Bay Harbour: May 01, 2024

Bay Harbour News Wednesday May 1 2024
12
TREASURES FROM THE PAST
William Sinclair – a true lifesaving hero
• By Steve McKelvey
IT IS NOT often a Royal
Humane Society recipient
receives both a medal and a
commendation.
For William Sinclair’s second
award in February 1899, the
Lyttelton Times reported that
his latest rescue of a young boy
falling from the wharf made “the
seventeenth life that Mr Sinclair
has saved at personal risk”.
William Sinclair was born
in 1865 in Sumner to recently
married widower William
Sinclair and Elizabeth Wilson,
proprietors of the Heathcote
Valley Store.
William senior had been
postmaster there before
entrusting the business to his
brother John and returning to his
trade as a ship’s carpenter in the
Redcliffs/Sumner area.
In 1870, after establishing
Sinclair’s Hotel in Rangiora with
brother John, William senior
moved to Lyttelton and built a
shipwright business in Dampier’s
Bay.
Young William grew up
with his large family above the
Lyttelton graving dock, learning
his father’s trade. His older half
brother James Sinclair had built
the racing yachts Little Wonder,
the 52 foot national title holder
Mascotte and the lateen rigged
Bettina which he and family
raced.
William competed with
brothers Ebenezer and Donald
as members of the Lyttelton
Rowing Club. He won titles in
the single sculls, pairs and fours.
The club owned a number of
boats and regularly competed in
Christchurch, Little River and
Akaroa. Member William (Billy)
Webb, ten years William’s junior,
William Sinclair wearing his Royal Humane Society medals.
PHOTO: STEVE McKELVEY 2024
became world champion single
sculler.
The well-known Webb family
is remembered by Webb Ln off
Voelas Rd in Lyttelton.
William Sinclair also excelled
at swimming and competed
at Corsair Bay and in the
Lyttelton Dry Dock. He and
brother Donald were foundation
members of the Lyttelton
Amateur Swimming Club
incorporated in 1892.
The club had its inaugural
sports meeting at the dry
dock, the event opened by the
president Canon C Coates with
entertainment provided by
the Lyttelton Garrison Band
(later known as the Lyttelton
Marine Band). A number of
Christchurch swimming clubs
were also present.
In 1894, William Sinclair was a
seaman on the Lyttelton Harbour
Board steam paddle tug Lyttelton
which was in service from 1878
until 1907.
The Australasian Humane
Society records show the events
leading to the presentation of
William’s bronze medal:
“On 9 November 1894, two
boys Cyril R and Alexander
James Walker fell over a cliff at
the Godley Head Lighthouse to
the rocks 90 feet below.
“It seemed impossible that they
A group of men and boys in bathing costumes at end of
the Lyttelton Dry Dock, before 1900.
PHOTO: TE ŪAKA LYTTELTON MUSEUM REF 14993.36
could be rescued from the shore.
A tug was sent for, and having
arrived at the scene, lowered a
boat. But no one could land on
these rocks.
“They then rowed around the
head of the cliff, and a landing
was effected on the other side.
William Sinclair, of Lyttelton, a
seaman, with great risk to his life,
ascended the cliff, taking a rope
with him. The rope was held by
those below and passed down on
the other side to where the boys
were.
“Mr Sinclair went down by
this rope, and found that one of
the boys had broken his leg; the
other had been severely shaken.
Mr Sinclair bound the broken leg
to the sound one, put him on his
back, went up the rope handover-hand,
and lowered the boy
down to the crew on the other
side. The other boy was able to
climb up the rope himself.”
At a public gathering at the
Colonist’s Hall in Oxford Street
in September 1895, Mayor C
Schumacher awarded William
the bronze medal and certificate
on behalf of His Excellency the
Governor. The Honourable WC
Walker, member of parliament
and father of the two boys
rescued, also gifted a gold watch
in appreciation.
William Sinclair’s next award,
in 1899, was one of the first
presented by the newly formed
Royal Humane Society of New
Zealand, which initially met at
the Christchurch City Council
Chambers, later taking rooms in
Chancery Ln. Its first president
was John Joyce, member of
parliament for Lyttelton 1887-
1899 and namesake of a local
street. The Rev EE Chambers,
minister of St Saviours Church,
West Lyttelton, was a founding
director from 1898-1921.
Circumstances leading to
William Sinclair’s letter of
commendation are recorded as
follows:
“William Sinclair, labourer, 32
of Lyttelton, rescued Cyril Owen
from drowning in the harbour on
12 February 1899.
“Seeing the boy in deep water
in the vicinity of the yacht
jetty, and hearing the cries of
bystanders, he ran along the
shore and took to the water close
to the jetty, swam out to the boy,
but before he could reach him
the lad had sunk in about ten feet
of water.
“Sinclair dived and secured
Owens and brought him ashore.
Sinclair on several previous
occasions was instrumental in
saving lives.”
In 1888, William went to the
Klondike gold rush in Canada
for nearly a year with two other
Lyttelton men, HN Hiskens and
T Roger, along with G Cropp
from Linwood.
In the early 1900s, William,
his wife Sarah, and their three
daughters and two sons moved
to Dunedin, where William was
employed by the Otago Harbour
Board until his retirement in
1918. He passed away on July 29,
1947.
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