R. M. Williams
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Reginald Murray Williams AO, CMG, (1908-November 4, 2003) was an Australian bushman and entrepreneur who rose from a swagman, to a millionaire widely known as just R.M. He was born at Belalie North near the Flinders Ranges, two hundred 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 famous for creating a uniquely Australian style of bushwear recognized world wide. He was married twice, had nine children, and left an enduring contribution to the Australian identity.
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[edit] Personal life
Ten year old R.M.'s family moved to adelaide so that he and his two sisters could attend school. School did not agree with R.M. and so, at 15, he packed his swag and left for the bush 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, R.M. returned to Adelaide where he met Thelma Mitchell. They married and returned to the bush, living off the land in the Flinders Ranges and had six children together. [1]
After his marriage broke down in the 1950's, R.M. Williams purchased fifty-five hectares of land at the rear of Yatala Labour Prison South Australia. He constructed a homestead, planted vineyards and thousands of roses, and ran rodeos on the floodplain of Dry Creek.[2] When the land was compulsory acquired during the time of former State Premier Sir Thomas Playford, R.M. left South Australia for his Rockbar property in Queensland, vowing never to return. He re-married in 1955, had three more children, and died in his home on the Darling Downs in Queensland.
[edit] Bushwear
[edit] Starting out
R.M. learned his leatherworking skills from a horseman called Dollar Mick, making bridles, pack saddles and boots. In 1932, with his sons illness and the expense of hospital treatment, he was need of money and began selling his saddles to Sir Sidney Kidman (a wealthy pastoralist). R.M. soon had a small factory running in his father's back shed in Adelaide that rapidly expanded. To address financial problems, R.M. became involved with the successful gold mine Nobles Nob near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory of Australia.[1]
[edit] Products
His most famous products were handcrafted boots, with the unique feature of all being one piece of leather and only a single stitch up the back. To this day, The R. M. Williams Company still makes their boots with 70 hand processes and the single stitch on one piece of leather. The Cowley family are the major owners of RM Williams Ltd.
Some RM Williams products are now made in China, but this is only a limited selection, mostly t-shirts and caps.[3]
[edit] Legacy
- The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame originated as an idea of both R.M. and artist Hugh Sawrey, and was opened in Longreach, Queensland, Australia in 1975.
- Founded the Australian Roughriders Association.
- Helped to form the Equestrian Federation of Australia (1951).
[edit] Published works
- Williams, R.M. (1998). A song in the desert. Pymble, New South Wales: Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0-207-19832-2.
- Williams, R.M., Ruhen, Olaf (1984). Beneath whose hand / the autobiography of R.M. Williams. South Melbourne: Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN 0-333-38087-8.
- Williams, R.M. (1972). The bushman's handcrafts. Netley, South Australia: R.M. Williams Pty Ltd. ISBN 0-9599299-0-8.
[edit] References
- ^ a b R.M. Williams (1908-2003). Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2003-11-05). Retrieved on 2006-06-19.
- ^ DRY CREEK - LINEAR PARK WALKLEY HEIGHTS. Postcards SA (2006-05-22). Retrieved on 2006-07-19.
- ^ AsiaPulse News (November 2002). AUSTRALIA'S RM WILLIAMS TO START MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS IN CHINA. Look Smart, Find articles. Retrieved on 2006-06-19.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
- ABC Audio, I Once Met a Man, R.M. Williams, 4 CD Set, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2004.
