Hughes, Bill

William Hughes (Bill) was born in Liverpool, England on 25 December, 1925. He had a brother, Harry, born in Busselton. His parents came from Lancashire and migrated to Australia when Bill was 10 months old, joining Group Settlement 49 near Busselton for a time.

They moved into Busselton where Bill’s father worked on the timber mill at Ludlow, then for Kemp Killerby as Store Manager at Nannup. In 1937 they returned to England for 12 months, returned to Waroona for a year then to Dunsborough where the family stayed when he joined the Army.

Bill’s first job was at Peake’s store in Busselton, then he trained as a hairdresser.

Bill married Jessie Wallingford in 1948 and they had a son, Peter, and a daughter, Kay.

In 1955 he went to work for the local newspaper – the South Western News – as a linotype operator. His brother taught him the skills he needed. The paper was sold in 1954 and printing operations moved to Bunbury in 1965 when the name changed to Busselton-Margaret River Times. Bill stayed on as a journalist writing page two comments, sometimes on controversial issues.

He recalls Cyclone Alby being the most momentous story in his journalistic years.

Bill was the Busselton Golf Club champion for one year and a keen golfer.

In his retirement he enjoyed fishing and pottering around doing odd jobs at home.