S. W. Copley

Samuel William Copley (21 October 1859 – 4 or 5 November 1937) was an English artisan who made a fortune in land deals in Western Australia and returned to England, where he continued to be involved in business.

History Copley was born in Berry Brow, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire, and trained as a tailor, but worked at his father's barbershop in Huddersfield. He subsequently worked in that trade in Manchester and Blackpool before returning to his father's business. In 1882, aged 23, he left for Pontypridd, Wales, where he practised hairdressing and made extra money by trading in such lines as boots, furniture, and musical instruments.

Australia A half-brother, Ben Copley, He settled in Melbourne, where he worked as a barber for three years. His savings from England amounted to £400, which he invested in local businesses, but failed to make a profit, losing substantially on silver shares when Broken Hill mines were being developed.

Fremantle In 1888 he moved to Fremantle, Western Australia, working as a barber and tobacconist for two years, and in 1890 founding a bookmaking and money lending business, in Fremantle and Perth.

Passenger ferries He became associated with Joseph Charles and his South Perth Ferry Company some time before 1898, when their new steam paddle ferry Duchess was built by the Perth firm of Lawrence to join their Princess, Countess and Queen (previously named Empress). In 1903 Copley became sole owner of the business. In 1910 Princess was auctioned off. The government acquired the company around 1912.

Real estate He was involved with William Britnall in the subdivision of Chatsworth Estate to form the Perth suburb of Highgate Hill, and James Patterson (died 11 July 1924), he purchased the Ord River cattle station, which in 1912 they sold to the Vestey brothers for £250,000. Also in 1900, in conjunction with R. T. Robinson, Copley and his brother purchased of the Mount Lawley estate which they sub-divided into quarter-acre blocks, yielding a vast profit and incidentally triggering Perth's building boom which began around 1905. Copley had sold his fine house at Mount Lawley after the government compulsorily acquired the ferry company's docklands, and in September 1913 he left for England.

England On his return to Britain, Copley received medical attention for some chronic problems, and after several surgical operations he settled in London. In 1914 Copley became chairman of directors of the Atlantic Insurance Company, the West Australian Insurance Company, and Copley's Bank Ltd.

When the Huddersfield Corporation (municipal council) wished to acquire a very large freehold (the Ramsden Estate)

He died at his home in Elstree, Hertfordshire, leaving an estate valued at £39,089, the bulk having been sequestered with Copley's Bank Limited. His widow died on 11 June 1947 and her remains were buried at Elstree Parish Church alongside those of her husband.

His grandson via his son Samuel was financier and conservationist Martin Copley, the founder of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy in Perth.