Charles William McHarg Wilson

Charlie Wilson was born in Fizroy on 26 September 1873 to William Wilson and Mary Wilson (née McHarg).

When he was twelve years old, his brother Andrew (who was teaching in a school in Warrnambool) asked him to buy some items in Melbourne and post them to him. A money order was included, and Charlie made the purchases — but made sure to keep 10% of the funds back, as a commission to himself! The family was not impressed with this, especially as Andrew was at the time sending most of his wage home (something that their other brothers had also done).

Charlie later became apprenticed to his uncle Robert, who had a high-class grocery store in Melbourne. After about only a year Robert broke the apprenticeship, causing Charlie to sue his uncle and to be awarded £1,000 in compensation.

With this sum, Charlie moved to Perth and started his timber merchant business CM Wilson Pty Ltd.

By about 1920 he was back in Melbourne, and built his house Linlathen at 133 Mont Albert Road in Canterbury, Victoria.

October 1926, travelled Melbourne to Perth (via Adelaide) for business.

In 1948 Charles Wilson lent his niece-in-law Helen Margaret Wilson £1,000.

1954, July: new company office built in Stone Street, West Perth.

He lived at Linlathen until his death in May 1957 (he was buried on the 27th, in a Presbyterian section of Boroondara Cemetery). He had developed Parkinson's disease.