William Horne Campbell and Selina Smith

Selina Campbell (née Smith)

William Horne Campbell was born at Woodville on 28/6/1851, sixth child and eldest son of William and Annie Campbell. Selina Smith was born at Nairne on 2/1/1858, daughter of Alfred and Harriet Smith. They married at Alfred Smith's residence in Laura on 30/8/1876. The information about them presented on this page relies heavily on From North to South: A Campbell Story, a booklet produced by Paul Campbell.

It is interesting to note that St John's Anglican Church in Laura had been built in 1875, Alfred Smith was one of the guarantors of a loan that helped build it, and Selina Smith was the first organist. Yet the marriage of William Horne and Selina, though performed by an Anglican minister (Rev. Hartley Williams), was not held in the church. Presumably this is because the Campbells were Presbyterian rather than Anglican, though whether they did not care to use the Anglican church or were unwelcome there, I would not wish to speculate.

As a farmer's son, William Horne naturally worked on the family farm, and in due course became a farmer. He was 11 when his father died and his brother-in-law Robert Slater took over the farm (Quindoo, at Roseworthy). In 1872 Robert Slater and William Horne both moved north to the Hundred of Booyoolie (pronounced "bowly"), where they took up adjoining sections: Sections 214 and 215 for William Horne, Section 209 for Robert. These properties were about 5 km north-east of Laura. In the following six years they developed these properties and built houses on them. At least until a few years ago the ruins of one of these houses could still be seen.

In 1878 Robert Slater decided to give up farming and moved to Port Pirie where he established a chaff and corn store and wood yard; the business turned out to be a failure. Section 209 was transferred to William Horne's brother James, then 22, and so were Sections 214 and 215, although the reason for this latter transfer is unclear, since William Horne was still farming at this time. In 1880 Section 209 was transferred, presumably by sale, to JF and Ian Heath, and Sections 214 and 215 were transferred to the joint names of William Horne Campbell and James Campbell. However, by 1881 William Horne had given up farming and was working as a clerk and bookkeeper in the agricultural implement works of Forsaith and Daniels. Sections 214 and 215 were transferred (presumably sold) to Daniel Johnson in 1882. James left Laura some time after this, although it is not known when. William Horne and family – three children by then – moved into the township of Laura at about this time. It is probable that his mother already had a separate home in Laura, where his two unmarried sisters would also have resided.

The daughters and daughters-in-law of WH and S Campbell at their golden wedding in 1926:
BACK (left to right): Mary, Elva, Barb, Grace.
FRONT (left to right): Ida, Nell, Issie.

Assessment records for Laura show that in 1882 W. H. Campbell was the occupier of a house and allotment recorded as East Ward, part of Section 191. Precisely where this was I dod not know, though presumably it was east of Herbert Street (the main street of Laura, running north-south). In 1884 W. H. Campbell was shown as owner and occupier of Lot 12, West Terrace (on the opposite side of town), the valuation for which was £18. The family remained there until 1887 when they moved, though retaining ownership of the property until 1902. From 1888 to 1896 they occupied Lots 61 to 64, Ford and Garden Streets, described as a dwelling and garden. There were already fived children before 1888, and another five were born before 1896.

In 1897 or thereabouts the family moved to Lots 98 and 99 West Terrace, which remained the family home until 1930. This property had been owned by Selina's father Alfred Smith, who died in 1896. Alfred's will dated 1879) divided his estate equally between his children Frederick William, Robert Carlton and Louisa, the ones who were under 21 in 1879. Alfred's wife, Harriet, had died in 1878, and the two older children, Allen and Selina, were not mentioned in the will. From 1897 to 1919 the owner of Lots 98 and 99 is recorded as W. H. Campbell, Executor of the late A. Smith.; from 1920 to 1930 it is recorded as W. H. Campbell, with Selina incuded as a co-owner from 1927 to 1929.

The town of Laura was surveyed in 1871, and was originally in the District Council of Booyoolie. The Corporation of the Town of Laura was gazetted on 22/6/1882. In the next 13 months the town had three Town Clerks and one Acting Town Clerk. On 11/8/1883 William Horne Campbell was appointed Town Clerk and Overseer, initially in a part-time capacity, at a salary of £104 p.a.. He remained Town Clerk for 46 years. His style is nicely illustrated by the notice below, reproduced in the book Laura Days prepared in 1972 by the Laura Centenary Celebrations Committee. (The name "Laura Days" recalls a short poem written by Laura's most famous son, C. J. Dennis, to mark the town's Golden Jubilee.)

It is not recorded in which year the notice appeared.

On 10/8/1923 the Town Council held a banquet in W. H. Campbell's honour, marking his 40 years of service, and granted him three months leave. During this leave he, with wife Selina and daughter Barbara, visited his son Stuart in South Africa.

In the middle of 1929, aged 78, William Horne told the Town Council that he wished to retire from his position in August of that year. They at first tried to persuade him to stay on until the town's Jubilee in 4 years time! But he did retire in early 1930.

Recently a street in Laura has been named "Campbell Street" in W.H.'s honour.

William Horne and Selina planned to spend their retirement in Adelaide, but Selina died on 15/5/1930. The cause of death was cerebral haermorrhage. Apparently she had been unwell for some weeks. In a letter William Horne wrote to their son Norman he says that Selina had a comfortable trip from Laura to Blyth and had been well for a day or to before her health declined, necessitating admission to hospital. She is buried in the Laura cemetery in the same grave as her daughter Harriet Annie (who died in infancy) and alongside her son Robert Malcolm (who died at age 14).

After Selina's death William Horne moved to Adelaide, and together with his unmarried children Barbara and Ralph rented a house at 5 Royal Avenue, Hyde Park. He was apparently quite active for several months in 1930, attended the Unley Baptist Church, which was a 20 minute walk from the house, sometimes twice on a Sunday. With Ralph he went to a football match at Unley Oval (in which Sturt, the home team, defeated Port Adelaide). He was particularly pleased with a visit by his brother James from Sydney. Towards the end of August and in September his health deteriorated and he was admitted to a private hospital on Unley Road towards the end of October. He died there on 30/10/1930. He is buried at Laura alongside Selina.

William Horne and Selina Campbell had thirteen children altogether.

• Alfred Stewart Campbell (4/12/1877–5/2/1956), generally referred to as "Stuart".

  Stuart migrated to South Africa, being one of six South Australian telegraphists selected for duty in the South African Post Office in 1899. He married Isabella Margaret Robertson ("Issie") at Beaufort West, South Africa, on 2/12/1903. They had two daughters: Isabel Iris, married Eddie Willi Ernst Ruger, no children; Florence Robertson, married Francois Nieuwhort Burger, five children.

  Stuart and Issie visited Australia on four occasions. On the return voyage after their first visit in 1910 their ship, SS Pericles, struck an uncharted rock while rounding Cape Leuwin, and sank within three hours. All 463 people aboard were safely landed at Cape Leuwin lighthouse and Flinders Bay by the ships boats, although of course their possessions were lost. Stuart, Issie and the girls were billeted in Perth by Mr and Mrs Elias and Eliza Andrews, whose daughter Ida was at that time engaged to Stuart's brother Norman.

  Stuart was Postmaster at Port Elizabeth at the time of his retirement in 1937, and he died in Port Elizabeth in 1956.

• William Norman Campbell (29/11/1878–28/4/1932), known by his second name.

  It is not known what Norman did between leaving school in Laura and going to work in Adelaide in July 1901. In 1902 and 1903 he studied bookkeeping and accountancy part-time at the S. A. School of Mines and Industries.

  Early in 1904, for reasons unknown, he moved to Western Australia. He was accepted by the Baptist Union as a home missionary, and in 1910 or early 1911 was ordained a Baptist minister. In 1911 he submitted his resignation to the Baptist Union of W.A. to accept the pastorate of the Baptist Church at Angaston, S.A.

  Norman married Ida Elizabeth Andrews at the Congregational Church, Bagot Road, Subiaco, on 16/3/1912. They had one son, Norman Paul, b. 15/3/1927.

  After his return to South Australia Norman served the Baptist Union in various capacities and places until 1929, when he went once more to Western Australia to take up a position with the British and Foreign Bible Society.

  After Norman's death in 1932 it was necessary for Ida to return to work. Although it was the depression and work was scarce, friends in the Bible Society helped her gain employment by Bon Marche Ltd, a fashion store where she had worked before her marriage. She worked there for 17 years until her retirement in 1949. Ida died on 22/8/1972. There are burial records online for both Ida and Norman.

• Harold Smith Campbell (29/10/1880–25/4/1968).

  Like his elder brothers, Harold went to school in Laura, receiving his certificate for reaching the Compulsory Standard of Education at the age of 10 years and 3 months. What he did on leaving school is not known, but in the first decade of the 1900's the banks in Western Australia were actively recruiting staff from other states, and Harold obtained employment with the Western Australia Bank. He was stationed at Geraldton some time before 1908, then at towns on the Murchison goldfields. He was at Nannine from 1909 to 1911, then moved to Meekatharra.

  Harold married Hilda Nellie Perline Baston at Geraldton on 30/10/1910. They had three children: Barbara Gladys (18/7/1911–25/11/1995), nicknamed Pete, married Norman Effield Gooden, two children; William George (1913–28/10/1998), married Winifred Ellen Stanley, four children; Allan Stuart (1915–1937).

  Harold later served at branches of the bank in the northern part of W.A., including Brookton and Katanning. By 1932 he was manager of the Toodyay branch of the Bank of New South Wales, which had taken over the Bank of Western Australia, and he remained there until his retirement in about 1947. He subsequently lived in the Perth metropolitan area, dying at Bentley on 25/4/1968. There is an online burial record. Hilda died on 30/4/1982 at Mandurah.

  In his youth Harold was an outstanding athlete. When only 15 he was included in the Laura football team, and is said to have played for Norwood in the SANFL while he was in Adelaide. He captained the Geraldton Cricket Association team in 1908, and at one time was chosen to represent W.A. at cricket. He also played an excellent game of tennis and of golf.


Nellie Hughes, née Campbell

• Harriet Annie Campbell (9/7/1882–20/4/1884).

• Nellie Laura Campbell (25/6/1884–22/8/1967), married Frederick Thomas Hughes. See their page.

• Allan Murray Campbell (17/12/1886–25/7/1947),

  Allan moved to Western Australia some time before 1914 and worked on the land. He enlisted in the AIF at Geraldton, and so he was presumably working in that area at that time. On his enlistment papers his occupation is given as "farmer", and these papers also show that he had served for four years in the 7th Light Horse Unit in South Australia. He was posted to B Company, 28th Battalion, on 2/6/1915. The battalion sailed from Fremantle to Egypt on 29/6/1915, and served at Gallipoli from September 1915 to January 1916. Allan was prmoted to Corporal and then to Seargent. The battalion moved to France in March 1916, and Allan was wounded in action at Poizeres in July. He spent a long period in hospital and convalescence in England, was repatriated to Australia in March 1917, and discharged in June of that year.

  After the war he again went on the land, and in the late 1920's was working in the Bruce Rock district. He subsequently took up a farm of his own in Shackleton.

  Allan married Margaret Irene Hodgson (known as "Rene") on 25/1/1930, at the Methodist Church, Woolwich Street, West Leederville. The Rev. W. Norman Campbell conducted the service. Allan and Rene did not have any children.

  The depression of the 1930's forced Allan to leave the land, and he went into partnership with Sam Collins, his brother-in-law, in a grocery store in Guildford. He enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on 22/11/1939 and served in the Pay Corps in W.A., attaining the rank of WO II, until his discharge because of ill health on 31/10/1944.

  Allan's burial information is online. Rene subsequently married Alfred O'Brien; she died on 5/10/1965".

• William Horne Campbell (15/9/1888–10/9/1916).

  There is a family story that William Horne Campbell senior's sisters were horrified that none of his sons had been called William, as his second son, William Norman, was always called Norman. So the fifth son was given his father's name in full, and was known as Will. He died of influenza during an epidemic in 1916. He was 28 years old at the time, and manager of the Balaklava branch of Bagot, Shakes and Lewis Ltd, a rural merchandising firm. He was unmarried.

• Robert Malcolm Campbell (18/6/1890–8/11/1904).

• Nina Grace Campbell (25/9/1892–17/10/1969), known as Grace.

  

  Grave of Grace's eldest son Robert

  Grace married Harry McNeil Shillabeer at North Adelaide on 15/1/1915. Grace and Neil (as he was known) had thirteen children: Robert William (27/1/1915–2/10/1948); Gladys Marion (25/12/1915, married Thomas Loxton Whitehorn); James Malcolm (21/2/1918–20/3/1981); Barbara (9/3/1920–4/10/1966, married Norman Glen Barr); Leslie Allan (30/1/1922–1/5/1977); Margaret (16/7/1923–1930); Donald Neil (25/8/1925–6/7/1995); Dorothy Grace (28/11/1927–26/7/1998, married Alick Graham Gadd); Clarice (15/8/1929, married Brian Lindsay Pavy); Colin Campbell (1/1/1932); Rhonda Campbell (1/1/1932, married Darcy Duffy); Beryl Isabel (16/7/1934–9/7/1986, married Donald Leonard Mewett); Lorys Ettie (2/2/1937–20/3/1992, married Geoffrey Mansfield Eatts).

  Grace lived at home until she married, except for a year (about 1912) that she spent with her brother Harold and sister-in-law Hilda in Meekatharra W.A.. She worked as a tailoress in Cox's in Laura, and also in the Council office assisting her father.

  Neil was a farm worker for much of his life. Neil and Grace lived on various properties where he worked before moving to a house in Laura (in about 1920). Neil often worked away from the town, returning home on weekends. Later he worked as a driver of horse teams for the Laura Milling and Flour Co. He went to Adelaide in 1940 and worked as a nightwatchman at Elders Wool Stores until 1948 when he returned to Laura and again worked at the flour mill. Neil and Grace moved to Adelaide in 1950, and Neil worked as a nightwatchman at Ford Motor Co until he retired.

• Mary Isabel Campbell (9/8/1894–17/7/1956).

  Mary married Wilfrid Stanley Smith (known as "Wiff") on 8/12/1920. They had four children, three of whom I know to be deceased: Elizabeth Campbell-Smith (18/4/1922–4/4/1987); Nora Campbell-Smith (18/4/1923–27/12/1988); Constance Campbell-Smith (15/7/1926–10/12/1977).

  Wiff lived in Angaston all his life, working in a range of jobs before World War 1. He was always interested in self-education, and took correspondence courses in mechanical engineering. He was a keen sportsman, and captained the Barossa and Light football team. From 1916 to 1918 he served in the AIF in France.

  Mary attended primary school in Laura, then became a schoolteacher. As a junior she taught at Kadina for one year, then attended Adelaide Teachers College. On graduation she taught at Nailsworth. After her marriage she lived with Wiff at Angaston, where he was the manager of a farm owned by Fulton Salter. In 1925 they moved to a Soldier Settlement propery, a 35 acre orchard at Angaston, where they mainly grew apricots for drying. He cooperated closely with plant pathologists from the State Agricultural Department and the Waite Institute in the study of a devastating wood rot in apricot trees, and developed the first method to give some degree of control.

• 

  Barb and her brother Ralph
  

  Barbara Selina Campbell (27/6/1896–4/12/1979).

  Barb attended Laura Primary School, then trained as a tailoress. She was working in Adelaide at the time of her mother's death in 1930. She then left work to be housekeeper for her father and her brother Ralph. She resumed work as a tailoress after her father's death. In about 1932-33 she and Ralph bought a delicatessen on Grange Road, Ralph working there full-time and Barb only part-time, continuing her work as a tailoress until the delicatessen business could support them both. She continued the business during Ralph's military service and after his death as a POW.

  Barb married Jeffery Ernest Smart on 5/4/1947. She sold the delicatessen and lived with Jeff on Burbridge Road, Brooklyn Park, until her death in 1979. She is buried at Enfield. Jeff, who was 19 years younger than Barb, died on 29/2/1988, and is buried alongside Barb.

• James Alexander Campbell (28/7/1899–23/8/1967).

  Jim married Elva Mary Moore on 16/9/1926 at the Baptist Church, Tynte Street, North Adelaide, the service being conducted by Rev W. Norman Campbell. Jim and Elva had one son.

  Jim did his early schooling at Laura and then attended Adelaide High School for the final two years. He won an exhibition to study to be a surveyor. This study was interrupted by war service, as he enlisted in the army on his eighteenth birthday (28/7/1917). He served in France as a lance-corporal in the 50th battalion AIF. He returned to Australia on 12/7/1919.

  Following his war service he completed his studies and qualified as a surveyor. He practised privately from an office in Pirie Street Adelaide, until approximately 1939, when he joined the Commonwealth Department of the Interior. He eventually became Commonwealth Property Officer for South Australia. One of his achievements in that role was the acquisition of the site of the present Adelaide Airport. He retired in 1964.

• 

  Ralph Campbell

  Ralph Walter Campbell (14/12/1901–30/5/1945), did not marry.

  After leaving School Ralph worked for a time for Eudunda farmers Co-op Ltd in Laura. Then he trained as a motor mechanic. He was working in this trade in Snowtown in 1927. In the second half of 1930 he was working only casually, sharing a house with his father and sister Barb in Hyde Park. He then ran a delicatessen business with Barb.

  

  Ralph enlisted in the second AIF on 12/7/1940 and was posted to the 2/43rd Battalion. He sailed for the Middle East on 29/12/1940. He was transferred to the Arny Headquarters Guard Battalion and served with that unit in Palestine until February 1942 when the unit embarked to return to Australia. It was diverted to Batavia (now Jakarta). He was reported Missing-in-Action in Java until reported Prisoner of War late in 1942. It is thought that he worked on the Burma-Thailand railway, as he died of malaria in Thailand. He is buried in the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, about 100 km north-west of Bangkok, Plot 1, Row O, No 50.

  An army mate of Ralph's called on Barb after the war, and told her that while in the prison camps Ralph gave a number of blood donations, one shortly before he died. His friends had queried the wisdom of this, as malaria had weakened him, but Ralph replied "Well, it might help some other poor coot". My mother, who boarded with Ralph and Barb in the 1930's, says that strikes her as exactly the kind of thing Ralph would have said.