General News
22 September, 2022
Obituary - James (Jim) Dowling Wilson
James (Jim) Dowling Wilson April 20, 1938 – June 7, 2022 Jim Wilson, who died in June aged 84, was regarded by those who knew him as a living treasure: a cultural historian, collector, farmer, environmental activist, storyteller, entertainer, and...
James (Jim) Dowling Wilson
April 20, 1938 – June 7, 2022
Jim Wilson, who died in June aged 84, was regarded by those who knew him as a living treasure: a cultural historian, collector, farmer, environmental activist, storyteller, entertainer, and devoted family man.
At the centre of Jim’s passion for collecting was his famous museum: a vast array of display cabinets, benches and bookshelves full of knick-knacks and unique treasures.
His insatiable curiosity had led him to amass over his lifetime an eclectic collection of more than 10,000 items of Australiana and rural artefacts.
It was a collection described in 1989 by the then director of Museum Victoria, Robert Edwards, as ‘quite extraordinary, and one of the most comprehensive and important of its kind in Australia, an invaluable contribution to knowledge of past life in country Victoria’.
With a cheeky smile and a twinkle in his eye, Jim would recount to any visitor to his museum the history of the collection, and he would do so with encyclopaedic knowledge. He epitomised the saying, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’,
Expressing his love of all things historical, Jim was the founding member and president of the Camperdown and District Historical Society, Corangamite Branch of the National Trust committee member, Museums Association and Royal Historical Society of Victoria member and he had membership of over 30 other associated societies.
He also generously lent items from his collection to many national exhibitions and created displays to help raise money at numerous charity events.
Jim was born in Camperdown in 1938 and grew up on the pastoral property in the western district of his parents, Jack and Joan Wilson, with his two younger brothers, Geraldand Douglas.
As a child he rode a pony every day to a small local primary school of some 20 students.
It was here that he started his days as a collector. His first trade, as a 10-year-old, was several marbles for an Aboriginal woomera (spear thrower) that remains in his collection to this day.
He completed his secondary schooling at Geelong Grammar School and was in the first intake of students at the newly established Timbertop campus near Mansfield.
Jim rowed in the first VIII crew and was a keen skier and tennis player, pursuits he continued as a university student at Lincoln Agricultural College in New Zealand.
After graduating from Lincoln, he travelled through the USA, South America and India before returning to the family farm.
When his father died prematurely at the age of 56, Jim took over the running of the family property, which had been crippled by the imposition of death duties.
To his great credit – and against the counsel of his financial advisers who urged him to sell – Jim held on to the property, which soon prospered under his good management, culminating in a successful cropping, beef and sheep operation.
Always interested in local environmental issues, he was instrumental in quashing two quarries at Mt Sugarloaf (Camperdown) and Mt Elephant (Derrinallum) as he saw them as destructive of the landscape.
Along with Sir Chester Manifold, Jim was influential in the National Trust’s purchase of Mount Sugarloaf and its subsequent successful rehabilitation.
Jim had met Diana Martin at a dance in Melbourne and they were married in 1965.
In later years they ran a bespoke farm-stay experience, where international visitors were shown the sights of rural Victoria and, of course, Jim’s Museum.
As ‘people focused’ hosts, Jim and Di enjoyed showing their region and hospitality to a wide variety of guests. Their warm personalities and passion for stimulating conversations created genuine friendships with people from all around the world.
Jim was a quiet, popular and humble man – a mischievous prankster with an infectious laugh and a warm, engaging personality.
A lively conversationalist with a gentle and caring nature, he had a wide range of friends.
A true gentleman, Jim always described himself as a person of modest abilities. In reality, he was a legend – an exceptional individual with substantial and enduring accomplishments across many fields.
He was admired for his values and achievements – which was evident in the great respect in which he was universally held. At his funeral at the All Saints Chapel at Geelong Grammar School, Corio on June 15, 2022 it was ‘standing-room only’.
Jim is survived by his wife Diana, their four children, Lisa Kebbell, Andrew, Skye and Tim Wilson, and 11 grandchildren.