Person:Frederick Vickery (1)

Parents were George VICKERY and Mary BOWDEN.

On the 1st July 1874 he married Wilhemina Robinson KING who was born at "Kingsford", Gawler on the 4th December 1855. Their 14 children were 7 boys and 7 girls, of which 5 boys and 1 girl died before reaching the age of 5 years. Wilhemina was the brother of Stephen KING the explorer.

His obituary, as appeared in The Register, Adelaide, Thursday, April 12, 1928, with comments in [ ]: After an illness of four weeks the death occurred at Meadows South on Wednesday morning of Mr. Frederick William Vickery at the age of 81 years. Mr. Vickery was born at Meadows South [actually he was born at Pine Forest. His Aunt Charlotte FOLLAND nee VICKERY was living at Pine Forest near Enfield], and was always cheerful. He has always been fairly active in his garden, and retained until to the last his faculties. The youngest son of the late George and Mary Vickery, he attended school at Gawler and afterwards Mr. L. J. Young’s school in Adelaide, after which he went to his father’'s stations (The Grampus [near Yunta] and Wildotta [it was Wildoto]), near Burra. Later he was manager for Mr. King at Winninnie [Winnininnie] Station. He married Miss W. R. King, [in 1874] and settled at Meadows South [children born or died at Meadows in 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1880, 1882], carrying on the flour mill, known as Burley’s [he converted it to a saw-mill in 1877]. After closing that [assumed to be the saw-mill, debts of £8,000 in March 1880] he lived in Adelaide [child died in Norwood 1883], and then removed to Blackwood [children born or died at Blackwood in 1884, 1885, 1887, 1888, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1898], where he was engaged in the railway audit branch. Eleven years later Mr. Vickery [formed a syndicate and] went to the Coolgardie goldfield [gold discovered 1892], where he stayed for about two years, [child died at Cue W.A in 1907, appeared in Cue postal directories of 1910 & 1912 as a dairy farmer] and then returned to reside at Meadows South. Mr. Vickery was a crack shot, good cricketer, and enthusiastic gardener. He was a member of the Oddfellow’s Lodge since its inception. A widow, two sons (Messrs E. T., [wife of Frederick Edwin VICKERY] Victor Harbour, and Frank Vickery, Meadows), four daughters (Mrs Olsson [Minnie Alice], Meadows, Mrs D. Cox [Aimee Kathleen] Willaston, Mrs L. Berkis [Nita Mary BARKLA], Grange and Sister E. Vickery [Ella], Grange) and 11 grandchildren, survive.

In September 1873, his Uncle William VICKERY wrote in part "George’s family I seldom see any unless it is George, the 3 boys I believe are all single yet and living at the North".

Frederick was a councillor with the District Council of Kondoparings (which became the District Council of Meadows).

In October 1876, Frederick William VICKERY and William ELLIS leased the House and Store at 86 Mawson Road, Meadows. In June 1879, the lease was surrendered and William ELLIS purchased the property.

The Register, 18th January 1877, page 5 [It is in relation to the flour mill established by William BURLEY and apparently closed about 1870] has the following: MEADOWS STEAM SAW-MILLS - On Tuesday last, the 16th January, the ceremony of opening the Meadows Steam Mills was performed in the presence of a large number of spectators, amongst whom were Messrs. Forwood, Down and Co., and Messrs. Williams & Dixon, engineers, of Adelaide. The mills are situated on the property of Mr. F. W. Vickery, who has at considerable expense erected these mills for the purpose of bringing into our market the vast amount of red and blue gum growing in the Meadows district. The engine is of Scotch manufacture, and was purchased of Messrs Clark and Sons, of North-terrace. The cylinder is 12in. diameter, and has a stroke of 24, yet this little engine drives the whole of the mill gear with apparent ease. The boiler was made by Mr. Hooker, of Hindley-street, and is all that can be desired. The whole of the mill machinery was constructed by Messrs Forwood, Down and Co., and judging from the ease which everything works it cannot be too highly spoken of. It may be mentioned that in the feed motive of the vertical a new idea has been utilized for bush mills, and one that is well worthy of inspection. The speed of the vertical is 140 stokes to the minute, and has a feed of 3-16 to the cut. The circulars are of various sizes, the spindle of which revolves at the rate of 1,000 per minute. The mill is capable of cutting from four to five thousand superficial feet per day, and with all appliances even more could be put through in case of emergency. The whole of the plant has been erected under the immediate, supervision of Mr. Samuel E. K. Capps, who has had considerable experience in the erection of sawmills, both at home and in the colonies. At the opening ceremony the proprietor stated that he had not interfered in the slightest degree either in the manufacture or erection of the machinery, and he was very much pleased with the meaner in which the whole had been carried out, and called for three cheers for the Meadows Steam Saw-Mills, which was heartily responded to by the visitors and employes. At the close of the ceremony the visitors and employes adjourned to Host Coleman’s, of the Meadows Hotel, where a capital repast was provided by the proprietors.

With regards to the Saw Mill, a letter written by his Uncle Joseph VICKERY, in March 1880, says in part "Fred is in a mess at the Mill and has run his Father in debt to the tune of about £8,000. George is about to take to the concern and wishes me to stay and take stock and assist him in the matter."

Part of an article published in the Register on the 18th May 1892, page 6b: "As well as unfortunately possessing a ruin of that which in the first instance helped to maintain it, or rather its inhabitants - a flourmill - which has long since been closed for the purposes for which it was originally constructed. Afterwards it was reopened and started as a sawmill."

(Information from Grantley Hutchens)