William Alexander Sutherland

• Death Notes
  • Buried at West Terrace Cemetary
    r4,11,w,,9
    
    buried
    30/11/1928

• General Notes
  • Birth: 23 Oct 1845 in Inverness Scotland
    Death: 28 Nov 1928 in Grove St.Everard Pk. Sa
    
    Birth date from 1951 SA publication - supported by census.Timber merchant.
    From a 'Brief History of Sutherlands S.A. 1951' - an extract by Mrs.
    J.Ladd, daughter of William Sutherland.
    
    'The late William Alexander Sutherland was born in Inverness, Scotland on
    October 23 1845. Some of his early boyhood was spent in the Braham
    (Maryburgh) district. In later life he often recounted experiences
    around Braham Castle and made reference to worthies, in the district, now
    long gone. When his parents died, he with a younger brother, migrated to
    Tasmania in 1860 in the ship City of Tasmania under command of Capt.
    Tulloch, and lived with an uncle named Bethune. After spending a few
    years in Tasmania he came to South Australia with another uncle, Mr.
    W.A.Bethune at Chain of Ponds. Mr. Bethune was interested in timber
    cutting and a partnership was arranged. In February 1870, William
    Sutherland married Charlotte E.Caust at the Bible Christian Chapel at Mt.
    Torrens. There were 10 sons and 4 daughters. Two sons attended Whinham
    College in 1884. He began supplying Red Gum timber to Adelaide merchants
    on his own account, mostly sleepers, posts, and firewood. He supplied
    timber for the first bridge across the Torrens, sleepers for new railways
    in India after the Mutiny (visiting India to inspect the work) and
    sleepers for part of the Adelaide Port Pirie line. In 1879 he introduced
    mallee firewood, putting in a siding on the Morgan line which now bears
    the name Sutherlands. He remained there until he moved to Inman Valley
    near Victor Harbour about 1885 to cut mining timber for Wallaroo and
    Broken Hill. He next moved to W.A. to cut Jarrah & the settlements of
    Sutherland and Scotia there are named for him. In memory of his father
    who had served in the Sutherland Highlanders he helped destitute veterans
    from the Indian Mutiny campaigns and for that he received a cmmendation
    from Edward VII. He was interested in the Caledonian Society and was
    once it's president. He retired in 1914 leaving his home Rose Park
    settling at Everard Park where he died in 1928 two months after his
    wife.'
    
    There is no mention here of his sister Isabella who came with him & his
    brother Alexander to Tasmania. AS for his parents, they were no longer
    registered in the 1861 census so it seems the family tale that William
    and his siblings were indeed 'orphans'. Verna Sutherland, her husband
    Eric Howroyd, & their son Brian lived near William about 1928, visiting
    him often. Photos on file of the combined group.
    
    
    

Details of William's family with Charlotte Elizabeth Caust