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Note: From a 'Brief History of Sutherlands S.A. 1951' - an extract by Mrs. J.Ladd, daughter of 'The late William Alexander Sutherland was born in Inverness, Scotland on October 23 1845. Some of his early boyhood was spent in the Braham (Maryburgh) district. In later life he often recounted experiences around Braham Castle and made reference to worthies, in the district, now long gone. When his parents died, he with a younger brother, migrated to Tasmania in 1860 in the ship City of Tasmania under command of Capt. Tulloch, and lived with an uncle named Bethune. After spending a few years in Tasmania he came to South Australia with another uncle, Mr. W.A.Bethune at Chain of Ponds. Mr. Bethune was interested in timber cutting and a partnership was arranged. In February 1870, William Sutherland married Charlotte E.Caust at the Bible Christian Chapel at Mt. Torrens. There were 10 sons and 4 daughters. Two sons attended Whinham College in 1884. He began supplying Red Gum timber to Adelaide merchants on his own account, mostly sleepers, posts, and firewood. He supplied timber for the first bridge across the Torrens, sleepers for new railways in India after the Mutiny (visiting India to inspect the work) and sleepers for part of the Adelaide Port Pirie line. In 1879 he introduced mallee firewood, putting in a siding on the Morgan line which now bears the name Sutherlands. He remained there until he moved to Inman Valley near Victor Harbour about 1885 to cut mining timber for Wallaroo and Broken Hill. He next moved to W.A. to cut Jarrah & the settlements of Sutherland and Scotia there are named for him. In memory of his father who had served in the Sutherland Highlanders he helped destitute veterans from the Indian Mutiny campaigns and for that he received a cmmendation from Edward VII. He was interested in the Caledonian Society and was once it's president. He retired in 1914 leaving his home Rose Park settling at Everard Park where he died in 1928 two months after his wife.' There is no mention here of his sister Isabella who came with him & his brother Alexander to Tasmania. AS for his parents, they were no longer registered in the 1861 census so it seems the family tale that William and his siblings were indeed 'orphans'. Verna Sutherland, her husband Eric Howroyd, & their son Brian lived near William about 1928, visiting him often. Photos on file of the combined group.
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