Obituaries Australia

A pioneer pastoralist of New South Wales, Mr. William Moore, died at Bayley Park, Boggabri, on 7th April at the age of 88. Mr. Moore was born on 28th April 1866 at Booligal, N.S.W., then a cattle station known as Wallaby, which his father had purchased in the early eighteen fifties. It is believed that Mr. Moore and his brother were the first two white children born at Booligal—in the days of bark huts and bullock-hide floor coverings. Transport to and from the station was by bullock waggon, the route being from Brickfield Hill to the Lachlan River, which was followed to Booligal. The sun on the back in the morning, and in the face in the afternoon, acted as a compass until reaching the Lachlan River. The natives in the district were friendly, but once kidnapped Mr. Moore and his brother when children, and took them down the river. When found, an old gin was feeding them on cod fish, which she first chewed herself.

Later the Moore family moved to Raby, Narellan, N.S.W. Mr. Moore was educated first at Newington College, where he gained his cap for football in 1878. He was picked to practice with the original "Wallaroos" before they toured England, but was prevented from doing so on account of an illness which kept him away from school for nearly a year. Afterwards he attended The King's School, Parramatta, from 1882 to 1884, where he excelled at football and cricket, gaining the highest batting average in the First Eleven. On leaving school he returned to Raby to gain pastoral experience before taking over Rockwell, Taralga, N.S.W., from his father's estate. In 1898 he leased a property at Sutton Forest, and the following year purchased Budden, Rylstone, N.S.W., as a cattle run. At that time dingoes in packs from 30 to 40 were common in the Rylstone district. In 1910 he bought a property at Walgett from the late Mr. A. D. Wiseman and owned it until 1925, when he acquired Bayley Park, Boggabri, which he retained until his death.

Mr. Moore was active in public life. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace when he was 21 years old, and was a member of the Land Board and a Shire Councillor at Rylstone. He was an original member of the Boggabri Pastoral, Agricultural, and Horticultural Association and patron of the Wean Amateur Picnic Race Club. He was well-known throughout the district as a judge of stock and land and for his success with the divining rod, for which he was always in demand, even a few months before his death. He is survived by his widow, the former Miss Janet McCallum, of Goulburn, whom he married in 1892, and a family of three sons and one daughter: Messrs. Colin Edgar Moore, Nowley, Burren Junction; Rex McCallum Moore, Matong, Boggabri; Geoffrey Stephen Moore, Inverell; and Mrs. D. S. Lipscomb, Kirribilli, Moree. Two sons, Messrs. William Raby Moore and John B. Moore, predeceased him.