6 September 1869 Pontville Tasmania Australia Teresa Cecily Finnigan Not known

William Mathew Partington was born at Pontville, Tasmania, on 6 Sep 1869, the eldest of nine children of James Partington (1849-1894), builder and wheelwright, and Charlotte Warburton Pearce who married on 9 Dec 1868. As a young lad William joined the newly-formed Brighton Band, playing the tenor horn. He advanced to the euphonium and became well known in the Brighton district playing this instrument.

Shortly before the Tasmanian Exhibition began in 1891 William had the good fortune to play before Alex Wallace, the conductor of the Launceston City Band. He moved to Launceston and played the euphonium in the Exhibition Orchestra. He took part in a Monster Concert staged by the City Band in Sep 1892. In the following month William went to Melbourne to perform with the City Band in the Industrial Exhibition in that city. His outstanding performances led him to Chicago and Antwerp to play at their World Fairs, leaving in late Feb 1893. He played in the band on the ship Ophir on the way to London.

By Feb 1895 William was back in Launceston and in March was billed as the 'Renowned Euphonium Soloist' at a concert in the Exhibition Building in Hobart. He married Teresa Cecily Finnigan on 24 Jun 1896 at the residence of the bride's parents at Kempton. The couple appears not to have had any children. By 1903 William was a band master at Kalgoolie, Western Australia. He and Teresa lived at Ballarat in Victoria, Rockhampton in Queensland and Paddington in NSW, where William died suddenly on 5 Jul 1928. He made a career as a musician. Teresa died in Hobart at the age of 91 on 26 Mar 1965. She left her estate to be divided between a niece and a nephew.

Although the Official Catalogue lists AH Partington as playing the euphonium in the Exhibition Orchestra in 1891-92, it was in fact WM Partington.

Marion Sargent & Prue McCausland Sep 2011