AUSTRALIA’S EARLY PIONEERS

The Wilshire Family.

The passing away of James Thompson Wilshire, J.P., F.L.S., whose death occurred recently, at the ripe age or 72 years, recalls to mind the early days of Australia, and of this State in particular, in the progress of which he and his forefathers took a highly honorable and active part. The numerous philanthropic and other bodies which he assisted, both personally and financially, have already been mentioned, but it is not generally known that his views and actions as a member of Parliament were largely influenced by the late Hon. W. E. Gladstone, who, early in Mr. Wilshire’s political and public career entertained him at Hawarden Castle, in Cheshire, during one of his several visits to England. Amongst other things, he took an active interest in the advancement of science, and education, and was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, on the nomination of Baron Ferdinand Von Muller, F.R.S., of Victoria, and Mr. Molineaux, F.L.S., Government Entomologist, of South Australia. At one time he was a director of the Sydney Hospital, to which institution he has bequeathed £500. At several Australasian conferences of producers he was amongst the very first of public men to advocate federation.

His father, the late Hon. James Robert Wilshire, M.L.C., was elected Mayor of Sydney, his native city, in succession to the late Mr. Hoskins, in 1855, and took a most active part in the Anti-Transportation League. In 1856 he was elected one of the three members of the old Legislative Council for the city of Sydney, and was re-elected thereto under the new Constitution. His grandfather, James Wilshire, Deputy Commissary-General, 1804 to 1812, also took a prominent part in the official and social life of the colony, where he arrived as far back as 1800, in the ship Royal Admiral. Even at that early date he became quickly alive to the possibilities, and vast resources of the new possession. He resigned from the Imperial Service, and embarked in the export of hides, tallow, and what other things he could get hold of, acting in conjunction with his brother-in-law, William Faithfull (the ancestor of the Faithfulls, of Goulburn and Sydney), Robert Jenkins (ancestor of the Berkeley (lllawarra) Jenkins), the Rev. Mr. Wood (ancestor of the wife of the late Mr. Curnow, formerly editor of the “Sydney Morning Herald”; and the wife of the late James Brunker, one-time Colonial Secretary of this State), all of whom married daughters of Mrs. Mary Pitt, who emigrated from Dorset in 1801, and died at Richmond Hill, in 1815.

The direct living descendants of James Wilshire, and his wife, Esther Pitt, numbered in 1900 two hundred and sixteen persons it is within a safe estimate to say that the four daughters and one son of Robert and Mary Pitt, are now represented by well over one thousand living descendants. Many have attained prominence in their respective walks of life. Amongst them may be mentioned Mr. Ernest Wilshire, formerly stipendiary magistrate, now chairman of the Public Service Board, Mr. Frederick Wilshire, stipendiary magistrate, Mr. Robert Matcham Pitt (Pitt, Son and Badgery), Mr. C. B. Pitt (solicitor), Dr. Percy Faithfull, the late Henry Montague Faithfull (solicitor), and Mr. Henry Austin Wilshire (architect, of Hunter-street), the late James Thompson Wilshire, Henry Rawes Whittell, Charles Whittell, of Petersham, lately head of the Revenue Branch Audit Department. Other representatives are now in the Departments of Justice, Lands, Forests, Works, Government Architects, Railway and Tramway (Engineering). The family have been at all times great advocates of immigration, and their own success led many of their connections and friends to settle in Australia.

The above was extracted from the Star of Monday, 10 May 1909, page 1.