Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Allan Moore Wilson was born on January 20, 1894, the eldest son of the late Thomas Allan and Evelyn Cowled Wilson. He had one brother Malcolm and a sister Marian. He received most of his education at the Lower Broughton school near where his parents owned a farm at Butlers Bridge, nine miles south of Port Pirie.

In 1909 when he was 15 years of age the family moved to the Cowell district where they purchased land in the Hundred of Miltalie. This much larger holding involved a lot of hard work and very little money, but he continued to work with his father until 1916 when Moore enlisted with the A.I.F.

Moore saw active service in France and Belgium, serving with the 50th Infantry Battalion. He was awarded a Military Medal for bravery after the battle at Villiers Bretonneux and finished his army service in 1919 as a commissioned officer with the rank of lieutenant.

When he returned to civilian life the parents handed the farm over to their son Moore, and on April 14, 1921, he married Annie Irene Barrett at the Cowell Methodist Church. Three children resulted from the marriage, Joyce (Mrs. Russell Turner), Allan and Dudley. Their farm life took them through the depression of the late twenties and early thirties as well as the more successful and prosperous years that followed, and in 1959 after leaving the farm to be carried on by his son Allan, they retired to live at Gawler.

Shortly after his wife died on December 10,1964, Moore moved to the metropolitan area, and after he married Millie Pike in 1970 they lived in the suburb of Netherby until deciding to move into the "Resthaven" home at Malvern, and it was here that Moore passed away on February 22, 1985, at the age of 91 years.

Moore Wilson was associated with most organisations during the years he lived in the district of Miltalie and Cowell. He was a playing member of the Rovers Football Club, and then well remembered as the club's gatekeeper — a pleasant and conscientious official. (The annual ANZAC medal, awarded at the football game played between Cowell and visitors, on ANZAC Day is named in his honour).

Coorabie Rifle Club, Miltalie Agriculture Bureau, Miltalie Hall, Coolanie Recreation Ground and Franklin Harbour Show Society were other organisations with which he was not only officially involved but was willing to work when help was needed.

During the 1939-45 war he was an instructor for the local Voluntary Defence Corps, besides fulfilling the duties of a recruiting officer — for enlistments at Cowell, Lock and Kimba. He was a foundation member of the RSL and received a life membership badge in 1957 for services rendered.

He was credited with 60 years of service to the Masonic Lodge, receiving his 50 years jewel in 1971 and a bar after each further five years. When the Franklin Harbour Lodge held its 50th jubilee he presented to that lodge the mosaic pavements within its building.

The Methodist (Uniting) Church had a special place in Moore Wilson's life, and he was accepted as an accredited lay preacher at an early age, besides being a Sunday School superintendent at Miltalie and Coolanie.

from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/276090279?searchTerm=Allan%20Moore%20Wilson
Obituary – Death of Cowell district pioneer