Charles Augustus Saw -pioneer profile

Prospector – Banker – Sharebroker

A Western Australian by birth, Mr. Charles Augustus Saw, president of the Stock Exchange, Perth, was born hi this city in the days when it was still little more than a village. Following his education at the High School, in Perth, Mr. Saw joined the staff of the National Bank. Three years later he was attracted by the gold discoveries in the Kimberleys and joined the rush to the far north of the State in 1886.

Charles Augustus Saw

After a year’s prospecting, he returned to the capital, but very soon afterward set out for the newly discovered goldfield at Southern Cross. Having acquired several claims, the young prospector once again settled in the city and became associated with the Commercial Bank, and in 1890 received the appointment of manager of the Southern Cross branch of this institution. He was the first man to be entrusted with such responsibilities on the goldfields. While at Southern Cross, before the great discoveries at Coolgardie, Mr. Saw took advantage of the commercial opportunities offered, and with others, established the coach connection between ‘the Cross’ and the Eastern Goldfields.

This business was carried on under the title of Cobb and Co, a name which later became famous with the coming of Coolgardie. He was frequently on the field and secured extensive interests there. Gradually disposing of these, Mr. Law decided to set up in business as a stock and share broker and established himself in Perth in 1895, and incidentally, he is the oldest established broker in the State.
His early association with the great gold ventures brought him in touch with the leading mining men of the Eastern States and Perth. Very soon he had built up a sound connection and carried on under his own name until 1910 when he took into partnership Mr. S. E. B. Grimwood, and the firm has since then been known as Saw and Grimwood.  In 1897 Mr. Saw was elected to the Perth City Council as representative for the South Ward but did not seek re-election at the end of his twelve months of service.

For nearly 30 years he has been a. member of the W.A. Turf Club, and for about ten years occupied the position of a committeeman, being acting chairman on several occasions. As a young man, he played both football and cricket and was a prominent and successful exponent of the winter game. Throughout his long association with various spheres of the State’s and city’s activities, Mr. Saw has earned the high regard of all who have known him. Of a quiet and unassuming disposition, he has the reputation of being one of the most popular citizens in our midst. His chief forms of recreation these, days are golf and racing, and early in the year, he made his first voyage overseas, being absent in Europe for about six months.

Charles Augustus Saw – Photo SLWA

West Australian Friday 4 April 1941, page 8

MR. C. A. SAW DEAD. Long Association with Mining. After a short illness. Mr. Charles Augustus Saw, a partner in the stockbroking firm of Messrs. Saw and Grimwood, died last night at the age of 75 years. The late Mr. Saw was born on 15th September 1865 in Perth WA and his mother, who, before her marriage was a Miss Mary Ann Syred, was also born in Western Australia, over 100 years ago. At one time his father, Henry Saw, who conducted a general store in the then small village of Perth, owned the whole of the land extending from where the Savoy Hotel now stands.

He was survived by a son and a daughter, Charles Ronald Baden Saw born in Perth 1900 and Valmar De Vaux Saw born in 1913. He and his wife,  Katherine de Vause Saw nee SNELL divorced in 1919, they had married in Perth WA in 1895. He was cremated and his ashes are in the niche wall at the Karrakatta Cemetery Perth, Western Australia.

Norseman-Esperance News 17 April 1941, page 5