| Notes |
- Obituary (The World's News, Syndey, NSW, Australia, 7 Oct 1916)
A Man of Infinite Variety
Mr. Edwin J. Welch, whose exploring,
early Australian, and old-time naval articles
under the initials E.J.W. have delighted
the readers of "The World's News"
for so many years, passed away at his
residence, Petersham (N.S.W.)., on Sunday
afternoon, September 24. This announcement
is made, as it will undoubtedly be received,
with unfeigned regret. The cause of death
was heart failure, and Mr. Welch died, as he
himself often hoped he would, in harness
and in full possession of all his faculties.
On the Saturday night he finished the ar-
ticle, "A Model Explorer,'' which appears on
page 10 of this issue, and it is
fitting that the article should be one
on exploration, because it was in
that particular work that Mr. Welch
achieved his greatest distinction. The Relief
Expedition sent in search of the Burke and
Wills party was commanded by Mr. A.W.
Howitt (afterwards Dr. Howitt), and he
chose Mr. Welch as his second-in-command,
surveyor,and photographer. Just prior to
that Mr. Welch had served in the Melbourne
Observatory.
When the Howitt party got to work Mr.
Welch was one day searching ahead of the
main body and discovered King, who proved
to be the sole survivor of that ill-fated ex-
pedition, lying in the sand in the bed of a
creek. Three or four friendly blacks were
looking after the man, whose emaciated
form showed the sufferings he had under-
gone.
It was thus that Mr. Welch found King, as
he described in an article in "The World's
News" of October 15, 1910, and Dr. Howitt
in his official report gave his second-in-com-
mand the whole credit for the discovery.
Unfortunately, the negatives of the photo-
graphs taken were spoilt by a too-eager
Committee-man exposing them to the light
before they had been fixed. It was Mr.
Welch who brought King back to Melbourne,
and that memorable journey he graphically
described in the special article already men-
tioned.
Mr. Welch came of a naval family. His
father was Captain David Welch, R.N., who
was wounded on the famous flagship Victory
(on which Lord Nelson died at Trafalgar),
and subsequently became commander of that
historic vessel at Portsmouth. Mr. Welch
was born at Falmouth, Cornwall, in 1838,
educated at the Bluecoat School, and at the
Royal Naval School, Greenwich. He entered
the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1853, and
whilst still in his teens saw active service
with Sir Charles Napier during the Crimean
War. Young Welch was present at the
destruction of Hango Head forts and at the
bombardment and capture of' Bomarsund. In
1855-6 he was in the Crimea, assisted at the
bombardment of Kertch, and was present at
the capture of Sebastopol. He cherished
the three medals with the Sebastopol clasp
up to the last. When peace was declared
he came to Australia, attracted like thou-
sands of others by the gold fever. But he
did not find it in chunks as he expected, and
his narratives of digging experiences and
the many and varied sides of human nature
he saw on the diggings have been the sub-
ject of many brilliant and amusing ar-
ticles in these columns.
Afterwards he did survey work in Queens-
land, where he had charge of very impor-
tant telegraph lines, and was warmly com-
plimented by the authorities on the ex-
cellence of the work he did. But the lure
of the pen proved too strong. The spell
of the printing press was upon him, and
he became proprietor of a country news-
paper in Queensland. This he ran most
successfully, as he did others afterwards,
and he ran them with all the dash and
virility for which he was famous. He
turned neither to the right nor the left,
but kept on unflinchingly with the policy of
straightforwardness, which he had laid out
for himself. He wielded a strong and caus-
tic pen, and naturally made enemies as well
as friends-but the friends were in the vast
majority and loved and respected him right
up to the day of his death.
As a conversationalist, Mr. Welch had few
equals. As a story-teller he was inimit-
able, and his knowledge of Australia was
without limit. The trouble was that he
could never be induced to talk much of
himself and his varied career. But when
he did he held the listeners spell-bound.
Even if he had pronounced views on a var-
iety of subjects, he was always tolerant to-
wards opponents, and as a friend he was
warm-hearted and true. No man ever
fitted more truly the admirable lines of
Tennyson:-
"And thus he bore without abuse
The grand old name of gentleman."
Subsequently Mr. Welch continued his
journalistic career in Sydney, serving on
the staff of the "Evening News," the
"Bulletin," and the "Echo." Later he
edited the "Photographic Review," and af-
terwards became attached to "The World's
News," continuing in that service to the
very end. His articles were warmly wel-
comed, and some day those on exploration
will be found sufficiently valuable to put in
more permanent form. He had great gifts
as a writer of serial stories, a strong grip
on dramatic and thrilling situations, and a
fine and varied knowledge of Australian
men and things. Three of these stories ap-
peared in our pages. "Dinky Darbison,"
"The Official Outlaw," and "Cressy Bend,"
and just prior to his death he finished a
very fine story, with the Burke and Wills
expedition as its main theme. Mr. Welch's
diary, which he faithfully kept during his
exploration work, should become a priceless
volume. In no other book, nor from any
other source, can the invaluable material be
obtained. He was laid to rest in the Wav-
erley Cemetery in a spot overlooking the
grey, old ocean he loved so well. To his
friends, however, it does not seem that he
has gone from them, nor can they find in
their hearts to say farewell.
Good-night!
Though Life and all take flight
Never good-bye.
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1838 - 1916 (77 years)
