General News
3 October, 2024
Wimmera legend lives on: Monash historians seek descendants of Bill Murphy
Search for Bill Murphy's descendants for national fatherhood book
Monash University historians are on the hunt for the descendants of a Wimmera legend as part of a national project exploring the history of Australian fatherhood.
Professor Alistair Thomson, the co-author of One Hundred Years of Australian Fathering, said he hopes to locate Horsham-based family members of William 'Bill' Murphy to reconnect them with some long-forgotten heirlooms.
"Bill was born in Horsham in 1904 and lived in or near the town all his life," Professor Thomson said.
"From 1929, Bill was employed by Commonwealth Oil Refineries delivering fuel to farmers in the Wimmera and, after a gap for war service, progressed to field representative and depot supervisor until retirement in 1966.
"Bill and his wife Jean married in 1927 and raised four children in Horsham: Marjorie, June, Ken and Donald."
In 1982, at 78, Mr Murphy recorded an interview about his life with Barry Smith for the Australia 1938 oral history project.
The recording is held in the National Library of Australia and can be heard at https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/913148.
"Bill Murphy's life story recording is used in a book I have co-authored that will be published by Melbourne University Publishing," Professor Thomson said.
"I would like to share what we have learnt and written about Bill's family life in Horsham with his descendants.
"Bill sent family photos to the Australia 1938 oral history project organisers in 1984, which are also archived at the National Library. They include the wonderful picture taken in 1938 beside the Horsham family home of Bill with his four children.
"At the back 'Baby Donald and father' as captioned by Bill."
Descendants can contact Mr Thomson via email at alistair.thomson@monash.edu.
One Hundred Years of Australian Fathering will be published in 2025.