William John Lambie (1860 - 1900)

W J Lambie

William John Lambie was born on 28th March 1860 at Southend, Argyll, Scotland. He was the younger son of Reverend James Lambie, a Presbyterian minister, and Agnes Jaffray.^[1]

He migrated with her family to the Australian colonies, arriving at Melbourne on 7th April 1863, on the "Winifred", aka "Winefred", in 1863. ^[2][3][4] and settling at Melton, where his father ministered in the Werribee River region.^[5]

Upon completing his formal education William obtained work as a journalist with The Age, Melbourne, quickly earning renown as an authority on military matters.^[5]

Not yet 25 years of age, William embarked as a journalist with the New South Wales military contingent to the Soudan (Sudan) Campaign in 1885, making him Australia's first 'home-grown' war correspondent.

He also carries the distinction of being Australia's first war correspondent to be wounded in the field, when he and a peer narrowly escaped a Dervish ambush.

After Sudan, Lambie refined his credentials as a military correspondent, including covering the civil war in the Samoan Islands and the intrigues involving Germany, Britain and the United States. He was an eyewitness to the annihilation of a German force supporting the rebel, Mata'afa Iosefo. Supporting Prince Tanu were landing parties from four British and American warships.^[6] Upon the end of hostilities, the eastern end of the island chain became an American territory eventually known as American Samoa and the western end became German Samoa; from 1919 known as Western Samoa and governed by New Zealand until granted independence in 1962. Britain removed itself from an interest in Samoa in exchange for termination of German occupation of Tonga and the Solomons south of Bougainville.^[7]

William Lambie married Clara 'Dolly' Church on 15th January 1892 at Geelong, Victoria.^[8] They had no children.^[5]

Still aged just 39 years, he once more volunteered to accompany Australian soldiers, this time the Victoria Military Force to the Second Boer War, in South Africa. In October 1899, he boarded the steamer Medic for the South Australian Register, Sydney Daily Telegraph and Melbourne Age.

He was killed whilst accompanying a patrol on 9th February 1900 near Jasfontein, Cape Colony, South Africa – the first Australian war correspondent to be killed whilst on assignment.^[5] He is buried in the Colesberg (Bongweni) Burial Ground, Colesberg, Northern Cape, South Africa^[9]. The names of the people on the Commemorative Roll are in a book located in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Scotland'sPeople Birth Index #532/ 12 1860
2. ↑ 1863 'SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 8 April, p. 4. , viewed 17 Feb 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6484787

   ARRIVED.—APRIL 7.

   Winifred, Black Ball ship, 1,350 tons, William Sergeant, from London January 9. Passengers— cabin : Rev. — Lambie, Mrs. Lambie, and family (five) ; and one hundred and thirty in the steerage. Bright Brothers and Co., agents.

3. ↑ Public Records Office of Victoria - Search Terms: LAMBIE - Ship: WINEFRED - Date Arrived: 1862 to 1864

   Family name	Given name	Age	Year arrived	Month	Ship	Captain
   LAMBIE	JAMES	50	1863	APR	WINEFRED	SARGENT WILLIAM
   LAMBIE	AGNES	39	1863	APR	WINEFRED	SARGENT WILLIAM
   LAMBIE	JESSIE	17	1863	APR	WINEFRED	SARGENT WILLIAM
   LAMBIE	ELIZTH	16	1863	APR	WINEFRED	SARGENT WILLIAM
   LAMBIE	JAMES	11	1863	APR	WINEFRED	SARGENT WILLIAM
   LAMBIE	WILLIAM	3	1863	APR	WINEFRED	SARGENT WILLIAM
   LAMBIE	MARY J	Inf.	1863	APR	WINEFRED	SARGENT WILLIAM

4. ↑ Series: VPRS 7666; Series Title: Inward Overseas Passenger Lists (British Ports) [Microfiche Copy of VPRS 947]
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Wikipedia profile: W J Lambie
6. ↑ Australia Media Hall of Fame; accessed 23 Oct 2019
7. ↑ Wikipedia: Samoa; accessed 23 Oct 2019
8. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #955/1892
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/86765399/william-j-lambie : accessed 19 March 2022), memorial page for William J Lambie (unknown–9 Feb 1900), Find a Grave Memorial ID 86765399, citing Colesberg British Military Cemetery, Colesberg, Pixley ka Seme District Municipality, Northern Cape, South Africa ; Maintained by Brett Williams (contributor 47234529).
10. ↑ Australian War Memorial commemorative roll: William John Lambie; accessed 23 Oct 2019