Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

William Frederick Dempster was born in Queenstown, SA on the 11th April 1881, the son of George Wafford Dempster and Helen Wylie Caithness Begg. William was baptised at St Pauls, Port Adelaide on the 11th October 1882. George and Helen lived at High Street, Queenstown.

William’s father, George Wafford Dempster and his grandfather, James E Dempster were both solicitors at Port Adelaide. The firm was the oldest law firm in Port Adelaide and traded under names including Dempster, Webb and Dempster and later Dempster & Dempster. William’s mother was the daughter of Port Adelaide identity Captain William Begg who along with Capt. Legoe founded the South Australian Stevedore Coy.

William’s siblings were Edwin Wafford (b 1879), George Percy (b 1882), Ella May (b 1883), Isabel Caithness (1887) and Helen Begg (b 1893).

In April 1896, aged 15 William became member number 3857 of the ‘Adelaide Observer’ newspaper’s Children's’ Column (his birth date being incorrectly recorded as 11-4-’82).

In the 1897/98 cricket season, William played for Queenstown in the Boys’ Association.

Schooling

From 1897 to 1900 and again in 1902 William attended St Peter’s College. Adelaide.

He passed the Preliminary Examinations in September 1898.

William played Inter-collegiate football for St Peter’s College against Prince Alfred College in June 1898 and June 1899.

He also played for the Present St Peter’s Boys in a match against Past students in 1898.

In 1900 and 1901 he played football for Alberton in the Port Adelaide and Suburban Junior Association.

It is not clear why William is not recorded as attending St Peter’s College in 1901. He does not appear in the list of players who played Intercollegiate Football in 1901 and he did not pass any Senior Examinations in December 1901.

In March 1902, William passed the Senior Examination in Arithmetic and Algebra (tutor Mr Hollidge).

In 1902 William returned to St Peter’s and played Inter-collegiate football for St Peter’s College in June 1902 (see team photo below).

In December 1902 he passed the Senior Examination in Geometry.

In March 1903 he passed the Senior Examinations in English Literature and Physical Geography and Geology (private tuition).

Early Career

It is unclear when William commenced as an articled clerk with his father’s firm. The firm undertook civil, criminal, shipping and conveyancing work.

In 1903 William represented St Peter’s Past scholars in the Past versus Present match.

William’s mother, Helen Wylie Caithness Dempster, nee Begg passed away on the 31st Oct 1909, at Queenstown, SA, aged 50 years. She was buried at the Cheltenham Cemetery, SA.

An item in the “ Port Adelaide News’, 13 April 1917 states that William completed his articles just prior to the outbreak of WWI (however it also stated that William was the third son of George and Helen after Edwin and Percy when he was in fact older than Percy).

Port Adelaide Football Club

William played League football for Port Adelaide in 1904 and 1905. He played 10 matches, the first being on the 2nd July 1904 and he scored four goals in that match. He scored 12 goals in his career at Port Adelaide. William was member of the Port Adelaide 1904 Grand Final team which lost to Norwood. He played in the forward lines in the grand final and his brother, George Percy Dempster played in the back lines (Port Adelaide, 1904-12, 78 games and two premierships).

William's Brother, George also represented South Australia in 1905 and Captained Port Adelaide in 1911.


Adelaide University

William studied Law at the University of Adelaide from 1904 to 1913. He does not appear to have ever graduated or completed The Final Certificate in Law.

Adelaide University Sport

Football

William first played football for Adelaide University in a match against a Combined Colleges side played in August 1904 and in 1905 he played in the Adelaide University match against Wesley College (Melbourne). It was about this time that Adelaide University first proposed that they should have a team in the South Australian Football Association (SAFA forerunner of the SANFL)), identifying that many of their students were already fine league players and could put together a formidable side.

William was selected for the first Intervarsity match against Melbourne University in 1904 but was unable to play due to his football commitments with Port Adelaide.

William was able to play in the 1905 Intervarsity match played at the MCG.

Following the knock back to have a University team in the SAFA, William showed loyalty to his fellow students and decided to play football for Adelaide University in the Adelaide and Suburban Association in 1906. This year marked the true formation Adelaide University Football Club and admission as a member of the Adelaide University Sports Association.

World War I

William enlisted in the AIF on the 9th March 1916 as a member of the 14th Reinforcements for the 27th Battalion. He was 34 years old, 5’6½” and weighed 131lbs. He had a medium complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. His trade on enlistment was classified as a Law Clerk and he appears on the Supreme Court Honour Board as a ‘Student of Law’.

William embarked at Adelaide for overseas on the 12th August 1916 aboard the HMAT ‘Ballarat’. He joined the 27th Battalion on 28 December 1916. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 21 October 1916. William served in France and Belgium. He suffered badly from Chronic Rheumatism during most of his service due to the winter of 1916.

Tragically for the Dempster family, William’s father, George Wafford Dempster, passed away at his residence Grosvenor House, Queenstown, in October 1918, aged 65 years, and was buried at the Cheltenham Cemetery.

William was invalided back to Australia aboard the Saxon, disembarking on 13 February 1919. His appointment in the AIF was terminated on 24 February 1919.

Career and Family Life

William returned to work at Dempster & Dempster. The firm was taken over by R Horton Wallman, Solicitor from the 1st September 1919 with Mr W.F. Dempster as Managing Clerk. In November 1919, and April 1920, William was representing clients of Dempster & Dempster in court.

From the 1st July 1921 Dempster & Dempster was taken over by John Howard Vaughan, Kenneth Hainsworth Kirkman and Edgar Loveday Stevens, all of Adelaide, Solicitors ‘who will continue to carry on the same under the firm name of Dempster and Dempster at Lipson Street Port Adelaide in addition to practising at Adelaide under the firm name of Vaughan Kirkman and Stevens as heretofore.’

From June 1922 the practice “Dempster & Dempster”, Lipson St, Port Adelaide was discontinued.

From November 1922 William worked as a clerk for Frank Seymour Smith, solicitor. William witnessed a document for Herbert John Wilson at Port Adelaide in February 1923. Unfortunately, Frank Seymour Smith ‘had had great domestic worries on account of sickness and death in his family and as a result he sought relief in drink and neglected his practice.’ As a result he was struck off the roll on the 9th July 1923.

In August 1924 William was charged with ‘fraudulent conversion’ of a sum of money on the 23 August 1923, the charges were related to William’s services as a clerk with Seymour Smith and the charges were abandoned in September 1924.

Then for a second time in 1924, William was charged with fraudulent conversion. He was found guilty by the jury but during sentencing, his lawyer Arthur Blackburn (a Victoria Cross winner in WW1 with the 10th Battalion) brought to the courts attention that a member of the jury had not been sworn in meaning that no legal trial had taken place. A new jury was empanelled but this time William did not give sworn evidence but rather just made a statement. The new jury came back with a not guilty verdict.

South Australian Electoral Rolls to 1927 show William’s address as High Street, Queenstown.

In May 1929 William unsuccessfully tried to sue Frank Seymour Smith for £184. The sum being made up of a promised share of the profits of Seymour Smith’s business, money paid by William on Seymour Smith’s behalf and money lent by William to Seymour Smith. Seymour Smith claimed that he was not indebted to William, and William, who had claimed on the basis of ‘oral agreements’ could not prove his case.

When the 1929 case was held, William was described as a clerk, of Oakington Street, Torrensville. South Australian Electoral Rolls in 1930 and 1931 show William’s address as 4 Oakington Street, Torrensville and his occupation was clerk.

Apart from the court case in 1929, nothing further is known about William’s life and work from 1925 – 1938. However it is possible that William was the W Dempster who was a trainer for the Semaphore Central Football Club in 1936 and 1937.

On the 27th August 1938, William married Clara Richmond Chambers, the only daughter of the late Mr and Mrs W Chambers, at St Cuthbert’s Church, Prospect Road, Prospect.

Clara was born on the 26th January 1890, at Unley Park, SA and was 48 at the time of her marriage. William was aged 57. The couple lived at 1 Fitzroy Terrace, Prospect (Thorngate), on the corner of Fitzroy Terrace and Main North Road, the former home of Clara’s parents.

Clara was actively involved in fundraising for the RSPCA. In June 1940 Clara made an interest free War Loan of £750.

Sadly for William, his marriage lasted less than four years, as Clara passed away suddenly at her residence at 1 Fitzroy Terrace, Thorngate on the 9th May 1942, aged 52. Clara was buried at the North Road Cemetery, Nailsworth.

Electoral Rolls from 1939 to 1955 record William’s residential address as 1 Fitzroy Terrace and his occupation as salesman.

Death

William died in Adelaide on the 3rd September 1957. His last abode was a Prospect. He was buried with Clara at the North Road Cemetery, Nailsworth.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.