https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169575738
DEATH OF MR. W. BEEBE, SENIOR.
Mr. William Beebe, senior died on Saturday afternoon at his residence, Rocky Vale Villa, Inglewood road. He was a hale and hearty man until a year ago, when his health gave way, but he did not think his ailment serious enough to relax his usual business habits. A few days ago he was compelled to stay in his home, and Dr. Atkinson was sent for. He was affected with bronchitis, and had a weak-ness of the heart, and he gradually sank and died on Saturday. The deceased gentleman was sixty years of age. He was born in Rut land, England, not far from Peterborough Cathedral. One of his brothers was killed in the Crimean war, and another is the station master at Derbyshire at present. At 23 years of age Mr. Beebe emigrated to Australia, and landed at Port Fairy, after a passage of about 106 days, with only eighteenpence in his pocket and his trade of a monumental mason in his hands. He went to Dunkeld in the Western District, where he quarried the first stone from the similar to
that now being used in the Construction of Parliament House. He erected the first monument in the district. Thirty-five years ago he went to Melbourne, where he took a prominent part in labor matters, and worked hard to obtain the concession of eight hours’ work. He worked at the side of Galloway, Lumsden, and Don, the labor leaders of the day, and contended strenuously against the sale of lands by the Government. He spoke at a public meeting at the time, and he and Lumsden were called lunatics by a certain section of the public for urgin the Government to retain the lands. He did not remain in Melbourne more than a few months, when he came to Bendigo, pitching his tent, where the municipal pound was afterwards erected.
He worked as a mason at the Bank of Victoria, and called the first meeting in Sandhurst to endeavor to obtain eight hours’ labor. The stonemasons were the first to obtain the concession, in this,city, as a result of the movement initiated by Mr. Beebe; but other trades quickly followed the example.
Twenty-seven years ago he left the trade, and went into business as a dairyman, for which purpose he purchased about 260 acres of land at Inglewood road. After nine-years in the business, he sold out and started as a monumental mason in Eaglehawk. Three years afterwards he started in Mitchell street, Bendigo, which he continued until his death. He took his oldest son, William, into partnership about 14 years ago. He was always an active man, and only five weeks before his death he wrote and distributed a pamphlet on the land question en- titled “ Landlordism and its cure.” He was conscious until a quarter of an hour before his death, and he left special instructions in his will that his remains were to be interred in the open part of the Sandhurst cemetery, and that no religious ceremony was to be performed at the grave. His wishes will be respected, and his funeral, which will be a private one, will take place this morning.
The deceased left a widow and grown-up family of four sons and three daughters. The eldest son, William as mentioned, was in partnership in the business; John is engaged in the business, and James, the third son, is employed in Melbourne.
Rocky Vale Villa Spring Ball 