Eyles and Son - Sarina

Eyles and Son - Sarina

c. 1922-1934

William Thomas Eyles was born on the Comet River near the Taroom on 31 July 1866. His parents were Thomas Eyles and Ruth Elizabeth Tregilgus who were married on 14 November 1861. He was orphaned at the age of 15 years in 1881 when his father died. His mother had passed away earlier on 26 March 1873.

He married Gertrude Huston in Clermont in 1894 and they ended up with a family of eight children.

They moved to Mackay about 1903 , then on to Mirani about 1905 and then to Finch Hatton in 1908. In Finch Hatton, William operated a mixed business, Barber, Billiard Saloon and also hired out horses and sulkies.

In 1911 William built the Excelsior Hotel at Netherdale opposite the Railway Station which was the end of the Pioneer Valley Railway line from Mackay. He also operated a softdrink factory from the rear of the Hotel. Tragedy struck in 1913 when William's son, William Albert, was killed in an explosion in the softdrink factory. He was only 18 years of age.

Tragedy befell the family again in 1916 when another son, Claude, fell into a vat of boiling sugar juice at the Cattle Creek Sugar Mill and died the next day of his injuries. He was buried in the Mackay Cemetery.

In July 1916 he became the licensee of the Eimeo Hotel. The hotel was all but destroyed in the great Mackay Cyclone of January 1918. Tragedy struck again when William's wife Gertrude died and was buried in the Mackay Cemetery on 20 October 1918 aged 43 years. He surrended the licence of the hotel in 1919.

William moved to Carmila with his son Stewart and operated a general store with a billiard saloon and also operated as a horse trader.

William and Stewart later moved to Sarina and operated a cordial factory from about 1922 until William died in September 1934. William Eyles was buried on 5 September 1934 in the Roman Catholic Section of the Mackay Cemetery.

Information Sources:

Eyles, Paul. (2005) Eyles and Son, Sarina. unpublished .

Mackay Branch Genealogical Society of Qld. (1992) Mackay Cemetery Burial Register.

Registrar General, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Department of Justice and Attorney General, Queensland Government. (2000) Queensland Pioneers Index 1829-1889 – Index to Births, deaths and Marriages in Queensland 1829-1889. [Computer Program]. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Government.