Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953)(about) |
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Monday 30 May 1927
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Obituary ·----*--- --. MR. WILLIAM PRIMROSE ANDERSON. of -·: With the passing of Mr. W."P. An. derson whose deaith occurred' oin rr Thuisrday evening at his "residence Bentinck- Street, -Portland loses a most notable figure nits1 histol is" 'W.P.i" as he, was familiarly known, was a;striking oxample of those hardy 1p pioneers; whose nnumbers , are`f t diminishing, and iby sheer sssidiit*, n and merit, fought his way from the ir lowest rungs of the. ladde to a foie= kmm' p -aition itn the commercial Sworld To him might dsc ely be liil jilied the worde ': n Pluck ~vins.. italways wins, ¶1 bough dtays't bchow; And, isights. b darktwixt ays that Cdme cadg.t o Still plwuck:vill win. Its average is aIi gain3 the priz that run t'ih m ost endure Wbsn faces~r issue s," .ho. who :novel shiriks i +Whip Wcaits an'd-wvatclesNa-nd whio . i'waysa works " . His parents arrived f`rom England .wy nwi is :'=country -was :but little kntfyn, taking up thoei residence term. h poririly in Melbournies 110e was no t' dil'a large Tamil,: being born on Jun( 15th 1845 In .the capital city, aid .baptizedu by the Rev. Forbes-the r_ fir-t Prvebyterinn milnster in Mel .'bourite.:: Ais ; child he eivent. to Crawlford with bhis' leopi, where his 0 fatiher tool u :li ind Eventuilly the family removed to Portiand,- and w hen a boy of 12, the late geantleman e found'eAmplioinent with Sir C. 'ri'ng a.mar ina! the. grocery and hardware Sbusiness' in Julia Street, which he idultimately acquirrled rHis .first .cm player met a sudlden nl, geing drowned .under inmost tragic circunim 'ytanrcs:? Mr. TrangS-ir's brother, Jamies, then took control of the bush. nos,: Mr. An lerson being his imanl. go intil he came into ipossession al the .age of 28. By intense concent tiationi and( dint of hardi work, he ibuiilt ujpi a business which became no, tosiouis throughout the whole Western -District--iri fact, the State-cn. I'there :wre many who had cause tI reimember the Inte gentlemsan by the I'many nacts of kindnesses rendered ai his hands when financial worries were pressin-g hard uponi them; Mr. An. derson's forebearance in this connecr tion was the means of placing nuin erous:"strugglers" on their feet ; oft. tiies to his personal inconvenience. His -determinatioi to establish a" over-seas trade with theOld Country brcught him "into mush prominence, and he had the satisfaction of seeing his efforts relwarded to no small ex" tent: It was in the year '81 that the Ifirst shipinent of wool was despatched by the "South Esk" to the order of Mr. Clharles Kauf', of Caiteritoul. "In those days carriage of produce from ,the northern parts was wholly by bul lock teams;, and it' wains no unusual spectacle to see Julia Street linedi from one end to the other with heav ily laden drays. " Wool was the prin. dipal. product handled, and it was a wearisome task to hand-dump thei bales preparatory to placing them on board. Afterwards, however, an up-to-date plant was installed, whrlh remniains in service to this day. The transport of the wool to the yessels wais carried out by, means of "light ers,'" which ran to and fro between the ships at a-chor some distance out. Mr. Anderson supervised the whole of his shipping busilness, and was often astir as early as 4 in the morning to go out and see that the cargoes were properly stored... Mri. Alex. McDon-. ald was in charge of the boat which coiinveyed` his emnployer 'to the ship's side, and he relates with fervor' his erpqeriences with the late gentleman' -his .punctuality;'energy, n cheerful. t nassaindicoiurtesyat:all times under c the 'most adverse circumstances. 'As the years passed "on, so his business expanded, until it was estimated that he handled as much as 20,000 bales in a 'single season. . Seeing further possibilities in th'' eipanision of trade, he erected an elaborate shed: in the 'grounds *of his pialatial, residence in Bentinek Street, for' the recelition of wheat 'fir shipnine this: valsable commodity being then grown 'in con siderable quantities round about Cash tertoi, Coleraine' Hamilton'.' ad Branxholne. It was a roomy rnd sot atanitial structure, cniable 'of ae commodating large' quantities of the S grain, w-hich was stacked under itis roof pendiig the 'arrival of tlue over- r senas vessels. One, enterprise, fol lowed ariother, and with the wheat c trade caine the resusritation of the' '. gristing: industry commenced in'the ik Henty days.? Mr. Anderion acquired ti the iron' flour mill in the vicinity of tl Magazine Hill, and, in partnership C with' Mr. .Jis. Stewart, conducted a .11 successful business in this line. ' The late gentleman also' uidertook the it treetment of wattle bark, Mr. McKly a doing the grinding at works situated in Percy-Street, on the site now, or- ti cupied by Mr. Sol Segnl. He did all a' his own Importing i-nd. exporting n through Jos. Morrison and Co., Ltd., London, who still act as asents~for'the b firm, Not only were wool and wheat handled by this enterprising exporter, but. fruit' and. all' other products as h nyeibllMr.' Anderson readily realdsing b the great possibilities in the export b trade 'with foreign countries.. Dur- I ing' his 'actlve'business career, he ac quired much valuable property, prni- si 'ripally those premises now occupied tI -by. Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Stuhbs, a" Sutton and dharman. This block is perhaps the most commanding one in 'Psitland to-day-another tribute to Mr. 'Anderson's keen foresight. For bstween. 53 and 54 years he vigor- ti ously Conducted the bustliess ani;, ii at the expiration of that time, when vyers were pressing:upon him; -he.'dis-' 'osed of his interests to. Messrs :Nich olson and A. 'H.' Sutton, the ladtid
Seventually taking the establishment oI ver on his own account. ,Thus for 70 years was the late Mr. Anderson aisoriatcdwith the business, which -so widely did-lit become known-to& day carries the firm name of "Ander. son and Co."1 Diligent and keen to the lsit icegrei.ii liusiress;'bit'chairit. blei and forc'ebeiiing, .fr. Anderson' name in the commercial life of. the town will be handed down to posterity as one of the grand old pioneers of Portland's early, trade. , . Ho loved the old town, not from a mundian6 pjint of viewiv, but for the 'halipy' as: sociitiong gathereld in a' life of \Von derful usefdlness. His Interest wai not centred in self;, but he had a syn. pathetic regard for thore round about ', vwho were not slow to recognise is him one whose friendship' having been won, was enduring. The `late Mr. Anderson was con. *occted with several cooperative ven. tures in the district. He was a dir. or of the freezing works when that company ws floated, and held a simi. lain position in connection 'with the Original Bridgewater butter factory Though never entering municipal life; he took'nill interdt.in.most public aff fairs, and on more than one occasion held theolfice of president of thi3 Fine Librnry. In church matters he was an ardent worker, and had the distinc tion of being the"last'of the original tirustees of. Scots Church, 9where he was a regular worshipper, nnd occu. pled the same pew for over 70 years. Ills services as a member of the Board df Management were invaluable, and he gave freely to' the needs of the clhurch; ' He was the oldest client of the Union Bank, opening an ac. count there in the early '70's, and for 40 years held the position 'of return ing oflicer for Gleielg, only relin. qluishing the duties at last election. A widow' and a large family of three girls and five boys, remain to mourn the loss of a' devoted father; They are:-Maud (Mrs. Norman Mac. Leod, Kellerberrin, W.A.),Eflle (Mrs; RI. T. Silvester) and Ray (both 'of Portland) ; Clifton,' Edwin (W.A.) Arthur (Melboiurne), Keith (Port land),' and Bruce (W.A.) To ther, is extended the deepest sympathy of A host of friends throughout the whole district. The funeral took place on Ssturda) aftcrnoon, when' 'the remains were. laid. to rest in the South cemetery, th large cortege hearing testimony to the high esteem in which the late gentleman was held. The service at the graveside *vas conducted ly the Rev. W. Tait (Presbyterian), and Mr. W. A. Jarrett carried out the mortu.' cry arrangements. Messrs. F. Burt, 0. Cruse, J. C.' Robb, A. McDonald, and P. Symington, old employees of the late gentleman, acted as pall-bear. ora.