William Street, Richmond

William Street is a road in the town of Richmond, New South Wales. It is located on the northern side of the railway line and runs in a south-easterly direction from Moray Street to Bourke Street.

In April 1888 the NSW Government Gazette published the notice that several unnamed streets had been named by the Richmond Borough Council.

William Street was named after William Mitchell who ran a prosperous coach building business in Windsor Street, Richmond opposite the park for many years. His services included the trades of coachbuilder and wheelwright as well as blacksmith. He ventured into the manufacture of agricultural implements. In 1889, he trialled a Corn Stalk Cutter which showed some promise. His innovative machine cut the corn stalks into small pieces which could be ploughed into the ground as a green manure crop, clearing the paddock and benefitting the soil at the same time.

Mitchell participated fully in the civic life of the Richmond community. He served on Richmond Borough Council from 1892 to 1898 having been one of the signatories to the petition in September 1871 calling for the formation of the council. As a committee member of the Richmond Presbyterian Church, Mitchell was present at the laying of the Manse in Windsor Street in July 1892. He was also appointed a Justice of the Peace carrying out the role of magistrate for the Richmond Court of Petty Sessions.

William Mitchell died in September 1925 aged 89 years and was buried in Richmond Presbyterian Cemetery. His wife Margaret predeceased him by five years and only two of his children, sons, James and George were still living at the time of his death.

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