S1724
HUNT, William Robert
| Service Number: | 2570 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 May 1915, Keswick, SA |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 52nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia, 11 July 1891 |
| Home Town: | Kent Town, Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Mount Gambier High School |
| Occupation: | Articled Law Clerk |
| Died: | 7 September 1958, aged 67 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Mount Gambier Lake Terrace Cemetery Section: K, 429 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Members of the Legal Profession & Students at Law WW1 Honour Board, Adelaide University of Adelaide WW1 Honour Roll, Hackney St Peter's College Honour Board, Kalangadoo Public School Pictorial Honour Roll, Mount Gambier High School Great War Roll of Honor, Penola District WW1 Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 31 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2570, 12th Infantry Battalion, Keswick, SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Aug 1915: | Involvement Private, 2570, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Morea embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 26 Aug 1915: | Embarked Private, 2570, 12th Infantry Battalion, RMS Morea, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Corporal, 2570, 52nd Infantry Battalion |
Biography
Early Life
William Robert Hunt was born on the 11th July 1891 to Thomas Hunt and Elizabeth Sarah Davies at Mount Gambier, SA. The Hunt family were farmers near Kalangadoo (31 kms north of Mt Gambier in the South East of South Australia).
Schooling
In 1907 William attended the Mt Gambier Continuation School and passed his Primary Examinations in five subjects. In November 1907, when he was studying for his Junior Examinations he was awarded the Vansittard Scholarship to St. Peter’s College. He attended St Peter’s from 1908-1910, passing his Junior Examinations in 1909 and his Senior Examinations (Latin, Arithmetic and Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry. He competed in the St Peter’s Sports in 1910 and was third in Senior Obstacle Race. He was a Cadet for four years.
Adelaide University
From 1911 to 1915 and 1917-1919 William studied Law at Adelaide University. He was an articled clerk to Mr Angus Parsons. He graduated LLB in 1918.
University Sport
William played cricket for the University in the 1913/14 and 1914/15 seasons in the B Grade Team. He was listed as a reserve for the A Grade team on one occasion. This was when some players were in army camp and it was possible that there could be problems with availability.
World War I
William enlisted as a Private in the G Group Base Infantry on 31st May 1915, at that time he was an articled clerk and was described as 5’ 6½”, 141 lbs., with a fair complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. He was among the nineteen AUCC players listed below, who were among the A and B Grade teams early volunteers to serve.
In July 1915, prior to his departure overseas, William became engaged to Thelma McConville.
William left Australia on the 26th August 1915, onboard the RMS Morea, and disembarked on the 11th December 1915 at Mudros, a small Greek port on the Mediterranean island of Lemnos, before being transferred to Alexandrina, Egypt on 6th January 1916. On the 1st March 1916 William was transferred to the 52nd Battalion and he was promoted to Corporal on 14th April 1916.
On the 13th May 1916 William had to have his appendix removed and was sent back to Australia. He was discharged 16th August 1916 as medically unfit for duty.
His name appears on the Mt Gambier District High School Roll of Honour.
Family
On 23rd October 1920, William Robert Hunt (aged 29) married Thelma Loretto McConville (age 26), the daughter of Henry James Mc Conville at Manresa House, Norwood. In 1922 William and Thelma had a daughter (Elizabeth) but sadly she died in June 1922. On the 28th September 1923, William and Thelma’s second daughter, Christobel Margaret was born.
Career
Murray Bridge
Having passed his final exams, William was admitted to the Bar in April 1919. By August 1920, William had commenced to practice law at Murray Bridge and became involved in the Murray Bridge RSL. In June 1923, William moved his chambers to Seventh Street, Murray Bridge. By July 1925, William was on the Board of the Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital. William practiced in Murray Bridge until April 1928 when he moved to set up practice in Mt Gambier.
An article published in The Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser on 27th April 1928 (see document) provides a summary of William’s life to that date.
Mount Gambier
From 1st October 1930 to 30th September 1937, W.R. Hunt was in partnership with J.H.H. Davison at Mt Gambier. When Davison retired William carried on the business under the name of Davison and Hunt until 8th August 1938 when he was joined by K.A. Laught and the firm became known as Davison, Hunt and Laught. In April 1940 the firm moved to Bay Road, Mt Gambier.
In Mt Gambier, William played golf, bowls and bridge. He became involved in the Mount Gambier Tourist Promotion Association, was Arbiter of the South-Eastern Football Association, President of the Australian Natives’ Association and on the committee of the Mt Gambier Commercial Club.
World War II
In August 1942 William and Thelma’s daughter Christobel joined the W.A.A.A.F., and in May 1943 she became engaged to Thomas Morey Yates, the son of Don Yates.
Tragically, William’s wife Thelma died 2nd August 1943.
On the 10th June 1944, William re-married, quietly at the St Peter’s Chapel; his bride was Mrs Jean Bradley of Western Australia.
William was ill for a lengthy period in July 1945 but was well again by late August 1945 when he addressed the Civic Victory Parade in celebration of the end of WWII. In October William opened the Mil Lei Memorial Park, Mt Gambier, possibly the first memorial to honour those who served in WWII.
Post WWII
Mrs Jean Hunt was actively involved in the R.S.L. Auxiliary and became its President in 1951. William continued to be involved in all his previous activities including golf, the RSL, ANA and the Commercial Club.
In July 1952 William suffered a heart attack however he was back representing people in the Courts in September 1952. William was still appearing in court in December 1954, aged 63. (digitised newspapers for SA are not yet available beyond 31 December 1954).
Death
William Robert Hunt died on the 7th September 1958, aged 67, and is buried at the Mount Gambier (Lake Terrace) Cemetery
Authors: Beth Filmer & AUFC/AUCC Memorial Committee
For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.
Submitted 12 June 2025 by Eleanor Filmer
Biography contributed by Graeme Roulstone
2570 William Robert HUNT was born at Mount Gambier on 11 July 1891.354 He attended school at Kalangadoo before being enrolled at Mount Gambier High School on 21 January 1907 by his father, a sheep farmer of Kalangadoo. He left school on 29 November 1907. The (Adelaide) Chronicle ran the following story in November 1907:
The Vansittart Scholarship at Mount Gambier, which gives three years’ free tuition, with board and lodging, at St Peter’s College, has been awarded to William Robert Hunt, son of Mr Thomas Hunt, farmer, of Kalangadoo. He was 16 years old last July.
He enlisted at Keswick, South Australia, on 31 May 1915 (23, articled law clerk, single, Church of England) naming his mother, Mrs Elizabeth Sarah Hunt of Kalangadoo, as his next of kin.
His enlistment complicated his career aspirations, which prompted the (Adelaide) Register to run the following story:
In the matter of William Robert Hunt, articled clerk, Mr Angus Parsons appeared, and moved that the applicant should be exempt from the conditions of Rule 4, which, he explained, provided that an articled clerk should not engage in any other pursuit during the currency of his articles. Hunt had attended the law lectures at the University of Adelaide for four academic years. He was articled on April 19, 1914, and in May last he enlisted as a volunteer for active service in the war, and was now at the front. Mr Parsons also asked that the time during which he should be absent from the State might count as time served in his articles. The motion was granted.
He embarked from Adelaide on the ‘Morea’ on 26 August 1915 and joined the 12th Battalion on Mudros on 4 December. He joined the troops being evacuated from Gallipoli and disembarked at Alexandria in Egypt on 6 January. He was transferred to the 52nd Battalion on 1 March 1916, promoted to Corporal in April, and hospitalised in May with appendicitis. It was decided to return him to Australia for a change following his appendix operation and he left Suez on 5 July 1916 on the ‘Karoola’, disembarked in Australia on 4 August and was discharged on 22 August. A report in the (Adelaide) Mail in 1919 relates something of his transition to civilian life, picking up where he had left off:
The Supreme Court on Saturday morning dealt with a number of applications for admission to the Bar … The admission of Mr William Robert Hunt was moved by Mr Angus Parsons, K.C. Mr Hunt served his articles with Messrs Glynn, Parsons & McEwin, and had been on active service for over a year. He was educated at St Peter’s College
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