R. M. Williams
Encyclopedia
Reginald Murray Williams AO, CMG (24 May 19084 November 2003) was an Australia
n bushman and entrepreneur who rose from a swagman
, to a millionaire
. Widely known as just 'R.M.', he was born at Belalie North near Jamestown
in the Mid North
, 200 kilometres north of Adelaide
, into a pioneering settler family working and training horses. R.M. had many adventures in Australia's rugged outback
as a bushman, and became known for creating an Australian style of bushwear recognised world wide. He was married twice, had ten children, and left an enduring contribution to the Australian identity.
At 10 years old, Williams' family moved to Adelaide so that he and his two sisters could attend school there. School did not agree with him and so, at 13, he packed his swag and left for the land he loved. At 18 he started work as a camel
driver and spent 3 years trekking through the Australian desert, living with aborigines
and learning to survive the harsh conditions. During the great depression
, with the lack of work, Williams returned to Adelaide where he met Thelma Ena Cummings. They married and returned to the bush, living off the land in the Flinders Ranges
.
After his marriage broke down in the 1950s, Williams purchased 55 hectare
s of land at the rear of Yatala Labour Prison
South Australia
. He constructed a homestead, planted vineyard
s and thousands of roses, and ran rodeo
s on the floodplain of Dry Creek. When the land was compulsory acquired
during the time of former State Premier
Sir Thomas Playford
, Williams left South Australia for his Rockybar property in Queensland
, vowing never to return. He remarried in 1955, had four more children, and died in his home on the Darling Downs in Queensland.
s, pack saddle
s and riding boots. In 1932, with his son's illness and the expense of hospital treatment, he was in need of money and began selling his saddles to Sir Sidney Kidman
(a wealthy pastoralist). Williams soon had a small factory running in his father's back shed in Adelaide that rapidly expanded. To address financial problems, Williams became involved with the successful gold mine, Nobles Nob, near Tennant Creek
in the Northern Territory
.
Some R. M. Williams products are now made in China, but this is only a limited selection, mostly t-shirts and caps.
(CMG), for services to the outback community.
In 1992 he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia
(AO), for service to business and to the community.
In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal
.
A major road in South Australia's mid north, which runs between Stanley Flat (near Clare) and Hawker
, via Jamestown has been named the RM Williams Way in his honour.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n bushman and entrepreneur who rose from a swagman
Swagman
A swagman is an old Australian and New Zealand term describing an underclass of transient temporary workers, who travelled by foot from farm to farm carrying the traditional swag...
, to a millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
. Widely known as just 'R.M.', he was born at Belalie North near Jamestown
Jamestown, South Australia
Jamestown is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia north of Adelaide. It is on the banks of the Belalie Creek and on the railway line between Gladstone and Peterborough, and ultimately on the main line linking Adelaide and Perth to Sydney...
in the Mid North
Mid North
The Mid North is a region of South Australia, north of the Adelaide Plains, but not as far north as the Far North, or outback. It is generally accepted to extend from Spencer Gulf east to the Barrier Highway, including the coastal plain, the southern part of the Flinders Ranges, and the northern...
, 200 kilometres north of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, into a pioneering settler family working and training horses. R.M. had many adventures in Australia's rugged outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
as a bushman, and became known for creating an Australian style of bushwear recognised world wide. He was married twice, had ten children, and left an enduring contribution to the Australian identity.
Personal life
Australian feral camel
Thousands of the two main species of Australian feral camels, mostly dromedaries but also some bactrian camels, were imported into Australia during the 19th century for transport and construction as part of the colonisation of the central and western parts of Australia. Motorised transport replaced...
driver and spent 3 years trekking through the Australian desert, living with aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
and learning to survive the harsh conditions. During the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, with the lack of work, Williams returned to Adelaide where he met Thelma Ena Cummings. They married and returned to the bush, living off the land in the Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
.
After his marriage broke down in the 1950s, Williams purchased 55 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of land at the rear of Yatala Labour Prison
Yatala Labour Prison
Yatala Labour Prison is a low- to high-security men's prison in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It was built in 1854 to enable prisoners to work at the creek, quarrying rock for roads and construction...
South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. He constructed a homestead, planted vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s and thousands of roses, and ran rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
s on the floodplain of Dry Creek. When the land was compulsory acquired
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
during the time of former State Premier
Premiers of South Australia
Before the 1890s when there was no formal party system in South Australia, MPs tended to have historical liberal or conservative beliefs. The liberals dominated government from 1893 to 1905 with Labor support, with the conservatives mostly in opposition. Labor took government with the support of...
Sir Thomas Playford
Thomas Playford IV
Sir Thomas Playford, GCMG was a South Australian politician. He served continuously as Premier of South Australia from 5 November 1938 to 10 March 1965, the longest term of any elected government leader in the history of Australia. His tenure as premier was marked by a period of population and...
, Williams left South Australia for his Rockybar property in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, vowing never to return. He remarried in 1955, had four more children, and died in his home on the Darling Downs in Queensland.
Starting out
Williams learned his leatherworking skills from a horseman called Dollar Mick, making bridleBridle
A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit....
s, pack saddle
English saddle
English saddles are used to ride horses in English riding disciplines throughout the world. The discipline is not limited to England or English-speaking countries. This style of saddle is used in all of the Olympic and FEI equestrian disciplines, except for the newly-approved FEI events of...
s and riding boots. In 1932, with his son's illness and the expense of hospital treatment, he was in need of money and began selling his saddles to Sir Sidney Kidman
Sidney Kidman
Sir Sidney Kidman was a pastoralist in Australia and controlled huge tracts of land.-Early life:Sidney Kidman was born near Adelaide third son of George Kidman , farmer, and his wife Elizabeth Mary, née Nunn...
(a wealthy pastoralist). Williams soon had a small factory running in his father's back shed in Adelaide that rapidly expanded. To address financial problems, Williams became involved with the successful gold mine, Nobles Nob, near Tennant Creek
Tennant Creek, Northern Territory
Tennant Creek is a town located in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is the fifth largest town in the Northern Territory and it is located on the Stuart Highway, just south of the intersection with the western terminus of the Barkly Highway....
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
Products
His most successful products were handcrafted (mostly elastic side) riding boots, with the unique feature of all being one piece of leather and stitched up the back. To this day, The R. M. Williams Company still makes their boots with 70 hand processes and a single piece of leather. The Cowley family are the major owners of R.M. Williams Ltd.Some R. M. Williams products are now made in China, but this is only a limited selection, mostly t-shirts and caps.
Honours
In 1985 Williams was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(CMG), for services to the outback community.
In 1992 he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AO), for service to business and to the community.
In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
.
Legacy
- The Australian Stockman's Hall of FameAustralian Stockman's Hall of FameThe Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia, which pays tribute to pioneers of the Australian outback...
. Originating as an idea by artist Hugh SawreyHugh SawreyHugh Sawrey CBE was an Australian artist and founder of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, Longreach...
, RM Williams was an original board member of this institution that was opened in Longreach Queensland, Australia., by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on 29 April 1988. - Founded the Australian Roughriders Association.
- Helped to form the EquestrianEquestrianismEquestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
Federation of Australia (1951). - Led a committee which initiated and planned the Bicentennial National TrailBicentennial National TrailThe Bicentennial National Trail , formerly known as the National Horse Trail is the longest marked multi-use trail in the world, stretching 5,330 kilometres from Cooktown, through New South Wales to Healesville, 60 km north-east of Melbourne...
.
A major road in South Australia's mid north, which runs between Stanley Flat (near Clare) and Hawker
Hawker, South Australia
Hawker is a town in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 km north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey. At the 2006 census, Hawker had a population of 229....
, via Jamestown has been named the RM Williams Way in his honour.
Published works
Other book by RM Williams...- Animal Stories ...... Outback Publishing ISBN 0-9579709-1.9