Ambrose Willcox Walter was born in Devonshire, England on 22 April 1833. He came to the colony on the Marchioness of Londonderry in 1853 with his uncle. His parents followed a few years later. At first he worked in the Barrabool Hills near Geelong. At the time of the gold rush he tried his luck, but not being successful he returned to Geelong. He started a butchering business with his youngest brother in the Barrabool Hills. This was very successful and in 1862 he sold his interest in the business to his brother and started farming, a farm he worked for eleven years. He married Mary Ann, daughter of Thomas Smale of the Barrabool Hills. They had the following children:
Albert William — born ​2 January 1864 at Barrabool Hills, married Sarah Janet Lawson on 18 September 1888 at Noradjuha, married Marian Anna Neale on 22 April 1903 at Bullumwaal, died on 23 July 1940 aged 76 years at the Mercy Hospital in East Melbourne
Thomas Ernest — born on 18 February 1866 at Barrabool Hill, married Elizabeth Cook in 1887, died on 5 December 1940 at Church Street, Camperdown
Ellis Vincent — born on 13 May 1868 at Barrabool Hills, married Janet Hayes in 1896 at Ballarat, married Annie Ada Middleton in 1906 at Stawell, died on 14 January 1930 aged 61 at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne
Ambrose Edward — born on 15 June 1870 at Barrabool Hills, married Sarah Janet Lawson on 18 September 1888 at Noradjuha, died on 29 February 1948 near Goroke aged 77 years
Frederick Joseph — born on 1 August 1872 at Barrabool Hills, died on 26 February 1925 at Casterton Memorial Hospital aged 52
Bertha Alinda — born on 26 August 1874 at Noradjuha, married Rev Henry Michael Clarke Fowler in 1911 at Noradjuha, died on 17 August 1949 aged 74 at Geelong
Henrietta Evalina — born on 31 December 1876 at Noradjuha, died on 2 November 1944 aged 67 years at Noradjuha
Lily Gertrude — born on 15 December 1878 at Noradjuha, died on 7 February 1879 at Noradjuha
Sidney Arthur — born on 1 March 1881 at Noradjuha, died on 11 October 1949 aged 68 years at Wimmera Base Hospital at Horsham
Phenie Gertrude — born on 3 February 1883 at Natimuk, died on 23 February 1936 aged 53 years at Sturt Street in Ballarat
Norman Edgar — born on 26 May 1885 at Noradjuha, died on 25 August 1973 aged 88 years at Noradjuha

During the time he was farming in the Barrabool Hills he became a Barrabool Shire councillor. When the land in the Wimmera came up for selection he was keen to secure more land for his growing family. He selected land and shifted his wife and five sons to the Wimmera at the beginning of 1874. Not long after arriving he was elected to the Wimmera Shire as a councillor and later an Arapiles Shire as a councillor and president. He took an active part in community life. He was the president of the Natimuk Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and also a trustee of the Western Wimmera Irrigation and Water Supply Trust. He lived  in the Casterton district, where he had purchased a property, for about four years, returning to the Wimmera. About seven years before he died he decided to retire from active life, and came back to Geelong. He had leased his property to two of his sons, but regularly visited Noradjuha.

He was an ardent supporter of the Methodist Church, and held the position of trustee of the Bible Christian Church at Horsham before the union of the churches took place. He was a trustee of the church at Noradjuha and at the annual conference often represented the Noradjuha circuit. Church services were held in his house until later when the school was used.

Ambrose died at his property "Oakleigh Park" at Noradjuha on 14 July 1915 and was buried at the Noradjuha Cemetery. Mary Ann died on 29 October 1918 at 44 Buckland Avenue, Newtown when she contracted pneumonia while visiting Geelong. She was buried with Ambrose of the Noradjuha Cemetery.