Trove Tuesday: Death of an Old Colonist

Following on from yesterday’s post that I wrote about William Beavis Randell who founded Gumeracha, is his obituary that I found in the South Australian Register on Trove.

I actually found this article last week, but felt that I needed to introduce him before his giving details of his death, so I decided to make this a Trove Tuesday post.

And because I know the newspaper text isn’t the most readable, even blown up in the pic above, here it is transcribed …

DEATH OF AN OLD COLONIST. — Mr. W. B. Randell, of Gumeracha, who had been ill for some days, died on the evening of December 28 at his residence, Kenton Park. Gumeracha. Mr. Randell, who was born near Exeter, in Devonshire, was a very old colonist, having come out to South Australia by the Hartley, which arrived in October, 1837. Prior to leaving England he carried on a milling business, and came out to the colony under engagement to the South Australian Company. He was engaged in looking after the sheep, cattle, and land of the Company, and during the latter portion of his service was employed in discovering and selecting land for the Company. The Company’s Mill on the Torrens was built under bis directions. The land on which Gumeracha stands was formerly bis, and had been selected by him when in the Company’s service. Mr. Randell sold portions of it to form the township. He built two mills — one at Gumeracha and the other at Blumberg — the latter of which is now owned by one of his sons. His life latterly has been spent in improving his estate at Gumeracha, which is an exceedingly beautiful and valuable property. He built a chapel at Gumeracha, and in many other ways proved himself a good and useful member of society. He leaves about 50 grandchildren. Mr. Randell was about ten years in the Company’s service, and has been nearly 30 at Gumeracha. At the time of his death he was 78 years of age.