William Edward Marmion (1845-1896) by
Andrew Priest (Aushiker), on Flickr
Project: Fremantle Cemetery Heritage Walk: Location No. 11 William Edward Marmion (1845 -1896), Merchant and politician.
This photo documents the grave site (No. 343) of Mr William Edward Marmion. William Marmion was the son of Patrick Marmion, who had come to Fremantle as an indentured servant.
By the time William was born, his father was a wealthy merchant.
William began work at 16. He was a master mariner at 21 and soon established his own business, W E Marmion and Co. The company was involved in merchandising, pearling and maritime activities. William Marmion was also an early station owner in the Kimberley, where he leased millions of hectares of grasslands. He also established mining companies.
Marmion married Anna Gibbons in the Fremantle Catholic Church in 1870. They had nine children.
On the introduction of representative government in 1870, Marmion was defeated for the Fremantle seat but was appointed an unofficial nominee member of the Legislative Council. He was elected for Fremantle in 1873 and until his death remained its member, from 1890 in the Legislative Assembly. Premier (Sir) John Forrest appointed him commissioner of crown lands and minister for mines in 1890. Under Marmion the gold-mining industry became the economic vehicle which transformed a quiet backwater into a colony attracting enormous international interest. He had financial acumen and understood the infrastructure requirements needed to service rapidly increasing trade and population. He was a member of the finance committee of the Legislative Council and of the National Australasian Federal Convention of 1891 in Sydney where he took no prominent part.
Marmion's sudden death from liver disease on 4 July 1896 caused widespread grief. It was reported that more people attended his funeral than any other in the colony to that time and that the streets of Perth were lined with thousands of citizens. He was buried in the Catholic cemetery, Fremantle. He died intestate with his affairs in some confusion.
A monument, a huge Celtic cross, was erected in Mayor's Park, Fremantle, by public subscription.
Source: Fremantle Cemetery Heritage Walk Trail One and Australian Dictionary of Biography.