17 February 1864 Launceston Tasmania Australia Mary Eveline Smith Katherine & Ellen Maude

William Henry (Beau) Savigny was born in Sydney on 17 Feb 1864. He was the son of Rev. William H (1825-1889) and Ellen Savigny and brother of star cricketer John H Savigny. William, also a good cricketer, was a long-standing member of the Launceston Cricket Club and played for Tasmania from 1888-89 to 1895-96. William was educated at the Launceston Church Grammar School where his father was the headmaster. He later studied at Corpus Christi College in Oxford where he obtained a law degree and a blue for running. He was called to the Bar in England but returned to Tasmania and practised law with JS Clemons. When his partner became engrossed in politics William moved to Sydney and took up a position at the Sydney Grammar School where he was sports master until he died on 6 Aug 1922.

As a teacher, his marvellous energy and enthusiasm always enabled him to arouse the interest of the dullest boys in the dullest subjects, while as an organiser and trainer in athletics and rowing he had few, if any, equals. His obituary states that 'His sport was ever clean, and all his ideas those of a cultured, kindly gentleman.' See The Examiner 17 & 24 Feb 2007, pages 29 & 33.

Rick Smith Sep 2005, David Godfrey-Smith Apr 2007 & Jenny Gill