William Birkinshaw Wilkinson (23 May 1854 – 11 January 1927), commonly referred to as W. B. Wilkinson, was a

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

n businessman, a member of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

History

Born and educated in England, Wilkinson emigrated from

Pendleton Pendleton may refer to: Places ;United Kingdom *Pendleton, Lancashire, England *Pendleton, Greater Manchester, England ;United States *Pendleton, Indiana * Pendleton, Missouri *Pendleton, New York *Pendleton, Oregon *Pendleton, South Carolina *Pe ...

City of Salford The City of Salford () is a metropolitan borough within Greater Manchester, England. The borough is named after its main settlement, Salford. The borough covers the towns of Eccles, Swinton, Walkden and Pendlebury, as well as the villages ...

to South Australia around 1875 after his doctor ordered him to seek a warmer climate. On arrival, he found employment with the

National Bank of Australasia The National Bank of Australasia was a bank based in Melbourne. It was established in 1858, and in 1982 merged with the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney to form National Australia Bank. History In 1858, Alexander Gibb, a Melbourne gentlema ...

, and a year later joined John Francis Davey in founding Davey & Wilkinson of Redhill and Crystal Brook. After three years, Davey retired and the firm became part of Ferry, Moore, and Wilkinson. In 1879 Wilkinson moved to Adelaide to manage the company's head office. He embarked on a world tour between 1882 and 1884, and on his return became senior partner in a firm titled Wilkinson, Harrison, & Porter with Walter Harrison and W. Hedley R. Porter, whom he knew from his days with the National Bank. In 1895 he left for London, where he stayed for six years, running the firm's London office. He founded the Australasian Club in London, and became its chairman. Health failing, he returned to Adelaide, joined the Stock Exchange, and started a real estate business, which became Wilkinson, Sando, and Wyles, Limited. He retired in 1922. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society while in England, and was the sole surviving member of the original council of the South Australian branch. He was also a member of the council and a past President. Up to the time of his retirement 1922, Wilkinson had held the following offices at various times:— *councillor for Robe ward, in the

Adelaide City Council The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council is a local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia and is legally defined as the capital city of Sout ...

*president of the General Employers Union *president and a founder the Licensed Land Brokers and Auctioneer' Association *president and a founder of the North Adelaide branch of the Liberal Union *member of the Board of Governors of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery *chairman and trustee of the Kindergarten Union *member of the executive and past chairman of St. John Ambulance Association *founder, past President, and member of the executive of the Commonwealth Club of Adelaide *member of the executive and honorary treasurer of the Queen's Home *founder and member of the executive of the Town Planning Association During the war Wilkinson held the offices of president of the North Adelaide circle of the Australian Division (men's section) of the British Red Cross Society and president of the Men's Tobacco Auxiliary (South Australian division) of the

Australian Comforts Fund Australian Comforts Fund (ACF) was an Australian umbrella organisation for voluntary bodies set up after the outbreak of World War I. Many men and women worked at the ACF, including Alice Berry and Cyril Docker in WW2. World War I The Australi ...

. He died at his home at 61 Molesworth Street, North Adelaide.

Recognition

Wilkinson Lane, Beulah Park was named for him (his company subdivided part of section 288 in 1914).

Family

On 4 August 1886 W. B. Wilkinson married Emily Jane Mathilde "Lily" Peterswald, a daughter of

William John Peterswald William John Peterswald was Commissioner of Police of the Colony of South Australia 1882–1896. Origins William John von Peterswald was born 28 November 1829 in Jamaica, West Indies, where his father, also named William, managed a large planta ...

(c. 1829 – 30 August 1896), ex-Commissioner of Police. Among their children were: *Keith Wilkinson *Ross Wilkinson *Irene de St. Croix Wilkinson married (Arden) Seymour Hawker of "Bungaree",

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 ...

on 20 July 1910, later lived at 51 Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, William Birkinshaw Australian real estate businesspeople Australian auctioneers Colony of South Australia people 1854 births 1927 deaths