by Phil Strachan, January 2007

I recently asked a couple of friends, who had grown up in Perth, if they knew who Walter Padbury was - if he was taught about in school. They had no recollection of ever hearing his name. I was disappointed that such a great man, who has influenced this state more than anyone in its history, isn't more widely known.

When the colony of Western Australia was founded in 1829, 1650 white settlers had arrived - men, women, and children.

Walter Padbury was born at Stonesfield, near Woodstock, Oxfordshire on the 22nd December 1820.

Walter was eleven years old when he accompanied his father and sailed to Western Australia, on the small barque Protector. They were eager to escape England and start a better life than the one they had. Once they saved enough money, they would send for the rest of the family. Walter was eleven years old (although they lied to the Shipping Company, saying Walter was only nine to get a cheaper passage for the boy).

Tragedy struck within a few months of arrival in the colony when Walter's father died. Walter was left penniless, alone and unwanted in a strange and dangerous land but he was a youngster with exceptional courage and oomph.

Walter was a completely modest, unassuming, down-to-earth person. He became the colony's greatest builder and entrepreneur. Within WA's million square miles, south of the Kimberley, no individual opened up more land for grazing and agriculture than Walter Padbury.

He worked as a builder's labourer, servant, roustabout, barman, butcher, tallow maker, Shepard, shipper, and was mayor. It took him many years, but he did finally bring his family, including his mother, to Perth.

Walter became the colony's first millionaire but he was incredibly generous with his deserved wealth. He would help anyone out - with homes, jobs or money - but only if they were genuinely trying to help themselves.

He was one of the first people to import goods from overseas and export to the world. He was instrumental in getting steam transport into the colony - both ships and rail. He also organised the telegraph line from Adelaide that connected Perth to the rest of the world.

The love of his life was his wife, Charlotte. In their twilight years, they took two years off work and travelled the world in search of the perfect place to retire. But Walter couldn't find anywhere he liked more so they came back and stayed in Perth as, he wrote in his diary, "there's no place like home"!

Charlotte died in February 1895, warmly remembered for her private and secret charity. Walter suffered greatly without her and gradually withdrew from life. He died in Perth on the 18th April 1907 and is buried in the East Perth cemetery. He made sure his surviving family and friends were well catered for first, then left the rest of his land and money to the Church of England and several orphanages, setting the trusts up so they still provide income to those organisations to this day!

Yvonne's done an amazingly faithful restoration of the building - Walter would approve of what she's done in his name and would be chuffed having a restaurant named after him. When I dine at Padbury's Restaurant, I love to sit and take in the atmosphere. I think about the conversations that have been had in the building in the last hundred and fifty or so years and the decisions that were made that still affect the lives of the residents of this state today!