William Charles Angliss
Encyclopedia
Sir William Charles Angliss (29 January 1865 – 15 June 1957) was a butcher
, pastoralist, pioneer
meat
exporter, businessman, politician
and philanthropist
in Melbourne
, Victoria, Australia
. He was knighted in 1939.
He was the eldest son of William Angliss, tailor, and his wife Eliza Fiddian, born in Dudley
, Worcestershire
, England. He was educated at Hawkhurst
, Kent
, and learnt the butchers trade as a youth working first with an uncle in London before migrating to New York. After two and a half years in North America he migrated to Rockhampton
, Queensland in 1884. After working for a time in Brisbane
and Sydney he moved to Melbourne in 1886 where he set up a butchers shop in North Carlton. He opened larger premises in Bourke Street, Melbourne
in 1892 and started exporting frozen meat, becoming a pioneer of meat refrigeration
. His meat export business was highly successful and he opened his own Freezing works in 1905 in Footscray
.
His meat export business expanded into New South Wales
and Queensland and his business also diversified into owning or managing pastoral lease
s and cattle stations, including jointly with Sidney Kidman
.
He married Jacobena Grutzner at St. Columb's Church, Hawthorn
, Victoria on 31 March 1919; they had one child, a daughter, Eirene Rose. Jacobena Angliss
led a distinguished life as an Australian philanthropist, arts supporter and community worker.
From 1912 to 1952 Angliss was a member of the Legislative Council of Victoria, representing Southern Province, a predominantly rural farming electorate to the north of Melbourne, for various Non-Labor parties including: Nationalist Party of Australia
; United Australia Party
; and Liberal Party of Australia
. His most important political contribution is regarded as a system of preferential controls which boosted meat exports arising from the Ottawa Imperial Conference
in 1932, where he was the official business consultant to the Australian delegation.
In 1934 Angliss sold his meat business to the large British firm of Vesteys
for 1.5million GBP, but retained many of his pastoral properties. He was knighted in 1939.
Sir William Angliss actively supported various charities including the Salvation Army
and the settlement of migrant children in Australia. In 1940 he donated money to start a specialist trade or technical school specialising in providing vocational education and training opportunities for the hospitality
and foods industries. Initially called the William Angliss Food Trades School, apprenticeship courses were offered in pastry, butchery, breadmaking and baking, cooking and waiting. The school is now known as the William Angliss Institute of TAFE
and is highly regarded in its specialty areas of Hospitality
, Cookery and Tourism
.
In his will, he set aside £1 million for the creation of two charitable funds: one in Victoria and one in Queensland, which are administered by the William Angliss Charitable Fund.
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
, pastoralist, pioneer
Innovator
An innovator in a general sense, is a person or an organization who is one of the first to introduce into reality something better than before. That often opens up a new area for others and achieves an innovation.-History:...
meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
exporter, businessman, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria, Australia
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. He was knighted in 1939.
He was the eldest son of William Angliss, tailor, and his wife Eliza Fiddian, born in Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England. He was educated at Hawkhurst
Hawkhurst
Hawkhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. The parish lies to the south-east of Tunbridge Wells. Hawkhurst itself is virtually two villages...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and learnt the butchers trade as a youth working first with an uncle in London before migrating to New York. After two and a half years in North America he migrated to Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
, Queensland in 1884. After working for a time in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and Sydney he moved to Melbourne in 1886 where he set up a butchers shop in North Carlton. He opened larger premises in Bourke Street, Melbourne
Bourke Street, Melbourne
Bourke Street is one of Melbourne's best known streets. Historically been regarded as Melbourne's "second street", with the main street being Collins Street and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub...
in 1892 and started exporting frozen meat, becoming a pioneer of meat refrigeration
Refrigeration
Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...
. His meat export business was highly successful and he opened his own Freezing works in 1905 in Footscray
Footscray, Victoria
Footscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....
.
His meat export business expanded into New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland and his business also diversified into owning or managing pastoral lease
Pastoral lease
A pastoral lease is Crown land that government allows to be leased, generally for the purposes of farming.-Australia:Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions....
s and cattle stations, including jointly with 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...
.
He married Jacobena Grutzner at St. Columb's Church, Hawthorn
Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
, Victoria on 31 March 1919; they had one child, a daughter, Eirene Rose. Jacobena Angliss
Jacobena Angliss
Dame Jacobena Angliss, DBE was an Australian philanthropist, arts supporter, and community worker.She was born in Epping, Victoria as Jacobena Victoria Alice Grutzner, daughter of Jacob and Frances Grutzner. Jacobena Grutzner married butcher and meat exporter William Charles Angliss at St...
led a distinguished life as an Australian philanthropist, arts supporter and community worker.
From 1912 to 1952 Angliss was a member of the Legislative Council of Victoria, representing Southern Province, a predominantly rural farming electorate to the north of Melbourne, for various Non-Labor parties including: Nationalist Party of Australia
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
; United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
; and Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
. His most important political contribution is regarded as a system of preferential controls which boosted meat exports arising from the Ottawa Imperial Conference
British Empire Economic Conference
The British Empire Economic Conference was a 1932 conference of British colonies and the autonomous dominions held to discuss the Great Depression. It was held between 21 July and 20 August in Ottawa.The conference saw the group admit the failure of the gold standard and abandon attempts to...
in 1932, where he was the official business consultant to the Australian delegation.
In 1934 Angliss sold his meat business to the large British firm of Vesteys
Vestey Group
The Vestey Group is a privately owned UK group of companies, comprising an international food product business and significant cattle ranching and sugar cane farming interests in Brazil and Venezuela.-Business origins:William...
for 1.5million GBP, but retained many of his pastoral properties. He was knighted in 1939.
Sir William Angliss actively supported various charities including the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
and the settlement of migrant children in Australia. In 1940 he donated money to start a specialist trade or technical school specialising in providing vocational education and training opportunities for the hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
and foods industries. Initially called the William Angliss Food Trades School, apprenticeship courses were offered in pastry, butchery, breadmaking and baking, cooking and waiting. The school is now known as the William Angliss Institute of TAFE
William Angliss Institute of TAFE
William Angliss Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the Melbourne CBD, Victoria, Australia providing a specialist centre for training and vocational education in Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts...
and is highly regarded in its specialty areas of Hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
, Cookery and Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
In his will, he set aside £1 million for the creation of two charitable funds: one in Victoria and one in Queensland, which are administered by the William Angliss Charitable Fund.