Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954), Saturday 7 September 1912, page 3


MR. W. P. AULD'S DEATH.

EXPERIENCES WITH STUART'S

EXPEDITION.

Tho death at Knightsbridge on Monday morning of Mr. William Patrick Auld has removed another of the few

surviving members of J. McDouall

Stuarts' intrepid band of explorers, and only four now remain - Messrs. S. King. H. Nash, and J. McGorrery, who re-side in South Australiu, and Mr. J. Billiatt, who has lived in England for many years. Mr. Auld had been in failing.health for somo time (says tho "Register") alhough he managed to be present at tho McDouall Stuart jubilee banquet, five weeks ago. Last week his Excellency the Governor on behalf of

tho State Government, handed to Mr. W. G. Auld for his father a gold watch and chain, in recognition of his ser-vices as a member of the expedition, Mr. Auld on account of his illness, was

unable to attend the ceremony, but lived to learn of the honor conferred upon bim.

Early Days.

He was born at Staleybridge near Manchester, England, in May, 1840, and was a son of the late Mr. Pat- rick Auld, who came to South Aus-tralia, two years later. The father be- gan business in Hindley-street as a wine and spirit merchant, and purchased two original sections of land from the Government at £1 per acre. On the

corner section he had a residence built, and a start was made with 'the planting of the famous Auldana vine-yards. Mr. Patrick Auld disposed of his business in 1849, and returned to England, where the son was sent to King's College. In 1853 he returned to South Australia and Mr. W. P. Auld completed his education at Mr. J. L.

Young's Academy.

Work in the Territory.

Having left school he entered the Surveyor-General's Office as a cadet

under the late Mr. G. W. Goyder, C.M.G., where he remained for two years and with the experience of sur-vey work thus gained was able to join tho McDouall Stuart expedition, which succeeded in traversing the Australian continent in 1862. Mr. Auld possessed a number of interesting relics of the party. He was also a member of tho Hon. B. T. Finniss expedition, which

was sent out to colonise the Northern Territory. A site for the northern cap-

ital was selected at the mouth of the Adelaide River, but it was subsequently

altered to Port Darwin.

Other Pursuits. In 1866 Mr. Auld turned his atten- tion to other pursuits and joined his father, in business-an office for the purchase and disposal of South Austra-lian wines having been opened by Mr'. Patrick Auld in Gilbert Place in 1858, Tho father pioneered the salo of South Australian wines upon the English market, and during his absence from 'tho State Mr. W. ,P. Auld managed affairs.' After tho early struggle to secure 'a good wine, tho proprietors had every, reason, to bo satisfied with thoir produc-tions. They obtained a ready market for it. and won prizes in quarters where a. high standard was required, such'aa.

Puris, Vienna, and Bordeaux,' in adair' tion to numerous awards gained in Auai

tralia. '?. ? li

Outsilo Interests. j Some years ago Mr. Auld relinquish-ed : the vineyard, and with his sons, Messrs. W. G. and E. P. Auld, continu-ed tho business in Gilbert Pince, uridcr the style of W. P. Auld and Sons, Lim-; ited. In 1808 the. deceased was elected president of the South Australian Vign-erons' Association. For many years he had been on the committee of Ahe ..Royal >,-Agricultural, and,', Horticultural'

1Society. Ho'"-frequently acted - us à.

judge-'- at local wino shows, and tra* selected 'by tho Government to go 'to Me&ourne1 as judge of wino for South

Auiwulio at the Interstate Exhibition, xor soin» years ho wa3 a member of the, Australian Xntives' Association. The deceased once took a prominent part , in- aiaatour theaatricaU for char-itable purposes. He had been associat-ed with tho Adelaide Hunt Club from lttf inception, and 'was, as a younger man. o splendid and fearless horseman. ?Ho. had .often ridden in company with <Adam Lindsay Gordon, the famous poet. "Mr. Auld, who was a man of vaned interests, was au activo member of the Cjtinoil ,of tho lloyal Geograph-ical Ssciety, and was prominent in all movements for the erection of statues to our-explorers. Mr. AuJd was mar-ried in 1808 to Elisa Hartland, daugh-ter'of the , lato Mr. William Straw-bridge,-sister of the late Surveyor-Gen-eral. ?. Ho'1eft>a family of two sons and l a daughter. .' '