Fred Williams, the owner and editor of former shire newspaper, The Cronulla Observer, has passed away at almost 92 years of age.
Fred Williams was born in Rockdale on July 8, 1926, the only son of Frederick Edwin and Margretta Ellen Williams.
Fred Snr moved his family to Cronulla soon after Fred Jnr was born and bought the local newspaper The Sutherland Shire Advocate later The Cronulla Observer along with the printing business.
In 1943 when Mr Williams was nearly 17, his father died and he took over the printery and newspaper.
The Public Trustee officially ran the newspaper until Mr Williams turned 21, but he did all the work including typesetting, managing, editing and reporting.
He used to travel into the city by train to pick up lead type for the newspaper from a typesetting firm in Bathurst Street.
This meant standing all the way from the city to Cronulla for about an hour-and-a-half because, if he sat down because of the weight, he would be unable to stand up again.
In those days, Mr williams printed the Observer sheet-by-sheet on an old hand-fed, flat-bed press.
Each Wednesday night, he would be at the printers, making sure the paper was ready for Thursday delivery.
Over the years, the Cronulla Observer led many campaigns for the betterment of the Cronulla area and held forums against certain planning projects.
Life in Cronulla was very “country” in those days. Mr Williams and his friends decided to start their own tennis club.
His wife Bettina (Bet) and her family moved to Cronulla the day Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942.
At some point she decided to call Mr Williams to ask him if she could join the tennis club and that’s how they met.
Serendipitously they found out that they had been born on the same day in the same year.
They married on September 10, 1949 at St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Cronulla.
Next year, 2019, would have been their 70th anniversary.
They built a home from scratch on a bushy block on the corner of Coral Road and English Street in Woolooware – complete with snakes.
They had four children: Leigh, Vicki, Merilyn and Scott.
They moved to Gunnamatta Bay in 1962 and later Burraneer.
The Cronulla Observer and printery, Cronulla Printing Company, ceased operating in 1979 and 2004 respectively.
In 2005 Mr and Mrs Williams were among the first residents at Woolooware Shores where Fred became president of the Residents’ Committee.
Last year they moved into Goodhew Gardens due to ongoing ill-health.
Mr Williams was always passionately involved in the local community and was a committed member of Cronulla Rotary for 65 years and a Paul Harris Fellow.
He was a past president of Cronulla Chamber of Commerce and an instigator of the mall being built in Cronulla.
He was also a member of Cronulla Masonic Club and helped set-up Gunnamatta Probus Club and was an enthusiastic member until he became ill.
Mr Williams passed away on June 7, just short of his 92nd birthday.
He is survived by wife Bet, their children and families.
As he said “All in all – A Fortunate Life”.
