Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From the book Fallen Saints - Edward Harley Wainwright of Maylands South Australia was born in 1881.

His father Edward Harley Wainwright senior brought the family to Adelaide in 1879 to take up a teaching position at St Peter's College. (1879-1905)

 His eldest son William attended Prince Alfred College while his sons Charles and Edward both attended St Peters. (Charles 1891-1897 - Edward 1896-1898)

R.M. Harvey, writing from London on October 21st, says that he has joined Lord Kitchener’s Second Army and is now in camp at the White City, London. Associated with him are J.B. Graham, we understand he has passed his aviating course at Hendon, and Edward H. Wainwright, third son of our esteemed science master of a few years ago. He also mentions that in camp with him is Mr Oscar Bishop, who was for some time a member of the School teaching staff. [i]

Edward’s father lectured in science at the School.

After leaving the School Edward entered the School of Mines and qualified in practical engineering at May Bros., Gawler and Thompson’s works at Castlemaine in Victoria. To gain further experience he moved to England where he became a representative for the Westinghouse Company. He became a representative for the company in Copenhagen, Denmark and later in the Argentine. On the return journey across the Atlantic his ship, the R.M.S. Arlanza, was held up by a German raider, the Kronprinz Wilhelm. [ii]

In 1914 he enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers and in time was promoted to corporal but when the demand for engineers became acute he was released for munitions work at the Crayford plant of Vickers Ltd.

There he became a manager and set up the shipping department in a hut on the marshes. There through constant exposure to the cold and rain he began to suffer and although frequently ill would not give up his work.

The author of an article about his demise in the Crayford Works Magazine wrote: - ‘He gave his life for his country as truly as did any soldier on the field of battle.’ [iii]

E.H. Wainwright who died in England and was buried on January 26th, Wattle Day, was the subject of an article in the Crayford Works Magazine where he was manager of the Shipping Department. The Editor in his introduction to a biography says, ‘It is an extremely difficult thing to do justice to a man of his ability and character. It was through his devotion to his duty that the malady which caused his death was brought on.’ [iv]

Edward Harley Wainwright senior died at Victor Harbour South Australia on 26April 1919 and the following extract from an article published in the School magazine shows how highly regard he was as both school master and man.

The death of the late E.H. Wainwright reminds many of us that too many years have passed since we used to make our way to the Old Chemistry Classroom. Of all the masters of his day few perhaps have left us with such a vivid set of recollections. Mr Wainwright was gifted highly with an inborn capacity for teaching, found to such a degree only in the minority of School masters, however much they might excel in other requisites of that profession. … … So his memory stays with us, not so much as a reminder of what we learnt but with what pleasure we learnt it. [v]

[i] ibid, December 1918, p. 3
[ii] The Advertiser, Adelaide -Saturday 1 June 1918
[iii] ibid
[iv] St Peter’s School Magazine - W K Thomas & Co, Adelaide, December 1918, p. 41
[v] ibid, September 1919, p.7