Reverend Joseph Henry Withers (1834 - 1904)
“During his residence here, he travelled without the aid of railway facilities the length and breadth of these extensive South-Western districts, over and over again, and was known to every man, woman, and child within an area of many hundreds of miles.” - Southern Times (reference).
Joseph Henry Withers served as a colonial chaplain for thirty years from his appointment in 1863 (reference) until his retirement in 1893 (reference). He spent twenty years in the Church of England parish in the district of Bunbury and ten in the Williams district (reference). The parish of Bunbury was quite extensive when he began his ministry, going as far as Manjimup to the south and inland to Pinjarra (reference). In 1872, Joseph purchased Portion 11 of Leschenault Location 26, known as East Bunbury (reference). He named the plot Rathmines (reference) after his birthplace in Ireland. This land was subdivided, and 116 building lots were put up for sale in 1892 (reference). This area later became the suburb of Rathmines.
Joseph was opinionated, often irritating people. For instance, after arriving in the middle of a meeting concerning new regulations on timber licenses, he immediately gave his views on the subject to which Mr George Simpson, the manager of the WA Timber Company, replied, “Mr. Withers always reminded him of a ‘locomotive off the line.' He was always talking of, and interfering with matters that he did not understand nor had any business with” (reference). Joseph was dedicated to his vocation and vitally interested in improving the lives of the people he served, especially in procuring an education for all the children of the district.
Early Life
Joseph Withers was born in Rathmines, Dublin and was educated at the Blue Coat School (reference). The school, established in 1671, was a charitable school for boys of low-income families and named after the uniform of blue coats (reference). He then went to Trinity College and graduated without his degree (reference). However, Joseph received a medal for his academic achievements in 1847 (reference). Joseph married twenty-year-old Sarah Walkern in 1852, at eighteen years old (reference) before joining the holy orders in Dublin. Joseph was appointed curate in Rathmines. The couple travelled to Norwich, England, where Joseph became a tutor to Sir Thomas Beauchamp’s children. Joseph was ordained a deacon in 1856 and a priest in 1859 (reference) and became the curate of the Chedgrave church (reference). In 1863, through the influence of Sir Thomas, Joseph was appointed as a Colonial Chaplain and received an offer at a Western Australian district from Bishop Hale (reference). By this time, Joseph and Sarah had three children - Edward, Mary and George. Joseph’s second son, George, recounted the journey out to Australia:
“He was to proceed to Western Australia, which at that time was almost a terra incognita as far as the British people knew. His duties as chaplain were to be on the sailing ship Lord Dalhousie, of only a few hundred tons, carrying 300 convicts, a squad of soldiers under the command of Major Crampton, my father, mother and three children, of whom I was the youngest and a cousin, Miss Kate O'Neill. It is hard to realise how it was possible on such a small vessel to accommodate so many human beings in addition to all the food, water and general impedimenta of our family, as well as the soldiers, crew and other passengers, as my parents brought all their household furniture on this vessel, and also a quantity of saddlery and other things, the gift of Sir Thomas, which he thought would be helpful in a new country. We left Plymouth on September 1, and sailing via the Cape, as there was no Suez Canal at that time, we reached Fremantle on December 30, 1863. The voyage was uneventful and without serious incident, either from misbehaviour of the elements or the conduct of the prisoners, and these were all safely handed over to the authorities.” - George Withers (reference).
Bunbury
Just under a month after arriving in Western Australia, the Withers journeyed to Bunbury. Edward, Joseph’s eldest son, recorded the early colonial days of Bunbury. “On the 18th of January, 1864, there landed in Bunbury the Reverend J. Withers and family, consisting of wife, two sons, one daughter and a niece, Miss K. O. Neal. Bunbury then consisted of about 20 houses in the main street, none of them very elaborate, and there was one public house, The Wellington Hotel. The doctor, named Sampson, lived in the only other two-storied house a couple of chains further north on the opposite side of the road, and this place is still standing. Dr Sampson rode a black horse which he called The Devil, bought from Father McCabe.” - Edward Withers (reference).
“In 1864 at the age of eight I came down from Fremantle with my family on board the cutter "Wild Wave" owned and also captained by a Mr. G. Cross of Vasse. There was no wharf so we all landed on the beach not far from where the silo now stands. Some people named Wenn lived in the Strand at that time. There was also a brick store near the corner afterwards turned into a mill by the Forrest family. The only lighthouse was a small watch house about 6ft. square and about 8ft. high with a 20ft. post with a lantern that used to be pulled up by and let down by a Mr. Costella, a pensioner who lived on the White road. There were no streets made at this time. We came along the Estuary and passed a wooden shed used as a blacksmith's shop. Alongside was a wooden room, 12ft. by 10ft. About a chain away was a brick building which a Mr. Morgan had built sometime before, and which was used as a hotel. Near the weighbridge corner in what is now known as Victoria-st., was the Wellington Hotel, a very small place at that time, kept by Mr. E. Spencer and Mr. Thomas Ashford as partners. On the other side of the street was a butcher's shop and outhouses belonging to a Mr Ramsay, who had a farm at a place called Minninup, about 12 miles down the coast. On the next corner back from the road was a cottage. A man named Mick White had a bakery where Wills and Co. now are and a three roomed brick cottage was opposite. Where the wine saloon now stands was a cottage belonging to a Mr. Ben Elems who lived there. The Rose Hotel was built soon after by a Mr. Sam Rose. His wife looked after the hotel and he had a farm down at Minninup and used to ride in every Saturday and spend the Sunday here. Nearly opposite was a store and dwelling house kept by a Mr. Lipschitry. There also was a wooden cottage where Colletts now stand, used as a bootmakers shop by a man named Beer. In front of that a Mr. Hough had a brick house of about six rooms and also a butcher's shop. He and his three girls used to take turns to serve the few customers. On Futcher's corner was a shop with a lean-to at the end, but no one lived in it. Mr. Jas Moore had a cottage where Cronshaw's shop is and a carpenter's shop was alongside. On the Bon Marche corner back from the street was a shop and dwelling house kept by a Mrs. Gillman. The property belonged to Mr. Geo. Elliott, R.H., who lived on Bury Hill on the site St. John of God Hospital now occupies. Opposite that where the Cathedral now stands, was a small wooden church. On the site of Forrest's office was a wooden cottage with a thatched room, a policeman named Fee lived there with his family. Where Sherry's now stands was a cooper's shop and two rooms. A man named Kelly lived in it. The grant belonged to his wife's father, a pensioner named White who lived in Stirling-st. About a chain from the corner further along was another pensioner's cottage belonging to a Mr. Deadman. Also on the corner where the school now stands was the hospital. A Dr. Vines was the Government doctor at that time. It was only used for prisoners. A little back from that was the Commissariat building, used as a school with two rooms. On the southern end were three rooms where one of the warders of the prison lived and a spare room on the other end across the street a Mr. T. C. Carey had a house, back from the street. He was the Government Surveyor. I believe he was also chairman of the Town Trust. All the grants and streets were marked out with posts marked B.T.T. They were about 3in. x 5in. and stood up about 4ft. 6in. with a pointed top. The streets though surveyed were not made, only formed at that time.” - Edward Withers (reference).
Traversing the Large Parish on Horseback
Joseph had to use horses to travel Bunbury’s large parish. Son George recalled these early travels: “Considering he had never straddled a horse, this was rather an undertaking when all the work would have to be done on horseback, but he was young and full of enthusiasm, and for the first 11 years he mapped out his work so that he was able to visit all the outlying settlers four times yearly, each trip taking about two weeks.” At first, “he had to lead a pack horse on the outward journeys and as he usually carried a lot of literature supplied by Christian knowledge and gospel propagation societies in England. “ However, “in 1874 father bought his first four-wheel buggy, built by John Summers, of Hay-street, Perth.” This was a great improvement as “the advent of the buggy made this work much easier, without damaging the books” (reference).
Often his wife and children would accompany him on these journeys around the parish, and son Edward later recalled, “They used to go to Jayes’ stations belonging to Mr. Steer, and from there to Bridgetown. A man named Trigwell kept the hotel at Donnybrook in those days. The Rev. Joseph Withers held services at the convict camps as he came to them, at Boyanup, Donnybrook, Thomson's Hill, Lawn Hill, Balingup, Padbury's Hill, Hester's and at another place near Donnybrook” (reference).
The vast amount of travel was not without its hazards, and the rector had several accidents. George recalled two: “In the winter of 1872, which was a very heavy one, he had to cross the Preston River while in flood. He was swept off his horse, grabbed hold of a stirrup which came off, and then caught hold of his horse's tail, and was dragged to safety as he was unable to swim, this might have ended in tragedy. On another occasion in the year 1881, when driving across the ranges on the old Williams to Bunbury-road with my young sister also aboard, he struck a stump which threw him out with the reins in his hand and he was picked up seriously injured and was kept in hospital for a month” (reference). There was also another near-fatal accident concerning horses later in Joseph life: “Whilst the Rev. J. Withers was returning to Bunbury along the Vasse Road, opposite Mr. Hastie's, his horses became rather unmanageable, and he had the misfortune to run over a little child, three years of age, a son of Mr. James Hastie, the wheels passing over its head. It is simply a miracle how the child escaped at all, the wheels passing over it just under the ear and across its face. We learn that it was not very seriously injured, and that it is now progressing satisfactorily under the care of Dr. Lovegrove, the shock proving more serious than the bodily injury” (reference).
Building Churches
During his tenure, Joseph was responsible for building at least 13 churches in the parishes of Bunbury and Williams. The first of these was St Paul’s church in Bunbury. When he arrived in Bunbury, there was “an old wooden church, which also served as a school” (reference) and one of the first things Joseph did was organise a church to be built. The school was moved to “an old commissariat brick building in the grounds of the present school" (reference), and the church meetings were held there temporarily (reference).
In April 1865: “A goodly number of the inhabitants of Bunbury and its immediate neighbourhood assembled on Monday, 20th inst., at 12 o'clock, to witness the laying of the foundation-stone of the new Church of St. Paul's, now in course of erection on the site of the old. The proceedings were commenced by the Rev. J. Withers giving out the hymn, 'From all that dwell below the skies.The 1st chapter of Haggai was then read and an appropriate prayer offered. This done, Mr W. P. Clifton, with a few suitable words, presented the trowel to the Resident, Mr G. Eliot, requesting him to lay the stone. Having deposited a bottle containing copies of the colonial papers, a few of the current coins, and the inscription, Mr Eliot formally laid the stone. After a few congratulatory remarks, in which he pointed out the great object sought to be attained by means of the work now began, viz., the extension of Christ's Kingdom in the world, a statement of the financial position and prospects of the committee was given by the Rev. J. Withers. He urged the necessity of ready and hearty cooperation, in order to the speedy completion of the building, and mentioned that a bazaar, to be held in November, when it was hoped the church would be opened, was being set on foot by several ladies in the district. He did not see why, by energy and perseverance, they should not raise £10 in that way” (reference).
St Paul’s was completed in 1867 (reference). In 1951, The West Australian praised the building and said Joseph had “left Western Australia in this building a pioneers' memorial envied by States east of the Nullarbor” (reference).
The other churches established by Joseph were not elaborate buildings. Instead, he favoured simple buildings that served multiple purposes, such as a local school and meeting room (reference). The first was at Bridgetown and seeing the difficulty that small parishes might have in sustaining a church and a clergyman, he set up the Diocesan Society in 1869, whereby more established churches could support newer parishes “ensuring, under the Divine blessing, through united action and mutual support, the general welfare and progress of the Church of England in this colony” (reference). Within a few weeks of starting, the society had 121 members, and Joseph was advocating that one of its projects should be to help pay the salary of a clergyman for the Bridgetown/ Blackwood area (reference). Bridgetown had been recently established as a town and was growing rapidly, and his idea was to “make this new town the headquarters and centre of operations of an itinerant clergyman” which would “radiate from Bridgetown about 30 miles in each direction” and “that one-third of the income of the clergyman to be thus employed will be raised in this district; the remainder will be derived in equal proportions from the Diocesan Church Society and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel” (reference).
While stationed at Williams, Joseph began erecting three of these church-schools simultaneously along the road to Albany, prompting one newspaper to report: “Not many years ago it was a common saying that there was no Sunday between Perth and Albany. Then the proverb was modified to there being no Sunday between Kelmscott, sixteen miles from Perth, and Albany. This state of things, which has lasted for something like ten years, is happily coming to an end. The exertions to obtain church accommodation on the Albany Road and particularly in the settled districts such as the Williams River, have been made persistently by the Rev. Joseph Withers of Bunbury, who has at length so far succeeded that three school-churches are about to be erected on the line of road, and a comfortable parsonage Williams River. The school-churches will be of design and character nearly similar to the building erected under the auspices of Mr. Withers at Bridgetown, Blackwood, some ten years ago, the design and plans of which were prepared in 1869 by Mr. Thos Browne, to whom are entrusted the preparation of the plans and specifications of the new school-churches and the parsonage” (reference).
These church-schools were at Williams, Kojonup, Wandering and Arthur River (reference). Another church, St Peter’s, was erected at Eticup in 1885, and it was rented to the Education Department until 1892 when Broomehill School was opened (reference). In 1948, an effort was made “to proceed with a project started nine years ago to move this old structure brick by brick to the town of Broomehill, four miles distant, there to be re-erected as a memorial to the pioneers of the district” (reference). This was abandoned, however, because it was deemed too impractical (reference).
Throughout his ministry, Joseph also supported other churches in the district. In 1886, at the first anniversary of the Congregational Church, “The Rev. Mr. Buchanan ably performed the office of chairman, and was supported on either side by our welcome visitor the Rev. Mr. Johnston, from Fremantle, and the Rev. J. Withers, our colonial chaplain” (reference). He continued to do this with the Congregationalists and the Wesleyans as well on other special occasions (reference; reference; reference). Although not as friendly with the Catholics, when advocating for clergymen in education, “he thought it absolutely essential that clergymen of all denominations should be elected” (reference).
Temperance Advocate
Joseph was a very enthusiastic proponent of temperance and saw it as an essential part of his ministry, saying: “Then as to the temperance movement. I look upon it in our day, and amongst English speaking communities especially, as part and parcel of a minister's work. Intemperance like an undying worm is gnawing at the vitals of society and impedes its progress at every step” (reference).
However this view was not shared by all and after a sermon in St George’s Cathedral, a critic wrote to the paper complaining: “ONE of the greatest mistakes a clergyman can make is to attempt to work out an idea that he is the apostle of one particular virtue, and ordained only to denounce one particular vice. The Rev. JOSEPH WITHERS has made this mistake. He has discovered a beam in a brother's eye, and presumes that every one must suffer from the same complaint. In season and out of season he pounds away at the one idea, ignorant of the difference between a sober congregation attending Divine service at a Cathedral and a drunken rabble in a pot house. If Mr. WITHERS desires to air his ideas on the vice of intemperance let him do so from the top of a tub in front of a tavern. […] It is not likely that the vice our common ancestor NOAH indulged in has been left for a WITHERS to eradicate. We know he himself is not an immaculate conception, and so do his parishioners. We also know that like all men he must have some vice or weakness. One is intemperance - the intemperance or speech - which is as destructive to a man's social happiness as any other” (reference).
This strong aversion to consumption of alcohol stemmed from his childhood: “His own experience with regard to the question of intemperance was a somewhat melancholy one. He well remembered, as a lad, the peculiar feelings he experienced when watching, unfortunately for many a weary hour, in the dead of night, the returning footsteps of one that was dear to him, but who, alas, was a victim to the terrible social evil which they sought to combat. The impression created by those feelings had never been erased from his mind” (reference).
Joseph actively sought to participate in the temperance movement in Bunbury and applied to join the Good Templars' temperance organisation. However, it seemed that even they may have been daunted by his enthusiasm as the following report in 1875 on one of his applications shows: “At the last meeting there were six candidates, amongst them the Rev. J. Withers and his eldest son,-both were blackballed, the other four being admitted. A second ballot being called for, the son barely passed with "the skin of his teeth", but the Reverend gentleman fared even worse than at first, an increased number of black balls having been given by several who at the first ballot remained neutral. Whatever personal feeling there may be against Mr. Withers as a clergyman, all agree that he would have made a good and useful member. And even those who share the feeling of dislike condemn the action of the Lodge in allowing private and personal feeling to influence the votes”(reference).
The Good Templars also voted against Joseph being a speaker at their anniversary celebrations in April 1876 (reference), but when, undeterred, Joseph tried again for membership in June of the same year, they finally relented: “The Rev. Joseph Withers ought to take for his motto, should he ever aspire to one, nil desperandum. After having been blackballed no less than three times, by the Good Templars he has at last succeeded. Having chronicled his defeat on a previous occasion, it is but fair that I should now record the Rev. gentleman's victory over a strong and determined opposition. He is not, however, easily put down, and at a fourth ballot on the 26th instant, managed to get in” (reference).
Wisbey vs Withers
His zealous advocacy for temperance led him into controversy at times, and the death of Jack Meloy on 9 August 1876 at Mrs Norrie’s (his step-daughter) was one such occasion. In a letter to the paper, published on 27 August, Joseph described what happened: “On Tuesday, the 9th August, 'Jack Meloy[sic] came in from the Williams, where he had been working since Christmas. He had been living 'hard,' not having been able to procure a supply of meat; he was, however, in sound health. He was a raw-bone, powerful-framed man — muscular — a hard drinker— had never been known to 'lie down' under its influence. He came to his own house (now Norrie's) on the Plain — drink was sent for — he went to bed, however, little the 'worse' for it. On Wednesday he and Norrie remained at home nearly the whole day drinking; once during the day he came down to Delaporte's and had some drink; he went to bed that night 'the worse' for drink. On Thursday, the 11th, he must have a glass immediately he rose. From half-past ten or eleven till he dropped down off the form in Delaporte's taproom, at 3 p.m., he was in and out of the public house at short intervals. When he dropped down and was removed out of doors, and not until then, did the publican speak of filing for the assistance of the police. It was at first proposed by Norrie that he should be brought to Buswell's, close to, but a policeman being seen at Gillman's corner, it was determined to remove him to his own house; he was so removed, being carried on a man's back, two men holding his legs — his trousers, I am told, 'down' speechless and utterly helpless, till he died at about 10 o'clock” (reference).
He went on to say this was the second such incident in the space of 12 months with the first being a Mrs Scott who “was found in a miserable plight, with no food in her stomach for days; every soul in the house dead drunk; no one in the house, so I am credibly informed, knowing that she was dead” (reference).
At the inquest, although the coroner’s report was that drink caused Meloy’s death, all witnesses testified that Meloy was not drunk (reference), but it was evident there was “a prearranged plan of the witnesses one and all to shield the defendant” (reference). After the inquest, one of the witnesses, Mr Hay, told the police Meloy was drunk and also told Joseph “that Meloy was not only in that state, but so bad was he that he felt it a duty to speak to him, and tell him that he was killing himself, or words to that effect” (reference).
Joseph had been so angry about the whole situation, he refused to perform the burial for Jack Meloy and only after some hesitation did he permit the body to be buried in the church graveyard (reference). According to a newspaper report, this caused many people to have “a very strong feeling of indignation on the subject, and that in the case of other sudden deaths that have taken place in our midst— death during delirium tremens, death by drowning, and death in a standup fight — the burial service was read by Mr. Withers and that no objections whatever were raised” (reference).
With Mr. Hay’s statement, the police pressed charges against Mr Delaporte, the publican. It failed due to lack of evidence and the policeman most involved in the incident, Sub-inspector Wisbey (later to become the first Mayor of Bunbury), was absent. The Magistrate, Mr. Clifton, said “the clause under which the information in this case had been laid was a most desirable and necessary clause [...] It was one that the honest and straightforward publican had nothing to fear from: — it was only the unscrupulous individual (looking very hard at the defendant) who would risk nothing for the sake of extracting all he could from the pockets of the drunkard that had any cause to fear such a law. There is in our community, amongst those who give the matter any thought, a strong feeling in favor of the clause remaining in force.” Significantly, he also stated “in this town, or district, it cannot be said to press at all hard, as we have only had one conviction since it came in force; that we have had no more is not the fault of the publicans” (reference).
After this, in a letter to the newspaper, Joseph claimed that a conviction could not be obtained “owing to the negligence and connivance of the police, the influence direct and in direct of the publicans, and the low moral tone of the general community” (reference) and “Rev. Mr. Withers preached a special sermon on the subject on Sunday, the 3rd inst., which is more than likely to be followed up; the rev. gentleman having in his discourse distinctly stated that 'the heads of the police had connived to smother the matter up.
The police officer that Joseph was attacking was clear to the letter writer who responded and reprimanded Joseph for the “very foolish and undeserved attack he makes upon the police, and particularly upon Sub-Inspector Wisbey, who is known to be one of the most efficient and unobtrusive officers that have ever been stationed here, is dastardly in the extreme” (reference).
Other letters were particularly malicious towards Joseph leading one newspaper to report “the luckless clergyman of that district has provoked the dislike of some "gritty creetur " with an itch for writing, who represents the minister of "peace" as an Ismarl, with his hands against every man and every man's hand against him. These vituperated letters for straightforward, undisguised abuse equal anything uttered by the "Owl and Magpie" of W. A. Times notoriety, and completely eclipses the heaviest inkings of the combative "Chips." We wonder what are the feelings of the Rev. Mr. Withers when he pronounces the benediction, if any of the letter writers are among his congregation on Sundays.” (reference).
The result of this was that Sub-Inspector Wisbey filed a libel action against Joseph (reference). The town was split into factions. “A subscription list to defray the costs of the libel action entered by Mr. Sub-Inspector Wisbey against the Rev. Mr. Withers was opened on Monday morning, and was quickly filled up to the amount of about £50; double the amount of each subscription being promised if required. This was done without Mr. Wisbey's knowledge or sanction in any way, and during his absence in Perth, principally to show the public estimate of his worth as a police officer. It is intended to publish the list in the local papers” (reference) and “yesterday and the previous day Mr. David Hay was busily engaged with another list collecting a subscription for Mr. Withers' defence” (reference).
The case was held in March 1877 and “the jury, after being locked up for three days, brought in a verdict for the defendant on the count for libel, and found for the plaintiff on the count for slander, damages 20s. The case created a great deal of interest and excitement” (reference).
Books and the Bush Libraries
Joseph was a strong advocate of spreading literature as he believed “no greater boon could be conferred on our young friends in the bush than the providing them with mental food of a sound and wholesome character” (reference). He was the agent for propagating Christian knowledge for the Church of England and acquired books from several English booksellers, which he distributed (reference). Joseph supplied many of the original books for the first reading room in Bunbury (reference) which was “in a building called the Barracks, which stood at the corner of Wittenoom and Prinsep streets, where the gardens are.” This was eventually taken over by the council and the books given to the town (reference). He also “used to carry books and pamphlets on his visits to the outlying parts of the district as far as Bridgetown, and the people always looked for him on his rounds every three months or so and bought what they wanted to read. When Revd. Withers left here in 1880 to open up the Williams district, he did the same thing and was always looked for by the outlying people as far as Albany” (reference).
Joseph also sold books from his home, placing regular advertisements in the paper (reference). In 1881, before he left for a trip to England for health reasons, he offered to bring back a large consignment of books to establish a Juvenile Bush Libraries through a network of local towns so that they could swap titles with each other (reference).
Proponent for Education
Joseph was a great believer in the education of children, and as his son, George recalls, “was specially interested in establishing schools throughout this huge district, and wherever 12 or 13 children could be collected within a radius of three miles, he gave the Education Department no rest until at least an assisted school was granted, which often was held in settlers' homes, with some member of a family who was competent to teach the three R's, as teacher” (reference). Having gone to a school for the poor himself, Joseph put effort into ensure the local children received an education, “the fact is I could do no other. Humanly speaking, I owe my success in life to the fact that I had a good sound education and that I made a good use of it. I was not born "with a silver spoon in my mouth" and I am not sorry for it” (reference).
In 1871, the first Education act for Western Australia was passed (reference) and arising from that, District Boards were to be elected. At the initial meeting concerning the election of the Wellington District Board, one of the contentions was the role of clergymen in education. While some in the new colony were eager to embrace the separation of church and state, others such as Mr. James MaQuire, of Dardanup thought “the new Board should be composed of lay members only. The clergy should be rigidly kept out. He was of opinion that it would be impossible for three clergymen of different denominations sitting at one Board to unanimously agree on questions arising on educational matters.” Joseph, on the other hand believed “it absolutely essential that clergymen of all denominations should be elected, they being on account of their vocation, education and constant intercourse with the families of the district most interested in all matters appertaining to education, and best able to carry out with success the new act” (reference). When the Board was eventually voted in, three of the five members, Rev. Withers, Rev. Buchanan and Father Brady, were clergymen, with Mr William Forrest and Dr. Thomas Lovegrove (reference).
As with any new law that permeates daily life, the bill was not without controversy. Joseph wrote many letters to the paper about its inadequacies. He favoured the government only funding public schools and wrote that “a system truly National, but Unsectarian” should have been established, as in the country areas there were often not enough children for a public school where government-funded Catholic Schools were established (reference). He wrote about the difficulties of dealing with the Central Board, saying “The most frequent cause of friction between the Central and District Boards, so far as my experience and information enables me to state, has hitherto been the establishment of new schools in the bush. What an extremely difficult matter it is to establish a school of this sort can only be known by those who have made the attempt. You have first to ascertain whether there are sufficient children - whether these are of a school age, and are within the compulsory radius of three miles; then there arises the question of site - of means for building - what assistance may be had from the Central Board, if any. These difficulties surmounted, the District Board communicates with the Central Board -"suggests" and "recommends," - as empowered by the Act, and is frequently met with delay, followed by unexplained refusal. This is very annoying to the member, personally, and trying to the patience of the parents. One result is that the Boards, finding they are practically powerless, cease to meet, cease to take any interest in educational matters, and that really good members withdraw altogether” (reference). He complained that the fees were too high for country areas (reference) and that it was “lamentable to contemplate the absolute dearth of teachers nowadays.” because trainee teachers were no longer being paid. Teacher training was limited to metropolitan schools (reference).
He put in a great deal of work towards establishing each school, having to visit all the people in that district to get the number of children to apply for government grants for buildings and teachers (reference), and then procuring the materials for the buildings (reference) and employing suitable teachers (reference). Often, it was a struggle to keep the school open if the number of attendees dropped below 12, as in the case of the Wandering school that was threatened with closure twice (reference). Although schooling was compulsory, there was no one to enforce it, and Joseph wrote that it became “a great hardship that the parents of those children who do attend regularly should be punished for the one or two families who neglect their duty” and the children “would be sacrificed for no fault of their own, their parents, or the teacher” (reference).
In the words of Mr Henry Venn in 1880, Joseph had been “the chief instrument in the erection of churches and schoolrooms” and “labored earnestly and persistently in promoting the education of the young” (reference).
Community
Joseph and Sarah were active in the community and made the harshness of Australian life enjoyable for those around them. This is reflected in a journalist's report about a summer picnic, organised by Joseph, Sarah and a committee which “was given to all classes and denominations.” It was held on 23 December 1867 “when about one hundred children, with a corresponding number of parents and friends, assembled at Preston Point.” Various forms of transportation were arranged: “It is 10 a.m., and, on looking towards Bunbury, we observe the boats approaching, their white sails filled with the delightful sea-breeze, speeding the joyous groups to their destination; traps are also moving with travellers who prefer driving to sailing, while an immense bullock-dray also discharges a load of youngsters.” After everyone arrived, “heaps of sandwiches and kegs of ginger beer” were provided for lunch. The afternoon was filled with “swinging, boating, racing, fishing, and other amusements” then, to finish the day “tea and cake were dispersed, and the children sang the National Anthem, after which prizes were awarded by some of the committee, others handing round lottery-bags, into which all had a dip, and each gained a prize” (reference).
Joseph was also involved in establishing a Mechanic’s Institute in Bunbury and the President when opened in 1868. He believed it would be “not only an ornament to the town, but a most useful acquisition to all classes and denominations who wished to assemble on neutral ground either for business or pleasure” (reference). He also helped arrange concerts to raise money for the Institute and in 1869, were lucky to have a celebrated harpist and tenor, Signor Raffaele Abecco, help while he visited Bunbury on his departure from Australia (reference).
Many years later, in 1879, at a fundraising concert for a Sunday School Library, Joseph “took the audience by surprise in his new character of soloist, more particularly in his song "I love beauty," which was quite a treat to all lovers of melody” (reference).
Joseph also “took a prominent part in all matters for advancing the district” (reference), and was often vocal about issues. In the 1874 elections for the Legislative Council, many people were disillusioned with the sitting member, Mr. James Lee-Steere, and instead nominated Mr. Stephen Stone to oppose him. Joseph was very vocal at the nomination meeting, where a tirade delivered against Mr. Stone gained “the hearty approval of the Rev. Joseph Withers, who cheered every few words, inducing a rabble, evidently brought for the purpose, to join in chorus.” Then when Mr Forrest went to speak for Mr. Stone, “it was with the greatest difficulty and perseverance Mr. Forrest could get out a word, so noisy became the rabble already alluded to, led on by some one who ought to have known better” (reference). He also wrote many letters to the paper on many subjects. In one, he complained about Bunbury bakers’ lightweight loaves of bread saying “I have myself weighed their loaves and seen them weighed and found in almost every instance that the loaves were one, two, three, four and, in the two last cases, as much as six ounces short” (reference). This caused one of the bakers, Mr Harry Brashaw, to reply saying Joseph had made “sweeping charge of light weight against all who call themselves bakers in Bunbury.” and “that all bread sold by us is always weighed before it goes into the oven, and made to scale 2lbs. 3oz., thus allowing a Ioss in baking from 2 to 3oz” (reference).
Another instance, he complained about the postal service as “it is now 11:45 and I find no English paper and no West Australian on the table of the Mechanics.” He concluded with, “I hear complaints on all sides, and if a better and more expeditious delivery is not soon carried out I shall certainly appeal to the Ministerial Head of this Department. ” He added “P.S -Such a staff for the same amount of work would be simply laughed at in England” (reference). Two days later, another letter from Joseph was published explaining, “I am asked to make a correction of a statement in my letter of Tuesday-it was to this effect that neither the English paper or the West Australian were on the table of the Mechanics' at 11:45 a.m. on that day. The fact was as I have stated but the fault lay not with the Post Office but with the caretaker who received the papers on the previous evening but neglected to put them on the table.” Nevertheless, he was still unrepentant about complaining about the deliveries adding “I am not the only complainant, and I say again that with the staff available the delivery of mails ought to be much more expeditious and regular” (reference).
The Crime of Unholy Matrimony
A few weeks before Joseph announced his retirement on 23 January 1893 (reference), he was summoned to court on 6 January and charged with “a breach of the Marriage Act, in having on the 27th September last, married Thomas Trigwell and Annie Elisabeth Hurst, at Boyanup schoolroom, without having banns of marriage affixed to the door of the schoolroom for three consecutive Sundays, as provided by law.” He pleaded not guilty “contending that he had in no way infringed the law, having married the couple by the second mode provided by the Act, vis., by publication of the banns” and a trial was set for 18 January (reference). It was a serious charge and “the penalty was an exceedingly heavy one and if found guilty the defendant was liable to a fine of £500 with or without five years' imprisonment with hard labour” (reference).
While Joseph had married the couple at the Boyanup schoolroom, which was used for worship when he gave services there - once a month or less - he had posted the marriage banns in the Bunbury Church as he interpreted the law to say the banns must be posted in the same parish. As Mr Henry Stanley, representing the defence, demonstrated, this had been common practice for both Joseph and other ministers in the area and there had never been a problem before. Mr. James Ecclestone testified he had been married at Boyanup in the same manner 10 years before by Rev. Purnell and the Wesleyan clergyman, Rev. Joseph Mitchell, testified that he had also followed this practice in Bunbury. Although the district registrar, Mr. George Teede, had been aware of other cases, he said he had reported this one as he recently had instructions on the marriage act and had “therefore been particular.” This concluded with a hung jury and a postponement to the next session (reference).
However, the following day, while attending court to pay bail for Joseph, Mr Stanley “submitted that it would be a graceful act if the case was not further proceeded with. He need hardly remind his Worship that Mr. Withers had the sympathy of the greater part of the people in town. His Worship said that, personally, he quite agreed that it would be a gracious act on the part of the Crown to abandon the case, and he would take the necessary steps to submit the suggestion for the consideration of the Crown” (reference).
On 28 January, Joseph was informed “that in the case against you, which was adjourned to the next Quarter Sessions at Bunbury, no further proceedings will be taken. You are therefore released from your recognisances.” The Southern Times noted: “At the trial, eleven of the jurymen were in favour of finding the defendant not guilty. Much satisfaction is felt in town at the quashing of the proceedings against the Rev. gentleman” (reference).
Family
Joseph and Sarah Withers had seven children. The two eldest children were born in England - Edward in 1856, Mary in 1858, and George was born in Ireland in 1863. The Withers and their cousin, Miss Katherine O’Neill, accompanied their parents to Australia (reference; reference). In 1866, two years after arriving in Bunbury, Katherine married local businessman Mr. David Hay. Joseph Junior was born in the same year (reference) then in 1867, they had another son, David, who only lived for 20 days (reference). Their youngest son, Reginald, was born in 1869, followed by a daughter, Theodosia (Theodora), in 1870 (reference). Tragically, Sarah died in 1872, aged 40, when Theodora was two years old (reference). Her funeral was the “largest on record” in Bunbury at the time (reference).
After Sarah died, Joseph brought the children up on his own. Theodora, the youngest, recalled that when she was fourteen, “she took over the care of the family and also shared the church work” (reference).
Edward (Ted), the eldest, started work on the wharves at the age of 15 and later drove the mail out to Pinjarra. He wrote a series of memoirs for the Western Mail under the pseudonym “Old Bunbury.”. He married a local girl, Esther Blythe, and they had six children. The eldest son, George, was killed in World War 1 (reference). Frederick, the second son, represented Bunbury as the Labor member of the State Legislative Assembly from 1924 - 1947 and then later Mayor of Bunbury from 1951 until 1955 (reference), and Frederick’s son Reginald also served on the Bunbury Council from 1954 - 1957 before being elected to the Australian Senate in 1967. After retiring from the Senate in 1987, he later became Lord Mayor of Perth from 1991 - 1994 (reference).
Mary married William Holmes in 1888. They had two daughters - Hilda, born 1889 in Dongara and Dorothy, born 1892 in Perth (reference).
George left school in 1875 and “worked as shop assistant at 15/ week. After two years my employer refused an increase in wages so I went to work at the wharf as a tally clerk and lumper at 30/ per week. My late employer then wished for my return and my father consented to accepting £1 a week.” In 1879, aged 16, he was appointed third clerk to the Treasury with an annual salary of ₤90. However in 1882, George recalled ruefully “I resigned and took a job as jackeroo on Moorrarrie Station, Murchison, at £2/10/ a month, then foolishly throwing up a career.” He stayed on the station for 10 years, becoming manager in 1885, and then went into partnership with a butchering and storekeeping business. After a bout of typhoid fever, George left the goldfields and bought a business in Northam. In 1895, he married Cora Throssell. Like Edward, George wrote extensively about the early days of Western Australia which were published in the Western Mail (reference).
Joseph Junior married a South Australian girl, Eva Bowden at Riverton, South Australia in 1898 (reference). They lived in Perth and had three children - Ronald (1899), Lyall (1903) and Edith (1905) (reference). Reginald married Emily Crampton from Brunswick in 1893 (reference) and eventually moved to Three Springs (reference). Theodosia married Edward Crossley in 1893 (reference). One of their sons enlisted as a signaller with the Australian Light Horse Artillery during World War 1 but contracted measles at a training camp and died in Melbourne (reference). Joseph remarried in 1887 to Mary Gegg (reference), the daughter of Rev. Joseph Gegg, who was then the Dean of Perth (reference). Sometime after his retirement, they moved to Brown Street, East Perth (reference).
Joseph died in 1904 from a stroke at the age of 70 (reference). He passed on his value of social involvement to his children and made a significant contribution to education throughout the southwest.
Research of Reverend Joseph Henry Withers was conducted by Gaye Englund for the streetsofbunbury project.