unknown 'Portsea Cottage' Invermay Road Inveresk Tasmania Australia Eva Ada Madeline Smart Wilfred Ellis Girvan, Neil William Elton, Marjorie Grace & Nina

This portrait is probably of William Henry Patten, born in Hobart in 1864, the third of 10 children of John Patten and Eliza Lloyd. He married Eva Ada Madeline Smart in Launceston on 16 Oct 1889. They had four children: Wilfred, born 1890; Neil, 1891; Marjorie, 1894 and Nina, 1903. The family lived at 'Portsea Cottage', Invermay Rd, Inveresk, at the time of the Exhibition.

William Patten was first employed by the Van Diemen's Land Company at Burnie before joining the staff of the Equitable Building Society at Launceston. After five years he became the secretary, a position he held for 55 years until his retirement in 1941. He was a member of the Launceston Public Library Board, the Launceston Golf Club and the Launceston Art Society. He was one of the original members of the Launceston Artillery.

He died on 2 May 1944 at the age of 79 in Launceston; he was cremated at Carr Villa.

Barbara Valentine Jun 2009