The Leader Cup

This Leader Cup was presented to W. S. Williams, Doncaster, for the best fruit garden in the Melbourne district on March 26, 1885.   William Sydney Williams was the first person to win this cup, awarded by the Leader newspaper. The winning orchard had to be without weeds, with all trees in perfect condition.

 Inscription:  "The Leader Cup. Awarded to W.S. Williams Doncaster for the best fruit garden in the Melbourne District. March 26, 1885".   This photo by Audrey Killey was used as an illustration in the revised edition of the publication The Orchards of Doncaster and Templestowe by Irvine Green 1985 revised by Eric Collyer 2016. 64p. (Copies from Schramm's Cottage for $10).

W.S. Williams

W.S. Williams was born in July 1834 in Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, South Wales. He was 16 when he arrived in Melbourne and after a short time on the goldfields he turned to orcharding in the Doncaster district. He married Ann Toogood in 1855 when he was 20 and she 17. He died of gangrene in an injured toe in Manly, Queensland, in 1912. Ann had died the previous year.

According to contemporary newspaper reports at the time of his death he was known as a pioneer of irrigation in Victoria, he was the inventor of the Doncaster spray pump, and was highly regarded as an orchardist.

In 1977 his granddaughter, Grace Williams, donated the cup to the DTHS collection.

Kay Mack writing for the DTHS Facebook page, Apr2017

Leader Cup

“Leader” Cup:  William Sidney Williams was a prominent orchardist in Doncaster in the 1870’s. In the 1880’s, the newspaper “The Leader” offered a cup for the best fruit garden (orchard) in the Melbourne district.  The first person to win the cup was W.S. Williams. To win the cup there would not be a weed in the orchard and all trees had to be in perfect condition.  In 1977, Grace Williams, William’s granddaughter, donated the cup to the Schramm’s cottage collection.