Janet (Jessie) McWilliam

The ORR family arrived in South Australia on the ship "Gloucester", on the 13th August, 1852.

They stayed in S.A. for 6 months, before moving to Victoria. (This is from the death cert.of Jeannie). Some of the family moved to Rockhampton,Queensland.

Arrival of ship:-

Ship Gloucester, 531 tons, Captain James Marshall, from London / Plymouth 30th April 1852, arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia 13th August 1852

South Australian Register Saturday 14 August 1852.

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Obituary in the Coonamble Times.

          Mrs. Jessie Mc William, relict of the late Mr. John Richardson McWilliam and mother of Mr. W.O.McWilliam, of "The Gums", coonamble, died on Friday, 6th. inst, at the residence of her daughter, Mrs.E.P.Freestone, Menangle Road, Camden. She attained the great age of 98 years.

The late Mrs. Mcwilliam was born in Scotland, and, at the age of four years, arrived in Australia with her parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. William Orr. Settling first in Victoria, they afterwards moved to Central Queensland, where Mr. Orr acquired a property, known in those days as "Ayrshire Park".
It was in the northern capital that the deceased married John Richardson McWilliam, who died in Coonamble in 1916, and who founded the "Coonamble Times" in 1885. After the passing of her husband, the late Mrs. McWilliam controlled the newspaper, which was eventually acquired by her son, Mr. W.O.Mcwilliam, still a resident of this town.
Back in the years that have vanished, the deceased lady was a zealous, loyal worker for all efforts of a charitable nature, the District Hospital receiving consistent support and financial uplifting through her instrumentality. Her husband at the time occupied the position of President of that institution for a number of successive terms.
In the work of the Red Cross, the late Mrs. McWilliam displayed outstanding interest, A member of the Committee for many years her great efforts were finally rewarded by her being elected a Life Member of an organization which still functions successfully in our midst.
Due to keen organizing ability and enthusiasm, she was likewise instrumental in bringing about the formation of a Girls Club in Coonamble, of which she discharged the duties of President with dignity and conspicuous ability for many years.
In 1925---after rejoicing at the development and expansion of a district in which she had been so closely identified---the late Mrs. McWilliam left Coonamble and for 13 years lived with her daughter, Mrs.Freestone, at Camden .Here, during her period of inactivity and comparative infirmity, she was tenderly nursed by her widowed daughter, whose long days of devotion and sacrifice to her aged mother has merited the highest encomiums from other members of the family and from those living within the locality.
A family of three sons and two daughters survive. These are Thomas and Russel, (Brisbane), and William, (Coonamble); Mrs. E.P. Freestone (Camden) and Miss Jessie (Camden). There are several grandchildren and great-grand-children.
The funeral took place on Saturday, when the mortal remains of this widely known and highly respected old lady were interred in the cemetery of the historic St.John's Church of England, at Camden.