Obituaries Australia

The funeral of the late Mr. William King took place on Sunday afternoon (writes our Wynyard correspondent), and was one of the largest ever seen in Wynyard. The service, at the grave in the Wynyard Cemetery was conducted by the Rev. C. Young, of St. Stephen's Church of England.

Deceased was born in Launceston, in a house at the corner of Margaret and Elizabeth streets, in 1823. He was therefore in his 82nd year. He was apprenticed to the wheelwright and carpentry trades, but, being of a roving turn of mind, after marrying and being in business at Perth, he was caught with the gold fever of California, and, leaving his wife and sister in business as hotel keepers at Perth, he started for America but was wrecked on the way at the Sandwich Islands in 1849. He worked at his trade for a month or two at the islands, Then he had a chance of continuing his journey. Reaching San Francisco he embarked in various speculations with changeful results, and after varying experiences returned to Tasmania via Sydney, not much the richer for his four years' travel. The old gentleman was very fond of relating his observations of the manners and customs of the early Californians.

He settled down to business as hotel keeper in Perth, and remained there for seven years, but, not being satisfied, removed to Ballyhoo, near Latrobe. His roving nature stuck to him, and after twelve months' farming at Sherwood he came on to Table Cape, taking up land and farming, but not successfully. He then moved to Boat Harbour, and in his operations there was again unfortunate, crops failing and cattle dying, while a depression in the market for palings caused him to lose everything he had. Never crushed by his losses, he started carting tin ore by contract from Mount Bischoff to Emu Bay, and soon began to recover himself. He built and opened the first billiard saloon in Waratah, which he afterwards let. Four years after, the billiard-room was burned down, by which he lost £500, having realised a sum of money by his exertions, he returned to Boat Harbour for a while, with his health failing him (he had been a sufferer from asthma for many years), he bought a house in East Wynyard, where he resided until his death.

His well-known form in his little carriage, drawn by his grey mare Betty, will be missed generally, as he came into the town several times a day, wet or dry. He leaves a widow, comfortably provided for, and a large family of sons and daughters, and grand and great-grand children.