William Backshall

Story

William Backshall, son of James and Mary Backshall, was christened on 25.2.1787 at East Grinstead, Sussex, England. He married Lydia Post on 7.10.1820 and they had a family of nine. Shortly after the birth of their last child, Fanny, in 1841, they applied for a passage to Western Australia as agricultural settlers but were too old for the free passage (he 55 and she 45) so paid their own fare of 5 pound ($10) each. It must have been a big decision to embark on such an unknown journey, especially as William was 55 years of age with 9 children and the responsibility of six aged from 15 to 1 year. The Backshall family sailed on the ‘Simon Taylor’ and arrived in Perth on 20.8.1842.

William and Lydia took up land in the swampy northern part of the Perth townsite, now West Perth and began as market gardeners. They were renowned for the high quality of their produce and for their enterprise in introducing new varieties of fruit and vegetables.

Three years after arrival Lydia died of cancer on 10.3.1845. William passed away on 28.2.1863.

William and Lydia called their home ‘Sutherland House’. In the early 1900’s the house was occupied by three of William’s unmarried grand-daughters and as they aged the house became neglected and they eventually sold and moved to a new smaller home in North Perth. The land they gifted to the Perth City Council to be kept as a park in perpetuity. In 1917 the Council named the area Hamilton Park after Sir Ian Hamilton. Despite protests it remained Hamilton Park. At present only a very small area of the park remains, about an acre or so, the rest has been taken up by the Hamilton Interchange.

At the 150th Anniversary of Western Australia in 1979, William and Lydia Backshall were recognised as early market gardeners, when a plaque bearing their name, was one of 150 set in the footpath of St. Georges Terrace, Perth, to commemorate their contribution in establishing the colony of Western Australia.

Children of William and Lydia Backshall:-

Rueben settled at Greenough and died in a flash flood in 1860.

Frederick remained on the family property and it was his maiden daughters who donated the land to the Council for a park.

George was burned to death near Geraldton in 1871.

Eliza married Samuel Duffield and lived on Rottnest Island where Samuel was the lighthouse keeper for 27 years. Eliza was dismayed at the hardship of establishing a vegetable garden on the Island. She eventually created one using the limestone rocks to build walls to keep out the stock and quokas.

Harriet married Thomas Stanton and Caroline married Joseph Farminer and she brought up her sister Fanny who was only three when her mother died.

In the early 1850’s Edward and John set out for the Victorian goldfields. They got as far as Adelaide and found they were mining in the Mt. Lofty Ranges so decided to stay. Edward remained in South Australia and in 1856 he married Mary Heffernan who had arrived in 1855 from Tipperary, Ireland.

They purchased land near Normanville and practised mixed farming. Eleven children were born to them. Edward passed away on 26.5.1881 aged 50 years. Mary remarried to James Squires and following the marriage he went to live with her and helped raise the younger Backshall children. When James married he could neither read nor write but acquired knowledge of both subjects from the Backshall children while doing their homework.

Mary died on 1.1.1908.

Of Edward and Mary Backshall’s children, only one son, George, remained in the district and in 1883 he married Bridget Kelly. They lived at Yankalilla on a property called ‘Wattle Dale’. Wattle bark was a major source of income and George used to strip the bark from the trees and tie it in bundles to sell at the bark mill. The bark was high in tannin and used for tanning hides. He was also active as a blacksmith and had a workshop on the property where he made wheels and parts for carts and drays and shoes for horses.

George and Bridget had 3 sons, William Edward, John Francis and Albert who died aged 8 months.

Bridget died in 1914 and George in 1944.

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