William Fuller Horner

William Fuller Horner
Born	c. 1833 Portsea, Hampshire, England
Died	22 April 1899 Elaine, Victoria
Occupation	Publican
Years active	1878-1899
Known for	Morning Star Hotel, Elaine
Home town	Elaine, Victoria
Spouse(s)	Ann Colter Shiel
Children	Robert (c.1855) Thomas Charles (1862) Samuel George (1863) Maria Florence (1865) Jane Ann (1868) Albert Herbert (1869) Ethel (1872) Alice (1873) William Augustus

William Fuller Horner was a publican in Elaine, Victoria, <1878-1899.

History

William Fuller Horner was born c.1833, at Portsea, Hampshire, England, the son of Jane and William Horner.

He married Ann Colter Shiel. They had several children including:

• William Augustus.
• Robert (c.1855), died 1867 in Victoria.
• Thomas Charles (1862) at Dolls Point, Victoria.
• Samuel George (1863) at Moonambel, Victoria.
• Maria Florence (1865) at Dolls Point, Victoria.
• Jane Ann (1868) at Moorabool, Victoria.
• Albert Herbert (1869) at Moorabool, Victoria.
• Ethel (1871-1872), Morrisons, Victoria.
• Alice (1873) at Maryborough, Victoria.

(Dolls Point location in Victoria unknown, could this be Dolly's Creek, near Elaine. Also is Moonambel a transcription error for Moorabool?)

Horner held the license for the Morning Star Hotel at Elaine, from at least 1878 until his death in 1899. The hotel was referred to as Horner's Morning Star Hotel in 1881.

In November 1878, Horner was a witness in the inquest into the death of a man injured in the bar of the hotel. The man was demonstrating feats of strength when he dislocated a vertebrae in his neck, leaving him paralysed, and causing his death two days later.

This report from 1889 shows the changes at Elaine once the mining had ceased:

Mr Horner of the Morning Star Hotel in the northern township is left pretty lonely since the Bank was removed but seems to be doing a very fair business, and fairly satisfied with his location, looking forward to the revival which must inevitably take place before many months have passed away.

His daughter, Maria Florence, married on 17 April 1895:

The marriage of Mr H. Russell, formerly manager of the British Queen mine, Elaine, to Miss Horner, daughter of Mr W. Horner, the well-known hotelkeeper took place yesterday. The marriage service was performed at the Church of England by the Rev. Mr Bentley. Mr and Mrs Russell left for Melbourne by the afternoon train, amidst the hearty good-wishes of their many friends.

Horner died on 22 April 1899.

His wife, Ann, died in February 1914:

Death has removed another of the pioneers of the Elaine district in the person of Mrs Ann Colter Horner, who died at the residence of her daughter, Mrs H. E. Russell, of Elaine. Her husband, who predeceased her 15 years ago, was the proprietor, in the mining days of Elaine, of the Morning Star Hotel. The deceased leaves a large and respected family, namely—Messrs Thomas C. and W. A. Horner, of the Victorian Public Service Department; Mrs H. C. Cardell of Boulder City (W.A.) ; A. H. Horner, of New Zealand ; Mrs G. Searby, of Hamilton: Mr S. G. Horner, of Ballark ; and Mrs H. E. Russell, of Elaine. The funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon, and was largely attended by friends from Ballark, Lal Lal, Mt. Doran, Morrisons and Meredith. The remains were interred in the family grave in the Morrisons Cemetery. The coffin-bearers were T. C. Horner, S. G. Horner (sons), H. E. Russell (son-in-law) and G. Quinn. Pallbearers—Cr D. Ferguson, Messrs J. Anderson, M. Walsh, D. Nicholl, M. McCormack, J. M'Gillivray, J. Lockland, G. Johnstone. R. Wells, A. M'Gillivray, J. Ferguson, R. Lockwood, E. Higgins, S. Cardell. Rev. Mitchell officiated at the grave, and Hugh Evans and Son carried out the funeral arrangements.