Charles Willcox (15 September 1843 – 7 September 1921) was an Australian businessman and politician. He was Mayor of Adelaide from 1892 to 1894, was briefly a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for

Gumeracha Gumeracha ( ) is a town in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, located on the Adelaide-Mannum Road. It is located in the Adelaide Hills Council local government area on the south bank of the upper River Torrens. At the 2006 census, Gumeracha ...

in 1896, and was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council for North-Eastern District from 1897 to 1902.

Early years

He was born at Burrowbridge on the

River Parrett The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to it ...

in Somerset, where he was educated, before sailing to South Australia in 1863 in the ''Adamant'' at the age of 18. For a time he resided in the south-east of South Australia and worked on the land, then for the wholesale merchants Goode Brothers in Adelaide.

Businessman

In 1873 he joined with one William Gilbert to form Gilbert, Willcox and Co., hay and corn merchants in Tynte Street, North Adelaide. Ten years later he bought out Gilbert and continued business as Charles Willcox and Co. then bought into and took over several other businesses. In 1886, he and W. Everard bought the Payneham and Paradise Tram Company then in 1896 the Goodwood and Clarence Park tramways. These were taken over by the Government to form the Municipal Tramways Trust for the purpose of electrification. He was a director of several steamship companies which were taken over around 1915 by Adelaide Steamship Company, of which he was to remain a director until he died. Around 1886 he helped

Job Hallett J. Hallett and Son, founded in 1904, was for most of the 20th century South Australia's most important brickmaking firm. Founded by Job H. Hallett in 1889, his son Thomas Hallett became a partner in 1904. There were several sites across Adelaid ...

found the brickmaking firm that in 1904 became J. Hallett and Son. In 1901 he took over the produce firm of W. Thyer and Co. and continued trading as Thyer, Willcox and Co. He also had interests in farming at Mallala and Two Wells, fruit-growing at Renmark and Berri, the Terowie Mill, the Adelaide (Queen Victoria) Jubilee Exhibition of 1887, the YMCA, the North Adelaide Institute, and John Hill & Co.

Politician

He was elected to the Adelaide City Council for the Robe ward in 1882, became alderman, and was elected mayor by the narrowest of majorities against alderman Sketheway in 1892, a position he held for two years. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in the seat of Gumeracha, but resigned after objections that he was a government contractor. In 1896 he was elected to North-Eastern District for the Legislative Council.

Family and community

He helped found the Adelaide

Y.M.C.A. YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

, of which he was for many years a committee member, also of the Royal Institute for the Blind and Home for Incurables. He was also a prominent member of the Tynte Street Baptist Church. He married twice and was survived by a widow, six sons and five daughters. *His eldest son, Frank May Willcox (d. 6 September 1946) was a prominent medical practitioner who trained and practised in both Edinburgh and Adelaide. *Mr. S. Willcox lived at Two Wells *Alan May Willcox of Two Wells and Salisbury. *H.G. Willcox of

Robe Terrace Adelaide has two city ring routes, that loop around the Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide, known as the Inner and Outer Ring Routes. Inner ring route The Inner Ring Route is a collection of major roads signposted as state route R1 (was A ...

, Medindie was at one time a director of the Littlehampton Brick Co. Ltd. *Percy Howard Willcox lived at

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

and Medindie. *Charles Angas Willcox lived at Fitzroy The surviving daughters were: *Mrs. G. Hillman of

Prospect Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (mining ...

*Mrs. R.W. Thomas of Brisbane *Mrs. Malcolm P. Reid of

Toorak Toorak may refer to: * Toorak, Victoria, an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne *Toorak College, Mount Eliza, approximately 40 km south of Melbourne * Toorak Gardens, South Australia, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide initially named Toorak * ...

*Miss Patrica Kathleen Murie Willcox of Prospect and London *Miss Irene Phyllis Willcox of Fitzroy and London

Sources

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willcox, Charles 1844 births 1921 deaths Members of the South Australian Legislative Council Mayors and Lord Mayors of Adelaide People from Somerset YMCA leaders