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WILLIAM WONSON - William was born abt 1809/1810 in Bickleigh near Exeter, Devon England to parents Joseph WONSON and Mary (CHUBB).
He arrived in Sydney, Australia on 30th August 1840, aged 31 years. Accompanying him on the 4 month journey was his wife Elizabeth aged 30 years and four children ranging in ages from 10 months to 8 years. The family had sailed as Bounty Immigrants aboard the sailing ship 'MARY ANNE'.
The Sydney Morning Herald (pub 31 August 1840) described the arrival of the 'Mary Anne' as follows :
"From London yesterday, having left Plymouth the 18th of May, the barque Mary Anne, Capt Bolton, with 270 bounty immigrants. Surgeon Superintendent, Ernest Elliott Esq. Passengers, Mr Marsh and Mr O'Sullivan, the Rev Mr Thompson and lady."
The WONSON family settled in the East Bargo area (now known as Wilton) of New South Wales and raised another seven children, they farmed the land, raised cattle and some spent time on the Bendigo gold fields. In 1850 William leased an 800 acre property at East Bargo, known as 'Broughton Park', from John Archer Broughton for a term of 11 years with a yearly rent of £25.
He eventually purchased this property in 1856 for a sum of £1,250.
William was well known for the large rabbit warren that he kept on his property. He would place advertisements in the newspapers of the day advising the public of :
“Rabbit Shooting on the Broughton Park Estate for gentlemen, at One Shilling per shot and take the rabbits they kill. Parties requiring live rabbits can have them at Three Shillings per pair.
W Wonson Broughton Park, Wilton"
At other times he would advertise : “to prevent disappointment, I beg to inform the public that I do not intend to have any Rabbits SHOT on my estate this season, having made arrangements for trapping them. William Wonson, Broughton Park.”
In 1868, the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria’s second son, visited Broughton Park to partake in some rabbit shooting during his visit to Australia: “His Royal Highness afterwards drove to Mr. Wonson’s rabbit warren, where he amused himself, for some time, rabbit shooting, in which he was particularly successful.”
Also in 1868 William donated land to be used in the establishment of a Public School at Wilton and in September of 1868 he was appointed to the Wilton Public School Board along with Mr. R L Jenkins and Mr. J D Badham.
Tenders for the erection and completion of a Public School and teachers residence, “to be built of stone according to amended plans and specifications”, at Wilton were advertised for in December 1868 and April 1869.
The foundation stone of the new Public School was laid at a ceremony on the 10 July 1871 where it was reported that :
“Mr. Wonson of Broughton Park, East Bargo has been exerting himself since the passing of the Public Schools Act to get the benefits of this Act extended to Wilton and by his exertions he has been enabled to raise the necessary funds by private subscription to claim the subsidy granted by the Act – he himself giving the land upon which the school is to be erected, in addition to other contributions and services to the cause.”
At the end of the ceremony "three cheers were proposed for the Queen and three cheers were given to Mr. Wonson", who was reported as : “perhaps the oldest resident in the district”.
The Wilton Public School closed in 1948 due to the diminishing number of attendees.
In February 1880 work began on the Upper Nepean Water Supply Scheme, which would supply Metropolitan Sydney with drinking water by the construction of a series of weirs on the Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon & Nepean rivers with tunnels, canals & aqueducts diverting this water via gravity into the Prospect Reservoir.
The Nepean Tunnel which began at the junction of the Upper Nepean & Cordeaux Rivers, at a place known as Pheasants Nest, passed under the lands of William Wonson Sen., Joseph Wonson, William Wonson Jun., George Mulholland, Patrick Moore, Mrs. Wm Mullholland, Dr R L Jenkins & James Tyson and passed “at its greatest depth of 424 feet (approx 130 metres) beneath Wonson's Hill” at Wilton to exit at the Cataract River at Broughton’s Pass.
In 1885 the Governor of New South Wales by the power of the “Lands for Public Purposes Acquisition Act” declared that “the land hereinafter described has been resumed for the public purpose for and in connection with the supply of water to the said City of Sydney and its suburbs :-
All that place or parcel of land situate in the parish of Wilton, county of Camden and colony of New South Wales, being part of a grant of 800 acres to Wm Broughton (now Wm. Wonson's) : Commencing on the southern side of land used for the purpose of the Sydney Water Supply, at a point bearing north 89 degrees east, and distant 10 chains 19 links from the south-west corner of lot 4 (Containing 86? acres, 8? roods and 3 perches) of a subdivision of the Rev. D. Power’s 646 acres….,.etc., etc…., to the point of commencement containing 5 acres, 2 roods and 9 perches or thereabouts and said to be in the possession and occupation of William Wonson, senior.”
The Upper Nepean Scheme was completed in 1888 and is still in use today. The land resumed from William’s Broughton Park property now forms part of Sydney Water's Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment area.
William died on 23rd December 1882 aged 73 years, Elizabeth died 1st May 1887 aged 76 years. Both are buried in the St Lukes Church of England graveyard in Wilton, New South Wales.
After Williams death in 1882 the Broughton Park property and land allotments within the Wilton area, along with eight properties, with houses erected on each, at Granville (near Parramatta) were divided amongst his wife and children. Land owned by William located at the Newington Estate (also near Parramatta) was to be sold at auction as 3 three acre allotments in 1883, the proceeds arising from the sale were to be then distributed equally among his children.
Descendants of William and Elizabeth WONSON now number in the hundreds with some still living in the Wilton area today. More
ALBERT MONDY WONSON - Albert was born abt 1867 in Bradninch, Devon England to parents William WONSON and Emma (MONDY).
He arrived in Victoria, Australia in January 1887 aboard the sailing ship 'SALIER' aged 20 years.
He spent time in Sydney employed as a Coachman, where he married Ada HOPKINS in 1894. He served from April 1901 as a Farrier Sergeant with the 3rd NSW Mounted Rifles during the Boer War, returning to Australia in March 1902.
On August 4 1902 he departed Sydney aboard the steamship 'SOUOWA', arriving in San Francisco, California USA on August 25 1902.
In 1910 Albert was residing in Burlingame, San Mateo California and was employed as a Foreman at a stock farm. Records indicate that he travelled frequently between America and England, eventually locating to Canada (Date unknown).
Albert died on 3rd February 1945 in British Columbia aged 78 years and is buried in the Ross Bay Cemetery Victoria, British Columbia.
Today his descendants are scattered throughout Eastern Australia and number less than fifteen. More
HENRY MONDY WONSON - Henry was born abt 1859 in Bradninch, Devon England. He is the 2nd eldest son of William WONSON and Emma (MONDY) and older brother to Albert Mondy WONSON.
In the 1871 UK Census Henry aged 11 years, is listed with the household of his uncle William MONDY at Langford, Cullumpton Devon.
On December 14 1877 Henry arrived at the Port of Maryborough, Queensland Australia as a 'unassisted traveller' aboard the sailing ship 'SARACA'. The Saraca had departed Greenock, Scotland on 26 August 1877.
In 1880 Henry was employed as assistant to Mr Booker, Butcher, of Maryborough Queensland. He was last heard of in 1887 at the Croydon goldfields in North Queensland.
No further details are known about Henry at this time, but research is continuing. More
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