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professional photographer, was born in Ipswich, Queensland, son of John and Elizabeth Rowe. Attracted by the North Queensland gold discoveries, the family moved north when William was a child and his father eventually found employment as a miner at Charters Towers. Gibson-Wilde noted in 1987:

About 1883 William entered the studio of Deazeley and Blake, photographers in Townsville and Charters Towers (and possibly also Brisbane). In 1886 he took over the business. The Townsville shop was located in Flinders Street between Stokes Street and Stanley Street, roughly on the site of the present Katies Store. By 1887 he was well established as one of Townsville’s leading photographers, his main rivals being John Tilse & Co. and the Elite Photographic Gallery. The Aldine History of Queensland (1888) described him as “an excellent photographer, his work being in point of artistic excellence equal to anything of the kind turned out of the best establishments in Sydney and Brisbane”.

By 1888 Rowe had also purchased the business of one of his rivals, John Tilse & Co., though Tilse appears to have continued in business in partnership with A.B. Clinton and later formed the Imperial Photographic Company.

In 1890 he married Lissie Elsner (called Elsie on Rowe’s death certificate). She was the daughter of one of Townsville’s early German settlers; her sister married Robert McKimmin, one of the founders of the retailing business McKimmin & Richardson, later McKimmin’s and now David Jones. Within four months of their marriage, Lizzie died suddenly aged only 19; Rowe did not marry again. He remained in Townsville for three more years. Perhaps he suffered financial difficulties during the 1893 depression. Whatever the cause, he appears never to have returned to Townsville. After working in Hughenden for a time he seems to have returned to Charters Towers where he died in June 1904 at the home of his brother, Walter Richard Rowe.

A number of Rowe’s photographs are still in existence. All are of excellent quality, revealing the photographer’s keen eye for composition. In an introduction to the supplement elseswhere in the Townsville Herald of 24 December 1887, the problems confronting him in producing good quality photographs in bright sunlight at that time are discussed. Clearly he met the challenge admirably.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1999

Last updated:

2011