WILLIAM “WILLIE” WILLIAMS Part 4 – 1886-1915
With Augusta dead Willie was once again on his own, and once again with small dependent children to care for, as well as his older children. With a large extended family he was not short of assistance with the children, and for some years one of Augusta’s sisters lived with the family. Willie seems to have decided to leave his position at the Australian Steam Navigation Company just before it amalgamated with the Queensland Steam Shipping Company in 1887 to form the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company. Perhaps he was opposed to the amalgamation, or maybe he thought he could do better working on his own account. He seems to have gone into property development, or set himself up as an agent of some sort, as entries in Brisbane trade directories list his occupation as “Financial Agent and Estate Agent” from 1888 until 1893. His business address was AMP Buildings, Edward Street, and from 1890 his private address is recorded as Shafston Road, Kangaroo Point.
Willie seems to have purchased several large properties in the expanding fringes of Brisbane in the late 1880’s. An article in “The Queenslander”, November 12, 1931, one of a series on Brisbane’s historic homes, states that “Mr Williams owned the original Archerfield property……situated between Oxley and Goodna.” The area was only called Archerfield from 1929, and was where Brisbane’s first aerodrome was located, operating from the 1931, and operating still, mainly for civil aviation. This claim (Willie’s ownership) has not been substantiated from other sources.
His main property interest though was a “large semi-rural estate….closely associated with the development of Yeronga as a middle-class suburb following the opening of the Yeronga Railway Station in 1885”. The property was called Rhyndarra comprising 140 acres of land along the riverfront at Yeronga.[i] In 1888 Willie commissioned a well-known Brisbane architect, Andrea Stombuco, to design a country residence for the family, to be called Rhyndarra.[ii] It was built during 1888-89 and apparently cost £3,200. The main house was lavishly decorated and was typical of the large houses built by Brisbane’s more prosperous citizens in the late 19th century. In addition to the main house there were a kitchen, servant’s quarters, dairy, storeroom and various sheds and a substantial stables.
Within a few years it became clear that Willie had over-extended himself financially, and the economic downturn of the early 1890’s compounded his difficulties. He was forced to relinquish the property after only a few years, and by then it was heavily mortgaged. For some years the property was unoccupied until it was leased by the Salvation Army in 1897. It then continued in various institutional forms for many years, and is now once again in private ownership, beautifully restored to its former glory. Read all about the Rhyndarra property here.
Another property deal which may have contributed to Willie’s financial collapse was the purchase of what was called a “Selection”. Selections were created under the Land Acts legislation of 1861 and were supposed to encourage closer land settlement and intensive farming rather than extensive grazing lands often occupied by squatters. Willie purchased a selection at Mourilyan, over 1,500 kilometres north of Brisbane. The nearest settlement was Innisfail, about halfway between Townsville and Cairns. The purchase was made in the name of Willie’s second son, Cyrus John Richard Williams, who worked in Townsville for two years in the 1880’s. The land was developed, as required under the terms of the Certificate of Title, and produced at least some corn and sweet potato crops. It was subject to attack by local Aboriginal groups, who eventually killed one of the bailiffs employed to live on the property. It is not known whether Willie was eventually able to sell the selection or simply had to leave it.
Presumably Willie and his family retreated to their town property to reduce their financial commitments, sometime in the mid-1890’s. Soon after the family decamped to Western Australia, where one of his daughters had moved after marrying.
In 1905 Willie was declared insolvent and Rhyndarra passed into the ownership of the AMP, which was the principal mortgagor.
Willie died in Perth on the 6th August 1915, aged 82. According to his death certificate he was a retired accountant, born in India, who had lived in Sydney NSW 20 years, Queensland 40 years and Western Australia for 20 years. These periods are all approximate but they suggest that he had lived in Sydney from about the age of 5. Both his wives and their dates of marriage are noted, as are his two oldest sons by Annie Doyle (Harold and Cyrus), and his six surviving children by Augusta Russell (Reginald, Beryl, Clive, Claude, Augusta and Russell). Willie was buried in the Anglican cemetery, Karrakatta[iii] on the 7th August 1915. Its 98 hectare site contained more than 200,000 burials. Unfortunately the Perth Metropolitan Cemeteries Board has been "renewing" Karrakatta Cemetery for many years, removing headstones and redeveloping the cleared spaces for new burials. The Williams family plot records for Karrakatta Cemetery indicate that the plot has been "renewed", which means the headstone has been destroyed.The photos of the Williams family headstone featured below were taken in 2006, before it was removed, along with so many others.
[i] Heritage Register, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland Government.
https://heritage-register.ehp.qld.gov.au/placeDetail.html?siteId=15135
[ii] Stombuco designed many churches and ecclesiastical buildings for the Catholic church in Queensland and was completing the opulent Her Majesty’s Theatre in Queen Street at this time of Willie’s commission. He was also noted for residential work
[iii] Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899. This historic cemetery is the final resting place of many thousands of Western Australians. Monuments and headstones bear many famous names including those of university founders, writers and historians, state premiers and other auspicious individuals. The cemetery is centrally located just seven kilometres west of Perth city centre and is easily accessible by car or train.
Photos in the following slideshow courtesy of the owners of the house when Barb Cuthbert visited in 2008
(great great granddaughter of Willie Williams via Cyrus John Richard Williams)
With Augusta dead Willie was once again on his own, and once again with small dependent children to care for, as well as his older children. With a large extended family he was not short of assistance with the children, and for some years one of Augusta’s sisters lived with the family. Willie seems to have decided to leave his position at the Australian Steam Navigation Company just before it amalgamated with the Queensland Steam Shipping Company in 1887 to form the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company. Perhaps he was opposed to the amalgamation, or maybe he thought he could do better working on his own account. He seems to have gone into property development, or set himself up as an agent of some sort, as entries in Brisbane trade directories list his occupation as “Financial Agent and Estate Agent” from 1888 until 1893. His business address was AMP Buildings, Edward Street, and from 1890 his private address is recorded as Shafston Road, Kangaroo Point.
Willie seems to have purchased several large properties in the expanding fringes of Brisbane in the late 1880’s. An article in “The Queenslander”, November 12, 1931, one of a series on Brisbane’s historic homes, states that “Mr Williams owned the original Archerfield property……situated between Oxley and Goodna.” The area was only called Archerfield from 1929, and was where Brisbane’s first aerodrome was located, operating from the 1931, and operating still, mainly for civil aviation. This claim (Willie’s ownership) has not been substantiated from other sources.
His main property interest though was a “large semi-rural estate….closely associated with the development of Yeronga as a middle-class suburb following the opening of the Yeronga Railway Station in 1885”. The property was called Rhyndarra comprising 140 acres of land along the riverfront at Yeronga.[i] In 1888 Willie commissioned a well-known Brisbane architect, Andrea Stombuco, to design a country residence for the family, to be called Rhyndarra.[ii] It was built during 1888-89 and apparently cost £3,200. The main house was lavishly decorated and was typical of the large houses built by Brisbane’s more prosperous citizens in the late 19th century. In addition to the main house there were a kitchen, servant’s quarters, dairy, storeroom and various sheds and a substantial stables.
Within a few years it became clear that Willie had over-extended himself financially, and the economic downturn of the early 1890’s compounded his difficulties. He was forced to relinquish the property after only a few years, and by then it was heavily mortgaged. For some years the property was unoccupied until it was leased by the Salvation Army in 1897. It then continued in various institutional forms for many years, and is now once again in private ownership, beautifully restored to its former glory. Read all about the Rhyndarra property here.
Another property deal which may have contributed to Willie’s financial collapse was the purchase of what was called a “Selection”. Selections were created under the Land Acts legislation of 1861 and were supposed to encourage closer land settlement and intensive farming rather than extensive grazing lands often occupied by squatters. Willie purchased a selection at Mourilyan, over 1,500 kilometres north of Brisbane. The nearest settlement was Innisfail, about halfway between Townsville and Cairns. The purchase was made in the name of Willie’s second son, Cyrus John Richard Williams, who worked in Townsville for two years in the 1880’s. The land was developed, as required under the terms of the Certificate of Title, and produced at least some corn and sweet potato crops. It was subject to attack by local Aboriginal groups, who eventually killed one of the bailiffs employed to live on the property. It is not known whether Willie was eventually able to sell the selection or simply had to leave it.
Presumably Willie and his family retreated to their town property to reduce their financial commitments, sometime in the mid-1890’s. Soon after the family decamped to Western Australia, where one of his daughters had moved after marrying.
In 1905 Willie was declared insolvent and Rhyndarra passed into the ownership of the AMP, which was the principal mortgagor.
Willie died in Perth on the 6th August 1915, aged 82. According to his death certificate he was a retired accountant, born in India, who had lived in Sydney NSW 20 years, Queensland 40 years and Western Australia for 20 years. These periods are all approximate but they suggest that he had lived in Sydney from about the age of 5. Both his wives and their dates of marriage are noted, as are his two oldest sons by Annie Doyle (Harold and Cyrus), and his six surviving children by Augusta Russell (Reginald, Beryl, Clive, Claude, Augusta and Russell). Willie was buried in the Anglican cemetery, Karrakatta[iii] on the 7th August 1915. Its 98 hectare site contained more than 200,000 burials. Unfortunately the Perth Metropolitan Cemeteries Board has been "renewing" Karrakatta Cemetery for many years, removing headstones and redeveloping the cleared spaces for new burials. The Williams family plot records for Karrakatta Cemetery indicate that the plot has been "renewed", which means the headstone has been destroyed.The photos of the Williams family headstone featured below were taken in 2006, before it was removed, along with so many others.
[i] Heritage Register, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland Government.
https://heritage-register.ehp.qld.gov.au/placeDetail.html?siteId=15135
[ii] Stombuco designed many churches and ecclesiastical buildings for the Catholic church in Queensland and was completing the opulent Her Majesty’s Theatre in Queen Street at this time of Willie’s commission. He was also noted for residential work
[iii] Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899. This historic cemetery is the final resting place of many thousands of Western Australians. Monuments and headstones bear many famous names including those of university founders, writers and historians, state premiers and other auspicious individuals. The cemetery is centrally located just seven kilometres west of Perth city centre and is easily accessible by car or train.
Photos in the following slideshow courtesy of the owners of the house when Barb Cuthbert visited in 2008
(great great granddaughter of Willie Williams via Cyrus John Richard Williams)
Headstone photos provided by the late Jeremy Beaven