William Alexander Presnell
1909–1996 · Ridgley to Somerset
MY FAMILY CONNECTION
Grandfather
From the farming communities of Tasmania’s North-West Coast to a lifetime of family and work in Somerset
BORN
13 Jul 1909
Burnie, Tasmania
OCCUPATION
Storeman
Somerset, Tasmania
DIED
8 Jul 1996
Burnie, Tasmania
CHAPTER 01 · 1909–1936
Early Life in Tasmania
Illustrative reconstruction of farming life around Ridgley, Tasmania, in the early twentieth century, with a simulated birth registration for William Alexander Presnell. The document is not an original historical record; birth details await confirmation.
William Alexander Presnell, known as Alex, was born on 13 July 1909, the son of William George Presnell and Margaret Annie Reid. He grew up in Tasmania’s North-West Coast region, where the Presnell family had established strong connections with farming around Ridgley and West Guide. His father, William George, worked the land in the Ridgley district, growing potatoes and raising livestock. Newspaper advertisements from the early twentieth century provide glimpses of the family’s agricultural activities.
Although little has yet been established about Alex’s childhood and schooling, his early years were spent against the backdrop of a rural community that would remain closely connected to his life. By the 1930s, Alex had met Lillian Ruth Poke, beginning a partnership that would last nearly sixty years.
CHAPTER 02 · 1936–1954
Marriage and Family
William Alexander (Alex) Presnell and Lillian Ruth Poke on their wedding day, 16 May 1936. Original family photograph.
On 16 May 1936, Alec married Lillian Ruth Poke, known as Ruth. The 1936 electoral roll records both Alec and Ruth living in Moreville Road, Burnie, providing an early documented address for the couple. Their son, Donald Alec Presnell, was born on 11 October that year. The family later settled at 22 Arthur Street, Somerset, which became their longtime home and a familiar gathering place for succeeding generations.
Alex holding his infant son, Donald Alec Presnell, born 11 October 1936. Original family photograph.
Alex and Ruth established their family life in Somerset, where their home at 22 Arthur Street became a familiar place for succeeding generations of the Presnell family.
The couple remained together for almost sixty years, sharing a life centred on family, work and their home on Tasmania’s North-West Coast.
CHAPTER 03 · 1954–1979
Working Life
Alex’s working life reflected the changing economy of Tasmania’s North-West Coast, where farming remained important alongside the growing industries of Burnie.
The 1954 electoral roll recorded Alex as a farm labourer, living in Arthur Street, Somerset, with his wife Ruth. By June 1958, a legal document concerning his father’s estate described him as a storeman, giving his address as 22 Arthur Street.
Family recollection suggests that Alex worked at Australian Pulp and Paper Mills (APPM) in Burnie, where his son Donald would also later work. Although the surviving documents confirm Alex’s occupation as a storeman, they do not identify his employer.
Following the death of his father, William George Presnell, Alex also took responsibility for administering part of the family estate. A memorial dated 30 June 1958 identifies him as the personal representative and records the transfer of approximately 104 acres at West Guide into the name of his widowed mother, Margaret Annie Presnell, then living at Cooee. The document provides a direct link between Alex’s life in Somerset and the family’s earlier farming history.
Historical photograph of APPM Burnie, with reconstructed extracts from Alex’s 1954 electoral roll and 1958 land records.
CHAPTER 04 · 1979–1996
Family Memories and Later Years
Donald Alec Presnell outside his parents’ home at 22 Arthur Street, Somerset, c. 1960. Original family photograph.
22 Arthur Street, Somerset — the longtime family home of Alex and Ruth Presnell, photographed in later years.
Caption
The family home at 22 Arthur Street remained an important part of Alex and Ruth’s lives for many years. A photograph taken around 1960 shows their son Donald standing outside the house, preserving a glimpse of the place that would become so familiar to later generations of the Presnell family.
One enduring memory is of Alex sitting in his favourite chair in the kitchen while Ruth went about the cooking and household chores. He remained remarkably fit throughout his life and took pride in having rarely been ill or needing hospital treatment.
In 1979, Alex celebrated his 70th birthday surrounded by family and friends. Photographs from the occasion capture Alex and Ruth together with his birthday cake and a large gathering of relatives, preserving a glimpse of the family across generations.
Alec and Ruth celebrating his 70th birthday with family and friends at their home, 22 Arthur Street, Somerset, in 1979. Original family photographs..
Alec died on 8 July 1996, just days before his birthday. Ruth survived him by five years, spending some time in aged care before her death in 2001.
Historical Sources
|
Source |
Date |
Evidence |
|---|---|---|
|
Tasmanian Federation Birth Index |
1908 |
Records William Alexander Presnell’s birth on 13 July 1908 at Burnie, registration 2625. |
|
FamilySearch Baptism Index |
c. 1910 |
Lists Alexander William Presnell, aged two, baptised at Burnie. The original baptism register has not yet been examined. |
|
Commonwealth Electoral Roll, Tasmania |
1954 |
Records Alec as a farm labourer and Ruth as engaged in home duties, both residing in Arthur Street, Somerset. |
|
Tasmanian Land Titles Memorial 31/1300 |
30 June 1958 |
Identifies Alec as a storeman of 22 Arthur Street, Somerset, and personal representative of his father’s estate. |
|
They Came, They Stayed & They Prospered |
Undated compilation |
Provides family relationships and biographical details, including a conflicting birth year of 1909. |
|
Presnell Family Collection |
1936–1979 |
Original family photographs documenting marriage, family life and birthday celebrations. |
|
Family Recollections |
Various |
Personal memories of Alec and Ruth, their Somerset home and Alec’s working life. |
Research note: The birth index records 13 July 1908, while compiled family history records 13 July 1909. An original birth certificate has been ordered to resolve the discrepancy.
Tasmanian Government Gazette — 12 March 1928
Property valuation entry for Alexander William Presnell, recording approximately 101 acres at Oonah Road in the Ridgley district (Lot 219). Tasmanian Government Gazette, p. 849. Identification with William Alexander (Alec) Presnell remains to be confirmed.
1936 Commonwealth Electoral Roll
Records William Alexander (Alec) Presnell and his wife Lillian Ruth Presnell residing at Moreville Road, Burnie, in the year of their marriage.
1944 Certificate of Title — Boat Harbour
Names William Alexander Presnell in a mortgage transaction associated with Boat Harbour land. Does not establish that he purchased the property.
1950 Certificate of Title — 22 Arthur Street, Somerset, Vol. 575 Fol. 63
Records the transfer of the property to Alec, described as a builder’s labourer. Confirmed as the family’s longtime home.
1954 Commonwealth Electoral Roll — Arthur Street
Records Alec as a farm labourer and Ruth as engaged in home duties, both living in Arthur Street, Somerset.
1958 Tasmanian Land Titles Memorial 31/1300
Memorial of Assent No. 1300, dated 30 June 1958. Alexander William (Alec) Presnell, storeman of 22 Arthur Street, Somerset, acting as personal representative of his deceased father, William George Presnell, vested approximately 104 acres at West Guide in his widowed mother, Margaret Annie Presnell of Cooee. The document bears Alec’s signature. Original Tasmanian land record.
The Presnell Family of Tasmania
Parents
William George Presnell (1879–1957) — Father
William George was a farmer associated with the Burnie, Ridgley and West Guide districts. He married Margaret Annie Reid in 1908, and together they raised six children. He died on 5 December 1957.
Margaret Annie Reid (1887–1976) — Mother
Born in Launceston on 24 June 1887, Margaret was the daughter of Scottish immigrants William Reid and Annie Dallas. She married William George Presnell at Burnie on 18 March 1908 and raised their family in north-west Tasmania.
Wife
Lillian Ruth Poke (1914–2002)
William Alexander married Lillian Ruth Poke on 16 May 1936. The couple lived in the Burnie district before establishing their family home at 22 Arthur Street, Somerset, in 1950. They remained closely associated with Somerset for the rest of their lives.
Children
William Alexander and Lillian Ruth Presnell had three children, born between 1936 and 1949.
| Name | Date of Birth | Place of Birth | Date of Death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Alec Presnell | 1936 | Burnie, Tasmania | 2013 |
| Muriel Presnell | 1942 | Burnie, Tasmania | — |
| Patricia Kaye Presnell | 1949 | Not yet confirmed | — |
Research Notes — Name (Born–Dies)
Intro
1. Title 1
9. Further Research
The principal outstanding tasks are:
- Task 1
- Task 2
Research status: Ongoing. Conclusions will be updated as additional original records become available.
Connection to the Presnell Family
William Alexander Presnell was part of a family established across several generations in north-west Tasmania. Through his father, William George Presnell, he descended from the earlier Presnell generations associated with Tasmania’s colonial history.
William Alexander and his wife, Lillian Ruth Poke, raised three children: Donald Alec, Muriel and Patricia Kaye Presnell. Their family home at 22 Arthur Street, Somerset, became an enduring connection between generations of the family.
Through his son Donald, the Presnell family line continued to the next generation, including his grandson Peter Presnell.