D'ARCY, William Knox (1849-1917)

business man, obtained Persian oil concession.

He was the son of William Francis D'Arcy, solicitor, and his wife, Elizabeth Baker, daughter of the Rev. Robert Bradford, and was born in England on 11 October 1849. He was educated at Westminster School, and in 1866 went with his father to Rockhampton, Queensland. He was engaged in his father's office and in pastoral and mining pursuits, and in September 1882 acquired a large interest in the syndicate which started the Mount Morgan gold-mine. The stone was enormously rich, especially in the early days of the mine, and D'Arcy made a large fortune. When the mine was floated as a company in 1,000,000 shares paid to 17s. 6d. a share, he held 358,334 shares and at one stage these shares were sold at a very high premium. D'Arcy returned to England in 1889, became interested in oil, and made some study of geology. He considered searching for oil in Australia, but became convinced that the prospects were unfavourable. His attention was directed to Persia, and in 1901, with the help of the British government, he secured a concession for 60 years of a very large area. D'Arcy for a long while was unsuccessful in his search for oil, and after having spent £300,000 of his own money, formed a syndicate to carry on the work. It was not until May 1908 that a payable well was found. It eventually proved to be a most prolific one, and the British government paid £2,000,000 for a controlling interest in the field, an investment that proved extremely profitable. D'Arcy lived at Stanmore in north Middlesex and in London, and entertained on a large scale. He died at Stanmore on 1 May 1917. His will was proved at £984,000. He was twice married, (1) to Elena, daughter of S. B. Birkbeck and (2) to Nina, daughter of A. L. Boucicault, who survived him. He also left two sons and three daughters.

Who's Who, 1917; Bird, Early History of Rockhampton; The Romance of the C.O.R.; The Times, 2 May, 17 September 1917; The Herald, Melbourne, 30 August 1941; A. Wilson, S. W. Persia; private information.