Captain W.J. Wyllie
Captain Wyllie was born in Forest Hill, Kent on 6 September 1869. He obtained his Second Mate’s Certificate on 31 May 1889 at the age of 19 years after nearly five years’ service as apprentice and Third Mate aboard the 1190-ton square-rigger Loch Ness of Glasgow, employed in the Australian trade. He was described in 1889 as being 5’ 6” in height with a fair complexion, brown hair and grey eyes.
In 1890 he joined the new steamship Kallatina as second mate and came out to Australia on the vessel’s delivery voyage for her owners, The Clarence, Richmond and Macleay Rivers Co. Not long after arrival he resigned and took up the position of 3rd Mate aboard Huddart Parker’s steamer Burrumbeet.
He had command of the Wimmera over the following periods:
20 April 1905 to 4 January 1907 [7-8 months]
17 April 1907 to 2 August 1907
3 September 1907 to 26 February 1908
22 June 1912 to 8 July 1912
For a biography of Captain Wyllie see:
1935 ‘OFF THE BRIDGE.’, The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 – 1954), 27 July, p. 16, viewed 20 November, 2011, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article30097923
Read on: Captain George Frederick Entwistle
© Ralph L. Sanderson 2009-2018
SS Wimmera 