WALTER JOHN (JACK) BUSWELL (1871 - 1930)
Jack was the son of Joseph Buswell who came to Western Australia as a convict. Joseph’s biography has been written by Bunbury historian Jeff Pierce and can be found on his Convicts of the South West Website (link).
Jack was born in Bunbury in 1871 and was the sixth son in the Buswell family (reference). He attended the Arthur Street Primary School at the same time as Sir Newton Moore (reference)
He began his own mixed business which had several arms. He sold various items such as firewood, explosives and building materials (reference). He was also a contractor and built up that side of the business until he had 20 carting teams employed and works extending throughout the South West. (reference). He was also contracted by the Bunbury council several times for street laying (reference). He established what became Glen Iris Brickworks which, at the time, had a capacity equal to any in Western Australia and at one point owned and operated the only steam laundry in the south west (reference, reference). As well, Jack was a horse dealer and imported consignments of heavy work horses from the Eastern States for use in timber mills (reference).
Mr Buswell was very involved in the community. He was elected to the Bunbury Council in 1907 and served for several years (reference, reference). In 1916, Jack declared he was standing for Parliament as the Liberal candidate for the Lower House but later withdrew before the election (reference, reference). He was a very good speaker as was noted by the Bunbury Herald when reporting on a campaign speech for the Council:
“ The South Bunbury ratepayers thoroughly enjoyed the address given by Mr. Jack Buswell on Municipal affairs on Wednesday night. 'Jack' delivered the goods in his usual racy and vigorous style and should romp home by streets on polling day.” (reference).
He was also a prolific writer of letters to the local papers on many different subjects. in one letter about a visit by Federal politicians, he reprimanded the organisers for having a venue that only sat 50 people and reminded them
“There are many men here who wear dungaree and felt, instead of cutaway coats and beavers, who take as much interest in politics as the chosen few,” (reference).
In another letter, when accepting an open challenge by Mr Hastie to a tug of war after Mr Hastie had changed the rules to say only people with the same family name could compete, Jack took a quite advanced feminist stance for the time and replied
“You see, some old families were fortunate to have daughters as well as sons. Mr. Hastie evidently now wishes to bar any children of these daughters! Is it because in his family there were no daughters?” (reference).
In 1917, Jack was a passenger on the first Trans-Australian train from West to East and promised to write to everyone about his journey (reference). As promised, he wrote a lengthy letter going into a lot of detail about the trip which was published in the Bunbury Herald (reference).
Jack was a member of the Church of England and was active in fundraising for a church to be built in East Bunbury (reference). He was also a member of the Independent Order of Rechabites and was at one stage the Chief Ruler of the Bunbury Branch (reference).
In his youth, Jack played association football for a local team named “Garfield” and was on the inaugural committee for that club in 1896 (reference). In 1907, Jack tried his hand at bowls at the official opening of the Bunbury Bowling Green and it was reported, he “took to the game with the facility of a duck to water, and helped the win at his rink with many a well played shot” (reference).
Jack died in May,1930, after a protracted illness and just 7 months after the death of his wife Emma. He was 59 years old.
Family
Jack married Emma Elliott in 1893 and together they had four daughters and two sons (reference).
Eliza also known as Kitty (b. 1893) married Charles Combs; Elliot also known as Peter (b. 1895) married Lily Oliver (reference); (Hannah (b.1896)who married John Affleck; Daisy (b.1898) married Alfred Gardiner (reference); Jack (b. 1900) married Stella Fitzpatrick (reference); and Rachel (b.1910) married Stewart Hood (reference).
Elliot (Pete) Buswell enrolled for service in January, 1915 and disembarked on the 15th February, 1915. He first served with the 16th Battalion 4th Reinforcement at Gallipoli (reference). After the Battalion was reorganised, he served with the 4th Brigade in France and was one of the few that survived the Battle of Bullecourt (reference). Elliot was promoted to Lieutenant Corporal and in 1917, he was awarded a military medal for bravery on the field (reference). He married his wife Lily in England on 18th March, 1919 while still in service and returned to Australia in June of the same year (reference, reference). Elliot’s First World War full service movements are listed on Anzac Heroes.
Researched by Gaye Englund for the Museum of Perth