ALMOST FORGOTTEN
A Virtual Memorial Experience
William Ilett
(1827-1899) CofE Sec 4 Grave 13
NAME
William Ilett
DATE OF BIRTH
1827
CATEGORY
Almost Forgotten
DATE OF DEATH
1899
CEMETERY
Colac Cemetery
Life Story
For many years, William Ilett was known as a successful grazier, a respected neighbour and a devoted family man. Yet behind the standing of Warrion Park and the prosperity he had built, his final years became marked by illness, fear and heartbreak.
Born in 1827 at Foxton, Cambridgeshire, England, William married Susan Pink in 1848. The young couple sailed to Australia aboard the Lord George Bentinck the following year, seeking opportunity in a new land. After first settling near Colac, they moved to Warrion where William selected land and steadily expanded his holdings as the Robertson Brothers’ estate was subdivided. Over time he accumulated 215 acres, built a successful grazing enterprise and became highly regarded throughout the district.
Together, William and Susan raised eleven children. When Susan died in 1885, William lost the woman who had shared almost forty years of hardship and achievement beside him.
Six years later he married Annie Nicholas Miller, but the marriage coincided with a troubling decline in his health. William suffered seizures and periods of mental distress, becoming convinced that his second wife was trying to poison him. In 1898 he rewrote his will, carefully providing for his children.
Then, after a violent domestic dispute, tragedy followed. On 18 September 1899, William was found hanged in the stables at Warrion Park. He left a note saying he could live no longer.
The inquest concluded he had taken his life while suffering insanity. William was laid to rest beside Susan, his first wife, here at Colac Cemetery.
Research by Raye Loughnan
Story by Lynette Genua
Narrated by Tyson Graham
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Life stories have been researched and compiled by the Colac & District Family History Group Inc. and its independent contributors. This material must not be copied or reproduced without permission. AI tools have been used to assist.
For more information, please contact the Colac & District Family History Group Inc.
© Colac & District Family History Group Inc 2026
This profile is a potted biography prepared from more extensive research undertaken by the Colac & District Family History Group (CDFHG). For additional information, historical records, or further research relating to this individual, please contact the CDFHG team.