The Australian Walker Connection
My late father always used to tell me that his mother, Agnes Graham Ruth�Hodgson (nee Walker)�always insisted that we had a branch of our Walker relations out here in Australia.� My family and I emigrated to Australia in July 1965, little did we know we in fact�did have�relations out here and they had been here since the early 1900's and many years later�what�my Grandmother said�was to come true!
It all started when I received a copy of the will of Daniel Smith Walker. Daniel left many legacies to his Edgar and Towerson relatives from his wife, Eleanor Edith Edgar's side of the family but what was�more interesting was he also left money to his neice in Australia, Mary Walker who he said was then living on a property called 'Derbyshire Downs' in Augathella, Queensland, Australia.
Up until this time I had no idea that Alfred and Rupert Walker had emigrated to Australia in the early 1900's or anything of their families, the 3 boys�were on the 1891 census at Rottington, with Henry and�Dora Walker and that is as far as I had gone at that time. I still haven't been able to find their record of arrival in Australia.
We do know that Alfred married Bridget Gallagher in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 1914 so he must have been in Australia then and his daughter��
Mary Patricia Walker was born 1920 in Augathella, Queensland. She married Edward Charles John Oats (Teddy) a rabbit trapper on Derbyshire Downs Station at Augathella in Queensland, Australia in 1948 at Charleville, Queensland. They had 7 children all are still alive and spread around Queensland, Australia. Mary Patricia Oats died 7 June 1977 in Augathella, Queensland.
Theresa Anne Oats, Helen Patricia Oats, Edward John Oats, Janette Rose Oats, Robert Charles Oats, Ronald George Oats and Keith Ross Oats.�
The grave at Augathella, QLD of Mary OatsWe have recently�made contact with the�descendants of Rupert Walker and with many thanks to Kym Ellis who is Rupert's Grandaughter, now know that Rupert Walker came out to Australia with this brother Alfred before 1914 as he signed up to serve in the Australian Military Forces in 1914.
Rupert at some stage returned to England and married Christina Alice Collings in 1917 at Holy Trinity Church, South End on Sea, Essex, England.� The family resided first at Applethorpe near Stanthorpe OLD, Australia on Soldier Settlement land then had to relocate to Brisbane because of health reasons with his wife Christina.� They had 4 children, Cecil Rupert Walker 1919, twins Ada and Cyril 1932 who only lived for 5 hours and Audrey Winfred Walker 1927.
Rupert drove taxis and wedding cars for 20 years and then became a
personal driver for the Managing Director of what is now know as David Jones
(was called Finney Isles at the time).� Rupert died 11 August 1961 and was cremated at Mt. Gravatt and Christina his wife died in 1975.
From Left:� Rupert Walker, Audrey Walker and Christina Walker (nee Collings)
