Family background
Benjamin Radford was born in c1827 in Bristol, Somerset, England, son of John Radford and Martha Walsh. He married (1) Sarah Collins Wyatt (1822-1885) on 20 July 1848 in Bristol, Somerset, England and they had 5 sons and 3 daughters. Benjamin, his wife and one child arrived in Australia c1852; the seven other children were all born in Sydney. He married (2) Catherine Duffy (1827-1901) on 13 September 1889 at Moss Vale, NSW. Benjamin Radford died on 7 October 1914 at Hornsby, NSW, aged 87 years and he was buried in the Methodist Section of Rookwood Cemetery. He lived at Pitt Street, Waterloo (1876).
Occupation & interests
Radford was a currier.
Community activity
At a time when there was no Methodist Church at Botany, Benjamin Radford began a Sunday School in his tanning yard loft. He was also involved in the building of a church and when this was completed the Sunday School was moved from the tanning yard into the new church and Radford was the first Superintendent. He was also a class leader and choir conductor. He also worked wholeheartedly to get the first public school at Botany.
Local government service
Benjamin Radford was an alderman on Waterloo Council in 1877-79. He resigned in 1879.
References
‘Municipal Nominations’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 7 February 1877, p. 11, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13396891
‘Benjamin Radford’, The Methodist, 14 November 1914, p. 11, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155442396