Walter Elphinstone Muspratt
| First name | Walter Elphinstone |
|---|---|
| Last name | Muspratt |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 10/3/1868 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1891 |
| Submitted by | Carol Bell |
Story
Walter Elphinstone Muspratt was born Nasserbad, Bengal, 3 Oct 1868. His father, Henry was a judge in the Bengal Civil Service. His mother, Rosalie Caroline Sutherland had connections through nobility to the Plantagenet Kings of England. Walter was educated at Trent College, Nottingham, eventually studying Civil Engineering after dabbling with Accounting. He came to South Australia in 1891 aboard the “Oroya” to take up an appointment with the Chaffey Brothers who introduced crop irrigation to the Mildura/Renmark area. “Mussy” took up his own fruit block and after a shaky start became recognised as one of the best and innovative fruit growers in the area. He was appointed by the Government in 1917 as Area Irrigation Instructor – a post he held for 10 years. His duties included preparation and valuation of blocks for soldier settlement after the war and advice to soldier settlers on the management of those blocks. A quote from A Personal Tribute by “Nemo” in a newspaper after his death – ‘His sincere outlook and abhorrence of red tape sometimes brought adverse reactions in official circles. On one occasion while venting an injustice done to returned men he was rebuked for using an adjective not used in polite society and was asked to withdraw the remark. “I won’t withdraw it and I could say a damned sight more” was the reply. He also established and managed the Government nurseries at Barmera near Renmark. He was a valued member of the community, being on the executive committees of several clubs including Tennis, Rifle and Racing clubs. He was a strong swimmer and was often seen swimming upstream in the Murray even in flood times.
He married Mary Sophia Manson in 1897 and they produced 15 children. Mary was the daughter of Jane Meissner, the Lessee/Manager of the Renmark Hotel from 1893 to 1905. Jane’s parents were Alexander and Jane Calder who arrived in South Australia on the ship “Osceola” out of Plymouth, England on December 25, 1850.
Walter purchased a property, “Littlemere”, in the Boyne Valley near Gladstone in Queensland in 1920 and used his knowledge of irrigation and “cheap available work force – 10 sons” to introduce crops to the area that were not normally grown there. The property is now owned 87 years later by his grandson. He again became heavily involved in the community’s affairs. He died there in 1944 aged 76, a man well respected in two states for his knowledge of agriculture, his fair dealings with others and his enthusiastic approach to improving the community as a whole.