William & Edith Wauhop

Power couple William M Wauhop and his wife Edith were truly legends in East Fremantle. They gave so much to the community over their lifetimes. William served as secretary of the East Fremantle A.L.P from 1915-1922, a founder and President of the Fremantle and District Road Boards, and President of the Fremantle District Council. In September 1944 Wauhop was elected Mayor to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr H. J. Locke. He served as a councillor and Mayor of East Fremantle for 21 years from 1944 to 1964. Standing beside him was his wife Edith who not only was active in the Fremantle Women’s Labor Movement but also raised three children and carried out duties as Mayoress of East Fremantle.

William M Wauhop was born in Bendigo, Victoria in 1887. He was one of five children (see details below). In 1900 when William was 14 the family moved to Western Australia. He served his apprenticeship to engineering blacksmiths at the Fremantle Foundry and then joined the Fremantle branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. For about 10 years he represented the society on the A.L.P (Australian Labor Party) Council (reference).

Once his apprenticeship was completed in 1907 Wauhop travelled to Carnarvon. In 1910 along with Mick Sawtell he was involved in establishing a branch of the A.L.P., where they nominated a candidate Mr W.J. Butcher who later won the election in the firmly established Gascoyne Liberal seat (reference).

At the time there was very little union activity in Carnarvon outside the Shearer’s Union. Wauhop established a union to take in all workers in Carnarvon that included the municipal employees, shop assistant and general workers. Wauhop was elected as their first president (reference).

On 25 October, 1911, William married Edith Willliambury Wheelock from Carnarvon. Edith was the daughter of Charles Thomas Wheelock and Jessie Wheelock (Nevin). The couple were married in the Congregational Church in Carnarvon in front of family and friends. (reference)

Together they had three children: William Gerald (1914-1976), Grace Nevin (1912-2001) and Edith May (1921-1973). In 1961 William and Edith celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. In a newspaper article Edith talked about how the couple first met:

“... Mrs Wauhop was in charge of Carnarvon’s post office and telephone exchange. I used to spend evening after evening talking to each other over the wires. So when we were officially introduced some months later at a party we already knew each other well… (reference)

William’s parents, Isaiah and Grace Wauchope (spelling on the electoral roll) owned a house from 1909 at 118 Duke St (now 48) in East Fremantle, which they lived in until they died in the 1930’s. In 1914 William and Edith first lived at 118 King Street ( now 72), from 1916-1918 they lived at 74 King St (now 34) and from 1919-1920 they lived at 151 Sewell St (now 73). From 1925 - 1972 they lived in the family home at 118 Duke St (now 48) until they died.

When William and Edith moved to Fremantle they again joined the Australian Labor Party. During this time the political and industrial sections of the Australian Labor movement were separate. He was a member of the committee that drew up the amalgamation scheme that combined the two divisions and was elected President two years later. He was prominent in the Fremantle wharf disputes of 1917 and 1919. Wauhop wrote an article published in the Westralian Worker on the 3 May 1940 titled ‘Fremantle Labor Consolidation in 1917’ about the history of the amalgamation. (reference)

Wauhop was a delegate to the State Executive in 1915 and served for seven years. He was secretary of the East Fremantle A.L.P from 1915-1922, a founder and President of the Fremantle and District Road Boards, and President of the Fremantle District Council and represented that council at numerous State Labor conferences. 

Although Edith was busy raising children and a family as many women at the time were, she was also an active member of the Australian Labor Party. In 1942 Edith was nominated to the Fremantle Labor Party roll of honor for her work in the community. 

An article published in the Westralian Worker for 5 October 1943, describes how Edith joined the East Fremantle Australian Labor Party and later she joined the Fremantle Women’s Labor Organisation and the Red Cross at the outbreak of the war in 1944. The article goes on to describe how

“...Mrs Wauhop has always taken an interest in the Labor Women’s Central Executive and has represented Labor organisations at the Annual conference of Labor Women…Mrs Wauhop is an amiable person of a retiring disposition who does not court publicity but has always been a good helpmate to her husband in labor matters and interested in the movement for its own sake…” (reference).

In 1942 Wauhop attempted to go into State Parliament. In October, he was nominated to fill the Federal Senate vacancy caused by the death of Senator E. B. Johnston. He lost the vote to Mr Charles George Latham. (reference)

In 1942 Wauhop then moved into local government and became a member of East Fremantle Municipal  Council. In September 1944 Wauhop was elected mayor to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr H. J. Locke. He served as a councillor and mayor of East Fremantle for 21 years from 1944 to 1964. William Wauhop along with Vic Ulrich served a total of 44 years as a councillor and mayor. They were both honoured with the title of Freeman of the Town. (reference)

1949 The Mayor's Parlour at the East Fremantle Town Hall was bright with flowers on Wednesday for the afternoon party given by the Mayoress (Mrs. W. Wauhop). The principal guest was Mrs. W. H. Kitson, who will sail for London by the Orion on April 21. During the afternoon the Mayoress made a presentation to Mrs. Kitson of a special light-weight hat box. (reference)

Wauhop was a member of and worked with ‘The Fremantle Uglymen’s Association’. The organisation was originally established to help those in need and suffering the effects of World War l and then expanded to include charitable causes such as an infant health clinic and underprivileged children. (reference)

Wauhop was secretary of Alpine Taxi’s, a Justice of the Peace, member of the Fremantle Hospital Board and Chairman of the Licensing Court. In 1965 William was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire for his community work. Throughout his lifetime William had a street and park named after him in East Fremantle. In 1960 a wing at the Fremantle Hospital was also named after him.

Wauhop as a labor member of East Fremantle council was instrumental in establishing a 40 hour working week for the council’s employees. The East Fremantle council was one of the first councils to do this. (reference)

William died on the 17 September, 1971, aged 84. Edith died several years later on the 12 March 1974, aged 82. They were both cremated and memorialised at the Fremantle cemetery. (reference) (reference)

Williams family-he was born to Isaiah Wauhop (1862-1955) and Grace Wauhop (Denis) (1863-1934) and siblings included John (Jack) Wauhop (1888-1966), Ellen (Nell) Wauhop, Hugh Wauhop (1896-1961) and Isaiah Wauhop (1889-1959). 

Researched by Jennifer Bull for www.streetsofeastfreo