Walter Pasley's Grave

Walter Pasley's Grave
Walter Pasley was a tutor employed by the Campbell family to teach their older children. He died at Kilburnie in 1888, and as he had no family in Queensland, was buried at the Homestead.
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Theme

Parks and gardens

Time

1880s

Place

Callide

Tags

Education Memorial
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Background

Walter Pasley was born in Ireland c.1828. He and his brother, Robert, were both living and working in Australia in 1888, but Robert was in NSW (hence the decision to bury Walter at Kilburnie). Walter had worked for a number of pastoral families in the area before arriving at Kilburnie to teach the Campbell children in the mid 1880s. He had been feeling unwell just prior to his death. The story is that on 19th Sept, John Campbell went upstairs to take Walter a cup of tea, as he had not come down to breakfast, and found him passed away peacefully in bed with a smile on his face.

Walter Pasley the Artist

A keen artist, during his travels Walter had the opportunity to paint places he visited and lived at, including the Rainbow Hotel. After he passed away a number of his paintings remained at Kilburnie, where they became a source of inspiration for the young Ruby Campbell. Ruby was born after Walter died, but as a child she was fascinated by his paintings.

Watercolour painting by Walter Pasley dated 1887. It depicts a pastoral scene of green countryside with a stone barn and two cows, beside a river. A female figure is walking down the slope beside the barn. — Watercolour painting by Walter Pasley, dated 1887

Additional image

Walter Pasley's Grave side view: Walter's gravesite is situated away from the other Campbell family graves, and his headstone is a simple concrete one with an inscribed marble inlay.

Colour photograph showing the side of Walter Pasley's headstone, where the decorative scrolls in the concrete are visible. A marble inlay with the inscription is set into the face of the concrete.