To give one instance of Walsh’s capability in the breeding of stud merinos, he used to assist me in classing my stud sheep every year also assisting me to select suitable sires to mate with several classes of ewes. The results were very good on the whole, so much so that I was able to send many selected and flock merino rams to many districts in W.A. from the Kimberleys to the Esperance districts besides disposing of specially selected rams locally and along the Great Southern districts.
Then at the Gnowangerup Shows our sheep won their share of the prizes, the outstanding success by one of our ewes was winning the first prize in the open class, the Judge, Mr Wrenford Matthews of the “Bundemar” stud in N.S.W. who had come over to W.A. at the request of the Royal to judge the sheep at the Royal Show in Perth, remarked that she was the best ewe he had seen in W.A. including the ewes he had judged at the Royal Show and for these pleasing results I have to thank Mr W. H. Walsh for a big share in the success.
Walsh was both a generous and loyal man. For instance when our returned soldiers were settled on the land in Gnowangerup and Pallinup and Ongerup districts soon after the termination of the war 1914 to 1918 - Walsh offered his services to these young men - who cared to avail themselves of this good opportunity to start right and at the same time to learn something good about merino sheep - free assistance and advice.
To many others who were not returned soldiers use charges were very small, and at the same time nothing was a trouble to him. Really it was a pleasure to work with him among merino sheep. Some times I used to think he just about loved them!
Walsh had a brother who had occupied the position of manager for Dalgety’s in Brisbane, Queensland. Walsh made many friends of both sexes and was cleanly kindly and assuming gentlemen having many well-connected relatives and friends in his native State Queensland he was familiarly known as “Old Bill” and years ago had indulged in the abuse of alcoholic liquors, responsible I think for his downfall from a very good position.
During the later years of his life he was never known to even taste strong drink and I have seen him on several occasions when invited with others to drink would walk with them into the hotel bar but would not have a drink but merely a cigar instead. Such admirable willpower! I often admired him for this and used to think what a pity he did not exercise that great willpower in his early life! Walsh was a great reader and when he found a particularly good book would go to much trouble in passing it on to his friends.
William H. Walsh was a master of the art of telling “tall stories” keeping his features straight all the while and without the semblance of a smile at the conclusion. I’m afraid I envied him for this as I could never “Keep my face straight” although I must admit I rather like telling jokes.
Here is one of his “tall stories”. He told it during one afternoon Walsh was assisting me to class stud merino ewes at “Anglesey”.
There are about six of us in the party including Arthur John and, I think, Reg Austin. While we were seated about on the ground having afternoon tea - which had been sent to us from the house some distance away from the yards - a discussion arose as to the best kind of fencing.
Someone remarked that he considers that the “dropper” was the best.
On hearing this Walsh broke in that dropper fences had proved failures in Queensland on several stations where they had been tried. Then one of our party with evidently a thirst for knowledge on this important subject asked “why were they failures”?
Walsh’s reply was to the effect that up their the boundary fences were then made of and through any timbered country through which the fence was to pass a chain of the timber was cleared and the dropper fence erected along the centre of the clearing. But he said they were soon found to be a great nuisance as well as much loss of time to the boundary rider.
Why? asked the aforesaid one who had the thirst for knowledge so strong developed. “Why was that Bill?”
Bill’s serious answer to this question was that owing to the springiness of the wires in a dropper fence the sheep when running into it were thrown back so hard that they were even thrown up in the air among the trees and were often caught in the forks of the trees! The consequence was that the boundary rider had often to stop and waste time putting them out of the forks. No they were proved no good said Bill without the semblance of a smile and he really looked as if he meant it!”
West Australian 18 July 1932
"The Late Mr. W. H. Walsh.
The funeral of the late Mr. William Henry Walsh, of 74 Francis-street, Perth, took place at the Church of England Cemetery, Karrakatta, on Saturday morning.
The Rev. Canon A. Burton officiated at the graveside.
The de-ceased, who died at Perth on Thursday last after a brief illness, was born in Queensland and came to Western Australia about 25 years ago.
He had an excellent knowledge of sheep and wool, and many of the well-known studs in this State are indebted to his efforts in flock classing.
Mr. Walsh was also responsible for the classing of clips which have shown to his credit at the wool sales.
He was particularly well known on the lower Great Southern railway, especially Gnowangerup and Katanning and the surrounding districts; he also carried on his work on the Midland line.
His judgment was sound, and his loss will be greatly felt in sheep growing areas. Mr. Walsh had no relatives in Western Australia and those representing absent relatives at the funeral comprised Messrs. S. G. Royce, L. Lockwood, J. A. Johnston, F. M. Bailey, G. H. Mettam and C. Box (Messrs. Dalgety and Company Limited, Perth) and Messrs. E. C. Rogers and A. Stevenson.
Wreaths were sent by his brother and sisters, Brisbane; management and staff Dalgety and Company, Limited.
Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Neall and family, Albany; Hilda Muir, Dot Humble, R. B. Davies, and Dr. House.
The funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs. Arthur E. Davies and Company”.
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