Obituaries Australia

Walter Bridges, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 February 1918

A wide circle of friends will learn with regret of the death of Rear-Admiral Walter Bogue Bridges, which occurred at his country estate, Trawalla, yesterday afternoon, after a short illness, at the age of 74 years.

Rear-Admiral Bridges entered the Royal Navy in 1856, at the age of 13 years as a naval cadet, He served successively on H.M.S. Victory and H.M.S. Royal Albert, the latter being the flagship of Admiral Lord Lyons, who was commander in chief in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Afterwards he served in the English Channel, the West Indies, North America, the west coast of Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Rear-Admiral Bridges was on the Australian station from 1871 to 1880, latterly as lieutenant. He was created a captain in 1881. In 1888 he retired from the navy, when he was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral. He had then been 32 years in the British naval service. Whilst he was on the Australian naval station in 1880 he married Miss Annie Caroline Wilson, daughter of the late Mr. John Wilson, of Woodlands, and leaves a family of four daughters and one son. The Trawalla estate, near Beaufort, was purchased by him in 1887, and when he retired from the navy he took up his residence on this properly. His town residence was in Toorak Road, Toorak.

Rear-Admiral Bridges was a splendid type of an English gentleman. Adapting himself to Australian country life he became a successful pastoralist. He was a liberal entertainer at Trawalla, and the visitors included many vice-regal representatives. The funeral will take place on Monday, privately, at the Boroondara Cemetery, Kew.