William Tatlock Chippindall was a prominent early settler, farmer, and civic leader in the Gympie region of Queensland, Australia. Known for his pioneering land selections in the Mary Valley and multiple terms as chairman of the Widgee Divisional Board, his life spanned the gold rush era through economic hardships.
Early Life of William Tatlock Chippindall
William Tatlock Chippindall was born on December 20, 1845, likely to parents William Coward Chippindall and Henrietta Rushton. After completing his schooling, he succeeded his brother in the managing of their father’s fam, 800 acres near Bathurst NSW. He remained as farm manager for seven years before moving to Queensland.
In the early 1860s, he managed Yandina Station and was reportedly involved in frontier events, including a controversial massacre at Murdering Creek near present-day Noosa.
The Murdering Creek Massacre of 1869
William Chippindall being the manager of Yandina Station had an ongoing problem with cattle killings on the station, the beasts having been ‘speared’ to death. Chippindall organised a party of eight including Richard Jones (a Senior Stockman), John Farquarson and four other men from Yandina Station. One of the men dressed as a ‘traveller’ as he approached the edge of the lake, whilst the others hid and lay in wait. The aboriginal men were on the lake in canoes, when they approached the man, the other seven men jumped out and began shooting. The exact number of deaths is known, but it is widely written to be about 25 Kabi Kabi men.
The area of Murdering Creek is on Lake Weyba (near Noosa) and was named as such after the massacre.
The Chippindall’s Settlement in the Mary Valley
In the 1870s, Chippindall selected 90 acres near Bunya Creek on the former Imbil Station for cattle grazing. By 1878, he expanded to 2,866 acres with 300-400 head of cattle, later growing to 4,000 acres where he cultivated maize, oats, lucerne, and potatoes for trade in Gympie.
He built a homestead north of Hasthorpe Road in Kandanga and supported community efforts by hosting the first Bunya Creek provisional school classes in his barn. Financial woes hit in the late 1890s amid the Queensland banking collapse and depression, forcing him to subdivide and sell in 1897.
Civic and Political Roles
Chippindall served as chairman of the Widgee Divisional Board nine times between 1886 and 1900, including terms in 1886-1889, 1890-1891, 1892-1893, and 1899-1900. He ran as a candidate for local polls, such as in 1899, and worked as a Crown Lands Ranger in Gympie. After his service, the Widgee Divisional Board presented Chippindall with a ‘handsome gold medal’ and after retiring from the Kilkivan Board, celebrated with a ‘Champagne Supper‘.
His family remained influential; relatives like Frank Chippindall selected 160 acres in Bollier, and he handled estate matters for brother Henry.
Family and Later Years
He was married twice. His first marriage was to Mary Anne Radden (1845 – 1879). His second wife was Fanny Sample, who predeceased him. Chippindall died on January 22, 1920, at age 74, and is memorialized in Gympie. His descendants continued as landowners in the region. It is believed he had 18 children, eight boys and five girls, eleven who survived to adulthood.
Death and Legacy of the Chippindall Name
William Tatlock Chippindall died in Gladstone in 1920, he was 74 years of age.
Descendants of William Tatlock Chippindall
Children of William Tatlock Chippindall and Mary Ann Radden (or Redden) Mary died in 1979 age 33, two days after giving birth to her youngest daughter.
- Herbert Augustus Chippindall 1886 – 1942 married to Ada Kathleen Kellett, their children include: Basil Lindesay, Joyce Kathleen and Eric Kellett
- Francis Edward Chippindall approx 1869 – 1942 married Alice Edith Groves their children are Harold Roy, Lorna Joyce, Vivian Francis and Morris Mervyn
- Arthur John Chippindall 1871 – 1919
- Ada Gertrude Chippindall 1871 – ?
- Henry WalterChippindall 1877 – 1903 age 25
- Alice May Chippindall 1879 – ?
Children of William Tatlock Chippindall and Fanny Sample Howlett:
- Dora Ethel Chippindall 1880 – 1964 married Michael James Bracewell, they had one son James Graeme Bracewell
- Frederick Dowse Chippindall 1882 – 1954
- Florence ‘Florrie’ Mabel Chippindall 1884 – 1970
- Agnes Louise Chippindall 1885 – 1966
- Cyril Howlet Chippindall 1885 – 1941 (twin to Agnes) married Marguerite Louise Henriette Deltour, they had two children, Leslie Daniel and Allan Cyril
- Agnes Louise Chippindall (1885 – twin to Cyril)
The grace of Mary Ann Chippindall at the Gympie Cemetery
Surnames Associated With the Chippindall Family
Family Connections: Rushton, Dowse, Howlett, Radden, Kellett, Groves, Bracewell, Deltour, Brown, Radden
Work and Social Connections:
- Jones
- Farquarson
- Skyring
- Hutchins
- Matthew Mellor
Sources:
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“Shire of Widgee,” Wikipedia – local government history listing William Tatlock Chippindall as chairman of the Widgee Divisional Board in 1886–1889, 1890–1891, 1892–1893 and 1899–1900, providing context for his civic leadership in the Mary Valley and Gympie hinterland.
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Find a Grave, “William Tatlock Chippindall (1845–1920)” – memorial inscription stating “late of Gympie,” giving his date of death (22 January 1920) and burial details alongside wife Fanny Sample Chippindall, used to corroborate life dates and family information.
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Gympie Heritage Trails and Gympie Regional heritage material – background on Mary Valley settlement, agricultural development and the Widgee local government area in which Chippindall was a prominent figure.
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Gympie Regional Council / Gympie Regional Libraries, Wild Heart, Bountiful Land: A History of the Mary River Valley – regional history of the Mary Valley and Widgee district, providing context for closer settlement, dairying and civic development during Chippindall’s era.
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The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (Gympie, Qld.), various issues – municipal reports, Widgee Divisional Board minutes, land and rate notices, and community items in which Chippindall appears as chairman, landholder or participant, accessed via Trove and Gympie Regional Libraries.
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Queensland Government Gazettes – proclamations and notices relating to Widgee Divisional Board elections, boundaries and chairmanships that include references to William Tatlock Chippindall (as cited in the article text).
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Genealogical databases (e.g. Ancestry, FamilySearch) – entries used to confirm birth, marriage and death details for William Tatlock Chippindall, Fanny Sample Chippindall and their children, where referenced in the GFHS article.
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Cross‑references in other GFHS pieces (e.g. “Christmas Shopping in Gympie – 1903,” “J H GAYTON Tobacconist Mary Street”) where Chippindall is mentioned among notable local figures, helping to place him within the broader community network.
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