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Name: WALLER, Arthur Sydney

image of individualimage of individual

Nee: son of Hugh Sydney Waller

Birth Date: 20 Jan 1882 Farmington, Gloucs.

Death Date: 9 Mar 1952 Voi

Profession: Well known professional big-game hunter.

Area: Voi; Box 183, Nairobi, Hut 1922 Eldama Ravine

Married: 1. In Lancaster Gate, London 2 Mar 1915 Mary Guthrie Truscott b. 1890 Redhill, Surrey (div. 1923 and then she m. in 1929 Francis Wigglesworth) 2. Kathleen Bates

Children: William

Book Reference: Ker, Sundown, Elephant People, Greenhorn, Web, Chandler, Richardson, Monty Brown, Red 31, Red 22, Hut

General Information:

Sundown - He had been the hunter to the location unit of the first African film classic 'Trader Horn' and he had fallen in love with the star Edwina Booth.
Elephant People - as above Sundown - an old Kenya adventurer who ended his days at Voi.  
Greenhorn - involved as a hunter in the filming of 'Trader Horn'
Web - The first Ridgebacks [dogs] to go to Kenya were a pack of 6 who went to Waller - he bought them from Bulawayo breeders in the then Southern Rhodesia. I expect they would have faded into obscurity, except for the fact that one of his English clients, Mrs Edmond Foljambe, bought 2 from him and sent them to England - the first to go there.
Web - Tom Lawrence - My father was a profesional hunter in his latter years, but knew Sydney Waller well in Voi when he was one of the early Game Wardens in Tsavo National Park. At that time Sydney was living out his last years as an old man. He was nicknamed "The Ground Hornbill" as he would walk along in a similar pose muttering under his breath which sounded remarkably like the birds when they wander through the bush calling to each other. He was also part of those who used to frequent the Voi Hotel as their local watering hole. He died in the early 1950s from malaria. As far as I know he was bachelor by then. Bob Foster another famous hunter was also in the area at the time and between them they would take Sydney's annual elephant licence and shoot the elephant for him. He would then supervise the extraction of the tusks which would in turn be sold and keep Sydney in money for the next year or so.
Richardson 1929 - Dinner at New Stanley Hotel - Music at Banquet by Mrs J.C. Shaw, at the piano Mrs A.S. Waller
Barnes Voi cem in loving memory of / my husband / Arthur Sydney Waller / born at Farmington, England / 20th January 1882 / died at Voi 9th March 1952

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