William Pettigrew

William Pettigrew (26 August 1825 – 28 October 1906) was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland, Australia.

Personal life

William Pettigrew was born on 26 August 1825 at Tarbolton, Ayr, Scotland, the son of Robert Pettigrew (a farmer) and Mary McWhinnie. He trained as a surveyor and emigrated to Brisbane in 1848 on the

He married Amelia Boughay in Brisbane on 19 February 1859. Margaret, born Brisbane 1859 Robert, born Brisbane 1862 Mary Ann, born Brisbane 1866

Amelia had previously been married to Joseph Ward Davis, registered in the September quarter of 1848 in Newington, Surrey, England. So, William had two stepsons from Amelia's first marriage:

On 15 December 1881, William's daughter Margaret married Philip, the eldest son of another Brisbane alderman and mayor, John Hardgrave. At that time, the Pettigrew family were living in William Street. Mary Ann Pettigrew married Harry Ward Davis, son of E. Davis Esq of Charlton Kent on 7 April 1891.

William was a strict Presbyterian who believed in keeping Sabbath sacred. He practised this belief by walking to church and banning musical instruments during the church service. William retired to Bowen where he lived with his daughter Mary Ann and her husband Harry Davis until he died on 28 Oct 1906 and is buried in Bowen.

Maryoochydore businesses

Around 1862, the area around Maroochydore was opened up for development. In 1863, William Pettigrew visited the area and found there was plentiful timber to be obtained, including hardwood, cedar, bunya and kauri pine. Although there was good timber there, the Maroochy River bar was hazardous. So William Pettigrew established a depot and wharf at Mooloolah Heads (now known as Mooloolaba) to deliver timber to his Brisbane sawmill.

Later in 1884, he established a landing place at Maroochydore to receive timber floated down the Maroochy River. In 1891, he opened a sawmill on the bank of the Maroochy River at Cotton Tree and now known as Wharf St, Maroochydore.

William Pettigrew had three steamers that he used on the run to the Maroochy River, "Tadorna Radja", "Tarshaw" and "Gneering".

William Pettigrew closed his sawmill at Maroochydore in 1898 and sold up his land holdings (Cotton Tree, Potts Point, Mooloolah Heads) in the Maroochy area in 1903. These events appear to coincide with both his bankruptcy as well as timber-getting becoming uneconomic (all the suitable trees in the area having been cut down) and a rail link to Brisbane reduced the need for a steamer service.

He served on the following committees:

William Pettigrew was appointed a life member of the Legislative Council of Queensland from 12 May 1877 but resigned on 23 June 1894.

He was a member of: the Queensland Philosophical Society the Brisbane School of Arts Committee the Queensland Acclimatisation Society (a life member)