I have been otherwise occupied for a week or so. The cross-post in Australia forum is repeated here for convenience -
The death certificate for WJ Landells (Qld) is rather terse.
I summarize:
He died 17 Dec 1954 in Queensland, aged 87.
It is recorded that he had lived in Melbourne; 30 years in Queensland.
The informant is his stepson, EW Robertson. He had 3 wives, all married in Apia, Samoa; #1 Phobie Netzler #2 Etta Netzler #3 Marguerite Robertson formerly Logan.
His age, at marriage date - 32, 37, 45 years respectively
Surviving children: By #1: 0 By #2: William James, age 50 By #3: Faith, age 42
Deceased children: 1 female, whose mother = #2.
I obtained this a week or so ago. This is in the main consistent with my information prior to obtaining the certificate.
The information that is hard to rationalize is the William James, aged 50.
Birth date was therefore 1904 (this is a 1954 death cert).
Coincidentally? This is the age of the stepson (who is the informant), and in a tree (w/o evidence) that I have seen, a William James Landells, b 1904 is listed.
I cannot imagine that his stepson EW Robertson, who published a statement in a local Samoa newspaper in 1923, to announce that he was changing his surname back from Landells to Robertson, would have been known as William James Landells (when his relinquished name was Edward William Landells) -
Samoanische Zeitung, Volume 23, Issue 45, 9 November 1923
"Public Notice. It is my desire to be known henceforth by my original name of Robertson, and I hereby notify that instead ot Edward William Landells I shall be henceforth Edward William Robertson. Apia, 7th Nov., 1923. "
I haven't located a 'candidate' for this other son, William James Landells b. 1904.
At that time, I believe that he (EW Robertson, informant), his mother, and step father WJ Landells were all in Samoa and WJ Landells was carrying on his horse-shoeing etc business (there are weekly advertisements in the local newspapers, over many years).
A newspaper report suggests to me that Landells' house and business was intentionally set afire (but not burned down) and this may have encouraged his departure. There are newspaper adv. over prior years when he is attempting to sell his property/properties in Samoa.
I have not discovered when any of the family departed Samoa - but Samoa had gone through turbulant times in all the period of residence of WJ Landells (1896 -?), and none of those events had encouraged them to depart.
I believe step[son EW Robertson married in Samoa, and that he and his wife later lived in Qld and died there.
Perhaps some of the experienced others may like to offer an interpretation of some of this?