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 jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...

and as mayor of Willoughby,

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

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

treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

, of the Corporation of Accountants of Australia.

Early life and education

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

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

graduate,

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

Captain and farmer on the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

, 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 () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, where his father bought farms and became an

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

, 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, t ...

, 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 country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, where he settled at

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

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 ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

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 (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, 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 t ...

, 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 * J ...

, 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 taxon, taxa that grow as a plant community in these alpine tundra. These include perennial g ...

cultivator and genealogist, and wife of the botanist Charles Ethelbert Foweraker.

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 Transport disasters in New Zealand Railway accident deaths in New Zealand British emigrants to Australia