Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Death of Rev. R. Williams
Rev. Robert Williams. President of the Methodist Conference of Victoria and Tasmania, died yesterday morning in a private hospital after an illness. For the past four years Mr. Williams had been minister of the Oxley Road church, Auburn.

One of a family of ten children, he was born in Shropshire, England. He came to Australia in 1888 at the age of eight years. In 1904 he was nominated for them ministry and entered Queen's College, Melbourne University, under the late Dr. Sugden. It was in 1906 that he was appointed to Neerim for his first ministry. For two years subsequently he was assistant home mission secretary to Rev. A. Holden. Circuits in which he served included Albert Park, Ballarat. Warnambool, Mildura, South Melbourne, Elsternwick and Hobart. In five of his eight circuits he served the full five years' term in each. 

Mr. Williams was conference secretary last year. On his appointment to the presidency early this year it was said that he came to the position not as a scholar or social reformer, but as a circuit minister. A keen gardener, he recently won the blue ribbon In- the delphinium section of the Canterbury horticultural show. Mr. Williams leaves a widow and three daughters. The funeral will take place tomorrow to Burwood Cemetery after a service at Oxley Road church beginning at 2 p.m. 

The Age Monday 02 October 1944 page 3