Frederick Smyth (later used the spelling Smythe) Willis (1866 – 30 October 1910) was a British-born Australian municipal official who served as an

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

and as mayor of Willoughby,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, and in his professional capacity as a public accountant served as a founding member, and first honourable

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

, of the Corporation of Accountants of Australia.

Early life and education

The son of Robert Willis, J.P., an

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

graduate,

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

Captain and farmer on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

, Frederick's grandfather was the colonial judge

John Walpole Willis John Walpole Willis (4 January 1793 – 10 September 1877) was a British judge of Upper Canada, British Guiana (as acting Chief Justice), the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and resident judge at Port Phillip, Melbourne. Early life The s ...

, younger brother of the clergyman and theologian

William Downes Willis William Downes Willis (9 September 1790 – 22 October 1871) was a British clergyman, theologian, and author on religious subjects. Early life and education Willis was the son of William Willis and Mary, daughter of landowner Robert Hamilton Smy ...

.Plantagenet Roll of the Blood Royal, The Clarence Volume, vol. I, Marquis de Ruvigny, 1905, pg. 83-4 Following the family's arrival in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, where his father bought farms and became an

agriculturist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the U ...

, also serving as a local government official, Frederick was educated at

Christ's College, Christchurch Christ's College, Canterbury is an independent Anglican secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand. Founded in 1850 by Reverend Henry Jacobs in Lyttelton as a school for early settlers, ...

, in Condell's house, from 1880 to 1882.

Career

With his elder brother, William, Frederick went to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, where he settled at

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and entered public accountancy, eventually becoming senior partner in Frederick S. Willis & Company, public accountants. Working as a liquidator for Wilson & Harriott, solicitors, Willis was also the provisional manager of the Mount Werong Mining Company, as well as several other companies. In 1905, Willis played an integral role as one of the founding members of the Corporation of Accountants of Australia (now the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia), and was elected honourable treasurer. He was subsequently re-elected to the position. The organisation had the aim of providing 'a special organisation for Accountants and Auditors, and to do all such things as from time to time may be necessary to elevate the status and advance the interests of the profession.'

Personal life

Willis married Mary, the youngest daughter of Rev. David Bruce, D.D., of

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

and Sydney, on 5 October 1892. They had a daughter, Mary. A resident of Willoughby, Sydney, Willis served from 1896 to 1902 as an alderman, and as mayor in 1901. He was also a justice of the peace. He was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, like his father and several brothers, serving as

Worshipful Master In Craft Freemasonry, sometimes known as Blue Lodge Freemasonry, every Masonic lodge elects or appoints Masonic lodge officers to execute the necessary functions of the lodge's life and work. The precise list of such offices may vary between the j ...

of Lodge Ionic and of Lodge Kuring-gai. In 1910, whilst visiting family in New Zealand, Willis died following a tram accident on 10 October in

Grey Lynn Grey Lynn is an inner suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located to the west of the city centre. Originally a separate borough, Grey Lynn amalgamated with Auckland City in 1914. Grey Lynn is centred on Grey Lynn Park, which was not part of the ...

, in which he was initially thought to have suffered only minor injuries. Probate was granted in April 1911, and his estate with a net value of just over £19,000 (equivalent to over £2 million in 2022) was bequeathed to his widow and daughter. His wife's sister, Jessie Sinclair Bruce, married the politician, social reformer and medical practitioner Richard Arthur. His nephew was the engineer and archaeologist Leslie R. H. Willis; a niece,

Jean Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...

, was an

alpine plant Alpine plants are plants that grow in an alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. There are many different plant species and taxa that grow as a plant community in these alpine tundra. These include perennial grasses, ...

cultivator and genealogist, and wife of the botanist

Charles Ethelbert Foweraker Charles Ethelbert Foweraker (1886- 24 March 1964) was a New Zealand botanist, forester, and academic, primarily focused on mountain plants and rainforests in New Zealand. Early life and education Foweraker was born at Waimate, South Canterbury, Ne ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Frederick Smythe 1866 births 1910 deaths People educated at Christ's College, Christchurch Australian accountants Businesspeople from New South Wales Mayors of places in New South Wales 19th-century Australian businesspeople October 1910 events Transport disasters in New Zealand Railway accident deaths in New Zealand Railway accidents in 1910 1910 in New Zealand 1910 disasters in New Zealand British emigrants to Australia