PERSONAL DETAILS
Name/Alias	William DOWLING
Birth date and place	c.1826 Carlow, Carlow, Ireland.
Baptism date and place
Civil Census Residences	Chatham Barracks, Medway, Kent (1841). Royal Sappers & Miners Barracks, Woolwich, Greenwich, Kent (1851). Staddon Cottages, Plymstock St Mary, Devon (1871). Fort Bovisand, Plymstock, Devon (1881). See Musters below (1851, 1861).
Trade	Carpenter.
Physical Description	Height: 5 ft. 8 ins. Complexion: fresh. Eyes: light brown. Hair: black. Marks or Scars: scar on top of left shoulder; large one in front of right thigh; 6 moles on right arm.
Marriage date and place	2 Dec 1852  Fremantle, Western Australia.
Spouse	Rachel WELLS/WILLS.
Children	William b. 1854, Fremantle, Western Australia. Richard b. 1856, Fremantle, Western Australia. James Joseph b. 1858, Plymouth, Devon. John b. 1861, Gibraltar. Sarah Jane b. 1864, Gibraltar. Mary b. 1866, Gibraltar. Alice b. 1870, Plymouth, Devon.
Death date and place	28 Nov 1890 Victoria Barracks, Judge Street, Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland. Cause of Death: rheumatic gout; cirrhosis of liver; heart disease.
Burial date and place	29 Nov 1890 Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, Queensland.
Will and Probate	None.
Death Notices	Brisbane Courier 29 Nov & 5 Dec 1890. Brisbane Telegraph 2 Dec 1890.
ARMY SERVICE DETAILS
Corps and Company	Royal Engineers 20th Company (formerly Royal Sappers & Miners).
Service No. and Rank	#2112 Private.
Attestation date and place	9 Sep 1848 Liverpool, Lancashire.
Service/Campaigns	Western Australia 6 years 3 months. Gibraltar and Malta 8 years 6 months.
Musters	WO11-126 20th Company, Woolwich (1851). WO11-130 (1852) to WO11-158 (1858) Western Australia. WO11-192 27th Company, Gibraltar (1861).
Promotions	Private to Sapper 9 Sep 1858. Sapper to 2nd Corporal 1 Oct 1860. 2nd Corporal to Corporal 1 Dec 1862.
Medals, Clasps and Badges	Five Good Conduct Badges.
Other Awards & Prizes	The Great Exhibition 1851. Bronze Medal and Present.
Casualty/Medical	None.
Courts Martial	None.
Discharge date and place	26 Oct 1869 Chatham.
Length of Service	21 years 48 days.
Chelsea Pension Reference	WO97-1360-132.
Post Discharge Residence	Hooe, Plymouth, Devon.
Pension District	Plymouth (1869).
Pension	17½d. per diem.
ARRIVAL IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Ship	Marion.
Departure and Arrival dates	Dep. Plymouth 2 Nov 1851. Arr. Fremantle 30 Jan 1852.
Occupations post-arrival in WA	Instructing Warder. York Convict Depot Apr 1854 to Dec 1855 (at least).
Land Acquisition	None in Western Australia.
Ship ex-WA	Dolphin.
Departure date and destination	Dep. Fremantle 2 Feb 1858 for London.
Emigration to Queensland	Immigrated to Brisbane, Queensland with his wife Rachel  on SS Merkara . Dep. London 22 May 1886. Arr. Brisbane 22 Jul 1886. Mary Dowling, daughter, left England for Brisbane in 1891 on the same ship. (See sidebar for details of SS Merkara).