Of Tragedy and Valor
William Henry Rumbelow

William Henry Rumbelow (Henry) was born at Encounter Bay on 25th June 1864.  Henry had some experience of whale fishing when a lad, and joined his father in the family fishing business of Malen Rumbelow and Sons. He proved to be an excellent fisherman and seaman, at one time netting 320 dozen mullet.

Henry was 18 when he married Mary Jane Pearce from Waitpinga in 1883. 

In 1907 Henry left the sea for some years, due to ill health and commenced farming at Narrung. Narrung is a very small settlement west of Meningie. It is situated at the northern extent of the Narrung Peninsula, which separates The Coorong from Lake Albert adjacent to The Narrows which separates Lake Albert from the larger Lake Alexandrina 

“On Saturday Mr. Henry Rumbelow sent away by train his well-known fishing cutter The Ferret, and he himself leaves Victor Harbour on Monday for Narrung, where he has taken up land and intends to settle with his family. These are the closing scenes of a long partnership of fishing and boating life with which the Rumbelow family have been connected through three generations, a partnership which had become one of the chief institutions of Encounter Bay.” Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), Saturday 15 June 1907, page 30

After World War I, he transferred the farm to his son, Herbert, and with his son Walter, fished in Lake Alexandrina until 1924 when he returned to Encounter Bay.  Although he was not directly engaged in fishing, he was never so happy as when busy mending nets or looking after other parts of the tackle. Henry was renowned as a raconteur telling tales of hazardous fishing trips across Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo Island. 

During their business exciting times have been experienced, and many marine monsters of unusual nature caught. Mr. Rumbelow is said to have been the first to secure a pigmy whale. Not long afterwards a huge leather-skinned turtle was caught, and sent to Adelaide as a great curiosity, and numerous marine specimens have from time to time been forwarded to the Adelaide Museum.

On another occasion when Henry and Godfrey were fishing together, Godfrey was standing on a rock breast deep in water when suddenly he saw a huge carpet shark approaching him. A shout to Henry for help brought the boat to within jumping distance and Godfrey, with no more than seconds to spare, landed in the boat as jaws of the monster snapped behind him. Subsequently the brothers killed the shark, which measured 10½ feet in length. 

Henry, sen., used to tell us of the following incident: Malin, sen., Henry, and Malin, jun. decided to catch some porpoise for bait and oil. Malin, sen., managed to harpoon a porpoise through the tail and drawing it up to the boat he slipped a noose of rope around the creature's tail, cut the harpoon loose, allowing the porpoise some liberty to act as a decoy. After catching sufficient for their purpose, they began hauling in their decoy when with a sudden streak a shark flashed on the scene and with a mighty lunge and bite it took most of the porpoise in one mouthful, leaving only head, tail, and several inches of skin along the back. It then rubbed itself along the side of the boat but made no further attack.

Shark at Victor

• News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), Thursday 1 January 1925.

Henry Rumbelow caught a 11 ft. shark which measured 5 ft. 9 in. from fin to tail and easily weighed half a ton. The shark became entangled in fishing nets. It took two men and a crane to haul the fish from the water.

Mr H. Rumbelow

Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), Saturday 17 March 1928

Mr. Henry Rumbelow, who died on Saturday at his residence at Encounter Bay, at the age of 63, was the son of Mr. Malin Rumbelow, who was interested in the whaling industry there in the early days of the State. Mr. Henry Rumbelow had some experience of whale fishing when a lad, and later was well known as a fisherman. He went to farm at Narrung, but a few years ago returned to fish again at Encounter Bay, and continued at that occupation until he was taken ill towards the end of last year. He left a widow, four sons, and six daughters — Messrs. Henry Rumbelow (Clarence Park), Walter Rumbelow (Victor Harbour), Herbert Rumbelow (Narrung), and Laurence Rumbelow (Mount Barker), and Mesdames J. Shannon and E. Bolt (Encounter Bay), A. Bird (Victor Harbour), J. Bottrill (Narrung), and Misses Freda and Dulcie Rumbelow (Encounter Bay).

Obituary: The Late Mr Henry Rumbelow

•  The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) 

•  Wed 14 Mar 1928 

Mr. Henry Rumbelow, eldest son of the late Malin Rumbelow, and connected with the early whale fisheries in the south, died at his home Encounter Bay, at the age of 63 years. Mr. Rumbelow had almost always been connected with the fishing industry at Encounter Bay with the exception of a sojourn at Narrung in 1907, where together with his family, he engaged in farming. He returned, however, to Encounter Bay in 1924. Prior to leaving for Narrung, Mr. Rumbelow was in partnership with his brother Cain, and the latter continued fishing on his own account. 

Although not actively engaged in the fishing industry in recent years, Mr. Henry Rumbelow, was never so happy as when busy at mending nets or looking after other parts of the tackle. In 1883 he was married to Miss Mary Jane Pearce, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Pearce, of Waitpinga. 

The widow, four sons, six daughters, and 23 grandchildren survive. The family comprise: Messrs. Henry (Clarence Park), WaIter (Victor Harbour), Herbert (Narrung), and Laurie Rumbelow (Mount Barker), Mesdames Jos. Shannon, Alfred Bird, Ernest Bolt (Encounter Bay), and Jack Bottrill (Narrung), and Misses Freda and Dulcie Rumbelow (Encounter Bay).

Two Broken Arms

• Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) 

•  Sat 10 Jul 1909 

Herbert Victor RUMBELOW

Regimental number: 1981

Date of birth: 22 June 1897

Place of birth: Encounter Bay, South Australia

Religion: Methodist

Occupation: Farmer

Address: Narrung, South Australia

Marital status: Single

Age at embarkation: 18.9

Height: 5' 6.5"

Weight: 133 lbs

Next of kin: Mother, Mrs Mary Jane Rumblelow, Narrung, via Milang, South Australia

Enlistment date: 31 March 1916

Place of enlistment

Adelaide, South Australia

Rank on enlistment: Private

Unit name: 50th Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement

AWM Embarkation Roll number

23/67/3

Embarkation details: Unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A48 Seang Bee on 13 July 1916

Rank from Nominal Roll: Private

Unit from Nominal Roll: 50th Battalion

Returned to Australia:11 January 1918

Discharge date: 10 May 1918

War service: Western Front

Commenced return to Australia on board HT 'Port Darwin', 11 January 1918; discharged (medically unfit: cardiac disability), Adelaide, 10 May 1918.

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal

Date of death: 27 January 1955

Age at death: 57

Place of burial: Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia

Sources: NAA: B2455, RUMBELOW Herbert Victor