William Douglas MELDRUM ~1841-1930 and Anna Maria SHARPLEY ~1845-1881

William Douglas MELDRUM b. ca 1841 Dunfermline, Fifeshire, Scotland, son of Robert Douglas MELDRUM and Jean DOUGLAS. He was married in 1867 at ___, Victoria to Anna Maria SHARPLEY, b. 1845, Ireland, daughter of Joseph Burton SHARPLEY and Anne KENT.

"Mr W. D. MELDRUM - born at Cross Gates, near Dunfermline, Scotland, and arrived in Australia at ten years of age with several older brothers, who engaged in lime burning for a time. His brothers paid to apprentice him to a firm of wheelwrights who did much of Cobb and Co's work. He went to New Zealand for a few years, returned to Victoria and married. He came up country to Dunkeld, and later to Merino, where he worked with J. O'Brien, blacksmith. He visited Casterton with a view to opening there, but considered it a sandbank. He established a business in Merino in 1869. The shop was at the south west end of the township on the Digby side, but was cut off by the railway in 1882 and rebuilt. The later building has been worked up into a modern garage. He was interested in all township welfare. Correspondent for the Board of Advice (School) for 25 years, and died in 1930, aged 89 years."

Source: "Historic Souvenir of the Back to Merino and Henty Centenary Celebrations, Nov 11th - 15th 1937"

William Douglas MELDRUM and Anna Maria SHARPLEY had the following known family....

1. Robert Douglas MELDRUM, b.1868, Merino, Vic, d. 1930, Melbourne, Vic., m. Catherine Woods HANNA (~1871-1944)
2. Anna Jane MELDRUM, b.1869, Merino, Vic, d. 1959, Hamilton, Vic., m. Archibald LAW, b. 1880 Break-O-Day, Vic, d. 1928, served in WW1, Glenorchy Estate Soldier Settler
3. William Martin MELDRUM, b.1870, Merino, Vic, d. 1942, Melbourne, Vic., m. Elizabeth Mary COOTE (~1878-1967)
4. Frederick James "Fred" MELDRUM, b.1872, Merino, Vic, d. 1943, Ballarat, m. Amelia Clara Friedrich KRAATZ 1885-1982
• served in Boer War as Pte 451, 3rd Victorian Bushmen
• enlisted WW1, 21 Aug 1914, Carriage Trimmer
• served as Cpl 148, 4th Light Horse Regiment, AIF (Gallipoli, Middle East)
• served as Cpl 148, Aust Camel Regiment, AIF (Middle East)
• RTA 7 Jan 1919
• Named on Casterton Town Hall Honour Roll
• Named on Merino War Memorial
5. Joseph Burton MELDRUM, b.1874, Merino, Vic, d. 1949, Casterton, Vic., m. Edith Sarah HOLMES 1883-1938
• enlisted WW1, 13 Sep 1915, Coach Builder
• served as Spr 7257, 5th Field Coy Engineers, AIF
• RTA 15 May 1919
• Named on Casterton Town Hall Honour Roll
• Named on Merino War Memorial
6. Aquila Sharpley MELDRUM, b.1876, Merino, Vic, d. 1897, Merino, Vic
7. Albert Alexander MELDRUM, b.1878, d. 1881, Merino, Vic.