Theophilus Williams (7 August 1824 – 26 June 1904) was an Australian businessman of
Welsh origin who served as mayor of
Ballarat East for three separate terms.
History
Williams was born in
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
, England, but grew up in
Loughor, in the west of
Glamorganshire. He received some formal education at the School of Three Crosses before being sent to work at
John Guest's iron works at
Dowlais, near
Merthyr Tydvil. While at the school attached to the factory his dexterity and mental agility were noticed by Lady Guest, who recommended him to Sir
Charles Barry, who put him to work on ornamental work on the new
Palace of Westminster.
When news of the great Australian gold discoveries reached London, he joined the rush, and arrived in
Ballarat in September 1853, and immediately set to work, with some success, and was on the goldfields at the time of the
Eureka Stockade and helped treat the injuries of some of the wounded. When the Local Court was established he was elected to the board set up to resolve disputes.
He purchased a large claim at Moorabool, a significant source of slate, which he leased to a mining company. In 1865 he was appointed manager of the Great Redan Extended Company, and in 1872 made manager of the Llanberris company.
In August 1876 he was elected to the Ballarat East council, a post he retained for many years. He was elected
mayor for the terms 1881–82, 1887–88, and 1894–95.
He served as the council representative on the Ballarat Water Commission for nine years, was a founder and committee member of the Mechanics' Institute, a founder of the original
Ballarat Eisteddfod and its secretary for the 1880 competitions. He was one of the original trustees, and a staunch adherent, of the Welsh Church in Armstrong Street, and a moderator of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Association of Victoria 1888–89.
[
In 1887 he was a founder of the Cambrian Society in Ballarat as a Welsh social, cultural and charitable organisation. It only survived a few years however; its name was revived in 1906 with the energetic Sebastopol Cambrian Society.
He retired from the council in August 1900.
Williams married Elizabeth (died 22 January 1908); they had a home, "Llanberris House", Dowling Street, Ballarat North. Their family included:
*eldest son Taliesin Williams (c. 1862 – 17 February 1901)]
Notes and references
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Theophilus
1824 births
1904 deaths
Mayors of Ballarat
19th-century mayors of places in Australia