S. W. Copley
Samuel William Copley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Berry Brow, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 1937 |
| Occupation(s) | Craftsman, businessman, landowner |
| Years active | Late 19th century – early 20th century |
| Known for | Land transactions in Western Australia; founder of ferry company; chairman of insurance companies and bank in England |
Samuel William Copley (21 October 1859 – 4 or 5 November 1937) was an English craftsman who accumulated considerable wealth through land transactions in Western Australia before returning to England to expand his business interests.
History
Originating from Berry Brow, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Copley initially trained as a tailor but predominantly worked in his father’s barber shop. He subsequently practiced hairdressing in locations including Manchester, Blackpool, and Pontypridd, Wales, while supplementing his earnings by trading various goods such as boots, furniture, and musical instruments.
Australia
His half-brother, Ben Copley, emigrated to Australia around 1883. In 1885, Copley traveled in steerage aboard the Grand to Australia with his brother-in-law Joe Willie Ellis. They settled in Melbourne where he spent three years working as a barber. With savings of £400 brought from England, he invested in local enterprises but encountered setbacks, notably losing money on silver shares linked to the development of the Broken Hill ore deposit mines.
Fremantle
In 1888, Copley relocated to Fremantle, Western Australia, where he worked as a barber and tobacconist before establishing a bookmaking and money lending enterprise operating in Fremantle and Perth by 1890.
Passenger ferries
He collaborated with Joseph Charles—real estate developer and founder of Subiaco—to form the South Perth Ferry Company. This business ran ferry services between Barrack Street, Perth and Mends Street, South Perth prior to 1898. Their fleet included the steam-powered paddle ferry Duchess, constructed by Perth firm W. & S. Lawrence, along with vessels named Princess, Countess, and Queen (previously called Empress). By 1903, Copley had acquired full ownership. The Princess was sold at auction in 1910, and around 1912 the government took over the company.
Real estate
Partnering with William Britnall, Copley helped subdivide the Chatsworth Estate, resulting in the creation of Highgate suburb in Perth. In 1900, together with Ben Copley and James Patterson, he purchased the Ord River cattle station and sold it in 1912 to the Vestey brothers for £250,000. That year also saw him join forces with R. T. Robinson to acquire 730 acres of Mount Lawley estate; they subdivided this land into quarter-acre plots that yielded significant profits and fueled Perth’s construction boom around 1905.
Furthermore, in 1900 he acquired 40,000 acres at Upper Swan for sheep and cattle farming, including 300 acres of vineyards aimed at producing dried grapes. He also bought 60,000 acres at Baker’s Hill where thousands of tons of wandoo timber were harvested.
Last years in Australia
In 1912 government intervention compelled Copley to relinquish his ferry company by terminating its contract for government wharf usage. After compulsory acquisition of the ferry company’s docklands, he sold his Mount Lawley home and left for England in September 1913.
England
Upon returning to Britain, Copley underwent several surgical procedures and established residence in London. In 1914 he assumed chairmanship of the Atlantic Insurance Company, the West Australian Insurance Company, and Copley’s Bank Ltd. He also founded the Atlas Insurance Company (later known as Domestic & General), a silk manufacturing factory on the Thames, and a bird-seed production facility in Camberwell. Around 1917 management of these ventures was taken over by Copley’s Bank Ltd after which he retired to his estate at Elstree.
In 1919 Huddersfield Corporation sought to purchase the extensive Ramsden Estate; Copley financed this acquisition with £1,350,000 and transferred ownership to the council once they repaid him.
He returned to Western Australia in 1927 and observed developments including the hotel at Merredin that he had constructed over two decades earlier. Copley passed away at Elstree leaving an estate valued at £39,089, much of which remained invested in Copley’s Bank Limited.
Recognition
A blue plaque honors his legacy at the Berry Brow Liberal Club.
Family
On 13 August 1897, Copley wed Henrietta Maude Marguerite Sands (1869–1947) in Holborn. The couple had four children:
- Mary Copley (born 1899)
- Phyllis Copley (born 1901)
- Samuel Richard Copley (1909–2002)
- David William Copley (1909–1998)
The twin boys spent the majority of their early years in England before relocating back to Australia in 1932. Following Henrietta’s passing in 1947, she was interred beside her husband at Elstree Parish Church.
Through Samuel, his grandson Martin Copley became a notable financier and conservation advocate, founding the Australian Wildlife Conservancy based in Perth.