In 1879 a three-year-old William John Jones arrived in Australia with his parents Thomas Bowen Jones and Elvira Jones (nee Williams), and baby brother Thomas. The family had left behind their home in Pendarren, Wales and travelled for three months on the barque Earl Derby to a new life in Australia. The family settled in Queensland and soon William and Thomas had another three younger siblings.
Will Jones in 1912 – Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich
In his early adulthood Will followed many different professions, including gold mining in Western Australia and a stint in North Queensland where he was employed by the T. and G. Life Insurance company. He later moved to Ipswich under the employ of the same company.
For a period of time he worked at the Ipswich Railway Workshops at North Ipswich, however when the State Government Insurance Office (SGIO) opened in Ipswich around 1920 he returned to the insurance business, becoming an inspector. In December 1941 he retired, returning two years later due to war-time staff shortages.
What Will is most remembered for though was his 35 year involvement with the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band. As a young man he had been a member of the Gympie City Band as a cornet player. When he arrived in Ipswich he joined the Ipswich Band Association as a member and organiser. In 1915 he was appointed Band Secretary and his great management of the band is credited as being a large source of its success. His method was to seek out unemployed musicians from other cities and entice them to Ipswich by organising accomodation and employment. He would then arrange for them to train with some of Australia’s best musicians. Under his care the band won two Australian Band Championships, along with many other competitions.
Will Jones (Band Secretary) and A. Wade (Conductor), with trophies of the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band, Ipswich, 1919 – Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich
Will also organised many patriotic concerts in Ipswich during the war years (1914-1918), one of the largest efforts being the Queen Carnival. He was very active in the Ipswich community, supporting of the Blackstone Ipswich Cambrian Choir, holding the role of Vice-President of the Queensland Band Association for a time, a member of the St Paul’s Church of England Parochial Council and a member of Rotary.
Will married Henrietta May Bibbs in 1907. Later that year their first child, Raymond Benjamin Jones, was born. They had two more children, daughters Elvira May born in 1910 and Leonie Eva in 1912. Will passed away in Ipswich General Hospital on the 13th September, 1944, leaving behind his wife, children and three great grand-children. It was reported to have been after a sudden illness. He was 69 years of age.
His death greatly saddened the Ipswich Vice-Regals and the community. In 1946 the Vice-Regals donated a trophy in his memory. The Harston Cup became the prize for the annual A Grade Bands Competition for Queensland bands. Money was also raised in order to create some form of perpetuity to commemorate his memory. It was first decided that this would be a Memorial Band Hall. When, after many years, the hall did not eventuate it was decided to use the money to fund a Memorial Bell for his church, St Paul’s Church of England. The bell was cast in England at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and is inscribed “A.M.D.G. Will Jones 1875-1944”. It is installed on the front of St Paul’s Church. On Sunday 1st March 1981 a service was held to dedicate the bells in Will Jones memory.
Information taken from: The Regals: History of the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band by Maurine Lyon, “A Good Citizen Passes” The Queensland Times 14/9/1944, “Mr Will Jones Dies After Short Illness” The Queensland Times 14/9/1944, “Ray Jones- ‘Singer and library owner’, an oral history, Ipswich 1995” interview by Robyn Buchanan.