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.
Our Treasures - The Leader Cup
The artefacts at Schramm's Cottage are an important part of the interest shown in the precinct by our visitors. We are especially proud of items which have a close connection with the district, or with the pioneer families who lived there. This is the first of a series of articles describing these items, which will hopefully engender a greater sense of appreciation and knowledge of some of our more interesting exhibits. William Sidney Williams arrived in Melbourne in 1853 and through hard work and ability built up an orchard in Doncaster. Williams was also a talented engineer, and built a very large dam in the valley between Leeds Street and Wetherby Road. He also took a large role in community matters and became so knowledgeable about fruit growing that he often wrote and lectured on the growing of citrus fruits. He also asked to be a judge of fruit and travelled to Brisbane to judge an exhibition there on several occasions. His life centred on fruit and fruit growing and he was a perfectionist, presenting an immaculate orchard with perfect trees. These high standards enabled William Williams to be the first winner of the "Leader Cup", a prize offered in 1883 from the weekly magazine "The Leader" for the best Fruit Garden in the Melbourne area. The growers called orchards at that time "fruit gardens". It was said that to win the cup there could not be one weed in the orchard, and every tree had to be in perfect condition. In 1977, Miss Grace Williams donated her grandfather's "Leader Cup" to Schramm's Cottage. William Sidney Williams won the cup in 1883. The cup, protected by a glass case has been placed in Schramm's dining room. It is a lovely double handled silver cup with a lid. Beautifully proportioned, the sides are decorated with vine leaves and trailing flowers and it has an etched pattern base .. On one side is an inscribed medallion giving us details of the cup and its winner. When you are next in the dining room have a good look at "The Leader Cup" and I am sure you will agree that it is one of our greatest treasures.
Source: 2012-12 DTHS Newsletter
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