Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 13 December 1925, page 12


FIELD-MARSHAL VON

LUDENDORFF

Who recently made a sensational attack upon his comrade-in-arms during the war, Field Marshall

von Hindenburg, now Presiden

of Germany, for the latter's

upport of the Locarno Pact.

AN EARLY W.A.

EXPLORER

ONE OF THE "BULLDOG" BREED

By C.B.

Amongst , the earliest of the explor-ers of this great State was Lieutenant afterwards Captain William Preston, R.N., .an officer of the H.M. S. Success, on its initial voyage to Swan River,

when its commander, Captain James

Stirling, was in command, and after

wards as first lieutenant of H.M.S.

Sulphur, when that ship did guard

duty to the newly founded colony.

To Lieutenant Preston the State owes a great debt, for the effect of his

early explorations led to the discovery

of the Collie and Preston Rivers, Lakes

Preston and Clifton, and it is not too much to say that to these endeavors we owe in no slight degree; the early

settlement at Bunbury and Busselton.

This "intrepid "young explorer was also responsible, for the first attempt to pierce the veil thrown by the forbid -ding shadows of the Darling Ranges. Later on Lieutenant Preston was re sponsible for the conduct of a boat ex pedition which was suggested should by easy surveys of the coast, explore the coastline from Albany to Fremantle. Adverse conditions, however, super

vened, and the explorers made prac tically what was the first land jour-

ney from the settlement on King George's Sound to Fremantle

Soon after the attempt the explorer was appointed on promotion to H.M.S. Electra, on the South American sta-tion.

The subject of our sketch came from a very old family-renowned in naval annals, being the son of Admiral of the White, D'Arcy Preston, whose na-val exploits as the commander of many storming parties in the West Indies gained him much honor , and not little prpfit. The Admiral on his retirement from active service became Deputy Lieutenant of the North and West Ridings of Yorkshire.

Lieutenant William Preston entered the navy as a first-class volunteer, during January 1811, and was appoint ed to the" Venus" frigate, and served for a number of years on the West In dian and North American stations. On January 24, 1826, he was appointed to the Success carrying 28 guns, under the command of Sir James Stirling, who was to become famous as the practical founder, and first governor of this great State. After his retirement from the position at governor of the Swan River Settlement; he was, on the prospect of war with France, appoint-ed to te command of the battleship Indus, carrying 78 gun, eventually at-taining command of the Howe, carry ing 120 guns.

Though Sir James Stirling is better known in this State by his actions during the period he was governor of the State, he eventually rose to high naval command, upcoming a Junior Lord of the Admiralty for a short time in 1832, and the Commander-in-Chief of the China Squadron during the Russian war.

From the Success Lieutenant Pres-ton was transferred, as first lieuten-ant of the Sulphur and on attaining the rank of Commander in 1833 was transferred to the South American sta-tion to the Electra.

On this station promotion was fair-ly rapid for Lieutenant Preston became second captain of the Stag, carrying 46 guns, in 1839.

Between the governor of the Swan River Settlement.and Lieutenant Pres-ton there was a bond of marriage, for both naval officers had married daugh-ters of James Mangle, Esquire, M.P. for Woodbridge, after which place the Woodbridge in Western Australia, near Guildford, and the estate of Captain James Stirling took its name.