Richard Wills emigrated to South Australia aboard
Spartan in April 1849, followed by his brother George Wills (c. 1824 – 6 December 1906) in December 1849 aboard
Minerva with a quantity of
drapery and set up shop in Adelaide. They formed a partnership G. & R. Wills with premises at 40 and 41 Rundle Street, Adelaide in October 1853. Two other brothers, Henry (also on
Minerva) and John, also emigrated but died soon after and were buried in
West Terrace cemetery along with Richard, who died in 1862. George returned once to England to be married, and again, permanently, in 1859 to take charge of the company's purchasing house.
R. A. Tarlton (1828–1918) and
Charles Rischbieth (died 1893) were brought into the company as partners to oversee its development. Later guiding lights were
George Arthur Jury, who helped establish the Perth and Melbourne branches, Howard, W. E. J. Brocksopp, and H. Venables. Around 1882
W. Herbert Phillipps was given the task of establishing the subsidiary shipping firm of George Wills & Co.; Phillipps retired in 1902. ==See also==