Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Walter Richard White, born at Timaru, enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force on 12 February 1916 at Toowoomba, Queensland. He was 40 years 2 months old, a farmer, and married with two children. His nominated next-of-kin was his wife – Marion White, C/o Bank of Australasia, Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales. He had served for five years with the Cadets (New Zealand?). Walter Richard White married Marion Lindsay Lilian Tall on 9 December 1903 in Queensland. So, who was Walter Richard White, 2895? He was, in fact, the oldest son and fifth of the eleven or twelve children of John William White and Sarah (Ellie) née Shoobridge. He was born on 2 December 1870 at Hobart, Tasmania. John White was from County Limerick, Ireland, while Sarah was born in Tasmania, Australia. Sarah White died in 1912. John White, the Crown solicitor in Timaru, was the owner of the five-acre propeerty known as "Grasmere". After his death in 1927, the property was broken up for housing. Both Grasmere and White streets are named after the family. Walter may well have believed he was born at Timaru, as were his older and younger siblings. He was surely, educated at Timaru, probably privately, and maybe at Waimataitai School when it opened in 1882. In December 1892, at the break-up of the Timaru High School, Walter White was honoured for 6th place in Class II French at the Boys’ High School. Walter White was a farmer/grazier in Queensland from the early 1900s, there at Darling Downs in 1927. While Walter farmed in Queensland, Marion lived in New South Wales in the 1930-1940s. Mrs Walter White was a guest at the wedding of Walter’s niece in Sydney in January 1916. In May 1926, Mr and Mrs Walter White were among the invited guests at the Cinderella Ball held during the Darling Downs annual festivities – Walter and Marion? Their son, William Richard White, was born on 19 April 1906 at Mosman, NSW, his father recorded as a pastoralist at his baptism; and their daughter, Elinor Mary White, was born in 1908 at Ashfield, NSW. William served with the RAAF in World War II. Walter Richard White was actually 45 years 2 months old when he enlisted for service in World War I. In February 1916 at the Downs Central Recruiting Depot at Toowoomba, five volunteers were accepted out of the seven who offered, one of those accepted being Walter Richard White, Bowenville. An appeal to raise money to procure Regimental Colours for the 25th Battalion was held November 1926. The old 25th Battalion of the A.I.F. won “imperishable fame in the battlefields of Europe and Asia.” Walter White donated 10 shillings and sixpence. He died on 24 December 1943 at Colac, Victoria, aged 73 years. He had been at Apollo, Victoria, with his son. Two younger brothers of Walter Richard White served with the New Zealand Forces in World War I – Herbert William White and Kenneth Cecil White.

Sources

Australia Birth, Mariage, Death indexes [20 April 2020]; Australian Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [20 April 2020]; Family research conducted in 2006 (TS) [September 2006]; Timaru Herald, 9 December 1882, 10 September 1912, 10 November 1927, South Canterbury Times, 5 February 1916 (Timaru District Library, Papers Past) [September 2006; 21 April 2020]; Darling Downs Gazette, 14 February 1916, Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette, 17 May 1926, 24 November 1926 (Trove) [21 April 2020]

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Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

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