Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Wilfred (Wilf) Windham Cooper was born in Prospect, Adelaide, SA on 9th March 1890, the son of George Windham Cooper and Bertha Hannah Cooper (nee Bostock).

Wilf’s siblings were Constance May (b 1881), Leonard Windham (b 1883), Raymond Windham (b 1885), Gladys Mary (b 1887).

Wilf attended the Tynte Street Baptist Sunday School. Wilf’s father, George, was employed by Messrs Elder, Smith & Co and in 1892 he was appointed manager of the wool department. He was a highly respected businessman and in 1904 he was elected president of the Adelaide Chamber of Commerce.

Schooling

Wilf attended Prince Alfred College, Adelaide from 1900. He passed the Primary Examinations in October 1902, Junior Examinations in December 1904 (coming second in the General Honours List for Inorganic Chemistry). In December 1905 he passed the Senior Examinations.

The family were living at George Terrace, Medindie, SA. Sadly, on the 12th May 1906, Wilf’s father, George Windham Cooper passed away. By this time Wilf’s eldest sister Constance May Cooper was a doctor having gained her MB BS at Adelaide University in 1904.

In December 1906 Wilf passed three subjects at the Higher Public Examinations. In April 1907 Wilf was appointed a Lieutenant on probation in the Senior Cadets. In December 1907 Wilf passed the Higher Public Examinations coming 15th on the General Honours List.

Wilf represented PAC in Intercollegiate Football, Athletics and Cricket against St Peter’s College 1906 and 1907 and Intercollegiate Football against Scotch College, Melbourne in 1907.

University

Wilf commenced studying Engineering at the University of Adelaide and the School of Mines in 1908.

He passed Second Grade Plane Geometry at the Design School in July 1908 and Intermediate Freehand in October 1908, he also passed Fitting and Turning, Chemistry and Physics in December 1908.

He was on the committee which organised the Science Students dinner for December 1910.

In December 1911 Wilf completed all the academic work required for the fellowship from the School of Mines and was awarded his BSc from the University of Adelaide in December 1911. Wilf was an applicant for the 1912 Rhodes Scholarship which was won by Edmund Britten Jones.

In December 1913, having completed the necessary practical work, Wilf was awarded the fellowship diploma in electrical engineering from the School of Mines.

Wilf surrendered his BSc for a BE (Bachelor of Engineering) in 1913..

Adelaide University (& other) Sport

Cricket

Wilf had played cricket for North Adelaide Baptist II in the North Adelaide Association during the 1907/08 and 1908/09 seasons. He travelled with the team to Melbourne in December 1908 and played in a match against the Melbourne and Metropolitan Baptists' Association. Although he had been eligible to play for University in the Clubs first season in 1908/09, there was only had a single team which was playing in the SACA District A Grade competition and was not able to force his way into the team.

After gaining a place in the SACA B Grade competition the following season, Wilf played B grade Cricket for Adelaide University in the 1909/10. A wicket-keeper and batsman he was a member of the University B Grade team that was comfortably beaten outright by a stong East Torrens team who went on to take out the premiership that year. A member of the East Torrens team was the sharebroker and SACA identity, Harry Hodgetts who in 1934 enticed Don Bradman to Adelaide with a position in his firm. Hodgetts was later jailed for missapropriation of clients money.

Football

Wilf played Intervarsity Football for Adelaide University in 1908, 1910 and 1911 (there was no Intervarsity match in 1909). When the Amateur league was formed in 1911, Wilf played for Adelaide University and was a member of the first Amateur League premiership team. Wilf was awarded a Blue for Football in 1911.

Rowing

Wilf was a member of the Adelaide University Rowing Club and he represented the University at the Intervarsity competitions 1910 and in 1911 (taking position 2 in the eight in 1911).

Athletics

Wilf came second in the One Mile race at the AU Sports in 1909. He was a Dressing Room Steward at the 1910 AU Sports and on the committee for the Intervarsity Sports in 1911.

Adelaide University Sports Association

Wilf was an assistant treasurer of the AU Sports Association in 1911.

Rifle

Wilf was a member of the Adelaide University Rifle Club in 1910 and 1911 and he represented the University at the Intervarsity in both years. He was awarded a Blue for Rifle in 1911 making him a Double Blue.

Pre War Career

In April 1912 Wilf left for England on the RMS ‘Maloja’ and by December 1913 he was working with the Westinghouse Company in England.

World War I

Wilfred enlisted in the Royal Engineers in 1915 and was commissioned a temporary 2nd Lieutenant on 27th June 1915 as a member of the 22nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers (Kensington).

The British War Record relating to Wilf’s WWI medals (below) states that his first theatre of war was in France and first entered on the 15th May 1917. He later became a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers and appears to have also been an acting or temporary Captain.

Miss May Cameron

Before WWI, May Cameron of Melbourne Victoria, had been working as a missionary in the Solomon Islands. In early November 1918 she was the educational secretary of the Melbourne Young Women’s Christian Association and left for England in response to a call from the British Association. Fortunately hostilities had ceased while May was travelling to England. She was then involved in running the Australasian Blue Triangle Hut at Wimmereux (sic), France(Wimereaux is a coastal town situated on the English Channel some 5 kilometres (3 mi) north of Boulogne) and in demobilising members of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

At some stage either in France or England May met Wilf Cooper as the couple were married in September 1919 at Chelsea, Middlesex, England. May returned to Australia on the ‘Orsova’ in March 1920. Wilf returned to Australia onboard the ‘Borda’ from London via Durban and Capetown, arriving in Sydney on the 6th August 1920.

Career and Family Life

The UK Electrical Engineers List gives Wilf’s address in 1921 as Newcastle, NSW. However by the Electoral Rolls of 1924, the couple were living at 23 Derby St, Camberwell, Melbourne, Victoria.

Wilf and May had a son (Graham Windham Cooper) who was born at Guildford Private Hospital, Camberwell on the 17th May 1925. Wilf and May were living at Derby St, Camberwell until at least 1925. From 1928 to 1941 Wilf and May were living at 8 Valency Road, Glen Iris, Vic.

On the 31st May 1933, Wilf’s mother Bertha Hannah Cooper, of Gover Street, North Adelaide, passed away in South Australia.

At an engineer’s debate on Melbourne traffic in October 1935, Wilf support Melbourne’s system of the right hand turn.

In April 1938, Wilf was elected to the committee of the Melbourne division of the Institute of Engineers. By this stage Wilf was a golfer and he competed in the AIF Cup in Melbourne in September 1938 and in an Architects versus Engineers Four-ball Best-ball match in September 1939.

In August 1940, Wilf was working for Australia General Electric Ltd and was considered to be a leading representative of the electrical engineering industry when he became a member of a new panel of the Directorate of Ordnance Production to advice on electrical problems.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

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