William Bath arrived in Walcha from England in 1844 and last Sunday his oldest living descendant and great-great grandson Allan Head, who now lives in Sydney, was at the Walcha Museum and Pioneer Cottage with other descendants for a family photo.
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Mr Head turns 94 this year, as did William’s second wife Sarah in 1909. The historian Alfred James said thirteen of William Bath’s 15 children married producing 132 grandchildren between 1844 and 1901 which led to more than 560 great-grandchildren.
Allan’s daughter Lesley arranged the group photo and gathering and hopes it will become a regular event with many more attending the next one.
“The Bath’s became one of Walcha’s most prolific families,” she said. “Either through birth or marriage, many in Walcha were related to the Baths.”
Allan is a WWII RAAF veteran and marched in this year’s Sydney Anzac Day commemorations. His father Morris Head was a WWI veteran on the Western Front who left his sweetheart Gladys Rebecca Bath in Walcha in 1916 to enlist, returning to marry her in St Andrew’s Anglican Church in 1919. The Bath family has a long association with St Andrew’s Anglican Church with many family christenings and weddings taking place there.
Allan’s mother Gladys played the organ in the church for many years and one of his great-great -grandmothers, Esther Elizabeth Laird, was its verger for 40 years from 1862. A stained-glass window commemorates her long service inside the historic stone church.
Allan spent memorable stays during his youth living in his Uncle Allan Bath’s Walcha Road Hotel Royal. At just three years he was the Walcha Road quoits champion beating contenders of any age. Allan’s great-grandfather Thomas Bath of Ohio and Gola also became a publican and purchased the Commercial Hotel in 1883.
Allan also spent many holidays with his grandparents Sarah Hannah (Wilkins) and Thomas Bath (Jr.) at their home in Fitzroy Street. Sarah was renowned for her pastry making and every year won the baking sections at the Walcha Show.
After visiting Walcha last year with her father Allan, and meeting a number of folk with Bath family connections, Lesley Wilson recently contacted Kate Hoy, president of the Walcha Historical Society, and mooted the idea of a get-together of William Bath descendants to share memories of family history and take a group photograph.
“Group family photos were quite the fashion 100 years ago,” said Mrs Wilson.
“That is why we can now treasure so many records of the pioneering folk who helped forge our Walcha community.”
Vanessa Arundale
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
