BILLY WAITE Champion Buckjumper

The remarkable life of this amazing man began in July 1880. Reared from an infant on a sugar cane property at Breadalbane, Billy took his surname from the owner, George Waite. Some records indicate that he was born in Charters Towers however Billy denied this. On his passenger records when he travelled to the USA, he named Waite as his father and that he was of Proserpine. It was said that his mother was Aboriginal.

Billy grew up droving cattle; a job to which he attributed his great horsemanship. As a youngster, he was known as a champion sprinter in the 50, 100 and 200 yard races.
When Martini’s Buckjumping Show came through the district, Billy’s life changed dramatically. He and another Aboriginal man, Billy Emmerson, were keen to accept the challenge to attempt to earn a few pounds and fame by riding the already famous outlaw, Dargan’s Grey. Neither stayed in the saddle very long, but Martini was impressed with their ability and invited them to join the show.
Being classified as Aboriginal, they were denied the freedom to leave the district. Journalist, Bill Bowyang, who was working in Proserpine at the time, contacted the local member for Bowen seeking permission for them to join the show. Two days later, a telegram of consent arrived. Emmerson, however, decided that buckjumping was not for him.
In Sydney in 1906, Billy took out the title of Champion Roughrider of Australia. While there, he and his wife, Marion Smith, became the star attraction in “The Wild Australia Show”.

The Waites moved to England during World War 1, then they went to Canada where Billy broke in horses for the war effort. Later, in the USA, they toured with the Orpheum circuit where they cracked whips (as long as 65 foot or 19.8m) and threw boomerangs. They appeared in various shows along with Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill. Billy continued to win roughriding contests often while cracking a stockwhip! They also travelled to Malaya, Java and India.

Extract from “How to tackle a vicious horse” by Billy Waite  

It may interest you to know that … hundreds of wild horses used to roam about the ranges near my home. They are called "brumbies," and once broken in they possess remarkable endurance. …. I caught one once, when I was only fourteen … and soon broke him in. … he came in very useful not long after. … A boy was shot by accident at Glen Isla, and the nearest doctor was fifty-two miles away, at Bowen. So, I saddled my brumby … and rode off at 7 p.m. You can imagine the power of my mount when I tell you I came back with the doctor at 6 a.m. next morning, having covered the 104 miles in eleven hours. …

One of the biggest jobs I ever tackled in my life was during the South African War, when I rode 450 horses in two and a half days for the Government inspection for active service at the front. On the first day I rode 250, which is’, I believe, a record, trotting each of them fifty yards or so, and cantering them back. The "rogues" were cast aside and only the tractable ones selected for service. I had six men catching and saddling them for me ….

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Billy Waite died in New York in March 1941 and is buried in the Kensico Cemetery where a brass plaque marks the grave of this famous buckjumper from Proserpine.

And so, a chance meeting and an extraordinarily special skill, saw the young Billy Waite catapulted onto the World Stage.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Society Museum

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