William Pattison

Story

William Pattison migrated with his first Scottish wife Hannah (Peacock) and two daughters, Elizabeth and Anita. He was born in Newcastle in 1823 of a family with a strong Scottish culture. As his father John was an enginewright and went overseas to work, William spent a number of years as a child in Peru.

A brother and sister born there had Spanish names, Anita and Antonio. This became part of the family tradition. He followed in his father\’s occupation and became an engineer involved in the new railway industry. He married Hannah, the girl living down the street with her invalid mother. William and his family moved from Newcastle-on-Tyne to London. Perhaps the spirit of adventure from the family\’s sojourn to South America or the fact that mariners were also part of the family encouraged him to new adventures and/or the challenge to build railways in Australia helped make the decision to migrate to Melbourne. William had employment from the Hobson Bay Railway Company to work on their project of building a railway line, involving a railway pier at Sandridge (Port Melbourne) to what is now Flinders Street railway station. He was an engineer/ railway engine driver. They left Liverpool on 27/04/1853 as unassisted passengers on the Miles Barton. The ship was overcrowded and had to offload some passengers. After an uneventful journey, except for a minor collision in the English channel, the Miles Barton arrived at Melbourne on 24/07/1853. Elizabeth died of “inflammation of the chest” four months later aged one year. It is a charateristic of the challenges of Melbourne’s pioneer years that there was no doctor available to even sign her death certificate.

William has a unique place in Australian railway history; not only did he work on the construction but he drove the train on the inaugural Melbourne-Sandridge line, 12/09/1854. In 2004, his historical significance was recognised in the 150 years celebration of the railways by the Victorian Government. This was the very first steam train service in Australia and was a sign of the tremendous growth and importance of railways to Australia. The building of Station pier had an enormous economic impact on Melbourne. He loved the railways. Many years later family tradition recalls that he drove the Royal train with Prince Albert from Station Pier in 1867. Widowed in 1865, William married another Scot, Harriet McKay (Henrietta MacKay) from Inverness, in 1867. William was forced to retire from the railways due to a work related injury. He opened a newsagency and bookshop business. ‘William Pattison and Son’ in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. In 1882, at the age of 60, William went back to the railways, leaving the management of the business to his son, Antonio. The business prospered, and was then sold. Tragically the depression of 1891/92 wiped out the family fortune. He retired again from the railways due to another injury. He died of heart illness in his armchair enjoying the company of his grandchildren, in 1895.

Seven children were born in Melbourne. Four of his children predeceased him. He is buried in St. Kilda Cemetery, Melbourne, near Hannah his first wife, and two English-born children, Anita Maria and Elizabeth Rosa.

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