William Pearce Clifton b. 2 February 1816

Also known as Pearce
  • Artist (Photographer)
Amateur photographer, farmer and magistrate. Resident of Western Australia his photographs of Fremantle in the late 1860s are considered to be among the best photographs of the town at that time.
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amateur photographer, farmer and magistrate, was born on 2 February 1816, fourth child of Marshall Waller and Elinor Clifton and brother of Elinor , Louisa and Mary . Pearce, as he was known, arrived at Australind with the family in March 1841. On 3 January 1844 he married Annette Josephine Gaudin, née Huet, widow of the surveyor John Gaudin (d.1843) and his sisters’ governess. They established a farm, Ringwood, at Australind. In 1846 he was appointed a justice of the peace and agent for claims on the Western Australian Company, then being wound u

The Cliftons moved to the Swan River settlement where Pearce became an enthusiastic amateur photographer, taking good views of New Norcia and district. A series of views he took of Fremantle in the late 1860s are considered to be among the best photographs of the town at that time. (Examples of his work are in the Battye Library.) From 1870 he was resident magistrate at Bunbury. Annette Clifton died there in 1871 and Pearce married Amy Symmons in 1874. There were three children of the second marriage. He died at Bunbury on 1 May 1885.

Writers:
Pheloung, Ann
Date written:
1992
Last updated:
2011

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References [<ExternalResource: Davies, Alan; and Stanbury, Peter (1985), 'The Mechanical Eye in Australia: Photography 1841-1900', Melbourne, Vic : Oxford University Press.>, <ExternalResource: Erickson, R. (1988), 'The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians pre 1829-1888', Nedlands, WA.>, <ExternalResource: Information sourced from Erickson, Rica.>]