Old Prospectors of South Australia - people connected to Prospect, South Australia
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Family Name

Name

Ward, George Watford

Date of Birth

March 3rd 1853

Place of Birth

Walpole, England

Date of Death

18 August 1933

Place of Death

Prospect SA

Place of Burial

North Park Cemetery (headstone-buried with wife July Ann died 6 August 1931)

Arrived in South Australia (date/ship etc.)

October 1887/SS Hiberia (wife and children followed in SS Ormus, June 1888. Arrived in Adelaide July 17th, went to Pt Pirie)

Lived in Prospect (dates)

From 1893 (possible lived at Islington SA);

Addresses in Prospect

89 Prospect Road, Prospect; then 39 or 43 Myrtle Street, Prospect.

Names of houses (if any)

Leeds Villa, 89 Prospect Road, Prospect

Parents

Robert Ward (born 22nd October 1815 in Walpole St Peters Norfolk England ) and Isabella Watford (born 5th August 1815 in Kingscripton Huntington, England).

Spouse(s)

July Ann

Date(s) of Marriage(s)

May 1874

Place(s) of Marriage(s)

Leeds, England

Children

12 children (6 boys & 6 girls)

Occupation(s)

Farm servant (age 11 yrs); left farm life (16 yrs old in 1869); engine man Midland Railway 1869;

Hon. T Playford, then Premier SA, offered him work with railways- transferred to Pt Pirie driving in May 1888; train-driver transferred from Pirie to Islington in 1893 driving on the North Line Passenger trains.

Retired from SA Railways in June 1923.

Interests

Started the Associated Loco Engineers & Firemen’s Society at Leeds;  1886, elected Chairman of the Leeds branch of the railways E & F society and held that position up to the time of the Big Strike 1887.

 

Active in SA Enginemen’s & Firemen’s and Cleaners & elected President for  4 yrs; oversaw the State Association federated & elected their first President. Established Railway Hospital Fund; & an Appeal Board for Railway Men.

Religion/Churches

Formed a Sunday School in own home & built Baptist church circa 1893 Port Pirie SA; from 1893, joined the North Adelaide Baptist Church, Railway Christian Mission & Literary Society. Also held offices in Orange Grand Lodge, & Rechabites Lodge.

Notes (points of interest etc.)

Prospect Councillor for St John Woods Ward 1909/10 - 1911/12.

 

World trip on April 14th 1914 included guest of the London County Council and brought back for the Prospect District Council many valuable reports on the latest methods of road making in England and America.

 

House at 89 Prospect Road, Prospect restructured as site of former police station and courthouse and various restaurants-currently Shankar’s.

 

Sources of information

Family history including original notes by George Watford Ward in June 1923:

http://ronebergcairns.com/2012onwards/sharonhistoryknowles_068.html

 

Principal Researcher

Kristina Barnett - Prospect Local History Group

 

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