William Herbert Phillipps


Sir William Herbert Phillipps, generally referred to as Herbert Phillipps or W. Herbert Phillipps, was a prominent South Australian businessman and philanthropist.

Early days

Herbert was the son of Susannah and James Phillipps, a medical student turned saddler and lay preacher who arrived in Adelaide in 1839. He was born in Rosina Street, in a house which was reputedly the first in the city to be made of brick and having the first board floor.
He had a brother and six sisters, two being:
  • fourth daughter Rosa married accountant and future M.P. and Commissioner of Audit Ebenezer Cooke on 8 May 1866
  • fifth daughter Clara Anne married architect Frederick W. Dancker on 15 May 1883.
He was a student at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution, Mr. Webster's private school in Kensington then Fellenberg's Commercial School in Pulteney Street, where he taught for a time.

Employment

In 1861 he started work with Crown solicitor William A. Wearing then in 1864 worked as tally clerk in the shipping company of Joseph Stilling. He also worked as Adelaide agent for the Chaffey Brothers. Around this time he adopted the spelling "Phillipps" for his surname.
From 1879 he was Adelaide representative for Australasian Accident Assurance Association, Then from around 1882 to 1889 he was manager of Union Fire and Marine Insurance of New Zealand.
For some years he was co-manager of shipping company George Wills & Co., a subsidiary of G. & R. Wills & Co., of which his wife's uncle George Wills was a principal.

Board positions

Phillipps was appointed to the board of trustees of the Savings Bank of South Australia in 1900 and was its chairman for 32 years. His successor was J. C. Rundle.
Herbert was a director of the South Australian Gas Company for 24 years.
He was a director of The Executor Trustee and Agency Company from 1901 and chairman of directors for the last 12 years of his life.
He was a founder, and president for 13 years, of the South Australian Employers' Federation. and on two occasions president of the Adelaide Chamber of Commerce.
He had a close association with Glenelg Grammar School.

Charitable work

For the last thirty years of his life, Phillipps devoted time to charities:

Civic activities

He was elected councillor in the Brighton City Council in 1893
For over 25 years Sir Hubert was honorary consul for Belgium in South Australia and for his services was created Chevalier of the Order of Leopold by Albert, King of the Belgians. On retiring the position in 1922, he was made honorary life-consul and awarded the Medaille Civique by King Albert.
His services to business and the community were recognised by his knighthood in 1929.

Family

His sister Jane married Frederick Isaac Caterer, co-founder of Norwood Grammar School and founder of Glenelg Grammar.
On 18 December 1877 he married Caroline Mary Tarlton, daughter of R. A. Tarlton. Two daughters did not survive childhood:
  • Their first, Caroline Mary, died 2 January 1880 aged 15 months.
  • Margaret Tarlton, who died in 1893 aged 10 months.
Three other daughters are recorded as:
They had two sons:
Phillipps died following a heart attack. His funeral was attended by a large number of prominent people and he was buried in a family plot in St Jude's cemetery, Brighton.
Their homes were variously at "Lyndhurst" in Somerton and "Craigmellan" at Edwin Terrace, Gilberton.