Obituaries Australia

W. M. Somerville, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 September 1916

Mr. W. M. Somerville, who died in Sydney in June, was well known in pastoral circles, and his death was very much regretted by the very many who either in business or social matters were brought in contact with him. As inspector of pastoral properties for the Bank of New South Wales he was very widely known.

Mr. Somerville was educated at Macquarie Fields, New South Wales, under the late Rev. George Macarthur. At the age of sixteen he went out into the country for pastoral experience, and in the early seventies decided to go in for cotton growing, for which purpose he proceeded to Fiji, where he devoted three years to the work, but eventually relinquished it and returned to Sydney. For a few years after his return he was overseer of Mr. Oswald Bloxsome's Station, Ranger's Valley, and in 1880 was offered and accepted the managership of Newstead Station, Inverell, New South Wales, owned by Messrs. Anderson Brothers. In 1882 he became manager for all the pastoral properties of Mr. Bloxsome.

In 1892 Mr. Somerville was appointed inspector of stations for the Bank of New South Wales, a position he held until his retirement from the service in January of this year.