Background
He was born at Burrowbridge on the River Parrett in Somerset, where he was educated, before sailing to South Australia in 1863 in the Adamant at the age of 18.
He was born at Burrowbridge on the River Parrett in Somerset, where he was educated, before sailing to South Australia in 1863 in the Adamant at the age of 18.
Foreign a time he resided in the south-east of South Australia and worked on the land, then for the wholesale merchants Goode Brothers in Adelaide. In 1873 he joined with one William Gilbert to form Gilbert, Willcox and Company, hay and corn merchants in Tynte Street, North Adelaide. Ten years later he bought out Gilbert and continued business as Charles Willcox and Company then bought into and took over several other businesses.
In 1886 he and West. Everard bought the Payneham and Paradise Tram Company then in 1896 the Goodwood and Clarence Park tramways.
These were taken over by the Government to form the Municipal Tramways Trust for the purpose of electrification. He was a director of several steamship companies which were taken over around 1915 by Adelaide Steamship Company, of which he was to remain a director until he died.
In 1901 he took over the produce firm of West. Thyer and Company and continued trading as Thyer, Willcox and Company
He also had interests in farming at Mallala and Two Wells, fruit-growing at Renmark and Berri, the Terowie Mill, the Adelaide (Queen Victoria) Jubilee Exhibition of 1887, the Young Men’s Christian Association, the North Adelaide Institute, and John Hill & Company
He was elected to the Adelaide City Council for the Robe ward in 1882, became alderman, and was elected mayor by the narrowest of majorities against alderman Sketheway in 1892, a position he held for two years. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in the seat of Gumeracha, but resigned after objections that he was a government contractor.
In 1896 he was elected to North-Eastern District for the Legislative Council.
He helped found the Adelaide Young Men's Christian Association, of which he was for many years a committee member, also of the Royal Institute for the Blind and Home for Incurables. Mr. South. Willcox lived at Two Wells
Alan May Willcox of Two Wells and Salisbury. H.G. Willcox of Robe Terrace, Medindie was at one time a director of the Littlehampton Brick Company
Limited.
Percy Howard Willcox lived at Clare and Medindie.
Charles Angas Willcox lived at Fitzroy
The surviving daughters were:
Mistress G. Hillman of Prospect
Mistress
R.W. Thomas of Brisbane
Mistress Malcolm P. Reid of Toorak
Mission Patrica Kathleen Murie Willcox of Prospect and London
Mission Irene Phyllis Willcox of Fitzroy and London.
He was Mayor of Adelaide from 1892 to 1894, was briefly a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Gumeracha in 1896, and was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council for North-Eastern District from 1897 to 1902. He was also a prominent member of the Tynte Street Baptist Church.