William Johnstone
| First name | William |
|---|---|
| Last name | Johnstone |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 1819 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1842 |
| Submitted by | Leonie McNair |
Story
William Johnstone was born in 1819. His wife, Martha Matilda Birnie, was born in 1822 into a family connected with the sea. The couple were married in 1841 and shortly thereafter William sold up his possessions and sailed from Gravesend with his young wife for Tasmania on board the barque “Arab” which was captained by W. Westmorland. William Johnstone was a merchant and he was bound for Australia with sufficient capital to establish a small retail business. The Johnstones prospered in Tasmania. In partnership with Stuart Eardley Wilmot, William founded a retail general merchant’s business in Launceston. This developed into the firm of Johnstone and Wilmot Pty. Ltd. which was still being managed by direct descendant Graeme White when the business was sold in 1970.