, and succeeded in life, winning by his integrity, uprightness and industry, the respect of the whole community. Mr. Willis, who was married to a sister of the late Mr. George Mitchell, leaves a large and reputable family of sons and daughters.[83]
Another newspaper article from the time reporting William's death described him as “... one of the pioneer residents of the district, and a leading farmer”.[84] It had been earlier reported in the Camden News that even though it had been a wet day there was a large number of attendees at William’s funeral.[85]
The following year, at a farewell for William’s son John on his transfer as a Police Sergeant from the Yass district to Queanbeyan, one of the speakers still fondly recalled William describing him as “a worthy father” and John, “a worthy son”.[86]
By the time William died, he and Celia had been married for almost 50 years. The life of the early settlers was undoubtedly hard and challenging. William and Celia would have worked together for the benefit of themselves and their family while also contributing to their local community. It is touching how William referred to Celia in his Will as “my dear wife”. His care for her may also be seen when a seemingly simple “Winter Buggy Rug” belonging to Celia was lost on the road somewhere between their property and Camden and William advertised a reward for its safe return.[87]
For her part, Celia likely contributed greatly to William’s success in life, business and family. Most certainly she would have shared with him the dangers, hardships and privations commonly experienced by the early settlers. Without her support, especially as family matriarch, he would not have been able to achieve what he did. Celia’s determination was such that even after William’s death she continued as a residential landholder/grazier at The Oaks.[88]
Like William, Celia made provision in her Will for various members of her family. She bequeathed money to her son, Arthur, and daughters, Celia and Hannah. She also bequeathed to Hannah the pictures of herself and late husband William, together with those of her late son James and late daughter Harriet. Celia directed that all other effects be sold with the proceeds kept in trust for her grandchildren, Cecil Wheeler (1894-1927), Irene Wheeler (1897-1974), and Vera Wheeler (1899-1996).[89]
Celia died at Picton on 6 November 1909. In acknowledging Celia after her passing one local newspaper described her as “... an old and respected resident of the district, having lived in it for the last 69 years. She leaves a family of five sons and four daughters.”[90]
William and Celia are buried together at the St Matthew’s Anglican Church Cemetery, The Oaks, Wollondilly Shire, New South Wales.[91]
The Long Acre property was finally sold in 1910,[92] in line with the directions William left in his Will.
Will's parents, William (Jnr) and Margaret Willis
William (Junior) was William and Celia’s third son. William married Margaret Mulholland (1860-1935) at the St Barnabas Church of England, on what was then called George Street West (now known as Broadway), Sydney on 9 January 1890.[93]
Margaret was born to Moses (c.1824-1896) and Catherine (c.1822-1860) (nee McMinn) Mulholland in the town of Dungannon in County Tyrone in what is now Northern Ireland. Following the death of her mother, Margaret’s father and several older siblings [Letitia (1851-1914), Mary (1853-1924), John (1855-1908), Moses (Junior) (1855-1903) - John and Moses (Junior) were twins - and James (1858-1934)] travelled to New South Wales aboard the Ocean Empress, arriving in Sydney on
28 September 1862. Moses took up a farming lease on the Abbotsford property, which had been owned at an earlier time by George Harper, the person to whom William was assigned upon his arrival from England.[94] Abbotsford was not too far from where the Willis property of Long Acre
would later be settled.
It appears that Moses' decision to emigrate with his children was influenced by the favourable reports of the Australian countryside he had received from his brother Thomas who had previously arrived in New South Wales with his wife Jane and their family aboard the Eliza on 18 September 1855. Indeed, Thomas was the sponsor for Moses and his family to also travel to New South Wales. Moses, Thomas and their families had lived through the deprivations and miseries of the infamous Irish Potato Famine and the hard years that followed, which was possibly the catalyst for them to seek better lives and opportunities in Australia.[96]
Because she was only two years old, Margaret remained in Ireland until some years later when she, together with her older sister Annie (1856-1938), travelled to Australia. Annie and Margaret arrived in Melbourne on 6 May 1870 aboard the Crusader.[97] They then proceeded to Sydney via the steamship City of Adelaide, departing Melbourne on 14 May 1870 and arriving in Sydney on 16 May 1870.[98] After disembarking they may have been met by family members or friends who then accompanied them to Abbotsford. Despite immigrating to Australia at the relatively young age of ten, Margaret spoke with a distinct Irish accent even in later life.[99]
A newspaper report from the time of his death described Moses as a "... highly respected resident of Picton".[100] Another newspaper report similarly described him as “... one of the oldest and most respected residents of the district” and that his funeral was “largely attended”.[101]
The road that begins near to the place where Moses lived was aptly named Mulhollands Road.[102]
In 1895, Margaret’s brother, Moses Mulholland (Junior), was elected as one of the first councillors on the newly formed Picton Shire Council.[103]
Moses is buried together with his son Moses Jnr at the Picton Anglican Cemetery, Wollondilly Shire, New South Wales.[104]
William (Junior) was William and Celia’s third son. William married Margaret Mulholland (1860-1935) at the St Barnabas Church of England, on what was then called George Street West (now known as Broadway), Sydney on 9 January 1890.[93]
Margaret was born to Moses (c.1824-1896) and Catherine (c.1822-1860) (nee McMinn) Mulholland in the town of Dungannon in County Tyrone in what is now Northern Ireland. Following the death of her mother, Margaret’s father and several older siblings [Letitia (1851-1914), Mary (1853-1924), John (1855-1908), Moses (Junior) (1855-1903) - John and Moses (Junior) were twins - and James (1858-1934)] travelled to New South Wales aboard the Ocean Empress, arriving in Sydney on
28 September 1862. Moses took up a farming lease on the Abbotsford property, which had been owned at an earlier time by George Harper, the person to whom William was assigned upon his arrival from England.[94] Abbotsford was not too far from where the Willis property of Long Acre
would later be settled.
It appears that Moses' decision to emigrate with his children was influenced by the favourable reports of the Australian countryside he had received from his brother Thomas who had previously arrived in New South Wales with his wife Jane and their family aboard the Eliza on 18 September 1855. Indeed, Thomas was the sponsor for Moses and his family to also travel to New South Wales. Moses, Thomas and their families had lived through the deprivations and miseries of the infamous Irish Potato Famine and the hard years that followed, which was possibly the catalyst for them to seek better lives and opportunities in Australia.[96]
Because she was only two years old, Margaret remained in Ireland until some years later when she, together with her older sister Annie (1856-1938), travelled to Australia. Annie and Margaret arrived in Melbourne on 6 May 1870 aboard the Crusader.[97] They then proceeded to Sydney via the steamship City of Adelaide, departing Melbourne on 14 May 1870 and arriving in Sydney on 16 May 1870.[98] After disembarking they may have been met by family members or friends who then accompanied them to Abbotsford. Despite immigrating to Australia at the relatively young age of ten, Margaret spoke with a distinct Irish accent even in later life.[99]
A newspaper report from the time of his death described Moses as a "... highly respected resident of Picton".[100] Another newspaper report similarly described him as “... one of the oldest and most respected residents of the district” and that his funeral was “largely attended”.[101]
The road that begins near to the place where Moses lived was aptly named Mulhollands Road.[102]
In 1895, Margaret’s brother, Moses Mulholland (Junior), was elected as one of the first councillors on the newly formed Picton Shire Council.[103]
Moses is buried together with his son Moses Jnr at the Picton Anglican Cemetery, Wollondilly Shire, New South Wales.[104]
After their marriage, William and Margaret lived and farmed on the neighbouring property to Abbotsford called Jarvisfield.[105] William and Margaret had six children: William Louis (Will), James Vivian (Jim), Catherine Celia (Cate), John Harold (Johnny), Helena Mildred (Millie) and Edward (Teddy). As was the custom of the time, Margaret returned to her family’s home at Abbotsford to have each of her children.[106]
In early 1903 William and Margaret's daughter Catie (aged 7) and youngest sons Johnny (aged 6) and Teddy (aged 3) contracted diphtheria. It appears that Johnny and Teddy may have been particularly affected by this illness.[107] Many years later Will could still recall how he had to run to Picton, at night and through rain, to fetch the doctor to urgently attend to his younger siblings.[108] While Catie recovered from the illness, Johnny and Teddy sadly succumbed within a day of each other. They were buried together in the cemetery of St Mark’s Church of England at Picton.[109]
The following newspaper account relating to this tragic episode appeared in the Picton Post and Advocate on 4 February 1903:
Death of two children
Quite a gloom was casted over the town when it became known that Mr & Mrs William Willis had lost two of their children – both boys. The stroke came with awful swiftness for the little fellows who on Wednesday, were in their wonted health, were laid to rest in St Mark’s Churchyard on Sunday afternoon. The children who were age six and three years were victims of croup. The eldest boy died on Saturday and the youngest one on Sunday morning. The spectacle of two little coffins being lowered into the one grave was indeed a pathetic one. Deep sympathy is felt for the parents in their great sorrow.[110]
The loss of the boys greatly distressed their parents, especially Margaret. It was one of the reasons why, in 1906, they decided to leave Picton with their family and travel overland by bullock dray to the Darling Downs in Queensland and make a fresh start on a dairy property called Erin Vale, located just outside Meringandan.[111]
Meringandan was a good area for William and Margaret to settle in as it was known to be a “progressive little township” with the surrounding district containing “some of the richest black soil on the Downs” and a thriving dairy farming industry.[113] The following news report from 18 May 1906, around the time that William and Margaret moved to Meringandan, exemplifies the optimism and confidence in the opportunities that living in the area afforded:
MERINGANDAN — Except for a few thunderstorms at the commencement of the month, when about 3½ inches of rain fell, the weather has been fine and cold. Grass and water are plentiful, and stock are healthy. All the crops look well, and the maize is now being marketed. Many of the farmers are pulling the maize while green, giving the stalks to the cows and feeding the pigs with the cobs. All are taking advantage of the fine weather, and are busy preparing the land for wheat and lucerne. Dairying is steadily advancing, and the herds are being steadily improved by the introduction of good bulls— Ayrshires appearing to be the favourites. Dairy buildings also show great improvement. The demand for all classes of stock continues. Fats sell up to £7, springers to £7 10s., two-year-old to four-year-old steers to £6. About 2,300 head passed through the Dalby yards during the month. Pigs sell readily,
especially stores. Fat pigs are a little more plentiful than they were, and are worth from 35s. to 42s. 6d. A great number of intending selectors are inspecting the Crown lands around Bell, which will be readily taken up, as soon as it is available. The opening for traffic of the Dalby-Bell railway has given a great impetus to dairying, and many settlers can now get their cream to the factory in eight hours where previously it sometimes took six days.[114]
Also coming to Queensland in early 1906 was William’s younger brother Samuel together with his wife Joan (nee Halliday) (1873-1949) and their children Arthur (1898-1992), Nellie (1901-1992) and Dulcie (1905-2000) (with youngest daughter Ethel [1910-1995] subsequently joining them).[115] Then in 1909 eldest brother George, his wife Elizabeth Selina (nee Hanger) (1852-1938) and several of their family moved from their property at Glenquarry near Bowral, NSW to a property in the Meringandan district, at Cooby Creek.[116] As noted above, William and Margaret’s property was called Erin Vale (the property was known by this name under the previous owners) whereas Samuel and Joan’s was called Bannockburn and the Cooby Creek property on which George and Elizabeth settled – which was owned by the Buckley family – was called Innisfail.[117] All three were neighbouring properties and the road on which they were situated was, and still is, known as Willis Road.[118] While William and Samuel purchased Erin Vale and Bannockburn and proceeded to put down roots in their new local community,[119] George and Elizabeth’s time at Innisfail was relatively short since by 1910/1911 they had returned to Glenquarry.[120] The decision of the Cooby Creek property owner, Daniel Buckley, to put the property up for sale in early 1910 could have been a factor in George and Elizabeth's departure.[121] Then sometime around 1917, Cyril and Charlie Raftery bought Innisfail and worked the property as the Raftery Bros. Also in 1917, Cyril married William and Margaret’s daughter, Cate. Later, around 1952, the Peters family bought Innisfail and renamed it Ripplevale. Although George and Elizabeth did not stay long at the Cooby Creek property before returning to NSW, several of their children, either at the time or later, went on to make Queensland (in particular, the area around Toowoomba) their home. This included sons George (Junior) and Claude who married local sisters Amelia Henrietta Lucht (married by George in 1912) and Edith Matilda Lucht (married by Claude in 1918), and daughters Hannah and her husband Frederick Delamont and family, and Alice and her husband William Ford and family. In 1912 another son, Samuel had married a cousin of Amelia and Edith, Henrietta Matilda Lucht although by 1914 they relocated to the Bowral district in NSW.[122]
At various times other Willis family members from the area around Picton and The Oaks also came to live in Queensland. Two such family members were James Willis’s widow Annie (nee Johnstone) (1861-1946) and their young daughter Irene who moved to Queensland in the early 1890s. Annie remarried to Henry Lude (1843-1923) at Croydon, North Queensland on 29 May 1893 while Irene went on to marry John Cockburn Alexander Terris (or Terriss) (1880-1940) at Mount Morgan on 4 July 1906. Annie and Henry subsequently had several children as did Irene and John including John James Terris who was born on 10 February 1915 and William Coburn Terriss who was born on 23 September 1917.[123]
William and Margaret are buried together, along with their infant granddaughter Beryl, at the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery, Queensland.[124]
The following obituary for William appeared in the Toowoomba Chronicle on 17 September 1941:
Obituary
Mr William Willis
GOOMBUNGEE. Tuesday – A highly respected resident of the Meringandan district, Mr William Willis, passed away at his home on Tuesday last. Born at Burragorang Valley, New South Wales, on February 8, 1861, he settled on the land at Picton, New South Wales, for a number of years. He married Miss Margaret Mulholland of Picton. Early in 1905 Mr and Mrs Willis came to Queensland with their family and they settled on “Erin Vale”, a large holding on the banks of Cooby Creek, in the Meringandan district. Mr and Mrs Willis and the family were noted for their kindness and hospitality. Mr Willis’s parents came to Australia in the early days of settlement and took up land in New South Wales at Burragorang and The Oaks. They could relate many interesting experiences of the early days. Mr Willis’s father was once offered a piece of land extending from opposite the Sydney Town Hall and including the site which is now Anthony Hordern’s store, for a keg of rum. He refused the offer, saying that he thought the land would never be any good. Mr Willis is survived by two sons – Messrs William Willis (Woombye) and James Willis (Meringandan) – two daughters – Mesdames Cyril Raftery (Meringandan) and J Reid (Oakey) – and 22 grandchildren – also two brothers – Messrs S Willis (Harlaxton) and George Willis (Sydney). His wife died five years ago. The funeral, which was largely attended, moved from the late Mr Willis’s home to the Toowoomba cemetery. The Rev Canon J T Perry officiated at the graveside.[125]
In early 1903 William and Margaret's daughter Catie (aged 7) and youngest sons Johnny (aged 6) and Teddy (aged 3) contracted diphtheria. It appears that Johnny and Teddy may have been particularly affected by this illness.[107] Many years later Will could still recall how he had to run to Picton, at night and through rain, to fetch the doctor to urgently attend to his younger siblings.[108] While Catie recovered from the illness, Johnny and Teddy sadly succumbed within a day of each other. They were buried together in the cemetery of St Mark’s Church of England at Picton.[109]
The following newspaper account relating to this tragic episode appeared in the Picton Post and Advocate on 4 February 1903:
Death of two children
Quite a gloom was casted over the town when it became known that Mr & Mrs William Willis had lost two of their children – both boys. The stroke came with awful swiftness for the little fellows who on Wednesday, were in their wonted health, were laid to rest in St Mark’s Churchyard on Sunday afternoon. The children who were age six and three years were victims of croup. The eldest boy died on Saturday and the youngest one on Sunday morning. The spectacle of two little coffins being lowered into the one grave was indeed a pathetic one. Deep sympathy is felt for the parents in their great sorrow.[110]
The loss of the boys greatly distressed their parents, especially Margaret. It was one of the reasons why, in 1906, they decided to leave Picton with their family and travel overland by bullock dray to the Darling Downs in Queensland and make a fresh start on a dairy property called Erin Vale, located just outside Meringandan.[111]
Meringandan was a good area for William and Margaret to settle in as it was known to be a “progressive little township” with the surrounding district containing “some of the richest black soil on the Downs” and a thriving dairy farming industry.[113] The following news report from 18 May 1906, around the time that William and Margaret moved to Meringandan, exemplifies the optimism and confidence in the opportunities that living in the area afforded:
MERINGANDAN — Except for a few thunderstorms at the commencement of the month, when about 3½ inches of rain fell, the weather has been fine and cold. Grass and water are plentiful, and stock are healthy. All the crops look well, and the maize is now being marketed. Many of the farmers are pulling the maize while green, giving the stalks to the cows and feeding the pigs with the cobs. All are taking advantage of the fine weather, and are busy preparing the land for wheat and lucerne. Dairying is steadily advancing, and the herds are being steadily improved by the introduction of good bulls— Ayrshires appearing to be the favourites. Dairy buildings also show great improvement. The demand for all classes of stock continues. Fats sell up to £7, springers to £7 10s., two-year-old to four-year-old steers to £6. About 2,300 head passed through the Dalby yards during the month. Pigs sell readily,
especially stores. Fat pigs are a little more plentiful than they were, and are worth from 35s. to 42s. 6d. A great number of intending selectors are inspecting the Crown lands around Bell, which will be readily taken up, as soon as it is available. The opening for traffic of the Dalby-Bell railway has given a great impetus to dairying, and many settlers can now get their cream to the factory in eight hours where previously it sometimes took six days.[114]
Also coming to Queensland in early 1906 was William’s younger brother Samuel together with his wife Joan (nee Halliday) (1873-1949) and their children Arthur (1898-1992), Nellie (1901-1992) and Dulcie (1905-2000) (with youngest daughter Ethel [1910-1995] subsequently joining them).[115] Then in 1909 eldest brother George, his wife Elizabeth Selina (nee Hanger) (1852-1938) and several of their family moved from their property at Glenquarry near Bowral, NSW to a property in the Meringandan district, at Cooby Creek.[116] As noted above, William and Margaret’s property was called Erin Vale (the property was known by this name under the previous owners) whereas Samuel and Joan’s was called Bannockburn and the Cooby Creek property on which George and Elizabeth settled – which was owned by the Buckley family – was called Innisfail.[117] All three were neighbouring properties and the road on which they were situated was, and still is, known as Willis Road.[118] While William and Samuel purchased Erin Vale and Bannockburn and proceeded to put down roots in their new local community,[119] George and Elizabeth’s time at Innisfail was relatively short since by 1910/1911 they had returned to Glenquarry.[120] The decision of the Cooby Creek property owner, Daniel Buckley, to put the property up for sale in early 1910 could have been a factor in George and Elizabeth's departure.[121] Then sometime around 1917, Cyril and Charlie Raftery bought Innisfail and worked the property as the Raftery Bros. Also in 1917, Cyril married William and Margaret’s daughter, Cate. Later, around 1952, the Peters family bought Innisfail and renamed it Ripplevale. Although George and Elizabeth did not stay long at the Cooby Creek property before returning to NSW, several of their children, either at the time or later, went on to make Queensland (in particular, the area around Toowoomba) their home. This included sons George (Junior) and Claude who married local sisters Amelia Henrietta Lucht (married by George in 1912) and Edith Matilda Lucht (married by Claude in 1918), and daughters Hannah and her husband Frederick Delamont and family, and Alice and her husband William Ford and family. In 1912 another son, Samuel had married a cousin of Amelia and Edith, Henrietta Matilda Lucht although by 1914 they relocated to the Bowral district in NSW.[122]
At various times other Willis family members from the area around Picton and The Oaks also came to live in Queensland. Two such family members were James Willis’s widow Annie (nee Johnstone) (1861-1946) and their young daughter Irene who moved to Queensland in the early 1890s. Annie remarried to Henry Lude (1843-1923) at Croydon, North Queensland on 29 May 1893 while Irene went on to marry John Cockburn Alexander Terris (or Terriss) (1880-1940) at Mount Morgan on 4 July 1906. Annie and Henry subsequently had several children as did Irene and John including John James Terris who was born on 10 February 1915 and William Coburn Terriss who was born on 23 September 1917.[123]
William and Margaret are buried together, along with their infant granddaughter Beryl, at the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery, Queensland.[124]
The following obituary for William appeared in the Toowoomba Chronicle on 17 September 1941:
Obituary
Mr William Willis
GOOMBUNGEE. Tuesday – A highly respected resident of the Meringandan district, Mr William Willis, passed away at his home on Tuesday last. Born at Burragorang Valley, New South Wales, on February 8, 1861, he settled on the land at Picton, New South Wales, for a number of years. He married Miss Margaret Mulholland of Picton. Early in 1905 Mr and Mrs Willis came to Queensland with their family and they settled on “Erin Vale”, a large holding on the banks of Cooby Creek, in the Meringandan district. Mr and Mrs Willis and the family were noted for their kindness and hospitality. Mr Willis’s parents came to Australia in the early days of settlement and took up land in New South Wales at Burragorang and The Oaks. They could relate many interesting experiences of the early days. Mr Willis’s father was once offered a piece of land extending from opposite the Sydney Town Hall and including the site which is now Anthony Hordern’s store, for a keg of rum. He refused the offer, saying that he thought the land would never be any good. Mr Willis is survived by two sons – Messrs William Willis (Woombye) and James Willis (Meringandan) – two daughters – Mesdames Cyril Raftery (Meringandan) and J Reid (Oakey) – and 22 grandchildren – also two brothers – Messrs S Willis (Harlaxton) and George Willis (Sydney). His wife died five years ago. The funeral, which was largely attended, moved from the late Mr Willis’s home to the Toowoomba cemetery. The Rev Canon J T Perry officiated at the graveside.[125]
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Hilary's FAMILY
Hilary's grandparents, Edward and Mary Southerden
Edward Barton Southerden (1830-1906) was a pioneer of early Brisbane, having arrived in Moreton Bay from Gravesend (England) on 21 January 1849 aboard the sailing ship Fortitude. Edward was 18 years old when he travelled to the other side of the world along with several other family members including his brother Samuel Southerden (1826-1860) and sister Caroline Southerden (1824-1902).[150] At the time Edward was unaware that also on board the Fortitude was 15-year-old Mary Elizabeth Cribb (1833-1900) together with her parents and three brothers. Edward and Mary would later go on to become Hilary’s grandparents.
Edward Barton Southerden (1830-1906) was a pioneer of early Brisbane, having arrived in Moreton Bay from Gravesend (England) on 21 January 1849 aboard the sailing ship Fortitude. Edward was 18 years old when he travelled to the other side of the world along with several other family members including his brother Samuel Southerden (1826-1860) and sister Caroline Southerden (1824-1902).[150] At the time Edward was unaware that also on board the Fortitude was 15-year-old Mary Elizabeth Cribb (1833-1900) together with her parents and three brothers. Edward and Mary would later go on to become Hilary’s grandparents.
Edward and Mary were married on 17 January 1855,[152] after which Edward went on to own and operate a successful retail drapery business located on the corner of Queen and Edward Streets, Brisbane. A
well-known photograph of early Brisbane (1859) shows the building from which he ran his business with the sign, “E. B. Southerden, Drapery Stores”. Edward and Mary lived above the store and, as the 1859 photo shows, grew bananas on site.[153]
In fact, the store was located on what had been part of the banana plantation of the previous owners, the Skyring family who had lived in Brisbane since the early 1840s.[155]
Later, between 1869 and 1872, Edward served as an alderman on the Brisbane Municipal Council.[156] Following the family's relocation to Sandgate in 1878, Edward became the town's first mayor in 1880.[157] Mary passed away in July 1900 and Edward in December 1906.[158]
The following obituary for Edward, which was published in the Brisbane Telegraph newspaper shortly after his death, outlined other key details in his life:
Passing of a Pioneer.
Death of Mr. E. B. Southerden, Sen.
Mr. Edward Barton Southerden, one of the best known and most highly respected residents of Sandgate, passed away at his residence, Langholme, yesterday afternoon, aged 76, the cause of death being pneumonia and other complications. The late Mr. Southerden, who was one of the pioneers of Brisbane, was born at St. Peter's, Isle of Thanet, Kent, on 21th November, 1830. When in his 19th year he was a passenger by the ship Fortitude, which arrived in Moreton Bay in December, 1848. He spent the year 1849 in Brisbane, and then went to Ipswich, in the neighbourhood of which he engaged in sheep farming. He gave up that pursuit, and spent a short time in Ipswich, as an employee in Mr. H. M. Reeve's drapery business. From Ipswich he went to Sydney, obtaining employment with the original firm of David Jones and Co. Subsequently he returned to Brisbane, buying out the business to which he had come as an employee from England. Early pictures of the city of Brisbane show a building (on the site of what now is the Minories), bearing the sign, “E. B. Southerden, Drapery Stores.” Mr. Southerden carried on a successful business in that building for several years, retiring therefrom about the year 1864. His residence at this time, and for some years later, was on Wickham terrace (now the residence of the Hon. R. Edwards, M.P.). In 1878 Mr. Southerden left Brisbane and went to Sandgate, and established Langholme, which for 28 years has been his home and that of his family. Mr. Southerden was a justice of the peace for 35 years, and was a member of the Brisbane Municipal Council about the year 1875. He was the first Mayor of Sandgate, as was fitting, for it was through his efforts, to a large extent, that Sandgate was proclaimed a town. In 1882 railway communication was established between Brisbane and Sandgate, and Mr. Southerden had a share of the labour which resulted in the construction of the line. For 17 years Mr. Southerden was returning-officer for the electorate of Nundah, and his retirement from that position in February, 1905, was not the least noteworthy event of his life, for at a gathering which was held at Langholme, and at which Mr. Southerden received a most flattering testimonial, there were several gentlemen present who also knew all about the beginning of Brisbane, and had been proud witnesses of the city's remarkable development. As a justice of the peace Mr. Southerden appreciated the police force, and on the departure from Sandgate of Sergeant Primrose, in 1901, and of Sergeant King, early in the present year, he gave abundant evidence of that appreciation.
His attendance at the presentation to Sergeant King proved to be his last appearance in public.
Mr. Southerden, for about 25 years, held the position of chairman of the Sandgate and Bald Hills cemetery trustees; also for many years he was a trustee of the Sandgate School of Arts. Indeed, there were very few local movements with which he was not connected. Mr. Southerden, many years ago, was actively connected with the Wharf street Congregational Church, Brisbane. In 1855 Mr. Southerden was married to Miss Cribb, only daughter of the late Mr Robert Cribb, the wedding taking place at Dunmore, a long known land mark on the Toowong road. Mrs. Southerden died in July, 1900, and her eldest daughter, Lucy, died suddenly on 6th May, 1903. The surviving family consists of four sons and three daughters—namely, Messrs. E. B. Southerden, Jun., R. W. Southerden (town clerk of Sandgate), J. S. Southerden, and C. B. Southerden. Miss A. C. Southerden, Mrs. A. E. Cornell, and
Miss E. A. Southerden. There also are 18 grandchildren.[159]
well-known photograph of early Brisbane (1859) shows the building from which he ran his business with the sign, “E. B. Southerden, Drapery Stores”. Edward and Mary lived above the store and, as the 1859 photo shows, grew bananas on site.[153]
In fact, the store was located on what had been part of the banana plantation of the previous owners, the Skyring family who had lived in Brisbane since the early 1840s.[155]
Later, between 1869 and 1872, Edward served as an alderman on the Brisbane Municipal Council.[156] Following the family's relocation to Sandgate in 1878, Edward became the town's first mayor in 1880.[157] Mary passed away in July 1900 and Edward in December 1906.[158]
The following obituary for Edward, which was published in the Brisbane Telegraph newspaper shortly after his death, outlined other key details in his life:
Passing of a Pioneer.
Death of Mr. E. B. Southerden, Sen.
Mr. Edward Barton Southerden, one of the best known and most highly respected residents of Sandgate, passed away at his residence, Langholme, yesterday afternoon, aged 76, the cause of death being pneumonia and other complications. The late Mr. Southerden, who was one of the pioneers of Brisbane, was born at St. Peter's, Isle of Thanet, Kent, on 21th November, 1830. When in his 19th year he was a passenger by the ship Fortitude, which arrived in Moreton Bay in December, 1848. He spent the year 1849 in Brisbane, and then went to Ipswich, in the neighbourhood of which he engaged in sheep farming. He gave up that pursuit, and spent a short time in Ipswich, as an employee in Mr. H. M. Reeve's drapery business. From Ipswich he went to Sydney, obtaining employment with the original firm of David Jones and Co. Subsequently he returned to Brisbane, buying out the business to which he had come as an employee from England. Early pictures of the city of Brisbane show a building (on the site of what now is the Minories), bearing the sign, “E. B. Southerden, Drapery Stores.” Mr. Southerden carried on a successful business in that building for several years, retiring therefrom about the year 1864. His residence at this time, and for some years later, was on Wickham terrace (now the residence of the Hon. R. Edwards, M.P.). In 1878 Mr. Southerden left Brisbane and went to Sandgate, and established Langholme, which for 28 years has been his home and that of his family. Mr. Southerden was a justice of the peace for 35 years, and was a member of the Brisbane Municipal Council about the year 1875. He was the first Mayor of Sandgate, as was fitting, for it was through his efforts, to a large extent, that Sandgate was proclaimed a town. In 1882 railway communication was established between Brisbane and Sandgate, and Mr. Southerden had a share of the labour which resulted in the construction of the line. For 17 years Mr. Southerden was returning-officer for the electorate of Nundah, and his retirement from that position in February, 1905, was not the least noteworthy event of his life, for at a gathering which was held at Langholme, and at which Mr. Southerden received a most flattering testimonial, there were several gentlemen present who also knew all about the beginning of Brisbane, and had been proud witnesses of the city's remarkable development. As a justice of the peace Mr. Southerden appreciated the police force, and on the departure from Sandgate of Sergeant Primrose, in 1901, and of Sergeant King, early in the present year, he gave abundant evidence of that appreciation.
His attendance at the presentation to Sergeant King proved to be his last appearance in public.
Mr. Southerden, for about 25 years, held the position of chairman of the Sandgate and Bald Hills cemetery trustees; also for many years he was a trustee of the Sandgate School of Arts. Indeed, there were very few local movements with which he was not connected. Mr. Southerden, many years ago, was actively connected with the Wharf street Congregational Church, Brisbane. In 1855 Mr. Southerden was married to Miss Cribb, only daughter of the late Mr Robert Cribb, the wedding taking place at Dunmore, a long known land mark on the Toowong road. Mrs. Southerden died in July, 1900, and her eldest daughter, Lucy, died suddenly on 6th May, 1903. The surviving family consists of four sons and three daughters—namely, Messrs. E. B. Southerden, Jun., R. W. Southerden (town clerk of Sandgate), J. S. Southerden, and C. B. Southerden. Miss A. C. Southerden, Mrs. A. E. Cornell, and
Miss E. A. Southerden. There also are 18 grandchildren.[159]
Hilary's great grandparents, Robert and Sarah Cribb
Edward's wife Mary was the only daughter of Robert Cribb (1805-1893) and his wife Sarah (nee Sansom) (1800-1857).[162] Mary was known for being a highly family-conscious woman with a strong, independent mind.[163] Her father, Robert, was a prominent early Brisbane pioneer, businessman, landholder and Member of the Parliament in New South Wales and later in Queensland.[164] He had been active in working for the creation of the Municipality of Brisbane (the predecessor to the City of Brisbane) and was elected as an alderman in the first Brisbane Municipal Council,[165] holding office until 1862.[166]
Edward's wife Mary was the only daughter of Robert Cribb (1805-1893) and his wife Sarah (nee Sansom) (1800-1857).[162] Mary was known for being a highly family-conscious woman with a strong, independent mind.[163] Her father, Robert, was a prominent early Brisbane pioneer, businessman, landholder and Member of the Parliament in New South Wales and later in Queensland.[164] He had been active in working for the creation of the Municipality of Brisbane (the predecessor to the City of Brisbane) and was elected as an alderman in the first Brisbane Municipal Council,[165] holding office until 1862.[166]
Robert championed other important causes such as the cessation of convict transportation to the Moreton Bay district, the introduction of the eight-hour working day, and the need for Moreton Bay to govern itself instead of being ruled as part of New South Wales by far-off Sydney.[169] In fact, when the colony of Queensland was eventually created in 1859, Robert was subsequently credited as having played a key role in its realisation.[170]
Such was his reputation in early Queensland that Robert was known as "Honest Bob Cribb".[171] There were occasions when he was also called “Robert the Restless” on account of the “considerable energy” he displayed and because of some of the views he held which, at that time, were considered to be “nonconformist liberal and radical”.[172] For instance, Robert was a strong supporter of the aims of the Chartist movement, a grassroots call by the working class of Britain for widespread reforms to be made to the political system of the United Kingdom, and for the principle of the separation of Church and State.[173]
Robert's achievements in public life are summarised in the following biographical entry which was published in the 1896 edition of Pugh’s Almanac & Queensland Directory:
CRIBB, ROBERT, was born at Poole, Dorset, England, January, 1805. Was educated at a Lancasterian school in his native town in the early days of the system; served his time as a baker, &c., and then left for London, where, for 22 years he followed his calling. In January, 1849, arrived in Moreton Bay by the ship "Fortitude", the first of three shipments of middle class immigrants which were sent in that year to this district, through the patriotic and self-denying efforts of the late Dr. Lang. Shortly after his arrival the squatters made great efforts to get Moreton Bay separated from New South Wales as a Crown Colony, with convicts, hoping thus to secure low rents and cheap labour; and the British Government were favourable to the design. Feeling that this would be destructive of the free public life to which they had been accustomed, he, with others, took an active part in the conflict which followed, resulting in the victory of the popular cause, and after nearly ten years unremitting effort in separation with a Constitutional Government. Before and at the time of separation he represented East Moreton in the New South Wales Legislature, and subsequently served in the first and second Parliaments of the new colony of Queensland, using his influence in behalf of liberal legislation generally, with special interest in securing the separation of Church and State, and the passing of the Real Property Act of 1861, which has proved so great a boon to the colony. During several sessions he endeavoured to obtain an alteration in the law of primogeniture, to permit marriage with a deceased wife's sister, and the amalgamation of the legal profession; all of which have since become law. He died on April 17,1893, aged 88.
For many years Robert lived at his property at Milton in Brisbane which he called Lang Farm in honour of his patron and sponsor of the ship Fortitude on which he and his family had immigrated to Moreton Bay, Dr John Dunmore Lang.[175]
Robert's father, John Galpin Cribb (1768-1820), was a merchant sea captain who traded at places as far afield as Newfoundland and the Mediterranean. At different times John took Robert and his younger brother, Benjamin, with him on his travels. One such occasion was particularly memorable when their ship was wrecked on the ice off Newfoundland.[176] In later years it was said of Robert that, "It was no doubt in these voyages that he acquired much of the hardihood and simplicity of life which characterised his subsequent career."[177]
In 1815, with the Napoleonic Wars still raging in Europe, John Galpin Cribb was impressed into the service of the British navy to fight the French. This meant that his wife Mary (nee Derham) (1777-1842) and their five children were left to fend for themselves with Mary having to establish and operate a “Dame School” to financially support her family. John was subsequently captured by the French and imprisoned. He was eventually released and returned to his family in England but being a prisoner of war had broken his health. In fact, the indications are that he was left crippled by the experience. When he died in 1820 he was only 52 years old.[178]
Like older brother Robert, Benjamin became a Member of Parliament in the early colony of Queensland as did his sons, James and Thomas.[179] A number of the women from the Cribb family, along with many hundreds of others, signed the petitions to Parliament in the late 1890s which ultimately paved the way for women to be granted the right to vote in Queensland.[180] The Cribb family were related by marriage to the Footes of Ipswich where together they operated a highly successful retail business: "Cribb & Foote".[181]
Such was his reputation in early Queensland that Robert was known as "Honest Bob Cribb".[171] There were occasions when he was also called “Robert the Restless” on account of the “considerable energy” he displayed and because of some of the views he held which, at that time, were considered to be “nonconformist liberal and radical”.[172] For instance, Robert was a strong supporter of the aims of the Chartist movement, a grassroots call by the working class of Britain for widespread reforms to be made to the political system of the United Kingdom, and for the principle of the separation of Church and State.[173]
Robert's achievements in public life are summarised in the following biographical entry which was published in the 1896 edition of Pugh’s Almanac & Queensland Directory:
CRIBB, ROBERT, was born at Poole, Dorset, England, January, 1805. Was educated at a Lancasterian school in his native town in the early days of the system; served his time as a baker, &c., and then left for London, where, for 22 years he followed his calling. In January, 1849, arrived in Moreton Bay by the ship "Fortitude", the first of three shipments of middle class immigrants which were sent in that year to this district, through the patriotic and self-denying efforts of the late Dr. Lang. Shortly after his arrival the squatters made great efforts to get Moreton Bay separated from New South Wales as a Crown Colony, with convicts, hoping thus to secure low rents and cheap labour; and the British Government were favourable to the design. Feeling that this would be destructive of the free public life to which they had been accustomed, he, with others, took an active part in the conflict which followed, resulting in the victory of the popular cause, and after nearly ten years unremitting effort in separation with a Constitutional Government. Before and at the time of separation he represented East Moreton in the New South Wales Legislature, and subsequently served in the first and second Parliaments of the new colony of Queensland, using his influence in behalf of liberal legislation generally, with special interest in securing the separation of Church and State, and the passing of the Real Property Act of 1861, which has proved so great a boon to the colony. During several sessions he endeavoured to obtain an alteration in the law of primogeniture, to permit marriage with a deceased wife's sister, and the amalgamation of the legal profession; all of which have since become law. He died on April 17,1893, aged 88.
For many years Robert lived at his property at Milton in Brisbane which he called Lang Farm in honour of his patron and sponsor of the ship Fortitude on which he and his family had immigrated to Moreton Bay, Dr John Dunmore Lang.[175]
Robert's father, John Galpin Cribb (1768-1820), was a merchant sea captain who traded at places as far afield as Newfoundland and the Mediterranean. At different times John took Robert and his younger brother, Benjamin, with him on his travels. One such occasion was particularly memorable when their ship was wrecked on the ice off Newfoundland.[176] In later years it was said of Robert that, "It was no doubt in these voyages that he acquired much of the hardihood and simplicity of life which characterised his subsequent career."[177]
In 1815, with the Napoleonic Wars still raging in Europe, John Galpin Cribb was impressed into the service of the British navy to fight the French. This meant that his wife Mary (nee Derham) (1777-1842) and their five children were left to fend for themselves with Mary having to establish and operate a “Dame School” to financially support her family. John was subsequently captured by the French and imprisoned. He was eventually released and returned to his family in England but being a prisoner of war had broken his health. In fact, the indications are that he was left crippled by the experience. When he died in 1820 he was only 52 years old.[178]
Like older brother Robert, Benjamin became a Member of Parliament in the early colony of Queensland as did his sons, James and Thomas.[179] A number of the women from the Cribb family, along with many hundreds of others, signed the petitions to Parliament in the late 1890s which ultimately paved the way for women to be granted the right to vote in Queensland.[180] The Cribb family were related by marriage to the Footes of Ipswich where together they operated a highly successful retail business: "Cribb & Foote".[181]
Mary was in her mid-teens when she, her parents and brothers John (1830-1905), Robert (Junior) (1834-1866) and William (1837-1928) immigrated to Moreton Bay aboard the Fortitude in January 1849.[182] At the time there was a strong social convention against on-board fraternising between single people of the opposite sex. As a result, Edward and Mary did not actually meet each other until they and the other passengers were undergoing three weeks' quarantine at Moreton Island on account of several of the passengers having contracted typhus fever during the long voyage to Australia.[183]
Edward and Mary were married six years later and went on to have twelve children: Sarah Elizabeth (1855-1895), Lucy Mary (1857-1903), Robert Samuel (1858-1858), Edward Barton (Junior) (1859-1944), Annie Catherine (1860-1938), Caroline Jane (1862-1862), Robert William (1863-1931), John Stephen (1865-1937), Clarissa Bertha (7 March 1867- 24 November 1916), Edith Ada (1869-1914), Alice Maud (1872-1872) and Charles Benjamin (1873-1930).[184] One of the brothers, John, was a well-known inventor whose work improved the operational effectiveness of the typewriter.[185] In addition, one of John’s sons, John Henderson Southerden (1895-1981), was a veteran of
World War 1.[186]
Edward and Mary were married six years later and went on to have twelve children: Sarah Elizabeth (1855-1895), Lucy Mary (1857-1903), Robert Samuel (1858-1858), Edward Barton (Junior) (1859-1944), Annie Catherine (1860-1938), Caroline Jane (1862-1862), Robert William (1863-1931), John Stephen (1865-1937), Clarissa Bertha (7 March 1867- 24 November 1916), Edith Ada (1869-1914), Alice Maud (1872-1872) and Charles Benjamin (1873-1930).[184] One of the brothers, John, was a well-known inventor whose work improved the operational effectiveness of the typewriter.[185] In addition, one of John’s sons, John Henderson Southerden (1895-1981), was a veteran of
World War 1.[186]
The Southerdens were among the first settlers of Sandgate,[187] where they named their residence Langholme in recognition of Dr John Dunmore Lang who was responsible for organising their ship Fortitude to come to Moreton Bay in 1849.[188] Eventually, Langholme was converted into a guest house called Bona Vista but was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1917.[189]
Edward and Mary are buried with other Southerden family members at the Bald Hills Cemetery in Brisbane[191] while Robert and Sarah are buried with other Cribb family members at the Toowong Cemetery in Brisbane.[192]
Edward and Mary are buried with other Southerden family members at the Bald Hills Cemetery in Brisbane[191] while Robert and Sarah are buried with other Cribb family members at the Toowong Cemetery in Brisbane.[192]
Hilary's parents, Arthur and Clarissa Cornell
Arthur Edward Cornell was born on 25 November 1853 in Islington, London. Arthur immigrated to Australia as a 16 year old aboard the barque Alfred Hawley. He arrived in Brisbane on 9 January 1871 and went to work as an accountant for Ipswich-based firm Clarke Hodgson and Company.[193]
Subsequently, Arthur undertook a variety of occupations and business activities, including managing a tannery business at Kedron Brook (Lutwyche).[194] At one stage (1892) Arthur was elected as an alderman and subsequently was appointed Finance Committee chairman on the then Coorparoo Shire Council, roles that he held until 1893.[195] In 1894 Arthur was appointed as a Justice of the Peace.[196]
Over the course of his career Arthur was a highly-respected accountant and auditor who operated for many years throughout Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.[197] In the 1885 Brisbane Post Office Directory and Country Guide for instance, Arthur is listed as both an Accountant and Commission Agent based in Queen Street Brisbane.[198]
In 1888 the following biographical entry for Arthur appeared in “The Aldine History of Queensland - in Two Volumes. 1888”, edited by W Frederick Morrison, published by Aldine Publishing Co, Sydney:
ARTHUR EDWARD CORNELL, Land and Estate Agent, [Brisbane], was born in London in 1854, and received his education in that city. In 1871 he came out to Brisbane under engagement to the firm of Clarke, Hodgson and Co., general merchants, and in this service rose to the position of having control of the shipping and insurance departments. He afterwards accepted the position of accountant with Messrs. Scott, Dawson and Stewart, and in 1882 set up business for himself as a public accountant, and gradually extended his operations to land estate agency. He is the proprietor of the Brisbane Tannery, and commenced a tanning and wool-scouring establishment in 1882, but the latter branch was abandoned owing to the uncertainty of the London market. The Brisbane Tannery is now one of the most important industries of the kind in the district, and employs from twenty to thirty hands.
Arthur Edward Cornell was born on 25 November 1853 in Islington, London. Arthur immigrated to Australia as a 16 year old aboard the barque Alfred Hawley. He arrived in Brisbane on 9 January 1871 and went to work as an accountant for Ipswich-based firm Clarke Hodgson and Company.[193]
Subsequently, Arthur undertook a variety of occupations and business activities, including managing a tannery business at Kedron Brook (Lutwyche).[194] At one stage (1892) Arthur was elected as an alderman and subsequently was appointed Finance Committee chairman on the then Coorparoo Shire Council, roles that he held until 1893.[195] In 1894 Arthur was appointed as a Justice of the Peace.[196]
Over the course of his career Arthur was a highly-respected accountant and auditor who operated for many years throughout Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.[197] In the 1885 Brisbane Post Office Directory and Country Guide for instance, Arthur is listed as both an Accountant and Commission Agent based in Queen Street Brisbane.[198]
In 1888 the following biographical entry for Arthur appeared in “The Aldine History of Queensland - in Two Volumes. 1888”, edited by W Frederick Morrison, published by Aldine Publishing Co, Sydney:
ARTHUR EDWARD CORNELL, Land and Estate Agent, [Brisbane], was born in London in 1854, and received his education in that city. In 1871 he came out to Brisbane under engagement to the firm of Clarke, Hodgson and Co., general merchants, and in this service rose to the position of having control of the shipping and insurance departments. He afterwards accepted the position of accountant with Messrs. Scott, Dawson and Stewart, and in 1882 set up business for himself as a public accountant, and gradually extended his operations to land estate agency. He is the proprietor of the Brisbane Tannery, and commenced a tanning and wool-scouring establishment in 1882, but the latter branch was abandoned owing to the uncertainty of the London market. The Brisbane Tannery is now one of the most important industries of the kind in the district, and employs from twenty to thirty hands.
Arthur and Clarissa met through mutual friends in the Congregational Church in Brisbane and were married on 5 June 1889 by the Reverend Edward Griffith, Congregational minister and father of Sir Samuel Griffith, one-time Premier of Queensland and a leading figure in the development of the Australian Constitution.[199] Reverend Griffith had also been the officiating minister at the earlier marriage of Clarissa’s parents.[200] Arthur and Clarissa had eight children: Mary Hilary (Hilary), Phyllis, Edward Arnold (Ted), Clarissa Bertha (Betty), Elizabeth Joyce (Betty's twin sister who died in infancy), Arthur Geoffrey (Geoff), Edith Victoria, and Catherine Thelma (Thel).
One of Hilary’s sisters, Phyllis, was a school teacher who during her career taught at various different schools across South-East Queensland, including Toowoomba North, St George, Muniganeen, and Ipswich Central. Another sister, Betty, was also a school teacher and then a nurse before going on to serve as a missionary to the people of the Congo in Africa. Later, Betty founded the Silky Oaks Children’s Home in Brisbane. One of Hilary's brothers, Ted, was a World War I veteran who during the 1930s and 1940s managed holiday guesthouses on Magnetic Island in North Queensland (the
Arcadia Guest House) and in Toowoomba (the Unara Guest House at the top of the Range).
Hilary and her siblings were second cousins to the famous Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (1897-1935). His grandmother, Sarah Kingsford (nee Southerden) (1818-1890), was a sister of their grandfather, Edward Barton Southerden.[201]
Like her parents and grandparents Clarissa, Arthur and their family were committed members of the Congregational Church.[202]
Arthur and Clarissa are buried together at the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery, Queensland.[203]
The following obituary appeared in the Toowoomba Chronicle to announce the death of Clarissa on
24 November 1916 at the age of 49 years:
Obituary
Mrs A. E. Cornell
We regret having to record the death of Mrs A. E. Cornell, the wife of Mr Arthur E. Cornell of Gomoran, after a long illness. The deceased lady was a daughter of the late Mr and Mrs E. B. Southerden, of Brisbane and Sandgate, and came on to the Downs 11 years ago with her husband and family, who engaged in farming and grazing pursuits. She leaves a husband and family of seven - two sons and five daughters - to mourn their loss. The eldest son, Arnold, is fighting in Egypt in the Light Horse, and her eldest daughter's husband (Mr W. L. Willis) is in the artillery on the western front.
The following obituary appeared in the Toowoomba Chronicle on 25 June 1946 to mark the passing of Arthur on 22 June 1946 at the age of 92 years:
Nonogenarian Dies Arthur E. Cornell
Link with Early Days
Adventures on the high seas in the days of the windjammers, memories of Brisbane when the heart of it was then a frog infested swamp, and when paddle steamers and stern-wheelers threshed their way along the river to and from Ipswich, are recalled by the death in Toowoomba of Mr Arthur Edward Cornell, at the age of 92 years.
The funeral moved from St Stephen's Presbyterian Church to the Toowoomba cemetery yesterday afternoon. The death of Mr Cornell marks the passing of a man who has lived a long lifetime in an era when a young country was struggling for being, and when the frontier was slowly but gradually being pushed back before the axe and plough of the pioneer.
Born in London in 1853, Mr Cornell left school at the age of 13½ years and obtained a position in an office of South African merchants. There he spent some interesting years. He witnessed the unpacking of the first diamond to come from South Africa. Cut and polished in Amsterdam, this stone was sold later in Paris for £2188. At the age of 16 years there came to young Cornell the call of the great outdoors. He began to cast his thoughts to the great countries beyond the seas. A member of the Queensland firm of Clarke Hodgson and Company, then visiting London, engaged the young man. Given a first-class passage in the barque Alfred Hawley (421 tons), Mr Cornell embarked for Brisbane in September, 1870. The old windjammer took four months to make the trip. Bad weather gave a cheerless welcome to the new land, and with no sun visible for some days the master had the greatest difficulty in getting his bearings. The barque nearly came to grief off Byron Bay, which at first was thought to be Moreton Bay. The mistake was discovered in time, however, and the vessel stood out to sea. The next day, after having ridden out the worst storm of the voyage, the barque came in to Moreton Bay. The first thing the newcomers learned was that the Franco-Prussian war had broken out.
Mr Cornell spent his first night in Australia at the old Oxford Hotel in Queen Street. After dinner he went for a walk up Albert Street. He remembered passing the site of the present City Hall, which was then one large swamp, with the croaking of myriads of frogs sounding to heaven in a continuous roar. The mosquitoes made themselves almost unbearable. The next morning Mr Cornell went on board one of the river steamers bound for Ipswich. There were two such vessels in that day - an old-fashioned paddle steamer 'Emu' and the other, 'The Settler', a stern-wheeler. These two plied regularly between Brisbane and Ipswich, carrying cargo and passengers. The chief business firms then had their headquarters in Ipswich, which was then the terminus of the railway which started from Dalby, and all traffic between Ipswich and Brisbane was by river steamer, coach or horse. When the bridge which spanned the river in Brisbane was swept away by floods, the Government had a 'swing' built in the new bridge at a cost of £60,000. This improvement was to allow ships to go through on their way to Ipswich to load wool. This proved impracticable, however, owing to the shallowness of the Bremer River in Ipswich, and this costly innovation was opened only two or three times.
Mr Cornell spent two years in Ipswich until the firm transferred its bank account to the Brisbane branch of the Bank of Australasia. He was sent to Brisbane then to attend to it. Chess was a favourite recreation of the young man's and he played the game a good deal in those days.
In 1877 came a crisis in the world of commerce, and Mr Cornell's firm failed. He was then offered a position by George Raff and Company to have charge of their shipping and insurance department. The company's wharf was in Eagle Street, Brisbane. After three years with George Raff and Company, Mr Cornell launched out on his account, in 1880, as accountant and commission agent. Among his activities he sold leather for the tanners. He progressed in the leather trade so well that between 1880 and 1905 he conducted the biggest leather business in Queensland, with three tanneries at Lutwyche and a warehouse at the corner of Edward and Mary Streets in Brisbane. Then came hard times in 1900 - a disastrous year for all factories in Queensland. Mr Cornell closed down two of his tanneries and carried on with one. In 1893 he had become a Fellow of the Institute of Accountants, which was afterwards merged into the Commonwealth Institute of Accountants. He began to suffer in health later, and in 1905 his medical adviser told him he must give his work up and leave Brisbane. He had married, and it was to the Darling Downs that he, with his family, headed in June, 1905. He bought a farm between Meringandan and Goombungee. His eldest son served with the Light Horse in the first World War and was for three years in the Egyptian and Palestine campaigns. Mrs Cornell died in 1916.
Mr Cornell let his farm, and with his daughters came to live in Toowoomba. The farm life had re-established his health, and he was able to carry on his profession of public accountant in Toowoomba. He planned a system of book-keeping suited to the dairy companies, and in time became auditor to most of these companies on the Downs. He was also commissioned to install his system in the Maryborough Dairy Company Ltd. After having carried on his profession in Toowoomba for about 20 years, Mr Cornell sold out his practice in 1932, and from then had lived in retirement.
Mr Cornell leaves a family of six. The daughters are Mesdames W. L. Willis (Woombye), F. Chaney (Wentworth Falls, New South Wales), and S. M. Rogerson (61 Curzon Street, Toowoomba), and Miss C. B. Cornell, of Silky Oaks Children's Home, Toowong. The sons are Messrs E. A. Cornell (late of 'Unara', Toowoomba), A. G. Cornell (Upper Koondai-i, Bell).
One of Hilary’s sisters, Phyllis, was a school teacher who during her career taught at various different schools across South-East Queensland, including Toowoomba North, St George, Muniganeen, and Ipswich Central. Another sister, Betty, was also a school teacher and then a nurse before going on to serve as a missionary to the people of the Congo in Africa. Later, Betty founded the Silky Oaks Children’s Home in Brisbane. One of Hilary's brothers, Ted, was a World War I veteran who during the 1930s and 1940s managed holiday guesthouses on Magnetic Island in North Queensland (the
Arcadia Guest House) and in Toowoomba (the Unara Guest House at the top of the Range).
Hilary and her siblings were second cousins to the famous Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (1897-1935). His grandmother, Sarah Kingsford (nee Southerden) (1818-1890), was a sister of their grandfather, Edward Barton Southerden.[201]
Like her parents and grandparents Clarissa, Arthur and their family were committed members of the Congregational Church.[202]
Arthur and Clarissa are buried together at the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery, Queensland.[203]
The following obituary appeared in the Toowoomba Chronicle to announce the death of Clarissa on
24 November 1916 at the age of 49 years:
Obituary
Mrs A. E. Cornell
We regret having to record the death of Mrs A. E. Cornell, the wife of Mr Arthur E. Cornell of Gomoran, after a long illness. The deceased lady was a daughter of the late Mr and Mrs E. B. Southerden, of Brisbane and Sandgate, and came on to the Downs 11 years ago with her husband and family, who engaged in farming and grazing pursuits. She leaves a husband and family of seven - two sons and five daughters - to mourn their loss. The eldest son, Arnold, is fighting in Egypt in the Light Horse, and her eldest daughter's husband (Mr W. L. Willis) is in the artillery on the western front.
The following obituary appeared in the Toowoomba Chronicle on 25 June 1946 to mark the passing of Arthur on 22 June 1946 at the age of 92 years:
Nonogenarian Dies Arthur E. Cornell
Link with Early Days
Adventures on the high seas in the days of the windjammers, memories of Brisbane when the heart of it was then a frog infested swamp, and when paddle steamers and stern-wheelers threshed their way along the river to and from Ipswich, are recalled by the death in Toowoomba of Mr Arthur Edward Cornell, at the age of 92 years.
The funeral moved from St Stephen's Presbyterian Church to the Toowoomba cemetery yesterday afternoon. The death of Mr Cornell marks the passing of a man who has lived a long lifetime in an era when a young country was struggling for being, and when the frontier was slowly but gradually being pushed back before the axe and plough of the pioneer.
Born in London in 1853, Mr Cornell left school at the age of 13½ years and obtained a position in an office of South African merchants. There he spent some interesting years. He witnessed the unpacking of the first diamond to come from South Africa. Cut and polished in Amsterdam, this stone was sold later in Paris for £2188. At the age of 16 years there came to young Cornell the call of the great outdoors. He began to cast his thoughts to the great countries beyond the seas. A member of the Queensland firm of Clarke Hodgson and Company, then visiting London, engaged the young man. Given a first-class passage in the barque Alfred Hawley (421 tons), Mr Cornell embarked for Brisbane in September, 1870. The old windjammer took four months to make the trip. Bad weather gave a cheerless welcome to the new land, and with no sun visible for some days the master had the greatest difficulty in getting his bearings. The barque nearly came to grief off Byron Bay, which at first was thought to be Moreton Bay. The mistake was discovered in time, however, and the vessel stood out to sea. The next day, after having ridden out the worst storm of the voyage, the barque came in to Moreton Bay. The first thing the newcomers learned was that the Franco-Prussian war had broken out.
Mr Cornell spent his first night in Australia at the old Oxford Hotel in Queen Street. After dinner he went for a walk up Albert Street. He remembered passing the site of the present City Hall, which was then one large swamp, with the croaking of myriads of frogs sounding to heaven in a continuous roar. The mosquitoes made themselves almost unbearable. The next morning Mr Cornell went on board one of the river steamers bound for Ipswich. There were two such vessels in that day - an old-fashioned paddle steamer 'Emu' and the other, 'The Settler', a stern-wheeler. These two plied regularly between Brisbane and Ipswich, carrying cargo and passengers. The chief business firms then had their headquarters in Ipswich, which was then the terminus of the railway which started from Dalby, and all traffic between Ipswich and Brisbane was by river steamer, coach or horse. When the bridge which spanned the river in Brisbane was swept away by floods, the Government had a 'swing' built in the new bridge at a cost of £60,000. This improvement was to allow ships to go through on their way to Ipswich to load wool. This proved impracticable, however, owing to the shallowness of the Bremer River in Ipswich, and this costly innovation was opened only two or three times.
Mr Cornell spent two years in Ipswich until the firm transferred its bank account to the Brisbane branch of the Bank of Australasia. He was sent to Brisbane then to attend to it. Chess was a favourite recreation of the young man's and he played the game a good deal in those days.
In 1877 came a crisis in the world of commerce, and Mr Cornell's firm failed. He was then offered a position by George Raff and Company to have charge of their shipping and insurance department. The company's wharf was in Eagle Street, Brisbane. After three years with George Raff and Company, Mr Cornell launched out on his account, in 1880, as accountant and commission agent. Among his activities he sold leather for the tanners. He progressed in the leather trade so well that between 1880 and 1905 he conducted the biggest leather business in Queensland, with three tanneries at Lutwyche and a warehouse at the corner of Edward and Mary Streets in Brisbane. Then came hard times in 1900 - a disastrous year for all factories in Queensland. Mr Cornell closed down two of his tanneries and carried on with one. In 1893 he had become a Fellow of the Institute of Accountants, which was afterwards merged into the Commonwealth Institute of Accountants. He began to suffer in health later, and in 1905 his medical adviser told him he must give his work up and leave Brisbane. He had married, and it was to the Darling Downs that he, with his family, headed in June, 1905. He bought a farm between Meringandan and Goombungee. His eldest son served with the Light Horse in the first World War and was for three years in the Egyptian and Palestine campaigns. Mrs Cornell died in 1916.
Mr Cornell let his farm, and with his daughters came to live in Toowoomba. The farm life had re-established his health, and he was able to carry on his profession of public accountant in Toowoomba. He planned a system of book-keeping suited to the dairy companies, and in time became auditor to most of these companies on the Downs. He was also commissioned to install his system in the Maryborough Dairy Company Ltd. After having carried on his profession in Toowoomba for about 20 years, Mr Cornell sold out his practice in 1932, and from then had lived in retirement.
Mr Cornell leaves a family of six. The daughters are Mesdames W. L. Willis (Woombye), F. Chaney (Wentworth Falls, New South Wales), and S. M. Rogerson (61 Curzon Street, Toowoomba), and Miss C. B. Cornell, of Silky Oaks Children's Home, Toowong. The sons are Messrs E. A. Cornell (late of 'Unara', Toowoomba), A. G. Cornell (Upper Koondai-i, Bell).
Cornell family c.1902 – clockwise from left: Clarissa, Ted (10 years), Betty (7 years), Hilary (12 years), Phyllis (11 years), Arthur, Geoff (5 years) and Edith (3 years) [Insert: Thel b.1908]
Will and Hilary
Will, his parents, his brother and sisters had lived on the family property Erinvale at Cooby Creek since moving there from Picton in 1906. The Cornell family had moved to the Darling Downs from Clayfield in Brisbane in June 1905 following medical advice for Arthur to relocate to the country for the sake of his health.[209] Initially, they took out a lease on the Argyle farm at nearby Geham before going on to acquire Windsor Farm at Gomoran, near Goombungee.[210] Windsor Farm was situated only a short distance from Erinvale.[211] After winning a scholarship Hilary attended the Ipswich Girls Grammar School for two years where she achieved highly at her studies including German, Music and Arithmetic.[212]
While living at Argyle the Cornell children and some others (including several of their cousins) wrote their names on the attic chimney, which until recently could still be seen.
Perhaps it was inevitable that Will and Hilary would meet given the small rural community in which they lived with all its various church, social and agricultural activities and events. For instance, in May 1911 members of the Cornell and Willis families participated in a social event at the Meringandan Congregational Church, in August 1914 Will joined the Cornells in playing tennis, then there were occasions when Will joined with Hilary’s father and brother in competing as members of the local Geham Rifle Club, and in the Goombungee district near to where the Cornells lived an agricultural show was held annually.[215] Will and Hilary were also the eldest of their respective families, the properties where they lived were close by to each other (almost "next door"), and there were times when their fathers worked together on projects to advance the common interests of the local community.[216] In addition, Hilary was well-known throughout the district as a highly accomplished pianist and music teacher[217] which could have provided other opportunities for them to have met. Indeed, one of Hilary’s students was Will’s sister, Miss Catherine Willis,[218] while another was his cousin, Miss Nellie Willis, eldest daughter of Samuel and Joan Willis.[219] It also appears that there was at least one occasion, in September 1914, when Will and Hilary performed at the same local event with Will singing and Hilary playing the piano.[220] Could it be that music had a part in bringing them together? Another possibility is that Will may have sometimes asked Hilary to accompany him to social events held by the No.1 Squadron (Toowoomba) of the 14th Australian Light Horse Regiment of which he was an enlisted member.[221]
However it happened, Will and Hilary were subsequently married in the Meringandan Congregational Church on 29 September 1915.[222]
However it happened, Will and Hilary were subsequently married in the Meringandan Congregational Church on 29 September 1915.[222]
The following account of their wedding was reported in the Brisbane Courier on 5 October 1915:
A quiet but interesting wedding took place in the Meringandan Congregational Church on September 29, when Mr William L Willis (eldest son of Mr and Mrs William Willis, of Cooby Creek) was married to Miss Hilary Cornell (eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs A E Cornell of Windsor Farm, Gomoran, and granddaughter of the late Mr and Mrs E B Southerden, of Sandgate). The Rev M G B Milne officiated, and the bride was given away by her father. The bride wore a becoming travelling costume of saxe blue poplin, with military coat and collar and a hat of russet brown Tagel straw trimmed with saxe blue ribbon and tiny posies. Immediately after the ceremony Mr and Mrs Willis left for Toowoomba, en route to Coolangatta, to spend a brief honeymoon, prior to Mr Willis, who has enlisted, reporting at camp.[224]
A quiet but interesting wedding took place in the Meringandan Congregational Church on September 29, when Mr William L Willis (eldest son of Mr and Mrs William Willis, of Cooby Creek) was married to Miss Hilary Cornell (eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs A E Cornell of Windsor Farm, Gomoran, and granddaughter of the late Mr and Mrs E B Southerden, of Sandgate). The Rev M G B Milne officiated, and the bride was given away by her father. The bride wore a becoming travelling costume of saxe blue poplin, with military coat and collar and a hat of russet brown Tagel straw trimmed with saxe blue ribbon and tiny posies. Immediately after the ceremony Mr and Mrs Willis left for Toowoomba, en route to Coolangatta, to spend a brief honeymoon, prior to Mr Willis, who has enlisted, reporting at camp.[224]
On 15 October 1915 the Darling Downs Gazette published the following more detailed report on Will and Hilary's wedding:
On Wednesday, 29th September, a quiet but interesting wedding took place in the Meringandan Congregational Church, when Mr William Willis, junr., eldest son of Mr and Mrs William Willis, of Cooby Creek, was married to Miss Mary Hilary Cornell, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs A E Cornell, of Gomoran. The officiating minister was the Rev M G B Milne, and the bride was given away by her father. The well filled Church had previously been very prettily decorated by Miss Eileen Price and other friends. A handsome wedding ball, which later discharged its burden of rose leaves upon the happy pair, was suspended from a green archway, while flags and greenery adorned the walls. The popular bride looked charming in her travelling costume of saxe blue poplin, with military coat and collar, and a hat of russet brown tagel straw trimmed with saxe blue ribbon and tiny posies. The bridesmaid, Miss Phyllis Cornell, wore a white frock of embroidered cotton voile, and smart panama hat swathed with saxe blue silk. Immediately after the ceremony the bride and bridegroom left by taxi for Toowoomba, en route to Coolangatta, where a brief honeymoon will be spent, at the conclusion of which Mr Willis, who has enlisted, reports at camp.[225]
After their marriage Will was home with Hilary for only three months before having to leave for war and the uncertainties and dangers it presented. In December 1915 Hilary travelled to Brisbane and with Will, stayed with her aunt Miss Annie Southerden so they could spend as much time together as possible before his departure.[226] Perhaps Hilary stayed on to farewell Will as he embarked from the Pinkenba Wharf at Brisbane with the 14th Reinforcements of the 5th Light Horse Regiment (2nd Light Horse Brigade) aboard the troopship HMAT A62 Wandilla on 31 January 1916.[227] They would not see each other again for more than three years.
On Wednesday, 29th September, a quiet but interesting wedding took place in the Meringandan Congregational Church, when Mr William Willis, junr., eldest son of Mr and Mrs William Willis, of Cooby Creek, was married to Miss Mary Hilary Cornell, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs A E Cornell, of Gomoran. The officiating minister was the Rev M G B Milne, and the bride was given away by her father. The well filled Church had previously been very prettily decorated by Miss Eileen Price and other friends. A handsome wedding ball, which later discharged its burden of rose leaves upon the happy pair, was suspended from a green archway, while flags and greenery adorned the walls. The popular bride looked charming in her travelling costume of saxe blue poplin, with military coat and collar, and a hat of russet brown tagel straw trimmed with saxe blue ribbon and tiny posies. The bridesmaid, Miss Phyllis Cornell, wore a white frock of embroidered cotton voile, and smart panama hat swathed with saxe blue silk. Immediately after the ceremony the bride and bridegroom left by taxi for Toowoomba, en route to Coolangatta, where a brief honeymoon will be spent, at the conclusion of which Mr Willis, who has enlisted, reports at camp.[225]
After their marriage Will was home with Hilary for only three months before having to leave for war and the uncertainties and dangers it presented. In December 1915 Hilary travelled to Brisbane and with Will, stayed with her aunt Miss Annie Southerden so they could spend as much time together as possible before his departure.[226] Perhaps Hilary stayed on to farewell Will as he embarked from the Pinkenba Wharf at Brisbane with the 14th Reinforcements of the 5th Light Horse Regiment (2nd Light Horse Brigade) aboard the troopship HMAT A62 Wandilla on 31 January 1916.[227] They would not see each other again for more than three years.
Group photos of the 14th Reinforcements, 5th Light Horse Regiment, 2nd Light Horse Brigade as published in The Brisbane Courier on 29 January 1916 just prior to their departure on 31 January 1916.[228] Will is possibly indicated by the red circle in the first photo above.
The conflagration that came to be known as the Great War, and later as World War I, engulfed the world between 1914 and 1918. Will enlisted in the 1st Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 17 September 1915 and then, in January 1916, was sent to Egypt for training after which he volunteered to join the artillery on the Western Front in Belgium and France. By the end of the War, Will had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.[230] Prior to enlisting Will had served (at least) four years in the Australian Light Horse (militia),[231] membership of which became compulsory from around that time for young men of his age.[232] It must be said that Will never enlisted in the AIF because he wanted to fight; rather, he did so because he believed it was his duty to serve.
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In October 1917 Will was awarded the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field for actions he took
involving great personal risk during the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge,[233] a successful engagement that preceded the horrendous Battle of Passchendaele later that same month.[234] However, he rarely spoke of these events or indeed any of his wartime experiences after his return other than to say that "there’s no glory in war".[235]
involving great personal risk during the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge,[233] a successful engagement that preceded the horrendous Battle of Passchendaele later that same month.[234] However, he rarely spoke of these events or indeed any of his wartime experiences after his return other than to say that "there’s no glory in war".[235]
Will experienced at first hand the horrors of industrialised warfare including poison gas attacks during his time on the Western Front and together with others in his unit, would have been targeted by the artillery of the opposing side.[237] He continued to live with the physical and psychological impacts of his service in the Great War for the rest of his life. For one thing, he experienced significant hearing loss from the noise of the heavy artillery fire to which he had been constantly exposed. He also periodically suffered traumatic flashbacks from his time on the front lines, of the dreadful sights and sounds he had witnessed.[238] In his latter years, Will's son Howard could still recall his mother asking the children not to speak to their father about the War as it was too distressing for him to recollect and talk about his experiences during that time. In fact, it was because of this that Will’s children never fully learned the details of the circumstances which led to him being awarded the Military Medal for Bravery until many years after his death.
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Undoubtedly the years that Will was away at the War would also have been very difficult for Hilary. Not only did she have to get by without the support of her husband (with Will departing for the War only a few short months after they were married), she also – in the first year alone after his departure – had to give birth to their son, Ralph, in August 1916 before having to deal with the grief of losing her mother who died at the age of only 49 in November 1916.[239] While Hilary had help from others in the family with caring for young Ralph, she no doubt would have wished her husband could have been there. Furthermore, with the almost daily news from the front lines about shocking casualty rates,[240] Hilary and the rest of the family doubtless felt constant anxiety for Will’s safety and well-being.[241] Will’s posting to the artillery was also very dangerous so when at one point a telegram was received advising that he was rumoured to have been wounded it would have caused them great alarm.[242]
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After being away at the War for more than three years, Will was finally able to come home in May 1919.
Hilary, together with everyone else in the family, would have felt overwhelming relief and joy at his safe return.[243] There would also be no doubt that Will looked forward to coming back to Hilary and their son Ralph, whom he had not seen since his birth, and to the family property at Erinvale where he went back to work alongside his father William Snr and brother Jim.[244]
Will and Hilary called their first home, which was built on part of the Erinvale property, Wandilla. This was the name of the ship on which he had sailed to Egypt prior to being transferred to the Western Front.[245]
Hilary, together with everyone else in the family, would have felt overwhelming relief and joy at his safe return.[243] There would also be no doubt that Will looked forward to coming back to Hilary and their son Ralph, whom he had not seen since his birth, and to the family property at Erinvale where he went back to work alongside his father William Snr and brother Jim.[244]
Will and Hilary called their first home, which was built on part of the Erinvale property, Wandilla. This was the name of the ship on which he had sailed to Egypt prior to being transferred to the Western Front.[245]
Over the next few years, Will and Hilary’s family happily grew to include Howard, Roy, Nancy and Ailsa.
In 1927 Will and Hilary relocated their family to a property at Woombye on the Sunshine Coast which they called Ingleside after the place on the Gold Coast hinterland where they had spent time on their honeymoon.[247] The children were enrolled at the nearby Woombye State School.[248] Will spent many long and difficult hours clearing their new property of thick bush in order to farm pineapples and other crops.
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Will was well known for his strong sense of duty and responsibility to others. In addition to being a good family man, Will was actively involved in a range of local community activities and groups during the years they lived at Woombye. For instance, he was a member of the Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club which had been established in 1924 by a group of young men who also came from Woombye.[250] As well, he attended School Committee meetings of the children’s school and would undertake volunteer work to assist the school.[251]
From time to time Will would also take Hilary and their family on seaside holidays, including to nearby Mooloolaba and Maroochydore, a pastime that was no doubt greatly enjoyed by them all.[252] Much later, Will and Hilary's son Howard could still fondly recall their holidays at Mooloolaba and how he and his siblings had enjoyed playing in the Mooloolah River with the Chilli children, an aboriginal family with whom they were good friends.
Will participated in other local community activities and groups such as the Woombye Show Society and the Woombye Rifle Club. He greatly enjoyed playing lawn bowls, an interest which saw him become a foundation member of the Woombye Bowls Club. For a time he held the position of Club Patron. He also held other official Club positions including Vice President. A booklet prepared to commemorate the Club’s Golden Jubilee in 1997 recalled that in contributing to this important community recreational facility. Will donated timber from his property for the construction of the ditches surrounding the green. These ditches continued to be in use until 1983 when they were replaced by fibro ditches.[253]
Hilary was a devoted and dearly-loved wife and mother whose influence gently touched all in her family as well as many others with whom she came into contact. In addition, Hilary was a woman of deep faith, a quality she had displayed from the time of her youth when she became a member of the Wharf Street Congregational Church in Brisbane at the age of 14.[255] As it was for many others at the time, there is a strong possibility that World War 1 and its attendant horrors were catalytic in the development of Hilary’s thinking, especially her religious views, and helped to define the spiritual path she would ultimately take.
Hilary was also a consummate pianist and music teacher. Her musical talents were evident from an early age. A letter from her father Arthur to his sister Lizzie on 28 April 1892 described how Hilary, while not yet able to talk, was a "great mimic" and would "... seat herself at the piano and sing to her own accompaniment."[256]
Hilary went on to achieve some of the highest awards in Australia. On 5 December 1905 it was reported in the Brisbane Courier that she won the music medal for senior girls at the Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School.[257] In July 1906 she received the award of Distinction for exams run by the Associated Board.[258] Again, on 8 May 1907 the Brisbane Courier reported that Hilary was one of the first twenty candidates from across Australia to secure honours in the advanced grade.[259]
On 7 September 1909 the Darling Downs Gazette reported:
Among the candidates who submitted to the Trinity College of Music exams in Brisbane this year, a Downs young lady in the person of Miss Mary H. Cornell, of Gomoran was among the only nine of 261 candidates to secure the highest honours the College bestows, that of associate. Miss Cornell obtained 85 per cent, entitling her to the use of the associate title of the college — A.T.C.L. Miss Cornell
practices her profession in the Gomoran, Meringandan and Goombungee districts, and her pupils and friends will be glad to learn of her distinguished success. At the late local exams five of Miss Cornell's pupils passed out of six who competed.[260]
Then on 12 July 1910 it was reported in the Darling Downs Gazette:
The friends of Miss M. Hilary Cornell, of Windsor Farm, Gomoran, (who last year secured the A.T.C.L. diploma for pianoforte), will be pleased to learn of her further success. The same young lady last week in Brisbane passed the examination for Diploma L.A.B. (Licentiate of Associated Board) the highest given by the Associated Board in Australia. Her success is all the more creditable, as from her surroundings in the country she has had very little opportunity of getting any coaching and has consequently had to rely mainly on her own efforts in preparation. Miss Cornell is still teaching the pianoforte in the districts of Gomoran, Meringandan, and Goombungee.[261]
Later, on 30 July 1910, the Brisbane Courier reported:
Miss Hilary Cornell, LAB (solo pianist), daughter of Mr A Cornell, late of Wooloowin, now of Crow’s Nest district, is one of the successful students of Associated Board for this year. Miss Cornell also gained her ATCL diploma of Trinity College last year.[262]
Then on 17 December 1910 the Queensland Times reported how Hilary had "… gained the honourable position of Licentiate of the Associated Music Board."[263]
Hilary went on to perform piano solos at a number of public events including some organised by the Brisbane Women’s Club and the National Council of Women of Queensland.[264]
Hilary’s musical abilities were such that she was awarded a scholarship to undertake further training in Germany. Unfortunately, she was not able to take advantage of this opportunity due to the outbreak of
World War I.[265]
Hilary continued to play and teach the piano throughout her life and passed the love of music onto many others including her children and grandchildren. Hilary and Will were also known to have enjoyed playing and singing together well into their later years.
Hilary was also a consummate pianist and music teacher. Her musical talents were evident from an early age. A letter from her father Arthur to his sister Lizzie on 28 April 1892 described how Hilary, while not yet able to talk, was a "great mimic" and would "... seat herself at the piano and sing to her own accompaniment."[256]
Hilary went on to achieve some of the highest awards in Australia. On 5 December 1905 it was reported in the Brisbane Courier that she won the music medal for senior girls at the Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School.[257] In July 1906 she received the award of Distinction for exams run by the Associated Board.[258] Again, on 8 May 1907 the Brisbane Courier reported that Hilary was one of the first twenty candidates from across Australia to secure honours in the advanced grade.[259]
On 7 September 1909 the Darling Downs Gazette reported:
Among the candidates who submitted to the Trinity College of Music exams in Brisbane this year, a Downs young lady in the person of Miss Mary H. Cornell, of Gomoran was among the only nine of 261 candidates to secure the highest honours the College bestows, that of associate. Miss Cornell obtained 85 per cent, entitling her to the use of the associate title of the college — A.T.C.L. Miss Cornell
practices her profession in the Gomoran, Meringandan and Goombungee districts, and her pupils and friends will be glad to learn of her distinguished success. At the late local exams five of Miss Cornell's pupils passed out of six who competed.[260]
Then on 12 July 1910 it was reported in the Darling Downs Gazette:
The friends of Miss M. Hilary Cornell, of Windsor Farm, Gomoran, (who last year secured the A.T.C.L. diploma for pianoforte), will be pleased to learn of her further success. The same young lady last week in Brisbane passed the examination for Diploma L.A.B. (Licentiate of Associated Board) the highest given by the Associated Board in Australia. Her success is all the more creditable, as from her surroundings in the country she has had very little opportunity of getting any coaching and has consequently had to rely mainly on her own efforts in preparation. Miss Cornell is still teaching the pianoforte in the districts of Gomoran, Meringandan, and Goombungee.[261]
Later, on 30 July 1910, the Brisbane Courier reported:
Miss Hilary Cornell, LAB (solo pianist), daughter of Mr A Cornell, late of Wooloowin, now of Crow’s Nest district, is one of the successful students of Associated Board for this year. Miss Cornell also gained her ATCL diploma of Trinity College last year.[262]
Then on 17 December 1910 the Queensland Times reported how Hilary had "… gained the honourable position of Licentiate of the Associated Music Board."[263]
Hilary went on to perform piano solos at a number of public events including some organised by the Brisbane Women’s Club and the National Council of Women of Queensland.[264]
Hilary’s musical abilities were such that she was awarded a scholarship to undertake further training in Germany. Unfortunately, she was not able to take advantage of this opportunity due to the outbreak of
World War I.[265]
Hilary continued to play and teach the piano throughout her life and passed the love of music onto many others including her children and grandchildren. Hilary and Will were also known to have enjoyed playing and singing together well into their later years.
In 1978 the laneway to Will and Hilary's former home
Ingleside was officially named Hilary Crescent in honour of her memory.[266]
Ingleside was officially named Hilary Crescent in honour of her memory.[266]
In 1949 Will and Hilary retired to Erobin at Wellington Point, near Cleveland in Queensland.[268] After
Hilary passed away on 9 January 1960, Will continued to live at Wellington Point but made it his practice to regularly visit with each of his five children and their families. It was on one such visit that he took ill, was admitted to the local hospital, and died on 27 December 1966.
Will and Hilary rest together at the Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens in Brisbane.
Hilary passed away on 9 January 1960, Will continued to live at Wellington Point but made it his practice to regularly visit with each of his five children and their families. It was on one such visit that he took ill, was admitted to the local hospital, and died on 27 December 1966.
Will and Hilary rest together at the Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens in Brisbane.
Hilary and Will, at Wellington Point (c.1950s)
SOURCES AND NOTES:
[1] The New South Wales, Goal Description & Entrance Books, 1818-1930 (Berrima 1844) identify William’s year of birth as 1816 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020).
William’s 1897 death certificate states that he was born in “Wiltshire, England”. Likewise, William’s 1897 newspaper obituary noted that he had been born in the "County of Wilshire (sic), England" (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>). There is more specific information about William’s place of birth in the birth records for his children John (1857), Matilda (1859), William (Junior) (1861), James (1863), Samuel (1866), Celia (1868), Baby Willis (1870), Hannah (1871), and Arthur (1876) – for all of which William was the informant – with each stating that their father was born in Trowbridge (or for some of these records it is spelt as “Troubridge”) in the County of Wiltshire, England. The New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 also identify William’s native place as Wiltshire (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020). Similarly, William’s 1839 Certificate of Freedom lists his native place as Wiltshire.
Note: The Convict Indents are essentially “…the passenger list for the ships that transported convicts” (<https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/FAQs.php#indents>). Also see: <https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convict_Indents_(Ship_and_Arrival_Registers)_1788-1868>
Also see: <https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P41/-/ahnentafel>;
<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P69/william-willis/individual>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trowbridge>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiltshire>;
<https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol6>; and
<https://www.houseofnames.com/willis-family-crest>.
[2] See Death record for William Willis (DoD: 23 June 1897 at Picton)
Note: William’s death record names Mary as his mother but states that his father’s name and occupation are “unknown”. In line with naming conventions at the time it is possible that William’s father’s name was (or at least included) George as suggested by the fact that this was the name given by William to his first-born son. As noted below:
Over the centuries, some families used the following naming pattern, or a slight variant:
(Accessed from: <https://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/naming_patterns.php>).
Also see: <https://www.familytreemagazine.com/names/jan-2012-naming-practices-feature/>.
[3] <https://www.historycrunch.com/child-labor-in-the-industrial-revolution.html#/>; and
New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020).
[4] <https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Just_Jobs:
_The_Effect_of_Occupations_On_British_Family_Life>;
<http://www.worldthroughthelens.com/family-history/old-occupations.php>;
<https://rmhh.co.uk/occup/c.html>;
<http://www.census1891.com/occupations-all.php>; and
<http://doot.spub.co.uk/code.php?name=occup&value=023>.
[5] New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020)
Note: The Convict Indents also reveal that William, while able to read, could not write. Whenever he needed to append his signature to a document he did so by marking an "X". For example, this is how he indicated his assent to his Will. At that time a person who could only use an “X” rather than write a signature was known as a “marksman” (for example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13000806>).
[6] <https://www.gale.com/binaries/content/assets/gale-us-en/primary-sources/intl-gps/intl-gps-essays/full-ghn-contextual-essays/ghn_essay_bln_lloyd3_website.pdf>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_England>;
<https://thecitizen.com/2010/08/24/where-did-sunday-school-come/>; and
<https://thoroglove.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/feeding-his-lambs-the-sunday-school-movement-in-19th-century-england/#:~:text=Feeding%20His%20Lambs%3A%20The%20Sunday%20School%20Movement%20in%2019th%20Century%20England,-Jesus%20instructed%20his&text=Raikes%20was%20a%20journalist%20and,was%20supported%20by%20many%20clergymen>.
[7] Photo courtesy of Roslyn Willis and Beth Toomey, granddaughters of Will and Hilary (nee Cornell) Willis
[8] William was aged between 14 and 16 years at this time. In March 1832 the Prison Ship (Hulk) Register (Euryalus) transcription records his age as 14 years. By the time he had been transferred to the Mangles in readiness for transportation to New South Wales (December 1832), the Medical journal of the convict ship Mangles, for 8 November 1832 to 9 May 1833 by James Rutherford, Surgeon, pages 4, 13 of 35 (accessed from Ancestry [UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1856], 6 September 2020) gives his age as 16 years. Subsequently, the NSW Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020) identifies his age as 16 years.
The disparity in the 1832 records as to William’s age might be explained by his very young appearance. An indication of William’s youthfulness at the time he came to Australia may be seen by comparing his height when he was initially transported to New South Wales in 1832 (4 feet, 11 and a quarter inches) (as reported in the New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 [accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020]) with his height seven years later in 1839 when he obtained his Certificate of Freedom (5 feet, 6 and a half inches). Given his slight build it is not surprising that a newspaper report at the time of William’s sentencing in March 1832 described him as a “mere youth” (see: The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 26 March 1832 [accessible through Old British News]). William’s transportation to Australia as a very young boy was not uncommon. It has been said that of the 160,000 convicts who were transported between 1788 and when transportation ended, some 25,000 were under the age of 18 years (<https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/the-story-of-the-wretched-boys-who-were-transported-to-australia-20190830-p52mew.html>).
[9] See: England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892, William Willis, Wiltshire Lent Assizes 1832 (accessed from Ancestry, 18 October 2021);
New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 6 February 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny, granddaughter of John and Helena Mildred [nee Willis] Reid and Old British News); and
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 12 March 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny and Old British News).
Note: There are several non-judicial records which suggest that prior to March 1832 when William was sentenced to seven years’ transportation he had committed another offence for which he had received a sentence of three months' imprisonment. See: New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
Prison Ship (Hulk) Registers – Euryalus – Record transcription for William Willis (accessed from “Find my Past”, 1 September 2020);
UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849, William Willis, page 29 of 50 (accessed from Ancestry, 13 September 2020); and
Roberts, M. 2018, Transported: The stories of 236 convicts banished to Australia in 1832 aboard the ‘Mangles’, Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership, UK: “The Convict Stories – No. 199: William Willis, Salisbury”.
However, a search of the England and Wales Criminal Registers for Wiltshire between 1819 and 1831 (available through Ancestry) has revealed that while several people named Willis (Robert, Thomas, Hannah) are listed, William’s name does not appear until March 1832 when he was sentenced to seven years’ transportation. Thus, at least for now, the earlier offence for which William was said to have been sentenced remains unconfirmed.
As to the offence for which William was transported, his 1839 Certificate of Freedom states that he had been convicted of “shoplifting”. Such an offence pertained to stealing 5 shillings or more worth of goods from a shop. Prior to 1823 shoplifting had been a capital offence (<https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Crimes.jsp#shoplifting> and <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia>). Presumably William's offence had involved the theft of 5 shillings or more worth of bacon, cheese and other items from a local shop the proprietor of which was Robert Hussey.
Also see: <http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11472-the-system-of-criminal-prosecution-in-the-nineteenth-century.html>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11447-types-of-offences.html>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11548-court-procedures-assizes.html>;
<https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/a-brief-history-of-capital-punishment-in-britain/>;
<https://www.mylearning.org/stories/prison-and-penal-reform-in-the-1800s/380?>;
<https://reviews.history.ac.uk/review/2329>;
<https://medium.com/the-crime-historian/ludicrous-crimes-that-would-have-gotten-you-hanged-in-18th-century-england-8488e32993de>;
<https://ehsthelongrun.net/2019/02/05/shoplifting-in-eighteenth-century-england/>; and
<https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/juvenile-crime-in-the-19th-century>.
[10] See: New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868, William Willis, Convicted 3 March 1832, Ship – Mangles, Voyage Date 8 December 1832 (accessed from Ancestry,
6 December 2021);
UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849, William Willis, page 29 of 50 (accessed from Ancestry, 13 September 2020);
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 6 February 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny and Old British News);
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 12 March 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny and Old British News); and
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 26 March 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny and Old British News).
[11] See: The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 26 March 1832 (which describes the Euryalus being moored at Chatham);
Shore, H. 2002, “Transportation, Penal Ideology and the Experience of Juvenile Offenders in England and Australia in the Early Nineteenth Century” in Crime, Histoire & Sociétés/Crime, History & Societies, 2002, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 81-102: Published by Librairie Droz;
Davie, N. 2017, “Punishment, reform or expediency? Juvenile crime and the prison hulks, 1822-1843” in Michel Prum (ed.), Catégoriser l’autre: aires anglophone et lusophone, Paris, L’Harmattan, 2017, pp. 129-162;
<https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convict_Hulks>;
<https://www.prisonhistory.org/prison/euryalus/>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11382-sentencing-to-departure-prison-hulks-convict-gaols.html>; and
<https://www.amw.org.au/sites/default/files/memory_of_the_world/index/crime-and-punishment.html>.
[12] See: “A Return of Convicts under sentence of transportation on Board the Euryalus Hulk at Chatham by Command of His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, from the 1st April to the 30th June 1832, both inclusive”, which noted William’s behaviour on board the Euryalus as “good”. (Transcription of document provided by Colleen Kenny. Copy of original document accessed through the State Library of New South Wales, 12 November 2021).
[13] See: New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
Prison Ship (Hulk) Registers – Euryalus – Record transcription for William Willis (accessed from “Find my Past”, 1 September 2020);
UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849, William Willis, page 29 of 50 (accessed from Ancestry, 13 September 2020); and
Roberts, M. 2018, Transported: The stories of 236 convicts banished to Australia in 1832 aboard the ‘Mangles’, Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership, UK: “The Convict Stories – No. 199: William Willis, Salisbury”.
[14] <http://industrialrevolution.sea.ca/impact.html>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/section11334-crime-poverty-and-reforms.html>
[15] <https://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2009/02/23/swing_riots_salisbury_feature.shtml>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Riots>;
<https://schoolhistory.co.uk/notes/swing-riots/>;
<http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/ruralife/swing.htm>; and
<https://www.thesombornes.org.uk/village_org_page.php?page_id=204>.
[16] Hughes, R., 1988, The Fatal Shore, Pan Books, pp. 25-26, 161, 171;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11436-conditions-in-the-early-1800s.html>;
<http://www.secretshropshire.org.uk/Content/Learn/Crime/>; and
<https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convicts_and_the_Colonisation_of_Australia,_1788-1868>.
[17] <https://www.oldpolicecellsmuseum.org.uk/content/learning/educational-programmes-and-tours/juvenile-crime-18th-19th-century>;
<https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/juvenile-crime-in-the-19th-century>
[18] According to his 1839 Certificate of Freedom, William’s offence was classified as “shoplifting”. Of this offence it has been noted:
The offence of "privately stealing" 5 shillings or more worth of goods from a shop was defined separately as a capital offence in 1699. This reflects concern over the apparent increase in this offence, which was thought difficult to prevent, and reflects the rapid growth in the number of shops in London. Theft of this sort taking place before 1699 is also included in this category. In 1823 shoplifting ceased to be a capital offence. For statistical purposes please note that not all thefts from shops were defined as "shoplifting". (See: <https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Crimes.jsp#shoplifting>)
Note: The year that convict transportation to Australia peaked (with the arrival of 7000 convicts) was 1833, the same year William arrived (<https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/convict-transportation-peaks>).
[19] <https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Punishment.jsp#transportation>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Code>;
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z938v9q/revision/4>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_transportation>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia>;
<https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-australias-last-convicts-89723>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/section2196-transportation.html>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11385-on-completion-of-sentence.html>;
<https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/convict-experience>; and
<https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/convict-transportation-peaks>.
[20] Bateson, C. 2004, The Convict Ships 1787-1868, Library of Australian History, Sydney, pp. 350-351;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143531>;
<https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_mangles_1833.htm>;
<https://redcoat-settlerswa.com/ships/mangles-1832-33/>; and
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/Public%20Access/PDF%20Guides/Convict%20ships%20to%20NSW_1.pdf>.
[21] Bateson, C. 2004, The Convict Ships 1787-1868, Library of Australian History, Sydney, pp. 237-238
Note: The Scilly Isles “… are an archipelago 25 miles (40 kilometres) off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England” (<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isles_of_Scilly#:~:text=The%20Isles%20of%20Scilly%20(%2F%CB%88,Martin's%2C%20St%20Agnes%20and%20Bryher.>)
[22] Picture accessed from: <http://www.mangles.eu/>
[23] Bateson, C. 2004, The Convict Ships 1787-1868, Library of Australian History, Sydney, pp. 350-351;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/Public%20Access/PDF%20Guides/Convict%20ships%20to%20NSW_1.pdf>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143531>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211691>;
<http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/mangles/1832>;
<http://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_mangles_1833.htm>;
<http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/twconvic/Mangles+1833>;
<https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/shipDetails.php?shipId=534>;
<http://oneillfamily.id.au/mangles.htm>; and
<http://www.fairhall.id.au/families/myline/g0/p86.htm#i8588>.
Note: Some 82 convicts with the surname "Willis" were transported to Australia (New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land), with several also bearing the first name “William” (see following list). It appears that the William Willis who had been born (and convicted) in Wiltshire and went on to become the progenitor of the Willis family from the areas around Picton, the Burragorang Valley and The Oaks was the one who arrived at Sydney aboard the ship Mangles on 19 April 1833.
List of convicts transported to Australia with the name of William Willis (*)
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 18 May 1848
Ship: Mount Stuart Elphinstone
Place of conviction: Somerset, Wells Quarter Sessions
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 10 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 31 July 1833
Ship: Enchantress
Place of conviction: Middlesex Gaol Delivery
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 1 August 1835
Ship: Mangles
Place of conviction: Surrey Quarter Session
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 14 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 5 July 1835
Ship: Marquis of Huntly
Place of conviction: Northumberland, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Assizes
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 19 February 1842
Ship: Tortoise
Place of conviction: Buckingham, Aylesbury Quarter Sessions
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 14 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 28 July 1829
Ship: Lady Harewood
Place of conviction: London Gaol Delivery
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: Life
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 19 November 1843
Ship: Henrietta
Place of conviction: York, Leeds Boro' Quarter Sessions
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 14 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 26 July 1799
Ship: Hilsborough
Place of conviction: Southampton Assizes
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: Life
Name: William Timothy Willis
Arrival date: 28 January 1831
Ship: John
Place of conviction: Suffolk Quarter Session
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 3 August 1823
Ship: Competitor
Place of conviction: Oxford Assizes
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: Life
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 18 May 1798
Ship: Barwell
Place of conviction: Devon Assizes
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: Life
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 16 July 1820
Ship: Neptune
Place of conviction: London Gaol Delivery
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 26 June 1790
Ship: Neptune, Scarborough and Surprize (the Second Fleet)
Place of conviction: London Gaol Delivery
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 17 April 1833**
Ship: Mangles
Place of conviction: Wilts Assizes***
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: 7 years
Notes for the above list:
* Accessed from <https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/willis>
** Arrival date of this particular voyage of the Mangles, its sixth, was in fact 19 April 1833
*** The "Wilts" Assizes was the abbreviated reference for Wiltshire Assizes
There is one "William Willis" who does not appear in the above list yet despite this still received a Certificate of Freedom under this name on 27 July 1842 (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230104854/12502027> and <https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX357075>). The butt of the 1842 Certificate of Freedom for this person states that he was born in London, convicted at the Central Criminal Court (London) on 6 April 1835, and arrived in New South Wales on the second voyage of the Royal Sovereign in December 1835 (Royal Sovereign 2). However, the records indicate that the only person with these antecedents who arrived on the Royal Sovereign 2 was someone called William Wallis, not "William Willis". See:
New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
<https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/royal-sovereign/1835>; <https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_royal_sovereign_1835.htm>; and <http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/twconvic/Royal+Sovereign+1835>.
William Wallis was referred to by this name from the time of his conviction (England & Wales criminal registers [County of Middlesex], 6 April 1835) and in the 1835 transportation records (i.e., New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020). Subsequent records from 1836 show William Wallis from the Royal Sovereign 2 again referred to by this name when he absconded from his assigned employer (see:<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230672787/12478578>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230672289/12478414>). Furthermore, in the Convict muster of 1837 he is still referred to as William Wallis, the year of his arrival is stated as 1835, and that at the time of this muster he had been assigned to a Thomas Hammond at Goulburn (<https://www.bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/11070614002?f=Thomas&l=Hammond&ol=&i=3&s=&p=2>). It is only later, on the butt of his 1842 Certificate of Freedom, that he is identified as "William Willis" of the Royal Sovereign 2. However, this identification of him as "William Willis" is erroneous given that the person in question could only have been William Wallis. The following points are offered in support of this conclusion:
(1) There was no person by the name of "William Willis" aboard the Royal Sovereign 2, only a William Wallis. See:
New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
<https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/royal-sovereign/1835>; <https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_royal_sovereign_1835.htm>; and <http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/twconvic/Royal+Sovereign+1835>.
(2) The prisoner number included on the butt of the 1842 Certificate of Freedom for "William Willis" (35/3017) is identical to that shown in the New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020) and in the earlier published notices for William Wallis when he absconded from his assigned employer (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230672787/12478578>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230672289/12478414>).
(3) The distinguishing bodily marks and places of birth and conviction of "William Willis" shown on the butt of the 1842 Certificate of Freedom are the same as those listed for William Wallis in the earlier public notices that advised of his absconding and in the New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020).
(4) The New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020) include a hand written notation showing that Certificate of Freedom number 42/1289 was issued for this person which matches the number of the certificate issued in 1842 for “William Willis”.
(5) Prior to the 1842 Certificate of Freedom the person who was the subject of the certificate had only ever been referred to, and recognised as, William Wallis.
Thus, William Wallis was incorrectly named on the butt of his 1842 Certificate of Freedom as “William Willis”. Why such an error would have occurred is not known but apparently it was not uncommon for clerical errors to sometimes be made in the convict records and documents. For information about clerical errors in various convict records see: <https://www.bda-online.org.au/sources/tickets-of-leave/>.
[24] See: Medical journal of the convict ship Mangles, for 8 November 1832 to 9 May 1833 by James Rutherford, Surgeon, pages 4, 13 of 35 (accessed from Ancestry [UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1856], 6 September 2020).
Also see: <https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10557770>
William was one of several on board the Mangles during this voyage who suffered from the effects of obstipation (see: Roberts, M. 2018, Transported: The stories of 236 convicts banished to Australia in 1832 aboard the ‘Mangles’, Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership, UK).
Note: Obstipation is a severe form of constipation that can have serious health impacts if not treated (<https://www.healthline.com/health/obstipation>). Obstipation was a condition experienced by many of the convicts who were transported to Australia. It was caused by factors including lack of dietary fibre, insufficient hydration and lack of exercise due to being held on cramped ships (e.g., see: <https://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/docs/seminars/Voyages_StephenLucas.pdf>; and <https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/voyage-to-australia-was-anything-but-plain-sailing-for-earliest-travellers/news-story/cbfcc91de1e8a23cbed151c2ce979a72>).
[25] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143577>
Note: Another newspaper report from the time commented:
Among the prisoners per Mangles are a considerable number of useful mechanics. The whole of the prisoners who have arrived by that vessel, are in the most perfect state of health, which says much for the judicious treatment of the parties under whose management they have been placed.
(See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211816>)
The term “mechanic” was used in relation to those convicts who had particular skills (e.g., blacksmith, painter, baker) (<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/what-was-convict-assignment>).
[26] <https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_mangles_1833.htm>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143658/4245516>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211906>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846777>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143658>.
[27] Assignment of convicts to either Government works or private individuals was common practice at the time: “On arrival, a convict was either retained by the Government for labour on public works or was assigned to an individual” (<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts-guide>). The Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney was the place where these arrangements generally occurred, especially for newly arrived convicts (<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/who-were-hyde-park-barracks-convicts>).
[28] From the Carters’ Barracks many of the convicts from the Mangles who were under the age of 17 years, including William, were sent to work for private individuals across the outskirts of Sydney. See: Official Carters’ Barracks' records for the period 1833-1834 (accessed from Ancestry, 10 October 2021).
The Carters’ Barracks was located not too far from the Hyde Park Barracks. See: <https://dictionaryofsydney.org/building/carters_barracks>; and
<https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE01682b.htm>.
At that time responsibility for the assignment of convicts lay with the “Board for the Assignment of Servants” (<https://researchdata.edu.au/commissioner-assignment-convict-servants/166104>).
Unfortunately, many of the convict assignment records no longer exist. See: <https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts-guide>; and
<http://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/FAQs.php>.
However, in William’s case, one particular record, the NSW Settler and Convict lists 1787-1834, has fortunately survived. This record shows that upon his arrival in 1833 William was assigned to work for a person called George Harper from Abbotsford near Picton.
Also see: <http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11384-convict-life-in-australia.html>; <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia_(1788%E2%80%931850)>; and
<https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/c7cc80e5-1eb8-4cd0-9e50-dd13799b9c65/files/convict-sites-part2.pdf>, p. 22.
[29] Picture accessed from: <https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_mangles_1833.htm>
Also see: <https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/short-history-hyde-park-barracks>; and
<https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/799740846299486345/>.
[30] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230390208>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846843>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2212048/497834>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/42008778>.
Note: The date of this notice (2 May 1833) means that the process of assigning the convicts from the Mangles had taken place between the time they arrived on 19 April 1833 and prior to 2 May 1833 (i.e., the assignment process occurred during April 1833).
Regarding the reference to the Carters’ Barracks for Boys in the notice, it appears from official Carters’ Barracks' records for the period 1833-1834 (accessed from Ancestry, 10 October 2021) that William was placed in this facility while awaiting assignment although by this stage it was mainly used to accommodate convict boys who were under the age of 16 years
(see: <https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE01682b.htm>; “Children and Empire: The Institutionalisation of children and British Colonisation in New South Wales, 1750-1828” by Karen Laughton, p. 193; and <https://www.lawreform.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Publications/Reports/Report-104.pdf> pp. 21-22). By the time of his arrival in Sydney William was already considered to be a 16 year old.
The practice of assigning convicts to “private service” would be discontinued by the Government within a few years of William’s arrival. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230656648>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230670691>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230671090>.
[31] <https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harper-george-2157>
[32] See: <https://camdenhistorynotes.com/category/kirkham/>;
NSW Settler and Convict lists 1787-1834: "William Willis (Mangles 6) assigned to Geo Harper, Abbotsford", p. 222 (accessed from Ancestry, 10 October 2021); and
Carters’ Barracks' official records for the period 1833-1834 (accessed from Ancestry [NSW Convict Records 1810-1891], 10 October 2021).
A later record, the Picton Court Bench Book of 2 March 1839, which refers to William applying for his Certificate of Freedom, also mentions his connection with Mr Harper.
Note: The official records of the Carters’ Barracks for the period 1833-1834 show that George Harper from Abbotsford was assigned a boy from the Mangles (6), namely a "William Wills". “Wills” is a likely spelling error as the records can only be referring to William Willis since there was no one aboard the Mangles (6) who was named "William Wills" (see: <https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/shipDetails.php?shipId=534> and <https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/mangles/1832>). Errors such as these were known to have sometimes occurred in the convict records. Nevertheless, the issue is put beyond doubt by the NSW Settler and Convict lists 1787-1834 which unambiguously state that upon his arrival “William Willis (Mangles 6)” was assigned to "Geo Harper, Abbotsford" (p. 222).
William's 1897 obituary provides further confirmation that after his arrival in Australia he had lived with Mr Harper at Stonequarry before eventually heading off to the Burragorang Valley (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>). Also see:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151824>.
A point of interest is that there are records of other convicts who were assigned to Mr George Harper from Abbotsford at Stonequarry (later called Picton). For example see: <https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/walpole/perfitt/113704>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2203259>;
<https://rememberingthepastaustralia.com/nsw-list-of-female-convicts-assigned-during-the-month-of-may-1832/>;
<https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/lawler-senior/john/137657>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2210980>;
<https://remembering-the-past-australia.blogspot.com/2017/10/nsw-return-settlers-assigned-male-con-apr-1833.html>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2212740>.
Another point of interest is that on one occasion Mr Harper was involved in the apprehension of a local bushranger (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32161827>). There was yet another time when Mr Harper had a near-death experience at the hands of one of his convict assignees (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2197013/500403>).
Also of interest is that Mr Harper was the original owner of Abbotsford, the property at Stonequarry/Picton which saw the extensive use of convict labour in its early development and included an on-site convict accommodation barracks although this structure appears to date from a time later than Mr Harper (see: <http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harper-george-2157>; <https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/assets/Documents/Planning-and-Development/Planning-Proposals/Abbotsford-Planning-Proposal-and-Draft-Planning-Agreement/Appendix-P-Curtilage-Study.PDF>;
<https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=2690107>; <https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/assets/Uploads/Report-Curtilage-Study.PDF>; and <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbotsford,_Picton>).
For general information about Picton and its history, including when its name was changed from Stonequarry (1845), see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picton,_New_South_Wales>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71498780>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112768774>; and
<https://visitwollondilly.com.au/wp-content/uploads/PictonWalkingTour_Brochure_2020_InhousePrint.pdf>.
[33] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230389950>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846474>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211304>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211254>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211431>.
[34] Carters’ Barracks’ records for the period 1833-1834 are available through Ancestry.
Also see the official government notice at <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230390425/12475909> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2212740> which shows that during April 1833 George Harper from Abbotsford was assigned “a boy”. While this notice does not name the boy who was assigned to Mr Harper, records such as the NSW Settler and Convict lists 1787-1834 and the Carters’ Barracks' records for the period 1833-1834 confirm that William was the boy in question.
[35] Liz Vincent, in her 1996 publication A Brief History of Picton, noted that early landowners such as Mr Harper “… were allowed to have convicts assigned to them to clear the land, erect buildings, grow and harvest crops and rear stock.” (p. 7)
Also see: <https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/what-was-convict-assignment>
[36] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230389950>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846474>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211304>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211254>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211431>;
<https://mhnsw.au/guides/convict-assignment-records/>;
<https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/A/Assignment.htm>;
<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/what-was-convict-assignment>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia_(1788%E2%80%931850)>.
[37] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230389950>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846474>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211304>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211254>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211431>.
Note: William's occupations over the years can be ascertained from a number of documents, including his certificate of freedom (which identified him as a labourer) as well as the birth and death records for his children:
For his own death certificate (1897) William was listed as having been a farmer.
By the time of his death William was acknowledged as being a “leading farmer” and “pastoralist” (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108056613>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>).
[38] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230686379/12476328>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2215174/500408>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230655341/12477372>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230654814>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/12478401>.
For information about the early history of the Burragorang and the difficulties faced by settlers see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141148759>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15162262>.
For an 1878 description of the Burragorang see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70595269>
[39] <https://web.archive.org/web/20180313182818/http://www.stonequarry.com.au/nature/burragorang.html>;
<https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Lake_Burragorang>
[40] Again, this conclusion is consistent with the Government directive of 18 March 1833, in particular that part which allowed an employer to retain the services of their assigned youthful convict “… for the period of seven years, or until the earlier termination of their respective sentences.”
See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230389950>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846474>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211304>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211254>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211431>.
In William's case there are records which show that he remained assigned to Mr Harper for the entirety of his sentence. For example, the Picton Court Bench Book of 2 March 1839 includes a reference to William applying for his Certificate of Freedom on this date with his assigned employer being identified as "G Harper". Similarly, the earlier Convict Muster of December 1837 shows a “William Wells aged 19” who came out on the "Mangles 1834” and working for "George Harper". There is no record of a William Wells coming out on the Mangles in 1833 so presumably “William Wells” in the 1837 muster was William Willis. (Information provided by Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc). It is possible that for the 1837 muster William’s surname was spelt as it was heard phonetically, a common occurrence with this particular record (<http://www.bda-online.org.au/files/MC1837_Muster.pdf>, p. 19). It is also known that these documents were sometimes prone to clerical error which could further explain the inclusion of "Wells" instead of "Willis" (perhaps William's surname was misheard and copied down accordingly) as well as the incorrect year that was shown for the arrival of the Mangles ("1834" when in fact it was 1833). For information about clerical errors in various convict records see: <https://www.bda-online.org.au/sources/tickets-of-leave/>.
[41] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230385316/12582096>;
<https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX357070>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts-guide>;
<https://blogs.ancestry.com.au/ancestry/2011/01/27/from-convict-to-free-citizen-certificates-of-freedom-tickets-of-leave-and-pardons/>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certificate_of_freedom>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11384-convict-life-in-australia.html>;
<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/rewards-freedom>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192836524>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141148653>.
Note: William obtained his Certificate of Freedom from the court mentioned in the preceding article (i.e., Picton). Also see: <https://researchdata.edu.au/bench-books-picton-petty-sessions/170640>.
[42] It has been noted, “Some assigned convicts complained to the government about how their private master treated them. Others ran away and became bushrangers. However, other assigned convicts were well looked after by their master. Some even stayed on as a paid worker once they had finished their sentence.” (<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/what-was-convict-assignment>)
The fact that William worked for Mr Harper for the duration of his sentence and never absconded during that time is a good indication William felt he was treated fairly by Mr Harper and presumably would not have objected to continue working for him after completing his sentence had there been opportunity to do so. Perhaps the mention in William’s 1897 obituary of Mr Harper (who had died long before, in 1841) also suggests that William might have felt kindly towards Mr Harper for the remainder of his life (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>).
Note: George Harper’s death in 1841 is mentioned here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2552877>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28652114>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12868424>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228131312>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36849905>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32188744>.
Also see: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187813655/george-harper>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harper-10788>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187813656/margaret-eleanor-harper>; and
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Howey-292>.
[43] <https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/wild-john-benton-16523>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184281661/john-benton-wild>;
<https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/member-details.aspx?pk=318>;
<https://www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Oaks,_New_South_Wales>;
<https://www.facebook.com/878976525498739/posts/botanist-george-caley-gave-the-oaks-its-name-after-an-expedition-into-the-area-a/950047768391614/>;
<https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/the-oaks-nsw>;
<https://www.traveller.com.au/the-oaks-new-south-wales-travel-guide-and-things-to-do-12wos3>;
<https://henrykable-susannahholmes.com/keeping-the-story-alive/the-wild-family-200-years-in-australia/>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/64987491>;
<https://henrykable-susannahholmes.com/henry-kable-jr/>; and
<http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/henry_kable_junior.htm>.
[44] See: New South Wales, Land Records, 1811-1870 for William Williss, accessed from Ancestry, 2 November 2021
Note: Under Government regulations at the time, acquisition of land such as that in the Burragorang Valley for which William made application could only be achieved through purchasing a license to occupy.
[45] Following William's 1843 application to buy a license to occupy land in the Upper Burragorang Valley, it appears that he ended up purchasing a license to occupy the land in question in April 1844.
See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230145883>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230147414>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12413816>.
Also see from February 1845: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230361470>.
William subsequently went on to acquire other property alongside the Upper Wollondilly River (e.g.,
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229762846/12695502>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230683389/13845858>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228770646/12605830>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228601402/12909814>)
and later around The Oaks (see: Greville’s Official Post Office Directory 1875-76 [<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/greville75/gd750562.gif> and <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/greville75/gd750563.gif>], 1885 Return of NSW Stock and Stock Owners – “Long Acre, Picton, Wm Willis” – p. 308 [<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/vpsr/VPSR308.GIF>], William Willis “Long Acre, Picton” – NSW Census 1891, and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>).
For a map showing the location of William’s property in the Burragorang see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-537800833/view>. For an earlier version of this map see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233795859/view>.
For access to various historical maps which also show William’s property in the Burragorang see: <https://www.nswlrs.com.au/Parish-and-Historical-Maps>. NB: Search under Parish names of “Nattai” and “Jooriland” to see William’s properties on both sides of the Upper Wollondilly River.
Initially, William was only able to acquire property within the area known as the Nineteen Counties of New South Wales. William’s first property was located within the boundaries of one of these counties, the County of Westmoreland. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12413429>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230147414>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/magazine/onthisday/14-october-1829>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Counties>;
<https://www.historyofaboriginalsydney.edu.au/north-west/%E2%80%9Cnineteen-counties%E2%80%9D>; and
<https://nswlrs.com.au/getattachment/81ce69ef-58c3-42e8-9edb-3bebc00f35e6/Brief%20history%20of%20Land%20and%20Property%20in%20NSW>.
Terry Raftery, son of Cyril and Catherine Celia (nee Willis) Raftery, has recounted William's ongoing interest in acquiring land in the Burragorang Valley and surrounding districts.
Reference to William living in the Burragorang Valley is also provided in Jim Barrett’s 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang (p. 29).
[46] As related by Terry Raftery. Jim Barrett, in his 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang, has also noted how the Burragorang settlers farmed a variety of crops including pumpkins, corn and potatoes (pp. 58-64).
Colin Sproule in his 1993 publication, Timbermen of the Wollondilly 1821-1991, has noted, “Most of the early pioneers had to become timber getters whether they liked it or not, the land had to be cleared, then shelters built for man and beast and fences erected to stop their cattle from straying and to keep the animals of the bush out of the crops.” (p. 4)
Sonja den Hertog in her publication, The History of Burragorang Valley from the Records (1990, 2006), has noted, “As until the turn of the [20th] century all supplies had to be carried in by packhorse essential goods not produced in the Burragorang were brought in every few months. People had necessarily to be self-sufficient making their own bread, cheese, butter, bacon, jams and preserves of all kinds. Every farm had an orchard with stone fruits and citrus trees, poultry to provide eggs and meat and a few head of dairy cattle for the making of cream, butter and cheese. Even spent cartridges were saved to be refilled with gunpowder and different sized lead pellets used in single or double-barrelled guns.” (p. 35)
For general information about the logging of timber in the Burragorang Valley see: <http://www.westernsydneylibraries.nsw.gov.au/westernsydney/ind_page1.html#timber>.
[47] See: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-537800833/view>;
<https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233795859/view>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Burragorang>;
<https://camdenhistorynotes.com/category/burragorang-valley/>; and
<https://2ua.org/aus/nsw/wollondilly_shire_council/map/>.
For information about the damming of the Burragorang Valley, the idea for which had been under consideration since at least the 1860s (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166808652>), see:
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-03/how-sydneys-water-needs-drowned-burragorang-valley/9390170>;
<https://jml297.com/2019/07/29/burragorang-the-lost-valley/>;
<https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-oaks-20040208-gdkq8g.html>;
<https://camdenhistorynotes.wordpress.com/tag/burragorang-valley/>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Burragorang>.
For images of Lake Burragorang see: <https://davesviewpoint.com/2015/11/14/the-everyday-italian-burragorang-valley-via-picton/>.
For an image of the Burragorang Valley prior to its inundation see: <https://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/burragorang.html>; and
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw/4908460237>.
[48] The imposing features of the Burragorang Valley have been described by one author as follows: “The Burragorang Valley is over eighty kilometres long and of varying width. At some points in the centre there are less than 3.2 km between escarpments nearly 300 metres high. Sheer sandstone walls rise 300 metres on either side of the valley… Entry into the valley was extremely difficult for a man on foot but for a horse and cart or a larger wagon and horses, this was a formidable task even into this [i.e., the 20th] century. In the early days, horses and carts would be lowered up and down. By 1863 a rough road had been constructed. It was still a very steep incline but could be managed.” (Tales of Old Wollondilly, by Liz Vincent, 2001, pp. 66-67)
[49] The following description of the early days of the Burragorang is also insightful:
The beautiful valley of Burragorang is enclosed on all sides by precipitous mountains, there being only one practicable entrance, which, in early times, before a government road was cut into it for the convenience of the farmers who now occupy the valley, was easily blocked with a few saplings, so that sheep, cattle, or horses turned into the valley could not escape. Precisely how the entrance to this extensive enclosure was first found is not known. It is believed, however, that it was discovered by a party of bushrangers, who endeavoured to discover a road over the Blue Mountains, in order to reach a settlement of white men, which was popularly supposed to lie somewhere in that direction. Whether this supposed settlement was a Dutch or an English settlement does not appear, but as I have already said, there was a wide-spread belief that some of these settlements were at no very great distance from Sydney, and could be reached overland. The valley is situated only about fifty-four miles from Sydney, and for many years was an absolutely secure hiding-place for bushrangers and their plunder. Later on the valley came to be known, from the horrible tales told of the convicts who made use of it, as "Terrible Hollow," and under this name it is introduced by Rolf Boldrewood in his "Robbery under Arms." Among the old hands themselves it was known as "The Camp," "The Shelter," or " The Pound." Bark huts were erected in this valley by the bushrangers, and here they retired when hard pressed or when wounded. When the secret of the entrance was betrayed to the soldiers, who were out in search of a party of bushrangers, it was evident that the valley had been long in use by the bushrangers …
(extract from Boxall, G.E. 1899, The Story of the Australian Bushrangers, Swann Sonnenschein & Co, London, p. 54).
The following link similarly notes: “Burragorang was a very popular area for bushrangers and cattle thieves to store their booty … Bushranger activity was a common occurrence and a regular concern of many people in the area.” (<https://changingcamden.com/category/people/page/2/>)
[50] In his 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang, Jim Barrett has noted, “The [Burragorang] Valley was subject to all of the natural disasters which beset the rest of outback Australia, and drought and bushfire were to be expected at least every 10 or twenty years. The heat during the summer of 1841-1842 was terrific, and on 8 February 1842, some of the registrations in the country reached 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) in the shade. Animals died in great numbers, and birds dropped dead from the trees ... With the virtual absence of water to fight them and the extreme vulnerability of the humble homesteads, bush fires were especially feared … More deaths occurred through drowning because the Cox and Wollondilly rivers could very quickly change from placid streams to raging torrents. However, the real problem lay in the many river crossings which the settlers needed to negotiate, and the maintenance of their livelihood required that residents had to accept risky situations. Many school teachers were lost by drowning because of inexperience and because they had obligations to reach their young charges.” (p. 69)
With respect to the frequent occurrence of flooding in the Burragorang, 1870 alone saw 15 major floods in the valley. See: <http://www.wollondillymuseum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Newsletter-July-2016-.pdf> (p. 2). Indeed, the person who facilitated the burial of William and Celia’s newborn infant daughter in 1870, William Packenham, had a 16-year-old son who drowned during a flood in the Burragorang Valley in 1871. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60872634>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70467254>.
Also see: <https://www.waternsw.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/58447/Warragamba-Dam-50th-anniversary-booklet.pdf> (p. 14);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15143201>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115293705>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114043394>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124503874>.
[51] <https://apebhconference.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/decker1.pdf>;
<https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/economy>
[52] Dyster, B. 1993, “The 1840s depression revisited”, Australian Historical Studies, 25:101, p. 589 (available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10314619308595938?journalCode=rahs20>);
<https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2001/2001-07/1840s-depression.html>;
<https://apebhconference.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/decker1.pdf>; and
<http://myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1840/decade_landing_16_1.html?tabRank=2&subTabRank=3>.
[53] Following a court hearing in Picton on 29 November 1844 William was committed to stand trial for allegedly receiving stolen property and for a short time pending trial was detained in the Berrima Gaol. Subsequently, on 27 February 1845, the Court of Quarter Sessions at Berrima found him not guilty and ordered his discharge.
See: New South Wales, Goal Description & Entrance Books, 1818-1930: William Willis; Ship and Year of Arrival: Mangles, 1833; Berrima Gaol; 1844 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020); and
New South Wales, Criminal Court Records, 1830-1945: William Willis; Ship of Arrival: Mangles; Date of Committal: 29 November 1844; Place of Committal: Picton NSW; Date of Trial: 27 February 1845;
Place of Trial: Berrima NSW; Outcome: Not guilty and discharged from custody (accessed from Ancestry, 15 September 2020).
Note: It appears that the trial on 27 February 1845 by the Berrima Court of Quarter Sessions was overseen by Samuel Raymond (Chairman) and Samuel North (Police Magistrate). See:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230678625>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37125793>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230361463>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228249931>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31744665>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230677405>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228136207>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12409095>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228249085>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31743652>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12419352>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12880003>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31744930>; and
<http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1845/N/index/1.pdf>.
The official who committed William and his co-accused, Thomas Durant, for trial before the Berrima Quarter Sessions appears to have been someone called Matthew McAlister who had been appointed as a Commission of the Peace (Justice of the Peace) in February 1844. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230146354/12503329>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12409095>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31742241>; and <https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/justices-the-peace-guide>.
For general information about the Courts of Quarter Sessions see:
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/quarter-sessions-guide>; and
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/5325/>.
William’s co-accused in this matter, Thomas Durrant (or Durant), was also found by the Berrima court to be not guilty. Little is known of Thomas other than that he was older than William (b. 1803) and had arrived in New South Wales as a convict aboard the Royal Admiral (3) in 1830 (see: <https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/shipDetails.php?shipId=437>). He had been sentenced to transportation for life for stealing fowls. At one point he had been assigned to George Harper at Abbotsford but absconded (1836) (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230671674/12478193>).
By the time of the 1837 Convict Muster Thomas Durrant had been assigned to work for the Government at Liverpool. He was permitted to live in the Stonequarry district after receiving his ticket of leave (1841) (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12869749>). Subsequently, he was due to receive a conditional pardon (1847). Thomas died at Picton in 1849 while still on his ticket of leave (NSW Convict Death Registers 1826-1879). Given that they both worked in the Stonequarry area at around the same time it is possible that this is when William and Thomas first became acquainted.
Unfortunately, the background circumstances to this long-ago event have not been able to be ascertained. The newspapers of the day would usually report on the details and outcomes of court cases (such as occurred in relation to the outcomes of the Berrima Quarter Sessions on 29 May 1845 [see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12880101> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12880003>]) but for the 27 February 1845 Berrima Quarter Sessions no such report has been uncovered. It is possible that the matter was not reported on, which is plausible in light of the following statement that appeared in one local newspaper around the same time: “We have been compelled, for want of space, to leave out Saturday’s report of the Assizes” (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12877956>). Furthermore, the fact that William and his co-accused were found not guilty would also potentially make any such report less newsworthy. Indeed, the one major newspaper that contained only a brief mention of the Berrima Quarter Sessions for
27 February 1845, the Sydney Morning Herald, thought it more important to make only a passing reference to the cessation of those particular Quarter Sessions rather than to report their outcomes and to make more of a point about a local election result, procedural issues regarding the payment of witnesses, and the state of the roads between Sydney and Berrima (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12877830>). Then again, even if there had been a newspaper report about William’s case, it might only have been as brief as the one published in December 1844 for a person called Lewis Wisham who was also found not guilty of receiving stolen property (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31744242>). The NSW State Archives has subsequently confirmed that apart from what is available on Ancestry, there are no further surviving court-related records from the time which might have elucidated the details relating to William’s 1845 trial.
Regardless of the reason why the case was apparently not reported on by the media and the lack of surviving contemporaneous court-related records, the fact remains that William was acquitted of the offence for which he had been accused. What led to him being charged in the first place? Perhaps being a former convict had left him vulnerable and exposed to the undue and ill-founded suspicions and accusations (maybe even the prejudices and petty jealousies) of others. If so, this episode could provide an explanation for why he might have been reluctant for his past history to become more widely known, to prevent its potential use against him. There is no doubt that during the 1840s and subsequently, community resentment towards the system of convict transportation intensified which resulted in many former convicts attempting to conceal their personal histories. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141153751>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141148653>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192836524>.
That William was similarly guarded about his own personal history is suggested in his obituary: “[he was an] inscrutable man … [who] kept his business to himself”
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>).
Also see: <https://theconversation.com/stain-or-badge-of-honour-convict-heritage-inspires-mixed-feelings-41097>;
<https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convicts_and_the_Colonisation_of_Australia,_1788-1868>;
<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/turning-tide>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia>;
<http://littleatoms.com/world/anzac-day-myth-cleanse-australias-convict-stain>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32144022>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12847024>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846882>.
[54] According to official birth and christening registers from England (1538-1975) (available on Ancestry) Celia was baptised on 20 March 1831 which indicates that she was likely born the previous year (i.e., 1830). Celia's birthplace, "Mereworth, Kent, England", is ascertained from the birth records of several of her children namely Matilda (1859), William (Junior) (1861), James (1863), Samuel (1866), and Celia (1868). The 1906 death certificate for Celia's brother, Richard Mitchell, similarly states that he was born in "Merryworth, England" (also see: <https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=15574384>; <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685256/richard-mitchell>; and <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mitchell-31775>). Likewise, the 1897 newspaper obituary for another brother, George Mitchell, states that he was born in “Merryworth, near Maidstone, in the County of Kent” (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133282717>; <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685253/george-mitchell>; and <https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=15596652>).
Note: Mereworth is pronounced as "Merry-worth". See: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mereworth>; and <https://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2007/06/07/places_pronunciation_feature.shtml>.
[55] <https://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/au1838.shtml>;
<http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Places/gravesen.html>
[56] The term “assisted immigrant” refers to those people whose passage was subsidised or paid for through one of the several assisted immigration schemes which operated to New South Wales from the United Kingdom and other countries. See:
<https://mhnsw.au/indexes/undefined/assisted-immigrants-index/>; and
<https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX3100431>.
Note: Some years after Celia and her family travelled on the Lady Nugent the ship and all on board were lost at sea during a hurricane. See:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12962030>; and
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:The_Lady_Nugent>.
[57] <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Lady_Nugent%2C_Arrived_27_Nov_1838>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/4/48/The_Lady_Nugent.jpg>;
<http://www.blaxland.com/ozships/events/3/276.htm#16796>;
<https://mhnsw.au/guides/assisted-immigrants-digital-shipping-lists/>;
<http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5313/4_4780/Lady%20Nugent_27%20Nov%201838/4_478000072.jpg&No=2>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2547789>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12856080>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12856073>.
[58] <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mitchell-31775>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Sherwood-2196>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smith-115170>; and
<https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/smith-maria-ann-13199>.
[59] As recounted by Terry Raftery
Also see: <https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX3100431>
Note: The Shipping list for the Lady Nugent identified James as a farm “labourer” which was one of the occupations/trades of those immigrants who travelled aboard the ship and whose skills were highly sought after by the early settlers. See: <https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX3100431>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12856073>.
[60] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229175223>;
<https://australianroyalty.net.au/tree/purnellmccord.ged/individual/I74850/James-Mitchell>; and
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/177681012/james-mitchell>.
[61] <https://australianroyalty.net.au/tree/purnellmccord.ged/individual/I74851/Hannah>; and
Death record transcription for Hannah Mitchell (nee Fairhall) (06523).
[62] William’s 1839 Certificate of Freedom noted that at the time of the completion of his sentence his trade or calling was “labourer”.
[63] Information provided by Terry Raftery
Also see: NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages - Marriage Certificate - Willis & Mitchell - Ref No 1849 212 Vol 34C
For information about the history of St John's Church of England in Camden where William and Celia were married see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Johns_Anglican_Church_Precinct>; and <https://stjohnscamden.org.au/index.php/about/history>.
[64] The birth and death records for William and Celia’s infant daughter, who according to these documents was “unnamed”, state that she was born in the Burragorang Valley on 30 January 1870 and died after only two hours on the same day. The death record for Baby Willis indicates that she was buried in the Burragorang on 31 January 1870.
When the Burragorang Valley was flooded in the 1950s following the construction of the Warragamba Dam, the NSW Parliament enacted legislation which allowed for the prior relocation of certain graves from the four cemeteries that then existed in the valley (see: <http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/wcaca1952n35314.pdf>). It is not known whether Baby Willis’s grave was among those that were relocated. Then again, if Baby Willis was born and died at the family home (which seems likely), it is possible that she was also buried on site at the family property. For the early settlers who lived in isolated locations across Australia, sometimes this was the only option.
A point of interest is that three of the Willis children (George, John and Matilda) each married into the local Hanger family, the patriarch of which was Henry Hanger (1816-1897) who had arrived in Australia as a convict aboard the Moffatt on 31 August 1836. See:
<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1993-09.pdf>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36855257>; and
Bateson, C. 2004, The Convict Ships 1787-1868, Library of Australian History, Sydney, pp. 354-355.
The 1897 newspaper obituary for Henry Hanger is here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133278420>. The 1912 newspaper obituary for his wife, Mary (nee Dooling) Hanger, is here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133118615>.
Another point of interest is that three of William and Celia’s sons, George, John and Arthur, were all employed at various times in the NSW Police Force. In the case of George, he was appointed as a Probationary Police Constable on 9 April 1877, as an Ordinary Police Constable on 1 December 1877, and resigned on 7 June 1879. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252090044>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251894249>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251896015>.
The birth record for George and Elizabeth's first-born child, Hannah Lillian, also shows that in August 1877 they were living in the Patrick’s Plains district, NSW (now known as Singleton) with George's occupation listed as a Police Constable. A number of news articles on Trove from this period refer to George and his police work at Singleton (e.g., <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78828814> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78830500>).
In turn John was appointed as a Probationary Police Constable on 7 May 1878, as an Ordinary Police Constable on 1 November 1878, and retired with the rank of Inspector in August 1916 (effective from
1 March 1917). See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251894872>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251895401>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31671740>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251744453/27982865>.
John's long career with the NSW Police Force can be seen from a variety of items on Trove including: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263960468>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263959426>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263959885>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31365752>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235382466>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141090276>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31375663>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141088081>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235382729>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119133681>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119134379>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31671740>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/249510466>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17047211>.
Like his older brothers Arthur was also employed in the NSW Police Force as a Probationary Police Constable although only for a very short time. See:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251627275>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251630803>.
Within a few months of leaving his police employment Arthur had married his wife, Clara Louisa Butler (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133052991>).
[65] Jim Barrett, in his 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang, has noted, “Up to the turn of the 20th century nine out of ten born to Burragorang families were born in their homes.” (p. 66)
[66] <https://www.fairhall.id.au/families/myline/g0/p102.htm#i2547>;
<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P41/-/ahnentafel>; and
<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P69/william-willis/individual>.
See birth records for William and Celia’s children: Mary (b.1850), Harriet (b.1852), George (b.1854), John (b.1857), Matilda (b.1859), William (Junior) (b.1861), James (b.1863), Samuel (b.1866), Celia (b.1868), Baby Willis (b.1870), Hannah (b.1871), and Arthur (b.1876).
Note: According to her birth record Hannah was born in the Burragorang on 27 February 1871. Subsequently, according to Church parish records, she was baptised on 15 May 1871 by which time her family was living at The Oaks. It is possible that the family had left the Burragorang to take up residence at The Oaks sometime between the date of Hannah's birth and when she was baptised.
[67] Information in this paragraph provided by Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Also see death record transcriptions provided by Joy Murrin Transcription Agent for: Baby Willis (05501), Harriet (nee Willis) Williams (07676), and James Willis (07860).
Note: William Samuel Williams (1880-1970); Harriet Anne Williams (1882-1977); Amy Grace Williams (1883-1928); Celia Serana Williams (1885-1913); Irene Clive Willis (1888-1966). Dates obtained from Ancestry, 12 October 2021.
[68] The parcels of land in the Burragorang Valley retained by William when he and Celia relocated to The Oaks had been acquired by him in 1859 (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228601402/12909814>).
When the Long Acre estate was sold following Celia’s death in 1909, this land was included in the sale (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/142023404>).
[69] In 1870 William purchased almost 320 acres in the Picton district comprising six adjoining allotments (size of acreage for each allotment: 61, 50, 47[1], 46[3], 59, 54) (see: New South Wales, Australia, Land Records, 1811-1870, lndex to Registers of Land Purchases, accessed from Ancestry,
3 November 2021). It appears that the various parcels of land including the six allotments eventually purchased by William were initially offered for sale in August 1869 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225584367/12674567>). By March 1870 the deeds of grant for these allotments had been duly assigned to William (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223288657/12677046>).
An article from a 1939 edition of the local Camden News also notes: “The Willis family in Australia dates back to 1830, when William Willis arrived and settled at Stonequarry; thence he laboured in Burragorang, and finally settled in The Oaks district in 1877.” (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151824>)
For context to this article, see the preceding article at: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141150984>.
A local historical society periodical from 1988 has identified the various landholders in the Picton area as at 1885 including William as the landholder of Long Acre
(<https://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1988-09.pdf>, p.15).
For a map showing the location of the Willis property at The Oaks see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233796135/view>. For access to various historical maps which also show the Willis property at The Oaks see: <https://www.nswlrs.com.au/Parish-and-Historical-Maps>. NB: Search under Parish name of “Picton” to see the Willis property at The Oaks.
According to the legal standards of the time, ownership of William’s various properties was in his name only (<http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUJlGendLaw/2009/6.pdf>, <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-17/marriage-in-australia-how-love-and-law-have-changed-in-130-years/8430254?nw=0#:~:text=June%2010%2C%201884&text=Victoria%20becomes%20the%20first%20Australian,the%20Married%20Women's%20Property%20Act.>, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coverture>, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married_Women%27s_Property_Act_1882>, and <https://www.jstor.org/stable/27509277?seq=1>).
William had to pass ownership of his various lands to Celia via his Will, which he did.
It is noted that “The Oaks” has long been the accepted way of referring to this district, not simply “Oaks” (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133278565>; and
<https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/the-oaks-nsw#:~:text=The%20Oaks%20was%20rather%20unimaginatively,changed%20to%20%22The%20Oaks%22.>).
For general information about The Oaks and its history see:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oaks,_New_South_Wales>; and
<https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/the-oaks-nsw#sthash.9EybsnAP.dpuf>.
[70] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz, granddaughter of James and Edith (nee Marshall) Willis
[71] 1885 Return of NSW Stock and Stock Owners, p. 308 (see:<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/vpsr/VPSR308.GIF>). Accessed from: <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/html/vpsr.html> and then search under “Picton District” followed by “Freshfield”.
[72] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/239412699>
[73] den Hertog, S. 1987, The History of The Oaks from the Records, The Oaks Historical Society, p. 20
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151824>
[74] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111193776>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/237245343>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13613230>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162811608>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71678200>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162197572>.
[75] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[76] Information provided by Colleen Kenny
[77] den Hertog, S. 1987, The History of The Oaks from the Records, The Oaks Historical Society, p. 41
Note: den Hertog points out that the land on which the Werriberri Provisional School was built had originally been purchased by William on 17 January 1870.
In 1911 tenders were called for the sale of the site of the school (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112631665>).
[78] See: Will of William Willis (copy obtained from NSW State Archives).
Note: Irene's father was William and Celia's son James who died on 6 June 1889 while William and John's father was Henry Harris (b.1849), the first husband of William and Celia’s eldest daughter Mary. Henry married Mary on 6 June 1878 and died on 28 May 1881. See: <https://www.fairhall.id.au/families/myline/desc-031586.htm>; and <https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/mary-jane-willis-24-q5271>.
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223977886>.
Subsequently, on 2 April 1884, Mary married Robert William Armour (1846-1933) after whom “Armour Avenue” in Camden is named (<https://www.cafhs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CAMDEN-STREET-NAME-1.pdf>).
One of Mary and Robert’s sons, George William Armour, died in 1937 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140597469>).
Mary’s 1934 obituary and funeral notice are here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140485212>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/248971372>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17045025>.
Robert’s 1933 obituary and funeral notice are here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140484360>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112759311>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118942529>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/247165101>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17020437>.
[79] A report dated July 1870 prepared by Inspector Huffer for the New South Wales Council of Education included an annexure in which William signed an undertaking (by marking an “X”) to send his sons George, John and William (Junior) to the Half-Time teaching school that had been proposed to be established at the nearby residence of his neighbour Edward Smith. Inspector Huffer's visit to the Burragorang Valley is mentioned in this news article: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115293705>.
Inspector Huffer had been appointed as local district inspector (Camden) in 1867 (see <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63665268> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166804654>).
Regarding the Half-Time School arrangements operating in New South Wales at the time one writer, Sonja den Hertog, has explained:
Following the implementation of the Public Schools Act 1866, which superseded the National School System of 1848, general education came to the remote Valley in 1870. Prior to this eight teaching stations visited by one teacher had been established during 1868 under the designation ‘Burragorang Half-Time School’. These stations set up in private homes were located at Smith’s and Dennis’s on the western side of the Wollondilly … The eight teaching stations were reduced to two in 1869 and ceased operation by 1870 … (den Hertog, S. 1990, 2006, The History of Burragorang Valley from the Records, The Oaks Historical Society, p. 18).
Similarly, Jim Barrett has noted:
The Public Schools Act of 1866 initiated a comprehensive review of what was lacking in the educational field, and the first benefits reached the Valley in 1868 when eight teaching stations were established. These stations were located in private homes and grouped as four ‘pairs’, each pair having a station on opposite sides of the river, an acknowledgement of the risks of small children needing to cross the rivers unsupervised (Barrett, J. 1995, Life in the Burragorang, Glenbrook, NSW, p. 80).
A comprehensive study of the Half-Time School system in New South Wales, which includes a focus on the Burragorang Valley, has been made by A T Freeman (see:<https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/9305091/13015>).
For links to the 1867 regulations by the NSW Council of Education, including in relation to Half-Time Schools, see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225474017/12763034> (p. 585);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119441298/12651660>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18724059>.
For historical background to the NSW Council of Education see: <https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/Public%20Access/PDF%20Guides/Council%20of%20Education%201866-1880.pdf>;
<https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE00456b.htm>;
<https://researchdata.edu.au/council-education/164349>; and
<https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/nsw/NE00456>.
[80] <https://naming.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/detail/426>;
<https://proposals.gnb.nsw.gov.au/public/geonames/9e86bea9-f2ec-4945-840a-d2b48f6782a1>
[81] The indications are strong that Willis Park at Oakdale and most likely Willis Street which is located nearby were named in recognition of Roland Cherry Willis (1906-1984) and his family. Roland’s family first became associated with the districts around Oakdale, The Oaks and Camden in the early 1890s. Roland’s mother, Elizabeth (nee Moore) Willis (1865-1946) had owned the land now known as Willis Park from the early 1900s up to the early 1940s. (NB: Property maps are available for viewing through the NSW Land Registry Services [LRS] Historical Land Records Viewer [HLRV] <https://hlrv.nswlrs.com.au/>). In the document of ownership for this land (Vol. 3030 Fol. 122) Elizabeth is identified as “the wife of Francis Cherry Willis of Mosman”. The Museums of History NSW has advised that in 1941 ownership of this land was transferred from Elizabeth Willis to Roland Cherry Willis (as also noted on the document of ownership 3030-122). Subsequently, in August 1950 the local media reported that a “Mr Willis” (undoubtedly Roland Cherry Willis), as part of his application to the Wollondilly Shire Council for approval to subdivide his land at Oakdale, offered to allow a portion of the land to be used as a public recreation reserve for the “beautification” of the area (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111056619> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111054644>). It was this land that later became Willis Park. This is confirmed by comparing a current aerial view of Willis Park and its surrounding area with the relevant 1945 property map pertaining to the land which had been assigned to Elizabeth Willis. The Museums of History NSW also advised that in 1961 the Wollondilly Shire Council gained title of the land now associated with Willis Park (8311-37). The name of Willis Park was officially gazetted on
5 December 1986 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231675591>).
With respect to Willis Street at Oakdale it seems that the land on which this road is now situated was originally owned by one of Elizabeth's relatives, Robert Moore (<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Moore-26109> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140478168>).
Note: Although sharing the same surname the families of Roland Cherry Willis and William Willis are not related. Indeed, Roland’s father was Francis Cherry (F C) Willis (1866-1939) who was born in Adelaide (South Australia) and later moved to New South Wales. F C Willis went on to marry Elizabeth Moore at Narellan in June 1891 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235859149>). As mentioned above, the document of ownership for the Oakdale land that became Willis Park also identifies Elizabeth as “the wife of Francis Cherry Willis” (3030-122). By May 1892 F C Willis and Elizabeth were living at Ashfield in Sydney (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236165661>). From 1893 F C Willis was being identified with Camden (e.g., see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220973877/14158306>). This continued the following year (August and October 1894) with him again being mentioned in connection with Camden and its surrounds (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236142799>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162832358>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236114316>).
There are also newspaper references from the late 1890s which mention Elizabeth as living at Camden (e.g., see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133280192>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133281982>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133053723>).
F C Willis and Elizabeth had four children: Freida, Lionel, Nigel, and Roland who was the youngest. Their oldest child, Freida was born in May 1892 while they were living at Ashfield
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236165661>). Lionel, their second child, was born in February 1897 after they had moved to Camden
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71291028>). Their remaining children, Nigel and Roland were also born at Camden, in 1899 and 1906 respectively
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/163689047>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236839145>).
F C Willis was active in the local community including municipal politics, becoming an alderman of the Camden Municipal Council. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133123716>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133121528>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133123991>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133121530>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133121897>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136644105>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151874>.
F C Willis had an older brother, Henry (1860-1950) who similarly came to NSW from Adelaide and likewise became involved in politics not only at the local level but also at the State and Federal levels. See: <https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/willis-henry-9124>; and
<https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/formermembers/Pages/former-member-details.aspx?pk=1063>.
F C Willis and Henry both married girls (sisters) from the same family (Moore). While F C Willis married Elizabeth Moore, Henry married Elizabeth’s older sister, Annie Louisa Moore (1860-1951) at Campbelltown in September 1889 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235808249>).
F C Willis and Elizabeth left the Camden area in November 1909 to relocate to Sydney (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136644105>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136643844>).
F C Willis died in 1939 and Elizabeth died in 1946 (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151814>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140490048>).
For further information see: <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Willis-4911>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Moore-26100>; and
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Willis-4924>.
[82] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108056613>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238391452>
Note: The George Inn at Picton, now known as the George IV Inn, has been described as follows:
Located at 180 Argyle Street, the George IV Inn is one of the oldest hotels in the country. Said to have been built in 1819 but not licensed until 1839 it is a rambling, single storey building on the southern side of Stonecutter Creek. The inn’s veranda, stables and courtyard capture an earlier time when the journey from Sydney was a long and uncomfortable coach ride.
(See: <https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/picton-nsw>; and <https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/picton-20070815-gdkq6j.html>)
The construction date of 1819 has been contested (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111059550>). According to some, the inn was built by George Harper in 1839 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112212844>). Although, this date has also been disputed (see: <http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1993-03.pdf>). Nevertheless, the inn does boast a convict connection in that it incorporated a “convict hold” for the detention of prisoners (<https://www.macarthuradvertiser.com.au/story/5085207/george-iv-inns-convict-history-on-show/>).
[83] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>
Note: The “late Mr George Mitchell” referred to in the preceding article was William’s brother-in-law (Celia's brother) who had died a month earlier (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133280171> and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133282717>). Also see: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685253/george-mitchell>; and
<https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=15596652>.
For information about banking facilities in the early days of the New South Wales colony see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141152983>; and
<https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2001/2001-07/1820s.html>.
Also, the “old spade guineas” mentioned in the article is a reference to the gold coin that was introduced in 1787 during the reign of King George III (b.1738 r. 1760-1820). They were described as spade guineas because of the spade-shaped shield on the reverse side of the coin (see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_(coin)>). The spade guinea was highly valued because of its gold content and was widely circulated in early colonial Australia (<https://www.downies.com/gb-1793-spade-guinea-gf-vf> and <https://coinworks.com.au/1787-Gold-Proof-Spade-Guinea~9609#:~:text=The%20Spade%20Guinea%20was%20one,value%20of%20%C2%A31%202s.>).
[84] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108056613>
[85] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133280082>
[86] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263987357>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31365752>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263987738>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235189833>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263918820>.
Note: The speaker in question at this farewell for John Willis, Enoch William Booty (1856-1943), was a well-known local figure whose many roles included being the Branch accountant of the Bank of New South Wales in Camden between c.1876 and 1889. It was possibly during this time that he came to know John’s father, William.
See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71121140>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71121601>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162066344>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263918641>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227191505>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/145702781>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/101822878>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108055319>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133282915>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263987570>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263993231>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263986106>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113251184>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263988967>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139844324/16152084>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71205141>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/15724122>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144104388>;
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/1429484:60528?ssrc=pt&tid=106188533&pid=152195628940>;
<https://www.camdenremembers.com.au/WWIRoll/wwI_B.pdf> (p.16); <https://media.opengov.nsw.gov.au/pairtree_root/27/71/fa/56/54/32/4e/56/ba/9a/d3/cb/96/e0/3c/db/obj/document.pdf> (p.81); and
<https://lawalmanacs.info/almanacs/nsw-law-almanac-1886.pdf> (p.22).
[87] The advertisement placed by William was as follows: “LOST—A Winter Buggy Rug between Mrs Willis's residence on The Oaks road and Camden. Reward on returning same to Mr Willis, The Oaks Road.” (See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133278393>)
[88] Yewen’s Directory of the Landholders of New South Wales 1900, p. 91 (accessed from “Find my Past”, 17 November 2020); and
New South Wales Census 1901 (accessed from Ancestry, 12 October 2021).
Note: Celia was also registered as a voter on the 1903 Commonwealth Electoral Roll (see: <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/nswer1903/nswer1903_04843.gif>).
According to the legal standards of the time, ownership of William’s various properties was in his name only. William had to pass ownership of his various lands to Celia via his Will, which he did.
See: <http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUJlGendLaw/2009/6.pdf>;
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-17/marriage-in-australia-how-love-and-law-have-changed-in-130-years/8430254?nw=0#:~:text=June%2010%2C%201884&text=Victoria%20becomes%20the%20first%20Australian,the%20Married%20Women's%20Property%20Act.>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coverture>; <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married_Women%27s_Property_Act_1882>; and <https://www.jstor.org/stable/27509277?seq=1>.
[89] Will of Celia Willis (copy obtained from NSW State Archives) (DoD: 6 November 1909 at Picton);
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Willis-2030>; and
<https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/walter-wheeler-24-1xyqwq>.
Note: Cecil, Irene and Vera were the children of Hannah and her husband Walter Wheeler (1869-1940).
[90] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238240291>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31392040>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136644104>.
Note: The statement in the preceding article which identifies Celia as “... the mother of the late Mr Williams’ first wife” is a reference to William and Celia’s second daughter Harriet Willis (b. 6 July 1852, d. 21 February 1886) who married James Williams on 24 July 1879. Harriet is mentioned in the newspaper obituary for James although only as “Miss Willis”; nevertheless, she is still recognised as being the “daughter of the late William Willis of Long Acre, The Oaks and Mrs Willis now of Picton” (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136643399>).
[91] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685290/william-willis>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685289/celia-willis>
Also see: <https://www.simplyaustralia.net/old-oaks-church/>
[92] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15133399>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/239412699>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15145359>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164337642>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15155908>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136642526>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/142023404>.
[93] NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages – Marriage Certificate – Willis & Mulholland – No 105/1890
Note: The name of the street where the St Barnabas Church was located changed from "George Street West" to the current name of "Broadway" in 1934 (see: <https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/broadway>;
<https://archives.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/743393>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway,_Sydney>).
[94] Information provided by Terry Raftery
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13234782>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115763034>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13234773>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60516883>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/assisted-immigrants-digital-shipping-lists>;
<http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/shipping/mig-nsw.htm>; and
<https://www.facebook.com/878976525498739/posts/moses-mulholland-jnr-was-a-twin-he-and-his-brother-john-were-born-in-county-tyro/915203568542701/>.
Note: A local historical society periodical from 1988 has identified the various landholders in the Picton area as at 1885 including Moses as a landholder of Abbotsford together with his son Moses Jnr (see:<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1988-09.pdf>, p.15).
Also see: <https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/assets/Documents/Planning-and-Development/Planning-Proposals/Abbotsford-Planning-Proposal-and-Draft-Planning-Agreement/Appendix-P-Curtilage-Study.PDF> (p.13).
For general information about Abbotsford see:
<http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/ifhaa/towns/picton.htm>;
<http://www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/Picton/2005/02/17/1108500198413.html>;
<https://wikimili.com/en/Abbotsford%2C_Picton>; and
<https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/assets/Uploads/Report-Statement-of-Heritage-Impact.PDF>.
[95] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[96] See: <https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/assisted-immigrants-digital-shipping-lists>;
<https://irelandxo.com/ireland/tyrone/desertcreat-tyrone/message-board/thomas-john-mulholland-1820-1870>;
<https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=915203568542701&id=878976525498739>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12974097>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12974105>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115763034>; and
<http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/shipping/mig-nsw.htm>.
Sadly, Thomas drowned in 1870. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104087726>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70461813>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/123551606/12780503>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104087730>.
[97] Information about Annie and Margaret arriving in Melbourne on the Crusader provided by Colleen Kenny
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5819790>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219364324>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60449101>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189327960>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189326048>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5819840>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219363732>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196301569>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13205037>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196730875>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/39674934>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66838449>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198852909>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92283893>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232871526>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107125574>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244909937>; and
<https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration/unassisted-passenger-lists>.
[98] For information about Annie and Margaret travelling from Melbourne to Sydney aboard the City of Adelaide see:
NSW Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922, Vessel Name: City of Adelaide, Port of Departure: Melbourne, Port of Arrival: Sydney, Voyage Arrival Date: 16 May 1870 (accessed from Ancestry, 10 November 2021);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13205288>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28419202>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63107181>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28419220>.
[99] As recalled by Howard Willis, son of Will and Hilary (nee Cornell) Willis and grandson of William and Margaret (nee Mulholland) Willis
[100] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/14039247>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144435450>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144435471>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109919519>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124065674>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71242867>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14047054>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238603080>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14053781>.
[101] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109917804>
[102] <https://naming.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/detail/284>
[103] Vincent, L. 1996, A Brief History of Picton, p. 22;
<http://www.wollondillymuseum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Newsletter-April-2021.pdf>
[104] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162263640/moses-mulholland>;
<https://pwac.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2016_06_12_21_46_07.pdf> (p. 14)
[105] Information provided by Terry Raftery
For general information about Jarvisfield see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarvisfield,_Picton>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71098433>
[106] Information provided by Terry Raftery
Note: This custom was consistent with that practised in nineteenth century England where “... it was common … for a young wife to return to her mother for her first confinement” (Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, p. 109).
William Louis was known by his family as “Billy” but his wife Hilary referred to him as “Will” which is what he is called in this account of the family story.
[107] Information about the children’s illness provided by Terry Raftery, to whom it was relayed by his mother, Catherine Celia (nee Willis) Raftery.
[108] Information about Will’s recollection of being sent by his parents to seek urgent medical help for his siblings provided by Janet Brown, granddaughter of Will and Hilary (nee Cornell) Willis.
According to the death certificates for Johnny and Teddy the doctor who attended them was Dr Lloyd Davenport Parry from Picton (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113418951>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214989328>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14588037>).
A summary of Dr Parry’s life is here: <http://www.wollondillymuseum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Newsletter-February-2022.pdf>;
<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SJ_MARCH_2020.pdf> (pp. 7-9); and
<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021-03-SJ.pdf> (p. 1).
[109] <https://austcemindex.com/?cemid=521>;
<https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=6536356>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162558770/john-harold-willis>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162558771/edward-willis>; and
<https://pwac.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2016_06_12_21_46_07.pdf> (p. 22).
[110] Notice provided courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Note: Prior to the advent of vaccination, “... croup was frequently caused by diphtheria and was often fatal. This cause is now very rare in the Western world due to the success of the diphtheria vaccine” (<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croup#:~:text=Croup%20is%20usually%20deemed%20to,tracheitis%2C%20laryngotracheobronchitis%2C%20and%20laryngotracheobronchopneumonitis>). The diphtheria vaccine was developed in 1923 (<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphtheria_vaccine>).
[111] Information provided by Terry Raftery
Information about the family travelling overland by bullock dray provided by Wendy Holt (Great great granddaughter of George and Elizabeth [nee Hanger] Willis and Great granddaughter of Alice [nee Willis] Ford).
The Certificate of Title for Erin Vale indicating William’s ownership of the property was dated 16 May 1906. The following news article from January 1907 confirms that William was living in the Meringandan district by this time: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185087392>. A newspaper article from 20 December 1929 refers to William as having been at his property for “23 years” (i.e., since 1906) (see:<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254110187>).
The following articles from early 1906 also indicate the sale of Erin Vale from the previous owners, the Considine family: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180436647>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180441480>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180433798>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184889282>.
Prior to relocating to Queensland, William and Margaret may have moved from Jarvisfield - where they were living when first married - to live and work at Abbotsford, the property where Margaret's father, Moses Mulholland, had resided for many years. This is indicated by the Sands Directories for 1905 and 1906 (available through Ancestry) and the 1903 death records for their young sons, Johnny and Teddy.
Terry Raftery has suggested that another distressing incident which possibly contributed to William and Margaret’s decision to relocate to Queensland was the suicide of Margaret’s brother, Moses (Junior) in 1903. See: <https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=915203568542701&id=878976525498739>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115854016>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14545835>.
Moses Jnr was known to have been in ill-health for some time prior to his death (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/237562784>).
Also see: <https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P48/william-willis/individual>
[112] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[113] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19432965>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25975135>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19616634>.
[114] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186558602>
[115] Information provided by Terry Raftery and Andrea Luck, granddaughter-in-law of Noel and Noela (nee Willis) Luck included in this paragraph.
For further information about Samuel and Joan Willis and their family see:
<https://www.ancestry.ca/genealogy/records/joan-halliday-24-xsjzw>;
<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P2559/samuel-willis/individual>
[116] As recounted by Terry Raftery. Terry has advised that it was William and Margaret's son, James Vivian (Jim) Willis (1893-1982), who had told him about George and Elizabeth moving to Queensland around the same time as his brothers Samuel and William (or soon thereafter) and (possibly) leasing the neighbouring property to theirs at Meringandan prior to returning to the Bowral district in New South Wales. The 1909 Electoral Roll for the division of Darling Downs (sub-division of Highfields) confirms that George and Elizabeth were living at “Cooby Creek” at that time with George’s brothers William and Samuel and their wives Margaret and Joan living at "Meringandan". There are no other references in the Queensland electoral rolls before or after this time to George and Elizabeth living at Cooby Creek. The presence of George and Elizabeth at Cooby Creek coincides with the decision by George in early 1909 to “let” their property at Glenquarry, NSW so they could leave for “the North Coast”. For example, see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128663134>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117143534>.
George and Elizabeth were married in 1877 and their children were: Hannah (1877-1949), Celia (1880-1881), Alice (1882-1969), Samuel (1884-1969), William (1887-1977), George (Junior) (1889-1971), Cecil (1892-1975), Claude (1892-1968), Ruth (1895-1991), and Ruby (1895-1942). George and Elizabeth’s family is outlined here: <https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P2563/george-willis/individual>.
Note: William, Margaret, Samuel and Joan were still living at Picton in 1903 according to the Commonwealth Electoral Roll for that year (see: <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/nswer1903/nswer1903_04813.gif> and <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/nswer1903/nswer1903_04812.gif>). In addition, the 1903 Sands Pastoral Directory showed Samuel was living at Long Acre (Picton) at that time (<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/html/sands03c.html#pic>). The Sands Pastoral Directory showed them all still living in the Picton district in 1905 with George living in the Upper Burragorang (<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/sp1905gf/1905089c.gif>). Indeed, George appears to have been living in the Upper Burragorang at least as early as 1896 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133280715>), and possibly since 1893 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222196355/13188736>) or even earlier (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224184471/12915521>). The 1887 birth record for George and Elizabeth's son, William also indicates that they were living in the Upper Burragorang at that time. (For a map showing George's property in the Upper Burragorang see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233800737/view>.) Prior to then, George and Elizabeth had been living south of Picton on a farm called "Harmony" at Redbank (present-day Thirlmere) as is indicated by the birth and baptism parish records for their daughter, Alice (1882) and son, Samuel (1884). As noted earlier, in August 1877 they had been living in the Patrick’s Plains district, NSW (now known as Singleton) where George had been stationed as a Police Constable and their first child, Hannah Lillian had been born (refer Hannah's birth record transcript). By the time of the arrival of their next child, Celia, in 1880 they were living at Oran Park, NSW, and George was working as a farmer.
The 1906 Sands Pastoral Directory lists William as still living at Abbotsford, Samuel at Long Acre and George in the Upper Burragorang. However, while the 1907 Sands Pastoral Directory showed George still living at the Upper Burragorang, no mention is made of William or Samuel. Certainly by the time of the 1908 and 1909 editions of the Sands Pastoral Directory none of them are mentioned (for the 1909 edition see: <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/sndgif09c/1909130c.gif>). With respect to William and Samuel, the answer as to their whereabouts between 1905 and 1908/09 may be ascertained from other sources.
In this regard, the enrolment records of the Meringandan State School indicate that Samuel and Joan’s children Arthur and Nellie were enrolled as from 14 January 1906. Samuel and Joan had certainly settled into the Meringandan district by September 1906 as shown by newspaper advertisements relating to a bovine auction sale at Meringandan on behalf of several locals including “S Willis, Esq” (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183211255>, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183202999> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183211718>). Similarly, a July 1907 newspaper notice pertaining to “Movements of Stock” made reference to “S Willis of Meringandan”
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179985294>).
The Certificate of Title for Erin Vale indicating William’s ownership of the property was dated 16 May 1906. In addition, the enrolment records of the Meringandan State School indicate that William and Margaret’s younger children Jim, Cate and Millie were enrolled as from 24 July 1906. (It appears that Will (b.1890) did not get enrolled as he would have been too old to attend primary school.) The following news article from January 1907 confirms that William was living in the Meringandan district by this time (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185087392>). An article from December 1907 provides further confirmation (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19400793>). A newspaper article from 20 December 1929 refers to William as having owned his property for “23 years” (i.e., since 1906) (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254110187>). The 1907 Queensland Post Office Directory (Wise) also shows that by this time both William and Samuel were living and farming at Meringandan. Another news article from February 1908 refers to "Mrs Sam Willis" and "Mrs Will Willis" both of Meringandan (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19510846>; also, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/191524310>). Likewise, Commonwealth electoral roll records for 1908 show that at this time William, Margaret, Samuel and Joan were all living in the Division of Darling Downs, subdivision of Jondaryan (also see: <https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P2559/samuel-willis/individual>).
As previously noted, the following articles from early 1906 also indicate the sale of Erin Vale from the previous owners, the Considine family: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180436647>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180441480>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180433798>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184889282>.
[117] The Meringandan electoral rolls for 1903, 1905 and 1906 show that William and Margaret's property was known as Erin Vale under the previous owners, the Considine family.
There are newspaper references to Samuel’s property being known as Bannockburn from 1923 and 1925 (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253741320>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253927977>). The Highfields electoral rolls for 1922 and 1925 also record one of Samuel’s daughters, Nellie, as living at “Bannockburn”, Meringandan.
An interesting point is that the names of William’s and Samuel’s properties appear to reflect (either fortuitously or by design) the Irish and Scottish heritages of their wives Margaret and Joan. (Note: Margaret was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone in what is now Northern Ireland while Joan was born in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland.)
[118] Even in 1924 the road on which the Willis properties were situated was referred to as “Willis’s road”. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253759383>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253749678>.
[119] After moving to Meringandan William and Samuel both went on to demonstrate a strong commitment to their new local community. For instance, William became a member of the Darling Downs chapter of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows (MUIOOF), a fraternal order originally established in 1810 in Manchester, England, and at one point served as the organisation’s Noble Grand (NG). See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183192392>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182678616>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183193520>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189201369>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182678085>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182674795>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182652163>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/187352493> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180616137>.
For information about the MUIOOF including its functions and responsibilities to the various communities it served see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd_Fellows>;
<https://www.australianunity.com.au/about-us/our-history>; <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Order_of_Oddfellows_Manchester_Unity>; <https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2783>; <https://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/76>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glennie_Hall>; and
<https://www.fraternalsecrets.org/they-call-each-other-brother/>.
For his part, Samuel served on the committee for the construction of the new Meringandan State School. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196948612>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182697331>.
Samuel also appears to have had some involvement in local politics (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253832334>).
Furthermore, according to his obituary (Toowoomba Chronicle, 3 May 1949, p. 5), Samuel was a great sports lover, particularly cricket, and was a strong supporter of the local Meringandan Cricket Club. As well as cricket, he supported other local sports (for example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253308700>).
[120] As previously noted, Terry Raftery has recounted that it was William and Margaret's son, James Vivian (Jim) Willis (1893-1982), who had told him about George and Elizabeth moving to Queensland around the same time as his brothers Samuel and William (or soon thereafter) and (possibly) leasing the neighbouring property to theirs at Meringandan prior to returning to the Bowral district in New South Wales.
Records on Trove and Ancestry also point to the approximate timeframe when George and Elizabeth moved to Queensland and of their return to New South Wales. In particular:
1. In January 1908 George and his son Cecil are mentioned in the local media as residing at “Baroona”, Glenquarry (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112507465> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112097718>).
2. In April 1908, on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter Alice to William Ford, George is again mentioned as living at “Baroona”, Glenquarry (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112099815>).
3. In February and March 1909 George was reported as having “let his property” at Glenquarry and was “leaving for the North Coast”. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128663134>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117142618>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117142609>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128660440>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117143534>.
4. As noted earlier, the Sands Pastoral Directory for 1905, 1906 and 1907 included mention of George and his property at Upper Burragorang but by the time of the directory's 1908 and 1909 editions no such mention is made.
5. Importantly, and as previously noted, the 1909 Electoral Roll for for the division of Darling Downs (sub-division of Highfields) lists George and Elizabeth as living at “Cooby Creek” while George’s brothers William and Samuel and their wives Margaret and Joan are listed as living at "Meringandan".
There are no other references in the Queensland electoral rolls before or after this time to George and Elizabeth living at Cooby Creek. The presence of George and Elizabeth at Cooby Creek coincides with the decision by George in early 1909 to “let” their property at Glenquarry so they could leave for “the North Coast” (see above). Apart from subsequent visits George and Elizabeth may have undertaken to visit those of their children who lived in Queensland, there is no indication of them ever again residing outside of New South Wales.
6. According to the NSW Government Gazette of 16 November 1910 George was again living at Glenquarry (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229310511>).
7. In January 1911 George is listed as still living at Glenquarry via Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227586552/14137232>).
8. In February 1911 George is again listed as living at Glenquarry via Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227587428/14137577>).
9. A “G Willis” is mentioned in a news article from 4 April 1911 about being engaged by the Toowoomba City Council (Queensland) to make certain repairs (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182699730>). However, because only the initial "G" is used in this news article, it is not certain whether this was a reference to George (which is unlikely given that he seems to have returned to Glenquarry by this time), or maybe to his son George (Junior) who by this stage was aged 21 years (dob: 26 April 1889) and whom it is known lived in the Toowoomba area and continued to do so for the rest of his life. Then again, it is also possible that this was some other unrelated person with the surname of Willis who had a first name beginning with “G”.
10. Then on 12 August 1911 reference is given to a “Ruby Willis” (and her place of residence as “Meringandan”) in an article in the Darling Downs Gazette (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182675425>). “Ruby Willis” is again mentioned in an article from 9 September 1911 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180620439>). Subsequently, “Ruby Willis of Meringandan” is mentioned in a news article on 30 September 1911 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180620845>). One of George and Elizabeth's twin daughters was named Ruby. The likelihood is strong that the “Ruby Willis of Meringandan” mentioned in these news articles was George and Elizabeth’s daughter. At this point Ruby, who was born on
26 November 1895, was only 15 years old and would have most likely been staying with family or other relatives. (Note that apart from her own family Ruby had two sets of uncles and aunts and several cousins who were living in Meringandan at the time). There are no prior, or subsequent, references to a "Ruby Willis of Meringandan" in Trove.
11. In February 1912, George is indicated as still living at Glenquarry (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226770811>).
12. The November 1912 obituary for George’s mother-in-law (Mary [nee Dooling] Hanger) indicates that at this point he and Elizabeth were residents of Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133118615>).
13. In April 1913 George’s sons Cecil and Claude are mentioned in local media as playing cricket for Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113788737>; also see January 1913 <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113789903>). Trove also reveals other later such references. Claude subsequently returned to Queensland where in 1918 he married Edith Matilda Lucht at Toowoomba.
14. According to the Sands Directories: Sydney and NSW 1858-1933 (available through Ancestry), by 1914 George was still living at Glenquarry. Also see:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227672753>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227674058>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113376283>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113376283>.
15. According to the World War 1 enlistment records of his son, Cecil (dated 15 February 1916), George was still living at Glenquarry. See:<https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8855009>.
16. During 1917 other media reports indicated that George was still living at Glenquarry. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120006013>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113377980>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120005253>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132968725>.
17. By September 1917 George’s place of residence had changed from Glenquarry to Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120004080> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132968725>).
18. Later Sands Directories show that George was still listed as living at Glenquarry until 1920 but by 1921 had started to be listed as a resident of Bowral.
[121] George and Elizabeth's departure from the Cooby Creek property in Queensland and their subsequent return to New South Wales could have been influenced by the decision of the property's owner, Daniel Buckley, to put it up for sale in early 1910. See:<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182913259>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182913266>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182908178>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182909104>.
[122] Although George, Elizabeth and some of their family soon returned to the Bowral district (NSW), as previously noted several of their children ended up marrying and staying in Queensland (<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P2563/george-willis/individual>). For instance, George (Junior) (1889-1971) married a local Goombungee girl, Amelia Henrietta Lucht (1891-1968), on 14 August 1912. From electoral rolls they were still living in Toowoomba in 1925. Another son, Samuel (1884-1969), also married a Goombungee girl, Henrietta Matilda Lucht (1895-1968), on 23 January 1912. They stayed in Queensland before returning to Bowal (NSW) by 1914. (Note: The fathers of Amelia and Henrietta were brothers meaning that Amelia and Henrietta were cousins). While George and Samuel’s younger brother Claude (1892-1968) initially returned to the Bowral district, he later came back to Toowoomba where on 20 February 1918 he married Amelia’s sister, Edith Matilda Lucht (1894-1985). Claude and his family continued to live in Queensland.
George’s 1941 death certificate shows that he died in the Lidcombe State Hospital while his funeral notice (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17755025>) stated that the last place where he lived was Flemington (NSW) (now known as Homebush).
Elizabeth's maiden name was Hanger. As previously mentioned, George and two of his siblings (Matilda and John) each married into the Hanger family, the patriarch of which was Henry Hanger who originally came to Australia as a convict (<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1993-09.pdf>).
[123] See: Marriage certificate - Annie Sarah Willis to Henry Lude 1893 (Reg. No. 000198/1893); and
Marriage certificate - Irene Willis to John Terris 1906 (Reg. No. 1906/C/2097).
Also see: <https://gw.geneanet.org/mrmozz?n=lude&oc=&p=ole+tueson+henry+harry+ole>;
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/6352447384:62476>;
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/758615:1780>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198469848/annie-sarah-lude>;
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/1030/?name=_Terriss&pg=2&count=50&name_x=_1>;
<https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/details/57901d3983bf724b41fda4f31be8e1e5c3cf82cf07c9a4f297347df678b940b1>;
<https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/details/f51dab16352c07952d7ea48d34897ca78a214db74407bb8820e886d3da259a29>;
<https://www.myheritage.com/names/john_terris>; and
<https://www.myheritage.com/names/william_terris>.
For Henry’s 1923 death notice see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/54134401>
For Annie’s 1946 obituary and funeral notices see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62995674>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63004537>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56411107>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56411734>.
[124] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149521038/william-willis>;
<http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/cemeteries/deceased-search/burial/52557>; and
<https://austcemindex.com/inscription.php?id=10131189>.
[125] Toowoomba Chronicle, 17 September 1941, page 2 (copy of obituary provided courtesy of Marionne Diggles, Secretary, Toowoomba & Darling Downs Family History Society Inc.)
[126] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[127] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[128] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[129] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[130] Camden News, Thursday 5 May 1910, courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Also available at: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136642526>
[131] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz
[132] Photo accessed from: <https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=6536356>
[133] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz
[134] Photo courtesy of Tony Vanderpool
Note: The date of William’s death on the headstone is incorrect. According to his death certificate William died on 9 September 1941. Also see the following contemporaneous news articles: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97798050>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71444672>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186626585>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76112064>.
The reason why this error appeared on the headstone is unknown.
[135] Location of Willis property in the Burragorang Valley prior to it being flooded, from Jim Barrett’s 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang, p. 29
For an official map showing the location of William’s property in the Burragorang see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-537800833/view>. For an earlier version of this map see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233795859/view>.
For access to various historical maps which also show William’s property in the Burragorang see: <https://www.nswlrs.com.au/Parish-and-Historical-Maps>. NB: Search under “Nattai” and “Jooriland” to see William’s properties on both sides of the Wollondilly River.
[136] Photo courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
[137] Photo courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Note: A point of interest about William and Celia's headstone is that it incorporates the letters IHS which are the first three letters of the word ISHUS, the name of Christ in Greek (Collison, N. 2004, "The Little Slab Church - St Matthew's Church of England, The Oaks NSW", Published by The Oaks Historical Society Inc, p. 54).
[138] Image courtesy of Colleen Kenny
[139] Image courtesy of Colleen Kenny
[140] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz
[141] Photo accessed from: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162263640/moses-mulholland>
[142] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[143] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[144] Photo courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Note: A point of interest about Harriet's headstone is that it incorporates the image of a dove, which symbolises peace. A dove also represents the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The dove is encircled by a garland of roses which symbolises the celebration of a person's life (Collison, N. 2004, "The Little Slab Church - St Matthew's Church of England, The Oaks NSW", Published by The Oaks Historical Society Inc, p. 53).
[145] Photo courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Note: A point of interest about James's headstone is that it incorporates the image of roses which signify love and beauty and when depicted in full bloom, indicate that the deceased person was in the prime of their life. The combination of flowers and wreath such as on James's headstone symbolises the celebration of the person's life (Collison, N. 2004, "The Little Slab Church - St Matthew's Church of England, The Oaks NSW", Published by The Oaks Historical Society Inc, p. 52).
[146] Photo source: From the Beginning 1876-2001: commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Meringandan State School, Annette Irvine, Meringandan, QLD: Meringandan State School 2001, p. 47 (used with permission).
[147] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[148] Photo accessed from Ancestry, 4 October 2021
[149] Photo accessed from Ancestry, 4 October 2021
[150] <http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:210189/s18378366_1948_4_1_20.pdf>, pp. 24, 25;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262510>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25973625>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/175262705>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496651>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496652>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18553325>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Barton_Southerden>;
<http://www.greatblokes.org/cultural-groups.html>;
<https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX801003>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/node/1341/browse>;
<https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Southerden>;
<http://static.placestories.com/pool/story/0007/0020632/lo/doc.pdf>.
Note: Edward's sister Caroline was a dressmaker in Ipswich (see: <https://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/61756/early-settlers-M-Z.pdf>).
[151] Photo accessed from:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/36895165?q=E+B+Southerden&c=picture&versionId=47903942>
[152] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3711988>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100867737>
[153] McLean, E. E., January 1980, Southerden Lodge: A Living Memorial, Ann Street City Uniting Church, p. 1 (available at: <https://d6f0efab-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/sixsoutherden/home/documents/SDL_history_1980.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7cqHZ4qyXCsrj-IFNvquFZ---Mdi4o16fLqjuaWBbycqR2AIaZYdUI0JZbqndBZHsI6UFCXaIuhZHbZIHYNRWeLLy6S5ngh_QpTNnlmYOziSeEDSGRoLMwTbERr2iW9JDnkX4Eq5PNLcpkWcc1sHi0tt6Q7lZZ3F8bX73oWo2fYKreKyjsV1ESmPuK5PSL1cgcKQTAXEOdHJunUsuhLUrC82ly-pgGRtN-LjQsalQwQxGTaeccokslKpqNAb_DjUn6KLuuRk&attredirects=0>).
For examples of the advertisements Edward placed in local newspapers to promote his store see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3718510> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3716410>.
Note: At one point in the early 1850s Edward was in separate partnerships with his older brother, Samuel and younger brother, William, arrangements that were dissolved by 1858 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3711032>, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228397401>, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3710036> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3721254>). William went on to live and trade in Maryborough (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3720526> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3716454>).
[154] Photo accessed from the State Library of Queensland: <https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/queen-street-brisbane-1859>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20630533>
[155] East, J W, 2020, Queen Street, 1900 – A Study of the Victorian Architecture of Brisbane's Principal Thoroughfare, pp. 315, 316
[156] Knight, J. J., 1897, Brisbane: a historical sketch of the capital of Queensland, giving an outline of old-time events, with a description of Brisbane of the present day, and a municipal retrospect. Brisbane: Biggs & Morcom, “Table: The Aldermanic List 1859-1897”, p. 101
[157] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 117-119, 125n59;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/97692214>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19489165>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Barton_Southerden>.
[158] For Mary see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182855459>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174127605>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174127475>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174127500>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174136288>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19045230>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19043073>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174136136>.
For Edward see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181471488>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175261845>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262510>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262705>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19489029>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19495841>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175261096>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175261330>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/20908472>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19489165>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181471365>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262746>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19479349>.
[159] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262510>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181471488>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/100867737>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20736807>.
[160] Photo accessed from:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/176479303?q=Mary+Elizabeth+Cribb&c=picture&versionId=192198238>
[161] Photo accessed from:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/238934212?q=Mary+Elizabeth+Cribb&c=picture&versionId=266395036>
[162] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3711988>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100867737>
For notification of Sarah’s death in 1857 see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3722647>
[163] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 117-119, 246
[164] A comprehensive history of Robert Cribb and his family has been written, entitled: Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, by Beth Johnson, 2005, Longleat House Publishing, Victoria and Brisbane (Auchenflower).
For a shorter history of Robert Cribb see: <http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-robert-3289>;
<http://immigrationplace.com.au/story/robert-cribb/>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cribb>;
<https://alchetron.com/Robert-Cribb-1127584-W>;
<https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3641244401>; and
<https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/formermembers/Pages/former-member-details.aspx?pk=307>.
[165] The Municipality of Brisbane was proclaimed under the Municipalities Act of 1858 (NSW) on
6 September 1859 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228601389>). The first election for council aldermen was held on 13 October 1859 with 37 candidates running for nine positions (<https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/council-information-and-rates/council-history>).
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185013210>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174729353>.
[166] Knight, J. J., 1897, Brisbane: a historical sketch of the capital of Queensland, giving an outline of old-time events, with a description of Brisbane of the present day, and a municipal retrospect. Brisbane: Biggs & Morcom, “Table: The Aldermanic List 1859-1897”, p. 100; and
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-robert-3289>.
[167] Photo accessed from: <http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1258274/16709772/1329810446550/NFDHS-News-May11.pdf?token=flBTrDZs2ax1jyRcwi6sh21e89Q%3D>
[168] Photo accessed from: <http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1258274/16709772/1329810446550/NFDHS-News-May11.pdf?token=flBTrDZs2ax1jyRcwi6sh21e89Q%3D>
[169] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 95ff;<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-robert-3289>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829594>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496651>.
[170] See: Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 104, 258, 260n19:
... Robert Cribb was acknowledged for his untiring work in the Separation movement 'having been, next to Dr. Lang, the most active in bringing about this result'. (p. 104)
When the squatters tried to gain separation from New South Wales with a continued supply of convict labour, many northemers, desperate for some control over the revenue they generated, were ready to accept separation on their terms. Cribb refused to compromise and worked tirelessly for separation with no convicts. He cooperated with the politically reckless Dr John Dunmore Lang and allowed him credit
for achieving Queensland's independence five or six years earlier than expected. It is an indication of his generous spirit that he might legitimately have claimed much of the credit for himself. (p. 258)
W F Morrison, Vol II, microfiche 5 of 6, claims Cribb 'for ten years worked hard in the Separation movement, having been, next to Dr. Lang, the most active in bringing about this result'; and Fox, Vol 1, p. 947 wrote, 'separation blossomed as an accomplished fact in 1859, largely as the fruit of his [Robert Cribb's] vigilant efforts to secure the freedom of his adopted territory'. (p. 260n19)
[171] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 155, 171-173, 203, 207, 258, 259;
Greenwood, G. & Laverty, J. 1959, Brisbane 1859-1959 – A History of Local Government, G. Greenwood (Editor), Produced by Oswald L. Ziegler for the Council of the City of Brisbane, Qld, Australia, p. 72; and
<https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:207893/s18378366_1944_3_3_193.pdf>.
[172] Morrison, A. A. 1962, Brisbane One Hundred Years Ago, Royal Historical Society of Queensland (1963-01-01), p. 73
Also see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cribb>
[173] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/27259702>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartism>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cribb>.
[174] Photo accessed from:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/238915699?q=Robert+Cribb&c=picture&versionId=266376749>
[175] Bull, L. 2021, Lang Farm Estate Toowong, An 1877 subdivision and the people who made it home, Toowong and District Historical Society, Toowong, Queensland, p. 2
[176] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/123340981>
[177] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20340691>
[178] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 2-6, 12, 13, 21, 22
Also see: <https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3641244401>;
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-robert-3289>;
<http://immigrationplace.com.au/story/robert-cribb/>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressment>.
[179] <https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=414960037>;
<https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=2411474306>;
<https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3452516829>; and
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-benjamin-3345>.
[180] See: <https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/explore/history/suffrage/Signatories>
[181] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 85, 90;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20916276>
[182] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, p. 55;
<http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:210189/s18378366_1948_4_1_20.pdf> (p. 22);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496651>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496652>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18553325>;
<https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX852342>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/node/1341/browse>; and
<http://static.placestories.com/pool/story/0007/0020632/lo/doc.pdf>.
Note: For the 1905 newspaper report of the funeral for John Cribb see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19337846>
[183] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 61, 62, 117
[184] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195532441/edward-barton-southerden>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195533131/robert-william-southerden>
[185] <http://oztypewriter.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/great-southerden-man-australian.html>
Note: In 1907 John also purchased a property at Meringandan (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84138041>). John worked with Arthur Cornell and William Willis in lobbying the State Government to build a rail line between Meringandan and Goombungee. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22275901>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184889953>.
[186] “Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire”: Portraits and Biographies of Australians in the Great War, p. 370 (available at: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-35909257/view?searchTerm=fighting+son&partId=nla.obj-35978618#page/n10/mode/1up>); and
<https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/320894>
[187] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/21708338>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25098325>
[188] For a short history of Dr Lang and the Fortitude immigrants see: <http://www.halenet.com.au/~jvbryant/fortlet1.html#anchor350416>; <http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/e/n/Barry-M-Henzell/FILE/0008page.html>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3699521>.
[189] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, p. 119;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181296763>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181296500>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20165951>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20145069>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179419673>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215259470>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215262652>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215261539>.
[190] Photo accessed from:
<http://www.bonzle.com/pictures-over-time/pictures-taken-in-1886/page-1/picture-a8fl0jtz/size-2/sandgate/langholme-a-residence-at-sandgate-1886>
[191] <http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/FamilyHistory/Photos/Sandgate-BaldHills-cemetery-Brisbane/>
[192] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/131622927/robert-cribb>
[193] Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: "Arthur Edward Cornell", pp. 25ff;
Toowoomba Chronicle, "Obituary - Nonogenarian Dies - Arthur E Cornell", 25 June 1946;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1329379>; and
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/51581257>.
[194] Arthur Edward Cornell: Accountant, Leather Merchant, Congregationalist by Jean Stewart, Paper presented at the Royal Historical Society of Queensland conference on 6 August 1994, p. 38; and
Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: “Arthur Edward Cornell”, p. 26.
[195] The Telegraph, 6 October 1925, “Brisbane and Environs, Local Government History, Development of the Suburbs – Coorparoo”, p. 9 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177081402>);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3536355>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19820837>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174035868>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174042296>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3536826>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3536888/102955>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19820955>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3537293>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/173510888>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3555020>;
Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: “Arthur Edward Cornell”, p. 30; and
Arthur Edward Cornell: Accountant, Leather Merchant, Congregationalist by Jean Stewart, Paper presented at the Royal Historical Society of Queensland conference on 6 August 1994, pp. 40, 41.
[196] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/173171661>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181830911>.
[197] Toowoomba Chronicle, "Nonogenarian Dies - Arthur E Cornell", 25 June 1946
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182956485>
Note: For examples of advertisements used by Arthur to promote his accountancy business when it was based in Toowoomba see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254030176>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254029908>.
[198] <https://samples.unlockthepast.com.au/AU4113-1885s.pdf>
[199] Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: "Arthur Edward Cornell", pp. 29, 30;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3497144>
[200] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3711988>
[201] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/21294540>;
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kingsford-smith-sir-charles-edward-6964>; and
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kingsford-richard-ash-3960>.
[202] Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: “Arthur Edward Cornell”, pp. 29-32;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/172382827>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3658782>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496650>.
[203] <http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/cemeteries/deceased-search/burial/17107>
[204] <https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2011/12/great-southerden-man-australian.html>;
<https://pattersonsdomain.com/mediaviewer.php?mid=M293&ged=patters.ged>
[205] Picture provided by Rowland Cornell, great grandson of Arthur Edward Cornell’s older brother Thomas Elsom Cornell and his wife Sarah (nee Butler) Cornell
[206] Picture accessed from:
<http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1258274/16709772/1329810446550/NFDHS-News-May11.pdf?token=flBTrDZs2ax1jyRcwi6sh21e89Q%3D>
[207] Photo accessed from:
<http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/FamilyHistory/Photos/Sandgate-BaldHills-cemetery-Brisbane/>
[208] Photo accessed from:
<http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/cemeteries/deceased-search/burial/30901>
[209] Toowoomba Chronicle, "Obituary - Nonogenarian Dies - Arthur E Cornell", 25 June 1946;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174214417>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19361413>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124381855>.
Note: The enrolment records of the Geham State School indicate that Betty, Geoff and Edith were enrolled as from 19 June 1905 while Ted was enrolled from 10 July 1905.
Hilary had commenced her scholarship at Ipswich Girls Grammar School by 1905: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19291529>.
By 1905 Phyllis had also become a student at Ipswich Girls Grammar School: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174353558>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20353662>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124387765>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25973241>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124516842>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19474589>.
Subsequently, by 1910, Betty was attending at Ipswich Girls Grammar School: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112034775>. She continued to attend into 1911: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112080580>.
Arthur resigned as a Justice of the Peace in May 1905 when the family were still living in Brisbane presumably because they were preparing to relocate to the Darling Downs: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174220089>.
[210] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180399183>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19301958>; and
Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: "Arthur Edward Cornell", p. 33.
Note: The name of the Cornell’s property Windsor Farm at Gomoran appears in a number of local newspaper articles from the time including these notices announcing the death of Clarissa on
24 November 1916: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203054064>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23611563/2504278>.
For other examples see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186000056>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182688476>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182655506>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183366031>.
The indications are that the Cornells were still living at Argyle, Geham in October 1905, July 1906 and August 1906 but by November 1906 they had taken up residence at their new property at Gomoran, near Meringandan. So, the family's relocation from Geham to Gomoran appears to have occurred sometime between August and November 1906.
See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174065339>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183212401>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183195389>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19479246>.
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180405317>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183209010>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/170595211>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188309652>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19521884>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183202102>.
It appears that Arthur and his children were still living at Meringandan in April 1919 but by the following month had moved to a new address in Toowoomba. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253146656>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252907603>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171292955>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171282409>.
By 1920 Arthur had decided to retire from farming and leased out his property at Gomoran. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253045137>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182948413>.
After moving to Toowoomba Arthur resumed his profession of accountancy. The family were still living at their Toowoomba address in January 1924 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253744173>) although electoral rolls indicate that they subsequently moved to other addresses in Toowoomba.
[211] Terry Raftery has recalled, “The Cornell farm was only about two to three miles across the hills from Erin Vale. Billy used to ride his horse across the hills in a direct course to the Cornell farm. Not many roads in that area in those days and still that way today.” (by email, 9 February 2012)
[212] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188951717>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190077403/20142300>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19291529>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/123896617>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124381855>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124387765>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116142373>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/237636160>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19460856>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124381854>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175091882;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124381842>; and
<https://www.qt.com.au/news/ipswich-gains-capital-status-town-grows-but-labour/1908046/>.
[213] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[214] Sketch drawn by Ross Smith and included on a brochure promoting "Argyle Homestead, Heritage Listed Bed & Breakfast (Circa 1884), 'Where old traditions and gracious living still linger', Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia"
For details of Argyle’s heritage listing see:
<https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600436>
[215] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182673385>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186854392>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19897124>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25504990>.
Note: Will's cousin, Nellie Willis, also joined the Cornells in playing tennis later in December 1914 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186000056>).
[216] Terry Raftery has recalled that Will and Hilary lived on neighbouring properties.
As neighbours Will and Hilary’s fathers were well acquainted. At one point they had worked together to lobby the Queensland Government to build a railway line between Meringandan and Goombungee. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183207552>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22275901>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184889953>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184883600>.
At a later point they also worked together to petition the local council to build an access road across the neighbouring Peters' property (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182686843>).
[217] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182904021>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183366031>
Note: The local electoral rolls for 1912 and 1913 also list Hilary as a music teacher.
[218] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182713150>
[219] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19975297>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186864677>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253927977>.
[220] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186008816>
Note: Will had sung at an earlier event at which Hilary’s younger sister Betty was also a participant along with cousins Nellie and Dulcie Willis, daughters of his uncle and aunt Samuel and Joan Willis (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189207439>).
[221] For example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183777360>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179976779>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179980639>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179982240>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19727123>.
[222] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182688476>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84404572>
[223] The Meringandan Congregational Church, built in 1909, was originally located at 13 Main Street Meringandan but subsequently was relocated to 73 Wirraglen Road Highfields. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182707785>;
<https://www.churchesaustralia.org/list-of-churches/denominations/congregational-fellowship-and-other/directory/1321-meringandan-congregational-church-former>; and <https://www.churchesaustralia.org/list-of-churches/denominations/uniting-church-in-australia/directory/5465-meringandan-uniting-church>.
[224] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20065154>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22301880>
[225] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/182688495>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20070690>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22301787>.
[226] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20056350>
[227] <https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1974768/5th-australian-light-horse-regiment-embarkation-roll-14th-reinforcements/>;
<https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1067869/bundled/RCDIG1067869.pdf> (pp. 31-34);
<https://www.flotilla-australia.com/hmat3.htm#A62>; and
<https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/HMAT_A62_Wandilla>.
Note: For a photo showing crowds farewelling the troops travelling aboard the HMAT A62 Wandilla from the Pinkenba Wharf on 31 January 1916 see: <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H02242>.
In all, some 1051 troops left Brisbane aboard the Wandilla on 31 January 1916 (see: <https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/116662#$story-3255>).
Crowds of well-wishers would often attend at the Pinkenba Wharf to farewell the troops as they embarked from Brisbane for the World War I battlefields of Europe and the Middle East. For another photo showing such an occasion, see the following link from 17 November 1916: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryqueensland/17002452454>.
For general information about the use of Brisbane's Pinkenba Wharf to embark troops for the war zone during World War I see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkenba_War_Memorial>;
<https://www.qldwarmemorials.com.au/memorial?id=989>; and
<https://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/citation/pinkenba-state-school_1361.pdf>.
[228] See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20066301>
Note: Copy of photos as shown above are enhanced and provided courtesy of the National Library of Australia. Original photos as published in The Brisbane Courier taken by Brown Photos.
[229] <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H02242>
Note: For a photo of the troops boarding the Wandilla on 31 January 1916 see: <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C302750>.
[230] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182684304>;
<https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1067869/bundled/RCDIG1067869.pdf> (p. 34);
<https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8855034>; <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9089578>;
<https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/372226>;
Anzacs of Macarthur – The Men and Women Who Served in the First World War, by Lauren Hokin, 2016, Veteran’s Recreation Centre, Campbelltown, NSW, pp. 549-550;
<http://www.anzacsmacarthur.com/anzacs/william-louis-willis-mm/16.htm>;
<https://www.anzacs.org/5lhr/pages/5lhrmembersw2.html>;
<https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=326776>;
<https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/370144>;
<https://honouringanzacs.net.au/search-anzacs.php?anzactype=1&search_text=picton,%20NSW,%20Australia>;
<https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog?topic_id=1106791>;
<https://memories.net/timeline/williamlouis-willis-23369>;
<http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=slq_alma21285030760002061&context=L&vid=SLQ&lang=en_US>;
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/national-archives-of-australia/9012700488/>; and
“Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire”: Portraits and Biographies of Australians in the Great War,
p. 368 (available at:
<https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-35909257/view?searchTerm=fighting+son&partId=nla.obj-35978618#page/n10/mode/1up>).
Also, see news report of the local district’s send-off to Will and others in early December 1915 prior to their embarkation: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182683006>.
Along with others, Will was remembered by the local community during Anzac Day ceremonies while he was overseas (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183236836>). Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/187317371>.
Information about the unit Will served in, the 13th Field Artillery Brigade, is here: <https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/260>.
A history of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, to which Will was initially attached before volunteering to join the artillery in March 1916, is here: <https://www.anzacs.org/5lhr/pages/5lhr_history_full_a.html> and <https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Australian_Light_Horse>.
Also see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Light_Horse_Regiment_(Australia)>
While Will initially enlisted as part of the 14th Reinforcements of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, he along with others volunteered to serve in the artillery on the Western Front after arriving in Egypt for training. As noted by a history written about the 5th Light Horse Regiment:
“On the 19th February, 1916, Lieutenant Barwise and 102 other ranks of the 13th Reinforcements, reported for duty. At this date the Daily State was at its maximum, namely, thirty officers and 1052 other ranks. On the 22nd February, Major C. Lee with four officers and 121 other ranks, who, up to this time, had formed D Squadron of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, reported back to their original regiment, the 11th Light Horse, as that regiment was being re-formed. About this time the 4th and 5th Australian Infantry Divisions were being formed in Egypt from surplus reinforcements and members of the 1st and 2nd Divisions. Artillery and Engineers were required, and as Light Horse units had a large surplus of reinforcements, volunteers from such surplus were called for the Artillery and Engineers. Some 390 of our reinforcements transferred to the Artillery, as did also a large number to the Engineers.” (See: <https://www.anzacs.org/5lhr/pages/5lhr_history_full_a.html>)
Will's decision to volunteer to join the artillery on the Western Front is also noted in “Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire”: Portraits and Biographies of Australians in the Great War, p. 368 (<https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-35909257/view?searchTerm=fighting+son&partId=nla.obj-35978618#page/n10/mode/1up>).
[231] A note to this effect is on Will’s enlistment papers (see: <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8855034>).
According to Bill Woerlee, Director Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, Will “… was a trooper with the 2nd Australian Light Horse and rose to the substantive rank of Lance Corporal prior to enlisting in the AIF. Judging from his age, he was among the first cohort conscripted under the new military laws coming into force on 1 July 1912. After AIF service, he was absorbed into the 11th Australian Light Horse which was the renamed 2nd Australian Light Horse.” (by email, 24 January 2012)
Will’s promotion from Trooper to Lance Corporal in the Australian Light Horse Regiment (ALH) is referenced in this news article from December 1910: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184872046>.
An official notice stating that prior to his enlistment in the AIF Will held the rank of Lance Corporal in the ALH is contained in an entry in the Commonwealth Gazette, No. 89,
21 October 1920, p. 1985 (available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.au/content/HistoricGazettes1920>).
Will was attached to the No.1 Squadron (Toowoomba) of the 14th ALH Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry). For example see:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19514836>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183361848>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184875356>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183365127>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180445728>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180449919>.
It is likely that Will enlisted as a Trooper with the 14th ALH sometime during 1908. At this stage membership of the ALH was still voluntary (<https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/australian-imperial-force/australian-light-horse> and <https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1908128/the-australian-light-horse-part-4/>).
The first specific mention in the local media of Will's membership of the No 1 Squadron of the 14th ALH is in September 1908, just prior to his 18th birthday (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180445728>).
Then, in November 1908, Will was awarded a special competition prize for attaining the highest shooting score for No 1 Squadron members with "under 12 months service" (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180449919> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19550830>).
Will may have enlisted in response to an advertisement like this from May 1908: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183781536>.
Also see earlier advertisements: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185084289>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185089697>.
Like now, advertising for military service at that time was commonplace (e.g., <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183188163> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179993630>).
Being a member of the ALH Regiment involved having to go on training exercises and manoeuvres. For example: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19479526>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174882167>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183778225>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182898981>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185102447>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185096631>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185101360>.
It also meant having to undergo troop inspections. For example: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184873058>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/191523900>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183785255>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183190050>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/191523900>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184871375>.
Being a member of the ALH Regiment also involved attending a variety of social events and activities. For example: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180447605>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183368022>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182896497>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184873016>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179976779>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183777360>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183782629>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180450461>.
One regular requirement of being a member was to participate in shooting competitions (which may actually have been an activity the young members looked forward to). For example:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183362972>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182705901>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182896693>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183361848>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183783090>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180447849>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183197491>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182903527>.
Will was known to be a good shot and on one occasion was lauded as the “hero of the day” for winning a special shooting competition prize: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180449919>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19550830>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>.
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183361848>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19588117>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183365127>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182695132>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196879804>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19897124>.
Regarding the shooting events reported in the latter two news articles, it is interesting to note that both Hilary’s father, Arthur and brother, Ted also participated along with Will.
For information about Will’s ALH Regiment, including its various name changes over the years, see: <https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1923081/queensland-mounted-infantry-2nd-battalion-1910/>; and
<https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog?topic_id=1114022>.
[232] <https://alh-research.tripod.com/militia.htm>;
<https://www.lancers.org.au/site/light_horse.php>;
<https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1415/ComParl>;
<https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/australian-imperial-force/australian-light-horse>; and
<https://theconversation.com/its-time-australias-conscientious-objectors-of-ww1-were-remembered-too-106169>.
[233] The citation for Will’s award of Military Medal is as follows: “On the 4th October 1917, during the operations against the Passchaendale Ridge East of Ypres, telephonic communication between the Forward Observing Officer and the 50th Battery became impossible to maintain on account of the heavy hostile fire. No. 2086 Gunner W L Willis who accompanied the FOO proceeded to an exposed position from which he was able to communicate with the Battery by visual signalling. Notwithstanding the fact that the position he was in continued to be shelled throughout the day this gunner stuck to his post and maintained communication between the FOO and his Battery. His devotion to duty and splendid example are deserving of special recognition.”
For his actions Will was recommended for the award of Distinguished Conduct Medal; subsequently, he was awarded the Military Medal (see: <https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1068238/document/5495677.PDF>).
For a photo of Will (from c.1917) wearing the ribbon of the Military Medal see:
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/national-archives-of-australia/9012700488/>
Also see: <https://www.thegazette.co.uk/awards-and-accreditation/content/100050>
[234] <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1339007> (March 1916 to May 1919 Unit war diaries index);
<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1356647> (October 1917 Unit war diaries);
<https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1018304/bundled/RCDIG1018304.pdf> (May 1919 Unit war diaries [Will mentioned on p. 12 as a recipient of the Military Medal]);
<https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1886575/broodseinde-belgium-october-4-1917/>;
<https://www.cwgc.org/learn/news-and-events/news/2017/10/03/09/18/8-facts-about-the-battle-of-broodseinde>;
<https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/battle-of-broodseinde-ridge.html>;
<https://vwma.org.au/explore/campaigns/18>;
Anzacs of Macarthur – The Men and Women Who Served in the First World War, by Lauren Hokin, 2016, Veteran’s Recreation Centre, Campbelltown, NSW, pp. 549-550;
<http://www.anzacsmacarthur.com/anzacs/william-louis-willis-mm/16.htm>;
<http://adoptadigger.org/search-for-a-ww1-digger/search-for-a-ww1-digger/item/3-diggers-database/1712-william-louis-willis-mm>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252979581>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183236114>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/171293014>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171293014/19759397>;
<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E84313>;
<http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/honours_and_awards/person.asp?p=410317>;
<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1599800>;
<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1531972>;
<https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30431/supplement/13200/data.pdf>; and
Commonwealth Gazette, No. 66, 2 May 1918, pp. 1035 & 1038 (available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.au/content/HistoricGazettes1918>).
[235] As recalled by Howard Willis
Note: The following news articles also reveal Will’s reluctance to detail his wartime experiences:
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/171293014>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171293014/19759397>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252998571>.
[236] This photo is one of a number that Will sent home to his family while he was overseas. Will inscribed the reverse side of the photo with the following words: “Self & J Summers in mine crater”. The person named as “J Summers” appears to be John ("Jack") Summers, service number 2075, who travelled with Will aboard the troop ship Wandilla to Egypt before proceeding to the Western Front (<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2029999> and <https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1974768/5th-australian-light-horse-regiment-embarkation-roll-14th-reinforcements/>). John was in the same unit as Will and like Will, was awarded the Military Medal for actions taken during the same engagement for which Will also received the Military Medal (<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1531063>). After suffering injury, John was discharged and returned to Australia in January 1918 (<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2241820>).
Grateful thanks are extended to Frances Dempsey, daughter of Cyril and Cate (nee Willis) Raftery, for safe-keeping the original photos over many years.
[237] See: “Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire”: Portraits and Biographies of Australians in the Great War, p. 368 (<https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-35909257/view?searchTerm=fighting+son&partId=nla.obj-35978618#page/n10/mode/1up>). In this account Will was likely playing down the impact of being gassed by suggesting it was only "slight", a typical response by him whenever he was asked about his experiences on the Western Front. See: <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/171293014>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171293014/19759397>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252998571>.
Also note: “[Artillery] … was also a very dangerous occupation, attracting the attention of the enemy, the general result of which was 'counter battery fire' designed to neutralise and destroy gun positions and ammunition” (<https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/260>).
[238] As recalled by Howard Willis
Also see the following link to an article which describes the devastating health and mental effects of the War on those who participated (<https://www.mapw.org.au/files/downloads/WW1.pdf>).
[239] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183253081>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23609898>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203054064>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183259003>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/176368489>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183254673>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20139351>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185623839>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215508704>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20107932>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183259041>.
Note: Terry Raftery has recalled how his cousin Ralph would often tell the story about how he (Ralph) had been born on the kitchen table at Erinvale.
[240] For example, a single day, 4 October 1917, saw more than 6500 Australians die or get wounded at the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge (see: <https://www.smh.com.au/national/broken-from-the-inside-how-four-devastating-years-are-still-shaping-us-20181105-p50e2s.html>).
For examples of casualty reports in the daily news see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179428644>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20252556>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177919885>;<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23609898>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181476257>.
[241] The constant anxiety and uncertainty about the safety of a loved one at the front lines was a common experience for those at home (see: <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-10/armistice-day-pain-of-loss-worsened-by-distance-and-uncertainty/10475258>).
[242] “[Artillery] … was also a very dangerous occupation, attracting the attention of the enemy, the general result of which was 'counter battery fire' designed to neutralise and destroy gun positions and ammunition” (<https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/260>).
For a copy of the telegram dated February 1917 about the rumour of Will's wounding see: <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8855034>.
[243] The local community was also overjoyed at the safe return of Will and his fellow soldiers. See:
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/171293014>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171293014/19759397>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252998571>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253019995>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253034628>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253020302>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182958977>.
[244] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253741320>
Note: Will’s 1915 war records show that upon enlistment he noted his trade as “farmer”. Electoral roll records between 1912 and 1926, the period prior to Will and Hilary’s relocation to Woombye, similarly list his occupation as a “farmer” at Meringandan.
[245] <http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1974768/5th-australian-light-horse-regiment-embarkation-roll-14th-reinforcements/>
[246] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz
[247] As recalled by Howard Willis
The local electoral roll for 1926 shows Will and Hilary were still living at Meringandan while the roll for 1928 (current as at 28 July 1928) shows that by this time they had moved to Ingleside at Woombye. There does not appear to be any electoral roll for 1927. While a news article from January 1926 appears to suggest that Will might have been a member of the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club at that time (although the report does not include his first initial by which it could have been confirmed) (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76849122>), a news article from November 1926 indicates that at that stage “W Willis” was still playing cricket for the local Meringandan team (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253941110>). However, by June 1927 Will was participating in the Woombye agricultural show (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76860875> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21843949>) and by at least September 1927 was playing for the Woombye cricket team (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76857755>;<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76856587>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76861547>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76863583>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21185083>). In 1944 it was reported that Will had been growing pineapples at Woombye since 1927
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78056262/7646751>). As well, the school admission records of the Woombye State School show that Will and Hilary's sons Howard and Roy were enrolled on
16 May 1927 with the other children being enrolled on 28 January 1929 (Ralph and Nancy) and
29 January 1930 (Ailsa). Furthermore, the Certificate of Title for their Woombye property shows that it was acquired by Will in October 1927 (as advised by the Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying, 28 February 2022 and Department of Resources, 2 March 2022). So it seems that Will and Hilary's move from Meringandan to Woombye occurred during the first part of 1927.
For general information about Woombye see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woombye,_Queensland>;
<https://queenslandplaces.com.au/woombye>;
<https://heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Places/Town-Histories/Woombye>;
<https://heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Places/Place-Name-Origins>; and
<https://visitsunshinecoasthinterland.com.au/towns/woombye/>.
[248] According to the Woombye State School Centenary Book (1885-1985) Howard and Roy were enrolled in 1927, Ralph and Nancy in 1929, and Ailsa in 1930.
[249] Photo courtesy of Ralph Willis, son of Will and Hilary (nee Cornell) Willis
[250] “Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1924 is a proud and traditional family club. Its origins can be traced back to group of young Woombye men in Mooloolaba SLSC, who were asked to assist in forming a Surf Club at Alexandra Headland.” (See: <https://www.sunshinecoast-australia.com/sunshine-coast-surf-clubs.html>).
[251] The publication prepared for the Woombye State School’s centenary in 1985 reported about the construction of the school’s honour board as a way of recording past scholars’ achievements. It was noted,
Updating the Honour Board was not an easy task. The following was extracted from the School Committee Minutes Book for February 1929: ‘Mr Willis offered to take the board up to Nambour. Mr Tainton gave the use of his lorry and Mr Haines offered to go up with it. A vote of thanks was accorded these gentlemen for their services.’. (Woombye State School, Centenary 1885-1985, p. 36)
[252] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76870379>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77407982>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179950171>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77867258>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77875761>.
[253] Woombye Bowls Club Inc, Golden Jubilee, 1947-1997, p. 5 (courtesy of Warren Gellie, Woombye Bowls Club, 27 September 2011).
[254] Photo courtesy of Lorraine Buhk of the Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club, from the book by Ron Brunton for the Club’s 75th Anniversary, “Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club: 75 Years of Safe Surfing 1924-1999”, p. 12.
[255] Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: “Arthur Edward Cornell”, p. 32
[256] Arthur Edward Cornell, Letters from Brisbane 1880-1897, Transcribed by Jean Stewart, March 1994
[257] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/19423059>
[258] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19461495>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19476184>
[259] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19382442>
[260] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182904021>
[261] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183366031>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186260220>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186258338>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186251368>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186251413>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84444911>.
Note: Hilary taught the piano to a number of local students including her sisters Edith and Phyllis, a young Catherine Willis (Will’s sister) and another young lady, Nellie Willis who was Will’s cousin. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182713150>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186864677>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253927977>.
[262] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/19647845>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19647848>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/19642901>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186258338>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188951717>.
[263] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/112034775>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186251413>
[264] For example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186008816>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22299223>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179896324>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20014113>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177022542>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181472549>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20026779>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196885221>.
Note: Even after Hilary, Will and their family moved to Woombye Hilary continued to play for audiences at different events. For example: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84630099>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21494146>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77408728>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/35632941>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76891159>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84630099>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77299146>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23339633>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77407217>.
Hilary also continued to teach the piano to students at Woombye. For example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78517626>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78385385>.
[265] As recalled by Howard Willis
[266] Information about the year when Hilary Crescent was so-named (1978) as indicated under the certificate of title A413032 (provided by Department of Resources, 18 February 2022). The naming of Hilary Crescent was initiated by Ralph Willis.
[267] Photo courtesy of Ralph Willis
[268] The Electoral Roll for the Division of Fisher (subdivision of Landsborough) (as at 31 May 1949) shows Will and Hilary still living at Woombye. The Supplemental Electoral Roll for the Division of Moreton (Subdivision of Cleveland) (as at 31 October 1949) shows that by this time they had moved to Wellington Point.
[1] The New South Wales, Goal Description & Entrance Books, 1818-1930 (Berrima 1844) identify William’s year of birth as 1816 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020).
William’s 1897 death certificate states that he was born in “Wiltshire, England”. Likewise, William’s 1897 newspaper obituary noted that he had been born in the "County of Wilshire (sic), England" (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>). There is more specific information about William’s place of birth in the birth records for his children John (1857), Matilda (1859), William (Junior) (1861), James (1863), Samuel (1866), Celia (1868), Baby Willis (1870), Hannah (1871), and Arthur (1876) – for all of which William was the informant – with each stating that their father was born in Trowbridge (or for some of these records it is spelt as “Troubridge”) in the County of Wiltshire, England. The New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 also identify William’s native place as Wiltshire (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020). Similarly, William’s 1839 Certificate of Freedom lists his native place as Wiltshire.
Note: The Convict Indents are essentially “…the passenger list for the ships that transported convicts” (<https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/FAQs.php#indents>). Also see: <https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convict_Indents_(Ship_and_Arrival_Registers)_1788-1868>
Also see: <https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P41/-/ahnentafel>;
<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P69/william-willis/individual>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trowbridge>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiltshire>;
<https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol6>; and
<https://www.houseofnames.com/willis-family-crest>.
[2] See Death record for William Willis (DoD: 23 June 1897 at Picton)
Note: William’s death record names Mary as his mother but states that his father’s name and occupation are “unknown”. In line with naming conventions at the time it is possible that William’s father’s name was (or at least included) George as suggested by the fact that this was the name given by William to his first-born son. As noted below:
Over the centuries, some families used the following naming pattern, or a slight variant:
- The first son was named after the father's father
- The second son after the mother's father
- The third son after the father
- The fourth son after the father's eldest brother
- The first daughter after the mother's mother,
- The second daughter after the father's mother
- The third daughter after the mother
- The fourth daughter after the mother's eldest sister
(Accessed from: <https://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/naming_patterns.php>).
Also see: <https://www.familytreemagazine.com/names/jan-2012-naming-practices-feature/>.
[3] <https://www.historycrunch.com/child-labor-in-the-industrial-revolution.html#/>; and
New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020).
[4] <https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Just_Jobs:
_The_Effect_of_Occupations_On_British_Family_Life>;
<http://www.worldthroughthelens.com/family-history/old-occupations.php>;
<https://rmhh.co.uk/occup/c.html>;
<http://www.census1891.com/occupations-all.php>; and
<http://doot.spub.co.uk/code.php?name=occup&value=023>.
[5] New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020)
Note: The Convict Indents also reveal that William, while able to read, could not write. Whenever he needed to append his signature to a document he did so by marking an "X". For example, this is how he indicated his assent to his Will. At that time a person who could only use an “X” rather than write a signature was known as a “marksman” (for example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13000806>).
[6] <https://www.gale.com/binaries/content/assets/gale-us-en/primary-sources/intl-gps/intl-gps-essays/full-ghn-contextual-essays/ghn_essay_bln_lloyd3_website.pdf>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_England>;
<https://thecitizen.com/2010/08/24/where-did-sunday-school-come/>; and
<https://thoroglove.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/feeding-his-lambs-the-sunday-school-movement-in-19th-century-england/#:~:text=Feeding%20His%20Lambs%3A%20The%20Sunday%20School%20Movement%20in%2019th%20Century%20England,-Jesus%20instructed%20his&text=Raikes%20was%20a%20journalist%20and,was%20supported%20by%20many%20clergymen>.
[7] Photo courtesy of Roslyn Willis and Beth Toomey, granddaughters of Will and Hilary (nee Cornell) Willis
[8] William was aged between 14 and 16 years at this time. In March 1832 the Prison Ship (Hulk) Register (Euryalus) transcription records his age as 14 years. By the time he had been transferred to the Mangles in readiness for transportation to New South Wales (December 1832), the Medical journal of the convict ship Mangles, for 8 November 1832 to 9 May 1833 by James Rutherford, Surgeon, pages 4, 13 of 35 (accessed from Ancestry [UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1856], 6 September 2020) gives his age as 16 years. Subsequently, the NSW Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020) identifies his age as 16 years.
The disparity in the 1832 records as to William’s age might be explained by his very young appearance. An indication of William’s youthfulness at the time he came to Australia may be seen by comparing his height when he was initially transported to New South Wales in 1832 (4 feet, 11 and a quarter inches) (as reported in the New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 [accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020]) with his height seven years later in 1839 when he obtained his Certificate of Freedom (5 feet, 6 and a half inches). Given his slight build it is not surprising that a newspaper report at the time of William’s sentencing in March 1832 described him as a “mere youth” (see: The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 26 March 1832 [accessible through Old British News]). William’s transportation to Australia as a very young boy was not uncommon. It has been said that of the 160,000 convicts who were transported between 1788 and when transportation ended, some 25,000 were under the age of 18 years (<https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/the-story-of-the-wretched-boys-who-were-transported-to-australia-20190830-p52mew.html>).
[9] See: England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892, William Willis, Wiltshire Lent Assizes 1832 (accessed from Ancestry, 18 October 2021);
New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 6 February 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny, granddaughter of John and Helena Mildred [nee Willis] Reid and Old British News); and
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 12 March 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny and Old British News).
Note: There are several non-judicial records which suggest that prior to March 1832 when William was sentenced to seven years’ transportation he had committed another offence for which he had received a sentence of three months' imprisonment. See: New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
Prison Ship (Hulk) Registers – Euryalus – Record transcription for William Willis (accessed from “Find my Past”, 1 September 2020);
UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849, William Willis, page 29 of 50 (accessed from Ancestry, 13 September 2020); and
Roberts, M. 2018, Transported: The stories of 236 convicts banished to Australia in 1832 aboard the ‘Mangles’, Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership, UK: “The Convict Stories – No. 199: William Willis, Salisbury”.
However, a search of the England and Wales Criminal Registers for Wiltshire between 1819 and 1831 (available through Ancestry) has revealed that while several people named Willis (Robert, Thomas, Hannah) are listed, William’s name does not appear until March 1832 when he was sentenced to seven years’ transportation. Thus, at least for now, the earlier offence for which William was said to have been sentenced remains unconfirmed.
As to the offence for which William was transported, his 1839 Certificate of Freedom states that he had been convicted of “shoplifting”. Such an offence pertained to stealing 5 shillings or more worth of goods from a shop. Prior to 1823 shoplifting had been a capital offence (<https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Crimes.jsp#shoplifting> and <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia>). Presumably William's offence had involved the theft of 5 shillings or more worth of bacon, cheese and other items from a local shop the proprietor of which was Robert Hussey.
Also see: <http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11472-the-system-of-criminal-prosecution-in-the-nineteenth-century.html>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11447-types-of-offences.html>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11548-court-procedures-assizes.html>;
<https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/a-brief-history-of-capital-punishment-in-britain/>;
<https://www.mylearning.org/stories/prison-and-penal-reform-in-the-1800s/380?>;
<https://reviews.history.ac.uk/review/2329>;
<https://medium.com/the-crime-historian/ludicrous-crimes-that-would-have-gotten-you-hanged-in-18th-century-england-8488e32993de>;
<https://ehsthelongrun.net/2019/02/05/shoplifting-in-eighteenth-century-england/>; and
<https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/juvenile-crime-in-the-19th-century>.
[10] See: New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868, William Willis, Convicted 3 March 1832, Ship – Mangles, Voyage Date 8 December 1832 (accessed from Ancestry,
6 December 2021);
UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849, William Willis, page 29 of 50 (accessed from Ancestry, 13 September 2020);
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 6 February 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny and Old British News);
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 12 March 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny and Old British News); and
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 26 March 1832 (copy provided by Colleen Kenny and Old British News).
[11] See: The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 26 March 1832 (which describes the Euryalus being moored at Chatham);
Shore, H. 2002, “Transportation, Penal Ideology and the Experience of Juvenile Offenders in England and Australia in the Early Nineteenth Century” in Crime, Histoire & Sociétés/Crime, History & Societies, 2002, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 81-102: Published by Librairie Droz;
Davie, N. 2017, “Punishment, reform or expediency? Juvenile crime and the prison hulks, 1822-1843” in Michel Prum (ed.), Catégoriser l’autre: aires anglophone et lusophone, Paris, L’Harmattan, 2017, pp. 129-162;
<https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convict_Hulks>;
<https://www.prisonhistory.org/prison/euryalus/>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11382-sentencing-to-departure-prison-hulks-convict-gaols.html>; and
<https://www.amw.org.au/sites/default/files/memory_of_the_world/index/crime-and-punishment.html>.
[12] See: “A Return of Convicts under sentence of transportation on Board the Euryalus Hulk at Chatham by Command of His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, from the 1st April to the 30th June 1832, both inclusive”, which noted William’s behaviour on board the Euryalus as “good”. (Transcription of document provided by Colleen Kenny. Copy of original document accessed through the State Library of New South Wales, 12 November 2021).
[13] See: New South Wales, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, William Willis, page 30 of 125 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
Prison Ship (Hulk) Registers – Euryalus – Record transcription for William Willis (accessed from “Find my Past”, 1 September 2020);
UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849, William Willis, page 29 of 50 (accessed from Ancestry, 13 September 2020); and
Roberts, M. 2018, Transported: The stories of 236 convicts banished to Australia in 1832 aboard the ‘Mangles’, Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership, UK: “The Convict Stories – No. 199: William Willis, Salisbury”.
[14] <http://industrialrevolution.sea.ca/impact.html>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/section11334-crime-poverty-and-reforms.html>
[15] <https://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2009/02/23/swing_riots_salisbury_feature.shtml>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Riots>;
<https://schoolhistory.co.uk/notes/swing-riots/>;
<http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/ruralife/swing.htm>; and
<https://www.thesombornes.org.uk/village_org_page.php?page_id=204>.
[16] Hughes, R., 1988, The Fatal Shore, Pan Books, pp. 25-26, 161, 171;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11436-conditions-in-the-early-1800s.html>;
<http://www.secretshropshire.org.uk/Content/Learn/Crime/>; and
<https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convicts_and_the_Colonisation_of_Australia,_1788-1868>.
[17] <https://www.oldpolicecellsmuseum.org.uk/content/learning/educational-programmes-and-tours/juvenile-crime-18th-19th-century>;
<https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/juvenile-crime-in-the-19th-century>
[18] According to his 1839 Certificate of Freedom, William’s offence was classified as “shoplifting”. Of this offence it has been noted:
The offence of "privately stealing" 5 shillings or more worth of goods from a shop was defined separately as a capital offence in 1699. This reflects concern over the apparent increase in this offence, which was thought difficult to prevent, and reflects the rapid growth in the number of shops in London. Theft of this sort taking place before 1699 is also included in this category. In 1823 shoplifting ceased to be a capital offence. For statistical purposes please note that not all thefts from shops were defined as "shoplifting". (See: <https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Crimes.jsp#shoplifting>)
Note: The year that convict transportation to Australia peaked (with the arrival of 7000 convicts) was 1833, the same year William arrived (<https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/convict-transportation-peaks>).
[19] <https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Punishment.jsp#transportation>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Code>;
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z938v9q/revision/4>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_transportation>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia>;
<https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-australias-last-convicts-89723>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/section2196-transportation.html>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11385-on-completion-of-sentence.html>;
<https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/convict-experience>; and
<https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/convict-transportation-peaks>.
[20] Bateson, C. 2004, The Convict Ships 1787-1868, Library of Australian History, Sydney, pp. 350-351;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143531>;
<https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_mangles_1833.htm>;
<https://redcoat-settlerswa.com/ships/mangles-1832-33/>; and
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/Public%20Access/PDF%20Guides/Convict%20ships%20to%20NSW_1.pdf>.
[21] Bateson, C. 2004, The Convict Ships 1787-1868, Library of Australian History, Sydney, pp. 237-238
Note: The Scilly Isles “… are an archipelago 25 miles (40 kilometres) off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England” (<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isles_of_Scilly#:~:text=The%20Isles%20of%20Scilly%20(%2F%CB%88,Martin's%2C%20St%20Agnes%20and%20Bryher.>)
[22] Picture accessed from: <http://www.mangles.eu/>
[23] Bateson, C. 2004, The Convict Ships 1787-1868, Library of Australian History, Sydney, pp. 350-351;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/Public%20Access/PDF%20Guides/Convict%20ships%20to%20NSW_1.pdf>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143531>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211691>;
<http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/mangles/1832>;
<http://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_mangles_1833.htm>;
<http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/twconvic/Mangles+1833>;
<https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/shipDetails.php?shipId=534>;
<http://oneillfamily.id.au/mangles.htm>; and
<http://www.fairhall.id.au/families/myline/g0/p86.htm#i8588>.
Note: Some 82 convicts with the surname "Willis" were transported to Australia (New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land), with several also bearing the first name “William” (see following list). It appears that the William Willis who had been born (and convicted) in Wiltshire and went on to become the progenitor of the Willis family from the areas around Picton, the Burragorang Valley and The Oaks was the one who arrived at Sydney aboard the ship Mangles on 19 April 1833.
List of convicts transported to Australia with the name of William Willis (*)
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 18 May 1848
Ship: Mount Stuart Elphinstone
Place of conviction: Somerset, Wells Quarter Sessions
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 10 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 31 July 1833
Ship: Enchantress
Place of conviction: Middlesex Gaol Delivery
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 1 August 1835
Ship: Mangles
Place of conviction: Surrey Quarter Session
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 14 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 5 July 1835
Ship: Marquis of Huntly
Place of conviction: Northumberland, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Assizes
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 19 February 1842
Ship: Tortoise
Place of conviction: Buckingham, Aylesbury Quarter Sessions
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 14 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 28 July 1829
Ship: Lady Harewood
Place of conviction: London Gaol Delivery
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: Life
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 19 November 1843
Ship: Henrietta
Place of conviction: York, Leeds Boro' Quarter Sessions
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 14 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 26 July 1799
Ship: Hilsborough
Place of conviction: Southampton Assizes
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: Life
Name: William Timothy Willis
Arrival date: 28 January 1831
Ship: John
Place of conviction: Suffolk Quarter Session
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 3 August 1823
Ship: Competitor
Place of conviction: Oxford Assizes
Destination: Van Diemen's Land
Sentence: Life
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 18 May 1798
Ship: Barwell
Place of conviction: Devon Assizes
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: Life
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 16 July 1820
Ship: Neptune
Place of conviction: London Gaol Delivery
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 26 June 1790
Ship: Neptune, Scarborough and Surprize (the Second Fleet)
Place of conviction: London Gaol Delivery
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: 7 years
Name: William Willis
Arrival date: 17 April 1833**
Ship: Mangles
Place of conviction: Wilts Assizes***
Destination: New South Wales
Sentence: 7 years
Notes for the above list:
* Accessed from <https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/willis>
** Arrival date of this particular voyage of the Mangles, its sixth, was in fact 19 April 1833
*** The "Wilts" Assizes was the abbreviated reference for Wiltshire Assizes
There is one "William Willis" who does not appear in the above list yet despite this still received a Certificate of Freedom under this name on 27 July 1842 (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230104854/12502027> and <https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX357075>). The butt of the 1842 Certificate of Freedom for this person states that he was born in London, convicted at the Central Criminal Court (London) on 6 April 1835, and arrived in New South Wales on the second voyage of the Royal Sovereign in December 1835 (Royal Sovereign 2). However, the records indicate that the only person with these antecedents who arrived on the Royal Sovereign 2 was someone called William Wallis, not "William Willis". See:
New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
<https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/royal-sovereign/1835>; <https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_royal_sovereign_1835.htm>; and <http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/twconvic/Royal+Sovereign+1835>.
William Wallis was referred to by this name from the time of his conviction (England & Wales criminal registers [County of Middlesex], 6 April 1835) and in the 1835 transportation records (i.e., New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020). Subsequent records from 1836 show William Wallis from the Royal Sovereign 2 again referred to by this name when he absconded from his assigned employer (see:<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230672787/12478578>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230672289/12478414>). Furthermore, in the Convict muster of 1837 he is still referred to as William Wallis, the year of his arrival is stated as 1835, and that at the time of this muster he had been assigned to a Thomas Hammond at Goulburn (<https://www.bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/11070614002?f=Thomas&l=Hammond&ol=&i=3&s=&p=2>). It is only later, on the butt of his 1842 Certificate of Freedom, that he is identified as "William Willis" of the Royal Sovereign 2. However, this identification of him as "William Willis" is erroneous given that the person in question could only have been William Wallis. The following points are offered in support of this conclusion:
(1) There was no person by the name of "William Willis" aboard the Royal Sovereign 2, only a William Wallis. See:
New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020);
<https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/royal-sovereign/1835>; <https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_royal_sovereign_1835.htm>; and <http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/twconvic/Royal+Sovereign+1835>.
(2) The prisoner number included on the butt of the 1842 Certificate of Freedom for "William Willis" (35/3017) is identical to that shown in the New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020) and in the earlier published notices for William Wallis when he absconded from his assigned employer (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230672787/12478578>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230672289/12478414>).
(3) The distinguishing bodily marks and places of birth and conviction of "William Willis" shown on the butt of the 1842 Certificate of Freedom are the same as those listed for William Wallis in the earlier public notices that advised of his absconding and in the New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020).
(4) The New South Wales Convict Indents 1788-1842 for William Wallis (page 93 of 109) (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020) include a hand written notation showing that Certificate of Freedom number 42/1289 was issued for this person which matches the number of the certificate issued in 1842 for “William Willis”.
(5) Prior to the 1842 Certificate of Freedom the person who was the subject of the certificate had only ever been referred to, and recognised as, William Wallis.
Thus, William Wallis was incorrectly named on the butt of his 1842 Certificate of Freedom as “William Willis”. Why such an error would have occurred is not known but apparently it was not uncommon for clerical errors to sometimes be made in the convict records and documents. For information about clerical errors in various convict records see: <https://www.bda-online.org.au/sources/tickets-of-leave/>.
[24] See: Medical journal of the convict ship Mangles, for 8 November 1832 to 9 May 1833 by James Rutherford, Surgeon, pages 4, 13 of 35 (accessed from Ancestry [UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1856], 6 September 2020).
Also see: <https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10557770>
William was one of several on board the Mangles during this voyage who suffered from the effects of obstipation (see: Roberts, M. 2018, Transported: The stories of 236 convicts banished to Australia in 1832 aboard the ‘Mangles’, Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership, UK).
Note: Obstipation is a severe form of constipation that can have serious health impacts if not treated (<https://www.healthline.com/health/obstipation>). Obstipation was a condition experienced by many of the convicts who were transported to Australia. It was caused by factors including lack of dietary fibre, insufficient hydration and lack of exercise due to being held on cramped ships (e.g., see: <https://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/docs/seminars/Voyages_StephenLucas.pdf>; and <https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/voyage-to-australia-was-anything-but-plain-sailing-for-earliest-travellers/news-story/cbfcc91de1e8a23cbed151c2ce979a72>).
[25] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143577>
Note: Another newspaper report from the time commented:
Among the prisoners per Mangles are a considerable number of useful mechanics. The whole of the prisoners who have arrived by that vessel, are in the most perfect state of health, which says much for the judicious treatment of the parties under whose management they have been placed.
(See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211816>)
The term “mechanic” was used in relation to those convicts who had particular skills (e.g., blacksmith, painter, baker) (<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/what-was-convict-assignment>).
[26] <https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_mangles_1833.htm>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143658/4245516>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211906>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846777>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32143658>.
[27] Assignment of convicts to either Government works or private individuals was common practice at the time: “On arrival, a convict was either retained by the Government for labour on public works or was assigned to an individual” (<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts-guide>). The Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney was the place where these arrangements generally occurred, especially for newly arrived convicts (<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/who-were-hyde-park-barracks-convicts>).
[28] From the Carters’ Barracks many of the convicts from the Mangles who were under the age of 17 years, including William, were sent to work for private individuals across the outskirts of Sydney. See: Official Carters’ Barracks' records for the period 1833-1834 (accessed from Ancestry, 10 October 2021).
The Carters’ Barracks was located not too far from the Hyde Park Barracks. See: <https://dictionaryofsydney.org/building/carters_barracks>; and
<https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE01682b.htm>.
At that time responsibility for the assignment of convicts lay with the “Board for the Assignment of Servants” (<https://researchdata.edu.au/commissioner-assignment-convict-servants/166104>).
Unfortunately, many of the convict assignment records no longer exist. See: <https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts-guide>; and
<http://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/FAQs.php>.
However, in William’s case, one particular record, the NSW Settler and Convict lists 1787-1834, has fortunately survived. This record shows that upon his arrival in 1833 William was assigned to work for a person called George Harper from Abbotsford near Picton.
Also see: <http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11384-convict-life-in-australia.html>; <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia_(1788%E2%80%931850)>; and
<https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/c7cc80e5-1eb8-4cd0-9e50-dd13799b9c65/files/convict-sites-part2.pdf>, p. 22.
[29] Picture accessed from: <https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_mangles_1833.htm>
Also see: <https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/short-history-hyde-park-barracks>; and
<https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/799740846299486345/>.
[30] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230390208>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846843>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2212048/497834>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/42008778>.
Note: The date of this notice (2 May 1833) means that the process of assigning the convicts from the Mangles had taken place between the time they arrived on 19 April 1833 and prior to 2 May 1833 (i.e., the assignment process occurred during April 1833).
Regarding the reference to the Carters’ Barracks for Boys in the notice, it appears from official Carters’ Barracks' records for the period 1833-1834 (accessed from Ancestry, 10 October 2021) that William was placed in this facility while awaiting assignment although by this stage it was mainly used to accommodate convict boys who were under the age of 16 years
(see: <https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE01682b.htm>; “Children and Empire: The Institutionalisation of children and British Colonisation in New South Wales, 1750-1828” by Karen Laughton, p. 193; and <https://www.lawreform.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Publications/Reports/Report-104.pdf> pp. 21-22). By the time of his arrival in Sydney William was already considered to be a 16 year old.
The practice of assigning convicts to “private service” would be discontinued by the Government within a few years of William’s arrival. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230656648>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230670691>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230671090>.
[31] <https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harper-george-2157>
[32] See: <https://camdenhistorynotes.com/category/kirkham/>;
NSW Settler and Convict lists 1787-1834: "William Willis (Mangles 6) assigned to Geo Harper, Abbotsford", p. 222 (accessed from Ancestry, 10 October 2021); and
Carters’ Barracks' official records for the period 1833-1834 (accessed from Ancestry [NSW Convict Records 1810-1891], 10 October 2021).
A later record, the Picton Court Bench Book of 2 March 1839, which refers to William applying for his Certificate of Freedom, also mentions his connection with Mr Harper.
Note: The official records of the Carters’ Barracks for the period 1833-1834 show that George Harper from Abbotsford was assigned a boy from the Mangles (6), namely a "William Wills". “Wills” is a likely spelling error as the records can only be referring to William Willis since there was no one aboard the Mangles (6) who was named "William Wills" (see: <https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/shipDetails.php?shipId=534> and <https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/mangles/1832>). Errors such as these were known to have sometimes occurred in the convict records. Nevertheless, the issue is put beyond doubt by the NSW Settler and Convict lists 1787-1834 which unambiguously state that upon his arrival “William Willis (Mangles 6)” was assigned to "Geo Harper, Abbotsford" (p. 222).
William's 1897 obituary provides further confirmation that after his arrival in Australia he had lived with Mr Harper at Stonequarry before eventually heading off to the Burragorang Valley (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>). Also see:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151824>.
A point of interest is that there are records of other convicts who were assigned to Mr George Harper from Abbotsford at Stonequarry (later called Picton). For example see: <https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/walpole/perfitt/113704>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2203259>;
<https://rememberingthepastaustralia.com/nsw-list-of-female-convicts-assigned-during-the-month-of-may-1832/>;
<https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/lawler-senior/john/137657>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2210980>;
<https://remembering-the-past-australia.blogspot.com/2017/10/nsw-return-settlers-assigned-male-con-apr-1833.html>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2212740>.
Another point of interest is that on one occasion Mr Harper was involved in the apprehension of a local bushranger (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32161827>). There was yet another time when Mr Harper had a near-death experience at the hands of one of his convict assignees (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2197013/500403>).
Also of interest is that Mr Harper was the original owner of Abbotsford, the property at Stonequarry/Picton which saw the extensive use of convict labour in its early development and included an on-site convict accommodation barracks although this structure appears to date from a time later than Mr Harper (see: <http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harper-george-2157>; <https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/assets/Documents/Planning-and-Development/Planning-Proposals/Abbotsford-Planning-Proposal-and-Draft-Planning-Agreement/Appendix-P-Curtilage-Study.PDF>;
<https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=2690107>; <https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/assets/Uploads/Report-Curtilage-Study.PDF>; and <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbotsford,_Picton>).
For general information about Picton and its history, including when its name was changed from Stonequarry (1845), see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picton,_New_South_Wales>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71498780>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112768774>; and
<https://visitwollondilly.com.au/wp-content/uploads/PictonWalkingTour_Brochure_2020_InhousePrint.pdf>.
[33] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230389950>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846474>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211304>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211254>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211431>.
[34] Carters’ Barracks’ records for the period 1833-1834 are available through Ancestry.
Also see the official government notice at <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230390425/12475909> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2212740> which shows that during April 1833 George Harper from Abbotsford was assigned “a boy”. While this notice does not name the boy who was assigned to Mr Harper, records such as the NSW Settler and Convict lists 1787-1834 and the Carters’ Barracks' records for the period 1833-1834 confirm that William was the boy in question.
[35] Liz Vincent, in her 1996 publication A Brief History of Picton, noted that early landowners such as Mr Harper “… were allowed to have convicts assigned to them to clear the land, erect buildings, grow and harvest crops and rear stock.” (p. 7)
Also see: <https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/what-was-convict-assignment>
[36] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230389950>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846474>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211304>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211254>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211431>;
<https://mhnsw.au/guides/convict-assignment-records/>;
<https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/A/Assignment.htm>;
<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/what-was-convict-assignment>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia_(1788%E2%80%931850)>.
[37] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230389950>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846474>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211304>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211254>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211431>.
Note: William's occupations over the years can be ascertained from a number of documents, including his certificate of freedom (which identified him as a labourer) as well as the birth and death records for his children:
- for Mary (b.1850) he was listed as a labourer
- for Harriet (b.1852) he was listed as a labourer
- for Harriet’s death record (1886) he was listed as a grazier
- for George (b.1854) he was listed as a farmer
- for George’s death record (1941) he was listed as a grazier
- for John (b.1857) he was listed as a stock-keeper
- for Matilda (b.1859) he was listed as a farmer
- for William (Junior) (b.1861) he was listed as a grazier
- for James (b. 1863) he was listed as a farmer and grazier
- for James’s death record (1889) he was listed as a farmer
- for Samuel (b.1866) he was listed as a grazier
- for Celia (b.1868) he was listed as a grazier
- for Baby Willis (b.1870) he was listed as a farmer and grazier
- for Baby Willis's death record (1870) he was listed as a grazier
- for Hannah (b.1871) he was listed as a farmer
- for Arthur (b.1876) he was listed as a grazier.
For his own death certificate (1897) William was listed as having been a farmer.
By the time of his death William was acknowledged as being a “leading farmer” and “pastoralist” (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108056613>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>).
[38] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230686379/12476328>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2215174/500408>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230655341/12477372>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230654814>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/12478401>.
For information about the early history of the Burragorang and the difficulties faced by settlers see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141148759>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15162262>.
For an 1878 description of the Burragorang see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70595269>
[39] <https://web.archive.org/web/20180313182818/http://www.stonequarry.com.au/nature/burragorang.html>;
<https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Lake_Burragorang>
[40] Again, this conclusion is consistent with the Government directive of 18 March 1833, in particular that part which allowed an employer to retain the services of their assigned youthful convict “… for the period of seven years, or until the earlier termination of their respective sentences.”
See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230389950>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846474>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211304>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211254>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2211431>.
In William's case there are records which show that he remained assigned to Mr Harper for the entirety of his sentence. For example, the Picton Court Bench Book of 2 March 1839 includes a reference to William applying for his Certificate of Freedom on this date with his assigned employer being identified as "G Harper". Similarly, the earlier Convict Muster of December 1837 shows a “William Wells aged 19” who came out on the "Mangles 1834” and working for "George Harper". There is no record of a William Wells coming out on the Mangles in 1833 so presumably “William Wells” in the 1837 muster was William Willis. (Information provided by Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc). It is possible that for the 1837 muster William’s surname was spelt as it was heard phonetically, a common occurrence with this particular record (<http://www.bda-online.org.au/files/MC1837_Muster.pdf>, p. 19). It is also known that these documents were sometimes prone to clerical error which could further explain the inclusion of "Wells" instead of "Willis" (perhaps William's surname was misheard and copied down accordingly) as well as the incorrect year that was shown for the arrival of the Mangles ("1834" when in fact it was 1833). For information about clerical errors in various convict records see: <https://www.bda-online.org.au/sources/tickets-of-leave/>.
[41] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230385316/12582096>;
<https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX357070>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts-guide>;
<https://blogs.ancestry.com.au/ancestry/2011/01/27/from-convict-to-free-citizen-certificates-of-freedom-tickets-of-leave-and-pardons/>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certificate_of_freedom>;
<http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/page11384-convict-life-in-australia.html>;
<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/rewards-freedom>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192836524>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141148653>.
Note: William obtained his Certificate of Freedom from the court mentioned in the preceding article (i.e., Picton). Also see: <https://researchdata.edu.au/bench-books-picton-petty-sessions/170640>.
[42] It has been noted, “Some assigned convicts complained to the government about how their private master treated them. Others ran away and became bushrangers. However, other assigned convicts were well looked after by their master. Some even stayed on as a paid worker once they had finished their sentence.” (<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/what-was-convict-assignment>)
The fact that William worked for Mr Harper for the duration of his sentence and never absconded during that time is a good indication William felt he was treated fairly by Mr Harper and presumably would not have objected to continue working for him after completing his sentence had there been opportunity to do so. Perhaps the mention in William’s 1897 obituary of Mr Harper (who had died long before, in 1841) also suggests that William might have felt kindly towards Mr Harper for the remainder of his life (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>).
Note: George Harper’s death in 1841 is mentioned here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2552877>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28652114>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12868424>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228131312>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36849905>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32188744>.
Also see: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187813655/george-harper>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harper-10788>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187813656/margaret-eleanor-harper>; and
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Howey-292>.
[43] <https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/wild-john-benton-16523>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184281661/john-benton-wild>;
<https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/member-details.aspx?pk=318>;
<https://www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Oaks,_New_South_Wales>;
<https://www.facebook.com/878976525498739/posts/botanist-george-caley-gave-the-oaks-its-name-after-an-expedition-into-the-area-a/950047768391614/>;
<https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/the-oaks-nsw>;
<https://www.traveller.com.au/the-oaks-new-south-wales-travel-guide-and-things-to-do-12wos3>;
<https://henrykable-susannahholmes.com/keeping-the-story-alive/the-wild-family-200-years-in-australia/>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/64987491>;
<https://henrykable-susannahholmes.com/henry-kable-jr/>; and
<http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/henry_kable_junior.htm>.
[44] See: New South Wales, Land Records, 1811-1870 for William Williss, accessed from Ancestry, 2 November 2021
Note: Under Government regulations at the time, acquisition of land such as that in the Burragorang Valley for which William made application could only be achieved through purchasing a license to occupy.
[45] Following William's 1843 application to buy a license to occupy land in the Upper Burragorang Valley, it appears that he ended up purchasing a license to occupy the land in question in April 1844.
See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230145883>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230147414>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12413816>.
Also see from February 1845: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230361470>.
William subsequently went on to acquire other property alongside the Upper Wollondilly River (e.g.,
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229762846/12695502>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230683389/13845858>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228770646/12605830>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228601402/12909814>)
and later around The Oaks (see: Greville’s Official Post Office Directory 1875-76 [<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/greville75/gd750562.gif> and <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/greville75/gd750563.gif>], 1885 Return of NSW Stock and Stock Owners – “Long Acre, Picton, Wm Willis” – p. 308 [<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/vpsr/VPSR308.GIF>], William Willis “Long Acre, Picton” – NSW Census 1891, and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>).
For a map showing the location of William’s property in the Burragorang see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-537800833/view>. For an earlier version of this map see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233795859/view>.
For access to various historical maps which also show William’s property in the Burragorang see: <https://www.nswlrs.com.au/Parish-and-Historical-Maps>. NB: Search under Parish names of “Nattai” and “Jooriland” to see William’s properties on both sides of the Upper Wollondilly River.
Initially, William was only able to acquire property within the area known as the Nineteen Counties of New South Wales. William’s first property was located within the boundaries of one of these counties, the County of Westmoreland. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12413429>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230147414>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/magazine/onthisday/14-october-1829>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Counties>;
<https://www.historyofaboriginalsydney.edu.au/north-west/%E2%80%9Cnineteen-counties%E2%80%9D>; and
<https://nswlrs.com.au/getattachment/81ce69ef-58c3-42e8-9edb-3bebc00f35e6/Brief%20history%20of%20Land%20and%20Property%20in%20NSW>.
Terry Raftery, son of Cyril and Catherine Celia (nee Willis) Raftery, has recounted William's ongoing interest in acquiring land in the Burragorang Valley and surrounding districts.
Reference to William living in the Burragorang Valley is also provided in Jim Barrett’s 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang (p. 29).
[46] As related by Terry Raftery. Jim Barrett, in his 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang, has also noted how the Burragorang settlers farmed a variety of crops including pumpkins, corn and potatoes (pp. 58-64).
Colin Sproule in his 1993 publication, Timbermen of the Wollondilly 1821-1991, has noted, “Most of the early pioneers had to become timber getters whether they liked it or not, the land had to be cleared, then shelters built for man and beast and fences erected to stop their cattle from straying and to keep the animals of the bush out of the crops.” (p. 4)
Sonja den Hertog in her publication, The History of Burragorang Valley from the Records (1990, 2006), has noted, “As until the turn of the [20th] century all supplies had to be carried in by packhorse essential goods not produced in the Burragorang were brought in every few months. People had necessarily to be self-sufficient making their own bread, cheese, butter, bacon, jams and preserves of all kinds. Every farm had an orchard with stone fruits and citrus trees, poultry to provide eggs and meat and a few head of dairy cattle for the making of cream, butter and cheese. Even spent cartridges were saved to be refilled with gunpowder and different sized lead pellets used in single or double-barrelled guns.” (p. 35)
For general information about the logging of timber in the Burragorang Valley see: <http://www.westernsydneylibraries.nsw.gov.au/westernsydney/ind_page1.html#timber>.
[47] See: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-537800833/view>;
<https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233795859/view>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Burragorang>;
<https://camdenhistorynotes.com/category/burragorang-valley/>; and
<https://2ua.org/aus/nsw/wollondilly_shire_council/map/>.
For information about the damming of the Burragorang Valley, the idea for which had been under consideration since at least the 1860s (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166808652>), see:
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-03/how-sydneys-water-needs-drowned-burragorang-valley/9390170>;
<https://jml297.com/2019/07/29/burragorang-the-lost-valley/>;
<https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-oaks-20040208-gdkq8g.html>;
<https://camdenhistorynotes.wordpress.com/tag/burragorang-valley/>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Burragorang>.
For images of Lake Burragorang see: <https://davesviewpoint.com/2015/11/14/the-everyday-italian-burragorang-valley-via-picton/>.
For an image of the Burragorang Valley prior to its inundation see: <https://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/burragorang.html>; and
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw/4908460237>.
[48] The imposing features of the Burragorang Valley have been described by one author as follows: “The Burragorang Valley is over eighty kilometres long and of varying width. At some points in the centre there are less than 3.2 km between escarpments nearly 300 metres high. Sheer sandstone walls rise 300 metres on either side of the valley… Entry into the valley was extremely difficult for a man on foot but for a horse and cart or a larger wagon and horses, this was a formidable task even into this [i.e., the 20th] century. In the early days, horses and carts would be lowered up and down. By 1863 a rough road had been constructed. It was still a very steep incline but could be managed.” (Tales of Old Wollondilly, by Liz Vincent, 2001, pp. 66-67)
[49] The following description of the early days of the Burragorang is also insightful:
The beautiful valley of Burragorang is enclosed on all sides by precipitous mountains, there being only one practicable entrance, which, in early times, before a government road was cut into it for the convenience of the farmers who now occupy the valley, was easily blocked with a few saplings, so that sheep, cattle, or horses turned into the valley could not escape. Precisely how the entrance to this extensive enclosure was first found is not known. It is believed, however, that it was discovered by a party of bushrangers, who endeavoured to discover a road over the Blue Mountains, in order to reach a settlement of white men, which was popularly supposed to lie somewhere in that direction. Whether this supposed settlement was a Dutch or an English settlement does not appear, but as I have already said, there was a wide-spread belief that some of these settlements were at no very great distance from Sydney, and could be reached overland. The valley is situated only about fifty-four miles from Sydney, and for many years was an absolutely secure hiding-place for bushrangers and their plunder. Later on the valley came to be known, from the horrible tales told of the convicts who made use of it, as "Terrible Hollow," and under this name it is introduced by Rolf Boldrewood in his "Robbery under Arms." Among the old hands themselves it was known as "The Camp," "The Shelter," or " The Pound." Bark huts were erected in this valley by the bushrangers, and here they retired when hard pressed or when wounded. When the secret of the entrance was betrayed to the soldiers, who were out in search of a party of bushrangers, it was evident that the valley had been long in use by the bushrangers …
(extract from Boxall, G.E. 1899, The Story of the Australian Bushrangers, Swann Sonnenschein & Co, London, p. 54).
The following link similarly notes: “Burragorang was a very popular area for bushrangers and cattle thieves to store their booty … Bushranger activity was a common occurrence and a regular concern of many people in the area.” (<https://changingcamden.com/category/people/page/2/>)
[50] In his 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang, Jim Barrett has noted, “The [Burragorang] Valley was subject to all of the natural disasters which beset the rest of outback Australia, and drought and bushfire were to be expected at least every 10 or twenty years. The heat during the summer of 1841-1842 was terrific, and on 8 February 1842, some of the registrations in the country reached 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) in the shade. Animals died in great numbers, and birds dropped dead from the trees ... With the virtual absence of water to fight them and the extreme vulnerability of the humble homesteads, bush fires were especially feared … More deaths occurred through drowning because the Cox and Wollondilly rivers could very quickly change from placid streams to raging torrents. However, the real problem lay in the many river crossings which the settlers needed to negotiate, and the maintenance of their livelihood required that residents had to accept risky situations. Many school teachers were lost by drowning because of inexperience and because they had obligations to reach their young charges.” (p. 69)
With respect to the frequent occurrence of flooding in the Burragorang, 1870 alone saw 15 major floods in the valley. See: <http://www.wollondillymuseum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Newsletter-July-2016-.pdf> (p. 2). Indeed, the person who facilitated the burial of William and Celia’s newborn infant daughter in 1870, William Packenham, had a 16-year-old son who drowned during a flood in the Burragorang Valley in 1871. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60872634>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70467254>.
Also see: <https://www.waternsw.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/58447/Warragamba-Dam-50th-anniversary-booklet.pdf> (p. 14);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15143201>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115293705>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114043394>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124503874>.
[51] <https://apebhconference.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/decker1.pdf>;
<https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/economy>
[52] Dyster, B. 1993, “The 1840s depression revisited”, Australian Historical Studies, 25:101, p. 589 (available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10314619308595938?journalCode=rahs20>);
<https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2001/2001-07/1840s-depression.html>;
<https://apebhconference.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/decker1.pdf>; and
<http://myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1840/decade_landing_16_1.html?tabRank=2&subTabRank=3>.
[53] Following a court hearing in Picton on 29 November 1844 William was committed to stand trial for allegedly receiving stolen property and for a short time pending trial was detained in the Berrima Gaol. Subsequently, on 27 February 1845, the Court of Quarter Sessions at Berrima found him not guilty and ordered his discharge.
See: New South Wales, Goal Description & Entrance Books, 1818-1930: William Willis; Ship and Year of Arrival: Mangles, 1833; Berrima Gaol; 1844 (accessed from Ancestry, 7 September 2020); and
New South Wales, Criminal Court Records, 1830-1945: William Willis; Ship of Arrival: Mangles; Date of Committal: 29 November 1844; Place of Committal: Picton NSW; Date of Trial: 27 February 1845;
Place of Trial: Berrima NSW; Outcome: Not guilty and discharged from custody (accessed from Ancestry, 15 September 2020).
Note: It appears that the trial on 27 February 1845 by the Berrima Court of Quarter Sessions was overseen by Samuel Raymond (Chairman) and Samuel North (Police Magistrate). See:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230678625>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37125793>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230361463>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228249931>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31744665>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230677405>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228136207>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12409095>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228249085>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31743652>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12419352>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12880003>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31744930>; and
<http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1845/N/index/1.pdf>.
The official who committed William and his co-accused, Thomas Durant, for trial before the Berrima Quarter Sessions appears to have been someone called Matthew McAlister who had been appointed as a Commission of the Peace (Justice of the Peace) in February 1844. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230146354/12503329>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12409095>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31742241>; and <https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/justices-the-peace-guide>.
For general information about the Courts of Quarter Sessions see:
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/quarter-sessions-guide>; and
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/5325/>.
William’s co-accused in this matter, Thomas Durrant (or Durant), was also found by the Berrima court to be not guilty. Little is known of Thomas other than that he was older than William (b. 1803) and had arrived in New South Wales as a convict aboard the Royal Admiral (3) in 1830 (see: <https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/shipDetails.php?shipId=437>). He had been sentenced to transportation for life for stealing fowls. At one point he had been assigned to George Harper at Abbotsford but absconded (1836) (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230671674/12478193>).
By the time of the 1837 Convict Muster Thomas Durrant had been assigned to work for the Government at Liverpool. He was permitted to live in the Stonequarry district after receiving his ticket of leave (1841) (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12869749>). Subsequently, he was due to receive a conditional pardon (1847). Thomas died at Picton in 1849 while still on his ticket of leave (NSW Convict Death Registers 1826-1879). Given that they both worked in the Stonequarry area at around the same time it is possible that this is when William and Thomas first became acquainted.
Unfortunately, the background circumstances to this long-ago event have not been able to be ascertained. The newspapers of the day would usually report on the details and outcomes of court cases (such as occurred in relation to the outcomes of the Berrima Quarter Sessions on 29 May 1845 [see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12880101> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12880003>]) but for the 27 February 1845 Berrima Quarter Sessions no such report has been uncovered. It is possible that the matter was not reported on, which is plausible in light of the following statement that appeared in one local newspaper around the same time: “We have been compelled, for want of space, to leave out Saturday’s report of the Assizes” (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12877956>). Furthermore, the fact that William and his co-accused were found not guilty would also potentially make any such report less newsworthy. Indeed, the one major newspaper that contained only a brief mention of the Berrima Quarter Sessions for
27 February 1845, the Sydney Morning Herald, thought it more important to make only a passing reference to the cessation of those particular Quarter Sessions rather than to report their outcomes and to make more of a point about a local election result, procedural issues regarding the payment of witnesses, and the state of the roads between Sydney and Berrima (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12877830>). Then again, even if there had been a newspaper report about William’s case, it might only have been as brief as the one published in December 1844 for a person called Lewis Wisham who was also found not guilty of receiving stolen property (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31744242>). The NSW State Archives has subsequently confirmed that apart from what is available on Ancestry, there are no further surviving court-related records from the time which might have elucidated the details relating to William’s 1845 trial.
Regardless of the reason why the case was apparently not reported on by the media and the lack of surviving contemporaneous court-related records, the fact remains that William was acquitted of the offence for which he had been accused. What led to him being charged in the first place? Perhaps being a former convict had left him vulnerable and exposed to the undue and ill-founded suspicions and accusations (maybe even the prejudices and petty jealousies) of others. If so, this episode could provide an explanation for why he might have been reluctant for his past history to become more widely known, to prevent its potential use against him. There is no doubt that during the 1840s and subsequently, community resentment towards the system of convict transportation intensified which resulted in many former convicts attempting to conceal their personal histories. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141153751>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141148653>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192836524>.
That William was similarly guarded about his own personal history is suggested in his obituary: “[he was an] inscrutable man … [who] kept his business to himself”
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>).
Also see: <https://theconversation.com/stain-or-badge-of-honour-convict-heritage-inspires-mixed-feelings-41097>;
<https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convicts_and_the_Colonisation_of_Australia,_1788-1868>;
<https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/turning-tide>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia>;
<http://littleatoms.com/world/anzac-day-myth-cleanse-australias-convict-stain>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32144022>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12847024>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12846882>.
[54] According to official birth and christening registers from England (1538-1975) (available on Ancestry) Celia was baptised on 20 March 1831 which indicates that she was likely born the previous year (i.e., 1830). Celia's birthplace, "Mereworth, Kent, England", is ascertained from the birth records of several of her children namely Matilda (1859), William (Junior) (1861), James (1863), Samuel (1866), and Celia (1868). The 1906 death certificate for Celia's brother, Richard Mitchell, similarly states that he was born in "Merryworth, England" (also see: <https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=15574384>; <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685256/richard-mitchell>; and <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mitchell-31775>). Likewise, the 1897 newspaper obituary for another brother, George Mitchell, states that he was born in “Merryworth, near Maidstone, in the County of Kent” (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133282717>; <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685253/george-mitchell>; and <https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=15596652>).
Note: Mereworth is pronounced as "Merry-worth". See: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mereworth>; and <https://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2007/06/07/places_pronunciation_feature.shtml>.
[55] <https://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/au1838.shtml>;
<http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Places/gravesen.html>
[56] The term “assisted immigrant” refers to those people whose passage was subsidised or paid for through one of the several assisted immigration schemes which operated to New South Wales from the United Kingdom and other countries. See:
<https://mhnsw.au/indexes/undefined/assisted-immigrants-index/>; and
<https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX3100431>.
Note: Some years after Celia and her family travelled on the Lady Nugent the ship and all on board were lost at sea during a hurricane. See:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12962030>; and
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:The_Lady_Nugent>.
[57] <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Lady_Nugent%2C_Arrived_27_Nov_1838>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/4/48/The_Lady_Nugent.jpg>;
<http://www.blaxland.com/ozships/events/3/276.htm#16796>;
<https://mhnsw.au/guides/assisted-immigrants-digital-shipping-lists/>;
<http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5313/4_4780/Lady%20Nugent_27%20Nov%201838/4_478000072.jpg&No=2>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2547789>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12856080>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12856073>.
[58] <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mitchell-31775>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Sherwood-2196>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smith-115170>; and
<https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/smith-maria-ann-13199>.
[59] As recounted by Terry Raftery
Also see: <https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX3100431>
Note: The Shipping list for the Lady Nugent identified James as a farm “labourer” which was one of the occupations/trades of those immigrants who travelled aboard the ship and whose skills were highly sought after by the early settlers. See: <https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX3100431>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12856073>.
[60] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229175223>;
<https://australianroyalty.net.au/tree/purnellmccord.ged/individual/I74850/James-Mitchell>; and
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/177681012/james-mitchell>.
[61] <https://australianroyalty.net.au/tree/purnellmccord.ged/individual/I74851/Hannah>; and
Death record transcription for Hannah Mitchell (nee Fairhall) (06523).
[62] William’s 1839 Certificate of Freedom noted that at the time of the completion of his sentence his trade or calling was “labourer”.
[63] Information provided by Terry Raftery
Also see: NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages - Marriage Certificate - Willis & Mitchell - Ref No 1849 212 Vol 34C
For information about the history of St John's Church of England in Camden where William and Celia were married see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Johns_Anglican_Church_Precinct>; and <https://stjohnscamden.org.au/index.php/about/history>.
[64] The birth and death records for William and Celia’s infant daughter, who according to these documents was “unnamed”, state that she was born in the Burragorang Valley on 30 January 1870 and died after only two hours on the same day. The death record for Baby Willis indicates that she was buried in the Burragorang on 31 January 1870.
When the Burragorang Valley was flooded in the 1950s following the construction of the Warragamba Dam, the NSW Parliament enacted legislation which allowed for the prior relocation of certain graves from the four cemeteries that then existed in the valley (see: <http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/wcaca1952n35314.pdf>). It is not known whether Baby Willis’s grave was among those that were relocated. Then again, if Baby Willis was born and died at the family home (which seems likely), it is possible that she was also buried on site at the family property. For the early settlers who lived in isolated locations across Australia, sometimes this was the only option.
A point of interest is that three of the Willis children (George, John and Matilda) each married into the local Hanger family, the patriarch of which was Henry Hanger (1816-1897) who had arrived in Australia as a convict aboard the Moffatt on 31 August 1836. See:
<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1993-09.pdf>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36855257>; and
Bateson, C. 2004, The Convict Ships 1787-1868, Library of Australian History, Sydney, pp. 354-355.
The 1897 newspaper obituary for Henry Hanger is here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133278420>. The 1912 newspaper obituary for his wife, Mary (nee Dooling) Hanger, is here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133118615>.
Another point of interest is that three of William and Celia’s sons, George, John and Arthur, were all employed at various times in the NSW Police Force. In the case of George, he was appointed as a Probationary Police Constable on 9 April 1877, as an Ordinary Police Constable on 1 December 1877, and resigned on 7 June 1879. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252090044>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251894249>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251896015>.
The birth record for George and Elizabeth's first-born child, Hannah Lillian, also shows that in August 1877 they were living in the Patrick’s Plains district, NSW (now known as Singleton) with George's occupation listed as a Police Constable. A number of news articles on Trove from this period refer to George and his police work at Singleton (e.g., <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78828814> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78830500>).
In turn John was appointed as a Probationary Police Constable on 7 May 1878, as an Ordinary Police Constable on 1 November 1878, and retired with the rank of Inspector in August 1916 (effective from
1 March 1917). See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251894872>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251895401>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31671740>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251744453/27982865>.
John's long career with the NSW Police Force can be seen from a variety of items on Trove including: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263960468>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263959426>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263959885>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31365752>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235382466>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141090276>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31375663>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141088081>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235382729>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119133681>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119134379>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31671740>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/249510466>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17047211>.
Like his older brothers Arthur was also employed in the NSW Police Force as a Probationary Police Constable although only for a very short time. See:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251627275>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251630803>.
Within a few months of leaving his police employment Arthur had married his wife, Clara Louisa Butler (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133052991>).
[65] Jim Barrett, in his 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang, has noted, “Up to the turn of the 20th century nine out of ten born to Burragorang families were born in their homes.” (p. 66)
[66] <https://www.fairhall.id.au/families/myline/g0/p102.htm#i2547>;
<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P41/-/ahnentafel>; and
<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P69/william-willis/individual>.
See birth records for William and Celia’s children: Mary (b.1850), Harriet (b.1852), George (b.1854), John (b.1857), Matilda (b.1859), William (Junior) (b.1861), James (b.1863), Samuel (b.1866), Celia (b.1868), Baby Willis (b.1870), Hannah (b.1871), and Arthur (b.1876).
Note: According to her birth record Hannah was born in the Burragorang on 27 February 1871. Subsequently, according to Church parish records, she was baptised on 15 May 1871 by which time her family was living at The Oaks. It is possible that the family had left the Burragorang to take up residence at The Oaks sometime between the date of Hannah's birth and when she was baptised.
[67] Information in this paragraph provided by Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Also see death record transcriptions provided by Joy Murrin Transcription Agent for: Baby Willis (05501), Harriet (nee Willis) Williams (07676), and James Willis (07860).
Note: William Samuel Williams (1880-1970); Harriet Anne Williams (1882-1977); Amy Grace Williams (1883-1928); Celia Serana Williams (1885-1913); Irene Clive Willis (1888-1966). Dates obtained from Ancestry, 12 October 2021.
[68] The parcels of land in the Burragorang Valley retained by William when he and Celia relocated to The Oaks had been acquired by him in 1859 (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228601402/12909814>).
When the Long Acre estate was sold following Celia’s death in 1909, this land was included in the sale (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/142023404>).
[69] In 1870 William purchased almost 320 acres in the Picton district comprising six adjoining allotments (size of acreage for each allotment: 61, 50, 47[1], 46[3], 59, 54) (see: New South Wales, Australia, Land Records, 1811-1870, lndex to Registers of Land Purchases, accessed from Ancestry,
3 November 2021). It appears that the various parcels of land including the six allotments eventually purchased by William were initially offered for sale in August 1869 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225584367/12674567>). By March 1870 the deeds of grant for these allotments had been duly assigned to William (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223288657/12677046>).
An article from a 1939 edition of the local Camden News also notes: “The Willis family in Australia dates back to 1830, when William Willis arrived and settled at Stonequarry; thence he laboured in Burragorang, and finally settled in The Oaks district in 1877.” (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151824>)
For context to this article, see the preceding article at: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141150984>.
A local historical society periodical from 1988 has identified the various landholders in the Picton area as at 1885 including William as the landholder of Long Acre
(<https://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1988-09.pdf>, p.15).
For a map showing the location of the Willis property at The Oaks see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233796135/view>. For access to various historical maps which also show the Willis property at The Oaks see: <https://www.nswlrs.com.au/Parish-and-Historical-Maps>. NB: Search under Parish name of “Picton” to see the Willis property at The Oaks.
According to the legal standards of the time, ownership of William’s various properties was in his name only (<http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUJlGendLaw/2009/6.pdf>, <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-17/marriage-in-australia-how-love-and-law-have-changed-in-130-years/8430254?nw=0#:~:text=June%2010%2C%201884&text=Victoria%20becomes%20the%20first%20Australian,the%20Married%20Women's%20Property%20Act.>, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coverture>, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married_Women%27s_Property_Act_1882>, and <https://www.jstor.org/stable/27509277?seq=1>).
William had to pass ownership of his various lands to Celia via his Will, which he did.
It is noted that “The Oaks” has long been the accepted way of referring to this district, not simply “Oaks” (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133278565>; and
<https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/the-oaks-nsw#:~:text=The%20Oaks%20was%20rather%20unimaginatively,changed%20to%20%22The%20Oaks%22.>).
For general information about The Oaks and its history see:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oaks,_New_South_Wales>; and
<https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/the-oaks-nsw#sthash.9EybsnAP.dpuf>.
[70] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz, granddaughter of James and Edith (nee Marshall) Willis
[71] 1885 Return of NSW Stock and Stock Owners, p. 308 (see:<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/vpsr/VPSR308.GIF>). Accessed from: <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/html/vpsr.html> and then search under “Picton District” followed by “Freshfield”.
[72] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/239412699>
[73] den Hertog, S. 1987, The History of The Oaks from the Records, The Oaks Historical Society, p. 20
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151824>
[74] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111193776>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/237245343>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13613230>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162811608>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71678200>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162197572>.
[75] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[76] Information provided by Colleen Kenny
[77] den Hertog, S. 1987, The History of The Oaks from the Records, The Oaks Historical Society, p. 41
Note: den Hertog points out that the land on which the Werriberri Provisional School was built had originally been purchased by William on 17 January 1870.
In 1911 tenders were called for the sale of the site of the school (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112631665>).
[78] See: Will of William Willis (copy obtained from NSW State Archives).
Note: Irene's father was William and Celia's son James who died on 6 June 1889 while William and John's father was Henry Harris (b.1849), the first husband of William and Celia’s eldest daughter Mary. Henry married Mary on 6 June 1878 and died on 28 May 1881. See: <https://www.fairhall.id.au/families/myline/desc-031586.htm>; and <https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/mary-jane-willis-24-q5271>.
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223977886>.
Subsequently, on 2 April 1884, Mary married Robert William Armour (1846-1933) after whom “Armour Avenue” in Camden is named (<https://www.cafhs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CAMDEN-STREET-NAME-1.pdf>).
One of Mary and Robert’s sons, George William Armour, died in 1937 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140597469>).
Mary’s 1934 obituary and funeral notice are here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140485212>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/248971372>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17045025>.
Robert’s 1933 obituary and funeral notice are here: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140484360>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112759311>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118942529>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/247165101>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17020437>.
[79] A report dated July 1870 prepared by Inspector Huffer for the New South Wales Council of Education included an annexure in which William signed an undertaking (by marking an “X”) to send his sons George, John and William (Junior) to the Half-Time teaching school that had been proposed to be established at the nearby residence of his neighbour Edward Smith. Inspector Huffer's visit to the Burragorang Valley is mentioned in this news article: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115293705>.
Inspector Huffer had been appointed as local district inspector (Camden) in 1867 (see <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63665268> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166804654>).
Regarding the Half-Time School arrangements operating in New South Wales at the time one writer, Sonja den Hertog, has explained:
Following the implementation of the Public Schools Act 1866, which superseded the National School System of 1848, general education came to the remote Valley in 1870. Prior to this eight teaching stations visited by one teacher had been established during 1868 under the designation ‘Burragorang Half-Time School’. These stations set up in private homes were located at Smith’s and Dennis’s on the western side of the Wollondilly … The eight teaching stations were reduced to two in 1869 and ceased operation by 1870 … (den Hertog, S. 1990, 2006, The History of Burragorang Valley from the Records, The Oaks Historical Society, p. 18).
Similarly, Jim Barrett has noted:
The Public Schools Act of 1866 initiated a comprehensive review of what was lacking in the educational field, and the first benefits reached the Valley in 1868 when eight teaching stations were established. These stations were located in private homes and grouped as four ‘pairs’, each pair having a station on opposite sides of the river, an acknowledgement of the risks of small children needing to cross the rivers unsupervised (Barrett, J. 1995, Life in the Burragorang, Glenbrook, NSW, p. 80).
A comprehensive study of the Half-Time School system in New South Wales, which includes a focus on the Burragorang Valley, has been made by A T Freeman (see:<https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/9305091/13015>).
For links to the 1867 regulations by the NSW Council of Education, including in relation to Half-Time Schools, see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225474017/12763034> (p. 585);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119441298/12651660>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18724059>.
For historical background to the NSW Council of Education see: <https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/Public%20Access/PDF%20Guides/Council%20of%20Education%201866-1880.pdf>;
<https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE00456b.htm>;
<https://researchdata.edu.au/council-education/164349>; and
<https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/nsw/NE00456>.
[80] <https://naming.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/detail/426>;
<https://proposals.gnb.nsw.gov.au/public/geonames/9e86bea9-f2ec-4945-840a-d2b48f6782a1>
[81] The indications are strong that Willis Park at Oakdale and most likely Willis Street which is located nearby were named in recognition of Roland Cherry Willis (1906-1984) and his family. Roland’s family first became associated with the districts around Oakdale, The Oaks and Camden in the early 1890s. Roland’s mother, Elizabeth (nee Moore) Willis (1865-1946) had owned the land now known as Willis Park from the early 1900s up to the early 1940s. (NB: Property maps are available for viewing through the NSW Land Registry Services [LRS] Historical Land Records Viewer [HLRV] <https://hlrv.nswlrs.com.au/>). In the document of ownership for this land (Vol. 3030 Fol. 122) Elizabeth is identified as “the wife of Francis Cherry Willis of Mosman”. The Museums of History NSW has advised that in 1941 ownership of this land was transferred from Elizabeth Willis to Roland Cherry Willis (as also noted on the document of ownership 3030-122). Subsequently, in August 1950 the local media reported that a “Mr Willis” (undoubtedly Roland Cherry Willis), as part of his application to the Wollondilly Shire Council for approval to subdivide his land at Oakdale, offered to allow a portion of the land to be used as a public recreation reserve for the “beautification” of the area (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111056619> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111054644>). It was this land that later became Willis Park. This is confirmed by comparing a current aerial view of Willis Park and its surrounding area with the relevant 1945 property map pertaining to the land which had been assigned to Elizabeth Willis. The Museums of History NSW also advised that in 1961 the Wollondilly Shire Council gained title of the land now associated with Willis Park (8311-37). The name of Willis Park was officially gazetted on
5 December 1986 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231675591>).
With respect to Willis Street at Oakdale it seems that the land on which this road is now situated was originally owned by one of Elizabeth's relatives, Robert Moore (<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Moore-26109> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140478168>).
Note: Although sharing the same surname the families of Roland Cherry Willis and William Willis are not related. Indeed, Roland’s father was Francis Cherry (F C) Willis (1866-1939) who was born in Adelaide (South Australia) and later moved to New South Wales. F C Willis went on to marry Elizabeth Moore at Narellan in June 1891 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235859149>). As mentioned above, the document of ownership for the Oakdale land that became Willis Park also identifies Elizabeth as “the wife of Francis Cherry Willis” (3030-122). By May 1892 F C Willis and Elizabeth were living at Ashfield in Sydney (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236165661>). From 1893 F C Willis was being identified with Camden (e.g., see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220973877/14158306>). This continued the following year (August and October 1894) with him again being mentioned in connection with Camden and its surrounds (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236142799>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162832358>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236114316>).
There are also newspaper references from the late 1890s which mention Elizabeth as living at Camden (e.g., see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133280192>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133281982>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133053723>).
F C Willis and Elizabeth had four children: Freida, Lionel, Nigel, and Roland who was the youngest. Their oldest child, Freida was born in May 1892 while they were living at Ashfield
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236165661>). Lionel, their second child, was born in February 1897 after they had moved to Camden
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71291028>). Their remaining children, Nigel and Roland were also born at Camden, in 1899 and 1906 respectively
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/163689047>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236839145>).
F C Willis was active in the local community including municipal politics, becoming an alderman of the Camden Municipal Council. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133123716>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133121528>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133123991>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133121530>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133121897>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136644105>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151874>.
F C Willis had an older brother, Henry (1860-1950) who similarly came to NSW from Adelaide and likewise became involved in politics not only at the local level but also at the State and Federal levels. See: <https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/willis-henry-9124>; and
<https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/formermembers/Pages/former-member-details.aspx?pk=1063>.
F C Willis and Henry both married girls (sisters) from the same family (Moore). While F C Willis married Elizabeth Moore, Henry married Elizabeth’s older sister, Annie Louisa Moore (1860-1951) at Campbelltown in September 1889 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235808249>).
F C Willis and Elizabeth left the Camden area in November 1909 to relocate to Sydney (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136644105>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136643844>).
F C Willis died in 1939 and Elizabeth died in 1946 (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141151814>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140490048>).
For further information see: <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Willis-4911>;
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Moore-26100>; and
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Willis-4924>.
[82] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108056613>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238391452>
Note: The George Inn at Picton, now known as the George IV Inn, has been described as follows:
Located at 180 Argyle Street, the George IV Inn is one of the oldest hotels in the country. Said to have been built in 1819 but not licensed until 1839 it is a rambling, single storey building on the southern side of Stonecutter Creek. The inn’s veranda, stables and courtyard capture an earlier time when the journey from Sydney was a long and uncomfortable coach ride.
(See: <https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/picton-nsw>; and <https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/picton-20070815-gdkq6j.html>)
The construction date of 1819 has been contested (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111059550>). According to some, the inn was built by George Harper in 1839 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112212844>). Although, this date has also been disputed (see: <http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1993-03.pdf>). Nevertheless, the inn does boast a convict connection in that it incorporated a “convict hold” for the detention of prisoners (<https://www.macarthuradvertiser.com.au/story/5085207/george-iv-inns-convict-history-on-show/>).
[83] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133279587>
Note: The “late Mr George Mitchell” referred to in the preceding article was William’s brother-in-law (Celia's brother) who had died a month earlier (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133280171> and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133282717>). Also see: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685253/george-mitchell>; and
<https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=15596652>.
For information about banking facilities in the early days of the New South Wales colony see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141152983>; and
<https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2001/2001-07/1820s.html>.
Also, the “old spade guineas” mentioned in the article is a reference to the gold coin that was introduced in 1787 during the reign of King George III (b.1738 r. 1760-1820). They were described as spade guineas because of the spade-shaped shield on the reverse side of the coin (see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_(coin)>). The spade guinea was highly valued because of its gold content and was widely circulated in early colonial Australia (<https://www.downies.com/gb-1793-spade-guinea-gf-vf> and <https://coinworks.com.au/1787-Gold-Proof-Spade-Guinea~9609#:~:text=The%20Spade%20Guinea%20was%20one,value%20of%20%C2%A31%202s.>).
[84] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108056613>
[85] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133280082>
[86] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263987357>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31365752>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263987738>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235189833>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263918820>.
Note: The speaker in question at this farewell for John Willis, Enoch William Booty (1856-1943), was a well-known local figure whose many roles included being the Branch accountant of the Bank of New South Wales in Camden between c.1876 and 1889. It was possibly during this time that he came to know John’s father, William.
See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71121140>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71121601>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162066344>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263918641>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227191505>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/145702781>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/101822878>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108055319>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133282915>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263987570>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263993231>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263986106>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113251184>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263988967>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139844324/16152084>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71205141>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/15724122>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144104388>;
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/1429484:60528?ssrc=pt&tid=106188533&pid=152195628940>;
<https://www.camdenremembers.com.au/WWIRoll/wwI_B.pdf> (p.16); <https://media.opengov.nsw.gov.au/pairtree_root/27/71/fa/56/54/32/4e/56/ba/9a/d3/cb/96/e0/3c/db/obj/document.pdf> (p.81); and
<https://lawalmanacs.info/almanacs/nsw-law-almanac-1886.pdf> (p.22).
[87] The advertisement placed by William was as follows: “LOST—A Winter Buggy Rug between Mrs Willis's residence on The Oaks road and Camden. Reward on returning same to Mr Willis, The Oaks Road.” (See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133278393>)
[88] Yewen’s Directory of the Landholders of New South Wales 1900, p. 91 (accessed from “Find my Past”, 17 November 2020); and
New South Wales Census 1901 (accessed from Ancestry, 12 October 2021).
Note: Celia was also registered as a voter on the 1903 Commonwealth Electoral Roll (see: <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/nswer1903/nswer1903_04843.gif>).
According to the legal standards of the time, ownership of William’s various properties was in his name only. William had to pass ownership of his various lands to Celia via his Will, which he did.
See: <http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUJlGendLaw/2009/6.pdf>;
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-17/marriage-in-australia-how-love-and-law-have-changed-in-130-years/8430254?nw=0#:~:text=June%2010%2C%201884&text=Victoria%20becomes%20the%20first%20Australian,the%20Married%20Women's%20Property%20Act.>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coverture>; <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married_Women%27s_Property_Act_1882>; and <https://www.jstor.org/stable/27509277?seq=1>.
[89] Will of Celia Willis (copy obtained from NSW State Archives) (DoD: 6 November 1909 at Picton);
<https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Willis-2030>; and
<https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/walter-wheeler-24-1xyqwq>.
Note: Cecil, Irene and Vera were the children of Hannah and her husband Walter Wheeler (1869-1940).
[90] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238240291>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31392040>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136644104>.
Note: The statement in the preceding article which identifies Celia as “... the mother of the late Mr Williams’ first wife” is a reference to William and Celia’s second daughter Harriet Willis (b. 6 July 1852, d. 21 February 1886) who married James Williams on 24 July 1879. Harriet is mentioned in the newspaper obituary for James although only as “Miss Willis”; nevertheless, she is still recognised as being the “daughter of the late William Willis of Long Acre, The Oaks and Mrs Willis now of Picton” (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136643399>).
[91] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685290/william-willis>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185685289/celia-willis>
Also see: <https://www.simplyaustralia.net/old-oaks-church/>
[92] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15133399>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/239412699>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15145359>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164337642>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15155908>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136642526>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/142023404>.
[93] NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages – Marriage Certificate – Willis & Mulholland – No 105/1890
Note: The name of the street where the St Barnabas Church was located changed from "George Street West" to the current name of "Broadway" in 1934 (see: <https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/broadway>;
<https://archives.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/743393>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway,_Sydney>).
[94] Information provided by Terry Raftery
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13234782>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115763034>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13234773>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60516883>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/assisted-immigrants-digital-shipping-lists>;
<http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/shipping/mig-nsw.htm>; and
<https://www.facebook.com/878976525498739/posts/moses-mulholland-jnr-was-a-twin-he-and-his-brother-john-were-born-in-county-tyro/915203568542701/>.
Note: A local historical society periodical from 1988 has identified the various landholders in the Picton area as at 1885 including Moses as a landholder of Abbotsford together with his son Moses Jnr (see:<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1988-09.pdf>, p.15).
Also see: <https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/assets/Documents/Planning-and-Development/Planning-Proposals/Abbotsford-Planning-Proposal-and-Draft-Planning-Agreement/Appendix-P-Curtilage-Study.PDF> (p.13).
For general information about Abbotsford see:
<http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/ifhaa/towns/picton.htm>;
<http://www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/Picton/2005/02/17/1108500198413.html>;
<https://wikimili.com/en/Abbotsford%2C_Picton>; and
<https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/assets/Uploads/Report-Statement-of-Heritage-Impact.PDF>.
[95] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[96] See: <https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/assisted-immigrants-digital-shipping-lists>;
<https://irelandxo.com/ireland/tyrone/desertcreat-tyrone/message-board/thomas-john-mulholland-1820-1870>;
<https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=915203568542701&id=878976525498739>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12974097>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12974105>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115763034>; and
<http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/shipping/mig-nsw.htm>.
Sadly, Thomas drowned in 1870. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104087726>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70461813>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/123551606/12780503>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104087730>.
[97] Information about Annie and Margaret arriving in Melbourne on the Crusader provided by Colleen Kenny
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5819790>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219364324>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60449101>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189327960>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189326048>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5819840>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219363732>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196301569>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13205037>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196730875>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/39674934>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66838449>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198852909>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92283893>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232871526>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107125574>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244909937>; and
<https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration/unassisted-passenger-lists>.
[98] For information about Annie and Margaret travelling from Melbourne to Sydney aboard the City of Adelaide see:
NSW Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922, Vessel Name: City of Adelaide, Port of Departure: Melbourne, Port of Arrival: Sydney, Voyage Arrival Date: 16 May 1870 (accessed from Ancestry, 10 November 2021);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13205288>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28419202>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63107181>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28419220>.
[99] As recalled by Howard Willis, son of Will and Hilary (nee Cornell) Willis and grandson of William and Margaret (nee Mulholland) Willis
[100] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/14039247>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144435450>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144435471>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109919519>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124065674>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71242867>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14047054>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238603080>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14053781>.
[101] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109917804>
[102] <https://naming.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/detail/284>
[103] Vincent, L. 1996, A Brief History of Picton, p. 22;
<http://www.wollondillymuseum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Newsletter-April-2021.pdf>
[104] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162263640/moses-mulholland>;
<https://pwac.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2016_06_12_21_46_07.pdf> (p. 14)
[105] Information provided by Terry Raftery
For general information about Jarvisfield see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarvisfield,_Picton>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71098433>
[106] Information provided by Terry Raftery
Note: This custom was consistent with that practised in nineteenth century England where “... it was common … for a young wife to return to her mother for her first confinement” (Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, p. 109).
William Louis was known by his family as “Billy” but his wife Hilary referred to him as “Will” which is what he is called in this account of the family story.
[107] Information about the children’s illness provided by Terry Raftery, to whom it was relayed by his mother, Catherine Celia (nee Willis) Raftery.
[108] Information about Will’s recollection of being sent by his parents to seek urgent medical help for his siblings provided by Janet Brown, granddaughter of Will and Hilary (nee Cornell) Willis.
According to the death certificates for Johnny and Teddy the doctor who attended them was Dr Lloyd Davenport Parry from Picton (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113418951>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214989328>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14588037>).
A summary of Dr Parry’s life is here: <http://www.wollondillymuseum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Newsletter-February-2022.pdf>;
<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SJ_MARCH_2020.pdf> (pp. 7-9); and
<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021-03-SJ.pdf> (p. 1).
[109] <https://austcemindex.com/?cemid=521>;
<https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=6536356>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162558770/john-harold-willis>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162558771/edward-willis>; and
<https://pwac.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2016_06_12_21_46_07.pdf> (p. 22).
[110] Notice provided courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Note: Prior to the advent of vaccination, “... croup was frequently caused by diphtheria and was often fatal. This cause is now very rare in the Western world due to the success of the diphtheria vaccine” (<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croup#:~:text=Croup%20is%20usually%20deemed%20to,tracheitis%2C%20laryngotracheobronchitis%2C%20and%20laryngotracheobronchopneumonitis>). The diphtheria vaccine was developed in 1923 (<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphtheria_vaccine>).
[111] Information provided by Terry Raftery
Information about the family travelling overland by bullock dray provided by Wendy Holt (Great great granddaughter of George and Elizabeth [nee Hanger] Willis and Great granddaughter of Alice [nee Willis] Ford).
The Certificate of Title for Erin Vale indicating William’s ownership of the property was dated 16 May 1906. The following news article from January 1907 confirms that William was living in the Meringandan district by this time: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185087392>. A newspaper article from 20 December 1929 refers to William as having been at his property for “23 years” (i.e., since 1906) (see:<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254110187>).
The following articles from early 1906 also indicate the sale of Erin Vale from the previous owners, the Considine family: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180436647>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180441480>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180433798>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184889282>.
Prior to relocating to Queensland, William and Margaret may have moved from Jarvisfield - where they were living when first married - to live and work at Abbotsford, the property where Margaret's father, Moses Mulholland, had resided for many years. This is indicated by the Sands Directories for 1905 and 1906 (available through Ancestry) and the 1903 death records for their young sons, Johnny and Teddy.
Terry Raftery has suggested that another distressing incident which possibly contributed to William and Margaret’s decision to relocate to Queensland was the suicide of Margaret’s brother, Moses (Junior) in 1903. See: <https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=915203568542701&id=878976525498739>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115854016>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14545835>.
Moses Jnr was known to have been in ill-health for some time prior to his death (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/237562784>).
Also see: <https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P48/william-willis/individual>
[112] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[113] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19432965>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25975135>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19616634>.
[114] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186558602>
[115] Information provided by Terry Raftery and Andrea Luck, granddaughter-in-law of Noel and Noela (nee Willis) Luck included in this paragraph.
For further information about Samuel and Joan Willis and their family see:
<https://www.ancestry.ca/genealogy/records/joan-halliday-24-xsjzw>;
<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P2559/samuel-willis/individual>
[116] As recounted by Terry Raftery. Terry has advised that it was William and Margaret's son, James Vivian (Jim) Willis (1893-1982), who had told him about George and Elizabeth moving to Queensland around the same time as his brothers Samuel and William (or soon thereafter) and (possibly) leasing the neighbouring property to theirs at Meringandan prior to returning to the Bowral district in New South Wales. The 1909 Electoral Roll for the division of Darling Downs (sub-division of Highfields) confirms that George and Elizabeth were living at “Cooby Creek” at that time with George’s brothers William and Samuel and their wives Margaret and Joan living at "Meringandan". There are no other references in the Queensland electoral rolls before or after this time to George and Elizabeth living at Cooby Creek. The presence of George and Elizabeth at Cooby Creek coincides with the decision by George in early 1909 to “let” their property at Glenquarry, NSW so they could leave for “the North Coast”. For example, see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128663134>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117143534>.
George and Elizabeth were married in 1877 and their children were: Hannah (1877-1949), Celia (1880-1881), Alice (1882-1969), Samuel (1884-1969), William (1887-1977), George (Junior) (1889-1971), Cecil (1892-1975), Claude (1892-1968), Ruth (1895-1991), and Ruby (1895-1942). George and Elizabeth’s family is outlined here: <https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P2563/george-willis/individual>.
Note: William, Margaret, Samuel and Joan were still living at Picton in 1903 according to the Commonwealth Electoral Roll for that year (see: <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/nswer1903/nswer1903_04813.gif> and <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/nswer1903/nswer1903_04812.gif>). In addition, the 1903 Sands Pastoral Directory showed Samuel was living at Long Acre (Picton) at that time (<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/html/sands03c.html#pic>). The Sands Pastoral Directory showed them all still living in the Picton district in 1905 with George living in the Upper Burragorang (<https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/sp1905gf/1905089c.gif>). Indeed, George appears to have been living in the Upper Burragorang at least as early as 1896 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133280715>), and possibly since 1893 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222196355/13188736>) or even earlier (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224184471/12915521>). The 1887 birth record for George and Elizabeth's son, William also indicates that they were living in the Upper Burragorang at that time. (For a map showing George's property in the Upper Burragorang see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233800737/view>.) Prior to then, George and Elizabeth had been living south of Picton on a farm called "Harmony" at Redbank (present-day Thirlmere) as is indicated by the birth and baptism parish records for their daughter, Alice (1882) and son, Samuel (1884). As noted earlier, in August 1877 they had been living in the Patrick’s Plains district, NSW (now known as Singleton) where George had been stationed as a Police Constable and their first child, Hannah Lillian had been born (refer Hannah's birth record transcript). By the time of the arrival of their next child, Celia, in 1880 they were living at Oran Park, NSW, and George was working as a farmer.
The 1906 Sands Pastoral Directory lists William as still living at Abbotsford, Samuel at Long Acre and George in the Upper Burragorang. However, while the 1907 Sands Pastoral Directory showed George still living at the Upper Burragorang, no mention is made of William or Samuel. Certainly by the time of the 1908 and 1909 editions of the Sands Pastoral Directory none of them are mentioned (for the 1909 edition see: <https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/sndgif09c/1909130c.gif>). With respect to William and Samuel, the answer as to their whereabouts between 1905 and 1908/09 may be ascertained from other sources.
In this regard, the enrolment records of the Meringandan State School indicate that Samuel and Joan’s children Arthur and Nellie were enrolled as from 14 January 1906. Samuel and Joan had certainly settled into the Meringandan district by September 1906 as shown by newspaper advertisements relating to a bovine auction sale at Meringandan on behalf of several locals including “S Willis, Esq” (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183211255>, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183202999> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183211718>). Similarly, a July 1907 newspaper notice pertaining to “Movements of Stock” made reference to “S Willis of Meringandan”
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179985294>).
The Certificate of Title for Erin Vale indicating William’s ownership of the property was dated 16 May 1906. In addition, the enrolment records of the Meringandan State School indicate that William and Margaret’s younger children Jim, Cate and Millie were enrolled as from 24 July 1906. (It appears that Will (b.1890) did not get enrolled as he would have been too old to attend primary school.) The following news article from January 1907 confirms that William was living in the Meringandan district by this time (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185087392>). An article from December 1907 provides further confirmation (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19400793>). A newspaper article from 20 December 1929 refers to William as having owned his property for “23 years” (i.e., since 1906) (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254110187>). The 1907 Queensland Post Office Directory (Wise) also shows that by this time both William and Samuel were living and farming at Meringandan. Another news article from February 1908 refers to "Mrs Sam Willis" and "Mrs Will Willis" both of Meringandan (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19510846>; also, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/191524310>). Likewise, Commonwealth electoral roll records for 1908 show that at this time William, Margaret, Samuel and Joan were all living in the Division of Darling Downs, subdivision of Jondaryan (also see: <https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P2559/samuel-willis/individual>).
As previously noted, the following articles from early 1906 also indicate the sale of Erin Vale from the previous owners, the Considine family: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180436647>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180441480>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180433798>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184889282>.
[117] The Meringandan electoral rolls for 1903, 1905 and 1906 show that William and Margaret's property was known as Erin Vale under the previous owners, the Considine family.
There are newspaper references to Samuel’s property being known as Bannockburn from 1923 and 1925 (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253741320>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253927977>). The Highfields electoral rolls for 1922 and 1925 also record one of Samuel’s daughters, Nellie, as living at “Bannockburn”, Meringandan.
An interesting point is that the names of William’s and Samuel’s properties appear to reflect (either fortuitously or by design) the Irish and Scottish heritages of their wives Margaret and Joan. (Note: Margaret was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone in what is now Northern Ireland while Joan was born in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland.)
[118] Even in 1924 the road on which the Willis properties were situated was referred to as “Willis’s road”. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253759383>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253749678>.
[119] After moving to Meringandan William and Samuel both went on to demonstrate a strong commitment to their new local community. For instance, William became a member of the Darling Downs chapter of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows (MUIOOF), a fraternal order originally established in 1810 in Manchester, England, and at one point served as the organisation’s Noble Grand (NG). See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183192392>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182678616>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183193520>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189201369>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182678085>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182674795>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182652163>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/187352493> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180616137>.
For information about the MUIOOF including its functions and responsibilities to the various communities it served see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd_Fellows>;
<https://www.australianunity.com.au/about-us/our-history>; <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Order_of_Oddfellows_Manchester_Unity>; <https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2783>; <https://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/76>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glennie_Hall>; and
<https://www.fraternalsecrets.org/they-call-each-other-brother/>.
For his part, Samuel served on the committee for the construction of the new Meringandan State School. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196948612>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182697331>.
Samuel also appears to have had some involvement in local politics (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253832334>).
Furthermore, according to his obituary (Toowoomba Chronicle, 3 May 1949, p. 5), Samuel was a great sports lover, particularly cricket, and was a strong supporter of the local Meringandan Cricket Club. As well as cricket, he supported other local sports (for example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253308700>).
[120] As previously noted, Terry Raftery has recounted that it was William and Margaret's son, James Vivian (Jim) Willis (1893-1982), who had told him about George and Elizabeth moving to Queensland around the same time as his brothers Samuel and William (or soon thereafter) and (possibly) leasing the neighbouring property to theirs at Meringandan prior to returning to the Bowral district in New South Wales.
Records on Trove and Ancestry also point to the approximate timeframe when George and Elizabeth moved to Queensland and of their return to New South Wales. In particular:
1. In January 1908 George and his son Cecil are mentioned in the local media as residing at “Baroona”, Glenquarry (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112507465> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112097718>).
2. In April 1908, on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter Alice to William Ford, George is again mentioned as living at “Baroona”, Glenquarry (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112099815>).
3. In February and March 1909 George was reported as having “let his property” at Glenquarry and was “leaving for the North Coast”. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128663134>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117142618>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117142609>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128660440>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117143534>.
4. As noted earlier, the Sands Pastoral Directory for 1905, 1906 and 1907 included mention of George and his property at Upper Burragorang but by the time of the directory's 1908 and 1909 editions no such mention is made.
5. Importantly, and as previously noted, the 1909 Electoral Roll for for the division of Darling Downs (sub-division of Highfields) lists George and Elizabeth as living at “Cooby Creek” while George’s brothers William and Samuel and their wives Margaret and Joan are listed as living at "Meringandan".
There are no other references in the Queensland electoral rolls before or after this time to George and Elizabeth living at Cooby Creek. The presence of George and Elizabeth at Cooby Creek coincides with the decision by George in early 1909 to “let” their property at Glenquarry so they could leave for “the North Coast” (see above). Apart from subsequent visits George and Elizabeth may have undertaken to visit those of their children who lived in Queensland, there is no indication of them ever again residing outside of New South Wales.
6. According to the NSW Government Gazette of 16 November 1910 George was again living at Glenquarry (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229310511>).
7. In January 1911 George is listed as still living at Glenquarry via Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227586552/14137232>).
8. In February 1911 George is again listed as living at Glenquarry via Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227587428/14137577>).
9. A “G Willis” is mentioned in a news article from 4 April 1911 about being engaged by the Toowoomba City Council (Queensland) to make certain repairs (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182699730>). However, because only the initial "G" is used in this news article, it is not certain whether this was a reference to George (which is unlikely given that he seems to have returned to Glenquarry by this time), or maybe to his son George (Junior) who by this stage was aged 21 years (dob: 26 April 1889) and whom it is known lived in the Toowoomba area and continued to do so for the rest of his life. Then again, it is also possible that this was some other unrelated person with the surname of Willis who had a first name beginning with “G”.
10. Then on 12 August 1911 reference is given to a “Ruby Willis” (and her place of residence as “Meringandan”) in an article in the Darling Downs Gazette (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182675425>). “Ruby Willis” is again mentioned in an article from 9 September 1911 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180620439>). Subsequently, “Ruby Willis of Meringandan” is mentioned in a news article on 30 September 1911 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180620845>). One of George and Elizabeth's twin daughters was named Ruby. The likelihood is strong that the “Ruby Willis of Meringandan” mentioned in these news articles was George and Elizabeth’s daughter. At this point Ruby, who was born on
26 November 1895, was only 15 years old and would have most likely been staying with family or other relatives. (Note that apart from her own family Ruby had two sets of uncles and aunts and several cousins who were living in Meringandan at the time). There are no prior, or subsequent, references to a "Ruby Willis of Meringandan" in Trove.
11. In February 1912, George is indicated as still living at Glenquarry (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226770811>).
12. The November 1912 obituary for George’s mother-in-law (Mary [nee Dooling] Hanger) indicates that at this point he and Elizabeth were residents of Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133118615>).
13. In April 1913 George’s sons Cecil and Claude are mentioned in local media as playing cricket for Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113788737>; also see January 1913 <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113789903>). Trove also reveals other later such references. Claude subsequently returned to Queensland where in 1918 he married Edith Matilda Lucht at Toowoomba.
14. According to the Sands Directories: Sydney and NSW 1858-1933 (available through Ancestry), by 1914 George was still living at Glenquarry. Also see:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227672753>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227674058>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113376283>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113376283>.
15. According to the World War 1 enlistment records of his son, Cecil (dated 15 February 1916), George was still living at Glenquarry. See:<https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8855009>.
16. During 1917 other media reports indicated that George was still living at Glenquarry. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120006013>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113377980>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120005253>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132968725>.
17. By September 1917 George’s place of residence had changed from Glenquarry to Bowral (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120004080> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132968725>).
18. Later Sands Directories show that George was still listed as living at Glenquarry until 1920 but by 1921 had started to be listed as a resident of Bowral.
[121] George and Elizabeth's departure from the Cooby Creek property in Queensland and their subsequent return to New South Wales could have been influenced by the decision of the property's owner, Daniel Buckley, to put it up for sale in early 1910. See:<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182913259>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182913266>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182908178>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182909104>.
[122] Although George, Elizabeth and some of their family soon returned to the Bowral district (NSW), as previously noted several of their children ended up marrying and staying in Queensland (<https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/127713/P2563/george-willis/individual>). For instance, George (Junior) (1889-1971) married a local Goombungee girl, Amelia Henrietta Lucht (1891-1968), on 14 August 1912. From electoral rolls they were still living in Toowoomba in 1925. Another son, Samuel (1884-1969), also married a Goombungee girl, Henrietta Matilda Lucht (1895-1968), on 23 January 1912. They stayed in Queensland before returning to Bowal (NSW) by 1914. (Note: The fathers of Amelia and Henrietta were brothers meaning that Amelia and Henrietta were cousins). While George and Samuel’s younger brother Claude (1892-1968) initially returned to the Bowral district, he later came back to Toowoomba where on 20 February 1918 he married Amelia’s sister, Edith Matilda Lucht (1894-1985). Claude and his family continued to live in Queensland.
George’s 1941 death certificate shows that he died in the Lidcombe State Hospital while his funeral notice (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17755025>) stated that the last place where he lived was Flemington (NSW) (now known as Homebush).
Elizabeth's maiden name was Hanger. As previously mentioned, George and two of his siblings (Matilda and John) each married into the Hanger family, the patriarch of which was Henry Hanger who originally came to Australia as a convict (<http://www.pictonheritage.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1993-09.pdf>).
[123] See: Marriage certificate - Annie Sarah Willis to Henry Lude 1893 (Reg. No. 000198/1893); and
Marriage certificate - Irene Willis to John Terris 1906 (Reg. No. 1906/C/2097).
Also see: <https://gw.geneanet.org/mrmozz?n=lude&oc=&p=ole+tueson+henry+harry+ole>;
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/6352447384:62476>;
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/758615:1780>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198469848/annie-sarah-lude>;
<https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/1030/?name=_Terriss&pg=2&count=50&name_x=_1>;
<https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/details/57901d3983bf724b41fda4f31be8e1e5c3cf82cf07c9a4f297347df678b940b1>;
<https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/details/f51dab16352c07952d7ea48d34897ca78a214db74407bb8820e886d3da259a29>;
<https://www.myheritage.com/names/john_terris>; and
<https://www.myheritage.com/names/william_terris>.
For Henry’s 1923 death notice see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/54134401>
For Annie’s 1946 obituary and funeral notices see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62995674>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63004537>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56411107>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56411734>.
[124] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149521038/william-willis>;
<http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/cemeteries/deceased-search/burial/52557>; and
<https://austcemindex.com/inscription.php?id=10131189>.
[125] Toowoomba Chronicle, 17 September 1941, page 2 (copy of obituary provided courtesy of Marionne Diggles, Secretary, Toowoomba & Darling Downs Family History Society Inc.)
[126] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[127] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[128] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[129] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[130] Camden News, Thursday 5 May 1910, courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Also available at: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136642526>
[131] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz
[132] Photo accessed from: <https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=6536356>
[133] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz
[134] Photo courtesy of Tony Vanderpool
Note: The date of William’s death on the headstone is incorrect. According to his death certificate William died on 9 September 1941. Also see the following contemporaneous news articles: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97798050>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71444672>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186626585>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76112064>.
The reason why this error appeared on the headstone is unknown.
[135] Location of Willis property in the Burragorang Valley prior to it being flooded, from Jim Barrett’s 1995 publication, Life in the Burragorang, p. 29
For an official map showing the location of William’s property in the Burragorang see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-537800833/view>. For an earlier version of this map see: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233795859/view>.
For access to various historical maps which also show William’s property in the Burragorang see: <https://www.nswlrs.com.au/Parish-and-Historical-Maps>. NB: Search under “Nattai” and “Jooriland” to see William’s properties on both sides of the Wollondilly River.
[136] Photo courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
[137] Photo courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Note: A point of interest about William and Celia's headstone is that it incorporates the letters IHS which are the first three letters of the word ISHUS, the name of Christ in Greek (Collison, N. 2004, "The Little Slab Church - St Matthew's Church of England, The Oaks NSW", Published by The Oaks Historical Society Inc, p. 54).
[138] Image courtesy of Colleen Kenny
[139] Image courtesy of Colleen Kenny
[140] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz
[141] Photo accessed from: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162263640/moses-mulholland>
[142] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[143] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[144] Photo courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Note: A point of interest about Harriet's headstone is that it incorporates the image of a dove, which symbolises peace. A dove also represents the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The dove is encircled by a garland of roses which symbolises the celebration of a person's life (Collison, N. 2004, "The Little Slab Church - St Matthew's Church of England, The Oaks NSW", Published by The Oaks Historical Society Inc, p. 53).
[145] Photo courtesy of Marlane Fairfax, Secretary, Picton & District Historical and Family History Society Inc.
Note: A point of interest about James's headstone is that it incorporates the image of roses which signify love and beauty and when depicted in full bloom, indicate that the deceased person was in the prime of their life. The combination of flowers and wreath such as on James's headstone symbolises the celebration of the person's life (Collison, N. 2004, "The Little Slab Church - St Matthew's Church of England, The Oaks NSW", Published by The Oaks Historical Society Inc, p. 52).
[146] Photo source: From the Beginning 1876-2001: commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Meringandan State School, Annette Irvine, Meringandan, QLD: Meringandan State School 2001, p. 47 (used with permission).
[147] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[148] Photo accessed from Ancestry, 4 October 2021
[149] Photo accessed from Ancestry, 4 October 2021
[150] <http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:210189/s18378366_1948_4_1_20.pdf>, pp. 24, 25;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262510>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25973625>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/175262705>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496651>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496652>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18553325>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Barton_Southerden>;
<http://www.greatblokes.org/cultural-groups.html>;
<https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX801003>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/node/1341/browse>;
<https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Southerden>;
<http://static.placestories.com/pool/story/0007/0020632/lo/doc.pdf>.
Note: Edward's sister Caroline was a dressmaker in Ipswich (see: <https://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/61756/early-settlers-M-Z.pdf>).
[151] Photo accessed from:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/36895165?q=E+B+Southerden&c=picture&versionId=47903942>
[152] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3711988>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100867737>
[153] McLean, E. E., January 1980, Southerden Lodge: A Living Memorial, Ann Street City Uniting Church, p. 1 (available at: <https://d6f0efab-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/sixsoutherden/home/documents/SDL_history_1980.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7cqHZ4qyXCsrj-IFNvquFZ---Mdi4o16fLqjuaWBbycqR2AIaZYdUI0JZbqndBZHsI6UFCXaIuhZHbZIHYNRWeLLy6S5ngh_QpTNnlmYOziSeEDSGRoLMwTbERr2iW9JDnkX4Eq5PNLcpkWcc1sHi0tt6Q7lZZ3F8bX73oWo2fYKreKyjsV1ESmPuK5PSL1cgcKQTAXEOdHJunUsuhLUrC82ly-pgGRtN-LjQsalQwQxGTaeccokslKpqNAb_DjUn6KLuuRk&attredirects=0>).
For examples of the advertisements Edward placed in local newspapers to promote his store see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3718510> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3716410>.
Note: At one point in the early 1850s Edward was in separate partnerships with his older brother, Samuel and younger brother, William, arrangements that were dissolved by 1858 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3711032>, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228397401>, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3710036> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3721254>). William went on to live and trade in Maryborough (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3720526> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3716454>).
[154] Photo accessed from the State Library of Queensland: <https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/queen-street-brisbane-1859>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20630533>
[155] East, J W, 2020, Queen Street, 1900 – A Study of the Victorian Architecture of Brisbane's Principal Thoroughfare, pp. 315, 316
[156] Knight, J. J., 1897, Brisbane: a historical sketch of the capital of Queensland, giving an outline of old-time events, with a description of Brisbane of the present day, and a municipal retrospect. Brisbane: Biggs & Morcom, “Table: The Aldermanic List 1859-1897”, p. 101
[157] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 117-119, 125n59;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/97692214>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19489165>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Barton_Southerden>.
[158] For Mary see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182855459>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174127605>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174127475>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174127500>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174136288>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19045230>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19043073>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174136136>.
For Edward see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181471488>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175261845>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262510>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262705>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19489029>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19495841>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175261096>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175261330>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/20908472>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19489165>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181471365>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262746>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19479349>.
[159] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175262510>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181471488>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/100867737>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20736807>.
[160] Photo accessed from:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/176479303?q=Mary+Elizabeth+Cribb&c=picture&versionId=192198238>
[161] Photo accessed from:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/238934212?q=Mary+Elizabeth+Cribb&c=picture&versionId=266395036>
[162] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3711988>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100867737>
For notification of Sarah’s death in 1857 see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3722647>
[163] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 117-119, 246
[164] A comprehensive history of Robert Cribb and his family has been written, entitled: Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, by Beth Johnson, 2005, Longleat House Publishing, Victoria and Brisbane (Auchenflower).
For a shorter history of Robert Cribb see: <http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-robert-3289>;
<http://immigrationplace.com.au/story/robert-cribb/>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cribb>;
<https://alchetron.com/Robert-Cribb-1127584-W>;
<https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3641244401>; and
<https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/formermembers/Pages/former-member-details.aspx?pk=307>.
[165] The Municipality of Brisbane was proclaimed under the Municipalities Act of 1858 (NSW) on
6 September 1859 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228601389>). The first election for council aldermen was held on 13 October 1859 with 37 candidates running for nine positions (<https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/council-information-and-rates/council-history>).
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185013210>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174729353>.
[166] Knight, J. J., 1897, Brisbane: a historical sketch of the capital of Queensland, giving an outline of old-time events, with a description of Brisbane of the present day, and a municipal retrospect. Brisbane: Biggs & Morcom, “Table: The Aldermanic List 1859-1897”, p. 100; and
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-robert-3289>.
[167] Photo accessed from: <http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1258274/16709772/1329810446550/NFDHS-News-May11.pdf?token=flBTrDZs2ax1jyRcwi6sh21e89Q%3D>
[168] Photo accessed from: <http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1258274/16709772/1329810446550/NFDHS-News-May11.pdf?token=flBTrDZs2ax1jyRcwi6sh21e89Q%3D>
[169] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 95ff;<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-robert-3289>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829594>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496651>.
[170] See: Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 104, 258, 260n19:
... Robert Cribb was acknowledged for his untiring work in the Separation movement 'having been, next to Dr. Lang, the most active in bringing about this result'. (p. 104)
When the squatters tried to gain separation from New South Wales with a continued supply of convict labour, many northemers, desperate for some control over the revenue they generated, were ready to accept separation on their terms. Cribb refused to compromise and worked tirelessly for separation with no convicts. He cooperated with the politically reckless Dr John Dunmore Lang and allowed him credit
for achieving Queensland's independence five or six years earlier than expected. It is an indication of his generous spirit that he might legitimately have claimed much of the credit for himself. (p. 258)
W F Morrison, Vol II, microfiche 5 of 6, claims Cribb 'for ten years worked hard in the Separation movement, having been, next to Dr. Lang, the most active in bringing about this result'; and Fox, Vol 1, p. 947 wrote, 'separation blossomed as an accomplished fact in 1859, largely as the fruit of his [Robert Cribb's] vigilant efforts to secure the freedom of his adopted territory'. (p. 260n19)
[171] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 155, 171-173, 203, 207, 258, 259;
Greenwood, G. & Laverty, J. 1959, Brisbane 1859-1959 – A History of Local Government, G. Greenwood (Editor), Produced by Oswald L. Ziegler for the Council of the City of Brisbane, Qld, Australia, p. 72; and
<https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:207893/s18378366_1944_3_3_193.pdf>.
[172] Morrison, A. A. 1962, Brisbane One Hundred Years Ago, Royal Historical Society of Queensland (1963-01-01), p. 73
Also see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cribb>
[173] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/27259702>;
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartism>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cribb>.
[174] Photo accessed from:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/238915699?q=Robert+Cribb&c=picture&versionId=266376749>
[175] Bull, L. 2021, Lang Farm Estate Toowong, An 1877 subdivision and the people who made it home, Toowong and District Historical Society, Toowong, Queensland, p. 2
[176] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/123340981>
[177] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20340691>
[178] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 2-6, 12, 13, 21, 22
Also see: <https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3641244401>;
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-robert-3289>;
<http://immigrationplace.com.au/story/robert-cribb/>; and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressment>.
[179] <https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=414960037>;
<https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=2411474306>;
<https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3452516829>; and
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cribb-benjamin-3345>.
[180] See: <https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/explore/history/suffrage/Signatories>
[181] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 85, 90;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20916276>
[182] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, p. 55;
<http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:210189/s18378366_1948_4_1_20.pdf> (p. 22);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496651>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496652>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18553325>;
<https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX852342>;
<https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/node/1341/browse>; and
<http://static.placestories.com/pool/story/0007/0020632/lo/doc.pdf>.
Note: For the 1905 newspaper report of the funeral for John Cribb see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19337846>
[183] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, pp. 61, 62, 117
[184] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195532441/edward-barton-southerden>;
<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195533131/robert-william-southerden>
[185] <http://oztypewriter.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/great-southerden-man-australian.html>
Note: In 1907 John also purchased a property at Meringandan (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84138041>). John worked with Arthur Cornell and William Willis in lobbying the State Government to build a rail line between Meringandan and Goombungee. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22275901>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184889953>.
[186] “Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire”: Portraits and Biographies of Australians in the Great War, p. 370 (available at: <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-35909257/view?searchTerm=fighting+son&partId=nla.obj-35978618#page/n10/mode/1up>); and
<https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/320894>
[187] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/21708338>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25098325>
[188] For a short history of Dr Lang and the Fortitude immigrants see: <http://www.halenet.com.au/~jvbryant/fortlet1.html#anchor350416>; <http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/e/n/Barry-M-Henzell/FILE/0008page.html>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3699521>.
[189] Johnson, B., 2005, Robert Cribb: From an Iceberg to Brisbane Town, p. 119;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181296763>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181296500>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20165951>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20145069>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179419673>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215259470>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215262652>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215261539>.
[190] Photo accessed from:
<http://www.bonzle.com/pictures-over-time/pictures-taken-in-1886/page-1/picture-a8fl0jtz/size-2/sandgate/langholme-a-residence-at-sandgate-1886>
[191] <http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/FamilyHistory/Photos/Sandgate-BaldHills-cemetery-Brisbane/>
[192] <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/131622927/robert-cribb>
[193] Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: "Arthur Edward Cornell", pp. 25ff;
Toowoomba Chronicle, "Obituary - Nonogenarian Dies - Arthur E Cornell", 25 June 1946;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1329379>; and
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/51581257>.
[194] Arthur Edward Cornell: Accountant, Leather Merchant, Congregationalist by Jean Stewart, Paper presented at the Royal Historical Society of Queensland conference on 6 August 1994, p. 38; and
Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: “Arthur Edward Cornell”, p. 26.
[195] The Telegraph, 6 October 1925, “Brisbane and Environs, Local Government History, Development of the Suburbs – Coorparoo”, p. 9 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177081402>);
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3536355>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19820837>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174035868>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174042296>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3536826>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3536888/102955>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19820955>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3537293>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/173510888>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3555020>;
Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: “Arthur Edward Cornell”, p. 30; and
Arthur Edward Cornell: Accountant, Leather Merchant, Congregationalist by Jean Stewart, Paper presented at the Royal Historical Society of Queensland conference on 6 August 1994, pp. 40, 41.
[196] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/173171661>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181830911>.
[197] Toowoomba Chronicle, "Nonogenarian Dies - Arthur E Cornell", 25 June 1946
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182956485>
Note: For examples of advertisements used by Arthur to promote his accountancy business when it was based in Toowoomba see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254030176>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254029908>.
[198] <https://samples.unlockthepast.com.au/AU4113-1885s.pdf>
[199] Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: "Arthur Edward Cornell", pp. 29, 30;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3497144>
[200] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3711988>
[201] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/21294540>;
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kingsford-smith-sir-charles-edward-6964>; and
<http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kingsford-richard-ash-3960>.
[202] Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: “Arthur Edward Cornell”, pp. 29-32;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/172382827>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3658782>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21829596/2496650>.
[203] <http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/cemeteries/deceased-search/burial/17107>
[204] <https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2011/12/great-southerden-man-australian.html>;
<https://pattersonsdomain.com/mediaviewer.php?mid=M293&ged=patters.ged>
[205] Picture provided by Rowland Cornell, great grandson of Arthur Edward Cornell’s older brother Thomas Elsom Cornell and his wife Sarah (nee Butler) Cornell
[206] Picture accessed from:
<http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1258274/16709772/1329810446550/NFDHS-News-May11.pdf?token=flBTrDZs2ax1jyRcwi6sh21e89Q%3D>
[207] Photo accessed from:
<http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/FamilyHistory/Photos/Sandgate-BaldHills-cemetery-Brisbane/>
[208] Photo accessed from:
<http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/cemeteries/deceased-search/burial/30901>
[209] Toowoomba Chronicle, "Obituary - Nonogenarian Dies - Arthur E Cornell", 25 June 1946;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174214417>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19361413>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124381855>.
Note: The enrolment records of the Geham State School indicate that Betty, Geoff and Edith were enrolled as from 19 June 1905 while Ted was enrolled from 10 July 1905.
Hilary had commenced her scholarship at Ipswich Girls Grammar School by 1905: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19291529>.
By 1905 Phyllis had also become a student at Ipswich Girls Grammar School: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174353558>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20353662>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124387765>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25973241>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124516842>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19474589>.
Subsequently, by 1910, Betty was attending at Ipswich Girls Grammar School: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112034775>. She continued to attend into 1911: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112080580>.
Arthur resigned as a Justice of the Peace in May 1905 when the family were still living in Brisbane presumably because they were preparing to relocate to the Darling Downs: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174220089>.
[210] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180399183>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19301958>; and
Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: "Arthur Edward Cornell", p. 33.
Note: The name of the Cornell’s property Windsor Farm at Gomoran appears in a number of local newspaper articles from the time including these notices announcing the death of Clarissa on
24 November 1916: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203054064>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23611563/2504278>.
For other examples see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186000056>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182688476>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182655506>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183366031>.
The indications are that the Cornells were still living at Argyle, Geham in October 1905, July 1906 and August 1906 but by November 1906 they had taken up residence at their new property at Gomoran, near Meringandan. So, the family's relocation from Geham to Gomoran appears to have occurred sometime between August and November 1906.
See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174065339>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183212401>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183195389>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19479246>.
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180405317>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183209010>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/170595211>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188309652>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19521884>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183202102>.
It appears that Arthur and his children were still living at Meringandan in April 1919 but by the following month had moved to a new address in Toowoomba. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253146656>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252907603>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171292955>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171282409>.
By 1920 Arthur had decided to retire from farming and leased out his property at Gomoran. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253045137>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182948413>.
After moving to Toowoomba Arthur resumed his profession of accountancy. The family were still living at their Toowoomba address in January 1924 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253744173>) although electoral rolls indicate that they subsequently moved to other addresses in Toowoomba.
[211] Terry Raftery has recalled, “The Cornell farm was only about two to three miles across the hills from Erin Vale. Billy used to ride his horse across the hills in a direct course to the Cornell farm. Not many roads in that area in those days and still that way today.” (by email, 9 February 2012)
[212] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188951717>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190077403/20142300>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19291529>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/123896617>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124381855>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124387765>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116142373>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/237636160>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19460856>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124381854>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175091882;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124381842>; and
<https://www.qt.com.au/news/ipswich-gains-capital-status-town-grows-but-labour/1908046/>.
[213] Photo courtesy of Terry Raftery
[214] Sketch drawn by Ross Smith and included on a brochure promoting "Argyle Homestead, Heritage Listed Bed & Breakfast (Circa 1884), 'Where old traditions and gracious living still linger', Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia"
For details of Argyle’s heritage listing see:
<https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600436>
[215] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182673385>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186854392>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19897124>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25504990>.
Note: Will's cousin, Nellie Willis, also joined the Cornells in playing tennis later in December 1914 (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186000056>).
[216] Terry Raftery has recalled that Will and Hilary lived on neighbouring properties.
As neighbours Will and Hilary’s fathers were well acquainted. At one point they had worked together to lobby the Queensland Government to build a railway line between Meringandan and Goombungee. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183207552>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22275901>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184889953>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184883600>.
At a later point they also worked together to petition the local council to build an access road across the neighbouring Peters' property (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182686843>).
[217] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182904021>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183366031>
Note: The local electoral rolls for 1912 and 1913 also list Hilary as a music teacher.
[218] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182713150>
[219] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19975297>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186864677>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253927977>.
[220] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186008816>
Note: Will had sung at an earlier event at which Hilary’s younger sister Betty was also a participant along with cousins Nellie and Dulcie Willis, daughters of his uncle and aunt Samuel and Joan Willis (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189207439>).
[221] For example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183777360>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179976779>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179980639>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179982240>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19727123>.
[222] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182688476>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84404572>
[223] The Meringandan Congregational Church, built in 1909, was originally located at 13 Main Street Meringandan but subsequently was relocated to 73 Wirraglen Road Highfields. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182707785>;
<https://www.churchesaustralia.org/list-of-churches/denominations/congregational-fellowship-and-other/directory/1321-meringandan-congregational-church-former>; and <https://www.churchesaustralia.org/list-of-churches/denominations/uniting-church-in-australia/directory/5465-meringandan-uniting-church>.
[224] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20065154>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22301880>
[225] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/182688495>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20070690>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22301787>.
[226] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20056350>
[227] <https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1974768/5th-australian-light-horse-regiment-embarkation-roll-14th-reinforcements/>;
<https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1067869/bundled/RCDIG1067869.pdf> (pp. 31-34);
<https://www.flotilla-australia.com/hmat3.htm#A62>; and
<https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/HMAT_A62_Wandilla>.
Note: For a photo showing crowds farewelling the troops travelling aboard the HMAT A62 Wandilla from the Pinkenba Wharf on 31 January 1916 see: <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H02242>.
In all, some 1051 troops left Brisbane aboard the Wandilla on 31 January 1916 (see: <https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/116662#$story-3255>).
Crowds of well-wishers would often attend at the Pinkenba Wharf to farewell the troops as they embarked from Brisbane for the World War I battlefields of Europe and the Middle East. For another photo showing such an occasion, see the following link from 17 November 1916: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryqueensland/17002452454>.
For general information about the use of Brisbane's Pinkenba Wharf to embark troops for the war zone during World War I see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkenba_War_Memorial>;
<https://www.qldwarmemorials.com.au/memorial?id=989>; and
<https://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/citation/pinkenba-state-school_1361.pdf>.
[228] See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20066301>
Note: Copy of photos as shown above are enhanced and provided courtesy of the National Library of Australia. Original photos as published in The Brisbane Courier taken by Brown Photos.
[229] <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H02242>
Note: For a photo of the troops boarding the Wandilla on 31 January 1916 see: <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C302750>.
[230] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182684304>;
<https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1067869/bundled/RCDIG1067869.pdf> (p. 34);
<https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8855034>; <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9089578>;
<https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/372226>;
Anzacs of Macarthur – The Men and Women Who Served in the First World War, by Lauren Hokin, 2016, Veteran’s Recreation Centre, Campbelltown, NSW, pp. 549-550;
<http://www.anzacsmacarthur.com/anzacs/william-louis-willis-mm/16.htm>;
<https://www.anzacs.org/5lhr/pages/5lhrmembersw2.html>;
<https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=326776>;
<https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/370144>;
<https://honouringanzacs.net.au/search-anzacs.php?anzactype=1&search_text=picton,%20NSW,%20Australia>;
<https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog?topic_id=1106791>;
<https://memories.net/timeline/williamlouis-willis-23369>;
<http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=slq_alma21285030760002061&context=L&vid=SLQ&lang=en_US>;
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/national-archives-of-australia/9012700488/>; and
“Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire”: Portraits and Biographies of Australians in the Great War,
p. 368 (available at:
<https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-35909257/view?searchTerm=fighting+son&partId=nla.obj-35978618#page/n10/mode/1up>).
Also, see news report of the local district’s send-off to Will and others in early December 1915 prior to their embarkation: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182683006>.
Along with others, Will was remembered by the local community during Anzac Day ceremonies while he was overseas (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183236836>). Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/187317371>.
Information about the unit Will served in, the 13th Field Artillery Brigade, is here: <https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/260>.
A history of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, to which Will was initially attached before volunteering to join the artillery in March 1916, is here: <https://www.anzacs.org/5lhr/pages/5lhr_history_full_a.html> and <https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Australian_Light_Horse>.
Also see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Light_Horse_Regiment_(Australia)>
While Will initially enlisted as part of the 14th Reinforcements of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, he along with others volunteered to serve in the artillery on the Western Front after arriving in Egypt for training. As noted by a history written about the 5th Light Horse Regiment:
“On the 19th February, 1916, Lieutenant Barwise and 102 other ranks of the 13th Reinforcements, reported for duty. At this date the Daily State was at its maximum, namely, thirty officers and 1052 other ranks. On the 22nd February, Major C. Lee with four officers and 121 other ranks, who, up to this time, had formed D Squadron of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, reported back to their original regiment, the 11th Light Horse, as that regiment was being re-formed. About this time the 4th and 5th Australian Infantry Divisions were being formed in Egypt from surplus reinforcements and members of the 1st and 2nd Divisions. Artillery and Engineers were required, and as Light Horse units had a large surplus of reinforcements, volunteers from such surplus were called for the Artillery and Engineers. Some 390 of our reinforcements transferred to the Artillery, as did also a large number to the Engineers.” (See: <https://www.anzacs.org/5lhr/pages/5lhr_history_full_a.html>)
Will's decision to volunteer to join the artillery on the Western Front is also noted in “Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire”: Portraits and Biographies of Australians in the Great War, p. 368 (<https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-35909257/view?searchTerm=fighting+son&partId=nla.obj-35978618#page/n10/mode/1up>).
[231] A note to this effect is on Will’s enlistment papers (see: <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8855034>).
According to Bill Woerlee, Director Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, Will “… was a trooper with the 2nd Australian Light Horse and rose to the substantive rank of Lance Corporal prior to enlisting in the AIF. Judging from his age, he was among the first cohort conscripted under the new military laws coming into force on 1 July 1912. After AIF service, he was absorbed into the 11th Australian Light Horse which was the renamed 2nd Australian Light Horse.” (by email, 24 January 2012)
Will’s promotion from Trooper to Lance Corporal in the Australian Light Horse Regiment (ALH) is referenced in this news article from December 1910: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184872046>.
An official notice stating that prior to his enlistment in the AIF Will held the rank of Lance Corporal in the ALH is contained in an entry in the Commonwealth Gazette, No. 89,
21 October 1920, p. 1985 (available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.au/content/HistoricGazettes1920>).
Will was attached to the No.1 Squadron (Toowoomba) of the 14th ALH Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry). For example see:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19514836>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183361848>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184875356>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183365127>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180445728>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180449919>.
It is likely that Will enlisted as a Trooper with the 14th ALH sometime during 1908. At this stage membership of the ALH was still voluntary (<https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/australian-imperial-force/australian-light-horse> and <https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1908128/the-australian-light-horse-part-4/>).
The first specific mention in the local media of Will's membership of the No 1 Squadron of the 14th ALH is in September 1908, just prior to his 18th birthday (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180445728>).
Then, in November 1908, Will was awarded a special competition prize for attaining the highest shooting score for No 1 Squadron members with "under 12 months service" (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180449919> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19550830>).
Will may have enlisted in response to an advertisement like this from May 1908: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183781536>.
Also see earlier advertisements: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185084289>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185089697>.
Like now, advertising for military service at that time was commonplace (e.g., <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183188163> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179993630>).
Being a member of the ALH Regiment involved having to go on training exercises and manoeuvres. For example: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19479526>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174882167>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183778225>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182898981>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185102447>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185096631>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185101360>.
It also meant having to undergo troop inspections. For example: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184873058>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/191523900>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183785255>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183190050>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/191523900>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184871375>.
Being a member of the ALH Regiment also involved attending a variety of social events and activities. For example: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180447605>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183368022>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182896497>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184873016>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179976779>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183777360>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183782629>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180450461>.
One regular requirement of being a member was to participate in shooting competitions (which may actually have been an activity the young members looked forward to). For example:
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183362972>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182705901>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182896693>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183361848>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183783090>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180447849>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183197491>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182903527>.
Will was known to be a good shot and on one occasion was lauded as the “hero of the day” for winning a special shooting competition prize: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180449919>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19550830>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>.
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183361848>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19588117>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183365127>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182695132>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196879804>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19897124>.
Regarding the shooting events reported in the latter two news articles, it is interesting to note that both Hilary’s father, Arthur and brother, Ted also participated along with Will.
For information about Will’s ALH Regiment, including its various name changes over the years, see: <https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1923081/queensland-mounted-infantry-2nd-battalion-1910/>; and
<https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog?topic_id=1114022>.
[232] <https://alh-research.tripod.com/militia.htm>;
<https://www.lancers.org.au/site/light_horse.php>;
<https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1415/ComParl>;
<https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/australian-imperial-force/australian-light-horse>; and
<https://theconversation.com/its-time-australias-conscientious-objectors-of-ww1-were-remembered-too-106169>.
[233] The citation for Will’s award of Military Medal is as follows: “On the 4th October 1917, during the operations against the Passchaendale Ridge East of Ypres, telephonic communication between the Forward Observing Officer and the 50th Battery became impossible to maintain on account of the heavy hostile fire. No. 2086 Gunner W L Willis who accompanied the FOO proceeded to an exposed position from which he was able to communicate with the Battery by visual signalling. Notwithstanding the fact that the position he was in continued to be shelled throughout the day this gunner stuck to his post and maintained communication between the FOO and his Battery. His devotion to duty and splendid example are deserving of special recognition.”
For his actions Will was recommended for the award of Distinguished Conduct Medal; subsequently, he was awarded the Military Medal (see: <https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1068238/document/5495677.PDF>).
For a photo of Will (from c.1917) wearing the ribbon of the Military Medal see:
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/national-archives-of-australia/9012700488/>
Also see: <https://www.thegazette.co.uk/awards-and-accreditation/content/100050>
[234] <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1339007> (March 1916 to May 1919 Unit war diaries index);
<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1356647> (October 1917 Unit war diaries);
<https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1018304/bundled/RCDIG1018304.pdf> (May 1919 Unit war diaries [Will mentioned on p. 12 as a recipient of the Military Medal]);
<https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1886575/broodseinde-belgium-october-4-1917/>;
<https://www.cwgc.org/learn/news-and-events/news/2017/10/03/09/18/8-facts-about-the-battle-of-broodseinde>;
<https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/battle-of-broodseinde-ridge.html>;
<https://vwma.org.au/explore/campaigns/18>;
Anzacs of Macarthur – The Men and Women Who Served in the First World War, by Lauren Hokin, 2016, Veteran’s Recreation Centre, Campbelltown, NSW, pp. 549-550;
<http://www.anzacsmacarthur.com/anzacs/william-louis-willis-mm/16.htm>;
<http://adoptadigger.org/search-for-a-ww1-digger/search-for-a-ww1-digger/item/3-diggers-database/1712-william-louis-willis-mm>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252979581>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183236114>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/171293014>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171293014/19759397>;
<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E84313>;
<http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/honours_and_awards/person.asp?p=410317>;
<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1599800>;
<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1531972>;
<https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30431/supplement/13200/data.pdf>; and
Commonwealth Gazette, No. 66, 2 May 1918, pp. 1035 & 1038 (available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.au/content/HistoricGazettes1918>).
[235] As recalled by Howard Willis
Note: The following news articles also reveal Will’s reluctance to detail his wartime experiences:
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/171293014>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171293014/19759397>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252998571>.
[236] This photo is one of a number that Will sent home to his family while he was overseas. Will inscribed the reverse side of the photo with the following words: “Self & J Summers in mine crater”. The person named as “J Summers” appears to be John ("Jack") Summers, service number 2075, who travelled with Will aboard the troop ship Wandilla to Egypt before proceeding to the Western Front (<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2029999> and <https://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1974768/5th-australian-light-horse-regiment-embarkation-roll-14th-reinforcements/>). John was in the same unit as Will and like Will, was awarded the Military Medal for actions taken during the same engagement for which Will also received the Military Medal (<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1531063>). After suffering injury, John was discharged and returned to Australia in January 1918 (<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2241820>).
Grateful thanks are extended to Frances Dempsey, daughter of Cyril and Cate (nee Willis) Raftery, for safe-keeping the original photos over many years.
[237] See: “Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire”: Portraits and Biographies of Australians in the Great War, p. 368 (<https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-35909257/view?searchTerm=fighting+son&partId=nla.obj-35978618#page/n10/mode/1up>). In this account Will was likely playing down the impact of being gassed by suggesting it was only "slight", a typical response by him whenever he was asked about his experiences on the Western Front. See: <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/171293014>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171293014/19759397>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252998571>.
Also note: “[Artillery] … was also a very dangerous occupation, attracting the attention of the enemy, the general result of which was 'counter battery fire' designed to neutralise and destroy gun positions and ammunition” (<https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/260>).
[238] As recalled by Howard Willis
Also see the following link to an article which describes the devastating health and mental effects of the War on those who participated (<https://www.mapw.org.au/files/downloads/WW1.pdf>).
[239] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183253081>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23609898>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203054064>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183259003>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/176368489>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183254673>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20139351>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185623839>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215508704>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20107932>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183259041>.
Note: Terry Raftery has recalled how his cousin Ralph would often tell the story about how he (Ralph) had been born on the kitchen table at Erinvale.
[240] For example, a single day, 4 October 1917, saw more than 6500 Australians die or get wounded at the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge (see: <https://www.smh.com.au/national/broken-from-the-inside-how-four-devastating-years-are-still-shaping-us-20181105-p50e2s.html>).
For examples of casualty reports in the daily news see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179428644>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20252556>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177919885>;<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23609898>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181476257>.
[241] The constant anxiety and uncertainty about the safety of a loved one at the front lines was a common experience for those at home (see: <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-10/armistice-day-pain-of-loss-worsened-by-distance-and-uncertainty/10475258>).
[242] “[Artillery] … was also a very dangerous occupation, attracting the attention of the enemy, the general result of which was 'counter battery fire' designed to neutralise and destroy gun positions and ammunition” (<https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/260>).
For a copy of the telegram dated February 1917 about the rumour of Will's wounding see: <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8855034>.
[243] The local community was also overjoyed at the safe return of Will and his fellow soldiers. See:
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/171293014>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182951889>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171293014/19759397>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252998571>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253019995>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253034628>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253020302>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182958977>.
[244] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253741320>
Note: Will’s 1915 war records show that upon enlistment he noted his trade as “farmer”. Electoral roll records between 1912 and 1926, the period prior to Will and Hilary’s relocation to Woombye, similarly list his occupation as a “farmer” at Meringandan.
[245] <http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1974768/5th-australian-light-horse-regiment-embarkation-roll-14th-reinforcements/>
[246] Photo courtesy of Lois Schulz
[247] As recalled by Howard Willis
The local electoral roll for 1926 shows Will and Hilary were still living at Meringandan while the roll for 1928 (current as at 28 July 1928) shows that by this time they had moved to Ingleside at Woombye. There does not appear to be any electoral roll for 1927. While a news article from January 1926 appears to suggest that Will might have been a member of the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club at that time (although the report does not include his first initial by which it could have been confirmed) (see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76849122>), a news article from November 1926 indicates that at that stage “W Willis” was still playing cricket for the local Meringandan team (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253941110>). However, by June 1927 Will was participating in the Woombye agricultural show (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76860875> and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21843949>) and by at least September 1927 was playing for the Woombye cricket team (<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76857755>;<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76856587>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76861547>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76863583>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21185083>). In 1944 it was reported that Will had been growing pineapples at Woombye since 1927
(<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78056262/7646751>). As well, the school admission records of the Woombye State School show that Will and Hilary's sons Howard and Roy were enrolled on
16 May 1927 with the other children being enrolled on 28 January 1929 (Ralph and Nancy) and
29 January 1930 (Ailsa). Furthermore, the Certificate of Title for their Woombye property shows that it was acquired by Will in October 1927 (as advised by the Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying, 28 February 2022 and Department of Resources, 2 March 2022). So it seems that Will and Hilary's move from Meringandan to Woombye occurred during the first part of 1927.
For general information about Woombye see: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woombye,_Queensland>;
<https://queenslandplaces.com.au/woombye>;
<https://heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Places/Town-Histories/Woombye>;
<https://heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Places/Place-Name-Origins>; and
<https://visitsunshinecoasthinterland.com.au/towns/woombye/>.
[248] According to the Woombye State School Centenary Book (1885-1985) Howard and Roy were enrolled in 1927, Ralph and Nancy in 1929, and Ailsa in 1930.
[249] Photo courtesy of Ralph Willis, son of Will and Hilary (nee Cornell) Willis
[250] “Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1924 is a proud and traditional family club. Its origins can be traced back to group of young Woombye men in Mooloolaba SLSC, who were asked to assist in forming a Surf Club at Alexandra Headland.” (See: <https://www.sunshinecoast-australia.com/sunshine-coast-surf-clubs.html>).
[251] The publication prepared for the Woombye State School’s centenary in 1985 reported about the construction of the school’s honour board as a way of recording past scholars’ achievements. It was noted,
Updating the Honour Board was not an easy task. The following was extracted from the School Committee Minutes Book for February 1929: ‘Mr Willis offered to take the board up to Nambour. Mr Tainton gave the use of his lorry and Mr Haines offered to go up with it. A vote of thanks was accorded these gentlemen for their services.’. (Woombye State School, Centenary 1885-1985, p. 36)
[252] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76870379>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77407982>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179950171>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77867258>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77875761>.
[253] Woombye Bowls Club Inc, Golden Jubilee, 1947-1997, p. 5 (courtesy of Warren Gellie, Woombye Bowls Club, 27 September 2011).
[254] Photo courtesy of Lorraine Buhk of the Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club, from the book by Ron Brunton for the Club’s 75th Anniversary, “Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club: 75 Years of Safe Surfing 1924-1999”, p. 12.
[255] Stewart, J. 1995, The Cornell Story: “Arthur Edward Cornell”, p. 32
[256] Arthur Edward Cornell, Letters from Brisbane 1880-1897, Transcribed by Jean Stewart, March 1994
[257] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/19423059>
[258] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19461495>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19476184>
[259] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19382442>
[260] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182904021>
[261] <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183366031>
Also see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186260220>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186258338>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186251368>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186251413>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84444911>.
Note: Hilary taught the piano to a number of local students including her sisters Edith and Phyllis, a young Catherine Willis (Will’s sister) and another young lady, Nellie Willis who was Will’s cousin. See: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182713150>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186864677>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253927977>.
[262] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/19647845>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19647848>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/19642901>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186258338>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188951717>.
[263] <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/112034775>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186251413>
[264] For example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186008816>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22299223>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179896324>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20014113>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177022542>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181472549>;
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20026779>; and
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196885221>.
Note: Even after Hilary, Will and their family moved to Woombye Hilary continued to play for audiences at different events. For example: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84630099>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21494146>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77408728>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/35632941>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76891159>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84630099>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77299146>;
<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23339633>; <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77407217>.
Hilary also continued to teach the piano to students at Woombye. For example see: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78517626>; and <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78385385>.
[265] As recalled by Howard Willis
[266] Information about the year when Hilary Crescent was so-named (1978) as indicated under the certificate of title A413032 (provided by Department of Resources, 18 February 2022). The naming of Hilary Crescent was initiated by Ralph Willis.
[267] Photo courtesy of Ralph Willis
[268] The Electoral Roll for the Division of Fisher (subdivision of Landsborough) (as at 31 May 1949) shows Will and Hilary still living at Woombye. The Supplemental Electoral Roll for the Division of Moreton (Subdivision of Cleveland) (as at 31 October 1949) shows that by this time they had moved to Wellington Point.