Murray John Williams (abt. 1921 - abt. 2006)

Born about 1921 in Renmark, South Australia, Australia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Died about 15 May 2006 at about age 85 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia [uncertain]

Biography

Murray, the eldest child of Johann Heinrich and Frances Pearl Williams, was born in Renmark in 1921 during the depression that followed the First World War.

As a young child he would not have been aware how difficult the times were for his parents. There were numerous relations living in Renmark – his grandparents, Louisa and George Williams lived nearby and it is said, George had a particular rapport with children. There were uncles and aunts, cousins and second cousins – the Guscott cousins were of a similar age to the Williams children.

The hard times started when the family left Renmark because Murray’s father was searching for work. This led them to Mildura for a short time, then Adelaide and finally to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. They were never to see their Renmark relatives again.

Murray was about ten years old when his parents separated, but when he was thirteen, the legal age to leave school, Murray joined his father prospecting. Murray had always worked very hard, even before he left school, he had worked in a dairy. His father’s mine was at Parker’s Range, near Southern Cross, Western Australia and the good gold vein which had been discovered eventually went too deep to mine with conventional tools and so was abandoned.

Enlisting in the army when he was seventeen, Murray was assigned to the 2/22 Australian Field Park Coy, Royal Australian Engineers, attached to the 6th Division. He had his eighteenth birthday in Egypt. After three years in Egypt, his company was ordered to Singapore, but when the ship reached Srilanka, the fall of Singapore had occurred and after some delay, they were shipped directly back to Cairns in Queensland – passing their home state of Western Australia on the way.

After this, Murray had two stints in New Guinea at Wewak and Aitape where he had a reputation as an excellent rifleman. Before he was discharged in March 1946, he was invited to serve in the Occupation Force in Japan, but he declined as he was ready for civilian life.

On returning to Australia, Murray married Jessie Stacey in Queensland and they returned to Western Australia to live in Queens Park, a suburb of Perth, and to raise their four children, Russell, Gary, Maureen and Kay.

It has been said of Murray that he “didn’t have a lazy bone in his body”. To support his family he set to work at a variety of jobs to earn money, such as wood carting and working in the building industry but he eventually entered the hotel trade where he continued for the rest of his working life.

He started as a bar manager, which led to running a hotel at Mt. Barker, near Albany, then the Cottesloe Hotel in Perth, Western Australia. While he was at the Cottesloe Hotel he met a customer, Evelyn Huntley, and they were married on 3 July 1969.

Together Evelyn and Murray went on to manage other hotels, the London Hotel in Albany, the Bassendean Beach Hotel and the Wentworth Hotel in Perth – an odd quirk here, the Wentworth Hotel is on the corner of Murray and Williams Streets!

Their final hotel was a new tavern, the Carine Glades in Carine, which they opened and ran for six years. During his hotel management years Murray became very interested in horse racing and he and Evelyn were successful racehorse owners.

In June 1980, when Murray was approaching retirement age, they decided to leave the demanding hotel industry so Murray renewed his interest in prospecting.

While Evelyn was caring for her invalid mother, Murray would go to the northern areas of Western Australia. and again look for gold.

Murray has led an interesting life, with a variety of experiences and always meeting people. Friends have always said he should record his life story for his children and grandchildren.

A History of the Weidenhofer Families in Australia 1846 - 2004. Written by Wyn Allen (née Weidenhofer) 2004 ©.
Reproduced with permission of Stewart Allen, Barry Malcolm and Carlien Melrose.

This is a works in progress and any assistance with information or source details would be very much appreciated.

Sources

• A History of the Weidenhofer Families in Australia 1846 - 2004. Written by Wyn Allen (née Weidenhofer) 2004 ©.
• Reproduced with permission of Stewart Allen, Barry Malcolm and Carlien Melrose.

South Australian Genealogy Index of Birth, Death and Marriage.
Birth
Date: 1921- Name: WILLIAMS Murray John - Father: John Henry WILLIAMS - Mother: Pearl Frances JARVIS - District: Burra - Registration No.: 72A/39.
Link to Index
South Australian Genealogy Index of Birth, Death and Marriage.
https://www.genealogysa.org.au/resources/online-databases.html

Pinnaroo Cemetery Records
Western Australian Department of the Attorney General
Name: Murray John Williams
Application Number: PC00005179
Aged (Years): 85 - Date of Death14/05/2006 – Suburb: Joondalup
Ashes Request
Taken by Administrator at Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park
Link to Index
Western Australian Department of the Attorney General
http://www.bdm.dotag.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/default.aspx