John William Billiatt

Full length portrait of John William Billiatt.

John William Billiatt was born in Honington, Lincolnshire in 1842. When only 18 years old he decided to migrate to South Australia to join his uncle Stephen King Snr. He spent some time surveying with his cousin Stephen King Jnr. and when that young man joined Stuart's expedition as a horse breaker, Billiatt determined to join the expedition as well. The complement of men was already filled, but Billiatt decided to tag along, at least for some of the way, Apparently he had the idea that he must look after King, brother of Ann Elizabeth, to whom Billiatt had formed a romantic attachment. When one of the men, Jeffries, was later dismissed for insubordination, Billiatt was added to the party and over the length of the expedition would prove his worth.

On the return journey when Stuart was gravely ill Billiatt was, together with Pat Auld, assiduous in caring for his leader. He would earn high praise from Stuart for the way in which he carried out all of his duties.

Billiatt married Ann Elizabeth in 1863. They moved to England where Billiatt gave numerous lectures on Australian natural history and Australian conditions. In 1872 he joined with an enterprise in Paraguay which was unsuccessful and in 1875 the Billiatts returned to South Australia. They settled at Glenelg and Billiatt established the Lancing School. When he retired from this in the early 1900s they returned to England. He died in 1919 and was buried with his wife, who had predeceased him by 14 years.

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