Originally published June 4, 1926
MILDURA lost its “Grand Old Man” with the passing of founder William Benjamin Chaffey on June 4, 1926, aged 69.
Mr Chaffey had been visiting the Merbein distillery on business when he suddenly collapsed and died from a heart seizure.
His funeral was held the following day when all shops closed and vehicles stretched a mile long as it travelled from his “Rio Vista” home to the Nichols Point Cemetery.
“W. B.” or “The Boss”, as he was also affectionately known, had been reportedly in good spirits before the sudden turn and he could not be revived.
A friend of Mr Chaffey surmised what many felt about the man who, along with his brother George, founded the Mildura Irrigation Settlement in 1887.
“Think of all the good you ever know of, all the good men you ever heard of — and you won’t be over-rating W. B.”
Fairly or unfairly, W. B. Chaffey was thought of “as the one who stayed” after George returned to the United States where the pair had developed several irrigation colonies including Ontario, California, on which Mildura was based.
Victorian Cabinet Minister Alfred Deakin had convinced the Chaffeys to visit the region after viewing their expertise in America and in 1887 they purchased a then defunct pastoral lease and created the Mildura Irrigation Colony.
While George returned to the US during the economic crash of the 1890s, W. B. and his family remained to see the irrigation project through to success and in 1924 was acknowledged for his years of toil when he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1924 in the New Year’s honours.
W. B.’s intentions were clear during his early days of turning rabbit-infested country into a a highly productive area when he set about building a magnificent mansion to be known as “Rio Vista” (Spanish for “River View”).
Intended as a monument to the Chaffey dream, construction began in 1889 using locally made bricks, Murray pine panelling, stained glass windows and English embossed wallpaper.
The plans included many innovative features including hot and cold water to each of the bedrooms, a septic tank, an inside kitchen, a conservatory and a magnificent fountain out the front.
William’s wife Hattie, however, would never see the dream come to reality when she died of pneumonia in October 1889 soon after giving birth to their sixth child.
Hattie was buried on the riverbank close to the Old Mildura Homestead at the “Chaffey Graves”.
Suffering from deteriorating health, William was advised to return to America to recuperate leaving most of the children behind to look after his mother and sister.
While in the US, William married Heather Sexton Schell, a niece of his first wife, also known as “Hattie” and the couple arrived back in Mildura in October 1891.
Rio Vista was finally completed in 1892, but just three years later Chaffey Brothers’ Limited was forced into liquidation and Rio Vista was offered for sale at 1000 pounds, but no buyers came forward.
In May, 1897, Edward Chaffey, the youngest son of W. B. and Hattie, drowned in the original Rio Vista fountain which was subsequently turned off and stood idle.
It was donated to the people of Mildura in 1936 to commemorate the 25-year anniversary of the Coronation of King George V and moved to the Deakin Avenue and Eighth Street centre plantation where it sits today.
A replica fountain was installed in front of Rio Vista for its centenary celebrations in October 1991.
Elected Shire president in 1903 and the first Mayor of the newly created Mildura Borough, W. B.’s death unsurprisingly shocked the community in which he was so highly regarded.
In 1929, a statue of Mr Chaffey, looking out to the future development of the community he loved and served so well, was placed at the centre plantation of Deakin Avenue and Ninth Street.
Hattie remained at Rio Vista until her death in 1950 when Rio Vista became available and was purchased by Mildura Rural City Council and converted into Mildura’s first art gallery that was opened to the public in 1956.
In 1966, a new gallery was built and Rio Vista became a museum and a monument to the Chaffey dream.
