William Owen Mitchell (1829-1914)

William Owen Mitchell was born on 20 November 1829 in India to parents Reverend William Mitchell and Mary Ann Holmes (reference). A month after his birth he was baptised on 22 December 1829 (reference). The family were in India as Reverend William was a missionary (reference). When William was an infant, the young family left India and sailed to England. While at the Gray's Inn in London, William's mother, Mary, died on 23 March 1831 at only 26 years old (reference). Mary left her husband and four young children, William, Sophia, Anne and Susan Augusta (reference). 

Less than a year after Mary's death, Reverend William married Frances Tree Tatlock (reference). Together, Reverend William and Frances had six children - William's half-brothers and half-sisters. His half-siblings were Blaney, Samuel, Jean, Frances Tree, Charlotte and Andrew Forster (reference; reference). Despite the new marriage, his health was suffering after the passing of his first wife, so he joined a mission in England to go to the Swan River Settlement (reference). The newly formed family came to Western Australia on the Shepherd, and he was the first clergyman in Western Australia (reference; reference). William Owen was 11 when his family moved to the Swan River Colony around 1840 (reference). 

Once grown up, William began to make his way in life. In 1851 he lived in the Upper Swan area and worked as a mail contractor in Toodyay (reference; reference). He also placed advertisements for repairs, as in 1851, he sought a contractor to carry out repairs to the Oakover Bridge (reference). 

On 23 December 1853, William married Isa Izon Bickley at Kenwick Park House in Western Australia (reference; reference). They were married by William's father, Reverend William Mitchell, the Anglican minister from the Swan (reference).

Isa and William had twelve children together over twenty-two years. Their first child was Isa Frances Ann, born on 4 October 1854 at Paradise Farm (reference). Their second daughter, Edith Charlotte, was born at Belvidere, Australind, on 21 June 1856 (reference). The couple's first son, William Wallace was born on 7 August 1858 at Belvidere, Australind (reference; reference). Their second son and fourth child, James Owen, was born on 29 January 1860 at Belvidere, Australind (reference). Their third son, Ernest Augustus, was born in Perth on 6 April 1862 (reference). Graves Bickley was born on 6 March 1864 at Mugawah, Northampton (reference). Agnes Maria was born on 18 September 1865 at Mugawah, Northampton (reference). On 14 February 1868, Valentine Camfield was born and named after Valentine's Day in Cannington (reference). William and Isa's ninth child was Susan, born at Dardanup on 9 January 1870 (reference). Theresa Florence was born on 2 August 1872 at Bunbury (reference). Andrew Chauncy was born in Collie on Christmas day in 1873 (reference). Their twelfth and final child was Clement Chauncy Tatlock, born 30 March 1876 at Henty, Dardanup (reference). 

William and Isa moved to Dardanup in 1854 as William was appointed to manage the Princep Estate (reference). Henry Charles Princep established the Princep Estate to supply horses for India (reference). Princep was the Attorney-General of India and also a judge (reference; reference; reference). The Estate in Bunbury was established when Thomas Little, Princep's agent, arrived in Fremantle in 1838 and purchased properties in the Bunbury district (reference). Thomas Little purchased three properties over the following years, land at Leschenault named Belvidere and land at Dardanup called Princep Park and Paradise Farm (reference). Wallace Bickley, Isa's father and William's father-in-law, took over from Thomas Little as an agent in 1854 (reference). His father-in-law appointed William as overseer of the Estate, which he held until 1861 (reference; reference). William managed all three properties until it was taken over by William Bedford Mitchell (reference; reference).

Part of Wiliam's duties included posting notices in the newspaper announcing when livestock went missing or when damages occurred to the Estate. For example, in December 1856, he was at Paradise Farm near Dardanup when a white bull trespassed onto the farm and damaged corn (reference). He also posted a notice about a lost chestnut colt in November 1857 at Paradise Farm (reference; reference). He would have also worked with cows when Belvidere expanded into the dairy industry (reference).

As William was working on an Estate that bred horses, he was in an excellent position to participate in the early horse racing events in Bunbury. In 1856 William had a horse named Deformity who ran at the Bunbury races (reference; reference). 

In 1860 William had his accounts managed by W. Lipschitz & Co. in Bunbury (reference). In 1860 he was also looking for people to repair a section of Albany Road and the road north of Dandalup in 1861 (reference; reference).

As a farmer and grazier in early colonial Western Australia, William was involved with the community (reference). In 1867 he signed a memorial with the other 'principal settlers' in every district of the Colony (reference). He also attended public meetings at Bunbury. One such session was at 7 pm on 26 September 1876 at Bunbury Mechanics' Hall (reference). At this meeting, William seconded a movement to help small farmers against the newly imposed prices to carry out farming work (reference). In 1876 he gave a 5 shilling donation to the Church of England (reference). In 1902 he lent some grounds on his property for the Greenbushes Club and Newlands Club to have a friendly football competition (reference). In 1889 William was helping other farmers in the area by acting as their local agent (reference). William knew many people in the community and attended their funerals when they passed (reference; reference; reference).  

During his life, he also supported community members who wished to establish Inns or Public Houses. People he helped included Harold John Robinson in 1899 of the Picton Railway Refreshment Rooms at Picton Junction (reference). The Picton Railway Refreshment Rooms was a property owned by William (reference). In 1889 he supported an application for Edmund Moore of Balingup to open an Inn or Public House (reference). In 1903 William supported Colin Fraser of Collie and James Joseph Parer in 1904 (reference; reference).

Once the Princep Estate was handed off to William Bedford Mitchell for management, William and Isa moved to the Northampton district to follow agricultural pursuits (reference; reference). William farmed at Kenwick in Perth in 1865 followed by Ferguson and Balingup before settling at Torridon, near Donnybrook at the head of the Capel River (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference).

Torridon consisted of a small farmhouse made of bricks (reference). Torridon was originally called Springfield Farm, which was established by Benjamin Needes (reference). Douglas McKenzie of the McKenzies of Torridon, Scotland, purchased Springfield Farm and named it after his clan's home, Torridon (reference). The McKenzies lived at Torridon until 1877, and sometime after the McKenzies departure, William leased the property (reference; reference; reference).

In September 1877, William applied for land in Dardanup, Locations 200, 256, 260 and 311, to be combined into an estate he later named Newlands (reference; reference). Newlands was also located near Donnybrook, 34 miles from Bunbury (reference; reference). The Estate was situated on the Blackwood road between Donnybrook and Bovell's (reference). It is described in the newspaper as a 'very pretty little farm and forms quite a pleasant break in the monotony of the journey' (reference). The Estate area is currently known as Newlands, named after William's property (reference). 

In 1893 there was a fire at Newlands between 10 am and 11 am on Saturday 27 May 1893 (reference). The fire destroyed the stables, barn and 16 tons of hay and a chaff-cutting machine (reference; reference). It is unknown how the fire started, but the Bunbury Herald speculated that William accidentally caused the fire as he was a heavy smoker (reference). The Bunbury Herald stated that William left the stables ten minutes before the fire, which could have started from William throwing down a lit match (reference). A letter to the Southern Times from one of William's neighbours disagreed with the Bunbury Herald (reference). The neighbour said it was more likely caused by damp bone dust that ignited, as they had spoken to William, who was positive he had not been smoking in those buildings that morning (reference). William also said that he feared fire so was always very careful near the outbuildings (reference). The fire was first spotted by William's daughter (reference). Luckily, the early detection of the fire enabled all the horses to be saved (reference). However, the property was not insured and estimated that 200 pounds of damage occurred (reference). Despite the Bunbury Herald's speculation, they stated that 'very great sympathy is felt for Mr Mitchell, who is a very persevering, hard-working man, and had only just got his property in thorough working order (reference).' 

Months later, William thanked the Bunbury Herald for their newspaper coverage of the fire as it resulted in the community rallying together to raise funds for his property’s repair (reference).

Dear Sir. 

— Through the medium of your paper, I wish to express my gratitude, and tender my sincere thanks to those who kindly contributed towards raising the sum that has been presented to me by Mr McKernan, towards alleviating the heavy loss I sustained by fire on the 27 May last, and I particularly wish to acknowledge the kindness of Mr J. McKernan, who was the promoter, and who so kindly exerted himself on my behalf. 

— Yours, faithfully, W. O. MITCHELL, Newlands, 3/10/93. - Bunbury Herald 4 October 1893 

Despite the fire, William continued his work on his farm and produced top-quality goods. In December 1886 at the Central Southern Districts Agricultural Society show at Bridgetown, William won two exhibitions - the best collection of green fruits and the best bag of chaff (reference). He also won a prize in the dairy produce section (reference).

As running his Newlands Estate, part of William's duties was to make sure his property was accessible by the public roads, which were not all maintained. In 1894 he asked for work on the Blackwood Road, which was accepted by the Wellington Roads Board (reference). However, William wrote about the road's disrepair in the newspaper to force the Roads Board to act (reference). In 1899, the Brunswick Roads Board members and the residents of Yarloop were fighting over the route of the road to William's property (reference). 

William advertised in the newspaper when stray livestock wandered into his lands, such as in 1883 when a horse and steer came onto his property and in October 1894 when a heifer wandered onto his property (reference; reference; reference; reference). In 1896 he lost six goats that had strayed from the Newlands property, and he put up an award for their return (reference). 

He gave the land to the government to make the Newlands train station (reference). In 1897 the government had proposed a Blackwood Railway station but wanted to put it in Upper Caple. William rallied the local settlers to change the location to Newlands due to Upper Caple's sparse population (reference). William gave some of his land to the government to build the Newlands Railway Station on Blackwood Road (reference; reference). By 1899 the Newlands Railway Station was built, situated opposite William's farm (reference).

In August 1899, he lost a valuable locket containing a family portrait encased in gold and set in pearls with the frame with his initials W O M (reference). 

In 1904 William and Isa celebrated their golden wedding anniversary (reference). The Bunbury Herald wrote about their wedding celebration and sent them well-wishes for the future (reference). "We combine in wishing the old gentleman and lady still many happy returns of the anniversary and a pleasant and comfortable time in the evening of their long life (reference)."

William and Isa continued to live at Newlands until they moved to 'The Retreat' at South Bunbury in 1907 due to Isa's declining health (reference). William continued to work on the farm (reference). Isa lived another two years before passing away in 1909 (reference). After Isa's death, William had broken health and felt her loss intensely, so he relinquished the running of Newlands to his sons (reference; reference). 

In February 1914, William gave a speech at the Newlands State School (reference). 

In the leadup to William's death, he went to Perth for an extended stay with his daughter Theresa Florence Evans (reference). He had left Perth and headed home to Newlands when he called in at Cookernup to stay a week or two when he fell ill (reference). Dr Moore of Yarloop saw William when he did not recover and pronounced his sickness was incurable (reference). William lived out his last days at the Moogilup Cottage in Cookernup (reference).  

William died on Tuesday 4 August 1914 at 5 am at the age of 84 years and 9 months at Cookernup, precisely 74 years after he arrived in Western Australia (reference; reference; reference; reference). His cause of death was recorded as 'senile decay’ (reference). 

On Wednesday, 5 August, his remains were taken on the train from Cookernup to the Bunbury Cemetery, where he was interred in the Anglican section (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference). 

More information about Isa can be found on her biography: Isa Izon Mitchell