"Billy" William Frederick Hammett JAQUES
Born 1878 in New Zealand [82]
Son of "Charles" Adam Charles Rechab JAQUES and Mary Elizabeth FISHER [82] [403]
His parents had married in London, England in 1870 and with his elder two brothers immigrated to New Zealand in 1874 [403] [465]
He was one of six children with siblings Charles, James, William (who died before he was born), Mary, Alfred and Edith [82] [465]
He commenced employment with the Midland Railway Company in Western Australia at the age of 18 in 1895 [120: 19-Dec-1929]
Married Lucille Helen BUCKLE in Dongara in 1898 [15]
Railway Fettler in Arrino in 1898 and 1899 [6]
Resided on North Street in the outer Perth suburb of Midland Junction in 1903; and on Sayer Street in Midland Junction in 1904 [6]
Railway Guard in Walkaway 1905-1907 [6]
In October 1907 succeeded Arthur H. BEER as Stationmaster of the railway station in Carnamah [9: 25-Oct-1907]
Railway Stationmaster in Carnamah 1907-1913 [6] [9: 25-Oct-1907, 16-May-1913]
Resided with his wife and children at the Carnamah Railway Station [7: page 85] [19]
He was appointed to accept postal votes for Carnamah for the Western Australian state election in 1908 [9: 28-Aug-1908]
Attended the Grand Concert & Dance at the schoolroom in Three Springs on Saint Patrick's Night 17 March 1909 [9: 2-Apr-1909]
In 1912 he was described as "an obliging, popular and energetic official" [31: 1-May-1912]
Donated ten shillings to the Moora District Hospital Fund through Donald MACPHERSON of Carnamah in 1909 [9: 9-Apr-1909]
Chaired the farewell to store manager Charles MATTHEWS at the goods shed in Carnamah on 3 February 1912 [129: 9-Feb-1912]
Farmer of 500 acres in Carnamah in partnership with his brother Charles H. JAQUES as "Jaques Bros" 1909-1913 [6] [44]
They appear to have initially leased the 500 acres from Robert S. PARSONS but later owned the property [44]
The 500 acres was Conditional Purchase lease 1673/56, which later became Victoria Location 3328 [44]
On 18 September 1911 he wrote to Samuel J. F. MOORE, M.L.A., requesting a school be established in Carnamah [7: page 85]
Although his request was initially denied it did lead to Carnamah's first school, which was opened on 15 July 1912 [7: pages 85-6]
The people of Carnamah and district gathered at the railway station in honour of him and his wife on Wednesday 7 May 1913 [9]
Through "his hard working, most obliging and kindly demeanour [he] had one the respect and goodwill of the whole district" [9]
The evening included speeches, a violin solo, recitations, songs, supper and concluded with the singing of Auld Lang Syne [9]
He was presented with a dressing case and his wife a toilette case from the people of the district [9: 16-May-1913]
Along with his wife and children he left Carnamah during May 1913 to take up the duties of Stationmaster in Three Springs [9]
Railway Stationmaster in Three Springs in 1913 and 1914 [9: 16-May-1913] [10: 3-Nov-1914] [44]
It was reported that when he was transferred from Carnamah, that he arrived in Three Springs "with an excellent reputation" [9]
He and his brother sold their 500 acre farm in Carnamah to Silas J. ROWLAND of Dongara in May 1914 [86: 2 & 23-May-1914]
By November 1914 he'd been transferred to Mingenew, where he was Stationmaster and their Town Band Captain [10: 3-Nov-1914]
Railway Stationmaster in Mingenew 1914-1921 [6] [9] [10] [19] [44]
Conductor of the Mingenew Town Band at its performance at the sports meeting in Dongara on 1 January 1915 [10: 8-Jan-1915]
Member of the Agricultural Hall Committee, who had the Agricultural Hall built in Mingenew in 1918 [10: 5-Apr-1918]
Led the Mingenew Town Band at the opening of the Agricultural Hall in Mingenew on Wednesday 3 April 1918 [10: 5-Apr-1918]
His father in England had A.I.F. Sapper Louis H. ARMSTRONG previously of Mingenew as a guest in 1919 [9: 4-Apr-1919]
Among those who travelled to Yandanooka on 23 March 1919 to help build a house for solider settler Roy S. SPARK [9: 4-Apr-1919]
Donated 2/- to the appeal for William B. HAMMOND and family of Wannamal who lost their house in a fire in 1919 [9: 23-May-1919]
Conducted the Mingenew Town Band when they played at the Picnic Railway Day in Arrino on 29 November 1919 [9: 5-Dec-1919]
He was transferred to Moora in April 1921 to fill the position of Stationmaster of the Moora Railway Station [9: 29-Apr-1921]
Silas J. ROWLAND, who he and his brother had sold their Carnamah farm to [44], was Killed in Action in 1916 [30: item 8072254]
The farm appears to have passed back into their hands as he was sent rates for it for the 1916-17 financial year [44]
During the 1918-19 financial year sold his 500 acre Victoria Location 3328 in Carnamah to GREEN Bros of Carnamah [44]
Railway Stationmaster in Moora 1921-1935 [6] [9: 29-Apr-1921, 21-Sep-1928] [120: 25-Apr-1935]
In late October 1922 it was reported that he was slowly recovering from an attack of rheumatic fever [10: 27-Oct-1922]
Donated 5/- to the Fund in aid of recently widowed Mrs HOLMES and her five children of Barberton in May 1923 [10: 25-May-1923]
During May 1924 he donated 10/- for the Midlands District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial in Moora [10: 12-Jun-1924]
Along with his wife and family he spent a portion of his six weeks leave in 1924 holidaying in Bunbury [9: 26-Sep-1924]
He and his son Roy he spent a holiday in July 1925 travelling to Darwin by sea, including stops at intermediate ports [9: 17-Jul-1925]
Member of the Moora Town Band - was Bandmaster in 1929 and 1930 [12: 2-Oct-1930] [120: 19-Dec-1929]
Attended the wedding of William HARVEY and Mary AHSLEY at the Anglican Church in Moora on 22 October 1932 [5: 28-Oct-1932]
Member of the Moora Saint John Ambulance Association - was Chairman in 1935 [120: 25-Apr-1935]
His cousin Annie M. JAQUES departed London on the steamship Orvieto and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia in June 1926 [63]
He met his cousin for the first time ever at the wharf in Fremantle, and she stayed with he and his family in Moora [9: 11-Jun-1926]
Walked his cousin Annie down the aisle when she married Henry F. BASFORD in Moora on 4 August 1926 [9: 13-Aug-1926]
Resided of late in the Perth suburb of Inglewood [2]
Father of Lily, Roy, "Babe" Lucille and "Topsy" Edith [39: 17-Sep-1946]
Died 11 January 1951; buried at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, Western Australia (Wesleyan, IA, 328) [2]
From The Western Mail newspaper, Thursday 19 December 1929:
Country Towns and Districts - Moora and Gingin - Historic Midland Districts - Prominent Personalities
"Joining the Midland Railway Company 34 years ago as a lad of 18, Mr W. H. Jaques, the stationmaster at Moora, has performed the creditable feat of rising from a permanent way gang to the control of the senior station on the line. Mr Jaques has been a stationmaster for 20 years, and has been in charge at Carnamah, Three Springs and Mingenew, and has also been goods agent at Midland Junction. He has been at Moora for nine years, and his son, Mr R. Jaques, is the assistant stationmaster, station administration that would surely be difficult to parallel anywhere. In Mr Jaques' early days, guards did the trip from Midland Junction to Walkaway, a trip of 277 miles, without a relief. Now they run from Midland Junction to Watheroo just half the distance. Father Time indeed, has not been unmindful of railway guards. When in Mingenew Mr Jaques successfully formed a brass band and recently he imparted new life the Moora band, of which he is the bandmaster. There are 19 players under his baton, and open-air recitals are given every second Sunday night after the church services."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'William Frederick Hammett Jaques' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 17 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/william-frederick-hammett-jaques [reference list] |
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