Walter Skelton (February 1864 – May 1929) was an accountant, businessman, draper, Magistrate, breeder of fine poultry, and Chief President of the Australian Natives' Association (ANA).
Walter Skelton | |
|---|---|
 Walter_Skelton (ANA Chief President) | |
| Born | 1864 Scarsdale |
| Died | 11 May 1929 (aged 65) Bendigo Cemetery, Victoria |
| Burial place | Bendigo Victoria |
| Occupation(s) | Draper and Tailor |
| Partner | Marie Riedle |
| Children | August Vaughan 1886
Alice Victoria 1888 Arthur Philip 1889 Xavier 1891 Henrietta Cecily 1896 |
| Parent(s) | John Cahill and Mary Deehan |
Early years
editWalter Skelton was born in Scarsdale, Victoria, on 5 February 1864, the son of Walter Skelton and Maria Moyle.[1] His parents were sufficiently prosperous to educate him at Wesley College[2] in Melbourne. In 1883 his father, also a draper, died in Dunolly.[3] In 1885 he tendered for a new house to be built.[4] On 11 March 1887 at Collingwood he married Grace Elizabeth Threlkeld[1] in her parents' house.[5] Their son, Walter, was born in 1888 and passed away within 5 month.[1] Then in 1890 they had a daughter, Ida Frances, who lived a full life.[1]
Business
edit
Skelton was an accountant and also a businessman; in 1900 the Weekly Times reported that ‘At Dunolly he carries on business as a merchant, and is a leading public man’.[2][6] He ran one of the drapery businesses in Dunolly until 1910 when he offered it for sale by tender.[7]
He was a breeder of fine poultry ‘who delights in the feather hobby’ – Indian Game, Black Orpingtons and Langshams.[8] Over the first decade of the 20th century Skelton entered many poultry competitions and either won his class or was well placed nearly every year from 1902 to 1910.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] While he delighted in the hobby, it was also a business as he sold poultry and fertilised eggs.[16] The eggs had a warranty on their fertility or immediate replacement.[16]
Skelton invented and applied for a patented on an improved combination water tank and cool chamber in 1896.[17] In 1900 his solicitor wrote to the Herald newspaper in Melbourne requesting publication of the letter to clarify to the public his patent another claimed inventor.[18] The letter advises that Skeltons invention had previously been published in "The Scientific Australian".[18]
Community
editSkelton was appointed a lieutenant in the Victorian Rangers, the Colony of Victoria's volunteer infantry in November 1889.[19]
He was a member of the Dunolly Borough Council, being first elected unopposed in an extraordinary election in 1894.[20] While 1900 was the third year in succession he was elected Mayor of the borough of Dunolly.[2]
Skelton was a Justice of the Peace (JP).[21][22] On 16 October 1901 he was appointed a magistrate, ‘to keep the peace in the Midland Bailiwick of Victoria’.[23]
Australian Natives' Association
editSkelton was a founding member and the first Vice President of the Dunolly ANA Branch No. 33 in June 1885.[24] Dunolly was one of the flourishing gold fields towns where there was a rich source of members needing the support of a Friendly Society such as the ANA.[24] The branch grew steadily while the gold held out.[24] Skelton attended his first annual ANA conference in 1886 and was a regular attendee thereafter.[25] At the 1900 conference he was elected Chief President after a strong challenge from James Liddell Purves a previous Chief President and a capable and charismatic speaker.[26][27]
Skelton was the board of directors’ candidate for the presidency at the 1900 ANA annual conference in Geelong.[26] He was opposed by Purves, who had the backing of a number of metropolitan branches.[26] Skelton was ‘not one of the orators of the association’, rather a hard worker on its behalf.[26] He defeated Purves soundly, probably because it was widely believed that Purves was intending to use the ANA to enter federal politics.[26] Skelton's presidency was not marked by controversy or rancorous debate.
His election as Chief President also meant he was to host the 1900 Intercolonial Conference of ANA.[25] He also saw the culmination of almost 20 years of work by the ANA to bring about the federation of the six Australian Colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia.[25] Skelton was the head of a maturing organisation that now had an average membership age of nearly 30 years.[28] This is 10 years older than it was in the 1880s, it was also something that would keep growing.[28]
Skelton was also involved in the opening of the Carngham ANA Branch No. 198 opened in 1900.[29]
In appreciation of his services Skelton was presented with a gold medal studded with six diamonds stars.[25]
In his address to the 1901 ANA Conference Skelton made the following points:
- Referring to the death of Queen Victoria he said few received affection from world as she had;[30]
- Referring to the planned interstate conference of ANA boards of directors he urged:
- Commended the principles of the old age pension;[30]
- Recognised the achievement of federation of the Australian Colonies;[30]
- Challenged members to study the great national questions;[30]
- observed that the ANA had been called a nursery for politicians while the ANA is apolitical and non religious and that politicians in its ranks represented all shades of opinion.[30]
Later years
editSkelton died in Essendon on 11 May 1929.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e From Births Deaths and Marriages via Ancestry.Com
- ^ a b c "The Herald (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 17 March 1900. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "The Ballarat Star". TROVE NLA. 2 March 1883. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Skelton, Walter (9 September 1885). "Bendigo Advertiser". TROVE NLA. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "The Argus". TROVE NLA. 30 April 1887. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Weekly Times 24 March 1900, p.15
- ^ "The Argus Melbourne". TROVE NLA. 11 July 1910. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Leader 9 June 1900, p.11; 1 September 1900, p.11
- ^ "Weekly Times (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 26 July 1902. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Weekly Times". TROVE NLA. 30 July 1904. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Weekly Times (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 13 May 1905. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Weekly Times (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 7 July 1906. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Weekly Times (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 6 July 1907. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Weekly Times (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 24 April 1909. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Weekly Times (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 23 July 1910. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Weekly Times (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 7 July 1900. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Skelton, W. (18 February 1896). "The Herald (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b Nolan, H. J. (9 September 1901). "The Herald (Melbourne Vic)". Trove NLA. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "The Argus". TROVE NLA. 2 November 1889. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "The Age (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 29 January 1894. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "The Ballarat Star". TROVE NLA. 2 November 1898. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ "The Argus (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 10 April 1901. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ "Victorian Government Gazette". State Library of Victoria. 16 October 1901. Retrieved 19 May 2001.
- ^ a b c Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 46.
- ^ a b c d Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 353.
- ^ a b c d e "The Australasian (Melbourne Victoria)". TROVE NLA. 17 March 1900. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Geelong Advertiser". TROVE NLA. 10 March 1900. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of The Australian Natives Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University - Thesis. p. 414.
- ^ Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne. p. 76.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b c d e f g "The Bendigo Independent". TROVE NLA. 13 March 1901. Retrieved 19 May 2021.