W.B. MORGAN Yet Another Proserpine Pioneer Of Interest

W B (Bill) Morgan came to the district in 1902. Initially he worked for farmers, Peter Nielsen and John Renwick, with a spell on cattle stations out west. In 1905, Bill Morgan started cane growing at Cannon Valley with brother, Norman. In 1910/11, along with cousins, P and G Morris, they established a larger farm at Conway/Preston.

The Morgan brothers’ house was impressive. When Annie Ware and Jim Stanley were to be married in 1911, a kitchen tea was held there.  A toast proposed to Bill as the evening’s host, referred to his “good citizenship” and noted how he “always took a leading part in anything that was for the good of the district.”

In 1912, as representative of the Ratepayers’ Union, Bill was elected as a shire councillor, holding that position until defeated in 1914. He also served on council in the mid 1930s, however was unsuccessful at his attempts to enter politics having been defeated in the 1936 Bowen by - election.

Bill Morgan was a delegate to the Mackay Convention which founded the United Canegrowers Association in Queensland (1914), helping draft its constitution and later representing Proserpine at several state conferences.  Bill also served twenty years as Branch Representative of the Farmer’s Executive on the Bowen Harbour Board. He was also one of the first directors of Proserpine Co-operative Dairying Co after its formation in 1922.  In 1926, he campaigned for the installation of a telephone system to the rural districts and by 1927 this was completed.

Bill was the driving force behind the building of the first district public hall at Preston in 1911.  Records show that, in May 1911, “Preston public hall trustees held a dance at Messrs Morgan Bros new residence at Cannon Valley to raise funds for the building.”  On the social side, together with other Conway people, he conducted the Conway Racing Club for five years and was also involved in the Preston Cricket Club.

In 1930, Bill gave up cane growing and relinquished most of his public positions to go in for cattle breeding.  He conducted a small butchering business until 1942 when, due to the shortage of cattle, war rationing and sickness, he was forced to close. Past locals recalled that Bill Morgan’s butcher shop at Rifle Range Road was a pretty rough establishment but did have a REGISTERED sign outside the shop.  The meat for sale was just chops and cuts as Bill used to shoot bush cattle and slaughter them. He also made a lot of items from green hide. When Bill closed his butchering business, he retired to his Grimstone Point property.

Old timers related many humorous tales about Bill such as the occasion when someone was eating roast meat bought from old Bill and bit on a shotgun pellet!  Then there was the time at Preston’s Fancy Dress Cricket Social when he dressed up as the Charles Dickens’ character, Bill Sykes, the burglar. Donning a black mask and armed with a sock half full of sand, he had to be carefully watched by all in attendance. One lady declared she had lost her watch and chain. Said items were still missing as the local aper went to press the following week! Could “Sykes” have been the culprit?

W B Morgan also turned his talents to writing and was the author of a supplement published in the “Proserpine Guardian” (December 1947) as part of the celebration of Proserpine’s Jubilee. Featuring a detailed account of 75 years of settlement and the valuable contributions of our district’s pioneers, it must have taken him countless hours to research and compile.

We are indebted to WB (Bill) Morgan for this comprehensive history and the absorbing detail about our early pioneers.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum.

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W B Morgan was involved in Preston Cricket Club. Photo supplied

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