Walter James NAIRN

Born 1856 in York, Western Australia ^[15]
Son of James NAIRN and Sarah PETTIT ^[15]
Initially resided with his parents at the property Dalaik in York ^[148]
Between 1863 and 1866 left York and settled with his parents on Noolooloo Station in what became the Carnamah district ^{[148] [245]}
He and his brother William later ran their father's Byro Station in the Murchison ^[148]
His occupation was given as Sheep Farmer ^{[120: 5-Dec-1903]}
He was a signatory to a statement of confidence in the Governor of Wetern Australia, Sir Frederick BROOME, in 1887 ^{[383: 29-Oct-1887]}
Served on the Upper Gascoyne Road Board in 1888 and was its Chairman 1891-1902 ^{[120: 10-Nov-1888] [160: 11-Feb-1891] [383: 4-Jul-1902]}
In 1888 he and Leonard H. DARLOT donated £5/5- to the Murchison Amateur Racing Club for the best pen of ewes ^{[383: 2-Apr-1888]}
He reported a find of gold on Byro Plain near where the Gascoyne, Murchison and Worramel rivers almost meet in 1890 ^{[120: 14-Jun-1890]}
Seconded a motion for the employment of Aboriginal people at a meeting on the 'Native Question' in the Murchison in 1892 ^{[390: 1-Dec-1892]}
Around the middle of 1893 he and his brother, as 'Nairn Bros', sold 30 head of prime fat cattle at saleyards in East Perth ^{[39: 25-May-1893]}
W. J. NAIRN, either himself or his brother, was one of the sheep judges at the Murchison Stock Show on 6 October 1893 ^{[39: 30-Oct-1893]}
Granted gazetted authority in late 1895 to witness contracts made with Aboriginal people in the Gascoyne region ^{[390: 9-Nov-1895]}
One of the stewards of the Murchison Amateur Racing Club's Nookawarra Races in 1897 and donated £5/5- to the Club ^{[507: 19-Oct-1897]}
He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Gascoyne and Murchison magisterial districts in 1898 ^{[39: 14-Jul-1898]}
In September 1899 he advertised that three branded camels were in a paddock at Byro and if not claimed would be sold ^{[120: 23-Sep-1899]}
While breaking in horses on the Murchison he had four in hand and was adjusting a harness when a gate was opened ^[148]
The opening gate startled the horses and he was kicked in the head and died, in 1903 ^{[15] [148]}
Another source stated that his death was caused when he was in a carriage and his horses bolted ^{[499: 25-Jul-1903]}
At the time of his death it was reported that he was "well and favourably known on the Murchison" ^{[499: 25-Jul-1903]}
As he had no will, Letters of Administration for his estate of £2,133/16/- were granted to his brother William J. NAIRN ^{[39: 27-Nov-1903]}
His sisters Mrs Jane WHEELER and Miss NAIRN, of the Perth suburb of Subiaco, designed and made a banner in his memory ^[39]
They presented the banner to Saint Andrew's Church in the Perth suburb of Subiaco on 22 December 1909 ^{[39: 25-Dec-1909]}

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