Wilhelm
The bad years of 1889 – 90 in South Australia had prompted many of that State’s farmers to look west for greener pastures. The Wilhelm family were to be no exceptions. The Wilhelm brothers, Ted (Edward) and Ryan, born at Blumberg, a German settlement 20 miles N.E. of Adelaide in 1867 and 1872 respectively, made the move westward in 1891. Prior to this, Ted had been on his father’s (August Wilhelm) farm and deciding it had limited prospects tried his fortune on a Victorian property for a short period.
It is said that Ted Wilhelm discussed the matter with his brother-in-law W. F. (Bill) Beeck and they decided that “Ted should come to W.A. and see what was doing along the Great Southern Railway.” Ted, having a good look around and being satisfied that the Katanning district showed possibilities of growing wheat and oats and on seeing the new Katanning Flour Mill felt satisfied to write to his brother-in-law Bill to advise him to come to the West. Ted Wilhelm selected 400 acres to the north of Marracoonda. His enthusiasm for his new ‘Willing Vale’ selection was an incentive for many other South Australian settlers to follow in his footsteps in the next few years. His younger brother, Ryan, who was only 19 at the time did not take up land immediately having no capital but worked on farms for the first year in the west. After this he engaged in contract clearing for some time before returning to his home State. The news of the goldrush at Coolgardie quickly brought Ryan back to W.A.
Ted Wilhelm was a public-spirited citizen who had the misfortune of an accident when carting stone from ‘Jam Hill’ to build the Agricultural Hall in 1901. Wilhelm was one of the seven members elected to form the first Woodanilling Roads Board in 1906.
From the inHerit website which was reproduced from “Round Pool to Woodanilling by John Bird
MR. EDWARD. H. WILHELM.
OBITUARY
Great Southern Herald
8 October, 1938
The funeral of the late Mr. E. H. Wilhelm of “Willing Vale,” Woodanilling, who died at the Katanning Hospital on Friday last, aged 71 years, took place on Sunday afternoon. The cortege moved from the Funeral Salon of Mr. J. Squiers to the Katanning General Cemetery where the remains were laid to rest in the Baptist portion, the Rev. J. B. T. Redshaw, of Woodanilling, performing the last rites.
At the graveside a large number of relatives and friends representing all the pioneer families of the district gathered to pay their last respects. The pallbearers were Messrs. F. B. Wilson, T. E. Haddleton, F. Gill, W. E. Richmond, F. M. Bowden and A. Prosser.
The late Mr. E. H. Wilhelm was born in 1867 at Blumberg (South Australia) where he received his education. Leaving school at the age of fourteen he worked on his father’s farm for some time, subsequently taking up shearing which occupation he followed for fifteen years.
After a short period of farming on his own account in Victoria he migrated to Western Australia, and in 1891, selected 400 acres (162 ha) of land at Woodanilling. He carried on mixed farming operations successfully and specialised in the breeding of Clydesdale horses which for some time commanded a premium through the district. In 1913 his property comprised 2,000 acres and, at the time of his death, he held over 4,000 acres (810 ha) of freehold land including a number of blocks purchased for his sons.
In the prime of his life he met with several misfortunes which handicapped him severely. While carting stones to build the Woodanilling Hall he suffered a compound fracture of the leg, an injury which left him with a permanent limp, prior to which he lost the sight of his right eye. In spite of his misfortunes he showed remarkable energy in the development and working of his property and continued his activities until comparatively recent years when advancing age and infirmity compelled him to hand over the management of the farm to his sons.
Earlier in his life he served as a member of the Woodanilling Road Board, held office in the local branch of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and was a member of the Marracoonda Baptist Church.
He leaves a widow and grown up family of 5 sons and two daughters, one daughter and a son having predeceased him.
Many beautiful floral tributes and other expressions of esteem were placed on the graveside by the following relatives and friends:
Wife and
Family; Elsie and Jack; Roy, Gert and Family; Loving sister Hermine and Less;
Dolly Sid and Barbara; Ryan, Ethel and family; Mrs. P. A. Beeck; B. and A.
Brackie; Mr. and Mrs. Edmund S. Beeck; Martha, Moritz and family; Mr. and Mrs.
L. S. Bell and family; Vic Beeck and Mr. Sexton; Mrs. Gus Beeck; Mr. and Mrs.
J. Butterworth; Mr. and Mrs. R. S. Bell; Mr. and Mrs. G. Edwin Beeck; Mr. and
Mrs. A. H. Beeck; Mr. and Mrs. J. Cornelius and sons and Mr. F. Cronin; Mr. and
Mrs. J. Dinwoodie.
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Gwynne and family; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Green; Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Haddleton; Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Haynes, Mr. and Mrs. F. Higman; Mr. and Mrs. H. Kippin and family; Mr. and Mrs. G. T. Mader; Mr. and Mrs. L. McLeod and family; Mr. and Mrs. Meharry and family; Mr. and Mrs. Prosser and family; Directors of Richardson and Co. Ltd; Richardson and Co., Woodanilling; S. and J. Redshaw; The Schubert family; J. and V. Squiers; Mr. and Mrs. C. Severin and Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Severin; Mr. and Mrs. O. A. Terlick and family; Ted, Hetty and family; Mrs. F. L. Wood and family; Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Washington, Ern, Ken and Grace; the Woodanilling Road Board; Mr., and Mrs. F. B. Wilson and family.
Funeral arrangements were in the hands of Mr. John Squiers.
Hilda May Wilhelm
Sad Shooting Fatality.
Tambellup Times
23 November, 1912
A shooting fatality occurred near Woodanilling on Monday, when a young girl named Hilda May Wilhelm, 15 years of age, met her death through being shot with a pea rifle. The full circumstances of the case will not be known till after the date of holding of the inquest. It appears, however, that at about 6 o’clock on Monday evening Mrs. Wilhelm heard a shot and the cry “Oh! Mother,” and rushing into the girl’s room she found her laying across the bed.
Dr. Holland was summoned from Katanning and found that the unfortunate girl had been shot through the heart. She never spoke after Mrs. Wilhelm found her.
An inquest was opened at Katanning on Tuesday before Mr. F. M. Gare (acting Coroner) and Messrs. Jas. Moylan (foreman), E. Gilbert and J. Barkley. After the body had been viewed an adjournment was made till Thursday, 28th inst.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm are grief stricken, and much sympathy is felt for them in their sad bereavement.
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