William Chalmers, third child of Peter and Mary Miller was born at the Pine Paddock on the 15 August 1875. In 1887 he moved to Craggy Lea with his parents, brothers and sister. “Will” as he was affectionately known worked the Craggy Lea and Flats properties with his brothers Pete and Jack.
Will was a bit of a yarn teller and there is a story that when grape picking for Matthew McCallum, he was paid 1/6 (15c) per hour and Jack his brother 2/- (20c) per hour as Will was wasting time telling stories instead of picking grapes.
Will played cricket for South Rhine, tennis for Springton, sang in the Church choir as well as at community events with his brother Pete or sister Fan. He took many photos recording what farming life was like in the early 1900s.
At the age of 40, Will, married Jessica Maud Bennett Shearer (known as Jess) at the St Giles Church, Norwood on the
18 March 1916. Jess was born on the 3 April 1879 to parents Thomas and Lucy Ann Shearer (nee Hall).
Following their marriage Will and Jess moved to Happy Valley where Will had gained employment as farm manager of a property. On the 26 September 1918 they moved back to South Rhine to live at Myrtle Grove, a property owned by the Godfree family, and Will returned to work with Pete and Jack. Only three years after their marriage Jess died on the
2 August 1919 aged only 40 and was buried at the Magill cemetery.
Will returned to live at Craggy Lea, possibly after the Myrtle Grove property was sold by the Godfree family in 1932.
Upon the death of his father in 1926, Will inherited the Pine Paddock, Section 110 and two sections of Craggy Lea, the latter of which he sold to his brother Pete. In 1937 he inherited a further paddock being Section 106 and Part Section 112 Hundred of South Rhine from the estate of his Uncle Edward George Miller and his wife Eva. Research shows that Will also held mortgages over several properties in metropolitan Adelaide over a period of time in conjunction with other parties.
William married his cousin, Christina Florence “Floss” Miller, at South Rhine Church on 17 April 1937. Will was 61 and Floss 50. They lived at Range View for the rest of their lives and had no children. Together Will and Floss maintained the Range View orchard as well as a vegetable garden, with water melons being his favourites, and a beautiful flower garden.
Will, died on the 8 December 1956. Upon his death, Floss inherited all of Will’s property. She subsequently gifted Sections 106, 110 and part Section 112 all to her great nephew James Furner Miller upon him reaching the age of 18 years
Christina Florence (known as Floss) second daughter of James Fotheringham and Frances Miller was born at Range View on the 5 September 1886 and lived there all of her life.
Floss attended the Springton School and played in the Springton tennis team. Throughout her life, Floss loved her church and her garden. She also took a keen interest in the community, being an accompanist for the Springton Glee Club. Floss was the organist at the South Rhine Church, having started to play in 1910 and continued until 1976, a period of 66 years.
Floss looked after her mother for 15 years after the death of her father, until her mother’s own death in November 1933. Frances was in a wheel chair in her later years.
Upon the death of her mother Floss inherited section 116, of Range View while her brother Les received sections 115 and 117 which he subsequently transferred to Floss in 1937, all of which she left to her nephew David F Miller.
Floss died on the 30 June 1981 and was buried at South Rhine with her husband William.
