GEM OF TIME RECIPIENT - WILLIAM de BURGH 2006
William (Bill) de burgh's support of the J S Battye Library of West Australian History is well known to the historical community in Western Australia. Formerly a President of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society and a member of the Friends of Battye Library (Inc.), Bill has contributed greatly with advice to researchers and to the writing of Western Australian history and family history over many years.
His personal knowledge of, and research through the Battye Library, into Western Australian history make him a valuable member of the community. For his work and contribution to the Shire of Gingin, Bill was made a Freeman of the Shire in 1979.
Bill has written widely on Western Australian history and is the author of several highly regarded works. Among them are The Breakaways, a history of the de Burgh family; histories of the Cowalla homestead; Neergabby: a history of the Moore River and Lower Gingin Brook; The Old North Road, which tells the story of the old stock route between Perth and Geraldton, and Phoebe Ruth Lefroy: her life and letters.
Friends of Battye Library would like to add to your many honours, Bill, by listing you as a "Gem of Time" - a list that will last to acknowledge the contribution of outstanding men and women to the recording, collection and preservation of Western Australia's history.