Leeton Family and Local History Society looks at the story of two families in Leeton with the same last name, but no relation | March 2023 column

The families were not related, both had a son called William, both fathers had a first name starting with H and, remarkably, a child from each family would fall in love and marry each other. This is a short version of their story.

Henry Davidson Edwards was born in Merri Creek near Melbourne in 1852. As an adult he joined the Australian Post Office and worked in several NSW towns.

In 1885 he married Annie Kilroy, who was 13 years his junior, in the town of Temora. Annie was also born in Victoria in the village of Dunolly not too far from Maryborough. Henry and Annie had a good life and, with Henry's role in the post office, moved from town to town including Cowra, Hillston, Lake Cargelligo, Nymagee and Barmedman.

They would go onto have nine children, including Jessie Alice Edwards, who was born in Cowra in 1887.

Around 1915, Henry became aware of new opportunities in farming in the new town of Leeton and, after spending a lifetime in Australia Post, decided to turn his hand to that pursuit.

He obtained land at Farm 367 Leeton (near Wamoon) and became "... a fine judge of stock and took great interest in all matters affecting the land" with his wife and family all enjoying their new life.

However, tragedy was to strike.

Their son William Edwards, who was born in Lake Cargelligo in 1896, enlisted in the army in 1915 and was killed at Fleurs Bay France on July 19, 1916.

Then on September 12, 1917, Henry was at home on Farm 367 when he became very ill with indigestion and passed away soon after before a doctor could arrive.

Annie would continue to live her life in Leeton and passed away in 1940 at the age of 75. Both Henry and Annie are buried at Leeton Cemetery.

Meantime, Herbert Llewelyn Edwards, no relation to the other Edwards family, was born in England in 1885 and migrated to Australia at a young age.

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When WWI broke out, Herbert returned to England so he could enlist with the Imperial Army to do his bit for his mother country.

He too fought in France, and saw action in Ypres where he suffered terribly after being gassed and was also diagnosed with what was then called "shell shock".

He returned to Australia in 1919 and obtained immediate work in Leeton in the Lands Office of the Water Commission and Irrigation Commission.

Herbert enjoyed his new life in Leeton and met and fell in love with Jessie Alice Edwards, the daughter of Henry and Annie.

The couple were married in Narrandera in 1922 and were blessed with a son in 1923, and was christened William, probably in respect of Jessie's brother who by that time had been killed in France.

Herbert continued to suffer from poor health and when William or Bill, as he would later be known, was only four, Herbert passed away at the age of 41 following complications after an operation at Randwick Military Hospital.

Despite his father's absence William or Bill, would blossom as he grew older, and became dux of the school in 1940 at Leeton Intermediate High School, while also winning a sporting blue for cricket.

Bill became fascinated by planes and, in 1941, at the age of 18 enlisted in the Australian Airforce to assist in the war effort.

He learned the basics at Temora airfield before going to Canada to learn the art of becoming a fighter pilot.

At the age of 21 he was piloting a four engine Lancaster bomber with a crew of seven conducting forays into enemy territory on over 30 missions.

Having survived the war, Bill joined Qantas and, by 1954 at the age of 31, became a senior check pilot, training Qantas pilots before simulators came on board.

He became dissatisfied with pay and conditions with Qantas and he was elected the chairman of the Air Pilots Association in 1956. He led industrial action against Qantas in the mid 1960s and was one of the main organisers of the 27-day strike in 1966 which forced the airline to relent to their demands.

At the same time Qantas recognised Bill's attributes and good looks and he became the face of their full-page advertisements in the Sydney Morning Herald and the London Illustrated News.

Bill retired in 1977 after 32 years of service, having helped the company achieve its status as one of the world's premier airlines.

Bill married his wife Gwen in London in 1945 and had two children David and Penny. He died in Queensland in 2008.

His mother Jessie left Leeton in 1940 and died at Concord Hospital in 1973.

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