Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Walter Gilbert Elliot was born on 21 February 1897 at Arrowtown, Otago, the only son of William Easton and Gilberta Broom (née King) Elliot. William, who hailed from the Scottish Borders, married Gilberta at her parents’ residence, Lake Wakatipu, in 1893. He was then the manager of Coronet Peak Station. Their first-born, a girl, died in 1895, just three days old. William Elliot died on 22 September 1900, the result of an accident. Gilberta was left a widow, with two little children, three-year old Walter Gilbert Elliot and nineteen-month old Agnes King Elliot. Walter started at Arrowtown School, transferring to Clinton School in October 1904. After quite some time at North-East Valley School in Dunedin, he went to Waitaki Boys’ High School in September 1910. It is likely that young Walter competed in the Recitation, boys 15 years and under, at the Dunedin Competitions held in September 1908.

The summer holidays of the N.E. Valley Bible class, which had been conducted in connection with the North-East Valley School, commenced on 16 November 1908, when there was a largo gathering of pupils and parents at the breaking-up ceremony. Marked copies of the New Testament signifying that the recipients had attended the class all the year round, were presented to many children, including Walter Elliot. He was, indeed, the Walter Elliot, one of the Otago candidates, who qualified for a junior free place in the secondary district high and technical schools, through the special examination conducted in November and December 1911.

W. G. Elliot and two companions successfully ascended Mt Aurum on 25 January 1914. Mt Aurum, which is about 11 miles N. W. of Skippers, rises to 7,800 feet. The party left Skippers on foot early in the morning. After spending about half an hour on the top, and leaving some record of their climb there, the party returned by the same route as they gone up, reaching the base in a little over an hour after leaving the top. Skippers was reached again in time for tea which was heartily partaken of after the arduous climb. [for full account see newspaper attachment.]

In July 1914, Mrs Gilberta Elliot contested election for the Dunedin central ward of the Otago Education Board, but she withdrew her candidature. She was, however, of the opinion that there was a need for special representation of women’s interests on the board. In 1911 she had gained a first class pass in dressmaking at the Dunedin Technical School. She did serve on the North-East Valley School committee, completing twenty years of service in this capacity in April 1920, and as a delegate to the School Committees’ Association. In due course she was again nominated for election to the Education Board. She also rendered very useful voluntary service and wise counsel in visiting the parents of pupils in the special classes at Moray Place.

A member of the South Canterbury quota of the Forty-sixth Reinforcements, Walter left home by the north express on 9 September 1918, after parading at the Timaru Drill Hall. He arrived at Trentham Camp the next day. Private W. G. Elliot was posted as private to A Company, 47th Reinforcements. As of 1926, W. G. Elliot was at Ben Ohau, Lake Pukaki, and, when in Timaru, would stay at the Empire or the Dominion. In September 1931, Mr W. G. Elliot and one other (Lake Pukaki), wrote to the Mackenzie County Council, “protesting against the Council’s proposal to spend the “fourths” from their runs on the Twizel Bridge, and suggesting that the money should be spent in providing access to the back portions of these runs, notably the road to the Ohau Lake and the track round the lake.” Their request was to receive consideration.

Walter Gilbert Elliot married Helen Campbell Macaulay on 18 April 1934 at First Church, Dunedin. In January 1942, Walter Gilbert Elliot, sheep-farmer, Lake Pukaki, was drawn in the ballot for World War II service. He died on 18 September 1982, aged 85 years. He was cremated at Salisbury Park Crematorium, Timaru. His ashes were interred at Twizel Cemetery, close to the high country where he lived and worked for over sixty years. Helen died in 1994, her ashes also interred there.

Sources

NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5537 0037570) [11 September 2021]; Evening Star, 21 September 1908, 8 December 1911, 25 July 1914, 16 July 1920, 4 May 1921, 19 June 1922, 15 April 1930, Otago Daily Times, 17 November 1908, 18 February 1932, Otago Witness, 17 January 1912, Lake Wakatip Mail, 3 February 1914, Southland Times, 7 July 1914, Timaru Herald, 7 September 1918, 16 October 1926, 8 November 1926, 19 October 1929, 8 September 1931, Press, 9 April 1930 (Papers Past) [07 & 12 September 2021]; School Admission record (Balclutha Branch NZSG) [11 September 2021] Salisbury Park Crematorium record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG Cemetery Records microfiche) [years ago]

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