Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 - 1918), Tuesday 14 July 1914, page 6


JBIT1/ABY.

JOHN SYMONS.

Another of the district pioneers in the person of Mr. John Symons, Passed away at the Hamilton hospital on Friday, in which institution he had been a patient for a month, at the age of 86 years. The late Mr. Symons, who was a native of Cornwall, England, arrived at Portland in 1854, and shortly afterwards came to Kanawalla, in the Hamilton district. After remaining there for some time he removed to Balmoral, and subsequently to Wannon. He acquired a considerable area of good land, and between this and contracting, first ly under the old roads boards, and later under the shire councils, attained a comparative position of affluence. He was a ship's carpenter by trade, and this enabled him to take a prominent part in the construction of many important bridges, notably the bridge over the Wannon at redruth. In those days the sawn timber required was obtained by pit sawing, and the late Mr. Symons did a good deal of that work. His wife predeceased him about 16 years ago, and of a family of eleven children seven re

main—three daughters and four sens. The former are Mrs. Donnelly, of Warrnambool, Mrs. W. Butler, of Glenisla, and Miss Symons, of Adelaide. Three sons reside at

1 Glenisla, and the fourth, who is

well known to Hamilton people, is Mr. T. Symons, of North Hamilton.