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Horace Edward Williams c. 1866 - c. 1943

Horace Edward Williams of Queensland Australia was born in 1866 in Manchester, Greater Manchester County, England United Kingdom, and was the father of Horace Douglas Williams, Edward Gordon Williams, Charles Rowland Williams, Francis Ainslie Williams, and Sheila Williams. Horace Williams died at age 76 years old on May 24, 1943 in Muttaburra, QLD Australia, and was buried in Muttaburra.

Horace Edward Williams

Bannockburn in Queensland Australia

1866

Manchester, Greater Manchester County, England, United Kingdom

May 24, 1943

Muttaburra, QLD, 4732, Australia

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Horace Edward Williams Horace Williams (1866 - 1943)

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Horace Edward Williams' History: circa 1866 - circa 1943

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Introduction

Horace Edward Williams was born in Manchester, England and emigrated to Australia as a young man to work on an uncle's sheep station in Queensland. A hard worker, Williams had varied fortunes throughout his life. In 1905 he married Catherina Helena Hedwig Hampe, the daughter of a German Lutheran minister. They had five children; Horace Douglas, 1906-1976, Charles Rowland, 1909-1943, and Sheila (1916-2007), as well as two sons that did not survive, one between Doug and Charlie died at birth, and Francis Ainslie, between Charlie and Sheila, who died of diphtheria aged four in 1914. At the height of the Depression in 1933, Williams' sheep station was sold out from under him; the family struggled to recoup, and were recovering by the time of World War II, by which time Horace was increasingly disabled by arthritis and heart problems. His son Charles Rowland Williams joined the RAAF and later lost his life on Operation Chastise, the Dams raid, on May 16, 1943. When the news that Charlie was missing reached the family, Horace was terminally ill with stomach cancer and the news was kept from him as a kindness. Horace passed away a few days later.
1866

Birthday

1866

Birthdate

Manchester, Greater Manchester County, England United Kingdom

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

English
Nationality & Locations

Australia
Professional Career

Managed a sheep station
05/24

1943

Death

May 24, 1943

Death date

cancer

Cause of death

Muttaburra, QLD 4732, Australia
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Muttaburra, QLD 4732, Australia
Burial location
Obituary

[external link]
DEATH OF MR H. E. WILLIAMS Notable Career Mr Horace Edward Williams, of Bannockburn, Torrens Creek, died in the Muttaburra Hospital on May 24, says the "Longreach Leader." Mr Williams was born in Manchester (England) in 1866, but his home was in Bangor (North Wales). He left London on January 1, 1881, travelling by the SS Aconcagua, via the Suez Canal, to Sydney. He was accompanied by his grandmother, who at the death of her husband, decided to come to Australia to live with her eldest son, Mr James Tolson, sen. From Sydney the newcomers travelled to Warwick, and there young Williams began a notable career that was to establish him as a leading identity of Western Queensland. After a short stay in Warwick the young Welshman was sent to Uanda (James Tolson's property) with a mob of stud bulls. There he was introduced to the saddle, and he commenced this trip with one arm in a sling. After a three months' droving trip he moved into the blacks' country to Aramac Station. Life here was harder; the homestead being merely a bark hut and the wages the food supplied. Aramac was then in the managership of Mr John Cameron, who took a liking to the lad, and when Mr Cameron left to take charge of Lammermoor for Mr Robert Christison, he offered young Williams a job at £1 per week, which was readily accepted. Lammermoor still remains a link with these early days, the old homestead still stands on the bank of Tower Hill Creek. At the time of Mr Willlams's residence there, the station staff consisted mostly of blacks-members of the Dalleburra tribe with whom Robert Christison was always very friendly. Desiring experience with sheep, Mr. Williams went to Afton Downs as overseer, the property then being owned by the Armitages, and managed by Mr W.Hammond. From Afton Downs Mr Williams went to Victoria, where he acted as temporary manager at Redcliffe, owned by Docker, Clark and Smith, of Wangaratta (Victoria). Again Mr Williams returned to Queensland to his uncle's property, Corinda, then managed by Mr Imrie. Here the hard living conditions brought ill-health, and he was attacked by beriberi. This necessitated a journey abroad, and he left for England on the Britannia, residing In South Kensington (London) with his grandmother. He received medical attention for over 13 months. The urge to return to Queensland was irresistible, and back he came on board the SS Massillia, a crack P. and O. liner. For 12 months he was at Corinda, then managed by Mr W. H. Hutchinson. The Hutchinson family were all well connected, the eldest daughter Mabel, was Lady Ramsay; Agnes was Countess Kieska ; another daughter was Marie McKellar. There were three Hutchinson boys. Alistair managed Minnie Downs: Douglas lost his life when attempting to swim a Hooded creek at Elderslie, and Eric was lured to Western Australia in the gold boom. Horace Williams followed Eric Hutchinson's lead and off he went to make his fortune. Landing back at Rockhampton with only £2 in his pocket, he went to Barcaldine, and then rode the 42 miles to Aramac by bicycle, taking the position of overseer at Aramac Station, a James Tolson property. Disaster seem to haunt this Welshman, for Aramac Station was among the other properties owned by his uncle to be lost by foreclosure. He took up droving for 12 months, and then entered the wool scouring and contract shearing business in partnership with his old friend Mr W. H. Hutchinson and his cousin James Tolson, jun. at Winton. Finally he took up station managing again, being at Reedy Creek, Tamworth, and then Telemon, on the Flinders, where he remained for 15 years until that property was sold. He next bought Bannockburn, a desert property in the Torrens Creek district-the country he knew so well and in which he began his wide colonial experience. He remained at Bannockburn until his death at the age of 77. More than 50 years of life in the west had established him as a pioneer and thorough Australian. A keen sportsman, he participated in many district cricket and tennis matches and pigeon shoots. He liked yachting and trout fishing whenever he had the opportunity, and he also did some amateur riding in his youth. He was a great patron of all sporting activities in the district. Mr Williams is survived by a widow, one daughter and two sons. Of the family, Sheila resides at Bannockburn, one son holds the rank of lieutenant in the Army. The other son, a flying officer with a Lancaster squadron in England, made more than 30 raids over Europe; he was posted missing on the date of the Ruhr Dams raid a week before his father's death. From “The Morning Bulletin”, Rockhampton, Queensland, June 17, 1943

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