The Biography of Stephen Wrathall
 
8 Wallingford Pl
Rotorua, New Zealand
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From: Stephen Wrathall@FRI on 11/28/97 04:31 PM
The following is a transcript of "The Biography of Stephen Wrathall" by
   Richard Theophilus Wrathall. It was transcribed from a copy photocopied
   from the Auckland Public Library for research purposes. The front page
   has the following catalogue no:
   NZ
   920b
   WRA
   (unreadable date stamp)
   NZ
   14064
   The manuscript was presumably written in 1930-35 because on p78 it
   refers to the "present Prime Minister" G. Forbes. Regrettably, it could
   not be scanned as text due to the poor copy quality. As these are the
   recollections of R.T. Wrathall, they cannot by guaranteed as gospel and
   seem to conflict with other records.
   Steve H. Wrathall, Rotorua, Nov 1997
                      The Biography of Stephen Wrathall
                                      By
                             R. T. Wrathall, J.P.
                                   Mangonui
                                 New Zealand
   1. England
   This Story sets out to describe the life of Stephen Wrathall, who
   numbers amongst the very earliest of settlers in both Australia and New
   Zealand. His life was a life of energy, adventure and romance. He was
   British born and in his early life in England with three younger
   brothers established a ship chandler's business in Blackwall. The
   brothers were successful in this business venture, and as the years
   rolled by they gradually expanded their operations until they owned a
   line of vessels trading to West Indies and establishing a biscuit
   factory in Blackwall.
   Just as they reached the zenith of their commercial fame, their mother
   took ill and died. The family, in consequence, assembled at their
   parents' house where, after the internment, arrangements were in course
   of progress for the allotting of the mother's treasures to the family to
   be held by each in remembrance of the one they all loved so dearly.
   Stephen, who was the oldest son, said that he would take the family
   bible as he felt that he'd treasure that as the greatest of heirlooms
   from his point of view, this immediately drawing a protest from the
   others. It was then learned that they all wanted the treasured family
   bible. However, a family squabble arose, and it resulted in a smashup of
   the firm of Wrathall brothers. Stephen , who was a determined man, clung
   to the bible and, bidding his brothers goodbye, walked off, and from
   that moment they never saw nor heard from him, and they knew not where
   he went.
   A month previous to this, from the pulpit, was announced his engagement
   to Miss Mary Ann Walker, the only daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Walker, Hotel
   Prop. London, and feeling that he owed a duty to her, he went and
   informed her of his domestic upheaval, and that he intended leaving
   England, and thought he would take the first outbound vessel for
   Australia. His fiance pressed him to reconsider the position and go back
   to the business in Blackwall, but he had made up his mind and nothing
   could alter it. When she found that he persisted in going, she said,
   "Where you go, I'll go too", so she packed up her belongings, and
   without any warning, she left home at midnight and eloped with Stephen .
   They hastened to catch a boat that was leaving and before the next
   nightfall, they had left the shores of old England never to return.
   After they had been out at sea for the prescribed time, they were joined
   in wedlock, the ceremony being performed by the captain. The vessel took
   132 days to reach Tasmania, where they left the ship and made their
   first home in Hobart.
 2. Wrathall's Butchery Business
   After spending a few weeks in getting his bearings, he decided to start
   a butchery business and established in a small way in the centre of the
   town. Until he commenced his business, the supply of meat was through
   the Imperial Government and when he had proved himself capable of doing
   the job, he was given a two year's contract to supply the several prison
   camps and his butchery business soon grew to tremendous dimensions. In
   consequence he handled the meat supply of practically the whole of
   Tasmania.
   After about eleven years in the trade, he decided to open a branch at
   Port Philip. At about that time, the search for gold had commenced, and
   gradually the prospecting expanded throughout Victoria until finally
   great camps were established in Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong, and in
   each of these centres, Wrathall's Meat Supply played an important part.
   He established also the first coach connection between Melbourne and
   Sydney. As he was experiencing great difficulty in procuring his
   necessary beef and cattle, he decided to take up a tract of country from
   the New South Wales administration, and eventually purchased the whole
   Mitagong territory at Wagga Wagga, established a sheep and cattle ranch
   and was then able to keep up his supply of meat, with the aid of his
   peripatetic buying and droving from a few scattered ranches that were
   then operating in different parts of  NSW and Victoria. In these far
   back early days, Wrathall was recognised as the only market for beef and
   mutton. When he had cleaned up the fats, he turned to the stores and had
   all store stuff landed at Wagga Wagga on his Mitagong station. All fats
   were then driven to holdings in Geelong.
   Immigrants were coming into Sydney and Port Philip in great numbers and
   rushing out to the goldfields. With this increase in population,
   Wrathall's business was growing in leaps and bounds both in the butchery
   and transport business. He was now operating in twenty three butcher
   shops and had 400 coach horses. The total number of employees on his
   payroll was between 250 and 300, besides a constant flow of casual
   workers varying in number according to seasonal demands. He was by far
   the greatest employer of labour in Australia.
[Cont]