Freotopia > books > Battye 1912-13
Cyclopedia of Western Australia, 1912-13, in two volumes.
This is a text-only scan of the work, without images, uncorrected for scanning errors. I won't live long enough to do that, but hope that what's here will be useful even as it is.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (ILLUSTRATED) IN TWO VOLUME
VOL. II.
AN HISTORICAL AND COMMERCIAL REVIEW
DESCRIPTIVE AND BIOGRAPHICAL FACTS FIGURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS
AN EPITOME OF PROGRESS
EDITED BY
J. S. BATTYE, B.A., LL.B. (Melb.)
Public, Librarian to the State of Western Australia
WESTERN AUSTRALIA:
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED FOR THE CYCLOPEDIA COMPANY, 29, BARRACK STREET, PERTH, BY HUSSEY & GILLINGHAM LIMITED, 106 & 108, CURRIE STREET, ADELAIDE.
MCMXIII
EDITORIAL NOTE.
The History of Exploration appearing in this volume teas prepared by Mr O. Battye; the articles on Mining by Mr. A. Montgomery, M.A., and Mr. J. J. Hast, F.G.S.; and that on Agriculture by Mr. W. Gatton Grasby, F.L.8. As regards the remainder of the volume the Editor is greatly indebted to various public officials, toim clerks, secretaries of associations, and other helpers for assistance rendered. Their ready co-operation has made the ivork of editing comparatively light.
Contents Vol. 2
PAGE
Agriculture.....................................118
Agricultural Land Purchase and Bank Acts 130 Dairying and Mixed Fanning ... ... 146
Digest of the Land Laws and Regulations ... 118
Existing Land Laws: The Land Act, 1898 ... 123
Fruitgrowing ... ... ... ... ... 141
History of Agricultural Development ... 133
Land Laws and Regulations prior to 1898 ... 118
Methods to he pursued by the Intending Selector in the Acquisition of Land, The ... 132
Policy of Purchasing Estates for Closer Settlement, The ... ... ... ... ... 131
Wheat Areas, The ... ... ... ... 139
Agricultural Land Purchase and Bank Acts 130
Albany .........................................826
Armadale and District...........................408
Arthur River ...................................713
Asiatics .......................................104
Augusta to Karridale ... ... ... ... 466
Baptist Church, The ... 100
Beverley ... ... ... ... ... ... 601
Biographical Index ........... ... ... 1017
Bodallin ... ... ... ... ... 600
Boulder ... ... ... 908
Bridgetown ... ... ... ... 451
Broad Arrow, Menzies, and Malcolm ... ... 928
Brookton and Pingelly ... ... ... ... 640
Broome ... ... ... ... ... ... 1015
Broome Hill to Mount Barker ... ... ... 779
Brunswick Junction to Collie ... ... ... 421
Bulong ... ... ... ... ... ... 923
Bunbury ... ... ... ... ... ... 428
Busselton ................................... 440
Carnarvon ... ... ... ... ... ... 1013
Caves op Western Australia, The ............... 448
Chamber op Mines op Western Australia (Incorporated), The ... ... ... ... 335
Children’s Hospital, The ...................... 107
Children’s Protection Society ... 113
Christ Church Preparatory School ............... 78
Christian Brothers’ College .................... 76
page
Church of Christ, The ... ... ... ... 101
Church of England, The........................... 81
Church of England Grammar School ... ... 75
Collegiate Schools ... ... ... ... 74
Collie ... ... ... ... .. ... 421
Congregational Church, The ... ... ... 99
CoOLGARDIE ... ... ... ... ... ... 869
Cossack ... ... ... ... ... ... 1013
Country Districts ... ... ... ... ... 408
Along the Midland Line ... ... ... 935
Eastern Districts, The ... ... ... ... 477
Eastern Goldfields ... ... ... ... 865
Great Southern District ... ... ... 601
Midland Junction to Toodyay ... 467
Murchison Goldfields, The ... ... ... 1007
North-west and Far North, The ..............1012
South-eastern Districts, The ... ... ... 863
South-western ... ... ... ... ... 408
Cranbrook ... ... ... ... ... ... 779
Cue ... ... ... ... ... ... 1009
Cunderdin .................................... 585
Dairying and Mixed Farming ............ 146
Day Dawn ...................................... 1010
Deaf and Dumb Institution ... ... ... HI
Denmark ... ... ... ... ... ■ ■ ■ 826
Derby ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• 1015
Digest of the Land Laws and Regulations ... 118
Dongara ... ... ... ... ... ■ • 955
Donnybrook, Greenbushes, and Bridgetown ... 451
Doodlakine, Merredin, and Bodallin ...
Eastern Districts, The ...
Eastern Goldfields
Ecclesiastical ... ........
Asiatics ...
Baptist Church, The ...
Church of Christ, The ...
Church of England, The Congregational Church, The ...
Jewish Synagogue, The Methodist Church, The Other Denominations ...
Ecclesiastical (continued):— Greenough 968
Presbyterian Church, The 98 Gwalia and Laverton . . 933
Roman Catholic Church, The ... 90 *
Salvation Army, The ... 101 Hall Creek 1016
Educational . 72 Harvey 414
Christ Church Preparatory School 78 High School 75
Christian Brothers’ College 76 History of Agricultural Development 133
Church of England Grammar School 75 Home of Peace, The . . 109
Collegiate Schools 74 House of Mercy 117
High School 75 Jarrahdale ... 409
Ladies’ Colleges ... 78 Jewish Synagogue, The ... 103
Methodist Ladies’ College 79
Schools of the Sisters of the Church ... 78 Kalgoorlie 877
Scotch College . . 78 Kanowna and Bulong 923
University of Western Australia, The 72 Karridale 466
Esperance 863 Katanning 732
Eucla ... 864 Kellerberrin 585
Existing Land Laws. The Land Act, 1898 ... 123 Kindergarten Union, The 116
Explorers and Exploration 1 Kojonup 733
Chap.
i. Minor Explorations, 1829-1836 1 Labour Party, The . . 381
ii. Sir George Grey, 1837-1839 12 Ladies’ Colleges 78
hi. HM.S. “Beagle,” 1838-1841 — Minor Lady Lawley Cottage by the Sea 116
Explorations, 1837-1840 24 Land Laws and Regulations prior to 1898 ... 118
iv. Edward John Eyre, 1841 27 '-Laverton 933
v. Minor Explorations, 1841 - 1843 — Lawlers 1011
Gregory, Roe, Fitzgerald, 1846-1848 33 Leonora 929
vi. Austin 37 Liberal Party, The 379
vii. A. C. Gregory, 1854-1856 — F. T.
Gregory and S. Trigg, 1857—F. T. Malcolm 928
Gregory, 1858, 1861 ... 39 Marble Bar .. 1014
viii. Minor Explorations, 1861-1866 — Sir M. C. L. Convalescent Home 115
John Forrest, 1869-1870 45 Meckering to Kellerberrin 585
ix. Sir John Forrest, 1874 ... 52 Meekatharra 1010
x. Ernest Giles, 1872-1875 — Alexander Menzies 928
Forrest, 1879 ... 58 Merredin 600
xi. Recent Exploration 63 Methodist Church, The ... 96
Methodist Ladies’ College 79
Farmers and Settlers’ Association of Wes- Methods to be pursued by THE Intending
tern Australia, The 151 Selector in the Acquisition of Land, The 132
Fire Brigades 405 Midland Junction to Toodyay 467
Football and Cricket 394 Midland Line, Along the ... 935
Forest Resources ... 283 Mineral Industry, The . . 323
Freemasonry 372 Mines and Mining 294
Fremantle Municipal Tramways and Electric Mingenew and Dongara ... 955
Lighting System 402 Mining 294
Friendly Societies ... 374 Chamber of Mines of Western Australia (In-
Fruitgrowing 141 corporated), The 335
Mineral Industry, The ... 323
Geraldton 976 Mines and Mining 294
Gingin and Moora ... 936 Moora 936
Goomalling and Wongan Hills . . 578 Mount Barker 779
Great Southern District 601 Mount Magnet 1 . . 1008
Greenbushes ... ... 451 Mullewa 1008
PAGE PAGE
Mundijong, Jarrahdale, and Rockingham 409 Schools of the Sisters of the Church ... 78
Murchison Goldfields, The 1007 Scientific, Literary, and Other Associations 376
Scotch College 78
Nannine 1010 Serpentine to Pinjarra ... 409
Narbogin and’Williams 684 South-eastern Districts, The ... 863
New Norcia 948 Southern Cross ... .... ... 865
Norseman 877 South-western District ... 408
Northam 520 Sporting and Recreation ... 384
Northampton ... 1006 Football and Cricket ... 394
North-west and Far North, The 1012 Other Sports 395
Nullagine 1015 Provincial Racing ... ... • • • 386
Turf, The 384
Onslow 1013 Western Australian Turf Club 385
Other Denominations 104 Yachting and Rowing ... 395
Other Sports 395
Tambellup 779
Pastoral 173 Tenterden ... ... ... 779
Pearling 370 Timber 283
Perth Tramways 402 Forest Resources 283
Philanthropic Institutions 107 Timber Industry 288
Children’s Hospital, The 107 Timber Industry 288
Children’s Protection Society 113 Toodyay 467
Deaf and Dumb Institution ... 111 Tramways ... 402
Home of Peace, The ... 109 Fremantle Municipal Tramways and Electric
House of Mercy 117 Lighting System 402
Kindergarten Union, The 116 Perth Tramways 402
Lady Lawley Cottage by the Sea 116 Turf, The ... 384
M. C. L. Convalescent Home ... 115
Victoria Institute and Industrial School i i t>1* 1 for 1 1 A Undenominational Institutions ... 104
the Blind 110 Woman’s Christian Temperance Union 104
Waifs’ Home, Parkerville 112 Young Men’s Christian Association ... 105
Picton Junction to Busselton ... 440 University of Western Australia, The 72
PlNGELLY 640
PlNJARRA 409 on7
Policy of Purchasing Estates for Closer Veterinary ... o»7
Settlement, The 131 Victoria Institute and Industrial School for
Political Organizations 379 the Blind 110
Labour Party, The 381
Liberal Party, The 379 Wagin ... ... ... 713
Port Hedland 1014 Waifs’ Home, Parkerville 112
Presbyterian Church, The 98 Western Australian Turf Club 385
Provincial Racing ... 386 Wheat Areas, The ... 139
Williams 684
Ravensthorpe 863 Wiluna 1011
Rockingham ... 409 Woman’s Christian Temperance Union 104
Roebourne 1014 Wongan Hills 578
Roman Catholic Church, The 90 Wyndham 1016
Royal Agricultural Society 149
Yachting and Rowing 395
Salvation Army, The 101 York 478
Sandstone 1009 Young Men’s Christian Association 105
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The Cyclopedia of Western Australia.
EXPLORERS AND EXPLORATION.
CHAPTER I.
MINOR EXPLORATIONS, 1829-1836.
SINCE the foundation of Western Australia the subject of exploration has ever been prominently before the minds of its people. Unlike the other States, exploration in Western Australia has been to a certain degree continuous; not the subject of periodical outbursts of popular interest resulting in desultory expeditions, but the marked policy of the country has been to discover by means of well-equipped parties all that terra incognita which, even up to the present time, embraces many of the interior places of the Island Continent.
Hardly, indeed, could the infant colony be called settled and complete in 1829, before several expeditions were launched to discover more of the land than lay within the immediate vicinity of Perth and Premantle.
In September, 1829, Lieutenant Preston, an officer of H.M.S. “Sulphur,” essayed to cross the Darling Range and to discover, if possible, what lay beyond. At the outset the expedition met with difficulty, for the sea is exceptionally rough at that period of the year, and the bar at the entrance to the River Swan proved an impassable barrier for the then heavily-ladened boats. Deciding to unload on the mainland, Lieutenant Preston sailed for Woodman’s Point, and with extreme difficulty succeeded in landing his stores. Returning to Fremantle, he next day crossed the bar and entered the river, sending the men to bring the stores to the boats by a system of porterage.
Proceeding up the Swan River, the Canning River was reached by evening, and at a low point beyond what is now Point Heathcote they pitched their camp for the night. Early next morning the expedition was joined by Ensign R. Dale, of the 63rd Regiment, and Mr. Knight, who were accompanied by some soldiers from the infant settlement. Deciding to explore the Canning River, the expedition sailed the next morning, but found that the current of the stream made progress very slow. Very few natives were met with, and these displayed quite a friendly spirit. The difficulties of navigation increased, and on September 12 a small party of twelve left the river and set out in a direct course for the ranges. By 6
midday it had reached the summit, about 1,000 ft. high, and descending slowly camped for the night well down the reverse slope. Next morning it moved on over exceedingly rough country, interspersed with marshes and ridges. In the dales the soil was a mixture of sand and clay, and on the ridges large fragments of granite rock and ironstone lay strewn about, whilst immense trees soared heavenward.
The expedition was unsuccessful in discovering good agricultural land, and as it was not equipped for a long journey a return was decided upon, and Fremantle was reached on September 19, after a weary and trying time.
However, the determination to thoroughly explore the country between the ranges and the infant settlements led Ensign Dale to again essay the task, and a few weeks after his return from the previous expedition he left the camp at Perth with the intention of tracing the Helena River. Crossing the Swan River at what are now known as Heirrison Islands, he proceeded in a course east-by-south in order to examine the outside country. After penetrating for some distance into the bush, he turned in a north-easterly direction. Some two days were spent in attempting to discover the source of the Helena River, but in this Mr. Dale was unsuccessful. In many other respects the results of the expedition were of value, as the fertility of the soil adjacent to the various watercourses had been amply demonstrated.
On November 17, 1829, Lieutenant Preston, accompanied by Dr. Collie—a naval surgeon from H.M.S. “Sulphur,” after whom the town of Collie takes its name—prepared to make the most extensive expedition hitherto attempted in Western Australia, along the coast and into the southern portion of the colony. The labours of this party were responsible for the foundation in the future of Bunbury and Busselton, and incidentally most of the coastal districts in the south-west.
Leaving H.M.S. “Sulphur” early on November 17, 1829, in two whaleboats the expedition passed through the channel between Garden Island and Cape Peron, making careful soundings and charting the waters for
future marine survey. By these means the coast immediately south of the original landing-place at Fremantle became thoroughly known, and in this manner alone the expedition did valuable work. The entrance to the harbour had already proved sufficiently dangerous, and it was imperative that more should be known of the southern passages. During the first day the explorers sailed into the Murray River, and ascertained that though the country adjacent to the coast was of a barren nature, inland the vista opened on to an extensive and rich country. Here perfect amity prevailed between the explorers and the aborigines they met. The natives were consumed with curiosity at the boats, personal clothing, and appointments of the members of the expedition, and manifested every desire for peaceful intercourse.
Leaving the Murray on the 20th, contrary winds and rough sea compelled them to run the boats ashore, and for two days but little progress was made southward. On the 23rd, Port Leschenault was reached, and here the party landed and formed camp with the intention of thoroughly examining the inlets and the country adjacent. Soon the camp was visited by the natives, who manifested the “most friendly interest” in the expedition. Within three miles of the site of the camp a river was discovered, to quote from the journal of the explorers, “flowing over a shallow to the estuary. There are two mouths of the river, with a low sandy island between them, and the one we entered, the westernmost, was afterwards found the most shallow.” Proceeding up the river, the expedition came upon another island, beyond which they found fresh water, so filling their barricoes they turned back. On the return a large number of natives had, it was found, assembled on the banks of the river, and the intruders were received with every mark of goodwill and pleasure. The land surveyed during the day appeared with few exceptions to consist of a productive soil, and the explorers returned to camp weary but well satisfied with their labours.
On return it was found that a member of the crew was missing, and a search for him was unavailing, nor did he appear during the night. It had been intended to proceed southward early in the morning, but rather than they should be accused of voluntarily abandoning the man, though it was generally thought that he had deserted, they decided to remain. Ordering a diligent search to be made along the coast, Lieutenant Preston and Dr. Collie proceeded up the river for fresh water, and on returning the man was found on the banks. On being asked for an explanation of his actions, he informed the leaders that wandering in the bush he had come upon a nearly naked aboriginal woman, who had screamed at his approach. The screams attracted the attention of two male aboriginals, who pursued him with spears, until for safety he rushed to the river and swam out of danger.
Whether or not the man had offered any insult or injury to the native woman it was hard to say. However, the incident did not appear to have caused any friction, for the natives on the banks of the stream, with amicable gestures, accompanied the boat to the camping-place, and the subsequent interview was of a very friendly nature.
During the afternoon of the same day another river was discovered, and its course examined for a short distance. The soil here was distinctly good. The rivers became known as the Collie and the Preston. Proceeding on the journey the expedition reached Port Vasse on the 25th, but as the country seen did not impress them favourably and as more was known of this portion of the coast than of Leschenault Inlet, they returned to the latter port for more extended exploration.
The two rivers were now thoroughly examined, and the Lieutenant-Governor (Captain Stirling) was made acquainted with the results of the trip. Two things had been established —first, that there was abundance of good soil in the south-western coastal district; and secondly, the natives were generally friendly and not of a bellicose nature; two main essentials for the commercial success of pioneering efforts.
In the month of December, 1829, Ensign Dale made another attempt to trace the Helena River, for upon his former report settlement had proceeded apace on the lower reaches. He determined to take a more direct course in this instance, and after crossing the Swan steered in an easterly route. His journey towards the hills disclosed the nature of the country as being somewhat patchy, but in general suitable for certain agricultural purposes. After crossing the Helena with no difficulty, the expedition climbed the hills to about 1,400 ft. through rugged gorges and splendid mountain scenery. The report furnished by Mr. Dale on his return, though increasing vastly the knowledge of the eastern district, was not too promising in regard to its suitability for agricultural enterprise.
During the month further exploration was carried out in the extreme south in the vicinity of King George Sound by Dr. J. R. Wilson, R.N., who with a party of five left that place to examine the country northward towards the Swan River. The party included an intelligent aboriginal native named Mokare, and much of its success is attributable to the excellent service he rendered.
Some previous local explorations had taken place in this district under the leadership of Major Lockyer, Captain Wakefield, and others who had been connected with the original settlement at King George Sound, but no records remain to us as to the results obtained thereby.
Steering a course north-north-west the party crossed a considerable stream after seven miles’ journey, and the soil, which had hitherto been of poor quality, began to improve in value. It compared very favourably with
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
3
that thrown open on the banks of the Swan, and its value as pastoral country, especially for sheep, became more and more manifest. Here and there, as was expected, patches of barren land appeared, but in general the outlook was distinctly good. To read the old records in the light of present-day agricultural science, it would appear as if the explorers had discovered country preeminently fitted for a future dairying population.
During the journey an intelligent native known to Mokare, attempted to prevail upon Dr. Wilson to take up an easterly course, stating that all the best land was in that direction, but the leader adhered to his original intention.
Of the country discovered Dr. Wilson writes:—“So much has been said of the scenery in New South Wales resembling noble English domains that the comparison is rather trite. Imagine a rich valley of consider able width, extending east and west as far as the eye can survey, bounded on the north and south by a succession of undulating and moderately ele-vated hills, thinly but sufficiently ornamented by trees of gigantic form, and you have some conception of the beauty of the spot.” So far the results of the trip had been successful from an agricultural point of view; but after the discovery and naming of Loch Katrine—a circular basin about half a mile in diameter—the explorers, continuing their course westward, passed into barren scrub land. This did not extend for any considerable extent, and next day they oncountercd a watercourse, which was named after Kent, one of the members of the party.
The alternations of good and indifferent country now became very rapid, until they reached a high mount, which was named Mount Lindesay, in compliment to the officers of the 39th Regiment. Dr. Wilson writes of this elevation :—“The highest peak is about 30 yards square, perfectly level, paved with minute particles of quartz, and at each angle is an immense block of granite.” Ascending the mount a magnificent panorama was b2
unveiled, and several elevated peaks discovered, which were respectively named by Dr. Wilson as Mount Roe, Mount Mitchell, and Mount Frankland.
Next morning the party determined to explore the base of Mount Lindesay, and discovered some streams issuing therefrom, the greatest of which they named the Denmark River, out of compliment to a surgeon of the fleet. The banks of this river displayed very rich soil. The leader now decided to return and, striking a southeasterly course, he soon reached the coast. Returning along the coast towards the settlement at King George Sound, another river was encountered, which was named the Hay River, after Mr. Hay, the Under-Secretary of State. Another river was crossed named the Heeman, and a high conical hill, observed some distance away,
received its name, Mount Haliowell, after an admiral of that time. Mount Shad-forth was named after the Lieutenant - Colonel commanding the 57th Regiment, and the party returned ta King George Sound.
The results of the trip were of paramount importance, and even so early as the year 1830 it was thus amply demonstrated that land of high quality was to be found adjacent to what is now the town of Albany. Notwithstanding these discoveries, however, the country remained for many years in its primal state, the bulk of the agricultural settlement being to the north-east and east of the infant town of Perth. Any settlement that took place southward was more toward Port Leschenault and the country between the Collie and Preston Rivers and Perth; but, nevertheless, the work of Dr. Wilson proved that excellent arable land was to be obtained within easy distance of one of the ports.
Gradually the boundaries of the Swan River settlement were being extended, and it became of pressing importance that further information should be gleaned about the country previously discovered but not sufficiently proved. With this intent Captain Stirling (the Lieutenant-Governor), the Surveyor-General (Lieutenant
From Grey’s "Journals of Two Explorations ATTACK or NATIVES, NEAR KOLAINA PLAINS.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Roe, R.N.), with a few experienced and practical settlers, and a detachment of the 63rd Regiment, left Premantle in a schooner for the scene of the explorations of Dr. Collie and Lieutenant Preston at Port Leschenault.
The Lieutenant-Governor was not wedded to the idea of founding the new settlement at Port Leschenault, and before determining upon the site he proceeded to Geographe Bay and spent two days exploring the country in the vicinity of Cape Naturalists. A considerable extent of good country was opened up, but, unfortunately, somewhat patchy in nature. Somewhat dissatisfied with the prospects here, and also at the Vasse, Captain Stirling determined to found the new departure at Port Leschenault. After a cursory examination the Governor was as favourably impressed with the outlook as Messrs. Collie and Preston had professed to be, and immediately steps were taken to ensure a proper station for the expansion of the agricultural movement. Stores and provisions were now disembarked and temporary quarters at once erected. Several separate excursions into the interior were made, that led by Lieutenant Roe (the Surveyor-General) being the most important. After proceeding on a boat expedition for some miles, tracing the course of the Collie River, the explorers were at last compelled to disembark, owing to the obstructions caused by the snags in the watercourse, which threatened to destroy the boat. Continuing on foot in a south-easterly direction, they came upon some beautiful open forest land. Turning eastward they reached a range of hills, the southern end of which was named Roe Mountains after the leader, one particular elevation being named Mount Lennard after a member of the party. From the summit of these hills the broad valley of the Preston was observed, and after examining it and the Preston country the party returned to the camp at Port Leschenault.
The Lieutenant-Governor was particularly pleased at the quality of the land at Port Leschenault and very hopeful that the exploration work would lead to early and rapid settlement. Had it been taken up by settlers predetermined to live on the land and get their livelihood from it, then no doubt the favourable prognostications of Captain Stirling would have been realized. Instead, however, huge tracts were taken up by men who made no immediate use of it, and the movement did not prosper as it should have done.
Being thoroughly imbued with the value of the south-western coastal districts for agricultural settlement, Captain Stirling, accompanied by Captain Currie and a band of settlers, again set out to explore the southern country. The party sailed from Gage Roads on April 29, 1830, rounded Cape Leeuwin, and anchored near the mouth of an inlet east of the Cape. Several days were passed examining the country adjacent to the Blackwood River, and before the return of Captain Stirling to
Fremantle on May 16 the site of a town (Augusta) was chosen, and the disembarkation took place of those who intended to form a settlement there.
Much of the minor, but exceedingly valuable, exploration was due to the zeal and pertinacity of the naval and military officers attached to the Government, and the name of Ensign Dale will always be associated with some of the most successful expeditions in the earlier history of the State. Gifted with a keen insight and unerring judgment, the value of his work in the earlier stages of the State’s existence can never be over-estimated. Indomitable and steady in purpose the initial difficulties to him were made only to be surmounted, and his discoveries in the year 1830 did much to increase the prosperity of the infant townships. This officer, to whom most of the previous exploration eastward of the settlements was due, had determined that he would lay bare the secrets of the land over the Darling Ranges, which he had so often viewed from their summits. On July 31, 1830, accompanied by a Mr. Brockman and two others, he left Perth in bitterly cold weather thoroughly equipped for an extensive journey. The time of year added to the difficulties attached to their rugged path, many of the mountain streams having become almost unfordable torrents. In some places checked by boggy swamps and in others by almost impenetrable bush and scrub, they toiled laboriously forward. Several times, indeed, were they compelled to build temporary bridges, so that their horses could be transported over the chasms that existed amidst the gorges. On August 8, 1830, at sunrise, the thermometer registered 31| degrees, and the travellers experienced colder weather than ever before in Australia, And were
A
glad to get into movement again. Proceeding along the banks of a river which proved very laborious for the horses, they were at last compelled to tether the animals and advance on foot. Taking only two days’ provisions with the party, Dale recognized that it was necessary to push on with vigour. After walking six miles an abrupt and almost perpendicular range of hills was met, and this was named after the Colonel of the 63rd Regiment, General Dyott. In these hills they discovered abundant traces of aboriginal drawings, and, listening, they heard the natives hailing each other in the forest. The weather, which had been inclement and bitterly cold throughout the journey, now culminated in a prolonged rainstorm; and gaining what shelter they could under the shelving boulders of granite the explorers rested for the night. Continuing their onward march next morning, August 11, and steering a course north-by-west, they at last reached the summit of the Dyott Range, which was named Mount Bakewell, after Lord Bakewell. The expedition now returned to the place where the horses had been left, and the remainder of the time was spent in exploring the river afterwards called the Avon.
5
Greatly impressed with what he had seen, Ensign Dale returned to Perth with news of a fertile region to recount to the settlers of the infant State. This raised the hopes and expectations of the Lieutenant-Governor considerably, and it was generally conceded that up to this time the work of exploration carried out by this officer had been of the greatest value to the small settlement.
The discovery of the River Avon gave rise to the very highest conjectures as to the value of the land in the interior, and the colonists were unanimous in the expression of their sentiments that the possibilities of the colony had been greatly extended.
The Adjutant of the 63rd Regiment, Lieutenant Erskine, left Perth on September 6 with the intention of making a wider survey of the eastern country discovered by Ensign Dale. The country traversed was similar to that described by Dale, and the Avon was reached on September 13, where a party of natives was found encamped on the stream.
After exploring the country for several days, and proving that Dale’s optimistic views were in the main correct, Lieutenant Erskine began his homeward journey on the 17th. The attitude of the natives, who had assembled in large numbers, was perfectly friendly; too much so, indeed, to suit the taste of the leader, who reached Perth on September 22.
During this period the necessity of exploring the southern lands was not forgotten, and in the month of September Captain J. Molloy conducted some valuable work in the vicinity of the Blackwood River
With his usual desire to gain his information by actual personal inspection, the Lieutenant-Governor (Captain Stirling) decided to accompany an expedition to be led by Ensign Dale into the eastern country. Travelling a somewhat easier route than that used by Dale on his initial trip, and being possessed of the best horses obtainable in the settlement, this party did not suffer such hardship as on the previous journey. A general inspection was undertaken of the lands adjacent to the Avon River for purpose of agricultural settlement. At this time of the year (October) the country was to be seen in its best aspect, and the Lieutenant-Governor hurried back to Perth to publish his information of the rich lands only waiting to be occupied.
Ensign Dale and party of six volunteers, including Messrs. Clarkson, Hardy, Camfield, and W. Stirling, remained, and with five horses to carry ten days’ provisions pushed on east with the determination to explore as far as possible before compelled to return. On October 28 they separated from the returning band, and passed along the northern base of Dyott Range for a mile and a half, and when nearing the Avon observed excellent loamy soil. Fording the Avon they proceeded south-by-east, and emerged into a magnificent country lightly
timbered with wattle, gum, and sandalwood. The soil was of a magnificent quality, and the explorers were delighted with the success of their efforts. Continuing along the banks of the Avon for nearly three miles, they came upon large open downs of a sandy soil, covered with light brushwood, until they halted about 11 miles east of Mount Bakewell. Most of the country passed over was rich and promising land, decked with flowers, and although somewhat patchy in places, still infinitely better for agricultural purposes than any other hitherto discovered. Next morning they traversed grassy, undulating plains, bounded on the right by an apparently fertile valley rising to low bills, upon which the trees were grouped like an old English park. Entering into an unusually large sandy patch, 'they came upon a stream flowing northward, which plunged into a thickly-wooded area. Leaving the woods they again came upon open undulating country, which they traversed for nearly 15 miles. Continuing their journey eastward on October 30, over sandy commons, interspersed with woodland scenery, they entered a dense forest of gum-trees, in which the undergrowth was unusually thick, proving very difficult to penetrate, especially as swampy ground was also encountered. At the eastern extremity of the forest they sighted two remarkable isolated hills, which they decided to examine. To the northern one Dale gave the name of Mount Caroline, and to the southern Mount Stirling, after a member of the party, Mr. W. Stirling. Near these hills, which were simply huge masses of granite, they camped for the night. At sunrise next morning they ascended Mount Stirling to get a bird’s-eye view of the country. Low ranges of hills lay about 30 miles to the south - east, whilst abundance of marshes, containing water, the nature of which was yet to be proved, abounded in other directions. Though their provisions were now nearly exhausted, they decided to go on “short commons” and complete, as far as possible, their exploration of the surrounding country; so they set off in a south-easterly direction from Mount Stirling, eventually changing their course to a south-westerly one. On November 1 they found extensive downs and deep woods. On one of the downs were pools of water, with traces showing that the natives had lately been there; there was also a quantity of game. A kangaroo was killed which made a welcome addition to the now almost depleted larder. A superior description of country was sighted in a direction bearing south-south-west from Mount Stirling, and native fires were observed, showing that the aboriginal population was larger than had previously been noted in the country round Perth.
On November 2 the party began its return journey, the more timid members being somewhat afraid of the proximity of such a numerous aboriginal population. Early in the day they came upon two native couples,
6
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
whose terror on beholding the explorers was sufficient proof that they were the first of a white race that they had ever seen. The men advanced, making hostile demonstrations, apparently to cover the retreat of the women, but finding discretion the better part of valour, scurried away and disappeared with the females behind a hill.
On November 3, after traversing rich and extensive valleys, they resighted the Avon River at an estimated distance of 18 miles south-east of Mount Bakewell. At this point the stream was about 30 yards wide, but on tracing its course towards the mountains it was seen to get narrower, again broadening and deepening as they progressed, at which situation they decided to camp for the night. The next two days were spent in examining the banks of the Avon and selecting their grants in land, for the members of the party had decided to eventually settle in the locality. On November 5 they started their homeward journey to Perth, reaching that settlement on November 7.
More than usual credit is due to the intrepid young officer who acted as leader on this occasion. To him belongs the honour of having opened up this new district, and though only the fringe had as yet been explored, that exploration was due to the pluck and determination of Ensign Dale.
The explorations in the Avon valley greatly extended the area of arable land open to the settlers, and the country was rapidly applied for by intending occupiers, as the main body of the immigrants objected to settlement southward at Port Lesehenault. Immense areas were at once alienated, and though this was not the fault of Dale, it shows the bad state of the earlier land regulations.
Before the year closed some minor exploratory work was carried out by Lieutenant Preston, R.N., and Ensign Dale. Preston explored the coast to latitude 28° 45' south, a little north of Geraldton, whilst Dale traced the course of the Helena River.
Late in the year the Lieutenant-Governor (Captain Stirling) decided to thoroughly explore the country between the Swan River and King George Sound, but though the exploring party left Fremantle on December 14, 1830, its labours scarcely began, so far as new territory was concerned, until January, 1831.
The party crossed the Darling Ranges at a more southerly point than essayed by former parties, and the route taken over the hills varied somewhat from that of previous explorers. The hills presented a very rugged appearance, with outcrops of ironstone and gravel, covered with sparse scrub; but the valleys and undulating plains contained good pasture land. The party pushed forward, but the advance was none too rapid owing to the difficulties of transport across the ranges. From the encampment could be seen a hilly though
lower country, and the party, which was under the leadership of Captain Bannister, who had associated with him Mr. Smythe (of the Survey Department), who was to act as special guide, decided to take a south-east course. The decision of the leader was mainly based on the hope of being able to discover a continuation of the open-plain pasture country, described by Dale as existing to the northward, but the explorers did not enter the fertile fields they had hoped for. They travelled in the direction noted until December 23, and found tracts of excellent land containing good food for stock, but not equal .to that discovered on the Avon River in and about the present towns of York and Beverley. The jarrah timber was now interspersed with blue and red gums, which in their turn were superseded by white gums in the valleys and by banksias and ti-trees in the swamps and low lands. The course was changed to south-by-east on December 23 and continued till January 5, the explorers pursuing their way amidst delightful scenery. The difficulties of their advance increased, but the season was so pleasant that the labours they performed were a cheerful task.
Captain Bannister waxes enthusiastic in his report, and describing this portion of the journey wrote: — ^Broad, flat lands and valleys, many miles in extent, moderately grassed and wooded, lay around us. A very great portion of the tract was land of the finest description, fit for the plough, sheep, or cattle, and the beauty of the scenery near to, and distant from, the rivers which we crossed, is equal to any I have seen in the most cultivated timbered country in those parts of Europe which I have happened to pass through.” \
Five rivers were passed in this march of 80 or 90 miles, and numerous small watercourses. Excursions were made in different directions from points where the party was compelled to bivouac on purpose to rest the horses. No difficulty was experienced throughout the journey in regard to the water supply, though the work was carried out at the midsummer period.
Captain Bannister’s report does not mention the names of any places until he reached King George Sound, and it is therefore impossible to give an exact route of the journey. At the outset the party did not follow either what was afterwards the old Albany Road or the present Great Southern Railway, but must have approximated to these tracks in the later stages, when nearing King George Sound.
On January 5, 1831, it was decided that the course followed had become too easterly, and it was changed to a more westerly one; but the difficulties of the journey were thereby greatly increased. Seeing elevated lands to the south-west they proceeded thence, and upon ascending the highest peak they descried an interesting view. From this point they went south for
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
report was eagerly read. This showed that the good agricultural country was of a large extent, but the insuperable difficulties attending transport prevented its immediate allocation and settlement. In his report Captain Bannister pointed out that even the disasters and mistakes were productive of good, for through these means they were compelled to traverse country that might have remained unexplored for years, concluding his remarks with a glowing panegyric on the fruitfulness of the land and the magnificence of its mountain scenery.
Being imbued with the possible advantages of Port Leschenault as a settlement Mr. W_. K. Shenton, on January 24, 1831, left the Swan River Settlement to further explore the country adjacent to the Collie River. The expedition, which was of a purely private venture, contained amongst its members such notable settlers as Messrs. Bryant, S. Henty, and Camfield, who had already undertaken valuable pioneering work. The expedition did not undertake the land journey between the two points, but proceeded by boat to Port Leschenault. The most notable feature of the voyage was an immense “bush fire” which was at the time raging on Garden Island, and which one of the members described as “grand and awful.” The report of this expedition can scarcely be called favourable, for it was responsible for checking settlement for some time on the Collie River.
Some minor exploratory work was undertaken during the months of March and December, 1831, between Perth and Port Augusta, by Mr. J. G. Bussel. The effect of this was of a purely local nature.
However, an intense desire to know more about the country existing between Perth, Port Leschenault, and Port Augusta led to more than one expedition to discover its value or otherwise.
One of the most notable was that of John Dewar and Andrew Smith, who certainly possessed no mean knowledge of “bush craft,” and the history of their exploits would not disgrace the pages of Fenimore Cooper. It is unfortunate that more than a little doubt has been placed on the reliability of their report. Armed with a gun each and sufficient ammunition, and without a compass, they did not overburden themselves with provisions, carrying only 10 ftj. of bread, 4 ft>. of beef, half a gallon of water, 4 lb. of sugar, and £ lb. of tea. They left Port Augusta on March 15, 1831, and practically held to the sea throughout their course. On the first day they travelled 25 miles, and camped for the night on a fresh-water lake. The country traversed was not prepossessing and the land of an inferior quality. Being of a determined nature no time was wasted, and daylight next morning found them pursuing their journey through country which improved in quality as they advanced. They crossed several brooks containing fresh water, and
moving on to the coast travelled forward on the beach for two days until their course was blocked by immense rocks running out to sea. They now struck inland, and returned to the beach after the obstructions which barred their way had been left behind. On the following morning they came upon a deep indented bay, upon the rocky shores of which they discovered a jolly-boat and parts of a ship named the “Cumberland,” which by appearances they judged to be a whaler that had suffered shipwreck. The country was of an inferior nature, and on the sixth day out they came upon and passed Cape Naturaliste. At this point a native attached himself to them whose attentions they did not cultivate, as he showed a truculent nature, with an intense desire to appropriate some of their belongings. From the Conical Hills to Cape Naturaliste parallel to the sea coast there existed a low range of hills, inside of which were magnificent forests of gum and jarrah timber. At Cape Naturaliste their provisions gave out, and for two days they existed on wild figs and fish. On reaching Leschenault Inlet they constructed a raft and crossed the rivers, eventually discovering some provisions that had been left there by Captain Stirling on his previous visit. Though never hard pushed to the same extent as Captain Bannister’s party, still their sufferings were not light, and they ^..reached Perth in a dilapidated condition.
During the early period of the existence of the settlement, it was deemed necessary to attach for purposes of protection and assistance H.M.S. “Sulphur,” and by means of this vessel a wider knowledge was obtained of the immediate coast and coastal waters. The naval training of the Lieutenant-Governor had clearly taught him the value to be placed upon a proper survey of the coast. A wider knowledge of the bays and harbours was thereby secured and the presence demonstrated of hidden dangers to navigation.
Early in the year 1831, the “Sulphur” was engaged southward on this most valuable work, and it was decided when near Rame Point to despatch a boat expedition to explore the adjacent coast. On April 18 the whaleboat left the “Sulphur” and stood in to the shore; owing to the heavy swell the voyage was not unattended with danger, and it was only after some time the explorers found a safe landing-place. The estuary they had entered proved safe anchorage, and on the shores they found a large body of hospitable natives who increased their larder by a quantity of broiled fish. The expedition was under the leadership of Lieutenant Preston, whose previous efforts had been of considerable value to the Government, and with him was associated another officer, Lieutenant Skottowe. In the morning they breakfasted before daylight, but the aboriginals were even earlier astir, and with demonstrations of affection desired the party to cross the estuary. The explorers now embarked, and by eight o’clock had rounded Point Nuyts, where
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
they discovered an island not previously marked on any existing chart. From here to Cape Chatham the shore presented such a forbidding appearance that no attempt was made to land, and eventually the leader steered for the island off Point D’Entrecasteaux, and the party landed on the mainland about four miles east of the island. It was at once seen by the smoke from various fires that natives were in the vicinity, but none were encountered. Here the travellers rested for the night, after precautions had been taken against surprise, determining to make an early start next morning. At 4 a.m. they breakfasted, and at daylight proceeded on their journey, finding a passage for small vessels between the island and, the point, but the rough sea compelled them to pull inshore, and though only three miles from the shore it took three hours to accomplish the distance. On nearing the land they found that the heavy sea and broken water made landing an extremely difficult task, and that the breakers and surf extended half a mile from the shore. Once the boat was nearly overturned, and it was only by a miracle that it righted; as it was, all the open provisions were ruined, and everything was soaked owing to water shipped in the attempt to beach. Eventually the surf drove her up on to the shore, and thus ended an extremely dangerous situation.
The stormy weather continued for two days, and on the third, though the adverse conditions showed no signs of abatement, the leader decided to attempt to launch the boat, trusting that when the passage of the surf was accomplished they would be able to proceed on the journey. However, in attempting to launch the boat it was driven with such force against one of the crew as to nearly cost the man his life. The attempt was therefore abandoned, and Lieutenant Preston decided to make a land journey to Augusta. In the meantime an aboriginal native had accosted the party, and after a demonstration of amicable feeling, and being given a few luxuries, he was allowed to depart, being greatly impressed by the fact that the boat had achieved a safe landing through such a sea. As the party had never contemplated a land journey of any considerable distance away from the boat, the equipment for such had not received consideration, and difficulty was now experienced when the provisions had to be carried. Being handy men, however, they soon improvised a rough kit, and before daylight on the 23rd set out on their journey towards Augusta. The first day they covered a distance of 20 miles, and encamped at 5.30 p.m., immediately retiring to rest, desperately tired. Long before daylight next morning they recommenced their march, and the advance until sunrise was of a toilsome and exhausting nature, the beach in the earlier stages being so rough as to compel them to move inland. Mr. Skottowe and one of the petty officers became greatly fatigued, a constant life on shipboard not being quite the training necessary
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 9
for the accomplishment of such pedestrian feats. During the day they sighted Cape Leeuwin, their spirits rising accordingly, and they camped for the night at a spring of fresh water close to the Cape. The journey was continued at half-past two on the following morning, in the hope that they would reach Augusta by night. The beach was rocky and difficult to traverse and occasioned great hardship, and this, together with the fact that their provisions were almost exhausted, caused much anxiety. The two sick men were so weakened that their loads were removed and divided amongst the others, but Mr. Skottowe suffered keenly throughout the day. At seven o’clock in the evening they reached the Blackwood River, having walked 33 miles during the day. Their rough and unkempt appearance led the settlers to believe they were convicts who had escaped from King George Sound, but on the Resident (Captain Molloy) being informed he quickly altered this impression. The whole of the party was heartily welcomed, and the ministrations of the settlers soon restored the sick men to health.
The leaders being anxious to return to Perth as soon as possible and the party being fully recovered, they embarked in a boat from the Augusta Settlement on the 30th, intending to proceed to the head of the river by these means, and then continue the journey by land from this point. The party was augmented by two men who desired to proceed to the Swan River, and Lieutenant McLeod and Mr. Bussel, with a party of soldiers, arranged to escort them as far as Leschenault Inlet. On May 1 they reached the headwaters of the Blackwood and disembarked to essay their long journey on foot. No water was obtainable during the first few hours, and the explorers suffered horribly from thirst, and next morning were reduced to sucking the dew from the leaves of the plants to allay their thirst. Luckily one of the dogs discovered a native well with a small amount of water, and an hour later they came upon another, which contained ample supplies. Pursuing their way, somewhat refreshed, Cape Naturaliste was sighted to the north-west of their position. The vista that now opened up before them amply repaid them for the previous inconvenience, consisting as it did of a beautiful rolling plain well watered, upon which numbers of large kangaroos were roaming. Mr. Bussel, who had suffered severely from the first day’s labours, now became so exhausted that it was deemed inadvisable for him to continue the journey; therefore, after a day’s rest, and accompanied by Lieutenant McLeod and the soldiers, he returned to Augusta.
The party from the “Sulphur” now pushed forward and the estuary at the Vasse was reached, the intervening country being described as excellent pastoral land; that seen next day Lieutenant Preston described as “the finest he had seen in the colony,” an opinion which seems
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
to have been borne out by all those qualified to judge. On the morning of May 4 the explorers, after an early meal, started their journey at 4 a.m. with the hope of reaching Port Leschenault that day. After walking two miles along the beach they were compelled to turn inland owing to extreme softness of the shore sand. The nights were extremely cold, but near the sea firewood was readily procurable; bitter disappointment was occasioned, however, when it was discovered that they would not reach Port Leschenault that day. They reached the Preston River early on the 5th, and having secured some fish and birds they camped and rested for the day. Making an ear lj»* start on the 6th, they marched down the Preston towards the Collie River, and about noon arrived at its mouth. Thoroughly tired out, they retired to rest in hopes that a good night’s sleep would restore them, but heavy rain began to fall, which materially added to their discomforts. At half-past four next morning they continued their weary way. Keeping to a native path they encountered some natives who immediately recognized Lieutenant Preston, and detailed by signs some of the incidents of his former visit to this part of the colony, at the same time mentioning by name some of the members of the previous party. Being accompanied by females the natives showed some degree of restraint, but allowed Lieutenant Preston to advance alone, and so far as he was able converse with them. Some of the women were extremely prepossessing, whilst others “were horrible to behold.” On the other hand, Preston describes the children as “the finest he had ever seen.”
A course was now set for the Murray River and, leaving the hospitable natives behind, the travellers pushed forward, being somewhat refreshed. However, their privations were by no means ended, and for the two days immediately preceding their arrival there they were practically without provisions. On reaching the Murray their troubles were ended, for the settlement was now firmly established, and procuring a boat from Lieutenant Erskine, who was in charge, they completed their journey to Premantle without further incident. Taken all through the journey was one of difficulty, and the hardships suffered by the party were of more than ordinary severity, but well repaid by the appreciation accorded its efforts by the Lieutenant-Governor.
Whilst Lieutenant Preston was so employed, his old companion and ally in this useful pioneering work, Dr. Collie, was engaged on a task of the same nature in the country immediately to the northward of King George Sound. On April 26, 1831, Dr. Collie left that settlement by boat, accompanied by three attendants—an aboriginal named Mokare,' previously mentioned in these pages for valuable assistance, and two soldiers of the 63rd Regiment. Some little time having been spent in taking soundings over the bar of Oyster
Harbour, Dr. Collie directed his course towards French River, noticing in passing the good quality of the soil on the banks of that stream. The explorer proceeded by boat until stopped by a series of waterfalls, or, as he states, “the bed of the river is elevated by rocks, over which the river flows as a rapid stream.” Leaving the boat and also the river a course to the north-east was steered, when another stream, evidently a tributary of the French River, was discovered. After proceeding in this direction for some six miles, over rough and uneven country with outcrops of granite and with soil of a very poor nature, the explorers halted for the night. On the following morning, the 28th, a more northerly course was followed, but the journey so far was absolutely devoid of incident, and it was not until the 30th that they came upon anything in the nature of good soil. They now observed the footprints of horned cattle and a horse, and Mokare informed the leader that several months before the natives had reported the presence of these animals in the woods. Further up the river they came to a place called, by Mokare, Moor-illup, which was said to be the headquarters of the native tribes around King George Sound. Everywhere were to be found traces of natives, and game was extremely abundant. On May 1 the northerly course was changed to one south-east-by-south, and the explorers came upon several patches of good soil. The direction was now changed to west-south-west, and the country showed signs of improvement. Wattle was here the general growth of timber, which, as they ascended the hills, gave place to excellent redgums. Much of its success was due to the ability of the native guide, Mokare, who led the party by paths familiar to him from boyhood, and in his account of thq proceedings Dr. Collie lays particular stress upon this' point. On May 2 they were joined by a number of natives, and the party returned to where it had left the boat on the French River. It reached Oyster Harbour without mishap, and bivouacked at the mouth of the French River. On May 4 Dr. Collie proceeded to the mouth of the King River, and several subsequent days were spent in exploring the country immediately adjacent. From his headquarters Dr. Collie made several excursions by boat to points of vantage and thence explored the surrounding country, but found few places fit for closer settlement on agricultural lines, most of the land being more suitable for the pastoral industry.
Starting on September 5, 1831, Ensign Dale examined the country 50 miles north and south of Mount Bakewell. The party arrived at Mount Bakewell on the 16th, eleven days after leaving Guildford. The passage over the Darling Ranges was slower than had been anticipated, in consequence of the heavy rains, but despite the wet and toilsome journey the party arrived in good health and spirits at what was to be its headquarters. The country was carefully and thoroughly
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
11
examined with a view to agricultural settlement, and the previous accounts of the same explorer on a former journey in every respect verified. During the exploration many large bodies of natives were encountered, who were very friendly disposed.
During the year several other explorations of a minor, but still valuable, nature were carried out. Mr.
R. Clint, of the Survey Department, commenced an examination of the ranges north and east of Porongorup, and Lieutenant Roe (Surveyor-General) and Sir James Stirling in H.M.S. “Sulphur” made an exhaustive survey of the south coast.
On January 29, 1832, Ensign Dale furnished a report on a short exploratory journey he had taken from King* George Sound on the 21st of the month, to locate if possible two cereals spoken of by the aborigines as growing on the mountains to the northward. In this endeavour the party was unsuccessful, but the information gathered by Dale was of a valuable nature in regard to the agricultural possibilities of the soil.
This was followed in February and May of the same year by other explorations in the vicinity of the settlement of Albany, undertaken by Dr. Collie. Nothing of importance was discovered, the expeditions mainly verifying the reports of previous efforts by the same leader. The work of Dr. Collie cannot be too highly commended, for with indefatigable energy he carried out his exploration of the southern country as minutely as Ensign Dale had carried out that in the vicinity of the present town of York. These two names will take a high place in the history of early exploration in the great Western land.
Some very useful and valuable information was supplied by Mr. J. Bussel, who conducted two semi-private efforts during the year 1832 through the country adjacent to Augusta and the Yasse. On his expedition to the latter place he was fortunate enough to discover land of an excellent quality. Mr. Bussel was deeply impressed with the value of his discovery, and he thus describes the country that he traversed: —“Here was a spot that the creative fancy of a Greek would have peopled with dryad and naiad, and all the beautiful phantoms and wild imagery of his sylvan mythology: Wide waving lawns were sloping down to the water’s edge; trees thick and entangled were sloping over the banks. One in the centre of the rapids had taken root in the very rocks over which the water tumbled; its bent trunk and tortuous roots seemed to indicate that it had struggled more than once to gain the perpendicular form from which it had been thrust by the rude torrents.” This may have been of the nature of a rhapsody, but, nevertheless, his report shows that he possessed a scientific mind of no mean order, and his deductions were of considerable value, whilst we find therein mention of what must have been the first attempt to form a comparison between the etymology of the various tribes.
During the year 1833 but little work in the field of exploration was carried out, only two expeditions of any importance being noted. In March of that year Mr.
F. Whitfield traced the Helena River to its source, and in July Mr. Alfred Hillman, of the Survey department, explored the country between Albany and Nornalup Inlet.
Exploration work was now decidedly in abeyance, and only expeditions of a small nature were carried out, mainly over old routes or by excursions using old tracks and stations as the base of operations. Mr. G. F. Moore, who since his arrival in the State had taken a keen interest in the progress of the colony, traced the Swan to its junction with the Avon River, performing the journey in January, 1834. In September of the same year Mr. Turner traced the Blackwood River to its source, whilst in October Mr. H. G. Smith explored the country from Greenmount, just outside the present town of Midland Junction, to the townsite of Northam. These journeys, though valuable from an agricultural point of view and mainly undertaken to increase the general knowledge of lands suitable for the same, can hardly be called explorations, but in each case as part of the country traversed was virgin land they receive mention here.
In December, 1834, a party under the command of Mr. A. Hillman, of the Survey Department, left Perth to explore the land on the banks of a river which had been discovered on one of the earlier expeditions and named the Hotham. The party returned to Perth on January 26, 1835, and the report was of an exceedingly encouraging character. Both the Hotham and the Williams Rivers had been explored, and within 130 miles of Perth and 30 of Port Leschenault most excellent pasturage was observed, and abundance of native game was to be found browsing thereon.
In February of this year the Surveyor-General (Captain J. S. Roe, R.N.) examined the country between the headwaters of the Kalgan (French River) and Hay Rivers; and in April Mr. G. F. Moore, who was keenly interested in the vocabulary of the natives, made a journey through the country to the northward of the Swan River.
A report was made to the Lieutenant-Governor early in October of this year, with reference to a remarkable journey made by two lads in the country east of King George Sound. They were employed by a party of sealers on the southern coast, and becoming disgusted with the depravity and barbarity of their companions they deserted when 400 miles east of Albany. Deciding, if possible, to make the settlement, they walked along the coast, and principally with the aid of friendly natives accomplished their task. The boys suffered many privations, and it is extremely unfortunate that the details of their journey are so meagre.
A second expedition set out to explore the Hotham
and Williams Rivers in October, 1835. Sir James Stirling accompanied it, and with him were associated the Surveyor-General (Captain Roe), Captain Ball, and Mr. A. Hillman (of the Survey Department), who was practically in command. After making its way to the district of the two rivers the party separated for the homeward journey, a portion returning via York and another taking the Kelmscott route; whilst the Governor and Captain Roe continued their travels towards the south-east. The opinions on the value of the land were somewhat diversified, mainly due to the different routes employe^ on the return; but all agreed that it was eminently suitable for pastoral purposes.
The story of exploration in 1835 is not so interesting nor so extensive as that of the previous year, with the exception of the one last mentioned. This was due, no doubt, to the removal from the colony of three of its most prominent characters in the realm of exploration. Ensign Dale returned to England in 1834, Captain Bannister was in the eastern colonies, and Dr. Collie had succumbed to a decline just when he was about to return to the Homeland. These three had contributed greatly to the pioneering work of the colony, and Dr. Collie, who was a naturalist of no mean order, had partially compiled a work on Western Australia. The State owes a debt of gratitude to these gentlemen for their self-denying efforts. They did much to open up new fields for settlement at a most critical period of its existence. Mr. G. F. Moore (the Advocate-General) made an excursion to the northward of the Swan River during the April vacation of the Courts. With Mr. Heffron and a black boy he left Perth with the intention of locating the position of a river said by the natives to exist to the northward. The party did not attempt to cross the ranges, but proceeded along their western base northwards, and was guided by the natives to the river mentioned. The country was described as resembling that of York, the soil being of an excellent loamy character.
The river was named the Moore, out of compliment to its discoverer. - The report of the explorer contains reference to the yiew held at that time with regard to the interior of the -continent of Australia being a large inland sea, for a salt lake of considerable dimensions discovered by Mr. Moore was thought by him to be a continuation of a chain of such extending from Spencer Gulf.
Later on in the year Mr. Moore, accompanied by Messrs. Peter Brown (the Colonial Secretary) and George Leake, examined the country to the northward and eastward of Northam, and opened up a new tract of grazing and agricultural land.
During the month of May Lieutenant Bunbury, 21st Fusiliers, explored the country between the mouths of the Dale and Williams Rivers, and again between October 20 and 23 he crossed from Pinjarra to the Williams, whilst between June and September Mr.
A. Hillman surveyed a road from Albany towards Perth.
From October 2 to November 11 Surveyor-General Roe conducted an expedition to the north and east of Perth, proving the difficulty of forming an opinion on a tract of country without exhaustive survey. Captain Roe went south-east from York, and though he travelled nearly 50 miles he found few spots that deserved the high praise bestowed upon them by Ensign Dale, who had been over the adjacent country previously. It will be remembered that Ensign Dale had spoken of this country in a most promising manner, and considering that Mr. J. W. Hardey, a prominent agriculturist, was a member of the party, they must have pursued an entirely different course to that followed by .the Surveyor-General. This fact was further proved by a tour subsequently made by Messrs. P. Foley, P. Meares, and L. Parker. These gentlemen made a slight detour from the courses followed by Ensign Dale and Captain Roe, and reported that much of the land was equal to the best in any part of the country.
CHAPTER II.
SIR GEORGE GREY, 1837-1839.
The year 1837 saw the inception of exploration, so far as Western Australia was concerned, on a far more extensive scale than had hitherto been contemplated or attempted. In the latter part of the year 1836 Lieutenant George Grey, who was afterwards to become so famous in the history of Australian colonization, together with Lieutenant Lushington, addressed a letter to Lord Glenelg, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, offering their services for exploration purposes from the
Swan River to the northward, having particular regard to the direction of the coast, so as to intersect any considerable body of water, and in the event of the same being discovered to make a particular examination thereof, as far as circumstances might admit. Several secondary objects were enumerated in the letter, which were afterwards embodied in the instructions to the explorers. This offer and the suggestions therein put forth were very favourably entertained by the Secretary *of
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
13
State, and the whole statement having been placed before the Royal Geographical Society, which accorded the proposal its hearty support, it was finally decided by the Government of the day to accept the services of these two officers for the purpose set out in their original letter.
After mature consideration it was decided to materially alter the original proposal, and that the expedition should start from Prince Regent River, on the north-west coast, and be directed to the Swan River; but the principal object was still clearly defined, viz., to search for some large river, which many explorers thought existed flowing towards the coast from the centre of Australia. After several minor details were observed, and everything suggested by the explorers as necessary for the success of the work liberally accorded by the Government, a letter of instructions was forwarded to Lieutenants Grey and Lushington embracing the following directions: —
1. They were to embark in H.M. sloop of war the “Beagle,” then fitting out for a survey of the coasts and seas of Australia, under the command of Captain Wickham, R.N.; and to proceed in that vessel either to the Cape of Good Hope or to the Swan River, as might ultimately appear best suited to forward the objects of the expedition.
2. Upon their arrival they were directed to procure a small vessel to convey the party and stores to the most convenient point in the vicinity of Prince Regent River.
3. An examination was ordered of the country in the vicinity of Prince Regent River, after which they were instructed to take such a course as would lead them to the great opening behind Dainpier Land. From this point a certain discretionary power was allowed the explorers, but the following was inserted in the instructions: — “You will use the utmost endeavours to penetrate from thence to the Swan River; as by adopting this course you will proceed in a direction parallel to the unknown coast and must necessarily cross
every large river that flows from the interior towards that side of the continent.”
4. To allow for the safety as far as possible of the party—and in the event of difficulties occurring which could not be surmounted, and to provide an opportunity of falling back upon the vessel under these circumstances—the vessel was not to quit the place where the expedition disembarked until such time as was agreed upon. To sscure the observance of this duty the explorers were ordered to draw up an agreement on the lines suggested by the local authorities where the vessel was chartered.
5. The main objects of the expedition were stated to be:—“To gain information as to the real state of North - Western Australia, its resources, and the course and direction of its rivers and mountain ranges; to familiarize the natives with the British name and character ; to search for and record all information regarding the natural productions of the country, and all details that might bear on its capabilities for colonization or the reverse; and to collect specimens of its natural history.”
6. Finally, instructions were issued as to the strict discipline to be observed, and regulations were formulated as to the demeanour of the party when in contact with the natives; the whole of the instructions concluding with the following paragraphs:—“No further detail has been given
you in these instructions, for, as you have been made aware of the motives which have induced His Majesty’s Government to send out the expedition, it is supposed that each individual will do his utmost in his situation to carry out these objects, either by obtaining all possible information or by such other means as may be within his power. Although the instructions are addressed to you conjointly, as conductors of it, it is necessary that the principal authority and direction should be invested in one individual on whom the chief responsibility would rest. It is to be understood that Lieutenant Grey, being the senior military officer, is
Sir George Grey.
14
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
considered as commanding the party, and the person by whose orders and instructions all individuals composing the party will be guided and conform.”
At this time a large portion of the western coast and interior of the great Australian continent had remained unvisited and unknown, whilst the opinions of the celebrated navigators, Captains Dampier and King, connected with other circumstances, led to the inference, or at least the hope, that a great river, or water inlet, might be found to open out at some point on its western or north-western side, which had then been only partially surveyed from seaward. The opinions then existing, and which were not totally dissipated until many years later, in regard to this feature of Australian geography, led to many further expeditions in the future, but none were more pregnant with possibilities than this. To Lieutenants Grey and Lushington, therefore, can be accorded the honour of the first serious attempt to clear up all that mystery.
On July 5, 1837, the party, which consisted of the officers already mentioned together with Mr. Walker (a surgeon and naturalist) and Corporals Coles and Auger (Royal Sappers and Miners who had volunteered their services), embarked on the “Beagle” and sailed from Plymouth on the same day. The usual incidents of the voyage entertained the party until their arrival at False Bay at the entrance to Simonstown Harbour, now av naval station, on September 21, where they received information that a boat for the purpose mentioned in their instructions from the Secretary of State could be much more economically hired and provisioned at Cape Town than at the Swan River. Eventually, the schooner “Lynher,” of 140 tons, with Henry Browse as master, was secured, and proved a most valuable adjunct. The party was now increased by a few additional hands, amongst whom was a seaman named Thomas Ruston, who had served on the Australian coast under Captain King. Having made all arrangements, the party embarked in the “Lynher” on October 13. It now consisted of: —
Lieutenant Grey Lieutenant Lushington Mr. Walker, surgeon Mr. Powell, surgeon Corporal R. Auger Corporal J. Coles
Private Mustard J. C. Cox, storekeeper Thomas Ruston Evan Edwards Henry Williams R. Inglesby
Add to these the crew of the vessel, which consisted of a captain, mate, and seven men, also a cabin boy, and we have the full total of the adventurous souls who essayed to cross the turbulent Indian Ocean in a small schooner of 140 tons burden. Before leaving, Lieutenant Grey had collected an amount of provisions and livestock, consisting altogether of thirty-one sheep and nineteen goats. There were also six dogs, of nondescript breeds, to be used for hunting purposes.
Grey decided at the outset to land at Hanover Bay and there form a temporary encampment, and, having landed the stock, to despatch the boat, with Lieutenant Lushington in charge, to Timor for ponies. In the absence of the party he intended to make short excursions inland for the purpose of inculcating some of the elementary principles of bushcraft. Upon the return of the vessel it was the intention of the leader to move the whole party to some convenient spot, to be chosen during their absence, and then to advance attended by one of the party and fix on the spot to be selected for the next encampment. This was the plan to be adopted for the whole expedition, and never to move the party from one halting-place until the next had been chosen. Considering the fact that it was so well equipped as to be able to establish and maintain itself in any position, the method suggested, though slow and perhaps over-cautious, had much to commend it. Then, again, it was the explorer’s intention to introduce useful animals and plants into this part of Australia, for the benefit of future generations of colonists. For this purpose valuable collections had been made at Teneriffe and in South America, including the seeds of the cotton plant. From the Cape and also from England collections had been gathered, and the party returning from Timor with the ponies was to receive instructions to fill the vessel with the plants of tropical and sub-tropical fruits.
It was not until the morning of November 29 that they practically reached the shores of Australia, and through the negligence of the lookout found themselves in dangerous shoal water. They escaped these dangers and soon sighted Red Island, anchoring off Entrance Island, Port King George the Fourth, on the evening of November 29, 1837. About 10 a.m. next morning Grey determined to land and walk to Hanover Bay, in the hope of finding water and forage, so that without delay the schooner could be despatched to Timor for the ponies. The party to land consisted of Lieutenants Grey and Lushington, the surgeon (Mr. Walker), and three men. Their experiences in the tropical sun were of a most distressing character, and the party was very hard pushed before it returned to the ship in the evening, Lieutenant Grey having to undertake a most sensational swimming feat. After sunrise next morning it was found almost impossible to sleep, for the flies became an intolerable nuisance, and Grey comments on the prevalence of the insect in the northern portion of the continent. Directly after breakfast a boat was despatched in search of fresh water, and in another boat Grey went up Prince Regent River.
The stock and stores were landed on December 5, and after the leader’s return on the 17th inst. he hoisted the British flag and took formal possession of the northwest. During the day the explorers first came into contact with the natives, who retreated on being accosted,
15
and fearing to increase their alarm Lieutenant Grey would not allow them to be followed. In the evening Lieutenant Grey, accompanied by Corporal Coles and Private Mustard, started on a short exploring excursion from the camp. Provided with ten day’s provisions they intended to make as thorough an examination as possible of the country in the vicinity of their temporary encampment. Early next morning, at the bottom of a deep ravine, they discovered a rushing stream, which the explorer named Lushington in honour of his colleague. During the day Mustard, one of the members of the party, became ill, and so delayed their advance. Travelling until December 21, and their provisions having become almost exhausted, the leader determined to halt in a valley they had discovered where game abounded. Rain fell almost continuously during the expedition, and on following the valley down towards Prince Regent River they came upon numerous traces of native occupation, but these were not of recent date, and it was not until the following day that they came into closer contact. Being driven to take refuge from a very heavy rainstorm amongst some rocks, they were attacked by a party of natives and were forced to fire over their heads, when the aboriginals departed in haste. They now made a hurried and forced march for the temporary encampment, and were relieved to find all the members of the party in good health and spirits. The watering of the vessel had been considerably delayed, owing to the difficulties experienced in bringing the water to the schooner, due to the abnormally low tides, and though only partially completed it was decided to finish the watering at Timor, so the boat set sail on December 21 for that destination. The portion of the expedition left behind was employed in building a shed for their stores, and on December 24, 1837, this labour was completed. They decided to have a Christmas jollification, and all dined together the following day. After dinner they drank the health of the Queen, no doubt the first time such a ceremony had been performed in the vast waste of the nor’-west.
Another excursion was begun on January 6 to examine the land between Port George the Fourth and Hanover Bay. The proportion of good country to the bad was small, but they came upon some exceedingly fertile spots, where there were rich meadow plains. During this expedition Grey came upon several trees which were peculiarly marked, and also some native drawings which were of an extremely rude nature and showed an utter lack of talent amongst the aborigines. On their return to the encampment they found that the schooner had not arrived, which occasioned some alarm for the safety of those on board. The shore party was extremely well found and could have constructed a boat large enough to have carried them all to Fremantle. The party was now engaged in forming a garden and in
discovering a passage over the cliffs so that horses with loads could get to Hanover Bay.
On January 17 the “Lynher” came safely to anchor in Hanover Bay. The party on the schooner had been able to procure the requisite number of horses, and had also secured a large number of tropical and sub-tropical plants. The ponies proved to be smaller than had been anticipated, and as they were unbroken, intractable brutes many difficulties had to be overcome before the party could move. This occasioned some anxiety to the leader, for if they had been caught in their present position by torrential rain the effect would have proved disastrous. As it happened, the crossing was bad, as the explorer’s own words most clearly show: —"Having thus gained the elevated plains I laid down to sleep, satisfied that the worst of our labours were over; yet I could not but recollect that it had taken us ten days to reach a spot which by the proper route was only a short day’s journey from the valley we were first encamped in, and that in our march through the country we had been compelled to traverse we had lost seven ponies and injured many of those remaining; all these difficulties arose from our departure having been delayed so long, till the rains had set in, and so flooded the country that we could not proceed by the proper route.”
On the morning of February 11 Grey, accompanied by Corporal Coles and one of the men recruited in Cape Town, left the encampment to choose the track for the next day’s route, as he had previously outlined would be his method of procedure. He desired, if possible, to approximate as nearly as he could to the previous route he had followed, mainly because it would rapidly get the livestock on to good grass country; but he had also in view the completion of a map of the country which he had commenced on his previous journey. Very soon after their departure those left at camp heard natives talking in the woods. The camp got immediately under arms. Judging it to be imprudent to parley with the natives, who were now in considerable force, they took up a position for the defence of the camp and its stores. The costume of the visitors formed a subject of laughing comment for the many women and children who accompanied the native party, whilst the ponies were objects of universal respect and awe. The party at the tents overlooked all their movements and heard every word that was uttered. The language spoken was described as clear, distinct, and agreeable to the ear. The men were a fine, tall, and athletic race, whilst two remarkable physical examples seemed to control the movements of the rest. After a short period distant shouts were heard in the direction which had been taken by Lieutenant Grey and his party, and a large body of male aborigines moved off towards the sounds, headed by their chiefs. After about two hours cries of distress were heard, and the natives departed hurriedly from about the camp.
16
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
The explanation of these occurrences was to be found in the arrival of Grey’s party. After travelling for a short time what was taken to be a native call was heard from the woods, and Grey halted to ascertain whence it Emanated. Nothing having been observed, it was decided that the call was that of some native bird, and the party proceeded. Sending back the Cape man to conspicuously mark a tree that had been overlooked Grey was astonished to find the man returning in a state of absolute terror, whilst following him was a native in the act of preparing to throw a spear. A moment before the woods had been absolutely silent, but they now rang with fierce and ferocious yells, and the party was found to be surrounded by armed men bent upon its destruction. It was taken completely by surprise, and the cowardice displayed by the first man had changed the awe of the natives into something like contempt. Escape being impossible Grey fired a gun over the heads of the leaders, but this availed nothing, and he was compelled to fire at one of the leaders, striking the native in the arm, which fell powerless to his side. But still the large body of natives pressed on. Giving Corporal Coles his gun to reload Grey tore his rifle from its cloth case, and advanced to the rock which covered the second leader, but in the advance was knocked down by a discharge of spears, one of which penetrated his hip. Tearing out the spear he pushed steadily forward, when the native rushed from his cover in retreat, being, immediately shot dead by Grey. At once the tumult ceased, and the natives silently slunk away, till within a few moments the whole might have appeared but a bad dream. Gradually the natives returned and picked up the badly wounded leader who was first shot, but the party did not fire, considering that such would be an act of barbarity. It was now high time to consider their own state. The cowardice displayed by the Cape man at the inception of the trouble continued right through, and he was absolutely useless. Both Coles and this man were uninjured, but Grey was severely wounded in the hip, and after binding up the wound they returned homewards. During the return march Grey’s wound became extremely painful, and excessive weakness supervened owing to the loss of blood he had sustained. Eventually, almost in sight of camp, he was compelled to call a halt and send Coles forward for help and assistance. On the news arriving at camp, the surgeon (Mr. Walker) pushed on alone to Grey’s assistance, and after the dressing of his wound was completed he was removed in a litter to the camp, but he suffered severely from its effects. The man to whose cowardice the whole episode could be clearly traced was at his own request allowed to return to the ship with a party sent to the vessel under the charge of Mr. Walker. The captain of the “Lynher” was instructed to delay his departure until May 2, during which the exploration of the vicinity would be completed
and Grey have recovered from his injuries. During the enforced retirement of Lieutenant Grey, Lieutenant Lushington explored the country to the westward and reported very favourably upon it. On the morning of February 27 the leader was so far recovered as to be able to sit on his pony, and the party moved off in the direction previously taken by Lieutenant Lushington.
The incidents of the next few days were not of much moment, with the exception that the party came upon a high conical hill of volcanic origin, composed of vitrified lava resembling common glass, from which the natives fashioned their spear heads. The country was mainly basaltic, but luxuriantly grassed and of excellent character for pastoral pursuits. On the morning of March 2 it came upon a river estimated to be four miles wide and decked with many verdant isles. Grey named this stream the Glenelg River, after the Secretary of State, Lord Glenelg. The wound sustained by him was very slow in healing and caused much suffering. This, added to the fact that such a clear and ardent mind could ill admit its incapacity through physical exhaustion, only retarded his recovery and added to his mental disquiet. The difficulty of finding a route when they reached the Glenelg was extreme, and, as Grey points out, though the country was so adapted for commerce and enterprise it brought forth many difficulties for the explorer. The north-easterly course taken by the Glenelg and its extreme width led the leader to fear that after all what he deemed to be a river might be only an estuary of the sea, and all his time hitherto spent on a large island, which existed with a comparatively narrow channel between it and the mainland. An expedition started from the camp to explore the bank of the river, and found it extremely marshy, but it succeeded in reaching one of the channels which Lieutenant Lushington, who was in command, estimated to be 400 yards wide, with a tidal rise and fall of fully 20 ft.
On March 7 the whole party followed the course of the river in a north-easterly direction thro«gh magnificent country and luxuriant vegetation, but the mosquitoes were extremely troublesome and caused a large amount of annoyance. Owing to a rapid flood on March 11 they were compelled to camp on a position that showed signs of recent native occupation. Close to the camp was a large mass of basaltic rock, and scratched upon these were some native drawings, very roughly and crudely executed, representing various parts of the human frame. However, the natives seemed to have been but lately engaged in an extensive manufacture of spearheads, and as this looked very like preparation for a warm reception to be given to the explorers, extraordinary precautions were taken to guard the camp.
Having crossed a stream which ran between the Glenelg and the encampment, the party turned almost due north, the direction of the advance being soon after
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
17
changed to the south-east, when, after negotiating the passage of several streams, it came upon high ground, the highest point of which Lieutenant Grey named Mount Lyell, after Sir Charles Lyell. This peak was estimated to be about 1,800 ft. high, though the height could not be properly ascertained owing to the barometer having been broken, but the explorers were well repaid for the labour necessary to attain its summit. From the peak they had a remarkable view, and the magnificence of the prospect repaid them for the arduousness of their labours up to that time. Native fires were detected here and there throughout the region which lay between the Glenelg and Prince Rupert Rivers, showing that game abounded, whilst the value of soil and climate could, from a pastoral point of view, hardly be surpassed.
Next morning, to get clear of the marshes, they steered a south-easterly course, and were thus forced up into a range of high basaltic hills. Along the foot of these the course continued through an uninterrupted succession of rich flats, thinly wooded but 1uxu r i a n 11y grassed, until upon rounding a small hill they again found the Glenelg, which at this point made a sudden turn. The water was now quite fresh, and the main river was here joined by a tributary. Grey was greatly imbued with the value of the river for agricultural and pastoral purposes, and it would not be out of place at this stage to quote his own words, which, unfortunately, later explorers were unable to altogether verify: —
“I stood for some time watching this dark, turbid stream, sweeping rapidly along, and could not but wonder where so great a body of water could have its source. I had then seen no other Australian rivers, but judging from description this differed widely from them all. I have since visited many of the most noted Australian streams, and found this distinguished by many peculiar characteristics; nor would I hesitate to say that, with the exception of the Murray, it will be found the most important on that continent; and taking into consideration its geographical position, the fertility of the country on its banks, as far as it is yet known, and the c
rise and fall of the tide, it may perhaps not yield in consideration even to the Murray.”
The swollen nature of the Glenelg, owing to the torrential rain, rendered it impassable to the explorers, and continuing their course they soon found that the marshy nature of the country made further progress in that direction utterly impossible. Grey was much chagrined at his inability either to cross the river or proceed on a south-easterly course, and reluctantly he again headed to the north-west. At this point they were introduced for the first time to the large boa, for one was shot by Mr. Lushington in the act of crushing a kangaroo to death. The rain fell in torrents, and rendered progress extremely difficult, until Grey was forced to the conclusion that if this were not an extraordinarily wet season then any attempts to explore the country at this time of the year would necessarily be foredoomed
to failure. On March 23 they reached a watershed, and were again unable to turn on an eastward course, and thus travel round the swampy ground. The watershed consisted of a range of elevated hills, from which streams were thrown off to the Glenelg and Prince Regent Rivers, and again the explorer refers to the magnificent scenery and the extreme luxuriance of the tropical vegetation.
The route was now changed to a southerly direction, when the explorers came upon a range of sandstone hills of such a rough and precipitous nature as to make any further advance impracticable, and no endeavours succeeded in locating any pass over or through its grim barriers. In searching for a pass Grey came upon some extraordinary examples of native art in the sketches which adorned the roof and walls of a cave. These paintings, for some of them were coloured, were the most pretentious artistic efforts hitherto discovered during the expedition, and the leader went to some pains to make copies as correct as possible for reproduction. On leaving the cave they came upon a sandstone rock upon which a specimen of native sculpture was described, being a face, about 2 ft. in diameter, chiselled into the hard rock. Grey determined, as he could not cross the sandstone.
18 THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
ridge, to try and find a way round it, and the explorers moved westward, through a magnificently grassed valley where they camped, and out of which they found it difficult to get their ponies to move next morning, after a night spent amongst the rich herbage.
After breakfast on March 29 they forded several of the tributary streams of the Glenelg, flowing through fertile valleys, until they came to a wide sandy tract somewhat heavily timbered, and during the course of the afternoon they came upon what appeared to be the Glenelg, or a very large branch of that stream. At this place the river formed a series of rapids, and just above these they found a good ford. Crossing at this point a few miles further advance brought them to another precipitous sandstone ridge, and whilst journeying through it they came upon another cave, which contained native paintings of a curious character. The recent presence of natives was clearly noticeable, but none were observed. The difficulties of the road now became of pressing moment, and though Grey’s wound was still open and painful, he toiled for hours to try and find a practicable pass over the mountains. After almost superhuman * exertions he was compelled to camp for the night with success still far away, but with the determination to renew the search in the early morning. The search next morning proved unavailing, and as Lieutenant Grey’s wound was steadily getting worse, the surgeon (Mr. Walker) on examination informed him that any further movement forward would probably imperil his life. For three days he rested at the camp, a small flying party having gone forward under the command of Lieutenant Lushington; but so rough was the track that on the return of this party it was found that it had only penetrated 12 miles into the unknown.
On April 4 the return journey to Hanover Bay was begun, and on the 7th Grey discovered what he considered to be native tombs, placing an age of two to three hundred years upon them. On April 13 it was ascertained that a store of provisions which had been buried on the outward track was intact, and early in the evening the Lushington was crossed. Before daybreak Grey was astir and on the way to Hanover Bay, in great anxiety of mind as to the fate of the “Lynher,” and crossing to the highest point of the beach, saw the little schooner riding at anchor in the bay. On a gun being fired a boat was at once despatched, and they were taken off to the vessel, where they found that the “Beagle” was on the coast, and at that moment in Port George the Fourth. Grey at once started by boat for the “Beagle,” and being recognized when nearing the ship was welcomed with every demonstration of affection. The whole party now returned, being almost worn to skeletons by their great hardships. The schooner sailed for the Isle of France on May 17, and Grey did not return to Western Australia until some months later.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
On arrival at the Mauritius it was found that a protracted stay would need to be made owing to the state of Grey’s wound, which through want of rest and the hardships of the expedition had been prevented from healing. The “Lynher” was, therefore, discharged, and the intrepid soldier started to consider a plan for future operations. The rivers Glenelg and Fitzroy, large though they were, were recognized as being capable of draining but a small section of the vast area of that portion of the continent, so that Grey became extremely anxious to return as soon as possible to the north-west. After consultation with the Governor of Mauritius, Grey decided to first call at the Swan River for the purpose of meeting and conferring with Sir James Stirling, who had been instructed to afford the explorers every assistance. He therefore re-embarked at Port Louis on August 21, 1838, and on September 18 arrived at Fremantle. Losing no time, he at once communicated his views to Sir James Stirling, who concurred with Grey’s decision to return to the north-west, and it was decided that as soon as the colonial schooner “Champion” returned, then absent on a voyage to King George Sound, it would be prepared to convey the party to Camden Sound, and there it could be reinforced by any persons who desired to accompany the expedition at their own cost for speculative purposes.
However, after further consideration, it was deemed advisable for various reasons, mainly that of the unseaworthiness of the vessel and the difficulty of repairing it in Western Australia, to abandon the project for the present. Grey was deeply chagrined at what he considered to be vexatious delays, but endeavoured to turn his spare time to some profitable use. This he did by constructing a vocabulary of the different dialects spoken by the various aboriginal tribes with whom he had come in contact, a work which has since proved of a valuable nature. Several short excursions were made from Perth, in one of which he was accompanied by a Mr. Frederick Smith, who was afterwards to fall a sacrifice to the expedition to Shark Bay. These opened up new country to the northward. It was now suggested that Lieutenant Grey might explore the country northward of Perth towards Shark Bay, but this project had to be abandoned owing to utter impossibility of procuring in the colony sufficient horses for such an expedition. A proposal to attempt a boat voyage to the portion of the coast mentioned was also abandoned.
Sir James Stirling had now relinquished the reins of office and Governor John Hutt had assumed control, but still there appeared no immediate prospect of accomplishing the original design; and Lieutenant Grey was in the interval prevailed upon to undertake an expedition to the southward of Perth, to discover if possible the whereabouts of Mr. George Eliot, who left the Williams for Leschenault on December 17, and who had not
19
arrived at the latter place. Grave fears were entertained as to his safety, and the Governor requested Grey to form a party from his establishment to clear up the mystery. Within an hour of the receipt of the message Lieutenant Grey, Surgeon Walker, and the two invaluable non-commissioned officers of the Sappers and Miners were ready to proceed. However, horses could not be immediately procured, and it was not until the next day that Grey and his party made a start. Three intelligent native guides were promised to assist the party, but on the morning of the 9th these were not forthcoming, a fit of cowardice having caused them to decamp, but this loss was supplied by the engagement of an intelligent native named Kaiter. Swimming the horses across the stream, the expedition started to accomplish its mission. It arrived at Pinjarra on the morning of January 11, and during the afternoon proceeded on its quest along the banks of the Murray River. Starting before dawn on the 12th, it travelled in a south-east direction, and by breakfast-time had discovered a passage through the Darling Ranges, finding numerous traces of wild cattle amongst their magnificent gorges. At this stage Grey, who had lost a valuable watch about half an hour previously, saw a sample of the marvellous tracking capabilities of the natives, for the aboriginal Kaiter returned along the track through the heavy scrub and soon found the watch. On December 13 the explorers pursued their way through the hilly country, and now turned in a due easterly direction, early next day reaching the Bannister River, and soon after that the Hotham. The leader comments on the magnificent land between these rivers, stating it was equal to any he had yet seen in Western Australia. Rapidly proceeding they reached the Williams on January 15, and here the explorer tells of the extremely hard lot of the settler, affirming that considering the limited population of the colony settlement had been pushed altogether too far afield. They now attempted, with the assistance of the native, to locate the tracks of Mr. Eliot, finding them on the bed of the river, and as it was the intention of that settler to proceed for 18 miles along that course they moved off at once on their task. They soon lost the tracks, which were at the best faint and indistinct, and decided to strike direct across the mountains to Leschenault, diverging from a true west route here and there to search the intervening country. If on arrival at Leschenault they should find Mr. Eliot still absent, they would obtain some additional natives at that point and return again to the Williams, taking a more southerly course. They reached the Harvey on the 20th, still unable to pick up Mr. Eliot’s tracks or gain any tidings of him and his party. The party had now difficulty in procuring water, but digging near a native well found a muddy and stinking fluid that under the circumstances was even a pleasant draught. On January c2
23 Leschenault was reached, only to find that Mr. Eliot had arrived before them. After staying the night with Mr. Bussel, whose establishment he praises highly, Grey prepared to return to Perth. Mr. Eliot returned with them, and early on January 31 they reached the settlement. Much of the country travelled over by Grey on this expedition had been explored previously, but his report was of value to the authorities.
Early in February, 1839, Grey saw a remote chance of being able to proceed with his exploration of the north-west, the reason for his presence in Western Australia. After a delay of nearly five months, which had proved both vexatious and mortifying, he procured three -whaleboats, and bargained with the skipper of an American whaler to convey them, together with the party and the provisions, to some point to the northward of Shark Bay. It was the intention of the leader to form a provision depot on some island adjacent to the mainland, and from that point to commence operations by the examination of the undiscovered portions of the bay; and if circumstances rendered it desirable, he proposed to explore parts of the country as they coasted along, and to make such excursions inland as the nature of the country would permit. After this work had been completed, he intended to return to his depot, recruit his stock, and then make his way along the coast in the direction of the North-West Cape. The same procedure was proposed to be followed on this expedition as in that of the exploration of the bay, and when the provisions were again exhausted to return to the depot and examine the coast as far southward as Gantheaume Bay.
The party taken was altogether a thoroughly experienced one, and Grey arranged with Governor Hutt that if the party did not return to the Swan River within a certain time the colonial schooner would be sent in search of them. An American whaling skipper also engaged to fish in the adjacent water six months hence, and Grey therefore considered that he had made complete arrangements against the disaster of being entirely overlooked if things went wrong. However, the “best laid schemes of mice and men,” etc., and an unfortunate occurrence to be narrated in its place partially frustrated this excellent plan. The three whaleboats were taken, though really only two were required for the needs of the party, because the leader thought it a wise policy to have a spare one in case of accident, a precaution amply justified as events proved. The party, which sailed from Fremantle on February 17, 1839, consisted of the following: —
Lieutenant George Grey (leader of the expedition), Mr. Walker (surgeon),
Mr. Frederick Smith (a young Englishman in search of adventure),
Corporal Auger, Corporal Coles,
Thomas Ruston, H. Wood, and C. Wood,
‘20 the cyclopedia of
and Messrs. Clotworthy, Stiles, and Hackney, volunteers from the Swan River Settlement. Also attached to the party was Kaiter, the aboriginal who had proved such a valuable addition to the party in the search after Mr. Eliot.
On the evening of Sunday, February 24, Dorre Island was sighted, and the vessel stood in to within two miles from the shore, but the coast presented such a forbidding appearance that it stood off for the night. Soon after daybreak next morning it made the northwestern part of Bernier Island, and doubling the point stood in to Shark Bay. By noon t^e same day the party was all disembarked on Bernier Island. Here a rather grave misfortune was discovered, for it was found that the keg of tobacco for use of the expedition had not been taken from the ship, and this luxury, so necessary to men deprived of every other, was lost to the expedition.
After stopping on Bernier Island for two days, during which time they buried their stores, they found that the supply of fresh water was gradually diminishing, notwithstanding the ingenious efforts of Mr. Walker, who constructed a still for the distillation of the salt water. Finding their search for fresh water in the immediate vicinity unavailing Grey determined, despite the heavy sea, to skirt the land to the southward. The leader’s boat was safely launched, but owing to misadventure the other, which was in charge of Mr. Walker, was thrown broadside o’l.jto the heavy surf, and the boat and all the stores, of which it contained about half a ton, were lost. Thus was clearly proved at the initiation of the expedition the wisdom of providing an extra boat.
Somewhat depressed by the accident the party did not venture to launch the spare boat until the next day, when the heavy sea had moderated. Still the position, when under weigh, was not over desirable, though anything was preferable to suffering the agonies of thirst on Bernier Island. At 3 o’clock on the afternoon of the 29th Dorre Island was reached, where a most convenient boat harbour was found. An immediate search was made for water, and a little discovered in small holes in the rocks. A terrific storm which sprang up during the evening again placed the boats in extreme jeopardy, and despite almost superhuman efforts one of them was driven ashore.
Next morning, when the explorers reviewed the extent of their damages, a woeful state of affairs was disclosed. The day before they had started in two good boats with plenty of provisions; they now found themselves in a most distressing plight. All the stores they had with them were spoilt, the ammunition was damaged, and their chronometers injured, while both boats had received such a buffetting that it was impossible with their limited means to properly repair them. To return to Bernier Island and replenish was, for the present, out of the question, the need of fresh water making a journey
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
to the mainland increasingly imperative, for a search of Dorre Island had proved that it was equally as barren as Bernier. They therefore got to work at once on the damaged boats to render them seaworthy without loss of time, and on March 3 they were ready for the voyage to the mainland.
Early on March 4 they entered the mouth of a river and came on a lagoon containing fresh water. The river was named Gascoyne, in compliment to Captain Gascoyne, a friend of Grey’s. The district proved extremely fertile, especially the delta at the mouth of the river, and Grey’s ardent imperialistic mind began at once to form visions of future prosperous settlement under the British flag. Mr. Smith developed an attack of fever, and the leader decided to halt for a few days and give him time to recover, in the interval making short excursions in the immediate vicinity. An island between the two main mouths of the river was called Babbage Island after C. Babbage. An incident here with two natives proved to Grey that a similarity existed between the language of the different tribes throughout Australia, as Kaiter was enabled to hold a sort of converse with the visitors.
Leaving the Gascoyne on March 7 Grey steered a course west-by-north, and landed near a range of hills containing a peculiar geological formation, which he named after Lyell, the distinguished geologist, and as he had been unable to find water on the plains, which gave every indication of its presence, he called them the Plains of Kolaina (deceit). The damage experienced by the stores on Dorre Island only became more pronounced as time passed, and the food became almost nauseating, which, together with the fact that native -game was scarce, made the position exceedingly unpleasant. Still compelled to remain on shore, by reason of the heavy sea, the explorers were placed in a further difficult and even dangerous position by an attack from the natives, who succeeded in wounding Ruston and decamping with some bags of flour. It was not until March 18, the wind and sea having moderated somewhat, that they were enabled to move, and they made the northern mouth of the Gascoyne. Here they found an' abundance of fresh water, but their provisions being so reduced they determined to make for Bernier Island at once.
Evidences of a still greater disaster met them on their return to Bernier Island, for the state of the coast and the class of driftwood thereon, together with presence of broken hogsheads of provisions, left no doubt in Grey’s mind, that the fierce gales had destroyed their provisions, which to the best of his belief he had buried above high-water mark. The prognostication proved only too true, and Grey was now faced with a most serious responsibility. Leaving his companions, he sat down and read a few chapters of the Bible, and under Divine influence became perfectly contented and
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Bowes, and again they came upon traces of native occupation showing a certain advance on a primitive state.
On April 9 they came in view of a range of mountains, which Grey named the Victoria Range in honour of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and struck with the extreme fertility of the soil he named the whole country the Province of Victoria. With Mr. Smith, who had now become his constant companion, the leader surveyed the prospect, and together they indulged in one of those imperialistic day-dreams so dear to Grey’s heart. But time was growing very short for his companion, and a few weeks was to see the end of a most promising life under distressing circumstances. Another river was crossed which was named the Buller, and a watercourse near Mount Fairfax received the designation of the Chapman River. The men continued to straggle, due in no small measure to the useless loads with which they had encumbered themselves, and a search for the most recalcitrant member, who had been missed, led to the discovery of the Greenough River and the fertile flat country adjacent.
On April 9 the dried-up bed of a river was crossed, which was called the Irwin, after the Commandant of the troops at Swan River. Though Grey still persisted in his endeavours to force the marches, he was opposed by Dr. Walker, who on medical grounds differed from the leader. He addressed the whole of the party many times pressing upon them the immediate necessity for haste, but the majority decided in favour of slower marches and longer rests, taking the chances of the presence of sufficient native game to supply them with food. The distance covered each day was very slight, and Grey chaffed under the delay. He did not wish to appear too severe, nor to abandon any member of the party, but he believed that their only hope lay in someone reaching Perth as soon as possible. The safety of the whole party was involved, and the conditions caused the leader many days of grave anxiety. Eventually he decided to divide the party in two, making the following division: —
No. 1. No. 2.
Lieutenant Grey Corporal Auger Corporal Coles
H. Wood W. Hackney Kaiber.
Dr. Walker Mr. Smith Thomas Ruston C. Wood T. Stiles A. Clotworthy.
On April 11 Grey started his forced march to Perth to secure relief, starting off on his long journey from a point a little to the northward of the Arrowsmith River, which he discovered on his tracks and named after Mr. John Arrowsmith, the distinguished geographer. When the first sight was gained of this watercourse the party had been without water for some hours, and it pushed on in the hope of gaining an ample supply, only to find
the bed of the stream dried up, and was thereby compelled to dig for the indispensable fluid. Moving on rapidly it came on a range of hills, the highest peak of which Grey named Mount Horner, after a friend, Leonard Horner.
On April 13 a well-defined range of hills was sighted, which was named after Gordon Gardiner, of the Colonial Office. The value of the aboriginal native increased, and it is hard to say whether or not the party would have succeeded in the difficult and toilsome journey without his assistance. In all things that made for success he was Grey’s righthand man, and to his leading and knowledge of bushcraft it owed the satisfaction of its ultimate arrival in Perth. With keenness of vision, the outcome of a lifetime spent in the bush, he knew what shrubs were edible, and in the most unlikely places he found sufficient food for the party to maintain life; this, together with his invariable cheerfulness, was its main asset.
On the morning of the 14th he discovered a native storehouse, and the expedition was again saved from the pangs of dire hunger. A hawk shot by Grey proved a welcome addition to the larder, and on the 15th the party came to the dried-up bed of a river which the leader named the Smith, after a member of the expedition. The position was now one of extreme gravity. Huge waterless tracks were crossed under a broiling sun, and it was only the thought that the lives of all depended upon their exertions that buoyed them up on their toilsome journey and disposed them to make superhuman endeavours to reach their goal.
Just when it seemed as if human nature must succumb and human spirit could never surmount the difficulties still to be traversed, they met a party of friendly natives and learned the welcome tidings that they were within seven miles of the nearest settler. The settler was not at home, but they prepared a meal of frogs, and then slept more soundly than had been their lot for some time past. Leaving his companions early next morning Grey, accompanied by one of the friendly natives, pushed rapidly on to Perth, and five miles away came upon the hut of another settler just as the family was preparing for breakfast. The sight of the gaunt and haggard man so alarmed them that it was only with difficulty he could convince them of his identity. Grey sat down to the first good meal he had eaten for months, and whilst so engaged his famished and travel-worn companions appeared, and were hospitably entertained.
Proceeding at once to Perth, as he found he was now on the outskirts of the settlement, Grey called at the Governor’s residence, who could scarcely recognize in the dilapidated and haggard wreck of humanity the explorer who had left Perth only a few months previously. After telling his story and recounting the difficulties they had experienced, no time was lost in
23
proceeding to relieve Dr. Walker’s party, and many private expeditions started to scour the bush in hopes of picking up this remnant of the original expedition.
On April 23 Lieutenant Mortimer, of the 21st Regiment, with Mr. Spofforth and four soldiers, searched the country as far as the Moore River, but without finding traces of the explorers. Searching the bush to the northward Mr. Spofforth came upon Charles Wood, one of the party. This man had left the other members some days before, and as the search for the remaining five proved unavailing, they returned to Perth. The relieving expedition reached Perth on May 6, and on the 9th Surveyor-General Roe left the settlement, accompanied by Mr. Spofforth (who had volunteered his services), four men, and two native trackers, to discover if possible the whereabouts of those still remaining.
Two days after the party under Lieutenant Roe had left a gaunt, unkempt individual, horribly marked with sores and bruises, limped into Perth. It proved to be Dr. Walker, who, fearing that Grey had been lost and wildly anxious for the members of his own party, for whom he held himself more than personally liable, especially after the dispute on the method of procedure, had in the direst of plights pushed on alone. His sufferings were intense, and for some time both his life and reason hung in the balance.
To the wise provision that put the leadership of the relieving expedition under the experienced control of the Surveyor-General, the discovery and relief of the other party was mainly responsible. A consummate bushman, a noted tracker, and one firm and indomitable in courage and resolve. Roe was better equipped to undertake the duty than any man in the settlement. Noble-hearted and true, though stern and a strict disciplinarian, he was an example of the best type of naval officer. At once he moved rapidly northward on horseback, accompanied by native trackers of proved ability and tried endurance. Meanwhile the party left by Dr. Walker had toilsomely continued its southward journey, reduced by want of water and food to a terribly emaciated condition, so much so that it was miraculous how anyone survived the awful ordeal. At last, almost overcome by weakness, they committed the grave error of straggling, but they were now practically under no leadership, for Mr. Smith, who was nominally in charge, was more overcome by weakness than any. The history of their sufferings is gruesome reading, and they resorted to the most offensive actions, being now partially insane hy reason of their awful agonies. Verily, they had suffered bitterly for their want of discipline and cohesion in the past.
The Surveyor - General scoured the country lying adjacent to the sea, feeling sure that they would not desert the only guiding-line they possessed, for none of them were experienced pilots for such a journey. At last
he was overjoyed to find the main body under a headland that jutted on the sea and round which in their weakened state they were unable to travel. Mr. Smith had been left behind, and it was utterly impossible to get any detailed account from the rescued men of the course they had taken. However, the determined Roe intended that not one should remain unrescued, and he pushed on northward. Not many miles further on he came upon Smith’s body, wrapped in a blanket, quite dead, there being ample proof that he died from starvation. Amidst the deepest expressions of grief, the body was committed to its last resting-place, and out in the lonely Australian bush one of the first men to “blaze the track” in Western Australia sleeps, like many who were to follow him, in a forgotten grave. “It was a lonely place,” says Roe, “and the red full orb of the setting sun seemed to linger on the horizon, as if to look for the last time on the remains of the explorer, and shed a stream of fire over the sea, which rolled with mournful, dirge-like sound on the strand close by.” As the body was lowered into the grave amidst the tears of the relieving party, the solemn stillness of the bush was broken only by the painful howl of a wild dog. Bowed down with grief that he had not arrived a little sooner. Roe returned to the rescued men, and commenced his journey to Perth. At least he had the consolation of knowing that by his resource and coolness the bulk had been saved, and one can only say that he merited greater thanks than he received.
Grey expressed keen regret at the death of Mr. Smith, who was only eighteen years of age, and was thus far less inured to fatigue than the other members of the party. Though so young, he was animated by an intense sense of duty, and in the hour of actual danger cool and courageous. It was desired by many that the remains should be removed to Perth, but after mature consideration Grey decided to decline the proposal, preferring to allow the remains of his friend to rest close where he had died.
The results of the expedition were of immediate value to the Swan River Settlement, for it had demonstrated the value of the northern plains for pastoral and agricultural purposes. So out of evil had sprung good, for had the expedition hugged the coast, if all had gone well, and which was the original intention, much valuable information would have remained unrecorded.
At this time the death of Sir Richard Spencer (the Government Resident at King George Sound) having caused a vacancy in the colonial establishment, Governor Hutt offered the temporary appointment to Grey, who had been promoted Captain. The explorer accepted the position, filling in his spare time by extending his knowledge of the language and general characteristics of the natives, which work proved
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
of great benefit to the settlers. During the latter part approbation of his efforts, and late in the year he re-of the year 1839 he received a letter of appreciation from linquished his appointment and visited Adelaide, sailing the Secretary of State, speaking in terms of flattering for Home on April 11, 1840.
CHAPTER III.
H.M.S. “BEAGLE,” 1838-1841—MINOR EXPLORATIONS, 1837-1840.
Mention has already been made of the fact that
H.M.S. “Beagle” had been commissioned in 1837 for the purpose of exploring and charting the coast of Australia, and her arrival off Port George the Fourth simultaneously almost with the return of Lieutenant Grey’s first exploring party to the “Lynher.”
The “Beagle” had arrived at Fremantle during the latter portion of the year 1837, and the officers were entertained by Sir James Stirling, who regretted that the explorer Lieutenant Grey had not come to Fremantle with the ship. After a short while spent in port the commander intended to sail on his mission of survey to the north-west, but was prevented by illness from accomplishing his design. However, the delay caused was made use of by Lieutenant (afterwards Admiral) Stokes, in making surveys and checking the soundings of Cockburn Sound and its approaches, a work of extreme value even to the present day.
The ship sailed from Fremantle on the morning of January 4, 1838, and anchored on the 16th in Roebuck Bay, about ten miles north-north-east of Cape Villaret. A party was at once landed to search for water, which proved unavailing, and the explorers returned to the ship, stating that they had interviewed several natives, all of whom were of larger stature than those previously seen. The general opinion had been expressed by Lieutenant Grey that perhaps the northern tribes of Western Australia had a strong intermingling of Malay strain, hence they possessed a more courageous nature than those met with south of Perth, or even immediately north of that place. The remarks of this party seemed to bear out this opinion, for one or two of lighter colour had been noticed who appeared to exercise a dominating influence over their fellows.
Having proved to their satisfaction that there was no inland water communication with Roebuck Bay the explorers coasted slowly northward, being totally unaware of the wealth of pearl shell under their keel. Very careful soundings were taken and the inland country was kept under observation, it being described as composed of immense plains dimly merging into the horizon. The navigators anchored in Beagle Bay, so named in honour of the ship.
At various points on the coast landings were made, and Lieutenant Stokes, upon whom the exploring work devolved, carried out his duties in a thorough and
extremely painstaking manner. The flora, fauna, and geographical features, and especially the appearance, customs, and habits of the natives, were especially set forth; together with this he corrected many navigating errors, so that his work on the north-west coast is not the least valuable of the memorials of an industrious life. At nearly every part of the coast touched upon natives were seen and many small encounters took place, as they were far more treacherous than those in the south, and far more bellicose. The native tracker and interpreter Miago, who accompanied the expedition, was very reluctant to hold converse with them, and preferred to give them a very wide berth. The flies were a veritable pest, and as in the case of Grey’s expedition proved not only an inconvenience but an absolute physical annoyance, affecting the eyes of some of the members. Then, again, clouds of mosquitoes at evening rendered the work of exploration extremely tiring, as it was only with difficulty that rest was obtained.
Among other things discovered were a native raft, native sepulchres, and curious native huts and coverings, some of which Grey also drew attention to; in fact, the natives altogether appear to have advanced to a somewhat higher state of civilization than those ip the south. The pastoral country discovered was of ah excellent quality, and in many cases covered with a species of wild oats, which appeared to be indigenous to north-western Australia.
Much valuable information was gathered by the indefatigable efforts of Lieutenant Stokes, who with extreme methodical care collated it all for information of future parties. Many bays, inlets, and rivers were discovered and named. During March, 1838, the Fitzroy River was discovered and named, almost simultaneously with Grey’s discovery of the Glenelg. In two boats the explorers ascended the stream, amidst magnificent scenery. An unbroken level was discovered, covered with high, strong, wiry grass, interspersed with numerous streams, depicting to them an ideal pastoral country. Native game was abundant, but the ubiquitous mosquito rendered life miserable, despite the glowing prospect. Proceeding up the river, they came upon a richly-wooded country, and the course, which had, now become extremely tortuous, followed along a series of large lagoons. Lieutenant Stokes waxed almost poetical, and the scenery and circumstances of his visit—for, without
26 THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
Fremantle and Perth, the vessel was revictualled for another cruise, and on April 4 set sail for the north-west, Captain Stokes being particularly desirous of undertaking a complete examination of the Abrolhos Islands. Two days later a line of breakers heralded the approach to the islands. With some little difficulty the party made a landing, and set out to explore the group. Stokes soon detected the presence of guano, but a number of years were yet to elapse before the fields were systematically worked, though its use as a fertilizer at this time would have been of great value. In fact, it was the report of this officer that suggested the testing of the deposits so many years later.
On a closer examination of the island, and on its south-west point, the beams of a large vessel were discovered, and as the crew of the “Zeewyk,” lost in 1728, reported having seen the wreck of a ship on this part, Captain Stokes concluded that the remains were those of the “Batavia,” Commodore Pelsart, lost in 1627. The explorer therefore named the temporary anchorage of the ship Batavia Road, and the whole group Pelsart Group. It was the wreck of the Dutch ship mentioned here that led to the discovery of this part of Australia, Pelsart himself having crossed from the islands to the mainland in search of water.
The ship now sailed to ascertain if a good harbour existed on the mainland adjacent to Moresby Range, as the report of the country in the vicinity made the presence of such and its proper survey of extreme importance. Eventually it came to anchor in what is now known as Champion Bay, naming it such in honour of the colonial schooner “Champion.” This bay had previously been named Port Grey by the explorer of that name. The south-west point of its entrance was named Point Moore, in honour of the Advocate-General of that time, himself an explorer of no mean order. A plan of the bay was made, and Stokes drew a landscape sketch of the contour of the hills adjacent, regretting that time would not permit of his visiting the country praised so highly by Grey.
The explorers now returned to continue their examination of the Abrolhos Islands, and named Easter Group and Good Friday Harbour from the time of the year of this visit, and also Rat Island from the number of the vermin infesting it. On April 24, with Captain Wickham, Stokes landed on the largest island of the Pelsart Group, which they named Gun Island, from finding on it a small brass four-pounder of peculiar construction, containing a moveable chamber, which is now deposited in the United Service Museum. A number of glass bottles and pipes, and two Dutch doits, bearing dates of 1707 and 1720 respectively, were also discovered. Many other places were named by the party, including Zeewyk Passage, Middle Passage, East Wallaby Island, Pigeon Islands, Recruit Harbour (from finding on it
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
supplies of small kangaroos). West Wallaby Island, Flag Hill, North Island, Record Hill, and Slaughter Point.
The examination of the Abrolhos was extremely comprehensive, eliciting the fact that what had hitherto been considered one group was now proved to be three; whilst the soundings conclusively showed that the bottom was very similar to that of the Great Barrier Reef, the other side of the continent.
The Abrolhos were left on May 23, and the ship sailed slowly northward, until Depuch Island was reached on June 9. The greatest distance it was away from the coast of the mainland was 40 miles, and in the proximity of Shark Bay it was only 20 miles off. The stock of fresh water was now greatly depleted, and the river was sought after which was said to have been discovered on this island during Freycinet's voyage, but without result. By pure good fortune, however, a natural reservoir of good water was found, from which with extreme labour six tons were procured. On Depuch Island were found numerous drawings, most of far greater merit than those hitherto discovered. In regard to these drawings, Captain Stokes says : —“These savages of Australia, as we call them, who have adorned the rocks of Depuch Island with their drawings, have in one thing proved themselves superior to the Egyptian and the Etruscan, whose marks have elicited so much admiration and afforded food for so many speculations—namely, there is not in any one of them to be observed the slightest trace of indecency.”
The neighbouring islands and waters were surveyed, Breaker and Oyster Inlets were named, and in July the “Beagle” went up to Timor. At Oyster Inlet a large pearl oyster shell was found near a native fife, but the explorer makes no comment on the discovery, which, considering the large pearling industry at present operating some distance further northward, is significant of the fact that its probable potential value did not strike him.
After supplies were obtained at Timor, the “Beagle” returned to the north-west coast at Dampier Archipelago, but the country was of such a dreary and sterile nature that it repelled the explorers. The work carried out, which consisted mainly of charting the waters on the coast, though very valuable, was deadly uninteresting. Several new species of fauna were discovered, as the ship in her slow progress down the coast allowed small exploring parties to visit the neighbouring islands and the mainland.
On September 27 the ship came to anchor in Gage Roads. Swan River was left on October 25, and after calling at King George Sound the “Beagle” sailed for Sydney.
A cursory inspection was again made of the northwest coast in 1841, and the ship, under the command of Captain Stokes, Captain Wickham having been
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
27
invalided home, anchored at Fremantle during November of that year. At this time there was much comment in Perth on the value of a map of Grey’s exploration, published by Mr. Arrowsmith, the hydrographer, and also on the reports of the fertility of the country published by the Australind Company. Captain Stokes was requested to make another examination of Champion Bay or Port Grey, with which request he complied. Upon his return the “Beagle” again sailed for Sydney.
In April, 1843, the ship paid her final visit to Fremantle, and on this occasion the officers were presented with a letter of thanks from Governor Hutt and the Legislative Council testifying to the services they had rendered to the cause of exploration in Western Australia.
During the years 1837-1839 several minor journeys were made which, whilst not explorations in the truest sense of the term, served to open up new country for settlement. In 1837, from April 4 to 29, Sir James Stirling examined the country between Perth and Kojonup, proving the presence of a good quality of agricultural land. Between November 30 and December 15 of the same year Messrs. W. K. Shenton and Richard Dale made an excursion to the Collie and Brunswick Rivers. Sir James Stirling, who despite the cares and responsibilities of almost a patriarchial form of Government, again found time early in the year to examine the Vasse district.
Within a few weeks of the return of Captain Grey from his expedition in 1839, and after his report to the Governor had been made public, applications were made to the Government for permission to occupy the fertile district adjacent to the Hutt River, spoken of so highly by that explorer. These applications were not granted, as Governor Stirling felt that that part of the country had been insufficiently reported upon.
but he decided to send Captain Stokes on an expedition to Port Grey (afterwards renamed Champion Bay), to ascertain if there was a navigable entrance to the Hutt River. The voyage was made in the colonial schooner “Champion,” and whilst the main object was unsuccessful, Mr. George Fletcher Moore, who accompanied it, found much that was desirable in the country in the vicinity of Champion Bay. The vessel left for the scene of the exploration during January, 1840, and before its return the Abrolhos Islands, so interesting to earlier settlers, were again examined. On the chart constructed by Captain Grey the Hutt was shown as a large river, but at the exact position as marked on his chart no trace of a large river could be found. The shore party which left the schooner for the purpose of this exploration had a rather embarrassing time with the natives, and it was only by Mr. Moore’s sound judgment and cool common sense that it reached the boat without a conflict. However, despite the fact that no satisfactory evidence of the existence of the Hutt River could be demonstrated, Mr. Moore agreed with Captain Grey as to the value of the land, especially for pastoral purposes.
Again in 1840, from January 9 to 26, Mr. D. Dring in the “Champion” made a voyage from the Swan River to discover the mouth of the Hutt River, or an anchorage near it, but the river was not located.
From January 10 to 15 Mr. H. M. Ommaney, of the Survey Department, examined the Capel and Preston Rivers, and the Kojonup district was again visited in the same year by Mr. Hillman and Mr. William Nairn Clarke.
Another small expedition was undertaken in 1840 by a private party, under the leadership of Mr. John Scully, to further examine the country adjacent to the Moore River, when the Victoria Plains were discovered and named.
CHAPTER IV.
EDWARD JOHN EYRE, 1841.
Early in 1840 Captain Grey, on the completion of his labours in exploration in Western Australia, had called at Adelaide whilst en route for England, and with his optimistic view of all that prevailed in regard to Australia had pointed out to the Government of South Australia the necessity, in his opinion, of establishing an overland stock route from that State to Western Australia. The notes of Captain Grey were published in the South Australian Register of March 28, 1840. On the 30th of the same month a number of gentlemen, many of whom were owners of large pastoral properties, met together for the purpose of taking the matter into
consideration, and the result of the conference was the appointment of a committee to report on the best means of accomplishing the purpose. The circumstances of the case pointed out clearly that the man best adapted for the leadership of an exploring expedition — the stupendous task that was involved was yet hardly recognized—was Edward John Eyre, who had already clearly demonstrated his capacity for the work.
Edward John Eyre was the son of the Rev. Anthony Eyre, vicar of Hornsea and Long Riston, Yorkshire. He was born on August 15, 1815, and therefore at the time he undertook his great task was barely twenty-six years
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
of age. He was educated at Louth and Sedleigh Grammar Schools, and in the year 1833, when only eighteen, emigrated to Sydney. He afterwards settled in South Australia, and in 1839 conducted an exploring expedition to the neighbourhood of Lake Torrens. A new race of explorers had now arisen, and foremost amongst them stands the name of Eyre. No history ever written contains a record of greater endurance and courage than will be found in the following pages, and yet that heroism commands a fame known but to few outside the confines of Australia.
Eyre had just returned from a visit to Western Australia, during which he had penetrated from Perth to King George Sound. On arrival at Adelaide he found the discussion relative to the overland expedition at its height. His previous expedition to the westward of the located and settled portions of South Australia had clearly proved to Eyre the futility of attempting to discover an available stock route to the Swan River, which proposal he considered to be impracticable, and all his influence was used to turn the endeavours of the committee to examining the country in the interior to the northward of the settlement at Adelaide. In this respect Eyre was successful, and considering that he had been in a measure responsible for the change of route he volunteered to undertake the leadership of such an expedition, at the same time stating that he was prepared to find one-third'' of the number of horses required and one-third of the expense attached thereto. The Governor, Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler, took a keen interest in the proceedings, and was greatly concerned that the party, if sent out, should be as far as possible oompletly equipped to carry out the arduous duties it would be called upon to perform. With this in view he offered a subscription of £100 from the Government, together with a contribution of any two horses the explorer cared to select from those of the mounted police establishment of the colony. The colonial cutter, the “Waterwitch,” was also offered to convey the heavy stores and equipment to the head of Spencer Gulf, and the labours of the land journey to that point being thereby considerably lessened, the offer was accepted. Meanwhile the balance of the money required to complete the equipment of the expedition was speedily raised by private subscription.
On June 18, 1840, the party was entertained at Government House by the Governor, the interest of the occasion being heightened by the presentation to Mr. Eyre of a Union Jack, which he was instructed to plant in the centre of Australia. After the entertainment the whole of the guests accompanied the exploring party on the first stage of the journey, only leaving them on the open bush being reached, which was but a few miles from Adelaide.
In outlining his plan to the committee, and in the various papers he had written on the subject, the
explorer stated his intention of following the Flinders Range northward to the centre of the continent. He, therefore, kept to his former track (traversed in 1839) for eight days, and after discovering and naming a pretty little watercourse. Crystal Brook, he reached Mount Brown and formed an encampment to await the arrival of the “Waterwitch,” which was sighted within two days. The complement of the party was now full, and after sending one man back to Adelaide with the news to date it consisted of the following: —
Mr. Eyre,
Mr. Scott (chief assistant),
John Baxter (overseer),
Corporal Coles, Royal Sappers and Miners (previously with Captain Grey),
John Houston,
R. McRobert,
Neramberein ) , . . _ ,
Cootachab f aborlSlnal It had thirteen horses and forty sheep, one two-horse and one three-horse dray, and the stores were calculated to last for about a three months’ journey; in addition, a further supply was to be forwarded to the head of Spencer Gulf in the “Waterwitch,” to await the arrival of the party in that neighbourhood.
On July 6 Eyre, accompanied by one of the native boys, on horseback, proceeded to reconnoitre Lake Torrens and the country north of the depot, leaving the bulk of the party in camp to rest the horses and enable the overseer to get up the supplies sent in the “Waterwitch” to Spencer Gulf. He arrived at Lake Torrens on the 9th, and ascertained that it was a basin of considerable magnitude, with a width varying from 15 to 20 miles and with a supposed length of from 40 to 150 miles. It was surrounded with an outer ridge of sand, covered with saline vegetation, and with encrustations of salt showing above the ground at intervals. Though of such magnitude it appeared to be shallow, and the explorer found it impossible to approach the water owing to the soft nature of the morass on its shores. However, there could be no doubt as to its saline character, as that portion of the dried bed exposed to view was covered with a layer of salt in a state of fine subdivision. No forage or sustenance of any kind could be discovered for the horses, and all water in the vicinity was proved to be extremely brackish. The country so far examined was of a very inhospitable nature, and Eyre was compelled to hurry away to the northward or else lose sight of the fact that his present journey was only of a reconnoitring nature, and undertaken mainly for the purpose of establishing an encampment for the rest of the party. After leaving the lake, many days were spent in examining the country still further northward. Its character seemed of a dull monotony, barren sandy plains formed the lower level, and the continuation of Flinders Range was composed
30 THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
interval that should elapse before her return he would be able to discover something tangible about the intervening country, and thus report to the Governor his ultimate intention of attempting to cross overland to King George Sound.
During his attempt to round the head of the Great Australian Bight, the explorer lost three horses, and altogether the attempt occupied twenty-two days. After deep consideration the view was forced upon Eyre that it was utterly impossible to attempt his formidable task with a party of the numerical strength that he possessed, and he now determined to reduce it. He therefore requested the cutter to return to Adelaide with his report and a request for further assistance, at the same time returning all the party with the exception of Mr. Scott, the overseer, and the two native boys. In this report he outlined his intentions:—“When we have rounded the Bight, the country may perhaps alter its character so far as to enable me to prosecute the main objects of the expedition, that of examining the northern interior. Should such unfortunately not be the case, I shall endeavour to examine the line of coast as far as practicable towards King George Sound, occasionally radiating inland whenever circumstances may admit it.”
After the cutter had left Eyre made another attempt to round the head of the Great Australian Bight, and the attempt was successful. Proceeding onwards for 50 miles, he reached the line of remarkable cliffs described by Flinders. The difficulties of this journey can hardly be portrayed, and the hardship endured by the horses was excessive, and wheeled transport was entirely out of the question. This decided the explorer to further reduce his party, and the only baggage to be taken to be such as could be conveniently carried on pack horses. To his great regret he had reluctantly to request Mr. Scott to return, greatly to that gentleman’s dismay, and on the return of the cutter he sailed for Adelaide. The party was now augmented by the inclusion of a Western Australian native brought by the “Waterwitch,” whose name was Wylie. This man had been brought from King George Sound by Eyre on his previous visit.
Deciding to rest his horses, and recruit their strength as far as possible for the terrible journey, Eyre remained at Fowler Bay for some weeks. On February 23, 1841, the small party prepared to start, but just as they were leaving the cutter was again sighted, and from it Mr. Scott disembarked in haste, gladdened that Eyre had not yet left the camp. He was the bearer of letters from the Governor, imploring the explorer to reconsider his decision, for to attempt to penetrate further westward in the light of his discoveries would be absolute madness. In the letters the Governor stated that the superhuman labours of the party up to that time were generally conceded, and he promised to assist him in trying again to
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
penetrate to the north by a more easterly route. To these pressing entreaties the explorer turned a deaf ear, and notwithstanding all that was written, determined to pursue his course, and on February 23 the devoted little band, to Mr. Scott’s great dissatisfaction and regret, moved off on their terrible journey.
It can hardly be denied that the attempt was a rash one, and its value was not of great moment commercially, as events afterwards proved, but as an example of the sublime courage of the race it will stand for all time. The feat no doubt was of great value to geographical science. It forever placed beyond a doubt the fact that no great waterway existed bisecting Australia from north to south, and by Eyre’s journey Australia, so far as the southern coast was concerned, had been traversed, practically, from east to west.
Burying a large quantity of stores at the depot at Fowler Bay, Eyre started on the first stage of the journey determined to succeed or perish in the attempt. The equipment consisted of ten horses, nine weeks’ provisions, which included a few sheep. Hunger, thirst, and desolation reigned supreme, and when the journey to be traversed was for no less than 800 miles through an inhospitable bush, we can only raise our voices in the highest of praise to the sublime courage and endurance that could so calmly contemplate such a stupendous task unmoved.
On March 3 the explorers arrived at the head of the Bight, the sand having proved their greatest difficulty so far; but having taken the precaution to bring several barrels of water on their previous journey, they did not suffer from thirst. On March 7 they reached the last water with which they were acquainted, and Eyre set off, attended by one of the native boys, ana driving the sheep slowly so that they could better withstand the long dry stages before them. For 110 miles they came upon no water for the sheep, and as the natives had previously informed them that for ten days’ journey they would be waterless, it appeared as if their report had only been too true. Eyre left the sheep corralled in a hastily constructed yard, and hurried on to try and find some water. Again and again he was led to follow what appeared to be native tracks, only to find his efforts in vain, and overcome with fatigue he had to desist. The horses with him had now been several days without water, and their anguish was pitiable in the extreme. Early on the 11th he moved on as rapidly as circumstances would permit, and at last, seven miles ahead, saw a break in the formidable line of cliffs that skirted the seashore, and at this point they came on a well-defined native pathway. The road now led to low sandy country, and, rapidly digging, they came upon an abundance of water. Meanwhile Eyre was in great anguish of mind as to the fate of the remainder of the party, who were following on his track, and this was increased by the fact that at the present he
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
could do nothing to relieve their probable sufferings. The first streak of daylight next morning found them on the way to meet the other party, carrying three gallons of water. Upon passing a sandy valley they descried them filing along the cliffs above the valley. Both horses and men were found to be greatly fatigued, but on the whole they had got through better than had been anticipated, though they had been compelled to remove the loads from the pack horses 17 miles back. The sheep had broken out of the yard where they had been confined, but taking a backward course had been recovered by the overseer, and were left in charge of one of the native boys, who was slowly bringing them onward. By the evening the whole party was together again, and its pressing needs satisfied. In accomplishing the distance so far the horses had been without water for five days and the sheep for six days, and both had been almost wholly without food for the same time.
For six days they recruited at the wells they had dug, in the meantime sending back for the stores left by the overseer. . The season of the year, practically the most trying of the South Australian summer, added to their many discomforts, and the heat during the time spent at the wells was so extreme that if they had had to encounter it on their journey through the waterless tract it is certain they would never have survived.
Before leaving Fowler Bay Eyre had been informed by the natives that two places existed where water was to be found, and as several native tracks were discovered leading westward, he naturally inferred that this was one of those mentioned, the other being further onward. This determined him to follow the course, and on March 18 the explorers moved on. At first they tried the beach, but it was too sandy, and so they again had recourse to the high ridges above the shore line. Several times they dug for water, but only to find that that which percolated through the sand was quite salt. Next day they made a long stage, and found abundance of dry grass, but no water. The horses were now too weak to proceed further on a questionable search for the life-giving fluid, and portion of the party hurried back to the sandy valley. Eyre remained with the baggage and livestock, and six pints of water. Their store of flour was reduced to 150 lb., and this was to supply five persons for the rest of the journey; but still, with indomitable fortitude, Eyre determined to proceed. The members of the party were beginning to feel the extreme privations to which they were subjected. Their sufferings were now intense, for they had been for seven days without water, having travelled 160 miles since that last discovered. On the seventh day it was found by digging in a likely valley. They now killed two of the remaining sheep, and Eyre decided to reduce the rations, being still determined to proceed, though the overseer begged him to reconsider his decision and return to Fowler Bay.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 31
The travellers now began to suffer severely from the cold at night, no wood being obtainable to make a large fire, and to add to their many difficulties their supply of shot had almost run out. The long waterless stage through which they had passed was responsible for the death of several horses, and affairs were in a parlous state, as they were still 650 miles from King George Sound. The provisions with them would only last, even on short rations, for about three weeks, and the overseer again begged Eyre to return to Fowler Bay. The native boys deserted on the reduction of the rations, and the outlook could not have been worse. The last sheep was now killed in preparation for another journey, and the overseer went forward to examine the country for the advance. The news he brought back was extremely depressing, but the natives had returned to camp, finding that they could not exist on their own resources. No treachery on the part of the natives seems to have been apprehended, but nevertheless they were meditating an act of dastardly atrocity. On April 27 the party started again, and was unsuccessful in the search for water. On the evening of the 29th Eyre set out to bring in the horses, which showed a tendency to stray, and on his way returning to camp was startled by a gunshot. Thinking the overseer had fired it to attract his attention, Eyre hurried back to camp, being met by the native “Wylie” in a state of great distress of mind. Finding him too incoherent to explain what had happened, he was horrified on reaching the encampment to discover the overseer weltering in his blood, with a great hole in his chest. A glance explained the whole scene—the two natives were gone, and with them the bulk of the stores and most of the ammunition. Eyre’s own description best fits the tragic occurrence. He says:—“The horrors of my situation glanced upon me. I was alone in the desert. The frightful, appalling truth glared upon me in such startling reality as almost to paralyze my mind. At the dead hour of night, with the fierce wind raging around me, in one of the most inhospitable wastes of Australia, I was left alone with one native boy. I could not rely upon his fidelity, for he was perhaps in league with the other two, who might be waiting to kill me. Three days had passed since we had found water, and it was very doubtful when we should find more. Six hundred miles of country had to be traversed before I could hope to find the slightest help or assistance, whilst I knew not a drop of water or an ounce of flour had been left by the murderers.” The natives had decamped with the guns, and only a rifle, rendered useless by the lodgment of a ball in the barrel, and a pistol remained; and they had no cartridges to fit the latter. Obtaining possession of all the remaining arms, useless as they were, Eyre hurriedly returned, accompanied by the remaining native boy, to the horses, recognizing that if they got away no chance would remain of saving their lives. After
32
considerable search they were found, and Eyre stayed awake all night in watch over them. During this silent watch, insufficiently clad, Eyre reviewed the situation, and his own words are sufficient record of the intensity of his feeling: —“Suffering and distress had well-nigh overwhelmed me, and life seemed hardly worth the effort necessary to prolong it. Ages can never efface the horrors of this single night, nor the wealth of the world ever tempt me to go through similar ones again.”
An examination of the state of the stores next morning showed that though bad, the robbery had not been quite so complete as was anticipated. Among the principal things carried off by the natives were the whole of the baked bread, amounting to 20 lb. weight, some mutton, tea, and sugar, the overseer’s tobacco and pipes, a one-gallon keg full of water, some clothes, the two double-barrelled guns, some ammunition, and a few other articles. There were still left 40 lb. of flour, a little tea and sugar, and four gallons of water, besides the arms and ammunition Eyre had secured the evening before. A review of the situation convinced the explorer that owing to the weakened state of the horses only the barest necessities could now be carried, and he therefore had to discard the instruments and various specimens he had been able to collect on the journey. The ball obstructing the barrel of the rifle resisted all mechanical attempts to dislodge it, and as their lives depended upon' this arm being placed in a serviceable condition, Eyre determined to melt the ball in the barrel. The effect of the heat dried the powder that had remained and ignited it, and the rifle went off, and the explorer narrowly escaped the bullet, which whizzed past his head. The rifle, however, was again serviceable, and Eyre reloaded it, feeling that unless surprised he was capable of accounting for the murderous natives should they attack him. The nature of the ground was so stony that it was found impossible to bury the murdered overseer, so wrapping a blanket round the still and silent form he left the melancholy scene. The native from King George Sound denied all complicity in the crime, but it was evident that he had been in a measure mixed up in the attempted robbery, in preventing the completion of which the overseer had lost his life. However, the other natives belonging to different tribes were now even a greater menace to him than even to Eyre. Proceeding onwards, in the afternoon of the next day they encountered the murderers, but all efforts of Eyre to parley with them were in vain. They attempted to get the native “Wylie” to follow with them, but without avail. Eyre up to this had been hopeful that they had made for Fowler Bay in the hope of rifling the stored provisions, and viewed with alarm their presence. Recognizing that their presence was a constant menace, he determined if they persisted in following to shoot the eldest of them. The natives, however, kept well without
range, and Eyre pushed rapidly on in the hope of distancing them, for being ladened with their plunder they could not keep up with the horses, even in their weakened state. Slowly and laboriously they toiled on, the horses suffering severely, for they had now been seven days without water. The explorer was gladdened by coming across some banksia trees, being certain that they were now coming to a country more likely to contain permanent water. On the evening of the seventh
day they came upon some native wells, containing the life-sustaining fluid, having crossed a waterless, stony tract of 150 miles. The fear of still being followed by the natives, and the constant dread of being surprised, continued to rob Eyre of proper rest, and he took extraordinary precautions for the safety of the party and its horses. Having come upon hilly country and passed the great cliffs of the Bight, Eyre considered that the ever-pressing fear of being unable to find water would soon be a thing of the past, and they decided to make a long rest. One of the jaded and weary horses was killed and its meat jerked for future transport. Every day they looked anxiously for the native boys, but no signs of them were seen. It was evident that they had either returned to Fowler Bay or perished. Proceeding on their journey on the 16th and 17th, and though both Eyre and the native boy were very sick, probably due to the diseased nature of the jerked horse-flesh, they still plodded wearily on. On the 18th they reached a nice, green, grassy spot, and were fortunate enough to kill a small kangaroo, the native making an enormous meal. He commenced by eating 1^ lb. of the horse-flesh and a little bread; he then ate the entrails, paunch, liver, lights, tail, and two hind legs of the kangaroo, finishing up with a dead penguin he had found on the beach. Thus for once, says Eyre, he admitted to the soft impeachment of being quite full.
The next morning was cold and showery, and they were compelled to turn in the direction of Point Malcolm, where they found excellent water, halting for the day after doing a stage of only five miles, so terribly were they weakened by illness and hardship. On the beach near Point Malcolm they found traces of Europeans, in initials and dates cut upon the ti-trees. These were “Ship ‘Julian,’ 1840,” “‘Haws,’ 1840,” C.W., and some other letters which were not copied. For a few days they remained at Point Malcolm to recruit their strength, and were fortunate to find kangaroos fairly numerous, and the fishing yielded several meals. On the 26th they again took up the burden of their journey, making direct for Cape Arid, and thus cutting off Cape Pasley. On the first day out they covered about 20 miles, and camped in sight of some high stony rises, which Eyre named after Lord John Russell. Continuing their journey through fairly well-grassed country, most
34
in his report the danger of depleting to an inexcusable extent the schools that visited the south coast. He also forcibly commented on the fact that the "whole of the whale fisheries were in the hands of the American whalers, stating that “upwards of 150 sail of 300 tons burden each were off the coast in the whaling season.”
Several minor journeys were made in 1842, including a visit by the Governor, accompanied by the Surveyor-General (Mr. J. S. Roe) and Captain Stokes, to the settlement of Australind; and Mr. R. H. Bland traversed the country between the Vasse and Albany. In the same year Mr. E. W. Landor made an excursion to the southeast of Beverley and discovered some rich grazing country.
Persistent reports had been received from the natives that a large inland sea existed south-east of Beverley, and in 1843 Messrs. Landor and Lefroy made an attempt to locate it. Passing the headwaters of the Hotham and Williams Rivers they discovered some lakes, for the most part salt, but reported that they had failed to find favourable country of any large extent.
Notwithstanding the none too favourable report made by Captain Stokes, in reference to the patchy nature of the country on the coast adjacent to what is now the port of Geraldton, the colonists could not soon forget the glowing panegyrics of Captain Grey, and another expedition was fitted out to further examine and report on the country. Lieutenant Helpman in the colonial schooner “Champion” was despatched by the Governor (Mr. Hutt), accompanied by Mr. J. Harrison, a civil engineer, to take observations in the neighbourhood of Gantheaume Bay, some distance to the northward of Champion Bay, or Port Grey, with instructions to pay particular attention to the mouth of the Murchison River. The report of Captain Stokes was confirmed, but it was a pity that the possibilities of mineral wealth were not more definitely looked for.
In 1845 an assistant-surveyor (A. C. Gregory) made several journeys towards the south-west and southern districts, making an excursion down the Blackwood River, and a similar one to the east of Kojonup. In April of the following year the same officer traced the Gordon River. Later on in the same year, accompanied by his two brothers (Messrs. F. T. and C. Gregory), he made a somewhat more ambitious effort, visiting the salt lake region of what was then known as the interior. Starting from Bolgart Springs a large extent of swampy country was traversed and a range of granite hills discovered, which were supposed to be the watershed of the coast streams. Before returning he examined the head of the rivers mentioned by Grey, and at the head of one of them, the Irwin, he found a seam of coal. The seam was reported to be 6 ft. thick, and it was found at the base of a cliff 210 miles north of Fremantle and 40 miles inland, near the headwaters of the Irwin River. A party was sent to report on the discovery, under the charge of
Lieutenant Helpman, and the “would-be experts” pronounced the specimens submitted by this party as of exceeding high value.
On July 10, 1847, the Surveyor-General (Mr. Roe) examined the country in the vicinity of Champion Bay, and reported somewhat more favourably than those who had followed directly after Grey. The interest in exploration never flagged, and very soon after the return of the Surveyor-General, Mr. A. C. Gregory led a party, consisting of Messrs. L. Burges, Walcott, Bidart, and a soldier, on a voyage of discovery in the country contiguous to the Gascoyne River. About 1,500 miles were traversed, the party reaching a point 350 miles northward from Perth. The territory in the neighbourhood of the Murchison and adjacent small streams was closely examined, and found to consist of good pastoral country. The news proved very encouraging to the settlers of Perth, and many applications were received for pastoral leases. The discovery of what appeared to be a payable vein of galena also did much to augment popular interest in that portion of the State.
Another exploring expedition on a larger scale was now projected, and the temper of the settlers was such that failure in the past only encouraged them to greater efforts in the future. No State in the Australian Commonwealth has done more than Western Australia in this department of geographical and geological research. Though much had been done in a northerly and easterly direction, the great country in the south-east and towards the South Australian border was practically, with the exception of the slight light Eyre had thrown on the subject, an unknown land.
On September 14, 1848, the Surveyor-General (Lieutenant J. S. Roe), undertook a far more important expedition than he had hitherto attempted in the fields of exploration. Leaving Perth on September 14, 1848, he finally started from York in October for an examination of the country south of the most easterly settled districts. Roe’s work in the past had been of such value to the settlement that it was the wisest of all measures that gave him the command of this expedition. Quiet, unassuming, cool, and at all times level-headed, he was not likely to be carried away by any momentary opinion of any nature, and the colonists felt that the value of any report would be increased tenfold if made by him. The course steered was south-by-east, and it was intended to proceed to Cape Riche through settled and semi-settled districts, and then make the final departure from that point. Besides the leader the party consisted of Messrs. Gregory and Ridley, Privates Lee and Buck of the 96th, and a native named “Bob.” The instructions contained specific orders to search the country between Cape Riche and Russell Range, named by Eyre, and report on its mineral resources and geology generally, especially in regard to any coal-bearing strata that might
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
36
exist. No premonition in regard to the future mineral wealth that a succeeding generation was to find some hundred odd miles northward and eastward of their course seems to have entered the minds of those concerned. Yet Roe reached a point not many miles south of Norseman, and about equidistant between the Golden Mile at the Boulder and the southern coast. Cape Riche was reached without mishap, the party having during the journey examined new country and proved that at no inconsiderable distance south of York the pastoral country ceased and to the eastward the country appeared like a desert. The course followed by the expedition to Cape Riche passed in some parts through that portion of the State in which agricultural land of definite value is situated, though that to the eastward is still unproved. On the other hand, the sweeping assertions contained in several works of exploration as to the sterility of the land for agricultural purposes are hardly borne out by the proved facts of the present time.
On October 18 the expedition commenced the ascent of the Pallinup River. The stream was a fine one, and its nature had been previously reported upon by Eyre, as he had crossed it before entering Albany at the close of his famous journey. It flowed between red and white sandstone cliffs, and presented an awesome appearance. No traces of coal were found, though assiduous search was made in all directions. During the journey several good streams were crossed. Adjacent to the streams the land appeared extremely fertile, but away from them it rapidly gave place to sandy wastes, interspersed with tracts of good country for pastoral purposes. Following a branch of the main river in a north-easterly direction the aspect changed greatly, and the country presented a barren and sterile appearance. The water in the lakes met with on the north-easterly track became more and more brackish the further they proceeded, whilst the natural forage for the horses decreased to an alarming extent. By October 27 the explorers’ anxiety had greatly increased, and though several very heavy rainstorms had been encountered it appeared as if they would be driven back through want of water for the animals. However, they now came upon a small sheet of fresh water, surrounded by a small area of well-grassed land, and next day were fortunate to come upon another, though of smaller extent, 14 miles further on. During the journey several well-marked geographical features were passed, and Roe named Mount Madden (after the Colonial Secretary), Mount Short (Bishop Short), Bremer Range (after a naval officer of that name). Mount Gordon, and Fitzgerald Peaks (after the Governor). On November 4 the party reached the last-named place in a state of exhaustion, having found extreme difficulty in locating water. It was almost with despair it embarked on a search at these mounts, but to the great joy of all both feed and water for the animals were found on their d2
northern slopes. Here the party encamped for some days; the highest of the peaks had an altitude of over 1,000 ft., and from its summit was obtained an extensive view over the surrounding country. In every direction the almost impenetrable scrub and thicket were interspersed with salt lakes, and the prospect had but few pleasing features.
After leaving Fitzgerald Peaks on November 9 extreme difficulty was experienced in forcing a passage through the scrub, and even with forced marches the advance was very slow. At the end of the third day only 50 miles had been travelled. The condition had now become one of extreme danger, the country approximating very closely to that described by Eyre at the head of the Great Australian Bight. To proceed further eastward from that point appeared too rash for consideration, and the state of the horses made movement in any direction extremely slow. Fortunately the travellers came on a patch of good but rough grass, though water for the; animals was unobtainable. Pushing onwards towards the southward in the direction of some high ground, which was afterwards named Mount Ridley, they found themselves involved in a terrible scrub, and their passage became increasingly difficult. During the night dew was collected on every article on which it was likely to be precipitated, and in the morning the wearied and thirsty animals on this scanty supply resumed their terrible journey. Great difficulty was experienced in restraining them in the neighbourhood of the salt lakes, and after being practically four days without water they again reached an oasis in this desert. Mount Ridley, on closer inspection, proved to be a huge mass of granite rising a sheer 800 ft., and at its foot they rested to recruit the horses, though the feed was poor and scanty. Some impression can be gained of the difficulties of the journey by the fact that again and again it was necessary to rest the horses after but short distances had been covered. The journey was resumed on November 18, and the Russell Range loomed on the horizon at a distance of about 50 miles. The country to be covered before these mountains could be reached vied with the worst yet traversed, and it was with very questionable feelings the explorers plunged into the scrub. However, though on the first day they were compelled to resort to digging for a supply of fresh water, for the next two days the country improved as they proceeded, and at several points they came upon small and shallow catchments of fresh water. The worst features of their journey had now been again encountered, and Roe almost despaired of being able to make Russell Range unless food and water were found for the horses, though they were within 20 miles, and it was only after extreme difficulty they reached their destination. Here food and water were abundant, and for several days the explorers recruited after their difficult and arduous journey. The capabilities of the range, however, proved anything but satisfactory, and pushing
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
on to the south they came to more pleasing country. From the eminence of Mount Rugged they saw but little hope of better country further eastward, and Lieutenant Roe determined to return to Cape Riche on a more southerly course than the outward journey, some miles to the northward of that of Eyre, who hugged the coast on his journey in 1841-42. The return journey proved far more satisfactory, and good tracts of country fit for settlement were discovered to the north of Esperance Bay. Several distinctive landmarks were discovered and named by the explorer, amongst them being Howick Hill, Mount Merivale, Mount Hawes, Gage River, Stokes Inlet, Young River, Mount Desmond, Eyre Range, Phillips River, Calham Inlet, Mount Bland, Fitzgerald River and Inlet, Gairdner River, and Gordon Inlet. The country adjacent was examined carefully for traces of coal. It will be remembered that at the outset one of the principal objects of the expedition was to discover payable coal seams, where the difficulties of the transport would not prove an insuperable bar to their utilization.
So far the expedition had passed through country that in the opinion of the leader was at its best totally unsuited for agricultural purposes. The dawn of science had just commenced, and no one could foretell the marvellous effect that it would have upon the first and greatest primary industry. Agriculture of that date was that which had been in vogue for centuries, and though Roe was one of the most enlightened men of his period he did not foresee the possibilities of the future. It is true that much of the country traversed will ever remain a barren and sterile waste, over which desolation will reign supreme, but, nevertheless, even after the short lapse of a little over half a century much that was then condemned is bringing forth fruitful and abundant harvests.
The search for coal continued, and on the Phillips River many traces of its existence were found, and on the Fitzgerald River extensive beds of the mineral were discovered. From the report of the leader, however, it would appear that he was a little dubious as to the value of the discovery, considering it to be a species of lignite or brown coal.
The travellers’ steps were now definitely turned towards Cape Riche, and the journey compared very favourably with the outward, for up to the present they had found abundance of water. On an excursion to the coast, with a native boy as companion, Lieutenant Roe came upon the skeleton of a white man clothed in a few mouldering rags, proving to be that of one of three seamen who had deserted from an American whaler and essayed to make Albany along the coast. All that remained was a fitting commentary on the inexorable nature of the inhospitable Australian bush. Roe collected the remains and consigned them to the grave,
erecting a headstone of limestone to mark the last resting-place of the unfortunate sailor.
On February 2 the party returned to Perth. The result of the exploration was certainly of value to the State, and one can hardly agree with the conclusions drawn by a noted chronicler that “the more the land in Western Australia became known the worse its reputation became.” In this expedition nearly 1,800 miles had been covered, and though much of the country will always be barren this does not apply to the whole. The timber country will ultimately prove an acquisition, and the time may come when the coal seams can be profitably worked, whilst a considerable tract is now under agriculture.
Mention has already been made of the discoveries on the Irwin River by the brothers Gregory and the mineral discoveries on the Murchison River. The latter discovery directed the attention of the public of the settlement to the great value attached to the presence of any mineral wealth which the then limited means would allow of easy transport to a safe sea harbour, and it was thought of paramount necessity that this discovery should be further investigated. With this end in view Governor Fitzgerald, who possessed a burning enthusiasm for the land over which he exercised the chief executive power, determined to personally investigate this latest discovery, and in December, 1848, accompanied by Mr.
A. C. Gregory, Mr. Bland, and three soldiers of the 96th Regiment, he sailed for Champion Bay, with the intention of proceeding overland from that port. On December 7 they reached the point where Gregory had discovered the lead vein, which was traced for some considerable distance along the river bed. The outlook so far as could be ascertained was extremely good, and, immensely elated, the party set out on December 9 to return to Champion Bay. On reaching the Bowes River it was joined by a few natives, the numbers of which rapidly grew as the journey was continued, but as they appeared very friendly no danger was apprehended. Eventually, however, their disposition underwent a change from amity and goodwill to truculent animosity. Early next morning the explorers found themselves surrounded by armed and treacherous natives, who showed every desire to molest them. Finally, after indulging in stone throwing, one threatened Mr. Bland with a club, whilst another threw a spear at Mr. Gregory. Governor Fitzgerald immediately fired, killing the leader of the assailants. A shower of spears was the result, one of which penetrated the Governor’s leg just above the knee. The natives showed fight, and it was only by keeping to the open ground and checking them with an occasional shot that the party escaped without further injury. Pushing on rapidly Champion Bay was reached the same day, and by sunset all were on board the vessel. The natives followed to the beach, and used every means to cajole the party on shore again. Two days later the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
37
expedition reached Perth, where it was found that the exasperated state a mining party was soon on the spot, Governor's wound was not very serious. Three natives quite content to accept all the responsibility in regard to were killed, but even though they were in this any troubles that might arise.
CHAPTER VI.
AUSTIN.
A break of something like a period of six years elapsed, after the return of Lieutenant Roe from his exploration of the south-eastern portion of Western Australia, before another expedition was projected. The gold discoveries in Victoria, culminating in the extremely rich deposits of that metal unearthed at Ballarat and Bendigo, and the principle of “the bird in the hand,” led many adventurous spirits in Western Australia to try their luck at what had been demonstrated as a proved proposition, rather than waste health and substance in the hardships inseparable from exploration in the dry interior of their own State.
In the light of the wonderful wealth to be discovered barely half a century later at Boulder,
Kalgoorlie, and Coolgardie, the proverb, however, takes on a new meaning. In the opinion of those best able to judge, even at this time, it was thought not improbable that gold in payable quantities would yet be discovered in the Western Australian interior, where many quartz reefs were known to exist. The presence of mineral wealth, though of the baser metals, being now profitably worked on the site of the previous discovery of lead by Gregory, led the minds of the inhabitants to the need of exploring the quartz reefs for gold,’especially as their geological features appeared to approximate to those from which the precious metal was being mined in Victoria.
The interest in the subject was not allowed to lapse, and eventually a party was equipped by the aid of Government subsidy and private subscription to ostensibly explore the country in the vicinity of
Cowcowing, which was reported to be fertile, but also in reality to see if any auriferous deposits could be located. Besides the leader, Mr. R. Austin (an assistant surveyor), this party consisted of nine men, one of whom was an aboriginal native. They were provided with twenty-seven horses and a four months’ supply of provisions. The party left Perth on June 21, 1854, and proceeded to Bucklands, near Northam, whence on July 7 the journey
was continued into the unknown interior country. Steering a north-east course, the track led through a belt of elevated sandstone conglomerate on to extensive plains covered with casuarina. So far the stage had been an extremely dry one, want of water, the great disadvantage of Western Australian explora t i on, being again prominent in this as in many other former efforts. Finding the country to the northward extremely unfavourable, Mr. Austin directed his course more eastward, and travelled over undulating country until he came to a salt lake of considerable extent, near which was found a spring of fresh water. At this stage the party was joined by a number of natives, who exhibited a perfectly friendly disposition towards its members. The journey was continued, and on July 16 the large salt lake of Cowcowing was reached. It was dry and covered with saline deposits and immense numbers of small shells. Moving due eastward from the lake, as the road to the northward was still blocked by unfavourable country, the progress of the party was considerably delayed by the want of water, necessitating in many cases the digging of wells for the daily supply. It was now clearly
From Forrest’s “Explorations in Australia.' Public Welcome to John Forrest at Adelaide.
38
demonstrated that the favourable view of the fertility of the country, which had mainly been gathered from the reports of the natives, was not altogether borne out by facts. However, the extremely unfavourable opinion come to by the leader does not hold good at the present day, as a somewhat considerable agricultural centre is at present in the vicinity of this spot. After consideration Mr. Austin was of the opinion that further exploration eastward was not desirable, and he decided to steer a north-east course. As it had been originally planned that two of the party should return from the lake to Perth with reports up to date, they were now detached, and, as can easily be imagined, those reports were not too favourable in their character. On August 6 a march forward was made on an almost direct northerly course, trending, if anything, a little to the eastward, and some formidable scrub country was speedily encountered which caused the progress to be slow and extremely difficult. In the opinion of the leader the country was absolutely valueless, and it was only with great difficulty that food and water were procured for the horses.
On August 20 the party camped in latitude 28° 43' 23" south and longitude 118° 38' east, thoroughly tired out, and somewhat dispirited by the toilsome and apparently valueless journey. A species of grass, hitherto unencountered, was here present, and the horses ate heartily. The feed, however, proved to be a species of gastrolobium, and extremely poisonous, so much so, indeed, that the horses became seriously affected and unable to proceed. Dividing the party, Mr. Austin proceeded to push on in the hope of discovering better country. Fortunately, 50 miles to the northward, he came upon fairly good country, free from the poison weed, which he named Recruit Flats, situated some 13 miles from an elevated range. The animals with the party were recruited, and in the interval Austin pushed on to the range, the highest point of which he named Mount Magnet. Determining to return to the depot where the sick horses had been left in charge of half the party, under Mr. Whitfield, he found on his arrival that seven horses were dead, and the rest in such a serious condition that he decided to abandon all but the most necessary stores and push on at once to Recruit Flats. Even with greatly reduced loads the progress was extremely slow, and three more horses were lost on the journey to the new camp. The position of the party was now very critical, entangled as it was in the scrub. After leaving Recruit Flats large patches of “poison weed” were occasionally encountered. The constant care of the horses had such a weakening effect upon the men that .they begged the leader to abandon them and push on on foot. This course Austin wisely declined to pursue. Any other decision would have only brought about another of those tragedies of which the Australian bush has been only too prolific.
Before leaving on his attempt to reach Shark Bay, which now appeared to be the only possible course, Mr. Austin examined the country in the vicinity of Mount Magnet, and in his opinion desolation reigned supremo. In the light of future discoveries, it appears a great pity, considering the design of the expedition, that it did not include amongst its members a thoroughly qualified prospector. Owing to the large mortality amongst the horses, severe economy had to be observed in the matter of rations, but as the country abounded in a species of small kangaroo the outlook became a little more promising. On August 21 the explorers reached latitude 27° 43' and longitude 118°. Two more horses were lost by thirst and exhaustion just before they found a spring containing fresh water near a cave ornamented with native drawings. The prospect was now most dreary, and the chances of reaching Shark Bay most enigmatical. A fearful accident now marred the trip. The members of the party had fought steadily against the depression due to their toilsome journey, but their spirits could hardly recover from the shock of the misadventure. A member of the party, a comparative youth named Charles Farmer, whilst out shooting, shattered his arm by an accidental shot from his own gun. The circumstances were such that proper care could not be given, though every effort 'was made to relieve his fearful agony; unfortunately, however, tetanus supervened, and he died in agony a few days later. His body was consigned to the grave by his heartbroken companions, and out in the desolation of the Western Australian bush “he sleeps his last long sleep.”
Misfortune now seemed to beset them on every side, for next day they lost one of their few'.remaining horses. Still their prospects of making Shark Bay became more hopeful, as the country did not present the same difficulties as they had encountered before. They now came to an elevated range, the hig'hest point of which was named Mount Murchison, soon after coming upon the Murchison River. They were now many miles above any previous exploration of this river, but it was still a noble stream. Steadily pushing forward, they reached a point 110 miles from Shark Bay, but owing to want of water they were compelled to retrace their steps to a native well, a day’s march in the rear. Again moving forward, but in a more westerly direction, they speedily were in trouble again, when they came providentially on a well, in country that gave no sign of its presence, which was surrounded by well-grassed land. At this point Mr. Austin decided to form a depot, and go on in advance of the party to choose a course for their further movement. On October 18 he again struck the Murchison River, only to find that the water it contained was extremely salt. Almost overwhelmed by fears as to the ultimate safety of the party, the leader pushed steadily forward, and eventually reached high ground containing
39
food ancl water in great abundance, which in heartfelt gratitude he named Mount Welcome. He at once returned to the party, which was moved forward as rapidly as possible to this desirable haven. Austin pushed forward to again determine the course of the expedition, and having found water to the westward he decided on that direction being maintained, and on October 29 the whole party reached a point 50 miles from Shark Bay, where a relief vessel awaited them. All baggage, except the barest necessities and the arms and the ammunition,
was now abandoned, and the party mounted the horses, reaching the Geraldine Mine in an exhausted state on November 20.
Though gold had not been actually discovered on the journey, the auriferous nature of the country had been closely observed by Mr. Austin, despite his many anxieties, and in his report he states that “the Murchison country had every appearance of being one of the finest goldfields in the world,” a statement that time has in a measure proved.
CHAPTER VII.
A. C. GREGORY, 1854-56—F. T. GREGORY AND S. TRIGG, 1857—F. T. GREGORY, 1858, 1861.
Early in 1854 a flattering proof of the value of his services to the cause of exploration was paid to Mr. A. C. Gregory, an assistant-surveyor in Western Australia. It had been decided by the Imperial Government to undertake a thorough exploration of Northern Australia, and in a despatch to Governor Fitzgerald in 1854 the Duke of Newcastle set out the complete design of the expedition. The Crimean War had in a measure prevented any definite action previously, and though the money (£5,000) for the purpose had already been voted, nothing had been undertaken. In his despatch the Secretary of State reviewed the possibilities of leadership of the expedition, and eventually the Imperial Government decided to offer the onerous position to Mr. A. C. Gregory, whose fitness for the task was universally admitted.
After some hesitation, on the score of ill-health, Mr. Gregory decided to accept a position of such a distinctly flattering nature. Mr. Drummond, whose name ranks deservedly high amongst the earlier botanists of Australia, was offered that position, but reluctantly declined owing to his advanced age. The party was to start out from the eastern coast, and late in 1854 Mr. A. C. Gregory, with his brother, left for Sydney.
Eventually the party consisted of the following eighteen persons:—Commander, A. C. Gregory; second-in-command, H. C. Gregory; geologist, J. S. Wilson; artist and storekeeper, J. Baines; surgeon and naturalist, J. R. Elsey; botanist, F. von Mueller; collector and preserver, J. Flood; overseer, J. Phiffs; stockmen, etc., C.
Humphries, R. Bowman, C. Dean, J. Melville, W. Dawson, W. Shewell, W. Selby, S. Macdonald, H. Richards, J. Fahey. The livestock comprised fifty horses and 200 sheep. The provisions also were estimated on the basis of an eighteen months’ supply. On August 12, 1855, they weighed
anchor and left Moreton Bay. Sailing through Torres Strait they encountered several difficulties, and decided to land the horses at Treachery Bay. Having transferred the stores to one of the vessels, the other departed for Singapore, and Mr. A. C. Gregory, accompanied by H. Gregory, Dr. Mueller, and seven men, landed with the horses. The other portion of the party was placed under the leadership of Mr. Wilson, who received instructions to sail up the Victoria River and establish a camp on the highest convenient position on that river. Gregory explored to the river without difficulty, and on his arrival found the vessel ashore in a dangerous position. However, she was got off in safety, and the expedition settled down to the serious work outlined in the instructions. Gregory traced the Victoria River to its source, but was prevented from following his southerly course by an almost impassable desert, and fringing the northern edge of this eventually entered Western Australian territory. On February 21 he found, when fixing his position, that they were in that State, and Sturt’s Creek was named after the distinguished explorer of that name, an elevated peak being named Mount Wittenoom. Game on Sturt’s Creek was found to be abundant, and for a time the party halted, being greatly refreshed after the experience of the desert.
Augustus Charles Gregory.
Continuing the journey on March 5, 1856, a range of low hills was reached, the principal elevation of which was named Mount Wilson, in honour of the geologist attached to the party. The view from this low range was so dispiriting that he reluctantly decided not to continue his further exploration into Western Australia, but to direct his course to the northward.
At first sight it appears regrettable that Gregory did not continue his march into Western Australia, but the water had failed, and from the appearance of the country no rain seemed to have fallen for at least twelve months. Under these circumstances his decision that further advance was impracticable cannot be cavilled at. However, the explorations carried out in what is now known as the Northern Territory were of immense value to geographical science, and the great explorer returned to the eastern coast without serious mishap, having amply justified his position of leadership.
The next exploring expedition of any magnitude in Western Australia was undertaken by one of the brothers Gregory (Mr. F. T. Gregory), in conjunction with Mr. S. Trigg. It was always a moot point, since the expedition of Mr. Austin, whether or not the disastrous conditions under which that leader had laboured were not responsible for his somewhat severe strictures on the agricultural and pastoral possibilities of the country, and the journey of Messrs. Gregory and Trigg was undertaken mainly to gain further information on this debatable point.
The area covered by this journey comprised about 180 miles of the Murchison country, and the need of further exploration was amply demonstrated. Much of the country examined was traversed by Austin on his expedition in 1854, and the dissimilar conclusions of the two reports contain interesting features. Country described by the last-named explorer as desolate and barren and unfit for anything, if not proved in mineral wealth, was found to be exceedingly well grassed and highly valuable from a pastoral standpoint. Though many indifferent and scantily covered patches were crossed, nevertheless a route sufficiently well grassed to form a passage for travelling stock from the better portions of the interior was clearly proved. The great difficulty of passing any reliable opinion on any portion of the colony, and especially the tropical or sub-tropical areas, was only too conclusively shown, for much depended upon the time and season of the year. Thus areas which appeared barren and desolate to Austin, contained at the season when crossed by this expedition, many potential factors for the making of wealth. At an earlier stage of the history of exploration in the colony this peculiarity had received ample demonstration, for the verdant plains of Grey had gained but faint praise from Moore and Stokes.
The party returned by the north side of the
Murchison River, and the favourable opinion already conceived of the country was further enhanced. A large extent of good grassy land was found, extending for six and a half miles from the river bank and stretching westward for a considerable distance to within about 40 miles of the Geraldine Mine. The good land in all cases was flat, the soil a red loam, which when dry was very open. However, every tree, either living or dead, appeared to be infested with white ants. The country around Mount Murchison was described as being of an auriferous character, and altogether the expedition was of a very successful nature.
The following comparison between the two reports makes interesting reading, and is quoted as an example of the wide divergence of opinion that has many times existed between the views of travellers in exactly similar country in Western Australia:—“The striking difference there is between this account of the country on the Murchison and that given by Mr. Austin may be accounted for in several ways; first, Mr. Austin does not appear to have crossed, but skirted, the country intervening between Mount Welcome and Mount Murchison; but he describes the land about the latter as improving, and found water, while it was the feed and water at Mount Welcome which, in all probability, saved his party from perishing. The land on the north side, spoken of so favourably by Mr. Trigg, was not seen by Mr. Austin, and also his party was so exhausted that it was out of his power to diverge from a direct line in order to examine the nature of the country on either side; whereas Messrs. Gregory and Trigg made such an examination whenever any favourable appearance presented itself, and thus determined the quantity of valuable land for. a distance of six or seven miles on each side of the river, and have thus been the means of conferring on the colony one of the greatest benefits it has received since the northern district was first opened by Mr. A. Gregory.”
In consequence of the satisfactory results of the previous expedition to the Upper Murchison River, and the fact that the country had been thought eminently suitable for pastoral purposes, another was at once projected to collect more complete data and to locate clearly the exact position and area of each favourable run of country. For this purpose a number of settlers in the northern districts of Western Australia subscribed horses and equipment for a party to proceed still further to the east and north; and with the sanction of the Government the leadership was entrusted to Mr. F. T. Gregory.
The preliminary arrangements for this expedition were completed during March, 1856, and the heavy portion of the stores forwarded by sea to Champion Bay. The bulk of the cost of the expedition was borne by Messrs. W. and L. Burgess, Padbury, Willard, and D. McPherson, who also supplied many of the horses. The Government lent the services of Mr. F. T. Gregory and
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
41
an experienced ‘ chainman named Fairburn, besides the necessary tents, pack saddles, and general equipment, together with the scientific instruments and three horses.
Associated with Mr. Gregory were Mr. James B. Roe (second-in-command), and Messrs. W. Moore, C. Nairn, and Dugel (an aboriginal policeman).
Leaving Perth on March 26, Mr. Gregory picked up the various members of his party and reached Koobi-jawanna, the point of general rendezvous, on April 10. On April 14 he moved on to Yanganooka, passing the Geraldine Mine on the 16th, picking up some further equipment at this point. The party was exceedingly well found, having with it a sixty days’ ration on a liberal scale, and every member was extremely well armed and furnished with a good supply of ammunition. The next eight days, from April 17 to 25, were occupied by the ascension of the Murchison River until its junction with the Impey, which was the highest point reached on the previous expedition. At this junction the bed of the Murchison River is over 1,000 ft. above the level of the sea, and though so high an altitude the plains were extremely well grassed, yet not so much so as on the previous visit, the want of rain being clearly demonstrated. Many careful bearings were taken of prominent landmarks, and the geographical work carried out by the leader led to the construction of a most reliable map. The game was very abundant, and the explorers found that much of the rations could be saved for any further contingency that might arise. Only one party of blacks had been observed, and it proved somewhat hostile in attitude, chasing the aboriginal Dugel into camp. Though no' danger was anticipated, it was thought advisable to mount a sentry over the camp, an action which proved only too necessary, as after events clearly showed.
From' this camp on April 26 the exploration of the unknown country really began, and the expedition followed the bank of the river in a north-easterly direction for 14 miles, until Mount Narriger, an elevated peak 1,688 ft. above the level of the sea, was reached. A few miles north of this spot they came upon a large tributary of the Murchison River. The bed of the main stream had now become more rocky, quartz dykes passing through it at many points, yielding a large supply of salt, sufficient to render the water undrinkable. To the eastward an elevated range was observed, the two main hills of which were named respectively Mount Matthew and Mount Hall. The main bed of the river was gradually rising, and at this stage of the journey was 1,240 ft. above sea level.
As the main object of the exploration was to explore the Gascoyne River, the party quitted the Murchison on a north-north-east course, which led for eight miles over a tolerably grassy plain, in some places open, but
in others thickly studded with acacia scrub. The plain appeared to extend to the horizon, only broken by one bold hill, which was named Mount Gould. The main Murchison flowed round its southern base, whilst a considerable tributary passed on its north-west side. The course was now changed to the north-west, and for two days the party marched across well-grassed plains, water being in abundance, and the crossing of several tributaries of the Murchison was safely negotiated. The limit of the plain was a stony ridge of no considerable elevation, but which proved to be the watershed between the Murchison and the Gascoyne. The country through which it had been travelling was so evenly and closely paved with small stones that it was given the characteristic name of the Macadam Plains. Crossing the watershed, the travellers descended the reverse slope, coming upon a river in a broad sandy channel, on which they camped. In general the features of the new country were tame, but a hill 20 miles to the northward was named Mount Gascoyne, and the summit of another range further westward Mount Puckford. Next morning the explorers steered a westward course, touching frequently upon the river upon which they had formed their camp, until it joined a large channel which eventually proved to be the main Gascoyne. A large sandstone range at this point was named the Lockyer Range, after Mr. Lockyer Burgess, who was one of the party. The course of the Gascoyne was now followed north-west, and the further the explorers went the wider the stream became. On the south bank was abundance of gum-trees and grass, which, however, did not seem to run far back. Rich fiats, well grassed, were occasionally discovered, but the nearer they came to the coast the more the quality of the land deteriorated. During their course several prominent peaks covered with short herbage were discovered and named after members of the expedition or their friends. Thus Mount James was called after Mr. James Roe, and Mounts Samuel and Phillips received their names from those of a well-known Western Australian family.
On May 8 they came upon a native encampment; only a few of the men appeared to have returned from their day’s hunting, but upwards of thirty women and children were present. These ran to the bed of the river to hide, immersing some of the children the more effectually to conceal them. The explorers had now an opportunity to discover the domestic economy of the aborigines. Around the fires, of which there were a considerable number, were ranged a number of wooden scoops capable of holding about 4 quarts. These scoops contained a variety of seeds and roots, the most plentiful being a species of grain gathered from a kind of wild wheat, which was very abundant on the alluvial flats. A few spears and kangaroo skins formed the rest of the equipment, which was left entirely as it was found.
However, they were to be paid a visit in return, for at about nine o’clock in the evening they were alarmed by the shouts of a large body of natives who were rapidly approaching, and it was found necessary to fire a charge of small shot at them, slightly wounding several before they would retire.
Resuming their journey next morning they followed the river bank, which now trended towards the southwest. The plains were getting larger in extent, and the timber more pronounced and of larger growth, the river receiving two large tributaries. The hills now began to disappear, the last one being named Mount Dalgety. Moving almost due west they came upon a large body of natives, with whom they established friendly relations; notwithstanding this, however, they did not relax their vigilance. During their course a large tributary to the main stream was discovered flowing from the northward, which was named the Lyons, and a range of hills over 1,200 ft. high was named the Kennedy Range in honour of the Governor of the colony.
On May 17, from an elevated position, they got their first sight of Shark Bay. Some time was spent in examining the country in the vicinity of the mouth of the Gascoyne, but on May 19 the party left on its northward journey, following the course of the Lyons River. On May 26 the expedition reached a well-defined ridge, the summit of which was named Mount Sandiman, and two days after came upon another elevation, which was called Mount Thomson. From this point, which caused a bifurcation in the river, they had an extensive view over well-grassed plains. The portion of the river taking a north-easterly course was called the Alma. A large mount seen in the distance, and estimated at over 3,000 ft. above sea level, was named Mount Augustus, in honour of a brother of the leader (Mr. A. C. Gregory), who was then conducting an exploration in what is now known as the Northern Territory. The expedition was continually on guard, owing to the truculence of the natives, and the members were by no means pleased to come upon strong evidences of native cannibalism, in finding the body of an aborigine that had been cooked, and upon which the teeth marks of the cannibals were only too evident. From Mount Augustus the explorers retraced their steps, reaching the Gascoyne River on June 7, having traversed magnificent grazing country. Continuing the journey they reached the residence of Mr. Burgess, on the Irwin River, on June 23. Here the financial part of the undertaking was adjusted, and the explorers rested until the end of the month. Mr. Gregory arrived in Perth on July 10, having been absent 107 days, during which period he had travelled over 2,000 miles.
In his report Mr. Gregory advised that the country should again be examined at another period of the year, when the conditions might not be so favourable. He
also pointed out that further exploration was necessary in the country adjacent to the coast, as on his route the difficulties and consequent cost of transport would be enormous, especially as the only port so far discovered was that of Champion Bay, at least 360 miles away. The thanks of the Legislative Council were passed to Mr. Gregory and the members of the expedition.
The great distress prevailing in the cotton manufacturing districts of England during the American Civil War ‘directed the minds of the authorities in the Homeland to the value of the great colonial dependencies—especially those lying within the tropics— as probable producers of the raw material. The north-west coast of Australia had been favourably reported upon by Captain Grey in this respect, and subsequent explorers had also incidentally mentioned the matter. It was therefore proposed to establish a new colony in the north-west of Australia to carry out this object, and the presence of Mr. F. Gregory in England was utilized to further the project. The idea first formulated was that an expedition on a large scale should be fitted out to proceed direct to the north-west coast of Australia, accompanied by a large body of Asiatic labourers, and all the necessary machinery for the establishment of a colony. However, wiser counsels prevailed, mainly owing to the proposals and reports of Captain .Roe, Surveyor-General of Western Australia, who advised thorough exploration as a preliminary to the suggestion for the foundation of a colony. For this purpose a grant of £2,000 was obtained from the English Government, to be augmented by an equal amount from the Western Australian treasury.
The leadership of this expedition was placed in the capable hands of Mr. F. Gregory, who collected a suitable outfit for the party in London, and early in 1861 proceeded to Western Australia to confer with the Governor and discuss the details of the expedition. Some delay was occasioned in passing the colonial vote for supplies, and the expedition did not leave Fremantle until April 23, 1861.
The exploring party, which embarked on board the “Dolphin,” consisted of F. T. Gregory, commander; J. Turner, assistant and storekeeper; E. Brockman, W. S. Hall, and J. McCourt, assistants; and A. James, farrier. Supplies of flour, salt pork, dried beef, preserved meat, and groceries, sufficient for eight months, were provided for a party of nine. On arrival at Champion Bay the party was augmented by three volunteers—-Messrs. J. Harding, M. Brown, and P. Walcott—the lastnamed joining the party as a volunteer naturalist and botanist. On May 11 the “Dolphin” arrived at Nickol Bay, which was to form the base of the operations. Mr. Gregory proposed to proceed to the site of his former journey on the Lyons and Alma Rivers, and then move eastwards till longitude 120° was reached, if not further, and from
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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that point strive to connect with the Fitzroy River to the northward. It was not until May 25 that the party started on its journey, having been delayed by many vexatious accidents incidental to landing livestock and stores in an open roadstead.
The course was over an extensive grassy plain, containing a large number of small watercourses, one of the largest of which was named the Maitland, in honour of Mr. Maitland Brown, a member of the party. Moving westward the explorers continued their journey over country of varying value, a good portion of which was desert land covered with spinifex, till in longitude 116° they came upon a river bed of considerable magnitude, which was named the For-tescue, after the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. On June 5, being in longitude 117°, they came upon a series of precipitous cliffs, through which the river flowed, and owing to their impassable nature were compelled to retrace their steps for a considerable distance. Some ten miles to the southward they descried a range of hills, and the leader decided to make for these in the hope that by crossing them the party could move without the constant variation of the direction due to the tortuous course of the r^ver. On reaching these hills the party camped for the night. They were named the Hamersley Range, in honour of Mr. Hamersley, a liberal supporter of the expedition.
So far the country traversed by the party presented very few favourable features. Sixty miles of poor pastoral country had been passed before the Fortescue was reached, and this stream had been traced for 70 miles through a hilly and stony country, and the plains just
before coming to the Hamersley Range were the only redeeming features. It was found impossible to cross the Hamersley Range, though the valleys were well grassed and luxuriant in vegetation, notwithstanding that the altitude was 2,000 ft. above the sea level. Despairing of finding a passage across the range, the leader took a north-west course, eventually striking the Fortescue River many miles above the point where he had parted from it previously. Four or five miles further on the river suddenly broke up into numerous channels
extending through fertile grassy country and forest land, becoming lost in an open plain, which extended to the base of the Hamersley Range. Another attempt to cross the range ended in failure, and it was only when the main channel of the Fortescue was again reached that it was found possible to negotiate the passage. The alluvial mud which coated the plains added greatly to their fertility, and a party of natives was found digging for edible roots which abounded. Some idea of the steep-ness and precipitous descent of the Hamersley Range can be gathered from the fact that a rock of a few tons’ weight which was accidentally started by Mr. Gregory bounded down the hill with a noise like thunder, nearly stampeding the horses in the valley below.
The course of the Fortescue through the hills was followed as far as circumstances would admit, but considerable detours had to be made, and several times there was difficulty in procuring water for the stock. On June 21 the horses had become so distressed and suffered so severely from sore feet that further advance without prolonged rest was impossible, and Mr. Gregory formed a depot
4
Photo supplied by L. McK. Bums.
Young River, Northern Kimberley.
44
camp, while he proceeded to further explore the country between the range and the Lyons River. He therefore departed from the depot, accompanied by Messrs. Brown, Harding, and Brockman, with three pack-horses carrying eight days’ provisions and 14 gallons of water. A river previously discovered near the depot camp had been named the Hardey, after a member of a well-known family of that name in Western Australia. The first four miles of the journey were on the grassy plains near to this river, when they came upon the channel of a large stream, too large for either the Lyons or the Alma, and which was named the Ashburton, after the President of the Royal Geographical Society. From the Ashburton the country to the southward became more rugged and mountainous, and being now almost upon the tropical line he named the hills Capricorn. From the summit of these hills there was a fine view, and away in the distance to the south they could see Mount Augustus, whilst portions of his former track were plainly visible. Having practically connected the present journey with his course in 1858 the leader returned to the depot camp, taking a more easterly direction for this journey, arriving at the camp during the afternoon of June 29. The next day, being Sunday, was observed as a “day of rest” by the party, and it is significant of this expedition that where possible every Sabbath Day was rigidly observed.
On July 1 Gregory ascertained that the horses had greatly benefited by their nine days’ rest, and if stores had been available he would have returned to the Ashburton and traced that river to the south-east, but it was absolutely necessary to return to the base and refit the whole of the horses. On the return journey he named a peak near the Hamersley Range, Mount Samson. Mount Bruce, which Mr. Gregory estimated to be 4,000 ft. high, was named after the officer commanding the troops in Western Australia. Travelling at a rapid pace on an average north-east course, the explorer estimated that the country passed over could not have contained less than 200,000 acres of excellent pastoral land. In regard to its further capabilities, he says: — “This tract of country I imagine is well suited for the growth of either cotton or sugar, as it is apparently well irrigated in the summer months, and the soil is remarkably rich and strong.”
When the party reached the sea the members found themselves 40 miles from Nickol Bay, and as it was very doubtful whether water could be procured in that distance Gregory determined on following up a leading valley of the Maitland. In the event of not finding water he intended to pass in the rear of Cape Lambert, and so return to the outward track. However, water was found within 18 miles of the camp, and after a desperate push through stony country he reached the depot, with the horses in a distressing and almost hoofless state, on July 19.
Ten days were now employed in treating the injuries to the horses and refitting them with shoes, during which time Gregory made a survey of the adjacent coast. Eventually, the refitment having been completed on July 29, the explorers left camp for the second part of the journey, with provisions for eighty-seven days. Turning from their old track, on the third day they came upon a stream of permanent water, which they named the Harding, after a member of the party. The Sherlock River was soon picked up, and the explorer comments on the fine stretch of arable land in the vicinity. In the east-south-east they discovered and named the Yule River, which they ascended for two days. The country was grassy and well watered, but extremely rocky, and they came upon several large pools teeming with waterfowl and the centre of most valuable land. The way now lay through hilly country. During the journey they came upon and named the Shelley River, a small tributary of this river contained a fish very similar to the herring, and a romantic glen on its banks was called Glen Herring. Six miles further on, in a north-east direction, they came upon the channel of a fine stream which despite the season still contained water. This stream was named the Shaw, and some plains to the southward were named Norton Plains, •after the Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. After following a tributary of the Shaw River they came upon and named the DeGrey River, after the earl of that name, who had evinced a lively interest in the inception of the expedition. Leaving the grassy plains they went further east and named the Oakover River, a tributary of the DeGrey.
The arduous nature of the journey began to tell very severely upon the horses, and the party advanced down the channel of the river, coming upon good country and abundant game. It was now decided to give the horses a short rest before pursuing their journey to the eastward. After leaving the Oakover on their easterly course they came upon desert lands, over which utter desolation remained supreme. The desert at first essay proved well-nigh impassable, and the expedition was compelled to fall back to its previous camp, owing to the absence of water. At this point Gregory determined to form a depot, leaving five members of the party, with instructions to fall back on to the main stream of the Oakover after three days, whilst with two companions and six horses he would try to discover a practicable route across the desert. The advance party suffered severely from exposure without water to an almost tropical sun, and that was reflected in a tenfold degree upon the horses, two of which succumbed in the second day’s march. Nothing now remained but to make a desperate attempt to reach the depot camp before that party had carried out its instructions and returned to the Oakover River. In direst need Mr.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
45
Maitland Brown was detached to push on with all speed to the depot, whilst Gregory, now almost exhausted, followed on with the other companion. Brown, who was exceptionally enduring, soon got far ahead, and rapidly got rid of his equipment to allow of his attaining his object, for if those at the depot had left for the Oakover before his arrival the party would have perished of thirst. Fortunately Brown was successful, and the party reached the depot in a thoroughly broken-down condition. Gregory reluctantly abandoned the attempt to cross the desert, being assured that a land of plenty lay beyond it, but with the means at his disposal it would have been utter madness to again essay the task. The furthest point reached to the eastward was Mount Macpherson.
The return journey was now undertaken, and the party reached Nickol Bay in safety on October 17, finding the “Dolphin” at anchor there. The crew of the vessel had not been idle during the absence of the explorers, and a fine bed of pearl-oysters had been discovered and cursorily worked, several tons of pearl-shell and some small pearls of varying sizes and values being
brought to the surface. On October 23, having shipped the stores, horses, and general impedimenta of the party, the “Dolphin” weighed anchor and sailed for Fremantle, arriving at that port on November 9.
During the tour the party had covered over 2,000 miles of country, and the explorer estimated that
3,000,000 acres were fit for grazing land and 200,000 acres for closer agriculture, the greater portion of the latter being on the banks of the various rivers. The fitness of the district for the growth of cereals the leader considered to be somewhat doubtful, but considered that it would, at any rate, produce enough to supply a numerous population. However, he considered its capabilities in regard to the growth of cotton excellent, and considered that it would be in nowise inferior to that grown in Egypt. No traces of minerals, except iron, were discovered—a significant fact when we consider that part of the country traversed is now known as the Pilbara goldfield, the present township of Pilbara being in the proximity of the Gale River, whilst the mineral district of Marble Bar lies between the Shaw and DeGrey Rivers.
CHAPTER VIII.
MINOR EXPLORATIONS, 1861-1866—SIR JOHN FORREST, 1869-1870.
For the next few years explorations were carried out on a small scale, but, nevertheless, in many instances these were of exceeding value in confirming previous expressions in regard to various portions of the State.
From July 3 to August 23 Messrs. B, D. Clarkson,
C. E. and A. Dempster, and C. Harper were engaged in exploring the country east of Northam, and successfully penetrated the dense scrub and salt-lake country previously supposed to be impassable. They reached Mount Kennedy and traversed a great portion of the district which now forms the Yilgam Goldfield. Georgina Range was the furthest point reached, and here the country had considerably improved, the soil being rich and the grass excellent.
In July of this year, and in June, 1865, Captain E. A. Delisser, a squatter, made excursions from Fowler Bay, in South Australia, into the south-east corner of this colony. He went in a north-west direction from the head of the Bight, and after suffering somewhat from want of watei reached a district covered with grass and saltbush, which he described as excellent for grazing purposes. His opinion of this district has since been confirmed by Mr. A. Mason and other travellers.
In 1863 Messrs. C. C. Hunt and Ridley landed at the DeGrey River and explored the country touched on by Mr. F. T. Gregory.
In the same year, from May 7 to July 31, Mr. Henry Maxwell Lefroy was in charge of an expedition organized for the purpose of exploring the district east of York and discovering country suitable for sheepfarming. It was partially successful in its object, as it enabled the leader to report the existence of good land for agricultural purposes. Lefroy said, however, that no settlement could take place till wells had been sunk, owing to the absence of surface water. He traversed a large portion of the present Coolgardie goldfields, and reached 122° 3' east longitude.
In 1864, on July 5, Messrs. B. D. Clarkson, Chas. Harper, and L. Lukin left Doodlakine, about 110 miles east by south of Toodyay, for the purpose of discovering pastoral lands to the north and east. They encountered country somewhat similar to that met with in 1861, and having reached latitude 30° 13' south, longitude 120° 20' east, without finding it at all suitable, they returned, reaching their starting point on August 18.
In the same year Mr. C. C. Hunt left York on July 10 for the purpose of exploring the country to the eastward. His trip is of importance, as he passed over the present site of Coolgardie, and reached longitude 121° 55 east (in the vicinity of the Hampton Plains). Owing to want of water he was compelled to return to the neighbourhood of Lake Lefroy, but reported that the land
46 THE CYCLOPEDIA OP
further out was much better than that nearer York. This journey of 400 miles was made between the thirty -first and thirty-second parallels of latitude, and its result was disappointing. Mr. Hunt, two years afterwards, made an almost similar trip to the Hampton Plains.
From September 12 to 27 Mr. A. Dempster made a trip from the Gage River, near Esperance, to the Dundas Hills via Fitzgerald Peaks, and reported that a stock route to the north could be opened without much difficulty. In November of the same year Mr. E. T. Hooley failed to find one between Champion Bay and the Gascoyne. During this year, also, Mr. Robert Austin visited the Glenelg River, and reported favourably on the country in its vicinity.
About the year 1865 Mr. Trevarton C. Sholl made an exploration to the south of Camden Harbour. In this journey he visited the Glenelg Basin, ascended and named Mount Page, discovered the Berkelman River, crossed the Harding Range in the face of almost insuperable difficulties, and reported a large tract of good pastoral country.
In 1866, from January 10 to February 28, Assistant-Surveyor James Cowle explored the country between Roebuck Bay and Port Walcott, and reported 3,000,000 acres of country known to be fit for grazing purposes, and improving considerably inland from the coast.
In this year also (April 16 to November 10) Mr. E. T. Hooley made a more successful attempt to open up a stock route to the north-west, journeying as he did in safety from Champion Bay to Port Walcott and back. During the year (1866) Mr. R. J. Sholl and his son, Mr. Trevarton C. Sholl, were responsible for the conduct of several expeditions from Roebourne to examine the country lying around the headwaters of the Harding, Ashburton, Sherlock, and Fortescue Rivers. They were successful in demonstrating the suitability of the land for pastoral purposes, and opening up this practically unknown district for settlement.
On May 6, 1866, Mr. J. Logue sent out a party from Camden Harbour, under the leadership of Mr. A. McRae, for the purpose of exploring the country southward. On the 10th, after crossing well-grassed level plains (in places the grass being so strong that the horses had as much as they could do to wade through it) they reached a river. They found it a fine stream, 150 yards wide, running north by west. The banks were about 20 ft. high, and the current ran about two miles per hour. The next day they saw fifteen or twenty natives burning the grass for pigeons’ eggs. The aborigines were unarmed ; they were very much alarmed, and tried to hide themselves in the long grass. The party started on the return trip that afternoon, and reached Camden Harbour on the 16th. Mr. McRae reported that “the country possessed all the advantages of a good sheep country, except that it was low, and perhaps too far north. The
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
principal timber was the white and flooded gum and two kinds of wattle; the baobab also grew in great luxuriance.”
Early in 1860 Dr. von Mueller, a botanist whose name will ever be inseparably associated with the highest and best in plant lore throughout Australia, communicated with the Western Australian Government with regard to Dr. Leichhardt, whose fate was still a mystery. From time to time endeavours had been made to clear up the circumstances of the last journey of the explorer, but without any tangible result. Information had been received from native sources that twenty years before, a date synchronizing with the last appearance of the lost explorer, a party of white men had been murdered at a point eastward in Western Australia. However, little credence had been placed on the stories, as the aboriginal in Australia is not renowned for his truthful attributes. Therefore, it was not until Mr. J. H. Monger had been informed by his native guide, when on a journey some miles eastward of any previous route, that he was at the position of the murder, that any great notice was taken of the native communications. The native guide mentioned gave such a circumstantial account of the whole occurrence, that far greater credence was placed in the story than had been the fate of those hitherto narrated.
With such confirmation it was decided to accept the fiffer of Dr. von Mueller to lead an expedition, and Mr. John Forrest, an officer of the Survey Department (afterwards Sir John Forrest, a name now redolent of all that stands for patriotism and honesty of purpose throughout the length and breadth of Australia), was offered the position of second in command of the expedition; but on the inability of Dr. von Mueller to carry oijt the work the sole command was delegated to him. The letter of instructions received by Mr. Forrest was drawn up by the Surveyor-General (the Hon. Captain Roe, R.N., an explorer of more than usual courage and resource), and contained explicit information and orders for the guidance of the expedition. The party, which consisted of six persons, was extremely well found and strongly armed. It was composed of Mr. George Monger (second in command), Mr. Malcolm Hamersley (third member), a farrier and a blacksmith, and two reliable natives, Tommy Windich and Jemmy, who had already acquired considerable experience with former explorers. Saddle horses were provided for all the members, and pack horses for transport, whilst a three-horse cart was to accompany the expedition as far as the nature of the country would permit.
The route laid down was to commence at Newcastle, where several members of the party were to be picked up and some of the horses obtained. The expedition from that point was ordered to proceed in a northeasterly direction to Goomalling, and thence 100 miles further in the same direction, passing eastward
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
47
of Mounts Chunbaren and Kenneth, discovered by Mr. Austin, in fact until the north-easterly limit of the journey of that explorer had been reached. The further course was to be dictated by circumstances and governed by the information of the native guides with regard to the locality where they had reported the bones of the missing white men. Further instructions contained the method of procedure to be adopted by the party on the discovery of the bones, and the conditions which were to govern its members in their attitude towards the natives in the vicinity. After attempting to trace the previous course of Leichhardt the party was to attempt to explore the surrounding country as far as the circumstances and provisions would permit. In the interests of science Forrest was required to make and preserve such specimens in natural history (especially in the departments of botany, geology, and zoology) as might be of economic use to the settlement.
The long letter o f instructions was expressly stated to bo considered in no way a reflection on the capacity and initiative of the youthful explorer, but only to be taken as for general guidance of the expedition. On April 15, 1869, the journey was commenced, and the leader was well supplied with scientific instruments, so that the daily position could be accurately ascertained. The provisions, which were considered ample, consisted of 800 1). of flour, 270 5). of pork, 135 ft). of sugar, and 17 ft), of tea; whilst each member carried two spare suits of clothes. On the 17th Newcastle was reached, at which point the services of a teamster and a three-horse cart were obtained, bringing the total number of horses up to sixteen. On the afternoon of the 20th Goomalling was reached, and preparations were at once begun to make ready for the real purpose of the expedition. On the 21st the journey was resumed, and on the 23rd the teamster and cart returned to Goomalling. By the 26th the party had reached Yarraging, the furthest station to the eastward, belonging to Messrs. Ward & Adams, where they bivouaced for the night. Some natives were
procured from the station, and with ten pack- and six riding-horses the party left next morning on a uoaring N., 320° E. mag., which course was kept for eight miles. Still maintaining a north-easterly direction the party suffered from want of water for the next two days, but on reaching Danjinning, discovered by Austin in 1854, it came upon a native well which yielded an abundant supply. The next day being Sunday Divine service was held, and the party rested, resuming the journey on Monday, May 3, reaching Mount Churchman on the 5th. On the evening of that day it was joined by a party of nine natives (friends of the native Jemmy), who stated to Mr. Forrest that a long time before a party of white men and horses had died at a place called Bonincabbajibimar, also that a gun and number of other articles were there, and they volunteered to accompany
the leader to the spot. Forrest, however, was inclined to the belief that the horses mentioned by the natives were the remains of those which succumbed to the poison plant during the jour-n ey of Mr. Austin, and when from the story was eliminated the presence of human remains he became practically certain of his conjecture being true. This was found to be correct on the 12th. Another party of natives was encountered, who told him that only the bones of horses were to be found at the place mentioned. On the other hand Jemmy, the aboriginal native, persisted that the remains of white men were to be found at Noondie, and Mr. Forrest, on the 13th inst., pushed on to the locality. On the morning of the 18th a branch of a large, dry salt lake which stretched eastward was crossed, but continuing the journey he came upon the main lake, and experienced much difficulty in crossing, eventually bringing up at an island. The nature of the bed of the lake proving so bad for travelling, and no water being obtainable, the loads were left on the island, and the explorers were compelled to retrace their steps to where they first entered, and were very fortunate to discover feed and water about 3 miles awav.
Photo supplied, by L. McK. Burns.
Bottle Tree on Forrest River.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
The bed of the lake was covered with a deep layer of saline mud to the extent of about 4 ft., and it was only by almost superhuman exertions that the loads were recovered and brought to shore.
On May 22 Mr. Forrest attempted to get into communication with some natives known to be in the vicinity, but without success, and on the 23rd, attended by the two aboriginals attached to the party, he decided to track them to their camping-place. However, the natives were twelve hours in advance of the party and travelling at a rapid rate, and it was found impossible to overtake them. On the evening of the 24th the party camped at a place which bore the native name of Wool-ling, and from it saw a mountain in a north-north-east direction, distant about 20 miles, which the leader named Mount Elain. From Yeadie, on the 25th inst., Mr. Forrest had a splendid view of the lake they had been following for over 40 miles, which was named Lake Bar-lee, after the Colonial Secretary of Western Australia. On May 29 he reached the summit of a high hill, supposed by the aboriginals of the party to be Noondie, which Mr. Forrest named Mount Alexander. The story told by the natives in regard to the remains of white men proved so contradictory that no further credence was placed upon it, and after an exhaustive search in the neighbourhood where the aboriginals had led them to„ believe that they would find the remains of the white men, the leader determined to abandon that portion of his work and carry out the latter part of his instructions. After considering the whole proposition Mr. Forrest determined to penetrate as far eastward as possible, and on June 18 he set forth to carry out this part of his programme, being successful in finding water so far on the route. The 20th being Sunday, the party rested in camp. A high hill, 25 miles distant, was named Mount Leonora, and another about the same distance in another direction Mount George. Continuing the course and passing Mount Leonora, another hill was discovered, which was named Mount Malcolm, and a remarkable peak Mount Flora. From this point a high range was discovered, apparently about 16 miles distant, towards which the party travelled in the hope of finding feed and water, but without success. Next morning, soon after daybreak, the range was reached, the highest peak of which was named Mount Margaret. The farthest hill seen to the eastward was named Mount Weld, and on July 2 a return was commenced along the outward track. At Mount Malcolm the rest of the party were picked up, where Mr. Forrest had formed a depot camp previously, and preparations were made for the homeward journey. The rations, with strict economy, were found to be sufficient for a thirty days’ supply, and Mr. Forrest decided to make for the homestead of Mr. Clarke, Victoria Plains.
On July 7 the return journey was commenced, and on the 10th a high range was reached, the highest point
of which was named Mount Alfred. On the 13th the party was left in charge of Mr. Monger, with instructions to proceed to Retreat Rock, the site of a bivouac on the outward journey, whilst, accompanied by Mr. Ham-mersley and Jemmy, the aboriginal, Mr. Forrest determined to make an attempt to cross Lake Barlee. The attempt was successful, and the party returned to Retreat Rock on July 15. Next morning the whole party moved off on the journey to the settlement, reaching the hospitable roof of Mr. Clarke on August 2. On this portion of the route the expedition had passed several places of interest, namely, Lake Monger, which was so named after a member of the party. Newcastle was reached on the 4th and Perth on the 6th, after an absence of 113 days, during which an approximate distance of 2,000 miles had been covered.
So far as the mystery in which the fate of Leichhardt was involved, the expedition was barren of results, but the additional knowledge gained was of some value. Mr. Forrest expressed the view that the country was worthless from an agricultural and pastoral point of view, but deploring his lack of a knowledge of mineralogy he suggested that it should be geologically examined. Over a quarter of a century afterwards the value of this suggestion was proved correct, for much of the country traversed is now contained in the Mount Margaret goldfield.
Immediately on the return of Mr. Forrest to Perth, Dr. von Mueller suggested the formation of a new expedition to carry out if possible the main features of the one which had recently returned.
In this case the eminent botanist proposed that it should be under the leadership of Mr. John Forrest and commence its labours on the Murchison River, and from that point attempt to reach the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was pointed out by the scientist that even if the party were unable to clear up the mystery surrounding the fate of Leichhardt, much valuable information would be gained, and as an example of the latter feature he drew attention to the previous attempt. Despite the earnest entreaties of the learned doctor, coupled with the desire of Mr. Forrest, the Government of the day could not agree to such a proposal, the benefits of which accruing to Western Australia would be at best extremely problematical.
The Governor (Mr. Weld) was extremely desirous of promoting exploration, especially in regard to finding a feasible and practical land route to South Australia, and Mr. Forrest was offered the command of a party to attempt to reach Adelaide by the south coast. The offer was eagerly accepted, and Mr. Forrest soon became engaged in getting together his party for the work. It was with some degree of care that the leader prepared for this undertaking. Its formidable nature could only be gauged by the experiences of Mr. Eyre in 1840 and 1841. Recognizing the difficulties with which he would have to
49
contend Mr. Forrest took every precaution that would make for a successful issue to the venture, and particular care was given to the question of route, chiefly as it affected the water supply, the main difficulty of Mr. Eyre. Fully recognizing the trials of his dangerous task, but tdtally undismayed, Mr. Forrest and his party on March 30, 1870, left Perth on their perilous adventure. The result was eminently satisfactory, and the journey, instead of presenting insuperable difficulties, was not as terrible as had been anticipated, and exactly five months after their departure from Perth the expedition arrived at Adelaide, completing a journey that Mr. Eyre had taken over twelve months to accomplish.
The party consisted of four white men and two natives, namely: —
Mr. John Forrest (commander),
Mr. Alexander Forrest (second in command),
Mr. H. McLarty (a police constable),
Mr. W. Osborne (farrier and smith),
Tommy Windich and Billy Noongale (aboriginal natives).
Ample stores and provisions had been prepared for the use of the expedition, and the schooner “Adur” had been engaged to carry them to such points as the leader might detail. The party was ordered to take the most convenient route to Esperance Bay, where the men and horses were to be recruited and further supplies secured from the schooner. From that point the journey was to be continued to Eucla after the winter rains had set in, so that every prospect of success should attend the venture. At Eucla the party was to be again provisioned and recruited. Thence it was to make an exploration northward, and after its -return to that point make a final start for Adelaide, the route to be left to the discretion of the leader. Such is a brief digest of the instructions issued by the Western Australian Government to Mr. Forrest, which ended with the following paragraph : —"Such, briefly, are the general instructions by which it is intended you should be governed in conducting the expedition entrusted to your care and guidance; and I may add that the fullest confidence is placed in your energy, zeal, and discretion for bringing it to a successful issue. The main objects of the undertaking are alluded to, and though a method of accomplishing them is briefly referred to, it is by no means intended to fetter your judgment in adopting such measures of minor detail as may appear to you necessary for effectually carrying them out.” Of the value of the “energy, zeal, and discretion” of Mr. (now Sir) John Forrest future historians of Australia will speak with no uncertain voice.
The first stage of the journey to Esperance Bay covered a distance of over 450 miles, and with an enthusiastic send-off the expedition started on its dangerous and difficult task on March 30, 1870. By April 5 it had
E
reached Kojonup, where it rested for four days. Continuing on April 9, it reached the Fitzgerald River on the 15th of the same month, not yet having touched the track followed by Mr. Eyre on his memorable journey in 1841. On April 16 it reached the Phillips River, but as both these Streams had been previously closely explored by Captain Roe, no time was wasted on any further detailed examination. On April 17 Eyre Range was reached and Annie Peak ascended, from the summit of which a distant view was obtained of the sea to the southward. Rain now set in, and continued almost without intermission until the party arrived at Mr. Campbell Taylor’s station on the Oldfield River, On April 25 the expedition arrived at Esperance Bay, but it was not until April 29 that the schooner arrived there. At Esperance the explorers were the guests of the Messrs. Dempster, who had a settlement at that point. The party had a pretty rough time for the last 160 miles, getting a foretaste of the difficulties yet to be encountered, but the four days spent in rest and leisure, awaiting the arrival of the schooner, had done much to recruit their energies. The stores were landed, and from May 3 to 8 preparations made for the continuance of the journey. The leader prepared a report of proceedings to date, which was sent to Perth by Mr. William Dempster, who was leaving for that centre.
On May 9 the expedition started for Israelite Bay, where the master of the “Adur” had been instructed to again meet them. They travelled in an easterly direction over plains generally poorly grassed to Israelite Bay, which was reached on the 18th of the same month. Here the horses were recruited and shod, and many other details looked over and made secure. The master of the “Adur” was given instructions to proceed to Eucla Harbour, and remain there until August 2 awaiting the arrival of the expedition. If it did not appear by that time the master was further instructed to bury the provisions and return with all speed to Fremantle.
On May 30 the journey was resumed to Eucla Harbour, three months’ provisions being carried by the party. Keeping near the coast for 60 miles, during which period the leader had made a flying trip inland, the expedition reached the sand patches a little to the west of Point Culver on June 2. On the 3rd Mr. Forrest made a flying trip to the north-east, returning on the 4th along the cliffs to Point Culver. He found the country entirely destitute of permanent water, but a few miles inland beautifully grassed, yet near the coast there was neither feed nor water. The question of permanent water being a most important one, Mr. Forrest determined, after mature consideration, to attempt at all hazards to reach the water shown on Mr. Eyre’s chart in longitude 126° 24' E., or about 140 miles from where they were then located.
On July 7 they again started on their journey.
60 THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
carrying over 30 gallons of water on three of the riding horses, and taking it in turns walking. Travelling for four days in a north-easterly direction, they were fortunate enough to find in rocky basins sufficient water to give each horse 2 gallons. On the fifth and sixth days out their difficulties were entirely ended, -for they found sufficient for 7 gallons for each horse, and water on Eyre’s track was now only 32 miles distant, which they reached on June 14. The country traversed during this portion of the journey was in many cases beautifully grassed, level, without the slightest undulation, and though about 300 ft. above sea level, not thickly wooded. The course of the journey was about 25 miles from the sea, and northward the prospect from a pastoral point of view appeared distinctly better. Whilst the main body was recruiting at the permanent water, a short journey was undertaken by Mr. Forrest, accompanied by McLarty and one of the aboriginals, and proved the value of the country to the northward for pastoral purposes if only permanent water could be obtained. They returned to camp on June 22, and at once started the preparations for a continuance of the journey to Eucla. Wandering around the site of the camp one of the aboriginals found the shoulder-blade of a horse and two small pieces of leather belonging to a pack-saddle. The shoulder-blade was, no doubt, part of the animal killed by Mr. Eyre for food thirty years previously. Part of the shoulder-blade was removed, and on the return of the party handed to Governor Weld as a memento. During his trip northward Mr. Forrest came upon some of the natives of the region, who were not prepossessing specimens, and entirely naked.
On June 24 the journey towards Eucla was resumed, carrying as before over 30 gallons of water, necessitating part of the journey to be undertaken on foot by the members of the party in rotation. Again they were fortunate in finding several rockholes that supplied the horses for the first two days with a sufficiency of the life-sustaining fluid. For the next four days, however, they were not so fortunate, and it was not until the evening of the 30th that they came upon sufficient permanent water to supply the needs of the animals, who were now greatly distressed. The finding of this water rendered this part of their journey secure, for they were within 30 miles of Eucla. On the morning of July 1 the expedition reached the cliffs, but Mr. Forrest did not follow them, preferring to take a more inland course, and shortly afterwards they sighted Wilson Bluff and Eucla Sandhills. The expedition camped for the night within five miles of the harbour, and next morning had the greatest pleasure in seeing the “Adur” riding securely at anchor in the roadstead.
Mr. Forrest describes the country passed over during this portion of the journey “as far surpassing anything he has ever seen as a grazing country. There is
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
nothing in the settled portions of Western Australia equal to it either in extent or quality; but the absence of permanent water is the great drawback. The country is very level, with scarcely any undulation, and becomes clearer as you proceed northward.” For a distance of over 400 miles no permanent watercourse had been encountered, though the route was only 30 miles from the sea. Several parties of natives had been met with who appeared harmless and friendly, and were entirely destitute of clothing. Very little native game appeared, and altogether the report of the expedition thus far only served to emphasize the previous judgment of Mr. Eyre in many respects.
Rather more than half the distance from Perth to Adelaide had now been accomplished, but there still remained a formidable distance of 140 miles to be crossed where Mr. Eyre encountered many terrible difficulties. On July 8 the “Adur” was despatched to Fremantle, and the expedition prepared for the final stages of the journey. On Wilson Bluff was erected a flagstaff, and the Union Jack hoisted thereon. On the staff was nailed a copper plate bearing the following inscription: —
“Western Australia. Erected by John Forrest, July 12, 1870.”
On the 13th a cask, containing 100 lb. of flour, 130 ft), of barley, 16 new sets of horseshoes, shoeing nails, etc., w$s buried 8 ft. west of the flagstaff, and a plate on the staff contained the information “Dig 8 ft. west.” On July 14 the explorers resumed their travels, and following the usual procedure in regard to the conveyance of water, they essayed the formidable task of rounding the head of the Australian Bight. Great privations were now met with, not a drop of \rater being found for over 135 miles, but by travelling day and night they, reached the head of the Bight on the 17th, and found abundance of water on digging in the sandhills. The horses had been without water for 90 miles, and the party was entirely worn out through want of sleep. Many of the horses could hardly walk, and some were delirious, but they all managed to carry their loads. Very little feed was encountered at the head of the Bight, and after a short halt to recruit the journey was resumed. On July 23 the expedition reached Colona, the head station of Degraves & Co., where Police-Trooper Richards was met, who was on his way to the head of the Bight to meet the party, in accordance with instructions received from Sir James Fergusson, Governor of South Australia. Leaving Colona on the 25th, the travellers reached Fowler Bay on July 27, all being well. The health of the party had been excellent, and so far not a single horse had been lost. From longitude 124° 25' E. to Port Eucla permanent water was only secured at one point, that noted by Mr. Eyre on his chart.
They were now 600 miles from Adelaide, and Mr. Forrest determined to pass through the Gawler Ranges,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
51
skirting the south end of Lake Gairdner, and thence to Port Augusta and Adelaide, which he anticipated they would reach in from five to six weeks. After sending to the Governor of South Australia notice of his arrival at Fowler Bay, Mr. Forrest left that place on August 1 for his final destination. On the 18th he reached Port Augusta, arriving at Adelaide on the 27th, being enthusiastically received and welcomed.
The horses and equipment were sold by public auction, and on September 12 the party sailed by the s.s. “Alexandria” for King George Sound, arriving on September 17, and reaching Perth on the 27th, after an absence of 182 days.
Thus in less than five months the expedition had accomplished the journey which had taken Eyre twelve months. This was possible owing to the greater facilities which the later expedition commanded, and the leader was enabled to give a more impartial verdict as to the nature of the country passed through.
In so far as this affected Western Australia it was distinctly cheering, for though Eyre’s opinion of the waterless nature of the country traversed was confirmed, yet the district inland from the coast, hitherto supposed to be a sandy desert, was found by Mr. Forrest to be beautifully grassed between 126° and 129° east longitude, with water procurable in some places at moderate depth. To use the explorer’s own words, “If water could be procured on the tableland, it would be the finest pastoral district of Western Australia.”
During the year 1871 Mr. A. Forrest took charge of an expedition to the eastward in search of new pastoral country. Owing to a late start, he and his party were compelled to make for the coast when they had reached latitude 131° south, longitude 123° 37' east. This course led them to Mount Ragged, and thence proceeding westerly they returned to Perth via Esperance, having gone out 600 miles and discovered a considerable tract e2
of good country, much of which has since been taken up and stocked.
The next journey into the interior of Western Australia was conducted during April, 1873, by Mr. William Christie Gosse, Deputy Surveyor-General of South Australia, who, setting out from Alice Springs Telegraph Station, attempted to make the overland journey to Perth. He returned to his starting-point in December, having failed to get through owing to the arid nature of the country. He, however, entered Western Australia near the Tomkinson Mountains, and examined the
country in the vicinity, also that near the Caven-agh and Barrow Ranges, thus acquiring a geo-graphical knowledge of some hundreds of miles of new country. His furthest westerly position was in longitude 126° 59’ east, to the south of the Barrow Range.
A more successful attempt was made in the same year, between April 15 and December 29, by Major Peter Egerton Warburton in his journey from the McDermot Ranges in South Australia to the headwaters of the Oakover River. Although he reached the west coast and penetrated a district never before examined by white men, little was learned from his experiences. The expedition was provided with camels, but owing to constant delays provisions fell short and sickness came. Warburton thereupon determined to push through as rapidly as possible, travelling by night; and thus, fleeing “as it were for their lives westward over the Sahara,” the members of the expedition were too much occupied to notice carefully the character of the districts traversed. What opinion they did form was unfavourable, as the country was reported to be a sterile one, in which horses could not possibly exist, and in which nothing was visible in the way of permanent watercourses. On this journey were found the Joanna Springs, since invested with melancholy interest in connection with the Calvert
52
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
expedition, as the appointed rendezvous which the ill- Warburton’s route throughout lay between the twentieth fated explorers, Wells and Jones, failed to reach, and twenty-second parallels of latitude south.
CHAPTER IX
SIR JOHN FORREST, 1874.
The much vexed question of the unknown character of the interior of Australia had exercised the minds not only of the explorers in that land, but of the scientific and learned societies throughout the world, and so far the mystery surrounding the position had never been satisfactorily cleared up, though many attempts had been made with that object in view. The journey of Major Warburton could not be said to have thrown much light on this subject, but the problem was near solution, and the next attempt to solve the question was to set the seal of greatness on a name which will ever stand for courage and resource throughout Western Australia. The overland journey to Adelaide by the south coast, which, after the disasters encountered by Mr. Eyre, had for fully thirty years been counted almost impossible of repetition, had been successfully accomplished by a youthful and comparatively untried explorer, who has yet to take a still higher place in the history of exploration in Australia. The previous task, faced as it appeared to be with almost insurmountable obstacles, was to shrink into a small compass when compared with the future labours of the same explorer. The secrets of the almost unknown interior were to be laid bare and geographical science to receive a wealth of detailed information hitherto regarded as unattainable. With the conditions existing forty years ago the carrying out of this work was a task of no ordinary magnitude, and the principle that “peace hath its victories no less renowned than war” does not appear to get that consideration which it deserves in Australia. With this regard it is well, therefore, to take a retrospective glance at the mighty achievements of the past, and view the works of many who have passed from this life’s labours, and xeward to a proper and fitting degree those of the few who still remain with us. National sentiment alone demands this, for it is only too often forgotten that this island continent has witnessed deeds of heroism that cannot be outvied by the race in any other land or clime.
Amongst the great names in the history of Australian exploration not one shines with brighter lustre than that of Sir John Forrest, whose courage and tenacity of purpose to accomplish for the good of future generations in Australia all that makes for national superiority and the benefit of the common weal will ever obtain our
affectionate regard. In the realm of exploration alone, disregarding his many other qualifications, Sir John Forrest has conferred an inestimable benefit on Western Australia that the succeeding years will only serve to deepen, and it is but fitting and meet that his name should hold the foremost place in his native land. In such measure is the fame of this explorer to be found, and the successful carrying out of the proposals, for the examination of the interior submitted by him to the Governor of Western Australia in 1874, places him in the forefront of those intrepid explorers to whom the Australian nation will ever owe a debt of gratitude it can never hope adequately to repay.
Ever since his return from Adelaide Sir (then Mr.) John Forrest had been very desirous of continuing his explorations, mainly in an attempt to prove whether or not a direct route was practicable to the more advanced settlements of South Australia. At the same time he hoped to contribute something valuable towards the solution of the problem in regard to the nature of the interior. It will be remembered that on his first essay in exploration Mr. Forrest had penetrated for a distance of 600 miles into the central desert, and despite the hardships of the previous journey he was agaifi anxious to settle the question of a probable northern or direct easterly route. The whole matter took definite shape in a letter addressed by the explorer to the Surveyor-General of Western Australia for the consideration of His Excellency Governor Weld, in which he expressed a wish to undertake a further expedition. The route suggested was to start from Champion Bay and follow the Murchison River to its source, and thence continue in an east and north-east direction to the telegraph line which has been constructed from Adelaide to Port Darwin; afterwards proceeding to Port Darwin or Adelaide as might be deemed advisable under the circumstances then existing. The cost of the expedition was estimated at about £600, of which portion Mr. Forrest offered to contribute £200, or one-third of the total, feeling sure that he would be able to raise that amount by private subscription. The party was to be well found and armed, and to consist of four white men and two aboriginals, with twenty horses.
In his letter to the Governor the explorer* pointed out the great benefit to geographical science that would
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
ensue on its successful termination. It would be the crowning feat of Australian exploration, and would for ever close the oft-recurring discussion as to the presence of a large river running inland from the watershed of the Murchison. To the letter the Governor appended the following minute for the information of the Legislative Council, and it is quoted here at length not only to show his appreciation of the virtues of the explorer, but as proof positive of his own desire for the advancement of Western Australia : —
“Mr. J. Forrest, in a most public-spirited manner, proposes to embark on an undertaking, the dangers of which, though not by any means inconsiderable, would be outweighed by the advantages which might accrue to this colony, and which would certainly result in a great extension of our geographical knowledge. Should he succeed in this journey his name will fitly go down to posterity as that of the man who solved the last remaining problem in the Australian continent; and whatever may come after him, he will have been the last (and certainly, when the means at his disposal and the difficulties of the undertaking are considered, by no means the least) of the great Australian explorers. The honour to be gained by him, and most of the advantages, will ultimately fall to this colony, which is his birthplace, and for my own part I shall be very proud that such a design was carried out during my term of office. I wish that the means of the colony were sufficient to warrant the Government in proposing to defray the entire cost of the expedition, and I think it would be a disgrace to the colony if it did not at least afford some aid from public funds.”
The proposition met with a most cordial reception in the Legislative Council, which voted £400 towards the funds, and Mr. Forrest set out to procure the remaining amount by private subscription.
However, at this time, 1872, great efforts were being put forth in South Australia in the realm of exploration, and it was thought advisable to postpone the expedition, otherwise it might appear as if Western Australia were entering into competition with that State. Only one of the South Australian explorations was successful in getting across to the western coast, and that, which was led by Colonel Warburton, was barren of results, and the course taken by that officer too northerly for practical purposes.
Eventually it was decided that the expedition should leave during March, 1874, and on the 17th of that month the Surveyor-General issued his final instructions to Mr. Forrest. These are too lengthy to quote fully, but many pertinent sentences in the light of after events are to be found therein. For instance, he writes of the Murchison district: "Every opinion of value that has been given on the subject tells one that the head of the Murchison
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 53
lies in a district which may prove another land of Ophir.” The leader was also ordered to do as much reconnoissance work as possible, and to add as much as he could to the geographical knowledge of the country.
Besides the leader, the party consisted of Mr. Alexander Forrest, second in command; James Sweeney, farrier; James Kennedy, police constable; and Tommy Windich (a true and tried companion) and Tommy Pierre, aboriginal natives. They were well armed and provisioned for a journey of eight months, but they were instructed by every means in their power to avoid conflict with the natives, and as far as possible cultivate friendly relations with any of such they might meet.
On March 18, 1874, the party left Perth, being wished godspeed by Colonel Harvest, the Acting-Governor, and accompanied for some miles by the Surveyor-General and others. On March 31 the explorers were entertained at dinner in Geraldton, and on the following day the serious work of the expedition commenced. The route at first lay through somewhat settled districts by way of Kolonaday, North Spring, and Tin-derlong to Yuin, the principal station of Mr. Burgess. This locality was reached on April 9.
At the outset it was impossible to overestimate the difficulties of the expedition. Colonel Warburton at the conclusion of his journey had stated that with horses it was impossible to do the work entailed, so he had been supplied with camels and yet he fared badly. Giles, Gosse, and others who employed horses were beaten back, but Forrest determined to essay the task, and over a longer route than that traversed by Warburton. That Mr, Forrest recognized the difficulties with which he had to contend was painfully true, and early in his journal we find the following sentence:—“Warburton and other explorers who endeavoured to cross the great inland! desert from the east had the advantage of being provided with camels—a very great advantage indeed in a country where the water supply is so scanty and uncertain as in Central Australia.” This constant need to obtain water for the horses caused throughout the journey many wearying and otherwise unnecessary deviations from the main route and frequent disappointments, besides great privation and inconvenience to man and beast.
On April 20 they reached Warrorang, north-east of Geraldton, and rested to recruit both men and horses, and here they received letters which had been brought from Geraldton by Police-Constable Haydon, who was the last white man they were destined to see for six months.
Three routes in the letter of instructions had been left to the discretion of the leader. Firstly, to choose whether a westward course should be taken, with the alternative of falling back on Nicol Bay on DeGrey River; secondly, to push up Sturt Creek, keeping to the
54 THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
westward of Gregory’s track; and thirdly, to go eastward to the South Australian telegraph line. The third course was chosen, the reasons for which will appear as the narrative proceeds.
On April 22 they obtained a view of Mount Murchison to the northward of their track, which passed through splendid pastoral country, but the progress was necessarily slow, for the possession of only three riding-horses constrained half the party to walk in turns. On the 24th the expedition reached the Murchison River, and the weather became gradually warmer as it proceeded, and on the 27th registered 90° in the shade, giving the high temperature of 83° at 6 p.m. Continuing up the course of the river well-grassed flats of good loamy soil were passed, adorned with white gum, but the country required rain. Game abounded, and for several days the expedition was amply supplied with ducks, cockatoos, and emus. On April 30 the travellers came upon native tracks, and for the first time a guard was set at night. May 1 saw them encamped on a large grassy flat, adjacent to the banks of the Murchison, which contained a pool of excellent fresh water, and though the thermometer was still high the party enjoyed excellent health. Still going eastward, on May 3 they came upon several natives, who proved very uncommunicative, but appeared to be friendly. The journey was now through totally unknown country, hitherto previously unexplored, the party being accompanied by natives, who imparted valuable information in regard to the next water. This was reached about 20 miles ahead, a high hill close to the track being named Mount Maitland, in honour of Mr. Maitland Brown, who had previously performed some excellent work in exploration. Later on in the day a large range of hills was encountered, where Mr. Forrest found his compass to be useless, owing to their being largely composed of hematite. Eastward of this elevation, a high range was observed, which was named the Robinson Range, after Governor Robinson. One of the highest points was named Mount Fraser, after the Honourable Malcolm Fraser, and another elevation Mount Padbury, after Mr. W. Padbury, a contributor to the expedition funds. A fine river had been discovered a day previously, which gradually diminished in size the further the party proceeded. The country on every side was very dry, and the leader became very apprehensive, fearing that, without rain, he would not be able to continue the course. On the 11th, still following the course of the river, the explorers came upon a few native women, who though shy at first eventually were prevailed upon to converse, when they learnt that ahead they would find a sufficiency of water. White gums continued to live on the more fertile banks of the watercourses, and showed from a distance whence they trailed. Though the country gave every indication of being of an excellent pastoral nature, the leader was continually compelled to search for fresh
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
water. On May 13 a range of hills was reached, which was named Glengarry Range, but the country adjacent was amongst the most miserable hitherto crossed, being composed of thickets and spinifex. However, a few days later the travellers were gladdened by rain commencing to fall, and on May 15 they rested to take every advantage to recruit during the welcome change. Continuing the journey eastward next morning they came upon a fine brook, which was named Negri Creek, after Commander Negri, founder of the Geographical Society of Italy. The following day they discovered two remarkable flat-topped hills, which were named Mount Bartle and Mount Russell, after the President and Foreign Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. On the 19th the expedition camped at some water in a small gully with excellent fodder for the animals, but generally throughout the previous 80 miles they had discovered no permanent water. A low range encountered on the 20th was named Kimberley Range, after Lord Kimberley, a famous Secretary of State for the Colonies. The anxiety of the explorers was, however, not abated, for the difficulty of finding water in any quantity still continued, and when on May 22 they discovered a fairly ample supply the leader decided to halt and recruit his wearied party. The journey was resumed on the 23rd, and a high range 'crossed named the Frere Ranges, after Sir Bartle Frere, the then President of the Royal Geographical Society. Still continuing a north-easterly course on the 27th and 28th, the explorers discovered and named Kennedy Creek (after the police constable with the party), Win-dich Springs, Carnarvon Range (after Lord Carnarvon, afterwards a Secretary of State for the Colonies), Mount Salvado (after Bishop Salvado), Davis Hill Rafter Mr.
J. S. Davis), and Pierre Spring.
The expedition was now in a most miserable spinifex country, and on June 1 Forrest came upon the charred skull of a native, evidently the remains of a cannibal feast. The small supply of water found during the past few days had been only too limited to satisfy the needs of the travellers, and anxiety and hardship were beginning to tell severely upon them, and on June 2, with feelings of heartfelt gratitude, they came upon a most desirable camping-place. Swarms of birds led them to a gully containing an unlimited supply of clear fresh water and excellent feed for the animals. Game was in abundance; in fact, it appeared the common watering-place in that portion of the gloomy and sullen desert by which it was surrounded. Fresh food was therefore to be had in abundance, and here they rested for several days to renew their energies for the trials and tribulations still to come. The leader named this welcome oasis Weld Springs, in honour of Governor Weld, who had done so much to render possible the expedition and its work. From this point excursions were made into the surrounding country, but still the eternal spinifex was
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
55
predominant. During this period natives were seen, but they soon disappeared, and it was found impossible to trace them. After several journeys ahead to find a practicable route, the leader decided on June 10 to still continue at Weld Springs, the locality having proved such an excellent depot. On June 12 Alex. Forrest, accompanied by the native Windich, started in search of water for the journey eastward. Near midday next day, about sixty natives were discovered advancing on the camp in a warlike manner. Decorated in war paint and armed with spears and shields they ran towards the camp. Kennedy and the native Pierre, who had gone after game, were recalled to the camp, and, with Sweeney, Forrest prepared to receive the unwelcome visitors. When the two huntsman arrived the natives were within 50 yards of the leader of the expedition, where they halted. First one aboriginal advanced as if on a friendly errand, then a second came rushing forward, performed several manoeuvres, made many feints to throw spears, and finally signalled to his companions.
The whole band then rushed forward on the explorers, shouting and yelling, with their spears shipped. When within 30 yards Forrest gave the order to fire, and a volley was the result. The natives at once decamped, and some appeared to be injured. The party reloaded and got ready for a second attack. When they were a hundred yards distant Forrest fired at one of them with a rifle, when the man was seen to fall, but he arose and was assisted away by his companions. A further attack was not made, and on the return of A. Forrest and Windich next day a strong stone hut was constructed to resist any future attack, especially at night. Despite the threatening attitude of the blacks, the leader did not consider it of sufficient moment to deter him, even for one day, from carrying out the programme he had decided upon. Therefore, early on the morning of the second day, accompanied by the faithful aboriginal, Windich, he left Weld Springs, steering a fairly easterly course, diverging slightly to the north or south as the nature of the country rendered progress
possible. Early in the evening the explorers thought that they heard the voices of natives in the spinifex, and immediately putting out the fire they watched for two hours, but the noise was ascertained to come from native dogs. On the 19th they returned towards Weld Springs and found the party advancing on their tracks, but as the horses of the advanced party had been without water for sometime they returned to the Springs. Next morning the journey was resumed, and they covered a distance of 28 miles before water was obtained. The supplies were extremely scanty, and nearly 80 miles were traversed before another was discovered, which proved to contain enough for one week. The main party halted at this place, and in the morning Mr. Forrest, accompanied by Tommy Pierre, left the camp, steering towards a high range about 30 miles distant. The spinifex now gave place to fine grassy country, game being abundant.
A large brook containing only a few pools, not large enough to be of material use, flowed thr o u gh the flats. The highest point of the range the explorer named Mount Moore, after Mr. W. D. Moore, who was a contributor to the funds. A further range was named the Timper-ley Range, after Mr. W. H. Tim-perley, an Inspector of Police, and a remarkable peak Mount Hosken, after Mr. M. Hosken, a resident of Geraldton. To the south, about nine miles away, the explorers caught sight of a lake, and on the journey came to a gully containing an abundance of fresh water and feed. This discovery was almost providential, for the only other alternative was to retreat towards Weld Springs, from which a fresh start could have been made on a slightly different course. The leader was now about 35 miles distant from camp, and about eight from the lake, to which early next morning he proceeded. The sheet of water was named Lake Augusta, and proved to be salt, and about five miles in circumference. It swarmed with wild fowl, and a very welcome addition to the larder was soon obtained. Continuing they came upon a body of natives, but though friendly overtures were made to them they proved too
• _____________________________________________________________
Photo supplied by L. McK. Burns.
King Edward River, near Mount Leeming.
66
shy to allow of closer approach. On June 24 they came upon a brook flowing into another salt lake, but fortunately a large pool of fresh water was discovered, and Forrest retraced his steps to the camp, which was reached on the 25th, being eminently satisfied with the results of his flying trip. The whole party now advanced, and' the* water found on the 24th was reached on the 29th, where a remarkable hill was named Mount Bates, in honour of the Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. The leader and Windich again preceded the main party next morning, and soon became entangled in the spinifex wastes, and to add to their many anxieties the horses gave out. For days they struggled on, for the intrepid explorer realized that he had now come to the crucial point of his journey, for they were only 200 miles from the furthermost point reached by Gosse in his journey from South Australia. The sullen wastes gave no hope, and they were compelled to drag their horses along, until the leader himself became so exhausted that it was only with the greatest difficulty he advanced. With stern determination they crawled forward, and on reaching a small supply of water decided to encamp and await the advance of the main body. The outlook was most unpromising. Only the ugly, sullen waste of spinifex was to be observed for miles ahead. Yet Mr. Forrest was not disheartened. On every hand was dull, level monotony; in fact, he had entered upon a most wretched desert country. On July 5 the main body crawled into camp, having experienced a most strenuous time, being compelled to abandon two of the horses. The supply of water at the halting-place was very limited, and a retreat became necessary to the last camping-place of the main body, 14 miles in the rear. Giving the horses what supply was available, a rapid survey of the surrounding country was made by two parties—the leader accompanied by Tommy Pierre, and his brother by Windich. The first party returned to camp unsuccessful, and to the leader the only course possible appeared a retreat over terrible country for 70 miles. However, his overwhelming joy can be better imagined than described when the other party returned with the news that within five miles they had found a three weeks' supply of water, thus saving the expedition at its most critical period. The feed at this oasis was extremely poor, and a long stoppage to recruit could hardly be contemplated, and next morning
A. Forrest and Tommy Pierre left on a flying trip to discover, if possible, a further supply of good water, leaving the main body under the leader to follow on. The outlook still remained gloomy and dispiriting, but fortunately for the fate of the expedition A. Forrest discovered a fine spring of fresh water in a beautiful patch of grazing country, the first they had encountered for a distance of 130 miles.
By July 13 the whole of the expedition were encamped at this place, which was named Alexander
Spring, after its discoverer. A flat-topped hill was named Mount Allott, after the Mayor of Adelaide, and a neighbouring elevation, Mount Worsnop, after the Town Clerk of the same place. Early on July 16 the leader, accompanied by his invaluable henchman, the native Windich, left Alexander Spring on their easterly track in a search for the life-sustaining fluid, for the success or failure of the expedition now hinged upon this important item. The eternal spinifex and sand met the eye on every side, but these wastes were interspersed with salt marshes, and they were gladdened towards the evening of the 17th by coming upon a series of sandstone gorges, where they found sufficient water to sustain life. Recognizing that the supply, about 250 gallons, was totally inadequate, in great anxiety of mind the leader pursued his search over the “most miserable country he had ever seen.” The main party was following close behind, and on the 18th a fine pool was found (sufficient for one month’s supply) on a small creek, which was named Blyth Creek, after the Honourable Arthur Blyth, Chief Secretary of South Australia. The whole of the party encamped at this spot on the 20th. It was now within a hundred miles of the position reached by Gosse, and the leader was determined, whatever the difficulties entailed, that he would cross the “intervening space, having reasonable hope that the worst of the journey would ’then have been accomplished.” For several days the country was searched ahead for sufficient water to continue the journey, but without avail. Between the two points it was the worst yet experienced; in fact, it was owing to its terrible nature that Gosse had been compelled to retrace his steps. The leader now became very troubled, and communicated his fears to his brother. After discussion they came to the conclusion that even if faced with the worst they could with safety retrace their steps over the 1,000 miles of Western Australia they had so far traversed. The water in Blyth Creek was fast becoming exhausted, and the last sufficient supply was 60 miles in the rear. Forrest prayed that the water would last, and determined to continue the search. His own words at this stage of the journey are significant of his anxiety of mind:—“Just when the goal of my ambition and my hopes for years past was almost within reach, it appeared that I might not even now be able to grasp it. The thoughts of having to return, however, brought every feeling of energy and determination to my rescue, and I felt that, with God’s help, I would even now succeed. I gave instruction to allowance the party, so that the stores should last at least four months, and made every preparation for a last desperate struggle.” For two days the indomitable leader rested in camp, awaiting the return of his brother from a flying trip. The report was gloomy and unpromising, and the leader left camp with Wundich on August 5 with every determination to succeed, instructing his brother to follow two days later
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
57
with the rest of the party. Small supplies were found on the track, and Forrest plodded steadily forward, but on August 7 the explorers were without water for the whole day, camping at night tired and thirsty. Next day they continued their search, at last coming on a brackish supply refused by the horses, but so great was their own need that they each absorbed about a pint. Slowly they crawled forward, until in a small granite hole they found 5 gallons of fresh water. The horses had now been without feed for forty-eight hours, and Forrest was gladdened by finding a day’s supply of water. A little further on the flying party had come upon old tracks of horses, and it had ample proof that it was in the country previously traversed by Gosse. On August 8 a native well or spring was discovered, and the party camped to await the arrival of the main body.
During this journey several marked geographical features were encountered and named—a range of hills being called Baker Range, and its two highest peaks named Mount Samuel, after Sir Samuel Baker, the great African explorer, and Mount Harvest, after the Acting-Governor of Western Australia. On the 10th it was joined by the other portion of the expedition, and after supplying the horses with water the journey was continued. August 12 saw Mr. John Forrest and Windich again in the lead, and now entering country of a more promising nature, a granite peak near the camping-place being named Mount Elvire. At this point Forrest cam,e upon the tracks of a number of horses, but as they appeared some distance from the route plotted by Gosse he put them down as belonging in all probability to the expedition of Mr. Giles. At length, on the 13th, they found a fine spring of good water, and camped to await the arrival of the second party.
The troubles were now to a certain extent over. The terrible desert had been safely negotiated after weeks of arduous toil, and the determination of man had conquered over the forces of Nature in her most awful and desperate mood. The leader now felt sanguine that he could reach the settled districts of South Australia, though he recognized that some further privations would be met. To the whole party he now voiced the opinion that they were in safety, and in all human probability in five or six weeks’ time would reach the overland telegraph line, for at last they had bridged the awful, desolate spinifex desert.
The spring where they rested was named Barlee Spring, after the Honourable F. P. Barlee, Colonial Secretary of Western Australia, and a prominent elevation adjacent named Mount Palgrave.
The country now to be traversed was to a certain extent explored, yet the trials and tribulations of the party were not ended. Reference has already been made to the tracks previously discovered, and again they came upon the traces of previous exploration, but it was not
until August 16 that Forrest could definitely decide to which earlier expedition they belonged. On this date Windich discovered a tree marked | | and a little
further on the marks of wheeled transport. As this must have belonged to Gosse’s party, the leader decided that he had come upon the old tracks of both these explorers. The presence of an old track, deep and well-beaten, towards a gully led them to expect a spring, and their expectations were more than realized when they came upon a fine flow of water, surrounded by a stockyard and strongly-constructed bush hut. This appeared to be a camp of the party under Mr. Giles, and afterevents proved that Giles and Gosse were within a few miles of each other, but, strange to say, did not meet. The spring was the “Fort Mueller” of Mr. Giles, where he rested for some two or three months. A pole was erected on the site of the camp, and the following inscription cut in it: —
“J. Forrest, August 17th, ’74.”
On August 19 the journey was continued, and the next few days were remarkable for the privations endured by the travellers. The outlook was anything but promising until by good fortune they discovered a spring missed by Mr. Gosse, and general relief was expressed, for it looked at one time as if a return to Fort Mueller would be absolutely necessary. The leader in his journal comments on the fact, and decided in future to rely on his own resources, and not follow blindly any of the old tracks, recognizing that the state of the season alters materially any patch of country in the interior. The spring was named Elder Springs, after Sir Thomas Elder, a well-known patron of exploration. Springs now became fairly numerous for a few days, but the water needed to be searched for, yet the party was never reduced to the same condition as before, though the state of the horses, owing to the continuous hardships of the journey, was pitiable in the extreme. During this portion of the course several geographical features were named, amongst them being Wilkie Spring, after Dr. Wilkie (treasurer of Burke & Wills exploration fund), and Crow-ther Springs, after Mr. Charles Crowther, of Geraldton. Moving on ahead of the main party, John Forrest and Windich on September 3 came upon a party of natives feasting, who resented the invasion of their domain by the explorers. For a time it looked as if serious consequences would ensue, as the blacks attacked at once and a shower of spears was hurled at the intruders. Fortunately, however, the firing of the revolvers kept the attackers off, and Forrest in turn became the aggressive party. The travellers were unsuccessful in their search for water during the remaining portion of the day, and it was not until they were close to a high elevation, which Forrest named Mount Mary, that their search proved successful on the morning of the next day, having been forced to camp in a thirsty and wearied condition during
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
the previous night. September 7 saw the party at a camping-place used previously by Gosse, and Forrest named the adjacent spring after that explorer. The 11th of the month saw the expedition at Whitell Creek, and a remarkable hill towards the south was named Mount Elizabeth. Sweeney, a member of the party, now exhibited signs of illness, the excessive privations having told severely upon his constitution. The meat ration carried by the party had been consumed, likewise the tea and sugar, and failing the presence of native game damper and water was the daily diet of the explorers. Departing from the usual procedure, the party continued its journey on Sunday, September 27, and a burst of prolonged cheering announced the first sight of the overland telegraph line. In his journal Mr. Forrest says: —“I felt rejoiced and relieved from anxiety; and on reflecting upon the long line of travel we had performed through an unknown country, almost a wilderness, felt very thankful to that good Providence that had guarded and guided us so safely through it.”
The explorers travelled down the telegraph line, and three days later reached the settled district of Peake. The party was received with great hospitality, and the journey now became a royal progress. A general holiday was observed on the arrival in Adelaide, and the explorers were met by a band of equally famous pathfinders, viz., Messrs. Warburton, Gosse, and Giles, who escorted them to Adelaide. Mounted on the horses that had served them so well, and clothed in their rough and travel-stained clothing, the explorers reached the Adelaide Town Hall, amidst the enthusiastic plaudits of the crowd.
Perth was reached early in December, and the welcome accorded in Adelaide was repeated.
Thus it will be seen by a perusal of the foregoing narrative that necessity shaped their course. First in Western Australia, owing to want of water, they were prevented from penetrating as far to the north as had been desired; afterwards when they had crossed the border a combination of causes, including a hot dry season, bad country, short provisions, and fagged animals changed Forrest’s intention of exploring to the south. However, despite all the trials and disadvantages the mere geographical survey work was carried out at all costs. Whilst the report on the chances of settlement in the spinifex region was distinctly unfavourable, with perhaps an exception in favour of patches similar to those in the neighbourhood of Mount Moore and Lake Augusta, still the leader gave a most cheering account of the land on the Murchison beyond the then settled districts of the colony.
The disadvantages this explorer laboured under when compared with Warburton and Gosse were immense, but even thus handicapped he only the more exhibited his ability as am explorer. Warburton, it will be remembered, was equipped with camels, and yet he hurried across the continent, losing fifteen out of seventeen beasts. On the other hand Forrest not only saved twelve out of his eighteen horses, but travelling slowly and making careful notes, was able to give a full and valuable report on the country through which he had passed, and, in the words of a well-known historian, “concluded one of the most remarkable journeys on record.”
CHAPTER X.
ERNEST GILES, 1872-1875—ALEXANDER FORREST, 1879.
Contemporaneously with the expeditions of Forrest, Warburton, and Gosse, a series of journeys was being made by a man who must always rank high amongst the most famous of Australian explorers. Ernest Giles had a long and intimate knowledge of South Australian country and conditions, both as a digger and prospector and as a Government official of definite standing. Using positions on the overland telegraph line as bases to project expeditions westward in the hope of conquering desert wastes in that direction, several trips were undertaken by him to exploit this region.
In Baron von Mueller, the noted botanist, whose name is now a household word throughout the length and breadth of the island continent, the cause of exploration in Western Australia had a firm and lasting friend and advocate. The noted scientist’s researches in the botanical world have conferred a lasting benefit on Australia; and hardly less comprehensive have been his services
to geographical science. Determined that still another attempt should be made to solve the problem of the interior of Australia, Giles and Baron von Mueller joined forces, and financed an expedition, to be led by the former, for the purpose of conquering the sullen wastes that had so long defied all attempts to explore and examine.
In August, 1872, Giles left the telegraph line on his first trip westward. The party consisted of, besides the leader, Messrs. Carmichael and A. Robinson. Fifteen horses formed part of the equipment, and on August 4, 1872, the party left Port Augusta, and on August 23, after a short period spent in recruiting, started for the serious portion of their trip from Chambers Pillar. The route followed by the expedition was through Glen Edith to Giles Range, where some excellent pastoral country was discovered. However, the expedition was soon to be involved in grave difficulties, and Lake Amadeus (named
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
59
after the King of Spain) prevented any further progress westward. Surrounded by barren sandhills (covered with spinifex and dense mulga scrub), Giles pushed determinedly forward, and reached a point 130° east longitude, but, daunted by his terrible environment, decided to return.
On October 1 he started on his homeward journey, reaching the telegraph line on November 21 at a point near to Hugh Junction.
The following passage, significant of the country, is extracted from Giles’ journal: —“I was only too thankful to get out of this horrible region and this frightful encampment, into which the fates had drawn me, alive. I might condemn this region as a useless desert. I can truly say it is dry, stony, scrubby, and barren.”
Undeterred by his previous non-success Giles set about finding the wherewithal to again attempt the serious proposition, and mainly by private subscriptions from Victoria he was enabled to set about the task. At the same time, howover, two other South Australian efforts were practically under weigh, both of which have been previously mentioned, and one proved to be in a certain measure successful, but without much practical value.
On August 4 the expedition left the telegraph line at the junction of the Stevenson and Alberga Creeks for the attempted conquest of that terrible stretch of country between the starting - point and the more settled portions of the sister colony.
The party consisted of Ernest Giles (commander), W. H. Tietkins, A.
Gibson, and J. Andrews, with twenty-four horses. As was proved by Forrest’s expedition, which came upon the tracks of both, Giles kept a course very close to that followed by Gosse, and at one period they could not have been very far apart, though both explorers were unaware of the fact. The sufferings were severe, and again to his deep chagrin Giles was compelled to turn back. But for one of the party there was to be no return, for Gibson succumbed to the hardships endured in that desert which now bears his name. The story of the privations is gruesome reading, and when on one occasion the leader was reduced to the extremity of eating a dying wallaby (to use his own words), “fur, skin, and all,” some estimate can be formed of what was suffered. Only in the story of Eyre’s terrible journey across the Great Australian Bight do we get any comparison of the trials and difficulties the expedition encountered. However, though
Eknest Giles.
unsuccessful, it can be recounted to the credit of Giles that notwithstanding the terrible trials, and though nearly twelve months in the field, yet he successfully retreated to his base. He discovered several features in ascending the Alfred and Marie Ranges, Fort Mueller, a notable camping-place which proved so welcome an oasis to the wearied party under John Forrest, being one.
Twice unsuccessful though he had been in the attempts to conquer the lonely and inhospitable desert, nevertheless Giles had achieved sufficient fame to stamp him as one of the most indomitable exponents of Australian exploration. After the successful journey of John Forrest, by which the efforts of all previous explorers had been eclipsed, Giles decided to make another attempt to carry out his great desire to proceed by the overland route to Perth. This time the funds were supplied by Sir Thomas Elder, to whose exceeding generosity the cause of exploration in Australia is greatly indebted. The expedition was supplied with camels, and carried an eighteen months’ supply of provisions. Besides the leader, the party consisted of W. H. Tietkins, J. Young, A. Ross, P. Nicholls, an Afghan named Saleh, and an aboriginal named Tommy. In this attempt Giles was determined to succeed or leave his bones as a monument in the fastnesses of the sullen wastes of the Western Australian bush. The course selected differed materially from those adopted by previous explorers, being more southerly than that taken by Forrest in 1874.
The expedition started from Oul-dabinna on August 24, 1875, and speedily became entangled in a most inhospitable region. Almost from the outset one of the most terrible the travellers continually in the face, and without camels they could never have accomplished the earlier portions of the journey, and only the inflexible spirit of the leader, which was transmitted to the rest of the party, carried them through the terrible obstacles which were encountered. Rarely, indeed, has such sublime courage been displayed by any expedition, and Giles deserved all the praise bestowed at the conclusion of his magnificent feat. To the dweller in other lands the hardships of the Australian desert defy portrayal, and the indomitable perseverance of Giles, and the nature of the difficulties it helped him to overcome, is an example of the courage of the race.
The course of the journey was through a desert of a most appalling and forbidding nature. Miles of
of deaths stared
spinifex-covered sandhill country were negotiated. Passing salt lakes, and through their attendant marshes, the travellers wearily plodded, and still hoped on, in surroundings that could only beget despair, until on September 3 they reached the boundary of Western Australia, and-camped at what is known as Boundary Dam. Here Giles rested for a week, taking advantage of a fair supply of good water. From this point Giles steered a course west-by-south, and launched the party on an attempt to cross an almost limitless desert. For 323 miles the explorers proceeded without the slightest change, being buoyed by the determination to succeed, which seemed to imbue every member with a bulldog courage. It is impossible to comprehend the reason for this action, and the only solution that can be given is, that only one passion dominated the leader—to reach Perth. Just when their position was becoming extremely perilous they came upon a lake of pure water, which Giles named Queen Victoria Springs. Here in latitude 30° 25' 30", longitude 123° 21' 13", they rested for twelve days, and for the first time in seventeen days the explorers enjoyed a good wash. This fortunate discovery probably saved the expedition, and Giles was extremely thankful to the mercies of the Creator for the relief. Continuing the journey a west-by-north course was steered, passing Lake Roe, Broad Arrow, and Siberia. A further waterless track of 180 miles was crossed to granite hills, where difficulty was experienced with the natives. On November 6 Giles reached Mr. Clarke’s station, near the Wongan Hills, Victoria Plains, and on the subsequent journey to Perth the explorer was received with that enthusiasm his great feat deserved.
In his further determination to return to South Australia by the overland route, Giles essayed a task never before contemplated in the history of Western Australian exploration. After a few weeks’ rest in Perth, the return journey was begun on January 13, 1876, its first stage being to Northampton, via Geraldton. The party, in addition to the leader, consisted of W. H. Tiet-kins, Jess Young, Alexander Ross, Peter. Nicholls, Saleh (the Afghan camel driver), and two natives—Jimmy Nanthona and Johnny Oldham. Giles’ object in this expedition was not only to reach the Alfred and Marie Ranges which he had seen on his 1874 journey, and to connect with his route of that year, but also to ascertain how far the terrible Gibson Desert extended to the west. Having passed the headwaters of the Murchison and Gascoyne, he reached Mount Labouchere, and on May 10 encamped on the upper portion of the Ashburton. A subordinate excursion was then made from Grand Junction Depot northward to Ophthalmia Range and Mount Robinson, on the border of the tropics. The head of the Ashburton was reached, 350 miles from its mouth, and it was thus proved to be one of the most important rivers in the colony. Gibson Desert was entered on June 1,
having resumed the journey eastwards, and from the 12th to 18th of that month the explorers suffered intensely from want of water, a stretch of 230 miles being traversed without it. Soon afterwards the Alfred and! Marie Ranges, and later on the familiar Rawlinson Mountains, came in sight, whence, passing through South Australian territory, the Peake Station was reached on August 23, a most formidable and hazardous journey having been completed with great expedition. Giles was now able to thoroughly substantiate the views of those explorers and geographers who had described the greater part of the interior of Australia as a sandy desert unfit for settlement. In performing these journeys he added greatly to the knowledge of the country traversed, and exhibited great skill as an explorer.
After the comprehensive journeys undertaken in the years 1872-75, which have been mentioned in detail, it would appear that but little fresh information could be gathered in reference to the Western Australian interior. However, a new (or, rather, the revival of the old) hypothesis was now beginning to agitate the public mind, viz., the discovery of payable auriferous country. In the past the theory had many times been advanced that gold in payable quantities abounded in the interior, and the many quartz reefs intersecting the country previously explored certainly gave colour to opinions so freely ex-'-pressed. Many of the earlier explorations had had for their raison d’ etre the discovery of the precious metal, and with indefatigable energy the hardy pioneers sought to unearth the longed-for ore.
With this object in view a journey was projected in 1876 by Messrs. Philip Saunders and Adam Johns, residents of the Northern Territory, South Australia, to prospect for the precious mineral throughout What is now generally known as the Kimberley district. The expedition crossed from Roebourne to the overland telegraph line prospecting the country on its track, but with a negative result. However, good pastoral country was encountered, and in this respect the expedition cannot be considered totally barren of results. Considering the gold discoveries in this region a little over a decade later, the opinion is forced upon the mind that despite the phenomenal yield of the precious metal from the Eastern Goldfields district, yet many possibilities still exist for the hardy prospector in Western Australia.
However, from the outcome of the next exploration paramount advancement to the colony was to result, and, second only to John Forrest, Western Australia owes a deep debt of gratitude to Alexander Forrest. From the exploring trip made under his leadership in 1879, the subsequent progress of Western Australia may be said to date.
Early in that year he was instructed to examine, map out, and report on the country between the De Grey River, in Western Australia, and the Victoria River, in
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
the Northern Territory. The party consisted of Messrs. Fenton Hill (second-in-command), Matthew Forrest, John Campbell, James Carey, and Arthur Hicks, together with two aboriginal natives (Tommy Pierre, whose help so largely contributed to the success of John Forrest’s overland journey, and Dower). Mr. Hill was specially instructed to gather mineral, botanical, and zoological specimens. The party was provisioned for a six months’ journey, and started from the “DeGroy River" Station on February 27, 1879. It hugged the coast for several days, until the inability to discover fresh water forced them some miles inland. The nature of the country crossed proved very patchy, in many places desolate and barren, whilst in others (notably near Roebuck Bay) very fertile, “where the grass stood over the horses’ backs.” Throughout a miserable lack of water existed, and several horses had to be abandoned. It was when Forrest reached Beagle Bay that the serious work of the expedition commenced, though more hardship than had been anticipated had already been encountered. A previous exploration by James Crowle, already mentioned, had explored a little to the north-east of Beagle Bay, and hence the country traversed so far by the expedition was pretty well known. ‘ One of the greatest inconveniences suffered in these regions by earlier explorers had been those caused by the prolific insect life, and Forrest and his party were not to be immune from the plagues of mosquitoes that rendered life almost unbearable to Grey and Stokes. All sorts of expedients were used to free themselves from these pests, but without avail, and the painful effects had to be stoically endured.
After a trip to the Lacepede Islands in a pearler the serious preparations for the inland journey commenced, and on April'22 the expedition started on its track northward. The Fitzroy River was reached on May 9. During this journey Lakes Louisa and Flora, the Rivers Mackay and Fraser, and Mounts Clarkson and Anderson were discovered and named. Game was abundant, and the country, being very well watered, contained many magnificent grazing areas. Forrest desired to cross the Fitzroy, and though to swim the watercourse was not an impossible feat, yet the danger of injury to the instruments he desired to take with him deterred him for a while. At length an ingenious raft was constructed of four water cans, on which were placed the instruments, firearms, and clothes of Forrest, Hill, and Campbell, and the passage was safely negotiated. Some little distance was traversed on the right bank of the river, during which Mount Abbott was named. On their return the explorers named three hills Mounts James, Tuckfield, and Campbell, and two ranges the St. George and Oscar, and a river the Margaret. The expedition followed the Fitzroy River for 240 miles, through country vastly different in nature to that previously traversed by the
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 61
leader, and the following extract from his journal clearly proves howr much enjoyment and pleasure he obtained : — “The longest and largest river in Western Australia, it flows through magnificent flats, which contain about
4,000,000 acres of pastoral lands, and are capable of depasturing at least a million sheep, a larger number than the whole of the settled portions of the colony now carry.” The boundless possibilities of this river (discovered by Stokes during his survey of the coast in
H.M.S. “Beagle”) impressed not only its discoverer but subsequent explorers. The scenery, as the river issued from the rugged gorges, could hardly be surpassed in its awesome grandeur, and it was with reluctance that the explorers left the romantic locality and set a course towards the north-west. The intention of the travellers was to reach the watershed of the Glenelg River, but soon after leaving the flats of the Fitzroy they became involved in very hilly and rocky country. Slowly moving forward over a series of rough and almost inaccessible hills, the route proved so difficult that they were forced to retire and seek a more practicable course, especially as the journey was beginning to tell with increasing severity on the horses. The hills had given place to mountainous ranges, and the explorer in attempting to ascend one of the steep summits was met by a precipitous wall of rock over 200 ft. high. The scenery was magnificent ; the hills and valleys covered with luxuriant tropical vegetation lent to the view an almost poetic beauty, and the party delayed its advance, imperceptibly overcome by the grandeur of the ever-changing scene.
On June 8 the Lennard River was crossed and named, but the difficulties of the journey steadily increased, and the task of surmounting the precipitous ranges appeared well nigh hopeless. Moving in a northeasterly lateral course along the foothills Forrest was enabled to get a view of Secure and Collier Bays, and he hoped to be able to cross the rocky gorges, and so get to the Glenelg. Some sensational feats of mountain climbing now eventuated, and after an arduous climb and still more perilous descent, the party camped in a mountain pass, surrounded by romantic glens, beautiful gullies, and rugged gorges; yet beauty of scene could hardly compensate for their desperate situation. Several of the horses had been lost, Carey was extremely ill with a kind of fever (probably dengue), Forrest and another member of the expedition were afflicted with inflamed eyes, and to crown their misery the provisions gave unmistakable signs of depletion. For days they had wandered through rough mountains, scaled precipitous hills, and ploughed their way through the quagmires that surrounded many of the numerous springs. Nevertheless, the scene of their camp was delightful. Surrounded by waterfalls the cool shades of evening enhanced the wonderful beauty of the scene, and the memory of their troubles was partially obliterated by the ever-changing splendour of the locality.
Early next morning the journey was continued, and though parched and desolate desert plains and the ever-recurring anxiety in regard to water were absent, still the difficulties were well nigh insurmountable. Two horses fell in an attempt to climb the side of a precipitous gorge and had to be abandoned, and the further they proceeded the more difficult became the route. Steadily they plodded on, now climbing an almost impassable barrier of rock, with the certainty of a still more precipitous descent on the other slope, now passing through the boggy ground of an ever-flowing spring. Almost despairing of ever getting through the ranges they camped for the night on the shores of an inland stream. A horse was lost during the night, and after abandoning several saddles and some luggage next morning another attempt was made to surmount the difficulties. After a steep and arduous climb of 600 ft. the party emerged on a rocky tableland, and early in the afternoon camped to rest both wearied men and distressed horses. To add to the many difficulties some natives, who had been following them for some distance, approached the camp through the tall grass, but kindness and firmness combined ended satisfactorily a meeting that had at first presented many unpleasant features. Next day a mountain stream was passed and named Devil Creek, in itself a fitting commentary on the predicament of the explorers. Stubbornly they pushed on, but the position had now become so serious that the leader began to contemplate a return to Beagle Bay. Imbued with dogged courage and perseverance, and a consummate bushman, the difficulties must have been enormous when Alex. Forrest reached the stage of taking into consideration the question of retreat. After a tedious and dangerous climb of 800 ft. the expedition camped three miles further on. For two days it rested. Carey was still ill, and Matthew Forrest was suffering from sunstroke. Perceiving that it was useless to try and proceed in the general direction without first reconnoitring the ground to be traversed, Forrest left the camp next morning accompanied by one companion, in an attempt to plot out a route for their further advance. Moving in the direction of the Glenelg River he ascended a hill which he named Mount Hopeless, and got a view of the Stephen Range towards the Glenelg. As far as the eye could reach the endless zigzags of the cliffs continued, interspersed here and there with deep, frowning, and rugged gorges, whilst the towering peaks with their bristling summits formed a panoramic scene of grandeur never to be forgotten—the embattlements of Nature in her sternest garb. Immensely impressed with the solemn and awe-inspiring view Forrest returned to camp, relinquishing all hope of passing the frowning barriers which lay between him and the Glenelg.
On June 25 the expedition moved to retrace its steps to the branching-off position on June 16. The difficulties
experienced on the advance again fell to its lot, and another horse was lost on this short journey. The outward track was followed to the former camping-place near the Fitzroy, and there the leader considered the paramount question of his future movements. After some deep thought Forrest decided on undertaking the gigantic task of an eastward journey to the telegraph line. This he considered infinitely preferable to attempting to return to Beagle Bay, where he considered supplies would be unobtainable. The Lennard River was reached on July 4, and the Fitzroy on the 8th, which formed a new starting-point for the eastward journey. With stern determination the travellers set their faces eastward, and with perfect confidence in the foresight and wisdom of the leader were assured that whatever fate had in store they would reach the journey’s end in safety if human skill and endurance could accomplish the task.
Moving rapidly forward they came upon a portion of the Margaret River; during the journey naming Mounts Pierre, Krauss, George, and Barrett and Mueller Range. To their great delight the country became more open, and on July 20 they came upon a low range which was magnificently grassed. For a few days the journey was continued over splendid grassy uplands, whose pastoral capacities appeared almost unlimited, but on July 24 a rough and rocky range was encountered, being 'crossed only with difficulty. The meat rations had been slowly but surely diminishing, and they were compelled to kill one of the poor, tired horses for food. Both aboriginals were feeling severely the continued hardships of the journey, and were unfit for any exertion; so the leader decided to halt for two days to recruit the wearied party. Previous to this the Negri and Ord Rivers had been crossed and named, and on August 7 the toilsome journey was again renewed. The explorers were now in South Australian territory, and encountering another river it was named the Belin, and a range of hills the Connaught Range. The hardships of the journey were telling on every member of the party, but on the faithful aboriginal, Tommy Pierre, they fell very heavily indeed, and he had to be strapped to his horse.
The explorers reached Stirling Creek (so named by Gregory in 1856) on August 9, after passing through extremely rough country and suffering many privations. The 14th of the same month saw the dilapidated and wearied travellers in sight of the Wickham and Victoria Rivers. As game was very scarce and the rations were fast diminishing another horse was killed, and its flesh jerked for food; even reptiles were thought fit for the larder, as a snake 10 ft. long was killed and eaten by the half-famished explorers. The difficulties of the journey increased every day, and they were now to suffer from that curse inseparable from exploration in the interior of Australia—thirst. The country lying between the position they had attained and the telegraph line was
63
waterless, and they suffered untold agonies both of body and mind. In their present weakened state it appeared almost impossible to cover the distance, and not even on the previous expedition had Alex. Forrest met such a contingency as was now to arise. The heat was intense, being almost unbearable under the best conditions, and the horses were reduced to the last stage of exhaustion. After several unsuccessful attempts to negotiate this tract, the leader left the main body under Mr. Hill, and with one companion (Hicks) essayed to surmount the obstacle, and the evening of August 31 saw them in a most distressful condition. Forrest wrote in his diary on that night:—“We must hope for the best; we are in God's hands Who has guided us safely so far. To go back would be impossible; but, unless on our onward journey we reach water by this time to-morrow, we shall probably go to swell the list of those who have perished from thirst in the Australian bush." When it was dark they saddled their horses, and two miles away reached a dry creek, when Forrest's horse from sheer exhaustion lay down in the creek. The saddles were taken off and the exhausted men and horses attempted to secure repose. But as the wretched hours sluggishly moved on, they found that their anxiety of mind was too great to rest, and they determined to try and reach the telegraph line before morning. “At half-past ten," writes Forrest, “we set off,
Hicks leading my horse and I following on foot. We had scarcely travelled a mile, when Hicks suddenly shouted that the telegraph line was ahead," and forgetting their thirst they cheered lustily. Offering a prayer of thanksgiving to the Divine Creator, they followed the line northward for three miles, coming on an iron tank full of water. On September 4 they met a party 50 miles
Alexander Forrest.
from Katherine Station, and two days later, with good horses and plenty of water, they started back to relieve their companions, meeting them on September 11.
The party arrived at Katherine Station on September 19, and their trials and tribulations were now ended. Supplied with good horses by the South Australian Government, they reached Southport on October 6, and proceeded by boat to Palmerston. They returned to Western Australia via Sydney and the south coast, being enthusiastically received on their arrival. It was, however, to be the last trip of one member of the expedition, who though only of the rank and file was nevertheless one of the most indefatigable explorers in the Western land.
The illness of Tommy Pierre, the aboriginal, increased day by day, and he only lived long enough to reach King George Sound and to be buried in his own land. Both Sir John and Mr. Alex. Forrest have paid the highest tributes of respect to the memory of the aboriginals Windich and Tommy Pierre, and to them can be raised the noblest of all monuments that mortal man can have—-“They did their duty."
No previous expedition undertaken in Western Australia had more far-reaching and important results than this of Alex. Forrest, who deserved far more than he received even at the hands of his grateful State. About 25,000,000 acres of pastoral land were discovered, and the colony recognized that some of the north-west areas were a valuable asset. The exploration of the Kimberley district, for so the whole came to be called, is an everlasting monument to the name of the man by whose indomitable courage, illimitable patience, and unerring bushcraft its potentialities were first made known.
CHAPTER XI.
RECENT EXPLORATION.
During the next few years exploration in Western Australia mainly consisted of a closer examination of country the general tenour of which was practically known, and to allow of more accurate survey for pastoral purposes.
In this regard the expedition led by Mr. John Forrest during the year 1883, in the immediate vicinity of
the Fitzroy and Ord Rivers, was mainly undertaken. He was accompanied by Surveyors J. S. Brooking, H. F. Johnston, G. R. Turner, and G. J. Walsh, and on landing at Roebuck Bay they examined a considerable portion of the Kimberley district. The intermediate country from La Grange Bay to St. George Range was most carefully examined, and found to consist in a very great
64
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
measure of rich elevated plains with abundance of water.
Round the lowest part of the Ord River the country was ascertained to be a fertile alluvium clothed with rich, luxuriant grass. The geological formation was also examined by Mr. E. T. Hardman, who was enabled to form a valuable geological map from the data he collected.
During the years 1883-1884 Messrs. W. J. O’Donnell and W. Carr-Boyd, exploring the country from the overland telegraph line in the direction of Roebourne, were fortunate in finding good country in the Kimberley district.
In the year 1883 and those immediately following, Mr. Harry Johnston, the present Surveyor-General, carried out some important surveys in the Kimberley district which were almost in the nature of explorations and well deserve mention. The more difficult portion of the work was undertaken during 1884.
In this year the party landed at Derby and extended the work from the Leopold Ranges to the South Australian boundary, near the junction of the Negri and Ord Rivers. To perform these surveys sufficient provisions had to be carried on packhorses for six months. This party was accompanied by Mr. E. T. Hardman, the Government Geologist, who performed some very valuable work.
Mr. Johnston returned to the Kimberley district in 1885. On this occasion he landed in Cambridge Gulf under View Hill, and went southwards to connect with his survey of the Ord River district in the previous year. The country was rough and picturesque, and Mr. Johnston voiced the opinion that it was more suitable for the pasturing of cattle than of sheep. A new species of kangaroo was discovered on this journey, and from every point of view the expedition was successful.
However, by far the most valuable portion of the work was accomplished by Mr. Hardman, and his geological survey, though of necessity hurried, can be said to have led to the first discovery of gold in payable quantities in Western Australia. In his first detailed description Mr. Hardman deals with the country from Roebuck Bay to the Fitzroy and Yeeda Rivers, thus covering an examination of the country north of the Meda River. In his report he recommended that a thorough search be made in the country between Napier Range and Mount Broome. As settlers, who had already penetrated as far as the Ord River, had reported the “colour of gold,” Mr. Hardman examined this country and gave a very hopeful report. He found alluvial gold of a very encouraging character over many miles of country, and in conclusion expressed great hopes of finding payable gold in this country.
The nature of these reports stimulated interest in prospecting to a very considerable extent, and on August 5, 1885, a prospecting party—mainly composed of
residents of the Eastern colonies, in the persons of Messrs. Slattery, Hall, McCaque, Campbell, Nicholson, and Poult—left the “Yeeda” Station for the locality. The party held to the Panton River until it joined the Elvira. After following a dry creek for ten miles a waterhole was reached, near which was found payable gold, and in five or six days 10 oz. had been collected from the bed of the creek under a layer of drift sand.
It is not clear who actually was the discoverer of the Kimberley Goldfield, as, apart from the prospectors named, Mr. Carr-Boyd, a Victorian, now a well-known identity, laid claim to the honour. Prior to the discoveries of this prospecting party he had detached a parcel of stone'from a reef and sent it to Melbourne to be treated.
Previous to the journey of this party, an ill-fated and unfortunate expedition was undertaken from Cambridge Gulf in 1884 by Mr. H. Stockdale, an experienced bushman, in order to explore the country in its vicinity. From the Gulf southwards he traversed well-watered and diversified country till Buchanan Creek was reached. Having formed his depot there, he hoped to make further explorations, but owing to certain irregularities which had occurred in his absence on a flying trip, he was compelled to start immediately for his destination, the overland telegraph line. Later, at their own request, he was compelled to abandon two of his companions, whom he left provided with all necessaries, and to whom a relief party was despatched immediately upon his arrival at the telegraph station. This and subsequent search parties failed, however, to discover any traces of the ill-fated men.
The general exploration was now carried out by prospecting parties, which in their search for the precious metal undertook expeditions where hardships of the severest character were encountered.
In 1887 the discovery of colours of gold at Moujakine led to the organization of the “Settlers’ Association,” which, with Government aid, fitted out a party, under the leadership of Mr. Bernard Colreavy, to explore the country to the eastward of Newcastle and Northam. They penetrated the country as far as the Yilgarn Hills, a distance of fully 200 miles.
About the same time a party under the leadership of Mr. H. Anstey, while prospecting in the same section, found rich specimens of gold-bearing quartz at Eenuin, which led to the more careful examination of the Golden Valley and Southern Cross districts.
Mr. Geo. T. Simpson, M.E., during the month of June, 1888, made a journey to the Hampton Plains on behalf of a private syndicate. He met with and reported on good country in that district, plenty of water and fair timber being found there.
The headwaters of the Gascoyne and Ashburton were explored in 1888-9 by Mr. Ernest Favenc, a well-known
65
Queensland explorer and historian. Setting out from Geraldton for the Upper Gascoyne, he crossed over to the headwaters of the Ashburton in the north and discovered three important tributaries of that river—the Cunningham,-Jackson, and James—all running through magnificent pastoral country.
On March 14,1889, Mr. W. H. Tietkins set out from Alice Springs to examine the hitherto unknown country to the north and west of Lake Amadeus. Entering Western Australia near the tropic of Capricorn late in May, he discovered and named the Kintore Range, 1,500 ft. high, to the north-east of Lake Macdonald, and ascended Mount Leisler. On the 31st of the same month he left for the lake, and its circuit having been practically completed, the Bonython Ranges were discovered to the south-east. On his return journey Tietkins passed through 60 miles of country supposed to be contained in the area of Lake Amadeus, but no vestige of this great natural feature could be seen, although the lake was subsequently found in another direction.
Mr. P. Newman, a Swede, in 1890 travelled from Eraser Range north-east to Queen Victoria Springs, calculated to be 135 miles distant. He described the latter part of the intermediate country as poor and covered with spinifex and stunted mallee.
The same year Mr. W. P. Goddard was sent by a private syndicate to report on the country to the northeast and east of Lake Lefroy, and in doing so he explored several districts previously unexamined. His most easterly position (in longitude 124§° east) was reached on September 12; the creek called by his name, and which is probably connected with the Ponton River in wet seasons, being discovered en route. About the same time the districts around Lake Lefroy and between that and Southern Cross were surveyed by Mr. Goddard.
Mr. Lindsay, the leader of the expedition fitted out by Sir Thomas Elder to complete the exploration of Australia—more especially the Western colony—left War-rina on May 2, 1891. Shortly after crossing the border Mr. Leech was despatched on a fruitless trip northwards to search for traces of the ill-fated Gibson, who had perished some seventeen years previously. The expedition then proceeded via Fort Mueller to Mount Squires, where water was obtained. Thence a south-west course was taken across the unknown Block A to Queen Victoria Springs. In latitude 29° 20' south, 270 miles from Mount Squires, the eastern edge of good pastoral country was touched. Upon reaching the springs they were found to be dry, and the intended further exploration from them as a base had to be abandoned, the party having to push on to Eraser Range; and this hasty trip through the desert from Mount Squires represented the only useful work done so far. Lindsay reported that when about half-way to the range, the travellers passed a good country of rich red soil producing good stock
F
bushes, but all extremely dry. A belt of country “worthy the attention of prospectors” was also met with. Having rested for some time at the range, they set out to examine, if possible, the western side of the desert they had just traversed, but want of water compelled them to take an extreme westerly course, via Mount Monger, to the Murchison, along which they passed through country mostly covered with miserable thicket on a sandy soil with granite outcrops. On January 1, 1892, they reached their destination, where the majority of the members left the expedition, and their leader was recalled to Adelaide. In his absence a flying trip was taken by Mr. L. A. Wells into the district known as Block A, lying between Giles’ 1876 and Forrest’s 1874 tracks. Starting practically from the depot at Welbun-dinum, he completed his examination of practically the whole block in about six weeks, between February 23 and April 4. In this expedition he travelled 834 miles, discovered some fine ranges and hills, a large extent of pastoral, and some auriferous country, but no permanent surface water. The total area explored in the two expeditions was 80,000 square miles, and the total mileage covered 2,745 miles.
During 1895 Mr. J. H. Rowe traversed the heads of the Gascoyne and Ashburton Rivers and the country south of the Ophthalmia Range, and mapped a fair extent of pastoral country, besides discovering some good waters.
Mr. C. A. Burrows in 1896 explored the country in latitude 15° 30' west of Cambridge Gulf to Mount Bradshaw and named the Drysdale and Carson Rivers.
In the same year, on July 16, Mr. L. A. Wells, chief of the Calvert Exploration Expedition, started from Lake Way to examine the country between the East Murchison and Fitzroy Rivers. Adopting a ‘ northeasterly course, a depot was formed in latitude 25° 54' south, longitude 122° 20' east, excellent waterholes and fair country existing in the neighbourhood. The period between August 10 and September 8 was occupied in a flying trip north-east through Mount Bates on a dry stage of 200 miles, till a good well was found in latitude 23° 23' south and longitude 124° east, whence a return was made via Giles’ 1876 route. Leaving the depot finally on September 14, the party at length reached Separation Well. Thence travelling along the meridian of Joanna Springs, and upon subsequently reaching that point north-north-east, it struck the Fitzroy River on November 6, a little north-west of Mount Tuckfield, a distance altogether from Mount Bates of 500 miles. Most of this was the usual spinifex and sand-ridge country, and the last 300 miles were almost destitute of camel feed or water—in fact, the party was compelled to abandon five beasts, and had the greatest difficulty in saving the others. At Separation Well Messrs. C. F. Wells and G, Lindsay Jones were, on October 11, sent on to examine
66
the country bearing west-north-west for 80 or 100 miles, and thence north-east to cut their leader’s track about 30 or 40 miles south of Joanna Springs. On his arrival at the rendezvous six days later than had been expected, Mr. L. A. Wells not finding the two men naturally concluded that they had arrived previously and had been compelled to push on to the Fitzroy. The fate of the unfortunate men has since been ascertained, their bodies being found by Wells some months afterwards 14 miles west-south-west from the springs. Their journal disclosed the fact that, being unable to proceed owing to the heavy nature of the country, they retraced their steps, and striking the expedition’s track followed it northwards, only to perish from want of water about November 15. As soon as the news that two of the party were missing reached Perth, energetic efforts were put forth by the Western Australian Government; and on December 19 Mr. W. F. Rudall left “Braeside” Station on the Oakover River in charge of an expedition to follow up the river and its branch, the Davis, thence striking eastward to cut the tracks of the missing men. After leaving Christmas Pool some distance south-east of Mount Macpherson, Rudall, guided by blacks, came upon a camp into which footsteps, supposed to be those of the persons sought, were traceable. Here, unfortunately, all tracks were lost, and he was obliged, through his camels failing him, to return, though reluctantly, to his starting-point. He immediately organized a second trip, but after strenuous though fruitless efforts, the party engaged on this expedition was also driven back owing to the insuperable difficulties encountered. Rumours, supplied by natives, of straying camels, etc., having reached Rudall, it was considered wise to make a further search to the south of the Oakover River, and accordingly, on February 7, 1897, he again set out. The course of the river being followed for some distance the latitude of the tropic of Capricorn was reached, and in longitude 120° 10' east the bodies of two men, supposed to have been murdered by natives, were discovered. Returning via “Roy Hill” Station to Nullagine a report of the find was sent to Perth; but, after due consideration and medical examination, it was decided that the remains were not those of the missing explorers, and a final attempt was made to solve the mystery surrounding the fate of the two men. Rudall, leaving “Braeside” Station on April 9, visited Separation Well, and attained a point 60 miles south of Joanna Springs before returning to Braeside, which was finally reached on June 23. Although these journeys proved unsuccessful in their object, it cannot be said that the work was fruitless, since Rudall had travelled over an area of 23,000 square miles, and had obtained a large amount of information not previously possessed concerning the physical features of the country examined.
From June 17 to September 13, 1896, Mr. A. Mason,
a Government officer, was engaged in examining the south-eastern district of the colony, lying between Kur-nalpi and Eucla, into portions of which rabbits were supposed to have penetrated. He claimed to have discovered several millions of acres of some of the finest pastoral and agricultural country in the world, but reported a very poor supply of surface water. This important belt of land lies between 125° east longitude and the South Australian border, and south of about 30° south latitude. These plains were partly examined by Sir John Forrest during his 1870 overland trip to Adelaide, and both he and Captain Delisser in 1865 spoke of them in terms somewhat similar to those used by the later explorer.
In the same year an expedition was sent, under the auspices of the South Australian Government, from Oodnadatta to Coolgardie to open up, if possible, a stock route between the two places. The leader, Hiibbe, entered the colony near Mount Hinckley, below 26° south latitude, and keeping to the south of that parallel, followed Forrest’s 1874 route through Barlee Springs as far as Mount Allott, and thence south-west by Ernest Giles Range travelled to Lake Wells. The remainder of the journey to Menzies and Coolgardie, by De La Poer Range and Mackenzie’s Well, where a good supply of water was obtained, was through comparatively well-known country. Hiibbe arrived at the latter place in August, and left sometime afterwards, returning via Eucla to South Australia. The report on the country traversed only confirmed those of previous explorers.
On July 20 an expedition, equipped and led by the Hon. David Carnegie, left civilization at Doyle’s Well, some 50 miles south of Lake Darlot, to strike across the continent in a north-north-easterly direction, in the hopes of finding gold-bearing or pastoral country in the great desert lying between latitudes 19° and 28° south and longitudes 122° and 129° east, which hitherto had only been crossed from east to west or vice versa. Travelling over a long stretch of dry country, during which journey the camels were without water for thirteen and a half days, they reached a soakage 45 miles south-southwest of Alexander Spring, which afforded water. Proceeding on past the spring, which was dry, a few low sandstone ranges and hills were found, and occasionally in the valleys belts of bloodwood and a few shrubs edible to camels; but most of the country was a continuous waste of sand ridges. From latitude 20° 40' to latitude 19° 20' south, these were again broken by occasional high tablelands and sandstone cliffs, from which small creeks ran into the sand, fine rock-pools, such as Godfrey’s Tank, being found at their heads. On the outgoing trip, the only permanent water—Helena Spring— was found in latitude 21° 20' south in limestone formation. Within 50 miles of Hall’s Creek one of the party, Mr. Charles Stansmore, lost his life through a gun
67
accident. On reaching that township on December 6, Mr. Carnegie heard of the disaster to the Calvert Expedition, and at once offered his assistance, but relief parties had already been despatched. After a badly-needed rest the expedition left Mr. Stretche’s cattle station in the beginning of April, 1897, and travelled down the Sturt Creek to its junction with Gregory’s Salt Sea, in which were found numbers of wild fowl and fish. Following thence a generally southerly direction parallel to the border, sand ridges commenced about latitude 20° 30' south, and continued in almost unending monotony as far south as the Rawlinson Range. A range of considerable size, the Stansmore, was found in about latitude 21|° south, but neither auriferous nor pastoral country appeared to exist in its vicinity. Thence a southerly course was taken to the eastern end of Lake Macdonald. The sand ridges in this district were so frequent that in eight hours’ travelling eighty-six of them were passed over.
From here a southerley and south - westerly course was taken past the Rawlinson Range, till the outward (1896) track was struck near Alexander Spring. Much-needed water was found in the bed of Blyth Creek, and a welcome fall of rain filled the spring itself. Crossing Lake Wells, and cutting the Erlistoun Creek near its head, the first auriferous country seen since leaving Hall’s Creek was met with. From this a course was shaped through Lake Darlot to Coolgardie, which was reached in August, the expedition having travelled
3,000 miles in eight months. No permanent water was found after leaving Sturt Creek, and the impracticability of a direct stock route being opened between Kimberley and the North Coolgardie fields was proved beyond question. It was, moreover, clearly shown that the desert traversed, with the possible exception of small and isolated patches, contained no auriferous country.
During a period from May to October, 1897, Mr. Hugh Russel was engaged on a gold-prospecting tour. From Crawford’s camp, 60 milos north-north-east of Mount Margaret, a course was steered via Mount Shenton to Mount Squires, the journey being mostly 2
over desert country. The whole district in this neighbourhood, including the Barrow, Warburton, and Cavenagh Ranges, was carefully examined, but little good country discovered. Returning on his outward track, no water was found from Melango Creek to Kirkpatrick’s Well, which stage occupied thirteen and a half days.
On April 1, 1896, Mr. Frank H. Hann, a Queensland squatter, started from Lawn Hill, on the Gulf of Carpentaria, to prospect the north-west interior of Western Australia for pastoral country. His party consisted of one white man, six Queensland blacks, and sixty-seven horses, nine of which belonged to his white companion, who accompanied him as far as Roebourne. The Ord River was struck in about latitude 16° 37' south, and followed up to Hall’s Creek. An attempt was made from here to find a track through the desert to the head of the Oakover River, but had to be abandoned, and a course
made for Derby along the Fitz-roy River.
From Derby Mr. Hann went on with his party to Broome, Condon, and Roebourne. After replenishing his stores at this latter place he followed the Fortescue River to its head, and thence northeast to Nulla-gine. From here Mr. Hann made a trip eastward into the desert, where he met Mr. Rudall, who was searching for the lost members of Wells’ expedition. So far Mr. Hann’s trip had been barren of results, and the loss of horses was so great, that on his arrival at Derby he was about to return to Queensland, when he met Police Inspector Ord, who advised him to try the Leopold Ranges for gold. This he decided to do, and a start was made for Mount Broome with six Queensland blacks, thirty-one horses, and two dogs. Great trouble was experienced in crossing the Leopold Ranges on the west side of Mount Broome, but an examination of the country to the north and east for about 30 miles so satisfied Mr. Hann that he decided to return at once to Derby and take up land in the district just visited.
On his leaving Derby, Inspector Ord joined the party, and the River Adcock, which had been explored and named on the first trip was followed down to its junction with the Fitzroy River. A high and impassable
rhoto supplied by L. McK. Burns.
Bluff of Cockburn Range (far north).
68 THE CYCLOPEDIA OP
range, running north-east and south-west of the river on its south-east side, was named Sir John Range, and a lofty table-top was called Mount Brennan. Blacks here were very numerous. The Fitzroy River was then followed up to an impassable gorge, 200 ft. deep, with precipitous sides, which was named Sir John Gorge. To get round the range the course was altered to north-west, where splendid cattle country was noticed, and then to the south-east. A fine river from the north-north-west was struck here, which forms a junction with the Fitzroy River about half a mile above Sir John Gorge. This river was named the Phillips by Mr. Hann, but the name was afterwards altered to the Hann River. On this river, four miles above its junction with the Fitzroy, a tree marked by Mr. Robert Buttons, T‘—, was discovered. Ten miles above the junction the river is a quarter of a mile wide, and splendidly adapted for watering stock; it has clear, running water, low banks, no bogs, the margin solid sand, and the stream opens up every now and then into large waterholes, all of which were found to be full of crocodiles, a harmless species, about 6 ft. to 8 ft. long, living principally on fish. About 20 miles up this stream a small lake was found on the right bank of the river. The lake was three miles in circumference and very deep, and was named Gladstone Lake. On the lake and river geese, ducks, waterhen, and many other kinds of game were in abundance. The whole country was found to be intersected with rivers, creeks, and lagoons, the timber on the river consisting mainly of coolibah, box, plum, gum, magnificent bloodwood, bauhinia, kurrajong, and baobabs. One of the latter trees was measured, and found to be 45 ft. in diameter, and rose perpendicularly to a height of 100 ft. In 16° 45' south latitude, the Hann River takes a northerly course, and runs through gorges into a rough range of hills, which were named the Caroline Ranges. About 25 miles west from here a large creek was met with, and called the Charnley. The travelling was exceedingly rough, and the horses in a bad state for want of shoes. In the Charnley some bream were caught, and the river was then followed down through very rough country to an impassable gorge cut through a range of high basalt hills. This range was named Edkins. It was covered with immense stones as slippery as glass. A new kind of palm was discovered here, with a succulent head, which formed a splendid vegetable something akin to cabbage. The Leopold Ranges were again crossed by means of a pass at the head of the Barker River, near Mount Hart. Mr. Hann was of opinion that a good dray road could be made over the ranges at this point. Natives were very numerous throughout this country, but very wild and unapproachable. They were without covering of any kind whatever, but iron implements were discovered in their camps.
The last described exploration was carried out in
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
June, July, and August, 1898. To quote Mr. Hann’s own words, he “never saw better watered country in his life.”
The next expedition was to be manned and equipped locally, and was to be the means by which much valuable information was acquired and tabulated.
During the month of April, 1901, the Government despatched a well-equipped party, under the leadership of Mr. F. S. Brockman, with Mr. Charles Crossland as second in command, to explore the extreme northern end of the State, lying between the 17th and 14th parallels of latitude, and west from the 128th meridian. That the investigation of the resources of the country might be complete, the party was accompanied by Mr. Gibb Maitland, the Government Geologist, and an assistant geologist, and Dr. F. M. House as naturalist. To use Mr. Brockman’s own description of his trip: —“Leaving the port of Wyndham on May 9, the party proceeded in a southerly direction, following the course of a previously unexplored river (named the Chamberlain) to the 17th parallel, and proceeded thence westerly, principally over high sandstone tablelands, to the Charnley River, which had been explored and named by Mr. F. Hann, in 1899. Mr. Hann’s position of this river and the neighbouring features were found to be geographically accurate. The party then traced the Charnley and Isdell Rivers westerly from Hann’s exploration to their respective points of exit in tidal waters. They also traced the course of the Sale River and tributaries (discovered by Mr. T. C. Sholl in 1865, but placed too far south by him), and the course of the Glenelg River (discovered by Sir George Grey in 1837, and also previously shown in error of latitude). They discovered and traced the cotlrse of the Calder River, and the head waters of the Prince Regent River; located the positions of the tidal waters extending inland from Collier and Doubtful Bays, and generally investigated the country lying to the south-west and south-east of the main watershed, which is situate about the 16th parallel of latitude, and to the westward of the 126th meridian. From the northern fall of this watershed the Roe River was traced from its source to its exit into the tidal waters of Prince Frederick Harbour. The Moran River was discovered, and its course between the same points traced. The head waters of the King Edward River were discovered at the watershed, and this river was again picked up in about latitude 15° 15', and its course traced northerly to its exit into Napier Broome Bay. Portions of the shores of Admiralty Gulf, Van-sittart and Napier Broome Bays, were closely examined with a view to selecting a suitable port for the district. The Drysdale was traversed from its mouth (on the 14th parallel of latitude) to the main watershed previously referred to on the 16th parallel. At the same time a sufficient number of points on the Carson River were located to enable it to be mapped with approximate
69
accuracy. The Durack River was traced from the 17th parallel of latitude to its entrance into the tidal waters of Cambridge Gulf. The whole of the country drained by. the rivers already enumerated was investigated as closely as practicable in an exploration of this description, all high points met with being ascended, and short excursions being made at right angles to the main line of travel wherever practicable. The exploration was completed on November 20 by the arrival of the leader and his party at the Pentecost River, at a point previously fixed by him on May 18. The practical results of the expedition consist of the discovery of a large area (6,000,000 acres) of basaltic pastoral country covered with blue grass, Mitchell and kangaroo grasses, and many varieties of top feed, lying principally in the neighbourhood of the Charnley, Calder, Sale, Roe, Moran, and Carson Rivers, with some extensive areas in addition situate on the Drysdale, and in smaller patches in the neighbourhood of the Durack and its tributaries. In addition, the existence of suitable ports and routes of access to enable this country to be utilized for stock raising was ascertained. Many objects of scientific interest amongst the flora and fauna of the district were discovered and brought back by the party. A few aboriginal weapons and implements and a large number of photographs of curious cave paintings were obtained. A considerable amount of information was also obtained with regard to the numbers, habits, and distribution of the aborigines of the country.”
In the same year, 1901, a preliminary examination of the country between Kalgoorlie and Eucla was made by Mr. John Muir, the Inspector of Engineering Surveys, in connection with the proposed transcontinental railway. The object of the expedition was to obtain further information regarding that tract of country lying between the Coolgardie Goldfields and the South Australian border, south of the 31st parallel of latitude, with a view, in the first place, of determining the probable cost of constructing a railway through that country, and, secondly, of ascertaining the nature and resources of the country proposed to be crossed. Muir took with him three months' supply of provisions, eleven carrying-camels, and five riding-camels. The latter were required to explore the outlying country for as great a distance as possible on both sides of the line followed by the main caravan, and to search the surrounding country for water. Two were utilized on one side of the line of march, and two on the other side; the fifth was kept as a reserve. The expedition left Kanowna on May 16, followed the north-west side of the lake country as far as Kurnalpi, and from there turned south-east to Cardinia, a granite rock lying about 50 miles east of Bulong, which was reached on the 23rd. Here the camels were given a four days’ spell, while Muir examined the country westwards towards Bulong, and two members of the
party were sent ahead to see what the Jumania water supply was like. A move was made to the latter place on the 28th, and thence the expedition proceeded to Goddard’s Creek, about 60 miles further on, two men again being sent ahead to examine the prospects of finding water. While the caravan followed slowly the camel pad made by the advance party, Muir examined the country for about ten miles on either side of the line of march. On the 31st the two men were met, who brought news that they had discovered a soak. On June 2 the creek was reached, the camels having been five days without water. Later on a dozen or more similar soaks were discovered, but the supply in every instance was very limited. Mr. C. H. Babington, who was Mr. Muir’s chief assistant, found a good soak some 12 miles down the creek, and the main caravan was moved on to it on June 4. Muir meanwhile, with two men, three camels, and a week’s provisions, went north to examine the country, having been informed that frequent rumours were heard from the natives of the existence of a “big water” never yet seen by white men, but supposed to be situated 20 or 30 miles east or south-east of Victoria Springs. Having, however, continued his excursion for over 50 miles without finding any water, he returned to camp on June 8. On June 10 the country in the neighbourhood of the camp was explored, and as a result of this examination the camp was shifted on June 11 to a soak nine miles eastward, in the bed of the creek. Babington, who had been exploring ahead of the expedition, here rejoined the party, and reported that water was obtainable 30 miles down the creek. Another exploration northward for water, commenced on the 16th, proved as fruitless as the former one, and on the 21st Muir returned to the main camp on Goddard’s Creek. Babington unfortunately had been equally unsuccessful to the eastward. The leader of the expedition therefore decided to make for Eyre, about 150 miles to the southeast. On the morning of June 25 the main caravan started for Yayoudle Rock; Babington, who was in charge, being instructed that, failing to find water there, he was to proceed to Eyre. On the same date Muir himself, with one man and two camels, started to examine the country along the probable course of the railway. Being unable to find any water, he also proceeded to Yayoudle Rock, which he reached on July 1, and where a small supply of water was found. On the following day he climbed the hills in the neighbourhood to look for the main caravan; on returning to camp he found Babington waiting for him there, who informed him that the caravan was some 20 or 30 miles on the road to Eyre. With all despatch Muir then pushed on to the latter place, reaching there on July 3, to find that the main party had arrived on the previous evening. From Eyre he sent the main caravan to “Mundrabilla” Station, on the coast, about 100 miles further eastward, where
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
water could be relied upon, while he himself, with two men, started out to work the inland country. He left Eyre on July 6, and after travelling 70 miles north went eastward 100 miles, and then 30 miles southward to Mundrabilla. Nothing of any moment occurred on this trip worth particularizing, and on reaching Mundrabilla on the 14th, he found that the camel train had arrived the previous day, and that Babington, with one man, had gone on a previously arranged special trip, 60 miles out, in a northerly direction. On the 17th Muir left, with one man and two camels, to examine the remaining portion of the line to Eucla, from a point about 30 miles north of Mundrabilla, the main caravan travelling to the latter place along the coast. Muir arrived at his destination on the 19th, the caravan arriving on the 20th. On the 29th the return journey was begun. About 50 miles north from the coast the westward course commenced, in latitude 31° south. At Wadalynia Rock, on August 12, a splendid water supply was found, and on the 16th another still more plentiful. Goddard’s Creek was reached on the 20th, and Bulong on the 29th. The total distance travelled was about 1,100 miles. The country traversed was mostly waterless, though well grassed and timbered; game—kangaroos, emus, and turkeys—were fairly plentiful in the vicinity of the rock holes.
In April, 1903, Mr. F. H. Hann left Laverton to explore the country to the eastward of that place. After an absence of thirteen weeks, he returned to the starting-point, and reported the discovery of a practicable stock route to the Warburton Ranges. On leaving Laverton, an easterly course was kept as far as the 126th meridian, thence northerly to the Townsend Range, which was reached on June 30. A fortnight was spent in the examination of the country to the northward and west to Elder Creek. Mr. Hann reported it to be well watered and splendid pastoral country, containing upwards of
1,000,000 acres. Mineral indications were noticed, whilst natives were also observed to be numerous amongst the ranges. On the homeward journey only slight deviations were made from the outward route, Laverton being reached on August 8.
During 1911 a trip for the further exploration of the Kimberley district was mooted by Mr. C. Price Conigrave, F.R.G.S., who had been for some considerable period the senior assistant in the Western Australian Museum, but who had at that time severed his connection with the institution. The proposal of Mr. Conigrave received the support of the Government, and he at once undertook to get the necessary equipment, being ably assisted by the valuable counsel and support of Mr. F. S. Brockman, of the Survey Department. Associated with Mr. Conigrave on the trip were Messrs.
L. McK. Burns and R. N. Collison. At Wyndham, the starting-point, the party was augmented by the inclusion of two local residents and two aboriginals; and before
actually commencing the more serious portion of the trip, two months were spent in exploring the country from that point towards the South Australian border. During this journey were found large belts of pine forests, the commercial value of which was deemed very high. In June a start was made on what was called “the big trip.” In order to cross the head waters of the gulf it was necessary to make a detour round the south of Cockburn Range, and then to circle to the north through the ranges which flank the western side of Cambridge Gulf. Forrest River was reached at a spot some 20 miles from the mouth, where it had been arranged that a supply boat should put in about the middle of August. The boat duly arrived, and restocked with provisions the party set out from the river at the end of August. It was with great difficulty that a crossing was effected owing to the precipitous banks, and the party could only proceed very slowly. On the way to the head of the gulf a fine river was met with and named the Berkeley, after an elder brother of the leader. This was followed for a distance of nearly 70 miles, and as it was flowing at the time many magnificent reaches and pools were encountered.
After a fortnight spent in the neighbourhood of Mount Casuarina, a course was laid for the Drysdale River. On the way another stream was met with and named the King George River; this was found to empty into the sea near Cape Rulhieres. After some extremely rough country had been negotiated, the travellers reached the Napier Broome Mission on October 22. Whilst waiting at this point for supplies the party explored the country 100 miles to the west of Admiralty Gulf, and followed more or less the course of. the King River, which Mr. Brockman had discovered in‘1901. On the return a more southerly course was followed, and being unable to get the whole of the provisions required the party was faced with a journey to Wyndham of 350 miles with about a week’s provisions. After passing through much rich country it reached Wyndham about the end of the year, having gained much valuable information regarding the country traversed.
In viewing the history of exploration in Western Australia from its very inception to the present day, perhaps the most remarkable feature throughout the whole story has been the presence of indomitable courage and perseverance.
To lay bare its boundless possibilities and also its many disadvantages could only have been essayed by a race animated by the truest courage and sternest determination. The fact that the large proportion were native-born Australians is an indisputable proof that even under sub-tropical skies there has been no deterioration in the inherent courage of the people. The journeys of the brothers Forrest, and the single-heartedness of purpose and aim that ever characterized their efforts are
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
71
alone a sufficient proof of this, without quoting other and equally famous examples.
One of the greatest characteristics of the British race is its devotion to duty; and surely no sublimer example is to be found in the annals of the British people than that which evidences how men have calmly and un-movedly performed the common duties of the daily task when faced with the most terrible of all deaths—that of thirst. It is true, nevertheless, that Australians do not adequately conceive the nobleness of their “Island story,” especially when the difficulties of pioneering in Australia are under consideration. No thrilling tales of danger by flood and field go to embellish its stern reality; no hairbreadth escapes from the wiles of ferocious savages, or but few, can be recounted to stir the blood—but only the steady conquest of Nature in her most inhospitable mood.
Verily, to those who may delight in sensational
incident and miraculous deliverance from dangers which stir the pulses, the story of the hardy explorers of Australia during the nineteenth century will appeal but little. Yet the courage displayed in the journeys described in the foregoing pages was of an infinitely higher order. Absent, indeed, is all that romantic setting which makes for public acclamation and popular enthusiasm; but looking deeper, we can trace the clear acceptance of responsibilities of so stern a nature that they should lead to a truer and higher appreciation of these efforts than they have had, even in their own land However, for the mistakes and misunderstandings of the
past the present is in no wise to blame; but in perpetuating those errors the previous culpability and neg-lect is only increased, and the hope might be expressed that the story of exploration i n Australia will in the future meet with that respect and appreciation it so richly merits.
Photo supplied by L. McK. Burns.
big pool on Grant Creek (Far North).
m
Educational
THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
The movement in favour of establishing a University in Western Australia may be said to have been in the air for many years past, but until very recently the actual steps towards a consummation have been few. The earliest definite step was taken in February, 1898, when the Adelaide University Extension Committee was formed. From that time until the present, Adelaide University in co-operation with this Committee has held examinations regularly for the Junior, Senior, and Higher Public certificates, and for a portion of the degree work in various branches of learning. Adelaide University in this way has done much to bridge the gap that existed in our educational system, so far as the examining side is concerned, through the absence of a local university. But, whilst every credit must be given to Adelaide, to the authorities of which the warmest thanks of Western Australia are due for the assistance thus rendered, it is felt that Western Australia has now reached the stage where more is required than examinations—the stage where, if education is to be effective, there must be that higher teaching in literature, science, and art that a university alone can supply. By the affiliation of our Technical School, Adelaide has in some measure endeavoured to help us in this direction also, but that help necessarily falls very far short of the full measure of our requirements.
In addition to the work of carrying out examinations, the Extension Committee has taken in hand the delivery of public extension lectures, and 'has succeeded in arranging annually for some years past a series of lectures by professors and lecturers of proved ability and standing in Great Britain and the Eastern States. Lectures of a similar character have also been arranged by the Swan River Mechanics’ Institute (now the Perth Literary Institute) and other bodies.
The question seems not to have been mooted in Parliament until 1901, when a motion advocating the establishment of a University was brought forward in the Legislative Council by the Honourable R. S. Haynes. The motion was discussed at length, amended on the motion of the Honourable J. W. Hackett, and ultimately adopted in the following terms : — “That this House is of opinion that the advisability of at once establishing a University or University Institute demands, in the best interests of the State, the immediate consideration of the Government.”
No further steps were taken until 1904, when Parliament passed an Act creating a University Endowment Trust, and granted to the Trustees under that Act about
4,000 acres of suburban lands, and some other blocks in various parts of the country, as the nucleus of an endowment for a University.
In 1906 the University Graduates’ Union was founded with the object of banding together the University men who were resident in Western Australia, and thus in some measure endeavouring to educate public opinion in favour of a University.
In the same year Dr. Hill, Master of Downing College, Cambridge, came out under engagement to the University Extension Committee, and advantage was taken of his presence to hold a public meeting in Queen’s Hall for the purpose of discussing the question of a University. At this meeting, held in September, 1906, at which Dr. Hackett presided, the following resolution was passed on the motion of the Bishop of Perth, seconded by Dr. Hill: —“That this meeting records its opinion that the time has come when a University should be established in Western Australia.” The meeting further pledged itself to support the movement, and requested the Endowment Trustees and the Extension* Committee to act in conjunction in the matter.
In June, 1907, a deputation from the University Graduates’ Union waited upon the Minister for Education, and urged that a charter be granted for an examining University. The Minister expressed himself as favourable to the idea, but suggested that the Union should consult with the Endowment Trustees. The result of such consultation was that the idea of a merely examining University was abandoned, as it was felt that a teaching institution should be the goal towards which all efforts should be primarily directed.
In the following month, a sub-committee of the University Extension Committee, which, under the Chairmanship of the Right Rev. Bishop Riley, had been considering the question, brought in a report advocating as a fundamental principle that the University should be a teaching as well as an examining body.
Further action was taken in the beginning of 1909, when, on February 5, the Government appointed a Royal Commission charged to report to His Excellency the Governor “upon the question whether the time is opportune for the establishment of a University in this State,”
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
73
and, if so, to advise upon various matters in connection therewith.
The Commission consisted of the Honourable Sir Winthrop Hackett, M.A., LL.D. (Chairman), the Right Rev. the Bishop of Perth, Sir Walter James, the Honourable H. Briggs, M.L.C., Dr. A. J. Saw, Dr. J. W. Smith, the Rev. Bro. Nunan, and Messrs. T. H. Bath,
C. R. P. Andrews, M.A., W. E. Cooke, M.A., and F. B. Allen, M.A., B.Sc., with Mr. J. S. Battye, B.A., LL.B., as Honorary Secretary. After exhaustive consideration the Commission, in September, 1910, recommended unanimously that a University should be established, and in order to facilitate matters, framed a draft Bill for the approval of the Government. The report, with a Bill on the lines suggested, was placed before Parliament during the session, and was passed on February 15, 1911, the date of its operation being left to proclamation. Various matters caused some little delay, but on February 13, 1912, the Act came into force and the first Senate was appointed. This body, which is to continue in office until the establishment of convocation, consists of the Honourable Sir Winthrop Hackett, M.A., LL.D., the Honourable T. Walker, M.L.A. (Minister of Education), Sir Walter James, K.C., the Honourable N. Keenan,
K.C., Mr. J. W. Smith, LL.D., the Honourable Frank *Wilson, M.L.A., the Honourable T. H. Bath, M.L.A., Dr. A. J. H. Saw, Dr. Gertrude Mead, Mrs. M. L. Moss,
B.A., and Messrs. C. R. P. Andrews, M.A., J. S. Battye,
B.A., LL.B., F. W. Burrows, W. C. Grasby, J. W. Kirwan, M.L.C., G. M. Roberts, A. Sandover, and W. Somerville. At the first meeting of the Senate, convened by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Winthrop Hackett was unanimously elected Chancellor.
Since its appointment the Senate has been busily engaged in organizing the University, in the hope that actual teaching work may be started early in 1913. Mr. Hugh Gunn, M.A., was appointed Organizer, and applications were called for Professors for the following Chairs : —English Literature, History and Economics, Mathematics and Physics, Mining and Engineering, Chemistry, Geology, and Biology, as well as for a Chair of Agriculture, the endowment for which was generously provided by the Chancellor. It was also decided to appoint Lecturers in Philosophy, Classics, Veterinary
HUGH GUNN, M.A. (Edin.),
M.A. (Cape), the organizer of the University of Western Australia, was born in Sutherlandshire, Scotland, on May 20, 1870, and is a son of Mr. Alexander Gunn, of Sutherland. He received his education at the Aberdeen Grammar School, where he was awarded the Arthur Johnson medal in Latin, by the votes of his class fellows, and obtained first place in almost every sub-
Science, and Modern Languages. Up to the present the following appointments have been made : —
Professorships:—
English Literature—W. Murdoch, M.A.
History and Economics—E. O. G. Shann, M.A.
Mathematics and Physics—A. D. Ross, M.A
D.Sc., F.R.S.E.
Mining and Engineering—H. E. Whitfeld,
B.A., B.E.
Chemistry—N. J. M. Willsmore, D.Sc.
Biology—W. J. Dakvn, M.A., D Sc.
Geology—W. G. Woolnough, D.Sc.
Lectureships:—
Classics—G. Wood, M.A.
Philosophy—P. Le Couteur, M.A.
Modern Languages—E. C. Suddard, L.esL.
In the matter of a permanent site for the University buildings there has been considerable discussion. After exhaustively reviewing the merits of the various sites suggested, the Senate decided upon Crawley, a large estate on the banks of the Swan. As to the wisdom of the choice there are pronounced differences of opinion, and both Parliament and the Press have expressed their views at length. In any case, the matter is largely one for the future, as it is generally recognized that for the next few years it will be most convenient to carry on the work in temporary premises close to the city and easily accessible to students.
In one respect the Senate has departed from Australian University traditions. Following the newer State University systems of the United States, it has decided that tuition shall be free, so that no student in the community may be debarred through lack of means from securing the highest education that the State can afford. The idea is democratic in the extreme, and its working will be watched with interest by all educationalists in the Commonwealth. Those who favour it are, however, thoroughly convinced that the experiment will succeed.
Many things remain to be done before the University can be considered un fait accompli, but if desire and earnest endeavour can make it so, Western Australia will soon possess an academic seat worthy to be compared with the older institutions of the Eastern States.
year. Mr. Gunn was the winner of numerous bursaries or scholarships by open competition in the various schools and colleges, and after his second year in Aberdeen University he proceeded to the University of Edinburgh, where his career was a very distinguished one. He was 2nd Bursar at the Entrance Competition for the 3rd year, Prizeman in Moral Philosophy and in Logic, and Psychology, and also 1st for an essay on
ject of the curriculum with a record percentage of marks. He was also dux of the school, from which in due course he passed to the Aberdeen University. Here he was 1st Prizeman in English Language and Rhetoric, 2nd Prizeman in Latin and 3rd in Greek, and was 5th in Natural History ; at the time of leaving holding the leading position for the Gold Medal offered by the Town Council for the best student of his
“The Ethics of Aristotle” in the Honours Greek Class. Subsequently, at Gray’s Inn, London, he won the Bacon Scholarship of £90 for constitutional and general and legal history, which is the premier prize of the Inn, and was also awarded a special prize by the Inn for an essay on a subject of “Historical Research.” He took the teacher’s diploma of the Scotch Education Department, and founded and organized the Secondary Departments of Golspie and Brora Higher Grade Schools, of which latter he was principal. In connection with the Department of Education he assisted three out of the four present Chief Inspectors of Schools for Scotland in their districts for three years, during which period he visited nearly one thousand schools, including the secondary schools and training colleges. In 1902 Mr. Gunn was chosen as chief inspector of schools and organizer of education in the Orange River Colony Concentration Camps, towards the conclusion of the Boer War, and filled the appointment of Director of Education in the Orange River Colony from 1903 to 1910. In this capacity he reorganized the educational system of the colony, had most of the schools rebuilt, and proposed and carried through the scheme for the establishment of a State University College, taking the personal management of this and other scholastic institutions until the appointment of Governing Councils in 1910. In 1904 he was elected a member of the Legislative Council, with charge of education in the Orange River Colony, and was responsible for the passing of two education ordinances through the House. He was Chairman of a Government Commission to inquire into Technical Education in that year, and some years later was a member of the Inter-State Government Commission that inquired into the question of University Education in all the
States of South Africa. He was a member of the Governing Council of the University of the Cape of Good Hope, for the degrees of which all the University Colleges present their students. He was a representative in the Conference between the Government and representatives of the Dutch people that- came to a settlement on the language question in 1905. In the same year he was commended in a despatch to the Secretary of State by the High Commissioner of South Africa for presiding at a conference of the heads of eight different churches and negotiating a
Bartletto. Perth.
Mr. Hugh Gunn.
unanimous agreement regarding religious instruction in schools. Mr. Gunn also received the thanks of the Secretary of State for the Colonies for the services which he had rendered in South Africa. In 1910 he resigned his post as Director of Education, as he declined to carry out the bi-lingual legislation which had just been passed before the Free State entered the Union. He considered the legislation dealing with
education to be all unsound, anti-British in intention, and calculated to drive British teachers out of the country. Mr. Gunn’s resignation and the attempts made to make Dutch compulsory as a language and a medium of instruction for every child, English as well as Dutch, led to the establishment of a system of private schools and created great bitterness of feeling throughout South Africa. In 1912 the-Union Government intervened and had the legislation altered, and laid down conditions regarding the language question which, in the main, followed Mr. Gunn’s original proposals. He was one of the preliminary committee which arranged for a Conference of the Universities of the Empire, which was held in July, 1912. In 1911 he accepted an appointment for two years to organize the University of Western Australia. In connection with this appointment letters were received by the local committee from Sir Charles Lucas, of the Colonial Office, Mr. H. F. Wilson, late Colonial Secretary and Acting Governor of Orange River Colony, Mr. E. B. Sargent, late Director of Education in South Africa, Lord Milner, and Lord Selborne, ex-High Commissioners, speaking in glowing terms of Mr. Gunn’s exceptional qualifications, his organizing and administrative powers, industry, and business methods, and describing him as a clear and forcible speaker and writer and a leader in education in the highest sense of the word. Mr. Gunn is the author of several publications, including “Reports on Education in the Orange River Colony,” “The Language Question in the Orange River Colony,” and “Education in South Africa,” and contributions to the British Association and the South African Association for the Advancement of Science, etc. He was married in 1900 to a daughter of Mr. William Macdonald, of Sutherland.
COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS.
Much has been done for secondary education in the State by the leading religious bodies as well as by the Government. So far back as 1857 the Right Rev. Matthew Hale, first Church of England Bishop of Western Australia, instituted the “Bishop’s School,” which continued for some years with great advantage to the community. Many of the boys who passed through it
became men of influence in their native State, and some of them have taken very prominent parts in the government of its affairs. Though after a time the school ceased to exist, it had established the need for higher education in the colony, and some few years later was succeeded by an undenominational school endowed by the Government.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
75
HIGH SCHOOL.
The High School, which may be considered the lineal descendant of Bishop’s School, was established by Act of the Legislature in 1876 as an undenominational institution. For the first few years it was assisted by an annual grant of £500 from the Government, but under the circumstances then existing this amount was found to be too small, and it was increased to £1,000, at which figure it has remained ever since. The progress of denominational schools, however, and the determination of the Government to enter the field of secondary education has recently led to a reconsideration of the position, and during the session of 1912 an Act was passed abolishing the subsidy as from June 30,1915, the opinion being that by that date the school should be in a position to continue without State aid.
The institution is controlled by a Board of Governors appointed by the Governor-in-Council. This Board is a corporate body, empowered to hold lands, goods, and benefactions in trust for the school, as well as to make bylaws and regulations for its management. The Board at present consists of Mr. J. S. Battye, B.A., LL.B. (Chairman), Sir Winthrop Hackett, M.A., LL.D., Sir Walter James, K.C., the Honourable Mr. Justice McMillan, Mr. T. P. Draper, K.C., and Dr. A. J. H. Saw.
The school was opened in March, 1878, being first carried on in a house belonging to Mr. George Randell,
but after a while the buildings erected for a military hospital, close by the Barracks in St. George’s Terrace, were handed over to it by the Government. Here it has remained ever since, though the accommodation is far from satisfactory, being old, cramped, and dilapidated. In face of these obstacles, much good work has been done, and many of the boys who have passed through it have left a permanent mark upon the history of the State The question of more up-to-date premises, to be erected upon an excellent site adjacent to the Observatory, is now under consideration, and it is hoped that by the time the grant ceases, new premises, thoroughly equipped on the most modern lines, will be ready for occupation.
The first Headmaster was Mr. R. Davies, B.A., of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, who held office until the end of 1880, when he was succeeded by Mr. T. B. Beuttler, B.A., of Queen’s College in the same University. Mr. Beuttler was in turn succeeded in 1887 by Mr. Raymond Gee, M.A., who gave place in 1890 to the present occupant of the position, Mr. F. C. Faulkner, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Mr. Faulkner is assisted by an excellent staff of masters, and under his guidance the school has made very considerable progress, winning its way to the highest places both in scholastic and in athletic work. Since the Rhodes Scholarships were inaugurated, no less than four have been secured by boys who have received their education at the High School.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
The Church of England Grammar School is situated at Guildford, opposite the East Guildford Railway Station, and eight miles from Perth. The school has no claim to be one of the older institutions of this State, but its short history is interesting as illustrating how a public body often takes over work started by private enterprise. The school started in February, 1895, on the initiative of Mr. Charles Harper, of “Woodbridge,” East Guildford, who engaged Mr. Frank Bennett as master and placed at his disposal a spare room at “Wood-bridge.” There Mr. Bennett began teaching with seven pupils. That a need was being supplied was soon evident, for the number of pupils increased, till in 1898, when Mr. Bennett died, there were twenty-five day boys and eight boarders.
In 1899, under the headmastership of Mr. Gillespie, the school moved to new buildings on its present site, and soon obtained recognition as one of the secondary schools of Western Australia. When Mr. Gillespie died in 1903 Mr. Harper gave the control of the school to a council appointed for that purpose, who took in hand the completion of the school buildings so that they would have accommodation for fifty boarders and seventy day
boys. Mr. W. Stewart-Corr, M.A., till then senior master at King’s School, Paramatta, was then appointed headmaster, with a staff of three others to meet the present requirements of the school. From 1904 till 1909 the school remained under the guidance of Mr. Corr, who made every effort to instil public school principles into the boys and to emphasize the place of sport in the development of character, without neglecting, however, the scholastic side of education. In the competitions with the other schools the athletic record of the school from 1904 onwards reflected great credit on such a young school.
At the beginning of 1909 the Church of England, after having through lack of funds and other difficulties had no school of its own in this State, took control of the management, and with a view to purchase at the end of a two years’ option appointed a new council and made arrangements for a new headmaster to come to the school. At the beginning of 1910 the Rev. P. U. Henn succeeded Mr. Corr, who had returned to his old school at Paramatta. The new headmaster was entrusted with the task of reorganizing the school on Church of England lines. At the end of the two years’ option the Diocesan Trustees
of the Church of England bought the school and nearly 30 acres of land surrounding it from Mr. Harper, and as the increase of members attending the school seemed to justify it embarked on a vigorous building policy. A new wing of classrooms and dormitories was erected in 1911, and during the same year the headmaster was provided with a separate residence. During this year (1912) a beautiful college chapel, given by a generous English donor, has been commenced, and when completed will form one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in the State.
There are at present over a hundred boys at the school, of whom more than seventy are boarders from
different parts of the State. This is the limit of the old accommodation, but with the new buildings in use there is room for nearly a hundred boarders and teaching accommodation for 200, and the Church of England Grammar School should be able to more than hold its own with the other secondary schools of the State. The staff at present consists of the headmaster and five assistants:—The Rev. P. TJ. Henn, M.A. (Oxford), Mr.
H. A. Brown, M.A. (Melbourne), the Rev. L. W. Parry, M.A. (Oxford), Mr. C. L. Riley, B.A., LL.B. (Cambridge), Mr. E. F. Cameron, and Mr. A. B. Montgomery.
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS’ COLLEGE.
It has always been the principle of the Roman Catholic Church to provide satisfactory and efficient teaching for children belonging to that faith. The aim of the Christian Brothers, however, is even wider, as no restriction of creed is placed upon pupils who desire to benefit by the very excellent tuition provided.
In Western Australia this is particularly evident, as a large number of the boys attending the college belong to religions other than Roman Catholic. The Brotherhood has for a very long time past conducted scholastic institutions in various parts of Australia, but it was not until 1894 that it turned its attention to Western Australia. In that year two Brothers, acting under instructions from the Head of the Order, commenced teaching in an old building situated in St. George’s Terrace, on ground adjacent to Government House. So great was their success that before long additions were made to the staff and steps taken to increase the accommodation. Premises costing £12,000 were planned and quickly erected, but these in turn became too small for the growing institution, the record of whose progress was briefly but clearly put by the Principal in his annual report for 1912 : — “This year, 1912, completes the nineteenth year since the foundation of the college, during which time steady and continual progress has been made, and though there is never any finality in education I am pleased to be able to state that the college has now reached a high level, is permanently established, and fully equipped in every department for imparting that education that may be expected from a large public school. To meet the ever-increasing needs, new buildings have been erected and other expenses incurred, the staff has been increased, and everything possible done to render the college efficient. Up to the present over £35,000 have been spent on buildings and improvements, and the college, the plan of which is now nearly completed, forms an imposing edifice and is an ornament to the city of Perth. The new wing erected last year is fully occupied even now, and nine new classrooms and the dormitories are filled, and if the number of students increase we will be
compelled to erect new buildings. The number of pupils attending during 1912 was much larger than last year’s, the number of boarders on the roll being 141, and there were 190 day boys, thus making the college the largest public school in the State. The upper classes have suffered owing to a number of the bigger boys having left, but we have great hopes from the younger ones, who should give a good account of themselves in a few years.”
The buildings at present erected naturally attract a visitor, and the position of the College is unrivalled, having a frontage to the Swan River, and from the balconies and tower an extensive view may be obtained of Perth, Mount Eliza, the Swan and Canning Rivers, whilst in addition it gets the full advantage of the invigorating breezes that blow up the river from Fremantle.
The College is now firmly established, is well known all over Western Australia, and its reputation has spread to the Eastern States, on account of its successes both in the scholastic and athletic worlds. Its record is, indeed, a most honourable one in both departments, and it can justly claim to rank as one of the great public schools of Australia. Everything has been arranged on the most modern lines, both in the schools and in the boarding part of the establishment. Separate classrooms (well ventilated and equipped with single or dual desks), libraries, and suitable furniture, are special features. Physical and chemical laboratories are also included, and while due attention is given to the classical side of education, as may be seen from the results obtained at the examinations, yet the more practical side (especially the sciences) is not neglected.
The boarding part of the establishment includes four large dormitories capable of accommodating 200 boarders, and adjoining these are tiled lavatories with marble basins, perfectly hygienic, while the students can enjoy the luxury of either hot or cold shower-baths. In addition to the ordinary school hours the boarders have extra study in the morning and evening under supervision, when any extra help necessary is given. To vary
77
the monotony of school life there is, in addition to the games, a well-stocked library in the reading-room, a gymnasium, a billiard-room, and a variety of indoor games for the evenings.
The college has the honour of having introduced the Adelaide University Examinations into Western Australia, and of having given an impetus to secondary education in the State which has since caused such keen rivalry among the various colleges. Already it has four Rhodes Scholarships to its credit, the candidate for 1913 being selected from the college. Amongst its ex-students it can already reckon several who are practising law and medicine, and several others are at present pursuing
to attend to the moral training of their pupils, as they are convinced that instruction without such moral training is unworthy of the name of education.
In the athletic world the students have more than held their own against the competing colleges. Intercollegiate contests take place year by year in football, cricket, rowing, and general sports, and these contests evoke much interest even amongst the outside public. For five consecutive years up to 1912 the college has secured the title of Champion School in Athletics; the football team was premier team from 1907 to 1912, and in rowing the college has been at the head of the river for four consecutive years. These competitions take
Photo by G. F. Farr.
Christian Brothers' College. St. George's Terrace. Perth.
their various courses at the different universities. It has also won several of the Government Exhibitions (£450 each) and many other scholarships. In 1912 the college scored heavily on the pass lists at the various examinations, getting first and second place in the Junior among Western Australian candidates, and securing the only three credits in Greek awarded in both States. In money prizes over £1,500 fell to the lot of the college in 1912, while the total amount of prize-money won in scholastics up to the end of the same year is over £7,900.
Besides the ordinary education imparted to youth, the brothers make it a special feature of their teaching
place between the Christian Brothers’ College, the Perth High School, the Scotch College, and the Church of England Grammar School, and are productive of much healthy rivalry among the students. The ideal situation of the college, its ample facilities, its extensive recreation reserves with football grounds, cricket pitches (both turf and granolithic), and its whole surroundings make it a most suitable place for an educational centre.
The Principal of the college is the Rev. M. P. Nunan, who for many years, with one short interregnum, has held the position. Under him and a competent staff of Brothers and other teachers the college has attained
78
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
an efficiency second to none in the State. Cadet drill, gymnastics, singing, elocution, music, and dancing are also included in the curriculum.
The college each year issues a beautifully illustrated and comprehensive review of the year’s work, which may be had on application to the Principal.
In addition to carrying on educational work in Perth, the Christian Brothers have also established colleges at Fremantle and Kalgoorlie, at both of which places they are carrying on work of a satisfactory nature. Though on a smaller scale than the college in Perth, the same desire for efficiency is apparent, and the results fully bear out the reputation of the Brotherhood as a teaching Order.
SCOTCH COLLEGE.
This college, which is under the direct control of the Presbyterian Church, owes its existence primarily to the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. W. Alexander, of Perth and Kalgoorlie. When the project of establishing a college was first raised, Mr. Alexander offered a large donation towards it, provided the Church authorities were convinced that such an institution was necessary. That point having been decided it was resolved to take immediate action. Mr. John Sharpe, M.A., was appointed headmaster, and temporary premises were secured in the old Shearer Hall in Beaufort Street. Work formally commenced in February, 1897, the college being under a provisional committee. In 1903 it was decided to bring it more closely under the General Assembly of the Church, but not to alter in any way its character or aims. In 1904 Mr. Sharpe resigned, and was succeeded by the present headmaster, Mr. P. C. Anderson, M.A., and in the same year it became necessary to secure new premises. For this purpose Mr. J. M. Ferguson purchased a suitable property at Claremont and offered it to the Church authorities. The offer was gratefully accepted, and the school moved to its new home. Since then the progress of the school has required further extensions, and some thousands of pounds worth of buildings have been added, so that the whole now forms a modern school building fitted with all the requirements necessary for advanced secondary education. Though the youngest of the secondary schools, the Scotch College has held its own as well in the athletic as in the scholastic field, and its yearly increasing number of pupils hears ample testimony to its efficiency as well as to its popularity.
CHRIST CHURCH PREPARATORY SCHOOL.
This was established some three years ago by the Rev. Canon W. J. McClemans as a preparatory establishment for boys not sufficiently advanced or too young for the higher secondary schools. After three years’
experience the success of the school has fully justified the hopes of the principal. At the recent Naval Cadetship Examinations, one of the Christ Church boys had the distinction of being close to the top of the list.
LADIES’ COLLEGES.
In the matter of girls’ schools and ladies’ colleges the State is quite as fully provided for as in the matter of boys’ schools. Apart from the many small institutions which provide instruction of a more or less elementary nature, there are several colleges where secondary education of a high standard is being carried on.
The Roman Catholic Church, always to the fore in its care for the development of the young mind, maintains admirable convent schools in nearly every centre of population throughout the State, and if the public examination results afford any criterion, the Sisters of
that Church are doing their full share towards meeting the educational needs of the community.
Amongst those institutions controlled by private persons may be mentioned the Girls’ High School at Claremont (under the direction of Miss Parnell), Geraldton High School (Miss Laver), and several others, whilst the Anglican Church is admirably served by the schools conducted by the Sisters of the Church, and the Methodist Conference attends to the wants of the Nonconformist denominations at the Methodist Ladies’ College, Claremont.
SCHOOLS OF THE SISTERS OF THE CHURCH.
February 4, 1901, was the birthday of Perth College, the first Western Australian school of the Sisters. It stepped into existence modestly enough, at St. Mary’s Hall, Colin Street. There were thirty-two scholars on the opening day, and a few months later, when a boarding school was opened, there was one boarder. In spite of these very humble beginnings, the Sisters felt justified in making their venture of faith, and looked forward
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
79
with persistent hopefulness to a time when Church of England parents would rally round them strongly, realizing the importance of religious education for their children. Then the school would grow and prosper. It did grow, for by the end of the first twelve months there were eighty-five pupils, but none the less years of stress and struggle lay before Perth College, and it would be hard to give any adequate idea of the way in which it had to battle for its life. The principals were constantly beset with money difficulties. Perhaps the college attempted too much, certainly it damaged its own prospects seriously for a time by endeavouring to accomplish a well-nigh impossible task. Brighter days dawned, however, and the teaching Sisters are now able to devote themselves wholeheartedly to educational progress. Year by year strenuous efforts are made to improve the teaching staff, the methods, the arrangements, and so by degrees to reach up to the Sisters’ ideal of what “higher education” really means for their girls. Many pupils study for the University Examinations, and successes in the Higher Public, Senior, and Junior Examinations are recorded annually. Among the first applicants at the new Perth University will be an undergraduate from Perth College. The great hope of the Sisters now is that before many years have passed the college may be able to build or buy a school instead of renting houses as at the present time. Mr. Thring, of Uppingham, used to say, “If we would have learning honoured we should build it a fitting habitation,”
In 1902 the second school of the Sisters of the Church (Girls’ High School, Kalgoorlie) was undertaken at the earnest request of the Rev. Gordon Saville, who felt strongly the need of religious education for goldfields children. Here the commencement was rough in the extreme; the schoolroom was of corrugated iron, the old desks appeared to have come down from pre-historic times. The Sisters’ own dwelling-place was so astonishing that a French lady upon seeing it remarked, "Mais c’est une souriciere!” A few years later it became possible to build a nice house at Kalgoorlie, and the “souriciere” was no longer recognizable.
In 1907 St. Alban’s Preparatory School began its career in a good Church Hall in Beaufort Street, Perth. It stands almost shoulder to shoulder with a State school on one side and a Convent school on the other, but yet some fifty little Church of England children gather under its roof.
In 1908 the Sisters bought the goodwill of Miss
Best’s Central High School, one of the pioneer schools of Western Australia, and continued it under the name of St. George’s High School. The Bishop wrote on this occasion: “I am grateful to you for having undertaken to carry on this important work. I feel sure that under your management the school will continue to flourish. I am convinced that parents who entrust their daughters to your care may feel certain that their moral and religious education will be the best possible. This is, of course, of the utmost importance. I wish you every success, and I shall have great pleasure in helping you in any way in which I can be of use.”
In 1909 the Misses Scott not only amalgamated their own large school with Perth College, but also offered their services to the Sisters. One of these ladies, “Sister Bessie,” has now joined the community as a professed Sister, and is in charge of Cowandilla. Perth College and Cowandilla practically form one school. At the former all the older girls are educated, and at the latter the juniors from kindergarten to class iv. are taught.
The Sisters undertook work at the Lady Margaret School, Guildford, after repeated requests from various residents. Girls wishing to be prepared for University Examinations usually move on to Perth College when old enough. The school is named after Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII., whose saintly character, love of learning, and zeal for education made her an example worthy of the imitation of all women and girls, and whose honoured name is borne by so many colleges and schools in England.
This group of six schools is so organized that when parents find it convenient or necessary to move their child from one to another it is conscious of but little difference. So far as is possible the same methods and the same books are used throughout the Sisters’ schools, and this unity of system is found to give strength and solidity to the work. None the less a healthy spirit of emulation among the scholars is encouraged, as it brings animation and interest. It is in their boarding-schools that the Sisters feel they can do most for the children entrusted to their care. Boarding-school work involves much anxiety and great responsibility, but also gives unique opportunities of influencing the children. The Sisters are enthusiasts for their schools, because they feel that Christian education is the grandest work in which anyone can engage, a work pregnant with glorious possibilities and results, a work that even angels might envy.
METHODIST LADIES’ COLLEGE.
In the early days of the State the Government, in order to induce the various religious denominations to take up educational work, made grants of land to them by way of educational endowment. Amongst other grants
was a large area in Newcastle Street given to the Wesleyan Methodist Church. For years the Church was not able to do anything, but with the extraordinay development of the State during the nineties opportunities
for entering the field of education were opened up. After some discussion as to the relative advantages to be gained, it was decided to confine the efforts of the Church to the education of girls, and at the Conference of 1907 a committee was appointed to take steps to establish a Methodist Ladies’ College. The block of land in Perth being considered unsuitable, it was decided to dispose of it and apply the proceeds towards securing a more suitable location. After careful consideration the site was secured on which the present portion of the College Building is erected. The block of land, which is situated at Claremont, contains six acres with a frontage to the Perth Fremantle Road on the north and to Freshwater Bay on the south. From the brow of the hill, on which the college stands, a full view of Freshwater Bay and the Darling Ranges can be obtained. The position and surroundings are very healthy, and the sea breezes which blow from the ocean, which is only half-an-hour’s walk distant, make the building very cool in the hottest weather. Swimming-baths have been erected on the foreshore of Freshwater Bay for the use of the scholars. During the summer months the boarders bathe every day and lessons in swimming are given by the sports’ mistress.
The college building has been designed with the utmost care and foresight. The architect’s plans provide for every modern convenience and comfort. Special attention has been paid to the house and boarding arrangements. Acting upon the advice of similar institutions in other places, the committee decided to do away with dormitories and in their place substitute bedrooms for the boarders. These rooms are light and airy, each providing sleeping accommodation for three or four girls. Two balconies have also been built to provide accommodation for sleeping out of doors. It is proposed to spend the sum of £12,000 on the completed building. For the present only a portion of the building has been erected, providing accommodation for fifty boarders and eighty day scholars.
The present Headmistress of the College is Miss Maud Connell, M.A. (Melb.), who is assisted by a large staff of resident and visiting mistresses.
The foregoing institutions, in conjunction with the primary and secondary system of State education, show that in the training of her children Western Australia is fully alive to her great responsibility.
Photo by C. H. Park.
Methodist ladies' College, Claremont
Ecclesiastical.
According to the latest Commonwealth census—that **• Non-Ghristian (continued)—
of April, 1911—the total population of Western Aus- Pagan 143
tralia was 282,114, divided, so far as religious beliefs are Others 260
concerned, into the following groups:— III. Indefinite—
I. Christian— Freethinker 447
Church of England ... 109,435 No denomination 267
Presbyterian ... 26,678 Agnostic 380
Methodist 34,348 Others 461
Baptist 4,801 IY. No Religion—
Congregational 6,203 No religion .. 1,174
Lutheran 2,491 Atheist 71
Church of Christ 2,808 Others 15
Salvation Army 1,890 V. Object to State . 6,145
Seventh Day Adventist 885 VI. Unspecified .. 3,544
Unitarian 144 Since the date of the census the population has in-
Protestant (undefined) 9,971 creased to well over 300,000, and the numbers in each
Roman Catholic 56,616 division will necessarily be greater The percentage
Greek Catholic 408 basis, however, probably remains about the same, and
Catholic (undefined) 5,346 from this we find that the great bulk of the people—931
Other ... 1,736 per cent.—profess some form of Christianity. Of those
II. Non-Christian— who call themselves Christian 41/5 per cent, are Church
Hebrew 1,790 of England, 21-5 per cent. Roman Catholic, 13 per cent.
Confucian 345 Methodist, 10 per cent. Presbyterian 6 per cent, unde-
Mohammedan 1,517 fined, and the remaining 8 per cent. Baptist, Lutheran,
Buddhist 1,795 Church of Christ, and minor sects.
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
There were settlers in Western Australia before the State entered upon its existence as a separate British possession under the name of the Swan River Colony (or Settlement) in June, 1829. It would, therefore, not be safe to say that the Church of England had no one to carry on her warfare amongst the pioneers and the aborigines before the advent of the first clergyman; for evidence is not lacking to show that from very early days godly laymen were most zealous in procuring the ministry of the Church for their families and neighbours, and that even the untutored savages were not excluded from their ministrations.
The Church was fortunate in having as its first clerical representative the Rev. J. B. Wifctenoom, who was amongst those who, on September 5, 1829, were the successful applicants for the first allotments of land granted in the city of Perth, the first stone of which city had been laid but twenty-four days earlier. This clergyman worked amongst the settlers for many years, and an interesting item in an old diary is the record of G
his marriage to Miss Helms on January 3, 1839, after a sojourn of ten years in the settlement. He is said to have continued in office as Colonial Chaplain until his death in 1854. He was kept well on the move in those days when sand tracks were the only highways, for G. P. Moore in his diary records that “the clergyman goes on alternate Sundays to Guildford and Fremantle and attends a Sunday-school.” This entry appears in July, 1831, i.e., two years after Mr. Wittenoom’s arrival, by which time he had secured valued lay helpers and a “church,” for Mr. Moore says in June, 1831, “Captain Irwin read the morning service of the Church in the hospital, and in the evening I went to the Rev. Mr. Wittenoom’s church.” This was a structure made chiefly of rushes, used on Sundays for worship and on week days for other purposes.
The mention of the name of Irwin recalls the suggestion just made that laymen possibly evangelized the community even before the advent of an ordained ministry in most of the newly-settled parts, certainly at
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Albany and on the Swan. There is no doubt of the value of the labours of both F. C. Irwin and G. F. Moore in these earlier days. Not content with helping forward the work at Perth, they carried the Gospel by their own unaided efforts amongst the settlers as far as the Upper Swan. On July 2, 1831, Captain Irwin spent the night at Mr. Moore’s camp at Millenden, Upper Swan, making “preparatory arrangements for the public celebration of the Church service which we mean to have regularly at a neighbouring barrack.” He reports that “twenty-eight persons, many of them of the higher class, attended and warmly entered into Captain Irwin’s object. He is a truly amiable and religious man, and interests himself most usefully for the colony.” That Mr. Moore himself was an able seconder of these efforts is clear from his own confessions as follows:—“On Sunday, 10th [July, 1831], I filled, as I have so often done before, the office of chaplain to about twenty persons”; and a few months later an entry runs: “Read a sermon of Burder’s this day and dined on four crows and a quail.” Surely Wordsworth was too hasty in writing “plain living and high thinking are no more.” Abundant evidence could be thus quoted to prove that wherever the early settlements were established the laity of the Church, with the aid of the clergy and often, as in this case, without their aid, worked faithfully to maintain Divine worship and to preserve the spirit of religion amongst the settlers. That the natives were not altogether uninfluenced we gather from a note early in 1833 :—“Many of the natives came into the barrack during Divine service, of whom some remained all the time and conducted themselves with great decorum.”
The modern movement known as the Church of England Men’s Society owes its being to an undoubted capacity in the Church to find scope for all her members’ activities, and this power is often more clearly revealed under new and unwonted conditions such as early settlements provide.
One of the earliest clerical colleagues to come to the help of Mr. Wittenoom was the Rev. Dr. Gustiniani, who came as a missionary to the natives in 1836; but apparently owing to bad health he did not remain more than two years, during which time^he laboured on the Swan above Guildford.
He was succeeded by the Rev. Wm. Mitchell, who came from India on August 4, 1838, and at once began work upon the good foundation laid by Messrs. Irwin and Moore, relieving Mr. Wittenoom of the care of Guildford, and ministering from that point upwards to what was called the head of the river at the Upper Swan. He established himself at Middle Swan, midway between his outposts. Here a primitive abode had been erected, and within a year he had made arrangements for the erection of two churches—one at Middle Swan and another at Upper Swan. The former was begun on August
5, 1839, and the latter on October 31 in the same year. The latter was first used for Divine service, but even before it was begun there was a church building at Guildford, or more correctly at Woodbridge, on the spot where now only “some frail memorial still erected nigh” proclaims, or, at least, suggests, that a church once stood there. Right alongside it there is now being reared the stately walls of the Grammar School Chapel. To have preserved even a vestige of the structure, which must have been one of the earliest in the State, as a contrast to the finished work of the lovely chapel now in building would have provided an object lesson of great moral and practical value; but nothing remains.
That these three churches, viz., the church at Wood-bridge, an octagon church at Middle Swan, and a church at Upper Swan, were actually built and in use before there was a building set apart for Divine worship in either Perth or Fremantle seems to be proved by the statement, “we have three additional churches built on the banks of the Swan,” which was made by the Governor in 1841, in which year “the foundation of a good-sized church at Perth” was laid. And that the structure at Woodbridge was the earliest of the three is apparent from the fact that the private diary of Mrs. Mitchell, the wife of the Rev. Wm. Mitchell, makes frequent reference to such a church before the other two were built, e.g., “Sunday, November 25, 1838.—Sacrament at Henley Park (Major Irwin’s property at Upper Swan) in the morning, with ten communicants. Service at half past four at Guildford Church.” Mrs. Mitchell on one occasion writes the first half of the word “Wood-bridge,” and crossing it out substitutes “Guildford.” In 1838 there were no churches further up the Swan, and the statement recorded in the Western Australian Year Book for 1899, that in November, 1840, a church was opened at Guildford, refers really to the opening of the Octagon Church at Middle Swan, which was considered to be adjacent to Guildford in those days, as is clear from the reference to its beginning made by G. F. Moore in his diary as follows:—“August 5, 1839.—The foundation of a small voluntary church for the Missionary Society erected on their grant near Guildford. The Governor was there and a good many people.” The “grant” referred to clearly establishes this as the church at Middle Swan, for the Colonial and Continental Church Society’s grant is there, though a casual reading would take it to mean a Guildford Church.
In 1835, or thereabouts, a church building, octagon in shape, was built at Albany by Mr. T. B. Sherratt, a layman, who himself conducted morning and evening prayer in it each Sunday, and in September, 1842, a church, still in existence, was built at Picton, near Bunbury.
It was not until April 6, 1842, that the foundation of a Church of England was laid at Fremantle, evidently
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the result of the energy of the Rev. G. King, who came out in 1841 and devoted much time and zeal to evangelizing the natives as well as ministering to white settlers. Inspired by his zeal the settlers at Pinjarra and Mandurah erected churches in 1842. At about the same time there arrived the Rev. J. Wollaston, whose sphere of work first lay at Bunbury, and then at King George Sound and round the coast to Bunbury, Pinjarra, and other places. He it was who replaced the Octagon Church at Albany by a “neat church of granite,” which was amongst the number duly consecrated by the Bishop of Adelaide on his first visit. In the same year, 1841, a third clergyman, the Rev. W. R. Postlethwaite, came and took up the work at Upper Swan, thus apparently enabling Mr. Mitchell to confine his energies to the growing work in and around Guildford. But before long the whole area was again under his sole care.
The visit in 1848 of Bishop Short to this distant and isolated portion of bis diocese marked an important epoch in the history of the Church in Western Australia.
He was accompanied by Archdea con Hale, who had
left England with the Bishop in order to be his first Archdeacon of Adelaide. Bishop Short, who had only come out to his See (the City of Adelaide) about a year before he came to Perth, found six clergymen at work in the various centres here, York being by that time added to the places already mentioned. Mr. C. Harper appears to have journeyed to Adelaide on the Bishop’s return to that city, and was ordained deacon there on September 21 (St. Matthew’s Day), 1849, and was priested only a week later, evidently in order to permit his immediate return to Western Australia to continue the work begun by the Rev. Wm. Meares in the newly-opened district of York. This appears to have been the first instance of a Western Australian being ordained, and the ordination was not within the borders of the State. It was not till July 4, 1852, that an ordination was held in Perth, g2
when the Rev. Dacres Williams was advanced to the priesthood, he having also, like Mr. Harper, journeyed to Adelaide to be made deacon. Mr. Williams was located at Guildford. Bishop Short’s most important work, however, consisted not so much in organizing and conferring with his clergy and consecrating church buildings, as in administering the Apostolic rite of the laying on of hands; and for this important function he found that a goodly number had been duly prepared throughout the settlement. The most substantial church building consecrated by him was naturally that at Perth, the foundation-stone of which had been laid with great ceremony by Governor John Hutt on January 1, 1841, and after many vicissitudes duly completed and opened for worship four years later, viz., on January 22, 1845, the cost having been £5,000 and the estimated Anglican population of the colony under 3,000. It was enlarged in 1864, and replaced in 1888 by the present structure, which ha d cost about £17,000 originally, but upon which several thousands have sime been spent at various times in enlargement
and adornment, notably the addition of the Queen Victoria Memorial Tower, the reredos that adorns the sanctuary, and the chancel screen, as well as several stained-glass windows.
Bishop Short again visited the colony in 1852, when he found practically no increase in the number of the clergy, but a great advance in the commercial life of the community. He was expecting three clergymen, who were much needed for Toodyay, Bunbury, and other parts. The town of Fremantle impressed him with its evident advance, chiefly noticeable in the erection of handsome Government buildings and the increased population, which caused the streets to “wear an air of life different from the listlessness observable in 1848,” which had been a time of depression. The advantages of convict labour were much counterbalanced by the great
Original Octagon Church at Middle Swan, 1839.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
rise in the price of provisions, caused apparently by the greatly increased population more than keeping pace with the increase in the products of the colony. Money was clearly very scarce, and the Bishop reported that the Fremantle Church, begun on April 6, 1842, was, in 1852, still in debt £280; and—a hopeful sign—it required enlargement. In 1845 Fremantle appears to have been dependent upon the Anglican Church alone for religious ministrations, for the Rev. G. King, writing to the S.P.G. (of which venerable society he was a missionary), declared that except in the town of Perth, where the Wesleyans and the Roman Catholics had begun work, there was no other religious body in the territory. The Wesleyans had begun work at Fremantle, but when Mr. King wrote in 1845 “the door of their edifice” had not been turned on its “hinges for four months.” It must be recorded, however, that the Wesleyans cooperated with the Church of England in these early days (perhaps not designedly) by establishing a mission amongst the aborigines at Wanneroo, from which place four men were, in 1848, married by Bishop Short to four native girls, evidently from Mr. King’s native school at Fremantle.
During the first visit of Bishop Short he consecrated churches at the following centres : —Albany, Busselton, Picton (probably), Perth, Fremantle, Upper Swan, Middle Swan, Guildford, and York. As there were churches at Pinjarra and Mandurah, and he visited and confirmed at these places, it is possible that the churches there were consecrated. There is said to have been a church at Toodyay also, and that in all there were thirteen Church buildings; but only twelve are mentioned above, and where the thirteenth was it is hard to say— only it seems certain that it was not at Bunbury, for the Bishop held service there in a room lent for the purpose and no mention is made of any church. The most striking feature of his visit, however, was the extraordinary number of persons confirmed. Out of less than 3,000 Anglicans in the colony, nearly 400 were presented for confirmation. In Perth alone 151 were presented, a total that both gratified and surprised the good Bishop, putting Adelaide completely in the shade. Remembering that a good number of the adults must have been confirmed before coming out to Australia, and that the rite is not administered to children under the age of fourteen as a rule, it is a most remarkable testimony to the influence for good exerted by the few clergymen who had been patiently labouring in this colony that from among the remainder they should gather 400 persons to receive this solemn rite. To judge from the records of this episcopal visitation (most of the land journeying being done on horseback), it is clear that both Bishop and clergy had learned to “scorn delights and live laborious days.” The Bishop concluded his visitation tour by riding from Pinjarra to Perth in one day, a distance of
53 miles, “in the course of which,” he says, “I violently sprained my knee through a fallen branch while riding through the forest.”
After Bishop Short’s second visit in 1852, it is quite clear that he realized the necessity of establishing a separate See at Perth, and at once secured a sum of £3,000 from the S.P.G. towards its endowment. The people themselves subscribed liberally both land and money, and in 1857 the See of Perth was constituted, the Archdeacon of Adelaide (Ven. Matthew Blagden Hale) being appointed the first Bishop. After a visit of some months to Western Australia, Dr. Hale proceeded to England for consecration. The ceremony was performed in the Chapel of Lambeth Palace in July, 1857. For nearly twenty years Bishop Hale laboured with conspicuous success, solidifying the work and extending the influence of the Church throughout the community. During his occupation of the See he contributed largely from his private purse to advance the interests of the Anglican denomination. Pecuniary assistance was rendered to the clergy of the diocese, secondary education was fostered by the establishment of Bishop’s School, and various philanthropic movements for the care of the aborigines were undertaken.
In 1875 Bishop Hale was transferred to the See of Brisbane, and the Rev. Henry Hutton Parry was consecrated second Bishop of Perth. Bishop Parry had been since 1858 Bishop-Coadjutor of Barbados, and consequently brought to Western Australia a ripe experience in the episcopal office. Until his death in 1893 he laboured in the diocese, and by his administrative ability consolidated and extended the work so well begun by his predecessor in office. It was during Bishop Parry’s term that the present St. George’s Cathedral was built, on the site of the older structure, of which the foundation had been laid in 1841. It was consecrated by Bishop Parry in 1888, in the presence of the Primate, Bishop Barry.
After the death of Bishop Parry the See was administered by the Dean of Perth, the Very Rev. F. Goldsmith, until February, 1895, when the present Bishop, the Right Rev. Dr. Riley, arrived in Perth. Coming just at the time when the gold discoveries were attracting population in thousands, and were causing new towns to spring up almost miraculously in all parts of the State, the new Bishop entered upon a strenuous task in endeavouring to meet the spiritual needs of the new communities. In common with every other religious denomination the Church of England expanded by leaps and bounds, until by the growth of settlement it became almost impossible for the Bishop, notwithstanding the bo (in dl ess energy, tact, and foresight which he possessed, to give that personal oversight to all parts of the diocese which the peculiar conditions of a new country demanded. Consideration had to be given to the question
85
of dividing the diocese by the creation of new Sees, and it was finally decided, in 1903, to create three new bishoprics as soon as funds would allow—the South-Western Bishopric, the Goldfields Bishopric, and the Missionary Bishopric in the north. The first of these— the South-Western Bishopric—was created in 1904 with headquarters at Bunbury, and in the same year the Very Rev. Dean Goldsmith was consecrated as the first Bishop of Bunbury. In order to secure efficiency and at the same time relieve to some extent the Bishop of Perth, the area comprised in the proposed Northern Bishopric was placed under the control of Bishop Goldsmith. This arrangement continued until 1909, when the Right Rev. Gerard Trower was appointed to the bishopric of the North-West. Endeavours were also made to secure the
of its work, and as the expansion of the State required it has undertaken with marked success those educational and philanthropic movements which have always been part of the policy of the great mother Church of England.
In 1872 a great change in the constitution of the Church in Western Australia was made. Hitherto it had been regarded as the official Church and treated differently from the Roman and other religious bodies2 all of whom were granted assistance by the State in proportion to their numbers. The provision for the Church*, of England was regarded as a part of the Government-expense for administration, and the clergy were considered as officials on the Civil List, being Imperial chaplains. When all this was altered and the Anglican Church placed in the same category as other religious
St. George's Cathedral in 1845.
funds necessary for the Goldfields Bishopric, but up to the present, owing in great measure to the decline of mining in the State, the efforts have not met with success. As soon as that movement becomes an accomplished fact, the constitution of the State as an ecclesiastical province will follow, with the Bishop of Perth as Metropolitan and Archbishop—a consummation which will be gladly welcomed by those who have been privileged to witness the whole-hearted devotion and service that Bishop Riley has rendered to the Church in Western Australia.
As an ecclesiastical organization the Church of England has adapted itself to all the conditions of Western Australia, and has established its agencies over all the settled portions. Ever since the colony began the Church has made the care of the aborigines a prominent feature
bodies, it was a case of disestablishment, an event which proved an inestimable blessing, as the Bishop at once organized a Synod, and the Church became a democratic body, independent and untrammelled. Synod from the first consisted of all the clergy, together with two laymen for each clergyman holding the Bishop’s licence, and during the forty years of its existence it has been a most important factor in the development of the Church on sound lines, in ordering the temporal affairs of the Church, and in legislating for its welfare. Owing partly to the fact that not all the clergy could attend the sittings of Synod on account of distance, and that for the like reason still more of the lay synodmen would be absent, it often happened in the early days that great difficulty was experienced in procuring the quorum of
86
four clergy and eight laymen, without which no business could be done. But now, despite the detachment of Bunbury and the North-West, the Synod of the current year will probably see some fifty clergy and more than a hundred laity in regular attendance at its sittings, as the number of clergy at present is about sixty-five.
In addition to the Synod there is another important organization of the Church, whereby the whole diocese is subdivided into rural deaneries, of which there are at present four, viz., Perth, Geraldton, Beverley, and Kalgoorlie. At ruri-decanal conferences (the constitution of which is even more democratic than that of Synod, in that five laymen sit for every clergyman), although no legislative power is exercised, yet the deliberations have always proved most useful for the free discussion and ventilation of many questions which come up for decision in the larger gathering of Synod.
There are at present two archdeaconries, viz., Perth and the Goldfields, the last-named being quite a modern creation. The Perth Archdeaconry dates from the appointment of the Rev. J. R. Wollaston in 1849, and his successors in office have been the Venerable James Brown (1858), the Venerable D. Glyn Watkins (1888), the Venerable C. E. C. Lefroy (1907), and the Venerable C. Hudleston (1910). In 1865 there was an Archdeacon of Geraldton, the Venerable H. B. Thornhill; but the office was discontinued in 1866, and no one else has held it. Although the Goldfields Archdeaconry only began in 1897, there have been four archdeacons already, viz., the Venerable P. J. Barton-Parkes (1897), the Venerable D. H. Griffith (1899), the Venerable T. McClemans (1905), and the Venerable E. M. Collick (1912). In 1905, when the Venerable P. J. Barton-Parkes removed from Coolgardie to York, the Archdeaconry of York was established, which included most of the Bunbury Diocese; and upon the establishment of that See in 1904 there was so little left of the York Archdeaconry that when Archdeacon Barton-Parkes removed in the following year to Premantle the archdeaconry ceased to exist.
The important office of Dean of Perth has been held by the following:—The Very Revs. G. P. Pownall (1858), James Brown (1864), Joseph Gegg (1875), F. Goldsmith (1888), H. G. D. Latham (1906), the Bishop (1911), and H. P. Mercer (1912).
Prom the earliest days of the Church’s work in this State, devout members, both clerical and lay, have ever been found ready to make efforts for the uplifting and Christianizing of the aborigines. In addition to Dr. Gustiniani and the Rev. G. King (whose work at Fremantle appears to have been particularly successful and earned the warm commendation of the Governor of that time), the Rev. W. Mitchell and his wife did something for the natives, and it was doubtless under their influence that the sympathies of Mrs. Camfield were first
aroused towards the aborigines. This lady, when Miss Breeze, lived on the Swan with the Mitchells, and there met Mr. Camfield, whom she subsequently married; and when he was Government Resident at Albany his good wife took charge of a mission established there by Archdeacon Wollaston for instructing native children. It is said that in some cases she paid the natives to hand over their children by exchanging rations for them. In 1859 Bishop Hale deemed it wise to transfer the work to Perth, and later on, in 1876, it was once more removed to its present abode on the Swan. Thus since 1836 there has been a continuous effort made, at least in respect of the children, to discharge the debt which the white Christian owes to the black brother he is supplanting. Other efforts to establish a mission in the north-west have, so far, not been successful, but at the time of writing a determined effort is in progress to establish at Forrest River a mission station under the Rev. W. H. Robins, who is now on his way there.
Probably the most effectual of the philanthropic work of the Church in Western Australia has been in connection with the care and training of neglected children and orphans. The late Archdeacon Brown was one of the most active in furthering this work in its early days, and he had valued assistance from many of the ■prominent laity of the time. It is about forty years ago that a home for boys was established at the Swan and another for girls at Perth, and upon the original sites of both institutions there are now to be seen massive buildings which have cost in the aggregate at least £20,000, of which during the present century no less than £13,000 has been spent in improvements and additions. Since this work was begun thousands qf children have been trained and sent out to become useful citizens, and the work thus carried on has been of incalculable benefit to the State. Some twelve years ago an industrial school for older boys was established at Redhill, near the Swan, and although on a smaller scale and working under greater difficulties, already the results have abundantly justified the labour and money expended in this work.
The educational work of the Church has not been an unbroken success, but its failure at the outset was due perhaps to its effort being too ambitious. The Bishop’s College opened in June, 1858, by Bishop Hale, aided by the S.P.C.K., in the premises which now form St. John’s Theological College and which Bishop Hale built for the purpose of a school, proved to be somewhat in advance of the requirements of so small a community. Under Bishop Parry an effort was made to utilize the building as a school for girls, and continued thus for five years, but it was not until the Sisters of the Church came from England about twelve years ago that the education of girls was really taken in hand by the Church. Their work has grown with the growth of the population, and already very promising schools exist, not merely in and
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
87
around Perth, but at Guildford and Kalgoorlie also; and the indefinite extension of this important work is only delayed by the difficulty in procuring additions to the ranks of the Sisters' teaching staff. The education of boys wets resumed even later than that of the girls, and the same satisfactory result has so far attended the fresh effort. The Guildford Grammar School, which had been started as a public school by Mr. C. Harper, has now been for about four years under the direction of the Bishop with a committee or council, which at present consists of the Diocesan Trustees. The school has greatly increased since it became a Church school, and now contains over 120 boys. The buildings have been enlarged at great expense, new playing-grounds have been bought, and a magnificent chapel is being erected at the sole charges of a gentleman in England, whose name has not yet been made public. There is also a preparatory school for boys at Claremont, which is rapidly extending its operations and enlarging itsbuild-i n g s . It seems clear that the increased activity of the State in providing more advanced education in State schools will continue to rouse an increased desire for that
special type of education and training which can only be gained in an atmosphere where religion has its due recognition and its definite place.
However brief any survey might be, it would not be proper to omit special reference to the part played by the various missionary societies of the mother Church in planting and establishing her branches in the various dependencies of the British Empire as well as elsewhere. Confining our attention solely to our own State, but remembering that the case of many another struggling settlement was exactly the same, it may be said that the very existence, in the first place, of the Church of England in Western Australia is largely due to the fostering care of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the Colonial and Continental Church Society, and the Colonial Bishoprics' Fund, and in the further carrying
on of the work the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge joined in their benevolent labours by sending continuously grants in aid of building churches, rectories, and schools all over the State. To such invaluable help through so many years of our days of struggle and poverty must be attributed the fact that outposts such as Bridgetown in the south and the Williams further east and Roebourne in the north were long ago held when all around was wilderness with the merest sprinkling of settlement. Only by such substantial encouragement could simple, unadorned places of worship be erected, which stood for many years as the silent monitors of God’s presence in the bush, now in many cases replaced by more ornate and commodious churches, which still owe something to the beneficence of the S.P.C.K., which society will always render aid for building purposes. To tell in detail the volume of such
aid would be tedious. To regret that it is rapidly being withdrawn in the case of the
S.P.G. and
C. C. C. S. would be ungrateful. The Church is realizing that her own resources are becoming ample enough to furnish her with the sinews of war, and from henceforward she must brace herself for the time of independence from external support, which is almost at hand.
To that anticipated independence many are realizing that an essential corollary is a freedom in the ordering of the affairs of the Church akin to that which comes to all adults when launched upon their career, henceforth to pursue their paths in life without parental help and guidance. The problems of the Church in such wide regions as ours, and in such expanding times as these, demand that nothing in the way of shackles shall impede the free movement of the Church in Western Australia, in common with her sister branches in the other States of the Commonwealth, to a national unity which may enable her to adequately express her mind, and rightly wield her influence.
The Right Reverend CHARLES OWEN LEAVER RILEY, M.A.,
D.D., V.D., Lord Bishop of Perth, is the son of the Rev. Lawrence William Riley, M.A., vicar of St. Cross, Knutsford, and was born at Birmingham on May 26, 1854. He
7lartlettn, Perth.
Right Rev. the Bishop of Perth.
was educated at Owens’ College, Manchester, and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He graduated as B.A. (sixth senior optime) in 1878 and as M.A. in 1881. He was ordained deacon in 1878 and priest in the following year by the Bishop of Ripon. From 1878-80 he was curate of Brierley, Yorkshire ; from 1880-2 of Holy Trinity, Bradford; and from 1882-5 of Lancaster. From 1885-94 he was vicar of Preston in Lancashire and chaplain to the Preston and Royal Infirmary. In 1894 he was elected Bishop of Perth by a delegation from the Synod of Western Australia consisting of the Bishops of Manchester, Durham, and Southwell, and was consecrated in Westminster Abbey on St. Luke’s Day by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by several English and colonial Bishops. In the same year the degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by Cambridge University. He was enthroned in St. George’s Cathedral, Perth, on February 5, 1895, by Dean Goldsmith, now Bishop of Bun-bury. During his residence in this State His Lordship has been a most indefatigable worker in every good cause, and has taken a particular interest in the development of educational facilities in Western Australia.
He was a member of the Royal Commission on the establishment of a University (1909-10) and assisted very materially in the deliberations of that body. He was elected on March 4, 1913, as the first Warden of the University of Western Australia. Having been a military chaplain before his arrival in Perth he has continued his interest in military affairs, and is at present the senior chaplain of the Military Forces. Since 1904 he has been Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Western.Australia and takes a personal interest in the welfare of the craft. As a citizen of the State the Bishop has shown a deep interest in its affairs, and during his residence in Perth has gained the unbounded respect and affection of all classes of the community. In 1886 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. C. A. Merriman, M.R.C.S., of Heath House, Knutsford, and has three sons and three daughters.
The Right Reverend FREDERICK GOLDSMITH, first Lord Bishop of Bunbury, is a son of Mr. Frederick William Goldsmith, of London and Eastbourne, and was born in the world’s metropolis on August 3, 1853. He received his early education at the Merchant Tailors’ School, and subsequently proceeded to St. John’s College, Oxford. In 1876 he took the degree of B.A., three years later that of M. A., and. having been ordained deacon in the former year, entered upon the duties of curate of Old Charlton, Kent, being ordained priest in 1877. From 1881 to 1885 he was in charge of a mission district in the parish of Cheam, and during the succeeding three years was vicar of Hailing, a place famous for its manufacture of Portland cement. In 1888 he received his appointment as Dean of Perth and occupied this office until 1904, acting also as administrator of the diocese during the vacancy of the See in 1894-5, and during the absence of the Bishop of Perth in 1897. On July 17, 1904, he was consecrated and on the following day enthroned as Bishop of Bunbury, then a newly-formed diocese comprising 42,000 square miles, which formerly was the south-western portion of the Diocese of Perth. In addition to the many obligations attaching to this charge Dr. Goldsmith also had the episcopal oversight of 420,000 square miles of country in the North-West until the appointment of the Right Rev. Dr.
Trower as Bishop of the North-West in 1910. Since 1893 he has held the office of chaplain to the Commonwealth Military Forces in Western Australia. For eighteen years he was manager of the Girls’ Orphanage at Perth. As showing the development of Western Australia during the past few years it is worthy of note that Dr. Goldsmith’s original parish of Perth was divided during his incumbency into thirteen parishes. The oldest three Anglican churches in the State are all situated in the Bunbury Diocese, the first built and opened for service on September 18, 1842, being the picturesque little edifice at Picton, which is still standing. The next in order of antiquity is the church at Bussel-ton, which was erected in 1845, while that at Albany was built three years later. The first church in Bunbury dates back to 1844, the original structure being replaced in 1866 by the present quaint Anglican pro-Cathedral. Efforts are now being made to raise funds for the erection of a Cathedral worthy of its object and consistent with the importance of the diocese. During the seven years that have elapsed since the creation of the diocese the work of church-building has gone rapidly forward, no less than thirty-two
F ord, Bunbury.
Right Rev. the Bishop of Bunbury.
churches and rectories having been erected. Dr. Goldsmith was married in 1880 to Edith Emma, daughter of the Rev. George Frewer, Master of Eton College and late Rector of Hitcham, Buckinghamshire, England.
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The Right Reverend GERARD TROWER, D.D., Bishop of the North-West, is the seventh son of the Rev. Arthur Trower, M.A., rector of St. Mary-at-Hill, London, and was born at Hook Hill, Yorkshire, on December 3, 1860. He received
Right Rev. the Bishop of the North-West.
his primary education at St. Mary’s College, Harlow, proceeding from there to the Merchant Tailors’ School, London, and was successful in being elected Hebrew Exhibitioner at Queen’s College, Cambridge, in 1878. He was also awarded the Marriott Exhibition, Keble College, Oxford, in 1880, and continued his scholastic career at the latter University, where he took his
B.A. degree in 1885, M.A. in 1888, and the honorary degree of D.D. in
1902. During his Oxford course he was captain of the college boats in 1884-5, and rowed in the Oxford University Boat Club Trials in 1884. He subsequently entered Ely Theological College, and after filling the post of travelling tutor for a couple of years was ordained deacon at Worcester in 1888, being made priest in the following year. He occupied the curacy of St. Alban’s, Birmingham, from 1888 to 1893, removing from there to St. Mary’s, Redcliffe, Bristol, where he remained until 1895. In the latter year he became rector of Christ Church, Sydney, New South Wales, and continued there until 1901, on January 25, 1902, being consecrated Bishop of Likoma (Nyasaland). He was transferred from Nyasaland to the new diocese of North-West Australia
upon the nomination of His Lordship the Bishop of Perth in January, 1910, and arrived in this State in May of the same year. Bishop Trower’s diocese extends from the Murchison district to Wyndham, in the far north, and he has the assistance of six clergy. He is a member of New Oxford and Cambridge, Pall Mall and London (S.W.) Clubs.
The Very Reverend H. E. MERCER, Dean of Perth, was born at Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, in 1872. The name of Mercer is a very ancient one in both Scotland and England, his ancestors being the founders of the City of Perth in Scotland. Among them was Sir Henry Searle Mercer, Lord Mayor of London in 1209, through whose instrumentality the first stone bridge was built over the Thames; and in Ireland there was a William Mercer who was Bishop of Connor from 1353-75. The family has always been closely associated with the City of Perth, Scotland, and an inscription in the family vault in the Church of St. John, Perth, records that one of them, John Mercer, died in 1280. According to local and family traditions this vault was a royal grant to the family in consideration of their having given to one of the Scottish kings the mills of Perth, which were in their possession. Referring to the antiquity of the house of Mercer, a local rhyme says: —
So sicker ’tis as anything on earth The Mercers aye are older than old Perth.
His father was the late Mr. Thomas Atherton Mercer, well known in municipal and business circles in the North of England. Educated at Giggleswisk School in Yorkshire, one of Edward VI. ’s grammar schools, Dean Mercer became a student in Christ’s College, Cambridge, and at a later date graduated at the Western University, London, Ontario. In 1895 he was ordained by the Bishop of London, and after several years of work in London, chiefly among the poor, and in the Whitechapel district, in 1899 was appointed metropolitan secretary of the Church Army in London. Seven years later he accepted the incumbency of St. Columb at Hawthorn, Melbourne, arriving in Victoria in February, 1907, and subsequently received the appointment of chaplain to the Archbishop of Melbourne in 1909.
In 1912 Mr. Mercer was appointed to his present office of Dean of Perth, and entered upon his new duties in April of that year. His work among men in Victoria was regarded as particularly successful, and in that State he is looked upon as the leading authority in this important department. For five years he held Sunday afternoon services, which were attended regularly by several hundreds of men, and he was the founder of St. Columb’s Brotherhood, in which were enrolled over 400 members. During the time spent by him at Hawthorn the church was enlarged and improved by the addition of a chancel, transept, and organ chamber, the Brotherhood presenting an oak pulpit, a brass communion rail, and a carved oak holy table, and other gifts to mark their appreciation of the vicar’s services. He is a cordial advocate of healthy outdoor sport, having been a member of the leading English Rugby football teams, and also played for his college at Cambridge. He was well known in lacrosse circles at the University, and was responsible for the formation of several clubs in Lancashire, holding office as Captain of the Barrow Club. Mr. Mercer has been twice married. His second wife, to whom he was united
Bartletlo, Perth.
Vert Rev. H. F. Mercer.
in 1909, is a daughter of Mrs. Tan-nock, of Geelong, the latter lady being first cousin to the late Earl of Cairns, a former Lord Chancellor of England, whose brother was Governor of Queensland, and gave his name to the town of Cairns in that State.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The first evidences of Catholicity in Western Australia were, like the mustard seed, very small indeed; but the subsequent history of the Church, like that of the colony itself, is one of steady development and continual progress.
The Swan Settlement was without a Catholic priest until the year 1843. By a letter, dated September 1, Archbishop Polding appointed the Rev. John Brady to be Vicar-General of Perth, with full powers for ministering to the faithful throughout the whole of the western colony. Pather Brady, who was a native of Co. Cavan, Ireland, had already given proofs of his zeal and virtue on the mission in the Island of Mauritius, and afterwards in the district of Windsor, New South Wales. He came to the West accompanied by Father Joostens, an aged Dutch priest, and Mr. Patrick O’Reilly, a catechist. They arrived at Albany on November 4. Great and enthusiastic was the welcome accorded to these, the first priests arriving in Western Australia. The Catholics were full of joy as they assisted at the first mass celebrated in Western Australia, not in a church built by men, but in a chapel formed by Nature between large boulders of granite enclosing a cruciform area. Having attended to the spiritual wants of the few Catholics in Albany, the two priests set out for Perth, which they reached on December 13. The Catholics, who were few and far between, were delighted to meet the priests and to be given the long-wished-for opportunity of assisting at mass, and of receiving the Sacraments in their adopted country, the Swan Colony.
Governor Hutt, who gave the priests a very cordial welcome, granted the Catholic community three allotments of land for church, school, and presbytery. He also gave a liberal subscription to the first Catholic building committee formed in Perth.
A temporary school was opened almost immediately, and Father Brady himself acted as teacher for the first three months.
For the time being mass was celebrated in a newly-erected stone building, 60 by 24 ft. This building was filled to overflowing on Sundays, some of the worshippers coming a distance of nearly 20 miles.
Before many months had passed a primitive church, capable of accommodating 150 persons, was erected. Father Joostens was then left alone to attend to the spiritual interests of the Western Australian Catholics, as Father Brady set sail for Europe in order to enlist the sympathy of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith on behalf of his poor flock, and also to endeavour to secure some zealous missionaries who would devote themselves to the instruction and christianizing of the aboriginals, for whose salvation the good priest yearned.
In a letter to Propaganda, dated Vigil of All Saints,
1844, Father Brady stated that large numbers of Europeans had settled in Western Australia since 1829. “In Perth and its district,” he stated in his report, “there are about 5,000 of white population and 2,000 blacks. In the other districts the European population is very small and very scattered, but the blacks are numerous, being estimated at 2,000,000. These aboriginals are far superior to those of New South Wales; they are of a dark-olive colour. The Government and the white population are most anxious to civilize them and to show some kindness to them.” Father Brady suggested to Rome that Dr. Ullathome should be appointed Bishop of Perth, and that two distinct missions should be established for the aboriginals—one at King George Sound and the other at Port Essington, towards the north of Australia.
Recognizing Father Brady’s great zeal and heroic virtue, the Holy See appointed him Bishop of Perth, at the same time assigning to him the administration of the two vicariates apostolic at King George Sound and Port Essington. Father Brady was consecrated Bishop of Perth in the Collegiate Church of Propaganda on May 18, 1845. He then visited France and Ireland in search of missionaries, and succeeded in securing seven priests, vone subdeacon, two benedictine novices, two lay brothers of the congregation of the Sacred Heart of Mary, eight Irish catechists, and six Sisters of Mercy, with one novice from the Convent of St. Leo, in Carlow, Ireland. This was the largest religious company that had yet set out for Australia. It sailed from London in the barque “Elizabeth” on September 16, 1845, and arrived in Fremantle on January 7, 1846. The whole population of the Swan Settlement assembled to greet the newcomers, who chanted the Litany as they rowed from the ship to the shore, and who, as soon as they touched Australian soil, sang the “Te Deum Laudamus” in thanksgiving to God for their safe voyage. None received a heartier welcome than the Sisters of Mercy, who were the first members of their Order to arrive in Australia. These quickly won the esteem and sympathy of all the colonists, and their schools were attended by pupils of all denominations.
The most noteworthy of those who arrived in the “Elizabeth” with Bishop Brady were Dom Salvado and Dom Serra, two Spanish benedictines of indomitable courage and heroic zeal, who laid the foundation of the now famous New Norcia Monastery in 1847.
The same zeal and courage was manifested by Father Confalonieri, a noble Italian priest, who unselfishly offered himself for the work of labouring among the aboriginals in the Port Essington district. Having received full powers of Vicar-General from the Bishop, Father Confalonieri, accompanied by two Irish catechists, James Fagan and Nicholas Hogan, set out for Port
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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Essington a few days after arriving in Perth. Proceeding to Sydney, the three sailed from there towards the northern tribes; but meeting with very rough weather they suffered shipwreck in Torres Strait, where all perished except the captain of the ship and the dauntless Italian missionary. The latter succeeded in reaching the natives, the salvation of whom he had so much at heart. For two years he laboured amongst them, and brought 400 of them to the fold of Christ. Worn out by his strenuous labours and weakened by disease and famine— a true martyr of missionary charity—Father Confalonieri died on June 9, 1848, at his post on Melville Island, not far from the spot now known as Cambridge Gulf.
The Commandant at Port Essington wrote to the Secretary of the Archbishop of Sydney on June 16, 1848 :—“Your friend, the Rev. Angelo Confalonieri, was seized with a treacherous attack of fever on May 31, and calmly expired on the 9th inst. He received hon-o u r a b 1 e burial on the morning of the 11th, his own instructions being carefully carried out. His remains were accompanied to the tomb by the officers and military with all the respect that
was due to a man who was so highly esteemed.
Of the other priests who arrived in the “Elizabeth,” Father Powell, from Ireland—being the only English-speaking priest amongst them—was given charge of the Cathedral Parish, while the three disciples of the Venerable .Father Liebermann were appointed to take charge of the mission amongst the aboriginals of Albany and the southern coast. But this small community was thinned by the death of Father Bouchet a few days after their arrival in Perth. The remaining two, Father Thevana and Father Thierse, with two lay brothers, set out immediately for their mission. But it was literally a calvary of crosses; little impression could be made on the natives owing to their migratory habits, and some of the tribes were anything but friendly. The food supplies
brought from Perth consisted merely of a few bags of flour given them by the Bishop. These were soon exhausted, and the missionaries, being unable to speak English, received very little welcome from the few European settlers whom they met. They settled down on the bank of a fresh-water lake—Lake Matilda—and while their ammunition lasted they provided themselves with kangaroo and other game from the neighbouring forests; they also cultivated a few small patches of land, which yielded but a very poor return. Their house and their church consisted of wretched huts constructed with branches of trees. Their condition became desperate as food and ammunition began to fail them, and Father Liebermann, who shed tears when he heard of their privations and sufferings, had them transferred, by permission from Propaganda, from King George
Sound to the Mauritius.
The first Catholic Diocesan Synod of Western Austr alia was held at New Norcia on March 13, 1847. His Lordship, Bishop Brady, presided, and the clergy were represented by Father Joo-stens, Father Serra, and Father Sal-vado. It was resolved to
send Dom Serra to Europe to collect funds in aid of the mission. It was also considered necessary in the interests of the natives to secure a tract of land of 2,500 acres around the Monastery as a permanent reserve settlement, and for the purchase of this reserve the Bishop guaranteed, by promissory note, the payment of £1,280. The collecting tour undertaken by Dom Serra in Europe was very successful; large sums were contributed by several benedictine communities in Italy, as well as by many wealthy Spaniards.
While Dom Serra was collecting in Europe, the Home Government had marked out Port Essington (then called Port Victoria) as the foundation of a new colony. It was then considered a good move to appoint a bishop in order to prepare the foundations of a new diocese
92
there. Before he returned to Australia, Dom Serra was chosen for this new missionary field on July 7, 1847, and was consecrated Bishop of Port Victoria on August 15 in the same year.
In 1849 the diocesan debt was almost £10,000, and as it was rumoured that the sums collected by Dom Serra would be applied to the new diocese of Port Victoria, Bishop Brady commissioned Dom Salvado to proceed to Europe to collect money in order to lessen the liabilities of the diocese. In the meantime Father Joostens had left the diocese for Batavia, and as, on the departure of Dom Salvado, there would be no priest remaining in Western Australia, the Bishop ordained a young Irish catechist named Donovan. Dom Salvado then sailed from Fremantle for Europe on January 8, 1849. In order to meet the financial crisis, Bishop Brady sold some valuable private property which he held in Mauritius and paid the proceeds to his creditors. He was now feeling the pressure of monetary difficulties and the weight of pastoral anxieties; as a consequence his health began to fail. Anxious to shoulder all the requirements of his poverty-stricken diocese, he applied to the Holy See for a coadjutor. To that position the Propaganda appointed Dr. Serra, who was still in Europe. Accordingly, by brief dated July 25, 1849, Dr. Serra was transferred from the diocese of Port Victoria to that of Daulia in partibus, and appointed Coadjutor of Perth and Administrator of the Temporalities of the See. At the same time Dom Salvado was appointed Bishop of Port Victoria, and received his episcopal consecration in Naples on August 15, 1849.
Dr. Serra, accompanied by seven priests and thirty-two benedictine aspirants, arrived in Fremantle on December 29, 1849. Bishop Brady, in welcoming him at the episcopal high mass on the following Sunday, recalled the landing of St. Augustine on the shores of Kent, and expressed the hope that the arrival of the present missionary staff would bring similar blessings from the same Holy See. But the good Bishop’s bright hopes were far from realization. The appointment of Dr. Serra to administer the temporalities of the diocese, without shouldering the burden of the many diocesan debts already incurred, only led to greater confusion. Hence Dr. Brady himself set out for Rome in the beginning of February, and arrived there in the month of May, 1850. He had more than one audience with the Pope, during the last of which the Holy Father used the words, “You must return to your people.” The Bishop set off without delay for his diocese in Australia, forgetful of the rule that missionary bishops, when paying their visit ad limina, are not allowed under censure to return to their Sees until they receive the sanction of the Congregation of Propaganda. He arrived in Fremantle at Christmas, 1851. His arrival was not at all welcome to the Spanish clergy, and for some time the Catholic community was
torn by dissensions, which more than once led to litigation in the Law Courts. Dr. Brady withdrew from Western Australia in August, 1852. He spent some time in Rome, and subsequently resided in the diocese of Kil-more, in Ireland. Not having resigned his See, he continued Bishop of Perth until his death at Amelu les Bains, in France, on December 2, 1871.
On the departure of Dr. Brady the entire administration of the diocese devolved on Bishop Serra, the Coadjutor of Perth, to whom special faculties were communicated by the Holy See.
A letter from the Superior of the Sisters of Mercy in Perth to the Archbishop of Dublin on September 25, 1852, gives some interesting details regarding the mission at that period:—“The Archbishop of Sydney,” she writes, “has been in Perth (commissioned by Propaganda to inquire into the condition of things). His Grace had intended giving a series of missions in the various towns, but he has been obliged to leave before he could carry out his intention. He expressed his great regret at the want of such means of rousing up the religious feelings of the people, and also at the want of catechetical instructions for the men who belong to the humblest class of our poor countrymen; and we have but one Irish priest, who can with difficulty attend to one town. There are three •-Bpanish priests, but they do not speak the English language well. The Bishop, Dr. Serra, speaks English very well for a foreigner. The convict system being mild, very many of the ticket-of-leave holders are becoming respectable members of society, and remarkably attentive to their religious duties. . . .We have endeavoured to
lighten the burden on the mission by opening a school for the children of the gentry distinct from the poor school. It is doing very well. . . . We asked and obtained
the Bishop’s permission and full approval to commence a collection for the building of a schoolhouse for the children attending the poor school, whose number is ever on the increase, and whom we are obliged to crowd into a room not large enough to contain the half of them conveniently. The Catholics are all poor people; the greater number of the Protestants are also poor, and but few are wealthy. Yet we have collected nearly £300, principally from the Protestants, who value our schools so much that they freely gave what they could afford. It has been calculated that in this colony the building will cost £800.”
In 1853 Bishop Serra again visited Europe, and on his return brought with him some students, lay brothers, and missionaries. He also brought four Sisters of the Frjnch Community of St. Joseph of the Apparition, to whom he gave charge of the Catholic School in Fremantle.
The most distinguished of the students who came to this colony with Dr. Serra in 1855 were Mr. Reynolds, afterwards Archibishop of Adelaide; Mr. Byrne, afterwards Vicar-General of Adelaide; and Mr. Bourke, now
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
93
the Right Rev. Monsignor Bourke, whose life work is bound up with the history of Western Australia, where he laboured under great difficulties, first as schoolmaster in Perth, and after his ordination as missionary priest in various parts of the colony, as Vicar-General of the diocese for several years, and as school and church builder in the parish of St. B rigid's, West Perth—the first canonically erected parish outside of the cathedral.
During his administration Bishop Serra erected the Bishop's Palace at Victoria Square, Perth, the Presbytery at Fremantle, and the old portion of what is now the Orphanage at Subiaco.
In 1859 Bishop Serra left Western Australia, having appointed the Rev. Martin Griver administrator of the diocese during his absence. He resigned the Coadjutor-ship of Perth in 1862, and withdrew to his native Spain, where he worked zealously until his death on September 8,
1886.
By a re-script from Rome in 1862 the Rev.
Martin Griver, who was depu ted to act as admin-istrator of the diocese by Bishop Serra, was authorized to continue in that office.
On October 10, 1869, he was appointed Bishop of
Tloa and Administrative-Apostolic of Perth. On August 5, 1873, Dr. Griver was, by special brief, translated from Tloa in partibus to the Episcopal Sec of Perth.
Dr. Griver gave the first real impetus to church building in the diocese of Perth. In 1860 churches were commenced in Fremantle, Guildford, and York. During Dr. Griver’s administration in 1863 the foundation-stone of the present Cathedral, on the splendid site in Victoria Square, was laid by Bishop Salvado. The sacred edifice was opened on January 29, 1865, having cost £4,000, exclusive of the high altar, church furniture, and decorations. The beautiful marble altar was presented to the Perth Cathedral by Francis II., King of Naples and Sicily.
Early in the history of the colony the few Catholic schools in Western Australia had been in receipt of a
small subsidy from the Government, but owing to some disagreement between Governor Kennedy and Bishop Serra this help was withdrawn. The Catholics were both few and poor, but Dr. Griver was not disheartened. He himself was most frugal in all personal expenses, and whatever he could spare by almost heroic self-denial was devoted to works of religion and education. The people, recognizing his great zeal and utter unselfishness, cooperated with him as far as their means would allow; as a result great progress was made in a comparatively short time. As priest, as administrator, and as bishop, Dr. Griver was unwearying in every work that tended to save souls, and to his flock he was, in every sense of the word, a model of humility, of penance, of holiness, and of every virtue. Whenever the spiritual needs of his flock called for his care or his time every other consideration was brushed aside. He was all things to all men.
In 18 6 9, when Dr. Griver went to Rome for his consecra-tion, Father Matthew Gib-n e y, V.G., supported by the clergy and Catholic laity, induced the Government o f Western Australia to restore the grant formerly allow-e d to the Catholic
schools. But even then the Catholic schools received only half the amount allowed to the public schools, while the average attendance required to entitle them to a grant was double that required at a public school.
In 1882 Bishop Griver paid his ad, limina visit to Rome. In the diocesan report drawn up at that time His Lordship recorded the facts that the number of Catholics in the Perth Diocese was about 8,500, and that there were 1,300 children in the Catholic schools. His report also contained the following interesting information : —“The Sisters of Mercy have three convents with twenty-five nuns. They have also two orphanages, one for girls, with forty-five children, and one for boys, with fifty-five children. For some time the Government refused to recognize the nuns' schools or orphanage, but the unquestionable merit of the Sisters and their success in teaching overcame every obstacle."
Photo by C. 11. Park.
Roman Catholic Bishop's Palace, Perth.
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Referring to New Norcia, he stated that there were about a hundred aboriginals settled down there, having their own homes and holdings. “They cultivate the land, take part with the lay brothers in all the various details of farm work, and conform to all the usages of civilized life. One day each week they get a run in the woods, hunting the kangaroo or opossum, or collecting wild fruits. They display considerable agility, and have been particularly successful in all matters of handicraft. Their cricket club is the best in the colony; they have borne away the palm in shearing; some of the native girls displayed wonderful skill in telegraphy; some of the grown boys trained at the Monastery have proved themselves excellent masons. The native children eagerly learn the Catechism, and are particularly fond of music. Several of them have become excellent musicians.”
Dr. Griver was present at the Plenary Council of Sydney in 1885, but as he was then in very feeble health a petition for the appointment of a coadjutor was, at his own request, forwarded from the Council to the Holy See. The choice of Rome fell upon the Vicar-General, Rev. Matthew Gibney, but before the briefs of Dr. Gibney’s appointment were received. Bishop Griver was called to his reward. He died on November 1, 1886.
“We have referred,” says the late Cardinal Moran in his “History of Catholicity in Australia,” “to the austerities for which this holy Bishop (Griver) was remarkable. When his remains were being prepared for burial, great was the surprise of those engaged in this work of mercy when they found fixed to his back, between the shoulders and partly embedded in the flesh, a thick wooden cross about a foot in length, from which fine iron spikes penetrated into the flesh. This instrument of torture must have been his companion for many years, for the flesh was healed round the wounds and the skin beneath the cross had become hard and dry. The cross was kept in position not only by the spikes, but also by a knotted cord, which, starting from the summit of the cross, was drawn over the shoulders and then tied tightly round the waist. Thus the saintly man, like another St. Paul, mortified himself and chastened his body and kept it in subjection, lest, while he preached to others, he himself might become a castaway.”
The Rev. Matthew Gibney, who arrived in Western Australia in 1863, and who, as Vicar-General, was Bishop Griver’s right hand, philosopher, and trusted friend, was consecrated Bishop of Perth on January 23, 1887, by the late Cardinal Moran, .in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Never did any bishop in Australia face his work with greater determination, more undaunted courage, or more burning zeal than that manifested by Bishop Gibney. During his episcopate no effort was spared by him in his laudable endeavour to bring the blessings of the Church over which he ruled into every corner of his vast diocese. Church buildings
and school buildings were erected on the best sites available. Teaching orders, both of men and women, were introduced, not only to train the young and to bring the Catholic schools up to the most exacting standard, but also to care for the homeless and the orphan, to raise and reclaim the fallen, and to lovingly tend the sick and the afflicted in the St. John of God hospitals. Bishop Gibney also fearlessly championed the cause of the Western Australian aboriginals, travelling unarmed amongst them for months, and making provision for their civilization on truly Christian lines.
Bishop Gibney retired in 1910, and Archbishop O’Reilly, of Adelaide, at the request of the senior priests of the diocese, sent the name of the Rev. Patrick Clune,
C.S.S.R., as the most worthy to succeed Bishop Gibney in the See of Perth. In the following January the glad welcome news arrived that the chosen one of the Holy See was “Father Clune.” No appointment could have been more popular with priests and people. Father Clune had, as a Redemptorist, given missions, not only all over the Commonwealth of Australia and in the neighbouring Dominion of New Zealand, but also in the British Isles. Hence the day of his consecration, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, March 17, 1911, was a new and inspiring day in the history of Western Australian Catholicity. His Eminence Cardinal 'Moran was the consecrating prelate; he was assisted by Archbishop Redwood, of Wellington, New Zealand, and Archbishop Delaney, of Hobart. Bishop Gallagher, of Goulbourn, preached a most eloquent sermon on the occasion. Bishop Gibney, Bishop Kelly of Geraldton, and Bishop Norton of Port Augusta, were also present. Immediately after his consecration. Bishop Glune commenced to work, travelling continually over his vast diocese, administering confirmation, and holding conferences with the leading Catholic business men in order to put the diocesan finances on something like a firm footing. During the first year of his episcopate Bishop Clune succeeded in reducing the immense diocesan debt by £60,398 12s. 8d.; this money was raised by collections and by sales of diocesan property. No more successful effort has been recorded in the ecclesiastical history of Australia.
The following general summary will give an idea of the extent and development of work in the Perth Diocese: —At the close of 1912 there were 56 Catholic churches, 45 secular priests, 11 religious priests, 20 Christian Brothers, 7 religious brothers, 429 nuns, 60 lay teachers, 2 colleges, 23 superior schools for girls, 47 primary schools, 2 orphanages, 2 hospitals, 1 Magdalene asylum, and 2 industrial schools; the total number of children in Catholic schools, including orphanages and reformatories, is 8,500.
In 1898 the diocese of Geraldton was established, and the Right Rev. William Bernard Kelly, a native of Subiaco, Western Australia, was consecrated its first
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Bishop on August 14. At the end of 1912 Dr. Kelly had in his diocese 28 churches, 14 priests, 73 religious, 5 boarding schools, and 13 elementary schools. The total number of children in the Geraldton Diocesan Schools numbered 872.
The Catholic Mission at New Norcia (to which, as well as to Beagle Bay, reference has been made under the article on the aboriginals in Vol. I. of the present work) was founded by Dom Salvado, O.S.B. (afterwards Bishop of Port Victoria), for the purpose of civilizing and Christianizing the Western Australian aboriginals. It was established as an “Abbey Nullius” and Prefecture
Apostolic by Pius IX. iti 1867, with 16 square miles of territory subject to the jurisdiction of the Abbot. The boundaries are now extended from 30° south to a line coinciding with the 31° 20' parallel of latitude (Moore River), and from the sea to 120° east longitude. The present Bishop is the Right Rev. Abbot Torres, O.S.B., who was consecrated on May 22, 1910. The Abbot has 10 churches, 10 religious priests, 3 secular priests, 9 monastic students, 32 religious, 21 nuns, 3 boarding schools, 2 superior day-schools, 5 primary schools, 2 charitable institutions, and 400 children attending the Catholic schools of his diocese.
The Right Reverend PATRICK JOSEPH CLUNE, the present Catholic Bishop of Perth, springs from what may be called a truly Levitical family. The fifth of eleven children, he was born in County Clare, Ireland, in the year 1864. His younger brother, Father Francis Clune, is at present Superior of the Passionist Fathers at Marriek-villc, Sydney. Besides the-two brothers, two sisters also gave themselves to the service of God—Sister Mary Xavier, who joined the Sisters of Mercy in Goulburn, and Mother Emily, who joined the Faithful Companions of Jesus at Kew, Melbourne. The present Bishop read his classical course in the College at Ennis, County Clare.
His apostolic spirit manifested itself early; he felt a strong desire to go on the Foreign Mission field, and in order to realize his wishes ho went to All Hallows’ Foreign Missionary College, Dublin. Here he was fortunate in having among his Professors the Most Rev.
Dr. Delaney, the present Archbishop of Hobart, and the Right Rev. Monsignor O’Brien, now Rector of St. John’s College within the Sydney University. Having finished his theological course before he attained the canonical age Dr. Clune was ordained, by special dispensation from the Holy See, at the early age of twenty-two and a half years. After his ordination Dr. Clune went to Goulburn Diocese, New South Wales, where his first appointment was to the College as Professor of English Literature and History. There he had as associate Professors the Right Rev. Dr. Gallagher, present Bishop of Goulburn, and the Rev. Michael Phelan, S.J.,
who is now one of the most distinguished Jesuits in Ireland. Those who are now familiar with Dr.
Clune’s robust frame and manly appearance will be surprised to know that his health broke down after two years’ Professorship at Goulburn College, and he was compelled to spend some time in the country before he was fully restored. He was then appointed one of the assistant priests at Goulburn Cathedral. From 1888 to 1893 he laboured with great success in Goulburn Cathedral Parish, where he is still affectionately remembered for his genial disposition, his eloquent sermons, and his noble priestly characteristics. But, feeling himself called to a still higher
life, full of zeal and actuated by genuine apostolic motives, he left Goulburn Diocese to join the congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori. Before actually joining the Redemp-torist Order Dr. Clune travelled over the world in order to widen his experience and to perfect himself in modern languages. This was his first holiday, and the manner in which he united the pleasant with the useful shows the practical spirit of the man. On July 13, 1893, he entered the Redemptorist Novitiate at Bishop-Eaton, Liverpool, the principal house of the Anglo-Irish Province. He was professed on September 3, 1894, and soon after commenced his good work as a Redemptorist. He is well known in many parts of England and Ireland, where he was engaged in giving missions and retreats until 1899. It was in the year 1899 that the Redemptorists came to the Diocese of Perth on the invitation of the Right Rev. Bishop Gibney, who made the Order a present of that magnificent site on which the Monastery now stands in North Perth. Dr. Clune, who was among the first community sent out, soon became one of the best known of the pioneer Redemptorists in Western Australia. The remembrances of those pioneering days are full of interest; and many sturdy Irish exiles who were bearing “the burden of the day and the heats,” blazing the track and carrying their swags outback, now attribute their spiritual resurrection to the visit of Father Clune, who brought them the consolations of their religion, gathering them for the Mass and
Right Rev. Patrick Joseph Clune.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
the sacraments in places where Mass was seldom or never celebrated before. Toward the end of 1904 Dr. dune was transferred to New Zealand, where he was appointed Superior of the first Redemptorist Foundation in the Dominion. In New Zealand, as elsewhere, Dr. Clune conducted many successful missions and retreats; he also built the beautiful Redemptorist Church at Oriental Bay, Wellington. In December, 1909, he came West again, this time as Rector of the Monastery at North Perth. The return of Dr. Clune to Western Australia gave joy to both priests and people, and the joy was further increased in June, 1910, when by the almost unanimous vote of the priests he was selected “dig-nissimus” to succeed Bishop Gibney, who had resigned the See of Perth. The papal brief of Dr. Clune’s appointment to the See of Perth arrived on February 8, 1911, and his consecration was fixed for March 17. On St. Patrick’s Day, 1911, Dr. Clune was consecrated in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Perth, by His late Eminence Cardinal Moran, assisted by the Most Rev. Archbishop Redwood of Wellington, New Zealand, and the Most Reverend Archbishop Delaney of
Hobart, Tasmania. The other Bishops present were Bishop Gibney, Bishop Kelly of Geraldton, and Bishop Norton of Port Augusta, South Australia. Dr. Clune found the Diocese of Perth very heavily burdened with debt. Immediately after his consecration he took the priests and people entirely into his confidence, telling them in detail the exact state of affairs. He appointed two diocesan oonsultors, whose written consent would be required in all important matters relating to diocesan temporalities. He then called a meeting of the laity, men of business and talent, and formed a lay committee. On the advice and with the co-operation of this committee he commenced the work of reducing the gigantic debt. Within a few months after his consecration we find that he had been to the Eastern States and back on diocesan business; and we see him travelling up and down through his extensive diocese, sometimes speaking publicly three times each Sunday, his only regret being that his first visitation should be in the “guise of a beggar.” Dr. Clune has been ever a warm favourite with the'pricsts and people of Western Australia. He is also well known in the Eastern States,
where he has given many missions and retreats, and where he is regarded as one of the most successful missionaries and one of the most practical and zealous priests that ever came to Australasia. Whether his missions were held in the great cathedrals and suburban churches of the large cities, or “out on the fringe of the never-never” country, they were always a great success, and are always remembered with love and reverence as certain definite landmarks in the progress of Catholicity. “The style is the man,” says Newman. This is very true of Dr. Clune. He has a style of his own, and the most striking characteristic of that style is the genuine ring of sincerity in all his utterances, whether in the simple instructions to children or in the highest flights of sacred eloquence. He is undoubtedly a man among men. On the missions long ago he was always known as the men’s “man.” His frankness, his zeal, his manly piety, his untiring energy, and his thorough determination have won the esteem, the admiration, and the affection not only of his own priests and people, but of all creeds and classes with whom he has been brought into contact.
THE METHODIST CHURCH.
After the Church of England, the Methodist—or as it then was, the Wesleyan Methodist—Church can claim to be the oldest religious denomination in the State. One of the earliest vessels to arrive at the then new Swan River Settlement was the “Tranby,” which reached Fremantle in February, 1830, bringing as settlers Messrs. J. and J. W. Hardey, G. Johnson, and B. Clarkson, with their families and servants. These were all active Methodists, and the leader, Joseph Hardey, had for many years been a local preacher in Yorkshire. As soon as possible after the arrival of the vessel he established services, first at Fremantle and then at Perth, for the benefit of those colonists who were members of his own communion. The Hardeys settled at the Peninsula, situated on the river between Perth and Guildford, and soon established meetings at the latter place also. At first, for want of a building, worship was conducted in the open air, the Perth services being held under a large jarrah tree which grew on the site now occupied by Charles Moore & Co. in Hay Street. Amongst those who welcomed the services were Mr. and Mrs. J. Inkpen and Mr. Henry Trigg. Mr. Inkpen was the first class-leader, and when the need for a church building became apparent, he it was who gave as a site a block of land at
the corner of William and Murray Streets, now part of the Queen’s Buildings site. Here a building was erected which for nearly half a century formed the headquarters of Methodism in Western Australia.
The need for a spiritual head now became pressing, and application for a missionary was made to the Foreign Mission Committee of the British Conference. In 1837 the Rev. W. Longbottom was appointed to the post, but never arrived. After many vicissitudes passed in endeavouring to reach his charge, he was finally shipwrecked near Encounter Bay in South Australia, and was persuaded to become the pioneer Methodist minister of South Australia.
In 1839 another clergyman, the Rev. J. Smithies, was appointed. He arrived in June, 1840, and for some sixteen years, being stationed at Perth and York in turn, had the pastoral oversight of the little church. Under his superintendence a native mission was conducted by Mr. F. F. Armstrong, first at Perth, then at Wanneroo, and finally at York. Though for a time it succeeded fairly well, it apparently had not the elements of permanency, and after a few years was disbanded.
During the first quarter of a century after the inauguration of the services but little progress was made.
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The reason for this may partly be found in the fact that there was divided control. The Western Australian Church was under the London Board of Missions, but was at the same time, in a vague way, part of the Australasian system of Methodism, and to some extent governed by it. Some expansion, however, was evident.
In 1852 the Rev. William Lowe joined Mr. Smithies, and after the departure of that minister took full control, being assisted by the Rev. Samuel Hardey. Apart from the Hardey families, the most prominent layman of the period was Mr. George Shenton. For many years he was one of the financial stays of the Church, and his work was long and ably continued by his son, the late Sir George Shenton.
In 1855 there were only two churches, four preaching-places, 67 Church members, and 480 attendants at worship.
The history of the Church during the next forty years has been admirably condensed by the Rev. Dr.
Burgess, to whom we are indebted for most of the following information.
Growth in the second quarter century was still extremely gradual, but preparation had been made for future expansion in the circuits that had already been formed.
There were nine churches and four preaching-places, the membership had risen to 146, and the attendance to 1,820. At the commencement of the period the Rev. Mr.
Smithies was removed to New Norfolk (in Tasmania); the Rev. Samuel Hardey left for South Africa in 1862, and the Rev. William Lowe, who had been removed to Tasmania in 1859, returned to Western Australia in 1866. Among the ministers who laboured for varying periods, the names of Messrs. Clay, Bond, Traylen, and Laurance deserve honourable mention ; some of them were abundant in zeal and indefatigable in labour, often under circumstances of great discouragement. It was during this period that the stately
edifice, Wesley Church, was erected as the central point of Methodism in Western Australia.
A new condition of things began with the year 1873, when the Australasian Church came under a new constitution. What had previously been subject to the management of the same Conference, meeting in one or other of the principal cities, was divided into four separate Conferences, with a General Conference meeting every three or four years. Western Australia was attached to the South Australia Conference as a district, but except in name, and so far as legal and technical observances required, was really self-governing. All statistics and information regarding it were kept separate, and the acts of its District Synods were, as a rule, only submitted to the South Australia Conference for formal approval.
A better appreciation of the needs of the Methodist Church in this State followed the alteration of the constitution. Some of the foremost men in South Australia were detailed for work here. When, in 1884, Mr. Lowe relinquished the Chairmanship of the District, he was followed by the Rev. R. W. Campbell, one of Adelaide’s ablest ministers. He in turn gave place to the Rev. P. C. Thomas, who was succeeded by the Rev. J. Y. Simpson.
By this time the gold discoveries had been made, and, in common with all other Churches, Methodists made a great advance. Much of its success was due to the able administration of the Rev. G. E. Rowe, who was chairman in 1893. Appreciating to the full the peculiar circumstances that came with the gold rush, Mr. Rowe spared no effort to make his Church a prominent factor in the life of the community. To his foresight may be ascribed the institution of the Sisters of the People, who carried healing and consolation to those overcome by the hardships and rough conditions of the mining
H
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
camps. To his administration was also due the fact that in 1897—years before it happened in the Eastern States —a basis of union between the various sections of the Methodist Church was arrived at, and the Church saved from perpetuating unnecessary divisions. At his instigation, too, the movement commenced which ended in the grant of full autonomy to the Church in Western Australia.
The Western Australia Conference was established in 1900, and Mr. Rowe had the honour of being elected
the first President, the Rev. T. Bird, another honoured minister of the denomination, being elected Secretary. Since that time steady progress has been made. The zeal that was shown in carrying the Gospel to the mining camps has been equally evident in the help given to the new agricultural settlement, and the great principle of Methodism—Church extension—has been admirably maintained. The President of the Conference for the year 1912-13 is the Rev. John G. Jenkin, who is at the same time superintendent of the Kalgoorlie Circuit.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
In November, 1837, the ship “Portland,” on her voyage out from England to New South Wales, touched at King George Sound (Albany) “to procure refreshments for the sick on board.” Among her passengers were the Rev. J. Dunmore Lang, D.D., senior minister of the Presbyterian Church in New South Wales, and nine other Presbyterian ministers. Availing themselves of the opportunity afforded by the brief stay in the Sound, they addressed a pastoral letter “To the Scotch and other Presbyterian inhabitants of the colony of Swan River.” A copy of the pastoral was, by direction of the Governor, published in the Government Gazette “for general information,” and appeared in the issue of Saturday, January 27, 1838. The writers say:—“We need not inform you how earnestly we desire and long for it on your behalf, that, in this remote land of your earthly habitation, you may be speedily blessed with the regular dispensation of the ordinances of religion, agreeably to the hallowed institutions of our true scriptural and apostolic Church, and that your interesting offspring may ere long enjoy the benefit and the blessing of a sound scriptural education, that most distinguishing privilege and glory of our beloved fatherland.” Th3 letter proceeds : —“In the meantime we request that a few of your number will do us the favour to form themselves into a Provisional Committee—first, to ascertain the number of the Presbyterian inhabitants of the colony and their general sentiments in regard to the desirableness of the regular dispensation of the ordinances of religion agreeably to the hallowed institutions of the Presbyterian Church in this colony; and, second, to correspond with us on the subject by the earliest opportunity.” The letter does not seem to have been followed up by action on either side. Nor is this to be ascribed to apathy. In a total population for this colony of probably not more than 2,000, the Presbyterians must have been an insignificant handful.
It was not till forty years later that the desire expressed in the letter was realized. Through the agency of the Rev. J. Innes, the spiritual requirements of a few Presbyterians in the Toodyay district received attention for a brief term, under sanction from the Church of
Scotland, but it was not until 1879 that the responsibility of establishing a Presbyterian Church in Western Australia was formally undertaken. The man and the means came from Scotland. The Rev. David Shearer, M.A., arrived by the barque “Charlotte Padbury” in October, 1879, the bearer of a joint commission from the Established and Free Churches of Scotland to establish a Church in Perth and to visit scattered members of the fold. Services were at once commenced in St. George’s Hall, a Sunday-school was started, and a week-night service was begun at Guildford. Three years after Mr. Shearer’s arrival the first Presbyterian Church in the colony, St. Andrew’s, Perth, was opened for Divine service. The congregation applied to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria for admission into that Church, and was subsequently received into the Presbytery of Melbourne.
Pioneer work was now entered on in the eastern districts at Northam and Newcastle. After an experiment of several months it was considered preferable, to adopt Fremantle as a base of operations. The Free Church of Scotland assumed the full financial responsibility, and in 1886 sent out the Rev. Robert Hanlin to begin work at the Port.
Meanwhile the Home Mission Committee of the Victorian Church was induced to give attention to Albany as a suitable place for occupation, and a charge was formed there in 1889. The three charges—Perth, Fremantle, and Albany—which had been placed for presby-terial oversight under the Presbytery of Melbourne, so continued till 1892, when they were formed into the Perth Presbytery under the General Assembly of Victoria.
The new Presbytery turned its attention to Gerald-ton, where a congregation was formed and a minister settled in 1894.
The claims of the eastern goldfields now became urgent, and it was resolved to follow up the crowds that were streaming in from the Eastern States. Early in 1896 a minister was placed at Coolgardie, and in the following year Kalgoorlie became a settled charge. In rapid succession Boulder, Kanowna, Bulong, Menzies,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Kookynie, and Leonora were supplied with ordinances.
The year 1898 witnessed the formation of full charges at Northam, Cottesloe, West Perth, Leederville, East Fremantle, and, at no distant date, in Subiaco and Midland Junction. And in somewhat more recent years Claremont, Katanning, North Perth, and Maylands have been added to the number of settled charges.
The year 1901 marked a change in the government of the Church. Hitherto the Church, as has already been pointed out, was under the General Assembly of Victoria. It now sought and obtained autonomy, and the first General Assembly met in Perth in the month of April. This step enabled the Presbyterian Church in Western Australia to participate in the Union of the Presbyterian Churches of Australia, which was consummated in Sydney in September,
1901, the Rev. Robert Hanlin, the first Moderator of the State Assembly, being one of the signatories of the Deed of Union.
There are in all 19 full charges—nine in the Perth Presbytery, six in the Fremantle Presbytery, and four in the Goldfields Presbytery.
In addition to the work carried on in full ministerial charges, the Church’s energies have found a channel in various missions.
The Nor’-West Mission.—Since 1909 regular services by fully-ordained ministers have been maintained at
Broome and in the Pilbarra, at Port Hedland, Whim Creek, Marble Bar, and Nullagine.
Home Missions.—Home Mission enterprise has characterized the Church from the first. Most of the present full ministerial charges began as Home Mission stations. Home Mission agents work over wide areas from the following centres: — Leonora, Menzies,
Kanowna, Kellerberrin, Beverley, Narrogin, Yale-ring Lake, Kulnine, Denmark, Katanning, Mun-daring, and Darlington.
Aboriginal Mission.— A mission to the aboriginals has recently been undertaken. The mission site is an area of 58,000 acres on Hanover Bay reserved for mission purposes by the Government.
Education. — True to its traditions, the Presbyterian Church has sought to promote education. In 1897 the Scotch College was founded, and was at first housed in the Shearer Memorial Hall, Perth. In 1905 the College removed to more suitable locality and buildings at Osborne, near Claremont. The scholars number 210, of whom eighty are boarders; there is a staff of nine masters.
Publication. — The Presbyterian, which is published monthly, is the official organ of the Church in Western Australia.
Statistics.—The Presbyterian populations, according to census returns, were 529 (1870), 1,004 (1881), 1,996 (1891), 14,707 (1901), 26,678 (1911).
Photo by C. II. Park.
St. ANDREW'S CHURCH, PERTH.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The Congregational Church may be said to have started in Western Australia in 1846, when Divine worship was held in a small building in William Street, Perth. In the previous years a few members of the denomination had assembled for prayer in a private residence.
The first ordained minister to officiate in the colony was the Rev. Jas. Leonard, B.A., who came out at the request of the Colonial Missionary Society in 1851. He h2
remained for three years, and then went to Gawler, South Australia, whence he had received a call. For some years the Church was without a minister, and the services were conducted by laymen. In 1862 the Rev. I. M. Innes was sent out by the Colonial Missionary Society, and he remained in office for six years, during which period a handsome new church was built. The congregation likewise increased. Mr. Innes then left the denomination to join the Presbyterians, and he was
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
succeeded by the Rev. D. Meadowcroft, who remained for seven years, and during the term of his ministry a commodious manse was erected. Successively, the Revs.
T. G. Rose, J. Odgers, P. H. Crawley, Thomas Kyte, and E. Tremayne Dunstan were pastors, but in July, 1895, the Rev. W. T. Kench, the present minister, was appointed. In the meantime—during the Rev. E. T. Dunstan’s ministry—the magnificent church in St. George's Terrace was built, and was opened in December, 1893, the Rev.
Llewellyn D. Bevan,
D.D., of the Independent Church, Collins Street,
Melbourne, officiating on the occasion.
At Australind, as far back as 1848, Mr. John Allnutt, who was living there, inaugurated services in his house, and the attendance so rapidly increased that the adjacent cottage was secured and converted into a church. Acceding to a request from Bunbury,
Mr. Allnutt subsequently held service there every Sunday evening, which resulted in a church being built, and until his death in 1864, Mr. Allnutt conducted services at both Australind and Bunbury.
In 1866 the Rev. Andrew Buchanan was pastor, and later, after two or three changes, the Rev. John Chapman was appointed.
Mr. Chapman was succeeded by the Rev. T. D. Whalley, the present pastor.
In 1851 a small congregation had assembled at Fremantle, and received occasional visits from a lay reader. Eventually the congregation made applica-
tion to the Colonial Missionary Society for a minister to be appointed, and in 1853 the Rev. Joseph
Johnston arrived. In the interim the Victorian goldfields had drawn from Fremantle every person who had signed the petition, and Mr. Johnston, upon arrival, found himself without church or congregation. Nothing daunted, however, he hired a cottage, wherein he conducted service. The attendance at first numbered only about a dozen persons, but gradually the total increased, until in 1854 it warranted the erection of a small building, which was subsequently enlarged. A manse was next built, and in 1877 the present fine brick church was constructed, the old building having been converted into a Sunday - school. The Rev. J. Johnston laboured for thirty-three years, and was succeeded by the Revs. A. G. Foy,
C. Matthews, S. Bryant, W. F. Turton, and C. Taylor successively, the present minister being the Rev. Joseph Parker.
Until 1895 the Perth, Fremantle, and Bunbury churches were the only three of the denomination in the State; but in that year a Congregational Union was organized for mutual encouragement and forward work, the Hon. George Randell being elected the first Chairman. Since that time considerable extension has been carried out, and there are now some forty churches, with twenty regularly ordained ministers and thirty-six lay preachers, their labours extending well into the far north and amongst the outlying stations. The present Chairman of the Congregational Union is the Rev. G. Potts, of Cottesloe; Rev. B. C. Wie-land is Secretary, and Mr. Herbert Hocking Treasurer.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
It was not until the close of the year 1892 that any by holding services at his private residence, but the attempt was made to constitute the Baptist Church in response was not sufficiently strong to warrant the ser-Western Australia. In that year Mr. A. Lambert, a vices of an ordained pastor. Some two and a half years recent arrival from the Eastern States, made an effort later, in June, 1895, the number of Baptists having
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considerably increased, a Church was formed in Perth under the leadership of Mr. J. H. Cole, a layman from Victoria. The first services were held in the Town Hall, when some forty members signed the roll. The Rev. W. C. Hewson, of Pastor’s College, London, was elected minister, but owing to ill-health was soon compelled to resign, and the services were continued by laymen. The Rev. A. S. Wilson, of Adelaide, was then appointed pastor, and services were continued in the Oddfellows’ Hall, William Street, Perth. In the meantime Mr. Cole had turned his attention to Fremantle, and a small but healthy church was soon established in that town. Chiefly through the instrumentality of the same gentleman congregations were formed at Bayswater and Katanning, the first-named centre being the proud possessor of the first Baptist Church to be built in Western Australia.
With these four churches a Baptist Union was established in 1897, the Rev. A. S. Wilson and Mr. G. H. Cargeeg being the first President and Vice-President
respectively. The year 1899 saw the erection of the Perth Baptist Church in Museum Street, and since that time extension work has been carried on by pastors and home missionaries throughout the State. The Rev. Silas Mead, B.A., LL.B., was appointed assistant to Mr. Wilson, and from time to time other ministers arrived to take control of various churches. Like other denominations the Baptists became active on the goldfields, and have followed the development of agricultural centres wherever a sufficient number of adherents was settled.
In foreign mission work the Church in Western Australia has directed its attention to India, and has not only supported missionaries in that field, but has also sent out from its members workers to labour there.
At the present time there are twenty-one church buildings, the cost of which has been £16,500; there are nine ministers and eleven home missionaries, 1,134 members, and 1,300 Sunday-school scholars. Mr. H. D. McCallum is President of the Baptist Union, and Mr. W. L. Stokes Secretary.
THE CHURCH OP CHRIST.
The Church of Christ was first established in Western Australia by an evangelist from Victoria, Mr. T. H. Bates, who came to Perth for the purpose in 1890. In the beginning the services were held in the old Temperance Hall in Barrack Street, and afterwards in the Working Men’s Institute in Wellington Street. When this latter place became too small, the Temperance Hall in Museum Street was secured for Church meetings, but after a time the attendances outgrew this also. A block of land in Lake Street was then purchased, and a church, costing about £1,200, erected. This was opened in January, 1897, Mr. A. B. Maston, from Victoria, being the first preacher. In the following year the
denomination opened a chapel at Fremantle, and in 1900 a third at Subiaco.
The existing churches were formed into an incorporated association in 1898, the Hon. Frederick Illingworth being the first President. Since that time congroga^-tions have been formed in various suburban localities, in goldfields centres, and at various towns in the agricultural areas. There are now eighteen churches, these having sitting accommodation for over 2,000 persons. According to the census of 1911 the number of adherents of the Church was 2,808. Mr. H. J. Banks is the General Secretary of the associated churches, and Mr. H. Wright the Treasurer.
THE SALVATION ARMY.
During his first visit to Australia in 1891, the late General William Booth commissioned Staff-Captain Knight, at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, to lead a party of ten officers, and unfurl the blood and fire flag of the Salvation Army in the land of the sunny West. After meeting with a little opposition, which was speedily overcome by practical work, the Staff-Captain fully accomplished his mission, and army operations were firmly established.
Three years afterwards the late Major Hunter was commissioned to the command. The goldfields’ rush having fairly set in, he at once decided to follow the men, so as to render every assistance possible to those who were risking their all in the rush for gold. To aid this work five sisters who had had practical experience in nursing were sent to work amongst the fever-stricken
miners. The men were not slow to show their appreciation of the Army’s efforts to help them, and many are the tales told of suffering relieved by these devoted women during those stirring times.
In 1898 the Social Branch, which had already been doing good work, opened its first home with accommodation for twenty-two. The all too free and easy life of those days had told its own tale upon the virtues of many who had failed to count the cost of error. The home proved then, as now, a haven, and is still performing a good work. In 1901 many further advances were made in the social work. At North Fremantle the Hope-toun Home for Maternity Cases was opened, where a total of thirty-six can be accommodated. It was also at this period that homes were opened on the Collie Estate for boys and girls, the Government of the day
having consented to send children there under the control of the Army. That these institutions have fully justified their existence in this State is borne out by the fact that whilst there is a total accommodation for 160 children there is not an empty bed in either home. The year 1904 saw another advance to meet a pressing need, viz., the opening of a Home for Discharged Prisoners. Temporary premises were secured, and through the kindness of the Daglish Government a site was granted at Karrakatta, upon which a well-equipped home was erected and opened, capable of sheltering twenty-five inmates. Much of the work done here is of a preventive character, though few men leave the prison gates without being met by an officer and in a kindly manner offered the many benefits of the home. In furtherance of the work amongst children another home was opened at Lamington Heights, Kalgoorlie, to accommodate twenty-four little children. This institution, which has been called “The Fold,” is kindly spoken of on the fields, and is always full.
In 1911 the People’s Palace, Perth, designed to meet the wants of Salvationists as well as the travelling public, was opened; whilst February 1 of this year saw the inauguration of work amongst the aged pensioners. At Guildford, situated on the banks of the beautiful Swan River, there exists the Aged Men’s Retreat, the opening ceremony of which was performed by the Mayor and Mayoress of Guildford (Mr. and Mrs. Lefroy). The Samaritan Branches of both the men and women’s side are presided over by the social secretaries of Western Australia, and in an unostentatious manner much suffering and distress is alleviated, whilst many are tided over to better days. There are fifty fully commissioned officers engaged in this work, and several projects for extension are now under consideration.
Regarding the spiritual side of the work, of which Brigadier Winter is the leader, it can be said that on the whole it is in a satisfactory condition, although, through its ranks being composed mainly of the working classes and given to moving from place to place, some of the corps are much reduced in numbers, whilst others, again, were never better. At the present time there are twenty-eight centres having some forty out-branches, which are visited at regular periods. There are sixty-three full-commissioned officers directing and conducting operations from these centres, and these in turn are assisted by a thousand active workers and a hundred bandsmen. The adherents number 2,500, the Sunday - schools have a roll-call of 1,500, and the publications have reached a weekly circulation of 6,000. A large number of the buildings in which services are conducted are Army property, including the Pier Street building (known as “The Fortress”), the foundation-stone of which was laid by Sir John Forrest, K.C.M.G., in 1899. Reference should here be made also to the open-air work which is carried on. This is in itself unique. The popularity of these meetings has not waned. The man in the street has styled this as his church. The climate of the West being of such a genial nature, this is not to be wondered at, and their constant attendance proves the truth of their own statement. Whilst the operations of the Army are now carried on in a less obtrusive manner, yet their efforts are none the less successful, and the ready response from a recent annual appeal to the goldfields, farming communities, timber mills, and the larger cities, shows the interest and faith the public take in the work, the total reaching £2,600; whilst the devotion and self-sacrifice continually manifested by the officers prove that the spirit which first moved them to leave their all to carry on this great work has not lessened.
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THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE.
Although it is said that there were several members of the Chosen Race among the early pioneers of Western Australia, there was no attempt made to form them into a congregation until 1887. In that year those who were residing in and around Fremantle took the first steps towards establishing Judaism as one of the recognized religious sections of the community. A meeting was called in August of that year by one Benjamin Solomon. At this meeting, which was held over the shop of the convener, Mr. L. Alexander was elected first President of the Jewish congregation in Western Australia; Mr. Henry Seeligson was appointed lay reader; and arrangements were made for holding weekly services.
In 1891 it was felt that a visit from a properly - ordained minister was necessary for the performance of certain indispensable rites; the Rev.
A. T. Boas, of Adelaide, was invited, and he came to Fremantle for that express purpose. The services were held in the guard-room at the old Fremantle Barracks.
Towards the end of 1892 a second congregation of some sixty persons was formed in Perth. This number, owing to the rush caused by the gold discoveries, increased rapidly during the succeeding years, and it was decided to erect a synagogue. A site in Brisbane Street was secured, and the foundation-stone was laid in October, 1896. The congregation
having grown sufficiently affluent to support a regular pastor, the Rev. David I. Freedman was appointed as Rabbi, and he arrived in the State early in 1897. In April of that year he opened the new synagogue. Though the Jews in Western Australia only numbered about 600 at that time, they have since, by immigration from various European countries and from Palestine, increased to something like 1,800.
Most of them are to be found either in the metropolitan area or on the eastern goldfields. For the use of the congregation resident in the latter area a second synagogue was erected at Kal-goorlie.
In Western Australia, as in other parts of the world, the members of this small community of Jews are particularly prominent in the various charitable and philanthropic movements. Led by the Rabbi, who is a specially valuable worker in the cause of charity, they render services out of all proportion to their numbers, and are never appealed to in vain for help.
As evidence of the progress made during the past fifteen years, it may be mentioned that extensive alterations and additions are at present being made to the synagogue at Perth, which, when completed, will have transformed it into practically a new building nearly three times the size of the original structure.
Photo by C. H. Park.
Jewish synagogue. Perth.
The Revorend DAVID ISAAC FREEDMAN, Rabbi of Perth and Administrator for Western Australia, is a son of the late Mr. Moses Freedman, merchant, of London. He was born at Budapest, in Austria-Hungary, on April 17, 1874, and received his primary education
in Bell Lane School, London, subsequently attending the Jewish Theological College and the University College of that city. Whilst at the Theological College he gained two very valuable scholarships, and obtained further distinction at University College, where he was
awarded a first-class mathematical certificate, being the only student from the Jewish College who has ever received this honour, although the latter institution has been in existence over sixty years. He took his B.A. degree at the University of London in 1894, and having
completed his theological training at the age of 22 was sent to Western Australia to undertake the spiritual charge of the Jewish community in that State. Since 1897, from his headquarters at Perth, Mr. Freedman has laboured unceasingly among his people, and being the first Rabbi appointed in Western Australia has had an immense amount of organization work, to the details of which he has brought close attention, single-hearted zeal, and marked ability. All charitable institutions and movements have found in him a warm sympathizer and practical helper, and the charge of sectarian benevolence has lost its point where he is concerned. Within and without the pale of his own religious community poverty and helplessness never appeal to him in vain. He is Vice-President of the Children’s Hospital, and was one of the founders of that much-needed refuge for the suffering little ones. He assisted also to establish the Home of Peace, and acts as Hon. Secretary to its Committee. He is Chairman of the Executive of the Children’s Protection Society and is a member of the Council of the School for the Blind. The studv
of literature has great attraction for Mr. Freedman, and he is continually enlarging his knowledge of this great subject. He is well known as a lecturer on historical and
Bartletto, Perth.
Rev. David Isaac Freedman.
literary subjects, and is President of the Western Australian Literary Societies’ Union and a member of
the Council of the Victoria League, besides holding other offices of almost equal importance. He is examiner in Western Australia for the University of London, was for six years Chairman of the Perth Education Board in connection with the State schools, has edited The Craftsman, and was a member of the deputation from the University Graduates’ Union which prevailed on the Government to appoint a Royal Commission on the establishment of a University in Perth, the result of which is that the project has materialized. In the Masonic fraternity he has held many offices, and is the first Grand Principal of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Western Australia, and Past Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia. As a patron of all sport which tends to develop the physical powers of man without degrading his finer instincts he is well known, and is the present Patron of the East Perth Cricket Club, which won the premiership of the Senior Association for the season 1912. In 1897 Mr. Freedman married Annie Florence, daughter of Mr. Nathaniel Cohen, of London, and has two sons.
OTHER DENOMINATIONS.
Among the smaller sects which can claim adherents in Western Australia may be mentioned the Seventh Day Adventists and the Greek Catholics, the one numbering about 900 and the other over 400. The Unitarians in the State number 144.
Though presided over by a regular priest of the
Oriental Church, the Greek Catholics do not yet possess a consecrated church building.
The Seventh Day Adventists, on the other hand, have made such progress that they were enabled, in 1911, to erect a fine church in Hay Street West upon a site granted to them by the Government.
ASIATICS.
According to the census of 1911, the total number of Mohammedans, Confucians, Buddhists, etc., in the State was 4,060. These are scattered over most of the settled towns, being particularly in evidence in the metropolis, the goldfields’ centres, and the north-west. The Mohammedans hail principally from India and Afghanistan, and are engaged in small business
enterprises or as camel drivers; while the Confucians and 'Buddhists are almost exclusively Chinese and Japanese. There is a Mohammedan Mosque situated in Perth, wherein those of that faith may worship, but the other classes have not yet resolved themselves into definite congregations, and therefore have neither temples nor joss-houses at the present time.
Undenominational Institutions.
WOMAN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.
The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union is well known to the world, and the following brief summary
will serve to show how much women can accomplish in the interest of the needy, as far as finances will allow, and
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105
assist, as far as lies in their power, according to the Union motto: “For God, Home, and Humanity.”
The Western Australian Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was started in the year 1892, with Mrs. Justice Hensman as President. Among the first efforts was the formation of the Sailors’ Rest at Fremantle, a room being hired at the Freemasons’ Hall for the purpose. Mrs. Captain Smith threw her whole heart into this work, and it soon became evident that something more was required as the harbour extensions grew rapidly. At the W.C.T.U. Convention in 1895, Mrs. Captain Smith begged that an urgent effort be made to secure a block of land from the Government upon which to erect a Sailors’ Rest. A committee, consisting of Mrs. J. M. Ferguson, Mrs. Hanlin, and Mrs. Smith, waited upon the Minister for Crown Lands, who decided to give the W.C.T.U. a block of land situated in Marine Terrace. The need for this was emphasized by the impossibility to accommodate two shipwrecked crews from the “Sepia” and the “City of New York.” In 1900 the foundation-stone of the new building was laid by Sir John Forrest, K.C.M.G. It was opened by the Mayor of Fremantle. Mrs. Smith, through illness, was compelled to retire from active work, and was succeeded by Mrs. Farrelly. Mrs. Knight followed, and held the position for six years.
A portion of the McKellar bequest was obtained, which enabled the mortgage on the building to be paid off and some necessary repairs made. Mrs. Knight resigned, and Nurse Ryrie, who had formerly been a worker with the Seamen’s Mission, was appointed. After a few months’ service she was called to other work, and Miss Forsyth is now in charge, and, well supported by her staff, is doing a good work. A yearly grant of £100 is made by the Government.
The Sailors’ Rest is now in good condition. It is a place of refuge for shipwrecked men; a home where, as far as possible, all comforts are administered. The hospitals are visited, and the sick are allowed to come to the Rest for a few days during convalescence. Beds are provided for seafaring men at a nominal cost, and reading matter and writing materials are obtainable. A billiard-table is in use, and socials and entertainments are frequently given. To quote the words of the foundress, Mrs. Smith:—“This home was built by the energy of our members, and it will be a lasting monument to the
Woman’s Christian Temperance Union of Western Australia.”
In 1897 it was decided to open a headquarters in Perth; this was opened in Barrack Street, and much good has been done. One of the chief objects was the endeavour to lift headquarters from the level of a mere-boarding-house to a real centre of home-life, with the greatest freedom for social and Christian intercourse and fellowship, and also, wherever possible, to comfort and assist any who might be in trouble or perplexity. This in a great measure has been accomplished. It is gratifying to report that the accommodation for boarders is fully taxed; all liabilities have been paid off, and the usual current expenses are paid monthly, so the prospect is very hopeful and encouraging.
In the year 1901 a Sailors’ Rest was formed in Albany with the Government assistance of £50 per annum. This is largely availed of by visiting seamen, who greatly appreciate the kindness shown to them.
In 1902 a grant of land was obtained at Boulder to build a home for friendless girls; this is known as “Willard House.” The useful work of this Institution is well maintained. The building has been enlarged, and it is a quiet home for young women whose duties compel them to leave the comforts of their own homes. Several who have been incapacitated by illness have been glad to avail themselves of it during convalescence. Girls out of situations find a shelter there, and young women travelling have been received and helped on their way. Free meals have been supplied, and two beds are set apart for deserving cases. A grant of £100 is received from the Government.
Apart from the institutional work, the Lock-up and Fremantle Prison are regularly visited by the members. Regular monthly meetings are held in twelve towns in Western Australia, and progress is reported and recorded in evangelistic, temperance, and anti-gambling work. The efforts of the Union are directed towards the moral and social enlightenment of the community, more particularly in those directions which tend to lessen the evils of drunkenness and social vices. That it has met with considerable success cannot be denied, and there is no doubt that, even during its short term of activity in Western Australia, it has become a potent factor in the cause of national righteousness.
YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
In 1908, after one or two ineffectual attempts to found a Y.M.C.A. in Perth, the task was accomplished mainly through the visit of the two Australian National Secretaries, Messrs. Alexander Jameson, M.A., and William Gillanders, B.A., with Mr. Herbert Stafford, B.A., as organizing secretary of the campaign. After five months’ work the Association was formed in October.
A strong attempt had been made previously to raise £10,000, but at one time this effort seemed doomed to failure. This was averted by a timely donation of a building site in Murray Street worth £5,000, which filled the organizers with fresh hope and inspiration. This gift was made by Mrs. Oliver, a member of the Perth Baptist Church, and following upon the free use of rooms for two
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
years granted by Messrs. Cargeeg and Pitchford practically made the work possible. For some time a provisional committee, of which Mr. Martin E. Jull, Public Service Commissioner, was chairman, did the work. In 1909 the Board of Management was duly constituted, and Dr. Samuel Macaulay unanimously appointed President —a position which he has held continuously for five years, during which time he has served the Association with great acceptance and success.
Mr. Alexander .Jameson, impressed with the necessity of work among young men in Perth, remained, after the initial campaign, as Secretary to the new Association, leaving in 1910 to take the National Secretaryship for Australia. He was followed by Mr. W. J. Clark who, in response to a call in 1912 from New Zealand, left for Y.M.C.A. work in the Dominion.
The members of the present Board are:—Dr. Samuel Macaulay (President), Messrs. G. H. Cargeeg and William Padbury (Vice-Presidents), G. F. Pitch-ford, Duncan Paterson, S. H. Lamb, D. L. Moffat, H. G. Jefferson, A. T. Wreford, W. A. Hutchinson, E. T. Owen, J. Henderson, J. Hassen, Carl Leschen, M. E. Jull, H. D. Holmes, John Nicholson, John Sinclair, Albany Bell, D. S. Walton, J. H. Harvey, J. T. Peet, F. Whysall, A. S. Wilson (General Secretary), W. E. Pickering (Assistant Secretary), and L. J. Judd (Physical Director), and the Rev. Daniel Ross.
The Association provides for a long-felt need in the city, and is an excellent club at very moderate fees for young men. It is cosmopolitan in its membership and is unsectarian, while founded upon a religious basis. Its
property, when its building scheme is completed, will be worth £24,000, of which £11,000 is already in use. The membership is 600. The various athletic clubs are very successful, and its educational classes are freely availed of. Thus the Harriers Club in 1912 held five out of six amateur championships for the State, while the Swimming Club last year obtained thirty-four awards from the Royal Life-saving Society. In a recent examination for accountancy only three men passed in the highest grade for Western Australia, and two of them were Y.M.C.A. men.
Commencing its history in a London softgoods warehouse, the Y.M.C.A. stands in close connection with the commercial community, from which, as in other cities, it receives much encouragement.
Of late years the Y.M.C.A. has devoted a great deal of attention to the physical requirements of men. The gymnasiums are, in most cases, finely equipped and up to date; while the physical departments are constantly producing experts in the science of physical culture.
Though only part of the Perth Association building has been erected, it has a fine gymnasium, with a large swimming pool attached. Its social, reading, and billiard rooms are cool and inviting, and the various concomitants of a first-class club are clean and well kept. The educational classrooms, for such subjects as accountancy, salesmanship, and elocution, have been recently erected. The various clubs are entered with great enthusiasm, and a fine spirit of comradeship and loyalty pervades the Institution.
Philanthropic Institutions.
THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.
During the month of May, 1897, a little girl, accompanied by her mother, entered the establishment of Messrs. Chas. Moore & Co. The child’s attention was directed to a “negro” money-box. She became interested in it, and soon discovered that if a coin were placed in the negro’s hand and a spring touched the coin would be thrown into the box. Having three pennies, she experimented with them, and finally found that, having got
view to bringing the suggested movement before the public generally, and to that end a small meeting of sympathizers was called in October, 1897, when the originator of the scheme set forth the object he had in view. The meeting was favourable to the idea, and appointed a committee consisting of the Revs. Dean Goldsmith, Father Bourke, D. Ross, D. I. Freedman, and A. W. Bray, Colonel Phillips, and Messrs. Moore, Bick-
THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, PERTH.
Photo by C. F. Farr.
into the box, they were irrecoverable. Mr. Moore happened to come along, and jocularly informed the child that she had lost her pennies, and he asked what she would like in lieu of them ? “Oh, nothing,” replied the girl; “give them to the Children’s Hospital.” “But we have no Children’s Hospital,” said Mr. Moore. “Then why not have one?” was the answer. “Yes,” said Mr. Moore, “we will have one, and we will start it with your pennies.”
In order to further gauge the attitude of the children towards such a proposal, Mr. Moore issued a number of collecting-cards, and agreed to subsidize the amount raised by each child by an equal sum. These cards in a very little while brought in nearly £100.
It was then deemed advisable to take steps with a
ford, and Hocking, to arrange for a public meeting at an early date, at which the advisability of founding such an institution in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria might be discussed. Mr. W. Watson, the present Honorary Secretary of the Hospital, was appointed secretary to this provisional committee.
The public meeting, which was presided over by His Excellency the Governor (Sir Gerard Smith), was held on November 8, 1897, and in opening the proceedings His Excellency pointed out that the proposed hospital would form one of the three efforts, selected by public approval, to commemorate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, the others being the Victoria Institute for the Blind and the Home of the Good Shepherd (now the Home of Peace).
The Dean of Perth moved, and Mr. Chas. Moore
THE CYCLOPEDIA OE WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
seconded, the following proposition, which met with the enthusiastic support of the meeting:—“That in the opinion of this meeting the time has arrived for the establishment of a Children’s Hospital.”
Other resolutions were also passed, providing the necessary machinery for carrying the proposal into effect, and subscriptions amounting to nearly £900 were promised before the meeting closed.
At the first meeting of the General Committee held on November 15, 1897, a sub-committee, consisting of Sir Geo. Shenton, Messrs. Matheson, Battye, and Gob-bett, and Mesdames Pretty, Hassell, and Strickland, was appointed to inspect certain sites said to be available and report thereon. This committee recommended the site situated at the corner of Mueller Road and Thomas Street (upon which the hospital is no.w erected). The General Committee approved the choice, and applied to the Government for a Crown grant. After some hesitation, a 999 years’ lease of the site was granted, for which the committee was greatly indebted to the earnest support of the Hon. G. Throssell, Minister for Lands.
Three trustees were then appointed—Hon. Sir George Shenton and Messrs. Bickford and Hocking—but the first-named, finding it impossible to act, Mr. Battye was elected in his stead.
The movement having been thus definitely launched, various entertainments were promoted for the purpose of raising funds. The principal of these took the form of an “Olde Englyshe Fayre,” held in Perth during April, 1898, in which all the members of the committee, together with a large number of sympathizers, were actively engaged, and which returned the handsome profit of £1,200 towards the furtherance of the scheme.
Amongst other schemes for raising money, a Hospital Saturday and Sunday was instituted in December, 1897, and a sum of £130 raised. From time to time desultory attempts to make this an annual event have been made, but so far with little success. It is hoped that a “Children’s Hospital Saturday and Sunday” may be held every year.
On August 15, 1898, it was decided to call for competitive designs for a hospital of about eighty beds, the first portion providing accommodation for about thirty children to be erected forthwith.
With the consent of the then Minister for Works, Mr. Birtwistle (architect) was appointed assessor, and Drs. Lovegrove, Kenny, and Astles assisted materially from a professional standpoint. After mature consideration, it was agreed to award first prize to the design of Messrs. G. J. & E. J. Clark for a plan of a hospital on the cottage principle. These gentlemen were then appointed architects to the Hospital, and instructed to call for tenders for the first portion. This was done, and it was found that the lowest tenderer was Mr. W. Abbott, and the amount £2,042. As this was considerably in
advance of the estimate, it was decided to defer acceptance till a later date.
In the meantime there were indications that to proceed at once with the building might not be in the best interests of the scheme. It became evident that maintenance for the various charities of the district would be too great a burden upon the community, and the committee was strengthened in that view by the failure of a second carnival which was held in aid of the funds at the end of 1898.
The committee, therefore, resolved that the erection of buildings should be deferred, and that the amount then in hand, about £2,000, should be placed on fixed deposit for twelve months in the Western Australian Bank, to be redeposited, if deemed advisable, until such time as the committee considered it wise to proceed with the building.
Nothing further was done until August, 1907, when a meeting was held for the purpose of filling the offices of trustee and treasurer, which had become vacant through the departure of Mr. Bickford from the State. The Rev. D. I. Freedman was elected to the vacancy on the Board of Trustees, and Mr. H. Hocking to the position of Hon. Treasurer.
At this meeting Mr. Chas. Moore pointed out that the amount in hand was approximately £2,800, and asked whether the committee was of opinion that an endeavour should be made to carry the scheme into effect. On being assured that the time was opportune, Mr. Moore made the following proposal: —
“That if the Government would give £2,000 towards the building, provided a further sum of £2,000 was raised by the public, he would give £1,000 of that £2,000, and guarantee £500 of the remainder, and, further, that he would guarantee the sum of £1,250 yearly for three years towards maintenance, provided the Government would give the same sum yearly towards the upkeep of the Hospital.”
The offer was warmly accepted, and it was agreed that a deputation, consisting of those present, should wait upon the Hon. the Premier (Mr. N. J. Moore) and endeavour to secure his adherence to the proposal.
The matter having been placed before the Premier by the deputation, Mr. Moore assured the committee of his warm personal interest in the proposed Hospital, and the desire of the Government to assist it so far as possible. He promised that the Government would contribute £ for £ for maintenance up to £1,250 yearly, and that it would give £1,000 towards the Building Fund, leaving the additional £1,000 asked for an open question.
Mr. Chas. Moore agreed that his offer of £1,000 should stand, and it was then decided that steps be at once taken towards the erection of the first portion of the Hospital, such portion to comprise medical and surgical wards, each capable of accommodating twenty
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patients, together with operating theatre, quarters for nurses, and administrative buildings.
The foundation-stone was laid by His Excellency the Governor, Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, G.C.B., in the presence of a very large gathering of sympathizers, on June 27, 1908; and a month later, on July 25, memorial-stones of the two wards and operating theatre were laid by Lady ITackett, Mrs. I. S. Emanuel, and Miss Shenton.
The Hospital was opened on June 30, 1909,. by the Premier of the State, the Hon. Sir N. J. Moore, K.C.M.G., and if the progress made since then may be taken to be any criterion of the need for it, then the need was great indeed. Within less than two years from the date of opening it became necessary to increase the accommodation. An infants’ pavilion, containing twenty beds, an isolation ward of twelve beds, and an X-ray plant (the cost of which was defrayed by Messrs. A. Lovekin and C. E.
Smith) were erected. These proved sufficient for but a little time, and at present thore is a comprehensive building scheme under consideration which, when completed, will give a fully-equipped hospital of some 150 beds.
As an evidence of the work done by the Hospital, it may be stated that during the year ending September 30, 1912, 928 in - patients and 15,519 out-patients were treated, the total number of operations performed being 220. The daily average of beds occupied was 57’4 per cent., and the death rate 15'4 per cont. This last seems porhaps a little high, though it is below the world’s average, and when the fact that the Hospital takes sick children from birth is taken into consideration, is very satisfactory indeed.
With the object of bringing the hospital thoroughly up to date and in order to make it as efficient as possible, the Committee has recently secured the service? of a
London specialist, Dr. J. S. Pearson, M.A., M.D., B.Sc.,
L.R.C.S., to whom the full professional control of the hospital has been committed. Through the services of this gentleman, combined with the help of an excellent staff of honorary physicians and surgeons, the Committee hopes to make the Institution a model of its kind throughout Australasia.
The governing power is in the hands of a Committee of thirty-six ladies and gentlemen, from whom a Board of Management clothed with executive power is appointed each year. The officers at present consist of the following:—Mr. J. S. Battye, President; the Rev. Dr. Freedman and Mr. W. H. Vincent, Vice-Presidents;
Mr. B. Rosenstamm, Treasurer; Mr. John Tucker, Chairman of the Board; and Mr. C. G. Killick, General Secretary. Miss Homan is the Matron, and is assisted by a staff of about forty nurses and probationers.
The Hospital is supported by voluntary contributions, together with a yearly grant of £2,500 from the State. Though it is costing nearly £7,000 a year to maintain the work, the response to appeals has been such that there has never been a moment’s doubt as to its financial success.
The General Secretary, Charles George Killick, is a native of New South Wales, having been born at Bathurst, in the Blue Mountains, in 1872. He received his educational training at the public schools of the Mother State, and at the close of his scholastic career became engaged in clerical work, continuing in this line of life until 1897. In that year Mr. Killick came to Western Australia, where he accepted a position on the administrative staff of the Government Railways Department. This he held until 1909, and in November of that year received appointment to the secretarial duties in connection with the Perth Children’s Hospital, which post he still holds.
THE HOME
The Home of Peace is an institution that cares for the dying and incurable. It was founded in November, 1898, by Lady Onslow and Dr. Athelstan Saw. Previously the task of caring for the dying and incurable was undertaken by the Home of the Good Shepherd, which was conducted by the members of the Anglican Church. The Government refused to subsidize the Institution on the ground that it was managed by one
OF PEACE.
denomination, and in consequence the supporters found it impossible to carry on. At a public meeting, convened by Lady Onslow and Dr. Saw and held in the Town Hall, Perth, resolutions were carried affirming the need of founding a home for the dying and incurable, to be conducted on entirely undenominational lines. A large and representative committee was elected, consisting of members of all denominations, the first office-bearers being: —
110
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
President, the Right Rev. Dr. Riley (Bishop of Perth); Hon. Treasurer, Mr. F. C. Faulkner, M. A.; Hon. Secretary, the Rev. D. I. Freedman, B.A.; and Trustees, Dr. A. Saw and Mr. Faulkner.
The task of collecting funds for the building proved a somewhat difficult one. The Government promised £1,000 towards the building fund and £1 for £1 up to £1,000 per annum subscribed towards the maintenance. Special ladies’ committees were formed in various towns throughout the State, and these greatly helped in adding to the funds. An appeal was made to all the Churches in Western Australia, and many responded satisfactorily. A similar appeal to the pastoralists and farmers was not successful. It was not until June, 1901, that sufficient money was collected to justify the committee in proceeding with the erection of the home. Thanks to the efforts of Lady Onslow, the funds and the property of the Lady Smith Lodge, which had then just closed, were handed over to the Home of Peace, whereby the committee of the latter Institution received some £700, a quantity of furniture, and a block of land in East Perth. It was made a condition of the transfer that the male ward of the “Home of Peace” should be named “The Lady Smith Ward.” In appreciation of the valuable services rendered by Lady Onslow the committee decided to name the women’s ward “The Lady Onslow Ward.”
The Government originally presented the Home with a block of land, one and a half acres in extent, in Coghlan Road, Subiaco, as the site for the building, but strong opposition was raised by the local residents, the Perth City Council, and the Subiaco Town Council to the erection of the Home on that site. After some negotiation the committee agreed to relinquish that block for the present one in Hamersley Road, Subiaco,'which measures six acres and which in many respects is more suitable. It is triangular in shape and fronts streets on its three sides.
On August 22, 1901, Mr. Richardson’s tender for the erection of the Home of Peace was accepted for
£3,138 15s., the firm of Messrs. Hobbs, Smith, & Forbes acting as hon. architects. The foundation-stone was laid on December 18, 1901, by the Hon. Sir Arthur Lawley, K.C.M.G., the then Governor of Western Australia, and the Home was formally opened by Sir Edward A. Stone in December, 1902. Since then a number of additions have been made to the building. A cancer wing, containing two wards of six beds each, was' erected in 1906 and opened by the late Admiral Sir Frederick G. B. Bedford, K.C.B. Later a men’s smoke-room and women’s dining-room were added, and in 1911 the administration block was extended to allow for increased accommodation for the nurses and staff.
Since the opening of the Home in 1903 till the end of June, 1912, the committee dealt with 395 applications for admission; of these 253 were admitted. There are now forty-two beds in the institution, and in 1912 the cost of maintenance amounted to £1,800, which is the cost of an average year.
The Home of Peace has been fortunate in enlisting the sympathy of many friends, the occupants of Government House making it a point to take a great interest in the wellbeing of the patients. Some valuable legacies have been left to the Home. These have not been put to the maintenance account, but have been set aside to form an endowment fund and to be used for the purposes •-of extension.
The following have occupied the position of President of the Home:—Bishop Riley, Sir E. A. Stone, Sir Edward Wittenoom, K.C.M.G., and Mr. W. T. Loton; the latter has held the office continuously since 1905 and is still the President. There have been three matrons— Miss Anderson (who held the position for nine and a half years), Miss Beeby, and Miss Phillips. The affairs of the institution are administered by the usual officers and a general committee consisting of thirty ladies and gentlemen. It is maintained by voluntary contributions from the general public and by an annual subsidy from the Government.
VICTORIA INSTITUTE AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
It is generally conceded that the neighbouring State of South Australia is one of the most progressive in matters relating to the education and manual training of the blind. When, therefore, it was felt in 1896 that the time had arrived when Western Australia should take this necessary work in hand, those interested naturally turned to the Institution at Adelaide for assistance. In response to the request two officers trained in the North Adelaide Institution were sent to Perth—-Messrs. S. C. Kent and Ide. The former of these two became manager of the infant Institution, and remained in that position until the middle of 1912, when he resigned and returned to
Adelaide; the latter took up the work of reading to the blind in their own homes, and is still engaged in that duty, being the means of bringing encouragement and help to the aged and infirm blind who are unable to receive instruction in any of the trades.
When the matter of erecting a permanent memorial in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was under consideration, it was decided that one form of celebration should be the erection of a building where blind people might find a comfortable home and be trained in the direction of becoming self-supporting. Through the kindness of the Government a block of land,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Ill
some two and a half acres in extent, was secured at May-lands, about two and a half miles from the city, and in June, 1897, the first stone of the now extensive series of buildings was laid by the then Governor, Sir Gerard Smith.
The aim of the Institution from the commencement has been to provide an efficient primary education for blind children, and to train them along those lines which seem to offer avenues of employment in later years. For those of adult age workshops have been constructed, and under competent instructors they are taught the trades of brushmaking, matmaking, and haircurling. The success which has followed the efforts of the governing council in this direction may be gauged from the fact that at the present time most of those engaged in workshops are able to earn sufficient to keep themselves
in moderate comfort. Those who have not reached that stage are provided with a home at the Institution, and receive in pocket-money a percentage upon their earnings. The organization has at present from thirty to forty blind persons under its wing, and the support that it receives from all sections of the community is sufficient evidence that the work it set out to do is being done efficiently and well and in the best interests of the people of the State.
The governing body consists of a council of sixteen, Sir E. A. Stone being president, His Lordship the Bishop of Perth and Mr. T. Quinlan are the vice-presidents, Mr. H. D. Holmes is the treasurer, and Mr. H. Hocking is the hon. secretary. Upon the last-named gentleman the management of the Institution at present devolves.
DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTION.
The Deaf and Dumb Institution was initialed in 1896 as a result of inquiries made by the late Mr. W. R. Thompson, himself a deaf mute, who was anxious to see something done to improve the condition of those deaf children he had discovered. The work was taken up by Mr. Thompson’s sister and by the present superintendent, both teachers of the deaf. The first school was opened with three pupils in a small house in Moore Street, Perth, and shortly afterwards a committee was formed, consisting of the Very Rev. Dean Goldsmith, the Revs. D. Ross, W. T.
Kench, and G. E. Rowe, Dr.
McWilliams, and Messrs. F.
A. Moseley, F. Illingworth, and C. H. Wilkinson. Many difficulties beset the foundation of the school. Chief among these was the fact that few people believed that there were any deaf children in the community, and hence any need for a school. Others otherwise advanced in ideas suggested the inadvisability of proceeding with the work as it was doubtful if the parents of the deaf children desired them to be educated. A curious view to take in these days of compulsory education. Government assistance to the school to the extent of £200 a year was obtained by the committee, and a collector appointed to gather donations in aid of the work. In a very little time, the number of pupils having increased, a larger house with plenty of ground adjoining was rented in East Perth, where the school was carried on for a period of three years, during which good progress was made by the scholars. The Institution was then
incorporated, and after some trouble in securing suitable land on which to erect a permanent building, the committee received a grant from the Government of about five acres of land at Cottesloe Beach overlooking the ocean. Plans for a building with accommodation for eighteen pupils were prepared by Messrs. Wilkinson and
Smith, and the foundation-stone was laid in November, 1899, by His Excellency the Governor (Sir Gerard Smith). The opening ceremony was performed early in the following year by the Premier (Sir John Forrest). The cost of building and furnishing was £1,800, towards which the Government contributed a sum of £600, Miss E. Jecks £50, and Miss May Jecks £21. Since that time various extensions of the building have been rendered necessary in order to more adequately carry on the work. The total expenditure on the fabric now amounts to £5,468, towards which the State contribution has been merely the sum of £600 already mentioned.
The work of the scnoolroom, in which there are now nineteen pupils, is mainly devoted to the mental development of the children, the teaching of connected language, with, of course, the usual school subjects when the pupil is sufficiently advanced. Of all the subjects, however, the work of language teaching is immeasurably the most important, and to it every other consideration is subordinated. Some of the pupils—those best adapted thereto—are taught speech and lip-reading with very good results, as evidenced by the fact that by this means
all communication is carried on with them, both in the school and when they visit their homes. It may be well to point out here that the Institution is in no sense an asylum; all of the pupils have homes, and are only resident at the school for the purposes of education, returning to their parents for the holidays and when their school years are over. In addition to the school work outlined above, manual training as applied to woodwork is given to the boys, while the girls are taught dressmaking and cookery, and receive also a training in household duties. It may be observed that no system of signs is employed in the Institution, this method of communication having been long ago abandoned in all deaf schools. This does not mean that the manual alphabet is not in use, for it should be remembered that the two systems are by no means synonymous. Signs are often arbitrary and incapable of being accurately translated into common speech, while anything conveyed by the manual alphabet is as exact and literal as speech itself. In this school and in American schools the form of manual alphabet used is that of the single hand, which has the great advantage that no matter how one hand may be engaged, say, with some school utensil, communication is readily effected by the disengaged hand, a performance impossible by the double-hand system. Its
WAIFS’ HOME,
This Institution established by the Sisters of the Church, forms another instance of the work these estimable women are doing for the sake of the children. Very soon after the Sisterhood came to Western Australia its members realized the need that existed for the care of infant life. They were constantly entreated to take charge of babies who were either neglected or cruelly ill-treated. To accede to the requests meant starting a Home for Destitute Children, and the first step was taken in 1902 by the purchase of 48 acres of land at Parkerville. The first year was a time of strain and anxiety for all concerned. At Perth the Sisters toiled hard to obtain the money required for the children’s maintenance; at Parkerville itself there was ceaseless labour day and night, for the sickly infants had to be nursed and tended under hard and difficult conditions that might have daunted even the bravest spirit. Money was scarce, accommodation inadequate, comforts and even necessaries lacking. Yet still the work went on. The Sisters had the consolation of knowing that little lives were being saved, and even at this difficult stage of the undertaking the babies throve, and whoever else suffered they were kept happy. The first nursery built was of weatherboard, bare in the extreme, draughty, and ill-furnished. All the cooking was done out of doors. The burden of many and everyday inconveniences was often very hard to bear.
use, moreover, is less obtrusive in public places than that of the double hand.
The ex-pupils of the Institution are employed in various callings, such as farming, millinery, bootmaking, etc., and all appear to be doing well. It is worthy of remark that the educated deaf as regards their personality are a desirable class in a community. They are steady, rarely out of employment, happy and cordial in temperament, and exceedingly temperate in their habits. Where the numbers warranted it the old scholars of the Australian schools have formed themselves into associations with the object of religious, intellectual, and social improvement. They are good citizens, and, it is gratifying to state, manage their affairs excellently.
In this State there are several instances known where eligible deaf children are not receiving instruction, and the committee hopes that parents will in all cases use the opportunities for education presented by the school provided for them.
The Institution is governed by a Committee of Management, of which Mr. E. A. Moseley is President and Major E. A. Drake-Brockman Treasurer. The duties of secretary are carried out by the Superintendent (Mr. H. H. Wichell), to whose ability, enthusiasm, and sympathy much of the success of the work is due.
PARKERVILLE.
In the course of two or three years, however, the work began to be recognized for its own worth, and since then no charity in the State has received more enthusiastic support. By the end of 1905 there were forty-five children—nearly all babies—in* the Home, and many of them were received in an almost dying condition. Applications for admission were very frequent ; it was becoming more and more evident that a large number of tiny atoms of humanity must be saved at all costs from surroundings of unspeakable wretchedness, and there was then no home or agency of any sort in Western Australia for the rescue of little infants excepting the Parkerville Home.
In 1907 a Government grant of £150 (the first given to the Home) was received in May, and a sudsidy of £500 on the £1 for £1 basis earned since July 1, 1906, was paid to the Maintenance Fund. This generous recognition of their services by Government greatly cheered the Sisters, and gave a wonderful impetus to the work.
The crowning happiness was the opening of two new brick houses at Parkerville, one of them built at the cost of Mr. Padbury, that faithful benefactor to whom already the Sisters owed so much, and the other paid for by the father of one of the Sisters. On the occasion of the opening of these buildings 600 visitors found their way to the Waifs’ Home, the Bishop and
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His Excellency Sir Frederick Bedford were there, and fresh interest was aroused in many kindly hearts. The year was memorable also, because the whole State had been roused into interest and anxiety with regard to the question of “unwanted children.” People no longer shut their eyes to the dreadful fact that through indifference, neglect, or cold-blooded cruelty many innocent little lives were being sacrificed every year in this civilized country. The State Children’s Bill was introduced into Parliament; and the whole question of child-life was carefully deliberated. One of the Sisters was asked to give evidence before the Select Committee, and afterwards received most kind and courteous letters from the Colonial Secretary and the Treasurer, both of whom thanked her for the information she had given. These letters concluded with most kind words of appreciation for the good work done at Parkerville.
Since that time the record of the Home has been one of continuous progress. The following account taken from a Western Australian newspaper shows clearly the work as it existed at the end of last year: —
“For some few years past, the Waifs’ Home at Parkerville has been more than a name to a very large circle of friends and well-wishers, who have watched with the deepest interest and the keenest solicitude the wonderful work done by the Sisters of the Church among the babies and children of the State. To those who remember the beginning of the work in a little log cabin in 1902, after the Sisters had felt as it were the pulse of the children’s need in Perth by the opening of the first day nursery in William Street, the growth and progress of the Home seems nothing short of miraculous. The writer has had the privilege of staying with the Sisters this summer, and of entering into the daily life of those little ones to whom has come such a grand opportunity of happiness and development. The fact has been emphasized from the beginning, that the Home is not an institution in the ordinary acception of the word, but a home in the truest sense. From the verandah of a little cottage on the grounds, can be seen
the buildings which have gradually accumulated as the need for them arose, and which form the children’s settlement. There is ‘Babyland,’ with its group of little ones from five to seven years old, who live in large, airy nurseries with wide verandahs and possess a happy playground. Near by is ‘Padbury,’ with bright, cheerful rooms containing families of younger children and babies who spend their lives in the creeper-trailed verandahs and grounds, under the watchful care of loving eyes. A short distance away there is the simple wooden cottage where the bigger boys live, with all the arrangements necessary for health and cleanliness. Further up on the hillside is another beautiful home, 'St. Nicholas,’ where a set of little girls are cared for; while still further towards the top of the hill is a charming cottage where live yet another happy family party. Each family of children in each separate home is in charge of a guardian, who takes the place of the mother in a household and does in every way all that is needful for their health and comfort. The whole management of the establishment from beginning to end is splendid, the affairs of the little village settlement moving on oiled wheels, and through each and every labour there runs the steady endeavour to give to the children all that will make for their best health and happiness and welfare. They have food in generous quantities, but it is of the simplest and most wholesome description; there is no stint, and there is no wast%, However, when all is said and done, the appearance of the children themselves is the very finest evidence of the work that is being done by the Waifs’ Home. It is a work of which any State may be justly proud. That the work at Parkerville is blessed indeed must be very obvious to those who watch its progress and rejoice to see the number of its friends who year by year add their help to strengthen the brave hands of the Sisters who voluntarily labour in this vineyard of young life. What that work is and the delicacy and skill with which it is carried on no one can possibly imagine who has not watched and loved its inner workings.”
CHILDREN’S PROTECTION SOCIETY.
Several small meetings held by those interested in the general welfare of child-life in Western Australia ultimately led up to a public meeting which was held in the Perth Town Hall in July, 1906. At this meeting it was decided to form a Children’s Protection Society of Western Australia, the first executive committee being also formed. The Children’s Protection Society was founded at a time when cases of the grossest cruelty and neglect to helpless infants were of very common occurrence. The law of the land in relation to children was then practically a dead letter, as was shown by revelations in the Supreme Court, which gave ample proof, if
i
any were needed, of the necessity for a society of this kind.
Briefly, the aims and objects are : —To protect children from ill-treatment at the hands of parents or guardians and, what is more difficult and wider, to aim at making baby-farming impossible; to place children, when compelled to be separated from parents, in a family with a foster-mother, thereby giving the child the next best thing to the natural home; to directly assist and encourage parents to provide for and maintain their own children, as inquiry into the working of the society will amply prove; to visit and report upon, frequently and thoroughly, every child the society is in touch with. One
of the chief aims is to prevent the necessity of making State children and to try to keep the natural bond between parent and child unbroken. The society can proudly point to the “State Children’s Act” and claim that it came into force mainly through its untiring efforts.
Since its inception the society has boarded out 442 children. Of these 224 have returned at different times to their parents or relatives. Perhaps this is the most gratifying feature of the society’s work. These little ones have been boarded out with foster-mothers during their natural parent’s temporary difficulties and distress. In this one aspect of the work there lives in many a mother’s heart joy and gratitude for practical help and sympathy in her time of need and sorrow. The society has received and investigated 247 reports of cruelty and neglect to children. It is generally found that the inspector’s visit is regarded in the best spirit, and the regular supervision subsequently exercised proves of great service to the mothers and tends to the better condition of the children in nearly every case. In addition, there have been 750 “cases of general assistance.” This takes in appeals for advice, assistance, and temporary help. No deserving case is allowed to go without something being done or the applicant put in the right direction of obtaining what is needed. Situations have been found, daily work secured, clothing given, and temporary monetary assistance provided. The inspector has made 6,660 visits to boardecjjout and supervized children. The society has opened and maintained for some time past a “Day Nursery,” which enables working mothers to leave their children in safety all day whilst they are absent at work, thus safeguarding the little ones from serious evils. It is impossible to describe in detail the use that is made of the society by people from the country, as well as townspeople, or the many daily happenings which go to show that it has inspired absolute confidence in those who refer to it for help and guidance. Many of the little ones have been legally adopted by people suitable in every particular to carry out this grave responsibility.
For the first three years of its existence the society was entirely dependent on the generosity of the public for support in the admirable work it carried on, but the Government was at last prevailed upon to acknowledge the work thus done was not performed by any other organization, and granted £50. This year (1913) it is promised £150, and is indebted to the present Government for the use of the premises in Pier Street.
The question is often asked, “What is the difference between the work of the Children’s Protection Society and that done by the State Children’s Department ?” It is well to point out here that the class of children the State takes under its control is quite outside the province of the society, and the class of children the society looks after is quite outside the province of the Government. Children who come under the care of the Government
and are called “State Children” may be classified as follows:—(a) A child is an orphan and destitute: it belongs to the State; (b) a child has parents, but they are either morally, mentally, or physically unfit for their parental duty: this child belongs to the State; (c) boys and girls who are uncontrollable by their own parents and are in danger of entering upon a criminal career: these belong to the State. These children to all intents and purposes have no parents. Their natural guardians are either dead, or as bad as dead. The State comes in to be the father and mother. The society has nothing at all to do with this class of children. But there are others needing outside watchfulness, yet differing from the above in a most essential respect. There are children who have their parent or parents who are attached to them with all fondness and devotion, but for one good reason or another they are unable for the time being to give them the needful attention. The mother and father do not wish to be freed from their responsibility. The child is theirs, and they want it to be theirs. For a while, however, they happen to be placed in such circumstances that they cannot bring it up themselves. They want some good home where they can be assured it will be properly mothered and fathered. They are willing to work for their child and to contribute towards its support as much as their means will allow. At any time they may be in a position to have a home of their own, and then they will want their child back. It is this class of children, and this class alone, that the society takes under its segis. To put the difference in a sentence —Where the tie of parenthood is severed the child is taken by the State, but where the tie still exists the child is taken by the society; and the reason it is taken by the society is because the State has no power to take it, nor does it wish to take it, nor has the State any cognisance of it beyond this—that if it happened to be an infant under the age of three years the State has to see that it receives the proper care at the hands of the foster-mother the society has found for it. Through the system of foster-homes the parents are held to the children. There is in modern life so much loosening of the parental tie that any agency which seeks to keep the tie firm and vibrant with affection, as does this society, deserves every encouragement from both public and Government.
The present officers are: —Patron, Lady Bdeline Strickland; President, Sir Edward Stone; Vice-Presidents, Sir Winthrop Hackett, M.L.C., and the Hon. W. Kingsmill, M.L.C.; Executive Committee, the Revs. D. I. Freedman (Chairman), E. Makeham, and A. McCarlie, Dr. G. Mead, Mr. J. H. Prowse, Lady Hackett, Mesdames J. Cowan, G. H. Johnston, A. E. Joyner, W. Kingsmill, Leake, and Rischbieth, and Miss F. Davis; Hon. Treasurer, Mr. O. L. Haines; Hon. Solicitor, Mr. N. Cowan; Hon. Physicians, Dr. Gertrude Mead and Dr. Jull; Secretary, Mrs. J. A. Gover.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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M. C. L. CONVALESCENT HOME.
In June, 1891, there was inaugurated by Mrs. H. D. Holmes, at the Western Australian Bank, Perth, the Ministering Children's League. This world-wide society was founded by the Countess of Meath, who adopted as its motto “No day without a deed to crown it." In December of the same year a sale of work was held at Government House under the auspices of Lady Robinson, its first President, and Bishop Parry announced that the League had decided to work for a Convalescent Home, and, while wishing them every success, he thought that it was rather a big undertaking for a children’s society.
In 1894 a petition was presented to the G o v e r n -ment, signed by the doctors and leading citi-z e n s of Perth, praying that a portion of the reserve at Cottes-loe Beach might be granted to the League on which to erect a Convalescent Home.
This was refused by the Commissioner of Lands (the Hon. W. E. Marmion), but on November 15 a deputation waited on the Hon. A. R. Richardson, who had recently succeeded Mr. Marmion, ancf who subsequently granted the request conditionally on the land being built on within three years.
In October, 1895, tenders were called for the fencing-in of the land and sinking the well, and subsequently plans of the building were prepared by Mr. P. W. Harrison, and it was decided to name the Home when erected the M. C. L. Convalescent Home, as it was for this object that the League had decided to work, and also as Lady Meath, on hearing of the efforts made by the members to erect a home for convalescents, had most kindly sent two very generous contributions to the fund. i2
Lady Onslow, having accepted the position of President, placed the memorial tablet in the new building on November 21, 1896, and on May 1, 1897, Lady Smith, the wife of the Governor, Sir Gerard Smith, opened the Home for the admission of patients.
Up to the end of December, 1898, men were the only patients admitted, but in December of that year it was decided to utilize the sitting-room by turning it into a small ward for women, who have been increasing in number every year since. In 1900, at a meeting called by Lady Onslow at Government House, it was decided to make further additions, as the space at the
disposal of the Committee for women was becoming far too limited, and later on a tender for £1,100 was accepted. On August 17 of the following-year the Hon. Lady L a w 1 e y , wife of Sir A r t h u r L a w 1 e y , then Governor of Western Australia, laid the foundation-
stone of the new wing for women, and on December 14 Her Ladyship performed the opening ceremony of the completed building.
These additions sufficed for a little more than seven years, when it was imperative, if the Institution was to continue on its beneficent career, to further enlarge the building, and in March, 1909, a tender for £2,629 was accepted. This wing, which included two large wards, named the “Waylen" and “Padbury" Wards, was christened the “Meath Wing," and was opened by Lady Edeline Strickland, wife of Sir Gerald Strickland, the then Governor. This latest addition completes the building, which has been erected at a cost of £6,000.
The Home is situated at Cottesloe Beach, the most healthy of the suburbs, and the inmates enjoy the
M.C.L. Convalescent Home, Cottesloe Beach.
refreshing cool breezes direct from the Indian Ocean. The number of the patients increases every year, especially the women, from all parts of the State, to whom the Home is a great boon. During the fifteen years of its existence, up to the end of 1912, 2,682 patients have been admitted; of these 1,300 were men and 1,382 women.
The Institution has benefited very greatly by the Padbury bequest, and a large number of patients are enabled to enjoy the benefits of the Home through the generosity of the late Walter Padbury.
Mr. P. W. Harrison, F.R.V.I.A., has been the
hon. architect from the inception, and has untiringly devoted a large portion of his time for the erection and preservation of the buildings. The Institution has been under a deep obligation to its several honorary medical chairmen, among whom of late years may be numbered Drs. Macaulay, Darbyshire, and Blackall, the last-named being its present chairman, who is ever anxious to attend the patients and give advice to the Matron in all cases needing medical attention. Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Holmes have been associated with the Home from its inception, the former as Hon. Treasurer, while the latter is its Vice-President.
LADY LAWLEY COTTAGE BY THE SEA.
After Sir Arthur Lawley had concluded his term as Governor of Western Australia some ten years ago a movement was set on foot by the ladies of the community having for its object the recognition of the services rendered by Lady Lawley in helping the various charitable movements of the State. At Her Ladyship’s suggestion it was decided to establish a convalescent home to which children under the age of twelve years might be sent to recuperate at very little cost to the parents. A block of land was secured close to the beach at Cottesloe, and a building erected capable of accommodating about sixteen children. The Home is supported partly by public subscription and partly by payment from the parents, the whole being subsidized by
the Government to the extent of £1 for £1 up to .£250. Children sent by subscribers are charged 7s. 6d. per week, the full charge for a non-subscriber being 15s. By an arrangement recently made children who have reached the convalescent stage at the Children’s Hospital are sent to the Home for a fortnight at the expense of the Hospital, thus obviating the necessity for a separate convalescent home for that Institution. The Home is managed by ladies, assisted by a board of advice composed of prominent gentlemen in the community.
Mrs. Fairbairn occupies the position of president, Mrs. McMillan that of vice-president, and Mrs. Eliot that of secretary.
THE KINDERGARTEN UNION.
In October, 1911, at the invitation of the Committee of the Children’s Protection Society, there came to Perth Miss De Lissa, from the Adelaide Training College, to lecture upon the need for a Kindergarten Union being formed in this city. In a series of charming and instructive lectures and demonstrations Miss De Lissa outlined the wonderful system of child-gardening, which saves to the nations hundreds of valuable human plants that would otherwise be eaten by the canker that besets human nature when left to itself unhelped by the Divine influences of pity and of love. In other words, the Kindergarten system of training saves many children from becoming criminals and being a burden to the State by counteracting the evil influences of heredity and environment found in the dark places of the earth. The State by aiding such work puts out at interest money which would inevitably have to be spent in the upkeep of prisons, asylums, and reformatories. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it,” has been amply proved by a review of the grand work performed since Froebel, who may be called the fairy godfather of childhood, began his loving
service for little children; for he transmuted dull and monotonous tasks into magic play, and made of it a power to build character and to form the virtues without which society could not exist.
Early last year a centre was formed at 160, Pier Street, where Miss Donnell is in charge as director. Assisted by the Misses Macaulay and Miss Ashe, a year of good work has been accomplished. Forty-six children were brought under the influence of the Kindergarten, and by visiting the parents in their homes Miss Donnell has been able to form the Mothers’ Home-training Branch, which is an important adjunct to the work; whilst this year the Committee has established a training centre where young women will be able to take a complete course of Kindergarten training, which will enable them to become teachers. Five candidates have been enrolled and will at once enter upon the course. The enlargement of the premises at Pier Street to accommodate the growing classes, and the bright intelligence and order of the children so happily employed there, go to prove that the work so hopefully begun has not been in vain.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
117
HOUSE OP MERCY.
This Home, which is situated in Lincoln Street, Perth, is one of the oldest philanthropic movements in the State. Its object is primarily the reclamation of young girls, and it has for many years carried on its work quietly and without ostentation; at the same time fulfilling a very real want in the community. It
is scarcely a charitable institution in the strict sense of the word, as by means of a large laundry and other opportunities for work it is made to a large extent self-supporting. The president is Mrs. A. O’Grady Lefroy, who, since the time of its inception, has taken an active personal interest in the well-being of the Institution.
In addition to the foregoing there are the various Government and denominational charitable organizations. These, however, have already been noted either under the Charities’ Department or under the various ecclesiastical denominations. Their work is confined chiefly to the care of the destitute and the orphan and
the reformation of the fallen. When we combine these various agencies noted above, we are fain to admit that Western Australia, though but a small community in point of numbers, can hold its own in point of charitable endeavour with the larger and more populous States of the Commonwealth.
Agriculture
DIGEST OP THE LAND LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
LAND LAWS AND REGULATIONS PRIOR TO 1898.
On December 5, 1828, Lieutenant (afterwards Captain) J. S. Roe, R.N., was appointed “to take the charge and direction of the Surveying Department of the (then) proposed new settlement in Western Australia.” In June of the following year he arrived in the colony with Sir James Stirling (the first Lieutenant-Governor) and the first batch of intending settlers, to take up his duties; and with Mr. H. C. Sutherland, Assistant Surveyor, who came out at the same time, formed the nucleus of what is now the Department of Lands and Surveys in this State.
On the same date as Lieutenant Roe was appointed, a circular was issued from the Colonial Office (afterwards known as “Circular A”) to the effect that though it was the intention of His Majesty’s Government to form a settlement on the western coast of Australia, the Government did not intend to incur any expense in conveying settlers to the new settlement, or in supplying them with necessaries after their arrival, but that any persons proceeding to the new settlement at their own cost, before the end of the year 1829, in parties comprehending a proportion of not less than five females to six males, would receive grants of land in fee simple proportioned to the capital which they might invest upon public or private objects in the colony—at the rate of 40 acres for every sum of £3 so invested; such land, if not brought into cultivation or otherwise improved or reclaimed from its wild state to the satisfaction of the Governor of the colony within twenty-one years, to revert to the Crown absolutely. The passages of labouring persons, whether paid by themselves or others, and whether they were male or female, provided the proportion of the sexes before-mentioned be preserved, was deemed to be an investment of capital entitling the person to land at the rate of £15 (that is, 200 acres) for the passage of each such labouring person, over and above any investment of capital.
In February, 1829, a further circular was issued from the Colonial Office (afterwards known as “Circular B”) extending the operations of the previous circular with slight modifications up to the end of 1830.
This was followed by a memorandum of instructions for progressively dividing the colony into counties, hundreds, townships, and sections, and prescribing the size
of each. Although it would appear from some of the old maps of the colony that a commencement was made with this scheme (at least on paper), for some reason it was unfortunately never proceeded with, and though certain localities in the south-west portion of the colony were recognized as districts under different names, the boundaries of these districts were not clearly defined till within the last few years. In the meantime other sets of districts for magisterial, roads, electoral, and other purposes had come into existence. The consequence is that at the present time there are nine or ten sets of districts in this State, the boundaries of each being fixed almost without reference to the other—a most troublesome and confusing state of affairs which it now seems almost impossible to rectify, but which might have been avoided had the Colonial Office instructions been carried out. The memorandum also defined the conditions under which grants of land would be made, prescribing, among other things, the expenditure of Is. 6d. per acre on improvements on the land within ten years and before the selector could obtain a grant in fee simple or effect a transfer, and imposing a fine of 6d. per acre per annum if at least one-fourth of the required improvements were not made within three years. It also provided for the leasing of town allotments, grants of land to pensioners, and the appointment of a Board of Commissioners to deal with Crown property.
This is apparently the first document in which the title of “Surveyor-General” appears.
The very liberal terms contained in the foregoing regulations, which enabled those who chose to take advantage of them to acquire huge tracts of land without any actual payment to the State (in one case a block of
316,000 acres was granted to one person), were presumably offered merely as an inducement to bring settlers to this, then very much “out-of-the-way” place, and it was not to be expected that they could hold good for any length of time. Consequently, we find that in July of 1830 a further circular was issued from the Colonial Office (afterwards known as “Circular C’**), considerably modifying the terms of the previous regulations by reducing the quantity of land to be given to half that previously offered, viz., 20 acres for every £3 of capital, and
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
119
100 acres for each labouring emigrant. The land so allotted, if not cultivated or improved to the satisfaction of the Government within two years, to be liable to a charge of Is. per acre per annum as quit rent, and if not improved at the end of a further period of two years, to revert to the Crown or be liable to such additional quit rent as the Government may think fit to impose.
In March, 1831, a further circular was issued from the Colonial Office stating that His Majesty’s Government had decided that in future the land in Western Australia should be disposed of upon the same principles as in New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), but that the encouragement given to persons incurring the expense of taking out labourers would not be entirely withdrawn.
The circular then proceeds to define the rules or conditions, which are briefly as follow: —
The land to be put up to auction at varying prices, acoording to its quality, the minimum price being fixed at 5s. per acre;
Persons desirous of obtaining land to apply for same on forms provided, for which a fee of 2s. 6d. was charged;
Land to be advertised for three months before sale, and then sold to the highest bidder, providing that such bidding was not less than the upset price fixed;
Ten per cent, of purchase money to be paid at time of sale, and balance within one month;
Pep of 45s. to be paid for Grown grant and registration ;
Land to be sold in blocks of 640 acres, but in special cases the Governor may authorize the sale of a smaller quantity;
Settlers incurring the expense of bringing out labourers to be entitled to an abatement of purchase money at the rate of £20 for each married labourer and his family.
About the same date as that of the issue of these regulations, a memorandum was issued from the Horse Guards, granting to officers of the Army the privilege of selecting land under the regulations referred to, and allowing a remission of the purchase money acoording to the following scale, viz.:—
Officers who had served twenty years and upwards to have a remission of £300;
Officers who had served fifteen years and upwards to have a remission of £250;
Officers who had served ten years and upwards to have a remission of £200;
Officers who had served seven years and less than ten to have a remission of £150.
Then follows a long extract from instructions to the Governor. This more fully sets out the course of procedure with regard to the subdivision of the colony into counties, hundreds, and parishes, and for making all necessary reserves for public purposes, and for grants of land under the regulations in force for the time being.
The next document in the shape of land regulations is a memorandum of instructions from the Governor to
the Surveyor-General, with reference to the reservation and laying out of lands for town sites in each county, which was to be as follows: —
County Townships.
Acres.
Building and gardening ground ... ... ... 1,920
Common grazing ground, including all meadows in
the vicinity ... ... ... ... ... 640
Common forest land ... ... ... ... • • • 640
Roads, streets, squares, quays ... ... ••• 400
Public cemeteries ... ... ... ... ... 80
Church sites ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
School sites ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Market sites ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Barrack sites ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Gaol sites ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Public baths ... ... ... ... ... ••• 20
Public gardens ... ... ... ... ... 20
Public slaughter houses and yards ... ... ... 20
(= 6 square miles) 3,840 Towns op Hundreds.
Acres.
Building and gardening ground ... ... ... 600
Common grazing land ... ... ... ... 300
Common forest land ... ... ... ... ... 300
Sites of churches, schools, etc. ... ... ... 80
(=2 square miles) 1,280 Towns op Parishes.
Acres.
Building, gardening, and farming land ... ... 300
Common grazing and forest land ... ... ... 300
Church sites, schools, and other purposes ... ... 40
(=1 square mile) 640
Apparently these instructions were more honoured in the breach than the observance.
Then follow regulations defining the improvements which were required to be performed on town lots in the (then existing) towns of the colony.
It does not appear from these regulations that any price was yet charged for town lots. They were given on condition that the selector took possession and erected a building thereon of a certain value within a given time —both value and time allowed varying considerably in the different towns, and ranging from £30 to £200 and three months to five years respectively.
In March, 1832, a memorandum was issued from the Admiralty Office setting forth that the King had been graciously pleased to declare that officers of the Royal Navy purchasing land under the regulations in the colonies of North America and Australia would, in proportion to their rank and length of service, be entitled
120
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
to a remission of purchase money according to the following scale, viz.:—
Commanders and officers of the Royal Navy above that rank and field officers of the Royal Marines of twenty-five years’ standing and upwards, in the whole £300;
Commanders and officers of the Royal Navy above that rank and field officers of Royal Marines of twenty years’ standing and upwards, in the whole £250;
Commanders and officers of the Royal Navy above that rank and field officers of Royal Marines of fifteen years’ standing, or less, in the whole £200;
Lieutenants of the Royal Navy, and warrant officers ranking as such, and captains of Royal Marines, of twenty years’ standing and upwards, in the whole £200;
Lieutenants of the Royal Navy, and warrant officers ranking as such, and captains of the Royal Marines, of fifteen years’ standing, or less, in the whole £150;
Subalterns of Royal Marines and assistant surgeons of the Royal Navy of twenty years’ standing and upwards, in the whole £150;
Subalterns of Royal Marines and assistant surgeons of the Royal Navy of seven years’ standing, or less, in the whole £100.
The earliest printed land regulation recorded in the Lands Department is dated January 28, 1841, and is interesting as showing the great difficulty the pioneers of this State experienced in obtaining labour to work their lands. It reads as follows : —
Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Perth, January 28, 1841.
His Excellency the Governor, with a view of affording facilities to persons who may desire to obtain the fee-simple of lands, held under the primary regulations, but upon which the necessary location duties have not been effected, owing to the all but impracticable difficulties thrown in their way by the extreme scarcity of labour, has determined, with the advice of the Executive Council, to leave it optional with parties interested to commute their location duties by the payment of the sum of 9d. per acre on their unimproved lands held under the Colonial Office “Circular B,” and the sum of Is. 6d. the acre on those held under the “Circular C.” By His Excellency’s command,
Petes, Brown, Colonial Secretary. Then follows a notice, dated May 11, 1841, to the effect that occupants desiring to obtain the full title to their lands without the performance of location duties could receive the same on payment of 9d. per acre on lands held under the terms of “Circular B,” or Is. 6d. per acre on lands held under the terms of “Circular C,” or could receive the title to one-third of the same on the surrender of the remaining two-thirds.
On June 17, 1841, the price of Crown lands in the colony was raised to the uniform figure of 20s. an acre, and the minimum area to be sold in one block was fixed at 160 acres. A few days later a notice was issued from the Colonial Secretary’s Office offering a bounty in the shape of remission of purchase money for land to anyone satisfactorily instructing an aboriginal native in the usual operations of farming, or teaching him a trade, to the extent of £18 in the first case and £36 in the second; but there is no record of such bounty ever being claimed.
In the Government Gazette of June 30, 1843, we find the first complete set of land regulations, issued under the Imperial Statute, 6 Viet., No. 36, superseding all those hitherto in force. These regulations provided for the sale of all lands by auction, the upset price of country lands being fixed at 20s. per acre, and town and suburban lands at such prices as the Governor thought fit in each case. The maximum and minimum area of blocks of country lands being 640 and 180 acres respectively, and 10 per cent, of price to be paid at time of sale and balance within one month; but provision was made for selling large blocks, 20,000 acres and over, by private contract at not less than 20s. per acre. These regulations prescribed no improvement conditions.
The next regulations were in the form of an Order-in-Council, dated March 22, 1850, and were proclaimed on September 9, 1851. These regulations, which were supplemented by a further set in November of the same year, apparently did not supersede those of 1843, but were supplementary to them. They were the first that made provision for pastoral leases. For the purposes of these regulations the lands of the colony were divided into two classes, denominated respectively A and B • class A comprising the lands within two miles of the sea coast and principal rivers and inlets, and lands within the vicinity of occupied town sites or fee simple lands; class B comprising the remaining lands of the colony. Class A lands were available for pastoral leases for terms not exceeding one year, class B lands for leases for a term of eight years with right of renewal for a further similar term, rental £5 per run or 10s. per 1,000 acres per annum. Tillage leases were granted in blocks not exceeding 320 acres at a rental of 2s. per acre per annum for a term of eight years, renewable on certain conditions for a further similar term. Among the miscellaneous clauses two or three occur which find a place, almost unaltered, in the present-day land legislation. Lands held under class B leases could be sold to the holder of the lease under right of pre-emption without going to auction, but in the event of any other person applying for such land it was submitted to auction; the lessee, however, was first allowed the prior right of purchasing at a fixed price.
The foregoing regulations were followed by a despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated July, 1853, enclosing some further regulations respecting the terms on which officers of the Army and Navy could select land, modifying the previous regulations of February 24, 1831, and March 3, 1832.
Then we come to the land regulations of February 14, 1860—quite a voluminous document compared with earlier ones, and the first in which schedules giving the various forms of leases and licences appear.
These were made under the Imperial Statute intituled “An Act to repeal the Acts of Parliament now in force respecting the disposal of the Waste Lands of the Crown
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
121
in the Australian colonies, and to make other provision in lieu thereof/' and all subsequent regulations up to the date of the introduction of responsible government were made under the same Act, the title of which is recited in all leases and licences granted up to 1891.
These show a marked change in land policy—the minimum price of country lands being reduced to 10s. an acre and the minimum area to 40 acres. Under them town and suburban lands were sold at auction as previously, and country lands at a fixed price of 10s. an acre. Mineral lands (now first mentioned) could be purchased at auction at an upset price of 20s. an acre, payable 10 per cent, on application and balance in about two years' time.
These regulations were the first to provide for licences for felling and removing timber and sandalwood, for which the following fees were charged:
For any quantity not exceeding 640 acres of land,
£20 per annum; for any quantity exceeding 640 acres and not ex-ceeding 1,280 acres, £40 per annum, or 10s. per month for each pair of sawyers; to cut sandalwood,
£2 10s. per month for each pair of sawyers, and £1 5s. for each additional man employed.
The rent of tillage leases was reduced to Is. per acre per annum.
Pastoral leases and licences were issued on practically the same terms as under the regulations of 1851, except that the boundaries of the class A lands were extended considerably inland and included the larger portion of what is now the south-west division. No compensation was allowed for improvements made on a class A licence; and the purchaser of land within the limits of any such licence, or within a class B lease, had the right to depasture stock in proportion to the extent of his purchase. Pastoral lessees in class B were entitled to compensation from purchasers of land within their leases for improvements on lands so purchased, and the pastoral lessee had the right to select a homestead block within his lease with pre-emptive right of purchase at 10s. an acre. They also contained numerous minor provisions respecting transfers, payment of rent, and other matters, which it is unnecessary to further notice.
The next set of land regulations was proclaimed in August, 1864, but the difference between them and those of February, 1860, is so slight that they may be taken as a reissue. In January, 1865, regulations were proclaimed providing for “the disposal of the Waste Lands of the Crown in the Northern Districts." The price of the land was fixed at 7s. 6d. per acre. The provisions of these were, however, but very slightly availed of. They also raised the price of mineral lands to £3 per acre, and made provision for granting mining licences and leases (for working the lead and copper deposits in the vicinity of Northampton); the rent for a mining licence was 2s. per acre per annum, and for a mining lease 8s. per acre per annum for ten years.
In the year 1870 Captain Roe, R.N., who, as Surveyor-General, had guided the affairs of the Department from its inception up to this time (a period of over forty years), retired on a well-earned pension (equal to his full pay), and made room for Mr. (afterwards Sir) Malcolm Fraser, who had been previously in the employ of the New Zealand Government, he being appointed Survey or-G eneral of Western Australia on December 19, 1870.
On March 20, 1872, new land regulations were proclaimed repealing all former ones, but owing to some informality in the first proclamation they were again proclaimed on May 22,1873. They provided for the appointment of a Commissioner of Crown Lands, and the head of the Department bore that title from this time forward till the Land Act of 1898 came into force; prior to the introduction of responsible government the Commissioner of Crown Lands was also the Surveyor-General. These differed in many ways from those that had preceded them, but the principal feature was the provision for conditional purchase by deferred payment of land in blocks of 100 to 500 acres in areas set apart for the purpose. These holdings were termed “special occupation licences," a licence being issued for ten years at a rental of Is. per acre per annum, and at the end of the term.
New Selector at Brunswick (south-west).
provided t!he required improvements, consisting of fencing in the whole and clearing and cropping one-fourth of the area, had been carried out, a Crown grant was issued. Provision was also made for holders of tillage leases under previous regulations to obtain the Crown grants of their lands upon payment of a sum, which, together with what had previously been paid as rent, amounted to 12s. 6d. per acre. Lands in the north and east districts, which at that time embraced the greater portion of the colony outside of what is now the south-west division, were offered for sale at 7s. 6d. per acre for one year after the coming into force of these regulations, and at 10s. per acre after that period. The pastoral lands were divided into three classes, distinguished as first, second, and third—the first being all the land within the present south-west division, the third all the land within the north and east districts, and the second the remainder of the colony. Pastoral leases of first- and second-class lands were granted for a term of fourteen years at a rental of 20s. per thousand acres per annum for the former and 10s. for the latter, while third-class lands for pastoral purposes were granted rent free for three years, after which a lease for eight years was granted at an annual rental of 5s. per thousand acres for the first half of the term and 10s. per thousand acres for the remaining term of the lease. In these regulations “poison leases” occur for the first time, provision being made for the leasing of lands infested with poison plants for twenty-one years at an annual rental of 20s. per thousand acres, and at the end of the term, provided the land was properly fenced and the poison plants entirely eradicated, the lessee would receive a Crown grant. Under the head of “Mineral Lands” a licence was obtainable to search for minerals on payment of a fee of 2s. 6d., which held good for two years; for mining licences for one year, not exceeding 200 acres in area, on payment of a fee of £1, renewable for another year on payment of a similar fee; and for mining leases for seven years at a rental of 5s. per acre per annum; and on certain conditions the holder of a mining licence or lease was allowed to purchase the land comprised therein at the price of £3 per acre. The regulations relating to timber were practically the same as those previously in force, except that the fee for cutting sandalwood was reduced from £2 10s. to 2s. 6d. Free grants were also provided for small blocks of land of 50 and 20 acres to volunteers and military pensioners respectively. In April, 1874, the regulations were slightly amended and added to, and again in February, 1875, and April, 1878 —the first provided for a slight amendment of the form of Crown grant; the second made provision for free grants of land to immigrants, not exceeding 150 acres to one family, and for the granting of special licences to cut timber over a specified area for a term of fourteen years, on such terms as the Governor-in-Council might
think fit; and the third amended the regulations respecting grants to immigrants, and extended their operations to immigrants from the Australian colonies.
We then come to the land regulations of September 14, 1878, which again repealed all those of former years. They did not differ very materially from those which they superseded, but were fuller and more complete. The special occupation system remained the same, and lands could also still be purchased by direct payment at 10s. per acre in blocks of not less than 40 acres; but a new feature was the provision for the sale of small blocks (not less than 10 acres) at 10s. per acre for the encouragement of planting vineyards, orchards, and gardens. For the purposes of these regulations the colony was divided into four districts—the central (corresponding nearly with our present south-west division), the northern, the central eastern, and the south-eastern; land within any but the central district was sold at 5s. per acre in blocks of not less than 400 acres. The pastoral lands were divided into two classes, first and second; the first comprised all lands in what is now the south-west division, and the second all the other lands of the colony. Pastoral leases of the first-class lands were granted for fourteen years at a rental of £1 per thousand acres per annum, and of second-class lands for a similar term at a rental of 5s. per thousand acres per annum for the first half of the term and 10s. for the remaining half. The clauses relating to mineral lands, timber licences, and grants to volunteers, pensioners, and immigrants remained practically the same.
The next regulations were proclaimed on October 11, 1882, and, like their two predecessors, repealed all those then in force, but they differed so little in material points from those of 1878 that it is almost “.needless to summarize them. The principal new feature was contained in the clauses relating to the then new district in the far north, which was first explored by the late Mr. Alex. Forrest, and which was named Kimberley after the Secretary of State for the Colonies of that period.
On January 22, 1883, Mr. John Forrest, formerly Deputy Surveyor-General, succeeded Mr. Fraser as Surveyor-General and Commissioner of Crown Lands.
The last-mentioned regulations were followed in April, 1884, with others dealing with auriferous lands. Nothing was ever done under them, but a little incident occurred in connection with them which is worth recording. A draft of these, or somewhat similar, had previously been prepared in a great haste, owing to the reported discovery of a rich gold-bearing reef on the Blackwood; this reported discovery, however, turned out to be a mistake, or a hoax, and the Governor (Sir Wm. Robinson), to whom the draft had been sent, returned it with a short minute somewhat in the following words: —“These papers may now be filed; but they will
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
123
be wanted again some day/’ The total output of gold last year was over a million ounces.
On March 2, 1887, the last regulations made under the Imperial Statute before referred to were proclaimed. These were in a special sense Sir John Forrest's, as those of 1873, 1878, and 1882 were Sir Malcolm Fraser's. The leading features were the reduction of annual rents (or instalments) on conditional purchase blocks of 6d. per acre, with an extension of the term for twenty years; the distinction between conditional purchase with residence and without; limitations as to age of selector and area held by one person; and provision for survey before selection in agricultural areas; direct sale of land without improvement conditions being done away with; and the minimum area, except in special cases, or for vineyards, orchards, or garden blocks, being fixed at 100 acres. All these conditions are, with very slight modifications, embodied in existing land legislation, so that there is no need to further refer to them here.
Under these regulations the colony was divided into six divisions, practically the same as the present divisions. The conditional purchase regulations above referred to (except in surveyed areas) were applicable only to the south-west division, others being treated as pastoral divisions. Pastoral leases were granted for a longer term and made to terminate at one time, viz., December 31,
EXISTING LAND LAWS:
Owing to the amendments that had been made to the Land Regulations of 1887 by the Act of 1892 and the Homesteads Act of 1893, under which some further regulations had been issued, the land laws and regulations were becoming somewhat difficult to follow. For this reason, and for the purpose of making further slight amendments, a consolidation of the land laws was undertaken, which in 1898 became law under the title of “The Land Act, 1898," and came into operation on January 1, 1899.
This Act, together with some amendments which have since been made to it, comprises the land legisla-
1907, and except in the south-west division were divided into three terms at the following annual rentals per 1,000 acres:—Gascoyne and Eucla—10s., 12s. 6d., and 15s.; north-west and Kimberley—10s., 15s., and 20s.;
eastern—2s. 6d., 5s., and 7s. 6d. But in the Kimberley and Eucla divisions these rentals were reduced to half if the land were stocked. In the event of the land not being stocked within seven years, double rent was charged. The holders of all pastoral leases in existence at the time these regulations came into force had the right to come under them, and almost every one took advantage of it. Those relating to poison and mineral leases and timber licences were practically the same as previously. Those relating to improvements on pastoral leases and the manner in which their value was to be ascertained and paid for when included or affected by selectors were more full and complete, and provision was
made for special leases of small blocks for special purposes.
In December, 1890, the first Ministry under responsible government took office, and in 1 8 9 2 a local Act was passed, which came into force in January, 1893, amending the 1887 regulations by reducing the rent for the second and third terms; and in October, 1893, the Homesteads Act was passed, providing for the granting of free homestead farms and leases (now called grazing leases), and further amending the 1887 land regulations.
THE LAND ACT, 1898.
tion of the present day. For the purposes of the Act the State is divided into six divisions (closely corresponding with the divisions under the regulations of 1887) distinguished as South-West, Kimberley, North-West, Western, Eucla, and Eastern Divisions.
Purchase by Auction-Town and Suburban Lands.
Town and suburban village lands throughout the State, after being surveyed into lots, are sold by public auction at upset prices to be determined by the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Governor; 10 per cent, of the purchase money being paid upon the fall of the hammer (unless the purchaser has already paid a deppsit of 10 per cent, on his application) and the balance by four equal quarterly instalments, the Crown grgnt and registration fees being payable with last instalment. All suburban land is sold subject to the condition that each lot shall within two years from date of sale be fenced on the surveyed boundaries with a fence of the prescribed description (but the Minister may accept other improvements in lieu of the fencing), and in default thereof the land shall be forfeited, together with all purchase money and fees which may have been paid.
In the case of suburban lands for cultivation, the balance of purchase money (after 10 per cent, deposit) is paid by ten equal half-yearly instalments, but subject to the further condition that the purchaser shall within three years plant at least one-tenth of the area with vines or fruit trees, or cultivate it bona fide as a vegetable garden, or otherwise cultivate and clear one-quarter of the area.
On payment by the purchaser of town or suburban lands of the first prescribed instalment of the purchase money a licence may be issue entitling the holder to occupy the land, and such licence may be mortgaged or transferred as prescribed by the Act.
Town and suburban lots may also be set apart and let as residential leases under the regulations referred to, or may be let as special leases under Section 152.
Conditional Purcliases—Agricultural Lands.
Any portion of Crown lands (not less than 2,000 acres) within any of these divisions may be set apart and declared as an agricultural area, and after survey into lots opened for free homestead farms or conditional purchases under the various sections of this part of the Act, and in the South-West, Eastern, and Eucla Divisions land may be thrown open for free selection (i.e., selection before survey) under the same conditions without previous declaration and survey of an agricultural area.
Any person over eighteen years of age may select land under the several forms of conditional purchase prescribed by Part V. of the Act. First there is Conditional Purchase bv Deferred Payment, with Residence.
This section is applicable to land within an agricultural area, and also to any other land in the South-West, Eastern, and Eucla Divisions which may from time to time be declared open for such selection.
The ordinary price of land under this section is 10s. per acre, but this price may be increased, and in special cases where the land is of inferior quality may be reduced to not less than 6s. 3d. for second-class land and
3s. 9d. for third-class, payable half-yearly at the rate of one-twentieth of the total purchase money per annum.
The maximum area allowed to be held by one person is 1,000 acres and the minimum 100 acres; any land held by the selector under similar clauses of the land regulations of 1887 or of “The Homesteads Act, 1893,” is, in calculating the total area held by the selector, deemed to be held under this section.
Applications must be accompanied by a deposit of a half- or a quarter-year’s rent, as the case may be; that is to say, if the application is made during the first quarter of the half-year a half-year’s rent is required; if in the second quarter a quarter-year’s rent; in the event of the application not being approved the deposit is refunded. On approval of the application by the Minister a lease is issued for twenty years, dating from the first day of the quarter next preceding the date of approval.
The lessee must, within six months from the date of his lease, take personal possession of the land, and reside upon it and make it his usual home, without any other habitual residence, during at least six months in each year for the first five years from the date of the commencement of the lease. If possession be not taken the land must be forfeited; but if the lessee is already the owner of rural land within 20 miles of the land applied for, residence on such land is deemed sufficient residence under this section.
The lessee must, within six months from the date of the commencement of his lease fence at least one-tenth of the land contained therein, and within five years from said date fence in the whole of *the land; and within ten years expend upon it in prescribed improvements, in addition to the exterior fencing, an amount equal to the full purchase money. The Minister may allow half the cost of the exterior fencing to count as part of the improvements.
At the expiration of the lease or at any time after five years from the date of the commencement of the lease, provided all the conditions of fencing, residence, and improvements have been complied with and maintained and the full purchase money and fees have been paid, a Crown grant of the land is issued.
Any person having obtained land of less extent than 1,000 acres, may make other applications for land within 20 miles of the block first applied for up to the maximum area of 1,000 acres. Residence on the additional leases is not required, but all the other conditions shall apply, provided that if two or more leases held by one person adjoin they may be considered as one block with respect to fencing and improvements; if not surveyed the conditions date from the date of the survey instead of from the commencement of the lease.
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For those who do not wish to personally reside on the land there is
Conditional Purchase by Deferred Payment without Residence.
The lands referred to under the previous head may also be selected at the same price without the residential condition, but subject to all the other conditions mentioned, double the expenditure on improvements is, however, required in lieu of residence.
Land may also be obtained under Conditional Purchase by Direct Payment.
The price of land under this section is not less than 10s. per acre, payable within twelve months, the maximum and minimum areas allowed to one person being the same as under the two previous sections.
The application must be accompanied by 10 per cent, of the purchase money, and on approval a licence is issued for seven years, dating from the first day of the quarter next preceding the date of approval of application. The balance of the purchase money must be paid within twelve months from the date of the commencement of the licence by four equal quarterly instalments—on the first days of January, April, July, and October respectively—the first of such instalments being due on the first day of the quarter next following the commencement of the licence. The licencee must within three years from the date of the commencement of the licence fence in the whole of the land, and within seven years from such date expend upon the land in prescribed improvements, in addition to the exterior fencing, an amount equal to 5s. per acre ; and the Crown grant is not issued until the Minister is satisfied that the prescribed conditions have been fulfilled. At the expiration of the licence or at any time during continuance of the licence, provided that the conditions of fencing and improvements have been complied with and maintained and the full purchase money and fees have been paid, a Crown grant of land may be issued.
Any person desiring to obtain a small block of land for a garden, vineyard, or orchard, may do so under the following section: —
Conditional Purchase of Small Blocks for Gardens, Vineyards, and Orchards.
The land may be obtained in small blocks for gardens, vineyards, orchards, etc., on the following terms: —The price of the land shall not be less than £1 per acre; the maximum area allowed is 50 acres and the minimum five acres, and two or more applications may be made to obtain the maximum. A deposit of 10 per cent, of the purchase money is required upon application, and the balance shall be paid within three years from the date of the approval of the application by equal half-yearly payments on the 1st of March and September. The improvements required are that the
land shall be fenced within three years and that one-tenth of the same shall, within the same period, be planted with vines or fruit trees or cultivated bona fide as a vegetable garden; whereupon the grant is issued.
Conditional Purchases—Grazing- Lands.
Part VI. of the Act deals with the conditional purchase of second- and third-class lands, termed “grazing lands”; any such lands in the South-Western Division or within 40 miles of a railway in the Eastern and Eucla Divisions may be thrown open for such selection at a minimum price of 6s. 3d. for second-class and 3s. 9d. for third-class lands—payable half-yearly at the rate of one-thirtieth of the total purchase money per annum.
The maximum area allowed is 3,000 acres of second-class and 5,000 acres of third-class land, and the minimum in both cases is 1,000 acres, except when adjoining the holding of the applicant, in which case the minimum is 300 acres. If one person select two leases in different classes the total quantity must not exceed 4,000 acres, the minimum being the same as before, except in special, cases.
Applications must be accompanied by a deposit of rent for the first quarter- or half-year, as the case may be, which, as in other cases, is refunded if the application is not approved, and on approval of the application a lease is issued for thirty years, dating from the first day of the quarter preceding the date of approval.
The conditions are as follow: —The lessee shall pay one-half the cost of survey in ten half-yearly instalments, the first of such instalments being paid with the application and subsequent instalments with the annual instalments of purchase money on the 1st of March and September in each year. Within six months from the date of commencement of his lease the lessee must take possession of the land and reside upon it during at least six months of the first year and nine months in each year for the next four years. Residence may, however, be complied with by the lessee's agent or servant. Within two years from date of the commencement of his lease the lessee shall fence at least one-tenth of the area contained therein, within five years from the same date shall fence in the whole of the land, and within fifteen years of the same date shall expend upon the land in prescribed improvements, in addition to the exterior fencing, an amount equal to the full purchase money.
The following shall be deemed improvements: — Subdivision fences, clearing, grubbing, draining, ringbarking, tanks, dams, wells, or any other work upon the land which increases or improves its agricultural or pastoral capabilities: Provided that where the lessee has erected a sheep- and cattle-proof exterior fence, half its value may be allowed towards the improvements.
At the date of the expiration of the lease, or at any time after five years from the date of the commencement of the lease, providing all the conditions of
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
fencing, residence, and improvements have been complied with and maintained and the fall purchase money and fees have been paid, a Crown grant of the land shall be issued.
Grazing leases are now allowed within agricultural areas.
Conditional Purchases—Poison Lands.
Part VII. of the Act deals with the conditional purchase of lands infested with poisonous indigenous plants termed “poison lands.” Any Crown lands being poison lands within the South-West Division may be declared open for selection under this part of the Act.
Land is considered as “poison land” when in the opinion of the Minister it is so infested with poisonous indigenous plants that sheep or cattle cannot be depastured thereon. The price is not less than Is. per acre, payable half-yearly at the rate of one-thirteenth of the total purchase money per annum. The maximum area allowed is 10,000 acres and the minimum 400 acres. The application must be accompanied by the usual deposit and, on approval, a lease is issued for thirty years, dating from the first day of the quarter next preceding the date of application. Any person obtaining less than
10,000 acres may make other applications up to 10,000 acres, and if any two adjoin they may be fenced as one lease. The lessee has to pay the prescribed cost of survey in ten half-yearly instalments, the first instalment being paid with his application.
The conditions are that the lessee shall pay the prescribed cost of survey of the lease in ten half-yearly instalments (same as grazing leases) ; within two years from the date of the commencement of his lease, fence at least one-tenth of the land comprised therein, within five years from the same date shall enclose the whole area with a fence of the prescribed description, and during the term of his lease shall eradicate the whole of the poisonous indigenous plants as prescribed.
A Crown grant of the land is issued at the expiration of the lease, or at any time during the currency of the same, if all the foregoing conditions have been complied with, the fencing properly maintained, the full purchase money and fees paid, and the land has been rendered safe for depasturing cattle and sheep at all seasons, and has continued so for a term of two years.
Free Homestead Farms.
Part VIII. of the Act deals with free homestead farms, which is one of the principal features of present land legislation in this State and was first introduced by Sir John Forrest in the Homesteads Act of 1893.
Any land within the South-West Division, or within 40 miles of a railway in the Eastern and Eucla Divisions
and not being within a goldfield, may be declared open for selection under this part of the Act.
Any land within the South-West Division, or within 40 miles of a railway in the Eastern and Eucla Divisions special occupation or conditional purchase, being the head of a family or a male who has attained the age of eighteen years (reduced to sixteen years by the Amendment Acts of 1902 and 1906), may select a homestead farm of not more than 160 acres from lands declared open for such selection.
Every applicant must, with his application, make a statutory declaration as to his being eligible to hold a free homestead farm, and forward same to the Minister or his agent, accompanied by a fee of £1. Upon approval of the application the applicant receives an occupation certificate authorizing him to enter upon and take possession of his land for a term of seven years, to be computed from the first day of the quarter preceding the date of approval of his application.
Within six months from the date of such occupation certificate the selector must take personal possession of the land and reside upon it for at least six months in each year for the first five years of the term of his certificate. If possession be not so taken the occupation certificate is cancelled and the land forfeited, together vwith all improvements.
In certain cases of illness, or for other valid reasons, the Minister may waive forfeiture for nonresidence upon the land or authorize absence and, with the Governor’s approval, may accept double improvements in lieu of residence. Within two years from the date of his occupation certificate a habitable house must be erected of not less than £30 in value, or the selector shall expend £30 in clearing or clearing and cropping, or prepare and plant two acres of orchard or vineyard. Within five years from the said date the selector must fence in at least one-fourth and clear and crop at least one-eighth. Within seven years the whole must be fenced and at least one-fourth cleared and cropped. At the expiration of seven years from the date of his occupation certificate the selector, provided all the conditions have been duly performed, obtains a Crown grant on payment of the usual fees; but if the conditions have not been effected the land is forfeited. In certain cases where the clearing is very heavy these conditions may be varied (vide Section 7 of the Land Act Amendment Act, 1900).
The Crown grant may be obtained after twelve months’ residence upon the selector proving to the Minister that the necessary conditions have been fulfilled and on payment of 5s. per acre, together with the fees referred to in the preceding paragraph. Homestead farms cannot be mortgaged, except to the Agricultural Bank, and can only be transferred to persons who are qualified to hold. The holder of a homestead farm may select other conditional purchase land where
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127
residence is a condition—residence on the homestead farm, if within 20 miles, will be sufficient.
In connection with homestead farms the Governor may declare village sites, to be subdivided into lots not exceeding one acre;' the selector of a homestead farm within five miles of such site may select one of such lots without payment, and the conditions of the homestead farm with respect to residence and erection of house may then be applied to such allotment instead of to the homestead farm. When the selector becomes entitled to the Crown grant of his homestead farm he may, upon payment of the sum of £1 and the prescribed fee, obtain the Crown grant of such village allotment.
Working’ Men’s Blocks.
Any person who does not own land within the State in freehold or under special occupation or conditional purchase or a homestead farm under the “Land Act, 1898/’ or the “Homesteads Act, 1893,” who is the head of a family or a male who has attained the age of eighteen years, may obtain a lease of lands set apart for working men's blocks.
The maximum area that may be selected by one person is, if within a goldfield, half an acre, or five acres elsewhere, and only one block may be selected by one person.
The price of the land is not less than £1 per acre, payable half-yearly at the rate of one-tenth of the total purchase money per annum or sooner. Application shall be accompanied by a deposit of a half- or quarter-year’s rent at the above rate. Upon approval a lease is issued for ten years, dating from the first day of the quarter next preceding the date of approval. The lessee must, within three months from the date of lease, take personal possession of the land and reside upon it during at least nine months in each of the first five years of the lease: Provided that possession may be taken and
residence performed by the lessee’s wife or a member of his family. Within three years from the date of commencement of the lease the whole of the land must be
fenced on the surveyed boundaries, and within five years from the same date an amount equal to double the full purchase money, in addition to his house and exterior fencing, must be expended on the land in prescribed improvements.
At the expiration of the lease or at any time after five years from the commencement of the lease, provided that all the conditions of residence, fencing, and improvements have been complied with and maintained and the full purchase money and fees have been paid, a Crown grant of the land may be issued.
In certain cases of illness, or for other valid reasons, absence may be allowed and forfeiture waived.
Pastoral Lands.
Leases of Crown lands for pastoral purposes within the several divisions of the State are granted on the
following terms and conditions: —In the South-West Division in blocks of not less than 3,000 acres at an annual rental of £1 per
1,000 acres; but in that part of this division situated eastwards of a north-westerly line from the mouth of the Fitzgerald River the rental is 10s. per 1,000 acres. In the Western and North - West Divisions in blocks of not less than 20,000 acres at an annual rental of 10s. per annum per 1,000 acres. In the Eucla Division in blocks of not less than 20,000 acres at an annual rental of 5s. per 1,000 acres. In the Eastern division in blocks of not less than 20,000 acres at an annual rental of 2s. 6d. per 1,000 acres for the first seven years of the lease and 5s. per 1,000 acres for the remainder of the term. In the Kimberley division in blocks of not less than 50,000 acres when on a frontage, nor less than 20,000 acres when no part of the boundary is on a frontage, at an annual rental of 10s. per 1,000 acres. In any case where land applied for is shut in by other holdings and does not contain the minimum area a lease for a lesser quantity may be granted.
A pastoral lease gives no right to the soil or to the timber, except for fencing or other improvements on
the lands leased; and the lands may be reserved, sold, or otherwise disposed of by the Crown during the term of the lease. Any pastoral lessee upon being deprived by the Minister of the nse of any land held under pastoral lease is entitled to receive fair value for all improvements on the land of which he has been deprived. In the event of the land being selected from his lease under conditional purchase he is entitled to claim from the conditional purchaser fair value of any lawful improvements on or appertaining to the land applied for, the value of the improvements to be ascertained by arbitration, as prescribed by Section 148 of the Act.
Before any land within a pastoral lease can be taken by the Minister and thrown open as an agricultural area, three months’ notice must be given to the lessee if within the South-West Division or twelve months’ notice if within any other division; but free selection is allowed in leases in the South-West Division subject to the lessee’s claim for improvements. In cases of leases granted under the Act within goldfields or mining districts the notice above referred to is not required.
Any lessee in the Kimberley Division, or on that part of the South-West Division situated to the eastward of a north-westerly line from the mouth of the Fitzgerald River, who during the term of his lease shall have in his possession within the division ten head of sheep or one head of large stock for each 1,000 acres leased is allowed, after satisfying the Minister to this effect, a reduction of rent for the remaining years of his lease of one-half of the rentals before mentioned. A penalty of double rental for the remaining portion of the term of the lease is imposed, except in the South-West Division, if the lessee has not within five years complied with the conditions as to stocking.
Permission may be granted to ringbark trees on a pastoral lease, in the discretion of the Minister, on application.
All pastoral leases expire on December 31, 1928.
Conditional Puechases by Pastobal Lessees.
Any pastoral lessee in the South-West Division may select land within his lease (not being within an agricultural area or within a goldfield or mining district) in not more than three separate selections adjoining his homestead and not exceeding 20 per cent, of the aggregate quantity held on lease by him within such division, and on approval of the application a lease may be granted subject to all the conditions appertaining to conditional purchases under Section 55 of the Act, except residence; the maximum area is 3,000 acres, and the minimum, except in special cases approved by the Minister, shall be 200 acres. If the land selected is within a properly fenced enclosure the fencing of the land upon the boundaries is not obligatory.
Any pastoral lessee in the Kimberley, North-West,
Western, Eastern, and Eucla Divisions (the land not being within agricultural area or a goldfield or mining district) who has complied with the conditions as to stocking may select Crown land within his lease in not more than three blocks and not exceeding in the aggregate 1 per cent, of the total area held by such lessee under pastoral lease in such division on the same terms and conditions as are prescribed for purchase under Section 55, except the condition of residence. The minimum fixed for each block is 500 acres and the maximum 5,000 acres.
Timber Lands.
Part XI. of the Act deals with the timber lands of the State, and makes provision for granting licences and leases in connection therewith as follows: —
(1) A Umber licence, authorizing the licencee to fell, cut, split, and remove any timber growing or standing on any Crown lands for all ordinary purposes (but not to cut or hew balks, piles, telegraph, or other poles). The fee for such licence is 10s. per month for each man employed. A similar licence must be obtained by every person engaged in removing the timber dealt with under a timber licence.
(2) A woodcutter’s or charcoal burner’s licence, authorizing the licencee to cut or split firewood from Crown lands and to remove the wood or charcoal cut, split, or burnt. The fee for such licence is Is. per month for each man employed. A similar licence must be obtained by every person engaged only in removing firewood; but no licence is necessary for cutting, obtaining, and removing dead wood lying on Crown lands for domestic purposes, so long as it is not for sale.
(3) A sandalwood licence, authorizing the licencee to fell, cut, and remove any sandalwood growing upon Crown lands.
(4) A wattle-bark licence, authorizing the licencee during the months from August to December inclusive, or during any of such months, to strip and remove wattle-bark upon the Crown lands.
(5) A bark licence, authorizing the licencee to strip and remove the bark, or to remove the gum from other trees than wattle the bark or gum of which contains tannic acid, upon such terms as the Minister may think fit.
The fee for each of the three last-mentioned licences is 5s. per month for each man employed.
(6) A licence to fell and hew timber to be used or exported as piles, poles, or balks, the fee for which is £3 per month for each man employed.
Timber Leases.
Timber leases may be obtained under the following conditions :—The maximum area allowed is 75,000 acres at a rental of £20 per annum for each square mile or
129
fraction thereof, payable half-yearly. The application must be accompanied by a deposit of a quarter- or half-year’s rent as the case may be. A timber lease is granted for a term of not less than one year and no more than twenty-five years, and gives the lessee the exclusive right (subject to the Act and regulations) to cut, remove, and sell any of the timbers specified in his lease growing or standing on the land; also the right to construct railways and tramways on and through the area comprised in his lease and, with the approval of the Governor, to continue such railways or tramways over Crown lands outside the lease and to connect the same with any Government railway line.
A lessee of a timber lease must, within two years from date of his lease, or within such longer period as the Minister may decide, erect within the area a substantial and fully-equipped sawmill plant of sufficient power to cut up at least five loads of sawn timber per
perpetual leasehold takes the place of the method heretofore in operation—that of disposing of the freehold.
Since 1898 there have been amendments of the Land Act—in 1902, 1906, and 1909. These aim mainly at making the conditions easier for the man who is anxious to cultivate the land for a living, while at the same time making more stringent the provisions which are likely to affect land jobbing adversely.
The divisions of the State are slightly altered in that a Central Division takes the place of the Western under the previous Act.
The conditional purchase with residence clauses are amended so as to provide that the lessee must reside on his selection in person and make it his habitual residence during six months in each of the first five years from the date of the commencement of his lease, or on rural land within 20 miles. He must also expend in prescribed improvements an amount equal to one-
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Crop on Mr. R. Camerer-s Farm. Toodyay District.
month for each square mile comprised in the lease, and must keep the said sawmill plant in good working order during the whole term of the lease.
Regulations made under the Act define the standard (or minimum) sizes for the various timbers of the State, and any person felling a tree below the standard size is liable to a penalty.
General Provisions of the Act.
The concluding part of the Act (Part XII.) gives the provisions regarding mortgages, rent, transfers, improvements, and so on, and also gives the Governor-in-Council power to make regulations for the various purposes named in the Act. The most recent of them are those made by the present Government, with the object of carrying into effect one of the planks in the platform of the Labour Party—that of the non-alienation of Crown lands. Under these regulations the system of
fifth of the purchase money in every two years of the first ten years of his lease, fence-in half the land during the first five years, and the whole within ten years. The total improvements, however, need not exceed £1 per acre. Where land is selected under conditional purchase without residence double the improvements are required, but not exceeding 30s. per acre. Where the conditional purchase is by direct payment the maximum area allowed is 1,000 acres, the purchase money being paid as follows:—Ten per cent, on taking up the land, and the balance within twelve months.
The term ''grazing lands” is amended to mean such lands as the Governor may declare suitable for grazing but unfitted for agriculture. These may be acquired in areas of not more than 5,000 acres at not less than 3s. 9d. per acre, payable in instalments spread over twenty years. The value of the improvements on grazing lands must be an amount equal to the purchase
J
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
money expended at the rate of one-fifth of that amount in every two years of the first ten years of the lease and fencing-in the whole of the land during the said period of ten years. Where a sheep- and cattle-proof fence is erected half the value of such fence shall be deemed to be part of the improvements required between the fourth and tenth years of the lease. Where a rabbit- or dog-proof exterior fence, capable of resisting great and small stock, two-thirds of the value may be allowed as part of the improvements. In all other respects the conditions shall be the same as for leases under Section 55.
[Note. — Two hundred acres of first-quality land under conditional purchase or 5,000 acres under grazing lease may be selected, or proportionately, such as 1,000 acres first-quality and 2,500 acres of grazing land. The selector of a portion of any location that may be classified as first quality, and therefore under Sections 55 and 56, must take the balance of same location under grazing-lease conditions.]
The sections of the Act of 1898 dealing with “poison” leases were repealed in 1906, and a new section in the amending Act of that year provides that the
Minister may grant his certificate for the issue of the grant of the fee-simple under a “poison” lease granted under the principal Act or any land regulations if the Minister is satisfied that the conditions of the lease have been substantially fulfilled, notwithstanding that it may not be proved that the poison plants were entirely eradicated, for any prescribed period to the expiration of the lease.
In the Same amending Act new provisions have been introduced relating to what are termed “special settlement lands.” The Governor may by notice in the Government Gazette define and set apart any Crown lands as special settlement lands, declare the same open for selection, or withdraw any land from being so open for selection. Lands within these special areas may be cleared, drained, or otherwise improved before being thrown open for selection. In such case the value of improvements is added to the original cost of the land and paid by the selector in instalments.
The provisions of the Land Act, 1898, regarding pastoral leases have also been amended by the Act of 1906, and the present areas and rentals in the various divisions may be seen from the following table: —
Pastoral Lands—Sections 93, 91/., 95, 97 (as amended by the Land Act Amendment Act, 1906).
Pastoral Lease Conditions, 1912.
Names of Divisions. Area of Leases. Annual Rent per 1,000 Acres, or part of 1,000 Acres. Lesser Quantity may be granted, but no Lease will issue for less than
South-West Division, Sec. 93 3,000 acres £1 per 1,000 acres. £1 per annum.
Central Division, Sec. 94 ... 20,000 acres 10/- per 1,000 aores. £3 per annum.
Eucla Division, Sec. 95 20,000 acres 3/- per 1,000 aores. £3 per annum.
North-West Division, Sec 96 Eastern Division, Sec. 97 ... 20,000 acres 10/- per 1,000 aores. £3 per annum.
20,000 acres 5/■ per 1,000 aores. £1 per annum.
Kimberley Division, Sec. 98, on a frontage * 50,000 aores 10/- per 1,000 aores. £3 per annum
Not on a frontage 20,000 aores 10/- per 1,000 aores. £3 per annum
* A frontage block is such as has its leBser boundary on a lake, river, main stream, other water channel, estuary, or sea-shore; its mean depth shall
not be less than three times its mean breadth.
AGRICULTURAL LAND PURCHASE AND BANK ACTS.
Any digest of the present Land Acts would be incomplete without a reference to the Agricultural Land Purchase Act, 1896, and the Agricultural Bank Act, two measures which, while being an integral part of the land policy of the State, have played no unimportant part in the agricultural development of Western Australia.
The Agricultural Land Purchase Act makes provision for the repurchase by the State of lands situated within 20 miles of a railway. The amount which may be expended for the purpose (,£200,000) may be taken from revenue or borrowed at 4 per cent, from Savings Bank funds.
A Board appointed under the Act must first report upon the land submitted, paying particular attention to
those points upon which resale for closer settlement is likely to depend. If the report of the Board is favourable the Minister may, with the approval of the Governor, purchase the land at the price recommended by the Board or at any lesser price.
Lands thus acquired are deemed to be Crown lands, and after survey into lots, and the setting apart of such portions as may be necessary for roads, reserves, town sites, and other purposes, are disposed of under the following conditions: —The selling price must be not less than the price paid for the land with one-tenth added. The maximum area allowed is 1,000 acres, and except in special cases no person can select land under this Act who is already the owner of more than 1,000
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
131
acres of land. The first half-year’s instalment must accompany an application and on approval a lease is granted for a term of twenty years, the annual rent or instalment of purchase money being at the rate of £7 12s. for each .£100 of the selling price and is payable half-yearly as under the Land Act. Within two years from the commencement of the lease the lessee is required to fence in at least one-tenth of the land contained in his lease, within five years to fence in the whole and clear and crop one-tenth, and within ten years he must expend upon the land in improvements an amount equal to the full purchase money; but if the land at the time of selection had improvements on it, the value of which was added to the selling price, the amount required to be expended is proportionately reduced.
At the expiration of the lease or at any time during its currency, provided that all the conditions of fencing
other moneys as may be provided by Parliament from time to time.
Subject to the provisions of this Act the Bank may make advances to persons engaged in the business of farming or grazing, or in agricultural, horticultural, or pastoral pursuits, to an amount not exceeding £2,000, or in any industry that the Governor may by proclamation declare to be a rural industry, for any purpose incidental to or in aid of any such business, pursuit, or industry, including the erection of a dwelling-house for the borrower on any land occupied or used by him in connection with such business, pursuit, or industry: Provided that no advance shall be made to any borrower for the purpose of any proclaimed rural industry to an amount exceeding a sum to be limited by such proclamation. Every application for an advance shall be made in the prescribed form and shall contain such particulars as may be prescribed. Where an advance is made
Hay Crop in the Kellerberrin district.
and improvements have been complied with and maintained and the full purchase money has been paid, a Crown grant of the land is issued.
Lands within a purchased estate set apart as town or suburban lots are sold in the same manner as similar lands under the Land Act.
Under the Agricultural Bank Act the Governor is authorized to maintain a Bank for the purpose of promoting the occupation, cultivation, and improvement of the agricultural lands in the State.
The funds necessary for the carrying on of the Bank are raised by the sale of mortgage bonds and by such
for effecting improvements on the borrower’s land, such advance may be made by progress payments as the improvements are being effected. If at any time, in the opinion of the Managing Trustee, any money advanced has not been applied for the purpose for which it was advanced, or has not been carefully and economically expended, he may refuse to pay any further instalment of the advance and may at once call in the whole amount already advanced, whereupon the borrower shall forthwith repay it, and in default the Bank shall have the same remedies for its recovery as are provided by this Act for recovery of sums payable by borrower.
THE POLICY OF PURCHASING ESTATES FOR CLOSER SETTLEMENT.
The policy of purchasing estates and subdividing success, was commenced in 1898, and since that date same for closer settlement, which has proved a great twenty-three estates have been purchased, embracing j2
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an area of 297,391 afires. Prior to 1912 282,515 acres were made available for selection on twenty years’ terms. Of this area 261,942 acres were selected on June 30, 1911, leaving 20,391 acres unselected on that date. Out of the various estates 11,420 acres have been converted into freehold.
The financial position of these estates, as a whole, is sound, and when the estates thrown open to date are wound up there will be a substantial balance to go to consolidated revenue, which should amply repay the cost of administration, etc.
The condition of the repurchased estates fund to June 30, 1911, is stated to be as follows: —
Receipts (including sinking fund
earnings) ... ... ... ... £129,385 14 0
Expenditure (including interest) ... 58,377 11 9
Balance ... ... ... ... £71,008 2 3
Amount invested in sinking fund ... £72,300 11 0
Estates are purchased, valued, inspected, etc., under the Management Board appointed according to the Agricultural Lands Purchase Act.
THE METHODS TO BE PURSUED BY THE INTENDING SELECTOR IN THE
ACQUISITION OF LAND.
The agricultural portion of Western Australia is divided into six districts. In each district a Land Agency is established, presided over by a District Resident Surveyor and a Resident Government Land Agent, the former conducting the professional business and the latter the clerical and general business.
Applications for land, accompanied by the necessary deposit, must in all cases be lodged with the Government Land Agent in whose district the land applied for is situated.
When there is more than one application received for the same block, lodged personally or received by post on the same day, the matter is referred to the Land Board for decision as to whom the block shall be allotted.
When a subdivision is thrown open for selection the fact is intimated by a notice to that effect appearing in the Government Gazette, generally three weeks prior to the appointed date. Applications may be lodged on or before the appointed date, but all applications for land in that particular subdivision are treated as if received simultaneously on the appointed date.
The list of land open for selection, published in the Government Gazette about every fortnight, gives the names of the subdivisions open and about to be thrown open for selection, the name of the Land Agency in which the subdivisions are • situated, the number of blocks available, the total acreage of same, the approximate distance from nearest railway, the approximate annual rainfall, and the purpose for which the land is suitable.
Lithographic plans may be obtained free of charge at the country Government Land Agencies and at the Head Office, Perth, showing area of blocks, classification of the various kinds of land, small locality plan, rainfall, price per acre, and the amount (if any) the Agricultural Bank is prepared to advance to an approved applicant. The working plans at the Head Office, showing the blocks selected, are corrected every day from records posted in from the country agencies. It is
obvious, therefore, that correct information to the very moment can only be obtained by a personal visit to the country offices.
An intending selector can lodge or post his application without the necessity of previous personal inspection of the land, the price of the land and the amount of loan obtainable thereon being a sure guide as to the value of the block and nature of the soil.
The necessary deposit to accompany application can be easily calculated, as the purchase money required ■fpr the first three years is only at the rate of 6d. per acre per annum, payable half-yearly, no matter what the prescribed price of the land may be. Subsequent instalments after the three years are increased when the land is priced at over 10s. per acre. In every case a lease fee of 5s. is charged for conditional purchase land. In the case of a homestead farm of 160 acres the application fee is £1, with Is. for stamp anjl the prescribed survey fees when it is necessary to have a separate survey made of the 160 acres; hut when the homestead farm is included in a surveyed block within a subdivision, the balance of which is selected by the same applicant, then no charge is made for survey.
An intending selector may act as agent for members of his family or any friends who may desire to secure land, or he may appoint an agent to act on behalf of himself. Where no declaration is required, and provided the necessary deposits are paid, approval notices will issue; but where a declaration is required, as in the case of a homestead farm, approval notice will not issue until the applicant has signed the documents connected therewith.
No railway concessions are granted to an intending selector when desiring to inspect the land previous to selection; after the land has been secured a selector on first taking possession of the land may obtain reductions in fares and freights for himself and his family, goods, and chattels from the Railway Department on production of a certificate from the Lands Department to the effect that he is a bona-fide selector.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
133
HISTORY OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT.
[Contributed by W. Catton Gkasby, F.L.S.]
To convey a clear idea of the development of agriculture in Western Australia, its present position and its future prospects, in the space available would require the powers of the mythical Aiolus''' who confined the winds of heaven in the hide of an ox. If one attempt to give a brief summary he must of necessity omit many facts and opinions which are essential for a clear understanding of the subject. If, on the other hand, he allow himself to go into details he requires volumes, not columns. If he merely generalizes without examples, he is sure to be accused of hyperbole. If he furnish examples, he is in danger of being told that they are not typical. Not only is this so, but it must be remembered that the human mind may only grasp what experience has enabled it to comprehend. This applies equally to the philosopher, the king, the mathematician, and the man in the street. The mathematician may be bewildered over the construction of a wlieelbarrow, and the ordinary, level-headed business man, who deals without hesitation in cargoes of wheat, may not understand the composition of superphosphate.
Agriculture in Western Australia at the present time may be compared to a young bird, which, after passing through all the uncertainties and vicissitudes common to the' early stages of bird life, has left the nest, and in its early flights is experiencing the combined sensations of liberty and its possibilities, but not unassociated with some amount of timorous fear. Most people in dealing with the agricultural possibilities of the State forget all about the past, shut their eyes to the present difficulties, allow their imaginations full play as they talk of the wonderful future, and permit their tongues to play with millions, as though they had been all their lives accustomed to them.
I desire to avoid these faults in my present attempt to briefly review the history of agriculture in the Western State, try to summarize its present position, and endeavour to outline the future without exaggeration. It is not easy to do this, because it is hard to determine what is truth and what mere opinion. It is recorded of old that the Psalmist said in his haste “All men are liars,” and it is stated of a modern Scotchman that in commenting on the Biblical statement he said “that he dinna see that David need apologize.” The fact of the matter is that there are so many ways of looking at the past, the present, and the future that, never mind how much care is taken in verification, individual statements are sure to be criticized.
For the present purpose I am not concerned with the history of Western Australia except in so far as it
relates to the development of agriculture, but in order to understand the question it is necessary to remember that on June 2, 1829, Lieutenant - Governor Stirling arrived at Fremantle to establish the Swan River settlement. He brought with him regulations which, while they afforded inducements for settlement in the new colony, also laid the foundation for much of the trouble with regard to undeveloped land.
It must not be forgotten that some two years previously Captain Stirling had visited the Swan River with a view to the establishment of a settlement, and he, with Mr. Charles Fraser, the Colonial Botanist of New South Wales, formed a high opinion of the country. For example, Captain Stirling said, “In delivering my opinion on the whole of the lands seen on the banks of the Swan, I hesitate not in pronouncing it superior to any I have seen in New South Wales eastward of the Blue Mountains, not only in its local situation, but in the many existing advantages which it holds out to settlers, viz.:—1. The evident superiority of the soil. 2. The facility with which the settlers can bring their farms into a state of culture from the open state of the country, the trees not averaging more than ten to the acre. 3. The great advantage of fresh-water springs of the best quality, and consequent permanent humidity of the soil—two advantages not existing eastward of the Blue Mountains. 4. The advantages of water carriage to their own doors, and the non-existence of impediments to land-carriage.”
The above quotation is specially worthy of note in view of the present problem of clearing and the fact that agriculture languished in Western Australia up to within the last fifteen or twenty years. It will be noticed that special reference was made to the superiority of the soil, as well as the “open state of the country,” and it was this and similar reports, together with the wonderfully liberal terms offered to intending settlers, that induced the admittedly fine class of men and women to come out to the Swan River in the early days. Many of these came with every intention of being genuine settlers, and not a feyr remained, but many others had for their sole object the securing of large .areas of the highly praised lands of the new colony for speculative purposes. The fact of the matter appears to be that the report referred to the alluvial flats along the Swan River and the good, open country axound what is now Guildford and the Middle Swan. The nature of the sandy forest and scrub farther back appears to have escaped notice.
The Home Government, in order to induce settlers
134
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
with means to come to Western Australia, promised that all persons arriving before the end of the year 1830 should receive grants of land free of quit rent in proportion to the capital introduced by them to be invested in the improvement of the land. Colonists were given an acre of land for each Is. 6d. in money, stock of every description, implements of husbandry, and other articles necessary for the establishment of the settler on the land, and also up to the amount of any half-pay or pension received from the Government. They were also to receive 200 acres for each servant brought out, including their wives and children over ten years of age. One-fourth of the land granted was to be cultivated or otherwise improved or reclaimed from its wild state within three years, or it was to be liable to a tax of 6d. per acre, and should the land at the end of seven years still remain unimproved it was to revert absolutely to the Crown. These provisions look both liberal and wise on paper. The valuation of the assets of the early colonists appears to have been ‘made in an equally liberal spirit, but the improvement conditions were never enforced.
This offer and the favourable report induced many people to come to the colony and secure extensive tracts of land for purely speculative purposes. The result was that all the best land was very quickly taken up, so that five months after the first settlement the only land available was at that time practically inaccessible. The owners in many cases left the colony without making any attempt at improvement, and some of these early grants still remain almost in their original condition. It was soon found that the early expectations with regard to the fertility of the land could not be realized, and it is recorded that “sheep and cattle went blind or dropped dead in a mysterious way from eating poisoned plants, the nature of which was entirely unknown.” It is not a matter for congratulation that after eighty years our ignorance on this matter is still nearly as profound.
It is stated by the Government Statistician that up to December 31, 1830, 1,767 persons arrived in the colony with the following stock: —Horses, 101; cattle, 583; sheep, 7,981; pigs, 66; goats, 36; besides various poultry; but it was only in select spots of limited area that the settlers could make any headway in bringing the land under cultivation and increasing their flocks and herds. Thus it was that the settlers became very widely distributed, each little settlement on a fertile spot being separated from its neighbours by weary miles of forest, scrub, and sand. There was no stretch of virgin, fertile land near the coast and near the centre of government on which pioneer agriculture could progress as it did in South Australia. The wide extent of salmon-gum country which is now becoming the finest wheat and sheep-farming belt of Australia remained
unknown, or at least unappreciated, for nearly seventy years.
South of Perth, in the coastal region, there were limited areas of open fertile land on the banks of the rivers, comparatively free from timber and richly grassed, fully answering the description of Captain Stirling. These were all secured by the early settlers. Governor Stirling himself obtaining large blocks of the best. These were' necessarily devoted almost entirely to the raising of cattle, sheep being found in those days unsuitable for the pioneering conditions. The area brought under cultivation was comparatively small, and confined to the growth of wheat and other cereals for food for the settlers and their stock. The difficulties of transit were so great that it was impossible to transport produce. The fact that the Swan River was navigable by boats for a considerable distance, added to the fact that there was a considerable area of good agricultural land adjacent to its banks in the neighbourhood of Guildford, led to that being practically the first agricultural area of the colony.
Governor Stirling himself appears to have thoroughly appreciated the soil of Guildford, and showed his opinion in a practical way by securing a large area of land there, on which in 1831 he built a vice-regal Residence on the bank of the Swan, a little above the present Woodbridge House. Here are to be seen almond-, olive-, and fig-trees planted in the very early days of the settlement. As the settlers travelled over the range they quickly picked out the fertile valley of the Avon at York, Northam, Beverley, and Toodyay, and these thus very soon became important, though small, settlements. In the same way the fertile lands of Gingin and Yatheroo were selected for stock purposes by enterprising pioneers like the late Mr. Walter Pad-bury; while the alluvial flats of the Greenough formed one of the first important grain-growing centres of the State.
There were a number of well-educated, enterprising men and equally sterling women accustomed to the comforts of cultured English society among the early settlers of this State, and it is not hard for us to realize the enormous difficulties with which they had to contend. Even to-day Western Australia is a State of magnificent distances and scattered settlement, but our railway system, our roads, and bridges have wonderfully altered conditions of travel. The isolation of the early days must have been terrible. It must be understood, and is more or less definitely stated in the early records, that the report of Captain Stirling and Mr. Fraser was based upon an examination, during the favourable time of the year, of the extensive alluvial flats on the banks of the Swan River. We know now how very disappointing these flats have been, and the early settlers were not long in finding that they were subject to flood in the winter
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF 'WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
135
months, and not as well suited for agricultural purposes as had been imagined.
The first settlers very quickly started cultivation operations, for it is recorded as a matter worthy of note in the official Year-Book that in 1831 an agricultural society was organized in Perth, and that in the September of the same year a party of settlers explored the country in the vicinity of the present town of York. In bhis year 160 acres of wheat were reaped, there being altogether 200 acres of land under cultivation in the colony, the labour being mostly done by hand. Although the date is uncertain, it must have been somewhere about bhis time that Mr. G. F. Moore records that wheat was 40s. a bushel, flour lOd. a lb., butter (when it could be procured) Is. lOd. a lb., and eggs 5s. a doz.
In the next year, 1832, the first vineyard was established at Hamilton Hill by Mr. McFaull, who obtained his vines from the Cape, where most of the fruit-trees planted during the early days were also obtained.
As the town site of Northam was surveyed in 1832 we may consider that agriculture was established in that centre at about this time.
Considering the difficulties agriculture must have made fairly rapid progress, because it is recorded that on November 6, 1834, the first cattle show and fair was held at Guildford under the auspices of the agricultural society established three and a half years previously. During the same year the first shipment of wool, consisting of 7,585 lb. (equivalent to eighteen or nineteen bales) was forwarded to England. The town of York was established in 1835, and during this year the assessment was made of the value of land and of the improvements of the colony with a number of livestock, the total value representing nearly a quarter of a million sterling. About 1,800 acres were under crop, and fifty bales of wool were sent to London. By 1840 the production had so increased that a ship laden wholly with colonial produce left Fremantle for London, and four years later the first shipment of horses, bred in the colony, was forwarded to India.
No account of the agricultural development of
Western Australia would be complete without reference to the export of sandalwood, which for many years played an important part in providing occupation and income for the early settlers. This industry may be said to have started in 1845, when the first shipment was sent away, and two years later the export trade of guano from the Abrolhos Islands was initiated.
Reference has already been made to the trouble caused by floods on the low-lying lands of the Swan in the very early days of the colony, and in July and August of 1847 it is recorded that exceptionally heavy rains caused floods which did a great deal of damage to gardens and growing grain on the Swan, the Avon, and other rivers in the south-western districts. In June and July of 1862 another noteworthy flood occurred, the Swan rising to such an extent that Mount Bay Road was 2 ft. under water, and all the gardens and low lands along the
Swan were submerged. The loss this year by means of floods was estimated at over £30,000. The record flood of the Swan is, however, believed to be that of 1872. The year 1862 is noteworthy from an agricultural point of view owing to the fact that a small consignment of cotton, grown in the locality of Geraldton, was sent to England and the first export of flour from Western Australia took place. It was about this time that the pearling industry began, for it is recorded that in 1862 shells valued|at £250 were exported.
Up to this time settlement had been entirely confined to the south-western portions of the State, extending from Albany to somewhat north of Geraldton, but the year 1863 is specially noteworthy because in this year for the first time settlement in the north-western district was undertaken by 'the late Mr. Walter Padbury, together with Messrs. Wellard, Withnell, and others, and in 1864 the first shipment of wool from the north-west, consisting of seven bales, arrived at Fremantle. These dates are taken from the statistician’s Year-Book.
Mention has been made of the early settlement for agricultural purposes of the fertile lands of the Greenough and other parts of the Victoria district. In
CHAFFCUTTING AT PlNJARRA.
1868 it is recorded that an area of 13,895 acres was under crop in this portion of the State, but owing to rust it proved an almost total failure. This is practically the only record of any severe loss from rust in Western Australia, but it is a coincidence that this should have happened a few years after the great rusty year of South Australia, when the crops of that State were almost entirely ruined by the disease. Notwithstanding this loss of the crops in the Victoria district, 13,000 bushels of wheat and 1,163 tons of flour were exported from the State in the year under notice.
As the Victoria district, or rather that part of it known as the Greenough and Dongarra Plats, was at one time known as the granary of the State, and was also the largest source of the beef supply, special reference should be made to the story of its development. The information here given has been largely obtained from Mr. Hugh Hamersley (of the “Wells” Station, Walkaway), Mrs. Maley, sen. (formerly of Greenough and now of Three Springs), Mr. Wm. Clarkson (of Dongarra), Messrs. S. P. Moore, M.L.A., and Josiah Waldeck, and Miss Mary Duncan.
Away back in the early history of the State several old colonists formed what was known as “The Company,” for carrying on pastoral operations on the fertile Greenough and Irwin flats. The members of the firm of Edward Hamersley & Co. were the late Messrs. Edward Hamersley, Samuel Pole Phillips, and Lockyer Clare Burges. These men commenced operations in the early forties, devoting their attention to the raising of cattle. The more one sees of the land first selected the more convinced he becomes that the judgment of the early settlers with regard to the best land of the State was seldom at fault. The Victoria district on the whole still maintains the reputation it earned seventy years ago for providing fattening pasture. Two factors are responsible for this. The first is the climate and the second is the soil. When it is remembered that tomatoes will fruit the whole year round in this district, the difference in climate between there and the neighbourhood of, say, Northam, is clearly seen without making reflections Upon the latter locality. It is recognized all over Australia, and indeed in every part of the world, that climate alone exercises a very considerable influence upon the nutritive value of pasture, and it is only in accordance with this law that the grass in the Victoria district should possess very high feeding value and great fattening qualities.
Apart from this we have the fact that the soil conditions of the lower valleys of the Irwin and Greenough are exceptionally good. These watercourses drain large areas of the Yalgoo and Victoria districts, and during countless ages and when the climate was probably considerably different from what it is now, they washed accumulated fertility from the surface of thousands of square miles of country and deposited the spoils on what
are now known as the Dongarra and Greenough flats. These alluvial soils vary in character from a stiff silt to a light loam, and like all soils of similar origin and character they are marvellously fertile. This is not only shown by the luxuriant growth of grass and other herbage, but by the fact that for over forty years crops of grain were continually grown under very primitive systems of farming without the use of any manure or fertilizer. There is no district of the State wherein there is a greater area of equally fertile soil, and Messrs. Hamersley, Phillips, and the brothers Burges recognized the fact and profited by it. They reared thousands of cattle, and when, in the fifties, the Home Government, after years of agitation, acceded to the request of the settlers and used Western Australia as a place to send select good-conduct prisoners, together with a number of soldiers, "The Company” secured the contract for the supply of beef to the Imperial Government. The headquarters of the Company were at "Irwin House,” now owned by Mr. Irwin Burges, and here that old identity and pioneer of the district, Mr. Lockyer Burges, of many traditions and stories, held his court and combined a wonderful shrewdness, common sense, and religious conviction with a marvellous conscious and unconscious Irish humour. It is of him it is recorded that on one of his exploring trips he entered in his diary, "Crossed a magnificent river with a dry bed.”
The land was held as pastoral country, but was available for selection as freehold under the then land laws. Mr. Wm. Cousins, about the year 1850 or 1851, settled at what is now known as Old Walkaway, on the bank of the Greenough and quite near to the Greenough Show Ground. Mr. Cousins sowed a small field of wheat, but as Mrs. Maley says, the seed was sown very late, and as little rain fell afterwards it was a failure, only growing from six to nine inches high. At all events, it was not good enough to attempt to harvest, and Mr. Cousins left the district. In the following year Mr. Lockyer Burges happened to pass that way in the course of his work on the station, and to his surprise found a "magnificent crop” of self-sown wheat and took samples with him, and published the news far and wide. The result was that public attention was drawn to the suitability of the Greenough flats for wheat-growing, and settlement began to take place.
In those days it was the custom of the Home Government to grant what were called remission tickets to soldiers and others which entitled the holders to Crown grants to the number of acres of land mentioned on the ticket. Hamersley & Co. purchased as many as possible of these resumption tickets and applied them to the acquisition of large areas of the Greenough and Irwin flats. They also purchased additional land for cash. It is stated they had to supply 10,000 persons and soldiers with beef at 5d. a pound, and that in one year
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they received £13,000 for beef from the British Government. The cattle were raised on the Irwin and Green-ongh and driven down the old coast road to Perth and Fremantle. In this way they secured the magnificent holdings now owned by descendants of the original members of “The Company,” but round Greenough and Dongarra hundreds of men settled on small holdings, and in a comparatively short time the Greenough and Irwin became the granary of the colony. The ruined stone cottages bear witness to the fact that in the old days the district supported a large population, and all harvest operations were done by hand labour. Mrs. Maley states that her father, the late Mr. Frederick Waldeck, settled in Greenough in 1858, but he had held land there, and the male members of the family had gone backwards and forwards from Fremantle, for some years before. Mr. Josiah Waldeck, the youngest son, now lives in the old home.
Mr. S. F. Moore went to live at Dongarra in 1868, at which time a large portion of the flats was under wheat, which was shipped from the old jetty at Dongarra to Fremantle. One day, when on a hill overlooking the magnificent crops on the flats, he noticed a peculiar reddish appearance in a field to the south-east. He drew the attention of a companion to the occurrence, but it was not for several days that the reason was discovered. Day by day the reddish appearance of the crops spread, and in less than ten days almost the whole of the wheat in the district was ruined with red rust, which spread in the direction of the prevailing winds. He cannot remember the exact date, but is sure that it was in the early part of October, 1868. The disease seemed to start in the south-eastern portion of the flats, and it swept right through, causing ruin wherever it went. August and September had been wet and warm, but it was a magnificent growing season. This red rust outbreak caused the ruin of many farmers. The Government of the day had to come to the assistance of the settlers and provide work for them in order that they might live. It was during this time that scores of farmers were employed in carting broom-bush to Geraldton and spreading it over the sand-hills, which had commenced to drift, and but for this it is probable that the whole town would have been buried. It is a curious fact that no serious harm has been done by red rust since this one severe outbreak.
One point further should be mentioned, and that is, this first crop of wheat grown on the Greenough most clearly teaches a lesson, which seventy years of experience has fully confirmed and accentuated. In order to ensure success in wheat-growing in the northern and eastern districts of Western Australia the seed must be sown early. Mr. Cousins sowed late and his crop failed, but it produced enough seed, which Nature sowed during the summer ready for the first rains the following season,
and without any kind of cultivation or attention produced a crop which led to the settlement of the district. This same fact was realized in the very early days by the farmers in the York district who placed this as well as other important agricultural facts on record in the minutes of the local agricultural society, the second oldest in the State.
The early settlers of Western Australia have often been reproached by the people of the Eastern States on account of the slow progress made by the development of the colony during the first fifty years of its existence. The fact is not disputed, but the reflection is not just and can only be made in the absence of a proper conception of the real condition. As a matter of actual fact the early settlers in no State of the Commonwealth were of higher type, as judged by their up-bringing, their enterprize, and their moral fibre, than -were the early colonists of Western Australia, and no State produced a finer lot of enterprizing, self-denying, and successful explorers. This statement is correct whether we judge by the difficulties which they had to encounter or the results achieved by the more notable among them. It is quite easy to understand why the colony did not progress faster, and a consideration of the facts does not reflect discredit upon the colonists, although this statement necessitates the candid admission that the natural disadvantages for the successful settlement of agricultural people were greater than they were in any of the other States.
The natural disadvantages which retarded progress and thus conserved the country until the end of the nineteenth century may be summarized as: —
1. The extent of sand covered with forest between the Darling Range and the sea.
2. The low-lying character and water-logged condition in winter of other large areas, together with the denseness of the timber and the prevalence of scrub and harsh, worthless vegetation.
3. The relatively small areas of rich soil which could be readily brought under the plough.
4. The poverty of the soil, of the dryer lands, in organic matter and phosphoric acid, and the difficulty and cost of draining the peaty swamps.
5. The enormous difficulties of transit from the coast across the twenty miles of sandy country to the range, the equally great difficulties of transit over this escarpment of tableland, and the expense of road-making on account of the absence of road-making materials.
6. The general absence of natural nutritious fodders, together with the presence of a remarkable series of plants directly poisonous or injurious to stock. The importance of this can hardly be over-estimated, and it would appear that an altogether unwise policy has been adopted in failing to recognize this factor. The absence of a determined attempt to investigate the
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nature of the poisonous plants and the means by which either the effect of the poison could be overcome or the plants themselves eradicated, must also be noted with regret. While we still know comparatively little about the real nature of these poisonous plants, our settlers have learned a great deal about them in a practical way and they no longer serve as a bar to the use of the land which they formerly did. We have tens of thousands of acres which for over half a century remained absolutely useless, now carrying sheep, horses, and cattle with safety.
7. Another cause of the slow development in the eastern districts was the absence of surface water. It is a curious fact that although the country in its natural condition is so heavily timbered and has a remarkably regular rainfall, surface water even in the rainy season is scarce. We are now finding that conservation is comparatively simple, and that ringbarking and clearing the timber changes the country, in this respect, in a most remarkable way. The early pioneer who drove his sheep out to the eastern forest country, which is now becoming a vast cornfield interlaced with railways and studded with bustling towns, found three difficulties which prevented him making the progress which quickly raised the pioneer sheep men in the eastern colonies to positions of wealth. These difficulties were the absence of grass in the timbered country, the presence of poisoned weeds which caused his sheep to die, and the absence of water in those places where the other two draw-backs were more or less absent. That Western Australian settlers were not lacking in enterprize is shown by the persistent attempts at settlement and by the development of the north-west. Surely of no portion of the Eastern States could a more thrilling story be told than of the energy, the enterprise, the hardship, and the successful hard work of the pioneers of this, the great pastoral part of Western Australia.
The first Ministry under responsible government, with John Forrest (now Sir John) as Premier, assumed office on December 29, 1890, and from about this time the progressive development of Western Australia may be said to date, although it really began a few years before. With the change of the form of government was initiated a bold policy of development by means of borrowed money. This in itself caused an increase of population from the eastern portions of Australia and other parts of the world. The close relationship of the mineral to the agricultural industry, however, must be clearly acknowledged. It was in 1887 that gold quartz was found in the Yilgarn, Golden Valley, and Southern Cross districts. In the previous year, 1886, the railway was formally opened as far as Beverley, and in 1889 the land grant railway from Albany to Beverley was opened. This reference to history is necessary in order to show that the adoption of responsible government was only
one phase of a period of general activity in the development of the colony; the events mentioned having a direct relation to agriculture in two ways. In the first place the development of the mines, the making of railways, and the construction of the public works, such as the Perth water-works, which date from this time, led to the employment of labour, which required to be fed, and at the same time the railways themselves opened up the agricultural lands and provided facilities for the marketing of produce. Following the discoveries of gold at Southern Cross we have in rapid succession similar discoveries on the Murchison, at Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, and numerous other places, the names of which have become world-famed.
Among the men who flocked to Western Australia from all parts of the world in the “roaring nineties” was a considerable proportion of agriculturists from the Eastern States. Many, either disappointed in their attempts to obtain gold or in some cases without ever attempting to reach the goldfields, quickly realized that farming, gardening, and fruit-growing were likely to prove more reliable sources of money-making than prospecting. These men had experience, they knew the work, and they were quick to realize the suitability of much of the land for agricultural purposes when produce was at famine prices. The gold discoveries were at the bottom of the development, but it was the experience which these men had had which enabled them to realize the value of the York gum, jam, salmon-gum, and other eastern lands. In the first place, however, they almost invariably picked upon either the red diorite soils covered with York gum and jam, or the soils as nearly related to them as possible.
The salmon-gum lands remained unappreciated for some years. Indeed, it may be said that it was the introduction of superphosphate which rendered available for agricultural purposes the millions of acres of salmon-gum forest in Western Australia. At first the cost of clearing was high, but hay, oats, and wheat realized proportionate prices. The old hands, of course, condemned, or at least shook their heads when these eastern men took to farming on land which seemed to them from their experience altogether unfit, and it is interesting and not a little amusing to recall the bitter controversy over the value of Western Australian agricultural lands. .As men became disappointed with mining they turned their attention to farming, and progress, at first slow, became more and more rapid. Still the controversy continued, and when settlers went out as far as Meckering they were told that they were going out to a desert to starve, and each step further eastward, northward, and southward has been condemned in the same way.
We are not yet in a position to finally decide what is the eastern limit for safe farming. Controversy on
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
139
this question is perfectly futile, and the most that can be said is that the Government should not seek to tempt settlers to go beyond what are known to be safe limits.
One of the points upon which there has been a most violent controversy is the relative value of the different types of land. It is now recognized that the first settlers, although absolutely right in their high estimation with regard to rich diorite soils, were equally wrong in their under-valuing of the now recognized valuable salmon-gum and gimlet forests. Even yet we do not properly appreciate the scrub and heath lands, often very erroneously known as sand plains. This is not surprising, because there is only one standard by which the value of land may be judged, and that is what it will produce for a considerable number of years. The new settler, as a rule, does not farm. Virgin land has the
This has been the case in every State in the Commonwealth, in the United States, and in Canada, and it is going on in Western Australia to-day; but the comparative poverty of Western Australian land in phosphoric acid is, curiously enough, the factor which is making the Western Australian settler the most progressive pioneer farmer to be found in any part of the world. This very deficiency of phosphoric acid has, from the beginning, taught him to recognize something of the rudiments of scientific agriculture, and he is showing a desire and an aptitude which promises well for the future.
The area under wheat, barley, and oats during 1912 is estimated by the Government Statistician to have been 1,147,206 acres, made up as follows:—Wheat for grain and hay, 960,349 acres; oats, 180,287 acres; barley, 6,570 acres. The returns show an average of over
Photo by C. E. Farr. Harvesting on Mr. R. Camerer's Farm, Toodyay District.
accumulated fertility of hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The farmer settler proceeds to crop his farm, and in the most wasteful manner withdraw from it accumulated fertility in the form of wheat and hay.
11'6 bushels of wheat to the acre and a total yield of over 9,125,245 bushels and 243,171 tons of hay. Of oats the estimated production is 2,102,465 bushels, or an average of 16J bushels per acre, together with 56,606 tons of hay.
THE WHEAT AREAS.
Neither the extent nor the limitations of the wheat lands of Western Australia are at present known with any degree of definiteness. It is only a few years since Grass Valley, a few miles east of Northam, was considered the eastern limit of the wheat-growing country, and the settlers from South Australia who selected land at Meckering were told that they were tempting Providence and were going out in the salmon-gum forest to starve. They have proved the fallacy of the old ideas about Western Australian soil, and Providence has showered bountiful harvests on all who have complied with her demands for good farming. The warnings of
failure were repeated as men went further east and settled at Cunderdin, Taminin, Kellerberrin, Nangeenin, and Merredin; and although that district seems at present to be the limit of safety time alone will tell whether wheat-growing can be carried on with reasonable assurance of profit further inland. All that can be said with confidence is that it appears to be a wise policy to wait until we know more of the rainfall before settling the lands eastward of Merredin. There is no question as to the richness of the soil, neither is there any doubt about there being ample rain during many of the years since records have been kept. The one uncertain point
is the proportions of good and unreliable seasons.
Allowing Merredin as the eastern known safe limit we have a stretch of proved wheat country over a hundred miles in width, which broadens as we go south for nearly 200 miles and decreases in width for nearly 300 miles northward. It is perfectly safe to say that the proved wheat belt comprises over 30,000,000 acres without considering the Esperance and similar country which are yet unproved, although considered by many to be far more reliable than much of the land being opened up by railways in South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.
Much of the thirty-odd million acres being yet unsurveyed, and much more not actually proved, it is impossible to do more than estimate the acreage suited for profitable wheat-growing. We do know that vast areas, which only five or six years since were looked upon as “third class” and useless for wheat, are now proved to be as valuable for this purpose as what was then considered “first class.” We have also to remember that the water-supply problem is not yet solved in some localities, although it is not more difficult than in other States, and the experience of the past two years has shown that it is very unwise to be too pessimistic eVen under the apparently most unfavourable conditions.
Allowing for everything, it does not appear to be unreasonably optimistic to estimate that we may expect to have at least 15,000,000 acres of land cultivated as wheat farms within a comparatively few years. If we further allow that the farmers will by that time have adopted the three years rotation of wheat, sheep, and fallow, it will give us an area of 5,000,000 acres under wheat each year. Considering our climatic conditions, we should have an average of 15 bushels, but if we again make liberal allowances and put it down at 10 bushels, which is less than our past general average, we have to look forward to an annual production in the near future of 50,000,000 bushels of wheat. This is equal to twice the average production of South Australia or Victoria. It may seem a bold thing to say, but there appears to be no reasonable doubt that Western Australia, which only a few years ago did not produce enough for her own consumption and was considered to be incapable of doing so, will in the near future export more wheat than has been shipped in any past year by South Australia and Victoria combined.
In this connection it may be worth recalling that in 1904 the writer of these notes, in the course of a report to the then Government on the agricultural possibilities of the State, expressed the opinion that although the production then was not equal to the consumption it would reach 10,000,000 bushels within ten years. The idea was ridiculed, not only in the Press of the Eastern States but in this State as well. The forecast was spoken
of as “optimism run mad,” but the final returns for 1912, as stated on page 139, show that, in spite of the unfavourable season in some districts, the predicted total has been nearly reached with two seasons to the good. The following figures show the development of wheat-growing in the State: —
Year. Area under wheat. Yield. Average.
1890 ... 33,820 467,389 13-8
1893 ... 42,673 520,198 12-2
1898 75,032 870,909 11-6
1900 ... 74,308 774,653 104
1902 ... 92,398 985,559 10-7
1904 ... 183,080 2,013,237 11-1
1906 ... 250,283 2,758,567 11-0
1908 ... 258,011 2,460,823 8-6
1910 ... 581,862 5,897,540 10-1
1912 ... 786,183 9,125,245 11-6
The geological origin of the soils over the greater portion of the wheat belt would not lead one to expect them to be rich, and actual examination and analysis proves the correctness of the conclusion. They are, as a rule, derived from the decomposition of granite, broken fairly frequently by dioritic dykes. The granite soils are light and gritty, the dioritic strong, rich clays and loams. Mere richness in plant food, or put in another way, the chemical composition of a soil is only one factor in fertility. It is an unfortunate fact that millions of acres of the richest soils of Australia and the rest of the world are barren because other factors in the complex problem of fertility are absent. The average soils of the wheat belt are not rich, and when we consider that the value of the land for wheat growing remained undiscovered for between two', and three generations we need feel no surprise when the newcomer misjudges it.
Judged by chemical analysis much of the land is poor; valued by the returns it gives it is good. To harmonize these two undoubted contradictory facts we must consider other factors in soil fertility. These are: —
(1.) The physical properties, i.e., the ease with which the soil can be worked, its capacity to receive, hold, and part with moisture to the crop, and the opportunity it offers the plant for root development. The chemically poor soils of the State are rich in this connection.
(2.) The climatic conditions. Judged from this point of view the south-west of this State is peculiar, but from the wheat-grower’s point of view very fortunate. The outstanding feature is the wonderful regularity in the seasons. The rainy season, which usually starts in April, is associated with the movements of the Antarctic “lows” which pass along the southern coast of Australia and continue until October. During these
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
141
seven months an average of about 90 per cent, of the total fall is recorded. The remaining five months, from November to March, may be considered from an agricultural point of view to be rainless. The rains which do occasionally occur in summer are irregular and uncertain, and are only of value to the farmer in providing a supply of rain water. It is owing to this fact that country with an average rainfall of 10 in. can be relied upon to receive sufficient rain during the growing
period to produce payable crops on fallow land, except in occasional years when the distribution is not normal. This distribution of the rainfall lenders it quite impracticable to grow summer crops without irrigation, except on very limited patches. Even in those districts where the rainfall is 35 in. and over maize and lucerne cannot be grown as staple crops, and green grass in summer is confined to limited moist patches.
FRUIT GROWING.
In considering the fruit-growing industry of Western Australia, it is. important to remember that, although it is over eighty years since the first settlement took place, for over half a century the homesteads were far apart and the population limited so that markets did not exist to enable fruit-growing to be carried on on an extensive scale. Round all the old homesteads, however, fruit trees were planted, so that when the new era began about twenty years ago plenty of evidence was to be found proving the suitability of the different districts for various classes of fruit. There are at the present time abundant examples of apple, pear, fig, olive, orange, and even apricot and plum trees which are known to be from forty to seventy years old. The varieties are not as a rule good, and the trees have in most cases been allowed to take care of themselves; but in spite of lack of cultivation, absence of manuring, and no attention to pruning the trees are healthy, vigorous, and productive. In considering the suitability of Western Australia for fruit-growing the evidence of these trees is of the utmost value. Unfortunately, when the great influx of population following the discovery of gold took place and men from other parts of the world started to plant orchards, they did not pay sufficient attention to the lessons which they might have learned from these old home gardens. The result has been an enormous waste of money, much misdirected effort, and in many cases false impressions. In one sense the fruit industry of Western Australia did not develop —-it sprang into life as part of the hurly-burly of the “roaring nineties,” and to this fact is due most of its peculiarities. As an industry it has not yet passed through many of the ordeals which those familiar with the Eastern States remember so well. According to statistics, the State ranks next to Tasmania in acreage under fruit trees per 1,000 of the population, there being nearly 60 acres of fruit trees for every 1,000 people as against over 100 acres in Tasmania. Before the discovery of gold, Messrs. Charles Harper and
E. H. Piesse, as well as other progressive men, were planting and urging others to plant commercial orchards, while Mr. Allnutt, of Bridgetown, had a large orchard
in bearing, and at once reaped the profits of his enterprise. As has been mentioned, every home had its fruit garden, but the varieties were mostly obsolete, the original trees having been brought from the Cape or elsewhere in the early days of settlement. The total area under trees was given at about 1,800 acres, but it is probable that a good many of these acres had only a few scattered old trees.
With the influx of population fruit quickly reached famine prices, and the fortunate possessors of even poor-quality old trees found that these were almost as good as gold mines. Fruit which had been unsaleable readily brought from 6d. to Is. per ffi>. in the orchard. Apple trees known to exist around old deserted homesteads were sought out and given a certain amount of care. A few miles from Albany, on the King River, for example, two old neglected apple trees produced 16 cwt. of apples which were sold at 9d. per ft), on the trees. Cherries were sold in the shops of Perth at a penny each, and anything in the shape of fruit found a profitable market. With the high prices ruling men rushed into fruit-growing here, there, and everywhere. There was not much experience to guide them, and they entirely neglected what there was. In justification of their now apparently absurd procedure it must be mentioned that the development of agriculture in this State has always been a series of surprises. This applies to every branch of the industry and not least to fruitgrowing. The knowing ones, or those who thought they knew, were often no more right than the novice who did not know pears from apples. Anything in the name of a fruit tree was good enough to plant, and it is no matter for wonder that speculating men bought up all the rubbish from the Eastern nurseries, shipped them to Western Australia, and sold them at high prices— seedlings, suckers, stunted, and diseased stuff all came along and were labelled to suit the customers. If all the trees which have been planted since 1890 had grown and thriven, it is safe to say that the industry in Western Australia at the present time would hardly be exceeded by any State in the Commonwealth.
Another fact must be mentioned here. In the
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
regulations under the Land Act certain conditions of improvement were insisted upon, and among these was a provision to encourage the planting of vineyards and orchards. It did not take people long to discover that the planting of an acre or two of vines or fruit trees was the cheapest and quickest method of complying with the improved conditions, but the trees having been planted and inspected there was no further obligation to attend to them, and it is a matter of regret that in some cases the same trees and vines did duty on several different properties. These facts are mentioned in order to account for the apparently contradictory fact that although the area under orchards is now approaching
20,000 acres the production is not anything like what might be expected from such an area. It may be worth while to summarize some of the causes of failure: —
1. Many have gone into the fruit-growing without understanding the business or having any aptitude for it.
2. Orchards have been planted in unsuitable localities or in unsuitable, badly-prepared land.
3. Tens of thousands of trees have been planted which should have been burned, being in many cases unworked or worked suckers, worthless varieties, untrue to name, badly grown, or injured beyond recovery in transit.
4. Hundreds of orchards have been planted as a cheap way of complying with the improvement conditions of the Lands Department, in some cases with no intention of attempting to make them profit-bearing. In other instances they still remain and are given in the returns, but are not and can never be profitable.
5. Orchards have been planted by city men who have, or at least had, extravagant ideas of the profits to be made and insufficient knowledge of the cost, trouble, risks, and time necessary to make a profit-producing orchard.
6. Many orchards have proved unprofitable on account of neglect and because owners try to grow hay in them, though as a rule the orchards of this State are as well kept as in any other.
7. Some of the best-cared-for orchards have proved unprofitable because of the absurd but prevalent ideas on pruning. The owners cut off the fruit-bearing wood and generally butcher the trees and wonder why they do not bear.
8. Growers persist, in spite of advice to the contrary, in planting the trees they fancy instead of those that are suited to their conditions. They plant oranges in pear country, apples on orange land, fruit trees where they should grow fodder, apricots on land which would pay better under pine trees for cases, and apples where jarrah is the only known suitable and profitable crop.
9. Some orchards are unprofitable for lack of capital, and others because the owners have fertilized their land
with sovereigns at the rate of hundreds to the acre and the crop of interest has exceeded that of fruit.
In spite of all drawbacks, however, the fruitgrowing industry has steadily progressed, and the export of apples this year will probably be somewhere about
75,000 bushels, while the quality is recognized to be on the whole superior to that of any of the other States, This superiority is due not only to the actual suitability of Western Australia for growing first-class fruit, but largely to the great care exercised in grading, packing, and transport. It may be safely said without any qualification that where the right type of men have gone into fruit-growing in the right localities, and have planted the varieties suited for their conditions, nowhere in the world has a higher average of success been obtained and a greater individual profit reaped.
Fruit Zones.
Each class of fruit has its own special requirements. It is not our present purpose to consider fruit-growing as a recreation or for home purposes, but as an industry wherein it is essential that fruit may be grown on a large scale of first-class quality and at such cost as will enable it to compete with other fruit-growing countries. Fruit may be classed in various ways, but perhaps the best method is to consider it in relation to climatic conditions, and while doing this we may also discuss the fruit zones or sections of the State suitable for each class as follow: —
1. The tropical fruit zone in which the most prominent are the pineapple, banana, mango, coooanut, etc. These may all be grown in the tropical portions of Western Australia; but the time is not yet jape for the development of a tropical fruit industry.
2. The sub-tropical and mild temperate fruits, including the various members of the citrus family, the olive, guava, loquat, fig, vine, mulberry, almond, apricot, peach, Japanese plum, persimmon, passion fruit. Cape gooseberry, etc. Of these it will be remembered that some are evergreens, and these as a rule require a milder and warmer climate than those of the other section which are deciduous and lose their leaves during the cold weather. There is a very large area of Western Australia suitable for these fruits. Oranges, for example, may be grown with complete success in suitable soils from the Murchison River along the coastal district as far south as Bunbury, and the zone also includes the sheltered valleys in the hills and various suitable localities considerably inland. It is, of course, clearly understood that the particular varieties of fruit should only be planted in soils specially suited for their various requirements. These will be referred to in the various headings later.
3. The cool temperate fruits include the apple, pear, European plum, quince, cherry, walnut, chestnut.
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143
raspberry, blackberry, red and black currants, gooseberries, strawberries, filberts, and so forth. Some of these can only be grown in special positions in the extreme south-west and in the Albany district, but apples and pears have a very wide range, suitable country being found in the hills east of Perth and from there southward to the Southern Ocean.
Oranges and Lemons.
It is well known that there are special adaptations of fruit to soils or of soils to different kinds of fruit, and the secret of commercial fruit-growing to a very large extent depends upon paying attention to this, the first consideration. In Western Australia as elsewhere there is no large consecutive area of many thousands of acres on which the settler can be recommended to grow oranges as a commercial proposition. They can be
vigorous, healthy trees. Sometimes, however, at the end of the dry period, some trees will be found to exhibit signs of lack of moisture, and when a heavy crop of fruit is to be matured a limited amount of water applied in January, February, and March is found to promote the growth of the tree and result in much finer growth. Too much water, however, is worse than none at all.
The most suitable land for orange growing is found on the well-drained alluvial river flats, and on some of theso at Gingin, Pinjarra, Armadale, the Serpentine, the Harvey, etc., orange trees may be seen which are thoroughly healthy, vigorous, and profitable although from forty to fifty years old. Anyone seeking land for the establishment of an orangery should not consider the price per acre so much as the thorough suitability of the soil.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. G. H. palmateer's Orchard at Heidelberg.
grown, but tor complete success the intending grower should seek for an area of well-drained, deep loamy soil, not subject to alternate conditions of excessive wet and lack of moisture. Considering our long, dry summer he should also endeavour to select a situation where he will be able to give the trees a little artificial watering during the dry summer months. Let it be here clearly stated that in the southern portion of the State below Perth the rainfall is such that irrigation in the sense understood at Mildura and Renmark, for example, is not only unnecessary but would be positively injurious. Up to the present time no large orangery has received regular watering, and yet at the end of March each year, when practically no rain has fallen for five months, the trees will be found to present that dark-green colour accompanied with young growth which indicates
The total area under oranges in Western Australia now runs into several thousand acres, there being some 1,200 acres within two or three miles’ radius of the Harvey Station on the Bunbury railway.
Apple Country.
It may be laid down as a fairly definite working rule that if the climatic conditions are thoroughly suited for orange-growing they will not be equally adapted for apples, and similarly where the climatic conditions are suitable for apples, although the orange may be grown, it will not possess the quality of first-class fruit. The apple is much more accommodating as to soil than the orange or the lemon, and it is also more tolerant with regard to climate. In selecting a site for an apple orchard where it is intended to grow first-class export
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fruit it is essential that the teaching of experience should be carefully followed. As a rule the coastal plain is unsuited for the production of really first-class apples. This statement will be questioned by many people, because without doubt the many apple orchards which have been established between the Darling Range and the sea have proved productive and the fruit is good. It is not, however, as good as that produced on the more elevated and colder lands farther inland, such as Bridgetown and Mount Barker, and, indeed, on the suitable situations on the whole of the vast area extending between these two places as well as in the hills farther north and south. The soil conditions are important, but provided the subsoil is good the actual surface soil does not matter very much, and some of the most profitable apple orchards in this, as well as in the Eastern States, are on poor, hungry-looking country overlying a strong retentive, but well-drained clay subsoil. It may also be laid down as a general rule that where artificial drainage is required the settler should avoid planting an apple or, indeed, any other orchard. It will very often be found, however, that in any block of considerable size small sections may be too wet, and it will pay to drain these in order to allow of continuous planting and regular working. Experience proves conclusively that in the best apple country of Western Australia, where good cultivation is adopted, neither underdrains nor irrigation is necessary, although, of course, it cannot be doubted that in many cases a little water given when the fruit is maturing will result in apples of a larger size and better appearance.
The area under apples is increasing rapidly, and probably in no State in the Commonwealth are the commercial orchards more generally deserving of praise. In the first place the growers have confined their planting almost exclusively to three or four varieties proved to be most suitable for export. The trees as a rule are well cared for, comparatively free from disease, and the soil is kept in a beautiful state of cultivation through the summer. There is, however, a general lack of system in the training of the trees, and although this in itself does not prevent their being thoroughly profitable, it does in many cases mean that they require considerably more attention.
The special advantages which Western Australia possesses as a producer of export apples are: —
1. The trees when properly cared for come into bearing at an early age.
2. They are remarkable for their regular heavy cropping.
3. The varieties proved most suitable for the climatic conditions are also those which are found by experience to realize the best average prices in the European market.
4. The fruit ripens somewhat earlier than in the best apple districts of Victoria and Tasmania, and at the same time we are so much nearer to Europe that the fruit can remain on the trees from one to two weeks longer than in the Eastern States. Owing to these two causes there is an average of about a fortnight in favour of this State. This is very important with the early shipments, which generally bring the highest prices.
5. The apple-grower does not have to contend against some of the worst pests and diseases which cause so much loss in the Eastern States. The codlin moth has not yet gained a footing, and fusicladium or apple scab, although present, causes practically no trouble and requires no treatment.
6. The fruit-growers have the best organization of any in the Commonwealth.
All that has been said about the apple applies equally to the growth of the pear. Western Australia was the first State to demonstrate that the Williams Bon Chretian or Bartlett can be cold-stored for over three months with complete success, and may be carried to England and back without loss, provided the temperature is kept even and sufficiently low.
Miscellaneous Fruits.
So far the growers of stone fruits have not achieved the same success which has followed the efforts of those who have devoted attention to apples, pears, citrus, vines, and some other fruits. On the coastal district apricot trees thrive splendidly, but the varieties which have been tried have not proved to be uniform regular croppers. So far a district thoroughly suited for apricot-growing has not yet been found, but as the trees grow so well it seems only a question of time to find varieties which are suited to the special climatic conditions. Some evidence that this will be so is already available.
Peaches do much better than apricots, and some varieties can hardly be surpassed in any part of Australia for vigour of growth and regularity of fruiting. Unfortunately this fruit is subject to the attacks of the fruit-fly, and in the districts for some miles round Perth this pest causes considerable loss.
English plums, like apricots, have not proved to be reliable croppers, but Japanese varieties “grow like weeds” and produce regular heavy crops of magnificent fruit.
Cherries only thrive in select gullies in the southwest, and Sir Winthrop Hackett, who has a fine cherry-orchard at Cherrydale, Donnybrook, is the only grower on a large scale of this popular fruit.
The fig appears to thrive better in Western Australia than in any other State of the Commonwealth.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
There are magnificent old trees in perfect health and vigour, though probably seventy years old and up to 3 ft. in diameter. The mild climate and the absence of hot, drying winds are favourable to the production of a large, luscious fig with a soft skin suitable for drying and preserving. The Lop Injir or Smyrna drying-fig has been introduced, and, like other varieties, thrives splendidly over a wide area near the coast. As is well known, this variety requires the agency of the fig wasp (Blasto'phaga grossorum) in order to mature its fruits, and the result is a fig equal in size and quality to the Lest product of the Meander Valley in Asia Minor.
The Olive.
Olive trees were introduced in the early days of settlement, and adjacent to the old homes are now to be found trees probably superior in size to any others in Australia. Some of these are growing in sand, but the largest are on the stronger soils of the coastal area. The following measurements of an old tree on Mr. Clifton’s property at Brunswick may be taken as an example, although there are other trees similar in size to be found elsewhere, which remind one of the old patriarchs to be seen in Greece, Southern Italy, and other portions of the Mediterranean. The tree has three trunks springing from a huge bole many feet in diameter. At 18 in. above this they are between 14 ft. and 15 ft. in circumference. The spread of the present branches is about 25 yards.
In the early days no care seems to have been taken with regard to the selection of special varieties, but the olives produced have been tested for oil and the product, when well made, is equal to that produced in any other part of the world. Here and there are to be found trees producing very large fruit suitable for pickling, and this product also compares favourably with that of Prance, Spain, and California. While present labour conditions prevail it is not much use talking about an olive industry, but the fact that the climatic conditions have proved to be so suitable to the olive that trees grown from seed distributed by the birds are found growing amongst the indigenous vegetation adjacent to old settlements indicates great possibilities in years to come.
Such fruits as the persimmon and guava thrive splendidly over large areas, while in select spots in the neighbourhood of Perth the plantain and mango are grown sufficiently to form articles of trade.
The Cape gooseberry grows like a weed in-the sand, and as its value for preserves becomes better known it will fully take the place of the English gooseberry in colder climates. It cannot be said that strawberries thrive as well in this State as in Southern Victoria or Tasmania, but when suitable situations and soil are chosen the growth of this fruit is very profitable.
K
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 14/>
English gooseberries and raspberries are grown on a small scale in the colder districts of the south-west, but it is hardly likely that this will form an article of trade in competition with the product of countries with more suitable climate. It is a recognized law that various agricultural products are only produced in complete perfection under special conditions, and it is wise when considering the growth of fruits to rely on those for which the climate is proved to be best adapted.
What has been said of the apricot applies so far to the almond, but there is evidence to show that certain local seedlings are likely in the near future to entirely alter the present opinion with regard to this fruit. Nowhere does the almond tree grow better, and now that heavy cropping varieties of high quality have been produced by cross pollination, it is quite probable that the almond-growing industry will become of considerable importance to this State.
So far walnuts are only grown to a limited extent, but there is not wanting evidence that in certain portions of the extreme south-west the conditions will in the near future be proved to be thoroughly adapted for the production of walnuts.
The Vine.
It may be safely said that no part of the world is capable of producing heavier crops of high-class grapes under natural conditions than is Western Australia. The suitability of the country for the growth of the vine is as well proved as for the apple, the orange, and the fig. Old vines of very large size are to be found in various parts of the State, and the young vineyards which have been planted during the last twenty years simply confirm the recognized fact that we do not even yet know the extent of the capabilities of the State for the production of the grape. These remarks apply both to the growth of table grapes, raisin grapes, currant grapes, and the best varieties suitable for winemaking. Many mistakes have, of course, been made, but there is now sufficient experience to prove that no further serious loss in this way will occur. The wine industry, which made considerable headway prior to Federation, has received a severe setback owing to the introduction of wines from the established vineyards of South Australia; but there is not wanting evidence to show that a reaction is setting in, and if winemaking is undertaken on the same systematic lines as is done by South Australia there is no reason why this State should not rank as one of the most important contributors to the production of wine and brandy. The great evil so far has been the lack of concentration. The character of the wines produced in the most carefully managed cellars shows that all the conditions are favourable for the production of wine of a very high class. One feature in connection with the wine industry
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
of great importance is the development during the last few years of the export trade in grapes. This is largely due to the enterprize of Mr. Barrett-Lennard, of the Middle Swan, who has succeeded in proving that grapes can be sent safely to India, Ceylon, Singapore, and other Eastern ports as well as to London, and the trade has assumed proportions second only to the export of apples.
In summarizing the conditions of the fruit industry in Western Australia, it may be said that probably in no part of the Commonwealth or elsewhere can a larger variety of high-class fruits be produced, while such fruits as oranges, apples, pears, figs, and olives can be grown in competition with any part of the world.
DAIRYING AND MIXED FARMING.
A favourite expression of Mr. James Mitchell,
M.L.A., when Minister for Agriculture, was to state: “We are sending away a thousand golden sovereigns every day of the year to the Eastern States to pay for butter which should be produced in Western Australia.” When the value of preserved milk, cheese, and other dairy products is added, the annual value of imports which should be produced in the State reaches over £450,000. Prominent attention has been drawn to this unsatisfactory condition of things for many years, and the lack of enterprize of the people who allow it to continue has been the favourite theme for ridicule and denunciation. The export of money, however, and the corresponding import of Victorian butter, cheese, and so forth still continues. When the volume of talk indulged in by politicians and departmental lecturers, not to mention the enormous amount of space which has been occupied by agricultural and other writers on the subject, is considered, there is no difficulty in deciding that there must be some sound economic reason why dairying and, indeed, mixed farming generally has not assumed greater proportions in Western Australia. The fact has been stated so often that the soil and climatic conditions of the south-western portion of the State are suitable for a dairy industry that people have become so familiar with it as to take no notice whatever of its repetition. Before considering the practical side of the subject it is desirable that an effort should be made to find a reason for the present condition of things.
Recently a member of the Legislative Council, in speaking at a luncheon in connection with one of the agricultural shows, stated in effect that “the history of the development of the dairying industry in any of the States of Australia seemed to indicate that before real progress could be made it was necessary for the farming people to pass through bad times, during which it was difficult to obtain a living in any other way, and that the backwardness of dairying was therefore an evidence of prosperity.” There is some truth in the remark, because there is no getting away from the fact that while dairying is not hard work it is an occupation which presents more difficult labour problems than any
other rural occupation. It is an industry which requires attention for seven days in the week, it necessitates early rising and long hours, although not necessarily of hard work; and, while a good living can be obtained without these drawbacks, it is hardly to be expected that farmers will seriously take on the work of dairying.
Speaking to a farmer who happens to work one of the largest farms in the south-west where the conditions are undoubtedly thoroughly suited for dairying, I asked him the question, “Why don’t you start dairying ? The conditions seem in every way favourable, and there is no doubt about the profitableness of the industry.” His reply corresponded with that of the politician. He stated: “While I can raise lambs, fatten mutton, and grow wool and sell them at present prices it suits me better to devote my attention to sheep. I know the land would produce more money if devoted to dairying, but it would need a great deal more labour, the work would be a much greater tie, while it would be more irksome, and it is doubtful whether my net profits would compensate for the extra trouble and worry.” During the last two seasons the fat-sheep market has'been less satisfactory, and there is a prospect of the same condition of things prevailing as the sheep industry progresses, so that he is seriously considering whether the time is not near at hand when it would be advisable to devote attention to dairying.
What has been said will probably explain, better than could be done in several pages of abstract talk, the main reason why the dairying business in Western Australia has not made the progress which it should, but in addition we have also to consider several other points. For example, the labour problem in Western Australia is much more difficult than in any other State in the Commonwealth. This is not, as so many people appear to imagine, a question of wages only. It is true that wages are higher in Western Australia than in any other State of the Commonwealth, but, on the other hand, the price of produce is also higher, and it would seem to be quite unsound to argue that the extra wages are sufficient to make dairying unprofitable. The real trouble is not the wages, but the character of the labour
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available. In this State any man with enterprize, initiative, and industry has been able with very little trouble to obtain land and start farming, taking contract work to provide enough money for his living and other expenses. Able-bodied men are able to go to the timber mills or work at sleeper hewing or contracting and make such good money that they consider it ridiculous to work for what are considered standard farm wages, however high they may be when compared with similar labour in the Eastern States. Owing to these facts, what labour is available is, in a measure, either unreliable or inefficient. Farmers would not need to grumble at paying the wages demanded by farm hands in Western Australia if that labour were efficient.
Another fact which has to be faced is the provision of suitable fodder for a dairy herd. Whatever
clovers and couch are established it will probably produce during the course of the twelve months an equal amount of pasturage as average land elsewhere. Whatever may be the drawbacks during the dry summer they are largely compensated for by the mild winter and early spring. Then, again, on most farms suited for dairying a sufficient amount of water is either available or may be secured to provide for a little irrigation, or there is moist land which, by proper cultivation, will produce summer crops. The wealth of growth on cultivated, well-fertilized lands in the springtime is quite sufficient to provide an ample supply of oats and peas, oats and crimson clover, or rye grass and clover to provide fodder and make ensilage for feeding dairy cattle, but it requires labour, and under the present conditions a man can make a living without the irksomeness which is
Photo by Bartletto,
Dairying Pastures at the vasse (South-west).
may be the advantages of the south-west of Western Australia, it must be candidly admitted that it does not possess large areas of natural pasture land such as are to be found in Victoria. Before pasturage can be obtained the land has not only to be more or less cleared, but it must be broken up and cultivated. Of course, something of the same kind has to be done in Gipps-land, but whereas that district has a summer rainfall the south-west of Western Australia has for practical purposes very little, so that owing to the long, dry summer red clover and permanent pasture grasses, such as cocksfoot, perennial rye, and so forth, do not prove a success, and therefore cannot be depended upon to keep up the milk supply of the herd. The winter season is not cold, but it is very wet, and altogether the conditions are different. Where the ground has been cleared, broken up, and fertilized, and where the wild k2
necessarily supposed to be associated with dairying. This is the real reason why the industry has not made any progress. There seems little doubt that it will not be long now before conditions will change, and the low price of mutton will force Western Australia to be self-supporting so far as dairying products are concerned.
Irrigation and Drainage.
In connection with the development of dairying there will be an enormous increase in the extent of irrigated country. The streams which rise on the tableland and pass down through gorges to the coastal plains are suited for providing irrigation schemes, and although these will not be as large as some of the great engineering works of Victoria and New South Wales they will, on the other hand, be less expensive, and the water conserved will have a higher effective value.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
With irrigation there is no State in the Commonwealth which can grow lucerne better than the south-west of Western Australia, because with proper attention there is no difficulty in obtaining eight cuttings in the twelve months. In addition to the big schemes referred to there is an enormous amount of water running to waste in small streams, and in a comparatively few years this will be lifted on to the adjacent flats and made to produce great wealth in the form of summer fodder. Owing to the distribution of its rainfall Western Australia is not naturally a maize-producing country, but with irrigation there is no difficulty in producing this crop for fodder purposes. In the winter time field cereals, peas, and tick beans can be grown, and in the summer time maize, cow peas, soy beans, and similar crops under irrigation.
No one can properly grasp the condition governing the development of dairying and mixed farming in the south-west of Western Australia without understanding the peculiar soil and climatic conditions, which have no parallel in the Eastern States. Fringing the coast are ranges of sandhills with a basis of impure limestone, in which between Busselton and the Leeuwin are the celebrated caves. Behind the sandhills are chains ot swamps of varying character. Some are masses of reeds, bullrushes, and sedges, others are covered with dense growths of paper-barks or tea-trees, a species of Melaleuca. Between the coastal swamps and the Darling Range or escarpment of the tableland which constitutes the greater part of the State, there is a stretch of generally level country up to 20 miles wide, known as the coastal plain. This plain is entirely of a sedimentary origin, but varies very much in character. Considerable portions are of a poor, sandy nature, while others are of a strong, red loam. Between these extremes practically every grade of soil is to be found.
At frequent intervals meandering watercourses traverse this coastal plain, Conveying the drainage of the hills to the sea. With the exception of a few instances where the larger rivers such as the Murray open into estuaries, these streams empty into the coastal swamps, and only at the time of heavy winter floods does the water break through the sandhills. Owing to this fact the drainage of the swamps is a somewhat difficult matter, but when it is carried out thoroughly they will constitute one of the most fertile portions of Australia, and dairying and mixed farming will provide the chief source of revenue of a closely-settled, thriving people. All along the borders of the watercourses are strips of rich alluvial soil costly to clear, but when cleared and brought under cultivation and irrigation are as valuable for lucerne-growing and similar work as are the famous lands of similar character in the best portions of Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia. These
lands were referred to earlier in connection with orange-growing.
Perhaps the largest area of this coastal plain is made up of somewhat hungry, uninviting flat country, the soil of which is a strong clay loam overlying a clay subsoil, in its natural condition fairly thickly timbered with redgum and a more or less useless undergrowth. In the early days when the colony was first settled there was a fair quantity of nutritious herbage and such grasses as kangaroo grass, but these have been largely eaten out, and now the whole country is covered with tussocks of sedge-like plants and woody low scrub of little or no use for pasturage, but so vigorous that it absolutely prevents the growth of useful grasses and fodder plants. In the winter time much of this country is exceedingly wet, and during the rainy periods may be almost covered with water. In the summer time, during the rainless five months, it bakes almost as hard as a brick, and is comparatively useless. Sufficient experimental work has been done by enterprizing settlers to show that when this uninviting country is surface drained, the undergrowth and small timber cleared off, and the soil broken and treated with lime and phosphates, splendid growths of couch grass, winter clovers, and winter grasses can be grown as well as profitable Crops of oats, peas, rape, and so forth. This land in its natural state is more or less useless, but in its improved form it will compare with country in Victoria and the Eastern States which sells at high values. The development of such country takes time, but we may look forward to the period when these now comparatively worthless lands between Perth and Bunbury will be highly productive, and the industry most natural to the conditions will undoubtedly be dairying.
To summarize the method of improving this country we have—(1) The clearing of the useless scrub; (2) drainage; (3) the breaking-up and cultivation of the soil to destroy the tussocky herbage; (4) the application of lime and phosphates; (5) the growth of winter clovers, oats, rape, and other fodder crops; (6) the development of irrigation by means of which summer crops of lucerne, maize, cow peas, and so forth can be grown on a large scale.
Potato Growing.
The development in potato-growing during the last three years affords evidence of how a branch of the farming industry will make rapid strides under special circumstances. It cannot be said that the conditions in Western Australia are more favourable for potatogrowing now than they were a few years ago, but as long as the growers had to compete with the cheap potatoes grown in Northern Tasmania and Southern Victoria there was not sufficient inducement to bring
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large areas under this crop which involves much labour and is costly to produce. During the scarce time of the year the production was sufficient for local demands, but growers would not plant potatoes to compete with the imported article at the prices at which potatoes could be imported. There was a small outbreak of Irish blight in 1909, but apparently the dry, hot climatic conditions during the following summer were such that it was completely stamped out, whereas in the Eastern States it made rapid headway and ruined the potato crops. In order to protect the local industry the importation of potatoes was for a time prohibited. Under the influence of this restriction prices ran up to £40 a ton, those who had potato crops reaped an unexpected harvest, and attention was prominently drawn to the profitableness of the industry. Since that time, although imported potatoes are now admitted under very stringent conditions into quarantined areas, which include the metropolitan region and the goldfields, the resulting high prices have stimulated production. The State is able to claim absolute freedom from the Irish blight, and under the peculiar circumstances of restricted production in the Eastern States, Western Australia actually exported some 600 tons of potatoes during the past season. There never has been any doubt in the minds of those most competent to form an opinion that potatoes of vfiry high quality can be grown the whole year round in the south-western portion of the State. For many years individual growers have been producing three crops during the twelve months, so that a large amount of local experience is available, and under the stimu-lance of high prices the area under crop has increased enormously and is continuing to increase. The Government has taken a considerable amount of trouble in importing pure seed of the best varieties and having it planted in quarantine, so that at the present time
there is probably a better class of seed potatoes to be obtained in Western Australia than in any other State.
The swamp lands are particularly adapted for growing summer crops of potatoes, the river alluvials are equally fitted for growing the staple spring crop, and the hill slopes in many places are frost free and will carry a crop through the winter. By means of these three crops prime seed is always available in the best possible condition for planting. The average yield per acre of potatoes in Western Australia is somewhat uncertain, but probably corresponds very closely with the yield in the Eastern States. Speaking generally, potatoes grown under favourable conditions may be expected to return from 4 to 8 tons per acre, but yields of 10 tons are reported each year. The area, however, in such cases is usually limited.
Market-Garden Crops.
For many years now the State has produced all its own requirements in regard to market-garden crops, with the exception of onions, and the only reason why the production of this crop has not been equal to local demands is the fact that during the time of the year when the stable crop is being harvested in the Eastern States growers do not consider it profitable to grow onions on account of the high cost of labour which has prevailed. As a partial compensation for the shortage in onions we have a very large production of tomatoes, for which the climate and soil conditions of the State are so exceedingly favourable that each year an increasingly large area is devoted to this crop, the produce being readily taken by the factories for conversion into pulp, which forms an article of export to the Eastern States. Ordinary market-garden produce is cheaply produced on the drained swamp lands, the supply being regular and the quality good.
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Since the revival of interest in agriculture, which had its commencement less than two decades ago, agricultural societies have sprung up in almost every centre where cultivation of the soil forms the staple industry of the district. These are all offshoots from the parent stem—the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia, which in humble circumstances came into existence soon after the State was established. For our account we are almost wholly indebted to the short sketch attached to the society’s “Annual.”
“The history of the Agricultural Society, with its fluctuating fortunes, may be regarded as a barometer indicating the varying degrees of progress made by the colony of Western Australia. It should be remembered
that the history of the Agricultural Society of Western Australia differs from that of every other agricultural society in Australasia in this particular: the other societies were organized some time after the settlement of the various colonies to which they belong and confined themselves to the ordinary work of an agricultural society as it is understood to-day, but in Western Australia the Agricultural Society is the oldest organization in the State; for some years there was no other organization in existence, outside the Government, for dealing with public affairs. At an agricultural society dinner in 1833 one of the toasts honoured was 'Success to those interests which are watched over and encouraged by the Agricultural Society.’ The interests thus
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watched over and encouraged were ‘the general interests of the settlement.’ Being the only organization through which public opinion could express itself, it will be readily understood that a variety of questions affecting the public weal were introduced and discussed with keen interest‘at the meetings of the society, and that several times during those early days the infant society was nearly wrecked on the rock of ‘party politics.’ The history of the society is marked by certain well-defined stages which may be described as follows: —The first period from 1829 to 1863 was what may be called the pre-historic period, concerning which all the official records have been lost. Usually, when authentic documents are missing, legend and tradition abound; the present instance is no exception. The particulars herein set forth relating to that period have been gleaned from various sources and selected from public documents. The second period dates from 1864 and extends to 1882, during which time the society had a dual existence and was a kind of organized ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.’ Discord and divided counsel mark several of these years, consequently the movement was slow and the progress small. The third period, from 1883-1904, comprised years of arduous toil, great activity, and uninterrupted progress, during which time the society developed its usefulness in many directions. The fourth period, from 1904 onwards, may be designated the new era, when the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia took a foremost place among the great societies of Australasia. There are certain names which stand out prominently in each of the above periods— names which should not be forgotten, for the society owes a debt of gratitude to the long line of devoted and patriotic pioneers who, by their liberality, sagacity, and foresight, made possible the work of to-day. The first agricultural society in Australia was formed in Tasmania in January, 1822. The second was organized in Sydney in July of the same year. Seven years later the third came into existence, when the Western Australian Agricultural Society was formed in 1829. The Western Australian Year Book sets out in chronological order the historical events of 1829 (the year in which the colony was founded), and at the end of the list there is this entry: —‘An agricultural society formed this year. Members admitted by ballot.’ The same authority records that on May 28, 1831, ‘An agricultural society organized in Perth.’ Whilst for November 6, 1834, we find this entry:—‘Cattle show held in Perth under the auspices of the agricultural society.’ “The society holds the original draft of a memorial which was presented to His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor on May 28, 1831. This document, which is in the handwriting of Thomas Peel (one of the founders of Western Australia), is most interesting in view of later developments. In it the lofty ideals of the sturdy pioneers
who first peopled this land may be seen and bear evidence to the fact that the 1831 ‘grain of mustard-seed’ contains potentially all the splendid development of 1912.”
The society held its first annual show on November 7, 1834. This partook more of the nature of a market or fair; and the annual meeting, which was held about the same time, afforded the means by which all those engaged in agricultural pursuits might meet together and discuss general matters pertaining to the wellbeing of the settlement. At the time of this show cultivation was represented by 564 acres under wheat, 100 under barley, 116 under oats, 29 under maize, 109 under potatoes and other crops, half an acre under vines, and 118 acres lying fallow. The livestock consisted of 162 horses, 502 head of cattle, 3,545 sheep, 492 goats, and 374 pigs.
For many years the show was continued under the name of a fair, and the society applied itself to obtaining accurate information as to rainfall conditions, conditions of soil, and suitability of crops. After a few years many of the more prominent settlers, including the most active members of the society, had developed holdings in the York district, and for some years onwards from 1843 we find a second society, the York Agricultural Society, taking a very active interest in the affairs of the colony and especially in the discussions which led up' to the introduction of convict labour.
During the first quarter-century of the society’s existence the names of many of those instrumental in founding the young colony appear on the minutes of the society as taking a deep interest in its welfare. Among these may be mentioned Thomas Peel (to whose efforts the foundation of the society was due), Peter Broun, George Fletcher Moore, William Tanner, Joseph and John Hardey, Thomas Drummond, W. L. Brockman, and others. In many cases their descendants are still actively pushing on the development of agriculture in the State.
The second quarter-century of the society’s operations was marked by a period of storm and stress, when the meetings became the fighting ground for diverse opinions, political and otherwise. During this period we find that many of the older pioneers were passing out of active work, and their places were being taken by a later generation, amongst whom stand out prominently S. W. Viveash, Dr. Waylen, Walter Padbury,
E. R. Brockman, and Henry Brockman. From that time the history of the society has been one of uninterrupted success, in which W. T. Loton, Sir Edward Wittenoom, T. W. Hardwick, A. W. Edgar, Edward Roberts, George Paterson, H. J. Higham, and Theo. R. Lowe have taken no small part. In fact to the last-named, who was secretary of the society until his death in 1911, most of the credit for the society’s recent progress is due. Through his untiring efforts and ability
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the new show-ground at Claremont, which took the place of the old ground at Guildford used for so many years, was laid out for the show of 1904, and has since been improved so as to form the most up-to-date enclosure of the kind in the Commonwealth.
No better idea of the progress of the society can be gained than by pointing out that at the show of 1912 the attendances of the public for the week numbered 76,000, the total number of entries 4,572, and
prize money £1,773. In fact, the Royal Agricultural Society’s show has become one of the principal annual events in the community, and its ever-increasing importance affords ample evidence of the enormous development that is taking place in agricultural affairs in Western Australia.
The present office-bearers of the society are : —H. J. High am, President; W. J. Ashton, Secretary; and A. Gorrie, Hon. Treasurer.
rhoto by C. 11. rark.
Royal Agricultural Society's Showgrounds, Claremont.
THE FARMERS AND SETTLERS* ASSOCIATION OF
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
The Farmers and Settlers’ Association, formed some years ago for the purpose of watching the interests of those engaged in rural industries, has since then grown to be an important factor in the life of the agricultural section of the State, and out of it there has recently been formed a “Country Party,” whose avowed object is to influence legislation, wherever possible, in the interests of the farmers. The mainspring of the association, as has been disclosed by the authorized pamphlets from which our information is taken, is co-operation.
There are nearly 60,000 persons in this State who are directly concerned in the grazing or cultivation of the soil. Of these there are over 50,000 who are either paying rent on leaseholds or instalments of purchase money to the Lands Department, and there are certainly thousands more, especially in the older settled portions of the State, who hold their land in fee simple, and who therefore do not come under the operations of that department. Each one of this numerous body is at present working under more or less serious disadvantages, and all are paying considerably more than
they should pay, not only to produce their crops, but to get these crops to their natural markets. Individually the farmer is absolutely helpless; he is hampered and oppressed with a number of circumstances which his isolated efforts, no matter how determined, are powerless to remove.
Recognizing the inherent truth of the old adage, “In union is strength,” this association has been formed for the purpose of banding all rural producers into a solid and united body for the purpose of achieving by mutual effort that which the individual is powerless to accomplish. The objects of the association are stated very succinctly in the constitution. They are: —
1. To secure the co-operation of the producers in
the advancement and protection of the rural industries.
2. To take such other action as may from time to
time be considered advisable by the committee to promote the advancement of such industries.
3. To act in conjunction with other associations of
a similar kind in any other part of Australia.
ALBERT CHARLES RUSSELL LOARING, orchardist, owner of the “Lawn brook” property at Heidelberg, is a son of the late William Loaring, of Somersetshire, England, and was born in that county on February 22, 1870. He spent the early years of his life in Devonshire, and at the close of his education obtained his first commercial experience in the Prudential Insurance Society. In 1888 he left the Old Country for Western Australia, and after spending a year in this State continued his travels to South Australia. There he accepted employment in the Northern Territory on behalf of the firm of Elder, Smith, & Co., Limited, for whom he was engaged in tank-sinking for some time, and latterly was among the first to undertake the snaring of rabbits in large numbers for exportation by the Government. In 1896 Mr. Loaring returned to Western Australia, and upon arrival proceeded to Cool-gardie, where he entered upon the duties of accountant to the United Mines Ore Reduction Company, holding this post for four years. At the end of that period, in 1900, he commenced contracting on his own account, and for some time supplied wood fuel to the mines in that district. In the following year he purchased a battery for Burtville, north-east of Coolgardie, in the
Mount Margaret district—the farthest point at which a battery had been erected—with the object in
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Albert Charles Russell Loaring.
view of working it as a public crushing plant, but owing to the difficulty of obtaining an adequate water supply he sold out shortly after taking possession. Mr. Loaring had interests in several of the mining leases in the district, but these proved only moderately successful, and in 1902, leaving the goldfields,
he took up his present southwestern property in conjunction with Mr. Neil McLeod. This estate originally was held by the late John Bussel, and is situated 35 miles south of Busselton, on the Margaret River. It consisted at that time of
29,000 acres agricultural leasehold from the Government with 6,000 acres of the Caves Reserve area; but since then a portion has been resumed by the State, and the leasehold has been reduced to 9,000 acres, with 1,500 acres of C.P. and freehold. One thousand acres of the freehold and C.P. is owned by Mr. Loaring; the remainder, with the leasehold, being jointly held by him and his partner abovementioned. At the present time the property is used chiefly as a horse- and cattle-breeding station, about 200 head of cattle being pastured in the paddocks and forty head of horses. In 1910 he sold the old homestead back to the Bussel family. During Mr. Loaring’s residence of three years in this district he interested himself in local affairs, and his name was well to the front in all matters of reform or advancement in the neighbourhood. For about two years he served as a member of the Roads Board, and he was the founder of the Progress Association, of which he has since been made a life member. He was prominent in the movement to secure educational facilities for the young, and chiefly owing to his endeavours a school was established at Margaret River. In 1902 Mr. Loaring purchased the orchard property at Heidelberg, where he now resides, and after spending six months here returned to the south-west, ultimately settling down at “Lawn-brook,” where he has continued ever since. The holding lies 24 miles from Perth, in the Upper Darling Ranges, about 1,000 ft. above sea-level, the district being one of great natural beauty. The orchard nestles in a valley, with hills encircling it on every side, and to the traveller arriving it presents a very charming aspect. Originally embracing 220 acres, Mr. Loaring has reduced the area to 170 acres freehold, and he has 16 acres under cultivation of fruit - trees, of which
Mr. a. c. R. Loaring'S residence. Heidelberg.
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eight acres are in full bearing. Five acres of citrus trees display a flourishing appearance, the chief varieties represented being the Washington Navel and St. Michael in oranges, the Beauty of Glen Retreat mandarin, and a special variety of variegated lemons. He has always found a ready and lucrative market locally for the disposal of this fruit, but is now devoting considerable attention to the producing of apples suitable for export purposes. He has four acres under apple culture, and in 1911 sent his trial shipments
plums, peaches, and nectarines also find places in this orchard, which has proved wonderfully adapted to the production of a wide range of fruits.-Owing to the care and attention concentrated on this valuable property scale and fruit-fly are almost unknown, and it is Mr. Roaring’s opinion that if every' orchardist would apply the same preventives and remedies these pests would quickly disappear from the vineyards and orchards of the State. The soil throughout is a rich chocolate loam of great depth with a rich clay subsoil, and a beautiful brook runs
with foliage and flowers, the cultivation of which claims a large portion of Mr. Loaring’s spare time. Over 100 varieties of roses grace this ideal spot, and chrysanthemums, daffodils, primroses, and violets shed their beauty and fragrance over different parts of the garden, the well-kept lawn and tropical palms giving the finishing touches to -what must be acknowledged as one of the picture orchards of the district. Mr. Loar-ing is a large and successful exhibitor of fruit at the annual shows of the Royal Agricultural Society, having been awarded numerous first
Photo by C. E. Farr.
General View of the orchard at "Lawnbrook."
to London and Germany, in the following year despatching over 500 cases of Jonathans, Cleopatras, and Dunn’s Seedlings to these markets. In the former year the general fruit harvest was excellent, 3,281 cases of fruit being gathered and sent away, all of a high-grade quality. To show the prolific bearing capacity of the trees it is only necessary to state that in the same season 672 cases of lemons were taken from forty - three trees, and five St. Michael orange-trees yielded £37 worth of fruit. Pears,
through the property. Irrigation is made easy by the utilization of a natural reservoir situated 40 ft. above the orchard, where by the aid of 1,500 ft. of 4-in. piping all the trees may be watered copiously during the long, dry summer months. The homestead, of ten apartments, with underground cellar, and wide verandah running all round the house, stands in the midst of the orchard, and is fitted up with all modern conveniences. It is surrounded by a lovely garden, which in the spring and summer is rich
prizes for lemons, oranges, apples, and pears. He is a member of the local Roads Board, a director of the Fruit-growers’ Trading and Shipping Association of Western Australia, Limited, and member and delegate of the Fruitgrowers’ Association, and is also connected with the Liberal Club. In 1892 he married Maria, daughter of the late Alfred Westhorpe Akam, of London, and has two sons and three daughters, both the former assisting their father in the work of the orchard.
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THOMAS PRICE, managing partner in the “Illawarra” Orchard, Pickering Brook, is a son of Mr. James Price, of Shropshire, England, and was born in Herefordshire on October 3, 1864, in which county he also received his education. Upon leaving school he studied horticulture in his native place, afterwards becoming connected with the firm of Messrs. Langs, Veitches, & Williams, the well-known nurserymen of
Photo by C. E. Parr.
Mr. t. Price’s residence, Pickering Brook.
admitted him as partner in the nursery branch of his business. After remaining at Guildford until 1900 he entered into an arrangement with
suited to the soil and climate. All the ordinary kinds of apple are represented in the well-tended rows, but “Illawarra” has achieved a name for five special varieties, viz., Doherty’s or Improved Yates, J onathans, Cleopatras, Dunn’s
Seedlings, and Rokewoods, while in pears the Bartlett is easily first, with Gansel’s Bergamot making a good second. While a ready and lucrative trade always has been done with the several Western Australian markets, the steady increase in the fruit industry led Mr. Price to look farther afield, and in 1907 a trial shipment was sent to London, since which date regular consignments have been dispatched to the English and German ports. The total output each year averages 10,000 cases of apples and pears. A fine store and packing-shed of wood and iron has been erected, sawdust being used to insulate the walls and maintain an even temperature suitable to the better storage of fruit. Mr. Price avails himself of the facilities provided at the Perth Government store, and frequently has as many as 2,500 cases of fruit in cold storage. The Cleopatra apple has proved one of the best keeping varieties, and invariably commands the best prices at the overseas markets, where they always arrive in tiptop condition. The “Illawarra” Orchard being situated in hilly country has the advantage of a mixture of soils, these varying from a rich chocolate loam with clay subsoil to the gravelly soil which suits the
this district abounds. Its extent is 228 acres, 50 of which have been brought under cultivation of fruit-trees, apples and pears being very
Fruit-picking at " illawarra."
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Price.
London. In 1891 he left for Western Australia and first entered the employ of the late Mr. Charles Harper, of Woodbridge, who ultimately
Mr. Edward Wharton White and Mr. Dean Smith, in conjunction with whom he took over the “Illa-warra” Estate, and immediately entered upon the duties of manager. This property originally was held by the late Mr. Edward Keane, from whom it passed into the hands of Messrs. Smith and White, who are at present interested in the business. It is situated 27 miles from Perth, in the Darling Ranges, and is one of the most elevated orchards in the State, being about 1,000 ft. above sea-level, and is surrounded by the tall jarrab and gum-trees with which
155
cultivation of certain classes of trees. Lying in a natural gully, irrigation is easily carried on from a freshwater spring some 30 ft. above the orchard level, the upper rows of trees and the flower garden being served by a 2-in. main, while a creek running ri^lit through the centre acts as a drain in the winter and preserves moisture for the dry summer weather. The orchard and grounds are also drained by a system of underground slabs and pipes, which also serve the dual purpose of carrying off surplus waters and retaining moisture for the time of need. Great vigilance is exerted to keep the orchard free from pests, no fruit being allowed to remain on the ground, and constant watch is kept for unwelcome intruders, with the result that the fruit-fly, scale, and fungoid diseases are almost unknown. The homestead on rising ground overlooks the orchard, and is approached by a long avenue of pines, which give dignity and beauty to the scene. A trellis surrounds the house, almost completely covered by a wealth of climbing roses and other creeping plants, and, beyond, the well-kept flower-beds testify to the good use Mr. Price makes of his leisure time. About 100 varieties of roses are to be found, and thirty-six choice exhibition carnations, besides many other blooms of rare beauty and fragrance. Mr. Price is a member of the Executive Council of the Western Australian Fruitgrowers’ Association, and takes an active part in all the deliberations of that body. He married in 1899 Emily Claudia, daughter of Mr. J. Rogers, of Guildford, and has three sons and a daughter.
HUBERT EDWARD BARKER GULL, J.P., of “Bebo Mora,” Guildford, is a son of the late Mr. T. Courthope Gull, a cousin of Sir William Gull, the famous Royal Physician. The late gentleman was a member of the first Western Australian Parliament and represented one of the oldest families of the State, the fifth generation of which is now resident at Guildford, this being the birthplace of the gentleman under review. Upon the completion of his education at the High School, Perth, he entered the mercantile office of Messrs. Barker & Gull, the business at that time being under the control of trustees. Upon attaining his majority he took into
partnership Mr. Sydney Chester and continued operations in conjunction with this gentleman for about five years, when the business was brought to a close and the firm dissolved. At this time, in 1891, he became identified with mining pursuits, which, however, proved unprofitable. After continuing for a time in the Niagara district, where with his three brothers he owned the Perseverance Mine, he returned to Guildford, and has since employed himself in developing the property on which the homestead stands. This consists of about 24 acres, about half of which is under cultivation of vines and fruit-trees. Mr. Gull has his own nlant on the premises and carries on winemaking on a small
Bartletto, Perth.
Me. Hubert Edward Barker Gum.
scale. He has large landed interests in the Mullewa and Serpentine districts, which ultimately he hopes to turn to good account as farming properties. In 1902 he received his commission of Justice of the Peace for the magisterial district of Guildford, and six years later was a candidate for Parliamentary honours in the Liberal interest in the same district, but suffered defeat at the hands of Mr. Johnston. He married Eliza Annie, daughter of Mr. James Palmer, C.E., of Victoria, who built the first railway in the Western Australian State —from Geraldton to Northampton— and has two sons and two daughters. Mrs. Gull is an artist of no mean merit, and the home at Guildford is adorned with many productions of her skilful brush.
GEORGE HENRY PALMA-TEER, orchardist, “Heidelberg,” via Kalamunda, is a son of the late Mr. Francis Palmateer, of the United States of America, an early pioneer of Bendigo, Victoria, where he arrived about the year 1840. The subject of this review was born at the latter goldfield on August 7, 1866, and received his education at Spring Creek, a mining centre in the vicinity of Alexandria, Victoria. Upon leaving school he entered upon active life in the Survey Department of the Government Railways, where he spent about four years. At the end of that period, in 1891, after the declaration of responsible government in Western Australia, he approached the Government of that State with a view to securing a position in the Public Service, and receiving sufficient inducement to make the removal, left Victoria in September of that year, and landed at Albany, which was then the chief port. With Perth as an objective he started on the long journey from the seaport to the metropolis, breaking his trip at most of the towns on the route in order to gain some idea of the character of the country in which he was to make his home. Upon arrival at Perth he joined the Survey Department of the Western Australian Government Railways, and immediately was dispatched to Geraldton, where the section of the railway line from that town to Mullewa was being surveyed. Here he spent about nine months, during which time he suffered many hardships on account of the sand and the shortage of water, in company with Mr. Pidgeon, the present Superintendent of Traffic in Western Australia, who was in charge of the work. Subsequently Mr. Palmateer was associated with the survey of the railway from Nor-tham to Southern Cross, where he was engaged for about three months, and upon the gold rush consequent upon the discoveries at Coolgardie he resigned from the service and made his way to the new field. The owner of several horses, after three months, owing to the scarcity of water, he found himself in the awkward predicament of having to lose them or leave the field. Deciding on the latter course he arrived at Perth at Christmas, 1892, and in January, 1893, selected his present property, “Heidelberg”—at that time virgin forest—situated 17 miles from Perth and four miles from Kalamunda. The property comprised about 300
acres of mixed land, the gully soil being a very good chocolate loam, and the higher portions gravel and ironstone, covered chiefly with jarrah
classes of fruits. A handsome new homestead has just been erected on the property, its elevated site overlooking the orchard in the valley
Treasurer of the Kalamunda Branch of the Fruit-growers’ Association and is a delegate to the Central Council of that body. The whole of his time is spent in the study of horticulture, and he was one of the delegates to represent Western
Photo by G. E. Farr.
Fruit-packing Shed and Portion of orchard.
timber. Since then Mr. Palmateer has subdivided the holding into several smaller blocks, which he has sold to settlers in the district, retaining about 250 acres for his own use. Of this he has cleared 40 acres, and has a 23-acre orchard, the area of which he is extending every year. His chief asset lies in 12 acres of citrus trees, which are now in full bearing, and where the St. Michael, Washington Navel, Valencia, and Mandarin oranges come to perfection, the Beauty of Glen Retreat being the favourite in the latter class. The remainder of the orchard is under cultivation of apples and stone fruits, the former including Olios, Jonathans, Stone Pippins, and Spitzenbergs, and the early variety Alexandria, and the latter early peaches (Royal George and Early Silver) and Japanese Plums (Blood and Burbank). The whole of the property is irrigated from a natural spring situated on high ground, and capable of supplying about 40,000 gallons per day, the water being conveyed in the simplest manner over the entire area. Mr. Palmateer has long been an exhibitor in connection with the local shows, and has been a successful prizewinner at these functions for various
Photo by C. E. Farr.
MR. G. H. Palmateer's Residence '•Heidelberg.”
active part in the work of the dis- late Mr. John Wallis, of “Orange-trict, and for many years was a mem- dale,” Kalamunda, and has two sons ber of the local Roads Board. He is and three daughters.
beneath. It is solidly built of brick and concrete, and consists of ten rooms, with a wide verandah running all round the house, which is fitted up with all modern conveniences, water laid on throughout, etc. Always interested in local public affairs, Mr. Palmateer takes an
Iiartltlto, Perth.
Mb. George Henry Palmateer.
Australia at the Interstate Conference of Fruit-growers held in Victoria in 1909. In 1897 Mr. Palmateer married Lucy, daughter of the
157
ALBERT SCHUNKE, orchardist, proprietor of the “Kattamondo” Estate, Kalamunda, is a South Australian by birth and a son of the late Mr. Henry Schunke, who was one of the earliest arrivals from Germany in that State, where he took out his naturalization papers. Born at
RusTcin Studios, Perth.
Mr. Albert Schunke.
Hahndorf, a German settlement about 18 miles from Adelaide, on May 21, 1866, Mr. Albert Schunke pursued his studies at a local school, and upon the conclusion of his education began his career as an orchardist
on his father’s property, where he continued until eighteen years of age. He then left his native soil for Victoria, where he turned his attention
to contracting on his own account and spent about ten years in this calling in the Wimmera district. In 1894 he came to Western Australia, and shortly after arrival inspected and purchased his present holding, upon which he placed a man to start the work of development, while he himself engaged in engineering work, first in connection with the Perth
City Council and latterly at Mr. T. Statham’s quarries. After seven years spent in this way Mr. Schunke came to reside upon his property, and
took over control of operations. The holding, which at the time of purchase was virgin country, consists of 100 acres, and is situated about two miles distant from the township of Kalamunda, and within 13J miles of Perth by the Welshpool Road. Eighteen acres have been cleared, and the orchard monopolizes almost the whole of this area, being 15 acres
Portion of Orchard at “Kattamondo” Estate.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
in extent. Adequately supplied with water, the value of copious irrigation is thoroughly appreciated by Mr. Schunke, and it is his intention to lay down a surface
irrigation plant for the flooding of the orchard at necessary intervals of time. The many rows of fruit-trees manifest by their flourishing appearance and richly - laden boughs in the bearing season the skilled care and attention which have been brought to bear upon their cultivation. In especial, the hundreds of apricot trees draw attention to the fact that the soil and climate must be particularly favourable to the production of this popular fruit, of which Mr. Schunke is the largest grower in the district. The citrus fruits are also given pride of place, with many varieties of apples, including Clios, Rome Beauties, Jonathans, and Dunn’s Seedlings, the lastnamed being, in Mr. Schunke’s opinion, the most suitable for export purposes, while among the citrus trees navel oranges come to perfection, and are most largely cultivated. The first shipment of fruit was made to the Indian market in 1908, and in the following year Mr. Schunke opened his trade with London and Germany, and since that period has dispatched regular annual consignments to those markets. He is a very successful exhibitor of various classes of fruit at the annual shows held in the neighbourhood, and has carried off a large percentage of prizes both for single exhibits and the best collection of orchard products. A few vines are cultivated, table varieties of grapes only being grown. During the period of his residence in this district Mr. Schunke has rendered valuable service in various public and semi-public ways. He first became connected with local administration in 1902, and was elected a member of the Roads Board, which seat he has continued to hold ever since, with a break of one year only. For five years he was a member of the committee of the local Agricultural Show and has been chairman of the Kalamunda Fruit-growers’ Association since the inception of that body in 1910, being
a delegate on various occasions to general conferences of similar organizations held in Perth. In earlier life he was very fond of shooting, and had the reputation of being a good marksman. Mr. Schunke married in 1899 Kate, daughter of the late Mr. Edward Finine, of Ireland, and widow of the late Mr. Alfred Black, of Melbourne. The late Mr. Finine was one of the first to arrive from the Old Country at the Bendigo Gold Mines, Victoria, in the early days. Mr. Schunke has a daughter.
ARTHUR HENRY ANDERSON, “Rainsworth,” in the Swan district, is a son of the late Rev. W.
D. Andersonj rector of Milton, of “Damerel,” near Bideford, England, where he was born in 1862. At the close of his education he spent eleven years in commercial life in London, and in 1890 left the Old Country for Australia. Upon arrival at Adelaide he accepted an appointment as assistant master in St. Peter’s College, which he continued to hold for three years. At the end of this period Mr. Anderson took up about 150 acres of land at Saddle-worth, and planted a vineyard, which he carried on until 1900, when disposing of this property he returned to his native land. Two years later he was again compelled to seek
a less rigorous climate, and once more sailed for Australia. Eventually he decided to retire from active
Bartletto, Perth.
Mb. Arthur Henby Andeeson.
life, and coming to the Swan district in Western Australia erected his present substantial homestead on a nice little property of ten acres, which originally formed part of the oldest estate on the Swan. In 1901 Mr. Anderson married Emily, widow of the late Mr. William Strelley-Harris, a son of Dr. Harris, of Western Australian fame. His family consists of three sons and a daughter.
Photo by C. E. Farr. MH- „ h. Anderson's Residence, swan.
159
WALTER EDWARD NEWMAN, vigneron, . “Strelley Brook,” Middle Swan, is a son of the late Mr. C. P. Newman, of South Australia. He was born at Houghton, near Adelaide, on November 5, 1873, and at the closer of his education at the local public school entered the agricultural industry under the guidance of one of his brothers, and subsequently spent three years in his father’s nursery at Houghton. This period was succeeded by three years
market-gardening on his own account. After renting four acres of land for four years and working there successfully he took possession of his present
on the premises for the purpose. The Zante currant bears prolifically and produces a grape which when dried makes a currant of fair size and
Photo by C. F. Farr.
acceptable flavour. Until recently Mr. Newman has contented himself with producing for the local markets, but in 1912 he extended the scope of his operations by making a trial shipment to London with very good results. One of the great advantages which “Strelley Brook” possesses is a splendid well of fresh water, from which irrigation on an extensive scale is carried on over the vineyard and orchard. Two acres of ground are devoted to the orchard, where apples, oranges, quinces, pears, apricots, and peaches are grown in their season. The large vegetable garden covers several acres, where kitchen products are continually being cut or pulled to be sent off to market where good returns are realized. Mr. Newman is a large and successful exhibitor at the different agricultural shows of the district, including the Royal Show at Berth and similar functions at Coogee, Jandakot, Guildford, and other centres. He has been particularly fortunate in this respect with his exhibits of vegetables and kitchen stuff, on two occasions gaining the special prize for the largest number of awards in this class. His raisins also have found favour in the eyes of the judges, and have taken prizes at the shows. Mr. Newman finds recreation on the cricket field, this being the only sport in which he finds time to indulge. He married Charlotte, daughter of Mr. W. J. Bryant, of South Australia, and has a son and two daughters.
‘STRELLEY BROOK” VINEYARD, MIDDLE SWAN.
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Walter Edward Newman.
in orchard work under the experienced supervision of his parent, and in 1896 he left for Western Australia. Upon arrival Mr. Newman became associated with a brother at Coogee, with whom he continued for twelve months, and at the end of that period turned his attention to
holding, comprising 60 acres of good rich soil, and situated five miles from Midland Junction, on the Gingin Road. The whole of this block is now cleared, and fruit-growing and gardening operations are in full swing, about 45 acres being under cultivation of vines, which are the chief asset in his industry. The vineyard is principally intended for the production of grapes for drying and table uses, and all the best varieties of table grapes are represented in the well-set rows of vines, which are being brought to perfection on the trellis system. The Gordo Blanco and Sultana have been chosen for the raisin - drying, and this process is greatly simplified by means of a special plant which Mr. Newman has
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
CHARLES WILLIAM FERGUSON, vigneron, owner of the “Houghton” property in the Swan district, is a son of the late Dr. John Ferguson, of Perthshire, Scotland, who filled the position of Colonial Surgeon to the Western Australian Government from 1846 to 1873. The gentleman under review was born at Perth on September 11, 1847, and received his education at the scholastic institution known as Bishop Hales’ School, now the High School, Perth.
Bartletto, Perth.
Mu. Charles William Ferguson.
At the conclusion ot bis studies fie immediately took up his residence on the property where he now resides, which was purchased by his late father from Messrs. Houghton and Yule, the original owners of the estate, which took its name from Colonel Houghton. At the period when it was taken in hand by Mr.
Ferguson the country was practically in its virgin state, about five acres only being cleared and a small dwelling - house erected. With
mui-u uy o. n. run. Residence on the
energy and determination he set to work to make the necessary preparation for cultivating the soil, and today it is only necessary to drive through the acres of smiling vineyard to realize how thoroughly the task to which he applied himself has been performed, and with what success his efforts have been crowned. In the first instance it was to a much smaller acreage that the name of “Houghton” was applied, the whole property consisting of only 320 acres. The late Dr. Ferguson, desirous of enlarging his borders in this favoured locality, purchased an adjoining block comprising 250 acres, from the
late Mr. Joseph Harris, and to-day the “Houghton” Estate covers an area of 560 acres in all, ten acres having been taken by the Midland Railway
Houghton •• Estate.
Company for railway extension. At the present period, the greater portion of the property not under cultivation of vines is given over to the growth of natural grasses, which form good grazing pastures, but in the early days, after Mr. Ferguson’s advent in 1863, large crops of hay were grown on the rich flats of the Swan, which were the chief feature of the industry carried on. As,- however, the vintage operations have increased in importance, so less attention has been given to cropping with wheat and hay, and only sufficient acres are sown annually for the use of the stock on the estate. Mr. Ferguson
Portion of the " Houghton •' Vineyards
161
encountered the ordinary difficulties and drawbacks of the pioneer struggling to make way without the conveniences and labour-saving appliances of modern civilized regions, but he persevered, planting acre after acre with vines as he realized more clearly that that way prosperity lay. Practically the whole of the property,
with the exception of about 50 acres, is now cleared, and the extensive vineyard, which stretches over 130 acres, is being added to each year. A change of method in cultivation has taken place in recent years, the older portion of the vineyard being marked by evidences of the trellis system,
which for a lengthy period has held its own among vignerons. This is now giving place to standard vines, the sturdy growth of which and their prolific crops have obtained for them favourable recognition among the scientific and practical growers of the present day. The different varieties of grapes for the best classes of wines
are well represented, those used for clarets being the Carbinet, Mal-bec, and Red Shiraz, and for light white wines such as hock and chablis the Riesling and White Shiraz, while for ports and sherries the Grenache, Red Shiraz, Dol-cetto, Pedro Ximines, and Doradilla
vines are grown in large numbers. The large cool cellars, capable of holding over 100,000 gallons of wine, consist of five cellars in addition to
7
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Vivbash Ferguson.
the fermenting room and distillery, and all the wine that leaves the vineyard is at least three years old when it is sent to Perth for bottling and distribution. As recently as thirty years ago the vineyard extended over only ten acres, the demand for both fruit and wines at that time being extremely limited, but with the growth of the State and its influx of population from other countries the demand for local products increased rapidly. The “Houghton” vintage achieved popularity which warranted its rapid extension, and this being carried out on a generous scale led to
Photo oy u. Hi. Farr Interior View of Wine Cellars
Photo by C.E. Farr. L
“Houghton " distillery and Wine Cellars.
yet wider sales and more pronounced success, which demanded and warranted the establishment of cellars and bottling works in Perth. Accordingly Mr. Ferguson in 1903 established a business in the city of Perth for bottling and distribution purposes of wines of strictly local manufacture, and it was at this period of the firm’s history that the name of “Houghton” was adopted and used on the registered label—a name which has become famous with connossieurs throughout the State. The quantities of wine manufactured at the present time average about
25,000 gallons, while the vineyard in its pride and maturity ranks among the finest in the Western Australian State. The original dwelling-house has long since been converted into a part of the cellars, the present homestead having been built by Mr. Ferguson in 1863. A public-spirited man, he has not been neglectful of his responsibilities in regard to the community of which he forms a part, but has always taken an active part in the affairs of the district. On many occasions he has represented the interests of the ratepayers on the local Roads Board, and in' 1898 he received a commission of Justice of the Peace for Swan magisterial district at the hands of the Forrest Administration. He has occupied a seat on the Committee of the Royal Agricultural Society for some years, and takes a great interest in the promotion of shows in connection with the local organizations of this nature. He has been an active and earnest worker in Church matters for almost forty years, nearly all the time as churchwarden of the Swan Parish Church, the foundation-stone of which edifice was laid by his mother. Upon his retirement from active work in connection with the management of the vineyard, which marked the closing of a long era in his life, Mr. Ferguson was the honoured recipient of an address and testimonial from his fellow-members in this communion, setting forth their appreciation of his long and honourable association with the local church. His retirement took place in 1911 after forty-eight years’ residence in the Swan district, with only one break, which occurred in 1872, when he left
the vineyard and turned his attention to the pearling industry in the north-west, where he spent about two years at Shark Bay, meeting, however, with but indifferent success. Mr. Ferguson now resides in his town house at North Perth, a fine residence with spacious grounds, which he purchased upon leaving the Swan district. His marriage took place in 1876 with Dora, daughter of the late Dr. Viveash, of Ashby, Swan, and he has a family of five sons and four daughters. JOHN VIVEASH FERGUSON, the present manager of the “Houghton” Estate, is a son of the foregoing gentleman, and was born in the Swan district on May 25, 1877. He pursued his educational studies at the Perth High School, and upon the close of his scholastic career became associated with the wine-making industry under his father, and obtained a valuable training for the calling to which he has since devoted himself. In 1904 he started on a year’s travelling tour through the principal wine-producing countries of the world in orderjo make a study of the latest methods and ideas of manufacture. With this object in view he visited California (U.S.A.) and France, and gained much valuable information in regard to the industry, which has proved of considerable benefit both in the culture of the vines and converting the juice of the grape into fermented liquor at the “Houghton” cellars. In 1911 Mr.
J. V. Ferguson married Mildred, daughter of the late Mr. William Barnes, of Guildford.
WILLIAM MINCHIN, who owns the “Spring Park” property in the West Swan district, is the eldest son of the late Mr. Alfred Minchin, of Hampshire, England, who came to Western Australia with his parents in the ship “Caroline” on October 12, 1829, at the age of four years. The family, which was among the first free settlers to arrive in this State, took up land on the Swan River, near Guildford, and the gentleman under review was born in this neighbourhood on July 30, 1851. He received his education locally, and upon leaving school followed in
his father’s footsteps in the farming industry on the home property, in the development of which he continued to assist until the failing health of his father compelled his retirement from active work, when the son took over the management of the farm on his own account, and has remained there ever since. The area of the holding covers about 160
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. William Minchin.
acres, the soil being partly of a sandy nature and partly a good loam. This has been cultivated with good results, about 60 acfes being cropped with hay, while in a six-acre orchard vines, apples, and stone fruits flourish. Mr. Minchin has been a. successful exhibitor of field and garden products at the Guildford annual shows, having secured first prize for chaff on several occasions and various honours in the vegetable section. He runs a flock of crossbred Shropshire and Lincoln sheep, the carrying capacity of his paddocks being about one hundred, which is the limit of his present flock. The homestead, a solid building of sun-dried bricks, was erected about fifteen years ago. Mr. Minchin has taken an active part in local administration work, and since 1908 has served as a member of the Swan Roads Board. He married in May, 1880, Mary Louisa, daughter of Mr. David Hitchcock, of Swan, and has a son and four daughters.
163
HENRY HARDWICK, who owns the “Baskerville” property in the Swan district, is a native of Birmingham, England, being a son of the late Joseph Hardwick, of that city, where he was born on January 28, 1858. For scholastic instruction he attended the Sutton Coldfield Grammar School in Warwickshire, and upon leaving that institution served his indentures to the engineering trade. Subsequently, after four years’ practical work, two of which were spent in his uncle’s foundry, he was articled to the survey profession, and during this time was resident at Wolverhampton, completing three years at this centre before he left for London. In the world’s metropolis he took up auctioneering for two years, at the end of which period, in 1882, he left his native land for Australian shores. Landing at Melbourne he became connected with the Railway Department as surveyor, and filled this position for two years. Resigning from the Government service he purchased a farm in the Wimmera district and worked this property for about a year, when, deciding on a new project, he disposed of his interests and opened in business as a stone merchant, carrying on on his own account until 1885. In that year he made his
advent to Western Australia, and almost immediately after arrival continued his journey to the goldfields, where he Spent a few months in mining pursuits. Turning attention
Bartletto, Perth.
Me. Henky Guy Vernon Hardwick.
once more to farming life Mr. Hardwick next came to the Swan district, where he entered into possession of his present property, which originally was owned by the late Walter
Padbury, with whom he was connected by marriage. The estate consists of 1,500 acres of good arable soil, and is situated about seven miles from Midland Junction, on the Gingin Road, with the Swan River forming its western boundary. It is completely fenced and subdivided with pig-proof fencing, and the cleared portion of 400 acres is cut up into paddocks of from 20 to 30 acres in extent, all of which have been brought under cultivation. The crops are sown chiefly for the production of manger hay, which is greatly in demand by the racehorse owners and trainers in the district, and has proved a very payable proposition, being at the present time the biggest branch of industry carried on at the farm, a ton of hay to the acre being the average yield. Another department of work is the fruit orchard, covering about ten acres of ground, where luscious fruits of different varieties testify to skilled care and attention, and a large crop of apples is garnered annually. Mr. Hardwick recently has relinquished cattle and dairy produce operations, and is directing his energies more seriously to horse-breeding. He has met with considerable success in producing good representatives of the medium - sized
Fhoto by C. E. Farr.
l2
Baskerville," Residence of Mr. h. Hardwick. Swan.
draught type from a superior stamp of mare of Victorian pedigree, and at the present time has about thirty horses and foals on the estate. Sheep-raising is also carried on, 500 sheep of the merino and Shropshire cross finding excellent grazing pastures on the uncultivated portion of the property, and among the flock some especially superior rams and ewes may be noted. The Swan River flows for a considerable distance through the property and provides watering-places for the stock, the sea salt, which during several months of the year proves suck a drawback to its utilization farther down, never being found so far up its course as where it enters the “Baskerville” area. The homestead is built of brick, and was erected about the year 1896. It is a substantial and comfortable structure, in which all modern and up-to-date conveniences may be found, an excellent water supply being laid on throughout the whole house from a fresh-water well near by, which is about 30 ft. deep, and provides beautiful sparkling water. About a quarter of a mile distant from the homestead are the outbuildings, consisting of a stable with eight stalls, and cowshed 120 ft. by 22 ft., a barn built of brick 60 ft. by 22 ft., a hayshed 90 ft. by 44 ft., and other structures. Present on the place is an 8-h.p. engine, which recently has been superseded by
the steam chaff cutter owned jointly by Mr. Hardwick’s three sons, by whom he is greatly assisted in the work of the farm. The Messrs. Hardwick are all engaged in agricultural enterprise, and possess large
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Gerald Padbury Hardwick.
interests in the wheat - growing areas of the State, the gentleman under review holding in trust for his youngest son, who has not yet entered upon active business
pursuits, 2,000 acres of land adjacent to the properties owned and worked by the Hardwick Brothers. Mr. Hardwick married in 1885 Caroline Ruth, daughter of Mr. Thomas Payne, of Victoria, brother-in-law to the late Walter Padbury, of Western Australia, and his family consists of the four sons above-mentioned and one daughter. HENRY GUY VERNON HARDWICK, the eldest son of Mr. Henry Hardwick, was born at Footseray, Victoria, in the year 1886, and received his education at the Geelong College. At the close of his scholastic career he entered mercantile life in the office of the Western Australian Bank at Perth, and after a year in this institution transferred his services to the National Bank in the same city. Subsequently he was sent to the country branches, and was stationed at Wagin and York, being promoted to manager of the Wyal-catchem branch. In 1901 he resigned from the bank’s service in order to devote himself to agriculture, and with this end in view acquired 2,000 acres of land near Mount Marshall, to which he gave the name of “Giggirmilla,” and which, though lying 20 miles distant from the nearest railway station, is close to the newly surveyed track. The whole of this fine property lies on good gimlet and salmon-gum country, which is very specially adapted to
View of the Orchard.
wheat - growing, and already Mr. Hardwick has completed the clearing of 200 acres and has 30 acres under crop, the remainder lying fallow. He is directing bis energies to the rapid improvement of the estate, and at the present time a 1,000-yard dam is in course of construction, his only immediate supply depending on the Government well about five miles distant. Mr. H. G. V. Hardwick— who still assists his father in the management of the home farm and spends a portion of his time on each property—is fond of outdoor sport, and takes part in cricket and golf as opportunity offers. GERALD PAD-BURY HARDWICK is the second son of Mr. Henry Hardwick, and was born at Footscray, Victoria, in 1887. While still a child he was brought by his parents to Western Australia, and acquired his scholastic education at the Guildford Grammar School. Subsequently he received his initial experience in agricultural pursuits under the guidance of his father on the home farm, and having obtained valuable experience in this way in 1909 launched out on his own account in partnership with his younger brother, with whom he conjointly owns 4,000 acres of good, wheat-growing territory in the Mount Marshall district, which is known as the “Raydowns” Estate. The ringman’s axe has been busily plied on the timber, and 300
acres have been cleared and brought under cultivation, the present crop covering 200 acres, while the residue is fallow land. Good results have been attained, the average yield of
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Roy Stanley Hardwick.
wheat being reckoned at 20 bushels to the acre, and there is still much virgin country covered with gimlet and salmon-gum which, in course of time, will be transformed into
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waving fields of wheat. The soil is a good red loam, and under the skilled methods employed by these experienced agriculturists is likely to prove a mine of wealth in the not too distant future. The partners have their scheme of improvement in view, which is already being carried out, and includes the building of a tank or dam for the conservation of water, the extent of which when completed will be 1,000 cubic yards. A large shed also has been erected, measuring 100 ft. by 50 ft., and the stable is 60 ft. by 20 ft., eight horses being employed in the work of the farm. The steam chaff cutter already referred to is requisitioned in the season for turning out quantities of chaff on the Mount Marshall properties, being transported to “Basker-ville” in time to meet the necessities of the later harvest there. ROY STANLEY HARDWICK, like his brother, is a Victorian by birth, and attained his majority in the year 1912. He was educated at the Guildford Grammar School, and following in the footsteps of the other representatives of the family has chosen the free life of the soil. At the early age of eighteen he became concerned in independent enterprise in conjunction with his brother, Mr. G. P. Hardwick, as above stated, and has every reason to look forward to a highly prosperous career.
Haystack on the “ Baskerville •• Estate.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
“SANDALFORD.” This well-known estate is situated about three miles from the town of Guildford, its boundaries being the West Swan Road, the Middle Swan Road, and the Swan River. It is part of the original property held by the late Capt. J. S. Roe, R.N., grandfather of the present owner and the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia (1829-71), who accompanied Governor Stirling when he landed
Captain J. S. Roe, R.N.
at Fremantle in 1829. This veteran of worthy memory, who was a man of great energy and of a scientific turn of mind, had previously
accompanied the navigator, Lieut. Philip P. King, R.N., F.R.S.,
F.L.S., in an expedition sent out by the British Admiralty in 1817, with
the object of completing the survey of the north and north-west coasts of Australia. After receiving the appointment of Surveyor-General to the infant colony—which he held for forty-two years—he was foremost in the early endeavours to explore the country, and in 1830 led an expedition in the vicinity of Cape Naturaliste, Point Leschenault, and over the territory between the Collie and Preston Rivers. Subsequently,
in 1836, he penetrated as far as Lake Brown, near the western boundary of the present Yilgarn goldfield, and discovered many of the salt lakes,
which form a feature of the tableland of the interior. It is interesting to note that the late Captain Roe was the first Chairman of the Western Australian Bank, of which his son, the late Mr. James Broun Roe, who filled the position of principal sheriff of the colony, afterwards was a director. Mr. J. B. Roe, father of the present proprietor of “Sandalford,” was born in Perth on May 11, 1833, and received his
mow oy u. a. t arr.
View of the Orange Grove at sandalford.”
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Jt'tioto by (J. F. Farr. " zante " currants Grown by Mr. J. Fred. Roe.
as an orchard and vineyard consists of 70 acres, and is situated on a strip of land which practically forms a peninsula, with the river flowing round two sides of it. The “Sandalford” property possesses in all a mile and a quarter of river frontage, and the whole of the southern portion of this peninsula-like strip is taken up by Mr. Roe’s orchard operations, covering, with the vineyard, an area of 50 acres.
good country en route. In 1865 Mr. Roe was gazetted Registrar of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, and in 1877 was appointed Sheriff, to which offices in 1886 the duties of Inspector of Prisons were added. He died in February, 1907, after a busy and useful career. JOHN FREDERICK ROE was born in Perth on June 2, 1870, his mother being
Alice, daughter of the late Mr. G.
F. Stone, at one time Attorney-General of Western Australia. At the conclusion of his education at the High School, Perth, he joined the staff of the Western Australian Bank at Perth, and continued in the service of that institution for seven years. In 1893 he resigned and proceeded to the eastern goldfields, but met with only indifferent success as a result of his prospecting and mining endeavours. Returning to the capital he became connected with the Mines Department of the State, where he remained until 1900, when he decided to turn his attention to horticulture on the “Sandalford” property, which he had inherited from his father. The original estate consisted of 3,000 acres, and was taken up by the late Captain Roe in the early forties. About 1,500 acres of this afterwards was sold by the late Mr. J. B. Roe, and the remainder was continued on lease to various tenants, the estate being divided into four sections, each with its homestead and area of land for farming purposes. The portion of the estate appropriated by the gentleman under review for development
Bartletto, Perth.
Ma. John Frederick Roe.
Its position makes it highly favourable for convenient irrigation, and it is Mr. Roe’s intention to inaugurate an extensive scheme for utilizing the river waters for this purpose, except in the first few months of the year, when the presence of salt in the stream which makes its way up from the sea, renders the water unfit for the uses of irrigation. In the vineyard Mr. Roe found the trellis system of vine culture highly successful, and now consistently follows this method, producing grapes of excellent size and flavour. Many varieties are grown, the chief crop being obtained from the popular Muscatel, to which a large area of the vineyard is devoted, and in addition the Red Prince, Whortley Hall, Lady’s Finger, Red Malaga, and Sultana come to perfection, together with the Zante currant, to which
scholastic training from the Rev. J. Burdett Wittenoom, the first chaplain in the service of the colony, and at the best schools then established.
Mr. James Broun Roe.
In 1851 he entered the Survey Department, and subsequently became second officer in command in a Government exploration party to the Murchison district under the leadership of Mr. T. F. Gregory. Starting in the spring of 1858 the expedition, during its three months’ trip, followed up the Murchison River for several hundreds of miles, and striking across to the Gascoyne traced it to the present site of Carnarvon, discovering large tracts of
Mr. Roe is giving a good deal of attention. He finds there is a constant demand for the last-mentioned grape and the Sultana, both of which bring high prices in the local markets. Until 1911 he contented himself with supplying the Western Australian trade, but in that year saw his way clear to export profitably to the London, Singapore, and Colombo markets, the best varieties for this purpose proving to be the Red Malaga and Red Prince, both preserving their condition well during transit and commanding good returns at the foreign ports. Mr. Roe is a large cultivator of citrus fruits, certain varieties of which ripen early in this district, and in size and quality compare favourably with those grown in the more southerly localities. Among these are the Navel and Mandarin orange and the Lisbon lemon, which find a ready sale at the Perth and Kalgoorlie markets. Experiments have been made on a small scale with the growing of lucerne, but this branch of the industry has not so far been developed to any large extent. The homestead, a recent erection, is built of brick with cement facings, and stands on an elevation commanding a splendid view of the vineyard and orchard, with the river beyond and in the background the Darling Ranges. It consists of seven rooms, and has water laid on throughout from a large fresh-water well on the property. The commodious outbuildings are situated a little distance from the dwelling-house, and include, besides stables and chaffhouse, convenient packing-sheds for the handling and storage of the fruit. Mr. Roe is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society. In earlier days he was a keen follower of aquatic sports, and still retains his membership in the Royal Perth Yacht Club. He married Maeva, eldest daughter of the late Mr. A. W. Hassell, of Western Australia, and has a son and a daughter.
SAMUEL HENRY VIVEASH, who owns and resides on the “Wex-combe” property in the Swan district, is a son of the late Mr. S. W. Viveash, M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P.
(Lond.), who with his wife and child and a party consisting of his brother, Mr. R. Viveash, brother-in-law, Mr. Y. Smith, and servants, including a married couple, nursemaid, shepherd, carpenter, and two
Dr. S. W. Viveash.
other men, left England by the ship “Britomarte” in June, 1838. After a trip lasting nearly six months, and during which they stayed three weeks at the Cape, the vessel arrived at Fremantle in December of the same year, upon the eve of the de parture of Governor Stirling, and
the Viveash family was able to attend the farewell ball given by him. Proceeding to the Avon district, the three brothers took up a tract of country in which are now comprised “Yangedine” and “Hais-thorpe,” Mr. S. W. Viveash and his family residing for a year at “Woodlands” until the erection of a stone structure, intended ultimately to be used as a barn, was completed on the property, and this building for a few months formed the family abode. A stone homestead was soon built, and so substantially was it constructed that even at the present time, after a lapse of seventy-two years, it serves as a dwelling-house. Dr. Viveash was the only medical man in a very wide neighbourhood, and his practice even extended as far as the Swan district, so that after his departure from the place in 1842, when he took up his residence at Swan, he still travelled to York and Toodyay to attend special cases. A year was spent at Houghton, at the end of which time “Wexcombe” was given up by his cousin, Mr. Tanner, and the Viveash family took over the estate and continued there for ten years. Mr. Viveash then purchased “Ashby,” now a part of “Wexcombe,” from Mr. Marshall McDermott, and resided there until the time of his death, in June, 1880, interesting himself especially in
Photo by G. E. Farr.
Mr. S. H. VIVEASH'S Residence Swan.
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gardening and planting a vineyard on the property. He occupied various public offices, being the first chairman of the Royal Agricultural Society, and as far back as 1844 was appointed resident magistrate of the district. Upon the establishment of a convict depot at Guildford he received the appointment of Government medical officer, following which he altogether relinquished private practice. For thirty-six years he faithfully discharged his magisterial duties, resigning the office in 1870, the last ten years of his life being spent in retirement at “Ashby.” Mr.
5. IT. Viveash was born in the homestead where he now resides on March
6, 1849, and received his education at a private school kept by a Mr. Logue, about three miles from “Ashby.” Upon leaving this institution he occupied the position of Clerk of the Court at Guildford for three years under his father, and upon resigning this office was associated with farming pursuits on the “Katrine” Farm, owned by Mr. Viveash, sen., at Newcastle and Northam, now the property of a nephew of the subject of this article. He had passed a couple of years on this station when a conversation with a Mr. Wilkinson turned his thoughts to the northwest, and he gained his father’s permission to seek his fortune in the newly-opened country. In conjunction with Messrs. Wilkinson and Middleton he purchased 600 sheep and three horses, and these were placed on board a chartered vessel
and a start made from Fremantle under most auspicious conditions, which unfortunately were not lasting. Soon after leaving Fremantle, in March, 1865, their troubles began, the vessel being becalmed for a day and a night, and after losing 180
Mr. Samuel Henry Viveash.
sheep they sent 100 more ashore, and continued their voyage to Cossack with about 300. The trip took nine days, and upon arrival at their destination the sheep were landed by means of boats, while the horses swam ashore. A few hardy pioneers had preceded the party to this region, namely, Messrs. Hall (manager for
Mr. Wellard), Padbury (of “De Grey” Station, and Withnell (of Roe-bourne), besides Mr. A. R. Richardson’s party, consisting of Messrs. A.
E. Anderson, McK. Grant, J. Edgar, and the two Richardson brothers, who had arrived just a week previously. The only waterhole known was at Roebourne, a distance of nine miles, and thither the stock was taken in the first instance. Acting upon the advice of Mr. Withnell, they then proceeded 24 miles inland, and established the “Andover” Station (now owned by Mr. John Meares) at the waterhole Intharnoona, near which they erected the homestead which remains standing to the present day. For twenty-four years Mr. Viveash made his home in the northwest, continuing the development of the station in conjunction with Messrs. Wilkinson and Middleton, and finally taking it over on his own account. His initial experiences were discouraging, the first season being an exceptionally trying one, with practically no rainfall, the result being extreme hardship for both man and beast and much of the stock dying. Matters improved steadily, however, and the 300 sheep proved the nucleus of a fine flock, which as time went on increased to the number of 10,000. In pleasant contrast to the experience of many of the early settlers, Mr. Viveash had little or no trouble with the natives, who always displayed a very friendly spirit, and he frankly declares his indebtedness to them for their assistance in the station work, ascribing a large share of the success of his operations to the efficient aid rendered by them. One of his reminiscences of those early days is that the idea of killing a sheep for food was never so much as entertained by him, the party subsisting entirely on tinned provisions, with such variety as they could secure by means of their rifles on the surrounding plains and pools. Being forced to depend upon the arrival of ships with supplies they resigned themselves to much uncertainty as to the date of replenishing, and often suffered considerable shortage before the welcome consignments came to hand, on one occasion
Fhoto by U. M. Farr.
Portion of the " Wexcombe vineyard.
being without flour for three weeks. About this time matters looked so serious that Mr. Charles Harper-wit h whom Mr. Viveash was then associated—and Mr. Farquhar McCrae made the journey overland to Perth, the trip taking a month to accomplish. It was in conjunction with Mr. Harper that the gentleman under review subsequently built a boat and engaged in the pearling industry for three seasons, this firm being the first in the north-west to employ native divers for obtaining the pearl shell. The vessel was called the “Amateur,” and prior to launching out on this enterprise Mr. Viveash rode on horseback from Ashburton to Port Hedland, a distance of about 400 miles. Success attended the venture, which proved sufficiently profitable to cover all the expenses of the expedition and provide a balance toward the carrying on of the station. The seventeen natives employed in the summer on the pearling-grounds were, in the winter, equally invaluable on the station shearing-shed and in handling the sheep, which were rapidly increasing in numbers. Two years after his arrival in the district Mr. Viveash made his first visit to Perth, travelling by the “Mystery,” a sailing ship which visited Cossack at irregular intervals, and securing a passage only by finding three weeks’ provisions for the boat. As events transpired, these ran short, the voyage extending over thirty-five days, and had they not fortunately encountered the ship “Monarchy,” which supplied them with meat and biscuits and a cask of water, results might have been serious. Many vicissitudes were experienced during the long period of Mr. Viveash’s residence in the north-west, but steady progress was made, and in 1889 he decided to dispose of his interests and return to the Swan district, Taking up his abode in the old “Wexcombe” homestead — situated about two miles from Midland Junction, and originally built by Mr. Tanner in 1840, the material used being rammed earth—he turned his attention to mixed farming pursuits. With the adjoining property of “Ashby” the estate comprises 1,400 acres, the cleared portion of 250 acres being devoted to the tillage of wheat and oats and to fruit culture. The 15-acre vineyard is carefully kept and produces fine crops of grapes, and an orchard of five acres is planted with stone and citrus fruits, and a
large number of apples. It is worthy of note that two of the orange-trees were grown in a tin at Northam for fourteen years, and when planted out at “Wexcombe” the root was split in two, and has produced a couple of splendid trees, which bear a heavy crop of oranges. About 70 tons of hay are grown every year, with oats for horsefeed and wheat for the pigs and fowls. A portion of the land is applied to grazing purposes, about 300 sheep of the merino type forming a nice little flock, and the breeding of draught horses is carried on, a Suffolk Punch stallion, bred from imported stock, being used as sire. The estate has about two miles of river frontage, and is plentifully supplied with fresh water from a number of wells on the property. Stables, sheds, and barns have been erected at a convenient distance from the homestead, which stands on elevated ground and commands a pleasant outlook over the river. Mr. Viveash has always taken a deep and active interest in the public life of the district, and for nineteen years has occupied a seat on the local Roads Board, filling the chair for three years. He is a successful exhibitor and a committeeman of the agricultural society, and shortly after his return to the Swan district was gazetted a Justice of the Peace. In 1880 he married Ellen, daughter of Mr. Symon Meares, of York, whose father was Captain Richard John Goldsmith Meares, of the Second Life Guards, a veteran of Vittoria, Toulouse, and Waterloo, and who was present at the siege of Paris. Subsequently this gentleman came to Western Australia, and was appointed resident magistrate at York, where he died in 1861. The result of, this union was a daughter (still living) and a son (Frank), who died in 1895 in his fourteenth year. Mrs. Viveash died in 1909.
JOSEPH LIONEL LOCKYER, orchardist, Glen Hampton, Armadale, was born at Northam, Western Australia, in 1869 and is a son of Mr. Joseph Lockyer, of Kent, England. He received his education at the State school, Perth, and at the conclusion of his studies entered the employ of the Bon Marche establishment as cashier, which position he retained for about twelve months. At the end of this period he became identified with farming pursuits on his father’s property at Northam, and continued
there until 1884, when he purchased a property belonging to Mr. Churchman at Kelmscott. This consisted of 3,500 acres, and for some time he carried on business as a grazier, running cattle, sheep, and horses on his pastures and devoting a portion to purposes of cultivation. In 1909 Mr. Lockyer acquired his present property, embracing 86 acres, about half of which area he had under crops and fruit-trees, the remainder being used for grazing. He may be regarded as one of the pioneers of the district, the settlement at Armadale at the time of his arrival consisting of two dwellings. It was at that time under the control of the Cannington Roads Board, and Mr. Lockyer was one of those appointed with the increase of population to canvass the district with the object of obtaining signatures to bring before the Government the wish of the community for a separate administration. This was granted and Mr. Lockyer was third chairman of the newly-formed body, holding the position for five years. He was instrumental in the formation of the local agricultural society and filled the secretarial office in connection with this organization for two years, also acting as president at intervals, covering in all about eleven years. He occupied a seat on the Kelmscott Hall Committee for ten years and assisted in bringing about many improvements in the town and district. He was the organizer of the present football club at Kelmscott, of which he was president for two years, and captained the local cricket team for a similar period. Mr. Lockyer married Christina, daughter of Mr. James Ferguson, of Melbourne, and has a son and a daughter.
THOMAS BRODIE POW, vig-neron and retired mercantile captain, “Walland,” West Swan, is a son of Mr. William Pow, of Dundee, Scotland, and was born at Prestonpans. He received his education at Dundee, and upon leaving school was apprenticed to marine life in the sailing vessel “Uxine,” which subsequently was sold to the well-known London house of G. Duncan & Co. After four years’ service, during which he voyaged to India and the colonies, he took his certificate as second mate, and for nine months was identified with the “Karrachie,” which he joined at Greenock. He sailed in the brig “Lady Alicia” from Greenock to
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Fremantle in 1865, and having visited Melbourne returned from that port to Scotland by the “Moravian.” In the year 1868 he secured his first-mate’s ticket at Dundee, and sailed in that berth from Glasgow, in the “Abbey,” bound for Brazil. Subsequently he became chief officer on board the “Abyssinian,” trading to the Black Sea, and after remaining about two years with this vessel served as quartermaster on the ves-
to Port Natal, the “Lady Macdonald” at Port Elizabeth, owned by Messrs. G. Duncan & Co., and the “Umgeni,” trading between London and Natal. He came out to the
commanded the barque “Rose,” owned by the same firm and trading to North America and China. Captain Pow continued with this ship for about four years, and after
Photo by C. E. Farr. portion of vineyard at “ walland.••
relinquishing the connection directed his attention to trawling round the coast on behalf of the Western Australian Government, subsequently carrying on operations for a private company. He held several commands until 1905, when he retired from marine pursuits after forty-five years’ service with the rank of master mariner, and in that year became engaged in his present industry at “Walland,” in the West Swan district. As the initial step he pur chased the freehold of a portion of the “Priory Park” Estate, situated on the West Swan Road, about three miles from Guildford, and embracing an area of ten acres. The soil is a rich, sandy loam, with clay subsoil, and has proved itself specially adapted to the culture of vines and other classes of fruit. The vineyard stretches over almost the whole of the ten acres, and is devoted chiefly to the cultivation of grapes for drying purposes, the principal varieties including Zante currants, black, red, and white muscatels, the Wortley Hall, and Waltham Cross, besides the Flame de Cay and Lady Fingers, and other table grapes. Captain Pow has adopted the trellis system of culture for his vines, and at the present time is preparing an irrigation scheme to water the vineyard from a fresh-water well on the property. He personally superintends the drying of the fruit, and his
Photo by C. F. Farr. MR T B pow.s residence, West Swan
Captain Pow had several berths as first mate before obtaining his first command, serving in that capacity on the “Natal Star” trading
Albany. He then took command of the steamer “Awhina,” the property of tho firm of J. & W. Bateman, of Fremantle, and at a later date
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Brodie Pow.
sels “Nevada” and “Caspian,” trading from Liverpool to New York and Baltimore, and in 1871 took his master’s certificate at Dundee.
colonies again in 1875, and in 1882 was appointed master of the “Lily,” a vessel trading round the South Australian coast, and two years later was appointed to command the “Iris,” sailing from Newcastle, New South Wales, to Fremantle, Western Australia. After four years with this boat he had command of the barque “St. Lawrence,” 1,000 tons register, and on his way to Fremantle was totally dismasted off the Leeuwin, and was forced to put into
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brand of currants, “T. B. Pow, Wal-land,” is becoming very favourably known in the local markets, to which so far he has confined the sale of his dried products. His tabic grapes also find a ready sale at Perth and Kalgoorlie, and be has always been successful in obtaining the highest prices for his consignments. He is an exhibitor at the annual shows held by the Royal Agricultural Society. The homestead at “Wall and” erected recently is a beautiful residence of six rooms, with water laid on from the wells, and about a mile distant Captain Pow owns a paddock of 15 acres, which he uses for grazing horses. In 1886 he married Jane (now deceased), daughter of the late Mr. Robert Elliott, of Devonshire, England, and has three sons and a daughter surviving.
“DERRYNASURA,” Sir Arthur Stepney's winemaking enterprise. This fine vineyard property is situated to the north-east of the township of Armadale, on the western aspect of the gently rising country which betokens the approach of the foothills of the Darling Ranges. It comprises 280 acres of land, the soil —a rich, sandy loam mixed with ironstone gravel—being admirably adapted to the cultivation of wine grapes of different varieties. The Narrogin brook flows through the property, forming a valuable means
the estate, having been considerably enlarged by Sir Arthur Stepney, an English baronet, who, since buying it in 1897, has judiciously developed its resources. Only the choicest vines are planted, and as the industry is confined to wine production no table varieties are grown, the grapes used in the manufacturing being shiraz, carbonet, and malbec, and the chief wines produced are port, claret, and sherry. The hillside has been excavated for the construction of cellars specially designed for coolness and ventilation. They are very substantial structures and present the appearance of a terraced erection of four storeys, one lying behind the other and following the slope of the hill. They are all well ventilated from the roofs and side on the up-to-date principle of double doors, by which means a cool, even temperature is maintained even in the hottest days of summer, the dark-claret cellar never registering higher than 68 degrees. Into the top storey of the series is received the new season's yield of grapes, which arc passed through a Mabille Brothers' crusher and stemmer, the winepress working on a tram which serves the fermenting - vats wherein the must is left for the requisite period. As a preventive of deleterious microbes all the vats, presses, and machinery are treated with a coat of parafin. The racking of the wine is carried on through pipes
wines are kept. These are not less than four years old, and as storage after racking the matured wines into bottles improves the quality of certain kinds, a quantity is bottled and then stored for at least another twelve months. The vintage figures of recent years have reached 15,000 gallons per annum, representing port, sherry, claret, and hock. The “Derrynasura” .wines are of beautiful colour and exquisite bouquet, and emphasize the fact that the vineyards of this State can produce wine that need fear no comparison with any other country. Mr. H. C. Sewell, who has charge of the property, has great faith in the ultimate popularity both here and in other lands of the locally manufactured wines, and Mr. H. Ullmann, the working manager, has kept in view the purpose of the proprietor in applying a large amount of capital to the development of the “Derrynasura" Estate, that it should be made a centre for wine production of the highest grade, and the whole equipment of the cellars and vineyard are indicative of this policy. The “Derrynasura” wines have been on the market for a sufficiently long period to test their quality and value as compared with the products of other cellars in the State, and there is little doubt that they will more than repay the efforts that have brought the vineyard into line with the best wine-producing industries of the eastern States.
of irrigation all the year round, and in its vicinity is the orchard and orangery comprising 12 acres. The vineyard covers almost a third of
from cellar to cellar until the last of the terraces is reached and the product is received into the maturing cellar, where the bulk of matured
JOSEPH MARIAN, of the firm of J. & A. Marian, proprietors of the “Slavonian” Vineyard, Armadale, is a son of Mr. Steffan Marian, of Austria, where he was born in 1836. His early*life was spent at sea, and when he arrived at Melbourne in 1865 he became connected with the fishing industry, continuing in this line until 1897. In that year he left the sister State for Western Australia, and after spending about four years in similar employment here took up some 60 acres of virgin country at Armadale in 1901. He immediately set to work to plant a vineyard, and in 1905 manufactured his first supply of wine, consisting of about 1,000 gallons. Since that time Mr. Marian has steadily continued the development of the industry, and has met with such success that the output of wine during the present season amounted to 8,000 gallons. Mr. Marian is assisted in the vineyard by his nephew and partner, Mr. Anton Marian.
Pastoral.
It is a somewhat difficult matter to obtain information respecting the pastoral industry in the early days of settlement in Western Australia, which was, of course, confined to the south-western portion of the State. The development of the Murchison, Gascoyne, and other north-west sections and of the West and East Kimberley is of much later date. Casual references in old-time records, as well as the recollections of some of the older settlers, go to show that attempts were made in the very early days to establish merino sheep in the districts south of Perth. It is stated, among other things, that the Henty Bros., who afterwards settled in the Western District of Victoria, brought over a considerable number of sheep and attempted to establish themselves in the early days of the colony. After losing a great many, they shipped the balance away; and their failure did not encourage others. It is also on record that Lindsay Gordon, poet and rough rider, spent some time also in the south-west with similar results. The fact had to be faced that the country in its natural state was not suited for sheep excepting in very limited spots. The early settlers, therefore, devoted themselves to cattle, and to a certain extent to the breeding of horses, some of which became wild. The conditions were not favourable for a dairying industry, and, except for this purpose, in the absence of a market for beef, cattle are not stock which produce an annual return such as may be obtained from sheep in the form of wool. In spite of drawbacks, in these early days a considerable amount of butter and cheese was made during the spring season, the butter being salted in kegs and laboriously carted to the Perth market, where the cheese was also disposed of.
The early history of the State indicates that many efforts were made by explorers to find suitable pastoral country with open grass lands and permanent water. Nearly everywhere the result was the same, the timber was too heavy and the grass scanty, water was too scarce, or poison plants were too plentiful. Nevertheless a considerable number of settlers in the eastern districts kept sheep in comparatively small flocks under the care of shepherds, who drove their charges from place to place and camped wherever they could find food and water. It was in these days that men like the late Mr. Walter Padbury established stations in the picked spots, such as Brooklands and Ferndale on the Balingup Brook in the south-west and at Yatheroo, which has
always remained famous for its rich pastures. The rich lands of Gingin were early settled, and considerable herds of cattle were kept on the choicest spots near the coast and in various parts of the timber country in the south-west.
Later on the much richer grass country in the Victoria district was opened up by Messrs. Hamersley, Burges, and others, and the stock-feeding value of this country has maintained its reputation to the present day. Various horse-breeding stations were established particularly in the neighbourhood of Geraldton, and horses in considerable quantities were exported to India. It was not, however, until the north-west was explored and stocked that the pastoral industry assumed any considerable importance. It appears from the records published by Malcolm A. Fraser that the first settlement of the north-west district by Messrs. Padbury, Withnell, and others took place in 1863, and a little later, in August of 1864, the first shipment of wool from the north-west, comprising seven bales, arrived at Fremantle.
There are a number of well-known names connected with the early establishment of the pastoral industry in the north - west, among the most prominent being Messrs. W. Padbury, A. E. Anderson, A. R. Richardson, MacKenzie Grant, J. E. Richardson, and John Edgar. In 1865 these appear to have taken a flock of 1,600 ewes from Victoria, with horses, plant, and equipment, and landed at Cossack Roads and Port Walcott. Among the other early pioneers of this part of the State were Messrs. A. Nairn, John Wellard, Maitland Brown, John Withnell, Norman McCloud, Charles Harper, Sholl, and R. L. McKenzie. The town of Roebourne was proclaimed in 1866, at the end of which year there were forty-nine runs, with no less than a total area of nearly 4,750,000 acres. In these days what were known as free stock runs, generally consisting of 100,000 acres, were granted to settlers subject to stocking conditions. The blacks were in parts numerous and troublesome, water was scarce except along the rivers, and as there were no fences the sheep had to be shepherded. Under these conditions the fleeces were dirty and dusty, and as the sheep were generally of poor class the fleeces were light. In addition to this, wool was as low as 4Jd. per ft., so that progress was slow and the profits uncertain. All honour must be given to the old pioneers, who stuck
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to the country in the face of these great drawbacks.
It was not until 1878 that the paddocking system in the north-west was first initiated on the “DeGrey” Station. When we think of the wealth which has been returned from these north-west stations in more recent years, we should not overlook the enormous difficulties under which they were established. The'only means of travelling was by bush track or small trading schooners of from 25 to 60 tons, which were as irregular in their trips as they were uncomfortable. It was no small ‘task to drive a flock of 4,000 sheep from the York District up to the Gascoyne, as Mr. Aubery Brown did in 1876 when he established the “Brick-house” Station. What is now the port of Carnarvon was then practically uninhabited country. The north-west is probably the best pastoral country in the State, but like similar country in the Eastern States it is subject to occasional periods of drought, and although these are not so severe in their effects as are those which occasionally inflict losses in the south-west of Queensland and the north-west of New South Wales, they have acted as a bar to the development of the industry. During the good years, of course, the country may be heavily stocked, but in the bad years the stock die for want of feed and water. Year by year the pastoralists are continuing the work of subdivision and are providing water by means of tanks, wells, and artesian bores, and gradually minimizing the danger of loss in dry seasons in so far as the lack of water for stock is concerned.
About the same time as the north-west lands were being settled pioneers were opening up the West Kimberley country. The Roebuck Bay Pastoral and Agricultural Association, Limited, with a capital of £160,000, was formed about 1864, but the occupation of its area was associated with the tragic murder by the natives of three members of the advance party, Messrs. Harding, Panter, and Goldwyer. The company was not successful with sheep, and although it was found better suited for cattle the station was abandoned after some years. Very little was known of the Kimberley country until 1879, but gradually, after various exploring expeditions by John and Alex. Forrest and others had made it better known, settlement was begun, and in April, 1881, or seventeen years after the first settlers landed in that part of the country, the first lot of sheep was driven across the Fitzroy River. Among the names associated with the early settlement of the district were Messrs. J ulius Brockman, Arthur Hicks, A. R. Richardson, William and George Paterson, S. R. Elliott, and Hamlet Cornish. The reports of these men, added to that of Mr. John Forrest, induced such men as Messrs. McClarty, W. E. Marmion, S. G. Pearse, Robert Sholl, N. C. Davies, Alex. Forrest, Emanuel Bros., William Lukin, F.
Monger, Rose Bros., and others to take up land and commence to stock it. We may, therefore, say that the establishment of the pastoral industry in the Kim-berleys dates from 1880, since which time the flocks of sheep and cattle have continued to increase. Soon afterwards settlement was pushed on into East Kimberley, and thus the great cattle country of Western Australia was opened up. In some cases stock was taken by boat from the southern districts of the State, in others they were driven from the north-west overland. Yet more settlers brought stock by ship round the north coast from Queensland, while some, like the Duracks, drove mobs of breeding cattle from West Queensland across the Northern Territory into the Kimberley district.
During the past six years a great and very important development of the sheep industry has taken place in the south-west of the State, but it is safe to say that the average man does not yet realize its rapid growth or its influence on the production of wool, the supply of the metropolitan and goldfields meat markets, and later on the export trade in sheep and lambs. The movement is yet in its infancy, but sufficient progress has been made to render it necessary to give it more than passing notice.
Very definite mention has been made of the difficulties experienced by the settlers in the Crown-colony days in trying to establish a sheep industry in the forest country south of Geraldton and from the coast eastward towards the goldfields. Three of the chief difficulties may be summarized: —
(1.) The absence of open grass lands, where water was abundant, in the redgum and jarrah country;
(2.) The combined scarcity of feed and water in the whitegum, York-gum, and salmon-gum country of the tableland east of the Darling Range; and
(3.) The presence of a number of peculiar plants, the herbage of which was poisonous and caused great mortality amongst the stock.
Coincident with the new era in agriculture, following the great gold discoveries of the “roaring nineties,” these difficulties began to be overcome. It must not be concluded that the new movement actually commenced then, because a few advanced men, like the late Charles Harper and F. H. Piesse, with full knowledge of the difficulties combined with a faith in the future, preached the gospel of ringbarking, cultivation, and water conservation while as yet the Cinderella State was experiencing troubles and receiving the reproaches of her more fortunate sister colonies. They were laughed at and called visionaries as a matter of course, but when the time was ripe for the new era they were able to demonstrate their theories and were among the most vigorous of the workers who brought it about.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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In the great wheat belt the country is now carrying more sheep than it did when sheep and wool were its agricultural products; but for every animal now kept there will in a very few years be ten, and in yet a few more the tens will become hundreds. The lesson is now learned, that by ringbarking, clearing, cultivation, and water conservation our eastern forest lands will not only produce golden grain equal in quantity and quality to any Australian State, but will grow magnificent wool and mutton.
Hundreds of thousands of acres of “poison” lands have been conquered and proved to be capable of producing some of the best merino wool in the Commonwealth. It has been proved that the initial work of ringbarking, “poison” grubbing, and water conservation can be carried out at a cost which still leaves the land
part of the country has been touched, and even the farms that now carry a sheep to the acre are equally capable, with further development and improved methods, of carrying five.
Another important phase ot tiie new era has been the establishment of stud flocks. In the York, Nor-tham, and great southern districts there are now many excellent studs of the best merino sheep procurable in the Eastern States, and the progeny is showing, first, that the country is suitable for the industry, and second, that the owners know their business and are determined that Western Australia shall not be dependent on South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales for stud rams and high-class breeding ewes. It is only a few years since nearly all the leading winners at the Royal Show were imported animals; now they are nearly all
Photo by C. IF. Walker.
Typical View or Country in the Kimberley District (" Kimberley Downs" Station).
among the cheapest in Australia if valued on its productiveness and the annual return it will eventually give.
In the still more heavily timbered redgum and jarrah lands a similar movement has been going on, and there are now many properties which twenty years ago were considered quite unsuitable for sheep and on which only a short time since a few hundred could be canied through the winter, which now carry a sheep to the acre, and are able to fatten and market as many more prime fat crossbred mutton and lambs through the scarcest season of the year. The land is the same; the difference is due to development and cultivation. But while it is gratifying to be able to speak of what has already been accomplished, it is equally pleasant to think of the future, because all who are familiar with the country are aware that the most that can be said is that a beginning has been made. Only a fractional
locally bred. Fine studs of Lincolns, Border Leicesters, Leicesters, Romney Marsh, Shropshires, and the various Downs breeds have also been established, and visitors to our shows freely admit that our breeders are going in for the best that can be produced and more than capable of holding their own with the pick of the flocks of the older States.
Summed up, then, it may be stated with pride and confidence that while our north-west is, and is likely to remain, the centre of our great pastoral industry, the agricultural areas, with their fine climate and reliable rainfall, will in a year or two produce all the mutton and lambs required for local consumption, and will in a short time support a large export meat trade. They will also provide the stud animals for the northwest and prove no small factor in our great wool industry.
The late G. J. BROCKMAN. The name of George Julius Brockman is one that will be for ever linked with the history of the Western Australian State in the earlier stages of its development. His chief heritage, a spirit of enterprise and indomitable pluck, which carried him through vicissitudes under which a weaker nature would have given way, he found in the country of his birth, a sphere which offered sufficient scope for the exercise of every quality of grit and endurance with which he had been endowed. Born at Guildford, on the Swan River, on January 2, 1850, he was the seventh son of the late Mr. Robert Brockman, a onetime settler of the Lake Bambon district, near Gingin. Mr. Brockman’s boyhood was spent in this neighbourhood, the country consisting of a sandy plain, but well watered and abounding in kangaroos, which formed the chief meat supply, and here occurred the first of his many hairbreadth escapes from destruction when he was almost burnt to death playing with fire. From Lake Bambon the family moved to Minigara, north of the Moore River, a locality situated about 100 miles from Perth and 130 miles south of the then farthest settlement to the northward. This was the present Geraldton, then called Champion Bay, after the British ship “Champion,” sent out by the British Government to search for the sailor marooned there twenty years before, and about 1859 Robert Shaw was employed by the Western Australian authorities to blaze a track from Minigara to the coast settlements, which were pioneered by Messrs. Burges, Ham-ersley, Phillips, and others. The new bush home of the Brockman’s was situated on a swamp on a stretch of unbroken sandy plain reaching from Gingin to the Irwin River. A mud house was built, to which was added a dairy and a small flour-mill, where the home-grown wheat was ground for family use, the surplus being sold in Gingin. Rye was also cultivated and all kinds of vegetables grown, while a flock of sheep throve well, but was prevented from increasing in payable numbers by the dingoes, which were very numerous. At “Gnumbung,” a station situated 30 miles distant in a northerly direction, cattle and pigs were kept, the latter proving a profitable investment. Of plain food there was plenty, and good sport was provided by wild duck, pigeons,
:ockatoos, emus, and kangaroos, vhich abounded in great numbers, [n 1863 Mr. Brockman, sen., took lis family farther north to a tract of and which he rented on the Green->ugh River, and here young Brock-nan had another narrow escape from death, a mud gable crashing through the roof on to his bed during a violent storm. At the age of lixteen he left home and rode 400 niles to Busselton, with all his vorldly goods on the saddle, and if ter working three years for a Mr. 3-ale, who paid him 30s. a month, le took a contract to hunt wild lattle on the Donnelly River, 80 niles south of the port. The coun-,ry was very densely timbered and ;he cattle fat, wild, and cunning, so ,hat eventually he relinquished the mequal odds and took a position as
Bartletto, Perth.
Mi. George Julius Brockman.
foreman of Mr. H. C. Prinsep’s stations “Henty” and “Prinsep Park,” near Bunbury. Hard work and little compensation awaited him in this service, and he was glad to accept an offer to exterminate wild cattle on Mr. A. P. Bussel’s run on terms of equal shares. Twelve months passed in this rough life, but he persevered, hoping to earn sufficient to buy a few horses and cattle and return to the north. About this time, however, the pearl fisheries at Shark Bay were discovered, and a general rush was made for that region, which Mr. Brockman also determined to reach. The story of his journey thither strikingly illustrates the courage and resourcefulness which marked the whole of
his career. In 1872 his half-caste discovered a teak log washed ashore, and having shaped out of this a 14-ft. boat made a sail of chaffbags and launched her for a trial trip upon the river. Mr. Brockman tested the capacity of the craft and purchased her, put out to sea, and after sailing all day among rocks finally landed on the sandy beach at Hamelin Harbour. In company with his brother he continued his voyage to Busselton, calling at Margaret River on the way, and from Busselton sailed alone to Bunbury. He knew nothing of sailing and was without ballast, being entirely at the mercy of his bag sail. Keeping close in, he got into breakers and was thrown on shore, where, using oars for rollers, he pulled the boat high and dry, and on the following day launched her again and reached the port safely. Here he had a new set of ribs added to his craft, which he named “White Witch,” and having ridden 60 miles to Bridgetown engaged there as captain a sailor named Thomas, who walked into Bunbury, doing the whole distance in twenty-four hours. They set sail for Fremantle in the middle of December, 1874, having a great crowd of people to see them off, and landed at Fremantle at noon next day, later proceeding up the river to Perth. The 5-ton cutter which had been built for his brother, Mr. John Brockman, was here delivered into his charge, and the party, composed of Messrs. Brockman, Thomas, Withers, and Kerr, received an additional member, Mr. Saw contributing £50 and a barrel of salt meat to allow his son to join the expedition. A start was made, but some delay occurred when the vessel was stranded for three days on the bar at Fremantle, and on January 25, 1875, having laid in provisions and water, they put out to sea. While at anchor on the night of the 24th the rope slipped the big stone which served as an anchor and the boat commenced to drift ashore some two chains away- The way to safety lay over a boiling, seething reef, which was with difficulty negotiated, and drenched with spray from the breakers the gallant crew shaped for Wedge Island, where another anchor was rigged. Dongarra was gained on the 28th, and it was then discovered that the boat was leaking through being badly finished, and she had to be unloaded and recaulked, work which took two days. Arriving at Geraldton they remained
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some days, and on February 20 set out for the pearling grounds, being accompanied by James Hough in a small cutter called the “Ada.” The rough coast and cliffs of Dirk Har-tog Island were sighted on the last day of the month, and shortly after the pearling grounds were reached, but during the height of a gale which was raging the boat stuck on a shoal, the hold filled with water, with the result that the whole of the flour, sugar, and rice was saturated and had to be carried ashore and placed in the sun to dry. A licence to pearl was taken out, and fair results rewarded the strenuous endeavour which had brought Mr. Brockman to the scene of the fascinating
planned to visit Dirk Hartog, Dorre, and Bernier Islands, and during this expedition the mainland was crossed near the mouth of the Gascoyne River. Three weeks were spent in cruising, and when the return to the camp was accomplished all had given up the wanderers for lost. Being now thoroughly tired of the life, which was not yielding sufficient compensation for its hardships, Mr. Brockman accepted a passage in the Government revenue cutter “Southern Cross,” under command of Captain Walcott, who had called at the camp on his way north to take control of the pearl fisheries. At Barrow Island Mr. Brockman had the novel experience of riding a
under great hardship and difficulties, and subsequently he undertook the management of “De Grey” Station for three months, afterwards managing for Mr. Mackay during the absence of the latter on a trip to Melbourne. Before Mr. Mac-kay’s departure two men, Messrs. Shea and Cooper, had been killed by blacks, and Mr. Brockman rode 75 miles to Roebourne to tell the news His horse, an Arab strain, had already covered 42 miles that day. yet he arrived at Roebourne at a trot, the rider being the more tired of the two. A police party and trackers set out, and Mr. Brockman, being advised by Mr. Mackay, accompanied them. On the first day
Photo by C. W. Walker. “eurilla," residence of the late Mr. g. J. Brockman
industry. From time to time the party essayed to explore Hartog Island, and one night, having moored the boat and landed at Turtle Bay, a gale sprang up and their boat was smashed to pieces. The dinghy, however, was saved, and Mr. Brockman, with several others, rowed 40 miles round the coast to a sheep station on the Island owned by Mr. von Bibra, where the women on seeing them took fright and bolted the door, thinking them to be pirates. They were able to make themselves known, however, and after rest and refreshment pulled 30 miles across the channel and reached the pearling camp in safety. After a week’s rest another trip was M
turtle both on shore and in the water, where he had to keep its head up to prevent it from diving. In due time the vessel made Cossack, and from this date Mr. Brockman began his career as a pastoralist, with which industry his name will be for ever linked, and it was here that he considered his real life began. After visiting the town of Roebourne he accompanied Mr. Anderson, of Messrs. Grant, Harper, & Anderson, to Mr. A. R. Richardson’s station “Pyramid,” and continued his journey with a 50-mile ride to Mr. S. P. Mackay’s station, finally arriving at “De Grey” Station at the end of 1875. A return to Roebourne was accomplished
Turner River was reached, and during the day following the bodies of the murdered men were discovered in a little hollow where they had been set upon while drinking. Shea was a powerful man, and it was evident that he had not succumbed without a fearful struggle. After interring the bodies the party tracked the natives to a spot where they had held a dance in celebration of the murder, and continued on the trail for seven days to the head of Turner River. They then crossed the ranges to Shaw River, a large tributary of the De Grey, and on the succeeding day came up with some women and children. The native wanted was in hiding, and three
days were spent in waiting for him to come in. He was finally captured before sunrise on the fourth day, and after securing a second the party proceeded to the Gillyeling River for two others. Rations now began to give out, and they had to fall back on wild figs and locusts, and sustained by this simple diet finally reached the native camp, only to find that the “wanteds” were away fishing. They were at length taken while sleeping, a great struggle ensuing, and the party with their prisoners returned 150 miles to Roe-bourne. Mr. Brockman next accepted the management of Mr. A. R. Richardson’s station for three years, and during this period he purchased, and afterwards sold to Mr. Richardson, a block of 40,000 acres which he had taken up on the Yule River. In 1879 he determined to see the Kimberley country, explored by Mr. Alex. Forrest in the previous year, and arranged with Messrs. Farquhar, McRae, Fiveash, and Pearse to take 300 sheep and other stock and start a station in that district. The schooner “Ariel” was chartered, and they arrived at Beagle Bay on November 19, 1879, landed all the stock before night, and pitched camp about a mile and a half inland. A log cabin was built and afterwards an iron house of two rooms, and about Christmas time a party of three started for their proposed destination 100 miles east. About this time the Government decided to declare a new district and form new regulations, under which the lease for a tract of country comprising 400,000 acres on the south side of the Fitzroy River, taken up by Mr. Brockman, was refused, and an offer of 50,000 acres of inferior land made, which in turn was declined by the settlers. After further exploration they discovered the Meda River and applied for 250,000 acres of this country, finally accepting the Government offer of 100,000 acres rent free for twelve years. Upon the arrival of the Murray Squatting Company with sheep some twelve months later Mr. Brockman moved his camp to Lake Louise, 16 miles on the way to the Fitzroy, where they lived for three months chiefly on game, and during this time they cut a track through the thicket to the Logue River, a distance of 50 miles. Trouble occurred through the hostility of the natives, and at length, after transporting their goods to the mouth of the Yeeda River, where they were
landed within six miles of the camp, Mr. Brockman arranged with Mr. Paterson to look after his sheep for a year and returned to Roe-bourne, where he bought 1,100 ewes and started up the Yule River to form a station. He was a sufferer by the drought of 1882, and lost a great number of sheep in the succeeding floods, so he sold the remainder to Messrs. Richardson and Welland for £900, the largest sum of money he had ever possessed, and purchasing 400 sheep returned by the schooner “Azelia” to the Fitzroy camp. Here he found the sheep badly diseased with scab introduced by some new settlers from the Williams River, and leaving them with Mr. Forrester returned to try to bring some horses and cattle overland from Roebourne. Reaching “De Grey” Station with 170 cattle and twenty-seven horses, a week later he started for Pardoo, and proceeded from there to La Grange Bay, over 200 miles distant. Water becoming scarce, retreat was made to De Grey River and finally to Roe-bourne, the cattle being left at the 90-mile beach. When the trip was again attempted toward the end of the journey they passed Derby, where the Government had made a settlement and built an iron house for the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Fairbairn, and other bush dwellings, and a week later reached the home station, just eight months after leaving Roebourne. A stockyard was built in eight days, and the run, which covered 250,000 acres, was explored, this work taking a month. The next move was to get his sheep from Yeeda and 400 maiden ewes from Mr. Forrester on the Meda, and these, mixing in the common herd, all got badly scabbed. He procured sulphur from Derby, and after shearing dipped the sheep, and then went south to arrange for stores and fencing wire, on which occasion he rode alone 600 miles. Here he encountered hostile natives and scarcity of food and water, but surmounted every difficulty and returned to his station to carry it on for five years, when it was sold to Messrs. M. C. Davies and McLean Brothers & Rigg. Later Mr. Brockman visited the Gascoyne country and purchased “Minilya” from his brother Charles for £15,000, this station comprising 800,000 acres of very dry region, but first-class sheep country when watered and fenced. A month after taking delivery scab broke out on the sheep, but with the
aid of some tobacco, which he had to cart 80 miles at heavy cost, he dipped 24,000 sheep, and repeating the operation was successful in coping with the trouble, which, however, recurred and interfered with the sale of the stock. Three bad seasons succeeded, and though many wells were sunk the water proved salt. Wool was at famine prices, and for ten years little else than hard toil and disappointment confronted him. He fenced a paddock of 20,000 acres during the second year, brought 400 head of cattle from Roebourne, and took up the Point Cloates country, a strip of 60 miles along the coast, hoping to find water which would relieve “Minilya.” To reach Point Cloates he procured a boat at Carnarvon, which he called the “Ada May,” and on March 2, 1888, sailed out of the Gascoyne, in due course reaching Tuckey’s passage leading through the reefs to Yalobia. It is a coincidence that Mr. Brockman was wrecked three times within thirteen years along this coast, the name of each boat beginning with the letter A, i.e., the “Ada”; the “Albert,” a cutter sailed by a man named O’Grady, who purposely ran her on to a reef to escape the consequences of having broached her cargo, the property of another man; and the “Ada May.” While negotiating the passage breakers were sighted ahead, but as the tide was out and there was very little water on the reef the native guide asserted that it was quite safe. At this juncture the boat parted her painter, and this was not noticed until it had dropped 100 yards behind. As they were running before the wind ajl would have been well, but the steersman, endeavouring to recover the dinghy, luffed the boat among the breakers, bringing her broadside on, when a great wave struck her, carrying away the mainsail. Two men were washed overboard and the hold half filled with water. The crew scrambled on board again, to be met by a mountain of surf which carried them all away, except Mr. Brockman, who had dived and came up again after the wave had passed over the boat. A third wave filled the vessel, and she went down stem first, the jibboom only showing out of the water. They were three miles from the shore with masses of reefs and rough water showing in between, but all began to swim for land as their only chance of safety. The place was teeming with sharks, and
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suddenly a piercing shriek was heard from Miller, one of the crew, who disappeared and was never seen again. Mr. Brockman was carried into terrible breakers, which nearly ended his career, but though he got very badly knocked about he managed to strike out for shore. Night had fallen and the outline of the coast was growing faint, but he finally reached shallow water and dragged himself up on the beach in a most exhausted condition. After spending the night with the sand for a couch he started barefoot on a walk of 20 miles to the spot where the cargo had been shipped and overtook two of the crew who had
through the frightful state of his skin, rest being obtained only by hanging his arms over a padded batten nailed between two verandah posts, in which way he secured a little sleep. A native oiled him twice daily with emu oil, and when partially recovered he returned to the station. Much illness followed, and a trip to Perth for medical advice left him still in a very unsatisfactory condition. In 1889 his most efficient assistant, Mr. Mathe-son, of whom he spoke in terms of the highest praise, left him. Drought in 1890 preceded the poor season of 1891, but 1893 saw a fair winter with plenty of grass and
sent 30 miles away to keep them alive. He had 1,000 fat sheep on the coast, which were shipped to Fremantle and brought a good price, as meat was scarce. Mr. Brockman now went in for breeding from his own stock, and although 1897 and 1898 saw a long spell of dry weather he was better prepared for the drought, as several windmills had been put up, and as the lambing waB good the flock increased to 20,000. After purchasing Messrs. Knight and Bateman’s station, which he stocked with 2,800 sheep and a few cattle and horses, he continued his personal supervision of the properties for a year or two, but finding
Photo by C. W. Walker. Portion of the Orange grove at "jEurilla,"
escaped, whom he sent for assistance to the out-station on the Lyndon River. With no water he crawled on through the terrible heat all day, and finding his clothes unendurable threw them away. The naked skin cracked all over, causing extreme pain, the ground burnt his feet, and round him hovered myriads of greenheaded March flies, which stung like hot wire. At 4 p.m. he reached Lyndon River, into which he plunged to wet his parched skin, and was within two miles of the camp when a native boy appeared with a kettle of water, which he drank at a draught. He was assisted to the camp, and for three weeks could not lie down m2
water. He disposed of a good many cattle at this time, but the following season being dry the purchaser could not take delivery, and he had about 3,000 head of cattle, 22,500 sheep, and 300 horses on the run when the terrible drought of 1895 and 1896 set in and almost the whole country was burnt out. By the end of 1896 there was neither feed nor water, the whole country was one mass of drifting sand, and sheep and cattle were dying by thousands. When at length the rain came 11,000 sheep were mustered, with 100 horses and five head of cattle, and an imported bull with two cows and calves which had been
that his health was seriously affected after twTenty-nino years of hard pioneering life in ltoebourne, Kimberley, and Gascoyne he sold all his property with the exception of a 60-acre block at Carnarvon, on which was a house and a fine fruit garden. This he let, and coming south bought a farm of 4,000 acres on the Chapman River, and for the next three years engaged in sheep- and cattledealing. Tiring of this he turned his thoughts to travel and took a trip to England, Japan, and America, returning to Guildford, Western Australia in 1906, where he lived in semi-retirement until the time of his death on August 29, 1912.
The late JOHN WITHNELL, whose name is indelibly inscribed in the annals concerning the early settlement of the great north-west of this State, was a descendant of the ancient family of Withnell, possessors of the lands of Withnellfold and Withnellcroft, now the village of Withnell, in Lancashire, where the name is still retained. He was born at Bolton, in that county, on March 24, 1825, and came to Western Australia with his parents in the ship “Nancy” in 1829. His brother Robert, whose birth occurred in August of that year, was the first male European to be born on the mainland of Western Australia. The late John Withnell took up land at York, -where he carried on farming and grazing pursuits. Tn course of time the young colonist married Emma Mary, a daughter of the late George Hancock, of Beverley, formerly of Devonshire, England, whose family was a branch of the Gregorys, Lords of the Manors of Frcseley and Ashfordby Farms, and descended from the McGregor clan. *Mr. Withnell and his wife, who was one of the very early native-born Western Australians, settled at Beverley, where for a time they engaged in farming occupations. As an outcome of discoveries resulting from the explorations in North-Western Australia, carried out under the leadership of Francis T. Gregory, in 1861 a hardy little band of settlers ventured upon the extremely hazardous undertaking of pioneering the pastoral lands reported to exist in those remote regions. Among those whose enterprising spirits prompted this bid for fortune were John Withnell and his young wife, who, disposing of their “Hillside” Estate at Beverley, and “Bor-anining” Station, on the Williams River, chartered the “Sea Ripple,” a three-masted schooner of 187 tons register, and set sail from Fremantle for Cossack, then known as Port Walcott. Mr. Withnell provided all the fittings on this vessel for the accommodation of one thousand picked ewes, fifty choice rams, ten cows, ten draught mares, one two-year-old Clydesdale stallion valued at £250, and a big supply of station requisites—stores, clothing, tools, firearms, medicine, and all the etceteras necessary for outfitting a station in a new land which was without any of the conveniences of commerce and everyday necessities, and had only occasional communication with civilization. The party,
consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Withnell, their two sons, George and John, Mr. and Miss Hancock, Mr. Robert Withnell, and two servants, pitched camp on the sandy beach, where wells were sunk from which to water the stock. The water, however, proved brackish, and Mr. Withnell made a trip up the Ilarding River to find a more favourable locality. This he discovered at Mount Welcome, a small hill in the vicinity of a large fresh-water pool in the river bed, so called to express the joy of the pioneers in coming to an end of their search, and within a week the camp was removed to the spot where the town of lioebourne now stands, on the slopes of the hill referred to. Mr. Withnell and his brother-in-law, Mr. Hancock—also an intending settler—spent some time in
Mr. John Withnell.
looking round the country, at length deciding to make application for the Midstream and Pyramid country, on the George River to the south and east of Roebourne. In June a son was born, to whom the name of Harding de Witt was given, after the Harding River and De Witt’s land, this being the first white child born in the north-west. Shortly after this event huts were built of stone and rough mortar, bush timber being used in the construction of these dwellings, which were thatched with grass. All the materials had to be carried, as the teams had been lost. In September the first clip took place, and the wool, hand-washed and packed in ten bales, was shipped in the following month in a vessel that called at the port. By this boat,
from which a little clothing was purchased for the settlers, Mr. and Miss Hancock returned to Fremantle, the former being deputed to secure from the Government the grants of country which were required. In November a letter from him was delivered at the settlement by one of Bateman’s boats from the whaling station that had just been founded on Rosemary Island, stating that the Millstream country had been granted to a Mr. Taylor, who was declared to have the necessary number of stock (200) on the “De Grey” Station, in care of Mr. Padbury’s manager and partner, Mr. Nairn. Mr. Hancock had therefore taken up
30,000 acres in the vicinity of Roe-bourne, and paid the rent then ruling, and the eight-years’ lease was to follow. Upon receipt of this information Mr. and Mrs. Withnell set out to explore the country east of their camp, and being favourably impressed with the district surrounding the Sherlock River, decided to take up the land which afterwards became known as the “Sherlock” Station. Their flocks increasing rapidly, by the time an opportunity occurred of notifying the Lands Office of their selection they had a sufficient number of sheep to entitle them to the free runs. Upon re-
turning from this trip they were told by the natives that “ships, men, and animals had arrived about four moons back,” that the ships had left and the men gone east with the stock, also that the natives had killed three white men. This was the first intimation the settlers had received of a party sent by the Government to Le Grange Bay to start a station at Roebuck. The party was in charge of James Harding, who had been a member of Gregory’s exploration party in 1861, the Harding River at Roebourne being named after him. From the same source they heard a rumour that a “big disease” had been introduced by the Malay prows fishing for beche-de-mer along the coast; that it was coming nearer and nearer, and killing off all the natives in its path. This proved to be smallpox in its most virulent form. It reached Roebourne about ten months later, when the aboriginal population succumbed by the hundred, an average of six per day for weeks being buried in the vicinity of the settlement, while for months afterwards bodies of natives were to be seen along the river banks. Mrs. Withnell, with the aid of her medicine chest, saved a few of these
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unfortunates, and also nursed two of her own children safely through the disease. Meanwhile several ships had arrived with settlers and their stock and plant. The first vessel bringing white women to the settlement was the “Warrior/' chartered in Melbourne by the Denison Plains Company, in charge of Mr. C. Broadhurst; on board were his wife and two children, also the surveyor to the party, Mr. Charles Wedge, with his wife and five children. Mrs. Wedge was the first lady to land and be entertained by Mrs. Withnell, whose welcome to the first representative of her sex and class to join her in the heroic facing of the many difficulties and hardships endured by the brave wives of the early pioneers of this great district was very touching. Somewhat earlier another Victorian Company, known as the Camden Harbour Association, had been formed to settle a portion of the Kimberley district, but owing to the country in the neighbourhood of the harbour proving quite unsuitable for sheep most of the settlers decided to abandon the undertaking just at the juncture when the “Tien Tsin” had conveyed a resident magistrate (Mr. R. J. Sholl) and staff to the spot. Upon the breaking-up of the Association, the Government party was removed to Roebourne, where the laying-out of the town began; a post office, land office, residency, hotel, and store were erected, with other public and private dwellings, the population of the district now having increased to about 200. The majority of these inhabitants were station owners and their employes, the pastoral industry having gone ahead by leaps and bounds and the stock having increased in large numbers. About this time, however, the price of wool in London went down to 4d. per lb., and as the facilities for shipping the wool were of the most primitive description—there being no jetties nor lighters, but only small dinghies to row out three miles in a tidal creek at Cossack, where there was also a marsh to cross —the cost of transport and selling charges swallowed up all the profits. As there was no market for the wethers beyond the few required for consumption by the townspeople, matters at this juncture looked very black, and some of the settlors lost heart and sold out. The Withnells, however, on their station at Mount Welcome, solved the problem by scouring the wool and despatching thirty bales to London, where it
realized Is. per lb. Many, who had not thought it worth while to forward their wool, afterwards followed this example, and for many years it was the rule to scour the wool in this district. As time passed various misadventures befell the settlers, among which were some severe droughts, during one of them not a drop of rain falling in the Roebourne district for over two years. Upon another occasion they were visited by heavy floods, when many miles of country were inundated, and thousands of cattle, horses, and sheep were carried out to sea, while a great cyclone wrecked houses and buildings and rendered the family homeless. Only 1,200 sheep were saved out of 6,000, while twenty head of cattle remained as sole representatives of the splendid
Bartletto, Perth.
Mrs. Withnell.
herd built up from three cows purchased by Mr. Withnell from some of the earliest settlers. With these and only ten horses a fresh beginning had to be made. The home and stores had. gone; there was a young family of five children. Yet, even with the incubus of a debt of over £2,000, the brave pioneers kept up heart, and, having youth and health, set themselves to retrieve their fortunes in whatever way might open. Mrs. Withnell, who in everything was her husband’s most able helpmeet, procured wethers and steers from the inland stations, which had missed the fury of the cyclone and the floods, and opened a butchering business, which was carried on for three years with signal success. Mr. Withnell,
meanwhile, built a lighter, with which he conveyed the settlers’ stores up the river from Cossack to Roebourne, and, with his team, undertook carting contracts, also building a large storehouse in which goods could be kept in safety. Thus, by various means, the family was able to subsist until a measure of prosperity was restored to them. The north-west is noted for the terrible storms which sweep round its coast, and in which many vessels have been wrecked and many lives lost. Through these, too, the Withnells were sufferers, losing in the “Emma," which left Cossack with forty-two souls on board, never to be heard of again, their wool clip and a sum of 148 sovereigns taken from the Government party for meat supplies, besides other commodities. On another occasion the “Brothers” left Fremantle for the north-west with a big invoice of goods, including fully £200 worth for “Mount Welcome” Station ; there being, of course, no insurance in those days, and this boat foundering off Dirk Hartog Island, everything was lost, and ten months elapsed before supplies finally reached the north-west. During this time the late Mr. Charles Harper, of Guildford, and three other friends ventured overland, mostly on foot, to Geraldton — roughly speaking, a journey of 1,000 miles—whence they reported the state of affairs. In due time a sailing boat arrived with provisions, only to find many of the settlers reduced to gaunt skeletons with scurvy and starvation, some too ill to rise from their beds. Much heroism was shown during this trying period, when Mr. Withnell had often to witness his wife fainting with starvation, as she was unable to eat the fresh fish which, together with what game could be secured with the gun, and cow’s milk, of which, fortunately, there was a good supply, formed the mainstay of their diet. Nevertheless, a general disposition was shown to make the best of the situation, and cheerfulness was the predominating note. The development of the Roebourne district proceeded steadily, and, in course of time, a visiting clergyman—the Rev. Edward Tanner, who accompanied the Camden Harbour Association in 1864—was appointed to minister to the north-west settlement. At a later date a church was built, in which the Withnell family took great interest and to which they subscribed generously, while Mr. J. Hancock presented an American
organ at a cost of £55. A school, subsidized by the Government, was opened about 1873, the first teacher being Mr. Andrew Young, and some five years afterwards a Government school was built, and Miss McCort (now Mrs. Clarkson) appointed schoolmistress. After an absence of twenty-eight years, Mr. and Mrs. Withnell sailed for Fremantle in the “Mary Ann,” under Captain Miles, to visit Mrs. Hancock at Beverley, leaving their son, Harding, and a daughter (now Mrs. J. G. Meares) in charge of the station. During their absence the whole of the homestead, together with a large outfit of supplies and an English importation of clothing and domestic goods, was burned to ashes, £2,000 worth of
building up. Here they continued for eleven years, selling out in March, 1890, with 20,000 sheep, 130 horses, 150 cattle, and all plant, etc., to four of their sons and to their son-in-law, Mr. Meares, who in time bought the sole interest in the station. Ill-health compelled the retirement of the brave pioneering couple, with their younger children, to Guildford, where Mr. Withnell died on May 15, 1898, at the age of seventy-two, honoured and respected by the whole community. A man of high character, unflagging industry, and great liberality, he was also distinguished for the initiative he displayed in pioneer work. He was the first to make and use the canvas waterbag, which has proved such a
living. Mrs. Withnell resides at North Perth, in the enjoyment of excellent health, and, although in her seventy-fourth year, makes frequent visits to the north-west on pleasure and business combined. It is an interesting fact that mineral discoveries have been made in the district by three of the Withnell family. In 1888 Mr. James Withnell when a small boy picked up a stone to throw at a crow, and noticed yellow spots on it, which proved to be gold. A rush of diggers followed, the locality being “Mallina” Station, 70 miles from Roebourne. Mr. J. G. Withnell discovered tin in 1887; and another member of the family was the first to distinguish the copper outcrop which the
Flock of Merino Ewes on " Karratha " Station.
property being lost. Cutting short their visit, the parents set sail on their return voyage with a complete new outfit, including a two-roomed wooden house, but great hindrance was encountered through a tremendous gale, which lasted two days and two nights, throwing the vessel out of its course. Cossack was finally made in safety, and they reached home to find their daughters lodged in a one-room wooden building put up by their brother, and completely bare of every comfort. The place, however, soon resumed its appearance of prosperity, and in 1879 the “Mount Welcome” Run was purchased by Mr. R. J. Sholl, the Withnell family removing, with their stock, to “Sherlock” Station, which they had been gradually
boon to settlers and others; and he set the example in inducing his natives to dive for pearlshell in deep water along the coast. With his own hands he built the first house at Roe-bourne before the town site was selected, on a block of land which is now the centre of the town; cut the first stack of grass hay; and made the original piece of road across the marsh at Snake Creek for landing goods, which were brought from the ship’s side in a flat-bottomed boat constructed by him. A man of few words, his opinion carried great weight, and his hospitality was unequalled. Mr. and Mrs. Withnell had a family of eight sons and three daughters—nine of whom were born in the north-west—who are all still
Whim Creek Copper Company is now working. “K A R R A T H A” STATION, owned by Messrs. Withnell Brothers (business manager, J. G. Withnell), is situated in the Roebourne district, about 38 miles west of the town of Roebourne, and was purchased by the present proprietors from Messrs.
J. & R. Clarkson in 1899. It has since been added to by the purchase of the “Chirritta” Run from Mr. A.
C. Gillam, and now comprises about
500,000 acres of wide, open plain and undulating country intersected with timber belts and low-lying hills, some of which are of granite formation. The soil throughout is of red clay, and in addition to various grasses and herbage, there is abundance of
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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spinifex; while the timber, which is light in character and found chiefly on the river banks, consists principally of blackheart (a species of white gum), and cadjeput. The property is watered by three rivers—the Maitland, the Nicol, and the Yannary, which contain several fine pools,
Bartletto, Perth.
Me. J. G. Withnell.
while various creeks run in the rainy season. In addition to the natural facilities for watering the stock, from thirty to thirty-five wells have been sunk and fitted with windmills and troughs, which in these dry areas greatly assist the holders of runs to stock fully the capabilities of the land. The whole property is fenced with six wires run along wooden posts and iron standards, and is subdivided into thirty pad-docks of about 20,000 acres each. A homestead, erected in 1872, was destroyed by a gale and rebuilt in the following year, and in 1909 the present modern residence replaced the former dwelling-house. This is built of stone, with iron uprights and cement floors to combat the white ant pest, the roof being of iron and the ceiling of stamped metal. It contains eight rooms fitted with all up-to-date appointments, and is surrounded by a spacious verandah; while, in the vicinity of the house, a kitchen garden has been cultivated, which provides a welcome supply of vegetables all the year round. In a suitable locality stands the shearing-shed, with accommodation of ten stands, woolpresses, and other necessary plant. Up to the present the work of shearing has been done by
hand, but the firm is considering the advisableness of installing a modern machinery plant in the near future. “Karratha” is essentially sheep country, and the 50,000 merinos grazing on the estate form a valuable flock, which was originally founded by stud and flock rams imported from the Eastern States, as big a figure as 200 guineas having been paid for high-class rams. South Australia has contributed the most largely from her “Hill River” and “Koonoona” Stations, and these strains are preferred, as they have been proved to thrive well and bring about distinct improvement in the flock; but a few good types procured from the Springfield Pastoral Company, New South Wales, are also present. Predominating features of the sheep are robust constitutions and strong frames; while the wool, clean, soft, and fine, of good density and long staple, is caused by local conditions to become “red-tipped,” which slightly depreciates its selling value. The 1912 wool clip comprised 700 bales for the London sales, and averaged all round lOd. per ft)., while the secondary qualities sold at Fremantle at satisfactory prices. Various important awards have been gained by wools from “Karratha” which have been exhibited in important competitions. Included in these awards are the gold medal of the
National Show, awarded by the Department of Agriculture of Western Australia; diploma from the Glasgow Exhibition; and gold medal and diploma from the Franco-British Exhibition for the combined fleeces of twelve ewes, which are among the group reproduced in our illustration. The other stock on the station comprises 250 horses and a milking herd of 150 shorthorns for station uses. Great attention has been paid to the quality of the horses bred, the stallions in use at the present time being “Merriween,” by “Neckersgat”—a high-class thoroughbred of fine appearance—and “Belmont Warrior,” the Suffolk Punch stallion, unbeaten as a champion in the show ring, and winner of first prizes at the Sydney and Melbourne Royal Shows, also champion of the Royal Agricultural Show in Western Australia, 1910-11. The three brothers, Messrs. John, William, and Ernest Withnell, all of whom take an active part in the management of the run, are firm believers in a policy of improvement, and have brought the stock up to a high standard, which ensures ready markets and good prices. Mr. James Withnell, who was also closely associated in the building up of “Kar-I’atha” Station, in 1912 acquired the whole of “Dirk Hartog” Station, in Shark Bay.
“ MERRIWEEN," BY " NECKERSGAT "
“LIVERINGA,” the property of the Kimberley Pastoral Company, Limited. The Kimberley district was first opened up in 1879 by the late Mr. Alexander Forrest, who led an exploring expedition from the De Grey River to Beagle Bay, and thence along the coast to the Fitzroy River, which he followed up for 240 miles. The journey proved one of the eras in the history of Western Australia, as it gave an impetus to subsequent general progress, settlement on the land being more eagerly pursued and pastoral pursuits followed up with greater vigour and determination. The liberalization of the land laws proved a popular measure, and the
A. Cornish subsequently were admitted into partnership, and an expedition arranged. The sailing vessel “Amur” was chartered by the company and loaded with a cargo consisting of the necessary plant for starting operations, and live stock comprising horses, cattle, and 900 sheep, besides a generous supply of provisions. Officered by the Messrs. McLarty Brothers and A. Cornish, the expedition set sail from Fremantle on November 12, T881, and after a prolonged trip arrived at King Sound, the rendezvous chosen for unloading. A satisfactory landing-place had been reported here, but upon the attempt being made there was proved to be an insufficient
difficulty had to drive the stock to a spot 20 miles distant, where supplies were struck at the Yeeda Creek, not, however, before the loss of several horses had been sustained. Fortunately the loss with the sheep was inconsiderable, and arrangements were set in train not long afterwards for bringing over further shipments from Cossack. Nearly 3,000 sheep were purchased from “Millstream” Station, and by the aid of the stanch little “Amur” the first cargo of over 1,500 was started on the voyage. Heavy losses, however, occurred with this shipment, the vessel at the. very outset of the journey going aground in Cossack Creek while heading for the open sea. All the
Photo by C. W. Walker.
General View over Station, showing Homestead. Outbuildings, and Drafting-yards.
attention of stock-raising circles was drawn especially to the vast unexploited district in the far north of the State, to which the name of “Kimberley,” after the Secretary of State for the Colonies, had been given. The stanch old pioneer, Mr.
G. Julius Brockman, was first on the field at the end of 1879, to be followed shortly afterwards by the Murray Squatting Company, and in 1881 the Kimberley Pastoral Company was formed. The land now forming its station was drawn by lottery, the syndicate concerned in the transaction comprising Messrs. W. Marmion, Pearce Brothers, M. C. Davies, and Sholl, by whom Messrs.
J. P. McLarty, W. G. McLarty, and
depth of water and the boat went aground, only, however, to float off the bar at high tide, having sustained but little damage. The next endeavour to get in brought the vessel within half a mile of the shore, and as the tide receded the “Amur” was left high and dry on the sandy bottom. In the intervals between the tides the stock was landed and driven ashore after a considerable amount of trouble, and the rest of the cargo was unloaded and conveyed to a place of safety. At an early stage of subsequent proceedings they were met by the drawback already encountered by their predecessors in this locality, namely, scarcity of water, and in order to overcome this
sheep had to be landed, and when the tide was sufficiently high to lift the vessel she stood out three miles from shore and all the stock had to be taken out in lighters. This occupied three days, and during that period 300 sheep were lost, principally through drinking salt water. Upon arrival at King Sound the captain condemned the landing - place as too shallow, and sailed 200 miles down the coast to Beagle Bay, where the sheep were got ashore. The second shipment of 1,400 were also landed here with little loss, but while waiting for the latter draft many of the first consignment died as a result of the rough handling they had received during the sea trip. The overland
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trip to the station over a very poor and uncertain track was conducted safely, and after a good journey their destination—a tract of land at the mouth of the Fitzroy River, near the coast—was reached. A year or two later the sheep were removed some 60 miles inland and the camp pitched on the locality afterwards developed as “Liveringa” Station, the coastal region known as Lulingui being turned into a cattle station, and as such is still carried on by the firm. The resident managers of the company found themselves in a very isolated position at the outset, and after their first landing nine months
hostility of the natives, who were always on the look out to make away with the sheep. In spite of the sharp watch kept for the preservation of their own lives as well as those of the stock, the little company suffered the loss of one of its number, in 1882 Mr. A. Cornish being speared by the natives while engaged in droving sheep. A reduction also occurred in the staff of seven employes, two of the three aboriginals on the station succumbing through sickness, and additional help could not be procured from any locality nearer than Fremantle. The sheep country of ‘■'Liveringa” has 60 miles of frontage
intersects the property. The timber generally is light and stunted, the heavier growths being found in the back country. The trees along the river area do not attain to any considerable size. Among the species natural to the district are coolibah (which has proved suitable for fencing purposes), cadjeput (which is somewhat scarce), and salmon bark. There is a fair supply of top feed, and other growths include peach-bush and a kind of wattle, while the chief varieties of herbage consist of spinifex and saltbush. Natural grasses abound, including crowsfoot, and the especially valuable Flinders,
Photo by C. W. Walker.
homestead at “liveringa" (billabong in Foreground).
passed before they received any communication from Cossack, the nearest port. Before the arrival of a party of pioneers and prospectors their provision supply had become exhausted, all the flour they had left having gone bad. Fortunately game was plentiful, and they were able to sustain life until fresh supplies came to hand. Conditions improved in 1884 after the arrival of the Government Resident and various survey parties, when the district began to go ahead. In addition to the strenuous work of the first five or six years the life was full of adventure and excitement, chiefly on account of the
to one side of the Fitzroy River, which, although it does not flow all the year round, has several large permanent pools, and various soaks and springs are found on different parts of the property, besides billabongs several miles in length. The stretches of dark-chocolate, loamy soil reaching back ten miles from the watercourses at about that limit give way to Pindan country, consisting of a reddish and very rich sandy soil, which produces splendid sheep pasturage. On the whole the territory is flat, but welcome undulations occur at intervals, and a small range of hills called the Great Ranges
Mitchell, and barley-grass varieties, which grow rapidly and to a good height after sufficient rain has fallen. In the season a quantity of these grasses is cut and stacked every year, to be fed to the stock during the dry summer months, Flinders grass having proved the most suitable for this purpose. The rainy season occurs between December and March, the annual fall averaging 35 in., having in special seasons risen to 40 in. and dropped to 14 in. respectively. Among the first work undertaken was the sinking of a well for domestic purposes. Since that early period several bores have been
put down, which provide a splendid flow of good water all the year round. An iron shed was put up as a temporary dwelling-place, and round this erection the first fence was made in 1888, with posts cut from timber on the run and wire procured from Fremantle. A 4,000-acre paddock was fenced in, and in the same year a stone house took the
etc., having been added. A small vegetable garden has been laid out, where kitchen stuffs are grown for consumption on the run. Fencing has been continued from year to year, and the property is subdivided into paddocks ranging in size from
4,000 to 16,000 acres. A fence with six wires and netting was put up to define the boundary on the western
this side being Messrs. Emanuel Brothers’ “Noonkambah” Run. In the year 1883 Mr. W. G. McLarty paid a visit to Adelaide with the object in view of securing some reliable stock to improve the strain of sheep on the Kimberley property. For this purpose he purchased 2,000 ewes from the well-known “Canowie” Station in South Australia, and 250
Photo by C. W. Walker.
place of the iron shed, with two rooms and wide verandah, the site being a granite-crowned hill overlooking a large pool which forms part of a billabong four miles from the river. In recent years the homestead has been improved, and the station now presents a cluster of buildings, men’s quarters and overseer’s cottage, store and stables,
Group of Flock Rams at “ Liveringa."
side of the station, separating it from the adjoining “Mount Anderson” Estate. The subdivisional fences are constructed mostly with posts planted about three to the chain, with iron droppers between, and threaded with five wires, the cost averaging £30 per mile. The eastern boundary is also almost completely fenced with six wires, the adjoining property on
rams from the late Mr. A. B. Murray. Chartering a vessel he reached Beagle Bay in thirty-two days, with a loss of only fifty sheep on the voyage. At frequent intervals since fresh infusions of blood have been made from prominent flocks in the Central State, and upon one occasion Wagga rams were introduced from New South Wales. Breeding from
Cattle Watering at Uryella Creek.
187
these types has been steadily carried on, and the flock now numbers from
90,000 to 100,000, this being about equal to the carrying capacity of the run. As a result of this steady development in the strain, and by means of careful culling a really good type of medium-sized merino has been obtained, which represents the bulk of the “Liveringa” flock. The
fleeces cut from these animals are well up to the average, being of good quality, length, and staple, with a little yolk in evidence. The wool when it comes from the sheep is fairly clean, and only a small quantity of second-grade wool is scoured before shipment. It is sent to London from the port of Derby and commands good prices, in its greasy state fetching up to lOd. and scoured to 15d. The shearing-shed
after the establishment of the flock the wool was sent down the Fitzroy River to Derby, but this method of transit was superseded by bullock and donkey teams at a very early stage of the history of the run. Lambing occurs in May, and there are a few new arrivals in January, the annual drop averaging 75 per cent., although during the regime of
Mr. W. G. McLarty the percentage occasionally exceeded 80. In former days great loss was experienced through the depredations of dingoes, but by means of poisoning this trouble has been reduced, since which period an appreciable increase in the number of lambs has been evident. No lambs are sold, as they are not profitable handling, but heavy drafts of sheep are sent to Fremantle, and this year (1912) it is anticipated
Kimberley” Run. Bulls bred from Victorian stock were purchased from Messrs. J. <fe R. Clarkson, and others were introduced from South Australia and from Mr. A. W. Egdar’s Strathalbyn “Derrimut” strain, so favourably known in this State. The cattle raised for the beef market hitherto have been sent to Fremantle, but during the present year 1,500 head will probably find their way to Java markets. Mr. W. G. McLARTY, who with his brother, the late Mr. J. P. McLarty (who died in 1909), started the Kimberley Pastoral Company’s Station in 1881, was born at Pinjarra, Western Australia, on February 28, 1853. He is a son of the late Mr. John McLarty, of Campbelltown, Scotland, a farmer, who came to this State by the sailing vessel “Hindoo”—afterwards burnt at sea—and was one of the early settlers on the land, being first identified with Pinjarra as manager of a property now owned by the Messrs. Patterson Brothers. In 1854 he took up a holding and commenced farming operations on his own account in the same district, where he continued until his death in 1885. The gentleman under review was educated at Pinjarra, and subsequently was associated with his father on the home farm until his departure for “West Kimberley.” In 1890 he succeeded his brother as manager of the station, and in 1901, on account of failing eyesight, relinquished the reins of control and returned to the place of his birth. After Mr. McLarty’s departure he was succeeded by Mr. Percy Rose, the
Photo by V. W. Walker.
' Lulingui " Cattle Going to Water
Photo by C. W. Walker.
provides accommodation for forty stands, and shearing is done by blades, both whites and natives being employed in the work of clipping. For the first year or two
MOB OF HORSES AT WATERING TROUGHS
that Java will take a number of fats. The station carries about
15,000 shorthorn cattle, the nucleus of the herd being derived from Messrs. Sholl Brothers’ “West
present manager, who resides on the station. The Secretary of the Company is Mr. D. J. Goyder, of Messrs. Smith & Goyder, Elder’s Building, Perth.
“KIMBERLEY DOWNS,” the property of M. C. Davies & Sons. The traveller, pursuing his journey to the “Kimberley Downs” head station, rides or drives in a direction due east of the seaport of Derby for about 60 miles. As he nears his objective he finds himself in a wide, silent country, composed of vast plains broken only by the gentle undulating hills and abrupt hillocks of ironstone and granite formation. One of the latter rises in full view from the station homestead and forms a striking feature in the landscape, its flat top spread out like a miniature tableland, on which a fringe of sparse timber matches the scanty belt of trees around its base. Farther afield, in the Napier Ranges, there are rugged outcrops of
being smooth and clean. It grows only in the Pindan country, and has proved very useful, being hard and capable of resisting the encroachments of the white ant pest. The next in value is the bloodwood, while box has been found, a most useful fencing timber. A species of chestnut has proved highly suitable for bullock yokes, which are also constructed of the wood of the pear-tree, the latter bearing a fruit resembling a pear, which is very good eating. The confluence of two streams on the western side of the Napier Range, which lies east of “Balmanin-garra” and north of “Lennard” Stations, forms the continuation of the Lennard River, which flows within the vicinity of the homestead, where it divides, forming the
water and greedily slaking their thirst before retreating to rest in the scant shade provided by the light timber indigenous to the locality. About seven miles from the head station a bore has been sunk by means of a hand boring plant, natives being employed in the performance of this work. For domestic uses when need arises recourse is had to a billabong, whence water is carted to the homestead by means of a tank drawn by mules. Considerable attention has been given to the water-supply question, which is one of the most momentous in the successful carrying on of these gigantic northern sheep and cattle runs. At “Kimberley Downs” it has been met to a large extent by the utilization of the
Photo by G. W. Walker.
limestone showing indications of copper ore, and portions of the run are rather densely wooded, the trees attaining considerable girth and height. One giant Boab tree—the largest in the district—has a circumference of 67 ft., and with its curious growth of ponderous trunk and slender branches terminating in fine twigs and delicate leaves forms a picturesque feature in the landscape. The varieties of timber which meet the gaze during a progress through the run consist chiefly of red gum, white gum, York gum, box (or coolibah), ironbark, beef-wood, bloodwood, woolly butt, etc., The latter derives its name from the peculiar woolly bark which clothes its trunk to a height of about 5 ft., the upper portion of the tree bole
General View of Homestead and Outbuildings.
Meda and May Rivers. Ninety miles of river frontage are thus provided, and, in addition, there are creeks, which, however, though flooded in the wet season, often present a perfectly dry bed during the summer months, though there are a few permanent soaks from which water is raised for the necessities of the stock. Large billabongs are formed in times of flood, and at “Napier”— the cattle station—there is a splendid spring which has watered 600 head of stock during a dry season, and which is known as Barnett Spring. This part of the run is also fortunate in possessing an excellent supply of artesian water, which forms wide streams in which the cattle wade, immersing the greater part of their heated bodies in the
natural artesian supply, and much capital has been expended in the prosecution of the scheme by the Kimberley Pastoral Company. A “Cyclone” boring plant has been in use for some time past, and various sites have been tried for water. These efforts have been supported by the Government, and from Bore 67 a stream of good water flows through Ant Hill Plain, where numbers of sheep graze among the curious monuments, some of which are 8 ft. or 10 ft. high, raised by the tiny workers whose engineering ability is so often commented upon. The soil on the wide plains is dark and of rather greasy nature, and, were the climatic conditions more suitable, wheat should do well in these localities. There is plenty of Pindan
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country, and natural grasses are found in abundance all over the run, including bundle-bundle, the valuable Flinders grass, wheatgrass, buck spinifex (a coarse, prickly growth), and soft spinifex, which is a great stand-by for the stock in dry seasons. Artificial grasses have been introduced without success. Wattle and peachbush form good top-feed with other species of low timber, and in the sheep country, “Balmanin-garra,” there is abundance of natural shelter for the flocks. The history of the “Kimberley Downs” Station is full of interest, forming, as it does, a record of the opening up and development of a very important portion of the Western Australian State, and giving some idea of the drawbacks experienced by the early pioneer in the remote districts of the far north-west in materializing his dream of prosperity through the medium of fat cattle and woolly sheep. That part of the run known as “Balmaningarra,” on which the head station is situated, originally was started by the late George Julius Brockman in the year 1884, a free lease of 100,000 acres for twenty-eight years being granted by the Government of the day to this
well-known pastoralist in recognition of his pioneering labours in the Kimberley district. Only a few months after Mr. Brockman entered
Mr. M. C. Davies.
into possession the property was purchased by Mr. M. C. Davies, who placed it in the hands of a manager, and during the next half-dozen years
the post was occupied by one after another until, in May, 1890, Mr. Alfred Barnett accepted the appointment and commenced his seventeen years of service on behalf of the proprietor. Mr. Brockman stocked the run with cattle, horses, and sheep brought overland from R,oebourne, and at the time the property changed hands it was carrying 1,619 sheep (including 600 lambs), 312 head of mixed cattle, 31 horses, and a motherless foal, afterwards named “Hard Times,” in remembrance of the troubles which beset its early career. The work of improvement proceeded but slowly, and when Mr. Barnett took charge there was but one small paddock for corralling horses and a two-roomed dwelling, the walls of which were mud batts and the roof iron. The new manager set to work with energy and determination to make the most of his resources, and before long the first shearing was done on the station under his supervision. There were plenty of natives roaming the country and often making a rendezvous of the station, where “tucker” was generally obtainable. This raw material was commandeered, and proved very creditable and efficient
Sheep at soak in Bed of Lennard River.
for shearers, teamsters, and stockmen. After the first rains had fallen the sheep would be secured and all hands marshalled to work at fencing in paddocks and building huts for the musterers and boundary riders, while on the track to Derby yards were erected at intervals for convenience on the long droving trips to seaport, and well-sinking was entered upon, good water eventually being struck in the midst of a stretch of 11 miles of heavy sand. At a later date the first bore was put down on the station at a locality 15 miles south of the homestead, where at a depth of 42 ft. a good supply of stock water was struck; a well was also sunk to a depth of 16 ft. on the spot where Bore 67 is now located, which yielded an excellent supply of first-class drinking water. The result of the first shearing was twenty-three bales of wool, which was carted by Mr. Barnett to Derby, and subsequently Mr. Davies was induced to make large additions to the stock on the station. Three thousand 2-tooth and 4-tooth ewes and fifty flock rams were secured from “De Grey” Station in the north-west and overlanded to Kimberley, 2,852 surviving the stress of the journey and duly making their destination. The season following the advent of the new arrivals was a poor one, and the natural increase of the flock fell far short of previous expectations, while the second shearing resulted in a clip of not more than sixty-four bales. During the next ten years seasons good, bad,
and indifferent were experienced, but the work of developing the property was continued strenuously. There were times of disheartening disappointment and depression, but hope
was never entirely lost, and the indomitable pluck of the Australian pioneer prevailed until at length conditions improved and the road became easier to travel. In the year 1900 the adjoining territory, then known as “Lennard” Station, was purchased from Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Limited, and with it 16,500 sheep, 50 horses, and a team of working bullocks. This property comprises
450,000 acres, and is divided into
nine paddocks representing seventy odd miles of fencing, a four-roomed homestead with mud batt walls and iron roof having been erected and the usual outbuildings, including a
woolshed and shearing-shed with accommodation for twelve stands. The two outstations, “Napier” and “Lennard,” are embraced in this part of the run, and are used almost exclusively for cattle, the sheep being grazed on the extensive pastures surrounding the “Balmaningarra” homestead. This homestead is built on elevated ground, which forms a kind of island in times of flood, when an area of seven miles in length and
artesian Water at “Napier” station.
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three in width is completely encircled with surging waters. Besides the galvanized dwelling-house, where the manager resides, and which is built on piles, there are men’s quarters
and various outhouses, mostly constructed of the same material. Adjacent are the sheepyards and shearing-shed, measuring 70 ft. by 44 ft., which were erected in 1908, and contain eighteen stands, the
sheep being mustered from all parts of the run for the annual clip, which is done by blades. Twenty-three paddocks have been enclosed for the sheep which by the end of
1900 had increased to 19,000, and at the present time (1913) number
30,000. The type has been vastly improved by the importation each year of high-class flock rams from South Australia, including a
purchase from “Mount Crawford” Station in that State, the sheep being robust, well-balanced animals, carrying wool of medium length and quality (heavy tropical rains and the hot sun accounting for light condition), which provokes good competition and prices in the London markets. During Mr. Barnett’s reign the average cut was estimated at 3^ lb. per fleece, but in individual instances this figure has been brilliantly excelled, the fleece of a single ram having been known to weigh 18 ft. In earlier days the shearing season generally began in June and proceeded, as circumstances permitted; but at the present time it takes place in April, both white men and aboriginals being employed in this work. Three bullock teams, each comprising twenty-two animals, are employed in carting the wool to Derby and in bringing stores, fencing-wire, etc., to the station, the round trip taking twenty-one days. The herd of cattle consists of 21,800 head, principally shorthorns, bred from pedigreed bulls purchased in South Australia, at the Royal Agricultural Society’s Shows in Perth, and from Mr. A. W. Edgar’s "Strathalbyn” Estate at Gingin, Western Australia. There are also 157 horses and thirty-four donkeys on the station. The property is managed jointly by Mr. E.
H. Myring, who has charge of the sheep, and Mr. D. J. Ronan, the latter controlling the cattle station.
Photo by C. W. Walker.
largest Boas tree (67 feet circumference) in West Kimberley District.
Photo by C. W. Walker.
Watering Horses at " Napier” Station.
“BROOKING” AND “MILLY-WINDY.” “Brooking” Station lies 220 miles by road from the Port of Derby. Situated in the West Kimberley district, it embraces 164,000 acres of first-class pastoral country, excellent for the raising of both cattle and sheep. It is lightly timbered, with an ample growth of natural grasses. The run originally was settled in 1889 by a Mr. James Taylor, who transferred it to Mr. C. C. Blythe, the present owner, in the same year. The area, at first consisting of 64,000 acres, in 1890 was extended by 50,000 acres, and in the following year another 50,000 was added. In 1889 Mr. Blythe had purchased 94 cattle and leased them to a neighbouring run. In the following year these had increased by 30 per cent., and the mob was then removed to Noonkambah, where it remained until 1893, when the number had swelled to 336. To these Mr. Blythe senior added by purchase a further 300 head, and the lot were turned on to “Brooking” and formed the foundation of the present herd, which totals 5,000 cattle. It is interesting to record that at “Mount House” Station, settled by Mr. Joseph Blythe, father of Mr. C. C. Blythe, and now owned by three of his sons, there is a herd of 15,000, the nucleus of which was secured from the 600 beasts above referred to. Being on the main track to the interior Mr. Blythe, with considerable foresight and enterprise, in 1897 opened the “Crossing” Inn and obtained a publican’s licence, also
establishing a store to supply those commodities required by the settlers in northern latitudes. He retained the ownership of these concerns until 1902, when he sold out. The “Crossing” Inn, which proved a great convenience to the early travellers in that region, is still being carried on. The present homestead, which was erected in 1903, is situated at the foot
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Joseph Blythe.
of the Oscar Range, in close proximity to the Fitzroy River. “Brooking” has been subdivided into seven large paddocks, five being utilized for sheep pastures and one each for the horses and bullocks.
Four tanks provide rain water for
domestic purposes, and from an adjacent well, 20 ft. deep and surmounted by a windmill and 2,000-gallon tank, water is also drawn for use in the house and on the station. Lambing takes place twice each year, the principal drop being in May, and the second in the following January. In 1911 from 3,400 sheep (including 700 lambs) 1\ tons of wool were shorn, giving an average of about 4f ft), each animal. The average in 1910, when
3,000 sheep and 500 lambs were put to shears, was much the same. Shearing is done by hand and, hitherto, has taken place in July, but in the future it is Mr. Blythe’s intention to shear in September, as he considers it better for the sheep to lose their wool just as the warm weather sets in rather than at a time when its lack renders them less able to withstand the rigours of the winter climate. The average of 4f ft), in wool, above given, although considerably below some of the returns from other stations in the district, is a very satisfactory one to Mr. Blythe, as each year has shown an increase in weight of wool due to the introduction of several well-bred rams from South Australia, and to the attention given to the flock by the owner. In addition to ten merino rams purchased from Mr. W. D. Crozier, the well - known South Australian breeder, in 1906 sires were chosen from “Booboorowie” and “Kanoona” stud flocks in the same State. The flock at “Brooking” shows its pure merino strain, and in general appearance the sheep have well set up sturdy
General View of Brooking " Homestead-
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frames, while the wool contains plenty of yolk and is of good density and length. The wool is sent to London, and has brought as much as Is. 6d. for the scoured product, while in its greasy state the average of 9Jjd. has been maintained. In the past Mr. Blythe has given the larger share of his attention to the raising of cattle— principally shorthorns of the Durham breed, particularly esteemed for their beef-producing qualities—but it is his intention henceforward to use “Brooking” as a sheep-breeding station and to transfer the whole of the cattle to “Millywindy,” 900 of the herd having already been removed to the second property. The flock now numbers 3,400, and the pick of the rams and ewes are kept. More stud rams will be added yearly and close attention given to the improvement of the sheep. Considerable trouble has been experienced in retaining a sufficient number of horses for use on the station, as the Kimberley disease early attacks them and leads to their premature decay. The half-hundred horses at “Brooking” are chiefly hacks and stock horses, and a certain number are bred each year to meet requirements. For transport purposes, such as the carriage of stores, wool, etc., and for station work, forty mules are kept, and these hardy animals have long since proved their worth. For many years Mr. Blythe kept a team of twenty-one mules on the road, and made a profitable undertaking of the carriage of supplies between the Derby township and inland centres. At the present time there are two mules at “Brooking” which worked continuously for
five years and show little sign of wear, approaching old age being their principal enemy. “MILLYWINDY,” Mr. Blythe’s other property, is situated in the Leopold Ranges, some forty miles due north of “Brooking.” The run was taken up by Mr. J. G. Calder in 1906, and comprises
132,000 acres of basalt and sandstone country well watered by springs and
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. C. C. Buythb.
creeks. The natural grasses grow in abundance. It was not until the latter part of 1911 that Mr. Blythe was able to devote time to the improving of “Millywindy,” but in that year work was begun and has since proceeded steadily. The property lies in a valley formed by the Leopold and Lady Forrest Ranges, both of
which form a natural boundary, and less than a dozen miles of fencing will be required to make the run stock-proof. In April, 1912, Mr. Blythe purchased from Mr. A. W. Edgar the “Oscar Range” Station, which adjoins “Brooking” on the western boundary. The property comprises
522,000 acres, and 7,000 head of shorthorn cattle are grazed on its wide expanses at the present time, but it is the intention of Mr. Blythe to reduce this number in the future and restock with sheep. There are also 170 horses on the station, including twelve thoroughbreds, and a jack donkey, imported from America by Mr. Edgar at a cost of 200 guineas, is used for breeding mules— of which there are twenty—for station use. The pedigreed mares include “Maiden Erleigh” (“Sunrise”—“Queen Eliza”), “Monazite” (“Malua”—“Galena,” by “Rich-
mond”), “Girton Girl” (“Mentor”— “Sylvina,” by “Glorious”), and others equally well bred. The Oscar Range runs through the property for about 50 miles, and fine grazing pastures for both cattle and sheep are provided by the extensive tablelands on the summit of these hills. Forty-four miles of fencing have been put up, and half a dozen wells, fitted with windmills and tanks, are augmented by natural springs, so that there is no scarcity of water. The homestead, constructed of stone and iron, contains four rooms, while adjacent are men’s quarters, drafting yards, and other outbuildings. These improvements will be steadily added to by Mr. Blythe, and the property will be controlled from the head station.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Giske Gorge, Fitzroy River, Kimberley.
JOSEPH BLYTHE, father of Mr. C. C. Blythe, was born at Bun-bury on May 22, 1850. He is a son of the late James Blythe, of Edinburgh, Scotland, who was attached to the 21st Regiment Imperial Forces and took part in the historic battle of Pinjarra, subsequently becoming a member of the Homney Survey Party. Within recent times a tree was discovered at Stone’s Brook, near Collie, on the trunk of which had been engraved the words “21st Regiment, Jas. Blythe, Sept. 4, 1838.” The portion of the trunk bearing the inscription (about 3 ft. in length) is now in the possession of the Forests Department and is in a splendid state of preservation. Mr. Joseph Blythe was early associated with agriculture and stock life, and at nineteen rented from Mr. Mark
Deep Pool at Giske Gorge, Fitzroy river
Padbury a farm of 40 acres situated in the Lower Blackwood district, holding the same for about five years. After spending a short time in the Warren district he bought “Jelbargarup,” a holding situated in Lower Blackwood district, where he remained nine years, when he sold out owing to a disease attacking his dairy herd. In 1884 he proceeded to Derby, in the Kimberley district, where, among other ventures, he opened an hotel and continued in the jovial role of boniface for five years. He then commenced operations at “Noonkambah” Station for Emmanuel Brothers, and continued until 1894, when he took over the management of “Lennard” FAT cattle from Mr. C. C. Blythe'S Stations landed at Fremantle, march. 1913. Station, where he remained
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
195
gained a splendid insight into practical farming under his father, and on arrival of the family at Derby turned his attention to team driving and stock handling, continuing in these occupations for six years. During this time he added to his experience of farming considerable knowledge in all departments of the pastoral industry, and feeling confident of his ability to form a successful station he started “Brooking,” and has since brought the station up to its present state of efficiency. Mr. Blythe is one of the finest judges of stock in Western Australia, no further proof of this being needed than the splendid shorthorn cattle and sheep which to-day are to be found on “Brooking” Station. Mr. Blythe has not permitted the whole of his time to be taken up in the management of his own affairs, but has given a portion of his attention to social demands. He was one of the founders of the Fitzroy Racing Club in 1901, and since its inception has filled the offices of president, judge, and steward. On the occasion of the first race meeting held under the auspices of this club Mrs. Blythe was the only white woman present. He is patron of the Derby Race Club, and was gazetted a Justice of the Peace for West Kimberley in 1908, during the regime of the Moore Government. Mr. Blythe married at Richmond, Victoria, in 1900, Pauline, third daughter of the late John Tyson, of Wales, England, latterly of Victoria. Mrs. Blythe is related to the famous Tyson family, and is able to trace her family tree as far back as 800 years.
for the next two or three years. In 1897 he explored the north side of the Leopold Ranges, being the first to open these hills for pastoral purposes. He afterwards drove his cattle throughout the range in 1903 and opened up the original track, over which he drove the first vehicle. Returning to Bunbury in
eight children, of whom six sons and one daughter now survive. One son perished of thirst while endeavouring to overtake straying cattle, his horse dying under him. When on “Lennard” Station Mr. Blythe rendered signal service, and himself narrowly escaped death, by joining forces with the police in
Fat Bullock from Mr. C C. Blythe’s “Millywindy" Station.
1898 Mr. Blythe began business as a butcher, only to sell out and return to Kimberley in 1903 for the purpose of opening up “Cowandine” Station in conjunction with one of his sons. This partnership was afterwards dissolved, and Mr. Blythe, sen., taking two-thirds of the cattle, settled at “Mount House” Station, in the Leopold Ranges, where he continued until 1910, when he sold his interests to his three sons—Messrs.
Joseph William Blythe,
Arthur Blythe, and Mervyn Frederick Blythe. He afterwards proceeded south to Moora and commenced wheat-growing and sheepraising on a moderate scale.
Shortly after settling at Moora Mr. Blythe’s health began to give way, and in 1911 he made over the farm to his son, Roland George, himself retiring to Bunbury to enjoy a well-earned rest after the many strenuous years of labour in different parts of the State. He married a daughter of the late James Copping, of Bussel-ton, and had a family of n2
the search for and ultimate shooting of the dangerous aboriginal “Pigeon,” who had shot five white men and for three years had evaded all the efforts of the countryside to secure him. CHARLES CHRISTOPHER BLYTHE was born at Bunbury on February 13, 1871. He
Another View of Fat Cattle at Fremantle.
“ETTRICK.”—The pastoral property of “Ettrick,” owned by Messrs. George Learmonth Hardie, George Harold Corney, and John Lyall Stewart, is situated in the northwestern areas of Western Australia. It comprises some 200,000 acres of country, watered by the De Grey River, which runs right through the property, and originally formed part of “Mulyie” Station, now held in the name of Anderson Brothers and Co. The first to take up the territory for pastoral operations were Mr. Grant and Mr. J. W. Anderson, by
producing many different species of native grasses, among which are included several varieties of spinifex, which flourishes on the open grassy plains, and in its early stages is an excellent fattener for stock. By the belts of light timber defining its boundaries the course of the De Grey River may be traced, winding its way throughout the property. This watercourse is looked upon as the mainstay of the estate, large pools sunk deep in the bed of the river and stretching over long reaches providing a permanent supply of water
are nearly always full, and serve by an automatic contrivance the iron troughs, which are always kept brimming with a continually-renewed supply of pure water. The boundaries of “Ettrick” are defined and protected by fences, in the construction of which wooden posts and iron standards were used, threaded with six strands of wire, the same system obtaining throughout the subdivision fences which separate the thirteen paddocks, varying in size from
10,000 acres to double that area. The homestead is a neat building
Photo by W. E. Elston. “wallinar,” Residence of Mr. G. L. Hardie, Broome Hill.
whom it was sold to Messrs. Ross and Tom Anderson. Eventually the run was split up and Mr. George L. Hardie purchased an interest in the “Ettrick” portion, together with Messrs. James Duff and the Anderson Brothers, all of whom he subsequently bought out, continuing for about twelve years as sole proprietor. Toward the end of the year 1910 Mr. Corney and Mr. Stewart were admitted into partnership on terms of quarter shares, the station being held under the existing terms of pastoral leasehold. The soil is fertile.
during the hottest of the summer months. Water may be obtained almost anywhere by sinking in these localities, and twelve wells, ranging in depth from 15 to 60 ft., are found on different parts of the property, fitted with windmills and surface tanks of 6,000 gallons capacity, which latter are raised a couple of feet from the ground. These tanks are constructed of sheets of plain iron, riveted together in a circular shape, the cost averaging from £25 to £30 each tank. Through the abundance of the water supply they
constructed of iron walls and wood flooring, the roof being of galvanized iron. It comprises six rooms in addition to the three-roomed bachelors’ quarters, and storeroom of commodious size, which stand about 20 yards distant. The dairy also is semidetached, and clustered together on another part of the homestead area are the stockyards for cattle and horses, built of river gum of local growth, substantial slab stables securely roofed with iron, the buggy-shed, harness-room, feed-room, and other outbuildings. The woolshed,
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designed for the accommodation of ten shearing stands, has its engine-room, a 4 horse-power engine providing driving power for the Faulkner and Bolls’ machines, which were installed in 1910, and have been found in every respect satisfactory. The yards surrounding the shearing-shed cover an area sufficiently large for the working of 5,000 sheep. The flock on “Ettrick” consists of about
18,000 sheep, which display the best traits of the merino type, the famous “Boonoke” strain having produced its unvarying excellent results when
the value of the wool in districts where they are prevalent. A contemporary writer has stated his opinion that the best merino flocks in Western Australia in the future will probably be found in the northern areas, including the north - west, where many flocks of high-class wool-producing qualities are already found. It is inspiring to remember that Australia stands at the head of the wool-producing countries of the world with 92,000,000 sheep, which produce fleeces the average weight of which (7 lb. 10 oz.) is only surpassed
of good imported blood and suitability of environment is already made manifest by the fact that the average weight of fleece has increased during the past fifteen years by about li lb. per sheep. The breeders of the northwest are making strenuous efforts to reach the high-water mark of quality, and are rapidly coming on in this direction. The flock at “Ettrick,” together with many others in the district, produces fleeces the average weight of which attains to 7 lb.., and the wool in its greasy state, usually commands from 9d. to 10d»
Photo by W. E. Elston.
transplanted to the north-west of the Western Australian State. Infusions of fresh blood have been made from time to time, but the wonderful combination of fine qualities evidenced in the merinos bred in the Riverina by Messrs. Falkiner & Sons is difficult to surpass, and about forty rams are purchased each season from Mr. Ross Anderson, of Katanning, who breeds from the same “Boonoke” strain. The sheep' are entirely free from all those diseases which cause so much mortality in the flocks and depreciate
Stud Ewes on Rape Patch at ' Wallinar ’•
by the flocks of New Zealand. Western Australia contributes about five and a half millions toward this grand total, and it may confidently be expected that this number will be increased in the near future by another million, and thus bring her into line with South Australia, which has stood normal for several years at about six and a half millions. With increase in numbers improvement in quality must go hand in hand, if the reputation of the State as a sheepbreeding and wool-producing country is to be enhanced, and the result
per lb. at the London market's. The principal lambing season occurs in May and June, but there is a secondary drop in October and November, and the average for the year runs out at about 65 per cent. A few cattle of the shorthorn type are bred, chiefly for use on the station, which has its milch herd and its mob of “killers,” in addition to the working bullocks of the teams. A bull, bred by Mr. Grant at Newmar-racarra, was purchased in 1909, and is used for breeding purposes, but it is not the intention of the owners of
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“Ettrick” to engage in cattle-raising on any extensive scale. The horses bred are mostly hacks for station requirements, the sire in use being “Stonebreaker,” by “Stone Design,” originally imported from Victoria. The rainfall of this district for the past ten years has been lighter than formerly, only 10 in. being averaged, against 15 in previous seasons. The dews, which throughout the northwest are heavy and frequent, are a valuable auxiliary to the rainfall, and have a very refreshing effect on young grasses and herbage. After a
reticulation scheme. Especially beautiful are the oleanders, which have taken very kindly to the soil and climate, and bloom all the year round, and very many other favourites, perennial and annual, brighten by their vivid colours the monotony of the neutral shades which prevail in these localities. GEORGE LEARMONTH HARDIE is a son of the late Mr. George Hardie, who came to Victoria from Scotland in the early forties, and during the whole of his subsequent career was closely identified with the pastoral
beginning to come into prominence. Mr. Hardie took a position as general station hand on “Mulgie” Station, owned by Messrs. Anderson Brothers, and here he applied himself to master the details of station management and gained valuable experience in the conditions of soil and climate to be met with in the northern localities. In 1893 he joined his brother in storekeeping pursuits at Marble Bar, and for a couple of years was engaged in commercial life. At the end of this period the business was sold and the
Photo by H. C. Biltoft. Pair of Buggy ponies, the Property of Mr. g. L. Hardie.
few heavy dews, even though there may have been no rain, tender grass and spinifex will often shoot and grow rapidly for 3 or 4 in. Cultivation has not been attempted on the station, excepting round the homestead, where all kinds of vegetables are grown, providing a plentiful supply for domestic requirements during seven months in the year. The shrubs and blossoms of the flower garden also generously reward the careful tendance which they receive, and all the plots are copiously irrigated by means of an efficient
industry in that State. The gentleman under review was born at “St. Heller’s” Station, in the western district of Victoria, on July 16, 1869. His education was conducted by means of private tuition, and all his interests from infancy being directed toward stock and agriculture, the natural bent of his inclination also tended in that direction. He was engaged in the sheep-raising industry and mixed farming pursuits generally for some years before his arrival in Western Australia in 1889, about which time the far north-west was
brothers purchased some pastoral country lying about 50 miles from the scene of their recent business operations. In this way the station now known as “Warralong” was formed, and until 1902 Mr. G. L. Hardie retained his interest in this property, which is held at the present time by Messrs. T. A. Hardie, A. E. Hardie, and J. L. Stewart, the last-named gentleman being one of the partners in “Ettrick.” In the above year, having disposed of his share in “Warralong” to his brothers, Mr. Hardie directed his whole attention
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to the development of “Ettrick,” into possession of which he had come, as already related, some five years previously. Before the expiration of 1902 he purchased Messrs. Anderson
Bartletto, Perth.
Me. George Learmonth Hardie.
Brothers’ share of the property, and two years later Mr. Duff also went out of the partnership, and Mr. Hardie was left sole proprietor. In the latter end of 1910 Mr. Hardie purchased a half-share in the “Noreena Downs” Station, wdiich has since been floated into the Noreena Pastoral Company, a fine property of 760,000 acres, which at its formation had been stocked with horses and cattle. Under the supervision of Mr. Hardie sheep-raising operations were inaugurated, and this department shows promise of becoming, before the lapse of many years, the most profitable branch of the industry. The 200 horses on “Noreena Downs” comprise chiefly draughts and hacks, and of the three stallions one is of Arab blood, bred on Mr. J. McKay’s station at Roy Hill, and another upstanding trotting stallion was imported from Victoria. The cattle are of the usual shorthorn type, and it is the intention of the company to breed for the southern markets, where a ready sale is obtained for high-class stock from the north-west runs. About five miles west of Broome Hill, in the South-West Division of Western Australia,
lies “Wallinar,” an estate comprising 3,400 acres, which was purchased by Mr. Hardie in 1905 from Messrs. Genoni Brothers, who had selected the holding some eight years previously. The soil is of mixed character, the light sandy loam being varied by tracts of the red soil prevalent in the district, and there are expanses of timber, the valuable jam and white-gum being most largely represented. Mixed farming operations are carried on, but it is Mr. Hardie’s intention to use the property chiefly as a stud farm, where sheep will be bred to replenish his north-west properties. At the present time there are about 800 sheep on “Wallinar,” and 250 acres are already cropped with
Mr. George Harold Corney.
wheat and oats, while a further 800 acres have been cleared and will shortly be placed under cultivation. The rainfall is good, and excellent results may confidently be expected to follow the working of the energetic and up-to-date policy which Mr. Hardie has put in motion on the estate in connection with the agricultural department. A fine homestead has been erected for a family residence, comprising twenty rooms, and adjacent is the orchard, ten acres in extent, where splendid crops of apples and stone fruits are produced, while a plentiful supply of grapes is obtained from the two-acre vineyard in the vicinity of the homestead. Mr. Hardie was married in 1903 to
Hilda Gertrude, daughter of the late Mr. A. N. Corney, a well-known early settler of Tasmania. GEORGE HAROLD CORNEY, one of the shareholders in “Ettrick” Station, is a native of Tasmania, his father being the late Mr. A. N. Corney, an early pioneer of the Lake House district of that island. He came to Western Australia in 1905 and was identified with operations on “Ettrick” for some five years previous to his entering into partnership with Mr. Hardie. He resides at the station and is actively employed in the management of the property. JOHN LYALL STEWART, the other partner, was born in the western district of Victoria, and came to Western Australia in the early nineties. For several years he was employed on “De Grey” Station, discharging the duties of bookkeeper and assisting in various ways in the station routine, until in conjunction with Messrs. Mervyn Corney and H. R. L. TIardey he became one of the founders of “Strelly” Station. In 1908 he joined Messrs. Hardie Brothers in partnership in “Warra-long” Station, and undertook the management of that property, which
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Lyall Stewart.
he still conducts. In 1910 he disposed of his interests in “Strelly” Station, and purchased a fourth interest in “Ettrick.”
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“WARRALONG” and “BOOD-ARRIE,” the property of Messrs. T. A. and A. E. Hardie. Situated some sixty miles from Port Hedland, on the railway connecting Marble Bar, lies the pastoral run of “Warralong,” founded in 1894 by Mr. T. A. Hardie with sheep secured from “Mulyie,” an adjoining property on the De Grey River. It embraces 300,000 acres of undulating country, where chocolate loam is varied by a light sandy soil, very favourable for growing spinifex, which forms the principal fodder. Besides the Shaw River, “Warralong” depends for its water supply on Pier Creek, and the pools and soaks in the river bed are augmented by thirty wells in different localities sunk to an average depth of 50 ft. from the surface. The water is raised by means of twenty-five windmills and stored for convenient service to the stock in tanks of 5,000 gallons capacity. Originally containing 145,000 acres, the property subsequently was enlarged by the purchase of 180,000 acres of the “De Grey” Station, and is subdivided into twenty paddocks. The original homestead was erected in 1895, and further accommodation provided from time to time. Sheepraising is the principal industry ; the flock, numbering 22,000, is composed entirely of merinos. Rams purchased
from Mr. W. D. Crozier, the well-known South Australian pastoralist, introduced a good strain, which predominates, though from time to time
Bartletto, Perth.
Me. Thomas Andebson Haedie.
the standard has been considerably raised by the infusion of fresh blood. The sheep are well framed, and the fleece, yielding wool of extra long staple, is in weight well up to the
general average obtained on northwest properties. Shearing takes place in July, and in due course the wool is shipped to London, where it fetches sound prices. There are 400 purebred shorthorn cattle, 70 horses, 10 camels, 2 mules, and 20 donkeys, which, in addition to the bullocks, compose the teams for transport of wool, supplies, etc. The manager of “Warralong” is Mr. Jack Stewart. “BOODARRIE” has for its boundary on the western side the tossing billows of the Indian Ocean. It lies north of Port Hedland, from which its nearest point is eight miles distant, and is an ideal locality for sheepraising. The flock was founded by Messrs. Wedge, Richardson, & Co., and was purchased from them by the present owners with the property in 1901. It now numbers 18,000 merinos. The “Boodarrie” property originally embraced 600,000 acres, but afterwards was divided, Mr. J.
E. Richardson taking half and the other portion falling into the possession of the Messrs. Hardie. Later on the latter gentlemen sold over
100,000 acres, which reduced the run to its present acreage of 191,000, subdivided into 20 paddocks, comprising each about 5,000 acres. Besides sheep the “Boodarrie” property carries 200 head of shorthorns.
Photo by W. E, Elston.
Rosedale." Residence of Mr. t. a. Hardie.
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about fifty horses, and thirty-five donkeys, by means of which the wool is carted for shipment. The station operations are under the control of Mr. GL T. O. Macpherson, the general manager. “ROSEDALE,” the property of Mr. T. A. Iiardie, is situated on the Clayton Road, some
Bartletto, Perth.
Mb. Alexander Edward Hardie.
nine miles from Narrogin, in the south-western district of the State. It was taken up by the present owner in 1907 by purchase from Messrs. Clayton and Rentoul, about 1,000 acres having been cleared prior to its changing hands. Originally embracing between 9,000 and 10,000 acres, it underwent diminution in 1911, when 5,000 acres were cut off to form
Mr. A. E. Hardie’s “Denabling” Estate. It now comprises 4,000 acres, this area being subdivided into ten paddocks for grazing pastures.
Samuel Way’s “Kadlunga” Estate (S.A.l, which met with such approval that a further selection was made by Mr. Hardie at the Adelaide
Photo by 11. E. Alston. entrance Drive to ' Rosedale."
Sheep - breeding is the primary industry, and great improvement has taken place in the flock during the past five years, results yielding twenty bales of wool per 1,000 sheep in 1911, against twelve bales in earlier seasons. This has been largely due to the importation of rams from Mr. W. D. Crozier’s estate in South Australia, and locally-bred “Boo-noke” blood rams from Mr. Ross Anderson’s flock have also given good results. Even more marked has been the improvement since the introduction in 1910 of several rams from Sir
Royal Show of 1911. Carefully-chosen ewes have been mated with these sires, and sound foundation laid for the future stud flock. The proprietor intends to continue breeding almost exclusively from the pure merino stock for which “Kadlunga” has made itself famous, and a large surplus of stud rams, available for intending purchasers, is being produced annually on the “Rosedale” estate. The sheep show good breadth and robust constitution and are well covered on top, while the wool has grown long and strong, with
Photo by W. E. Elston.
HOMESTEAD ON " DENABLING” ESTATE.
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plenty of yolk in evidence. Horse-breeding is carried on to provide for station requirements, the Clydesdale stallion “Glenluss Harold” being used as sire. This stallion is by “Young Champion,” and his dam, by “The Beau” (imp.), gained first at Maryborough, Victoria, in 1903, this being the only occasion upon which she has been shown. About 200 acres of new country is developed each year for grazing pastures, and a similar area is cleared and cropped with hay, the average yield being a ton and a half to the acre. Mr. Hardie is well up-to-date in the important particular of chaff-feeding the sheep during the later months of summer. A quantity of wheat and oats is grown, the former giving 15 bushels and the
where all the comforts and many of the luxuries of modern civilization have found place. Acetylene gas has been installed throughout, there are a hot and cold water service, electric bells, and flyproof doors and windows, while wide verandahs help to reduce the temperature in summer. Kitchen, dairy, laundry, and servants’ quarters are alike properly appointed. An iron shearing-shed with five stands, fitted with Wolseley shearing-machines, steam-driven, has been built, where, by arrangement, the flocks of neighbouring estates are also shorn. The shed is used in the summer for the storage of hay. The stables are up to date, and there are the usual chaifcutters, harvesters, and other machinery found on the
into partnership, and later Mr. George Hardie was bought out. In 1907 the subject of our notice purchased his “Narrogin” property, and entered personally upon its development, four years later dividing the estate with Mr. A. E. Hardie as above stated. Mr. Hardie interests himself in the affairs of the district, and is president of the Narrogin Agricultural Society and of the local Liberal League. He was also president of the race club for three years, upon his resignation Mr. A. E. Hardie being elected to the post. In 1896 he married Alma, daughter of the late J. F. Hancock, latterly of “Ashburton Downs” Station, and one of the first to penetrate the northwest. In company with Mr. John
Shearing Shed at "Warralong."
latter 35 bushels to the acre. Lucerne is also cultivated with excellent results, and the area devoted to this fodder will be increased as soon as arrangements are made for obtaining a regular and sufficient water supply. For this purpose a dam is being constructed on Miningin Brook, from which the water will be raised by means of a windmill and stored in a second reservoir excavated in an adjacent hill, whence it will gravitate through a series of pipes to the lucerne paddocks. Superphosphates are used on the cultivation fields, the result being very noticeable improvement, which is lacking where patches have been missed. A fine homestead of brick and stone, comprising fourteen rooms, was erected in 1911 on the “Rosedale” Estate at a cost of £2,500,
most advanced properties. THOMAS ANDERSON HARDIE was born in Victoria in 1863, and is a son of Mr. George Learmonth Hardie, formerly of Glasgow, Scotland, who came to Australia in the early days, and was farming in the western district of the above-mentioned State. At the close of his education at Port Fairy Mr. Hardie assisted his father on the home farm for a period, and at the age of twenty came to Western Australia. He was identified with station life in the north-west until 1892, with the exception of some time spent in storekeeping pursuits at Marble Bar goldfield. In that year, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. G. L. Hardie, he founded “Warralong” Station, and carried it on for two years, when Mr. A. E. Hardie was admitted
Withnell this pioneer landed the first sheep at Port Hedland, but lack of water caused him to proceed to Point Walcott (Cossack), where “Sherlock” Station was settled. Mr. Hardie has a family of two sons and four daughters. “DENABLING,” on its western side adjoins the “Rosedale” property, of which it once formed a part, being purchased by Mr. A. E. Hardie in 1911. It comprises 5,041 acres of land, of which the greater portion is still heavily timbered with jam and gum, 800 acres only having been cleared at the time of writing, but a further 200 to 300 acres will be brought under the axe annually, With an average rainfall of 17 inches and plenty of natural grasses, among which trefoil prevails, the place is well suited to the purposes of mixed
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farming to which it is applied by the owner, sheep-raising and cereal-growing being the primary industries carried on. The estate is watered by the Miningin Brook, from which an adequate supply is raised by windmill, pumped across the roadway and troughed for the requirements of the stock. One 500-yards dam has also been put down. Although the property has not been long in the hands of the present owner a number of improvements have already been made, and a manager’s cottage, stables, chaffhouse, etc., erected. Substantial fences surround and subdivide the estate, the boundary-fence being of six wires and netted, the cost of fence construction averaging £35 per mile. The sheep, taken originally from the Rosedale flock, number 1,700 merinos, which have been built up from Mr. W. D. Crozier’s South Australian strain. At a later date rams were obtained from the estate of the late Thomas Millear, of Deniliquin, New South Wales, with the object of breeding a good wool-producing sheep and suitable rams for north-west purposes. The sheep look very promising, being bright, robust, and well-framed, with wool of long staple and very clean. A few draught horses are bred, “Glen-luss Harold” being used as sire. The farm work is done principally by contract, and Mr. Arthur Hiscock manages the property on behalf of Mr. Hardie, who intends further development on entirely model lines. ALEXANDER EDWARD HARDIE was born at Port Fairy, in the western district of Victoria, in
the year 1875, being a son of Mr. George Hardie. He pursued his scholastic studies at Portland, and subsequently was engaged in farming avocations on his brother’s property at Port Fairy. In 1895 he came to Western Australia and joined Mr. T. A. Hardie at “Warralong” Station, where he assisted in the station operations until 1901. He then took charge
of “Boodarrie” until 1909, in which year he came south to “Rosedale,” and managed that estate for the next twelve months, when the property was divided, Mr. T. A. Hardie retaining the original holding, whilst Mr. A. E. Hardie formed “Denabling.” In 1911 the latter went to England on a pleasure trip, and since his return, after an absence of eight or
nine months, has given his personal attention to the management of the property. He has purchased a settler’s block two miles from Narro-gin, where he intends to build and take up his permanent residence. Mr. A. E. Hardie is deeply interested in sporting matters, particularly in connection with the Narrogin Race Club, of which he is chairman of
committees. He owns a few thoroughbreds, and his colours (red, green sleeves and red cap) are often to be seen at the local meetings, to which he lends hearty support. He has won several events with his horses, which are bred principally in the north-west of the State. An enthusiastic polo player, he acts as secretary to the Narrogin Polo Club
Homestead at “Warralong.•1
‘•MUCCAN” and “TELYARUP.” Situated about 125 miles from Port Hedland lies the pastoral property of “Muccan,” owned by Mr. M. Corbett. It comprises 387,000 acres with a frontage of 25 miles to the De Grey River. The station is
Bartletto, Berth.
Mb. Michael Cokbett.
surrounded by mountains on the northern boundary, which make a defining line, otherwise the country consists mostly of plains well suited to sheep-raising and wool-growing. The native grasses grow luxuriantly in good seasons and there are fields of soft spinifex country. The “Muccan” flock, which is purely a merino one, owes its foundation to the importation of several rams from Mr. Alex. Murray’s “Mount Crawford” Station and the purchase of a number of ewes from Mr. Duncan McRae, of “Croydon” Station, Western Australia. At a later date fresh blood was introduced by the
purchase of rams from Mr. W. D. Crozier, of South Australia, and in 1905 100 of the famous “Boonoke” rams were obtained from Messrs. Falkiner & Sons, New South Wales. Since then fresh importations of ewes have been made from Mr. W.
D. Crozier’s “Moorna” and “Rock-brook” Stations in South Australia. This liberal infusion of new blood has had a marked effect on the flock, the sheep being well up to the
standard, their strong frames carrying a heavy fleece of excellent length and staple. The 1910 clip averaged 7 lb., including a fair percentage of lambs. Lambing occurs in March and September, and the general average totals about 75 per cent., though in record years 100 per cent, has been exceeded. The wool is sent to the London markets, always commanding the best ruling price. Besides the flock, which consists of about 21,000 sheep, the run carries
100 head of shorthorn cattle and 90 horses. Six camels and eighty-five donkeys are kept for transport purposes. In 1907 Mr. Corbett directed his attention to the southern portion of the State and purchased an estate situated 17 miles distant from Broome Hill, on which he bestowed the name “Telyarup.” The property covers an area of 3,400 acres, and is well watered and grassed with trefoil and clover, and has proved
admirably adapted for the purposes Mr. Corbett had in view, viz., that of breeding stud sheep. Sparing neither energy nor outlay, he has already cleared 2,000 acres at 'a cost of XI per acre. The country is gently undulating, with forests of York gum, morrel, and salmon. The soil consists of a rich loam of good depth, and it is Mr. Corbett’s intention to engage in wheat- and hay-growing on an extended scale. Easy access to the port of Albany
Homestead at Muccan" Station
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lias been provided by the newly-constructed Tambellup-Ongerup railway, the Gnowangerup Siding on this line being only seven miles distant from “Telyarup.” At the present time the flock consists of about
1,000 sheep, a fine type of merino having been produced by means of rams imported from the “Koonoona” Estate in South Australia, while the stud flock now numbers about 250. H’therto Mr. Corbett has disposed of his surplus rams, which have
commanded very good prices, but in future all the rams and ewes will be kept for breeding purposes. An enterprise which is attracting considerable attention from the horse-breeders of the State is Mr. Corbett’s importation of the purebred Percheron sire “Invincible.” While travelling in France in 1911 he was struck by the possibilities of the Percheron type, and he finally secured the present sire, which was landed in splendid condition, at a cost of £700, being the first of its kind to reach Western Australian shores. “Invincible” was foaled in 1908, and is a handsome stamp of animal, showing in every point the purity and excellence of his pedigree. The Arab strain is well in evidence, and the fine combination of strength and activity displayed by every movement of the magnificent limbs is a convincing argument for the popularity which the Percheron breed has attained in Canada and America, as well as on the Continent. Mr. Corbett intends to use “Invincible” with a limited number of Clydesdale draughts and blood mares in the surrounding districts. There are some twenty Clydesdales at “Telyarup,” and the
fine stallion “Deep Dugdale” (“Sir William”—“Violet”) is responsible for some valuable specimens of rising stock in the district. A number of Ayrshire cattle was purchased from R. Dugdale, of Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, and another important department of Mr. Corbett’s operations is the raising of Berkshire pigs from three purebred sows and a boar (“Manor Arthur”) which Mr. Corbett bought in England from Mr. Arthur Hiscock, a noted breeder, of
“Manor” Farm, Morcambe, Dorset. In 1910 a fine brick homestead was erected at “Telyarup,” embracing nine rooms, and surrounded by a spacious verandah. Many other
improvements have been effected, including the excavation of nine 1,000-yard dams for water conservation purposes. The “Telyarup” Station is under control of Mr. P. Corbett, while Mr. C. Holthouse manages the property in the north-west. MICHAEL CORBETT was born at Perth, Western Australia, in 1860, and is a son of the late Mr. James Corbett, of Tipperary, Ireland, a carpenter and contractor, who came to Western Australia in the fifties and was a prominent tradesman in this State. At the close of his education Mr. Michael Corbett was associated with his father in business for three years, but desiring larger scope for his energies he entered upon station pursuits with the firm of Grant, Anderson, & Edgar. Seven years later he took up the “Warra-wagine” property, which subsequently was exchanged with Messrs. Darlot Brothers for “Muccan,” and in 1907 acquired “Telyarup,” as above recorded. Mr. Corbett is chairman of the Progress Committee in the latter district, and was a prominent advocate of the Tambellup-Ongerup railway line. He is a Justice of the Peace, a member of the Roads Board, and for three years was chairman of the Broome Hill Race Club. In 1911 he visited England, Ireland, Scotland, and the Continent, Canada, and America, the tour occupying in all about nine months.
Harvesting at ‘ telyarup
CHARLES MITCHINSON STRAKER, J.P., of “Hamersley” and “Coolawhyniah” Stations, situated on the tableland of the Roe-bourne district, was born atWithern-sea, near Hull, Yorkshire, England, on June 28, 1857. He is a son of the late Mr. John Straker, of that place, and received his education at Hull
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Charles Mitchinson Straker.
Grammar School, at the close of his scholastic career turning his attention to farming pursuits in his native county. In January, 1882, he arrived in Western Australia, and immediately proceeded to the northwest, where he was entertained for a time at the “Chirritta” Station as the guest of the proprietor, Mr. McLeod. Being desirous of getting into harness as soon as possible he accepted a position as jackeroo on the “Millstream” Station, and having gained sufficient experience at a later period undertook the duties of sheep overseer on “Croydon” Station. Having held various other positions, in 1887 he took over the lease of “Tam-brey” Station in partnership with Mr. Harry Mears, and carried it on until 1891, when a serious drought compelled the abandonment of the enterprise. After managing a property at Roebourne for a short time Mr. Straker received the appointment of travelling Inspector of Aborigines under the auspices of the Government, which he filled for two years, at the close of that period taking charge of a party to open up a stock route for the Government from Mul-lewa to Roebourne. After this trip, during which fifty-two Government
wells were sunk by the party, Mr. Straker resigned his position in 1899 in order to join Mr. Duncan McRae in the purchase of the “Croydon,” “Hamersley,” and “Coolawhyniah” Stations. This partnership existed until 1911, when “Croydon” was sold, and Mr. Straker purchased Mr. McRae’s interests in “Hamersley” and “Coolawhyniah,” and has since carried them on as sole proprietor. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace under Governor Broome in 1888 before the introduction of responsible government in Western Australia. For thirteen years he occupied a seat on the Tableland Roads Board. He has made two trips to the Old Country, visiting England in 1900 and again in 1909, when he extended his travels to the Continent of Europe, returning to his adopted country after an absence of nine months.
LEONARD HAWTHORN DAR-LOT, of Darlot Brothers, of “War-rawegine,” “Polelle,” and “Urella” Stations, is a son of the late Mr. H. Darlot, of “Bundyulumblah,” Deniliquin, New South Wales. He was born at Melbourne, Victoria, on September 18, 1862, and received his education at Wesley College, in that city. Having concluded his scholastic career he began life on the “Bundyulumblah” Station, in Riverina, and after a short sojourn in that district proceeded to Queensland and spent about two years in travelling in the interior of that State, during which period he enlarged his experience in pastoral operations. In March, 1882, he arrived in Western Australia and settled on the Murchison River, where his brother, Mr. E. F. Darlot, had preceded him by some twelve months. The late Mr. H. Darlot had purchased “B'erringarra” Station, on the Murchison, from Messrs. Robert Campbell and Smith, and the brothers took control of this property with the adjoining “Mount Fraser” Station, which had been the property of a Mr. Keily. The latter run afterwards was sold to Messrs. Steele Brothers, at a later date being again purchased by Messrs. Darlot Brothers and resold to Mr. E. Lee Steere, the present owner, while “Berringarra” in 1910 passed into the hands of the Australian and New Zealand Land Company. Various other properties were acquired by the firm from time to time, among
which was “Annean” Station, on the Murchison, a portion of which they sold, retaining “Polelle,” which originally was part of this property. The brothers also purchased and afterwards sold “Narra Tarra,” near Geraldton, and “Yangedine,” near York, and at the present time are owners of “Warrawegine” and “Bay-side,” in the north-west, and “Urella,” near Mingenew. Mr. Darlot is a keen lover of horses, and on the turf his name stands for everything which has tended to keep the sport clean. With his brother, he has owned and raced many well-known performers, among which may be mentioned “St. Ives,” “Wairiri,” and “Keston” (all Derby winners), “Lucky Dog,” “Limber,”# “Ropa,” and a host of others. For some time he has occupied the position of president of the Western Australian Hunt Club and is one of the oldest members of the Western Australian Turf Club. He is a member of the Northern Club at Auckland, the Weld Club, Perth, and acted as Director of the Wellington Park Stud Company, where
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Leonard Hawthorn Darlot.
the famous “Carbine" was bred, and for a considerable time it was his custom to pay an annual visit to New Zealand. He is fond of golf and is president of the Perth Golf Club. He is a member of the Committee of the Royal Perth Yacht Club; and also a life member of the Western Australian Cricket Association. In 1907 Mr. Darlot married Jenny, daughter of Mr. T. W. Brown, of London.
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JAMES BROCKMAN, J.P., is a son of the late Mr. Robert James Brockman, of Beechborough House, Kent, England, who came to this State in 1831, and was one of the pioneer farmers of the eastern districts. He died in 1897, after living in retirement for thirty years at Bunbury. The gentleman under review was born at his father’s residence near Guildford, Western Australia, on July 19, 1843, and was brought up to farming and station pursuits. At sixteen years of age he left home and obtained a position as foreman on a large horse and cattle station near Gingin, where numbers of fine horses were bred for shipment to the Indian market, and gained considerable experience as a roughrider. Four years later, in conjunction with a friend, he took over the lease of a large dairy farm and cattle and horse station combined, and after its expiration continued in the pastoral industry for some years. About this time he obtained his first knowledge of seafaring matters, becoming owner and afterwards master of a schooner engaged in the coastal trade, and was the first to load a shipment of guano from Houtman’s Abrolhos, a group of small islands off Geraldton, which he sold to Mr. W. Spencer, a merchant at Bunbury, thus proving its commercial value. Mr. Brockman had long wished to visit the “'great north-west,” and at length an opportunity occurred. A party formed by two young men, Messrs. Henry and William Clarkson, had been engaged by Messrs. Grant, Harper, & Anderson, squatters, of the “De Grey” Station, in the Roebourne district, to purchase and drive overland a large herd of cattle. Both brothers lost their lives in January, 1874, Henry Clarkson being murdered by the natives while endeavouring to carry water to the relief of his brother William, who subsequently perished from thirst. The party being left without a leader, Mr. Brockman applied for and obtained the post, and succeeded after a journey occupying six months in getting the party to Roebourne. He next took a position as mate on the Government vessel “Adela” under Captain P. Walcott, Inspector of Pearl Shell Fisheries, resigning at the end of the pearling season. In July, 1880, he fitted up a small vessel, the property of his brother, Mr. C. S. Brockman, for the purpose of engaging in the pearling industry. He procured native divers from the
Gascoyne, now known as Carnarvon, and after touching at Cossack proceeded to the then new pearling grounds of King Sound. Here he lost one of his divers, who was seized and torn to pieces by a large alligator while diving off the mouth of the Fraser River. This induced him to leave and to try his fortune in the latter part of December on the old western grounds near Roebourne, where he did remarkably well. On January 7, 1881, in company with fourteen other vessels, he was met by one of the terrible hurricanes common to those latitudes. Every vessel was either swamped or driven ashore, and many lives were lost. His boat, with two heavy anchors down, dragged for a long distance and finally capsized and sank. After keeping himself afloat for five hours
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. James Brockman.
in the height of the storm and in utter darkness he was carried by the tide and landed upon a sandy shore in a most exhausted condition. Here he found members of his own and other crews, all with a sad tale to tell of similar disaster. During five subsequent months he occupied his time by digging a canal, 300 yards in length, from the spot where his vessel had been thrown on the marsh, to an adjacent creek, and at the high spring tides floated her down into deep water, where he jury-rigged her and proceeded to Fremantle. There he refitted his boat, and loading her with general cargo went into the north-west coastal trade, which proved very profitable until the era of the steamer arrived, when sailing
vessels were at a discount. He then joined his brother, Mr. C. S. Brockman, in squatting interests in the Gascoyne district, and ultimately, after many years, sold out his share in the enterprise. Unable to lead an idle life, he accepted an appointment as Inspector of Pearl Shell Fisheries at Shark Bay, where he remained in command of the Government cutter “Genista” for six and a half years. He then received promotion to the post of Government Resident at Roebourne, the capital of the north-west, and after three and a half years resigned in April, 1900, when he came to Perth and has lived in retirement ever since. He has been a Justice of the Peace for the whole State for forty years.
ALFRED BARNETT was born on December 16, 1857, and early in life commenced work on a mill at Nor-tham, later gaining considerable experience in the pastoral industry on a . farm in the Beverley district. On October 16, 1882, he left for the Kimberley district, where, with other members of a syndicate called the Meda River Pastoral Company, he had taken up
250,000 acres of land on the Meda River. This run was stocked with sheep conveyed from Fremantle by means of the barque “Amur,” but out of 1,400 ewes 500 were lost in landing. Mr. Barnett continued his connection with this enterprise for eight years, during the greater part of which time he had full control of operations on behalf of the syndicate and met with a fair measure of success. He then accepted the management of “Balmaningarra,” and was identified with the development of this property until 1905, when he relinquished his post and came to Serpentine, where he owns a small holding and devotes his time to mixed farming. During the early years of his residence at Kimberley he experienced great hardships and had many adventures with the blacks, in all of which, however, he came out successfully. He was one of the party sent out to secure the murderer of Antony Cornish, a member of the Squatting Company, who had been speared by the native “Gorilla,’’ and was present at his capture by the police party. During the great flood of 1895, the biggest on record for the district, Mr. Barnett was responsible for the rescue of two white men and a number of natives, on one occasion swimming a mile with a native on his back.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
WILLIAM GERALD LEFROY, the owner of “Yanyeareddy” and “Towera” Stations, in the Ashburton district, is the second son of the late Gerald de Courcey Lefroy, of Santrey, Tipperary, Ireland, who left his native heath for the Antipodes in the early forties. The late Mr. Lefroy came to Western Australia and taking up land at Walebing, near Moora, engaged in sheep-farming during the years that followed, his efforts being crowned with considerable success. After an absence of some fifteen years Mr. Lefroy, sen., returned to Ireland and commenced farming at Ballyloghey, where he continued for a few years with unfortunate results. Accordingly, he once more set out for southern shores, and upon this occasion chartered a vessel for the purpose of bringing with him a large number of emigrants, whom he intended to land at New Zealand in return for a grant of land.
Upon arrival he found that the offer had been withdrawn, and he was compelled to reship his living cargo at considerable loss to himself. Continuing his voyage, first to Sydney and then to Western Australia, in the year 1860 he landed at Busselton. Proceeding to the Warren district he again applied his energies to agricultural and pastoral pursuits, and made a payable proposition of mixed farming operations. Mr. Lefroy’s next move was to enter the Civil Service
as Sheep Inspector, and upon his resignation, after a lengthy occupation of this post, was gazetted Resident Magistrate at Bunbury, which office
he filled for a brief period. He then secured a lease of the property known as “Jayes,” owned by Sir James Lee Steere, and here he followed his original calling of farming until the time of his death. Mr. William
G. Lefroy was born at Ballyloghey, Ireland, on October 6, 1856, and at the age of four years was brought to Australia by his parents. He was educated at Bunbury, and early in life gave evidence of an enterprising and resourceful nature.
At the age of sixteen he purchased a small boat capable of carrying 2 tons, and in company with a man and a boy set sail for Shark Bay to engage
in the search for pearls. At the end of six months Mr. Lefroy sold his interest in the craft, and proceeding to Cheriton he obtained some useful experience in farming life, a little later joining his father at “Jayes,” in the Blackwood district, where he assisted to work the estate.. Severing this connection he went to-the Swan district and rented a farm on the Swan River, where he continued for two years. Discontented with the progress he was making towards the
Garden and Drive at Mileura," Peppermint Grove.
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goal to which most aspire he decided to move farther afield, and in 1880 set out for Carnarvon. Almost immediately he found employment in shearing on Mr. C. S. Brockman’s property, and turned his hand to various tasks incidental to the development of pastoral areas. Before long, however, his adventurous spirit impelled him to face the perils of the explorer, and within two years he covered an immense amount of ground, proceeding inland in an easterly direction for close on 300 miles and crossing the Barlee Ranges. Mr. Lefroy was one of the first white men to penetrate this country, and had many trying experiences with the natives, but always managed to come through unscathed. In 1880, with a black boy, two riding horses and a packhorse, he set out in a north-easterly direction, and about 200 miles from Carnarvon came upon a tract of country with the appear ance of which he was so favourably impressed that he applied for and obtained a lease of 300,000 acres, which area now forms part of “Yanyea-reddy” Station. Leaving Mr. Brockman he spent twelve months with Mr. Mervyn Bunbury, and in the following year, with his brother, Mr. H. G. Lefroy, secured a three years’ lease of “Boolathana” Station from his former employer. When this lease expired the Lefroy Brothers took the surplus stock, consisting of 2,200 sheep and a few cattle and horses, purchased a team of ten bullocks, a waggon, and other supplies, and in 1886 proceeded overland to “Yan-yeareddy,” where they arrived with their flocks and herds unbroken and entered into active possession of the property. Improvements immediately were set in train, the initial enterprise being the sinking of a well to a depth of 30 ft., which yielded an excellent flow, and from this well, in addition to a few soaks in the bed of the Lyndon River and a natural spring on the property, the first supplies of water were obtained. The water was raised by hand and poured into troughs made from the hollowed-out trunks of trees, and as time went on other wells were sunk and further provision made for the watering of the stock. The erection of a bush fence to enclose an area of about
15,000 acres of land for the use of the sheep was one of the next steps in the formation of the station. The preparation of this fence was no light task, as the whole of the material used had to be cut, and the trees o
stacked one on top of the other to the required height. Wire was next imported from England, and with posts of mulga cut on the property,
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. William Gerald Lefroy.
threaded with six strands of wire, substantial fences defined the boundaries and subdivisions of the run. Meanwhile progress was being made in the erection of a homestead, for which sun-dried clay bricks were used, and soon a comfortable dwelling, including three large and two smaller rooms, was ready to welcome the settlers within its walls. This was completed in 1887, and two years later the shearing-shed and woolshed were built, the natives, having been taught the use of a saw, assisting in the general work of improvements. In 1890 such excellent progress had
been made that Mr. W. G. Lefroy decided to leave his brother in charge of the property and take up his residence at Herne Hill, in the Swan district, where he engaged in farming pursuits for the next fourteen years. In 1905 he erected a fine residence at Peppermint Grove, Cottesloe, where he now resides during the greater part of the year. This beautiful home, “Mileura,” standing in two and a half acres of ground and surrounded by its lawns, flower-beds, and vegetable garden, is one of those which have given to the picturesque suburb a large share of its popularity. The credit of planning and laying out these fine grounds has to be given to Mr. S. Boulden, and under his care the garden has become a fine example of floricultural art. In 1907 Mr. Lefroy bought out his brother’s interests in “Yanyeareddy,” and three years later purchased “Towera,” which property adjoins the former station on the north and western boundaries. From its original area of 300,000 acres “Yanyeareddy” during the ensuing years has doubled its acreage, adjoining land being purchased from time to time, the final acquisition from Mr. C. F. Wain-wright, owner of “Caroline,” an estate of 150,000 acres, situated almost in the heart of the run, bringing the latter up to its present dimensions. The general contour of the estate is undulating, the soil principally being loam and limestone with a plentiful sprinkling of quartz and granite. Indications of gold have been found on several parts of the run, but never in sufficient quantities to make development a paying proposition. Numerous species of natural grasses, the chief being wind
Yanyeareddy •» homestead.
210
Australia) were obtained, a notable improvement being evident. Several years later the “Bungaree” strain from the same State was introduced and used in the flock for five years, and in 1908 two representatives of the famous “Wanganella” flock were imported from New South Wales, to be followed by an additional fine ram from the same stud in 1911. The flock has thus always been on the up-grade, and to-day holds its own among contemporary flocks in good average quality. The sheep show a stronger frame, while the wool has grown finer and longer in staple, displaying a fair yolk and giving good results when scoured. The wool is carted to the port of Onslow by means of camel, donkey, and bullock teams, whence it is shipped direct to London, where the “Yan-yeareddy” clip has more than once brought top prices for wool from the Ashburton district. Shearing takes place in July, the work being done at “Towera,” where Moffat-Virtue machinery, driven by an 8-h.p. steam-engine, has been installed. The lambing season is from March to June, and a second drop takes place during December and January, the general average over a number of years being about 80 per cent. The run carries 150 horses, and a number of Clydesdale mares are kept for breeding purposes. The sire in use, “Patch,” a fine stamp of Suffolk Punch, was originally imported to the State from Bangor by Mr. S. Mackay, and purchased for “Yanyeareddy” in 1910. Mr. Lefroy is breeding from Clydesdale mares with the object of obtaining a mediumsized staunch horse suitable to cope
and star grasses and bundle bundle, grow in profusion over the estate, and Mr. Lefroy forwarded as many as thirty-seven varieties to the
with a holding capacity of from
10,000 to 20,000 gallons, and troughs for watering the stock. “Yanyeareddy” has been subdivided
View of the Yanrey River "Towera" Station.
Indian and Colonial Exhibition held in London. With saltbush, blue-bush, and oottonbush there is always plenty of fodder, and during the dry season of 1911-12 the sheep were in prime condition. Generally speaking the estate is lightly timbered, the heaviest growth being on the river flats. The Lyndon River wends its way through the estate, providing a water frontage of about sixty miles, and besides the numerous creeks there are at the present time twenty-four wells averaging in depth from 20 to 40 ft. Most of these have been fitted with windmills and tanks,
into seventeen paddocks of varying sizes, the dividing fences having five strands of wire, while on the boundaries six strands have been used, and altogether some 300 miles have been erected at a cost of £30 per mile. The old homestead gave way in 1910 to the present building, which is of granite, and contains four large rooms, and a hall 36 ft. in length. The flock, which is an exclusively merino one, numbers 40,000. In the first instance “Canowie” rams from South Australia were used, but results not being wholly satisfactory, types from “Hill River” (South
Yanyeareddy" Merinos at the Mingenew Sale Yards.
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with the heavy work of the station, and in turn through this stock to produce a heavy stamp of hack for lighter work. For the latter purpose a sire descended from a highly-bred Victorian family was purchased from Mr. Mervyn Bunbury, by whom it was introduced to the northwest. At one time Mr. Lefroy was a large breeder of cattle, but relinquished operations in this line in favour of the more profitable industry of sheep-raising. For station uses about 200 head of Durham shorthorns are run on the property. “TOWERA,” Mr. Lefroy’s second property, was settled by Messrs. Simpson and Cameron in 1880, and, after being sold to Messrs. Britna-11 and Forrest, was purchased by Mr. Henry Twitchen, who in turn sold it to the present owner in 1910. It consists of 550,000 acres of spinifex country, varied by tracts well supplied with natural grasses and top feed. The property is subdivided into seventeen paddocks, and about 250 miles of fencing have been completed, the boundary fence being not quite finished. The boundary contains six and the subdivision fences five strands of wire. Other improvements have been carried out on up-to-date lines, the shearing-shed, erected at a cost of £3,000 and providing for sixteen stands, being considered the finest in the north-west. The homestead and outbuildings are of the same substantial character, and in every respect “Towera” may be classed as a first-class property. Sheep-raising is the principal industry, and the flock of 40,000 merinos was founded from ewes brought from the western district of Victoria by Mr. Mardie Simpson. These were mated with the best rams procurable, and in 1908 fresh blood was brought
from “Widgewa” Station. The type differs slightly from the “Yan-yeareddy” flock, being a little lighter in frame, while the fleece is heavier
and the wool of better quality. At present every effort is made to keep the flocks apart, but a gradual intermingling is certain to take place and lead to a levelling up of the qualities of the sheep. Mr. Lefroy has not been unmindful of his responsibilities towards the general community, and during his residence in the Upper Swan district was always to the fore in any movement for the advancement of the neighbourhood. When Midland Junction was gazetted a municipality he was asked by an influential deputation to contest the mayoralty, and consenting, at the ensuing election was returned as first
chief magistrate for the district. He was also a member of the Swan Roads Board for very many years, and occupied the chair for three terms. He
aided the cause of the Anglican Church in that district by accepting the office of people’s warden. He fills the office of vice-president of the Pastoralists’ Association, and holds membership in the Western Australian Turf Club and the Weld Club. His chief recreation is found in tennis, and his home at Cottesloe is graced by two fine courts, where he may frequently be seen wielding the racquet. He is also a keen motorist. Mr. Lefroy was married in 1888 to Flora May, daughter of Mr. E. G. Barrett-Lennard, of “St. Leonards,” Middle Swan, and has a surviving family of six sons and six daughters.
o2
Old Homestead at " yanyeareodv •• Station (partly demolished).
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
“YANREY,” the property of Thomas Frederick de Pledge, is situate in the Onslow district of the north-west of the State. It comprises some 950,000 acres of undulating country, composed of rich clay flats intersected with sandhills and large patches of volcanic soil. On the western boundary of the run, which faces the broad reaches of the Indian Ocean, there is a salty marsh quite valueless for the purposes of stock-raising. The timber on the property is of negligible quantity, except on the river frontages, where there is substantial growth, although this is being gradually denuded by the ravages of bush fires which occasionally sweep through the estate during the dry summer months. In good seasons there is an abundant growth of natural grasses, spinifex, blue-grass, and weeping-grass, all of which are regarded as excellent fodder for stock. On the eastern side of the property the Ashburton River slowly wends its way to the sea, while the western side is watered by the Yanrey River, from which stream the estate derives its name. The supply of water derived from the two streams mentioned is supplemented by a complete system of irrigation, the fluid for the purpose being raised from a series of wells, some twenty-seven in number, each of which is fitted with a windmill and galvanized surface tanks of a storage capacity varying from 16,000 to 18,000 gallons. By means of gravitation the water is conducted through pipes to most parts of the run, with the exception of the pad-docks on the northern side, where the well water is too salty to be brought into use. To overcome this drawback to the proper stocking of this portion of the property, Mr. de Pledge is putting in additional bores, and is hopeful of locating a good supply of fresh water in the near future. “Yanrey” was purchased by the present owner from the executors of the late John Stuart in the year 1898, and originally consisted of about 270,000 acres. Three years
later the acreage was considerably augmented by the acquisition of the adjoining properties “Yannangal” and “Yananey,” the former from Messrs. Knight & Cummings, the latter from Messrs. G. & R. Wood-house, who were among the pioneer settlers of the district. In 1908 the estate was further enlarged by the purchase of “Globe Hill” Station, and with this latest addition the area enclosed in the “Yanrey” estate leapt to within easy reach of
1,000,000 acres of land. The property is almost completely surrounded by a five-wire fence with iron and timber uprights, and is in turn subdivided into a number of paddocks, all of which are similarly
Bartlctto, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Frederick de Pledge.
fenced in. It is estimated that there are 500 miles of fencing on the estate erected at a cost of £10,000, and no inconsiderable item in the yearly account is that showing the outlay incurred in keeping the fence in proper repair. Located some 70 miles from Onslow township the homestead makes no claim to pretentiousness. It is a comfortable structure of wood and iron', built after the bungalow style, and contains nine large, airy rooms. The present building was erected in 1904, and is surrounded by outbuildings such as are usually found on properties of a similar kind dotted about
all the Australian States. The homestead boasts of a fine vegetable garden, and in the winter months vegetables of all descriptions are cultivated with great success. In the north-west the breed of sheep which appears to thrive best under the exacting conditions of the locality is the world-famed merino. The flock at “Yanrey” consists of 70,000 sheep, all of which, without exception, are pure merino stock. In the early days some stud rams were obtained from the “Murray” Estate in South Australia, but these were discarded after a number of years in favour of the “Boonoke” blood, which previously had been requisitioned and after an exhaustive trial found to be better suited to the requirements of the district. Accordingly in 1904 200 carefully-selected “Boo-nooke” stud rams were purchased from Messrs. Falkiner Bros., of New South Wales, and the results that have followed this extensive introduction of new blood have been most gratifying to Mr. de Pledge. A noticeable improvement in the robustness of the flock has followed this importation, and the weight of fleece has shown a steady increase during the past few years. The sheep are characterized by strong frames and bulky fleeces of strong combing wool showing plenty of quality and averaging about 8 lb. The full clip is shipped direct to the London markets, where it is in good demand, and at the 1910 sales the price topped lljd., which is the record price obtained to date for wool bearing the “Yanrey” brand. Shearing is usually started towards the middle of June, and by the end of the month the twenty Moffat-Virtue machines are generally proceeding at high pressure. The lambing season commences in April of each year, the percentages varying in accordance with the seasons. As high as 100 per cent, has been reached in a favourable year. Mr. de Pledge does not devote particular attention to the breeding of pedigree cattle, but confines his attention to
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the raising of a goodly number of fat cattle, which ultimately find their way to the stock markets for local consumption. The horses form an interesting feature of “Yanrey.” About 300 to 400 of light draughts are kept, the majority being in use on the station. In addition to breeding all the horses he requires for his own purposes Mr. de Pledge raises a large number of this type of animal for the local market. Until recently “The Strutter” performed the duties of station sire,
blood horse formerly in use on the estate was “Onslow,” bred by Mr. de Pledge, and known to Western Australians as the winner of several races round about Perth. A large number of brood mares are kept for stud purposes, and as they are mostly out of imported mares, the result is the production of sound blood stock showing good bone, stamina, and endurance. THOMAS FREDERICK de PLEDGE, proprietor of “Yanrey,” is a son of Mr. Joseph Price de Pledge, and was
He then visited the Ashburton district, and for seven years found employment with Messrs. Forrest and Burt, of “Minderoo,” going thence to “Globe Hill” Station, the property of Messrs. McCrae and Harper, the original settlers of the run, which covered some half a million acres, with whom he continued for two years. He then purchased the original “Yanrey” Estate, which he has since developed into the splendid pastoral property that it is to-day. Mr. de Pledge married
Photo by C. H. Park. craigmore.1' Residence of Mr. T F. de Pledge, king's Park Road.
and his progeny was deservedly popular for stamina and evenness of temper. This horse has now given place to the stallion “Woorooma,” by “Wallace” — “Bon-Mot,” purchased by Mr. de Pledge when in Melbourne early in 1911. “Woorooma” was a well-known performer in Victoria, and his stock should be eagerly sought after by buyers desirous of introducing the highly-prized “Wallace” strain into their stud. Another
born at Durham, England, on March 17, 1867. He received his education at Aldenham, in his native country, and came to Western Australia in the year 1886. He was a passenger by the “Australind,” the first steamer to come down the coast from Singapore, and landing at Fremantle he immediately made his way to Bunbury, where for the ensuing nine months he gained experience on a farm in the district.
a daughter of Mr. Single, of New South Wales, and has two daughters. When at Perth he resides at “Craigmore,” on the King’s Park Road, one of the most beautiful homes in or around Perth, delightfully situated in the midst of charmingly designed flower - beds and extensive lawns, the harmonious effects of which lend an added charm to the sense of comfort which appears to pervade the home.
“MINILYA,” the property of Mr. Donald Norman MacLeod, J.P. Somewhat less than forty years ago —to be exact, in July, 1876—the first settler arrived in the Gascoyne district. The traveller in this remote region was Mr. Aubrey Brown, who had overlanded from York district, bringing with him 4,000 sheep. Previous to his arrival on the land which he had selected at the mouth of the river Mr. C. S. Brockman had started from Irwin, in the Murchison district, with the object of exploring the country lying to the north in the direction of the Gascoyne, and in due course reached Mount Clere. After a fortnight's rest he struck for the coast, 300 miles away, which he reached on July 15, 1876. In the vicinity of the Kennedy Range Mr. Brockman met Mr. Brown and remained with him two weeks, aiding him in the initial work of preparing his station. Proceeding on his way Mr. Brockman discovered two rivers, one of which he named the Minilya and the other the Lyndon. By the end of September he had returned by the coast route to Irwin, and shortly afterwards he once more set out for the Gascoyne, this time with 3,6C0 head of cattle. He reached Rocky Pool, 50 miles from the mouth of the Gascoyne, on April 5, 1877, and in the same year established “Boolathana” Station, and a few years later “Minilya” Station. Mr. Brockman disposed of his interests and left the district in 1885, “Minilya” becoming the property of his brother, Mr. G. Julius Brockman, by whom it was carried on until December, 1899, at which time the property was purchased by the present owner, Mr. D.
N. MacLeod. “Minilya” is situated about 80 miles north of the town of Carnarvon, and comprises a little over half a million acres of splendid sheep country, Mr. C. S. Brockman making no mistake in his selection when having first pick of the country. The rich alluvial flats on the river frontages ultimately merge into extensive salt and cottonbush plains,
while on the back portions of the run heavy splashes of red sand thickly covered with many varieties of edible bush and mulga appear at frequent intervals. The estate is but lightly timbered, and in the pioneer days of the station great trouble was experienced in obtaining anything like an adequate supply of fresh or stock water, but now there is an abundance of the precious fluid drawn from wells, tanks, and surface dams and from four artesian bores sunk to a depth averaging 1,600 ft, the daily flow from these ranging from 600,000 to a million gallons. Open drains and channels have been excavated, and by means of these the water from the bores is distributed for many
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Donald Norman MacLeod.
miles over the run. The estate is completely surrounded by a post and six-wire fence, and is subdivided into thirty paddocks, the acreage of which varies considerably. The original homestead erected by Mr. Brockman was destroyed by fire, and in 1908 the present comfortable bungalow residence of brick, wood, and iron, containing twenty-three rooms under the one roof, was erected by Mr. MacLeod. The house, which is a comfortable and well-appointed residence, is lighted throughout by means of acetylene gas and has a complete and effective water service. Close by is a spacious and well-kept
lawn, with a tennis court laid down in couch-grass, which is kept in perfect condition the whole year round by means of a series of water-sprinklers. Adjoining is a very fine vegetable garden, the surface of which has been graded to allow of the easy transit of water distributed from a large overhead reservoir by means of a network of piping. Oranges, lemons, and figs flourish particularly well under irrigation, and it would be difficult to find a better variety or quality of vegetables than those grown in the gardens of “Minilya.” In ordinary seasons there is an abundant growth of natural grasses, varieties of which were forwarded to the Government Department of Agriculture for classification, the report on these proving eminently satisfactory. Drought-resisting saltbush, bluebush, mulga, and cotton-bush, the last-named plant being considered splendid fodder for stock, grow sturdily, and on parts of the run perennial grasses are to be found. The merino is a firm favourite with breeders in the north-west of the State, and it is this type of sheep which holds sway at “Minilya.” The flock has been built up by rams selected from the famous “Bungaree” stud in South Australia. Much attention has been given to improving the breed, and the merinos now running on the estate are conspicuous for their robustness and large frames, in illustration of which fact a draft of 2-toothed wethers averaging 57 lb. each was on one occasion shipped to the metropolitan butchers. The fleece has shown a corresponding improvement both in weight and density. In 1910 32,195 grown sheep were put to shears, yielding 854 bales, equalling 26*68 bales per thousand; 10,489 lambs cut 92 bales, equalling 8*76 bales per thousand, the aggregate clip fox the year being 946 bales. The average weight of fleece for grown sheep was 10*47 lb., and for lambs 3*25 lb The flock has shown a steady increase in numbers each succeeding year, and Mr. MacLeod is hopeful of
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topping the 50,000 mark during the shearing time of 1913. The shearing-shed is a commodious structure of wood and iron, fitted with all the latest appliances, including sixteen Moffat - Virtue shearing - machines, propelled by means of a 6-horse-power British Robey steam-engine. Hitherto shearing has taken place in the month of September, but for the future it is intended to start the work toward the middle of August. The lambing period extends over May, June, and part of July of each year, and an annual percentage of from 80 to 85 is maintained. The paddocks are all extensive in area, and in consequence the large percentage obtained by breeders using small paddocks cannot be reasonably looked for. Mr. MacLeod makes a hobby of the breeding of shorthorn cattle, and has a high-class herd of about 400 on the station. The nucleus of this herd came from the Angas Estate in South Australia and from Sir Rupert Clarke’s “Belinda Duke of Derrimut” breed. A few years ago a shipment of thirty-two four-year-old bullocks from the “Minilya” herd averaged 1,065 lb., several of the beasts weighing up to 1,300 lb. Hackneys and coachers are also bred with great success, and two high-class blood stallions are kept for the purpose of raising horses to work the property, the surplus animals being sold. Altogether some 270 to 300 animals are grazed on the run. There are few people in Australia better known than Mr. DONALD NORMAN MacLEOD, the proprietor of “Minilya” Station. Born at “Borhoneyghurk” Station, in the western district of Victoria, in the year 1848, he is the second son of the late Mr. John Norman MacLeod, one of the earliest pioneer settlers of Port Phillip (now Victoria). His grandfather, Major Donald MacLeod, was a distinguished officer in the 71st Highland Regiment, East India Service, who emigrated to Tasmania, where he settled as early as 1821. Mr. MacLeod, sen., figured in the early Parliamentary history of Victoria, having represented the district of Portland in the House of Assembly, which constituency was also
represented by his son, Mr. Donald Norman, thirty years later. Mr. D.
N. MacLeod was educated at the Scotch College at Melbourne, and upon leaving that institution determined to follow stock and station pursuits. He first settled on “Benyeo” Station, near Apsley, in Victoria, on the South Australian boundary line, where he remained for some considerable time, after which he transferred his energies to the northern part of Western Australia, straightway commencing pioneering operations at Nicol Bay, where he was responsible for the opening up of a large tract of country. Mr. MacLeod in company with the late Mr. John Hancock, of “Ashburton Downs” Station, Onslow, overlanded one of the first drafts of cattle and horses from the southern part of the State to the Nicol Bay district (Roebourne), which in those days was the only settlement in Western Australia north of Geraldton. The trip took five months, and the course followed was guided by compass, not an acre of land being occupied from the mouth of the Murchison to the For-tescue River, where now a succession of flourishing and prosperous sheep stations cover the country from point to point. In 1882 he returned to Victoria after a successful sojourn in Western Australia and purchased the “Yannarie” Estate, near Portland, where he resided for some ten years. Here he commenced the dairying industry according to modern methods, and was the first to introduce into that district a cream separator and modern plant. He took some interest in public matters, and was elected councillor for both the shire and borough of Portland, holding the seats for many years, and also devoting considerable time to magisterial duties as an honorary Justice of the Peace. For a time he held a commission in the Victorian Mounted Rifles under the late Colonel Tom Price. In 1892 Mr. MacLeod was elected to represent the constituency in the House of Assembly, succeeding Sir Henry Wrixon, the then member, who had left the State to attend the Ottawa Conference in the Dominion of
Canada. Mr. MacLeod retained the seat for seven years, during which he survived two strenuously-fought elections, being on one occasion opposed by Mr. Samuel Mauger, who in later years became Postmaster-General in the Commonwealth Parliament. He was for some years chairman of the Board for the Protection of Aborigines, was a member of the Zoological Acclimatization Board, and a member of the Old-Age Pensions and the Railway Lighting Committees. He was a member of the Perishable Products Commission appointed to inquire into the questions of storage, freight, etc., the report and recommendation of which brought about a marked improvement in the export trade of the sister State. Upon the occasion of the first Bushmen’s Contingent leaving Victoria for South Africa Mr. MacLeod was appointed by the Government of Victoria to select and examine the candidates as to their qualifications as bushmen and roughrfders, his extensive colonial experience rendering him an expert in such matters. He retired from public life in 1899, in which year he came to Western Australia to take up his residence at “Minilya,” the charms of station life and the recollections of his early days in Western Australia after a lapse of eighteen years having proved irresistible. He is a Justice of the Peace for both the States of Victoria and Western Australia. In 1879 he married a daughter of the late Mr. Alfred Pickford Bussel, who was a nominee member of the Legislative Council during the administration of Governor Weld, and one of Western Australia’s earliest pioneers, the issue being six sons and six daughters. Mr. MacLeod’s eldest son, Hugh Vernon, is managing “Talis-ker,” a large pastoral property in the State of Victoria; the second, Donald Guy, is managing the property under review, “Minilya”; and Alex., the third son, is in charge of “Richmond,” an estate purchased by Mr.
D. N. MacLeod near Narrogin, in the southern district of the State. This is the fourth generation of the clan to adopt the pastoral industry for their lifework.
“BOOLTJHANA” STATION, the property of Messrs. C. & J. Butcher, is situated in the Gascoyne district, and lies some 20 odd miles from the town of Carnarvon in a northerly direction. The run was first settled on by Mr. Charles S. Brockman in the year 1879, and from that time he bent his attention to the improving of the area for the purpose he had in view—that of raising a strongframed, robust type of sheep. In 1890 the Messrs. Butcher purchased an interest in the property, and thenceforward, until 1901, the entire management rested in the hands of Mr. J. Butcher. Since the latter date Mr. C. Butcher has been at the head of affairs, and under his experienced and energetic control the flock has made excellent progress. The
boundary and subdivided into a number of paddocks. The outer fence contains six strands of wire, but for the subdivisions five have been found ample, the total length of fencing aggregating about 250 miles. The homestead, erected as far back as 1891, is designed after the bungalow style, and is a very cosy residence. Lighting is supplied by means of an acetylene gas plant, and near by a fine vegetable garden is cultivated, the necessary water for its upkeep being drawn from a spacious dam in the vicinity. This dam also provides the requisite water for household purposes and for the men’s quarters, besides which it is laid on to the shearing-shed. When laying the foundation of the “Boola-thana” flock Mr. C. S. Brockman
from the heavy, over-night dews has rendered this plant invaluable as a fodder at all times, but more particularly in tiding over the lengthy dry spells, which frequently occur in this portion of the Western State. During the last eighteen years rams obtained from “Rhine Park” and “Mount Crawford” in South Australia have been used, and the strain is now well up to standard. With the advent of September shearing is begun. The shed is a roomy structure of wood and iron, fitted up with fourteen stands of the Moffat-Yirtue machinery, a ten-horse-power oil engine providing the necessary driving power. The clip averages from 9 to 10 lb. of wool per sheep, while the lambs return about 3 lb. The lambing period usually extends
Photo by C. E. Parr. “garden hill,” Residence of Mr. W. J. Butcher, Guildford.
boundaries of the estate enclose some
400,000 acres of open saltbush country, intersected with sand ridges, lightly timbered, and mulga scrub. In other parts the scrub is somewhat dense, but the property is generally considered to be well adapted to the purposes of sheep-raising. The average rainfall is very light, being about 8 in., but this is supplemented by a copious supply of artesian water, besides which there are numerous wells and catchment areas dotted about the station. The several artesian bores have been sunk to depths varying from 1,600 to 3,000 ft., and the water obtained from these sources is conducted by means of open drains over the greater part of the run. The estate is completely fenced on the
selected the hardy merino as his mainstay, and brought a number of these robust sheep overland from the Champion district in the north-west. Subsequent experience has proved the wisdom of the first selection, and to-day the flock numbers in the vicinity of 50,000. The merino is eminently suited to the severe climatic conditions of the locality, being large framed and robust and producing a fleece of good weight and staple. The carrying capacity of the estate is equal to one sheep to ten acres, and each year, so as to prevent overstocking, the flock is reduced in numbers directly following the termination of the clip. The peculiar properties of the saltbush in retaining a large percentage of moisture
over the months of June and July, the annual percentage varying from 85 to 90 per cent., a splendid average considering the conditions of the locality. The horses on the estate are not numerous, but what few are in use are animals of a very fine stamp. The breed is half Arab, and horses are bred solely for use on the station. About fifty milking cows of the shorthorn type are also grazed on the property.
CHARLES SAMUEL BROCKMAN was born at Guildford in 1845, his father, the late Mr. Robert James Brockman, who came to Western Australia in 1830, being
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one of the earliest pioneers of the State. Education in those days was hard to obtain, but young Brockman had the advantage of a private tutor for a few months, and at fourteen years of age went on to his father’s station, in the Geraldton district, which he managed for five years. Subsequently he assisted in opening up the pastoral country at the Warren, and upon attaining his majority began farming on his own account at Greenough Flats. For the first three years he met with absolute failure through the prevalence of red rust which ruined most of the farmers of the district, their only resort being to apply to the Government of the day for assistance to tide them over this season of distress. Mr. Brockman having lost heavily sold his stock and implements and entered into the sandalwood industry at Dongarra, and was the first to cross the salt marsh for sandalwood. While thus engaged he explored the Mount Margaret district in the Murchison Ranges, which afterwards was taken up as excellent pastoral country. Nine years later, having cleared himself of most of his liabilities, he formed a small party and spent five months in exploring the Gascoyne district in the north-west, during which trip he discovered and named Minilya and Lyndon Rivers, the former being the first water struck after an 80-mile journey. Here he took up a tract of country and arranged to rent 3,000 sheep from a friend in the Geraldton district, continuing in the face of many difficulties until he had acquired 1,600,000 acres of some of the finest country, this being the largest area then held by any one man in the State. During the course of ten years his flock had increased to 20,000, besides horses and cattle; but the natives were very troublesome, and other anxieties incident to his calling so undermined his health that he decided to divide his property into three stations, two of which he sold, and having retained the third for a time eventually parted with that also. After recruiting at the metropolis for a time, in 1866 he purchased a property in the Blackwood district, on the Ballingup River, formerly known as Padburv’s Brook. This comprised 30,000 acres of leasehold and 900 acres of freehold practically unimproved, with the exception of fencing. Naming: it “Brookland.” Mr. Brockman started operations and continued with such success that at the present time it will compare
favourably with any of the fine improved properties in the southwest. As time went on he gradually reduced the area of the estate to 3,000 acres, finally selling out in May, 1911. Mr. Brockman, who has held a Commission of the Peace for fifteen years, has always taken an active interest in matters affecting the welfare of the district, and was a member of the Roads Board for most of that time. In 1886 he married Mary,
Mr. Charles Samuel Brockman.
eldest daughter of the late Mr. G. C. Dowden, a well-known Murchison pastoralist, and has three sons and two daughters.
JOSEPH FREDERICK WAL-DECK, part-owner of “Wooramel” Station, in the Gascoyne district, is a native of this State, having been born at Greenough Flats in 1871. He is a son of the late Mr. William Waldeck, of the same place, and was sent to Fremantle for the acquirement of scholastic knowledge under the tutorship of Mr. (now the Honourable) Plenry Briggs, of Fremantle. In 1886 he proceeded to the town of Carnarvon, and obtained his first experience of pastoral pursuits on “Wandagee” Station, the nroperty of Mr. G. J. Gooch. The following year he returned to Fremantle, where he spent a further twelve months at the Fremantle Grammar School, and at the expiration of this period once more became engaged in his former occupations at Wandagee. His experiences during the next few years included the handling of sheep and cattle, team-driving, etc., and
he gained a full knowledge of station work in all its aspects. In 1892 he was chosen to bring a draft of sheep overland to Perth—the railway not then being available—and this work he performed with singular merit, not losing a single animal, and landing the sheep in the saleyards in splendid condition. Mr. Waldeck returned overland to the station, where he continued until 1894, in which year he was seized with the prevailing gold fever, and set out to prospect for gold, following up the Ashburton River and finally striking out for Roebourne. He reached this township without obtaining a glimpse of colour, and next prosecuted a copper proposition in the Roebourne country with similar lack of success. By this time, having exhausted his capital, he found his way back to “Wandagee” and took up his former duties until 1899, his work mainly consisting of droving stock overland to Mingenew for railing to Perth. In the latter year Mr. Waldeck decided to make a move for himself, and in conjunction with Mr. William Snook purchased “Woora-mel” Station from Messrs. J. & C. Butcher. With characteristic energy, aided by his partner, he fell to the work of development with such excellent results that within a few years the value of the place was considerably enhanced, and in 1907 Messrs. T. Statham and J. McCarty joined the firm. In 1912 Mr. Snook disposed of his share of the property to Mr. Statham, and the partnership now consists of Messrs. Statham, Waldeck, & McCarty. “Wooramel” Station originally was owned by Sir Winthrop Hackett, from whom it passed to Mr. A. von Bibra, who sold to Messrs. J. and C. Butcher. It comprises 355,000 acres of good pastoral country, in which saltbush plains predominate, the soil being chocolate loam with a few low-lying sandhills. The first water was obtained by sinking two wells to a depth of 50 ft., in both of which a plentiful supply was struck, and from these wells the stock was watered for some considerable time. At a later date three additional wells were sunk, which, with two clay-pans lasting from the rainy season into January, and three artesian bores 1,000 ft. in depth, and each yielding
1,000,000 gallons daily, provide an ample supply of water. Windmills have been erected over all the wells, and tanks 10,000 gallons in capacity added for storage purposes. One of
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
the bores serves to water the shearing-shed and drafting-yards. The station was started with 600 head of cattle of mixed shorthorn breed, and a number of bulls have been introduced each year, mostly from the “Angas” Estate in the neighbouring State. The raising of cattle for the local market was carried on, and operations were extended until they were conducted on a fairly large scale. Within the last two or three years, however, the proprietors, like many other pastoralists in the north-west, decided to pay more attention to sheep-raising and gradually reduce the herd, and this policy has been followed until at the present time only a few hundred head of cattle remain. In the first instance 5,000 merino ewes were purchased from “Brickhouse,” “Boola-thana,” and “Minilya” Stations, and in 1911 3,000 ewes from“Petermulla” Station, on. the Ashburton River, were added to the original flock. Rams were obtained from the “Hill River” Estate in South Australia, and a steady improvement has taken place in the flock, which now numbers 20,000, in addition to 4,000 lambs. It is intended to bring the numbers up to 40,000, which would be about as many as the carrying capacity of “Wooramel” would safely allow. The wool displays good quality, being long and dense, with good yolk and staple, and in its greasy state commands about 9d. in the London markets, whither it is sent. The lambing season in May is followed by the busy shearing time in September, when the whir of
machinery in the long-silent shed indicates the steady progress of the clipping process. The shed is built of iron, the timber used being jarrah, and it is the best-fitted
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Joseph Frederick Waldeck.
structure of its kind in the northwest, containing twelve stands of Wolseley machinery, driven by a steam-engine. Adjacent are the men’s quarters, where all arrangements have been made with an eye to the comfort of the occupants, and in a convenient position close by the stables and stockyards for general musters have been erected. The homestead is situated on the Wooramel River, two miles distant from the telegraph station bearing
the same name, and 70 miles from Carnarvon, in a southerly direction. A fine vegetable garden has been laid out, which is irrigated by a good supply of water from a neighbouring well, and another attractive feature is the orchard, where oranges, lemons, grapes, apples, and other fruits come to perfection in their season. The timber belts are sparse, but there is a good supply of natural grasses, which are supplemented by a variety of herbage, including saltbush, bluebush, and cottonbush, which provide a welcome additional fodder for the stock. The breeding of thoroughbreds, though not so extensively carried on as formerly, receives attention. Blood stock of more than average merit has been produced on the station, the principal sire used being “Breakaway” (“Broken Hill” —“Princess of Wales”), purchased in 1895 from Mr. David James, the well-known racehorse breeder and pastoralist of South Australia. This horse put up some splendid performances on the turf, and as a three-year-old won the Carnarvon Cup and other events, including races on the metropolitan courses. One of his colts, “Yardoo,” proved very smart as a sprinter, and was to the fore in several short-distance events. Another daughter of the station, “Shot Silk,” by “Light Artillery,” was successful in winning races at various country meetings, and at the present time the firm has a limited number of first-class stock to dispose of. Other classes of stock are represented by sixteen camels, which are used for transport purposes, and a small dairy herd for the requirements of the station. The hard pioneering work and anxieties of development over, Mr. Waldeck has been able to turn his attention to lighter tasks, and his time is now mostly taken up with the overlanding of sheep to Mingenew. He estimates that, in the many trips made, he has brought down over 30,000 sheep, and has been fortunate in the very small percentage of loss sustained. The management of station affairs has not left him much time to devote to outside matters of public moment, but he is connected with the Masonic craft, his mother lodge being the Gascoyne, No. 62, W.A.C. In 1891 he married Florence, daughter of Mr. Albert Hyden, of Perth, and has three sons. He resides at Emerald Hill Terrace, West Perth.
Shearing Shed and Drafting Yards at “wooramel."
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“GRASS VALLEY” HOUSE, situated about two miles distant from the Grass Valley Railway Station, and some 70 miles from Perth, on the Eastern Railway line, was originally taken up together with surrounding properties as a pastoral lease by the late C. Taylor. Subsequently the lease passed through various hands, eventually to be purchased in 1904 by Mrs. M. Dempster, widow of the late William Simon Dempster, formerly of “Buckland,” Northam. The estate comprises some 4,500 acres in a choice pastoral locality, including a huge slice of the pick of the Avon Valley grain lands, so much in demand among agriculturists, and its value is further enhanced by the railway which passes through the property. For grazing purposes the wide pastures are hardly
Mr. William Simon Dempster.
to be surpassed, and to add to the suitability of the place for stock-raising there is an excellent water supply, the goldfields water scheme having been carried through the pad-docks, in addition to which there are several dams and a few soaks in the watercourses. The homestead is of compact design, and contains ten rooms, forming a most comfortable dwelling-house, where refinement and taste have combined to provide an inviting interior. It is situated just off the main road from Northam to Meckering, and, with its supplementary offices and outbuildings, from a distance presents quite the appearance of a village settlement, the little township of Grass Valley, which lies in the near vicinity, hardly
outrivalling it in the size and number of its buildings. The stables are substantial and fitted with roomy stalls and boxes. The estate is fully fenced and subdivided into thirty or forty paddocks, the boundary fences being constructed of jam timber posts with seven wires. About 2,500 acres of land have been applied to purposes of cultivation, 1,100 acres being cropped annually, and the waving fields of wheat and oats, as the reaping season approaches, are sufficient criterion of the abundant harvests that are gathered in. The flocks of crossbred and merino sheep give the rich touch of pastoral life to the rural scene. To keep up the standard of quality among the merinos a special stud flock is kept, and many handsome and valuable trophies and prize ribbons have fallen to Mrs. Dempster for exhibits in this class of stock, both at the Northam and Royal Agricultural Societies’ shows. At the same functions she has also achieved success with Ayrshire cattle, carrying off awards against all comers. A large number of horses are bred on the property, some of which are sold locally, the remainder being used to work the estate. Mrs. Maud Dempster, the eldest daughter of Canon Sweeting, a clergyman of the Anglican Church who came to the State in the early fifties, married the late William Simon Dempster, youngest son of the late Captain Dempster, a colonist of Scottish descent, who was practically the founder of the “Bucklands” Estate, near Northam, which may be described as the premier homestead of the Avon district, and which was recently purchased by Mr. S. P. Mackay, after having remained in the Dempster family for over seventy years. Of this union were born four sons and two daughters, the eldest son being the owner of “Marron” Station, while the youngest, Mr. John Cedric Dempster, resides with his mother on the “Grass Valley” House Estate. The second and third sons respectively, Messrs. William Edward and Norman McLean Dempster, are engaged in pastoral pursuits near Esperance, and in connection with this enterprise it is an interesting piece of history to recall the first opening up of this district by their late father and three of his brothers who, in the early sixties, set out in the direction of Esperance Bay, where they discovered and leased a wide tract of pastoral country comprising 300,000 acres. They also selected 200,000 acres in the
vicinity of Fraser Range, about 180 miles from their starting point, Mr. Andrew Dempster assuming the management of these areas, which were gradually stocked with a full complement of sheep. At the present time the brothers Dempsters hold about
103,000 acres, a portion of which is freehold, and many miles of rabbit-and dog-proof fencing have been erected, the development of the run being steadily proceeded with. Near the coast the land is adequately watered by permanent swamps and springs, and about 7,000 sheep of the merino type are pastured on the property, besides some seventy head of horses of mixed classes.
FREDERICK GEORGE DEMPSTER, owner of “Marron” Station, Carnarvon, is by birth a Western Australian, his native place being “Buckland,” Northam, where he was born on June 5, 1882. His father was the late William Simon Dempster, youngest son of the original founder of the last-mentioned property. The subject of this notice was sent to England for his education, and attended the Durham
C. M, Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Frederick George Dempster.
Grammar School until seventeen years of age, when he returned to Western Australia and became engaged in pastoral pursuits at “Buck-land.” Mr. Dempster sold the “Buck-land” estate to Mr. S. P. Mackay in 1913, having previously purchased “Marron” Station from the Messrs. Sholl Bros.
GEORGE ERNEST SEWELL,
J.P., pastoralist, was born on the site of the present town of Midland Junction, before the settlement was formed there, the date of his birth being December 16, 1866. He is a son of the late George Sewell, a pastoralist of this State, who established the station known as “Sand Springs,” now in occupation of Mr. Vernon Sewell,
Bartletto, Perth.
Mb. George Ernest Sewell.
and at the termination of his studies, which were pursued at the Rev. George Sweeting’s private school at Guildford, became identified with pastoral pursuits on the station owned by Mr. J. G. Meares, on the Yule River. Here he remained for nearly two years, during which period he gained considerable insight into station life. He relinquished the connection in order to try his fortune in prospecting on the Nullagine goldfield, where, however, he met with indifferent success, and abandoned the venture after a short time. Returning to the south he went on to his father’s farm in the Upper Swan district, but about the time that Kalgoorlie came into prominence was tempted once more to court Dame Fortune’s smile on the newly discovered field, having for his partner on this occasion Mr. Henry Wilberforce Clarkson, of the Range, Newcastle. This time he carried on operations for two and a half years over various parts of the gold-bearing locality with a fair amount of success, but eventually returned to Midland Junction, and was for two years associated with Mr. S. A. Brown in a stock agency business.
Upon the death of his brother at “Sand Springs” he took over the management of that property during the minority of the present owner, and upon being relieved of his duties he in 1903 purchased “Mount Hill” Station, near Walkaway, an estate which he recently disposed of. At the present time Mr. Sewell lives in partial retirement at Geraldton, but still retains a small interest in the pastoral property of “Red Peak,” near “Sand Springs,” and directs the management of “Tibradden” Station for the owner (who resides in Melbourne), while he also leases a property at Georgina. Mr. Sewell was appointed to the Peace Commission by the Daglish Government within the past decade. He is one of the oldest members of the Geraldton Club. In November, 1906, he married Alice Mary, daughter of the late William MacDonald, of Nhill, Victoria, one of the pioneer squatters of the Wimmera district, and has two daughters.
EDWARD MAGNUS DIXON,
manager of “White Peak” Station, near Geraldton, was born at Rose-dale, Victoria, on January 12, 1868, and is a son of Mr. Thomas Dixon, a native of Tasmania, whose progenitors came originally from Scotland. At the close of his education, which he received at the Sale Grammar School, he entered upon the pastoral industry at “Nambrok” Station, Victoria, which was owned by Mr. King; and by his energy, industry, and force of character, rose within three years from the position of boundary rider to that of manager, “Merryman’s Creek” Station being placed under his control. This property being sold three years later, Mr. Dixon took a droving contract for the same firm, which lasted for four years, and at the end of that period he joined the mounted police force of Victoria. After continuing in the force for eight years he resigned, and, in partnership with Mr. Donald Munro, turned his attention to the raising of pure-bred stock (comprising southdown and merino sheep, Ayrshire and shorthorn cattle, and Berkshire pigs), in which enterprise he met with considerable success, eventually selling the property and dissolving his connection with Mr. Munro five years later. In the early nineties Mr. Dixon came to Western Australia, which had been well advertised by the recent
gold finds, and upon arrival founded the Perth Omnibus Company, which he managed for nearly five years. Disposing of his interest in this concern, he took over the management of the general storekeeping business owned by Mr. Jules Gascard at Cue, and upon the demise of the principal two years later, carried on operations until the estate was wound up. He then established a butchering business on his own account, and continued in this line of trade for ten years at Nannine, Meekatharra, and The Star of the East. Selling out on the Murchison, he became for a short time overseer and manager for Messrs. Logue Brothers on “Tamala” Station, in the north - west, relinquishing that connection to take up his present position as manager for the Trustee, Executor, and Agency Company, Limited, of “White Peak” Station, and upon the property coming into the hands of the present proprietors, he secured an interest in it, and has since continued to supervise operations. For eight years Mr. Dixon exercised a Commission of the Peace in the Murchison district, which he resigned when
Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Edward Magnus Dixon.
he left that neighbourhood. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for nearly a quarter of a century, is a member of the Geraldton Club, and a genuine supporter of all forms of clean, outdoor sport, taking a keen interest in the affairs of the Victoria District Turf Club, of which he is a member, and holding a reputation as a judge of horseflesh second to none in the district.
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“DAIRY CREEK” STATION, the property of the Dairy Creek Pastoral Company. Prominent among the large pastoral runs of the Gascoyne district is “Dairy Creek” Station, situated 160 miles to the eastward of Carnarvon. The property originally was taken up by Messrs. Gooch & Wheelock, but before these gentlemen had entered upon the first stages of its development it was purchased by the late John Bernard Fitzpatrick in 1883, the country being practically in its virgin state. From him the run descended to its present owners, the sons and daughters of the late pastoralist, who formed the Dairy Creek Pastoral Company, and have carried on the personal conduct of its operations ever since. The run comprises
408,000 acres of country in which sandy soil predominates, and is lightly timbered, the principal feature being the prevailing mulga scrub. No permanent stream waters the estate, but over a score of wells have been sunk in different localities to depths of from 20 to 140 ft., and from these an excellent supply of
water suitable for domestic and stock purposes is obtained. On the surface are storage tanks, capable of holding up to 20,000 gallons, and
Mr. John Bernard Fitzpatrick.
nearly all of the wells have been fitted with windmills, thus assuring an abundance of water, although at certain seasons of the year there are
long periods of calm weather, when from lack of wind the mills cease working, and there is a resulting shortage of supply. From the first it was Mr. Fitzpatrick’s intention to devote the run to sheep-raising purposes, and with this end in view he purchased from 2,000 to 3,000 of the ever-popular merino, with which the foundation of the present flock was laid. Several years elapsed before the work of fencing could be commenced, and the wide, open country offered no obstacle to the wandering sheep, which had to be shepherded until in 1887 the first fences were put up and the subdivision of the property was begun. At the present time the estate is completely fenced on the boundary and sixteen paddocks have been formed, over 200 miles of fencing having been accomplished in all, the posts of wood being threaded with six strands of wire. After two years of rough pioneering work Mr. Fitzpatrick was followed by his family to the new home, but it was not until 1890 that the first homestead was erected and the original building
Strathmorf,” Residence of Mr. James Fitzpatrick, Subiaco.
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gave place to the present comfortable edifice in 1904. Built of stone with galvanized iron roof and containing five large rooms, the dwelling is fitted up with many of the conveniences of modern life, showing the rapid march of progress during the past few years, even in these remoter parts. During the winter season a vegetable garden is cultivated, and a welcome supply of green vegetables is obtained. The late Mr. Fitzpatrick in his lifetime paid special attention to the improvement of the flock, and from time to time many rams of good strain were imported from the Eastern States, one importation of fifty rams from the well-known “Wid-gewa” Stud, on the Riverina, New South Wales, being made in 1907. A steady, advance towards perfection has been the result of this careful selection of types from which to build up the flock, and to-day the “Dairy Creek” Station sheep are distinguished for their well-set-up frames, robustness, and general stamina, whilst the wool has shown great improvement, both in density and length of staple. At the present
time the “Widgewa” strain predominates, and the breed has proved itself suitable to withstand the varied md frequently severe conditions that orevail in these latitudes throughout
Bartletto, Perth.
Mb.. James Fitzpatrick.
the course of the year’s seasons. Lambing takes place in May and June, and a general average of 75
per cent, is maintained, but in favourable seasons the returns have exceeded 90 per cent. Shearing is begun in August of each year, and usually lasts from two to three weeks. The shearing-shed is a large, commodious structure, 120 ft. long by 40 ft. wide, and in addition to its twenty-four stands of the Moffat-Virtue machines, is fitted up with all the most modern appliances, including a wool-press, the driving power being provided by a 6 h.p. steam-engine. The wool is sent direct to the London markets, where its fine qualities obtain for it a ready demand and top prices. In 1898 ninety-four bales of scoured wool when placed on the London market realized the splendid figure of 23|d. per lb. The wool is carried to Carnarvon by means of camel teams, the distance (160 miles) being covered at the rate of about ten miles a day, and for this purpose about sixty head of camels are kept on the station. The late Mr. Fitzpatrick was a great lover of the thoroughbred, and at considerable expense established and kept up for many years a fine stud of valuable
General View of “Dairy Creek ” Homestead.
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racehorses. The first sire to be used was “Fishmonger” (“Cynic”— Scandalmonger”), which gave way to “St. Ives,” a son of “St. Alban” by “Dahlia,” this fine stallion being followed by “Lord Carrington.” Then came “Forest King,” by “Froude” (a sire imported from England), his successor being “Siege Gun,” by “Light Artillery”—“Belle Hampton” (imp.). The last sire in use was “Musketeer,” by “Carbinier,” a lineal descendant of the famous “Carbine.” With such a fine string of sires it is only natural that Mr. Fitzpatrick should have bred some high-class stock, and at country meetings he carried off many events with horses of his own breeding. At Cannington he won the Mayor’s Mile with “Newfish,” which established a record for that distance in Western Australia. It is not the intention of the present proprietors to continue a racing stud, and when a suitable opportunity presents itself these valuable horses, some thirty in all, will be sold. A few buggy horses are bred for station use, any surplus animals of this class finding ready purchasers among those desirous of securing reliable steeds for single or double harness. There is also a herd of 2,000 cattle of the shorthorn and Hereford breeds, and drafts of these
animals are overlanded to Minge-new, a distance of 500 miles, whence they are conveyed by rail to the metropolitan cattle market. In good seasons the stock fattens quickly on the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Merton Fitzpatrick.
various nutritious grasses which grow luxuriantly over the run, but when these fail a good substitute is found in the different sorts of herbage and saltbush, which is an acceptable fodder. Extensive stockyards have been erected, covering about three
acres of ground, and additions and improvements are continually being made to the property. The Company recently acquired 379,000 acres of country some fifty miles distant from “Dairy Creek” Station, through which the Wooramel River flows, the double river frontages equalling forty-five miles. There are also several pools in evidence during the greater part of the year, and it is intended to sink wells and erect windmills, by which a regular supply of water will be obtained. The country is thickly covered with a light scrub of an edible nature, and into this the cattle are turned with the object of breaking it down, so that the area may be the more easily cleared for sheep pastures, it being the intention of the proprietors ultimately to relinquish cattle-raising in favour of sheep-breeding both on “Dairy Creek” Station and the new property. The late Mr. JOHN BERNARD FITZPATRICK was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, on November 14, 1842, and was
brought to Western Australia when about nine years of age. At a later date he returned to Clifton, near Bristol, where he completed his education, and arriving once more in this State entered upon farming pursuits on the Moore River, at
DALGETY DOWNS" HOMESTEAD.
Baramba, some 30 miles north of Gingin, which he relinquished to take over the “Dairy Creek” Station in 1883. He married in the year 1863 Rose, daughter of John McCormack, of Ireland, and of a family of six children three sons and two daughters survive. His death occurred on October 3, 1909, when “Dairy Creek” Station descended to his three sons and two daughters, and was carried on by them under a partnership arrangement until February, 1910, when one brother, Alfred, sold his interest to the others, since when it has been
Dalgety Creek, and in addition to this supply wells have been sunk and tanks constructed for storage purposes, which the erection of windmills has also facilitated. The property is divided into seven large paddocks, and there is about 120 miles of fencing on the estate, which bears the reputation of carrying the best fencing in the north-west, all the fences being made on the wooden post and six-wire system. The residence of stone and iron is surrounded by a broad verandah, and adjacent is a small garden where a few bright blooms make welcome
conveniences. Without these proposed additions, however, “Dalgety Downs” Station is already well improved, in this respect being second to none in the north-west, and as each year passes some new phase of development is entered upon. About 500 head of cattle are grazed on the run, but as time goes on these will be turned on to the newly acquired property of the Dairy Creek Pastoral Company with the herd from the parent station, finally to be disposed of and their place taken by the less picturesque and exciting but more profitable sheep. The flock
“Dairy Creek ” Homestead.
carried on by the remaining four members of the family. “DALGETY DOWNS,” the property of Messrs. James and Merton Fitzpatrick, adjoins the “Dairy Creek” Station, of which originally it formed a part, and was purchased from their father by the present owners in the year 1904. In area it covers
266,000 acres, and in general conformation resembles the parent property. In winter a fine flood of water is brought down by the
splashes of colour in their season. A roomy shed, 104 ft. by 35 ft., has been erected, and here the waggons are kept under shelter and harness and chaff are stored, while there is also a well-fitted-up blacksmith’s shop, where the ring of hammer on anvil is frequently heard. The Messrs. Fitzpatrick have under consideration at the present time plans for a modern shearing shed and outbuildings which, when erected, will be replete with the most up-to-date
numbers 17,500 of the merino type, and was formed in the original instance from representatives of the “Dairy Creek” flock. In 1907, 300 stud ewes were brought from Mr. J.
H. Horsfall’s “Widgewa” property, on the Riverina, New South Wales, and the practice has been followed with very satisfactory results of using all the rams bred as sires. If anything, the “Dalgety Downs” flock is slightly in advance of that at “Dairy Creek,” but there is little to choose
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between them. The sheep thrive well and are sturdy, big-boned animals, carrying a heavy growth of wool of good length and density, and maintaining an enviable immunity from diseases so prevalent in less healthy climates. The lambing percentages rival those of “Dairy Creek,” and the quality of the wool bears comparison with the best in the district. Fine draught horses of the Clydesdale strain are bred on the station, about sixty being required for the ordinary uses of the property, while a few are sold from time to time. The sire in use at the present time
With the remainder it is their intention to breed, and in the near future horse teams will be replaced by the “ships of the desert” in the transport of wool from the scene of its production to the sea-coast. The general management of both the “Dairy Creek” and “Dalgety Downs” Stations is in the hands of Mr. Merton Fitzpatrick, and in the busy season a large number of hands are employed, as many as eighty, in addition to a few aboriginals, at times being kept at work on the two stations. The other partner, Mr. James Fitzpatrick, makes periodical visits
considerable benefit. They continued to assist in the management of the “Dairy Creek” Station until 1904, in which year the two brothers launched out on their own account, purchasing their present property and forming the “Dalgety Downs” Station, the development of which has proceeded with great rapidity and success. Both of these gentlemen started at the bottom rung of the ladder, and by sheer hard work and indomitable courage have worked their way to the top, and they are an excellent illustration of what grit and courage can do in face of the arduous
SHEARING SHED, "DAIRY CREEK" STATION.
is the imported horse “Pride of Dean,” and his progeny seldom fail to develop into magnificent specimens of the breed which is so popular among the breeders and station-owners of the Western Australian and other States of the Commonwealth. An especially interesting feature of the “Dalgety Downs” industry is the camel herd, which now numbers 130, forty of these valuable freight animals having been sold since March, 1911, when the Messrs. Fitzpatrick purchased 170 from Mr. James Nicholas, Leonora.
p
to the property, and during his stay renders valuable assistance in the conduct of affairs of both estates. The birthplace of both brothers was at “Baramba,” on the Moore River, near Gingin, Mr. James Fitzpatrick being born on September 8, 1874, and Mr. Merton Fitzpatrick on June 24, 1876. Upon the completion of their educational studies they were brought up to pastoral pursuits on the home station under the able guidance of their father, by whose ripe experience as a successful pioneer in the district they reaped
conditions which beset the pioneers who bravely sallied into the wilderness to reclaim the vast areas of this great pastoral country, the possibilities of which are beyond reckoning. Mr. James Fitzpatrick was married in the year 1911 to Daisy, daughter of Mr. Timothy Flynn, of Cork, Ireland, an old and respected Civil Servant of forty-eight years’ standing, whose retirement took place in
1903. He resides at “Strathmore,” Chester Street, Subiaco, a charming home, a view of which is reproduced on page 222 of this work.
"LYONS RIVER" STATION, the property of Mr. William Hatch, lies almost due east of Carnarvon, being 140 miles distant by road from that port. The track is a decidedly bad one, and the traveller is glad to reach the hospitable homestead after a wearying drive lasting from three to four days, the journey having to be made in slow stages. For some time past property-holders in the district have mentally conjured up the vision of a railway from Carnarvon to The Junction, a distance of some 110 miles, the construction of which would be easy and economical, no bridges nor grading being necessary. This would do away with the necessity to cart goods over a rough, wearisome stretch of country at charges altogether out of proportion to the value of the goods consigned, and in addition be of great advantage to travellers. Chaff, which at the present time (March, 1912) is purchased at Carnarvon at £11 10s. per ton, has a ruinous effect on the pockets of the pastoralist, whose only alternative in these dry periods is to stand idly by and watch the stock perish for want of fodder. The suggested terminus—The Junction—is easily reached by most of the run-holders, as the approach from all sides is excellent, and figures have been compiled which serve to show that sufficient freight would be available to make the railway a paying concern from the commencement. “Lyons River” Estate embraces
275,000 acres of good pastoral country, mostly undulating in character, the intersections of low-lying hills being of granite formation. On the western side the boundary is formed by the Kennedy Ranges, the sides of which are exceedingly precipitous, the formation being sandstone and fossilized stone. The range forms a splendid barrier, as the sheep are unable to ascend any portion of it. The Lyons River runs for 26 miles through the estate, and the flats leading to the banks of the stream are of rich chocolate soil of good depth. Lightly timbered, the country shows its principal growth in the vicinity of the river, and various timbers, including river gum, black-heart, mulga, and several species of jam are here to be located. All over the run there is a plentiful supply of top feed and mulga scrub, snakewood, saltbush, and varieties of the prickly acacia flourish, to which species of fodder the stock are especially partial. The grasses include Mitchell, bluegrass, windgrass, bundle
bundle, and in the vicinity of the range a little spinifex is found. The Lyons River is not a permanent stream, but in the dry seasons water is procured from the river bed by soaks, and two permanent pools provide a very welcome supply. Many wells have been sunk, in nine of which good water is found, over which windmills and tanks of varying capacity, up to 14,000 gallons, have been erected. The shearing-shed is served by one of these wells, and from another the supply for domestic purposes is obtained, this being augmented by two rain-water tanks and by water taken from the river, which flows within a stone’s throw of the homestead. A vegetable garden is cultivated, where all varieties of kitchen stuff are grown and tomatoes are to be obtained all the year round. On the river side is a spacious lawn, and in good seasons some attention is devoted to the cultivation of flowers to enliven the neutral character of the surroundings. The homestead, a roomy building, erected in 1907, stands on top of a small hill and contains four rooms and a large hall which is used as a dining-room. It is built of stone with an iron roof, the whole structure being encircled by a wide verandah, which gives it a very com fortable aspect, in no way belying the interior. There is a kitchen and men’s dining-room and the usual outbuildings, the stables and cartshed being a commodious building measuring 40 by 14 ft. “Lyons River” Station was first taken up by Messrs. George Hamersley and Tom Simms, but a series of bad seasons set in and the property was transferred to Messrs. S. J. Phillips and P. Ryan, who held possession from 1887 until 1906, when the lease was purchased by the present owner. Mr. Hatch shortly afterwards sold 20,000 acres to Mr. R. Newman and 40,000 to “Onslow Creek” Station, and took up 58,000 acres of Government land on the west side of the river, bringing the run up to its present acreage. It is fenced on three boundaries—the range forming the fourth—at a cost of £28 to £30 a mile. The fences are constructed with mulga or black-heart posts, with five wires, excepting those subdividing the run into eight paddocks, varying in extent from one to seven square miles, for which four wires have been found sufficient. Prior to entering into possession of “Lyons River” Estate Mr. Hatch had owned “Onslow Creek” Station,
adjoining his present property on the north-east side, which, in conjunction with Mr. Philip Ryan, he had purchased from Mr. J. Munro in 1893. His connection with the northwest was already of long standing, for in 1886 he had been managing “Mungarra” Station for Messrs. Forrest & Burt, with whom he had continued until 1898. In those days this firm owned several areas of country, namely “Brickhouse” Station, “Nebo” Station, and “Junction” Station, the last two being joined to form “Mungarra” Station, the general manager residing at “Brickhouse.” After twelve years Mr. Hatch left this employ and turned his attention to the development of “Onslow Creek,” having bought out Mr. Ryan in 1895. The place was already stocked in a measure with the progeny of a few cattle and sheep purchased by Mr. Hatch before he acquired the property, and which were temporarily grazed on Crown lands and on rented country under the care of a stock-man. After the removal of the stock to “Onslow Creek,” and after the departure of Mr. Ryan, Mr. Daniel Hatch, brother of the proprietor, took over the management, and has continued in this capacity ever since, transferring his services to “Lyons River” when “Onslow” was sold some years later. At its inception, the herd consisted of 150 to 200 cattle, and from these and a small flock of sheep breeding was begun, resulting in a gradual increase every year. In 1900 Mr. Hatch decided to pay more attention to sheep-raising, and to this end purchased 1,200 ewes and some stock rams from Mr. D. Hear-man, of “Middalya,” on the Minilya River. He continued operations on “Onslow Creek” until 1907, when the property and improvements were sold to Mr. Gerald Lefroy, Mr. Hatch transferring all the livestock, plant, etc., to “Lyons River,” which he had acquired the previous year. By this time his flocks had increased to
3,000 sheep, with 500 to 600 cattle and 100 horses. Considerable improvement had already taken place in the sheep, and in the ensuing years still further efforts have been made with success to bring the quality of the type into line with that of the average flock of the district. Rams were secured from the Eastern States, and some first-class representatives were procured from “Mount Sandy-man” Station, on the western side of the “Lyons River” Run. “Booboo-rowie” blood is also in evidence, and a
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mixed strain runs through the flock, rams from Mr. Collins’ estate in South Australia being used, with others from “Newmarracarra” and from Mr. G. J. Gooch, the latter being "Koonoona" blood out of “Boo-boorowie” ewes. The flock now numbers 13,000 sheep with even, strong frames, and wool of medium weight and good staple, the average fleece, including a fair percentage of lambs, weighing from 6 to 7 1). The wool has little yolk, is fairly clean, and scours and packs well. It is carted by contract labour 140 miles to Carnarvon, where it is shipped to London, via Singapore, and brings excellent prices. Shearing takes place in July, and in 1911 about 13,000 sheep were put to shears, including a large number of stragglers, satisfactory mustering being difficult. Prior to 1911 the work was done by hand, but in that year a new shed was erected, of timber and iron, five miles distant from the homestead, with accommodation for eight stands of Wolseley machinery, which is driven by a 6^-h.p. Tangye oil engine. Drafting-yards capable of handling from 20,000 to 30,000 sheep are now in course of construction, and with various other improvements that are under way the value of the property is being considerably enhanced. Lambing occurs in March, the average drop being about 60 per cent. The cattle are being sold as opportunity offers, and in the near future the herd will be reduced to small numbers, sufficient being retained for the uses of the station. Mr. Hatch has confined the breed to shorthorns, and a few prime cows are kept. More attention has been paid to the breeding of horses, and some fine sires have been worked on the station. At the present time, however, only a light stamp of horse is being produced, some of which find their way into the saleyards. The first mares in use were bought from Messrs. Woolhouse Brothers, and were sired by '‘Knight Errant.” “Telephone” by “The Englishman” was used as a sire, and a fair number of first-class fillies were got by him. These in turn were mated with “Red-fern” by “Goldborough,” a sire of great merit, but not long owned by Mr. Hatch when he broke his leg and had to be destroyed. He left his stamp, however, on a few fillies, which proved high-class, and several of his get also proved themselves on the turf. One of these—“Fern”— ran second in the Carnarvon Cup three years in succession, and won a p2
number of other events. “Novelty” won races on the Goldfields course and various metropolitan events, and “Pilgrim,” a fine stamp of gelding and a splendid jumper, had the misfortune to break his neck while being schooled for the big steeplechase at Boulder, for which event he was considered to have a very rosy chance. “Pilgrim” was full brother to “Fern,” who is still on the station. “Redfern” was succeeded by “Tcllus” by “Poll Moll,” by “Panic,” this sire in turn giving way to “Tribulation” by “Jsonomy.” “Tribulation” proved very promising, and sired a few winners, but was lost on account of his defective teeth during a dry season that occurred being unable to crop sufficient of the scant feed to sustain life. The next sire “Corce” by “Devon” is now
Bartletto, Perth.
Mk. William Hatch.
being used, but his progeny is as yet too young to try. Besides this racing stock, a few draughts arc bred for the requirements of the station. Mr. Hatch has been represented on the racecourse, “Lubra” and “New Woman” having carried his colours with very fair success. He was part owner of “Onslow” when that horse won the Railway Stakes and ran second to “Le Var” in the Perth Cup of 1898. A keen judge and lover of thoroughbreds he is likely to continue the breeding of some blood stock as long as his connection with pastoral life is kept up, but he has in recent years relinquished the active connection with racing events which distinguished him in former times. It is his intention, after improving the
flock at “Lyons River,” to dispose of the property and to settle down on a small farm in the southern district of the State. WILLIAM HATCH was born at Wanneroo on June 22, 1858, being a son of William Hatch, of Wilts, England, who came to Western Australia in the early fifties. This gentleman, after working for a time as a gardener, bought a property on the Moore River, comprising 700 acres, in addition to which he leased 3,000 acres and carried on mixed - farming pursuits, growing cereals and producing cattle and pigs. His death occurred in 1908. The subject of this review assistod in the operations of the home farm until twenty-one years of age, during this period gaining an excellent grip of the various details of management. In 1881 he set out for the northwest, having been engaged by Messrs. Woolhouse Brothers to work on “Yarraloola” Station, where he continued for three years. Here he gained experience in team-driving and in the handling of sheep and other station pursuits, and proceeded thence to “Hardie Junction” Station, in the Ashburton district, which was just being started by Mr. Arthur Hicks. In 1886 he took a well-earned holiday to Perth, where he met the late Alex. Forrest, and accepted the management of Messrs. Forrest and Burt’s “Mungarra” Station, on the Gascoyne River. For many years he lived the life appertaining to a kind of roving commission, moving the sheep from place to place, wherever rain had fallen, and making his home in whatever spot the camp was pitched, being assisted by twenty-natives in the shepherding of the flock. Tiring of this life, in 1898 he turned his attention to the development of “Onslow Creek” Station, which he had acquired some years previously, and eventually disposed of in 1907, in order to take up the “Lyons River” property, which he has since greatly improved. Mr. Hatch has the interests of the district at heart, and has been a member of the Gascoyne Roads Board ever since the formation of that body. He is a true sportsman, and an unfailing supporter of country race meetings. For twenty-four years he has been a member of the Carnarvon Race Club, in connection with which he is a committeeman and fills the office of steward. Mr. Hatch was married in 1881, his wife dying a few months later. In 1909 he was united to Ethel, daughter of Mr. Egan, of Victoria, and has one daughter by this union.
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“MILLY MILLY” STATION. A typical Western Australian pastoral property is Mr. Daniel Mulcahy’s “Milly Milly” Station, situated on the Murchison River about 140 miles from the Cue and Daydawn railway stations. The country originally was taken up by the late Mr. O’Grady, only to pass at a later date into the hands of Mr. James Aitkin, eventually passing into the hands of his brother-in-law, Mr. McKellar. Subsequent to the death of this gentleman it was purchased by the Messrs. Mulcahy Brothers, the present proprietor, Mr. Daniel Mulcahy, having been for many years in partnership with his brother, Mr. Michael Mulcahy. The Messrs. Mulcahy assumed possession of the property in 1906, at which time the area of the estate comprised some
772,000 acres. With the progressive spirit of the Australian pas-toralist the partners soon desired to enlarge these already generous borders, and extensive additions have since been made both by purchase and by taking up adjoining country, which enterprise has added considerably to the value of the run, the acreage of which now runs into a million and a half. It possesses, among other advantages, a fine river frontage of about 110 miles—40 miles to the Murchison River and 70 miles to the Wooramel River— and in good seasons there is an abundant flow of water from both these sources, the natural supply proving amply sufficient during the greater part of the year for watering the stock. Extensive provision has also been made in this department by artificial means, wells having been sunk in different parts of the run. Good water for stock may be obtained almost anywhere at a depth of 40 ft., and the work of well-sinking is continually going on, there being at the present time about forty-two whip wells on the property, each one of which is furnished with a substantially - made trough. The value of the windmill has been abundantly proved, as many as thirty having been already erected at an average cost, inclusive
of properly-protected troughs and galvanized tanks, of £100. These galvanized-iron tanks with which the windmills are supplied are 7,000 gallons capacity, ensuring a surface supply of water of from 14,000 to
21,000 gallons, in addition to the ample troughing, where the supply is so arranged that each trough keeps filling automatically. The character of the country, taken as a whole, is flat, with occasional slightly - rising ground to break the monotony of otherwise seemingly endless plain. The red soil generally found in the district prevails over the major portion of the run and proves rich in the necessary chemical constituents which make the different grasses
Bartletto, Perth.
Mb. Daniel Mtjlcahy.
and varieties of herbage so nutritious a fodder for stock. The country is lightly timbered, mulga being chiefly in evidence, and the flora and fauna correspond with that of other parts of the district. The comfortable station homestead was erected in 1909, stone excavated on the property being used for building purposes. It is a substantial structure of one storey, with galvanized-iron roof, and enjoys the advantage of a wide verandah, which encircles the whole of the main building. The store, office, and kitchen premises are semi-detached, the plan having beeh to form the whole block of
buildings into a hollow square with central courtyard. Adjacent is the flower garden, which has been tastefully laid out, and vegetable garden, where an abundance of fresh vegetables are grown for consumption on the station during the whole of the year. The water reticulation scheme at the homestead is exceptionally good, and gives every encouragement to the cultivation of all classes of plants suitable to the soil and climate. A large amount of capital has been expended from time to time on the development of the property, and the subdivision of its immense area into paddocks of convenient extent has proceeded as rapidly as circumstances would permit. At the present period it has been divided into thirty paddocks, and about 400 miles of fencing have been accomplished at an average cost of about £25 per mile. Further subdivisions are being made, and at time of writing (1912) a further fifty miles of fencing is in course of erection. The boundary fencing is of six wires with mulga posts, this timber having proved sufficiently durable and able to withstand the varied climatic influences which prevail. The divisional fences contain five strands, which have been found to provide sufficient security to the stock. .Round the station homestead are found the usual outbuildings, including stables, trapsheds, harness - room, and other conveniences. The cattle station, “Innawindy,” is situated about 40 miles distant from the “Milly Milly” Homestead, and here is found a cluster of stockyards and stone buildings, all of a substantial nature and well adapted to the various purposes for which they have been designed, while on another “outback” camp, which goes by the name of “Yeder-adda,” is a wood-and-iron structure where the station shearing-shed was formerly located. There are over
2,000 head of cattle on the run of the shorthorn strain, and showing the best qualities of that famous breed. The foundation of the herd was laid with good stock by the original proprietor, and this has
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
229
been improved from time to time by the importation of bulls of excellent pedigree from Victoria and New South Wales. The bulk of the “Milly Milly” cattle find their way to the metropolitan markets, and the prime specimens of beef bullocks brought under the hammer never fail to excite the keenest competition among buyers. The station carries about 200 horses, the majority of which are draughts bred for sale and for use on the property, the
at a specially high figure. This horse is by “Grafton” (imp.), his dam being “Amitie,” by “Melos” from “Fiancee” by “Marvellous.” His grandsire, “Melos,’' recorded a splendid performance by carrying 8 st. 12 Bo. into third place behind “Bravo” in the Melbourne Cup of 1889, the famous “Carbine” on that occasion notching second honours. Prior to his advent in Western Australia in 1908 “Cobber” was exhibited at the Royal
cattle and horses at last season’s shearing was running 30,000 sheep of the merino type, square-framed and strong-bodied, and yielding wool of good staple and density. It was formed in the first instance by representatives of the famous “Boonoke” blood, bred by Messrs. Falkiner and Sons, “Boonoke,” in the Riverina, New South Wales, and as recently as 1910 a couple of very valuable “Boonoke” stud rams, costing some hundreds, were purchased, so that
Mr. D. Mulcahvs Residence “ Knocknagow,” East Fremantle.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
remainder being of lighter type for harness and saddle use. A magnificent Clydesdale stallion, imported from New South Wales, has proved himself a sire of excellent qualities, and has been getting stock of quite exceptional merit which finds a ready sale and commands the best prices in the markets. Another fine stallion used for stud purposes on the station is “Cobber,” purchased in Sydney from Mr. M. J. Thompson
Show in Sydney, New South Wales, on which occasion he was the successful prize-winner among the stallions in the three-year-old and under-four-years sections. The wool-growing industry forms, perhaps, the most important branch of the “Milly Milly” pastoral operations, and has proved a very profitable department of the business. The country, which is much understocked, in addition to carrying
the steady improvement which each year has been so marked a characteristic of the “Milly Milly” flock might suffer no diminution. Both for mutton-producing and wool-yielding purposes the Murchison district has proved itself distinctly favourable, and in these respects has been found to yield results which will bear comparison with any of the other northern localities in the Western Australian State. It has
present structure having been
erected in 1911. The available
space has been fitted up in the most convenient manner, and the twenty Wolseley sheep-shearing machines
been the general aim of the breeders of the neighbourhood to produce a sheep of robust type, well proportioned and well developed, with a sound, hardy nature, fitted in every way to" withstand the varied conditions of the climate, and “Milly
Shearing takes places in August, and long after the “cut-out” is called work on the station proceeds at high pressure. The woolshed and shearing-shed are located about 11 miles from the station homestead, and are built of wood and iron, the
which have been installed are driven by a 10 horse-power Clayton and Shuttleworth steam - engine. The wool is carefully packed and transported by camel team to Day
of a general merchant in all its branches. After four years’ connection with this concern Mr. Mul-cahy left Ireland for Australia, arriving in Queensland in 1887. He
Type of boonoke Ram.
Milly” has done its part in the attainment of this ideal. Lambing takes place about April, and during recent seasons the drop has averaged 75 per cent., with a high standard of quality, showing that Western Australia is prepared to hold her own with the Eastern States in the important matter of sheep-breeding. The flock is provided with excellent pasturage in favourable seasons in the varieties of grasses which come up luxuriantly after the early summer rains, and during the winter find a good substitute in herbage, and in times of drought saltbush and other bushes which cover the plains. Originally the idea of saltbush as a life-sustaining agent was rejected by some of Australia’s most eminent explorers, but this theory has long since been proved by practical experience to be erroneous, as to the succulent saline juices many a hungry flock has owed a-longer lease of life when the green blades of grass, for which the sheep show a marked preference, fail to appear.
Dawn, whence it is railed to Gerald-ton for shipment to market, where it invariably changes hands at top prices. For very many years horses and bullocks were depended upon for transport purposes, but the successful experiments of other pas-toralists having demonstrated the superiority of camels as beasts of burden for the long, dry, northern Australian tracks a number of these animals were purchased, from which Mr. Daniel Mulcahy is now breeding, and he hopes at the close of the present season to have increased his herd to the number of fifty. DANIEL MULCAHY, the proprietor of “Milly Milly” Station, is a son of the late Mr. Daniel Mulcahy, of Fremantle, formerly of Kingswell, Tipperary, Ireland, where the gentleman under review was born on September 6, 1866. He received his scholastic training at the Christian Brothers’ and the National Schools in his native town, with a finishing course at a private school. With a view of entering upon a commercial career, at the age of seventeen he joined the establishment of Mr. W. Coman, in Tipperary, and acquainted himself with the business
Flock of Merinoes.
231
continued to follow the same calling, first in Brisbane, then at Townsville, and afterwards at Charters Towers, and in 1891 came to Western Australia, where his first position was with the firm of William Sandover & Co., hardware merchants, etc., of Fremantle. Upon the report of gold discoveries at the Murchison commercial ambition gave way to mining enterprise, and Mr. Mulcahy was among the first to arrive at Nannine, in which district
prospector, leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of the precious metal, and finally became possessed of sufficient capital to enable him to give up the rough life on the fields and devote himself to the more certain, if less exciting, calling of trade. In 1893 he purchased an interest in the Commercial Hotel, High Street, Fremantle, and two years later was joined by his brother, Mr. M. Mulcahy, now of the National Hotel, Fremantle. This enterprise proved
interests were taken over by Mr. Daniel Mulcahy, who is now sole owner of the property. About this time the health of the latter gentleman becoming affected by the continued pressure of his long connection with business affairs, he decided to retire from active commercial life, and has since lived in semi - retirement at “Knocknagow,” East Fremantle. A true patriot, he is one of the most generous donors to the funds of the Irish Home Rule cause
TRANSPORTINO WOOL FROM "MlLLY MlLLY" TO DAY DAWN.
he prospected for about a year with varied success. Subsequently he proceeded to Peak Hill, and thence with a party of prospectors went overland to Coolgardie, a task involving considerable pluck and endurance, as this was the first party which had done the trip, and great privations were suffered from the scarcity of water and other hard conditions. At Coolgardie he engaged in the usual life of the
a pronounced success, and subsequently the brothers acquired several hotels, notably the National Hotel, Fremantle; the Terminus Hotel, Fremantle; the Royal Hotel, East Fremantle; the Central, Perth ; the Shamrock Hotel, the Metropole Hotel, and the Grand Hotel, Boulder. Until the year 1911 Messrs. D. & M. Mulcahy were joint proprietors of “Miliy Milly” Station, but in that year Mr. Michael Mulcahy’s
and is a notable supporter of the Celtic Club in Western Australia, having helped to steer it safely through its infancy and assuming the office of guarantor in times of financial stress. His favourite form of diversion is found in the game of bowls, and he is connected with the East Fremantle Club. Married in 1895 to Mary Agnes, daughter of Mr. Lawrence Fay, of Fremantle, he has three sons and five daughters.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
“YALLALONG,” the property of Messrs. L. D. Mitchell & Sons. It has been said that a certain air of romance surrounds the settlement of the great north-west; that to the southern Australian reader the
Mr. James Mitchell.
accounts of tropical and semi-tropical flora and fauna, and of life under the conditions peculiar to such regions, are more interesting than stories of places which he knows
better by experience. Admitting this element of romance, which is an undoubted factor in the scheme of
Miller, Geraldton,
Mr. Arthur Onslow Mitchell.
exploration in reducing things to the bedrock of fact, it will be found that the average pastoralist who has gained a fortune by living and investing in these remote regions has not passed his years in the lap of luxury, but by the grit which causes him to set his teeth and go forward in the
face of heartbreaking disappointment, by the judgment which curbed ambition in the years of plenty, by the industry, courage, and hope which have ultimately spelt success for him, he has amply deserved the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Clayton Mitchell.
harvest of the years. An immense amount of patient drudgery often lays the foundation for the realization of those dreams of success which first inspire the enterprise that proves
PORTION OF THE "YALLALONG" FLOCK.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
233
a matter of ups and downs, like the average commercial venture. With its recently acquired additions of territory, the property which forms the subject of this article covers the large area of over
1,000,000 acres—a vast expanse of country, into which hundreds of the farms of the Motherland could be packed without undue crowding. It is situated on the Murchison River, in the north-west district of Western Australia, the vicinity having been first traversed in 1854—a year of drought—by Assistant-surveyor R. Austin, who described much of the territory as desolate and devoid of pasturage. In the following year, however, when his
four or five miles from the river to the base of the hills. Along the river— the double frontage of which to the “Yallalong” property equals about
120 miles—the country is fairly open, rising gently on the northern side to the Mount Blair Range, composed mostly of rough hills of granite
Homestead and Outbuildings.
Rounding-up Cattle at “Yallalong” Station.
formation, while other parts of the run are undulating, with rises of a more pronounced nature occurring here'and there. In a “good” season—namely, when the summer rains have fallen in abundant downpour, satisfying the thirsty soil and filling up the watercourses—the indigenous grasses spring up like magic, the nourishing wandering grass and wind grass being well represented; while the saltbush, which
efforts were followed up by Messrs. Gregory and Trigg, who explored about 180 miles of the River Murchison country, the same areas were found by these pioneers to be grassed equal to the average in the Champion Bay district, in some places the pastures being most luxuriant. The soil, generally of light depth, was found to deepen on the river flats, where it assumes a red, chocolate, clayey character, when dry being very open— fine, grassy plains extending
“YALLALONG” HOMESTEAD.
234
but in the early eighties he once more turned his attention to the pastoral industry on the more remote districts of the Upper Murchison, “Yallalong” being situated about 170 miles north-east of Geraldton and 110 miles from Mullewa. Stocking
survives through long months of drought, and proves, with various species of top feed, the mainstay of the flocks, takes on new vigour, and succulent herbages flourish in moist places. Along the river flats the flooded gum-tree is considerably in evidence, and over the areas of the run belts of mulga and pine may be found, while the white-gum is also a feature of the region, ample shelter being provided in various localities for the flocks by the foliage of this and other trees and bushes. When first taken up in the early eighties by the late James Mitchell, father of the present general manager, the “Yallalong” property comprised some
300,000 acres, a portion of which was secured on terms of purchase, the remainder being leased from the Government. Mr. Mitchell was a native of Redruth, Cornwall, England, and prior to his advent to Western Australia had been engaged in the mining industry in the Old Country, having been occupied in lead-mining at Northampton for four or five years. The possibilities of pastoral enterprise
Watering Sheep at ‘‘Yallalong.’'
the run with 2,000 merino sheep, purchased on the Greenough Flats, near Northampton, Mr. Mitchell, whilst developing the place chiefly as a wool proposition, also went in for cattle- and horse-raising on a more limited scale, the latter stock being procured from his former property, “Trevenson.” A primitive homestead was built, and a little fencing accomplished, but the drawbacks to rapid development were numerous, and even facilities for shearing were absent, the flock having to be driven to Northampton for the annual clip, which, at that time, was done by blade. On account of the lack of fenced paddocks, shepherding of the flocks continued for many years, and in general the work of improvement proceeded very slowly, while the increase in the numbers of the stock
in the north-western areas having impressed him as providing a likely avenue to prosperity, he rented the “Trevenson” property near the same centre, and became engaged in the breeding of merino sheep for the wool markets, and in horse-breeding,
gaining considerable experience during the seven or eight years that he retained his connection with “Trevenson.” Relinquishing this enterprise, he entered upon hotelkeeping pursuits, becoming boniface of the Miners’Arms Hotel at Northampton;
Load of Wool leaving Station for Mullewa.
235
was very small. Mr. James Mitchell died in 1892, after a life devoted almost entirely to business pursuits, his only connection with any social organization being membership in the Geraldton Lodge of Freemasons. He was twice married, his second wife
being Leah, daughter of the late John Sainsbury, of Fremantle, by whom he had three sons and five daughters, a son by his first marriage also surviving. JOHN CLAYTON MITCHELL, the eldest son of the late James Mitchell by his second marriage, was born at Northampton on February 11, 1880. He pursued his primary studies at the local public school, subsequently completing his scholastic career in Sydney, New South Wales, where he remained for fifteen months, returning to Western Australia in 1897. Young Mitchell had already acquired considerable experience in the management of sheep and cattle on the parental property, and now took up his residence at “Yallalong,” in the following year being invested with full powers of control on behalf of
his mother, who holds the major interest in the estate, himself and a brother also being small shareholders. At the time of his taking over the supervision of affairs the station was stocked with 2,000 sheep, 60 horses, and 300 to 400
cattle. In order to improve the type of the flock Mr. Mitchell, in 1900, introduced some Shropshire rams, from which good results were anticipated, but these proving of no avail, the experiment was discontinued, and at a later date he imported some well-bred
merino rams from the South Australian station, “Nalpa,” owned by Messrs. Stirling Brothers, the well-known pastoralists of that State. This introduction of superior blood has been found eminently satisfactory, and the flock, which has now increased to 21,000 sheep, and has been subjected to careful culling every year, displays a robust type of animal, with a clean fleece of longer, denser wool, in which a fair amount of yolk is in evidence. A satisfactory feature is the absence of diseases, these being almost unknown in the district ; and another advantage of the locality is the very little loss occasioned by the depredations of dingoes and hawks, which prove such a scourge in some parts of the country. Lambing takes place during May, June, and July, the average drop reaching about 80 per cent-., though in 1910, which was an especially favourable season, this percentage was increased to 89. September is the shearing season, and since Mr. J. C. Mitchell’s regime commenced a shearing-shed has been erected at the station, containing
Well Fitted with Windmill. Tanks and Troughing.
twelve stands, Wolseley machines having been installed in 1909. An up-to-date woolpress has also been erected, and the clip—which averages 7 or 8 lb. to the fleece—is pressed and packed in its greasy state and despatched per donkey and camel teams to Mullewa, thence by train to Geraldton, the port of shipment for London, where it commands an average price of 10Jd. per ft).
The herd has now reached the goodly number of 2,400 cattle, a favourable cross between the shorthorn and Hereford breeds having been brought about by the importation of bulls from South Australia and local purchases from Mr. A. W.
Edgar’s “Strathalbyn” Estate, Gingin, and Mr. W. McKenzie Grant, of “New-marracarra,” Geraldton.
Mr. Mitchell breeds for the Western Australian markets chiefly, and about 500 head annually find their way to the local saleyards. There are about 200 horses on the station, medium draughts and hacks being bred for station use and for sale. The fine draught stallion “Grand Review,” by “Garthland” —• “May,” by
“McArthur,” bought from Mr. Cock-ram at the figure of 200 guineas, has been used as sire for some time, excellent progeny being the result; and the trotting stallion “Rapidity,” by “King Frederick the Great”— “Rapid,” by “The Swell,” has also
entirely justified this decision. Other classes of stock on the run include forty donkeys and thirty-five camels, a couple of teams of each being always kept on hand for carting and other station purposes. Among the improvements which
Portion of Camel Herd,
placed some fine young colts and fillies to his credit. The sire “Darn-ley,” imported from Queensland, was used in previous years, but it was felt that an improvement could be effected in this department, and the result of the changes made has
MURCHISON RIVER IN FLOOD
were begun in good earnest when Mr. Mitchell took over the reins of management was the steadily continued erection of fences, this work going on at the rate of from 20 to 50 miles per annum, until at the present time there are 500 miles of fencing completed, a division of the run into forty paddocks having been made. The fences are constructed of pine and mulga posts cut from the local timber and threaded with five wires, costing about £18 per mile. The primitive dwelling built by the late Mr. Mitchell was replaced in 1904 by a stone house with iron roof containing seven rooms, and the usual outbuildings—stables, cart-sheds, shearers’ quarters and shearing - shed, blacksmith’s shop, etc.—have been added, while in the winter a small vegetable garden is cultivated. The rainfall varies
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
237
purchase of “Wail” and “Bal-gooda,” outsta-tions of the “Mount View” Station, the property of Messrs. Drage Brothers. The former, being mostly un-fenced, but watered by a few creeks and clay-pans, is used
considerably from year to year, but over a period the average is about 10 in., the principal fall occurring from the months of May to August, and, in addition to the natural water supply provided by the Murchison River and various smaller creeks and sand soaks and pools, fifty to sixty wells have been sunk, at an average depth of 30 ft., which provide excellent water for the stock, to which it is served by the aid of fifty windmills, with tanks and trougliing of up-to-date design. In 1910 the area of the estate was brought up to its present acreage by the
Another view of River.
camel Team on the Road.
MURCHISON RIVER RUNNING A BANKER.
chiefly as a cattle run; while “Yal-lalong” and “Bal-gooda” are kept as sheep country, the pasturage being well suited for that purpose. Mr. Mitchell is an enthusiastic motorist, and has on the station an “Overland” car and a motorcycle, by means of which he is able to keep in touch with all portions of the firm’s extensive holdings. Being kept fully occupied in attending to the multitudinous duties always associated with pastoral enterprise, Mr. Mitchell has but little time to devote to outside affairs, but he is associated with the Masonic craft, being a member of the Geraldton Lodge, No. 3, W.A.C. He was married in the year 1907 to Ethel Blanche, daughter of Mr. Thos. Drage, of “Mount View,” and has a family of one son and one daughter. Mrs. Leah Mitchell resides at Churchill Avenue, Subiaco.
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“STRATHALBYN,” the property of Mr. A. W. Edgar, is a fine pastoral property situated about two and a half miles from Gingin, on the Perth to Geraldton railway line, and is distant about 52 miles from the western metropolis. The estate embraces part of the original “Cheriton” Station, formed some fifty to sixty years ago by the late Mr. W. L. Brockman, a pioneer of the pastoral industry in Western Australia. “Strathalbyn” comprises some 2,500 acres of beautiful undulating country, particularly well adapted for the needs of cattle raising. The soil of the estate varies a good deal, and embraces about 500 acres of rich black soil, 1,500 acres of redgum country, and 500 acres of poorer country of the same class, intersected with patches of sandy plain. Originally covered with a heavy growth of redgum, the timber gradually has been thinned out until now very little of it remains. The natural grasses grow luxuriantly, and are supplemented by a cultivated area of from 60 to 70 acres. On the eastern boundary of the estate runs the Gin-gin Brook, a permanent watercourse, the daily flow of which has been estimated at 2,000,000 gallons. With the depletion of the timber on the property another running stream has come into being, and as the average annual rainfall is about 32 in. there is always a copious supply of water for all purposes. The property is subdivided into twenty paddocks, each of which has the advantage of a
natural spring, and is completely encircled by a wire fence of four strands and three barbs, which has proved ample for the security of the sheep
Greenham & Evans, Perth.
Mb. A. W. Edgab.
and cattle. Assuming complete control of “Strathalbyn” in 1899, Mr. Edgar decided to establish a first-class stud of merino sheep, and in pursuit of this enterprise expended considerable sums of money. ' The pure merino strain first tried gave way a little later to the Shropshire, but principally owing to footrot and rickets the sheep failed to make headway, and operations in this direction were ultimately abandoned. Mr.
Edgar’s enterprise, however, was not altogether barren of success, as his Shropshires and merinos were awarded numerous prizes, particulars of which will be found elsewhere. In the year 1898, some twelve months prior to the establishment of the sheep stud, the foundation of the present very fine herd of shorthorn cattle was laid by the purchase and importation of pedigreed stock from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and New Zealand. Selections were made from the estates of Mr. T. E. Bowman, Campbell House, Lake Alexandrina, South Australia, Mr. R. Whitehead, “Goodwood,” near Caramut, Victoria, and Mr. Tindale, New South Wales. “Miss Matilda 18th,” which subsequently placed to its credit three championships and numerous other prizes, was purchased from Mr. L. Dugdale’s “Springfield” property, and at the same time fifteen cows with good pedigrees were selected. Many others were purchased at prices ranging from 100 to 150 guineas, and for two fine cows from Mr. A. J. Webb’s “Lindenow” Estate, near Bairnsdale, 150 and 115 guineas respectively were paid. The sum of £300 was out-layed in the purchase of three cows from “Bolinda Vale,” along with many others from this noted stud at from 20 to 60 guineas; 200 guineas were paid for “Bolinda Duke of Der-rimut 267th,” a splendid specimen of a seven-month-old calf; and “Bolinda Duke of Alpine 3rd” became Mr. Edgar’s property at a cost
Photo by Greenham & Evans.
“ lindenow Duke of Derrimut 2nd," by “Duke of York 2nd."
239
of 175 guineas. New Zealand was next visited, and at an important sale a cow of the shorthorn strain was purchased for “Strathalbyn” at a cost of 225 guineas. No further purchases were made in the Dominion, but two cows imported from England by Mr. W. T. Loton were added to the stud at an outlay of 150 guineas, and a number was secured at the Melbourne sales at prices ranging from 30 to 90 guineas. The magnificent shorthorn bull “Royal Albert 11th,” bought at auction in Melbourne for 260 guineas, was originally secured in England from the breeders, Messrs.
C. Hobbs & Sons, of Maisey Hampton. Mr. Edgar was the breeder of that fine bull “Str atha Hyn Monarch,” which was purchased and sent to England by Mr. G.
J. Brockman, but the cattle restrictions of the Old Country preventing the landing of the animal it was returned to Western Australia, and at the present time is at “Boo lathana”
Station, owned by Messrs. C. & J.
Butcher. The present homestead, built in 1900, is a comfortable stone and brick structure, the architectural side of which is not altogether devoid of beauty. “De GREY” STATION, situated in the north-west of the State, comprises about 655,000 acres of open grassy plain, dotted here and there - with belts of light timber. Fifteen different grasses flourish on the estate, including seven varieties of spinifex, five of which are considered good for stock, the soft spinifex being looked upon as one of the best stock-fatteners known. The subdivisions embrace about thirty paddocks, varying in size from about 10,000 to
70,000 acres, and are fenced with six wires with iron stanchions, the latter being imported from England at a
cost of 6d. each. The estate is watered by several permanent pools, by the De Grey River, and a number of clay-pans, which retain water for periods varying from three to ten months of the year; in fact, water is to be had almost anywhere by sinking 25 to 50 ft., no well on the station being deeper than 70 ft. The flock comprises about 60,000 sheep of the hardy South Australian merino type, which has proved itself to be admirably adapted to the rigours of the Kimberley expanses. As well as the sheep “De Grey” Station carries
1,000 well-bred shorthorn cattle,
and nothing but pure shorthorn bulls have been used for twenty years. The station also runs about 300 horses, and the sires used for the last thirty-five years are “Sir Isaac” by “Angler,” “Nutwith” by “Kelpie,” “Metal” by “Tredeagle,” “Stone Design” by “Precious Stone,” “Gunpowder” by “Guinea,” and “Georgie Mentor” by “Mentor.” The sires now in use are “Orel,” own brother to “Nushka,” “Brookong,” and “Kil-fera”; and “Stamp,” a son of “Postmaster” ; also a fine Suffolk Punch imported from England, and one bought at Sydney sales bred by Mr.
Dangar. About fifty ponies are bred, the sire in use being a hackney stallion bred by Mr. Phillip Charley, of New South Wales. In the early days of the settlement of “De Grey” Station the owners devoted a considerable amount of attention to the pearl-shelling industry and kept three boats in commission. In addition to the native crew, thirty to forty native divers were carried on each boat, and for fifteen years the profits derived from this work annually reached £6,000. Pearlshell was then worth £130 a ton, but its present selling price is almost double that sum. The highest figure ever obtained by the firm for a single pearl was £1,200. Nowadays the boats no longer ply their trade, but when the tide is out beach - combing prevails, the natives being employed to gather the shells. Between high and low tide there is a difference of 25 ft., and for woolloading purposes sailing vessels stand close in to land, the receding tide leaving them high and dry on the sandy shore. The wool teams then pull alongside, and work is vigorously proceeded with until the incoming tide causes a temporary cessation. Lambing usually commences in May and is finished by the end of June, but a late lambing occurs in October and November, the average for the past twenty years being about 50J per cent., including dry seasons and drought years. Shearing takes place in July, and in 1910 1,098 bales were
obtained from 54,500 sheep, including a number of lambs. ALEXANDER WILLIAMSON EDGAR was born at Mullagh, in the western district of Victoria, in the year 1856. He is the second son of the late Mr. Walter Edgar, who reached Victoria
240
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Photos by Greenham & Evans.
Views of •* Strathalbyn •• Estate.
241
in the very early days of that State, and was one of the pioneer settlers to open up the land. Mr. A. W. Edgar came to Western Australia in his twenty-first year, and soon after arrival found employment as a station hand on the “De Grey” Station, then owned by Messrs. Grant, Harper, & Anderson. His brother, Mr. John Edgar, subsequently purchased Mr. Harper’s share in the estate, and of this share Mr. A. W. Edgar ultimately bought a sixth portion. The reconstructed firm continued operations until the death of Mr. Anderson in 1886, and three years after the demise of Messrs. Grant and Edgar, who died within a fortnight of each other in 1897, a syndicate composed of brothers, sisters, and nephews, was formed to purchase the property of which Mr. A. W. Edgar is now the largest shareholder and general manager. Apart from this property the syndicate retains large interests in other pastoral areas in the north-west of the State. “Warrawagine,” which adjoins the “De Grey” boundaries, was originally a part of that station, but was sold to the Darlot Brothers some twenty years ago. “Obagooma,” in the Kimberley district, was opened up by the Edgar Brothers’ firm, and a few years later sold by them to the present proprietors. Mr. Edgar holds a two-thirds share in the “Oscar Range” Station, comprising over half a million acres, over which 7,000 head of cattle are grazed. At this station there is also a jack donkey, imported from America by Mr. Edgar at a cosi of 200 guineas, which is used for the purpose of breeding mules for use in the work of the station. Mr. A. W. Edgar, in conjunction with his late brother, started a small stud of pedigreed mares in 1895, and imported “Maiden Erleigh” by “Sunrise” out of “Queen Eliza,” “Monazite” by “Malua” out of “Galena” by “Richmond,” “Girton Girl” by "Mentor” from “Sylvina” by “Glorious,” “Sturt’s Pea” by “Gang Forward” from “Rose of Australia” by “Melbourne,” afterwards adding “Rosary” by “Light Artillery” from “Tuberose” by “Grand Flaneur,” “Rupee” (full sister to “Florin”) by “St. Swithin” from “Dime” by “Dollar,” “Fragrance” by “Russley” (imported) from “Spice” (sister to “Abercorn”) by “Chester,” and used as a sire, “Field Artillery” by “Light Artillery” from “Sunnydale” by “Gang Forward.” The stud was successfully carried on, but subsequent Q
to the death of his brother Mr. Edgar gradually relinquished operations as a breeder of horses. He bred a few good horses, notably “Fireworks,” well known on the unregistered tracks in Melbourne; and “Independent,” a good performer in Western Australia; besides many winners at backblocks race meetings. Mr. Edgar takes a keen interest in working sheep-dogs, and has only twice been beaten in all the field trials he has contested in Western Australia. At “Strathalbyn” there is also a very fine flock of American bronze turkeys, for which there is a very strong demand from all parts of the State. About three miles from “Strathalbyn” a piece of land has been purchased from the Midland
Railway Company, and for the purpose of exterminating the scrub and undergrowth a herd of pure Angora goats has been recently imported from South Australia. The following is a list of trophies and prizes won by Mr. Edgar from 1898 to 1910:—Shorthorn Cattle—46 champions, 126 first prizes, 64 second prizes, 8 third prizes, 2 recommended third prizes, 3 cups, 4 governor’s cups, 5 special prizes, a total of 258, valued at £398 5s. Shropshires and Merinos—10 champions, 47 first prizes, 21 second prizes, 4 third prizes, 1 special prize, 1 certificate of merit, a total of 84, valued at £131 11s. Dogs (field trials)—9 first prizes, 10 second prizes, 1 third prize, a total of 20, valued at £67 4s. Poultry—1 champion, 24 first prizes, 12 second prizes, 5 third prizes, a
total of 42, valued at £7 19s. Horses—11 first prizes, 12 second prizes, 1 third prize, a total of 24, valued at £40 19s. Total number of prizes, 428; value, £645 18s. Chief winning animals of the “Strathalbyn” herd of shorthorns:—Bulls— “Strathalbyn Ringleader,” son of “The Gift”—1 first prize, 1 special prize, 1 second prize; “Lindenow Duke of Derrimut 2nd”—9 champions, 16 first prizes, 3 special prizes (this bull was never beaten and was in sixteen shows in five years); “Strathalbyn Monarch”—3 champions, 6 first prizes, 1 special prize; “Bolinda Duke of Derrimut 267th” —2 champions, 4 first prizes (this bull as a calf beat thirty-six in his class at Melbourne Royal Show; and
was exhibited for three years and remained unbeaten). Cows — “The Gift”—1 reserve champion, 4 first prizes, 1 recommended third prize; “Strathalbyn Gift,” daughter of “The Gift”—5 first prizes (this cow has an unbeaten record); “Strathalbyn Gift 2nd,” daughter of “The Gift”—4 first prizes; “Miss Matilda 18th”—3 champions, 1 reserve champion, 5 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 1 third prize; “Strathalbyn Josephine”—3 first prizes, 2 special prizes, 2 second prizes; “Strathalbyn White Wreath”—4 first prizes, 1 second prize; “Charmer of Inglewood’s 5th Princess”—2 champions (milking strain), 1 reserve champion (milking strain), 3 first prizes (milking strain), 3 second prizes (milking strain), 1 third prize (milking strain).
242
“SPRINGHILL,” the property of Mr. W. T. Loton, is in the valley of the Avon, seven miles to the south of Northam, and some 16 miles distant from York township. “Spring-hill” Estate is looked upon as a model
Bartletto, Perth.
Me. W. T. Loton.
farm of Western Australia. The property comprises about 7,000 acres of land, ideal in every respect for agricultural and pastoral purposes, and since the first days of settlement
the face of the landscape has undergone considerable changes, most of the dense timber and undergrowth with which the property was encumbered having succumbed to the vigorous onslaught of the woodman’s axe. Altogether some 5,000 acres have been cleared and rendered available for cultivation, while a further 1,000 acres have passed the first stage in the transformation from virgin forest to smiling cornfields. In 1911 the harvest of wheat and hay was well up to the yield previously maintained, namely, eighteen bushels of wheat per acre and one and a half tons of hay per acre. The property is completely surrounded by a substantial fence, and is subdivided into seventy-five paddocks, ranging in area from 5 to 800 acres. The locality is favoured with a regular and abundant rainfall, in addition to which there are several permanent sources from which water is drawn both for stock and domestic purposes. Grasses grow luxuriantly on the property, the many varieties including clover, cocksfoot, silvergrass, dandelion, and corkscrew. Besides these many artificial grasses have been introduced by Mr. Loton, who is continually experimenting in this direction. Fifteen acres are given over to paspalum, a splendid fodder for stock, and in a number of smaller
paddocks lucerne is cultivated. Since about 1895 the management of “Springhill” has been entirely in the hands of Mr. A. G. Loton, and under his energetic direction remarkable progress has been made in developing
Bartletto, Perth.
Me. A. G. Loton.
the resources of the property. In 1910 he was successful against seven other competitors in winning a silver cup presented by the proprietors of The Northam Advertiser for the best-managed farm in the district, scoring
Photo by O'. K. Parr.
Residence at "Springhill ••
243
85 points out of a possible 100, a result of which Mr. Loton may well be proud. The homestead at “Spring-hill,” a fine roomy house, is situated on a slight elevation and commands a magnificent view of the surrounding hills and valleys. It contains some fourteen rooms and is surrounded by a beautiful garden, upon the cultivation of which much time and attention have been lavished. The residence is enclosed on three sides by a spacious verandah covered with creepers, which provides a welcome retreat during the hot summer months. The various outbuildings have been erected on the most modern lines, and the machinery in use on the estate is the most up-to-date obtainable. As with the majority of sheep-breeders in the Western State, the merino holds pride of place in the estimation of Mr. Loton. The noted characteristics of the breed, the robust frame, well-set-up body, long wool of good staple, are all present in the “Springhill” flock, which for evenness and excellence would be hard to beat. The foundation of the flock was laid some twenty-five years ago by the introduction of rams from the famous Murray flock of South Australia and some ewes from Canowie. Subsequently rams by “Royal Hero” and “President” were imported from Tasmania, these giving great density of fleece and wool of high quality. In more recent years rams of a very high class from the celebrated “Wangan-ella” and “Boonoke” studs have been obtained. The introduction of the latter strain has been attended with very satisfactory results, and the
standard of the flock has thus been raised to a high plane of excellence. The principle stud ram “Boono” was purchased from Messrs. Falkiner and Sons in 1907. Several of his young rams have since realized good prices,
and from 2-tooth rams fleeces weighing 19 lb. have been cut, while fleeces taken from 2-tooth ewes turned the scale at 10 ft>. In open competition his progeny has gained several first prizes and championships at recent shows. Another first-class ram is
“Wonga,” bred by the Executors of the late Mr. Thomas Millear, of “Wanganella.” This ram carried off championship honours at the Royal Show of 1907, since when he has not been exhibited in the show ring.
With a view of further improving the present standard of excellence of the stud, an importation of two high-class 4-tooth rams from “Boonoke” was made. These were exhibited at the Royal Agricultural Show in October, 1911, when each was awarded
Photo by C. E. Farr
CLEVELAND BAY STALLION; "POTTO LAIRD" BY "POTTO HUTTON."
q2
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Group of Draught Mares
244
first and champion prize in the respective classes of strong and medium merinos, and “Sir Samuel,” the strong wool ram, carried off the prize as grand champion merino ram at the show. The stud flock now totals 500 carefully selected animals, and each season Mr. Loton will have available for sale a considerable number of young rams. Shearing takes place in September, and this year over
good stamp of draught horses, and at the present time has twelve splendid station-bred Clydesdale draught mares for brood purposes. During 1908 a pure-bred Cleveland bay stallion, “Potto Laird,” and three Cleveland brood mares, “Beadlam Star,” “Lady Crawford,” and “Mischievous,” were imported from England. “Potto Laird” (1700) was bred by Mr. F. Wilson Horsfall, of
in adding considerably to the laurels gained by him in the English show rings. “Lady Salton” (1068) was also a famous prizetaker, having won over forty first and championship prizes, including three Royals and four Great Yorkshires in the period between 1897 and 1906, and was never beaten in the show ring. The Northam Advertiser, in reviewing the judges’ decision in awarding
Photo by C. E. Farr. Two-tooth " Boonoke" Rams, *'Sir Samuel" and •• Boons."
3,500 sheep will be put to the shears. The work is performed by hand in a commodious shed of wood and iron, fitted with six stands and all the necessary conveniences for the prompt dispatch of the work. Lambing takes place in May, and for many years the excellent average of 80 per cent, has been maintained. Mr. Loton has not confined his attention soley to the breeding of stud sheep, but has gone in for the raising of a
Potto Grange, Northallerton, and was foaled in 1906, his sire being “Potto Hutton” (1603) by “Broom-grove Pride” (1364) and his dam “Lady Salton” (1068) by “Tucksall” (189). He combines the best Cleveland blood in England, and with such breeding cannot fail in being an impressive sire. “Potto Hutton” won several valuable prizes, and was afterwards secured for the Orange River Colony, where he succeeded
the first prize to “Springhill” Farm, said : —“ ‘Springhill’ may be fairly described as a model farm. The care given to the accommodation of the stock is certainly responsible for their splendid condition. The-stalls for the horses, the cattle-sheds, the pigsties, and the shearing-pens are all on the most up-to-date principle, and everything is kept in complete repair and at the highest standard of cleanliness. The cement pigsties, with thorough drainage conveniences and all facilities for easy feeding, have been built entirely out of the profits from the pigs themselves, and thus demonstrate that it is true economy to treat well ‘the gentleman that pays the rent.’ For the horses the loose-boxes, stalls, yards, and crushpens for handling young stock have all been designed with a view of securing the healthiest conditions for the animals and the least labour for the men.” The machinery on the estate includes an 18 horse-power oil-engine and Buncle chaffcutter capable of a daily output of 30 tons, saws and forges, ploughs, seed-drills and harvesters, all of which are maintained in the highest state of efficiency. Mr. W. T. LOTON is an Englishman by
Photo by C. E. Farr. Two-tooth Merino Ewes.
245
birth, his native place being Dil-horne, in Staffordshire, where he was born in 1839. He descends from an old farming family, but his early life was spent in the atmosphere of a mercantile house in the above county, and afterwards in London. In 1862 he sailed for Western Australia, arriving at Fremantle in March, 1863, and engaged in commercial pursuits at Perth and Geraldton until 1867. In the latter year he entered into partnership with Mr. Walter Padbury, with whom he built up the great mercantile firm of Padbury, Loton, & Co. Both Mr. Loton and his partner were large investors in landed estate, as well as financiers on a considerable scale, and were among the most enterprising of the pastoralists of the north-west country. Their dual business of trade and finance grew enormously, and in 1889 they sold their business on St. George’s Terrace, whereupon Mr. Loton began to devote himself more exclusively to his interests as a landed proprietor. As early as 1876 he had purchased the “Belvoir” and “Upper Colston” properties on the Upper Swan, comprising about 6,000 acres of forest, arable, and grazing land, now known as “Belvoir,” and at a later period (1884) he secured the “Springhill” Estate near Northam, about 7,000 acres in extent, which even before the goldfields era had acquired considerable value. In 1884 Mr. Loton accepted a seat as a nominee member in the Legislative Council, from which he resigned in 1887, and was elected member for Greenough district, which he continued to represent until the adoption
of responsible government in the year 1890. In the first Parliament under responsible government he was elected member for Swan district in the Legislative Assembly, and held that position until 1897, when he temporarily retired from the arena of politics. In 1898 he was elected
member of the Legislative Council for the Central Province, and afterwards, from 1901 to 1908, represented the Eastern Province, at the end of this period retiring from active political life. He has taken his share in the municipal life of Perth and was elected to the dignity of Chief Magistrate, holding office
for two terms, 1901-2-3. He has held many offices of honour, including that of President of the Royal Agicultural Society for several terms. He has been a trustee of the Anglican Church for a lengthy period, is chairman of directors of the Western Australian Bank, a
director of the Western Australian Trustee, Executor, & Agency Company, and of various other financial institutions. In 1868 Mr. Loton married Annie, only daughter of William and Priscilla Morris, of “Rugeley,” Staffordshire, England, and has two sons and two daughters now living.
Photo by C. Fj. Farr.
BERKSHIRE SOWS.
246
“MOKINE,” the property of T. H. WILDING, M.L.C., is situated in the valley of the Avon, about 12 miles distant from Northam, and comprises 9,000 acres of hilly pastures and undulating agricultural country. Originally a grant to a man named Trimmer, it passed into the hands of the Wilding family about thirty-seven years ago— Mr. Thomas Wilding, sen., having purchased it at auction in 1876. It was heavily timbered with York gum, flooded gum, and jam, and 3,000 acres are now cleared. One - fifth
being fitted with modern comforts and conveniences. An excellent water supply is obtained from the hillside at the rear of the house, from whence it gravitates in pipes to the dwelling. The well-kept garden, protected by a Marcrocarpa hedge, delights the eye with the profusion of blooms. Beyond is the orchard, a place of delight in early summer, when many of the choicest fruits come to perfection. Another attraction is the vineyard, where fine crops of grapes are annually gathered. Fruit-drying,
valuable pioneering work. His sheep, horses, cattle, and pigs have won for “Mokine” an excellent reputation as a stock-producing farm, and innumerable prizes have been taken at the district and Royal shows by representative exhibits from the different departments of his pastures and pens. In one season alone he has carried off 300 first prizes, and his record of premier awards totals altogether considerably over 1,000. The “Mokine” merinos command a ready sale, and are eagerly sought after by purchasers anxious to
Photo by C. ~E. Parr.
of the cultivable area is cropped each season, and various grasses grow well on the cultivated portion, among which are found burrtrefoil, yellow trefoil, white clover, rye grass, and Cape weed species. The property is well watered with surface water and wells, and in a charming valley through which runs the brook fron> which the property receives its name, stands the substantial homestead, a handsome, two-storey structure consisting of eleven rooms, the whole interior
General View over '* Mokine” Estate
fruit-preserving, and jam-making for many years have been carried on, and many prizes for exhibits in these sections have been awarded to the “Mokine” products at the local shows, as also for the choice displays of flowers from the same source. Dairying also receives attention, and a quantity of butter is made. The breeding of good class stock takes pride of place among the many industries of “Mokine,” and in this department the present owner, Mr. T. H. Wilding, has done
improve the strain on their own properties. The flock consists of about 5,000, mostly of this popular breed, which was originally founded by importations of both rams and ewes from the deservedly noted stud flock of “Koonoona,” South Australia. These ewes are kept exclusively for stud purposes, and with their progeny are forming a very valuable small stud at “Mokine,” while the flock for woolgrowing and mutton - producing values has been raised chiefly by
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means of the “Koonoona” rams with 100 ewes imported from “Canowie” Station and another 100 from “Boo-boor owie.” Very excellent results have been obtained by these methods, and Mr. Wilding has effectually demonstrated that sheep equal in size and quality to those produced in South Australia can be bred under equally favourable conditions in the Western State. Of recent seasons he has turned his attention to cross-breeding for the lamb export trade, this being a development of his earlier enterprise in raising lambs for local consumption, in which departure he was the pioneer for the district. The “Mokine” clip maintains from season to season
“Blue Prince” was confidently expected to place to his owner’s credit in 1910 the Sires’ Produce Stakes, a special prize offered by Messrs. H. Wills & Co. to the owner of the sire of the best colt, which Mr. Wilding had won each year since its inauguration with the progeny of “Royal Blue.” By an oversight the colt missed competing, and thus a break was created. The magnificent draught mares of “Mokine” are renowned throughout the State as prize-winners and truly worthy representatives of their breed. The lengthy-pedigreed “Deborah,” by “None Such” out of “Model,” won first and championships in 1907 in every show, including the Royal, in
equally well in the following year \ and “Cornflower,” a half-sister of “Blue Rose,” has emulated very closely the triumphs of the latter. The high prices brought for draught colts proclaim their popularity, yearlings having sold for from 90 to 150 guineas, and the latter sum has been refused by Mr. Wilding for one of his two-year-old fillies. The “Mokine” Jersey herd is purebred. About three years ago Mr. Wilding purchased a bull and ten cows from Mr. George Jay, late of Ballarat, Victoria, and this was the nucleus of the present herd. In 1910 he bought a Jersey bull by “Cherry’s Pride,” bred by Alexander Murray, of “Mount Crawford,”
Photo by O. E. Farr.
a steady reputation, and continues to hold its high place on the pricelists. Frequenters of the Royal Show are invariably struck with admiration of the splendid Clydesdale stallion “Royal Blue,” the champion for seven years at this important function, and the prize Clydesdale mares from “Mokine.” In the breeding of draught horses Mr. Wilding has won a reputation not only for his own stables, but for the State. Bred from “Navy Blue,” “Royal Blue” has transmitted many of the fine qualities of that famous sire to his own offspring, a very promising two-year-old being “Blue Prince,” out of “Cloe,” one of Mr. Wilding’s Western Australian bred mares.
Group of Two-Tooth Merino Rams.
which she was exhibited, and won equal honours the following year at Northam, Toodyay, and the National Show, Busselton, with first prize at the Royal Show, Perth. “Cloe,” by “None Such” from “Dora,” in 1909 was first and champion at Northam. “Roma,” by “Revenue” from the valuable imported mare “Beauty,” as a three-year-old took premier place in all competitions, and added other laurels to her record in ensuing years, being first at Toodyay in 1910. A filly named “Blue Rose” from “Dinah,” sired by “Royal Blue,” was placed first in the two-year-old sections at Northam, York, Toodyay, Beverley, and the Royal Shows, and did
South Australia, and recently secured a young bull sired by “Campanile’s Noble,” a recent importation from Jersey Island by Mr. William Padbury, which he intends to use as the next sire of his stud. The valuable stud of Berk-shires, founded many years ago, is now being superseded by the progeny of some pedigreed sows brought from Bacchus Marsh about nine years since, and which were mated with good English boars with the best results. During the past twelve months Mr. Wilding has been using the new importation from England of Mr. R. E. Weir, Chief Inspector of Stock for Western Australia.
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The Honourable HENRY JOHN SAUNDERS, J.P., of “Henley Park,” Guildford, was born at Thurloe Square, London, on February 16, 1855. He is the
second son of the late T. Bush Saunders, chief magistrate of Brad-ford-on-Avon, England, and early in life was sent for his scholastic education to Clifton College, Bristol. At the conclusion of his studies at this institution he commenced a course of training in order to qualify for the profession of a civil engineer, and was successful in obtaining his diploma of A.M.I.C.E., London. In 1884 he established himself at Perth as a civil engineer and mining agent, and was entrusted with the execution of all plans and sections for the Midland Railway Company on behalf of Messrs. Morrison and Crossland, surveyors, of this State. Mr. Saunders then formed a partnership with Mr. James Barrett, which extended over two years, during which period the firm executed the designs for various important schemes, including the Perth Waterworks. Upon the discovery of gold at Southern Cross Mr. Saunders turned his attention to mining matters and became one of the leading promoters of the industry in the district just being opened up, to which all sections of the community were at that time directing their gaze. He distinguished himself by being one of the first to bring the mineral resources of Western Australia, then but little known, under the notice of London investors, and as a company promoter at the time stood almost alone in the extent of his operations
and the confidence which they inspired on both sides of the globe. He was very successful in obtaining the support of capitalists in the development of first-class leaseholds, and so complete was the confidence inspired by the judicious character of his speculations that in many instances the required capital was more than fully subscribed well in advance of the day appointed for the opening of the applications for scrip.
Bartletto, Perth.
Hon. Henry John Saunders.
The co-operator in many of his mining ventures has been Mr. Allen H. B. Stoneham, and among the early enterprises profitably floated by these gentlemen was the “West Australian Goldfields Company, Limited,” the object of which was to explore the gold-bearing regions of
the State and acquire payable properties. Well-equipped and justly-remunerated prospecting parties were sent out, and during the first year of its existence the company paid a dividend of 37£ per cent., which subsequently was increased to 40 per cent., while the net profits for the year ended March 31, 1896, were £232,000 upon a capital of £100,000 The Lady Shenton Company, another successful venture, was created under his auspices with a capital of £160,000, which yielded a fine harvest to shareholders, and the Florence, the second of the great mines opened up at Menzies, as a claim was purchased from the Menzies Syndicate for £120,000, and in the event amply rewarded those investors who reposed their faith in Mr. Saunders’ judgment and integrity at its inception. Mr. Saunders’ name was identified with many other leading enterprises, among which the Mount Margaret Company, the Town Properties of Western Australia, the White Feather Reward Company, the Gold Lands Corporation, and the Mount Jackson Gold Mines, Limited, may be enumerated as successful dividend payers, of which not only the members of mining circles but also the general public are thoroughly cognizant. During certain periods so wide was the scope of Mr. Saunders’ operations that his clerical staff and the heads of the various departments of management on the mines, etc., embraced as many as twenty-six men, the head office being situated in St. George’s Terrace, Perth, where the firm still carries on business under the style of H. J. Saunders & Co. On account of failing health Mr. Saunders now attends only to the business of a few special clients, and lives in partial retirement at his beautiful country residence, “Henley Park.” This estate, which is situated near Guildford, comprises 5,400 acres of land, with a mile and three-quarters frontage to the Swan River. It was originally taken up by the late Colonel Irwin, from whom it passed into possession of the late Judge Mackay, and in 1895 it was purchased by Mr. Saunders from the late Mr. Brockman. A very picturesque piece of country, it presents an appearance resembling an English park. About 500 acres have been brought under cultivation, and an orchard and orangery, two acres in extent, the trees of which are in full maturity, add beauty to the scene, and a 12-acre vineyard gives
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Stables at “Henley Park.”
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a good yield of grapes, being also a spot of beauty in its place. Upon this estate was erected some seventy-three years ago (1840) theUpperSwan Church of England, one of the oldest places of worship in the State. In contrast to this ancient structure are
trophies in the show ring. With the production of high-class Berkshire pigs he has also met with success. At one time he owned properties in the north - west, but within recent years these were placed on the market and disposed
very keen sportsman, he has until recently been closely identified with the turf, and had fine horse boxes erected at “Henley Park,” and a track one mile in circumference laid down for training purposes. Latterly he has relinquished active connection
Photo by C. E. Parr.
General View showing outbuildings.
several cottages and the men’s quarters on the property, which are of the most modern design, and for comfort and convenience are almost unequalled among buildings of a similar kind in the district. Mr. Saunders is well known as a breeder of horses, sheep, Ayrshire cattle, and pigs, and has been a successful prizewinner at various shows, especially in the latter class of stock. He has
of. Mr. Saunders has had a prominent connection with public life. In 1888 he was elected councillor for East Ward in the City Council, and held this seat for five years. In 1893 he contested the mayoralty against Messrs. Molloy and Hurst, scoring an easy victory, and spent two years in office. He became a member of the Legislative Council in the interests of the Metropolitan
with the “sport of kings,” but still retains the chairmanship of the Canning Park Racing Club, Limited, being also a member of the W.A. Turf Club and Tattersall’s Club. He is a member of the United Empire Club, Piccadilly, London, of the Western Australian Club, and of the Weld Club, Perth. Mr. Saunders has been twice married, his first wife having been a daughter of the late Sir George
Photo hy C. E. Farr. Typical View at “ Henley Park."
given a considerable amount of time and attention to the breeding of blood horses, and has owned many fine performers, which have been the winners of various handsome
Province in 1894, and continued to represent that constituency until 1903, in which year he was appointed a member of the first Federal Senate to fill an extraordinary vacancy. A
Shenton, of Western Australia. The present Mrs. Saunders is a daughter of the late T. Davey, of Surbiton, England, by whom Mr. Saunders has issue two sons.
‘‘BELVOIR/’ the property oi lvir. Ernest William Loton, is situated in the Upper Swan district, and lies about seven and a half miles from
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Ernest William Loton.
Midland Junction and ten miles from Guildford. It has an area of 6,000 acres, of which 500 acres have been cleared, and the ringman’s axe has left its mark over more than half of the remaining country, the whole of the estate being fenced and subdivided into paddocks. It came into possession of the Loton family in 1875, being purchased in that year by Mr. W. T. Loton, of “Springhill,” in the Northam district, from whom it was taken over by Mr. E. W. Loton
twenty-two years later. The cultivated fields vary in size from 100 to 200 acres, and 150 acres have been placed under crops of wheat and oats, principally for the use of the station stock. A large area is sown with various kinds of grasses, the stock fattening rapidly on this nourishing fodder. Raising lambs for the early
market is Mr. Loton’s chief industry. In the first instance he made a careful selection of imported rams from Victoria, of the Shropshire type, which were mated with merino ewes, a second cross being made with Lincoln rams with highly satisfactory results. Mr. Loton owns a valuable milking shorthorn bull, bred by Mr. A. Miller on his “Broadlands” Estate.
Victoria, known as “Charming Duke of Brunswick,” and distinguished by a long line of pedigree. The breeding of pigs of pure Berkshire type is also carried on at “Belvoir” on a fairly extensive scale. The presence on the station of the fine stallion “Morning Times” by “Merry Morning” (imp.) proclaims his owner
a breeder of draught horses of good stamp, the sire being a massive dark-bay horse, foaled in 1904, and standing 16| hands, with plenty of bone and showing good action. “Merry Morning” has an excellent record, having carried off first prizes at Fort William and Castle Douglas, and subsequently was awarded premier honours at the Dunedin Show of
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. E. w. LotoN's Residence. Upper Swan.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Pastures and cultivated Fields.
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1904, his colt, “Morning Times,” being brought to Western Australia as a three-year-old. Flowing right through the property is the beautiful Swan River, which continues its winding course on “Belvoir” for about two and a half miles, thus providing an excellent water frontage to the grazing pastures on either side. The stock is watered from a freshwater well on the estate, 80 ft. in depth, from which two miles of piping conduct the supply to troughs in every paddock. The homestead is a substantial brick building. There are eleven rooms and a basement, and round the whole of the dwelling runs a wide verandah, which imparts an air of coolness and spaciousness which is very inviting on a hot summer’s day. Nearby are the stables, barn, and outhouses; and in addition there are on the estate three substantial-looking cottages for the use of the workmen employed by Mr. Loton. ERNEST WILLIAM LOTON, the owner of the property above described, is a son of Mr. W. T. Loton, the prominent Western Australian pastoralist elsewhere referred to in this work. He is a native of the State, having been born at Perth on January 8, 1872, and pursued his scholastic studies in the city of his birth, attending that excellent institution, the High School, Perth. At the close of his educational course he straightway directed his attention to pastoral pursuits, and was associated with Mr. McKenzie Grant, at “Newmarracarra,” for about two years. Leaving this oart of the
country he came to the Swan neighbourhood to assist his father in the management of the property where he now resides, and in 1897 took over
its development on his own account. Since taking up his residence in this district Mr. Loton has displayed an active interest in the various public organizations of the place, and in 1898 allowed himself to be nominated as a member of the local Roads Board, to which he was duly elected.
This seat he resigned upon the occasion of his departure on a trip to England, but in 1907 he resumed his seat in the chamber, and has
continued to represent the ratepayers on this body ever since. He is also a member of the Swan Agricultural Society. Mr. Loton was married in 1894 to Annie Campbell, daughter of Mr. J. H. Forrest, of “Seavicw,” Ludlow, and has three sons and a daughter.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
“charming duke of Brunswick” by “charming Duke 29th" by “Abbotsford Duke"
(85126) IMP.
View over “ Belvoir," looking East.
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WILLIAM PADBURY, stockbreeder, Guildford. Of recent years Mr. Padbury has gained considerable prominence as the owner of what is undoubtedly the finest herd of Jerseys to-day existing in the six States of the Australian Commonwealth. It was about 1903 that he first turned his attention to Jersey stock, and in that year he purchased two cows from Mr. George Joy, who had previously brought his herd to this State from Victoria. Soon after the purchase of these cows, ‘‘Milkmaid” and “Pretty Queen” by name, two calves were born—a bull calf and a heifer, the former of which was named “Empire's Optician 2nd,” after its sire, and was the winner of several first prizes during the three years he was exhibited, including one gained at the Royal Show. He was subsequently sold to Mr. M. T. Padbury for service at his estate at Koojan. “Pretty Queen,” also a big prizetaker, including a special prize for large percentage of butter-fat, produced a calf, “Pretty Maid,” which grew up to be a beautiful specimen of her breed, and on the three occasions on which she was exhibited in competition gained three first prizes and three champions. She was a wonderful butter-fat producer, and in this section was also a prizetaker, with over 5 per cent. “Pretty Maid” is still at Guildford, and has since secured numerous championships in the Royal, Moora, and Swan show-rings. At the Moora Show Mr. Padbury carried off the special prize offered by the Government and valued at ten guineas for the best pen of five milch cows. In 1909 he
proceeded to England and included in his itinerary a visit to Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, for the purpose of inspecting the world-famed Jersey herds. There he was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Miller Hallett, of Goddington, Kent, vice-president of the English Jersey Society and president of the Royal Jersey
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. William Padbury.
Society, and Mr. J. A. Perree, secretary of the Royal Jersey Society, and in company with these authorities made a complete tour, during which every herd on the Island came under inspection. This work is performed every year by the gentlemen mentioned, who are considered to be
the finest judges of the strain the world over. A strict standard is observed for the Jersey herds, and any of the animals falling the least short of the necessary requirements are sold outside and are eagerly sought for by neighbouring countries, notably Holland and Denmark, while the pick of the cattle are eagerly bought up by American buyers, who pay fabulous prices in their endeavour to secure them. Only the perfect stock is entered into the herd register, and it is by these sound methods that the strain maintains its superiority over all others. After a most careful selection Mr. Padbury, guided in his choice by the judgment of Mr. Perree, purchased a bull and six heifers at a total cost of close on XI,000. The bull, “Campanile’s
Noble,” a magnificent beast of great quality, was specially bred to serve certain heifers, and but for the fact that he had fulfilled his allotted duty Mr. Padbury would not have had the opportunity of bringing him to Western Australia. His sire, “Noble of Oaklands,” won first prize at the St. Saviour’s Show of 1907 and first prize shown with his progeny at the R.J.A.S. Show, Jersey, 1910. He was afterwards exported to the United States of America, where he was sold in 1911 for £3,000. His dam, “Lady Viola,” won three first prizes and two championship prizes in Jersey, and secured numerous prizes in England, including three times first at the R.A.S.E. Shows 1906 to 1908. She was afterwards exported to the United States of America, where, also, she was sold in 1911 for £1,400. All of Mr. Pad-bury’s purchases are entered in the Jersey herd-books and their pedigrees certified to by the secretary of the Royal Jersey Society. These animals arc perfect examples of the Island breed, and their importation will place Western Australia in the forefront as the home of pure-bred Jersey cattle. The stockbreeders of Australia will be able to benefit by the great enterprise shown by Mr. Padbury, who has rendered invaluable service to the State by the introduction of such highly-prized blood stock. The aim of the expert raisers of Jersey cattle has always been in the direction of obtaining a high percentage of butter-fat in the shortest possible time, and, as is well known, great success has attended their efforts. In advising Mr. Padbury that his purchases had been safely shipped, Mr. Perree wrote as follows :
Photo by G. P. Farr.
“ Regard of Willow Vale,' ’ by “ Bakewell.*-
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—“I do hope the cattle will do well. One thing is certain: that you have the best blood the Island has produced, and as regards the bull I should advise you to use him just as long as he will work, and at five years old, when his daughters come ‘to milk/ you will then see how valuable he is.” Weighty words from one who
also being secured in Victoria. Early in 1912 Mr. Padbury, while in South Australia, purchased from Mr. J. G. Burdett, the well-known breeder of pedigreed Holstein cattle, the bull “Annette’s Admiral,” six heifers, one yearling bull (calved February, 1911), by “Superior,” by “Koos II.,” by “Koos” (imp.), and one bull calf,
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Loo of Oakl&nds" (imp.), by “ Noble of Oaklands.
has been closely associated with the breeding of stock practically from the time he vacated the cradle. “Campanile’s Noble” has not only distinguished himself in the show-ring, but is proving his potency and ancestry by such typical and beautiful Jersey heifers as to-day are to be seen at Mr. Padbury’s Guildford stud farm. Another recent addition to the stud is a yearling bull selected from Mr. G. T. Chirnside’s “Werri-bee Park” (Victoria) herd named “Audrey’s Carnation’s Fox.” This bull is magnificently bred, being by “Carnation’s Fox” (imp.) out of “Twylish Audrey’s Lotus” (imp.), by “Lord Twylish” (imp.). “Flying Fox,” the sire of “Carnation’s Fox,” was imported from the Channel Islands by Mr. Chirnside at a cost of 1,500 guineas. He was first over Jersey in 1899. “Carnation’s Fox” was champion in both the Adelaide and Melbourne show-rings. “Lotus Lily” (imp.), dam of “Audrey Lotus,” was, in the opinion of Mr. Chirnside, the finest cow ever imported into Australia. She was the winner of the £100 butter-test prize at the Royal Show, Melbourne (1901), and in 312 days in milk yielded 458 ft), of butter. A further shipment of fourteen cows and heifers has also been landed, these animals
by “Annette’s Prince,” by “Eding-lassie” (imp.). “Annette’s Admiral” (calved in June, 1907) was bred in New South Wales by Mr. A. C. Lamond, of Berellan, Shoalhaven, and is by “Transvaal,” by “President,” by “Garfield,” his dam being “Annette II.” “Maggie Ebbe,” by
“Ebbe” (imp.), the dam of “Transvaal,” yielded on her first calf 653 gallons of milk, average test 3 337 butter-fat, and his granddam, “Mar-garetha,” yielded 1,099 gallons of milk in 325 days, producing 407 lb. of commercial butter, besides which she has the record of 75 ft), of milk per diem. To these were added by purchase from Mr. Ben Collins, Can-nington, “Whitetail,” by “Roselad,” “Granny,” by “Roselad,” and “May,” by “Milklad,” all bred on Mr. J.G. Burdett’s “Bolivar” Estate, and two yearling heifers. “White-tail” gained first prize and “Granny” the reserve champion prize at the Royal Show, 1911. “May” won the champion prize at the Royal Show, Adelaide, in 1911, and in a class of twenty-one dairy cows was awarded third prize, yielding 59 lb. of milk in twenty-four hours. This year Mr. Padbury also purchased a number of highly-bred Ayrshires, including the bull “Regard of Willow Vale,” imported from New South Wales by Mr. E. W. Loton. Calved in ApriL 1905, “Regard of Willow Vale” comes of very fine stock. His sire “Bakewell,” by “Jamie of Oakbank,” was placed every time he was shown in the ring, and has a lengthy list of first and champion prizes to his credit. In addition to the sire, Mr. Padbury secured a number of cows, including “Stately” and “Violet,” all claiming descent from stock imported direct from Scotland. “Stately,” by “Pride of Belvoir” out of “Stately of Mount Grand,” took
Photo by C. E. Farr..
GRANNY *• BY ROSELAD-
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first prize as a yearling at the Royal Show in 1908, and first prize as a two-year-old at Swan in the following year; and “Violet,” by “General,” is noted as an exceptionally heavy milker, yielding from 5 to 6 gallons daily. From Sir Lancelot Stirling’s estate in South Australia one two-year-old bull and five yearling heifers, highly pedigreed, were selected, and these were landed safely at Fremantle during September of the year 1912. The
purchased Mr. H. Morphett’s small stud of choice English Leicesters, consisting of ten rams and twenty-eight ewes. The “Glengrove” stud was founded from stock bought from the executors of the estate of the late A. S. Fotheringham, “Hilly-fields,” Dashwood’s Gully, and the strain is descended from the fine old Bakewell sheep which came from the Midlands of England. The stud ram “Peter Pan” and stud ewe “Lady Elgin” (champions at Melbourne,
rich pasturage. The area is subdivided into a number of small pad-docks and is bordered on one side by the Swan River. The business premises cover about an acre of ground, while five acres are given over to an orchard, in which is grown a great variety of fruit, including peaches, apples, oranges, nectarines, grapes, etc. Lucerne is cultivated for the stock, and the property is well supplied with water from an artesian bore sunk to a depth of 755 ft., the
Photo by C. E. Farr. " Campanile's Noble” (imp.) by " Noble of Oaklands
housing arrangements have received careful attention, and the cattle are comfortably located in roomy quarters built on an elevated spot. Milking is performed by hand, and in the adjoining creamery, spotlessly clean, the milk is put through a separator, the cream being made into butter and sold to customers. Mr. Padbury’s itinerary in South Australia included a journey to “Glengrove” Estate, Kangarilla, where he
Adelaide, and Ballarat) were used in the “Hillyfields” flock, from which Mr. Morphett’s Leicesters were afterwards selected. Besides the foregoing, two rams and one stud ewe were purchased from Messrs. Aitken and Co., Melbourne, Victoria, both of which, it is claimed, are fit to gain premier honours against all comers. The property at Guildford covers in all some 25 acres of rich alluvial flats, and the natural grasses aiford a very
daily flow equalling a quarter of a million gallons. Apart from the cattle, an interesting feature is to be found in the flock of Toulouse geese. There are from twenty to thirty well-bred birds, all prizetakers, which may be purchased at prices ranging from a guinea upwards. The Silver-laced Wyandotte, too, is in evidence, and may also be purchased. The merit of these birds is too well known to need extended comment. Suffice
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it to say that they are not to be excelled as table birds and arc unrivalled egg-producers. In the vicinity a number of pure white pouter pigeons are housed, and add to the charm of this delightful model farm. At “Rosehill,” a few minutes’
number, and large black pigs are kept. Mr. Padbury has been breed-ing pigs for a number of years, and in 1910 imported from England a pedigreed boar and two sows, with the object of providing a much-needed change in the strain. The boar,
well adapted to local conditions, as they grow rapidly and put on flesh at a great rate. Large black pigs are also being raised, and for this purpose some fine stock were secured at the Royal Show of 1911, including “Oakford Sultan” (“Oakford King”
Photo by C. E. Farr.
FLOCK OF 28 ENGLISH LEICESTER EWES.
drive from Guildford, Mr. Padbury has an estate of about 200 acres, half of which has been cleared of timber and brought into use. It is situated on the Helena River, which flows through the holding, and adjoins “Waterhall,” the property of Mr. James Morrison. The soil on the flats is very rich, and there is always an abundant supply of water to be obtained from a 50-ft. well and various soaks. The herbage grows luxuriantly, and at times the cattle are grazed over the property. The
“Hammond’s Zambuk,” and the sows were landed in splendid condition in October, 1910, and took kindly to their now abode. Shortly after their arrival the sows farrowed, and of the newcomers all were kept with the exception of one boar, which was sold. These three animals are descended from the finest stock, and are included in the British Society’s herd-book. The sire now in use, “Heroic 2nd,” by “Heroic” out of “High Court,” was bred at “Newmarra-carra,” and is proving his worth in no
—“Hester”), first and champion, boar class, “Peggy” (“Oakford King” —“Martha”), first and reserve champion sow, and “Bridget” (“Oakford King”—“Martha”), second prize sow, all of which were bred by Mr. T. W. Hardwick, of “Oakford,” Western Australia. Breeders desirous of securing young stock would do well to avail themselves of an opportunity to call on Mr. Padbury, who is at all times willing to exhibit his pigs and dispose of them at a reasonable figure. A flock of peacocks lend
Photo by G. E. Farr.
Group of Berkshire Sows.
principal feature, however, is the piggery, which was recently built on the most approved lines and covers a considerable area of ground. Here the famous Berkshires, some sixty in
unmistakable manner. This animal was awarded the first prize at the Royal Show in 1910. Mr. Padbury has great faith in the Berkshire strain, and considers they are particularly
additional attraction to the farm, and as they strut with mien majestic, their tails extended, they add considerably to the picturesqueness of the surroundings.
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“BEHN ORD” ESTATE, the property of Connor, Doherty, & Durack, Limited, is one of the finest holdings in the fertile areas of the southwestern portion of Western Australia. It is situated some 18 miles from that rapidly growing town of Wagin, one of the most progressive centres at present on the Great Southern Railway. The estate comprises altogether a trifle over 20,000 acres. The soil is naturally of mixed varieties, in keeping with the general formation of Western Australian lands, but by far the greater portion is of that rich red and light loamy nature so eminently suited to the culture of grain and hay crops, while the whole of it is capable of producing excellent natural or artificial fodders. In the early days the old sandalwooders camped in these parts, mainly on account of the magnificent fresh-water soaks or springs which are found in that locality. At present there is domiciled close to one of these (which was known to the old hands as Nicklin Spring) a typical sample of the good old battler, his present occupation being the attention to and supplying of vegetables for the homestead and the other quarters situated on various parts of the station. In the course of a chat with old Jack Davis, as he is fami-larly known, this sturdy Britisher took us back some thirty odd years to a period when the mention of wheat - culture would have been liable to draw forth general sympathy and a suggestion of doubt as to one’s mental condition. It was in these days that one Dan Craddock alienated a patch of something like 40 acres under the then existing land laws. As stated above, this was for the sake of the water. He afterwards increased his holding a trifle; but it was not until some seven or eight years back that things in these parts began to go with a bang, so to speak. It was then that Mr. P. B. Durack, on the recommendation of an old pioneer, made a trip through the district and was so impressed with its appearance and its future prospects that he at once applied for and secured a plot of 10,000 acres on behalf of his firm. The company has since added to the property by the alienation of further Crown lands, as well as by the purchase of adjoining holdings, till the area had reached its present proportions, which is considered to be sufficient for the carrying out of a model stud sheep station. The whole estate is enclosed by a sheep- and dog-proof
fence, the posts being of jam, easily the most impervious timber in Australia so far as rot or white ants are concerned, and a large stock is procurable on the estate. The top wire is plain, the second is barbed, and the third is again plain, to which the wire-netting is affixed, while there is again a barb at the bottom, flush with the earth, and to which, of course, the netting is also affixed. Such class of fencing, including material and labour, costs about £54 a mile. The dividing fences are mostly six and seven wires, and cost to erect something like £24 a mile. Of course, these prices include cost of clearing the fence lines in each case, which means the grubbing of all timber and undergrowth to a distance of about a chain on either side of
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. P. B. Durack.
the actual fence, a very necessary precaution against fire. Practically the whole of the work has been done by contract, and as the estate has already been subdivided into 28 paddocks there is more than 100 miles of fencing thereon. Owing to the absence of rivers or permanent streams in this portion of the West, dams have been excavated on each paddock. These range in capacity from 1,200 to 8,000 yards, and there are altogether twenty-one on the estate. The largest is at the intersection of cross fences, and thus waters no fewer than four paddocks. The dams were also put down by contract at an average cost of Is. per yard. Mr. Durack showed genuine forethought in this regard, for it might be mentioned that, while
during the summer of 1912 the greater portion of the country has been and is still crying out for water and petitioning the Government from all quarters, every paddock on the estate has an adequate supply. Indeed, on some there is sufficient to tide over about three years. Nor is the water of that dirty, muddy nature so very frequently met with in tanks of this kind, but beautifully clear and fresh, the result of practical knowledge and careful choice of site and catchment. Almost as soon as possession was obtained contracts were let for ringbarking, and by the end of the second year there was not much of the whole area that had not been ringed and suckered. Simultaneously with this total clearing was put in hand on portions intended for agriculture in the first instance, while picking-up contracts were let on paddocks where the timber had become dry and the smaller limbs had fallen. Of course, suckering goes hand in hand with the picking-up, and it is quite a revelation to the novice to note the vast and appreciable difference shown in the growth of the natural grasses where these improvements have been made. The homestead is occupied by Mr. Edgar, the overseer, who formerly had some nine years’ experience in the famous “Qaddon Rig” Station, New South Wales, and here are to be found the necessary stabling, outhouses, and other conveniences. Besides this, the company has had erected a number of other residences, together with woolshed, drafting-yards, and other appurtenances. Each of these residences is occupied by a married man with his wife and family, who carry out the various duties appertaining to the proper care and working of the numorous industries of the estate. The enterprising firm was not long in having installed the most modern conveniences in the way of telephonic communication. The homestead, or overseer’s quarters, is connected with the Wagin Exhange, the 18 miles costing about £10 a mile to construct, and the station plant and employes being requisitioned to assist in the work. From here the line has been carried privately to each of the other residences on the estate, while Mr. Durack’s private home, in the suburban area of Wagin, is brought into the circuit. When the property was acquired the now famous Dumbleyung wheat district was only in its infancy, but the
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energetic manager of “Behn Ord” decided to give grain a trial. It shaped exceedingly well, and the result has been that each year the area has been increased till at the present (1911) there are fully 2,000 acres under crop. Nearly the whole of this area has been cultivated on the share system, a small portion having been put in by the firm for hay. Mr. Durack offered to find the cleared land as well as the whole of the seed and manures, so that it is not to be wondered at that there were plenty of partners forthcoming. Nor should they have anything to complain of in the way of results, for we were taken over one field of about 250 acres of wheat where a couple of years ago 25 bushels were averaged, and this
results. The heads have filled well and yielded a full - bodied grain ot splendid milling qualities. As proving the filling capabilities of the soil hereabouts, it may be mentioned that one of these share-farmers, at the last annual show, secured first honours for his wheat from a score or more exhibitors. A few fine specimens of shorthorn cattle are kept, and the young stock, the progeny of a magnificent imported English sire which has recently been transferred to the firm’s Kimberley runs, is being allowed to develop on the rich pastures of “Behn Ord,” partly because Mr. Durack cannot altogether cut himself loose from such long association with these splendid species of the beef tribe, and partly as an experiment of the country for
out the fact that before the timber was killed and the soil sweetened there were few soaks and very scant and coarse grasses, whereas a little judicious labour and expense has since quite altered the situation. Mr. Durack’s method has been to spread broadcast a quantity of the seed of the noted Yatheroo oat, clover, and trefoil, and each year these have increased until now the paddocks are simply mottled with these great fatteners. On the estate are kept about seventy active draught horses, mostly mares, together with a fine young son of “Lollsworth’s Pride,” a hero of the show-ring, also a Suffolk-Punch sire. Some dozen hacks, including a few pure blood mares, with their progeny, are also noticeable, beside
Photo by C. E. Farr.
season, under not the most favourable weather conditions, the average should go fully 20 bushels to the acre. According to the official figures, the average rainfall for the district for the past twenty years (1891-1910) is 17*22 in. The lowest precipitation was in 1893, when 12*77 in. was recorded. The highest fall recorded was 23*38 in. in 1895, and the same number of points was registered in 1.903. Fully 80 per cent, of the annual rainfall takes place during the months of April to October, and the climatic conditions are extremely favourable to the growth of cereals. In the past Mr. Durack has not classified his seed-wheat, but has sown a variety of the best - known sorts with excellent R
Residence of Mr. P. B. Durack.
cattle-fattening. He thinks, however, that the country is eminently adapted for the Ayrshire and Jersey, and he predicts that with the gradual deforestation and the resultant breaking out of permanent soaks, as well as the development of natural grasses, will come the dairying industry, which up to date has been practically unheeded in this vast estate. Many thousands of pounds sterling leave the country every year for the importation of butter, and this will, Mr. Durack believes, be remedied by the advent of the factory and the institution of the dairying industry in these more southerly portions of Western Australia within a very few years. In proof of this contention he points
which there are pony mares and a pure Hungarian stallion, about 10 hands high, by the celebrated “Bonnie Charlie,” of Sydney. There is one word, that of “sheep,” which acts as elixir to Mr. Durack. Horses, crops, and cattle are all very well, but it is when one mentions “sheep” that he comes right away from himself, and his enthusiasm is then equalled only by his remarkable energy. Some four years ago he settled on the “Haddon Rig” strain of merinos as the best and most profitable type to adopt. He thereupon made a special trip to that far-famed station of the north - west plains of New South Wales and purchased and imported 250 ewes and five rams. The following year he
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returned and brought back a fine flock of 620 ewes and 30 rams. Last year he made his third purchase, having been so well satisfied with the results of his previous shipments. On this occasion he procured 500 very special ewes and 15 rams, the rams having been picked
excessive yolk. Some very heavy clips have been taken from these animals, one of the “big guns” recently purchased by Mr. Durack this season yielding 29£ lb.; while the ewes, after rearing their lambs, have gone as high as 10J lb. The wool is practically free from all kinds
Photo by C. E. Farr.
View of Crop, “ Collamelling,” " Behn Ord.'
by that noted connoisseur, Mr. J. C. Darke, of New South Wales, at the annual Sydney sheep sales. The demand for the “Haddon” strain kinds is very great. As showing the favour into which this strain has come, it may be mentioned that each year twenty specially selected stud rams are offered at the Sydney sales, and they bring exceptionally high figures. In 1910 they averaged 167 guineas apiece, one magnificent animal reaching the fabulous price of 1,550 guineas, the purchaser being Mr. Collins, of South Australia. At the 1911 sales these twenty classic gents came out with an even better average, viz., 170 guineas each. Two of these, “Major Hunter” and “General Grant,” fell to the lot of Mr. Durack, and it is fairly safe to say that up to date they are the finest pair of their kind imported into Western Australia. At the same sales five selected 2-tooth rams were also secured. This type of sheep was decided upon both for their mutton and wool attributes. They grow rapidly and are very weighty and compact, while the wool carried is full of quality, the staple being long with lots of character, very even throughout, yet free from
of burrs. This is only to be expected, of course, in a young country, where burry fodders and excessive seeds are less frequently encountered. It is perhaps due to this fact that the Wagin wools have almost every season been at the top
of the London market rates for the product in the grease. Very good percentage of lambs has resulted, the lambing season being early in July ; while the shearing commences the first week in October. Like every thorough sheepman, the master of “Behn Ord” has not forgotten the value of a good dog, and has recently imported a good kelpie slut as well as a pedigreed kelpie dog puppy. Mr. P. B. DURACK, who is the local managing director of “Behn Ord,” was born some forty-one years ago at Cooper Creek, West Queensland, at which time his father was a pioneer squatter in that outback country, and the nearest neighbours lived about 250 miles away, with the exception of a brother-in-law, who was tolerably close at hand, his homestead being only 25 miles off. Young Durack grew up among the sheep and worked at every branch of station life. He naturally became a very keen judge, while the breeding instinct was a predominant feature in his composition. When but nineteen years of age he migrated
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Haddon Rig ” Ram. general Grant.’
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to the East Kimberleys, in the tropics of Western Australia, along with others of the family, and they then entered extensively upon squatting. In the’ year 1897 an amalgamation was brought about _ with Messrs. Connor and Doherty, who were also much interested in the industry. Mr. and Mrs. Durack with their family reside in Wagin, but the master of “Behn Ord” spends the greater portion of the week on the estate. There are over 5,000 head of the “Haddon Rig” blood on the land, including some splendid lots of 2-tooth locally - bred rams for sale, while last season’s lambs are wonderfully even and well grown. Mr. Durack anticipates that when the estate has been fully developed he will run about 12,000 head of sheep, besides doing a fair amount of cropping. KIMBERLEY.—The large holdings of Connor, Doherty, and Durack, Limited, in the Kimberley district were taken up by the Duracks in the eighties, and constitute the pick of the whole country. Nowadays the firm has 6,000,000 acres of the northern country, comprising eight stations, and its leases extend from the port of Wyndham along both sides of the Ord River for scores of miles to the Victoria River in the Northern Territory, a distance of nearly 200 miles. In addition to the fine frontage to the Ord River the Denham River also courses
through the property for many miles, and there are innumerable creeks and springs, so that a plentiful supply of water is always at hand. The official rainfall figures for Argyle Station for the past twenty years show an average of 26 in., and in the locality drought is unknown. The country generally might be described as open and undulating, with basalt and limestone hills in between black-soil plains. Grasses, including the
Flinders, Mitchell, rye, ribbon, blue-grass, and one peculiar to the locality, grow luxuriantly, and throughout the whole year there is abundant fodder for stock. The head stations are “Argyle” and “Newry,” situated about 100 miles from Wyndham, on both of which a considerable sum has been spent in improvements. At“Ivanhoe” Station, 50 miles distant from the port, the stud stock is kept, which comprises some of the finest shorthorn cattle to be found in the Commonwealth, the best procurable stud stock having been imported from all the States, New Zealand, and,
latterly, from England at prices ranging from 500 to 600 guineas. Some
60,000 head of cattle are pastured over the various runs, and shipments of these are regularly sent to Fremantle and supply a large proportion _of the meat ..trade. Latterly the firm has engaged to supply 600 per month to Manila, where a good trade has been opened up. There has also b6en under consideration of the Government a project to erect freezing works
at Wyndham, and should this eventuate the firm considers there will be a reduction in the price of meat to the consumer, as it would then be shipped dead, and thus save the big losses that now occur in weight and by accident through shipping to Robb’s Jetty alive. The breeding of horses for station work is also carried on on a large scale. A sound start was made with the pick of 600 mares, mostly “Panic” blood, purchased from “Thylungrah” Station, Cooper Creek, Queensland, and these and their progeny have since been mated with such magnificent blood horses as “Double Strain” by “Robinson Crusoe” out of “Maid Marian”; “Ogaphone,” a full brother to “Megaphone” by “Nebolt” out of “India”; “Cranbrook” by “Fenman” (imp.); “Glenarra” by “Berlin” (imp.); “Inverary” by “Escutcheon” out of “Springtime”; “Madrid” by “Golds-borough”; and “Warrior” by “Enfilade” (a brother to “Nordenfeldt”), his dam being “Melodise,” a full sister to “Melos.” Many other fine blood horses of equal breeding are also doing service, the latest acquisition being the English hackney “Tiberius” by “Roman Warrior” (imp.), his dam being “Lady Shales” (imp.). The manager of the firm’s enterprises in the northern areas is Mr. M. P. Durack.
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“TILLELLAN,” the hospitable home of the Honourable C. A. Piesse, M.L.C., situated in the midst of a property of 3,000 acres, of which 2,600 acres are cleared and cultivated, claims to be one of the
earliest residences erected on the Great Southern Railway line. Built on rising ground, as it stands in the midst of its broad acres, all in a high state of cultivation, a fine view is commanded of the prosperous and progressive town of Wagin, with its surrounding fertile land, the whole forming a picture pleasant for the eye to rest upon. As the home farm “Tillellan” for many years was the active centre of operations in connection with Mr. Piesso’s extensive pastoral and agricultural pursuits, the successful development of which, under the trade name of C. A. Piesse and Sons, had much to do, through example, in encouraging the later remarkable settlement of the district of Wagin. Mr. Piesse’s operations extended west of “Tillellan” to a point 32 miles distant, embracing a valuable property known as the “Arthur River”—now owned and successfully worked by Mr. Piesse's stalwart sons, Austin, Vernon, and Oxley, who, trading as Piesse Brothers, have so developed this outer portion of the old estate that they have this year shorn 12,000 sheep and harvested 1,500 acres of cereal crops. The wool from this station and “Tillellan” commands a leading price
in the English markets. “Tillellan” boasts of having had the first rural telephone line in the district installed between the homestead and Mr. Piesse’s mercantile premises in Wagin, where was carried on the
business, which, under the able management of Mr. Robert Sinclair, J.P., did for the struggling pioneer of an earlier period by practical help what “Tillellan” did by practical example. These fine business premises are now leased to Messrs. Malcolm & Co. “Tillellan,” with its combined mercantile, pastoral, and
agricultural operations, may justly claim to have stood in the same relation to Wagin as “Koobeelya,” the beautiful residence of the late Honourable F. H. Piesse, C.M.G., and its attendant enterprises, to the sister town of Katanning. Mr. C. A. Piesse was in partnership with the last-named gentleman for a quarter of a century, and shared with him the years of strenuous toil, the fruits of which were ripe for the plucking when the much-regretted decease of the latter occurred. No description of “Tillellan” would be complete without reference to Mr. Piesse’s late wife, whose premature death took place in the year 1900. Many of the early settlers will recall with gratitude the never-failing hospitality extended to them by this lady, who, in spite of the many claims of a large family of six daughters and three sons, had always a ready welcome for newcomers who felt the need of social sympathy in their fresh sphere of life. Mr. Piesse married again in 1910 and took up his residence at “Cintramia,” a new dwelling-house erected in a picturesque position in close proximity to “Tillellan,” a view of which is shown herewith. Here, in thoroughly congenial surroundings, he has settled down to spend his later life on the fine property which by his own enterprise and with the assistance of his loyal group of sons and daughters he has built up with so great a measure of success. By his second marriage Mr. Piesse has a son and a daughter.
Photo by IV. E. Elston. the old homestead at “ Tillellan.”
Photo by W. E. Elston.
"Cintramia.” Hon. C. A. Piesse's Residence, Wagin.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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JOHN ELLIOT RICHARDSON, pastoralist, now living in retirement at “The Reste,” Broome Hill, is a native of Tasmania, where he was born on May 31, 1843. He is a son of the late Thomas Elliot Richardson, of Portland, Victoria, and was educated at the latter town, at the close of his scholastic career beginning his connection with active business life in an office in the same place. About this time considerable interest was aroused in the family circle and among their friends by the published journal of Mr. F. T. Gregory's exploring expedition to the north-west district of Western Australia in 1861. In 1834 Mr. Alexander Anderson, whose daughter Jane afterwards married the late T. E. Richardson in Tasmania, came from Fife, Scotland, and settled for a few years in the Western State, where he was associated with another future son-in-law, Mr. Thomas Anderson. The latter gentleman, after taking up his residence in Victoria, continued by correspondence to keep in touch with the honoured old Western Australian pioneer, Mr. Walter Padbury, and the young men of both families had their pioneering enthusiasm continually quickened by letters and discussions relating to Mr. Gregory’s explorations. A party accordingly
A barque was fitted up for carrying from 1,600 to 1,700 sheep, horses, plant, and equipment, with twelve months’ stores, etc., which were shipped at Portland Bay for the port of Cossack, which was
Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. John Elliot Richardson.
reached in twenty-seven days on April 2, 1865. Rafts for landing the sheep were improvised by lashing two boats together, and
management was in the hands of Mr. A. R. Richardson. This gentleman then resigned the control of affairs to Mr. G. J. Brockman, and finally was bought out by his brother and Mr. Edgar, upon whose decease Mr. J. E. Richardson took over the sole proprietorship. He continued to reside upon the property for another fifteen years, and finally disposed of it to Mr. Broad-hurst, after a forty years’ connection with this particular portion of the great north-west. He still retains an interest in the pastoral industry at Port ITedland, being part owner with his sons in “Pippingara” Station in that district. Whilst resident at the “Pyramid” (named after a very remarkable cone-shaped hill, forming a perfect pyramid, included within the area of the run) Mr. Richardson entered Parliamentary life, and represented the North-Western Province in the Legislature for ten years. His retirement took place by effluxion of time, and he did not seek re-election. In 1904, after leaving the northwest, he visited England and spent some time on the Continent and in America. Subsequently with his family he took up his residence at Claremont, at a later date forsaking this suburb in order to settle at Broome Hill, near two of his sons,
Photo by H. C. Biltoft. Mr. J. E. Richardson’s Residence, Broome Hill.
was formed by Mr. Anderson’s son Edwin, consisting of himself, the late Mr. McKenzie Grant, afterwards of “Newmarracarra,” near Geraldton, and part owner of the “De Grey” Station, the late John Edgar, and Messrs. A. R. and John Elliot Richardson, who formed the company, with two sleeping shareholders in Melbourne.
about eight weeks after arrival the party established itself on “Pyramid” Station, in the Roebourne district, where it had secured the lease of over 200,000 acres of good pastoral land. At the end of four years Messrs. A. E. Anderson and McKenzie Grant sold their interests to the remaining three partners, and for a period of seven years the
who have chosen the great southern district in preference to the north for their pastoral operations. His present home, “The Reste,” has been built upon a holding of 300 acres, and on this area he carries on the cultivation of cereals and hay. Mr. Richardson is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society of Perth.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
"FAIRFIELD/’ the property of Messrs. A. H. & L. E. McKenzie, is situated in the picturesque district which lies about 7\ miles west of Broome Hill and 12 miles from Katanning. It comprises an area of 7,800 acres of excellent agricultural and pastoral country, which originally was taken up by the late Mr.
C. E. Fai'r, Perth.
Mr. A. H. McKenzie.
route. Three years later the "Fair-field” Estate was purchased from Mr. Graham by Mr. A. H. McKenzie, who proceeded with its development and worked it on his own account for a period extending over ten years. In 1910 he was joined in partnership by his brothor, Mr. L. E. McKenzie, when the operations of the firm took on fresh stimulas and have continued to embrace a wide range of activities ever since. The country is undulating and until the advent of the present owner was very heavily
wheatgrowing form the most important departments of the industries of "Fairfield.” The popular merino has maintained its good reputation on these pastures, which have proved most favourable for sheep-raising purposes, the flock consisting of about 3,000 of this excellent woolgrowing breed. The small number of store stock available in the district was recognized as a decided drawback by the settlers, and Mr. McKenzie has devoted a good deal of attention to the improvement of
Photo by G. E. Farr. Mr. a. H. McKenzie’s Residence, Broome Hill.
W. H. Graham who came from England to try his fortune in Western Australia in the early sixties of the nineteenth century. In 1897 ’ the attention of pastoralists and others was drawn to the district by the purchase by the Government of the Great Southern Railway, when a very large area of splendid land with a great diversity of soil capable of growing almost any variety of products was resumed along the railway
timbered. Extensive ringbarking, however, has altered the whole aspect of the property and about 650 acres have already been cleared, of which area nearly a fifth is devoted to agricultural purposes. A division of the estate has been made into fourteen paddocks of varying sizes for the convenience of grazing and mustering the sheep, which with
the strain. He obtained very satisfactory results in the first instance from the use of rams obtained from Mr. Murray’s station at Rhine Park, South Australia, but, not content to stop at this point, at a later period experimented with representatives from the “Kanoona” stud in the same State, and in 1911 purchased ten rams from "Wanganella” Station, in
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the Riverina district of New South Wales, from which he confidently expects a marked improvement in the near future. Lambing takes place in May and June, and for the season 1912 the fine average of
92 per cent, was obtained. Messrs. A. H. & L. E. McKenzie were the first to introduce into the district the Wolseley shearing machines, which were used by the local settlers twenty years ago, but these have been replaced by the popular
Moffat - Virtue machines. In the interim before these latter machines were installed the shearing was done with blades, but the gentleman under review, realizing the advantages to be gained, have
again inaugurated the machineshearing era, and have every reason to be satisfied with their enterprise. The shearing season begins in October, the shed being fitted with four stands, and the work progresses with expedition. The wool grown is of good
quality and length, the annual clip bearing favourable comparison with that, of other pastoral properties in the neighbourhood. The Messrs. McKenzie keep a few fine horses for use on the estate and for pleasure purposes, and engage in horse-breeding an a small scale. The homestead, which was built by the late Mr.
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. L. E. McKenzie.
Graham many years ago, is planned on a design unique among the dwellings of the settlers in the Katanning district and with its outbuildings presents a notable feature in the landscape. The principals of the firm are sons of Mr. John McKenzie, proprietor for many years of the Freemasons’ Hotel, at the Port .of Albany, Western Australia.
Photo by G. E. Farr. interior View of Shearing Shed.
Photo by G. E. Farr.
Group of Merino Ranis.
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JOHN CAMPBELL WARREN, J.P., of “Dyliabing,” at East Cob-linine, in the District of Katanning, is of South Australian birth, his father being the Honourable John Warren, who has represented the North-East District in the Legislative Council of South Australia for a period extending over nearly a quarter of a century. Born at “Springfield,” near Mount Crawford, on May 18, 1866, the subject of this review was sent to Adelaide for a collegiate education, attending St. Peter’s College and matriculating at the University of Adelaide in 1883. At the close of his scholastic career he proceeded to “Anna Creek” Station, the joint property of his father and uncles, situated in the Lake Eyre district, and here applied himself to the mastery of the principles of successful pastoral management. While making a careful study of sheep-raising in particular he made full use of the opportunities afforded to observe results of the methods of horse and cattle breeding on the station. These with kindred interests occupied his time until 1889, when to extend his experience he entered the firm of Elder, Smith, & Co., Limited, being identified with the stock and station department at the Adelaide office. Subsequently he was transferred to the Broken Hill office of that firm, where he was in charge for some time, and after a later period at the Burra, under Mr. William Fox, he took control of the Gawler branch of the firm’s business. Resigning this appointment, Mr. Warren in 1892
undertook the management of “Tinga Tingana” Cattle Station in the Cooper Creek district, on behalf of Messrs. Hogarth & Warren. Four years later, owing to the depredations of rabbits, the station had to be abandoned, and the gentleman under review went to West Queensland to take
(
t n
H. C. Biltoft. Katanning.
Mr. John Campbell Warren.
charge of “St. Ann’s” Sheep Station, of which Messrs. Conrick & Ware were proprietors. The position of manager of “Montacollina” Station, on the Strzelecki Creek, being offered him by Messrs. W. B. Sells & Co., he
left “St. Ann’s”, and was in control at “Montacollina” until 1898, when he left the eastern States in order to launch out on his own behalf in pastoral pursuits in conjunction with his two brothers in Western Australia. A large territory, comprising the present “Dyliabing” and other estates, was taken up in the district of Katanning, the Warren family being the pioneers of this country, which is now the scene of many a successful settler’s holding. For nearly ten years the development of the property was carried on jointly by the brothers, but in 1907 a separation was resolved upon, Mr. J. C. Warren becoming sole proprietor of “Dyliabing,” while “Walyaming,” which was part of the estate, fell to the share of Mr. Robert Warren, and Arnold, another brother, took up “Warnaminup” in partnership with Mr. Elliot Warren, a younger member of the family. These gentlemen have since continued to carry on the development of their respective properties, and their name is indissolubly united with the history of the district for the opening up of which they have been so largely responsible. “Dyliabing” contains nearly 4,000 acres of country, originally somewhat heavily timbered with York gum, salmon gum, and the valuable jam. When first taken up the owners had to combat the difficulties presented by complete lack of any natural supplies of water, but this drawback was overcome at an early period by the excavation of one of the largest dams in the district, a work which was followed by several others of a similar character. Unsuccessful attempts were made to find water by boring in the first instance, but one well has been sunk which is yielding a good supply, and there are several soakages from which water may be obtained in time of need. The work of improving the property was carried on with energy and judgment from the outset, a spirit of enterprise being shown in the erection of eight miles of rabbit-proof fencing to guard the boundary against a threatened invasion of this pest from the other States. This was the first attempt in Western Australia to put into practical force the maxim that “prevention is better than cure” with regard to dealing with a possibility which in the eastern portion of the Continent has become an actual menace to the prosperity of the pastoralist. Before the close of three or four years 2,500 acres of land were ringbarked and
Photo by H. C. Biltoft. homestead at “ Dyliabing,” East Coblinine.
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divided into paddocks of convenient size, and the homestead erected in the first year of residence by Mr. Warren and his brothers is still standing. It is built in the old station style, of slabs of timber placed
in a horizontal position between grooved uprights, the inside wall being neatly battened and plastered and the whole surmounted by an iron roof. On three sides of the house the orchard area flourishes, stone fruits, apples, and other varieties being found within the enclosure, and about 200 acres of land are cultivated, thirty at the homestead for hay and the balance on the share system for wheat. Dairying is carried on on a small scale to supply the necessities of the household, and the various departments of industry common to rural estates of this nature receive the requisite amount of attention. The chief business of “Dyliabing,” however, consists in its sheep-raising operations, and it is Mr. Warren’s intention still further to raise the standard of the flock with the object of supplying the stations in the north-west with new blood of suitable quality. It was founded originally by high-class merino rams and ewes imported from the Hon. John Warren’s estate at “Springfield,” Mount Crawford, South Australia, the “Springfield” flock having been
inaugurated in 1854 with ewes purchased from the late J. H. Angas and bred to Murray blood exclusively ever since. The Murray flock is acknowledged to be unique in Australia from the circumstance that no
outside strain has been introduced since the stud was founded in 1842, and it is a familiar assertion that improvement has occurred in every flock where its representatives have found a place. As wool producers they have an enviable reputation, saltbush country with only a 5-in. rainfall registering a cut averaging up to 11 lb. for full-grown sheep
of this breed. Rams from the “Springfield” flock have been used successfully in the Lake Eyre district in South Australia for over half a century, and Mr. Warren has found his faith in the strain justified in every respect since its transplantation by him to Western Australian soil. The only variation he makes for breeding purposes is by the occasional introduction of the well-tested Murray blood, the result of which is the foregone conclusion of all that could be desired. The sheep bred on “Dyliabing” display all the best characteristics of the strong-wool merino, carrying length of staple with as much density as possible without sacrificing frame and constitution. Mr. Warren is vice-president of the Great Southern Districts Pastoral and Agricultural Society, and has occupied the presidential chair of this body. He was a founder of the local branch of the Farmers and Producers’ Political Union, of which he is the present chairman, and he is also hon. secretary of the Rockwell Agricultural Hall. A member and supporter of the Anglican Church, he holds the Bishop’s licence as lay reader in that communion. The Bedouin Polo Club, under Mr. Arnold Warren as captain and Mr. Elliot Warren as secretary, has its headquarters at “Dyliabing,” Mr. J. C. Warren being a playing member and a vice-president of the Great Southern Polo Association. In 1892 he married Lillie May, daughter of Captain Dale, of Woodville, South Australia, and has two sons and four daughters, his eldest son (Campbell) being now (1912) in residence at St. Peter’s College, Adelaide.
Photo by H. C. Biltoft. Merino Ewes (4 Months’ Wool).
Dam (750,000 Gallons Capacity) on the Warren Road.
“KENDENUP,” the property of Mr. J. F. T. Hassell, is situated on the upper branches of the Kalgan River, in the Plantagenet district, some 42 miles from Albany, and is probably one of the best-known pastoral properties in the Western State. The original area of the ostate in 1838 was 20,000 acres, but it has since been added to by the purchase of adjoining lands until at present it embraces some 60,000 acres of fine sheep-raising country. Most of the run is clear and undulating in character, but included in its formation are low ranges of hills, somewhat thickly covered with a light scrub, which from time to time has been considerably reduced by means of ringbarking. Opossums and coomels abound in these scrubs, and the fur of these animals is particularly noted for its fine quality, and is not to be equalled in any other part of the world where they are to be found. The property is completely fenced in and subdivided into about forty pad-docks, and it is estimated that the number of gates exceeds 1,200. Natural grasses abound in profusion, and of the eight or ten varieties to be found on the run the corkscrew, wild couch, blowaway, and lady’s finger grasses are mostly in evidence. The property has a frontage of 25 miles to the Kalgan River, and there are also numerous creeks and watercourses, so that an adequate supply of water is always obtainable. An area of about 6,000 acres has been cleared of the undergrowth, and of this 2,000 to 3,000 acres are devoted
to the acre. Mr. Hassell is assisted in the management of the estate by Mr. J. C. Jordan, who was born over thirty years ago at “Woodyarrup,” another station owned by Mr. Hassell, his father before him having been with Mr. Hassell some forty
Mr. J. T. F. Hassell.
years. The original “Kendenup” Homestead, erected by his father in the year 1839, still stands on the property. .Mr. Hassell’s present home is built of brick and stone, with a wood and iron.roof, and is of two stories, containing fourteen large,
very snug corner in the general picture. The present flock of sheep consists of about 25,000 of a very fine strain, and noted for their strong frames and healthy growth of staple. Since the foundation of the flock by the late Mr. John Hassell in the thirties no effort has been spared in improving the breed, and within the last ten years the present proprietor secured two rams from Saxony at heavy expense. His enterprise in this direction has been attended by a wonderful improvement in the robustness of the sheep and an increase in the weight of fleece. In 1840 the first clip was sent to the London market, via Adelaide, to be disposed of, and it was not until two years had elapsed that the late Mr. Hassell received payment for his wool, which was sold at 4d. per lb., leaving a margin of loss equal to 2d. per lb., after the nayment of expenses incidental to the carrying out of the transaction. This disappointing experience, coming so early in the uphill struggle, would have discouraged most men, but the sturdy pioneer was spurred on only to greater efforts to overcome the many difficulties which stood in the way of his path to success. After thirty-two years had flown the year’s clip was again shipped to London, this time with signal success. Of the 318 bales thus marketed 62 bales of first combings averaged 2s. 4d. per lb., which price to the present day remains a record for the Commonwealth for greasy wool. Further honours fell to the proprietor of “Kendenup” in 1890,
Photo by C. F. Farr.
"kendenup” homestead.
to wheat-growing and grasses, and Mr. Hassell has secured the splendid average of 40 bushels of wheat to the acre. Potatoes and onions are also raised, the soil being well adapted to their growth, the tubers yielding as high as 20 tons and the onions 15 tons
airy rooms. It is surrounded by a flower and vegetable garden, and adjacent is an orchard of five acres, which contains a great variety of fruit trees. On the opposite side of the river the usual outbuildings are in evidence, and the whole forms a
when he was awarded the Grand Prix at the Paris Exhibition for twenty-five fleeces in open competition with the world, and again he gained the gold medal for the best display of wool at the Western Australian Exhibition of 1906-7. The “Kendenup”
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fleeces are noted for their length and quality of staple, and the exceeding fineness of the wool is to some extent accounted for by the presence of the scrub already referred to, and which appears to have much to do with the fineness of staple and healthy condition of the flock. Shearing is usually started about the first week in November, and proceeds merrily to its conclusion in the following month. The clipping is done by hand, or by what is known as blade-shearing, in a commodious wood and iron shed which allows for twenty-four stands, but as a rule only fifteen hands are kept employed, besides some fifteen shedhands and woolpressers. Mr. Hassell presses
goats formerly had been kept, and from information obtained from other sources he learned that Louis XVI. had in times past engaged in the breeding of sheep. Stimulated to further research by this discovery he found it recorded in a book that the King of Spain had presented Louis XVI. with fifteen ewes and a ram, and that at his death the stud had been disposed of by auction to a family by the . name of Gadegast, residing at Oschatz, in Saxony. Being greatly interested in this discovery Mr. Hassell made efforts to locate the Gadegast family, and with the assistance of Lord Brassey’s agent —Mr. Potter—and Cook’s Bureau his inquiries were brought to a
Wales, in the year 1838 he set sail from England for the Antipodes in his own vessel, the “Dawson,” bringing with him his wife, who was to share his lot in the country of their adoption. After touching at the Cape a course was shaped for Sydney, but before sighting the south-west coast of Australia the supply of fresh water ran out and Captain Hassell was compelled to call at Albany, where he anchored his vessel in Frenchman Bay, King George Sound. Here he replenished his tanks with water obtained from Vancouver Well, work which occupied nearly two days, as the means of shipping the water were extremely primitive, it being first filled into casks
Photo by C. E. Farr.
General View Showing Outbuildings at “ Kendenup.'
and dumps his own wool, and for the carrying on of this work the most up-to-date appliances have been introduced. The lambing season commences early in May, and the end of June usually sees this interesting period safely over. The high average of from 80 to 90 per cent, has been successfully maintained for many years, and is a speaking testimony to the excellence of this country for the purposes of sheep-raising. Some nine years ago Mr. Hassell visited London and the Continent, and while at Versailles inspected the old Palace and grounds. The outbuildings attracting his attention, he discovered traces where, in his opinion, sheep or
successful conclusion. Proceeding to Saxony he inspected the descendants of the Spanish monarch’s gift, and having assured himself that they were genuinely sprung from the sheep presented to Louis XVI. he purchased two rams at 500 guineas each and shipped them to Fremantle, where they were safely landed at a total outlay of £1,500. The founder of this valuable property, the late Mr. John Hassell, had a most interesting and varied career. He was a master mariner by profession, his port of registration being London, and he had followed seafaring pursuits for some years. Having made up his mind to settle in New South
from the well and then rafted to the ship’s side, whence it was hoisted to the deck. At that time Sir Richard Spencer represented the Imperial Government at Albany, and Lady Spencer having learned from the pilot that a lady was aboard the “Dawson” immediately requested that Mrs. Hassell should become her guest during the vessel’s stay in port. Mrs. Hassell gladly availed herself of the opportunity, and for the next two days had an enjoyable time at their residence at Strawberry Hill. Sir Richard also prevailed on Captain Hassell to return to Western Australia at the conclusion of his voyage to Sydney, saying that
Western Australia would eventually become the leading State of Australasia. After this pleasant break in
known as “Kendenup.” This block Mr. Cheyne had obtained from the Imperial authorities on a remission
Photo by G. E. Farr.
Ready for Shears.
certificate which entitled him to a concession on certain terms, and Captain Hassell undertook to carry out the required improvements, as a result of which he received a grant in fee simple. The family having settled in Albany, young Hassell was placed under the care of a governess, who imparted instruction until her fund of learning became exhausted. Subsequently he studied farming under Mr. A. Harsum, the manager of his father’s estate, until at the age of seventeen the managerial mantle fell upon his shoulders. He now seriously turned his mind to the affairs of the property, and in the years that followed directed his efforts to improving the flock, with the success already recorded in this article. In 1885, death having removed his father from worldly scenes, he purchased his brothers’ share in the property, thus becoming sole proprietor. In later days Mr. Hassell increased the area of his estate,
a tedious voyage the “Dawson” made her way to Launceston, where Captain Hassell owned a farm on the Tamar River which he had started while on a previous visit to the “Apple State.” Leaving his wife in the care of Mrs. Suested, proprietress of an hotel at Launceston, he proceeded to Sydney, and having successfully disposed of the vessel and cargo returned to Tasmania to find that in his absence his wife had given birth to a son, the present proprietor of “Kendenup.” With his wife and child he returned to Sydney, and after a good look round decided to return to Western Australia on the representations of Sir Richard Spencer. Thereupon Captain Hassell chartered a barque called the “China,” purchased 450 ewes from the Blaxland and McArthur flocks and several head of cattle and horses, and sailed for Western Australia, also taking with him eight male servants and two maids. It was in 1839 that he reached Albany for the second time, and having selected a suitable anchorage he landed his stock by swimming them ashore. His next move was to purchase from Mr. George Cheyne a 20,000-acre block in the Plantagenet district and
Photo by C. E. Farr.
BLADE-SHEARING AT " KENDENUP.”
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
269
and, improving the flock, has sue- daughter of the late Mr. Roderick of the first sod in the construction of
ceeded in raising the strain to so high Morison, banker, of Stornoway, the Great Southern Railway, be-
a standard that to-day it stands North of Scotland, and has five tween Albany and Beverley, on
Photo by C. E. Farr.
unrivalled in the whole of the pastoral areas of Western Australia. JOHN FREDERICK TASMAN HASSELL was so named after his father, uncle, and the country in which he first saw the light of day on June 24, 1839. He married at Malvern, Victoria, in 1868, Isabel, the second
Pastures on the “ Kalgan ” Ranges.
daughters and five grandsons. When at Perth Mr. ITassell resides at “Kendenup,” Hay Street West, a charming two-storied home set in the midst of verdant lawns and beautiful flowers, the cultivation of which whiles away his leisure hours. At a banquet given in celebration of the turning
October 20, 1886, Mr. Hassell was an honoured guest, and to him fell the reply to the toast of “The Planta-genet District.” During his remarks on that occasion he gave utterance to several remarkable prophecies, and of two of the most important of these one has been fulfilled, while it is only a matter of time before the other will have become an accomplished fact. His first prediction was that the Great Southern Railway would be the precursor of railway construction on a large scale in the State, leading to the settlement of the country; and the second that in a few years’ time there would be a great Transcontinental Railway from the East to the West. Mr. Hassell did not then believe that he would live to see the latter great undertaking accomplished, but he is still hale and hearty in the seventy-fourth year of his life, and all things being equal should be witness of the happy consummation of this wonderful project. He has ever had at heart the welfare of Western Australia, and his confidence in the future success of the great pastoral and agricultural industries has never wavered. His perspicacity in this direction has brought its own reward, and no one will begrudge Mr. Hassell the success that has fallen to his share.
ALBERT YOUNG HASSELL, J.P., owner of "Jarramongup” Station, in the south-western division of Western Australia, is a native of the State, having been born at Albany on November 15, 1841. He is the
Captain John Hassell.
second son of the late Mr. John Hassell, who came to Australia in the very early days, sailing from London in 1822 as chief officer in the ship "Belinda,” and landing at Tasmania. Leaving the vessel shortly afterwards the late gentleman took a partnership in the cutter "Governor Arthur” and traded between Hobart, Launceston, and the mainland until 1837, when he returned to England, married, and came out again to make his home under the Southern Cross. After revisiting Tasmania he decided to. settle 'in,Western Australia, and accordingly purchased the original "Kendenup” Station, near Albany, from the late Mr. George Cheyne, and taking up his residence in the seaport town worked his estate .from that centre. At a later date (1849) he took up the "Jarramon-gup” property, now comprising 13,000 acres freehold and over 16,000 leasehold (to which Mr. A. Y. Hassell eventually succeeded), and acquired large tracts of land in other parts of the State, which have been disposed of since his death. To the late Captain Hassell must be rendered the credit of having opened the first gold
“Hillside.” Mr. A. Y. Hassell's Residence, Albany.
mine in Western Australia. Upon one of his visits to Sydney he took with him samples of stone from the "Kendenup” property, which was submitted to the Rev. Mr. Clark, a prominent geologist of New South Wales, who pronounced them to be gold-bearing. Upon the advice of this gentleman Captain Hassell sent 5 tons of the stone to the New North Clunes Gold-mining Company's mills at Clunes, Victoria, the crushing of which gave a return of 4 oz. of gold. A company was formed to work the mine, but the proposition turned out unprofitable, and eventually was abandoned. A presentation of some of the first gold produced was made by the directors to Sir William Robinson, at that time Governor of Western Australia. Mr. Albert Young Hassell, at the close of his education in Albany, when eleven years of age, went to "Kendenup” in the capacity of boy jackeroo, and began his initiation into the handling of sheep and cattle. Before reaching the age of 19 he had acquired a good general knowledge of the various branches of the pastoral industry, and in the early part of 1861 was sent by his father to take the management at "Jarramongup,” where he continued for about two years. During this time he took a trip from there to Esperance, over 200 miles of unexplored country, being the first white settler to take the overland journey from the West. In the latter part of 1863 he returned to
"Kendenup” to undertake control of operations there, and with the exception of a couple of years which he spent on another of his father's properties at the Blackwood River, was identified with the management of that estate for upwards of twenty-nine years. In 1894 the properties
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Albert Young Hassell.
were divided, and "Kendenup” fell to Mr. John P. T. Hassell, the subject of our review succeeding to "Jarramongup.” Like his father, Mr. A. Y. Hassell resides at Albany, where he
271
had built the “Hillside” home upon leaving “Kendenup,” and manages his “Jarramongup” property by means of frequent and extended visits, in which he is often accompanied by his family. This practice he still continues, and about six years ago erected a new dwelling-house at the
station, in which most of the comforts of the modern era have found a place. Mr. Hassell has played his part in the arena of politics, in 1871 being elected member for Albany in the first Legislative Council, which consisted of twelve elected and six Crown nominee members, the qualification for election to that office then being possession of landed freehold property to the value of £2,000,
established he sought election to the Plantagenet seat against the late Mr. Andrew Dempster, and, being returned, held the seat for fifteen years. When the Plantagenet constituency was divided on the redistribution of seats Mr. Hassell was a candidate for Albany, but was
defeated and retired from politics. During his parliamentary career, in 1897 he was elected by both Houses as one of the representatives for the colony of Western Australia to the Federal Convention charged with the duty of framing the Federal Constitution for the Commonwealth of Australia. It is interesting to note that Mr. Hassell has filled his various public offices only by election,
He has always regarded seriously his responsibilities with regard to the community in which he resides, and has taken his share in local government, being a member and chairman of the Plantagenet and Albany Roads Boards in turn from 1872 to 1910, when he retired. He is the Vice-Consul for Norway at Albany, which office he has held for several years. In the early days Mr. Hassell was one of the best-known men on the turf, and has been prominently identified with Western Australian racing circles for over a quarter of a century. As far back as 1877 his horse was returned the winner of the Plantagenet Cup at Albany, a triumph repeated two years later by his mare “Corisande,” which also won several races in Perth. The horse was trained by Mr . W. Strickland, the father of racing in this State. He also bred “Satyr,” which won two Onka-paringa Cups and other important races in the eastern States, and “Bas Blanc,” which for some considerable time held his own against allcomers in Western Australia. A founder of the Plantagenet Lodge of Freemasons, E.C., at Albany, Mr. Hassell’s connection with the craft has extended over forty years. For a couple of decades he has been a
Flock of Ewes and Lambs bred by Mr. A. Y. Hassell.
or £200 a year drawn from landed property free from all encumbrances. The constituency of Albany at that time extended from Eucla to the Williams district, embracing all the country between, and Mr. Hassell represented this electorate for three years, at the end of which period he resigned his office. When responsible government was
Shearing Shed at Doubtful Island Bay.
never having been a nominee, except in the case of his Commission of Justice of the Peace, which was granted him in 1872 by Mr. (afterwards Sir) Frederick Weld, the then Governor of Western Australia. This he has exercised ever since, and is now the oldest Justice of the Peace in office, his magisterial district extending over the whole of the State.
member of the Weld Club, Perth, and was a foundation-member of the Albany Club. He has derived both pleasure and profit from the practical study of botany, and materially assisted the late Baron von Mueller in the gathering of his Western Australian botanical collection, receiving in return the honour of having his name bestowed upon several of the
272
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
beautiful specimens and plants and flowers included in the Baron’s catalogue. Mr. Hassell married in 1878 Ethel, daughter of the late Mr. William Carmalt Clifton, who for many years represented the P. & O. Steam Navigation Company at Albany, and has four sons surviving and three daughters. “ J ARR AMONGUP ’ ’
STATION is 120 miles northeast of Albany, in the Kent district, its principal watercourse being the Gardiner River, which, unfortunately, is salt. It was originally discovered by the late Captain Roe, the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia, in the course of one of his expeditions. His report, however, was anticipated by a man, Maxwell by name, who was assisting in the collection of specimens by Mr. Drummond, a visiting Scotch
botanist, and otherwise occupied himself by taking notes of the value of the land for pastoral purposes. Mr. Maxwell came to Albany, and having expressed his high opinion of the possibilities of the region through which he had travelled, for a consideration offered to escort the late Captain Hassell to the locality. This was in 1849, when the prestige of the pioneer demanded that he should penetrate far distances into the heart of the bush to open up new country and make a home on the “edge of the beyond.” Mr. Hassell decided to risk the venture, and in the first instance took up about 20,000 acres, which afterwards was increased to
44,000 freehold and leasehold. He found the country undulating in character, with a plentiful outcrop of granite rock and frequent steep watercourses down which the streams
flowed rapidly after rain. Four natural fresh-water springs were in evidence, and at the present time the numerous dams which have been constructed preclude any anxiety with regard to the water supply. The soil is a light chocolate, sustaining a fair natural growth of silver-grass and corkscrew, not sufficiently luxuriant to allow of heavy stocking, and there is no top feed. It is timbered chiefly with yate, sheaoak, and manna gum.
The rainfall has averaged 16 in. during the past twenty years, and only one drought has been recorded on the property, this, occurring in the early seventies, being the only season
since the run was taken up when there has been any lack of feed. Much has been accomplished in the way of improvements, over 100 miles of dog-proof fencing having been
constructed, with two wires above 3-ft. netting, and one interlaced below, the cost being approximately £32 per mile. The estate is subdivided into twelve paddocks, of which the smallest comprises over 200 acres and the largest 4,000, the division fences being on the same scheme as the boundary fence. The general character of the country is clear and open, but about 10,000 acres have been ringbarked to enlarge the
pastoral area, and when the present owner, Mr. A. Y. Hassell, went to take charge of the property in 1861, he cleared 20 acres and sowed it with wheat and barley, soon after erecting a mill to grind the flour. To-day about 160 acres are under cultivation. The first homestead was built of stone and brick, with thatched roof, and contained six rooms. This is now used for men’s quarters, while a wood and iron cottage has been erected for the use of the submanager, Mr. O. D. Hassell, the youngest son of the proprietor. Large stockyards constructed of yate posts and marluck rails, with the shcepyards and drafting yards, cover an area of over 4 acres, while stabling is provided for six horses, and there are two horse-boxes for the stallions. A kitchen garden supplies the station for the greater part of the year with fresh vegetables, and a few apple-trees bear well. The station was started with about 2,000 sheep of the merino breed, descendants of the McArthur merinos brought by Captain Hassell from New South Wales, for “Ken-denup,” in 1840. In the earlier days from four to six shepherds took
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
273
charge of flocks numbering from
1,00,0 to 1,200 sheep, and shearers were obtained in the season from “Kendenup.” Trouble was experienced with the natives, who at that time were very hostile and refused all offers of friendship extended to them by the new settlers, and from this source many losses occurred among the sheep, and on one occasion a shepherd was sheared near “Jarramongup.” The “Wanganella”
type nas proved most successful and best suited to the climate, and the prevailing traits of the 12,000 sheep on the runs are the plain-bodied, strong frame, large for the breed, with good density of wool and satisfactory length of staple. The average weight in a clip of 12,000 fleeces, including 3,000 lambs, gave over 6 lbs., and the ordinary price obtained for greasy combings in London is 13Jd. The lambing season occurs early in May and continues until July, the annual percentages averaging eighty-five. Mr. Hassell considers neither the country itself nor the geographical position suited to cattle-raising, and only about 130 head of mixed cattle—mostly shorthorns—are run on the property. Some fine horses have been bred, and the sires now in use are “Darnley,” by ‘Tan Hamilton/' and “Clarus,” by “Renown.” “Darnley,” a beautiful brown horse, was bred by Mr. John Thomas, of Blackheath, Victoria. His sire, “Ian Hamilton,” was imported from New Zealand, in which country he carried off forty prizes in the various show rings. “Renown,” the sire of “Clarus,” is by “Treviton” out of “Elsie” (imp.). “Clarus” is out of “Surmise” by “Neckersgat.” The mare “Elsie” was bred in England, her sire s
being the great English horse “St. Simon.” Some twenty to thirty draughts are bred yearly for the market, and a similar number of light horses, all of which are readily disposed of at good average prices. Of the other properties possessed by Mr. Hassell “Warriup” is situated on the east coast, near Cape Riche, 47 miles from Albany, and comprises some
8,000 acres freehold and 11,000
leasehold. Sheep and horses are bred on this property, which was purchased by Mr. Hassell from his
brother some fifteen years ago. The country resembles “Jarramongup” in many respects, being of granite formation, some of it very well grassed. It is used chiefly as a reserve for the parent station, and the management, under Mr. E. A. Hassell, the owner’s second son, is carried on on the same lines as “Jarramongup.” Another property, “Magedup,” situated on the Salt River, 45 miles east of Broome Hill, and embracing 3,000 acres freehold, was purchased from the Government twenty years ago, and has been leased by Mr. Hassell to his eldest son, Mr. John Hassell, who uses it mainly for sheep-raising purposes and some cropping. At the mouth of the Gardiner River, near Qualup (Doubtful Island Bay), lies another estate consisting of about 1,600 acres freehold and 17,000 leasehold, which is under the control of another son, Mr. H. W. Hassell. The shearing shed is located at Doubtful Island Bay, where all the sheep are shorn, the wool being shipped from there to London. Mr. A. Y. Hassell has had some notable successes with his wool products, being awarded a diploma and gold medal from the Franco-British Exhibition of 1908 and a gold medal from the Roubaix Exhibition, France, in the year 1911.
TWO "WANGANELLA" RAMS USED IN FIRST STUD FLOCK AT "JARRAMONGUP."
274
ALBERT JESSE TALBOT, pas-toralist, owner of “Mundra Billa,” “Madura,” and “Binyarinyinna” Stations, was born at Hackworthy, Devonshire, England, on March 9, 1870, being a son of the late Jesse Talbot, a farmer, of that place. lie received his education at the local public school and was apprenticed to the butchering trade, emigrating to Australia when seventeen years of age. Landing at Queensland, he entered a butchering establishment as assistant, and remained for over a year. With the object of gaining more experience he proceeded to Victoria, and there carried on business for a short time with a friend. The “call of the West” led him to Fremantle, where he obtained work on the Midland Railway, which was then being constructed. His next move was eastward, and he became engaged in the Frazer’s mine, Southern Cross.
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Albert Jesse Talbot.
Less than two years later, a strike having occurred on the Yilgarn goldfield, Mr. Talbot joined two mates and penetrated into the bush to prospect, and striking the tracks of Messrs. Bay ley and Ford, the well-known mining prospectors, decided to follow that party, coming up with them at Coolgardie, where they were working on a small leader, west of the “Big Blow” Mine. After pitching their camp, the three partners, Messrs. Talbot, Baker, and Fosser, set to work on surrounding country, and upon the third day struck a* rich patch of gold, from which, within an hour, they had collected £1,100 worth of specimens, besides a large parcel which they buried in the
adjoining creek. In returning to the camp at nightfall they lost their bearings, and when they again reached the spot where their treasure had been concealed it was only to
attracted their notice, and unearthing the parcel of gold they followed the tracks to what proved to be the nucleus of the great Bayley’s Reward claim, and the discovery of the
" Mundra Billa” Homestead.
find that Messrs. Bay ley and Ford meanwhile had come on the scene and pegged out the claim on their own behalf. Whilst prospecting in the creek, the newly-disturbed earth had
world-famed Coolgardie field. Mr. Talbot and his party, having thus narrowly missed making a speedy fortune, pegged out the adjoining claim —Bayley’s No. 1 South—which they
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. type of stallion in use on Station.
275
afterwards sold privately, and which at a later date was floated into a big company. Hannan’s Field was also prospected by Mr. Talbot, who, likewise, was among the first eight arrivals in the Kurnalpi district in the early nineties. At the latter place he combined with his mining interests commercial pursuits, establishing a bakery and butchering business and owning one of the first water-condensing plants in the place. For a lengthy period he engaged in the butchering trade, following the rushes to various new fields, notably to Edjudina, Yerilla, and Lake Darlot, and finally opening in a large way at Coolgardie. The latter business he sold ultimately to the firm of Messrs. Kidman & Uhr, and it has been well known as one of the most
post-and-wire fencing erected, and the natural water supply consisting of springs augmented by the construction of eight dams, while five wells are being fitted up with troughs and pumps. “Madura” lies 120 miles nearly due west of Eucla, and consists chiefly of limestone plains heavily covered with indigenous grasses and herbage, and owing to the limestone foundation the locality is considered by experts to be the pick place in Australia for the breeding of horses. The average rainfall is about 10\ in., besides which the property is watered by wells and dams, ten of the latter having been constructed, while an artesian bore has been put down, which yields 37,000 gallons of splendid stock water per diem. Over 80
the homestead has been erected—a comfortable dwelling-house containing six rooms. The fencing on this station was erected at a cost of £50 per mile, and consists of 60 miles of vermin-proof boundary fence, the posts being of miall and ti-tree, and another 60 miles of subdividing fences. Permanent, good stock water is provided by five wells, which have been sunk in various parts of the run, and several dams have been constructed from which a goodly supply is drawn. At the present time the “Mundra Billa” run is stocked with about 5,000 sheep, but its carrying capacity is much higher. An excellent lambing percentage is obtained, the annual drop never falling below 80 per cent., while in specially favourable seasons it has been known
Vhoto by J. J. Dwyer. Mob of Cattle from “ Binyarinyinna ” on the way to Market.
important concerns of its kind in Western Australia. Upon retiring from this line of trade, Mr. Talbot became interested in the pastoral industry, taking up the leases in the Eucla district known as “Madura” Station, and afterwards purchasing “Mundra Billa” from the late firm of Messrs. Kennedy, of Magill, this being the first pastoral property taken up in the district; These, with a third property, “Binyarinyinna,” situated about 70 miles south-east of Kalgoorlie, comprise over 600,000 acres of country, and are used as cattle, sheep, and horse stations, the lastnamed run being kept exclusively for fattening cattle. Considerable improvement work has been done on “Binyarinyinna,” 50 miles of s2
miles of fencing have been erected. The class of horses on “Madura,” chiefly medium draughts and a heavy type suitable for light lorries, are bred almost exclusively for the goldfields markets, where they command a ready sale at good prices. In addition, over 1,000 head of cattle are grazed on the run, these being of the shorthorn and Hereford strains, and like the horses they are overlanded to the goldfields, where the reputation of “Madura” stock is firmly established. The sheep station “Mundra Billa,” which, in the aboriginal nomenclature, means “plenty of grass,” is situated about half-way between “Madura” and the postal town of Eucla, its distance from the latter being 63 miles. Here
to rise as high as 95 per cent. Great credit is due to the progressive owner of “Mundra Billa,” “Madura,” and “Binyarinyinna” for his enterprise in opening up a tract of country which, before his advent, had lain almost untouched by the pastoralist or any other pioneer in the various lines of industry. These stations are on the line of route to be traversed by the Trans-Australian Railway, and as there are millions of acres of similar country which with the aid of artesian bores may readily be converted into magnificent grazing pastures, it may be confidently expected that the time is not very far distant when this land, which, hitherto, has been looked upon practically as a terra incognita, will become
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
one of the great pastoral areas of the Island Continent. Mr. Talbot married in 1904 Elizabeth Haldane, daughter of the late G. Coward, of Coward Springs, South Australia, and has two sons and two daughters.
THOMAS ELLIOTT RICHARDSON, pastoral ist, joint-owner with his father and brothers in “Pippin-garra” Station, in the Port Hedland district, was born at Fremantle on January 16, 1878. He is a son of Mr. J. E. Richardson, formerly sole proprietor of “Pyramid” Station, in the north-west, now living in retirement at “The Reste,” Broome Hill. His elementary education was obtained at Fremantle under the tuition of Mr. Henry Briggs, now President of the Legislative Council, and was supplemented by a finishing course at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide. Returning to Western Australia he entered the office of Messrs. Dalgety and Co. at Fremantle, where he gained a valuable mercantile training, together with useful experience connected with the pastoral industry. After two years in this connection he went to the north-west as jackeroo on “Pyramid” Station, and augmented his theoretical knowledge by practical work. Three years later he became identified with “Ettrick” Station, the property of Mr. G. L. Hardie, where he gained an intimate acquaintance with the methods of handling sheep, which has proved of much value to him in his subsequent career. In 1901 Mr. Richardson took delivery of “Boodarrie” Station, now owned by Messrs. Hardie Brothers, but at that time newly purchased by a firm composed of the present owners, his father, Mr. J. E. Richardson, and himself. In addition to “Boodarrie” the property then comprised the additional area now called “Pippingarra,” which, when the run was subsequently divided, was retained by the Messrs. Richardson as their share, and which comprises about 300,000 acres. For seven years Mr. Richardson remained as manager of this property, at the end of which period, in 1910, taking his two younger brothers into partnership, he came to the Broome Hill district and purchased “Langwell,” an estate of over 4,000 acres, where he devotes his attention mainly to the breeding of pure merinos for the replenishing of the north-west runs. The famous “Boonoke” and other flocks have been drawn upon for
blood stock with which to enrich the quality of the breed produced at “Langwell,” which is strengthened from time to time by fresh importations from the same quarters, and displays many of the excellent traits of the New South Wales sheep. A portion of the land is tilled and placed under crops, principally with the object of improving the nature of the soil. Mr. Richardson is a member of the Great Southern' Pastoral and Agricultural Society, and is a well-known exhibitor in connection with various annual shows. He interests himself in the different movements for the advancement of the district, and for some considerable time was a member of the local Roads Board at Broome Hill, lie is a keen sportsman, and is prominent in the Great Southern District as a member of most of the sporting clubs. Though an advocate of all forms of clean sport, personally he favours polo, and is an enthusiast in the game, in which he is very proficient. He is a member of the Katanning-Broome Hill Polo Club, of the Katan-ning Racing Club (acting on the committees of both these institutions), and of the Western Australian Club, Perth. In 1905 he married a daughter of the late Mr. John Campbell, well known in the pastoral circles of the north-west, and has a son and three daughters.
The late GEORGE GREY EGER-TON-WARBURTON, J.P., of Yeri-minup, Western Australia, on the west side of the Great Southern Railway, was born at Strawberry Hill, about a mile from Albany, on October 9, 1844. He was a son of the late Mr. George Edward Edgerton-War-burton, of the 51st Regiment, Imperial Army, who was one of the earliest settlers in Western Australia, originally coming to Albany with troops from Tasmania. He married a daughter of the late Sir Richard Spencer, Post Captain Royal Navy, then Resident Magistrate at the southern seaport and a pioneer of the State, and took up land about 30 miles from Albany. On this estate the subject of our memoir spent his early boyhood and gained his scholastic knowledge under the tutition of a private tutor. At thirteen years of age he became closely identified with the working of his father’s property, and before he had reached his majority was entrusted by his parent with the
management of the sheep run where he ultimately made his home. While still on the sunny side of forty he purchased the estate, and industriously devoted all his energies to its development. He carried on mixed farming operations, being successful both in fruit-growing and other agriculture, and in the breeding of sheep and cattle. The merino sheep, imported from the Eastern States, maintained the worthy reputation Avon in years gone by on the sunny hills of Spain and sustained after transplantation to the warmer climes of Australia. Horses of medium-draught quality were bred on the estate, and a good type of cattle produced. Mr. Egerton-Warburton belonged to that fine class of early pioneers who,
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. G. G. Egerton-Warburton.
among all the privations and vicissitudes of those primitive days, made a success of the pastoral industry and paved the way for their more favoured descendants and to whom the State owes a debt of gratitude not easily discharged. He was for a considerable time chairman and member of the Plantagenct Roads Board and received his Commission of Justice of the Peace during the earlier Premiership of Sir John Forrest. Mr. Egerton - Warburton, who was a member of the Western Australian Club, married in 1872 Amy, second daughter of the late Mr. E. G. Hester, J.P., and left a son and three daughters. He died at Peppermint Grove on May 24, 1913.
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JOSEPH THOMAS RUTTLE, J.P., pastoralist, “Perkalilla” Cattle Station, Kanowna, was born at Rathkeal, County Limerick, Ireland, on December 21, 1852, and is a son of the late Joseph Ruttle, of that place. Being brought to Australia by his parents when only a year old he was educated at a State school near Castlemaine, Victoria, and in 1867 turned his attention to mining pursuits. At a later date he served his apprenticeship to the carpentry and bridge-building trade, and after spending a couple of years in this calling joined his father in farming occupations for some time. Subsequently he relinquished agriculture to enter upon the business of a general contractor, and was engaged
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Joseph Thomas Ruttle.
in this way in West Queensland and Victoria for a number of years. In 1897 he came to Western Australia and entered the Department of Public Works as supervisor of the construction of the causeway spanning the River Swan between the city and South Perth. Upon the completion of that work in the following year he resigned from the public service and started dairying pursuits on his own account on the eastern goldfields, with headquarters at Kanowna. His business, which was conducted on both wholesale and retail lines, prospered, and in 1911 Mr. Ruttle disposed of his connection and began his career as a pastoralist, taking up about 30,000 acres of pasturage country in the vicinity of the above-mentioned town. During his residence on the goldfields he has
been associated with most of the public bodies of the district, and besides serving as a member of the Kanowna Municipal Council has been identified with the North-East Coolgardie Council for many years, holding the office of chairman of the latter chamber for a considerable period. He received his Commission of the Peace from the Wilson Administration, and is a member of the Licensing Bench. He has been connected with all forms of sport, and is the present chairman of the Kanowna Rifle Club. In 1887 Mr. Ruttle married Mary Ann, daughter of the late George Ashenhurst, of Goulburn Valley, well known in the Government Service.
ROBERT CECIL JONES, J.P., Bulong, was born at Brighton, England, on June 21, in the year 1867, and is a son of the late Mr. John Robert Jones, a clergyman, of Wales. He was educated at Brighton, and continued his studies at Lee, in Kent, until his eighteenth year. At twenty years of age he crossed the seas to Queensland, and for a time was engaged in commercial pursuits, but becoming embued with the spirit of the “bush” for a time he took part in a variety of occupations peculiar
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Robert Cecil Jones.
to colonial life. Mr. Jones spent several years in the employ of the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company, and for a period was in charge of health arrangements in connection with the labourers on the Johnston River plantations. In 1890 he came
to Western Australia and engaged in the pearling industry at Shark Bay, which he afterwards relinquished in favour of mining pursuits. For a number of years he was prospecting over the Murchison, Gascoyne, and Eastern goldfields, but eventually returned to mercantile enterprise, opening a general store at Kurnalpi. In 1900, when the Bulong district was in the full tide of prosperity, Mr. Jones, perceiving the excellent prospects offering, transferred his energies to this centre, and established the storekeeping business which he has carried on ever since. In addition he took up a pastoral lease in the neighbourhood, comprising 60,000 acres, which is known as “Hampton Hills” Station, and erected a homestead within a couple of miles from Bulong, on the Kalgoorlie side of the town. He is here inaugurating cattle-breeding operations, and anticipates considerable profit from this venture. Mr. Jones has taken a prominent part in the public life of the town, having filled the mayoral chair for several terms, and is the senior Justice of the Peace for the Coolgardie Goldfields. In 1896 he was married to Frances Emma, daughter of the late Mr. E. W. Butcher, pastoralist, of Gascoyne, and has two sons and three daughters.
The “MERRIDEN VALE” STUD FARM. This well-known stud farm was established by Captain R. T. McMaster in 1905, and has since come under the notice of the pastoral and sporting sections of the community as the cradle of some of the most promising young stock in the State. A splendid trio of sires have been imported from England and the Eastern States, among which the magnificent Suffolk Punch stallion “Rendlesham Militiaman” has met with the great favour of those desirous of obtaining sound, well-bred specimens of this popular type of draught. This stallion was bred by the late Mr. E. F. Quilter, of Bentley, Ipswich, in 1906, his sire being “Wilson’s Worcester” (2273) and his dam “Minnie Palmer” (3756), by Smith’s “Palmwood” (2196), and was purchased from Mr. Alfred J. Smith, of Rendlesham, Woodbridge, England. His pedigree is a distinguished one, and not less notable is that of the well-known racing stallion “Barbarossa” by “Medallion” (son of “Nordenfoldt” by “Musket”) from “Algerine” (by “Hawthorn den,” imp.). Bred at
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Tocal Stud, New South Wales, in 1897, this horse was bought as a yearling for 295 guineas, afterwards being purchased for 400 guineas and imported to Western Australia. “Barbarossa” defeated, at weight for age, such champions as “Wakeful,” “San Fran/' “Tarquin,” “War God,” “Fleet Admiral,” “Limber,” “The Idler,” “Australian,” “The Victory,” “La Carabine,” and “Haymaker,” and his mile and a half record is 2 min. 36 sec. The winner of many races, hp also finished in places in the V.R.C. Derby, won by “Malster,” and the St. Leger Stakes, won by “Finland.” Another sire is “Prince Albert,” a handsome jet-black Clydesdale bred by Mr. D. Dowd, of Euroa, Victoria. lie is a weighty, thick-set horse and stands about 17 hands high. His sire, “Earl of Albyn,” as a yearling gained first prizes at Daylesford and Kyneton, and later at Murchison, Numurkah, and Shepparton. He is descended from the most fashionable strains of imported blood on both sides, and as a three-year-old gained firsts at Euroa and Shepparton. Besides these fine specimens of equine blood stock the farm is noted for its purebred Ayrshire bull, “Lord Palmerston,” and the fine Holstein bull, “Hopeful,” both of which have built up a reputation among cattle-producers second to none in the State.
“Lord Palmerston” has a lengthy pedigree, his immediate progenitors being “Edward II.” (vol. 4, A.H.B. of A.) and “Gertie” by “Blu-cher,” while “Hopeful” was sired by “Wilhelm II.,” his dam being “Flora Macdonald.” All of these sires are available to breeders at moderate fees, particulars of which may be had on application to Captain McMaster.
The SWAN MEAT COMPANY, Limited, Midland Junction, Perth, and Kalgoorlie; Managing Director, Fritz Lange. In including the present article in the section of the “Cyclopedia of Western Australia” devoted to the Pastoral Industry of the State, the publishers do not wish to imply that the Swan Meat Company is a pastoral proposition in the ordinary sense of the term, but the interests of the Company being so closely interwoven with those of the breeders of cattle and sheep in the north-west districts it was felt that no better place could be found in which to insert a review of the extensive ramifications of the firm now under notice. There are at the present time in Western Australia a number of well-known men who from small beginnings have accomplished big things. With their foot on the lowest rung of the ladder they commenced a resolute ascent, and long ere this have attained that tangible eminence in the busy world of commerce to which every ambitious and progressive business man must aspire. As in other departments of enterprise so in that
most important branch of industry, the cattle trade of the State, there have been conspicuous examples of this inherent ability to “get on in the world.” As opportunities presented themselves and were availed of by the pastoralists of the great north-west and other pioneers of the stock-producing areas, so did those more directly in touch with the consumers as meat purveyors embrace their opportunities as they occurred, thus giving direct and special emphasis to this phase of the commercial life of our country. There is, perhaps, no head of a thriving business firm in Perth in relation to whom these remarks could be applied with truer significance than to the managing director of the Swan Meat Company, Mr. Fritz Lange, who, with the immense enterprise which he has brought to such successful issues, forms the subject of this brief review. Founded by him in 1902, the present business had its modest beginning in a small shop at Midland Junction, and proving himself equal in every respect to deal with the rapid expansion of trade which followed the inception of its
Swan Meat Company’s Premises, Barrack Street, Perth.
279
operations, he continued at the head of affairs during the extension of its interests to Perth and Kalgoorlie, and to-day is the brain and central governing force of what is justly regarded as the premier concern of its kind throughout the State of Western Australia. FRITZ LANGE ■was born at Magdeburg, Germany, on January 25, 1865, and having attended school in his native town concluded his scholastic studies there at the age of fourteen. His father,
countries. To this early but comprehensive grounding in sound business principles and the special expert knowledge required in his particular calling Mr. Lange attributes much of the success which followed his keen exercise of energy and brainpower when he found himself in a comparatively new country which furnished chances denied to the man who had to push his own way in the older-established centres of the world and assisted in placing him in the
progress and prosperity ever experienced by a young country, and Mr. Lange, perceiving that here was a land of promise waiting to bestow rich rewards on those who should assist in the development of her abounding possibilities, forthwith set sail for her shores. He sought his first opportunity on the Coolgardie goldfields, and like many others endured much hardship in the pioneering work of the district, displaying throughout indomitable
Photo by C. E. Farr.
the late Mr. Henry Lange, was desirous that he should enter upon a commercial career, and he became engaged in the butchering trade in Magdeburg and other cities of the Fatherland. During the few years that he spent in business in Germany he was enabled to acquire valuable experience in all branches of the trade, and before leaving the country of his birth was thoroughly familiar with all the details of stock-dealing and with the trading of stock between Germany, England, Bavaria, Holland, and other
INTERIOR VIEW OF BARRACK STREET PREMISES.
position that he holds in his own line of life to-day. During his boyhood his health was indifferent, and ultimately, under medical advice, he was induced to seek benefit in this respect from the more genial climate of Australia. Leaving his native land in 1894 he sailed for Victoria, and landing at Melbourne remained in the sister State for nearly two years, during which period his health was completely restored. About this time Western Australia was enjoying what could only be reckoned as one of the most notable eras of
pluck and endurance. A business opening offering in the firm of Messrs. Kidman & Uhr, he accepted the post, and when at a later date this concern amalgamated with that of Messrs. Fox & Holmes he found himself an important factor in the leading butchering business on the goldfields, its trading operations being carried on under the title of Butcher & Uhr. For over six years Mr. Lange devoted the whole of his energy and ability to the conduct and expansion of this connection, and at the end of that period, in
280
1902, lie determined to launch out on his own account. In choosing Midland Junction as the venue of his operations he displayed the instinctive foresight and sound judgment of the true business man who places his finger upon the pulse of a community and is made aware of the existence of a demand which it is in his power to supply. That such a demand existed in the neighbourhood of the small shop (which he opened in partnership with Mr. W.
E. Tootell) was very rapidly made manifest by the ready patronage which was accorded the modest establishment, and that this was no mere initial flutter of popularity was proved beyond challenge by the steady and progressive nature of the trade. So speedy, albeit so sure, was the expansion of the business that in the incredibly short space of three years after its foundation it was floated into a limited liability company, the governing interests in which were retained by the former proprietors, Messrs. Lange & Tootell —a change which only served to accelerate the rapid march of its
advancement. The firm as constituted in 1905 continued for five years, when Mr. Lange acquired Mr. TootelTs interests, and holding a half
share in the company and retaining the governing interests he still occupied the position of managing director. In October, 1912, Messrs.
Interior View of Kalgoorlie Premises.
Lange and Tootell bought out the other shareholders, and it is interesting to note that the big trading concern, after various changes which have taken place in its history, is again under the sole proprietorship of the two partners who twelve years earlier established it in such a comparatively humble way, Mr. Lange owning a 75 per cent, interest and Mr. Tootell, who does not take any active part in the business, holding the remainder. To emphasize the remarkable growth of the concern it is only necessary to state that whereas during the first week the firm succeeded in disposing of one carcass of beef and those of eight sheep, the present operations arc such that through the various branches there are retailed over 120 bullocks and more than 1,200 sheep
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
281
each week, as well as from seventy to eighty pigs. In the building up and control of the Swan Meat Company Mr. Lange found his time very fully occupied, as in addition to the conduct of the Midland Junction business, only six months after its inception he opened a branch at Guildford, and by the close of the first year established another shop at Kalamunda. In 1907 an important forward movement was made in the extension of operations to Kalgoorlie, where a retail business was started in Hannan Street, which quickly developed into a cash-over-the-counter trade, large attention also being given to supplies for the wholesale
huge demand, and during other months of the year supplies are obtained chiefly from the Ashburton, Murchison, and Gascoyne provinces. The cattle which come from these districts are frequently overlanded a distance of from 200 to 650 miles to the nearest port, and this long period of time spent in travelling over the road, together with the ensuing voyage, entails a great loss in weight to the beasts in question, but apart from this the cost per head to land stock, including droving, is about £4. Sheep are obtained principally from the Carnarvon districts during the winter months, and in the remainder of the
disposal of from 5,000 to 6,000 bullocks, from 50,000 to 60,000 sheep, and over 4,000 pigs per annum demands big plants and very complete general facilities, and everything in connection with this part of the business has been most thoroughly gone in to by Mr. Lange, who favours the most up-to-date arrangements for the construction of slaughter-yards, pig-styes, etc., and the installation of cool storage plants, etc. Slaughtering is carried on at the company’s private abattoirs on the Newcastle Road, about three miles from Midland Junction, under Government supervision, for the metropolitan trade, and at the
Swan Meat Company's Receiving Depot, Robb's Jetty, Fremantle.
traders. In connection with this branch, cattle and sheep are sent alive to the goldfields, where they are slaughtered at the Government abattoirs, the goods being kept in cool stores, the refrigerator and ice plant having a capacity of over six tons. It is a feature of the trade of the Swan Meat Company that from all of the branches there is dealt with by rail a large country connection, while supplies for the upkeep of the various depots are drawn from many parts of the State. From the middle of April to the middle of October the districts of the northwest contribute most largely to the
year the firm relies upon the Murchison and more southerly districts for its supplies. Mr. Lange makes frequent trips to these centres in order to attend personally to the important matter of securing stock, and purchases are made well in advance and to the best possible advantage, both from the company’s and consumers’ standpoint. A close eye is kept to the ruling climatic conditions in the cattle-producing districts, and wherever the best stock is to be obtained buying is vigorously proceeded with, so that the best meat in the market is secured for the firm’s many customers. The handling and
Government abattoirs at Kalgoorlie for the goldfields’ demands. In connection with the Newcastle Road yards there is also a large piggery, built on a slope, where a dozen or more large pens are paved with concrete, while a copious supply of water laid on to each ensures absolute cleanliness. A few swine arc bred, but the pork retailed at the various branches is mostly fattened elsewhere, the company being large buyers from outside breeders. There are a great many drafting-yards for the cattle and sheep, which, with the buildings, are situated on freehold property, 70 acres in extent,
and recently the company acquired a long lease of 600 acres adjoining this area for the purpose of paddocking cattle and horses. At the principal shops are fitted the most modern and complete refrigerating and cooling plants, among which that at the establishment at Barrack Street, Perth, takes pride of place. This consists of a Linde compressor working on to three large rooms and an ante-room for the cold storage of meat. The latter is fitted with a large plate-glass window fronting Barrack Street, and here meat is displayed to the view of the passer by. There is also a tank with a capacity of two tons of ice per every twenty-four hours. The rooms represent the best method known in the way of insulation, while the system employed for cooling is that known as the dry-air method. At Midland Junction a large Werner freezing-plant has been installed in close proximity to the abattoirs, which also serves to supply ice to the surrounding district and to centres as far as 200 miles distant. Each
room has a separate system of its own and can be worked independently of the other rooms. A large
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Fritz Lange.
staff is employed, and numerous horses and carts are kept for delivery of orders, the heavy cartage being performed by a powerful motor - lorry. Mr. Lange owns a fine private residence at Midland
Junction, known as “Harsburg,” where one of the chief attractions is the large and beautiful garden, in the superintendence of which Mrs. Lange spends a considerable portion of her time. So keen an interest has this lady taken in her favourite hobby and so successful have been her efforts that in 1910 she was awarded the challenge trophy for the champion garden of the district awarded by the Goldfields Water Supply Department. In addition to his numerous business and private interests the gentleman under review finds time to devote to his duties as a Freemason, his Lodge being the Friendship Lodge, No. 17, W.A.C., and he is also a member of the West Australian Club and of the Commercial Travellers’ Club. He is a keen motorist and uses his 30-h.p. Overland motor-car both for pleasure and for business purposes. In 1893 he married Martha Clara, third daughter of the late Carl Meereis, of Bohmen, Austria, and has two sons, Fritz Carl and Hermann August.
From an Oil Painting.
Harsburg,” Residence of Mr. F. Lange, Midland Junction.
Timber
FOREST RESOURCES.
Apart from their value and magnificence as scenery the forests of Western Australia form one of the principal commercial assets of the State. So far back as 1840 the possibilities of a flourishing industry in native hardwoods and fragrant timbers were recognized, and at the earnest solicitation of Governor John Hutt the foundations were laid of a trade that has since developed into one of the most important sources of the prosperity and wealth of the community. Timber differs from gold in that it is being continually replaced by natural growth, and if to this be added a wise system of reafforestation it may readily be seen that the forest resources of the State are practially inexhaustible. Over the whole south-western division, where the rainfall is abundant and steady, jarrah, karri, and other eucalypts grow in profusion; further east there are forests of sandalwood, a timber so greatly valued in oriental countries; and of recent years the northern areas have been found to comprise large forests of the cypress pine, for which parts of Queensland have long been noted.
According to the calculations of the late Mr. J. Ednie Brown, formerly Conservator of Forests in Western Australia, the area of forests containing timber of a high commercial value is 20,400,000 acres, distributed as follows: —
Acres.
Jarrah (with red and black gum) ... 8,000,000
Karri ... ... 1,200,000
Tuart 200,000
York, gum, yate, sandalwood, etc. ... 4,000,000
Wandoo ... 7,000,000
20,400,000
The matured timber growing on the Crown lands
the State was estimated by Mr. Brown in 1904 to
as under: — Loads.
Jarrah ... ... 40,000,000
Karri ... ... 15,000,000
Tuart 300,000
Wandoo, yate, etc. ... 7,000,000
62,300,000
The value of this timber, after making all allowance for waste in cutting, and reckoned at the market price of about 60s. per load, was set down by the same authority at the immense sum of about £124,000,000.
These figures do not take into consideration the northern areas occupied by cypress pine, of which accurate information has not been so far obtained. They are, however, sufficiently large to show.that in its timber Western Australia possesses an asset comparable with gold, and much more permanent as a natural production. Owing partly to the slow growth of the State and partly to the somewhat tardy recognition of the value of the hardwoods no considerable trade was built up until recent years, but at the present, with increasing knowledge of their value and ever-expanding markets. Western Australia is rapidly advancing as one of the chief timber-exporting States of the Commonwealth.
In the matter of durability it is doubtful whether any hardwoods surpass those of this State. Whether in the ground, in water, or on the surface they are, owing to some inherent property, immune from the ravages of the white ant and teredo. Piles taken out of the water after years of immersion have been found to be sound and serviceable. In the Public Library at Perth there are bookcases made of jarrah cut from piles that had done duty in the Perth Causeway for nearly half a century, and railway sleepers exposed to sun, moisture, and the wear and tear of railway traffic for nineteen years have been found to be still sound. With durability there seems to go the quality of being non-inflammable. Experiments made a few years ago by the British Fire Prevention Committee indicated that buildings built of jarrah or karri possessed unusual resistance to fire, especially so far as the beams were concerned.
In order to secure a thorough knowledge of the physical characteristics of the various timbers of the State, an exhaustive series of tests was carried out by Mr. G. A. Julius in 1906 under the authority of the Government. The series embraced some 16,000 individual experiments, and showed generally that Western Australian hardwoods compared very favourably with those of any other portion of the world. The timber known as yate, which is common to the south-west portion of the State, was proved to be probably the strongest sawn timber in the world. In the matter of durability and quantity available it cannot, however, claim to rank with jarrah, which fulfills all requirements in the matter of strength, is known to possess high durability, and there is probably more of it available than of any other timber in Australia.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Baron von Mueller, in his “Report on the Forest Resources of West Australia,” says that the jarrah for the durability of its timber is unsurpassed by any kind of tree in any portion of the globe, it proves impervious to the borings of the chelura, teredo, and termites or white ants.
It is not uncommon to find considerable areas covered with the jarrah (eucalyptus marginata) or, as the settlers often call it, the mahogany gum, where many of the matured trees attain heights of from 90 ft. to 120 ft., with good stems 3 ft. to 5 ft. in diameter and 50 ft. to 60 ft. to the first branch. Taking an average of these forests, a jarrah tree representing a fair specimen of its kind would run about 90 ft. to 100 ft, in height and from 2| ft. to 3J ft. in diameter at the base. Of course, in places individual trees are met with which run into figures far in excess of these measurements.
Mr. Ednie Brown has stated that it would take from forty to fifty years for a tree to attain a diameter of 2 ft., which he considered to be the stage when the tree was fit for the mill.
The jarrah forests cover a scope of country extending north and south nearly 350 miles, and from 50 to 100 miles east and west, embracing all that portion of the colony upon which the heaviest rains fall, averaging 38 in. annually in the last ten years. Although purely a semi-coastal tree, that is, not being found anywhere strictly beyond the influence of the sea, the jarrah is not at all partial to the direct effect of the sea breezes, the best species of the tree being found 20 to 30 miles inland from the coastal line. The principal habitat of the jarrah is therefore along the tablelands and slopes of the Darling Range, which runs nearly through the whole of the south-western district. Perhaps the best areas of jarrah lie along that portion of this range from the Blackwood River north to the Helena River, with the choicest portions midway between these two points.
The weight of jarrah wood when newly cut is a little over 70 lb. per cubic foot, which is reduced to 60 ff>. when thoroughly seasoned. It is red in colour, polishes well, and comparatively easily worked. The principal uses to which it has as yet been applied are wood-blocking, piles, bridging, and jetty-building. A trial shipment sent to the Admiralty in the early forties was greatly praised, and jarrah was after trial entered by Lloyd’s as a first-class timber for the frames and planking of ships. It makes the best charcoal of any timber in the colony, not burning so readily into ashes as other kinds of wood, while its adaptability for all kinds of outdoor work is well known, and hence it is considered the staple timber of Western Australia.
Second only to the jarrah comes the karri—the giant of the Western Australian forest—and from the point of view of beauty possibly the most magnificent tree in the Commonwealth.
The karri (eucalyptus diversicolour) when young is a highly ornamental tree, regular, straight, and umbrageous. When matured its appearance is handsome in the extreme, and in this respect at least puts the more homely jarrah far in the shade. The trees are almost invariably of straight growth, and tower skywards for great heights without even the semblance of a branch. The height of some of these trees is almost phenomenal; an average tree may be credited with a height of 200 ft., and a diameter of 4 ft. at 3 ft. to 4 ft. from the ground, and about 120 ft. to 150 ft. to the first branch. Trees of this size are usually sound in every respect, and may be expected to turn out timber free from the usual blemishes of dry rot, gum veins, etc., to which large trees are usually subject.
Specimens of the karri not unfrequently attain the most majestic proportions. On the Warren River it is not unusual to meet with trees which go 300 ft. in extreme height, over 180 ft. to the first limb, and from 20 ft. to 30 ft. in circumference at the base, comparing even favourably with the giant sequoias of the mariposa and Calaveras groves of big trees in California. One of the finest trees in the State is one known as “King Karri,” at Karridale, which measures 34 ft. in circumference at 3 ft. from the ground, 14 ft. in circumference at the first limb, 160 ft. to the first branch, and over 200 ft. in extreme height. From these figures it is seen that this tree, from the bottom to the first limb, contains nearly 6,000 cubic ft. of timber, which means a weight of 40 tons in all; that it would take one of our ordinary mills at least four days to convert it into sawn stuff; and that it would form about a quarter of the loading capacity of one of the ships which form the fleet of our present export trade.
The karri is a rapid grower, and soon attains great height and considerable dimensions of timber. A forest of marketable karri can be produced in the short term of from thirty to forty years. This tree is strictly confined in its range of locality to the more humid portions of Western Australia lying between Cape Hamelin on the west and the “Torbay” Estate (near Albany) on the east and between latitudes 34° and 35° south. It delights in plenty of moisture, and hugs the coastline. It is here we find immense forests of trees of great and wonderful size, springing out of a soil rich, deep, and spongy; yet the country is not difficult of approach either by road or train. The karri grows best at an elevation of from 300 ft. to 600 ft. above sea level. The wood is red in colour, and has very much the appearance of the jarrah. It is hard, heavy,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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elastic, and tough, but is harder to work, nor does it dress so easily as the latter. It is known that posts and slabs of karri have been in the ground for 30 or 40 years, with only an ordinary amount of decay, though for underground or for waterworks the jarrah seems somewhat superior; however, from tests in regard to its tensile, crushing, and breaking strength, it stands as a timber of a very high order indeed, and must be looked upon as one of the best suited for superstructual works. For bridge planking, shafts, spokes, felloes, and large planking of any sort, flooring, general waggon work and beams, it stands unequalled in this colony. For street-blocking it is also valuable, and is superior to jarrah, in that it does not become slippery through wear and tear.
Owing, however, to the limited area of country over which it is found, some of which is still very difficult of access to the timber-getter, the output is considerably less than that of jarrah, and its use consequently greatly restricted. Quite recently the Commonwealth Government has decided to use karri sleepers for a portion of the Trans-Australian railway line. The decision has raised considerable controversy, the advocates of jarrah contending that karri does not possess such strong resistance tc the attacks of white ants. This weakness, in the opinion of its friends, may be cured by “powel-lizing,” a chemical process to which the timber is subjected, which it is claimed makes it superior to jarrah for railway purposes. The argument is one which probably time alone will settle. In any case, apart from the question of rivalry, it is practically admitted that in jarrah and karri Western Australia possesses timbers which, in the opinion of the engineering
profession, are better suited for certain purposes than any others at present known.
Another tree of commercial value native to the State is the tuart (eucalyptus gomphocepliala), a handsome eucalypt which has a wonderfully bright and cheerful appearance in the forest. The bark is of a greyish-white colour and the trees are always clean and bright looking. In height this species sometimes attains to 150 ft., and in circumference more than 22 ft. at the base. In some cases the trees run up
to 70 ft. or 80 ft. without a branch, but as a rule they have heavy tops with boles about 40 ft. to the first branch. The tree is confined in its natural growth to the limestone belts lying along the coast between Perth and Busselton. It seems to grow nowhere ex cept upon this calcareous formation, which forms a strip of country, intermittent in places, but hardly, if ever, more than two or three miles in width, in all cases close to the sea, and in some instances running into the coastal sandhills.
The timber of this species of eucalypt stands classified as the strongest, heaviest, and toughest in Western Australia. It is so hard and interlaced in the grain that it is well-nigh impossible to split, and seasons with little shrinkage. It has also the quality of resisting the changes of weather. Among the uses to which it is now applied are railway waggons, buffers, keelsons, and sternposts, wheelwright’s work generally, shafts and work where great strength, solidity, and hardness are requisite. The wood, owing to its denseness, is difficult to work. There are doubts as to its resistance to white ants or the teredo.
Other commercial timbers of the colony include the
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wandoo, or white gum, with a large range of habitat, being the principal forest tree on the eastern slopes of the Darling Range. Specimens 60 ft. to 80 ft. in height, with diameters of from 1 ft. to 2£ ft., maybe taken as fairly representative of this species. The timber is hard and dense, and is suitable for all uses to which the tuart can be put to. The blackbutt, red-gum, and several other varieties of eucalyptus also flourish in various parts of the colony, and play no inconsiderable part in an estimate of the timber resources of Western Australia. They are distributed over a large area of territory, and are used by farmers and settlers for a.ll sorts of farm work at present. The sphere of their utility is, however, capable of being very much enlarged. On the eastern sand plains, in the more arid country of the interior, considerable belts of native pine are found. This wood is suited for use where the white ants are troublesome.
The wattle, from the bark of which material for tanning is obtained, and its relation, the raspberry-jam tree, the wood of which needs to be smelt to be appreciated and from which an oil smelling of raspberry jam is distilled, are fairly plentiful everywhere.
Of late years it has been found that the bark of the mallet-tree forms an excellent substitute for wattle-bark in tanning processes, as from 38 to 42 per cent, of tannic acid may be secured therefrom. The Germans have been quick to realize the value of the mallet, and since 1903, when the export first began, about £750,000 worth has been exported, chiefly to that country. The bark of the mangrove-tree, growing in the north-west, is also said to possess excellent tanning properties.
The principal aromatic tree is the sandalwood, the commercial value of which was recognized early in the history of the State, and in which for many years a thriving trade was carried on with China and the East. It is used chiefly for ornamental purposes, and from it idols are generally carved. The essential oil which is yielded upon distillation has considerable medicinal value. In the early days sandalwood proved a good friend to the farmers and settlers, who supplied it to the merchants in exchange for goods. It was then shipped to China and Singapore, bringing a return of from £7 to £8 per ton. During the early eighties the trade languished, owing partly to a drop in the demand and partly to the fact that the tree had been cut out of the settled areas. New country having been opened up by the railways and the market having improved there has of recent years been a revival of export, and for the year ended June, 1912, the value of sandalwood sent away to the East was £43,354.
Of recent years an important addition has been made to the timber resources of the State by the discovery of large belts of cypress pine in the Kimberley districts. The tree (callitris robusta) attains a height
of from 70 ft. to 100 ft., with a diameter of from 18 in. to 24 in. The wood, which is hard and light coloured, is said to resist the attacks of insects. As it grows in country easily accessible, though remote, there is every possibility that it will ultimately be the means of adding to the timber industry of the State.
With timber such as that described at its command it was impossible that Western Australia should fail to turn it to profitable account. During the lean years in the early history of the State it formed one of the main sources of wealth, and since the time that representative government was established in 1870 has made such strides that an industry has grown up which affords constant employment for thousands of men. The development has been particularly marked since the beginning of the present century. Previous to that time there were several companies acting independently and in competition with one another, but since then, by arrangement, output has been regulated as well as prices, so that the industry has become one of the most important and lucrative in Western Australia. Its present condition may be gleaned from a study of the latest Annual Report (for 1912) of the Conservator of Eorests. From this document we learn that the values
of exports were: —
Timber exported beyond Commonwealth ... £685.552
Timber exported to Eastern States ... ... 312,442
Sandalwood exported ........................... 43,354
Mallet bark exported ... ... ... ... 44,610
Total ..................................£1,085,958
If to these figures we add the value of the timber used locally, we gain some idea of the position and importance of the industry. How long the forests will last at the present rate of export is a mo6t question, but the following remarks on forest management and reafforestation taken from the official report would indicate that there is little need for uneasiness: —
“In countries where forestry has been studied with most care several different systems of management have been devised, in each of which certain advantages may be gained when properly applied. The preference that should be given to one or another must in all cases be determined by the local circumstances and conditions, and in this State the conditions have resulted in the employment of the selection method, called by the French ‘fuertage,’ that is, stealing or taking here and there from the forest. Under this method, the large trees are cut out, leaving others not yet matured to grow to full size. It is the same plan that is in common use in the reserves in America, where the timber is taken here and there as it is wanted for particular uses, all those above a certain girth being cut out, and those of a smaller size being retained, until the area can be again cut over in a similar manner. It results from this management that the forest always presents a great
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
287
divorsity of growth of young trees, that it is never absolutely cut out, and that as the older and matured trees are removed, such clearances are made all over the area as to permit of Nature reproducing the species by natural regeneration by seed-shedding from the parent trees. In this way, although the forest may have been cut over, it is never cut out, and Nature goes on reproducing the species for all time. In fact, it is the same phenomenon which occurs in the primeval forest, trees dying or being blown down, fires burning out spaces, and Nature all the time doing her utmost to repair the damage and perpetuate the species. The standard size at which the undermentioned trees may be removed from our forests, measured at 3 ft. from the ground with the bark on, are respectively as follows:—Jarrah, 90 in. in circumference; karri, 108 ; tuart, 90 ; blackbutt, 90; wan-doo, 48; morrell, 48; yate gum, 36 ; sandalwood, 15. From the above it will be seen that a very large girth restriction is imposed on cutting in this State, and that consequently a large percentage of timber is left on the cut-out areas to come on and form a second crop.
The European system of natural regeneration under standards or shelter-woods by seed - shedding from the parent trees is the only practical system that can be carried out in this State at the present time, planting being quite impracticable owing to the enormous cost that would be entailed. Under this system regeneration goes on in all parts of the forest by the removal of the oldest, largest, diseased, or defective trees wherever they are found, and also by the removal of the tree weeds and young growth of such a crooked growth or faulty nature as would never
develop into useful lengths. This is the system which occurs in primeval forests. When a tree falls from old age, or some other cause, an opening is thus formed in the cover overhead, the seeds falling from the adjacent trees germinate and develop into seedlings, and these grow up under the shelter of the older trees until they in their turn become parent and shelter trees. In this manner a primeval forest, if undisturbed, goes on regenerating itself for ages. The process is, of course, a slow one, as the young crop will
develop only when sufficient light is admitted by the fall or death of the old trees. In sylviculture it is accelerated by the artificial removal of a portion of the old trees when they have reached marketable dimensions. This system of natural regeneration is now being carried out in Western Australia; but owing to the vast areas to be treated and the enormous expenditure that would be necessary, it is impossible at this stage of the country’s history to carry it out upon other than a small scale. The indigenous timbers of this State are endowed with wonderful recuperative and regenerative powers, examples of which may be seen where the forests have been heavily cut over or on any abandoned settler’s holding, mill-site, log-landing, or ring-barked area. In fact, there are few forests in the world which, if Nature is given a chance, will regenerate themselves naturally with greater rapidity than ours. I have indeed little fear, if the system above referred to could be extensively carried out, that the forests of this State would be maintained for all time, and supply a sounder and better class of timber than is being obtained from them
Natural Reproduction op Jarrah {Eucalyptus niarginata) upon cut-over areas in Darling Ranges.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
at the present time, as a very large percentage of the the trees are over-matured, and should have been waste and faulty timber now cut is due to the fact that utilized years ago.”
TIMBER INDUSTRY.
The possibilities that lay in the hardwoods of the State, if developed along commercial lines, were known, as we have seen, as far back as 1840; but it was not until the late sixties that the task of creating an export trade was seriously undertaken. Under the land regulations conditions were set forth governing the granting of timber leases or concessions, and the first to take advantage of these was the Western Australian Timber Company, of which‘Mr. Yelverton was manager. The area controlled by the company was in the extreme south-west, and in order to get the timber to a port for shipment, a railway—the first in the State—was constructed from the forest to the Vasse in 1871. Some years after the establishment of responsible government the interests of this concession were acquired by the Premier (Sir John Forrest) on behalf of the State, and after certain privileges had been withdrawn the lease was put up for public tender and acquired by Messrs. Porritt & Wilson, who floated it in London through the late Zebina Lane as the Jarrahwood and Sawmills Co. Ltd.
Mr. Yelverton’s action in securing timber rights over a large area of forest was quickly followed by others. Messrs. Mason & Bird were granted an extensive tract in the Canning district, and the Rockingham Railway and Jarrahdale Timber Co., Ltd., obtained a concession over valuable forest country in and around where the town of Jarrahdale now stands. Both these companies constructed railways, the one to bring the timber down through the ranges, and the other to carry it to the natural port at Rockingham. These lines were opened in 1872. Messrs. Mason & Bird’s interests were afterwards transferred to Mr. Edward Keane, who had secured contracts for Eastern and Midland Railway construction and required large quantities of jar rah sleepers. At a later date this concern was floated in London as the Canning Jarrah Timber Company Ltd., and Mr. Frank Wilson was appointed managing director.
The value of Western Australian hardwoods was by this time becoming generally recognized, and other companies were quickly established. Messrs. M. C. Davies & Co., on behalf of a powerful syndicate, secured concessions and established mills in the karri country, where an extensive export trade was developed. Millar Bros., who were the successful tenderers for the Great Southern Railway, opened up mills at Denmark for supplying sleepers for the line, and after the line was
completed went on cutting timber for the market. About twenty-two years ago they decided to close down, and proceeded to realize upon the plant. Before, however, the realization was completed, a further tract of country was secured at Yarloop and a powerful company-floated in London under the firm’s name to work it.
The Gill, McDowall Company, under the direction of Mr. F. D. Good, then started operations at Waroona, finding their market principally along the Eastern Railway. The Imperial Jarrahwood Corporation Ltd. opened mills at Quindalup, and the Greenbushes Timber Corporation, under the direction of Mr. Ellerton Brown, secured interests at Greenbushes, and proceeded to supply paving blocks for the London market. Eventually the Canning Jarrah Timber Company, the Gill, McDowall Co., and M. C. Davies & Co. were sold in London and reformed. Then began a cut-throat policy among the various firms, all of whom were mainly interested in the supply of sleepers and paving blocks. Prices were cut until every company was operating at a loss. This state of things meant ruin to the industry, and so an amalgamation was brought about by Millar’s, the most powerful company. This firm, directed by C. and J. Temperley in London, drew in the others by a process of absorption, those embraced in the amalgamation being the Canning Jarrah Co., the Jarrahdale Jarrah Forests and Railways Ltd. (formerly the Rockingham Railway and Jarrahdale Timber Co.), Gill, McDowall Co., Jarrahwood and Sawmills Co., Imperial Jarrahwood Corporation, and M. C. Davies & Co. This last, having powerful financial backing, naturally came in on the best terms. The new company, formed in 1899, became known as Millar’s Karri and Jarrah Co., Ltd., and at once took the part of the controlling factor in the Western Australian timber trade. In 1902 a reconstruction took place, mainly for the purpose of modifying the share capital, and in 1913 the title of the company was charged to Millar’s Timber and Trading Co., Ltd., in order to allow it to take up the business of general traders. The position that the company holds in the commercial world may be in a measure gleaned from a view of the massive pile of offices recently erected by it in St. George’s Terrace, Perth. After the amalgamation the large mill at Jarrahdale, which had been erected by one of the constituent companies, was practically shut down, but a few months ago it was decided to make it again the head station, and a new mill—the largest in the State—
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equipped with every labour-saving device for the handling of timber, is now in course of erection there, and when completed will give employment to some hundreds of men. The area of country over which the company holds timber rights is in the neighbourhood of a million acres, from which by far the largest proportion of the timber exported is drawn.
There are still several companies outside Millar’s, but by common consent the dangers likely to follow from the adoption of a cutting policy are avoided. These companies are the Greenbushes Timber Corporation Ltd., the Kauri Timber Co. (formerly known as the Western Australian Jarrah Sawmills Ltd.), the Collie Co-operative Society of Timber Hewers, Messrs. Bunning Bros., and Whittaker Bros. The mills of the Kauri Timber Co. are at Barrabup, and deal almost wholly with jarrah timber. Such has been the expansion of the company that lines are being thrown out into the forest from Barrabup, and there is the intention of adding three new mills. The port of shipment for the export trade is Busselton. The Collie Cooperative Society of Timber Hewers started under the direction of Mr. Jackman on a concession granted at Collie by the Moore Government. Since then it has secured a further lease of portion of the fauna and flora
reserve, and is conducting operations on a large and successful scale. Messrs. Whittaker Bros, have also a portion of the fauna and flora reserve, while Messrs. Bunning Bros, have established mills at Lion Mill, Argyle, and Collie. These two firms are practically confined to the local trade, and do little in the way of export.
Recently the State itself has determined to enter the arena of timber trading, and is now establishing mills for the purpose of supplying sleepers for the Trans-Australian line, for which a contract has been secured.
The ports of shipment for Western Australian timbers are, in addition to Fremantle, principally Bun-bury and Busselton. At both these places facilities for loading have been provided by the Government, which has wisely avoided the policy of attempting to centralize the whole trade at Fremantle.
The value of the export trade to the State has already been discussed, and the reputation of the timber is now so well established that there is every prospect of enormous increase. To meet this increase a careful policy of reafforestation is necessary. Given that, the supply of excellent timber from Western Australia should be practically inexhaustible.
NEIL McNEIL, J.P., one of Western Australia’s best known citizens and a large owner of real estate in the metropolitan and coastal areas, proprietor of the famous “Mount Barker” Estate in the Plantagenet district, and pioneer of the timber industry in Western Australia, formerly a large railway contractor in various parts of Australasia, was born at Dingwall, Invernesshire, Scotland, on December 30, 1857. He is the second son of Mr. Neil McNeil, sen., now living in retirement on a pastoral property at Ballarat, whose advent to Victoria took place in the early sixties, and who became well known in commercial circles as a contractor for railway construction and other important works and by his large investments in landed property in that State. The subject of our review, until seventeen years of age, pursued his studies at Ballarat College, and at the close of his scholastic eareer engaged in work in connection with his father’s railway contracts. Whilst thus employed he mastered the details of engineering, and in a very short time qualified himself for the position of superintendent of the ■construction of lines. Upon emerging from his teens he launched out on his own account as a railway contractor, and accepted and carried out T
some important contracts for the Governments of the Eastern States. The line from Hamley Bridge to Balaklava, in South Australia, was
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Neil McNeil.
built under his supervision, and upon the completion of this work he entered upon the construction of the Colac to Camperdown railway in Victoria. Thence proceeding to
Tasmania, he took in hand the line from Corners to Fingall and St. Mary’s, which soon became an accomplished fact. A very heavy contract next offered in the shape of the railway from Lilydale to Healesville, in the carrying out of which much skill and judgment were required. Whilst engaged on this important work Mr. McNeil undertook the construction of the extensive waterworks in connection with the Metropolitan Water Supply Scheme, the principal catchment area lying in close proximity to the scene of his railway contract. Many other large contracts fell to his tender, including the construction of the lines from Branxholme to Caster-ton, from- Warrnambool to Hamilton, the Dunkeld line, etc., all of which remain as monuments to the enterprise and skill of the gentleman under review. Were Mr. McNeil’s only claim to recognition by his fellow colonists and all native-born Australians based on the work thus worthily fulfilled, which had an important bearing on the development of his adopted country, none would dispute that that claim would be a substantial one. When about twenty-five years of age he turned his attention to Western Australia, and in 1883 took passage by the first boat of 450 tons— then considered a vessel of large
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
tonnage—which opened up regular trading operations between East and West, and in conjunction with other ventures devoted some years to railway construction in this State. He placed to his credit the line from Jarrahdale to Bunbury, which gave considerable impetus to the timber trade, and also the railway from Geraldton to Mullewa, the first section of the Murchison line, completed on November 21,
1894. He was a promoter of the first Perth Waterworks Scheme inaugurated by the Perth Water Supply Company, active work in connection with which was begun in May, 1889, and undertook the construction of the Victoria Reservoir, situated on Mundy’s Brook,
Darling Range, with a capacity of 212,000,000 gallons, and the laying of pipes to Perth, including all the Photo connecting service to public and private buildings. Mr.
McNeil's partners were the late William McLean (of Messrs. McLean Brothers & Rigg) and the late John Whittingham, and the same two gentlemen, with the addition of the late Robert Reid, were also concerned with him in the taking over of the timber industry established in 1880
which have been such marked characteristics of his career, and taking sole control proceeded on his own initiative to open up the Western Australian timber trade in the London markets. This progressive movement proved to be the inception of the
unbounded confidence in the resources, possibilities, and prospects of the Western State, and has demonstrated this in the most practical manner by his fearless expenditure of capital in works such as the Perth Water Supply Scheme, which neither
by G. E. Farr.
Mr. Neil McNeil's Residence,
The Cliff,” Peppermint Grove.
great transactions which have since marked the trade between this State and the Old Country, the first of which was Mr. McNeil’s contract to supply timber for the construction of 15 miles of streets in the world’s metropolis. The success of this undertaking attracted the attention of a
Photo by C. E. Farr.
View from Front of Residence.
by the Jarrahdale Company, a Victorian firm, who sold out at a loss to the new syndicate. Mr. McNeil, to whom the responsibility of reorganizing the venture was entrusted, entered upon his managerial duties with the energy and concentration
London syndicate, and a company was formed there, which eventually amalgamated with the Jarrahdale and other firms, the whole forming to-day one of the biggest timber combines in the world. From the first Mr. McNeil has displayed the most
the Government nor the City Council felt justified in undertaking at that stage of the young colony’s history. He foresaw the days when Western Australia would be included among the great mineral producing countries of the world, and took a keen interest in the development of the mining industry, even before the marvellous discoveries of the eastern goldfields turned all eyes towards the new El Dorado of the Southern Hemisphere. He was a member of various prospecting syndicates, and was instrumental with others in sending out Mr. Robert Leslie Menzie, who, under these auspices, discovered the “Star of the East” Mine in the Murchison district, and at a later period, when prospecting on his own behalf near Coolgardie, became the pioneer of the important auriferous area to which he has given his name. The “Wealth of Nations,” which, with the “Londonderry” Mine, first established the fame of the eastern fields, was also discovered by prospectors equipped by a syndicate of which Mr. McNeil was a promoter, and at the time of the opening up of the Kalgoorlie district the gentleman under review was among the first of the visitors to the
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of land were cleared. Upon the departure of Mr. Smith from the State he sold the property to Mr. McNeil, a curious coincidence in the history of the place being that since its foundation it has been in turn in the hands
of the estate up to 13,000, and there are now 4,000 acres ringbarked, which in heavily timbered land such as this alone represents no inconsiderable outlay of capital. The whole property is well fenced and watered, and is free from the poison-weed pest. About 350 acres have been brought under cultivation, in addition to the large orchard area which has been extended to over 200 acres, while the remainder of the property is applied to pastoral pursuits, each year further area being cleared and specially prepared for cultivation. After clearing the land is cropped for two or three years, very heavy dressings of manure being used, and by this system permanent pastures are produced, various clovers getting such a firm hold that the land'thus treated can be heavily stocked. The orchards are spring-ploughed and continuously cultivated until the autumn rains set in, implements never being idle during the summer months. During the winter the manuring is done and crops of peas are sown, which are ploughed-in in the spring. Apples are the principal fruit produced, and with these a large export trade is carried on, while pears and quinces thrive, and various stone fruits such as apricots, plums, and cherries, etc., are largely grown, this property having been the first in Western Australia to produce stone fruits on a
Photo by W. E. Elston.
No. 1 Orchard (Apricot portion). “Mount Barker” Estate.
of three of the largest railway contractors of the Commonwealth. The present owner also purchased adjoining country and brought the acreage
commercial scale. With the exception of a few hundred acres the estate consists of undulating country, and as it is naturally drained and has an
scene of the find. His experience was considerably augmented by his sojourn on this field, and he became very largely interested from a
Photo by G. E. Farr. View overlooking River Swan.
financial point of view, though subsequently he deplored the fact that he lost many valuable opportunities of investing owing to his lack of scientific knowledge in regard to mining matters. Having once definitely determined to make Western Australia his adopted country he continued the policy of extending his interests in the various fields of industry, bringing to bear remarkable perspicacity and judgment in the selection of proper avenues for his investments. He became a very large owner of real estate, both in the metropolitan and rural districts, being proprietor of Surrey Chambers and McNeil's Building, Perth, and Phillimore Chambers, Fremantle, and many other of the principal buildings between the coast and the goldfields, to which in 1908 he added by purchase the famous “Mount Barker” Estate, upon which one of the two leading orchards in the State has since been developed. This well-known property was originally taken up by Messrs. Millar Brothers from the Great Southern Railway Co. as part payment for their share in the construction of the line. The cultivation of a large area as an orchard proposition was commenced, about 90 acres being planted with fruit trees, and some ten or twelve years later it was acquired by Mr. Tcasdale Smith, another large railway contractor, t2
under whose direction a vigorous policy of improvement was carried out. The orchard area was increased to 150 acres, and nearly 1,000 acres
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
average rainfall of from 32 to 35 in. practically the whole area is suitable for fruit-growing purposes. The original timber comprises jarrah and redgum, with a fair sprinkling of yate, the latter being preserved, as there is a probability of its becoming of great value when its wonderful
and dams laid down in various parts of the estate. This property is designed ultimately to be applied to the orchard industry, as the demand for fruit develops, but at the present time it is utilized as a pastoral proposition, and is stocked with sheep of the merino type. When selecting a
where now cluster the picturesque mansions and villas composing the suburb. Mr. McNeil’s residence— which is called “The Cliff”—is of bungalow design, and in its construction jarrah timber was used exclusively, in order to prove to the inhabitants of Western Australia the
Photo by W. E. Elston. No. 2 Orchard, Frog Gully, North-west Portion, ‘‘Mount Barker” Estate.
tensile strength and good qualities shall be generally recognized. Mr. McNeil, who has always been noted for his love of a good horse, has imported some of the finest carriage and buggy stock ever brought to the State, and is now breeding from these on the “Mount Barker” Estate, where
site for his own home, Mr. McNeil turned his gaze to the banks of the beautiful Swan River, and in the days when the now popular residential suburb of Peppermint Grove, near Cottesloe, was in its state of wild bush he early saw the possibilities of the place and chose a
value of this wood for building purposes. From the substantial foundation to the shingle roof every part of the structure is of jarrah, and after nearly twenty years—the house having been built in 1894—every plank and beam and joist remain in as sound condition as when first
Photo by W. E. Elston No. 2.Orchard, Frog Gully, North-East Portion, "Mount Barker” estate.
he anticipates raising a fine class of utility horse in the near future. Mr. McNeil, with others, holds 9,000 acres of land in the Blackwood district, where many improvements have already been made, fences erected,
site for his dwelling there. Upon his first visit after purchase of the ground by auction he was unable to locate his new possession on account of the thick growth of scrub and trees surrounding the whole area
they were cut to the contractor’s design. Over twenty rooms are roofed beneath these jarrah shingles, and the interior is fitted up with all that art and comfort can suggest, while surrounding the house is a
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park of ten acres, tastefully laid out with lawns and flower-beds, and further beautified by the introduction of decorative statuary in bronze, collected by Mr. McNeil on various trips to England and the Continent. From different vantage points the eye is delighted with scenes of rare beauty. The spot where the house is situated lies on the boundary line between Claremont and Cottesloe, and overlooks the Swan River at Freshwater Bay, where is commanded a view that may be described as equal to any river scene in Australia, and on summer evenings, when myriad pleasure craft
resources, and personally supervises the management of his various enterprises. He was appointed a Commissioner of the Peace for the whole of the State by the Forrest Administration in 1895. Being of a charitable disposition Mr. McNeil has always kept an open purse to meet the demands made by the various organizations in Perth and its environs, most of which receive practical support every year. Besides his annual donations he has also always given largely for special purposes, and his name is well remembered in connection with St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church,
McNeil, and at the time of the earthquake disaster at Messina he subscribed a very large sum towards the relief of the sufferers, which served the important secondary purpose of proving a great advertisement for Western Australia, the subscription list being circulated all over the world. He is one of the oldest members of the Australian Club, Melbourne, is associated with the Athenaeum Club of that city, and is a Governor of the. Old Colonists’ Association of Victoria. He is a member of the Weld Club, the Fremantle Club, the Albany Club, and the Western Australian
Photo by IF. E. Elston.
filled with holiday - making passengers ply the moonlit waters, gleaming with many coloured lights, the strains of music floating sweetly on the ambient air, the scene, to the overseas visitor, is reminiscent of charming nights spent in Genoa, Milan, Venice, or other Continental resorts famous for picturesque scenery and bewitching atmospheres. Mr. McNeil still keeps himself closely in touch with the trend of mercantile interests in the State of his adoption, which so richly has repaid his early faith in her
Views on the “Mount Barker” Estate.
Perth, towards the building of which he donated £1,000. When the Y.M.C.A. started their campaign for the erection of premises Mr. McNeil headed the subscription list with a donation which represented the actual cost of the magnificent baths and surrounding buildings which form part of the present headquarters, and a wall-plate recognizing him as the generous donor has been installed therein accordingly. Beyond the boundaries of the State many calls are nobly responded to by Mr.
Turf Club. The motor-car claims a good deal of Mr. McNeil’s time, his original purchase, a Panhard, being one of the first large cars imported to Perth, and in this and other cars that he has owned he has travelled extensively, and visited most of the best-known resorts on the Continent of Europe, England, Scotland, the Eastern States, and Western Australia. In the year 1900 he was married to Jessie Alexandra Lawrie, daughter of the late Hugh Lawrie, of Ayr, Scotland.
Mining.
MINES AND MINING.
[Contributed by J. J. East.]
I.—MINING LAWS.
The fundamental principles of mining law in Western Australia are (i.) that minerals are an asset belonging to the whole community; (ii.) that the Crown may authorize any land to be worked for minerals contained in it; and (Hi.) that the welfare and safety of the mineral workers are justly matters for regulating by law. These principles were not called into practice in a day, but only after long experience and proved fitness. To show this evolution, it is necessary to glance at the history of other gold-producing countries.
The facility of converting gold, silver, and precious stones into wealth, real or potential, has always made their possession a source of danger or of enterprise. Unprogressive, wealthy nations have always become the prey of nations more daring or progressive, and the concealment of the existence of mineral deposits, or of wealth liable to excite the cupidity of strong neighbours, has often proved a wise policy for a people exposed to invasion and conquest. To progressive nations the natural treasures are, so to speak, a bank from which to draw funds for the support of war, or for the further promotion of enterprise and industry.
From the earliest historic times the sovereign or rulers of a region have claimed the ownership of the soil and all that it contained. The use of the surface being fundamental to individual existence and social necessities, little trouble has arisen in devising laws suited to all classes. But the mineral wealth—the gold and silver which occurred naturally in the soil—was always reserved to the ruler—probably only as trustee at first, but later was claimed as the “personal property” of the royal family, and hence these metals were termed “royal metals.” The popular beliefs that such deposits owed their existence to creative action exercised by supernatural powers in the spiritual realms, readily accorded to that “divinity which doth hedge a king” the right (as the visible representative in this world of the powers in the spirit world) to appropriate the deposits prepared in the unseen realms.
The gold mines of Egypt and Nubia, and the copper mines of Sinai, were worked by forced—and therefore cheap—labour in the private interests of the semi-divine
sovereigns of Egypt upwards of 4,000 years ago. The ancient Assyrians regarded the mineral treasures as peculiarly the property of the lord Baal, and all search for mineral in the earth, unless properly authorized and propitiated, was a trespass in Baal-land. In countries visited by the Phoenicians traces of this Baal ownership still survive, and to this day the miners in Cornwall term a mine a “Bal” and their periodical statements of account with the mine proprietors a “Bal bill.” The imaginative nations of Northern Europe regarded the “Kobbolds,” or genii of the nether world, the guardians of all minerals beneath the surface; while in Central Asia, among the races speaking the Sanscrit language, the “Chuds,” or womb-deposits of Mother Earth, could not be broken into except by authority duly exercised. From this word “Chud” come the terms “chute” and “shoot” used by English-speaking miners of to-day as indicative of ore masses penetrating downwards into the earth for indefinite distances. In far-distant China also, the ruler, as the “Son of Heaven,” claimed proprietary rights over minerals and exacted a royalty when they were worked, while, even now, in isolated Tibet the gold alluvial fields and the borax deposits constitute a great part of the revenue of the Church or priest rulers of the community.
Thus, in every country having a civilization, the ownership of minerals is claimed by the Government or rulers, to the exclusion of the common people. Private ownership is definitely prohibited, unless a grant of the land conveys to the grantee in specific and precise language a right to ownership of the precious metals also. This is the Common-Law Right which, when exercised by the Crown in Australia and by the Government in the United States of America, has been productive of much friction and costly litigation. The development of the mining laws and their evolution from a primitive condition, is therefore a matter claiming much more study than is usually given to these subjects in self-governing States—particularly in those of to-day wherein the democratic element exercises much political power.
Western Australia is the latest of the important gold-producing countries of the world. Its mining laws may therefore be regarded as the outcome of experience,
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applied and tested in many lands, and extending over many years. If the continuance of these laws makes for the advancement of its population, they will prevail and be adopted elsewhere. They are the most advanced laws of the world at present, and to correctly appreciate their incidence, the history of the other Australian States and of America must be compared.
Although the plunder of the accumulated gold and silver in Mexico and Peru enriched the Crown and nobility of Spain, the humbler classes of that country, and those by whose means the plunder was achieved, benefited but little individually thereby. So, also, the digging up of gold in the placers of the Ural mountains enriched the Russian imperial treasury and a few nobles, but not the toilers who won the metal from the soil.
It was the great placer deposits of California, discovered in a recently conquered territory not yet allotted to settlers, which first made possible the in-dividual acquisition of gold as the result of personal labour by a free people.
The opening of this region to un-limited immigration developed the opportunity, and was the cause of the maddest
rush for individual wealth that the world has ever witnessed. That rush was almost paralleled a few years later by similar discoveries in the, till then, unsettled portions of Australia. The inflowing population thus attracted comprised every element of society from every country which had a Government and fixed laws : but which laws varied from ultra-conservation of Crown rights or monopolies, to an almost equally open assertion of the people’s right to the soil and all which that soil contained. In this latter respect the immigrant communities were not slow in claiming, and sometimes in putting into practice, the principle that no Home Government had any right to control distant colonies in their purely domestic matters when the colonial communities were so distant as California and Australia.
This modern epoch of gold discovery and inrush of populations became thus, naturally, one also of the evolution of new land-laws and social usages fitted to the new order of things thus suddenly created in the regions concerned.
Both in the United States and in the British coionies it is provided by statute that whenever a case occurs for which no special law or procedure has been laid down, the law and practice governing such cases in the English Courts shall be adopted. In Great Britain and Ireland, the right to gold and silver in the soil was inherent to the British Royal Family, and not to the Government of the Kingdom, until this right was specifically and formally relinquished to the State hy the Royal Family of Britain in the year 1760. The War of Independence constituted the nineteen American States, each having sovereign rights to its own soil, into a
Federation as the United States of America. It is only in the younger States of that Union that the Federal Govern-ment, as the representative of the “n at ion,” can make laws for re-serving or disposing of the soil and all that i s■ ri n or
beneath that soil. California was an acquisition by conquest by the Federal Government, and at the time of the gold discovery was held by military occupation. Previous to then the United States was not an important mineral country, though lead, copper, and coal were known and worked. The difficulties of administration, and the consequent expense, in connection with dealings with lands having one title to its surface and another title to minerals below the surface, did not commend itself to the business-minded Americans. So strongly was it felt that a change was needed, that President Polk, in the year 1845, recommended Congress to abolish the system of leasing mineral lands, and sell in future the lands outright, and without any reservation whatever. In pursuance of this recommendation
Facsimile of an Original Share Certificate in the Western Australian Mining Company.
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the lead lands of the Mississippi Valley were sold as freeholds, without reservation of minerals, from and after July 11, 1846. The mineral lands of Lakes Superior and Michigan were similarly dealt with from March 1, 1847, and two days later the law was applied to the Chippewa district of Wisconsin also. The war with Mexico was then in progress and gold had been discovered in California, but the treaty which added Texas, New Mexico, and California to the United States was not signed till May in the year following. The gold discoveries made it incumbent for the Federal Government to make local land laws for its new territory, until such time as the territory by growth of population should be entitled to claim entrance into the Union as a State. This point is of importance because many Australians went to California during the gold excitement, and when, subsequently, they, with others, rushed again back to the gold finds in Australia, they brought with them to the Australian fields notions of gold-digging laws and State Rights not compatible with the ideas of those in charge of the government of a British Crown Colony. This was the beginning of a friction between a roving population and imperiously asserted authority which led ultimately to the bloodshed at the Eureka Stockade on the Ballarat diggings.
In California the military commander, Colonel Mason, though armed with great powers (and after he had cleared all ground for discussion of titles to minerals by proclaiming the abrogation of all Spanish titles and reservations), did nothing to regulate the digging “industry.” To quote his own words, he said that “it seemed to him better to let the miners fight out their differences between themselves.” No general regulations which he could promulgate would, he felt, be applicable to each successive locality discovered. Each locality therefore evolved, by common consent as it were, the conditions for holding and working mineral lands: all disputes being summarily settled—by Lynch law when .necessary. When, later on, the Federal Government enacted laws for the mineral lands, these enactments did little more than to legalize the local customs which had been found by experience most applicable to particular localities and conditions. Each locality had thus made its own regulations with regard to the rights of discoverers, the conditions of labour, mining expenditure necessary to the retention of a title to the ground taken up, and also the necessary preliminary steps for securing such title. These were fundamental though primitive conceptions, devised under conditions for which history furnished no parallel. All were permitted to work freely for alluvial gold if the ground was not already occupied and continuously worked, while quartz reefs could be held on a “lease,” convertible later into a “freehold.” President Polk’s policy of sale rather than incur the cost and difficulty of collecting rents and royalty and the
irritation such collections caused was, in its real essence, thus preserved when dealing with the gold lands of California; and but little change has since taken place in the American mining laws. The influence of the western voters has materially contributed to prevention of change, and the great Civil War also precluded at a favourable time any general consideration by the National Legislature of this subject. It was not from America, therefore, that Australia received the principles existent in the laws dealing with mineral lands. Australian laws have evolved under conditions natural and requisite to the needs of a progressive and prosperous mining country.
It is a singular and significant coincidence that both in America and Australia the Governments had voluntarily given up all rights to gold and silver in the soil just prior to the great gold discoveries which have since made both regions world-famous. The British Royal Family, as previously mentioned, had long since given up their rights to the State for the benefit of the people. The State had established Crown colonies in Australia, but had equally explicitly given up the mineral reservations, avowedly as an inducement to that emigration from Britain which it was then desirous of promoting. At first, coal was reserved explicitly in all deeds of grants of land, because its exploitation at Newcastle in New South Wales had proved very beneficial to that colony. The hiring out of convicts as labourers for their keep, being also accompanied by grants of land proportional to the number of convicts so taken, soon began to make this form of land investment popular in Britain. In effect, it was land for nothing and bond labour for working it free of all costs except rations and clothing. The “Australian Agricultural Company” was formed in England to take advantage of this liberal provision. It was incorporated by the British Parliament on June 21, 1824, and received a grant of 1,000,000 acres the following year. Coal was then being exported from Newcastle, and the company in 1828 made a compact with the Colonial Office in London by which it received the Government coal mines in a 2,000-acre free grant of coal lands and the exclusive right to mine for coal in New South Wales for thirty-one years. The sole condition or consideration for this magnificent concession was that the company should supply all the coal required by the Government at the actual cost of production; convict labour to be supplied by Government as before.
The reservation of gold and silver to the Crown was first announced in the New South Wales regulations of 1828, and prevailed for a number of years. The British Government in 1831 made this reservation general throughout all the British colonies in America and Australasia. But in 1836 the colony of South Australia was founded on a new principle, known as the Wakefield system. This system was, in essence, that for all lands
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sold half the proceeds should be spent in public works and improvements and half devoted to the importation of free immigrant labourers. The South Australian freehold sales reserved no mineral rights whatever. The freeholder became absolute owner of all above and beneath the surface of the soil. Immigrants were successfully attracted to South Australia, and in 1840 the British Government saw fit from this example to reverse the reservations to the Crown made in 1831. Lord John Russell, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, made this very plain in a despatch during 1840 to the Governors of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land and their dependencies. His words are: —
“All deeds of grant throughout the whole of the colony should convey to the purchaser everything below and everything above the surface. Neither would I reserve lands merely because supposed, or even certainly known, to contain useful mineral substances. The small amount of profit derived from mines throughout the great extent of the British Empire would appear to us sufficient reason why such reservations would, as a general rule, be as unnecessary as they would be inconvenient to the progress of the settlement.” (Vide English Parliamentary Papers, Sess. 1840, vol. 33, p. 396.)
This despatch of Lord John Russell, it will be noted, left it to the discretion of the Governors and their colonial legislatures to make such reservations as they thought expedient, provided the measures passed by them were best calculated to achieve the great object of attracting free settlers. Pursuant to the suggestion made, the New South Wales Government in 1843 (March 1) enacted that from that date “deeds of grant from the Crown will be issued . . . conveying ... all that is above
and all that is below the surface, except that, in certain areas, coal will be reserved until 1862,” and that “precious minerals or metals may also be reserved if it be known that they greatly abound, but not otherwise.” The proviso that “precious minerals and metals may also be reserved if it be known that they greatly abound” shows that the Government of that day had more than a mere suspicion that some day rich mineral localities within the colony would come to light, and would require to be the special subject of legislation. It was an eminently prudential step on the part of the Government, but, on the other hand, it held out a strong incentive to discoverers, or those acquainted with a discovery, to conceal their knowledge until they had first secured the ground by indefeasible title as freehold, and at the upset price as for ordinary lands. Gold had been discovered in New South Wales as far back as 1839 by Count Strzelecki, but at the strongly-expressed desire of Governor Gipps the discovery was not made public: the Governor said he “dreaded the result of such discovery being made known in the then condition of society and labour in the colony.” Officially, however, the
Government did not know of the existence of any locality wherein any “precious minerals or metals were known to greatly abound” except coal. This being the sole condition for reserving land from sale, “but not otherwise,” the land sales in fee simple, conveying all that was above and all that was below the surface, went on at any point selected in the great colony of New South Wales, which then included what is now Tasmania, Victoria, and Queensland. When these latter colonies were severed from New South Wales the land laws of the mother colony continued to be adopted, until the progress of events called for amending laws by the local legislatures.
The subsequent litigation, which arose when valuable discoveries were made on some of the lands granted without reservation of the mineral rights to the Crown, proved lingering and costly. The mdst famous case was that relating to the celebrated Mount Morgan Mine in Queensland. The gold deposit there was found in 1882 on land which had been alienated as low-grade agricultural land as far back as 1864, and without any mineral reservations in the deed of grant; though gold was discovered in Queensland in 1858, and copper in 1861. The Government refused after 1852 to put up for sale any lands known to contain gold, but it allowed much copper land to be alienated at £1 per acre after £1 per acre had been expended on it in development work. Mount Morgan was therefore a piece of ground held under clean free title, and when the Morgan brothers discovered the gold they purchased the land from the original grantee for £1 per acre. When the richness of the find was proved by development, the company’s title was attacked at the suit of private persons. The lawsuits failed because the suitors cquld show no better title than the holders, although the law, as then ruling, showed that the company was illegally taking gold to which the Crown alone had a claim. But the Crown did not prefer its claim, and the holders were for the time left undisturbed. But there was always a fear that political changes might later bring into power another Ministry which would not be so forbearing. In 1894, therefore, the Queensland Government enacted that “freeholds containing mineral” could be surrendered, and converted into “leasehold with royalty to the Crown” on the mineral produced. Mount Morgan Company was thus enabled to secure an indefeasible leasehold title over its 75 acres, at a royalty of Is. per oz. of gold produced.
Though the Crown right to the precious metals in alienated lands was regularly established by procedure at law, the first assertion of this right was undoubtedly against the tenor of the instructions from the Home Government, and absolutely against the letter of the enactments passed by the colonial legislatures after the receipt of Lord John Russell’s despatch of 1840. Had the gold discoveries been of less magnitude it is conceivable that an appeal to the Crown to waive its right
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would have been unhesitatingly granted, because of the much-desired tide of immigrants which the discoveries would attract. But, with the experience of California before him, Governor Fitzroy, as soon as the magnitude of the New South Wales and Victorian discoveries became apparent, saw that a critical time was at hand. Immediate action by a strong hand, then and there on the spot, could alone ensure law and order, and secure to Government any semblance of authority. Desperate characters could not get to California at the first rush without money, but in New South Wales the time-expired convicts and their descendants, as well as free settlers and Government officials who threw up their billets in the eager rush common to all, brought about a case of equally extreme urgency from the very first. The Governor rose to the occasion. Law and order must be maintained at all hazards. The Home Government was too far away, and communication too slow, to seek authority for more power or for great expenditure. Colonel Mason, in California, had not sufficient military force nor police to enforce payment of fees by the gold diggers. Governor Fitzroy had his soldiers of the convicts’ guard, and he could gather police from the law-abiding free population—-if he could pay them. He resolved to make the diggings self-supporting by fees for digging for the gold. Disregarding the despatch of Lord John Russell and the laws passed in the colony he, by proclamation on May 22, 1851, asserted the “common-law right” of the Crown to “all mines of gold in its natural place of deposit . . . whether on the lands
of Her Majesty or of Her Majesty’s subjects,” and further warned all persons that “anyone removing any gold, or digging for, or disturbing the soil in search of such gold, without being duly authorized, would be prosecuted both civilly and criminally”; and that “such regulations . . . as may be found expedient will be specially
prepared and published, setting forth the terms on which licences will be issued for the purpose.” The regulations were duly published on the following day, and “gold digging by licence” became the established legal form of gold winning in Australia, and has continued such to this day.
Two months later (July, 1851) Victoria was formally separated from New South Wales, and Governor Latrobe took office as first Governor of the new-colony. On August 15 and 18 he repeated Governor Fitzroy’s proclamation and regulations of the May previous. As time went on and experience was gathered, further regulations were issued by the Victorian Government, but the New South Wales lines were not always closely adhered to nor followed. The gold diggers generally preferred the New South Wales regulations. Fitzroy’s wise policy bore early fruit, and when he in May visited the diggings he was thanked by diggers and miners alike for his maintenance of order and the establishing of
police escorts from the diggings to the coast, whereby the workers got their gold winnings cheaply and safely transported to the capital.
But evil times were ahead. The New South Wales regulations being more liberal to the licensees than the Victorian regulations caused resentment in Victoria. Fitzroy’s fees were avowedly fixed as an emergency measure to meet costs during an emergency. As soon, therefore, as the gold output and increased population sufficiently increased the revenue of the colony to permit of lessening the impost, the licence fees were revised. In 1853 the New South Wales licence was reduced to 10s. per month, and did not affect those who were not engaged in actual gold digging. Latrobe’s proclamation and the regulations under it of August 18 (which took effect on September 1) fixed the licence fee at 30s. per month for “all persons on the goldfield,” even cooks in the eating-houses and teamsters on the road engaged only in carting to the fields. This was, in effect, a “poll tax,” and it naturally evoked a storm. For a while protests carried at orderly meetings was the form of condemnation resorted to by the diggers. The Victorian Legislature in the following session passed an Act restraining, by arrest if necessary, any person unauthorizedly taking gold, but with a proviso that merely working in search of gold was not a punishable offence. For settling disputes between miners and generally dealing with goldfields cases, “Gold Commissioners” were appointed by virtue of this same Act.
Unfortunately, the police received half the fines when persons were convicted of unlawful digging. It was not sufficient—in their eyes—for the digger to maintain he was only a prospector not yet successful in finding gold to remove, he had, by their dictum, to produce a licence if caught actually at work in a claim hole, and the Commissioners’ Courts upheld the police, and gave verdicts on police testimony—often perjured. A new industry thus sprung up, and “digger-hunting” became a lucrative police officer’s -business; though ostensibly it professed to protect the legitimate miner on his registered mine from interference by men professing to search for alluvial gold by digging. Victoria’s revenue from the 30s. licences had by this time grown to no less than £700,000 per annum—-an unparalleled impost on a community when applied as a poll tax; and recovered by summary proceedings in Court if evasion were attempted and detected—with half fines to the prosecuting police officers.
The “Gold Commissioners” were mostly young fellows of good families “at Home,” and though some of them afterwards developed into good officers, the majority of them were quite incompetent and were alleged to be grossly corrupt. Public opinion came to a head in 1854, when a notorious character publicly boasted that the magistrate who tried and dismissed the case on
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which he was charged dared not convict. At the same time three innocent miners were convicted on perjured police testimony. British freemen’s blood was np at such outrages. A mass meeting was called, the police were condemned, and a further resolution demanded the immediate release of the falsely imprisoned miners Governor Hotham, a strict naval officer accustomed to implicit and unreasoning obedience, resented this “demand,” and sent up soldiers to uphold the majesty of the law and enforce order. The Eureka conflict followed, in which five soldiers and twenty-five miners lost their lives.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry followed on the Eureka episode, and from the date of its report, on March 25, 1855, the true appreciation of the correct principles on which goldfields and gold-mining legislation should be based may be said to begin. The Legislature in the June month following enacted a new Goldfields Act, embodying the principles by this time most generally favoured: legislation having for its object the
substitution in its place of a certificate or document, happily and justly called a “Miner’s Right,” at a charge of only £1 for a whole year.
The creation of the “Miner’s Right” was the first real forward step of a practical and all-round nature as yet taken in Australian mining. It allows the prospector to go to any point legally open to his operations or search, and ensures to him the first right to dig for and remove the gold in the surface soil, as usually understood by the word “alluvial.” Tradition and practice have since so confirmed this interpretation that for years past the alluvial gold has been considered the sole heritage of the worker, and cherished accordingly by all as the people’s “birthright.” Any interference with this now recognized birthright on the part of the Government, the proprietor of land, or the leaseholder of an area for mining or other purposes, is now in either of the Australian States instantly resented. As a natural law and legal consequence it has come to be generally recognized and promises to permanently remain.
Photo by J. J. Dwyer.
View of “ Golden Mile” from West Side.
advancement of mining; the improvement of the position of the miners and diggers; and the collection, by means the least irritating _ and burdensome, of reasonable fees for the privilege of winning gold from Crown lands.
By this new Act five Local Court districts were created to deal with local goldfield cases. The Courts each comprised a chairman appointed by the Governor, and nine members elected by the miners in the district. These Courts could make by-laws for working the claims and for securing such, and could settle all disputes among miners. The “Gold Commissioners” were abolished, and other officers styled “Wardens” appointed in their stead. Later, in 1865, the judicial side of the Local Courts was separated and placed under “Mining Boards,” which dealt only with mining questions. The Wardens then became very important officers. But the greatest reform of all which this new Act introduced was the abolition of the licence fee impost of 30s. per month, and the
Every attempt to restrict this doctrine has ended in victory for the alluvial gold digger. The only real disturbance throughout the wide area of the goldfields of Western Australia occurred over this alluvial question, and special provision is now made in the mining laws and regulations to delay granting leasehold titles to mining investors or companies until there is reasonable ground to believe that no alluvial gold remains or exists in the soil sufficient to attract workers other than those proposing to mine deeply along the reefs or veins from which alluvial gold could have been shed.
The Victorian Act of 1865 is generally regarded as the real mother Act of gold mining in Australasia. It was evolved as the outcome of the experiences to that date of the great boom of 1851, while a mining, or would-be mining, population flowed into the colony with unprecedented rapidity. It avoided the anachronisms of the Californian laws, and is in many respects the very
antithesis of the Californian and later American statutes.
But statute law 'framed by legislators and understood to mean one thing when it comes into being, is often found to mean something altogether different when interpreted by judicial ' pronouncements from the Supreme Court. Victoria fortunately possessed at the time a strong man of great judicial worth, in the person of Mr. Justice Molesworth. His decisions practically made and gave force to the laws of mining as they now exist throughout Australia. Speaking as late as 1907, Sir Samuel Griffith, the present Chief Justice of the Commonwealth, said: —“It is a well-known fact that the mining law of Australia was practically made by the decisions of Mr. Justice Molesworth and the Supreme Court of Victoria.”
It was in the Victorian law courts that the question of the ownership of the precious metals was bitterly fought. Both in that colony and in New South Wales the proclamation of Governor Fitzroy, which asserted the common-law right of the Crown to all gold in the soil, was bitterly resented as a breach of covenants and an invasion of the rights of vested interest. In the New South Wales Courts the verdicts were always against the Government on this question of ownership under common law, while in Victoria, under Judge Moles-worth’s decisions, the Government always won. Indeed, it was not until 1873 that the Victorian Government even considered it necessary, or worth while, to formally insert the reservation of the precious metals to the Crown in the deeds of grant. The ultimate decision of the Privy Council in 1877, in the appeal case of “Woolley v. Attorney-General of Victoria,” finally set at rest the question of ownership of the gold in its natural state throughout British dominions:—“A Crown grant does not pass to the grantee Royal Mines (that is, gold and silver) that may be found under the land included in the grant, unless the intention that such minerals should pass is expressly stated in the grant in apt and precise words.”
The South Australian Legislature decided once for all that precision of language should apply to the lands granted in that colony. Its Act 88, of 1877, therefore set forth: —“Whereas doubts have arisen whether of not minerals and metals, more particularly gold and silver, belong to the owner in fee simple of the land heretofore alienated from the Crown, and it is desirable to remove such doubts, and to declare as hereinafter declared: be it therefore enacted, etc., as follows:—1. The grant in fee simple of any land in South Australia, heretofore granted or hereafter to be granted, shall be construed to include and convey to the owner in fee simple for the time being of such land, the absolute property to all mines and minerals including gold and silver (commonly termed “royal metals”), nothing whatever above or below
the surface of the land being reserved to the Crown.”
In 1888 this law was amended so that, in future, all gold would be reserved to the Crown; and in 1895 this reservation was extended to “all minerals.” Mining access to private property was also provided for, with compensation and royalty to the owner.
Thus, in the course of fifty years, the rights of the Crown to all gold in the soil of Australia had become clearly established, and that the lands should cease to be sold with all its mineral contents has become also a recognized principle, to be applied wherever practicable in future. With the single exception of South Australia no private owner can prevent the minerals in land being made exploitable, but there is no confiscation in this, because the owner of the land is guaranteed a royalty on the values obtained; which is more than the consideration reserved to the Crown when, as owner, it allows Crown lands to be open for gold mining.
Mining on private property is not yet in a satisfactory legal condition throughout the Australasian colonies. Legal red-tape in one State, and influence with the Administration in another, have in the past greatly stultified all attempts to throw open to the miner lands which never should have been parted with in fee simple without reservation of its minerals. Thus, in South Australia, before an owner can be compelled to give access to his land for mining, it must first be certified by a responsible Government officer that a “payable” deposit of the mineral exists on such land. How the officer can certify the payability of unprospected ground without having power to himself make search beforehand, is one of those absurdities of legislation sometimes introduced expressly for making such legislation unworkable in practice. The South Australian Act was rightly termed in Parliament, “an Act for the Prevention of Mining on Private Property.”
The forerunner of the “Mining on Private Property” statutes was the New South Wales Act of 1861; which provided powers for proclaiming “goldfields” and applying special laws to obtain only within such goldfields. The Act declared that nothing in the Lands Act of 1861 “shall be held to require the sale of any land that may contain auriferous deposits.” It further departed from the Lands Act by providing for conditional purchases of goldfields lands, but with the gold rights reserved; and also for free prospecting and resumption rights over such lands. It required still another thirty years for the public to discern that, from the public and State interest, there was no “essential difference between mining for gold and mining for any other mineral: the mere digger for gold is not a “miner” in the sense that he requires land with an area sufficient for engineering and other manifold purposes, for which capital enterprise and not individual labour is necessary.
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But, with regard to “minerals,” such as the ores of the base metals and coal, the freeholder of a grant, in which such was not reserved, became and still remains the actual proprietor. If he will not mine the minerals himself he can still exact a royalty from those who are willing to do so. Hence “landlord’s dues” must be confronted by all Australian investors mining on private property for the common minerals, though, in general, these dues are limited in amount by direct Act of Parliament, and do not exceed 5 per cent, royalty. To those who acquired the unencumbered titles to their lands before constitutional government was given the colony in which they hold their lands, the law of conserved rights is claimed to give exemption from State interference. The question has never been definitely settled, and in Western Australia, at least, the Government has hitherto shrunk from'a test case. As a consequence, the lands which were sold in the early days as “mineral lands” are either worked for mineral or devoted to farming or grazing, at the will of the owner.
The principle of selling outright any “mineral lands” is inherently vicious, and it was especially so in the young days of the struggling colonies of Australasia. In addition to the evil of permanently alienating the land from the people’s use, it deprived the purchasers of much-needed ready money in order to make the purchase : and this occurred at a time when currency was extremely scanty. In fact, it practically drained Adelaide of its ready cash when the £20,000, necessary to buy the Burra Burra Mine in South Australia under “special survey” conditions, was raised and paid over to the Colonial Treasurer. Similarly, in Western Australia, a large sum was expended by the first organization formed for mining purposes in this State; though some sixty years later the land was sold at a huge profit on first cost, and returned the subscribed capital to the heirs and successors of the investors.
Obviously the correct course would have been never to have sold land at all with the mineral rights unreserved. But it was the policy of that age in every country, and men’s minds have become broadened with the advancing times. It was early seen that a mistake had been made in selling all land at one price, and the necessity of a geological survey of land before its mineral rights were disposed of was urgently advocated as a means of minimizing the evil in the future. It is necessary to emphasize this point, for the fact has been altogether lost sight of, that the Government Geologist’s duty in the several States is not primarily the finding and survey of mines and minerals, but only to locate or assess areas applied for in fee simple, or which it might be intended otherwise to offer for sale as freeholds. This is really but another form of the principle that the land should be put to the use for which it is best suited. The colonies which had no important mineral discoveries.
nor ever expected to get such within their borders, refrained from creating geological departments; thus saving much expense at the moment, but losing far more later on in the sequel.
Turning now directly to Western Australian mining laws, it is noteworthy that no important mineral discoveries were made in the colony until years of experience in dealing with such matters had resulted in the formulating of statutes in the other colonies of Australasia. As a consequence, when at last the gold wealth of Western Australia became manifest, there were laws ready to hand, fitted for the occasion, and tried by experience. These were adopted verbatim from the codes in force in the East. The local conditions were not always identical with Eastern conditions, and some of the Acts adopted, such, for instance, as the South Australian Mining on Private Property Act, were abandoned almost immediately after adoption, and without an effort being made to apply them. An attempt to limit the dual title to ground and to restrict the depth to 10 ft.—at which depth the alluvial digger should give place to the miner holding the ground on mining lease —assumed a grave aspect, threatening bloodshed at Kal-goorlie in the early days of that centre. In adopting a line of least resistance by conceding the diggers’ claim, and subsequently passing regulations deferring the issue of leases until satisfactory evidence was forthcoming that no alluvial difficulties were likely to arise, the Western Australian Government kept abreast of the spirit of the age. Ample powers of resumption of any area can be exercised for any purpose of “public utility,” which broad and comprehensive term, if used by the earlier colonies, would have saved much friction and greatly benefited the people generally. From laws dealing with the land itself on the broad principles thus sketched, it has been a natural advance to the enactment of humanitarian laws devised directly for the benefit of those following the avocations incident to the mining industry. The mineral industry is distinctly a people’s interest, and, regarded as such, every encouragement has been given to those willing to embark capital or labour in it.
Australia, since its great gold discoveries, has made sixty years of progress which has astonished the world. Its mining laws are the most liberal of any realm, and the mining laws of Western Australia are the most liberal of the Australian laws. The laws which governed American mining sixty years ago prevail there to-day, yet, with breezy assurance, Australians are often bidden to look to America for examples in sound mining legislation
Mr. A. C. Yeatch, a geologist of the United States Survey, who was sent in 1909 to Australia as a Special Commissioner to investigate the Australian mining laws, in his report to the Joint Committee of Congress, awards the pride of place to Western Australia, over all other
Australasian States, in the following words:—“The Western Australian mining law is, in short, a wonderfully symmetrical and carefully balanced enactment, and while it may not be, as a whole, applicable to American conditions, it contains many suggestive provisions which merit careful consideration, as they are not the idle visions of some theorists, but the mature enactment of a legislature whose members are chosen entirely by the voters of a great democratic mining State, a State which ranks among the greatest mining countries of the world, and which, as recently as 1904, has reorganized and revised its mining laws to meet the practical work-a-day conditions of a mining region . . it is, more-
over, a mining community in which the capital employed in development is almost wholly of foreign origin.”
II.—HISTORY OF MINERAL DISCOVERIES.
Bond labour of the convicts allotted out to the free settlers established the fortunes of the woolgrowers and farmers in eastern Australia. The working of copper deposits made fortunes for private enterprise in South Australia and established that colony. The discovery and working of lead ore at the Murchison River similarly gave the first impulse to the prosperity of Western Australia. The great gold discoveries of New South Wales and Victoria, coming still later, finally started the Australians on the direct march to nationhood by attracting population on a scale sufficient to settle all the best parts of Australian coasts south of the tropics. Such in brief outline has been Australia’s industrial history. The development of its mineral wealth has been a most potent factor.
Seventeen years’ experience and exploration showed the early settlers of Western Australia that woolgrowing and farming conditions, as then obtaining in the other colonies, were non-existent in their colony. The open grass lands were limited in area, and the herbage scanty as compared with the more favoured east side of the continent. Not only did the dense low scrub and bush undergrowth -tear the wool from the sheep seeking to browse among it, but also noxious plants induced a mortality among the stock which science and local experience could only overcome after a nrolonged period of study. . The loss of wool amid the scrubby bush was estimated at upwards of 20 per cent, of the natural fleece by the wool-growers of Tasmania, and this loss was the incentive which took the Hentys and others to- the privately discovered pastures along the Victorian coast. Henty tried Western Australia also, but soon retired in dread of repeating his Tasmanian experience. The outlook for the farmer was little more inviting, for the soil of Western Australia adjacent to the coast was of most uninviting aspect, and singularly barren looking to those conversant only with the systems of agriculture then
practised in the older European countries. Surveyor-General Roe made an extensive journey inland in 1836, but though he found good soil, its. distance from the coast and the general absence of surface waters precluded all hope of any early benefit from it. Dense scrub covered the good soil, and sandy wastes or salt claypans occupied the open spaces. In the Avon River Valley the farmers found, at York and Toodyay, locations suitable for their work, but the distance from the coast and rough roads made the farmer’s life one of hard struggle even in these more favoured localities. What little ready money was brought into the early colony became gradually drained away in procuring the necessary things from outside, and—though the need was pressing—an export trade which should bring money into the country was in such circumstances a difficult thing to bring about.
A deep feeling of envy of South Australia’s good luck in discovering copper mines gained in intensity as labour and settlers were attracted there from Western Australia. Mining for coal made an export trade for New South Wales; mining for copper and lead was doing the same for' South Australia; surely the bounty of Nature had reserved some good thing beneath the soil for the Cinderella colony, whose surface was so unready for man’s occupation? Such was the question often and seriously asked. The hope and the wish for a coal mine had induced the Western Australian Government as early as 1830 to offer a reward of 2,500 acres in fee simple to any person “who may discover and point out any considerable bed of coal” within the colony. Locally the desire for a coal mine near Perth was intensified by the abundant occurrence of iron ore forming the cappings of ridges and skirting the higher gullies throughout the Darling Range, where it was covered with jarrah forest. Experimenting crudely with crucible charges in a blacksmith’s forge easily produced iron from this ore, and showed it fairly rich in the metal. In 1839 and 1840 the Government renewed its offer of a reward for a coal discovery, and the agricultural society, which the residents around York had formed, kept up a special interest among the public by inciting its members to observe and bring under notice all mineral occurrences noted. Dr. Harris, the Colonial Surgeon, who had established a pastoral station in the Williams district, was also a keen observer and strong advocate of search for minerals.
There was another special reason which incited individual effort to search for coal and the base metal minerals, such as iron ores. This was the indefiniteness of the reservation of all the “precious metals” in the deeds of grant of land. “The Crown reserves to itself all mines of precious metals,” is the wording in the regulations issued March 1, 1831. Naturally, among a people uninformed in mineralogy, any ore of any metal
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which might happen to have associated with it a “precious” metal would be liable to a Crown claim for possession, and only to be worked by the finder under some, as yet, undetermined form of licence to be issued. An early discovery of a patch of meteoric stones was made near the head of the Avon River, but the find was long kept a close secret lest the stones should prove to contain something precious, and be claimed on behalf of the Crown. The discovery is thus noted in The Perth Inquirer in its issue of November 4, 1840: —
“It has been related to us that a few miles to the back of a settler at the head of the river there is a remarkable parcel of stones to which the natives attach peculiar veneration; they have a tradition that these stones fell from the heavens three or four generations ago, and to this day great care is taken of them by the natives, who place 'blackboy* tops over and under them.
“Our informant has had the curiosity to visit the spot, and describes them as being of somewhat meteoric appearance, and totally distinct from any other stones in theneigh-bourhood.
They are probably from twenty to thirty in number, most of them exactly oval and perfect 1y smooth, varying in weight from 3 to 18 or 20
lb. The gentleman in question has removed some of them to his own house.”
A large meteorite from Youndegin, a locality east of York, has since been shown at several international exhibitions, and is now in the museum of the Geological Survey of this State.
The York Agricultural Society held its first annual meeting the week after this find of stones was announced, and took up in earnest the question of developing the colony's mineral resources.
A purer form of iron ore than the laterite cappings high up in the jarrah ridges occurs at several points in the Perth plain at tho foot of the Darling Ranges. They are deposits of a clean ironstone or ironstone gravel, resting usually on a clay bed. One such deposit, discovered by Mr. Raikes one and a half miles west of
Rainsworth on the Middle Swan, attracted much attention in August, 1843, not only from its metallic percentage as determined by Mr. W. J. Gregory, but also on account of the deduction made that coal measures would be found in association with it. Dr. Harris, the acting Colonial Surgeon, pointed out that in England—with one exception only—coal beds and ironstone always occurred alternately, and there was no reason that a similar parallel occurrence should not exist in Western Australia. The doctor further pointed out in support of his theory, that near Canning there occurred a black shale and slate, and that near the Williams River on the Albany Road, iron ore in both the spherical and cubical forms occur. He considered the Rainsworth discovery full of promise, and regretted that no suitable boring machine was in the colony whereby the site could be tested. The report of the doctor, along with the report of Mr. Gregory, was published in the proceedings of the York Agricultural Society, and
developed a widespread belief that coal would be found u n derncath the flat, low coast plains between Perth and Bu nb u ry.
The Govern-ment offer of a reward for the discovery of a coalfield was again repeated in the following year, so keen had now become the quest for coal.
Three full years later it seemed at last that the coal predictions of Dr. Harris were confirmed. A settler named Rcecham, while trenching his plot on the south bank of the Murray River, and five miles from the sea coast, discovered what appeared to be coal. This was in July, 1846, and the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Singleton, was at once sent down to examine and report. He was accompanied by Messrs. Lefroy and S. Moore, along with Mr. George Nash, the editor of The Perth Gazette. A pit was sunk to a depth of 14 ft. and passed through nine beds or layers of strata, all dipping westward at a gentle slope of 1 ft. in 18. In the third layer, which was a clayey shale, there occurred coal which, when retorted in a pipe, gave off illuminating gas. This stratum lay right underneath the trench made by Beecham. But
"Calabash” or " Shire Plaster,” used as Paper Currency in the Kimberley District. 1887.
304
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
William Beecham was a man of purely parochial ideas, one of a class afterwards long considered to be representative of Western Australia by the “t’othersiders” in the eastern colonies. It was no concern of his that the colony needed a coalfield. He didn’t. He objected to pits being sunk on his ground; for, said he, “What do I want with coal ? I have firewood enough to last my time!” But the Resident Magistrate over-ruled William, and a pit was sunk till water stopped further progress. The different layers passed through'were: —
(1) Yellow clay, slightly sandy.
(2) Yellow clay, with red spots, apparently iron-
stone.
(3) Clayey shale, with gas coal fragments.
'(4) Brown clay.
(5) Light-blue clay, very tenacious, 6 in. thick, and
showing veins of black with distinct marks of leaves.
(6) Blue clay, 3 ft. thick, and rather lighter than
layer No. 5.
(7) Brown clay, 14 in. thick.
(8) Fine drab-coloured sand, 2J ft. thick.
(9) Strong adhesive clay, through which sinking was
prevented by the heavy influx of water from the drab-coloured sand layer.
The evidence thus obtained was sufficient to convince a resident named Birch, who had resided in the English coal districts, that the clay shale represented part of a true coal measure. The Government accepted the result equally without reserve. The local press considered it most opportune news to send to Singapore by the Government schooner then sailing for that port, and whence a mail to England would be despatched. The question of a steam route to Australia, via Fremantle and the South Coast, instead of through Torres Straits to Sydney, was now considered to be the assured policy of the future.
In addition to this coal discovery at the Murray, copper and lead mineral occurrences were reported on lands which had been alienated. The dread that “precious metals” reserved to the Crown would possibly interfere with the opening of these discoveries on private lands, caused the Governor to submit a despatch to the Colonial Office on July 25, soliciting explicit instructions on the point. Should discoveries occur before a reply was obtained, the Governor had resolved—although this fact was not publicly known—to follow the example of Governor Young in South Australia, and reserve a one-fifteenth royalty to the Crown in deeds of land grants. Governor Young’s measure was extremely unpopular in South Australia, because it put a stop to a great and rapidly growing evil—the “special survey” system of acquiring lands in fee simple; 20,000 acres at a time. By that system the speculator there had two chances, one of which was sure to win him profit. He got the pick of the land (the
eyes of the country, in fact) for XI per acre, and if it contained no mineral deposits of value the land itself could be sold at a substantial profit, or made to produce a regular income under rental. The Burra Burra Mine and Estate was one of the properties thus acquired; and at the time of the Perth excitement over Beecham’s coal discovery, and the reported copper and lead finds near Kelmscott, a Perth solicitor, Mr. B. Aubrey Vigors, had just returned from a trip of observation to South Australia. On his representations a movement was got up in Perth for the formation of a joint-stock company on South Australian lines. It was proposed to negotiate with discoverers, and quietly buy the Government lands on which the discoveries were made, without exciting competition when the lands were put up to auction as the law required. Tin was at this time also reported to have been found in the Toodyay district, but the finder refused to disclose the locality unless substantially rewarded. This alleged tin find, and Beecham’s discovery, fanned the excitement. At a meeting convened at the London Hotel on September 17, Mr. S. Moore being chairman, a company was formed with the twofold object of promoting discovery of minerals and buying the mineral land as cheap ordinary agricultural lands. Mr. Vigors addressed the meeting, and showed how such a policy combined all colonial interests in one object and the success of such a scheme in South Australia.
Thus “The Western Australian Mining Company,” as it was named, was launched with a capital of X20,000, divided into 10,000 shares of X2 each, as had been the case with the South Australian companies. The terms of subscription decided upon were: 4s. per share on application, the balance payable in calls of 10 per cent, at intervals of not less than three months. At all meetings every five shares to carry one vote. When lands were put up to auction by the Government, at the instance of the company any shareholder bidding against the company would have his shares forfeited, and be further deemed to hold the land as a trustee for the company. Only fully qualified members could attend meetings of the company, and every member was to sign a bond of secrecy. Over 600 shares were subscribed for at the meeting, and a committee of control appointed, consisting of Messrs. Roe, S. Moore, Sutherland, Vigors, Knight, and R. Habgood, with power to add to their number, and five to form a quorum.
On the same date that this company was started the following announcement was issued by the Governor, and appeared in the Gazette two days later, along with the advertised prospectus of the company: —
Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Perth, September 17, 1846.
His Excellency the Governor, having learnt with great satisfaction of the discovery of the existence of metalliferous ores in this colony, is pleased to direct it to be notified for general information.—with a view to prevent any
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apprehension as to the royalties to be reserved to the Crown in all future grants of land, known or supposed to contain such ores—that the amount of such royalty will not for the present exceed one-fifteenth of the proceeds of the mine, and that with the exception of this reservation, and the conditions necessary for the securing of it, all lands will be put up to sale as heretofore.
Despatches on this subject are expected from Her Majesty’s Government, and full regulations for the information and guidance of the public will shortly be promulgated.
It is evident that “precious metals” were supposed to be contained in, or associated with, the minerals found, such as copper, iron, or lead, because before the promised regulations were issued they were rendered unnecessary by the receipt of the following despatch from the Home Government: —
Colonial Office, Downing Street,
London, December 23, 1846.
Sir—I have received your despatch No. 29 of July 25 last, in which you submit the question whether the terms of reservation hitherto used in deeds of grants in Western Australia (namely* “all mines of gold, silver, and other precious metals”) can be legally held to include copper, iron, lead, or other metallic ores other than those of gold and silver. ... I have to acquaint you that it was not the intention of Her Majesty’s Government to claim on the part of the Crown, under the name of “precious metals,” such minerals as copper, iron, or lead.
By omitting all reference to tin, antimony, zinc, and other well-known metallic minerals the limitations of the words “precious metals” could hardly be said to be clearly defined in this despatch.
With the formation of the Western Australian Mining Company, and the Government Gazette announcements following on after it, the mining history of Western Australia begins. The projected company hung fire, however, for the chief reason of its existence—the speculation in mineral lands to be purchased from the Crown as ordinary lands—received a severe check by the declaration of a royalty reservation and a three months’ advertising before the lands could be put up to auction. Once more the attention of the settlers was directed to searching for lands for grazing purposes. The flocks and herds had by their natural increase already occupied all the open land available, and more grass land was urgently needed. Hope of better things in the interior to the eastward had long since been given up, but there still remained the country inland from the coast to the northward. The expedition of Captain (afterwards Sir George) Grey, though disastrous to the party, had indicated pastures of fair promise in the Victoria district adjacent to the coast, and some 200 miles north of Perth. To explore in this direction was urged upon the Government, and with the aid of private subscriptions a party was fitted out under the leadership of Mr. A. C. Gregory, who was accompanied by two of his brothers—Messrs. Frank and Charles Gregory. Starting from Bolgart, the expedition went over swampy country and up over a granite divide to the plateau of the salt lakes, among u
which Lake Moore is the largest. Then it turned westward to examine the country at the head of the rivers crossed near the coast by Grey. The interminable scrubs covered all the uplands, but it was hoped that more open valleys would be found along the river channels as they ran towards the coast. Descending from the granite upland a thick formation of white sandstone was found at its base, and shortly afterwards a shale strata was met with suggestive of coal deposits. A few miles further, at a point some 17 miles north-east of the present town-site of Yandanooka on the Midland Railway line from Perth to Geraldton, search in a deep valley was rewarded by the discovery of two large seams of coal—one 5 ft. and the other 6 ft. in thickness. Here, “having pitched the tent and tethered the horses,” remarks Gregory in his journal of the expedition, “we commenced to collect specimens of the various strata, and succeeded in cutting out 5 or 6 cwt. of the coal with the tomahawk; and in a short time had the satisfaction of seeing the first fire of Western Australian coal burning cheerfully in front of the camp, this being the first discovery of coal in the western part of the continent.”
The excitement in Perth, when this discovery of Gregory’s was made known in the Press of November 26, was intense. Its immediate effect was to cause a further 1,000 shares in the Western Australian Mining Company to be eagerly subscribed for, and enabled that organization to enter actively upon operations. Six weeks earlier the company, in the following advertisement in the Press, had publicly announced its desire to acquire a mining property: —
Western Australian Mining Company.
Notice.
The Committee of the Western Australian Mining Company solicit information relative to the existence of minerals in this colony, and are prepared liberally to reward persons affording the same.
All communications on the subject to be addressed (post paid) to “The Committee of the Western Australian Mining Company, Perth.”
Charles Sholl,
Hon. Secretary.
Perth, Sept. 21, 1846.
In response to this advertisement a lead find was brought to the company’s office during October. It was south from Perth, and not far from Kelmscott. It was on freehold land, and thus the Government regulations of the moment did not prejudice negotiations with the proprietor of the land in fee simple. Negotiations were also opened with a German savant in South Australia named Menge, with the view of his visiting Western Australia and giving expert advice on mining and geological questions of concern to the company. The company as a joint-stock concern was never fully formed, and no deed of settlement was prepared and adopted as the law in such cases required. But the enthusiasm following on Gregory’s coal discovery, and the number
306
of shares in the company taken up as the result of that excitement, caused the committee to issue scrip, which thus gave to Western Australia all the outward semblance of a community possessed of a real mining enterprise. The facsimile of the scrip on page 295 will be interesting, and is furnished by the liquidator of the company, Mr. H. R. Coombs, of Perth, who was appointed by the Supreme Court to wind up the company after it had been sixty years in unregistered existence.
Meanwhile the Government was taking steps to further prove the value to the colony of Gregory’s coal discovery. The distance of the find from a place of shipment—90 miles—prohibited hope of early benefit owing to transport difficulties, which, in the then state of the colony and its finances, could not be surmounted. The carboniferous formation of rocks, however, extended an unknown distance towards the seaboard, and some hope was felt that further search would locate coal seams more advantageously situated for development. To this end a Government party, consisting of Messrs. Gregory, Meikleham, and Irby, and Lieutenant Helpman, with an escort of five soldiers, was sent up the coast in the Government schooner “Champion” during the last week in November. They visited the coal find, and brought some 3 cwt. of the coal away for a trial test. They failed to locate any other seams in the country traversed, while the coal brought down, when tested, proved of inferior quality—altogether of no value at such a distance inland.
It was now evident that other minerals than coal must be obtained if the community settled around Perth was to benefit in the near future. The secrecy attending the actions of the Western Australian Mining Company soon made residents very dissatisfied with the outlook. The company was roundly charged with having only land speculation for its object, and not mining. Some colour was given to this charge by secret expenditure in investigating reports of copper and other discoveries in the districts outside of Bunbury. Messrs. Vigors, and J. W. Gregory both appear, in the balance-sheet, to have involved the company in expenditure in that direction. The sporadic attempts to develop the lead show at Kelms-cott was insufficient to explain delay there, and when copper was reported on Crown lands near by, the new discovery was immediately discounted as a further excuse for dallying and speculating in land. The Government’s refusal to accept “remission certificates” as part of the purchase money, and the auction sale after three months’ notice by advertising, also contributed to delay on the company’s part. Finally, however, the Kelmscott land was purchased, and also the land on which the copper was reported to occur. With this estate to begin on, a practical working miner named Thomas and a German scientist named Dr. von Sommer were imported from South Australia, and mining work was actually begun.
Messrs. Duffield and Gilman, the discoverers, were paid £20 reward for introducing the property to the company. Mr. J. W. Gregory superintended the mining work until Dr. Sommer’s arrival, his salary being £5 per month as from December 4. Under Mr. Gregory’s directions a shaft was started on the lead lode, the miners sent down from Perth being engaged at 6s. per day, with rations provided. The 50 acres of land on which the lead lode occurred was purchased for £70. As usual in such cases, the men were soon complaining of the quality of the rations provided, and work progressed at a distressingly slow rate. A month’s work resulted in sinking the shaft to a depth of 9 ft. only. At that depth copper appeared to be replacing the lead. This was another incentive to secure practical mining advice from the copper-producing sister colony of South Australia.
To incite this company, and also the Australind Company in the south-west, to greater activity in demonstrating the value and extent of the mineral deposits, the captain of the “Despatch”—a vessel then trading to Fremantle—offered to take to England free of charge a shipment, as trial parcels, of one ton of lead ore and one ton of copper ore. When Dr. von Sommer arrived everything was apparently in readiness to fulfil promises made and expected.
Dr. von Sommer’s engagement was for six months from February 15, 1847, at a salary of £6 per month, including travelling expenses. The doctor’s first report on the property stated that there were six lodes in it, five carrying lead and traversing the property lengthwise, and the sixth a lode transverse to all these, and carrying copper ore. A contractor named Coles was sinking the main shaft at this time, and so hopeful was the committee that the members anticipated events of the future by at once purchasing some tramway material and- talked largely about tramming the ore from the mine to Fremantle for shipment. Secretary Sholl, whose work had been honorary hitherto, was now made full secretary with salary at £20 per year and back dated to September 18 of the previous year. By the beginning of April the total number of shares taken up was 6,916 out of the total 10,000 projected for the formation of the company. The application call of 4s. per share had thus given the company a sum of <£1,383 4s., a highly creditable contribution by the settlers when the population and scanty monetary supplies then within the colony are considered. Expenditure to that date (including land purchases) totalled £526 14s. 2d., leaving a credit balance of £826 after providing for some further outstanding liabilities.
A month later the shareholders learnt that, despite prospects, no actual pay-ore had been discovered. On the 50-acre block, at a point north from the first shaft sunk, a vein 3 ft. thick had been discovered which carried zinc ore, but no lead. Specimens assayed showed the ore to contain 66 per cent, zinc, 13 per cent, sulphur, 10
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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per cent, iron, and 10 per cent, earthy matter. This lode was not economically important, as zinc ore commanded a very low market price. The prospects for the future were then dealt with by Dr. von Sommer as follows:—“As soon as I have finished all my arrangements at the mine,” he wrote, “I intend first to go and try the great meridian lode on Cardon’s boundary, and perhaps some in other places, and then to follow up that line at least as far as the Serpentine. If I should not in this district meet with a real copper lode, we must give up our hopes on that line and try some other district.” This report completely disconcerted shareholders, and when the examination towards the Serpentine River also failed of success, the company decided on a breathing time and husbanding its resources. Dr. von Somner’s services were loaned to the Government till the end of his six months’ term. The engagement was not renewed, but foreman Thomas was directed to continue sinking the shaft.
The service for which Dr. von Sommer was loaned to the Government was another general effort that Governor Irwin had decided to make to find a coal mine south of Cham -pion Bay and near the coast.
The Governor at first even contemplated going up in person with the expedition. Two distinct parties formed the expedition as finally constituted, one section going up overland from Toodyay, and the other, which included Dr. von Sommer, sailing up in the “Champion” to Port Grey. A geological examination from Port Grey, south to the Hutt River, showed rocks considered to be of the same age as that in which Gregory’s coal seams occurred, but no coal was ascertained to be contained in them along this section.
Von Sommer returned to the Kelmscott Mine the second week in September, and found that during four months the shaft had been sunk to only 46 ft. altogether. The lode had dipped out of the shaft, which shaft, despite his written and verbal instructions, had not followed the lode in its underlay, and now 12 ft. of driving (or £60
u2
worth of dead work) would be necessary to see again the lode at a depth of 36 ft. below the surface. The committee declined to renew von Sommer’s engagement, and appointed a man named Forbes to superintend operations, tho balance funds in hand having now shrunk to £362 7s. 3d., with £222 outstanding liabilities. Forbes reported on September 27 that, so far, he had seen only zinc blende ore, but as assays showed both lead and copper present in association he judged the mine would make copper at depth. The unimproved outlook at Kelmscott then decided the committee to look for another property, and Mr. Forbes was despatched to Moore River and other places in search. By December the funds had sunk to £70, at which stage a call was considered desirable. However, the meeting called for this purpose took exception to the committee’s powers; no
deed of settlement had yet been adopted, and, till one was drawn up and its adoption passed, the power to make further calls did not exist. To avoid a lawsuit and to gain time to look further into the question, the company closed up for the present, and thus ended, on December 2, 1848, the first and abortive attempt to start a mining industry in Western Australia.
After his engagement with the mining company had expired, the Government engaged Dr. von Sommer for a term as Government Geologist. In this capacity an examination was made of the Moore River in search of coal, and later, his journeyings were extended to the south coast and east of Albany to near Mount Barren. At the latter place the doctor saw a change of country, which made him augur the possible occurrence of coal in that region. Eyre, during his journey in 1841, had conceived the same idea.
In the month of November the expedition to the Murchison River country returned to Perth, with the news of the discovery of a lead lode (galena) right in the bed of the river where the stream had eroded its channel down through the sandstone formation and laid bare the
Photo by J. J. Dwyer.
1600-Ft. Level, Great Boulder Gold Mine.
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ancient rocks lying beneath them. For two and a half miles below this galena occurrence Gregory found fragments of the lead ore, but as no other vein was found he believed they were all shed from the one vein first located. The galena vein, as described by Gregory, “filled a cleft in the rocks a foot wide and 30 yards long, but being covered with water to the depth of 3 ft., except at the northern end, I could examine it but imperfectly: neither could I trace it beyond the bed of the stream. The bearing of the mine is N. 25° E. mag., and the adjacent rocks are of hard syenitic gneiss, dipping 80° to the west-north-west, and the strike north-north-east.” Gregory was not at the time of opinion that he had found a “main lode” of silver-lead ore, but only an offshoot from one. “It is somewhat remarkable,” he goes on to say in this connection, “that the vein coincides exactly with the stratification of the adjoining rocks; this appears to indicate an accidental mass or offshoot from a vein, as it is not usual for a true lode to be parallel to the strata.” Gregory also referred to the country between the Bowes River, in what is now the Northampton district, and the Murchison, and adds in this report: “There is also a mineral resembling plumbago in many of its properties. It is found disseminated in small particles in the gneiss rock on several parts of the Bowes and Murchison Rivers.”
The old question of the land laws at once cropped up when Gregory’s discovery became known. Mr. L. Burges applied to purchase a location on the Murchison River. The area sought was just about sufficiently large for a station and homestead, and no more. Burges was at once accused of trying to obtain the mineral land at the price of ordinary agricultural laud, thus subverting the regulations which enacted that “mineral” lands must first be advertised for three months, and then thrown open to competition at public auction. To settle definitely the correct policy to be followed in dealing with these lands on the Murchison, Governor Fitzgerald resolved to go up personally and investigate. He went, and his trip resulted in bloodshed, owing to an attack by the natives —the Governor being himself wounded by a spear thrown at close quarters. The result of the Governor’s trip was a decision to sell the land as “mineral land,” and it was advertised accordingly. A shipping port was selected at Lynton, some distance north of Champion Bay (now known as Geraldton), to which a bullock-dray road was made later.
Matters again looked hopeful for the struggling colony, and this hope was increased by the news brought in by Surveyor-General Roe from his five months’ trip eastward of Narrogin and along the south coast to the Russell Range. He had found no good pastoral land, but while returning coastwise to Albany he had, at the Fitzgerald River and close to the coast, found a bed of coal; it was of inferior quality. But about the same
period Maxwell, a plant collector of Albany, had brought in some very superior “glance coal” from somewhere near Roe’s find. This confirmatory intelligence decided the Governor to send Mr. Gregory down to investigate. His examination failed to locate good coal. The question of a payable coalfield at the Fitzgerald was not disposed of till Mr. C. G. Nicolay visited the spot a quarter of a century later. He proved the deposit one of carbonaceous mud allied to the deposits termed “turbo” in Brazil, and recommended the expunging of the “carboniferous” formation in this region from the geological map of Australia. Maxwell’s specimens were unquestionably genuine coal of good quality, and in explanation of its occurrence on the south coast it has been suggested that it was either procured from one of the French or American whaling vessels then frequenting the coast, or had been left behind by them at one of their camps in the vicinity.
The copper-mining boom in South Australia had reached unprecedented dimensions by the time the three months’ advertising of the mineral land at Murchison River had expired. Burra Burra Mine shares were selling at £130 each on March 3, 1849; flour in Adelaide was selling at £9 per ton, and wheat at from 3s. to 3s. 6d. per bushel. Wealth was rapidly accumulating in the sister colony, and a keen Perth speculator went across to Adelaide and organized a syndicate for purchasing and developing the lead finds in the Murchison. The specimens brought down by Gregory were pronounced very rich in silver and lead when assayed by the Adelaide experts— Menge and Pascoe; but Dr. Davey, whose verdict carried great weight in financial circles, pronounced them worthless from the economic standpoint. The syndicate planning to secure the Murchison land cheaply—and which, it would appear, was acting with full knowledge of Dr. Davey’s opinion—reckoned, however, without its host. It had collected £3,000, and intended to secure another 1,000 acres. When the land was put up to auction it was secured at £1 per acre—the price of ordinary land—not by the Adelaide syndicate, but by a quietly-formed Perth company, which had organized in thirty-two shares of £20 apiece. Dr. Davey's opinion was then used, much to the prejudice of the local company and its mining prospects, and in the depressed state of local feeling in regard to mining and things generally it was decided that further samples should be procured before operations were commenced. In one sense it was unfortunate for the colony that the Adelaide plan was forestalled, for it would have led to considerable influx of capital into the colony from outside, instead of diverting the small amount locally possessed. A sailing vessel to bring over a quantity of machinery and plant had, in fact, already been chartered by the Adelaide syndicate, which was compelled to abandon the enterprise at the last moment.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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The further examinations of Murchison specimens appear to have been satisfactory, for, during April and May, the local company called for tenders for the raising and carting down to the coast of a parcel of 100 tons of ore from the Geraldine Mine—as the new venture was named. The advertisement calling for the tenders proceeded to state: —
For the information of parties tendering, it is stated that the vein, containing pure ore and of an average width of 18 in., is open for the space of 320 yards, throughout the greater extent of which the ore protrudes above the surface as a wall; so the entire quantity required can easily be obtained without sinking or blasting. (See official report of Assistant-Surveyor, A. C. Gregory.)
A. O'G. Lefroy, 1
G. Shenton, [-Trustees.
R. M. Habgood, J
Perth, April 24, 1849.
The uncertainties of any attempted traffic through the 60 miles of bush country which separated the mine from Champion Bay, the selected place of shipment, added to possible trouble with the native tribes, who had attacked Governor Fitzgerald’s party, proved a deterrent to tenderers.
The progressive march of settlement northward and better assay reports on the quality of the ore, determined the Geraldine shareholders to attempt work, provided the Government would give military protection. The Messrs. Burges, of York, determined at the same time to found a pastoral station north of Champion Bay, and to this end advertised their willingness to take and keep, on shares, the stock of others, if lots of not less than 1,000 sheep or twenty-five head of cattle were sent them by approved persons. Combining forces with the Messrs. Burges, the Geraldine shareholders procured two teams of horses from Mr. T. Carter, of York, purchased three months’ supplies for the party, and engaged workers. The party went up overland, Mr. L. Burges, who had agreed to superintend operations, being in charge. He had with him Messrs. A. Gregory and E. Hester, four workmen, and an escort of seven soldiers. The intention, when this party was organized in October, was to break out 100 tons of ore and transport it to England by the next outgoing woolships, in order to have a practical test made of the ore on a commercial scale. Burges’ work, however, and the preliminary prospecting of the locality which eventuated from it, soon showed that the district contained much more mineral than was included in the 640 acres taken up as the Geraldine Mine. Smelting the ore on the spot was seen to be possible, as the timber for fuel and for mining purposes was handy and plentiful. Wells obtained water plentifully at 15 ft. deep, the road to the boat harbour at Lynton was found easily practicable, and the harbour itself was capable of taking ships up to 800 tons burthen. Lead at this period was selling at £18 per ton, and against each ton of pig-lead
to be produced at the mine the estimated charges
were figured out thus: —
£ s. d.
Raising the ore . 1 10 0
Smelting . 4 0 0
Cartage to Champion Bay . . 3 0 0
Freight to Singapore . 2 0 0
Contingent expenses . 0 10 0
£11 0 0
This showed an estimated net profit on sale at Singapore or China of £7 per ton, which amount was capable of further increase as the freights and cartage costs became naturally reduced.
The promising outlook and improved prospects decided the Geraldine proprietors to throw the property into an enlarged joint-stock company in order to provide capital sufficient for working the mine on a modern engineering scale. Subscriptions were invited from South Australia also, and a place was found for an Adelaide representative on the directorate. The prospectus of the proposed company appeared in the Perth newspapers on January 18, 1850, under a title-head, as follows: •—
THE GERALDINE MINING COMPANY.
Perth, Western Australia.
Capital, £6,400, in 1,280 shares of £5 each.
Directors.
R. Habgood A. O’G. Lefroy T. Smith D, Scott
G. Shenton J. W. Davey E. Stirling H. Vincent
J. Ferguson P. Marmion J. Dyer
G. J. Carr W. Pearce W. Owen
With power to add to their number.
Banker—The Western Australian Bank.
Director for South Australia—W. Owen, Esq.
Secretary—Robert J. Sholl, Esq.
Repeated applications having been made for shares in the above mine, the Company has resolved to purchase the same from the proprietors and to throw it open to the public, in order that all parties may be enabled to avail themselves of a share in a speculation that offers every prospect of a prosperous issue. . . . Copper has been
discovered upon the Company’s grant in the immediate vicinity of the mine; indeed, there can be but little doubt that the whole of the grant, which amounts to 640 acres, is rich in mineral products:
Coal and timber fuel is abundant in the neighbourhood, so that every facility exists for smelting the ores upon the spot. . . . For further information, parties are referred
to the various reports that have from time to time been published in the journals of the province.
Applications for shares to be made to Mr. R. J. Sholl, Perth, and to Mr. W. Owen, Adelaide.
By order of the Directors,
Robert J. Sholl, Secretary.
Perth, January 10th, 1850.
Gregory’s discovery of the Geraldine lead lode inspired a section of the Western Australian Mining Company to keep that organization alive, in hopes that something might turn up to retrieve the past. Against the strongly expressed wishes of the controlling committee a
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
call of Is. per share was made, whereupon the committee resigned and % new one was appointed. Work at the Kelmscott Mine (or rather, to give the locality its true name as now known, Mundijong) was again started, and by March 3 £271 had been paid on the call made. By the following August the balance of funds was reduced to £188, and on the motion of Messrs. Roe and Witte-noom at a meeting of shareholders, the committee was directed to convene a general meeting in the first week of the November following, to consider the formal winding-up of the company. But by November the Geraldine Company had made a start, and Perth folk talked mining once more. At Mundijong itself, Mr. Habgood had been instrumental in finding a new copperbearing lode, and in view of the changed outlook he and Mr. Shenton strongly deprecated winding-up. Mr. Samson, the chairman, further drew the meeting’s attention to the Geraldine and other discovered indications in the far north country, suggesting that the company might do well to migrate there and secure land at a later date as developments occurred. The result was a resolve to carry on, and to make another shilling call and to persevere further with the Mundijong land. While this policy was in progress news came down from the Murchison River of new discoveries there. Burges had discovered a real silver-lead lode, and Gregory had discovered a large deposit of copper ore—blue and green carbonates in quartz—at a point three and a half miles from the Geraldine location and two and a half miles south from the river. The ore specimens brought down left no doubt of the importance of this last discovery, and a new company in shares of £100 each was immediately projected to acquire and work it. The mine was to be named the Wheal Gregory, after its discoverer. The opportunists in the Western Australian Mining Company now saw the success of their “Micawber” policy. Negotiations were at once entered into for securing the Wheal Gregory, but the shareholders’ reluctance to pay the necessary calls caused the project to fail.
The doubts cast upon the payability of the Geraldine Mine did not deter the shareholders in that property from entering on a vigorous policy for its development. A smelting plant was purchased in England, and expert officers brought out to direct the mining and smelting. The 80 miles of cartage from Champion Bay to the mine proved a big handicap, and seriously delayed a proper start. The larger company, successfully formed, closed its share-list on December 1, 1851, and in the February following the Governor paid another visit to the district and witnessed the progress made in opening out on the lead and copper discoveries-... As the result of this visit a road was authorized to the new harbour named Port Gregory, whereby cartage to the mine would be reduced to 40 miles. In April the director. Carter, and Habgood visited the mine, and though the smelting plant.
imported per the “Morning Star” months previously, still lay on the beach at Champion Bay awaiting carters, the smelter, Mr. Pearson, and Captain James had pushed matters with energy at the mine itself. Mr. Pearson and Captain James had made bricks, and erected a primitive type of smelter devised on the spot, and calculated to turn out 3J tons of metal weekly. With this plant the first charges of lead ore were run and two bars of pig-lead, each weighing 140 fib., were produced in the directors’ presence. The facility with which this was done encouraged shareholders to hope that, with the installation of the larger equipment, capable of turning out 1,500 tons of pig-lead annually, the venture would be a remunerative one. Thus mining and the production of exportable mineral dates in Western Australia from April, 1852. By what was probably a transcription error, the official records place this beginning of Wes-tralia’s mining history in 1842, or ten years earlier. The error is of little importance locally, but, unfortunately, it has been copied into publications compiled elsewhere and widely circulated in Europe and America.
The copper lode discovered at Geraldine, though fairly rich at surface, did not, unfortunately, hold down below the water level of 16 ft. Some good specimens of ore from it were, however, extracted in time to be sent to the great exhibition at the Crystal Palace in England. Convict labour was by this time obtainable in Western Australia, and eighteen of the convicts were drafted up to Geraldine. Their conduct was not exemplary, and gave considerable trouble to the mine officials. The preliminary mining work had yielded such favourable results, however, that a Mr. Wills, claiming to be agent for the English and European Copper Company, opened negotiations with the directors of the Geraldine Company for a purchase on terms of partnership, which would place considerably more working capital to the company’s credit. The Geraldine shareholders authorized the directors to act, but Mr. Wills’ stay in the colony was not prolonged sufficiently to conclude the bargain. Further calls of £1 per share were made on Geraldine shareholders at intervals and readily responded to, but the glamour of gold discovery in the eastern colonies had by this time completely disorganized the free labour market in all the colonies, Western Australia included. The carting difficulties between Geraldine and the coast was increased, and for a time brought to a standstill by the depredations of the natives, who speared and killed the bullocks used for draught. The military and police protection given by Governor Fitzgerald was regarded as wholly inadequate, and bitter complaints were made on this score during the following winter months.
The subsequent history of the Geraldine mine was a chequered one for several years. Outside influences reacted prejudicially upon the colony to an extent unexampled in the eastern colonies. Mining was not
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immediately sufficiently productive to dispel stagnation, and capital could not accumulate in the country from pastoral effort because of the absence of sufficient grass land. The Geraldine shareholders pluckily paid calls and sunk money in all sorts of projects to overcome natural difficulties, but it was not till June, 1854, that the smelting plant was in a position to do regular work on a commercial scale. The new manager, Captain Evans, was then producing one ton of pig-lead daily from ore assaying 50 per cent, of metal. Further extension of the plant was entered upon and funds readily provided for the purpose.
Meanwhile the pastoral settlements in the Victoria district, as tho territory contiguous to Champion Bay was called, had become successfully established, and much land acquired from the Crown in fee simple at a cheap rate. A spurt was given to mining excitement once more by the display at the Survey Office of a collection of ores of copper and lead brought down from the northern country by Mr. Gregory, but information of locality was withheld at the moment. Messrs.
Shenton and Leake, being among those refused information, created an agitation which led the Government to call for a first, and then a second and fuller report from Mr. Gregory. From this fuller report it appeared that though the largest and best specimens came from the Geraldine neighbourhood, the remainder fully attested that a new mineral area had been discovered at Bowes River—now known as the Northampton mining district. Mr. Gregory, it appears, had found some of these specimens in tho Chapman Valley, near King’s Table Hill, as far back as 1846, but no explanation is given why the discovery was not made public at the time. The land laws, which prescribed the competitive auctioning of ■“mineral land” at that time, were probably the reason of this silence. Presumptive evidence on this point is furnished in Mr. Gregory’s own words, for after describing the Geraldine district specimens, he says of the others: ■'The remainder of the metalliferous specimens (as shown
by the attached labels) are all from lands which are the property of private individuals.”
These private lands in the Victoria district ultimately became the site of much mining activity for copper and lead. In fact, this was the real mining centre of Western Australia until the discovery of a payable goldfield in the Kimberley division twenty-five years later. The high price of copper following on the Crimean War came most opportunely for the mines in the Victoria district, and English capital flowed readily in and worked thorn. But at depths between 200 and 300 ft. the richer ore makes were depleted, and the smallness of the veins, enclosed in intensely hard rock, made following them to greater depth expensive—for these were the days of black powder and hammer and drill work for blasting, and the diamond - drill had not come into regular
use for mine exploration. Northampton had the usual experiences and vicissitudes of a town in a mining centre, but ultimately the rich agricultural soil induced permanent settlement by those who preferred farming to mining. As the mines closed down from one cause and another their history passed almost into oblivion, for the records of the English companies were all in England. Only since the great gold boom of the nineties has any attempt been made to reopen them, and then it was only to obtain the auxiliary help of the lead ore in the smelting of gold ore at Fremantle, which was sent down from the rich mines at Kalgoorlie. Being on private land the mining laws of the State, which compel mineral land to be worked either by the owner or by others willing to work it, do not apply. Only the land purchased since the passing of the Act which reserved all minerals to the Crown from and after January 1, 1899, can be dealt with by direct permission of the Crown. In other cases the private owner alone decides whether his land shall be broken up by the miner’s pick, unless it is in search for the precious metals or for coal, in which case the Government may grant a licence.
rhoto by J. J. Dwyer, great Boulder Gold Mine, Kalgoorlie.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
It will form a fitting conclusion to this long chapter in the early history of Western Australian mining—a chapter which has never before been written—to append hereto the locations purchased as “mineral land” during the early mining days. The particulars are taken from a list recently compiled by Mr. S. Roberts, the Mining Registrar for the State, and kindly placed at the writer’s disposal by Mr. H. S. King, Under-Secretary for Mines.
Date. District. Loca- tion No. Acre- age. Date Sold Price. Purchaser.
1854 Murchison 2 150 25/7/54 £150 ( H. A. Sandford R. M. Habgood
1854 Murchison 4 100 2/10/57 100 j C. Shenton D. Scott
1854 Murchison 5 50 1/11/54 — C. R. Prinsep
1854 Murchison 6 50 1/11/54 — "Geraldine Mining Co.
1855 Murchison 9 50 7/2/55 — C. R. Prinsep
1855 Murchison 10 50 7/2/55 — C. R. Prinsep
1857 Murchison 11 10 7/1/57 — Geraldine Mining Co.
* An application for the full title for this land was made out afresh in the name of Robert Mace Habgood, by order of the Colonial Secretary.
III.—DISCOVERY OF GOLD.
The slow development of the Geraldine Mine and doubts cast on the general prospects of mining in the colony produced a veritable depression in Western Australia in the beginning of 1854. This was accentuated by contrast with the gold-producing regions in the east, and consequent loss of the local population, which took every opportunity to go to the goldfields. It was felt that if Western Australia had a goldfield all would be well for the community as a whole. But for the flock-owners, whose stock had now filled all the available pasture grounds, the outlook was dismal indeed, unless grass lands could be discovered in the interior. Perth and Fremantle needed mining, but York and Northam needed grass lands. Such was the feeling when Governor Fitzgerald was induced to sanction a further expedition into the back country in search of grass, and decided to place the expedition in charge of Mr. Robert Austin. The Northam and York people subscribed a sum of £625, in horses and money, towards the cost of the expedition, and the party took the field from Northam at the end of June. Austin was the surveyor who came out with the Clifton contingent of settlers who took up land at Leschenault. He appears to have been a man with considerable knowledge of minerals and geology, as well as possessed of the faculty of closely observing every feature met with in his journeying. Starting out via Cow-cow-ing Lake he was the first to traverse part of the typical gold-bearing country which extends from the eastern goldfields to the Murchison. His observations were very precise, and had his advice been taken for a further examination of the region of which he just
skirted the edge, it is more than likely that Western Australia would have entered upon her gold-mining history close upon the heels of the great gold booms in Victoria and New South Wales, and nearly half a century of neglect and stagnation would have been saved the colony.
When approaching the country where now is the mining field of Black Range, Austin found the ridges composed of foliated greenstone rock, and in the plains between he noticed that the burrowing animals cast out from their excavations a peculiar white earth resembling limestone, which was perfectly white and soft. “Upon breaking open some of the lumps,” he writes in his journal, “I found the core invariably consisted of a piece of the foliated greenstone of the same kind as the adjacent hills, which appears to corrode or oxidize to this white earth. This peculiarity causes the hills to look like quartz-hills when viewed from a distance, as the exposed rock is very white, and it is only when fractured that the true brilliant green lustre of the stone is developed. The prevailing rocks on the plain were quartz and ironstone, but the soil beneath was rich and deep, and in a favourable climate would most probably be very fertile.” In the above words Austin has lucidly described the rook which contains the typical “lode formations” of Cool-gardie and Kalgoorlie fields. Changing his course more westerly, he approached the ranges near Lake Austin and again came on rocks of different feature from those previously met with. Of one range, about 400 ft. above the plain, which he ascended, he states: “The base of the range was composed of compact variegated crystalline rocks, hard and heavy, and evidently of trap formation, and presenting red, white, and black seams, alternating in nearly parallel lines in flat specimens, and curved in the concentric specimens of the rock. Above this rock there rested other highly crystalline, apparently stratified, rocks of more sombre hue, all rent and piled up together. Upon a close inspection of this rock I found it presented a laminated structure, composed of thin seams of puce-coloured rock of a clayey character, separated by delicate layers of a crystalline substance resembling quartz, and that while the laminse were horizontal the fracture was vertical and at angles of 45 degrees.” Austin had lighted upon the great series of banded “haematite-bearing quartzites” which, containing “jasper” reefs (often phenomenally rich with gold), prevail all over the principal goldfields, and are characteristic of them. His compass was so distinctly affected by the puce-coloured stone, each fragment or splinter of which being a true lodestone (with north and south poles at the ends), that he called the hill Mount Magnet. He was at the moment looking north-ward and westward over one of our largest auriferous areas.
Sighting Lake Austin to the south and struggling
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to make a north-westerly course, Austin during the next 70 miles passed over most likely country for gold. Despite the sufferings of his party, and his daily dying horses, he notes place after place where, if he had had the means, he would have “washed for gold.” He recognized he was but on the fringe of a great gold-bearing region, and that a fertile soil and more open oountry characterized its surface. “We have in this hitherto unexplored and imprudently neglected portion of our territory,” he wrote in his official report to the Government, “probably one of the finest goldfields in the world. I have noted many important facts in support of these opinions, which, if you wish to have laid before you, I shall have much pleasure in submitting for your consideration, as well as for a plan for future operations.”
But Austin’s expedition had been a disastrous one from the point of view of those pastoralists who had subscribed so liberally to its cost. He had not actually seen gold, nor had he found grass nor water. The animals and the bird-life noted by him seemed to the authorities indicative of the Central Australian Desert of Sturt, Eyre, and other explorers, extending right across to Western Australia. A land of stony hills and forest, backed by a high waste of sand and scrub, seemed the justifiable verdict on the Swan River colony. With gloomy forebodings as to the future of their flocks and herds, and with their farmers restricted to very limited areas suitable for grain-growing, the colonists, the British Government, and the outer world in general, regarded Western Australia as almost a useless territory—a veritable Cinderella among her sister colonies of Australia; and it took many years and the indubitable testimony of solid facts and progress to reverse this verdict and remove the reproach.
Meanwhile the search for gold in the known regions near to the settlements took vigorous turns as the facts relating to the occurrences of gold in the eastern colonies became better known and appreciated. Prospecting parties explored the Stirling Range, near Albany, and claimed to have discovered gold in the channel beds of watercourses there. This led to a mild rush, but the excitement was short lived. Next, a big rush took place at Cardup, near the Serpentine River, and the ground was soon honeycombed with diggers’ pits, all producing the shining yellow particles the diggers took for gold, but which the scientists showed later to be only mica in fine scales. That gold did actually exist in the rocks of Western Australia was proved by the discovery of a speck or two in the quartz of the Victoria district, and a geological map of the known parts of the colony, prepared by the Gregorys, encouraged the belief that, inland from Champion Bay, towards the Tallering Peak, the rock formation was favourable to gold occurrence. Austin, as already shown, had gone a step farther, and actually indicated the localities in which (with a
prescience deserving of better recognition) the search would not have been in vain.
Successful diggers returning to their homes in the different colonies were not slow in applying the knowledge they had gained in Victoria. South Australia experienced a gold fever when the alluvial patches in the Echunga district were discovered. In consequence, the South Australian Government secured the services of the Government Geologist of Victoria, Dr. (afterwards Sir) Alfred Selwyn. Dr. Selwyn travelled the whole length of South Australia occupied by the Flinders Ranges, and on the whole his report was encouraging, but not sufficiently specific to direct private enterprise. Mr. Hargreaves, the original discoverer of the New South Wales diggings, was then engaged, and he travelled over nearly the same ground as Selwyn, but his conclusions were adverse as regards any extensive rich auriferous areas in that colony. In 1862 the Western Australian Government offered a reward of £5,000 for the discovery of a payable goldfield within 50 miles of Perth, and this brought Hargreaves into the western colony. His offer to search (for a fee of £500 and expenses) was eagerly accepted, and in the same year he came over and began prospecting. He soon condemned the prescribed reward radius around Perth, but he endorsed Austin’s conclusions that the Murchison country afforded most promise. Seven years later the Government reward was again offered, but this time the area of prospecting was widened to 300 miles from any established port in the colony. The reward was to be payable when 5,000 oz. of gold had been won from the field and exported. The opinions of scientific men like Sir Roderick Murchison and other trained geological observers were by this time beginning to command confidence in the mining world. From being primarily the administrative auxiliary in the classification of mineral land before sale, the geological departments became referees as to where to look for gold mines and for alluvial diggings.
In 1871 the Government of Western Australia stepped into line with the eastern colonies by also creating a geological department. Mr. H. Y. L. Brown, one of the young officers of Dr. Selwyn’s school, was appointed Government Geologist. During three years he made geological excursions which covered all the south-west corner of Australia, from Champion Bay, on the west coast, to Esperance Bay, on the south coast. Practically, Mr. Brown accepted the geological map prepared by the Gregorys, and extended the geological colouring over very little more of the map than they had done. His verdict, in brief, was that only in the Tallering Peak corner of the ancient rock formations was there a reasonable chance for finding gold, and on his advice some expenditure was incurred in making trial at a locality called Peterwangy, a short distance northward of Min-genew, on the track towards Mullewa. Two men, named
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Rownan and Brelsford, were engaged to sink for “any ‘wash’ or gravel beneath the sandstone and grits which overlie the bed rock in the vicinity of Peterwangy,” says Mr. Brown in his report to the Governor. He adds that they “sunk 42 ft. through the overlying sandstone and ironstone without reaching bed rock . . . sinking a
hole at a place where there were quartz leaders associated with decomposed granite and greenstone, and in a drive 12 ft. in from the bottom, striking a quartz reef about 18 in. thick, from the casing of which was obtained two or three fine ‘colours’ of gold. (Samples of gold enclosed.) This is a most important discovery, and indicates the existence of gold in the quartz associated with the greenstone, and also shows where the gold found in the gully below comes from.” The find in the gully was made in the August month previous. The Governor forwarded Mr. Brown’s letter and the sample of gold (consisting of a small nugget and some lesser rounded specks) to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, at that time Lord Kimberley. His Excellency was naturally elated with the promise of the future for the colony, and in his despatch (dated April 25, 1871) he asked Lord Kimberley for any special instructions necessitated by the discovery of a payable goldfield entailing expense in maintaining order and carrying on the machinery of Government in face of what would be, to this small community, a revolution commercially and socially. Lord Kimberley sent an extract of this despatch to the Royal Geographical Society, and replying to Governor Weld gave him a free hand to deal with matters as occasion might require.
This was the first real gold discovery made in Western Australia. Failure of success in following it up was locally ascribed to want of gold-mining experience on the part of skilled labour. All samples of supposed ore to be tested in bulk parcels had to be sent to Victoria for treatment, and many reported finds were therefore neglected because the prospects did not warrant the expense. The Government therefore, in 1873, imported sixteen miners from Ballarat, and erected a small stamp-battery at Fremantle to treat stone which they or others might win. The result was a great failure, and once more the colonists turned their energies to other things. The pastoral occupation of the north-west coast and the discoveries of pearling banks had by this time shown that prosperity was to come to the State from that direction, and when, later, the Kimberley district was explored the future became really bright. For the examination of Kimberley’s mineral resources the position of Government Geologist was again revived, and Mr. Hardman, of the Irish Geological Survey, was appointed. Mr. Hardman’s report was highly favourable, and a further report, made after he had paid a visit to Victoria and compared the rocks there, caused him to predict gold occurrences not only in Kimberley, but also probably in the southwest corner of the colonv as well. Near -Nannup Mr.
Hardman detected tin ore in the river sand, and this clue led ultimately to the discovery of the Greenbushes tinfield. Prospectors later discovered alluvial gold in Kimberley, and 1885 witnessed a real gold rush to Western Australia—gold-seekers flocking in from every colony, even from far-off New Zealand. But the gold-bearing rocks of Kimberley occupy only a limited area, and the alluvial gold in the thin soil was soon worked out. Quartz-reefing companies had meanwhile been energetically floated on the stock exchanges, and much plant sent forward to the field in order to sustain the market boom. The end came sooner than was expected; yet the field is one which may in future carry a fair population when systematic mining is pursued there with sufficient capital to support it.
The disappointed diggers of Kimberley had among them men of sterling grit and with a taste for prospecting explorations. They returned down south overland, and discovered the Pilbara and Murchison goldfields. These discoveries in turn led to other expeditions from Perth, one of which, promoted by Anstey, discovered the Southern Cross field in 1887. Next followed the great discovery of Coolgardie, only to be eclipsed shortly afterwards by the discovery of the still more prolific district of Kalgoorlie. Field after field was brought to knowledge as the prospectors visited in succession every range or swell of country which broke the horizon of interminable saltpans or thick scrub. But for these saltpans the fields could not have been opened up so rapidly as they were. A primitive condensing plant, erected alongside the salt-water wells sunk in the lake beds, furnished the only adequate water supplies for man and beast while traversing this primeval wilderness. However, the road or track once “blazed” was soon thronged with travellers and traffic. The machinery of Government closely followed on the heels of the prospector. The only water supplies obtainable being along the tracks supervised by authority, and easily controlled in the interests of law and order, made the gold-rush of Western Australia a vastly different one in moral phase from the rushes to California and the diggings in New South Wales and Victoria. The gold discoveries in Western Australia happened along in the fullness of time, when experience had been gained how hest to regulate and develop them, and when science and commerce were well fitted to make good the deficiencies of Nature which the pioneers had to contend with. The stories of the discoveries of the different fields have been so often and fully described in the literature of to-day that it would be both tedious and superfluous to repeat them here. At all points the characteristic British pluck and endurance were manifested, and rich as the reward often proved to be, seldom did that reward fall to those who had not fought desperately to win it. The gold discoveries lifted the struggling Cinderella colony to the proud eminence of a princess.
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and when, only a few years later, the other States of Australia united in a Commonwealth special terms were offered to Western Australia to enter the bond. Since that time the farmer has spread into the interior more than half-way to the Kalgoorlie goldfield, and the pas-toralist has gone further onward than the farthest out mining field. Thus has the wilderness been subdued and made blossom to man’s benefit. Nearly 600 miles inland from the coast has the railway followed the miner, and for over 400 miles of this distance does a huge iron pipe convey life-giving water from the reservoir near the coast. The mining industry is first in commercial importance to the State, and supports, directly, a population probably amounting to 70,000 souls.
IV.—MINING AND METALURGICAL DEVELOPMENT.
The mining and metallurgy of gold in Western Australia has reached a point of excellence which to-day has become a world-standard. The early experiences of California and the eastern colonies of Australia were all gained before the gold-miners in the West had serious occupation in gold mining, the extraction of gold from its matrices, or the purification of the metal in order to obtain its highest intrinsic value.
The era of quartz “reefing” had developed. The art of the underground miner had been enormously increased by modern engineering facilities and the use of explosives that were possessed of high shattering power against rocks which almost defied the efforts of the miner in the days when only black gunpowder was available for blasting. Machine rock-drills, which bored the blast holes eight and ten times as fast as the former hammer-and-drill men could proceed, enabled the modern miner to open up his mine rapidly, and to blast down economically the ore in large masses, or gouge out rich veins of small thickness without removing more rock than was necessary to secure room for the worker. Electric firing of the blast
holes up to any number in one simultaneous blast was also at command of the miner, instead of being restricted to separate explosions each controlled by a time-fuse. Liberating, or freeing the gold from its enclosing rock by breaking that rock up to dust, was effected by machinery which either pounded, squeezed, or rubbed the broken stone down to the degree of fineness desired. Collecting the gold by means of mercury, or by converting it into a soluble compound with chlorine or cyanide, and leaching the soluble compound out from the mass by percolating water, had enabled the gold miner to extract such a large percentage of the gold contained originally in the ore that the residues after such treatment were practically valueless. All this could be done so long as the crushed material was so sharp and gritty that it did not pack in a mass impervious to the chemical solutions. The cyanide process just introduced into South Africa on an immense scale had provided a cheap chemical treatment by which even the low residue values in the fine sands, hitherto thrown away as finished with, could
be still further economically pursued. Only the actually inpalp-able slimes and the fine-as-flour gold particles which these slimes entangled resisted treatment by the well-equipped and painstaking gold-minor and miller. It was seldom that such slimes contained high values, and when they did the only effectual treatment for extraction of their precious metal contents was to send them to a smelter. Police escorts, furnished by Government, took charge of the gold and brought it down from the producing districts at a nominal charge per ounce, while branches of the Royal Mint received the gold and for a charge of 3d. per oz. converted the refined metal into coin of the realm, thus securing to the miner the fullest possible commercial return for his labour in winning the gold.
Such was the state of science and commercial mining development when the great gold boom broke in on Western Australia in the early nineties. So long as it was merely alluvial gold in the form of nuggets or dust, or
the coarse and fine gold recovered from the crushing of quartz rock or ironstone in which the gold was imbedded, the digging for or the mining of gold-bearing reefs in Western Australia presented no difficulties unconquered elsewhere. Where gold was discovered most plentifully, however, it generally occurred that water was most scarce, and frequently timber also, which was required for mining supports or for fuel. The high costs for labour and general maintenance prohibited any attempt at a close extraction by means of the usual auxiliary equipments, and so for a while the residues heaps (often containing values up to several pounds per ton) were allowed to accumulate till a more opportune time. A simple stamp-battery was therefore the usual and only equipment provided in the early boom days of the West for extraction of gold. The tailings heaps grew in size as time went on, but the slimes were not considered an asset. At the permanent water level some of the mines showed evidences of a sulphide mineral zone beneath, such as that which in some other mining countries produced a complex ore which required roasting to drive off the sulphur and leave the gold as naked metal ready for collection in mercury. The gold, however, in such mineral was not chemically in combination with the mineral. It was simply fine gold mechanically enclosed in it; its liberation being achieved when the sulphide became oxidized to a fine red rust by the process of roasting. At times the sulphide mineral would yield up its gold to mercury if continuously crushed up with it in a revolving cup or pan while amply supplied with water to keep the mass a mere puddle in consistency. For a while these “grinding pans” promised to meet all requirements wherever they could be effectively installed. Where very rich sulphides, but only in limited quantity, became apparent, the system of concentrating them out of the crushed ore and exporting the concentrate for sale to some smelting works, was manifestly the policy to adopt. Some form of concentrator as an adjunct to the milling or stamping plants was, therefore, the first extension to the western fields of the known systems of dealing with gold ores which are not “free-milling” ores.
The first Westralian mine at which some form of concentration was felt necessary was the Fraser’s Mine at Southern Cross. Strange to say, however, this was not a sulphide problem, but one to deal with an oxidized ore from the shallow depths. The gold which escaped was a very fine powder having a matrix of scheelite or tungstate of lime; this scheelite crushed to very fine gritty powder in the stamper-box, and floated away as a white powder with the slimes ; it did not settle in still water till after very long standing. A suggestion made by the writer of this article to Mr. Nesbit, one of the directors, was to try a concentration by taking advantage of the capillarity, or filtering capacity, of strips of coarse blanket resting on the surface of the running water in
the strakes as the pulp flowed away from the stamper-boxes, and also after it had passed the amalgamating plates. The experiment was signally successful. The blanket strips when saturated with the grit were washed in a tub of water, and the washings collected in this tub assayed nearly 2J oz. per ton. The discovery came too late for adoption at Fraser’s Mine, however, as the scheelite-bearing portion of the lode—its richest part— had by that time become nearly depleted.
It was the want of water which was most acutely felt in the early days of Coolgardie, and at Hannans, as Kal-goorlie was at first called. The earlier fields of Kimberley, Murchison, and Southern Cross were more favourably situated as regards both rainfall and storage facilities, while search for subterranean supplies, were seldom unsuccessful. But these two last and greater fields were situated well inside a region long considered part of a veritable “desert,” being part, in fact, of the region shown in maps of the day as the “Great Australian Desert.” The early mining enterprises gave little warrant for thinking a sufficient supply could be obtained when making the ordinary mining explorations, and the little known geological structure of the country failed to indicate any locality near at hand where a copious supply might be struck by shafts put down solely to search for water. The richness of the oxidized deposits above the scanty waters beneath them would brook no delay to shareholders clamouring for returns from their mines. The Government had pluckily pushed out a railway towards Coolgardie, and long ere it was completed preparations were finished for transporting the stone down to a well-watered district for treatment, and the conveyance of water back by rail to the field for domestic uses. A magnificent battery plant was installed at Seabrook, near Northam, and the. trucks provided were specially designed to carry either water or ore. A triangular or ridge-shaped tank was built along the whole length of these trucks to form its bottom, while the sides ran up at the outer edges as in the case Of ordinary railway trucks. But before this experiment was given a place in actual practice, the Forrest Ministry had announced the policy of supplying the field with the present pipe-service from Mundaring. The Seabrook scheme was therefore strangled at its birth. Work was suspended and the plant dismantled and sold at a ruinous loss to Mr. Vanzetti, the promoter of it.
No sooner was the water difficulty in a fair way to be overcome than a new problem arose at Kalgoorlie field: one concerning which, this time, it was useless to look elsewhere for the benefit of experience. Gold in chemical combination with telluride minerals was discovered to be the chief form of gold occurrence in the Kalgoorlie sulphide zone, and no way for its extraction, other than by the expensive system of smelting, was then known. The lodes in which these telluride ores occurred
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were also of a character quite foreign to mining experience in either America or Australia. They had few of the characteristics of ordinary lodes, or of reefing veins, but appeared mostly as decomposed rocks in a more or less defined channel amid rocks of nearly identical character; the difference being chiefly that one channel contained gold in great quantity while the adjacent rock contained it but sparingly. At many points it was only the assayers’ work which guided the miner in following the course of the supposed main ore channel. Often very rich side ground was thus missed, and only discovered at a much later period in the mine explorations.
In the oxidized zone, or the decomposed rock channels above the water level, much of the gold occurred in secondary veins, composed either of a ferruginous grit or else a bluish-white, watery-looking deposit of colloid silica. Sometimes this silica was translucent and formed elongated runs of chalcedony. At other times the structure was in bands of opaque white chert. Then, again, it would appear as bands of grey hornstone, locally termed “jasper,” which was the general aspect of most of the surface outcroppings. These outcroppings, known as jasper dykes or jasper bars, were usually associated with a lengthened channel of black amorphous graphite, mostly quite soft and earthy, but sometimes so compact and hard as to be termed “natural coke.” When the graphite channel became strongly developed the gold usually disappeared and the rocks took on a green-slaty character, though still a truly plutonic rock as regards composition. Where transverse veins of true white quartz crossed these slate belts the gold often appeared at, or near, the contact edges in coarse lumps, affording magnificent and sensational cabinet specimens. Many mines were floated in the early days on such specimen occurrences, which ultimately proved to be all the gold in the mine*worth extracting. In those portions of the channel which decomposed to a crisp and sometimes to an argillaceous rock, producing much dust when broken and much slime in battery stamping, the gold occurred thickly disseminated in extremely minute scales. These tiny scales curled up like saucers and floated on water when one surface of them got dry or was exposed to the sun. It forms an ideal type of “float-gold,” and though plainly visible in the stone before crushing or when freshly broken from the ore channel, all attempts to save this gold by the usual mill methods proved futile. It escaped with the slimes from the battery, and often made the slimes a fair-grade payable ore by assay percentage could but some method be devised of treating profitably the slimes. To the “dryblower” digger this fine gold was a source of exasperation. Dish prospects of his dust showed splendid stuff to operate upon, but the dusty tailings from his “shaker” and from his “tipping dishes” always held the fine gold still uncaptured. One of the richest occurrences of this nature occurred at
the surface diggings now forming portion of the Kalgurli Mine. The discoverer of the deposit there, Tom McLeay, many times refused the pressing invitation of speculative buyers to “put a price” on his lease. One day, after his usual experience of finding apparently nearly as much gold in the residues as he had won from the primary treatment, he expressed his disgust to a young speculator named Lovely, and offered to sell at a price before discussed. Lovely had previously made a quiet assay of McLeay’s residues, and found them worth £27 per ton! Needless to say the bargain was closed with very promptly, and the Kalgurli Company floated in London at a big figure.
This fine gold when seen in the wash-dish of the prospector has a peculiar and characteristic appearance. The writer, in a description of it published in the Adelaide Press, dubbed it, for want of a better term to distinguish it, “mustard” gold, and the lode channels in which the ore occurred he characterized as “lode-formations.” Both terms supplied a public want at that time, and became so generally adopted that they are now stably fixed in the mining terminology of Australia and America. Though unknown at the time, the origin of the “mustard” gold is due to the decomposition or oxidation of telluride of gold. When, therefore, the problem of dealing with the mustard gold slimes had been solved, the road for a successful treatment—till then impracticable—of the telluride minerals from the sulphide zone at Kalgoorlie was equally plainly indicated. Prior to the successful slimes-treatment an attempt at collective treatment of the ore itself by a dry process had been made at the Brown Hill Mine. The process was, in brief, the passing of the ore (very finely crushed) along a series of continually broadening air passages, with box receptacles in the floor of each air passage. By this system the gold and heaviest minerals fell out of the current as it slowed down, but as a final exhaust current had to be maintained—however slow the passage of such current might be—there was always a passing out of fine impalpable dust. With this escaping dust went also much of the “mustard” gold, so much, in fact, that the collective treatment of the ore as crushed had to be abandoned as financially prohibitive. Smelting was next tried as a full collective process. The railway having reached Kalgoorlie by that time made the trial a feasible one. The ore could not, of course, be smelted by itself, owing to the small metallic content it held. It had to be smelted along with a rich metallic ore of one of the baser metals, such as lead or copper. The precious metals, when thus collected in alloy with the base metals, had to be separated again from them during another stage of refining : an extra cost which had to be borne by the precious metal recovered by the operations. The ore from Kalgoorlie was therefore exported to South Australia and to New South Wales for smelting with the copper
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ore at Wallaroo or the lead smelters treating the lead ore from the Broken Hill mines. The railway freight was but ^d. per ton per mile, and the freight per steamer to the eastern ports only a further 12s. 6d. per ton. The smelting charges came to but 35s. more, so that the costs due to distance from the place of treatment would at first sight appear to be in no wise prohibitive to the dealing with the rich ores then being mined at Kal-goorlie. But the smelters paid only £4 per ounce for the gold, and for only 95 per cent, of the gold contents in the ore as shown by assay. Only the very richest ore could bear such imposts, and smelting became a: very restricted business in dealing with Kalgoorlie ore.
The successful treatment of the slimes was first achieved by Mr. John Sutherland, then metallurgist to the Lake View Consols Mine, and afterwards manager of the Golden Horseshoe Mine. Mr. Sutherland had been an assistant metallurgist at the Broken Hill Mine before coming to Western Australia. At Broken Hill the treatment by wet process of low-grade lead ores, containing considerable silver, necessitated a filter-press to collect the precipitate and fit it for smelting as ore. The value of the Broken Hill product so obtained was hardly greater than the gold contained in the richer slimes at-Kalgoorlie. It thus occurred to Mr. Sutherland that if a solvent process could be successfully used with silver ores at Broken Hill with the adjunct of a filter-press, a similar application of the press might be applied to Kal-goorlie finely crushed or slimed ores after their treatment in cyanide solution. A Johnstone filter-press; was procured and the trial made. It was a great success. The total sliming of all the telluride ores was at onco advocated as the future system of Kalgoorlie ore treatment, while the filter-pressing of cyanided slimes could be applied to residues at every field in the State.
The first preliminary to treatment of the telluride— or, rather, sulpho-telluride ore—was to oxidize it by roasting. But this roasting was not such a simple affair as it was found to be when dealing with the ordinary sulphide ores pure and simple. The minutiae of telluride-ore roasting took a long time to perfect, and meanwhile the rich oxidized ores in the larger mines were approaching exhaustion from the large inroads made into them monthly. The Great Boulder Company arranged with an American expert, named Koneman, to make working trials of his system for comprehensive treatment on a cheap scale of complex sulphide ores combined with cyaniding and filter-pressing. Koneman’s efforts failed, but his attempt revealed the true lines on which the comprehensive treatment should be done at Kalgoorlie. While the treatment plants were being erected and the systems to be operated were still in the experimental stage, some wonderfully rich bonanzas of telluride ore occurred in several of the mines. The impatience of speculators and market investors compelled a resumption
of smelting exports, and for six months the world was amazed to see mines at Kalgoorlie producing from half a ton to over a ton of gold per month from single mines. The consequence was a disastrous boom, which, after assuming colossal dimensions, burst with an aftermath which is still felt. It did irreparable harm to mining in this State, but fortunately the permanent character of the goldfields in Western Australia was by that time securely established.
The first furnaces erected at Kalgoorlie for roasting the tellurides were failures. The system, so simple in theory, met with unexpected difficulties in practice. Experience had to be gained by degrees; step by step, in fact. To ensure a good roast the ore had to be crushed to a very fine degree, a large proportion of dust as fine as flour being produced in the operation. This dust was not sharp or gritty as expected, but smooth and almost unctuous when rubbed between the fingers. Ball mills— i.e., revolving horizontal cylinders containing a number of loose iron balls free to mix among the stones of ore, and by rubbing contact wear down the stones to continually smaller pieces till they become mere particles— was the type of crushing plant first installed. The Pearce-Richards type of vertical furnace, then so successfully in use at the Mount Morgan Mine in Queensland, was the type of roaster first to come into operation on the field. It was erected at the Great Boulder Main Reef Mine, and consisted of a high narrow tower with sloping shelves or ledges arranged in series all the way down from the top. But the fine dust lodged on these sloping shelves, and refused to run off lower by gravitation. The masses thus collected grew higher and higher, until at length the ascending hot draught was effectually checked. This was an unlooked-for development, and proof that whatever type of roaster-furnace was to be adopted must provide for pushing or “rabbling” the ore through the hot current of air. Free falling through the air current in a revolving cylinder of Bruckner’s type was meanwhile being tried on a small scale at the Associated Mine, but the product was so slowly produced and so imperfectly done as a whole that this type was early recognized as unsuited to the local conditions. The wealthy Lake View Consols Mine, having controllers in London who were conversant with the latest American furnace improvements, erected two huge furnaces of the Ropp “straight-line” type, and shortly before they were completed the Associated Mine was also being equipped with four of these mammoth structures. The South Kalgurli Company also started to erect a Brown’s straight-line furnace, which was a modification of the Ropp type. Ghastly failure in each case attended the attempt to operate with these furnaces. The chairman of the Associated Company told shareholders that £100,000 in bank notes taken from their cash and deliberately burnt to waste would have been a better financial gain to the
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company than the installation they had put up at Kal-goorlie. A certain proportion of the gold in the tel-luride ore was extracted by the treatment adopted, but at an enormous cost and the prohibitive production of rich residues which must be again treated in future.
While the roasting problem was vexing the souls of the Kalgoorlie metallurgists, a new and unexpected trouble arose in the cyanide treatment of the roasted ore. While under treatment in the vats the fine ore set hard and compact, and in those cases where the treatment had been prolonged for two or three weeks the vats could only be emptied after blasting charges had been used to break up the cemented material. Investigation showed that sulphate of lime had formed in the vat; the ore as broken in the mine containing from 8 to 12 per cent, of cal cite in its composition. In the roasting of the ore this calcite was burnt to quicklime, while a certain
classification of the ground product for subsequent treatment with cyanide became the policy of Kalgoorlie mine managers as soon as a satisfactory solution of the roasting process was achieved. A suitable furnace was at length devised by Edwards at Bendigo, in Victoria. It is a long iron-framed, horizontally-pivoted tube, which can be tilted to the angle indicated by working trials. The ore is stirred about during its passage through the furnace by water-jacketted iron rabbles. Manager Hamilton, of the Great Boulder Mine, utilizing Kone-man’s old plant with modifications, and using an Edwards’ furnace for roasting, first achieved commercial success with this now world-recognized Kalgoorlie method of treating sulpho-telluride ores. Still, though the success then achieved was great, the value of the residues, due to unavoidable incompleteness of the roast, prohibited throwing them away, and great heaps of tailings
Photo by J. J. Dwyer.
Great Boulder Perseverance Gold Mine, Kalgoorlie.
percentage of the sulphide ore always escaped roasting to the full stage of oxidation. When covered with liquid in the cyaniding vats the quicklime and the iron sulphates reacted on each other, and aided also by dry sulphate of lime formed by the reaction of sulphur and lime in the furnaces, produced the compacting of the mass of charged ore. A further complication in the proposed method of direct cyanide treatment was the presence of much free gold in coarse particles occurring in the mine along with the sulpho-telluride minerals. A separation of this free gold by the ordinary amalgamation process is easily done, and, as the slimes had proved amenable to filter-press treatment, the way to deal with Kalgoorlie telluride ores was plainly a process which should combine both systems as first conceived by Kone-man. Stamping and grinding with mercury and
began to mount skywards on the principal mines to a significant extent.
It was at this point that the march of chemical science came to the aid of Kalgoorlie’s mill-men. Cyanide of potassium is a very slow solvent of gold, and needs to be both fresh and vigorous in itself, to be well aerated, and kept continually supplied with oxygen, and to have a clean metallic surface to attack. When in contact with gold the gold displaces a part of the potassium, which displaced portion forms in the liquid a solution of caustic potash. This caustic-potash solution, when in contact with gold, prevents any further action of the cyanide; its removal or neutralization is therefore necessary for the attack on the gold particle or film to go on continuously. The depth into a rock-fragment to which the cyanide will effectually pursue a minutely thin gold vein
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or speck is a matter easy of conception. The little cave formed by some gold being removed becomes finally saturated with the caustic solution, unless a very complete agitation or turning over of the fragment permits of a clean wash out from the little cave or cleft. The presence of bromine added to the cyanide solution caused bromide of potassium to be formed with the liberated caustic potash, and thus enabled the cyanide attack to go on wherever the gold film or pellicle could be followed by the solution. The bromide mixture also provided the oxygen required, and thus fulfilled the function for which bleaching powder had previously been added. This discovery, being a patent process, was not generally adopted at first, nor was there a convenient method of adding the bromine immediately devised to meet all conditions of working. The system of agitating, by which the pulp in the vats was continually turned over by means of revolving arms furnished with baffle-blades, was therefore long relied upon to complete the cyanide attack on the fine ore particles. Except in very special cases, some eight hours of this slow stirring brought about the desired result. The special cases arose, however, when the ore contained some telluride ore not completely “dead-roasted.” This ‘partially - oxidized mineral succumbed to the bromo-cyanide treatment, and the preparation of the bromine as bromo-cyanide before charging the cyanide solution with it furnished the metallurgists with a powerful agent too potent to be further neglected. On all the Kalgoorlie mines where telluride occurs in appreciable amount the bromo-cyanide system is now adopted. Briefly summarized, the Kalgoorlie practice of to-day combines the old amalgamating system used for free-milling ore, along with the comprehensive plan of reduction to slime or fine powder of all the body of ore treated. The separation of the solution from the slimy pulp is effected by filtration, either by the direct action of compressed air, or by the more recently-devised system of vacuum filtration. This latter system admits of conducting the whole operation with much smaller plant and area occupied, and the economy in working is very pronounced.
Outside of the Kalgoorlie field the metallurgical problems have been due rather to poverty of the ore in gold contents than in difficulties due to complexity of chemical composition. By a fortunate coincidence, the mining centres at which much ore is required to be roasted are the districts where Nature has been most lavish in providing forest timber for fuel. Hundreds of miles, in the aggregate, of light and cheaply constructed tramlines have been run through the forests to supply the insatiable demands of the roasting furnaces. The great water-supply scheme, by which water for domestic and metallurgical purposes—and to some extent for irrigation also—is pumped from Mundaring dam, near the coast, 370 miles away, has solved once for all the
water question, which so impeded progress of the great field in the early days. Railway facilities made smelting practicable so long as the ore was extremely rich, but only the highest grade ore would pay the working. Eor this cause a lead-smelting works was erected at Fremantle, and the lead lodes near Northampton were again exploited in view of the lead requirements for smelting with the gold ores. It was a costly failure, as supplies of both the rich gold ore and of lead ore fell off after a year or two. The works now stand idly overlooking the jetty at Owens anchorage, four miles south of- Fremantle. The establishment ef the Perth branch of the Royal Mint has been of untold advantage to the gold-mining industry of the colony, though some of the companies that pay their dividends in London still ship to England the amount of bullion necessary for disbursement at that end. The bullion is conveyed by ocean liners at a freight charge of |d. per oz. The gold produced in the State from the treatment of the base-metal ores is relatively unimportant. In the copper-ore smelting at Phillips River, the gold present in the ore was sufficient to command separate accounting in the purchases of the copper ore by the smelter, and some gold is invariably found with the copper, lead, and antimonial ores which occur here and there throughout the goldfields regions. At Wiluna, the furthest out mining centre of the Murchison region, the antimony occurs so plentifully in the gold ore that it is now seriously under consideration to smelt the ore so as to collect the gold in the antimony regulus, and thus avoid the roasting and cyaniding process altogether. Experiments on a moderate working scale show the method to be practicable. Volatilization of the gold and collecting it when condensed in a receptacle specially devised for the purpose is also proposed to be tried at Wiluna mines.
The actual mining practice in Western Australia has developed consistently and progressively along the modern lines combining the greatest efficiency with economy. Only one large mine (the Cosmopolitan Mine at Niagara, about 140 miles north of Kalgoorlie) has called for pumping power to an extent which justifies the appellation of a wet mine. As a general rule, indeed, the mines of the State would really be benefited by a more abundant supply of water in the strata. The deepest mine in the State is at present the Great Boulder, which is down to 2,800 ft. from the surface and nearly 1,600 ft. below the level of the sea. The extreme age of the rock strata has caused the rock to be much cooler than those usually met with in the deep mines of the world where the strata is of younger age, and as a consequence of this cooling the temperature in the bottom of the deep mines of this State has not yer called for cool artificial ventilation except under special circumstances at particular points. Natural ventilation is the general rule, and is found to meet all requirements. For exploring the ground ahead, or in the lateral areas outside of
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the working areas, the diamond drill is largely used. This system has been of great advantage on the whole, but owing to the lode channels being sometimes obscurely indicated—even when close to big ore bonanzas—too much faith must not be given to the drill’s evidence when such evidence is merely negative. It is under such circumstances that the quartz-reefing experiences of miners fail when applied to the “lode-formations” at Kal-goorlie. It is an illustration of the refinement to which systematic organized work has been developed at Kal-goorlie that the whole cost of opening up, winning, and treating ore, and realization of the bullion, does not average £1 per ton. Ore broken during exploring work must be hoisted out of the way, whatever its grade, and if the grade is equal to 3 dwt., or, say, not less than 12s. per ton, it is hoisted right to surface and tipped to the treatment plant, where it is crushed, roasted, and cyanided. This may be fairly regarded as record practice in treating complex gold ore, and marks most certainly the standard of excellence attained in gold mining in Western Australia.
On account of its bearing on the expansion of the gold-mining industry over wide areas, a word must now be added regarding State batteries and works operated by the State for treating ore won by private labour. Its inception dates back to 1898; a period which marked an interregnum between the excitement and eager mine purchasing following in the wake of the prospectors’ rapid discoveries, and the wild boom of frenzied finance and inflated share values due to the tremendous outputs of gold for half a year previous to the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa. The boom collapsed with the setback of markets synchronizing with the British military reverses, and prospectors who had good discoveries to sell waited in vain for a renewal of activity by agents of London buyers. Many of them had rich ore piles raised and rich stone exposed in their workings below, but this ore was of no value to them as money, while in many cases the ready cash of the discoverers had all been laid out in the pioneering work done. In this dilemma the State came to the aid of the prospector. Batteries were purchased and erected at selected places, with the double object of converting the prospectors’ ore into money and demonstrating to the investing world outside that there were many undeveloped districts worthy of the investments of capital. The first object was attained, but the second aim proved futile and prejudicial to speculation. The capitalist not coming forward, the prospectors had to continue gold production in order to live. Their system, or rather want of system, in working, resulted in all the ore richest and easily obtainable being gouged out and the properties being abandoned when the water level or hard rock was reached. To stimulate further effort the Government then procured Parliamentary authority to grant loans of money to prospectors making further v
exploration work, especially below water level. An expert officer, with the title of State Mining Engineer, was also appointed to advise the Minister for Mines in the granting of the loans. It thus came about that the State battery system, intended first as an aid to prospecting and discovery, developed instead into a system of a direct aid to mining and exploitation of known areas. An immense amount of gold has been added to the annual output of the State from this source, but though the indirect benefit through maintaining workers and their families has been very considerable, it is questionable whether the gain has compensated for the destruction of evidence regarding the original lode outcrop, and whether the proved depletion of what were rich but limited surface shows has not done more to scare capital away instead of attracting it. Some £40,000 a year is now spent in the upkeep of these batteries; and the work is done at charges which meet working expenses, but not plant re-demptionon capital cost. The system has now become definitely established as State policy, and the slimes are paid for at time of crushing. They are then stored until the accumulated heap justifies the erection of a special plant for treating by cyanide and filter-press. Plants for the treatment of tin ore have been similarly provided to enable the diggers of stream tin, or workers on tinstone from a lode, to realize money on their product.
The system of dredging for alluvial gold in dry ground, which has so successfully applied in California, seemed feasible also in this State when the great pipe service of water from the coast reached the eastern goldfields. A dredger was operated for a while at Coolgardie, but the soil had yielded up so much of its contents to the “dry-blowing” of the alluvial diggers that the dredging was unprofitable there and abandoned. The plant has since been transferred to the Greenbushes tinfield, where it is doing payable work in getting alluvial tin ore. Dredging propositions have been mooted in several of the fields, but up to the present no sufficiently promising tract appears to have been located.
V.—PRESENT CONDITION OP MINING OTHER THAN GOLD.
Only one of the present copper mines in Western Australia owes its existence solely to copper ore. This is the Whim Well Copper Mine on the north-west coast. The lode there is a copper deposit of soft kaolinized rock, and no precious metal or ore of lead occurs in association with it. The property is freehold, having been acquired before the passing of the Act which compels mineral land to be worked or thrown open to those willing to work it. The other copper mines are parts of gold-bearing veins in which copper ore largely predominates, especially where cross-veins intersect the original gold lode. Such are the mines in the Phillips River district, on the south
322 THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
coast, and the Eulaminna (formerly the Anaconda) at Murrin Murrin, in the Mount Margaret goldfield. Although much copper has been won from ever^ one of these centres, the present mining position of them calls for notice, chiefly for the metallurgical practice followed in the treatment of the mineral. Where sulphur occurs abundantly with the ore, as at Phillips River, the modern “matte-smelting” process, in which part of the sulphur in the charge acts as fuel of combustion, is adopted. This method, briefly defined, consists of fusing in an air-blast sulphur-iron ore along with copper ore of the oxidized class, either as naturally occurring or artificially prepared by roasting. The sulphur in the fused mass combines with the copper, and continuous addition of further copper ore results in an equivalent portion of the iron becoming oxidized. The resultant sulphide mass can thus be enriched with copper up to any degree required, becoming a “regulus” rich enough for separate treatment on the spot, or for export, as financial considerations may determine. The Government opened up the Phillips River field by installing a matte-smelting plant for treatment of the working leaseholders’ mineral, advancing money against the ore until realization at Home or colonial markets admitted of final adjustment of the proceeds. When by this procedure the extent and nature of the field was fully demonstrated, an English company, which had bought the principal mines in the district, purchased also the Government smelter, and brought abundant capital into the district. The Government at the same time provided railway and shipping facilities, which were urgently needed. So far the operations of the company have not been financially successful, despite enormous expenditure in mine development and the erection of extensive new plant. One reason—and the chief one ascribed by local authorities—for this non-sucoess is that operations were planned on too ambitious a scale. The ore bodies were not of great length, and before ore in sufficient quantity to keep the plant continuously going could be opened up, the necessities of the moment compelled ore-raising under circumstances which sacrificed economy by methods of selective mining, to the making of a large collective output whereby the average grade of the ore was brought very low—too low to be payable. The gold ore bought from the private miners working in the field was smelted with the copper ore and reported as auriferous matter.
At Murrin Murrin the ore mined and treated has been practically all of the oxidized class, and run out to "blister copper” in the one operation.
At Whim Well the ore is carefully sorted after being raised, and is exported to Europe for sale. The results have been highly payable, but, as only the richer grades are shipped, a very large amount of low-grade material has accumulated at the mine, and awaits treatment by some cheap process. This cheap process has, it is
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
believed, been found in the system of “magnetic” concentration, known as the Murex system, which system is in successful operation in Spain. The ore at Whim Well is not in itself magnetic, but is to be made so by mixing it, finely ground, with iron ore. To the mixture, when wetted to a thin pulp, oil is added. The pulp is then caused to flow in a thin stream under a field of magnets. The magnets, by their attractive power on the iron ore, cause the coalesced particles of oil, iron ore, and copper ore to rise bouyantly to the top of the stream, and a bar or scraper, set obliquely to the current, diverts the concentrated magnetic scum into another channel leading to a receiver. The success of this system will mean much for mines in other districts where smelting is inapplicable on account of the cost of fuel and transport.
The tin ore exported from Western Australia has, so far, been almost exclusively derived from the washing of stream-gravel. There are two chief localities where the pursuit of stream-tin has been successfully followed for a number of years past. One is at Greenbushes in the Cape Leeuwin corner of the State, the other is at Pilbara goldfield, on the north-west coast. A new field of some promise has lately been discovered in the Murchison goldfield, westward of Cue. At Greenbushes some “lode-tin” in small quantity is obtained, the Government battery being used for crushing it. At Wodgina, in the Pilbara field, the lodes are large and the alluvial tin scanty. A crushing plant has been installed, but no returns from it have yet been published. The tin ore at Wodgina is accompanied by tantalite in considerable quantities. A few years ago there was a keen demand for this tantalite mineral, and fabulously high prices ruled. It was soon shown that Western Australia was probably the richest country in the world in this mineral, and although the demand does not now admit of profitably working the Wodgina veins, hopes are entertained that the time is not far off when tantalite export will figure largely in the State’s annual statistics.
The tinfields have brought to light several minerals new to science; and all of the tantalite family. A tantalite of antimony occurs at Greenbushes, and was long exported with the tin ore, for which it was mistaken owing to its colour and weight. A radio-active mineral from Wodgina has been named Pilbarite.
Northampton copper mines have not been reopened of late years, but one of the lead properties—the Baddera Mine—is being systematically developed, and small parcels of ore won during this development work are marketed from time to time.
Western Australia has to-day a flourishing coalmining industry. Strange to say, the coalfield was not one known, or even suspected, during the early days of keen search for coal. It is at the Collie River, right in the heart of the region first settled, and was discovered by accident during the early days of the gold boom. The
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
323
coal is not of high class, but is a useful kind. Its development has made Western Australia independent of trusts or monopolies in the eastern States. In general practice it is used on the railways with an admixture of New South Wales coal, the Collie coal being from 50 to 80 per cent, of the mixture, according to the season of
the year when danger from engine-sparks is considerable or negligible. Tlie mail steamers calling at Fremantle take large quantities every voyage, and steamers of other lines do likewise to an extent which is now no inconsiderable bunker trade. The Collie coalfield is not of great area, but the coal seams are very thick and practically inexhaustible.
THE MINERAL INDUSTRY.
By A. Montgomery, M.A., F.G.S., State Mining Engineer.
INTRODUCTORY.
The State of Western Australia, like most of the other States of Australia, mainly owes to mining its rapid development from small beginnings to its present state of prosperity and importance. Prior to the discovery of gold the population was small and industrial progress very slow, but with the great stimulus to settlement given by the opening of its goldfields, the State commenced at once to come into prominence and to make rapid progress not only in miner al production but even more by way of permanent land settlement.
Even yet minerals constitute nearly one-half of the value of the total production of the State, and though the mineral production has been falling off for various reasons since 1903, while agricultural and pastoral production is rapidly increasing, there is such an immense area of mineral-bearing country in the State that the produce of its mines must long remain of vast importance to it and form a very large factor in its industrial welfare.
AREA AND CLIMATE.
The State covers the vast area of 975,920 square miles, of which the proclaimed goldfields comprise over a third, viz., 330,107 square miles. It extends over twenty-one degrees of latitude, from 14° to 35° south, thus having its northern portion well within the tropics v2
and its southern parts approaching the cooler regions of the temperate zone. There is, therefore, a considerable range of climate in the different parts of the State. There is a good rainfall along most of the west coast,
averaging 30 to 40 in. annually, but it decreases going inland, and on about 57 per cent, of the area of the State the rainfall is under 10 in. per annum, sub arid conditions prevailing, and the provision of permanent supplies of fresh water being a first necessity of settlement. In the summer months the shade temperature often rises to over 100° F., and in the tropical parts of the country there is naturally a high average annual temperature, but south of the tropics the climate for the greater part of the year though warm is not by any means excessively hot, and in winter it is often fairly cold, frosts at night being not uncommon. The atmosphere being generally dry higher temperatures are endurable without discomfort than in more humid regions. On the whole the climate of sub-tropical Western Australia must be regarded as an exceptionally pleasant one, and even within the tropics Europeans can live and work with much comfort and excellent health.
TOPOGRAPHY OF GOLDFIELDS.
There are no high mountain ranges in Western Australia, the altitude of its highest portion being only
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. Ivanhoe Gold Mine, Kalgoorlie.
about 4,000 ft. Most of the goldfields country consists of extensive plains 1,000 to 1,500 ft. above the sea level and broken by frequent low ridges and island-like low hills. Over the main portion of the central and eastern goldfields there are very few outstanding ranges of hills of any large size, but from Peak Hill northwards the country becomes much more hilly, and distinct mountains of some magnitude are often visible. In the south of the State also there are some fairly high and steep mountain ridges, and along the southern part of the west coast the Darling Range is prominent from the low-lying country at its western foot, though of little importance when viewed from the inland plateau, to the east of which it forms the western edge rather than a distinct mountain range. There are no great mountain ranges in the State sufficient to form a source of permanent rivers, and except in the north-east and southwest regions, where there is a good rainfall, running streams are unknown except during rains.
The interior plateau is very plentifully studded with shallow salt lakes, some of great extent and others quite small, which oollectively cover a great area of country. These lakes occupy the lowest parts of very extensive basins, which may be traced for miles outwards from their margins, gradually rising towards the hilly ridges, and which undoubtedly represent the basins of lakes once much more extensive, of which only the shrunken and dried-up remnants now exist. On the edges of the basins we very often find precipitous escarpment® from 10 to 50 ft. or more in height, locally known as “break-a-ways,” which present all the features characteristic of sea-worn cliffs found on the margin of a shallow sea. When adjacent lake basins are thought of as filled with water up to these “break-a-ways” it is readily seen that many of the lakes would have been united so as almost entirely to cover the greater part of the area of the eastern and central goldfields. At the top of the escarpments we frequently come on small plateaux, often very level, which are relics of an older marine plain, and on these there are frequently sand-dunes, fringing the old lake-basins. The principal topographical features of the goldfields remain therefore as they were left after being shaped by a process of marine erosion by a shallow sea which later rapidly contracted to a series of salt lakes. Since that time arid conditions have prevailed, and there has been little alteration of the features of the landscape as last shaped by the waters. In the ridges the bedrock is nearly always readily visible, and in the plains it is often very shallow or even quite bare, but frequently also it is covered by detrital material to depths up to 50 and 100 ft. or more, showing that older hollows and valleys in the bedrock have been levelled up by water-borne detritus and that there must have been a preceding surface which had been more or less carved and furrowed by erosion. "Deep leads,” some containing
gold, others tin ore, are found in various parte of the country in such furrows in the bedrock underlying the plains, and are best explainable by their having been old watercourses of a period antecedent to the submergence of the land beneath the sea or lakes.
MINING TIMBER AND FUEL SUPPLIES.
In the south-west portion of the State where the rainfall is good there are large forests of heavy timber, but on the goldfields the forest is much lighter, and in the drier parts becomes rather scanty. In the southern portions of the goldfields, however, there are large belts of good eucalyptus timber, fit for mining purposes of support and fuel, and sufficient to meet the needs of the mining industry for a long time to come. In the Murchison and Mount Margaret districts the forest is mostly rather light “mulga,” yielding good firewood and a fair amount of rather small and inferior mining timber. Still further north the country becomes very open, and is covered with grass and spinifex, forming good pastoral country, but is often very deficient in supplies of timber for mining, the trees being confined to small belts along the watercourses. The country is on the whole very easy to traverse, little difficulty being found in taking vehicles across it in any direction without any necessity for forming roads, and this ease of getting about explains the extraordinary way in which the goldfields were over-run by prospectors within the first ten years of the gold discoveries. The easy nature of the country also explains why it has been possible to lay down railways at a cost of from £1,500 to £1,800 per mile of track.
OCCURRENCE OF MINERALS.
Gold and other minerals are found more or less all over the explored portions of Western Australia, the principal metallic minerals being gold, tin ores, copper ores, lead ores, and iron ores, while coal is the most important non-metallic mineral. The metallic minerals occur in very old igneous and sedimentary rocks, the geological age of which is not yet determined beyond that it is pretty certain that most of them are older than the Cambrian period. There is a very complex system of exceedingly ancient metamorphic rocks mingled with igneous intrusives, many of which have become converted into schists, and which may be roughly grouped together as the auriferous greenstones. Breaking through these there are great granitic intrusions, which, in turn, have been pierced by later dykes, both acidic and basic, of different ages. In this great series of old rocks there are doubtless both sedimentary and igneous products of many different ages, the relations of which to one another have not yet been worked out. Lying uncon-formably on these oldest rocks we find here and there
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
325
throughout the country small patches of a younger but still extremely old formation of sedimentary slates and schists (known as the Mosquito Creek series), and apparently of later date than these are the fossiliferous Cambrian beds of the northern part of the State. In the north also we have a large development of Devonian rocks, and in the north and west considerable areas of permo-carboniferous strata. In the most southerly of these last the Collie collieries have been opened up. The occurrence of patches of cretaceous marine strata and tertiary to recent limestones in widely-separated parts of the State shows that much subsidence and elevation of the country must have gone on since the coal measures were laid down. Except for coal, phosphate rock, gypsum, salt, bauxite, and some few other minerals, and when considering the distribution o’f alluvial gold and tin ore, we may put to one side, from a mining point of view, all the country occupied by the strata of later date than the Devonian period.
In the Devonian system we have a very interesting series of auriferous conglomerates (the Nulla-gine conglomerates), which are in many respects closely analogous to the “bankets” of South Africa, and it is interesting to note that in these beds the gold is pretty certainly of alluvial origin, derived from the erosion of the underlying Mosquito Creek and auriferous greenstone series, both of which teem with auriferous veins. The Devonian and later strata are comparatively little crumpled by orogenic movements, and show little, if any, evidence of ever being penetrated by mineral veins, and it seems very clear that the period of formation of the mineral veins in the older rocks was long anterior to the Devonian, and probably also to the Cambrian, period. All the pre-Cambrian strata, whether igneous or sedimentary, are greatly plicated and contorted, the axes of folding running north-north-westerly in the southern part of the State and north-easterly in the northern, conformably with the general direction of the western coastline. The
complex of ancient intrusive and metamorphic rocks in which the mineral veins occur, and which we now find at surface, were doubtless once deep in the base of a rising region, probably forming a mountain chain like the Swiss Alps or the Cordilleras of South America. There is much reason to regard it as most probable that the quartz veins carrying the gold and minerals were of very deep-seated origin, much of the vein stuff being more or less sheared country rock transmuted into quartz by metasomatic change. Most probably they are the result of pneumatolytic processes operating—very likely more or less in connection with volcanic activity—during the period of mountain-forming movement, which was certainly mainly pre-Devonian and probably pre-Cambrian.
The principal gold discoveries may be arranged in
more or less interrupted parallel patches and zones, whose long axes correspond very much in direction with those of the oldest strata. It is noteworthy that the main granitic areas have so far been found to contain few mineral veins, and that the latter are usually in the greenstone schists and dior-itic intrusives not far from the contacts with the granite. When payable mineral veins have been found in the granite in almost all cases they have been quite close to the greenstone contacts. Many of these contacts have probably been lines of very severe faulting movement, the greenstones along the contact being much sheared and foliated, and the granite being also in some cases converted into schist, which a short distance away soon merges into gneiss and granite.
MINERAL PRODUCTION.
The official records of mineral exports from Western Australia commence in 1850, when a small quantity of lead ore was exported from the Northampton mineral field, and three years later a small amount of copper ore is found among the exports. Ores of these metals continued to be the principal mineral production for manv
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. ioo-Head Stamp Mill, Ivanhoe Gold Mine.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
years, copper mining at Northampton reaching its zenith in 1864 and lead mining in 1877. Exports of gold are first recorded from Kimberley in 1886, followed by Pil-bara and Yilgarn in 1889; Ashburton and Murchison in 1891; Dundas in 1893; Coolgardie in 1894; North Cool-gardie, North-East Coolgardie, and East Coolgardie in 1896; Peak Hill, Yalgoo, East Murchison, Mount Margaret, and Broad Arrow in 1897; Gascoyne and Donnybrook in 1899; and Phillips River in 1902. Exports of tin ore from the Greenbushes mineral field first appear in 1889, and from Pilbara in 1893. Coal is shown for the first time in 1898; mica in 1892; while sundry other minerals, including asbestos, cobalt ore, plumbago, antimony ore, tantalite, scheelite, and wolfram appear in and after 1900.
Table No. 1, from the Annual Report of the Department of Mines, 1911, shows the position of the State of Western Australia as a mineral producer in comparison with the other States of Australasia since the beginning of the century.
Table No. 2, also from the Annual Report of the Department of Mines for 1911, shows the mineral production of the State to end of 1911, as obtained from Customs returns of exports, reports of the gold received at. the Royal Mint in Perth, and producers’ returns. Except for specie and manufactured gold retained in the State practically the whole of the metallic minerals produced are exported, and the export and mint figures are therefore preferred to the producers’ returns, but where the production is largely or entirely consumed in the State, as in the case of coal, limestone, and ironstone, the producers’ returns have been accepted. It may be seen from the table that out of a mineral production valued at £107,566,303 no less than £103,850,487 are due to gold; tin and copper are each approximately £1,000,000 in value, and the production of coal has been steadily increasing.
The relative position of the various States of the Commonwealth as producers of gold is shown in Table No. 3, taken from the Commonwealth Year Book, 1911, which shows also the dates at which each became known to export gold.
For comparison with these figures two more tables are reproduced from the Commonwealth Year Book of 1911 to show by Table No. 4 the world’s gold production, 1897-1910, and the percentage of the total contributed by Australia, and by Table No. 5 the countries which have recently greatly increased their gold production. The rapid falling back in the relative importance of Australia’s production is seen to be due less to the reduction of her own output than to great increases in other parts of the world.
The importance of the mineral production relatively to that of other industries throughout the Commonwealth is well shown by Table No. 6, made up from corresponding tables in the Commonwealth Year Book for 1909 and 1910.
The leading position of the mining industry in Western Australia is shown very prominently by Table No. 6, but its importance to the State is even better seen if the mineral exports are compared with the total exports of the State, which are the goods by the sale of which the community pays for most of its dealings with the external world if purchases from loan moneys are excluded. Table No. 7 shows that the mineral exports have averaged over three-fourths of the total since the beginning of 1900.
Table No. 8, adapted from the Mines Department Annual Report for 1911, gives the names of the various goldfields and mining districts, their areas, and the extent to which they are occupied for mining purposes.
1.
(all Minerals), 1901-1911.
Table No. 1.
Australasian Mineral Production
Year. Western Australia New South Wales. Queensland Victoria. Tasmania. South Australia. New Zealand.
1901 7,439,469 6,006,635 3,107,302 3,254,161 1,675.290 613,930 2,887 498
1902 8,094,617 5,242,342 3,310,600 3,284,008 1,498,283 576,374 3,221,622
1903 8,971,937 6,059,486 3,686,096 3,326,520 1,466,714 572,960 3,041,466
1904 8,686,757 6,402,558 3,704,262 3,332,898 1,411,192 595,751 2,884,774
1905 8,555,635 7,017,940 3 726,275 3,268,982 1,729,129 536,803 3,015,685
1906 7,905,506 8,169,624 4,198,647 3,382,285 2,257,147 977,164 3,297! 731
1907 7,669 467 10,577,378 4,134,686 3,066,585 2,277,159 913,863 2,349,236
1908 7,245,003 8,609,607 3.844,487 2,939,344 1,647,569 457,900 2,282,499
1909 7,056,079 7,635,693 3,656,554 2,873,705 1,574,995 413,390 2,383^650
1910 6,522,263 8,736,469 3,710,222 2,629,361 1,432,193 415,842 2,349,411
1911 6,105,853 9,758,006 3,661,063 2,463,855 1,349,497 450,054 2,569,916
Total 11 years 84,252,586 84,215,738 40,740,194 33,821,704 18,319,168 6,524,031 30,283,488
Average per annum 7,659,326 7,655,976 3,703,654 3,074,700 1,665,379 593,094 2,753,044
Percentage of total 28-3 28 2 13-7 11-3 61 2-2 10-2
Grand total, 11 years ... ... ... ... £298,156,909
„ Annual average ... .. ... ... £27,105,173
Table No. 2
Summary of Mineral Products.
Gold and other Minerals 'produced during 1911, and the Estimated Value thereof, together with a comparison for previous years,
and the Toted Production to date:
1911. 1910. 1909. 1908. Prior to 1908. Total to date.
Description of Mineral. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value.
£ £ £ £ £ £
1. Antimony (Exported) statute tons — — — — — — — — 47 860 47 860
2. Asbestos (Reported) do. — — — — 3 154 40 1,600 — — 43 1,754
3. Coal (Reported i do. 249,890 111,154 262,166 113,699 014,302 90,965 175,248 75,694 1,126,442 542,066 2,028,048 933,578
4. (■Ore (Exported) do. 9,825 33,709 6,309 27,271 6,959 59,541 2,503 29,272 21,996 372,256 47,592 522,049
copper < t Ingot & Matte (Exported) do. 828 44,400 1,281 68,657 833 45,100 479 27,819 5,220 344,491 8,641 530,476
5. Gold (Exported and Minted) fine ounces 1,370,868 5,823,075 1,470,632 6,246,848 1,595,269 6,776,274 1,647,911 6,999,882 18,363,788 78,004.408 24,448,468 103,850,487
6. Ironstone (Reported) statute tons — — 10 12 — — — — 57,820 36,683 57,830 86,695
7. Lead Ore (Exported) do. 1,549 15,002 248 1,433 — — — — 33,644 364,756 35,441 381,191
8. Limestone (Reported) do. — — — — — — — — 93,706 18,290 93,706 18,290
9. Mica (Exported) do. — — — — — — + 10 + 294 — 304
10. Pig Lead (Exported) do. — — — -- — — — — 684 13,306 684 13,306
11. Pyritie Ore (Reported) do. 9,939 3,529 — — — — — — - 9,939 3,529
12. Scheelite (Exported) do. — - — — — — — — 4 140 4 140
13. Silver (Exported) fine ounces 169,043 18,333 176,139 18,777 176,843 18,778 168,455 18,877 1,571,368 192,730 2,261,848 267,495
14. Silver Lead Ore (Exported) statute tons — — — — 211 1,199 518 5,006 211 1,866 940 8,071
15. Tantalite (Exported) do. — — — — — — t 400 18 5,729 18 6,129
16. Tin (Ore and Ingot) .. (Exported) do. 495 55,220 500 45,129 698 62,989 1,093 83,595 8,722 733,644 11,508 980,577
17. Wolfram (Exported) do, 9 826 2 190 1 100 — — ■ — — 12 1,116
18. Zinc (Spelter, etc.) ... (Exported) do. 12 109 12 147 19 244 11 98 73 3,390 127 4,06S
Unenumerated (Exported) — 407 — 100 — 735 — 2,750 — 2,196 — 6,188
Total Values ... — 6,105,853 — 6,522,263 — 7,056,079 — 7,245,003 — 80,637,105 — 107,566303
t Weight not stated.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Table No. 3.
Value of Gold Raised in Australia, 1851 to 1910.
Year. New South Wales. Victoria. Queensland. South Australia. Northern Territory. Western Australia. Tasmania. Common- wealth.
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
1851 ... 468,336 851,596 — — 1,319,932
1852 ... 2,660,946 9,146,140 — — — — 11,807,086
1853 ... 1,781,172 10,976.392 — ■ — 12,757,564
1854 ... 773,209 8,873,932 — 9,647,141
1855 654,594 11,277,152 — 11,931,746
1856 ... 689,174 12,214,976 — 8,800 12,912,950
1857 ... 674,477 11,320,852 — 876 11,996,205
1658 ... 1,104,175 10,384,924 — 2,348 11,491,447
1859 ... 1,259,127 9,394,812 — 730 — . 10,654,669
1860 ... 1,465,373 8,896,276 11,631 — 10,373,280
1861 1,806,171 8,140,692 3,137 — — - 9,950,000
1862 ... 2,467,780 6,920,804 499 12,442 — — — 9,401,525
1863 ... 1,796,170 6,779,276 11,820 — — — — 8,587,266
1864 ... 1,304,926 6,489,788 66,513 — — — — 7,861,227
1865 ... 1,231,243 6,446,216 74,216 — — — — 7,751,675
1866 1,116,404 6,187,792 68,325 — 7,372,521
1867 ... 1,053,578 6,005,784 151,125 — — _ 4,382 7,214,869
1868 994,665 6,739,672 473,956 2,936 — 2,536 8,213,765
1869 ... 974,149 6,179,024 417,681 15,593 — 514 7,586,961
1870 ... 931,016 5,217,216 390,926 24,217 7,475 6,570,849
1871 1,250,485 5,475,768 492,635 6,000 — 14,218 7,239,106
1872 ... 1,644,177 5,325,508 527,365 6,363 16,055 7,519,468
1873 ... 1,396,375 4,681,588 572,996 293 — 18,390 6,669,642
1874 ... 1,041,614 4,390,572 1,082,899 4,175 18,491 6,537,751
1875 ... 877,694 4,273,668 1,196,583 7,034 11,982 6,366,961
1876 613,190 3,855,040 1,140,282 9,888 ' 44,923 5,663,323
1877 ... 471,448 3,238,612 1,043,780 — — 23,289 4,777,129
1878 ... 430,200 3,032,160 1,149,240 1,225 —. 100,000 4,712,825
1879 .. 407,219 3,035,788 1,034,216 90 230,895 4,708,208
1880 .. 444,253 3,316,484 944,869 — 201,297 4,906,903
1881 ... 573,582 3,333,512 957,570 880 111,945 216,901 5,194,390
1882 ... 526,522 3,458,440 785,868 3,080 82,274 187,337 5,043,521
1883 ... 458,530 3,121,012 736,810 10,534 77,195 — 176,442 4,580,523
1884 396,059 3,114,472 1,062,471 15,469 77,935 — 160,404 4,826,810
1885 ... 378,665 2,940,872 1,062,514 18,295 70,414 — 155,309 4,626,069
1886 366,294 2,660,784 1,187,189 32,535 63 139 1,148 117,250 4,428,339
1887 ... 394,579 2,471,004 1,481,990 72,003 68,774 18,517 158,533 4,665,400
1S88 ... 317,241 2,500,104 1,690,477 34,205 34,802 13,273 147,154 4,737,256
1889 ... 434,784 2,459,352 2,695,629 37,305 47,651 58,871 119,703 5,853,295
1890 ... 460,285 2,354,240 2,182,563 20,808 80,769 86,664 75,888 5,261,217
1891 559,231 2,305,596 2,030,312 27,380 98,701 115,182 145,459 5,281,861
1892 575,299 2,617,824 2,164,391 26,097 109,658 226,284 158,917 5,878,470
1893 ... 651,286 2,684,504 2,167,794 12,561 108,130 421,385 141,326 6,186,986
1894 ... 1,156,717 2,867,816 2,330,282 33,401 109,699 787,099 217,024 7,502,038
1895 . . 1,315,929 2,960,344 2,150,561 26,060 102,816 879,748 206,115 7,641,573
1896 1,073,360 3,220,348 2,132,979 14,350 81,210 1,068,808 237,574 7.828,629
1897 1,104,315 3,251,064 2,552,668 39,020 81,210 2,564,977 296,660 9,889,914
1898 1,201,743 3,349,028 2,750,348 10,676 84,789 3,990,698 291,496 11,678,778
1899 . . 1,623,320 3,418,000 2,838,446 15,582 63,565 6,246,732 327,545 14,533,190
1900 1,070,920 3,229,628 2,871,578 14,494 67,988 6,007,610 316,220 13,578,438
1901 737,164 3,102,753 2,541,764 16,613 76,609 7,235,653 295,176 14,005,732
1902 ... 684,970 3,062,028 2,720,512 24,878 70,325 7,947,661 301,573 14,811,947
1903 ... 1,080,029 3,259,482 2,839,801 28,650 61,600 8,770,719 254,403 16,294,684
1904 1,146,109 3,252,045 2,714,934 76,025 3,983 8,424,226 280,015 15,897,337
1905 1,165,013 3,173,744 2,517,295 45,853 30,971 8,305,654 312,380 15,550,910
1906 1,078,866 3,280,478 2,313,464 27,000 54,225 7,622,749 254,963 14,631,745
1907 1,050,730 2,954,617 1,978,938 20,540 21,928 7,210,749 277,607 13,515,109
1908 954,854 2,849,838 1,975,554 12,300 23,943 6,999,882 242,482 13,058,853
1909 869,546 2,778,956 1,935,178 30,206 24,148 6,776,274 190,201 12,604,509
1910 802,211 2,422,745 1,874,955 28,000 21,711 6,246,848 157,370 11,553,840
Total £ 57,991,493 287,523,134 72,099,528 877,810 2,012,107 98,027,411 7,113,874 525,645,357
Table No. 4.
Wobld’s Gold Peoduction, 1897 to 1909.
Year. World’s Production of Gold. Gold produced jn Common wealth . Percentage of Commonwealth on Total.
£ £ %
1897 48,196,000 9,890,000 20 52
1898 68,136,000 11,679,000 20-09
1899 63,016,000 14,533,000 23 06
1900 52,086,000 13,578,000 26-07
1901 53,339,000 14,006,000 26-26
1902 60,619,000 14,812,000 24-43
1903 66,761,000 16,295 000 24-41
Year. World’s Production of Gold. Gold produced in Commonwealth. Percentage of Commonwealth on Total.
£ e %
1904 70,554,000 15,897,000 22-53
1905 76,839,000 15,551,000 20 24
1906 83,180,000 14,632,000 17 59
1907 84,770,000 13,515,000 15-94
1908 90,370,000 13,059,000 14-45
1909 91,910,000 12,605,000 13-71
1910 94,193,000 11,554,000 12-27
Table No. 5.
Increase in Gold Yield, various Countries, 1897 to 1910.
Country. 1897. 1900. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910.
£ £ £ £ £ £
United States ... 11,787,000 16,269,000 18,583,000 19,566,000 20,418,000 19,764,000
Canada 1,240,000 5,742,000 1,725,000 2,025,000 1,930,000 2,098,000
Mexico 2,045,000 1,884,000 3,733,000 4,137,000 4,582,000 4,930,000
Transvaal 11,654,000 1,481,000 27,401,000 29,973,000 30,988,000 31,973,000
Rhodesia 800 308,000 2.179,000 2,5-26,000 2,624,000 2,568,000
Gold Coast 85,000 38,000 1,164,000 1,195,000 979,000 780,000
Madagascar ... 8,500 142,000 267,000 345,000 434,000 434,000
India 1,571,000 1,893,000 2,134,000 2,178,000 2,070,000 2,203,000
Korea ... 208,000 371,000 471,000 480,000 390,000 522,750
Japan 142,000 290,000 396,000 457,000 520,000 518,000
Java 24,000 112,000 479,000 610,000 630,000 723,000
Costa Rica 2,000 31,000 70,000 122,000 116,000 96,000
Table No. 6.
Estimated Value of Production from Industries, 1908 and 1909.
State. Agriculture. Pastoral Dairy, Poultry, and Bee-farming. Forestry and Fisheries. Mining. Manufac- turing (VAL. ADDED IN PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE). Total.
£1,000 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000
1908 New South Wales ... 9,686 22,021 5,425 1,165 8,381 14,053 60,731
1909 New South Wales ... 13,196 23,403 5,377 1,201 7,407 15,013 65,597
1908 Victoria 12,922 6,223 5,346 715 2,963 11,723 39,892
1909 Victoria 12,036 8,546 5,511 742 2,901 12,809 42,545
1908 Queensland 3,462 11,709 2,294 982 3,8-28 3,738 26,013
1909 Queensland 3,485 11,862 2,088 1,036 3,655 4,439 26,565
1908 South Australia 7,119 3,905 1,137 182 528 3,742 16,613
1909 South Australia 7,459 3,263 1,198 193 478 3,877 16,468
1908 Western Australia ... 1,949 2,317 297 1,025 7,245 2,152 14,985
1909 Western Australia ... 2,912 2,792 335 1,066 7,059 2,161 16,325
1908 Tasmania 2,012 1,084 546 217 1,623 1,229 6,711
1909 Tasmania 1,968 998 555 224 1,545 1,719 7,009
1908 Commonwealth 37,150 47,259 15,045 4,286 24,568 36,637 164,945
1909 Commonwealth 41,056 50,864 15,064 4,462 23,045 40,018 174,509
Table No. 7.
Table showing Relation of Mineral Exports from Western Australia to Total Exports.
Year. Total Exports. Mineral Exports (exclusive ofCoal) Total. % Year. Total Exports. Mineral Exports (exclusive ofCoal) Total. %
1900 £ 6,852,054 £ 5,644,460 82-4 1907 £ 9,904,860 £ 7,544,992 76 1
1901 8,515,623 6,920,118 81-3 1908 9,518,020 7,151,317 75-1
1902 9,051,358 10,324,732 7,530,319 8,727,060 83-2 1909 8,860,494 5,906,673 66-7
1903 84-5 1910 8,299,781 4,795,654 57-7
1904 10,271,489 8,625,676 84 0 1911 10,606,863 7,171,638 67-6
1905 1906 9,871,019 9,832,679 7,731,954 7,670,305 78-3 77-0 12 Years 111,908,972 85,320,166 76-2
Table No. 8.
Showing the Names of the Goldfields and Mining Districts of Western Australia, their Area, Number of Leases in Force, Particulars
of Plant, and Number of Men Employed.
Goldfield.
Kimberley
Pilbara...
West Pilbara Ashburton Gascoyne Peak Hill
East Murchison
Murchison
Yalgoo
Mount Margaret ...
North Coolgardie...
Broad Arrow North-East Coolgardie
East Coolgardie
Coolgardie
Yilgarn Dundas Phillips River State generally
Mineral Field Tin—Greenbushes Cue Pilbara Copper—West Pilbara Phillips River Piritic Ore-—Mount Morgans Lead—Northampton Wolfram-Cue
State generally Coal—Collie River Other Mineral Leases
District.
( Marble Bar ( Nullagine
C Lawlers < Wiluna (.Black Range
I Cue Nannine Day Dawn Mount Magnet
( Mount Morgans 3 Mount Malcolm (Mount Margaret Menzies j Ularring j Niagara ' Yerilla
f Kanowna ( Kurnalpi f East Coolgan ( Bulong ( Coolgardie ( Kunanalling
die
Marble Bar Marble Bar
Warden’s
Office.
Hall’s Creek
Marble Bar
Roebourne... Onslow Carnarvon Cue.........
Lawlers
Cue........
Cue........
Menzies
Menzies ...
Coolgardie... Coolgardie ..
Coolgardie...
Coolgardie ..
Coolgardie... Norseman ... Ravensthorpe Perth
Total
Greenbushes
Cue
Marble Rar
Roebourne .,
Ravensthorpe
Menzies
Northampton
Cue
Perth
Collie
Total
Grand Total
Area in Square Miles.
Goldfield.
33,833
32,696
10,843
14,230
5,313
?4,732
28,369
20,650
18,833
44,860
29,936
1,038
20,604
1,800
11,702
13,666
11,430
5,572
3?P,107
39
1,304
230
381,680
District.,
25,809
6,887
9,379 10 496 8,494 8,970 7,050 895 3,735
1,637
3,330
39,893
6,805
6,913
688
15,530
1,094
19,510
810
990
9,384
2,318
Leases in Force.
No
26
14
7
2
50
61
61
127
56
177
49
42
39 34
131
71
64
.42
47
40 117
44
4
179
10
68
31
509
70
26
1
2,199
51
24
12
21
1
88
54
253
2,452
Area in Acres.
277
122
78
30
559 914
1,027
1,923
605
2,350
445
485
500
650
2,415
1,248
897
562
560 573
1,912
555
27
2,596
145
889
462
10,136
862
409
34,219
751
588
497
573
30
48
27,126
1,436
Particulars of Plant.
Milling.
Stamps.
45
60
30
20
50
148
70
115
98
222
65
85
105
57
240
163
140
85 1X2
86 123 143
5
640
20
304
80
125
135
61
3,632
31,049
65,268
____5
3,637
Other
Mills.
6
4
13
6
5
4
2
3
5 2
161
12
4
5 4 1 2
257
15
I
1
10
27
284
Cyaniding.
Leach-
ing
Vats.
20
9
5
8
28
26
60
36
70
27
35
14
20
87
33
84
38
38
32
44
63
200
9
128
47
55
54
12
1,282
1,282
Agi-
tating
Vats.
3
7
18
9
2
9
13
6
32
11
18
7
4
2
3
152
4
11
311
311
Filter
and
Vacuum
Presses.
9
3 7
34
4
5
3
1
7
6
4 2 3
2
-1
133
226
226
Average Number of Men
ENGAGED IN GOLD MINING
Men Employed.
Above
Ground.
34
26
10
22
183
66
354
80
1,033
204
110
22
49
277
241
210
62
83
122
110
112
8
2,422
21
195 65 231 120 53 . 7
6,532
146
1
11
83
128
8
21
2
123
2
525
7,057
Under
Ground.
27
7
17
171
61
543
111
856
212
134
19
34
519
295
277
93
149
171
188
157
9
3,294
28
311
82
227
174
64
•2
8,262
11
13 58 45
14 22
340
1
504
8,766
Diggers.
14
41
16
14 23
2
21
20
16
12
10
78
15 2
14
31 12
6
9
15 29
32 74 21 11 50 21 15
4
634
69
70
139
773
330 THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
331
VALUE OF PRODUCTION PER MAN EMPLOYED.
The mineral industry has on the whole been a very profitable one in Western Australia, not only from the impetus given to settlement and general trade, but also from the very handsome returns which may be shown bo have been earned per man engaged in mining. Dividing the value of all minerals produced, as shown in Table 2 (page 327), by the total number of men recorded as employed in mining both on surface and under-derground, inclusive of alluvial diggers, we get the following results for the last eleven years: —
Table No. 9.
Production of Minerals per Man employed in Mining.
Year Value of Mineral Production. Number of Men EMPLOYED IN Mining. Production per M an EMPLOYED.
£ £
1901 .. 7,439,469 20,895 356
1902 8,094,617 21,210 382
1903 8,971,937 21,606 415
1904 .. 8,686,757 19,615 443
1905 8,555,635 19,342 442
1906 7,905,506 19,429 407
1907 7,669,467 19,113 401
1908 7,245,003 17,266 420
1909 7,056,079 18,336 385
1910 6,522,263 17,711 368
1911 6,105,853 16,596 368
11 years average 7,659,326 19,193 399
DIVIDENDS.
It is in the nature of mining that some mines make very large profits while others are losing concerns, or have great difficulty in making ends meet, and we can only judge if it is a generally profitable industry or not by taking average results over the whole. It is difficult to get accurate data on which to decide the question, as the essential issues from a purely industrial point of view are apt to be obscured by others which relate to quite another matter, the value and profits of mining stocks and shares. As a purely industrial problem the profitableness or otherwise of mining depends upon whether or not there is a surplus of revenue over expenditure sufficient to cover all expenses and to return the capital invested within a reasonable time with interest commensurate with the risks of an admittedly speculative sort of investment. The market value of mining shares, however, depends on popular favour for the time being, and need not necessarily afford any reliable measure of the true value of the mine. Many so-called “losses in mining” are due merely to speculations in the rise and fall of prices of mining shares, in
which luck has run against the person oomplaining of them, and are no fair charge against the industry at all. Many others are due to paying large sums to obtain stock in mining companies whose operations result unsuccessfully, in which case the portion of the subscriber’s money which is actually spent on the mine is a fair charge against it as an industrial proposition, but very commonly much the largest part of his money goes to promoters and vendors who frequently obtain huge sums for the property. Their actual expenditure in prospecting and opening the mine and in obtaining further necessary working capital are a fair charge against the produce of the mine, but the balance of the money paid to them is neither a loss nor a gain to the community as a whole, being merely transferred from the pockets of one set of owners to those of another.
In Western Australia there is a very large number of the smaller mines privately owned by single owners or small parties of men working in partnership whose profits are not declared. It is well known that many such parties have great difficulty in earning a bare livelihood, and that some of them are kept going at the expense of supporters and storekeepers who eventually lose their money, but on the other hand it is equally well known that many such parties have made a good living from their mines and frequently have obtained large profits. The fact that a large number of mines are kept going year after year by the unaided efforts of the men who own them and without assistance of outside capital does much to show that the mining industry gives them as satisfactory results as they have any hope of obtaining in any other line of employment. The high rate of individual production of gold per man employed already shown goes very far to indicate that on the whole the mining industry is a profitable one.
The same conclusion also stands out very clearly when the ratio of dividends to production is taken. Dividends, in normal working of mines, and leaving out such as result from liquidations of concerns which have failed, represent mainly the surplus of profit over and above costs of winning and realizing the mineral, and a high proportion of dividends to production, taken over a term of years, must indicate that the industry is a profitable one unless the dividends are offset by calls, reconstructions, or other new payments from the investors’ capital.
The table following shows the relation between gold-mining dividends declared by companies in Western Australia and the total production from all sources, and also for the last four years only, the relation between those declared by gold-mining companies and their own total production, not inclusive of gold produced by owners who are not registered companies and do not declare their profits as dividends.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Table No. 10.
Gold Mining Dividends in Western Australia. Value of Gold Production and Percentage of Dividends Paid.
Year. Value of Gold Production. Dividends paid by Gold Mining Companies. Dividends % oe Total Production Value op Gold Production by Gold Mining Companies only. Dividends % upon Production by Gold Mining Companies.
£ £ % £ %
Prior to 1902 29,722,650 6,076,857 20'5
1902 7,947,661 1,424,272 18 0
1903 8,770,719 2,024,152 23 1
1904 8,424,226 2,051,797 24-3
1905 8,305,654 2,167,639 26-1
1906 7,622,749 1,993,698 26-1
1907 7,210,749 1,738,163 241 5,722,273 30-4
1908 6,999,882 1,487,317 21-2 5,503,784 27 0
1909 6,776,274 1,359,115 23 0 5,398,725 25-2
1910 . . 6,246,848 1,028,393 16-5 4,815,541 21-4
1911 5,823,075 826,376 14-2 4,628,666 17-9
Total 103,850,487 22,177,779 21-4 *26,068,989 *24-7
♦Five last years only.
Table No. 11.
Dividends Paid by Western Australian Gold-mining Companies during 1911 and Toted to Date.
(Compiled from information supplied by the Government Statistician’s Office and the Chamber of Mines of
Western Australia, Kcdgoorlie.)
Goldfield. Name op Company. Capital. Dividends.
Autho- rized. No. of Shares issued. Par Value of Shares. Paid up to. Paid in 1911. Grand Total paid to end oi 1911.
No. Total Amount.
£ £ s. d. £ 8. d. £ £
Peak Hill Various Companies — 160,666
East Murchison... Black Range G.M. Co , N.L. ... 80,000 72,500 1 0 0 1 0 0 13 35,343 203,842
Do. Other Companies ' — — 133,000
Murchison Black Hill Development Co , Ltd. 35,000 35,000 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 2,350 2,350
Do. Great Fingall Consolidated, Ltd. 125,000 250,000 0 10 0 0 10 0 1 12,500 1,734,375
Do. Other Companies — — — — — 77,945
Mount Margaret Ida H. G.M. Co. Ltd. 80,000 282,361 0 5 0 0 5 0 1 1,765 75,177
Do. Sons of Gwalia, Ltd. 350,000 325,000 1 0 ft 1 0 0 4 81,250 758,801
Do. Sons of Gwalia South G.Ms., Ltd. 50,000 70,000 0 10 0 0 10 0 1 3,500 31,500
Do. Other Companies — 255,418
North Coolgardie Sand Queen G.Ms , Ltd. 15,000 60,000 0 5 0 0 5 0 1 3,000 3,000
Do. Other Companies — — — — — — 440,131
North-East Coolgardie Various Companies — — — — « — — 82,971
East Coolgardie... Associated Northern Blocks (W. A ), Ltd. 350,000 350,000 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 8,750 691,250
Do. Golden Dream G. M. Co , N. L. 12,000 12,000 1 0 0 1 0 0 I 300 300
Do. Golden Ridge G.M. Co , N.L. 50,000 92,705 0 10 0 0 10 0 4 27,812 117,033
Do. Great Boulder Proprietary G Ms., Ltd. 175,000 1,750,000 0 2 0 0 2 0 4 262,500 3,694,300
Do. Ivanhoe Gold Corporation, Ltd. 1,000,000 200,000 5 0 0 5 0 0 4 220,000 2,808,750
Do. Kalgurli G.Ms., Ltd. 120,000 120,000 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 123,000 1,180,500
Do. South Kalgurli G.Ms., Ltd. ... 200,000 200,000 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 20 000 125,000
Do. Other Companies — — — — 9,009,965
Coolgardie Burbanks Main Lode (1904), Ltd. 40,000 176,335 0 4 0 0 4 0 4,306 10,306
Do. Other Companies — — — - — — 323,001
Yilgarn Various Companies — — — — — — 51,078
Dundas Mararoa G.M Co., N.L. 40,000 100,000 0 8 0 0 3 0 4 20,000 60,000
Other Companies — - — — — — 147,000
Total Dividends paid during 1911 ... - — — — — 826,376 —
Total Dividends paid to end of 1911 — — — — — — 22,177,659
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
333
The total capital contributed by companies toward exploiting the mines of Western Australia is not readily estimable, and it would be still more difficult to arrive at any true valuation of the amount actually spent by them on mining work, which is the basis upon which the return made in dividends should be calculated in order to show whether the industry is a payable one. The mines included in Table No. 11 are the largest and most important in the State, and it is quite improbable that the actual expenditure of capital in the other non-paying and extinct mines has exceeded the amount spent in the equipment and development of these large producers. The total amount of dividends paid, £22,177,659 to end of 1911, is almost certainly greatly in excess of the subscribed capital expended in actual mining operations. The Western Australian mining industry accordingly must be regarded as having proved itself on the whole
still exist all over the State very numerous lodes and reefs not yet discovered, and also plentiful shoots of payable ore in lodes which have been partially tried, and that there is more than ever need and scope for active prospecting both in the older fields and in the untried country. There is great need for better organized and more systematic search for minerals than has hitherto been customary, and still more need for sane judgment in opening up and developing any discoveries which are made in order to avoid the evils of undue market excitement and “booming” inflation of share values.
TENURE OF MINING LANDS.
The system of tenure of mineral lands in Western Australia is now mainly as leaseholds from the Crown, under the provisions of the Mining Act, 1904, the older
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. Associated Gold Mines, Kalgoorlie.
a highly payable one, having returned to investors more money than the total they have sunk in mining equipment and development.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW MINERAL DISCOVERIES.
Though mineral discoveries have been made over an immense area of country in Western Australia it needs very little acquaintance with the fields to learn that most of these are still very imperfectly prospected and many promising belts of country have hardly been touched at all. Even in the best-known districts it is only in very rare instances that any sustained attempt has been made to trace the lode-bearing country from the knolls in which the outcrops were found down under the adjacent lacustrine plains. There can be no doubt that there
system of “Miner’s Rights” tenure being now rarely employed for any but temporary holdings. Only a very few mines are on land held as freehold, and no Crown lands are now alienated as mining freeholds. Even on privately-owned land, which is now always sold by the Crown without mineral rights, provision has been made for mining leases to be permitted to be taken up on terms prescribed in the Act, except in the case of some special grants which were alienated with mineral rights before the mineral wealth of the country was fully appreciated, and special provision made for retention of minerals by the State. The main features of the system of tenure are very similar in their working to those obtaining in the other Australasian States, and practically identical with these in essential principles. To persons accustomed to a freehold tenure there often seem to be restrictions and obligations in the Australian
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
system which they anticipate may operate onerously and unsatisfactorily, but in actual practical working there is probably not so much difference as might be expected in the net effect of either system of tenure. While a mine is in active operation it rarely happens that it is a matter of material consequenoe whether the land is held on the freehold or on the leasehold tenure, and when it comes to a standstill there is in practice little, if any, more difficulty in realizing upon the saleable assets in the one case than in the other. It is when an owner wishes to hold ground locked up for speculative purposes, or, as perhaps oftener happens, in order to preserve to himself a mine which has failed until he can dispose of it to advantage or devise means of again operating it, that the freehold tenure becomes most desirable from the owner’s point of view, but there is a great deal also to be said against allowing mineral lands to be locked up for an indefinite length of time. A leasehold system which gives to the owner of a mine which has had to oease working all reasonable time and opportunity for recuperating his resources for another trial at working the mine, or for disposing of his property to any buyer who would be willing to pay a fair value for the work which has been done, leaves little ground for complaint, and, as the law is administered, is in effect the system obtaining throughout the States of Australasia more or less. A recent investigation of this matter in 1907 and 1908 by Special Commissioner A. C. Veatch, of the United States Geological Survey, resulted in the Commissioner reporting strongly in favour of the Australian system of leasehold tenure as against the freehold one of the United States. He was especially complimentary in his references to the Mining Law of Western Australia, which he says has “proved a decided success.” In another reference he describes it as a “wonderfully symmetrical and carefully balanced enactment” which as recently as 1904 has been revised “to meet the practical workaday conditions of a mining region.” On comparison of the terms offered by the various countries which are inviting the aid of capital to develop mining properties it may be claimed confidently that few, if any, give a tenure of mineral lands more favourable to the investor than Western Australia. This subject has been much misunderstood and not uncommonly greatly misrepresented by casual observers and by persons anxious to throw the blame on the mining laws and administration of the State for their own want of success in handling investors’ interests entrusted to their care. An unsuccessful agent can readily find excuses for failure in alleged absurdities, injustices, and follies of the mining laws, but while no claim is made on behalf of these for perfection, and they doubtless are capable of much improvement, the cases are very rare in which such complaints have proved on inquiry to have any solid foundation.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO MINING.
The Government of Western Australia has at all times recognized the importance to the State of the mining industry, and has done a great deal to foster it and encourage its development by means not only of improvement of general public facilities by the establishment of railways, water supplies, roads, stock routes, schools, post, telegraph, and other public offices, but also by more direct assistance by way of the establishment of State batteries and smelting works, schools of mines, and the geological survey, and by direct subsidies and loans in aid of prospecting and mining work under the Mining Development Act, 1902, and special Parliamentary votes granted in aid of mining development.
It is often contended that no active and virile industry should require more assistance from Government than freedom to work out its own destiny without unnecessary interference, and in the main the assistance given to mining by the Western Australian Government has been in the direction of improving the general conditions of working throughout the fields rather than by direct financial help to any individual concerns. The railways which have opened up all the most important goldfields, the roads throughout the country, the large sums spent in sinking wells and making water-supply tanks, and the great Goldfields Water-supply Scheme, are all public works of the greatest assistance to mining, benefiting everyone working mines within their sphere of influence by improving the conditions under which the work has to be carried on, and so lowering the working costs. The Geological Survey and the School of Mines improve the conditions of the industry by supplying scientific knowledge of the country and its mineral deposits and better training for the men who have to operate the mines. In the State Battery System, however, and in the assistance given under the Mining Development Act the Government has deemed it wise to go beyond mere general assistance, and to do something to supply the capital, without the aid of which miners with little or no money of their own are often quite unable to secure means of crushing their ore or furnishing the machinery necessary for opening their mines to any considerable depth.
In times of briskness in mining investment little of this sort of assistance is required from the Government, as mine-owners have small difficulty in getting financial aid from investors, but when for one reason or another mining investment is out of favour, and money is not available for it, the aid of the Government in assisting struggling mine-owners in getting their mines to the point of production becomes of very great value to the industry, and has done much to enable it to live through hard time® in many districts, with the result that several important new mines have been developed.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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THE CHAMBER OP MINES OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA
(INCORPORATED.)
It was not long after the discovery of gold at Cool-^ardie and the commencement of genuine work there that bhe leaseholders and representatives of the mining companies operating in the district decided to combine for bhe protection and advancement of their interests. This combination took the form of a Chamber of Mines and Commerce; it was established in 1895 with the title of “The Coolgardio Chambor of Mines and Commerce.” The first president was Mr. A. E. Morgans, and the first secretary Mr. Eug. Hine. In the following year (1896) the splendid developments in the mines of what is now known as the “Golden Mile” showed beyond doubt that Kalgoorlie was destined rapidly to eclipse the importance of Coolgardie as a gold-mining centre, and in that year the Kalgoorlie Chamber of Mines was inaugurated. A meeting of mine managers and others concerned in the working of gold - mining leases in and about Kalgoorlie was convened by circular on August 15, 1896, and was presided over by Mr.
Harold G. Parsons, the then Mayor of Kalgoorlie, and solicitor for a number of the mining companies interested in the district. At that meeting it was resolved: —
That a Chamber of Mines be formed consisting of managers and leaseholders in the North and .East Coolgardie Goldfields to take into consideration all those things that are at present pressing heavily on the mining community, and to use its influence in obtaining the repeal of several clauses in the Goldfields Act of 1895.
The late Mr. William Oats, a well-known identity on the eastern goldfields for many years, was elected the first president of the Chamber and Mr. II. G. Parsons was elected vice-president. The first executive committee consisted of Messrs. F. Bissenberger, E. S. Rosman, Harry Wilson, Robert Gibson, Richard Hamilton, T. Pierce, T. McClure, Stephen Harris, and T. F. Whit-ford. Mr. L. Cullen acted as secretary, and was formally appointed to the position a month later.
At that stage in the early development of the mining lands there was necessarily an extensive business transacted in the registration of leases and claims, transfers, liens, and other dealings connected with mining tenements. The provisions of the Goldfields Act of 1895 with regard to these matters were considered unduly oppressive and restrictive, and this was the subject to which the newly-formed Chamber actively turned its attention almost at its inception. The membership of the Chamber was at that time purely personal, and the institution was supported by the modest subscription of £4 4s. per annum, contributed in quarterly instalments by the individual members. Even as far back as 1897 the subject of amalgamating the two Chambers was discussed, but
did not reach full fruition until several years later. A Perth Chamber of Mines, established in 1897 (with Mr. E. T. Scam-mell as secretary), and consisting principally of attorneys and legal managers of mining companies, did some useful work, particularly in the dissemination of statistics regarding the gold yield, but it was ultimately seen that the serious and useful work of a Chamber of Mines must necessarily be performed on the mining field, and, consequently, the Perth Chamber very soon outlived its usefulness. Grants of land and liberal assistance from the Government enabled the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie Chambers to erect suitable premises for carrying on their work.
In October, 1897, Mr. Richard Hamilton (General Manager of the Great Boulder Mine) was elected president of the Kalgoorlie Chamber, and the growth and increasing usefulness of that body was coeval with the wonderful development of those gold mines which have since become world-famed for their marvellous wealth of production.
In the year 1900 the first Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act was passed in Western Australia,
836
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
and the growing influence of the Trade Unions in industrial matters made it desirable, and indeed necessary, for the mining employers to come into closer unity; and, after a number of meetings to discuss plans for the fusion of the two Chambers for the purpose of consolidating the work, the amalgamation was effected in the same year and a Chamber of Mines of Western Australia, with a new constitution, was created. The first general meeting of the new Chamber was held in Kalgoorlie on March 11, 1901. The president of the Kalgoorlie Chamber (Mr. Richard Hamilton) was unanimously elected president, and he has continued to fill that office, with great credit to the Chamber, up to the present time. The then president of the Coolgardie Chamber (Mr. W. L. Daniell) was elected one of the vice-presidents—his colleagues being Messrs. W. R. Feldtmann, T. Hewitson, and R. S. Black. The executive council of the new Chamber comprised the following gentlemen: —Messrs. Richard Hamilton, T. Hewitson, W. L. Daniell, J. W. Archibald, W. R. Feldtmann, H. L. Read, Norbert Keenan, A. E. Thomas, R. S. Black, J. W. Sutherland, R. Nicholls, W. H. Rodda, E. D. Cleland, G. W. Hall, and R. B. Gleisberg. Mr. T. Maughan, secretary of the Kalgoorlie Chamber since November, 1899, was appointed general secretary of the Chamber of Mines of Western Australia, which office be retained until 1913.
The objects of the Chamber are briefly: —
1. To protect and promote the mining interests and
industries of the Western Australian goldfields.
2. To consider all questions connected with the min-
ing industry and to promote all public discussion thereon.
3. To promote and oppose legislative and other
measures affecting the mining industry.
4. To collect and circulate statistics and other in-
formation relating to the mining industry.
5. To communicate with and exchange information
upon mining matters with Chambers of Mines or Government Departments of Mines in Western Australia or elsewhere.
6. To establish and maintain libraries and museums
of models, specimens, designs, drawings, and other articles of interest in connection with the mining industry for the use of members.
7. To act as arbitrators in the settlement of any dis-
putes arising out of mining.
8. To start, acquire, print, publish, and circulate, or
otherwise deal with, any newspaper or newspapers or other publications, and generally to carry on the business of newspaper proprietors and general publishers.
9. Generally to do all such other things as may
appear to be incidental or conducive to the attainment of above objects or any one of them.
The membership of the Chamber is limited to persons, firms, and companies interested in the objects of the Chamber, and being the owners of mineral or goldmining leases or claims in Western Australia, or being mining engineers directly concerned with the mining industry of this State, and of associate and honorary members.
The subscriptions of the Chamber are raised by assessment every year on the members, one moiety of the sum being assessed in proportion to the average number of workmen employed by each member during the preceding six months, and the other moiety on the average of the declared value of the monthly production of gold or other metals or minerals from the mine or properties of the members during the preceding six months, with a minimum subscription of £5 5s. Each member may, subject to the approval of the council of the person or persons proposed, nominate, in writing, one representative for every subscription of £5 5s. paid up to £26 5s., and such representatives exercise all the rights of membership. There is a provision which allows any member paying an annual subscription at the rate of not less than £47 5s. to nominate, subject to the approval by the council of the persons proposed, not more than four “supplementary representatives,” without voting power. Subject to election by the council any person may become an associate member of the Chamber, the subscription for such members being £2 2s. for those resident within the State and £1 Is. for those resident outside of Western Australia. The council’s prerogative of electing honorary members is rarely exercised, and is invariably limited to distinguished visitors, or to persons who have rendered special service to the Chamber or the mining industry.
The carrying out of the objects and the control and management of the business of the Chamber is vested in an executive council of fifteen members elected annually by the members of the Chamber, and from the council so elected a president and four vice-presidents are annually selected. Immediately after the annual general meeting in each year, standing committees are appointed by the council, consisting of (a) finance and building committee to look after the finances and property of the Chamber; (b) publications committee to supervise the editing and publishing of the Chamber’s organ (entitled The Monthly Journal, and which is registered as a newspaper) and of any technical publications issued by the Chamber; (c) organization committee to consider legislation affecting the mining industry, industrial matters, and, more particularly, industrial disputes referred to the Court of Arbitration. Not infrequently, however, the council itself determines the action to be taken in industrial matters, and the detail work of preparing evidence devolves on the organization committee and officers of the chamber. All these committees are ancillary to the council, though the publications committee
337
has considerable latitude, and, as a rule, only submits to the council articles of a contentious nature or that may in any way affect the policy of the Chamber
In practice it has been found advisable, when any matter of particular importance crops up that requires special consideration and investigation, to appoint special committees to deal with such subjects as they arise. This relieves the council of much detail work and also makes for expedition. These committees report direct to the council, and the council’s subsequent decisions become the collective views of the Chamber, which are communicated to the Government, the Labour Unions, or other bodies concerned.
The headquarters of the Chamber are situate in Kal-goorlie, where the executive council meets every Tuesday. The State of Western Australia covers a very wide area of auriferous country, and in any district where not less than five members of the Chamber reside, within reasonable distance of one another, it is the custom to appoint a local committee composed of the representatives of such members in the district. These committees appoint their secretary and meet as frequently as may be necessary to deal with matters of local interest and to keep the council advised thereon.
Apart from the specific functions of the publications committee, the Chamber finds it necessary from time to time to communicate to the daily Press its views on topics of mining interest, and such contributions are written by the secretary, under the supervision of what is known as the “editorial committee,” consisting of the president, four vice-presidents, and two members of the executive council of the Chamber. These contributions are mostly in the nature of corrections or refutations of misleading statements made by officials of the Labour Unions, or articles designed to influence public opinion in the interests of the mine-owners. The columns of The Monthly Journal are also largely utilized for that purpose, as a reference to the leading articles will show.
The passing of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1902, and the first mining arbitration case heard in Kalgoorlie that year gave a great stimulus to the organization of the mining employers and brought many accessions to the membership of the Chamber. The Chamber undertakes the conduct of all cases before the Arbitration Court on behalf of its members, and the funds for this purpose are contributed by the members on a per capita basis of men employed.
Through the medium of its Monthly Journal the Chamber publishes a good deal of interesting and valuable statistical matter concerning the operations of the mining companies and the gold production of the State, together with articles, contributed by its members, on topics of technical interest to the members of the mining profession. The Chamber takes a very keen and active interest in all legislation directly or indirectly affecting w
the industry of mining, and is generally regarded by the Government and local governing bodies as the mouthpiece of the mining industry.
Independently of the ordinary functions it exercises in regard to the defence of the mine-owners’ interests in the Arbitration Court, two matters of singular importance may be specially mentioned as showing how the Chamber is serving and protecting the interests of mining. Its vigorous opposition to the extension of the Me A rthur-F orrest cyanide patents saved the gold mines of this State from the payment of many thousands of pounds in royalty; and within the last year it successfully carried to the Privy Council an appeal against the claim of the Government for alleged short-paid dividend duty, and in this instance alone it saved the companies anything from £30,000 to £60,000. At the present time it is interesting itself in the formation of a strong combination to oppose the threatened action of the Moore Filter Company for alleged infringement of their slime-filter patents. Many of the mines in the State are now using the vacuum-filter process, and others will adopt it later on. The amount of money involved in this case will be very large should the Moore Company succeed in establishing its claims for exaction of royalty from all users of the vacuum-filter process.
The Chamber’s membership extends over the whole of the mining districts of the State, from Ravensthorpe in the south to Whim Creek in the north-west and to the eastern and western boundaries of the auriferous areas. It now comprises seventy-nine companies, with 154 representatives, forty-four associate members, and two honorary members. It has an annual income of nearly £4,000.
The following are the officers and committeemen holding office for the year current: —
President—Mr. Richard Hamilton.
Vice-Presidents—Messrs. R. S. Black, W. A. Macleod, R. B. Nicolson, and J. W. Sutherland.
Executive Council—Messrs. R. S. Black, Lloyd Bloxsome, C. E. Crocker, R. Hamilton, A. L. Hay, W. A. Macleod, D. F. McAulay, John Morgan, R. B. Nicolson, E. T. Randall, G. M. Roberts, T. H. Sears, J. W. Sutherland, H. E. Vail, and R. A. Varden; Ex-Officio—Mr. C. H. Nicolson, Chairman, Murchison Local Committee; Mr. William Henderson, Chairman, Norseman Local Committee.
Acting General Secretary—Mr. C. A. Bolton.
Head Office—Chamber of Mines, Kalgoorlie.
The Chamber is perhaps the most highly organized and successfully administered institution of mining employers in Australia, and in that respect comes second only to the Transvaal Chamber of Mines. Unlike the case in such organizations as Chambers of Commerce and Chambers of Manufactures, the interests of its members
338
do not come into conflict or trade competition, this fact probably accounting to a very large extent for the high standard of unity and efficiency it has attained. Its value and importance to the mining industry is appreciated not only by its members, but also by the directors and
shareholders of the numerous Australian, English, and foreign corporations holding interests in Western Australia, and so long as there are mining interests to protect and promote the Chamber will continue to be a very important factor in the industrial life of the country.
RICHARD HAMILTON, J.P., General Manager of the Great Boulder Proprietary Gold Mines, Ltd., was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on April 29, 1855, and is a
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Richard Hamilton.
son of the late Henry West Hamilton. He received his education at the High School in Bendigo and at the School of Mines in that town, afterwards entering upon the mining industry in a crushing mill, where he became conversant with the various details of mining work. Subsequently he acted as assistant to his stepfather, Mr. F. Clark, of Eagle-hawk, in the management of mining properties in the Bendigo district, and in this way obtained a comprehensive knowledge of practical mining. In the early eighties he proceeded to India to undertake the duties of manager of the Honnali Gold Mine, in the State of Mysore, and filled that post for about three years, at the end of which period Mr. Hamilton returned to Victoria, and shortly afterwards received the appointment of manager of the Peel River Proprietary Mine, in New South Wales, which eventually he resigned to devote his attention to the orchard industry in the Goulburn Valley. About a year after starting
this work he accepted the offer of the position of manager to the Canada del Oro Company in Arizona, which owned several groups of copper and silver mines in that State. The offer was conveyed through Mr. W. M. Murray, of Messrs. D. & W. Murray, who was the largest shareholder in the company, and a director in the Peel River Company. In 1895 he was recommended by Mr. Zebina Lane, with whom he had been closely associated as a boy, for the post of general manager of the Great Boulder Proprietary Gold Mines, Ltd., in Western Australia, and acceding to the invitation of the directors assumed his new responsibilities in the next year. The success of this great enterprise under Mr. Hamilton’s supervision is now a matter of history, the mine having been fruitful of more dividends than any other of the great gold-producing propositions of the Western State. Mr. Hamilton is a member of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy of London, a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, and a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers. He is President of the Chamber of Mines of Western Australia, having held this position from the foundation of that body, in which he took a leading part. Apart from his mining interests he holds a stake in the agricultural industry, and owns a property in the Moora district, approximately
5,000 acres, where mixed-farming pursuits are carried on successfully by his eldest son. Rifle shooting has been his chief recreation. He is a member of the local golf and rifle clubs, also of Hannan’s Club, Kal-goorlie, and of the Weld Club, Perth. Mr. Hamilton married in 1886, Kate Muriel, daughter of the late John Hall Clark, railway contractor, late of Warwick, England, and has two sons and one daughter.
RICHARD ARTHUR VARDEN, General Manager of the Great Boulder Perseverance Gold-mining Company, was born at Worcester, England, and educated in his native
place. Subsequently he acquired a comprehensive knowledge of theoretical mining at the Clausthal School of Mines in Germany, where he took the degree of Mining Engineer. Having completed his course at this institution he spent several years in the mining industry in Mexico and the United States of America, and in 1894 came to Western Australia. Here Mr. Varden opened up the Hannan’s Brown Hill and Oroya Links Mine, in the management of which he continued until 1897, when he returned to England. Since that period he has pursued his profession of mining engineer in North and South America, South and West Africa, Siberia, and almost every country in Europe, and in 1910 received the appointment of manager of the Great Boulder Perseverance
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Richard Arthur Varden.
Gold-mining Company in Western Australia, with which he has been identified ever since. Mr. Varden is very keen on all matters pertaining to the mining industry, and is a member of the Council of the Western Australian Chamber of Mines, of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and of the American Institute of Mining Engineers.
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WILLIAM ALEXANDER MACLEOD, general manager in Western Australia for the firm of Messrs. Bewick, Moreing, & Co., mining and consulting engineers, St. George's Terrace, Perth, and at Kalgoorlie, was born near Dunedin, New Zealand, on November 2, 1874, and is a son of the late Donald Macleod, one of the first members of the teaching profession to come to the Dominion from Scotland. Upon completing his collegiate and mining course at the Otago University and School of Mines the subject of our memoir entered upon practical work in the mining industry, and for some considerable time was engaged in underground labour, milling, and cyanid-ing. Subsequently, he was appointed to fill the position of assistant director of the Thames School of Mines, where he took charge of the battery and the departments for assaying and the general experimental treatment of ores. His next appointment was that of director of the provisional mining course in connection with the University of Tasmania, which he held for over a year, from there proceeding to Queensland, where he
Mr. William Alexander Macleod.
spent three years as director of the Government School of Mines at Charters Towers. Mr. Macleod afterwards filled the post of manager of the Brilliant Extended Gold Mine for two years, and for the seven years following on this period undertook the duties of general manager of the same company's mining operations in Queensland, which prospered in a w2
marked degree under his control, the above-mentioned mine, which had hitherto proved a losing proposition, returning a profit of over £150,000. In 1912 the London firm of Bewick, Moreing, & Co., mining engineers, attorneys, consulting engineers, managers of mining companies, etc., offered Mr. Macleod the position of general manager of the Western Australian branch of their business, which he accepted and now holds. Mr. Macleod holds a certificate of service as mine manager issued by the Queensland Government; he is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining Engineers; member of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy of London; and is also a corresponding member of the council of the same body. lie was the first member in Australia and New Zealand to gain the distinction of winning the forty guinea premium offered by the Goldfields Consolidated of South Africa for the best paper of the year on mining engineering, the subject being “Surface Condenser applied to Winding Plant." Among the various positions he has filled may be mentioned that of president of the Charters Towers Technical College, and vice-president of the Hospital Committee of the same town; while in the world of sport he was the life and soul of amateur athletic circles during his stay in Queensland; also finding recreation in his hours of retirement in the perusal of general literature covering a wide range of subjects.
HERBERT EUGENE VAIL, mining engineer, manager of the Lake View and Star Gold Mine, on the “Golden Mile," was born at Forbestown, California, on January 16, 1870, and is a son of Mr. Henry Eugene Vail, a mineowner of that country, who has been personally connected with the gold-mining industry in California and other parts of America during the whole of his life. The subject of this sketch was educated at a High School in his native place, and upon the completion of his scholastic career served a term in underground mining with the object in view of becoming a mining engineer. He also took a practical engineering course and technical training at several centres in California, notably the Gold Bank at Forbestown and the Utica Mine at Angels' Camp, both well known in the history of gold-mining in West
America. He filled the post of underground manager of the Shakespeare Mine for a considerable time, afterwards holding the position of assistant metallurgist on the Utica Mine for nearly three years. Resigning from the latter post he accepted a similar position on the Carson Creek Gold Mine, and from here was appointed to the office of metallurgist and assistant manager of the Eagle-Shawmut Mine, where he remained for seven years. He next accepted
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mb. Herbert Eugene Vail.
the appointment of superintendent of mines in Western Australia for the firm of Messrs. Bewick, Moreing, and Co., which he hold for over five years, and upon the termination of this engagement took a trip to London, from which he returned to take over the management of the Hannan's Star and Boulder Deep Levels, which properties subsequently were amalgamated with the Lake View Consols, forming the present company, for which he has since acted as manager. Mr. Vail is a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy of London, and is also a member of the governing council of the Chamber of Mines of Western Australia, in which body he has displayed the deepest interest since his arrival in this country. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, being a Past Master of the Order, and for purposes of recreation indulges chiefly in golf and motoring. He is also a member of Hannan’s Club, Kalgoorlie.
ASSOCIATED NORTHERN BLOCKS (W.A.) LIMITED. Head Office: 20, Copthall Avenue, London, E.C. General Manager in W.A., G. M. Roberts. This company is an offshoot from The Associated Gold Mines of Western Australia, Limited, and was registered on August 24, 1899, to take over from the parent company the four Kalgoorlie leases known as the Iron Duke, Iron Monarch, Medindie Hill, and Medindie Hill East, each lease comprising 24 acres. The authorized capital is £350,000, in shares of £1 each, all of which capital has been called up. Explorations in the Iron Duke lease early disclosed immense
employing some of its capital in other ventures, the Associated Northern Blocks Company acquired the El Refugio Mine at Zacatecas in Mexico during 1910, which property is being developed and equipped. In Western Australia, also, numerous properties offered to the company have been examined from time to time, and after a lengthened working option a property at Ora Banda, known as the Victorious Leases and situated some 30 miles north-westerly from Kalgoorlie, has lately been acquired. This latest venture has opened up well, and its equipment and working practice may be taken as typical of
lode runs nearly south-east (south, 42° east) and goes down apparently vertical. The average width of the Gimlet South lode is 45 ft., the average width of the Victorious lode is 5 ft. Working the Gimlet South Lode.—The lode formation is of a soft, clayey nature, and much impregnated with oxide of iron and silica. With depth there is a decided increase of the ironstone and silica, and the formation becomes much harder in consequence. At a depth of 240 ft. the water level is reached; the water being, however, strictly within the lode channel only, the enclosing country rock being practically dry. The lode has been
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. Surface View. Associated Northern Blocks, Kalgoorlie.
bodies of very high-grade ore of the complex telluride class. A comprehensive scheme for its development and treatment was entered upon, and, in April, 1903, a subsidiary company (The Northern Blocks Syndicate, Limited) was formed with a nominal capital of £350,000 to take over the three other leases and prospect them. Half the shares in the syndicate were allotted to Associated Northern Blocks’ shareholders at Is. each, the company taking the remainder. The syndicate’s work proved unsuccessful, and voluntary liquidation ensued in 1907. Pursuant to a policy of
the present advanced stage in Western Australian gold mining and milling as adapted to local environment and working conditions. The following brief descriptions of the equipment and working methods employed will be read with interest. MINING and ORE TREATMENT, VICTORIOUS LEASES.—Lodes: —There are two lodes in the Victorious Leases, known respectively as the Gimlet South lode and the Victorious lode. The Gimlet South lode is the main ore body of the mine. It runs on a course 66° east of north, and has a dip to north-north-west of 10°. The Victorious
explored at four levels, the depths being respectively at 110 ft., 182 ft., 252 ft., and 362 ft. Down to the No. 3 level (252 ft.) the ore values average from 16s. to 22s. per ton, but below this depth, i.e., below water level, and at 362 ft. deep the values range higher. In the past development of the mine the usual mining practice has been followed. In the soft clayey material above the 252 level the blasting holes were bored with augurs only. Below this depth and down to the bottom level (362 ft.) the lode material, though still oxidized, is much harder owing to increase of silica and iron,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
341
as previously stated. In this bottom zone rock-drills and hand-drills are used. The development work done on this lode, namely, the drives, crosscuts, rises, and winzes, make an aggregate total of 5,000 ft., the whole of which has been carried through at an average cost of 7s. 3d. per foot. In the harder bottom zone the cost per foot averages 27s., the telescope air-drill being used in the rises there with considerable success. Stoping:—Although the lode is fully 40 ft. in width, the stoping of this wide mass from the No. 1 level, right up to the overlying burden of laterite (ironstone) which covers it at surface, is being done
End Elevation. Showing Drive and Leading Stope Sets; also Pass Logging.
without timber other than that required at the points where the ore shoots are placed. The main drive was first taken along the lode for the whole length of the pay ore (400 ft.), crosscuts made from wall to wall at 50-ft. intervals, and uprises raised to the surface. For a height of 9 ft. the lode was then stoped, the stopos being highly arched, and pillars of ore 12 ft. square left standing in zig-zag rows 15 ft. apart as supports to the roof. The ore thus won cost Is. 7d. per ton, including the shovelling of it into the trucks. From the leading stope thus made, a series of “incline rises” were raised to join the previously-made
vertical rises which lead to the surface. Ore shoots were fixed at the bottom of these inclines, and ladder-ways placed in the vertical rises. A second stope was then made across the lode, leaving a floor of 15 ft. between it and the previous stope, with special precautions that the new pillars of ore left standing as roof supports, were truly vertical over the pillars left in the lower stope. The cost of getting the ore by this second stope was Is. 3d. per
End Elevation. Showing Drive and Leading Stope and Second Stope Sets.
ton. By this system of stoping the surface is approached economically from below, and as the stopes in the lower levels required material for filling them this filling was easily and advantageously procured by removal of the laterite overburden previously mentioned and throwing it down through the passes. By the time, therefore, that this first series of stopes reaches the top of the ore body, the whole of the barren, ironstone burden (varying from 10 ft.
to 35 ft. in thickness) will have been cheaply removed, and the ordinary system of open-cut be advantageously applied to recovery of the pillars and floors of ore left as supports while the stoping was in progress. Stoping Heavy Ground:— Above the Nos. 2 and 3 levels the lode formation is traversed by greasy joints. It is necessary to support this jointed ground with timber firmly footed and rising upward in continuous contact with the roof as the stoping mounts upward. At these levels two main drives were made along the lode channel, one drive being 6 ft. from the footwall and the other drive 6 ft. from the hanging - wall. The ore standing alongside these drives is left intact until such time as the stoping away of the ground above shall be completed. The drives are securely timbered with sets of 10-in. or 12-in. timbers set at 5-ft. intervals, each
Plan Showing Timber in Leading Stope Set; including Pass.
set having 7^-ft. legs and 3J-ft. caps. In addition to the gimlet-wood laths over the caps of these sets there were carried two stringers of 6-in. timber of 7-ft. lengths. These stringers render support to the stope timbers above the drive. Stoping is commenced at the passes. The three sketches, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, show clearly the method of supporting the ground. Fig. 1 shows the manner of carrying forward the leading stope starting from immediately above the roof of the drive. The two legs of 6-in. timber, 8 ft. in length, are fitted to the sill and cap with dowels of J-in. iron, and are 10 clear ft. apart. The laths of gimlet wood above the cap are pitched forward to support the roof as the stope is extended a further 6 ft. along the top of the drive, and then at this distance another set is put in. When a distance of 20 ft. has thus been reached an ore “pass” is
formed with round timber reared to form a hollow pillar 5 ft. square, as shown in the figure. The two topmost logs are of 8-in. timber, each 9 ft. long, and are tightly wedged under the caps to which they reach, thus forming a further strong support to the roof. Fig. 3 shows this arrangement in plan. When the leading stopes are taken the required distance along the top of the drives, and of the full width of 11 ft. throughout, the central block of ore, 20 ft. thick, which stands between them, is stoped across with the usual stope sets, and the cavity filled in or mullocked up. The mullocking is packed right close up to the roof as the centre stopes advance, the mullock being let down through passes placed 50 ft. apart, to which are run connecting incline-rises about 20 ft. in length to permit of distribution of the mullock over the whole area to be filled. To take a second section, or slice, off the lode, a leading stope is again run exactly over the top of the previous one. It is therefore necessary that the sizes and fitting of the set timbers should be absolutely uniform. The only new timber required for this second stope, and succeeding ones above it, will be the legs of each set and the logs for the ore passes. The new legs are dowelled to the top of the old legs and the cap and roof timbers simply lifted from their old sets and fixed over the new one, as seen in Fig. 2. Stoping across the centre block and mullocking then follows as before. The cost of breaking up the ore, timbering stopes, and delivering the ore into the passes amounts at No. 3 level to 2s. 9d. per ton for the leading stope and 2s. 2d. per ton for the succeeding stopes. At No. 2 level the respective costs are 2s. 6d. and Is. 9d. per ton. Working the Victorious Lode:—This 5-ft. ore-channel lies between walls which are full of slickensides, and the ground is very soapy in consequence. The ordinary rill method of stoping is followed, but the rills are kept steep and the stopes short and shallow—40 ft. long and 8 ft. high. These stopes are quickly taken out and mullocked up to within 2 ft. of the back. The rills are sollared with sawn timber, and the ore passes kept empty, to prevent the broken ore blocking on the rill. Light props with head-boards are used to support the walls when necessary. The cost of breaking the ore in this lode averages 3s. 3d. per
ton, the total cost of ore extraction to date being 4s. 5d. per ton. Main Shaft and Equipment:—The shaft is 10 ft. by 4 ft. in the clear. It is divided into three compartments— two for haulage and the third for ladder-way, air-pipes, and water-pipes. The poppet-heads of timber arc 60 ft. high. The hauling engine is of the geared type, cylinder 12 in. in diameter and 24-in. stroke. The two haulage ropes are J-in. steel, each 900 ft. in length. The cages are of the usual pattern, and the ore is brought to the surface in trucks holding 16 cwt. The chairs are suspended from the cage bottoms and travel with them. The mine water makes, at present, about
20,000 gallons daily, and an Austral Otis plunger pump of 50,000 gallons’ daily capacity will deal with it. The water contains. 4 per cent, of solids,
but is quite suitable for ore-milling purposes. Compressed air is provided to work the pump, the compressor being a tandem compound steam and air machine of 10-drill capacity. The multitubular boiler of 160-lb. pressure and 150 horsepower, along with the necessary adjuncts of feed-water heaters, coolers, condensers, etc., complete the shaft plant. The engine-house is 48 ft. by 20 ft. and 22 ft. high. MILLING and ORE TREATMENT.—Breakage and Storage:— The ore trucks, on arriving at surface, have but 6 ft. to travel from the cage to a kick-up tip—one man can thus handle 500 tons per shift. After passing over grizzly screen the coarse ore passes to a rock breaker of the Blake type, made at the
Kalgoorlie foundry. The breaker is 18 in. by 10 in. and driven by a 35-horsepower Tangye suction-gas engine, and runs 250 strokes per minute. The crushed ore then rejoins the fines from the grizzly, and is collected into a 10-ton bin. From this bin a Robin’s belt-conveyer, set at an angle of 20°, conveys it 113 ft. at the rate of 350 ft. per minute to a large storage bin, 60 ft. long, 16 ft. wide, and 30 ft. high, with a sloping bottom. Its capacity is 600 tons, and the structure is of salmon-gum timber double lined with 9-in. by lj-in. planking, cut on the mine from the local forest timber. The bin is fitted with four steel chutes, having rack-and-pinion doors. The ore distribution is made by a 44-in. Robin’s hand-tripper with a double chute. Milling Plant:—There are four Fraser and Chalmers’ 5-ft.
Huntingdon mills of 100 tons capacity each per twenty-four hours. They are fed by four Nelson ore-feeders slightly modified for local use, and driven by a short belt from the mill shafting. The water for crushing purposes is the usual cyanide circulating solution, and is drawn from the circulating-solution tank by a 5-in. main. This tank is on a steel stand, 14 ft. high, and also the pulp thickeners. The product from the mills contains 1 ton of ore to 4 tons of water, and is conveyed by a cement launder in the floor to a pulp well, 7 ft. deep. From this well it is lifted by a duplex ram-pump 55 ft. to the top of a set of separators. Separation, Amalgamation, and Pulp Thickening: — Amalgamation within the
Ridgway Vacuum Filter Press for Separating Gold Solution from Slimes, Victorious Mine, Ora Banda.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
343
Huntingdon mills has not yet been definitely decided upon; but, if adopted, the mercury and amalgamating coming out along with the crushed ore will be caught in the
in the thickener vats are swept by spiral arms to a central cone, from which it is drawn off by a 3-in. pipe into launders which convey it to the agitators. The arms make one
View of Surface Plant, Victorious Mine, Ora Banda.
separators along with the coarse sands. These separators are merely two sets of inverted cones; the full product passing into the smaller cone first, and thence into the larger one. There will be no upward flow of water through these cones, as a small proportion of slimes is not detrimental to further grinding and amalgamation in Wheeler pans, to which the separated sand and amalgam is conveyed by launder. The coarse gold will be collected in these pans, which will not push the grinding to a finer degree than is suitable to the cyaniding process to follow. Pulp Thickeners:—These are four steel vats, each 25 ft. in diameter and 9 ft. in depth; the bottoms of 5-16th in. plates, and the sides of 3-16th in., with a ring of channel-iron around the middle. These vats are in a single row on cast-iron columns, and are 12 ft. above the ground. The overflow from the Wheeler grinding pans and the main body of pulp from the separators are led to a collecting-box standing 4 ft. above the vats to which it is distributed. The vats are fitted with circular launders, which, receiving the clean water overflow, convey it to the vat •containing the circulating cyanide •solution. This inflow enters the solution vat at the top and leaves it at the bottom by a 5-in. pipe, which returns it to the Huntingdon mills to be again used in grinding the ore. The sands and slimes which settle
complete sweep every five minutes. Agitation:—The agitators are of the usual type and fitted with worm driving gear. Each vat is 20 ft. in
Huntingdon Mills, Ore Bins, and Poppet over Main Shaft.
diameter and 6 ft. deep. The arms make seven revolutions per minute. The pulp is discharged through a
6-in. plug-valve, fitted with a long stem to bring the operating whoel in line with the main floor. Filtration: —A 6-in. pipe delivers the pulp from the agitators to a duplex plunger pump, which elevates it to a distributing agitator situated between No. 2 and No. 3 filters. The slime-flow to the filters is regulated automatically while drawing a charge, and between charges is regulated by a thumb-screw regulator worked by hand. There are three filters of Ridgway’s patent reciprocating type, whose capacity on roasted sulphide ore at Kalgoorlie is estimated at 300 tons daily, but with ore from the Victorious Mine, which contains so much clayey matter, the capacity is about 100 tons daily. The main features of these filters comprise two rectangular tanks 11 ft. by 6 ft. and 5 ft. deep, placed 7 ft. apart. An 8-ft. shaft is situated at the centre of these tanks, but considerably above them; it carries two strong arms and two worm wheels 8 ft. in diameter. From the arms on one side is suspended a cast-iron beam-pipe designed to accommodate twenty filter frames, each 5 ft. by 4 ft., and the necessary pipes and fittings of vacuum pump and air pipes. On the other side heavy weights are placed to balance the load. The worm-wheels connect with a driving-shaft by means of worms and bevel gear. This driving-shaft has two driving directions—one forward and the other backward—the speed being adjusted to suit requirements. Under the main 8-in. shaft which carries the frames is an iron chute, and to one side is placed a mixer 8 ft. in diameter and 7 ft. deep. The operations are as follows : —The pulp tank being full to mark the forward drive runs the frames into the pulp; the vacuum valve and float Valve automatically opening at the moment of entry. The vacuum rises steadily to about 20 in., and with roasted sulphide ore a charge of 5 tons of slimes is taken up in four or five minutes. The operator in charge then works the belt striking-gear, and sets the machine going on the fast gear to the wash tank, which takes one minute only to do. It is this rapid means of transferring the cake into the wash-solution that gives the Ridgway filter its wide scope of usefulness, for it is practically impossible to retain the roasted sulphide slime cake in adhesion for longer
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
than sixty seconds without cracks developing in the cake, and cracks would prevent the thorough wash which follows. After five minutes’ wash the machine is revolved to the pulp tank, which takes two minutes. At the end of the first minute the frames arrive directly over the centre of the shaft, and having drained off 70 per cent, of the moisture in this time the vacuum-valve is closed and the air-valve automatically opened. The 3-ton cake then falls off into the chute, and is washed away by a stream of water to the discharge mixer, and then pumped by a duplex 7-in. by 12-in. plunger to the tailings dump. Each
expansion chambers have been discarded owing to the heat of the exhaust gases from the engines being utilized for further power production. The four exhaust pipes are coupled at an angle of 45° into one large pipe securely lagged with asbestos, which leads to the firebox of a locomotive-type boiler of 25 horse-power. In this boiler it is expected to develop approximately 10 horse-power from these waste gases, which power will be used to drive the electric-gas engine by night and the fitting shop by day. The following is a summary of expenditure for month ending March 31, 1913 (9,600 short tons):—
Cost per ton.
£ s. d.
0 4 10'718 Ore extraction ...
0 4 7 925 Ore milling
0 0 10 756 General expenses
0 10 5399
Mine development ...........
Shaft sinking ...
Plant and machinery, including shaft sinking
£ s. d.
£ s. d. 2,348 14 6 2,237 0 1 430 4 5
766 6 3 382 6 3
555 14 1
5,015 19 0
1,704 6 7
Estimated March Bullion = 6,720 5 7
3,496‘45 oz. =3,242''93 oz. au., valued at £13,775 ... £13,775 0 0
Surplus over all expenditure ... ... 7,054 14 5
£13,775 0 0 £13,775 0 0
filter has its separate vacuum-pump, which is placed on the top floor and independent of the other machines. The gold-solution obtained from the filtered slime is delivered against a 6-ft. head into solution storage-tanks above the agitator vats. A steel vat placed immediately above the solution vat is fitted with twenty large filtration frames for clarifying the solutions previous to precipitating the gold. The solution is elevated to it by a centrifugal pump, and the mud caught in both these tanks will gravitate to the agitators. After clarification the solution is led to the extractor-room, where precipitation is effected with zinc shavings in the usual manner. Two Tangye suction-gas engines placed back to back, and each of 108 b.h.p., operate the mill per 14-in. rubber driving-belts. The gas generators, one for each engine, are each of 120 b.h.p., and, singly, can drive both engines for a short time when necessary. They are of the usual construction for operating with charcoal, and have large spark arresters. The gas passes through a coke scrubber and a wood-wool scrubber before entering the engines. The usual
GEORGE MOYSES ROBERTS, the owner of “Teddington” Estate, in the Mount Barker district, is perhaps best known by his association with the mining industry in Western Australia, he having been a prominent figure on the Kalgoorlie fields for very many years. He is the eldest son of Mr. Thomas Roberts, who came to South Australia from Cornwall, England, in the forties and is a colonist of long standing in the Central State. Mr. Thomas Roberts was brought to Australia by his parents in the early forties, the family settling on land near Gawler, and for some time he worked on his father’s farm, but the gold discoveries in the sister State led him to undertake the hazardous overland journey and join in the search for the gleaming metal. He met with indifferent success, and ultimately returned to South Australia, where he secured a property near Clare, in the District of Stanley, and entered upon farming pursuits, in which he continued until 1899, when he relinquished active participation in the affairs of the estate and retired to Adelaide, where he still lives, hale and hearty, in his
eighty-first year (1912). He was elected a member of the Clare Town Council, from which he afterwards retired, and took an active part in promoting interests of the district. The politics of his adopted country have always gained his keen attention, and he is a warm supporter of the Liberal Party. The subject of our notice was educated at home and at the local school, afterwards spending six years on the parental farm. He early displayed a bent for metallurgy and its kindred subjects, and in 1887 he was sent to Ballarat to study at the School of Mines in that city, which he did with brilliant success. Within a year he had secured his certificate in metallurgy, chemistry, and assaying, and was the only one of his class to secure a first-class certificate in mining engineering. He also made rapid progress in the study of mining and railroad surveying, but before the examinations in this subject came to pass, in 1889, he was offered and accepted a position with the Broken Hill Proprietary Company as analytical chemist. Here his abilities found ready scope, and it was not long before he was
Burtletto, Perth.
Mr. George Moyses Roberts.
appointed head of the department, with control over a staff of seventeen. Toward the middle of his seventh year with the company he accepted the post of Manager of the Mainland Consols Mine, on the Murchison, taking up his duties in 1895, in which year he came to this State. Three and a half years later his exceptional work attracted the attention of the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
345
Directors of the Lake View Consols Mine, then at the apex of its career as a gold producer, and he was sent to New South Wales with a power of attorney to watch the company’s interests in the Mother State, and to take charge of the gold extracted from the rich ore sent there for treatment. The onerous post lasted over three months, during which time he was responsible for the safe handling of over a quarter of a million pounds’ worth of refined gold. We next find him filling the position of metallurgist and assistant manager of the Lake View Consols Mine for twelve months, after which he passed to the Great Boulder Proprietary Mine to hold a similar post for four years. He severed his connection with this important company to take over the general management of the Associated Northern Mines, in which position he has continued ever since, also acting as attorney in Western Australia for the company. From 1905 to 1911 his responsibilities were augmented by the management of the Associated Gold Mines, but the severe strain of controlling both properties told on his health, and he abandoned this second post. In addition to the Associated Northern, Mr. Roberts is developing the Victorious Mine at Ora Banda, the property of the same company, where an elaborate plant has been installed for the economical treatment on a large scale of low-grade ores. He was responsible for the plans and erection of many of the modern plants today working on the fields, and in the past his master mind and faculties of organization have been exercised unsparingly in his efforts to maintain the mining industry on a thoroughly sound footing. Mr. Roberts is looked up to as one of the State’s foremost mining experts, and his long services have been recognized by his appointment by the Government to the first Senate of the University of Western Australia, representing the mining interests. He is a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and the Mining and Metallurgical Institute of England, and also a member of the Australian Institute of Mining Engineers. He was the author of an exhaustive article dealing with the sampling of silver-lead bullion, which was read before the former institute, and afterwards published in the journal issued by that society, and also contributed a valuable paper which was published in the monthly journal of
the Chamber of Mines at Kalgoorlie. For upwards of ten years he has been a member of the executive of the latter body, and as a unit of several sub-committees has rendered service of inestimable value to the mining industry. Mr. Roberts’ time is too busily occupied to permit of his devoting much attention to outside matters, but what little leisure he has is given to the superintendence of his “Teddington” Estate in the Mount Barker district, a lengthy description of which appears elsewhere in this volume. His chief recreation comes from motoring, but he is fond of golf, and occasionally plays a few rounds on the Boulder links. Mr. Roberts is a member of Weld Club, Perth, and Hannan’s Club, Kalgoorlie. He married in 1903 Frances C., daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Hewitson, mining engineer, of Victoria and Western Australia, and has a son and a daughter.
The OROYA LINKS MINE, now under the general management of Messrs. Bewick, Moreing, & Co., mining and consulting engineers, St. George’s Terrace, Perth, and Kalgoorlie, consists of several amalgamated leases, chief among which are those of the Golden Links, the Kalgoorlie Amalgamated, and the Oroya Brown Hill leases. These combined claims comprise some 300 acres, situated on the eastern side of the “Golden Mile,” and it was on the Brown Hill lease that the famous Oroya Pipe was first discovered, this shoot of gold traversing in turn the Hannan’s Brown Hill, the Associated Northern, and the Oroya North Block Leases. The reduction plant is placed on the Hannan’s Brown Hill lease, and consists of 50 head of stamps with tube mills, capable of treating some
12,000 tons monthly. The gold recovered from these leases up to the middle of 1912 amounted to 1,242,464 oz. from 1,366,036 tons of ore. PATRICK FITZGERALD, manager of the Oroya Links Goldmining Company, Kalgoorlie, was born at Otago, New Zealand, on March 21, 1870, and is a son of Mr. W. S. FitzGerald, late Inspector of Public Schools at that place. He received his primary education at Dunedin, New Zealand, eventually passing from the Boys’ High School to the Otago University School of Mines, where he made a special study of mining engineering. Upon
leaving this institution as a student he maintained his connection with the school as lecturer on metallurgy and assaying, which post he filled for some considerable time. He then entered upon the active practice of
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Patrick FitzGerald.
his profession, and after spending several years in practical work, first in the Dominion and later in Tasmania, in 1897 he came to Western Australia. Mr. FitzGerald in the first instance accepted the position of metallurgist on the Hannan’s Brown Hill Gold Mine—now the Oroya Links—and upon severing his association with this mine became manager for several propositions in the back country, notably the Vivian and Northern Mines at Lawlers, under the general management of Messrs. Bewick, Moreing, & Co. Discontinuing his service with this company he proceeded to West Africa, where he managed the Prestea Block A Mine, near Tarqua, and also acted as assistant superintending engineer of the group of mines controlled by the Consolidated Goldfields Co. of South Africa. After remaining on the Gold Coast and Northern Nigeria for about three years Mr. FitzGerald, upon arrival in London in the year 1910, was appointed to the charge of the Oroya Links Mine at Kalgoorlie, and taking up his duties shortly afterwards has since continued to fill the position. He is a member of the London Institute of Mines and Metallurgy and of the Chamber of Mines of Western Australia at Kalgoorlie.
346
The LONDON AND HAMBURG GOLD RECOVERY CO. (1905) LIMITED, the Head Office of which is in London, first opened up operations in Kalgoorlie in 1897. The idea was to test the various classes of ore found on Western Australian goldfields, with a view of determining the best method of treatment in each case, general economy and high rate of recovery of gold contents to be, of course, the main objects in view. To attain their object the company’s directors established a testing station at Kalgoorlie, as the most important gold-mining centre of Australia. There was erected a large chemical laboratory, which, in addition to containing all the requirements for ordinary assaying, was fitted up so that all manner of chemical experiments could be carried out. Next, a testing plant was erected on a scale suitable for dealing with large samples of ore, which contained examples of the various kinds of machines used for gold recovery, so arranged that they could be used in any combination as required. In addition, extensive offices and officers’ quarters were built. The chemical and metallurgical side of the business was conducted by Dr. L. Diehl, mechanical matters being placed in the hands of Mr. C. A. Gunther, both highly-qualified experts each in his particular line. Prior to opening the Western Australian branch, Dr. Diehl, whilst Photo by in Europe, had conducted experiments on the oxidized ore of the Hannan-Brown Hill Mine, and the erection of the plant decided upon for the treatment of that ore was the first work undertaken by the London and Hamburg Gold Recovery Company in Western Australia. During his researches, which he began in 1895, Dr. Diehl tried slimes treatment by means of the filter press, and his trial proving most successful he adopted the idea, the results obtained being the means of introducing the filter press into general use in gold recovery. The London and Hamburg Company acquired the Australian business of the Gold Ore Treatment Company, which controlled the patent rights of Messrs. Sulman and Teed for the bromo-cyanide process, and, after
extensive experiments in Kalgoorlie sulpho-telluride ore, the bromo-cyanide process was found to be eminently suitable for the extraction of gold from this complex mineralized material. The process, combined with mechanical appliances and improvements, is since known as the Diehl Process, and has been in operation with marked success. Hannan’s Star was the first mine to be equipped with this method of treatment, and it was on this plant that tube mills were first introduced into mining. Other mines adopted it, and the London and Hamburg Company erected a plant on tho Brown Hill Mine for the treatment of its sulpho-telluride ore, and, later on, the Lake View Consols plant was altered to suit the
process. It was also in use on the Ivan hoe Gold Corporation, and subsequently the filter press came into general use for the purposes of gold recovery in various parts of the world. After the introduction of the bromo-cyanide or Diehl Process, in which sulphuric acid is extensively used, it was found that the imported supply of acid was unreliable and expensive, and to meet this difficulty the London and Hamburg Company decided to instal and put into operation an up-to-date plant for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and thus provide a large stock from which the various mines could obtain supplies at any time.
GEORGE HENRY WALK-EDEN, M.I.Mech.E., general manager, engineer, and attorney for The London and Hamburg Gold Recovery Company (1905) Limited, in Western Australia, was born at Wolverhampton, near Birmingham, England, on November 7, 1860. He is a son of the late T. W. Walkeden, well known in the business circles of that city, and at the close of his scholastic career was apprenticed to the trade of mechanical engineering, at the same time taking a special course in engineering and chemistry at Mason College, Birmingham. Upon the termination of that course and the agreement with his employers in 1890, he was admitted as a member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers of England, so that for nearly
fourteen years he was engaged in his calling in the Old Country, on work ranging from the mining of coal and iron, through every step to manufactured products of iron and steel. In 1890, desiring wider scope and chances of promotion, he came to Australia, landing in Melbourne early in that year. Upon arrival he joined the staff of the Railway Department Engineering Works at Newport, Victoria, for a few months, when he resigned in order to obtain some experience of Australian bush life, which was then considered necessary for every new colonist, and which embraced work ranging from surveying to saw sharpening for a timber mill. Returning to the metropolis, he established himself in
J. J. Dwyer.
Acid Plant, London and Hamburg Co.’s Works, Brown Hill, Kalgoorlie.
347
practice as consulting engineer for a considerable time, but early in 1896, being offered a position on the staff of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, decided to accept it, and immediately entered upon a new sphere of action at the Barrier. After spending some twelve months there, during which time he was engaged
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. George Henry Walkeden.
chiefly on the designs of the new mill and other works contemplated by the company, he was transferred to Port Pirie, where he had control of the construction of the extensive smelting and refining works for the same company. Concluding this work, Mr. Walkeden sailed for Western Australia, and early in 1899 accepted charge of the engineering works of the Great Boulder Proprietary Mine. After designing and erecting the treatment plant for this mine and starting it to work satisfactorily, he accepted a position as engineer to the London and Hamburg Gold Recovery Company on the construction of the treatment plants for the broino-cyanide, or Diehl, process. Upon the completion of those works in 1902, Mr. Walkeden proceeded to London, subsequently going to Africa, where he spent some time in following his calling on the mines of the Gold Coast and Ashanti. Returning to London he was engaged for nearly two years on experimental work and designs for West Africa and Mexico. In 1907 he returned to Western Australia to fill- the post of general manager, engineer, and attorney for his company at Kalgoorlie, and has since carried out the
manifold duties attached to this responsible position. Mr. Walkeden spends much of his time in the study of current works dealing with the technical side of his profession, and so keeps himself in touch with the latest ideas and methods in mining machinery. Whilst at Broken Hill, in conjunction with two other gentlemen, he was instrumental in founding evening technical classes, which formed the nucleus of the present Technical School in that city. In his leisure hours Mr. Walkeden takes great pleasure in floriculture, and in spite of difficulties, due to the vagaries of the climate, evidences of his knowledge and skill and love of Nature can be seen all round his home in Kalgoorlie. As a mechanic he effects all his own repairs, alterations, etc. Mr. Walkeden married in 1904 Frieda Olga, daughter of the late Julius Deglow, of the Transvaal, South Africa.
ROBERT SILVERS BLACK, general manager of the Kalgurli Gold Mine, was born at Milton. South Island of New Zealand, on June 9, 1860, and is a son of the late William Black, a native of Yorkshire, who came to the Dominion in 1840, and took up land in the early days. The subject of our memoir attended various public and private schools during his boyhood, and at the age of seventeen entered the service of the National Bank. During 1880 and 1881 he gained some experience of mining, being employed by the bank during those years in its assaying and smelting office oh the Reefton goldfield. Owing to indifferent health he relinquished this work, and continued with the bank in its ordinary business for seventeen years, during which time he held important managerial positions. Resigning from the bank’s service Mr. Black left for Tasmania, and was associated with the early days of the Zeehan silver fields, where as general director he took an active part in the management of a number of mines. In 1895 he left for Western Australia to take up the management of the famous Londonderry Mine at Cool-gar die. This position he occupied for about three years, and resigned to take the general management of the mines associated with the Octagon Explorers. Amongst these were the Crusoe, Friday, and Menzies Consolidated at Menzies, and Block 45 and Kalgurli United at Kalgoorlie.
In 1900 he was offered and accepted the general management of the Kalgurli Mine, and occupied that position until 1903, when he resigned on account of indifferent health and for private reasons. Residing in the Eastern States and on his pastoral property in New Zealand until 1907 he was then requisitioned by the Board of the Kalgurli Company to resume his former position as general manager, and returning to Kalgoorlie has continued in charge of the mine up to the present time. Mr. Black is a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and of the Australian Institute of Mining Engineers. For a number of years he has been a vice-president of the Chamber of Mines of Western Australia. He has done a considerable amount of travelling, and on the goldfields is known as a good supporter of all kinds of legitimate sport. He has been on the committee of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club for many years, and is vice-chairman of that body. Mr. Black has been twice married, his present wife being
Mr. Robert Silvers Black.
Emily, daughter of Mr. T. A. Browne (Rolf Boldrewood), of Melbourne, and has two sons and one daughter.
GEORGE RIDGWAY, mining engineer, assistant manager of the Great Boulder Mine, was born at Crawley, Buckinghamshire, England, on May 26, 1867, and is a son of the late Matthew Ridgway, farmer, of that place. Educated at the
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Trinity Preparatory College, Old Stratford, upon the termination of his scholastic career he entered the Watling Engineering Works, Stoney Stratford, where he served articles of apprenticeship for five years. In 1888, having completed his engineering course, he came to Australia, landing at Melbourne, and subsequently filled the positions of manager and engineer for two different brick-manufacturing companies in Victoria before leaving the Eastern State for Western Australia in March, 1894, where, after a sojourn of short duration in Perth, he continued his journeyings to the newly discovered goldfields in the interior. In conjunction with Mr. Whitburn, a surveyor, now resident in Victoria, he established a condensing plant at the Black Flag, by which means he was able to supply the much-needed precious fluid to the early pioneers of the fields, but at a later date deserted these remoter regions, and in partnership with his brother engaged in the brick-making
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlic.
Mr. George Rjrgway.
industry at Midland Junction for two years. Returning to the goldfields at the end of that time he accepted employment on the engineering staff of the Lake View South Mine, and after spending a short-period on the main reef he was engaged on the erection of the sulphide plant of the Great Boulder Proprietary Mine, and upon the completion of this work he was appointed to the position of engineer, which he filled from 1900 to 1903. He was next appointed to the
management of the Princess Royal Gold Mine at Norseman, which post he occupied until July, 1905, when he resigned to take over the duties of engineer and assistant manager of the Great Boulder Mine, and has continued to fill this appointment ever since. Mr. Ridgway is a member of the Chamber of Mines of Western Australia, and serves on the publication committee of the body. Engineering is his hobby as well as his profession, and he has patented many mechanical devices, one by which he is known far and wide and which has made his name familiar in the mining industries of the world, being the “Ridgway Vacuum Slime Filter,’’ for the treatment of gold-bearing slimes. He holds three separate patents for this particular process, each representing a different method, one of which is now used with pronounced success on some of the leading mines of this State. During his period of training for his profession he attended the South Kensington School in London, and holds a first - class certificate in the Science and Arts Department, with honours in steam, machine construction, drawing, and applied mechanics. In his younger days he was prominent in football among the English schools, and served as captain to a couple of teams. Motoring is now his favourite recreation, albeit he is fond of horses, and takes some interest in sporting events, being a member of the local racing club. He is also a member of Hannan’s Club. Mr. Ridgway married in 1898 Mildred, daughter of the late John Lukies.
JOHN WARRICK, mining engineer and underground manager, Great Boulder Mine, was born at Burra Burra, South Australia, on July 29, 1866, being a son of the late John Warrick, a colonist of the early sixties. He received his education primarily at the State and private schools, and subsequently proceeded to Broken Hill, afterwards entering upon farming pursuits. He also obtained considerable experience among horses and cattle on one of the large station properties, but relinquished pastoral occupations in favour of mining, and after working for two years at Moonta returned to Broken Hill, where he was identified with the Proprietary and Central Mines for about six years. During this period he specialized in assaying
and survey work, and obtained creditable passes in these subjects. In 1895 he came to Western Australia and engaged in prospecting
Rembrandt Studios, Boulder.
Mr. John Warrick.
around Coolgardie for about a year, at the end of which time he undertook the task of inspecting and sampling mining properties at Kai-goorlie on behalf of the New Zealand Mining Trust. From this position he passed to the control of the Lady Alice Mine at Coolgardie, and eventually accepted the post of underground foreman on the Great Boulder, at the end of twelve months being promoted to his' present position, which he has now (1912) held for sixteen years. Mr. Warrick has been instrumental in introducing many economies in the underground working of the eastern goldfields mines and was an early advocate of the contract system, maintaining consistently the justice of payment by results. He is interested in the agricultural industry, owning a property of 4,000 acres at Wandering, devoted to the production of cereals and the grazing of sheep and horses. He is a member of the Western Australian Chamber of Mines, and acts on the publication committee of this body. He has held office as a Freemason, is associated with Hannan’s Club, Kalgoorlie, and for mental recreation indulges in the perusal of works on agriculture and horticulture among other favourite subjects, being also a student on broad lines of political economy. In his younger days he was addicted to manly
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sports, being fond of boxing and rifle shooting, besides being a meritorious performer on horseback over “the sticks.” In 1892 Mr. Warrick married Mary Ellen, daughter of the late Christopher Martin, of Christchurch, New Zealand, and has four sons and three daughters.
SIDNEY ARNOLD TEEDE, accountant to the Great Boulder Mine, was born at Bunbury, Western Australia, on January 31, 1878, and is a son of the late George Teede,
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Sidney Arnold Teede.
who was identified with the Civil Service of this State for over half a century, serving in the Education Department and as Clerk of Courts, etc. The subject of this notice received his education at the seaport town above mentioned, and at sixteen years of age left school to enter the legal office of Messrs. Stanley, Money, & Walker, solicitors, of the same place. After filling a clerical position in this firm for about four years, in 1899 he resigned in order to try his fortune on the eastern goldfields. Shortly after arrival on the fields he was appointed to fill the position on the Great Boulder Mine rendered vacant by Mr. Thomas Maughan upon the appointment of the latter gentleman as secretary to the Chamber of Mines. Subsequently, after passing through the various grades of clerk, bookkeeper, and paymaster, Mr. Teede was promoted to his present post of accountant upon the retirement of
Mr. Rosman in 1911. He also filled the position of accountant to the Boulder No. 1 Company—a subsidiary corporation—for the past eight years, and represents that company in addition to the Great Boulder in the Chamber of Mines of Western Australia, in which he serves as a member of the finance and building committees. In his younger days Mr. Teede gained considerable prestige as a cyclist, being winner of the Western Australian Amateur 20 - miles Championship event in the south-west and many other valuable trophies. He is a tennis player of no mean merit, and captained the Bunbury Football Club for a lengthy period. Mr. Teede is a member of the Tatter-sail’s Club at Kalgoorlie. He married in 1900 Annie, daughter of the late John Monkhouse, of Adelaide, and has two sons and two daughters.
JOHN MICHAEL FINNERTY, J.P., F.R.G.S., who for twenty-six years filled the office of Warden on the Southern Cross, Kimberley, and Coolgardie goldfields districts, respectively, was born in the Limerick military barracks on January 31, 1853, and is a son of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Finnerty, of the 47th Regiment, afterwards staff-officer of military pensioners in Western Australia till within a couple of years of his demise. Mr. Finnerty was sent as a student to the famous Rugby School, and upon the termination of his scholastic career returned to Western Australia, where he was appointed to the position of clerk to the then Chief Justice, Sir Archibald Burt. This life failing to satisfy the demands of his ambition, he resigned his post, and turned his attention to the north-west, where, after some successful experience in the pearling industry, he established, in conjunction with the late J. H. Monger, a large pastoral station on the Gascoyne and Murchison Rivers, for which he acted as managing partner. In 1886 Mr. Finnerty joined the Government service as Inspector of Police in the Kimberley district, being transferred to the Mines Department and appointed Warden and Chief Magistrate on the Kimberley Goldfields a few months later. After discharging the duties of this office for three years, he was sent at the end of 1889 to Southern Cross in the same capacity, and continued at this centre until the discoveries at
Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie led to his appointment to the newly-proclaimed field in April, 1894. For several years prior to his retirement—which was forced upon him through ill-health—-Mr. Finnerty held the offices of Warden and Resident Magistrate of the whole of the eastern goldfields, and during his extended term of service no officer of the Crown throughout the entire mining com: munity was better known and respected. His decisions in the civil, mining, or other courts over which he presided were universally upheld and respected, both by Crown and country; and he won the esteem of all classes for his strength of character and adherence to principle, no amount of labour or expenditure of time being considered too great in achieving the ends of the administration of justice without favour or prejudice. Mr. Finnerty, who now resides upon a rural property near Ger-aldton, holds one of the oldest Commissions of. the Peace in the State,
R. Vere Scott, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. John Michael Finnerty.
being gazetted for the whole of Western Australia. Among other honours which have been conferred upon him is the Fellowship of the Royal Geographical Society, with which he has been associated for a quarter of a century. He served in the Defence Forces of the Commonwealth for over a decade, attaining the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the Goldfields Regiment, and retiring upon his departure from the goldfields, after commanding this regiment for five years. He is a member
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of the Weld Club, Perth, and upon his retirement from public life the honour of life membership was accorded him by the authorities of Hannan's Club, Kalgoorlie. Mr. Finnerty at the present time takes recreation quietly with his dogs and gun, but in his college days he was in the first fifteen in Rugby football—a much-coveted honour. In later life the weighty demands of his office left no room for sport. He married Bertha, daughter of the late Captain Oates, and has one son (who is engaged in pastoral pursuits) and two daughters.
or paekhorse, on foot or in spring-dray, has scoured the country far and near, followed up the various rushes into the interior, suffered all the privations that fall to the lot of the prospector, pegged out claims by the score—obtaining good results in some and nothing in the great majority—selling for a comparatively small price properties that, if retained and worked, would have brought him fortune, managed mines and with the money thus made sent out men looking for gold for him, and through the medium of the father placed many properties on the
with the discovery and flotation of the Bullfinch Mines. The discovery of this field was made early in 1910, and the news was telegraphed to Mr. D. L. Doolette, then managing the St. George Mine at Mount Magnet for the Great Boulder No. 1 Company, that one of his prospectors, Mr. C. E. Jones, whom he had sent out to try and locate a new field in the Southern Cross (or Yil-garn) district, had obtained splendid pan returns from prospects he had taken at a spot some twenty-two miles from Southern Cross. In this prospecting venture Mr. Doolette
Surface Plant on the Bullfinch Gold Mine Early in 1911.
D. L. DOOLETTE. The name of Doolette has become indissolubly connected with mining in Western Australia, as from the very outbreak of the great gold rush either father or son, and oft-times both, has been associated with the discovery, opening up, and development of the various fields throughout the vast auriferous area in Western Australia. On the one hand the father has been at the head of the promotion, capitalization, financial, and gonoral administrative work; while on the other the son, on camel
London market. Thus is the work performed. As in every branch of industry, the worker and the capitalist must go hand in hand—one is indispensable to the other; but it seldom happens that the position is so fortunate as in the case of the Doolette family, where the son acted in the capacity of worker and discoverer and the father obtained the finances necessary to prospect thoroughly and determine the value of those discoveries. The most recent and successful of these transactions between plre et fils was in connection
had associated with him Mr. Vincent F. Shallcross, who has been widely connected with mining in Western Australia for many years, and these two gentlemen • resolved to visit the spot at once and see whether the anticipations of their prospector were likely to prove accurate. To Southern Gross by train, and thence by buggy over the old Mount Jack-son Road to a spot a few miles from Golden Valley, and along a turn-off for less than a mile in an easterly direction, and the “find” was
reached. Further napping and
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taking of samples and more panning was done by the party, and the results were satisfactory, but not, it was thought, sufficiently so to warrant the controlling of it by the small syndicate as a whole, and it was eventually decided that Mr. Shall-cross should give an option over his seven - sixteenths share to Mr. Doolette for £1,000. Thus the latter gentleman became the owner of seven-eighths of the new find and Mr. C. E. Jones, the prospector, of one-eighth. The name of the mine had already been decided upon as Bullfinch, it being called that more by a reductive process than anything else, as all others were set aside until bird life was reached and the euphonious name of Bullfinch was adopted. Shortly after the transaction recorded above had been put on paper and work had been commenced on the likeliest part of the lease the values increased enormously, and it was realized that Mr. Shallcross had signed away a fortune for £1,000. Lucky was he, however, in his friend and quondam partner, for Mr. Doolette, ever ready to put himself in the other man’s place and realizing what he would, have felt had he disposed of his share for £1,000, sold him back one-sixteenth
an inkling of what was going on, and representatives of capital in the Eastern States visited the spot, witnessed the panning-off of the dirt that was being raised, heard of the wonderful assays that were being obtained, and the boom of 1910 set
Mr. George Philip Doolette.
in. Speculators, prospectors, and old mining identities from the nineties turned up by the hundred, and Southern Cross, which perforce
tables formed beds for men every night, and the road between the Cross and Bullfinch became a busy scene of traffic. It was this find that set the way for a new means of locomotion to the goldfields, and the motor-car became a very important —although expensive—adjunct to the opening up of a field. The roads were fearfully rough, but the cars were tough and the drivers expert, and it was nothing short of wonderful how the country for a hundred miles from Southern Cross was prospected and visited principally by means of the petrol-driven machine. All the country within miles of the Bullfinch Mine was taken up as gold-mining leases and named after some bird, and thus became established the “aviary.” After working the mine for some time and obtaining wonderful values Mr. D. L. Doolette obtained offers from London, through his father, for floating the property. These \yere accepted and The Bullfinch Proprietary (W.A.) Ltd. became an established fact. GEORGE PHILIP DOOLETTE, notwithstanding the fact that he has already exceeded the allotted span of life, is the possessor of wonderful vitality, energy, and ability to meet the demands Time is making upon his constitution. It was a happy combination of circumstances that placed him in the last eighteen years or so in what was his real vocation—the financial and mining life of London. There he occupies one of the most prominent positions, and there he is known and highly appreciated for his business acumen, great administrative ability, and the kindness of manner which make friends wherever he goes. The possessor of considerable oratorical powers, he adds to them a tactfulness in dealing with men and meetings which have earned him fame in city circles as a company chairman. From his office in the city he controls mining propositions in many parts of the globe, but he has ever taken chief interest in matters relating to the land of his adoption —Australia. Mr. Doolette was born in Dublin in 1838, and although he went to Australia at a very early age it is said of him that his birthplace is easily guessed owing to the delightful manner he has of influencing others to his opinion. For many years he was engaged in commercial pursuits in Adelaide. He was ever fond of a mining speculation or investment, and got his first taste of
Photo by L. Shapcott.
General View Bullfinch Gold Mine.
of the property for the £1,000, and was made the headquarters of the thus they were together again. For rush, resembled exactly Coolgardie some time work went on quietly, in the olden days. No accommoda-Then suddenly the outside world got tion was to be obtained, billiard
this in the South Australian Mines. Thence to Broken Hill interests was but following the natural sequence of events, and he was a large shareholder of the great silver properties across the border of his State. In the early nineties, when the news first came across of the discovery of the Coolgardie goldfield, and when numbers of his old Broken Hill mining friends were preparing for a flitting to the new field in the Golden West, Mr. George Brookman and he conceived the idea of forming a syndicate in Adelaide to obtain control of properties in the auriferous belt in Western Australia. In this way was the Coolgardie Prospecting Syndicate formed. This famous combination was started with a capital of but £250, in 25 shares of £10 each, and such was the success of its enterprise that had an original holder of but one of these shares held everything that would have come to him he would by now have received some hundreds of thousands of pounds in dividends and be worth several millions of pounds. In the furtherance of its policy, the Syndicate sent Mr. W. G. Brookman and Mr. S. Pearce to the goldfields, and they found their way to Kalgoorlie when the value of the discoveries made there began to be realized. A number of leases was acquired and Mr. Doolette, who was the Chairman of the Adelaide Board, was sent to London to finance matters. He had a very uphill fight, and properties subsequently worth millions were sneered at and ignored by the conservative English financiers. In the end, however, perseverance and the better knowledge diffused as to the worth of the properties prevailed and Mr. Doolette managed to interest Colonel North and Mr. John Waddington in the Groat Boulder Company. Thereafter all was plain sailing, and Mr. Doolette had but little difficulty in disposing of all the properties as to which he had been negotiating at Home. All know what has come to Western Australia and the Commonwealth as the result of this successful work. So much was to be done from that end in connection with all the companies, and so fast was the progress made on them from the mining point of view, that Mr. Doolette decided to remain in London for some time, and eventually he found it necessary to take up residence there altogether and to make periodical visits to Australia.
He has been associated in the directorship of most of the successful gold mines of Western Australia and until recently was chairman of directors of the Great Boulder,
Jlartletto. Perth.
Mr. DoRnAM Longford Doolette.
Oroya-Brown Hill, and many others, as well as a director of the Sons of Gwalia. His recent health has, however, compelled him to resign from several of these Boards, but he
one son (Mr. D. L. Doolette) and one daughter living, and he resides at Caterliam Valley, one of the most beautiful parts of Surrey. DORHAM LONGFORD DOOLETTE has made mining his hobby for a number of years, and, like all those who are seekers after the precious metal, has been forced to undergo all sorts of privations, disappointments, and trials in the following of it. He was born in South Australia in 1872, and oducated at Whin ham College, North Adelaide, afterwards attending the University of Adelaide, where he went through the Arts course and started his lectures for a bachelorship of medicine. The life, however, did not appeal to one whose instincts were all in the direction of an outdoor existence, and he abandoned the medical course in order to follow the gold lure which drew him to Western Australia. From but a few miles from the coast, right to Coolgardie he “humped his swag”; and that was the beginning of his mining career. From one rush ;o another ho followed, and in many jases preceded, the prospector, and it was in the course of one of these that he found himself on the now famous “Golden Mile” of Kalgoorlie, and actually had the distinction of pegging out the Golden Horseshoe
Photo by L. Shapcott. Main Shaft, Bullfinch Gold Mine.
naturally retains the position in the Mine, which has since paid something Great Boulder Mine, and that one like two and a half million pounds in to which he was of course appointed dividends. In those days it was a chairman—the Bullfinch. He has case of getting hold of a property
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and letting it go at a profit whenever one was seen, and it is no wonder, therefore, that he did not hold that or any others of the many mines he acquired and which have since become famous. Among the mines obtained by him in those days were the Golden Link, Central Boulder, and Chaffer’s. At that time he was connected with an Adelaide Syndicate, but he then decided to start out for himself, and followed the rushes to the north of Kalgoorlie and went far afield of any of the prospectors. He prospected the Niagara country in 1895, and as a result of the success he there achieved paid a visit to the Old Country. After a good holiday he returned to the West and spent a number of years prospecting in the Erlistoun, Laverton, and Burtville districts—in fact, over the whole of the North Coolgardie field. Later he paid a visit to the Arltunga {Northern Territory) field when the rush broke out there. On again returning to Western Australia Mr. Doolette became associated with the Great Boulder Company and was its field examiner for some years. Latterly he was placed in the management of the St. George Mine, Mount Magnet, and remained there until the discovery of the Bullfinch, when the attention demanded by that proposition brought about his resignation and caused him to spend all his time in the development of his own property. Mr. Doolette can best be described as an all-round man, his proclivities covering a wide range. He has ever been a lover of verse, and as a song-writer has earned much prominence and success through the medium of the columns of The Bulletin and other Australian papers. All his verse breathes of the bush, and this is only natural, as it was there he spent most of his time, and it was there, often in the silent watches of the night that most of his verses were penned. He is a keen follower of sports of all kinds, and has shown his interest in horse-racing by bringing from England to Australia a string of thoroughbred horses. Mr. Doolette was married in May, 1910.
CHARLES EDWIN JONES, discoverer of the Bullfinch Mine, was born at Sebastopol, the centre of a large mining area near Ballarat, Victoria, on May 25, 1878. His father was a native of Glamorganshire, in
Wales, and his mother an Irishwoman. Up to the age of fifteen he tfas educated at Ballarat, and then worked on his father's farm for a couple of years. While still in his teens he turned his attention to prospecting in Victoria and worked in Ballarat East gold mines for some time. Toward the termination of the Boer war he went to South Africa with the last Victorian contingent, but having contracted malaria while on service was obliged to return to Australia soon afterwards. He disembarked from the “Drayton Grange” at Albany, and when his health was somewhat improved proceeded to the Murchison goldfields and entered upon prospecting and dryblowing in the Cue
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Charles Edwin Jones.
district. He then worked for the Morning Star Company at Mount Magnet, chiefly at prospecting, subsequently taking up the Diggers’ Dam lease, which he successfully worked with a partner for about two years, but had to abandon the claim at the end of that time owing to the difficulty in obtaining a sufficient water supply. While prospecting at Murchison he met Mr. D. L. Doolette, who offered him a position as sampler at the St. George Mine, Mount Magnet, of which Mr. Doolette was then manager. After three years’ connection with this mine he became working partner with Mr Doolette and Mr-Shallcross, his duties being to prospect the different gold belts round
the Yilgarn district- Starting operations on the Corinthian Lease, about 10 miles north of Southern Cross, he worked down to the south of the town for about 40 miles as far as Parker Range, where he put in several weeks, but ultimately was forced to abandon operations on account of scarcity of water, none being obtainable within easy reach of the gold belt. On leaving Parker Range he made for Golden Valley, the first gold-producing district in the Yilgarn field, and after prospecting from there through En-nuin eastward for about 50 miles he was again confronted by the insurmountable water difficulty, and decided to return to Golden Valley. Following the ironstone belt of country south from there for about nine miles he struck the country soon to be called by that well-known name “Bullfinch,” the story of which is now a matter of history. The outcrop was easily discernible, and on sample proved sufficiently good to warrant Mr. Jones advising his partners that he had at last been successful, having from the outset been without a doubt about the mine as a first-class mining proposition. In earlier days Mr. Jones was a marksman of some repute, and has competitive honours to his credit, and he was also a well-known footballer in Victoria in the late nineties. He was married in 1907 to Miss Scott, of Ballarat, and has a family of two children.
EDWARD JAMES WELLSTED, manager of Perth Branch of Bewick, Moreing, & Co., mining engineers, London, Kalgoorlie, and elsewhere, is a son of the late Captain Thomas Wellsted, of Sussex, England, where he was born in 1867. He received his education in the south of England, and subsequently was identified with various commercial enterprises. At one period journalistic work claimed his attention and he was representative of the Press Association in Newhaven. For several years he was connected with the Engineering and Stores Department of the Harbour Works of Newhaven, England, and at a later date was connected with the management of a quarry and whiting works at the same place. Eventually he joined the Stores Purchasing Department of the London office of Bewick, Moreing, & Co., and when in 1902
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a stores and buying department was inaugurated in Perth, Western Australia, by the same firm Mr. Well-sted was engaged in the opening and carrying on of the same. Subsequently he held the position of business manager in the firm’s head office at Kalgoorlie in this State, and has
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Edward James Wellsted.
since filled the appointment of office manager at the Perth branch. He is also a representative of the Chamber of Mines in Perth. Mr. Wellsted is a member of the Perth Club, of Hannan’s Club, Kalgoorlie, and of the Masonic Club. Before leaving England he was secretary of the Newfiaven regatta and the New-havcn Cricket Club, and was also a town councillor. Since coming to this State he has devoted his leisure chiefly to golf, and in 1909 won the Governor’s Cup in connection with the Fremantle Golf Club.
MATTHEW McVICKER SMYTH, representative in Western Australia for Nobel’s Explosives Company Limited, Glasgow, Elder Buildings, Perth, is a son of the late Mr. Matthew Smyth, of Paisley, Scotland, and was born on December 1, 1867. Educated in Dublin, he resided during the early years of his life in that city. He has actively followed commercial pursuits, both in the Old Country and Australia, since 1887, ultimately proceeding to Queensland in 1899 to take charge of the explosives department of
Messrs. Brabant & Co., of Brisbane, Queensland agents of his present company. Mr. Smyth returned to Glasgow in 1909 and left there early in 1910 for Western Australia to take up his present position. Elder, Shenton, & Co., Limited, of Perth and Fremantle, are the Western Australian agents for the Nobel -Glasgow Company, and sub-agencies are in active operation in every mining centre in the State. On the discovery of any fresh fields of mineral wealth, the Nobel-Glasgow Company makes immediate arrangements to meet the explosives requirements of the mining community, and in the agricultural districts supplies are obtainable at all the principal towns for purposes of land-clearing, well-sinking, etc. Magazines have been
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Matthew MoVicker Smyth.
erected throughout the whole of the State for the storage of all classes of explosives, which are manufactured in various forms to meet every possible contingency. While in Queensland Mr. Smyth joined the Commonwealth Military Forces, and is at present on the Reserve Officers’ List. He is a stanch Imperialist, and takes an active interest in the affairs of the Overseas Club. He has made a hobby of the collection of native curios and mining specimens, and his office at Perth contains a very fine array of aboriginal weapons and other interesting objects, of which he is justly proud, and which as a private collection would be very hard to beat.
FREDERIC SHIRLEY ANDREWS, legal manager and attorney, Princes Buildings, St. G-eorge’s Terrace, Perth, is a son of the late Mr. Francis Andrews, of Croydon, Surrey, England, who for many years was associated with the Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and on his retirement became a director of several London companies, including the Land Corporation of Western Australia, Limited, of which he was managing director. The gentleman under review was born at Wallington, Surrey, in 1876, and was educated at Beaumont House School, Croydon. Upon completion of his studies he joined his father’s office in London for two years, and at the end of this period went to sea as an apprentice in the ships of Messrs. Bethell, Gwynn, & Co., London. In 1895 he left for Western Australia and upon arrival became connected with the staff of Messrs. Glanville and Forbes, who represented a large number of English mining firms in this State. Eight years later Mr. Andrews took over the business on his own account and since that time has continued to represent English
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Frederic Shirley Andrews.
interests in Western Australia, and has held power of attorney for several important companies. He is an Associate Member of the Corporation of Public Accountants. A keen sportsman and interested in most outdoor diversions he has been connected with cricket and football clubs in Perth and is a member of
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the Perth Club. In 1901 he married Grace Margaret, daughter of Mr. E. W. Snook, late Superintendent of Telegraphs for Western Australia.
FREDERICK BIRD TRUDE, mining engineer, was born in Devonshire in January, 1861, and received his education in England. At the age of nineteen he left his native land for New Zealand and at once became associated with mining enterprises on the west coast and later in the North Island. Migrating to Australia in 1884 he followed mining pursuits in turn at Charters Towers, New England, and Broken Hill. With the exodus of mining men from east to west, in 1902 Mr. Trude arrived in the “Cinderella” State, and has since made Western Australia his home. Actively engaged in the management of mines all over the State he is regarded as one of its most enterprising men. Mr. Trude was married in 1896 to
Bartletto, Perth.
Me Frederick Bird Trude.
Miss Bowman, of Archer held, Hunter River, New South Wales.
THOMAS MAUGHAN, formerly General Secretary of the Chamber of Mines of Western Australia (Incorporated), was born at Jarrow-on-Tyne, Durham, England, on October 13, 1871, being a son of the late Thos. Maughan, naval architect and x2
marine surveyor, of the same nlace, and later of Sunderland, where the gentleman under review received his education. He was connected with shipping interests for a number of years in Sunderland, and in 1895 came to Western Australia. After being engaged in the Government service for a couple of years, he joined Mr. W. A. Koneman upon the Boulder Milling Company’s Ore Reduction Works at the Great Boulder Mine, and subsequently became connected with the staff of the latter mine. In conjunction with Mr. A. Gurner he established the firm of Maughan & Gurner, shinping and general agents, but several years after his appointment, in November, 1899, to the secretaryship of the
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Thomas Maughan.
Chamber of Mines of Western Australia, when the duties of this position assumed an onerous nature, he withdrew from the firm in order to devote the whole of his time and energies to the work of the Chamber. In 1913 he relinquished this post to take up the duties of secretary to the newly-formed Employers' Federation of Western Australia.
JAMES OWEN HUDSON, Inspector of Mines, East Coolgardie goldfield, is a New Zealander by birth, his father being Mr. John Robert Hudson, who occupied a post in the Civil Service of the Dominion until his retirement in 1908. Born at Hokitika on November 1, 1868, the gentleman under review received
his education in his native place, and subsequently entered upon the study of mining at the Reefton School of Mines, where he continued for a considerable time. He was associated with the mining industry on various fields in the Dominion until 1893, in which year he came
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. James Owen Hudson.
to Western Australia, and upon arrival took over the management of a mine on behalf of the Kinambla Wealth of Nations Gold-mining Company, under the general control of Messrs. Bewick, Moreing, & Co. He also engaged in the business of reporting and inspecting for different mining companies, and in 1897 was offered the position of Inspector of Mines, for which he duly qualified by passing the prescribed examination, and received appointment in this capacity to the North Coolgardie and Mount Margaret gold-fields. In 1903 he was transferred to a similar post at the East Coolgardie field, and has filled this position ever since. Mr. Hudson is prominent in first-aid work in connection with the St. John Ambulance Association, and has done much to popularize this movement throughout the goldfields, at present occupying the office of president of the local branch. He is an enthusiast in the matter of roses, and spends his leisure time in cultivating with much success these and other garden favourites. In 1900 he married Isabel, daughter of Mr. James McAllister, of Geelong, Victoria, and has three sons.
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BURBANKS MAIN LODE (1904), Limited. — The Burbanks Main Lode Gold Mine is situated five miles to the south of Coolgardie, and possesses 108 acres. The company is the second reconstruction of the original Burbanks Main Lode, and was registered in London on May 1, 1904, the original company having been registered on July 22, 1896. The authorized capital is £40,000, in 200,000 shares of 4s. each, of which 187,810 shares have been issued fully paid. The total value of the bullion recovered to date amounts to £296,501 from 133,299 tons (2,000 lb.) crushed, and dividends paid amount to £15,000, the last being at the rate of 1\ per cent., paid on December 5, 1912. The reef
being worked is narrow, contorted, and disjointed, and some idea of the manner in which it is twisted and thrown about can be gained from the accompanying photograph, which was taken at the 700-ft. level south. The average width of the reef is
15 in., and the country rock consists chiefly of hard diorite. The main shaft has reached a depth of 900 ft., and further sinking will be commenced almost immediately. A large inflow of water has been the great drawback, the mine being entirely
flooded out for about two years, and at present 100,000 gallons are being taken out daily. The plant consists of a 20-head battery, cyanide plant, three “Babcock” boilers fitted with superheaters, “Walker” cross compounds air-compressor (1,600 cu. ft. capacity, new), an Ingersoll
air-compressor (800 cu. ft. capacity), Bellis-Platt electric set (new), winding engine, economizer, surface condensing plant, water purifier, electric pumps, complete fitting-shop and smithy, etc. The company is completing the erection of new portions of the plant, viz., Walker compressor, Bellis-Platt set, the econo-mi zer, condensing plant, etc., and expects to have all working early in the present year. The following are the company’s Directors: —Messrs. M. W. Colchester -W e m y s s, D.L. (chairman), S. C. Hunt, G. C. Howard, and William Nicholas, F.G.S., Lond.; London Secretary, R. Lawrence Spicer, F.C.I.S. The mine officials are as follows: — Attorney and General Manager, William Nicholas, jun.; Mine Manager, Richard Wear-mouth; Metallurgist, W. G. Clarke; Engineer, A. R. Mill; Amalgamator, J. Waters; - and Accountant, Wm. Thomas; most of whom have been associated with the mine since its inception.
Panoramic View of Burbanks Main Lode Gold Mine.
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WILLIAM THOMAS, accountant to the Burbanks Main Lode Gold Mine, was born at Dublin, Ireland, on May 29, 1874, his father, Mr. Henry Thomas, being well known for over half a century in commercial circles in the Irish capital. Educated at the Kildare Street College, Dublin, upon the termination of his schooldays Mr. Thomas joined the land agency office of John Eyre Harris, a very old Irish firm, with which he continued for ten years, relinquishing the connection in order to seek his fortune in a land which offered more scope for his energy. Arriving in Western Australia in 1901 he came direct to Coolgardie, and for a time was engaged in clerical pursuits, being appointed secretary of the Coolgardie Brewing Company in the heyday of the town’s prosperity. Within four years he resigned his position and took a trip round the world which occupied nearly two years, during which period he visited many places of picturesque and historical interest on the Continents of Europe and America, touching also at China, Japan, and other parts of Asia, besides spending some time in the land of his birth and in England. In 1906 he returned to Western Australia and joined the staff of the Burbanks Main Lode as accountant, and has been identified with this mine in the same capacity ever since. In 1908 he married Cora, daughter of Mr. Edward Townsend, of the Bank of Victoria, Kyneton, Victoria, and has one son and one daughter.
PATRICK HANNAN was born in the parish of Quin, County Clare, Ireland, in the year 1843, and came to Australia twenty years later. Soon after his arrival in Melbourne he went to work in one of the Ballarat mines, and continued there for nearly five years, in 1876 leaving for New Zealand, where he followed mining to the exclusion of all other interests. During the six years spent in the Dominion he visited most of the principal gold mines of the country, and in 1873 returned to Australia, where he was one of the first to be concerned in the Temora rush of 1880. Coming again to Victoria, he passed the next few years in making himself acquainted with the various auriferous localities in the States of Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia, in the last-named State joining the rush to Teetulpa in
1886. After experiencing the roughest side of early Australian goldmining in the Eastern States, Mr. Hannan came to Western Australia in 1889, and, proceeding through Southern Cross, was among the pioneers in the Parker’s Range district. Prior to this date, and for several years after his arrival in the West, he was the subject of the usual ups and downs of the prospector’s career, at times enjoying Dame Fortune’s smile, and, anon, her darkest frown; but his advent in Coolgardie
Webb & Webb. Perth.
Mr. Patrick Hannan.
in 1892 marked the commencement of an era of prosperity. Striking a fair alluvial proposition, a year later he trekked east, and in company with his old mate, the late Tom Flanna-gan, prospected the country surrounding Kalgoorlie, and within a week of arrival reported gold (June 17, 1893). The report caused great excitement, and was the signal for the biggest rush that had yet occurred on the Western Australian fields, Great hardships were suffered, both provisions and water being very scarce, and after remaining for about a year, during which period he received his reward claim from the Government, Mr. Hannan returned to the coast to recover his health, which was seriously impaired. The following year, however, saw him again on the field, and since that time he has been identified with the goldmining industry in all parts of the State. A genial kindly disposition has made him generally popular, and he makes friends wherever he goes.
NATHANIEL ASHER FRIEDMAN, J.P., partner in the firm of Friedman & Johnston, battery owners, Ora Banda, was born at Bendigo, Victoria, on May 19, 1877. He is a son of the late Mr. Frederick Joseph Friedman, a mining identity of Bendigo in the early days and proprietor of Friedman’s Reef on that field. Educated at Bendigo, Mr. N. A. Friedman, at the termination of his studies in 1894, sailed for Western Australia and entered upon mining pursuits. He prospected the Siberia district in the pioneer days of that venture, and spent considerable time in testing the possibilities of the field. He next came to Kalgoorlie, and took an early opportunity to avail himself of the advantages offered to students by the local School of Mines, which he attended for two years. In 1895 he joined Mr. J. H. Johnson in partnership in various mining interests, and in conjunction with the same gentleman became engaged in the treatment of slimes and tailings at the time when
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Nathaniel Asher Friedman.
the cyanide methods were first gaining ground on the goldfields. Mr. Friedman undertook sole charge of the treatment of ores at the battery and cyanide plant purchased by the partnership at Paddington, one of the first crushing mills for public convenience to be subsidized by the Government. With his partner he was also the pioneer of the Ora Banda district, where they erected a battery pumping-station, and in 1909 purchased the Gimlet Mine, discovered a year earlier by a Mr.
Abbott. This mine, which has proved a very profitable proposition, is still in course of development, and the installation of a sulphide plant capable of treating 3,000 tons of ore a month is now being contemplated. Mr. Friedman recognizes his public responsibilities, and in 1909 accepted a Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Wilson Administration. He was a member of the first Progress Association Committee on the fields, and has interested himself in various ways for the benefit of the district. He is keenly interested in the scientific side of gold-production, and gives a considerable amount of study to the different methods in use for the treatment of ores. Having charge of this department of the firm's business he occupies himself with making continual experiments, and has the reputation of obtaining the best results in the district from his manipulation of the plant. Mr. Friedman married in 1904 Maude, daughter of Mr. J. W. King, the well-known Australian metallurgist, and has one son and two daughters.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON was born at Auckland, New Zealand, on August 20, 1864, and is a son of the late John Grant Johnson (a member of the historical Scotch family of Ogilvie-Grant), who came to Australia when quite a young man, and for a time occupied the post of private secretary to Governor Grey in New Zealand. The gentleman under review was educated in his native city. Leaving New Zealand, he spent some time in Melbourne, and was engaged for some four years in the building trade and contracting during the days of the land boom in the early nineties. When the silver-lead fields were discovered on the West Coast of Tasmania in 1891 he proceeded to Zeehan, and obtained his first active mining experience, engaging in work on the mines and in the erection of mining machinery. From there he returned to New Zealand, and while filling a position as engineer in charge of Bunker's Hill Gold Mine took up study at the School of Mines under the now famous Dr. McLaren, D.Sc., F.R.G.S., Obtaining his mine manager’s and mining surveyor's certificates by examination at that school in 1900, Mr. Johnson subsequently came to Western Australia and acquired an interest in the Jubilee Mine on the Kurnalpi goldfield. For some time he worked this proposition, but
finding it unpayable he formed a syndicate to put up a crushing mill at Bulong for public convenience, a scheme which was subsidized by the Government. After managing this concern for nearly two years he formed a partnership with Mr. Nat. A. Friedman, who for many years had been engaged as battery manager and metallurgist in the mining industry, and in conjunction with this gentleman prepared a scheme to treat the sand residues on the- Great Boulder No. 1 Mine. Failing to come to agreement with the directors of that mine for the purchase of the sand, they proceeded with their plant to Broad Arrow and treated the residues on the famous Hill End and another mine, at the same time acquiring a crushing mill at Paddington, in that vicinity. For three
J. J. Dwyer, Enlgoorlie.
Mr. John Henry Johnson.
or four years the firm did practically all the crushing in the Broad Arrow district, and at the end of that period —in 1906—they secured an interest in the Ora Banda Mine, and erecting a 15-head battery pumping station with five miles of water line, started on the development of their claim. In 1908 the Gimlet Mine was discovered by a prospector named Abbott, and a year later Messrs. Johnson and Friedman purchased the property, interests also being held by Messrs. Fimister and Cut-bush, of Kalgoorlie. The former mine was abandoned and the new claim rapidly responded to the measures set in train for its opening up. Eighteen months' active work produced over 13,000 ounces of gold
from 25,000 tons of stone, and recent developments show 60,000 tons of ore in sight, valued at 50s. a ton, and so favourable are the prospects that the property is about to be equipped with an up-to-date sulphide plant, capable of treating 3,000 tons of ore a month. Mr. Johnson is chairman of the Ora Banda Progress Committee, and since the inauguration of the Broad Arrow Roads Board has been a member of that body. He makes a hobby of his work, and derives pleasure from the study of scientific principles as set forth by the leading writers on the subjects relating to mining. He married in May, 1905, Nance, daughter of Mr. J. J. Macnamara, of Auckland, and has two sons and one daughter.
CAMPBELL SHAW, J.P., mining manager, Kalgoorlie, was born at Greenock, Scotland, on May 15, 1854, and is a son of the late John Ritchie Shaw, a well-known mining manager at Ballarat in the late fifties. He was educated at the latter town, attending principally Mr. Rosenbloom's Academy, where he remained until twenty-one years of age. For about five years he was engaged in the mining industry at Ballarat, during two of which he managed the Red, White, and Blue Mine at Little Bendigo in that district. From there he proceeded to New Zealand, where he became engaged in contracting work in partnership with two friends for a couple of years. At the end of this period he returned to Australia, and for sixteen years was engaged in the mining industry in New South Wales, being identified in managerial positions with a mine at Rose Valley, the Chance Tin-mining Company, the Basaltic Deep Lead Mine at Vegetable Creek, and later had control of operations at the Webb’s Consols and Mount Galena Silver Lead Mining Company’s properties, while immediately prior to his departure for Western Australia he managed the Newstead Tin mines at Inverell, New South Wales. In 1896 Mr. Shaw landed at Fremantle and continued his journey direct to tho back country, where for nearly two years he prospected in the Mount Margaret district. He then accepted the appointment of manager of the Golden Rhine Gold Mines, Limited, at Laverton, three years later relinquishing this post to take charge of the Ida H. Mine in
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the same locality, which he managed for upwards of eleven years, during the greater portion of which time the mine was a handsome dividend-payer. In 1911 Mr. Shaw visited his native shores and renewed acquaintance with the scenes of his childhood, also visiting London and many of the places of historical note
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Campbell Shaw.
in North Britain. He has always found time to take a live and practical interest in the welfare of the community by which he was surrounded, and for a lengthy period filled the position of chairman of the Mount Margaret Roads Board. He served also on the board of management of the hospital at that centre, being a founder and first chairman of the institution. He was appointed to a Commission of the Peace by the Forrest Administration in 1900, while for several years he was a member of the Licensing Bench in the Mount Margaret district. Hunting has been a favourite pastime of Mr. Shaw's, and in earlier days he was particularly successful in his pursuit of fur and feather, many wild turkeys, kangaroos, etc., falling victims to his steady aim. He married in 1884 Margaret, daughter of the late Patrick Fox, of County Clare, Ireland, and has one son and three daughters.
OSMUND ALBERT ARCHIBALD, Kalgoorlie, who has been associated with gold mining in Western Australia for over twenty years, was born at Ramornie, New South
Wales, on November 4, 1876, and is a son of the late William T. Powell Archibald, who was closely related to the late Sir George Adams Archibald, first Governor of Manitoba and subsequently Lieutenant-Governor of Canada, and to Sir William Archibald, of Rusland Hall, Ulvers-ton, England. Educated at Grafton, New South Wales, the gentleman under review, at the close of his scholastic studies, became interested in the mining industry at Drake, joining the staff of the Rivertree Proprietary Gold Mine in the assaying department, with which he was connected for two years. At the close of this period he came to Western Australia and upon arrival in company with other prospectors, exploited the district in and around North-east Coolgardie, being one of
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Osmund Albert Archibald.
the first prospectors of the Ora Banda field. In 1900 he accepted the position of metallurgist to the Guest Gold Mine at Mount Morgans, under Mr. John Morgan, now manager of the South Kalgurli Mine, and occupied this post for two years before turning his hand to the treatment of tailings on his own account. In conjunction with Mr. J. D. Hayes he erected the first treatment plant at Burtville, and at a subsequent date successfully worked the Ramornie Gold Mine at Mount Morgans, which, eventually, he sold at a considerable profit and took a trip to Europe, where he visited many places of interest in Great Britain and the Continent. Upon his return to Western Australia he took control of a mine
on the Murchison fields, but finding that the property was not a profitable concern proceeded to England to advise the directors to invest in a more promising direction. Failing to gain their agreement to his proposals, Mr. Archibald resigned the management of the mine, and sailing for Western America became interested in the gold-mining industry at California and Nevada. In 1909 he returned to Western Australia and has since been concerned in the development of several mining ventures at Ora Banda and the eastern goldfields district, in 1912 prospecting the Palm Gold Mine, in which he holds a large interest. Mr. Archibald, in conjunction with the late Mr. Stephen Grace and Mr. Colreavy, founded the Eastern Goldfields Prospectors' Association. He is a member of the Kalgoorlie Tatter-sail’s Club.
DAVID MOYES, Manager of the State Batteries at Coolgardie and Norseman, was born at Guildford, near Castlemaine, Victoria, on November 14, 1863, and is a son of the late James Moyes, a well-known contractor, who erected a number of mining plants in the earlier
F. Martyn, Coolgardie.
Mr. David Moyes.
Victorian mining days. He pursued his scholastic studies in his native place and subsequently at Maldon, where his parents resided for a time, and at the close of his schooldays ho took a position as junior hand in the Caledonian Crushing Mill. During the thirteen years that Mr. Moyes
THE CYCLOPEDIA OE WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
spent in the Caledonian Mill he passed through the various grades of promotion, and was finally appointed manager, a post which he held for two years, at the end of that period proceeding to Melbourne, where he remained for nearly three years. He then accepted a position of charge at the South German Gold-mining Company’s Mill at Maldon, and towards the end of five years was offered the appointment of manager of the ten-head crushing plant in connection with the Fortune of War Gold Mine, on the Murchison, Western Australia. This he held until the closing down of the mine, and having obtained his certificate as engine-driver spent two years in positions of this kind in the Great Fingall Mine at Daydawn and in the Burra Mine at Lennonville. In 1898 Mr. Moyes was appointed manager of the Peak Hill Goldfields Battery, comprising forty head of stampers, from which he resigned after four years of service on account of indifferent health. After recuperating at Perth for a few months he accepted the management of the Mulline State Battery in 1903, and ever since that period has continued in the Government service, having managed the batteries at Mulline, Yarri, Norseman, and Coolgardie, being now stationed at the latter. Mr. Moyes is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Coolgardie Club. A keen advocate of all forms of manly, outdoor sport, in earlier days he was a well-known athlete, being unsurpassed as wicketkeeper in cricket and a noted player of the famous Fitzroy Football Club. In 1901 he married Margaret, daughter of Mr. Robert Allen, late Inspector of Victorian Railways, and has three sons and two daughters.
FREDERICK WILLIAM SPENCE, Mining Registrar and Government Land Agent, Kal-goorlie, was born at Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, on May 12, 1867, and is a son of the late John B. Spence, shipowner and merchant, of Liverpool. He was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh, one of the most famous Scottish public schools, and, at eighteen years of age, entered upon a commercial career, joining the Liverpool Stock Exchange, where he operated until 1891, in which year he left the Old Country
for Australia. After his arrival in New South Wales, he became Master of the Mudgee Grammar School, and continued in this post for two years, when he proceeded to Queensland and remained in the northern State for a brief period. In 1894 he came to Western Australia and followed mining and prospecting pursuits in the Cue district until the end of the year, when he became connected with the Mines Department at Cue, and
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Frederick William Spence.
later was transferred to Mount Margaret, where he occupied the post of Mining Registrar, and subsequently for over four years acted in that capacity at Laverton. In 1900 Mr. Spence was appointed Warden and Resident Magistrate at the Phillips goldfield, and after ten years’ service at this centre in 1911 was transferred to Kalgoorlie, where he has filled his present appointment ever since, also discharging the duties of Acting-Warden during the prolonged absence of Mr. Walter from his post. Mr. Spence, besides distinguishing himself in classics at college, was known as an athlete of no mean merit, and figured as one of England’s representatives, playing Rugby in the English International Fifteen. While resident in New South Wales he was awarded the medal of the Royal Humane Society for lifesaving in Sydney Harbour in 1892.
WILLIAM OWEN MANS-BRIDGE, J.P., Mining Registrar and Clerk of Courts at Kanowna, is a son of Major William Henry
Mansbridge, of the West Yorkshire Regiment, and was born in the ancient town of Chester, in the County of Cheshire. He was educated under private tuition in India, where his father’s regiment was quartered, and spent in all some twelve years in the Indian Empire. In 1890 he came to Western Australia, and after a few months proceeded to Kimberley, in the north-west, where he joined the Telegraph Service, at a later date receiving transfer to the Mines Department in that town. Here he remained for five years, and during this time devoted his holidays to prospecting the district, gaining considerable acquaintance with its geology. In 1895 he was sent to the East Murchison goldfield in the capacity of Registrar at Lawlers, where he continued for a further five years, during part of that period acting as Warden and Resident Magistrate. He was next appointed to a similar post at Hall Creek, in the Kimberley Division, and subsequently was stationed at Mount Magnet, in 1905 receiving transfer to his present office at Kanowna, where he combines
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. William Owen Mansbridge.
the duties of Mining Registrar, Clerk of Courts, Clerk of the Licensing Court, District Registrar, Government Land Agent, Treasury Paymaster, Returning Electoral Officer, Electoral Registrar, and Registrar of Old-age and Invalid Pensions. It is of interest to note that for many years Mr. Mansbridge was the youngest Justice of the Peace in the State, having received his
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Commission from the Forrest Administration in 1896. Outside of his official duties Mr. Mansbridge devotes a portion of his time to military matters, and is Commanding Officer of B Company, 84th Infantry, Goldfields Battalion. His military experience dates back to his boyhood, his first commission being granted in 1896, when he was gazetted to a lieutenancy, receiving his commission of captain two years later. He has also passed for his majority, and has been recommended for this rank. He interests himself in the public welfare, and is chairman of the Caulfield Memorial Library of Kanowna, whilst in church matters he is a member of the Anglican Synod, representing his district. Tennis is his favourite recreation, and when opportunity permits he also indulges in fishing. He was married in 1897— his wedding being the first in the East Murchison district—to Annie, daughter of Mr. Henry Jones, of Bendigo, Victoria, and has one son and three daughters.
SYDNEY CULLINGWORTH, formerly Inspector of Mines, Mount Margaret goldfield, was born at Southport, England, on October 28, 1865, and is a son of the late Henry E. Cullingworth, merchant, of that place. He received his education in his native town, and subsequently at the Ballarat School of Mines, Victoria, where he completed his mining course in his early twenties. Upon leaving this institution he was employed as assayer and sampler on the Kohinoor Mine, New South Wales, and afterwards held positions on various mining properties, spending three years in Tasmania, and for a considerable time occupying the post of metallurgist to the English and Australian Copper Company in Adelaide. In 1895 he came to Western Australia to erect and conduct a battery at Cue, where he joined the staff of Messrs. Bewick, Moreing, & Co. as their mining representative on the Murchison goldfield, a post he held for three years. Resigning his position at Cue he returned to the eastern States and became engaged in mining pursuits on his own account, at the same time practising as mining engineer for a considerable period. In 1904 he again sailed for Western Australia and joined the Mining Department, first as battery manager at a place called Duketon on the Mount Margaret goldfields, where he
continued for a year, and subsequently at the end of 1905 received the appointment of Inspector of Mines. Mr. Cullingworth was stationed at Mount Margaret in 1908, and continued there until 1913, when he received transfer to the State Mining Engineer’s Department, Perth. In addition to his official position at Mount Margaret he occupied the post of Government representative on the Leonora Water Board. He finds recreation on the tennis court, and is particularly fond of shooting game. Mr. Cullingworth married in 1897 Mildred, daughter of the late Dr. Herbert, of Adelaide, South Australia, and has two sons and two daughters.
GEORGE McCULLOCH, Government Inspector of Machinery for the North Coolgardie and Mount Margaret districts, is a son of the late George McCulloch, of Kirkcaldy, Scotland, and was born in London on January 20, 1877. He received his primary education at the Cowper Street School, subsequently proceeding to the University of Edinburgh, where he studied mechanical engineering. He served his apprenticeship at the engineering works of Messrs. Douglas & Grant, of Kirkcaldy, and upon the completion of his indentures was employed for about four years as engineering draughtsman with the firm of Richard Moreland & Sons, and afterwards with Messrs. Simpson, the latter firm being known in Western Australia as the makers of the Coolgardie water scheme engines. In 1899 he came to this State under an engagement to the Kanowna Consolidated Gold - mining Co. as mechanical engineer, and for two years remained in control of the Company’s plant at Kanowna. Subsequently he occupied the post of chief engineer on the Great Boulder Mine for five years. In 1906 he was offered his present appointment of Government Inspector of Machinery for the North Coolgardie and Mount Margaret districts, the duties connected with which he has since carried out. Mr. McCulloch is well known in engineering circles, being the author of a work entitled “Winding Engines and Appliances,” in which he collaborated with Mr. Campbell Futers, of Newcastle, England, its publisher being Mr. Edward Arnold, of London, and which is the only textbook on the subject at
present in existence. He makes a hobby of entomology and microscopy, devoting a good deal of his leisure time to these fascinating pursuits; and for outdoor recreation indulges chiefly in motoring and shooting, being also an adept with the foils. A well-known figure in amateur theatrical circles since making his home in Leonora he has contributed in no small measure to the enjoyment of the residents in the exercise of his gifts in this direction as well as in assisting the sacred cause of charity. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, being associated with the Doric Lodge at Menzies. Mr. McCulloch married Bertha, daughter of the late Thomas Brockman, of Guildford, one of Western Australia’s early pioneers, and has three daughters.
The GOLDEN ZONE MINE, the property of Mr. George Hughes, situated % mile north of Kalgoorlie, was discovered in the year 1897. Ten years later it was purchased from a local company by the present owner, who, about the same period, acquired from English syndicates the Hannan’s North and the Kalgoorlie Star Mines, and subsequently the three properties were amalgamated under the name of the Golden Zone Mine, by which they are now known. The area of the Golden Zone extends over 66 acres, and the character of the lode is marked by the presence of sulphides. Passing from the crushers the sands undergo the cyanide process for the extraction of metals, work which is carried on coincident with the development of the mine, which produces about 600 oz. of gold per month, the average output of gold at the present time being about an oz. and a half to the ton. The main shaft has been sunk to a depth of 600 ft., and over 300,000 oz. of gold have been recovered from the three mines since the early days of their development, the general average over the period under review being 2 oz. to the ton. Since the mines came into the hands of Mr. Hughes more than £20,000 has been spent on machinery alone, and the Golden Zone to - day is better equipped in this respect than any other individually-owned mine in Western Australia. A 15-head battery of the latest pattern (manufactured by Fraser & Chalmers), together with three separate winding plants, have been installed, and there
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
are five large boilers in use in connection with the compressed-air plant, which is also of modern design. Mr. George Hughes has devoted the greater part of his life to prospecting, and in the search after the yellow metal worked on many Victorian goldfields, including the Steglitz, Gordons, Ballarat, and Egerton. In 1894 he decided to try his fortune in Western Australia, and upon arrival in this State proceeded at once to the eastern fields, and worked in turn upon all the leading mines in the “Golden Mile,” spending the greater part of his time on the Croesus, Hannan’s, Brown Hill, and Perseverance Mines. In 1897 he began his career as mining investor, which he continued with success for a few years, and in 1903 went abroad, visiting America, India, and New Zealand in search of promising mining interests, but failed to strike payable propositions, which were the object of his trip. Upon his return to Western Australia, Mr. Hughes entered into negotiations for the purchase of his
his career in Western Australia he suffered many vicissitudes in common with other hardy pioneers, who, in
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie
Mr. George Hughes.
but ordinary comfort, and often health itself. He was among the first arrivals on the respective scenes of the principal gold finds ever since about 1895. In addition to his mining interests, he is also largely concerned in the pastoral and agricultural industries of the country, owning one of the best properties in the Moora district, comprising between
3,000 and 4,000 acres, and situated about a couple of miles from the Elsternwick railway station. This property, improved at the time of purchase, is still undergoing development, and about a quarter of it is cleared and applied to cropping and the breeding of sheep and horses. Amid the varied scenes in which his lot has been cast Mr. Hughes has taken considerable interest in sporting matters, and besides being a well-known owner of racehorses for some fifteen years past has played a personal part in many popular athletic events. Swimming is also a form of recreation for which he has a decided penchant, and he can still hold his
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. surface View, Golden Zone Mine, Kalgoorlie.
present property, and has since continued the development of the Golden Zone Mine with considerable success. During the course of
pursuance of a common aim—the opening up of the mineral wealth of an untouched territory — sacrificed not only the luxuries of civilization
own in this sport, even outside the ranks of amateurs. Mr. Hughes is a member of the various Tattersall’s Clubs throughout Australia.
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LODOVICO GIANINI, one of the original shareholders in the Hidden Secret Mine, Kalgoorlie, was born at Montagna, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy, in the year 1867, his father being the late Petro Gianini, a farmer of that place. He came to Australia at the age of twenty, landing at Melbourne, and afterwards spent some little time at Broken Hill before coming to Western Australia in March, 1892. Ever since that date he has been identified with the mining industry
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Lodovico Gianini.
and has worked in various mines, including Bailey’s Reward at Coolgar-die, Lake View, Boulder, and other properties on the “Golden Mile.” He spent about a couple of years in prospecting, and in 1893 was among the first to arrive at Kurnalpi, where he passed a similar period. Mr. Gianini was one of the promoters of the Hidden Secret Mine from the time it was originally prospected, and until two years ago held the principal interest in the mine, still remaining a large shareholder. This mine, which is still owned by the small syndicate of men who founded it and were instrumental in its development, has paid over £40,000 in dividends, 10,000 tons of ore producing in the crushing about £90,000 worth of gold. Mr. Gianini has revisited his native land on three occasions, and has acquired financial interests there. In 1909 he travelled widely through the Continent and England, and subsequently spent the greater part of the year prospecting in East Africa, when he found gold-bearing
country on the Gash River, at the head of the Blue Nile. He was married in Italy in 1909 to a daughter of Signor Grassi, of the Italian Civil Service, and has one daughter.
GIULIO DAVINI (better known on the goldfields as John Davey), one of the proprietors of the Hidden Secret Mine, Kalgoorlie, was born near Lucca, Italy, on June 14, 1861, and received his education in his native town. After engaging in farm work for a time and while still quite a boy he worked on the Corsican Railway, and at intervals was employed in the vineyard industry. At twenty years of age he joined the Italian army, and after three years’ service emigrated to Australia. Upon his arrival in New South Wales in 1886 he proceeded to the Cobar Copper Mines, and after a year in this district accepted employment in the construction of the railway lino to Bourke. From here he went to the Richmond River district, where he was identified with the sugar industry for seven years, subsequently taking passage for New Zealand and working on the Napier Breakwater. After again landing at New South Wales he revisited his native country, remaining for about a year, and on his return to Australia settled in the Western State, where he again engaged in railway construction on the Southern Cross to Coolgardie section of the eastern goldfields line. Upon the termination of this work he turned his attention to mining, and was identified with various enterprises on the “Golden Mile.” Whilst prospecting in company with Mr. William Dowling in 1899 he was successful in discovering the mine now known as the Hidden Secret, since when the whole of his time and energies have been devoted to the development of this mine, which has proved one of the paying propositions of the district.
ADRIAN SWANSON (familiarly known on the fields as “AIf” Swanson), Linden, North Coolgardie goldfields, Yurrilla, part-owner of the Democrat Mine, situated at Linden, was born at Oskar Shamm, in Sweden, on April 19, 1874, and is the youngest son of the late Mr. Alfred Swanson, of that place. He received his education in his native
town, and upon the termination of his scholastic training sailed for Melbourne, Victoria, in the s.s. “Neuern-berg,” arriving in 1889. Here he ontered upon a commercial career with a firm of auctioneers, at the same time acting as interpreter for various legal firms. In 1894, at the time of the mining boom in Western Australia, he came to this State and spent three years at Fremantle in the stevedoring line of business. The attraction to try his fortune on the fields proved irresistible, and leaving the coast he passed through various experiences all over the mining belts of the State, his first venture being at the Donnybrook field. Thence he went to Burtville and the Mount Margaret district, subsequently visiting Marble Bar, Bamboo Creek, and other mining centres of the north-west. In 1908 he became one of a party of prospectors, five in number, who journeyed east of Kookynie, and striking Linden-then deserted save for one man—took
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Adrian Swanson.
up three leases, on all of which gold was found in payable quantities. In August of the same year the party struck good ore on a newly-acquired lease known as the Democrat, and subsequent developments have proved the mine to be one of fortune’s prizes. The first crushing produced 7 oz. over the plates and 3 oz. in the tailings, and as far down as 200 ft. an average of 5 oz. to the ton was taken from over 900 tons of stone. The mine is owned by Mr. Swanson, his brother, and Mr. Loydon, all of whom are very sanguine as to the
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ultimate success of their proposition, and to this party must be accorded the credit of repopularizing the Linden field, over 150 men now finding permanent employment there. The Messrs. Swanson continue to finance prospecting parties all over the gold-bearing area, and do all in their power towards the promotion of the industry in which they have so important a stake. The gentleman under review is a rifleman of no mean merit, and devotes what spare time he can command to this form of sport. He is also very fond of reading, and recreates his mental faculties by the perusal of historical and other works.
FRANCIS DAVID GESSNER was born at Prahran, Victoria, on May 19, 1868, and is a son of Mr. Frederick William Gessner, who came from Germany to Australia, being among the earliest arrivals in the above-named State. He was educated at the local public school, and subsequently began active business life as a collector of botanic specimens for the late Baron von Mueller, which work he continued for a considerable time. In 1900 he came to Western Australia, accompanying a brother with the object in view of prospecting for gold on the eastern fields. This project led him to the district surrounding Kanowna, Lake Lefroy, and other localities, where he pursued his search for the precious metal with unabated ardour for several years. In 1904 he formed a prospecting partnership with Mr. Thomas Huffa, and continued his labours in the mining industry without conspicuous success for five years, when the partners struck gold at a place called the Six-mile—signifying its distance from Kanowna. They worked this claim with good results for about twelve months, at the end of which period they changed the venue of their operations to the old Kurnalpi diggings, and began prospecting in that neighbourhood, working, chiefly on abandoned claims. Their efforts were rewarded by the discovery of gold in payable quantities on different parts of the field, and at length a memorable day arrived—in June, 1912—when Mr. Gessner, while working alone—his partner having gone to Kanowna for supplies—struck a rich patch of the red metal, and within a couple of hours had unearthed over 300 oz.
of gold. Subsequently this was increased to 600 oz., and the culminating triumph was the finding of a nugget weighing 215 oz. and valued at £782, at which figure it was purchased by the Scaddan Administration for exhibition. Upon the report of this rich find the field was again rushed by an eager army of prospectors, among whom Mr. Gessner and his partner have continued the working of their various claims. Mr. Gessner is a typical prospector, being one of those who have given the best of their lives to the mining
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Francis David Gessner.
industry and have few interests beyond the absorbing business of the moment.
ALEXANDER NORTON, mill-owner, Kanowna, was born at Pens-hurst, in the Western District of Victoria, on March 14, 1862, and is a son of the late Richard Norton, a pioneer of the fifties—the earliest days of the gold diggings in that State. The subject of this memoir received his education in his native village, and at the close of his schooldays learned and followed the trade of carpenter at Ballarat for nearly ten years. Subsequently he resided in different parts of Victoria, and in 1893 came to Western Australia, pursuing his calling in Perth for a time, and eventually finding his way to the eastern goldfields. After a brief sojourn in the Coolgardie district Mr. Norton came to Kanowna
in 1896, where he was first engaged in the erection of works on the property of the Easter Gift Proprietary Mine. Having completed this engagement he turned his attention to his present enterprise, erecting a six-head battery at the locality known as the Six-mile and working out all the payable alluvial ore procurable before transferring his plant to Kanowna, where he installed it on the present site. The plant has since been enlarged, and when not engaged in crushing for the several mining companies in which he is personally interested Mr. Norton throws the mill open as a public crushing concern. Since his arrival in the town he has been prominent on the directorate of various mining ventures, and at present acts in this capacity for the Sirdar and Golden Crown Mines. He is also largely interested in the sale of mining machinery, being the first to introduce the Hornsby gas-engine to Western Australia. His chief pastime consists in motoring, and he does much travelling in the back-blocks in his Darracq car. He has been twice married, his first wife being a daughter of Mr. William Luce, of Jersey, Channel Islands. In 1910 he was united to Eliza, daughter of the late W. Wade, of Brighton, Victoria.
JOSEPH ANDREW WITT-
MAN, mining investor, owner of the Ironsides North Gold Mine and Battery, is a son of the late- Mr. Frank Wittmann, of West Maitland, New South Wales, and was born at Dunmore, on the Hunter River in that State on August 22, 1863. When about ten years of age, in a boyish prank he left his home, and meeting with a firm of contractors some 130 miles distant apprenticed himself to them as a stonemason, receiving even then 6s. a day. Three years later he was in receipt of the highest wages, and while still in his teens began to take contracts on his own account, some of the biggest buildings in the country towns of New South Wales being of his erection. At a later period he accepted the management of the Pyrmont quarries, the largest stone quarries in Australia, and after seven years’ connection with this enterprise obtained six months’ leave of absence in order to pay a visit to the Western State. While
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there a gold rush to Southern Cross occurred, and Mr. Wittman catching the fever spent about two years prospecting the districts of Siberia and Wealth of Nations round Menzies, and Mount Margaret at Lake Darlot, and coming to Kal-goorlie was fortunate in securing as his share of profits about 400 oz. of gold. In 1905 he went for a trip to his native State, and upon his return took the position of mine manager in the Easter Gift Mine at Kanowna. This post he resigned to re-enter the building trade, and taking over the Ashlar quarries at Mount Robinson erected many of the leading hotels at Kalgoorlie and Boulder and laid the foundations of many of the big mining plants on the fields. In 1904 he took the lease of the Brown Hill Consols, which had been already forfeited by an English Company, and being successful in striking good gold within 60 ft. of the surface took steps at once to erect a 20-head battery at the mine, by means of which £120,000 worth of gold was obtained, and the mine being worked out the plant and battery were disposed of for £8,000. The Ironsides North Mine being for sale Mr. Wittman purchased it for £250 for the sake of its water, which was necessary for the development of certain other of his ventures. The mine had been abandoned as useless, and the company owning it had gone into liquidation, but after its transfer some of the miners employed there offered to take and work it on tribute. This offer caused Mr. Wittman to make investigations, and finding payable gold he decided to work it and erected a plant, securing in three years £60,000 worth of the precious metal. The gentleman under review takes a keen interest in fishing, and some three years ago nearly lost his life in pursuit of this sport. With Messrs. Salmon, manager of the Kalgoorlie Amalgamated Gold Mines, and Fred Reynolds, of Fremantle, he was about 8 miles out on the Indian Ocean when a shark nearly 20 ft. long attacked the boat and stove a hole in the bottom, and had it not been for the timely pre-ence of two kapok beds with which they were able to stop the leak until the shore was made the result would probably have been fatal. He is a keen motorist and recently, on a trip to the Old Country, purchased a S.C.A.T., on which he toured some
17.000 miles all over Italy, Austria, Hungary, France, Germany, Belgium, and Great Britain, besides nearly 30,000 miles by sea and rail, and during this trip displayed his patriotic spirit by the distribution of
3.000 post cards showing the map of Australia, and printed statistics of her exports, productions, and imports. He is a member of the Masonic craft and Club and a member of the Commercial Travellers’ Club. In 1884 he was married to Kate, daughter of Mr. Henry George, who was the first to find gold at Bendigo in the now famous Garden Gully Gold Mine.
FREDERICK CONNAUGIITON, one of the directors of the Fenian Mine, Meekatharra, was born in County Galway, Ireland, in 1868. He came to Victoria and followed the calling of an agriculturist for some years, being attracted to Western Australia in 1895. Proceeding straight to the Murchison fields in that year he gained his initial experience in mining aiid prospecting, and taking over the proprietorship of the Meekatharra Hotel still continued his keen interest in the development of the mineral wealth of the district. The success of Messrs. Roberts Brothers when their prospecting venture was rewarded by the discovery of the Ingliston Consols gave encouragement for further enterprise, and, Mr. Connaughton was one of those who gave the necessary support to the prospectors, thus becoming a joint-owner in the valuable property known as the Fenian Mine. Having arrived at Meekatharra when there were only twenty men on the field, and suffering the privations and hardships of the early pioneer, with others he never lost faith in the possibilities of the district, which has now proved itself to be one of the rich mineral centres of the State. He has been identified with all the ups-and-downs of the local mining industry and his prosperity may truly be said to have grown with that of the field.
RICHARD WALLACE, member of the syndicate of the Fenian Mine, Meekatharra, was born at Tipperary, Ireland, in 1862. He is a son of the late Mr. Patrick Wallace, of Grange Mocklar, near
Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland, and received his education at the National School in his native village. He was brought up to the agricultural industry on the farm owned by his mother in that district, and when twenty - four years of age took passage for Queensland. He was engaged in railway and mining work for nine years, and in 1895 left the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Richard Wallace.
Northern State for Western Australia. After some months in the mining industry at Kalgoorlie Mr. Wallace travelled over the different mining areas of the State, spending two years between Day Dawn and Chesterfield. The year 1903 marked his advent to Meekatharra, and for some time subsequent to his arrival he was employed by the Government in work on a water shaft, afterwards finding occupation in the Pioneer Mine. During this time he was one of those to promote and finance the band of prospectors, Messrs. Mel-drum, Bray, and Ryan, who were continuing the work of developing the newly-discovered Fenian Mine, and who ultimately found it to be the payable proposition it has since proved itself. At a later period he became an active worker in the mine, and in 1908 retired from personal connection with its development, and now lives in retirement at Mary Street, Highgate. Mr. Wallace is a member of the Celtic Club. In 1908 he married Mary, daughter of the late Mr. James Meagher, of Grange Mocklar, Tipperary, Ireland.
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The FENIAN GOLD MINE, Meekatharra. Meekatharra is widely recognized as being at the present time the soundest and, potentially, the largest gold-mining district in Western Australia outside of Kal-goorlie. The field itself is often spoken of as the “Golden Six-mile,” just as Kalgoorlie is popularly termed in reference to its richer central portion “The Golden Mile.” In the “Golden Six-mile” at Meekatharra there arc three lines or belts of rich gold-bearing formations, the richest and most developed being the eastern belt. The wealthiest mine to date on this belt is the Fenian, nearly
splendid return from a 17-acre lease. It must not be inferred that the Fenian Mine proved a good mine right from the start. Far from it. It took much patient toil and the exercise of much faith and perseverance before payable gold was found on the property, and to one of the largest shareholders, Mr. Thomas Ryan, is due the lion’s share of credit for the success ultimately won. An experienced prospector in the Murchison and East Murchison goldfields, Mr. Ryan went to Meekatharra only a few weeks after Mr. Roberts and party had pegged the Fenian lease at the south end of the
property was then syndicated by taking in two more shareholders, Messrs. Wigmore and White, Mr. Ryan becoming entitled to a two-sixth interest instead of half. For a whole year the syndicate worked at a loss, the formation being gold-bearing, certainly; but when subject to the practical test of battery treatment some 20 tons of ore yielded only 9 oz. of gold. Mr. Ryan, however, notwithstanding hope thus deferred, still preserved his faith, and when three of the shareholders, Messrs. Osborne, Wigmore, and White, cried “enough” and retired, their places were taken by Messrs. Wallace,
Photo by J. Tovey.
one-half of the total gold yield of the field having been produced from it. This is an unchallangeable position, and a truly proud one when it is remembered that all its development and equipment have been done without the aid of outside capital. The pluck of the small party of owners, and their enterprise in putting back a goodly portion of the profits further to develop the property, has deservedly won good fortune. To the end of the year 1912 the results of nine years’ work have been <£350,600 worth of gold won and £161,185 17s. 6d. the amount of profits divided among the six owners. A truly
Fenian Gold Mine, Meekatharra.
Ingliston lease, where good gold had been found. At that time Meekatharra was practically an unknown field, Paddy Donovan, a prospector delving for alluvial in what is now known as “Paddy’s Flat,” being the first to draw convincing attention to the possibilities of the district, whither other gold-seekers soon followed him. Mr. Ryan quickly seized up the potentialities of the locality, and purchased Mr. Roberts’ interest in the Fenian lease. Later he also bought out Mr. Regan, and thus became owner of half the property, his two partners being Messrs. Osborne and Connaughton. The
Meldrum, and Bray. Mr. Ryan’s confidence seems to have been shared by others, for while the syndicate still remained in six shares only, Mr. W. James secured by purchase one of the two shares held by Mr. Ryan. It will help to a better understanding of how success was achieved by the re-organized syndicate if a brief glance is first taken of the conditions under which gold occurs at Meekatharra. The district is a slightly elevated plateau, with its surface in great part covered by earth, which effectually hides the character of the rocks underneath except at a very few points and in the ridges in the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
367
vicinity of the town site. The highly weathered and decomposed nature of the rock has prevailed to the greatest depth yet attained on the field, and has prevented the geological survey even to this date giving specific mineral names to the rocks met with in the mines. According to the State Mining Engineer there is more than one old surface of the country to be met with in places, particularly where the ground now lies flat and low. A quartz vein may help to preserve an old surface, and retain its original gold also, but in the absence of such support the ground rock decomposes to a clayey or talcose body, in which the original ore-channel is
very promising, no payable channel was struck. Mr. Ryan then resolved to get down deeper, and again try across country. Only 10 feet deeper an unmistakably true formation was met with, of large size, and for a full 30 feet in width gold was encountered in fairly defined veins. This was in 1903, and from that time the mine as a productive property has never looked back. The first crushing taken out was treated on April 24, 1904, and from 61 tons 151 oz. of gold were obtained, exclusive of values still retained in sands and slimes. In the December following another parcel of 53 tons was crushed and yielded 271 oz. To prove the
extent independently of the associated quartz veins. As showing the consistency of the veins met with and their extent, the following list of crushings made before a greater depth than 250 feet was attained is highly illuminative: —
Dates. Tons. Yield.
Ozs. Dwts.
April 24, 1904 ... 61 151 4
Dec. 26, 1904 ... 53 271 —
May 2, 1905 ... 146 547 4
Aug. 12, 1905 ... 286 1,340 10
Feb. 8, 1906 ... 443 2,315 15
Aug. 23, 1906 ... 413 1,293 —
March 6, 1907 ... 403 1,188 18
May 30, 1907 ... 390 872 —
Aug. 6, 1907 ... 600 1,400 6
Totals .......... 2,795 9,379 17
Photo by J. Tovey.
now only traceable by the occurrence or absence of gold values. Mining among the lodes in the ridges was productive as early as 1898, but it was not until Paddy Donovan discovered the rich alluvial in the flat in 1902 that a clear conception of the necessity of deeper prospecting began to dawn upon those exploiting the Meckatharra country. Mr. Ryan’s syndicate in the Fenian lease meanwhile had sunk to a depth of 50 feet in three different shafts and connected them by crosscutting. Gold was met with in this work, and though at times appearances were
Slimes Plant on the Fenian Gold Mine.
ground along the lease in the gold-bearing zone a drive at a depth of 150 feet has been brought in over the boundary from the adjoining mine and run along the ore channel for a total length of 720 feet. Every vein and stringer of quartz was, of course, noted, as the richest gold occurred with them. At two different points the quartz occurred in size worthy to be dignified with the name of “reef,” and lense after lense of such occurrences have made the Fenian a truly “quartz” mine, as well as one having a typical gold-bearing formation, which is payable over a considerable
The gold as per Mint returns realized £4 2s. per oz., and the tailings retained, according to Government assay certificates, from 8 to 20 dwt. per ton. With the capital thus at their disposal from such yields, and the large extent of ore-ground assured by development work, it was but natural that crushing at the State battery—whero all the above crushings were made—should be discontinued at the earliest possible moment, a battery erected at the mine, and cartage saved. A ten-head stamp battery has since been installed, and a cyaniding and slimes
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treatment plant further added to deal with the tailings and residues produced by the battery. To the end of last year (1912), as already mentioned, the gold won amounted to over a third of a million sterling value, but the development of the
mine has been in no wise stinted in the natural eagerness for goldwinning and the distribution of dividends among the owners. From end to end the property has been explored by drives, the formation has been crosscutted at frequent intervals, and the main shaft sunk to a depth of 570 feet from surface. The bottom drive is at 550 feet, where the ore-body averages 17 dwts. per ton. The main ore-body in the mine is the one near to the main shaft, where the quartz bodies have sometimes ranged up to 15 feet in thickness, though normally they are much thinner. Another body of ore is near to the northern boundary, two consort veins of quartz holding down along with the lode-channel or formation. Only the richer ore-veins would pay for exploitation prior to the advent of the railway to Meekatharra, as will be seen when it is stated that for the year 1909, i.e., before railway
advantages were provided, the Fenian company paid £1,205 for freight and cartage, £728 for firewood, and £642 for mining timber —a total of £2,575 for these three items alone. The great formation, in which the Fenian Mine works high-grade quartz veins, extends through
the properties at either end of it, and likewise produces rich quartz in those properties. The one immediately south is the Marmont, the total gold production of which has mounted nearly halfway to that produced by the Fenian. A large
interest in this mine is held by Mr. Ryan, who also owns the next two properties beyond it. The water supply underground in the Meekatharra mines is most erratic. The Fenian is practically a dry mine, and it would appear that the fault-ings and contortions which the
channel has undergone has, in a great measure, shut out the passage of water along the channel. Thus the deepest mines, and richest also, so far, are those in which relatively little water is met with, a circumstance which has materially influenced the development of mining at Meekatharra. Had the rich mines been wet it would have been impracticable for their worker-owners to have got together the money necessary for proper development work. The richness of the stone would, of course, attract attention, and capital would have been readily forthcoming from many financial centres on the usual conditions, viz., complete transfer of all the owners’ interests to a public company, for cash or share considerations, and the mine afterwards worked as the will of distant directors would decide. Mr. Ryan and his fellow-partners needed not the speculator-expert or mining-company floater to tell them they had a good thing. They knew as well as anyone else could tell them. Other property - holders at Meekatharra knew the same with regard to their shows and acted accordingly. As a consequence the progress of Meekatharra has been unmarked by any period of wild excitement and company-promoting. In fact, throughout the whole district only two public companies have yet secured a footing. Some time ago a London group of financiers approached the partners owning the Marmont with a view to purchase and floating it into a company. A big price was asked,
Photo by J. Tovey.
Photo by J. Tovey. Slimes Dam and Settling Vats.
STOPING ABOVE NO. 4 LEVEL.
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and for a time the negotiations looked like eventuating. But as all blandishments failed to induce the owners of the Fenian to name a price for their mine also, the proposed purchase of the Marmont fell through; the company-promoters wanted more than one kite to fly in the mining market of the great world capital.
The late CHARLES MACDONALD ROBERTS, of the firm of J. A. & C. M. Roberts, who with his brother, John Archibald Roberts, was
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Charles Macdonald Roberts.
responsible for the mining development of Southern Meekatharra, was born at Bathurst, New South Wales, on May 21, 1862. He was a son of the late Mr. Christopher Roberts, of that town, where also he received his education. At an early age, when only fifteen, he entered upon mining pursuits, becoming a prospector in the mineral district surrounding his home. Three years later he went to Queensland and engaged in various mining operations on the Gympie goldfields, making a study of gold-bearing minerals during the ten years spent in that centre. He next visited different diggings of mushroom growth in the New England district of New South Wales and moved on from here, still prospecting, to the Omeo district of Victoria. Making but poor returns for his enterprise, in 1897 he returned to Queensland and until 1900 continued his connection with mining affairs in Gympie. In the early part of 1901,
Y
lending a ready ear to the favourable reports of gold discovery in the Western State, he sailed for Fremantle, and proceeding straight to Abbotts, in the Nannine district, got employment in the New Murchison King Gold Mine, where he worked for a few months. An industrial dispute arising, he left this employ and in order to make himself acquainted with the character of the country went prospecting, feeling his way with caution as far as Meekatharra. Here he undertook a systematic prosoect of the surrounding district, forming one of a party consisting of Messrs. Uriah Wright, Martin, Bourgoin, Cleary, and his brother, who jointly acquired a mine discovered and owned by Mr. Wright, which is now known as the Ingliston Extended. Twelve months later Messrs. C. M. and J. A. Roberts purchased the interests held by the other partners and became sole proprietors of the mine. The settlement was in a financially low state at this time, but their venture turning out well the Messrs. Roberts sent out two prospectors, who were fortunate in finding payable gold south of the Ingliston Extended only a few months later. The brothers directed their energies chiefly to the development of the new find, which they named the Ingliston Consols, and which inaugurated a new era of prosperity on the field. This mine has paid in dividends almost 50 per cent, of the gold yielded up to date, and during the eight years of its existence has crushed over an ounce to the ton for nearly 30,000 tons crushed. It is now by far the deepest mine on the field, and the values proved at the greater depth are still highly satisfactory. The success of the Consols brought new capital to the Meekatharra group of mines, and Messrs. Roberts disposed of their first venture after two years’ working. The neglected southern portion of the fields was prospected, with the result that the now famous Fenian and Marmont Mines were discovered, and at the present time a number of batteries, comprising over 50 head of stampers, are sounding the prosperity of the Murchison fields. Mr. Roberts was a member of the Western Australian Chamber of Mines. In 1907 he married Doris, daughter of the late Mr. Charles Huxley, of Sydney, New South Wales. Mr. Roberts died in April, 1913, two sons surviving him.
JOHN ARCHIBALD ROBERTS
was born at Bathurst, New South Wales, on July 9, 1865, and received his education locally. At the conclusion of his scholastic career he served his apprenticeship to the wheelwright trade and spent five years in this calling. Prompted by love of travel and the desire for a wider experience and knowledge of his native country he took a trip to Queensland, where he followed various occupations for a few years, subsequently becoming identified with the different branches of mining and prospecting. Returning to Victoria Mr. Roberts spent a few years in the Southern States and followed his brother, Mr. C. M. Roberts, to Western Australia shortly after the departure of the latter for this State, eventually joining issue with him in the purchase of the Ingliston Extended and the development of the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Archibald Roberts.
southern portion of the Murchison goldfield. He has travelled over most of the principal mining centres and, though comparatively a newcomer, is well known in Western Australian mining circles. He has interests outside the mining industry, and with his brother built the largest hotel on the Murchison fields, viz., the Royal Mail, which is the first two-storied concrete building in the district. Mr. J. A. Roberts is a member of Tattersall’s Club and of the various city clubs at Perth. He takes his recreation in driving and walking.
Pearling
When we remember that in the early days of the settlement of the State the “Beagle” passed over the placid waters northward of Shark Bay, and even collected at various places pearl shell, it seems almost impossible to imagine that the vast potential wealth was overlooked. However, not for long could the opportunities be neglected, and midway in the last century the glamour and romance of the search for this hidden treasure attracted many adventurous spirits to the mysterious shores of North-west Australia. The flavour of the Orient that attaches to the search for pearl shell, found always in the strange seas of tropical climes, was not absent. Natives of varied colour and country flocked to this the latest rendezvous, where the ever-changing deep held fortunes hitherto undreamt of. Then the search itself partook of the nature of a gamble, for who could tell what the unopened oyster might contain, and the eternal spirit of chance kept the votaries of that fickle goddess in a continual fever of expectation. The dangerous nature of the waters, subject to tempestuous squalls and predatory denizens of the deep, further increased the romance of the search. It is not hard, therefore, to understand the glamour that surrounds the industry, or to find excuses for the many vagaries of the polyglot population found at the various towns along that extensive stretch of north-west coastline.
There are two distinct species of oyster in Western Australian waters from which pearls and pearl shell are obtained. The smaller kind, the Meleagrina imbricafa, known to the trade as the Shark Bay oyster, affords the shell used in the making of buttons and other small articles, while from the larger, Meleagrina margaritifera, is procured those magnificent shells that figure so largely in manufacture. Both kinds yield pearls of great lustre and beauty, some of them running up to the four-figure mark in value.
The earlier records of pearling as an industry are somewhat indefinite, but it appears to have made a beginning at Shark Bay during the early fifties. The methods adopted, and still used in places, were the crudest — hand-picking and dredging along the shore. These methods, however, with naked diving by aborigines, afforded good results, and carried many a settler through the early pioneering days in the north. Diving, according to the newspapers, seems to have been largely carried out by women, though early pioneers dispute the statement. At any rate, by ordinance of the Legislative Council female diving was prohibited after 1868.
Nowadays more up-to-date methods prevail, and every precaution is taken to ensure the work being carried on under the best possible conditions. Capital to the extent of about £200,000 is invested in the industry, and nearly 400 boats are employed. Operations extend northwards from Shark Bay to Broome, the headquarters of the industry, which is situated about 18° from the Equator. The management and control is in the hands of white men, but the divers are principally Asiatics, hailing from the Malay Peninsula, Manila, and Japan. The Japanese number about 1,500, and are rapidly displacing other coloured labour. White divers, it is contended by the pearlers, are not procurable, except at prohibitive prices, on account of the dangerous nature of the occupation, and consequently the “White Australia” policy of the Commonwealth Government was not at first rigorously enforced. In 1911, however, the pearlers were given two years’ notice of the prohibition of coloured labour, and have consequently, though not gracefully, begun to make provision for the change which is due to arrive this year. Of late years the number of whites employed has materially increased, apart from any question of labour, but the reason of this may be found in the better returns secured under such conditions, as the shell is always opened in their presence.
As a factor in the export trade the industry is of considerable importance to the State. During the year 1911 25,482 cwt. of shell, valued at £239,969, and pearls to the estimated value of £60,000 were exported from the north-west stations, while from Shark Bay the returns for shell amounted to £1,166, and for pearls to £7,426, giving a total value of pearls and shell sent away of £308,561. This total is some £40,000 below that of the previous year—not a large sum in an industry which necessarily must fluctuate. To quote from a recent writer: —“The industry is essentially speculative. With good luck the investor may get rich more quickly than he could in any other enterprise; with bad luck disaster may overtake him with equal suddenness. The industry requires that capital be risked; it takes heavy toll of life, even in its ordinary working, and when a cyclone sweeps along the coast whole fleets, both boats and personnel, may be blown out of existence. A lugger and equipment cost, roughly, £700, and wages of the crew run to about £5 per month, and the diver gets from £3 to £5 per month and £25 to £30 per ton of shell raised, the bonus increasing if the haul for the season exceeds five tons. The working expenses of a boat aggregate
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approximately £500 per annum, and shell has to be worth £140 a ton before there is a profit in the business. With a good season, and shell at a high price, without taking into consideration the possible finding of a pearl or pearls of great value, the investor may get his capital outlay returned in the first year; but if luck is against him he may make no profit at all, and may even lose everything. Thus the industry is of so risky and speculative a character that only the possibility of large profits and a sudden accession of riches makes it attractive to the investor or adventurer. As it is, it entirely supports at Broome a population of over 5,000, and partly supports smaller communities at other ports along the coast.”
Many times have cyclones swept over the pearling grounds, destroying whole fleets of boats. Twice within recent years extraordinary storms have almost wiped the industry out of existence, yet such is the recuperative power
Pearling Lugger at Broome.
that the disasters of yesterday are almost forgotten in the promise of to-morrow. Happily, the fear that the beds might be worked out has been proved to be groundless, as there exist stock beds, below
the reach of present-day diving apparatus, which act as feeders for the beds inshore, and a continual regeneration by natural processes goes on from year to year.
The pearls and shell from the two pearling grounds possess distinctive lustres. Those found round Shark Bay are yellow, while the north - west produces material white in lustre. By experiment it has been found possible to transplant the oysters from one locality to the other, in which case the shell takes the lustre peculiar to the waters in which it is placed. Thus the continuance of the industry may be aided by farming, so that there is every indication that, scientifically managed, the pearl oyster will for an indefinite time provide a lucrative industry along the shores of North-west Australia.
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Freemasonry
Freemasonry in Western Australia, which dates back to 1843, is probably, with the exception of the Royal Agricultural Society, the oldest institution in the State. In the year mentioned the Governor, Mr. John Hutt (who was an enthusiastic Mason), Mr. Peter Brown (the Colonial Secretary), and several other influential men in the settlement who were also members of the Craft, banded together and sought a charter from the Grand Lodge of England for a lodge to he named St. John’s Lodge (now No. 1 on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia). For many years this remained the only Masonic body in the State, and to it is due the foundation of the large and progressive institution which is now spread over the populated areas of Western Australia. So favourably was it viewed by the Government that in 1861 a grant of land (for the purposes of the Craft) situated in Hay Street, adjoining the old Mechanics’ Institute, was made, and in 1867 a hall was erected. This was used continuously until the late nineties, when it was sold to the Government, and is now occupied by the Mines Department. With the amount realized a block was secured in the same street, but further eastward, and the present handsome structure erected.
The year 1865 saw the opening of a second lodge—■ the Fremantle Lodge—at Fremantle, and then about twelve years elapsed before the third—the Geraldton Lodge—was established. The revival of trade and the expansion that took place after the Kimberley gold rush, as well, probably, as the hope of responsible government, seem then to have stimulated the members of the Craft living in various centres, as we find no less than six lodges consecrated in different localities between the years 1886 and 1889. Expansion proceeded at a more or less rapid pace from that time onwards, and when the question of establishing a sovereign Grand Lodge in the State was finally determined there were thirty-four lodges working under the control of the Grand Lodge of England. These lodges had for some years been endowed with a measure of self-government by the establishment in the State, by the Grand Lodge of England, of a District Grand Lodge, which controlled domestic concerns and became the medium of communication between the constituent lodges and the parent grand body. The enormous expansion of the State consequent upon the gold discoveries, however, and the evident advantages that would accrue from complete self-government, caused the local authorities of the Craft to turn their minds to the question of establishing a sovereign jurisdiction.
The movement for the establishment of a Grand Lodge for Western Australia had its beginning as early as 1894. At that date there were no other lodges in the colony but those owing allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England, a fact which was urged with a good deal of persistency by a worthy brother of Geraldton Lodge, No. 1683, E.C., as a good and sufficient reason for precipitating events. In the eastern colonies the step was taken when three constitutions were at work, and although the earlier movements in New South Wales and Victoria were not an unqualified success, still it is now apparent that the labours of those enthusiastic brethren of twelve and thirteen years ago were the means of laying the foundation-stones of those superb structures now admired and revered by Masons all over the world. The District Grand Lodge of Western Australia, E.C., however, did not entertain the Geraldton proposal, principally on account of the few lodges in the colony, and it accordingly lapsed. In the meantime several events transpired which had an important bearing on the question. As was anticipated by those who originally moved in the matter, the situation became complicated by the establishment of lodges under the Scottish and Irish constitutions, rendering Masonic unity less easy, although it was fully hoped and believed not impossible of attainment. However, as in a large measure counterbalancing this temporary difficulty, the way had been made smooth for the legal establishment of a local Grand Lodge by a radical alteration of the constitution of the Grand Lodge of England. Hitherto all such defections involved a technical art of rebellion, whereas provision had recently been made, so far as the lodges holding under the Grand Lodge of England were concerned, for the constitutional setting up in distant parts of the Empire of a government for the Craft at once local and supreme.
His Excellency, Bro. Sir Gerard Smith, who recognized the expediency of establishing a Grand Lodge, did not hestitate, as District Grand Master, E.C., to lend his countenance to the movement, and at once took steps to place the lodges in his jurisdiction in a position to legally discuss the question, nor did he delay in urging upon the District Grand Lodge the wisdom of initiating the autonomous movement. The declaratory step was taken in October, 1899, when the report of the District Board of General Purposes was presented to the District Grand Lodge. This showed that thirty-three out of the thirty-four lodges were in favour of the proposal, and a resolution was thereupon passed by the District Grand
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Lodge to the following effect:—“That the lodges in favour of a Sovereign Grand Lodge for Western Australia (by virtue of resolutions already carried) hereby declare themselves as a Sovereign Grand Lodge for Western Australia, to be regularly constituted, consecrated, and dedicated in such manner and at such time and place as shall hereafter be prescribed.” At the same meeting His Excellency the Governor, R.W. Bro. Sir Gerard Smith, K.C.M.G., was unanimously elected first Grand Master. The body thus formed entered upon its constitutional existence on February 27, 1900, when its first Grand Master was duly installed and its officers appointed and invested. It is a coincidence not unworthy of mention, as being in keeping with Masonic traditions of loyalty to the Throne, that while many of Her Majesty’s vice-regal representatives in Western Australia have aided in raising the super-structure of Freemasonry in the colony, its foundations were laid at Government House as far back as 1843 by His Excellency the late Bro. John Hutt, and that this year of grace has witnessed, under vice-regal associations of the closest kind, the achievement of all that was implied by the solemn and social functions observed on February 27, 1900. It is also worthy of note that the Grand Lodge of England was represented at those functions by a Past Grand .Chaplain of England in the person of the R.W. Bro. Bishop Riley, who officiated as Installing Grand Officer, and who was assisted in his duties by the late District Grand Master, R.W. Bro. the Hon. J. A. Wright, and. the oldest surviving Past Master of the colony, Y.Wor. Bro. the Hon. D. K. Congdon Lastly must be mentioned the fact that among the vast concourse of brethren assembled to do honour to the new Grand Master were very many Scottish and Irish Freemasons, surely a happy augury of the future unity of Freemansonry in this part of the Empire.
Sir Gerard Smith only remained in office for one year, and left the State before the completion of it, as his term of office as Governor had expired. In 1901 the Hon. (now Sir) John Winthrop Hackett, LL.D., was elected Grand Master, and held the position until 1904, when he asked to be relieved from the office. The choice of the brethren then fell upon His Lordship the Bishop of Perth, who still occupies the post, being now Grand Master for the tenth year in succession.
As evidence of the growth of Masonry under local government, it may be mentioned that where the number of lodges at the establishment of the Grand Lodge was thirty-three, there are now ninety-four upon the register, of which ninety are in active work. The 2,000 members on the register in 1900 have increased to 4,000, and the funds have shown a corresponding growth. At the present time the General Fund shows a credit of £4,836, whilst the Benevolent Fund stands at £4,663.
In addition to these amounts there is a sum of £6,433 standing to the credit of the Widows, Orphans, and Aged Freemasons’ Fund—a fund which aims at conferring annuities upon the distressed and orphaned, and thus enable deserving brethren to close their lives in peace and in the knowledge that there will be some assistance at hand for those they leave behind them. The Freemasons’ Hall, with a credit of £13,000 assets over liabilities, is also the property of Grand Lodge. This building was originally the property of the Lodge of St. J ohn, but on the establishment of Grand Lodge was generously transferred at a price little above the mortgage.
As has been previously mentioned, both the Scotch and the Irish Constitutions erected lodges in the territory before the formation of the Grand Lodge. With the latter body there was little difficulty, as there were only two existing lodges, and one of them decided at the time to throw in its lot with the new Constitution. The Scottish Constitution presented a graver difficulty as, although many of the brethren were favourable to the principles of self-government, yet the Grand Lodge of Scotland refused them even permission to discuss the question. The District Grand Master at the time, the Rev. G. E. Rowe, was consequently debarred from taking any part in the movement. Since that time, however, many of the Scottish lodges have changed their allegiance, and are now actively working under the Western Australian Constitution. For many years the Grand Lodge of Scotland steadfastly refused to recognize the supreme rights of the local Grand Lodge, and consequently more or less friction occurred; but since their change of attitude in 1908 perfect harmony has prevailed between the two Constitutions. In order to facilitate working, the Scottish lodges in Western Australia are now grouped into two districts, with Perth and Kalgoorlie as the respective headquarters. R.W. Bro. J. M. Lapsley is District Grand Master of the coastal district, and R.W. Bro. J. Thomson of the goldfields district, the former being permitted to bear the title of Grand Master of Scottish Freemasonry in Western Australia. In the State there are twenty-six lodges remaining under Scotland, and these are evenly divided between the two districts. Some of them have been dormant for some time. One lodge, the Plantagenet at Albany, remains faithful to the Grand Lodge of England, and evinces no desire to change its allegiance.
The higher branches of Masonry are represented by the Supreme Grand Royal Arch-Chapter of Western Australia, of which M.E. Comp. J. S. Battye is first Grand Principal, having eleven constituent Chapters under his jurisdiction. There are, in addition, three Chapters working under the Grand Chapter of Scotland, and two Encampments working the Knight Templar Degrees and the Rose Croix.
Friendly Societies.
So far as the aggregate accumulation of wealth is concerned, Western Australia is, of course, far below most of the other States of the Commonwealth. It can, however, claim a much higher place so far as the distribution of wealth is concerned. The “millionaire” type may be scarce, but at the same time the general standard is better than some of the larger States can show. These facts are proved by the growing total of deposits in the Savings Banks, by the rapid strides that provident institutions have made of recent years, and by general observation of the comparative absence of real pauperism.
Friendly Societies are in no sense charities. They exist for the mutual benefit of those belonging to them, and in a measure take the place of insurance in the case of those whose incomes are not sufficient to allow them to pay premiums on large policies. The funds represent practically the savings of wage-earners, and the number of members represent to a large degree that proportion of the workers which is willing to provide for the strain which accompanies sickness and death.
There are at present fifteen Friendly Societies registered in Western Australia. These are: —
Ancient Order of Foresters—W.A. District.
Ancient Order of Foresters—Goldfields District.
Australian Natives’ Association.
Grand United Order of Free Gardeners.
Grand United Order of Oddfellows.
Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society.
Independent Order of Oddfellows.
Independent Order of Rechabites.
Irish National Foresters Benefit Society.
Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows : —
W.A. District.
Goldfields Grand Lodge.
Albany District.
Order of Sons of Temperance.
Protestant Alliance Friendly Society.
United Ancient Order of Druids.
The whole of these societies have a common object, and their work is carried on along parallel lines, in that each cultivates fraternal intercourse amongst its members, and is distinguished by its own ceremonial, regalia, and signs. What may be termed lodge work, however, has but secondary importance for the sociologist. The outstanding features of value to the community are the
mutual and kindly interest evinced among members, and the provision made to meet sickness, calamity, and old age. As single societies they necessarily differ in strength and importance, as well as in financial resources, but they are equally valuable in the efforts they put forth to encourage thrift and, as a necessary corollary, reduce the dangers of pauperism. Considering that so large a proportion of the people are interested in their financial stability, it is not surprising that legislative action has been needed to regulate their administration and protect their investments. In Western Australia they are governed by the Friendly Societies Act, 1894, the Co-operative and Provident Societies Act, 1903, and other measures designed to protect the worker. All these are administered by the Registrar of Friendly Societies, to whose latest report we are indebted for all the figures and much of the information contained in this article.
The fifteen societies registered in the State comprise 269 branches, with a total membership of 17,637. The payments by members during the year 1911 were .£49,591, and sick and funeral relief was distributed amounting to £31,240. Since the Act came into force in 1894 the payments by members have totalled £485,347, and the amount distributed in relief has been £286,470. The capital of the sick and funeral fund at the end of the year 1911 was £168,823, of the medical and management fund £5,691, and of other funds £7,437; giving a total capital for all the societies of £181,951. The capital per member in these funds is £10 6s. 3d., the largest society capital per member being the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows with £18 18s. 10d., and the smallest the Grand United Order of Oddfellows with £7 3s. lid. These figures compare very satisfactorily with the Commonwealth average.
Another branch of work closely allied to Friendly Societies and under the control of the Registrar of Friendly Societies is that dealing with co-operative and provident societies. The Co-operative and Provident Societies’ Act* 1903, provides for the registration of societies carrying on any lawful industries, businesses, or trades specified in or authorized by the rules, whether wholesale or retail, and including dealings of any description in land; but no member may have or claim interest in the shares of any society exceeding £200. There were eleven of these societies on the register
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during some period of 1911, of which number two were in liquidation and two in course of being wound up by the Court. Only five out of the eleven furnished returns, which show that the total membership was 742, the liabilities of various kinds £57,276, and the assets
£91,125, the accumulated profit being thus £33,849. These figures are satisfactory so far as they go, but it is evident that the principle of co-operation in trading concerns has not so far greatly endeared itself to the workers of Western Australia.
THOMAS LEONARD BEAUCHAMP, J.P., Grand Secretary of the United Ancient Order of Druids, Royal Arcade, Perth, was born at Hampton Wick, in Middlesex, England, in 1866, and received his education at public schools in
JBartletto, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Leonard Beauchamp.
that town. He served a five years’ apprenticeship to the plumbing trade, and on the expiration of his term, in 1884, came to Australia, where he carried on his calling in the Victorian State. In 1895 he left Victoria for Western Australia and after working at his trade for a period of eight years relinquished it to give his sole attention to the duties of his present office to which he received appointment in 1901. During Mr. Beauchamp’s term of secretaryship the affairs of the organization have assumed a very
flourishing aspect, the membership roll having increased from 1,500 to 4,000 and the funds from £5,000 to £33,000, of which £30,000 approximately is invested on mortgage at 7 per cent. Since his first connection with the order the gentleman under review has passed through all the offices of his lodge, has fulfilled the duties of District President, and has been very active in the promotion of new branches, these having increased from twenty-five to fifty during the past ten years. His secretarial responsibilities absorb almost the whole of his time and attention, but he takes an interest in the affairs of the Children’s Hospital, and in 1910 occupied a seat on the committee of that institution.
JAMES HALLS CRABB, General Secretary of the Western Australian Branch of the Australian Natives’ Association, Weld Chambers, St. George’s Terrace, Perth, is a Victorian, having been born at Cres-wick, in that State, in the year 1879. He received his education at the Armadale State School and at the conclusion of his schooldays entered the office of Messrs. George D. Meudell & Co., well-known stock and share-brokers of Melbourne, with whom he remained for eleven and a half years. At the end of this period he joined the Australian Traders and Producers’ Company, Limited, of Melbourne, and filled the position of correspondence clerk in this company for two and a half years. He next became connected with the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company, Limited, at Queenstown, Tasmania, as assistant paymaster and bookkeeper, and five years later, in May, 1911, received
his present appointment of Secretary to the Western Australian Branch of the Australian Natives’ Association. Mr. Crabb has had considerable experience in secretarial work, and while in Tasmania filled the office of Secretary to the Chamber of Commerce and Secretary to the Tourists’ Association, beside which he is no novice in the work of the Association with which he has now connected himself, having been President of the Prahran (Victoria) Branch of the A.N.A. in 1903 and President of the Queenstown Branch in Tasmania in 1909. He was a member of the Queenstown Hospital
Earlletto, Perth.
Mr. James Halls Crabb.
Board, besides acting as Treasurer to that institution. In sporting matters he was also to the fore, and occupied the post of Secretary to the West Coast Football and Band Associations.
Scientific, Literary, and other Associations.
When we consider the long struggle which the mere handful of people in Western Australia had to subdue the forces of Nature and secure even a bare livelihood, it is little to be wondered at that institutions of a literary or scientific character were the exception rather than the rule in those early days. For very many years the agricultural society and the sheriff’s meeting seem to have filled all requirements, and it was not until the late fifties that a literary institution was established. This was the Swan River Mechanics’ Institute, founded by the then Surveyor-General, Captain J. S. Roe, which still continues an active existence as the Perth Literary Institute. This institution now possesses buildings to the value of £11,000, containing reading and recreation rooms as well as several shops. The number of subscribers is about 1,200, and the library contains about 12,000 volumes, mostly of a modern character. After some years the Fremantle Literary Institute, with practically the same objects, was founded, and has now a library of about 10,000 volumes. Since the expansion of the State during the nineties similar institutions have sprung up wherever a community has gathered together, thus providing a meeting-place for the population and a means of disseminating useful literature.
Like most other communities Western Australia possesses many literary and debating societies, all aiming to train the mind in one direction or another. Many of these have had their day and vanished, but the Catholic Young Men’s Society and the Hebrew Literary Society continue to hold their own.
Scientific societies are of more recent growth, dating only from the time of the gold discoveries, which attracted many men of scientific attainments.
Other institutions that may be mentioned are the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the objects of which are sufficiently explained in the title; the Life-saving Society, which aims at giving instruction in methods of life saving, particularly in case of accidents in river or sea; and the St. John Ambulance Society, of which there are two branches in the State— the Perth and the Kalgoorlie oentres, the objects of which branches are those of the parent society—to instruct members in methods of first aid and hold examinations at stated times.
Artistic societies are represented by the Western Australian Society of Arts, whose objects are to hold exhibitions of art at various times, to acquire a library of books on art, and to deliver lectures to students and
others. This society has for several years past held two exhibitions annually, and has done much to inculcate an aesthetic taste throughout the metropolitan area.
NATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENCE SOCIETY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
The formation of this society may be said to date back to the winter of 1891, when a number of influential citizens decided that the time had arrived for the formation of a society “for the consideration and discussion of questions of natural science.” A society was duly constituted and a code of rules drawn up, one of which was to the effect that a meeting and an excursion should take place each month throughout the year. The first officers elected consisted of the following gentlemen: — President, Sir John Forrest, K.C.M.G., F.G.S. (Premier); vice-presidents, the Hon. J. G. H. Amherst and Mr. A. Jameson, M.B.; Council, Messrs. J. S. Brooking (Deputy Surveyor-General) and H. R. England (manager of the National Bank), Dr. H. F. Harvey, M.R.C.S., and Messrs. H. D. Holmes (manager of the Western Australian Bank) and G. T. Poole (Colonial Architect); Hon. Secretary, Mr. B. H. Woodward, F.G.S. The society was unable to publish its proceedings, as its funds were limited and the membership small, but thanks to the untiring labours of its honorary secretary and the hearty co-operation of its other members the society prevailed upon the Government of the day to set aside an area of 160,000 acres between Pin-jarra, North Dandalup, and Bannister as a permanent native fauna and flora reserve. This reserve, which was gazetted on February 14, 1894, was regazetted on January 22, 1902, with a reduction of 50 acres, and is still in existence as a lasting monument of the pioneer society in Western Australia. Interest in the society dwindled so that it practically ceased to exist in 1895. Two years later the botanists of the State on July 1, 1897, inaugurated the Mueller Botanic Society, which published the first part of its Journal in September, 1899. The society had as its patrons, the Right Hon. Sir John Forrest, P.C., K.C.M.G., and Sir Geo. Shenton, M.L.C.; President, Mr. E. J. Bickford, F.L.S.; Vice-Presidents, Messrs. R. Helms and H. C. Prinsep; Council, Messrs. J. S. Battye, B.A., LL.B. (who was also editor of the Journal), A. W. Milligan, D. Ross, and V. F. Shotter, and Drs. F. Tratman and F. M. Wilkinson; Consulting Botanist, Dr. A. Morrison (Government
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Botanist); Treasurer, Mr. F. Blakeley Dalton; Auditors, Messrs. J. W. Langsford and M. O’Callahan; Hon. Secretary, Mr. J. A. Peart. Included among its members were a number of ardent workers in the realm of botany. Between 1899 and 1903 eleven parts of the Journal were published, which contain original descriptions of scores of new species of Western Australian plants by Messrs. Cecil R. P. Andrews and W. V. Fitzgerald, Dr. Tratman, the late Mr. Alexander Purdie, and others. Well-illustrated descriptive papers dealing with the flora in general, the native orchids, the Epacn-dacece or “Australian Heaths,” and the Protacece, which have appeared from time to time, will also be of assistance to all future workers. Analytical papers are not absent from the pages of the Journal, especially worthy of note being one by Dr. Diels on the “Plant Forms and Climate of Western Australia.” As a result of its activities the society was soon in a flourishing condition; by 1900 the membership had risen to 200. Ten flower excursions were held in the months from August to January, and an equal number of papers read during the earlier part of the year. But the growth and decline which was noted in the first society was repeated in the Mueller Botanic Society. Notwithstanding the magic associated with the name of that giant among botanists, the late Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, K.C.M.G., etc., as a memorial to whom the society was founded and named, the membership fell off, and after the publication of part 11 of the Journal a meeting was held, at which it was decided to form a new society with a wider field of activity, and “The West Australian Natural History Society, with which is incorporated the Mueller Botanic Society,” came into existence. In the words of the President, Dr. F. Tratman, “By this move a large number of scientific members were gained, by whose work and co-operation it was hoped that the society would become a useful and influential scientific society.” At first the labours recorded were mainly botanical, but in May, 1905, a new departure was inaugurated, for the number of the Journal then published contains a paper by Mr. B. H. Woodward on “Recent Discoveries regarding the Fauna of Western Australia” and one by Mr. A. Gibb Maitland, Government Geologist, on “Salient Geological Features of New Guinea.” Since that date almost every branch of natural science has been touched upon; papers and lectures have been delivered on astronomy, botany, chemistry, ethnology, geology,
mineralogy, ornithology, petrology, and zoology, which often contained records of original research by the lecturer, and therefore are of value, as they increase the store of knowledge of Australia and the world in general. Professors Michaelsen and Hartmeyer, who collected in this State for several German Museums during the winter and spring of 1905, have kindly forwarded extracts of their voluminous work, “Die Fauna Suedwest-Australiens.” The work, which has been undertaken and is being completed with that thoroughness for which German men of science are famous, will be invaluable to all zoologists working in this State, and the society must be considered the richer for being in the position of publishing this English risume. Messrs. E. S. Simpson, A. Gibb Maitland, L. Glamet, and W. D. Campbell have dealt with the geology of Western Australia; Mr. W. D. Campbell has discussed the need of an ethnological survey and described some unusual objects which he has named “dancing boards”; Dr. A. Morrison and Messrs. Cecil Andrews, O. H. Sargent, and J. H. Maiden (Government Botanist of New South Wales) have noted new species in the plant world, and gone into the peculiar conditions under which some of our plants manage to exist and thrive; economic botany has been dealt with by Messrs. Connor and Pfister. There is every reason to believe that the assistance the society will obtain from the newly-established University and its Professors will enable it to produce, in the near future, a record of good and thorough original work unequalled elsewhere in the Commonwealth.
THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.
This society, established by students of astronomy at the end of 1912, has for its objects the association of observers, especially the possessors of small telescopes, for mutual help, and their organization in the work of astronomical observation; the circulation of current astronomical information; and the encouragement of a popular interest in astronomy. At the first meeting of the society the Acting Government Astronomer (Mr. H. B. Curlewis, B.A., F.R.A.S.) was elected President and Mr. C. Nossiter (another member of the Observatory Staff) Secretary. Although of such recent constitution it has already shown itself active ip astronomical matters, and has an excellent field for work in a State which occupies so wide an area of the Southern Hemisphere.
The FREMANTLE LITERARY INSTITUTE is entitled to take front rank among the educational institutions of the State. Established as far back as 1851, no reliable records of its early struggles and vicissitudes are available, but old colonists remember a small building
in High Street, long since demolished, in which the Literary, or as it was then known Mechanics, Institute was founded. Subsequently the Institute was removed to Collie Street, and later the Government was induced to give a grant of land in South Terrace on which to erect
a more suitable building. Here a well-equipped library of something like 2,000 volumes was established, together with reading-rooms, etc. Some of the moving spirits in the Institute in the early eighties are still with us, but most of them have passed away. Mr. W. S. Pearse was
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President in 1884, and many prominent citizens of the day were associated with him on the Committee. For many years the fortunes of the Institute were at a low ebb, but with the discovery of the rich goldfields of Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie and the consequent rush of population to
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Charles Frost.
these shores the Institute entered upon a more prosperous career. The foundation-stone of the present commodious and up-to-date building was laid on March 15, 1899, by the late Mr. E. Solomon, M.L.A., who was then President, and from that date the affairs of the Institute have steadily progressed. To-day there are over 10,000 volumes on the library shelves, comprising works on history, biography, geography, travel, science, and the best works of fiction. In the reading-room the tables are fully supplied with the principal interstate daily and weekly papers, and also the best illustrated and other British and American papers and periodicals. A writing-table with necessary equipment is also provided, and in the smoking-room chess, draughts, and card tables are available. On the ground floor is a fine lecture hall, and also a free reading-room for the use of the general public. The officers controlling the Institute during 1911-12 were:—President, Mr. C. Frost; Vice-Presidents, Messrs. W. J. Green and W. E. Wray; Committee, Messrs. F. G. Barnett, R. B. Carter, W. J. Flanagan, J. Fowlie, F. J. McLaren (Mayor of Fremantle), W. II. Carpenter, M.L.A., D. G.
Taylor, and Dr. O. Paget; Secretary and Librarian, Mr. J. W. Miller; Assistant Librarian, Mr. W. H. Raymond. CHARLES FROST, President of the Fremantle Literary Institute, has been a member of the General Committee of the Institute for the past nine years. He is one of the best-known men about Fremantle, having arrived at the Western Australian port from Victoria in 1895. In the same year he joined the literary staff of The West Australian, and in 1901 was appointed to the position of branch manager at Fremantle for The West Australian and The Western Mail. Mr. Frost was elected to the presidential chair of the Institute in 1911, and at the expiration of twelve months was re-elected for a further term. He is an enthusiastic bowler and occupies the office of vice-president of the Fremantle Bowling Club.
The EAST FREMANTLE LITERARY INSTITUTE was established on January 1, 1904, the prime movers in its foundation being the members of the local municipal council. A committee of ladies was organized, and by means of balls and other entertainments funds to the amount of £350 were raised, which amount was subsidized by the Government at the usual percentage. In the original instance the East Fremantle Town Hall was extended
for use as an institute, and a committee of subscribers, with the aid of Mr. Urquhart, made a comprehensive selection of books for the library, which were purchased in January, 1904, and the building furnished and opened to the public. In 1902 the present buildings were erected, the foundation-stone being laid by Mr. F. McDonald, Mayor of East Fremantle, in August of that year, and the objects of the Institute —to provide a circulating library, free reading-room, and good reference library for the citizens—have been fully attained, as is evidenced by the increasing popularity of the institution and the number who avail themselves of the advantages offered. Besides the library these advantages include games such as draughts, chess, etc., and the subscriptions are arranged on a scale to place the privilege of membership within the reach of all. A librarian is in attendance during given hours five days each week, and the number of volumes on the shelves has increased from 397 to 1,910 carefully-chosen volumes representing the standard authors and the best and most popular writers of the day, besides which copies of many of the current magazines and journals are provided. The affairs of the Institute are attended to by the Finance Committee of the Municipal Council, with the Mayor as president. The librarian is Mrs. J. Evans.
Political Organizations.
THE LIBERAL PARTY.
The Liberal Party of Western Australia has for many years been represented by various organizations. In March, 1904, the National Political League was formed. This organization embraced men’s and women’s branches. A fusion was effected in May, 1907, with the Liberal League, an organization which had come into existence to arouse interest in the 1906 Federal elections.
After amalgamation the new party adopted the name of the National Liberal League, and from 1907 until 1911 was, with one exception, the only organization operating in this State.
In 1909 Miss Grace Watson visited the State, and a separate organization for women only was formed under the title of “The Australian Women’s National League of Western Australia,” of which association Lady Forrest was the first president, and has continued to hold that position up to the present date. The formation of this organization was based upon a division of labour, the National Liberal League resolving to relinquish the care of the women’s branches and confine its attention to the well-being of the men. Immediately after the Federal elections in 1910 a number of interested persons resolved to form an organization under the title of the Liberal League of Western Australia. This was successfully accomplished. At this time (June, 1910) four organizations existed, namely, the National Liberal League, National League (Fremantle), the Australian Women’s National League, and the new association. The Liberal League of Western Australia affiliated with the Women’s League, and in May, 1911, the National Liberal League resolved to join forces with the new league. The final consummation was reached in January, 1912, when the Fremantle National League branches became branches of the new organization.
From January, 1912, to the present time one organization has operated in the entire State—the men working under one league, and the women under their own, but both being affiliated. Early after this amalgamation it was felt further action should be taken to consolidate and strengthen the Liberal forces. Owing to the extensive area of operations of the league and the difficulties experienced in forming separate branches in the remote country places, a conference of the Men’s League held in February, 1912, affirmed the principle of joint action and closer union with the Women’s
League, with the object of making uniform the general and organizing work of the leagues. The executive of the Women’s League also affirmed the principle and recommended its branches to adopt the proposals, and at the conference in June, 1912, the proposals were carried. The name of the Australian Women’s National League was changed to that of the Women’s Liberal League of Western Australia, and the constitutional amendments necessary for the closer union were drafted and adopted.
For eight months this plan of working was carried out. In the meantime it was felt by a large number of members that the leagues should work still more closely together, under one name and one office management. A draft constitution to bring about such a union was prepared and submitted to a joint conference of the Men’s and Women’s Liberal Leagues held in February, 1913. The two bodies, voting independently, adopted the constitution almost unanimously. From February to the present date (June, 1913) this plan has been carried out.
The effect of this amalgamation is that the men’s and women’s leagues are united under the name of the Liberal League of Western Australia. The central executive to manage the affairs of the league will consist, as heretofore, of a president, two vice-presidents, a treasurer, and twenty members elected at the annual conference, together with one representative delegated by each men’s league branch in the State. In order to keep the women in closer touch with the central executive the president and three vice-presidents have seats thereon. The women’s executive will continue to exist, made up of the general officers and twenty members elected by conference, together with one representative elected by each women’s branch throughout the State. All appointments will be made by the executive committee, but it is provided “that women’s organizers can only be appointed after having been recommended by the women’s executive.” The whole of the administrative powers under the new constitution will devolve upon the executive committee of the league, and will be exercised through its chief executive officer, who will, under the direction of the executive, conduct all correspondence and exercise general supervision over all affairs of the league. Important issues will result from this harmonizing of the constitution and concerted plan
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
of action. The men’s and women’s leagues will sit in conference at the same time, and decide upon matters of party and common interest, such as amendments to the constitution and organization. Then each will separate to discuss its own affairs.
The men’s and women’s leagues have over 250 branches established in the State.
The Liberal League of Western Australia is a member of the Australian Liberal Union and has adopted the following : —
Federal Platform.—The Liberal League of Western Australia shall be a member of and be associated with The Australian Liberal Union, the council of which will be constituted by the appointment of three representatives from each State of the Commonwealth. The platform of The Australian Liberal Union as passed at a conference of delegates from all the States at Melbourne on May 22, 1912, and which was adopted by the Liberal League of Western Australia on February 7, 1913, now forms part of the Constitution of the Liberal League of Western Australia, and is as follows:—Objective.—To secure the co-operation of all Liberal Organizations for Federal purposes, whilst preserving their separate State identities. The Platform.— To promote the unity of the Empire under the British Crown; to promote commercial interchange between Great Britain and her Dominions; to preserve and develop, where necessary, the Federal character of the Constitution, and to promote co-operation of Federal and State Parliaments. Within the scope of Federal legislation—To maintain the right of all men and women to work and enjoy the fruits of their thrift and industry, and to secure equal opportunities for all to do so; to oppose preference to or the penalizing of any section of the community, whether as employers or employes; to use all the powers of the Commonwealth in securing the fullest social justice to all, and to prevent any person or body of persons usurping the functions of government; to foster the co-operative spirit in all industries. Within the Federal sphere to promote humanitarian legislation by endeavouring—To ensure fair wages and healthful conditions of employment for all workers; to secure the adjustment of industrial inequalities between States with the aid of the Interstate Commission, provided for by the Federal Constitution; to control by law the operations of trusts and combinations acting detrimentally to the interests of the public; to promote the full development of the resources and industries of Australia, and to extend oversea markets for our products; to promote the settlement and development of the Northern Territory, and to secure to settlers in closer settlement districts therein the right to acquire their freehold, with safeguards against aggregation; to co-operate with the States and the Imperial Government
in promoting a vigorous immigration policy ; to maintain a White Australia; to promote Australian defence on the lines of Imperial co-operation; to maintain the present tariff policy, as determined by the electors of the Commonwealth, and to establish a Board of Trade or other permanent non-political body to make recommendations for its adjustment, with due regard to all sections of the community; to maintain old-age and invalid pensions; to protect the sources of State revenue from Federal encroachment; to secure economical administration of public moneys, and to adjust taxation to the annual requirements of the Commonwealth; to consolidate State debts; to provide an adequate sinking fund in connection with public loans, with safeguards against diversion from its purpose; to establish a Federal Agricultural Bureau, in alliance with similar State bureaus or departments, in order to foster and stimulate production on scientific lines; to give effect to adult suffrage by securing full facilities for voting by post or otherwise; to secure wise and just laws in the interests of the family, under the powers conferred by the Constitution and in co-operation with State legislation.
The objects and platforms of the Liberal League of Western Australia are as follows: —
Objects.—To combine for political purposes; and to co-operate in carrying out the platform of The Australian Liberal Union; to create a general interest in public affairs, in order to secure a fair representation in the Commonwealth and State Parliaments; to promote national prosperity and progress on the basis of the common interests of the whole people ; to purify and make complete the Electoral Rolls, to stimulate interest in the Federal and State elections, and the full exercise of the franchise, and to provide efficient means to enable electors who are unable to attend a polling place by reason of being sick, infirm, or distant from a polling place, to record their vote; the establishment of an equitable system of taxation for Commonwealth and State; to advocate sound, progressive, humanitarian legislation; to protect the Commonwealth and State from injury by any class organization whose aims are not in harmony with the interests of the country as a whole, with equal opportunity to all and preference to none; encouragement of industrial co-operation and nonpolitical unionism; to encourage individual effort and enterprise, to ensure to all the peaceable enjoyment of the fruits of their labour, and to oppose extreme Socialism; the maintenance of the Civil Service on lines calculated to uphold its status and preserve its efficiency; to maintain freedom of speech; to collect and distribute information on political and electoral matters.
State Platform.—The State platform as adopted
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on February 7, 1913, is as follows:—Maintenance of two Houses of Parliament; restriction of State trading enterprises to public monopolies; co-operation with the Commonwealth in the early establishment of the Naval Base at Cockburn Sound, and the early construction of the Trans-Australian Railway; construction of railways, water supplies, and other public works necessary to promote rural production and national progress; promotion of the full development of the resources and industries of Western Australia, and extension of oversea markets for products; encouragement and development of natural resources and expansion of secondary industries; promotion of co-operation amongst producers, the bringing of producers and consumers into closer touch, and the establishment of open produce markets and deposits for storage and export of products; enactment of and strict enforcement of the laws against adulteration and misrepresentation of foods, drugs, and clothing; reestablishment of a vigorous land settlement policy; maintenance of a system of freehold titles of land; encouragement of closer settlement and the dairying industry; promotion of a vigorous and continuous scheme of immigration; extension of agricultural, mining, and other departments of education, experiment, and research, particularly the provision of facilities for higher agricultural education in the country districts ; systematic geological surveys and assistance to prospectors ; proportional representation; expansion of our educational system on modern lines, and early construction of University buildings; provision of homes for the people, with right to acquire the freehold, and the granting of assistance to people to build homes on their own freeholds; amendment of State Children’s Act to provide: (a) Board of control in lieu of departmental administration, (b) extension to mothers under boarding-out system of same terms as to foster mothers; establishment of women’s hospitals; immediate appointment of the Interstate Commission to provide for the adjustment of industrial disputes between States; establishment of wages boards, with an appeal to the Interstate Commission when more than one State is affected; maintenance of freedom to borrow for the development of the State, and the provision of an adequate sinking fund in connection with all public loans; retention of the Savings Bank in the hands of the State; protecting the sources of State revenue and powers from Federal
encroachment; control by law of the operations of trusts and combinations acting detrimentally to the interests of the public; maintenance of the rights of all men and women to work and enjoy the fruits of their thrift and industry, and to oppose preference to or penalization of any section of the community; maintenance of law and order at all times.
Women’s Executive. — The special objects as adopted on February 7, 1913, are as follows:—To secure unity of action throughout the State by women whose principles are in accord with the league, in an honest endeavour to benefit the State as a whole; to educate women in the duties and responsibilities of citizenship and impress upon electors the value of voting power; to improve the condition of women workers in every sphere of life; to work for equality of women with men before the law, and equal pay for a proficient standard of work; to work for reform of drink and gambling evils, and better protection of children and young girls; amendment of State Children’s Act to provide: (a) Board of control in lieu of departmental administration,
(b) extension to mothers under boarding-out system of same terms as to foster mothers; establishment of women’s hospitals; the wife to have equal rights with husband and in custody of children; that Federal Parliament be urged to exercise its constitutional right to “Legislate in Marriage and Divorce” so that the divorce law shall be uniform throughout Australia; that a committee be formed in Fremantle and other ports and centres to welcome and keep in touch with all female immigrants. Agent-General’s office to be notified of such committees and secretaries’ addresses.
The history of the Liberal movement in the State proves that, beginning in 1904, the men and women have worked under one constitution. This was disturbed in 1909-10 by the formation of a Women’s League, having its own constitution and being an independent authority, but the old order of things is to be resumed, and the act of federation has been already completed. The new constitution and platform is considered a great advance over the old. It is broad and liberal, and gives to the smallest branch equal rights with the largest.
The president of the Liberal League is the Hon. Frank Wilson, M.L.A., and the organizing secretary Mr. Clarke James.
THE LABOUR PARTY.
The organization of the Labour Party in the State is to be found in the “Constitution of the W.A. Division of the Australian Labour Federation,” in which the objects of the party are stated to be: —(a) To strengthen
and consolidate the Labour organization throughout the State; (b) to confer on all matters of concern to wage-earners ; (c) to promote and extend such legislative reforms as will secure justice to all.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
The federation consists of a general council, the central executive committee, district councils, and affiliated organizations, namely, trades and labour unions and branches of the A.L.F. in the electorates.
The general council, to meet trienially, consists of one delegate from each organization, each organization selecting and financing its own delegate. Each district council is entitled to send one delegate, who must vote on division in accordance with the membership of the council. Every delegate representing more than fifty members has one extra vote for such fifty members or part thereof. Branches of unions are deemed to be organizations when their membership is not less than ten. One-tenth of delegates present may demand a call of roll at council meetings.
The central executive committee is composed of the president, two vice-presidents, secretary, treasurer, three trustees, and two delegates from each district council, and one delegate representing the federal members. District councils whose membership exceeds 2,000 have one extra delegate for each additional 500 or part thereof.
For the purpose of forming district councils the State is divided into eight districts, namely, Fremantle, Metropolitan, Eastern Agricultural, South-West, North Coolgardie, Murchison, Eastern Goldfields, and Gerald-ton. The executive committee may divide existing districts and create new councils or administer same from Perth.
District councils are composed of one delegate from each organization: each organization selecting and
financing its own delegate. Every delegate representing more than fifty members has one extra vote for such additional fifty members or part thereof. Each district council may at each annual meeting arrange that full representation of organizations may be by delegates on the above basis.
Every affiliated organization in each division is deemed to be a branch of the party. Other political branches of the party may be formed to consist of not less than ten members over the age of sixteen years and resident in the electorate where the branch is desired, and who subscribe to the rules of the party, subject to the approval of the district council. The Western Australian members of the Federal Labour Party are also deemed to be a branch of the federation.
The executive committee is elected annually by ballot of the whole of the members of the district councils. Its duties are to control and finance the federal selection ballots and elections, and fix the date of holding the triennial general council.
The powers and duties of the district councils are set forth in the constitution as : —■
(a) Organizing branches of the federation where necessary.
(b) Strengthening branches and deciding all mat-
ters referred to it by branches.
(c) The conduct of State elections, selection ballots,
and the endorsement of candidates.
(d) Assisting the executive committee when and
how required.
(e) To keep a roll of all members of political
branches. To issue a yearly ticket of membership upon the payment of the annual fee, such ticket to be produced when voting in selection ballots or seeking other privileges. Uniform tickets to be provided by the executive committee.
(f) To make regulations for the selection of candi-
dates and the conduct and the control of the party’s nominees in municipal and roads board elections,
(g) To draw up a municipal platform and policy
for the various municipalities within their area in keeping with the general platform of the party.
Selection ballots are conducted three months prior to a general election where practicable. Candidates nominated for selection ballot must be members of the federation of at least six months’ standing immediately preceding date of nomination. Candidates must be nominated by ten members of the federation (in writing) resident in the electorate to be contested. The election is conducted by preferential ballot, and ’every candidate must sign the pledge and platform of the party. All members of unions are eligible to vote in selection ballots, and all adult persons natural born or naturalized who have been members of a political branch for three calendar months immediately prior to the closing of nominations, and have paid the prescribed dues, are also eligible to vote.
With regard to State Labour members it is provided that the party may make regulations governing the business of the caucus; that in the event of the Labour Party obtaining Ministerial Benches, the Ministry shall be chosen by the party in caucus; that congress reaffirms the principle of no immunity at general or by-elections; and that congress re-affirms the principle of no alliance.
The platform of the party is defined as follows: —
Objective.—(a) The cultivation of an Australian sentiment, based upon the maintenance of racial purity, and the development in Australia of an enlightened and self-reliant community, (b) The securing of the full results of their industry to all producers, by the collective ownership of the industrial and economic functions of the State and Municipality.
Fighting Planks.—(1) Effective reform of the Legislative Council, with a view to its ultimate
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abolition. (2) Taxation of unimproved land values without exemption or rebates. (3) Initiative, referendum, and recall. (4) Right to work. (Amendment of the Constitution making it incumbent upon the Government to provide work for its unemployed subjects.)
General Platform.—(1) Establishment of State flour mills and State agricultural development and export department, and the State manufacture of agricultural implements. (2) Nationalization of the liquor traffic, and local option as to continuance, increase, or reduction of licences. (3) Maximum day of eight hours. (4) Graduated income tax with exemptions up to £250, with special impost on absentees. (5) Non-alienation of Crown lands, with a view to the ultimate nationalization of all lands. (6) Departmental construction of public works. (7) Limitation of State borrowing except for the purpose of reproductive works; the term reproductive to mean the earning of working expenses and interest and of the principal by a sinking fund during the life of the said work. (8) State fire, life, and accident insurance. (9) Government manufacture of Government clothing and uniforms. (10) The abolition
of the present system of State Governors and Government House; the office to be filled by the Chief Justice. (11) The establishment of mining boards. (12) Free technical, scientific, and general education. (13) The day of Parliamentary elections to be declared a public half-holiday.
The pledge which every member of the party seeking election as a Parliamentary representative is required to sign is worded thus: —
I hereby pledge myself to support the candidate selected by the federation, and if elected to do my utmost to carry out the principles embodied in the State platform, and on all questions affecting the platform, to vote as a majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party may decide at a constituted caucus meeting.
The present executive officers of the Australian Labour Federation in the State are: —President, Mr. F. W. Burrows; Secretary, Mr. Alex. McCallum; and the headquarters of the movement is situated in Beaufort Street, Perth, where a handsome Trades Hall affords ample evidence of the growth and present position of the Labour movement in the State.
Sporting and Recreation.
THE TURF.
In Western Australia, as in other States of the Commonwealth, horse-racing holds pride of place amongst those sports which the people find suitable to the sunny climate of Australia. In the minds of those who see nothing but danger on the racecourse this no doubt is a state of things to be deplored, but it is a fact that cannot be questioned. Tested by almost any comparison the crowds which attend the various race meetings in the metropolitan area and on the goldfields are ample evidence of the hold that racing has upon the public, and almost give colour to the statement that the horse is after all the Australian divinity.
Anglo-Saxons are noted for carrying with them into new lands the institutions and customs to which they have been accustomed, and it is therefore not surprising to find that scarcely had the Swan River colony been founded when a party of lovers of the sport assembled together to keep alive the recreation of their faraway home. The first race meeting was instituted by a few gentlemen at Fremantle, and the result of their initial effort is to be found in The Perth Gazette for October, 1833, which gives the following account: — “This not inaptly-termed October meeting took place on Wednesday last, the 2nd inst., on the Downs, near Fremantle, and presented both a novel and interesting spectacle. As the origin of racing in the colony will probably be interesting to future chronologists, we feel it our duty to record that the sporting world are indebted to Captain Taylor, of the 'Helen,’ who has lately imported a number of Timor ponies, aided by Mr. C. Smith and Mr. I. Weavel, for the institution of an amusement calculated to excite a considerable emulation among the breeders and importers of horses. It may be expected from the general interest which was evinced in the sports on Wednesday that before long some steps will be taken to hold periodical meetings. The spot selected for the racecourse has long been fixed upon as an appropriate site. It is about a mile and a half from Fremantle, on a slightly undulating plain, skirting the sea and the adjoining hills, which afford a full view of the course. The booths which were erected on the brow of the hill, with their variegated flags, the ginger-bread and nut stalls, and the lame fiddler, helped to contribute much to the animation of the scene. The groups of fashionably-dressed ladies and gentlemen promenading to and fro, the tilted carts, the
busy din of preparation, the cry of 'clear the course,’ and at length the ponies being plaoed side by side at the starting-post, with the jockeys all appropriately dressed, we can assure our readers who were not fortunate enough to witness it, presented no contemptible display.”
The second meeting was held in the following April, but interest seems to have waned in it, as Mr. Stephen Henty’s horse “Jack,” which had been eminently successful on the previous occasion, carried all before it, winning as much as £9 on one race!
According to Mr. Rowland Watt (from whose admirable article in the “Twentieth Century Impressions” most of our information has been abridged), there was no racing between the date mentioned and October, 1836. In that month a sports’ meeting was held at Guildford. This took the form of horse races and ploughing matches, and was promoted by those interested in the breeding of thoroughbred horses, for which a market was open in India.
Between the Guildford meeting and the next racing fixture of any note there appears to have been an interval of nearly eight years; but in 1844, or the fifteenth anniversary of the foundation of the colony, a very successful race meeting was held at Perth. This took place either on the block of land on which the Subiaco limekilns now stand, or on what was then known as “Old Crane’s,” where one of the beauty spots of Perth, the present Queen’s Gardens, are now situated. The principal event at this meeting was the Town Plate, for thoroughbred horses of all ages, weight for age, “to be run in heats, three times round the course.” This race excited very considerable interest, and it was won by Mr. Cole’s black horse “Wonder,” only imported from England a few months before. In the report of this meeting given in The Inquirer, the following paragraph appears :—“Our racing friends will be glad to learn that the Margean Cup given by Mr. W. L. Brockman has arrived by the ‘Trusty,’ and will be open to competition next year. We mention this in order that parties who have horses qualified to run may make preparation in time. The cup is left in charge of the editor of this journal till next year.”
The next race meeting appears to have been held at York in October, 1844, amongst the names figuring
385
prominently in it being those of Messrs. Lander, Parker, Woods, Dempster, Burges, Lefroy, and others. From this time races were held regularly at Perth and York,
with an occasional meeting at Fremantle, and it became evident that in the interests of the sport a controlling authority was necessary.
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN TURF CLUB.
On October 22, 1852, a meeting was held in Perth for the purpose of forming a turf club. As this event marks an epoch in the history of the turf in this State, we quote from the minutes of this meeting, taken by Mr. William John Clifton, the first honorary secretary: — “The object of the formation of a turf club was the
arrangements with reference to a racecourse; to fix the time for the club’s first race meeting, and arrange the circumstances under which the same should take place. It was also resolved that a general meeting of subscribers be held to adopt the rules and regulations as laid down for future guidance, and also to make any alterations
--------------------------------*
Photos by C. H. Park.
improvement of the breed of horses in Western Australia and the establishment of regular racing meetings, •under regulations applicable to the colony, to be laid down by a committee of subscribers. Twenty names were enrolled as forming the club, with power to add to their number. His Excellency the Governor was elected patron, and the annual subscription was fixed at 10s., with an entrance fee of £1. It was resolved that Messrs. W. A. Sanford, Hamersley, G. Eliot, S. P. Phillips, S. Burges, Charles Symmons, A. O’G. Lefroy, and Colonel Reeves be a committee for drawing up the racing rules for the club; three to form a quorum. The committee was also empowered to make all further
which may appear necessary for completing the formation of the Western Australian Turf Club.” Such was the genesis of the body which since that time has controlled the destinies of horse-racing in Western Australia, and though in the lean days of colonial' history it necessarily passed through many vicissitudes, it has now become one of the strongest and most important clubs in the Commonwealth.
The first race meeting on the site of the present racecourse was held in 1848; the first Queen’s Plate, value £50, being run in 1853. In 1854 the stake was increased to £100, and for forty-five years, until 1898, the event remained the principal fixture in the racing
z
386
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
world of Western Australia. After that year it was eliminated from the programme, and its place taken by the Perth Cup, which has since grown to be worth .£2,000, and to be recognized as one of the great races of the Commonwealth.
Since the early days the racecourse itself, which is situated about five miles from Perth, has been improved until it forms one of the most picturesque and well-appointed in Australia. The course is pear-shaped, and is one and a quarter miles round. The club has an excellent turf track, a commodious grandstand built on
the lines of that at Williamstown in Victoria, a leger stand, stewards’ stand, administrative quarters, luncheon rooms, and beautifully-laid-out grounds. The Totalizator is used by the club under legislative enactment, and the provision for meeting the demands of the “tote” patrons is equal to anything of the kind on Australian racecourses.
The present officers of the club consist of C. Baxter Cox (chairman), C. G. Lydiard (judge), S. J. Chipper (starter), A. G-. B. Main (handicapper), and G. H. Wickham (secretary).
PROVINCIAL RACING.
In addition to the races held on the Perth racecourse, there are regular meetings under the auspices of the Helena Vale, Canning Park, and Belmont Park Racing Clubs, all of which are registered under the rules of the Western Australian Turf Club. Besides these races are also held by the Fremantle Racing Club at Bicton and on Mr. Wren’s proprietary course at Goodwood, but neither of these is under the control of the Turf Club.
With the exception of the meetings at York, there appears to have been no racing in the country districts until the late fifties, when those interested held meetings at Bunbury and the Vasse. These were followed in 1862 by the institution of races at Geraldton under the auspices of the newly-formed Victoria Racing Club, and in 1864 Messrs. Waldeck, Foss, Fane, and others held a meeting at the Irwin. On October 20, 1865, Newcastle took up the running, and although the track was not the most suitable the Press reports assure us that the course was “crowded with the beauty and' fashion of the district.” In all these races professionalism was unknown, the horses being trained by their owners, many of whom have since held prominent positions in the
community. At the Canning meeting in 1872, for instance, Mr. S. H. Parker (now Sir Henry Parker,
the Chief Justice of the State) owned the horse which won the chief event, the rider being Mr. George Parker. Other names which figured more or less prominently in racing circles of this period were Messrs. W. H. Strickland, Maitland Brown, G. Towton, E. T. Harley, J. M. Craig, R. H. Sholl, and D. W. Harwood, and Dr. Scott.
Racing on the goldfields started in 1896, when Coolgardie was at the zenith of its fame, and meetings held at Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, Boulder, and Menzies. With the decline of the mines, Coolgardie and Menzies have suffered considerably, and have failed to maintain their early promise; but in Kalgoorlie and the Boulder there are racing clubs second only to the parent club of the State. At both centres well-equipped and beautifully-laid-out courses, forming the chief beauty spots on the goldfields, exist, and every year events are held which are regarded as important throughout the Comm oji wealth. The present secretaries of the Goldfields Clubs are Messrs. G. N. Clarke (Coolgardie), M. H. Walsh (Kalgoorlie), and J. Lyon Johnston (Boulder).
Photo by C. 27. Park. Lawn and Totalizator at Ascot.
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CHARLES BAXTER COX, Chairman of the Western Australian Turf Club, was born at Walkerville, South Australia, on June 6, 1863, being a son of the late Richard Baxter Cox, a solicitor, of Adelaide. He received his education at the North Adelaide Grammar School, afterwards attending St. Peter's College, and having first spent some time on a sheep station was articled to the legal profession in his father’s office. He completed his law course at the University of Adelaide, and was called to the Bar of South Australia in 1896. Almost immediately afterwards he came to Western Australia, where he joined Messrs. Haynes and Robinson at Albany, and continued there until May, 1897. Subsequent to his admission to the Western Australian Bar he took control of the firm's office at that port until the end of the year mentioned, when he was taken into partnership and became connected with the Perth office, in which he has since continued. Both at college and in his University days Mr. Cox identified himself with most forms of sport, distinguishing himself particularly in rowing. He took part in the leading events in connection with both institutions and was a member of the first Interstate University Eight, on which occasion his boat gained second place, winning the event in the following year (1889). Upon arrival in Western Australia he became a member of the Western Australian Turf Club, subsequently being elected to a seat on the committee, which he has retained ever since. Towards the end of 1908 he was elected chairman, and during his period of office has used his influence in many ways for the reform of sporting matters, insisting upon clean methods and proving himself in every way the strong man fitted to grapple with the problems presented from year to year to the consideration of those who are intimately associated with the management of affairs connected with the Western Australian turf. He is also president of the Rowing Association of Western Australia, a member of the Weld Club, and a Freemason of long standing.
WILLIAM HENRY JOHN
STRICKLAND, of 234, St. George's Terrace, is the son of the late Mr. Henry Robert Strickland, who came from England in 1830, settling in what was then known as the Swan z2
River colony. He was born at St. George's Terrace, Perth, on October 6, 1841, when all that locality was virgin bush, and owing to the lack of educational facilities his studies were pursued in a somewhat desultory fashion. When thirteen years of age he joined the firm of R. Hap-wood and some years later, in conjunction with his father, took the management of the Freemasons' Hotel. In 1862 he married and started in business on his own account as proprietor of the Shamrock Hotel, Hay Street, Perth, where he remained for some five or six years. He next proceeded to Albany and for some time conducted that well-known hostelry, the Freemasons’ Hotel, at that seaport. Owing to the death of his wife he sold out
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. William Henry John Strickland.
in 1870 and returned to Perth, where he joined his father in the conduct of the United Service Hotel, which property he still owns. In 1879 Mr. Strickland, sen., having retired from business pursuits the whole management devolved upon the subject of our notice, who carried it on until his own retirement in 1896. Mr. Strickland has been identified with various progressive movements of his day, and was one of the founders of the original Perth Gas Company, of which ho ultimately became chairman of directors, holding this position for many years. He is a director of the Swan River Shipping Company, besides acting on the Boards of several insurance, trading, and
other companies. He has taken some interest in military affairs, and his name is on the roll of the first Volunteer Corps formed in the Crown colony in the fifties. A Past Master mason, he has been identified with the craft for over half a century. Although now over seventy years of age he is as keen in the pigskin as many youthful sportsmen in the State, and often takes part in the chase after the kangaroo. He is, however, best known in racing circles and is the acknowledged authority in Western Australia on all matters connected with the sport of kings, having for many years occupied the position of chairman of the Western Australian Turf Club, of which he is now a life member. By his first union with Margaret, daughter of the late D. Crosset, of Portadown, Ireland, he had two sons. In 1875 he remarried, his second wife being Henrietta, daughter of the late Mr. Samuel Craig, of York, Western Australia, and has issue four sons and four daughters.
JAMES ROSS MACKENZIE, “Seaforth Park,” Gosnells, is a native of Victoria, having been born at East Melbourne on August 12, 1857. lie received his education at Brighton Grammar School, and at the close of his scholastic career entered the office of Messrs. George Martin & Co. and served thirteen years in that well-known house, passing through all its departments. He relinquished commercial life to engage in pastoral pursuits on the Georgina River, Queensland, which he abandoned owing to the great drought of 1890, eventually coming to Western Australia in 1893, having been attracted by the discovery of gold at Coolgardie. He was one of the earliest to seek his fortunes on the eastern goldfields, and holds a “pioneer's certificate,” presented at the opening of the railway to Kalgoorlie. He was one of the foundation-members of Hannan’s Club. He has been identified with various prominent enterprises and while in the mining industry successfully floated, among others, the North White Feather Consolidated Gold-mining Company (capital, £250,000), the Golden Zone, and the Kanowna Carbine, of each of which he was the prospector. He is a director of the Emu Brewery Limited, Mount’s Bay Road, a member of the committee of the
Western Australian Turf Club, vice-president of the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia, and a member of the Western Australian, Masonic, and TattersalTs Clubs. His favourite sport is hunting, and he was for many years a leading member of the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. James Ross Mackenzie.
Oaklands Hunt Club, the premier Hunt Club of Victoria, on the committee of which he served for a longthy period. He played football and cricket with the South Melbourne Clubs, of both of which he was a committeeman, being one of four who founded the present South Melbourne Football Club. He was Captain of the Albert Park Lake Rowing Club for several years and was a member of the Club’s Junior Eight in their memorable races with the Hawthorn City Club. In 1907 Mr. MacKenzie married Dehlia, daughter of Mr. C. S. Lohrmann, of Southern Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, and has a son and a daughter. He is now residing at “Seaforth Park,” about 12 miles from Perth, where he owns an estate of 2,000 acres and engages in mixed farming.
GEORGE HERBERT WICKHAM, Secretary of the Western Australian Turf Club, is the second son of the late Mr. Francis John Wickham, who held the position of accountant to the Railways Department in New South Wales. He was born at Parramatta, New South
Wales, on December 6, 1867, and received his education at King’s School in his native town. Upon the completion of his scholastic career he entered the service of the engineering branch of the New South Wales Government Railways. Here he remained for about nine years until in 1894, attracted by the possibilities presented by the gold discoveries of the Western State, he resigned from the Service and found his way to Coolgardie before the railway had been constructed as far as Southern Cross. Upon arriving at the “Old Camp” he became connected with a prospecting party, and proceeded to the Menzies district, where he pursued a search for the precious metal for about two years with but little success. Contracting typhoid fever he returned to Coolgardie for hospital treatment, and for some time after his recovery turned his hand to any work that offered, during which time he gained a varied experience in many walks of life. In May, 1901, Mr. Wickham was successful in securing the secretaryship of the Weld Club, a position he held for five years, relinquishing it to enter upon the duties of his present appointment. During his term of office as secretary of the Western Australian Turf Club he has been mainly responsible for many alterations in the rules and regulations in force, all of which have had for their object the improvement of the conditions under which racing is conducted in Western Australia. One of the most important steps in this direction was the introduction of the system of stipendiary stewards, whose function it is to control racing matters, this system differing in Western Australia from that in vogue in the other States, insofar that while in the older racing communities stipendiary stewards have power only to recommend disqualification, here they have full power both to disqualify and impose punishments. The scheme of registration of horse’s names throughout the Commonwealth has also been inaugurated,
and it has now reached completion
with the result that the confusion arising from racehorses in the different States having the same name is fast disappearing and duplicate names will no longer appear in
the studbook. Mr. Wickham is a keen advocate of long-distance and weight-for-age races, his belief being based upon experience that the
fostering of such will not only improve racing generally, but will have the effect of encouraging studmasters to purchase and breed from the very best strains available. During his term of office the subject of this sketch has been closely associated with Messrs. W. H. Strickland (for many years chairman of the Turf Club), Everard F. Darlot, Charles Baxter Cox (present chairman), Richard A. Sholl (who has been a member of the committee for years, and who at one period of the Club’s career acted as secretary), Charles A. Saw, and other gentlemen interested in horseracing and in the welfare of the Western Australian Turf Club. While it is reasonable to expect a man holding his position to be a supporter of sporting affairs generally, there is no doubt that the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. George Herbert Wickham.
gentleman under review has a genuine love for all healthy and clean outdoor recreation. He develops his muscles on the golf links and derives a deal of pleasure out of yachting, while the gentle art of angling has met with a fair amount of his attention. He belongs to a number of organizations, including the Weld, Royal Perth Yacht, the Perth and the Fremantle Golf, and TattersalTs Clubs.
ALEXANDER McDOUGALL, Chairman of Stipendiary Stewards, Western Australian Turf Club, is a son of the late Robert McDougall, who came to Victoria in the
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forties and made a name for himself as a breeder of pure shorthorn stock in the early days of the pastoral industry of that State. The gentleman under review was born at Glen-roy, near Melbourne, on December 8, 1857, and received his scholastic training at various schools, finishing at the South Yarra College, under the late It. K. Ewing, one of the prominent instructors of his day. At sixteen years of age he left school to enter upon pastoral pursuits on his father's property at Kielor, where he became acquainted with all the details of stock-raising, and continued there until 1887, in which year the late Mr. McDougall died. The property was then sold, and the subject of our memoir purchased that portion of it situated at Oak-lands Junction, and here carried on
Bartletto, Perth.
Me. Alexandee McDougall.
farming and stock-breeding pursuits for a number of years. In 1901, having suffered heavy reverses on account of the serious droughts, he disposed of the farm and accepted a responsible position in the stock and station agency business at Cam-perdown, remaining there for five years. He next became connected with the horse trade initiated between Victoria and India, and resided at Sandringham until 1907, when he was appointed to the position of stipendiary steward of the Western Australian Turf Club, which he has since filled, in 1911 having been elected chairman of the stipendiary body. Since his advent to this State Mr. McDougall has been instrumental in instituting an
annual sale of blood stock yearlings, which has now become a feature of the markets, and also conducts periodical sales of blood stock in Perth. These sales are very popular, and a very successful connection has been formed in this way. Always a keen sportsman, Mr. McDougall has been a prominent figure in racing circles for many years past, and was one of the founders of the now famous Oaklands Hunt Club of Victoria, in which he occupied the office of master from its inception to the time of his departure for Camperdown, a period extending over twelve years. At that time he began to evince special interest in jumping events, and owned and trained many good performers in this department, amongst which “The Student" and “Darkie" were especially brilliant in their achievements over the “big sticks." Mr. McDougall attained an enviable reputation in Victoria as one of the best judges of “form" and “condition" in the State, and his services have been in demand all over Australia as judge in the sections of the show ring specially dealing with breed and action. He has served in this capacity in New Zealand also, and since coming to Western Australia has been requisitioned as adjudicator at the Royal Show and Parade. He was well known for many years in Victoria as one of the skilled players of polo, but at the present time spends the chief portion of his leisure time on the golf links. In 1888 Mr. McDougall married Jessie, daughter of the late Charles Forrester, of Melbourne, and has two sons and one daughter.
SYDNEY WILLIAM CURTIS is a son of the late Mr. W. C. Curtis, M.A. (Sydney), of the firm of Messrs. Curtis & Gannon, solicitors, of Sydney, and was born at Darlinghurst, New South Wales. He received his education at the Jesuits’ College, Wolloomooloo, near Darlinghurst, and matriculated at the University of Sydney in 1883, subsequently serving articles to Mr. George Massett Lawrence, solicitor, of Messrs. Lawrence & Rich, of Sydney, and afterwards being enrolled as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. He left Sydney for Western Australia in 1900, and was connected for some years with the firm of Haynes, Robinson, and Cox. He was admitted to the
Western Australian Bar in 1906, opening in practice on his own account in 1908 at Emanuel Buildings, St. George’s Terrace. He is a Commissioner of Affidavits for Western Australia. The stirring life of the turf has always attracted him, and in New South Wales he was at times interested in several racehorses, following in the footsteps of his uncle, Mr. P. J. Keighran, who was a well-known racehorse owner in the sixties. In Western Australia he has also interested himself in racing matters, and in October, 1908, was appointed stipendiary steward to the Western Australian Turf Club in place of Mr. Ralston, who had previously filled the post, and still acts in that capacity. He is a member of Tattersall’s Club and of the Western Australian Turf Club. Mr. Curtis has always taken keen interest in municipal management, and served for some time as a member of the Council of South Perth, in which suburb he resides, in 1905-6 being invested with mayoral honours. He has 60 acres of orchard property at Gosnell’s, seven acres of which have been brought under cultivation of fruit-trees. Mr. Curtis is a member of the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and was one of the founders of the Sydney Amateur Canvas Dinghy Club. In 1897 he married Emily, daughter of Mr. Richard Rowe,, of Meadowbank, and has a son and four daughters.
FREDERICK ROBERT SHOLL is the eldest son of the late Robert Frederick Sholl, of Bunbury, and grandson of the late R. J. Sholl, Government Resident in the North District. His father, a well-known member of the Legislature in Western Australia, was born at Bunbury on August 27, 1848, and after leaving school spent three years on a sheep station in the Irwin district. In 1868 he proceeded to the northwest, and was actively engaged in the pearling industry for about ten years. Subsequently he became a large investor in pastoral properties, and was among the first to send stock to the West Kimberley district, being a member of the original syndicate of the Kimberley Pastoral Company. He was also well known in the mining world, and assisted to form the syndicate which sent out Mr. L. R. Menzies, the discoverer of the great Menzies goldfield, also acting as director of the Lady Shenton and
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Fraser Mines at Southern Cross. Industrial enterprise also secured his practical support, and he was one of the leading promoters of the Perth
after this important development in the history of the State he represented the same district in the House of Assembly for seven years. He became a member of the Federal Convention of 1897, but resigned this post on the eve of an extended trip to Europe. In May, 1904, he was returned to the Legislative Council as
education at the High School, Perth. From there he proceded to England, and entered upon a four-years’ course at Epsom College, the headmaster of that institution being the Rev. Hart Smith. During a subsequent two years spent at Ely, Cambridge, he was a prominent figure in sporting circles, being a member of
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Robert Frederick Sholl.
Photo by Morris Clarke.
Pair of Buggy Horses owned by Mr. F. R. Sholl.
Iceworks Company and of the Perth Brickworks Company, occupying a seat on the directorate of both these corporations. He began his political career in the old Legislative Council in 1886, as representative for Gascoyne, and continued to sit for that constituency until 1890. This was prior to the introduction of responsible government in 1891, and
representative for North Province, and retained this seat until the time of his demise in December, 1909. Mr. F. R. Sholl was born on July 5, 1882, and acquired his elementary
the College eight and cricket team. He also took part in football contests, playing the British Association game, previously having been identified with the Rugby team at Epsom. After returning to Western Australia Mr. Sholl joined the staff of Dalgety Limited and afterwards went to Roebourne, where he was three years with Mr. C. M. Straker, during which period he gained a thorough knowledge of stock. This was supplemented by two and a half years at “Brickhouse” Station, under Mr. Septimus Burt, and, in 1907, he purchased the “Marron” property, situated about sixty miles from Carnarvon, in the Gascoyne district. The country was then in its virgin state, and Mr. Sholl, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. G. T. Sholl, spent the ensuing five years in developing this area as a sheep run, and after successfully establishing the enterprise sold out in 1912 to Mr. F. G. Dempster. Mr. Sholl is a great lover of horses and owns a handsome carriage pair of well-matched greys, standing 15 hands. These horses have gained honours in the Show ring, the near side animal in the photograph reproduced having taken first prize as a polo pony. A member
Photo by Morris Claris.
"Mural Crown" by "Mural"—"Reward,”
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of the Perth and Weld Clubs, he is also connected with the Western Australian Turf Club and Tattersall’s. GUY TREVARTON SHOLL, the second son of the late R. F. Sholl, was born at Perth on June 7, 1886. He received bis scholastic training at Epsom College, England, in the vicinity of the historic Downs, whore he remained for seven and a half years. Mr. Sholl distinguished himself in athletic sports in the Old Country, and was recognized as a good all-round athlete. He was captain of the hockey team, won tne batting average one year in cricket, and in the following season distinguished himself as a bowler. He returned to his native soil in 1904, and was articled to the legal profession with the firm of Messrs. Haynes, Robinson, & Co., of Perth. In 1907 he relinquished this connection in favour of pastoral life, and joining his brother, Mr. F. R. Sholl, at “Marron,” was associated with him in the management of the property. He is well known in Perth as a member of the Western Australian Turf Club, Tattersall’s Club, the Perth Club, and the Weld Club. The Messrs. Sholl are both keen followers of the turf, and whilst at “Marron” they had racing stables at Carnarvon, but upon the disposal of their pastoral interests these were relinquished, and their horses are now trained in Perth. With “Mural Crown,” by “Mural” out of “Reward,” bred by their uncle, Mr. R. A. Sholl, they were succossful in winning the Maiden Mile and Flying Handicap on the first day of the Carnarvon Cup Meeting of 1911, and the Carnarvon Cup, one and a half miles, and Lady’s Bracelet—in which “Mural Crown” carried the steadier of 10 st. 6 lb.— on the second day. This horse afterwards won a race at Collie, and a double at Bridgetown, which included the Bridgetown Cup. The Messrs. Sholl also have in training “Dragoon,” by “Carbineer” out of “Sylvi,” and “Lance-wood,” by “Carbineer” out of “Reward,” bred by Mr. R. A. Sholl, from whom they have been leased for the purposes of racing. “Dragoon” is well known to the racing public as the winner of the Hunters’ Race, promoted by the Helena Vale Club, and run at Belmont Park (six furlongs, 9 st. 12 lb.) July 18, 1908, and the Hunt Club Bracelet, run on the following Saturday, when he carried 12 st. 7 lb.
JOHN FREDERICK GARY ROBINSON, grazier and pastoralist, Guildford Road, Belmont, began his active career at the age of sixteen, having previously pursued his scholastic studies at the Moorambia School, in the eastern district of this State. Proceeding to Roebournc, in the north-west, in April, 1881, he spent a couple of years in gaining experience in stock and station pursuits, being identified with the development of various pastoral properties in that district, and, ultimately, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. P. F. Robinson, of Midland Junction, formed the “Coon-gan” Station, which they still carry on in partnership. Mr. Robinson’s station property is situated in the Pilbara district, and is distant some
Bartletlo, Perth.
Mr. John Frederick Gary Robinson.
200 miles from Roebourne. Each year he spends some eight or ten weeks on the property, leaving Perth prior to the commencement of shearing operations and remaining until the wool has been despatched to the nearest port of shipment. In 1904 he left the north-west, and has now taken up his residence at “Tampina,” on the Guildford Road, where he devotes a portion of his time and attention to the training of a number of thoroughbreds for racing purposes. In the immediate vicinity of the house are the stables, the most up-to-date of their kind in Western Australia, if not in the whole Commonwealth. In the erection of the stables special attention was paid to the many little details which go so much to make for the contentment
of the equine mind, and the result has been a perfectly constructed building, the ventilation and other features of which are all that could be desired. Mr. Robinson keeps a fair-sized string in work, and has met with a moderate amount of success on the turf, several important events having fallen to his share in recent times. The stable shelters a smart sprinter in “Newmarrocarra,” by “Maltster” out of “Conundrum,” bred in New South Wales and purchased as a two-year-old by Mr. Robinson. This horse has won several valuable races in first-class company, and is equally speedy in events from five furlongs up to a mile. Patrons of the turf will easily recall “Prince Charlie,” who in one year alone was returned the winner of no less than fifteen races over varying distances. Since coming to Belmont Mr. Robinson has evinced considerable interest in the welfare of the district, and two years ago was elected to a seat on the local Roads Board. He is a member of the Western Australian Turf Club and of Tattersall’s Club. In July, 1897, ho married Elsie, daughter of Mr. Christopher Coppin, one of the most prominent pastoralists in the north-west district, and has a son and three daughters.
JOHN OSCAR PETERSON, of Perth, is the son of the late Mr. John Peterson, of Wisby, Sweden, and was born in London, England, on November 30, 1865. Until sixteen years of age he was at his studies, attending schools both in London and Sweden, but received the major portion of his education in Edinburgh, the home of his mother. In 1881 he arrived in Sydney and proceeded to “Yarrawin” Station, in New South Wales, where for three years he worked as station-hand. He next followed the calling of a drover in Queensland, and upon becoming familiar with the conditions prevailing in the western districts of that State contracted for taking fat cattle overland to Adelaide and other large centres on the coast. This work he varied with mining pursuits and passed six years in its pursuance, at the end of which period stock-dealing all over Queensland and occasionally in New South Wales engaged his attention. In 1890 he settled at Bourke, in the latter State, as owner of Tattersall’s
Hotel and Livery Stables, in conjunction with which he continued in stock-dealing and carried on a saddlery business. The bank failure
Darlot, where he spent two years prospecting in all the surrounding country, but without success. Returning to Coolgardie he began business as a carrying contractor and continued in this line until the railway was carried through to the
the Kanowna Deeplead Mine he joined the rush to that district, but owing to an accident caused by falling down a shaft at Kalgoorlie was compelled to cease operations of all kinds for nearly two years. Upon recovery he left the fields and went
“Artesian.” Winner of the Perth Cup, 1911.
of 1893 counted Mr. Peterson among its sufferers, and being compelled to realize upon what was available he sold out and came to Western Australia to make a fresh start in life. Arriving at Perth in February, 1894, he joined a party proceeding to the new gold find of Kurnalpi, and thence to Mount Margaret and Lake
fields, when he disposed of his plant and took a trip to the Eastern States, during which he interested himself in the shipment of horses suited to the needs of Western Australia. Upon the discovery of
to Greenbushes at the time of the boom in tin, and in conjunction with Mr. P. A. Connolly became interested in a tin proposition which was subsequently sold to an English company. In 1902 Mr. Peterson purchased the lease of the City Hotel, Perth, which he personally conducted for upwards of ten years. He has various investments in real estate in the city and suburbs, and apart from his business interests gives a large share of his attention to sporting matters, his name being well known oh the turf all over Australia. He is a member of Tattersall’s Club, of which he has been a committeeman for seven years, and is also a member of the Western Australian Turf Club. Various good horses have been owned by Mr. Peterson, among which may be mentioned "Man-o’-War,” "Milner,” "Enchanteur,” "Artesian/’ "West Park,” and "O.I.” the last named being purchased by him while on a trip to England in 1907. This mare, which he afterwards sold, was considered one of the best handicap horses in Western Australia. Mr. Peterson married in 1902 Ellen, daughter of the late Mr. McCabe, of Edinburgh, and has a son and two daughters.
“O.I.” by “ Worcester St. Cicely.”
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Oscar Peterson.
393
THOMAS RYAN.—Mr. Ryan is known to the racing community as “Meekatharra Ryan,” on account of his interest in the “Fenian” Mine at that centre, but at the present time his name is perhaps more frequently
mentioned as owner of the brilliant four-year-old gelding “Ejector,” than which there is probably no horse attracting more attention among sporting circles in Perth. “Ejector” was bred by Mr. Ryan, and has a distinguished pedigree, his sire being “Pistol,” by “Carbine” (son of “Musket”) from “Wenonah,” by “Galopin'' (son of “Vedette”) from “Esa,” by “Uncas” (son of “Stock-well”) from “Fleada,” by “Hermit” (son of “Newminster”) from “Cradle,” by “Saunterer” (son of “Birdcatcher”) from “Margery Daw,” by “Brocket” ; while his dam, “Lockette” (at present in this State) is by “Padlock” (son of “Wenlock”) from “Pyrette,” by “Bras-de-Fer” (imp., son of “Stockwell”) from “Prima” (imp.), by “Oxford” (son of “Birdcatcher”). As a yearling “Ejector” was placed in the hands of the well-known trainer, “Jack” Kelly, who did not in any way hurry on with the colt's preparation. “Ejector’s” first race was in the Aidful Handicap at the Perth course on April 15, 1911, in which he finished out of a place, “Ayrvillo” winning from “High Guard” and “Florabel.” On May 13 he was unplaced with 8 st. 7 lb. in the Third Class Plate at Helena Vale, and in a similar event
at the same course on July 29 he again failed to get a place. His three-year-old career opened very badly, as he ran unplaced on three occasions in third - class plates, lie opened his winning account on
December 2, 1911, when, with 7 st. 6 ft), on his back, he won the Third Class Plate at Belmont Park in easy fashion. His next effort was in the
Derby, and although he ran well for about a mile, the distance found him out, and he was unplaced. He also failed to get a place in the Swan Handicap of seven furlongs on
Railway Stakes Day and the Fremantle Plate on Imperial Stakes Day. He was entered for the Second Class Plate at the Western Australian Tat-tersall’s Club Meeting on January 20, 1912, and starting at 3 to 1, never left the issue in doubt, but won comfortably. On January 29 “Ejector” came out in the Wheatlands Handicap at the Western Australian Turf Club Meeting, and although he only carried 6 st. 7 lb., won in good style from a fair field. He failed in the Armadale Handicap at Perth on February 3, and also in the Belmont Five Hundred, for which he was well backed. On May 4 he ran unplaced in the Carnac Handicap of six furlongs, but later on in the same day he came out and won the Telephone Handicap with 9 st. 1 Tb. on his back, beating the favourite “Egg Shell,” who was placed second. The “Pistol” horse at Perth on June 1 went out favourite for the Suburban Handicap of nine furlongs, and although he was giving weight to every horse but “Flogger,” he won easily. Two days later, with 9 st. 6 lb. on his back, “Ejector” won the June Handicap of a mile in the good time of 1 min. 42 sec. “Repetition,” who was his stable companion, finished second. This ended his three-year-old career, and after a spell he made his first appearance as a four-year-old on October 19, when, with 9 st. 12 lb., he ran unplaced in the Leake Handicap
of six furlongs at Perth. The handi-cappers kept the weight on “Ejector,” and he ran unplaced in eight consecutive races, though he always showed out prominently. At Perth
Photo by C. II. rark.
Mr. T. Ryan's Residence, Guildford Road, Belmont.
on February 1 of this year (1913) he won the Serpentine Handicap of six furlongs with 8 st. 13 lb. up, beating a fair field. On February 22 “Ejector” was unplaced in the First Class Plate at Helena Vale, but on the following Saturday he won the City Handicap of six furlongs with 9 st. 5 lb. in the saddle, a good field being behind him. The “Pistol” gelding made the pace merry in the Belmont Five Hundred, run on March 8, but could not see the mile and a quarter out. He was unplaced in the Easter
Handicap on March 22, and also in the Autumn Handicap on March 24, but on the latter day he ran a good third to “Egg Shell” in the Avon Handicap of nine furlongs. At the W.A.T. Club’s Winter Meeting he won the Flying Handicap, 6 furlongs, carrying 9 st. 10 ft., and two days later, on June 2, 1913, he carried 10 st. 1 ft), to victory in the Roe Handicap, also over 6 furlongs, in the smart time of 1 min. 14f secs. There is no doubt that when in form “Ejector” is a brilliant
galloper up to a mile, and Mr. Ryan is fortunate in owning a horse like him, as he is as sound now as the day he was foaled. “Flashlock,” who won the Great Western Steeplechase at Boulder a few years ago, was owned by Mr. Ryan, who has also got a full brother to “Ejector” in “Extortion,” a two-year-old, who has not yet been given a chance. Recently Mr. Ryan had an interest in the “Le Var” mare “Repetition,” and she won a few races for the partnership.
FOOTBALL AND CRICKET.
After horse-racing probably the most popular sport for the winter months is football, the place of which during the summer is taken, though in a less degree, by cricket. Most of the conditions are highly favourable to the development of both games, as few cities afford better opportunities than Perth, while the country districts also show a strong disposition to afford facilities for both sports. In fact, as regards the metropolitan area, it may be said that the Association Cricket Ground, the Esplanade, and the Subiaco and Fremantle Ovals are in constant demand all the year round for exhibitions of one game or the other.
In football circles the most popular game is undoubtedly the Australian game—the evolution of the Victorian method. Its success throughout the Commonwealth is, of course, due mainly to the fact that it is the national game. In Western Australia its prominence is also due to the fact that in the days of the boom many Victorian players of excellence were attracted to the State, and these formed the nucleus of what is now the strongest football organization in the West. The controlling body is the West Australian Football League (Mr. J. J. Simons, secretary). During 1912 seven clubs competed for the premiership, the honours being finally carried off by Subiaco. As might naturally be expected, the national spirit pervades the schools, and in the great majority of State schools, as well as a fair proportion of secondary schools, the Australian game is played.
Its competitor in point of importance is the British Association game, or “soccer,” which so far as senior matches are concerned is controlled by the Western Australian British Football Association, of which Mr. H. H. Brennand is secretary, and so far as the juniors are concerned, by a Junior Association which is affiliated with the senior organization. Though far behind the Australian game in point of popularity, “soccer” has undoubtedly caught on in Western Australia, and in the case of the schools is played to almost as great an extent
as the national game. The Rugby game is also played, but only to a limited extent. In fact, it seemed as if the season of 1912 would be its last, but there has been a revival during the present year (1913) which may lead to a permanent place for it among the popular games of Western Australia.
Curiously enough, in cricket Western Australia has never come to the front in anything like the same way as the other States. This may be partly due to the difficulty that existed in the early days in securing suitable pitches, owing to the sandy nature of the soil. This difficulty, however, will no doubt be surmounted as population grows, and the great game will, before many years, occupy that high position amongst outdoor sports which distinguishes it from its fellows both in the Mother Country and in the other States of the Commonwealth. The principal cricket ground, which was granted by the Government to the trustees, is beautifully situated on the banks of the Swan, not more than a mile from the centre of the city. It is 14| acres in extent, and is used as the general metropolitan sports ground. So far the trustees have not been in a position to erect grandstand and other conveniences worthy of the ground, but these no doubt will come in the near future and will all help to raise cricket to that level which it ought to occupy in any Australian community. Much of the good work that has already been done is due to the energetic efforts of Mr. John Rushton, who for many years has acted as secretary and has always been an indefatigable supporter of the claims of the willow. Cricket in the State is governed by the West Australian Cricket Association, the committee of management of which consists of two delegates from each of the associated clubs. At the end of the season of 1912-13 there were twelve senior clubs, all of whom strove earnestly to advance the interests of the game. Mr. James Gardiner occupies the position of president of the association, with Mr. G. W. Warr as chairman of committee and Mr. R. G. Heath as secretary.
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YACHTING AND ROWING.
Perhaps no capital city in the Commonwealth is more admirably placed than Perth for the full enjoyment of all sports connected with water. Whilst Sydney has her beautiful harbour, Perth can lay equal claim to beauty in her noble and commanding river, the broad stretches of which, below the city, form ideal conditions for rowing and sailing. How deeply appreciated the river is may be seen at almost any time during the
summer months, when the myriad of craft with white sails bellowing in the breeze make so charming a scene upon the broad expanse of water. In a lesser degree the same scene may be witnessed at Fremantle, Bunbury, Albany, and Geraldton, at all of which ports boating forms a popular recreation during the summer months.
Rowing in the State is governed by the West Australian Rowing Association, to which the various clubs are affiliated. The premier club is, of course, the
West Australian Rowing Club, established in 1885. This was followed in 1887 by the Swan River Rowing Club, and shortly afterwards by the Fremantle Rowing Club, established at Fremantle.
lore important, perhaps, than rowing is the wonderful popularity of yachting on the Swan, as evidenced by the number of clubs devoted to its interests. At the head of these stands the Royal Perth Yacht Club,
which since 1891 has borne by Royal Warrant the title of Royal, and is authorized by Admiralty Warrant to fly as the club flag the blue ensign of the Royal Navy. Next in importance comes the Perth Flying Squadron, and then the Mount Bay Sailing Club and the Perth Dinghy Club. All of these are active institutions, and their continued progress shows that the manifold attractions of the Swan have laid permanent hold upon the affections of the people.
OTHER SPORTS.
In addition to those mentioned, it may be said that practically every sport to which English-speaking people are addicted has found a home in Western Australia. The one exception, perhaps, is baseball, which never
seems to have caught on to any great extent in any part of Australia.
Lacrosse is fairly popular, though perhaps the nature of the climate is against any pronounced development.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Tennis clubs and courts are numerous throughout the metropolitan area, and under the guidance of the Lawn Tennis Association, which has established excellent grass courts at Mueller Park, tennis may be regarded as probably the most popular of the less boisterous forms of sport.
Cycling, which at one time had a great vogue as a pastime, seems scarcely to have held its own; but considerable interest still attaches to the road races held under the authority of the Western Australian League of Wheelmen.
Golf, though more restricted on account of expense, is growing in popularity amongst those who are able to devote the time to it. Excellent links have been laid
out at Fremantle, South Perth, Cottesloe, Kalgoorlie, and other places, where, upon every possible opportunity, lovers of the sport may be found actively engaged.
Of the less strenuous games bowling is perhaps making the greatest headway, and amongst the clubs, now numbering about thirty, which form the West Australian Bowling Association, are to be found many players whose knowledge of the game is quite on a par with that of the better players of the Eastern States.
Lastly, mention must be made of hockey, which is being actively fostered by the schools, and is regarded also as a popular recreation for girls, a ladies’ club having been in existence for quite a number of years.
Veterinary.
The history of veterinary science in Western Australia is bound up with that of the same profession throughout the wide world. One of the earliest references to the practice of the veterinary art is contained in the code of laws given by Hammurabi, who ruled over Babylonia about 2,100 years before Christ. In this code it is set forth that “if a doctor of oxen and asses has treated either ox or ass for a severe wound, and cured it, the owner of the ox or ass shall give to the doctor one-sixth of a shekel of silver for his fee,” but “if he has treated an ox or an ass for a severe wound and caused it to die, he shall give the quarter of its price to the owner of the ox or ass.” Veterinary surgery in those days appears to have been a rather risky profession.
The ancient Greeks and Romans, more especially the former, produced several writers on veterinary matters, and amongst the best known may be mentioned Simon, Xenophon, Aristotle, Publius Vegetius Renatus, and Hippocrates. What little was known of veterinary science in those early periods of history was, however, lost sight of in the dark period of the Middle Ages, and the modern history of the profession may be said to date from the founding of the veterinary school at Lyons, in France, about the year 1761. This was shortly followed by the establishment of a second school at Alfort. It was close on thirty years before England followed suit, and it is to the credit of the medical profession that such men as Sir Astley Cooper and Dr. John Hunter took an active part in founding England’s first veterinary college. The study of veterinary science was forced upon the Governments of the old world by the enormous losses which stockowners suffered from year to year, and precisely the same cause has forced the Australian Governments to a more serious study of the diseases which yearly levy so big a toll on the livestock industry.
The father of veterinary education in Australia was Professor William Tyson Kendall, F.R.C.V.S., who, in the face of many difficulties, established the Melbourne Veterinary College at Fitzroy in the year 1888. He received no financial support from the Victorian Government, but in 1889 the Veterinary Surgeons Act was passed which provided for the establishment of a Veterinary Board and the registration of veterinary surgeons. Professor Kendall’s work received the recognition due to it in 1909, when his college was formally taken over by the Government and
incorporated with the University under the provisions of the University Act, Professor Kendall receiving the appointment of Lecturer in Veterinary Medicine and Obstetrics in the new veterinary school.
During the ten years that his college had been open 136 students had attended the lectures, and of those sixty had graduated as fully-qualified veterinary surgeons. It was one of these graduates—Mr. H. H. Edwards—who was the first qualified veterinary surgeon to commence practice in Western Australia some eighteen years ago. The Government and various public bodies were not slow in recognizing his worth and availing themselves of his up-to-date knowledge of veterinary matters. He held various public appointments, and for many years enjoyed a lucrative practice in Perth. Some two years after the arrival of Mr. Edwards, Mr. R. E. Weir, M.R.C.V.S., came to the State to join the Stock Department. He was followed some few months later by Mr. E. A. Le Souef, another graduate of the Melbourne Veterinary College, who came to fill the position of Director of the Zoological Gardens. Both these gentlemen have since come to be widely known throughout the length and breadth of the State, and the veterinary profession in Western Australia owes a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. Le Souef, who has worked unceasingly to maintain the social and scientific status of his chosen profession and to place its members on an equal footing with those of the sister profession of human medicine. To his efforts are due the early recognition of the value of veterinary science by the military authorities of this State and the granting of commissions to veterinary surgeons entering the 'Australian Army Veterinary Corps.
In Mr. J. L. Burns, of the Stock Department, the old Melbourne Veterinary College has another representative. Mr. Burns joined the department some eight years ago, having previously practised in South Australia and served as a veterinary officer in the South African War.
From time to time various members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons have drifted to the shores of Western Australia, but at present only Mr. C. Syrett, M.R.C.V.S., of London, and Mr. John Robson, M.R.C.V.S., of Edinburgh, remain. The latter has established an extensive practice in Perth, and has become widely known as a capable and successful member of the profession.
In the years 1912 and 1913 there happened two
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epoch-marking events in the Western Australian world of veterinary science. The former year saw the passing of an up-to-date Veterinary Act providing for the appointment of a Board and the registration of members of the profession. Provision was made for the registration of men who had not passed through a recognized college, but who had been practising for five years prior to the passing of the Act. Future registrations will, however, be confined to those holding a recognized degree. The fitting complement to the passing of the Veterinary Act came in 1913, when the Senate of the Western Australian University appointed a Lecturer in Veterinary Science. The gentleman selected for this position was Mr. E. A. Weston, another graduate of the old Melbourne Veterinary College and a Bachelor of Veterinary Science of the Melbourne University. It will probably be some years before the University will provide a full course leading to a degree in veterinary science. Such work could only be undertaken with a large staff of
professors, and will probably be inaugurated at the time when it is decided to found a school of medicine. In the meantime the lecturer will devote himself to extension lectures and practical demonstrations amongst the farmers, more especially in the newly-settled areas where many of the landholders know little of stock. In addition to this work it is intended to provide short courses of a practical nature for those registered practitioners who have not had the advantage of a college training, and to give the agricultural students studying under Dr. Patterson, the Professor of Agriculture, a course in elementary veterinary science. There is also a wide field for original research work, both in regard to poison plants peculiar to the State and amongst the local diseases associated with its varying soils and climatic conditions. It is hoped that the Veterinary Department will be able to do something in this field when the necessary facilities for experimental and laboratory work have been provided.
JOHN ROBSON, M.R.C.V.S., graduate of the Royal Veterinary College, Edinburgh, and post-graduate of the Royal Veterinary College, London, 74, Stirling Street, Perth, was born in the County of Northumberland, England, on July 26, 1881. At the close of his scholastic career he was engaged for a time in farming, and had seven years’ experience in sheep, cattle, and horse breeding. In 1904 he began to study for his profession at the Royal Dick Veterinary College of Edinburgh, where he spent four years, in 1905 among other honours winning the silver medals of the Highland Agricultural Society for anatomy and physiology. In 1907 he was the successful competitor for the bronze medal awarded by the same organization in materia medica, and in the following year won the silver medals for medicine and surgery. The Highland Agricultural Society is a body known to agriculturists throughout the length and breadth of Scotland and it has always taken a deep interest in the study of veterinary science. Many sheep farms in Scotland are yearly ravaged by diseases of the Braxy group, which spell ruin to the unfortunate owners. Eminent men in the veterinary profession have sought to unravel the tangled pathology of these diseases, but without success. Some time ago a commission was appointed and spent seven years in the study of the Braxy group of diseases, and at the conclusion of its labours issued a voluminous report. This commission cost tens of thousands of
pounds and carried out innumerable experiments, but there still remains much work to be done. The bitter experience gained with these baffling diseases has doubtless stimulated the interest of the Highland Agricultural Society in veterinary matters and quickened its interest in the students passing through the college at Edinburgh. The medals which it offers are keenly competed for, and the winning of them is regarded as a great distinction. In passing, it is interesting to note that the recently appointed Professor of Agriculture in the Western Australian University—Dr. Patterson—has been a member of the Highland Agricultural Society for many years. After graduating at the above-named institution Mr. Robson took out a postgraduate degree at the Royal Veterinary College of London, where he attended Sir John M'Fadyean’s special course in veterinary path-ology, bacteriology, and tropical diseases of animals, and meat inspection in the London market under Chief Inspector King, M.R.C.V.S. The London Veterinary College is the oldest of the colleges in Great Britain and has an interesting history. It was founded in the year 1790 as the result of the efforts of St. Bel, a gentleman of French descent, who had seen the benefits which had accrued from the founding of the continental schools of veterinary science. His first proposals were not received favourably, and the commencement of the college in 1890 was the result of two years’ unremitting
labour. Unfortunately St. Bel did not live long to direct the college for which he had done so much. One year after his appointment to the professorship a sudden and brief illness ended his mortal career. In order that the college might continue its work the Duke of Northumberland came forward with a handsome donation, and many famous medical men rallied round the young institution. Mr. Colman was appointed to succeed St. Bel, and a committee of medical men undertook the examination of the students. It is pleasing to note that they also “permitted the veterinary students to attend their lectures on human anatomy free of charge." Since that time many distinguished men have directed the fortunes of the London Veterinary College, but perhaps the most distinguished is the present Dean and Principal, Sir John M'Fadyean, M.B., B.Sc., LL.B., M.R.C.V.S., under whom Mr. Robson studied when attending the post-graduate course. As a student Mr. Robson’s name always figured in the honour lists in his different classes at both colleges, and in his professional examinations he acquitted himself with more than average merit. After taking his diplomas he acted as assistant to Mr. J. Cooke, F.R.C.V.S., during the summer of 1895, and in the following year filled the post of locum tenens for Mr. A. Chivas, M.R.C.V.S., of Corbridge. After occupying several other appointments of eqUal responsibility in England Mr. Robson decided to come to
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Western Australia, arriving at Perth in July, 1909. He immediately established himself in private practice at his present address, and since that time has built up a very sound connection. At the present time he occupies the appointments of honorary veterinary surgeon to the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia, the S.P.C.A., and the W.A. Kennel Club, and also to the Perth City Council, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, etc. He "was also offered a position as veterinary inspector in the Stock Department in succession to Mr. Crossley, M.R.C.V.S., but after careful consideration decided not to relinquish his growing practice for a Government appointment. He rapidly made his way into the front ranks of the profession and threw the weight of his opinion into the scale in favour of the Veterinary Act, which was passed by Parliament in 1912 to regulate the practice of veterinary surgery in this State. About the beginning of 1911 Mr. Robson carried out a scheme for the erection of a hospital on his premises, which provides accommodation for a number of horses. He is a member of the first board created under the Veterinary Surgeons Act of "Western Australia in 1912, consisting of Messrs. Weir, Le Souef, Robson, Edwin Rose, and Bodey. Mr. Robson has always sought to maintain a high standard in his -work and to utilize the latest surgical .procedures where they are likely to prove of permanent benefit. One of the latest surgical operations is that introduced by Professor Williams, of America, for the relief of roaring caused by paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve supplying the vocal cords and muscles of the larynx, or “voice box” as it is popularly termed. The paralysis is usually confined to the left-hand side. Stripped of technicalities, the operation may be said to be performed by an incision being made into the larynx of the affected horse and the mucous lining of the paralysed vocal cord, together with that lying opposite it upon the inside of the larynx, is then stripped off. The result is that the two raw surfaces grow together, and the paralyzed cord is firmly attached to the walls of the larynx instead of obstructing the passage of air through it as before. This operation is to supersede the other well-known method of tracheotomy, in which a silver tube is inserted in the trachea or “windpipe,” with varying success.
Mr. Robson has performed this operation several times, and has obtained a successful result in a fair percentage of cases.
ANGUS MACINTOSH, veterinary surgeon, 229, Newcastle Street, Perth (Telephone 1183). Mr. Angus Macintosh is a native of South Australia, having been born at Mount Gambier in May, 1872. He received his education at the State school of that town, and at the conclusion of his scholastic career took steps to acquaint himself with matters pertaining to all kinds of stock, with the object of becoming thoroughly familiar with the characteristics of the different classes. In order to attain this end he travelled throughout Victoria, and subsequently augmented his experience in New South Wales and Queensland, all the time being engaged in. the handling of stock and kindred pursuits. At the age of eighteen he decided to move farther afield, and choosing the United States as his destination, sailed for America in 1890. Here he was employed in cow-punching for a time, and eventually he joined a veterinary surgeon in Chicago and gained a preliminary insight into the profession whilst assisting this gentleman in his work. Mr. Macintosh afterwards was associated with other -well-known practitioners in America, ultimately making his way to Boston, whence he returned to Australia, and after a short stay in Melbourne revisited his birthplace in the Central State. In 1892 be was employed in bringing a shipment of horses to Western Australia, and upon his return accepted an engagement with the late Sir Thomas Elder on his stud farm at Morphettville, where he spent a few years, during which his knowledge of horses became considerably extended. In 1896 he came again to Western Australia, and proceeding to the eastern goldfields established a small veterinary practice at Menzies, where he did some excellent and profitable work. The roving spirit prompted his return to South Australia for a time, but Western shores again exerted their attraction, and he returned to the “Cinderella” State. Mr. Macintosh next took passage for England, where he made a further study of veterinary science, and revisited America for the same purpose, acquainting himself with
the latest ideas and methods in the treatment of animals and garnering up much useful information of a general character. In 1900 he established himself in practice in Stirling Street, Perth, and two years later purchased the property where he now-carries on business, in the first instance erecting a few wooden boxes which served his purpose in forming the nucleus of his connection. In 1905 he paid a third visit to America, and during its progress gained considerable knowledge under the guidance of Messrs. Parke, Davis, & Co., the largest manufacturers of chemicals in the world. This firm has extensive buildings and experimental farms, laboratories, capsule works, and mechanical departments in various centres, notably Detroit in U.S.A., Walkerville in Canada, and Hounslow, a few miles out of London, in England. At Detroit their stock department alone covers a floor space of some 3|- acres. Here is to be found a veritable menagerie of animals used for experimental purposes, for the manufacture of vaccines, serums, and antitoxins, and for the testing of these products before they are placed on the market. Here are housed about 150 horses. Each animal before admission to this select equine circle is carefully examined by a veterinary surgeon, quarantined for a week or a fortnight, and tested with tuberculin for tuberculosis and mallein for glanders. To keep them fit and well the horses are given a run of several miles each day by the grooms in charge. A large herd of cattle is also kept, the animals being selected with the same care as is the case with the horses. They are used for the manufacture of several vaccines, notably black-leg vaccine and calf lymph for use iu vaccination against smallpox, and for testing others, such as tuberculin and anthrax vaccine which are prepared direct from cultures of the germs causing the disease. A large assortment of dogs, fowls, rabbits, frogs, rats, mice, and guineapigs are also kept. The guineapig lofts shelter some five or six thousand of these little animals, which are chiefly used in standardizing various toxins and serums and testing their purity. In addition to the ordinary routine work, Messrs. Parke, Davis, & Co. employ a number of scientists in original research work, and one of their bacteriologists, Dr. W. S. Ferry, has recently announced that he has discovered the germ which causes distemper in dogs. It will
readily be understood that in these laboratories Mr. Macintosh found a never-failing source of interest and instruction. Here he saw the serum so widely used as a preventive and curative for tetanus (lockjaw) being manufactured, tested, and standardized. Mr. Macintosh is a great believer in the efficacy of this serum when used in sufficiently large doses, and backs his opinion by quoting numerous cases in which he has been successful with it. He also witnessed the preparation of anthrax and black-leg vaccines, used for protecting animals—principally cattle—
and it is this blood serum freighted with its precious store of anti-toxine which has snatched many a child from the jaws of death. The biological department forms only one portion of Messrs. Parke, Davis, & Co.'s extensive laboratories, as they are large wholesale drug manufacturers, their preparations, together with those of Messrs. Burroughs, Welcome, and Co., being known to veterinary surgeons and medical men throughout the civilized world. The physiological standardization of many of the drugs is accomplished by inoculating an animal with a given dose of
wattles is partly cut off, and the effect can plainly be seen in the blanching which takes place. If the administration of the drug be continued for some time the affected portion, robbed of its blood supply, mortifies and drops off. Returning to Western Australia at the end of a year, Mr. Macintosh opened in premises in Newcastle Street, where he built a hospital and carried on very successfully, but, still not content with mere local experience, six years later he again sought the wider outlook of Continental practice, and for a time was closely associated with Messrs. E.
Photo by G. ZZ. Park. Mr. Angus Macintosh’s Veterinary Hospital, Newcastle Street, Perth.
against these dreadful diseases, and tuberculin and mallein, which form the only reliable means of diagnosing tuberculosis and glanders. Parke, Davis, & Co. are also large manufacturers of diphtheria anti-toxine. This is prepared from the blood of a horse which has been rendered highly re-sistent to the poison of the diphtheria germ by having gradually increasing doses injected into it. To neutralize the poison the horse's blood has to form large quantities of an antipoison, known as the anti-toxine,
the drug in proportion to its body weight. The effect on the animal is then noted, and if the drug is found not to produce the effect it should, or to have no action, it is known to be either impure or worthless. This is well illustrated in the testing of ergot upon fowls, preferably those carrying a large single comb. The action of this drug is to contract the small arteries (blood vessels). When a full dose of an active preparation is injected into the fowl the blood supply to the edges of the comb and
Merck & Co., large manufacturing chemists and biological experts at Darmstadt, in Germany. By them he was recommended to Professor Eberlein, principal of the veterinary college at Berlin, and subsequently continued his travels to America via England, returning further to pursue his researches, the whole of Great Britain in turn being visited, and the expert knowledge of every centre assimilated with a view to future practical testing in Australia. It was whilst in England at this time
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that Mr. Macintosh received instruction at the hands pf Professor Hobday in the methods of operation on horses for roaring. His present fine hospital in Newcastle Street was erected upon his return from the old country in 1911, and is capable of accommodating twenty-eight equine patients, the recovery of these being facilitated by the installation of the most up-to-date appliances known to the profession. The operating-table was one of the first of its kind to be imported to Australia, and to this institution must be given pioneer recognition in the use of the ambulance for horses in Western Australia. Mr. Macintosh was also the first in the State to practise dentistry on horses, and in many ways has been a leader in this science of such paramount importance in a country like our own.
E. J. STUART, veterinary surgeon, Beaufort Street, Perth, is a South Australian, having been born at Kingston, in the Central State, on May 23, 1875. He was educated at Mr. Caterer’s College, and in
Mr. E. J. Stuart.
1899 commenced the study of veterinary surgery. In the following year he went to India, where he gained valuable experience in the various maladies of horses, and the remedial measures proved to have met with success in that country. Subsequently he travelled round the
AA
Philippine Islands, China, and J apan in pursuit of veterinary knowledge, and upon his return, at the latter part of 1903, came to Western Australia and established himself in practice at Subiaco. Owing to a rapidly-increasing business larger and more central premises became necessary, and he
removed to his present address in Beaufort Street, where his hospital, though in a good position and with accommodation for twenty horses, is still inadequate to meet the demands of his connection, which is one of the widest in Western Australia, and he contemplates very shortly building a large and up-to-date hospital, which will allow scope for the treatment of all kinds of equine diseases. He has a great number of
instruments and gear of the most modern description for the treatment and handling of all kinds of animals and keeps a large stock of serums, bacterins, and the most newly-discovered drugs necessary for success in his calling. One of his recent successes was the treatment of a racing pony for a fractured
tibia (big bone of the hind leg). The horse had been condemned, but the owner, determined to save him if possible, placed him in Mr. Stuart’s hands, and so satisfactory was the result that the pony, which was named “Baltimore,” has since won three or four races. It may be mentioned that Mr. Stuart’s father Was a partner in the whilom firm of Guthrie, Bulloch, & Stuart, of Victoria.
Operating Table, showing Method of securing Animal
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. E. J. Stuart's Veterinary Hospital, Beaufort Street. Perth.
T ramways.
PERTH TRAMWAYS.
As far back as 1885 the Government, recognizing the advantages of tramways as a means of transport, passed the Tramways Act, 1885, to allow the promotion of a tramway company for the metropolis. No step was taken under the Act, however, till 1897, when Mr. G. P. Dickinson secured a concession from the Perth City Council to lay down and operate a tramway system in the city for a term of years, the agreement providing for the use of the lin'es, fares, a return to the Council of 3 per cent, on the gross earnings in lieu of rates, and other things. This concession was transferred to Mr. Allan Stoneham, who promoted the Perth Electric Tramways, Limited, sending Mr. E. E. Rogers out to Western Australia to act as managing director. For a time the difficulties in the way were so great that the company suggested the abandonment of the scheme, but in March, 1899, an amended agreement was made between the City Council and the company, and the work of laying the tracks proceeded with. That agreement provided for another schedule for Subiaco, Central Perth, Highgate Hill, East Perth, Leederville, Old Guildford Road, Bulwer Street, and Colin Street, and gave two years from the date of the original provisional order for the construction of 13J miles and five years for the remaining four miles. The first section, along Hay Street from East Perth to Thomas Street, was laid and opened later in 1899, and soon continued to Subiaco by agreement with the Subiaco Town Council, which was quick to realize the importance of rapid and easy communication. Since that date the lines in the schedule have been constructed, aud by agreements with the various controlling bodies the system has been extended
to Victoria Park, North Perth, Osborne Park, and Ned-lands. The current is supplied from a central power-house erected in Claisebrook Road, and the cars are housed in a large car-barn situated at the extreme east end of Hay Street. At the present time there are 30 miles 11 chains of line laid down, all of which, with the exception of the portion along Wellington Street westward from William Street, are in operation.
For some years past the conviction has been growing that the system ought either to be municipalized or nationalized, and various negotiations have been entered upon between the Perth City Council and the company from time to time. So many interests, however, were involved, and, in the absence of a Greater Perth, so many suburban councils were concerned, that negotiations were not able to be satisfactorily concluded. In the meantime the Government became convinced that the system ought to be nationalized, and with that aim in view approached the company, ultimately securing an option over the whole of the interests for £475,000. To carry the matter to a conclusion a Bill to purchase the concern for that sum was introduced into Parliament in 1912, and after considerable discussion, aimed at protecting the various municipal rights, was passed." Under this Act the tramways became the property of the State on May 31, 1913. One of the controlling reasons for nationalization was that there existed an urgent need for extension of the system, but Parliament was not inclined to allow the company any further concessions. Now that the tramways are to be operated by the Government these facilities will no doubt be provided, and lines laid wherever the increase of population demands them.
FREMANTLE MUNICIPAL TRAMWAYS AND ELECTRIC
LIGHTING SYSTEM.
Amongst the advantages provided by the Fremantle Municipal Council for the use and convenience of its ratepayers, not by any means the least, but perhaps the most important, is its system of tramways and electric lighting.
Some years ago the Fremantle Council granted to a private company the right to a monopoly in the establishment of tramway and electric lighting facilities. For reasons best known to the monopolists the scheme that with its glowing possibilities had attracted the municipal
fathers never materialized, and in due time the concession lapsed and certain- forfeitures to the municipality eventuated. At this stage there had arisen a king “that knew not Joseph” in the shape of a new, more enlightened, and more enterprising council, the members of which were prepared to go into the question with sincerity and propound a scheme that would establish these up-to-date facilities for the profitable benefit of the ratepayers. The proposal was launched under more or less discouraging circumstances, for a section of the public
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showed its inconsistency in that, whilst it was prepared to allow the government of the town and the control of its finances to remain in the hands of the local councillors, expressed itself very strongly against the same body initiating and controlling as a municipal enterprise the work that it had been quite prepared to leave in the hands of dividend seekers who had not even the qualification of local ratepaying interests. In the face of this opposition the municipalities of Fremantle, East Fremantle, and North Fremantle, by their representatives on the respective councils, met to consider the possibilities of the proposal. At an early stage of the proceedings North Fremantle decided not to join the venture, and it was left to the parent municipality and its daughter. East Fremantle, to consider the advisability of undertaking the work that it was hoped and believed would eventually prove a benefit and credit as well as a profitable investment for the districts. After many preliminary meetings it was decided that the two municipalities should try to have the work undertaken, and a sub-committee elected by the Councils of Fremantle and East Fremantle set to work in earnest to secure Parliamentary authority to carry out the works that had, up to this stage, received the approval of the two councils. A Bill was accordingly drafted and sent to Parliament. The Bill was supported by the expert advice and report obtained from Messrs. P. W. Shaw, As.M.I.C.E., Mem.I.M.E. (the supervising engineer for tramway construction, New South Wales), and A. Diamond (assistant electrical engineer for tramways construction, New South Wales), who went fully into the details of cost and working, and on the basis of their report produced two estimates of working revenue and expenditure. One scheme showed an estimated profit of £1,010 per annum, and the other an estimated annual profit of £3,132. Either of the schemes was supposed to be capable of easy development. As a result of Parliamentary consideration, the Bill was accepted and became the “Private Act,” 3 Edward VII., 1903—“An Act to empower the municipalities of Fremantle and East Fremantle jointly to construct, maintain, and work tramways within the boundaries of the said municipalities, and to construct and maintain works for the generation and supply of electricity for motive and lighting purposes within the said districts.”
The Act granted power to the municipalities of Fremantle and East Fremantle to construct tramways and provide electric power and lighting, and to borrow money to the extent of £100,000 for that purpose; the money so borrowed not to be taken into account in estimating the limit of borrowing powers under the Municipal Institutions Act. It also provided that within nine months after the coming into force of the Act the construction, carrying out, control, and management of the undertakings should be vested in a Board aa2
to be called the Fremantle Municipal Tramways and Electric Lighting Board, which should consist of five members. The Mayor for the time being of Fremantle to be an ex officio member of the Board; the other four members to be elected by the owners and occupiers, one each respectively, in each municipal district. The elected members to hold office for two years.
Acting under the authority provided in the special Act of Parliament, the councils of Fremantle and East Fremantle then entered into an agreement with Edward Noyes, of Sydney, and Henry Noyes, of Melbourne, (Noyes Brothers) to design and, after the constitution of the Board, to superintend the construction of the scheme. The cost was limited to £84,000, and that sum was to include any alterations and amendments required by the Board. It was also provided that in case the cost of the undertakings exceeded the sum of £84,000, exclusive of legal and clerical charges incurred by the Board and the cost of the administration of the Board’s office, Noyes Brothers should pay the amount of the excess to the Board. To carry out the works and undertakings the sum of £80,000 was raised by F. Thone-mann, a Melbourne sharebroker; the currency of the loan being twenty-five years and the rate of interest 4^ per cent.
The next item of importance connected with the scheme was the election of the first Board, and for that purpose the Fremantle Council appointed Councillor Frank Nicholas to act as returning-offioer and conduct the Fremantle portion of the elections. East Fremantle selected its Mayor, W. C. Angwin, M.L.A., to perform the same duty for the daughter municipality. The elections were held on Saturday, June 18, 1904, and the first Board was constituted as follows, viz.:—Frank Cadd, Mayor of Fremantle, ex officio; E. Solomon, representing Fremantle owners; R. J. Lynn, representing Fremantle occupiers; C. S. Nathan, representing East Fremantle owners; Harry Bennett, representing East Fremantle occupiers.
The Board lost no time in taking up the important duties that was entrusted to it, and on June 27— nine days after election—confirmed the agreement made between the councils and Messrs. Noyes Brothers. The necessary material was duly ordered, and on February 6, 1905, the work of construction was commenced. On November 30 of the same year tram traffic was opened on the South and East Fremantle routes of the system, Beaconsfield and Marmion Street routes being completed shortly afterwards. The whole of the works was carried to a successful conclusion and completed by the constructing engineers in accordance with the agreement on April 11, 1906. The balance-sheet for the first period, i.e., to August 31, 1906, showed that after paying interest, £1,750 13s. 9d., and sinking fund, £333 6s. 8d., to date, a profit of £1,108 0s. 4d. had resulted.
404 THE CYCLOPEDIA OF
Tlie works embraced a combination of the two schemes recommended by the experts) Messrs. Shaw and Diamond, and the result proved to be within a few shillings of the estimated profit on their scheme No. 1.
The first item of importance in the development of the scheme was the acceptance of North Fremantle as a customer for electric light and power, and this the Board arranged to supply within the Fremantle boundary (for the Act would not allow the Board to go outside its district except with the authority of the Governor-in-Council), and the North Fremantle Council to convey the current to its customers and requirements within its own boundaries. During the second year of completed working the question of extending the tramway system into North Fremantle became an important one, and in this instance also the North Fremantle Council preferred to be a customer of the Tramway Board rather than a partner in the scheme, and having arranged terms satisfactory to each party laid down its own tramway system and opened it for traffic, under the control of the Board, on September 30, 1908.
Over the original area the development was so consistent that in 1909 the Board found it necessary to duplicate the South Fremantle route and about three-fourths of that to East Fremantle. Since that time the undertaking has proved a good investment and has consistently held its own. It has paid full interest and sinking fund (6| per cent.) on its borrowed capital, written off the preliminary expenses incurred by the councils and large sums for depreciation, and divided some profits with the municipalities. It certainly has not earned sufficient profits to relieve the ratepayers of any of their rates, but has by the providing of those conveniences that are essential to maintaining and increasing the population of the districts proved a very material factor in the development of the outlying portions of both municipalities as well as a very acceptable convenience to the ratepayers in North Fremantle. One
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
proof of this statement lies in the fact that since the installation of the tramways and electric lighting scheme rents of properties in the three Fremantles have substantially increased, and an unoccupied house is a difficult thing to find to-day. Of course this is not entirely due to the conveniences of the services, but they have played an important part therein.
The total capital borrowed and invested since the inauguration of the scheme is £140,000—an amending Act of Parliament passed in 1909 increased the borrowing powers to £150,000. The population served is but 20,000—a handful of people to undertake and work successfully such an important undertaking.
The following are statistics extracted from the first (1906) and last (1912) reports of the Board, viz.:—
Number of car miles run—1906, 385,971 054; 1912, 481,345 369.
Number of passengers carried—1906, 1,969,636; 1912, 3,767,694.
Number of passengers per car mile—1906, 4 974; 1912, 7-827.
Average journey per head of population—1906, 89 528; 1912, 188 384.
Average fare per passenger—1906, 2'232d.; 1912,
1 688d.
Car revenue per car mile—1906, 11 569d.; 1912, 13'328d.
Revenue from sale of electricity for power and lighting—1906, £4,145 15s. 6d.; 1912, £16,084 5s. Id.
Mileage of tram track—1906, 7 miles 40 chains; 1912, 8 miles 64 chains.
The above tramway figures do not include the traffic handled on the North Fremantle section.
The present Board is comprised of the following gentlemen:—F. J. McLaren, J.P., Mayor of Fremantle, ex officio, chairman; E. H. Fothergill, J.P., representing Fremantle owners; Hon. R. J. Lynn, J.P., M.L.C., representing Fremantle occupiers; J. F. Allen, J.P., representing East Fremantle owners; W. C. Angwin, J.P., M.L.A., representing East Fremantle occupiers; A. Mitchell, M.I.E.E., Manager and engineer; secretary and accountant, J. T. Bold.
Fire Brigades
During the past thirty years the provision made for overcoming fires has undergone drastic change in almost every large city. Each town in the olden days used to possess its own volunteer fire brigade, which in many cases was an efficient body working actively in the public interest, subject to no compulsion, but in some cases more ornamental than useful. In place of this there is now a fire brigade corps specially trained for the work required of it, and ready at any moment of the day or night to guard the property of the citizens from the
brigade was equipped shortly after its formation with a large manual fire-engine. This engine, however, was not the first introduced into the colony, as one had been imported by the Government in 1862 and placed under the charge of the old pensioners at the Barracks at the top of St. George's Terrace. After the formation of the Perth Brigade volunteer services were established at most of the centres of population, and these, particularly on the goldfields in the early days when water was scarce, were a most important branch of citizen service.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Turnout at the Central Fire Station, Perth.
ravages of fire. The adoption of this organized system in Western Australia is like many other State institutions of recent growth. The first fire brigade in the State, volunteer in constitution, was formed under the Perth City Council early in the eighties, and for a short period was under the superintendency of Mr. J. Sommers, who was succeeded by Mr. W. E. Victor, at one time Town Clerk of the City. This gentleman held the position until 1897, when he resigned, and Mr. J. M. Lapsley was appointed in his stead, the office of superintendent being still held under the City Council. This
During the nineties when, with the growth of the towns and the consequent increase in value of municipal property, more modern appliances became necessary, the Government under Sir John Forrest provided money for the purchase of steam fire-engines for Perth, Fremantle, Bunbury, Esperance, Albany, Gerald ton, Ka-lgoorlie, and Boulder. The first of these was procured by Fremantle in 1895, followed by Perth in 1897. All the brigades at this time were purely volunteer with the exception of Perth, which was of a mixed character, having two permanent men in addition to fourteen
406
volunteers. In 1900 it became apparent that the fire-brigade system required to be reconstructed, and a Fire Brigades Act was passed, placing the management under a Board nominated by the contributors. The contributors consisted of the Government, the fire-underwriters, and the municipalities, the shares of the cost being apportioned as follows:—Government one-ninth, fire-underwriters four-ninths, and the municipalities four-ninths. The Perth Brigade came under the Act at once, and Mr. J. M. Lapsley was appointed chief officer. As it was optional on the part of municipalities whether they availed themselves of the provisions of the Act or not, only one other municipal council, that of Fremantle, availed itself of the opportunity. In 1909, however, the Act was superseded by a new measure— The District Fire Brigades Act. This Act compelled all local authorities to accept its provisions and contribute to the upkeep of the Board, the expenses being met in the proportions of two-eighths from the Government, three-eighths from fire insurance companies, and
three-eighths from local authorities. The Board is constituted as follows:—Two representatives appointed by the Governor-in-Council, three elected by the insurance companies, one by the Perth City Council, one by the Councils of Kalgoorlie, Boulder, and Coolgardie and the Kalgoorlie Roads Board, one by local authorities other than those named, and one by volunteer fire brigades.
The personnel of the Board at present consists of Messrs. J. B. Holman and J. R. Campbell (Government nominees), B. L. Murray, P. J. Sullivan, and H. G. Jeffreson (insurance), J. T. Franklin (Perth City Council), C. R. Davies (Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie, and Boulder Councils), C. Fraenkel (other local authorities), and J. C. Brennan (volunteer brigades). Mr. B. L. Murray is chairman, and Mr. J. M. Lapsley chief officer.
The cost of the system during 1912 was £29,207, and the income from various sources £29,599. The number of fire calls for the year was 807, of which 197 were serious. During the same period the Perth Fire Brigade Ambulance was summoned to 497 cases.
JAMES McFARLANE LAPSLEY, J.P., Chief Officer of the Western Australian Fire Brigades’ Board, is a son of the late John Lapsley, of Gourock, Scotland, and was born at Beaufort (Fiery Creek), Victoria, on February 14, 1856. At two years of age he went with his parents to Scotland, where he received his educational training at the Highlanders’ Academy, Greenock. Leaving school in 1869 he took a course of engineering under Messrs. McJanet & Park, of Greenock, upon the completion of which, in 1877, he came to Australia and settled in Adelaide in the employ of Messrs. W. & T. Rhodes, of that city. After eight years in this service he joined the firm of Messrs. Sykes Brothers & Co., of Perth, Western Australia, subsequently starting on his own account in that city as sanitary engineer, etc. After building up the largest jobbing concern of the kind in Australia he sold his business to Messrs. Dobbie and Co. and accepted an appointment to his present position. He had previously had experience in fire brigade work, first joining the service as a probationer in 1888, afterwards acting as engineer, foreman, and occasionally as superintendent, until he fully fitted himself for the responsible post he now occupies. Just before his appointment the new Fire Brigades Act had come into force, by which the volunteers were made a permanent body, the Act embracing the towns of Perth and
Fremantle only. In 1909, when a later Act included the whole State in its provisions, Mr. Lapsley was appointed Western Australia’s first Chief Officer of Fire Brigades, and to him may be accorded the distinction of being the only native-born
Mr. James McFarlane Lapsley.
Chief Officer in Australasia, and also the only mechanic in charge of a State. Being practically experienced himself, with a view to economy he inaugurated the employment on the station exclusively of mechanics, who manufacture on the premises all the requirements of the service from street fire alarms to the
top-boots worn by the members of the brigade. Mr. Lapsley was instrumental in providing the citizens with a free accident ambulance van, for which on May 5, 1905, he was decorated by the late King Edward with the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. A further distinction was conferred upon him by the present King in 1911, when he was appointed an Esquire of the Order—a distinction unique in the Commonwealth. With the permission of the Fire Brigades’ Board Mr. Lapsley induced the staff voluntarily to perform the work in connection with the ambulance, and further to facilitate its usefulness he procured permission for the public to use the street fire alarms in cases of accident, a privilege unknown in any other part of the Empire. He also holds the King’s Police Medal, awarded primarily for his meritorious organization of fire brigades, Mr. Lapsley being the first fireman in the Commonwealth to receive the honour. He was created a Justice of the Peace in 1905. In military matters Mr. Lapsley has had some experience, having joined the Ren-rewshire Volunteers as bugler and drummer in 1867 and served about ten years. On arrival in Australia he associated himself with the Norwood Rifles in Adelaide, in which corps he rose to the position of sergeant instructor. He was the founder of Scottish Freemasonry in Western Australia, and is Grand Master of the Scotch Constitution in
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
407
this State, and has also been second Grand Principal in the W.A. Chapter. He is a Past Prior in Knights Templary, and became a member of the Rose Crucian Degree in New South Wales in August, 1905, was one of the founders of Druidism in the State and also of the Sons of Temperance, passing through all the offices in the different orders and still holding his connection with these bodies. He was one of the founders
of the Caledonian Society in Western Australia in 1885, in which he still retains an interest, and has held the position of Chief on several occasions. In matters of sport Mr. Lapsley has manifested a catholic spirit, and assisted in the formation of the Swan River Rowing Club twenty-three years ago, being captain and coach of this club for a lengthy period, and still holds the position of President. He was president of the Western
Australian Rowing Association from 1907 to 1909, and is now vice-president, is president of the Perth Lacrosse Club, vice-president of the Western Australian Lacrosse Association, and is a general patron of all amateur athletic sports. He was married in Western Australia on November 23, 1887, to Evelyn, a daughter of the late Mr. Geo. Bell, of the Imperial Civil Service. Mr. Lapsley has two sons and a daughter.
Country Districts.
South-Western.
The extensive South-Western district of the State may be said to commence as soon as we get outside the suburban radius, and to extend through Bunbury down to Bridgetown and Busselton. It forms the garden of Western Australia. Within its confines is the larger part of the heavily-timbered lands, and its soil is the best suited for mixed farming and for carrying on those dairying pursuits -which ought in a very little while to be the means of promoting a good export trade in agricultural products. Intense culture ought there, if anywhere in Western Australia, to find a home. It used to be said that the eyes of this district had been picked out by the first settlers, but the extensive selection that has proceeded during recent years is proof to the contrary. Certainly large tracts of good land, of which little or no use is being made, still exist, but with the increase of population and the demand for suitable soil, there is every chance that these will soon be broken up and become the homes of successful farming communities.
Many of the advantages which the district enjoys
are due to the fact that in it are to be found the principal rivers and mountains of the State. From north to south, about 20 miles from the coast, runs the Darling Range, forming the watershed for the numerous rivers and streams which irrigate the country. The rains, too, are more abundant and frequent, the average annual rainfall varying from 30 to over 40 inches, and serving to keep the rivers in flow for the whole year round. The soil between the ranges and the sea is divided into limestone and clay land, the latter receiving its name front the fact that it possesses a clay sub-soil upon which the blackboy or grass tree flourishes abundantly. This is usually looked upon as an indication that the land will produce heavy marketable crops.
In dealing with this, as with other districts of the State, we propose to follow the main line of railway. In this case it is the most convenient, as the line cuts through the best of the land, and from it are to be seen vineyards, orchards, farms, and every evidence of a prosperous agricultural community.
ARMADALE AND DISTRICT.
From Gosnells to Armadale all along the line there lies a stretch of country which is rapidly coming under cultivation and gives every promise of being one of the orchard districts of the State. The township of Gosnells, built during the past ten years as the result of the subdivision and sale of a large area of land held since the early days by the family of Gosnell, the English perfume manufacturers, has become the home of many whose work lies in the city but who desire more space and freedom than city life affords. Situated about 12 miles from Perth, it already has a population of nearly 500 people, most of whom have established orchards, gardens, or poultry runs round their homes.
Much the same conditions are to be found at Kelms-cott, some four miles further along the line. This township is, however, of much older growth, being surrounded by some of the locations selected by the early settlers in the infant days of the State. Like its neighbour Armadale—in fact, like most of the old-established towns in Western Australia—its progress only dates some twenty years back, to the time when the gold discoveries galvanized the whole State into action and gave it that impetus which led to it becoming one of the most progressive States of the Commonwealth.
Armadale, which is prettily situated at the foot of
the hills, was originally known as Narrogin, and is by many remembered chiefly as the place where Ye Olde Narrogin Inn—a comfortable wayside hostelry favoured by the week-ender and holiday-maker—was to be found. It has also the distinction of possessing one of the few perennial streams in the Stabe—the Narrogin Brook. Its recent development dates from the early nineties, when Mr. M. E. Jull pioneered the settlement by establishing there an orchard and vineyard. These afterwards became the property of the late Sir Arthur Stepney, by whose executors the vineyard still is held. Amongst others who have established or procured orchards there may be mentioned Messrs. Thomas James,
H. D. Cullen, and W. L. Owen. Some distance up the valley from the township lies the old “Paradise” Farm, which for very many years has been held by members of the Marsh-family. Armadale has of late years increased in importance through being made the junction where the railway from Fremantle through the Jan-dakot agricultural area meets the south-western line. The eastern side of the area touches this line. It is estimated that the area contains something like 10,000 acres of first-class land, and instances are known where-20 acres are keeping eight or nine men in constant employment all the year round. By means of the railway
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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residents of the port of Fremantle have been brought a favourite resort during the summer months for within easy reach of Armadale, which has also become residents of the metropolitan district.
MUNDIJONG, JARRAHDALE, AND ROCKINGHAM.
Proceeding along the line from Armadale, and now passing one or two stations that are little more than sidings, the traveller arrives at Mundijong, whence runs the line to the timber mills at Jarrahdale, and is the point where the old company line that conveyed timber from Jarrahdale to the port of Rockingham crosses the Government railway. Like Armadale, Mundijong is being developed as orchard country. Some few miles beyond it are the Whitby Falls, where an extension of the hospital for the insane was established some few years ago in order to give patients the benefits of an open country life.
The township of Jarrahdale—really a timber station—was established many years ago in the centre of a splendid jarrah forest some eight miles from Mundijong. Since-that time it has passed through the vicissitudes that usually attend a timber centre. After the amalgamation of the timber companies its importance waned for a time, but recently it has come again into prominence as the head station for Millars’ Company. New mills, of the latest design, have been erected, which give constant employment for about 500 men. Apart from the question of timber, however, the district has risen to some distinction as a fruit-growing country, and
SERPENTINE
After leaving Mundijong there is no centre of importance until Pinjarra is reached, though mention may be made of North Dandalup, where some excitement was aroused a few years ago by the rumoured discovery of gold. Beyond the merest appearance, however, of the colour nothing was secured, and the hopes of a payable goldfield within easy reach of the metropolis were shattered.
Pinjarra, one of the oldest towns in the State, is situated on the Murray River, about 54 miles from Perth, and is the centre of the Murray agricultural country, which covers an area of something like 60 miles square. The district is well watered by the river, and has much good land, capable of producing all kinds of cereals, vegetables, and temperate fruits. Most of the land in the immediate vicinity of the town is in occupation, but there is still ample area available further afield. Pinjarra itself is connected with the capital by rail, road, and telegraph, and is the centre where the local and licensing courts for the district are held. It has several public buildings, including two churches, courthouse, mechanics’ institute, post office, hospital, and bank. By old settlers it is remembered as the place
several fine orchards are to be found in the vicinity. Being well up among the Darling Ranges, some 900 ft. above sea level, the climate in summer time is ideal, and the fact that the district forms one of the picturesque spots in Western Australia adds to its charm. Close at hand is the Serpentine River, whose falls have more than local appreciation, and in which good fishing, particularly perch and trout, may be secured. In the early days of the Jarrahdale Timber Company’s existence, a railway for transport of timber was built from Jarrahdale through Mundijong to Rockingham for shipment.
As a glance at the map will show, Rockingham is admirable as a port of shipment. It lies in the hollow of a horseshoe formed by Cape Peron, and is protected on the west by Garden Island, the harbour thus formed being at once safe and commodious. Apart from being a port of shipment for timber, Rockingham is also a pleasure resort. Shelter sheds have been erected on the beach for the convenience of visitors, and regular excursions are held from Fremantle during the summer months, while yachtsmen use the port as their headquarters when sailing round the bay. The population is but small—-about 150—made up principally of those engaged in the timber industry and in fishing.
TO PINJARRA.
where what is known as the “Battle of Pinjarra” was fought in the late thirties of last century. The pioneers of settlement suffered considerably from the depredations of the aborigines, particularly the Murray River tribe. So annoying did these depredations become that the Superintendent of Police, with the authority of the Governor, and, in fact, with Captain Stirling’s assistance, set out with an armed party to vindicate the law. The natives were encountered on the banks of the Murray near Pinjarra, and the conflict resulted in the utter annihilation of the tribe as a warlike force. In addition to being one of the main towns on the southwestern railway Pinjarra is the junction from which railways and roads branch out to other centres. A railway line has been constructed from there into the timber country to the east. So far the line has been opened to Holyoake, but an extension to Hotham, some miles further on, is at present being built. This line passes through the timber centres of Marrinup and Dwellingup (where the State timber mill is situated), and for some time to come will probably, in view of the trans-Australian railway requirements, be one of the busy timber lines of the State.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Westward from Pinjarra there is an excellent coach road leading through Ravenswood, a prettily-situated health resort on the Murray River, to Mandurah. This town is situated on the east side of the mouth of Peel Inlet, some 14 miles from Pinjarra, and is surrounded by a rich fruitgrowing land, in which sub - tropical fruits may be grown with ease and brought to a state of perfection. The climate and soil are also well adapted to vine-growing, and no doubt as settlement proceeds the district will become one of . the winemaking centres of the Commonwealth. The inlet abounds with fish, principally whiting, mullet, and bream, and establishments for preserving and canning have been in operation for some years.
To the people of the metropolitan district, however, Mandurah is known as one of the finest health resorts in the State, and throughout the summer
it is thronged with visitors seeking a change from the oppressive conditions of the city and goldfields. Several country residences have been erected there, amongst them being one belonging to Sir Winthrop Hackett, proprietor of The West Australian newspaper. The town may be reached by sea from Fremantle, or by rail and road from Perth. Though possessing a permanent population of less than 250, it can boast of a school, post office, two hotels, and other public buildings. Peel Inlet, on the borders of which the town stands, is named after Thomas Peel, one of the pioneers of Western Australia, who was deeply interested in schemes of immigration on the land-grant piinciple. Though the schemes were not altogether a success, the whole district around Mandurah was received by him as a grant from the English Government in return for money spent in endeavouring to carry out his ideas.
View at Serpentine.
ALBERT CORNISH, member of the Armadale-Kelmscott Roads Board, is a son of Mr. Edward Cornish, of Taunton, Somersetshire, England, late of Hamilton, Victoria, where the gentleman under review was born on April 6, 1870. He pursued his scholastic studies in his native town, with a finishing course at the Victorian Technical School, and at the termination of his education served articles to the engineering trade, gaining special knowledge of machines used in the brickmaking industry. He was engaged in his father’s place of business until 1892, when he came to Western Australia, and after taking control of various brickworks in this State he accepted the position of manager of the Armadale Steam Brick industry in 1902, and has continued in this connection ever since. The business was then on a small scale, the weekly paysheet totalling no more than £13, while at the present time over £100 is paid away in wages every week,
showing the rapid development of trade under Mr. Cornish’s capable management. The average output
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Alfred Cornish.
of bricks amounts to 100,000 per week, but with the installation of a 104 brake horse-power Crossley gas-producer engine this average will be increased to 150,000 per week. Mr. Cornish has always taken a very active part in public affairs, and was first elected to a seat on the local Roads Board in 1905, since which period he has served continuously in this body. He proved a most useful member of the finance committee and gave considerable attention to the Armadale water scheme, in regard to which he was frequently consulted by the engineer in charge, who considered his opinion invaluable. He was a member of the Armadale Progress Association and occupied a seat on the town hall committee. He is a member and acting steward of the agricultural societies of Kelmscott and Bedford Dale. Mr. Cornish’s principal hobby is rifle-shooting, and he is more than a fair marksman, possessing a number of trophies which he won on the
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range both here and in Victoria. He was an active promoter and foundation-member of the Armadale Rifle Club, and has filled the office of captain of the club ever since its inception in 1905. In 1898 he married Annie, daughter of Mr. Andrew Davenport, of Kalgoorlie, and has three sons and a daughter.
JAMES WILLIAM GIFFORD TURNER, Secretary to the Arrna-dale-Kelmscott Roads Board, is a son of Mr. Samuel Turner, J.P., orchardist, of Beenuo, Western Australia. He was born at Ashmore, Dorsetshire, England, on April 25, 1874, and received his education at Wanston, in the neighbourhood of Winchester. Upon leaving school he became identified with the postal department of Mich eld ever Station, and at the end
Bartlelto, Perth.
Mr. James William Gifford Turner.
of six years resigned from the service upon his departure for Western Australia in 1895. Arriving with his father and the other members of the family he settled down to farming pursuits on 160 acres of property, which was selected by Mr. Turner, sen., atBeenup, and assisted in forming a vineyard, orchard, and dairying farm on this holding. After continuing in this way for some considerable time he received the appointment of collector to the Armadale - Kelmscott Roads Board, and in May, 1908, entered upon the secretarial duties in
connection with the same body, and has retained this position ever since. During recent years rapid strides have been made in the improvement of the roads in this district under the jurisdiction of the Board. Mr. Turner also occupied the post of secretary and engineer to the Armadale Water Board, and is secretary to the local board of health, secretary to the Armadale Mechanics’ Institute, and fills the same office in the local rifle club. Of the latter sport he is very fond, and what little leisure he has is spent on the rifle range or in his garden, where he cultivates many favourite blooms. Mr. Turner married in 1909 Ada Maud, daughter of Mr. Thomas Buckingham, of Kelmscott.
JAMES KING, orchardist, of “Valencia,” Mundijong, was born at Barrhead, Scotland, on November 11, 1851. He is a son of the late Mr. James King, of Paisley, who came to Melbourne, Victoria, in 1853, and was one of the early pioneers of the country round Ballarat, in which district the gentleman under review received his education. For about seventeen years he was engaged in the grain trade in Victoria, his connection with which finally eventuated in the formation of the well-known firm of King, Jackson, & Co., of Flinders Street, Melbourne, flour and grain merchants, by whom a large business was carried on. In March, 1892, Mr. King left for Western Australia in the “Industry,” bringing with him an extensive cargo of produce—the largest ever brought into this State by one vessel. Upon arrival he opened the Eureka Milling Company’s business at Fremantle in conjunction with Messrs. Frank Wilson, Frank Cadd, and the late Thomas Thorne, and at a later date was identified with the flour and grain trade in the metropolis. In 1906 he established, in partnership with Mr. Joseph Ashton, the Beeda Flour Mills at Beverley, which ultimately he carried on, on his own account, until December, 1910, when the mill was destroyed by fire. Prior to this date Mr. King had acquired his present orchard property situated at Mundijong, and after the occurrence of the fire decided to devote himself to the cultivation of oranges on this holding, which is located about one
and a half miles from the station, on the Perth-Bunbury Road, 29 miles distant from Perth. The 140 acres of land are practically all cleared, and 40 acres have been planted with orange and lemon trees, besides which there are about 14 acres of mixed fruits. The healthy appearance of the trees and the fine specimens of apples and oranges which are produced are an eloquent testimony to the care and skilled attention which have been given to bring them to their present state of perfection.
Oreenham <£• Evans, Perth.
Mr. James King.
The citrous varieties thrive best on the alluvial flats, and on other parts of the estate the soil being mixed with ironstone gives good results for cropping, and about 50 acres are under cultivation. The Mardella Brook, flowing right through the property, even in the dry summer months yields sufficient water to allow of irrigation as required; and close by are the Serpentine Falls, which are destined by the roads board in the near future to serve for the irrigation of the whole district. Mr. King has always displayed an interest in public affairs, and in former days, when resident at Claremont, became the first mayor of that suburb upon its formation into a municipality. Upon one occasion he aspired to political honours, contesting the seat for North Fremantle, but without success. He is a Justice of the Peace for the Perth magisterial district, and since coming to Mundijong has been appointed chairman of the local Roads Board.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
He married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. William Pratt, of Victoria, and has five sons and four daughters. Two of his sons, Messrs. James and Eric King, are associated with their father in the working of the orchard.
FRANK JOHN BUTCHER, storekeeper, Mundijong, was born at Mardella, Western Australia, on May 22, 1886, and is a son of Mr. Hugh John Butcher, of Armadale, an early settler in this State. At the close of his education he was associated with agricultural pursuits on his father's farm at Mardella, where he continued for a number of years. Subsequently Mr. Butcher turned his attention to storekeeping occupations, and purchased the business carried on by Mr. Cochrane at Mundijong, which he has conducted ever since with good results. Besides the ordinary stock-in-trade of a general store he makes a speciality of farmers' requirements and the varied assortment of goods in demand at an agricultural centre, and acts as agent for Messrs. Harris, Scarfe, & Co. and for the Queensland Insurance Company. In conjunction with this concern he owns a property of 180 acres freehold, in addition to 400 acres leasehold, and is developing a farm and orchard, where citrous fruits are cultivated with considerable success. The leasehold property is chiefly used as a grazing farm, and sheep of the Leicester strain have been found well suited to the climate and locality. Mr. Butcher was elected a member of the Serpentine Roads Board in 1910, and has retained this scat ever since. He is a committeeman of the local race club, and in general athletics has won distinction, holding numerous prizes for running. He is married and has two daughters.
JOHN ADAMS, Chairman of the Serpentine Roads Board (1911-12), is a son of the late Mr. John Adams, of Cornwall, England, where he was born on December 18, 1842. At the age of six years he was brought to South Australia by his father, who followed the building trade, and at the conclusion of his son’s education initiated him into the same calling. Mr. John Adams subsequently started in business on his own account at Kapunda, in the same State, where he continued until 1873,
when he proceeded to Port Darwin. Returning to South Australia he once more settled at Kapunda, but at a later date turned his attention to farming at Appila, and for a number of years was identified with this district. In 1895 he left the Central State for Western Australia, and upon arrival became engaged in the building trade at Fremantle for a time. In the following year he took up his present holding at Mundijong, and eventually entered upon the personal development of the property, which consists of 160 acres, an area of 50 acres being cleared and cultivated. Dairy - farming constitutes the chief department of industry on the farm, butter being manufactured and a large supply of milk sent daily to the Perth market. Mr. Adams has found the shorthorn type of cattle best suited to his purposes, the yield of milk being good and the
M
V
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Adams.
quality of the butter satisfactory, lie takes an active interest in the progress of the district, and as far back as 1901 was appointed a member of the local roads board, of which body he was twice elected chairman. He was secretary of the first agricultural society formed in the district, and is an active worker in the Methodist Church. In 1865 Mr. Adams married a daughter of Mr. James Copley, of York, South Australia, the issue being seven children, of whom two sons and three daughters still survive. Mrs. Adams died in 1898.
JOHN ADAMSON, Secretary of the Serpentine and Jarrahdale Roads Board, Mundijong, is a son of the late Dr. Alexander Rattray Adamson, of Circencester, Gloucestershire, England, in which county he was born in 1864. He received his education at the Royal High School, Edinburgh, and upon its conclusion was apprenticed to seafaring pursuits in the barque “Mercia,” owned by a private company in Scarborough. After five years in this service, during which he visited most of the ports of the civilized world, he left the boat at Port Augusta, South Australia, and prepared to settle on terra firma. For a number of years he was identified with the smelting and refining works at Broken Hill and Port Pirie, and in 1895 left the Eastern States for Western Australia. Upon arrival he came to the south-western district and turned his attention to agriculture, taking up 160 acres of land, which he subsequently sold in 1903. Conjointly with this venture he combined the management of a general store at Mundijong, disposing of this in 1910, after carrying it on successfully for about ten years. At the present time he finds scope for his energies in the development of about 70 acres of land situated near the railway station, and has planted an orange grove eight acres in extent. The homestead stands on the cleared area, and about half the holding is now undergoing rapid improvement, while the remainder is partially cleared. Mr. Adamson has always commanded the respect of his fellow-settlers for the intelligent interest he takes in the affairs concerning the community at large, and in 1900, when the Serpentine Roads Board was first formed, he was elected secretary, which position he still holds. At a later date the Jarrahdale Board was separated from the parent body and made a separate board, and since 1909 Mr. Adamson has held the joint secretarial office. He has also acted as secretary of the agricultural society for many years, and since 1911 has held a Commission of Justice of the Peace for the Murray district. He is a Freemason and has taken honours in the craft, and was secretary of the local race club. Mr. Adamson married Rose Ada, eldest daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Cross, coachbuilder, of Spalding, England, and has two song and two daughters.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
413
JOHN HAROLD MAXWELL LAW, farmer and grazier, “Karnup,” Keysbrook, is a son of Mr. John F. Law, of Claremont, formerly manager of the Western Australian Bank,
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Harold Maxwell Law.
and was born at Sale, Victoria, in 1876. As a child he came to Western Australia with his parents and received his scholastic training at the Perth High School. Upon leaving that institution he became connected with the Government Service
This was then virgin country, and since that period the axe has busily been plied in ringbarking the trees, the scrub and dry timber have been consumed by fire, and 100 acres have already been cleared and brought under cultivation. The remaining 500 acres are used as grazing pastures for the stock, pastoral operations absorbing the greater part of Mr. Law’s time and attention. He has a fine flock of Border Leicesters, preeminent among which is the handsome ram “Karnup King,” which gained the high honour of the championship in his class at the Royal, Bunbury, and Pinjarra shows, while a ewe of the same strain was awarded a similar distinction in Perth and Pinjarra. Recently Mr. Law has. been importing Leicester ewes from Mr. Sutherland’s well-known “Lara Estate” in Victoria, and is now breeding from this stock, the high-class pedigree of which should commend it most favourably to all purchasers in the Western Australian State. Mr. Law is a foundation member and first secretary of the Serpentine Progress Association. He is a keen athlete, and held the 100 yards running championship of Western Australia for three years in succession. He represented this State at the sports held in Sydney in connection with the opening of the Commonwealth in 1901, and holds
Photo by Dease Studio.
Border-Leicester Ram, “Karnup King” (18 Months).
in the Paymaster’s Office of the Rail- many trophies in the field of sport, ways Department, and continued at one time acting as secretary of the here until 1906, when he purchased Perth Lacrosse Club and of the Wes-his present property at Keysbrook. tern Australian Amateur Sports
Club. Mr. Law married Dora, daughter of the late Colonel Skinner, of the Imperial Army.
CORNISH HAMILTON DUNLOP, farmer and grazier, “Brockle-hurst,” North Dandalup, is a son of bhe late Mr. D. H. Dunlop, of New South Wales, and was born at Wellington, in that State, on October 19, 1868. For a number of years Mr. Dunlop was associated with pastoral pursuits in the Mother State and in Queensland, where he owned the cattle run, “Austral Downs,” which be sold in 1886. In 1893 he arrived in Western Australia and proceeded to bhe Gascoyne to undertake the management for the West Australian Mortgage and Agency Corporation,
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Cornish Hamilton Dunlop.
Limited, of their “Menginew,” “Wee-namia,” and “Mount Augustus” stations, holding this position for seven years, at the end of which period the properties were sold. Mr. Dunlop then took over the lease of the Carnarvon and Port Iledland jetties, which he held for a year, and then purchased a half-interest in the business of Messrs. Baston & Co., general merchants, of Carnarvon. Conjointly with this he took a contract for the carriage of the mails between Carnarvon and Yanyeareddy, and held these contracts for about seven years. At the end of this period he sold his interests in the storekeeping business, and in 1905 came to Pinjarra, in which district he purchased his present property.
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This is situated close to the railway, and embraces 400 acres, 40 of which have been cleared and cultivated. The class of soil is well suited to the purposes Mr. Dunlop had in view, the river flats, well covered with chocolate loam, having proved excellent for the cultivation of potatoes and other root crops, while with irrigation fine crops of lucerne can be grown. Other departments of his industry consist of fruit-growing, poultry-raising, and the breeding of a few draught mares, while his flock has proved a payable proposition, consisting of Border Leicesters crossed with merinoes. Mr. Dunlop has held a Commission of Justice of the Peace for New South Wales for over twenty-five years, and was gazetted for the Murray magisterial district in the year 1911, in which year also he was returned as a member of the Murray Roads Board. He is a member of the Murray Agricultural Society, and has occupied the position of chairman of the hall committee at North Dandalup. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. A. Bastian, of South Australia.
CHARLESLOVEGROVE, M.D., and C.M. (University of Trinity College, Toronto), L.R.C.P. (Edinburgh), L.F.P.S.G. and L.M. (Glasgow), was born at Horsham, Sussex, England, on May 29, 1844, and is the fifth son of the late Dr. Joseph Lovegrove, of the same place. He pursued his scholastic studies at Aid-borough Grammar School, Suffolk,
and the University of Durham, subsequently beginning his medical course at the Liverpool School of Medicine, where he gained honours as prizeman in medical jurisprudence and toxicology. He graduated at Edinburgh in 1881, and after acting as ship’s surgeon for a time was appointed surgeon to the Liverpool Corporation at its new waterworks in North Wales, where he remained for nearly eight years, until their completion. At a later date he held
Dr. Charles Lovegrove.
the position of surgeon on the Manchester ship canal until the death of the contractor necessitated the reconstruction of the works. Dr. Lovegrove then engaged in practice at
Liverpool, but ultimately was ordered to a warmer climate on account of the health of his family, and in 1889 came to Western Australia. After practising at Fremantle for some time he proceeded to Carnarvon to fill the appointment of district medical officer, and in 1891 transferred to Bunbury, where he was stationed for about twelve months, filling the dual positions of medical officer, Bunbury, and magistrate of Bridgetown. In the following year he was transferred to Pin-jarra as medical officer and magistrate, which appointment he held for twenty-one years. Shortly after his arrival a cottage hospital was opened there, but in time the accommodation thus provided proved inadequate, and larger premises were acquired. Dr. Lovegrove holds a Commission of Justice of the Peace for the whole State, and has taken an active part in the progress of the district. While at Bunbury in 1891 he was gazetted to a captaincy in the Defence Forces, having previously served in the South Notts Yeomanry Cavalry; and at a subsequent date he filled the position of medical examiner to the troops prior to their departure for the scene of the South African war. Dr. Lovegrove married Kate, fifth daughter of Mr. George Snodin, of Nottingham, by whom he has issue three sons and a daughter. After the demise of this lady he became united to Mary, widow of the late Dr. Harward Brown, of Melbourne, sometime resident magistrate and district medical office of Derby.
HARVEY.
Leaving Pinjarra on the way to Bunbury, the train passes through several centres that are worthy of passing mention.
Coolup is the centre of a large agricultural area, which during recent years has been greatly developed by new settlers.
At Hamel a State farm was established for experimental purposes in 1898, but the work has recently been discontinued owing to the development of the Brunswick farm, a little further down the line. Many of the plots have been sold, but several have been reserved for the extension of the State nursery, where young trees are cultivated for the purpose of ornamenting the grounds surrounding various public buildings in the city and elsewhere.
Yalup Brook is mainly devoted to sheep-farming, while Waroona and Yarloop are active timber centres.
In both places as the timber is cut out the land is being taken up for agricultural purposes, and though the timber industry has many years of life before it, these, like other places along the south-western line, will in time become agricultural towns.
Harvey may be regarded as one of the gardens of the West. The district contains some 43,000 acres of first-class land, consisting of rich alluvial soil, producing heavy crops of grain and eminently suitable for fruitgrowing. Here, if anywhere, there are ample opportunities for intense cultivation, and when the drainage and irrigation works which have been started by the Government are completed, the whole area ought to be second to none in the State in possibilities of development. Within the Harvey area is the “Harvey” Estate, formerly the property of Dr. H. F. Harvey, which was split up into large allotments and sold some years ago.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
415
The land here is excellently adapted for citrous fruits, and the annual show testifies year by year to the marked progress being made. In addition to Dr. Harvey, several well-known metropolitan residents—Dr. D. E. Williams, Mr. B. H. Woodward, Mr. F. C. Faulkner, and others —have taken up blocks, upon all of which orange-trees have been planted and in many cases are now reaching maturity. The township itself is within the borders of the estate, a further portion of which is known as the
Korijekup Settlement. Though of comparatively recent establishment the progress made throughout the “Harvey” Estate is much in advance of many of the older settlements, in a large measure due, no doubt, to the fact that the owners of the various blocks are men who have made their mark in other walks of life, and have brought to the task of cultivating the land under their care sound judgment and discrimination.
JOHN MoKAY, farmer and grazier, “Glenisla,” near Coolup, in the Murray district, is a son of the late Daniel McKay, of Scotland, a veteran of the Crimean War, where he served with the 93rd Regiment of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. Born at Glasgow in 1852, the subject of this memoir when eleven years of age was brought to Australia by his mother, and was first associated with farming pursuits in the south-west district, coming to the Murray in 1865. Here he became connected with Mr. Jno. Gray Murray, resident magistrate for Murray, with whom he remained
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John McKay.
until he reached his thirtieth year, and during this period he took up a holding comprising 100 acres of land, upon which his present homestead now stands. From time to time Mr. McKay added to this property, and has enlarged it to the extent of 1,200 acres, and, situated in the midst of beautiful natural scenery, with hills on either side, forming ideal grazing pastures, “Glenisla” is one of the most picturesque places in the
district. It lies about, six miles from Coolup Railway Station, and is well watered with running brooks, while the soil consists, apart from the hilly country, of rich chocolate loam on the flats, and has proved highly suitable for orchard operations. A considerable area is devoted to purposes of horticulture, the apple orchard alone covering 25 acres, where many varieties are grown for export, including Clios, Jonathans, Dunn's Seedlings, and Rome Beauties. Oranges, pears, and peaches are also successfully cultivated. Sheep are bred on the property, a cross between Leicesters and Romneys having been found a very marketable product, and to this department Mr. McKay gives a good deal of his time and attention. He has taken a very active part in local affairs, and for fifteen years has served as a member of the Murray Roads Board, at the present time occupying the chair. During an almost equally long period he has been a member of the school board, and he is connected with the Murray Agricultural Society, at the annual shows of which organization he is a successful exhibitor. In Freemasonry he has taken honours as Past Master of the Murray Lodge. Mr. McKay married Mary Jane, daughter of Mr. Alexander Campbell Thomson, of the Royal Engineers, and has three sons and seven daughters.
ROBERT FOURACRE, farmer and grazier, Chairman of the Drakes-brook Roads Board, Waroona, is a son of the late John Fouracre, of Somersetshire, England, who came to this State about the year 1851, and subsequently settled in the southwestern district. The subject of this review was born near Perth on February 11, 1853, and at the close of his education at an early age began his initiation into farming methods under the guidance of his father on the home property, where he continued for quite a number of years.
Eventually Mr. Fouracre turned his attention to the butchering business, and was responsible for the opening of a number of butcher's shops in the Murray-Wellington districts, where he was represented at Bunbury, Waroona, and Collie. In 1898 he entered into partnership with Mr. Wass in the establishment of the
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Robert Fouracre.
present well-known business of Four-acre & Wass, with branches at Bunbury, Collie, and Busselton. In 1907, upon the demise of his father, Mr. Fouracre came to Waroona to take over the property formerly owned by the late gentleman, and has since devoted his energies to its further development. The estate consists of 2,640 acres, of which an area of 500 acres has been brought under cultivation, but the chief department of the industry lies in its pastoral operations, horses and cattle being bred and sheep fattened for the butchering business. The nature of the country is well suited to mixed farming purposes, the tracts of sandy and clay soil being varied by long flat stretches of arable land which, with an efficient irrigation scheme, should
416
afford ample scope for experiments in intense culture. In addition to this property Mr. Fouracre also owns about 3,000 acres of land bordering the coast, which he uses for grazing purposes. He is a member of the Royal, the Murray, and the Wellington agricultural societies, and in connection with the annual shows held by these organizations the firm of Fouracre & Wass has been eminently successful in its exhibits of fat stock, winning awards for sheep, cattle, and pigs. In 1904 Mr. Fouracre's long and worthy connection with local public affairs led to his election as a member of the Drakesbrook Roads Board, of which he is now chairman, a distinction conferred upon him for the fourth time. In 1908 he received his Commission of the Peace for the Murray magisterial district.
JAMES HAIR, auctioneer, valuator, and land agent, Waroona, is a son of Mr. Robert Hair, of Scotland, and, later, of Victoria, in which State the gentleman under
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Jambs Hair.
review was born in 1864. He received his education at his birthplace in Gippsland, and upon leaving school was engaged in farming occupations on his father's property. Subsequently he secured a holding, which he worked on his own account until 1894, when he left Victoria for Western Australia. Proceeding to Kal-goorlie Mr. Hair opened as an auctioneer and sharebroker on the
goldfields, where he stayed for eight years, but relinquished this line of business in 1902 in favour of his former calling. He carried on the development of a small farm at Hamel for about three years, when he again turned his attention to auctioneering, establishing in 1905 his present connection at Waroona. His business has steadily increased, its operations including a large land, estate, and hotel agency, while his monthly sales at Yarloop, Waroona, and Pinjarra, of sheep, cattle, horses, and other stock, are a feature of the commercial life of the district. He also acts as local representative on behalf of the South British Insurance Company and the Colonial Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. Hair has exerted himself in the interests of the community in which he resides, is president of the local library, a member of the Murray Agricultural Society, and in 1911 received election to a seat on the Drakesbrook Roads Board, which he still retains. His spare time is given up to the cultivation of his property at Hamel and to the development of a second holding of 160 acres, situated about four miles from Waroona, where the black loamy soil las proved very suitable for the growing of potatoes. Mr. Hair married Alice, daughter of Mr. Charles Wood, of Devon, Gippsland, and has tour sons and two daughters.
CHARLES McCAY, storekeeper ind farmer, Waroona, was born on April 3, 1864, and is a son of Mr. Samuel McCay, of County Tyrone, Ireland. Upon leaving school he went to Liverpool, where he was asso-2iated with storekeeping pursuits for about five years, at the end of which period he came to Australia and spent ten years in the same line of business in and around Melbourne, Victoria. In 1896 Mr. McCay came bo Western Australia, and having purchased teams started a carrying business at Fremantle. Two years later he joined the Gill, McDowall J arrah Company, and opened a general store for that company at Waroona, with which he was connected for five years. The combination of the timber companies brought him into the service of Millars' Karri and Jarrah Company, and he continued with this firm in the capacity of storekeeper at the Waroona, Yarloop, Worsley, and Waterloo mills
for two years. During this period he acquired a holding in the district, situated in the vicinity of Waroona, and has since added to the property, which now comprises 1,500 acres of land. He uses it mainly for sheepraising purposes, the Shropshire type prevailing, and has about 250 acres cleared and cultivated, whilst the remainder has been ringbarked and is in process of further improvement.
Mr. Charles McCay.
After carrying on a butchering and bakery business at Waroona for about five years, in 1911 Mr. McCay opened in the general storekeeping line for the supply of workers in the agricultural centre, and still conducts this business. He has always taken keen interest in the advancement of the district, and in 1905 was elected a member of the local roads board, which scat he has retained ever since. He is a member of the Murray Agricultural Society, and acts as secretary to the local progress association. He married Jane, daughter of Mr. G. Kerbins, of Melbourne, and has a daughter.
ANDREW HARRIOTT HENNING, farmer and orchardist, Yalup Brook, is a native of South Australia, having been born at Adelaide in May, 1863, and is a son of Mr. Rudolf Henning, of that city. He was a student at the University of Adelaide, in connection with which institution he took his degree of LL.B., having previously served his articles to the legal profession. He
417
came to Western Australia in 1894, and upon his admission to the liar in this State practised on the goldfields and in Perth for a number of years. In 1905 he purchased his present property at Yalup Brook, and commenced its development as a pastoral and fruit-growing proposition, five years later retiring from the practice of his profession and taking over the personal management of the estate. Mr. Henning has been successful in establishing a Shropshire stud, and is the largest exhibitor of this class of stock in the State, having been awarded first and championships for both rams and ewes at the Royal Agricultural Society's Show and at Bunbury and other local shows.
SAMPSON MOORE, M.B., Ch.B. (Liverpool, Eng.), is a son of the late Mr. Thos. Moore, of Flowerfield, County Derry, Ireland, and was born at Liverpool on March 14, 1875. Pic received his education at University College, Liverpool, matriculating at the University of Liverpool, where he pursued his medical studies and took his diploma of M.B. in the year 1898. Dr. Moore spent four years as house surgeon at the Royal Infirmary, Liverpool, under the late Sir .William Mitchell Banks, afterwards filling the post of resident surgeon in the gynaecological wards of the same institution. He was house physician in the Northern Hospital, Liverpool, and subsequently acted as temporary resident medical officer of the fever hospitals of that city. In 1902 he left the Old Country for Western Australia by appointment to relieve Dr. Lovegrove, at Yarloop, and since that period has continued in the practice of his profession there and at Jarrahdale. In 1910 he was absent on an eight months' trip to England, and upon a subsequent occasion visited New Zealand, where he remained for nearly six months. Dr. Moore is medical officer for Yarloop, and in the discharge of his duties supervises the health of fifteen schools in his district. He is officer to the Harvey Health Board and Commonwealth Medical Officer for Area 86b. He is a member of the British Medical Association. Cricket and tennis are his favourite recreations. He married Winifred, daughter of the Rev. A. P. Bellamy, of Magdalen Laver Rectory, England, and has two daughters.
BB
REYNOLDS DRIVER, J.P.,
Manager of Millars’ Timber and Trading Company, Limited, Yarloop, and Chairman of the Harvey Roads Board, is a son of the late Henry Driver, of Delaware, United States of America, an early pioneer of New Zealand. He was born at Dunedin on February 14, 1868, and received his education at Christchurch, New Zealand, subsequently joining the service of the Bank of New South Wales in the Dominion. He relinquished this connection after three years in order to enter upon stock and station agency business, in which he continued until 1891. Upon the demise of his father in that year Mr. Driver was appointed United States Consul for South Island, and also for the Hawaiian Islands, which positions he occupied until his departure for Western Australia in 1895. After arrival in this State he was associated with the firm of Messrs. Baxter & Prine, contractors, for a short period, becoming connected with' Messrs. C. & E. Millar at the very inception of their great enterprise, when they first commenced the development of the timber trade in Western Australia. For 13 years past he has occupied the post of manager of the largest timber station in Australasia, viz., that at Yarloop, the average output being 200 tons per day, and, in addition to the duties of this position, supervises on his own account the working of a farming property of 1,150 acres which he recently purchased. This holding is situated in the vicinity of the township, and has a cleared area of about 650 acres, which is devoted chiefly to the growing of hay and other crops. Sheep-raising is carried on, merino and crossbreds being the types favoured; and Mr. Driver has attained good results in the breeding of hacks and buggy horses, having received first awards for gentleman’s and lady’s hacks at the Royal and Bunbury shows. He has taken an active part in the public life of the district, and acts as Justice of the Peace for the Wellington and Murray districts. He is a member of the health and drainage boards, and during the six or seven years of membership has occupied the office of chairman of the Harvey Roads Board. Mr. Driver is a member of the Perth Club. He married Fanny, daughter of the late Captain Pilmcr, of New Zealand, and has two sons and one daughter.
HUGH McNEILL, proprietor of Yarloop Hotel and general store, is a son of Mr. Neal McNeill, of the North of Ireland, and was born in Belfast on October 1, 1870. At the close of his education he left that city for Australia, and arrived early in 1888 at Melbourne, where he followed his profession as mechanical draughtsman for some eight years. In 1896 he came to the Western State and filled a position in the Public Works Department at Perth for two years. In 1898 he turned his attention to farming and hotel-keeping, obtaining a licence for an hotel on his farm at Waroona. The business prospering, eventually he purchased the freeholds of the other two hotels in this town, and about the year 1907 procured a transfer of his hotel licence to Yarloop, where he has since personally conducted the Yarloop Hotel in conjunction with the adjacent general store. He is also proprietor of several other stores, among which the latter is the chief distributing centre, the principal branch business being in operation at Dwellingup.
Bartlettn, Perth.
Mr. Hugh McNeill.
The hotel at Yarloop is a large two-storied brick building containing dining-room, drawing-room, commercial-room and lounge, in addition to 16 bedrooms. It is situated about five minutes’ walk from the railway station, and is well provided with stabling and motor accommodation, while a fine cricket and football ground adjoins the hotel, Mr. McNeill being a genial patron of all athletic sports. The present
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State-owned hotel at Dwellingnp was built by Mr. McNeill and sold by him to the Government in 1911. ITe takes a keen interest in the progress of the district, and on two occasions was a candidate for Parliamentary honours in the Wellington district. He is connected with all the local sporting clubs, and
finds his chief recreation on his farm and in motoring to and from his different branches.
RIVERTON ORCHARD, Harvey, the property of Dr. W. T. Hayward, of Adelaide, comprises part of the original “Harvey” Estate. It was one of the first areas to be selected for orchard purposes, and consists of 335 acres, finely situated on the Harvey River and adjoining the railway line, with the railway station not far distant. It forms a unit in the “Harvey” Citrus Colony established by the above-mentioned gentleman in conjunction with Dr. Harvey, of Perth, in 1896, and has fifty acres planted with citrus fruit-trees, most of which are in full bearing. The “Harvey” Citrus Colony, it may be interesting to state, was formed as a result of a thorough examination of the land in 1894 and a further one in the following year by Mr. A. Depeisses, then horticulturist and viticulturist to the Department of Agriculture, who estimated that 10,000 of the 13,000 acres composing the estate were especially suited to the cultivation of citrus fruits.
The significance of this report was enhanced by observation of a few orange-trees planted in a small orchard surrounding the original homestead, which after forty years continued in full bearing without any signs of decay. Climate, soil, and locality all appearing favourable, the proprietors chose 2,700 acres in
the centre of the estate and had them surveyed into ten-acre blocks, which were offered for selection on liberal terms. Of these only forty blocks still remain open for selection, a fact which testifies to the ready support given to the enterprise by settlers wishing to invest their capital where the most satisfactory returns seemed likely to accrue. Dr. Hayward signified his own firm belief in the possibilities of the industry by taking up an area for cultivation on his own account, and has since vigorously proceeded with its development, with very promising prospects. His selection has the advantage of forty chains of river frontage, and the soil is composed of a heavy, rich, chocolate loam, which goes down to the great depth of 17 ft. Besides the fifty-acre orangery already referred to, where the chief product is navel oranges, he has about ten acres planted with ajDple-trees, while a few acres are cropped for farm purposes, and potatoes are successfully grown for the use of the homestead. Dr. Hayward, who is the president of the Medical Association of South Australia, was born at Reading, England, and studied at Glasgo'w University, where he obtained his
medical diplomas. About thirty -three years ago he came to Australia and entered upon professional practice in the Central State, several years later becoming associated with Dr. Harvey, of Perth, in the proprietorship of the “Harvey” Estate. His son, Mr. Roy Hayward, to whom the management of the “Riverton” Estate has been entrusted, is a native of South Australia, where he was born on September 3, 1883. He pursued his scholastic studies at St. Peter’s College, in Adelaide, and subsequently passed through the prescribed course at the Rosewortliy Agricultural College under Professor Lowrie. Upon the completion of his training at this well-known institution he came to Western Australia in 1903 to take
Dr. W. T. Hayward.
up duties- in connection with the thriving fruit settlement, generally known as the “Harvey” Citrus Colony. Dr. Hayward is president of the Harvey Citrus Society, having been elected to that office in November, 1911.
WILLIAM EDWARD ASH,
agriculturist, “Ontario,” Harvey, was born in the Niagara district of Canada, and is an associate of Ontario Agricultural College, the diploma of which institution he obtained in 1880. While a student under Professor Brown, P.L.S., he conducted many experiments, the first being with “sorghum saecharinum,” “alfalfa” (or lucerne), and sugar-beets
Mr. Hugh McNeill’s Hotel, Yarloop.
419
under sewage irrigation at the Ontario Agricultural College, and which were valuable examples to the farmers of Canada. Coming to Australia in 1881 he spent several years among the farms, orchards, and stock runs of the Central State, and upon the suspension of the Principal Df Roseworthy Agricultural College in February, 1887, was temporarily appointed teacher of agriculture and farm superintendent. Upon the arrival of Professor Lowrie in December of the same year his services were retained until a reconstruction of the staff in 1889, when he left to take up a small orchard and dairy near Adelaide. Hearing of better prospects in Western Australia, Mr. Ash sold out and in 1891 was engaged by the West Australian Land Company to organize and manage its proposed training farm on the great southern railway, near Broome Hill. While holding this position he designed and planted its orchard at Katanning, one of the first in the State where modern methods of orchard culture were introduced. While on duty at Beverley in April, 1892, he discovered the valuable ladybird (identified by Mr. Oliffe, of New South Wales, as Orcus australis) busily eating the native scale on the jam trees, and foresaw its present value in connection with the cultivated orchards. After the company abandoned the training farm owing to adverse conditions cropping up on the great southern railway Mr. Ash was engaged in inspecting and reporting on farming propositions, and subsequently accepted the appointment of manager of the "Harvey” Estate, which he held for nearly eight years. Here he introduced the modern methods of fruit culture and planting which have proved so successful throughout the district. In 1895 he took up a portion of his present holding, comprising seventy-nine acres, with thirty chains frontage to the Harvey River, and about seven years later, upon severing his connection with Drs. Harvey and Hayward, personally proceeded with its development. The soil is choice, being alluvial deposit of varying chocolate loam of good depth, admirably suited to fruitgrowing. Oranges, lemons, and apples thrive well, and pears and apricots come near to perfection in the eighteen-acre orchard. Four varieties of prunes have been tested and proved that another industry has bright prospects at Harvey. The bb2
English walnuts are fine examples of thrift and adaptability. Mr. Ash, being a pioneer, has had to experiment with many varieties, most of which, though making vigorous growth, have had to be discarded owing to inferiority of fruiting. An irrigation scheme is being laid down for the orchard, and with little additional expense the whole farm will be irrigated in the near future. In the breeding of Dexter-Kerry cattle from imported stock Mr. Ash has been successful, his exhibits at the Royal and Bunbury shows receiving first-class honours from the judges upon every occasion. This is only natural, as he possesses the highest credentials as a judge of pedigree live stock, and is regarded as one of the progressive men of the State. In 1892 Mr. Ash founded the Albany
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. William Edward Ash.
Agricultural Alliance, and he was the moving spirit in 1902 in organizing the Korijekup Literary Institute and its library, of which he has occupied the position of president up to the present time. In 1886 he married Emelie Julie, daughter of the late Mr. F. W. Geisler, of Norwood.
WALTER ERNEST HARPER, orchardist, “Yaralla,” Harvey, is a son of the late Mr. Charles Harper, of Toppesfield Hall, Suffolk, and was born on February 21, 1865. He received his education at the Dedham and Brentwood grammar schools in Essex, and first entered mercantile life as a member of the
staff of the Bank of Australasia in London, where he continued for five years. He then came to Victoria and spent a further five years in the service of the same institution there and in New South Wales. In 1897 he resigned his position, and sailing for Western Australia became connected with the firm of A. Mathe-son & Co., of Perth, with whom he remained for five years, subsequently for a similar period filling the appointment of manager and chief accountant with Mr. A. E. Morgans, of Perth. In 1906 Mr. Harper established himself on his own account as auditor and accountant, and carried on for two years, at the end of which period he purchased the property where he now resides and started orchard operations. The place comprises eighteen acres, fifteen of which have already been utilized for the industry, 700 citrus-trees and 600 apples and stone fruits being planted and in a thriving condition. The soil is partly alluvial and partly of rich chocolate loam, and the vicinity of the Harvey River has favoured the laying down of an efficient irrigation scheme, the plant comprising a 6.J horse-power Tangye oil-engine, with 5-in. suction pump and delivery. Mr. Harper is a member of the committee of the citrus society and a successful exhibitor of orchard products, gaining in 1911 three first prizes, two seconds, and one third. He married Rose, daughter of Mr. Charles Dight, of A1 bury, a member of one of the oldest families in New South Wales, and after whom the falls at Studley Park, Melbourne, were named.
OSCAR CHRISTIAN JACOB RATH, orchardist, "Rathalia,” Harvey, is a son of the late Mr. Claus Rath, of Germany, in which country the gentleman under review was born on February 1, 1865. After making some study of horticulture in his native land, as well as in England, he left for Victoria in 1883, and spent two years at Mildura, the fruit-growing settlement on the River Murray. Coming to Western Australia at the end of that time, upon arrival he proceeded to Katanning as manager on behalf of Mr. F. Piesse, and in 1896 purchased his present holding. The locality is very favourable for horticultural purposes, and Mr. Rath has utilized to the full the various advantages
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
presented by its situation on the banks of the Harvey River. lie has put down an irrigation plant consisting of a 12 horse-power Tangye oilengine, with 10-in. suction-pump and 8-in. delivery main, capable of throwing up 1,000 gallons per minute. This splendid irrigation scheme, in conjunction with the rich, deep chocolate soil, provides ideal conditions for the culture of oranges, lemons, apples, and varieties of stone fruits, which come to perfection in the succeeding seasons of the year. Already a large exporter of apples to London, Mr. Rath intends in the near future to open up the German markets for this class of products from Western Australia. The 69 acres composing the property are all practically cleared and 30 acres have been planted, while about two and a half acres of the graded land are devoted to lucerne-growing. Mr. Rath is a prominent member and a large exhibitor in connection with the citrous society, and for a number of years the Harvey-.LI ay ward prize has fallen to his lot, this being an award for the most worthy exhibit by the settlers on the “Harvey” Estate. lie married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. J. Cooper, of Western Australia, and has a daughter.
KENNETH GIBSONE, orchard-ist, “Pentland,” Harvey, is a son of Major John Gibsonc (late 17th Lancers), of Warwickshire, who served in the Crimean War and during the Indian Mutiny. He was born in Leicestershire in the year 1876 and received his education at Leamington, being in the first instance destined for the navy. Failing in the eyesight test Mr. Gibsone entered Lloyds Bank at Birmingham, and was connected with that institution for eight years. In 1898 he left his native land for Western Australia, and upon arrival joined his cousin, Mr. IT. G. Palmer, in agricultural pursuits at Harvey. Severing this connection, he next purchased 50 acres of the “Harvey” Estate, with the intention of planting an orchard, and of this area he has already cleared thirty-five acres. A tract of six acres has been devoted to an orangery, the navel and Valencia varieties being those favoured by Mr. Gibsone, and the soil, a rich chocolate loam, has proved highly suitable to the cultivation of this popular fruit. The remainder of the cleared portion has been applied to
purposes of mixed farming, potatoes being a very profitable branch of the industry, which is developing all round on satisfactory lines. Mr. Gibsone has been secretary of the citrous society since its inception in
*
W. J. Ford, Bui) bury*
Mr. Kenneth Gibsone.
1904, and prior to that date held a similar post in connection with the agricultural alliance. He is also secretary to the recreation ground committee and hall committee, and acts as electoral and postal vote officer for the district. An active Church worker, lie is a member of the committee of management governing the- affairs of the Anglican communion in the neighbourhood. He gives his cordial support to tennis and cricket and other athletic games, and rifle-shooting also receives a share of his attention. In 1898 Mr. Gibsone married Maud, daughter of the late Mr. J. J. Payne, of Narracoorte, South Australia, and has four sons and two daughters.
FRANCTS JOSEPH BECHER, J.P., orchardist, “Tweediana,” Harvey, is a son of the late Mr. Michael Henry Becher, canon of St. James’ pro-Cathedral, Melbourne, and was born in that city in 1873. He received his scholastic training at the Church of England Grammar School, Melbourne, and upon leaving that institution spent five years on the Mildura fruit-growing settlement, on the River Murray, where he studied orchard work, latterly
taking charge of a large fruit-packing shed. In 1896 he left Victoria for Western Australia, and was engaged in mining pursuits on the eastern goldfields for about nine years, during a part of that period filling the position of underground manager of the White Horse Mine, Bulong. Relinquishing this appointment, in 1905 he came to the Harvey district with the object of selecting a property, and finally purchased his present holding, comprising thirty-seven acres, twenty of which have been cleared and prepared for cultivation. Almost the whole of this cleared area is devoted to a large orangery, the navel and Valencia varieties having been chosen by Mr. Becher as those best suited to the soil and climate. In addition to his private enterprise he is employed as manager of about 300 acres on behalf of absentee owners, this area being part of the “Harvey” Estate. Mr. Becher has identified himself with public matters to some extent, and was president of the Harvey Citrus Society for nearly five years. He is a vice-president of the Western Australian
Bartlelto, Perth.
Mr. Francis Joseph Becher.
Fruit-growers’ Association, and in 1911 acted as one of the two delegates for Western Australia at, the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture at Melbourne. He has been a member of the Harvey Roads Board for six years and is a Justice of the Peace for the Wellington district. Mr. Becher is married, and has a son and two daughters.
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JOHN EDGAR KNOWLES, orchardist, “Runningdean,” ITarvey, is a son of Mr. John Knowles, of South Australia, latterly of this State, and was born at Port Wakefield on September 12, 1873. He was brought by his parents to Western Australia in 1882, and completed his educational studies at the Perth Commercial School, subsequently being associated with mercantile life for a few years. He next turned his attention to farm work on his father's property at Harvey, and finally launched out on his own account, purchasing his present holding in 1898. It consists of 90 acres, and
Mr. John Edgar Knowles.
already half of this area has been cleared and a 15-acrc fruit orchard planted, the remainder being devoted
to the carrying on of mixed farming, potatoes and other crops being successfully raised on the property. Mr. Knowles is a strong believer in irrigation, and has an 8-h.p. Waterloo” engine and a Ruston Proctor centrifugal pump with an 8-in. suction and a 6-in. delivery pipe at work over the cultivated portions of the holding, 800 gallons per minute being the average capacity of the plant. Horse breeding and dairying is also carried on at “Runningdean.” He has taken an active part in the proceedings of the citrus society, and has secured various awards for the products of his orangery. He is secretary of the Korijekup Literary Institute, and takes a cordial interest in matters of public concern. Outdoor sport finds a genuine advocate in Mr. Knowles, who is a successful rifle shot, and was secretary of the first cricket club in the district.
CHARLES ERNEST SHEN-TON, Manager of the Harvey Branch of the Western Australian Bank, is a son of Mr. Edward Shenton, of South Perth, and grandson of Sir George Shenton, whose name is indelibly linked with the early history of the State. He was born at Gerald-ton on July 16, 1880, and pursued his scholastic studies at the High School, Perth. At the termination of his studies he was associated with farming pursuits for a year, but relinquished agricultural life for banking, and became connected with the head office of the Western Australian Bank. Since first joining the staff he has held various positions, being
identified with branches at Kal-goorlic, M.cnzies, Kanowna, Gerald-ton, and Bunbury, and in 1910 was appointed manager of the Harvey
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Charles Ernest Shenton.
Branch. Mr. Shenton has found it interesting to watch the development of the district during the short period he has been resident there, and has connected himself especially with the different athletic organizations, being a member of the tennis, cricket, and football clubs. In addition he makes something of a hobby of horticulture, and spends a portion of his leisure time in this health-giving pursuit. He was married to Alma Adeline, daughter of the late Mr. E. Fogden, of South Australia.
BRUNSWICK JUNCTION TO COLLIE.
Brunswick, where a line leaves the main railway for Collie and Narrogin, is the site of one of the State experimental farms. The site of this farm is about a mile from the railway station, and its main object is to prove how admirably fitted the whole south-western portion of the State is for dairying and fruit-growing. About 100 cows of the best milking strains are kept under the most modern conditions, and the young stock reared annually is sold to dairymen wishing to improve their herds. In conjunction with the dairying, pig-breeding and the growing of fodder crops suitable for dairy cattle are extensively undertaken. As the Brunswick River runs through the farm, a system of irrigation has been laid out, by means of which green fodder is always available* Surplus fodder is made into silage, and two large silos form an excellent object-lesson
to the surrounding farmers on the value of preserving food for their cattle. Though dairying in the State is still in its infancy there is little doubt that the work carried on at Brunswick State Farm will have more than a little influence in developing the trade to such an extent that the State will at least be able to supply its own needs, and perhaps become an extensive exporter.
Ensconced between the hills of the south-west ranges, some'"600 ft. above sea level, is to be found the delightful little town of Collie on the river of the same name, derived from one of that noble band of earlier pioneers, by whose indefatigable efforts the south-west country was explored in tho infant days of the settlement. The physical aspects of the town, despite the fact of its being the centre of the Western Australian coal-mining industry, are of such nature as to charm the
422
visitor. Tlie Collie River some two miles from the town widens into some magnificent reaches, which for natural beauty would be hard to surpass in any other portion of the island. continent. The rail journey from Brunswick Junction to this centre passes through a continuous panorama of mountainous scenery, scarcely exceeded in beauty in any part of the Darling Ranges. In the town and within a few miles a large number of coal-mining leases are worked, and the yearly output can be estimated at not less than 300,000 tons. Notwithstanding the fact that Collie is a coal-mining centre, and south-west, it retains at present in its immediate surroundings an outlook of sylvan simplicity. Mighty forests of jarrah are in the vicinity, and within a few destined to be probably the most populous centre in the miles valuable timber concessions are assiduously worked. The town itself is well laid out, and many of the buildings show careful architectural design and construction. Electricity is the general illuminant, and the streets are well lighted and very well kept, the municipality being keenly alive to the comforts of modern civic life. The population is estimated at 3,500, and the municipality was proclaimed in 1902, since
which time it has made rapid strides. One drawback is the want of a proper water supply, but in the near future this pressing need will be met, and with a properly reticulated water service the town will take a leading position in the provincial civic life of the State. There are seven places of worship—Anglican, Roman Catholic. Wesleyan, Congregational, Church of Christ, Baptist, and Salvation Army—the last-named conducting a home for the reclamation of young people some little way out of town. Besides the banks, there are the usual Government buildings, including a school, an up-to-date hospital, and a courthouse. The housewifery and manual training centres of the school are on a thoroughly organized and up-to-date basis. Two newspapers are published in Collie, one a bi-weekly issue, The Collie Miner, the other, The Collie Mail, being a weekly issue, and this fact alone speaks volumes for the enterprise of this almost purely industrial community.
From Collie the railway is continued on to Narro-gin, on the great southern line, thus tapping a further agricultural area and bringing the coal supplies within easier reach of the eastern districts and the Kalgoorlie goldfields.
ARTHUR ERNEST CLIFTON, farmer and grazier, “Innadong,” Brunswick, is a son of Mr. J. E. M. Clifton, of “Rosamel,” Australind, one of the oldest family residences in the State, built by the grandfather of the present occupant, who was a very early pioneer of Western Australia, arriving about 1839. The gentleman under review was born at the old home on June 26, 1873, and received his education at the Government School at Parkfield. At an early age he became associated with farming occupations on his father’s property, but at seventeen turned his attention to the pearling industry, proceeding for that purpose to Shark Bay, where he remained about a year. Subsequently he entered upon station life on Dirk Ilartog Island in 1893, returning to ‘'Rosamel” for a time. Once more making the journey to the nortli-w^st Mr. Clifton spent six years on “Yeeda” Station at Kimberley, where he held the position of general manager prior to his departure in 1900. During this period he purchased his present holding at Brunswick, and in the latter year took up his residence there and proceeded with the development of the place. About 300 acres in extent, “Inna-dong” has half that area under cultivation, the remainder being
partially cleared and improved, ringbarking having been carried on and the scrubby portions dealt with. Horses are bred on the property and considerable attention is given to the
IF. J. Ford. Bunbury.
Mr. Arthur Ernest Cltfton.
raising of sheep and pigs, while dairying operations are in full swing. The Brunswick River runs through alluvial flats, and water is pumped
by means of a windmill and laid on to the house, dairy, stables, sheep dip, etc. As the country increases in elevation heavy clay soil prevails, and the holding proves well suited to the purposes to which it is applied by Mr. Clifton. He owns in addition to “Innadong” 400 acres of freehold and 100 acres of Crown property in Upper Brunswick, upon which, though only lately acquired, improvements have already been begun. The homestead is situated two and a half miles from Brunswick Railway Station. Mr. Clifton has been a very successful exhibitor of dairy produce at both the Royal and Bunbury shows. He is secretary to the Brunswick Farmers’ Association and occupies the same honorary position in connection with the local branch of the Liberal League; is chairman of the Clifton Agricultural Hall Committee; and a member of the Royal Agricultural Society and of the Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Society. Mr. Clifton also fills the office of Commonwealth Meteorological Observer for the district, and is a vestryman of the local Anglican Church. His principal recreation is found in the ever-popular game of tennis. In 1901 he married Millie, daughter of Mr. C. W. Buckland, of Victoria, and has a family of two sons.
m
EDWIN ROSE, J.P., farmer and grazier, “Wedderburn Park,” Brunswick, is a son of the late Mr. Robert Henry Rose,
born in December, 1863. At the close of his education at the Government school at Parkfield young Rose, at an early age, became associated with agricultural pursuits on his father’s farm, and continued in this connection until twenty-one years of age. In March, 1885, he left for
upon cattle-raising on his own account in the Kimberley district, and in 1891 was joined in partnership by his brother, Mr. J. C. Rose, of the Warren. Cattle were purchased for the run, and Mr. Rose then came to Perth to raise capital for the purchase of 2,000 sheep. In April, 1891,
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Edwin Rosk.
Mr. Edwin Rose’s Residence, Brunswick.
of Stanton Hall, Suffolk, Eng-land, who arrived in Western Australia about the year 1850 and became one of the earliest settlers in the south - western district of the State. After spending some time in Perth, the late gentleman eventually started dairy-farming at Crawley. In 1854 he purchased the “Parkfield” Estate, where Mr. Edwin Rose was
Photo by TF. J. Ford.
Kimberley with 27s. in his pocket and supplies for two years, and thus began to lay the foundation, of his present fortune. After spending a few years on different stations for the sake of experience, in 1888 he entered
he left Roebourne with three white drovers and two blacks, and accomplished the task of driving the sheep overland, a distance of 800 miles, in seven months. With this stock “Quanbun” Station was founded and carried on until 1903, when it was sold. Messrs. Rose Brothers were the first settlers to send cattle over the Leopold Ranges, and in many ways assisted in the development of the district. They still retain their cattle runs in the north-west, and have about 17,000 cattle on these properties. In 1898 Mr. Rose purchased his present estate of “Wedderburn Park,” in the Brunswick district and on the Bunbury line of rail. Upon taking possession from the previous owner, Mr. A. M’Andrew, only forty out of the 1,670 acres were cleared, but the new proprietor set to work with energy and determination, and to-day has 500 acres cleared and the balance prepared for grazing purposes, while many other improvements have been made. The homestead is a handsome brick structure, with a picturesque background of hills where excellent pasture is found by the stock, and each year 100 to 150 acres are devoted to cultivation pad-docks. About 1,200 sheep of the Shropshire-merino type give splendid
Photo by TF. J. Ford. “ Lord dean."
testimony to the skill and judgment exercised in the founding of the flock. The stud rams were imported from Sir S. J. Way's South Australian estate, and an additional animal introduced from the late Mr. J. O. Wellard's flock originally came from Mr. Mansell's stud in Tasmania. Ten ewes from the same flock were recently added to the stud, earlier ones having been imported by Mr. Robert Carroll, of the firm of H. Wills and Co., and purchased by Mr. Rose. A few horses are bred, the stallion “Lord Dean" (champion at the Bunbury Show of 1911) doing service as sire for some time, and pigs and poultry are raised on a small scale. Stone fruits come to perfection, and in the event of the Brunswick to Bunbury water scheme being accomplished fruit-growing and agriculture will probably form an important branch of the industry at “Wed-derburn Park." Mr. Rose is Justice of the Peace for the Wellington and Kimberley districts. He has occupied a seat on the Brunswick Roads Board for a couple of years, and for three'years was president of the Wellington Agricultural Society. He was appointed a member of the first board created under the “Veterinary Act of 1911," and is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society. In 1902 he married Janet, second daughter of the Honourable E. M. Clarke, and has two daughters.
HERBERT WILLIAM DRUMMOND, grazier, Benger, was born at Moora on June 21, 1880, and is a son of Mr. James Drummond, of that place. He was educated in Perth, and at the close of his schooldays made an early acquaintance with agricultural life on his father's farm in the above district. Having attained the age of twenty-one years, he launched out on his own account, purchasing 2,500 acres located about a mile south of Benger. This property, which is capable of carrying 1,500 sheep, he applied to grazing purposes, and carried on successfully until 1912. He then sold out, retaining for his own purposes a tract of 800 acres of mixed soil situated on the west side of the railway line, which he had leased for several years previously. It is Mr. Drummond’s intention to continue operations on this holding, and he has already stocked the property with Lincolns and crossbred merinoes, both of which types he has found very well suited
to the district. Mr. Drummond is a member of the farmers' association and Wellington Agricultural Society. He also acts as trustee to the Brunswick Recreation Ground, and lends ready support to all local movements for the welfare and advancement of the neighbourhood.
ROBERT HENRY ROSE, farmer, “Grassvale," Roelands, is a son of the late Mr. R. H. Rose, of Western Australia, and was born at Bunbury in 1884. He received his primary education at a local school, completing his studies at the Perth High
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Robert Henry Rose.
School, and was first associated with farming life on his father’s property at Roelands. Having gained sufficient experience, in 1908 he took over his present holding, originally a portion of his late father's estate, and commenced operations on his own account. The property comprises 500 acres and is situated on the Collie River, one and a half miles southwest of Roelands Railway Station. The river runs right through the estate, and is flanked with flats of rich soil suitable for the growing of lucerne and potatoes, three crops of the latter being produced in one year. The remaining portion of the property is of rich, red loam, and about eighty acres have been brought under cultivation of hay, yielding about one and a half tons to the acre, while another sixty acres are also devoted to cultivation paddocks and a further fifty have been cleared for general uses. An orchard of twenty-five
acres produces fine apples for export, Jonathan's Pippin, Clios, and Dunn's Seedlings being some of the varieties grown. On the grazing pastures a good class of Lincoln sheep is run, with representatives from which Mr. Rose gained every prize awarded:in this class at the Bunbury Agricultural Show in 1911. He has also .had considerable success with his Ayrshire cattle, gaining first and. champion for his Ayrshire cow and first and second for yearling heifers at Bunbury. In two successive yea-rs^he carried off the President’s Cup awarded the exhibitor gaining ;_the greatest number of prizes for live stock at the Wellington Agricultural Show. He is a member of the committee of the Wellington Agricultural Society and a member of the South-Western Club at Bunbury.. He is also a member of the Brunswick and Bunbury cricket clubs.
JOHN GARDINER, farmer and grazier, “Elvira Creek," Roelands, is a son of the late Mr. Alfred Gardiner, of Gloucestershire, England, who arrived in Western Australia by the sailing vessel “Trusty" in 1842, and
Mu. John Gardiner.
settled in the south-western district of the State. The subject of this notice was born on his father’s homestead on December 6, 1858, and from an early age was identified with the operations of the farm. Upon the death of his parent on June 23, 1905, he took over the property, and has since carried on its development on his own account. Of the 1,200 acres comprising the area of the holding
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about fifty have been cleared, and upon this cleared portion barley, wheat, and potatoes are cultivated, the wheat crop averaging about sixteen bushels to the acre. The greater part of Mr. Gardiner’s time is given to horse- and cattle-breeding, and he is aiming to bring to perfection the shorthorn type of dairy cow, which is the strain chiefly in favour. The herd consists of about fifty head of cattle, and the daily yield of cream is sent to the Bunbury Butter Factory. Mr. Gardiner is a member of the Wellington Agricultural Society, and has gained a large number of prizes at the Bunbury Show for wheat, barley, and the household products of jams and jellies. He married Viola Blanche, daughter of the late Mr. J. S. Gibbs, of Roe-lands, and has three sons and a daughter.
JOHN MONTAGUE GIBBS, farmer and grazier, Roelands, is a son of the late Mr. John Samuel Gibbs, of Western Australia, and was born at Collie Agricultural Area on May 30, 1879. He received his education at the local school, and at the termination of his studies became connected with farm life on his father’s property at the same place. At a subsequent date this land was sold and a selection taken up in the Roelands district, and upon the demise of Mr! Gibbs, sen., the gentleman under review entered into possession of his portion of the holding and then commenced operations on his own account, llis property consists of 500 acres situated in the vicinity of the Roelands Railway Station, and of this area 150 acres have been cleared and cultivated. Hay, oats, and potatoes are successfully grown, and an orchard six acres in extent produces apples, pears, peaches, apricots, and other varieties of fruits, which find a ready sale in the local markets. Mr. Gibbs takes a keen interest in the breeding of horses, and has owned several notable performers, among them being "Noggerup,” which was recently to the fore as the winner of various events at local race meetings in the southern district. He was also the exhibitor of “Dundare,” "Linden Tree,” "Past Mistress,” "Mulga,” “Lady Clare,” and "Flight,” all of which have gained some distinction in the show-ring. Mr. Gibbs is well known as a member of the Brunswick,
Waterloo, and Capel race clubs and of the Wellington Agricultural Society. He married Miss Martha Higgins and has two sons and two daughters.
THOMAS JEFFREY, formerly of "Glenarona,” Waterloo, was born in the North of Ireland on February 26, 1830, being a son of the late Mr. Thomas Jeffrey, of that country. In 1852 he left his native land for Victoria, and for many years was asso-cated with gold-mining pursuits at Bendigo and Forrest Creek. Latterly he became very well known in connection with transport work on the Brentwood and Bendigo routes. In the year 1890 Mr. Jeffrey came to Western Australia, and shortly after arrival entered into possession of the "Glenarona” property in the Wellington district, consisting of 100 acres, which he proceeded to clear and cultivate. Mr. Jeffrey also carried on mixed-farming operations, and is regarded as a first-class judge of stock. Mr. Jeffrey, who is now residing in the Northam district, has five sons and four daughters.
EDMUND YEAMANS CLIFTON, orchardist and grazier, "Koombana Park,” Waterloo, is a son of Mr. George Clifton, of London, who was one of the early arrivals in Western Australia, where he settled in tHc south-western district in the year 1841. The subject of our review was born at Fremantle on July 26, 1864, and in 1866 he was taken to England by his parents, receiving his education in the town of Weymouth, in Dorset. Upon leaving school he returned to Western Australia and entered upon farming pursuits at Newcastle. At a later date Mr. Clifton was connected with survey work in the north-west, eventually taking up land for farming purposes in the vicinity of Perth. He afterwards removed to Wongong Brook, and continued in agricultural life until 1889, when he joined the Police Service, and was stationed in the Kimberley district and on the goldfields, retaining his connection with the service for about five years. In 1894 Mr. Clifton purchased the property where he now resides, consisting of 1,400 acres of freehold, of which about 500 acres are cleared and cultivated. Fruit culture occupies a large share of his attention, and he has met with great success -with his
apple orchard, Jonathans, Cleopatras, and Dunn’s Seedlings all coming to perfection and proving well suited to the export trade, while the Prince Alfred, a very large variety, sells well in local markets. Mr. Clifton is a large exporter, and his careful grading and packing have earned for him a wide reputation and ensure for his products excellent prices. He also devotes a good deal of time to sheep raising, Lincolns and merinoes being the types chosen to stock the estate, the situation of which is
w
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Edmund Ykamans Clifton.
favourable for pastoral purposes, five miles of water frontage being provided by the Collie River. Mr. Clifton is a successful exhibitor of orchard products at the local shows and also at the Royal Show at Perth. He is fond of shooting and fishing and other outdoor pastimes. He married Emily, daughter of Mr. John J. Webster, of Freshfield, Preston Valley, and has one son and two daughters.
"KOOROOCHEANG,” This property, comprising 900 acres, is situated at Waterloo, about midway between Brunswick and Bunbury, and is owned by Mr. 11. T. Belcher. The Collie River runs through a portion of the holding, providing two miles of valuable river frontage, and on its banks lie long stretches of rich red loam, where with the help of irrigation potatoes and lucerne come to perfection. This loam goes down about 12 ft., while, on the uplands, a clay subsoil underlies good chocolate
loam, and of the latter nearly 100 acres are cropped yearly, the average yield being about 1£ tons of hay to the acre. About 350 acres altogether have been cleared, the work of development being less strenuous here than in many localities, as the estate is not heavily timbered. The land carries about one sheep to the acre, and Mr. Belcher engages largely in the breeding of Border Leicesters and merinoes, crossing these strains with good results. A good type of heavy draught horse is also bred, the sire in use being the prize stallion “Ben Lock/7 grandson of the famous “Lord Benmore,” who changed hands a few years ago for the sum of 1,200 guineas. As a yearling “Ben Lock” gained first prize at the Wellington Agricultural Show. HENRY THOMAS BELCHER is a son of the late Joseph Belcher, of Ballarat, Victoria, and was born at that city on August 15, 1866. He was educated in his native place, and at the close of his scholastic career removed to New South Wales. In 1898 he came to Western Australia and opened a butchering business in Bunbury, which he carried on until 1902 and relinquished in order to settle down to farming pursuits on the “Kooroocheang” property, which he had purchased some time previously. In addition he has various
properties at Picton, and owns building blocks in the neighbourhood, the value of which will be greatly enhanced with the further development of the district. Mr. Belcher has
been a member of the Dardanup Roads Board for about four years. He is fond of horse-racing, and for a lengthy period spent his leisure
Mr. Henry Thomas Belcher.
time in following this sport, owning the racehorse “Arthur,” the winner qf over 100 races in Western Australia within a period of five or six years, including the Greenbushes, Capel, and Donnybrook Cups. Mr.
Belcher is the present secretary of the Waterloo Race Club. He married Florence, daughter of Charles Roughley, of Windsor, New South Wales, and has one son.
HERBERT EDWARD WELLS, Mayor of Collie, is a Victorian by birth, being a son of Mr. James Wells, of Ballarat, one of the early settlers of that State, who was present at the famous Eureka Stockade riots. Born at Ballarat on October 9, 1873, the gentleman under review received his education at public schools in Victoria and began his commercial career in one of the large warehouses there. He afterwards was identified with mercantile life in Queensland, whence he returned to Victoria, and in 1895 came to Western Australia, where for about eighteen months he continued in the same line at Fremantle. Proceeding to the East Murchison goldfields, Mr. Wells followed gold-mining and prospecting pursuits there and at Coolgardie, and at a later date went to Leonora, in which town he opened as a boot and shoe merchant. Early in 1900 he removed to Collie, then a mining settlement with a population of not more than fifty persons, and commenced business once more on his own account, carrying on successfully until 1906, when he disposed of his interests to the “Ezywalkin’’ Company. During the course of the above year a project for establishing fruit and produce markets in Collie was made an accomplished fact by Mr. Wells. The delay and expense incurred by buying through Perth was continually being brought home to him and the other residents of the settlement, and after getting into touch with the growers of the district he established himself as an auctioneer and produce merchant, and since that time has continued to make a very payable proposition of his venture. Mr. Wells has had a long association with public life, and was one of the first members of the local roads board, his connection with which terminated only as recently as 1911, and during this period he filled the position of chairman and was elected by the Roads Boards Conference of Western Australia to a seat on the executive. He was also among the first councillors in the Collie municipality, and has been three times invested with mayoral honours. In 1905 he received his Commission of Justice of the Peace for the district, and upon his elevation to the Licensing Bench was gazetted for the whole of the State. He has taken office in the Masonic fraternity, his rank being that of
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Past Master of the Collie Lodge. In matters of recreation he has given his cordial support to the Collie Town Football Club, of which he has been president, and he also filled the office of secretary to the first cricket association. His active interest in religious affairs led to the establishment of a Methodist Church in the town, where he conducted services for some months until the appointment of a regular pastor to the charge. Mr. Wells married Phil-lippa, daughter of Mr. John Bay ley, of Western Australian mining fame, and has three sons and a daughter.
WILLIAM HENRY RIGBY, M.B. (Melb.), Medical Officer for Collie district, is a son of the late Mr. William Henry Rigby, of Bendigo, Victoria, and was born at that town on September 16, 1867. He received his scholastic training at Mr. Hensby’s school in Kyncton, with a
Dr. William Henry Rigby.
subsequent course at the Scotch College, Melbourne. After taking his medical diploma at the University of Melbourne in 1891 Dr. Rigby was associated with hospital work for some time and eventually entered upon professional practice at Coleraine, Victoria, where he continued for five years. In 1896 he came to Western Australia and was engaged in practice on the goldfields, afterwards returning to the Eastern States, where he settled in New South Wales for a couple of years.
The year 1900 found him again in Western Australia, when he established himself in practice at Collie, and upon the opening of the hospital there two years later Dr. Rigby received the appointment of medical officer to that institution, which he has held ever since. He is also district medical officer, and serves in the same capacity the local board of health and the roads board. He interests himself in the various forward movements of the neighbourhood, and holds office as trustee of the mechanics’ institute. He is fond of aquatic pursuits and is examiner to the Royal Life Saving Society for Collie, while for purposes of recreation, fishing, shooting, and cricket receive about equal shares of his attention. He married Mary, daughter of Mr. Stephen Monger, of York, Western Australia.
BASIL SPENCE GREER, of the firm of Greer, Ferguson, & Co., accountants, auctioneers, commission agents, etc., of Collie, is a son of the late Mr. Henry Greer, of Melbourne, Victoria, in which city he was born on August 21, 1876. Upon leaving school he was articled to the accountancy profession, and several years later was admitted as a member of the Institute of Accountants and also of the Bankers’ Institute in Victoria. From 1892 onwards he was associated with various commercial houses in his native State, and in 1896 left for Western Australia, where he first joined the Government Service in the Railways Department at Coolgardie, continuing there until 1903. In that year Mr. Greer resigned his appointment in order to take up land on his own account in Collie, and for about two years worked the 3,000 acres, which comprised his holding, applying it chiefly to stock-raising purposes. After two years he sold out his interests to his brother and accepted the position of town clerk of Collie, which office he administered for about five years, during this period being concerned in the carrying out of most of the public works which have proved such a boon to the inhabitants of the town. The formation of streets and erection of municipal buildings, including the new post office, were brought about, a telephone service was installed and the fire brigade introduced, besides
which the extension of the Collie-Narrogin railway line has linked the place with the important centres of commerce on the great southern line. In 1910 Mr. Greer established his present business in partnership with Mr. E. W. Ferguson, and has since conducted operations with
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Basil 8i>ence Greer.
increasing success. He is secretary of the Western Australian Coal-mining Company, secretary to the Collie Club, Limited, assistant secretary to the Collie Race Club, and to the annual dog and poultry shows. He is a Freemason and has taken honours in the craft. Mr. Greer resides a few miles out of the town and fiilds recreation in horticultural pursuits. He married Clara, daughter of Mr. J. H. Dyer, formerly a member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria, and has a son and a daughter.
WILLIAM DAVID BEDLINC-TON, J.P., lessee of the Collie Pro prietary Mine and the Westralian Coal-mining Company’s leases, is a son of the late Mr. William C. Bed-lington, mining engineer of Northumberland, and was born at Merthyr Tydvil, South Wales, England, on February 10, 1851. At the close of his schooldays he was apprenticed to the profession of a mining engineer in his native country, and continued to augment his knowledge by filling various positions connected with the mining industry until, in
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1872, he obtained his certificate entitling him to manage a colliery in any part of the world. In 1886 Mr. Bedlington came to New South Wales and was identified with the management of two or three collieries in the Newcastle district. Ten years later he left for Western Australia, and was among the first to open up Collie as a coal-mining centre, in process of which he did a good deal of prospecting, and was closely concerned in the floating of
the West Collie Coal and Fireclay Company. Since that time the majority of the mines in the district have been opened up and managed by him, and recently he has taken over the lease of one of the original claims of the Collie Proprietary Company, which at one time was under his control, and is now working it on his own account. Mr. Bedlington has played a very important part in local public affairs, having been elected a
member of the roads board at its inception in 1899, since which date he has sat continuously and has filled the chair for about five years. He is the senior Justice of the Peace for the district, and for a number of years has held a seat on the Licensing Bench, He is President of the Collie Club, Limited, and a trustee of the mechanics’ institute. Mr. Bedlington married Janet, daughter of Mr. David Evans, J.P., of South Wales, and has two sons and a daughter.
BUNBURY.
The city of Bunbury, which takes its name from Lieutenant Bunbury of IT.M.S. “Beagle,” and not from the family which settled there in the early days, is picturesquely situated on the shores of Koombana Bay, 115 miles by rail south of Perth, and is destined from its position, designed by Nature and improved by art, to become the commercial metropolis of the great southwest. The coast line here, running south, doubles upon itself, making a half-circle to the northward, where Casuarina Point juts out seaward and forms a barrier of sand and rocky reef between the storms from the south-west and the calm waters of the bay within its shelter. The only quarter from which rough weather can prove a menace to shipping is the north-west, and, to obviate this in a large measure, a massive breakwater of rock has been run out seaward along the course of the reef. Casuarina Point was named after one of the French corvettes “Geographe,” “Naturaliste,” and “Casuarina,” which visited these shores in 1801, and left the names of their ships and officers on many parts of the coast. It is surmounted by a lighthouse, which serves as a guide and friendly warning to those who “pursue their calling in deep waters.” Leschenault Estuary, a fine sheet of water runs up north parallel with the sea coast, and divided from the ocean by a narrow strip of land, 10 to 12 miles long, and in places two miles wide. The Collie and the Preston Rivers, with their many tributaries, help to swell the waters of the Estuary, whose surface is dotted with wild fowl and whose depths are filled with fish—a veritable paradise for the sportsman. The town site is one of the oldest in the State, having been proclaimed as far back as 1841. Though, like most Western Australian towns, it slumbered until the nineties, it has since that time made great progress, and though evidences still exist of the early days, they are rapidly giving way to modern and up-to-date structures of which any town might justly be proud. Its railway station is ’equal to anything of the kind outside the metropolitan area, and its public and municipal buildings are thoroughly up
to date. An extensive electric lighting plant has been established by the municipality, which also provides a public library, reading rooms, and bowling green for the instruction and recreation of the citizens. There are several fine churches, the principal among them being the Anglican pro-Cathedral. Excellent schools are provided for the children, and technical education classes are provided for those seeking technical knowledge. Secondary education is represented by the Girls’ Grammar School, controlled by the authorities of the Church of England. A cominodious theatre supplies the means of amusement in the way of plays and picture shows, and the comfort of visitors is well catered for by numerous hotels. For outdoor sports there is a large recreation ground available, which is also the property of the municipality. All these developments are evidences of a progressive community, and show that the people of Bunbury are fully alive to the advantages of their situation and determined to make it one of the prominent cities of the State. The town has been a city since 1904, when it achieved the dignity by the creation of a new Church of England Diocese, with the cathedral at Bunbury. Historically Bunbury looms large in the annals of Western Australia. Though the honour strictly belongs to Picton, a small village some three or four miles away, Bunbury is generally known as the birthplace of Sir John Forrest, Western Australia’s greatest son. It is also noteworthy for the fact that a little way up the Estuary occurred, towards the end of 1839, one of those numerous schemes for colonization promoted by English theorists. At the instance of Sir William Hutt, brother of the then Governor of the State, an extensive tract of land originally granted to Colonel Latour was secured at Australind, a few miles up the Estuary from the present city of Bunbury. A party of officials was sent out to survey the land, and an elaborate plan of what would now be termed a garden city was prepared and exhibited in England in order to attract possible colonists. At first the rush to secure allotments was remarkable, but when doubts were raised
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
429
as to the possibility of securing the site, a large number of those interested withdrew. The scheme was, however, persisted in, and Mr. M. W. Clifton, F.R.S., appointed as the managing superintendent. Two or three shipments of colonists were sent out, but the idea was practically doomed to failure from the start. Apart from financial difficulties, it was too far from the Swan River settlement for settlers to have much chance of finding a market, and most of them left after a few months’ trial for the more settled districts. By 1843 Australind had become what it has ever since practically remained, merely a name. Bunbury was the gainer by the disbanding of the scheme, for many of the settlers fixed their habitations there, and, in fact, through their efforts the town was brought into being. As a summer
ceasing through the summer. Recognizing these natural advantages, which are accentuated by a temperate climate, the municipal authorities have provided excellent baths in the shallow waters within the harbour, and have made due provision for shelter-sheds on the more exposed back beach. Commercially Bunbury must of necessity have a prosperous outlook. It is the natural port of shipment for the produce of this portion of the State. The coal output from the Collie fields, the produce of the rich Bridgetown district, and the timber gathered from the various mills in the back country, all gravitate naturally to Bunbury for export. Recognizing its growing importance in this direction the Government has erected a breakwater at a cost of £250,000, and has provided large accommodation for shipping,
Photo supplied by Tourist Department.
View of the Town and Harbour of Bunbury.
resort Bunbury probably holds pride of place in the estimation of the people of this State. For this its natural advantages are largely responsible. Situated on a jutting point of land, it has on the one side an estuary teeming with fish, into which debouch the Collie and Preston Rivers, and on the other a rock-bound coast, lapped by the waters of the Indian Ocean, across which the health-giving westerly breezes blow almost without
placing the control of the harbour under the authority of the Harbour Board. So great has been the development, however, that the question of further facilities has been for some time under consideration, and soundings have been taken with a view of ascertaining the possibility of cutting a canal through Point Casuarina, and thus providing an inner harbour in the Estuary capable of accommodating an increased shipping trade.
CHARLES FRAENKEL, J.P., Mayor of Bunbury, was born at Graetz, Germany, on January 2, 1849, being a son of the late Mr. J. Fraenkel, of that place. ITe received his education in his native town, and subsequently he was
apprenticed to the leather business in Kosten, Germany. Having completed his five years’ indentures, in 1867 he left the Fatherland for Australia by the s.s. “Great Britain,” and arrived in Victoria in July of that year. Shortly afterwards
he commenced business on his own account at Wodonga, at a later date proceeding to Albury, New South Wales, where he carried on as a general merchant for some considerable time. In 1881 he went for a trip to the Old Country, and upon
his return in 1883 opened in Sydney as an oil and colour merchant. Retiring from business pursuits in 1886, Mr. Fraenkel spent two years in travelling, and eventually came to Westorn Australia in 1898 with the object of recruiting his health. For some years he conducted a tannery and boot-manufacturing business at
TF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Charles Fraenkel.
Bunbury, finally giving up active commercial enterprise in 1905. He has large property interests in the south-western district, and also owns some agricultural land in New South Wales, one farm of 150 acres being in the Blackheath district. It was in the Mother State that he took out his naturalization papers, and since that period his sympathies and interests have become exclusively British, and his loyalty to his adopted country one of his marked characteristics. Always interested in the progress of public affairs, after his retirement from business he placed his time and energies at the disposal of his fellow-townsmen, and in 1905 was returned as a member of the municipal council. After several years’ connection with this body, in 1908 he resigned on the occasion of his taking a trip to be present at the Franco-British Exhibition, and on his return in 1909 again received election as a councillor. In 1910 he was invested with mayoral honours, and the ratepayers showed their appreciation of his services by re-electing him to the chair in 1911 and again in 1912. While occupying this office Mr. Fraenkel has made every endeavour to reduce
the liabilities of the municipality, and his efforts in this direction have been rewarded with conspicuous success. lie is chairman of a number of the charitable institutions of Bunbury and supports all movements for the good of the district. Since 1881 he has been connected with the Masonic fraternity, and he is a member of the South-Western Club and of the local bowling club, besides giving his support to the various athletic associations of the neighbourhood. In 1883 Mr. Fraenkel married Josephine, daughter of Mr. Joseph Cohen, of Melbourne, and has a son and a daughter.
Councillor ARTHUR NORTH, J.P., representing Central Ward in the Bunbury Municipal Council, is a son of Mr. I). North, and was born on September 4, 1864.
TF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Arthur North.
After completing his education at the local State school he served five years to the blacksmithing trade, and subsequently spent ten years in this calling at Northam, York, and Coolgardie. In 1899 he returned to Bunbury and opened up his present land and estate agency business, which he has carried on successfully ever since. A vigorous advocate of municipal reform, he first entered the local council as representative for Central Ward, in 1908 being re-elected unopposed for a further term of three years in 1911. During his term of office he has identified himself with the movement for the extension of electric lighting in
the district, the water scheme, and the new municipal farm. A member of the Ancient Order of Foresters and the Independent Order of Druids, he has occupied the post of secretary to the Friendly Societies’ Association for five years, and in this capacity has successfully carried through all arrangements for the annual sports held in connection with the association. He is secretary of the South-Western District Rifle Union, of which he has been a member since its inception. He is very fond of fishing, and was successful in starting a movement which led to the reopening of the Estuary, which had been closed to net-fishing for many years. Mr. North is secretary of the Traders’ Association of Bunbury. He married Margaret, daughter of the late Mr. Owen Shanahan, of Dardanup, and has four sons and six daughters.
Captain JOHN GEORGE DODDS, councillor for Bunbury, is a son of Mr. Matthew Dodds, of South Shields, England, and was born on March 16, 1867.
He acquired his scholastic education at the Union British School in that town, and at its close, after spending a year in the Government offices, was apprenticed to seafaring pursuits in the Samuel Lowther line of vessels.
TF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Captain John George Dodds.
He sailed in the Walter H. Wilson," the first four-masted sailing ship built by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, of Belfast, and spent four
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years as apprentice, in his fifth year occupying the post of third officer. In 1886 he took his second mate’s certificate at South Shields, two years later sitting for first mate’s examination at Adelaide, South Australia, and in 1890 passed his master’s test at South Shields. Upon leaving the above vessel he joined the Blue Anchor line, sailing as fourth, third, second, and chief officer during the eight years he continued with this company. He then became connected with the Gulf line of steamships as chief officer in 1897, and in 1898 was given command of the s.s. “Hazelbranch” and “Elm-branch” running for the Gulf line. Subsequently Captain Dodds spent three years in the Baron line of vessels, and in 1908 retired from marine life, during his twenty-nine years of experience having traded on practically all coasts and visited all parts of the world. During this time he steered clear of all accidents and has a clean record at Lloyd’s. While sailing with the Blue Anchor line he was a frequent visitor to Australian shores, and for five years sailed as third and second officer under the late Captain Ilbery of the ill-fated s.s. “Waratah.” In 1909 he settled at Bunbury, and joined Mr. Smith in the business of master stevedores, shipping and insurance agents, under the title of Smith & Dodds. The partnership was dissolved in October, 1912, since which date Captain Dodds has carried on in business on his own account. He has interested himself in the general affairs of the community, and in 1910 was returned as representative for North Ward in the local municipal council, in the following year being elected by Government to a seat on the harbour board at Bunbury. Two months after his arrival in the State he was appointed marine surveyor under the Western Australian Government. He has taken honours in the Masonic craft and is a member of the South-Western Club.
WILLIAM JOHN NORRIE, Town Clerk of Bunbury, is a son of Mr. William John Norrie, of Edinburgh, Scotland. He was born at Bunbury on March 24, 1881, and after a preliminary course of education in his native town finished his scholastic studies at Perth. Upon leaving school he was articled to the
legal profession with the firm of Stanley, Murray, & Walker, solicitors, of Perth and Bunbury, and upon the completion of his indentures in 1904 he received the appointment of assistant town clerk at the latter place under Mr. J. J. Tucker. In 1910 he was promoted to the senior office, the duties of which he has since fulfilled, and in intervals of leisure allowed by his busy life has employed himself in studying advanced. accountancy with a view of obtaining his certificate in this subject. Mr. Norrie, in addition to his municipal office, holds the positions of secretary to the local board of health and to the Bunbury Water Board. He is one of the captains of the South-Western Club and takes a keen interest in sport, being secretary to the Bunbury Hunt Club, hon. treasurer and
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. William John Norrie.
executive committeeman to the local bowling club, in which he takes a prominent part, and a member of the Bunbury Cricket Club and of the Bunbury Football Association.
THOMAS HAYWARD, who represented the Wellington district in the Legislative Assembly from 1903 to 1911, is a son of the late Mr. Thomas Hayward, of Ringshall, Suffolk, England, and was born at Honington, in that county, on September 1, 1832. He received his education at Needham Market Grammar School and at Ipswich, and upon leaving school followed farming pursuits in conjunction with his father
until he left for Australia in 1853. After spending a short time at Perth he came to Bunbury and was identified with the farming industry in various parts of the district, eventually settling at Wokalup, where his son is at present in occupation of the property. In 1862 he opened a small store at Bunbury for the retailing of ironmongery and farming implements, and in the course of time built up a large connection, with the result that the business is now the largest of its kind in the south-western district. In June, 1898, Mr. Hayward retired from any active participation in commercial pursuits, and has since devoted himself chiefly to public affairs. He began his public career as chairman of the first roads board in the Bunbury district, which at that time extended from Pinjarra district in the north-east to Bridgetown and Capel in the south, and during his connection with this body he estimates that he covered over 4,000 miles in travelling on horseback to the various meetings and in other business relating to the board. Subsequently he was elected to a seat on the municipal council, and on several occasions occupied the chair. The pressure of business matters forced his retirement from these offices, but in 1900 he again came forward in a public capacity, succeeding Sir John Forrest as member of the Legislative
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Thomas Hayward.
Assembly for Bunbury constituency for three years. At the expiration of this period he was returned for the Wellington seat, and held the
same until his retirement from the Parliamentary arena in 1911. Mr. Hayward is one of the few surviving original members of the Bunbury Agricultural Society, in which he held the positions of secretary and president on different occasions. Since his arrival the whole town of Bunbury has been practically rebuilt, only about half a dozen of the original structures now remaining. He is president of the hunt club, being a thorough sportsman, following the hounds and being present at the opening of each shooting season until 1910, when he was prostrated by serious illness. Mr. Hayward married Catherine, daughter of the late Mr. Joseph Logue, B.A., of Swan, and has a son and four daughters.
SIMON CROWNSON JOEL. J.P., M B., B.S. (Melb.), Medical Officer to the Bunbury Board of Health, is a son of Mr. Isaac Joel, of Melbourne, in which city he was born on December 10, 1873. He recoivcd his primary education at Carlton College, continuing his studies at the University of Melbourne, and having decided to follow the medical profession obtained his diploma from that institution in 1896. In order to extend his experience in surgery he proceeded to England and spent two years in
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Dr. Simon Crownson Joel.
London hospitals. Upon his return to Australia, after a brief period in his native city, he came to the
Western State, settling at Bunbury, where he has been engaged in professional practice ever since. He fills the appointment of medical officer to the local board of health and also that of military medical
officer for the district. Dr. Joel has interested himself in the affairs of the district, and in 1904 received a Commission of Justice of the Peace. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and finds recreation in fishing and on the bowling green. In 1902 Dr. Joel married Kate, daughter of Mr. Charles Davis, silk merchant, of London, and has two sons and a daughter.
GEORGE CANLER ROSE, “Parkfield,” near Australind, in the Bunbury district, was born at the place where he now resides on February 1, 1861, and is a son of the late Mr. Robert Henry Rose, who came from Suffolk, England, to Western Australia in the year 1850. Upon completing his studies at the local school he was associated with Mr. Lowe in the opening of the first banking establishment at Bunbury on May 22, 1878, but eventually abandoned mercantile pursuits in favour of agriculture, and for three years had charge of the late Honourable W. H. Venn’s farm at Dar-danup. In 1882 he proceeded to Kimberley, where he accepted the appointment of manager of the
“Fraser River” Station, owned by Mr. J. A. Game, of England, and two years later he purchased the “Mount Anderson” property, situated on the Fitzroy River, about sixty miles from Derby. Ho still
retains this station, which consists of 121,000 acres capable of carrying
25.000 sheep, and at the present time he has it stocked with about
15.000 merinoes. In 1892 Mr. Rose
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. George Canler Rose.
returned to the south-western district, and in the following year took possession of the old homestead of
Photo by W. J. Ford.
Residence of Dr. s. Crownson Joel, Bunbury.
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the Rose family, purchased by his father in 1854, and situated near Australind, at the head of the Estuary, thirteen miles from the town of Bunbury. The “Parkfield” Estate consists of 11,118 acres, and was at one time used largely for dairy-farming, but of recent years sheep - raising has absorbed the greater share of attention. About
3,000 sheep are run on the property besides fifty head of cattle and a large number of horses. The piggeries also are an important feature of the farm operations, and form a very profitable department of the
director of the Bunbury Butter Company. Mr. Rose married Edith, daughter of the Honourable E. M. Clarke, of Bunbury, and has two sons and two daughters.
ARTHUR ROBERT FORE MAN, senior partner of the firm of Thomas Hayward <fe Son, general merchants and importers, Bunbury, is a son of Mr. John Foreman, of Ipswich, England, where he was born in 1865. At the close of his education, which he received in his native town, he was early associated
was admitted as a partner in the mercantile business established by the latter gentleman at Bunbury. In 1898, in conjunction with the late Mr. George Hayward, Mr. Foreman took over complete control of the concern, and it was carried on by them until 1908, when Mr. Hayward died. The subject of this
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Arthur Robert Foreman.
Photo by C. E. Farr. Mr, g. c, Rose’s Residence, Australino.
notice then conducted operations on his own account until 1910, when he admitted as partner Mr. F. W. Roberts, who has since shared with him the general responsibilities of the business. The warehouse is the most important of its kind in the south-western district, including departments for ironmongery, hardware, farming implements, provisions and produce, drapery,
industry. The homestead has earned a very pleasant reputation for the hospitality extended to visitors, in which even the casual guest participates. The various cricket clubs, the Bunbury Hunt Club, and other organizations have happy recollections of good times spent there, and their appreciation was marked by the hunt club in the presentation of a silver cup to Mr. G. C. Rose. Mr. Rose is a member of both the Royal and Wellington agricultural societies, and has held office for seventeen years in the latter body. He has been a large and successful exhibitor at the annual shows of both societies, and on one occasion gained the championship at the Royal for a merino ram. At the Wellington Show of 1905 he was awarded first prize for the largest exhibit of farm produce, his exhibit displaying 250 varieties. While at Kimberley he served as a member of the local roads board, and has acted in the same capacity at Bunbury for eight years. He is a CO
with the ironmongery trade, but subsequently spent a few years in farming pursuits in Essex. In 1888 he came out to Australia, and after spending some time on Mr. Thomas Hayward’s farm at Wokalup he
T. HAYWARD * SON’S PREMISES, BUNBURY.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
and all of the branches usually found in leading metropolitan distributing centres. The business is not only extensive and far-reaching but exceedingly varied in its character. The ironmongery trade is one of its most prominent features, and the great stock of farming requisites carried by the firm has made it one of the most popular depots with the agriculturists of the district. Local produce is purchased, and the firm also ships and makes advances on wool. The business was first established by Mr. Thomas Hayward in 1862, and its jubilee in 1912 commemorated the enterprise, perseverance, and excellent judgment which have operated in the building up of the thriving concern which is one of the landmarks in the history of the southern seaport. The firm holds several important agencies, including the South British Insurance Company, Huddart, Parker. & Co., Mcllwraith, McEacharn, & Co., and the A.U.S.N. Company. Mr. Foreman spends most of his leisure time in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables in his garden. He holds office as hon. treasurer of the Cathedral Council. In 1890 he married the youngest daughter of Mr. Thomas Hayward, and has three daughters and two sons.
FREDERICK WILLIAM ROBERTS, partner in the firm of Thomas Hayward & Son, merchants, of Bunbury, was born at Perth on August 27, 1877, and is a son of the late Mr. George Roberts, Manchester, England, one time manager of the Midland Railway Company, Western Australia. Educated at the Hon. H. Briggs’ Grammar School, Fremantle, Mr. Roberts was subsequently associated with railway construction work for a time, afterwards being apprenticed under the late Mr. C. Y. O’Connor as surveyor in the Western Australian Government Survey Department. Having again been employed in the railway service, in 1906 he resigned from the department in order to enter into a business partnership with A. F. Spencer and Co., of Bunbury. He continued in this connection until 1910, in which year he purchased a partnership in the present firm of Thomas Hayward & Son, and has carried on commercial pursuits with the
firm ever since. Mr. Roberts has taken some part in public affairs, and was one of the original members chosen by the Government to form the Bunbury Harbour Board, which seat he has retained up to the present time. For some years he has been an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and filled the presidential chair in 1910.
0
Mr. Frederick William Roberts.
He is also hon. treasurer of the Wellington Agricultural Society. His chief recreation is in swimming, and he is captain of the Bunbury Swimming Club, also holding office as deputy-fieldmaster of the local hunt club.
EDGAR HERBERT ZOLLNER, secretary of Beigel’s Brewery, Limited, Bunbury, is a son of the late Mr. Simon Zollner, of Sydney, New South Wales, in which city he was born on October 11, 1868. He received his education at the Sydney Grammar School and at Queen’s and St. Patrick’s Colleges, Sydney, and subsequently, for a short time, was connected with commercial life in the employ of Messrs. Roberts, Chambers, & Co. He then joined the staff of the Bank of New South Wales, but relinquished this service to enter upon ecclesiastical studies, which finally he abandoned and returned to mercantile pursuits. In 1896 he left his native State for Western Australia, and for a time occupied a position in the City Engineer’s Office at Perth. His next
employ was in the Sherwood Beer Bottling Works, after which he became secretary to the Stanley Brewery Company, Perth, and eventually found his way to Day Dawn, where he spent about a year. Mr. Zollner came to Bunbury in 1903 as local manager of the Bunbury Brewery Company, a position he held until February, 1912. The company subsequently went into liquidation. In March, 1912, he accepted the post of secretary to Bci-gel’s Brewery, which he still retains. He has always taken an active interest in political questions, and in 1898 was elected secretary of the Western Australian Federal League, holding this post until within a fortnight of the taking of the referendum, when he was obliged to resign for business reasons, but retained his seat on the committee. He was secretary of the Western Australian Freetrade and Liberal Association, which organized the first Federal freetrade
6
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Edcar Herbert Zollner.
campaign in the State, and in this connection it is worthy of note that of the first eleven members sent to the Federal Parliament nine were freetraders. Mr. Zollner contested the North Perth seat in Parliament without success in 1901, and had a similar experience a few months later. His wide interest in the affairs of the south-western district led to his nomination as the Government official candidate for the Bunbury seat in the Legislative Assembly when Sir Newton Moore was appointed as Agent-General
435
in March, 1911, but he was again defeated as the result of the passing of the Labour wave over the State. Mr. Zollner is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and is connected with the South-Western and Commercial Clubs. He married Florence Edith, daughter of Mr. Edwin Hay, of Newcastle, New South Wales, and has one daughter.
HENRY HERBERT ABRA-HAMSON, shipping agent and commercial broker, Bunbury, is a son of Captain J. G. Abrahamson, harbourmaster of that port, and was born in London on December 27, 1877. He received his education at the Ongar Grammar School, Essex, and upon leaving school in 1892 came to Western Australia. He started business life in a mercantile office at Fremantle and spent five years at this seaport, at the end of
TP. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Henry Herbert Abrahamson.
that period proceeding to Kal-goorlie, where he continued his commercial career. In 1902 he came to Bunbury and established his present business, which he has carried on ever since. He represents a number of shipping, commercial, and industrial firms, including the P. & O. Steam Navigation Company, Messrs. J. <fe A. Brown, the South-Western Timber Hewers’ Cooperative Society, the Collie Coal Company, Limited, Messrs. J. & W. Bateman (Fremantle), W. Thomas and Co., Limited, Shirley Limited, cc2
North British Insurance Company, Limited, and the Queensland Insurance Company, Limited. A follower of various kinds of outdoor sport, Mr. Abrahamson is chiefly devoted to the game of bowls and fishing. He has an orange grove at Harvey, with about ten acres of trees in bearing, where he spends much of his leisure time and finds recreation in the various processes of horticulture which this hobby entails. He is a member of the South-Western Club. In 1907 he married Ethel, daughter of Sub-Inspector Osborn, of Perth, and has a son and a daughter.
AUGUSTUS FREDERICK SPENCER, shipping and coaling-agent, Bunbury, is a son of the late Hon. William Spencer, M.L.C., who arrived from England by the sailing ship “Trusty” on May 31, 1841, and was one of the very early pioneers in the south - western district. He took a very active part in the early development of the district and occupied a seat on the Council Trust before Bunbury was gazetted a mayoralty, subsequently being elected to the mayoral chair on five different occasions. The subject of this notice was born at Bunbury on August 21, 1872, and received his education at Hon. H. Briggs’ Grammar School, Fremantle. Having concluded his scholastic career, he joined the firm of D. & W. Murray, with whom he continued for five years. He then entered into partnership with his brother, Mr. C. E. Spencer, and took over the business established by his father as W. Spencer and Sons, in Bunbury, many years previously. After carrying it on for nine years, in 1908 Mr. Spencer bought his brother out and opened the present business of Messrs. A. F. Spencer & Co., shipping and coaling agents, in connection with which he holds the agencies for the Timber Corporation, Limited, Messrs.
Howard Smith & Co., the Collie Co-operative Company, Messrs.
Lewis & Reid, timber contractors, etc., and also represents Dalgety and Co., Limited, in Bunbury. His first connection with municipal life took place in 1899, when he was returned as a member of the local council, and extended in all over nine years, during four of which he acted as treasurer. Mr. Spencer takes very great interest in sporting
matters and was secretary of the Bunbury Race Club for twelve years. He is a member of the South - Western and Commercial Clubs and has actively concerned himself in the advancement of the local football club since its inception in 1896. He is a member of the committee of the local chamber of commerce. In 1897 he married
TP. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Augustus Frederick Spencer.
Maud, daughter of Mr. G. R. Teede, and has a son and a daughter.
FREDERICK OSCAR BENCKENDORFF, shipping, forwarding, coaling, and insurance agent, Bunbury, is a son of the late Mr. William Oscar Benckendorff, a member of the well-known firm of Benckendorff, Berger, & Co., of Lloyd’s Avenue, London, in which city the gentleman under review was born on January 30, 1869. He attended schools in London and Hamburg, and upon the completion of his education gained a wide experience in merchant shipping offices in Stettin. Upon his return to London he was engaged in the ship chartering trade for some four years, and at a later date was stationed at Havre as superintendent of logwood cargoes from Jamaica, whence he transferred to a shipping company’s office at Bordeaux. After a brief visit to London he left for Australia in 1892, and upon arrival in Melbourne joined the firm of Wenz & Co., wool
merchants, of that town. Eventually coming to Western Australia he- was appointed attorney and secretary upon the flotation of the Imperial Jarrah Wood Corporation, Limited, which had its headquarters at Bunbury, and continued in this position until 1903, when an amalgamation with the Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Timber Company
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Frederick Oscar Benckendorff.
took place. He then commenced business on his own account as shipping and forwarding agent, and continued steadily to embrace every opportunity of extending his business until to-day it is one of the most important of its kind in the place. Mr. Benckendorff paid a visit to Europe in 1905-6, and was mainly instrumental in introducing Collie coal to the notice of European shipping companies. For some ten years he has held the agency for the Collie Proprietary Coal Company. He is also local representative for the Commercial Union Insurance Company in all its branches. Public affairs have received a share of his attention, and at one period he held a seat in the Bunbury Town Council, whilst at present he occupies the position of chairman of the Bunbury Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the South - Western and Commercial Clubs and follows aquatic sports as a pastime. In 1894 he married Eleanor Hauteville, daughter of Mr. Mitchell Tartakover, of Melbourne, and has a son and a daughter.
Captain RALPH R. EDWARDS, master stevedore, Bun-bury, is a son of Dr. Thomas Patrick Edwards, of Wales, latterly of County Meath, Ireland, where the gentleman under review was born on August 27, 1864. He
received his education at King William’s College, Isle of Man, and subsequently joined His Majesty’s training ship “Conway,” two years later serving his apprenticeship to the mercantile marine service with a Liverpool shipping firm. He took his master’s certificate in 1888 after successfully passing his earlier examination in 1883, and was appointed to the command of one of the Barrow Steam Navigation Company’s steamers trading between Barrow-on-Furness and Belfast. At a later
TF J. Ford, Bunbury.
Captain Ralph R. Edwards.
period he joined the Australian and Vancouver trade, with which he was identified for a number of years, retiring from seafaring pursuits in 1897. Coming to Western Australia in that year, he settled at Bunbury and established himself on his own account in the stevedoring line of business, and since that time has carried on with considerable success. During this period the shipping trade in connection with the port has increased to a large extent, and improvements to the harbour and jetty have been made in response to the demand for greater accommodation and better facilities for shipping. Captain Edwards holds the contracts for
handling the cargoes on behalf of the Timber Corporation, Limited, and of the Collie Co-operative Company, as well as contracts for all interstate shipping companies. He is a member of the South-Western and Commercial Clubs. He married Esther, daughter of Mr. Edward Dixon, of Lancashire, and has a son.
WALTER JAMES COPE, acting local manager (1911) for Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company, Limited, Bunbury, is a native of England, being a son of the late Mr. James Cope, of Tixall, near Stafford, where he was born on August 12, 1865. At the close of his scholastic career in the North of England he entered the employ of his uncle, head of the firm of Watson & Co., builders and contractors, of Darlington, and continued in this connection until his departure for Australia in 1886. Although landing in the first instance at Melbourne, within a few months he arrived in the Western State, where he was engaged in storekeeping pursuits at Gcraldton for two years. He then became associated with Messrs. E. and F. Wittenoom, merchants and
TF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Walter James Cope.
station owners, only leaving in 1896 to carry out his intention of taking a trip to the Old Country. Upon his return Mr. Cope spent about thirteen months at Kalgoorlie in the sharebroking business, which he abandoned to open in Geraldton as
437
agent and auctioneer on his own account. In 1900 he disposed of his interests in this district, and after a short time in Perth came to Bunbury, where he joined the staff of Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company, Limited, in January, 1902. During the absence in England in 1911 of the manager, Mr. Balston, Mr. Cope took control of affairs and was acting-manager for some time. He has always been an enthusiastic athlete, and is vice-president of the South Bunbury Football Club and a member of the Football Association Appeal Board. In 1889 he married Mary Adeline, eldest daughter of Mr. Vernon Birch, of Perth, and has two sons and two daughters.
Lieutenant GORDON LEVA-SON CURLEWIS, Area Officer for the District of Bunbury, is a son of Mr. George Campbell Curlewis, of Victoria, latterly of Western Australia, where he- has followed farming pursuits in the great
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Lieutenant Cordon Levason Curlewis.
southern district for many years. The gentleman under review was born at Goelong, Victoria, on March 19, 1885, and came as a child to the Western State with his parents, who in the first instance settled at Geraldton. Here he received his education and began life in a mercantile office at that port. At a later date he was transferred to Fremantle, and continued in the same service until
1909, when he joined Messrs. Dal-gety <fc Co., Limited, with whom he remained for a year. He then commenced business on his own account in Bunbury, with Mr. Lowe forming the firm of Curlewis & Lowe, commission and insurance agents. The firm holds agencies for the leading farm implement machinery and fertilizers, and also does a large business in produce dealing. In 1906 Lieutenant Curlewis joined the Western Australian Infantry Regiment as a private, and in 1907, after passing the necessary examinations, received his commission as lieutenant, and later on was appointed Area Officer for the District of Bunbury. He is a member of the South-Western Club.
Lieutenant ERIC WILLIAM TULLOCH, of the 86th Infantry Regiment, is a son of Mr.
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Lieutenant Eric William Tulloch.
George Tulloch, of Ballarat, Victoria, where he was born on April 16, 1883. His early education was imparted at Ballarat and the Melbourne Grammar School. His studies 3oncluded, he became engaged in the brewing business at Foster’s Brewery in Melbourne, where he continued for four years, afterwards enlarging his experience at Mai don, in the same State. In 1905 he came to Western Australia and joined the working staff of the Swallow Brewery Company, two years later accepting the position in Bunbury of brewer in charge of Beigels’ Brewery, Limited, where he still remains.
Lieutenant Tulloch began his military career in Perth by joining the No. 1 Battery, Australian Field Artillery, as gunner, and upon coming to Bunbury he received his commission as second lieutenant in “B” Company of the Western Australian Infantry Regiment (now the 86th Infantry). In 1907 he was given command of the company in Bunbury. He is a strong oarsman, and has rowed in three winning teams, representing Victoria in the Interstate Eights. He is a member of the South-Western and Naval and Military Clubs, and is also connected with the South Bunbury Football Club. He married Lillian, daughter of Mr. Edward Temby, of Clunes, Victoria.
JOHN LEMUEL BOLDEN, secretary of the Lumpers’ Union, Bunbury, is a son of Mr. Lemuel Bolden, of England, who came to Victoria in the early days of that State. He was born at Gippsland on May 18, 1862, and received his education at a local scholastic
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. John Lemuel Bolden.
institution, becoming associated, while still quite a lad, with station life in Queensland, where he remained for a number of years. In 1896 he left for Western Australia and with the exception of a few months spent at Kalgoorlie has since been working in the timber trade in the south-western district. He was elected secretary of the Lumpers’ Union in 1901 and served a term of two years, being
again appointed to the position in 1907, since when ho has held it continuously. In 1909 he was elected to a seat on the Harbour Board at its inception and continues to serve on this body. Mr. Bolden married Jane Maude, daughter of Mr. James Kennedy, of Victoria, and has a son.
WALTER JACK BUSWELL, contractor and brickmaker, B unbury, is a son of Mr. Joseph Buswell, of Oxford, England, latterly one of the pioneers of the Western Australian State. He was born in 1871 at Bunbury, where his father was among the earliest of the settlers, and having completed his education at the local State school he became identified with the brickmaking and contracting trade.
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury
Mr. Walter Jack Buswet.l.
In 1893 he established himself in business at Bunbury and has since carried on a very thriving and prosperous trade. His works, situated at Glen Iris, are the scene of busy industry. The plant is capable of producing 40,000 bricks per week, and his contracting business has the reputation of being the largest in the south-western district. In addition he is largely concerned in horse-dealing. In 1908 he served a term as councillor in the local municipal body. He is a keen sportsman with the gun and a lover of boating. In 1893 he married Emma, daughter of Mr. Thomas Elliot, of Busselton, and has two sons and four daughters.
ERNEST JAMES WASS, partner in the firm of Messrs. Fouracre and Wass, is a son of Mr. William Wass, of Congleton, England, and was born on January 2, 1871. He
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Ernest James Wass.
received his education at Birmingham, and left for Melbourne in 1888 in order to join the firm of Messrs. King & Co., of that city. Subsequently he enlarged his experience of stock as a boundary rider on various pastoral properties in Victoria, and while in that State commenced business on his own account. Upon arrival in Western Australia in 1895 he came to the south-western district, and in partnership with Mr. Fouracre established the present thriving concern, branches afterwards being opened at South Bunbury, Busselton, and Collie. Messrs. Fouracre & Wass have been very successful exhibitors of sheep, lambs, porkers, etc., at the local agricultural shows, gaining a number of premier awards for their exhibits. Mr. Wass has been a member of the Bunbury Roads Board for a number of years, and is also a member of the committee of the Wellington Agricultural Society.
OWEN HINKLEY, manager of the Bunbury Butter Company, Limited, Bunbury, is a son of Mr. Herbert Hinkley, of Buninyong, Victoria, where he was born on July 2, 1877. He received his education in his native town, and at the close of his studies started life
in the dairy produce business and spent twelve years in the Buninyong Butter Factory, latterly holding the position of assistant manager of that establishment. He then accepted the appointment of manager of the Toongabbie Factory at Gippsland, which he occupied for three and a half years, at the end of which period proceeding to Western Australia to open and take charge of the factory established by the Bunbury Butter Company in 1908. This enterprise was inaugurated by dairy farmers and residents of the south-west district and is conducted on co-operative lines, similar to those which have proved so successful in the Eastern States. The expectation that its establishment would give an immediate stimulus to the dairying industry for which the district is so preeminently adapted has been amply justified, the output of butter from the factory rising from 23 tons 12 cwt. during the first year to 50 tons 17 cwt. for the year closing in 1911, while the number of farmers to avail themselves of this market for their dairy products has increased from 77 to 160. The plant consists of one churn of 800 lb. capacity and one of 80 lb., the two being capable of turning out six tons of butter per week; a butter worker of 112 lb. capacity, a special up-to-date machine for purifying the cream, and a refrigerator of 3 tons capacity. The testing of the milk is done by a Babcock tester, and the most perfect cleanliness prevails throughout the factory, which is rapidly growing in public favour. About two-thirds of the butter manufactured is sent to Perth, the balance being disposed of locally. Various awards have been gained in open competition, including first prize at the Royal Show, Perth, and first prize at the Wellington Show in 1908, and two gold medals at the Franco-British Exhibition held in London in the same year. Further honours were gained in England when the firm’s exhibit at the Islington Show of 1911 was awarded 91 points, being in advance of many Victorian and other prominent brands. Under Mr. Hinkley’s capable management the concern has weathered all initial difficulties, and it is confidently expected that each year will witness a substantial increase in the output, to the benefit of the producer and the consumer alike.
439
The PRINCE OF WALES HOTEL, Bunbury. This popular house was established in 1882, and has continued to uphold its reputation during the long period that has
railway station, finds favour in the sight of the many overland travellers who visit the southern port. A fine brick structure, two stories in height, with a frontage toward Stephen Street, it boasts the great addition of a fine wide verandah, running the full length of the house, from which a splendid view
Darling Ranges where they meet the coastline. The accommodation of the hotel is liberal and arranged with a view of securing the greatest possible comfort and convenience to visitors. The twenty-five bedrooms are furnished in modern style, with the usual appurtenances of such apartments, and all the appointments
W J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mb. William Lawrence Marsh.
elapsed since it first opened its doors to the travelling public. Of more modest pretensions in the earlier stages of its existence, it has in the course of the years undergone many structural changes, and was practically rebuilt in 1906. It holds a central position off the main thoroughfare of the town, and, being about three minutes’ walk from the
Photo by IF. J. Ford.
Dining-room of the Prince of Wales hotel.
may be obtained of the northern part of the town, including the harbour, and shipping, the Estuary, with its sunlit waters running far inland, and in the distance the
Photo byW. J. Ford
Mr. W. L. Marsh’s Prince of Wales Hotel, Bunbury.
of the dining-room arc such as to commend it to the most fastidious even of those accustomed to the many etceteras of fashionable dining in the Old World. The drawing-room furnishings are carried out on a tasteful and luxurious plan, tho seductive lounge and easy chair providing reposeful resting-places for the summer visitor, healthfully weary with long days spent on the beach or other places of recreation in the neighbourhood. The reading and smoke rooms are replete with every convenience, and there are two travellers’ sample-rooms for the special use of the “Knights of the Road,” of which full advantage is taken, this being one of the recognized houses of call of the Commercial Travellers’ Association. The stable accommodation is excellent, comprising three horseboxes and three stalls, while shelter for motorcars is also provided. The cuisine is carefully attended to, and under the capable supervision of Mrs. Marsh, who in every way makes a study of the comfort and welfare , of her patrons’ necessities, leaves little to be desired. Every attention is given to
all the details of house management, and the “Prince of Wales” being a family as well as a commercial hotel is extensively patronized during the season by visitors from the goldfields and other localities, including the metropolis, and by business people all the year round. WILLIAM LAWRENCE MARSH, the proprietor of the above establishment, is a native of Wales, having been born in Carnarvonshire, and first came to Australia in 1882, sailing by the old
Orient liner, s.s. “Lusitania.” He first landed in New South Wales, and made his acquaintance with the conditions of life under the Southern Cross amid the older established civilization of the Mother State. Desiring to enlarge his knowledge of the continent, and perceiving wider openings for a man of enterprise and ability in the virile life of the younger Western region, he came to the Crown colony in 1889, and after a time proceeded to Cossack, where
for several years he was identified with the management of the White Horse Hotel, of which Mr. J. Ellery was proprietor. In 1897 Mr. Marsh took over the lease for eight years of the Prince of Wales Hotel at Bun-bury, at the expiry of that period purchasing the premises, to which from time to time all the modern improvements found in the metropolitan houses have been introduced as opportunity has offered and the increase of business warranted.
PICTON JUNCTION TO BUSSELTON.
Leaving the south-western railway at Picton Junction, we may proceed further into the heart of the south-western country by a line which at Boyanup goes off in two directions—the one leading to Busselton, and thence to Barrabupp and Nannup, two timber centres of considerable activity, and the other proceeding to Bridgetown, with branches off to Boyup Brook and Jar-nadup. Many of the stations along these lines are only timber or agricultural depots, and can scarcely be dignified even with the name of village, but to the observant traveller they are evidence of the expansion that is taking place in settlement, and signposts directing his attention to the agricultural possibilities of the State.
Busselton, which has come to be known as the sanatorium of Western Australia, lies within the shelter of Geographe Pay, some 30 miles south of Bunbury. It is named Busselton after the founders of the place, while the district and the river are better known as the Vasse and received their name from M. Le Vasse, the captain of the French corvette “Naturaliste,” which visited these shores as long ago as 1801. The immense headland which stretches out north and west and forms a natural barrier between the calm waters of the bay and the great rollers of the Indian Ocean, is called Cape Naturaliste after the same ship, while her consort is responsible for the nomenclature of Geographe Bay. From a historic standpoint the Vasse possesses features of great interest, as it dates back to the early days of Western Australian colonization. One of the earliest settlements established by Captain Stirling was at Augusta on the south coast. Among those who agreed to pioneer the district were some members of the Bussel family. After a time they found that the cattle strayed away from Augusta, and on following them discovered them quietly grazing on the richest stretch of pasture that the pioneers had up to that time seen. Recognizing that his cattle were better judges than himself, Mr. J.
Bussel secured this tract in exchange for his land at railway runs out to Barrabupp and Nannup, where there residence there in 1834. The following year the Government Resident, Captain J. Molloy, removed from Augusta to the new district, and the town of Busselton was founded. Up to some twenty years ago Busselton was merely a charming country village, with grass-grown streets where arum lilies rioted in profusion. Even in those days it had achieved a distinction in the minds of newcomers from the Eastern States, as most of the steamers used to call there on their way round to Fremantle, and to the weary travellers, tossed by the seething waters of the Leeuwin, the little hamlet seemed a haven of desire. To-day Busselton is the centre of a great farming district and the port of shipment for most of the timber cut in the forests of the Leeuwin. It has several places of worship (the Church of England being one of the oldest buildings in the State), several schools, mechanics’ institute, and bowling green. Its jetty is 1J miles long, with berthing depth at low tide of 23 ft., and its harbour is considered to be one of the finest anchorages in the State. Its cool, temperate climate, excellent beach, and well-established bathing facilities have made it one of the favourite summer resorts. In fact, if to these we add the caves, which are reached by daily motor service from the town, and where in addition to the scenery there is excellent boating, bathing, and fishing, Busselton can probably claim to be the most-favoured haunt of the holiday-seeker.
From Wonnerup, close to Busselton, a line of railway runs out to Barrabupp and Nannup, where there are several timber mills of considerable size and importance. The railway service at the same time taps an extensive agricultural area, where extensive dairying operations are carried on. In fact, one of the charms of Busselton is the excellent home-grown dairy produce always on hand to tempt the jaded palate of the city-dweller.
THIS CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
441
CHARLES HENRY LEWIN, “Riverdale,” Picton, is a son of the late William Lewin, of Victoria, and was born at Ballan on February 18, 1872, where also he received his education. lie was early associated with farm life, and eventually went on to a sheep station in Victoria,
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Charles Henry Lewin.
during the nine years spent in this way gaining valuable experience in various classes of work. In 1891 he left his native State for Western Australia, and upon arrival opened a butchering establishment at Bunbury, where he has since built up an extensive connection. In conjunction with this business Mr. Lewin has gone in largely for stock breeding, sheep, cattle, and horses all coming in for a share of his attention. He has at different times leased various properties, including Mr. Charles Brockman’s “Sandridge” Estate, near
Picton, which he held for three and a half years, and “Greenham Park,” at Boyanup, consisting of 1,000 acres, which he still holds and uses for fattening stock. Later he bought from Mr. T. A. Piggott the 25-acre holding originally taken up by Mr. M. Bunbury, and known as “the pick of the south-west farms.” It is situated about half a mile from Picton, on the banks of the Preston River, with a well-drained swamp on the further side, and is very favourably situated for retaining the reputation it has already secured as the model farm of the district. On one side of the Picton Road is the old homestead holding, where two acres of good soil have been set apart for
means of which the water is raised from the river. The sprinkler system has been adopted for the irrigation of an area of 3J acres, the 2-in. distributing main being provided with sprinklers at intervals of 40 ft. The dairy is built on the most up-to-date sanitary design, with double walls, the outer ones of weatherboard and the inner of iron, with 18 in. of space between which is filled up with sawdust. The floor is of cement, and the apartment is kept cool and flyproof through the hottest days of summer. Equally modern are the piggeries, where the prize Tamworth and Berkshire swine lead an ideal existence whilst fattening for the market. An excellent
Photo by C. E. Farr. Mr. C. H. Lewin’s Residence, Picton.
the cultivation of all classes of market garden produce. Adjoining this are the lucerne paddocks and the portions devoted to the growing of barley, oats, and potatoes. There is an extensive irrigation system, the plant comprising a 3J-h.p. Petter oil engine, pump, tanks, etc., by
system of drainage has been introduced, water being laid on by which the styes are frequently cleansed, and three times weekly the floor is strewn with fresh rushes. Most of the food is provided by the vegetable garden, and is cooked in steam-heated coppers conveniently placed. A
Photo by G. E. Farr.
View of Mr. C. H. Lewin’s “ Riverdale” Estate.
cross of very fine early porkers is obtained from the above-mentioned breeds, and in every respect this department maintains the repute of the farm. The slaughterhouse has been installed with the latest machinery and improvements, and every attention has been given to sanitary arrangements and methods for rapid handling, the motto of perfect cleanliness being writ large over the whole of the establishment. The old homestead, of roomy, bungalow design, has recently been abandoned by Mr. Lewin for a charming six-roomed modern residence, erected on a pleasantly-situated site not far from the original dwelling. Mr. Lewin has been a most successful exhibitor of stock and produce at the local agricultural shows, and, in 1910, out of thirty-three exhibits, secured twenty-five first and eight second prizes. He has been a member of the Roads Board for the past four years, and is a committeeman of the Wellington Agricultural Society. He is a vestryman of the South Bun-bury Anglican Church, and takes great delight in shooting and hunting. He married Blanche, daughter of the late Charles Howard, of Victoria, and has two sons and two daughters.
GEORGE FORREST, J.P., “Leschenault Mill,” Picton, was born on the property where he now resides on November 19, 1858. He received his education locally, and from an early period was associated with his father in the milling industry on their own holding, where he has spent the whole of his life. The development of the land has occupied a large share of attention, and 120 acres have been cleared out of an area of 540 which comprises the extent of the property. A considerable portion of this cleared country is devoted to fruit-growing, 25 acres being planted with apples and stone fruits of different varieties, a fine orangery also being included within this area. Crops arc cultivated, the average yield of hay being about a ton to the acre, and Mr. Forrest has put down an irrigation plant comprising a 12 horse-power Tangye engine, with 7-in. pump and 6-in. delivery main,, imported direct from England. Following the completion of this scheme Mr. Forrest extended his dairying operations and increased the herd of Ayrshires, which have already gained many
prizes at the Bunbury Agricultural Show. Among the representatives of Victorian stock of his own importation is the Ayrshire bull “Chieftain,” which gained the championship at the Royal Show, Perth, in 1910, and was shown with equal success at Bunbury, Bridgetown, and other district shows. He has also received awards for the ram “Mariner,” imported from Victoria, and carries on sheep-raising with satisfactory results. Mr. Forrest was gazetted a Justice of the Peace for Wellington district in 1894. His time is chiefly filled with orchard work, but in leisure hours he finds recreation in fishing and shooting. He married Alice Helen, daughter of the late Mr. W. O’Neil, of Ireland, and has a son and three daughters.
WILLIAM RAMSAY, grazier and farmer, “Minninup,” Capel, was born at Bunbury in 1856. He is a son of Mr. William Cunningham
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. William Ramsay.
Ramsay, formerly of Ayrshire, Scotland, who came to Western Australia in 1846, and was one of the first settlers in the Bunbury district. After a preliminary course of education in his native town he attended a school at Perth and finished his scholastic career at a college in the city. Returning to his father’s homestead he went to work on the estate, which at that time consisted of about 360 acres. This area has been added to by the purchase of adjoining land, and at the present
time 5,000 acres are owned and worked by Mr. Ramsay. The property lies about half a mile inland from the Indian Ocean, and is situated 12 miles from Bunbury and 18 miles from the Vasse. A considerable portion of the estate was originally under water, but by a natural system of drainage, which has carried the superfluous moisture seawards, it has been converted into first-class grazing land, and stock fattens well on its pastures. From time to time Mr. Ramsay has made importations from the Eastern States of horses and cattle for breeding purposes, and has produced some high-class stock, which he has exhibited with considerable success at the local shows. For five years he occupied a seat on the Bunbury Roads Board, but latterly has devoted the whole of his time to the development of his station, which is about the finest in the district.
GEORGE EDMUND DILLEY, farmer, “Colenso,” Capel, is a son of the late Mr. William Dilley, of the Life Guards, Bedfordshire, England, and one of the early pioneers of the south - western district of Western Australia, where he arrived about 1837. The gentleman under review was born on his father’s property at Capel on June 22, 1868,
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. George Edmund Dilley.
and received his education locally. After some time spent on the home farm he was apprenticed to the watchmaking trad© at Capel, and
443
continued to follow this calling for a number of years in the same district. In 1904 he again turned his attention to agriculture and purchased his present holding, a portion of the “Stirling” Estate, which comprises 45 acres of good red loamy soil, and is watered by the Capel River, which flows through the property. Mr. Dilfey has adopted the most up-to-date scientific methods of treating the soil, and has met with great success in his mixed farming operations, but especially in the cultivation of potatoes, which has received his particular attention. He is recognized as one of the most successful growers in the neighbourhood, and has about 30 acres devoted to this department of his industry, his crop averaging about six tons to the acre, though some of the rich flats produce nearly 15 tons to the acre. The varieties chiefly favoured by Mr. Dilley are the well-known and popular Delaware and Bismarck, both of which find a ready sale. He has been a successful exhibitor at agricultural shows, being awarded second prize in the special class in connection with the Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s Show in 1911. Mr. Dilley married Elizabeth Ann, daughter of the late Mr. Lewis Calder, of Scotland, an old Western Australian pioneer, and has three sons and three daughters.
FREDERICK ROWLAND THOMAS HENRY TUCKER, farmer, “Rosedale,” Capel, is a son of Mr. William Tucker, of Cornwall, England, who was one of the early pioneers of New South Wales. He was born at Marrickville, near Sydney, on November 1, 1887, and coming to Western Australia as a lad of fourteen completed his education at Midland Junction, in this State. He first became engaged in business pursuits at Fremantle with the firm of F. Macdonald & Co., grocers of that port, but after two years relinquished this connection in order to join his brother-in-law in farming operations. In course of time Mr. Tucker took up a holding on his own account, which in the first instance consisted of about 80 acres. This he has considerably enlarged by the purchase of additional areas from time to time, and he now owns about 430 acres of good agricultural land with three-quarters of a mile of river frontage. The soil
is chiefly red loam, with a subsoil of limestone, and has proved remarkably well adapted to the purposes of mixed farming, which Mr. Tucker has found to yield excellent results.
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. F. R. T. H. Tucker.
Potato crops and cereals have thriven well on the land, and in the past dairy produce has been a very profitable department of the industry. It is, however, Mr. Tucker’s intention in the future to devote his attention more exclusively to the breeding of high-class cattle and other stock. A follower of most healthy outdoor sports, he finds his chief recreation in cricket and football, and is a member of the various local clubs. In 1909 he married Ethel Rosina, daughter of the late Mr. George Robert Payne, one of the early settlers in the Capel district, and has two sons.
JAMES NORTON, farmer, of “Glen Albyn,” Capel, is a son of Mr. Patrick Norton, of Ireland, latterly 3f Maryborough, Queensland, where bhe subject of this sketch was born on July 16, 1869. He was educated locally, and upon leaving school was associated with station life and mining pursuits in the north of Queensland for about four years. In 1890 he left for Western Australia, and proceeding to the Roebourne district engaged in work on the Pitbourne and Ashburton goldfields, meeting with considerable success in his efforts. He was among the first
to arrive at Coolgardie at the time of the rush thither, and after eight months’ successful prospecting returned to Perth, subsequently spending about two years in prospecting in the Peak Hill district, and being among the early arrivals at Lawlers. He next turned his attention to contracting, and followed this line of business at Day Dawn for about eight years. At the end of this period he came to the southwestern district and purchased his present holding from the “Stirling” Estate, and while still carrying on a contracting business began the development of his land. Ultimately he relinquished other interests in order to give up the whole of his time to farming, and has now a nice little property of 520 acres, which he utilizes chiefly for grazing and sheep and cattle raising. In dairy produce and other departments of his industry he has attained good results, and has made a very payable
IF. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. James Norton.
proposition out of mixed farming operations. He has taken some interest in public affairs, and while at Day Dawn was a member of the Council for three years, being also connected with the Roads Board and was appointed a member of the Water Supply Board at its inception. In 1911 he was appointed to a seat on the new Drainage Board on the “Stirling” Estate. Mr. Norton married Jane Ann, daughter of Mr. W. A. Brody, of Victoria, and has three sons and a daughter.
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The CAPEL INN, Capel. (Proprietor, Aubrey Edmund Moore.) The Capel Inn has a charm all its own, being a quiet, old-fashioned house, where the maximum of comfort may be obtained with the minimum of noise and bustle, every want of man and beast being attended to in the best possible manner. The catering is in capable hands, and the same care is manifest in all other departments of the business, the bedrooms being comfortable and scrupulously clean, and the living-rooms well appointed in every respect. Mr. A. E. Moore, the proprietor, is a son of Mr. Edmund Moore, of Balingup, and cousin of Sir Newton Moore, Agent-General for Western Australia. He was born at Bunbury on June 1, 1883, and received his education at a local school, subsequently joining the clerical stall of the Railways Department, where he remained for six years. He then turned his attention to farming occupations on his father’s property at Balingup, in the south-western district of the State, five years later relinquishing his connection in order to take over the management of the Waroona Hotel and store on behalf of Mr. H. McNicol. In 1909 he secured the lease of the Capel Inn, and has since developed the present business. Adjoining the hotel, Mr. Moore owns a 12-acre block of land which he has cropped with oats and potatoes, and in addition to this he has a holding of 20 acres in the neighbourhood which it is his intention to clear and develop in the near future. He is a member of the Sussex Agricultural
Society, and identifies himself with those forms of outdoor sport in favour among the athletes of the district, being a playing member of the football and cricket clubs and secretary to the latter body. He married Mabel, daughter of the late Mr. Chapman, sometime Government Forest Ranger of Gippsland, Victoria.
in the affairs of the agricultural society. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace for the whole of the State during the period of office of Governor Broome. Mr. Layman married Amelia Harriett.e, daughter of Mr. Anthony Curtis, of Western Australia, and has four sons and seven daughters.
GEORGE LAYMAN, J.P., farmer, Wonnerup, is a son of Mr. George Layman, one of the earliest arrivals in the south-western district and a settler at Augusta, whence he came to Wonnerup and subsequently met his death at the hands of the natives on February 22, 1841. The gentleman under review was born on his father’s homestead on May 9, 1838, and since the days of childhood has followed agricultural pursuits in this district. He owns a nice little property of 900 acres, and of late years has devoted the greater portion of his time to horse-breeding, the fine grazing lands on his ostate making it peculiarly adapted for this purpose, while a few acres are devoted to crops and fruit cultivation. Mr. Layman has met with considerable success in his industry, and has produced some fine stock which has carried off various awards at the local shows, lie has taken a keen interest in public affairs, and in 1886 was elected a member of the Legislative Council, retaining his seat for three years. For many years he has occupied the position of chairman of the roads board, and he takes a leading part
PERCY SMITH BIGNELL, Mayor of Busselton, is a stepson of Mr. William Bignell, of Melbourne, and was born at Deniliquin, in the Riverina district of Victoria, on April 2, 1875. He received his education at the Sheriton College in Melbourne, and subsequently served his articles to the profession of chemistry with Mr. J. Lacey, Bourke Street, Melbourne. After four years’ study he graduated at the Pharmacy College, Melbourne, and took his degree of Ph.Ch. in March, 1898. In May of the same year he came to Western Australia, and after practising as a pharmaceutical chemist for some little time at Perth and on the goldfields he accepted an appointment as manager of the Busselton Branch of Messrs. Kirton and Co. In February, 1899, he opened on his own account in the same town and built up for himself a very prosperous business, and in the following year launched out into a new enterprise by instituting a coach service between Busselton and the famous Yallingup Caves. Always keeping pace with the times, in 1907 he brought the motor into requisition, and during the visitors’ season several trips are made each week to
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. A. E. Moorc-s Capel Inn, Capel.
445
this popular resort. He has considerable landed interests in the Yal-lingup district, owning “Woodlands” Estate of about 2,000 acres, a large portion of which has been brought under cultivation of potatoes and other crops, the remainder being
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Percy Smith Bignell.
devoted to pasture lands. Mr. Bignell has always identified himself with local public affairs, and was first returned as a councillor in 1902. After serving three years he was elected to the mayoral chair in 1909, and has held this office ever since. During his term of service the alterations to the jetty, which is now a mile and a furlong in length, were completed, and fine new baths enclosing an area of four acres of water have added greatly to the attractions of the place, besides which a new water reticulation scheme has been inaugurated. Mr. Bignell is president of the Southwestern District Agricultural Society, of which for seven years he acted as secretary, and takes a great interest in most of the local clubs and institutions, in the Masonic fraternity holding rank as Past Master. His name is well known in the sporting circles of the place, and he has been cycling champion of the district for one and five miles and champion of the bowling club, of which he is now handicapper and team selector. He is married to Henrietta, daughter of the late Mr. William Alexander McDaniell, of Busselton, and has two sons and a daughter.
Councillor CHARLES BEAUMONT ANDREWS, storekeeper, Busselton, is a son of Mr. Edgar Andrews, of Victoria, and was born at South Melbourne on September 10, 1875. He received his education at a local school, and subsequently, with a view of taking up architecture as a profession, entered upon its study for three years. Relinquishing this intention he became engaged in the bakery business at Diamond Creek, Victoria, where he spent four years, and eventually left his native State for Western Australia in 1897. After spending a short time in Perth Mr. Andrews commenced business at Northam, and having continued eight years at this centre disposed of his interests and came to Busselton, where he opened his present business of baker, pastrycook, and general
C. Y. Farr, Perth.
Mr. CnARLEs Beaumont Andrews.
storekeeper, and has carried on successfully ever since. In 1909 he was elected a member of the local municipal council, and upon the completion of his first term was returned unopposed in 1911. He is a member of the local agricultural society and takes a prominent interest in the affairs of the bowling and croquet clubs, also holding membership in the football and cricket clubs. In 1904 Mr. Andrews married Ada, daughter of Mr. Robert Campbell, of New South Wales, and has a son.
Councillor CAREY EDWARD ERNEST HENRY BERRY, familiarly known as EDWARD BERRY, is the proprietor of the
Freemasons’ Hotel at Busselton, and was born at Dry Sandford, near Abingdon, in County Berkshire, England, on November 27, 1859. He is a descendant of the Berrys who for many years past have identified themselves with farming and agricultural pursuits in that country. At the conclusion of his education at the Abingdon Grammar School he went to London and eventually was apprenticed to the tailoring trade, serving indentures until he was twenty-one. After following his trade in various parts of England, in 1884 he took passage with his wife and two sons for Western Australia, and on arrival at Perth established a business, which he conducted very successfully for many years, early in his career by special appointment being made viceregal tailor of the State. Mr. Berry retired in 1908, leaving his two elder sons to carry on the business, and, coming to Busselton, took over the lease of the Freemasons’ Hotel, which he has conducted with excellent results ever since. At the present time (1911) the hotel is undergoing structural alterations and additions, and when completed will compare favourably with any in the district. It is most conveniently situated, being only a minute’s walk from the railway
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Edward Berry,
station, and five minutes from the beach and bathing - houses. The cuisine is under the management and superintendence of Mrs. Berry, who gives every attention to the comfort and well-being of the many guests who during the summer
season and at other times seek the comforts of home at the pretty watering-place of Bnsselton. Mr. Berry has always taken a considerable amount of interest in the trend of public affairs, and while in business at Perth resided at Cottesloe, where he occupied a seat on the health board prior to its conversion
into a municipality. Since coming to Busselton he has been identified with the various public institutions of the place, and in 1909 was elected to a seat on the local council. He is also a member of the South-Western District Agricultural Society, and was a successful exhibitor at the last November Show, taking first and second prizes for his Sussex-bred buggy pair, which he uses for conveying visitors to and from the famous Yallingup Caves. Mr. Berry is a patron of all outdoor sports, and is a vice-president of most of the clubs, being also a member of the committee of the Busselton Bowling Club. Of strong musical proclivities, he is himself a performer of no mean merit. In 1881 at Brentford, in the County of Middlesex, he married Mary Woodall Blackman, of Hammersmith, in the same county, and has three sons and five daughters surviving.
Councillor DAVID McARTHUR STONE, of Busselton, is a son of the late David Blair Stone, of Canada, latterly of Victoria, and was born in the south-western district of that State. At the conclusion of his education he decided to follow the profession of a chemist, and in 1894 left his native soil for Western Australia, serving as an apprentice
for four years with Mr. J. II. Carr, of Bunbury. Subsequently he established himself in practice at Bunbury, and at various times was identified with Perth, Fremantle, and the goldfields. In 1907 he came to Busselton and took over the lease of the Vasse Hotel, called after the name by which the district originally
was known. Mr. Stone continued as proprietor of the hotel until early in 1912, when he disposed of the lease, having decided to give the whole of his time to mixed farming pursuits on land which he had acquired in the vicinity of Busselton. Mr. Stone takes an active interest in local affairs and, in the year 1909, was returned as a member of the local municipal council, and has since held the seat. He has filled the office of secretary of the local race olub, and is a member of the South-Western District Agricultural Society, besides being connected with the bowling and cricket clubs. He married Emily, daughter of Mr. F. H. Watts, of Collie, Western Australia, and has one son and one daughter.
Councillor ALEXANDER ROBERT BOVELL, general agent and auctioneer, Busselton, was born at Perth in 1873, and is a son of the late Mr. Joseph Bovell, of Belfast, who came to Western Australia in 1859 and was one of the early settlers in the south-western district. The subject of this review upon leaving school obtained a good insight into his present line of business under his brother, and in 1903 established himself on his own account as stock and land auctioneer,
shipping and general commission agent, at Busselton, where he has continued ever since. In 1898 he was appointed auditor to the Busselton Municipal Council, which position he resigned upon his election as councillor in 1904. He has actively interested himself in all matters that have come under consideration of the council since he entered its ranks, and every scheme for the advancement of the town has found in him an earnest and practical sympathizer. He is a member of the South-Western District Agricultural Society, and for three years acted as secretary to this organization. He is a member of the local cricket, tennis, and bowling clubs, being a keen follower of all outdoor sports.
C. F. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Alexander Robert Bovell.
In 1901 he married Ethel, daughter of Mr. R. E. Williams, of Waihi, who was formerly associated with the mining industry of Western Australia, and is now connected with the famous Waihi Mine of New Zealand, and has a son and two daughters.
Councillor EDWARD McDAN-IELL, agent for the Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company, Busselton, is a son of the late Mr. William Alexander McDanicll, of London, one oi the pioneer settlers in the southwestern district, and was born at Busselton on July 3, 1873. His father was contractor for the mails between Busselton and the outlying centres of Warner, Quindalup,
Photo by IF. J. Ford. the freemasons' Hotel. Busselton.
447
Margaret, and Lower Blackwood, and until 1902, from the time that he left school, Mr. McDanicll was associated with his parent in the carrying out of the contracts. In the above-mentioned year, while still retaining charge of the mails between Margaret and Karridale, he
C. E, Farr, Perth.
Mr. Edward McDaniell.
accepted the agency in Busselton for the Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company, and subsequently, in conjunction with these other interests, opened a fancy-goods and tobacconist business in the town. His connection with public life dates back to 1908, when he was returned to a seat in the local municipal council, since which time he has taken an active part in the deliberations ot this body. Mr. McDaniell is a member of the South - Western District Agricultural Society and takes an ardent interest in all forms of healthy, outdoor sport, being connected with the cricket, football, tennis, croquet, golf, and bowling clubs of the district, besides giving a share of his attention to swimming and other aquatic pursuits.
GEORGE BROWN MILNE, J.P., Town Clerk of Busselton, is a son of the late Mr. W. H. Milne, of Aberdeen, Scotland, and latterly of Busselton, Western Australia, where the subject of this notice was born in 1869. He received his scholastic training in his native town, and at the termination of his studies joined the Education Department as
assistant master in the local public school. Subsequently he was transferred to Quindalup, and from there to Denmark, remaining in the latter place until 1898, when he resigned from the service in order to enter upon the duties of town clerk at Busselton, which office he has held ever since. During the lengthy period he has occupied this position Mr. Milne has witnessed many changes in the municipality and in the personnel of the council, no fewer than ten different mayors having been elected since his appointment. The population of the town has increased from 500 to 800, and very many improvements have been brought about, notable among which are the jetty extension and lighting the public streets and buildings
•c>
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. George Brown Milne.
with acetylene gas. Mr. Milne has accepted office in the various local institutions, being chairman of District School Board of Education, secretary of the roads board, and a member of the committee of the Southern Districts Agricultural Society. He has also been the recipient of honours in connection with the Masonic Lodge at Busselton, and is a member of the Commercial Travellers’ Association. The popular game of bowls claims him as a devotee, and he is known on the cricketing field as a stanch advocate of the national sport. In October, 1910, Mr. Milne married Maude, daughter of .Mr. Patrick Hurley, of Hurley-ville, New Zealand.
LIONEL JOSEPH ROBERTSON, B.A. (Adel.), M.B., Ch.B. (Syd.), Medical Officer of Health to the Sussex district, is a son of the Rev. Joseph Robertson, M.A., of Adelaide, South Australia. He was born at Hawthorn, Victoria, in 1876, and attended schools in Adelaide, afterwards becoming a student at the University of that city. Subsequent to taking his Bachelor of Arts degree at Adelaide he proceeded to New South Wales and pursued his medical studies at the University of Sydney, obtaining the diplomas of M.B. and Ch.B. from that institution in 1903. At the conclusion of his course he was for some time resident physician at the Sydney Public Hospital, prior to leaving for Western Australia in 1907. Upon arrival in this State Dr. Robertson filled an appointment as locum tenens for Dr. Trethowan, of Perth, and eventually caine to Busselton, where he established himself in the practice of his profession. He received the appointment of medical officer of health to the Sussex district in 1908, and was also appointed medical officer for the port to the local board of health.
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Dr. Lionel Joseph Robertson.
He is a keen sportsman, and finds recreation in cricket, golf, and tennis, taking an active interest in the respective clubs of the district. Dr. Robertson married Muriel, daughter of Mr. H. G. Lomax, of New South Wales, and has one son.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
RICHARD GALE, J.P., grazier and farmer, “Fairlawn,” Busselton, is a son of the late Mr. John Gale, of Dorsetshire, England, where the gentleman under review was born in 1834. During early life he was engaged on his father’s farm, and in 1856 left his native land for Western Australia, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits under Mr. W. L. Brockman, of Gingin. After four years with this well-known pioneer he came to Busselton as manager of the “Fairlawn” property, then owned by the late Lieutenant - Colonel Molloy, a Waterloo veteran and one of the earliest settlers in the Vasse district, where lie was Resident Magistrate, having previously been identified with Augusta. After managing this property for a couple of years Mr. Gale leased it until, the death of Lieutenant - Colonel Molloy occurring, he purchased it
and has carried it on ever since. Originally the estate consisted of
C. F. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Richard Gale.
about 12,000 acres, through which the River Vasse flowed, but in recent years it has been cut up into blocks, which have found their way into other hands, and at the present time Mr. Gale retains about 4,000 acres, which he uses chiefly for dairying and stock-raising purposes. He has identified himself with the local public organizations, and was for many years a member of the roads board, also occupying the position of president of the agricultural society of the district for several terms. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace for the whole State under Governor Ord, and during the regimes of Governors Wells and Robinson sat as a Member of the Legislative Council for three years. Mr. Gale married Rebecca, daughter of the late Mr. W. Spencer, of Bunbury.
THE CAVES OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
In an article on the Yallingup and Margaret River Caves appearing some time since in the Government Year Book, the writer deals in a somewhat exhaustive manner with the general formation of the caves country from the geological standpoint. As much has been written concerning the scenic value of these truly marvellous productions of Nature, it may be of interest to outline the history of some of those hidden processes by which such beauty and wonder were made possible, and in attempting this task we are able, by the kind courtesy of the publishers of the work above referred to, to make detailed reference to their valued pages.
These caves, which during recent years have attracted so large an amount of attention, both on account of their exquisite beauty and their situation in the heart of a district which provides many diverse avenues of gratification to the seekers of health and pleasure, lie on the fringe of a tract of country in which natural features of interest abound. The coastline is ramparted with a formidable line of cliffs at the head of which Cape Naturaliste juts out like a fortress, and beyond is the generous sweep of Geographe Bay, with waters deeply blue in the sunshine. Behind is what has been termed “the magnificent forest of the hinterland,” with its stately giants of karri, jarrah, and other eucalypts, its picturesque hills and valleys and winding streams, hinting at the busy industries of the future when man shall enter upon his heritage in this portion of the State.
Between the town of Busselton (which is one of the oldest in the State, having been first formed by a band
of settlers some seventy years ago; now the terminal railway station for visitors to the caves) and Yallingup or the Margaret River the geological structure does not immediately reveal its nature, owing to a covering of sand and ironstone on the surface. It is, however, extremely simple, consisting of a wide stretch of sandy plain many miles in length, beneath which may be detected at a shallow depth the limestone present in the beds of creeks and swamps, and which is succeeded by a low range of granitic rocks. These are masked by a thin coating of sand and ironstone, which in turn give place to limestone as the west coast is approached. “The oldest rock in the country,” writes our authority, “lying between the two capes (Naturaliste and Leeuwin) is the foliated granite or gneiss forming the range running parallel with the coast and at a distance never exceeding five miles from it. The same rock appears at numerous points along the seashore, and on the coast it is seen to pass under the series of sand-dunes, calcareous sandstones, and limestones forming the so-called ‘coastal limestone series/ in which the famous caves are situated.” This granite has influenced to some extent the formation of the caves, and in fact has played a somewhat important part by directing the underground flow of water into well-defined channels. “Within comparatively recent geological ages the trade winds have piled up on the top of the granite of the west coast huge quantities of drift sand, composed of fragments of quartz derived from the granite itself, of sea-shells left on the beaches by the tides, and of myriads of the beautiful microscopic shells of the minute marine
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
449
animals known to scientists as foraminifera. The proportions in which these different constituents collected have varied considerably in different places, and this has been of considerable influence in the subsequent caveforming, for quartz sand is composed of silica, a substance practically insoluble in rain water, whilst the shells of molluscs and foraminifera are formed of carbonate of lime, a substance comparatively readily soluble in it.”
This sand drift by degrees encroached “on the beds of streams flowing down from the granite ranges into the sea, and was most pronounced in the summer months under the influence of the south-west trade wind, when the creeks were either dry or else so low as to possess no volume to wash away the sand. In this way, one by one,
limestone, starting generally at or close to the inland junction of the latter with the granite and terminating on the seaward slope of the limestone hills. By the solution of the floors and side walls in the running water and the breaking down of loose portions of the roof and walls and subsequent solution and removal of these fragments these tunnels became enlarged, and by this caving in of the roofs the formation of the large chambers took place while, where ledges project from the walls, the old floor-levels are indicated—as in the case of the ‘suspended table,’ which is a stalagmite or floor formation from beneath which the rock has been dissolved. The quartz granules in the limestone, being insoluble in the running water, have either been carried away mechanically by it or left as a deposit on the lowest floors of the caves, as
Photos supplied by Tourist Department.
the smaller watercourses were filled in, and as the sand was cemented into solid rock the stream water had to ■force its way down to the sea by tortuous ways through the most porous parts of it. The stream water, charged with some of the carbonic acid—by which the rain falling on the sand-dunes during the wet season had dissolved part of the carbonate of lime out of the shell fragments at the surface—flowing down the granite slopes, further ■dissolved a portion of the lime from the sands first met with and carried this further into the bowels of the earth, whence the greater part was conveyed right through the limestone and the sand-dunes into the sea. Irregular tunnels were thus formed in the lower beds of the
DD
in the chamber of the ‘crystal floor’ in the Yallingup Cave, while, more or less intermixed with boulders from the roof, it sometimes closes up the underground channels altogether, as at the intake end of the Lake Cave. The rain water, soaking downwards through the porous rock and charged with carbonic acid, becomes saturated with lime, and also dissolves varying small quantities of iron oxide, and filtering through into the caves this highly-charged solution deposits its lime, tinged more or less with the iron, in the shape of different stalactites and stalagmites.”
The story of the stalactite, fascinating as it is, may only be outlined in an article of this description. “Each
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drop of water charged with lime as it hangs from the roof evaporates somewhat before it falls to the floor, and during that evaporation it deposits a thin ring of lime, through which the succeeding drop passes, increasing it slightly in length and thickness ere it, too, in its turn falls to the ground. In time this results in the formation of a more or less long hollow tube of lime of uniform diameter equal to that of a drop of water. The water dripping down this tube continually lengthens it, and at the same time keeps on depositing lime also on the inside until the tube is completely filled. Meanwhile the thickening of the stalactite from the outside by the water trickling over it and leaving a deposit takes place, and in this way the thick butts of the older stalactites and also the knobbed and otherwise irregularly-shaped ends of the older formations are formed. The surplus water dripping from the stalactites falls to the floor and there deposits most of the balance of the lime in the form of a stalagmite or floor-growth, which reaches upward as the stalactite extends downwards, the final result being a column which stretches from ceiling to floor.” So long as the water charged with lime continues to trickle over them they maintain a fresh, glistening appearance; but as soon as this fails from any cause they become dull on the surface, and the terms “live” and “dead’' are applied to them to describe these respective conditions.
“Shawls” invariably form on overhanging sloping walls, the reason being that the water, soaking through from above, does not drop direct to the floor, but trickles down the wall by the nearest route to the lowest level, leaving a thin deposit of lime in its wake, which eventually results in the formation of a thin sheet of lime projecting from the wall at right angles to it and banded in a beautiful succession of tints according as the proportion of iron in the water varies at different stages in the growth of the shawl. “Crystal floors” or “walls” are confined to more or less gently sloping surfaces over which a considerable and evenly-distributed flow of lime-charged water has taken place, and evaporation and loss of carbonic acid experienced by the water in its flow, causing the deposition of the lime in beautiful crystalline sheets over large areas of rock.
On the walls of some caves, where the evaporation has been too rapid for the deposit to assume definite crystalline form, large quantities of a soft and spongy mass of milk-white calcite have formed, for which “rock snow” is an appropriate name. This substance occurs in the Wallcliffe and Mammoth Caves in Western Australia, and is also found in the Jenolan Caves of New South Wales.
The rate of growth of the various formations is supposed to be dependent upon three factors, viz., the quantity of water penetrating into the cavern, the quantity of lime dissolved in that water, and the rate of its evaporation. It is a fact that the rate of growth
varies very considerably, but the conditions prevailing in the south-west of Western Australia would appear to favour for the most part a rapid process of formation.
The caves area of the south-west extends over a strip of country approximately sixty miles long by from one-half to three miles wide, and each cave has been formed by a separate watercourse. They are situated in a comparatively soft foraminiferal limestone of recent age which has suffered no great disturbance since its formation. The distinctive features of the south-west caves —dealt with in earlier pages of this work—are too well known to call for further detailed description. They include the “jewel case” and wonderful shawl formations of Yallingup Cave, where also are found many examples of the curious deposits known by the name of “mysteries”; the “suspended dome” and “meteoric shower” of Calgardup; the far-famed “eagle’s wings,” “beanstalk,” and “frozen niagara” of the Mammoth Cave ; the “broken column,” “organ pipes,” and “queen’s crown” of Blackboy Hollow; and the “suspended table” of Lake Cave.
With regard to the “mysteries” a word may be added. These are formations which take a more or less horizontal direction at some point of their progress from which they may undulate in Various sinuous curves—as in the case of the “serpents,” several examples of which are to be seen in the different caves—sometimes assuming the perpendicular direction towards the roof, at others stretching into the cavern’s space at any angle, forming fantastic shapes like the “boat-hook”—one at Yallingup has apparently tied itself into a perfect knot. The theories respecting the formation of these mysteries have still to receive confirmation, but the most usually accepted explanation is that where the deposit occurred currents of air through the cave caused it to deviate ever so slightly with drop by drop from the perpendicular, so that in course of time a form took shape apparently defying the laws of gravitation and presenting a fascinating variety in contrast to the great majority of the stalactites which hang pendent in accordance with the ordinary laws of physical nature.
The immense amount of stalagmite “statuary” in many of the caves, and notably at Calgardup and the Mammoth and Lake Caves, is a striking feature, the “Egyptian chamber” in the Mammoth Cave being specially worthy of remark. Here the distinctive characteristics of the features of the ancient “dwellers of the Nile” appear in startling relief against the dark background, and a “mummy” bound to a pillar heightens the illusion. In the Mammoth Cave also the “fallen wall” is pointed out as a curiosity, the stalactites formed before and since its subsidence jutting out at distinct angles and producing a very quaint effect. In one of the huge chambers of this cave a very weird effect is produced, sunlight reflected from water 500 ft. away being thrown on
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to the roof through some unobstructed channel. This has all the appearance of pale moonlight, and gives a strong impression that it is night-time and that moonbeams are flooding in through some aperture in the roof.
The Coronation Cave, another cavern which is just being opened up for public inspection, is one of great beauty, surpassing in whiteness, if that be possible, even the famous Lake Cave. Its floor is of veritable crystal, and in one of these less-known caves are found pillars so lightly opaque that newspaper print may be read through them by the light of a candle held at the further side.
From year to year the work of exploration of the caves regions proceeds, both in the south-west and at Lake Yanchep, another district where some notable caves have been opened up lying about 35 miles to the north of Perth. The country in the latter vicinity consists of a series of hills running parallel with the coast, four miles distant, and formed of limestone of the Pleistocene age,
and here numerous openings of varied forms occur, sometimes as rounded or fissure-like clefts in the rock faces, in other places as shafts or wells on the higher ground.
Every facility is offered by the Government of Western Australia to those desirous of inspecting these beauty spots, and upon application to the Tourists’ Bureau all particulars in respect to cheap coupons, accommodation, etc., may be obtained.
The fame of the Western Australian Caves is spreading all over the world, and it is estimated that considerably over 47,000 persons have inspected the Yallingup Cave since it was first opened up. There is little doubt that for holiday attractions the caves districts offer more inducements than any other parts of the State, and the work of development is being rapidly carried forward, so that in the near future all the known caves containing any special features of interest will be made readily accessible to the general public.
DONNYBROOK, GREENBUSHES, AND BRIDGETOWN.
Donnybrook, one of the main towns on the Bridgetown railway line, is situated 25 miles from Bunbury, in the midst of an agricultural district. It is the key to the Upper Preston River country, where there is a fair amount of land under cultivation. Close to the town are several very fine orchards and nurseries, the principal being “Cherrydale” (the property of Sir Win-throp Hackett), where, after many trials and in the face of a good deal of discouragement, the problem of cherry-growing in Western Australia has been solved. The town, which has a population of about 800, can boast of an agricultural hall, Government school, three churches, and other public buildings; and the presence of two banks is evidence of the commercial activity of the place. Close at hand are the Donnybrook quarries, from which an excellent freestone much in favour for important buildings throughout the State is secured. In addition, like so many places in the south-west, it is the centre of a timber industry. From Donnybrook a spur line runs out to Boyup Brook and thence to Katan-ning, thus affording farmers good facilities for the transport of their produce to market.
About 16 miles further along the Bridgetown railway line is the town of Greenbushes, which differs from most of the other south-western towns in that its interests are mainly devoted to mining. As far back as 1888 stream tin was found in the river-bed, but the superabundance of water in the winter time and the lack of it during the summer formed a considerable drawback to the development of the industry. This, however, has gradually been remedied, and if only capital were available to thoroughly develop the field there is every prospect that it would become a large producer of tin. The output for 1912 was 430 tons, dd2
valued at £50,166; this, however, does not represent the possibilities, as the miners do not take kindly to the work of sluicing the alluvial deposits, and prefer to devote themselves to other pursuits from which they can easily gain a living. Timber is represented in the locality by the Greenbushes Timber Corporation, which has for many years been in active operation, mainly devoting itself to the supply of jarrah paving-blocks for the English market. The town stands on the very summit of the Darling Ranges over 1,000 ft. above the level of the sea, and although the rainfall is somewhat heavy in winter the climate as a whole is very delightful and bracing. The population of the district is about
2,000, and the public and other buildings in the town give it the appearance of a prosperous and progressive settlement.
Bridgetown, until recently the terminal-point of the railway from Bunbury, is picturesquely situated in the Darling Ranges on the banks of the Blackwood River, and is one of the oldest centres of trade in the south-west portion of the State. As the centre of the rich Blackwood district Bridgetown is a place of considerable importance from a fruit-growing and agricultural standpoint. In the surrounding country fruit reaches the greatest perfection attained in the State, and now that there is an assured home market and arrangements made for export the district is likely to go ahead by leaps and bounds. The town is within the boundaries of the Nelson Roads Board, and is the headquarters of the various public officers for the district. The Nelson Agricultural Society holds its annual show there. The Western Australian, Commercial and National Banks have branches in the town, while there are several excellent hotels.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
FRANK EVANS VENN, J.P., “Dardanup Park,” is a son of the late Mr. Robert Edward Venn, of Kingston, South Australia, and nephew of the Honourable H. W. Venn, J.P., Commissioner for Railways and Public Works in the Forrest Administration upon the inauguration of responsible government, prior to which he was first returned in 1880 to represent the old Wellington district in the Legislative Council of the day. The gentleman under review was born at Kingston in 1875, and received his education in South Australia. Upon leaving school he joined the staff of the Union Bank of Australia, for four years being connected with a branch of this institution at Robe, in the same State. In 1895 he was transferred to Perth, Western Australia, continuing in the service of the Bank for about six months, when he resigned and became associated with his uncle in his landed interests at Dardanup. For a number of years he was manager of the estates, and ultimately purchased the homestead of “Prinsep Park.” In 1905 the Western Australian Estate and Timber Company, Limited, was floated by the Honourable H. W. Venn, and upon the death of the latter
Greenhorn cG Evans, Perth.
Mr. Frank Evans Venn.
gentleman the “Dardanup Park” Estate was purchased from his widow by the subject of this review, who has since carried on operations, personally supervising the work of development. The property has been extended by 500 acres since Mr. Venn entered into possession, and now comprises 2,000 acres, the soil throughout being of the rich black character
which prevails in this district, and descending to a depth of 6 ft. from the surface. About 1,200 acres are cleared, 200 acres being under crop, which yield excellent returns, the potato crop averaging seven tons to the acre. The flats where the potatoes are grown are watered by the Ferguson River, which runs through the property for about two miles. Another advantage is the vicinity of the railway, which facilitates the handling of the products of the station. Sheep and cattle dealing forms an important department of the industry, the Jersey type of cattle being bred upon the station. Formerly Mr. Venn was a very successful exhibitor at the local agricultural shows, but of recent years has confined himself to the duties of adjudicator at these functions, acting as judge of nearly every class of stock. He is a member of the committee of the Wellington Agricultural Society, and for nine years has been identified with the local roads board. In 1909 Mr. Venn married Jean Knox, daughter of Mr. James Inglis, of “Bondfield,” Boyup Brook, and has a son and a daughter.
WILLIAM JAMES ECCLESTONE, farmer and orchardist, “The Acacias,” Boyanup, is a son of the late Mr. William Ecclestone, of England, an early arrival in Western Australia, where he landed about the year 1853. The gentleman under review was born at Fremantle in 1854, and at the close of his schooldays spent some years on a station at Wilgarup, owned by the late Mr. C. Rose, subsequently leaving there for the Preston district, where he took up 156 acres of land between Donnybrook and Boyanup. About 56 acres of this area have been utilized for orchard purposes, the remainder being devoted to the cultivation of wheat and other crops and to grazing pastures. Mr. Ecclestone was concerned in the organization of the first roads board in the Preston district, of which he has been a member ever since its inception, with the exception of one break extending over a period of two years. He has been chairman of the Boyanup Farmers’ Association for fifteen years, and is a member of the Wellington and Donny brook agricultural societies, being a successful exhibitor at the local shows, where he has taken many premier
awards for the fine apples produced in his orchard at “The Acacias.” He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace for Wellington district in 1905. A patron of all outdoor sports indulged in by the athletes of the district, his favourite
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. William James Ecclestone.
pastime is found in the time-honoured game of cricket. Mr. Ecclestone married Susan, daughter of the late Mr. J. T. Stinton, of Pic-ton, and has five sons and two daughters.
JOHN SMYTHE YULE, M.B., B.S. (Melb.), District Medical Officer, Wellington Mills, is a son of Mr. William Yule, of Richmond, Victoria, where he was born on April 22, 1881. He received his primary education at the Richmond State School, the Melbourne Educational Institute, and the Scotch College, and subsequently became a student in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne, having matriculated in 1896. He obtained his degrees of M.B. and B.S. from this institution in 1909, and almost immediately afterwards left Victoria for Western Australia with the object of taking up mission work in connection with the Aborigines’ Mission under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church. This intention was relinquished by Dr. Yule, who established himself in professional practice at Peak Hill, and continued there for some time. He afterwards acted as locum tenens in Perth and
453
Meekatharra, and in 1911 was appointed locum tenens in the Nelson district during the absence of Dr. Dean, where he discharged the duties of medical officer to the local board of health and also those of medical inspector of schools. He is a member of the cricket and tennis clubs, being specially enthusiastic in regard to the former sport. He has many interests of a religious and philanthropic character, and has
Bartletto, Perth.
Dr. John Smyths Yule.
been since his arrival in the State an active member of the Y.M.C.A., Perth.
HENRY WILLIAM BRANCH BROOKE, proprietor of the Railway Hotel, Boyanup, is a son of the late James Brooke, of England, and was born on October 18, 1862. At the close of his studies he was engaged in the teaching profession until 1882, and afterwards was identified with auctioneering and hotel keeping in North Wales. In 1888 he left his native country for Australia, landing first at Melbourne, where he spent about a couple of years, coming to Western Australia in 1890. He became one of the pioneers on the Murchison goldfields, and for some time was engaged in storekeeping and hotel management on these fields. He went for a trip to England in 1896, and, upon his return, took over the management of the National Hotel at Fremantle. In October, 1897, Mr, Brooke entered into partnership
with Mr. Fred. Carlisle in the proprietorship of the Pier and Gordon’s Hotels, at Bunbury, and two years
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. H. W. B. Brooke.
later removed to Collie, where he leased the Victoria Hotel and carried it on for a time. Relinquishing this venture, he was for a time
licensee of the Federal Hotel at Bunbury, and subsequently accepted the offer of the position of executor and manager of the late J. J. Tuxford’s estate in that district. In May, 1909, he took over the Railway Hotel and railway station refreshment rooms at Boyanup, and has since carried on this business. Mr. Brooke is treasurer of the Boyanup Farmers’
Progress Association, treasurer of the Royal Oak Lodge, Boyanup
I.O.O.F., and is a member of the Masonic fraternity. In 1898 he married Jessie Maud, daughter of Mr. John Forrest, of Horsham, Victoria, and has three daughters.
FREDERICK JOHN ELLIOT, M.R.C.S. (Eng.), District Medical Officer for Donnybrook and Chairman of the Preston Roads Board, is a son of the late Mr. James Henry Elliot, of the North of Scotland, where the gentleman under review was born on April 14, 1855. At an early age he left the place of his birth for London, where he pursued his scholastic studies, matriculating at the University of London. He entered Guy’s Hospital in 1872, where he passed through his curriculum, filling all the minor and other important appointments, including the coveted position of house surgeon. After qualifying for the medical profession Surgeon Elliot practised in various parts of England, and in 1885 came to Australia, where he travelled over the different
States as medical referee for the A.M.P. Society. In 1888 he received the appointment of medical superintendent to the Townsville Hospital, North Queensland, containing 200 beds. Two years later he was appointed Government medical and health officer for Geraldton, on the Johnston River, North Queensland, where he had charge of the hospital
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. H. W. b. Brooke’s Railway Hotel. Boyanup.
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and over 1,000 kanakas working on the sugar plantations in the district. In 1891 he received the appointment of medical officer, anthropologist, and ethnologist to the Elder Scientific Exploration Expedition starting from Oodnadatta, South Australia, and concluding its researches in Western Australia. This appointment was succeeded by that of medical officer to the Happy Valley Waterworks, in the Central State, and the ensuing years, 1896 and 1897, were spent as surgeon on board the China Steamship Company's steamer “Tiayuan,” running between Melbourne and Yokohama and calling at Hong-Kong, Chee-foo, Shanghai, Japan, and all the northern ports. In 1898 Surgeon Elliot came to Western Australia and established himself at Canning Mills as medical practitioner and surgeon. In the following year, upon the discovery of gold at Donny-brook, he removed to this district
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Dr. Frederick John Elliot.
and has since built up his present extensive practice. In 1892 he received his Commission of Justice of the Peace for the Wellington district, and during the early days of his residence in Donnybrook was prominent in the movements for sanitary and hygienic conditions and the establishment of a local board of health, with the result that no epidemic has occurred. He has always taken a keen interest in local progress and is largely responsible for the beautifying of the place by the planting of pines and other
ornamental trees along the chief thoroughfares. He was first returned as a member of the roads board in 1900, and two years later was elected to the chair, which position he has filled successfully ever since. A great lover of horses and dogs, Surgeon Elliot is generally recognized as an excellent judge of stock.
FRY BROTHERS, farmers and graziers, “Crendon,” Donnybrook. JOHN GURNEY FRY and HENRY PHILIP FRY are sons of the late Henry Partridge Fry, of Shenfield, Essex, England, in which county they were born. 'Coming to Western Australia in tho year 1894 with their mother, sister, and brother, the family settled on a farm at Benger, where they remained for ten years. In 1904 Messrs. Fry Brothers purchased their present fine property from Mr. J. L. Bentiey, comprising about 2,000 acres of good hilly grazing land, and have since devoted their energies to mixed farming and sheep-raising operations, the flock consisting of a fine class of Lincoln-merino crossbreds.
THOMAS MILLER, farmer and orchardist, “Wildmere,” Thomson’s Brook, is a son of the late Alexander Miller, of Victoria, and was born at Horsham, in that State, on October 18, 1864. He was apprenticed to the blacksmithing trade at the close of his schooldays, and continued in this calling until his departure for Western Australia in 1892. Here he became engaged in contracting work in connection with road-making and bridge - building in the southwestern district, and eventually turned his attention to farming pursuits in the vicinity of Thomson’s Brook, where he has made a payable proposition of his snug little property of 480 acres, of which 320 acres are freehold and the remainder leased from the Crown. The main portion of this area he applies to grazing purposes, about 30 acres are cropped for hay, and a very healthy-looking 6-acre fruit orchard has been found a profitable enterprise. Mr. Miller was one of the first settlers in the Thomson’s Brook district, and has promoted its development by association with the various movements organized for that end. For thirteen years he has been a member
of the local roads board, being elected to that body in 1900, since when he has sat continuously with a break of one term only. He is a member of the committee of the South-Western Central Agricultural Society, chairman of Thomson’s Brook Progress Association, of the hall committee, and of the local library committee. He is also chairman of the sports committee and of the recreation reserve. In early life Mr. Miller was a keen cricketer, and still takes considerable interest in this form of sport. He
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Thomas Miller.
married Charlotte Ann, daughter of Mr. James Barker, of Penshurst, Victoria, and has four sons and four daughters.
JAMES EGAN, butcher and grazier, Donnybrook, is a son of Mr. Constantine Egan, of Narrabri, New South Wales. He was born in the north-western district of that State on April 27, 1867, and was first associated with commercial life in Narrabri, where he remained for a few years. Afterwards he became connected with droving and station pursuits, which he followed there and in Queensland until his departure for Western Australia in 1894. Upon arrival in this State he was for a time prospecting on the goldfields in the East Murchison and Lake Darlot districts, but abandoned this uncertain life in favour of dairy-farming in the south-west, where he took up 345 acres of land
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
455
at Donnybrook and utilized it for dairying purposes, which did not prove a success. At a subsequent period he purchased an estate of 3,000 acres in the Upper Blackwood district, and here carries on sheepfarming, with which industry ho combines a butchering business. He favours the merino type of sheep and has a handsome flock of this ever-popular breed. Mr. Egan is a member of the roads board, which seat he has held since 1904, and since 1902 has been a member of the local board of health, of which
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. James Egan.
he has been chairman since 1904. He is a member of the committee of the South-West Central Agricultural Society and chairman of the Donnybrook Traders' Association. In 1905 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Wellington and Blackwood districts. He takes an interest in the local Anglican Church, in which he holds office as rector's warden and synodsman; and is Worshipful Master of the Donnybrook Masonic Lodge. In racing circles he has been elected president of the Sporting Carnival Association and vice-president of the local race club. Mr. Egan married in 1904 Ethel, widow of the late Mr. G. S. Anderson, inspecting surveyor of Western Australia, and daughter of the late Mr. Charles Bright, for many years on the literary staff of The Argus and, later, The Age newspapers of Melbourne. His family consists of one daughter.
FRANK OSBORNE NELSON, orchardist and farmer, “Wandene," Balingup, is a son of Mr. Charles Nelson, of New South Wales, in which State he was born on January 30, 1876. From an early age he was associated with farming and agricultural life in his native place, and at a later date entered upon stock and station pursuits in the Bourke district of New South Wales. In 1902 he came to Western Australia, and was first identified with the Wynd-ham district, but for the sake of his health was obliged to abandon his intention to settle in the northern areas, and, coming to the southwestern district, purchased his present holding in 1903. The property consists of 300 acres of good freehold land, which has been augmented by a large area of conditional purchase, the whole estate now covering 1,200 acres, and has proved admirably adapted for mixed farming purposes. The soil throughout the property consists of a rich red loam with a clay subsoil, and 13 acres have been applied to orchard operations, while 60 acres are under cultivation of
cereals and other crops. Stock-breeding forms an important department of the industry, the dairy herd and other cattle proving a source of considerable profit, while Mr. Nelson has met with success in sheep-raising, his cross of Border Leices-ters with merino ewes producing a valuable flock. He has given a share of attention to public matters of importance in the district, and for six years served as a member of the local roads board, being also connected with the farmers' association. He is interested in athletic sports, and at
one time was a performer of more than average merit on the cricket field.
ERNEST FREDERICK ROBERT HANCOCK, farmer, Balingup, and proprietor of the Balingup Hotel, is a son of the late Mr. E. F. Hancock, of Wilts, England, where he was born on September 4, 1864. He commenced work in the New Swindon Engineering Works, and in 1885 left the Old Country for New Zealand, where he was associated with the mining industry for about two years. At the end of that period, crossing to Victoria, he entered upon hotel-keeping, and was engaged in this line of life there and in Tasmania for some considerable time. At a later date be became interested in coal-mining in the Kourantarra and Outram districts of New Zealand, and while so engaged did a good deal of prospecting in the surrounding country. In 1903 he left for Western Australia, and after spending a couple of years in the metropolis
came to the south-western district, and for two years occupied the position of manager of the Greenbushes Club. Subsequently he directed his attention to horse-breeding and agricultural life at Balingup, and in 1905 purchased the Balingup Hotel with the land adjoining, comprising about 40 acres of freehold, part of which is devoted to an orchard and vegetables, the remainder being cropped with wheat and other cereals. Mr. Hancock also owns about 108 acres 18 miles distant from the town, which he uses
456
as grazing pastures, and has met with considerable success in horse-breeding, being owner of the imported blood stallion “George.” He is a member of the farmers’ association, and interests himself in sports and athletics, being connected with the racing and cricket clubs of the district, lie married Lucy, daughter of Mr. George Muckridge, of Launceston, Tasmania, and has a daughter.
HERBERT GEORGE KEYSER,
J.P., Chairman of the Greenbushes Roads Board, Greenbushes, is a son of the late Mr. Charles Keyser, of the United States of America, one of the earliest settlers of the Vasse district, who built the pioneer timbei mill there and sent away the first shipment of timber from that neighbourhood. The subject under review
t rr
Mr. Herbert George Keyser.
was born at Busselton on September 12, 1867, and received his education at the same place and at Albany, lie learnt the painting and decorating trade, and for a number of years was prospecting in the districts between Dundas Hills and Mount Leonora. After spending a period at Busselton he came to Greenbushes in 1899 and commenced prospecting for tin, in which venture he met with considerable success, scoring a record in results in that district and securing about nine tons of tin from forty-two loads. Subsequently after visiting Derby he returned to Greenbushes and purchased the business of Mr. G.
Pringle, newsagent and bookseller of that town, with the conduct of which he combined operations as auctioneer and commission and insurance agent. In 1904 he w&s returned as member of the local roads board, and has retained this seat ever since, having occupied the position of chairman for three terms. He is chairman of the local board of health, a member of the hospital board, and ranks as Past Master in the Masonic Lodge. Athletics command his cordial support, and he acts as patron of the various clubs of the district. Mr. Keyser married Rosina, daughter of Mr. William Thorpe, late of Fremantle.
CHARLES ROBERT SCOTT, member of the Greenbushes Roads Board, is a son of the late Mr. James Scott, of South Australia, who carried out many important building contracts in Adelaide. He was born at Clare, in the Central State, on May 3, 1867, and pursued his scholastic studies at a local school, with a finishing course at Adelaide. Upon the close of his schooldays he was apprenticed to the wheelwright and carpentering trade, and for a number of years followed
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Charles Robert Scott.
this calling all over the northern districts of South Australia, ultimately leaving for the Western State in 1896. Upon arrival he proceeded to the goldfields, where he worked at his trade for a considerable period,
in 1905 leaving the fields and settling at Greenbushes, where he established himself as carpenter, builder, and contractor. In 1909 he was returned as a member of the local roads board, and has since occupied a seat on that body. He occupies the post of acting secretary of the Greenbushes Hospital Board, and is a prominent member of the United Ancient Order of Druids, having passed through all the chairs of this order. He is also patron of the various athletic clubs of the district. In 1893 Mr. Scott married Mary, daughter of Mr. G. Pawlson, a veteran of the Crimean War, and has one son.
WILLIAM HORNER NELSON, B.A., M.B., B.S., District Medical
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Dr. William Horner Nelson.
Officer and Medical Officer for Health, Greenbushes, is a son of the late Colonel Albert Edward Nelson, of the Volunteer Horse Artillery, Grahamstown, South Africa, who commanded the Town Guard during the Boer war and for several years occupied the office of mayor of that place. The subject of this sketch was born in South Africa on November 28, 1878, and after a preliminary course of education became a student at St. Andrew’s College in his native town. He took his B.A. degree in 1899 and then proceeded to Edinburgh to pursue his medical studies, but upon the outbreak of the war abandoned this intention
457
and sailed for South Africa, where he was attached to the 70th Company Imperial Yeomanry Corps of Sharpshooters, and saw active service in the Orange Free State, Cape Colony, and Rhodesia. From South Africa he came to Australia and received his medical training at the University of Melbourne, obtaining the diplomas of M.B. and B.S. in 1907. Dr. Nelson then came to Western Australia to fill the appointment of resident medical officer at the Perth Public Hospital, which he retained for about a year. Subsequently he acted as locum tenens in Perth and Fremantle for a time, and next accepted the post of district medical officer at Kookynie on the goldfields, which he continued to hold until his appointment in 1910 to Greenbushes, where he has now established himself in practice as consulting physician and surgeon, in addition to his duties in connection with the local board of health. Dr. Nelson advocates indulgence in outdoor athletics, and is a patron of the various local clubs. In Melbourne he married Eva, daughter of the late Major Priestley, of Tasmania, a veteran of the Crimea and of the Indian Mutiny.
DAVID ELLERTON BROWN, formerly Manager of the Green-bushes Timber Corporation, is a son of the late Mr. David Brown, of Southampton, England, where he was born in 1863. Upon leaving school he proceeded to Glasgow to take up more advanced studies, and went through a course of mineralogy and kindred subjects at a technical college in that city. In 1887 he came to Australia, and until 1900 was identified with the gold, copper, and timber industries in the Croydon and Cloncurry districts of Queensland. Returning to the Old Country he was engaged in the iron trade in Hampshire, England, and continued until 1908, when he sailed for Western Australia to enter upon the duties of manager of the Western Australian Jarrah Forrest Company, Limited, at Greenbushes. In 1902, when the Timber Corporation took over control of this enterprise, Mr. Brown was appointed senior manager at that centre, which post he resigned in 1912 in order to accept a position in Tasmania. Mr. Brown interested himself in the various organizations of a public nature at Greenbushes, and was a member of
the original roads board, the board of health, and of the Greenbushes Hospital Committee, being chairman of all three bodies. He was gazetted a Justice of the Peace in 1902 and is a member of the Masonic craft and of the Weld Club.
JOSEPH CHARLES JAMES, retired storekeeper, of Greenbushes, is a son of Captain Edwin James, of Cornwall, England, where the gentleman under review was born on April 22, 1857. In early life he was identified with seafaring pursuits, at a later date serving his apprenticeship to the grocery trade in the West of England. In 1879 he arrived at Port Adelaide and followed his calling in the South Australian capital for a few months.
w
K
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Joseph Charles James.
Ho then proceeded northwards and established himself in business on his own account at a centre about 200 miles distant from the metropolis. Here he continued until 1890, when he left for a trip to the Old Country, returning in the following year. He went into business at Balaklava, where he opened a general store, which he conducted successfully until 1905, and in that year came to Western Australia. Settling at Greenbushes he began operations at that place and rapidly worked up a flourishing business under the title of “James, The Big Cash Store,” Greenbushes, which has become one of the best-known
emporiums in the district and the leading drapery store in the town. The premises are large, well lighted, and convenient, and the splendidly assorted stock of goods, both in the general and drapery departments, testifies to the ability of the buyer to cater for the popular taste. Recently Mr. James retired from active commercial pursuits, and the business was bought and the premises taken over on lease by Messrs. Cargeeg Brothers, the present proprietors. While in South Australia he was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the whole State in 1900, and in 1910 received his Commission for the Blackwood magisterial district of Western Australia. He was also a district councillor for some years in the former State, but since his arrival in the West has directed all his energies toward the building up of his mercantile connection. Like most Cornishmen, Mr. James revels in aquatic pursuits, but his chief recreation is found in the game of billiards, in which he has won considerable repute in the district. He is a Master Mason of the South Australian Lodge of Freemasons. In 1883 Mr. James married Emily, daughter of the late Mr. Lawrence Reynolds, of South Australia, and has a son and two daughters.
WILLIAM JOHNSTON, Greenbushes, was born in Victoria on October 16, 1869. He was associated with the timber trade for a number of years on his native soil, and in 1893 left Victoria for Western Australia, where he continued in the timber trade until 1899. lie then proceeded to Greenbushes and engaged in tin-mining for seven or eight years, in 1907 building the Exchange Hotel, which he has since leased to Mr. Huitson, who carries it on at the present time. In 1909 Mr. Johnston established the Broad-walk Boot Company in Perth, and has since opened branches in Wellington Street and Bridgetown. His commercial interests also extend to Manjimupp, where he is connected with the Manjimupp Trading Company. Mr. Johnston was identified with the original co-operative society for the handling of tin ores at Greenbushes, and was a member of the first progress association in that district. He was a candidate in the Labour interest for the electorate of Nelson in 1910, but suffered defeat.
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COURT-HOUSE HOTEL, Green-bushes. (Proprietor, Percival Kin-ninmont.) Since the impetus given to the tin-mining industry in the
gradually taking the place of the primitive erections of those pioneer days may be included the Court-House Hotel, which occupies perhaps the finest situation in the town. It was erected in 1907, its site being on the highest peak in the southwest, 1,080 ft. above sea-level, whence a splendid outlook over the town is commanded. From the imposing
cleanliness and comfort reign supreme), drawing-room and diningroom (with beautifully upholstered furnishings), a cardroom, smoke lounge, saloon and lounge bars. It is the only C.T.A. and Masonic house in the town, and there are three sample-rooms for the use of commercial travellers. All modern conveniences have been introduced,
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Percival Kinninmont.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Corner of Drawing-room, Court-house Hotel, Greenbushes.
neighbourhood of Greenbushes at the close of last century the importance of this centre has greatly increased, and the population has been augmented by many scores of families. The delightful and bracing climate makes it a very desirable place of residence, and since the early years of the twentieth century the whole appearance of the place has undergone considerable changes. Among the various fine buildings which are
tower a birdseye view of many miles of country may be obtained, and various objects of interest attract the attention of the frequent visitor. The hotel is a brick building comprising twenty bedrooms (where
the bathrooms being fitted with heating appliances, and the lighting arrangements have been made by means of acetylene gas. On the western side of the hotel is a spacious balcony, covered in and running the full length of the house, where lounges and easy chairs offer allurement for whiling away leisure hours. The stable accommodation is good, and there is a garage, providing shelter for two motor-cars. Mr. Kinninmont recently purchased a powerful car, which visitors are able to hire at moderate rates. The cuisine is under the supervision of skilled hands, and leaves little to be desired, while the wines and other liquors are of best quality. The hotel is generally acknowledged to be one of the leading country houses in the State. PERCIVAL KINNINMONT is a son of Mr. James Kinninmont, of Stirling, Scotland. He was born at Adelaide, South Australia, in 1883, and received his education at Melbourne, where he was taken at an early age. He gained some insight into the principles of chemistry while still in his teens, but abandoned
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. P. Kinninmont'S Court-house Hotel, Greenbushes.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Harry Wanderley Nutt.
library at Panbnla, in the Mother State, which he continued to conduct until 1892, when his migration to Western Australia took place. After carrying on refreshment rooms in Perth for a few months he went
the idea of following that profession, and became connected with the softgoods trade, continuing in this line after his arrival in Western Australia, in 1897. After some years at Perth and on the goldfields, in 1904 Mr. Kinninmont came to Greenbushes, subsequently taking over the control of the Court-House Hotel, which he has conducted ever since. He identifies himself with the public and social life of the district, and has taken a very active part in the various local organizations for its advancement. In 1909 he was appointed a member of the roads board and of the board of health, but recently, owing to pressure of business claims, has been forced to relinquish his activities in these directions. He is a member of the hall committee, and gives cordial encouragement to all forms of outdoor sport, being president of the Greenbushes Cricket Club, and a member of the local race club.
EXCHANGE HOTEL, Greenbushes. (Licensee, John Huitson.) This commodious and comfortable hotel comprises twenty bedrooms, in addition to dining- and sitting-rooms, commercial room, and the various apartments usually found in the higher-class hotels. The cuisine is excellent, every attention being paid to the requirements of visitors, and a large share of the patronage of the district is deservedly held by this popular house.
1910, and in the short time that has elapsed since its establishment it has steadily grown in popular favour. It is conveniently situated in a central position, and contains fifteen bedrooms, drawing-room, dining-room, and commercial room, all of which are fitted with modern conveniences. In addition, the hotel possesses two commodious detached sample-rooms, in which gas has been installed, and these have proved a real boon to commercials including Greenbushes in their itinerary. HARRY WANDERLEY NUTT is a son of the late
carried on in his native State and completed upon the removal of the family to Sydney, New South Wales. For a few years Mr. Nutt was identified with the drapery trade, and subsequently opened a tobacconist business and circulating
DUKE OF YORK HOTEL, Greenbushes. (Proprietor, Harry Wanderley Nutt.) This hotel has been carried on by Mr. Nutt since
Mr. Edmund Nutt, chemist, of Canterbury, Kent, England, and was born in Queensland on August 24, 1873. His early education was
Photo by G. E. Farr
MR. H. W. NUTT'S DUKE OF YORK HOTEL, GREENBUSHES.
Mr. John Huitson’s Exchange Hotel. Greenbushes.
to the goldfields, and was prospecting at Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, Hampton Plains, Leonora, Broad Arrow, and other places for some considerable time. Eventually he started a newsagency business on the great southern line, which he relinquished in 1910 in order to open the Duke of York Hotel at Green-bushes. Indifferent health precludes him from taking any active part in public affairs, but he accords his sympathy and practical support to all movements for the advancement of the district. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and for recreation purposes finds considerable enjoyment in cricket. He married in Western Australia Lucy Christina, daughter of Mr. W. Orr, of Ireland.
JOHN MAY, of May & Morgans’ Livery and Bait Stables, Green-bushes, is a son of Mr. John May, of Cornwall, who came to Western Australia in the year 1879, and was one of the early settlers in the southwestern district of this State. The gentleman under review was born at Bridgetown on April 1, 1882, and upon the close of his education at a
G. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. John May.
local school became associated with his father, who was employed as a mail contractor, being the first to open up a service between Bridgetown and Upper Blackwood. The mails in those days were carried on horseback and delivered once a week, this method having since been
superseded by a four-horse team. He continued in this way for twelve years, and in 1907 came to Green-bushes as manager for the livery stables then carried on by Mr. Alfred Blechyrden, and ultimately took over the proprietorship in partnership with Mr. Morgans, in conjunction with his business operations, carrying on mail contracting under the Government. In 1909 Mr. May was elected a member of the local roads board, and also serves the community by filling a seat on the board of health, also being connected with the hospital board and the cemetery board. lie is president of the football club and a playing member of the local cricket club. In December, 1909, Mr. May married Ethel, daughter of Captain C. Evans, of Melbourne, and has two sons.
ALFRED WADDINGTON, Chairman of the Nelson Roads Board and general merchant, of Bridgetown, is a son of Mr. Joshua Waddington, of Yorkshire, England. He was born at Bradford on June 22, 1868, and was primarily educated at a boarding school in that town, concluding his scholastic career at Carlton, Victoria, where he came with his parents in 1879. Upon leaving school he became associated with his father in a contracting business in Melbourne and continued in this calling for eight years. At the end of this period he went to New South Wales and engaged in storekeeping pursuits, following the same line of business after his return to Melbourne in 1896. In the same year he left Victoria for Western Australia, where he joined the Public Works Department at Perth, relinquishing his position after four years in order to proceed to Kalgoorlie as department manager to Messrs. J. W. Fimister & Co. He spent five years in this connection, and in 1906 came to Bridgetown and commenced business as general merchants and agents in partnership with Mr. P. II. Awcock. In 1909 Mr. Waddington was returned as a member of the roads board and served for two years on the finance committee, which seat he resigned on his appointment to the chair in 1911. He is chairman of the hospital committee and president of the children’s sports committee, a member of the agricultural society, and in friendly societies holds
honours as Grand Master of the
I.O.O.F. of Western Australia, in which he has held membership for ten years. He is vice-president of the local cricket club and vice-president of the Nelson Cricketing Association. In 1895 Mr. Waddington married Ada, daughter of Mr.
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Alfred Waddington.
H. S. Glenie, late stock inspector of South Australia, and has three sons and a daughter.
ROLAND GANNAWAY, Secretary of the Nelson Roads Board, Bridgetown, is a son of the Rev. James Gannaway, of Hampshire. England, and was born at Blackheath, London, on November 27, 1867. He re-
ceived his scholastic tuition at Christ’s Hospital (the celebrated Blue Coat School), and when eighteen years of age left London for Australia. He entered upon commercial life in the office of the Royal Insurance Company at Melbourne, Victoria, but resigned this connection in favour of agricultural pursuits some two years later. For a number of years he was identified with the farming industry in the Victorian State, but eventually removed to Tasmania, where he opened a private school and conducted it for three years. He afterwards continued scholastic work as a private tutor for seven or eight years in Victoria, subsequent to which he became a stipendiary lay-reader in the Church of England, being stationed at
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Kaniva, near the South Australian border. In 1895 Mr. Gannaway left for Western Australia and entered the customs service at Fremantle. Here he continued for three years, at the end of which period he accepted the post of temporary headmaster of the Guildford Grammar
IF. J. Ford, Buribury.
Mr. Roland Ganna way.
School, proceeding from there to Kalgoorlie, where he filled a similar position. Upon the introduction of free education by the Government of the State in 1899 he resigned this appointment and for some time acted as secretary of the Reform League, holding this position at the time of the goldfields struggle for federation and the separation movement. He was identified with the Murchison district for a time, and in 1908 came to the south-western district, where he has since continued. Mr. Ganna-way held an appointment under the Bunbury Municipal Council which he resigned in order to accept his present post of secretary to the Nelson Roads Board. He is also secretary to the Nelson Agricultural Society, the Bridgetown Hospital, the local mechanics’ institute, and the traders’ association. In 1895 he married Nellie, daughter of Mr. Alexander Smith, of the Wimmera district, Victoria, and has four sons and two daughters.
JOHN RUSSELL WALTER, J.P., farmer, orchardist, and grazier, “Peninsula,” Bridgetown, is a son
of Mr. Octavius Gardiner Walter, of Somerset, England, where he was born in 1863. At the close of his scholastic education, which was acquired at local schools, he spent two years at the Guelf Agricultural College in Canada under Professor William Brown, and was successful in winning prize medals for knowledge of live stock and veterinary science. In 1887 he came to Western Australia, and after a few months in the Vasse district selected his present holding near Bridgetown, an excellent property of 2,300 acres, consisting chiefly of grazing land, which he uses for sheep-raising purposes. The main flock is comprised of merinoes, which thrive well in this locality, but there are also some fine Leioestcrs on the property which Mr. Walter has bred from imported stock. In addition to his pastoral operations, he has 120 acres under cultivation of various crops and 20 acres of orchard, where different kinds of fruit-trees yield good returns. For many years he has been closely identified with local public affairs, and has been a member since its inception of the council of the agricultural society, of which body he was secretary for three years and president for a lengthy period. On the roads board he has rendered good service, and was constantly called upon to fill the chair of this institution, from which he resigned only in 1909, upon the occasion of his taking a trip to the Old Country. He was chairman of the health board, in the formation of which he played a leading part, and received his Commission of Justice of the Peace in the year 1900. For a short period he represented the Nelson district in the House of Assembly, previous to the death of the late Sir James Steere. Mr. Walter married Lousina, daughter of Mr. James Guy Thurston, one of the early settlers of the Preston district, and has two sons and three daughters.
The late Captain THOMAS EDWARD HESTER, one of the very early pioneers of the Western Australian State, came to Australia from Warwick, England, by the sailing vessel “Lotus,” landing at Fremantle on October 13, 1829, in company with his wife, four sons, daughter, and a lady companion. The voyage occupied a few days over six months, and subsequent to arrival in the
colony the family resided at Fremantle, where Captain Hester was attached to a small detachment of Imperial troops stationed at the seaport for the purpose of guarding settlers against molestation by the natives. Upon the disbanding of this detachment he resided in Perth for four or five years, being in receipt of a small pension from the English Government, and afterwards received a grant of a large tract of land at Canning, where he carried on farming operations for many years. Tilling the soil with hoe and spade he was able to grow sufficient wheat for the use of the family, this being ground into flour by means of a hand steel mill. He also raised a few sheep and was the purchaser, at the figure of £50, of one of the first Timor ponies ever brought to the State. At a later date Captain Hester imported a pair of greyhound dogs from England for the purpose of kangaroo hunting, the flesh of the marsupial at that time commanding a ready sale in Perth at Is. 6d. per lb. Being in straitened circumstances Captain Hester (who had fought at the Battle of Waterloo and on the Indian frontier), through
Herinm tfc Hall, Perth.
Mr. Edward Godfrey Hester.
the good offices of Sir James Stirling (Governor of Western Australia), upon the return of the latter to England, brought his claims before the Home authorities, and he was granted the sum of £1,000 by the British Government for his past services on the Continent, in India,
and in Australia. He was also appointed one of the very first stipendiary magistrates, with a salary of £50 per annum, and for many years exercised this Commission at Canning. Captain Hester died on May 6, 1862, and his remains were accorded a military funeral by the Administration of the day. The late EDWARD GODFREY HESTER, second son of the foregoing gentleman, was born in England in 1820, and was in his tenth year when the family landed in Western Australia. Upon the conclusion of his scholastic studies, which he pursued under the supervision of a private tutor, he began to assist in the duties of the home farm and became his father's right hand until his twenty-sixth year. About this time he accepted the appointment by 'the Government of Protector of Natives, his duties also including the protection of settlers—a post which carried an emolument of £60 per annum. During a trip on horseback to Shark Bay with the first party to open up this country Mr. Hester had a misunderstanding with his superior officer, Mr. George Eliot (for many years resident magistrate at Bunbury), and leaving his companions returned alone to Perth, a proceeding which elicited congratulations on his courage from Governor Hutt, who was out riding and was the first person Mr. Hester met on reaching Perth. Subsequently Mr. Hester married Theodosia Sophia, daughter of Dr. Henry Hall, of Woongong, Perth, formerly of England, who came to Western Australia by the “Parmelia" in 1831. He next terminated his service with the Government and opened in business at Bunbury as general storekeeper and timber merchant. Meeting with success he largely increased his operations, and after ten or twelve years sold out and selected 60,000 acres of land in the Nelson district, 3,000 of which were freehold, the balance being on a 28-years’ lease from the Government. Upon this property, to which he gave the name of “Blackwood Park," eventually he built a homestead and took his family to reside there, being the pioneer settler of this part of the country. He erected the first steam flourmill in the south-west in 1865, the building, which is still standing, now being used as an apple store. Sheep-raising, principally merinoes, formed the chief branch of Mr. Hester’s enterprise, and he also went in fairly extensively for cattle and
horses, and carried on dairying operations with satisfactory results. For many years he served as a member of the Nelson Roads Board, acting as secretary, and also filling the chair for a lengthy period. A staunch Anglican, he frequently officiated as lay reader in Bridgetown, the present site of this picturesque town being on a part of the old “Blackwood Park’’ property. Mr. Hester— who was for many years a Justice of the Peace—died in November, 1898. There were five sons and eight daughters of the marriage, nine of whom still survive. GODFREY WILLIAM HESTER was born at Bunbury on October 12, 1857, being the third son of the late E. G. Hester. He was educated by private tuition at “Blackwood Park"
Lafayette, Perth.
Mr. Godfrey William Hester.
and at Bridgetown, and afterwards assisted his father on the farm until 1878, when he obtained the post of manager for “Winnegup" Station, the property of Mr. J. F. T. Hassell, of Kendenup, which then carried
7,000 sheep and 500 head of wild cattle. After two years he relinquished this connection and spent a year at Bassendean, near Guildford. Lie then launched out for himself, and proceeding to the north - west purchased a flock of 1,500 merino ewes from Mr. E. T. Hooley, agent for Mr. Tom Murray, of South Australia, and drove them a distance of 230 miles towards the head of the Fortescue River. Here, in partnership with his brother, Mr. Edward Hester, he formed the “Mulga Downs" and the “Curdiaderry”
stations, comprising together some
600,000 acres, and for three or four years considerable success attended the venture. A liko period of severe drought followed, with such serious results that the partners were forced to dispose of their interests, purchasers being found in the firm of Messrs. Lockyer Brothers, and returning to the Blackwood Mr. Hester was offered a seven-years’ lease of Sir James Steere’s “Jaye’s" property, in partnership with his son, Mr. Edward John Stccre. At the close of this period he selected a property adjoining “Blackwood Park,’’ the development of which he proceeded with until 1907, when he leased the estate to Mr. Cecil Keall and took up his residence in Perth. Mr. Llester in that year opened in business as a commission and land agent, under the style of Hyem, Hester, & Co., Limited, and has since carried on successfully at Forrest Chambers, St. George’s Terrace. He was gazetted a Justice of the Peace for Nelson district in 1898 by the Forrest Administration, and upon his resignation was reappointed for Perth district in 1909. Lie was a member of the Nelson Roads Board for many years, and also occupied the position of people’s church-warden in the Anglican church at Bridgetown. He is a member of the Western Australian Trotting Association, and finds recreation in motoring and golf, being a member of the Cobtesloe Golf Club. In 1890 Mr. Hester married Mary Evangeline, daughter of Canon George H. Sweeting, formerly rector of Guildford, and has four sons and three daughters. His eldest son, Lancelot H. S., a student at Roseworthy Agricultural College, South Australia, in 1912 won a diploma in agriculture. Mr. Hester resides at “Dalgarup Hall," Claremont.
GERALD EDMUND HESTER, “Blackwood Park,’’ Bridgetown, is a son of Mr. Edmund Godfrey Hester, of Warwickshire, England, who came to Western Australia in 1829 and was among the pioneer settlers of the south-western district, after an early residence at Canning, ultimately taking up land in the Blackwood area, which he developed as a sheep station. The subject of this review was born at “Blackwood Park," and received his education at the same place. From his boyhood he has been associated with farming
463
pursuits, the property which he has worked for many years being that originally owned by his father and situated about four miles north-west of Bridgetown. It is watered by Hester’s Brook and comprises 1,400 acres of country, the soil consisting for the most part of a red loam 3 ft. deep, which produces excellent pasturage and is well suited to purposes of agriculture. About 60 acres are devoted to a fine orchard, which forms one of the principal departments of the industry, and 200 acres have been brought under cultivation of hay crops, 50 acres being sown with other classes of crops. An interesting feature is an ancient vine, the largest in the State, which was planted in 1860, and is still of vigorous growth, the trunk measuring 4 ft. in circumference. Mr. Hester engages in sheep-raising on a considerable scales and has obtained excellent results in his Lincoln - Merino flock, which has been developed from original imported stock. He takes some part in the affairs of the district and has been a member of the local roads board for about four years. He has also been connected with the Royal Agricultural Society for a lengthy period, and is a member of the West Australian Club, Perth. He married Isobel Selina, daughter of the late Lieutenant Frogley, and has three sons and a daughter.
RAND ALE EGERTON - WAR-BURTON, orchardist and grazier, “Brackenhurst,” Bridgetown, is a son of Lieutenant Eger ton-Warbur-ton, of the 51st Regiment of Western Australia, who came to this State in 1840 and married a daughter of Sir Richard Spencer, first resident magistrate at Albany. The gentleman under review was born at Albany on September 11, 1860, and pursued his scholastic studies in the same town. From boyhood he has been connected with agricultural pursuits, and coming to the Nelson district in 1889 selected a portion of his present holding, which in the interval of time that has elapsed from that date has increased from 400 to
3,000 acres. Mr. Egerton-Warburton goes in for the breeding of a high-class type of horses and other stock, sheep-raising in especial forming an important department of his operations. He has found the Lincoln breed of sheep well suited to the locality, and his Lincoln
wethers on many occasions have scored successes in the agricultural show rings. He grazes in all about
2,000 sheep, besides which the estate carries in the vicinity of forty horses, and he has been a very successful exhibitor in the latter class of stock. At the Royal Agricultural Show held at Perth in 1911 he was awarded second prize for his Western Australian bred draught stallion, the progeny of which at the Bridgetown Show secured all the prizes for yearlings and two-year-olds, the sire himself winning two first prizes and the championship. At the Nelson Show of 1911 his various exhibits totalled the sum of £23 10s. in prize money. Mr. Warburton has about 100 acres of land under crop, and his 40-acre orchard is a feature of beauty in what is one of the loveliest estates in the district. For three years in succession Mr. War-burton won a challenge cup presented by the late Sir James Steere for the best - kept orchard in the Nelson district, besides three first - prize silver cups. He is a member of the local fruitgrowers’ association. In 1890 he married Eva, daughter of the late Mr. E. G. Hester, of “Blackwood Park,” and has two sons and four daughters.
CLARENCE SHEPHERD, orchardist and grazier, is a son of Mr. Hyett Shepherd, who was born in South Australia in the year 1844. His grandfather, one of the very early pioneers of that State, belonged to an old Yorkshire family with shipping interests at Whitby, and sailed from England in the ship “Francis Speight,” of the line of Messrs. Shepherd & Lidgett, of which firm his uncle was senior partner. He arrived at Port Adelaide on November 20, 1843, and having sold to advantage a cargo of iron, steel, and coal which he had brought with him he subsequently took up land in the Aldinga portion of the Willunga district, adjoining the block where was afterwards erected the White’s Valley Flourmills, from which was exported the bulk of the flour sent from South Australia to the early Victorian gold diggings during the fifties. The gentleman under review was born in March, 1881, in the brick house built by his grandfather where his father before him had first seen the light, and after a preliminary course of education in his native town finished his scholastic
studies at Adelaide. He spent his early manhood in agricultural pursuits on his father’s farm and in 1901 joined the fifth South Australian contingent proceeding for service in South Africa. Here he went to the front and was wounded in the engagement at Reitz, on which occasion the forces were led into action by Colonel de Lisle. After his return to South Australia, eventually he left for the Western State in 1904 and took up 1,600 acres in the Blackwood district for grazing and stock-raising purposes. In 1910 he took over “Blackwood Park” on lease from Mr. G. Hester, this estate, comprising 1,200 acres, being situated in one of the most picturesque parts of a beautiful district. In the last-mentioned year Mr. Shepherd was responsible for the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Clarence Shepherd.
initial shipment of fruit to South Africa from Bunbury. He is very fond of rifle - shooting and takes his recreation chiefly on the range where ho has attained considerable success as a marksman. His spare moments are devoted to mechanics, and in conjunction with an engineer he is perfecting a farmer’s weighbridge, the chief features of which are accuracy, portability, and cheapness. All parts of the machine are interchangeable, and it will record the weight of light and heavy loads with the greatest accuracy. The mechanism is very simple and easily manipulated, and it is estimated that the cost will be about one-tenth of the price of the ordinary weighbridge.
The FREEMASONS’ HOTEL, Bridgetown. (Proprietor, Mr. R. A. J. Crawford.) This well-known hotel is a substantial two-storied building situated at the northern end of the town, within a minute’s walk of the railway station.
gas have been made, hot and cold water is laid on, and the plunge bath and other luxuries are always obtainable. In every respect the hotel ranks among the best in the south-western district and is conducted on the most up-to-date lines. The liquors are of the best quality, and the cuisine, under the superintendence of Mrs. Crawford, is of a
Mr. W. A. Crawford, of Bendigo, and was born at Windsor, Victoria, on June 5, 1877, also receiving his education there. With the exception of a few intervals he spent some fourteen years as steward on the Huddart - Parker line of vessels, trading on the Australian coast, and in the A.U.S.N. Company's service. In 1900 he settled in Western
It has a fine street frontage, and its attractions are greatly enhanced by an 11 ft.-wide verandah running the full length of the house. The accommodation consists of fifteen bedrooms (well-ventilated and comfortably furnished), two well-appointed dining-rooms, drawingroom, and smoke- and reading-rooms. Installations for the lighting of the whole building with acetylene
Corner of Drawing-room Freemasons, Hotel, Bridgetown.
character to satisfy the most fastidious taste. The stabling accommodation is good, and shelter is provided for motor-cars. Mr. Robert Arthur John Crawford is a son of
Mr. R. A. J. Crawford's Freemasons’ Hotel, Bridgetown.
Australia, and coming to Bridgetown took over control of the Freemasons' Hotel, which at that time was situated at the southern end of the town. After two and a half years the business was removed to the present premises, which had been in course of erection and were now completed. At this juncture Mr. Crawford transferred his services to the Bridgetown Hotel and continued to act as boniface in that establishment for a similar period. He then took a three months’ holiday, and upon his return to Bridgetown became proprietor of the Freemasons’ Hotel, which he has carried on ever since. Mr. Crawford owns 29 acres of land about a mile from the hotel, and has planted a fine orchard covering 15 acres, which yields a plentiful fruit supply. He also has a station property at Pierup, comprising 1,400 acres, and intends ultimately to develop this as a sheep and cattle breeding station. He takes a very keen interest in local affairs, and for two and a half years, as a member of the roads board,
Mr. Robert Arthur John Crawford.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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has done useful service, recently being reappointed to this body. He is an active member of the mechanics’ institute, and has occupied the office of vice-president for some considerable time. He is patron to the Bridgetown Race Club and takes a prominent part in aquatic sports, having successfully organized three local carnivals. A member of the Nelson Football Association for seven years and president for five years, he is well known on the field. Perhaps his chief interest, however, is centred in the children of the neighbourhood, and he is never happier than when de voting either time or money to their interests. He married Kathleen, daughter of Mr. Edmund Fleming, of Woodend, Victoria.
JACK SMITH, proprietor of the Terminus Hotel, Bridgetown, is a son of Mr. Joseph Smith, of Yorkshire, England, who was the first settler in the Bridgetown district,
W. J. Ford, Bunbury.
Mr. Jack Smith.
where he took a very active part in public affairs and served as a member of the roads board for over thirty years. The subject of this notice was born at Bridgetown on June 15, 1881, and was educated at local schools. At the termination of his studies he was engaged in the tinmining industry at Greenbushes and followed this occupation for over eight years, subsequently pursuing various avocations in the south - western EE
district until he took over the lease of the Terminus Hotel in 1906. This hotel is centrally situated, about a minute’s walk from the railway station, and obtains its fair share of patronage from the travelling and resident public. Mr. Smith takes an active interest in local affairs, and was a member of the roads board for a term, at the
whom he remained for about five years. At the end of that period Mr. Lake relinquished this service in order to open in business on his own account at Bridgetown, and met with such success in his operations that in 1911 he was obliged to secure more commodious premises to cope with his increasing expansion of trade. He was elected president of the local
Photo by IF. J. Ford.
Mr. Jack Smith's Terminus Hotel, Bridgetown.
present time occupying a seat on the board of health. He is president of the Labour movement in the district. In athletics he is prominent, and fills the office of president of the football and cricket clubs, holding trophies for his prowess in the latter sport and captaining the cricket club in local matches. His record on the football field is also good, and he is looked upon as a sure supporter of all healthy outdoor diversion. Mr. Smith married Mary, daughter of Mr. E. Murnane, of Victoria, and has two daughters.
HERBERT LAKE, general merchant, of Bridgetown, is a native of Ballarat, Victoria, where he was born on June 20, 1876, being a son of Mr. John Lake, of that city. At the conclusion of his education, which was imparted at local schools, he started active business pursuits in the hardware and ironmongery trade, and has continued in this line of business ever since. After a period in the employ of Messrs. Eyre's Brothers, of Victoria, he left for Western Australia in 1902 and became connected with the staff of Baird’s Company, of Kalgoorlie, with
traders’ association in 1910. Mr. Lake finds congenial recreation for his leisure hours in the cultivation of his orchard property, which lies
C. F. Farr, Perth,
Mr. Herbert Lake.
adjacent to the town, and has about 15 acres of apple-trees which bid fair to be a considerable source of profit in the near future.
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AUGUSTA AND KARRIDALE.
When, as a result of Captain Stirling’s report on •the Swan River, the British Government decided to establish the colony of Western Australia, it conferred upon him the Lieutenant-Governorship of the new settlement and at the same time gave him priority of choice of 100,000 acres in the territory. Portion of this land he selected near Cape Leeuwin, and within a few months of assuming the reins of government inspected the south coast with a view of establishing a settlement. The site chosen was on Flinders Bay, at the mouth of the Blackwood River, where the land seemed to possess agricultural qualities and the bay to provide good harbourage. Here the settlement of Augusta was established in 1830, with Captain J. Molloy as Government Resident and about thirty settlers. The difficulties in the way of clearing were many, and the cattle showed a tendency to stray; consequently when the more suitable Vasse plains were discovered some two or three years later the settlement moved to that place, leaving
very few people at Augusta. Its existence continued in a desultory fashion until the establishment by M. C. Davies & Co. of karri timber mills about 11 miles away, at what afterwards came to be known as Karridale. The two places were connected by a private railway, and Augusta (or Flinders Bay) became the port of shipment for karri timber. Later Karridale became connected by rail with Port Hamelin, on the west coast, and timber was shipped from there also.
Karridale, the timber centre, is situated right in the heart of the karri country, and is surrounded by giant trees, equalled only by the gums of Victoria and Tasmania.
Fifteen miles from Karridale is the Leeuwin Lighthouse, one of the great shipping beacons of the world, and between Augusta and Karridale are some marvellous limestone caves, the principal, the Coronation Cave, being probably the peer of anything yet discovered.
Midland Junction to Toodyay.
Midland Junction, which may be regarded as the outer boundary of the suburban system, owes its importance to the fact that it is the junction from which the eastern, southern, and northern railways diverge, and is also the site of the railway workshops of both the Government and the midland railway systems. In addition to the trunk lines, there is a short railway from Midland Junction to Canning Mills, situated in the Darling Ranges. Built originally by the Canning Timber Company as a means of transporting cut timber from the mills to the city, it has for some years been the property of the Government. It is familiarly known as the “zig-zag railway,” owing to the fact that it ascends the face of the hills by a series of zig-zags, from the highest point of which there is a view probably unequalled in the State. On a clear day the whole intervening country, across Perth and Fremantle and right away to Rottnest Island, lies spread out in a vast panorama.
The salubrity of the atmosphere, due to its high position — ft. above the sea level — has of recent years marked the district as one of the health resorts of the city, while its soil and climate have combined to make it a progressive district from a fruitgrowing standpoint. The township of Kalamunda, the centre of population on the ranges, is situated upon almost the highest point, and if the number of summer residences built in and around by prominent city folk are any criterion, has a future before it almost equal to that of the Mount Lofty district in South Australia.
Before the goldfields railway was constructed the line from Midland Junction to the eastern districts ascended the ranges by way of Greenmount, Darlington, ee2
and Smith’s Mill, but when the heavier goldfields traffic had to be considered a new route was laid down by way of Swanview and Parkerville. Both routes are in constant use, and tap agricultural country that is fast being cultivated. Greenmount is also the centre of a stone-quarrying area worked by the Perth City Council, from which most of the stone used for road-making is secured, while for many years past extensive vineyards have been a feature of the Darlington district.
Another site of interest on the older line is Mun-daring, looked upon as an ideal sanatorium for consumptive patients. From there a spur runs down to Mun-daring Weir, some five miles away, where is situated
the huge dam from which the goldfields and far east agricultural towns are supplied with water. This, a work of deep interest to all visitors, has already been described. At Parkerville, on the goldfields’ deviation, there is situated the Waifs’ Home, that excellent institution for the care of orphan and destitute children so well conducted by the Sisters of the Church of England. The two lines join at Lion Mill, a timber centre worked by Messrs. Bunning Brothers, and a double line continues through Chidlow Well (the highest point), Woorooloo, Baker Hill, and Clackline to Spencer’s Brook, from which point the eastern goldfields and great southern railways start. From Clackline a spur runs off to Toodyay and Bolgart, thus serving another large section of that vast agricultural area which Western Australia has at last recognized that it possesses.
Toodyay, the centre of an old-established district, is one of the earliest surveyed town sites in the State, dating back to 1833, when a settlement was made on a
468
site some three miles away from the town. The present location was fixed in 1860, in order to be closer to the main road to the metropolis, and the name of Newcastle was conferred upon it. The old Toodyay settlement was abandoned and became little more than a memory. A few years ago, however, a desire was shown to revert to the earlier title, and the name Toodyay was revived in place of Newcastle. Situated on the left bank of the Avon River and nestling amid the hills, Toodyay is undoubtedly one of tho most charming inland towns of Western Australia, and affords to the visitor ample proof of the wisdom of the early pioneers who determined to make their homes in such beautiful surroundings. As befits the centre of a rich district, the town is a place of considerable commercial importance, and its buildings are evidence of the general prosperity of its people. It has three churches, schools, post office, town hall, and mechanics’ institute, as well as three good hotels for the convenience of visitors. Water is supplied from a large reservoir capable of conserving 4,000,000 gallons, Toodyay being in that respect much more fortunate than many other Western Australian towns. The surrounding
district contains some of the finest agricultural land in the State, and here, if anywhere, wheat-growing, dairying, fruit-growing, and viticulture are to be found in full swing. In fact, it is doubtful whether finer farming land could be secured anywhere in Australia. Within easy reach of the town, as distances go in the country, are several very fine homesteads. One of the oldest of these is “Culham,” so called after the homestead in Oxfordshire where its original owner, Mr. S. P. Phillips, was born. Established back in the thirties, the property has been in the hands of the Phillips family since 1840, and is one of the finest farms in Western Australia. Nearer the town is “Avondale," the property of Messrs. Bull & Stevens, who have about 100 acres under vines, most of the fruit being used for wine-making. This industry is also carried on at “Coorinja,” a fine vineyard some five miles out of Toodyay, and in a less degree at several other homesteads. The railway from Toodyay to Bolgart has brought many of these properties within easy reach of the market, and has consequently given a great impetus to settlement and the development of the land.
BERTRAM FOWLER HUSSEY, J.P., M.B. (London.), M.R.C.S. (Eng.), L.R.C.P. (Lond.), is a son of the late Mr. Francis Leitch Hussey, of Perth, Chief Accountant in the Treasury Department of the State, and was born at the above city on June 13, 1873. He received his education at the Perth High School, and in 1891 was successful in winning a University Exhibition, entitling him to entrance to the Universities of Australia, England, Ireland, and Scotland. Making choice of England, he entered St. Mary’s Hospital, London, and in connection with this institution gained the prize for forensic medicine, public health, hygiene, and clinical medicine. Upon returning to Australia Dr. Hussey settled at Fremantle, and for six months acted as locum tenens for Dr. J. W. Hope, then principal medical officer for the port. Subsequently he was engaged in private practice at Claremont for three years, leaving there for Menzies, where after twelve months he received appointment as Government medical officer for the district. In 1911 he removed to Toodyay, since when he has acquired a most extensive and successful connection in the town and surrounding district. Dr. Hussey in earlier years was foremost in general athletics, and has achieved the rare feat of covering 120 yards in even time, while he won most of the open events
during his college course. He still maintains his keen interest in sport of all description, and is popular not only with the devotees of outdoor diversion, but with all classes of the community among whom he resides.
IF. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Dr. Bertram Fowler Hussey.
He was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Administration in 1906. In 1895 he married May, daughter of the late Mr. Francis We3che, of London, and has a son and two daughters.
OSWALD LOUIS de MAMIEL, auctioneer and general agent, Toodyay, is a son of Mr. Henry Hoener de Mamiel, of Barnawartha, Victoria, and grandson of Baron Hoener de Mamiel, of the Garde du Corps of Louis XVIII., of France, who, as commander of the 6th Regiment of the King’s “Old Guards,” distinguished himself at the Battle of Antwerp. The late Baron married Anna Maria Caroline Swift, of County Meath, Ireland, in 1833, and his death occurred in 1866. The subject of this memoir was born at Barnawartha, Victoria, on April 2, 1872, and after attending the local State school for some time finished his education at a private academy. At the age of seventeen he became associated with the winemaking industry and two years later turned his attention to grazing and agriculture. Tiring of this kind of life he entered the employ of Messrs. Martin & Co., of Barnawartha and Rutherglen, as a stockman, and continued with this firm for about three years. In December, 1905, he left for Western Australia, and upon arrival took train to Woolgangie, walking from there to Coolgardie, and finally finding his way to Black Flag, where he engaged in mining pursuits with indifferent success. Starting in the auctioneering and produce business, he continued in this line until the outbreak of the White Feather field, now known as Kanowna, where he
469
again became interested in mining, and at a later date resumed auctioneering at Paddington, which venture proved successful. Whilst here he was appointed president of the Australian Workers’ Association, and became deeply interested in the great strike connected with the Paddington Consols. Suffering considerable financial loss through taking upon himself the support of certain indigent members of the Association, Mr. de Mamiel sold his business, and coming to Perth established
W. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. Oswald Loras de Mamiel.
himself as an auctioneer and general agent in that city. After carrying on successfully for twelve months he left for the Murchison district, and operated in the same line of business at Day Dawn and Cue for about four years, his efforts commanding good results. Again settling at Perth he joined the Producers’ Markets, Limited, as chief auctioneer and submanager, two years later being compelled to resign on account of ill-health. Being advised to fry country life Mr. de Mamiel removed to Toodyay and opened an auctioneering and agency business in this progressive district. He rapidly established his claim to be considered the most able man in his line in the town and has pursued a most successful career, representing among other large firms Messrs. George Wills and Co., Henry Wills & Co., John Darling & Son (wheat merchants), Daniel White & Co. (carriage builders), and the South British Insurance Company. In addition to his mercantile interests he holds 1,500 acres of land,
which is completely- fenced, and 250 acres cleared, and here mixed farming operations are carried on, wheat and sheep being the principal industries. Mr. de Mamiel in 1906-7 was president of the Paddington Progress Association and served as a member of the Broad Arrow District Roads Board, being instrumental with others in having Paddington declared a municipality. During his residence at Murchison he was a member of the Day Dawn Municipal Council for three years, and for eighteen months occupied a seat on the Day Dawn Water Board. In 1909 he was elected a member of the Newcastle Municipal Council and served in this capacity until the municipality was merged in the Toodyay Roads Board, when, on account of the pressure of business claims, he retired from public office. He married in 1900 Isabella Grace, daughter of Robert and Catherine Mansfield, of Hay Street, West Perth, well-known and successful colonists of about fifty years’ standing, and has a family of four sons and two daughters.
CHARLES MAXWELL LUKIN, J.P., auctioneer and commission agent, Toodyay, was born at Perth on December 24, 1881, and is the third son of Mr. Lionel Boyd Lukin, a native of Toodyay in the early forties. Educated at the Perth High School, in his seventeenth year Mr. C. M. Lukin became connected with a land agent’s office at the capital, where he continued for a year. He then turned his attention to the pearling industry in the northwest in conjunction with the late Captain Knight, and passed another twelve months in this way. Returning to the south, ho joined Mr. T. J. Donegan at Toodyay, filling the position of accountant in a general merchant’s business carried on by that gentleman at that centre. Four years later, upon the disposal of this concern to a purchaser, he became chief salesman in connection with the Producers’ Union, Limited, at Perth, and acted in this capacity for about eighteen months. He then proceeded to Toodyay, and after carrying on as an auctioneer and general agent for two years accepted the management of Mr. W. Padbury’s business there, which he conducted most successfully for a year and a half. Desiring an independent career, he then returned to the auctioneering business,
starting on his own account in 1910, since when he has formed a highly satisfactory connection. He is representative in the district for various well-known companies, including Messrs. Elder, Shenton, and Co., the Sunshine Harvester Co., Millars’ Timber & Trading Co., Ltd., Stewart & Lloyds, the Cyclone Fence Co., W. Sandover & Co., the Commercial Union Insurance Co., etc., and generally conducts a most flourishing business. Mr. Lukin has since established branches of his business at Northam, Goomalling, and Won-gan Hills, and thus operates throughout a very wide radius. He is also interested in the pastoral industry, owning a fourth share in a property of 7,000 acres, a portion of the “Deep-dale” Estate originally taken up by Governor Stirling in 1838, from whom it was purchased by Mr. Lukin’s grandfather about two years later. He also owns 1,000 acres at Wyening, near Bolgart, which he intends to apply to mixed farming, 200 acres already being cleared, as well as
IF. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. Charles Maxwell Lukin.
several small holdings in the township and surrounding district, in regard to which he is very optimistic. He is the youngest Justice of the Peace in the State, having been gazetted in 1910, and represents the district on the Licensing Bench. He was a member of the Toodyay Municipal Council for five years, having previously held the position of town clerk, and upon the merging of this body in the roads board he was elected to a seat on the latter, which
he still retains. He is secretary to the Toodyay Agricultural Society, inaugurated in 1852, the oldest organization in the State holding a periodical show, which celebrated its sixtieth anniversary in 1912. A foundation member of the Toodyay Club, he acts on its committee, is a member of the Toodyay Racing Club, of which he has been treasurer for five years, for three years has been connected with the local M.U., I.O.O.F., and is a patron of all local sporting organizations. He married in August, 1912, Beatrice, daughter of the late Charles Crossland, surveyor, of Perth.
JOHN AUBREY JAMES SINCLAIR, general merchant, Toodyay, is a son of Mr. W. R. Sinclair, manager for the Hon. T. F. Quinlan, and was born in the town where he now resides on May 21, 1885. Until fourteen years of age he attended the local State school, proceeding from there to the Scotch College, Perth,
W. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. John Aubrey James Sinclair.
where he spent another two years. Upon leaving college he was apprenticed to the firm of Messrs. Splatt, Wall, & Co., electrical engineers, but this business not appealing to him he returned home and entered the firm of Messrs. Donegan & Connor, general merchants, with whom he acquired a useful knowledge of business methods. Upon the disbanding of this firm he joined the Newcastle Trading Company, and after eighteen months in this connection in 1907
started operations on his own account at Toodyay. He has since made good his reputation to be included among the most successful general merchants of that centre, the scope of his business extending with each succeeding year. Mr. Sinclair takes an interest in the progress of the district and served as a member of the Municipal Council of Toodyay for three years. He is an enthusiast in military matters, and has been intimately associated with the military movement for the past ten years, during which period he has filled every position from private to lieutenant, and at the present time holds rank as lieutenant of the 18th Australian Light Horse. He is a member of the Toodyay Agricultural Society, and acts on the committee of the local racing club, in connection with which institution he is the present official timekeeper. Sport in its various forms finds a ready advocate in Mr. Sinclair, equestrian and pedestrian exercise commanding his strong support. He is a member of the M.U., I.O.O.F., in which he has filled the office of Noble Grand and Grand Master, being now a Past Grand of that institution.
WILLIAM ALLAN HUTCHINSON, Ph.Ch., M.P.S., chemist, Toodyay, son of Mr. Edelbert Hutchinson, J.P., of Yorkrakine, was born at Richmond, New South Wales, on June 21, 1883. Being brought to Western Australia by his parents at an early age, he received his education at the James Street Public School, Perth, until fourteen years of age, when he became a student at the Perth School of Mines for a further four years. Here he took a course of assaying, chemistry, botany, and pharmacy, and having obtained his degree, was admitted as a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia. He was then offered a position with the W.A. Apothecaries’ Company at Perth, and after six years with this company left the metropolis for Toodyay in 1908, opening on his own account at this centre, where he has continued ever since. He has made considerable extensions to his business, including departments in stationery and photography, a cycle agency, etc., and conducts the whole with the success which a thorough grasp of the best commercial methods commands. Mr. Hutchinson takes considerable interest in sport, and is
a life member of the Perth Lacrosse Club, with which he has been prominently connected for a lengthy period. He was one of the Western Australian representatives chosen to sustain the prowess of this State against the Canadian lacrosse players in 1907. At the present time he finds
Mr. William Allan Hutchinson.
his chief recreation in tennis. He is a member of the Masonic craft, being connected with the local Lodge, No. 37, W.A.C. He was married in May, 1909, to Annie Louise, daughter of George Sands, of Brighton, England, and has one son and one daughter.
JONATHAN SOMERS, J.P., Toodyay, is a son of the late Daniel Somers, of Wallsend, New South Wales, and was born at Maitland, in that State, on August 23, 1862. lie received his education at the Wall-send Public School, and at the age of 17 years becoming a general dealer travelled over the whole of the northern portion of New South Wales. Tiring of this occupation after three years, he became apprenticed to Mr. J. Garaty, coachbuilder, of Wallsend, with whom he continued for five years. At the end of this period he launched out on his own account, and successfully conducted operations as a coachbuilder for a further two years. In 1891 he left Sydney for Western Australia, and proceeding to Toodyay—then known as Newcastle—he immediately accepted a position with Messrs. Best and Kingston, of that town. Twelve months later he bought out the firm,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
471
and ever since has successfully carried on the business, during the earlier years of his connection with the district being responsible for the manufacture of three-fourths of the materials used in waggons built for conveyance to the goldfields. Mr. Somers holds 2,500 acres of land in the district, 450 acres being cleared and principally devoted to wheatgrowing and sheep-raising. He has held various public offices, being elected mayor of the town in 1909 and filling the chair for the ensuing two years, at the end of which period Toodyay ceased to be a municipality, its administration being merged in
Webb <& Webb. Perth.
Mr. Jonathan Somers.
the roads board of the district. Upon retiring from the mayoralty he was the recipient of a valuable gold repeater and a handsome marble clock, as tokens of the appreciation in which his services were held. He was gazetted Justice of the Peace by the Moore Government in 1907, is chairman of the Toodyay Hospital Committee, and is connected with almost all public and sporting institutions. As patron and life member of the local football club he has been presented with a beautiful piece of plate in recognition of the interest and practical support he has extended towards that body. He is a member of the Toodyay Racing Club, of which he was for some time steward, and at present occupies the post of adjudicator in connection with this club. In the Masonic Lodge, Toodyay, No. 37, W.A.C., he holds office as Worshipful Master for
the third time, his former terms of office occurring in 1903 and 1906, and he is a P.D.G.P. in the Grand Lodge of Western Australia. Mr. Somers is a member of the Toodyay branch of the M.U., I.O.O.F., and a committeeman of the Toodyay Club, of which he is a foundation member. He married in 1890 Catherine Drummond, daughter of the late Mr. William Thomas, of Hamilton, New South Wales, and has three sons and three daughters.
The late RUDOLPH CAMERER,
“Lichtenthal,” Toodyay, was a son of the late Johann Gottfried Camerer, Chief Justice of the Grand Duchy of Baden, and was descended from an old patrician family, dating its direct lineage back to the fourteenth century. Joachim Camerarius was a friend of Melancthon, and assisted him, together with Luther, in formulating the “Augsburg Confession” (1530). In 1590 the German Emperor, Maximilian II., conferred a new coat of arms upon Alexander Camerarius (subsequently Germanized “Camerer”) and his descendants for all time. He was born at Rastadt, Germany, on May 24, 1838. He received his education at the grammar school at Bruchsal, afterwards at the College of Wertheim, and after completing his nine years’ course attended the Heidelberg University for a year, subsequently proceeding to the agricultural college at Wiesbaden. Having acquired a thorough theoretical knowledge he served an apprenticeship on a model farm for twelve months, and further added
to his experience by accepting employment, for a time, without pay, on another farm. He then obtained the position of superintendent of the large estate owned by Earl Erfa, adjoining the Duke of Coburg’s estate, consisting of 800 acres of cultivated land besides a considerable tract of
Barlletlo, Perth.
Mr. Rudolph Camerer.
forest. In 1863 he left for Australia and settled at Dandenong, Victoria, where he undertook the management of a large tobacco farm. This proved unsuccessful, and Mr. Camerer next purchased a small holding of land near Geelong, which he worked with good results for four years. Selling out, he selected 320 acres in the Wimmera
Photo by C. E. Farr.
“ Lichtenthal." Homestead. Toodyay.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
district, where he made his home for twenty-four years, during that time adding about 2,000 acres to his property. He instituted a large and most modern dairy and private butter factory at this place, the output from which averaged four tons of butter per week. The whole of these large buildings, including byre, chaff house, butter factory, etc., were connected by rail for the conveyance of milk, chaff, and cows’ feed. The Australasian and The Leader, in giving minute descriptions, especially in regard to the automatic arrangements in byre and factory, pronounced the whole plan and construction “unequalled in Australia,” a great compliment to Mr. Camerer, who designed the plans and was his own sole architect and clerk of works. Three successive years of drought compelled him to resign this industry, and leaving his northern
conditions unsuitable for his purpose. A flock of 500 sheep is run on the property, which is well fenced and subdivided into five paddocks, and horses and cattle are bred both for use on the farm and for the local market. A plentiful supply of good water for stock purposes is found on the estate, and rain water is conserved for domestic use. Mr. Camerer for about twenty-two years held a Commission of the Peace for the northwestern district of Victoria, and for six years was a member of the St. Arnaud Shire Council, and president of the waterworks board of that place until the works were vested in the Crown. For twenty-six years he served as lay preacher in the Methodist denomination, and subsequently for ten years in the Presbyterian Church, being called almost weekly to fill appointments throughout Victoria. Mr. Camerer, whose death
for about three years, when with his cousin he decided to visit the Western Australian territory. Arriving at Fremantle in 1897, he proceeded to Chidlow’s Well and started operations as a building contractor, shortly afterwards removing to Toodyay, where he took up 62 acres of land and turned his attention to farming pursuits. He has since added a further 209 acres to the original holding, and has cleared over 170 acres for wheat-growing and orchard purposes, the area under fruit being fifteen acres, and many varieties are found in its well-tended rows, of which Mr. Cook is justly proud. A healthy-looking flock of sheep grazes on the property, and Mr. Cook also engages extensively in the breeding of saddle and carriage horses, being owner of the beautiful grey stallion “Sir Richard,” who, with his progeny, has often proved successful in the
rhoto by C. E. Farr. Harvesting Scene at Mr. Camerer’s Farm. Toodyay.
estate he went to Melbourne with his sons, who took over a farm-produce business in that city, together with a small butter factory. After ten years of metropolitan life he seized the advantages offered by land investment in Western Australia, where immunity from drought proved a great inducement to intending settlers. Arriving in this State in 1906 he brought with him a travelling express waggon, and having made a general tour of inspection round the farming districts took up a holding of 1,100 acres of excellent soil near Bolgart. With a view to entering upon the dairying industry again, he had shipped a small herd of pedigreed Ayrshire cattle upon his departure from Victoria, but after experimenting with these on liis new farm found the food
occurred in 1913, was married in 1866 to Marie, daughter of the late Mr. A. Hering, ironmonger, of Prussia, and had three sons and three daughters.
ARTHUR COOK, farmer, and owner of “Coondle Apiary,” Toodyay, son of Mr. Alfred Cook, of Smithfield, New South Wales, at which town the gentleman under review was born on March 23, 1875. He pursued his studies at the State school, and at the age of fifteen years began road contracting in partnership with his brother, and continued in this connection for two years. For some time he worked in his father’s orchard and apiary, afterwards carrying on fencing contracts in various parts of the State
prize ring. He is a constant exhibitor of poultry and fruit at the local agricultural shows, and has carried off many awards for these products. As a beekeeper he is also widely known, having three distinct- apiaries in the district, and the products of his hives meet with a ready sale at the local markets. The property is beautifully situated on a hillside, and is considered one of the show places in the Toodyay district, especially possessing a great advantage in its water supply, which is derived from practically inexhaustible springs. Mr. Cook is a member of the Toodyay Agricultural Society, and is connected with various sporting bodies, being an enthusiast in cricket. He is very fond of music, of which he makes a hobby, and is the fortunate possessor of a fine tenor voice.
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CHARLES JAMES COOK, J.P., farmer, “Normanhurst,” Toodyay, is a son of the late Mr. William Cook, of Bridgewater, Somersetshire, England, and was born on March 3, 1857, at the above town. He pursued his scholastic studies at the Bridgewater Grammar School until the age of fifteen years, and thence proceeded to London, where for two years he occupied himself in obtaining an insight into the various sides of life presented by the world’s metropolis. After spending three years in the building trade he returned to Somerset and apprenticed himself to a bricklayer, which calling he followed until 1880, when leaving for New South Wales he arrived at Sydney in March of that year, and commenced building operations on his own account. After five years in the mother State he returned on a
IT. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. Charles James Cook.
holiday trip to England, and subsequently settled in Victoria, where he pursued his calling for a further five years. Another half-decade followed at Strathfield, in New South Wales, and whilst here his attention was directed to Western Australia. Crossing the water to the Western coast, he took up his residence at Perth in 1904, still engaging in his former occupation until the closing year of the nineteenth century. The advantages offered to settlers on the land by the Government of the day attracted his attention, and leaving the metropolitan area he proceeded to the Toodyay district, where after carrying out a few contracts he selected 627 acres of land, to which
he has since added by selection and purchase a further 4,300 acres. Of this area 600 acres have been cleared and a large portion cultivated, whilst grazing and mixed-farming pursuits generally are carried on with considerable success. Upon the abolition of Toodyay as a municipality in February, 1912, the administration of the town was merged in the local roads board, of which Mr. Cook was appointed the first chairman under the new amalgamation and still retains this office. He was gazetted a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Government. A member of the Masonic craft he hitherto has occupied the position of District Grand Secretary, Scottish Constitution of Western Australia, First District Senior Warden, S.C., W.A., and Past Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia, and is now connected with the Toodyay Lodge. He married Rosina Marion, daughter of Mr. John Willis, of Bridgewater, Somerset, England, and has five sons and three daughters.
ALEXANDER JAMES FERGUSON, farmer, Toodyay, is a son of the late Thomas Ferguson, of Guildford, and was born on May 27, 1848, in the latter town. At the age of nine years he commenced farming occupations, and in 1860 left Guildford for the Toodyay district, where he has been identified with the agricultural and pastoral industry ever since. He is the possessor of nearly 3,000 acres of land, 560 acres being cleared and devoted to the cultivation of wheat and oats for the market. The balance of the property is well stocked with sheep, Mr. Ferguson having relinquished cattle grazing, to which formerly he gave some attention. He cultivates a small orchard, where fruit for home consumption is produced, and finds the supervision of his various industries sufficient to fill up the greater portion of his time. He was a member of the Toodyay Roads Board for six years, but owing to the pressure of his private claims, was obliged to resign the seat, though still retaining a lively interest in the progress of the district, for which he predicts a great future. He holds the opinion that here the best agricultural areas in the State are to be found, and considers the community most progressive, and ready to avail itself of every opportunity of advancement. Mr. Ferguson was married in 1869 to Sarah
Elizabeth, daughter of the late Robert Waters, of England, one of Western Australia’s earliest pioneers, and has a family of nine sons and four daughters.
AUGUSTINE JOHN LEE, farmer, who owns the “Glenrowe” property in the Toodyay district, was born at Helensbrook on June 13, 1884, and is a son of Mr. Frederick Augustine Lee, of Mount Leek, Toodyay. He received his education at the Wicklow Hills State School, and when fourteen years of age joined his father in agricultural pursuits, continuing in this connection until he reached his twenty-third year. He then launched out on his own account, commencing the development of a property taken up some time previously on his behalf by his father and situated among the hills surrounding the township. Of the 226 acres comprising the holding, 134 acres have been cleared and cropped with cereals, very satisfactory harvests rewarding the efforts of the tillers of the soil. The breeding of horses and cattle for use on the farm is also carried on by Mr. Lee, who gives a fair share of his attention to this side of his industry. He interests himself in public affairs to some extent, and during his period of office as secretary of the Nunyle Agricultural Hall has been instrumental with his committee in freeing the hall from almost the whole of the debt resting upon it. He is a member of the Toodyay Rifle Club and acted as secretary to this body for three years, while many of his leisure hours are devoted to hunting, a sport of which he is very fond. He married in 1907 Alice Ruby, daughter of the late Mr. Alexander Ferguson, of Cul-ham, and has three sons.
CHARLES JAMES LLOYD, farmer, “Culbaline,” Toodyay, is a son of the late Charles Lloyd, of the same district, where also he was born on January 13, 1866. In his earlier days he attended a private school conducted by his grandfather at Dumbarton, completing his education at the State school at Toodyay. At fourteen years of age he joined his father in farming pursuits, and continued in this connection until 1900, when, upon his marriage, he took over the farm from his parent and commenced operations on his
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
own account. The property consists of 800 acres prettily situated in a well-watered valley; about 100 acres are devoted to the cultivation of cereals, while a flock of about 400 sheep grazes on the adjoining pasture land. A vineyard, eight acres in extent, is a noticeable feature, and two acres of fruit - trees have been planted, it being Mr. Lloyd’s intention to add to this area in the near future. A few horses and cattle are bred for use on the farm. The gentleman under review has been a member of the Toodyay Agricultural Society for a number of years, and has met with much success as an exhibitor of farm produce at the annual shows held by this organization. He was an enthusiastic supporter of
1T\ A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. Charles James Lloyd.
the sixtieth anniversary of the society, which was celebrated on October 16, 1912. A member of the M.U., I.O.O.F., for twenty years he has passed through all the chairs of the Order during that period, and holds rank as Past Grand. He was also a member of the Toodyay Masonic Lodge, No. 37, for about eight years, and is a committeeman of the local race club. In 1900 Mr. Lloyd married Lottie Elizabeth, daughter of the late Henry Thomas Chitty, of Toodyay, and has three sons and three daughters.
C. D. McDERMOTT, farmer and grazier, “Nengin” Farm, Toodyay, is a son of the late James McDermott,
who was born at Fremantle, Western Australia, in 1834. Mr. McDermott owns about 3,500 acres of land, which is devoted to mixed farming, about
IF. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. C. D. McDermott.
2,000 sheep and other stock being run on the property.
AUGUSTUS WILLIAM SINCLAIR, farmer, of ‘'Dumbarton,” Toodyay, is a son of Mr. W. R. Sinclair, a resident of the same district, where also the gentleman under review was born on April 8, 1883. He received his education at the Government school at Toodyay, at fourteen years of age proceeding to the Scotch College, Perth, where he completed his scholastic course. Leaving this institution he entered business life in the office of Mr. John Farrant, land agent, of Perth, with whom he continued for six months. He then joined his father in the development of the holding where he now resides, and seven years later acquired the ■property for himself. “Dumbarton” consists of 1,300 acres of land occupying an ideal situation on the sloping banks of the Avon River, about five miles east of Toodyay, along the Northam Road. It is all freehold, and 500 acres are cleared, of which area 220 acres this season (1912) are under cultivation of wheat and oats. The property is fenced throughout, and division into fourteen paddocks has been made, while an adequate water supply is obtained from ten wells which have been sunk on different portions of the holding.
“Dumbarton” is stocked with 600 sheep, intended both for the wool and mutton markets, while cattle and horses are bred for use on the farm only. The homestead is a striking feature as viewed from the adjacent Northam Road, and the outbuildings and machinery upon inspection leave nothing to be desired as adjuncts to a thoroughly modern and progressive proposition. Mr. Sinclair is a member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and acts on the committee both of this body and of that of the Toodyay Agricultural Society. He has been a most successful exhibitor at the local shows, and is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society. He has been a member of the M.U., I.O.O.F., for ten years, during which period he has passed through all the chairs of office, and now holds rank as Past Grand in this Order. He is a committeeman and
IF. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. Augustus William Sinclair.
steward of the Toodyay Racing Club, and being a keen patron of sport generally is connected with the various organizations in the district having for their object the promotion of outdoor recreation. In 1909 he married Ethel, daughter of Mr. W. A. Demasson, of Toodyay, and has one daughter.
SAMUEL HENRY SYRED, “Stonybrook,” Toodyay, was born at Bejoording, in the same district, on September 11, 1860. He received his education at the local school, and when fourteen years of age became
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
475
associated with his father in agricultural life until he reached the age of twenty, when he left the parental rooftree and found employment on farms in various parts of the State. After ten years of varied experience, desiring to settle down, he purchased a portion of the property where he
IF. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. Samuel Henry Syred.
now resides and entered upon farming pursuits on his own account. He has extended his holding by a further 960 acres, and now owns a well - developed property, situated upon rising country, and adequately supplied with water from three large wells. It is substantially fenced and subdivided into eight paddocks of convenient size, 600 acres being cleared and 250 acres devoted to agricultural purposes, the principal crops raised being wheat, oats, and barley, to the production of which the soil and climate are splendidly suited. Mr. Syred carries on mixed-farming operations and has a flock of 400 head of sheep; cattle and horses are bred for the requirements of the farm, while a fair-sized piggery also forms an important feature of the industry. The homestead is substantial and comfortable and in the vicinity may be found well-built outhouses, while the machinery requisite for an up-to-date farm is not wanting. For some years Mr. Syred has been a member of the Toodyay Agricultural Society. He married in 1891 Eliza, daughter of the late Mr. James Ferguson, of Toodyay, and has two sons and three daughters.
WILLIAM CHARLES SYRED, farmer, “Stonybrook,” Toodyay, is a son of the late William Edward Syred, and was born at Bunbury in the year 1858. He pursued his scholastic studies at Bejoording, in the Toodyay district, until twelve years of age, when he joined his father in farming pursuits and continued in this connection until the time of his marriage, in 1890. He then purchased his present property, originally consisting of 40 acres, to which he has since added 300 acres, and now has a snug little farm of 340 acres freehold, with a further 645 acres on conditional purchase. The whole is substantially fenced and favourably situated as regards the water supply, a never-failing brook running right throught the property, which serves during the summer for the stock, while for domestic use a supply is obtained from two large wells, augmented by a good rain catchment. About 470 acres are cleared, of which 225 acres have been brought under cultivation, the chief crops being wheat and oats, which do well in this district. The place is stocked with 400 head of sheep, which Mr. Syred breeds for market, and a few cattle and horses for use
IF. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. William Charles Syred.
on the farm. A commodious residence is surrounded with the usual outbuildings, where an excellent equipment of all kinds of machinery necessary for farm requirements is found. Mr. Syred is a member of the Toodyay Agricultural Society, and takes a great
interest in every movement tending to its advancement. He married Catherine, daughter of the late William Beard, farmer, of Toodyay, and has six daughters and two sons.
ERNEST EDWARD TWINE,
“Mourambie,” Toodyay, is a son of Mr. Henry Hames Twine, a native of Crawley, on the Swan River, and was born at “Newgayne,” Toodyay, on April 8, 1871. After three years of private tuition he attended the Dumbarton School, subsequently again parsing into the hands of private tutors, under whom he completed his education. At the age of sixteen he joined his father in farming pursuits
IF. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. Ernest Edward Twine.
in the Toodyay district, where he continued until his twenty-first birthday, when he left home and for twelve months was engaged in contracting on the Eastern Road. The end of this period found him back on the home farm, but shortly afterwards he started on a prospecting tour in the Mount Jackson district, which proved barren of good results on account of the scarcity of water. Accordingly, he returned to “New-gayne” and took over the lease of the farm from his father, working it successfully for about fourteen years, when he entered into possession of his present holding. This property consists of about 800 acres of beautiful country situated on one of the most-elevated parts of the Toodyay district, and is cleared, well fenced, and subdivided into twelve paddocks.
476
The land is devoted to wheatgrowing, sheep-breeding, and general mixed - farming operations, prominence being given to agriculture, while the breeding of horses for use on the farm is carried on—Mr. Twine owning the well-known stallion “Lion,” which has produced some good progeny. The homestead is a substantial ten - roomed residence built of brick, and the property is well-equipped in the way of outbuildings and machinery necessary to the proper carrying on of an up-to-date farm. Mr. Twine’s long acquaintance with the district has enabled him to render considerable assistance to the Government when in quest of information on various occasions. He is a member of both the Royal and Toodyay agricultural societies, and has been a most successful exhibitor of sheep, cattle, horses, and wheat. For many years connected with the M.U., I.O.O.F., he has held every office up to that of Past Grand in that body, and he is very active in outdoor sport, until recently taking a prominent part in the Toodyay Racing Club, of which he is still a member. He is also a member of the Toodyay Club. Hunting is his favourite pastime, and he has accounted for many head of kangaroos, wild duck, and brush turkey in the bush and rivers surrounding his property. In 1903 Mr. Twine married Bertha Jane, daughter of the late Mr. Henry Atwell, a well-known resident of Fremantle, and has two sons and three daughters.
FRANK REGINALD TWINE, of “Newgayne,” Toodyay, is a son of Mr. Henry Twine, and was born on the property on January 23, 1889. He received his education at the local public school, which he left at the age of sixteen in order to join his brother in agricultural pursuits, and with his sister entered into possession of “Newgayne” upon the departure of his brother to another part of the district. This was in 1909, and Mr. Twine since that period has given the
whole of his attention to the development of the farm, which consists of 1,700 acres of country, finely situated, 600 of which have been cleared and cultivated, wheat and oats being the chief crops produced. A flock of 600 merino sheep finds pasture on the property, while a few horses and
W. A. Hutchinson, Toodyay.
Mr. Frank Reginald Twine.
cattle arc bred for farm requirements. A small area has been devoted to a vineyard, and the several varieties of vines planted have made excellent progress. Mr. Twine is a patron of outdoor sport generally, and is a member ox the Toodyay Football Club. He has had some military experience, and is a member of No. 4 Squadron of the 18th Australian Light Horse Regiment.
ROBERT NICHOLAS WIL-KERSON, of “Glenavon,” in the Northam district, was born at Cossack, in the north-west, on November 15, 1886, and is a son of the late Charles II. Wilkerson, of the above-mentioned estate, which he inherited from his father, who was one of the pioneers of the district. He received his education at the Toodyay State
School, and when quite a lad just entering on his teens, went to work on the home farm, which is situated about midway between Northam and Toodyay, and here he has continued to reside ever since. In 1910, upon the death of his father through accident, the gentleman under review took over the management of the place, which he still continues to administer, holding the property on lease from his mother. He is a member of the Toodyay Agricultural Society, and has served on the committee of that body. He is also connected with the Toodyay Race Club, being a lover of the equine race, and owning some good horses, with which he competes both on the turf and in the show ring, trotting events being his chief recreation- Mr. Wilkerson takes an interest in the friendly societies’ movement, and is a member of the local lodge in connection with the Independent Order of Oddfellows. He was married in
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Robert Nicholas Wilkerson.
1908 to Claudina Maud, daughter of the late James Barrows, of Sydney, New South Wales, and has a family of two sons and two daughters. His postal address is “Glenavon,” Toodyay.
The Eastern Districts.
The areas which the early pioneers were entitled to select in return for money and property brought to the colony were so large that the available land of satisfactory nature within easy reach of the settlement was quickly exhausted. It therefore became necessary to look further afield, and with that object in view Ensign Dale, who had previously made short excursions in an easterly direction, struck out still further across the ranges, towards the end of 1830, and brought back glowing reports of the country explored. This opinion was confirmed by Lieutenant Erskine, sent out to examine the same country, and the Governor consequently determined to view it for himself. So impressed was he that arrangements were quickly made to throw the land open for selection, and sites were marked out for the towns of Northam,
York, and Beverley.
Many locations were taken up, but s e t tlement did not actu-a 11 y commence until the spring of the year 1831, when a party,
amongst whom were Messrs. Hardey, Clarkson, Bland, and Moore, was taken over the ranges by Lieutenant Dale and left to form the beginning of what is now recognized as one of the greatest wheat-bearing areas in Australia. Almost from the first the district, worked by settlers of the best type, made good headway, and quickly became the most important portion of the State outside the capital. In fact, throughout the early period of the history of Western Australia, the opinions of the settlers around York and Northam expressed through the York Agricultural Society, had no little influence in determining the policy of the Governor and his advisers. When the question of railway construction was raised
in 1870, it was admitted on all hands that the most pressing need was rapid communication with the eastern districts. To-day the York-Northam area forms only a small part of the great eastern belt of agricultural land which stretches eastwards beyond Merredin, and is itself but a part of that enormous area, which, starting from Ajana in the north runs southward to within a few miles of the coast. It is, however, a particularly favoured section. As the “Official Handbook” says: “The rainfall varies from 12 in. to 20 in., and the abundance of well-grown jam wood, and of York, salmon, and gimlet gums, is the outward and visible sign of the soil’s high quality. The soils range from heavy loams and strong clays to light scrub plains which, though not prepossessing in appearance, hold the rain well and give excellent crops when fertilized. For hay, wheat, fodder crops, sheep, and all other kinds of stock the area is exception-a 11 y well adapted, and as it is excellent fruit country each farmer may,
if he chooses, have his own little orchard attached to his homestead.” Along the northern and far eastern edges of the belt the rainfall is smaller in quantity, and the possibilities of drought more apparent, but farming may be considered reasonably safe as far east as Bodallin. Beyond that locality, though the soil does not deteriorate, the question of rainfall becomes serious. During the past two or three years there has not been sufficient rainfall throughout most of the area, and consequently the district has received a setback, but faith is strong and droughts infrequent, and the settlers look forward with confidence to a successful future.
'
Photo by C. F. Farr. York from Mount Brown.
YORK.
York, named after the faraway home of some of the sturdy pioneers of 1830, was declared a town site in 1831 and the first town lot was sold in 1835. Nestling picturesquely in the valley through which the Avon River finds its way, the town gives to the visitor every impression of stability. Its streets are wide and well made, and its public buildings, many of which are of stone, are of a character befitting so important a centre. Like
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Avon Terrace, York,
many other Western Australian towns, its buildings are evidence of its progress. Side by side with the old-fashioned structures of the pre-goldfields days are modern buildings of handsome design. The Government buildings, which include the post office, courthouse, hospital, and State school, are all up-to-date, and the town hall, erected (with municipal offices) at a cost of over £8,000, is one of the largest and most comfortably furnished in the State. A portion of the building has been set apart as a municipal library and free reading-room, affording evidence of the fact that the municipal council is alive to the intellectual as well as to the material needs of the community. The leading religious denominations —Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian—have all handsome places of worship, and the convont schools of the Roman Catholic faith occupy a prominent position in the heart of the town. Many of the business premises are, like the trade carried on, of a substantial character, and the banks and hotels afford ample proof of the important position held by the town. The Western Australian, Union, New South Wales, National, and Australasia Banks all have branches, and the number of well-constructed and well-appointed hotels shows that York is a favoured resting-place. As a health resort its appreciation rests upon its comparatively high altitude, dry climate, interesting surroundings, and general charm. Being some 60 miles inland
from the sea, high up on the Western Australian plateau, it is perhaps one of the best situated towns in the State for convalescents, and though somewhat hot in the summer time has an almost ideal winter climate. For the enjoyment of visitors, and of those residents addicted to the ancient Scottish pastime, there are excellent golf links just out of the town, while more strenuous and less expensive amusements are also fostered. The town itself runs along both sides of the Avon River, and the connecting bridges, some four in number, add to the general picturesqueness of the place.
Commercially, York is a town of considerable importance. It is connected by rail with Perth and Albany and is the starting-point of the railway through Green Hills, Quairading, and Nunajin, which it is intended to continue to meet the eastern goldfields line at Mer-redin. Further, as we have seen, it is the centre of the oldest agricultural district in the State. Dairying, wheat-growing, sheep-farming, and horticulture are extensively carried on in the surrounding country, and the stock sales held regularly in the municipal saleyards adjoining the railway station are of sufficient importance to attract buyers from all the south-western portion of the State. York is also a centre of the sandalwood trade, the timber being obtained from the neighbouring forest ranges. So far as manufacturing establishments in the town are concerned, they are practically confined to flour mills, tanneries, and kindred trades generally
Town Hall, York,
found in large agricultural centres. The population of the town and district is about 4,000. It has been a municipality for many years, and has generally been fortunate in possessing mayors who have been fully alive to its possibilities. The present occupant of the mayoral chair, Mr. T. C. Evans, “mine host” of the Castle Inn, the leading hotel, has had several terms in the position,
479
and is ever an enthusiastic advocate of tho claims of York.
In 1899 York was connected by rail with Green-hills, a district of uniformly good agricultural value, which was settled as far back as 1855, among the pioneers being the late Edward Parker, whose name is well remembered by all the older inhabitants of York. The
line has now been extended to Quairading, some 30 miles, and Nunajin, about 80 miles further on, the object being to continue it to Merredin, and thus form a loop with the eastern goldfields line and serve another of those large agricultural areas which give promise of great prosperity in the future.
THOMAS CHARLES EVANS, J.P., Mayor of York, who has resided for nearly a quarter of a century in the town of which he is now chief magistrate, was born on the “Mole” Pastoral Station, in New South Wales, on August 6, 1864, and is the eldest son of the late Matthew Evans, of Tasmania, in the sixties and seventies one of the best-known mine managers in New South Wales. Young Evans pursued his scholastic studies in Mudgee and Wellington, subsequently completing his educational career at a more advanced school at Stanmore, near Sydney. Leaving school at seventeen years of age, and being desirous to enlarge his experience of the great Island Continent, he shortly afterwards turned his footsteps towards the neighbouring State of Queensland, where for a couple of years he followed the avocation of a stockman, being engaged in droving and other work incidental to pastoral life. At the end of that period he left the north in order to enter into commercial pursuits at Orange, New South Wales, and here he gained a splendid insight into the general conduct of mercantile affairs during tho seven or eight years that he spent in this important country centre. Receiving a good offer to dispose of the large business which he had worked up in so efficient a manner, he closed with the proposals made, and, leaving the town and State, spent a short time in Melbourne and Adelaide, where he made excellent use of his time, closely observing the latest methods in vogue in these mercantile centres. At the end of the year 1889 he came to Western Australia, and, landing at Albany, proceeded to York, his object being to gain an impression of the standing of one of the oldest towns in the State. Following closely on his arrival he was offered and accepted a position on the staff of Messrs. C. & K. Edwards as manager of the grocery, hardware, and fancy - goods departments of their business, which post he held for fifteen years. Resigning from
this connection about 1904, he secured the lease of the Castle Hotel, which is looked upon as the leading and most popular hostelry in the town, and further reference to which is made elsewhere in this volume. During his long residence in the town of York Mr. Evans has made himself a personality in the community, and for close on eighteen years has been prominent in the public affairs of the municipality. He served as a member of the council for over twelve years, at the close of which period he was honoured with election to the mayoral office, and is
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Charles Evans.
now in his fifth year as chief magistrate of the town. To say that he “magnifies his office” would be to state very inadequately Mr. Evans’ unselfish and energetic concern for the welfare and advancement of his adopted State, and the thorough and business-like way in which he advocates every measure which he considers worthy of his support has won for him the unstinted esteem of his fellow townsmen. The greater part of his time is spent in the furtherance of the public weal, and many and varied are the duties which
devolve upon him in his capacity of representative of the citizens of York. Visitors to the town, both interstate and international, experience the utmost courtesy at his hands, and nothing gives him greater pleasure than to conduct such parties on a tour of inspection, when no feature of interest is allowed to escape their notice. At an earlier period he occupied the post of honorary secretary to the York Mechanics’ Institute—a useful institution, now merged in the municipal library — and by his energy and ability kept alive the interest of the townspeople in the institute during its time of depression. For these good offices, at the period of the transfer of interests to the municipal library, he was publicly thanked by the citizens, and was made the recipient of a diamond jewel as a token of their appreciation. Although a sound Liberal in politics, he is far from being narrowminded, and in his capacity of mayor holds himself ever ready to accede to requests made to him to preside at public meetings, etc., regardless of all shades of political opinion there represented. In November, 1909, the Moore Administration, which was then in power, recognized his long and worthy record of useful public services by granting him the Commission of the Peace for York magisterial district —an almost unique distinction for the holder of an hotel licence. He is a Freemason of long standing, being P.M. of the York Lodge, No. 5, W.A.C., in which he at one time occupied the post of secretary, and he has also taken a prominent part in the affairs of the local branch of the M.U., I.O.O.F., being a Past Grand of that body. A genuine lover of all forms of clean, manly sport, his patronage is freely given to everything of this nature in the district, and for nearly five years he has been captain of the York Golf Club. Golf is his favourite pastime, but his name is recorded as one of the founders of the local bowling club, of which he has been president
since its inception. A true lover of a good horse, his stable always shelters a thoroughbred or two, and nothing gives Mr. Evans keener enjoyment than a rousing gallop past field and glade in this picturesque rural district. It is generally conceded that to Mr. Evans is due great credit for the prominent position York holds to-day in the nublic mind, and his experience is such that, when any new scheme or project is afoot, his advice and cooperation is eagerly sought after to bring about its successful culmination. He is married, and has two children—a son and a daughter.
Councillor JOHN THOMAS PARKER, J.P., of the municipality of York, and President of the York Agricultural Society, was born at “Marley,” situated about eight miles from York, in the Green Hills district, on March 14, 1850, his father being the late John Wyborn Parker, a son of the late Stephen Stanley Parker, who came to the State with his parents in February, 1830, being then thirteen
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. John Thomas Parker.
years of age. The latter gentleman became a settler in the York district, where he owned various properties at the time of his death which descended to his sons, and Mr. John Wyborn Parker from an early age was identified with the management of these estates at a period when considerable difficulty and danger attended the path of the farmer and
pastoralist. The subject of this notice was educated under private tuition and at the public schools of the district, at the conclusion of his studies assisting on his father’s farm for some years. At a later date he entered upon farming pursuits on his own behalf on a property which he acquired in the Green Hills district, where he continued in the same industry for over forty years. Eventually Mr. Parker disposed of his landed interests and, settling in York, has since lived in retirement. Practically all his life he has been identified with public affairs, and this interest increased as he became more deeply immersed in the deliberations of the various bodies to which he gave his support. For a lengthy period he occupied the post of chairman of the Green Hills Roads Board, and served for some years on the similar body in connection with the York district prior to the separation of the Green Hills Board from its parent. For over forty years he has been a member of the York Agricultural Society, serving as a committeeman for the greater part of that time, and for some years past has presided over that society; while, as a councillor of the municipality, his term of service extends over a decade. He received his Commission of the Peace from the Forrest Administration in pre-Federal days, and has exercised his justiciary powers ever since. He manifests an earnest concern in the welfare of the local Church of England, occupying the office of vestryman and for a considerable time that of churchwarden. His hobby is a small poultry farm, and he has been a successful exhibitor at the various shows of the district; while, for needful recreation, he has recourse to bowls, having been one of the foundors of the York Bowling Club. Mr. Parker married in 1900 Amy, daughter of the late Robert Read-head, of Geraldton, Western Australia, and has one adopted son.
Councillor ALFRED HAROLD MERCER, who represents South Ward in the York Municipal Council, was born at Burnside, South Australia, on January 4, 1878, being a son of Mr. Alfred Tanner Mercer, a native of the Central State, and one of the early pioneers of Yorke Peninsula. He was educated at Weetulta, and upon the completion of his studies came to
Western Australia, where he entered the government service in the clerical branch of the Railway Department. In 1899 he resigned his position in order to engage in storekeeping pursuits in the employ of Mr. Harris, of York, with whom he remained for three years. At the close of this period Mr. Mercer launched out on his own account, opening in business in York, and for the past decade has been a well-known figure in the commercial life of the town and district.
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Alfred Harold Mercer.
Mindful of his duties as a member of the community, some years ago he offered himself as a candidate for municipal election and was duly returned by the ratepayers of South Ward, retaining his seat at the following election. He was an active member of the mechanics’ institute for some time prior to the taking over of control of that institution by the municipal council, and acted as committeeman for a considerable period. He has taken a very prominent part in friendly society work, being connected with the Independent Order of Rechabites, and for three years filled the position of treasurer of the local lodge of the Ancient Order of Druids, in which he now holds office as Vice-Arch; besides which he has been the elected representative of these bodies at the various conferences held from time to time in different parts of the State. Mr. Mercer is very fond of music and spends a good deal of his leisure in pursuit of this engrossing hobby, being choirmaster of the local Methodist Church, of which body he
481
is also a trustee and member of the board of management. He married in 1905 Susie, daughter of the late Thomas Dunstan, of Kapunda, South Australia, and has one daughter.
Councillor MATTHEW RYAN, representing North Ward in the York Municipal Council, was born in Ballykinlalce, near the village of Newport, County Tipperary, Ireland, on September 11, 1864, being a son of the late John Ryan, a farmer, of that place. He received his primary education at the National School at Ballynahinch, and at the conclusion of his studies, at fifteen years of age, began to assist his father on the farming property worked by the latter, and continued there until the wider scope offered by the distant lands under the Southern Cross tempted him to emigrate to Victoria, where he arrived in the year 1887. After spending two years in the Eastern State, where he obtained his first acquaintance with the methods of colonial agriculture, he came to Western Australia, with the object in view of starting on his own account in the agricultural industry. Upon arrival he took up a small farm of something over 300 acres of good arable land in the York district, which he proceeded to develop, and as time went on extended his borders until in 1903, in which year he disposed of this property, it comprised some 10,000 acres, more than a third of which in course of time was to become freehold, the balance being held on pastoral lease from the
Crown. At the time of selling Mr. Ryan’s intention was to return to the land of his birth and settle in the Old Country, but instead of carrying out this plan he reinvested his capital in Western Australian property, purchasing the block of land in York township where the Palace Hotel now stands and acquiring other financial interests in the same place, in addition to which he also became the owner of a nice little
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Matthew Ryan.
farm at Woodlands, situated about three miles from York, and another at Coarin, midway between Quairading and Nunajin and adjoining the township of Coarin. Both of these holdings comprise about 200 acres respectively, that at Woodlands being in an advanced state of improvement,
whilst the whole is fenced and under cultivation. In 1909 Mr. Ryan erected the Palace Hotel in York, which may be classed among the finest hostelries not only in the country districts of Western Australia but also among those of the metropolitan area. Situated in the centre of the town, it presents an imposing appearance, being constructed after the most modern architectural design, with elaborate ornamentation and thoroughly up-to-date fittings, etc. A two-storeyed structure, it contains forty-three rooms, including offices, bars, billiard-room, and all the etceteras necessary to comfort and convenience. The entrance to the hotel is through a tiled vestibule, richly embellished with polished cedar and jarrah fittings; the furnishings throughout are luxurious, and the luxury of hot- and cold-water baths is provided for the use of patrons. The lavatories are arranged on the latest and most sanitary lines, and an innovation in the shape of a septic tank has been installed on the premises, this being a rarity in the country districts. The hotel originally was opened by Mr. Ryan, who continued the personal conduct of the business for a time, but eventually let it on lease, and it is at present under the management of Mr. H. W. Smith. Mr. Ryan, since his arrival in the York district, has identified himself to a considerable extent in the life of the town, and sat for a decade as a member of the York Roads Board. For some years past he has served as a member of the local agricultural society, and in 1909 was elected to a seat on the York Municipal Council. He is a committeeman of the York Racing Club, and was one of the foundation members of the local bowling club. A prominent member of the Roman Catholic communion, he takes an active part in the committee work of the body in this district. Mr. Ryan was married in 1911 to Mary, daughter of Mr. William Browder, who came to Australia half a century ago and settled in the Deloraine district of Tasmania, where he was engaged in the agricultural industry for many years, and has one son.
Councillor JAMES PERCIVAL CLAIRS, representative of North Ward in the York municipality, was born at Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, on October 30, 1878, and
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came to Western Australia in 1887 with his father, the Rev. Canon Clairs, now rector of the Anglican Church at East Fremantle. He received his education chiefly at the public schools of Busselton and Northam, where his father was associated with the work of the church, and upon the termination of his studies entered upon farming pursuits in the Goomalling district, almost before the era of agriculture as one of the industries of the State. At the age of twenty he joined the traffic department of the railway service at Northam, and was identified with various offices in different
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. James Percival Clairs.
parts of the State, serving in the eastern goldfields, the south-western and great southern districts, and rising to the position of stationmaster, which he filled for seven years. In 1909 he was offered a position of trust with the firm of Messrs. J. M. Drummond & Co., of Perth, and resigning his connection with the railway service a few months later, he established himself in business on his own account at York as a general agent, holding his chief agency on behalf of the firm abovementioned, and has continued in this line of mercantile life ever since. Mr. Clairs, almost immediately upon settling in York, commenced to interest himself in the public life of the place, and during the year after his arrival was returned by the ratepayers of North Ward to represent them at the municipal board, his fellow-councillors shortly afterwards electing him to the position of town treasurer. His
favourite sport is rifle-shooting, in which he has scored successes above the average, holding various trophies to mark his prowess in this direction; and he is a committeeman of the York Rifle Club. He is also a keen chess-player. In 1900 Mr. Clairs married Hilda Ethel, daughter of the late Frederick Morrell, of Northam, and has four daughters.
GEORGE HENRY SMITH, who formerly represented South Ward in the municipality of York, is a son of the late George Smith, one of the early settlers of Western Australia, who, after residing for about two years in this State in the early seventies, proceeded to South Australia with his family and was engaged for a lengthy period on the copper mines at Kadina. The gentleman under review was born at Redruth, Cornwall, England, on October 28, 1858, and received his education in his native town, subsequently accompanying his mother to Australia in 1876. Upon arrival he
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. George Henry Smith.
joined the boiler-making department at the Wallaroo Mines, and at a later period became apprenticed to the firm of Messrs. Brown & Sons, agricultural machinery manufacturers, at Kadina, with which firm he was associated for over three years. He gained considerable experience with the Union Engineering Company, Adelaide, and was employed in various enterprises of a similar kind in different parts of the State. When
the firm of Mesrs. Allen & Co. started business in Western Australia, where it pioneered the use of the stump - jump plough and other agricultural implements, Mr. Smith came over in its employ, and for fifteen years filled the position of foreman and manager of the works at York. Ultimately the firm went out of business, when the subject of this notice joined the York Engineering and Agricultural Implement Company in the capacity of manager, a post he retained until 1913. He interested himself in the public affairs of the town, and for eighteen years, with a break of three years only, served as a member of the local municipal council, being connected with various subcommittees of that body. He was also a member of the health board of the town. Mr. Smith resigned his several public offices on his departure from York in June, 1913. The Masonic fraternity, both here and in the Central State, has claimed his adherence, and he is a Past Master of the craft in connection with which he was a foundation member of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia. Of musical gifts, he was identified with the York Town Brass Band from the inception of that body. Mr. Smith married in 1881 Catherine Jane, daughter of the late Josiah Jeffery, who was connected with the mining and agricultural industries of South Australia, and has a surviving family of one son and four daughters.
KENNETH EDWARDS, J.P., “Fernleigh,” York, Chairman of the York Roads Board, was born at “Sandgate,” situated ten miles distant from the above town, on January 18, 1856, and is a son of the late William Edwards, who came to that district in his childhood and did pioneering work among those who blazed the tracks of progress in Western Australia. His education, received in the first instance by private tuition, was supplemented by a course at Bishops' College, Perth, and subsequently he spent some years in his father's business at York, until, having gained a thorough knowledge of its operations, he undertook the conduct of the concern in conjunction with his brother, Mr. Charles Edwards, with whom he carried it on for many years. Retiring from business in 1893, he built a pretty villa on a
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property of nearly 500 acres which he owned on the Perth Road, about two miles from the town, and has since devoted his energies to the development of the land and mixed farming pursuits generally. About half of the whole area is under cultivation, and 21 acres are applied to orchard purposes, apples, apricots, peaches, and all kinds of stone fruits
Mr. Kenneth Edwards.
coming to perfection. Cereals have been found well suited to the soil and sheep are grazed on the pastures. Worthy of further notice is the homestead, which is situated on the crown of a hill and approached by a winding avenue through the orchard. Pines, cypresses, and other ornamental and shade trees surround the house, which is fronted by a charming garden, where the floral beauties of each season are displayed, roses especially being present in great profusion. A pretty idea has been carried out in the formation of a miniature lake, fed from the surrounding hill springs, in which English perch is acclimatized and bred with a view to stocking the rivers of the district. Mr. Edwards was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the whole of Western Australia about a quarter of a century ago and is a member of the York Licensing Board. He has taken a prominent part in the life of the district almost since his boyhood—when he was a leader in youthful sporting circles— and after serving as councillor for a short time was honoured with election to the mayoral chair. He has been a member of the roads board for a lengthy period, and filled the ff2
office of chairman of that body for about sixteen years, and is the father of the Roads Board Association of Western Australia, having inaugurated its first meeting, and for some years served on the central executive. He also actively concerned himself in the up-building of the local agricultural society, of which he was a committeeman, and was associated with various other organizations having as their object the advancement of the district. A loyal adherent of the Anglican Church, he has filled various offices of trust in the local church. For recreation he indulges in golf, having had links laid down on his private property. Mr. Edwards has been twice married, his first wife being Edith, daughter of the late Charles Andrews, after whose death he married in 1908 May, sister of the above, by whom he has a son and a daughter.
The CASTLE HOTEL, York. Proprietor, T. C. Evans. Had a magician been appointed to the task, he could not possibly have chosen a more picturesque spot in the Western Australian State than the one whereon have been constructed the broad thoroughfares and handsome edifices of the town of York. One of the first settlements of the new Crown colony, gazetted in 1829, York has gathered to itself the flavour of an antiquity which is on all sides willingly conceded. Nestling in the rich valley of the Avon, with its billowy expanses of wheatfields stretching in every direction as far as the eye can see, the town is an ideal centre in which to spend vacation or recuperate from the various demands of the strenuous life of the present day. At
the northern end of Avon Terrace— the main thoroughfare, of which the municipal fathers have ample reason to be proud—Mount Bakewell mounts guard with sombre mien, while near by the waters of the River Avon gently linger on their way ultimately to join the wider volume of the great Swan waterway. The Castle Hotel is situated in the heart of the Terrace, and easily holds its place as the most important and favourite hostelry of the town. Built of brick the structure possesses two storeys and a. spacious balcony runs along the entire front, and upon entering the hospitable portals of the hotel one is immediately impressed with the air of comfort and cleanliness which dominates the whole place, an impression which is confirmed by a tour through the residential part of the house. Inviting peeps of drawing, writing, and smoking-rooms are to be had through half-open doors, and the charm of the lounge, with its comfortable armchairs, is hard to resist. The bedrooms, numbering some thirty-two in all, are nicely furnished and are kept spotlessly clean by an efficient staff of servants. The diningroom, situated on the ground floor in the northern wing, provides seating accommodation for a very large number of guests, and the cutlery, napery, etc., are all that could be desired by the most fastidious. Special attention is paid to the cuisine and the food provided is excellent, while the service is rapid and courteous to a degree. York may be reached either by rail or road, the journey by the latter being most enjoyable, and if performed in a motor-car can be easily and comfortably compassed in two and a half hours. With York as a centre many
Photo by C. F. Farr. The Castle Hotel, Avon Terrace, York.
capital rides may be indulged in, and specially worthy of mention is the trip to Northam about a score of miles distant. The genial proprietor of the Castle Hotel, Mr. Tom C. Evans, is a prominent townsman, and at the present time is in his fifth year of office as chief magistrate of York. Extended reference to his life will be found elsewhere in these pages. Both in his public and private capacity Mr. Evans exerts himself in his efforts to provide for the comfort of visitors and patrons, and nothing is left undone to assure to all an enjoyable sojourn in this delightful centre.
HEWITT MORRIS EDWARDS, general merchant, York. The well-known business carried on under his own name by Mr. H. M. Edwards was originally established over a quarter of a century ago by Mr. Charles Edwards, father of the gentleman under review, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. Kenneth Edwards. The partners conducted operations successfully for some years, during which period the connection expanded rapidly and various branches were established. Ultimately Mr. Kenneth Edwards retired from the firm, when the sole proprietorship fell into the hands of the remaining principal, and in 1905 the latter admitted into partnership his son, Mr. Hewitt Morris Edwards, who took over the management and practically controlled affairs until 1910, when he acquired the business on his own account, retaining the branch at Green Hills in addition to the parent establishment at York, while the Beverley branch was retained by his father, who has placed a manager in charge of his interests there. The business at York is the largest in the district, a very wide area being served by the excellent arrangements made from the distributing centre, and “H. M. Edwards” may be said to be the banking-house of many of the settlers in the surrounding localities. The stock is a large and comprehensive one, including drapery, grocery, hardware, ironmongery, and many other lines of goods, and the requirements of the townspeople and farmers are catered for in every possible way. Many varieties of agricultural implements and machinery may be inspected at the store, which is a rendezvous for those interested in the tilling of the soil and the development of the land generally, while in
the homesteads the business has become a household word, almost every necessity of the domestic menage being procurable from its well-stocked shelves and storage cellars at prices which compare favourably with those of the metropolitan stores. Periodical sales are held, and the
Tiartletto. Perth.
Mr. Hewitt Morris Edwards.
stocks of draperies are continually renewed by heavy consignments of the newest season’s goods. The firm is also interested in the milling and farming industries, being large purchasers of wheat and other products from the settlers. In connection with the Green Hills branch of the
business Mr. Edwards has admitted into partnership Mr. W. W. Chipper (for many years in business at Beverley), under whose capable
management the branch has continued to prosper. Born at York on January 7, 1884, the subject of this notice was sent to Adelaide to receive his education, entering at St. Peter’s College, where he remained until sixteen years of age. Subsequent to his return to the western metropolis, he joined the staff of Foy and Gibson Proprietary, Limited, and passing through the different departments of the firm obtained a splendid commercial training, which he has since found invaluable in prosecuting the development of his own large and varied interests. Eventually he returned to York and became connected with his father’s business, being admitted as a partner upon the attainment of his majority, since when he has carried on operations as above. In addition to his commercial interests, Mr. Edwards is the proprietor of a large amount of pastoral and agricultural property in the eastern districts. He devotes the major portion of his time and energies to his mercantile interests, but he takes considerable interest in athletic sport, and during his college career was highly successful as a single contestant in various games, having in his possession some valuable trophies which testify to his prowess in this regard. Racing as a sport commands his interest, and he is an advocate for all that is straight and clean on the turf. He occasionally races his own horses, and it is an understood thing that when his colours are on the course the best horse must win. Mr.
Edwards married in 1911 Emily, daughter of the late T. Morris, of New South Wales, a well-known contractor, and has one daughter.
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“EASTERN DISTRICTS CHRONICLE,” York. This journal is the oldest newspaper in YVestern Australia outside of those published in the capital, the first issue appearing in 1877—thirty-six years ago. It was founded by George Inkpen, father of the present proprietor and
Mr. George Edwards Inkpen.
editor, George Edwards Inkpen, who has had sole control for over a quarter of a century. For many years The Chronicle was the recognized mouthpiece of the whole of the eastern districts, representing the important farming districts of Nor-tham and Toodyay on the one side, and extending south to Beverley and into many of the great southern districts towards Albany. Following the gold discoveries at and beyond Southern Cross, other newspaper enterprises were launched at many of the centres served for so long a period by The Chronicle, and with the increased population and the extensive land settlement taking place in the Avon Valley and eastward the operations of The Chronicle were principally directed to the district responsible for its birth, with the result that to-day it enjoys a wide circulation and liberal public support. From the little sheet issued in 1877—when newspaper enterprise was fraught with much anxiety and difficulties innumerable were encountered—The Chronicle has been enlarged at various intervals, its present size amply indicating the prosperity of the York district, and demonstrating the proprietor's faith and confidence in its future.
ARTHUR MASON LILLE Y-MAN, of the King's Head Hotel, York, is a son of the late Mr. James Lilleyman, who for a considerable time carried on pastoral pursuits in the Narribri district of New South Wales, where the subject of this memoir was born on January 31, 1877. He received his education at various public schools in his native State, and also by private tuition, but before he entered his teens family reverses compelled his father to apprentice him to the boot trade in Victoria. Here he remained until 1896, when he came to Western Australia, and after following his former occupation for a time relinquished it to join the railway service of the State. For nearly two years Mr. Lilleyman remained in this employ, at the end of that period resigning in order to take over the management of a grocery, wine, and spirit store in Lake Street, Perth, which he carried on on behalf
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Arthur Mason Lilleyman.
of his mother for about four years. He then took over the business and conducted it on his own account until 1909, when a vacancy occurred in the firm of Dalton & Co. (better known as tho Farmers' Supply Agency), of York, for which he applied and filled for a couple of years. He next undertook the management of the York Hotel, and subsequently of the Royal Exchange Hotel at Katanning. In 1912 he returned to York and took over the King’s Head Hotel, which he has conducted ever since. Mr. Lilleyman is well known in sporting circles,
gaining his laurels on the cricket and football fields of Victoria and Western Australia, in the former State playing senior cricket when he was only nineteen years of age. He married in 1902 Florence, daughter of the late Mr. Richard Douglas Soott, of Victoria, a well-known identity connected with the historical firm of Cobb & Co. He has one daughter surviving.
EDWARD HAMERSLEY, J.P., proprietor of “Wilberforce” and “Woodside,” in the district of York, was born at Paris, France, in 1835, and was brought to Western Australia by his parents in 1837. Mr. Hamersley's father was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge, and landed in the colony in the early part of 1837. He invested a large amount of capital in land in the different districts of the colony before leaving for Home some five years later. The subject of our review was educated in France and England, whither he had returned with his father, and in 1850 once more set sail for Western shores. Following his arrival he went to reside at one of his father’s estates, “Pyrton,” and had control of the horse station on the Williams River, also engaging in farming on the Swan. Finally he settled at “Wil-berforce,” and thenceforward turned his attention to mixed farming, at the same time paying frequent visits to his other properties. In past years Mr. Hamersley represented York and Toodyay in the House of Assembly and also held a seat in the Legislative Council. He was a strong supporter of Sir John Forrest's forward policy for the carrying out of public works, and voted for the construction of the harbour works at Fremantle. He drew up a petition presented to Lord Kimberley, then Secretary for State for the Colonies advocating the construction of a railway to the eastern districts, which was thrown out by an adverse vote of the Legislative Council in favour of a railway to the Geraldton mines. “Wilberforce” and “Woodside” are situated about 11 miles east of Northam, and comprise in all about 35,000 acres of land. The property was purchased by the late Mr. Edward Hamersley in 1837, and carried on by him until the time of his death in 1874, when it descended to the present owner, who has spent a considerable sum of money in
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
ridding the estate of the heavy timber with which it was covered. Several thousand acres have been cleared and the remainder ring-barked, fences have been erected, and twenty-four paddocks formed. The flock, founded by the importation of several highly-bred merino rams secured from the best-known studs of the Eastern States, has steadily increased each year and now numbers 16,000. A stud of 600 choice ewes has been formed, and in time it is intended to raise sheep for disposal to breeders. Shearing takes place in October and is performed by hand, while the lambing season extends over June and July, the average being about 90 per cent. The annual wool clip makes about 200 bales, and fleeces cut from the rams on the estate have turned the scale at 28 ft). About 100 horses, chiefly of the Clydesdale type, are kept, and there is also a herd of milking cattle some thirty in number. The present homestead, built in 1860, is noted for the lavish hospitality extended to visitors by its owner, Mr. Hamers-ley, whose courteous and genial disposition has won for him a warm place in the esteem of a wide circle of friends.
VICTOR DACRE BARRETT-LENNARD, “Mobedine,” York. The subject of this notice was born at “St. Leonards/’ in the picturesque district of Guildford, about seven miles distant from the Western Australian capital, on June 22, 1874.
fifth son of the first baronet of the line, created by King George III. of England in 1801, Sir Thomas Barrett-Lennard, of Balhus, Essex.
After arrival in the new colony the late Mr. Barrett-Lennard, who was numbered among the earliest of the pioneers of the thirties, entered upon the career of a pastoralist on the banks of the Swan River, where he took up a holding, to which was given the name of “St. Leonards.” This estate was inherited by the father of the gentleman under review, and upon the division of property at his decease was purchased by Mr. V. D. Barrett-Lennard’s elder brother, Mr. George Hardey Barrett-Lennard, who is now in possession of the old home. The name of Barrett-Lennard must always be closely linked with the history of
industry and enterprise of the late settler, who, by founding a home and seriously, with determination to succeed, establishing a flourishing
farming proposition in face of the most primitive reigning conditions, set a valuable example to many of his contemporaries, who needed just such an object lesson to give them impetus to go forward and do likewise. Mr. V. D. Barrett-Lennard
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Victor Dacre Barrett-Lennard.
was left an orphan at an early age, his brothers and sisters also all being minors. During his childhood he pursued his educational studies at Guildford, subsequently proceeding to Melbourne, becoming a student at Toorak College, where he completed his scholastic career. At eighteen years of age he returned to his native State, and turned his
HARVESTING SCENE AT MOBEDINE.”
This estate was originally taken up the development of the pastoral in-by the first member of the family dustry in connection with the Swan to land on these shores, viz., the late settlement of the early days, and Edward Pomeroy Barrett-Lennard, the district owed much to the
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attention to farming pursuits in conjunction with his elder brother on the “St. Leonards” Estate at Guild-ford. After obtaining a good insight into the details of the industry he invested in his present property, “Mobedine,” in the York district, and started upon an independent career when about twenty-one years
conditional-purchase system, working them in conjunction with the other, the whole forming a handsome property of 7,000 acres. Since taking up his residence on the place in 1896 he has been strenuously engaged in turning every acre to the best account, and during the few years that have since elapsed has
requirements, and the country is well watered by natural soaks, in addition to permanent pools which are found in the Avon River and one of its tributaries, these being conveniently situated at either end of the estate. To conserve the supply dams have been constructed and wells sunk on different parts of the
Photo by G. F. Farr.
of age. The “Mobedine” territory in the original instance was taken up by a member of the well-known Muir family, who in the early days of settlement came into possession of many of the choice areas of the country and concerning whom mention is made in various other parts of this work, chiefly in connection with the southern portion of the State. At that time it comprised some 5,000 acres—of which only 30 acres were cleared—and shortly after completing the purchase of the
View of Outbuildings at “ Mobedine.”
proved eminently successful in bringing “Mobedine” into the proud position of being the best-improved and most highly-developed block in the Avon location. The country is undulating in character, and timbered chiefly with jam and York-gum, though there are patches of salmon-gum country freely spread through the holding. Besides the cleared portions, however, the balance has been ringbarked, with the exception of a few clusters of trees, which have been spared the
property, and by this means ample provision has been made for all seasons of the year and to meet any emergencies in the way of drought, which, however, up to the present time, has been unknown in this district. The entire property is fenced a.nd subdivided into numerous pad-docks, ranging in size from 500 acres to the 20-acre enclosures, convenient for the handling of the stock. The system of fencing adopted is that of six plain wires for the outer boundaries, with jam-posts cut from
Photo by C. IE. Farr.
freehold portion of the estate Mr. Barrett-Lennard enlarged the holding by adding to the original block nearly 2,000 acres under the
Horses watering at "Mobedine.”
woodman’s axe on account of the necessary shelter which they afford to the stock. The annual rainfall of the district is adequate to its
the natural timber, while three wires have been found sufficient for the subdivision fences, and wire-netting is carried over a considerable
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portion both of the outer and inner lines. This fencing has cost on an average <£30 per mile. At the present time the area cleared extends over more than 3,000 acres, and tillage operations have been carried on over more than half this portion
of the estate. The popular crops of the district, cereals and hay, are cultivated with signal success, and form the principal products of the agricultural- side of the industry, though field peas are also grown to a considerable extent for the purpose of fattening the sheep. The average wheat returns are about 17 bushels, and for hay 1J ton to the acre. After the busy harvesting time all hands are kept employed in the business of despatching the grain to the markets, whither most of the annual crop finds its way with excellent profit to the proprietor of the fertile fields. A good deal of attention has been paid to pastoral interests, as the locality is a very favourable one for sheep and lends itself well to fattening purposes, the animals putting on weight in a surprisingly short space of time after having been introduced into the rich pastures. Mr. Barrett-Lennard, therefore, has found it a paying proposition to buy and fatten for the market, while, at the same time, he grazes a standing flock of about 2,000 big-framed crossbreds, principally for the production of wool, the yearly clip being sent to London, where satisfactory prices are obtained. Lambs are bred for the early market, the annual drop averaging about 85 per cent. A large number of horses are required to work the extensive areas under cultivation, and Mr. Barrett-Lennard, who is a lover of a good piece of horseflesh, has imported
most of his farm stock from picked lots from the Eastern States, a few only being bred upon the property. The condition and appearance of these animals—which number in the vicinity of half a hundred—bespeak the care and attention bestowed
upon them by their owner, who from time to time culls out those upon which the strenuous labour demanded of them becomes too great a strain and replaces them with fresh, young blood, well able to bear the burden and heat of the day. A herd of dairy cattle is bred for domestic requirements, about twenty being found sufficient for this purpose, but apart from these no attention has
been given to this class of stock with a view to the markets. The “Mobe-dine” homestead was built in 1905, the material used being stone taken from the property. It is substantial and up-to-date in design, the exterior presenting an attractive
appearance, the interior, containing six rooms, being finished artistically and with a view to the greatest possible comfort, the true meaning of the word “home” being subtly suggested throughout. The rooms arc large, well lighted, and properly ventilated, and the furnishing is in keeping with the superior style of the structure. A verandah, running round two sides of the house, pleasantly shades the windows and softens the glare of light in the summer time, making a welcome lounging-placc for the family when the work of the day is over. The usual appurtenances to a well-planned building, bathroom, dairy, etc., have been included in the homestead; and the same regard for the improvements of the present day is evident in the design of the outbuildings, which are replete with all modern conveniences. Excellent stabling is provided for about thirty horses, the grain and chaff sheds are commodious and substantial, while, in the machinery sheds are found a large variety of harvesters, seeders, etc., everything being kept in good order. In this group of buildings there is also a cottage for men’s quarters, containing four rooms, where the comfort of the farm employes has been carefully catered for. Mr. Barrett-Lennard has very little leisure for anything beyond the management of the property, which
has rewarded so richly his efforts to place it in the premier position which it occupies at the present time. He takes, however, a live interest in the affairs of the local branch of the Fanners and Settlers’ Association and occupies a seat in the York
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Typical View of Mobedine” Country,
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Agricultural Society, both of which bodies regard him as a valued member. He occasionally displays a disposition to place himself more in touch with the racing circles of the district than he has found possible hitherto, and has entered horses for local events which have carried the silk to success. Mr. Barrett-Lennard married in 1906 Blanche Isabell, youngest daughter of Mr. Robert Allen, of “South View,,, Adelaide, South Australia, and has a family of three sons and one daughter.
ARTHUR BRETTINGHAM LODGE, of “Marley,” York, was born at Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, on March 1, 1866, and is the youngest son of the late Rev. Samuel Lodge, canon of Lincoln Cathedral and first cousin to the notable Sir Oliver Lodge, whose name is well known as one of the greatest
Rev. Samuel Lodge.
scientists of the present era. He received his education at the Newark Grammar School, and upon the completion of his scholastic career joined the Imperial Army, serving for seven years in the 12th Lancers in England and India. Subsequently Mr. Lodge devoted his attention to commercial pursuits for twelve months, during which period he resided in London, and in 1893 left the old country for the scenes of a younger civilization, coming to Western Australia, where his brother, the late F. W. Lodge, held the position of Chief Inspector of Police for some years. Upon
arrival in the State he found himself enveloped in the atmosphere of excitement attendant upon the wild rush to the newly discovered goldfields in the eastern districts, and contracting the gold fever, he joined the eager throng of prospectors and
Mr. Arthur jBrettingham Lodge.
for some considerable time was engaged in mining pursuits in the neighbourhood of the present town of Kanowna. This experience, although it gave him a varied and first-hand knowledge of the conditions prevailing in a locality when the search for gold is the consuming passion of the hour, left him with but little more in the way of worldly wealth than when he entered upon the quest, and in 1898 he decided to abandon what had proved but a mere will o' the wisp as an allurement to fortune and direct his energies to the less romantic but frequently more remunerative industries connected
with land settlement. Making choice of his present holding in the York district, Mr. Lodge secured the right of purchase, which he exercised some nine years later, in the meanwhile occupying the place as a tenant and carrying on its development. “Marley” is well known as one of the original Crown grants of land made to the Parker family in those early da3's when the first settlers opened up the country and displayed their excellent judgment of the quality of the land by selecting all the “eyes” of the agricultural areas in different parts of the State as the due reward for their services in pioneering the various localities and for pushing forward to what was then regarded as the “edge of the beyond/' The estate comprises 1,860 acres, almost every foot of which is capable of growing something, and of this fine agricultural area more than two-thirds are under cultivation, principally of cereals, the soil richly compensating the labour of the husbandman. Pastoral operations are also receiving a share of attention, a flock of some 700 crossbred sheep being grazed on the pastures, and other stock includes a dozen or more good, staunch farm horses, which present every appearance of fitness for the arduous toil which is demanded of them. Mr. Lodge, since his advent to the district, has manifested considerable interest in the public life of the community and in the institutions which have arisen from time to time as an evidence of the spirit of progress abroad. He served for several years as a member of the Green Hills Roads Board, and for a lengthy period filled the office of chairman, while he is also associated with the local agricultural society.
Photo by C. F. Farr.
Mr. A. B. Lodge's Residence, York.
He actively concerns himself in the affairs of the Anglican Church communion, and holds office as secretary of the committee in connection with the local church. In 1898 Mr. Lodge married Sarah, second daughter of the late James Fleay, of Gilgering, whose portrait appears elsewhere in this work, and has two sons and one daughter.
“YANGEDINE” AND "MORT-LOCK" ESTATES, the property of Messrs. Webster, William, and Warren Marwick, are situated in the Avon Valley, one of the finest stretches of agricultural country in the Western State. The contour of the land is of an undulating nature,
removal of the timber and undergrowth. The Messrs. Marwick have developed the property with great skill, and the model and scientific conditions which are to-day in force on the farm reflect great credit on their resourcefulness and enterprise. In the year 1910 4,100 acres were put under crop and in the early part of the season a magnificent return seemed probable, but a superabundance of rain had the effect of reducing the harvest to ordinary proportions. The area under cultivation during 1911 decreased to 3,200 acres owing to shortage of labour. To efficiently carry on the extensive operations incidental to the working of the property the firm has had installed the most modern
were purchased from Mr. F. Ward, a noted breeder, who has a fine stud at Quarington, Lincolnshire, all of these animals being entered in the British studbook. About 1906 ten rams were purchased from noted breeders in Lincolnshire, and the
introduction of these well - bred animals has led to an all-round
improvement in the flock which is now conspicuous for robustness, large frames, length, and quality of wool. The progeny of these rams are available to purchasers and tho opportunity thus presented is likely to be largely availed of by breeders
anxious to raise the standard of
their flocks. In 1910 100 ewes were purchased in Victoria and several good rams obtained in the Old
Philo by C. E. Farr.
the soil being mostly chocolate loam, rich in the essentials required for tho production of cereals. The area of the combined estates equals some 15,000 acres, two-thirds of which have been cleared of timber, while the remaining 5,000 acres have already experienced the ringman’s axe, and in the near future will be made available for general farming purposes. The locality is noted for its abundant and regular rainfall, and at no period within the memory of the present generation has the district been stricken by a period of drought. In addition to the ordinary rainfall, the property contains a number of soaks, which appeared subsequent to the
2-Tooth English Leicesters,
appliances known to the agricultural world, including chaff cutters, corn-crushers, engine, and a hay press for preparing fodder for the north-west trade. Operations have not been confined solely to agriculture, as much time and attention have been paid to the breeding of a fine strain of Lincoln sheep. The stud was founded in the eighties when a number of rams and ewes were purchased from the Angas Estate in South Australia, and to these at frequent intervals have been added a number of well-bred Leicesters, Shropshires, Romney Marsh, and Roscommon sheep, imported from England by Mr. Marwick, sen. Twenty Lincoln rams and five ewes
Country. The present healthy condition of the flock is a source of satisfaction to the Messrs. Marwick, who have not stopped to consider the expense when a really first-class sire has been placed under offer. During the year 1910 Messrs. Marwick were very successful with their exhibits at the various shows, and with their Lincolns and Leicesters carried off no fewer than seventy championships, first and second prizes. At a more recent date the stud of Lincoln sheep owned by Mr. H. J. Lukin was acquired, and this included some of the highest-class Lincolns in Western Australia, many of the rams and ewes having cost as much as fifty guineas each.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
491
In 1910 the foundation of the Leicester flock was laid by the importation of a number of tip-top rams and ewes. Leicesters are
rams available to purchasers. Horses are also bred on the estates, the sires in use being a hackney stallion, “Suffolk King” (imp.) by
on the estate, and these give great promise of developing into a fine stamp of farm horse. The handsome residence occupied by
Photo by C. E. Farr. 2-Tooth Shropshire Rams.
rapidly winning a way to popular favour with the breeders of Australia both as wool- and mutton-producers, the lambs being especially valued for exportation. Each year the firm has a number of these
“Tribute” (5853) out of “Suffolk Beauty” (13143), and “Needham Chief,” a shire stallion bred by Mr. Walter West, of Cambridgeshire, England. There are some twenty-five yearling and two-year-olds
Mr. Warren Marwick is built of brick with a freestone frontage, and nestles at the foot of a small hillock surrounded by a number of ornamental trees, which greatly add to the picturesqueness of the view.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Lincoln Rams Carrying 10 Months' Wool.
492
CALVYN WYBORN SEA-BROOK, of “Seabourne,” Marley Pool, York, was born at Roebonrne, in the north-west of Western Australia, on October 25, 1883. He is a descendant of the old English family bearing the name of Sea-brook, who for many generations
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. John Seabrook, sen.
have dwelt in the County of Shropshire, a scion of which—Mr. C. W. Seabrook’s grandfather — came to this State in the thirties and became one of the pioneer sheep-farmers of the new country. His son, the late John Seabrook, was a native of Western Australia, and was brought up in the pastoral
industry, later on taking his place, not only as one of the leading pioneer agriculturists in the Pingelly and York districts, and a station owner of the north-west, but distinguishing himself for many years as a leading spirit in all movements for the advancement of the districts in which his interests lay. He spent twelve years at Moorambine, near Pingelly, and in 1876, proceeded to Roebournc, where, in partnership with his step-brother, the late Edward Robinson, of “Belleview,” he took up “Croydon” Station, which they developed as a sheep proposition, remaining there for about a decade. Returning to the south in 1886 he lived in retirement for a few years, and in 1900 acquired the “Seabourne” Estate — then virgin country comprising some 2,500 acres —and devoted the remainder of his life to the building up of this fine property, which upon his decease was inherited by his only son, the subject of this review. The boundaries of his inheritance have been extended since that date by Mr. Seabrook, and he is leasing on a long term, with the option of purchase, which he intends to exercise in due course, an adjoining block of 2,800 acres, which will complete a very handsome estate. The possession last mentioned has been worked in conjunction with the older proposition for some years past, and
practically the whole area consists of first-class country which, while highly suitable for grazing purposes, has also proved itself responsive to cultivation in a very marked degree. Clearing operations have been carried on with no slack hand, with the result that at the present time
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. John Seabrook.
2,700 acres have been prepared for tillage, and every year about 1,000 acres are sown, principally with cereals and hay, the remainder lying fallow until the round of the seasons has been completed, when a fresh area is ploughed up and brought under cultivation, while the past year’s harvest fields are allowed to rest for a season or two. The
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. C. W. Seabrook's Residence. Marley Pool. York.
493
country has the advantage of producing good water almost anywhere at a shallow depth, and water conservation has been an important part of the operations carried on by the present owner and his father before him, wells having been sunk and dams constructed, while the erection of windmills on various parts of the estate where necessary has rendered the utilization of the precious fluid direct and easy. The soil is of mixed variety, sharing in the richness for which the Avon Valley has become famous, and is eminently suited to purposes of mixed farming. The whole of the property is fenced and subdivided into thirty-nine pad-docks, a great deal of wire-netting having been used in this work, though the general system followed is that of six plain wires threaded through posts, which for the most part have been cut from jam timber. On the pastoral side of the industry the estate carries a flock averaging from 2,000 to 2,500 sheep of the crossbred type, these being kept with a view to general-utility purposes, both wool and mutton being considered in the breeding of the sheep. The wool is disposed of locally, satisfactory prices being obtained, and there is always a ready market for those representatives of the flock
large number of horses of all kinds suited to the different classes of labour. These number in the vicinity of fifty, and among them are included a goodly proportion of Clydesdales, from which, as well as from the lighter sorts, breeding is carried on with a view to supplying
Jiartletlo, Perth.
Mr. Calvyn Wyborn Seabrook.
a few for sale at the local markets after the requirements of the estate have been met. In addition to these useful servants of the farm, Mr. Seabrook — who takes a certain amount of interest in the “sport of
than one occasion being carried first past the winning-post. He is a member of the agricultural society of the district, and has been a successful competitor with his horses at the local shows, many prizes having fallen to his share. Mr. Seabrook manifests a disposition to interest himself in the general advancement of the neighbourhood, and has served for a couple of years as a member of the Green Hills Roads Board. He was one of the pioneers of motoring in the York district, and possesses two motor cars, which have proved of great service on the estate as well as being a source of considerable pleasure and recreation. His residence, erected in recent years, is of modern architecture and roomy interior, containing eight rooms and a handsome entrance hall. It is built of stone and brick, and has a spacious verandah running round three sides of the entire building. In the rear are necessary offices, etc., while adjacent are the outbuildings, which are very extensive, including stabling for thirty horses, barns, granary, and hay and machinery sheds, in addition to cottages for the men employed on the farm. Mr. Seabrook is a married man, having been united in the year 1908 to
Photo by C. E. Farr. General View of Mr. C. W. Seabrook’s Homestead and Outbuildings.
which are destined for the supply of the provision trade. The work on the farm is of an arduous nature, and its great extent also is responsible for the necessity of keeping a
kings”—has usually a couple of excellent blood horses in his stable, and has met with success in racing events both at local and metropolitan meetings, his colours on more
Ruby Florence, second daughter of Mr. Charles Edwards, a well-known resident of the York district, the issue being one son and one daughter.
494
THOMAS SMITH, of “Tuto-money Park,” York, is a native of England, having been born at the village of Sutton Veny, near Warminster, Wiltshire, on January 23, 1855. He is a descendant of the old yeomanry and staunch farming stock which have formed the backbone of the British nation, and of which his father, the late Thomas Smith, was a worthy representative.
Mr. Thomas Smith, sen.
While still quite a lad before reaching his teens, as soon as he was old enough to carry a hoe, his services were enlisted in the tilling of the soil on the home farm, and here he continued until eighteen years of age, when he proceeded to Wales and for three years was engaged in the coal-mining industry. Upon attaining his majority he emigrated to South Africa, where he obtained a
construction work on the lines. At the end of this period Mr. Smith returned to England and revisited his family in Wiltshire, but the free colonial life had cast its charm over him, and realizing that the Old Country was not offering the same chances of success to her sons of the soil as her dependencies over the seas he once more left his native shores and emigrated to Australia. Landing at Adelaide, South Australia, instead of turning his attention to farming pursuits he found that his knowledge of railway construction, gained in South Africa, was a useful asset; and accepting work from the Government he spent about two years on the construction works of the Port Augusta railway line in the middle north of the Central State. He was then offered an appointment by the firm of Messrs. Morgan & Co., of Adelaide, in connection with the copper mines of New Caledonia, the duties of which he efficiently discharged for a couple of years. Upon the close of his contract with this company he returned to the mainland of Australia and enlarged his knowledge of the island-continent by paying short visits to the capitals of the Eastern States. He was then engaged by the firm of Messrs. Wright & Keane, railway contractors, to fill a position on the Government railway then being built between Guildford and Beverley in Western Australia, and after arrival in this State spent the ensuing decade on the construction and earthworks of that line and other enterprises of a similar nature. He worked on the line from Spencer Brook to North am, and from Clackline to Newcastle, also being engaged
Photo by C. E. Farr, Mn. Thomas Smith’s Residence:, York.
position in the State Railway Department, which he filled for three years, having control of various gangs of Kaffirs employed in
on a portion of the midland railway as well as the line in the south-west from Bunbury to Boyanup; and in 1893, upon the completion for the
time of the principal railway works, he decided to resume the calling of his youth and to settle on the land. Casting round for a suitable locality in which to commence operations, eventually Mr. Smith secured a nice little block of 700 acres, situated about 13 miles to the eastward of York, and approached by what is generally conceded to be the best road in the State. The holding at that time was thickly timbered with York-gum, salmon-gum, and jam, and the virgin bush flourished in its pristine condition, awaiting the hand of man which should till and work the soil and cause it to bring forth bountiful harvests. Mr. Smith began forthwith to clear the land by
C. E. Farr. Perth.
Mr. Thomas Smith.
ringing the trees and burning operations, and in a surprisingly short space of time had sown and reaped his first crop. Water was found in abundance on the estate, and after the removal of the timber this became even more plentiful, good soaks being present while a number of wells have been sunk. Fencing was steadily proceeded with, by degrees the subdivision of the estate into twelve paddocks being effected, the system carried out being seven strands of wire through posts cut from the timber indigenous to the locality. As his proposition prospered Mr. Smith seized every opportunity of enlarging his holding, taking up adjacent territory in small blocks, which in turn were cleared and cultivated. The entire holding at the present time covers 2,500 acres of undulating country, well
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
495
suited both to agriculture and pastoral pursuits, and of this property close on 1,600 acres have been prepared for tillage, about 700 acres annually being placed under crop. Wheat and hay are produced in large quantities, the average returns
in 1907. A verandah runs round the whole of the building, and a small front garden, where various flowers and shrubs have been cultivated with success, makes the surroundings attractive. Modern conveniences have been considered in
considerable time, and is connected both with the Royal Agricultural Society and with the similar local body. He is also a member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and takes a keen interest in everything that pertains to the welfare of
Photo by C. E. Farr.
being of a highly satisfactory nature, due in a large measure to the excellent system of fallowing the land employed by Mr. Smith, who brings scientific methods into use in the management of his farm. Both the wool and mutton markets are catered for in the compact little flock of 800 sheep, which forms a pleasant feature in the landscape as they browse on the pastures or find their way to the drinking-places. Mr. Smith has
View over "Tutomoney Park.”
the up-to-date outhouses, where large sheds for the storage of grain have been placed, and stables capable of accommodating fifteen horses may be inspected. In every respect Mr. Smith has reason to be proud of the success of his enterprise, whereby he stands in the assured position of a respected and prosperous farmer and the owner of one of the premier properties of the neighbourhood. The wilderness under his
the community in which he resides. He has been twice married, his first wife—to whom he was united in 1882 —having been a daughter of the late John Fields, of York, the issue being two sons and six daughters. In 1910, some years subsequent to the death of this lady, he wedded Edith, eldest daughter of the late Walter Scott, of Badgin, near York, by whom he has a family of two daughters.
Photo bu C. E. Farr,
Horses in the Home Paddock.
been successful in breeding a good type of animal, which grows a fine fleece, and for mutton-producing qualities is also esteemed by the provision dealers. Another touch which lends its own note to the place as a prosperous farm is the cluster of draught horses, about twenty in number, which look well fitted to the onerous duties which are required of them from day to day. The dwelling-house inhabited by the family is a large, roomy, comfortable farm homestead, substantially built of brick and stone, which was erected
hand has become a smiling garden, and wheatfields flourish where erstwhile the wild bush timber had everything its own way, all being an evidence of what may be accomplished by energy and determination backed up by right methods and steady perseverance. Whilst working out his own proposition, the gentleman under review gave his countenance and assistance to the various organizations formed having for their object the advancement of the district. He has been a member of the York Roads Board for some
JOHN SLADE DURLACHER, J.P., of “Auburn,” York, is a son of the late Alfred Durlacher, for many years resident magistrate at Toodyay and Geraldton. He was educated in Geraldton, and subsequently learnt the management of stock at “Seabrook” and “Buck-land,” in the Northam district. Proceeding to Esperance Bay in 1874 he returned overland with a large flock of sheep, spending eight months on the trip and sustaining practically no loss. In 1876 he left Cheri-ton, where he had been spending
496
some time, and journeyed to the north-west in the interests of Mr. S. H. Viveash, on whose property he remained for three years. After a time Mr. Durlacher accepted from Messrs. W. D. Moore & Co., Fremantle, the management of the ‘"Shark Bay” sheep and pearling station, which he held until after his marriage, when he purchased his present property in 1895.
WILLIAM THOMAS DAVIES, of “Garden Valley,” York, was born at “Springdale,” a farming property situated about two and a half miles
Mr. Thomas Davies.
distant from his present home in the York district, the date of his birth being October 25, 1858. He is a son of the late Thomas Davies, who came from Wales in the early days with his eldest brother, a well-known merchant of Fremantle, and settled at Guildford while still quite a lad. The gentleman under review was educated under private tuition in his father’s home, chiefly during evening hours, even at the early age of nine his days being passed in the occupation of a shepherd. In due course he became initiated into all the details of the farming industry, and at the age of thirty launched out on his own account at “Garden Valley,” this property having been purchased by him in the year 1880. In the first instance it consisted of a block of 100 acres, upon which a small cottage had been erected, to which has since been added a couple of rooms; but in his third year of
possession Mr. Davies began to add to his holding, and he now owns one of the largest farms in the district, embracing an area of over 5,000 acres, the whole of which is devoted to grazing and agriculture. Over
2.000 acres have been cleared, and of this about 800 acres are placed under crop each year, half the remainder lying fallow for next season until each portion in turn has been made to yield its harvest in return for the diligent labour of man and beast expended upon it. Cereals are chiefly grown, wheat being the principal product of the fields, and an average of 16 bushels to the acre is frequently obtained. More than two-thirds of the land consists of soil splendidly suited for agriculture, in this respect equalling any in the district, and the country is well watered by soaks and natural springs. The more hilly and rocky areas are very excellent for sheep, and a flock of
2.000 crossbreds are grazed, these being destined both for the wool and mutton markets. The wool is shipped to London, where top prices are obtained, and the sheep in limited numbers find their way to the local saleyards. The usual draught horses are kept for use on the farm, and breeding is resorted to on a restricted scale in order to keep up the supply of strong young stock. Orchard operations receive a share of attention, about 10 acres being planted with a fine variety of fruit-trees, all of which are in full bearing, and the success attained in this department has been quite phenomenal, excelling that of many of the older
orchards in the neighbourhood. In addition to “Garden Valley” Mr. Davies is also interested in real estate in the towns of York, Beverley, Pin-gelly, and Northam, owning buildings of various kinds in these centres, and he has recently erected in York the finest motor garage in Western Australia outside the metropolitan area. He has been closely
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. William Thomas Davies.
identified with the growth of the district and has served as a member of the York Agricultural Society since its inception, being also connected with the Farmers and Settlers’ Association and other similar organizations. Mr. Davies married in 1912 Sarah, daughter of the late John
Photo by C. E. Farr.
“ Garden Valley.” the Property of Mr. W. T. Davies.
497
Smith, of North am, one of the pioneer farmers of that district, and has one son and two daughters.
RONALD McKAY, who owns and occupies the “Green Valley Farm," situated about eight miles in a westerly direction from the township of York, was born at North Fremantle on December 31, 1860. He is a son of the late John McKay, sergeant-major in the Imperial Army service, who arrived in Western Australia in the ship “Phoebe Dunbar'’ in August, 1853, and retired on a pension, residing at Fremantle until the time of his death at seventy-five years of age. Mr. Ronald McKay's mother—who died at North Fremantle on January 27, 1909, at the advanced age of eighty-seven—had an interesting career. Her early days were spent in India, where she married and saw a great deal of military life before the Mutiny. When the Central Provinces were devastated with cholera she devoted herself to the work of tending the sufferers, natives and Europeans alike; and subsequently, taking a trip to England with her husband, accompanied his regiment when it was ordered to Ireland, where she witnessed the horrors of a famine and consequent plague. She landed in Western Australia in 1853, when such things as bridges, railways, and even telegraphic communication were non-existant between the port and the capital, and for ten years occupied the position of postmistress of the little hamlet of North Fremantle— now a Parliamentary borough— often conveying the mails across the river in a boat pulled by herself. Having made a study of nursing, her services in this respect were in continual request, and in days when medical men were scarce in the new country she frequently found herself saddled with the responsibility of having to act as doctor and nurse as well, besides giving due attention to her duties as postmistress. In the fifties and sixties several big floods were experienced on the lower reaches of the Swan and Mrs. McKay had some thrilling adventures, the water rising almost to the roof of her house, which she was compelled to leave at an early hour of the morning without the aid of lifebuoy or boat. Born at Dumfries, Scotland, in 1821, Mrs. McKay lived under four British monarchs and has left numerous descendants. The subject of this notice, GG
Mr. Ronald McKay, was educated at Mr. Humble's school at Fremantle, and upon leaving this institution was apprenticed to the tannery trade with the firm of Messrs. Pearce Brothers. Upon the completion of his indentures he was employed for a short time as a journeyman, subsequently entering upon business in
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Ronald McKay.
York as tanner and leather-dresser, where he established a large and prosperous connection. He competed successfully at all the more important shows in Western Australia, at the Coolgardie International Exhibition securing six first prizes and a gold medal for leather made in the
State, and for three successive years, 1894-5-6, taking the champion prize in the same class. Eventually Mr. McKay let the tannery on a lease and in 1905 entered upon farming operations, purchasing “Springdale," a property of 1,800 acres, and afterwards taking over the old homestead of “Green Valley," where his wife was born. The latter property, which was founded by the late Thomas Davies, comprises about
6,000 acres, the “Springdale" Estate now being merged into “Green Valley" and the two farms worked as one proposition. About 2,400 acres arc cleared, and the whole is fenced and subdivided into twenty paddocks, which are used as cultivation fields and grazing pastures. From seven to eight hundred acres are cropped annually, and a fine flock of crossbred sheep, numbering in the vicinity of 3,500, are shorn each season, the wool being shipped to London, where satisfactory prices are obtained. For many years Mr. McKay has manifested a very practical interest in the welfare of the town and district and served for fifteen years on the municipal council of York. At the present time he is a member of the York Roads Board, his connexion with this body having extended over a considerable period. He is a lover of home, and when his hours of busy oversight of farm affairs are over he seeks recreation in the bosom of his family. In 1891 Mr. McKay married Lily, youngest daughter of the late Thomas Davies, of “Green Valley," and has three sons and four daughters.
“Green Valley Farm,” the Property of Mr. Ronald McKay.
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CLAUDE ROBERT HENRY CLIFTON, J.P., “Cave Hill,” York, was born at Toodyay, Western Australia, on March 4, 1867, and is a son of the late William John Clifton, who came to this State from England in the year 1849 and was
Mk. William John Clifton.
among the early pioneers of the pastoral industry in the Harvey River district of the south-west portion of the new colony. Subsequently Mr. Clifton renounced this career to accept a position in the Colonial Secretary’s Department of the Civil Service, and at a later period was appointed to the office of resident magistrate at Newcastle, which he filled for about a decade. In 1875 he resigned, and afterwards lived in retirement at York until his demise, which occurred some ten years later. The subject of this notice received his education in his native place and concluded his scholastic course at the academy conducted by the late Mr.
George Letch—an institution attended in their boyhood by many of the best-known public men of Perth. At the termination of his studies Mr. Clifton spent a couple of years in mastering the first principles of mixed farming on the “Haisthorpe” Estate, and upon leaving there became identified with pastoral occupations on the station properties of Messrs. Dempster Brothers at Fraser Range and Esperance, where he obtained valuable experience in the handling and breeding of stock. Early in 1887 he proceeded to the north-west, where for eleven years he filled the position of manager of the “Woodbrook” Station-then the property of Messrs. W. Burges & Co. At the end of that period he accepted a transfer to “Cooyapooya” Station as manager of the run on behalf of Messrs. Burges and Wittenoom, and about the same time acquired an interest in the “Mulga Downs” Station, which he afterwards disposed of in 1901, in which year he resigned his connection with Messrs. Burges and Wittenoom in order to return to the south. Coming to the York district Mr. Clifton purchased a block of land comprising 1,000 acres of the Gwam-bygine area—from the estate of that name resumed by the Government and thrown open for selection; since that time he has also acquired an adjoining block, already improved, and has carried on mixed farming on the combined holdings. About 600 acres of the whole area has been cleared and half of this acreage is cropped annually, while from 750 to
1,000 crossbred sheep are grazed on the property, which is fenced and subdivided into ten paddocks of convenient size for cultivation purposes and the handling of the stock. Mr. Clifton has built a comfortable
homestead on the estate, situated on the road between York and Beverley, about six miles from the former town, and the appearance of this up-to-date residence is enhanced by a small flower garden, adjacent areas also being devoted to the cultivation of orchard trees and vegetables. Mr. Clifton (who was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Wilson Administration in 1910) takes a deep interest in the general welfare of the community in which he resides, and for several years occupied a seat on the York Roads Board, previously having been a prominent member on the similar
Mr. Claude Robert Henry Clifton.
body at Roebourne in the north-west, where he played a leading part in the advancement of the district. He was for many years a committeeman of the York Agricultural Society, is a member of the local branch of the Liberal League, and has actively concerned himself in the foundation of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association at York, on behalf of which body he accepted the office of delegate to the Conference of 1913, which was responsible for the establishment of a political branch of the association. In his younger days Mr. Clifton was prominently connected with many forms of sport and held membership in various clubs and organizations, but of later years he has taken his recreation chiefly in the bosom of his family. He was married in 1899 at Roebourne to Florence, daughter of Mr. Joseph Hicks, of Gwambygine, near York, and has a family of two sons and two daughters.
Mr. C. R. H. Clifton’s Residence, York.
499
WILLIAM SERMON, the original member of the Sermon family to leave England for Australia, arrived in the Western State in 1853, his native place being Cumpton in Berkshire. For some seven years he was engaged in the farming industry in the northern district of Western Australia, where he married Mary Ryan, formerly of County Tipperary, Ireland. Ultimately Mr. Sermon took up land for agricultural purposes in Grass Valley, near Northam, which he farmed for a considerable period until the property was taken over on lease by three of his sons, who rented it from their
Mr. William Sermon.
father for fifteen years and eventually purchased it, dividing the holding into three separate farms. Mr. Sermon may be regarded as one of those early pioneers whose industry and enterprise have won for the Avon Valley the excellent reputation it
holds among agriculturists and other members of the farming community to-day. JOHN SERMON, of “Water Kerry” Farm, is the eldest son of Mr. William Sermon, mentioned above, and was born at “Wil-berforce,” where his father was employed after his arrival 4n Western Australia. His education was received under private tuition, educational facilities in those early days being difficult to obtain, and spent a large portion of his time from ten to fourteen years of age in shepherding sheep, the margin that was left being devoted to study. General work on the farm came next for young Sermon until his eighteenth year, when his father apprenticed him to the wheelwright trade, and at the age of twenty-two, having completed his indentures, he removed to Perth to pursue his calling and further become familiar with the coachbuilding business. Eventually Mr. Sermon launched out on his own account, establishing himself as a saw-miller and supplier of wheelwrights; materials at West Northam, where he carried on a flourishing trade until 1891, when he disposed of his plant and connection and entered upon farming operations at “Water Kerry,” which he had purchased from Messrs. William Chifney and Son. This property was taken up originally, in the very early days, by the late Major Dale, the district surveyor of that period, and until its acquirement by the gentleman under review was commonly known as “Dale’s Grant.” It comprises some 2,560 acres, the land being of first-class quality, and from 700 to 800 acres are brought under cultivation annually. On the pastoral side a flock of from 1,000 to 1,500 sheep represents the enterprise which assists in providing a supply of early lambs for the markets, the yearly
clip being disposed of locally. About thirty horses are kept for the work of the farm, and Mr. Sermon augments this department from time to time with young stock of his own breeding. The old homestead, erected close on thirty years ago, has continued to form the dwelling-place for
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. John Sermon.
the family, but a new and up-to-date residence is now (1913) in course of erection. Mr. Sermon was a member of the municipal council during the ten years of his residence at Northam. He has been connected since its inception with the Northam Agricultural Society, and has upheld the interests of a section of the ratepayers for a term in the York Roads Board, besides which he is a member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of York. He was married in 1889 to Jane Ann, daughter of the late Joseph Myales, who came
Photo by C. E. Farr. gg2
Mr. John Sermon’s “Water Kerry” Farm, York.
to Western Australia in the early days of its settlement, and has a family of four sons and two daughters.
“ARNOLD PARK,” the property of Mrs. Annie Maud Doncon, widow
of the late H. E. Doncon, is one of the oldest estates in the near vicinity of York, from which town it lies distant about seven miles in a southerly direction. It was first taken up by the maternal greatgrandfather of H. E. Doncon, the late Edwin Knott, who was the original settler in this district in those early days when the pioneers of the interior carried their lives in their hands in the act of opening up new territory. Mr. Knott became a martyr to the pioneering
cause, being fatally speared by the natives whilst engaged in the development of this property, and was buried on the spot, a rough headstone standing torday to recall to posterity the risks run by their progenitors in securing for future
generations those broad acres which have come into their possession by so little effort of their own. The late Henry Edwin Doncon was the third son of Edward Doncon, late owner of “Boyadine,” near Beverley —now the residence of Mr. Robert Charles Doncon—who repurchased
“Arnold Park" after it had passed out of the family for a period, and carried on farming pursuits there for some considerable time. His son, after succeeding to the property, worked most energetically to restore the estate to its former condition of prosperity, and his efforts bade fair to be crowned with success beyond his hopes, when he was cut off at the age of thirty-six from t’he effects of a stroke of lightning, from which he never recovered, complications setting in, which caused his death on
June 9, 1910. His widow, Annie Maud, is the fourth daughter of Mr. James Wansbrough, a member of one of the pioneering agricultural families of the Avon district. Upon the death of her husband, she bravely faced the position, and has
since carried on with very satisfactory results what is generally considered to be the work of a man. So admirably does Mrs. Doncon manage the affairs of the estate that it is generally conceded that “Arnold Park” holds second place to no other farm of its acreage in the district; whilst at the same time she discharges with equal efficiency the duties of house mother and looks after the interests of her children in every possible way. The extent of the property is 2,115 acres, this area being divided into nine pad-docks of various sizes, the fencing being done with posts of jam timber and six or seven plain wires. Close upon 1,000 acres are cleared, the remainder being ringbarked, and the usual system of fallowing the land every second and third year is followed. Wheat and oats are the principal crops grown, and about 500 acres are placed under cultivation of these cereals, which bring good prices at the local markets. The country is undulating and excellently suited to sheep-grazing, splendid grass pastures having made
Mu. Henry Edwjn Doncon.
the name of “Arnold Park” as a pastoral proposition. The flock consists of from 600 upwards of crossbreds, which are purchased and fattened for quick sale, such transactions having proved highly profitable. A comfortable stone house, built by the late II. E. Doncon, forms the residence of the family, and the modern design of this structure has been kept in mind in the erection of the outhouses, which are fully in keeping with the up-to-date
Photo by C. F. Farr.
Mrs. A. M. Doncon’s Residence, York.
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appearance of the homestead. Crain houses, stabling, machinery sheds, etc., are to be found in the cluster of buildings, which bespeak the well-ordered condition of everything on the property, and the strong, cared-for looking horses also give mute but eloquent testimony to the close personal supervision which considers no detail too trivial to be attended to. Upon the death of her husband Mrs. Doncon was left with a family of two sons and three daughters, one of whom has since followed her father beyond the “Great Divide.”
SAMUEL 8ETCHEL FREDERIC GENTLE, “Vine Cottage,” Quellington, may be termed an Australian of English descent, almost the whole of his life having been spent on this soil, where he landed with his father over half a century ago. He was born in the village of Barton, three miles from the ancient seat of classic learning—-Cambridge—on January 15, 1850, and is a son of the late William Gentle, who sailed with his family for Western Australia in 1859, subsequently becoming one of the early pioneers of the Quellington district, where he died in 1889. The gentleman under review attended school in his native village prior to leaving with his father for Australia, and after arrival in this State assisted in the working of a farm taken up by his parents until his marriage at the age of twenty-four. He then selected 100 acres of land upon which area is the site of his present homestead, and settling on this holding commenced operations on his own account. Not content to continue in a small way, he watched his opportunity to extend this
acreage and gradually acquired by selection and purchase over 2,600 acres, forming a property of considerable value, which in course of time he divided, retaining about half and placing four of his sons on holdings cut out of the remainder. The greater proportion of these joint blocks have been cleared of all scrub and timber and made fit for cultivation, at the time of writing (1913) over 1,000 acres being placed under crop. Wheat, .oats, and hay are
Mu. S. S. F. Gentle.
grown and satisfactory results are obtained, ready markets being found for the products of the fields. Mr. Gentle resides on the old homestead area, and has given some attention to sheep-raising, grazing'a flock of crossbreds, with which he has had fair success, the wool commanding good prices in London. He lives a quiet life, after forty years of struggle, industry, perseverance, and in the end success, resting from the
heat and burden of the day, cared for by those of his family who still remain under the parental rooftree, and finding sufficient to interest and employ his time in the supervision of the farm which he has built up through all his years of labour. Mr. Gentle may be looked upon as one of those worthy settlers who go to make the backbone of the State, with grit enough to start with little capital, and work their way practically without assistance, bringing up large families and helping to develop the resources of the country in very many ways. He has had little time to dovote to outside matters, his whole time and attention being absorbed in providing for his family and carrying on the industry which, though suffering many throwbacks, in the long run was rewarded with results beyond his hopes. His marriage in 1874 to Susannah, daughter of the late Joseph Bailey, a Wiltshire man who settled at York some sixty years ago, was one of the most fortunate events of his life, his wife having proved a true helpmeet to him in all the vicissitudes of the two-score years that they have spent together. For over that period Mrs. Gentle has conducted the local post office in the old homestead, and though now in the late fifties of her age still continues those duties which have become part and parcel of her life, though with the increase of population these have grown decidedly more onerous. The Qucl-lington schoolhouse, the grounds of which adjoin the garden area of “Vine Cottage,” is built on a block of land presented to the Education Department for that purpose by Mr. Gentle. He has six sons, and four daughters, several of whom, as before stated, are working the land in conjunction with their father.
Photo by C. E. Parr.
General View of Homestead, Mr. S. S. F. Gentle’s Estate, Quellington.
EDWARD GIFFORD
PARKER, J.P., owner of the “Boonmull” property, near Green Hills, and “Mount Stirling,” situated about 16 miles south of Kellorberrin, is the fourth son of the late Edward Read Parker, who came from England as a child with his parents in 1830 and subsequently took up a large tract of country in the eastern agricultural district, now well known as “Dangin Park,” and purchased after his retirement by Mr. J. S. W. Parker, J.P., the present occupier. Upon this estate the gentleman under review was born on December 11, 1872, and when old enough to receive instruction he was sent to the Fremantle Grammar School, where, under the able tuition of the Hon. Henry Briggs, he pursued his studies until fifteen years of age. Leaving school he came direct to “Boonmull,” one of the several properties owned by his father, this having been selected in 1842 from the Government of the day on a freehold title and used as an out-station by Mr. E. R. Parker. Since its first selection in the above-mentioned year as virgin country, it had remained in Mr. Parker’s sole possession, and such confidence had he in his young son’s ability, even at that immature age, to manage the affairs of the holding that he placed him in charge of a staff of men, and with this assistance the youthful pioneer
accomplished up to this time, the forest timber still standing on the unfenced property, so that the initial years of strenuous toil had yet to be faced. Undaunted, however, Mr. Parker set to work, and ever since
r
Mr. Edward Read Parker.
has resided upon the estate, to which he succeeded upon the demise of his parent, subsequently acquiring “Mount Stirling” and two outside properties. The latter, situated some few miles apart on the York to Quairading Railway and jointly embracing an area of- 4,000 acres, are worked in conjunction with the two principal holdings. “Boonmull,” with an acreage of similar
undulating, with soil of chocolate loam, the natural timber being jam, York-gum, and manna-gum, and good stock water is obtained at a shallow depth on almost any part of the estate. Numerous wells have been sunk, and this forms the chief source of supply. About three-quarters of the whole area has been cleared, and close on a thousand acres annually is cropped with hay, the principal product of the cultivation fields. The excellent average of two and a half tons to the acre is usually harvested, and a large surplus is left for the market after the considerable quantities kept for the consumption of the stock upon the estate have been reserved. Cultivation on the three-year fallow system has been proved to yield the best results, and this is the method adhered to by Mr. Parker, who has made a careful study of the different systems in vogue and keeps himself in touch with scientific agriculture and farming operations generally by perusal of the approved up-to-date works on these and kindred subjects. “Mount Stirling” was founded by the late Edward Read Parker in 1860 upon the same conditions as “Boonmull,” and was purchased from his late father’s estate by the gentleman under review in 1904. It consists of
5,000 acres, of which area 1,500 acres are cleared and the remainder ringbarked ready for burning operations, which are proceeded with as
Photo by C. E. Farr.
started operations, working himself with his helpers and doing an equal day’s labour with any one of them. Practically no development had been
" Mount Stirling •• Homestead.
extent contained in its own boundaries, lies in convenient proximity to the Green Hills Railway Station. The country is gently
soon as the winter season sets in. Like “Boonmull,” it is adequately watered by wells which have been sunk at convenient distances, and is
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in general Highly improved, vermin-proof wire-netting being used for fencing purposes, in addition to the posts of jam timber and six plain wires, which are found sufficient to protect the boundaries and form subdivisions on the various other properties. Mr. Parker keeps the management of the two principal estates entirely in his own hands, and has experienced considerable success in the very important sheep department of his proposition. In this branch of operations he makes joint use of the two properties, no separate returns being made, and grazes a flock averaging 4,000 in number, which is divided into two parts, one consisting of pure merinoes and the other of Lincoln-merino crossbreds. He has a small stud of the finest quality of first - class merinoes, founded from representatives of various famous sheep stations on the River Murray in South Australia, and when the offspring from this select breed exceed the number required for his own enterprise sales are made, which are eagerly availed of by the smaller farmers in the neighbourhood, and by this means much has been done to improve the type of sheep carried in the district. The fleeces average 6J lb. in weight, and a good quality of wool is
Western Australia with one or two exceptions only. Over fifty horses are found necessary to carry on the work of the farms, suitable types being selected for the different
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. E. Gifford Parker.
classes of labour. The draughts are Clydesdales, bred by Mr. Parker from horses of the best bone, the descendants of imported stock, while the lighter sorts, also raised on the “Boonmull” property, are almost
manager in charge at “Mount Stirling,” but keeps a vigilant oversight of all details in connection with this part of the property. The distance of 45 miles intervening between the two places is easily covered by means of his motor-car, and it is his practice to motor across to “Mount Stirling” once a week in order to inspect and confer with his manager. The country differs slightly from “Boonmull,” being hilly with frequent outcrops of granite, and the whole area is admirably adapted for sheep, though where fairly level patches are found it has proved first-class agricultural land. The original timber on the “Mount Stirling” Estate is salmon, Morrell, and gimlet, but the greater number of the trees have been sacrificed in order to provide better pastures for the flocks. The homestead here was built in 1865, and is still considered the best dwelling of its kind in the neighbourhood, the manager employed by Mr. Parker being the present occupant. At “Boonmull” a house was erected in 1890, which has made a comfortable though unpretentious abode for the family. At the present time, however, Mr. Parker is preparing plans for a new and thoroughly modern residence, the erection of which he hopes to
Photo by C. E. Farr.
-produced, which, when offered for sale in the markets of the Old Country, commands prices equal to the figure obtained by any consignments from
View over " Mount Stirling ” Property.
pure bred. A small herd of Jersey cattle is kept for domestic purposes, these also being of perfectly pure pedigree. Mr. Parker has placed a
commence about the time this work goes to press, and by the carrying out of this intention the property will be graced by a residential
504
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Views of “ Boonmull ” Estate, the Property of Mr. E. Gifford Parker.
505
structure quite in keeping with the dignity and standing in the district to which it has attained. At both “Boonmull” and “Mount Stirling” the stabling accommodation is very extensive and up-to-date in design, wood and iron being the material chiefly used for its construction. The two smaller farms, of 2,000 acres each, on the York-Quairading line of railway, are conducted on the share system of farming, the subject of this notice and his brother, Mr. J. S. W. Parker, of “Dangin Park,” having introduced this system into the State after a personal and exhaustive study of the share-farming question in the Eastern States, where very good results were found to have been accomplished. Mr. Parker in
is now a name to conjure with. A quarter of a century ago he became a member of the Beverley Agricultural Society, and in this capacity he was able forcibly to demonstrate to his fellow exhibitors at the annual shows that his methods of land development were worth close study. While still little more than a lad he competed with flying colours against the experienced and older farmers who held the creed that “what our fathers have told us” was a sufficient working principle for more modern times, and in the most practical manner proved that the progressive methods of an enlightened generation were prepared to stand the most searching tests. Membership in the Royal Agricultural Society was
march of progress in later days, he became connected with the Green Hills Roads Board, and served on this body for some considerable time. Though not an enthusiast in the “sport of kings,” at one period he displayed some interest in racing matters, and is still a member of the York and Green Hills racing clubs. He is a lover of all forms of manly outdoor sport, and as opportunity offered in his younger days participated with considerable zest in the games of cricket and football. He now acts as patron to the various athletic organizations formed by the youth of the neighbourhood, who can always depend upon his support in any legitimate scheme of healthful diversion. Mr. Parker married in
Photo by C. L. tarr. forest and cleared country; Mount Stirling on the Right.
the early days of his residence in the district had hardly more than reached years of discretion when he found men considerably his seniors in age inviting his co-operation in matters of public importance concerning the welfare of the community. This led to his taking a very active interest in many affairs outside his own domain tending to bring the district into prominence, and as he considered no detail too small to receive from him the attention necessary to promote the success of the whole scheme he soon began to realize that he had assumed the responsibilities of one of the leading settlers of that part of the country where the name of Parker
conferred upon him as far back as the time when this society had its headquarters at Guildford, and here also his reputation became established as a successful exhibitor. He was prominent in the foundation of the Green Hills Progress Association— a body which, though now defunct, did excellent service in the early advancement of the district. To this organization must be accredited the construction of the first road from Green Hills to York, and the successful farmers who used the highway for the conveyance of their harvest spoils to market owed much to the untiring energy displayed by Mr. Parker in the accomplishment of this piece of work. With the
August, 1896, Eveline Emily, eldest daughter of the late William Walter Bramwell—a descendant of theBram-wells of Wales, of ancient lineage, and closely related to the famous Judge Br am well, the great legal luminary of the English Bar—who came to Western Australia in the early days and settled at Busselton. Of this union there is a family of four sons and one daughter.
EDWARD GOLDSMITH WHITFIELD, J.P., “Wonobbing,” Green Hills, is a Western Australian by birth, having been born at Green-ough, near Geraldton, on May 29, 1871. lie is the second son of the
506
late Thomas Whitfield, who came to this State from England as a lad in the early days of settlement and was identified with the pastoral industry
Mr. Thomas Whitfield.
in the Victoria district, taking up the “Yandanooka” property on lease and carrying on its development for a considerable time. At a later period the late gentleman removed to Albany, where he lived in retirement with his family in the early eighties for some time before his decease, which occurred in 1883. The subject of this memoir received his primary education under private tuition, concluding his scholastic studies in the academy conducted by the Hon. Henry Briggs at Fremantle, known as the Fremantle Grammar School. At the termination of his schooldays, when fourteen years of age, he proceeded to his father’s station, “Yandanooka,” in order to obtain an insight into the management of stock under the tuition of his brother, with whom he remained for about seven years. Shortly after
attaining his majority he left the northern areas and came to the Green Hills district, where he purchased a partly-improved farm of
1,000 acres in extent, and taking up his residence on the property directed his energies to agricultural and pastoral pursuits on his own behalf. His enterprise prospering he acquired a tract of virgin country from the Government, in addition purchasing further properties in the vicinity of his original holding, and at the present time is the owner of a very compact and highly-developed estate comprising 1,700 acres, the whole of which is cleared, fenced, and subdivided. Cropping is carried on on the three-year fallow system, the chief products being wheat, oats, and hay; while an important department of the farm is the flock of from 800 to 1,000 crossbred sheep, the wool from which finds a ready sale in local markets. A special feature of the “Wonobbing” Estate is the champion English-bred Suffolk-Punch stallion, “Rendlesham George,” imported by Mr. Whitfield at a big cost in 1911. This splendid sire inherits some of the best blood recorded in the English Stud Book, his ancestors having made their name at some of the most important show-rings of the Old Country, where very valuable awards from time to time have been placed to their credit. A beautifully-topped horse, in colour dark chestnut, “Rendlesham George” was bred by Mr. Alfred ,T. Smith, of Rendlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, from whom he was purchased as a two-year-old by Mr. Whitfield. He is by “Rendlesham Matchem” 3438 (Suffolk Stud Book), by “Rendlesham Goldsmith” 3095, his dam being “Princess Wedge” 3576, by Smith’s “Wedgewood” 1749, and he bids fair to prove a most serviceable sire. The “Wonobbing” homestead is situated about two miles from the village of
Green Hills, and was built by Mr. Whitfield in 1904. Comfort and convenience have been made primary considerations in its design, the interior being well lighted and ventilated, and in addition to six rooms there is a large hall and well-appointed bathroom and cellars, everything being well arranged and up to date. The surroundings are very picturesque, ornamental trees having been planted in profusion
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Edward Goldsmith Whitfield.
around the dwelling, which yield a grateful shade from the hot rays of the summer sun. The outhouses cover an extensive area of ground and are in keeping with the general aspect of good order maintained upon the property; in the near vicinity of the homestead is an orchard where a large variety of fruits come to perfection. Mr. Whitfield identifies himself with the public institutions of the district, and for several years has served on the Green Hills Roads Board. lie is a Justice of the Peace
Photo by C. E. Farr.
“ Wonobbing," Residence of Mr. E. G. Whitfield, Green Hills.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
507
for York magisterial district and a member of the local agricultural society. He has acted as committeeman in connection with the York Jockey Club, and was one of the founders of the Green Hills Race Club, of which he was chairman for a considerable period. He has recently taken up horse-breeding as a hobby, and gives much of his leisure to perfecting his knowledge of this noble animal. In 1892 Mr. Whitfield married Amy, daughter of the late John Stephen Maley, of Greenough Flats, and has one son and two daughters.
HENRY PENNY, senior, of “Green Hills” Farm, from which the town of Green Hills takes its name, was born at Bower Chalk, near Salisbury, England, on June 22, 1833, and came to Australia in his twenty-first year by the sailing ship “Berkshire,” the trip extending over 103 days. Upon arrival at Fremantle he proceeded to the Avon Valley district and became engaged in the farming industry on the holding of the late John Walker near Northam, where he gained his first colonial experience. Leaving there he spent
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mu. IIf,nry Penny, sen.
two years in the employ of the late Samuel Burges at Tipperary at a weekly wage of £1 without board. This was in 1856-7, at which time flour was selling at 3Jd. lb., sugar 6d. lb., and tea 3s. tt>., all other provisions being correspondingly higher in price. Subsequently he launched out on his own account, leasing a small farm of 40 acres, for which he paid
rent of £1 per acre, or the alternative payment of 2J bushels of wheat, which latter was the form of rent payment mostly in vogue at the time. During the intervals of tilling and developing his little farm he worked at the sandalwood industry, which was then in a flourishing state, and in 1867 found himself in a position to look out for a larger property. An opportunity occurring for him to take up a 200-acre block of the pastoral lease of the late Parker Brothers he seized the chance, and so formed the nucleus of his present fine estate in the Green Hills district, of which he may be justly termed the pioneer in the agricultural industry, now in such an advanced state in this neighbourhood. As he continued to prosper Mr. Penny added to his holding again and again, until today, surrounding the old homestead, he has acquired nearly 1,200 acres, making a splendid property, which is now chiefly under the management of his eldest son, about half of the above area being under cultivation. Mr. Penny was one of the founders and first chairman of the Green Hills Roads Board, and participated in all affairs of public concern which eventuated as the little settlement grew. He was prominent in the movement to erect an agricultural hall, which was the first institution of its kind in the State, and a church built in 1882, and he took a leading part in securing the extension of railway facilities to the district. Mr. Penny married in July, 1854, Matilda Hawkins, a native of the same part of England from which he sprang, the couple leaving ‘for Australia four months after their marriage. His descendants include four sons, three daughters, thirty - nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
WILLIAM WHIDBY CHIPPER, J.P., was born at York, Western Australia, on September 14, 1870, and is the eldest son of the late Richard Chipper, who was descended from one of the earliest of Western Australia’s settlers, viz., Stephen Chipper, who came to the State in the early thirties and was amongst those whose sufferings in pioneering the State are recorded in blood—Laving, in conflict with the native savage tribes on one occasion, received no less than half a dozen spears in his body at the same time. The gentleman under review was
educated at the Fremantle Grammar School, under the Hon. H. Briggs, and in 1886 became articled to the firm of Messrs. Forrest & Angove, intending to follow the profession of surveyor. Being attracted, however, after six years of study, by the allurement of the newly-discovered Coolgardie goldfield, he abandoned the theodolite in favour of pick and shovel, and proceeding to the eastern goldfields almost immediately altered
tiartletto, Perth
Mr. William Whidby Chipper.
his intention of starting as a prospector, and settled down to business pursuits for ten years, during which time he became a well-known member of the commercial community of the fields. In 1903 he disposed of his interests in Coolgardie and opened a store at Beverley, where he carried on business for eight years, selling out again in 1911, when he went to the Eastern States on a prolonged holiday. Upon his return he purchased a partnership in the Green Hills branch of the business of Mr. H. M. Edwards, and now conducts the management of that branch, which is carried on under the style of Edwards and Chipper. He has also a stake in the agricultural industry, owning two farms of 1,000 acres each at Kum-minin and East Beverley, in addition to other real estate at the latter centre. During his sojourn at Beverley he took a leading part in the advancement of the town and district, and for a considerable period occupied the office of mayor of the municipality, serving in
addition several years as a member of the council. He was for some time vice-president of the local agricultural society, and was prominent officially in the Beverley Race Club, where he filled the honorary position of judge. Mr. Chipper was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Administration. He is fond of motoring, and spends much of his leisure in this fascinating pursuit. In 1894 he married Florence Ethel, daughter of the late Frederick R. Stirling, long associated with newspaper publication in this State, and has one son and two daughters.
HERBERT PACEY COOK MORGAN, of “Balkuling” Estate, was born at Bishop Auckland,
Mr. Charlton Elliot Morgan.
County of Durham, England, on May 23, 1876, and is the youngest son of the late Charlton Elliot Morgan, a farmer of that district, where
records of the old historical family of that name extend back to a very early period. Mr. Morgan traces his descent to 1103, when a certain Tegan Morgan (the first member of the family of whom any record is extant) flourished; and during the former part of the fifteenth century Robert Morgan held a messuage called “Milnehaws” with other landed possessions at Frosterley Fields and Dryburn, and from that date onward references are frequently made to various representatives of the house. Subsequently a family seat was founded by the Morgans, to which was given the name of “Millhouses Manor,” this being situated on the north bank of a burn near Low Bolihope House and Whitekirtle, and many of the old records of the Stanhope district and the surrounding country for hundreds of years back contain mention of this ancient family of land-owners. The subject of our review continued his studies at the North-Eastern County School until seventeen years of age, and during this period had his attention continually turned to Western Australia by letters received from his friend, Mr. J. Deane Hammond, who had settled in this State some years previously. Mr. Hammond’s reports of the freedom of the new country, its opportunities, and responsibilities, inspired young Morgan with a desire to try for himself the lottery of Fortune in a land with all its future before it, and deserting the old home with its ancient associations and traditions he set forth, a solitary wanderer, still hardly more than a lad in years, to place the expanse of two oceans between himself and all the scenes of his previous life. Upon arrival at Western Australia he joined Mr. Hammond, remaining with him a year in order to obtain
an insight into the conditions prevailing in connection with the farming industry under the Southern Cross. At the termination of that period he made a selection of virgin country for himself, in the first instance taking up about 460 acres, with which he commenced operations. These he pursued with energy
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Herbert Pacet Cook Morgan.
and untiring perseverance, leaving no stone unturned in the path of his progress, and as the first clearing was completed a portion of the land was tilled and in due course yielded its golden harvest. As time passed the original holding proved too limited for Mr. Morgan’s enterprise, and as opportunity offered he acquired additional property in the vicinity of his first block; year by year he has continued this policy of clearing, cultivation, and further acquirement, until at the present period he owns a well-developed farm, comprising about 2,000 acres
Photo by C. E. Farr.
View of “Balkuling” Homestead.
509
of land, in quality equal to any in this noted agricultural district. The locality is well watered, good, fresh supplies for the stock being obtainable almost in all parts of the property and in abundance all the year round. There are good natural soaks, and many wells have been sunk which are supplied with the necessary troughing, etc., these being but a few among the many improvements made on the farm. Many miles of fencing have been put up, the whole of the boundary being enclosed, and subdivision has
been made into sixteen paddocks of convenient size for cultivation and the handling of the stock. Over
1,000 acres have been prepared for cultivation, and the land is tilled on the alternate crop and fallow system, which has proved highly successful in the district. Each season about half of the above-mentioned area is sown with cereals, chiefly wheat and with hay in smaller quantities, and the crops gathered in at harvest time are second to none in the district. Mr. Morgan has obtained quite a
reputation in the neighbourhood for his success in wheat-growing, his methods of tillage being rewarded with big results. These methods are based on scientific knowledge and observation, the poorer patches of soil being detected by testing, when they are treated with artificial manures and brought up to standard, the better class soils needing comparatively little attention. By this means splendidly even crops are produced, and in the recent season of 1912 the average of grain to the acre reached the excellent total of
27 bushels, demonstrating beyond argument that, given in the natural advantages of tho locality and the suitable climatic conditions, the skilled knowledge of the experienced agriculturist here has had a large say. All the latest most approved machinery is in use on the property, and everything that can assist in causing the earth to yield her increase for the service of man has been brought into requisition. For his flock Mr. Morgan has chosen the crossbred strain, and at the present
time has about 700 sheep grazing on the pastures. These display a good frame, producing a 7-lb. fleece, the wool from which is destined for the London markets, where it usually commands about a shilling per Tb. During working hours the farm horses may be observed to advantage in the different departments of industry, and when their ‘‘shift’’ is over they are well cared for and fed, the stabling arrangements at “Balkuling” being not among the least of its carefully-ordered scheme of things. All the outhouses are likewise up to date, and a stroll through the different sheds reveals everything in order. Mr. Morgan has taken his part in the public life of the district, and during the existence of the East Beverley Roads Board occupied the post of secretary to that body for a decade. He has served for several years on the Green Hills Roads Board, of which he is still a member, and takes a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the settlement and community of which he forms a part. lie is a motorist, and when he can afford leisure from the ever-pressing duties connected with the management of the farm takes trips on his car to the remotest parts of the district, thus gaining a very thorough knowledge of the country. He is very fond of reading and obtains much quiet recreation in delving into literary works of an historical nature. In 1910 Mr. Morgan took a trip to the Old Country, when he revisited the home of his childhood and spent some time in reviving the associations of early youth and boyhood, also visiting the various centres of interest both in England and on the Continent.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
General View of Mr. H. P. C. Morgan’s “Balkuling” Property.
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“DANGIN PARK” ESTATE, the valuable property belonging to Mr. JONAH SMITH WELLS PARKER, J.P., is situated 40 miles distant in an easterly direction from
Mr. Edward Read Parker.
the town of York, and in close proximity to the rising town of Dangin, which bids fair to rank in the near future as one of the foremost agricultural centres in the State. The whole of this territory was taken up in the late fifties as a pastoral lease by the late Edward Read Parker (father of the present owner), who
Mr. Cecil Alwyn Read Parker.
came from England with his parents when only ten years of age, his father having been a farmer in Kent, England, prior to his advent to Western Australia in 1830—the year following
the foundation of the Swan River settlement by the Imperial Government. The late Mr. E. R. Parker’s father was one of the first settlers in the new country, and his son, upon attaining to manhood’s estate, turned his attention to the large tracts of undeveloped country in the eastern agricultural districts, finally selecting the area to which he gave the name of “Dangin,” the aboriginal name for a spring near which the homestead was afterwards built. When the town site was surveyed by Mr. Parker, the name was adopted for the infant settlement, and to distinguish the one from the other Mr. Parker’s property was called “Dangin Park.” Here Mr. Edward Read Parker carried on operations as a pastoralist and grazier until the year 1888, when he retired from active life and lived privately at York until the time of his death, which occurred in 1905. The subject of this notice, who was born at “Dangin Park” in 1863, purchased his father’s interest in the property shortly after the retirement of the latter gentleman, and immediately began to take up blocks on the estate on the conditional purchase system, all but a very small area previously having been held under the pastoral lease. By this means he gradually acquired a large proportion of freehold, and at the present time “Dangin Park” comprises over 16,000 acres of combined freehold and conditional purchase lands, the latter in the near future merging into freehold. Practically the whole of the land, with the exception of a few rocky hills, is well suited to purposes of cultivation, and it is no exaggeration to say that we have here one of the largest farming propositions in the Western State, and, indeed, equalled by few in the whole of the Commonwealth. The entire boundary is fenced, jam timber having been brought into requisition for posts, while two plain wires and three-foot netting surmounted by a strand of barbed wire has proved an efficient barrier against the inroads of vermin or the escape of stock with a turn for wandering. Jam posts have also been used for the subdivision fences, threaded with six plain wires, and the estate has been divided into forty-one paddocks of varying size and conveniently arranged for the purposes of tillage and handling of the stock. From the first the work of improvement has been carried steadily forward, and
clearing operations have been completed over 8,000 acres, this in itself representing an immense expenditure of labour and capital. By the wholesale plying of the ringman’s
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Jonah Smith Wells Parker.
axe the character of the country has suffered considerable change, entire belts of heavy timber being sacrificed in the interests of cultivation; but this is little to be regretted when such views have been made possible as that accompanying the present article, where in the midst of a thousand-acre
Mr. Alwyn Ernest Parker.
crop of hay a man of average height may stand upright and be well-nigh concealed by the waving crops which have taken the place of the natural growths of the country. The nature
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of the soil covering the large expanses of level plain is of a good chocolate loam, correctly described as arable land and first-class country for either agriculture or grazing; while on the higher portions large outcrops of rock make the granite formation of the
hills plainly evident. In referring to the presence of granite on the property, mention must be made of one of the most important of Mr. Parker’s departments of enterprise, namely, the immense water scheme devised and carried out by him at “Dangin Park,” whereby over thirty-five millions of gallons of water are conserved annually to be distributed as required over various parts of the estate, while the whole of Dangin township derives its supply of the precious fluid solely from the same source. Mr. Parker perceived the great natural advantages presented by a water catchment of solid granite rock, forming a basin extending over one hundred acres, sloping to one centre, and capable of receiving as its share of the annual rainfall upwards of thirty million gallons; and having secured the advice of experts in water conservation, placed the whole scheme under the direction of Mr. T. C. Hodgson, who was first officer in command in connection with the construction of the Mundaring Weir under the late C. Y. O’Connor, C.M.G. A concrete wall, 12 feet in thickness at its base, was constructed across the natural basin referred to at the outlet of this area of catchment, thus completing the necessary enclosure for the conservation of the water; and a storage tank with a holding capacity of nearly 150,000 gallons, into which
water is pumped by means of a 9-h.p. Tangye oil-engine and a Tangye vertical three-throw pump through 2f-in. pipes, was installed about 9,600 ft. distant from the reservoir at an altitude of 140 ft. above the bed of the latter. From this tank
about eight miles of main and distributing pipes carry the water to the different points required, and in addition to supplying the needs of the estate and the township, the Dangin Park scheme also provides for the necessities of the local railway department. It may be safely asserted that, for the extent and method of its conservation and the area covered
in distribution, this scheme is unequalled by any private enterprise of a similar nature in the Commonwealth. The new township of
Dangin, which was surveyed as a town site in 1908, was sold in blocks for building purposes by Mr. Parker, to whom the land belonged, and the property of “Dangin Park” now surrounds the town on every side. Since that period has sprung into existence with the phenomenal rapidity which is a feature of the growth of many of Western Australia’s country towns a compact little settlement, including a fine hotel, a couple of churches, three stores, post and telegraph and telephone office, the usual blacksmithing business, etc., etc., and the railway station, which is in close proximity to the centre, presents a very busy scene at harvest time. The hotel above-mentioned was built by Mr. Parker for the convenience of settlers and travellers, and may be classed among the finest of establishments of a similar character in any country town in the State. It is conducted absolutely on temperance lines, no licensed house nearer than Quairading—a distance of over five miles—being allowed to supply alcoholic liquor to the residents, and every arrangement is made and carried out for the comfort and convenience of guests. As a matter of fact, almost the whole town was built by the gentleman
Photo by C. E. Farr.
"Lord Roland," by "Shepherd Boy.”
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
under review, who presented the Government with sites for a school-house and water supply scheme;
Merino and Lincoln-Merino Crossbreds.
Church of England and Methodist bodies, gave away 15 acres of land to be applied to purposes of recreation
boundaries, the population consists almost, exclusively of members of the farming community, and in this
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Retaining Wall of Reservoir and Catchment Area.
and, besides providing sites for the agricultural hall, a hall for the convenience of the local roads board, and blocks of land for the
and agricultural show grounds. Besides the few representatives of trade and commerce who carry on their respective callings within the township
direction Mr. Parker, as the owner of an immense area of agricultural country, has wielded an important influence. Of the 8,000 acres of
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Reservoir and Retaining Wall from Rear (looking East).
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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GENERAL VIEW OF “DANGIN PARK” ESTATE SHOWING SIX HAYSTACKS
GENERAL VIEW “DANGl/V PARK'1 HOMESTEAD.
PAN GIN PARK” HO/AESTEAP
DANGIN TOWNSHIP AND RAILWAY STATION
HH
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Storage Tank. 140>t. above Bed of Weir, showing Pipe Track through Timber.
cleared area on “Dangin Park/* he leases a portion on the share system to farmers, who carry out all the work attendant on farming, cropping, and harvesting operations, providing their own horses and implements, and giving their labour, while Mr. Parker supplies, in addition to the cleared land, seeds, manures, and other necessary materials of a like nature, and the profits are equally divided. The share farming is worked on the fallow system only, and Mr. Parker advances 5s. per acre on the fallowed land to those tenants who require means to carry them over till the crop is harvested. About 4,000 acres are worked on this system, which has proved very satisfactory. In addition Mr. Parker and his two sons crop about 1,000 acres annually, about an equal area being kept in fallow in preparation for the ensuing season. This is devoted entirely to
hay, and a portion of the crop is fed to the stock upon the estate, automatic sheep-feeders being used for
vest, however, is destined for the market, and chaffcutting operations
are an important branch of the industry, the steam chaffcutters being kept busily at work for many months, and it is no uncommon thing to witness a cluster of a dozen men, some engaged in feeding the machine from the rapidly-diminishing stock of hay close by, some superintending the filling of the sacks, and others loading the waggons by which the chaff is oonveyed to the railway station for despatch to other parts of the Stale. The machinery on the “Dangin Park” property is all of up-to-date type, seeders being busy over the fields in the beginning of the season, to be followed in due course by the reapers and binders, ten of the latter being shown at work in our illustration. Mr. Parker owns a fine motor-car, which proves of considerable service in the economizing of time in the necessary inspection of remoter parts of the large estate. Besides the big
water scheme already referred to (the cost of which was considerably over £3,000), “Dangin Park” is supplied with numerous wells and soaks, and a substantial tank, with a capacity of over 1,150,000 gallons, has been constructed, also a large dam in another part of the property, which, with the aid of the five windmills which have been erected, would alone have caused the property to rank among the premier farms of the State with regard to watering facilities. The “Dangin Park” flock has been developed on the crossbred type, merino traits predominating rather than the coarser characteristics of other breeds. The wool, accordingly, is of excellent quality and realizes very high prices at the London markets, whither the yearly clip is sent; while frequent sales of sheep are made to the provision dealers of Western Australia, the mutton of this
Photo by C. E. Farr. Dam: Capacity, 1,160,000 Gallons.
Chaffcutting Plant at Work.
this purpose. The bulk of the bar-
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
515
“Jewel,” by “Fearnought,” by “Dreadnought.” His line of ancestry also runs through “Belle,” by
Gleadow), and “Beauty,” by “Orwell” (imported by Dr. Wilmore). The homestead at “Dangin Park”
1,000-acre Crop of Hay. “Dangin Park.”
estate having made its own reputation. A small herd of Jersey cattle is kept on the farm, by which the homestead is supplied with dairy produce in abundance, but breeding of this class of stock is not engaged in on any extensive scale. The horses in use on the property are chiefly of Western Australian breed, and include all sorts and conditions suited to the varied character of the work to which they are put. Including the youngsters which are coming on, and will at no distant date relieve the old stagers of duties which are becoming too onerous for their declining years, they number about forty, and the ranks are replenished each season by a limited supply of home-bred newcomers. Mr. Parker in 1911 imported from Victoria the fine Clydesdale sire “Lord
“Tyneside” (imported by the late R. O. Kermode), “Young Flower,” by “General” (imported by Mr. Nesbitt), “Flower,” by “Clydesdale”
Ten Binders at Work. “Dangin Park” Estate.
Roland,” foaled in Tasmania on (imported by the late R. O. Ker-November 28, 1907, which valu- mode), “Jessie,” by “Young
able stallion was sired by “Shep- Prince” (imported by Mr. J. W. herd Boy” (imported from New Zealand), who was a winner of many first and champion prizes in New Zealand and Tasmania, his grandsire being “Shepherd Lad” (524, N.Z.
S.B.), first prizewinner and champion for two years in succession at Invercargill and also first with two of his progeny. “Herd Laddie” (2863, imp.), his next progenitor, had a very distinguished career, obtaining first and champion prizes at Nathalia in 1890, first and champion and first for the Dogherty Cup at Nathalia, and first champion prizes at Tatura in 1891. Other ancestors were “Jermmier Gray” (1454), “Lord Lygon” (489), “Hercules” (378), and “Rob Roy” (714), all sires of considerable style and quality.
“Lord Roland's” dam was a mare by “Sir Colin,” and his granddam was hh2
Photo by C. F. Farr.
Drill Teams in the Field.
was originally built in the early days, and is a one-storey structure which has been added to from time to time, as the growth of the family circle necessitated. Convenience, comfort, and healthy conditions of existence have been mainly considered in the plan of the building, which contains twelve rooms and a spacious entrance hall, besides the ordinary storerooms, offices, etc., while wide verandahs have been erected on those portions of the house most exposed to the hot rays of the sun in summer time. A flower garden has been cultivated, where a large variety of plants and shrubs make pleasant relief for the eye. Roses in particular are present in profusion, and shady, climbing growths have been trained over the verandahs, while on the outskirts of the garden enclosure is found the orchard, where mulberries, figs, apples, apricots, grapes, oranges, and many other kinds of fruits may be gathered in the season, the outhouses, as might be expected
on a farm like that under notice, are up to date and extensive, the stables providing accommodation for about thirty horses, while there are also a coach-house, machine-sheds, granary, etc. The woolshed is fitted with six stands of Wolseley shearing machinery, and attached to this building is a cement sheep-dipping tank of the most approved modern design. Mr. Parker has been closely identified with the advancement of the district in every possible way, and in 1910 was created a Justice of the Peace by the Wilson Administration. lie has served as a member of the Roads Board of East Beverley for some years, also being associated with the similar organization at Beverley. He is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society, and one of the executive of the Farmers’ and Settlers’ Association of Western Australia. Mr. Parker was married in 1889 to a daughter of the late Arthur Bailey, pastoralist, of the Pingelly district, by whom he had issue two sons, who are connected with the management of the “Dangin Park” Estate at the present time. Some time after the demise of this lady he was united to Lilian, daughter of the late John Webster Morris, one of the pioneer bank managers of the Western Australian State, who came from England with the early settlers about the year 1860, and of this marriage there are seven daughters. “Dangin Park” is connected by telephone with the local exchange at Dangin township.
JOHN ROBINS MACKIE, “Riversdale,” near York, is a son of the late John Conyngham Mackie, who came to this State from the north of Ireland in the early days of the Swan River settlement, records showing that he made a home on the banks of the river as far back as 1831 and within two years grew wheat in the Swan district on the flats which now form part of the property of the Hon. H. J. Saunders. In the fifties lie settled in the York district, and
here the subject of our notice was born on September 12, 1863, in course of time receiving his education at the local school. His studies completed he turned his attention to the work of the home farm and continued under his father’s roof until the death of the latter in 1889, when he came into possession of the property. “Riversdale” is situated about six miles distant from York on the one side and about fifteen from Northam on the other, and embraces about 2,000 acres of the hilly country surrounding Mount Bakewoll. It is excellent for pasturage and yields good results in response to tillage, but on account of the character of the country is somewhat expensive to bring
C. F. Farr, Perth.
Mr. John Rouins Mackie.
under cultivation. About 700 acres have been cleared, however, and in the vicinity of 300 acres are annually sown with wheat and hay, while 1,000 merino sheep crop the succulent grasses of the pasture land. Mr. Mackie has served as a member of the York Roads Board for seventeen years, during which time he has used his influence for the advancement of the district in every possible way. He is a member of the local agricultural society, and for many years acted on the committee of that body. The office of honorary secretary of the committee of the Tipperary
Church of England is filled by him, and he takes a prominent part in the affairs of management in that Church. His favourite recreation is found in reading, and in the winter he takes exercise in the popular game of golf. Mr. Mackie married in 1896 Ruth, daughter of the late George Jobson, of Victoria, and has four sons and one daughter.
“CUBB1NE” STATION, the property owned by Messrs. Forrest Brothers, is situated in the eastern agricultural district and lies about 40 miles to the east of York and 18 miles south of Cunderdin. Originally it was a “poison” lease (i.e.} the land was infested with the poison-weed so deadly to stock, and the eradication of this pest was included in the terms of the leasehold) which was taken up about half a century ago, and about a decade later fell into the hands of the late Alexander Forrest, who acquired it by purchase from the first owner and occupier, since which period it has remained in possession of the Forrest family. The late Alexander Forrest, of whom mention is made in the article on “Exploration in Western Australia” in the earlier portion of this work, was a notable figure in the history of the State. Fourth son of the late William Forrest, of Bunbury, he was born at that seaport in the year 1849, and after a preliminary course of education in his native town concluded his scholastic career at the capital, subsequent to which he entered upon the profession of civil engineer and land surveyor. Joining the Civil Service, for many years lie was connected with the staff of the Lands and Surveys Department, and accompanied his brother on several exploring expeditions, being second in command on the trip undertaken by Sir John Forrest to explore the country round Eucla and proceed from there to Adelaide. In the following year (1871) Mr. Alexander Forrest led an expedition without
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his brother, taking charge of a party to search for new pastoral country, and reached as far as 123° 37' east longitude, some little distance beyond Hunt and Lefroy’s furthest point, a few miles east of the present mining town of Kalgoorlie. He then struck south-south-east towards the coast, and returned by way of Messrs. Dempster’s station at Esper-ance Bay. Eight years later, in 1879, he led another expedition from the De Grey River to the overland telegraph line. Leaving Anderson Inlet, the. explorers proceeded to Beagle Bay and thence along the coast to the Fitzroy River, which they followed up for a distance of 240 miles. They then struck north, with the object in view of discovering a pass through the Leopold Ranges, but following the range up reached the sea before finding any place where they could cross. Following the Margaret, a tributary of the Fitzroy, they rounded the southern end of the range, and reaching the tableland beyond discovered a wide tract of splendid country. On July 24 they arrived at the Ord and, leaving this, continued their journey to reach the
country were discovered, and reported a- good site for a township at Beagle Bay, where the land was excellently adapted for settlement, also
suitable runs for sheep, horses, and cattle on the Fitzroy from 10 to 30 miles back from the river. During the next few years enormous areas of country were taken up in the Kimberley district, distinct impetus was given to settlement, and from this exploration the ensuing general advancement of the district may be
the old Legislative Council as the representative of Kimberley, after 1890 representing that district in the Assembly without a break until the
time of his death, being elected first Whip to his party—the supporters of his brother’s Ministry—which office he held up to the time of the resignation of the Throssell Administration. Mr. Forrest acted as one of the delegates from Western Australia to the Australasian Federal Conference in 1891. He entered
Photo by C. H. Park. “cubbine" homestead.
Photo by C. II. Park.
Stables at “Cubbine.”
overland telegraph line. The results of this expedition were both immediate and far-reaching. Mr. Forrest estimated that about 25,000,000 acres of pastoral and agricultural
said to have dated. Among politicians he was one of the oldest members of the Legislature, and for several years preceding responsible government ho occupied a seat in
upon civic life in 1893, when he was elected Mayor of Perth, and held that office for three years, when he retired in accordance with the custom that forbade the continuance of
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
any one man in the chair for more than that period. In 1898 he was again elected, and during his second term of office marked improvements
now owned by Alexander Forrest’s three sons, Messrs. Kimberley Fitzroy, John, and William Grant Forrest, comprises some 13,330 acres
have been completed, the boundary fence being netted and constructed with six plain wires, while netting and three wires, with posts of jam
Photo by C. II. Park.
“ Cubbine ” Homestead and Outbuildings.
in the city were brought about which had been inaugurated by him during his previous occupation. lie married in 1880 Amy, daughter of the lateE. Barrett-Lennard, of “Annan-dale,” Beverley, a well-known settler of Western Australia, and besides a daughter, Sylvia, had four sons, one of whom, Lieutenant A. A. Forrest, was killed in action in South Africa in May, 1901. Mr. Forrest received his decoration of C.M.G. in connection with the visit of the Duke and
of undulating country which, in its virgin state, was timbered with York-gum, jam, salmon, manna, and white-gum. It is fairly plentifully endowed with growth of natural grasses, including silver-grass, dandelion, and trefoil, besides numerous varieties of herbage. The rainfall of the district averages 15 inches, and the estate is excellently watered by about twelve wells and three dams, good stock water being procurable almost anywhere on the property.
timber, form the dividing fences. The estate has been subdivided into twenty paddocks of convenient size for cultivation and the handling of the stock, and about 6,000 acres have been cleared, of which approximately a third has been brought under tillage. Cereals and hay are the principal crops produced, the average return of wheat being 20 bushels to the acre, while hay yields an average of two tons to the acre. Only a few dairy cattle are kept for domestic
Photo by C. H. Park.
Seed Drills and Rollers.
Duchess of Cornwall and York, their present Majesties the King and Queen of England, to Western Australia, in 1901. ‘‘Cubbine” Station,
Windmills have been erected at the various wells, which are also supplied with up-to-date iron troughs. Over 60 miles of fencing
purposes, sheep forming the principal department on the pastoral side of the operations at “Cubbine,” the flock consisting of a merino and
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Lincoln cross, verging closely on the fine merino type, the aim being to produce a general-utility sheep, profitable both for wool and mutton. About 5,000 sheep are run on the pastures, the annual percentage of lambing running up to 90, and the country being well adapted for wool: growing a very clean type of wool is produced, the average weight of fleece being 7 lb. The annual clip is shipped to London, where good prices are obtained. The property is well provided with stockyards, which have been erected in convenient localities in the different paddocks, and near the homestead are stables, built of wood and iron and most up-to-date in character, providing accommodation for thirty horses. The outhouses generally are of a most extensive and elaborate description, taking a premier position among similar structures in the eastern district, the woolsheds, grain-sheds, etc., being exceptionally fine. The horses, bred by Messrs. Forrest Brothers, consist of Clydesdales of good type, which are kept exclusively for the work of the property, and usually number in the vicinity of
from forty-five to fifty. The "Cub-bine” homestead, erected in 1910 to the design and under the supervision of Mr. E. Summerhayes, the well-known architect of Perth, is of
modern design and contains twelve rooms, the whole being lofty, well lighted, and ventilated. Decorative work in the direction of planting shrubs and trees round the house is
to be proceeded with immediately, and when these have had time to come to maturity a very attractive appearance will be the result. In addition to their pastoral and
agricultural interests Messrs. Forrest Brothers also carry on a land, stock, and station agency business in Perth. KIMBERLEY FITZROY FORREST, eldest son of the late
Alexander Forrest, was born at Perth, on September 22, 1882, and received his education at the Perth High School. Upon the conclusion of his studies he took up his residence
at "Cub bine,” and as resident manager has continued to supervise its operations ever since, with a break of five years, during which he visited England and spent some time in the north-west of this State and in New South Wales. In 1909 he was married to Flora, eldest daughter of Mr. George Forrest, of Picton Junction. JOHN FORREST, manager of the business of Messrs. Forrest Brothers in Perth, was born on January 27, 1887, and attended St. Peter’s College, Adelaide, prior to proceeding to Oxford, where he was attached to Magdalen College. In 1910 he married Elsie, third daughter of Mr. E. Warmington, of Wallaroo, South Australia, and has one son. The youngest brother, WILLIAM GRANT FORREST, was born on January 1, 1890, and was educated at St. Peter’s College, Adelaide, and Magdalen College, Oxford. Returning to Western Australia he settled at “Melville Park,” Brunswick, in the south-west of the State, which property he purchased in 1912 and has since managed on his own account.
Photo by C. 11. Park. Clydesdale Horse bred on Station,
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
NORTHAM.
Northam, the sister town to York, having been surveyed as a town site about the same time, is situated on the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, some 66 miles from the capital city. Good roads connect it with York, about 22 miles distant, and with Toodyay, about 18 miles away towards the north-west. Surrounded by excellent arable land, devoted principally to the growth of cereals and fodder crops and the raising of stock, it is the natural depot for most of the produce sent to the eastern goldfields. Like most towns in the West, it slumbered quietly along until the gold discoveries galvanized it into action. Being the nearest settled town to the Yilgarn goldfields, and also the terminal point of the eastern railway at that time, it quickly became a busy centre. The extension of the railway to the newly discovered Southern Cross field
comprise, in addition to the large railway station, a commodious courthouse, a well-appointed hospital, post office, mechanics’ institute and library, and several halls. All the associated banks have branches in the town, and the leading denominations are represented by handsome churches. It is admirably lighted by electricity, derived from an up-to-date plant controlled by the municipality, and derives its water from the goldfields scheme, a permanent storage of 250,000 gallons being provided for. The building of a weir across the Avon, erected, with subsidiary works, at a cost of £10,000, conserves a fine ornamental sheet of water. The town has telephone conveniences, and postal communication thrice daily with Perth. Industrial operations are confined chiefly to flour milling, bacon curing, and the manufacture and repair
Photo by C. M. Nixon.
View of Northam from “Leake” Estate.
increased its importance, and when Coolgardie, Kal-goorlie, and fields further east were discovered and the railway continued to meet the needs of these immensely wealthy areas, Northam became a centre of great commercial importance. The discovery at a later date that the land eastwards and northwards for hundreds of square miles possessed high potential value from an agricultural standpoint also helped to make Northam one of the chief towns in Western Australia.
Possessed of a population quick to realize the value of the town’s position as the centre of trade and industry of the eastern districts, it is now a thriving and prosperous municipality of modern appearance, with good roads and every convenience for the comforts of its citizens. It boasts one of the finest town halls in the State, built and furnished with theatre-room and stage at a cost of nearly £5,000. The other public buildings
of agricultural implements and machinery. Recreation is well provided for by an excellent racecourse controlled by the Northam Race Club, a well-established bowling green, and conveniences for all other outdoor sports. Over the whole town there is an air of stability and comfort, to which the large number of handsome private residences contributes not a little. As befits a town of such importance, Northam possesses two newspapers— The Northam, Advertiser and The Northam Courier— each published twice weekly. The leading paper is controlled by the lion. Ii. P. Colebatch, who represents the district in the Legislative Council. Mr. Oscar L. Bernard is mayor of the town, and there is every evidence that the mantle of authority in Northam, so long and worthily worn by the late Hon. George Throssell, has passed to its present chief citizen.
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OSCAR L. BERNARD, Mayor of North am, is a native of Russia and a member of a very old Jewish family famous for the scholars it has produced. As a mere youth, leaving the land of his birth in connection with a great national movement, he enjoyed the advantage of visiting many parts of the world and of meeting men of European renown during the course of his travels. In 1888 he landed in Melbourne and subsequently arrived in Western Australia some three years later, just at the time that the new constitution was proclaimed. Settling soon afterwards in Northam he formed a high opinion of the possibilities of the place as an agricultural centre and decided to throw in his own lot in the district. Starting in a small way of business, the continual rise in the value of town lands gave him his start, and having formed a friendship with the late Hon. G. Throssell he acted on the advice of that gentleman and invested largely in property at the eastern end of the town, where settlement had hardly begun. About 1894 he became a member of the firm of Messrs. Richard Honey & Co., of the Lion Timber Mills, and upon the death of the founder the management devolved upon Mr. Bernard, who was very successful in straightening out the finances, which proved an onerous task. The rapid development of the goldfields caused a strong demand for j air ah timber at enhanced prices, which soon placed the firm of R. Honey & Co. in the front rank of timber enterprises. Whilst carrying on his business in the Darling Ranges Mr. Bernard continued his efforts to build up East Northam, his expenditure at one time in this direction amounting to some £10,000; the incentive this gave to others and the effect it had in influencing the Government to provide railway facilities at the eastern point have combined to make this one of the three important wards of the town. About the year 1900 the forest round the timber mills having been considerably thinned out, Mr. Bernard decided to relinquish the industry, and the firm of R. Honey & Co. went into liquidation. For some twelve months Mr. Bernard then turned his attention to mining at Coolgardie in conjunction with the late Mr. Charles Crossland, but being, as he himself terms it, fortunately unsuccessful he left the fields and opened in business at Northam as timber and produce
merchant. Having resided for some twenty years in a farming district, and by this enterprise being brought into close touch with producers and their products, after narrowly watching the industry, he decided to embark upon it, should opportunity offer. This eventuated when the famous “Seabrook” Estate was cut up by the late lion. George Throssell and placed on the market, when Mr. Bernard secured about 1,200 acres of land, including the noted Boora-munn Valley, and thereafter disposed of his business and gradually parted with his town holdings in order to carry on the development of the land, in which he has succeeded to a marked degree, the farm “Booramunn” being entirely cleared and highly improved at the present
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mu. Oscau L. Beunaud.
time. Mr. Bernard was instrumental in inducing the Government to extend the goldfields water supply to the farming properties of the Avon Valley ana “Seabrook” on suitable terms, and this having been accomplished after considerable effort on his part, he turned his attention to obtaining telephonic communication between Northam and the farms above referred to. After two years this system was inaugurated, and Mr. Bernard affirms that to the best of his knowledge the Northam-Grass Valley telephonic service was the first purely rural system of its kind in the State, and possibly in the Commonwelath. Having met with success in his personal operations Mr. Bernard some five years ago induced the residents of Northam
to experiment in a co-operative farming scheme which was known at the time as the Bernard Land Scheme. His suggestion was that some 100 members should take up land at Wongan Hills (at that time a terra incognita some 30 or 40 miles from a railway) and work their holdings on a system of co-operation; but unexpected expense and delay in securing possession of the land damped the enthusiasm of most, and a few only proceeded with the matter. The scheme, however, served a useful purpose in drawing attention to the Wongan Hills district, where development is now proceeding apace, among the landholders being Mr. Bernard, who has 500 acres now ready for seeding. At about the same period Mr. Bernard accepted the mayoralty of Northam, which office he filled for four terms (1904 to 1909), these periods being very fruitful in respect to the important works brought to a successful issue. The excellent water supply, electric light and power system, and the reorganized sanitary system which has made the town of Northam one of the healthiest in the Commonwealth, together with the conversion of the Avon River from a few mud holes into a handsome lake where swimming and boating may be freely indulged in, are all evidences of the special efforts put forth by the council, at the instigation of their head, to obtain with some assistance from the Government what have already proved immense benefits to the place. A vacancy occurring in the mayoral chair at the end of 1912 Mr. Bernard yielded to the wish of the ratepayers and again took office. He is at present engaged on a comprehensive scheme of improvement in connection with the Avon River, his idea being to operate on the entire Valley of the Avon from its source at Wickepin to its outlet on the Swan River, and by a series of dams and locks to conserve the whole of the winter rains and form a permanent waterway over 100 miles in length connecting the agricultural districts with the city and the coast. He has secured a considerable volume of reliable engineering opinion, which is entirely favourable to the undertaking, and its commercial side is receiving careful consideration, particularly the extent to which the quality of the water may be relied upon for irrigation purposes. Mr. Bernard has succeeded in enlisting the support of the neighbouring communities of the Avon Valley to his
project, and he is now making preparations for a conference of leading men in the eastern districts to be held at Northam, with a view to setting on foot this great scheme. He married in 1897 Edith Esther, daughter of the late M. Frankenburg, of Adelaide, and niece of Rabbi Dr. Abrahams, of Melbourne, and of Dr. Israel Abrahams, Lecturer, of Cantab., England. By this union there arc four daughters and one son.
The late Honourable GEORGE TIIROSSELL was born at Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland, on May 23, 1840, and when ten years of age came to Western Australia with his father, the late George Michael Throssell, who was appointed to a police inspectorship in Perth. He received his education at a public school in the capital, and at the termination of bis studies became connected with commercial life with the firm of Messrs. Padbury & Fermanar (afterwards Padbury, Loton, and Co.), merchants, of St. George’s Terrace, Perth. Upon attaining his majority he commenced business on his own account at Northam, and in the face of initial difficulties built up the flourishing firm now merged into Throssell, Son, & Stewart, under which title it is still carried on, being one of the largest concerns of its kind outside the metropolitan area. From an early period he displayed a vigorous interest in public affairs, and upon offering himself as a candidate for municipal honours was duly elected, and for nine years filled the mayoral chair, being only out of office long enough to fulfil the provisions of the local Government Act. During this period Governor Broome signed the declaration promoting Northam to the dignity of a town and the corporation to a higher place in civic rank. In 1890, upon the introduction of responsible government in Western Australia, Mr. Throssell was returned, unopposed, as member for Northam in the Legislative Assembly, and held this seat for many years. In March, 1897, upon the retirement of Mr. A. R. Richardson, he accepted the portfolio of Commissioner of Crown Lands at the hands of the then Premier, Sir John Forrest; and when the resignation of the latter legislator occurred in February, 1901, Mr. Throssell succeeded to his office, thus becoming the second Premier of the State. This Government held office for only a little over two
months, resigning in May, 1901. The chief influence exerted by Mr. Throssell as a politician was in the direction of land settlement, and he was a popular and forceful advocate of the interests of the farmer. The passing of the Homesteads Act, under which a free farm of 160 acres was given to every bona-fide settler, and the establishment of the Agricultural Bank were brought about during his Parliamentary career, and were due in a large degree to the fostering care bestowed upon these measures by the gentleman under review and his colleague, Sir John Forrest. Mr. Throssell was also responsible for the first Land Purchase Bill and the Land Drainage Bill, and in respect to his constituency fought its cause in the
Dartletto, Perth.
Hon. George Throsseul.
matter of railway interests successfully, being instrumental in securing the route of the Yilgarn line by way of Northam instead of York, where the residents were striving to enforce their claim to preference. He also strenuously urged the claims of his district to a branch line from Northam, through Jennapullen to Goomalling, which became an accomplished fact in due course. The important subject of- water conservation for irrigation purposes and mining requirements also received considerable attention from Mr. Throssell, who, in addition to his public advocacy of land development, had a hand in various private schemes for opening up the fertile Avon Valley and other places for
the production of cereals and hay. He was personally interested in several properties in different parts of the State, owning “Oakover” and “Bulong,” with other farming stations, and holding interests in pastoral runs in the north-west. Mr. Throssell was the founder of the Northam Mechanics’ Institute, in the advancement of which, as in all matters affecting the welfare of his constituents, he took a lively concern. Termed the “lion of Northam,” the paternal regard he ever displayed towards the town and district where he spent the greater part of his life and which honoured him with its confidence as their representative in Parliament won for him also the affectionate titles of “father” and “patriarch.” He was president of the athletic clubs, and held membership in various public and social organizations. Mr. Throssell was gazetted Honourable in 1901. He married on June 6, 1861, Annie, daughter of Mr. Richard Morrell, one of the earliest settlers in the Northam district, of which union there were twelve children.
WILLIAM DYER COWAN, Resident Magistrate for the Northam and York magisterial districts, was born at York, Western Australia, on June 9, 18.54, and is a son of the late
Mr. Walkinsiiaw Cowan.
Walkinshaw Cowan, an early pioneer who came to this State in 1839 as private secretary to Governor Hutt. At the close of his education, which he received by private tuition and at
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
523
the Government school in Perth, Mr. W. D. Cowan entered the Public Service as Clerk of Courts to his father, who then occupied the post of resident magistrate at York. After filling this position for seven years, he was promoted to be treasurer and clerk of courts at Gerald ton, remaining there for nine years, at the end of which period he was appointed resident magistrate at Newcastle, now Toodyay. Further promotion was accorded him to the B unbury district, where he acted as relieving officer to Mr. R. Fairbairn, R.M., for about three years; and in 1889 he received appointment to the post of Government Resident at Wyndham. Three years later he was again transferred, this time to the more important centre of Roebourne, where he continued until 1896, in which year he was appointed resident magistrate at Northam. Subsequently the magisterial districts of Northam and York were merged into one, and Mr. Cowan has since discharged the duties of the combined offices. Mr. Cowan has taken great interest in the military movement in Western Australia, and received his commission of captain, with which rank he retired. TTe has long been associated with Freemasonry, his mother lodge being at Geraldton, and has filled many offices in the craft, in which he
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. William Dyer Cowan.
is now a Past Master. He married in 1896 Margaret, daughter of the late James Cable, of Wyndham, in the north-wrest, and has three sons and four daughters.
Councillor JOSEPH THOMAS MILNER, of the firm of Messrs. J. T. Milner k Co., family and wholesale butchers, of Northam, is a son of the late James Milner, grazier, a pioneer of Quirindi, New South Wales, in which district the gentleman under review was born on May 3, 1881. He received his education at the High School, West Maitland, in the same State, and at the conclusion of his studies obtained a valuable experience in all branches of the pastoral industry on the large sheep and cattle station, “Bul-larora,” New South Wales. At a later date, when volunteers were called for to form the “Bushmen’s Contingent” for service in the Boer War, he responded to the demand of his country and held the distinction
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Joseph Thomas Milner.
of being the youngest noncommissioned officer who left New South Wales for South Africa. He served in various engagements, receiving the Queen’s Medal and Five Clasps, and was promoted through the non-commissioned ranks to regimental quartermaster-sergeant, with which rank he returned to Australia. After a few months’ rest on his native soil he again sailed for South Africa, where he entered the Government service as record clerk in the Transvaal Prisons Department at Johannesburg and held this post for over three years. In 1904 lie once more sought the scenes of his youth, but after a short sojourn in the Eastern State came to Western Australia and entered upon the butchering trade in the Murchison district. In 1907,
having been impressed with the solidarity of the Northam district, he decided to settle in this town, and has carried on successfully ever since, the firm of J. T. Milner k Co. being very favourably known throughout a wide area. Almost from his first advent to the town Mr. Milner has interested himself in public affairs, and having given some attention to municipal government, in 1908 was returned by the ratepayers of West Ward to represent their interests in the local council, which seat he has held ever since. For a considerable time he acted as chairman of the finance committee, and is now a member of the health and works committees. He is also prominent in all matters connected with the advancement of the town, being identified with the various progressive bodies and sporting clubs, and is a member of the Masonic craft. He holds rank as lieutenant in the Senior Cadets, and is O.C. of the local company. Mr. Milner married in 1910 May, daughter of Mr. Donald MacKenzie, of Northam, and has one daughter.
Councillor JAMES BYFIELD, J.P., representing Central Ward in the municipality of Northam, was born at Mahogany Creek, near Guildford, on April 22, 1849. His father, the late Edward Harold Byfield, was one of Western Australia’s early pioneers, and his mother also arrived in the State at a very early period of its history, having accompanied the wife of the first Governor (Sir James Stirling) as children’s nurse. Under the primitive conditions of the fifties educational facilities were difficult to obtain, and the gentleman under review, with the help of a little private tuition, was largely dependent on his own efforts in the direction of scholastic attainments. At fifteen years of age he was apprenticed to the wheelwright and machinist trade, under the late Solomon Cook, a name well known to early residents of the State; and on reaching man’s estate, came to Northam, where his father had purchased for him, in 1850, the second block of land sold in the district, where he is now the oldest landholder, the property, which in the original instance cost three guineas, recently having been valued at over £2,000. On arriving in Northam he established himself in his trade, and was the manufacturer of the first buggy and most of the original
agricultural machinery in the district. He has also been responsible for the erection of nearly half the buildings in Northam, and has assisted many householders to build their own homes on the building society principle. During the sixteen years that he carried on business Mr. By field managed, in conjunction with his trade, what was then the largest flour mill in the State, which, built by the late Mr. T. Wilding, he purchased from Mr. Gregory. About 1888 he imported from America the first complete roller plant ever brought to Western Australia. As a result of the installation of this plant the wheat in the district rose in value by 20 per cent., and a fillip was given to local production. The flour produced at the mill gained a
C. M. Nixon. Northam.
Mr. James Byfield.
special prize at the Coolgardie Exhibition (1899) in competition with all the Australian States, and won further distinction at the French Exhibition (1900) and Glasgow Exhibition (1901). Mr. Byfield was made the recipient of a handsome illustrated address by the agriculturists of the district, in recognition of his single-handed and spirited action in redeeming the State from the unprogressive condition in which, from an agricultural and milling standpoint, it had lain for so long a period. At the present time Mr. Byfield gives his attention chiefly to his landed interests in Northam, and to the management of his farm of 800 acres which adjoins the town site. He crops a third of this area per annum,
and during the present season (1912) averaged over 30 bushels of wheat to the acre, while he also has a nice orchard surrounding his pretty villa, where a variety of stone fruits and vines flourish, together with a few vegetables. Upon the creation of the Northam municipality about 1878 Mr. Byfield was elected second on the poll, and has sustained the distinction, unrivalled in the State, of holding this seat ever since; he has also filled the office of mayor for a term. Since 1899 he has exercised a Commission of the Peace granted him by the Forrest Administration. He has been a moving spirit in the Rechabite movement for forty years, and has filled all offices of honour in that body, in addition to the trusteeship which he has held ever since the founding of the first lodge in Northam. He is well known in religious and charitable circles, and takes a prominent part in the Wesleyan Church, of which he is a trustee. Mr. By field married in 1872 Elizabeth, daughter of the late W. Forward, of Salt River, Northam, and has surviving one son and two daughters, another son having been accidentally shot in 1910 while getting through a fence with a loaded gun.
Councillor NEIL KENNEDY, general merchant, Northam, was born in the Parish of Sleat, Inverness-shire, Scotland, and is a son of the late Donald Kennedy, a boat-builder of that place. He pursued his educational studies in his native town, and upon leaving school became apprenticed to the general storekeeping business at Fort William, where he spent three years before subsequently removing to Glasgow. With the intention of entering the ministry of the Church he studied at the University of Glasgow, but after a time, from conscientious reasons, resigned and became connected with the staff of a wholesale warehouse, where he gained valuable experience in various branches of the trade, which served him in good stead upon his proceeding to Victoria to identify himself with the wholesale trade in the famous Flinders Lane. Five years later, when the Western State was just coming into prominence on account of the mining boom, he left for those shores, and shortly after arrival joined his brother in opening the business of Kennedy Brothers
at Menzies, with a branch at Kookynie, which is still being carried on by the last-mentioned gentleman. In 1908 he came to Northam and purchased the business lie now conducts from Messrs. Dyer and Hollett, which he has since continued as a thoroughly successful and paying proposition, worthy to be regarded as one of the leading concerns of its kind outside the metropolitan area. Soon after taking up his residence in the town he began to display an interest in public affairs, and in due course was elected by the ratepayers of Central Ward to a seat in the municipal council, which he still holds. He is a member of the local agricultural society, and for over a decade has been connected with the Masonic
C. .1/. Nixon. Northam.
Mr. Neil Kennedy.
craft, in which he has held office as Substitute District Grand Master, S.C. He is fond of reading, and gives his attention chiefly to authors dealing with matters of historical and scientific interest. In 1910 Mr. Kennedy married Beatrice Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Hugh Bennett, agriculturist, of Cowcowing, and has one son and one daughter.
RICHARD HOOPER DUENCE, Town Clerk of Northam, was born at Callington, Cornwall, England, on February 27, 1869, and is a son of Mr. William Duence, builder and contractor, of Sydney, New South Wales. He was educated primarily in the north of England, completing
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his studies in South Australia at Prince Alfred College and the University of Adelaide. Entering upon the profession of a teacher, Mr. Duence received his first appointment at Camden Grammar School, in New South Wales, and subsequently held positions in the Newcastle Grammar School and in the Geelong Grammar School, Victoria. He relinquished teaching in order to accept a post in the office of Messrs. Chaffey Brothers, of Mildura, where he remained for over six years, in 1896 disposing of his interests in the latter place and coming to Western Australia, where he took charge of the counting-house of Messrs. Bickford & Sons, wholesale druggists, of Perth. At the termination of four years he resigned from this service and established himself in
C. M. Nixon, Nor I ham.
Mr. Richard Hooper Duence.
business on his own account as hay and corn merchant at Victoria Park. He afterwards retired from this concern and devoted his attention to various investments for about three years, early in 1906 accepting a municipal post at Northam. Two years later he was appointed acting-town clerk, and less than twelve months subsequently received the permanent appointment, which he has since retained. Mr. Duence is a member and Past Master of the Masonic craft, of which he has been an adherent for over a decade. Lie gives ready support to the charitable movements of the neighbourhood, and frequently acts in the capacity of honorary secretary to such organizations. Being a vocalist of some merit, he makes a hobby of
music, and promotes this art both publicly and privately in every possible way. He married in 1904 Leila, daughter of Mr. James Hartley, of Woollahra, Sydney, New South Wales, and has one daughter.
"THE NORTHAM ADVERTISER,” the leading provincial newspaper in Western Australia, is now in its twentieth year, having been established in 1893. Its founder, Mr. J. T. Reilly, is one of the most interesting figures in Australian journalism. His 'Fifty Years' Reminiscences of Western Australia,” published about ten years ago, is a work of great value. Until eight years ago he retained the editorship and management of The Norlham Advertiser, and now, well past the allotted three score years and ten, is enjoying a well-deserved rest. His successor, the Hon. IT. P. Colebatch, took charge of the paper in June, 1905, and is still managing editor. He is a member of the Legislative Council, and a brief sketch of his career appears in the portion of this work devoted to Parliament. Before entering the Legislature, however, Mr. Colebatch was a very active public man. For three years he occupied the position of Mayor of Northam, and for some time represented
Bartletto, Perth.
Hon. H. P. Colebatch, M.L.C.
the Government on the Western Australian Fire Brigades' Board, as well as occupying a seat on the Licensing Bench. He has been a member of the District Board of Education for many years, and is either president,
vice-president, or committeeman of practically every local public institution. His pastimes are bowls and chess. He was at one time president of the Perth Bowling Club, and was the founder and has been for seven years president of the Northam Bowling Club. He won the chess championship of the State in 1898, and the championship of Perth again in 1901.
PEARSON LYON, B.A. (Syd. Univ.), barrister and solicitor, Northam, was born at Melbourne, Victoria, on March 23, 1869, and is a son of Mr. John Lamb Lyon, a well-known artist and designer, of Sydney, New South Wales. He attended the Sydney Grammar School
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Tii. Pearson Lyon.
before entering the University of Sydney, where he obtained his B.A. degree from St. Andrew’s College in 1890. Subsequently he was articled to Mr. Gilbert Murdock, solicitor, for three years, and at the end of that period opened in practice in Sydney, where he continued until the end of 1896. Mr. Lyon left for Western Australia in the last-mentioned year, and having qualified for practice by residence in this State for six months, purchased the connection of Mr. A. S. Roe at Roebourne. Finding the health of his family suffering on account of the climate, Mr. Lyon left that district towards the end of 1900, and, some time afterwards, joined the late F. A. Meeres in practice at Northam, which
partnership was afterwards dissolved in 1905, since which date he has been conducting a large practice on his own behalf, having been appointed notary public by the Supreme Court of Western Australia in September, 1903. Mr. Lyon is solicitor to the Northam Municipal Council. He is the most prominent Freemason in the district, being Third Grand Principal of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Western Australia, and Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia ; while he also represents the Royal Arch Chapter of Kansas in this State. In 1899 Mr. Lyon married Jeanie Dunlop, daughter of the late Hugh McMaster, in his time one of New South Wales’ foremost building contractors, and has three sons and two daughters.
ARTHUR AUGUSTUS MEERES, barrister and solicitor, Northam, was born at Ceylon on
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Arthur Augustus Meeres.
May 1, 1874, being a son of the late Frederick Augustus Meeres, an English solicitor who practised for a considerable time in that island and in England, prior to his arrival in Northam, Western Australia, where he resided for a number of years. The gentleman under review was educated at Uckfield Grammar School, Sussex, England, and upon the completion of his studies came to Western Australia, where he followed a variety of pursuits before entering his father’s office to serve his articles to
the legal profession. He was admitted to the Bar of Western Australia in 1904, and shortly afterwards, upon the severing of the connection between the late Mr. Meeres and Mr. P. Lyon, he entered into partnership with his father, with whom he was associated until the demise of that gentleman in 1907. Since that date Mr. Meeres has conducted the practice on his own behalf. In addition to his professional interests, he has a stake in the agricultural industry, being interested in a farming property in the Avon Valley. He is solicitor to the roads board of Northam and to the Northam Building Society, as well as to other local bodies, and takes his share of the public work of the town, being a councillor of Eastward in the municipality of Northam. He is a member of the Northam Club, and is a Freemason, being connected with Lodge Avon, W.A.C.; while in the world of sport he has acted as honorary secretary of the local bowling club—of which he was one of the founders—since its inception, and is a worthy disciple of Isaak Walton, besides being a general advocate of all clean outdoor sport. In 1901 Mr. Meeres married Ellen Barbara, youngest daughter of Mr. N. N. Blackmore, dental surgeon, of Adelaide and Perth, and has three daughters.
GUSTAVE THOMAS DONOVAN, L.D.S. (Vic.), B.D.S. (Melb.), D.D.S. (North - western Univ., Chicago), is a native of Melbourne, in which city he was born on January 12, 1887. He received his primary education at St. Patrick’s College, Ballarat, continuing his studies at the University of Melbourne. Having qualified for the dental profession he practised for a short time in his native State prior to proceeding to Chicago, where he spent over a year at the Northwestern University, taking his degree of D.D.S. from this institution in June, 1910. Continuing his travels to Europe he attended clinical lectures and demonstrations at the various Continental centres, and returned to Australia early in the following year. Dr. Donovan, having decided to settle in the Western State, established himself in practice at Northam, and during the short time that has elapsed since his arrival has built up a satisfactory connexion. He keeps himself well up
to date in scientific matters, and those relating especially to his profession, by the perusal of the latest works of those writers most capable of handling the important subjects with which they are dealing; he also gives a portion of his leisure to historical literature, which he considers a valuable study. His chief recreation is found on the tennis court, but at college he was prominent in cricket and football, playing senior football in Melbourne for a couple
C. XI. Nixon, Nobtham.
Mr. Gustave Thomas Donovan.
of years. In 1912 Dr. Donovan married Amy, daughter of Mr. Lee, of Perth, Western Australia.
DAVID THOMAS MORRELL, J.P., Northam, owner of “Karra-walla” Farm, Jennapullen, was born at the former place on November 1, 1851, and is a son of the late Frederick Morrell, his grandfather being the late John Morrell, the founder of Northam, where he died in 1843. By trade a builder Mr. John Morrell was employed to erect the first Government House in Perth, but almost from the advent of the family in Western Australia they have been connected with the agricultural and pastoral industry, the above-mentioned pioneer being the original settler to turn a sod for tillage in the Northam district. The subject of our memoir received his education in the town of his birth, and subsequently assisted his father on the farm, since which period he has maintained a consistent connexion with the farming and grazing
527
industries. He holds about 1,700 acres of freehold land at Jenna-pullen, with nearly 4,000 acres of grazing area, and has some 1,000 acres under cultivation annually. A small flock of sheep and some cattle and pigs comprise the pastoral side of his industry, and mixed-farming pursuits are carried on with satisfac* tory results. Since attaining to manhood Mr. Morrell has been connected with the public life of the district, serving over seventeen years on the Northam Roads Board, of which body he was chairman for the last eight years of his term of service. To him must be accorded more than to any other settler, or indeed any other local public man, the credit of opening up the agricultural areas towards and beyond Goomalling. He was the founder and president of the
C. M. Nixon. Northam.
Mr. David Thomas Morrrdl.
league formed to agitate for the construction of the Goomalling railway, which held meetings of public protest against the backward policy of the political party then in power, and in course of time, mainly through Mr. Morrell’s perseverance, the line of railway was granted which opened up one of the richest agricultural districts in the State. An active member of the local agricultural society, Mr. Morrell has held office as vice-president and committeeman for several years; and by virtue of his membership in the Farmers and Settlers’ Association in the district he acted as local delegate to the historical conference of these bodies held in Perth in 1913, where his utterances in debate always
commanded the respectful attention of his fellow delegates. For four years, from 1906 onward, he held the position of inspector for the Agricultural Bank. His Commission of the Peace was granted by the Forrest Administration in pre-Federal days. Mr. Morrell is an ardent member of the Anglican Church, and has held office for twenty-four years as vestry* man and for nearly a decade as warden. His father before him was recognized as the leading Anglican churchman in Northam, having been one of five who built the first church edifice there in 1851. On two occasions Mr. Morrell has offered himself as a candidate for the Legislative Council, but failed to secure election. He was married in 1874 to Julia Emma, third daughter of the late William Chidlow, whose name is well remembered among the records of the hardy pioneers who have assisted in building up the prosperity of the State, and has four sons and four daughters.
JOHN HENRY GREGORY, J.P., Northam, was born at Isle of Wight, England, on October 11, 1826, and when only two years of age was brought to Western Australia by his parents in the sailing vessel “Warrior,” under command of Captain Stone, the voyage occupying about six months. Landing at South Beach, Fremantle, on March 12, 1830, the Gregorys pitched the tents there which formed for a while their dwelling-place, but subsequently left the coast (where food supplies often ran very short) to reside at Pineapple Bay, on the Swan River between Perth and Guildford. In 1836 young Gregory was sent to Mr. Spencer’s school—the first educational institution established in Perth, and afterwards amalgamated with the school founded by the Rev. J. B. Wittenoom—and in course of time was apprenticed to the wheelwright and blacksmithing trade at Guildford. He was engaged on the construction of the pioneer flour mill and timber mill at Guildford, owned by Mr. Walkinshaw Cowan, R.M., and assisted in the erection of the engines and plant in the mill, which supplied some of its first cutting of timber from Greenmount, in the Darling Ranges, for the Anglican Church—now St. George’s Cathedral. In those days a road mail used to leave Guildford for the eastern districts, taking .some days on
the journey to York, Toodyay, and back to Perth, and Mr. Gregory upon occasion undertook the duty of mailman. Upon these trips he camped at the halfway house on the old York Road, and here enjoyed the distinction of spending an evening in the company of the murderer of Gordon, the basketmaker (which tragedy had taken place near the Causeway), who was afterwards arrested at Seabrook for the crime. It was in 1841 that he made his
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. John Henry Gregory.
first journey across the ranges on the track which was blazed in 1833 by Lieutenant Dale, his mission being to convey, by means of a team and waggon, materials for the erection of Grindle’s Hotel, the second public-house opened in York. In the following year he commenced work on Mr. Hewson’s farm, in the Toodyay district, where he obtained a valuable knowledge of agriculture. Seven years later he left this district and took up a holding seven miles on the Northam side of York, remaining there until 1856, when he transferred to Thompson’s Head, a then uncleared grant in the Northam district. Whilst working this land he also found time to improve an adjoining grant, now held by the Dempster family and known as “Corra Lynn,” which he gradually extended to 2,000 acres fee simple and 2,000 acres leasehold, in 1887 vacating the older place in order to devote his whole time to this newer property, situated at Burlong Pool. Here he continued until 1892, when, at the
age of sixty-six, he joined the Government service and filled a position as a State forest ranger on the great southern line until 1909, when' he voluntarily retired on a pension. In 1865 Mr. Gregory became associated with the Good Templar movement and was prominent in the work of that body, the extension of which he has continued to promote. He was one of the founders of the Temperance Hotel erected in North am by the I.O.G.T. in the seventies, and was present at the foundation of the York Lodge in 1870, and of the Newcastle Lodge in 1873. He has the whole history of the district at his finger-ends, and many interesting hours may be spent in listening to his tales of the early days. Mr. Gregory is a Justice of the Peace, having been gazetted by the Forrest Administration in 1894. He was married in 1851 to a daughter of the late J. Massingham, of Kent, England, and has four sons and four daughters. On January 19, 1911, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary, a large gathering assembling in the North am To wn Hall to do honour to the occasion.
WILLIAM FORWARD, Nor-tham, was born at Mount Hardy, near York, on January 24, 1847, and is a son of the late William Forward, who came from Kent, England, in 1830, and settled down to grazing and farming pursuits in the York districts, coming to North am during the early days of its settlement and opening the first hotel in the neighbourhood in the early sixties. After conducting this business for some years the late Mr. Forward resumed farming occupations in the Seabrook district, where he died at the ripe age of ninety-two. The gentleman under review acquired the rudiments of learning at a night school carried on by the late Mr. Lloyd, also studying for a time under private tuition with the children of the late Frederick Morrell. At an early age he was apprenticed to the black-smithing trade at Northam with the late Edward Wilding, and after completing his indentures opened in business for himself as wheelwright and blacksmith. For a quarter of a century Mr. Forward conducted the smithy and extensive general trade which was the nucleus of the large establishment and connection now managed so successfully by Messrs.
Withnell Brothers, of Northam. About the end of this period he turned his attention to farming pursuits and commenced in turn the development of three separate farms, which he afterwards passed on to his sons, himself retiring from active life and settling down quietly in his home at Northam where he still resides. In the early years of the history of the town as a municipality Mr. Forward played his part in the arena of local government, serving the ratepayers for some time as a member of the Council. He is a member of the agricultural society, and is looked upon as one of the pioneer settlers who in the early days of the land movement in the district bore the burden and heat of the day and shared the privations incident to the building up of the farming industry and the making of the place the prosperous provincial centre that it is to-day. He finds recreation in the society of old friends, with whom he lives over the days of the past, and in making frequent visits to the properties upon which his sons are settled. Mr. Forward married in July, 1873, Emily, daughter of the late Richard Morrell, also an early pioneer of the State, and has three sons and three daughters surviving.
HENRY JOHN LEEDER, Northam, is a native of this State, having been born at William Street, Perth, on March 14, 1849. He is a son of the late William Henry Leeder, who came to Western Australia in the earliest days of its settlement with his father, who was the original settler in the Leederville district, where he owned a farming property of 640 acres on the site of the suburb which now bears his name. The subject of this review received his education under the tuition of the late Rev. G. H. Sweeting at Bishop Hales’ College, Perth, Sir John Forrest and Sir Ilenry Parker being among his schoolmates. Leaving college he proceeded to Northam, where he took up land and devoted his energies to mixed farming, leasing the “Mokine” property, as present owned by Mr. Wilding, for grazing purposes. After continuing in active pastoral and agricultural pursuits for about a quarter of a century, he let the holding to a tenant, and has since lived in retirement in the town. Mr. Leeder took a deep interest in the early development of Northam, and for a time occupied a seat on the
municipal council, subsequently being invested with mayoral honours. He was prominent in the Northam Agricultural Society, being considered one of the best judges of stock in the State and acting in that capacity not only at the local shows, but also at similar functions held in other important centres. For many years he held a Commission of Justice of the Peace, but retired from these duties a few years back. He was a committeeman of the local race club from its early days, and is well known on the turf, as, though not a backer of horses, he has kept some particularly good racing stock, which has brought him credit both here and in the Eastern States; among the best horses he has owned and raced being “Hinemoa,” “Maori Land,”
Mr. Henry John Leeder.
“Maori Lad,” “Springlock,” “Cardinal,” and “Vivian,” all of which have earned repute in their time. Mr. Leeder takes recreation in driving and bowls, being a committeeman of the Northam Bowling Club; and, in his younger days, he was well known in cricketing circles. He has been twice married, his first wife having been a daughter of the late Richard Morrell, a pioneer of Northam, while the present Mrs. Leeder was Miss Clara Nettle, of Ballarat, Victoria. His family consists of two sons and four daughters.
ELLIOTT AGETT LOCKYER, J.P., of Northam, is a son of the late Thomas Lockyer, who as a boy of thirteen came from Somersetshire to Western Australia in 1830 with his
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
529
father, the late Paul Lockyer, a millwright by trade, who built the first mill in the infant colony. The mill was driven by wind-power, and it still stands as one of the old landmarks of the early days in the vicinity of “The Narrows,” South Perth. The gentleman under review was born within three miles of Nor-tham, on December 25, 1855, and after a course of private tuition was sent to the Government school conducted in St. George’s Terrace on the site of the present technical school. At fourteen years of age he joined his father in mixed farming pursuits at “Oakfield,” now in the possession of Mr. G. T. Wilkerson, and remained under the paternal roof-tree until upon attaining manhood he proceeded to the north-west, where
Mr. Thomas Lockyer.
he spent seven years in association with his elder brother, who had been for some years engaged in the pastoral industry in the Roebourne district. The strenuous nature of the pioneering life, however, told on his health, and he was compelled to return to Perth, where he spent a couple of years in recruiting. In 1888, when the reported discovery of gold at Southern Cross brought an influx of population into the eastern portion of the State, he purchased the Avon Bridge Hotel, the oldest established house of its kind in the district, and entered upon the personal conduct of the business. For sixteen years Mr. Lockyer was well known as “mine host” of this popular and convenient hotel, and during this period he served in the municipal council of Northam for over thirteen TT
years. He always used his best efforts to forward every movement for the benefit of the community, and has served for a lengthy period as a member of the Northam Agricultural Society and similar bodies. In 1911
Mr. Elliott Agett Lockyer.
Mr. Lockyer was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Wilson Administration, and his services in this regard arc frequently availed of by the town authorities, who entrust to him the duty of relieving the press of business passing through the local court. His pet hobby is the breeding of prize poultry, and his success in this line has been sufficiently demonstrated by the list of prizes awarded to his exhibits at the Royal and other important shows; while he was one of the founders of the Northam Dog and Poultry Society, of which he occupies the presidential chair. Mr. Lockyer married in 1885 a daughter of the late Richard Henderson, of Fremantle, of which union there was issue three sons and a daughter. This lady died in 1800, and in 1904 he contracted a second marriage with Annie, daughter of the late William Jepson, of Talbot, Victoria, by whom he has one daughter.
JOHN PERCY CAMM, District Surveyor and Chief Land Officer, Northam, was born at Yeo, Victoria, on November 2, 1873, and is a son of Mr. John S. Camm, now retired, for many years a member of the Education Department of the Garden State. He pursued his scholastic studies at the Creswick Grammar
School, to which institution he grad' uated after obtaining a scholarship at the Newlyn State School, and at the close of his college course he attended the University of Melbourne for a year. Upon his choice of surveying as a profession Mr. Camm was articled to Mr. Robert Allan, the Government Surveyor of Ballarat, and obtained his licence in 1894 after passing the prescribed examination with honours. In March, 1895, he came to Western Australia, where he joined the Survey Department as computer, and two years later went into field work as a staff surveyor. Subsequently, in 1902, he was appointed inspecting surveyor, which post he retained until, upon the policy of decentralization inaugurated by the Lands Department
Mr. John Percy Camm.
at the end of 1910, he received his present appointment. Whilst on field work Mr. Camm made, amongst others, the surveys of many roads through the Midland Railway Company’s concession, and subdivisional surveys in the Geraldton and Northampton districts. He also selected the route and surveyed the boundary for the rabbit-proof fence from the eastern goldfields railway to the south coast at Point Anne, and carried out the classification of a large portion of the country between the great southern railway and the rabbit-proof fence. He was similarly employed on the territory between Wongan Hills and Mullewa in connection with the railway in that district. A member of the local agricultural society and Northam Club, Mr. Camm is a patron and supporter of various organizations in the town,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
and is a keen advocate of all forms of clean sport, finding liis own recreation in golf and amateur photography, at which he is an adept. He married in 1897 May, daughter of the late William Chamberlain, building contractor, of Melbourne, and has two sons and two daughters.
JOSEPH O’HARA, who lives in retirement at Northam, is a native of the Isle of Wight, where he was born on July 27, 1853, his father, the late William O’Hara, a gentleman of Irish descent, being attached to the Imperial Army at that place. He received his educational training at the Chatham Military School, in England, and upon the conclusion of his scholastic career accompanied his stepfather to Australia, where he became engaged in the various avocations incidental to bush life in the Victoria district of the Western State. After continuing this existence for about a decade, in 1874 he became connected with the Police Force of Western Australia, then under Imperial authority, and after being stationed for some time at Geraldton was transferred at subsequent dates to York, Albany, Williams, Guildford, and Lakes. During the fifteen years that he spent in this connection he distinguished himself by efficient service in many directions, and, in particular, was instrumental in the capture of several
murderers in the days when law and order were maintained by the officials of the force only under conditions of great difficulty and danger, being
C. M. Nixon, Nor/ham.
Mr. Joski'h O’Hara.
considered more honoured in the breach than in the observance by many of the wild spirits whom love of adventure had brought to a little known territory. Mr. O’Hara, at the termination of the period referred to, tendered his resignation from the service on account of a somewhat indifferent state of health resultant upon the arduous life which he had been
leading and with the intention of entering a more congenial sphere. Coming to Northam he purchased the Farmers’ Home Hotel (now known as the Shamrock) and took over the personal conduct of the business, which he carried on successfully for about ten years, proving himself as efficient in this line of business as formerly he had been in safeguarding the interests of the law-abiding section of the community. Disposing of his interests in the hotel-keeping business he turned his attention to promising investment, and having conceived great faith in the district where he had resided for so many years and the development of which he had watched with close interest, he displayed his confidence in the most practical manner by investing his capital chiefly in building properties in the town of Northam and the surrounding neighbourhood. To his enterprise has been due the erection of many of the finest and most up-to-date commercial premises within the municipal boundaries, and ho still continues his progressive policy in this direction, by means of which the principal thoroughfares have been enlarged and beautified to no inconsiderable extent. Mr. O’Hara is also interested in the agricultural industry, being the owner of a farming property situated in the Nungarin district, about 25 miles north of Merriden, on the Merriden-Dowerin railway. He has played his part in
Photo by C. T<', Farr.
Mr. Joseph O'Hara’s Residence, Northam.
531
the destinies of the place where he now resides, at an early period of its history serving his fellow-ratepayers as a member of the local municipal council. He is a member of the agricultural society, and in his younger days took a prominent part in the affairs of the Independent Order of Oddfellows and in the Hibernian Lodge. Though devoting most of his time and interest to the advancement of the Northam district Mr. O’Hara is far from cultivating a provincial spirit, and it is his custom to make periodical trips to the Eastern States, by means of which he is successful in keeping himself well abreast of the times. He spends his leisure hours chiefly in the company of chosen friends, in which congenial circle he is fond of reverting to the old pioneering days with their adventures and privations, and often alludes to the period prior to his joining the Police Force, when as a shearer he made a name for himself, his skill gaining for him the prestige of being regarded as "ringer” in the district where he plied the shears. With these and many other interesting reminiscences Mr. O’Hara might easily fill a volume, the space at command in a publication such as the present being all too inadequate to enter into particulars. He is a married man, having been united in 1875 to Margaret Ann, daughter of Mr. Richard McCorry, a native of County Antrim, Ireland, and a veteran who covered himself with glory at the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny, subsequently coming to Western Australia in the year 1866.
FREDERICK ALBERT GREGORY, Electoral Registrar for Northam, is a son of Mr. John Henry Gregory, one of the pioneers of that district, where the gentleman under review was born on September 20, 1869. He received his education at the Commercial School, Perth, under the tuition of the head master, the late G. A. Letch, and, upon the completion of his scholastic course, went on to his father’s farm at Corolin, 12 miles from Northam, where he continued in agricultural pursuits for about three years. He then entered business life in the firm of Messrs. Throssell, Son, & Stewart, at Northam, from which he resigned. In 1900 he received the appointment of electoral registrar at Northam, which post he has filled ever since. Mr. Gregory has taken a prominent n2
part in the fraternity of Freemasons, having passed through all the chairs of that body, and at the present time holds office as secretary of Lodge Avon, No. 12, W.A.C. He has always manifested a deep interest in the affairs of the Methodist Church, of which he is a member, and for several years past has acted as honorary organist to this church. He is very fond of music, and finds recreation chiefly in this hobby and in reading, general literature receiving his chief attention. In 1903 he
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mb. Frederick Albert Gregory.
married Rosetta, daughter of the late Charles Taylor, agriculturist, of Northam, and one of the early settlers in the neighbourhood.
WILLIAM HENRY McGREGOR, District Inspector of Post and Telegraphs, Northam, was born at East Maitland, New South Wales, on May 10, 1868, and is a son of the late John McGregor, agriculturist, of that district. He was educated at the Fort Street public school, Sydney, and at fourteen years of age joined the Post and Telegraphs Department of the New South Wales Civil Service, being stationed at Waverley, a suburb of the metropolis. From messenger he rose to telegraph operator, and having attained his majority was promoted and transferred to Mosmans Bay in charge of the post and telegraph offices of that place. Here he remained until 1896, when he resigned upon receiving an appointment to proceed to Western
Australia, where upon arrival he entered upon the duties of post and telegraph master at Lawlers, being the pioneer officer in that district. Without a single break Mr. McGregor held this post for a decade, at the end of which period promotion was accorded him to the more important office at Coolgardie, where he remained for three years. He was then transferred to Leonora, and in September, 1911, succeeded Mr. A. E. Pries as district inspector at Northam, continuing at this centre ever since. Mr. McGregor has been connected with the Masonic fraternity for the past thirteen years, as a member of Sir William Wallace Lodge, Kalgoorlie, and was one of the foundation members of Lodge Lawlers. Tn the latter lodge he passed through the various chairs of honour, and held office in the West Australian District Grand Lodge of Scottish Freemasonry. In earlier days
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. William Henry McGregor.
he underwent a lengthy period of military training as a member of the Sydney Scottish Rifles, 5th Volunteer Regiment, which is affiliated to the famous Black Watch. . He makes a hobby of amateur gardening, and when his duties — which are no sinecure — allow he spends many pleasant hours in the congenial pursuit of practical horticulture. He is also fond of golf, and is associated with the local golf club. Mr. McGregor married in 1891 Florence, daughter of Mr. Isidore Cohen, of Woollahra, New South Wales, and has three sons and two daughters.
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Lieutenant BENJAMIN ROBERT PRYNN BURCH, Area Officer for the Military District including Northam, Toodyay, York, Narrogin, and the surrounding districts, was born at the Semaphore, South Australia, on December 29, 1877, and is a son of Mr. Isaac John Burch, of that place. He was educated in his native State, and at the close of his studies, at fifteen years of age, joined the firm of Messrs. W. R. Cave and Co., general merchants. After spending several years on the clerical staff of that business, he had charge of the outside shipping department of the firm at Port Adelaide. Resigning from this service, he spent the three following years in the joint service of several firms, being employed chiefly in looking after their shipping interests. In 1903 he came
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Lieutenant 11. R. P. Burch.
on a holiday trip to Western Australia, and being impressed with the place and its possibilities decided to remain. He accepted a post as accountant for Messrs. Thomas and Co. at Northam, where he continued in that capacity at the firm's machinery branch, “The State Machinery and Produce Company, Limited,” for six years. In 1910 he opened in business in Northam on his own behalf as accountant and general agent, also establishing a branch at Dowerin. lie subsequently relinquished the latter, but has retained the Northam business up to the present time. His first military experience was obtained in connection with the 18th Regiment, Australian Light Horse, at Northam. After serving
in the ranks through the various stages, he was appointed second lieutenant in 1910, and a few months later received his commission as lieutenant, being appointed to the position of area officer at about the same time. Lieutenant Burch has been prominent in the Masonic fraternity, and for some years filled the post of honorary secretary of Lodge Northam, S.C. He has also performed the secretarial duties in connection with the M.U., I.O.O.F., for a considerable time—to which lodge he has been attached since he was ten years of age—and has acted in a like capacity to the Dowerin Race Club, in which form of sport he takes a mild interest. He has made a hobby of amateur theatricals, and has given his aid to various charitable movements through the medium of “The Thespians,” an amateur operatic and dramatic society for which he lias also discharged the secretarial office. He is fond of horses, and enjoys an afternoon in the saddle or with the gun, being considered a fair shot. In 1908 he married Alice Elizabeth, daughter of the late Andrew Ardagh, and sister of the Hon. R. G. Ardagh, M.L.C., of Western Australia.
ALFRED JAMES WELLS, Contract Surveyor, Western Australia was born at Melbourne, Victoria, on May 27, 1860, and is a son of the late Rev. W. P. Wells, a Methodist minister who in the early fifties was among the pioneers of that Church in the Victorian State. After attending various primary schools young Wells was sent to Wesley College, Melbourne, and concluded his scholastic career at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide. He then entered the office of the Surveyor-General.of South Australia, and upon the removal of his father to Melbourne accompanied him and became connected with the corresponding branch of the Civil Service in Victoria. After two years in the head office, he spent a similar period on field work, and passed a term in the Melbourne Observatory at the conclusion of this service, successfully securing by examination his licensed surveyor’s certificate. He next joined an exploration party financed by a Melbourne syndicate to report on a large tract of pastoral country which had been taken up on the Ord River in the north-west of Western Australia. This trip extended over a year, and
in March, 1884, upon his return to Perth, he entered the Survey Department of the Western Australian Government and was appointed to fulfil the duties of contract surveyor. After fourteen years, in 1897, he was appointed staff surveyor, but six years later resigned from this position again to take on contract work, which lie has continued ever since. He is one of the oldest contract surveyors in the service, having been continuously employed in this branch
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Alfred James Wells.
for over thirty years, and during this lengthy period has devoted all his best energies to his work. In pursuance of his duties while holding a position on the staff, he travelled and surveyed the country from Kimberley to Perth, and is conversant with all survey work within that area. Mr. Wells is a member of the Commercial Travellers’ Club of Perth. He has always been a consistent supporter of clean sport, and for many years was well known on the cricket field and tennis court. He is a lover of music and has used his gifts in this direction for the assistance of any deserving project. In 1886 Mr. Wells married Emma, daughter of the late John Mills, pastoralist, of Gerald-ton, and has one daughter.
JOSEPH ALBERT LOADER, branch manager at Northam for the firm of Messrs. Elder, Shenton, and Co., Limited, was born at Payne-ham, South Australia, on April 10, 1876, and is a son of the late Jacob
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Loader, a very early settler of that State. He received his education at Prince Alfred College, and upon entering commercial life, joined the staff of Messrs. James Marshall and Co., where he obtained his first three years’ business experience. He next took a position with Messrs. Harold, Colton, & Co., Limited, wholesale ironmongers, of Adelaide, and spent five years in their employ, coming in June, 1904, to Western Australia, where he immediately secured a post
M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Joskiti Albert Loader.
in the head office of the firm of Messrs. Elder, Slienton, & Co., Limited, at that time situated in Fremantle. Mr. Loader has remained in the service of this firm ever since, being promoted to his present position in 1908. Since coming to Northam he has interested himself in the various organizations of the place, and is a member of the Northam Agricultural Society and of the local race club. He is a cordial patron of good, clean sport, and in former years was a champion in more than one branch of strenuous athletics, such as cycling, lacrosse, and football. He married in 1902 Dora Jane, daughter of the late William Andrew Trevenen, of Payneham, South Australia, and has one son and one daughter.
WILLIAM JAMES STEWART, J.P., general merchant and importer, principal of the firm of Messrs. Throssell, Son, & Stewart, Northam, was born in Dublin, Ireland, on March 20, 1855, and at the ago of two years was brought by his
parents to Western Australia. Two years later the family settled in South Australia, and Mr. Stewart received his education at the Rev. W. S. Moore’s school in Adelaide. Upon the close of his scholastic career he joined the clerical staff of the Hon. H. B. T. Strangways, then Attorney-General of South Australia, and continued in this connection for three years, resigning to accept a more lucrative position in the drapery establishment of Messrs. John Martin & Co., drapers, of Adelaide, where he learnt the retail trade in all its branches. In 1887 he came for a trip to Western Australia, and shortly after arrival was offered the management of the business of Messrs. Dempster Brothers, Toodyay, but less than two years later returned to the sister State, where he joined the staff of Messrs. G. & R. Wills & Co., and represented that house as commercial traveller for several years in South Australia. He was then entrusted by the firm to open a branch establishment in Perth, and inaugurated the earliest operations from the old Church of England schoolroom in that city, importing stock from the Old Country, and with this forming the nucleus of the now flourishing Western Australian business. In 1889 he severed his connection with this house and joined the late Hon. George Throssell in business at Northam, and the firm, under the style of Throssell, Son, <fc Stewart, has since become a household word in the eas ern agricultural districts and throughout the Avon Valley. A branch business at Toodyay was managed by Mr. Stewart for some nine years, and when Mr. Throssell entered the political arena he took control of the whole operations, and in 1902 purchased Mr. Throssell’s interests in the concern, which he has since conducted solely on his own behalf. It is interesting to state that this was the first business house in Northam, its establishment by the late Hon. George Throssell dating back to 1862, and the development of the present thriving business from its modest beginning in that year is a piece of history which makes profitable study. During the nine years that Mr. Stewart spent in Toodyay he was prominently associated with the public life of the town, and for five years filled the mayoral chair. He was also invested with mayoral honours in Northam for a term, and has sat continuously
for twenty-seven years as a member of the school board of the district, twenty-six years of which he acted as chairman. He resigned from the board early in 1913. Mr. Stewart, who is a Justice of the Peace for the whole State, is a member of the Licensing Bench, and for a period acted as resident magistrate of Northam. He takes a prominent interest in the , work of the Methodist Church, being a trustee for the whole of that body in Western Australia and holding office as treasurer to the Board of Foreign Missions. He is a foundation member of the Northam Bowling Club and an ardent advocate of manly sport, himself finding diversion in the pursuit of fishing. He married in 1880 Annie E. J., daughter of the late Edward Clark, builder, of
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. William James Stewart.
Walkcrville, South Australia, and of a family of ten children four sons and three daughters survive.
GEORGE LIONEL THROSSELL, J.P., merchant and general agent, Northam, is a son of the well-known pioneer, the late George Throssell, whose name figures in the history of Western Australia and who founded the business which still bears his name as far back as 1862. The gentleman under review was born at Northam on December 23, 1863, and after a primary course of education in his native place concluded his scholastic studies at the Perth High School. At sixteen years of age be
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became associated with his father in business pursuits at Northam, and has continued to reside in this town ever since. From a very early period Mr. Throssell began to interest himself in the public affairs of the town, and after several years’ service as councillor was elected mayor for three successive years, and during his term of office he enjoyed the distinction of seeing both the electric lighting and the telephonic system installed as the result in a large measure of his personal efforts to secure these advantages for the town. He was one of the founders of the Northam Agricultural Society, in which he has always continued to take a prominent interest, doing strenuous work as a
C. M. Nixon. Northam.
M». George Lionel Throssell.
committeeman, and for many years has occupied the office of vice-president. The Mechanics’ Institute also has commanded his warm support, and upon the decease of the Hon. George Throssell, who was the founder of the institution, the gentleman under review was elected to the position of president, which he still retains, much of the progressive spirit manifested being due to his influence and encouragement. He is a member of the Liberal League, and gives his support to this form of government, though prevented by his manifold business and farming interests from actively following in the footsteps of his father as a politician. He has been a member of the Good Templars’ Lodge for nearly forty years, and takes a deep interest in the Anglican Church, having held many offices of trust in that body. He is
a supporter of all clean forms of sport, and in his younger days was devoted to cricket, but now finds recreation chiefly in motoring, while for indoor diversion he has recourse to reading works of a historical nature especially appealing to him. He married in 1887 Eliza Jane, daughter of the late C. S. Monger, of Newcastle, and some years after the death of this lady was united, in 1896, to Isabel, daughter of the late Robert Cottrill, of Perth, and has one son and three daughters.
THOMAS ALLAN HARRISON, general storekeeper and ironmonger, Northam, was born in London on September 20, 1859, and is a son of the late James Harrison, pianoforte maker, of that city. He was educated at Croydon, and, upon completing his scholastic course, entered commercial life in the softgoods trade in London, continuing in the same establishment for four years, until he attained the age of seventeen. This period was followed by seven and a half years in the building supply trade, subsequent to which, in 1887, he came to Western Australia on the ship “Helena Mena,” and gained experience in a variety of occupations all over the State. After engaging in labourer’s work at Northam, in 1891 he secured an engagement with Mr. F. R. Elwell, the pioneer storekeeper of Coolgardie, who had established a branch in the town on the Avon; and when the death of Mr. Elwell terminated his employ in this firm, he took the appointment of orderly in charge of the Northam Hospital in 1895, his wife becoming matron of the same institution. Upon Mr Harrison’s retirement he received suitable recognition of his services from the people of Northam in the presentation of a gold watch “as a mark of appreciation of his self-denying devotion to duty while in charge of the hospital,” and on a previous occasion he had been the recipient of a purse of sovereigns and an illuminated address. He next entered into partnership with Mr. C. Molyneux in a general storekeeping business at Northam, within a couple of years buying out his partner’s interest, and has continued to conduct operations on his own account ever since. Few residents in the district have been more prominent in works of a charitable nature than has Mr. Harrison, and he has for
many years occupied the post of honorary secretary of the local benevolent committee, an institution which is undenominational, and has proved a great boon to those in need of its aid. Temperance work has claimed much of his time and interest, and, believing that the methods of the Salvation Army are better adapted to this class of philanthropy than any other, he connected himself with this organization some twenty-one years ago, and has been associated with it ever since. Mr. Harrison makes a hobby of the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, and what leisure he has apart from this occupation he spends in reading of a general nature. He was married in
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Thomas Allan Harrison.
1894 to Hester, daughter of the late Richard Bray, of Broken Hill, New South Wales, and has two sons and one daughter.
CHARLES ANTHONY HERBERT MILLS, general agent, Northam, principally representing the Massey-IIarris Company, agricultural implement manufacturers, and district agent for the A.M.P. Society, was born in Colchester, England, on January 21, 1875, and is a son of Mr. "William Mills, who came to South Australia in the early eighties and is now living in retirement in Adelaide. He pursued his scholastic studies at various schools, and at the close of his education became associated with Messrs. William Haughton & Co., wool, hide, and skin brokers and general agents,
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with whom he served in the clerical and wool export branches of the Adelaide office for nine years. In 1897 he was offered a position with Messrs. Connor, Doherty, & Durack, Limited, and continued in the head office of that firm for some considerable time, also being identified with the management of the Wyndliam branch of the business. lie resigned from this firm in order to take over control at Northam for the then well-known house of Messrs. E. W. Carter & Co., and remained in this connection until, upon the demise of the principal, the business was closed. Early in 1910 he established himself in business on his own account, and in addition to holding the general district agency for the two companies referred to above, represents the Queensland Fire Insurance Co., Ockerby, Lehmann, and
Rusk in Studios, Perth.
Mb. Charles Anthony Herbert Mills.
Co., Limited, and other firms, and acts as auditor to several local bodies.
JAMES JOSEPH KEATING, auctioneer, land and estate agent, Northam, was born at Lake Coorong —now Ilopetoun—Victoria, on June 21, 1872, his father, the late Bernard Keating, at that time being manager of the “Lake Coorong” Station. He was educated at Horsham, and subsequently joined the mechanical stall of The Horsham Times, afterwards spending some time on the literary staff of the same journal. Before attaining his majority he became
connected with the office of The Great Southern Mail, the first newspaper published at Korumburra, Gipps-land, but resigned after a short period of service in order to accept an offer from the proprietors of The Nhill and Tatiara Mail, on which staff he remained for three years. Mr. Keating then entered a commercial house in Melbourne, but returned to journalistic work on The
Bartlctto, Perth.
Mu. Jam us Joseph Keating.
Hornsey Examiner until the alluring reports of the “Golden West” brought him to this State, where upon arrival he took a position as manager and sub-editor of The Northam Advertiser, which he held for nine years. In 1907, upon his retirement, Messrs. Reilly & Reilly, the proprietors of the newspaper, tendered him a public banquet, at which the leading residents of the district testified to the respect and esteem in which Mr. Keating was held, while he was the recipient of a presentation by the staff to mark the cordiality of the relations which had existed between them during his period of service. Next, in 1912, Mr. Keating opened his present business, which he has conducted ever since, being appointed sworn valuator under the Transfer of Land Act. During the years of his residence in Northam he has made his influence felt in many ways, and is regarded as quite one of the best-known identities of the place. He is a patron of all branches of clean sport, having been himself an athlete, and is a member of all the local organizations
in connection with racing, agriculture, etc., while at the present time the game of bowls provides him with pleasant and healthful recreation. In 1908 he married Lily, daughter of the late Sub-Inspector Carroll, of the Victorian Police Department, and has a surviving family of one son and three daughters.
CARTER & BARR, mercantile agents, etc., Northam, with branches at Cunderdin, Kellerberrin, Tood-yay, and Doodlakine (F. J. Carter and J. E. Barr). This business was established under the present style in 1907, Mr. Carter previously having conducted operations in Northam on his own account. The firm represents the well - known mercantile houses of Dalgety & Co., Limited; W. Sandovcr & Co.; H. V. McKay;
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mb. Frederick John Carter.
Stewarts & Lloyds (Aust.), Limited; the Woodbridge Nursery Co., Limited; and is also local agent for the Mutual Life and Citizens' Assurance Co., Limited,.and the Phoenix Assurance Co., Limited. FREDERICK JOHN CARTER was born at Stawell, Victoria, on December 29, 1872, and is a son of the late Nathan Carter, one of the earliest settlers of the Victorian State. He was educated in his native town, and upon the termination of his studies served his apprenticeship to the firm of W. and J. Neal, coachbuilders, of the same place. After the completion of his articles he continued in the trade, and having obtained in all about ten years’ experience in Victoria, in
1893 he came to Western Australia, where he carried on in the same line of business for about five years. In 1898 the firm of E. W. Carter & Co., the principal of which was a brother of the gentleman under review, offered him a position as its representative on the eastern goldfields, and subsequently he joined the staff as accountant, which post he retained until he opened on his own account in Northam as commercial agent. At a later date he was joined in partnership by Mr. Barr, when the firm was appointed agent for Dal-gety & Co., Limited, and the business has since been carried on under the style of Carter & Barr. Mr. Carter is a member of the local agricultural society and of the mechanics’
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. John English Bark.
institute of Northam, while for recreation he plays bowls, being associated with the local club. In October, 1902, he was married to Charlotte Jane, daughter of Mr. James Wansborough, of Northam, and has two sons and one daughter. JOHN ENGLISH BARR was born at Craig, County Donegal, Ireland, on November 16, 1872, and is a
son of Mr. Edward Barr, a large landowner in Ireland. He was educated at the Belfast Mercantile Academy, and emigrated to Australia in 1889, subsequent to his arrival being employed for twelve years on the staff of the National Bank of Australasia, Limited, in Victoria and Western Australia. At a later date he became connected with the business house of Dalgety and
Co., Limited, as salesman at the goldfields branch of their business, and continued with this company for five years. In 1907 he resigned his position in order to enter into partnership with Mr. Carter in the present business of estate and machinery agents, Northam, and produce merchants, Kellerberrin, and has since resided at the latter centre as manager of this branch. In July, 1901, Mr. Barr married Ellen Florence, daughter of the late Nathan Carter and sister of his present partner, the issue being two sons.
ISAAC RICHARD OLDHAM, general agent, Northam, was born at Horsham, Victoria, on April 13, 1874, and is a son of the late David Oldham, farmer, of that place. He pursued his studies in the Natimuk State School, and at the close of his schooldays, upon entering his teens, took up duties on his father’s farm. When about nineteen years of age he struck out for himself, being attracted by the possibilities offering in Western Australia, then being widely advertised by the marvellous gold discoveries of the Coolgardie field. Settling down at Northam he found employment in an aerated waters factory for a time, and subsequently entered the locomotive branch of the railway service. Returning to mercantile pursuits Mr. Oldham spent sixteen years in the employ of the well-known firm of Messrs. Throssell, Son, & Stewart, nearly the whole of this time occupying the post of manager of the hardware department of that firm. In 1910 he relinquished the connection in order to open in business on his own account, and has made good headway during the interval that has elapsed since the above date. Among the various influential firms which he represents are those of Messrs. Harris, Scarfe, and Co., the South British Fire Insurance Company, the Colonial Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Messrs. Paterson & Co., etc., while he has an increasing connection as a general land and estate agent. In 1912 he admitted into partnership Mr. Alfred Beazley, who for twenty-six years was associated with the firm of Messrs. Throssell, Son, & Stewart. Mr. Oldham has taken keen interest in military affairs, and has had twelve years’ experience in the movement at Northam, for four years past having held a commission and now serving as lieutenant in command of
No. 4 Squadron, 25th Australian Light Horse. He is an ardent lover of horses, and has been very successful in the show-ring with his blood stock, during the past six years winning'several hundred prizes, one horse alone (“Gardiner”) securing 233 awards, lie is a member of the Northam Agricultural Society and of the local racing club, and was the founder of the Northam Gala, an annual event which has become a feature of the district. Mr. Oldham married in 1903 Annie, daughter of the late John Beazley, of Northam, one of the pioneers of the Avon Valley; and has one daughter.
CHARLES HARTLEY WILLIAMS, accountant and general agent, Northam, is a son of the Rev. Hartley Williams, a South Australian pioneer now living in retirement at Adelaide. lie was born at Brighton, in that State, on March 31, 1874, and at the close of his education at St. Peter’s College became associated with journalism on the staff of the South Australian
flartletto, Perth.
Mu. Charles Hartley Williams.
Advertiser. After three years of newspaper experience he resigned this connection and took a more lucrative post in the office of Messrs. Elder, Shenton, & Co., Limited, of Western Australia, and from his arrival in 1901 until 1911 filled the responsible position of chief accountant for that firm. In the latter year Mr. Williams decided to launch out on his own account, and opening offices in Northam has since built
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
537
up a large and successful business in that town. He takes a keen interest in politics, being a live spirit in the Liberal movement, and occupies the office of secretary of the East Council of the Liberal League of Western Australia. Mr. Williams lias been an Associate of the Institute of Accountants in South Australia since 1899. He is a patron of all clean, outdoor sport, and finds his chief recreation on the lawn tennis court.
ARTHUR BELL, accountant and land agent, Northam, was born at Sandridge, now Port Melbourne, Victoria, on June 17, 1873, and is a son of the late John Bell, for many years connected with the mining industry of the sister State and an old Crimean veteran who was awarded several medals with clasps for his service in the field of war on behalf of Queen and country. After a preliminary course of education at Carlton College Mr. Bell was sent to that famous Australian institution, the Scotch College, Melbourne, and upon the completion of his collegiate course spent twelve and a half years in the legal profession, during the greater part of that period being employed as managing clerk for a firm of solicitors at Korumburra. In 1899 he came to Western Australia, and upon arrival proceeded to the eastern goldfields, where he was engaged in mining pursuits, meeting, however, with but little success. Eventually he joined the Water Supply Department of the Civil Service on the Coolgardie Water Scheme, where he remained until the early part of 1911, and during this period acted for some - years as Government auditor whilst filling the post of accountant to the Water Supply Department. In 1911 he launched out on his own account, taking over an accountancy and land agency business at Northam, and has personally conducted this concern with considerable success ever since. Mr. Bell is a member of the agricultural societies of Northam and Jennapullen, and was one of the promoters of the Eastern Districts Dog and Poultry Society, of which he has filled the office of secretary for over two years. His chief hobby is the raising of purebred poultry, and he has been a large prizetaker for his fowls at the various agricultural shows, etc. lie is also an amateur gardener of considerable skill, and his home is enhanced by the orchard growth surrounding it, the
result of many hours of leisure profitably spent. He also finds diversion in bowls, being a member of the Northam Bowling Club. In 1904 Mr. Bell married Mary, daughter of the late Patrick Quiniiven, of Lubeck, Wimmera district of Victoria, and has one son and three daughters.
A. A. SMITH & HAINING, auctioneers, land, commission and general agents, wheatbuyers, etc., representatives for R. Purser & Co.’s machinery (made in Western Australia) and W. Padbury’s general agency, Northam. (Albert Archie Smith and Harold Roy Ilaining.) ALBERT ARCHIE SMITH, the senior partner of the above firm, was born at Bethungra, New South Wales, on May 21, 1868, his father, Mr. Charles Sydney Smith, general merchant, also being a native of the Mother State, lie received his education in the place of his birth, and upon leaving school proceeded to Victoria, where he spent several years in Gippsland in avocations incidental
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
JVht. Ai.burt Archie Smith.
to bush life. He then joined his father in New South Wales, and continued in business pursuits with him for several years, subsequently, at the time of the gold rush to Western Australia, making his entry to this State in company with the thousands who were thronging to the scene of the new discoveries. Upon arrival be was the first to drive a vehicle through from Perth to Mount Leonora, which lie reached with the
original party of three prospectors of the Forrest Leases, by whom considerable success was attained in the early gold-mining industry at that centre, as much as fourteen ounces of gold to the ton being secured from that property. After four or five years, during which he prospected much of the gold-bearing country in the more northern localities, in 1900 Mr. Smith came to Northam, where he was engaged in the butchering business for about a decade, and upon disposing of his interests to his brother he opened in the same town as auctioneer and general agent. In 1912 he took into tho business his present partner, Mr. II. R. Ilaining, since when the firm has carried on under the above style. Mr. Smith is
C. M. Nixon. Northam.
Mu. Hakold Roy Haining.
a member of the local agricultural society, and for some time has served as a member of the committee of that body. He is also a member of the Northam Bowling Club. In 1905 he married Jane Theresa, daughter of Mr. Peter Reynolds, of Kapunda, South Australia, and has one son. HAROLD ROY HAINING is a son of Mr. Robert Haining, bank manager, of Moonta, South Australia, and was born at Port Augusta on January 13, 1886. He pursued his scholastic studies at the Moonta Grammar School, and subsequently, until his seventeenth year, was a student at the local school of mines. He then sailed for Western Australia, where he accepted a position on tho clerical staff of Messrs. Goode, Dur-rant, & Co., of Perth, with which house he was connected for three and
a half years. A desire to study for the Church led to his entering St. John Clergy College, in the same city, but before completing his course he relinquished this intention, and for nearly three years filled a post in the firm of Messrs. Elder, Shenton, and Co. lie then went into business on his own account as general'commission agent, at the same time acting as accountant on behalf of Mr. Fred Rowell, and in 1912 joined Mr. A. A. Smith, as above stated. Mr. Haining takes a prominent part in the affairs of the local Church of England, being lay reader in the North am Parish, where he does much to further the interests of his fellow parishioners. His favourite form of recreation is tennis, and he is treasurer of St. John’s Tennis Club. A great reader, his choice falls chiefly on works of an historical character. In 1910 he married Rose Vittoria, daughter of the late Mr. Burges, of the Irwin district.
ROBERT JOHN STEWART, chemist and veterinary practitioner, Northam, was born at Blackwood, Victoria, on May 7, 1874, and is a son of the late Robert John Alexander Stewart, who for some time carried on pastoral pursuits in the Esperance district of Western Australia. He was educated chiefly at Brighton in Victoria, qualifying for his profession at the College of Pharmacy, Melbourne, where he graduated in 1890. Four years later he came to Western Australia as chief assistant to Messrs. E. Dean and Co., with whom he continued for a year. At a later period Mr. Stewart was connected with the firm of Messrs. Martin & Co., and subsequently, at the founding of a settlement at Esperance, carried on practice on his own account at that centre for some years. Upon leaving Esperance he proceeded to Fremantle, where he managed the chemistry business of Mr. A. E. Webster for a couple of years, at the termination of this time purchasing the apothecaries’ business at the corner of Wellington and Barrack Streets, Perth. After conducting this connection in partnership with Mr. Freeman until 1906, Mr. Stewart disposed of his interest and entered upon the pastoral industry, purchasing “Mount Celia” Station, on the Northern Coolgardie goldfield. In 1907 he purchased from Mr. A. Buxton the chemistry business carried on by that
gentleman at Northam, and for four years he maintained his interests in the station, making frequent visits to “Mount Celia” whilst residing at Northam and attending to the demands of the business. In his younger days, whilst reading for his profession in Victoria, Mr. Stewart made a study of veterinary science also, and after arrival in Western Australia he qualified by practice and was admitted as a duly-accredited surgeon under the Veterinary Act of 1912. He has always identified himself with the public questions affecting the community at large, and upon coming to Northam was returned unopposed to represent East Ward in
©
Mr. Robert John Stewart.
the local municipal council, which seat he still retains. He is a member of the agricultural society, and interests himself in the fruit -industry as a hobby, owning a small orchard and vineyard about a mile distant from the town. While an honorary officer of the local race club, and a general supporter of all forms of clean outdoor sport, he is a playing member of the Northam Polo Club and a keen angler. In 1898 Mr. Stewart married Mary, daughter of the late Plenry Arnold, an early resident of Perth, and has five sons and one daughter.
ERNEST OLIVER TRESISE, M.P.S. (Pharmaceutical Course, Univ. of Adelaide), registered chemist in Western Australia and South Australia, now carrying on business in Northam, is a son of the late Rev. Charles Tresise, of the
Methodist Church, and was born at Balaklava in the Central State on April 28, 1880. He was educated at Mr. Coles’ Grammar School, and subsequently at Way College, South Australia. Leaving the latter institution at seventeen years of age, he became apprenticed to the late Charles Woodman, chemist, of Kensington near Adelaide. During the four years that he spent with the latter gentleman he attended the University of Adelaide, and after gaining several certificates in chemistry and botany finally qualified for his profession in 1901. Upon being offered an appointment by Mr. A. E. Tilly, chemist, of Perth, he decided to come to Western Australia, and upon arrival was placed in charge of one of the branch establishments owned by Mr. Tilly; subsequently, in 1903, being transferred to Northam to open a pharmacy there, which in 1907 he purchased from his principal and has
Mr. Ernest Oliver Tresise.
since carried on on his own account, making it one of the leading connections of its kind outside the metropolitan area. Although the demands of his large clientele absorb the greater share of his time and attention, Mr. Tresise finds leisure for a considerable amount of reading, works of science with a bearing on his profession taking premier place in his library, while descriptive writing of different countries of the world and the manners and customs of foreign people also command his interest. He was married in 1907 to Ida May, daughter of the late Captain Chapman, of Devonport, Tasmania, and has one daughter.
539
ROBERT HENRY THACKRAH, one of the best-known residents of Northam, is a native of the district, having been born on October 26, 1858, at the Dale Bridge, where his father, the late Joseph Henry Thackrali, who came to Western Australia in his teens, had settled down to pioneering work. He was educated in Northam, and served an apprenticeship to the trade of blacksmith and wheelwright, upon the close of his indentures proceeding to the Arthur River, where for two years he carried on a business on his own account. Returning to his native place, in order to look after some landed interests he owned there and
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Robert Henry Thackrah.
which had been locked up by the Government of the day, he worked as a journeyman for a couple of years in the employ of Mr. W. F. Forward, with whom he had served as an apprentice, and subsequently joined Mr. John Byfield in business. After four years with the latter gentleman the partnership was dissolved by mutual consent to allow Mr. Thackrah to open for himself. This he did in a small way in the beginning as blacksmith and wheelwright in rented premises, but the concern prospering lie purchased a site and extended his premises in order to cope with the growing demands of the trade, since which period his connection has continued to increase until now even the eastern goldfields are embraced in the area from which his business is drawn. A native of the district, he spared no labours to promote its interests in every possible way, being
ambitious that Northam might attain a position in the State second only to the metropolis. He was one of the founders of the Northam Benefit Building, Investment, and Loan Society, which has proved so advantageous to settlers in the town, and has also taken a lively interest in the local agricultural society. He has taken his part in municipal government, having served the ratepayers at the council table; and for thirty-five years has been a prominent member in the Rechabite movement, filling various offices from time to time and for seven years serving as Chief Ruler in that Order. He was also one of the foundation members of the Druids’ Lodge at Northam, and has received all the official honours in connection with that body. A supporter of all forms of clean sport he still plays a good game of cricket, maintaining a record far above the average. In 1879 Mr. Thackrah married Susannah, daughter of the late John Henry Johnson, an early pioneer of the State, and has one son and five daughters.
H. & H. WITHNELL, general blacksmiths, iron and brass founders, wheelwrights, undertakers, etc. (Horace Willmott Withnell and Herbert George Withnell.) This business was taken over by the present proprietors from Mr. G. IT. Smith on January 29, 1897, and since that time it has extended its operations in all branches of the trade. Vehicles of every description — ploughs, waggons, drays, wheels, etc.—are manufactured and supplied to Kal-goorlie, Albany, Wyndham, etc., and to all the districts lying between these centres; and some idea of the magnitude of the business may be gained from the fact that during 1910 and 1911 seventy-two table-top waggons alone (each costing about £60) were turned out of the workshops. Various ingenious inventions of the proprietors are exhibited, among which are a patent sinking platform for tiring wheels, a patent tire-shrinker, and another machine which saves hours of hand-labour is one for champering— chiefly used for lightening heavy woodwork in drays. Large quantities of karri and stringy bark are used in the manufacture of vehicles, while York gum and morrell are also utilized to a considerable extent in the wood-working department. There are two furnaces—melting-pots for
the foundry—and in the up-to-date smithy at the front of the premises three large forges are kept continually at work, all blown by electric fans. A considerable area is devoted to metal machinery—lathes, milling, gear-cutting plants, etc.— and the incessant hum of a dozen busy motors, with the rattle and roar of the machinery they drive, indicates sufficiently the hive of busy industry which centres in these workshops. Messrs. H. & H. Withnell have taken over one hundred first prizes since they began exhibiting their manufactures, and three gold medals testify to the superior character of their work. HORACE WILMOTT WITHNELL, J.P., was
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Horace Wilmott Withnell.
born at Roebourne on July 11, 1872, and is a son of the late John Withnell, a member of the family that chartered its own vessel and was among the pioneers of the northwest. He was educated privately, and after obtaining stock experience on his father’s property in conjunction with his brothers purchased a station, and remained in the northwest for about twenty years. He then came to Northam and in partnership with Mr. n. G. Withnell invested in the present business, which he has carried on successfully ever since. Mr. Withnell was gazetted to a Commission of the Peace in 1907. He has been connected with the Masonic craft for about fifteen years, and is president of the Northam Polo Club. His chief interest, however, is found on the turf, and he is a leading spirit in the
640
Northam Race Club, having filled the office of secretary to that body and to the Eastern District Racing Association for several years, while his lengthy experience causes him to be regarded as an authority on matters of importance connected with racing. lie married in 1907 Matilda, daughter of Mr. W. J. Morgan, J.P., of “Bardeen,” near Northam. HERBERT GEORGE WITHNELL, born at Roebourne on February 21, 1876, and educated at the Fremantle Grammar School and Guildford College, was indentured to the engineering and blacksmithing trade, and after serving five years' apprenticeship, proceeded, on their discovery, to the eastern goldfields, and for a time turned his attention to prospecting. Reverting to his trade, he erected the Golden Cliffs battery and a plant for the City of London Corporation, but again succumbing to the excitement of gold-seeking, he prospected, with a team of camels, all over the North Cool-gardie and Murchison goldfields with considerable success. Subsequently Mr. With n ell joined his brother in the blacksmithing business, etc., and has since continued in this connection. For many years he has been a committeeman of the Northam Agricultural Society, is a patron of clean outdoor sport, and lias raced his own horses with favourable results. Married in 1903 to Lilia, daughter of Mr. II. J. Leeder of Northam, he has issue one son and two daughters.
MICHAEL WHITE, of “Iron Hill,” Northam, was born at Noggo-jeering in the same district on December 29, 1862, and is a son of the late William White, who when quite a child came from India; to Western Australia with his father, an Irishman, attached to one of the Imperial troops drafted to the Swan River settlement in the early days of its colonization. After attending the Northam public school for some time the gentleman under review went to work on a property acquired by his parent in the vicinity of the township, and continued there until he reached his twenty-fifth year. He then launched out on his own account in the farming industry, and for the past quarter of a century has conducted operations successfully on the “Iron Hill" Estate, a holding of over 900 acres, which with the exception of about 100 acres, is wholly
devoted to the growing of cereals and hay, while a small orchard is also a feature of the place. At the time of the outbreak of the Coolgardie goldfields Mr. White took advantage of the boom in trade and engaged in carting contracts between Northam and Southern Cross, and subsequently to Coolgardie, but as soon as the furore subsided he relinquished this enterprise and returned to the active development of the farm. He is a member of the local agricultural society and also of the Northam Race Club. Mr. While married in 1885 Ellen, daughter of the late
C. M. Xixon, Xort/mm.
Mu. Michael ‘White.
James Foley, one of the earliest Irish settlers in 1 his district, and has three sons and two daughters.
The late EDWARD MARTIN, “Salt River” Farm, near Northam, was a native of Western Australia, having been born on the banks of the Swan River on September 8, 1845, and was a son of the late William M.artin, who came to the State in 1830, a year after its first settlement. From the age of four years to the time of his death on May 21, 1913, he lived in the Northam district, and was one of the oldest pioneers of the place. “Salt River” Farm was first purchased by his father in 1872, and Mr. Edward Martin inherited the farm on his parent's demise. To Mr. Martin chiefly fell the development of the property, but in later years ho was assisted by his only, son, Eric. He married in 1885
Lucy, daughter of the late Jacob Delmagc, a pioneer settler originally from Ireland. ERIC VALENTINE MARTIN was born on February 14,
M. Xixon. .Vorthum.
Mu. Edward Martin.
1889, and educated at Northam. Leaving school at the age of thirteen he assisted his father in the development of “Salt River” Farm, where
M. Xixon. .Vorth i:n.
Mr. Eric Valentine Martin.
he has continued ever since. Five hundred acres have been devoted to tillage, cereals and hay being the principal crops grown, and sheep and cattle are bred for the local markets. Mr. E. V. Martin is a member of the agricultural society at Northam.
541
JOHN MICHAEL CARROLL, owner of the “Noggo jeering” property, situated about three miles from the town of Northam, is a son of Mr. John Carroll (who was accidentally killed near York on January 6, 1868), a native of County Kerry, Ireland, whence he came to Western Australia in the early fifties of the nineteenth century, where he engaged in the agricultural industry. Born at Seabrook, between Northam and York, on September 5, 1866, the subject of this memoir received his scholastic tuition at the Roman Catholic school in the latter town, and at the termination of his studies accepted employment on the “Sea-brook” Estate, owned by the late
E. R. Brockman, where he followed agricultural occupations until 1880. In the following year he rented a farm adjacent to the spot where he now resides, and after working this holding for three years took up 200 acres of land adjoining, which formed the nucleus of his present valuable property. He applied himself with great energy to the development of the place, and as time went by, added considerably to the area of his possessions in this locality. Subsequently (in 1892) he took up
1,800 acres at Southern Brook, which he has utilized as a cereal-producing
and slieep-raising proposition. In 1911 he purchased 100 acres in the vicinity of the old homestead built in 1882, and which is still standing,
Mu. John Mienaf.t, Carroll.
though in 1897 a modern structure of brick and stone, comprising eight rooms and verandahs, with all up-to-date conveniences, was built. Mr. Carroll has met with success in the conduct of his operations, and
has always been foremost in agricultural competitions, having placed a grand total of upwards of 500 prizes to his credit, chiefly for field and garden produce, at the annual shows of the Royal Agricultural Society and at functions of a similar character in the leading centres of the State. He was one of the founders of the agricultural society of Northam, serving on the committee of that body for twelve years; and, in conjunction with Mr. J. McManus, was prominent in the formation of the Irislitown Fanners’ Club. He is one of the founders and a member of the committee of the Jennapullen Agricultural Society, and for over sixteen years, without a break, he has served as a member of the Northam Roads Board. A prominent member of the Roman Catholic Church in Northam, he has upheld its interests both there and at Irislitown, and has done everything in his power towards the support and propagation of the faith of his forefathers in the district. Mr. Carroll was married in 1897 to Johanna, daughter of the late James Foley, a pioneer of the early fifties, and for a generation well known to the settlers surrounding Northam. His family consists of three daughters.
Photo by C. 72. 7'arr.
Mr. J. M. Carroll’s Residence, Northam.
542
JOHN FRENCH, “Gold Gully” Farm, Northam, is a native of Scotland, in which country his birth occurred on November 1, 1848. His father, the late James French, sailed from the Home Land for Australia in 1852, arriving at Fremantle on January 3 of the following year. The late colonist became engaged in agricultural work at Bardeen, in the employ of the late Abraham Morgan, who owned the property adjoining "Gold Gully,” now in possession of his son, the present occupier. Having obtained thus a firsthand acquaintance with the conditions on which farming was carried on in the new country, and feeling his way towards an independent career, Mr. French launched out on his own account by purchasing a small allotment of land from the Government, only ten acres in extent, upon which spot the farm homestead now stands. He lost no time in commencing upon the development of this tiny holding, and, success crowning his initial efforts, after no very long period lie was able to add to his farm another 40 acres of Crown property adjoining the first block. As his operations continued to prosper his ambition further to enlarge his boundaries received satisfactory fulfilment, and by the time
the gentleman under review had completed his fifteenth year his father was the owner of a snug little property of 400 acres, which was proving a payable proposition. Mr.
Mb. Jambs French.
John French was brought up on the farm and being an only son never left the paternal rooftree, from an early age becoming general factotum
in all the affairs connected with the industry. For some years before the demise of his parent he had virtually taken over the reins of management, and shortly after that event, when he became sole proprietor, with the object of extending his enterprise he purchased over 2,600 acres of additional land, a part of which adjoined the holding he had inherited, while 1,200 acres were situated at Goomal-ling. These two estates combined cover an acreage of 3,000, and for some time past have been worked by Mr. French in conjunction with his sons, the process of development having been carried on apace. The position of the farms is favourable, the parent property being conveniently situated about seven miles north-west of Northam and two and a half miles from Bourke’s Siding on the Goomalling line, both this siding and the Northam Railway Station being used as depots for the transport of grain, etc. The annual rainfall round Northam is about 15 in., and water is plentiful on the home estate, where various soaks are present, and wells have been sunk which are fitted with troughs for the watering of the stock. On the Goomalling farm, where the natural facilities are not so good, a copious supply is obtained through the agency of the
543
goldfields water scheme, pipes being laid down from the main to the different paddocks and buildings. The “Gold Gully,, property is divided into numerous paddocks, those in the outlying portions averaging about 70 acres each, while in the vicinity of the homesteads smaller subdivisions have been made. Practically the whole territory is cleared and cropped with wheat and hay, oats also being sown in considerable quantities for stock-feeding purposes and to supply the local markets. An efficient system of fallowing is carried out, no area of ground being cropped more than two seasons in succession, but frequently being allowed to lie fallow for two years; by this means satisfactory returns are assured, 18 bushels to the acre being the average yield. The pastures have proved suitable for sheep, and a flock of over 800 is grazed chiefly on the Northam side of the property. By careful crossbreeding a useful big-framed animal has been produced, and the typo has been persevered with on account of its proved utility for the Northam and Perth markets, which are glad to draw their supplies from so convenient a source, while the wool also finds a ready sale locally. Horses up to the number of thirty are kept for agricultural and other work, these being replenished year by year by a few home-bred successors. Of
homesteads there are three on the two properties, the original dwelling-house at “Gold Gully” having been built by the late Mr. French thirty-seven years ago. This is still in use,
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. John French.
being semi-detached from the newer portion, but very considerable additions have been made, and the whole, though following no particular design, forms a comfortable home of nine rooms, where many modern appointments have been introduced.
Adjoining the homestead area a vineyard, four acres in extent, has been planted, and an additional acre has been devoted to the cultivation of vegetables, the homestead being supplied all through the winter seasons with the necessary garden products for domestic purposes. The original outbuildings built by Mr. French’s father still do duty here, these having been carefully kept in a state of preservation. A second homestead stands on the Irishtown Road, about a mile nearer to Northam, while the third is situated at Goomalling, these two houses being occupied by Mr. French’s sons, all of whom are married. In connection with the latter homesteads, extensive outhouses have been erected, including stables, granaries, and all the sheds and offices usual on properties of this kind. As a member of the local roads board he has served his fellow settlers with acceptance, his experience and commonsense often standing that body in good stead; and ever since the inception of the Northam Agricultural Society he has occupied a seat upon one or more of its committees. Mr. French was married to Fanny (now deceased), eldest daughter of the late Charles Wisbey, a member of the Police Service in the early days of the State, and of this union there are four sons and two daughters surviving.
Photo by C. M. Nixon.
Horse Teams at "Gold Gully*' Farm.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
GEORGE CLARENCE SPENCER, J.P., of “Calcamine,” was born at Bunbury on March 4, 1866. He is the second son of the late Hon.
Hon. William Spencer.
William Spencer, a merchant of that town, who came from Bristol, England, and was among the early settlers of the above district, spending sixty years of his life in the country of his adoption. The late Mr. Spencer played his part in the public life of the infant State, figuring in the political arena as a member of the Legislative Council for several
years, while he was an influential factor in local municipal government, serving for fifteen years as councillor for Bunbury and administering the office of mayor for a lengthy period. His name, which is closely interlinked with the history of the district, is well remembered by the residents among whom his memory will live for many years. Mr. George Clarence Spencer received his education at the Perth High School, subsequently attending the Commercial College in Norwood, South Australia. Upon his return from the Central State he became engaged on a dairy farm at Bussel-ton. Leaving this neighbourhood in 1888 lie proceeded to the north-west and accepted a position on ‘Boola-thana” Station, whence he afterwards transferred to “Mardi” Station. In 1894 he worked as a prospector on the Coolgardie goldfields, where he remained for eighteen months, with very little return for his enterprise. Disheartened with the failure of his efforts in connection with the mining industry Mr. Spencer decided to settle on the land, and after inspecting various properties eventually purchased his present holding in the valley of the Avon. Consisting of 1,700 acres of land, undulating in character, and comprising wide stretches of good chocolate loam, the “Calcamine” Estate has proved itself splendidly
suited to mixed farming operations. The whole of the property has been cleared and subdivided into twenty-six paddocks, one-third of the whole
C. M. Nixon, No ft ham.
Mr. Gforgf. Clarence Spencer.
being brought under crop every year. Hay is cultivated in large quantities, while the locality has proved most favourable for the production of cereals. The stock on the farm consists of 1,000 sheep of the crossbred type, and there are also thirty horses, comprising both draughts and thoroughbreds. Mr.
Photo hi/ C. 1C. Farr.
General View of “ Calcamine Estate.
545
visitor, after a tour of inspection round the “Calcamine” Estate, will
the handsome silver cups presented by The Northarn Advertiser in
Cup and Salver won by Mr. G. C. Spencer for best managed farm in district.
Spencer has been in the habit of breeding draught horses for a considerable number of years, but it is only lately that he has turned his attention to the raising of racing stock, of which he is making a hobby. He has owned several horses of excellent pedigree which have achieved successes of no mean order in different parts of the State, among those worthy of special mention being “Kestrel,” which won no less than fifty-three out of a total of 114 races for which he was entered by Mr. Spencer, and the mare “Calca-mine,” winner of thirty-three events, and now used for stud purposes on the estate. He breeds only from the best blood, and confidently looks forward to producing racehorses which shall hold their own on the turf against all comers. ‘Among the improvements which Mr. Spencer has made on the property are the provisions for watering the stock by means of wells and windmills, with an up-to-date system of troughing. The homestead was built in 1897, since when, from time to time, alterations have been made and modern innovations introduced. The necessary sheds and stables are always kept in splendid order, and the outbuildings include a neat cottage for the use of the men at work on the farm. The
certainly confirm the verdict of the judges who awarded to Mr. Spencer
1911-12 for the best-managed farm in the eastern districts of Western Australia. The gentleman under review has not been unmindful of his public duties, and has exercised a Commission of the Peace granted to him by the Daglish Administration. For three years he served as a member of the Northam Roads Board, and he is associated with the local agricultural society, having acted as a committeeman of that body. He is a member of the Northam Race Club, and prior to his personal indulgence in this sport was identified with the committee of that organization. Freemasonry claims him as an adherent, his connection with the craft having extended over a decade. He is also a cordial supporter of all forms of manly outdoor sport, and rowed stroke oar for his college in the winning team in South Australia in the year 1881. Mr. Spencer keeps himself in touch with the doings of the world in general by the perusal of a wide range of up-to-date literature. He owns a motor-car and derives considerable pleasure from trips over the country by this modern mode of transit. In 1887 he was married to Clara Edith, daughter of the late Charles Morgan, agriculturist, of the Bunbury district, and has a family of two sons and three daughters.
"Kestrel.” Winner of Fifty-three Races.
JJ
546
HERBERT WILLIAM HANCOCK, J.P., of “Rocliffe,” near Northam, was born at Boyadine, near Beverley, on June 24, 1852. He is a son of the late George Hancock, who came to Australia from Devonshire, England, by the sailing vessel “Warrior” in 1830, about a year after the founding of the Swan River settlement, and who was numbered among the band of sturdy pioneers who played a worthy part in the early development of the country. When only fourteen years of age the subject of this notice left the parental roof-tree in order to accompany the first party overlanding with stock from the Beverley district, with the end in view of forming a pastoral station in the then little known north-west. Proceeding from the southern settlement with 2,000 sheep and two teams of horses, in addition to the necessary equipment for exploration work and all the paraphernalia required for an extended period of camp life, the party, travelling via the Murchison district, soon touched unexplored territory, and after thirteen months’ journeyings, arrived at the Sherlock River, about 35 miles in an easterly direction from the port of Roebourne. Here they decided to divide forces, and the party, consisting of the two Fisher brothers, Mr. Iiicks, and young Hancock, with an elder brother of the latter, broke up in order to begin independent operations. The Messrs. Hancock, taking up a tract of country on the Sherlock, formed there the
“Woodbrook” Station, stocking it with 200 sheep—their share of the original flock brought from Beverley; but owing to the death of their
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Herbert William Hancock.
father some four years later, the gentleman under review returned to the Beverley homestead, and remained there for about three years in the active administration of the estate. Affairs having been straightened out, he again set out for the north-west in company with his brother and Mr. Donald MacLeod, and on this occasion they took with them a mob of cattle and some horses. The trip, however, proved
most disastrous on account of the drought, and the cattle had to be abandoned owing to the scarcity of water, a few being recovered some six months later after the rains had fallen. For four years Mr. Hancock continued the development of the “Woodbrook” Station, at the end of which period he again returned to manage the estate at Beverley, in which he subsequently purchased his mother’s interest, after disposing of the property in the north-west. Mr. Hancock resided there for about twelve years, during which time he married Alice Jane, daughter of the late Thomas Wilding, of “Mokine,” and had a family of one son and four daughters. He then sold out, and coming to the valley of the Avon, acquired the property at Spencer’s Brook known as “Roselyn” (now in the possession of his only son, Mr. F. G. Hancock). For over twenty years Mr. Hancock devoted his principal energies to making this beautiful estate one of the show places of the district, and whilst still resident there seized an opportunity of purchasing from Mr. W. T. Loton 1,600 acres of land at the figure of £4 10s. per acre. This was practically unimproved at the time of purchase about ten years ago, and subsequent to the death of Mrs. Hancock he transferred “Roselyn” to his son, and having remarried, determined to take up his residence on the new property, which lies about a mile from the town of Northam, and with the assistance of his wife forthwith proceeded upon its development.
jPhoto by C. M. Nixon.
Mr. H. W. Hancock’s Residence, northam.
547
The homestead which was built by them about this time possessed all the features of a thoroughly up-to-date modern dwellinghouse, being of brick and stone on the bungalow design, with wide verandahs, and containing ten rooms. Water is laid on all over the house, which is surrounded by the garden and orchard, well laid out and thoroughly irrigated by means of the district water supply scheme. Roses, too, are a feature—the soil and climate being well suited to the production of these exquisite growths, and many other choice blooms flourish, each in its season. Further afield are the cultivation paddocks, and browsing in the pastures may be seen the Shropshire stud sheep, in the breeding of which Mr. Hancock specializes. He has been very successful as a sheep farmer, and has carried off many prizes and awards at the Royal Agricultural Society’s Show at Perth and at similar functions throughout the country districts, for his high-class crossbred stock, which is well and favourably known throughout pastoral circles in Western Australia. Mr. Hancock has given a portion of his attention to the public affairs of the district, and was one of the founders of the local agricultural society, in which for a lengthy period he has acted as committeeman, and
has also held office as president for a couple of years. He is considered one of the best judges of sheep in Western Australia, and was specially selected by the Government to proceed to the Eastern States for the purpose of selecting breeding ewes
to supply the settlers on the newer areas of the West with a thoroughly reliable stock with which to found their flocks. He was also concerned in the foundation of the Northam Race Club, and has served on the committee of this organization, besides filling the office of judge almost since its inception. A great lover of
the “sport of kings,” he acts as handicapper to the Eastern Districts Racing Association, and is concerned with all the leading events of the neighbourhood. For seventeen years Mr. Hancock has occupied a seat on the Northam Roads Board,
during seven of which he has served as chairman, which office he now holds. He was appointed to a Commission of the Peace by the Wilson Administration. He is a Freemason of long and honourable standing, being connected with Lodge Avon, W.A.C., and is a member of the Northam Club.
Photo by C. M. Nixon. Group of Shropshire Sheep.
Photo by G. M. Nixon. jj2
Chaffcutting Plant at Work.
ALBERT EDWARD LOCKYER,
of “Hampton” Farm, is the eldest son of the late Joseph Lockyer, of whom an interesting review appears hereunder. Born on his present property on February 3, 1867, Mr. A. E. Lockyer was educated privately and at the State School at Northam, and in his sixteenth year proceeded to Perth, where he entered the office of Messrs. Wright and Patterson, architects, with whom he remained for some eighteen months, at the end of which time he proceeded to his father’s farm at Roleystone. After a few months he once more became engaged in commercial life by joining the staff of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, but a year and a half later threw down the pen in order to journey to Roebourne, where he was first a guest of Mr. Robert Clarkson on “Karratha” Station. His taste inclining to outdoor life he became a paid station hand, and during two years in that district acquired useful knowledge of pastoral affairs, such as the handling of sheep, cattle, etc. He then returned to his father’s property and farming occupied his time for a further two years, at the end of which time his roving disposition again asserted itself, and taking passage to Roebourne he entered the employ of Messrs. Lockyer Brothers on “Cooyapooya”
Station, with whom he remained for five years. He next entered into partnership with his cousin, the late A. B. Lockyer, and acquired a lease of 100,000 acres some 30 miles east of Roebourne, on the Harding River, to which the name of “The Springs” was given.
The property was stocked with sheep, cattle, etc., and during the ensuing three years many improvements were brought about. Mr.
Lockyer then sold his interests to his cousin and returned to the home farm, where he has centred his interests ever since. In addition to his work on “Hampton” Farm, he owned “Mortlock,” a property of some 600 acres, which he worked and improved in his own interest, when, finding the demands on his time to be over heavy, he sold the estate in 1910, by which time two-thirds of the property moio by c.
had been cleared and subdivided and a considerable length of fencing erected. Mr. Lockyer now gave his attention to developing “Hampton”
Barlletto, Perth.
Mr. Albert Edward Lockyer.
Farm, and so continued until the death of his father, when the last-named property and the adjoining estate, “Blackboy Hill,” were equally divided, the home farm falling to the lot of our subject and
“Blackboy Hill” to Mr. E. S. Lockyer, his brother. “Hampton” Farm embraces about 1,500 acres, all of which are highly suitable to cereal growing and sheep pastures. The country is heavily timbered, and clearing is effected first by ringbarking, after which the firestick is brought into play, some 500 acres having been cleared at a cost of £2 per acre. There is a good average rainfall, and flowing through the property for from two to three miles is the Avon River, this valuable water supply being augmented by soaks and some half-dozen wells from which water is drawn by means of syphons. Ten paddocks have been formed, and the boundary is almost completely fenced. The soil varies over the estate, and in some parts is very heavy and difficult to work, but the average returns are very satisfactory, that for wheat being about 13 bushels to the acre. The grain has splendid milling qualities, the popular “Federation” being mostly sown. Superphosphates are introduced in quantities of about 75 ft), to the acre, and with the system of fallowing adopted excellent results have been obtained. The flock contains about 500 merinoes, and in the past the splendid average of 6 lb. to 7 5). per
E. Farr.
Poulton.” Residence of Mr. A. E. Lockyer
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
549
fleece has been cut, while the wool is of good quality and sells at top prices. No particular strain stands out in the flock, but a good class of ram has always been used and the sheep have displayed sturdy traits. The annual drop is satisfactory,
85 per cent, having been maintained in the past. A few horses are bred every year, about a score being kept principally for the work of the farm, but a few thoroughbreds of a lighter class are in evidence for saddle work and harness.
The old homestead, which was erected in 1857, still stands, and here Mrs. Lock-yer, sen., resides with one of her daughters. Though in her eighty-third year Mrs. Lockyer still retains her full faculties, is healthy and strong, and can take her share in the active duties of the farm. Surrounding the homestead are the outbuildings, including stabling for ten horses, cart-sheds, etc., and a shearing-shed, measuring 60 by 20 ft., and containing some half-dozen stands. Mr. A. E. Lockyer, like his father, is a great lover of horses, and since his sixteenth year has done much riding. In 1884, riding as an amateur for Dr. Scott, he won the Queen’s Plate (afterwards to become the Perth Cup) on “Flemington,” and for the same owner captured the Forrest Cup, presented by the late
Alex. Forrest, and the Hordern Cup, presented by Mr. Anthony Hordern, on “Young Banker,” besides numerous other leading events on the
metropolitan courses. At twenty-five years of age he became an owner of racehorses, and since that time has never been without a thoroughbred or two. He has raced in his own interests at Perth, York, Bunbury, Roebourne, Derby, and many other centres, and numerous important races have been captured by horses owned and trained by him. At the present time (1913) he has two six-year-olds at “Hampton” Farm—
“Kronor,” by “Gerard” by “Trenton,” and “Briza,” by “Carbineer” by “Carbine”—and winning brackets are expected from these two at no
distant date. The Northam Race Club claims him as a member, and he is also a member of TattersalTs, Perth. At Roebourne he sat on the Table Lands Roads Board for twelve months, and while not actively connected with any of the institutions at Northam he is, nevertheless, a keen supporter of all movements for the advancement of the locality wherein his home is situated. Mr. A. E. Lockyer married in 1898
Photo by C. E. Farr. Mr. A. E. Lockyer's Old Homestead.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Blood Stock and Clydesdales, " Hampton” Farm,
Maude, daughter of the late A. B. Lockyer, of Goomalling, and has four sons. He resides on “Hampton” Farm in a new house erected in 1904, to which he has given the name “Poulton,” in memory of his father’s birthplace in England. The late JOSEPH LOCKYER, one of the many intrepid spirits to brave the dangers and discomforts of the new world, was born at Poulton, Somersetshire, England, in 1813, and spent by far the greater part of his life in the Western State. He took passage by the “Hooghly,” commanded by Captain Reeves, and in February, 1830, landed at Clarence, near Fremantle. The immediate Lockyer party voyaging by the “Hooghly” was a large one, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lockyer, their eldest son James with his wife and young children, four other sons (Paul, John, Joseph, and Thomas), and two daughters. One of the daughters married a Mr. Lawson, an English barrister, who subsequently succeeded to a baronetcy and returned to England, and the other, who also married, left with her husband for South Australia in the early forties, while Messrs. John and Paul Lockyer the younger also settled in the Eastern States. Mr. Paul Lockyer, senior, was a millwright by trade, and with his son James built the old wind flour-mill at Mill Point, South Perth
—the first flour-mill erected in the State—and also, acquired large
landed interests in that part of the metropolitan area. Soon after the
Mr. Joseph Lockyer.
arrival of the family in the State Mr. Joseph Lockyer became celebrated as an amateur horseman, and being passionately fond of the sport, at a time when good horsemen were scarce, his services were much in demand, and he soon established a name for being the finest horseman
of his time. He took part in the first race meeting ever held in Western Australia, at Hamilton Hill, situated at the back of Woodman’s Point, this important event occurring in the early thirties, and from that time onward for over half a century his connection with the turf continued, either as a rider, owner, or trainer of horses. He never rode for money, but always for the love of racing, and even up to the age of seventy continued to ride in races, his companions and competitors frequently being the present Chief Justice (Sir Henry Parker) and Mr. A. O’Grady Lefroy (father of Mr. H. B. Lefroy, M.L.A.). Among the horses that he owned and rode were “Southern,” “Beeswing,” “Erin - go - Bragh,” “Sophie,” “Jennie, ” “ Waverley, ’ ’ “Selim,” “Margot,” and “Young Stirling,” and with these he won innumerable races, his successes including two Queen’s Plates with “Southern” and “Erin-go-Bragh.” The Queen’s Plate—the forerunner of the Perth Cup—even in those days was an event of no small importance, the prize being provided by the Imperial Government with the object of encouraging the breeding of horses suitable for remounts for the Indian Army. On one occasion Mr. Lockyer was seriously injured by an accident while racing, and The Perth Gazette of the time recorded the fact that because of his advanced years much anxiety was felt as to his recovery—a paragraph which the subject was shown and laughed over forty years later! In the early forties Mr. Lockyer sailed for South Australia, but upon landing conceived a prejudice against the place and determined to come back by the very next boat. This decision he carried out, but so infrequent was communication in those days that he had to wait eighteen months before an opportunity occurred by which he could make good his word, and this trip ended his wanderings, as he never again left the country of his adoption. Upon his return, in partnership with his brother Thomas, Mr. Lockyer acquired the fine grazing property on the north bank of
Original Homestead on “Hampton” Farm.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
551
the Avon River known as “Hampton” Farm, where he spent the remainder of his days, and in 1855, under the direction of his elder brother James, who came down from Perth for that purpose, the brothers commenced to build the flour-mill which still stands on the property. This was the first mill erected in those districts, and carved on the brickwork on the
the mail contract from Guildford to York, and it is related of him that on more than one occasion he left his horse at the halfway house and walked to York and back merely to rest the animal. He married in 1859 Lydia, daughter of the late Mr. Simmons, of Essex, England. Mr. Lockyer died at "Hampton” Farm towards the end of 1912, having attained the ripe old
above referred to, was born at “Hampton” Farm on January 19, 1874. He was educated principally at the Northam College, a private
Photo by C. E. Farr. A Team on the " blackboy Hill” Estate.
front of the mill is the inscription “T and J.L., a.d., 1857.” The driving-power was provided by horses, and the mill was so substantially constructed that to-day the whole of the structure and equipment are still in a good state of preservation.
Like all the early settlers,
Mr. Lockyer had to put up with a great many hardships, but his industry, good health, and abstemious manner of living stood him in good stead, and in course of time prosperity crowned bis efforts, and he became a landed proprietor of considerable importance. Other properties acquired by Mr.
Lockyer were “Roleystone,” near Armadale, now in possession of his son, Mr.
Lionel Lockyer, of “Black-boy Hill,” near Northam, where Mr. E. S. Lockyer now resides. In addition to his farming properties Photo by C. E. Farr. he also owned the South Perth Racecourse. Apart from racing he was a great lover of horses. At one time he had
age of ninety-nine years and five months. He left three sons, two daughters, and seventeen grandchildren. For many years he was a regular worshipper at the old church of St. James, which was demolished some years ago.
institution under control of the Rev. T. Kemm, having previously attended the Government school at St. George’s Terrace, Perth, under the late William Bell. At sixteen years of age he went to work on the home farm, and in the absence of the other two sons became his father’s right hand in the management of the estate. He remained at “Hampton” Farm until a division of property was made by the late Mr. Lockyer, when that portion situated on the
MR. E. S. Lockyer’s Residence, Northam.
ERNEST SIMMONS LOCKYER, of “Blackboy Hill,” Northam, youngest son of the late gentleman
Goomalling Road, about two and a half miles from Northam, and known as “Blackboy” Hill,” fell to his
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Ernest Simmons Lockyer.
552
share, and he commenced operations on his own account. The estate, comprising 1,761 acres of land, is undulating in character, and nine-tenths of the whole is well suited to purposes of agriculture, while as a grazing farm it is hardly to be surpassed. About 500 acres are cleared at the present time, almost the whole of this work having been accomplished in the ten years of the present owner’s occupancy, as prior to his entering into possession the land was not used for tillage. He is now clearing yet more rapidly, about 100 acres a year being a good average, and other improvements are being carried on in the same progressive spirit. The property is substantially fenced with seven wires and droppers and posts of jam planted 12 feet apart; eight paddocks have been formed, of convenient size for cultivation purposes and handling of the stock. Water is easily obtainable within 10 feet from the surface, and numerous wells have been sunk, from which an adequate supply is secured. The homestead is situated about half a mile from the Goomalling Road, and commands a beautiful view of the surrounding country. The rooms are large and comfortable, and in the vicinity of the house outbuildings have been erected to suit the present requirements of the farm. Close to the homestead is a small orchard, which provides sufficient fresh fruit for the necessities of the household. A flock of sheep, numbering about eight hundred, is grazed on the estate, and these, consisting chiefly of crossbred merinoes, are grown principally for tho mutton markets, while early lambs for local consumption arc also raised in fair numbers. A few horses only are kept for the use of the farm, but these comprise fine specimens of the best Clydesdale blood, Mr. Lock-yer being a firm believer in breed. For many years he has been a member of the local racing body, and gives his patronage and support to all movements having as their object the general advancement of the North am district. He is a member of the agricultural society, but apart from this and a few public functions has little time to devote to outside matters, the development of his farm absorbing the whole of his time and attention. He married in 1901 Helena, eldest daughter of Mr. Alfred Twine, a resident and native of Toodyay district, and has two sons and five daughters.
JOB BEARD, who resides at “One Tree Hill,” about eight miles distant from Nort*ham, is the second son of the late Cornelius Beard, a
Mb. Coknelitjs Beakd.
colonist of over half a century’s standing at the time of his death. The gentleman under review was born in the Northam district on May 9, 1862, and at an early age went to work on his father’s farm, which at a later date was divided, Mr. Job Beard receiving as his share
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Job Beard.
one-third of the whole, an area comprising 600 acres. He has since acquired on his own account over
2,000 acres in the Meckering district, and has carried on operations with energy and success. About 800
acres are under cultivation, the land being tilled and fallowed alternately, and wheat, oats, and hay are the principal crops produced. The estate carries a flock of 1,000 merino sheep, which are grown for the wool and mutton markets, and about twenty horses, which are replaced from time to time by younger stock bred on the property. Mr. Beard is a member of tho committee of the Jennapullen Agricultural Society, and he makes a hobby of the breeding of prize sheep, having been most successful in this regard in the show ring. He married in 1885 Esther, daughter of the late J. Biddle, an early English arrival at Northam, and has four sons and three daughters surviving.
EDWARD WITHERAGE COTTON, of “Muresk,” one of the fine old properties founded by the early Western Australian settlers in the valley of the Avon prior to the influx of population brought about by the gold discoveries in the eastern districts, is a native of South Australia, where his birth occurred on March 1, 1870. He is a son of the late Hon. George Witherage Cotton, a member of the Upper House of the Legislature of that State at the time of his death, whose name was closely interlinked with the public life of South Australia for a number of years. He was instrumental in settling much of the land with a large industrial population, and was the originator of the “Working Men’s Block” system, which has proved such a marked success. As a noted “high finance” advocate he strongly approved of the institution of State banks. Upon his demise many honours were paid to his memory, and he was said by the leading spirits of the time to have lived half a century in advance of his era. Mr. E. W. Cotton received his education at Prince Alfred College in Kent Town, near Adelaide (where he gained the Malpas Scholarship for Science), of which institution his father was one of the founders and honorary secretary for a quarter of a century. Upon the conclusion of his scholastic career he decided to enter upon a pastoral life, and with this end in view became one of the students at Roseworthy Agricultural College upon the opening of its earliest session. Here he distinguished himself by securing one of the first diplomas for practical agriculture, agricultural
553
chemistry, and geology ever granted by the institution, and upon leaving there embraced a good opportunity of obtaining practical experience by accepting the offer of a position in Western Australia with the late Mr. Andrew Dempster, the founder of "Muresk.” After spending a couple of years in pastoral pursuits at
Mr. Andrew Dempster.
Esperance Bay he returned to South Australia and proceeded to the fruitgrowing settlement at Renmark to learn the science of surveying in connection with irrigation. This knowledge he was able to put to practical use in the settlement and development of "Muresk” when he again joined Mr. Dempster in the Western
State, that gentleman meanwhile having turned his attention to his property in the Avon Valley, which he had owned for some years previously. In 1894 Mr. Cotton married Mary Catherine, the late Mr. Dempster’s eldest daughter, and having previously purchased a portion of the property continued to reside thereon until the death of his father-in-law, when he was left sole executor and trustee of the estate. In accordance with the terms of the will, "Muresk” was put up to auction, and his wife purchasing it thus came into possession of a portion of the old homestead lands, which now embrace "Hope” Farm, the property bought by Mr. Cotton prior to the decease of the late Mr. Dempster and worked by him as an independent enterprise. The estate now comprises nearly 2,500 acres, over 1,000 acres of which clearing operations have been completed, while about a quarter of the whole area is cropped annually, the yield being far above the average of the district both for wheat and hay. A flock numbering in the vicinity of
2,000 sheep and some horses and cattle are grazed on the property, the latter classes of stock being chiefly for use on the farm, although a few find their way to the market. The homestead, erected in 1890, is a substantial brick structure of one storey, with a wide verandah running all round the building. It contains thirteen large rooms and a fine hall, where light and ventilation have been made matters of the first importance, the thick and lofty walls preserving interiorly a coolness of atmosphere
very welcome in the hot summer season. In every particular "Muresk” may hold its own as one of the most delightful country homes
Mr. Edward Wttherage Cotton.
in Western Australia. The outhouses are on a par with the residence for commodious accommodation and suitable appointments, according to the use for which each is designed, while the whole equipment of the farm is of very modern character. Orchards and vineyards cover an area of 20 acres, and a six-acre garden supplies the household with vegetables. Mr. Cotton makes a study of scientific fruit-growing, and keeps himself thoroughly conversant with all matters connected with up-to-date farming. He has two daughters.
WILLIAM JOHN MORGAN, J.P., owner of the “Bardeen” property in the Northam district, was born on the estate where he now resides on January 18, 1845. His father, the late Abraham William Morgan, came originally from Somersetshire, England, in the year 1831, and after residing for a period in Perth, subsequently found his way to the then remote regions “beyond the ranges,” where a Government grant of land (T. 1 and T. 2), which had been made to his father, was awaiting development. Upon arrival at the locality the property was taken up and called “Bardeen,” and operations were begun for the working of the land, which comprised 2,000 acres. At a later date another 1,000-acre block was added to the original grant, forming in all a nice little property of 3,000 acres, which has remained intact up to the present time. After the death of the late Mr. Morgan in 1871 it reverted to his only son, who forms the subject of this memoir. Mr. William John Morgan was educated at Bishop’s College, Perth. Upon the termination of his scholastic career he returned to “Bardeen,” where he directed his energies to mastering the
fenced, and subdivided, and about 600 acres of this area placed annually under crop. Wheat is grown in large quantities and harvests are reaped yielding from fifteen to twenty
Mr. William John Morgan.
bushels to the acre. Oats have also proved a very profitable proposition, and considerable attention has been given to the raising of this cereal. In fruit-growing, too, Mr. Morgan has met with conspicuous success; and
fruits, etc., and has proved a source of profit, besides providing ample fresh fruit for use in the household. Mr. Morgan, as one of the oldest residents of the district, has watched the growth of the place with interest, and has always played a worthy part in advancing all movements having as their object the improvement of the district and the welfare of the community. For the long period of thirty years he served continuously as a member of the Northam Roads Board, and at various times filled the office of acting-chairman of that body; while he was actively concerned in the foundation of the local agricultural society, and did worthy work as a member of its first committee. He also was a moving spirit in the early days of the Northam Race Club, and for many years followed this sport with unabated enthusiasm, owning several racehorses, and supporting the various clubs of the district. He is a Freemason of long standing, having been associated with the craft since 1877 and taken a Master’s honours therein. Mr. Morgan is one of the oldest Justices of the Peace in the district, having received his commission from the Imperial authorities in
Photo by C. M. Nixon. ‘‘Bardeen.” the Property of Mr. W. J. Morgan, Northam.
details of the agricultural industry, and where he has continued in these pursuits ever since. About 1,600 acres of the property are cleared,
the vineyard, where a fine variety of grapes ripens in the season, covers about 14 acres of ground. The orchard contains apple-trees, stone
the days preceding responsible government in Western Australia. He was married in 1873, and has a family of two sons and six daughters.
665
JAMES McMANUS, farmer, of “Minathorpe,” was born at Irish -town, about six miles from Nor-tham, on September 30, 1863,
and is a son of the late James McManus, who came from the Emerald Isle to Western Australia in 1855, two years later settling in the above-mentioned district, where he was engaged in the agricultural industry for a number of years. He received his education in his native place, and upon entering his teens was perfectly at home in the management of the plough and other work on the farm. Having attained his majority, he proceeded to the northwest, where he was employed on stations for a couple of years. Returning to Northam, he began farming on his own account, in the first place on a rented property ; but he subsequently purchased a holding of 600 acres at Irishtown, and at a still later date took up land from the Government, which he afterwards disposed of. In 1891 he imported and worked the first steam-travelling chaffcutter in the Northam district; and in 1899, whilst in Melbourne, he purchased a “Sunshine” harvester, which he shipped to Western Australia, this machine also being the first of its kind to find its way to the eastern agricultural belt. In 1908 he purchased over 2,000 acres situated about three miles from Northam, and has since devoted his energies to the cultivation of cereals and hay and the raising of crossbred sheep. He is also a breeder of Clydesdale horses, having purchased the station stallion “Laurence Drew,” which is from one of the best strains in New Zealand. Mr. McManus
in 1912 had 1,500 acres under crop and 1,200 acres fallowed. In the previous year he purchased an additional 1,250 acres at Won-gamine, about 12 miles from Northam, which he also proposed to use as a cereal-growing proposition; and, as an illustration of the progress made in the agricultural industry during the past few years, it may
Mr. James McManus.
be of interest to remark that, whereas in the season of 1887, with two horses and a single - furrow plough he cultivated 45 acres, at the present time (1913) he has about
3,000 acres prepared for cropping. In 1912 he started the bulk handling of wheat from the farm to the mill, delivering the first load of wheat in bulk at W. Thomas & Co.’s mill on January 17, 1913, this being the pioneer enterprise of its kind in the
State. For nearly ten years Mr. McManus served as a member of the Northam Roads Board, and he also held office as a member of the land board for the district during a couple of years. He has been honoured with the vice-presidency of the agricultural society, of which he has been a committeeman for a lengthy period, doing much to advance the cause of the agriculturist in the neighbourhood by his painstaking labours in connection with this body. For about twelve years he held the position of secretary of the Irishtown Farmers’ Club and, in conjunction with Mr. John French, was instrumental in the erection of the Irishtown Agricultural Hall, which was opened by Sir John Forrest in 1894, and has the distinction of being the first institution of its kind in the eastern agricultural districts. Mr. McManus is the present-chairman of directors of the Northam Brewing and Refrigerating Company. In his younger days he took a prominent part in the movement of the Ancient Order of Forresters, and served for many years as one of the trustees of that order. For recreation he has recourse to bowls, and has had an up-to-date bowling green laid down in the grounds surrounding his private residence. He is a general reader of wide range, and keeps himself well versed in the news of the day from all quarters of the civilized world. A member of the Northam Club he has been connected with this body almost from its inception. In 1887 he married Honor a, daughter of the late James Foley, of Wongamine, and has five sons and one daughter.
Photo by C. M. Nixon.
Residence of Mr. J. McManus, Northam.
GEORGE THOMAS WILKERSON, of “Oakfields,” Northam, is a son of Mr. James Wilkerson, who came from England to Western Australia among the earliest of the settlers in this State, and who now lives in retirement at Northam. The gentleman under review is a native of the district, having been born at Katrine on March 20, 1857, and pursued his studies at the local Government school under the tuition of one of the first teachers to fill a public appointment of the kind in that neighbourhood. At fourteen years of age he went to work on his father's “Glen Avon" property,
Mr. James Wilkerson.
situated about midway between Toodyay and Northam, and one of the oldest farms in the district. Some years later, at the time of his marriage, Mr. Wilkerson launched out on his own account, taking over the old homestead at “Oakfields,” with the surrounding land, on lease from his father, and here he has continued in farming and pastoral pur-: suits ever since. In 1905 a modern dwellinghouse was erected, which presents a very substantial appearance, being built of brick with stone foundations, and containing eight rooms, with hall and kitchen, the whole being well lighted and ventilated. This is favourably situated on rising ground lying back a short distance from the Toodyay-Northam Road and about four miles west of Northam. It is surrounded by fruit-trees, Mr. Wilkerson possessing great skill as an orchardist and making a hobby of horticulture. The property
comprises over 5,000 acres of mixed land surrounding the homestead, and of this over 1,200 acres have been cleared and cultivated on the approved system of cropping and fallowing in alternate seasons. From four to five hundred acres are cropped annually with wheat and hay, and excellent harvests are tho rule, the soil and climate being specially suited to the production of these crops. About half of the entire area of the property is applied to grazing purposes, and the pastures carry some 3,000 merino sheep, the quality of the flock being continually renewed by the introduction of representatives from Mr. Loton's “Springhill” property, and occasionally varied by South Australian stock, which have been found to produce good results. All the horses necessary for the work of the farm, chiefly of the Clydesdale type, are bred on the estate, and a few are sent to the market, where they command satisfactory prices. The “Oakfields” property has a frontage of three and a half miles to the Avon River, and is well watered by permanent springs and soaks, a few wells having been sunk to augment the supply. The whole is surrounded by fences constructed with posts of jam and white gum, strung with six wires, and subdivision has been made into close on twenty pad-docks, the entire length of fencing running into from 40 to 50 miles. Mr. Wilkerson has occupied a seat on the local roads board for the past sixteen years; and in this connection it is interesting to note that his father before him was identified with the same board for the lengthy period of twenty-seven years, during which time he frequently filled the position of chairman. He has been
a member of the Toodyay Agricultural Society ever since the inception of that body, and is also associated with the similar organization at
C. M. Nixon, Northam..
Mr. George Thomas Wilkerson.
Northam, for several years having served as a committeeman of the latter body. He takes a warm interest in the welfare of the Anglican Church at Katrine, where he serves as a member of the vestry. Among the other societies to which he has given loyal support are the Masonic fraternity, with which he has been connected for a decade, and the local lodge of the Ancient Order of Druids, the roll of which has registered his name for over a quarter of a century. Mr. Wilkerson married in 1878 Eliza Ann, daughter of the late Charles Betts, and of a family of fifteen children nine sons and three daughters survive.
557
HARRY FERMANAR THROS-SELL, of “Oakover," Northam, is the second son of the late Hon. George Throssell, and was born at Northam on October 9, 1872. He received his education at the local State school, concluding his scholastic career at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, where he spent three years. At nineteen years of age he returned to Western Australia and entered upon commercial pursuits in the business carried on by his father at Northam (now known as Throssell, Son, & Stewart), where he continued for about six years. In 1900 he retired from mercantile life and turned his attention to the agricultural and pastoral industry on ''Oak-over'’ Farm, purchased by the late Mr. Throssell some thirty years previously. The estate embraces about
1,800 acres of rich chocolate soil, and is situated three miles from Northam, on the York Road. An avenue two miles in length winds through the rich pastures lying between the main road and the house, which is built of brick and contains nine rooms, a wide verandah encircling, the whole building. The stables are substantially constructed, while a barn and machinery-shed have also been erected, and close by stands a comfortable little cottage for the use of the married
couple employed upon the estate. About 1,400 acres of the estate are cleared—the remainder being ringbarked — and fine crops of
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Me. Haeey Feemanae Theossell.
wheat and hay are annually reaped from a large area of this prepared land. The pastures are dotted with sheep of the crossbred type, in the season each woolly mother being followed by her offspring, many of which are destined for the early
spring lamb markets. The farm horses number over thirty representatives of the Clydesdale strain, and breeding within strict limits is carried on to keep up the supply of young blood. Three pedigree mares of lighter type are also kept, and these, mated with the most fashionable sires in the district, produce valuable stock. Mr. Throssell, since his tenth year, has been associated with the Lodge of Good Templars, in which he has taken a prominent part, never failing to advocate the principles of total abstinence from alcoholic liquor in which he was brought up. He has had some military experience, holding commission for six years as lieutenant in the local company of mounted infantry. A deep reader, he peruses works of travel and history with keen interest and spends many hours in this fascinating pursuit. Mrs. Throssell is a keen floriculturist and a large exhibitor at the local and other agricultural shows, where she has been the successful winner of many prizes. Mr. Throssell married in 1894 Laura, daughter of the late W. L. Smeed, of Bayswater, who, with his two sons, daughter, and three grandchildren, lost his life by a boating accident on Wilson's Inlet. There is issue by this union one son and four daughters.
Mr. H. F. Throssell's Residence, Northam.
558
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
STANLEY FREDERICK ANDREW PARKER, of “Stackallan,” near Northam, is a native of this State, having been born at Perth on July 3, 1872, his father being the late
Mr. Frederick Parker.
Frederick Parker, also a son of Western Australian soil, the date of whose birth was January 6, 1845. The latter gentleman was a son of the late Stephen Stanley Parker, M.L.C., one of the early pioneers and brother to Sir Stephen Henry Parker, Chief Justice of Western Australia and the first native-born citizen to hold this important and dignified post. The subject of this brief review pursued his studies at the High School, Perth, and upon the completion of his educational course proceeded to Busselton to gain an
insight into the operations of mixed farming on the property owned by Mr. Gale, where he remained three years. He next purchased a property at Seabrook, in the Northam district, and launched out on his own account, meeting with considerable success. In 1906 he disposed of his Seabrook estate, and coming nearer the town of Northam he acquired from Mr. By field nearly a thousand acres of land. Here he erected one of the most substantial and well-appointed residences in the district— a twelve-roomed villa built of stone after the latest design, with wide handsome hall and particularly lofty well - ventilated rooms. Practically the whole of the “Stackallan” property is cleared and devoted to mixed-farming operations, a specialty being made of hay-growing, the harvest averaging up to 3J- tons of hay to the acre. The area brought under cultivation varies in different seasons, but is generally in the vicinity of 300 acres. A fine flock of pure-bred Dorset horned sheep, in the original instance imported from England, graze on the pastures, and are regarded as a general-utility product, their lambs maturing very early and finding a ready sale in the local markets, where they are invariably first in the field. Light harness and draught horses for use on the farm are bred in small numbers, and Mr. Parker makes something of a hobby of the breeding of ponies. He has been an exhibitor of cattle, sheep, and horses both at the local and Royal Agricultural Society’s shows, and has met with considerable success in his ventures along this line,
being a winner of various trophies for his different classes of stock exhibits. He gives a good deal of time and attention to the affairs of the Northam Agricultural Society, of which he is a member and committeeman. He is associated with the local race club, taking a certain amount of interest in “the sport of kings” on his own account, while he is keen on
W
• • '
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. S. F. A. Parker.
polo, in which strenuous game he takes his recreation, and acts as honorary secretary to the Northam Polo Club. He is also a member of the Northam Club. Mr. Parker married in 1908 Nellie, daughter of Mr. H. Forward, of Grass Valley, Western Australia, and has one son and two daughters.
Mr. s. F. A. Parker's Residence. Northam.
559
RICHARD HENRY MIDDLE-TON, of “Broomfields,” near Nor-tham, is a Western Australian by birth, having been born in the Middle Swan district on November 13, 1873. He is a son of the late Richard Middleton, one of the pioneers of that part of the State who came originally from Shropshire and entered upon pastoral pursuits in his
Mr. Richard Middleton.
adopted country, dying in the prime of life, when his son, the subject of this memoir, was only two years of age. Mr. R. H. Middleton’s mother was among the earliest of the white children born in Western Australia. He received his education at Guildford under the late Canon Sweeting and continued his studies until the
age of sixteen, at which early period he launched out on his own account, taking up a pastoral lease in the Jennapullen district. From small beginnings he advanced step by step until in 1908 he purchased his present holding of nearly 4,000 acres of freehold property, three years later erecting the modern homestead where he now resides. It is built of brick and contains eight large rooms and a spacious hall, the comfortable and tasteful furnishings giving to the interior the unmistake-able atmosphere of home. In keeping with the residence are the various outbuildings, which have been carefully planned to meet the requirements for which they are designed, while a flower garden adds the finishing grace to the home. Since Mr. Middleton entered into possession of the estate he has pushed forward agricultural operations, and close on
1,000 acres are now under cultivation of hay and cereals, about 20 bushels of wheat to the acre being the average yield. A flock of 2,000 sheep is grazed on the property, which is kept for market purposes solely, a number of early lambs finding their way to the saleyards, while sheep are despatched in large numbers direct from the pastures to supply the local demand for mutton. Purchase from other flocks is made from time to time, and the sheep fatten rapidly in this favourable locality, the natural grasses and climatic conditions combining to produce a healthy animal, whilst a further advantage is that no long and condition - destroying journey need be taken before a market is
found for the stock. There are usually about twenty-four horses on the farm, and a few are bred each season in order to replenish the supply with young stock
Mr. Richard Henry Middleton.
as occasion demands. Mr. Middle-ton interests himself to some extent in the public organizations of the district and is a member of the Northam Agricultural Society. He also serves as a member of the vestry of the Anglican Church at Katrine. His chief recreation is found in reading, literature of a general character receiving a fair share of his attention. He was married in the year 1909 to Laura, daughter of the late Simeon William Viveash, of Katrine, and has one son and one daughter.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Residence of Mr. R. H. Middleton, Northam.
“KATRINE,” the property owned by Mr. Lionel Waterman Viveash, near Northam, was established amongst the earliest of the
Mr. Simeon William Viveash.
homes of the eastern agricultural districts, at the time when the land in that part of the country was used for pastoral purposes only. About the year 1838 Mr. Viveash’s grandfather purchased the property from the late T. Lyttleton, its first owner, who had taken up 2,660 acres of the undulating land which is a feature of the district, and which, timbered lightly with jam, had proved to be first-rate country for grazing purposes. Subsequently, its value as a wheat-producing proposition was also tested, when very fair crops were obtained. Hay was also grown with satisfactory results, and since the first experimental cultivation was done the agricultural department of the industry has assumed large
proportions. At present time about 1,700 acres are devoted to cropping, the system favoured by Mr. Viveash being to cultivate about 600 acres annually with wheat and hay, the remainder, after lying fallow for a season, being prepared for its turn of seeding. Peas are also grown in large quantities for the fattening of the stock, which have been found to thrive well with the aid of this class of fodder. The estate has about a mile and a half of frontage to the Avon River, which provides easy facilities for watering purposes, and in other respects it is easily worked as a pastoral station, both sheep and horses being run on the property. The flock consists mainly of merinoes and crossbreds, bred chiefly for the mutton market; and a good trade is done in early lambs. “Katrine” carries from 800 to 1,000 sheep, but this number is largely augmented on the leased property held by Mr. Viveash in the neighbourhood, comprising about 8,500 acres. Altogether the flock may be said to total nearly 5,000. About sixty horses are kept on different parts of the estate, and every season a few are bred to replenish this department, Mr. Viveash breeding for his own use only. In addition to the properties mentioned, he owns a freehold farm at Jennapullen, about fifteen miles distant from Northam, and this he works in conjunction with the homestead estate, carrying on mixed farming operations, but giving the premier place to the production of cereals. The residence—one of the most substantial and comfortable houses in the Northam district—contains sixteen large rooms, being two storeys in height and built of stone, and though erected in the early days, compares most favourably with the
up-to-date country homes of the present day. LIONEL WATERMAN VIVEASIT was born on the “Katrine” property, where he now resides, on May 19, 1882, and is a son of the late Simeon William Viveash, also a native of Western Australia, his father having come from Kent, England, by the “Britomarte” in June, 1838, and taken up a tract of country in the Avon district, in which are now comprised the “Lan-gedine” and “Haisthorpe” estates.
Mr. Lionel Waterman Viveash.
The gentleman under review was educated under private tuition at home, subsequently becoming a student at the Guildford Grammar School. At seventeen years of age he returned to “Katrine/1 where he has continued ever since. Upon the death of his father in 1902 the estate was purchased by his two sons, the late Oriel Simeon Viveash and Lionel Waterman Viveash, to the latter of whom fell the task of controlling the operations of the property until his brother’s decease when he took over the sole proprietorship by purchase, and has since conducted affairs on his own behalf. Mr. Viveash is a member of the Northam Agricultural Society, and also of the local race club. Naturally a great home lover, he is never happier than when spending his time in simple avocations around the old homestead. He married in 1911 May Louisa, daughter of Mr. Francis William Stokes, well known in commercial circles in Western Australia, and has one daughter.
561
JOHN MARTIN, of “Sandgate” Farm, Seabrook, near Northam, is a native of Western Australia, having been born on the farm where he now resides, which was the property of his father and his grandfather before him. The land was first taken up at the foundation of the colony in 1829 by Messrs. Jenkins and Tomkins and afterwards passed into other hands, being leased at an early date by the first representative of the Martin family in this country and his son, the late John Martin, father of the gentleman under review. Mr. Martin received his education at the Government School at Northam, and at the termination of his studies became engaged in agricultural pursuits on the paternal property, where he has continued to reside ever since. When he was about twenty-six years of age he purchased the farm from the late J. G. Drakc-Brockman, by this purchase becoming the proprietor of 1,000 acres of the fine agricultural land which by its excellent arable qualities has brought the district of the Avon Valley into such enviable repute among farmers and pastoralists. In addition to this valuable estate Mr. Martin has acquired further property in the neighbourhood, some ten years ago purchasing 250 acres, which formed part of the
old “Seabrook” holding, and this he works in conjunction with “Sand-gate.” The necessary clearing operations have been completed over
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. JonN Martin.
almost the whole of the property, which is also fenced securely, subdivision having been made into eighteen paddocks of varying size, and the greater number of these are
used as cultivation fields. Mr. Martin follows the custom approved and practised by many of the most successful agriculturists, both in this district and elsewhere, of cropping about half of his cultivable area annually, while the remainder lies fallow in preparation for the ensuing season. He has in all about 900 acres of ground devoted to tillage and reaps an annual harvest unsurpassed by any in the neighbourhood, the returns from which may be regarded as eminently satisfactory. He has made a study of mixed farming, which he regards as highly profitable if carried on in accordance with scientific principles, and brings his skilled knowledge to bear in the management of his pastoral operations in conjunction with the agricultural side of the industry. The flock consists of 400 sheep of the Lincoln type, which have been proved to thrive well and bring good prices at the local markets, while horses are bred for use on the farm, about twenty head of draughts and lighter strains being found sufficient to cope with the demands of the different seasons. Mr. Martin has interested himself in the public organizations founded for advancing the welfare of the farming community and the neighbourhood generally, and for a lengthy period has
Photo by C. F. Farr. KK
Mr. John Martin’s Residence, Seabrook.
562
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
held membership in the Northam Agricultural Society, having been a committeeman for a dozen or more years. He has been a member of the Northam Roads Board for about eight years. Motoring is the form of recreation he prefers, and he indulges in this diversion when the pressure of his many claims slackens sufficiently to allow him a leisure hour. Mr. Martin married in 1889 Margaret, daughter of Mr. William Sermon, of Grass Valley, and has two sons and one daughter.
JOHN HENRY HUNTER, of “The Pines,” Seabrook, was born at “Muresk,” in the same district, on October 18, 1864, and is a son of the late Joseph Hunter, who came from England among the earliest of the settlers in Western Australia, and after spending some years in the service of the Hamersley family, entered upon farming pursuits on his own account. He was educated principally at the Government school at York, and upon entering his teens was apprenticed to the farming industry—a very unusual thing— under Mr. John H. Gregory, now the oldest settler in the neighbourhood. After leaving Mr. Gregory he spent a
property at Jennapullen from the late Hon. George Thxossell, which he worked for seven years, and finally sold when he purchased “The Pines,” where he now resides. This holding comprises about 800 acres of first-class land, which can hold its own with the best in the district, and with the assistance of his son Mr. Hunter is making a thoroughly payable proposition of the enterprise. Nearly 600 acres have been cleared for purposes of mixed farming, cropping on the fallow system being the chief department of the operations carried on, and in both the agricultural and pastoral side of the industry marked success has been attained. Mr. Hunter is a member of the Farmers’ Mercantile Union of Western Australia. He married in 1892 Rose Bertha, daughter of Mr. John Beard, farmer, of Malabine, Northam, and has three sons and five daughters.
LLEWELLYN SPENCER, of “lima,” Seabrook, near Northam, was born at Bunbury, on April 11, 1875, and is a son of the late Hon. William Spencer, merchant, of that town, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. His primary education
resigned and then returned to Bunbury, where he opened in business on his own account as general commission agent, also holding the local agency for Dalgety & Co. After ten years in this line of business, in December, 1907, he relinquished operations in order to engage in the farming industry, for this purpose purchasing “lima,” an estate of some 630 acres in the Northam district, from the late John Heal. The property is entirely cleared, and nearly the whole of it has been brought under cultivation, while mixed farming is also carried on, a small flock of crossbred sheep being grazed upon the pastures. The comfortable homestead is a feature of interest, as being built within the past decade everything is well up to date, and the stabling accommodation also deserves a word of notice for its convenience and well - designed appointments. Mr. Spencer is a member of the committee of the Northam Agricultural Society. His favourite sport is racing, and he has owned some good horses, which have been winners of various events at country meetings. He is a member of the Western Australian Turf Club. In 1901 he married Mary, daughter of Mr. George Johnson, of Bunbury, and has one son and two daughters.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
lengthy period with the late Mr. Wilding, and eventually left this employ to join the Civil Service in the Railway Department, where he remained for seven years. Later Mr. Hunter again turned his attention to farming pursuits, purchasing a
Mr. J. H. Hunter’s Homestead, Seabrook.
was received at Bunbury, and subsequently he attended the school conducted by the Hon. Henry Briggs at Fremantle, at eighteen years of age entering commercial life by joining the staff of Dalgety & Co. at the latter port. Three years later he
JAMES SERMON, owner and occupier of the homestead estate of “Horse Hill” at Grass Valley, is the fourth son of Mr. William Sermon, the founder of the family in Western Australia. He pursued his scholastic studies at the local school in the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
563
place of liis birth and subsequently joined his brothers in farm duties on the paternal property. In course of time Mr. William Sermon leased the farm to three of his sons, the gentleman under review being one of the partners, and ultimately the whole estate was purchased by them, the original homestead with the land surrounding it being taken over by Mr. James Sermon. His holding of 1,070 acres is among the best in the district, and the greater part of this area is brought under cultivation, the approved method of cropping and fallowing in alternate seasons being carried out with eminently satisfactory results. Hay, wheat, and oats are grown, about 400 acres being sown every year, and excellent harvests are gathered in. Several hundred crossbred sheep graze on the pasture land, providing early lambs, wool, and mutton for the local markets, whilst twenty horses are kept for farm purposes, the healthy appearance and good condition of which manifest the care taken of them by their owner. A well-built comfortable stone house, which forms the homestead where the family resides, is flanked with outbuildings of a particularly commodious and substantial character, the stables being deserving of special mention for their excellent appointments, and shearing-shed
and granaries also being very complete and convenient. Mr. Sermon is a member of the agricultural society, and despite the fact of his
Mr. James Sermon.
forty-five years is an enthusiast in cricketing matters, taking his place in the field at local matches with as keen a pleasure in the sport as many of his younger compeers. He married in 1889 Bridget, daughter of Mr. Nicholas Casey, and has one son and four daughters.
JUSTUS HEINRICH BEHN, "Barenstein,” Seabrook, was born in the City of Bremen, Germany, on June 1, 1878, and is the second son of the late Justus Heinrich Behn, who was connected with the commercial life of that city. At the close of his education, when fifteen years of age, he was apprenticed to the trade of purveyor, and four years later joined the navy of the Father-land, in which he served for two and a half years. -Gaining the permission of the Government he left for Australia in 1900 and settled in Bun-bury, where he was engaged in the butchering trade for ten years on his own account. At the end of this period he disposed of his business interests and subsequently purchased his present property from Mr. G. Dempster. This holding consists of 1,100 acres, the whole of which has been cleared, and wheat, oats, and hay are grown in large quantities. A flock of about 500 crossbred sheep is grazed on the pastures, and draught horses are kept for the uses of the farm. Mr. Behn, whilst in Bunbury, participated in the various mercantile and social functions of the town and was one of the founders of the Bunbury Commercial Club, of which he is still a member. He was married in April, 1904, to Olga, daughter of the late August Kohler, well known in Saxony, and has one daughter.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
kk2
“Horse Hill,” the Property of Mr. James Sermon.
ANDREW MARTIN, who owns the “Spring Gully” Farm at Grass Valley, some few miles distant from Northam, is a son of the late John
Mr. John Martin.
Martin, who was born at Perth in the year 1836, his father having come to Western Australia from Sussex in 1830. Mr. John Martin eventually
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Andrew Martin.
became one of the pioneer settlers of the Northam district, and here his son Andrew, the subject of this memoir, was born on July 1, 1858. At fifteen years of age Mr. Andrew
Martin, having completed his education at the local public school, began his initiation into agricultural pursuits on his father's property, and continued in the ordinary round of duties involved in this calling until he reached man's estate. About this time he married and launched out on his own account, leasing a farm at Seabrook, which he worked for eighteen years, gaining much valuable experience during this period. Eventually, in 1899, he relinquished the lease of this property and purchased the “Spring Gully" farm, where he now resides, this holding having been part of the estate resumed by the Government of the day and formerly in the possession of the late Edward Keane. In the same year Mr. Martin erected a portion of his present homestead and commenced farming operations, as time went on adding considerably to the dwelling-house, which to-day is a very comfortable six-roomed structure with various up-to-date appointments and all conveniences and comforts. The land comprises some 1,000 acres of undulating country, carrying soils of chocolate, clay, and sandy loam, admirably suited to purposes of mixed farming, and is especially adapted to the production of wheat and hay, which are the principal industries carried on. Clearing the land for cropping and pastoral uses has been vigorously proceeded with from the first, and year by year has seen a larger portion ready for the plough. At the present time about 400 acres are cultivated every season, the same area lying fallow in alternate years, so that in all there are 800 acres—almost the full extent of the farm—devoted to cultivation. Good, substantial fences have been put up, dividing the property into paddocks of serviceable size, the entire fencing running into the vicinity of 13 miles; many other improvements come under the notice of the visitor, whose appreciative eye takes in the whole appearance of prosperity and well-being which is a feature of the well-kept farms of the
Grass Valley district. Grazing in the pastures are twelve staunch Clydesdale horses, most of which have been bred on the farm, and during working
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. T. S. Martin.
hours these fine animals may be seen in their different avocations displaying those excellent traits of the breed which has made it so popular
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. R. J. Martin.
among the settlers on Australian soil. Mr. Martin is deservedly proud of his teams and breeds for his own use from season to season, by this means being able to dispense with any horse
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that begins to fall below par, the average standard at which he aims being of a high level. His horses have a good name, and he has little difficulty in disposing of any superfluous stock, whilst among those on the farm which he exhibits with especial pride are the Clydesdale mares which recently won the premier award at the Northam Agricultural Show. His flock of crossbred sheep is also worth a visit of inspection, representatives from which
of the horses and other stock having been fully considered in matters of ventilation, drainage, and other important respects. Various machines of modern design attract attention, the presence of which makes it plainly evident that the proprietor is a man of progressive spirit and far from being wedded to the old-time methods by which his fathers tilled the soil has kept himself well in touch with the inventions in labour-saving machinery which have come into
much more profitable a calling. Though taking a prominent place in various public movements, in nothing has he been more to the fore than in the agricultural society of Northam, which he first joined at its inception. As a committeeman for twelve or fifteen years he accomplished much useful work, apd he also filled the office of vice-president, while for the last two years he has. been honoured by his fellow-members; by election to the presidential chair
Photo by C. E. Farr. Mb. A. Martin’s Homestead, Grass Valley. Prize Sheep in Foreground.
have been successful in securing three first prizes at Northam for “the best flock of 100 crossbred ewes.” The lambing season occurs somewhat in advance of some other localities, and Mr. Martin makes a payable proposition of early lambs for the local markets, while the yearly clip is disposed of in Perth. The usual drafting-yards, etc., are found in convenient places, and a stroll through the outbuildings reveals all in order, the comfort and well-being
vogue all over the civilized world. The district, indeed, owes much to Mr. Martin, as he has made a hobby of advancing its interests from the agricultural standpoint, nover missing an opportunity of advocating reforms and continually bringing before his brother settlers the necessity for joining in the march of progress, especially by the introduction of the machines which have simplified the labour problem in such a marked degree and made of agriculture so
of the society. The management of his farm and attention to whatever public duties he may happen to be concerned with occupy the whole of his time, and he has little inclination for sport of any kind, preferring to spend his leisure hours in simple pleasures with his family. Mr. Martin married on January 22, 1880, Sarah, sixth daughter of the late James Coles, of York, Western Australia, and has a surviving family of two sons and seven daughters.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
FREDERICK WILLIAM ROE, owner of “Mannalea,” Grass Valley, is tlie second son of the late Frederick Mackie Roc, of “Roseland,”
Mr. John Septimus Roe.
Toodyay, where the gentleman under review was born on August 6, 1874. He can claim descent from the earliest of Western Australian colonists, his grandfather (the late John Septimus Roe, R.N.), after having previously accompanied the navigator King in his exploration along
Mr. Frederick Mackie Roe.
this coast, making a honeymoon trip with his bride to the new settlement by the “Parmelia,” the vessel which brought he first Governor (Sir James Stirling) to the colony in 1829. Captain Roe was appointed
first Surveyor-General, and took a foremost place in the early endeavours made by the settlers to extend their knowledge ’in regard to the land of their adoption. In 1830 he was the leader of an expedition to explore the vicinity of Cape Natu-raliste, Point Leschenault, and the territory between the Collie and Preston rivers; and some six years later he made an attempt to discover the nature of the country lying east of Perth, on this trip penetrating as far as Lake Brown, near the western boundary of the present Yil-garn goldfield, and discovering many of the salt lakes which form a feature of the tableland of the interior. Captain Roe occupied the post of Surveyor-General of the colony for forty-two years, and it is interesting to note that the town of Rocbourne was named after him by the then Governor (the late Sir Frederick Weld), while one of his sons (the late James Broun Roe) was a member of the exploration party conducted by the well-known explorer,
F. T. Gregory, over a portion of the north-west in 1858, and another (Mr. Augustus Sanford Roe) is the present police magistrate at Perth. His daughter, the late Sophia Roe —the first white woman to be born in Western Australia—married Mr. Samuel Pole Phillips, of “Culham,” Toodyay, where she died. By a curious coincidence Mr. F. W. Roe’s maternal grandmother, then Miss Jane Drummond, was also a passenger by the “Parmelia,” while his mother, Sarah, second daughter of the late Michael Clarkson, who came to the State two years later, was born at “Nunyle,” Toodyay, on September 1, 1847. The Clarkson family participated in much of the pioneering work of Western Australia, the property now owned by the Hamers-leys, and known as “Wilberforce,” previously having been taken up by them, and in view of the present land values it is worthy of record that the price at which Mr. Clarkson sold was Is. 6d. per acre. Miss Clarkson was married on June 1, 1871, to the late Frederick Mackie Roe, fifth son of the late Captain Roe (born in Perth in 1844), by whom she had two sons—Mr. J. A. Roe, manager of “Minderoo” Station, Onslow, and the subject of this memoir. Mr. F. M. Roe died in 1877 at the age of thirty-three as the result of an accident at his station “Dumbo,” Wongan Hills, and after fourteen years of widowhood
Mrs. Roe married the late Andrew Dempster, of “Muresk,” where she resided until her husband’s death in 1909, when she removed to
Dartletto, Perth.
Mr. J. A. Roe.
Northain, and died there three years later. Mr. Frederick William Roe received his education at Toodyay, and upon leaving school at the age of fifteen became engaged in farming pursuits on the “Muresk”
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Frederick William Roe.
Station for five years. In partnership with his brother he then purchased “Hawkhurst,” the well-known stud farm in the York district, and carried it on for two years, at the end
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of which period the property was disposed of and the partnership dissolved. Mr. F. W. Roe next leased a farm in the district for a short time, and when the old Grass Valley Estate was thrown open for selection he took up his present holding, comprising over eight hundred acres of what was then practically virgin country and entered upon its development. This he continued with such whole-hearted energy and vigorous determination to bring his property into line with the best in the State that in 1909 he was awarded the silver challenge cup offered by the Northam Agricultural Society
paddocks, these being grown for the local markets, but with this exception Mr. Roe gives but little attention to pastoral enterprise, his agricultural interests absorbing the whole of his time and energies. The homestead, though not conspicuous for its size, is one of the most comfortable in the neighbourhood, and surrounded as it is by a garden enclosure where roses and many other varieties of beautiful flowers blossom, each according to its season, presents a pleasing appearance, while a small orchard in the vicinity of the house is a very popular resort in fruitage time. The outhouses have all been
that are put upon the market from time to time and the different methods of cropping, etc., is very valuable to his fellow-settlers. He is a thorough "sport,” and all forms of athletics, cricket, tennis, boxing, riding, and driving are followed with keen enjoyment by him, while he is also a member of the local race club. Mr. F. W. Roe was married in the year 1901 to Edith Mary, eldest daughter of Mr. William Forward, one of Northam’s early pioneers (who is referred to elsewhere in this volume), and has a family of four sons.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
for the best-managed farm in the eastern districts. Its position in the heart of the famous Grass Valley neighbourhood is sufficient criterion for the excellence of its soil and rare productive qualities, and Mr. Roe has taken full advantage of the possibilities of the place, every acre being cleared and the whole brought under cultivation every two years, half the area being sown and half lying fallow each season. The “Mannalea” Estate has the reputation of producing the best hay in Western Australia, and to this industry the whole of the property is devoted, to the exclusion of all cereal crops or other products common to the district. A small flock of sheep finds pasture in the
Mr. F. W. Roe’s Homestead, grass Valley.
carefully planned with special regard to the purpose for which each is designed, and in proportion to their size may be said, for convenience and up-to-date appointments, to be second to none in the State. Mr. Roe has interested himself to some extent in the organizations of the district, and is a member of the local agricultural society, serving as a committeeman of that body for some considerable time. All movements for the betterment of existing conditions command his cordial support, while his example as a representative of the agricultural community, combining industry and expert knowledge with careful consideration of the various labour-saving inventions
FRANK GEORGE THOMAS HANCOCK, owner and occupier of "Roselyn” Estate, at Spencer’s Brook, is a son of Mr. H. W. Hancock, of "Rocliffe,” near Northam, mentioned elsewhere in this work, and was born at Beverley on December 14, 1885. He received his
scholastic training at the Scotch College, Perth, where he spent some three or four years, leaving this institution at the age of fifteen to begin his initiation into the agricultural industry on his father’s farm, "Roselyn.” From this time forth he threw himself heart and soul into the conduct of affairs on the estate, and soon became his father’s right-hand man. In 1910, upon the decision of
568
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Mr. Hancock, sen., to make a home for himself nearer Northam, this gentleman entrusted his son with the control of the old homestead property at Spencer Brook. This arrangement continued until 1912, when the deeds of the "Roselyn” property were handed over to him by his father, and he became possessor of what may justly be regarded as the
Mr. Frank George Thomas Hancock.
model farm of the eastern agricultural district. The “Roselyn” Estate comprises 1,600 acres of undulating country, well suited to the production of wheat and other grain, and of the 1,300 acres that have been cleared 400 to 500 are annually placed under the cultivation of
cereals. The harvesting returns give from the Spencer Brook Railway an average yield of 18 bushels to the Station, and is a commodious brick acre, and hay is also grown producing house of most up-to-date appearance
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Trotting Mares “Ruby” (with Foal) and “ Miss Venn.”
2\ tons to the acre. An orchard and vineyard, six acres in extent, lie immediately outside the garden enclosure surrounding the house, and all varieties of fruit suited to the soil and climate here come to perfection. Water is laid on all over the property from the goldfields water supply reservoir, which provides for all the necessities of irrigation and stock as well as for the requirements of the household. The “Roselyn” residence is most conveniently situated on a site lying from 300 yards to 400 yards
and architecture containing ten large, well-ventilated rooms with a wide verandah encircling the whole building. Underneath lie cool cellars, and the structure in every respect is built to suit the Australian climate, with its hot summers and rapidly - changing temperatures. Climbing roses and other creepers with bright-coloured blooms twine round the verandah with picturesque effect, and in the pretty garden beyond trellises and shade trees fill large spaces where the gardener's
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. F. G. T. Hancock’s Residence. Spencer Brook.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
569
hand has not been busy in cultivating trotters, hacks, and hunters are his the choice and beautiful blooms particular hobby, and he has bred a which are found in profusion in the few of these which have taken their
Photo by C. E. Parr. Draught Mares at “ Roselyn.”
different seasons of the year. The place as champions of the district, soil throughout the estate is charac- several trophies having fallen to his teristic of the valley of the Avon, share in these classes not only in con-possessing as it does about two miles nection with the local shows but also of river frontage, and has responded at the similar functions held by the generously to the diligent efforts of Royal Agricultural Society at Perth, those who have sought to bring the property into the premier position which it now occupies among similar estates. A vegetable garden has been successfully cultivated, from which the household is supplied all the year round with fresh vegetables; and in the vicinity of the homestead the out-offices are found with stabling accommodation of the most approved and hygienic design, coachhouse, harness-room, etc. In addition to agriculture the property has been utilized as a pastoral station, and a stud flock of English Leicesters may be said to take pride of place among the sheep. “Roselyn” is also well known for its pure-bred English Cottswolds, and a flock of crossbred ewes for the breeding of lambs for export purposes and local supplies is an important department of this branch of its operations. A genuine admirer of a thoroughbred horse,
Mr. Hancock has met with conspicuous success both in the arena of sport and in the show ring, with his numerous representatives of equine blood stock, while he has also owned and produced some splendid specimens of draught horses. Jumpers, Photo by G. E. Farr. "Belmont Star."
Among these may be mentioned “Star,” the champion hunter of Western Australia, who has won innumerable prizes, including many “firsts” at the Royal Show; “Ruby” by “Satellite,” an imported animal considered to possess many valuable traits, and “Miss Venn” who, with other stud mares, is the product of the best blood obtaining and forms one of a picture gallery of typified grace and beauty and fine breeding combined with the suggestion of strength and effective action. Equally noticeable in their way are the cluster of draught mares for farm work and breeding purposes, the heavy farming stock produced on “Roselyn” being of good repute throughout the neighbourhood. Mr. Hancock has enjoyed an honourable connection with the local racing body for many years, having been received as a member when only sixteen years of age, and his principles tending to true and clean sport his influence has always been exerted in favour of all that tends in that direction, and he has done much good work for the organization. Since he was fourteen years old he has been associated with the agricultural society of Northam, and has served for several years on the committee of management of that body, being at the present time a member of the council.
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Like his father, who has been recognized for many years as one of the leading spirits in local progressive movements, he takes considerable interest in the affairs of the district and is concerned in most of the efforts towards improvement or advancement set afoot by the residents. He was a foundation member of the Nor-tham Polo Club, and is still a playing member of the team. Mr. Hancock spends a good deal of time in the perusal of works dealing with the subjects in which he is particularly interested, up-to-date treatises on farming and horse-breeding claiming his special attention.
RICHARD CORNELIUS SERMON, of “Tank” Farm, Grass Valley, is a native of Western Australia, having been born at “Horse Hill” Farm in the same district on September 6, 1873. He is the eighth and youngest surviving son of Mr. William Sermon, a pioneer of the fifties, who was the original owner of the above-mentioned property, which has remained in the family ever since. He received his education at the Tipperary public school, near York, Western Australia, and went to work on his father’s farm, a portion of which is now in his possession. Subsequently, in conjunction with two of his brothers, he
purchased the whole property, which was then divided into three separate holdings, Mr. R. C. Sermon’s share comprising 1,260 acres. To this he has since added nearly 300 acres of
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Richard Cornelius Sermon.
adjoining property, the “Tank” Farm, which was acquired in combination by the brothers before their purchase of “Horse Hill.” Throughout the valley of the Avon agriculture takes pride of place among the various industries carried on, the
soil all over the district possessing splendid arable qualities, and yielding handsome returns in response to the expenditure of a moderate amount of capital and skilled attention. Various kinds of cereals are raised and a great deal of hay is produced, a couple of tons to the acre being realized on some of the farms. Mr. Sermon divides the 1,200 acres which he devotes to purposes of tillage into two parts, cropping about 600 acres annually with oats, wheat, and hay, and his harvests are among the most successful in the neighbourhood. His pastoral operations include the development of a flock of between 400 and 500 crossbred sheep, from which early lambs for the local markets are obtained, proving a very profitable department of the industry, while wool and mutton are also disposed of at good prices. Another feature of the farm is the excellent type of utility horses which are kept for field work and other purposes, the average number standing at about twenty. Many improvements have been made on the farm, which is well fenced and subdivided into twenty paddocks, and the work of development is continually going on. Mr. Sermon gives the major share of his time and industry to the demands of his property, but he participates in the deliberations of the Northam Agricultural Society, of which body he has been a member since 1900.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
“Tank Farm” Homestead, owned by Mr. R. C. Sermon.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
571
He is fond of athletic sport, being an enthusiastic cricketer and a member of two of the local cricketing clubs, while he also makes a hobby of shooting, his skill as a marksman being beyond question, and no labour or trouble is counted by him as too great which enables him to indulge in the pleasure of securing a good bag as the result of a day's sport. Mr. Sermon married in 1899 Catherine, daughter of the late Jeremiah O'Driscoll, one of the pioneers of the Avon Valley, and has three sons and two daughters.
JOHN LESLIE MANNING, of “Sundridge,” Spencer Brook, is a native of this State, having been
Mr. John Leslie Manning.
born at Perth on September 4, 1891, and is a son of Mr. Henry Ernest Manning, a colonist of about forty
years’ standing. At the close of his education he proceeded to Narrogin, where he spent two years in the study of agriculture at the State farm in that district. At the end of that period he removed to Toodyay and obtained a year's valuable experience of practical farming at “Haseley,”
the property of the Hon. V. Hamersley, which was supplemented by a short term of residence on a farm at Mingenew on the midland line. In 1911 he came to the valley of the Avon, and in September of the following year married Mrs. Heath, widow of the late Gladstone Heath and second daughter of the late Andrew Dempster, of “Muresk," and settled down to farming operations on “Sundridge,” near Spencer Brook—a property inherited by his wife as her portion of the parental estate. This was part of the original well-known “Muresk” Estate, which
upon the death of the late Mr. Dempster was divided and a large portion sold, most of the property being retained by members of the Dempster family. “Sundridge” comprises 4,100 acres, 1,100 acres being cleared and devoted to mixed-farming operations, and Mr. Manning has expended
a considerable amount of capital in bringing these up to a high state of efficiency. The land is cropped every third year, and allowed to lie fallow in the intervening seasons, different areas being brought under cultivation annually. From 1,500 to 2,000 sheep of the merino and crossbred types are run on the estate, and about thirty horses are kept for the work of the farm. Many improvements have been made on the property, which is well fenced and divided into about twenty paddocks, while watering facilities are provided by numerous wells and soaks.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. J, L. Manning’s Residence, Spencer Brook.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
General View of “Sundridge” Estate.
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SIMON REGINALD DEMPSTER, of “Corolin,” Mokine, was born at Esperance, Western Australia, on February 3, 1875, at which period the pastoral property of that name was in course of development by his father, the late Andrew Dempster, part owner and manager of the run, which he founded in conjunction with his three brothers who accompanied him in one of the first exploration trips ever made with the object of opening up that part of the Western State. The subject of the present article spent his childhood in this district, receiving his primary education under private tuition from tutors at the old homestead at Esperance, and subsequently completed his studies at “Muresk,” in the valley of the Avon, where his late father had purchased a property upon which he resided for many years prior to his death in 1909. Having arrived at an age to take his part in the routine work of the farm, Mr. S. R. Dempster left schoolroom pursuits to receive his initiation into the agricultural and pastoral industries on his father’s farm, and proving to have considerable adaptation for the work afterwards undertook the management of the “Muresk” property, which he carried on for eight years with considerable success. In 1904 the late Mr. Dempster purchased “Corolin’’ from Mr. J. G. Hancock,
to reside there ever since. The estate is a good grazing property, comprising nearly 2,800 acres of land, more than a third of which is
Mr. Simon Reginald Dempster.
well suited to purposes of agriculture. The whole has been fenced and subdivided into eight large paddocks, and over 550 acres have been cleared and cropped with wheat and hay, good average harvests being obtained. The pastures carry a flock of
substantial homestead, built of stone and containing six rooms, was erected more than sixty years ago, and has stood the wear and tear of time in a way that might put many a more modern dwelling to the blush, comfort and durability having been made of premier consideration in its design, according to the early settlers’ fashion. In addition tx> “Corolin,” Mr. Dempster, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. George Dempster, of “Dowerin,” is also interested in a pastoral property on the Murchison, known as “Billaba> long,” which is used as a breeding station and grazing run for sheep, cattle,- and horses. He takes no very active part in the public affairs of the neighbourhood in which he resides, but is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia. Sport of almost any kind commands his cordial interest, particularly cricket and golf, and he is one of the champion players on the local golf links, having won some valuable trophies in connection with this favourite pastime. He owns a motor car, and spends a great deal of his leisure in motoring. Mr. Dempster married in June, 1906, Aline, daughter of the late Frank Richardson, a well-known figure in mercantile circles in North Queensland, and has a family of two sons and two daughters.
Photo by C. F. Farr.
this holding originally having been taken up by Mr. J. H. Gregory in the fifties and developed by him as one of the earliest settlements in the district. In the same year it was acquired on lease with right of purchase from his father by the gentleman under review, who has continued
Mr. S. R, Dempster’s Homestead, Mokine.
2,000 sheep, of the merino type, founded with rams from Messrs. Murray Brothers’ South Australian station. These have been mated with a good class of ewes with the best results. The annual clip is forwarded direct to London, where the very highest prices are obtained. The
“RIVERSIDE,” owned and occupied by Mr. Herbert Roy Forward, and situated on the Goomalling Road, three miles from the town of Northam, was among the earliest of agrarian properties to be taken up in the district over half a century ago. In extent it covers about 1,100
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
573
turning the furrows, the green blade power of the soil is conserved to a sprouting through the soil, and in marked degree. The country is undue course the “full corn in the ear’’ dulating in character and well
Photo by C. M. Nixon.
Teams of Heavy Draught Horses for Farm Work.
acres, and in its native state was heavily timbered with York gum and jam trees, which have now been almost entirely removed by means of ringing and burning. As soon as the land could be prepared for tillage wheat was sown, rich harvests subsequently being reaped, and
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Herbert Roy Forward.
from then right up to the present time cultivation has been continued. It speaks volumes for the quality of the land that upon the same areas where wheatfields waved over fifty years ago, and season by season have yielded bountiful returns, the plough may still be seen busily
which calls for the harvesters to come and gather in spoils abundantly worth' the labour that has been bestowed. Splendid records are the order of the day at “Riverside,” from 20 to 25 bushels of grain to the acre being the average yield of wheat and of hay about 2 tons to the acre. Special attention has been given to the best methods of securing satisfactory results, and of the entire acreage from 400 to 500 acres are annually cropped, oats being grown in addition to the wheat and hay already mentioned. The remainder is fallowed for two seasons and thus the fertilizing
watered, chiefly by means of soaks and wells, good water being easily found at a shallow depth all over the property, and dams of considerable holding capacity have also been constructed. On the pastoral side of the industry a flock of crossbred sheep, numbering from 400 to 500, are grazed on the pastures, which, on account of former cultivation, are well suited to this purpose. About twenty-five horses are usually run on the place, the breeding of Clydesdales being carried on for the replenishing of the working stock of the farm as well as for the market. The homestead, erected by Mr. Roy
Photo by C. M. Nixon.
Residence of Mr. H. R. Forward. Northam.
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Forward in the year 1909, is built of brick, and from the slight eminence on which it stands commands a fine view of most picturesque country in a radius of many miles. It contains six rooms, with hall and bathroom, etc., and in the vicinity is an orchard over an acre in extent. The outhouses are well situated, and are up to date and provide stabling for twelve horses. HERBERT ROY FORWARD is a son of Mr. William Forward, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work, and was born on March 25, 1880, at “Glenroy” Homestead, near Northam, now the property of his elder brother. At fourteen he joined the Civil Service in the postal department, where he continued until his eighteenth year, when he resigned in order to enter upon farming pursuits in conjunction with his father on the “Riverside” property, where he still continues. He is a member and committeeman of the Northam Agricultural Society, and is considered one of the best judges of stock in the neighbourhood. A supporter of all forms of manly, outdoor sport, in which he freely participated when the claims on his time were fewer, he is also interested in the racing events of the district, and is a member of the Northam Racing Club. Mr. Forward married in 1905 Hannah, fifth daughter of Mr. Richard Bourke, one of the old pioneers of the Avon Valley agricultural area, and has one son and two daughters.
JEREMIAH O’DRISCOLL, “Shamrock Villa,” Grass Valley, was born in the old homestead, where he now resides on June 18, 1879, and is a son of the late Jeremiah O’Driscoll, who came from Ireland in the year 1869 and a couple of years later settled as an agriculturist at Grass Valley. The subject of this notice received his education by private tuition in his father’s house and at the public school at Quellington, in the York district, at fourteen years of age beginning active life on the paternal estate, where he has ever since been engaged in agricultural and kindred pursuits. Some years prior to the decease of the late Mr. O’Driscoll the original holding taken up by him was divided into two parts, one of which fell to his eldest son and the other to the gentleman
under review, who subsequently added to his property, which now comprises about 850 acres. About 550 acres of this area have been brought under cultivation, something over 300 acres being cropped annually with wheat, hay, and a few oats, Mr. O’Driscoll favouring the fallow system, by which he has attained results eminently satisfactory. A few cattle and sheep are run on the pastures and about fifteen head of mixed horses for use on the farm. Mr. O’Driscoll finds ample employment for his time in the improvement of his land, but occasionally takes recreation on the cricket field. He married in 1907 Emily, daughter of the late Thomas McBreen, of North Fitzroy, Melbourne, who came from Ireland to Victoria in the early seventies, and has two sons.
PATRICK O’DRISCOLL, of “Baltimore,” Grass Valley, is a son of the late Jeremiah O’Driscoll, a settler of the early seventies, who came from Ireland to Australia in 1869 and took up land in the Grass Valley district. Born at “Booramon” Farm, Grass Valley, on June 17, 1871, Mr. Patrick O’Driscoll was educated privately and at the local public school, subsequently receiving his initiation into the farming industry on his father’s property, where he continued until twenty-one years of age. He then took up some of the Crown land adjoining a small holding made over to him by his parent, and has since purchased an adjacent farm, making in all a snug little property of over 900 acres. Of this area 600 acres have been cleared and cultivated, wheat and hay being the principal products, the harvesting returns being equal to any in the neighbourhood. A flock of crossbred sheep—a type suited to the district—are grazed on the farm principally for mutton and early lambs, and a few Clydesdale horses are bred for the work of the place together with some lighter types for family use. Mr. O’Driscoll has been a member of the agricultural society for some considerable time, and has played his part in the development of the district by his association for eight years with the Northam Roads Board, in both of these bodies occupying the chair on different occasions, and by lending his influence to the movements for obtaining water supplies from the main eastern goldfields scheme and
telephonic communication for the town. A keen student of politics he is well to the fore at the general elections, giving his support to the candidate for the Liberal side. Mr. O’Driscoll in his younger days was noted as an athlete, and carried off many coveted trophies in the arena of competitive sport, but of recent years has confined his attention chiefly to gun and rifle shooting, and is regarded as a first-class pigeon shot, gaining equal honours upon the one occasion that he met the champion of the State. He married in 1902 Mary, daughter of Mr. James Morris, of Jennapullen, and has two sons and one daughter.
NICHOLAS THOMAS HANNAGAN, “Passmore” Farm, Quell Quelling, on the Goomalling Road, Northam, was born in South Australia on May 3, 1877, and is a son of the late John Logue Hannagan, a well-known figure in agricultural and commercial circles in the Central State, whose demise occurred in 1912, shortly after his removal to Western Australia. The gentleman under review was educated at Laura, South Australia, and upon entering
C1. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Nicholas Thomas Hannagan.
his teens proceeded to the northern areas, where he was engaged in pastoral pursuits on the “Carriewerloo” Station, the property of Messrs. Hawker Brothers. During the thirteen years that he remained on this property he filled various positions, occupying the post of sheep overseer
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when he left the station in 1901 to enter upon the appointment of secretary and supervisor of the War taka Vermin Board, which administered an area of country surrounding several of the large stations with a radius of 800 square miles. This position he filled for two years, at the end of which time the vermin-proof fence for the protection of those areas was completed, and Mr. Ilannagan then set his face for the “Golden West,” arriving at Perth in August, 1903. Upon arrival he was offered the post of manager of the “Barnong” and “Gullewa” Station properties on behalf of Mr. Charles Mitchell, but after a short period of residence in that part of the county failing eyesight compelled him to resign his duties. When this trouble was successfully overcome he was engaged for a considerable time with Mr. Fred. Rewell, stockdealer, of Northam. Eventually, after purchasing some horses and taking carting contracts for some eighteen months, Mr. Han-nagan became a tenant on his present holding, which, after renting for a couple of years, he purchased outright in 1910. The property consists of nearly 2,200 acres, about 1,850 acres being cleared and ready for cultivation, fully half of this area having been prepared since Mr. Hanna-gan entered into possession. Hay and wheat are grown, a successful system of fallowing the land being carried out which allows of about 900 acres being cropped annually; a flock of over 600 crossbred and merino sheep is grazed on the farm, while about thirty draught horses of the best type arc kept. Mr. Hanna-gan has successfully completed a scheme for providing an adequate water supply for the farm, house, and garden, etc., nearly two miles of piping having been laid from a well on the highest level of the property, by means of which the precious fluid is conveyed to different points as required. He is a member of the Northam Agricultural Society, and occupies the office of president of the similar body at Jcnnapullen. In 1910 he was married to Alice Maud, daughter of Mr. James Watson, of the last-named district, and has two daughters.
RICHARD LAWRENCE, “Rock Vale” Farm, Yarramony, via Northam, is a son of the late Henry Lawrence, one of the old pioneers of the Western Australian State, who
landed at Fremantle by the sailing vessel “Wild Wave” in 1853, and upon arrival was placed in charge of the convict station at Rottnest,
Mr. Henry Lawrence.
afterwards filling the post of warden at the old Fremantle Asylum for a short period before. giving up the Civil Service to engage in farming pursuits. No settler in the eastern agricultural district was better known or respected than the late Henry Lawrence, who continued in the agricultural industry for over thirty years, in 1898 purchasing
G. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. Richard Lawrence.
“Rock Vale” Farm, where he resided until his demise, which occurred in 1910, when his son, the present owner, inherited the
property. Mr. Richard Lawrence was born in the district, receiving his education entirely under the tuition of his parents, there being no schools established during his childhood. In his early years he worked with his father on the farm, and has since continued the development of the land on his own account. The estate, comprising 750 acres, is practically all cleared and cultivated with wheat and hay, while general mixed farming operations arc carried on, sheep and pigs being bred in numbers suited to the capacities of the place. Mr. Lawrence is a member of the committee of the Jennapullen Agricultural Society, of which organization he was one of the earliest members. He married in 1911 Louisa Elinor, daughter of the late John Hitchcock, of Malabine, one of the early settlers who came to the district in the early seventies, and of this union there is one daughter.
JOHN EDWARD EATON, “Quell Quelling” Farm, Goomalling Road, Northam, was born in the County of Kent, England, on July 24, 1848, and came to Western Australia when only four years of age with his father, the late Richard Eaton, who was engaged in the agricultural industry in various parts of the State. He received his education at the local school at Irishtown, and while still quite a lad began to assist in the duties of the farm in the days when the tilling of the soil was carried on in the most primitive style, much of the work being done by moonlight, daylight hours not proving sufficient in which to prepare for and gather in the harvests. Upon reaching man’s estate Mr. Eaton took up farming on his own account, purchasing that portion of his father’s holding upon which the homestead now stands, and subsequently adding to it until at the present time his property covers upwards of 2,300 acres. About 1,000 acres are applied to purposes of cultivation, 600 acres being cropped annually with hay, wheat, and oats; another important department of the industry is the breeding of thoroughbred horses for use on the farm and hacks of a lighter class. Mr. Eaton has attained considerable success with his thoroughbreds, which are chiefly intended for the market, although, as he is fond of racing as a pastime, many of the representatives of “Quell Quelling”
Farm have been raced with success at the local meetings, his colours (green and red) frequently being carried first past the winning-post. A few of his racehorses, bred by the most stylish sires in the district, include “Flintlock,” “Barbarossa,” “Gauze,” “Try Again,” and “Green Mountain,” all well-known performers on
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. John Edward Eaton.
the turf. Mr. Eaton has acted on the committee of the local agricultural society, and was one of the delegates chosen to represent his district at the big wheat conference held in Perth in the early days of the present century. He married in 1879 Elizabeth, daughter of the late David Petitt, one of the pioneer squatters of Western Australia, and has six sons and five daughters.
JOHN HENRY LARSEN, J.P., of “Brookside” Farm, Jennacubbine, was born at Albany, Western Australia, on February 8, 1874, and is a son of Mr. Henry Larsen, agriculturist, of Kojonup, where he partly recoivcd his education, also attending a school in Albany. At the close of his studies he gained a thorough insight into the agricultural industry under his father, with whom he continued until the discovery of gold in the eastern districts attracted him to the scene of the find, where for five years he pursued a quest after the elusive metal. Very indifferent success, however, rewarded his efforts. Ultimately he abandoned the mining industry, and in 1898 settled down to
farming on his own account in the Jennacubbine district. Mr. Larsen has acquired about 700 acres of first-class land which is all cleared and thoroughly improved, and a large portion of this area is cropped annually, the growing of cereals and hay forming the most important branch of his operations. He takes a leading interest in the advancement of the district, and is prominent in all local movements for the promotion of the public good. As a 3ommitteeman of the Jennapullen Agricultural Society for some considerable time, he has been enabled bo improve the conditions under which his fellow agriculturists pursue
C. M. Nixon, Northam
Mr. John Henry Larsen.
their calling. He also takes a warm interest in Church affairs, and assisted in a practical manner in the building and administration of the local Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Larsen occupies the office of president of the racing club of the district. He married in 1897 Margaret, daughter of the late Michael Ryan, of Ross-more, Jennacubbine, and has three sons surviving.
JOHN WHITE, of “San Isadora,” Jennacubbine, is a son of the late William White, one of the early settlers of the Northam district, who owned the “Noggojeering” Farm, where the subject of this notice was born on January 1, 1865. He continued on the old homestead until he reached manhood, and subsequently took up his residence on “San
Isadora,” a property he had previously acquired, comprising 800 acres, to which he afterwards added by purchase from his mother’s estate a further 600 acres, making in all a nice little estate of about 1,400 acres. The soil is of good constituents, and the land when cleared for cropping yields returns equal to any in the neighbourhood. About 600 acres are placed under cultivation annually, half of the area of the farm being allowed to lie fallow every alternate year, and the principal crops produced are wheat and hay. Early lambs for the local markets are a feature of the pastoral department, and a standing flock of crossbred sheep are grazed on the property, their services in clearing the land for fallowing being found of considerable value. Mr. White interests himself in the public affairs of the neighbourhood, and is one of the members of the Jennapullen and Northam agricultural societies. He takes a prominent part in the work
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. John White.
of the local Roman Catholic Church and occupies various offices in that body, among which is that of trustee on behalf of the church at Jennacubbine. A patron of all clean outdoor sport, in his younger days he made his reputation on the cricket field, and is an expert with the gun and rifle. He married in 1904 Cecelia, daughter of the late Herman Joseph Van Eyck-Moll, of Perth, who was well known for many years in commercial circles in this State. There are three sons and one daughter by the marriage.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
577
JAMES HENRY BOWEN, J.P., of “Patricia,” Wongamine, is a son of the late Michael Bowen, who came from the Emerald Isle and settled in Western Australia in the year 1853. The late colonist during the early years after his arrival in the new country rented a property and carried on agricultural pursuits, subsequently taking up the holding to
property passed into the possession of tillage on the alternative crop and the present owner, who continued the fallow system. Much time and atten-active development of the place with tion have been given to improving the
Mr. Michael Bowen.
which he gave the name of “Patricia,” where his son now resides. This was in the sixties, and the farm was successfully worked by Mr. Bowen until the time of his death, when the homestead and
rhoto by C. E. Farr. flock of Merinoes at “Patricia.” LL
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. James Henry Bowen.
kept, and a certain amount of breeding is done annually. The property, which is in an advanced state of improvement, is adequately watered by a number of wells which have been sunk in different parts of the estate. During the whole of his life Mr. Bowen has actively concerned himself in the welfare of the district and has faithfully discharged his responsibilities towards his fellow members of the general community. For seventeen
Mr. J. H. Bowen's Residence, Wongamine.
satisfactory results. Mr. J. H. Bowen received his education at the Wongamine public school, and upon the termination of his studies at fifteen years of age became his father’s right hand in the management of the farm, gaining an adequate knowledge of the industry in this association before taking over the property on his own account. The full extent of the holding covers over 1,500 acres, the whole of which is well suited for both agriculture and grazing, and close on 1,000 acres have been cleared and brought under
standard of the merino flock run on the estate, and a good class of wool is raised. A number of draughts are
years he has occupied a seat on the Goomalling Roads Board, filling the position of chairman for no less than a decade, and he is also a member of the Northam Agricultural Society. He was granted a Commission of Jus-tice of the Peace by the .Tames Administration in January, 1904. He participates to some extent in the "sport of kings/’ and served on the committee of the local racing club for a number of years, while for some considerable time he has acted as judge in connection with the race meetings of the district.
JOHN McPHERSON, “Bellmug-gin” Farm, Jennapullen, Northam, is of Scottish descent, having been born at Garmouth, Elginshire, Scotland, on July 29, 1868, his father, the late Captain John McPherson, being engaged in the mercantile marine service. He received his education in his native village and left school at an early age to enter upon commercial pursuits. Four years later, in 1887, he came to Western Australia, and for several years participated in the various kinds of employment open to a young colonist. On the establishment of the eastern
goldfields he undertook carting contracts to the scene of the mining activity, and eventually disposed of
C. M. Nixon, Northam.
Mr. John McPherson.
his interests in this line of business in order to give his attention to the agricultural industry on his present holding at Jennapullen. In this is comprised some 1,300 acres of land,
which is well up to the average in quality of soil, etc., and being cleared and cultivated has yielded excellent returns during the past few years. The system of cropping every third year has been adopted by Mr. McPherson with successful results. On the pastoral side of his operations he has met with special success in the raising of early lambs for the local markets, his flock consisting of about 500 crossbred sheep. He was one of the founders of the Jennapullen Agricultural Society, and for many years has acted as a committeeman of that body, in connection with which he has also filled the secretarial and presidential offices. He is secretary of the local branch of the Liberal League, and takes a prominent part in its deliberations, and is widely known by his active interest in the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, of which he is also secretary. Mr. McPherson revisited Scotland in 1906, when he renewed his associations with the scenes of his youth and saw various places of interest. He married in 1888 Emma, daughter of the late John Bonser, a very early settler and the original owner of "Bellmuggin” Farm, and has two daughters.
GOOMALLING AND WONGAN HILLS.
When the available land around Northam had been alienated and the demand still continued the Government began to test the value of the supposed poorer lands to the north and east, with the result that, as in the case of the mallee country in Victoria, avenues of settlement hitherto unknown were opened up. Meckering and other areas further east were first thrown open, and the success that followed led to the opening up of the lands to the north. From this movement there has been established that immense tract of agricultural land which is served by railway lines extending as far north as Wongan Hills and then running eastward through Dowerin, Korrelock-ing, and Kununoppin to form a. large loop with the eastern line which it meets again at Merredin. Townships have quickly sprung up over this large area, and though for the past couple of years the district has suffered from partial drought, there is every indication that it is destined to become one of the great
wheatfields of Australia. The land is mostly of first-class quality, and the rainfall in normal years quite sufficient for the purpose.
Goomalling, the earliest settled of these areas, is the point whence the railway branches off in a northerly direction to Wongan Hills and easterly to Dowerin and other centres on the line to Merredin. It is rapidly assuming the aspect of a town, having an excellent post office building, hotels, and branch banks. At Wongan Hills there is no township at present, but with the advent of the railway one will no doubt quickly spring up, as the place will be the depot for transport for the whole of that large and rapidly extending agricultural area.
Dowerin lies to the east of Goomalling, and still further eastward along the line are the townships of Wyalcatchem and Korrelocking, which, with many other stations, give every prospect of being in the future important agricultural towns.
CECIL BERTRAM EDWARDS, formerly manager of the Goomalling Branch of the National Bank of Australasia, Limited, but now a partner of the firm of Royal & Edwards,
land, estate, and general commission agents, Goomalling, is a son of the late Mr. George Edwards, of Fremantle, Western Australia, and was born at Fremantle on July 24, 1878.
He received his education at the Fremantle Grammar School, and at the conclusion of his studies was connected with the Public Works Department for nine months. He
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
579
then joined the staff of Dalgety and Company, Limited, with whom he remained for four years, and in 1909 entered the service of the National Bank of Australasia Limited. A year later he resigned and proceeded to South Africa to take part in the struggle between the British and the Boers, which was then in course of progress, and joining the South African Light Horse served with this regiment during the latter stages of the war. Returning to Western Australia he rejoined the service of the bank, and after being stationed in various towns throughout the State in 1907 received the appointment of manager of the Goo-malling Branch of that institution, where he continued the control for about six years, when he resigned in
Bartletto, Perth.
Mb. Cecil Bertram Edwards.
order to join Mr. Ivon H. Royal in establishing the firm of Royal and Edwards. The new firm has made rapid progress, and besides the land agency business acts as agents for Geo. Wills&Co., W. Thomas & Co., and the Royal Insurance Company. Mr. Edwards devotes his spare time to the development of a property which he owns in the district, consisting of 2,200 acres, fenced and fairly well improved. He has watched the growth of the district from a very early stage of its existence and has witnessed the erection of the mechanics' institute, the new club buildings, and many important business and residential structures. He is president of the Goomalling Farmers' Club, a committeeman of ll2
the local progress association, and a member of the local race club. He married Marion, daughter of the late Mr. William Dempster, of Grass Valley, and has a son and a daughter.
IVON HERBERT CHARLES ROYAL, general storekeeper and farmer, Goomalling, is a son of Mr. William Royal, of Mount Pleasant, South Australia, and was born at Caltowie, South Australia, on September, 1, 1878. He received his education at Prince Alfred College, and upon leaving that institution, for seven and a half years was asso^ ciated with the staff of the National Bank of Australasia Limited. In 1903 he left for Western Australia and joined the Perth Branch of the Western Australian Bank, remaining at the head office for about eighteen months. At the end of that period he came to Goomalling and opened his present storekeeping business, which he conducted with snch success that it now occupies a leading position among similar establishments in the agricultural area. Among the stock is included a large assortment of provisions, groceries, drapery, boots and shoes, etc., and Mr. Royal is the holder of various important agencies for machinery manufacturers and other firms, among which may be mentioned Messrs. George Wills & Co., Messrs. James Bell & Co. (wheat-buyers), the Norwich Union Fire
Insurance Society, Limited, and the Royal Insurance Company, Limited. In addition to his trading interests, in 1905 he took up 1,000 acres of
land, of which he has cleared 400 acres, which are now under cultivation of wheat, the whole of the estate
(7. B. Parr, Perth.
Mr. Ivon Herbert Charles Royal.
being fenced, subdivided, and improved. Mr. Royal has given a portion of his time to the consideration of the public weal, and in 1907 was appointed Justice of the Peace for North am magisterial district. He is chairman of the progress association, of the mechanics' institute, and a member of the local board of health. Tennis is his favourite outdoor recreation, and he is very fond of music, to which he gives a portion of his leisure time. lie married
Florence, daughter of Mr. John Rock, of Quorn, South Australia, and has a family of three children— a son and two daughters.
EDWARD B. LOCKYER, J.P., farmer and coachbuilder, Goomal-ling, is the eldest son of the late Mr. Alfred Brook Lockyer, of Roe-bourne, and latterly of Goomalling, where the gentleman under review was born on August 24, 1872. He left this district at the age of five years with his parents, who settled in the north-west, and received his preparatory schooling in that district. Upon entering his teens he came to the capital to continue his education at Mr. H. Briggs’ Grammar School at Fremantle, and subsequently served indentures for five years to the engineering trade in the Government workshops at that seaport. From there he went to Kal-goorlie and at a later date was
Bartlctto, Perth.
Mr. Edward B. Lockyer.
appointed engineer on the White Feather Main Reef Mine at Kanowna under Mr. Harper, and after holding this position for nine months he returned to Goomalling. Taking up his residence in his father’s home he devoted a couple of years to assisting in the working of the farm and in the development of his own holding. In October, 1905, Mr. Lockyer opened his present coachbuilding, blacksmithing, and farm implement workshops in the town. He holds the agencies for the Massey-Harris Implement Company; Messrs. J. Darling and Son, wheatbuyers ; the Guardian Insurance Company; and Messrs. J. M. Drummond & Co., produce merchants. Mr. Lockyer is the resident trustee for his late father’s estate, and has also acquired two properties
on his own account, situated at. Goomalling and Kununoppin respectively. He has always displayed considerable interest in public matters, and was chairman of the Goomalling Progress Association for eighteen months, having had to retire from this position on account of pressure of business. During his period of service, mainly through his instrumentality, many public conveniences were obtained for the town, and he was responsible for the discovery of a fine well of fresh water, now known as Lockyer’s Well, which was put down by the local roads board. He now holds office as vice-president of the association, is a member of the local board of health, and a member of the Goomalling Farmers’ Club. He has taken an active part in sport, being treasurer and delegate for the Goomalling Football Club, and latterly a member of the appeal board to the association. Shooting is his favourite recreation, and he will cover many miles in pursuit of wild duck. Mr. Lockyer married Martha, daughter of the late Mr. W. H. Perrin, schoolmaster, of Wongamine, and has a son and three daughters.
WILLIAM GEORGE EATON, J.P., farmer, Goomalling, is a son of the late Mr. Richard Eaton, of Maidstone, Kent, England, one of the early arrivals in the Northam district of Western Australia. He was born at Maidstone on June 2, 1847, and when five years of age was brought by his parents to this State, where he subsequently pursued his educational studies. From his earliest days he has been associated with farming pursuits, first assisting on his father's farm at Northam, but after the discovery of the eastern goldfields he began carting goods from Northam to the fields, there being no railway at that time. He continued carting for some years, still retaining his farm at Goomalling, and among other things when a main of seven miles was laid from the lake to Boulder City he carted the first load of pipes to the town. lie also carted the first piano and first bank safe to Southern Cross. Mr. Eaton held several farming leases before acquiring his present holding in 1890, to the development of which he has since solely devoted himself. The property is situated about three and a half miles from the railway
station and consists of 3,500 acres. Of this 1,500 acres have been cleared and cultivated, the chief cereal produced being wheat, which yields under normal conditions an average of 15 bushels to the acre. Sheep also form an important department of the industry, but at the present time, on account of the dry season, the flock has been reduced. Mr. Eaton has taken an active part in local affairs, and for nearly sixteen years has been a member of the local roads board. He is a member and steward of the Northam, Mumberkine-Jurakine, and Goomalling race clubs, and acts as committeeman to the trio of clubs. It was chiefly owing to his display of public spirit that the present Goomalling Farmers’ Club building became an accomplished fact, Mr. Eaton making himself responsible for the whole of the original expense of erection. He has also been a member of the Northam Club since its inception, and lends his ready support to all sporting events in the district. He married Honora (now deceased!, a daughter of the late Mr. M. Lynch, of Ireland, and has four sons and a daughter.
RICHARD MICHAEL EATON, farmer, “Rocklands,” Goomalling, was born in the district where he now resides on July 23, 1876, and isason of Mr. W. G. Eaton, a well-known settler in the same place. He received his education at a local school, and upon concluding his studies remained under the paternal rooftree, assisting on the farm, and in the early days of the goldfields was employed in carting provisions to the mining centres. In 1904 he launched out on his own account, taking up the property which he now owns, consisting of 1,290 acres lying about nine miles from the Goomalling railway station. An area of 700 acres has been brought under cultivation, and with the exception of the dry season of 1911.results have been most satisfactory, the average yield of wheat being 15 bnshels to the acre. Sheep-raising has also been successfully carried on, crossbred merinoes composing the flock, and horses are bred, Mr. Eaton having produced both blood and draught stock of excellent quality. He has a few breeding sows and generally engages in mixed farming pursuits both at “Rock-lands” and on his second property, “Urarty,” a holding of 520 acres,
581
situated about 20 miles from Goo-malling. Mr. Eaton identifies himself in various ways with local movements, and has held the post of secretary of the progress association for a number of years. He is also a patron of all the local sporting clubs. In 1904 he married Helen Mary, daughter of Mr. W. H. Leeson, of Dan-dalin, near Northam, and has three daughters.
WILLIAM WOOLHOUSE, “Osmond” Farm, Goomalling, is a son of the late Mr. George Wool house, who came from England to Western Australia by the sailing ship “Trusty” in 1844, and eventually became one of the pioneers of the Northam district.
C. A'. Farr, Perth.
Mu. Wir.T.IAM WOOT/TTOUSK.
The subject of our notice was born at Northam on March 17, 1849, and received his education at a local school. He began active life on his father’s farm at Geraldton, where he continued until twenty-four years of age, when in company with his brother he penetrated into the interior of the north-west, there establishing the “Robe River” Station, one of the pioneer enterprises of that district. In this venture Mr. Wool-house displayed all those qualities of grit and endurance which marked most of the early settlers. Leaving Geraldton with a party of thirteen and stock consisting of 380 head of cattle and 120 horses, they reached the Lyons River, but owing to the great drought which set in were compelled to leave the cattle at Mount Thomson. Mr. Woolhouse, with his
brother and one native, returned to Champion Bay, meeting en route, on the "Upper Murchison the ill-fated Clarkson Party, the leader of which —Henry Clarkson—had been killed by the natives some few months earlier. Returning in tne following December to collect the cattle, they found that the natives had disturbed and killed a large proportion of the herd, and only 1'Z'Z were brought in at the muster. These they took to Champion Bay, and in the following year (1876) again started with 2,4UU sheep, which they successluily overlanded to the station, being favoured by a good season and a plentiful supply of water. A succession of good seasons followed, and the station prospered until 1892, when the north-west was visited by a severe drought, and they were lorced to dispose of their interests in the district, the station now being held by the Murray Pastoral Company. Messrs. Woolhouse Brothers were successful breeders of thoroughbred horses, and with “Gratitude” won the Queen’s Plate, for which event the mare was trained by Mr. Woolhouse, who also rode her to victory in the race. Leaving the north Mr. Woolhouse returned to Northam, and was droving stock for a number of years, until in 1909 he joined his partner, Mr. Gibbs, on their present holding. This is situated about nine miles from the Goomalling Railway Station, and consists of 850 acres. About 300 acres of this area are under cultivation, and the remainder is fenced and partly improved. The soil is of a light loamy nature, and requires only a moderate rainfall to respond generously to the efforts of the tiller, the crop averaging about 15 bushels to the acre. A flock of 250 strong wool merinoes graze upon the uncultivated portion of the property, and the firm owns an imported ram from South Australia, bred on Mr. Angas’ “Hill River” Estate. In early life Mr. Woolhouse gave considerable attention to sport, and was an amateur jockey of some repute, bringing more than one horse successfully to the winning-post. He married Mary, daughter of the late Mr. William Waldeck, of Greenough Flats, and has a son and a daughter.
MICHAEL JOHN BOWEN, farmer, “Hollydean,” Wongan Hills, is a son of Mr. P. Bowen, of this State, and was born at Won-gamine, in the Newcastle district, on
July 29, 1886. At the conclusion of his scholastic studies ho followed farming occupations on the property owned by his father, and remained under the paternal rooftree until he acquired Ins present holding in 1907. Situated 21 miles from Goomalling and 15 miles from Wongan Ilills, “Hollydean” comprises 2,750 acres of good mixed land, which in the original instance has been fairly heavily timbered with jam, York gum, salmon gum, gimlet, etc. This area is partially cleared, 1,050 acres having been brought under cultivation, while the whole is fenced, subdivided, and improved. The farm is worked on the three-year system of graze, fallow, and crop, and wheat, which is the chief product, yields harvesting returns of 17 bushels to the acre, while a large area is sown with field peas, which are fed to the swine. Pigs of the Berkshire and large black breeds are an important factor in the prosperity of the farm, and cattle of the milking strain are largely bred, a cross between the Ayrshire and the shorthorn being found to produce satisfactory results. Strong wool merino sheep have been raised from valuable rams imported from Victoria, the flock at the present time numbering about 500; and Mr/ Bowen owns a fine draught stallion, from which he breeds horses for farm use and for sale in the district. The gentleman under review is a member of the Goomalling Club and of the Wongan Ilills Progress Association.
GEORGE WILLIAM BRIT-NELL SMITH, farmer, of “Rockland,” Goomalling, is a son of Mr. Alfred Charles Smith, of Guildford, and was born at Wongamine, Western Australia, on August 3, 1874. Upon leaving school he obtained his early insight into farming operations on the home property at Guildford, where he remained until after the attainment of his majority when he launched out for himself. His first venture was the taking over of one of his father’s farms at Wongamine, which he carried on successfully from 1895 to 1908, in which latter year he purchased his present holding, situated about six miles from Goomalling, where he has continued ever since. This consists of 1,844 acres of good arable land, the whole of which has been fenced and partly improved, about 1,200 acres being devoted to wheat-growing.
582
With the average rainfall, in good seasons returns show an average of 17 bushels to the acre, and wheat is the principal asset of the farm. Merino sheep, however, form another department of considerable importance, the flock consisting of 700 head bred from imported stock raised in South Australia. A good class of draught horse is also produced on the property, which has proved well suited to the requirements of the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mn. George William Britnell Smith.
country. A good supply of fresh well water is one of the boons enjoyed by the holding, which has experienced less inconvenience in this respect through the recent drought than other less favoured properties in the district. Mr. Smith has devoted a
portion of his leisure to public affairs, and was secretary of the Goomalling Roads Board for a short period. At the present time he holds the post of secretary to the farmers’ club at Wongaminc, and has been secretary to the Mumber-kine and Jurakine race clubs for six years, also holding the position of steward in the Goomalling Race Club. He is keen on outdoor sport, tennis, cricket, and football all coming in for a share of his attention, while he lends his support to most of the local clubs. He married Bertha, daughter of Mr. James Rawlings of Toodyay, and lias two sons and two daughters.
CHARLES CHITTY, farmer, of ‘Batlatting,” Goomalling, is a son of the late Mr. George Chi tty, who was one of the early pioneers of the Western Australian country. He was born in England in 1839, and came to this State with his father in 1844, subsequently, at the close of his education, entering upon farming pursuits in the Northam and Toodyay districts, where he continued for a number of years. In these early days, before the construction of railways to the country districts, he was engaged in stock-raising on a fairly extensive scale, a large number of the horses bred by him finding their way to the Indian market. In 1882 he acquired the holding where he now resides, taking up 3,000 acres of virgin land about 15 miles from Goomalling, on the Wongan Hills Road, and at the time that he commenced the development of this property was
Mr. G. W. B. SMITH’S RESIDENCE. GOOMALLING.
preceded in the district by only two other settlers, viz., Messrs. Slater and Lockycr. Mr. Chitty gradually
Mr. Charles Chitty.
acquired further holdings adjoining his primary estate, which by degrees was increased to the size of 12,000 acres, the greater proportion of which is good arable land. About
1,000 acres have been cleared and fine wheat crops raised, the average returns being 15 bushels to the acre. A few acres are devoted to oats and hay for the use
Mr. Michael Chitty.
of the stock on the farm, and there is a fair-sized orchard, and also a vineyard, where fruit and grapes do well. A good supply of fresh water is provided by several wells on the property. Mr. Chitty has always been a very active worker on the
583
farm, the onerous duties connected with which have precluded him from taking any prominent part in outside affairs. He married Hannah, daughter of Mr. Michael Lynch, of Ireland, and lias three sons and six daughters. MICHAEL CHITTY, manager of the farm, is a son of the foregoing, and was born at Toodyay on April 7, 1884. He received his education locally, subsequently attending the Christian Brothers' College, Perth, where he concluded his scholastic career. Since boyhood he has been connected with agricultural pursuits on the farm, and has now taken over the management of the property on behalf of his father. He is identified with most forms of manly outdoor sport, and is a member of the local race club.
CHARLES GEORGE CHITTY, farmer, Goomalling, was born in the district where he now resides in the year 1881, being a son of Mr. Charles Chitty, who came from England to Western Australia and was one of the early settlers in Goomalling. The subject of our notice was educated locally, finishing his studies at Pin-jarra, and upon leaving school became identified with farming pursuits on his father’s property, continuing there until 1907, when he purchased his present estate. At that time virgin country, covering
2,800 acres of beautiful flat land, the holding has abundantly justified Mr.
Chitty's selection, the good chocolate soil having proved exceptionally suited to wheat-growing. With an average rainfall of 15 in., it gives 15 bushels to the acre, but in some
Mu. Charles George Chitty.
especially favoured portions the average has risen as high as 34 bushels. The estate is situated 17 miles from Goomalling, on the Wongan Hills Road, and has the groat advantage of a plentiful supply of well water for stock purposes. A small flock of sheep of the merino type is run on the property, but a more important branch of operations is found in the breeding of pigs,
Mr. C. G. Chitty's Residence, Goomalling.
which is carried on on a fairly extensive scale, the large black type being preferred by Mr. Chitty to the Berkshire breed. Horses are also bred for uso on the farm and for sale, a useful class of draught being produced, besides a lighter strain of blood stock. Mr. Chitty is identified with the general affairs of the district and is a member of the Goomalling Race and Social clubs. His time is mainly occupied with the onerous duties of the farm, but he is interested in and spares a little attention to outdoor sport. He married Lily, daughter of Mr. T. Eaton, of Northam.
OTTO WILLIAM GANZER, proprietor of the “Valley” Farm, Wongan Hills, was born in Germany on December 29, 1872, being a son of Mr. William Ganzer, of that country, and latterly of South Australia. He was brought to Australia by his parents at the age of five, and subsequently became a naturalized subject of the Central State, where he received his education and passed his early manhood.
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Otto William Ganzer.
During his youth he secured some experience in farming, and for a time worked a property of his own in South Australia, subsequently being associated with a firm of auctioneers and commission agents for some four years. In 1899 he came to Western Australia, and after his arrival followed the trade of carpenter and wheelwright for ten years. Turning his attention to
584
agricultural pursuits once more he selected the holding which he now owns, situated three and a half miles from Wongan Hills and consisting of 1,600 acres. At the present time Mr. Ganzer has 500 acres under cultivation of wheat, the general average being 16 bushels to the acre. The property is well watered and eminently suited to tillage operations, and his main efforts have been in this direction, but he is now beginning pastoral operations, having the nucleus of a herd of dairy cattle and breeding horses on a small scale. Mr. Ganzer has been chairman of the local progress association for two years, and latterly has accepted the secretaryship of the Liberal League at Wongan Hills. He is a member of the building committee for public hall accommodation, and always tenders his hearty support to all movements of advancement in the district. He married Frances, daughter of Mr. Edward Stickland, of Wongan Hills, and has three sons and a daughter.
LEWIS BERTRAND CHESTER, farmer, Goomalling, is a son of the late Mr. Sydney Chester, one of the earliest English pioneers of Western Australia, lie was born at Guildford on February 7, 1881, and pursued his scholastic studies under private tuition locally and at Perth. For four years he received a valuable initial training in the farming industry on his father’s property on the River Swan, and subsequently enlarged his knowledge and experience by association with other similar properties, also giving up some time
to the study of surveying. After two years in the Beverley district, in 1906 he entered iato possession of his present holding, lying about nine miles distant from the railway station at Goomalling, and has since successfully conducted operations on his own behalf. A good class of soil
C. 7i. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Lewis Bertrand Chester.
is found in this district, and Mr. Chester’s property of 1,773 acres embraces a fair share of arable country, his harvesting results of 15 bushels of wheat to the aero from an area of 450 acres which he has under cultivation being equal to those of neighbouring farms. A small orchard produces apples, peaches, nectarines, and grapes of excellent quality, and on the grazing pastures 150 sheep of merino and Shropshire-crossbred
type give satisfactory evidence of the nourishing quality of the natural grasses. The homestead is situated on an elevated position, and at a convenient distance apart stands the sheds, barns, and other outbuildings. Mr. Chester is a member of the Goomalling Club. He finds his chief recreation in football. He married Helen, daughter of Mr. Neil McKay, of Goomalling, and has a family of two sons.
JOHN CRAIG, farmer, of Wongan Hills, was born at London in 1852, and is a son of the late James Craig. Shortly after leaving school he came to South Australia, after a few months proceeding to Melbourne, where he was engaged in business until 1893, in which year he arrived in Western Australia and settled at Fremantle. In 1907 he retired from mercantile pursuits in order to take up a farming property at Wongan Hills, to the development of which he has since devoted himself. The farm is situated 14 miles from the township and embraces 5,000 acres of good mixed land, an excellent water supply being provided from two fresh-water wells. About 500 acres of the finest soil have been prepared for wheat cultivation, and it is Mr. Craig’s intention shortly to enter upon pastoral operations, including the raising of sheep and pigs on a fairly large scale. While at Fremantle Mr. Craig served one term as councillor in the municipal chamber. In 1876 he married a daughter of the late Mr. Alfred Edward Gladstone Reid, of England, and has three sons and three daughters.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. L. B. Chester’s Residence, Goomalling.
685
MICHAEL COOMER, J.P., farmer, of “Ninan,” Wongan Hills, is a son of tlie late Mr. Matthew Coomer, of Ireland, who came out to Australia as a member of the Imperial Forces in 1859. The gentleman under review was born at Fremantle on January 22, 1863, and received his education at the same place under the tutorship of Mr. Humble. Upon leaving school he proceeded to Northampton and followed mining occupations in that district for lour and a half years, subsequently passing a period of eighteen months on a sheep station in the Geraldton district. Mr. Coomer then commenced business as a bootmaker at Northam, and continued at this centre for about seven years in the same line of trade, afterwards taking over the conduct of Tattersall's Hotel, which he car ried on for two years. Relinquishing this business he turned his attention to farming in the neighbourhood of Goomalling, where he owned a property which eventually he sold to Mr. Henry Slater, and purchased his present holding, about live and a hall' miles from Wongan Hills. The
5,000 acres of good mixed soil, comprising a large proportion of first-class arable land, has been turned by Mr. Coomer to the best account since it came into his hands, 1,000 acres being cleared and placed under wheat cultivation, with results averaging 15 or 16 bushels to the acre. In addition to this property he also holds a pastoral lease of 8,000 acres, where horses and cattle are bred for the local markets. An imported stallion from Victoria is used as sire, and has produced some valuable draught progeny; while among the cattle the Jersey breed predominates. Pigs of the Berkshire breed and large black type are raised in numbers and are found very profitable. Mr. Coomer interests himself in the affairs of the district, and is president of the progress association. He has been a keen advocate for up-to-date means of communication, and hold the office of president of the Wongan Hills Railway Committee.
His Commission of Justice of the Peace was granted for Northam in 1908, and subsequently was transferred to the Victoria magisterial district. He is president of the Goomalling Race Club, having filled this post since the inception of that body; and as a Freemason has been the recipient of honours in the local lodge. In early life Mr. Coomer was an enthusiast in
Bartletto, Perth.
Mu. Michael Coomer.
aquatics, and was one of the first members of the Swan River Rowing Club. He was also captain of the West Perth Football Club at one period of its history, and was associated with many recreation clubs in Perth. He married Helen, daughter of the late Mr. John Stokes, of Belfast, an early arrival in Western Australia, and has four sons and five daughters.
GEORGE MARSDEN DEMPSTER, farmer, of Nambling, near Dowerin, is a son of the late Mr. Andrew Dempster, M.L.C., a native of this State, who was identified with agricultural pursuits in the northern district for many years.
The gentleman under review was born at Toodyay on October 3, 1876, and received his education at Esperance. Upon the conclusion of his scholastic studies he became engaged in work on his father’s farm at Northam, and subsequently took over the management of this property, which he retained for many years. In 1908 he purchased the liolding where he now resides, lying north-west of Dowerin, on the Goomalling Road, embracing 1,078 acres of rich land, particularly adapted to wheat-growing. There is a large proportion of forest country, varied by patches of scrub, and clearing operations have been vigorously carried on, 925 acres now being devoted to purposes of tillage. With a normal rainfall the harvest gives very satisfactory returns, 15 bushels of wheat to the acre being the average ingathering. The estate is cut up into fourteen paddocks, strongly fenced with wire, and the work of improvement is going rapidly forward. In addition to this holding Mr. Dempster owns, in partnership with his brother (Mr. S. R. Dempster), a station property in the Murchison district, consisting of 800,000 acres, where 2,000 to 3,000 head of cattle are run, together with seventy horses and a flock of from 16,000 to
18,000 sheep. His chief recreation is found in motoring, and he is the possessor of a Darracq car and a Triumph motor cycle, and has successfully carried out an experiment, previously supposed to be impracticable, of attaching a marine engine to his harvester, which does the work of two horses, and has been found to work in the most satisfactory manner. He is a member of the automobile club of Western Australia and a member of the Northam and Goomalling clubs. Mr. Dempster is keenly interested in outdoor sport, and plays cricket, football, and tennis, and was successful in winning first prize for the best bowling average at Dowerin. He is also fond of golf, and held the championship of Nortlian for four years.
MECKERING TO
After leaving Northam and proceeding along the eastern goldfields line the traveller passes through several small towns, each of which is the centre of a rapidly growing wheat area. The first of these, the Meckering area, consists of a loam surface with clay subsoil, and is
KELLERBERRIN.
covered with York gum, salmon gum, and jam wood, none of which present any great obstacles to the onward march of the settler. The district is chiefly settled by farmers from the Eastern States, most of whom seem to be more then satisfied with their choice of a new country.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
The town, which has a population of about 600 people, has the appearance of prosperity. In addition to private residences of a substantial character, there are the usual government buildings, such as post office, police station, and State school, a fine agricultural hall, hotels, and various small industrial establishments for chaffcutting, grading, and other farming trades. There are also extensive quarries in the neighbourhood, from which most of the granite used in building operations throughout the State is secured.
At Cunderdin, another rising township some 15 miles further along the line, there is a large pumping station which forms part of the goldfield’s water supply scheme, and which serves to carry the water forward for another 60 miles.
Tammin, about 15 miles from Cunderdin, is the centre of another large agricultural area where the soil is good, but being in places rather heavily timbered is somewhat costly to clear. At Tammin is situated the military manoeuvring area extending over some 43,000 acres. Every Easter the Western Australian section of the Commonwealth Military Forces, to the number of about 1,000, go into training there for eight days, during which the little township wears an air of unwonted activity.
The principal town along this section of the line is Kellerberrin, situated about 133 miles from Perth, in the heart of the wheat-growing area of Western Australia. To quote from the “Year Book,” “It has made greater progress than any town in the State of recent years. Six years ago it was difficult to secure the necessary fifteen
children to found a school; to-day there are over 130 in attendance. The annual rateable value of the town is £6,875, while the unimproved value of the district for rating purposes is £349,542. With an average rainfall of 12 in. and good soil the district possesses those conditions necessary for wheat production. Wheat and chaff are the principal products of the district, and in 1911 the total tonnage sent away from Kellerberrin station amounted to 8,868 tons. A large flour-mill has been erected in the town, and during the 1911-12 season, 3,000 tons of locally-grown wheat passed through it. This season it is expected that at least 6,000 tons will be handled. The town itself, which has a population of 800 and serves a district containing four times that number, is rapidly assuming a permanent aspect. A large post office has been erected by the Commonwealth at a cost of £3,000, four leading religious denominations have built churches for their adherents, and the stores and hotel are commodious structures, giving evidence of considerable prosperity. There is no water difficulty, as the goldfields water supply runs through the town, the reticulation service from the main extending for 20 miles around. Three banks—the National, Commercial, and New South Wales—have branches at Kellerberrin, which has also achieved the dignity of a local Aveekly newspaper. The town has not yet to seek to be constituted a municipality, being content for the time to have its local government controlled by the less formal methods of the roads board, which has done admirable work in opening up and maintaining good roads throughout the district.”
ROBERT WILLIAM DOWNING, J.P., Secretary of the Mecker-ing Roads Board, is a son of Mr. George Downing, of Talbot, Victoria, and was born at that town on April 10, 1876. He attended Prince
Alfred School until sixteen years of age, when he entered a private academy for a year, and having completed his education served his articles to the legal profession in the office of Mr. E. S. Herring, solicitor. After eight years’ training he was appointed to the sole control of this gentleman’s practice at Talbot, but not being satisfied with the prospects offering in his native place sailed for Western Australia in 1901. Proceeding to Paddington he engaged in clerical work on the mines, and for a time was associated with the Star Lead, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. He next spent several months in gaining experience in prospecting and general mining pursuits, including the cyaniding and filterpressing processes, and eventually took a position as braceman on the Star of Western Australian Gold
Mine. Some months afterwards he accepted the post of secretary to the
Mr. Robert William Downing.
Broad Arrow Hospital, and during his term of office brought the affairs
of that institution, financially and otherwise, to a highly satisfactory stato of efficiency. Four years later, when he resigned his secretarial duties, he was the recipient of a handsome testimonial and gold medal in recognition of his valuable services to the institution. The position of town clerk to the municipality of Broad Arrow and Paddington having become vacant Mr. Downing was the successful applicant, and filled this appointment for five years. In July, 1910, he entered upon the duties of his present post, which he has held ever since. Whilst at Broad Arrow he also carried on as an auctioneer and combined journalism with his other duties, being local correspondent to The Kal-goorlie Miner. At the present time he represents in the district the firm of Messrs. Duncan Paterson & Co., Limited, of Fremantle; he also acts as local wheatbuyer for Messrs. James Bell & Co., and is agent for the Royal Insurance Company. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace, which he now exercises
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over the Northam magisterial district, in the first instance at Broad Arrow in 1905. He was a member of all the local sporting bodies, and combined the offices of captain and secretary of the Paddington Cricket and Football Club. Whilst secretary for about twelve months of the Broad Arrow - Paddington Jockey Club, during that period he successfully organized a meeting in aid of the local hospital, which proved very profitable. He takes a keen interest in all matters connected with the Masonic craft, is a Past Master of the Order at Broad Arrow, and the present Worshipful Master of Lodge 91, W.A.C., at Cunderdin. Outdoor sport still forms his chief means of recreation, and, besides being connected with most of the sporting bodies of the district, he is secretary to the Meckering Rifle Club and Tennis Club. He is also a keen bil-liardist. His musical gifts have led to his appointment as conductor of the choir in connection with the Anglican Church at Meckering. Mr. Downing married in April, 1906, Martha, daughter of the late Mr. James Hawkes, of Adelaide, and has a son and a daughter.
PATRICK CULLIN ANE, farmer, “Fairfield,” near Meckering, is a son of the late Michael Cullinane, of County Cork, Ireland, and was born at the town of Camberd, Cornwall, England, in August, 1859. At the age of seven years he began work in the tin mines of Cornwall, and after following that occupation for twelve years left his native land for Australia in 1879. He arrived at Adelaide in the following year, and subsequently was engaged in farming pursuits in various parts of South Australia. Immediately prior to his departure for the Western State he was interested in a property at Belalie which was conducted very successfully on the share system, but he relinquished farming for a time after arrival in Western Australia in 1894. Carrying out a decision to look into the mining industry he proceeded to Coolgardie, but not finding sufficient inducement to remain returned to Perth and opened in the produce line of business. The chief department of his enterprise—the importation of chaff from South Australia—proving only an indifferent success, in September of the above year Mr. Cullinane came to
Meckering and took up 990 acres in that district. This proved the nucleus of the fine estate, comprising 3,700 acres, of which he is now proprietor and which has resulted as a very payable proposition. The “Fairfield” property is situated within six miles of the town, and the whole is fenced and subdivided into eighteen paddocks. About 2,300 acres are cleared, and of this area 700 acres have been brought under cultivation, wheat being the principal product of the farm. Between 500 and 600 sheep are pastured on the run, and Mr. Cullinane is active in his dealing operations with this class of stock. He also raises both cattle and horses, the former being
Mr. Patrick Cullinane.
destined for the local markets and the latter for the requirements of the farm. Since the advent of the goldfields water supply scheme the property has derived its entire supply from this source, and pipes are laid on to every paddock, so that watering the stock is greatly facilitated. The homestead is a substantial stone building, and all conveniences in the way of machinery, outbuildings, etc., have received special attention. Mr. Cullinane, who is one of the oldest settlers in the district, was for years a member of the Northam Agricultural Society and also of the Meckering Roads Board. He is most optimistic concerning the possibilities of this portion of the country, and considers it the ideal locality for young settlers to carve out a prosperous future for themselves. He is connected with various local organizations, and has been a member of the
A.O.F. since its inception in Meckering. In 1893 he married Annie, daughter of the late Michael Green, of Tipperary, and has four sons and six daughters.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER DRAFFIN, farmer, “Glenfync,” Meckering, is a son of the late John Draffin, of Horsham, Victoria, and was born at Wail in that State on March 1, 1882. He received his education at the Boort State school, and at fourteen years of age entered upon active life, being engaged in the farming industry for two years in Victoria. The advantages offered to settlers by the Lands Department of Western Australia proved sufficient allurement to draw him to her shores, and in 1898 he arrived at Fremantle. Proceeding to Coolup he followed farming occupations in that district for a couple of years, at the end of which period he left for Meckering, where he continued in the same line of industry for four years. Following this, for about the same length of time, he was engaged in contract work, chiefly chaffcutting, and subsequently took up 500 acres of land and entered upon pastoral and agricultural pursuits on his own account. He has since extended his acreage, his total holding now extending over 1,800 acres. It is situated three miles from Meckering, and reaps the advantage of the goldfields water scheme, a good supply of water thus being assured. Practically the whole of the holding is cleared, and about 1,000 acres have been brought under cultivation of wheat and hay, while the remainder is stocked with a few hundreds of sheep intended for the wool and mutton markets. Mr. Draffin leases an additional 700 acres, and has 1,200 acres of fallow land preparing for next season’s crop. He is a patron of all outdoor sport, and has achieved success in pedestrian feats. In 1909 he married Florence, daughter of Mr. G. J. W. Freeman, of South Australia, and has one daughter.
THOMAS REYNOLDS, “Mount Pleasant,” Meckering, was born on the high seas, three days out from Fremantle, his parents being passengers on board the sailing ship “Success,” in 1843. His father, who hailed from Oxfordshire, upon
arrival in the new colony embarked on agricultural pursuits in connection with some of the settlers who had started operations in the Toodyay district a few years previously. Within about three years,
Mr. Reynolds, sen.
having gained a fair knowledge of the conditions of the country, he saw his way clear to renting a property about eight miles out of York, in the Avon Valley, and launched out on his own account in the farming industry. Subsequently the late Mr. Reynolds leased the “Woodside” property from Mr. Hamersley, together with a small flock of sheep, and continued there for about ten years. He then took up as a pastoral lease the present holding of “Mount Pleasant,” then known by the native title of “Boodabyn,” situated 20 miles to the north-east of York and ten miles from Meckering, the nearest railway town. The first block of land taken up by Mr. Reynolds in 1862 consisted of 100 acres, which ho secured on the conditional-purchase system, afterwards increasing the area by adding 120 acres of homestead pastoral land purchased for 5s. per acre, and later converted into freehold. His son, the subject of this memoir, having grown up in the district and received his education by means of private tuition, assisted his father on the home property until lie attained the age of twenty-seven years, when he purchased 80 acres of land at Skeleton Pool, but this not proving profitable eventually he sold out, and returning to “Mount Pleasant” took over the property from his father in
August, 1877, and has since worked it on his own account. Not content with the opportunities afforded by the then existing acreage, Mr. Reynolds almost immediately began to acquire adjoining territory, purchasing small blocks as opportunity occurred and taking up other portions on lease as his enterprise prospered. In 1897 he brought the estate up to its present size, 5,000 acres now being included under the name of “Mount Pleasant,” and, of this, over 2,000 acres possess a most valuable quality of soil, while the whole of the property is improving year by year with the skilled attention which is bestowed upon it. When Mr. Reynolds first entered upon the management of the holding only 45 acres were cleared, and in order to make a payable proposition of the industry he was obliged to work very strenuously, carting sandalwood some 80 to 90 miles, for which wood at that time there was a very ready sale. Water for domestic purposes had to be carted a distance of 13 miles, the stock also being dependent upon this means of supply. The young colonist had abundant opportunity for proving himself a representative of “the bulldog breed” which sticks tenaciously to its purpose in spite of much to discourage, and displayed true British pluck in the manner by which, in face of many hardships and privations, starvation sometimes staring him in the face, he won through and established himself as a prosperous farmer upon Australian soil. Most of the work in those early days he did with his own hands, hardly allowing himself sufficient time for needful rest and food, while recreation was a thing unthought of. Gradually, however, as his family grew up and he was able to receive assistance from his sons the strain was lessened, and the land began
bounteously to repay him for the labour and toil which he had expended upon it. About 1901 he was suddenly stricken with the affliction of total blindness, brought on as a result of his laborious life, and since that period he has been forced to leave a great deal of the practical management of the place to his sons. Of the 5,000 acres comprised in the property the greater portion is now freehold, and by effluxion of time the whole will become so at no very distant date. The whole of the property is fenced, jam timber being used for posts, which are threaded
C. F. Fai'r, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Reynolds.
with six or seven plain wires avumu the boundary, fewer strands being found sufficient for the subdivision fences. The water supply is derived from various wells, dams, and soaks, the great expense to Ido incurred on account of the heavy grade of country having prevented the connection of the estate by a pipe line
Mr. T. Reynolds’ Residence, Meckering.
589
from the Coolgardie water scheme. Some difficulty has been experienced on account of the tendency displayed by the wells to become salt, but an ample provision of good stock water has now been obtained by the above
being bred for his own uses by Mr. Reynolds, who, however, does not produce a superfluous number with a view to selling. A few cattle and pigs are raised to provide dairy produce and bacon and pork for
present, as well as shelter for machinery, the farm being equipped in a thorough fashion with various labour-saving machines, including a 7-h.p. gasoline engine. In 1900 Mr. Reynolds purchased from
Photo by C. F. Farr. Homestead and Outbuildings at “Mount Pleasant.'
means, while rain water for domestic use is conserved in a couple of banks of 10,000-gallon holding capacity and an underground tank of about 8,000 gallons. About 1,500 acres have been placed under crop, half of that area being sown every alternate year. A system of fallowing is employed, which produces very good results, wheat averaging 20 bushels to the acre, while oats and hay are also grown in considerable quantities. Sheep to the number of about 1,000 are carried on the estate, these consisting of a good specimen of the Lincoln-merino cross, which yields a profitable quality of wool—the principal feature of this department of the farm industry, though their value for the mutton markets is also
domestic requirements, and the usual poultry yard is in evidence. A striking feature of the property is the well-built homestead of modern design which forms the dwelling-place of the family. Great good sense has been displayed in the erection of this structure, the rooms, ten in number, being for the most part large and lofty, and proper consideration has been given to ventilation, while a wide verandah encircles the whole building. A commodious cellar, invaluable for purposes of cool storage, has been included in the premises, and all the appointments of an up-to-date superior residence catered for. The farmyard buildings are of wood and iron, and, though not new, having been in use
Messrs. Sermon Brothers the "Mor-damny” Estate, comprising 1,700 acres, of which 800 acres are cleared and now (1913) under crop, and the balance rung. The property is fenced, and situated within two miles of Meckering township. Though seventy-one years of age, Mr. Reynolds still enjoys good health, and though the working of the place is mainly carried on by his sons, Messrs. Mark Andrew and David Thomas Reynolds, he takes a keen concern in its management, and may often be seen riding about the property accompanied by one of his children or grandchildren. He claims to be the oldest surviving settler in the Meckering district, and has watched its rise and progress with
Photo by C. F. Farr.
a consideration. The clip is sent to London, where it invariably commands satisfactory prices. Over twenty horses of a type eminently suited to agricultural work are kept on the farm, a useful class of animal
Stables and Horses at “ Mount Pleasant.”
for many years, answer all the requirements of more modern times. Stabling for thirteen horses is provided, and a motor-house indicates up-to-date means of transit. Grain-sheds and shearing-shed are also
great interest, after his many years of hard pioneering work having the gratification of seeing his faith in its possibilities justified and his own enterprise crowned with success beyond his hopes. Mr. Reynolds
married in 1869 Isabella, daughter of the late Nelson Wilkins, one of the early English emigrants to Western Australia, and his family consists of five sons (several of whom are engaged in the agricultural industry on their own account in the same district) and four daughters.
WALTER ERNEST REYNOLDS, farmer, “Mordinany,” Meckering, was born in the York district on February 14, 1881, and is a son of Mr. Thomas Reynolds, of Meckering. ITe was educated privately, and at fourteen years of age entered upon farming occupations on the parental property. He continued in this connection for over ten years, and having reached the age of twenty-five took over his present holding on lease from his father and has worked it successfully ever since. Of the 2,100 acres comprising the property 1,100 acres have been cleared, and during the present season Mr. Reynolds is devoting 525 acres to the cultivation of wheat and 40 acres to oats. He has a flock of 320 sheep, and breeds lambs for the local markets on a fairly extensive scale. Horses and cattle-breeding also come in for a share of attention, the stock produced in these classes being mainly for use on the property, and the piggery is a profitable branch of the industry carried on. Year by year sees fresh improvements made on the farm, which is substantially fenced and subdivided into twenty paddocks of convenient size. The homestead, which stands in the vicinity of a small orchard, is a well-built brick building containing seven rooms, and adjacent are the outhouses, machinery sheds, engine shed, and men's quarters. The stabling accommodation is unsurpassed in the district for its convenience and up-to-date appointments, its sixteen stalls being arranged on a roomy and commodious plan, and every provision made for the well-being of the equine occupier. The Coolgardie water scheme is depended upon entirely for supplying the property, although a few wells have been sunk which yield good water. Mr. Reynolds is a member of the Farmers and Settlers' Association, and takes a great interest in the doings of this body. He is a member of the local football and cricket clubs, and is also connected with the Meck-cring Race Club. In 1904 he
married Rebecca, daughter of the late John Endersby, of Quellington, and has two sons.
WILLIAM SHANNON, agriculturist, “Munkoora,” Meckering, was born at Towitta, South Australia, on September 26, 1875, and is the eldest son of Mr. William Shannon of the same place. He attended public schools in the district until fourteen years of age, when he proceeded to Whinham College, North Adelaide, where he continued his studies for two years. Leaving college, he returned home and became associated with the operations of the property
Mr. William Shannon.
owned by his father, with whom he remained for ten years. He then launched out on his own account in the neighbourhood of Kapunda, South Australia, where he carried on farming pursuits very successfully for about seven years. Disposing of this farm, Mr. Shannon purchased 10,000 acres in the south-east of the same State, near Bordertown, but subsequently being convinced of the brighter prospects offering in Western Australia parted in turn with this property and sailed for Fremantle in March, 1911. Shortly afterwards he took up his present holding at Meckering, which was then in possession of Mr. Osborne Wilson, from whom he obtained it by purchase. It embraces 2,000 acres of land, occupying the choicest situation in the district, and is practically all cleared, fenced, and subdivided into sixteen paddocks. An excellent
and adequate water supply is obtained from various wells, besides which dams have been constructed, and the Coolgardie water supply scheme is also available. At the present time Mr. Shannon has 1,000 acres devoted to the tillage of wheat and also produces sufficient barley and oats for the necessities of the stock. The flock consists of 1,400 sheep and lambs are raised on an extensive scale for the local trade, while a few horses are also bred each year. The homestead, which is a particularly handsome structure, is situated on a gently-sloping hill, and in its vicinity are the spacious outbuildings, machinery sheds, etc., where everything requisite to the working of the farm on the most approved methods may be found. A small orchard gives promise of excellent fruitage, and the property is generally recognized as one of the show places of the district. Mr. Shannon is a member of the various local sporting bodies, and is an active participant in outdoor athletics. In his youth he distinguished himself by winning the championship of all the South Australian colleges for high jumping, and his record of 5 ft. 7 in. has not yet been beaten. He married, in 1905, Constance, daughter of Mr. William Birt of New South Wales, and has one son.
RICHARD CHER1TON, farmer, “Homerest,” Meckering, is a son of the late Richard Haydon Cheriton, of Devonshire, England, and was born at Casterton, Victoria, on September 14, 1869. For his educational training he was placed in the hands of private tutors, under whom he pursued his studies until seventeen years of age. He then became associated with his father in the management of “Polygnum'' Station, in the Riverina district, and spent the following ten years in this connection. The Western Australian gold discoveries then attracted his attention, and in 1896 he sailed for this State. Not being satisfied with the prospects held out by the mining industry Mr. Cheriton, in conjunction with his three brothers, took up 20,000 acres of land in the Meckering district, with the intention of forming a large pastoral run. Subsequent consideration of the many difficulties in the way of obtaining sufficient sheep to stock so large an area of country induced the partners to surrender nearly three-quarters of the holding,
691
when 2,700 acres were retained by the gentleman under review, who desired to carry on mixed-farming operations. The development of the farm has proceeded steadily, 1,800 acres now being cleared and the whole fenced and subdivided into fourteen paddocks. Mr. Cheriton deals somewhat extensively in sheep, which are the only stock bred on the place, his opinion being that the district is not well suited to horse and cattle breeding. He has about 700 acres under cultivation, wheat being the principal product, though about 30 acres are devoted to the growing of oats, and a small orchard, three acres in extent, has been planted to provide food for home consumption. The water supply is abundant, numerous dams and wells having been constructed on different parts of the property. The homestead, a substantially built structure of brick, contains six rooms, and outbuildings have been erected, while considerable
Mu. Richard Cheriton.
capital has been expended on up-to-date machinery for the working of the farm. Mr. Cheriton has been a member of the Meckering Roads Board for the past twelve years, and for a term filled the position of chairman of that body. He is a member of the Farmers and Settlers' Association. In 1904 he married Beatrice, daughter of the late E. R. Priest, of Norfolk, England, and has two sons and one daughter.
DUNCAN LENNAN CHERITON, “Alpha," Meckering, was born at Casterton, Victoria, on August 5,
1872. After a course of education under private tutors, he completed his studies at the public school at Deniliquin, New South Wales, and subsequently joined his father on “Polygnum Park" Station, in the Riverina district, where he continued for ten years. In 1897 he came to Western Australia and engaged in twelve months’ prospecting on the goldfields with indifferent results. His attention being turned to farming he took up a large property in the Meckering district, which he afterwards reduced to 1,300 acres, and has since devoted his energies to the development of this property. Improvements have been carried on from year to year and numerous wells sunk, the homestead, with outbuildings for machinery, fodder, and stabling accommodation, etc., being built in 1908. Mr. Cheriton was for about eight years a member of the Meckering Roads Board.
EDWIN BEAUMONT WHITE, farmer, of Beaumont, Waeel, is a son of Mr. Thomas White, a resident of the .Central State, and was born at Laura, South Australia, on November 27, 1880. He received his education primarily at the public schools of White Cliffs and Melrose, and subsequently followed farming pursuits in various parts of the latter district for about three years. At the end of that period he joined the firm of Messrs. Spencer & Sons, coach builders, of Adelaide, but after nine months in this employ was tempted by the liberal land laws of Western Australia to try his fortune in this State. Arriving at Fremantle in August, 1902, Mr. White proceeded to Waeel, and was engaged in farming occupations for about two years, ultimately taking up 360 acres of land in the district. This he afterwards sold, and accepted a position as traveller for the State Machinery Company, with which firm he remained for twelve months. Resigning from this connection he returned to the Meckering district, and was appointed manager of a farm on behalf of Mr. D. Collins. During the two years that he spent thus he took up 678 acres of land, and ultimately entered upon the development of the property, which has since absorbed the whole of his time and energies. He has considerably enlarged his borders during ensuing years, which, with rented and C.P. holdings, now enclose an area of 2,578 acres. The
whole of this is well fenced, and thirteen paddocks have been formed, while 1,000 acres are now cleared and the work of cultivation begun. About 420 acres are cropped with wheat, and at the present time the farm is stocked with 250 sheep, breeding being carried on for market purposes. Cattle and horses are also bred for sale and for the requirements of the property, while the raising of pigs constitutes an important feature of the general enterprise. Mr. White depends for his water supply upon the Coolgardie scheme. He interests himself in public affairs, and for two years occupied the post of chairman of the
Mr. Edwin Beaumont Whtte.
Waeel Progress Association, while for a period he acted as delegate on behalf of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association. In the past he has been connected with the I.O.O.F., and he is actively connected with the local football and cricket clubs, being secretary of the Waeel Cricket Club. In 1908 he married Lily Gertrude, daughter of Mr. John Ashbolt, of York, and has two sons and one daughter.
DUDLEY DAVID GOODMAN HONEY, “Castlerock Farm," Meckering, is a son of the late Richard Honey, timber merchant, of Port Adelaide, and was born at Wood-ville, South Australia, on February 8, 1890. After attending various public schools until seventeen years of age he completed his scholastic career at St. Peter’s College in 1908, and subsequently went on a two
years' tour to England. Returning, Mr. Honey landed at Western Australia and spent twelve months in gaining experience on a farm at Grass Valley near Northam. At the expiration of this period he purchased his present holding, which is situated about four miles from the town of Meckering, and consists of 1,220 acres lying on one of the highest parts of the district. Clearing operations have been completed over 600 acres, and all of this area is devoted entirely to the production of wheat. About 200 sheep are grazed on the property, and in the near future it is Mr. Honey’s intention to engage in pastoral operations on a fairly extended scale. Various improvements have
Mr. Dudley Davtd Goodman Honey.
enhanced the value of the place, which is well fenced and subdivided into nine paddocks, and served by the goldfields water supply scheme, in addition to several wells which have been sunk in different parts of the holding. The comfortable homestead, outbuildings, and necessary plant for carrying on the work of the farm are of a modern and up-to-date character, and the property under review ranks well in the forefront of model farms of the State. Mr. Honey takes an active interest in the various public organizations of the district, and is a member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association. He is an advocate of healthy outdoor diversion, and is a playing member of the sports associations which have been formed in the neighbourhood.
THOMAS GRAHAM HALBERT, Meckering, was born in South Australia, and at the age of eighteen years joined the Education Department. He came to Western Australia in 1896, and obtained a position in the Education Department, being deputed to open the first public school at Meckering. In 1899 he opened as a general merchant in conjunction with his brother, the business being carried on until 1904, when the brothers turned their attention to farming pursuits and took up 5,000 acres of pastoral and agricultural land. This partnership was ultimately dissolved, and Mr. T. G. Halbert next acquired
2,000 acres on his own account, situated within convenient distance of the town of Meckering, and has since directed his energies to its development. In conjunction with these interests, Mr. Halbert carries on as a general merchant, auctioneer, and general commission agent. He interests himself in the affairs of the district, was a member of the first Meckering Progress Committee, and at the present time is secretary to the Farmers and Settlers’ Association. He is also connected with the local board of health.
ALFRED JOHN BRYANT, mercantile agent, Meckering:, is a son of Mr. John Bryant, of Richmond River, New South Wales, in which district he was born on November 9, 1878. He received his education at the local public school, leaving that institution at fifteen years of age to join his father in farming pursuits and in sugar milling, Mr. Bryant, sen., being the owner of a sugar mill. In 1898 he relinquished this connection, and shortly afterwards, upon the outbreak of the Boer War, joined the first Australian Bushmen’s Contingent, and left for South Africa in January, 1900. After arriving at the scene of action he travelled over the greater part of the troubled area, and participated in the relief of Mafeking and many minor engagements. Upon the return of the contingent to Australia Mr. Bryant accepted a transfer to the Canadian Scouts, and concluded his term with that body as acting regimental orderly sergeant. Having completed his term with the Scouts, he joined the Transport Stock Riders, with which he remained until the proclamation of peace, when the force
was disbanded. Remaining in South Africa, he then opened a restaurant and billiard saloon, which he conducted successfully for twelve months, when he sold out and proceeded to Lorenzo Marques on a prospecting tour. This project, however, being productive of no good results, Mr. Bryant decided to return to Australia, and arrived at Fremantle in 1905. Subsequently he established his present business at Meckering, and has met with success in this enterprise, being the local agent for the Massey-Harris’ farm implements; Ockerby, Lehmann, and Co., produce merchants; Malloch Brothers, hardware merchants; Saunders & Stuart, engineers; and many other firms. In addition to his commercial interests he has taken up 800 acres of land within seven miles from Meckering, of which 100 acres are cleared, and in course of time it is Mr. Bryant’s intention to extend his operations in the direction of mixed farming. He was one of
Mr. Alfred John Bryant.
the founders of the Meckering Race Club and was the first secretary, at the present time filling the post of vice-president. He is a patron of the turf, and races his own horses, being represented at most of the country meetings. Mr. Bryant is also a member of the Masonic craft, Avon Lodge, No. 12, W.A.C., and is connected with the Ancient Order of Foresters, in which he held the rank of Chief for two successive terms. In 1907 he married Violet, daughter of the late John Seaman, of Port Pirie, South Australia.
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GORDON THOMAS STAPLES, proprietor of the Railway Hotel, Meckering, is a son of the late George Edgar Staples, of Surrey, England, and was born at Strat-ham, in that county, on June 7, 1879. He was educated at a public school in Stratham, which he attended for five years, and at the end of that period, with the rest of his family, he left England for New South Wales and settled at Hurst-ville, nine miles distant from Sydney. The late Mr. Staples took up land in this district, a proposition which afforded scope for the energies of his son for four years. Young Staples then, desiring to enlarge his experience, became identified with station life, and was employed on various pastoral properties in the mother State before coming to Western Australia in 1896. Arriving at Fremantle in June of that year he joined the Railway Department at Perth, and for fourteen years was connected with the service, in which he made himself invaluable. Resigning, he proceeded to Geraldton, where he acquired the lease of the Queen's Hotel, which he conducted for fifteen months. At the end of this period he sold out and took over the Norwood Hotel in Lord Street, Perth, and after a successful year .at that centre secured his present business, which is looked upon as one of the most thriving concerns of its kind in the agricultural districts. Mr. Staples during his residence at Geraldton was a member and committeeman of the local race club, and since coming to Meckering has identified himself with all similar organizations. He is fond of active outdoor sport, and is a keen cricketer. In January, 1900, he married Alice, daughter of Mr. Michael McBride, of South Australia, and has two sons and two daughters.
THOMAS CHARLES BUR ROWS, baker, Meckering, is a son of the late Alfred Burrows, of Uxbridge, England, and was born at that town on February 14, 1864. lie pursued his scholastic studies at the local academy until the age of sixteen, when he was apprenticed to a confectioner for four years. After acquiring a thorough knowledge of the business he left Uxbridge for Kettering, in Northamptonshire, where he followed the same calling until 1886, and in that year sailed
for Australia, arriving at Sydney in the month of April. Here he joined his brother, who conducted a grocery business, and having continued in this connection for some time opened on his own behalf in the same line at Wallendbeen, adding a bakery branch to his trade. Twelve months later he relinquished this enterprise, and purchasing a turnout became a commercial traveller in the Lachlan River district. From this he turned his attention to the mining industry, but after five years of inadequately rewarded toil determined to quit his adopted State and begin anew in Western Australia. Accordingly, he arrived at Fremantle in February, 1896, and continued his travels to Broad Arrow, where he acquired a
Mr. Thomas Charles Burrows.
share in the North Credo Gold Mine. This again proving a disappointment, he accepted a commercial position with Mr. Vetter, of Bulong, and for a time successfully conducted different branches of that gentleman’s business. Subsequently he joined Messrs. McAppin and Waylen in partnership as brewers at Laverton, but not being satisfied with the results of this venture proceeded to Mount Weld, where he worked the Golden Orbit Gold Mine for a term of four years. Indifferent success finally led him to return to his original calling, and since settling down to the bakery trade at Meckering he has achieved prosperity and an excellent reputation in his line of business. Mr. Burrows was a well-known cyclist in England, and has traversed many miles on the wheel.
His chief recreation is found in music, and he is a cornet player of no mean ability.
WALTER JOHN McGARRY, butcher, Meckering, is a son of the late Michael McGarry, of Lancashire, England, and was born at In-verell, New South Wales, on April 24, 1876. He received his education at the State school at Tingah until fourteen years of age, when he began a two years’ course at the public school at Lismore. Leaving school he became associated with his father, a well-known cattle-dealer on the Richmond River, and during a period of four years had charge of most of the overlanding of the stock from Queensland. Tiring of country life, he took over the duties of accountant in a large butchering business established by his parent in Sydney, and subsequently, in 1898, sailed for Fremantle. Proceeding to Mount Magnet, he joined Messrs. Hoskins & Co., general merchants, of that town, in the capacity of accountant, and continued in this employ for about eighteen months. At the end of that time he left for Mertondale, and for some time was engaged in prospecting with indifferent success. Continuing his travels to Kalgoorlie, Mr. McGarry there became connected with the business of Messrs. Moher & Smith, wholesale butchers, and two years later successfully launched out on his own account at Fimiston, generally known as the Boulder Block. Four years later he sold out and accepted the position of accountant for Messrs. Holmes Brothers, at Northam, with whom he spent two years. He then purchased his present business at Meckering, and has since built up a very extensive connection. During his migrations from place to place Mr. McGarry has kept closely in touch with sporting organizations, and in pedestrian tests has won many honours, among which may specially be recorded the Helensburg Club’s Blue Sash for 10 yards’ distance. He is a member by affiliation of the Masonic Lodge, Avon, No. 12, his mother lodge being the Balmoral, No. 896, Kalgoorlie. In addition to his Meckering interests he is the holder of 1,600 acres on the midland railway line, which it is his intention to devote to sheep-raising purposes. He is a member of the Meckering Race Club and a committeeman of that body, takes a
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keen interest in yachting, and is a member of the Perth Flying Squadron. In July, 1898, Mr. McGarry married May, daughter of the late William Hutton, grazier, of Charters Towers, Queensland, and has two sons and one daughter.
THOMAS JOHN PEMBERTON, J.P., Secretary of the Cunderdin Local Board of Health, is a son of Mr. Matthew Pemberton, of Sydney, New South Wales, and was born in the Ilawkesbury River district in that State on August 19, 1871. He received his education at the local public schools, and at the age of fourteen years became associated with his father in farming pursuits. After ten years in this connection, in 1896 he came to Western Australia, and immediately took up 2,000 acres of land in the Cunderdin district, which he worked successfully for about fifteen years. Eventually, becoming tired of farming, he disposed of his interests at a profit and purchased various town properties in Cunderdin, where he has made his home. Mr. Pemberton, who is one of the earliest settlers of the district, was elected a member of the local Roads Board in 1907, and during the year 1911-1912 occupied the chair of that body. He is the present chairman of the progress association, and received his Commission of the Peace from the Scad-dan Administration in 1912. He has had a lengthy association with the Masonic craft, having been a member of the Lodge Australia for twelve years, and is now connected with the Cunderdin Lodge. Mr Pemberton is a member of the Cunderdin Race Club and of all the outdoor sporting organizations of the district, and is himself an active participant in the time-honoured game of cricket. He has great faith in the district in which he resides, and predicts for it a bright and prosperous future.
ROBERT TONKIN, Engineer for the Goldfields Water Supply, Western Australia, is a son of the late Alfred Tonkin, of Quorn, South Australia, in which town he was born on July 6, 1880, being the first "white” child native to the district. He continued his education at public schools until the age of fourteen, when he became connected with the business
of Mr. (now Representative) R. W. Foster, a general merchant carrying on an extensive trading connection in the above-mentioned town. After four years spent in storekeeping pursuits, Mr. Tonkin was apprenticed to the South Australian Government Railway Department, and after serving his time jn the fitting shops visited Melbourne and Sydney, and finally decided to settle in Western Australia. Upon arrival he immediately obtained a position as second engineer for the goldfields water supply in connection with the Cunderdin pumping-station, and for the past eight years has acted as relieving engineer upon practically every pumping-station connected with the line. Mr. Tonkin is a member of the local race club and other sporting bodies, and was the founder of the
Mk. Robert Tonkin.
first cricket club formed at Mer-redin, outdoor athletics constituting his chief means of recreation.
FREDERICK WILLIAM HOL-LETT, general merchant, Cunderdin, is a son of the late Mr. Charles Ilollett, of Bedfordshire, England, and was born at Westoning on June 29, 1867. He received his scholastic training at a national school in England, and after arrival in South Australia concluded his studies at the Martin Luther College in Adelaide. At nineteen years of age he joined the Education Department, and for two years held a position as teacher at Port Broughton. This he relinquished to join Mr. Charles
Dyer as general storekeeper at Bool-eroo Centre, and after four years' experience in this connection started on his own account in the same line of business at Normanville. After conducting this store successfully for ten months he sold out and took over the management of the Co-operative Society Stores at Gawler, which he retained for two years. Upon the outbreak of the gold - mining boom in Western Australia Mr. Hollett turned his attention to this State, and, proceeding to Norseman, with
Mr. Frederick William Hollett.
three partners he erected a goldcrushing plant. The field, however, was not at that time sufficiently developed to make this a paying proposition, and withdrawing from the enterprise Mr. Hollett returned to South Australia. He next spent fourteen months as travelling representative of the firm of Messrs. James Robin & Co., wholesale grocers, of Adelaide, subsequent to which he carried on a successful business on his own account at Wirra-bara for eight years. Disposing of his interests at that centre he returned to Western Australia and joined his brother-in-law, Mr. Dyer, in general storekeeping pursuits at Northam, and at a later date, while retaining an interest in the freehold of the premises, sold out and came to Cunderdin, where he established a store and has conducted it with satisfactory results ever since. In addition he has landed interests in the neighbourhood, owning 1,087 acres about six miles from the township, where agricultural operations are carried on.
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600 acres being cleared, of which 100 acres are cultivated, the balance being fallowed for the following season. The place is fenced and subdivided into six paddocks, and various improvements have been carried out, including the construction of dams for water supply purposes. For two years Mr. Hollett served as a member of the Northam Municipal Council, and he is now associated with the local progress association. He is a member of the Masonic craft, being connected with Cunder-din and Avon Lodges, at present (1912) occupying the office of Junior Warden of the former body. In 1891 he married Annie, the youngest daughter of the late Mr. William Dyer, of Kapunda, South Australia, and has four sons and two daughters.
STEPHEN BEDE DONOVAN, of “Kenmore” Farm, in the Cunder-din district, is a son of the late Captain John Donovan, of Hawkesbury River, New South Wales, and was born at Mangrove, on the Hawkesbury, on April 19, 1880. At the close of his education, which was conducted locally, he entered upon agricultural and fruit-growing pursuits on his father’s farm and orchard, and for eight years continued in this industry. At the end of this period, his attention being drawn to the progressive land policy pursued by the Government of the Western State, he determined to avail himself of the advantages thus offered to the agriculturist, and in 1904 landed at Fremantle, whence he proceeded direct to the Cunderdin district. Even at that date this locality had proved to be the centre of the great wheat belt which is providing the means of splendid prosperity to the settlers, and Mr. Donovan lost no time in purchasing an improved property, rather than awaiting the opportunity of getting a sufficiently large grant in a good situation in the usual way. This he has continued to develop, his previous experience proving of the utmost value in the pursuance of his operations, and in the growing of cereals he has already met with distinct success, the crops of several successive years having yielded excellent results. At the present time he has considerably over three-quarters of the farm under cultivation, and “Kenmore” is regarded as likely to become one mm2
of the most profitable propositions of the district. Mr. Donovan, while giving his first attention to the various industries connected with his property, allows his interest in the general affairs of the community to take precedence over all less important claims upon his time and powers. He follows the trend of the political situation with the keenness born of an intelligent apprehension of the various issues at stake, and was the first hon. secretary of the Cunderdin district branch of the Australian Labour Federation, also holding the office of president. He was appointed delegate to the Kal-goorlie Convention of 1907, and the third plank of the present Labour
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Stephen Bede Donovan.
platform for the State, which was passed at that Convention, stands in his name. He is hon. secretary of the Cunderdin Agricultural Society, and is one of the leading lights in the Australian Natives’ Association, in which he has held many offices, including the presidency. A warm advocate of all amateur forms of sport, he is president of the Avon Football Association and patron of the Cunderdin Football Club. He is also fond of a good horse, and has taken trophies in amateur events at the local shows. In the game of tennis he unites pleasure with needful exercise, but spends the greater portion of his leisure in the study of historical literature and works touching on political reform, in especial being an apt scholar in the doctrines of Henry George.
THOMAS COWLEY HODGSON, farmer, “St. Ronan’s,” Cunderdin, is a son of the late John Hodgson, of Swan water, Victoria, and was born at Dunolly, on June 6, 1858. He pursued his primary studies at public schools in that district, continuing his education at the Grenville College and the School of Mines at Ballarat. Matriculating from Grenville College he entered the University of Melbourne and took the full civil engineering course, passing examinations for practical land surveying, mining, surveying, and municipal engineering, combined with hydraulic engineering, and gaining his degree as Master of Civil Engineering. His course completed he accepted a position as consulting engineor to the shires of Numurkah and Shepparton, and filled this post with credit for a period of four years. In conjunction with Mr. B. A. Smith—then a lecturer in connection with the University of Melbourne—whom he joined in partnership, Mr. Hodgson practised for seven years as consulting engineer to fourteen water and irrigation trusts in Victoria and Tasmania. The prospects and possibilities of the Western State then lured him from his native soil, and landing at Albany in March, 1905, he came to Perth and joined the Government Engineering Department as assistant engineer-in-charge of the Perth Sewage Survey. His wide experience and expert knowledge caused him to be nominated for selecting suitable sites for reservoir purposes in connection with the Cool-gardie Water Scheme, and after a subsequent term of service as engineer of the Roads and Bridges Branch he received the appointment of Engineer for Harbours and Rivers under the Western Australian Government. Mr. Hodgson ultimately was appointed Engineer-in-Charge of the Coolgardie water scheme, and when the service was extended to Cunderdin he decided to enter upon the development of a property in that district which he had taken up some six years previously. This originally consisted of 40,000 acres, but Mr. Hodgson has since surrendered the greater part of the territory, his present holding embracing about 2,500 acres, of which nearly half is cleared. During the season (1912) 500 acres of land were placed under crop, and the fallowing of another 500 acres had been completed in preparation for the following year. Wheat and sheep raising are the principal departments of the
enterprise, the horses and cattle are also bred for use on the farm, while an orchard of six acres has been planted to supply the homestead with an abundance of fresh fruit. Mr. Hodgson's special experience in water conservation has served him in good stead in his private enterprise, and the way in which he has seized the opportunities offered by the formation of the country for the construction of reservoirs is an excellent object-lesson. His residence is of the bungalow type, and the surrounding outbuildings and necessary equipment in the way of machinery, etc., are all up to date and in keeping with the other arrangements of the farm. Mr. Hodgson is president of the Cunderdin Farmers and Settlers' Association. For twenty-six years he has been connected with the Masonic craft, being a member of Rupertswood Lodge, Victoria. He takes a keen interest in all forms of sport, and for some time was president of the Cunderdin Racing Club. He married in 1880 Millicent, daughter of the late C. W. Gibson, stock and station agent, of Ballarat, and has one son and one daughter.
WILLIAM BROWN BIRCH, Manager of the branch at Keller-berrin of Messrs. Millars' Timber and Trading Company Limited, is a son of the late Richard Birch, of Fremantle, and was born at Perth on August 17, 1871. He received his primary education at the Government school at the seaport, and subsequently attended private schools in the same place until seventeen years of age. He then joined the late Richard Honey’s timber business, and during a seven years’ term of service worked his way up until, eventually, he was appointed manager of the Perth branch, which post he held until the decease of the late Mr. Honey, when the business was purchased by Messrs. J. M. Ferguson and W. C. Forsyth. Subsequently Mr. Birch, in conjunction with Messrs. C. V. and A. S. Birch, purchased the concern, and continued to control operations for a couple of years, when the keen competition of several large firms engaged in the industry led him to relinquish his connection with the trade. He next became identified with the insurance department of Messrs. Frank Cadd and Co., of Fremantle, and rose to chief officer in his department before
eighteen months had elapsed. At the end of this period he again launched out, starting as a land, estate, and insurance agent, but not meeting with success commensurate to his efforts he removed to Perth, and carried on a similar business in the metropolis until 1905, when he decided to visit the eastern goldfields. Joining the Great Ophir Gold Corporation as accountant, Mr. Birch attended to the finance department for about three years, and upon the closing down of that company turned his attention to prospecting on his own behalf. A year and a half spent at this work not yielding very satisfactory results, he accepted a position with Messrs. Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company at the Kalgoorlie branch of their business, and after a few months at that centre was transferred to Kellcrberrin, being appointed to open a branch for the
Mr. William Brown Birch.
company in this district. As manager of the business he enjoys a well-deserved popularity, and since taking up his residence in the town has identified himself in various ways for the benefit of the community. In 1895 Mr. Birch married Frances, daughter of the late Thomas Bray, of Belmont, King’s County, Ireland, and he has three sons and three daughters.
HARRY ARTHUR STANES, Director of the Union Flour-milling Company, Limited, Kellerberrin, is a son of Mr. Henry James Stanes, Government Inspector of Public
Buildings, Beverley, and was born at Norwood, South Australia, on October 13, 1880. He received his education at the Norwood and Sturt Street public schools, and concluding his studies at twelve years of age became connected with the house of Messrs. McLean Brothers & Rigg, hardware
Mr. Harry Arthur Stanes.
merchants, of Adelaide. After a brief period he was offered a position with Messrs. G. & R. Wills & Co., with whom he remained for nine years at the Adelaide branch of the business, subsequently travelling in Western Australia on behalf of the same firm for three years. At the end of this period he decided to open on his own account at Beverley, and, entering into partnership with Mr. F. B. Chapman, traded successfully at that centre for two and a half years. He then sold his share of the business to Mr. Chapman and opened a general store at Kellerberrin, which he carried on with profitable results for a little less than two years. Inducements were then held out by the Union Flour-milling Company, Limited, which led to his connection with this well-known business, and in 1910 he was appointed to the position of manager, which he has held ever since. In virtue of this office Mr. Stanes also represents various important firms, including Messrs. Ockerby, Lehmann, & Co., M assey -Harris Company, Limited, Henry Wills & Co., and the Yorkshire Insurance Company, and is agent for the “Overland” motor car. In addition to his mercantile interests he owns about 1,500 acres of land,
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situated 24 miles from Kellerberrin. Mr. Stanes is a member of the local cemetery board. He is connected with the Masonic craft, and is a member of the Kellerberrin Lodge, W. A.C. In the past he has taken an active part in most forms of field sport, and at the present time tennis constitutes his chief means of recreation. In 1910 he married Estella, daughter of the late Mr. S. J. Skipper, of South Australia, and has one son.
SAMUEL FINDLAY, J.P., general merchant, Kellerberrin, is a son of the late Samuel Wilson Findlay, of Scotland. He was born at Hamburg, in Germany, on April 8, 1863, and received his education at a high school in that city, which he attended until seventeen years of age. He was then apprenticed to a large softgoods firm at Carlisle, in the North of England, and after serving his indentures for three years decided to come to Australia, and landed at Adelaide on May 15, 1883. Here he joined the staff of Messrs John Martin <fe Co., with whom he remained for four years, and with the object in view of enlarging his experience visited various country districts in the Central State, afterwards proceeding to Wentworth, New South Wales. Returning to Adelaide Mr. Findlay entered into business on his own account as general commission agent, and continued in this way for about six years, during which time he took a deep interest in political matters and conducted several electoral campaigns on behalf of aspirants to Parliamentary honours. He next took a trip through the northern districts of South Australia, the south-western part of Queensland, and the north-east of New South Wales, covering 5,000 ' miles in twelve months, and carrying on commission work in these remote regions. This, however, did not prove a very profitable venture, and eventually he again joined Messrs. John Martin and Co. as manager of their branch at Port Adelaide, where he remained until the business was sold in 1902. He then purchased a store at St. Peters, which he conducted successfully until 1906, when he sold out and came to Western Australia. After spending six months in acquainting himself with the possibilities of the country he took over his present business at Kellerberrin from Mr. T. S. Patterson, and from a very small concern has developed the prosperous trading connection
which he now enjoys. He is one of the oldest residents of the place, and recounts many matters of interest regarding its rise and progress. Upon his arrival there were no streets, the town then consisting of the railway station, post-office, blacksmith’s shop, bakery, and about half a dozen dwelling-houses, with his store, which was the only business of the kind in the town. He has done his duty in the matter of filling public offices, and received his Commission of the Peace from the Moore Administration in 1908, while he is the present chairman of the cemetery board, a member of the local board of health, churchwarden of the Anglican body, and a committeeman of the Eastern District Club.
Mr. Samuel Findlay.
He is also connected with the U.A.O. Druids, being a member of the Duke of Leinster Lodge of South Australia, and he is one of the founders of the Kellerberrin Lodge of Freemasons. He is associated with the Masonic and Commercial Travellers’ clubs, and is a cordial patron of all outdoor sporting organizations. Mr. Findlay married in 1901 Elizabeth, daughter of the late Daniel Baker, of South Australia, who came to that State with Governor Hindmarsh in 1836, and has one son and two daughters. The Findlay motto is “Fortis in arduis.”
PERCY BARLOW RICHARDSON, Kellerberrin, was born at Adelaide, South Australia, on January 16, 1871, and is a son of the
late Joseph Richardson, of that city. He was educated at various public schools in the metropolis until twelve years of age, when he entered mercantile life in the office of Mr. J.
H. Fry, a well-known accountant, of Adelaide. Having completed five years in this connection he joined the staff of Messrs. Donaldson, Andrews, & Sharland, wholesale drapers, and remained as bookkeeper with this firm for seven years. Upon the discovery of the Cool-gardie goldfields he left his native place for Western Australia, and arriving at Fremantle in August, 1894, proceeded direct to Kalgoorlie, where he engaged in prospecting for a brief period. Being dissatisfied with his prospects here Mr. Richardson returned to South Australia and joined the Adelaide Stock Exchange, and after eighteen months’ satisfactory connection with that institution again decided to visit the Western Australian fields. Making Coolgardie his objective, he once more directed his attention to prospecting, and during the ensuing four years followed the rushes to all the best-known gold-bearing localities. Eventually he arrived at Laverton, where he became associated with Mr. D. L. Doolette, of “Bullfinch” fame, and remained in that district for about fourteen months. Returning to Kalgoorlie he established himself in the hotel-keeping trade for two years, later removing to Bulong, where he opened the well-known Shamrock Hotel. Whilst carrying on this business he expended a great deal of capital in mining interests, and was responsible to a great extent for the development of the district. Subsequently Mr. Richardson accepted the position of manager to the Crown Cordial Factory, of Kalgoorlie, for two years, and then took over the Junction Hotel, on the Golden Ridge and Bulong Roads. Disposing of his property on the goldfields, he selected land in the Kwollynn district, near Kellerberrin, and became one of the pioneers of that place, having to cut all the tracks to his holding, which he developed successfully and afterwards sold to advantage. Mr. Richardson is now engaged in managing a property owned by his wife, consisting of 1,512 acres, and conveniently situated near the Quairading Extension Railway, his intention being to devote this to the production of wheat and sheep. Mrs. Richardson, in addition to her landed interests, also conducts a
greengrocery and confectionery business near Kellerberrin Railway Station, which is very popular m the neighbourhood. The gentleman under review was for two years a member of the Bulong Municipal Council and was treasurer of the hospital. He was connected with the first Kellerberrin Roads Board, and is a trustee and chairman of the local agricultural hall, taking a lively interest in everything pertaining to the advancement of the town. He is a keen patron of outdoor sport, and is associated with all the sporting bodies of the district.
HORACE JOHN ADAMS, builder and contractor, Kellerberrin, is a son of the late John Adams, of Bedfordshire, England, in which county the gentleman under review was born on January 27, 1878. He attended the public schools of the district until thirteen years of age, when he joined his father in the work of building and contracting, and followed this calling successfully until his departure from England for Australia in 1907. The advantages to settlers offered by the Western State by the medium of advertisements in the Old Country drew him to these shores, and upon arrival at Fremantle Mr. Adams took up 1,500 acres at Kwollynn, in the Kellerberrin district. As a result of subsequent development he has now 400 acres of this property cleared and 160 acres under cultivation for wheat, to which the soil and climate is well suited. The water supply adds to the value of the place as an agricultural proposition, and at the present time this is by means of the goldfields’ water scheme, which is being carried out in the vicinity of his holding. After spending twelve months on the farm Mr. Adams opened in business as a builder and contractor, and has continued his trade whilst engaged on the improvement of his land. He has interested himself in the public affairs of the district, and for some time acted as secretary of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, all movements for the advancement of industry and enterprise commanding his ready support. He is a committeeman of the Eastern District Club, and acts as patron to the various local sporting bodies. In 1905 Mr. Adams married Lucy, daughter of Mr. Pook, of Devonshire, England, and has one son and one daughter.
WILLIAM FREDERICK NOACK, produce merchant, livery stables proprietor, and manufacturers’ agent, Kellerberrin, is a son of Mr. Henry Noack, of Buninyong, Victoria, in which town he was born on July 13, 1875. He attended the State school of that district until fourteen years of age, when he joined his father in mixed farming pursuits, and continued in this connection for eight years. In conjunction with a brother he then started a market-gardening venture, which was carried on for seven years with profitable results. The advantages offered to settlers by the Western Australian Government attracted him to this State, and upon arrival at Fremantle in 1904 he purchased 800 acres of land at Brook-ton, which, after farming successfully
Mr. William Frederick Noack.
for a space of four years, he sold at a profit. His health requiring a drier climate Mr. Noack removed to Kellerberrin and opened on a modest scale as a produce merchant and livery stables proprietor. As time advanced various important agencies were added to his business, and the scope of his operations has increased until to-day he is regarded as one of the foremost commercial men of the place. Among these agencies may be mentioned those of Messrs. Mal-loch Brothers’ fencing material and engines, and Messrs. Duncan, Paterson, & Co., wholesale produce merchants, etc., of Fremantle. Mr. Noack, who is deeply interested in land development, recently purchased 1,000 acres adjoining the Quairading Extension Railway land,
practically all virgin country, and to bring this into thorough working order within the next few years is one of the designs of his enterprising mind. He is a keen agriculturist, and his advice upon matters pertaining to field and garden is freely sought and given in the district. He was a member of the select committee appointed to consider the ways and means necessary to the formation of a local agricultural society, occupies a seat on the committee of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and has been chairman of the Kellerberrin Board of Health for the past three years, to which office he has been reappointed. He is a member of all outdoor sporting organizations in the district. In 1906 Mr. Noack married a daughter of the late Mr. Bartlett, of Melbourne.
THOMAS WALKER DONALDSON, proprietor of a boot and mercery emporium at Kellerberrin, is a son of Mr. John Donaldson, of Dunedin, New Zealand. He was born at Cockcnzie, in the parish of Trenant, Scotland, on February 15, 1876, and at an early age was brought to the Dominion by his parents, subsequently receiving his education at the public schools of Dunedin. When about fourteen years of age he joined a firm of auctioneers, but relinquished this occupation in favour of the confectionery trade, in which he spent fifteen months. Tiring in turn of this business he was apprenticed to the boot trade, and after spending three and a half years in mastering the details of this calling turned his attention to farming pursuits in conjunction with his father, with whom he continued for over a year. Sail ing for New South Wales in 1897, he joined his brother in Sydney and worked at the boot trade in that city for some two years, at the end of which period he determined to try his .fortune on the Western Australian goldfields. At Kalgoorlie he became associated first with Mr. T. O. Gaze, and shortly afterwards with Messrs. Lamp & Co., bootmen, of that city, whose workshop he leased for fifteen months. Eventually a fire occurred and the premises were burnt down, upon which Mr. Donaldson accepted a position with the well-known John Hunter Boot Company, and remained in this company for five years, during which time he took over the management of the
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firm’s branch at Menzies. After conducting this business for three and a half years he acquired the whole interest on his own account, and continued to carry it on successfully for over seven years, when, desiring a
Mr. Thomas Walker Donaldson.
change to the agricultural districts, he came to Kellerberrin and established his present thriving boot and mercery store, which enjoys a well-deserved popularity among the inhabitants of the place. Mr. Donaldson is greatly impressed with the possibilities of the district, considering that with the adoption of proper methods its prosperity is assured, and in every matter of public moment he is a warm sympathizer and well to the fore. He is a member of the local board of health, and occupies the position of captain of the Kellerberrin Brigade, having previously held a similar office for five years at Menzies. He is connected with the local race club, and is a playing member of the Kellerberrin Cricket Club. In 1905 he married Martha Ann, daughter of Mr. John Rush-worth, of Yorkshire, England, and lias two sons and one daughter.
JAMES McCULLOCH, forwarding agent, carrier, and proprietor of livery stables, Kellerberrin, and one of the old pioneers of the district, is a son of the late Alexander McCulloch, of Inverness, Scotland, and was born at that town on August 6, 1862. At an early age he went with his parents to reside at Belfast, Ireland, and subsequently the family
removed to Newcastle-on-Tyne,in the north of England, where he pursued his educational studies until fourteen years of age. He was then apprenticed to Sir William Armstrong’s gun works in the same city, and after spending a few years in this trade came to Queensland, where for some time he assisted his father in the dairy farming industry. About three years after his arrival in Australia he turned his attention to contracting, and did a good deal of telephone construction work on behalf of the Government. Subsequently Mr. McCulloch purchased a complete carrying plant, and spent three years in this business at Cooktown in North Queensland. Selling out at a profit he returned to Brisbane, and after filling various positions for about
Mr. James McCulloch.
eighteen months entered upon contracting in timber for wharf and pile work at Cooktown, where he continued for another twelve months. Again visiting Brisbane for a brief period, his attention was directed to the goldfields of Western Australia, and in 1892 he sailed for Fremantle. Upon arrival Mr. McCulloch purchased some horses, and for three years was engaged in carrying out contracts, chiefly on behalf of the Government, in which work he proved very successful. Removing his team to Coolgardie, he found a profitable source of industry in contracting for timber for the mines and for firewood, and continued in this line of business until 1906, when he disposed of his plant to the Kurra-wang Firewood Company with the object of settling on the land.
Deciding to become a freeholder, he bought 603 acres within half a mile of Kellerberrin, and took up his residence in this district, where he has continued ever since, and shortly afterwards he established himself in business as a forwarding agent and carrier and opened the livery stables which he still carries on. Recently Mr. McCulloch advantageously disposed of the property above-mentioned, and in conjunction with his son is now developing 1,000 acres of land in the Wickepin district. He is a thorough-going optimist in regard to the suitableness of the country for wheatgrowing, and indulges in rosy prophecies as to its ultimate prosperity. Mr. McCulloch is a member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association at Kellerberrin. A member of the M.U., I.O.O.F., before coming to this State he passed through all the chairs of office in the order. He was for some time a member of the committee of the local race club, and is a patron of various sporting bodies. In 1885 he married Annie, daughter of the late Mr. Rochford, of Ireland, and has one son and three daughters.
GEORGE ROUSE GARDNER, butcher, Kellerberrin, is a son of Mr. Jesse James Rouse Gardner, of
Mr. George Rouse Gardner.
Bendigo, Victoria, and was born at South Elmore, in that State, on October 16, 1884. He was educated at the public schools of Dingee, and leaving school at the age of fifteen years joined Mr. W. H. Reid, of
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
California Gully, Bendigo. During a term of three and a half years with this gentleman he gained considerable commercial experience, and subsequently became connected with the grocery trade for eighteen months. Not finding this calling congenial, he entered the employ of Mr. James Peatling, a butcher, of Bagshot, with whom he spent a further two years. At the end of that period Mr. Gardner decided to visit Western Australia, upon representations made to him by Mrs. James Scott, one of the pioneers of the Kellerberrin district, and arriving in 1906 he proceeded
direct to that centre, and within four days of his arrival in the town opened his present thriving butchering business. He has also interested himself in agricultural pursuits, taking up 650 acres of land, a property which he intends to enlarge in the near future. This is fenced and subdivided into six paddocks, and about 200 acres are applied to purposes of cultivation. Being situated within easy distance from the township it is in touch with the goldfields water supply main, which adds considerably to its value. Mr. Gardner does not consider the country suitable for
cattle breeding, but he trades on a fairly extensive scale in sheep and pigs, apart from his requirements in the butchering business. He has great faith in the district as an agricultural centre, and in common with other of the residents predicts for it an important future among wheatgrowing areas. He is a member of the Rechabile Lodge at Northam, and takes an interest in oudoor sporting organizations, in the past having been a footballer of some merit. He married in 1910 Amy, daughter of the late Mr. Thackrah, Northam, and has a son and a daughter.
DOODLAKINE, MERREDIN, AND BODALLIN.
The area from Doodlakine to Bodallin contains the extreme eastern section of the wheat belt. The rainfall over the district is smaller than is generally considered safe under ordinary circumstances, but with the improved methods of scientific agriculture and the operation of dry farming excellent crops are being raised. The normal rainfall is under 14 in., but seasons occur when the total fall is little over 5 in., and only good cultivation will mitigate the effects of drought. The advantages of the district lie in its proximity to the goldfields market.
Merredin, though at present little more than a station on the railway line, has every prospect of becoming an important town. It is already the eastern terminal of the loop-line traversing the wheat areas north of the
goldfields’ railway, and is to be the end of a series of loop-lines starting from York, Brookton, and Narrogin, and forming a network of agricultural railways serving the whole district south of the goldfields’ line. Ultimately as the junction where three important railways meet, Merredin must increase in size and constitute an inland centre of no mean size.
Seven miles east of Merredin is Nangeenan, where some years ago a State farm was established in country then considered too far east for the profitable cultivation of wheat. The farm has proved the fallacy of this idea, and its success has greatly encouraged settlement. The chief work of the farm is the cultivation of seed wheat, so that farmers may be supplied with a wheat true to name.
Great Southern District
The long stretch of country from Beverley to Albany, known as the Great Southern District, was the first of the newer portions of the State to attract the attention of agriculturists. This was no doubt due to the fact that it was connected with the capital by that line of railway which served to connect Perth with the then mail steamer port of Albany. When at the end of the seventies and beginning of the eighties Western Australia turned her attention to land-grant railways as the only possible means of connecting her scattered townships with one another, it was generally felt that the line most likely to give immediate return as well as open up a district known to possess agricultural value was one which should connect the Government line to Beverley with the port at King George Sound. Conditions were arranged with Mr. Anthony Hordern, and the syndicate formed by that gentleman constructed the railway and worked it until 1896, when the Government purchased the whole interest. Under the company’s regime a certain amount of development took place, but the real prosperity of the whole district dates from the time of Government assumption of the line, which, of course, practically coincided with the enormous general expansion caused by the discovery of the goldfields. Travellers along the line to-day would scarcely recognize in the prosperous townships and extensive cultivated areas the endless miles of virgin country that met their gaze twenty years ago. Not alone has development taken place along the railway line. Gradually it has been found that equally good land exists to the right and left, and settlers have gone out in both directions, so that now the whole country west to the Bunbury line has been honeycombed with settlement, and cultivated areas
are found over 100 miles to the eastward. The Government policy of building agricultural spur lines to meet the needs of the daring settler has been responsible for the rapidity with which these areas have been taken up, and there is no doubt that that policy, initiated by the Hon. Sir Newton Moore when Premier in 1906, has been one of the chief factors in bringing Western Australia into her own as an agricultural centre.
The area comprised in this enormous tract, which stretches north and south for a distance of 280 miles and almost as far east and west, is very great, and most of it is suitable for agricultural development of one kind or another. The best wheat area is considered to be the part east of the line. Here, of course, as we get further out the rainfall diminishes though the soil remains good, but there is ample country before reaching the dry belts to carry a large and thriving population of farmers. The timber on the land consists chiefly of salmon gum, York gum, gimlet wood, and mallet, but it is not so heavy as to make clearing a matter of great expense. West of the line the rainfall is larger, and consequently the timber becomes heavier and thicker in growth until the commercial timber forests are reached. In this portion mixed farming and sheep-raising take the place of wheat, and fruit-growing finds more congenial conditions. Southwards towards Albany the fruit areas become larger, and here is to be found the apple country of the State. Cereals, fruit, root crops, and pastoral pursuits all find a place throughout this extensive area, and those acquainted with its possibilities smile when they remember the jibe of prominent newspapers in the Eastern States that Western Australia possesses little or no good land.
BEVERLEY.
Beverley, formerly the terminal point of the Western Australian Land Company’s great southern railway, is beautifully situated on the Avon River, about 100 miles from Perth. It is surrounded by rich and undulating country, broken here and there by granite hills which add to its picturesqueness. Though still but a small town of less than 700 inhabitants, its position is such that it must eventually become a place of considerable importance. Though it was surveyed as a town site as far back as 1830, it can scarcely be said to have made any progress until recent years. Being the head of the great southern railway gave it a slight impetus, but even then it was only a station on the
complete line to Perth. Its progress, therefore, may be said to be practically due to the extension of agriculture, which has made it a depot for a large and continually increasing farming area.
For some years the affairs of the town were controlled by a mayor and councillors, but recently the municipality has passed out of existence and the local government transferred to the Beverley Roads Board, which has authority over the whole district, the population of which is about 2,500. Though small the town is modern in construction and very active. Four of the associated banks have branches there, and the Church of England, Roman Catholic, and Methodists
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
possess churches. Other religious bodies make use of the various meeting-places in the town. In addition to the council chambers there are roads board offices, masonic hall, and good hotel accommodation. The Beverley Agricultural Society, with headquarters in the town, has a particularly strong membership. As may often be found in country towns where the people are thrown upon each other for entertainment, recreative
societies flourish. An excellent golf course has been laid out close to the town, and provision has been made for racing, tennis, football, and other outdoor sports. These things, assisted by a charming climate, make Beverley a very desirable place for rest and recuperation. The Beverley Times, a weekly newspaper published in the town, supplies the citizens with up-to-date news concerning the district.
EDMUND GEORGE BARRETT-LENNARD, J.P., “Belhus,” Beverley, is the only son of the late Edmund Thomas Henry Barrett-
Mr. E. T. H. Barrett-Lennard.
Lennard, who came to Australia with his uncle, the late Edward Pomeroy Barrett-Lennard, fifth son of the first baronet of the line, Sir Thomas Barrett-Lennard, of Belhus, Essex, who in April, 1820, was elected M.P. for Ipswich after a
very hard contest, considered one of the most remarkable that ever took place in that district, costing the successful candidate £1,200, and at a later date transferred his connection to Malden, Essex, which district he represented for the rest of his life. A history of “The Families of Lennard and Barrett was published in 1908, and Lord Dacre in his account of the Lennards states: — “This family, which for a long time held rank amongst those of the first note in Kent, was, as appears by the books in the Herald's office and other authentic evidences, settled in Chovening in that county as early as Henry the Sixth's time, when George Lennard was then living there." This George was succeeded by his son John, the first of three John Lennards in succession, and his great-grandson, the third John, is the first Lennard of whom any particulars are extant beyond those of their descents, marriages, pedigrees, or settlement of estates. He may be regarded as the founder of the Lennard family which, for the next 200 years, was to hold a somewhat prominent position from its alliances and possessions, and also from the fact that it represented the ancient barony of Dacre, which was held by the Lennards from 1612 until 1786.
This John, the “History" relates, was ambitious and not content to remain inactive until such time as he should inherit his father's property
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Edmund George Barrett-Lennard.
and to spend his life in the obscure position of a country squire. He possessed great shrewdness and tact; and these qualities, combined with perseverance, caused him not merely to attain distinction in his profession
“ Belhus." Residence or Mr. E. G. Barrett-Lennard, Beverley.
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(he was a barrister) and considerable riches, but also put him on terms of friendship with some of the leading men of the day. He was born in 1508 at Chevening, in Kent, and married in 1542 Elizabeth, daughter of William Harman, Cray ford, of the same county, by whom he had three sons and fivo daughters. By his “painfull and vertuous courses he was the Authour of his owne advancement,” to quote his eldest son, Samson, who owed no doubt to the substantial position occupied by his father the brilliant alliance with the Hon. Margaret Fynes, sister and heir-presumptive to Gregory,
Lord Dacre, who, after her brother’s death, succeeded not only to his entailed estates but also to the Barony of Dacre, which title was one of those capable of being inherited in the female line. Among these estates was the Manor of Herst-monceux, where the fine old castle of that name was erected by Sir Roger Fynes in 1440 at a cost of <£3,800 — a huge sum in the fifteenth century. Fine ruins still remain of this castle, which was pulled down more than 300 years later, when, through the extravagance of the Earl of Sussex it came into possession of Mr. Robert Hare, who, to gratify a whim of his wife, and by the advice of the then
celebrated architect, Wyatt, demolished it and used a portion of the materials for building the modern house, now known as Herst-monceux Place. This Roger Fynes
was succeeded by his son, Sir Richard, who married a daughter of Sir Thomas Dacre, and when her sister died without issue was accepted by Henry VI. as Baron by the title of Lord Dacre, and was summoned to Parliament in her right by writ dated October 9, 1459. Richard, Lord Dacre, took a considerable part in the public affairs of his time, and in the reigns of Henry VI. and Edward IV. was on several occasions
appointed a Trier of Petitions in commissions composed of eminent persons, such as the Archbishot) of Canterbury and other bishops as colleagues, besides occupying other
prominent offices, and Edward IV. esteemed him so highly that, in more than one act of “Resumption” in the time of that king, it was specially provided that nothing in these acts should be “prejudiciall or hurtyng” to Richard, Lord Dacre, his wife, or his heirs. Lord Dacre’s eldest son died before his father and the title and estates were inherited by his son, Thomas, Lord Dacre, who, like his grandfather, took a prominent part in public affairs. His successor, the third Thomas, was also high in favour at Court, but was executed on a charge of having been party to the murder of a keeper whilst engaged on a poaching expedition, and the title descended to his son, Gregory, brother of the Margaret Fynes, who married Samson Lennard. The last-named gentleman displayed the same public spirit as his ancestors, and took part in the patriotic movements of the time for the defence of the country against the aggressions of Philip of Spain, and in 1588, when the Spanish Armada was launched against England, he was more than ready to take his part in repelling the invader. During the reign of Charles II.,
" WOONDERLIN ” HOMESTEAD AND MR. E. T. D. BARRETT-LENNARD.
"Seaton Ross” Homestead and Mr. Frances Barrett-Lennard.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Thomas Dacre, Baron Lennard, married Lady Ann Fitzroy, a natural daughter of the King by the Duchess of Cleveland, and was subsequently created Earl of Sussex in October, 1864. In tracing the lineage of the ancient family of Barrett, whose name and arms were assumed by Richard, Lord Dacre, and have ever since been borne by his descendants, we find that they came originally from Hawkhurst, in Kent, where Robert Barrett was living in the twenty-third year of the reign of Edward III. Robert of Hawkhurst had a son, John, and from his time down to that of Lord Newburgh we have a record of the entire descent of the Barretts and their alliances. Lord Dacre says “John Barrett, marrying Alicia Belhouse, transplanted himself to Aveley,” and it may be mentioned here that the family of de Belhus, or Belhous, appears to have been one of considerable importance. As early as 1240 a branch of them owned estates in Norfolk in half a dozen parishes, and in 1290 Richard de Belhus was Sheriff of both Norfolk and Suffolk. Thomas de Belhus, alive in 1390, married Elizabeth, heiress to her father, Richard de Norton, of Aveley, who died before 1390, and was the ancestor of Sir Edward Barrett (Lord Newburgh— died in 1644), who bequeathed “Belhus” to the Hon.
Richard Lennard upon condition that he as-sumed the name of Barrett. There are many interesting references to this old country seat in Sir Thomas Barrett - Len-nard's book, by which we learn that it was once called “Barrett's Hall, that it was rebuilt before 1526, and that Queen Elizabeth was entertained there on one occasion. The Richard who inherited from Lord Newburgh was a man of “great Choler,” who, after many disputes with his son,
Dacre, left various of the family estates away from him. Dacre's son, Richard, incurred his father's extreme displeasure by marrying his cousin, Anne Lennard, who was a Roman Catholic, but in consequence of his premature death his posthumous son, Thomas Barrett, became heir to the estates. Early in life this representative of the family appears to have been styled “Lennard - Barrett,” taking the former name from his mother's family, but in 1755 he transposed the order of these names into Barrett - Lennard, the probable reason being suggested that upon succeeding to the title of Dacre he preferred to be the sixth Lennard bearing that title instead of the first Barrett to do so. This Lord Dacre had great taste for art, literature, and genealogies, formed a fine library largely composed of county histories and heraldic works, furnished “Belhus” afresh, and got together an extremely fine collection of family portraits. He took a very great interest in the old house, and wrote the “History” of the family before referred to, which occupied him for several years. He married Anne Maria Pratt, daughter of Sir John Pratt, Lord Chief Justice, of
the Wilderness, Kent, and by her had a daughter, their only child, who died at an early age. After Lady Dacre's death, a natural son of her husband, whom she had adopted during the lifetime of the latter, became heir to the estates, a
large portion of which, including “Belhus,” was given up to him while she lived, together with an annuity of .£2,000. He was called Thomas Barrett-Lennard, and became a figure of considerable activity, in 1789 being put into the Commission of the Peace, and taking a prominent part in the local defences when England was threatened with invasion by France, in this respect following the example of his ancestor, Samson, over 200 years before. Probably as a reward for his patriotic exertions in respect of this Yeomanry Cavalry, he was created a baronet in June, 1807, an honour which cost him £336 9s. 6d. for fees to the Attorney - General, the Heralds’ College, and other public offices. Sir Thomas had thirteen children, and was succeeded in the title and estates by his grandson, Thomas, the present baronet, who was born on December 29, 1826, and educated at Peterhouse College, Cambridge. The late Mr. Edmund Thomas Henry Barrett-Lennard was only fifteen years of age when he arrived in Western Australia in the early thirties. He lived for a time with his uncle on his farm at St. Leonards, at the Swan River Settlement, and upon reaching maturity took over control of the “St. Aubyn’s” Estate at Beverley on behalf of this relative. This was a grazing property where sheepraising was carried on and remounts bred for the Indian Military Service. Subsequently he selected a Gov er nment block, originally of 1,000 acres, on Dale River, West Beverley, and giving up his position at “St. Aubyn's” in 1854 began the development of his own property, which afterwards he enlarged to
5,000 acres. Mr. Barrett-Lennard continued here until his death in 1895, when the estate, which he called “Annandale” was sold, the
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greater portion being repurchased at a later period by the subject of this notice. Mr. Edmund George Barrett - Lennard, the gentleman under review, was born at Beverley on September 6, 1856, and was educated first by a private tutor in his father’s home. When fourteen years of age he was sent for a year to Bishop Hale’s school in Perth— now the Perth High School—and afterwards proceeded to England, where he completed his scholastic career at Middleton Lodge College, Bognor, Sussex, also undergoing a special training for nearly a year under a private coach in Upper Norwood, Surrey. Returning to Western Australia, he remained with his father for upwards of three years, gaining experience of a general Mature in farming pursuits, and eventually took up his original holding at “Woondcrlin,” consisting of 900 acres, where he proceeded to initiate operations on his own account. This property was increased to 2,000 acres as time went on, 1,500 acres of the “Annandale” Estate being added thereto, and in course of time Mr. Barrett-Lennard purchased “Seaton Ross,” one of the oldest farms in this portion of the State, and also another property “Du belling.”
“Belhus” was one of two taken up from the Government adjoining the old homestead “Woon-derlin,” and the whole of the properties combined consist of about
8,000 acres.
He has transferred to his sons in approximately equal shares the chief part of his possessions, and lives in retirement with his wife sometimes at “Belhus,” the home of his youngest son, and sometimes at his own house in the town of Beverley. By this division, in conjunction with other properties independently acquired, his eldest son, Edmund Thomas Dacre Barrett - Lennard,
owns 2,500 acres in “Woonderlin”; the second, Francis, is in possession of “Seaton Ross” (1,700 acres); “Beaming Hill” (1,750 acres) has fallen to the lot of Henry; and “Belhus” (2,000 acres) is occupied by Alexander Forrest, the youngest son; in addition to which a block of 800 acres is settled on his only daughter. Mr. Barrett-Lennard, worthily following the tradition of his forefathers, has exerted himself for the welfare of the district, and oven while yet in his teens displayed a marked interest in the proceedings of the local organizations, especially in the agricultural society, of which his father was a promoter and first president. For over forty years he has been an active member of this body, and is a committeeman of long and honoured standing. For a decade he has served on the local roads board and filled the office of mayor of Beverley during a term of five years with great acceptance to the townspeople, whose well-being he advanced by his active participation in the scheme for the extension of the goldfields water supply to Beverley, and also for the vesting in the people as an endowment for all time of the “Commonage.” The new Avon Bridge is one landmark
distinguishing his useful record of service as chief magistrate of the town, and before the close of his mayoralty he was presented publicly by Sir John Forrest with a silver water tap in special recognition of his advancement of the water
scheme, while the councillors made him the recipient of an illuminated photographic presentation as a mark of their esteem. He was created a Justice of the Peace for the whole State by the Forrest Administration in 1892. For thirty years Mr. Barrett-Lennard has been connected with the local race club and has filled every position open to members with considerable eclat. In appreciation of his many and valuable services to that club he was honoured with election as its first honorary life member, while one of the events has been called after him the “Lennard” Handicap in further recognition of his thorough and high-principled support of clean racing. In his youth Mr. Barrett-Lennard was a leader in all forms of athletics, winning valuable trophies which witness to his prowess. He played cricket with considerable success for his college in England, and for thirty years has been a member of the Beverley Cricket Club, also winning renown in running, shooting, and kangaroohunting, which sport he still enjoys. He was the first president of the Beverley Rifle Club, in connection with which he presented valuable trophies for competition for three years in succession; and was the first president o f the Beverley Golf Club, and the first honorary life member elect-ed to this body. During a heavy flood in Beverley many years ago Mr. Barrett-Lennard rode into the rushing torrent and rescued two men who were being carried away by its force, for which service he was offered, but refused, the medal of the Royal Humane Society and was highly eulogized by the Press of the day. He married on May 13, 1879, Frances Ann Emily, eldest daughter of the late James William Broun, of “Avondale Park,” near Beverley, and has four sons and one daughter.
11 Belhus” Homestead and Mr. a. f. Barrett-Lennard.
JENKIN LEWIS THOMAS, “Spring Dell,” Beverley. The subject of this notice is the third son of the late Lewis Thomas and was born at “Maescadlor,” an ancient farm homestead, near Bridgend, in Glamorganshire, Wales, on June 22, 1863, his ancestors, both on his
Mr. Lewis Thomas.
father and mother’s side, having made their home in that district for many hundreds of years. Both belonged to the representative families of the place, their class being that known in the Old Country as “gentlemen farmers” or members of the highly-respected yeoman class, to whom must be accorded the credit of having materially assisted in the building up of the prosperity of Old England. At the time of his father’s
death Mr. Thomas was only ten years of age, and from that period onward he continued at a boarding-school at Bridgend, until his fifteenth year. He then joined his older brothers in the work and general conduct of the home farm and gained a good insight into the agricultural industry during the four years that he remained in this connection. When within a couple of years of his majority he decided to launch out on his own account, and having heard a good deal in favour of the Dominion of New Zealand, then a popular colony with those seeking their fortune under the Southern Cross, he set sail on the long voyage, which finally landed him at that destination. Upon arrival the young Englishman adapted himself with considerable rapidity to the changed condition of things obtaining in a new country, and in spite of his comparatively easy boyhood threw himself with energy and determination into the strenuous life, which was all his fresh sphere offered at the outset. He shirked nothing that came to his hand, but was chiefly engaged in agricultural work, this being varied by shearing, saw-milling, and the various avocations incidental to bush life. After spending three and a half years in New- Zealand he decided still further to enlarge his knowledge of the lands of the Southern Hemisphere, and with this end in view took passage for New South Wales, the rich pastoral industry of that State providing him with ample interest and occupation. Whilst here the gold-rush to
Tetulpa in South Australia occurred, and willing to pursue his adventures in an untried direction Mr. Thomas joined the eager throng of seekers after the precious metal on the new field, arriving there among the earliest of the prospectors. His experience was more exciting than profitable in a pecuniary sense, and the smile of fortune being resolutely withheld he at length bade good-bye to mining, and in 1888 was induced
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Jenkin Lewis Thomas.
by family reasons to revisit his native place. During the twelve months that he remained at home he married, and in the beginning of 1890, having received his portion of the paternal estate, he again heard and answered the call of the bush from the Antipodes. Having studiod the relative advantages offered by the different States, this time he selected Western Australia as the sphere for his future enterprise, intending to invest his capital in landed interests and form a home for himself and future generations on the soil which he had been given to understand was very rich in possibilities. Upon inspection of the country, however, he was considerably disappointed in the appearance of the land, and was on the point of relinquishing his project and leaving the State. At this juncture the late Mr. Wilding, of “Mokine,” stepping in, advised him not to be too hasty in his decision, and offered him a position whereby he might have an opportunity of obtaining a more comprehensive knowledge of
607
the country and its conditions than had been possible in the short period of his residence in the State. This kindly offer was accepted by Mr. Thomas, who made the most of the opportunities thus afforded of acquainting himself with the different districts, and after remaining with Mr. Wilding six months he relinquished the connection in order to
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Tom Jenkin Thomas.
carry out his original intention of purchasing a property and proceeding on its development. Thus, to Mr. Wilding must be accorded the credit of saving a good settler for the Western Australian State, while Mr. Thomas himself has never had
same soil. After a careful and thorough inspection of the land available for selection in the southern part of the State—his object being to engage in sheepfarming — Mr. Thomas' attention
was arrested by the country lying to the west of Beverley, which was of a promising character, but as yet had not attracted many settlers. About 13 miles out from the town a small freehold property of 140 acres was offered for sale, which, being only nine miles distant from Dale Bridge, a station on the newly-appointed main great southern railway line, was approved by the new colonist as suitable to his purpose. About 60 acres of this holding had been cleared and a small stone house erected to serve as a homestead, and here Mr. Thomas took up his abode, proceeding with arrangements for acquiring
leasehold, and in course of time selected other suitable territory, until his entire block extended over
7,000 acres, the whole of which will at no very distant date become freehold property. In addition to this
large area, during later years he has held on lease from the Hamersley family an adjoining property comprising another 7,000 acres, which he utilizes as a sheep-run. The soil is mixed in character, the conformation of the land being undulating, with very rich agricultural areas, and there are wide, sandy plains, which have proved specially adapted for sheep pastures. In its natural state the country is heavily timbered with white-gum, sheaoak, jam, York -gum, and wattles, but at the present time ringbarking operations have been completed over the whole of Mr. Thomas' freehold, and also over
2,000 acres of the leased land. With the same energy and enterprise that had characterized his movements in previous years, Mr. Thomas at once set to work to improve his holding, and became the pioneer of fencing work in that district, prior to his advent the sheep having been shepherded on the few scattered farms which represented settlement in that district. During the ensuing years up to the present 60 miles of fencing have been completed, a different system being carried out, according to the exigencies of the country, on various parts of the boundary. In some places six plain wires have been considered sufficient to provide adequate protection; in others this has been made vermin- and sheep-proof by the addition of 2£-ft. wirenetting, and again a variation has been made with four plain and two barbed wires. The subdivision
Photo by C. E. Farr. "Spring dell” homestead, from Rear.
occasion to regret the timely counsel the surrounding country as a pas-of one who had himself fought toral lease. This he subsequently through and won prosperity on the converted into conditional-purchase
fences are constructed on a uniform system of six plain wires, and timber indigenous to the locality has been used throughout for the posts, which are mostly of jam, the average
of some 5,000 sheep—in type a large-framed merino—bred with a view to supplying both the mutton and wool markets and founded with representatives from the best flocks
admirably adapted to sheep-raising the country is not suited to cattle, and this department is confined to about twelve or fifteen cows kept for dairy requirements. Horses are
Photo by C. E. Farr.
cost of the entire work being £28 per mile. Watering facilities were also taken in hand and efficiently carried out, wells being sunk and tanks constructed, while the natural resources of the estate, soaks, etc., were utilized to the greatest advantage. Windmills were also erected, and the latest methods of
Homestead and Outbuildings.
in South Australia. The annual clip averages 6J lb. to the fleece, and the wool is sent to London, where it realizes a good figure, during the present season (1913) consignments from “Spring Dell” and an adjoining property obtaining the record top prices for Western Australian wool. The lambing percentage is
bred only for use on the farm, and about twenty of the general-utility type are usually found sufficient for this purpose, a few youngsters coming on every season to take the places of any that may drop out of the ranks. A certain amount of attention has been given to agriculture, although this is made
Photo by C. E. Farr. Cleared and Timber Country on the "Spring Dell" Estate.
troughing have recently been installed. The property is well provided with many natural grasses and different herbs of most nutritious value for stock, and carries a flock
well up to the average, usually working out at about 85 per cent. Shearing is done by hand, and the shearing-shed is a substantial building containing six stands. Though
secondary to the pastoral side of the enterprise, and is carried on chiefly with the object in view of improving the carrying value of the land for sheep. About 1,000 acres of the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
609
NN
Photo by C. E. Farr. Wheat Lands at “ Spring Dell.”
the study of stock, continually augmenting his knowledge on this subject by the perusal of works by modern and well - authenticated writers dealing with the different departments of the pastoral industry. Though the attention he gives to the estate leaves him little leisure either for public life or recreation, he keeps in touch with his fellow settlers at the periodical meetings of the Beverley Agricultural Society, of which he is a member, and occasionally indulges in the pastime of a kangaroo hunt. In 1904 he took a trip to the Old Country, and again in 1910 with his wife and children he spent eighteen months very pleasurably in renewing his youth and visiting various places of acquaintance with the scenes of his interest in England, Wales, and Ireland. By his marriage in 1890 to Elizabeth Ann, daughter of the late Thomas Evans, of Monckton East, near Bridgend, in Wales, he has issue one son and three daughters, a daughter having died in infancy.
The Horses at "Spring Dell.”
and popular blooms are found, varying according to the season. This is tended with skilful care by Mrs. Thomas, who considers it her special department and makes it nothing less than a labour of love, her “gardener’s touch” bringing beauty out of the remotest corners to delight the eye, their decorative value being keenly appreciated within as without the walls of the dwelling. A small orchard has also been in full bearing for a considerable period, where various kinds of fruit come to perfection, and particular mention must be made of the vines and almond-trees. In the winter time a vegetable garden is cultivated with successful results, by this means the domestic menage being continually supplied with ample provision of fresh kitchen stuffs. Mention must also be made of the large and commodious outhouses, where is
Thomas makes a hobby of the management of his valuable property and gives a great deal of time to
freehold area have been cleared and prepared for tillage, which is conducted in accordance with the latest ideas and principles of fallowing, wheat and oats being the chief crops produced. The oats are fed to the stock, and the wheat, which averages about 12 bushels to the acre, is disposed of at the local markets. The present homestead, which was erected by Mr. Thomas in 1905, is substantially built of brick and stone and contains ten rooms, the whole interior being lofty and well ventilated and fitted up with all appointments necessary for comfort and convenience. Surrounding the house and adding greatly to the attractiveness of its appearance is a pretty flower garden, where, in the well-kept plots and borders, an infinite variety of the most beautiful
provided stabling for fourteen horses, with a good-sized granary and sheds for the machinery, all being up-to-date and in good order. Mr.
Well, fitted with Windmill and Troughing for Watering Sheep.
JAMES WILLIAM BROUN, of “Southbourne,” Beverley, was born at “Avondale/’ the property of his father, the late J. W. Broun (mentioned elsewhere in this work), on May 25, 1871. He received his education at the academy conducted by Mr. (now the Hon.) H. Briggs at Fromantle, and upon the conclusion of his studies was associated with his father in farming pursuits until he attained his majority. He then launched out on his own account, taking over the lease of his present estate, “South-bourne,” for ten years with right of purchase, which he exercised at the end of that period. The original property was a part of the well-known “Haisthorpe” Estate, in the Beverley district, and was sold to Mr. Broun by Mr. William Smith, who had acquired it from the late H. Lukin, the first owner. The extent of the block at the time of its purchase by Mr. Broun was 1,536 acres, which was subsequently increased by the addition of a portion of the “Addington” Estate, 1,000 acres adjoining “Southbourne” being incorporated into the latter property. From the first Mr. Broun entered energetically upon the work of improvement, clearing operations being set in full swing, and this policy of development was continued on the “Addington” territory until of the whole block of 2,500 acres practically the entire area is now denuded of the original jam, manna, and York gum timber, a few belts having been left to provide shelter for the stock. Posts for fencing purposes were split from the jam logs, and before long the boundary was enclosed with six or seven wires and netting, while the subdivision fences, which cut the estate up into thirty-one paddocks, were carried out on the same system. The country is undulating and remarkably free from stone. In quality it has been classified as first-class land and well suited to the cultivation of cereals, to which the whole of the estate is in turn devoted by Mr. Broun on the four-year
fallow system, which allows for two years grass, one year fallow, and the fourth year crop. Wheat, oats, and rape are the principal products, the latter being used to feed to the stock which flourish on its fattening qualities. The pride of “South-bourne” may be said to lie in its flock, which has been described as “easily the pick of the district.” Mr. Broun is acknowledged to have experienced phenomenal success with his sheep, and as he has made the breeding of this class of stock his special hobby, the results of his efforts are distinctly gratifying. He imports freely from the leading flocks of the Commonwealth, selecting his merinoes from the famous “Canowie” stud in South Australia and Lincolns from the premier prizetaking flocks of the Dominion of New Zealand, and with these he has built up his own industry, at the present time grazing 1,000 sheep on the “Southbourne” Estate. Representatives from this flock have been shown in open competition with the best in the State at the annual functions held by the Royal Agricultural Society and other similar organizations throughout the country districts, and for several years have been prominent in the winning
circles of sheep exhibits at headquarters in Perth. Mr. Broun’s successes in this line were crowned in 1912, when against all-comers he carried off money prizes running well into three figures and the “President’s Silver Cup” for the highest
5
Dease Studio. Perth,
Mr. Jambs William Broun.
number of points in the sheep section. The wool produced by these sheep is of exceptional length and staple, and its fine quality commands top figures in the markets of the Old Country, to which the annual clip is
Lincoln Ram, “Jupiter."
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
611
sent. Excellent watering facilities have been provided for the stock by-means of numerous wells, which are fitted with windmills, from which two miles of piping is carried to iron troughing on different parts of the property. The water thus supplied to the stock is covered from the hot rays of the sun by well-built, open sheds, and by means of this shelter the precious fluid is kept cool and wholesome, this being the best system in vogue for providing in an efficient way for the necessities of the flocks. More than a passing mention must be made of the homestead, which is situated six miles to the north of Beverley and which may
be described as one of the most comfortable country residences in Western Australia. Built of brick and designed after modern plans the house was erected by Mr. Broun in 1903, and is most roomy and commodious, containing thirteen rooms, many of them of large size and all well lighted and ventilated. An attractive feature is a very extensive open room or deep verandah on the shady side of the dwelling, where a cool retreat may be found even in nn2
the hottest days of summer, and underground tanks have been provided which conserve a plentiful supply of rain water at a low temperature all the year round. Every comfort and convenience has been considered in the general appointments and furnishing of the home, where modern luxuries do not, however, detract from the pleasant homely atmosphere which characterizes the rural homesteads of Western Australia, so noted for their hospitality and the kindly welcome extended to all who come to their doors. At the front and side of the house a flower garden has been laid out and decorative wattle - trees
growing in profusion in. the vicinity add their quota to the general sum of beauty, and in the flowering season produce their golden tassels of blossom, which scatter fragrance on the air round a wide radius. A. small orchard is also cultivated, skilled care and attention being manifest in the healthful appearance of the trees, which present a sufficient variety to provide for all the necessities of the household. The residence has the advantage of being
connected with the telephone service at the Beverley Exchange, prompt communication with Perth thus being made possible. The extensive outhouses are a picture of neatness and up-to-date enterprise, the stables and sheds being built of brick, iron, and timber, presenting a very substantial and complete appearance, and a tour of inspection through the interior only confirms the favourable impression formed by a view of the exterior. Mr. Broun is regarded as one of the leading residents of the district, and as such has taken his share of public office in the prevailing organizations for the welfare and advancement of the place. Besides being a member of the Royal Agricultural Society and a committeeman of that body he holds the position of president of the Beverley Agricultural Society and takes a deep interest in the proceedings and deliberations at the periodical meetings. He is also president of the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association. Mr. Broun was married in 1903 to Elinor Elizabeth, daughter of the late William John Clifton, and sister of Mr. Claude R. H. Clifton, whose biography appears elsewhere in these pages, the issue of the union being one son and two daughters.
GEORGE LEAKE BROUN, J.P., “Avondale Park,” Beverley district, was born on the property where he now resides on February 6, 1873, and is the fourth son of the late James William Broun, who was born in Perth shortly after arrival of his parents, a distinction being claimed for him that he was the first male child of European parentage born in Western Australia. Mr. G. L. Broun’s grandfather, the late Peter Nicholas Broun,was the first Colonial Secretary of the Swan River settlement, having been a passenger by the “Parmelia” in 1829, when he accompanied the first Governor of the State, Captain Stirling, to whom was entrusted the founding of the new
Photo by Dense Studio. Merino Ram, " Dinnie 91.”
612
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
colony. Originally the Broun family is of French extraction, the founder of the Scottish branch having been one of the leaders of the auxiliary troops which crossed the Channel in 1073 in order to assist Malcolm
Mr. James William Broun.
Canmore against William the Conqueror, since which date the family lineage can be distinctly traced down to the present day, the present head of the family being Sir William Broun, the tenth baronet of the line, who resides at “Dalblair,” Win-ton, New South Wales. The late Colonial Secretary was the second son of the seventh baronet and an officer of the Royal Navy. His death
after filling a position as jackeroo on a pastoral property near York for a couple of years entered upon farming pursuits on his own account. He acquired the “Jelcobine” Estate, situated forty miles distant from York in a southerly direction, and at a later date—in the early fifties—became the owner of “Avondale Park” and “Water Hatch,” freehold properties comprising some 10,000 acres of land. This area has since been divided into two portions, the “Avondale Park” property falling to the share of Mr. G. L. Broun, while his brother inherited “Water Hatch,” each estate consisting of 5,000 acres. “Avondale Park” lies about eight miles from Beverley, on the great southern trunk railway to Albany, and 90 miles from Perth. Of the whole acreage about 3,000 acres are suitable for cultivation, the soil being a good friable loam and the country well timbered with York gum, jam, manna, and white gum. The River Avon runs through the property, and as one of the lowest levels of the river is to be found in this locality there is always a good supply of water all the year round, and even in the hottest summer the pools on the “Avondale Park” Estate have proved to be permanent. Agriculture, the chief industry of the district, is carried on on a fairly large scale at “Avondale,” upwards of 1,200 acres having been brought under cultivation on the three-year fallowing system.. Hay, wheat, and oats are produced, excellent harvests
during all the seasons of the year. The flock is a good-sized one for the neighbourhood, averaging 2,600 strong-wool sheep of the merino type, which always holds its own in any part of the State. Lambs for the
(treenham & Evans, Perth.
Mr. George Leake Broun.
local markets are produced, together with a good class of mutton, and the annual clip which takes place on the property is shipped to London, where a satisfactory figure is realized. The homestead stands as a type of one of those substantial, comfortable homes which the early settlers so well understood the secret of designing and building, and which have been
Photo by G. 72. Farr. “Avondale Park” homestead on the Banks of the River Avon.
occurred in 1846. The late James William Broun served in the British Navy for a time, but subsequently came to Western Australia, and
being obtained, and a large amount of the products of the field are used as fodder for the stock, which by this means are kept in thriving condition
proved to stand the test of years so well. The “Avondale Park” residence is said to have been erected over sixty years ago, and it is still in
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
613
splendid preservation. A single storey in height, and built in a long line facing the rising sun, its situation has been chosen with an eye to the picturesque, only a few yards distant one of the permanent pools
whole life in the district. After a primary course of education at the York public school he concluded his scholastic studies under the Hon. Henry Briggs at the Fremantle Grammar School, subsequent to
district. He has taken a prominent part in the local lodge of Freemasons at Beverley, and has filled all the offices of honour in this institution. In earlier days Mr. Broun was noted as a most successful kangaroo hunter,
Photo by C. E. Farr. Avon River, flowing through "Avondale Park.”
of the River Avon forming a fine sheet of water of sufficient area to allow of boating and swimming. The interior of the house contains eight rooms and hall, and every comfort is to be found in these apartments. A feature of the place is to be found in the finely-laid golf links, which have the enviable reputation of being the best in the Western Australian State, whether public or private. On these links the open championship tournament for the whole State is
which he returned home and devoted himself to the work of the property in association with his father until the demise of the latter gentleman, which occurred in 1897. He has since conducted operations on his own behalf, and in addition to the many demands of his private enterprise has taken his full share of public responsibility, giving conscientious attention to every movement set afoot having for its object the benefit and advancement of the district wherein
being an excellent shot with the gun ; and also took part in most forms of manly outdoor sport. At the present time he finds acceptable diversion with his photographic camera, and being fond of music spends a portion of his leisure in this fascinating pastime. His principal recreation, however, is found in golf, and he has been captain of the Beverley Golf Club since its inception. Mr. Broun married in February, 1902, Edith, daughter of Mr. James
Photo by G. E. Farr. Feed huts for Sheep on Mr. G. L. Broun’s Estate.
held annually, the grounds being kindly thrown open on this occasion by Mr. Broun, who is a great golf enthusiast. The subject of this memoir has spent practically his
he was born. For eight years past he has served as a member of the Beverley Roads Board, and is connected with all the agricultural societies and race clubs of the
Coombe, formerly of South Australia, who settled at Tammin, Western Australia, some few years ago. His family consists of four daughters.
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FRANK LODGE, “East Yangedine,” via Beverley, was born at Helford, Cornwall, England, on January 6, 1876, and is the eldest son of the late Captain Francis Wilkins Lodge, of the mercantile marine service, who in the original instance came to Australia in 1847 as skipper of the barque “Eleanor Lancaster” and traded in Australian waters for some years. Subsequently he became one of the early settlers of the Newcastle district of New South Wales, where he married his first wife, the eldest daughter of the late Major Crummer, who was associated with the Civil Service of the Mother State in the early forties, holding among other positions the office of resident magistrate of Newcastle. Captain Lodge returned to England to take over the duties of salver to the Marine Insurance Company, and in this capacity was instrumental in rescuing treasure from many well-known vessels which had suffered shipwreck, among them being the “Golden Gate,” the “Hamilla Mitchel,” the “Schiller,” and others. After about twenty years of treasure-hunting in the depths of the sea, he settled in the County of Cornwall, having previously contracted a second marriage with Miss Burch of Wood-bridge, Suffolk, of which there was issue two sons, the gentleman under review and his brother, Mr. G. H. Lodge, who is engaged in the agricultural industry at Cuballing and Kurrenkutten, in Western Australia. Mr. Frank Lodge received his education at the Kimberley Grammar School, Falmouth, England, and in 1891 sailed for this State, upon arrival serving for a short time at “Tipperary,” the pastoral property of the Burges family, and subsequently at “Yangedine,” then owned by Messrs. Darlot Brothers, where he gained the necessary “colonial experience.” In 1899 he purchased the eastern portion of the “Yangedine” Estate, and settled down to pastoral and agricultural
pursuits on his own account, his property comprising 2,000 acres of good farming land. Originally this was regarded as a poor proposition, owing to the prevalence of poison weed, but this pest was attacked with such energy and perseverance by Mr. Lodge that it has now been completely eradicated. About 1,700 acres have been cleared and prepared for cultivation, the whole area being cropped on the three-year fallow system with cereals, hay, and rape, which are the principal products of the district. On the pastoral side of the industry Mr. Lodge has attained excellent results, a fine flock
Captain Francis Wilkins Lodge.
of grade ewes having been built up by careful methods of breeding and culling. The returns from this flock, both in wool and mutton, have been of the most satisfactory character, the climatic conditions being very favourable for sheep-raising. The offspring comes early to maturity, the first early fat lambs sent to the spring markets from this district usually being the product of the “East Yangedine” flock. Horses are also bred in limited numbers, the strong, young stock raised every season being kept for the work of the farm, while those which already have expended a fair share of their years in the labour of the field are
sold to purchasers whose requirements involve less arduous toil on the part of their equine assistants. Many improvements have been carried out from time to time on the property, the fencing of the boundary and subdivision into ten paddocks being completed and convenient arrangements made for the watering of the stock, and in every respect the “East Yangedine” property may be regarded as among the leading estates of the district. Mr. Lodge finds plenty to occupy him in the management of his various interests, but his love of literature secures a portion of his leisure for its indulgence, historical and other classical works being perused by him with much enjoyment. He was married in the year 1901 to Julia, second daughter of the late Henry Lukin, of “Haisthorpe,” Beverley, and has a family of one son and two daughters.
FRANCIS WALPOLE LEAKE, barrister and solicitor, Beverley, was born at Perth, Western Australia, on February 11, 1886, and is a son of the late Hon. George Leake, K.C., C.M.G., Attorney - General of Western Australia, and grandson of the late George Walpole Leake, Q.C., who on more than one occasion was Acting Attorney-General and Acting Chief Justice for the colony, and was a member of the Legislative Council under the old constitution as well as the newer one under responsible government. The late George Leake sat successively as member for Roe-bourne and Albany, and became seventh Premier of the State in May, 1901, giving place to the Morgans Ministry some six months later. Upon December 23, 1901, he was called to form his second Ministry, and his Administration continued from then onward to the time of his death on May 24, 1902. The gentleman under review was educated at the High School, Perth, in 1899 proceeding to England, where he attended the Locker’s Park Preparatory
615
School at Hem el Hempstead, and completed his scholastic course at Uppingham School in Rutland. At eighteen years of age he returned to his native land, and almost immediately afterwards was articled first to Sir Walter James, and subsequently to Mr. R. R. Pilkington, barristers and solicitors, of Perth, with whom he studied law for a term of five years, being admitted to the Western
Lafayette, Perth.
Mr. Francis Walpole Leake.
Australian Bar on March 15, 1910. Subsequently Mr. Leake took up his residence at Beverley, where he established himself in the practice of his profession, and has since built up a considerable connection, becoming widely known not only in the town but also in the surrounding districts. Shortly after his advent to the place, in the days when Beverley boasted a municipality, Mr. Leake filled the office of councillor at the municipal table, and he takes a general interest in the progress and welfare of the district. From his schooldays he has heen very keen on all forms of clean manly sport, and as an amateur took a very creditable place in the various diversions with which he filled his leisure hours. His favourite form of recreation at the present time is found in the popular pastime of golf, and he is a member of the commitec of the Beverley Golf Club.
EDWARD REUBEN DONCON, of East Beverley, owner of part of the old “Timaru” Estate, is a son of the late Edward Doncon, who came to Western Australia with his father
while still quite a lad, and subsequently purchased the “Arnold Park” and “Boyadine” properties, where he was engaged in farming pursuits for a number of years. Born at York on November 27, 1880, the gentleman under review received his education at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, and subsequently followed a commercial career, holding various positions in the Union and National Banks for about a decade. At the end of that period he decided to enter upon farming pursuits, and in 1903 purchased 2,000 acres of the well-known “Timaru” property, afterwards adding a further 2,500 acres, bringing the whole estate up to an acreage of 4,500. In 1912 he sold 2,000 acres to his brother, Mr. Robert Charles Doncon, of “Boyadine,” and has since conducted
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Edward Reuben Doncon.
operations on the remaining area. He has 1,500 acres prepared for cultivation and crops annually about 500 acres, the balance lying in fallow and grass for a couple of years, when it in turn is tilled, the principal crop being wheat, which yields the good average of 20 bushels to the acre. A flock of 1,200 crossbred sheep is grazed on the pastures, and with these considerable success has been attained. An abundant supply of water is present on the property, which is well fenced, and the whole of the uncultivated portion is ringbarked ready for the further processes of clearing. Windmills have been erected where necessary and wells sunk, and in every way the estate is in an
advanced state of improvement, while every year further development is taking place. Mr. Doncon is a member of the Beverley Agricultural Society and of the local race club. A general supporter of all forms of outdoor athletics, he is chiefly addicted to cricket as a means of recreation. In 1906 he married Elfic Helena Ida, daughter of Mr. John Fleay, of the well-known pioneering family of that name founded at Gilgering in the early days, and has three sons and one daughter.
KENNETH McLEAN, J.P., of “County Peak,” Beverley, is the eldest son of Mr. Donald McLean— now living in retirement at Beverley—who came to Western Australia from Victoria in 1905, in order to spend his declining years near his sons, who had preceded him by some eight years and had taken up a large area of land in this district. Mr. Donald McLean left England for Australia in 1851 and eventually settled in the Sheep Hills district, in the sister State of Victoria, where he remained for thirty-two years, earning the respect and esteem of all his fellow-settlers. As one of the pioneers of the place Mr. McLean took a leading part in securing railway communication to that district and gave his cordial and practical support to every movement for the welfare of the community, and upon his departure for Western Australia was accorded a public social and presentation of a purse of sovereigns as a mark of the high regard in which he and his wife and family were held. The subject of this notice was born in South Australia, but while still quite a child accompanied his parents to Victoria, settling with the family near Ballarat for a few years. He became engaged in commercial pursuits, and being the eldest of a family of twelve children, knew the meaning of strenuous labour at a very early age. In 1895 Mr. Kenneth McLean sailed for the Western State, and upon arrival proceeded to the eastern goldfields, where for a time he found employment in a survey camp. Subsequently he turned his attention to prospecting, and took up and worked some leases for a time without any success. After three years on the fields he decided to test his fortune on the land in a different direction, and selecting Beverley as a promising agricultural district, joined his three brothers.
616
who previous to this had been farming in the mallee district of Victoria and had thus gained a good general knowledge of pioneer farming in all its stages. Being totally without capital, the four brothers
Mr. Donald McLean.
took a contract of clearing in. the Beverley district, and whilst engaged in this way each one selected a free homestead and about 100 acres of Crown land, which was gradually increased until at the present time they jointly own and farm 7,000 acres, which they have brought to an advanced state of development. This property, which at that time was all virgin bush, is situated about 18 miles east of Beverley, and in its natural state was covered with York gum, jam, salmon, and Morrell forests. Very little light land was
invariably give the best returns; this made the work of clearing, which during the first five years they did with their own hands, anything but child's play. About 1,800 acres are cultivated, two crops in succession being taken off new land when first broken up, but the greater part of the crop is on fallow land, and about 1 £ bushels of seed is used up to 90 lb. of fertilizer. Some interesting statistics regarding their wheat returns are given by the Messrs. McLean : — In 1898, 43 acres yielded 80 bags, at an average of 7 bushels to the acre; in the following year on an area of 70 acres 350 bags were reaped, the average being 20 bushels to the acre; in 1903, when the drill and manure were used for the first time, 2,100 bags were taken from 300 acres, at the splendid average of 28 bushels to the acre; and in 1910 1,000 acres yielded 6,000 3-bushel bags, at an average of 18 bushels to the acre. Since then the work of cultivation has gone on by leaps and bounds, while the pastoral side of the industry is coming into considerable prominence. The flock, which consists of 1,500 sheep, was bred in the first instance from 200 rented ewes, and gives a return of about 10s. per head per annum. The bulk of the wether lambs are sold, the best of the ewes being kept to increase the flock, and the general type favoured is a utility sheep of crossbred strain, bred with a view both to its mutton and wool-producing qualities. Upon “County Peak" is found some of the finest heavy-draught stock in the great southern district, mostly bred by the brothers out of imported Clydesdale blood. The brood mares
work demanded of them. Mr. Kenneth McLean is a member of the committee of the Beverley Agricultural Society, with which body he has been connected for over a decade, and for a considerable time has been one of the largest exhibitors of draught stock in the neighbourhood, carrying off most of the awards in this section; while in combination with his brothers he has also exhibited at the ltoyal Show with much success. The “County Peak" property is divided between the gentleman under review, his two brothers (Messrs. Thomas and John McLean), and the widow and children of the late Donald McLean, for whom Mr.
G. E. Farr, Perth-
Mr. Kenneth McLean.
Kenneth McLean is administrator of the estate. Though the farms are worked individually there is a good deal of mutual enterprise , among the brothers, and they are all concerned in the various movements of public interest in the neighbourhood. Mr. K. McLean was appointed to a Commission of the Peace by the James Government in 1903, and he has been a member of the Beverley Roads Board since the amalgamation of that body with the East Beverley Board. He is vice-president of the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers' Association, and is a patron of all forms of manly outdoor sport-He took a leading part as chairman of directors of the Mount Kokeby Farmers’ Grain Shed Association—a. body formed with the object of facilitating the grain traffic, etc., of the district, and in many other ways has. displayed a true public spirit.
Clydesdales and Young Stock Bred on the “County Peak** Estate.
included in their selection, experi- are of exceptional quality, and the ence having taught them that the 70 horses of all ages on the farm
forest lands upon being fallowed appear well fitted for the strenuous
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
617
ROBERT CHARLES DONCON, “Boyadine,” Beverley. The subject of our notice was born at his present home at Beverley on July 8, 1872, and is the eldest surviving son of the late Edward Doncon, who came to
Mr. Edward Doncon.
Western Australia from Cornwall, England, among the early settlers of the State. Being but a child at the time of his arrival Mr. Edward Doncon passed his boyhood days at. the old King’s Head Hotel, of which his father was mine host in the old coaching days, and upon reaching maturer years took over this hostelry, which he managed on his own account for a couple of years. Having a distaste for the business, he
Knott, his father-in-law. At the end of five years, when the lease expired, he transferred the scene of his enterprise to “Boyadine,” the lease of which he obtained from the late Henry de Burgh with the option of purchase, which he exercised some time later. The late Edward Doncon died at York in 1898. The gentleman under review received his education at a public school at York, and subsequently attended the academy in Perth conducted by the late G. A. Letch, completing his scholastic career at the Fremantle Grammar School under the tuition of the Hon. H. Briggs. Leaving school at eighteen years of age, after four years in the metropolis and its seaport, he returned to the parental roof tree and became engaged in farming pursuits in conjunction with his father and younger brother, who was assisting in the working of the property. Upon attaining his majority he took over the estate from his father, who settled in York, where he lived in retirement until the time of his death. During the few years that have since elapsed Mr. Doncon has had his time well filled and all his best energies employed in the improvement and development work which has been the means of so greatly increasing the value of the property, which ranks among the foremost farming propositions of the district. “Boyadine” is situated 15 miles in a westerly direction from Beverley, and covers an area of 8,500 acres of undulating country, originally
nature. The soil varies over different parts of the estate, a large portion being splendidly suited to agriculture, while there are good natural pastures for stock. The place is plentifully supplied with water obtained at a very easy depth, no deep well-sinking being necessary, and the precious fluid is readily obtained anywhere and everywhere over the property. There are 1,000 acres of land cleared for cultivation, the soil
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Robert Charles Doncon.
being given the advantage of the three-year rotation or fallow system, by which exhaustion of the fertility
Photo by C. E. Farr. "Boyadine" Homestead and Outbuildings.
relinquished it at the end of that period and settled on the land at “Arnold Park,” taking the lease of that property from the late Edwin
timbered with Morrell, salmon, and York gums and the useful jam timber so much in request for fencing and other purposes of a like
of the soil is prevented, and its valuable constituents preserved according to the most approved scientific methods. Thus from 400 to 500
618
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
acres only are cropped every year, the areas not cropped being given the attention necessary to enable them to recuperate in the fullest possible manner. Wheat, oats, hay, and peas are produced, a quantity
all time. The situation of the house is very favourable, as it stands close to the banks of the Dale River, in the bed of which stream permanent pools of water are found all the year round—the quality of this water
on different parts of the estate, special attention, however, being given to the main yards situated near the house. A small orchard has been planted, where a well-chosen variety of fruit-trees in full
(Photo by C. E. Farr. view of Mr. R. C. Doncon's “Boyadine" Estate.
of hay being grown for selling purposes besides the ample supply necessary for the requirements of the stock upon the farm, and in all the crops failure is almost an unknown experience. The homestead of “Boyadine,” old-fashioned and picturesque in appearance, was built by the original holder of the property, Hr. de Burgh, in the thirties, and the style of architecture prevailing in England at that time is plainly manifest in its design. A certain severity, characteristic of the period, however, does not in any degree interfere with the air of comfort and
being decidedly better than that obtained from similar pools in the Avon River, with which the River Dale junctions at a point some 14 miles away. The outhouses are very extensive, and being built of stone and, in some cases, of wood and iron are as sound and substantial as when first erected half a century ago. The machinery sheds shelter many valuable machines used in various departments of the industry, and for the products of the harvest fields hay sheds and chaff and grain sheds of generous dimensions have been added as necessity has arisen. There
bearing supplies the necessities of the household. Lying about 12 miles east of Beverley and in close vicinity to the Quairading railway line — Balkuling Siding being situated within five miles from the homestead—is Mr. Doncon’s second property, known as “Timaru,” which he manages in conjunction with “Boyadine.” Like the latter estate, “Timaru” is in an advanced state of improvement, all the boundaries being fenced with posts of jam timber and six or seven wires, while the subdivision fences are carried out on a general system of four wires
Photo by C. E. Farr.
prosperity which pervades the very roomy and convenient structure, which affording space for eleven rooms and offices looks substantial enough to withstand the ravages of
Homestead on the "Timaru” Property.
is stabling for fourteen horses, coach-house, and other buildings, and in addition to the stockyards at the homestead area much work of this description has been carried out
and netting, the whole averaging a cost of about £30 per mile. Altogether the two properties are divided into twenty-eight paddocks ranging in size from eight to ten
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acres, eighteen of these being included in the “Boyadine” Estate. Where the timber has not already been cleared ringbarking operations have paved the way for the firestick, and agricultural and pastoral areas
is also above the average, 90 per cent, being the usual record at “Boyadine” and “Timaru,” and in every respect this department of Mr. Doncon's mixed-farming operations may be regarded as one of the most
nor so roomy as “Boyadine,” is a well-appointed residence replete with all the conveniences demanded in this age of luxury. The homestead is occupied by the manager employed by Mr. Doncon to supervise affairs
have been opened up all over “Timaru,” where about the same extent of country is cultivated as on the older property, similar crops being produced on the system obtaining at “Boyadine.” On the pastoral side of the industry the flock of crossbred merino-Lincolns take pride of place, the two farms being stocked up to the extent of 4,000. Of big frame and robust build these sheep yield valuable fleeces averaging about 6 lb. in weight, and splendid prices are obtained at the London markets for the wool, this
district having established a reputation for producing the finest clip of any wool-producing area in Western Australia. The lambing percentage
satisfactory. A large number of farm horses are required to work the double proposition, and these are mostly bred by the owner on the homestead estate, a useful type of animal being raised suitable to the different classes of labour to which they are put. At “Timaru” the stabling arrangements are worthy of note, accommodation being allowed for as many as twenty-five horses, and the whole of the cluster of outbuildings here have been designed on the latest and most approved plans, the material used being
timber and galvanized iron. The dwelling-house is a nine-roomed brick structure erected in the late eighties, and though neither so large
at “Timaru,” under his own direction, and frequent visits are made by the proprietor to this portion of his property, which, although it has only been in his possession since 1909, already is proving a good investment. The welfare of the district in which he passed practically the whole of his life has not been neglected by Mr. Doncon, who displays a deep interest in the various organizations that have been formed to advance its progress and wellbeing in every possible way. For several years he has occupied a seat on the Beverley Roads Board, representing the West Ward of the area under control of that body. He is a member of the agricultural society of Beverley, and has taken an active part as a committeeman for a considerable period. He is also connected with the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, in which he acts on the committee, and fills a similar office in connection with the Beverley Hospital Board. His services are claimed and willingly rendered for every scheme having as its object the good of the community, and every public movement with a worthy aim may safely reckon on his sympathetic support. He is a wide reader of current literature, by this means keeping himself well up in the affairs of the day both in his own and other countries. Mr. Doncon married in 1897 Sarah Jane Cruickshank, daughter of the late James William Broun, of “Avondale” Park, near Beverley, and has a family of three sons arid four daughters.
Photo by C. F. Farr. Pool in the dale River.
in his father’s home, subsequently attending the only Government school then in existence at Perth, which has since been converted into the modern technical school on St. George’s Terrace. At fifteen years of age he concluded his scholastic career and returned to his birthplace, where he began his training in agricultural pursuits by assisting in the work of the farm. Upon attaining his twenty-third year in 1884 he struck out on his own account, renting from his father the “Talbot” property, which had been purchased for the late James Fleay by the present owner’s grandfather. These lands were chiefly taken up on pastoral leasehold, though there were several blocks on the property of freehold Government grants, which the original settler had acquired by purchase and transferred to his son James. The land taken over from his father by the subject of this notice, including the pastoral lease, comprised about 25,000 acres, and in addition he leased the “Goonder-ding” Estate from Sir John Forrest, a property of over 7,000 acres in extent. These leases he carried on as a sheep run for about twelve years, at the end of which period the death of his father brought about a change in the condition of things generally as regarded his family, and Mr. J. E. J. Fleay succeeded to the freehold portion of the property surrounding “Talbot” House, where he now resides. To the 2,200 acres then inherited by him there has since been added from time to time about 7,500 acres, which Mr. Fleay holds in his own name; but his three sons have further augmented this area by taking up adj acent blocks, which brings the whole acreage up to about
10,000. The estate is situated 11 miles west of Beverley and eight miles from the nearest railway siding,
Dale Bridge.
The country is mostly undulating in character, the soil consisting of mixed chocolate and sandy loam, while the low hills are topped with granite rock. Surface water has been plentiful all over the property since the killing off of the greater part of
C. F. Farr, Perth.
Mr. John Edward James Fleay.
the natural growth of timber, which consisted chiefly of York gum, white gum, jam, and sheaoak, by means of ring-barking operations. Besides the running brooks there are innumerable soaks and wells, in addition to a water scheme, by means of which the supply from natural springs is
Photo by A. F. J. Fleay.
Pear Tree 50 Years Old.
JOHN EDWARD JAMES FLEAY, J.P., “Talbot House,” Beverley, is the eldest son of the late James Fleay, who was born and
Mr. John Fleay.
brought up on the property under review, his father, the late John Fleay, whose portrait appears in connection with this article, having come to Western Australia from Wiltshire in the very early days of settlement
Mr. James Fleay.
and entered upon farming pursuits in the York district, where members of his family have continued ever since. The gentleman under review was born at “Gilgering” House on January 22, 1861, and received his primary education by private tuition
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
621
conserved in a large dam with a holding capacity of nearly 40,000 gallons. About 2,000 gallons per day are caught by this dam from one spring
improved state will now support three sheep, showing the immense value to be gained by a proper system of development. Thus over the same
supply being made possible during the summer months when other sources may fail. The country is well covered with a large variety of
Photo by C. E. Farr.
alone, and there are several others of almost equal copiousness which act as continual feeders to the reservoir, from which the supply is drawn for domestic purposes at the homestead. Some two and a half miles of piping
Sheep Pastures.
natural grasses and edible shrubs of Nourishing qualities for stock, and the whole area of the estate is eminently suited to sheep-raising purposes. This favourable condition of things as regards the pastoral
acreage three times the amount of wool has been obtained at the end of ten years as was secured at the beginning of that period. The average rainfall for the district during the past twelve years has showed a record
Homestead and Outbuildings, "Talbot House” Estate.
Photo by G. E. Farr.
have been laid down in all, by which the water is conveyed to different parts of the property, this piping ranging from 3 in. to 1J in. in diameter, and thus the great advantage is obtained of a permanent
interest has been achieved almost entirely through Mr. Fleay’s methods of improvement of the land, which in its natural state was capable of carrying only about one sheep to six acres, whereas the same area in its
of 16 in., and in other ways the climatic conditions have proved very favourable to the pastoral industry. Both in relation to mutton and wool Mr. Fleay has met with success unrivalled in the district, and in order
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. J. E. J. Fleay’s Residence, Beverley.
to attain this desirable result he has bred from strains capable of producing sheep of robust build and big frame, the flock being a strong-wool
and utility. The outhouses consist of stables, barns, and sheds— among them the shearing-shed— which, being constructed of brick,
thirty to forty cases of fruit annually. A few horses for general use are bred upon the estate, and for this purpose a well-bred stallion has been imported from South Australia. Mr. Fleay has always displayed considerable interest in the public affairs of the district, and for several years has served as a member of the
Photo by A. F. J. Fleay. Reaper at Work.
merino founded with representatives from the best South Australian stations and continually improved by fresh importations from the same State. At the present time there are about 5,000 sheep on the property, and the wool from the annual clip is shipped for London, where it has recorded the biggest prices ever obtained for wool from the Western State. The work of cultivation has been conducted with the same excellent judgment that has characterized the building up of the pastoral side of the industry, and over 2,000 acres have been tilled on the fallow system, the chief crops produced being cereals and hay. In all departments of the enterprise operations are carried on by the father and sons as a joint proposition, an arrangement which has been worked with admirable results. The traveller, upon approaching the “Talbot” homestead for a mile or two before reaching the near vicinity of the house, is apt to imagine from the number of buildings and outhouses clustered together that he is nearing the site of a village. The main portion of the dwelling-house, which was erected about half a century ago, has been added to and improved from time to time to provide accommodation for an increasing family, a very commodious and comfortable interior being the result. Large spacious verandahs are a feature of the building, the whole evidencing that the plan has been carefully thought out with regard to convenience
Photo by A. F. J. Fleay. a fine crop on the ‘‘Talbot” estate.
these is a venerable pear-tree which has witnessed the changes of half a century of years and continues in unabated vigour, producing from
Beyond the study of sheep, in which regard he is an admitted authority in the district, he has no especial hobby, finding sufficient
wood, and iron with a view to durability, present a very substantial appearance. Stockyards have also been erected on various parts of the property, posts and wire-netting being used for this purpose. The house is surrounded on three sides by a flower garden, where also grapevines and fruit-trees of different varieties flourish, and besides yielding acceptably of their riches in fruitage time, are a picturesque feature of the place. Notable among
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. A. F. J. Fleay.
Beverley Roads Board. He received his Commission of the Peace from the Moore Government in 1906. An adherent of the Masonic craft, his mother lodge is the Beverley, No. 73.
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occupation in the management of his many interests of the farm. He was married in the year 1881 to Julia, daughter of the late James Bartram,
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. 0. E. H. Fleay.
one of the pioneer settlers of the Beverley district, and his family consists of three sons and six daughters. “Talbot” House is in telephonic communication with the nearest
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. W. J. B. Fleay.
began to shoulder his share of the responsibility of the farm work and soon proved a valuable aid to his father, with whom he has worked in conjunction ever since. As before stated, he has taken up an adjoining
entire area on terms of partnership. WALLACE JOHN BARTRAM FLEAY, the youngest son, was born at the same place on May 21, 1890, and having acquired the rudiments of education at home, subsequently
Photo by A. F. J. Fleay. Building the Haystack.
block of land, which he is developing on the same lines as the parent property, and which is yielding good results. ONSLOW ERNEST HENRY FLEAY is the second son of Mr. J. E. J. Fleay and was born in the old homestead on June 20, 1886. Like his elder brother, he was
attended the Church of England Grammar School at Guildford, and since leaving that institution has been engaged in assisting in the operations of the “Talbot” House Estate. All the brothers take a keen interest in outdoor sport and identify themselves with all the clean
Photo by C. E. Farr. dam. Capacity 40.000 Gallons.
township—Beverley. ALEXANDER FRANCIS JAMES FLEAY, the eldest son of the foregoing gentleman, was born at “Talbot” House on November 30, 1884, and received his education at home under private tuition. At fifteen years of age he
educated privately and also followed in his • footsteps in choosing the calling of a farmer and pastoralist on his native soil. He has acquired his own holding in the vicinity of “Talbot” House, and continues with his father and brothers in working the
sporting life of the district. They have especially distinguished themselves on the cricket field, and in their own family circle are able to produce a cricketing team which can conduct with credit a contest with any other club in the neighbourhood.
JAMES HENRY FLEAY is the second son of the late James Fleay, and was born at “Talbot” House, near “Oakover,” in the York district, on November 9, 1863. His early education was conducted under private tuition, and after a finishing
Me. James Heney Fleay.
course at the Perth High School he proceeded to the north-west, where he obtained a valuable experience in pastoral pursuits in the Ashburton district, continuing there for a couple of years. Returning home he became interested in the farming industry in conjunction with his brother, Mr. F. W. Fleay, on the “Gil-gering House” Estate, formerly the property of their father. Eventually, upon the purchase of the whole property by his partner, he
early eighties to Fanny, second daughter of the late Edward Doncon, one of the pioneer graziers of the Beverley district. This lady died in 1900, leaving issue a son and a daughter.
FRANCIS WILLIAM FLEAY, “Gilgering” House, Gilgering, was born at “Talbot” House, the onetime residence of his father, on August 30, 1865, and is the third son of the late James Fleay, a native of the same district, who was identified with the farming industry during the whole of his life at “Oak-over,” which he inherited from his father, an early pioneer, and now in possession of three of his sons, brothers of the gentleman under review. Educated under private tuition in his own home, Mr. F. W. Fleay concluded his scholastic career at the High School, Perth, and at the close of his schooldays joined his father in farming pursuits on the old homestead property of “Oakover,” where he continued until he was twenty-eight years of age. At this period he took over from his parent the “Gilgering House” Estate, which was founded at an earlier date than any other property in the neighbourhood, and which has given its name to the whole ensuing settlement. Originally taken up by the late G. F. Moore, the estate was leased by the late James Fleay for over fifty years, being used by him as a stock-run. Eventually he transferred the lease to his sons, Messrs.
F. W. and James Fleay, by whom it was carried on on terms of
eventuated in 1907, and since that date the brothers have conducted operations separately, Mr. James Fleay leasing half of the estate from his brother. Of the “Gilgering House” area about 1,500 acres are cleared, the cultivation of
Me. Feancis William Fleay.
cereals and hay being carried on on the system of first year crop, second and third years fallow, by which the land thoroughly recuperates . its energy and yields most bountiful harvests. Crossbred sheep of the general-utility class are grazed on the estate up to the number of
4,000, the wool being despatched to the London markets, while mutton and early lambs are raised for local requirements. The property is in a highly improved state, many miles
Photo by C. E. Farr. “gilgering” House, Residence of Mr. F. w. Fleay.
has leased a portion of the same partnership for nearly a decade, when of fencing having been completed area, and has carried on agricultural the subject of this notice decided to enclosing the boundary and sub-and grazing operations on his own purchase the freehold of the pro- dividing the whole area into twenty-recount. He was married in the perty outright. This transaction four paddocks. When the clearing
62o
part being divided into three areas, each of which is cropped once in three years, the remainder being fallowed preparatory to seeding in its
Mr. Ernest Herbert Fleay.
turn. From six to eight hundred acres are usually cropped each season, and by this method good harvests are ensured. Messrs. Fleay Brothers recently have purchased a second farm, known as “Sandgate,” situated about seven miles from York, on the Perth Road, the extent of which runs into 5,000 acres. Clearing operations, though begun,
Mr. Edwin Wallace Fleay.
are not yet very far advanced on this holding, and so far only 200 acres have been brought under cultivation. The two estates are worked
process is terminated, it is estimated that two-thirds will prove suitable for agriculture, while the remainder will be utilized for grazing purposes. Mr. Fleay interests himself in the affairs of the district, and is a member of the York Agricultural Society. For nearly twenty years he has occupied the office of honorary secretary and treasurer of the Gil-gering Church of England, an institution of considerable historic interest, inasmuch as it was erected over sixty years ago, since which date Divine service has been continually held within its walls. The first clergyman to officiate in this church was the Rev. Frederick Lynch, who came from England and continued to minister to the inhabitants of the parish up to the time of his death, a period extending over thirty years. Mr. Fleay’s chief recreation is found in motoring, although his love of the modern means of flying over the ground has not by any means supplanted a strong affection for his equine friends, and he is frequently to be seen in the saddle. He was married in 1893 to Annie, daughter of the late Rev. F. Lynch, above-mentioned, and has a family of three sons and one daughter.
FLEAY BROTHERS, “Oak-over/1 Gilgering, York. “Oakover” Farm is situated on the York-Bever-ley Road, about halfway between the two towns, and lies about a mile distant from the Gilgering railway station, Gilgering being the postal centre for the district. The land originally was taken up by the grandfather of the present owners, in the early days of land settlement in this district, when Perth was the nearest market town and all produce and
Photo by C. E. Farr. "Oakover” Homestead.
OO
supplies had to be carted some seventy miles to and from the capital. The founder of the family was an Englishman, and must be numbered among the plucky band of early pioneers who, leaving all the comforts of a civilized country, gave their lives to opening up the remoter districts of a yet untried agricultural area. From him it passed into the hands of his son, the late James Fleay, who was born on the property and subsequently
Mr. William Walter Fleay.
undertook the management of its operations, which he carried on until the time of his death in the late nineties. “Oakover” was then purchased from the estate by its present owners, the three brothers joining in partnership, by whom its development has since been pushed forward. The farm comprises 2,060 acres of good, mixed land, about 1,600 acres of which have been cleared and is being cultivated, the cultivable
626
conjointly by the partners, and carry a flock numbering between 2,000 and
3,000 merino and crossbred sheep, the annual clip usually being disposed of locally, although on some occasions it has been sent to London. Upwards of thirty horses are employed in the work of the fields, sufficient of this class being bred each season to keep up the supply; in addition the brothers have given some attention to the breeding of blood stock, the success attendant upon their enterprise in this regard being evidenced by the good results attained by “Oakover” and “Orontes,” both well-known performers on the turf. Their horses have been exhibited at various times in the show ring, where “Oakover” representatives of both draught and blood stock have shown a good record. WILLIAM WALTER FLEAY, the eldest of the three brothers, was born at “Talbot” House, about seven miles distant from “Oakover,” on December 27, 1872. He received his education at the York Grammar School, and at the close of his schooldays took his place as assistant to his father on the home farm, where he has remained ever since. He acts as director of operations generally, and is closely identified with the active development of the farm. ERNEST HERBERT FLEAY was born on June 15, 1875, and attended the York Grammar School, subsequently following in his brother’s footsteps in regard to the selection of a calling in life, and in due course becoming joint owner of “Oakover” as above-mentioned. EDWIN WALLACE FLEAY was born on March 28, 1877, and resided with his family on the original home at “Talbot,” the birthplace of all the brothers, and their home prior to the death of their grandfather. All the brothers are married, the two elder having families of three and six children respectively. They are members of the agricultural society and the race club, and of most of the local public organizations.
WILLIAM VOULES BROWN, J.P., was born at Campbelltown, South Australia, on November 24, 1860, and is a son of Mr. W. V. Brown, one of the pioneers of that State, of which he was also a native. Educated at the Glenelg Grammar School the subject of our memoir in his fifteenth year was apprenticed
to Mr. Charles Downer (brother of Sir John Downer, of South Australia), a well-known chemist and druggist. Having completed his articles, he was engaged in his profession at Port Adelaide for three years, and at the end of this period took a trip to the Northern Territory, where he became connected with the mining industry for nearly a similar space of time. Relinquishing this form of enterprise he returned to Adelaide to take a position eventually in the employ of Messrs. Millar Brothers on the construction of the great southern railway line in Western Australia. Two years later he resigned from this connection in order to follow agricultural pursuits in the Beverley district, where he purchased a block of 1,160
C. TS. Farr, Perth.
Mr. William Youles Brown.
acres, eight miles from Beverley on the great southern line, and continued there for a decade, ultimately selling out to take a lease of the “Avondale” Estate from the late owner. Later on he gave up the lease and took over the management of the place on behalf of the owner, carrying it on for some years, and subsequent to this leased his original property, “Manna Dale,” for a time. During the latter period he selected an adjoining block of land, the development of which he supervised for seven years, at the same time conducting business as agent and auctioneer in the town of Beverley. Disposing of these interests in 1909 he purchased his present holding, “Zamia,” situated a
couple of miles from Mount Kokeby, and has since devoted the whole of his time and attention to the working of this property. In extent it covers over 2,000 acres, the greater part of it consisting of a wide sand plain, a class of country which had generally been considered useless. Mr. Brown, however, by bringing scientific methods to his aid has been successful in demonstrating that a very successful proposition may be conducted on such territory, and has reaped as high an average as 20 bushels of wheat to the acre from the formerly despised soil. The saving of expenditure usually incurred by settlers in clearing the land of timber ready for tillage is an advantageous feature in working land of this kind, as the sand plain requires practically no preparation, this in question having cost only a shilling an acre to clear. Mr. Brown takes a keen interest in the advancement of the district in which he has spent a quarter of a century, and acted as first town clerk, first secretary of the roads board, while for many years he was secretary and organizer to every movement having as its object the welfare of the community. He has been very prominent in the Beverley Agricultural Society, in which he served as committeeman and is now vice-president. He also officiated as judge in connection with the various country shows, and is considered one of the best judges of horseflesh in the State. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Wilson Administration in 1908. Mr. Brown was also one of the founders of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of Western Australia, and is invariably selected as one of the delegates to represent the district at the general conferences of that body. He married in 1888 a daughter of Mr. C. F. Broun, of Mourambine.
DAVID KILPATRICK, J.P., “Bally - Bally,” Beverley, and
ARTHUR KILPATRICK, “Rose-dene,” Beverley. The Kilpatrick
family was founded in this State in 1864, when the late Daniel Rose Kilpatrick camo to Western Australia as a member of the military guard in the days of convict transportation from Great Britain to these shores. For a quarter of a century he was a soldier in the 92nd Gordon Highlanders, during the greater part of
627
that period holding rank as a noncommissioned officer, and after his retirement from the army on a pension turned his steps to the Crown colony across the broad expanses of
Mr. Daniel Rose Kilpatrick.
the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The late gentleman was a tailor by trade, and for some time carried on business at Fremantle until failure of health compelled him to abandon his connection, when he took up his residence with his eldest son, Mr. David Kilpatrick, who had purchased the “Bally-Bally’* territory, and here his death occurred in his sixty-sixth year. Mr. David Kilpatrick was born at Corfu in the Ionian Isles on October 11, 1852, where his father was
stationed on military service, and at the time of his arrival in Western Australia had completed his twelfth year. During his early boyhood he received instruction at various military schools, and subsequently attended the Fremantle State school for a couple of years. At fourteen he went to the north-west, where he filled various positions on the different sheep and cattle stations, and during the twelve years that he spent in this part of the State he gained an intimate and valuable acquaintance with all the details of the wool and mutton industries which have assumed such large proportions in Western Australia. In 1880 he left the northwest, and coming to the Beverley district invested the capital which he had been able to save in the original homestead of “Bally-Bally,” then a pastoral lease of about 40,000 acres, the homestead freehold occupying sixty acres. After stocking the place principally with sheep he took up his residence thereon and carried on pastoral pursuits until the land was thrown open for selection by the Government of the day. Mr. Kilpatrick immediately seized the opportunity to take up 3,000 acres of territory surrounding his homestead, and at the same time selected nearly 1,000 acres of adjoining country for his young stepbrother, Mr. Arthur Kilpatrick, the son of a second marriage
formed by his father somewhat late in life. The latter gentleman resided with his brother from early boyhood, and as he advanced towards maturity a partnership was formed between the
Mr. David Kilpatrick.
two which existed until 1912, when the younger launched out on his own account on the property above-mentioned, which is known as “Rose-dene,” and has since worked this farm with very satisfactory results. Meanwhile Mr. David Kilpatrick had taken his only son, Mr. David Fraser Kilpatrick, into partnership, and a close connection is maintained between the three homesteads, which are situated in close proximity to
Photo by C. E. Farr. 002
Bally-Bally ” Homestead and some of the Stock.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
each other, the senior member of the family residing in a dwelling - house erected by him to replace the original home shortly after he took possession of the holding. This structure is now between thirty and forty years old, and like most of the old homesteads of that era is a comfortable, rambling place built with a view to healthy conditions and well suited to the climate. It has been added to as occasion demanded and comprises seven large rooms with the necessary additional accommodation for kitchen purposes, etc., while annexed is a very convenient little office which a sister of Mr. Kilpatrick uses as a distributing office for the mails of the district. The material used for building is stone obtained from off the property, and the whole is substantial and well fitted to stand the test to which it has been put by the wear and tear of the years. The two properties of “Bally-Bally” and “Rose-dene,” which, as has been mentioned, arc now conducted as separate propositions, consist of 4,000 acres, of which 1,600 acres have been cleared, while the whole is fenced with six-wire sheep-proof fencing and subdivided into fifteen paddocks, posts of the jam timber indigenous to the district being used for this work. The natural watering facilities have been augmented by the construction of dams and well-sinking on an extended scale, and windmills have been erected in various places for pumping up the water and serving it to the stock. The system of fallowing the land for two
years, generally followed in the district, has been adopted with good results on these properties, and about
1,000 acres on the two farms are cropped annually, the harvesting returns being of an eminently satisfactory character. To the pastoral side of the industry considerable
Mr. David Frasf.r Kilpatrick.
attention has been given, and as a result of close observation and careful experiment, combined with exhaustive study of the important question of sheep-breeding in its different aspects, Mr. Kilpatrick has proved that for his purposes a cross between the Leicester and merino produces the best results, the robust, big-framed animals yielding a good average fleece and also finding acceptance in the mutton markets of the State. A flock of about 1,000 is
grazed on the sunny pastures of “Bally-Bally” and “Rosedene,” and forms one of the many pleasant features of the landscape as it gathers for drinking purposes at the pools or troughs or rest at midday, sheltering from the rays of the hot summer sun under the clumps of white or salmon gums, which have been spared by the ringmen’s axes for that purpose. A few domestic cattle and some good farm horses also have their place in the picture of rural prosperity, while in season the wheat and hayfields add their rich contribution to the scene. Mr. Kilpatrick has only to cast his mind back some few years and recall the country which he took up in its pristine condition—uncleared, unfenced, with hardly any stockyards or outbuildings, and only a dwelling-place of the most primitive character —to realize what strides he has made during each decade. The property now, thanks to his enterprise and ability, with the hearty co-operation of his stepbrother and son, has been brought to the forefront of similar propositions in the district and presents an appearance of which any farming community might be proud, and the sister holding of “Rosedene” is following worthily the example set by the adjacent property. The gentleman under review is recognized as a very earnest and conscientious citizen of the State, and in 1904 he was appointed to the Commission of the Peace by the Government of the day. It is always his aim to keep his district well in the van of
Photo by C. E. Farr.
“ Rocklyne,’1. Residence of Mr. D. F.. Kilpatrick.
629
progress, and to this end he gives his cordial support to every movement having as its object the advancement not only of the farming and pastoral interests of the neighbourhood, but also of every department of industry conducive to the well - being of the community at large. For ten years he served as a member of the East Beverley and Beverley Roads Boards, occupying the chair of the former body for a time prior to its amalgamation with the Beverley Board. He was also particularly prominent in his connection with the affairs of the Beverley Agricultural Society, having been one of the founders of this institution and filling the office of honorary secretary to the society for nine years, while at the present time he is honoured with the vicepresidency. He is chairman of the Bally-Bally Agricultural Hall Committee, and has also a record of service to his credit as a committeeman of the local hospital board. His offices as vice-president and trustee to the Beverley Race Club—of which he was also a founder—testify to his interest in the “sport of kings/' and there are few organizations in the district which have not his name enrolled in their present or past records of membership. Mr. Kilpatrick in the early eighties rendered yeoman service to the Government by assisting to capture the outlaws who murdered Police - constable Hackett and had become a terror to the Beverley district. His voluntary offer of service was accepted, and as a result of the combined efforts of the valiant band of pursuers two of the three
outlaws were eventually shot, while the third was captured and executed. For his action in this emergency Mr. Kilpatrick was the recipient of a valuable gold watch, on which is engraved the following inscription:
C. 14. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Arthur Kilpatrick.
—“Presented to David Kilpatrick by the Government of Western Australia in recognition of his gallant conduct on September 16, 1884." Fie was married in 1880 to Fanny Louisa, daughter of the late George Hancock of Beverley, a member of one of the best-known and most widely-respected pioneer families of Western Australia, and has one son and a daughter. Mrs. Kilpatrick is a sister of Mrs. Withnell (widow of the late John Withnell), who was the first
white woman to proceed to the northwest, with the development of which district her name and her husband’s are indissolubly linked. Mrs. Kilpatrick, who was then only a girl of thirteen, accompanied her sister in this pioneer enterprise and remained for over twelve years in that remote territory, sharing the privations and misfortunes which frequently overtook the family and participating in the varied experiences which were the lot of those who undertook the opening up of new country in the yet undeveloped State. DAVID FRASER KILPATRICK, who manages the “Bally-Bally" Estate in conjunction with his father, was born on the property where he now resides on February 20, 1883. He received his education at Beverley, and at the close of his schooldays immediately became connected with the industry on the home farm, with which he has been associated ever since. He married in 1908 Amy, daughter of Mr. Robert Dunconsin, then engaged in agricultural pursuits in the neighbourhood, and has one son and two daughters. ARTHUR KILPATRICK is a native of the 'Western Australian State, having been born at the seaport of Fremantle in the early seventies. He was brought up by his stepbrother, Mr. David Kilpatrick, in whose home he remained until 1905, when he married Lucy Florence, daughter of the late John Frederick Hancock, of “Ashburton Downs" Station, and took up his residence at his own property of “Rosedene." Of this marriage there are three sons.
Photo by C. 14. Farr.
Mr. A. Kilpatrick’s Homestead, Beverley.
630
ROBERT SAMUEL POTTS, “Hill Head,” Beverley, was born at Wonderling, near the latter town, on January 21, 1866, and is the third son of Mr. Richard Potts, a native of Ireland, who came to Western
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Richard Potts.
Australia in 1857, in the twenty-fourth year of his age, sailing by the “City of Bristol,” which arrived at Fremantle on August 8 of that year. Shortly afterwards Mr. Potts entered upon farming pursuits in the employ of the late Mr. Edwards and others near Beverley, but he soon saw his opportunity of embarking on independent enterprise, and within three years started on his own account by leasing the property of the late James Bartram, near Beverley, where he carried on mixed farming operations for nine years. He then selected a block of 100 acres, where the “Hill Head” homestead now stands, and from year to year, while continuing the development of this place, added further acres to his holding, until at the time that he handed it over to hi3 son, the subject of this memoir, who is now in possession of the old home, it had reached an acreage of 5,100, which is the extent of its present boundaries. Other sons of Mr. Richard Potts, viz., Messrs. William James and David Henry Potts, also have holdings in close proximity to the “Hill Head” Estate, and yet another, Mr. John Richard Potts, is interested in the agricultural industry at Narrogin. The gentleman under review received his education under private tuition in his own home, in those early days it having been
necessary for his father to provide a tutor to give instruction to his sons. As soon as he was old enough to take a part in the duties of the farm his services were enlisted both in the fields and among the stock, labour being difficult and expensive to obtain. He thus acquired at a comparatively early age an intimate and first-hand acquaintance with all the many details which are involved in the successful management of a property, and having continued in .the same calling all his life may now be considered one of the experts of the district in mixed - farming pursuits. From his boyhood days until the year 1905, when his marriage took place, Mr. Potts worked the “Hill Head” property in conjunction with his father, who, upon that event, retired from active participation in the control of the place, though he still resides upon the farm and takes a quiet interest in the progress of the various industries engaged in by his son. The old settler—now in his eighty-first year—may often be seen in the autumn of his years viewing the lands round the old homestead which have been converted through his industry and enterprise from virgin bush to smiling cornfields and rich pastures, while all the evidences of a prosperous farm are present, convincing him that his early efforts have borne good fruit, benefiting not only himself and his children, but the whole community among which he cast in his lot. The country originally was heavily timbered with York gum, white gum, manna, and jam trees, and though generally undulating in character has the advantage of the presence of three high hills, where great outcrops of granite make a picturesque feature in the landscape. These hills, besides proving excellent for the depasturage of sheep, are also responsible for the
splendid water supply found upon the estate, the precious fluid being obtainable in almost any locality from such a fine watershed. Of the
5,000 odd acres contained within the boundaries of “Hill Head” over 1,500 acres have been cleared of timber
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Robert Samuel Potts.
and prepared for cultivation, which is carried on on an approved system of alternate tillage and fallowing. About 600 acres are annually placed under crop, wheat, oats, and hay being the principal products of the place, and good returns are obtained at the annual harvesting. Of the yet uncleared portion the whole has been subjected to the ringman’s axe, with the exception of a few places where clusters of trees have been allowed to remain as needful shelter for the stock. The entire property is fenced with posts of jam timber and six plain wires, and more than half the boundary is also enclosed with vermin - proof
Photo by C. E. Farr. mr, r. s. Potts’ Residence, Beverley.
63 i
wire-netting. There are ten paddocks of convenient size for cultivation purposes and the handling of the stock, and in those devoted to grazing maybe found the flock of nearly 2,000 sheep which are bred from pure merino stock with an eye to the wool market. The district of Beverley is well known for the excellence of its merino sheep, some of the wool produced on its farms having obtained a reputation second to none in the State. It is mostly sent to London, and this practice is followed by Mr. Potts, who has had the satisfaction of obtaining uniformly good prices for his clip at the markets of the Old Country. At the annual shearing a fleece of an average weight of from 6 lb. to 7 lb. is cut of good lustre and quality. Mr. Potts pays considerable attention to the improvement of his type, and his flock is among the best in the neighbourhood. Peas are used
property, and young lusty blood replaces the veteran beginning to fail in the discharge of the strenuous
seventeen horses is provided, and the outhouses are all up to date and well appointed in every respect.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Horses bred by Mr. R. S. Potts.
labour demanded of him, he being told off for duties of a lighter character. Stabling accommodation for
General View of Mr. R. s. Potts’ “Hill Head” Property.
Nearly two acres of orchard adjoin the homestead area, where apples, peaches, plums, and grapes ripen in season. Mr. Potts spends a considerable portion of his time in studying the latest works on scientific methods of farming and in working out to his own satisfaction the various problems connected with stock management and agriculture which present themselves from time to time to his notice. He spares time, however, to take an intelligent interest in the public affairs of the district, and as a member of the Beverley Agricultural Society and of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of the neighbourhood has placed his stores of experience and expert knowledge at the service of his fellow-settlers. He was also prominent in the movement for the erection of the local public hall and is a thorough supporter of every organization tending to the advancement of the district. Mr. Potts was married in 1905 to Mabel, daughter of Mr. Nathan Rumble, of Mount Kokeby, a member of one of the old pioneering families of Western Australia, and has a son and a daughter.
in large quantities for feeding to the stock, a large paddock being devoted every year to the cultivation of the field variety, and the nourishing qualities of this fodder are abundantly demonstrated in the good condition of the sheep. From twenty-five to thirty horses are found necessary for the manifold departments of work upon the farm, and these are mostly of Mr. Potts’ own breeding, some of the same excellent stock finding their way to the local saleyards from time to time, where they command good prices. Preference is always given, however, to the needs of the home
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Homestead and Outbuildings.
ANDREW STRANGE, ^Hillside,’ * West Dale, via Beverley, was born about 12 mile3 from York on September 5, 1844, and is the eldest son of the late Richard Strange, one
Mr. Richard Strange.
of the old agrarian pioneers of the early days of Western Australia. The late colonist took a prominent place among the original settlers who came “over the hills” to carve out their destinies and make homes for themselves and the future generation out of the stretches of primeval bush or forest in the remoter parts of the State. Sailing originally from Wiltshire, England, he arrived at Fremantle in the late thirties, and became engaged in the agricultural and grazing industries on his own account in the York district, where the subject of our notice, at the close of his schooldays, joined him in the working of his different enterprises. When only fifteen years of age, Mr. Andrew Strange was entrusted by his father with the management of a team of horses engaged in the sandalwood industry on the property, and he also at that early period participated freely in the strenuous labour demanded on the farm. For over
half a century he has been resident on the old homestead at “Hillside,” purchased by his parent from the late Mr. Withnell, of north-west fame, at the time of his departure to start the pastoral pursuits at Roe-bourne, which afterwards assumed such important dimensions. At the period of purchase the whole extent of the place comprised only 300 acres, but the value of the small property was augmented by the obtaining of a grazing lease from the
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Andrew Strange.
Government, which permitted sheep to be run on the surrounding country. After his father’s death, which occurred in the early eighties, Mr. Andrew Strange bought in “Hillside” from the estate, and at once began to select adjoining blocks of land on the conditional-purchase and grazing - lease systems — the greater part of which has since become freehold, while the remainder also, by the effluxion of time, will be secured to the owner and his heirs by freehold rights. Of the 3,100 acres comprised in the property, over
1,000 acres are cleared and cropped on the fallow system. The country
is admirably adapted to mixed-farming operations, and about 2,000 crossbred sheep are grazed on the pastures. Mr. Strange is now practically living in retirement on the farm after rendering to the State a good account of his stewardship as a settler for many years, and the estate is leased and worked by his fourth son. It is a matter of interest that the old homestead inhabited by the family has been standing for over forty years, while a portion of it was erected sixty years ago. To Mr. Strange must be given the credit of being the pioneer farmer of the Dale district, where the results of his labour and enterprise have been such that, even at a much earlier period, other settlers were induced by the force of
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. R. J. Strange.
example to prove for themselves the possibilities that lay hidden in the soil. He married in 1870 Elizabeth, daughter of the late James Whittington, of West Dale, and has a family of five sons and four daughters. His sons are all following in their father’s footsteps and are working holdings in the same district.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
"Hillside’* Homestead and Cultivated Lands.
633
ALFRED WILLIAM DRAPER, of “Blackburn,” East Beverley, is a native of the York district, having been born at one of the oldest homesteads in that portion of the State on July 31, 1857. He is the second son of the late James Draper who in his fifth year was brought by his parents to Western Australia in the sailing ship “Rockingham,” which vessel was on her initial trip and was
Mr. James Draper.
wrecked near Fremantle shortly after landing her passengers. Mr. A. W. Draper’s grandfather came originally from Blackburn, Lancashire, England, and was identified with the building trade, being one of the earliest builders in the infant capital of Western Australia. The late James Draper was engaged with his brother-in-law, the late George Clyde, and Mr. John Bateman, in unloading vessels which came to the State with provisions, etc., and in whaling, an enterprise which was somewhat risky in those days, as the boats in use were not as well fitted
for the work as the modern whaler, and the whaling grounds were in the dangerous locality surrounding Cape Leeuwin. James Draper married in 1850 Mary Ann, daughter of the late William Edwards, who was awarded three medals for his services to his country under the Duke of Wellington. The subject of this memoir at an early age turned his hand to all kinds of work on his father’s holding, and continued in this connection until two years after attaining his majority, when he decided to launch out on his own account, and for this purpose took over on lease from his father a holding in the East Beverley district, conducting operations there success fully for more than a decade. In 1893 he turned his attention to agriculture, purchasing a block of 300 acres, to which he has added from time to time, and to-day has a very well - developed and excellently-managed farm, comprising 1,400 acres. The estate has proved highly suitable for tillage, and as high a return as 30 bushels to the acre has been garnered from this land in some seasons, while the average harvest is of a very satisfactory character. The property draws its water supply from natural soaks and wells, the homestead being supplied from one of the latter, where very excellent water is obtained and conducted through piping by means of gravitation to the house. The flock grazed on “Blackburn” consists of from 800 to 1,000 sheep, chiefly of the crossbred strain, the wool from which is shipped annually to London. About twelve Clydesdale horses are kept, and other stock consists of a few dairy cattle. The house, which is substantially built of stone, contains six rooms, while the outhouses comprise stables, chaffhouse, hay shed, etc. Mr. Draper has given some attention to the demands made upon
him as a settler by his fellow members of the farming community, and for nine years served on the East Beverley Roads Board during the existence of that body. Mr. Draper has some interesting incidents to relate regarding the earlier history of the district. He recalls the heavy floods of 1872, when he had occasion to ride into York on important
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Alfred William Draper.
business, and finding the old bridge covered even above the hand-rails with the rushing stream of water put his horse—a good swimmer—to the torrent and successfully struggled to the other side, while others with drays had been waiting to cross for some days. Mr. Draper was married on April 27, 1892, to Anna Rebecca, daughter of the late William Woodley, of Green Hills, who came to Western Australia in 1857. By a former marriage with a daughter of the late George Blakiston Mr. Draper had issue two sons and one daughter.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. A. W. draper's Property, east Beverley.
HENRY WILLIAM DANIEL WHITTINGTON, “Rosedale,” Beverley, is a native of this State, having been born at “Sandalford,” on the Swan River, the property of the late James Roe, on March 1, 1862. He is the third son of the late Mr. James Whittington.
James Whittington, who came from England when only five years of age, in the first year of settlement of the new colony, and who devoted the whole of his mature life to the founding and promotion of the agricultural industry in Western Australia. In the early and prosperous days of the sandalwood trade, which assumed considerable proportions in this State at one period, he was early in the field, and at a time when there was no market for produce and little enterprise outside of the woolgrowing propositions of the south and north-west did fairly well by his dealings in this valuable wood. He took up his first 100 acres of land
in 1862, and later, when the discovery of the different goldfields put things on a better footing and the demand for all kinds of produce became insistent, he entered wholeheartedly upon the business of farming on the site at present occupied by his son, the subject of this memoir. By dint of patience, perseverance, and industry, the late Mr. Whittington made a home for himself and his family and established one of those successful farming ventures which are making the name of Western Australia as a producing country. Subsequently he increased his holding to 350 acres and, relinquishing his interests in this district in favour of his son, proceeded to Murrumbine, where he worked a property of 640 acres almost up to the time of his death, which occurred after he had attained the ripe age of eighty-five years. The late Mr. James Whittington died respected and esteemed throughout the whole district. Shortly after the gentleman under review entered into possession of his holding he perceived the advisableness of enlarging his boundaries while land in the district remained vacant, and added block by block until he owned a compact holding of over 2,500 acres. “Rose-dale” is one of the best properties in the district for the depasturage of sheep, and a flock to the number of 1,500, or over, is usually carried on the estate. Taking advantage of the experience gained by other sheep farmers he has been content to stock a type proved suitable to the neighbourhood, viz., the Lincoln-merino crossbred, a strong-framed animal which has thriven well and produces good wool. Mr. Whittington has proceeded with clearing work over the whole of the property, doing so chiefly in the interests of the flock,
only a matter of a hundred acres being cropped to provide feed for the stock. The property has been divided into about twenty paddocks, and about 40 miles of fencing have been completed. The homestead, built by Mr. Whittington about a quarter of a century ago, though small is very comfortable, and the necessary outbuildings are present, being conveniently situated on the banks of the Dale River. Mr. Whittington is a member of the Beverley Agricultural Society, and is also connected with the Farmers and Settlers' Association and the local branch of the Australian Liberal League. He was married in 1890 to Julia Margaret, third daughter of the late Edgar Bisdee, another representative of the good old English stock, who came from Bristol in the early days, and gave the best of his life to pioneering work in Western Australia.
Mr. H. W. D. Whittington.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Mr. H. W. D. Whittington’s Estate. Beverley.
635
AUBREY JOHN HANCOCK and GEORGE EVRITT HANCOCK, Beverley. The gentlemen under review are sons of the late George Hancock, who came from Devonshire, England, by the sailing vessel “Sulphur,” shortly after the foundation of the Western Australian colony. Their mother, the late Mrs. Sophia Hancock, who died at Aubrey Hill, Beverley, at the advanced age of eighty-three years, was also born in England, and came to this State with her parents in the ship “Warrior,” which arrived at
C. F. Farr, Perth.
Mr. George Evritt Hancock.
Fremantle on January 6, 1830, Mrs. Hancock then being seven years of age. She passed the remainder of her life in this State, and at the time of her death was the oldest resident of Beverley, having survived
all those sturdy early pioneer settlers who first made tlieir homes in this now flourishing district. Mr. and Mrs. Hancock, with their three young children, came to the neighbourhood in 1848, Beverley being then but little more than a wilderness, where only a few scattered residents had begun to conquer the wilds and form an agricultural centre. Joining this little band the worthy couple did their part towards the development of the place, and during the long period of fifty-nine years spent by Mrs. Hancock in Beverley she set a bright example of true and loyal womanhood and endeared herself to all with whom she came in contact. The Messrs. A. J. and G. E. Hancock are both natives of the Boyadine district, the elder brother having been born on June 10, 1863, and the younger on September 27, two years later; at the close of their studies, which they pursued at the local school, each in turn became connected with farming pursuits on the home property, then managed by their mother, the late George Hancock having died in 1871. At the age of fourteen Mr. Aubrey J. Hancock left the Beverley district to join his eldest brother, the late John Frederick Hancock— father of Messrs. Hancock Brothers, of Ashburton Downs, in the northwest—in pastoral occupations on the “Hill” Station at Broome, which association continued for some years. Upon disposing of this property the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. A. J. Hancock returned to his native place near Beverley, where he was laid aside from active pursuits for several years through a severe illness. Upon regaining his health
he became connected with Mr. George Evritt in farming operations on the old homestead holding, and remained in partnership with him for about ten years. Ultimately the elder of the two brothers launched out on an independent career, taking up a farm of 1,400 acres of land
C. F. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Aubrey John Hancock.
at West Dale, to the clearing and development of which he has since devoted his energies. He has at the present time over 300 acres under cultivation, while a flock of 500 crossbred sheep forms a profitable department of industry. The homestead property—which is still carried on by the younger brother comprises about 1,000 acres of very fine sheep country, well watered by running brooks and in every respect suited to grazing and stock-raising purposes. The general-utility type is favoured by Mr. Hancock in the building up of his flock, which is also composed of crossbreds; and the 300 acres of land devoted to tillage yield him good returns. Both the brothers are members of the Beverley Agricultural Society, and Mr. G. E. Hancock is associated with the Masonic fraternity, his lodge being the Beverley, W.A.G. They are loyal supporters of the Anglican Church communion, and for some years past church services have been held twice monthly in the old homestead, lent by the owner for that purpose. Of quiet temperament and habits and unassuming manner, they take but little part in the public life of the district, preferring to devote the
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whole of their time and attention to the management of their landed interests. Mr. A. J. Hancock, however, is distinguished for his love of horses, and is recognized as one of the most fearless horsemen in the district, particularly in the chase, kangaroo-hunting being his favourite pastime.
WILLIAM HENRY BATEMAN, of “Gumbanks,” East Beverley, is a South Australian by birth, Mount Gambicr in that State being his native place. He was born on August 12, 1868, and is the third surviving son of the late Simeon Bateman, an agriculturist by calling, who came from Oxford, England, in 1855, and settled in South Australia, where he was engaged in that industry until his death in the early nineties. The gentleman under review was educated at Milliccnt, near his birthplace, and upon leaving school at fifteen years of age became his father’s assistant on the home farm, where he remained until his twenty-first year. About this date he came to Western Australia, having been inspired with the confidence that better opportunities and a larger sphere were open to young men of industry and enterprise in the less developed country. For some time after his arrival he was engaged in the sandalwood trade— one of the few avenues of work open to newcomers, prior to the days of gold discovery and agricultural impetus, which gave the needed fillip to the State—and accepted the post of manager for Mr. W. Craig at Mile Pool, near York. This afforded him the opportunity he desired to observe the conditions prevailing in the different industries, and subsequently
in 1900 he selected a block of Government land, comprising 251 acres, upon which area his homestead now stands. To this holding he afterwards added acres sufficient to bring the total to over 2,000, and, straightway, beginning upon its development, has now brought the whole block into a high state of improvement. More than two-thirds of the entire property is cleared of
Bartlctto, Perth.
Mr. William Henry Bateman.
the natural growth of timber, York, salmon and white gums, and jam trees having covered the land when Mr. Bateman first entered into possession, and the natural copious water supply has been turned to the best account by the erection of windmills by which the water is pumped up into metal troughing of the most up-to-date character, the stock by this means being served in a very efficient manner. The country is comparatively flat, and responds
generously to tillage, about 500 acres being cropped every year, an approved fallowing system being followed. Mr. Bateman is a thorough believer in new and scientific methods of agriculture, by which the very best results are assured in return for the labour spent upon the land, and his crops of wheat and oats are a highly profitable department of his enterprise, bringing good prices at the local markets. Over 700 sheep are grazed upon the property, a fine-wool merino being the favoured strain, and the yearly clip is sent to London, where excellent prices are commanded. The situation of the estate is favourable for the transport of its products, Rickey’s Railway Siding, on the Green Hills-Quairading line, being only a mile and a half distant. It is fenced, and its subdivision into fourteen paddocks of varying sizes renders convenient the handling of the stock and cultivation of the various crops, besides which many other improvements have been made and are still being carried on. Mr. Bateman takes a prominent part in the public affairs of the district, having served for five years on the East Beverley Roads Board, and when that body was merged into the Beverley Roads Board he received re-election, his combined term of service on the two Boards extending over twelve years. He is a member of the local agricultural society and of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and acts on the local committee of the latter organization. Mr. Bateman married in 1893 Harriett Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Priestley Pearson, also a South Australian, and one of the early settlers who introduced up-to-date methods of farming into Western Australia. His family consists of three sons and one daughter.
Photo by C. Z/'. Farr.
Homestead and Outbuildings at "Gumbanks.”
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CHARLES PRANGLE WANS-BROUGH, “Morrell Dale,” Beverley, was born at Perth, on October 6, 1875, his father, Mr. Joseph Wansbrough, also a native of this State, being the youngest son of the late Daniel Wansbrough, who came from Wiltshire, England, to Western Australia as an emigrant by the ship “Drummore” in the year 1830. This sturdy pioneer, after engaging in various occupations in and around the capital for some years, eventually took up land in the York district under what was then known as tillage leasehold, and continued in the farming industry for a number of years, his latter days being spent in retirement at Perth. His family consisted of seven sons and one daughter, all of whom married and settled in various occupations in Western Australia, Mr. Joseph Wansbrough still following his trade of carpenter and wheelwright in close proximity to his son in the town of Beverley. The gentleman under review received his education at the Beverley and York public schools, and upon the termination of his schooldays was employed in the agricultural industry by an uncle at Xellerberrin, with whom he continued for six years. Upon the discovery of gold on the eastern fields he joined in the early rush to the locality attracting attention, connecting himself with a well-equipped party, consisting of the late Walter Williams, Mr. C. W. Massingham (his cousin), and himself. This party worked together
were forced temporarily to abandon the claim, suffering much hardship and privation in their retreat on account of the water supply giving out, as a consequence of which their ill-fated comrade, Walter Williams,
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Charles Prangle Wansbrough.
perished from thirst. The two remaining prospectors arrived at Southern Cross with their horses in an exhausted condition after a four-days’ trip without water, and having recruited for a while furnished themselves with a fresh supply of provisions and set out once more for Mount Ida. They worked the claim for a further term, but the tide of fortune was not in their favour, and
obtaining a position in the traffic department of the Government Railways, which he filled for four years. In 1898, in partnership with his two brothers, Messrs. Sydney and Arthur Wansbrough, he took up the block of Government land upon which his homestead now stands, and while two of the partners continued in the railway service the third commenced the development of the holding upon the capital provided by the others. In 1904 Mr. Arthur Wansbrough’s interest was purchased by his brothers, and six years later Mr. Sydney Wansbrough went out of the firm, leaving the subject of our notice sole proprietor. During the whole of this time, the improvement of the place was being carried on, and at the present period the entire block, consisting of 1,600 acres, is in a very forward state of development. A flock of about 400 crossbred sheep, bred with a view to both the wool and mutton markets, flourish in a most satisfactory manner, and the horses number about twenty all told. Mr. Wansbrough has served for nearly ten years as a member of the Beverley Roads Board, having been chairman for a term subsequent to its amalgamation with the East Beverley Board, and was also a member of the latter during its independent existence. Pie is a member of the Beverley Agricultural Society, acting on the committee of that body, and is also a director of the Mount Kokeby Farmers’ Grain Shed Association, Limited. For some time he has been connected with the
Photo by C. E. Farr. Mr. C. P. Wansbrough’s Estate, Beverley.
for the Glimmer of Hope Syndicate, and succeeded in finding payable gold at Mount Ida, for which they obtained a reward claim from the Government of the day. Owing to lack of proper facilities for treating the ore, however, the batteries, etc., being 80 miles distant, they
in the event, chiefly owing to their inability to comply with the labour conditions on which they held the block, they relinquished their right and returned to the more settled districts. At this time Mr. Wansbrough turned his hand to all kinds of work in the bush, subsequently
local branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and was appointed a delegate to the first general conference of this organization. In 1904 he married Ada, daughter of the late John Long-hurst, of Melrose, South Australia, and has two sons and two daughters.
JOHN WILLIAM McGRATH, J.P., Beverley, owner of "Stock Hill” Farm, Youraling Siding, on the great southern railway, five miles distant from Brookton, is a native of the district, having been born at York on October 30, 1858, He is a son of the late Terence McGrath, a Londoner of Irish parents, who came to Western Australia in 1842 when only seventeen years of age, at which period the young colony had only just entered its teens. For many years in the early days of the pastoral industry the late colonist followed the avocation of shepherd in the employ of
Mr. Terence McGrath.
various well-known pastoralists of the early days, including the de Burgh, Burges, Monger, and Brockman families. Subsequently he rented a farm in the Beverley district, and in 1866 took up 100 acres of land with the idea of making a
home for his family, whilst he was engaged in the then flourishing sandalwood industry. At the time of his death in 1890 he had acquired 250 acres, which at that time was considered a farm of fair size for the growing of cereals, but as soon as it came into possession of his son, the gentleman under review, who was his heir-at-law, the latter directed his attention to the enlargement of the property by the purchase of adjoining land, and increased the holding so considerably that to-day it comprises 3,300 acres of mixed grazing and agricultural country, over 1,500 acres of which are cleared and under cultivation on the approved three-year fallow system of tillage. It is well fenced with seven wires on the boundary fences and subdivided into seventeen paddocks, for this purpose six wires having been found sufficient- protection, and under the capable management of Mr. McGrath’s eldest son, Mr. John William McGrath, who leases the place from his father, its development is being carried forward in an eminently satisfactory manner. A flock of crossbred sheep, numbering in the vicinity of 1,000, are grazed on the pastures, the "Stock Hill” country comprising, in addition to its 2,000 acres of red loam and sandy soil highly suitable for agriculture, hilly portions which constitute admirable runs for the sheep. These are bred chiefly with a view to the wool industry, and the annual clip is regularly shipped to London, where it commands good prices. The railway siding of Youraling is situated on the property, which extends along both sides of the line for some distance, and the land for the purpose of forming the siding was presented to the Government by Mr. McGrath. In 1911 Mr. McGrath retired from
Mr. j. w. McGrath’s Residence, Beverley.
farming pursuits and now resides at "Alfracombe,” in the township of Beverley, while the old homestead at "Stock Hill” is occupied by his eldest son and family. He has always taken a prominent part in
Mr. John William McGrath.
local affairs, and for many years occupied a seat on the Beverley and Brookton Roads Boards, and also sat as a councillor for the municipality when the latter town was under municipal government. For nearly a quarter of a century he has been connected by membership with the Beverley Agricultural Society, and during the greater portion of that time has acted as a committeeman of that body. He was one of the founders of the Brookton Agricultural Hall, and filled the offices of chairman and committeeman for some years. He is a member of the local hospital board, and in 1907 was appointed to the Commission of the Peace by the Moore Administration upon the recommendation of the Brookton Progress Association, which organization in earlier days did so much for the advancement of the district. He has also been a prominent supporter of the local branch of the Church of England, taking an active interest in the affairs of the church at Brookton prior to his advent to Beverley, since when he has been elected a vestryman and has held various other offices. He was married in the year 1880 to Mary Ann, daughter of Mr. Richard S. Potts, of Beverley district, and has a family of two sons and five daughters.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
639
THOMAS TWITCHEN RIDGWAY, “Jurakine,” Mount Kokcby, is a Victorian by birth, his native place being Baringhup in that State, where he was born on February 26, 1864. His father, the late Philip Ridgway, was a pioneer of the farming industry both in Victoria and South Australia, having emigrated from Buckinghamshire to the latter State in 1849; and at the close of his education the subject of this notice, before reaching his teens, was initiated into the duties of the farm, where he continued until about eighteen years of age. At this period he became
Mr. Philip Ridgway.
apprenticed to the building trade under very competent masters, and by the time he attained his majority had acquired a very good knowledge
wealth. Eventually, however, he returned to the Eastern States and remained there for a few years before finally settling down in 1891 in Western Australia. Upon the discovery of gold in the eastern districts Mr. Ridgway was among the earliest of the prospectors to reach the scene of the find, and for a considerable time was engaged in the mining industry on the Coolgardie field. A year later he established himself as contractor and builder, and subsequently joined in a business arrangement with Mr. J. D. Connolly, Colonial Secretary during the Wilson Administration, which eventually developed into a partnership. Commencing as builders and contractors the business of the firm was considerably augmented and its scope of operations enlarged by the inclusion of a brick-manufacturing business, which had been successfully started bv Mr. Ridgway prior to the period of his connection with Mr. Connolly. He continued to conduct affairs on the eastern goldfields for about eight-years, during which his efforts commanded the smile of fortune, and leaving that district in 1901 he was engaged for a couple of years in the same line of trade in the capital. For some time, however, Mr. Ridgway had been turning his attention to the agricultural industry in Western Australia, with the result that early in 1903 he nurchased his present property, “Jurakine,” then in a totally unimproved condition. Shortly after making this investment he came to reside in the district, and immediately erected a very comfortable homestead on the property for himself and his family, and began to set things in train for the
remaining 2,000 acres the ringman’s axe is still busy, while part of the uncleared portions are in use as pasture land. The fencing of the boundary was accomplished, and by degrees the subdivision of the land into thirty
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Twitchf.n Ridgway.
paddocks, jam posts and six plain wires being used for this work. The naturally good water supply, consisting of soaks and permanent pools in the River Avon which skirts the property for about three miles, was supplemented by the conservation of the rainfall in dams and tanks; substantial and suitable outhouses and stockyards were erected, and in all departments progress has been the rule. About 1,000 acres are tilled
every year, wheat chiefly being grown, and a flock of 800 merinoes
Photo by C. E. Farr.
MR. T. T. RlDQWAY’S “JURAKINE” ESTATE, MOUNT KOKEBY.
of the trade, In order to extend the experience already gained, he visited many of the principal towns in the different States, and as early as 1885 was working at Perth and Gerald-ton, in this part of the Common-
development of the place on the most approved up-to-date lines. Clearing was commenced with vigour and continued until 2,000 acres of the virgin soil had been prepared and placed under cultivation, and over the
is carried on the estate. Mr. Ridgway married in 1888 Mary Ann, daughter of the late John Patten, a well-known identity for many years in the mining industry of Victoria, and has four sons and two daughters.
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BROOKTON AND PINGELLY.
Leaving Beverley by the great southern railway one passes through several stations which are little more than railway depots established for the convenience of settlers in the districts stretching east and west of the line. The principal of these, which may in a measure justify the use of the term “town,” arc Brookton and Pingelly.
Brookton, which is delightfully situated as regards climate, has the advantage of being the projected terminus of a spur line running out eastward to Kunjinn, where it will meet another line running from Wickepin to Merredin. When these lines are completed the town
will become the distributing centre for a large tract of eastern country, most of which is rapidly being brought into cultivation by experienced and progressive farmers.
The Pingelly district is one of the older districts of the State, though the town site was not proclaimed until 1898. Since that time it has made considerable progress, and can now boast of many permanent structures. All around it are large holdings which are being energetically cultivated, and towards harvest time a view of the undulating country for miles around gladdens the heart of those who foresee for Western Australia a great future as an agricultural State.
WILLIAM MILROY CRAWFORD, general agent, Brookton, was born at Streaky Bay, on the west coast of South Australia, on August 14, 1878, and is a son of Mr. John Crawford, a well-known identity in pastoral circles in the early days of that State. He was educated at Glenelg, South Australia, and at eighteen years of age joined his father in station pursuits, gaining a
Mr. William Milroy Crawford.
good general knowledge of matters concerning the wool industry and the management of stock. At the conclusion of six years he entered upon agricultural life at Normanville, still in association with his parent, but in 1903 severed the connection and decided to throw in his fate with those thronging to the Western State. After arrival he spent two years with an uncle on the old “Brookton” homestead property, then under lease to Mr. R. L. S. Crawford, of
“Milroy,” and eventually, perceiving an opening for a good business man in the township, which was beginning to make strides in the matter of progress, he established himself as a general agent in Brookton, and has since operated from this centre. Mr. Crawford holds agencies on behalf of Messrs. George Wills & Co., the Royal Insurance Company, the West Australian Wool & Skin Co., and many other business firms. Apart from his mercantile interests he holds a share in some farming propositions in the neighbourhood, and has identified himself with the general life of the district in various directions. He is a member of the health board of Brookton, having served on that body for some years past, and is a supporter of all forms of manly athletic pastime, being captain of the local cricket club. Mr. Crawford married in 1905 Elizabeth Sarah Jane, daughter of Mr. A. R. Martin, of Normanville, South Australia, and has one son and one daughter.
JOHN MONTGOMERY, general storekeeper, of Brookton, was born at Dry Creek, South Australia, on August 9, 1851, and is a son of Mr. Sampson Montgomery, now over ninety years of age, who came to the sister State from Cornwall, England, in 1836, and now lives in retirement at the Burra, having spent the major portion of his life in the farming industry at Upper Wakefield, South Australia. The subject of this memoir, after acquiring the rudiments of education at various schools, before completing his thirteenth year was assisting his father in the duties of the farm, continuing his studies as opportunity occurred, and when he arrived at the age of twenty his parent started him on a farm, which
he conducted on his own account until 1886. On account of drought he was compelled to dispose of his holding and turned his attention to the butchering business at Saltia, near Port Augusta, where he carried on successfully for fifteen years, also
Mr. John Montgomery.
taking charge of the postal department and railway affairs at the siding at that place. Selling his connection at Saltia he again held agricultural interests for three or four years, and in 1904 decided to throw in his lot with the many who had departed to seek fresh fields for their enterprise in Western Australia. After arrival in that year he took up a promising farm property in the Brookton district, and in addition opened a general store in the township, besides which he has various investments in real estate. Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Brookton Roads Board and also occupies a seat on the local health board, and fills the office
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
641
of trustee to the Methodist Church of Brookton, of which he is a member. He married in 1875 Jane,, daughter of the late William Treleggan, of the Burra, South Australia, and has three sons and three daughters.
WILLIAM BENJAMIN HARRIS WHITE, “Merkine Valley/' via Brookton, was born on the “Gwambygine” Estate, near York, on January 17, 1867, and is a son of the late John White, a well-known pioneer farmer of Western Australia, who came from England in the early days of colonization. The rudiments of education were imparted to him by his mother, as in those primitive days no schools had been established, and his father dying while he was still quite a lad, at a tender age he had to turn out to work with his brothers for his daily bread. When about eighteen years of age the spirit of independence prompted him to consider the possibility of launching out on his own account, and with determination he set his hand to all kinds of work incidental to farming enterprise, until he had amassed sufficient capital to purchase 100 acres of freehold land. In the middle of this holding he erected the homestead which has since served him as a dwelling - place, and straightway proceeded to develop the place as an agricultural proposition, about eighty acres of the block having already been cleared and prepared for cultivation. As prosperity rewarded his efforts he cast a covetous eye on the surrounding country, and by degrees selected other adjoining blocks until his boundary-line enclosed some 1,600 acres, which is the size of the property at the present time. The soil readily responded to his skilful
methods of tilling, and of the cleared area—which consists of about 800 acres—from 300 acres upwards are cropped annually, the three-year fallow system being that adopted by Mr. White in his operations. In ordinary seasons 18 bushels of wheat to the acre are realized, but in exceptionally good years as much as 30 bushels to the acre have been reaped. The contour of the country is undulating, while the soil predominating
Mr. W. B. H. White.
over the whole property is of fair average quality and excellently suited for grazing purposes, though up to 1,200 or 1,300 acres are capable of giving good returns in wheatgrowing or other cereals. A good class of crossbred sheep has been raised by Mr. White, who has aimed at producing an animal which should be profitable both for wool and for mutton, and now runs a flock of about 500 on the “Merkine Valley”
pastures. The wool, though frequently disposed of locally, is occasionally sent to the London markets. Among the many improvements completed by the proprietor may be mentioned the six-wire sheep-proof fencing which securely encloses the holding and renders it safe from the inroads of dogs and other vermin, netting being used in some places to make the protection doubly secure. The homestead is a six-roomed building, the materials used in construction being mainly stone, timber, and iron, and though unpretentious in plan and design, comfort has been secured throughout, while the close proximity of a small orchard gives a pleasant aspect of greenery to the place. Grazing in the pastures near by, when their work for the day is over, may be seen close on a dozen horses of the Clydesdale type, most of which have been bred by Mr. White on the farm and which appear well suited for the strenuous toil demanded of them. The gentleman under review has given some attention to the public life of the district, and for some considerable time has served as a member of the Beverley Agricultural Society. He was prominent in the early days of Brookton, playing his part in the promotion of the various movements for the public welfare, and assisted in the building of the first local hall—since replaced by one of greater size and dignity. He has taken a live interest in all matters connected with the Church of England in the district, and was a leading spirit in the movement to build the local church, in which he is a committeeman. In 1899 Mr. White married Elizabeth Mary Ann, daughter of Mr. George Newman, of Beverley, and has four sons and one daughter.
Photo by W. E. Elston. PP
Mr. W. b. h. White's Homestead and Flock of Sheep.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
SAMUEL WILLIAMS, J.P., owner of the “Woodbine” property, in the vicinity of Brookton, is a native of this State, having been born at Guildford on November 25, 1850. He is a son of the late George Ilenty Williams, who when quite a lad came from Wales to Western
Australia at the beginning of settlement in the new Crown colony. Subsequently the late Mr. Williams held pastoral interests in the Beverley district in partnership with the late E. T. Barrett-Lennard, father of Mr. E. G. Barrett-Lennard, of “Belhus,” and at a later date was engaged in the pastoral and agricultural industry in the West Dale district. The subject of this memoir received his education principally at the public school at Gilgering, but consequent upon the premature decease of his father relinquished his studies at an early age and had hardly entered his teens when he was
at work, assisting upon his stepfather’s farm for several years. At eighteen he struck out for himself, taking over the lease of “Seaton Ross,” now in possession of the Barrett-Lennard family, and for three years he devoted his activities to the development of that property.
Upon attaining his majority he selected a small farm, comprising about 100 acres, on what was then known as tillage leasehold, which afterwards, upon the amendment of the Land Act, was transferred under the new regulations. In those days farming in Western Australia was not taken very seriously, and the scattered residents of the great southern bush country were chiefly engaged in the sandalwood trade, which was then in its zenith, the wood being carted to the port of Fremantle, where it commanded £9 per ton. At that period the great southern railway had not been
built, and when at last the growing of wheat and hay became more popular the grain was carted to York for milling purposes. This was done by means of the old stones, and wheat - growing along the great southern line did not receive much encouragement until modern methods were introduced into Katan-ning by the Piesse family, after which the industry became more active—and even then local flour was worth £3 10s. less than the imported article. Practically there was little settlement until the great southern railway was constructed and opened in 1889, after which the areas opened up by the line made considerable strides. Mr. Williams —who is regarded as the oldest settler in the district—upon acquiring his modest holding immediately set operations in train, starting vigorously upon all the initial improvements, and whilst engaged in clearing and cultivating this area watched his opportunity to select further territory in the vicinity. Gradually his borders widened until in course of time hundreds of acres gave place to thousands, and at the present period the property known as “Woodbine,” including the original homestead block, covers an area of 3,700 acres. In addition to this, Mr. Williams also purchased a couple of farms for his two elder sons which jointly embraced another 2,000 acres, and which are carried on by the gentlemen referred to. As a result of his industry and perseverance the home property, “Woodbine,” rapidly assumed a flourishing appearance, and it is now in a highly-developed condition. Nearly
Photo by W. P. Piston.
Residence of Mr. S. Williams. Brookton.
Harvesting Scene looking towards Rear of Homestead.
643
30 miles of excellent fencing have been erected, the major portion of which is finished with dog-proof wire-netting, while the balance—the subdivisional fences chiefly—is constructed on the ordinary plan of timber posts and six or seven plain wires. Nearly 1,700 acres have been brought under cultivation, and splendid results have been obtained from working on the three-year system — cropping, fallowing, and grassing—the returns from “Woodbine” during the past few years being unriva-lled in the district. By this system about 700 acres are annually placed under crop, while every season further virgin territory is reclaimed for cultivation purposes. From 800 to 1,000 sheep are grazed on the property, the wool from which fetches top prices at the London markets; and horses up to the number of thirty are kept, a few being bred each season to koep up the supply for the working of the farm. On account of his long standing in the district, in addition to the keen interest he manifested in its advancement, Mr. Williams has always been regarded as one of the leading spirits in every movement or organization having for its object the progress of the place. Prior to the days of Federation he received appointment to the Commission of the Peace by the Forrest Administration, and ever since has exercised this office. For seventeen years he served as a
to the similar office in the then newly-formed board of Brookton, which he retained during the whole of his four and a half years of membership. The board was formed to
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Samuel Williams.
keep pace with the rapid progress being made by the district, and the long experience of the gentleman under review made him a valuable acquisition to its ranks. In point of fact, he had a prominent part in the formation of the board, as he considered that the district was too far
twenty-two years of service, during the whole of which he had kept studiously before him the best interests of the place which he had made his home for forty years. Nearly a quarter of a century has elapsed since Mr. Williams’ name was first entered upon the roll of the Beverley Agricultural Society, of which he was president for eight consecutive years, and upon his severing his connection with the society his fellow members did him the honour of electing him to honorary life membership. It may be of interest to mention here that he was one of the earliest growers of wheat in Western Australia, and took a prize for the same at the first National Agricultural Show ever held in Perth. In politics Mr. Williams is a strong Liberal and an advanced freetrader, but though approached on various occasions with a view to parliamentary election he has always declined nomination for the district. He is a prominent member of the Anglican Church, and occupies the office of local churchwarden as well as those of honorary secretary and treasurer. He is also a member of the local cemetery board and trustee of the recreation ground and agricultural hall. In his younger days he was keen on all the cleaner forms of sport, and now finds recreation in quieter ways, especially enjoying the perusal of works of an historical nature and other literary
Harvesting Scene on the "Woodbine" Estate.
member of the Beverley Roads Board, and registered a good record of nine years as chairman; and upon his retirement from this body in 1906 he was honoured with election pp2
removed from Beverley to be properly administered by the governing body there. His retirement from the Brookton Roads Board in 1911 marked the completion of over
matter. Mr. Williams married in 1879 Agnes, daughter of the late George Martin, one of the early pioneers of Western Australia, and has four sons and five daughters.
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ROBERT LINDSAY SAMUEL CRAWFORD, J.P., “Milroy,” Brookton, is a native of South Australia, having been born at Milang, on the Murray River, in that State, on June 15, 1860. His father, the late William Milroy Crawford, came
Me. William Milroy Crawford.
originally from Ayrshire, Scotland, in the very early days of settlement, and for some years subsequently was identified with the flour-milling industry in South Australia. At a later period he embarked upon agricultural and pastoral enterprise in the Murray River district, and for some years prior to his death owned and conducted a sheep station in the Gawler Ranges. The gentleman under review was educated in the town of his birth, concluding his studies at the Model School, Grote
Street, Adelaide. Leaving this institution at sixteen years of age, he proceeded direct to his father’s pastoral property, ‘Taney Bluff,” in the Gawler Ranges, and was there initiated into all the details of the mutton and wool industry from the point of view of the producer. For over a decade Mr. Crawford continued in this region, until the golden lure of the newly-discovered Kimberley field drew him with the crowds of treasure-seekers to the shores of Western Australia, where, continuing his journey to the north-west portion of the State, he spent twelve months in prospecting over the scene of the find. Success failing to reward his efforts, he turned his face southwards with the intention of devoting his energies once more to the less romantic but more stable enterprise of the agriculturist, and for this purpose selected the Brook-ton district, where he took over the lease of “Brookton” Farm, then the property of the late John Seabrook, J.P., a pioneer of the place, from whom the town received its name. Mr. Crawford worked this lease for about ten years, carrying on mixed farming pursuits there, while at the same time he was improving and developing his present property, “Mil-roy,” which he acquired in separate blocks from time to time. In conjunction with these holdings he also held a pastoral lease of some 20,000 acres of land surrounding Brookton, almost the whole of the district at that time being unoccupied. The
first block, which he took up on conditional purchase terms, consisted of 240 acres, and it was upon this piece of land that the homestead of “Milroy” was erected and still stands, though now the broad acres which it represents and which are controlled from its precincts have been increased in number to about 6,000. Conducted with experienced knowledge and skill by Mr. Crawford and his two elder sons, the proposition has proved a marked success, “Milroy”
IF. E. Elston, Wag in.
Mr. R. L. S. Crawford.
being regarded as among the best homestead farms in the Golden West. In the harvest season large areas are golden with grain, about a thousand acres being cropped annually, and the three-year fallow system employed with the best results. In all
Milroy," the Property of Mr. R. L. S. Crawford, brookton.
645
over 3,000 acres are cleared and under cultivation and the remainder of the estate is used as a sheep run, where a flock of about 3,000 crossbreds pasture and grow fine fleeces, the destiny of which is the London market, where excellent prices are obtained. The whole of the property is fenced and subdivided into about thirty paddocks, varying in size from 1,000 acres to a small field of ten acres, and the entire boundary is surrounded with sheep-proof wire netting. A fine supply of excellent fresh water is to be obtained all over the estate from soaks and natural
represent. The homestead is a modern structure built of brick, and containing eight rooms, with various additional offices and conveniences. It is connected by telephone with the Beverley Exchange, and many up-to-date arrangements have been included in its plan and general appointments. Its appearance is greatly enhanced by the cultivation of a tasteful flower garden in the area of ground surrounding the building, and many bright bouquets find their way from the well-tended plots into the interior of the house, which gains in attractiveness thereby. Full in
pre-federal days was given the Commission of the Peace by the Forrest Administration. He has served as a member of the Brookton Roads Board since the earliest days of its existence, and on account of his experience and good judgment has proved a valuable participator in the deliberations of this assembly. The Pingelly Agricultural Society claims him as a member, and he occupies a seat on the Brookton School Board* A very staunch Liberal in politics, he has taken a prominent part in the local branch of the Australasian Liberal League, and has filled the
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Mr. R. L. S. Crawford’S Residence, Brookton.
creeks, which in some localities are running all the year round, and these have been augmented by a considerable catchment in dams which have been constructed in favourable places. Some attention has been given by Mr. Crawford to the breeding of horses, but he confines his efforts in this direction chiefly to the producing of a useful type of animal for the work of his own property. He breeds from good stock and has about forty horses on the farm at the present time, all of which do credit to their owner and the estate, the resources of which to some extent they
view of the front portion of the residence is a fine orchard, three or four acres in extent, where a great number of fruit-trees, representing every variety of fruit suited to the soil and climate, arc grown. The outhouses are in the vicinity of the homestead, and arc in every way worthy of the reputation enjoyed by “Mil-roy,” being substantial and commodious and well suited to the purposes for which they are designed. As a public-spirited citizen Mr. Crawford has given due attention to the welfare of the community with which he has thrown in his lot, and in
office of president of this league ever since its inception. He is one of the leading supporters of the Methodist Church in the district, with which he has been connected for a lengthy period. In matters of sport his patronage may be counted on for any class of manly diversion of a clean and healthful nature, and in his younger days he was a cricketer of some merit. Mr. Crawford was married in 1890 to Clara Theresa, daughter of the late John Seabrook, of Brookton, before-mentioned, and he has a family of three sons and one daughter.
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GEORGE ALBERT THOMPSON, J.P., “Brookton'' House, Brookton, is a South Australian by birth, his native place being the town of Balaklava, where he was born on October 27, 1872. His father, Mr. John William Thompson, came from Norfolk, England, to Australia over sixty years ago, and was well known among the early farming community of that State,
Mr. John William Thompson.
where he carried on agricultural pursuits for a lengthy period. Educated at Virginia, near Adelaide, young Thompson's schooldays were cut short by the necessity for him to be out earning his living, and as there was not sufficient scope upon his
father's farm to keep the large family of boys and girls all employed, he worked on neighbouring properties until he was about twenty years of age. At this period he struck out for himself, leaving the shelter of the paternal rooftree and with only 15s. in his pocket directed his steps towards the more northerly areas of the State, where he was for some time engaged as general hand on one of the large sheep stations there. Returning to the capital ho took a position embracing duties of a varied character with Messrs. Norman and Co., of Adelaide, having charge of horses and trollies and also being employed in agricultural labour and work on the mills on behalf of the same firm at Salisbury and elsewhere. Upon leaving this service in 1894 Messrs. Norman & Co. presented him with a testimonial of a highly eulogistic nature, and shortly afterwards he received an offer from Messrs. Clutterbuck Brothers, of Adelaide, to take charge of a consignment of horses shipped to Western Australia. This offer he accepted, and reaching these shores about the middle of 1894 safely landed his equine charges, subsequent to which he consented to assume control of the produce and forwarding business established by the last-mentioned firm at the head of the railway line to Mullewa, then in course of construction. After continuing in this connection for about twelve months Mr. Thompson purchased a small carrying business in
the town, and with characteristic energy worked up a thriving connection, subsequently disposing of the concern at a satisfactory figure.
Mr. George Albert Thompson.
He then proceeded to the larger centres of the eastern goldfields, where he became well known in various capacities both in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, being concerned in some of the largest contracts on these fields and assisting to lay down the first streets in the latter town. About the end of 1899 his interest began to revive in the calling that had occupied his early youth, and he decided to direct his attention to the agricultural enterprise of this State. In the course of a tour of
Distant View of “Brookton," the Property of Mr. G. a. Thompson.
647
inspection he visited, among other places, the Beverley district, with the result that he purchased “Jel-cobine,” an old out-station formerly belonging to the late James Broun and at that time in the hands of his son, Mr. F. R. Broun. During the nine years that operations were conducted on this property by Mr. Thompson he added to the original
1.000 acres by degrees, until eventually its boundary line enclosed over
6.000 acres, and conjointly with this proposition he rented a pastoral lease of 20,000 acres in the same district. The “Jelcobine” Station ultimately was sold to a Mr. Hutton, and has
the possessor of a holding of 3,000 acres, with a four-mile frontage to the Hotham River, and situated east of Pingelly. The contour of “Brook-ton” Estate is gently undulating, and a branch of the River Avon provides a short but valuable water frontage. The chocolate and black loam soils which predominate are rich in essential constituents and particularly well adapted to agricultural purposes, while the indigenous timbers embrace manna-gum, York-gum, jam, white-gum, and sheaoak. Over half of the property has been cleared and cultivated on the three-year system of alternate cropping,
“Hotham” estates are divided into thirty and fifteen paddocks respectively, and many improvements have been made upon each, wells being sunk in various parts of the properties and windmills erected for the purpose of serving the stock in the most convenient manner. Wheat is the principal agricultural product, although oats and peas are also grown in considerable quantities, and the average returns for this department are eminently satisfactory. Predominant in the flock, which maintains a high standard of quality, will be found the Lincoln type, but Mr. Thompson also has a
Original Homestead on the "Jelcobine" Property.
since been repurchased by the Government for purposes of closer settlement. Mr. Thompson, after disposing of “Jelcobine,” acquired the original “Brookton” Estate (first taken up by the late John Seabrook, from whom the town of Brookton takes its name), then a well-developed holding of over 550 acres. He next purchased three adjoining farms and another property situated about a mile distant, which brought his landed interests up to about
6,000 acres, all the holdings being conveniently adjacent the one to the other. In addition to these, in course of time, he further became
fallowing, and grassing, each year about 1,000 acres being placed under crop. On the “Hotham” property from 400 to 500 acres have been used for tillage, and the remainder is utilized as a grazing proposition in conjunction with the home pastures. A large amount of fencing has been completed on both holdings, and both the boundary and subdivisional fences have been erected on a thoroughly approved system, being rendered dog-proof by the addition of wire-netting, which, supplementing the ordinary six plain wires, makes a close and substantial barrier. The “Brookton” and
stud flock of merinoes founded from the famous South Australian “Koo-noona” strain. He has been a very successful exhibitor of sheep at the Royal Agricultural Show, where on several occasions he has carried off prizes, and he has also achieved similar distinction at various functions of the same nature in the country districts. Of special importance among these may be mentioned the Challenge Cup, known as the “Monger Trophy,” awarded for the largest number of points in the sheep section at the annual Pingelly Show, which was won by Mr. Thompson during the three successive years
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of 1907-8-9. The wool, which is sent to London markets, earned most favourable commendation in the reports from the 1913 sales, these setting forth that the “clip showed a
small domestic herd for dairy purposes is also grazed on the pastures, some nice-looking Jersey cows being included in this department. Outhouses of a large and substantial
underground tanks, which conserve the rain catchment, and in addition pipes have been laid down, which serve the house and garden with water pumped up by windmills from
Photo by W. E. Elston.
highly-bred stamp of wool, well grown and excellent in staple, and generally in a good, marketable condition,^ while, referring to prices obtained, the report stated that the “wool brought within a halfpenny per tt>. of the record price for Western Australian wool.” About thirty head of horses, principally of the Clydesdale breed, are found
Teams at Work on the Property.
character were built in the original instance by the late Mr. Seabrook, stone being the material chiefly used, and these have been kept in first-rate repair so that they remain as thoroughly suitable for their purpose to-day as when they were first erected. At “Brookton” there is stabling accommodation for several horses, chaff-sheds, and barns, and
wells or tanks in the vicinity. The homestead on the “Brookton” property was erected by Mr. Thompson in 1908 and ranks first among similar structures in the neighbourhood. It is built of brick throughout and there are twelve rooms—many of them particularly large and lofty—with the additional necessary offices, etc. A verandah encircles the whole
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Flock of Merino Rams.
sufficient to work the holdings, and from these two excellent teams are formed, which though not heavy are specially suited to the class of labour for which they are reauired. A
on the other farms various outbuildings have been utilized by Mr. Thompson for his own requirements. About the homestead area there is an efficient water supply provided by
building, and the entrance hall is so arranged that access may be gained from any one of the four sides of the house. Surrounding the homestead lies a beautiful garden where, under
649
the special attention of Mrs. Thompson, many radiant blooms come to perfection at the different seasons of the year. Paramount in variety and brilliance among these are the roses, to which the lady referred to gives the best of her care and skill, and in this department there are no less than eighty different varieties of the choicest examples of this favourite flower. Mrs. Thompson is a frequent exhibitor of roses at the periodical shows, and has carried off many prizes for the products of her parterres. It may be here mentioned
and as many as fifty sheep were known to be killed by these pests in a single night, and while Mr. Thompson was absent carting his wheat to a depot 30 miles distant his wife was ever and anon in the saddle mustering the sheep and looking after things generally in the most capable manner. An orchard covering an area of two or three acres faces the south front of the house, and here a choice selection of fruits is grown for home consumption. Besides his various properties in the Brookton district, Mr. Thompson
has been a member for some years, and in this connection the skilled knowledge and practical experience which are his by right of his many years’ association with the farming industry are willingly placed at the service of his fellow settlers and other members of the community, to the great advantage of the ratepayers. He is also a member of the Pingelly Agricultural Society and a committeeman of that body, in the past having served for a couple of years as president; and is chairman of the
Photo by IF. E. Elston. "Brookton House," Residence of Mr. G. A. Thompson.
that in early days this intrepid settler’s wife set herself to far sterner duties than the tending of flowers, as she shared with her husband all the strenuous exertions called for in the building up of the family fortune through bright and darker times alike, and to her must be accorded a portion of the credit due for the successful carving out of a home in the new colony at a time when conditions were all of the most primitive nature and hardship and privation were the general order of the day. At one period wild dogs were very prevalent at “Jelcobine”
owns large pastoral interests in the Carnarvon division of the northwest which are now in course of development. Since his advent to the locality where he now resides he has been very active in all matters affecting the advancement of Beverley and Brookton, with the surrounding areas, in especial everything touching the agricultural industry being made by him a particular study, and by all means in his power he keeps the interests of these places well in the foreground of public notice. He is the present chairman of the Brookton Roads Board, of which he
Brookton branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of Western Australia. A Freemason of lengthy standing he is a member of the Pingelly Lodge, No. 72, W.A.C., in which he occupies the office of honorary treasurer. Mr. Thompson was married in 1899 to Edith Gertrude, daughter of Mr. William Henry Wasley, of “Fairfield,” in the Lower Light district of South Australia—a member of one of the best known and oldest families connected with the agricultural industry in that State. Of this union there are two sons and three daughters.
WALTER BODEY, owner and occupier of “Loam Hill/’ Brookton, was born in the Wimmera district of Victoria on August 8, 1874, and i3 the third son of Mr. James Bodey, well known in agricultural circles in that State as a breeder of champion stock. Mr. Walter Bodey’s grandfather, who lives in retirement at Camperdown, Victoria, is now over one hundred and three years of age, and has lived under the successive reigns of six British sovereigns. A native of County Wicklow, Ireland, the venerable pioneer came to the sister State at the time when the now magnificent city of Melbourne was only a village of tents, and was concerned in the earliest gold rushes to the auriferous centres, taking his place in the van of those excited processions. The subject of our memoir received his education at the State school at Longerenong, near Horsham, in Victoria, and concluding his scholastic studies at the age of fourteen, became engaged in agricultural pursuits on his father’s farm, where he remained until the year 1900, by which time he had completed his twenty-sixth year. At the beginning of the war between the British and the Boers in South Africa about that period young Bodey was prompted by the spirit of loyalty, seconded by the love of adventure, to join the ranks of those who went forth from Australia to supplement the forces of the Mother Country in the struggle in which so many brave soldiers were
sacrificed. Joining the Imperial Bushmen—the Fourth Victorian Contingent—he spent a year and a half in service at the front in the Transvaal, Rhodesia, Cape Colony, and what was then known as the Orange Free State, and upon his retirement was presented with the Queen’s Medal and Four Clasps. Upon his departure from South Africa he turned his steps once more towards his paternal home in Victoria, but shortly after arriving there determined to branch out in a new direction and start life on his own account in the Western State of the great island continent. Mr. Bodey first set foot upon Western Australian soil in 1902, and his initial sphere of operations was at Bunbury, where he was engaged in agricultural avocations for a time. His attention, however, being attracted by the importance of the mining industry in this State he relinquished his holding on the sea coast and proceeded to the Mount Margaret goldfields, where he accepted a contract in connection with a cyanide plant and was associated with this enterprise for about a couple of years. Subsequent to this he tried his luck at prospecting all round the Red Flag district, but was not successful in winning the favour of fortune in this venture, and in 1905 assisted in the formation of a syndicate the object of which was to purchase Augusta Mine, situated at Laver -ton, and work it for the mutual
benefit of the shareholders. Mr. Bodey personally made one of the party to set forth in the attempt to wrest from the bowels of the earth the shining treasure that for long eluded all efforts of the seekers. Just as the patience of the miners was all but exhausted after long and strenuous toil the reward of their labour was given, and at the expiration of two years Mr. Bodey disposed of his share in the mine, and having amassed sufficient capital to purchase a farm, he directed his efforts to the search for a suitable locality. Coming to the Brookton district, he was favourably impressed with the possibilities of his present estate, “Loam
IT7. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Walter Bodey.
Hill” Farm, a property comprising 812 acres, to which he afterwards added 700 acres by purchase, making a total of some 1,512 acres, and having agreed to the terms of purchase, took up residence on the property and lost no time in proceeding with its development. At that period there were only 200 acres of cleared land on the entire holding, and operations were immediately set in train to prepare a large area for tillage, additional area every year being made to pay toll for the benefit of the energetic new owner. This preparatory work was pursued with such vigour that at the present time 1,100 acres have been brought under cultivation on the two-year fallow system, between three and four hundred acres being cropped annually.
Mr. W. Bodevs Residence, brookton.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
651
“Loam Hill” holds its own in the matter of harvest returns with almost any farm in the neighbourhood, from 19 to 20 bushels of wheat to the acre being garnered, and two tons of hay to the acre, and for these products satisfactory prices are always obtainable at the local markets. In addition to agriculture Mr. Bodey gives much time and attention to the breeding of horses, of which he makes a very profitable hobby, and he has done much to improve the class of horses used by the farming community not only in his own immediate neighbourhood, but also in many other parts of the State. To him must be accorded the credit of having imported some of the best pedigreed heavy type of stallions, etc., foremost among which may be mentioned “Bonnie Charlie,” brought to Western Australia as a two-year-old, who has made a great reputation for himself, winning first and champion prizes at the Royal Show, Perth, and all leading country shows, having maintained an unbeaten record in the State. Mr. Bodey also owns some of the best mares to be found in the country, and the 1912 parade championship was won by representatives from this estate; while he is also credited with having the best four-horse waggon team in the State. For many years he has been
fine specimens of trotting horses, and usually carries off the palm from the smartest trotters in the surrounding districts, his choice of recreation leading him to participate freely in this form of exercise. In addition to
horses he has frequently been a successful exhibitor of other classes of stock, receiving awards for cattle, pigs, fowls, etc., at many of the annual functions referred to; and another department of industry at “Loam Hill” is the flock of from 300 to 500 sheep. Over two acres of orchard are cultivated, and the soil and climate have proved particularly adaptable to this enterprise. A branch of the River Avon flows through the property, which is also well supplied with soaks and
stables and other outhouses are also of modern design, and all in keeping with the reputation of the place as one of the model farms of the district. Mr. Bodey has taken his place in public office, and has identified
himself freely with all organizations for the advancement of the place. For a lengthy period he has held membership in the surrounding agricultural societies as well as in the Royal, and his services have frequently been in requisition as a judge of horses at the various shows in different parts of the State, while in the Pingelly Society he has filled the post of vice-president. He has served as a member of the Brookton Roads Board for some considerable time, and was a founder of the local race
Photo by W. E. Elston.
a noted judge of horses, and in 1911 at the Royal Agricultural Show in Perth carried off the silver medal awarded by the society for the judging of Clydesdales and heavy draught horses on points—an open competitive event. He has bred some very
Horses Bred by Mr. W. Bodey.
creeks, and is considered the best-watered farm in the district. Water is laid on by pipes to all parts of the stockyards, garden, and homestead, the latter being a pretty up-to-date concrete house, with brick facings, which was erected in 1910. The
club, taking a very prominent part in the launching of this institution. He was married in the year 1906 to Wynnifred, second daughter of the late Henry Jones, of Perth, Western Australia, and has a family of three sons.
GEORGE TILLER, J.P., “Boya-gin,” Brookton. The subject of this notice, like many other of Western Australia’s successful settlers, is a native of South Australia, where his birth occurred at the country town of Mallala on January 8, 1875. His father, the late Richard Tiller, was a well-known agriculturist of the Central State, where he arrived as a child with his parents, and spent seventy years in the land of his adoption, during which period he did a considerable amount of pioneer work in connection with the farming industry. Mr. George Tiller received a State-school education, principally in the district where he was born, and at fifteen years of age began to turn his hand to the strenuous work demanded in the working of his father’s farm, where he continued until he reached the age of eighteen. About this period a desire to see more of the world than the restrictions of his calling allowed caused him to relinquish agricultural life, and proceeding to Broken Hill, then in the zenith of its prosperity, he became engaged in mining occupations. After persevering in these pursuits for some twelve months, before he had mastered all the details in connection with the industry, Mr. Tiller began to suffer from the effects of leadpoisoning, which forced him to abandon his intention of remaining
for about three years. Owing to severe drought, however, he met with discouraging reverses, and eventually decided to return to his native place, where he leased a farm and carried on operations for five years. In 1903,
TF. E. Hist on, Wagin.
Mr. George Tiller.
owing to the glowing reports circulating regarding the bright prospects for settlers in the agricultural districts of Western Australia, and the excellent advantages offered by the
with the object in view of selecting a suitable holding for his future operations. A short search was sufficient to bring him within touch of what he required, his experienced judgment perceiving in the block of land from which his present farm has been developed a property which would amply repay the efforts which he was prepared to expend upon it, and without further delay he took up about 1,600 acres, which formed the original extent of the place. To this he has since added at intervals, with the result that to-day the property covers over 5,300 acres, the bulk of which is good agricultural land, while a fair portion may be classed as very superior soil, unequalled by the best in the district. The timber predominating on the estate is white gum, York gum, and jam, and the country is plentifully watered, good stock water being found almost anywhere on this favoured area. Soaks occur at frequent intervals, and there has been no need to sink wells, a flock of from 1,200 to 1,500 sheep being watered on the property without any artificial means having been brought into requisition. After taking up the land clearing and fencing were speedily commenced, and of the latter Mr. Tiller has now erected about 40 miles of six plain-wire fencing and ten miles of dog-proof barbed-wire fencing finished with wire-netting,
Photo by W. E. Elston.
in the Silver City, and going from there to the Port Lincoln district he entered upon farming avocations on his own account, which occupied him
Mr. G. Tiller’s Residence, Brookton.
liberal land laws of this State, Mr. Tiller left South Australia for the Golden West, and upon arrival commenced an inspection of the country
while 1,600 acres of the best of the land is cleared and under cultivation on the three-year fallow system. Over 600 acres are cropped annually,
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wheat and oats being grown in about equal proportions, and the harvesting returns show an average of fifteen bushels of wheat and twenty-five bushels of oats to the acre. Considerable attention is given to the
pastoral side of the industry, which has proved in a modest way a very profitable department, and nearly the whole of the uncultivated portion of the estate is ring-barked, with the result that excellent feed for the stock prevails over all the pasture land. The flock consists of a crossbred
replenishing of the farm stock, and about fourteen or fifteen useful animals of varying types may usually be seen at work on different parts of the property. Since the advent of Mr. Tiller to the district he has not
failed to interest himself in the various movements organized for the advancement of the place, but has taken a prominent part in all matters tending to that end. When the increasing importance of the district led to the formation of a roads board at Brooklon Mr. Tiller was returned
the Public Hall Committee of West Brookton and is a member of the Brookton branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of Western Australia, on which he also serves as a committeeman. He has been associated with the local branch of the Liberal League, and is a prominent supporter of the Methodist Church, holding office as Church steward at the West Brookton branch of that communion. Mr. Tiller’s standing and varied services to his fellow-settlers and other members of the community were recognized by the Wilson Administration, from whom he received his Commission of the Peace in the year 1909. His chief hobby is found in reading, and he spends a considerable portion of his leisure time in the perusal of historical works and literature of a scientific character, especially that dealing with up-to-date ideas in regard to the management of stock and land development and mixed farming generally. In 1898 Mr. Tiller was married to Mary Margaret, daughter of Mr. James Bateup, a resident of Gawler, South Australia, who has been well known as one of the identities of that district for upwards of half a century. His family consists of four sons and three daughters.
Photo by IF. E. Elston.
ONE OF THE " BOYAGIN ” FIELD TEAMS.
merino-Lincoln type, proved by Mr. Tiller to produce a very good utility sheep, and the wool, which is of excellent quality, is despatched to England. The breeding of horses is carried on on a small scale for the
as a member, and he^ has served continuously on that body ever since, besides which he has been honoured by his fellow-members by election to the office of chairman on more than one occasion. He is also chairman of
JOHN WHITTINGTON, proprietor of the “Glen Dale” Estate in the neighbourhood of Brookton, was born on the old Swan settlement of the early days near Guildford on March 14, 1857, and is a son of the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
late James Whittington, who came to Western Australia from England in the first year of the foundation of the new colony, and was afterwards identified with the sandalwood and agricultural industries in the Brook-ton district. The subject of our notice acquired the rudiments of learning by attendance at one of the small private schools before the era of State education, and at an early age became associated with his father and brothers in the work of the farm at “Rosedale” now in possession of Mr. H. W. D. Whittington. He continued in this connection until thirty years old, when he launched out on his own account in a sheepfarming proposition, taking over a pastoral lease some fifty miles south-east of Brookton. For three years he carried on operations there, but at the end of that period, on account of scarcity of water, was compelled to dispose of his stock and return to a more favoured locality. Settling down in the town of Beverley, for a time he directed his attention to storekeeping pursuits, and was engaged in the bakery trade at that centre; but eventually he found his way back to Brookton, and here selected 100 acres of the holding which proved the nucleus of his present valuable property known as “Glen Dale.” Being well satisfied with his selection, Mr. Whittington proceeded to increase his landed interests, and as opportunity occurred added block to block, until the whole formed a compact and arable holding comprising over 1,500 acres, nearly the whole of which is now in a well-developed state. Upwards of 1,000 acres have been cleared and subdivided with six-wire fences into eight paddocks, while the balance is already ringbarked as a preliminary to burning off, the growth of the
natural grasses on the area used for pastures being much improved thereby. About 350 to 400 acres are brought under cultivation annually on the approved fallow system, and the crops obtained are well above the
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. John Whittington.
average for the district. The estate is up to date in the matter of farm implements and machinery, Mr. Whittington being a believer in progressive methods, and in all minor details as well as those more important the arrangements for working the place leave little to be desired. Besides the cultivation fields, seven acres of first-class orchard land have been planted with a carefully-chosen selection of fruit-trees, and this has proved a very profitable branch of the operations carried on, excellent returns coming in from the marketing of these products. “Glen Dale” carries a flock numbering from four
hundred to five hundred sheep of the crossbred type, bred with a view to contributing wool and mutton to the local markets, and this also is a successful department, good prices almost invariably being obtained for representatives from these pastures. The horses are worthy of mention, though breeding is carried on with a view to keeping the stock on the farm young and fresh rather than for sale or exhibition at the local shows. A few find their way to the markets, however, and as a rule purchasers are not wanting when a fine young draught bred by Mr. Whittington is offered. Great changes have taken place in the face of the country since the now-prosperous settler came to Brookton with the slender capital of thirty shillings in his pocket, to wrest from the virgin soil, by means of industry and perseverance, the treasure which may be found by those who bring these qualities into play in the enterprise to which they have pledged their best energies, and Mr. Whittington must feel abundantly rewarded for all his efforts when he views his smiling cornfields and orchards covering the areas where erstwhile the native timber waved its foliage, and realizes the value of his farm and plant, etc. In addition he owns real estate in Brookton, where a few business premises know him as landlord. Mr. Whittington has never taken any part in public affairs, preferring to give the whole of his time and attention to the development of his industry. He was married in 1890 to Isabelle, daughter of the late Richard Strange, one of Western Australia’s early pioneers (mentioned in the biography of his son, Mr. Andrew Strange, included in these pages), and has seven sons and one daughter.
Photo by IF. E. Elston.
View of Mr. John Whittington’s “Glen Dale” Estate, Brookton.
655
THOMAS JAMES WHITTINGTON, of “Oaklands,” near Brook-ton, is a son of the late James Whittington, one of the very early pioneers both of ihe sandalwood trade and the farming industry in Western Australia. He is a native of this State, having been born at Guildford on March 17, 1859, and even before entering his teens became engaged in the task of earning his living in the sandalwood forests at the time that that industry was in the zenith of its prosperity. It was not an infrequent thing for him to cart the valuable timber from the district where he now resides all the way to Perth—a distance of a hundred miles. For fifteen years young Whittington continued his connection with this trade, relinquishing it at the end of that period in order to take up a pastoral lease in the Pin-gelly district, which he used as a sheep run for a few years, conjointly with this enterprise assisting his brothers in the conduct of the old homestead property of “Rosedale,” in the Beverley district, before the demise of their father. In 1890 he permanently severed his interests from those of other members of his family, and leaving the paternal roof-tree, selected a holding of over 100 acres at Kelmscott, with the purpose in view of planting an orchard. This he cleared and developed successfully, and for fifteen years carried on the calling of an orchardist; but ultimately deeming it in the best interests of his growing family to engage once more in the agricultural industry, he returned to the Brook-ton district, where some time previously he had selected a property of over 2,200 acres. This he at once
began to clear and fence, and with the assistance of his sons, who have now reached maturity, a well-developed farm-holding has been carved out of the virgin bush during the seven years which have elapsed
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Thomas James Whittington.
since operations were first inaugurated. One of the characteristic features of the Brookton district is the excellent water supply derived from perfectly natural sources, and “Oak-lands” is by no means lacking in this general advantage, the precious fluid being easily obtainable all over the estate. Cropping on the three-year fallow system has been productive of highly satisfactory results, and in all 1,000 acres have been made tributary to the harvesters; while the horticultural industry has also
flourished, an orchard of from two to three acres in extent producing all kinds of fruits suitable to the soil and climate. On the pastoral side a flock of about 700 merino sheep gives evidence of care and judgment in the selection of types from which to breed, and fleeces are shorn from these animals averaging about 6 lb. in weight. The 1912 clip was shipped to London, where the price obtained was Is. 2d. per lb. A few horses are bred for the work of the farm, and for this purpose a medium draught has proved to be the most serviceable type. About fifteen workers are found necessary for the various demands of the different departments, and sufficient young stock is bred to keep up the supply wihout resorting to outside markets. Many improvements of a substantial kind may be noted by the observant eye, prominent among which may be mentioned the up-to-date stabling and outbuildings generally, while the excellent fences constructed with jam timber posts and the usual six wires may also come in for a glance of approval. The homestead is an unpretentious, comfortable dwelling, where Mr. Whittington, who is a man of quiet tastes, spends his leisure hours in the bosom of his family, taking his recreation at home in the intervals he can spare from the work of managing the property. He married in 1891 Alice, daughter of the late Jesse Martin, of Kelmscott, who came to Western Australia nearly half a century ago, and was well known in that locality for about twenty years prior to his death. Of this union there are three sons, all of whom are engaged with their father in the conduct of the estate.
Mr. T. J. Whittington’s Homestead, Brookton.
SAMUEL WHITTINGTON, who owns the “Spring Hill” property, situated in the vicinity of Brookton, the homestead being about seven miles distant from the town, was born at “Rosedale,” near Beverley, on March 14, 1866. The “Rosedale” Estate, now occupied by Mr. H. W. D. Whittington, elder brother of the gentleman under review, was originally a holding taken up by his father, the late James Whittington, an outline of whose career is given in the biography of the gentleman above referred to, which appears elsewhere in this volume. Like many other youthful colonists of those early days, Mr. Samuel Whittington's schooldays were cut short by the urgent necessity for every available pair of hands to assist on the farm, labour being scarce, and the primitive conditions making the work of tillage much more exacting and strenuous than is the case to-day. He continued at “Rose-dale” for a very lengthy period, having completed his thirty - sixth year before deciding to launch out on his own account, and when eventually he made the break he came direct to “Spring Hill,” where his first selection consisted of a block of a little over 300 acres, previously taken up by him in 1897. To this was attached a 10,000-acre pastoral lease, and
after coming to reside on the property Mr. Whittington at once began to add to his farm by selection, whilst carrying on the development of the territory already secured. In course
Mr. Samuel Whittington.
of time he acquired a considerable area of land, and to-day the “Spring Hill” Estate embraces 2,700 acres of country, undulating in character, the soil of which is red, chocolate, and sandy loam of a nature eminently
suited both for agricultural purposes and sheep-raising. The property is excellently watered, splendid supplies for the stock being present on the surface in every paddock, while beautiful fresh water abounds in many places, Nature's provision in this respect being so bountiful that no artificial methods whatever have to be resorted to in order to secure what is so indispensable where pastoral operations are carried on. The average rainfall is about 17 in., and agriculture receives every encouragement, about eighteen bushels of wheat and one and a half tons to the acre of hay being the usual harvesting returns. The whole of the land not under cultivation is ring-barked, with a view to improving the feed for the stock, while 1,700 acres are cleared and cultivated on the three-year system—cropping, grassing, and fallowing in turn—from 500 to 600 acres being cropped annually. Close on 40 miles of substantial fencing have been completed on the property, six plain wires and posts of jam timber being the general system followed both for the boundary and subdivision al fences, the latter dividing the whole area into thirteen pad-docks of convenient size for cultivation and the management of the stock. The flock consists of 1,000
"Spring Hill” Homestead and Outbuildings.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
657
merino - Lincoln crossbred sheep, a type which has been found by Mr. Whittington best suited to the district, and these produce a good class of wool which commands good prices at the London markets, whither the annual clip is despatched, the average weight of fleeces during recent years being estimated at from 6 lb. to 7 lb. Lambing takes place in June, and the satisfactory average of 85 per cent, has been obtained for some time past. A few dairy cattle are kept for domestic purposes, while fifteen horses, chiefly of the heavier type, are found sufficient for the work of the farm, these, with a few of lighter build, being bred by Mr. Whittington, who makes it his aim to keep a fresh young lot of workers coming on to relieve the old stagers who show signs of flagging. In 1909 Mr. Whittington turned his attention to the erection of a homestead, with the result that the property is now graced by a structure comprising five rooms and built of sun-dried bricks with concrete fronting. A verandah encircles the whole of the building, and the interior is very homely and comfortable, while surrounding the homestead is a pretty garden, where many favourite flowers make bright patches of colour
as the different seasons come round. In addition there are two and a half acres of orchard in the vicinity of the house, and here oranges, apples, and grapes, with various other kinds of
fruits, come to perfection. "The outhouses are well up to date, comprising ample stabling for the horses, hayshed, and other buildings, besides which there is a shearing-shed
containing a modern plant and accessories. Mr. Whittington for many years has served as a member of the Beverley Agricultural Society, and he interests himself generally
in various local organizations, and is associated with the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, of which he is a staunch supporter.
Photo by W. E. Elston. QQ
The Stables and Horses at "Spring Hill.”
658
WILLIAM EDWARD ROBINSON, of “Sunning Hill,” Brookton, was born at Corbading, in the vicinity of Brookton, on March 1, 1858, and is a son of tho late William Albert
Mr. William Albert Robinson.
Robinson, who at the age of nine came from England to Western Australia with his parents, his father’s decease occurring during the course of the voyage. The late W. A. Robinson in subsequent years became one of the earliest of the farming and pastoral pioneers of this State, having taken up the present “Sunning Hill” property considerably over half a century ago. He made a successful venture in securing pastoral interests in the great northwest, then comparatively little known, where he laid the foundation of the properties now held by some of his sons in the Roebourne district. His demise took place at York in the early years of the present century, just before he reached the allotted span of threescore years and ten.
The gentleman under review was educated at a private school at Brookton, concluding his studies before entering his teens in order to take over the shepherding of his father’s flock, which employment he followed for the subsequent five years. He was next engaged for a period in the sandalwood industry, and upon attaining the age of seventeen years proceeded to the north-west, where he filled a position on a station property owned by his uncle, the late Edward Robinson, in conjunction with the late John Seabrook. During the half-decade that he spent on this station he gained an intimate and very useful acquaintance with all the details of the wool industry and the general management of stock which stood him in good stead in his next enterprise, which was the founding, in partnership with his father, of the “Mount Florence” Station, a well-known pastoral property which has since passed out of the hands of the Robinson family, but which was developed and worked by father and son for upwards of twenty-one years. Owing to a serious setback occasioned by the big drought of the early nineties, Mr. Robinson about that time left the north-west, and coining to the great southern district rented his present holding for some years. In 1901 he took up a selection of 2,000 acres, situated near Pingelly, which, after he had conducted it for eleven years, he sold and returned to “Sunning Hill,” which he again took over on lease, but shortly afterwards, upon the death of his uncle, the late Edward Robinson, in 1913, found himself the heir to the property. “Sunning Hill” is an estate of over 2,000 acres, of which about 500 to 600 acres have been cleared and cropped, while the entire area is ringbarked, fenced, and subdivided with good
six-wire sheep-proof fences. The homestead is an old-fashioned most comfortable building, and commodious outhouses have been erected. Mr. Robinson has interested himself in the public life of the district, and for three years filled the position of chairman of the Mourambine Roads Board, of which he has been a member for a lengthy period. He is associated with the Pingelly Agricultural Society, and has served for many years as a committeeman of that body. His name may be found on the roll of almost
Mr. William Edward Robinson.
every organization having for its object the welfare of the community among which he resides. He occupies the office of people’s warden and vestryman in the local Church of England, and is a hearty advocate of all forms of manly recreation. Mr. Robinson married in 1884 Mary Frances, daughter of the late Edward Read Parker, of “Dangin,” and has four sons and four daughters.
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Mr. W. E. Robinson’s Homestead, brookton.
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CHARLES FREDERICK BROUN, “Bassendcne,” Pingelly, was born at Perth, Western Australia, on June 19, 1839, his father, the late Peter Nicholas Broun, having accompanied Captain Stirling, first Governor of the State, by the transport steamer “Parmelia,” which arrived at Fremantle in 1829, and for some years subsequently filled the office of Colonial Secretary in connection with the new settlement.. The gentleman under review received his scholastic training at the above-mentioned seaport, where a Government school had been established, and leaving this institution at the age of fourteen, he joined his brother, the late James Broun, in farming pursuits at “Jelcobine.” Here he remained for several years, during which period he acquired considerable experience in the different branches of agriculture, etc., and in 1860 launched out on his own account at Mourambine, in which district he leased a holding from the late L. J. Bayley—then resident magistrate at York. For five years Mr. Broun carried on farming operations in this locality, in 1866 removing to the Beverley district, where he continued in the same line of enterprise until 1895. In the latter year he disposed of his interests at Beverley and purchased his present estate, “Bas-sendene,” where he has since followed farming occupations in a small
way as a hobby, practically living in retirement, while his sons, who reside in the vicinity, have taken over the active management of the land surrounding the old “Bassendene”
Mr. Charles Frederick Broun.
homestead. Mr. Broun may be correctly described as one of those quiet-natured men who in many cases have proved themselves the best settlers, taking the inevitable rough side of pioneering life philosophically, and battling through all the hardships and privations without complaint, while doing their duty to the State
by the development of the land and the bringing up, in many cases, of a large family of children—the best contribution that can be added to the assets of any country. Ten sons and daughters were born to Mr. Broun and eight of these are still living, all of whom are settled in the district where their father resides. Mr. Broun has served for many years as a member of the Beverley Roads Board, where his unostentatious but wise and well-considered business methods have been invaluable to his fellow-members of that body, who have frequently been glad to profit by his advice to the material advantage of the ratepayers of the district. In his younger days, prior to his retirement, he was a member of most of the local organizations for the promotion of progress, and still retains membership in the Pingelly Agricultural Society. Mr. Broun was twice married. In 1862 he wedded Amelia, daughter of the late Charles Smith, of “Roseland,” Beverley, this lady being the mother of the ten children—four sons and six daughters— before referred to. Her decease took place in 1904, and two years later Mr. Broun contracted a second union with Emily Maria, sixth daughter of the late John Seabrook, well known as the founder of the town of Brook-ton, and mentioned elsewhere in these pages.
660
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
G. M. SEWELL, J.P., of “Had-leigh,” Pingelly, owner of the “Maplestead” Estate, at present leased to his son, Mr. W. O. Sewell, was born at “Seaton Ross,” Beverley district (now in possession of the
Mr. John Sewell.
Barrett-Lennard family), on September 8, 1855. His father, the late John Sewell, who was born in England in 1813, came from Essex to Western Australia in the early days of the colonization of this State,
sailing in 1834 by the ship “Adam,” of 300 tons burden. The voyage extended over nearly six months, and after touching at the Cape of Good Hope and Tasmania the boat finally reached her destination towards the end of the year. Almost immediately after arrival the late Mr. Sewell leased a block of land from the late Captain J. S. Roe on the Swan River settlement, a portion of which he cropped in conjunction with the late Mr. S. A. Barker, reaping the first harvest in the season of 1835. Subsequent to this he received an offer from the late Edward Pomeroy Barrett-Lennard, then residing on his farm, “St. Leonards,” in the same locality, to occupy the grant of land known as “St. Aubyns” at Beverley, and relinquishing the Swan holding Mr. Sewell proceeded eastwards to take up his residence on this property. During the first year of occupation much difficulty was experienced on account of the natives, who were very hostile and troublesome, and needed continual watching, making the matter of securing provisions, etc., one of considerable risk. Some soldiers were quartered on the late Mr. Sewell’s farm at “St. Aubyns,” one of whom was fatally
speared within a few yards of the homestead, and on the same occasion a brother of Mr. Sewell received a spear wound in the arm. The sheep and other stock were frequently driven away and killed if the shepherds relaxed in the least degree
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. G. M. Sewell.
their vigilant watch, and in many ways the aboriginal element in the place made conditions much more trying than otherwise would have
“ Hadleigh,” Residence of Mr. G. M. Sewell, Pingelly.
661
been the case. After leaving “St. Aubyns” Mr. Sewell leased a property at Spencer Brook (so called after Spencer Trimmer, one of the original settlers of the district) and built a homestead on a portion of the “Mokine” Estate, now the property of the Hon. Thomas Wilding,
the late Stephen Parker, who landed in the new colony in February, 1830. Mrs. Sewell thus is aunt to the present Chief Justice of Western Australia. She resided with her father at “Northbourne,” near York, until her marriage with the late Mr. Sewell in 1840, and subsequntly
Photo by W. E. Elston. " Maplestead ” Homestead.
years, bravely enduring the hardships incident to the struggle for existence which was their lot during this period of their career, and ultimately settled down with him at “Maplestead/’ where she resided
M.L.C., where he took up his abode and began operations on his own account. His experiences here, however, were not of a very happy nature, and he had a strenuous time fighting adverse fate for a few years. Eventually he gave up the attempt to form a home for himself in this locality, and moved to “Seaton Ross,” while there taking up on lease an area of land in Pingelly, where he settled with his family at “Maple-stead,” in the vicinity of the Wandering Road, about two miles distant in a westerly direction from the township of Pingelly. In this haven the staunch old pioneer ended his days, and subsequent to his demise the estate passed into the hands of his son, the subject of this memoir. Mr. G. M. Sewell’s mother—who resides with him at “Hadleigh”—has lived in the reigns of no less than six English monarchs, having been born in 1819, during the reign of George III. She is a member of the well-known Parker family, and came to Western Australia with her parents from the county of Kent in England as a child of ten, her father being
shared with her husband all the pioneering privations at “St. Aubyns,” where for a time she was under the protection of the two soldiers already referred to, who were sent by the Government for the purpose of protecting new settlers and their goods from the depredations of the blacks. She accompanied Mr. Sewell to Spencer Brook and lived in the homestead there for some
Talma, Melbourne.
Mr. William Orlando Sewell.
until her removal with her son to “Hadleigh.” The “Maplestead” homestead is now one of the old landmarks of the place, being distinguished for the comfort and conveniences found in the interior, where many up-to-date improvements have been introduced since
ORIGINAL HOMESTEAD AT " MAPLESTEAD.'
662
the early days of its erection. It has also been considerably added to from time to time to meet the necessities of the large family of twelve children (of whom four sons and five daughters are still living) brought up by Mr. and Mrs. Sewell on the farm. Outhouses of considerable size and substantial appearance have also their place in the homestead area, and nothing is lacking to express the prosperity and success which in the course of years has attended the enterprise. Mr. George Malakoff Sewell has spent almost the whole of his life in that portion of the Western Australian State where
he further enlarged his boundaries by purchasing from the Western Australian Land Company, then at work on the great southern railway line which was in course of erection, sufficient land on conditional purchase terms to establish himself on a sound basis from the agriculturist’s point of view, and at present the property comprises almost 5,000 acres, the greater part of which is equal in quality to the best average land on the line referred to. The property is in a forward state of development, the entire area being fenced with seven wires supported by posts of jam timber and divided into
fresh, and soaks are discovered everywhere, running water from the same being a common condition. A few wells have been sunk on the higher parts of the property, where water is generally obtained, excellent in quantity and quality, at from 8 ft. to 10 ft. from the surface. A good deal of attention is given to agriculture, a three-year rotation of cropping, grassing, and fallowing being the system followed with very satisfactory results. From 500 acres upwards is placed under cultivation every year, the principal cereals grown being wheat and oats, both of which are well suited to the soil and
Photo by W. 72. Elston. Flock of Crossbreds and Cultivated Areas at " Maplestead.”
he now resides. He received his education at the local Government school at York, where he continued his studies until about fourteen years of age, and subsequently was employed in the routine work of the farm, his chief duties as a lad being shepherding and mustering the mobs of horses which roamed at will over the unfenced areas which composed the leasehold pastures of “Maple-stead” prior to the time when the late Mr. Sewell was able to purchase a few hundred acres, block by block, which formed the nucleus of the freehold land acquired. When the present owner came into possession
about twenty paddocks, the smallest of which is less than ten acres in size while the largest comprises close on 1,000 acres. About 1,500 acres are cleared, and the whole of the remainder has been subjected to the ringing axe, this portion supplying excellent feed for the stock, which grow fat and flourishing on the indigenous grasses which spring up plentifully when the drain on the soil made by the timber is removed and the sunlight and air allowed to work their magic effect on the areas hitherto too much sheltered by the foliage of trees. The natural water supply on “Maplestead” is good and
climate, and in addition a considerable quantity of peas are sown for the purpose of providing a nourishing fodder for the stock, which fatten rapidly on this class of food. The pastures are utilized for the grazing of some 2,000 crossbred sheep of the Lincoln-merino type, a general utility animal of big frame and fair class of wool having been proved a profitable proposition. The annual clip is despatched to the Old Country and offered for sale at the London markets, where the prices obtained are well up to the average figure realized on the product from the best crossbred flocks in Western
663
Australia. A few horses are bred on the “Maplestead” property for the general work of the farm, these being of types suited to the different classes of labour demanded in the various departments, although draughts predominate, and a good specimen of Clydesdale is the popular worker produced. Mr. Sewell has been one of the most prominent members of the community resident in the district surrounding the rural township of Pingelly, and no movement for the welfare of the place has been considered complete without his approval and support. Upon
of several years. A founder of the first racing club ever established in Pingelly he is the present president of the race club now in existence, and fills an honoured position as patron and president of all the athletic organizations in the neighbourhood, being a warm and staunch supporter of all forms of clean and manly outdoor diversion. His own special form of recreation is found in the popular game of golf, and he is a member of the committee of the Pingelly Golf Club. He has always taken a leading part in church affairs, and among other offices in
estate to his only son, above-mentioned, and came to reside at “Hadleigh,” where he had erected a second homestead on a portion of the old property. WILLIAM ORLANDO SEWELL, who now conducts the management of the farm, was born on March 27, 1885, and pursued his scholastic studies at the Guildford Grammar School. Having completed his education at sixteen years of age, he became associated with his father in the operations of the “Maplestead” property, and at a later date was one of the trio selected by the Western
Photo by W. E. Elston.
General view of “ Maplestead.”
the inauguration of the Pingelly Roads Board he was elected to represent the ratepayers on that body in the initial instance, and at the present time occupies the position of chairman, having held membership •continuously ever since the inception •of the board, with the exception of a few years when his private affairs compelled him temporarily to relinquish an office which he was so well equipped to fill. He is vice-president of the Pingelly Agricultural Society, of which he has been a committeeman for many years, and was first elected to the presidential chair in 1894, subsequently filling the office for a period
connection with the Church of England has served as vestryman in the Pingelly district for some considerable time. He is also chairman of the local cemetery board. In 1896 the Forrest Administration, during the Governorship of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Gerard Smith, created him Justice of the Peace for the district in which he resides, an office he has since exercised. He married in 1881 Alice, daughter of the late John Taylor, of “Yangedine,” the old homestead property now in possession of Mr. W. Marwick, and has one son and two daughters. Mr. Sewell continued at “Maplestead” until 1910, when he handed over the
Australian Publishing Company to travel over the globe for the purpose of gaining information for the benefit of the settlers engaged in agricultural and horticultural, etc., enterprise in this State. He took over the “Maplestead” Estate on lease from Mr. G. M. Sewell in 1910, and is now engaged in the conduct of the same. Mr. W. O. Sewell is a member of the local agricultural society, and gives his support to the race club, golf club, and other organizations. He was married in 1908 to Elinor Josephine, daughter of Mr. Thomas Arthur Lawrance, of Pingelly, and has two sons and one daughter.
664
GEORGE HENRY BOSTOCK, J.P., of “Staunton Springs,” Pin-gelly, is a Western Australian by birth, having been born at Fremantle on November 15, 1862, and is a son of the late Rev. George James Bostock, who was rector of the Church of England at that seaport for many years. In 1874 ill-health compelled his father to return to England, of which country he was a native, and the family took up residence at the vicarage of Kirkby Wharfe in Yorkshire until the death of the late Mr. Bostock in 1881. The gentleman under review pursued his scholastic studies at St. Peter’s, in York, and having completed his education at that well-known seat of learning, at eighteen years of age returned to the land of his birth, when he entered the office of Messrs. W. D. Moore & Co., at Fremantle, where he remained for nearly a year. At the end of this period he relinquished mercantile life in favour of the pastoral industry, to which he turned his attention in association with his two maternal uncles, Messrs. H. and W. Lukin— names closely interlinked with early pastoral enterprise in the State of Western Australia. Subsequently Mr. W. Lukin formed a partnership with the late Henry Monger of York, and at the end of November, 1882, Mr. Bostock joined Messrs. Lukin and Monger’s party, which under the leadership of Mr. W. Lukin
shipped 4,000 sheep at Rockingham in the “Burmah” for Beagle Bay, the firm having large pastoral loases in West Kimberley which it was their intention to develop. After a somewhat unpropitious voyage the party in charge of the stock landed 1,600 sheep at Beagle
Rev. Geokge James Bostock.
Bay on December 10, which were all that were left of the 4,000 shipped the previous month, and proceeded to drive the flock as far as the Fitzroy River, which was reached in January, 1883, after the party had endured many hardships and privations, on one occasion living for eighteen days on bread and water. Here they camped
until after the rainy season, the heavy rainfall making it impossible for them to travel any further, and continuing their journey as soon as conditions were sufficiently favourable struck out for the Lennard River, which they reached late in April, 1883. For about twelve months Mr. Bostock and the party camped at “Balmanin-garra” (then the property of the late George Julius Brockman, and afterwards purchased by the firm of Messrs. M. C. Davies and Sons), and in the middle of the following year established what is now known as the “Lennard” Station, where he continued until the beginning of 1886. Receiving an offer from the King Sound Pastoral Company to take the position of overseer of the “Barrier” Station, at the foot of the Napier Ranges, he accepted the same, and was associated with this company until the end of 1888, when a more lucrative post of a similar nature was offered him by the firm of S. E. Emanuel & Co. on their “Lower Liveringa” Station in the Kimberley district. Relinquishing his former connection he took up his new duties and continued with this firm until September, 1889, when on account of severe attacks of malarial fever he deemed it advisable to leave Kimberley and try the effects of a change of climate. In January, 1890, the firm of Messrs. Dempster Brothers offered Mr. Bostock the
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Mr. G. H. Bostock’s Residence, Pingelly.
665
management of its pastoral station at Esperance Bay, and this post he filled for over eight years. Resigning his position at the end of eight years he launched out on his own account, purchasing his present homestead, “Staunton Springs,” from the late Stephen Monger, the property then being a freehold one of 1,430 acres, which he has since increased to over 4,000 by the selection of land upon all sides of the original block. Mr. Monger had inherited the place from his father, who had acquired the site of the present homestead by purchase from the first selector, a Mr. David Grainger, and when Mr. Bostock entered into possession there was already on the property an old-fashioned stone house, built, as was the manner of the early settlers, more with regard to convenience and comfort than to appearance. This the present owner has added to and improved, and the homstead is now a substantial - looking structure of seven rooms and various subsidiary apartments and offices. A curious and interesting feature of the house is the presence of a skull showing from the exterior over one of the doors, which is accounted for by the quaint bit of history that the late Mr. Monger in building the house, knowing the superstitious nature of the natives, had this skull built into the outer wall of the storeroom, the sight of which proved quite sufficient to prevent the pilfering of stores or any other robbery on the part of the blacks.
The ’‘Staunton Springs” property lies in the midst of well-watered country, and has the great advantage of a permanent creek flowing through it, viz., theBeeberkineBrook. It is good agricultural and pastoral land, and under the skilled care and attention of Mr. Bostock has been developed into a
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. George Henry Bostock.
very valuable estate. About 1,250 acres are cleared and the remainder ring-barked, while good substantial fences enclose the whole boundary line and subdivide the territory into paddocks of convenient size. Cultivation is carried on over about 500 acres, and although the usual crops of wheat and oats are those most largely grown considerable quanti-
ties of peas and rape are also sown, Mr. Bostock being the pioneer producer of these last-named crops in the neighbourhood. A small orchard has also been planted and has come to maturity, where an excellent variety of fruits ripen in season, these being intended chiefly for home consumption. The flock, consisting of merinoes, averages about 1,600 from year to year, and a great deal of attention is devoted to a small flock of stud sheep also present on the estate, which is being improved from time to time by the introduction of the best strains from well-known South Australian flocks. The wool is of good quality and commands satisfactory prices in London, whither it is despatched. Mr. Bostock is a well-known exhibitor at the local shows, and has been particularly successful with his sheep, winning prizes on very many occasions. He is a member of various public organizations, and is a committeeman of the Pingelly Agricultural Society. He was first original chairman of the roads board formed at Dundas and was associated with the similar body at Esperance, and for many years has been a member of the Pingelly School Board. In 1890 the Forrest Administration gazetted him to the Commission of the Peace for the whole of the State. Mr. Bostock married in August, 1890, Emma, daughter of the late S. P. Phillips, of “Culham,” Toodyay, and has two sons and five daughters.
Photo by W. IE. Elston.
View Adjacent to “Staunton Springs” Homestead.
666
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
EDWARD LEWIS SMITH, J.P., who owns and occupies the fine old homestead property of “Beam-bine," in the Pingclly district, was born at “Nalyering,” a portion of the “Beambine” Estate, on March 31, 1865. He is the only son of the
Mr. Charles Chapman Smith.
late Charles Chapman Smith, also a native of Western Australia, whose father arrived in the colony in 1831 and was one of the earliest settlers of the State in the initial days of colonization, receiving from the Imperial Government a grant of land in the Beverley district now known as “Mount Kokeby,” this grant being awarded according to the custom of the time, by which the size was regulated in accordance
with the amount of value brought into the country by the intending settler. Mr. Charles Chapman Smith left the paternal roof-tree in the years of his young manhood, and coming to the Pingelly district took over the lease of “Nalyering”—afterwards merged in the “Beambine” property—in conjunction with which he secured a pastoral lease some 30 miles to the south-east of the township and carried on operations conjointly on the two properties. Subsequently he turned his attention to the acquirement of land, taking up the first block, where the “Beambine” homestead now stands, in the year 1871; and at the time of his death in 1904 he held the whole present acreage of the estate, viz., 6,200 acres, which in course of time will revert to the gentleman under review, by whom it is now held in trust. Mr. E. L. Smith, in addition to this territory, has taken up on his own account a block comprising over 5,000 acres in the Narrogin district, to which he has given the name of “Marring,” stocking it with sheep and proceeding with its development while at the same time conducting the home estate at “Beambine.” Many improvements have been made on both properties, the boundary fencing on each being completed and subdivision made into numerous pad-docks ranging in size from 10 to 1,000 acres. At “Beambine” there are about 1,500 acres cleared and about the same amount at “Marring,” while the whole of the timber on both properties has been rung,
with the exception of the necessary patches left here and there as shelter for the stock. From 600 to 700 acres are cropped annually, principally with wheat, and the entire area of cultivable land is fallowed and grassed tri-yearly, close on 2,000 acres having been devoted to purposes of tillage. A considerable amount of attention is given to pastoral operations, from 3,000 to 3,500 sheep being run on the pastures of both properties, and Mr. Smith makes a study
Mr. Edward Lewis Smith.
of improvement in the type produced, renewing the strain from time to time by the introduction of fresh blood from some of the noted South Australian flocks. Among the thirty upwards of horses of all kinds present
Mr. e. l. Smith’s residence, Pingelly.
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on the farms he has some fine saddle hacks which have been exhibited with conspicuous success at the local shows. Horse-breeding, however, can hardly be said to be a feature of his operations, as he is usually content to raise sufficient staunch colts
and fillies to replace the old blood among the workers, and representatives from “Beambine” are seldom in the market. Worthy of somewhat extended mention is the fine substantial homestead which was erected during the lifetime of Mr. Smith’s father, and which is one of the most spacious, comfortable, and picturesque homes in the district. Nine large, bright, and airy rooms are
contained in the interior, and in addition there are the usual passages, kitchen premises, pantries, etc., all being arranged on a very convenient plan. The material used throughout is stone, and even the division-walls are 15 in. in thickness, while the
outside walls are considerably thicker, this conducing to keeping the temperature cooler during the summer heat. The house has all the appearance of having been built to shelter many generations of the family who first founded the estate, and may be described as one of those places upon which time seems unable to make any mark. It is easy to imagine the “Beambine” home, in the absence of
any future descendant to become imbued with modern ideas of architecture and the passion for bringing things up-to-date, remaining intact for the next century and presenting much the same front to the world at the beginning of the twenty-first century as it does at the present time. The outhouses arc also built of stone and in spite of the comparatively remote date of their erection it would be hard to rival them in the whole State for convenience and durability. In front of the homestead a flower garden has been laid out and cultivated which is of considerable decorative value in the general aspect of the place, while some attention has been paid to orchard work, a number of fruit trees yielding abundance of apples, pears, stone fruits, etc., for home consumption, and a small vineyard contributing in season to the luxuries of the table. Mr. Smith has taken an intelligent interest in all matters affecting the welfare and advancement of the district and has served his turn in connection with local government as a member for many years of the Narrogin Roads Board while resident at “Marring.” He is also a member of the agricultural societies of Pingelly and Narrogin and is associated in addition with the Royal Agricultural Society. He is a member of the local branch of the Liberal League of Western Australia, and in the days prior to Federation of the Australian States, was created by the Forrest Administration a
“ Mindalong,” Residence of Mr. C. C. Smith.
General View of Mr. E. L. Smith’s “Beambine” Estate.
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Justice of the Peace for the district in which he resides. He married in 1892, Martha Louise, daughter of the late James Drummond, who arrived in the “Parmelia” in 1829 and was one of the old farming pioneers of the Toodyay district, and has a surviving family of two sons and three daughters.
FREDERICK WILLIAM HUNT NICHOLSON, “Rose Hill” Farm, Mourambine, was born at Western
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. James Nicholson.
Australia’s capital city on July 7, 1871, and is a son of the late James Nicholson, who came to the infant Crown colony from Edinburgh, Scotland, among the earliest of the pioneers of this State, after some considerable time returning to England,
where he remained for a few years, ultimately sailing once more for Australia and settling down to permanent residence in the land of his adoption. James Nicholson was a brickmaker by trade, and to this day may be seen in all parts of the vallev of the Avon specimens of his handiwork in many of the buildings, which plainly evidence that he was a master in his calling. As the colony became more advanced he directed his attention to other industries, such as the sandalwood trade and the barter of kangaroo skins, of which products he became a large exporter, conjointly with these interests carrying on the development of the “Rose Hill” farming lands, a portion of which had been first taken up by him in 1882. He also figured as a pioneer of the first Coolgardie gold rush, and opened the earliest storekeeping business on that now historical field, some few years later (when he left the goldfields) establishing himself as a storekeeper at Pingelly, then a small struggling township, and was engaged in commercial pursuits there until the time of his death, which occurred in June, 1903. After his demise the “Rose Hill” Estate was administered by his wife, who continued in possession until her decease in 1912. The gentleman under review received his education at Mourambine in the first instance, and when eight years of age proceeded with his parents to England, where he continued his studies in the county of Kent for four years. At the end of that period he returned to Western Australia, and having completed his scholastic training at Mourambine and Beverley became associated with his father in the various interests held by the latter
gentleman. In this way he gained valuable experience in the sandalwood industry and the less important enterprise connected with kangaroo hides, and at a later date acted as
Mr. F. W. H. Nicholson.
assistant in the Pingelly store, becoming highly proficient in the handling of produce, etc., and an expert judge of the value of hides, skins, etc., which in those days were used as articles of barter by the settlers of the district. Being of an enterprising and progressive turn of mind, Mr. Nicholson also acquired during his father’s lifetime various town properties and farm holdings, and is still interested in real estate in Pingelly and Cuballing, although he disposed of the greater portion of his landed possessions after inheriting “Rose Hill” upon the death of his mother, and took up his residence on the
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Mr. F. W. H. Nicholson's Homestead, Mourambine.
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farm, where he has continued ever since. The “Rose Hill’' property is situated six miles cast of Pingelly, and is approached by an excellent main road from that town. The land is well watered by soaks and springs, permanent water being present on the estate, from which the stock may be supplied all the year round without recourse to artificial means of any kind. Close on 1,000 acres of the entire area is cleared, and of this about 800 acres have been brought under cultivation on the two-year fallow system, from 400 to 500 acres being annually devoted to the purposes of tillage. Mixed farming operations are carried on with a good measure of success, and various kinds of stock are met with on the farm, each department, though not perhaps extensive, being an integral and important factor in the whole scheme of the enterprise. The small flock of sheep is composed of the popular merino breed, which is as predominant in this district as in many other portions of the State, and in addition there are some good crossbreds, which have been proved to be very marketable, the wool and mutton both selling at good prices. Sufficient horses are kept to cope with the requirements of the different branches of farm work, and a few are bred from time to time in order to keep up the supply of fresh, young stock, so necessary to the successful development of the agricultural side of the industry; while a few dairy cattle for domestic purposes are grazed on the pastures, and a good class of swine has its place on the homestead area. Even a cursory glance is enough to assure the beholder that he sees before him
a well - conducted farm, where time and thought have been given to the arrangement of everything vital to the success of the proposition, and where no detail has been considered too insignificant to take into consideration in the general ordering of things to the best advantage. The homestead is upwards of thirty years old, having been built by the late Mr. James Nicholson during the boyhood
of the present occupant. Bricks were the material used in its construction, and it contains eight rooms with additional conveniences, while a verandah at back and front adds considerably to the comfort and appearance of the building. A splendid underground tank for the reception of the rain catchment was built into the house, which provides an ample supply of cool fresh water for all domestic purposes during the whole of the year—a piece of foresight on
the part of the builder which has been thoroughly appreciated by his successors. In the vicinity of the homestead is an orchard and vineyard ten acres in extent, which produce a variety of fruits that find a ready sale at the local markets. The outbuildings are numerous and include comfortable stabling accommodation for a number of horses, and there are present the various sheds
indispensable for the storage of produce and shelter for vehicles, machinery, harness, etc. Mr. Nicholson, since entering upon the management of “Rose Hill,” has found plenty to occupy his attention, and finds sufficient recreation in devoting himself to its proper development without seeking diversion in the sporting organizations of the neighbourhood. He married Jessie, daughter of the late Mr. Gawley, of Armagh, Ireland.
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Haymaking on the “Rose Hill” Property.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
“AVONDALE/’ the property of Messrs. Schorer Brothers. (John Thomas Schorer and Joseph Schorer). This property is situated about halfway between the towns of Pingelly and Wandering and consists of some 2,500 acres, originally taken up to add to a 40-acrc block purchased by the present owners in 1900. As prosperity attended their operations they acquired an additional block, comprising nearly 1,500 acres, in the Williams district, lying
Mr. John Schorer.
about nine miles west of Popanyin-ning, and another of between 500 and 600 acres in the Wandering district, the three properties being now conducted as one farming proposition, with the headquarters at
“Avondale.” All the holdings are well watered, and one has a frontage to the Hotham River a mile in extent. Soaks abound, and dams have been constructed in various localities, while the whole of the homestead supply is obtained from a single well, 25 ft. in depth, which yields excellent water and is fitted with a windmill for convenient service to the house. Many miles of fencing have been completed on the different properties, and for this purpose posts of jam timber indigenous to the locality have been used, while six or seven plain or barbed wires have been found amply sufficient to keep the sheep within their own domain. The clearing work incidental to the development of the farms has proceeded apace, about 100 acres being cleared annually, and the land is cultivated on a fallow system which allows for between 500 and 600 acres being sown each season out of the 1,500 acres which are devoted to tillage. The principal crops produced are wheat and oats, and in addition to these a fair quantity of peas are grown chiefly for fattening up prime stock for the market, a profitable method being to turn the animals into the crop, when they crunch the succulent pea at will with the best possible results. The farm operations require the constant services of about twenty horses of the serviceable Clydesdale breed, and these are raised upon the estates, a limited number being bred every year. Some good blood stock is also produced for sale, and for this purpose Messrs. Schorer Brothers
possess the stallion “Zeechimo,” by “Musketry” out of “Sequin,” imported in 1910 at a big cost from the Dominion of New Zealand. “Zeechimo” is descended from the famous
W. E. Elston, TVagin.
Mr. John Thomas Schorer.
“Carbine,” and is a very fine upstanding horse of good bone, brown in colour, well topped, and constitutionally sound, and at the Narrogin Show of 1912—the only occasion that he has been exhibited by the firm—he carried off the first and champion prizes. Messrs. Schorer Brothers allow the use of this sire to the farmers of the district, who gladly avail themselves of the opportunity of improving their
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Messrs. Schorer Brothers’ “Avondale estate,” West Pingelly.
671
stock. The average flock carried on the “Avondale” Farm verges on a 1,000 crossbreds of the merino-Lincoln type, which has been found the most profitable breed for the district, and the annual clip is shipped to London, where excellent prices are registered to the credit of the firm. A small herd of dairy cows for domestic use is grazed upon the property, and various other classes of farm stock are kept. The homestead was built by the present proprietors
“ Zeechimo,” “ Musketry “ Sequin.'
stabling is most up-to-date, providing for sixteen horses with a couple of extra loose boxes, and the machinery shed, chaff house, barn,
native of England, who after coming to this State for a lengthy period was engaged in contract work in connection with the
agricultural industry in various parts of the country. He settled in the Wandering district in the early eighties, and entered upon farming pursuits on a small holding which he took up from the Government and subsequently increased from time to time as opportunity offered under the conditions of land settlement at that period. He conducted his farms successfully until the year 1909, when he disposed of his properties and went to live in retirement with his sons at “Avondale,” where he still resides. Mr. John Schorer has been very prominent in public matters in the district during the lengthy period of his residence there, and was one of the early members of the Wandering Roads Board, while he was always ready to give his support to any movement having as its object the advancement of the place. His sons, the gentlemen under review, upon the conclusion of their education at the local State school at an early age turned their attention to work on their father's farm, where they continued, thus laying the first foundation of the knowledge which has stood them in good stead in their subsequent career. Before entering
Mr. Joseph Schorer.
in 1910, and in its design comfort and convenience have been studied; the material used being brick with iron for roofing purposes. It is surrounded by a small orchard, where all kinds of fruit are grown successfully for home consumption. The
fowlhouses, etc., all embody the latest ideas; while the working plant, including the various machines, is most complete. Messrs. Joseph and John Thomas Schorer were both born at Wandering, in Western Australia, the former on June 16, 1878, and the latter on November 25, 1875. They are the senior members of a large family, their father being Mr. John Schorer, a
Record Load of 115 Bags of Wheat Delivered at Pingelly by Messrs. Schorer Bros.
upon man’s estate, however, they launched out on their own account in partnership in farming enterprise, taking up the properties referred to, the last of which—that in the Williams district—was purchased in 1910; and have made a thoroughly successful proposition of their venture, being regarded as among the prosperous farmers of the district.
TAYLOR BROTHERS, “Wal-walling,” Pingelly. (Hubert James
Mr. John Norris Taylor.
Taylor and Victor Sewell Taylor.) This well-known and important property was founded by the late John Taylor, grandfather of the present proprietors, who in the original instance took up a homestead block of 100 acres situated in the midst of an area of many square miles of country extending from Wagin to the near vicinity of York, which he held on lease for pastoral purposes close on half a century ago—the first wheat grown on the holding having been taken off a paddock adjoining the homestead as far back as the early seventies. Prior to taking up “Wal-walling” Mr. John Taylor (who came from England in the early days of settlement in Western Australia) owned and developed that now historical property in the York district, “Yangedine,” in present possession of the Marwick family. From him the estate under notice passed during his lifetime into the hands of his
son, the late John Norris Taylor, who shortly after assuming the conduct of the place directed his attention to the acquirement of further territory upon which to build up a home for himself and future generations. By degrees the boundary line was extended until the original 100 acres formed only a portion of a property comprising 627 acres, which represented the whole of the land obtainable in the vicinity at that period from the Government on account of the advent of the Western Australian Land Company. As his operations prospered and Mr. J. N. Taylor saw his way clear to purchasing and working a further area of country, he approached the above-mentioned company with a view to taking over some of the blocks of land adjacent to his holding and owned by them, and before his demise had brought the area of the estate up to 6,000 a-cres, its present acreage. Both John Taylor and John Norris Taylor were pioneers of the worthy and enterprising type representing the class to whom so much credit is due for facing the great difficulties of developing agricultural properties at a time when the industry presented far greater obstacles to a- successful outcome of the labourers’ toil than at the present day. Working with primitive implements and machinery in a country the conditions of which were but partially understood, handicapped by the lack of means of
transit and of conveyance for provisions and produce to and from their holdings, their operations kept back by the scarcity and expensive nature of labour, they fought a
Mr. Hubert James Taylor.
brave fight and won through, bequeathing to their successors the results of their years of endeavour and in many cases of successful achievement. John Norris Taylor, especially, was recognized in every pastoral and farming district in the State as an authority in matters agricultural, and he attained quite a reputation for himself as a judge of horses, for some years prior to his death in 1908 filling the office of judge of heavy draughts at the Royal
Photo by W. E. Elston.
“Walwalling” Homestead.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
673
Agricultural Show at Perth. He also earned distinction as an exhibitor in the sheep section, where he was on many occasions a successful winner of prizes, and for several years held the position of inspector on behalf of the State Agricultural Bank. Upon the decease of their father Messrs. Taylor Brothers, the present owners, inherited the property, and have since carried oh, on their own account, the farming proposition which they had previously been assisting to develop. “Wal-walling” is situated in undulating country, with outcrops of granite here and there forming a feature of the landscape, and is classified as jam and York-gum territory, the soils being of mixed quality. It is an excellently watered estate, springs, creeks, and soaks abounding all over the property, and although the indispensable moisture may be obtained anywhere by sinking a few feet from the surface no need to resort to artificial methods of procuring water has ever yet occurred. Of the whole area 2,000 acres are cleared, close on half of this work having been accomplished by Messrs. Taylor Brothers since they took over the administration of affairs; and tEe ringers have been busy with their axes over that portion where clearing is not completed, preparing the way for the firestick, by means of subsequent burning operations excellent feed being produced for the stock. In ordinary seasons the pastures are well grassed with various natural growths, and the property
has the great advantage of being absolutely free from any trace of the noxious “poison” weed. A great deal of fencing has been done, and it is interesting to note in some of
Mr. Victor Sewell Taylor.
the paddocks portions enclosed by the old Harper fence of post and rails, denoting an era growing more and more remote in the history of the farming properties of the Western Australian State. Here, for instance, nine-tenths of the fencing— in the vicinity of 40 miles—is erected with plain and barbed wires run through timber posts, the wires running from six to nine in number. “Walwalling” is noted in the district for the excellence of its fences, no property in a very wide radius being
able to compete with it in this respect, and it is hardly going too far to say that it is considered by various authorities to be the best in the State. The operations carried on comprise mixed-farming pursuits, agriculture taking its place beside the pastoral side of the industry, and both proving satisfa-ctory as regards the profits realized. The Messrs. Taylor Brothers crop about 600 acres annually with wheat, oats, barley, and peas, a speciality being made of the latter for the purpose of fattening sheep, the flock being turned in on the growing crop, which has proved a most profitable method of increasing the bulk of the mutton-producers in the least possible space of time as well as improving the weight of the fleeces. The system of cultivation pursued is that known as the three-year fallow system, which has been thoroughly tried and tested in the district and has been proved to give the best results. By this method the land is allowed ample opportunity to recuperate after cropping and its exhausted energies revitalized by the grassing and fallowing which follow the one season’s producing efforts. The sheep are of the Lincoln-merino crossbred type, and the estate usually carries a flock of from 2,500 to 2,600, the wool from which is shipped to London, where the price obtained for it in 1912 was only a half-penny per lb. below the top price for Western Australian wool. The average weight of fleece is about 6 lb. From the lambing the excellent
Photo by W. E. Elston. RR
Cultivated Fields surrounding the Homestead.
total of 90 per cent, is usually averaged, evidencing a very healthy condition of things in this department. The horses at work on the farm number about twenty, and are chiefly Clydesdales, with a few of a lighter class for buggy use, etc. Most of them have been bred on the estate, but apart from attending to the replenishing of their own stock and keeping these indispensable
workers young and fresh, Messrs. Taylor Brothers do not make the breeding of horses a feature of the farm. The cattle likewise are few in number, a small dairy herd for supplying requirements of the homestead being the only representatives of this class of stock at present grazed on the estate. The dwelling-house at “Walwalling” was built by
than for any pretensions to architectural style. It contains seven rooms, pantries, etc., all on one floor, and presents a very solid and substantial appearance, being built entirely of stone in a manner suggesting that it was meant to outlast the centuries. A small flower garden adorns the front of the house, and an orchard about three acres in extent is situated in the near vicinity, where
apples, pears, and various kinds of stone fruits are grown for the use of the family. The outhouses were erected at a much later period than the homestead, and are particularly modern and up to date in design. The stabling attracts admiration for its orderly and commodious arrangement providing accommodation for about twelve horses, and a chaffhouse
comparison with any other structure used for similar purposes in the district. HUBERT JAMES TAYLOR, the elder of the brothers, is a Western Australian by birth, having been born at “Walwalling” on August 8, 1881, while the
younger, VICTOR SEWELL TAYLOR, was born on April 22, 1887, the same property also being his native place. Their scholastic training was received under private tutors in their father’s house, and as they reached maturity they fell naturally into the work of the farm which they now conjointly control. The Messrs. Taylor Brothers follow in the footsteps of their father as regards the exhibition of their sheep and horses at the local shows, and have been most successful in securing awards in connection with these functions. Both are members of the Royal Agricultural and Mourambine agricultural societies, and take considerable interest in all movements having as their object the advancement and welfare of the neighbourhood in which they have resided during the whole of their lives. They are members of the Liberal League, and give their cordial support to the various athletic bodies formed in the district for the promotion of clean forms of manly outdoor sport. Mr. H. J. Taylor was married in 1903 to Vera, daughter of the late Thomas M. Dann, well known for many years in the Civil Service Department of Western Australia, who came from Kent, England, with his large family in 1886.
Photo by W. E. Elston. Stables at “Walwalling.”
Photo by W. E. Elston. View of Estate, showing Timber Country in Background.
the late John Norris Taylor in the and hay - shed are also included Of this union there are two sons and late seventies, and is distinguished among the buildings in addition to two daughters. Mr. V. S. Taylor is more for comfort and convenience a large stone woolshed, which bears unmarried.
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JOHN SHADDICK, “Warram-bine,” Pingelly. The subject of this notice was born near Torrington, Devonshire, on March 12, 1850, and is a son of the late William Shaddick, who came from the old country in the late fifties to essay the making of a home for himself and his family in the new country, which was regarded as a veritable “land of promise,” three years later being joined in Western Australia by his wife and five children, of whom Mr. John Shaddick was one. The late gentleman interested himself in the affairs of the community wherein he had
Mr. William Shaddick.
made his home, and with Messrs. Robinson and Seabrook was responsible for the erection of the first and only church at Mourambine. Shortly after arrival young Shaddick was set to shepherding sheep in the Mourambine district on behalf of Mr. Charles F. Broun, a member of one of the oldest families founded in this State, who was then engaged in sheepfarming pursuits in the Pingelly district. After a short period Mr. Shaddick was employed by the late Mr. C. C. Smith, of “Beam bine,” and at fifteen years of age relinquished this employment to commence work on his father’s farm, “Warrambine,” where he now resides—a property which was taken up by the late Mr. Shaddick in 1862. Originally the holding consisted of a block of 100 acres, held under the old homestead conditions, but additional land was afterwards acquired, until at the decease of the original owner the area had been increased to 1,100 acres. Since that period still further selections have rr2
been taken up by Mr. Shaddick and his sons, and at the present time “Warrambine” exceeds 2,000 acres in extent. Of this about 1,200 acres have been cleared and are being cultivated on the approved system of alternately cropping and fallowing, from five to six hundred acres being cropped annually. Some attention has also been given to pastoral operations, a nice little flock of 400 merino sheep pasturing on the property at the present time, and in the past sheepfarming on a large scale was carried on by Mr. Shaddick, who devoted himself almost entirely to this line of industry, and had upwards of 3,000 sheep grazing over several pastoral leases which he held in the surrounding districts. On account of his wide experience he has earned a reputation in the neighbourhood of being an excellent judge of sheep, both for mutton and wool, and his advice on this subject is regarded as valuable. Many improvements have been made from time to time on the “Warrambine” Estate, the whole of which is securely fenced and the uncleared portion ringbarked in preparation for the burning operations which are an indispensable part of the process of clearing, which is continued year by year, and will be persevered with until the whole of the property is ready for development. Mr. Shaddick has spared a portion of his leisure time to take his fair share
of responsibility in connection with local government, and for several years served as a member of the Mourambine Roads Board ; while he has always been distinguished for the warm interest which he has displayed in all movements and organizations having for their object the
general welfare of the district. A Liberal in politics, he is active in the promotion of the interests of that party when opportunity occurs, and in every way he has proved himself one of those worthy and useful
II’. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. John Shaddick.
settlers who have played so important a part in the development of the State’s resources. Mr. Shaddick was married in 1874 to Elizabeth Ann, daughter of the late Henry Walton, one of the pioneer settlers of the
Avon Valley, who came from ±Jir-ningham, England, to Western Australia about twelve months subsequent to the gazetting of the Swan River settlement as a Crown colony. He has a family of nine surviving — five sons and four daughters.
Mr. John Shaddick’s Residence, Pingelly.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
ALFRED SNOW, “Grass Valley,” Pingelly, is a son of the late John Snow, who came from Essex, England, to Western Australia in the early part of 1852, bringing with him his wife and children, and settling in the York district, where he carried on farming pursuits for a number of years. The subject of this notice was only four years of age upon his arrival in the colony, having been bom in Essex on November 25, 1848, and coming to a country where schools, especially in the rural districts, were few and far between, he was unable to benefit by any regular means of instruction. In passing, it may be mentioned that this was not the least of the sacrifices made by the early pioneers in the opening up of the State, the fact that their children were compelled to forego all the advantages of a good education being a severe trial to many of those who came to carve out a home for future generations on the virgin soil of a new and untried territory. Not only were there few opportunities of obtaining teachers, but so scarce was labour and so strenuous the demands of farming life that every available lad was pressed into service as soon as he grew old enough to assist in any way in the manifold duties in connection with the industry. At a very early age young Snow was put to shepherding work, which he followed until he was sufficiently strong to take up the more laborious side of pastoral and agricultural enterprise. After working as an employe for some time he launched out on his own account in the sandalwood trade, and put in a very strenuous twenty years in
of the railway between York and the capital. Much of the sandalwood was obtained some forty to fifty miles east of the great southern railway line, and each load, from the point of loading to the point of delivery in Perth, would make a fifteen to twenty days’ trip. In this way he was able to maintain his family, and
IK. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Alfred Snow.
in the short intervals obtainable between his trips Mr. Snow devoted himself to the working of his little farm, which he had taken up as a block of 100 acres homestead area in the year 1874. This was the beginning of the ‘'Grass Valley” Estate, which was gradually increased in dimensions at first by selection and
acres of good undulating country, which will bear comparison with any other farming property in the neighbourhood. His last purchase was of “Wynarlin,” one of the old original homes of the district, possessing the historic value which is imparted by antiquity, and present on this estate is a good seven-roomed stone dwelling-house, with substantial outhouses, good stabling, etc. The general character of the country composing “Grass Valley” is a rich chocolate soil, mixed with stretches of sandy loam, and equally suitable for agriculture and grazing. The whole place is well fenced and efficiently watered, and 1,200 acres have been cleared and cropped on the two-year fallow system, yielding returns equal to any in the district. The principal product of the cultivation fields is wheat, and in this department the satisfactory average of 16 bushels to the acre is obtained. A flock of about 400 crossbreds are grazed on the property, and fourteen horses of the best mixed sorts for use on the farm are kept, a few being bred every season to keep up the supply. The homestead, which was built by Mr. Snow some twenty years ago to replace the old slab hut of the pioneer which existed up to that date, is substantial and comfortable, convenience having been made the prime consideration in its erection. Mr. Snow recently has passed the “Grass Valley” farm over to his two younger sons, with whom he now resides in partial retirement, while his elder sons, Messrs. Robert and Henry Snow, are farming on their own account in the Wickepin area. Mr.
Photo by W. E. Elston. Mr. Alfred snow’s " Grass Valley ” Property. Pingelly.
cutting the valuable timber and latterly by the purchase of small ad- Snow was one of the first members of afterwards carting it to Perth, joining farms, until it is now a the Pingelly Roads Board at its in-before the days of the construction highly-developed farm of over 1,600 ception, which seat he occupied for
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Some years. He also took an active part in church matters in the district, and has held office as churchwarden in connection with the Mour-ambine Anglican Church. In 1871 he married Mary Ann, daughter of the late Henry Thomas Walton, of York district, and has four sons and five daughters. Mrs. Snow’s decease occurred in 1889.
LARS EMILL LANGE, owner of “Crass Hollow” Farm, Pingelly, is a native of Nattra-Soug, Tausberg, where he was born on September 19, 1849, his father, the late Christian Lange, being a sea captain of the port of Tausberg. He received his education in the place of his birth and subsequently at Tausberg until the age of fourteen, when he was apprenticed to a seafaring life. Upon return from his first trip he was sent to a marine college to be trained for the position of officer, thenceforth spending his time in studying the theoretical side of his profession alternately with periods in which he was engaged in the practical work at sea necessary to complete his apprenticeship. In the course of one of his voyages he visited Australia, and becoming enamoured with the possibilities of the country he decided to settle in the Central State, where he arrived in 1867. His first experience in colonial life was obtained as a station hand, and after he had acquired a better knowledge of the English language— which he had previously studied at school—and become accustomed to the altered condition of things incident to a new country, he took contracts in fencing and dam-sinking from the pastoralists and the Government of South Australia, also turning his hand to other developmental work then proceeding in the province. In the late seventies he took up a block of scrub land at Cunningham, Yorke Peninsula, for farming purposes, and worked this block successfully for about eight years. At the end of this period he disposed of that property and purchased another farm near Arthurton, which was only partially improved, and for sixteen years continued the development of this property, which he considerably enlarged by the purchase of additional holdings. In 1906 he sold out all his interests in South Australia, having decided to come to the Western State, which was promising good things for the farmer and pastoralist, especially those with large families
to settle advantageously. Almost immediately he purchased the farm of 1,100 acres where his homestead now stands in the Pingelly neighbourhood, and subsequently was able
IF. F. "Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Lars Emill Lange.
to secure some small adjoining blocks which were partly improved, until the present “Grass Hollow” Farm, which is conducted by Mr. Lange and his two younger sons, comprised 2,200
acres of land in quality equal to any in the district. Of this nearly 1,200 acres are cleared, the property being in a high state of development, and
cultivation is carried on on a fairly extensive scale, wheat being the principal crop produced. The estate is well fenced, and many improvements have been made from time to time, all the appointments of a well-ordered farm being found within its boundaries. It has among other natural advantages the important one of being adequately watered without artificial means, and has in every respect rewarded the efforts which have been lavished upon it by the owners. A small flock of about 500 sheep is grazed on the pastures, but apart from these not much attention is given to pastoral interests, agriculture absorbing the greater part of the time and attention of the owners. In addition to “Grass Hollow” properties have been taken up by Mr. Lange’s three other sons embracing some 3,000 or 4,000 acres in the same district, and here they have settled down with their families to farming occupations with every encouragement to continue. Mr. Lange is a member of the local branch of the Liberal League of Western Australia, and occupies a seat on the committee of that influential body. He is associated with the local agricultural society, and was one of the founders of the Pingelly branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association. In 1875 he married Emily Sarah, daughter of the late Joseph
Allen, one of the earliest English emigrants to South Australia, and has a family of five sons and six daughters.
Mr. L. E. Lange's Residence, Pingelly.
BODEY BROTHERS, Pingelly. (Oliver Evan Bodey and Matthew George Bodey.) The gentlemen under review are both natives of Plor-sham, Victoria, being fourth and fifth sons respectively of Mr. James Bodey, a well-known farmer and breeder of prize stock in that district. Mr. Oliver Evan Bodey was born on January 27, 1876, and his brother on January 14, 1881, and both were educated at schools in their
Mb. Oliver Evan Bodey.
native place. From a very early age, even whilst still at their studies, they made themselves of considerable value in the duties of the home farm, and so laid the foundation of the expert knowledge of the farming industry and stock generally which has stood them in such good stead during subsequent years. Several members of the Bodey family have been
distinguished breeders and judges of horses and other stock in the Eastern States, an elder brother of the subjects of this article, and also their paternal uncle, in addition to Mr. James Bodey, being recognized in pastoral circles as men whose opinion upon such subjects is worthy of careful attention. Accordingly, after the advent of Messrs. Bodey Brothers to Western Australia in 1908, when they established themselves as importers of live stock from the older portions of the Commonwealth, they found themselves in a most favourable position, being able to rely with every confidence not only upon their own experienced judgment, but also upon the wider knowledge of their relatives to guide them in their choice of importations to suit the somewhat altered conditions which they found in the Western State. That conspicuous success has attended the operations of the partners is evidenced beyond doubt by the fact that, since their arrival they have imported more draught horses—principally stallions—than almost any other importer or firm of importers in the State. It is their custom to hold parades and auction sales at various centres, by means of which they obtain purchasers over a wide radius of country, and in this way the Western Australian farmers receive the benefit of being brought into touch with those who have made a study of their requirements, and are able to supply them with reliable stock to suit the different departments of industry in which they may be engaged. Though devoting their time principally to this line of business, Messrs. Bodey Brothers also own a farm of about fi,000 acres in extent
called “Yeanming,” and situated about eight miles east of Pingelly. This property is in a highly-developed state, over 2,600 acres having been cleared and cultivated. It
Mr. Matthew George Bodey.
is well watered by soaks and wells, and windmills have been erected in various localities for the convenient serving of the water to the stock -five of the latter being present on the property. A large amount of fencing has been completed, and the estate is subdivided into about thirty pad-docks. As might be expected ample provision has been made for the accommodation of equine stock, and among the outbuildings may be found excellent stabling, loose boxes being provided for forty horses. Mr. Oliver Evan Bodey is a member of the Pingelly - Mourambine Roads Board, and serves as vice-president of the local agricultural society, and with his brother is connected with all the sporting clubs and general organizations of the district. He married in 1913 Augusta Emily, daughter of the late J. Schmidt, of Mount Gambier, South Australia (where his father now lives in retirement). Mr. Matthew George Bodey in former times spent between two and three years as a member of the 4th Victorian Contingent, Australian Infantry Regiment, and whilst on active service in the war in South Africa between the Dutch and the British transferred to the Canadian Scouts Corps, in which force he held rank as sergeant-major. He served in several engagements, being frequently under fire, and upon liis retirement from the service received
Photo by W. E. Elston. Mr. bodey's residence, Pingelly.
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the King and Queen’s medals respectively and four clasps. Since coming to Western Australia he has stood for parliamentary honours, contesting the Pingelly seat at the elections of 1912, but without success. He was a foundation member of the Veterinary Board, being one of the two farmers occupying seats on that body, to which he was re-elected at the expiry of his first term of office. Mr. M. G. Bodey married in 1908 Mary Ellen, daughter of the late William Nield, a descendant of one of the heroes of the Peninsula War.
SAMUEL HARRISON EDWARDS, “Taiga,” via Pingelly, was born at the “Speldhurst” property, near Beverley, on February 24, 1863, and is the eldest son of the late Thomas Edwards, who was also a native of this State, having been born near Guildford in the late thirties. The founder of the family in Western Australia—the late William Edwards, grandfather of the gentleman under review—came from England by the ship “Rockingham”
Mr. Thomas Edwards.
in the year 1829, this being the first vessel to leave England with settlers for the new Swan River settlement. On the journey out the vessel sustained damage in a storm and had to put into the Cape of Good Hope for repairs. During the following year he settled at Guildford, and whilst engaged in farming with the- assistance of his wife he opened and carried on the conduct of the first general store at that centre. Some few years later he took over the lease of the
“Sandgate” property, near York (now in possession of Lady Forrest), from the late Mr. Hamersley, and continued farming operations there for a lengthy period, subsequently purchasing the “Speldhurst” Estate. Here Mr. S. H. Edwards’ father was brought up and spent the years of his early manhood in working upon the farm, until at the decease of his parent he co-inherited the property with his brother, the late Charles
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Samuel TTarrison Edwards.
Edwards, and residing at “Mount Pleasant,” a part of the “Speldhurst” Estate, spent the remainder of his life in developing the land on his own account. The subject of this notice received his education primarily at a Government school, and also studied under private tuition in Perth for a limited period. He obtained useful experience on his father’s farm until, reaching man’s estate, he accepted a position as overseer on “Globe Hill” Station in the Ashburton district, the property of Messrs. McRae & Harper. This he retained for three and a half years, when an opportunity occurred to obtain a more lucrative post of the same nature on “Ballijong” Station, which, however, he relinquished after a short time in order to start the “Ulawarra” Station in conjunction with Mr. Patrick Montague, which partnership existed for some five years. After Mr. Patrick Montague’s withdrawal Mr. Edwards continued to work the property with another partner and subsequently purchased the whole interest, carrying on on his own
account until 1904 when he disposed of all his property in the north-west and came to the East Pingelly district, where he selected his present holding of over 5,000 acres, to the development of which he has since devoted his attention. For two years Mr. Edwards filled the office of president of the Pingelly-Mourambine Agricultural Society, and he was a member of the Mourambine Roads Board for three years, having previously served in the same capacity on the Ashburton Roads Board for some time. He is a Past Master of the Masonic fraternity, being connected with the Pingelly Lodge, No. 75, W.A.C. In sport he is very fond of cricket but his long acquaintance with bush life has made of him a crack shot with the gun and rifle and he finds his chief recreation in hunting, the wild game of the district paying toll to his skill.
JOSEPH FRANCIS BELT, of “Waranga” Farm, Pingelly, was born at Runnymede, Victoria, on
TF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Joseph Francis Belt.
April 23, 1870, and is a son of the late William Belt, who came to Australia at the time of the first great gold rush to Bendigo in the early fifties and was associated with the gold-mining industry for some considerable time, subsequently becoming an agricultural settler at Runnymede, where he followed farming pursuits until his decease in 1882. The gentleman under review was educated at the Runnymede State
school, and shortly after entering his teens began to assist his father on the home farm, where he remained until he left for Western Australia in 1903. His intention being to settle on the land in this State, he immediately purchased the holding upon which his home is now situated, which was then a parti ally-improved farm of 1,200 acres, and ever since has given the whole of his time and attention to the development of this property, which is now regarded as one of the most valuable farms in the district. Mr. Belt, notwithstanding his devotion to his farming interests, has shouldered his share of public responsibility and fills the office of president of the Pingelly-Mourambine Agricultural Society, while he manifests a general interest in all affairs affecting the progress of the place. A member of the Roman Catholic communion, during the whole of his life he has been prominent in that body, both in his native State of Victoria and on his adopted soil. Since his advent to Pingelly he has furthered the progress of the Church in every possible way, as also has his wife, who is heart and soul with him in such matters. For a score of years he has been a member of the Australian Natives’ Association, and among the various offices he has held in the local branch are those of trustee, vice-president, etc. He has been twice married, his present wife being Mary, daughter of the late James Meany,of Blackwater, County Clare, Ireland.
JOSEPH STONE, "Mount Royal,” Pingelly, was born at York, Western Australia, on September 27, 1855, and is a son of the late Martin Stone, one of the English emigrants of the early days who was engaged in the farming industry in this State from his arrival until the time of his death. Facilities for education being few in the boyhood days of the gentleman under review, at the age of ten he began work as a shepherd, and at fourteen was employed as a teamster in the sandalwood industry, in conjunction with which he carted produce, wool, etc., to the coast from the York district. These avocations occupied him until his twenty-sixth year, when he turned his attention to farming pursuits, which he has followed ever since. For some time he managed the "Staunton Springs” Estate —now the property of Mr. G. H. Bostock—on behalf of the late
Stephen Monger, and subsequently rented the place on his own account and carried on operations as a farmer until it was purchased by the present owner. In 1899 Mr. Stone selected 800 acres of Government land adjacent to 250 acres which he had previously purchased from the Western Australian Land Company in
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Joseph Stone.
the Pingelly district, and coming to live on the holding at once began initial operations on what has since become one of the prosperous farms of the district. He has at the present time about 800 acres of cleared land out of a combined area of 2,000 acres held by him and his sons, and of this from 300 to 400 acres are cropped yearly, while on the pastoral side a small flock of between 300 and 400 sheep is grazed on the property, and pigs, cows, etc., are kept for domestic purposes. For about eighteen years Mr. Stone has been a member of the Mourambine Roads Board, and he was one of the founders of the Pingelly-Mourambine Agricultural Society, of which he has been a committeeman for several years. He takes an interest in Friendly Society work, and has been connected with the M.U., I.O.O.F., for over thirty-six years continuously. In 1880 he married Agnes, daughter of Mr. William Thacker, one of the very early settlers of this State, and has seven sons and three daughters.
JAMES McGINTY, of “Elderslie” Farm, Pingelly, was born at Paisley,
Scotland, on September 13, 1856, and is a son of the late James McGinty, well known for over half a century as one of the most clever cotton-spinners of the great manufacturing city. He received his education at Joseph Muir’s private academy at the same town, and subsequently was apprenticed to the paper-staining trade, in course of time removing to London, where he entered the prominent printing establishment of Charles Goodall & Sons, with which firm he continued for eight years, considerably enlarging his knowledge of all branches of the trade. In 1888, as a result of the firm of Messrs. Sands & McDougall launching out into new channels of business, they required the services of an expert, and Mr. McGinty was chosen to come to Australia, where
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. James McGinty.
he remained under contract to the firm referred to for three years. At the end of that period he decided to start on his own account, and for fifteen years carried on business in Melbourne with pronounced success. His son, having a leaning towards settling on the land, Mr. McGinty cast round for information regarding the relative advantages offered in this direction by the different States, and finally selecting Western Australia as the venue of his operations arrived in this State in 1904. Almost immediately he selected 880 acres of land, where he has since made his home, and regardless of the fact that he had no previous knowledge of agriculture or pastoral pursuits proceeded to
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work the virgin country with very marked success. Eventually he acquired further blocks and continued to enlarge his possessions until his property extended over 1,560 acres, 1,000 of which at the present time are cleared, enclosed, and subdivided with about 20 miles of fencing. The farm is well watered with good fresh soaks and springs all over its area, while a permanent creek runs through the centre of the property. About 500 acres have been brought under cultivation and a flock of from 200 to 300 merino sheep is grazed on the pastures, both departments of industry having proved very profitable. Mr. McGinty is a member of the Pingelly Agricultural Society and is a member of the local branch of the Liberal League of Western Australia. Before coming to this State he was for many years prominently identified with rifleshooting in Victoria, and has filled the honourable position of being one of those chosen to represent the sister State in interstate shooting contests —having been a most consistent shot and the winner of many trophies, prizes, challenge cups, etc. In 1878 Mr. McGinty married Jane, daughter of the late George Jamieson, of Kilbarchan, Scotland, and he has a grown-up family of one son and two daughters.
ROBERT JOHN PEARSON, J.P., merchant, of Pingelly, was born at Perth, Western Australia, on May 1, 1875, and is a son of Mr. Charles Pearson, now living in retirement at Albany, and for many years a well-known Customs agent at that port. He was educated at the Government school at Albany, and at an early age entered upon commercial pursuits in connection with the late firm of John Moir & Co., a name familiar in the pioneering days of the south coast. Having passed through all the departments of the house, Mr. Pearson resigned from this employ in 1904 in order to take a position in Mr. Nicholson’s store at Pingelly, of which subsequently he took over control and conducted on behalf of the proprietor until 1909, when he purchased the business and has since carried on on his own account. Mr. Pearson’s connection has increased steadily with the growth of the district, and he has now one of the most progressive general storekeeping concerns along the great southern railway line.
He has always been distinguished for the active interest he displayed in the public affairs of the district, and in 1908 was appointed by the Moore Administration to the Commission of the Peace, since when his duties on the local Bench have absorbed the greater portion of his time not given up to the demands of his business.
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Robert John Pearson.
It is interesting to note that Mr. Pearson is a member of one of the oldest families in Western Australia, his paternal grandfather having arrived among the earliest of the pioneers and settled on the Greenough Flats near Geraldton; while his mother belonged to the well-known family of Green, established for over half a century around the metropolis. He was married in 1900 to Harriett, fourth daughter of Mr. George Moir, the eldest survivor of that old and highly-respected family who played a leading part in the pioneering of Albany and the surrounding district. His family consists of one son and one daughter.
BENJAMIN HUGHES, wheelwright, carriage-builder, and implement maker, Pingelly (trading as Tregurtha & Hughes), is a Victorian, having been born at Bendigo on April 18, 1868. His father, the late Richard Hughes, emigrated from Liverpool, England, in the early fifties, and carried on farming pursuits for many years at Elmore, in the sister State, where the gentleman under review attended school until
fifteen years of age. Having completed his studies, he learnt the trade of coachbuilder in the same town, subsequently finishing his appcntice-ship in some of the leading factories of the Victorian metropolis. In 1892 he came to Western Australia and followed his trade in Perth for twelve years, during the greater part of this time occupying the position of foreman in the well-known business of Daniel White & Co. In 1904 he formed a partnership with Mr. J. E. Tregurtha, and purchased the business in Pingelly formerly conducted by the late James Lobban, since which period he has been engaged in successfully working up this business from a very small concern to a proposition of considerable magnitude. About fourteen men are employed on the works, where all departments of the trade are carried on, and a large connection all over the great southern district has been built up by Mr. Hughes, who in April, 1912, bought out his partner’s interests and is now sole proprietor. Since his advent to the district he has taken a prominent part in local affairs and for four years was associated with Mour-ambine Roads Board, during half of that period filling the chair of that body. He was one of the founders of the local board of health, in
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Benjamin Hughes.
which he occupied office for some years. He has taken a keen interest in the progress of the mechanics’ institute, with which he has been connected from a very early period of his residence in the town. He married in 1891 Frances Harriett,
daughter of the late James Bryant Tregurtha, of Elmore, Victoria, and has one son and one daughter.
GEORGE NOBLE MURDOCH, proprietor of the Pingelly Hotel, Pingelly, was born at Nowra, in the Shoalhaven district of New South Wales, on June 10, 1866, and is a son of the late David Murdoch, a well-known contractor and builder of the Mother State, of which he was also a native. The gentleman under review received his education partly in New South Wales and later on in Victoria, whither he accompanied his family during his boyhood. Upon leaving school he became engaged in station pursuits on the “Red Hill” Station property in Gippsland, acting as stockman, etc., for a couple of years. Subsequently he returned to New South Wales and established himself as a contractor for road-building, carrying, and so forth, and spent several years, chiefly in the latter business, between the sister States. In 1891 he came to Western Australia, and was first employed on the building of the midland railway line, afterwards assisting in the construction of the Geraldton wharf. At the period of the great mining boom in the nineties he proceeded to the Murchison goldfield, and for about twelve months followed the usual programme of prospecting, dryblowing, etc., with varying results. Not meeting with any pronounced reward for his labour he returned to the Geraldton district and worked on the Geraldton - Mullewa railway construction for some time until, receiving the offer of a position with the firm of Messrs. Atkins & Law, he accepted the charge of the firm’s
horses on the construction of the telegraph line from Mullewa to Nannine and continued in this employ until the contract was completed. Subsequently he was engaged for a couple of years as coachdriver on behalf of the firm of Gascard & Co., mail contractors in the Murchison district, becoming very well known on this line, and at the close of this period the advent of the railway into Cue tempted him to take advantage of this being the terminal station and to start from this centre as carrier on his own account. Having carried on
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. George Noble Murdoch.
successfully in this line of business for some time Mr. Murdoch at length relinquished operations in order to enter the licensed victualler’s trade in the same town, and a year later, disposing of this connection, he
purchased a combined hotel, store, and butchering business at Abbots, a mining camp, now numbered among the non-existent of such settlements. After two years there he spent another two years at Min-deroo, and eventually selling out his interests he came to Perth, where he established himself as “mine host” of the Newcastle Club Hotel in Newcastle Street. For twelve months he carried on this business, after which he disposed of the goodwill and shortly afterwards took over the licence of the Cannington Hotel, which he conducted for some three years. The freehold and goodwill of the Pingelly Hotel being at this time in the market Mr. Murdoch became the purchaser, and since 1907 has conducted this well - known hostelry, which during the period of his occupation has well earned its title to rank among the first-class houses of its kind in the State. In the first instance he thoroughly renovated the hotel, rebuilding the major part and freshly appointing the whole premises with new fittings, furniture, etc., until everything had been brought up to date, and both in the matter of accommodation and cuisine the house is now not to be surpassed by any other of a similar nature outside of the metropolis. The Pingelly Hotel has the ticket of the Commercial Travellers’ Association, which assures its popularity in the mercantile world, and every class of visitor may be confident that his interests will be well looked after and courteous attention paid to his requirements. During Mr. Murdoch’s term at Cannington he occupied the position of chairman of the local roads board, which position he retained after an unopposed election until the creation of the municipality. He was also chairman of the Cannington Agricultural Society for three years. He is a member of the Pingelly Roads Board and of the local health board and agricultural society, and is a supporter of all clean forms of sport in the district, personally devoting his hours of leisure to the pastime of golf. In his youth he was one of the crack amateur horsemen of New South Wales country districts, and with the ribbons, either single or four-in-hand, there are few even yet to rival him. He was married at Cue in 1896 to Charlotte, daughter of Mr. Frederick Cornell, of Port Adelaide, and has a family of three sons and two daughters.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
683
RICHARD HENRY THOMPSON, who has been a resident of Western Australia for the past eighteen years, was born at Gosber-ton, Lincolnshire, England, on August 20, 1866, and is a son of the late Joseph Thompson, a farmer of that country. He was educated in his native village, and leaving school at a very early age went to work on a farm, where he remained for four years. He was then apprenticed to the butchering trade at Boston, Lincolnshire, and after completing his indentures followed this business for some years, eventually opening a small butchering establishment on his own account in London. Tiring of the drudgery involved in small retail trade in the great city he decided to throw up his connection and see something of the world, and with this object in view proceeded to America, where he gained valuable experience in several different branches of his trade in the biggest butchering firm in the world, viz..
Swift & Co., whose business extends all over the globe. After five years in this connection in Chicago and California he continued his travels to Portland, Oregon, and after a year at this centre found employment in various parts of the United States beforo leaving for Sydney in the early nineties. Upon arrival in Australia he was engaged for some time in the Sydney Meat Preserving Works, and subsequently was identified with the Ross River Works in Queensland. In 1895 he came to Western Australia, his first four years in this State being spent in Perth with the firm of Messrs.
Albert & Co., from which he severed his connection in order to accept a position as manager of the meat department of the Western Fresh Food & Ice Company, under the control of Messrs.
Forrest, Emanuel, & Company. At a later date Mr.
Thompson occupied the post of wholesale grader for three large firms then controlling the meat trade of Western Australia, and in 1906, relinquishing business interests for the time being, Photo by TF. E. Elston. took a trip with his family to his native land, where he spent the better part of a year visiting various places in England and on the Continent. Prior to his
since. The premises, situated in the main thoroughfare of the town, were rebuilt and fitted up by Mr. Thompson on the most up-to-date lines, the shop being splendidly ventilated and designed with a view to the expansion of business expected with the development of the district. The front is tiled in dull-green, the scheme also being carried out on the inner walls, ensuring perfect cleanliness; a cold chamber and wire safes have been installed for the protection of the meat from flies and heat; and a large roomy office has been added, with spacious outhouses and shelters, the whole being kept spotless and free from the slightest suspicion of anything unwholesome. Mr. Thompson’s wide experience of the trade in various parts of the world renders him peculiarly fitted to succeed in the enterprise which he has embarked upon, and which is now well established under the most favourable of auspices. In addition to his trading interests he also has a stake in the agricultural industry, owning a farm of 650 acres adjoining the town boundary, the conduct of which he personally supervises. He is a patron of all clean forms of sport and one of the founders of the Pin-gelly Trotting Club. Mr. Thompson was married in the year 1901 to Dorothy .lane, daughter of Mr.
Clement Beecroft, one of the very early pioneers of Western Australia, and has a family of two sons and two daughters.
departure upon this journey Mr. Thompson was made the recipient of a handsome presentation from those who had been connected with him in the wholesale meat trade; and
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Richard Henry Thompson.
upon his return resumed his association with the trade, spending a short time with the firm of Forrest, Emanuel, & Co. as buyer and inspector. In the year 1907 he decided to relinquish his position with the last-named firm and commence in business on his own account, and
Mr. R. H. Thcmfson’s Premises, Pingelly.
accordingly he purchased the connection built up by Mr. Windsor in the town of Pingelly, and has conducted a thriving trade there ever
STANLEY SHEPHARD, general merchant, Brookton, was born at Marion, South Australia, on February 21, 1873, his father, the late James Shephard, being a farmer who came from Gloucestershire, England, in the year 1836 and was afterwards engaged in the agricultural industry in the northern part of the sister State for many years. The gentleman under review received his education at Gladstone, and continued his studies until his later teens, having two years' experience as monitor in the South Australian State schools. Before completing his nineteenth year he relinquished scholastic duties in order to enter a mercantile house, and for a short time was engaged as junior assistant in Mr. A. C. Catt’s store in the town before referred to. Here he passed through the grocery and hardware departments of the general business, and after continuing in this connection for some four years, subsequently became acquainted with other branches of the trade in association with Mr. B. Manson at Craddock in the same State. Here he spent another four years, and at the breaking out of the war in South Africa between the British and the Boers he volunteered for service, and
was sent to the front in the Sixth South Australian Bushmen's Contingent. In connection with this corps he was present at engagements
TF. E. Elston, Wag in.
Mr. Stanley Shephard.
in the Orange River Colony, the Transvaal, and Natal, receiving for his services the King’s Medal and Three Clasps. After his return from
South Africa he again joined the firm of B. Manson at Craddock, and managed the business at that centre for about four years. Being impressed with what he had heard of the great possibilities of the Western State he came hither in 1905, and upon arrival accepted a position with the firm of Messrs. Cameron & Goldsmith at Wagin. After remaining there for twelve months, he was offered a junior partnership by Mr. F. H. Button in his store at Brook-ton, and having continued in this business for four years ultimately purchased the interest of his principal, and since 1910 has controlled operations on his own account, this being the leading business of the place. Mr. Shephard holds the position of honorary secretary of the Brookton Agricultural Hall, and takes a cordial interest in all matters dealing with the welfare of the district. He displays a deep concern in the political situation of the moment, and is a member of the Liberal League. In the matter of recreation he finds his chief pastime in the game of tennis. He married in 1911 Bertha, daughter of Mr. John Wearne, of Subiaco, Western Australia, and has one son, Stanley Maxwell.
NARROGIN AND WILLIAMS.
Narrogin is situated on the great southern railway line nearly midway between Perth and Albany, and as the centre of a rapidly rising district is a thriving and prosperous town of about a thousand inhabitants. “The country, which lies high, is undulating, the highest point on the railway line in this direction being 1,100 ft. above sea level. The soil is variable, some very good loamy soil being obtainable, while the tops of the hills are usually an ironstone gravel. The land is well adapted for wheat-growing, sheep-breeding, and general mixed farming, as well as dairying. Although the ‘York Road’ and ‘Box’ poison grow on this area, if they are carefully and systematically hoed out, stock can be depastured with very little risk.” The rainfall varies from 13 in. to 14 in. annually, and is well distributed, so that the district is particularly adapted for wheat-growing. Narrogin was the first town on the great southern extension to become a municipality, and since that time has made considerable progress. It possesses a town hall and municipal offices which have cost about £3,500, courthouse, lands agency, and district surveyor’s office, and hotels and public halls. Several of the associated banks have branches in the town, and these, combined with substantial business premises and an increasing
number of handsome private residences, give an air of stability and permanence. Since the completion of the railway from Brunswick on the south-western line through Collie to Narrogin the town has grown considerably, and when the line from Narrogin to Merredin, already built as far as Wickepin, is completed, it will have practically direct communication with the eastern goldfields. In addition the survey of the Narrogin-Armadale line, which it is anticipated will reduce the distance from Fremantle by 57 miles, has been authorized, so that it is confidently expected that Narrogin will in time become an important railway centre. About four miles out of the town there is the Narrogin State Farm, which has accommodation for forty-four students, being the only State farm in Western Australia to which students are admitted. Most of the work on the farm is done by the students, who are thus enabled to gain that practical knowledge and experience so necessary to those who look to farming as a living. Occasional lectures are given to the students, but these are only secondary to the practical work. The farm, which was established in 1903, consists of about 3,000 acres, most of it under wheat, though sheep-breeding, dairying, and mixed farming generally also find a place.
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Students are admitted from the age of sixteen at a fee of £10 per year, but are not compelled to remain for any particular period. Most of them remain there only so long as they think necessary to learn sufficient to work profitably on their own selections. The Great Southern Leader, published on Fridays, and The Narrogin Observer, issued on Saturdays, are two progressive country newspapers, which not only give an extensive resume of general news, but pay particular attention to the various events and occurrences of interest taking place throughout the whole district.
Eighteen miles west of Narrogin is the township of Williams, through which the Collie - Narrogin railway now passes. Situated on the Perth-Albany main road it was a mail coaching centre in the early days of the State, and as such was a place of some importance. After the great southern railway was completed its position dwindled, but since it has become a station on the railway from Collie it has shown a tendency to increase again. It is surrounded by land of excellent quality, and has a good and well-distributed rainfall—the two requirements of an agricultural district.
WILLIAM LE FEVRE GRAHAM, M.R.A.C., farmer, “Min-abbie,” an estate situated eight miles west of Narrogin, is a son of Mr. William Graham, who came to Western Australia in the late seventies. He was born at Green Plains, near Kadina, South Australia, and received his primary education chiefly by private tuition, subsequently concluding his scholastic career at Whinham College, North Adelaide. Subsequently he took the full course at the Roseworthy Agricultural College, taking his diploma from that institution in 1895. With the object of gaining further experience he became engaged in the wine-making industry with the firm of Hardy Brothers, the celebrated vignerons at McLaren Vale, in the Central State. Having remained with this firm for some time Mr. Graham came to Western Australia and undertook the charge of a party of men engaged on the construction of the Eucla to Norseman telegraph line. Having witnessed the completion of the line he turned his attention to the scientific side of agriculture, and accepting an appointment from the Government as inspector under tho Insect Pest Act carried out the duties attached to that position for a considerable period. In 1897 he selected a portion of his present property in the Narrogin district, and has since extended his boundaries, making a snug little farm of about 3,000 acres, where his operations in cerealgrowing and sheep-raising have been signally successful. Ilis flock consists of 1,000 sheep, a cross between the merino and-Lincoln having given good results, and a general air of prosperity pervades the fields and folds. Mr. Graham, since his advent to the district, has shown himself keenly interested in its progress, and becoming dissatisfied with the
trend of the Liberal Administration in its operation at the rural centres he eventually embraced the politics of the Labour Party, and is now a member of the Australian Labour Federation. In 1912 he was the candidate selected to represent the interests of Labour in the southeast province at the general elections for the Legislative Council. In public affairs, more strictly local, he
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. William Le Fevre Graham.
plays his part, being a valued member of the roads board, to which he was first elected in 1898, and in addition holds the honorary position of chairman of the Roads Board Association of Western Australia. He is connected with the Narrogin Agricultural Society, in which body he has held office on several occasions, at one time acting as secretary ; and for some time he has held the post of inspector on behalf of the Agricultural Bank. All forms of clean, manly sport appeal to him,
and he upholds free participation in the same, himself setting the example by joining in the various diversions of this kind in the district. In 1908 he married Thekla Emma, daughter of the late Mr. Ernest Wilhelm Theodor Pustkuchen, late of Adelaide, and has two sons.
MICHAEL BROWN, Mayor of Narrogin, was born at Tullarone, County Kilkenny, Ireland, on August 15, 1850, and is a son of the late Thomas Brown, who came to Western Australia in 1857 and settled in the Toodyay district, where he remained for a number of years. Later on, in the sixties, he became one of the pioneer farmers of the Hotham River district, near Wandering, and the gentleman under review, at the conclusion of his education gained his first initiation into farming pursuits on the home property, “Noon-ibling,” which, taken up in the early days of colonization as a tillage lease of 100 acres by Sergeant Kelly (father of Bishop Kelly, of Geraldton) was subsequently purchased from that gentleman by Mr. Thomas Brown While yet in his teens, young Brown joined his brother in a farming venture at Wandering—which may be said for many years to have belonged in toto to the Browns, father and sons. Two years later the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Michael Brown taking out his share in stock on the “Noombling” property, which he purchased from his father while still under twenty-one years of age. Mr. Brown having acquired his 100-acre freehold block applied himself to the study of the land laws of the State with a view to selecting further area, and as a result he is considered to possess a better acquaintance with the history of the original regulations and the changes which have since taken
place not only than the average layman but than many a member of the Civil Service. As a result, today, Mr. Brown’s landed property amounts to something over 30,000 acres, of which over 20,000 have become freehold, while the balance under fulfilled conditions will become so in due course. Of the many
II'. E. Elston, I Vagin.
Mr. Michael Bkown.
thousands of acres which he took up from the Government he has only sold one block of 100 acres; and to gain an idea of the extent of his property it is only necessary to state that the fencing alone of boundaries and subdivisions runs into something like 200 miles. The "Noombling” Estate is situated some 83 miles distant from Perth, and at the time Mr. Brown entered into possession there was no nearer post office nor,
indeed, accommodation of any kind than that of the metropolis. Though in those early days he had the pick of the best land in the district, in order to enlarge and make compact his holding he contented himself
with a good deal of second-class land, which, however, may be considered above the average, while a large portion is very superior in quality. “Noombling,” which comprises some 23,000 acres, lies about seven miles east of Wandering, and has a four-mile frontage to the old York Road, while the Hotham River also runs through the property for six miles. There are also two large creeks and various soaks and springs, so that surface water is not lacking in any part of the property. In consequence of the advent of the great southern railway Mr. Brown relinquished residence at “Noombling” in 1890, and
settled in close proximity to the line at Narrogin, where he took up 3,000 acres of land. Subsequently, when the town site was surveyed, he erected the Hordern Hotel, the first and still one of the finest licensed houses on
the great southern, and the first brick structure of any kind built along the line. Whilst retaining his farming interests, with the capable cooperation of his wife, he personally conducted the latter hostelry for upwards of twenty years, during which Mrs. Brown achieved a wide reputation as a notable hostess, and the house maintained an enviable popularity not only among the farming community, but with commercial men from the city whose interests brought them into the neighbourhood. The farm at Narrogin is almost entirely cleared, and is cultivated by Mr. Brown with the
Photo by IF. E. Elston. Hordern Hotel, Narrogin.
Mr. M- brown’s old homestead (1903). Narrogin.
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assistance of two of his sons in conjunction with “Noombling,” and a third property of 4,000 acres, known as “Boondine,” which is in the same state of development. The proposition includes 3,000 sheep—pure merinoes of the famous Murray breed, a small stud flock being kept by Mr. Brown, who breeds very fine class stud rams from pure-bred ewes selected from the best South Australian flocks. The horses includo about fifty of both blood and draught types, very choice specimens of blood stock being present on the estates, descended from such dependable sires as “Strike,” an English horse of quality and great turf successes, while the draught workers also are of marked quality. Much success has attended Mr. Brown’s ventures as an exhibitor of livestock at the local and other country shows, and he is the possessor of many
trophies and cups in token of such triumphs, not least among which is a champion cup presented to the winner of the greatest number of prizes for three years in succession at Narrogin by the president of the local agricultural society. In addition to his landed possessions Mr. Brown holds big interests in town property at Narrogin, besides the Hordern Hotel owning The Observer newspaper office, various shops and offices, and about twenty other blocks of greater or less value. At one period of his career he spent some five years on the eastern goldfields, where he owned one of the largest carrying plants on the fields, comprising over a hundred horses, etc., and conducted a large business successfully until the railway was carried through to Menzies, when he
returned to his farming occupations near Narrogin. He has always interested himself in the public life of
the district, and as far back as the early seventies held membership in the Wandering Roads Board at the formation of that body, since which period up to the present he has served continuously as a member of one or another of similar organizations. For many years he filled the office of chairman of the board referred to, subsequently transferring his services to the Williams Roads Board for some time, and upon the founding of the Narrogin Roads Board was elected first chairman, which post he occupied for several years, and is still a member of that body. He also held a seat in council
with the municipal fathers, and for the past two years has been invested with mayoral honours. He is a
member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and being a strong Liberal in politics is a keen supporter of the local branch of the Liberal League. He has taken his part in various movements for the advancement of the district, and was prominent in the effort to make Narrogin the junction of the Collie railway, instead of Pingelly or Wagin, the supporters of which towns were striving to secure that advantage for their own centres. Mr. Brown is a member of the Roman Catholic communion, and takes a prominent interest in the welfare of that cause in the district. He is the possessor of a motor-car, and his chief recreation is found in motoring through the district and between his home at Narrogin and the “Noombling” Estate. He was married in the year 1882 to Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Joseph White, a well-known farmer now living in retirement at Guildford, and has a family of three sons and five daughters.
Harvester at Work on the Farm.
Outbuildings at “ Noombling."
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
GEORGE STANYFORD FRANCIS COWCHER, J.P., owner of the “Dookening” Estate, Williams, is a grandson of the first sottler to take up land in the district
to very ancient stock. A member of the medical profession, after his arrival in Western Australia he was in attendance on the first Governor of the State, Captain Stirling, and
year. Eventually he embarked on the occupation of agriculturist and pas-toralist in a modest way, having various interests around Pinjarra in the Murray district, and eventually
Photo by W. E. Piston.
Mr. G. S. F. Cowcher’s Residence, Williams.
of Guildford. This early pioneer, who bore the name afterwards given to the gentleman under review— George Stanyford Francis Cowchcr —came from Hampshire, England, where his family could trace their ancestry back for hundreds of years
his staff, and continued in practice here until the time of his death. His son, the late George Stanyford Cowcher, father of the subject of this article, accompanied the family to Western Australia in June, 1830, at which time he was in his fifteenth
retired to Marradong, where he spent his declining years in companionship with members of his family. His death occurred in 1903 at the advanced age of eighty-seven. Mr. G. S. F. Cowcher was born at Pinjarra, in the south-western portion
Photo by W. E. Elston,
View of “Dookening” Estate.
689
of the State, on December 31, 1854, and was educated under private tuition in his father’s house and at Marrinup. In 1875 he launched out on his own account, taking up a 100-acre block of land at Marradong. At
Mr. George Stanyford Cowcher.
a later date he removed to the Williams district, and settling down to the career of a farmer and pastoralist made the acquirement of further holdings a matter of first importance. As a result he has an estate to-day of 13,000 acres, the homestead
block alone extending over an area of 10,000 acres. The country, undulating in general character, is hilly in parts, outcrops of granite being of frequent occurrence and patches of rising ground with gravelly surface vary the red loam and lighter soils which predominate over the estate. The district surrounding the Williams River is well-'grassed, and splendid pastures have been produced on "Dookening” merely by means of ring-barking the trees, the natural grasses flourishing on these areas fully as well as on cleared land. It is a noticeable feature in the development of his property that Mr. Cowcher does not touch the flooded gums, etc., which have sprung up in or near the various watercourses. Many years ago he discovered by personal observation that where the trees were left in their natural state near the creeks and brooks, the country was prevented from becoming salt, as is frequently the case when a clean sweep is made of the timber; and latterly he has had the satisfaction of finding that modern science is declaring in favour of this method. With the exception of these localities ringbarking has been completed over the whole of the estate, and 2,500 acres are entirely cleared, while further work of this nature is steadily being proceeded with. The chief watercourse
is the Williams River, but the whole of the country on "Dookening” is well watered, surface moisture being present in abundance in the shape of soaks and good springs, while wells have been sunk to ensure
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. G. S. F. Cowcher.
a never-failing supply of fresh, clear water for the use of the stock, etc. About 60 miles of fencing, both plain and netted, have been erected on the estate, dividing it into many paddocks; and other improvements
_Photo by W. E. Elston. SS
Distant View of “ Dookening ” Homestead.
690
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
have been made from time to time, bringing the property into the front rank among others of its kind in the district. Mr. Cowcher devotes his attention chiefly to sheepfarming, though on an average about 500 acres are cropped yearly with wheat and oats. From 5,000 to 6,000 sheep are put to shears annually, the breed selected by Mr. Cowcher as most suitable to his purpose being a crossbred Lincoln-merino of big frame with good weight of carcase and a clip of seven pounds average. A small flock of Shropshires is also kept on a separate property chiefly for the purpose of raising early lambs for the local markets. Horse-breeding is resorted to on a small scale, the number being kept up to about twenty, among which are largely represented the steady strong worker, with a few of lighter class suitable for saddle and buggy use. A herd of about thirty dairy cattle is grazed; and a somewhat unusual feature of the farm industry is the particularly large number of turkeys and other feathered denizens of the farmyard. Some flfty or sixty swine have also their place in the proposition, the Berkshire and large black breeds being raised for the pork and bacon markets. The homestead, which was built in 1903, is a substantial structure of brick and stone containing seven rooms of large size and part of the back and front is
enclosed to form verandahs. A very attractive feature of the homestead area is the pretty flower
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. R. G. S. Cowcher.
garden claimed by Mr. Cowcher’s wife and daughter as their own special domain, and upon which much care and tendance is spent by them. Here all the favourite blooms of the season find a place, and in addition ornamental shrubs and cypress-trees, etc., have been planted which give their touch of picturesqueness to the surroundings.
An orchard covering six acres of ground is a popular resort in the fruit season, as apples, pears, peaches, quinces, and plums here come to perfection, and grape vines also yield their luscious harvest. The stables and outhouses provide boxes for twelve horses, and all the shelter places necessary, such as machinery shed, chaffhouses, shearing shed, etc., and everything in connection with the agricultural department, labour-saving implements and machinery, manures, etc., are all made use of for ensuring a greater measure of success. Since his early manhood Mr. Cowcher has taken a keen interest in affairs outside of his own particular enterprise, and at twenty-four entered the arena of local government, being elected a member of the Wandering Roads Board. At a later date, upon taking up his residence in the Williams district, he was returned to represent the ratepayers on the Williams Roads Board, and ever since, during a period representing thirty-five years (with the exception of a term spent by him in the northwest) his services in this capacity have been at the disposal of his fellow members of the community, while for twelve years he has filled the office of chairman of the board. He was one of the founders of the Williams Agricultural Society, in which he has occupied many offices.
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Outbuildings at “ Dookening."
691
including those of patron and vice-president; and has associated himself prominently with every other organization, taking a foremost place in all movements for the advancement of the district and winning a well-earned reputation as the
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. John Spurring Cowcher.
most progressive citizen of the neighbourhood. He received his Commission as Justice of the Peace from the Forrest Administration in the
days preceding Federation, and figured in the State Parliament as representative in the House of Assembly for the district of Williams for over seven years. His experience as a practical farmer made his utterances in the House of considerable value, and his reputation as a man of unquestioned integrity inspired with confidence even his opponents, to whom he always strove to be fair and just and to assist when the opportunity to do so occasionally was thrown in his way. It is due to Mr. Cowcher to remark that, being very conscientious in the discharge of his duties as a statesman, he spent much time that might with greater profit to himself have been devoted to his farming interests in attending to the requirements of his electorate, and not to those of his own special division only but also to all matters that came under his notice with regard to the betterment of the whole State. His religious interests are centred in the Church of England, and he is a member of the local branch of that communion. A supporter and cordial advocate of all forms of clean and legitimate sport, he is most strongly opposed to gambling and everything that tends to demoralize the nation in the direction of corrupt practices in connection with what is looked upon as healthy recreation. Mr. Cowcher was married in January, 1882,
to Emma Sophia, daughter of the late Thomas Farmer, an early pioneer of Western Australia. This
IF. E. Elston, W agin.
Mr. H. F. F. Cowcher.
gentleman was born on the Canning River about seventy years ago, and was one of the farmers who came “over the hills” to the York district and was very well known among the agricultural community of his day. Of this union there are four sons and four daughters.
Photo by W. E. Elston. SS2
CULTIVATED AREAS ON MR. G. S. F. CoWCHER’S PROPERTY.
JOHN EDWARD CLAYTON, J.P., proprietor of the “Ferndale” Estate, Narrogin, was born near Horncastle in Lincolnshire, England, on January 29, 1861, and is the eldest son of Mr. Henry Clayton, who has been associated with farming pursuits in England, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia respectively since the early eighties, having come to the Island-Continent from the Home Land three years after the arrival of Mr. J. E. Clayton, then just entering upon his manhood. Mr. John Edward Clayton is a self-educated man, in early days from dawn to dark his services being in requisition for the laborious work of farming. In the few spare hours that he could glean, however, he devoted himself to study, and gained an elementary knowledge of various branches of learning. Upon his advent to Australia he first landed in Queensland in August, 1883, where he was employed in general farming occupations and orchard work at Roma, at which place and “Ambie Downs” Station, near Mitchell, he spent some five years. Leaving there he proceeded to the northern goldfields, Idesvold, Burnett River, where he remained only a short time, going thence to Victoria and following the farming industry on his own account for about eight years. With this he combined dairying operations with considerable success, and was identified with the Gippsland, Lily-dale, and Dandenong districts during his sojourn in the sister State. In 1895 the commercial crash occurred in Victoria which involved so many in disaster and ruin, and from this Mr. Clayton was not fortunate
enough to escape unscathed. With the little left to him after the disposal of his property he left the scene of disappointment, and with his family took passage for the Western State, which was proving a veritable “land of promise” to many who had
Mr. Henry Clayton.
lost their all in the crash and were compelled to begin life over again. Upon arrival in Western Australia Mr. Clayton turned his attention to the mining industry, and going straight to the goldfields found employment on the Hannan’s Proprietary Mine for over two years. In 1897 he purchased a condensing plant and, taking into partnership the Messrs. Rintoul Brothers, carried on a big general business agency, etc., which, under the trading title of Clayton & Rintoul Brothers, established its claim to be recognized
as the best , and most widely known concern of its kind on the goldfields —a priority which it retains at the present time. Upon the completion of the goldfields water scheme the business of condensing died a natural death, and Mr. Clayton, as senior partner of the firm, conceived the idea of devoting his energies to landed interests in the Narrogin-Williams district, where he took up nearly 10,000 acres of country in the locality halfway between the two towns. Almost immediately he entered upon the development of this tract upon extensive lines, and carried on mixed-farming operations there with considerable success until 1907, when the estate (well known as “Rosedale” and fully described elsewhere in this work) was sold to Messrs. Hardie Brothers for nearly £17,000 cash. To illustrate the ability of Mr. Clayton as displayed in his enterprise in connection with “Rosedale,” it may be mentioned that at the period of the sale he had on exhibition at the National Show at Na.rrogin, in 1906, an exhibit including 229 varieties of the different classes of farm produce and fifty varieties of grasses and fodder pi ante which at the time was considered exceptional, not only as a Western Australian exhibit, but as of considerable value as an object-lesson to visitors from the older centres, not excepting the go-ahead American. A special prize of £35 was awarded to him on this occasion from the agricultural society, and the Government, which considered the exhibit a splendid advertisement, paid all his expenses to display a similar exhibit for three years in succession at the Royal Show in Perth and at Bunbury
693
and various other places, it being considered of special value from an educational point of view, as demonstrating the wealth that could be produced on one farm by a proprietor who was willing to take the trouble and had sufficient enterprise to make the venture. After disposing of “Rosedale” Mr. Clayton purchased several smaller holdings in the vicinity of Narrogin, the nearest being about three miles from the latter town, and combining these into one property formed the “Fern-dale” Estate, comprising upwards of
4,000 acres. Here he has continued operations on the same lines as at the former place, but solely on his own account, “Ferndale” being his personal property, whereas the previous farm was a joint concern belonging to the partnership with which he was connected. He has proved equally successful in mixed-farming pursuits on the new holding, having cleared over 1,600 acres, which area has been brought under cultivation on the fallow system, in 1913 500 acres being put under crop; and on the grazing pastures is run a flock of 1,600 sheep, chiefly of the merino breed, and a valuable herd of dairy cows, in which the popular Jersey and Ayrshire predominate. A large amount of fencing has been completed, and the natural water supply, which is very plentiful, consisting of good freshwater soaks and springs, has been utilized to the best advantage. Of the twenty horses that are kept upon the farm a fine class of Clydesdale is the predominating feature,- and in this connection it may be mentioned that Mr. Clayton is credited with being one of the best judges of heavy draughts in the State, and at various times has filled the office of adjudicator in this section as well as in those of dairy cattle, pigs, produce, etc., both at the Royal Show, Perth, and at various of the leading country centres, being one of the oldest judges officially appointed by the council of the Royal Agricultural Society. He has been very successful himself in the past as an exhibitor at these functions, and is the holder of several valuable trophies, cups, etc., for different classes of stock. Mr. Clayton has a fine orchard of some 20 acres, where apples, pears, peaches, etc., are grown for purposes of export. This orchard is looked upon as a model of its kind, and new settlers arc glad to pay a visit
to “Ferndale” to observe the methods in horticulture adopted by the proprietor who has achieved such successful results. The homestead is a modern ten-roomed structure of picturesque aspect, with stone walls and iron roofing, and in
TP. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. John Edward Clayton.
the interior are found all the comforts and luxuries of the city home, water being laid on throughout and various other appointments are present usually to be met with only in the metropolitan areas. A flower garden and trimmed hedges give a neat finish to the enclosure, while leading from the road to the homestead is an
avonue of decorative trees, sugar-gums, pines, etc., which forms a very pleasant approach. In addition to the farm Mr. Clayton conducts in Narrogin the stock agency for the firm of Dalgety & Co., and he also carries on business as Government and sworn valuator, and is valuer for the Commonwealth Bank. He is a member of the Government Land Board—the first member of that board appointed in the country districts ; and takes great interest in the various organizations for the proper government of the locality in which he resides. He held for several years the office of president of the Narrogin Agricultural Society, and is the present vice-president of this body, in connection with which the honour of life membership has been conferred upon him in recognition of the producer’s exhibit at the National Show above referred to. He served on the first Narrogin Municipal Council, and is one of the oldest members of the local roads board, of which he has been chairman for six years in succession, still holding that office. He is a foundation member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association as represented in the branch at Narrogin, and a local committeeman of the Liberal League of Western Australia. He has exercised the Commission of the Peace for a lengthy period, and he is also a member of the Williams Licensing Court for the Williams district. Mr. Clayton is a married man, his wife being a daughter of the late Mr. Charles Park, of Dublin,
Photo by TP. E. Elston. Mr. J. e. Clayton’s Residence, Narrogin.
694
Ireland, and his family consists of a son and a daughter, now both grown up and assisting in the working of the estate.
HENRY JAMES RINTOUL, of “Auburn Vale,” Williams, was born at Sale, Victoria, on April 9, 1869, and is a son of Mr. Peter Thomas Stuart Rintoul, of “Rosedale,” Gippsland, who came from the Tweed River, Scotland, among the earliest of the Scottish settlers in Australia and resided for some time in Tasmania before finally settling down to farming pursuits in
States, where he remained until the late nineties, about which period he decided to join his brother, Mr. Thomas S. Rintoul, who some years previously had been carried by the trend of the time to throw in his lot in Western Australia. Some time after the arrival of Mr. H. J. Rintoul in this State the brothers formed a partnership with Mr. J. E. Clayton, the proprietor of a condensing plant on the goldfields (whose biography appears elsewhere in this work), and under the title of Clayton & Rintoul Brothers a large general business was carried on which has maintained a premier position
share of the profits to the purchase of “Auburn Vale/’ at that time in possession of Mr. R. Hamersley and comprising only 400 acres. After acquiring this holding Mr. Rintoul secured several adjoining properties from Messrs. J. Mitchell, Thomas Martin, and Whitehorn respectively, and the combination of these blocks brought his homestead area up to 2,400 acres. In addition to this he selected a block of 1,500 acres in the Fourteen - Mile Brook district, situated about 14 miles distant from the homestead, and proceeded to work the whole as a joint proposition. The contour of the country
Photo by W. E. Elston. "Auburn Vale" Homestead ; orchard in Foreground.
Gippsland, where he was known as a successful agriculturist for many years. The subject of this memoir was educated at the State school at Sale, and upon entering his teens became his father's assistant on the farm. In this connection he gained a good grounding in the industry which he has since followed, and showed special aptitude in the handling of horses, at a later date also becoming well versed in matters concerning wool- and mutton-raising on various pastoral properties in Victoria and New South Wales. He spent a considerable time in gaining station experience in the sister
on the fields ever since. For nearly a decade this partnership remained in existence. After the completion of the goldfields water scheme, when the condensing plant was sold, Mr. Clayton proceeded to Narrogin, where he took up a large area of country about midway between that town and Williams, and successfully developed the well-known “Rose-dale" Estate, which afterwards was purchased by Messrs. Hardie Brothers. Subsequent to the sale of this property the partnership between Mr. Clayton and the Rintoul Brothers was dissolved, and the gentleman under review devoted his
here is undulating and the prevailing soil is a heavy chocolate, though sandy loam is also found in considerable evidence. The native timber comprises jam, York-gum, white-gum, manna-gum, red-gum, and salmon, but the greater part of this has been removed from a large portion of the estate, 1,000 acres being completely cleared and the remainder ringbarked. Where the latter operation has been concluded and the dry trees are still standing the native grasses spring up very luxuriantly, making splendid feed for the stock, which fatten well on these pastures. The property also
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possesses excellent watering facilities in the Miningin Brook, which pursues its way for a couple of miles through “Auburn Vale,” besides which there are numerous soaks and wells, and surface water is present everywhere. Windmills have been
Mr. Peter Thomas Stuart Rintoul.
erected for the greater convenience of utilizing the supply for the various requirements of the farm, although no artificial means are necessary for watering the stock. The improvement work has included upwards of 40 miles of fencing, costing on an average about £32 per mile. Different styles of fencing have been adopted,
14 miles of wire - netting being employed to make some of the paddocks dog-proof, while in parts may be seen the use of two plain and two barbed wires together, and yet again six plain wires and one barbed, the whole of the fourteen paddocks h e i n g efficiently secured against the escape of the sheep. Mr. Rintoul gives the major portion of his attention to sheep-farming operations, although it is his design to develop a considerable area for agriculture as the years go on, and he is already cropping some 300 acres annually with wheat and oats on the three - year fallow system.
The sheep are pure merinoes bred from a strain introduced from the the principal South Australian flocks Photo'by
and the famous “Boonoke” stud in New South Wales, and a good clip is obtained, the wool commanding top prices at the London markets. A small mob of the necessary farm horses is augmented by the addition of hacks and harness stock of useful type for ordinary use; and the usual dairy herd is found in its place upon the farm. The homestead is built of timber with iron roofing, and forms a very comfortable if unpretentious abode containing six rooms; and the same idea of making essentials the chief consideration and leaving elaboration until the farm industries are in a more forward state of development has been carried out in the erection of outhouses, where everything requisite to the outdoor work of the farm has been considered without expending capital on mere externals. An orchard two acres in extent has been planted, where fresh fruit is obtained in season for home use. Mr. Rintoul is of a somewhat retiring disposition, and is inclined to shun the responsibility of public office, making a notable exception in favour of the Narrogin and Williams agricultural societies, in the deliberations of which he takes prominent part, and serves as a committeeman of the latter body. He takes a keen interest in horses, which leads to his support of racing events in the neighbourhood, and he is a member of both the local race clubs, in which
he holds office as committeeman and steward. He has been twiefe married, his first wife, to whom he was united in 1900, being a daughter of the late Mr. Winnin, of Bendigo, Victoria, by whom he had one son and one daughter. This lady died
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Henry James Rintoul
in 1904, and three years later Mr. Rintoul espoused Mary Ellen, eldest daughter of Mr. Thomas Augustus Whitford, of “Congeling,” Fourteen-Mile Brook, Western Australia, the issue being two sons.
W. E. Elston.
Mr. H. J. Rintoul’s Residence. Williams.
696
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
JOHN BARRON, J.P., owner and occupant of the “Miningin” property, near Narrogin, was born in the homestead where he now resides on October 22, 1874. He is the
Mr. Edward George Barron.
youngest son of the late Edward George Barron, who claimed the distinction of being the first white male child born on Western Australian soil, which event occurred on September 17, 1829, in a regimental marquee pitched on the spot where the present town hall of Perth now stands. The late Mr. E. G-. Barron’s father was a colour-sergeant in the old 63rd Regiment, and came to Western Australia with the first English soldiers drafted to this State. He was of Irish descent, and could trace his ancestry back for hundreds of years. It is also claimed
for his wife that she was the first white woman to land at the new colony, the couple being accompanied by their three young children. Mr. E. G. Barron, on reaching man’s estate, joined the Police Force of Western Australia, in which he served for nearly fifteen years. At the end of this period he resigned to settle on the land, and received a gratuity from the Imperial Government of 50 acres of freehold in whatever portion of the State he might choose. His selection fell upon the present “Miningin” homestead block, upon which he erected a dwelling, and as time passed he increased his freehold to 175 acres. He also secured the lease of a large area of land surrounding the “Miningin” property, and for many years he was looked upon as the leading pastoralist in the district. When the hunger for land brought new settlers to encroach upon his pastoral run Mr. Barron took further advantage of the land laws and extended his original holding until it embraced in .the vicinity of 2,500 acros. To this area the gentleman under review subsequently added a further 1,000 acres, and “Miningin” Farm now comprises 3,475 acres of land, the whole being freehold. In addition to this, Mr. John Barron also owns a block comprising some hundreds of acres situated a few miles distant from the parent property. Mr. Barron’s mother—a native of Tipperary, Ireland— though now well on in the eighties, still enjoys good health, and is spending her declining years with her son at “Miningin.” The subject of this memoir was the youngest of his
Mr. John Barron’s Residence;, near Narrogin.
parents’ eleven children, and received his education by private tuition on the old homestead since his childhood, with the exception of holiday trips to the Eastern States, having spent the whole of his life in farming pursuits in the place of his birth. In his early teens he became familiar with all the different methods connected with sheep-raising, and made such good use of his opportunities then and later that he has long been in possession of an expert knowledge concerning every department of the industry, and is regarded as second to none in the
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. John Barron.
State as a judge of merino sheep. In recognition of his abilities in this direction he has been officially appointed by the council of the Royal Agricultural Society one of the adjudicators in this section at the various country district shows. Great industry and enterprise have been displayed by Mr. Barron in the development of his holding — to which he succeeded upon the demise of his father in 1901—and to-day a better - improved property hardly exists on the great southern line. The whole of it is fenced with six wires, and a quantity of wire-netting has also been used in rendering the paddocks dog-proof. Judicious subdivision has also been made, cutting up the estate into fifteen paddocks of size convenient for stock-handling and cultivation and varying from
1,000 acres to a “small” enclosure of 50 acres. Over 1,500 acres are cleared on “Miningin” and approaching 200 acres on the other block,
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while further operations in this direction are proceeding apace, each sea-son witnessing decided changes in the aspect of the country, as timber
water in every part, and no scarcity of the precious moisture has ever been known. To utilize Nature’s provision in this respect to the best
year (1912) commanding the highest figure obtained for the local product. A few dairy cattle are grazed, the herd being kept for domestic
and scrub land give place to open spaces of pasture and cultivated areas. A pleasant undulation is the natural characteristic of the locality, and indigenous grasses are abundant, even where clearing has not been completed, the ringbarked patches producing excellent feed for stock. The estate, being one of the first taken up in the neighbourhood, and
Sheep Ready for Shears.
advantage, windmills have been placed over various wells where water has been struck at a very shallow depth, and by means of these with the tanks and troughing attached every facility is provided for service to the stock. A flock of merino and crossbred sheep are carried on the property numbering from 1,500 to 1,700, the wool from which
requirements and usually averaging about twenty in number from season to season, young stock being bred to keep up the supply of good milch cows. The horses, comprising about twenty, are of mixed sorts of the highest quality, and in this department special mention must be made of "Dan Donald,” the Clydesdale stallion used with such great success
Miningin ” Homestead from Rear, and Dairy Cattle.
chosen with a careful eye to the natural advantages which render it in many respects the pick of the district, is blessed with good surface
is sold locally or exported to London according to the state of the respective markets. Good prices are the rule, the clip from "Miningin” last
in the district for the production of draught stock of a type splendidly suited to the diversified needs of the settlers. "Dan Donald” was imported
and ploughs being of the very latest design, while the chaff-cutting plant in use on the property is one of the finest on the great southern line. The old homestead is a large, roomy, comfortable dwelling of picturesque aspect, built in the style of the station homestead of 1870—the year of its erection; and all the
from Victoria by Mr. Barron at a cost of between £200 and £300. He is a beautiful bay horse, bred by Messrs. Mitchell Brothers, his description being “a bay horse, with
with which about 600 acres are sown annually with wheat and oats and barley. He uses up-to-date machinery in connection with his agricultural operations, his harvesters
outhouses are substantial and well arranged, including stabling for ten horses, loose boxes, etc., barn, machinery sheds, and woolshed furnished with five stands of Wolseley shearing machines, driven by a Ruston and Proctor 5-h.p. steam engine. In addition to his farming interests Mr. Barron is also a director of the Great Southern Flour Milling Co. of Narrogin, with which he has been connected in the above capacity for some years past. Ho has given some attention to public affairs in the district, and is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society, in addition to his association with the local organization of this nature, in connection with which he has been a very successful exhibitor of sheep and draught horses from time to time. He received his appointment of Justice of the Peace from the Scaddan Administration in 1912. A prominent Roman Catholic in matters of religion, he gives his support to the local church of this communion; and has been a member of the H.A.C.B.S. since the inception of the Narrogin branch of the society. A keen sportsman, he is a ready patron of all forms of athletic outdoor diversion, and devotes his hours of leisure to recreation in the football and cricket fields. Mr. Barron was married on February 11, 1896, to Elizabeth, daughter of the late George Hyson, one of the old farming pioneers of the Williams district, and he has a family of three sons and three daughters.
Shearing at “ Miningin.”
Clydesdale Stallion ‘‘Dan Donald," by “Victor.”
a good constitution, and full of life and dash, standing on short legs and proportionately built, showing good depth of chest, good back, and loins, with broad quarters, strong in the gaskins, splendid flat bone, with size, and hair of good quality/' Foaled in 1906, “Dan Donald" had for sire “Victor" by “Young Clydesdale Hero" by “Clydesdale Hero” (champion of Australia) from “Jinny" by “Pride of Clyde" (imported). “Victor's" dam, “Mag" by “Purvis," was by the celebrated sire “Carmyle Mag" from “Gipsy" by “Surprise” (imported); and the colt’s dam by “Young Champion" by “Champion of North" by “Torsman," g. dam by “Blue Ribbon" (imported), g.g. dam by “Conqucrer" (imported). As a two-year-old “Dan Donald" took first and champion prizes at Narrogin and Williams, beating aged horses in the open class; two firsts at Wagin, and first at Katan-ning; first at Narrogin and Williams as a three-year-old, and also as a four-year-old and five-year-old. In all, as a six-year-old horse he had taken sixteen first prizes and seven champion ribbons, a record hard to beat, while his stock took eleven prizes at local shows in 1911-12. Mr. Barron cultivates his land on the approved fallow system, in accordance
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FREDERICK WILLIAM ROSE, J.P., of “Comadyne,” Narrogin East, was born at, Warwick, Queensland, on March 15, 1865, and is a son of the late Frederick Rose, for many years a well-known farmer of Picola, Victoria. He received his education at Leonard’s Hill, near Daylesford, and early began to assist his father in the duties of the farm. At twenty-five he struck out for himself, leasing a farm at Yalca, in the Golden Valley district of Victoria, where he carried on agricultural pursuits for five years. He also worked a property at Yarra-weyah for a short period, but in 1903 disposed of all his interests in Victoria and sailed for Western Australia. Landing at Albany with a couple of horses he immediately set out on the quest for land, and visiting the Wickepin area quickly perceived that the possibilities of the land for agriculture were distinctly promising, the result being his selection of a block of
1,000 acres. As time went on this initial holding was enlarged until, to-day, his landed possessions cover an area of 3,500 acres, the whole of which has been highly improved. Rabbit- and dog - proof fencing encloses the whole boundary, and, with the dividing fences which cut the estate up into several paddocks of convenient size, about 25 miles of fencing have been erected. One-half of the holding is cleared, and cropping on the fallow system is carried on, about 800 acres being sown
every season. A flock of 1,000 crossbred merino - Shropshires is grazed on the estate, and the wool is disposed of locally at satisfactory
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Frederick William Rose.
prices. The farm is well watered by soaks, springs, and wells, and three windmills have been erected, by means of which a good service to the stock is ensured. Mr. Rose has proved a useful member of the community, giving much time and attention to matters tending to the welfare of the place. He received his Commission of the Peace from the James Government, and is now senior magistrate in the Cuballing district. For many years he has
maintained a close connection with the local roads boards, serving for seven years as a member of the Narrogin body, at the close of which period the Cuballing Board was created, when, relinquishing membership in the former, he was returned at the head of the poll by the ratepayers of the Cuballing district, and has been associated with this board ever since, filling the office of chairman for three successive years. Ho has been a vice-president of the Narrogin Agricultural Society since its inception, and was one of the founders of this institution, while as a judge of cattle at the local shows he is a well-known figure, and is also one of the officially-appointed judges on the Royal Show list. A foremost member of the Methodist Church, he has been a loyal supporter of that body at Cuballing, and has been honoured by having his name recommended for inscription on the merit tablet of the church. On the occasion of the building of this church in Cuballing Mr. Rose was presented with a suitably-inscribed souvenir of the occasion; and another token of the esteem of his fellow citizens which he holds is a gold presentation medal tendered him by the past and present members of the Cuballing Roads Board. He takes a keen interest in all clean forms of sport, and is one of the leading honorary officials of the Narrogin Race Club. Mr. Rose married in 1890 Rubina, daughter of the late John Caird, of Picola, Victoria, and has a son and two daughters.
View of Mr. F. W. Rose’s “Comadyne” Estate.
WILLIAM FREDERICK WIESE, J.P., “Balaling,” Narro-gin, is a native of South Australia, where he was born on May 3, 1869, in the little settlement of Milang, in the south-eastern district of the State. His father, the late August Godfreid Frederick Wiese, who came from the Fatherland as a boy of five, was numbered among the German settlers in the Central State who made so big a success of the agricultural industry in the early days, and for many years was a resident of the Bordertown district, where he occupied all the important honorary offices for which he was in any way eligible. The gentleman under review was educated at the Government school at Bordertown, and upon completing his studies before reaching his teens was engaged in the duties of his father’s farm. Being the eldest of the family he was found very useful as an assistant with the stock and agricultural operations, and picked up a great deal of valuable knowledge from his parent, with whom he was closely associated. Before leaving the farm, at twenty-seven years of age, Mr. Wiese had acquired a comprehensive practical experience in the methods then in vogue in farming and pastoral propositions, but being impressed with the reports of the mining industry as a royal road to fortune with his two brothers he decided to come to Western Australia and try his luck on the goldfields.
For three years the party prospected over various localities, but meeting with scant reward for their labours eventually abandoned the scene of disappointment with the intention
Mr. A. G. F. Wiese.
of returning to their old love—agricultural enterprise. With this object in view they came to Narrogin, and being satisfied with the prospects of the district took up land in the vicinity of the town, where they settled down to farming pursuits. In the first instance Mr. W. F. Wiese selected on his own behalf about 1,100 acres in the locality where his homestead is now situated,
and with this as a nucleus he began operations. Subsequently, as success attended his efforts, surrounding country was absorbed into the “Balaling” Estate, and to-day Mr. Wiese may be said to own one of the model farms of the district, its area embracing some 3,236 acres of what is considered first-class land highly suitable for both sheep and cropping. Undulating in character the country in its natural state was timbered with jam and York gum, and another feature not without picturesque value is the granite outcrops which occur at intervals. At the present period the whole of the estate is ringbarked, with the exception of a few patches of timber left here and there to provide shelter for the stock; and over 1,400 acres are completely cleared. This area is cultivated on the two- and three-year fallow system, Mr. Wiese devoting his attention principally to the cultivation of oats, at the date of writing being a larger producer of this cereal than any other farmer in the district. His method of harvesting the crop is believed to be unique among properties in this State with any pretension of size, every field being cut with the reaper and binder, when the grain is threshed by the usual machinery. By this system Mr. Wiese considers that he has obtained better results without having to risk the ripening or overripening of the grain so that it can be garnered by the stripper method.
Flock of Lincoln-Merino Crossbreds at " Balaling.”
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He owns one of the finest machinery plants for a farm of equal standing in Western Australia, having all the latest and most up-to-date machines, including a threshing and pressing plant and a portable Ruston and Proctor 8-h.p. engine of the most modern design. The crown of the “Balaling” industry is the flock, the expert knowledge acquired by Mr. Wiese in his early connection with pastoral enterprise having enabled him to place this department on a sound foundation. The estate usually carries over 1,500 sheep, chiefly crossbreds of the Lincoln-merino type, and the lambing averages about 80 per cent. A good class of wool is produced, which is disposed of locally at a satisfactory figure. Some strong draught horses may be seen at the heavier work of the fields, and these are mostly of the proprietor’s own breeding, about twenty being found necessary to cope with the demands of the busy seasons, and for these stabling has been provided in different parts of the property. A five-roomed stone house, built by Mr. Wiese in 1902, makes a cosy, comfortable homestead, and in the vicinity is a fine orchard and vineyard, covering 11 acres. The property possesses a great advantage in its water supply, not a bucket of water having to be drawn for any purpose whatsoever all the year round. Good surface water prevails all over the estate, running streams occurring at intervals, which
have their source in permanent springs. Mr. Wiese, on account of his marked success in his own proposition, acts as guide, philosopher, and friend to many of the farmers of
TT\ E. Elston, Waffin.
Mr. William Frederick Wiese.
the district, who are glad to profit by his experience as an expert in farming machinery and methods; and his advice is frequently sought, not only by new settlers, but also by some of the older-established farmers who have become dissatisfied with their results from working on the old-time system. He takes an active interest in the welfare of the
community at large, was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the district by the James Administration, and is a member of the Licensing Bench of the Williams district. Mr. Wiese was the founder of the Nar-rogin Agricultural Society, in connection with which he filled the post of honorary secretary for the first three years of its existence, subsequently being elected president for two successive years. He has made almost a hobby of the progress and advancement of this body, and is never happier than when busying himself in its interests. He has also taken a prominent part in the formation of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and has occupied the office of president of the local branch during its first term. A Liberal in politics, his influence is of considerable service to this Party, and he is a member of the Liberal League of Western Australia. For over a century he has been connected with the Ancient Order of Foresters, and has passed through all the chairs of the Order. His special form of recreation is rifle shooting, and he was the moving spirit in the founding of the Narrogin Rifle Club, of which he is the president, his skill in the past as a trophy-winner giving him a premier claim to recognition. Mr. Wiese married in 1903 Maude, daughter of Mr. Richard Penny, of Bordertown, South Australia, by whom he has issue a son and a daughter.
Hay Crops on Mr. W. F. Wiese's Estate.
WILLIAM HENRY INGRAM,
of “Maylands,” Narrogin, was born at Willunga, South Australia, on November 30, 1862. His father, the late William Ingram, came originally from Southampton, England, among the early settlers of the colony, and subsequently became well known as a successful agriculturist of the above-mentioned district. Educated at St. Mary's School, Adelaide, the subject of this memoir began active life at an early age, being engaged for a time in agricultural pursuits before proceeding to Broken Hill where he followed the calling of a carrier for a
decided to leave the mining districts and settle on the land, and with that object in view inspected the country round about Narrogin, coming overland with his horses to this neighbourhood. Being favourably impressed with the possibilities of the soil he selected a block of 340 acres upon which he afterwards erected his present homestead, and starting farming operations on this modest area awaited his opportunity to enlarge his borders. As such occurred from time to time he was able to make judicious selection of additional area, and to-day has a
about 3,000 acres are completely cleared. The whole property is fenced with three wires and netting on the boundary, and subdivision fences of six plain wires have been made, posts of jam timber being used throughout. Dams have been constructed to conserve the water supply, and there is enough permanent surface water on the property to supply the stock all the year round. Of the
3,000 acres which are cleared and cultivated it is Mr. Ingram’s custom to crop annually about 1,000 acres with wheat and oats and peas are also grown as fodder for the
Mr. W. H. Ingram’s "Maylands” Estate. Field Teams and Dairy Cattle in Foreground.
number of years. At a later date he removed to Reynella, and there, whilst continuing in the carrying business, worked an agricultural holding on his own account for a considerable period. In 1894, at the time of the rich gold discoveries, Mr. Ingram sailed for Fremantle and was early on the scene of activity, where he gave himself over to the precarious occupation of prospecting. Not meeting with the desired success he availed himself of an opening to launch out in the carrying business on the fields, and was engaged in this line for rather less than two years. In 1895 he
very fine and well-developed property comprising some 8,000 acres. The soil on the major portion of the estate is a mixed chocolate loam, and is classified as among the best of these well-endowed areas, while even the second-class patches have proved to be excellent sheep country. An abundance of natural nutritious grasses make splendid feed for stock, and these are especially prolific where ringbarking operations have been completed, while even the untouched portions carry really good feed. Altogether about 4,000 acres have been brought under the ringman’s axe, and of this
stock. A flock of about 2,000 sheep of the merino type are carried on the “Maylands” Estate which produce a good class of wool, which is sold to advantage at the local markets. The horses in use on the estate are of mixed classes, useful draughts of good quality predominating, and a small herd of dairy cows is also depastured on the homestead area. The orchard has proved a very profitable proposition, the apples commanding good prices locally, and as seven acres are devoted to the cultivation of fruit and grapes the annual harvest is usually very abundant.
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The homestead was erected by Mr. Ingram in 1905, being a red brick structure containing six rooms, all large in size and well ventilated. Verandahs give the usual pleasant shady effect to the front and back of the house, and in their place are
Mr. William Ingram.
found the kitchen premises, etc., all being quite up to date in every essential. Everything in keeping with the character of a model
and well-managed farm is found in the outhouses, where, in addition to the stabling, machinery sheds, etc., is situated the shearing shed, containing three stands of Wolseley machinery, driven by a steam engine. Mr. Ingram, in the midst of the various claims of his farming industry, has recognized his responsibility as a landholder in the district, and he was among the founders of the Narrogin Agricultural Society, which has played a useful part in the history of the development of the resources of the surrounding country. He has also taken a prominent interest in matters coming under the special jurisdiction of the roads boards, and for many years was associated with the local body, filling the office of chairman of the Narrogin Roads Board for some years. In the past he also occupied a seat on the board of health for the district. A member of the Baptist Church, he has concerned himself in the advancement of this organization as represented by the local branch, and is one of its leading members. He is a cordial patron of all clean forms of sport, and exerts his influence to provide healthful legitimate recreation for the youth of the neighbourhood. Mr. Ingram married in 1887 Florence May, daughter of Mr.
Samuel Pearce—now living in retirement in South Australia—the well-known prospector of the richest mile of mines in the world—the “Golden Mile” of Boulder. His family consists of six sons and five daughters. The two eldest sons—
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. William Henry Ingram.
Archie and Sidney—have joined their father in partnership in the farm, which is carried on under the style of W. H. Ingram & Sons.
HOMESTEAD AND ORCHARD AT ‘ MAYLANDS.”
“CONGELING,” the property of Messrs. Wliitford & Sons, Fourteen-mile Brook, Narrogin. (Thomas
Mr. John Joseph Whitford.
Augustus Whitford, Harold Thomas Whitford, and Roy Victor Whitford.) THOMAS AUGUSTUS WHITFORD, the senior partner of this firm, was born at Alberton, Victoria, on September 22, 1857, and is a son of the late John Joseph Whitford, for many years connected with the Civil Service of that State. While still a lad he worked as a station hand and obtained a good insight into the breeding and management of cattle and other stock, before attaining his majority taking up a block of land at Wonwron, in Gippsland, where he
launched out on his own account in the farming industry. For a number of years Mr. Whitford carried on operations on this property, and in conjunction with this enterprise he also became well known as a general contractor, taking over contracts both of a private nature and on behalf of the Government. In 1894 he disposed of all his interests in Victoria, and
Mr. Harold Thomas Whitford.
coming to Western Australia turned his attention to the timber industry at Denmark, where he continued for the next eight years. During this period, in conjunction with his two sons, Messrs. H. T. and R. V. Whitford, he selected over 1,500 acres of land in the Williams district, upon which locality the “Congeling” homestead is now situated, and in 1902 the
Wheat crop at “Congeling."
partners entered upon the active development of this property. Coincident with working the area already taken up they made the acquirement of further territory a feature of their enterprise, gradually increasing their possessions to about 6,000 acres. Their scheme included mixed farming in its various branches, and in the first instance, spite of the fact that after settling at the homestead, when the rents and fees were paid their entire cash capital consisted of 10s., and notwithstanding a very serious drawback in the presence of the noxious poison-weed over the
Mr. Roy Victor Whitford.
whole of the original and later holdings, they laid their plans for a combined agricultural and pastoral proposition. This was of an onerous character, the clearing of the poison-plant being in itself a contract of no small difficulty, but industry and perseverance have had their due reward, and at the present time no trace of the pest can be found. With the exception of 500 acres of freehold surrounding the homestead the whole of the land was taken up on conditional-purchase terms, and half of this liability has already been discharged, while improvements to the value of £5,000, including stock, plant, and general etceteras, have been made on the property. At the present time all the departments of a well-managed farm are to be found in good working order at “Congeling,” where the crops reaped yearly equal the good averages of the district, and the flocks, well pastured, yield profits in wool and mutton in due course. The horses
705
alone are a valuable asset, consisting of thirty of the best farm workers, chiefly of the Clydesdale type, but with a few good roadsters intermixed. It may here be mentioned that it is the intention of the proprietors in the near future to erect new and substantial homesteads on the property to take the place of those which have done duty hitherto, but which have been regarded as only temporary shelters. Mr. Whitford has always taken his share of public responsibility, and for seven or eight years has served as a member of the Williams Roads Board, in which body he has held office as chairman. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Administration. With his two sons, who arc associated with their father in all movements for the advancement of the district, he was prominent in the founding of the local agricultural hall at Fourteen-mile Brook, and among the benefits conferred upon the neighbourhood by the gentleman under review was the
he assisted his father on the home farm, subsequently accompanying him to Western Australia, where he became a member of the partnership
formed between Mr. Whitford and his sons, and has continued in this association ever since. He married on March 6, 1912, Constance
Harvesting the Hay Crop.
TYPICAL VIEW AT “ CONGELING."
Gertrude, daughter of the late Francis Watts, one of the old pioneers of the Wandering district of Western Australia. Mr. ROY VICTOR WHITFORD, the second son, is also a native of Wonwron, Victoria. He gained his initiation in farming pursuits on the parental property, and is now settled on the land at “Congeling.” Mr. R. V. Whitford is a keen footballer, while . his brother is a steward of the Narrogin Race Club. The younger partners are also members of the various other sporting bodies as well as of the local progress association, railway league, etc.
free gift of the land upon which to erect this building, the foundation-stone being laid by Mr. Whit ford's eldest daughter, Mrs. H. J. Rintoul, a resident of the district. He was also one of the founders of the Williams Agricultural Society, of which he is now a committeeman, and takes a leading part in its administration, the position of president having been offered to him on more than one occasion. Mr. Whitford was married in the late seventies to Margaret Hannah, daughter of the late Thomas Jeffs, of Wonwron, Victoria, who died in 1896, leaving three sons and three daughters. Mr. HAROLD THOMAS WHITFORD is the eldest son of the foregoing gentleman, and was born at Wonwron on August 4, 1882. At the conclusion of his education
TT
Harvesting Scene.
AUGUST HEINRICH TRE-FORT, owner and occupant of the “Hillside” property, Narrogin, was born at Hawker, South Australia, on June 28, 1885, and is the only
Mr. August Heinrich Trefort, sen.
son of the late August Heinrich Trefort, who came to South Australia among the early settlers from the Fatherland and established himself in the farming industry in the Hawker district, where he followed agricultural pursuits until the
liberal conditions in regard to land settlement prevailing in the “Golden West” tempted him hither in 1892.
He was fortunate in his first selection of land, choosing a block of about 600 acres in the Narrogin district, which he was able to increase by purchase of adjoining properties from time to time until he had built up a valuable farm comprising about
1,200 acres of land of choice quality. The late Mr. Trefort belonged to that highly desirable class of settlers whose industry, determination, and thrift triumphed over the many obstacles strewn along their uphill path in the days when privation and suffering were the order of the day and who won through in spite of all, founding t-lieir homes and their enterprises on solid foundations and laying up for their children heritages of honour as well as of broad acres and flocks and herds. The qualities referred to made him a most useful citizen, and in the early settlement of the Narrogin district he filled a very prominent place, occupying all the honorary positions in the district. He was a member of the Narrogin Roads Board and of the agricultural society, and, in fact, no organization was considered complete without his support or approval. It should be mentioned that all his
early struggles were loyally shared by his wife, Mr. A. H. Trefort’s mother, who now resides in the old
homestead. The “Hillside” Estate —which may now almost be said to have passed the development stage, only a few acres remaining uncleared —at the demise of the late Mr. Trefort was inherited by his son, the subject of this notice, who, since the close of his education had been associated very closely with his father in the work of the farm and had rendered most valuable assistance in its management. In addition to his efforts in this direction he also did a large amount of contracting work, chaff cutting and threshing throughout the district for settlers who had not acquired the necessary plant for such work. Cereal growing is one of the special departments of industry
Mr. August Heinrich Trefort.
carried on at “Hillside,” and the farm is widely noted for the excellence of its grain crops. On many occasions the late Mr. Trefort was awarded valuable trophies against keen competition both at local and Royal shows for exhibits in this section, and much of his success he attributed to the two-year method of fallowing which he employed in the cultivation of wheat and oats. In this connection it is fitting to state that whilst her husband was reaping triumphs for his successes in the field his wife was exercising equal skill in her management of the dairy, and from the small herd of
Mr. A. H. Trefort’s Residence, Narrogin.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
707
milch kine kept for domestic purposes she manufactured with her own hands butter which on more than one occasion carried off prizes
paddocks of varying size with fences of five or six plain wires, and the erection of up-to-date outhouses where stabling for eighteen horses is
occupants and suited to every purpose for which it was designed. The rooms are lofty and properly ventilated, and the furnishings have been
Photo by 77. Hebb.
Haystacks and Threshing Plant.
when entered for competition at the functions above-mentioned. The horses on the property consist of medium draughts, numbering about twenty in all, which mostly were bred by Mr. Trefort or his father; and a small flock of crossbred sheep
provided with an additional couple of loose boxes and a large hayshed of iron capable of holding nearly 200 tons of hay, besides machinery sheds and various other buildings. The homestead, which is of recent date, is constructed of stone and brick,
carried out in a fitting manner, all being in keeping. In addition to “Hillside,” Mr. Trefort leases a small property in the vicinity of the home farm, and works the two holdings in conjunction with very satisfactory results. lie was married in
Photo by 77. Hebb.
Kay Crop on the "Hillside" Property.
is also grazed on the pastures. The many improvements made include the subdivision of the land into ten tt2
and is not only comfortable but commodious, and is well finished in a style indicating the taste of the
1907 to Annie May, daughter of Mr. John Ashby, farmer, of Narrogin, and has a son and a daughter.
thoroughly cleared and cropped on the fallow system, between 300 and 400 acres being placed under cultivation annually. The estate is splendidly watered, the Fourteen Mjle Brook running right through the paddocks and providing fresh running water all the year round, besides which there are numerous soaks and springs in various parts of the holding. The pastures are good and a healthy-looking flock of sheep is carried, which varies in number from 300 to 500 according to the season. THe homestead is of recent erection, and is built of stone and bricks, forming a most comfortable seven-roomed dwelling, which, surrounded as it is by a small flower garden, ornamental trees, and two-acre orchard, presents a pleasant picture in the landscape. The outhouses and stabling are also up to date, providing for all the requirements of the farm plant and stock, and in every respect “Brook-side” may be looked upon as a well-managed property and a credit to its owner. Since coming to Western Australia Mr. Hart has manifested a deep interest in public affairs, which has suffered no diminution since he took up his residence at Cuballing. His name appears in connection with every movement having as its object the betterment of the district, and all the more important organizations have claimed his membership. For the past eleven years he has occupied a seat on the Cuballing Roads Board, and is now in his third term of office as chairman of that body; and for the past decade has been the presiding member of the recreation ground committee in connection with the local agricultural hall. He received his Commission of the Peace from the James Administration in the year 1902. All straight, manly forms of outdoor sport appeal to him, and he has filled the position of judge on behalf of the Cuballing Race Club for a number of
years. Mr. Hart married at Broken Hill, in 1892, Cecilia, daughter of Mr.
William Staker, one of
the earliest born Europeans in
South Australia. Of this marriage there are four sons and two
daughters.
ELI HUGHES HART, J.P., “Brookside,” Cuballing, w'as born at Willunga, South Australia, on June 25, 1861, and is a son of the late Matthew Harrison Hart, an agriculturist, of that district, where he was very well known. The gentleman under review was educated at Eudunda in the same State, and shortly after entering his teens left school in order to join his father on the home farm. Being the eldest son he remained so employed until he reached his twenty-fifth year, after which he spent a considerable time in farming pursuits at Orroroo, in the northern areas of South Australia. Later, when the Silverton and Broken Hill mining boom was at its commencement, he proceeded thither and was engaged in carrying and contract work on the fields for three years. At the end of this period he left the Barrier and entered upon the timber industry at Kangaroo Island, which he relinquished after a couple of years in order to return to farming enterprise at Eudunda. Allured by the promise of the Western Australian goldfields Mr. Hart decided to try his fortune in a State where better prospects seemed offering, and landing at Esperance Bay in the early part of 1895 he took over carrying contracts between this settlement and the Norseman goldfields, and conveyed to the scene of activity the first battery
selected a block of land—where his homestead now stands—and has since enlarged it by the acquisition of adjacent country, and now holds
1,200 acres of what is considered the
IF. E. 'Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Eli Hughes Hart.
best land in the district, which he has brought into a very forward state of development. The property is securely fenced and subdivided with posts of jam timber and six plain wires, a system which is varied by
Photo by IF. E. Elston. mr, e. h. Hart's residence, cuballing.
ever erected on the latter field. Three years later, having been impressed with the possibilities of land settlement in the Western State, he
the use of three wires and netting round about half of the area enclosures. The whole has been ring-barked and over 700 acres are
709
BERTRAM HERIOT DODS, architect, quantity surveyor, and sworn valuator, “Wattle Grove” Farm, Fourteen-mile Brook, Narro-gin, was born at Melbourne on December 27, 1871, his father being the late Benjamin Hawkins Dods, C.E., of that city. The latter gentleman was one of the leading engineers of his day, and designed and contracted for many of the big engineering works of the Victorian State. He was also a prominent figure in political and mining circles. Young Dods was educated at Brunswick College, Melbourne, and at eighteen years of age was articled to Messrs. Lawson and Grey, architects, of Melbourne and New Zealand. After four years with this firm Mr. Dods proceeded to Queensland for some twelve months, whence he returned to Melbourne, where he spent another term in his former office as assistant. In 1895 he camo to Western Australia, where he entered the office of Mr. J. W. Wright in the capacity of chief draughtsman. At a later date he was offered a Government position in the Mines Department, with the right of private practice, and whilst occupying this post designed and carried out most of the hotel buildings on the North Coolgardie goldfields. Resigning from the Mines Department in 1897, Mr. Dods came to Nar-rogin and took up some land three miles distant from the township—a portion of which was subseqently resumed by the Government for the Western Australian State farm. Finding himself unable to develop
his holding on a large scale Mr. Dods disposed of his interests in Narrogin and departed on a business trip to South Africa during the progress of the Boer War.
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Bertram Heriot Dods.
Here he remained for six years, after the close of the war being engaged in the private practice of his profession and also entering the Civil Service for a time. During his sojourn in that country he occupied the position of supervisor of Parker’s Buildings at Capetown, the highest steel-constructed edifice in South Africa, and himself executed all detail drawings in connection with that important work. Subsequently, owing to the
depression in the building trade, he returned to Western Australia, and was engaged for a year in the Public Works Department at Perth. From this he resigned in order to take up his residence on “Wattle Grove” Farm, the development of which he has since carried on in conjunction with the practice of his profession in the town of Narrogin, where he has designed and erected some of the finest and most artistic structures by which the place is graced. Among these may be mentioned Cornwall’s Buildings, Wedd’s Buildings, the Duke of York Hotel, the Williams Hotel, the Cuballing Hotel, Johnston’s Buildings, Wickepin; Cuballing Hall, King’s Hall, and a number of the most prominent residences and workers’ homes in the district, as well as the Baptist church at Narrogin. “Wattle Grove” Farm, formerly known as “Cudjimuckin,” comprises over 3,000 acres, and is a well-watered property. It is now in a forward state of improvement, and about 300 acres are cropped every season, besides which several hundred sheep are grazed upon the pastures. Mr. Dods has been prominent in the movement to bring the railway to the Fourteen-mile Brook, acting as chairman for the past three years to the local railway league. He is president of Miningin Football Club, his own special leaning, however, being towards cricket. Mr. Dods married in 1895 Bessie, daughter of the late William Kenny, farmer, of Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland, and has five sons and two daughters.
“Wattle Grove” Estate, the property of Mr. B. H. Dods. Narrogin.
WILLIAM THOMAS RAB-BISH, J.P., "Kondening,” Williams, was born in South Australia on January 30, 1855, and is a son of Mr. William Adrian Rabbish, now nearing his ninetieth year, who was a pioneer in the early Victorian gold diggings, and subsequently became well known in farming and commercial circles at the Burra in the Central State. At the close of his education Mr. Rabbish became an engine-driver in the Burra Copper Mine, subsequently establishing himself in the same district as a roads and bridges contractor. At thirty-five years of age he entered upon farming pursuits at the Burra, in conjunction with which he carried on commercial pursuits in association with his father, and continued in this connection until 1896, in which year he settled on the eastern goldfields of the Western State, residing with his family for some considerable time under canvas and suffering various hardships and privations. Soon after the first survey of Boulder he purchased land at the initial land sale held at that town, and erecting a building there conducted a general grocery and spirit trade for some time. At a later date he built and carried on the Goldfields Group Hotel, and also erected the Court Hotel, which he personally conducted for a limited period, but eventually, finding the business somewhat distasteful, leased the last-named house —which is still his property—and lived in retirement at Perth for some time. In 1906 Mr. Rabbish purchased his present farm, “Konden-ing,” then a freehold property comprising 2,000 acres. He has since considerably enlarged his boundaries, and at the present time owns in the vicinity of 7,000 acres. The estate has a frontage of five miles to the
Williams River, the homestead being situated on the Narrogin-Williams Road. The property is fenced and subdivided into fifteen paddocks and
1,200 acres have been cleared. Some 300 to 400 acres are sown annually, and a flock of from 1,500 to 2,000
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. William Thomas Rabbish.
merino sheep is carried on the estate. The homestead, built in the early days as a parsonage by the Rev. Mr. Withers, an Anglican clergyman, has since been thoroughly renovated and enlarged, until now it is one of the most cosy homes in the district. Mr. Rabbish while resident in South Australia held a Commission of the Peace for the whole province, and was councillor and mayor of Burra for many years. On leaving the Burra he was made the recipient of two addresses respectively from members of the municipal council,
with which he was connected for many years, and from the citizens of the town, both expressing in strong terms of appreciation the respect and esteem in which he was held and the value which had been placed upon his various public services. Soon after his advent to Western Australia he was elected a member of the first municipal council at Boulder, and after several years’ service in this capacity was honoured by election to the mayoral chair, which he occupied for three successive years at a period when the place was in the zenith of its prosperity and the office no sinecure. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Boulder district by the Forrest Administration, and took a prominent part in the effort to secure for Boulder City a tram service between that place and Kalgoorlie. Upon his departure from the place his services were recognized by the presentation of a gold repeater watch, chain, and locket, by the mayor, councillors, and citizens of Boulder. Since coming to the Williams district he has occupied a seat for a number of years on the local roads board, and has frequently served as chairman. He is Justice of the Peace for the Williams district, having been gazetted to the office by the Moore Government. Mr. Rabbish was married in September, 1877, at the Burra, South Australia, to Elizabeth Jane, daughter of the late Richard Boundy, one of the original settlers of the State, and well known in the mining industry for many years. Mr. Rabbish attributes much of the success he has had in life to the untiring and intelligent assistance which his wife has accorded all his efforts, both in business and social life. He has a family of three sons and two daughters.
MR. W. T. RABBISH'S “ KONDENING ” ESTATE. WILLIAMS.
711
GEORGE BRICE, proprietor of the Williams Hotel, Williams, is a native of Sussex, England, where he was born on January 27, 1870, his father being the late Charles Brice of that county. He received his education in Yorkshire, and subsequently was engaged in personal service with several of the aristocratic families of England, including that of a one-time Governor of Western Australia, viz., Sir Arthur Lawley. Upon reaching twenty years of age he crossed the seas to the land of the Southern Cross and spent some time in the Victorian metropolis, where he turned his hand to various kinds of work. Coming to Western Australia he accepted employment as assistant in a mineral water factory in Perth, and having acquired a knowledge of this line of manufacture at a later date opened a business on his own account, which he finally disposed of. He then took a position as sole bottling agent for the Stanley Brewery Company of Perth, and continued in this line of business for five years, when he sold out his interests in order to purchase a similar concern at Northam, which he conducted until the opportunity occurred for him to take over the freehold and goodwill, etc., of his present hotel. This house—which was then known as the Williams Inn —was established over half a century ago, and is recognized as one of the historical coaching houses on the Albany to Perth route. It had,
however, outlived its palmy days at the time of purchase by Mr. Brice, who wisely expended a large sum of money in rebuilding the place, and
TF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. George Brice.
upon its completion renamed it the Williams Hotel a name well in keeping with the dignity of the palatial structure which has reared its head well above a.ll the other buildings in the hamlet. The hotel is a two-storey brick building of modern design, containing large halls and spacious dining-room, the rooms
(thirty-two in number) being in every respect comfortably furnished and appointed. A special electric lighting plant has been installed by moans of which the whole house is efficiently illuminated, and every convenience both inside and out has been provided for the travelling public. In addition to the well-arranged stabling accommodation which is available for horsemen and those arriving in buggies, a motor garage has been built to cater for the interests of those with . whom the 100-mile run from Perth is a favourite trip. In addition to his hotel interests Mr. Brice also engages in sheep-farming in the same district, holding on lease a run of 5,000 acres, on which he grazes from 1,000 to 1,200 merinoes. He is the owner of real estate apart from the hotel premises, the local hall in which meetings, entertainments, etc., are held in Williams being his property. Mr. Brice is chairman of the Williams Roads Board, this being his second term of office, prior to which he served as a member of the board for a term. He is a committeeman of the Williams Agricultural Society, having been connected with, this body in the same capacity since its inception, and has also held sustained membership in the local board of health, in the formation of which he displayed an active interest. A member of the Masonic craft, he is associated with Lodges 70 Commercial and 48 Victoria Park, W.A.C.
Mr. G. Brice’S Williams Hotel, Williams.
Mr. Brice was married in 1901 to Jessie, daughter of Mr. Andrew Templeton, of North Perth, and has one son and one daughter.
NICHOLAS BUSHALLA, proprietor of the Duke of York Hotel, Narrogin, was born at Mount Lebanon, Assyria, on June 24, 1869, being a son of the late Abraham Bushalla, a merchant of that place. He received his education in his native country, leaving school upon reaching his teens to go to work in a tannery, where he learnt the tanning trade in all its branches, and being a very apt pupil became thoroughly proficient before attaining to man’s estate. Mr. Bushalla continued in the trade until 1887, when he came to Australia on a pleasure trip, and upon arrival in Victoria, being greatly impressed with the prosperity of the place and its abounding possibilities, he decided to resign his interests in the country of his birth and to take as his adopted home the land of the Southern Cross. Upon landing in Melbourne he was utterly ignorant of the English language, but upon obtaining a business position soon managed to make himself understood, and in a short time succeeded in getting a grip of the new conditions under which his life
henceforth was to be spent. Early in 1888 he decided to visit Western Australia, and embarking on an itinerant mercantile enterprise he travelled through all the inhabited portions of the State, vending his wares with considerable success. In
Me. Nicholas Bushalla.
1897 Mr. Bushalla settled at Narrogin at a period when the whole settlement was composed of four residents only, and ever since that date he has been closely identified with the commercial and general
interests of the town. As proprietor of the Duke of York Hotel he became a well-known identity of the district, and in addition has established a general store and a cordial and mineral waters factory in the town which gives employment to a considerable number of hands. Mr. Bushalla is also largely interested in agricultural and pastoral pursuits, and owns in all over 6,000 acres of land in the Williams, Narrogin, and Wickepin districts, which he devotes to mixed-farming and sheep-raising purposes. The whole of these several blocks are ringbarked, and from 800 to 1,000 acres are cleared, 300 acres being now under cultivation. Mr. Bushalla’s success is wholly due to the application, energy, industry, and good judgment which he has brought to bear upon the working out of his proposition, the fact that he came to Western Australia without capital and has since climbed the ladder of prosperity and attained a sound standing among his fellow citizens redounding greatly to his credit and proving an object-lesson which should inspire and encourage others similarly situated. He is a member of the Roman Catholic communion and is a prominent supporter of that body. In the year 1897 Mr. Bushalla married Elizabeth, daughter of the late Samuel Dowsett, of Wandering.
713
WAGIN.
YVagin was proclaimed a municipality in 1906, and since then the town has neither rested nor looked back. There is no mark-time policy about the YVaginites. Each year has seen an advance in population and in house building, and during 1912 some £30,000 was spent in new structures. East and west of the great southern line all the land within a radius of 50 miles has been taken up, and additional areas are yearly being brought under cultivation. It is anticipated that in the near future the land for a stretch of 100 miles will be an unbroken cultivated field. With excellent soil and a very satisfactory rainfall there is scarcely any phase of agricultural development that will not do well. Wheat, oats, sheep, and fruit have all given profitable returns. In wheat the average yield is about 11 bushels to the acre, but in places as much as 26 bushels have been secured. In the words of the town clerk, “it is almost as hard to gauge the future of the district as to count the stars in the heavens/'
In the town there are five banks—a sure sign of stability—three hotels, and handsome business premises,
as well as a town hall, post office, roads board office, several churches, and a Salvation Army barracks. There is a recreation ground of 10 acres, as well as 20 acres reserved for the agricultural society for show purposes. Trees have been planted throughout the principal streets, and the Wagin Lake, about a mile and a half from the town, is being cleared of snags for boating and swimming. Wagin is supplied with water from the Bad-garning water scheme, completed at a cost of £11,000, the dam of which is estimated to impound 17,000,000 gallons. There is rail communication with Perth twice daily, and an agricultural spur line about 50 miles in length runs eastward to Kukerin and serves to bring Wagin within reach of the outlying district. A westerly loop from the town to join the Collie-Narrogin line at Darkan is also projected.
In The Southern A rgus, published every Saturday, Wagin can boast of possessing one of the best provincial papers in Western Australia, the a-im of the proprietary being to keep it up to date and make it of real service to the people of the district.
CHARLES JOHN MORAN, J.P., is a native of Queensland, having been born in the Darling Downs district in 1868. In early life he was associated with the Education Department of that State, and also studied mechanics, passing an examination in this subject with honours before proceeding to St. Killian’s College, Brisbane, and Central Collegiate School, Toowoomba, where he matriculated. Mr. Moran came to Western Australia in the pioneer days of the gold-mining industry before the discovery of Cool-gar die, and upon arrival in this State entered upon commercial life, also interesting himself in a marked degree in social and political affairs. A member of the Roman Catholic faith he became closely identified with the Catholic Young Men's Society, where his gifts as a debater were fully recognized in his initial attempts at public speaking. Upon the discovery of the goldfields of Coolgardie he followed the rush to that district, and soon won distinction as a notable figure in social, political, and business circles on the newly-opened-up field. As a result, when he turned his attention seriously to the arena of politics and contested the Coolgardie seat in the House of Assembly against the late Mr. De Hamel he was returned as member for that district, and in the House became rapidly popular. As
a keen debater and forceful speaker his opinions carried great weight, and in his speeches he ranked with Mr. W. De Hamel and the late
Burtlctlo, Perth.
Mr. Charles John Moran.
G. T. Simpson, both leading lights in the Western Australian House of Assembly. When Sir John Forrest handed over the reins of authority to the late Hon. G. Throssell in 1901 Mr. Moran was offered and accepted the portfolio of Minister for Lands, and whilst holding this
office introduced various regulations of considerable advantage to settlers and miners and assisted in laying down the basic principles which have influenced the general land settlement of the State. In 1907, for family reasons, he decided to enter upon pastoral pursuits, and selecting an area of some 6,000 acres about 20 miles from Wagin commenced upon an extensive scheme of improvement. The work included a large amount of sheep-proof fencing, clearing, ringbarking, and finally cultivation. Recognizing the great possibilities of the district as a sheepraising and high-class wool-producing district and with the thoroughness and enterprise which characterize his actions in every department of life he imported a number of pure-bred merinoes from the best breeders of South Australia and New South Wales, the wisdom of which procedure is now manifest in the splendid flocks grazed upon his property, which are the progeny of these first importations. The production of wheat and oats has also proved a source of considerable profit, and his fine station “Tamacurring," which has been carved out of what was virgin country only a very few years ago, is now one of the best estates lying along the great southern line. Repeatedly Mr. Moran has been urged again to take upon himself the responsibilities of statesmanship
in either the Western Australian or the Federal Parliament, but has declined such requests, no matter from what quarter, preferring to serve his country for the present as a painstaking and enterprising settler rather than in the role of politician, despite his undoubted qualifications for the latter office.
GEORGE DRAPER TAYLOR, proprietor of the “Kechauling” Estate, in the district of Wagin, is a native of Western Australia,
rural districts where employment might be found on some of the properties in process of development until such period as he should find himself able to take up land and launch out on his own account. For some time he worked on the “Grass-dale” Estate, near York, for the late Thomas Brown (father of the late Maitland Brown, one-time Government Resident of Geraldton, and well known in magisterial and official circles in Western Australia), and as his prosperity advanced he leased
Perth, now well known as the Technical College. Upon leaving this institution at the completion of his education, he returned to his father’s home, and there continued until he was close on seventeen years of age. lie was then sent by his parent to assist in the conduct of the pastoral property known as “Con-dining Hill” Station in the Williams district, and was identified with station pursuits on this estate in the employ of his father until, upon attaining his majority, he joined his
Photo by IF. E. Elston.
Crop of Peas on the “ Kechauling ” Estate.
having been born at Yangedine, near York, on February 28, 1858, and is the fourth son of the late John Taylor, an early pioneer, who arrived in this State from England on February 17, 1840. With slender capital—he had only eighteen pence in his pocket—but a brave heart the late John Taylor set out to carve a destiny for himself in the new country, and having been brought up to the agricultural industry naturally turned his attention to the
the “Yangedine” Estate, which he afterwards purchased and eventually sold to Messrs. Darlot Brothers as a highly improved property. “Yangedine” is now in possession of the Marwick family. The late John Taylor spent his later days in retirement in the town of York, where his death occurred in 1890. The subject of this memoir was educated under private tuition at “Yangedine,” and subsequently attended the Government school at St. George’s Terrace,
elder brother, Mr. James F. Taylor, in leasing the station, and for some years the brothers carried on operations in partnership on their own account. At the period of the discovery of gold on the Kimberley field Mr. James F. Taylor joined the stream of prospectors flowing steadily to that locality, and, the partnership having been dissolved by mutual consent, the gentleman under review continued to work the property on independent lines.
71 o
Ultimately the Western Australian Land Company, upon receiving its large land grant from the Government of the day for the construction
Stump <£• Co., Adelaide.
Mr. Vivian G. Taylor.
of the great southern railway line undertaken by it on the land-grant system, became proprietor of
this territory and offered the land for sale. Mr. Taylor seized this opportunity to purchase 1,200 acres from the company, and at a later date, when the railway was taken over by the Government, he continued to enlarge his holding, and at the present time the area of the estate stands at 4,500 acres; in addition to which he owns a further
6,000 acres, which are leased and worked by his four sons who have reached the age of manhood; this area being divided into farms, each of which is in an advanced state of development. Mr. Taylor’s property is known as “Kechauling,” and besides the homestead area of 3,800 acres, where mixed-farming operations are carried on, he has a 700-acre block situated on the Arthur River, some 12 miles distant, which he leases for pastoral and farming purposes. His flock consists of 2,000 sheep, partly merinoes and partly a Lincoln-merino cross, and this department is a most successful feature of the farm’s industry, a thoroughly
useful general utility animal being produced with good frame and well suited for supplying both the wool and mutton markets. According
Stump <0 Co., Adelaide.
Mr. William John Taylor.
to the state of the markets the wool is either sent to London or sold locally, satisfactory prices being
Mr. G. D. Taylor’s Residence, Wagin.
commanded. About 700 acres are cropped annually with wheat and oats, some barley and peas also being grown, the latter being found most excellent as a fodder for the stock, which fatten rapidly when turned into the growing crop. The fallowing system of cultivation is followed on the 1,800 acres of land which are cleared for tillage operations; and every season further acreage is subjected to the ringman’s axe and prepared for the firestick, ultimately to be used for agriculture or as pastures for the sheep. Various natural
sources of supply have been augmented by the construction of dams, which conserve large quantities of the precious moisture in the rainy season ready for the drier months. The fencing will stand the criticism of an expert eye, the boundary being protected all round with sheep-proof barriers constructed of six plain and barbed wires and timber posts. Among the many improvements which have been made on the estate, special mention must be made of the homestead and outbuildings. The former, built by Mr.
front, where flowers and ornamental shrubs display their beautiful blooms, meeting the casual visitor with the welcome of bright hues and sweet odours so seductive to the senses; a little farther afield the five acres of orchard exhibit neat rows of fruit-trees promising a rich harvest of many kinds of fruit when the appointed season shall come round. In connection with the outhouses a word may be said anent the horses, stabling for fourteen animals being provided. This is about half the number usually kept on the farm,
Photo by W. E. Elston.
Typical View on the Property.
advantages have simplified Mr. Taylor’s enterprise, among these being the absence of the noxious poison plant on the property and the efficient water supply provided by the surface water which in the shape of copious springs and creeks is present on various parts of the estate, permanent running water being found in the Wageecarrup Brook, to which stream “Kcchauling” has a half-mile of frontage. To make the water question practically secure these
Taylor in 1892, is a substantial stone house containing nine large well-ventilated rooms, well finished within and without as to architecture, comfort being made a prime consideration. The whole place has that air of permanence and stability frequently met with in such structures, and all the interior appointments are in keeping with the ideal suggested by the general aspect of the place upon approach. A small garden has been laid out in the
where representatives of various classes find a place, premier attention being given to the breeding of Clydesdales. For this purpose Mr. Taylor has his own stallion, which he purchased from Messrs. Henry Wills & Co., who imported him from the Eastern States, viz., “Here-again,” by “Real McKay,” stock which has earned an excellent reputation on the other side of the Bight. Besides the stables there have been erected grain and shearing
717
sheds, carthouse and machinery shed, and men's quarters, with the usual fowl-run and other accessories of the Western Australian farm. In
Oreenham & Evans, Perth.
Mr. Aubrey Taylor.
Mr. Taylor’s earlier days, when every progressive pioneer was required to take upon himself the
responsibility of public office when required, he served as a member of the roads boards of Arthur River and Wagin for some twelve or fourteen years, being chairman of the latter body for a portion of that time. He was one of the founders of the Wagin Agricultural Society, of which he was nominated a trustee, and has taken a keen interest in the advancement of this organization, at present holding the office of vice-president. He is president of the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers' Association of Western Australia, and occupies the same position in regard to the meetings of the Liberal League at Wageecarrup— by which name the district immediately surrounding the “Kcchauling” homestead is known, the latter being situated about 11 miles in a westerly direction from Wagin. In 1912 Mr. Taylor took a trip to Ceylon, and on various occasions he has visited the Eastern States, by this means keeping himself in touch with a wider sphere than that provided by the
bounds of his habitation in Western Australia. He was married in the year 1885 to Mary Ann, daughter of the late John Barron, of
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Horace Taylor.
“Tarwanga," in the Arthur River district, and has a family of six sons and two daughters.
“ KECHAULING HOMESTEAD AND SURROUNDINGS.
718
THOMAS JOSEPH CORNWALL, J.P., who owns and resides on the <rLake Park” property, Queerearrup, West Wagin, was born at “Beaufort” Station, in the same district, on March 21, 1863. His father, the late William Walter Cornwall, was one of the earliest of Western Australian settlers, and came to the State with his relative, the late Lewis John Bailey—a pioneer land selector—by the ship “Stirling” in the days when the future of the country could only be dimly guessed at, and the rosy outlook of the present was but as the faintest ray of dawn on the horizon. At the time of his arrival the late Mr. Cornwall had only just entered his teens, and before attaining his majority he became engaged in sheep-farming on his own account in partnership with the late William Andrews in the vicinity of the town-ship of York. Subsequently he selected a pastoral lease in the West Wagin district on the Beaufort River, where he founded the station to which he gave the name of “Beau-fort” and conducted operations on this property with such success that at the time of his decease in 1908 the area of his estate ran into six figures. With his sons he deserved every smile that Fortune vouchsafed, for not only did they suffer hardship and privation of many kinds, being forced to forego all the luxuries of
modern life, but passed their lives in continual jeopardy through the hostility of the natives, who at that time were a source of danger to the white settlers everywhere, taking
Mu. William Walter Cornwall.
their lives and robbing their property as occasions arose. In those primitive times all the provisions and supplies for the upkeep of the station were procured from Perth, a distance of 140 miles, which had to be covered by means of the ordinary conveyances such as waggons, carts, or drays, and the way led through the bush, where good tracks were at a premium, and often there
was no track at all. What small crops of wheat were grown in the district were conveyed by cart to York, over 100 miles distant, and all other forms of enterprise had the same or equal difficulties to contend with. Mr. Thomas Joseph Cornwall was brought up on the station, where he pursued his elementary studies under private tuition at the homestead and later on was sent to Fremantle for a finishing course at the well-known grammar school at that seaport conducted by Mr. (now the Hon.) Henry Briggs, the present President of the Legislative Council of this State. Upon the completion of his studies he returned to “Beaufort,” and before he had attained his nineteenth year took over the management of the station on behalf of his father. In 1892 the late Mr. Cornwall transferred to the gentleman under review, who was his eldest son, the 700 acres of freehold which comprised the “Beaufort” homestead area, together with the large tract of pastoral leasehold consisting of between 50,000 and 60,000 acres. Under the new Land Settlement Act, by which the land could be taken up on conditional purchase terms, the young settler proceeded to secure certain blocks on the old station area which he considered especially suited to mixed-farming purposes, and in so doing took into earnest consideration the question of forming a suitable home for the
Photo by IF. F. F/ston.
Mr. T. J. Cornwall’s Residence. West Wagin.
719
generations to follow. From his favourable situation at the “Beaufort” Station homestead eventually he cast an approving eye over the unselected territory in the Queerear-rup district, and upon this virgin soil founded the present “Lake Park” Estate, where he built the fine homestead which graces the locality and brought his family to reside there in 1913. This new homestead is situated ten miles distant from the old home at “Beaufort,” the whole of the intervening country, which is comprised in the one block, being the property of Mr. Cornwall. Upwards of 16,000 acres in extent, in quality it is equal to any of the rich lands of the great southern district, and is admirably suited both for sheep-raising and agriculture. A pleasant undulation is a characteristic of the country, and at frequent intervals outcrops of granite rock give picturesque relief to the smooth surface of the soil. Various species of gum, notably York-gum and white-gum, are indigenous to tho locality, together with patches of morrell and the useful jam, which is used for fencing and other purposes. Springs and soaks abound, while the Beaufort River and a few
fair-sized creeks provide running water all the year round; and it is a generally acknowledged fact that this property is one of the best watered propositions in Western
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Thomas Joseph Cornwall.
Australia. While 6,000 acres are entirely cleared and development begun thereon, ringbarking operations have been completed over all but 1,000 acres, and very many
improvements already made. Over 100 miles of fencing represent an immense amount of labour and capital expended in this direction alone, the system followed being that of seven or eight wires run through wooden posts planted some 10 ft. apart. The cost per mile of this class of fencing on such country as “Lake Park” runs into about <£28. Splendid pastures are being developed where axe and firebrand have rid the land of superfluous timber and scrub, and even that portion of the land that is not cleared affords plenty of feed, Mr. Cornwall having exercised his expert judgment in selecting the best areas for pastoral purposes in the district. Here is depastured a flock of 6,000 pure-bred merinoes, which at times is increased to as many as 8,000 or over. Experts upon inspecting this flock may detect the renowned “Boo-noke” strain from New South Wales dominating a large portion of the sheep, and the Murray type from the best South Australian pastoral properties is also in unmistakeable evidence, the pedigreed merino rams imported by Mr. Cornwall from the leading flocks of the Eastern States having “hall-marked” his own in a
HOMESTEAD ON “BEAUFORT" STATION.
very satisfactory manner. The lambing averages over 90 per cent, and fleeces clip something over an average of 6 lb., the wool being shipped to London, where it invariably commands the leading prices for the district. On the agricultural side the land is fallowed according to the approved two- or three-year system, in compliance with which 600 acres are put under crop annually, wheat being the principal cereal produced. With regard to the homesteads on “Beaufort” and “Lake Park” there is much to be said. The old dwelling-house on the former property, where Mr. Cornwall was born, presents a very picturesque aspect, standing as it does in the midst of surroundings typical of an old-established country home of a superior class. The house contains ten rooms, built as was the custom in those early days with an eye to the greatest possible comfort and fitted up and furnished with the same end in view, with the result that in the hoine-like graces there are few to equal it in all the countryside. The outbuildings— woolshed, machinery shelters, stabling, etc.—have also been constructed on a scale that causes them
to compare favourably with those erected in countries as many hundreds of years old as Western Australia has decades to its credit.
TP. E. Elston, TVagin.
Mr. Beaufort Cornwall.
“Lake Park” is still in the making, and when the intended programme of building is carried out on the whole homestead area there will scarcely be a place in the State more elegant or complete. Tho situation
of the house is one of great beauty, lying in a valley within a few hundred yards of two large permanent fresh-water lakes, suggestive of some of the picked beauty-spots of the Eastern States, and hardly to be equalled in the country districts of Western Australia. Charming views are commanded from almost any of the windows of the homestead, and peeps arc obtained which make one imagine for the moment that a veritable “lakes district” has been encountered. The house itself is a square-built structure, which has been entirely designed and planned by Mrs. Cornwall, the talented wife of the proprietor, and it would be a difficult matter to suggest any improvement anywhere. Everything, to the smallest detail, has been most carefully thought out, and thorough utility combined with artistic effect has been the ideal aimed at and completely realized from beginning to end. Verandahs surround the house on three sides, which is built of stone and contains fifteen large and lofty rooms perfectly ventilated and fitted up with all appointments necessary for convenience and comfort. An electric bell service has been installed all over the house,
Photo by TP. E. Elston.
Scene on the “Lake Park** Estate.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
721
and there are two bathrooms with hot and cold water services, water pumped up by a windmill from a permanent spring in the near vicinity of the homestead being laid
proposition what time and attention were necessary to advance the interests of the general community. He is a director of the Wagin Flour Mill: and has had considerable
Administration in 1910. He is a cordial advocate for all clean and legitimate forms of healthful outdoor recreation, and his love of horses leads him to spend most of
Photo by Tr. P. Piston.
Flock of Merinoes at " Lake Park.”
on to all parts of the latter building; in a few words, all the luxury of the city home may be found here in the very heart of the country. Mr. Cornwall takes a prominent part in the various enterprises and
experience in connection with roads boards deliberations, filling the post of chairman of the West Arthur Roads Board for some time and serving as member of the Wooda-nilling Board for a lengthy period.
his leisure hours in such pursuits as riding, driving, etc. He was married in 1893 to Annie, daughter of the late William M. Munday, one of the early pioneers of the Grreenough Flats country in the
Photo by IF. P. Piston. “Lake Park” Homestead, showing Lake in Background.
organizations formed in the district where he resides, and has always held it incumbent upon him to spare from his own private business uu
Various agricultural societies have enjoyed his support and patronage; and he was appointed to the Commission of the Peace by the Wilson
Victoria district, who in after years moved to Albany, where he lived until his death. Mr. Cornwall has a son and five daughters.
CHARLES WILLIAM DAVEY, J.P., of “Koongie-Koongowa” in the Arthur River district, via Wagin, was born at Ballarat, Victoria, on September 26, 1869, and is the eldest son of the late James Davey, who, with his wife, was among the early makers of history in Australia, having been concerned in the famous Eureka Stockade riots in 1854 when five soldiers and twenty-five miners lost their lives. While the gentleman under review was still quite a youth his father died, as a result of which he was called upon to support through his own exertions his mother and other members of the family. Up to this time he had been making a special study of telegraphy with the intention of pursuing it as a calling in life, but was compelled to resign this ambition and return home, where he assisted in the conduct of a storekeeping business at Scott Creek near Camperdown in the western district of Victoria. Here he continued until he was about twenty-eight years of age, when, upon his marriage, he turned his attention to the agricultural industry, his connection with which he relinquished in order to devote himself to dairying pursuits at Yarragon in the Gippsland district. About five years later he was attracted to Western Australia by the favourable land conditions existing in this State and the opportunities open to settlers with young growing families, and finding upon a
preliminary trip that reports he had heard were justified he selected some
4,000 acres in the Arthur River district and returning to Victoria disposed of his dairy farm and brought
TF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Charles William Davey.
his family back with him to the land of promise. Mr. Davey at once proceeded to develop his holding and in course of time, as small freehold farms of about a hundred acres in extent in the same neighbourhood came into the market—some of the eyes of the district from an agricultural point of view, he was fortunate
enough to secure several valuable additions to his original holding, bringing its acreage up to 5,600, in which was embraced some further selected territory. The general contour of the land is undulating with the outcrops of granite so frequently met with in this part of the country appearing here and there and the jam and York gum timber which predominate to so large an extent. The natural watering facilities are good, permanent soaks being augmented by the construction of dams and well-sinking, and Mr. Davey’s improvement work in this direction has proved that good water may be obtained at a reasonable depth on almost any portion of the property. Fencing on a sheep-proof system of six plain wires was early taken in hand, and the hard steel wires used by preference for this work, with jam posts and droppers, have made a very substantial barrier for the protection of the stock. The seventeen paddocks vary in size from
1,000 to 20 acres, the latter being used as convenient enclosures for the handling of sheep, etc.; and every paddock is now quite free from the dangerous poison weed, the eradication of this pest having been made an important feature of Mr. Davey’s early operations. Various native grasses and herbs flourish, especially over the ringbarked country, where the stock are depastured and find plenty of natural feed, and nearly 800 acres have been completely
" Koongie-Koongowa ■■ Homestead and Surroundings.
723
denuded of timber and scrub while this work is continually going on, the average area cleared every year running into about 150 acres. A fine flock of from 2,000 to 3,000 Lincoln-merino crossbred sheep is an important department of the enterprise, and it is Mr. Davey’s ultimate aim to develop his flock solely on these lines, being a general-utility sheep, which would be profitable both for the wool and mutton markets. The wool is sent to London, where it is offered for sale with satisfactory results, and on such occasions as it has been sold locally the prices obtained have equalled or excelled those commanded by other wool-producers in the district. Sufficient horses of a medium-draught type are kept for the work of the property, in addition to which buggy horses and hacks find their place on the farm and a small herd of dairy cattle is kept for the requirements of the household. Mr. Davey has great faith in the future of the Arthur River district, which with its regular rainfall and genial climate seems particularly well adapted to all branches of mixed farming. The present homestead has been adapted from a structure built in the early days to serve several purposes. It is situated just half-way between Perth and Albany, and in the early days was known as the “one hundred and thirty-one mile,” even to the present day old residents still referring to it as “The Thirty-one.” The building was used as a police station and as a stopping-place on the main road from Albany to Perth, also being utilized as a barracks at the time that the road was constructed by means of convict
labour. Stirring tales are yet related of the fierce affrays between police and convicts, and charred window-sills and doorstep still remain to bear mute evidence of the desperate efforts of the latter to
remove bolts and bars and so regain their lost freedom. After the construction of the great southern railway, when His Majesty’s mails were conveyed over the iron rails, the place fell info disuse and was purchased outright, together with some 20 acres of land surrounding it, by Mr. Davey from the Government, since when it has been thoroughly renovated, and to-day not only presents a picturesque appearance, but has been made into a most comfortable, lofty, and well-ventilated home, 85 by 30 ft. in extent. The building itself is of a most substantial character, like most of those
erected in those primitive times, and owing to the great thickness of the walls—20 inches—the interior is kept warm in winter and cool in summer time. A verandah encircles the whole building, and the lined
weatherboard ceiling has a roof of shingles above it which again is surmounted by an iron roof. Mr. Davey takes a deep interest in local affairs, and for some years was a member of the West Arthur Roads Board, of which he was chairman for some time. He is an active member of the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and was a founder of the original farmers’ club from which the later organization has developed. He received the Commission of the Peace from the Moore Administration in 1909. Prior to his advent to this State he took a leading part in military affairs
Photo by IF. E. Elston.
uy2
Mr. C. W. Davey’s Homestead, Arthur River.
724
and for eight years was a member of the Victorian Mounted Rifles, afterwards being connected with the 10th Australian Light Horse, in which regiment he attained the highest rank open to a noncommissioned officer, that of squadron sergeant-major. He has also been prominent in debating societies, and acted as president of the Yarragon Debating Club; whilst his musical gifts led to his frequent participation in orchestral and other functions of a like nature. Upon leaving Victoria he was honoured by presentations from the various organizations with which he had been connected, his military regiment and the Presbyterian Church at Gippsland both doing him honour in this respect. Upon coming to this State he founded the Arthur Rifle Club and captained the same, and with his wife gives cordial assistance to all social functions, charitable and musical movements, etc., in the neighbourhood. His favourite recreation is found in tennis, and he has laid down courts on his own property. Mr. Davey married in 1898 Maude Marie Tail-lebois, daughter of the late John Davidson Burnie, one of the pioneer journalists of Victoria, promoter and first proprietor of The Warrnanibool Sentinel in the early sixties, and has one son and three daughters.
Councillor JULIUS CARL HERMANN NENKE, J.P., member of the municipal governing body of Wagin, and acting-mayor of the town, was born at Waterloo, South Australia, on June 4, 1874, and is a son of Mr. Bcrthold Nenke—now living in retirement with his son— one of the early members of the first German settlement in the Central State, established over sixty years ago. Mr. Bcrthold Nenke, who came originally from Steiman, a town in Germany, for many years was well known in commercial circles in the Waterloo, Laura, and Port Pirie districts of South Australia; and the gentleman under review received his education at various public schools, subsequently being apprenticed to the saddlery trade in the place of his birth. After completing his indentures he occupied for some years the position of manager for the well-known importing saddlery house of Messrs. Preston Brothers, and he conducted business on his own account for some
considerable time at the country centres of Wirrabara and Blyth. Perceiving brighter prospects for a man of enterprise in the State of Western Australia, then awaking from a long period of lethargy in consequence of the influx of population from all quarters occasioned by the rush to the eastern goldfields, Mr. Nenke came hither and for a period settled at Mount Barker, where be was engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1899 he came to Wagin and opened in business in the saddlery trade, since when he has continued successfully, building up a large connection and adding a general agency business to his other operations. In conjunction with his commercial interests he is also
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. J. C. H. Nenke.
occupied in the development of a farming property of 2,500 acres, which he has built up from a nucleus of 1,800 acres selected soon after his arrival in the district, to which he has added by purchase as occasion offered. This holding is situated about 14 miles distant from Wagin, and is devoted to mixed farming, 800 acres being cleared and the whole ringbarked, while many improvements have been made all over the property, which is under the personal supervision of the proprietor. Adjoining the town site he has also a 30-acre orchard in full bearing, and finds plenty to occupy his hours of business in his various enterprises. Apart from his personal interests he is full of energy in the cause of his fellow townsmen, and is prominent in all movements for the betterment
of the district he lives in. He took a leading part in the agitation to secure municipal government for Wagin, and has been a member of the council since its inception, while he was the second to be elected to the mayoral office, which he filled for three years, and is now acting-mayor. For the first six years of its existence he served as secretary of the local agricultural society, and was the organizer of the first show in connection with this organization, which was a great success. He has been a member of the Wagin Roads Board for seven years, for two years filling the office of chairman of that body; and was one of the founders of the Wagin Co-operative Mill, of which he was for a time chairman of directors. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Moore Administration in 1907. Mr. Nenke is a supporter of the present State Ministry (1913), and contested the Wagin seat without success in 1911 against the sitting member, Mr. Stubbs; he had previously made a bid for political honours in the same district some eight years ago. He holds the position of chairman of the Great Southern Districts Racing Association, and is chairman of the local race club. A prominent supporter and patron of all clean forms of sport, he holds office as president of the leading local football club; and among his many public services was the founder of the Wagin Fire Brigade, of which he is the present captain. Mr. Nenke was married in 1885 to Clara Ann, daughter of Mr. Edward Holland, now retired, formerly engaged in agricultural pursuits in South Australia, and has a surviving family of four daughters and three sons. His eldest son occupies the post of lieutenant of the local cadet military forces for the Katanning and Wagin district.
JOHN EDWARD COWCIIER, of “Puntapin,” Wagin, was born at Pinjarra, on August 31, 1856, and is a son of the late George Stanyford Cowcher, who came to Western Australia as a lad of fifteen with his parents in June, 1830, and died at Marradong at the advanced age of eighty-seven, having spent his life in pastoral and agricultural enterprise in the Pinjarra district. His father, the late George Stanyford Francis Cowcher, was one of the first medical practitioners to enter the new Crown colony, where he carried on practice
725
at Fremantle and Guildford until the time of his demise. Mr. J. E. Cowcher was educated at the Marri-nup Government School, near Pin-jarra, and upon the completion of his studies became engaged in farming and grazing pursuits and in contracting and agency work in the Williams district, where he continued for about ten years. In 1889 he took up a large holding of Government land near Wagin in a district well watered from natural sources, soaks and creeks being present in abundance, and whilst proceeding to develop this area as a mixed - farming proposition he availed himself of every opportunity that occurred to make suitable addition to his property. To-day the complete holding extends over about 4,500 acres, the whole of which is protected with sheep-proof fencing, while subdivision has been made into a number of paddocks of convenient size for the various departments of industry carried on. The greater proportion of the estate is ring-barked and 1,000 acres are cleared, about 450 acres being put under crop annually on well-fallowed land, from which good results are usually obtained. The improvements include the construction of dams, by which means the water supply is rendered practically secure; and some of the most important development work
has been expended on the laying-out of a large orchard, 11 acres in extent, which is now in full bearing and is regarded by Mr. Cowcher as a valuable asset in his operations.
All kinds of fruits are here produced and considerable consignments are sent to the local markets, where good prices are commanded. The flock carried upon the property consists of only about 500 sheep, a large
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. John Edward Cowcher.
number being leased out to surrounding settlers—some 3,000 in all; one farm of 1,900 acres being leased with stock and farming implements. Horses to the number of thirty and
including mixed sorts for every class of work are bred upon the farm, those not needed for home requirements being sold privately or at the local saleyards, together with the
surplus cattle raised by Mr. Cowcher. The homestead is a comfortable stone building, the rooms, nine in all, being of particularly large size and well lighted and ventilated. A verandah and the ordinary accessories of a modern dwelling complete the necessary accommodation, and at the rear will be found the up-to-date outhouses, comprising two sheds, stabling for six horses, chaff-housc, hayshed, and quarters for married and single men—in a word, everything required in the upkeep of a well-managed farm. Mr. Cowcher carries out the duties of inspector in the Wagin district on behalf of the Agricultural Bank. He takes a keen interest in the public affairs of the place, and for the past eleven years successively has occupied the office of president of the Wagin-Arthur Agricultural, Horticultural, and Industrial Society, in the administration of which he manifests an active concern. He has also filled the office of trustee to the society just mentioned, and was one of the first trustees of the Wagin Agricultural Hall, acting in this capacity also to the Wagin Turf Club and the Wagin Masonic Hall. He was a member of the Wagin District School Board for many years, and acted as chairman for a time. Whilst in the Williams district for many years Mr. Cowcher served as chairman of the local roads board, and since arrival at Wagin has occupied the same office in connection with the roads board of this centre, known as the Wagin-Arthur Roads Beard, with which he has been connected as member and chairman for a very lengthy period. He exercises the Commission of Justice of the Peace, to which he was appointed in 1895 by the Forrest Government. A prominent member of the
Anglican Church, he has filled various honorary offices in the local branch of that communion, among which were warden, synodsman, etc. At the age of sixteen Mr. Cowcher joined the Pinjarra Mounted Volunteers, of which corps he continued a member for many years. He is a supporter and patron of all forms of clean sport in the district, and for many years acted as honorary judge in connection with the Wagin Race Club. Mr. Cowcher married in March, 1887, Louisa, daughter of the late John Pollard, farmer and grazier, of Marradong, one of the very old pioneers of Western Australia, and has five daughters.
“Puntapin,” Residence of Mr. J. E. Cowcher, Wagin.
EDWARD HORROCK HILL, “Flat Rock” Farm, West Wagin. The subject of this notice is a South Australian native, having been born at Horrock Pass, near Port Augusta, on May 10, 1872. His father, the late Frederick Matthew Hill, was one of the early pioneers of the State, and came originally from Hull, Yorkshire, England, taking up his residence in the northern areas of the yet undeveloped country. Educated at the Government school at Port Pirie, while still of tender years Mr. Edward Horrock Hill began work in the agricultural industry among the different farmers in that district, and as time advanced in turn filled the positions of station hand, boundary rider, drover, teamster— in fact, became thoroughly familiar with all classes of employment incidental to bush or station life, and met with very varied experiences. In 1895, tempted by the lure of gold discovery in Western Australia, he left his native soil and upon arrival at these shores for a time forsook the avocations connected with settlement of the land, and soon was in the thick of the mining industry. Not content with following the general lead to the eastern fields Mr. Hill pushed forward with other enterprising spirits to the “edge o' the beyond,” prospecting at Linden and other remote places, often taking his life in his hand and hazarding possessions and health in order to exploit some region where the golden gleam was reported to have been seen. Varied success attended his
efforts at dry-blowing, etc., some little return for his labour being afforded to buoy up his hopes from time to time, but after three years of this precarious existence the “call of the land” again exerted its
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Edward Horrock Hill.
power, and deserting the mineral region he came to the Wagin district and set himself to the task of selecting a suitable holding upon which to begin operations. His first selection consisted of a block of 300 acres, which he enlarged as he could gather the necessary capital, and by degrees so increased his acreage that to-day the area of country known under the name of “Flat Rock”
Farm runs into 1,300 acres, forming a well-developed holding devoted to mixed - farming operations. A tour of inspection reveals many natural advantages possessed by this property, not the least of these being the fine natural water supply which has been augmented by the construction of dams and well-sinking in various localities. The soil is fertile and gives good results for the labour expended upon it, and there are excellent pastures for sheep, this being the principal department of industry carried on. The whole of the property is protected with sheep-proof fencing, and the flock, which numbers in the vicinity of 600, is bred with a view to both the wool and mutton markets. A comfortable though small four-roomed cottage built of stone serves as a homestead, which will lend itself to additions as necessity demands, and an orchard has been planted with all kinds of fruit-trees, giving promise of plentiful harvests when the time of maturity shall arrive. Mr. Hill is a member of the local agricultural society, of which body he has been a committeeman for some considerable time, and he takes a deep interest in the welfare of all movements having as their object the advancement of the district. He is prominent in matters of sport, and is a member of the committee of the race club, in connection with which he has acted on various occasions in the capacity of steward. He is also an advocate for all forms of athletic exercise, and in the past took a creditable place
Photo by IF. E. Elston.
Flat Rock” Farm, the Property of Mr. E. H. Hill, Wagin.
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as a player of football and cricket. Mr. Hill was married in 1908 to Adah, daughter of the late William Darrington, an Englishman who resided at Gordons, Victoria, for many years prior to his. death, and was well known in commercial circles in that place. His family consists of a son and a daughter.
PIESSE BROTHERS, Arthur River. (Gerald Austin William Piesse, Vernon Frederick Piesse, and Charles Oxley Piesse.) ‘The Arthur” is the name by which is known the property owned by Messrs. Piesse Brothers on the Arthur River, where, many years since, under the personal supervision of the Hon. C. A. Piesse, J.P., M.L.C., one of the founders of the old-established firm of F. & C. Piesse, were erected premises for a combined store and dwelling-house, which now forms the homestead occupied by the present proprietors. At that time “The Arthur” was the district township, and the homestead is situated 18 miles in a westerly direction from Wagin on the Perth to Albany Road and about 124 miles from the metropolis. The property owned by Messrs. Piesse Brothers consists of 20,000 acres in all, that
is situated on the Beaufort River, being about 16 miles south-west of “The Arthur” homestead. The country undulates pleasantly, and at intervals occur the outcrops of granitic rock which are a feature
Me. Gerald Austin William Piesse.
of the district, where also are indigenous numerous varieties of useful timber trees, including jam, York-gum, white-gum, red-gum, sheaoak, etc. Both propositions are
watercourses having large permanent pools of excellent fresh water. In addition eleven dams have been constructed in suitable spots, thereby completing an excellent water supply. Originally the whole territory was infested with the noxious poison weed so fatal to stock, but by the unremitting labours of the Hon. C. A. Piesse this pest has been entirely stamped out and little attention is now necessary to keep the properties free from what has proved so serious a drawback to many an enterprising settler in these regions. Natural herbage flourishes in great abundance on both the properties, affording excellent feed even on those portions which have only been ringbarked, while the areas which have been cropped compare most favourably with any in the State as grazing pastures. A portion of the country that has been cleared and cultivated is capable of carrying a sheep to the acre, and the Messrs. Piesse Brothers anticipate a great extension in the stockcarrying power of the estate as clearing operations progress. Of the
20,000 acres fully three-quarters are well adapted to agriculture, and it is probable that with the proper amount of attention the remainder would give good results as a cerealgrowing proposition. About 1,500
Photo by W. E. Elston. Typical View of "The Arthur” Country. Dam in Background.
in the Arthur River district containing 12,000 acres, while a separate holding known as “Riverslea” of about 8,000 acres
equally well watered and possess about nine miles of frontage to the respective rivers upon which they are situated, both of these
acres are devoted annually to this purpose, and in especial a large amount of oats are cropped, the district being particularly favourable
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to the production of this cereal. The entire area is ring-barked and over
6,000 acres, chiefly on the home property, are completely cleared, thus
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Vernon Frederick Piesse.
giving scope for cultivation on a fairly large scale on the fallow system which is adopted by the gentlemen under review. Both of the holdings—which are conducted under one management—are protected chiefly with vermin-proof fencing constructed with three
barbed wires and netting, while subdivision has been made into numerous paddocks, varying in size from
3,000 acres down to several ten-acre enclosures, made small for the more convenient handling of the sheep. The fencing costs from £28 to £32 for plain and £38 to £42 for netting per mile, the posts used being cut from the jam timber on the property, and precautions are taken against Are by making it a practice to clear the timber and scrub away for 12 ft. on either side of the fence. Pride of place is given by Messrs. Piesse Brothers to pastoral operations, sheep-raising being the chief branch of this department of their enterprise. About 12,000 sheep are put to shears annually, and with a lambing average which, taking a fair range of good and bad seasons, is estimated at not less than 85 per cent., this number, notwithstanding heavy drafts which are sent away every year, is easily maintained. The merino breed predominates in a marked degree, it being the aim of the present firm to continue to build up a first-class type from the flock which was taken over with the property some three or four years back. All but the best stock is now being
weeded out, and stud sheep are being imported from the Eastern States, by means of which introduction of superior blood manifest improvement
Mr. Charles Oxley Piesse.
in the flock has taken place. In 1910 1,000 stud ewes were obtained from the famous “Boo-boorowie” flock of South Australia, and pedigreed rams from the same source have been introduced from time to time, while the renowned “Boonoke” strain has also been levied upon from New South Wales.
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In addition to the shearing shed chaff, a good machinery shed shelters there are other outbuildings, includ- the various costly machines in use ing excellent shearers’ quarters, on the property, and all the etceteras
The Arthur River flowing through Messrs. Piesse Brothers' Property.
In addition, representatives from local flocks, the reputation of which stands high in the pastoral circles of the State, have been purchased, and there is little doubt that in the near future the ‘‘Arthur” sheep will be able to hold their own among any other flocks in Western Australia. The wool is despatched to London, and for some time past has commanded top prices for the State, the 1912 clip bringing Is. 2d. per lb. for over 100 bales, while the lambs’ wool brought over Is. per lb. The shearing shed commands the best position in the district, and is one of the most prominent landmarks of the pastoral industry on the Perth to Albany route. It is furnished with eight Wolseley shearing machines, recently installed, the driving power for which is provided by a 6J-h.p. Tangye oil engine, and the general outfit and appointments are equal to any shearing shed in Western Australia. It may be mentioned in this connection that besides shearing its own flock the firm of Messrs. Piesse
which are new and in every respect up to date, being built in accordance with the latest designs in vogue for such structures. Stabling is
necessary to the upkeep of an estate of the kind will be found each in its place. The homestead, which, as has been mentioned, was built before
Photo by Tf . E. "Elston. Flock of Sheep and Lambs on "The Arthur” Estate.
Brothers undertakes this work provided for 18 horses, the chaff- the town of Wagin was laid out, is
on contract terms for many of the shed has accommodation for the in the centre of the large pastoral
larger sheepowners in the district, storage of from 30 to 40 tons of and sandalwood area extending from
730
the Williams River to Kojonup. It has been altered and renovated in more recent times, and is a comfortable ten-roomed house, with the usual extra offices, etc., into which many modern luxuries have found their way. The three brothers now owning and managing the station all first saw the light in the old homestead, and are therefore natives of the district, the eldest, Mr. G. A. W. Piesse, having been born on September 3, 1885. He was educated at the High School, Perth, and at the conclusion of his studies returned to his father’s property, “Tillellan,” near Wagin, where he assisted in the duties of the estate until 1910, when “The Arthur” was transferred to him and his brothers by their parent, since when he has devoted his time and attention to the development of this valuable holding, in which he has been ably assisted by his brothers. He is a member of the West Arthur Roads Board, and gives his support to all organizations for the promotion of clean forms of sport and outdoor athletic exercises. He married in 1909 Ruby Alice, daughter of Mr. George Watson, J.P., a Scotchman who was settled in South Australia for over half a century and for the past decade has been identified with the agricultural industry at Yor-nanning in this State. The second son of the Hon. C. A. Piesse, Mr. Vernon Frederick Piesse, was born on August 23, 1889, and pursued his scholastic studies at the Guildford Grammar School, afterwards serving a few years in his father’s mercantile office, where, under the able tuition of the manager, Mr. R. Sinclair, he acquired practical clerical knowledge. Subsequently he followed in the footsteps of his elder brother in his decision to carve out for himself a career in connection with pastoral and agricultural enterprise. He interests himself in military affairs, and holds rank as second lieutenant in C Squadron, 25th Light Horse. The third and youngest member of the firm, Mr. Charles Oxley Piesse, was born on April 8, 1891, and since the conclusion of his scholastic course at the Perth High School has been
associated with his brothers in the building up of “The Arthur” Estate. He is at present managing the “Tillellan” property on behalf of his firm, they having leased the same from their father.
WILLIAM EDWARD CLARK, J.P., general agent and auctioneer, Wagin, was born at Bendigo, Victoria, on July 31, 1871, and is a son of the late William Clark, a well-known farmer and grazier of that State who followed these industries at Pyramid Hill for over twenty years. He received his education in his native city, and upon entering
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. William Edward Clark.
his teens became associated with his father in agricultural and pastoral enterprise, continuing in this connection for a considerable period. Upon attaining the age of twenty-seven he was attracted by the possibilities offered by Western Australia to young men of energy and ambition, and upon arrival in this State in 1898 proceeded direct to the goldfields, where he was engaged for four years on the commercial side of the mining industry at Kalgoorlie and Menzies. At the end of this period he decided to devote his energies to land development, and coming to the Wagin district selected some 3,000
acres situated about five miles from the town, where he commenced operations, a few months later establishing a general agency and auctioneering business in Wagin, which he has carried on ever since. Mr. Clark has met with success in both of these ventures, having worked up a good connection in his mercantile scheme, while the property is now in a well-advanced condition. The fencing is completed, and about 600 acres cleared, 300 acres of which are cropped annually, the remainder of the estate being utilized as a sheep run. The flock at present consists of between 700 and 800 sheep, and general mixed-farming pursuits, are followed by Mr. Clark, who runs the usual dairy herd and horses for the requirements of the farm. His career in the neighbourhood has been marked by active interest in all affairs affecting the community at large, and shortly after arrival he was elected first as a member and almost immediately afterwards as chairman of the local roads board, a position he retained for seven consecutive years, when he tendered his resignation. He was one of the first members elected upon the inception of the municipal council, and occupied a seat on this body for several years before being invested with mayoral honours in 1910, from which office he resigned in the following year. Mr. Clark is secretary to the Wagin Agricultural Society, which, mainly owing to his efforts during the past five years, has become one of the most successful of such organizations established in the country districts. He is a Justice of the Peace, having received his Commission from the James Administration; and is member, patron, or leader of most of the movements set afoot for the advancement of the district in which he resides. He has been identified with Freemasonry for a lengthy period, and has occupied honourable office in the local Lodge, No. 74, W.A.C. In the year 1900 Mr. Clark was married to Ellen Ann, daughter of the late James Dripps, agriculturist, of the Kerang district of Victoria.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
731
ANTHONY MADDEN, J.P., '‘The Mount,” Arthur River, via Wagin, was born at Dublin, Ireland, on May 10, 1864, and came to Victoria with his parents, who were among the early settlers of that State, the gentleman under review being still quite a child at the time of arrival. Upon the conclusion of his education at the South Melbourne Grammar School Mr. Anthony Madden became connected with banking in the service of the National Bank at the head office in Melbourne, where he remained for some time, subsequently filling more responsible positions in various agricultural and mining centres throughout the Garden State. Eventually he was transferred to Albany in Western Australia, where he continued as accountant for about two years, thence receiving transfer in the same capacity to the Perth office, and after three years at the capital was promoted to the post of manager, being sent to open the first branch of the bank at Northam. Having controlled operations there for a decade he received an offer from the Government of the day to take the appointment of Resident Magistrate at Newcastle—now Toodyay— and resigning from the bank’s service commenced his official duties at the latter town in 1898. Two years later he was transferred to the more important and responsible town of Roebourne, and after filling the same office there for three years retired from the service upon a decision being made by the Government of the day that in the far northern districts the offices of resident magistrate and district medical officer should be combined. Ultimately Mr. Madden decided to devote himself to agricultural and pastoral pursuits, and with this end in view turned his attention to the Arthur River district, which he foresaw would be one of the localities to be served with a railway at no very distant date. Accordingly he took up a block of land situated some 20 miles west of Wagin on the Perth -Albany Road and some 125 miles from the metropolis, and has since resided in an old-established homestead, originally tho property of the Taylor family, so well known in the
pioneering records of that district. In tho old coaching days this house was one of the stopping-places on the well-nigh 300-mile trip from Perth to Albany which formed the mail route of that day, and the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Anthony Madden.
police station of the district was established here some half a century back. Besides this 700-acre block Mr. Madden has some 3,000 acres in its vicinity, and being a strong believer in mixed farming he, of
course, combines grazing with cropping on this area. He has always been distinguished for the active interest he displayed in public affairs, and whilst still an officer of the bank occupied some of the most prominent positions in the various communities of which he formed a member, over twenty years ago being appointed a Justice of the Peace for whole State. He is the present chairman of the West Arthur Roads Board, and fills the same position in regard to the Arthur River branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of Western Australia, in the deliberations of which body he manifests a practical concern. A Liberal in politics he is president of the local branch of the Liberal League, and is a power at the periodical elections; and always takes a very keen interest in all that concerns the Arthur River district. He is a Master Mason, and is Past Grand Junior Deacon of the old English Constitution in Western Australia, besides at various times filling other honorary offices in the craft. He is a keen advocate of all clean sport, being president of the Arthur River Race Club and the football and cricket clubs. He married a daughter of the late John Wall Hardy, a pioneer of the State, and has a son and two daughters.
Mr. A. Madden’s Residence, Arthur River,
732
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
KATANNING.
Travelling along the great southern line from Wagin through Woodanilling and Moojebing, we come to Katanning, the most important town between Beverley and Albany. Situated about 225 miles from Perth, it is the chief agricultural centre along the southern railway line. The first settlement along that line took place here, and consequently the surrounding country is more extensively developed than at other centres, and the farms have larger areas under cultivation. “The land is undulating, and the soil varies considerably—from a rich chocolate loam and black sand in some parts, to a
F. and C. Piesse, who were among the pioneers of the district, being first interested in business at the Williams and Arthur Rivers, and who since the great southern line was completed have been the principal advocates of the advantages of Katanning as a fine centre for agriculture. In addition to cereals, there is a large area under fruit-trees and vines, and a fine winery, capable of turning out nearly 18,000 gallons per annum, has been constructed. Again, the high prices obtained for the wool from the district show that as a suitable locality for the raising of sheep it can scarcely
SCRUB ROLLING, KATANNING DISTRICT
CLIVE STREET. KATANNING
AUSTRAL TERRACE, KA TANNING.
POST OFFICE. KATANNING
light sandy and gravelly soil in others. The timber consists of white, red, and flooded gum, with jarrah, shea-oak, and stinkwood in small quantities in some localities. Timber for building and fencing purposes is easy to obtain. The rainfall is good, the average being between 16 in. and 17 in. per annum. The country is admirably adapted for mixed farming, stock-raising, and fruitgrowing, as well as for the production of grapes and for wine-making.” With all these advantages it is not surprising to find that settlement has proceeded apace, and that progress is the keynote of the district. The fertility of the soil for cereal crops is proved by the erection of a large flour mill capable of turning out 8,000 tons annually. This mill is due to the initiative of Messrs.
be surpassed. The town itself, much of the progress of which is due to the faith and business capabilities of the various members of the Piesse family, contains a population of about 2,000 people. Its local government is in the hands of the Katanning Roads Board, which, with the assistance of a health board, carries out the municipal functions with comparatively little administrative expense. As befits a commercial centre of such importance four of the associated banks have branches in the town, and the business premises give evidence on every hand of stability and progress. Among the buildings of a public nature may be mentioned an up-to-date Government hospital for the district, courthouse, mechanics’ institute, and six churches. Travellers are
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
733
catered for by six excellent hotels. Being lighted by electricity the town presents a modern appearance, and the great development going on all around makes it a hive of industry. The Great Southern Herald published twice weekly is a staunch supporter of the district, and ever ready to urge its claims on every occasion.
Kojonup, situated some 26 miles to the south-west of Ivatanning and about 160 miles from the capital, was originally one of the old coaching stations on the main Perth-Albany road, and is therefore one of the oldest settlements in the State. When the great southern railway took away the road traffic the town fell behind, and very little headway was made until the construction of the line from Boyanup Junction across country to
Katanning. Since that time, being situated in a good agricultural area and having facilities for transport, it has made better progress. It now contains about 800 people, and stores and other buildings are gradually being erected.
A spur line of railway also runs out from Katan-ning to Nyabing, and serves to open up and give facilities for the carriage of produce to another large area of wheat-growing country.
From this description of Katanning and its surroundings it may easily be seen that there are very few districts in the Commonwealth with better qualities to support them, and still fewer where greater evidences of a prosperous future are available.
JOHN JOSEPH HOLLAND, J.P., M.B. (Syd.), medical practitioner, of Katanning, is a son of Mr. Daniel Holland, a merchant of Goulburn, New South Wales, and was born in the Mother State on February 11, 1876. He received his preliminary education at St. Joseph’s College, Hunter’s Hill, Sydney, and upon matriculating at the University of Sydney was awarded the Norbert-Quirk Scholarship at St. John’s College for classics. He entered upon the study of medicine and surgery, qualifying at that institution in 1904, and upon gaining his diplomas was first identified with St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, where he obtained valuable experience as house surgeon. This position was succeeded by that of resident medical officer at the Coast Hospital, Sydney, and he subsequently entered in the same capacity the Lewisham Hospital for women and children. In 1907 he came to Western Australia, and after filling a temporary post at Mulwarrie Hospital Dr. Holland was transferred to the Government hospital at Kanowna, where he continued in charge for three years. Resigning this appointment he came to Katanning in 1910 in order to establish himself in private practice, and has since become widely and popularly known throughout the district, his connection extending over 50 miles of country. Dr. Holland is a member and committeeman of the Great Southern Pastoral and Agricultural Society, and also serves on the committee of the local mechanics’ institute. He is a practical sympathizer with the various charitable movements inaugurated in the town, and what little leisure he can spare from his professional duties is wholly devoted to the betterment
of local conditions. He is prominent in matters of sport and fills the office of hon. secretary of the Great Southern Polo Association, which embraces all the polo clubs on the great southern railway line. He is president of the Katanning Tennis Club, one of the committee of the Katanning Racing Club, and still retains
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Dr. John Joseph Holland.
membership in the Sydney University Club. In 1906 Dr. Holland married Alicia, daughter of the late Mr. James Simmons, of Meniwa, New South Wales, and has a son and two daughters.
CHARLES EDWARD SEWELL, LL.B., barrister and solicitor, Katanning, is a son of the late John Sewell, of Surrey, England, where the gentleman under review was
born on September 1, 1859. When about seven years old he accompanied his father to Australia, and was educated chiefly by a tutor in his own home until he reached the standard necessary to qualify him for admission to the' University ot Adelaide, where he matriculated and subsequently graduated in law. He was articled to Mr. (now Sir John) Gordon, of South Australia, and having completed his indentures was called to the Bar of South Australia in 1886. Eventually he was taken into partnership by his former principal, and shortly afterwards purchased the practice, which he carried on for five years. At the end of this period he was induced to go to Victoria, and having been admitted to practice there in 1891 proceeded to Mildura, whence he removed to Bendigo, and at a later date was identified with the mining district of Eaglehawk. Owing to the bursting of the now notorious land boom in Victoria and the consequent depression of trade Mr. Sewell decided to accept an invitation to come to the virile Western State, where the prosperity resultant upon the outbreak of the eastern goldfields had attracted experts in every profession. Ills extensive knowledge of mining law endowed him with special fitness for practice on the fields, and he spent his six months of probation after arrival in managing the business of Messrs. Mann & Sinclair at Menzies, receiving admission to the Western Australian Bar in 1897. An attack of fever, however, compelled him to relinquish his connection with the mining centre, and proceeding to Albany he established a practice which he carried on for five years. When the mail steamers ceased to
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
call at that port Mr. Sewell removed to Fremantle, where he formed a good connection, but becoming a sufferer from severe muscular rheumatism found it necessary to take up his residence at some inland district. For this purpose he made choice of Katanning, and settling in this town in January, 1911, has continued here ever since. Mr. Sewell is a member of the Masonic craft, in which he has held various principal offices. He has been twice married, and has issue one son by the first marriage.
JOHN COLLIN COOK, of Katanning, is a son of the late John Cook, of Suffolk, England, and was born in that county on January 8, 1864. He received his education at a private school at Wickham Brook, in Suffolk, and upon the conclusion of his studies at sixteen years of age began business life in the greengrocery trade at Liverpool, with which he was connected for about three years. He then obtained a position on the north-eastern railway, and, having gone through the preliminary training, undertook the responsible duties of enginedriver, continuing in this post until his departure for Western Australia in 1887. Upon arrival Mr. Cook found employment on the railway line then in course of construction between Albany and Beverley, subsequently transferring his services to the Western Australian Land Company, which took over the line upon its completion, and he was chosen to drive the first through train from Albany to Beverley. Leaving the railway service in 1894, he purchased the lease of the Katanning Hotel, Katanning, and conducted that house for nearly five years, afterwards becoming proprietor of the Exchange Hotel in the same place, which he carried on for almost a similar period. Upon relinquishing this enterprise he entered upon the development of a farm of 600 acres which he had taken up some time previously in the district of Katanning, and for several years continued to work this property successfully, an orchard of 20 acres in extent and mixed farming operations generally absorbing the whole of his time and attention. At the beginning of 1911 Mr. Cook sold his farm and orchard and took his family for an extended trip, during which they travelled throughout Great Britain, Ireland,
and the Continent. He still holds interests in real estate at Katanning, and has his residence in that town. In 1884 he married Mary Ann, daughter of Mr. Thomas Rowlands, of West Hartlepool, County Durham, England, and has two sons and one daughter.
PATRICK STUART, J.P., Secretary and Engineer to the Katanning Roads Board, was born at Coulfet-rim, near Ballycastle, County Antrim, Ireland, on March 18, 1861, being a son of the late Mr. Andrew Stuart, a farmer of that place. He was educated at the National School in his native town, subsequently completing his education at St. Patrick’s, Dublin. This institution he left at
II. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Me. Patrick Stuart.
the age of eighteen in order to emigrate to New Zealand, where he became engaged in the teaching profession, filling the position of head master of the Roman Catholic school at Ross, on the - west coast of the South Island. After ten years in that locality, in 1891, the reports of gold discoveries in Western Australia drew him to this State, and upon arrival at Perth he obtained an appointment in the office of the late Mr. C. Y. O’Connor, then Engineer-in-Chief for the State. For six years Mr. Stuart worked under this master of engineering, at the end of which period he was offered the position of town clerk and engineer of Men-zies, which he accepted and continued to fill this office for about seven
years, resigning in 1903 to take up similar duties at Leederville. A call from the Murchison district next led him to accept the appointment of town clerk at Day Dawn, in which he continued until he entered upon his present post in 1908. Mr. Stuart has the distinction of being the oldest officer in the State still in harness appointed under the Local Government Act. Outside his official duties he has found time to support various public movements, and took a deep interest in the Fresh-air League, that admirable institution on the goldfields to protect and promote the health and physical welfare of children. He acted as secretary to the Menzics Hospital for some time, and occupies a similar post in connection with the Katanning Public Hospital. He has been one of the leading rifle shots of the State, and was a founder of one of the first rifle clubs in Western Australia, being closely identified with the movement since its inception. He was winner of the first gold medal for 1,000 yards in Association Competition, and is the possessor of several other trophies, in addition to handsome presentations from the various clubs in which he has been interested. Mr. Stuart was secretary of the Day Dawn Turf Club and chairman of the Menzies Racing Club. His appointment of Justice of the Peace was made by the Forrest Administration in the early nineties. In 1894 he married Mary, daughter of the late Mr. Patrick Healy, of the West Coast of New Zealand, and has two sons and three daughters.
NICHOLAS JOHN COLE TRELEAVEN, Manager of the Katanning Branch of the Union Bank of Australia, Limited, was born at Port Adelaide, South Australia, on January 7, 1870, and is a son of the late Mr. Nicholas Treleaven, a well-known pioneer of the Central State. He received his education at Prince Alfred College, and at eighteen years of age joined the staff of the Bank of South Australia at the head office at Adelaide. In 1892 he resigned from the service in order to transfer to that of the Union Bank of Australia, Limited, and after four years’ connection with the Adelaide Branch of this institution received promotion to the General Manager's Department in Melbourne. Shortly afterwards Mr. Treleaven was transferred to the
735
Inspectors’ Division for Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, and subsequently for six years filled the position of relieving manager in South Australia and Victoria. About the end of 1904 he received appointment to the permanent position of manager, and came to Western Australia to open a branch of the Union Bank at Katanning, which he has continued to control uninterruptedly ever since. Apart from his official duties Mr. Tre-leaven is largely interested in landed property near Broome Hill, where he
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. N. J. C. Trelfavf.n.
owns an estate of 2,500 acres, highly improved, where mixed farming operations are carried on with considerable success. Upon this property there are 1,000 acres under tillage, and a fine flock of sheep, in numbers running well into four figures. Mr. Treleaven finds outdoor recreation chiefly in the game of tennis, but if opportunity offers he drives to his estate, where wide scope for healthy exercise is always available. He was married in 1904 to Muriel, daughter of Mr. Thomas Curson, works manager of the Central Mine, Broken Hill, New South Wales, and has one daughter.
ARTHUR JOSEPH WATTS, D.D.S., Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland (1881); member of the Dental Society of Western Australia; member of the Dental Board, Western Australia (1905); Examiner Dental Surgery and Pathology
and Dental Mechanics, Dental Board, Western Australia (1906-8); late Curator of Dental Laboratory, Dental Hospital, London. The gentleman under review was born at Deanston, Perthshire, Scotland, on May 26, 1856, and is a son of the late Martin Watts, well known in the cotton industry, Scotland. He was educated at the Model Free Grammar School, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, and pursued his professional studies under several masters, being articled to the prominent dental practitioner, the late Mr. Sydney Wormald, of Stockport, England. After gaining considerable experience he accepted the position of dental assistant to Mr. W. B. Pearsall, F.R.C.S.I., in 1881, and upon arrival at Dublin was admitted to the L.D.S. degree. In 1890 he went to London, where he received the appointment of Curator of the Dental Laboratory and Demonstrator in Dental Mechanics, which he held until 1896, when he resigned in
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Arthur Joseph Watts.
order to commence practice on his own account in London. In 1902 for health reasons he came to Western Australia, and during his seven years’ residence in the capital carried on his profession for respective periods at Hay Street, Wellington Street, and St. George’s Terrace, Perth. In 1909 Dr. Watts came to Katanning, and with the assistance of his son, Mr. Martin H. Watts, has established himself in practice there and at the neighbouring town of Wagin. Being of a highly scientific turn of mind he devotes his
leisure to the invention of aero-marine vessels, of which he has constructed a large workable model, one quarter the size of the intended machine, the working of which has been most satisfactory, and which has been brought under the notice of the Federal Government. Dr. Watts finds recreation in the performance of instrumental music, being a ’cellist of considerable gifts, and in his younger days played in the famous quartette party of which Sir Edward Elgar was a member. In 1883 he married Martha, daughter of Mr. S.
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Martin H. Watts.
Bradfield, of Bristol, England, and of Dublin, and has one son and four daughters.
FRANK MARSHALL GARE, J.P., of the Katanning Stock and Trading Company, Limited, is a native of South Australia, having been born at Kanmantoo, near Mount Barker, on April 2, 1866, his father, the late Mr. Edward B. Care, being well known in that State. He pursued his studies in various places, eventually completing his scholastic education at the Burra, South Australia, and when sixteen years of age chose scope for his commercial ambition in storekeeping pursuits in the establishment carried on by his uncle at Lucindalc. Mr. Gare gained a comprehensive acquaintance with the different branches of the trade during the eight years that he continued in this connection, and in 1892 joined his eldest brother in partnership in the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
opening of a general storekeeping business at Port Pirie. Seven years later, after a successful business career in the northern seaport, Mr. Gare decided to accept an offer from the firm of A. E. Piesse & Co., of Katanning, Western Australia, of the post of assistant manager of their large mercantile trading concern, under Mr. Arnold E. Piesse, M.L.A. The partnership with his brother was dissolved and the business sold and the present connection entered into by Mr. Gare, which has continued through various vicissitudes from 1900 up to the present time. The gentleman under review has actively identified himself with
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Frank Marshall Gare.
movements of local importance, and is a member of the committee of the mechanics’ institute, with the management of which he has been associated for some considerable time, and a member of the agricultural society of the district. He is a prominent worker in the Church of England at Katanning, and holds in that community the office of lay reader, in which capacity he has served here and in South Australia for the past twenty-five years. He has attained the rank of Past Grand Master in the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and as a committtee-man of the local rifle club since its inception has done much to promote the interests of this movement, himself being a good shot and the possessor of many valuable trophies. He was gazetted a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Government in 1910, and in the following year was
appointed a member of the Licensing Bench for the district of Katanning. Mr. Gare has been twice married. His first wife, Maggie, daughter of the late Mr. Steadman Crear, of Port Pirie, died in 1899; and in 1902 he married Nora, daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Norrish, J.P., of “Sunnyside,” near Broome Hill, by whom he has issue three sons.
WILLIAM JOHN ROGERS, T.P., general merchant, Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. John Rogers, of Colchester, Essex, England, where the subject of this review was born on June 4, 1862. He received his education at the public school in his native town, and when fourteen years of age became apprenticed to the hardware trade for five years. At the conclusion of his indentures he left Colchester for London, and during ten years spent in the world’s metropolis he passed through every department of the trade, gaining much valuable experience. In 1890 Mr. Rogers came to Australia with
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. William John Rogers.
the intention of settling in Victoria, but at Adelaide he was offered a position in the firm of McLean Brothers & Rigg. He continued his voyage to Melbourne, however, only to find on arrival a considerable depression in commercial circles owing to a maritime strike, so he returned to South Australia, and for the next twelve months was in the service of
the above-mentioned firm. He then accepted an offer from the firm of Barnett & Company, of Albany, Western Australia, with whom he remained for a number of years. In the year 1901 he decided to launch out for himself, and purchased the business formerly carried on by Mr. C. A. Harris at Katanning, which he has since conducted with considerable success. In order to supply his clients with the best class of goods Mr. Rogers imports largely from the Old Country, and his stock is always being replenished with fresh consignments of up-to-date and seasonable goods. In 1911 the business was formed into a limited company, the shareholders consisting of the gentleman under review, his two sons, and Mr. W. Hessen, who for some years previously had filled the office of accountant. Mr. Rogers has devoted a portion of his time to the public interest, and in 1910 was gazetted a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Government. For some time he occupied a seat on the committee of the local agricultural society. He has ever taken a deep interest in the advancement of the Baptist Church and was treasurer of that body for some years. He is a member of the Masonic craft and has held office in the Grand Lodge of Western Australia. Before his departure from England he married Hannah Mary, daughter of the late Mr. John Pinkerton, of Edinburgh, Scotland, and has two sons and five daughters.
JOHN GERRANS, Postmaster, Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. Richard Gcrrans, of Jamieson, Victoria, where the gentleman under review was born on December 7, 1873. He was educated in his native village, pursuing his scholastic studies chiefly in the evening at a night school conducted by a Mr. Ullrich, and at fourteen years of age joined the Civil Service as messenger in the Postal Department at Jamieson. After remaining here for nearly six years, during which period he became a proficient operator, he was transferred to Yarra-ville, near Melbourne, and shortly afterwards resigned from the service in order to come to Western Australia. He immediately obtained a position as operator in the head office, of the State Postal Department at Perth, and, rapidly receiving
737
promotion, was sent to Coolgardie, where he spent six months. From there he was further promoted to the charge of Niagara Post Office, and held this position for six years, being the first officer appointed at that centre, and, indeed, the first Civil Servant in Western Australia to hold an appointment north of Menzies. At the outbreak of the Kookynie goldfield he was sent to open an office there and remained in charge for five years, leaving in 1906 to enter upon the duties of the more important position which he now occupies at Katanning. In all places where he has resided Mr. Gerrans has cordially identified himself with all public movements for the welfare of the community when unrestricted by the regulations of his office. In his younger days he was a keen sportsman, all forms of clean sport claiming him as a hearty advocate, and at the present time he is keenly interested in rifleshooting, and acts as hon. treasurer of the local club, a position he has held for some years. A member of the Masonic fraternity, he has attained to various honours in the craft, and for two years past has been Master of Lodge No. 30, Katanning, W.A.C. In 1902 Mr. Gerrans married Selma, daughter of the late Mr. Henry Bliss, of Williamstown, Victoria, and has two sons and a daughter.
JOHN FERDINAND WANKE, general storekeeper, Katanning, is the eldest son of Mr. C. F. Wanke, of the same place, and was born at Mannum, on the River Murray, South Australia, on July 4, 1884. At fifteen years of age he left the State school, where he finished his education after seven years at a German academy, and learnt the black-smithing trade. This he abandoned after two years, and in 1900 came with his parents to Western Australia, where land was taken up by the family in the Katanning district and its development proceeded with. Tiring of work on the farm Mr. Wanke turned his attention to business pursuits, taking a position in the firm of W. J. Rogers, storekeeper, in the adjacent town of Katanning. After seven years with the firm Mr. Wanke purchased a decadent business and applied his energies to the task of bringing it into line with the most successful commercial concerns vv
in the district. These efforts have been rewarded with most satisfactory results, and in the years which have passed since his taking over of the store the turnover has increased greatly, and a very healthy condition of things exists. At the commencement the assistance of a younger
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. John Ferdinand Wanke.
brother was sufficient to meet the demands of the business, but at the present time six hands are kept busily employed in the rapidly-growing trade, and his delivery extends over a radius of 40 miles from Katanning. Mr. Wanke has identified himself with the various institutions of the town, and is conductor of the choir in connection with the Baptist Church, of which he is also a deacon. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has acted as organist of the local lodge. He takes an active interest in the affairs of the Independent Order of Rechabites, and has held the office of District Levite of the Order. In 1908 he married Florence Emily, daughter of Mr. G. II. Todd, now of Katanning, who came originally from York, England, and for a time settled in Victoria. He has one daughter.
F. & C. PIESSE, Katanning. This well-known trading firm, controlling during the course of its career the varied interests of merchants, millers, vignerons, aerated-water manufacturers, electric light supply, orchardists, graziers, and farmers, is one of the oldest
commercial enterprises established in the districts lying along the great southern railway line. It was founded as early as the year 1880 by the late Hon. F. H. Piesse in conjunction with his brother, the Hon. C. A. Piesse, and the first centre from which the firm operated was a spot on the Williams River where the Perth-Albany Road crosses the stream, distant from Perth about 100 miles. Here had sprung into being the nucleus of the present township of Williams, then a small settlement of about half a dozen houses, the inhabitants of which engaged chiefly in farming and the sandalwood industry. At no very lengthy period extension was made to the Arthur River, 25 miles south of the Williams, where a branch business was successfully carried on by Mr. C. A. Piesse. The undertaking was enlarged considerably by an impetus which was given to the trade in kangaroo skins about this time, and it is stated that within a period of four years over 500,000 skins were exported by the firm, which continued to inaugurate improvements at both their depots until the construction of the great southern railway was put in hand by the Western Australian Land Company. The business of providing supplies to the workers engaged on the construction of the line was carried out by them until its completion in 1899, when permanent business houses were opened by Messrs. F. & C. Piesse at Katanning, Wagin, and Narrogin. The Nar-rogin business subsequently was sold to Mr. J. T. Chipper, and in 1900 the existing partnership was dissolved, Mr. C. A. Piesse becoming sole proprietor of the Wagin branch and Mr. F. H. Piesse taking over the interests at Katanning, while the Williams branch was disposed of and the business at Arthur River closed. Before these changes took place, however, the firm had enormously increased its scope of operations, adding agricultural, horticultural, and pastoral interests to the other branches of their enterprise, which included milling, viticulture and winemaking, the manufacture of aerated waters, electric light supply, and various other branches of industry and commerce. The milling business was inaugurated in 1891 by the erection of the Premier Flour Mill at Katanning at a period when the number of bags of wheat produced in the immediate district
738
would hardly have totalled more than 600. The original plant was of only small capacity, the output being two and a half sacks, or 500 lb. per hour. In 1909 the plant was increased to a capacity capable of dealing with five sacks, or 1,000 lb., per hour, and, subsequently, further alterations were carried out which made possible an output of eighteen sacks, or 3,600 lb., per hour. The present plant is in every respect up to date, and cannot be surpassed by the very best examples of its kind in the Australian States. The installation was entrusted to Messrs. Thomas Robinson & Sons, the well-known milling engineers of Rochdale, England, and of Sydney, New South Wales, the virtues of whose milling machinery are of such world-wide repute. This firm having been given a free hand by F. & C. Piesse to carry out the work according to the latest ideas, further comment is needless other than that the plant was handed over in perfect running order, and has maintained its efficiency ever since. The quality of the flour turned out under the “Premier” brand is recognized everywhere throughout the Western Australian State—even in the northwest, where the climate makes a severe test on flour—as having succeeded in the attainment of a very high standard which is able to hold its own against any other in Australia. This is especially satisfactory
Orchard and Vineyard at 11 Kobeelya.” Katanning in Background.
to the public at large, inasmuch as it is convincing evidence that the one-time prejudice that existed with regard to Western Australian flour has been completely overcome; while
raw material and the milled product. The steam power for driving the mill is generated in two 200-h.p. Babcock & Wilcox boilers attached to a large Reader Coreiss engine. Having
the number of prizes and medals won in competition, not only in this State but also at the Franco-British Exhibition, triumphantly demonstrate
secured a concession for the lighting of the town of Katanning by electric power, the firm of F. & C. Piesse had erected a plant complete with
being the first town in Western Australia to have electric light, and at the present time is considered one of the best lighted country towns in the State. At the period of its first installation in connection with the mill the light was extended to the firm's store, warehouses, aerated-water factory, and hotel, and to-day the firm utilizes electric power for all
Mr. F. T. R. Piesse’s Residence, Katanning,
Mr. F. T. R. Piesse.
the superiority of the local product. Any further testimony that may be needed is forthcoming by a very pleasing feature in the history of the firm, viz., that its business -is increasing rapidly, year by year, beyond all expectation, in this important department. Adequate storage sheds are situated at the rear of the mill in Austral Terrace, which are fitted up with automatic hoists and connected to the mill by conveyers for the handling of the
accumulators of the very latest design. It was in connection with the mill that in 1891 the first complete electric-lighting plant was installed in tho State, whilst in later days Katanning had the distinction of
739
outside purposes such as driving, hoists, pumps, tool-shop, etc. Messrs. F. & C. Piesse have recently purchased the business lately
carried on by Messrs. C. Piesse & Co., the manufacturers of the well-known “Piesse’s Dry Ginger Ale,” which for quality boldly challenges importations, and is now obtainable practically all over Western Australia. Its excellent quality is due to the use of pure water and its manufacture by an up-to-date plant imported specially for the purpose, combined with the thorough methods employed by the manager of this particular branch of the firm’s industry. The factory is complete with the latest machinery in use in the Old World, by the aid of which the firm is not only manufacturing the famous dry ginger ale, but is also turning out successfully all varieties of carbonated waters and cordials. Messrs. F. & C. Piesse are also interested in the supply of water, which is conserved in a large reservoir situated half a mile from the centre of the town. Having secured the agency of Messrs. William Sandover & Co., the Western Australian representatives for Messrs. H. V. McKay, of Sunshine fame, the firm is catering for the farmers’ needs in this direction, and in addition is agent for all classes of fertilizers and farm requisites. The head office is at Katanning, where a fine suite of modern offices has been erected in Argent Street. The firm also has branches in Perth and Kalgoorlie. In October, 1911, the flour-milling and electric supply were taken over by Mr. F. T. R. Piesse, who continued to carry on vv2
business under the old name, and upon the demise of the late F. II. Piesse in 1912 took over the various other branches to which reference
has been made. FREDERICK THOMAS ROPER PIESSE was born at the Williams River on October 2, 1878, and is the eldest son of the late Hon. F. H. Piesse, C.M.G. Until eleven years of age he attended the local State school, passing from there to the Albany Grammar School, and after two subsequent years of private tuition at home completed his education at the High School, Perth. Having always
displayed a decided bent for mechanics, after leaving school at sixteen he entered the engineering firm of James Martin & Co., of
Gawler, South Australia—at that time largely engaged in the manufacture of locomotives—where he remained for two and a half years. Desiring to gain knowledge in a wider field of engineering he served a year at the Western Australian Government Workshops at Fremantle, and afterwards left for Scotland, where he joined the well-known firm of Messrs. Dubs & Co., of Glasgow, with whom he continued for nearly a year. When Messrs. James Simpson & Co., of Grosvenor Road, London, secured the contract from the Western Australian Government for the pumping machinery for the Coolgardie water scheme, Mr. Piesse was successful in securing a position with that firm, and was engaged by them on several large works in England, among which was the Cheltenham water supply and the Grand Junction and New River waterworks supply for the City of London. After finishing his engineering course Mr. Piesse returned to Western Australia in 1902 to join his father in his many undertakings at Katanning, and has been connected with the business ever since. He was made an associate member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, London, and is a member of the Western Australian Institute of Engineers. Mr. Piesse has always been fond of athletic sports, particularly lacrosse and tennis; and he is a very keen
horticulturist. In 1905 he married May, daughter of Mr. W. H. Jack-son, of Balmain, Sydney, and has one daughter.
RICHARDSON & CO., universal providers, Austral Terrace, Katan-ning. ROBERT LAWSON RICHARDSON, J.P., Managing Director of the firm of Richardson
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Robert Lawson Richardson.
and Co., is a son of the late Mr. William Richardson, of Dalveen, South Australia, where the gentleman under review was born on December 30, 1862. Concluding his education at the local State school, when fifteen years of age he became identified with storckooping pursuits at Georgetown, in the same State, and started on his own account at Clarendon in 1897. After five years he disposed
of his connection and came to Western Australia, turning his steps to Katanning after a few months on the goldfields. In the year 1904 Mr. Richardson purchased an interest in the storekeeping business of F. and C. Piesse, which has since been carried on under the style of Richardson & Co., merchants and general importers, the late Honourable F. H. Piesse, C.M.G., being associated in partnership with Mr. Richardson. The firm trades in all lines of general merchandise, but confines itself to storekeeping, the supervision of the numerous departments carrying with it considerable responsibility. These include drapery and millinery of the most up-to-date character, provision and grocery department, hardware and furnishing department, boots and shoes, farmers’ requisites, oils, paints, glassware, clocks, electroplate, and every conceivable class of goods that may be inquired for in a country district. Since Mr. Richardson was included in the partnership branches have been established at Woodanilling, Kojonup, Ngowangerupp, Tambellup, Nam-pup, and Badgebup, which partake of the general character of the parent business, and are aiding in the development of the districts above-mentioned. Mr. Richardson gives the major portion of his time to the demands of his business, but serves as a member of the hospital board and of the local board of health. He takes a deep interest
in the advancement of the Baptist Church at Katanning, of which he is a member. In 1885 he married Eliza, daughter of the late Mr. C. E. King, of Georgetown, South Australia, and has seven daughters and a son.
CHARLES ARTHUR HARRIS, farmers’ agent, Katanning, was born at Loughton, Essex, England, on September 1, 1868, and is a son of Mr. Martin Harris, of that place.
Mr. Charles Arthur Harris.
He was educated in his native town, and when fourteen years of age began his apprenticeship to the bakery and confectionery trade under Mr. George Mills, Royal baker, of Chelmsford, with whom he remained for eight years. After a subsequent period at Bournemouth, where he occupied a position as cashier in a store, in 1890 Mr. Harris came to Western Australia, and “carrying his swag” from Perth to Albany was successful in securing a position as confectioner in the latter town. Shortly afterwards, however, he gave this up to come to Katanning, where for a year he was in the employ of Messrs. F. and C. Piesse, taking charge of the bakehouse in connection with their business. He next established a bakery business on his own account and conducted it successfully for about twelve years, adding various other departments as opportunity occurred. These included the purveying of dairy produce and groceries, and as
Messrs. R. L. Richardson & Co.’s Premises. Katanning.
741
his operations expanded, demanding more commodious premises, he erected a large building, which had the distinction of being the first two-storied store in the district. Mr. Harris subsequently disposed of his business and entered upon farming pursuits, having taken up land in /the district, but eventually was compelled to part with this property on account of failing health. He then established himself at Katanning in his present business, and has continued successfully ever since. In 1909 Mr. Harris was elected a member of the roads board of the district, succeeding Mr. Arnold E. Piesse, who had resigned owing to pressing parliamentary claims. He is a member of the Masonic craft and has held office in this Order. He married in 1891 Catherine Jack-son, daughter of the late Mr. William Leggat, of Glasgow, Scotland, who died in 1902, leaving him with three sons and two daughters. His present wife, whom he married in 1903, is a sister of the late Mrs. Harris.
SCOTT & SCOTT, Katanning. (William J. Scott and Arthur Scott.) The firm of Scott & Scott, carrying on business as auctioneers, accountants and . auditors, land, machinery, and general agents, was first established in Katanning in 1903, when the town was yet in its infancy, and by the energy and push of the promoters has kept pace with the rapid development of the district. It has made its influence felt over a wide area, and at the present time the name is a household word among settlers in a radius of many miles of the town. Mr. William J. Scott, to whom is due the credit of having built up the business in the first instance, is a native of Tasmania, where he was born on July 29, 1875, and at the close of his scholastic education he had some banking experience which has proved of great value in his subsequent career. Attracted from the island by glowing reports of commercial activity in Western Australia, in 1903 he set sail for this State, and coming direct to Katanning immediately secured business premises at the new settlement. His brother, Mr. Arthur Scott, being joint proprietor in the enterprise, the firm opened up operations under the style of Scott & Scott, and beginning as commission agents has gradually
extended its scope, the various departments of the business developing in accordance with the demands of the growing population. The land-agency branch is carried on in conjunction with the similar class of business conducted by Mr. A. Scott, at Northam, Kellerberrin, and Meckering, and by this arrangement capital opportunities are presented to those desirous of purchasing or disposing of properties. The firm represents a large number of important companies, including George Wills and Co.; the International Harvester
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. John Augustine Carr.
Company, agricultural machinery; Buffalo Pitts Company, traction and portable engines and “Niagara” threshers; Clarence H. Smith (Ar-drossan, South Australia), ploughs, cultivators, scoops, etc.; English superphosphates and English Thomas’ phosphates (“Globe” brand); and all farmers’ requisites. Having worked up the business to a high standard of efficiency and established it on a sound financial basis, Mr. W. J. Scott in 1908 accepted an excellent appointment in the firm of Messrs. George Wills & Co. For the management of the Katanning business he secured the services of Mr. J. A. Carr (who prior to the above date had been identified with the Northam branch of Scott & Scott for about three years), who has carried it on ever since. Mr. Scott has been always distinguished for his interest in the affairs of the neighbourhood where he has spent so many successful
years. Especially he ranks foremost among the riflemen of the district, and has won the championship and other trophies in connection with the Katanning Rifle Club, of which he is a foundation member. Mr. John Augustine Carr was born at Christchurch, New Zealand, on October 25, 1877, and received his education at the Marist Brothers’ College in that city. He has had a long connection with commercial life, and rapidly obtained a grip of Mr. Scott’s methods in the conduct of the business at Katanning. Following in the footsteps of his principal and adopting his progressive policy, he has proved his ability to cope with the growing trade, and under his control the forward movement inaugurated at the foundation of the business has continued without any setbacks.
ALEXANDER THOMSON, contractor, Katanning, was born of Scotch parents at South Shields, England, on March 9, 1872. Coming with his family to Victoria during his early boyhood he attended the Essen-don State school until attaining the age of fourteen, when he was apprenticed to the carpentering trade under
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Alexander Thomson.
his father. Upon the completion of his indentures he journeyed through the State, working at his trade in most of the large towns, and in 1895 decided to try his fortune in the West. Arriving at Fremantle, for two years he was identified with journeyman work at that port, and
in 1897, in partnership with Mr. Thorpe, established a business there, which he carried on for two years. At the end of this period the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Thomson went to Queensland, only to return and re-establish his connection with Mr. Thorpe for another year. Subsequently for several years he carried on an independent business at Perth and Fremantle, being engaged in the building of villas, hotels, and other classes of work, and, upon removing to Katanning in 1905, achieved conspicuous success in the erection of the Royal Exchange Hotel in that town. This work was followed by much of an equally important character, including the mechanics’ institute, the railway station buildings, churches, and private residences, in addition to three large hotels and other buildings in Albany and the surrounding districts. Mr. Thomson has various investments in building properties in the district, and in many ways has identified himself with the neigh; bourhood and town where he has made his home. He has always taken a deep interest in municipal reform and government, and has served as councillor in various places, among others being a member of the Cot-tesloe Beach Roads Board for several years. He is a member of the Masonic craft, and holds office in this body. The bowling green offers attraction for his leisure hours, and he holds membership in the Albany Bowling Club. In 1897 he married Edith Maud, daughter of the late Andrew Jenkinson, of Ballarat, Victoria, and has four sons.
MICHAEL FRANCIS SKELTON, general draper, Katanning, was born at Dublin, Ireland, on September 4, 1888, and is a son of the late Henry Thomas Skelton, of that place. Coming to Australia with his mother while still quite a child, he received his education at the Christian Brothers’ College, in Perth, and, concluding his scholastic career at the age of sixteen, became engaged in the drapery business with the firm of Robertson & Moffat, of the same city, where he obtained a good general insight into the trade. Leaving this establishment, for a short time he turned his attention to other pursuits, but, returning to his former line of life, became connected with the wholesale trade in the warehouse of Messrs. Beath, Schiess, & Co., of
Murray Street, Perth. He remained with this firm for some considerable time, during which he gained valuable experience in wholesale dealing, and subsequently augmented his knowledge of the retail business, first in Charles Moore & Co.’s establishment in Hay Street, and at a later date joining the staff of the Economic Stores, with which house he was identified for two years, during the greater part of that time being the only country representative of the firm. In 1911 Mr. Skelton launched out on his own account by opening a business on Austral Terrace, Katanning, where he has since carried on, commanding a large share of the patronage of the district. Mr. Skelton is prominent in the II.A.C.B.S., being honorary secretary of the Katanning branch of that organization. He also takes a live interest in the Young Australian League, and worked with energy for the promotion of the ends and aims of this
TT. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Michael Francis Skelton.
worthy cause. He is a keen advocate for all that is clean and healthy in the world of sport, and occupied leading official positions in several of the local clubs, football perhaps having the premier place in his interest.
WILLIAM EARNEST BEVILA-QUA, commission agent, Katanning, is a son of Mr. Louis Bevilaqua, of Adelaide, South Australia. He is a native of the Central State, having been born at Lyndoch Valley on July 27, 1871, and received his education
at Prince Alfred College, in the capital. Upon the completion of his scholastic career he entered the Adelaide Branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia, Limited, and continued in this service until the institution was closed. In 1898 he visited Western Australia, and being attracted by bush life spent several years in trapping kangaroos and wild dogs,
U. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. William Earnest Bevilaqua.
meeting with considerable success in these and kindred pursuits. In 1903 he returned to South Australia, but after a year on his native soil the “call of the West” brought him back to the younger country. Directing his attention to the farming industry he took up 1,700 acres of land in the district of Gnowangerup, but retained this property for a couple of years only, at the end of that period selling out to Mr. G. House after making various improvements and generally developing the estate. Mr. Bevilaqua next opened a general storekeeping business at Katanning, which eventually he disposed of, and established himself in the town as a general commission agent. In addition to this business he is also largely interested in land and other investments in the district and town of Katanning, and superintends the working of a farming property lying close to that centre, which he purchased in 1909. In 1908 Mr. Bevilaqua married Lilian, daughter of Mr. W. Porteous, pastoralist, of Gnowangerup, Western Australia, and has two daughters.
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CHRISTIAN FREDERICK MITTER, authorized newsagent and stationer, Katanning, was born at Bendigo, Victoria, on November 21, 1876, his father, the late Mr. •Christian Frederick Mitter, coach-builder, being a resident of that town. Having concluded his education at the Bendigo Grammar School Mr. Mitter, at the age of seventeen, was apprenticed to the engineering branch of Messrs. J. Horwood & Sons, of the Bendigo Ironworks. He continued with this ■firm for nine years, during which period he passed through all branches of practical engineering, giving due attention also to the theoretical side of the profession. From there he entered the service
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Christian Frederick Mitter.
of Messrs. Roberts & Co., the well-known Bendigo engineering firm, and after two years in this employ came to Western Australia, where the prospects of the trade were reported to be very good. Upon arrival he proceeded to the East Murchison United Gold Mine at Lawlers, where he entered upon the duties of mine engineer, a position he retained for five years. Being desirous of opening in business on his own behalf he resigned his connection with the mine, and after carefully considering the various districts where his initial effort would have every opportunity of thriving, lie purchased the business he is conducting at the present time in the flourishing town of Katanning. This was in 1907, and since that date a considerable increase of trade has
been witnessed in the town and district owing to the enlarged popular tion, and the enterprise of Mr. Mitter has kept pace with the times. He is identified with various public movements, having been a prominent member of the Australian Natives' Association for many years and an office-holder in the local branch of the fraternity of Freemasons. As the president of the South Katanning Football Club and vice-president of the cricket association and other clubs of the district he displays his warm sympathy with those forms of sport which tend to develop many of the finest qualities of manhood. In 1901 Mr. Mitter married Emma Lilian, daughter of the late Mr. Josiah Rodda, of Golden Square, Bendigo, Victoria, and has a son and a daughter.
HANS CHRISTIAN BILTOFT, photographer, Katanning, is a native of Denmark, having been born at Varde, in that country, on February 12, 1864. He commenced his education at a public school in his native town, subsequently attending a private college for two years, and at the conclusion of his studies became engaged in seafaring pursuits for six years. Relinquishing marine life in the early eighties, he learned the art and business of photography in Denmark, and in 1886 came to Australia, landing at Sydney, New South Wales. He then took up orchard work in the fruit-growing districts of that State, and having spent several years in this calling went to the Peak Hill gold diggings, where he met with varied success in alluvial mining. Three years later, in 1893, he formed one of the party which discovered payable gold at Fifield, New South Wales, and was granted a reward claim by the Government. A fair measure of success having attended his endeavours in this locality Mr. Biltoft was authorized by a Sydney syndicate to proceed to Western Australia to prospect in the vicinity of the newly-discovered eastern goldfields. Here, however, he was not so fortunate, and having worked for some time without much result directed his steps to the alluvial field at Clermont, in Queensland, and spent three successful years in this district. In 1899 he abandoned the precarious search for the precious metal and again turned his
attention to his former art of photography as a means of livelihood. Returning to Kalgoorlie in the following year he established himself as a photographer in that town, and both in outdoor photography for the Press and in studio work has achieved distinct success. In 1910 Mr. Biltoft removed to Katanning, and has since carried on in the same line in this town. In addition to his photographic business he owns a farm at Badgebup comprising
1,000 acres, which is now in course
Mr. Hans Christian Biltoft.
of development. He interests himself in the rifle club movement in the district, and occupies a seat on the committee of this body. He is also well known in church matters, being a vestryman of the Church of England in Katanning. In 1894 Mr. Biltoft married Amy Sophia, daughter of the late Mr. Frederick Alexander Martyn, of Moonan Brook, New South Wales, and has two sons and two daughters.
WALTER PANG BOURNE BIRD, tailor and mercer, Katanning, opened in business on his own account in this town in 1909, and has personally conducted operations ever since, in March, 1911, establishing a branch business at Wagin. ^ Mr. Bird was born at Wangaratta, Victoria, on May 11, 1878, and is the fourth son of the late Frederick Augustus Bird, of Benalla, in that State. Leaving school in his early teens, he became apprenticed to the
tailoring trad© at the latter town, and having completed his indentures, in 1897 migrated to Albany, Western Australia, where he took i junior position, a year later continuing his travels to Kalgoorlie. After being employed in several establishments he joined Mr. P. S. Jane in a business partnership which extended over a couple of years, but was dissolved on account of a depression in trade which settled on the goldfields. Subsequently Mr. Bird determined to launch out for himself, and coming to Katanning, established himself in business as above mentioned. During the short period of his residence in the town he has met with considerable success, and in addition to his business pursuits has taken keen interest in the various organizations of the place. Music, both vocal and instrumental, is his forte, and his fine bass voice makes him an acquisition in all social gatherings, while as conductor of the choir in connection with the local Methodist Church he renders valuable service to the community. He is a member of the Masonic craft, in which he has held various offices, and in earlier days he was well known in the realms of cricket and football. In 1905 Mr. Bird married Alice Emma, daughter of Mr. W. Gunter, of Katanning, late of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and prior to that of Quorn, South Australia, and has two sons and one daughter.
JAMES FAIRCLOUGH, proprietor of the Federal Hotel, Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. Mervin Fair dough, of Adelaide, South Australia, where the gentleman under review was born on June 7, 1862. He received his education at Mount Barker under the late Rev. Jenkins, at fifteen years of age being apprenticed to the butchering trade at the establishment conducted by Mr. Tonkin, of Adelaide. Having completed his indentures he proceeded to Broken Hill in the early days of the mining industry at that place, and gained an intimate acauaintance with the processes of silver-mining during his connection with the South and South Extended mines, eventually attaining to a position as mine manager, which he held for six years. In 1892 he arrived in Western Australia, and proceeding from Albany to Narro-gin walked to Kalgoorlie, via Southern Cross, being for some time
connected with the development of the famous Bayley’s Reward claim. At Coolgardie he was employed on the Ivanhoe Mine, Boulder, and in course of time was promoted to the post of shift manager under the late Captain Kitto. After two years he was offered the position of underground manager of Fraser’s South Extended at Southern Cross, and subsequently found further scope for his abilities in the management of the Richmond Gem Mine at Mount Malcolm in 1905-6. In 1907 he relinquished connection with the mining industry, and purchasing the lease of the Federal Hotel, Katanning, has since carried on the personal conduct of this house, which is popular throughout the district. Mr. Fairclough, since his advent to Western Australia, has always been a supporter and patron of the turf, and has served as committeeman of the various racing clubs in the towns where he has resided, during the past three years acting as president of the Katanning Racing Club. He makes the love of horses his hobby, and has owned many successful performers, among which “Ranji” and “Mainsheet” have distinguished thomselves in the ring with especial brilliance. Mr. Fairclough is also a keen supporter of athletics and is president of the local football association and other clubs of the district. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and has held office in the craft. Married in 1898 to Susan Jane, daughter of the late Mr. John Bennett, of Bendigo, Victoria, he has two sons.
CHARLES FERDINAND WANKE, J.P., of Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. Albin Ferdinand Wanke, one of the first German colonists of South Australia, and was born at Lobethal, in that State, on September 25, 1857. He received his education at a private school in his native town, and subsequently was identified with the machinery trade for five years. At the termination of that period he opened in business on his own account at Quorn in 1878, afterwards removing to Mannum, on the River Murray, where he continued for twenty years, retiring on account of ill-hcalth. In 1900 he came to Western Australia and purchased a property formerly owned by the late Mr. Andrew, and situated about five
miles from Katanning, the development of which he has since continued. It comprises 2,000 acres, and carries good crops of wheat and oats, while special attention is being given to the breeding of merino sheep, the flock numbering about 1,200. Mr. Wanke received his Commission of Justice of the Peace in South Australia about fifteen years ago, and a similar honour was conferred upon him by the Western Australian Government in 1902. He has always taken a deep interest in local government and was chairman of the municipal council at Mannum, South Australia, for ten years. Upon settling at Katanning he received election to the local roads board, and shortly afterwards was appointed to the chair, which he
• ^
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Charles Ferdinand Wanke.
has now occupied for many years. IJe is president of the local branch of the Farmers and Producers’ Political Union, in the formation of which he assisted in 1908, and he has filled the office of director of the Perth Producers’ Uniop for some time. Mr. Wanke is a member of the local hospital board and takes an interest in friendly society work, being a member of the Masonic craft and of the Foresters' Lodge, in which he has passed through all the chairs, being seven times Past Chief Ranger of that body. He married in 1883 Caroline Amanda, daughter of the late Mr. Nicholas Matulich, of Mannum, South Australia, and has five sons and two daughters.
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WILLIAM MILSOM BAKER, of Katanning, is a son of the late George Edward Baker, of Kaniva, Victoria. He was born at Modbury, South Australia, on November 13, 1867, and at the close of his education at the local school served his apprenticeship to the butchering trade in Yongala. Having completed his indentures he went to Victoria, and became engaged in farming pursuits in conjunction with his father in the Wimmera district. In 1896 he left the eastern State, and upon arrival in Western Australia returned to his former calling, taking a position as journeyman in the establishment of Mr. E. L. Holley, at Katanning. This business he purchased within two years of his first connection with it, and has since conducted operations on his own account. In addition he has landed interests in the neighbourhood, having taken up a holding within three miles of Katanning, which he is using at present for grazing purposes. Mr. Baker is a member of the Katanning branch of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and takes considerable interest in the proceedings of that body. He is also prominent in the local cricket association, of which he has occupied the position of captain and committeeman for a number of years. In 1903 he married Laura, daughter of the Rev. W. Hicks, of Nhill, Victoria, and has one son and one daughter.
WILLIAM PEMBLE, J.P., grazier, Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. Henry Pemble. of Sussex, England, latterly of Ballan, Victoria, where the subject of this review was born in September, 1860. Ilis education, begun in his native place, was concluded at Watervale Grammar School, South Australia, and at twenty-three years of age he became a wheat agent in the latter State on behalf of the firm of W. R. Cave & Co., of Adelaide, which position he filled for three years. Beckoned by the bright prospects held out by the gold discoveries at Kimberley, Western Australia, Mr. Pemble “followed the gleam” as far as Albany, where his intention to proceed was frustrated by the offer of an appointment of under-manager on the stations owned by Messrs. Hassell Brothers, which he decided to accept. This occurred in March, 1885, and for five years he carried
out the duties of this office, finally determining to launch out for himself in the land of his adoption. Coming to Katanning, he purchased from the Great Southern Land Company the property on which he now resides, and opened in business as general commission agent and auctioneer. After five years he joined a prospecting party, and was one of the pioneers of the Mount Margaret district, where, however, he met with but scant success. Returning to Katanning, he took up land in the vicinity of the town, to which considerable additions have since been made, and directed his attention to grazing and agriculture, the former being the principal department of the industry. Always interested in public affairs, Mr.
II. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mb. William Pemdle.
Pemble was one of the founders of the farmers’ association of the district, and was president of this body for three successive terms. During his period of office, by his persistent advocacy, he secured for the use of the townspeople the town common-age, a grant of land 1,000 acres in extent within three miles of Katanning. He also selected the first agricultural showground for the agricultural society, of which he was one of the founders, and through his instrumentality the societies of Katanning and Broome Hill joined issues, the result of which has been a most successful combination, the shows held annually at Katanning being among the best in the southern district. The
Katanning Water Reserve was granted as a direct result of his influence, and the construction of many of the best roads in the neighbourhood was carried on under his supervision. He was one of the original trustees of the local institute, of which he is a life member, and at its inauguration was the people’s representative on that board. He has been a member of the Licensing Bench for several years, and was granted his Commission of Justice of the Peace by the James Government in 1903. Mr. Pemble finds healthy recreation in personal attention to his garden and orchard, where his cherry-trees, specially selected, have rewarded his efforts with splendid results. In the year 1889, at St. Werburgh’s, in the vicinity of Mount Barker, he was married to Emily Annie, daughter of Mr. W. H. Dickinson, of Melbourne, Victoria, and has a family of one son.
ISAAC MILLS, J.P., of Katanning, was born at Nairne, South Australia, on August 4, 1850. Receiving some primary instruction in his native town, he continued his education at a later date at Charleston, under the late Mr. Disher. Upon leaving school he was first identified with work on the home farm, his father, the late Mr. George Mills, being one of South Australia’s pioneers, who landed at Port Adelaide by the ship “Somersetshire” in the year 1839. Subsequently Mr. Mills joined the old Kanmantoo Copper Mine, and in conjunction with fifteen partners became personally engaged in its development, but finding the life uncongenial he once more turned his attention to agriculture. Taking up 779 acres of Crown land in the Hawker district, 300 miles north of Adelaide, for nine years he endeavoured to win a fair return for his capital and labour, but finally abandoned this enterprise on account of the uncertainty of the rainfall, and purchased a farm near Kadina, on Yorke Peninsula. Mr. Mills, during the fifteen years that he continued in this district, became a well-known personage, and was identified with many public and charitable movements. He held various offices, among which was that of chairman of the Ninnes District Council, which he resigned on the eve of his departure for Western Australia in 1904. In February of that
year he arrived in this State and came direct to the Katanning district, which he had visited in the previous year, and on that occasion had selected four properties for himself and his sons at Yellanup, in the aggregate embracing nearly 4,000 acres of land. In addition to these farms, which are devoted chiefly to the growing of cereals, Mr. Mills also owns a holding of 800 acres at Lake Ewlyamartup, 9 miles east of Katanning. He was soon pressed into public service, and for seven years has been a member of the Katanning Roads Board, and for six a committeeman of the Great Southern Agricultural Society. He is also a committeeman of the Katanning Cemetery Board and chairman of the Katanning-Nampup Railway League, now having the satisfaction of seeing that line an accomplished fact. Especially is credit due to Mr. Mills for the part he played in bringing about the construction of this
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Isaac Mills.
railway, which has been much needed in the district. He is trustee of the Methodist Church in Katanning, and on four occasions has represented this Church at the Methodist Annual Conference held in Perth. He is a member of the Oddfellows’ Order, for forty-two years having been connected with the Manchester Unity, and also holds membership in the Orange organization. In 1870 Mr. Mills married Catherine, daughter of the late Edward Gartrell, of Nairne, South Australia, and has five sons and five daughters.
TOM GARSTONE, J.P., ‘‘Mart-ling” Farm, district of Katanning, is a son of the late Thomas Garstone. of Haywood Forest, Herefordshire. England, and was born near the city of Hereford, on March 16, 1866. He pursued his scholastic education at Clehonger, in his native county, and until eighteen years of age assisted in looking after the game preserves of the Belmont Estate in Herefordshire. Forsaking the scenes of his youth he emigrated to Queensland, and upon arrival became engaged in the agricultural industry near Brisbane for a brief period. Subsequently he followed similar employment in South Australia, and at a later date
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Tom Garstone.
was identified with the Wimmera district of Victoria. In 1890 he came to Western Australia and purchased a farm from the Western Australian Land Company, on the great southern railway line, in the vicinity of Katanning. After two years he sold this property and took up his present holding of 1,250 acres of virgin country, henceforward devoting the whole of his time and energies to bringing it into line with the best agricultural and pastoral properties in the district. The work of development and improvement has been steadily proceeded with, and at the present time four-fifths of the land is cleared and cultivated, chiefly with cereals, while flocks of sheep graze on the pastures and horses are bred for the work of the farm. Mr. Garstone has not been unmindful of his duties in respect to the community at large,
and for nine years occupied a seat on the Katanning Roads Board. He has been president for three years of the Great Southern Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and in 1902 received his Commission of the Peace. He is fond of reading, and finds his recreation in this way, favouring works of a historical character. In 1892 he married Ellen, daughter of the late Richard Wilcox, of Tung-killo, South Australia, and has three sons and two daughters.
THOMAS WILLIAM LANGLEY, agriculturist and grazier, of “Minnawarra,” Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. Joseph W. Langley, of Loddon, Norfolk, England, and was born in London on December 19, 1872. He was educated at a private school attached to the Church of England at Brixton, and at sixteen years of age, having completed his scholastic course, joined his
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Thomas William Langley.
brother in farming pursuits in the Mittagong district of New South Wales. During the four years here spent he gained an intimate acquaintance with the conditions of the new country bearing on the agricultural industry, but upon reaching man’s estate abandoned that calling, and coming to Western Australia turned his attention to the aerated mineral waters manufacture in Perth, in partnership with Mr. T. Tracy. He afterwards sold his interests to his brother-in-law, Mr. J. J. Wallis, who still conducts
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the business, and spent four years at Katanning, where he purchased a similar concern established in the first place by Messrs. F. & C. Piesse, adding to it a general commission agency business. Upon his receiving an offer from the
the Kalgoorlie branch of the business of Piesse, Lowe, & Co., of which he is still managing director. Returning to Katanning in 1907 Mr. Langley floated the business of A. E. Piesse & Co. into a limited company, which as the Katanning Stock
have proved very profitable. Mr. Langley’s wide experience has been invaluable to new settlers, and he is always ready with the timely word of counsel to such. There are few public positions of prominence in the district which he has not filled
Photo by PL. C. Biltoft.
above-mentioned firm of the management of the metropolitan branch of their business Mr. Langley sold out, and shortly after taking control in Perth was instrumental in floating the produce and auctioneering branch of the concern into a limited liability company called Piesse, Lowe, & Co., Limited, of which he remained in charge until a change in the personnel took place by the retirement of the Hon. F. IT. Piesse. He then actively
interested himself in the formation of the Producers’ Markets, Limited, which embraced the business of Piesse, Lowe, & Co., Perth, and the Producers’ Union Salerooms, retaining separately as his own interest
Mr. T. W. Langley’s Residence, Katanning.
and Trading Company has a very large connection and is one of the most important among similar concerns along the great southern line. Mr. Langley unites the duties of manager of this company with various other posts of a financial and honorary nature, and in addition to his mercantile interests has a large stake in the agricultural industry. He owns over 4,000 acres of land, well developed, and in the present year has over 1,300 acres
under crop, this being the largest area by hundreds of acres tilled by any one owner in the district. In addition to this extensive cultivation of wheat and oats the estate carries about 2,500 sheep, which
with credit to himself and benefit to the community, and to the agricultural society in particular he has given of his best, having for years filled the position of hon. secretary of that organization, with the result that it holds prestige in the State second only to that of the Royal. As president or vice-president of nearly all the sporting clubs, he shows his sympathy with outdoor recreation and athletics generally, and in 1911 was elected
president of the Katanning District Polo Association. For a lengthy period he has served on the committee of the local mechanics’ institute. The homestead, built in bungalow style, contains eleven rooms with
Photo by PL. C. Biltoft. Haystacks and Threshing Plant at “ Minnawarra.”
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
French doors opening on to the wide verandahs which encircle the house, and is surrounded by a fine garden and orchard, the latter being four acres in extent. The outhouses include two cottages for employes and an engine-house, a 6-horsepower Marshall steam - engine providing power for chaff cutting, threshing, sawing timber, etc. Mr Langley married in 1900 Henrietta Maude, daughter of the late Mr. John Rogers, of Northcote, Victoria, and has two sons.
MICHAEL CRONIN, J.P., “Glen Cove” Farm, situated 17 miles northeast of Katanning, is a son of Mr. Patrick Cronin, of Youghal, County Cork, Ireland, where the gentleman under review was born on September 4, 1842. He was educated at the National School in his native country, and when twelve years of age sailed by the ship “Berkshire” for Australia with his parents, brothers, and sisters. The boat left Southampton on December 3, 1854, and arrived at Fremantle in March, 1855. Young Cronin was sent to Bishop’s School at Perth, and upon leaving this institution became engaged in the bakery trade, continuing
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Michael Cronin.
until the removal of the family to Pinjarra. He spent three years in occupations incidental to bush life, and in 1861 set out to carve a career for himself. Leaving the parental roof-tree he came to Kojonup, where he worked on a farm for over two years,
subsequently returning to the district after a year at Toodyay. He then took over the lease of a farm at Mallitup—now Pallinup—where he remained for seven years; and in 1875 went into occupation of the “Glen Cove” Farm, which he had taken up from the Government a couple of years previously. Since that time Mr. Cronin has found ample scope for his energies in tho development of this and other properties, covering an extent of 1,400 acres. At one period he took over a pastoral
lease from the Government, comprising 20,000 acres, which he
used for grazing sheep, and did considerable trade in sandalwood, which at the time was
one of the chief industries in the neighbourhood. Another of his ventures took place at the time of the Coolgardie gold rush, when Mr.
Cronin was among the first to find his way across country to the scene of the find, with the object of opening up a route to the field from the southern line. This, however, was not used, as the Government hastened the construction of the railway line to the district. These were earlier enterprises, and latterly mixed farming operations have absorbed his attention, together with his public duties, which have included those of Justice of the Peace for the Katanning district, to which office he was gazetted by the Daglish Government. For ten years he served as a member of the Katanning Roads Board, having been the first mover in the petition to secure this organization for the district. He has filled the office of local treasurer to the Roman Catholic Church, is a member of the agricultural society and of the Katanning Racing Club, of which he was one of the founders. Mr. Cronin married in 1866 Elinor Bridget Noonan, whose father was a Civil Servant of Western Australia when the State was under Imperial control. This lady died in 1885, leaving a family of five sons and five daughters.
REINHOLD GUTTHOLD WILHELM, farmer, of Oxley Road, near Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. August Wilhelm, who came originally from Germany, and died in Western Australia, having spent fifty years of his life in the Central State. He was born at Blumberg, South Australia, a German settlement 20 miles north-east of Adelaide, on
September 18, 1872, and attended the German school in that place. Concluding his studies at the age of fourteen he spent several years in assisting his father and neighbouring farmers on their properties, and road-making in the district. In 1891 he decided to launch out on his own acoount, and coming to Western Australia, after working for twelve months on a farm, took over some clearing contracts, which occupied his time for about a year. He next
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. R. G. Wilhelm.
paid a visit to his native State, and returning to the West made a trip to the goldfields, where he gained some useful experience. Finally, he again found his way to the Katanning district, and resumed contracting for about five years. During the shearing seasons Mr. Wilhelm, who is an expert in this class of work, found plenty of employment on the pastoral properties, and ultimately he took up nearly 1,000 acres of good farming land in the Katanning district, and gradually has increased this area until at the present time his holding comprises about 3,000 acres. The agricultural operations include the cultivation of wheat, oats, barley, etc., while stock-breeding is carried on, attention being given to the production of both heavy draughts and lighter types of horses. Mr. Wilhelm is a member of the local agricultural society, and is an advocate of all forms of healthy outdoor sport. In 1904 he married Ethel Maud, daughter of Mr. H. Trye, of South Australia, and has a daughter and two sons.
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WILLIAM HENRY FORBES, of “Cleve” Farm, Katanning, is a South Australian by birth, and a son of Mr. W. Forbes, of Port Lincoln, in that State. He was born at the Burra, a prominent mining town of the Central State, on November 17, 1864, and received his education at the local State school. When only eighteen years of age he secured the contract for the carriage of mails from Cleve to Cowell, and, for seventeen years was a well-known figure on
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. William Henry Forbes.
the road, being regarded by the rising generation as one of the landmarks of the district. In 1900 he severed his connection not only with the neighbourhood where he was well known, but also with his native State, and sailed for Western Australia under engagement to the prominent pastoralist, Mr. A. W.
Edgar, to take charge of his “Strathalbyn” property, near Gin-gin, on the Perth to Geraldton railway line. This responsible position was held by Mr. Forbes for about twelve months, when he resigned,
developing the territory on his own behalf. Subsequently he purchased an additional 600 acres, and has now a very nice property of sufficient acreage to make it a thoroughly payable proposition. The major portion
Photo by H. C. Biltoft. jersey Cattle at “cleve" Farm.
and was afterwards identified in a similar capacity with the property owned by Mr. George Gooch, at “Cheriton,” in which connection he continued for another year. While discharging the duties of these appointments, Mr. Forbes became impressed with the possibilities of the country districts of Western Australia for purposes of agricultural enterprise as well as for extensive pastoral operations. Judging the soil and climate of the southwestern division more favourable for mixed farming pursuits than the northern areas, his choice of a locality finally rested on the Katanning district, where he selected
1,000 acres and then commenced
of the estate is devoted to grazing lands for sheep, the flock consisting of merinoes, this type having been well tested and approved in the district. Considerable attention is also given to the production of pure Jersey cattle, which have been successful in carrying off many prizes and trophies in connection with the agricultural shows held annually in the neighbourhood. Besides this prize stock, the horses bred on the estate are worthy of inspection, most of the draughts and hacks for use on the farm being of Mr. Forbes’ own breeding. An area of 600 acres has been brought under cultivation, the principal crop being of cereals, which has given satisfactory returns. A
Photo by H. C. Biltoft.
Mr. W. H. Forbes' Residence. Katanning.
fine vineyard planted with different varieties of grape vines covers several acres, and the orchard contains stone fruits, apples, oranges, and, indeed, every species of fruit which has been found to come to perfection in the district. Mr. Forbes finds that the proper working of his estate absorbs the whole of his time and energies, and has taken up no outside responsibilities. He was married in 1891 to Matilda, daughter of Mr. John Mildwaters, of Cherry Gardens, near Adelaide, and has one son.
BERTRAM JAMES FORBES is a son of Mr. William Forbes, of North Shields, Port Lincoln, South Australia, who has been engaged in the farming and grazing industry at that place for many years. The gentleman under review was born near Cowell, at Franklin Harbour, in the same State, on September 26, 1876, and having completed his
H C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Bertram James Forbes.
education at Uleve, at twelve years of age began to assist in the duties of his father’s farm. After four years spent in this way he engaged himself to a neighbouring farmer, and subsequently obtained employment as a shearer, in the intervals between the shearing seasons taking small contracts in road-making. In 1895 Mr. Mildwater, who had taken up land for farming purposes in the Denmark district, offered him employment in bringing some horses from South Australia to the Western
State, and having successfully accomplished this trust Mr. Forbes came to Perth, and was connected for a time with the Fremantle Harbour Works, afterwards undertaking the duties of warder at the Fremantle Prison. From here he proceeded to the goldfields, and acted in the capacity of dryblower for a period, ultimately offering himself as a candidate in response to a call for recruits by the Police Department. Being of splendid physique and of sufficient educational acquirements to pass the necessary test, Mr. Forbes was drafted into the force, and at the time of the departure of the third Western Australian Contingent for the scene of the war in South Africa, he obtained leave of absence from the department, and, joining that body, served some eighteen months in the Transvaal, being awarded the Queen’s Medal and five clasps, and returning with the rank of corporal. Taking up his duties in the Police Department once more, he was sent to take charge of the Isdell Police Station in the West Kimberley district, on the farther side of the Leopold Ranges, and has continued at this station for over seven years. During this period Mr. Forbes has had several exciting experiences with aboriginals. On one occasion, while in the act of arresting some natives for killing cattle, he was twice speared—in the arm and chest—and had to be removed to Perth for surgical treatment. In 1906 he purchased 1,000 acres in the Dumble-yung district, 26 miles from Katanning and six miles from Dumbleyung township and railway station, and this holding he placed under the management of his brother, Mr. W. H. Forbes, who resides *in the district. He has already enlarged it by the purchase of an additional block of over 600 acres, the whole to be devoted to purposes of mixed farming, and it is Mr. Forbes’ intention in the near future personally to take control of operations and to make his home on the property. Mr. Forbes is a member of several sporting clubs, and is generally recognized as a prominent athlete, having been a member of the police tug-of-war team on many occasions when that body has successfully demonstrated its prowess.
PATRICK GARRITY, farmer, Katanning, is a son of the late Patrick Garrity, who came to
Western Australia from Ireland in the early sixties and selected a holding near Broome Hill, where the gentleman under review was born on April 14, 1869. In those days there were no schools in the district, and what book-knowledge the lad could obtain was acquired in his father’s home. As soon as he was able to make himself useful, as early as ten years of age, he began to help in the
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Patrick Garrity.
duties of the farm, and for nearly thirty years was associated with his father in the management of the home property. Upon the death of his parent, Mr. Patrick Garrity r-ented the farm from his mother and worked it in conjunction with a holding which he had previously selected and developed on his own account, in addition to another property adjoining his own block, formerly owned by Mr. W. Murphy and sold by him to Mr. Garrity in 1909. These combined properties, comprising nearly
7,000 acres, he has let on leasehold terms to Messrs. McAuliffe & Sons, and has himself temporarily retired from farming pursuits. In order to occupy his time he has turned his attention to carting and contracting in the Katanning district, having little inclination to spend his days in idleness. In 1889 Mr. Garrity married Mary Jane, daughter of the late Thomas Haddleton, one of the oldest settlers in the district, and, indeed, in the Western Australian State. He has a family of one son and three daughters.
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HEINRICH OTTO BEECK, “Capemont,” Katanning district, is a son of Mr. E. R. Beeck, of the same place, and was born in South Australia on June 23, 1875, his native town being Monarto, where also he received his scholastic training. Leaving school at an early age, he made himself of considerable use on his father’s farm, paying especial attention to the sheep-raising industry, and gaining experience which has proved of great value to him in
H. C. Billoft, Katanning.
Mr. Heinrich Otto Beeck.
his subsequent career. In 1892 he came to Western Australia, and upon arrival accompanied his father to the Katanning district, where the original holding of “Capemont” was selected as suitable to mixed farming operations. Upon the subsequent retirement of Mr. Beeck, senior, in 1903, the estate was divided among the brothers, nearly 1,500 acres falling to the share of the gentleman under review. Mr. Beeck makes a study of the different methods of working the land, and of carrying on the various industries connected with properties similar to his own, and has been very successful in applying the knowledge thus gained to the special conditions of his own property. He has some fine stock imported from South Australia, but has averaged his greatest successes in the show ring with sheep bred by himself at “Capemont.” In 1911 hejgained the gold medal presented by Messrs. Henry Wills & Co. in connection with the Great Southern Pastoral and Agricultural Society’s Show for the highest number of points gained in
the merino sheep section. A portion of the estate is devoted to orchard operations, where various kinds of fruits are grown for home use and for the local markets. Mr. Beeck married in 1902 Adah, second daughter of Mr. E. B. Mackie, of Albany, and has two sons and one daughter.
WILLIAM WHARTON OGDEN, of “Grange” Farm, Badgebup Road, Katanning, is a son of the late Samuel Ogden, of Oldham, England, and was born at that town on August 20, 1856. He pursued his educational studies at Lancaster, and at Owen’s College, Manchester, and subsequently became engaged in the cotton industry for a number of
H. C. Billoft, Katanning.
Mr. Willi aw Wharton Ogdf.n.
years. At the age of forty he abandoned the calling in which he had spent so large a part of his life, and for the sake of his health sought the sunny skies and healthy climate of Australia. Settling at Sydney, he entered upon business pursuits in New South Wales, where he continued for some considerable time, eventually coming to Western Australia in 1905. Being desirous to settle on the land, his choice was directed to the Katanning district, where he took up 400 acres in the first instance, and has gradually added to this area, until at the present time he has increased his holding to 3,600 acres. His two sons have joined him in the working of the property, and recently have been taken into
partnership. Although in the past mixed-farming operations have been carried on with good results it is the intention of the Messrs. Ogden to specialize more exclusively in sheepraising in the near future. Mr. Ogden was married in 1886 to Elizabeth Henrietta, daughter of the late Dr. Henry Dunckley, of The Manchester Examiner and Times, Didsbury, Manchester. In 1911 Mrs. Ogden died, leaving a family of two sons and three daughters.
MARTIN O’DONNELL, of “Maribin” Farm, Katanning, is a son of Mr. Patrick O’Donnell, of Kyne-ton, Victoria, where the gentleman under review was born on July 9, 1874. He received his education at the Roman Catholic School, Kyne-ton, and when fourteen years of age became engaged for a short time on his father’s farm, relinquishing this industry in order to learn the black-smithing trade, for which purpose he proceeded to Melbourne. Induced by the spirit of travel and adventure to move further afield he engaged in shearing and other work on various
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Martin O’Donnell.
stations in New South Wales for some time. In 1896 he came to Western Australia and, within a year of his arrival, entered upon pioneering work in the Katanning district. In the first instance Mr. O’Donnell selected about 600 acres of land, which he found well suited to the agricultural and pastoral operations which he had in view, and in course of time added
to this holding 1,200 acres, combining the whole in a fine property of 1,800 acres, which has been highly improved and brought into line with the foremost estates in the neighbourhood. Oats form the principal crop produced, although upwards of 200 acres are under cultivation of wheat and a large territory is reserved as pasture land for the 500 head of merino sheep, which form a profitable branch of the industry. The land is held under freehold conditions, and was taken up as first-class country at 10s. per acre. It has also proved very suitable for fruitgrowing purposes, apples, pears, and a variety of stone fruits flourishing in the carefully - cultivated orchard. Mr. O’Donnell was married in 1903 to Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Eli Quartermaine, of “Mean Mahn,” Katanning, and has three sons and three daughters. He takes his recreation with his family, and has but little time for outside interests or public offices.
WILLIAM FREDERICK QUARTERMAINE, “Spring Hill” Farm, member of the Katanning
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. William. F. Quartermaine.
Roads Board, is a son of Mr. Alfred Quartermaine, of Katanning, who was born in the York district of this State over seventy years ago. The gentleman under review is also a native of the same place, and when eight years of age accompanied his parents to Katanning, where he received his education by private tuition. Before entering his teens he
was actively at work in the sandalwood industry on his father’s farm, engaging also in shepherding and other kindred pursuits. Having passed his majority, he left the paternal homestead on the occasion of his marriage, and was associated with a relative in the working of a farm for a couple of years. In 1891 he purchased a small block of land on which to build a homestead from the Western Australian Land Company, and in the following year took up a holding comprising 379 acres and entered upon its development. Subsequently, leaving his wife in her new home he followed the rush to the eastern goldfields and became engaged in the business of carrier on his own account at Hannans. For three years he continued contracting on the road between the great southern railway and the fields, and in 1895, having accumulated sufficient capital, returned home to give his personal attention to clearing and cropping the property. From time to time Mr. Quartermaine increased his holding in the district until at the present period he owns in the vicinity of
3,000 acres of land, the greater proportion of which is devoted to the growing of cereals, although there arc also several hundreds of sheep grazed on the pastures. Upon one of his holdings, situated near Nampup, Mr. Quartermaine has done pioneer work in well-sinking, and has proved that fresh water is obtainable, a good flow having been struck at a depth of 35 ft., through 25 ft. of blue granite. In 1911 he began his connection with public life, being elected without contest to a seat on the Katanning Roads Board. In 1887 he married Sarah, daughter of the late Mr. William Hawkins, in earlier days a well-known identity of the Darling Ranges, near Perth, and has six sons and six daughters.
RICHARD JOHN GULLEY, iatanning, is a son of the late Philip Gulley, of Wales, England, and an early pioneer of Victoria. He was born in that State on September 28, 1863, his native town being Tarna-gulla, where his mother, now the oldest inhabitant, still resides. Having attended the village school until eleven or twelve years of age, his services were requisitioned to assist in the support of the family by the performance of duties in connection with rural life, and ultimately he became his father’s right hand in the working
of a small farm. Seven years were spent by Mr. Gulley in assisting to clear the liability on this holding, and this object having been attained, in 1887 he launched out on his own account. Taking up a selection at Glenalbyn, he was engaged for a further seven years in the development of the farm, eventually having to abandon operations on account of the depredations of rabbits. Mr. Gulley next removed to Boort, and found employment in contract work in connection with various Shire Councils,
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Richard John Gulley.
which he continued for about three years. In 1898 he came to Western Australia, and settling in the Katanning district, again took up public contracts until 1899, when he selected a homestead block situated about six miles from Katanning, and began farming operations. The original area soon proved insufficient, and adjoining property was secured, until at length his acres numbered
2,000, and on this estate he erected a very comfortable homestead, where he resided for some years with his family. In 1911 Mr. Gulley disposed of the estate to Mr. F. McRae, and is at present living in retirement at Katanning. For three years he was a member of the Katanning Roads Board, and has always taken a deep interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the general community. At the time of the Royal Commission on Agricultural Enquiry, which sat at Katanning in 1906, Mr. Gulley was one of those chosen to give evidence, which proved of great value both to the producers, the general
753
public, and the Government of the day. ITe married in 1892 Ada Gertrude, daughter of the late John Frederick Newman, Tarnagulla, Victoria, and has two sons and four daughters.
GEORGE McLEOD, Jun., farmer and investor, Katanning, is a son of Mr. George McLeod, who came from Scotland to this State in the early fifties, and eventually settled at Katanning, where he now resides. Born at York, Western Australia, the subject of our notice
the town, of which he makes a hobby, devoting considerable attention to the growing of cereals, etc. For the past five years he has occupied a seat on the local roads board, being twice returned unopposed, and at the last election defeating his opponent. He is a member of the hospital committee and of the agricultural society, of which latter body he has been vice-president for twelve years. He is prominently connected with the Australian Natives’ Association, and has acted on the committee of this organization for some considerable time. He
Residence of Mr. George McLeod, Jun., Katanning.
was educated in his native town, and at a very early age left school to engage with his father in the sandalwood industry in the Williams district. For several years he continued to follow this and kindred pursuits, and in 1892 found his way to the eastern goldfields, where for seven years he was employed in the business of a carrier and contractor between Northam and Coolgardie, at a later date extending his operations to Kalgoorlie and Boulder. Selling out in 1898 Mr. McLeod came to Katanning and purchased the goodwill and freehold of the Katanning Hotel, at the present time the principal house of its kind in the district, and at that period the only one. For twelve years he personally conducted the management, and in 1911, in order to be free to attend to his other interests, let the hotel on lease; a similar business which he owns at Tam-bcllup being also in the hands of a lessee. Mr. McLeod is the owner of real estate in the neighbourhood of Katanning, and recently has purchased a farm within five miles of
identifies himself closely with matters of sport and occupied the position of president for two years of the local racing club, of which he is vice-president. lie is now in his third year as president of the District Cricket Association and takes a warm interest in its affairs. Mr. McLeod married Hester, daughter of the late Mr. William Cornwall, a settler of the Williams district for over half a century, and has a family of three sons and four daughters.
FREDERICK WILHELM KOWALD, “The Grange,” West Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. J. C. Kowald, of Blumberg, South Australia, in which town the subject of this memoir was born on November 30, 1855. He received his scholastic training in the place of his birth, and leaving school at an early age became assistant to his father on the home farm, where he acquired an intimate knowledge of all phases of Australian agriculture. He
continued under the parental roof tree until his twenty-fourth year, when he took up virgin land from the Government of South Australia in the neighbourhood of Mannum, on the River Murray, and was engaged in working this property for twenty-three years. In 1901 he decided to come to the Western State, and disposing of his interests in South Australia sailed for Fremantle, and upon arrival purchased his present holding, comprising over 1,700 acres, at West Katanning. The estate was already in an improved condition, having been in course of development by the former owner, Mr. George Taylor, for some twelve years. Since entering into possession Mr. Kowald has acquired additional territory to the extent of nearly 3,000 acres at Marracoonda, where he carries on mixed farming operations, wheat and oats being the principal crops cultivated, while he also supplies the Katanning markets with a great variety of fresh vegetables grown on his own property. The estate carries something over
1,000 sheep permanently, and at periods this number is considerably
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Frederick Wilhelm Kowald.
augmented. Before his departure from South Australia he was a member of the Mannum District Council for some years. In 1878 he married Emily, daughter of Mr. L. Zadow, of Palmer, South Australia, who died in 1894, leaving five sons and three daughters. In 1901 he was united to his late wife’s sister, Susannah, by whom he has four sons.
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THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
CECIL ERNEST CHARLES PIESSE, Katanning, was born on August 12, 1882, at the Williams River, and is the second son of the late Hon. E. II. Piesse, C.M.G. After a course of elementary study under private tuition in his father’s home he completed his scholastic education at the High School, Perth, and upon leaving this institution entered commercial life in the house of Messrs. G. & R. Wills & Co. After filling a clerical position in this firm for some time he became associated with the business carried on by his father and uncle, Messrs.
PLOUGHING AND SEEDING AT " WALLACUP."
Photo by H. C. Biltoft. Flock of Sheep.
F. & C. Piesse, of Katanning, as their representative at the Perth Branch. To extend his experience
in mercantile procedure he spent varying periods in the service of Messrs. Sargood Brothers, Messrs.
Gordon & Gotch, and other leading Western Australian firms. Ultimately Mr. Piesse came to Katanning, where he took over the management of the cordial factory connected with the business of Messrs. F. & C. Piesse, and at a later date became proprietor of the factory, which reverted to him from his father. He is the originator of the beverage known as Messrs. F. & C. Piesse’s dry ginger ale, which has commanded a large sale throughout the State. After personally conducting this establishment for over six years, in 1911 he took over from his father landed property to the extent of over 4,600 acres, and has
H. C. Biltoft,- Katanning.
Mr. Cecil Ernest Charles Piesse.
since directed his energies to mixed farming pursuits on this and a second holding of 2,000 acres at Wallacup, some distance east of Katanning. The estates carry nearly
3,000 sheep, Mr. Piesse favouring a
Mr. C. E. c. Piesse’s Residence, Katanning.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
755
of success. The country has proved suitable for agricultural purposes and a very large portion has been applied to tillage, 1,300 acres having been placed under crop with different sorts of cereals and hay. Mr. Piesse is a large supplier of dairy produce to the town of Katan-ning, and for this purpose he has a milch herd, three-fourths of which is composed of the milking strain of shorthorns, and the remaining fourth of pure Jerseys, the latter type being introduced with the object of keeping up the rich quality of the milk so much appreciated by the numerous consumers. Pastoral operations are already in full swing, and the flock of 4,000 merinoes, bred from the South Australian "Koon-oona” strain, shows evidence of care and skill in the selection of types. A very useful type of draught horse is produced, while the hacks bred by Mr. Piesse—who is a very great lover of horses—are among the bestlooking animals in the district. In his schooldays Mr. Piesse made his mark as an oarsman, and while still a lad was a large trophy winner in open amateur events, even against some of the crack adult performers. In the intercollegiate races in Western Australia he was always selected
HAROLD VIVIAN PIESSE, pastoralist, Katanning, is a son of the late Honourable F. LI. Piesse, C.M.G., of the same place. He is a native of this State, having been born at the Williams River on July 12, 1884, and he received his early scholastic training at the High School, Perth, subsequently attending the Hawkesbury College, New South Wales, until he was eighteen years of age. He then returned to Western Australia and became engaged in farming pursuits on one of his father's properties in the Katanning district, where he obtained considerable experience in sheep-raising and agricultural operations. In 1908 he purchased a property comprising ww2
Photo by U. C. Biltoft. Shearers at Work.
in the vicinity of Katanning township, and since that period has carried on mixed farming operations on his own behalf with a fair measure
as a member of the fours for his school, and invariably acquitted himself with credit. Mr. Piesse, who is a member of the Defence
cross between Leicesters and merinoes as specially suited to the locality. Over 1,000 acres are already under cultivation, besides which a
5,000 acres at Kojonup, and while still engaged in the management of the parental estate gave a portion of his time to the development of
Photo by H. C. Biltoft. Mr. h. v. posse’s Residence. Katanning.
considerable area has been cleared and made ready for tillage. Mr. Piesse is well known in rifle-shooting circles, having been connected with this pursuit for defence purposes as well as for sport during a period extending over many years. He is captain of the Katanning Rifle Club and is considered to be one of the best shots in the district, many trophies having been placed to his credit. In the year 1904 Mr. Piesse married Florence, daughter of the Honourable Frank Wilson, Ex-Premier of the State, and has a daughter and a son.
his newly acquired holding. In 1911 he further launched out on his own account by taking over from his father a tract of 3,500 acres of land
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Forces of Western Australia, is also referred to in the military section of this publication. He is a member of the Western Australian Club and of the Commercial Travellers’ Association Club of Perth. In 1911 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Richard Verney, of Balmain, Sydney, and has a daughter.
GEORGE SIMPER, “Moss Vale,” Farm, Rockwell, district of East Katanning, is a son of Mr. Thomas John Simper, of “Wernup” Farm, in the same district. He is a South Australian native, having been born at Mount Barker, in that State, on April 28, 1878, and was educated at Baroota. Upon leaving school he went to work on his father’s farm, and accompanied his parents to Western Australia with the object of settling on a property, the land having been secured by the family prior to their arrival. “Moss Vale” comprises 1,160 acres of light-chocolate and sandy soil well suited to the production of cereals, and by dint of industry and perseverance about half of this area has been brought under cultivation, yielding satisfactory returns in reward for the labour spent upon it. A flock of merino sheep is run on the property and has proved a valuable proposition. Mr. Simper identifies himself with the various local movements, being a member of the Katanning
H C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. George Semper.
branch of the Farmers and Producers’ Political Union and a member of the local agricultural hall.
He is a committeeman of the Presbyterian Church of the district; and is an advocate of all healthy outdoor sport, taking considerable interest in the Rockwell Cricket Club, of which he is a playing member. In 1910 he married Isabella, daughter of the late William Killner, of Oldham, England, and has one daughter.
FREDERICK WILLIAM BAL-DOCK, “Herne Hill” Farm, East Katanning, was born at Appila-Yarrowie, South Australia, on October 15, 1879, and is a son of Mr.
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Frederick William Baldock.
Harry Baldock, of Booleroo Centre, in which town he received his education. At thirteen years of age he went to work on a farm, and continued to follow this occupation in various districts of the State for a considerable period. In 1903 he came to Western Australia with the object in view of taking up land under freehold conditions for agricultural purposes. Mr. Baldock was successful in securing his present property of 620 acres in the East Katanning district, and during the years that have elapsed since his arrival has brought under cultivation about half the area, the principal crops being wheat and oats. Commencing operations with a considerable amount of practical experience he has been able to adapt his knowledge gained in the Central State to the slightly altered conditions of Western Australia, and has had the satisfaction of obtaining from his
holding returns equal to any in the district. He is a member of the Rockwell Agricultural Hall.
WILLIAM SELBY DOUGLAS, “Badgebup” Farm, in the district of that name, is the second son of the late W. S. Douglas, a well-known
ff. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. William Selby Douglas.
accountant of South Australia and one of the founders of the Institute of Accountants in that State, who for five years was manager in Adelaide of the Bank of South Australia and occupied a seat on the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Australasia, Adelaide. The gentleman under review was born at Payneham, South Australia, on June 17, 1865, and received his education at St. Peter’s College, Adelaide. Leaving school at eighteen years of age, he was employed in the Church Office, Leigh Street, for twelve months, at the close of which period he entered upon pastoral life, being identified with Messrs. W. B. Sells & Co.’s station, “Oakden Hills,” Port Augusta, retaining his connection with this firm for thirteen years. On leaving “Oakden Hills” he took a trip to Scotland, and returning to Australia spent three years in the North Gregory district of Queensland, which he was forced to leave in 1890 on account of having contracted severe malarial fever. In 1892 he rejoined Messrs. W. B. Sells & Co., and in 1893 he was promoted to the position of manager at “Monte Colina” Station, from which he resigned in
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
757
1896 in order to come to Western Australia. Upon arrival he joined the clerical division in the office of existing lines in the Railway Department of the Civil Service, and continued in this connection until 1899, when he turned his attention to pastoral pursuits once more, taking up
2,000 acres of good agricultural country at Badgebup. His first operations were in the direction of wheat cultivation—at the present time 300 acres are under crop—but more recently he has begun the development of a flock of merino sheep which displays considerable promise, and this department will be extended in course of time. He takes considerable interest in the development of the district, and was personally responsible for the cutting of the road from Badgebup for 13 miles on the way to Katanning. Mr. Douglas is a prominent member of the Anglican Church, the interests of which he promotes in every possible way; making his residence a centre where gatherings for Divine worship are held every month. He married in 1904 Violet, daughter of the late James Crommelin, late of Albury, New South Wales, and has three daughters.
HOBART BROTHERS, “Fair-view” Farm, district of East Katan-ning. This property, which is under
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Bruce Henry Hobart.
about 16 miles east of Katanning, and comprises in all about 1,280 acres, half of which area has been cleared and prepared for the cultivation of cereals, for which it is well suited. The partnership was formed in 1905, when a block of land was secured north-east of Woodanilling, the development of which was carried on for some time prior to the taking up of the holding upon which their
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Albert Richard Hobart.
efforts are now concentrated with promise of excellent results. Both the brothers are natives of South Australia, the elder being born on August 4, 1884, at Alma Plains, and the younger on September 20, 1886, at the same place. They were educated at various public schools in the Central State, and followed farming occupations from their early teens exclusively, with the exception of a short time spent by each in the foundry of Messrs. May Brothers, of Gawler, South Australia. Prior to coming to the West in 1905, Mr. B. H. Hobart was three yoars in the employ of John Darling & Son at their forage mill, Gawler, South Australia. From childhood the brothers have been members of the Independent Order of Rechabites, but since coming to Western Australia they have devoted the whole of their time and attention to the working of their property and have taken no part in social or public life.
the management of the proprietors, Messrs. Bruce Henry Hobart and Albert Richard Hobart, is situated
ROBERT GRIFFITHS TREE, “Treweillup” Farm, Carrolup, in the Katanning district, was born at
Adelaide on June 5, 1856, receiving his scholastic training at Happy Valley, and at sixteen was apprenticed to the grocery trade, eventually purchasing the business, which ho carried on for sixteen years. In 1892 he sold his interests at Edwards-town, and for a time was identified with agricultural pursuits in the Wimmera district of Victoria. In 1898 he came to Western Australia and took up country in the Katanning district, where he has since made his home. Since his advent to the district Mr. Tree has been very prominent in public affairs, and has been a member of the Katanning Roads Board for over nine years. For eleven years he has been a member of the local School Board, and it has been mainly owing to his instrumentality that roads grants have been secured, the agricultural hall erected, and other public benefits obtained. He is also a member of the committee of the local Farmers’ and Producers’ Union.
JOHN GOTTHOLD WIN-NECKE, of “Appila” Farm, Badgebup district, East Katanning, is a son of Mr. Adolph Winnecke, of Appila-Yarrowie, South Australia, in which place the gentleman under review was born on February 11, 1879. He received his education at the Pine Creek School in the same State, and in his early teens obtained a good insight into the farming industry on his father’s property. In 1904 he came to Western Australia, and taking up his present holding put matters in train for its steady development. At a later date he made additions to the property by purchasing from his brother the adjoining block of land, and the whole property now comprises nearly 1,100 acres, where mixed farming operations have been carried on with great success. Wheat and oats are grown, the soil having proved particularly suited to the production of cereals, and a fair amount of attention is given to sheepraising. Mr. Winnecke breeds all his own horses for work on the farm, the surplus finding a ready sale, his Clydesdale stallion “Noble” by “Lowland Chief” having produced some good progeny and established an excellent name for himself in the district. Mr. Winnecke is a member of the local branch of the Farmers and Producers’ Political Union, and interests himself in all that concerns the advancement of the district,
758
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
especially in the affairs of the Rockwell Agricultural Hall, of which he is a member. He is a committeeman of the Rockwell Cricket Club, and recreates in this pastime in the intervals of leisure allowed by the many pressing duties of the farm. In 1910 he married Nellie Joy, daughter of Mr. Otto Klem, of Corney Point, South Australia.
GOODCH1LD BROTHERS, proprietors of “Grove” Farm, Badge-bup (George Salmon Goodchild and Edmund Frank Goodchild). The owners of the fine property under review are natives of Suffolk, England, the elder brother having been born on August 8, 1880, and the younger on May 23, 1888. They arc sons of Mr. John Goodchild, of “The Grove” Farm , at Little Wen ham, in that county, and received their education at the National Board School in the town of their birth, both lads subsequently engaging in farm duties on their father’s property. In 1904 Mr. G. S. Goodchild emigrated to Western Australia, and was followed by his brother two years later, when the land taken up by the elder was added to and the present estate formed, to
H. C. Biltoft, Katanniny.
Mr. George Salmon Goodchild.
which was given the name of “Grove” Farm after the old homestead in England. The application and industry brought to bear upon the development of their land by Messrs. Goodchild Brothers is already bearing fruit, and their 600 acres of waving wheatfields alone give rich promise of tangible prosperity, while
they testify to the skill and management which have brought about such good results in a comparatively short space of time. The remainder of the land is being cleared for purposes of extended cultivation, and the proprietors have also given a good deal of attention to the mallet bark industry, which has proved a profitable
II. C. Biltoft, Katanniny.
Mr. Edmund Frank Goodchild.
branch of their operations. Large reservoirs for the conservation of water have been excavated, and by this means a plentiful supply for stock purposes is always obtainable. In the Old Country the Messrs. Goodchild were members of the Ancient Order of Foresters, but their present isolated position has made it impossible for them to keep in touch with the Order, this being one of the many social deprivations that must be faced by those who take up the arduous pioneering work on “the sdge of the beyond.”
HERBERT JOHN CHARSLEY, farmer, of Nampup, is a son of the late Edward Charsley, of the firm of Klingender, Charsley, and Dickson, solicitors, of Melbourne, Victoria, in which city the subject of our memoir was born on April 5, 1856. He received his education at the Church of England Grammar School, and subsequently at the Scotch College, Melbourne, at eighteen years of age becoming one of the pioneer farmers of the district. Until 1879 he continued the development of his holding, relinquishing it upon his
departure for Ceylon, where he accepted a position as superintendent of a coffee plantation, which he held for some considerable time. In 1896 he purchased a partnership in “Pus-setenne,” a tea and rubber estate in the Central Province of the Island, 17 miles distant from Kandy, and twelve years later, while still retaining his interest in this enterprise, left Ceylon after thirty years of residence and returned to Australia. Having satisfied himself in regard to the pastoral possibilities of the Western State, and having formed a favourable opinion of the prevailing climate, Mr. Charsley selected nearly
3,000 acres of land at Nampup for
II. C. Biltoft, Katanniny
Mr. Herbert John Charsley.
mixed farming purposes, his intention being to unite wheat-growing and wool-producing with the major industry of breeding horses of the medium draught type specially suitable to the Western Australian country arid climatic conditions. Since he entered into possession the Government has resumed 60 acres of the property for railway purposes, and has built a railway station on a portion of the estate. Mr. Charsley is a member of the Ceylon Planters’ Association, and takes a keen interest in the affairs of that body.
OLIVER ANDREW CALDWELL, of “Gidgelbarrup” Farm, in the Badgebup district, Katanning, is a son of the late Mr. Robert Caldwell, who was a member of the South Australian Parliament for
759
twenty-one years. He was educated at the Woodside State School, South Australia, and at sixteen years of age proceeded to Mount Gambier, where he became engaged on Hon. George Riddoch’s pastoral estate and continued there for several years. In 1898 Mr. Caldwell came to Western Australia in company
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Oliver Andrew Caldwell.
with Mr. John Warren, of “Dylia-birig,” whom he assisted in the early development of his property, two years later launching out on his own account, llis selection of 2,000 acres of land in the Badgebup district was
in the first instance a joint venture with his brother, who some years later sold his interest in the property, Mr. Caldwell retaining 1,180
applied chiefly to agricultural purposes, and has now 600 acres under cultivation of cereals which yield satisfactory returns, while on the grazing pastures some 200 or 300 merino sheep grow sleek for the local markets. Nearly twenty horses, the greater number showing their Clydesdale descent, are kept at work in the fields, and breeding on a small scale is carried on. Yet another department of the operations which has given satisfactory
results is a small apiary, established by Mr. Caldwell in 1903. Upon the property stands the comfortable farmhouse built of burnt and
sundried bricks, and adjacent are the outbuildings, including stabling accommodation and power - houses. All the latest and most improved machinery has been called into requisition for the various departments, and a 4 horse-power petrol engine for cutting chaff and crushing grain is kept busily at work. He is a member of the Farmers and Producers’ Political Union, which has exerted a marked influence in the neighbourhood, and was elected to a seat on
Photo by U. C. Biltoft.
Mr. O. A. Caldwell’s Homestead, Badgebup.
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the committee in connection with the movement to erect an agricultural hall at Rockwell. He is in sympathy with the effort to maintain Divine worship in the district, and to this end has united himself with the fellowship of the Presbyterian Church. In 1907 Mr. Caldwell was married to Florence, daughter of Mr. Otto Klem, of Cor-ney Point, South Australia, and has issue two sons.
CARLTON WISBEY, J.P., agriculturist, of “Fairfield,” Nampup district, is a son of Mr. William Wisbey, of Mudgee, New South Wales, and was born at North Richmond, Hawkesbury River, New South Wales, on January 1, 1869. He was
H. C. Biltoft, Kalarming.
Mr. Carlton Wisbey.
educated privately at Richmond and Mudgee, and having reached the age of sixteen followed farming pursuits on his father’s property in the Mother State, remaining under the parental rooftree until he reached man’s estate. He then took up a selection at Wingello, in the Goulburn district, which he developed and then sold, in 1891 joining the Police Department of the Civil Service, with the mounted troop of which body he was connected for nearly twelve years. Resigning this position in order to come to Western Australia, he arrived at Fremantle in 1902, and took up a block of land at Mount Hardie. Finding this holding too small for the purposes he had in view, after working it for a time he
disposed of it, taking up a property at Balkuling, since called “Wisbey’s Well,” and carried on operations for five years, eventually selling out to Mr. S. Anderson. After taking a trip to his birthplace in New South Wales, he returned to Western Australia in 1911, and, proceeding to Katanning, selected 1,200 acres at Nampup, which he is at present preparing for mixed-farming operations. Mr. Wisbey takes a warm interest in all public affairs, and occupies the position of honorary secretary to the Nampup Progress Association, of which he was one of the founders. Prior to coming to this district he assisted to found a similar organization at Balkuling, in which he acted as committeeman and vice-president. In 1912 he was granted a Commission of the Peace for the Katanning district by the Scaddan Cabinet. For over twenty years he has held membership in the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Wisbey married in 1896 Ada, daughter of Mr. Joseph Charlton, of Narandera, New South Wales, and has one son and one daughter.
EDWARD HERMANN WILHELM, farmer, “Willing Vale” Farm, Woodanilling district, is a son of the late August Wilhelm, who came to South Australia from the Fatherland when only fourteen years of age and survived to the ripe ago of seventy-five, the latter ten years of his life being spent in this State. The subject of our notice was born at Blumberg, South Australia, on January 29, 1867, and received his education in his native place. Leaving school at the age of fourteen, he worked on his father’s farm for some time, subsequently taking up work as a shearer, which occupation he followed for fifteen years, in slack seasons turning his hand to various occupations incidental to bush life. He then turned his attention to farming on his own account in Victoria, where he continued for about eighteen months, at the end of that period migrating to Western Australia. Here he formed so favourable an impression of the possibilities of the country that he lost no time in communicating with his German friends in the Central State, with the result that within a year about thirty followed his example, and arc now prosperous settlers in the same district. Mr. Wilhelm selected his own farm
of 400 acres in the year 1891, and this holding he has increased from time to time until he has now over 2,000 acres of freehold property, where mixed farming operations on a fairly large scale are successfully carried on. He is the owner of the prize Clydesdale stallion of the district, a distinction he has held for several years with different horses, and breeds both for sale and for the work of the farm, his object being to produce a type specially suited to the needs of the district
%
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Edward Hermann Wilhelm.
where he resides. For some time Mr. Wilhelm has served as a member of the Woodanilling Roads Board, and he is connected with various public organizations in the district. In past years he has held office in the local branch of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. In 1898 he married Emma, daughter of the late Thomas Richardson, of Ten ter den, in the great southern district of Western Australia, and has three sons and three daughters.
ELIJAH RICHARD BELL, J.P., “Bellview” Farm, near Woodanilling, is the eldest son of Mr. Richard Bell, of the same place—one of tho earliest settlers of the district, lie was born at Boyup Brook on June 9, 1867, and pursued his scholastic studies in the Williams district, a Government school being opened there during his boyhood. At an early age ho became connected with the sandalwood industry, and
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
761
subsequently was engaged contracting for building public roads. In 1892, in conjunction with. Mr. R. S. Bell, he took up land for farming purposes, a younger brother afterwards being received into the firm, which carried on successfully until 1905. In that year the connection was discontinued, and subsequently the gentleman under review and Mr. Luke Bell joined in partnership and have since co-operated in the development of their 3,000-acre farm, the various departments of the industry yielding good results under their joint management. The brothers are the largest property-owners in the Woodanilling district, and built the first and up to the present date the only hotel in the township. Mr. Bell takes a very live interest in all public matters, and was for nine years a member of the Katanning Roads Board. It was chiefly owing to his efforts that the present roads board of Woodanilling was formed, and he has since been a prominent member of that body. LLe has attended many conferences all over the State, as well as at the capital, dealing with affairs connected with roads
77 C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Elijah Richard Bell.
boards and agricultural societies, and has represented his district on many public occasions. Being one of the few settlers native to the State, he is regarded as an authority on numerous details connected with the development of the rural districts, having travelled extensively throughout the country and exercised keen observation during his journeyings. He is a strong supporter of the
present Labour Administration in Australia, and was created a Justice of the Peace by the Scaddan Government in 1912. Mr. Bell is a member of the Great Southern Agricultural and Pastoral Society. His chief recreation is found in the perusal of works of a literary character, the study of political economy being especially fascinating to his particular bent of mind.
ROBERT SAUNDERS BELL, “Westbury” Farm, via Woodanilling, is the second son of Mr. Richard Bell, of “Bellview,” who came to Western Australia in 1849 and settled on the above property in 1852. The gentleman under review was born in the Blackwood
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Richard Bell.
district on January 21, 1869, his native place being Boyup Brook. He received his primary education at Williams under Mr. Ashby, and later in the Government school which was opened there about that period. When eleven or twelve years of age he became his father’s assistant in the transport of sandalwood, and as that industry increased in importance he gave up the whole of his time and attention to its development. After twelve years spent in this occupation, in 1892 he joined his brother, Mr. E. R. Bell, in farming pursuits, and having selected his present homestead block at a later date admitted a younger brother into partnership.
The firm continued operations until 1905, in which year the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. R. S. Bell retained as his share an area of over 1,300 acres, to which he has since added by the selection of another holding of about equal size, lying about five miles distant from the homestead property and
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Robert Saunders Bell.
eight miles from Woodanilling. Among the mixed farming operations which comprise the scope of the industry, wheat-growing takes pride of place, and considerable success has been attained in this department, a large area being brought under cultivation, the yield for 1911 being fourteen bushels to the acre. Mr. Bell takes a great interest in public affairs, and has occupied a seat on the Roads Board of Woodanilling for several years. Cricket is his favourite recreation, and he has followed this game with keen zest for upwards of a quarter of a century, being a member of the Woodanilling Club. In 1897 he married Wilhelmina, daughter of the late Carl Sevcrin, one of the early settlers of that district, and has three daughters.
GUSTAV ADOLPH BEECK, of “Summerfield” Farm, in the Marra-coonda district, west of Katanning, was born at Lobethal, South Australia, on February 10, 1859, and is the eldest son of Mr. E. R. Beeck, who came to South Australia from the Fatherland over sixty-five years
762
ago, finally settling at Katanning, with his family, in 1892. At the close of his schooldays, the subject of this notice, from twelve years of age, was engaged in duties on his father’s South Australian farm, and in his twenty-fourth year launched out on his own account, taking up land in the district of Mobilong, eight miles south of Murray Bridge, where he carried on farming pursuits until 1892. Desiring larger scope, he directed his attention to Western Australia, and upon arrival in the above year selected over 4,000 acres of land, to which he gave the name of ‘'Summer-field” Farm. Great energy and industry were brought to bear upon the development of this property by Mr. Beeck, as a result of which it has become one of the most successful farms in the neighbourhood. Over
1,000 acres are under tillage, the other principal source of profit being found in the heal t by-looking flock of merino sheep which browse on the
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mu. Gustav Adoliui Beeck.
grass of the pasture lands. The horses bred on the farm are mostly heavy stock, but recently Mr. Beeck has been introducing a lighter strain which should produce a type more useful for the varied duties of the season’s round. The gentleman under review takes a prominent interest in the welfare of the district, and is a member of the local school board, a position he has filled with credit for twelve years continuously. He is a committeeman of the Great Southern Pastoral and Agricultural
Society, having held this seat for a similar period, and is a member of the Baptist Church, in which he acts as district local preacher and Sunday-school teacher. On March 29, 1883, Mr. Beeck married
Matilda, daughter of Mr. J. A. Strauss, of Summerfield, South Australia, and has three sons and six daughters. The sons are all identified with the management of the property under their father’s supervision.
ALEXANDER PROSSER, farmer, “Happy Valley” Farm, Mar-racoonda, is a son of Mr. Aaron Prosser, of the Foster district of South
II. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Alexander Prosser.
Australia, and was born at Mount Barker, in that State, on February 17, 1869. lie was educated in his native place and at the Gum Gully State School, where at fifteen years of age he became engaged in duties on his father’s farm. Having gained considerable experience in agriculture, he came to Western Australia in 1892, and upon arrival came direct to Marracoonda, where he selected from the Government the land on which his homestead now stands. He has on various occasions acquired additional property and now holds nearly 4,000 acres, where he carries on mixed farming pursuits, nearly
1,000 acres being cleared for cultivation purposes. About 1,000 sheep are run on the “Happy Valley” Farm, all of the favourite merino type, and Mr. Prosser breeds his own horses, in
addition raising a few for the market. For over fourteen years he has served as a member of the local roads board and always displays an active interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the district, every movement for its advancement receiving his cordial support. He is a member of the Great Southern Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and among Friendly Societies is connected with the Rechabite Order, in the proceedings of which he takes a keen interest. In his younger days Mr. Prosser was a keen participant in the game of cricket, but latterly has spent his leisure in diversions among the members of his family. He married in 1895 Anna Christina, daughter of Mr. E. R. Beeck, of Katanning, and has two sons and four daughters.
STUART RAMSDEN, partner in the firm of Ramsden & Crossley, farmers and graziers, of “Clifton,” Cart-meticup, Katanning, is a son of the
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Stuart Ramsden.
late George Ramsden, of Melbourne, Victoria, for many years well known in the paper- and flour-milling trade in that State. He was born at Melbourne on February 21, 1884, and received his scholastic training in the Church of England Grammar School on the St. Kilda Road. Leaving college, he entered an accountant’s office, subsequently spending three years on “Warranook” Station, at Stawell, where he gained valuable pastoral experience. He left there to take charge of a grazing property owned
763
by his mother at Bulla Bulla, and three years later, in 1906, landed in Western Australia, having become aware of good openings in the pastoral industry in this State. He made his first acquaintance with local conditions on “De Grey” Station in the north-west, and, returning to Perth about 1909, entered into partnership with Mr. Crossley in the purchase of ‘'Clifton,” a property of over 2,000 acres in an advanced state of development. “Clifton,” which originally was taken up by Mr. Thomas Kealy and afterwards owned by Messrs. Wilson and McDonald, lies about 17 miles distant from Katanning and contains some splendid agricultural country where mixed-farming operations are carried on, nearly 500 acres being under cultivation at the present time. The present partners have been very successful in their methods, and have reaped the reward of their enterprise in very satisfactory returns in the short period during which they have held possession. Prior to his advent in Western Australia Mr. Ramsden was a well-known figure in sporting circles in Victoria, being especially at home on the hunting field and in amateur racing, in both of which forms of sport he was successful and popular. Since coming to this State he has been warmly welcomed by the local racing community, and the honorary offices of committeeman and steward of the Katanning Racing Club have benefited greatly by his consent to discharge the duties thereof, his wide experience in the older State proving very valuable to the more newly-formed organizations in the district where he now resides. He is also a keen golfer and a member of the committee of the Katanning-Broome Hill Polo Club, this being with him a very favourite form of recreation. Mr. Ramsden is a member of the local agricultural society.
PHILIP HENRY CROSSLEY, part proprietor of the “Clifton” Estate, Cartmeticup, in partnership with Mr. Stuart Ramsden, was born at “Kenilworth,” Hamilton, Victoria, on June 17, 1888, and is a son of the late Edward Crossley, of that place. Educated by a private tutor in his parental home, at seventeen years of age he became engaged in various avocations on his father's property, taking especial interest in the agricultural methods of the farm and
also giving a portion of his attention to the sheep-raising industry. After attaining his majority he joined an elder brother in partnership, purchase being made of “Kout Norien,” a pastoral property in the western district of Victoria, now carried on by his brother, and in which he still retains an interest. In 1909, being desirous of extending his operations and enlarging his experience, Mr. Crossley came to Western Australia and joined his old friend, Mr. Ramsden, in the purchase of their present holding, “Clifton,” near Cartmeticup, which is proving a very profitable investment under the skilful management of the present proprietors. As a member of the local agricultural society he is using his influence for promotion of the best
77. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Philip Henry Crossley.
methods of land development in the district, and in matters of sport takes considerable interest in the local racing and polo clubs.
REGINALD CHARLES JOHN DELAMARE MARE, “Nevena,” Cartmeticup, Katanning district, is as son of the late Mr. John Thomas Matthew Mare, late manager of the Western Australian branch of the P. & O. Steamship Navigation Company, and grandson of the late Major-General Welman, of “Araih,” “Barwang,” and “Douglas” stations in the Wagga district of New South Wales. Born at East St. Kilda on January 2, 1889, he pursued his
primary studies at “Cumloden,” in the same place, and being brought to Western Australia by his parents while still quite a lad concluded his education at the Scotch College, Perth. He was then apprenticed to the engineering profession, taking hi3 first course at the Midland Junction Workshops in the State Railways Department, where he continued for
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. R. C. J. D. Mare.
two years. To enlarge his experience he next joined the firm of Hudson & Ritchie, of North Fremantle, and remained in this connection until defective eyesight compelled him to abandon the profession. Turning his attention to pastoral life he proceeded to the north-west and secured a position on “Yanrey” Station, the property of Mr. T. F. de Pledge. From here a year later he went to “Brick House” Station, in the Carnarvon district, where he spent some time. Coming south Mr. Mare in 1910 purchased his present property of “Nevena,” in the Katanning district, and has since devoted himself to its development, being largely interested in the agricultural industry. In addition to his farming operations he has various mining investments in this State, and has also interests in the rubber industry of the East Indies. Mr. Mare is a member of the agricultural society of the district. He is a keen supporter of the various forms of sport, is a member of the polo club and of the local racing club, and also displays considerable interest in cricket, football, and golf.
WESLEY MALEY, “Houn-some,” Moojebing. The subject of this notice is a South Australian by birth, his native place being Torrens Road, near Adelaide, where he was born on July 5, 1857. He is a son of the late John Malcy, a well-known agriculturist of the Central State and one of the early pioneers of the mining industry in Victoria, who came to the mainland of Australia from Tasmania in the year 1843, having previously been associated in business pursuits with Messrs. Lassiter and Silcot (gentlemen of repute in the Apple Island), and with the late Mr. Samuel Winch, with whom he carried on a general contracting business on terms of partnership. Mr. John Maley was a Londoner, although his family hailed originally from the west of Ireland, where its members were recognized as among the old aristocratic Irish stock, several of the well-to-do landowners of Connaught in the Western Province of Ireland, bearing the same name. After the arrival of the late John Maley in South Australia he made various investments in town lands in the Torrens Road district—now a portion of the town of Hindmarsh—and the first of these became the birthplace
of the gentleman under review, whose mother, a lady of English descent, came with her parents from
Mr. John Maley.
Hampshire to South Australia by the ship “Buckinghamshire” in the year 1838. Mr. Wesley Maley received his education at the well-known scholastic institution, Prince Alfred College, at Kent Town, near Adelaide, and at the conclusion of
his studies at sixteen years of age became connected with mercantile life in the office of Messrs. Robin and Le Messurier, timber merchants, of that city, with whom he commenced his training in commerce, this being the sphere of life for which he was destined in the original instance of his father. Three years later, however, he relinquished this connection in order to take over the management of a farming property purchased by the late John Maley at Yorke Peninsula, and carried on in the agricultural industry there for a short time with conspicuous success. Subsequently he sold out, and joining the Civil Service of South Australia served in a clerical capacity in the Railways Department for some considerable time. Office life again becoming distasteful to him he resigned from the Department and acquired a property near Adelaide, which he worked until 1882, in which year, the “call of the West” appealing to his love of adventure and promising a more satisfying outlet for his energies, obtained his response, and in due course he arrived at Fremantle, being then twenty-five years of age. Upon arrival he went into business as auctioneer and estate agent at the
765
metropolis and at Albany, where he established a branch connection, and continued in this line of enterprise for over a decade. Mr. Maley’s first selection of land in Western Australia was in the neighbourhood of Albany, and a part of the property then acquired is still in his possession. The commencement of the marked success of his operations in this State, however, dated from purchases made by him in the year 1884 of vacant city blocks in William and Wellington Streets, which he improved and disposed of twenty years later at a profit of over £40,000 sterling. These transactions alone prove that, even in those early days of his residence in the new country, he had an eye to the opportunity, and was able to exercise sound judgment as to the profitable nature of an investment, and they also serve to show the confidence he possessed in the future of the city of Perth, then very different from the prosperous and handsome city of to-day. At the time that the Katan-ning area was thrown open for selection and settlement Mr. Maley was among the first applicants for a block of land in that district, and although he did not immediately take up residence there he applied himself assiduously to developing
the property whilst also attending to the demands of his numerous other interests. As a result, to-day,
H C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mb. Wesley Maley.
“Hounsome” takes its place among the most highly improved, most picturesque, and up-to-date homesteads, not only on the great southern line, but even in the whole State of Western Australia. The
property, which comprises 3,000 acres, is one of the three pastoral and agricultural holdings owned by Mr. Maley in the great southern districts, which together cover an area of 10,000 acres, “The Levels,” a block of about 2,000 acres, being situated 20 miles due west from “Hounsome,” and “Mokup Hills” Estate, 5,000 acres in extent, lying 40 miles west of “The Levels,” the three properties being worked as a joint proposition of Mr. Maley and his second son, Mr. W. Bellingham Maley. “Hounsome,” the parent estate, is favourably situated on rising ground, from portions of which may be obtained a complete panoramic view of the many undulations which distinguish this, the head of the watershed of the Beaufort, Arthur, and Blackwood Rivers. It possesses a genial climate in addition to many natural advantages, its fertile soils making it an ideal spot for stock-raising, and soaks and running streams provide a water supply which has been made practically secure by the construction of dams, which conserve an immense quantity of water every season. The other two properties are equally well watered, and over all of them the ringman’s axe has been busily plied with its work of devastation, paving
Mr. Wesley Maley’s Residence, Moojebing.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
the way for 2,000 acres of cultivable or cultivated area. Over 50 miles of fencing have been erected at a cost of about £20 per mile, the boundary and subdivision enclosures alike being made with six plain wires. The homestead is a model of its kind, and would be hard to surpass in beauty and elegance in the whole of the rural districts of the State. It was built by Mr. Maley in 1903, and is of the modern bungalow type of architecture, the architect, Mr. W. A. Nelson, of Perth, in carrying out his work having succeeded in producing an ideal country home, combining art with comfort
homestead with a liberal quantity of oranges, apples, cherries, etc., in season, and various other vegetation may be observed in the vicinity of the house. The outhouses are among the finest and most modern in the great southern district, Mr. Maley having given special attention to the erection of buildings which would stand the ravages of time and be in thorough keeping with the character of the homestead and the standing of the estate in the neighbourhood. Stabling is provided for twenty-eight horses, loose boxes, etc., and near by are the shearing shed and machinery shed, while a workman’s cottage and
“Barton,” winner of the champion prize and first blue ribbon given at any show in the great southern districts, is typical of fifteen pedigreed stud rams purchased from the late Mr. Angas and mated with ewes from Mr. Hassell’s “Kendenup” Estate, Western Australia, Mr. Maley’s aim to build the “Houn-some” merino stud to a distinct type being attained largely by a judicious selection of the best available rams and ewes from stations where the soil and climate are similar to the conditions obtaining on his own holdings. Considerable efforts have also been expended upon the Romney Marsh
Photo by H. C. Biltoft.
in a most admirable manner and suggesting in its quiet dignity the Australian adaptation of the “stately homes of England” renowned in song and story. The rooms, ten in number, are large and lofty, the halls and kitchen offices are fitted up in a superior manner, and wide verandahs shade the dwelling from the fierce rays of the sun in summer, while garden plots have been laid out with pleasing effect on the surrounding area, and ornamental trees and shrubs attract the eye by their wealth of foliage or brilliant blooms. The two small orchards at “Hounsome” supply the
Coach House and Machinery Shed*
gate lodge are neat buildings which add to the air of habitation about the place. Premier attention is given to sheep-raising, and over
3,000 sheep are carried on the three properties, the merino type being favoured. Mr. Maley has the distinction of having been one of the first on the great southern line to import a strain of superior blood from the best flocks outside the State, chiefly from South Australia, where the reputation of the late Hon. J. II. Angas as a sheep-breeder led to the introduction of representatives from his flocks to the pastures of “Hounsome.” The ram,
flock, in the formation of which Mr. Maley, who is an experienced stud-master, began by the purchase of “Wonder,” the champion ram of New South Wales, with which he founded a small flock which went by the name of “Wonder Romneys.” He also imported a registered flock of ewes and rams, including several winners of prizes at the Melbourne Show. This flock is registered No. 16, Australian Flock Book for Long-woolled Sheep, and is the only flock registered in the first volume of the flock book as owned by a Western Australian flockmaster. The following extract is taken from the
7G7
above-named publication, and may be of interest to our readers: — “Flock No. 16. This flock was established in October, 1908, by the purchase of thirty ewes from Flock No. 117, N.Z.F.B., and two ewes from Mr. H. V. Yelland, of Newlyn, Victoria, who purchased them from Flock No. 1, Vol. I., N.Z.F.B. The sires purchased were ‘Wonder,’ bred by Mr. S. S. Hunt, of Tlunt-leigh,’ Evans Plains, N.S.W., and ‘Admiral Sperry/ and nine other rams, bred by Mr. A. E. T. Payne, of‘Yarra View,’Victoria. ‘Admiral Sperry’ was by ‘Frederick the Great’ out of ‘Eve’ No. 12.” From this Romney Marsh flock sheep have been picked repeatedly by the Government
hackney stallion, “Matchless Matthias,” having sired some of his most promising stock, while other splendid strains, such as “The Danegelt,” “The Shales,” “Messenger,” and “Lord Derby IT.” are also represented in the mob. Mr. Maley made his first entry into public life soon after his arrival in Western Australia, being elected a member of the Albany Municipal Council in 1883; and subsequently he played a prominent part in the agitation for responsible government. He was the first president of the Australian Natives’ Association in the State, and whilst holding that office he convened a meeting which was held in the Perth Town Hall for the purpose of
the late Mr. F. T. Crowder—an opponent of Federation—for the Legislative Council in the State Parliament. He defeated Mr. Crowder after a strenuous contest, and held the seat for over nine years, when he resigned in order to contest the Albany electorate in the Legislative Assembly at the request of the Liberal electors of that constituency. On this occasion he failed to secure a majority of votes, and has not since made the attempt to re-enter the political arena. He is a man of wide interests, and in addition to his landed property in the great southern districts has large interests in metropolitan real estate, and at Albany, Geraldton, and elsewhere.
View of "Hounsome” Estate, Shearers’ Quarters in Background.
Photo hi/ H. C. BUtoft.
of Java for the improvement of the strain bred in that Island. The wools from both the merino and Romney Marsh flocks are sent to London, where high prices are realized, “Hounsome” being always in the van in this respect; and rams from the “Hounsome” stud are available for purchase at the present time. About a hundred horses are run on the estate, principally of the heavy hackney type, considered by Mr. Maley to be the best suited for light farm work. For years Mr. Maley has made a careful study of horse - breeding, and among his hackneys may be found descendants of the purest blood of the class in England, the imported champion
invoking the assistance of the Eastern States to take federal action and through their respective Agents-General to force the hand of the Imperial authorities to grant responsible government to Western Australia. Considerable influence was exerted by means of this great gathering, which was regarded as one of the historical meetings of the period and played an important part towards the attainment of the desired end. At the time that the Federation of the Australian States hung in the balance, Mr. Maley was a strong supporter for the movement in Western Australia, and was selected by the advocates for an Australian Commonwealth to oppose
He is a life member of the Hackney Horse Society of London, and a member of the Australian Long-wool Sheep Breeders’ Association, the Pastoralists’ Association of Western Australia, and the Royal Agricultural Society. Mr. Maley was married in 1879 to Carolina Henrietta Addison, daughter of the late Henry Bellingham, the first president of the Adelaide Stock Exchange, and a notable figure in commercial circles in Adelaide in earlier days. Mrs. Maley is a sister of Mr. George Bellingham, for many years a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia. Of this marriage there is issue three sons and two daughters.
768
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
WILLIAM THOMAS JONES, followed the same calling at "Jarra-"Gracemere” House, Kojonup. The mongup” and “Kendenup,” where he gentleman under review, who is one was employed by the late Captain
Photo by IF. E. Elston.
Sheep Pastures.
of the prominent residents of the district, was born in the town where he now resides on June 4, 1865, and is the only child of the late William Jones, who came from London at the age of sixteen, arriving at Albany, where he worked as blacksmith with the old P. & O. Company for a time. Subsequently he
Hassell, with whom he remained for a decade, at the end of which period he decided to open business on his own account at Kojonup, then one of the stopping-places on the mail route from Perth to Albany. In those early days the only towns in Western Australia were Albany, Perth, and Fremantle, even the
Avon Valley remaining untouched by the settler, and on the mail route only small villages occurred at intervals over the 300-mile odd track. In these, however, the usual little community gathered itself together, and a livelihood could be made by those who had learnt a trade necessary to the general working of the various industries represented in these rural settlements. The late Mr. Jones, therefore, followed his occupation of village blacksmith at Kojonup, respected by all who knew him, and continued to reside in the same place until his demise, which occurred in 1905. His son, the subject of this notice, attended the local public school until thirteen years of age, when ho took his first position as telegraph messenger and post boy in the same township. After two years he relinquished the position, no increase being allowed on the meagre salary of £12 per year which was supposed to cover the cost of living, etc., and when it is considered that he has worked up from this very modest beginning to the position of leading citizen in the district some idea may be gained of the grit and enterprise which have characterized his operations. After severing his connection with the postal department he turned his attention to the farming industry, and for some three years was employed on holdings owned by various settlers in the same neighbourhood. Meanwhile a small
Sheep on "Ongerup” Farm.
769
flock of sixteen sheep which he had owned since entering upon his teens had multiplied to nearly a hundred, and before completing his twentieth year he began to rent a small pastoral lease, which he stocked with
Mr. William Jones.
this little beginning to greater things. Thenceforward he pursued his career as a small pastoralist, shepherding his own flock while turning his hand to smithy work for
any of the residents of the district who desired his services in that direction and shoeing horses which were being used by the Government in the public works then in course of construction in the locality. Several years later, when the lands locked up by the construction of the great . southern railway were released, Mr. Jones became the first successful settler on a large scale, acquiring the initial block offered for selection on January 1, 1893. This was a “poison lease” of 1,000 acres, and immediately he set to work to find an efficacious method of eradicating the noxious weed which was proving such a serious drawback to the settlement of the area over which it flourished. Complete success attended his efforts in this direction, and he had the distinction of being the first settler to solve the problem satisfactorily, his example being speedily followed by others who were labouring under like disabilities on their estates. His services to the community in this department were recognized by the Administration of the day, the thanks of which were tendered him for his important pioneer work in a field where others had tried and met with but indifferent results; and those who had looked askance at his venture in the first instance and
adjudged him particularly foolish to undertake without any assistance whatever and with very little money an enterprise which had worsted those more experienced and with capital to back them up, were among
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Wit.ltam Thomas Jones
the first who came to attribute their subsequent prosperity to the young and energetic spirit in their midst, whom difficulties could not baulk,
Photo by IK. E. Elston. XX
" Gracemere •• House, Residence of Mr. W. T. Jones, Kojonup.
but who grappled with the biggest “lion in the way” and achieved a signal victory. Mr. Jones’ action
in taking up and proving the value of this poison-weed ridden district also did much for the neighbourhood in the way of bringing other settlers there who had shunned it previously for the reason above-mentioned ; thus from the very beginning of his
career on the land he gave an impetus to pastoral pursuits in this part of the country which has been much indebted to him in con-
sequence. Five years after making his first selection he took up an additional 3,000 acres adjoining his
the Blackwood Road, the holdings being known respectively as “Mand-lup” and “Ongerup.” The original “Ongerup,” a property of 230 acres, was owned in the first instance as a freehold by Mr. Jones’ maternal grandfather, Sergeant William Elvard (the first resident of the district), who retired from military service when he settled at Kojonup, and it is an interesting coincidence that it should have thus returned into the possession of his descendants. The joint properties are conducted by Mr. Jones and his two elder sons, all of whom reside in the village of Kojonup, from
farm. The flock of from 3,500 to
4,000 sheep consists mainly of mixed crossbreds and merinoes, a bigframed good-utility animal being bred for both wool and mutton markets. The lambing percentage is good, averaging 90 per cent, and the wool is sent to T/ondon, where prices are obtained equal to the highest figure commanded by the Western Australian product. Success has been attained in the breeding of horses, principally of the medium draught type, for the local markets, and sixty head of mixed sorts are kept for the various departments of work upon the farms. From forty
Photo by W. E. Elston.
original block, which he proceeded to fence and develop generally; and in 1901 he acquired by purchase from Mr. Samuel Hordern, of Sydney, a 5,000-acre block of freehold property which originally had been taken up by the Leake family and sold by them to Mr. Hordern. To this block ho added another 1,200 acres selected under conditional purchase conditions, and at the present time is the possessor of over
10,000 acres of land, the major portion of which is equal in quality to the best average country in Western Australia. This large area is divided into two separate blocks or farms by
Sheep on the “ Mandlup” Farm.
which the farthest point of the holdings is distant about six miles. Over 60 miles of sheep-proof fencing with three wires and netting have been erected, by means of which the entire property is well protected and subdivided into many paddocks, jam posts being used for this purpose. Nine-tenths of the whole is ring-barked, patches of scrub and timber being left as shelter for the stock, and 1,500 acres are cleared and cropped on a system of fallowing which has produced good results, in the vicinity of 300 acres being placed under crop annually, chiefly with hay and oats, as fodder for the stock upon the
to fifty head of shorthorn and Jersey cattle are also grazed upon the estate in addition to a few which are kept for the dairy requirements of the household. The homestead is situated right in the centre of the township—in High Street—and is a brick villa residence of eight rooms thoroughly comfortable and fitted up with various up-to-date appointments. The small flower garden which surrounds it owes its attractive aspect to the gardening skill and care of Mrs. Jones, whose special domain it is, and who spends many pleasant hours in attending to its cultivation. An orchard covering
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
771
an area of four acres has also been laid out within a mile of the town, where a variety of fruit-trees have come into bearing; while, also in
U\ E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. James Elworthy Jones.
close proximity to the settlement, Mr. Jones has acquired a number of blocks of land, comprising in all about 400 acres, much of the township property being in his possession. The usual outhouses have been erected in connection with the homestead, where most of the stabling accommodation may be found; but,
where necessary, shelters and sheds, etc., for the necessities of the stock and storage of grain or hay have been built on different parts of the farms. Mr. Jones has always manifested a public spirit, and has thrown himself into the work of advancing the interests of the district with all the energy and capability that he displays in the working of his private proposition. He is the oldest sitting member on the Kojonup Roads Board, having sat continuously with a break of one year only for the lengthy period of over twenty years. A founder of the local agricultural society, since the inception of this body he has served as a member of the committee; and he has been enrolled as a member of the progress association, recently founded, which embraces Liberalism as its creed in politics. He is practically concerned in every movement and organization in the town, and is always approached among the first of the townspeople when any new scheme for the welfare of any section of the community is afoot, nothing being considered properly launched without his support and patronage. He is an advocate for all forms of clean and legitimate sport, and, a keen follower of the turf, has scored many successes with his horses at the local and other country race meetings. Racing is, as a matter of fact, his chief recreation, and he makes a
point of keeping a few good horses with which to indulge his leaning in this direction. Mr. Jones was married in 1885 to Matilda Mary,
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Henry William Jones.
daughter of the late Edward Treasure, of Kojonup, one of the oldest pioneers of the district, and has a surviving family of four sons and three daughters. His two elder sons, James Elworthy Jones and Henry William Jones, assist him in the work and management of the farm.
Photo by TTr. E. Elston. xx2
Outbuildings and sheep on “qngerup- farm.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
AUGUSTUS EGERTON-WARBURTON, of “Balgarrup,” Kojonup, is a native of Western Australia, having been born at Strawberry Hill, Albany, on March 26, 1850. His father, the late George Edward Egerton-Warburton, was an officer of the 51st Regiment in the Imperial Army who settled in this State in the early forties, having previously been resident in Tasmania, whence he came with troops to Albany, and subsequently took up the holding of “St. Wer-burgh’s,” about 30 miles distant from the seaport. The subject of this memoir received instruction in the rudiments of learning up to his ninth year, at which age he was found old enough to undertake the charge of culinary matters on behalf of his father and brothers, who were putting all their energies into the development of the land at “St. Werburgh’s”—now one of the oldest and most interesting homes, from the historical standpoint, in the southern districts of Western Australia. He continued at “St. Wcrburgh’s” until he was fifteen, when he joined his eldest brother at “Yeriminup,” a pastoral property on the Franklin River owned by his father and still in possession of the Egerton-Warburton family. Here he remained until he reached man’s estate, when he took over the management of the property for a year, resigning eventually to join the late Robert Spencer, a son of the late Sir Richard Spencer, in partnership in the “Langton” Estate situated near Mount Barker, the present home of Mr. W. W. Mitchell. This connection extended over two years only, and upon its dissolution Mr.
Egerton-Warburton made a prolonged tour of exploration through the country embracing the Hampton Plains, the eastern goldfields area, as
far eastward as the South Australian border, and south to Eucla, his object being to discover good pastoral country. His youth and inexperience, however, caused him to travel over tracts of really good sheep country without recognizing its possibilities, and returning to Albany he undertook the management of “Langton” (the estate of which he was formerly part-owner) and of another property on the Gordon River on behalf of the late Sir Thomas Cockburn - Campbell, Bart., then resident at Albany. Subsequently
Mr. Egerton-Warburton rented these properties from the latter gentleman for a few years, and upon relinquishing this enterprise took up a pastoral
lease in the Lake Muir district, where he carried on a cattle-raising and sheep-farming proposition for about twelve years, giving up cattle in favour of sheep when about half that period had elapsed. Most of his sons and daughters were born in the old homestead near Lake Muir, where the usual privations of early pioneering life were endured, the place being so remote from even the outposts of civilization that only occasionally—once or twice in the year, perhaps—would a chance outsider put in appearance to vary the
“ Balgarrup Homestead and Orchard.
778
monotony. A few natives were there to tend the stock, but apart from these Mr. Egerton - WarburIon’s exile was shared only by his wife
5,000 acres are included under the old title. Of this nearly 1,000 acres have been cleared, while the whole is fenced and subdivided
flower garden fronts the house, which also gains in beauty of aspect by the plantation of ornamental trees surrounding it. A 30-acre orchard contributes towards supplying the eastern goldfields markets with apples, while many other varieties of fruit are grown. For seven years Mr. Egerton-Warburton was a member of the Kojonup Roads Board, and has always manifested interest in the
Champion Ayrshire Cow and Calf at “ Balgarrup.”
and family, and much could be said in praise of the brave woman who so strenuously toiled and patiently assisted her husband in building up his enterprise, uncomplainingly doing without the many little luxuries which are regarded as necessities by the average house-mother within whose reach they are and resigning the pleasures of society for the sake of those dear to her. The extent of this lady’s sacrifice will be realized when it is stated that she remained at Lake Muir for four years at a stretch without seeing a single white woman. During the residence of the family here Mr. Egerton-Warburton took a trip to the north-west, visiting the Ashburton, Roebourne, Gascoyne, and Murchison districts, and returning from Roebourne all the way overland to his southern home. In 1894 he purchased his present holding “Bal-garrup” from the executors of the late Joseph Spencer (a son of the late Sir Richard Spencer), and took up his residence here whilst still carrying on “Bokarup,” the Lake Muir property, which ho disposed of in 1911. “Balgarrup” was originally owned by the late Captain Seymers, and passed from him into the Spencer family. At the time of purchase by the present proprietor it consisted of 700 acres, but extensive selections have since been made of the surrounding country, and to-day
Mr. a. egerton-Warburton’s Residence, kojonup.
into paddocks. Over 4,000 acres are ringbarked and partially cleared, and from 350 to 400 acres are put under crop each season. There is a flock of about 2,000 sheep of the merino strain, and the lambing average is in the vicinity of 85 per cent. There are 100 horses on the estate, and for many years Mr. Egerton-Warburton has made a specialty of the breeding of Ayrshire cattle. “Balgarrup” homestead is a picturesque structure containing twelve rooms. A pretty
Barlletln. Perth.
Mr. Augustus Egerton-Warburton.
advancement of the district. He married in 1800 Fanny Augusta, daughter of the late Edward Godfrey Hester, and has a surviving family of three sons and four daughters.
774
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
RICHARD LEWIS SPENCER, “Black Forest,” Kojonup, was born at Strawberry Hill, Albany, on Juno 14, 1868, and is the eldest son of the late Joseph Spencer, whose father, the late Sir Richard Spencer (first Government Resident of Albany), came to Western Australia with Governor Stirling after his retirement from the Navy, where he held
Mr. Joseph Spencer.
the rank of captain under Nelson and received from Royal hands many honours for his valuable services under the great commander at Copenhagen. An interesting report has been copied from a document “recorded in the College of Arms, London,” setting forth how “the late Sir Richard Spencer, commanding the sloop ‘Samarang’ of eighteen
guns and 120 men, assisted in the capture of the Island of Amboyna on February 16, 1810, and later, on March 22 following, unassisted by any other vessel, he attacked and captured the island of Pulo Ay— though said island was defended by a regular fortification called ‘Fort Revenge/ ” The late Joseph Spencer accompanied Sir Richard to this State, and upon arrival became engaged in sheep-farming and horse-breeding pursuits, in which enterprise he met with considerable success for a few years. For eleven years (1879-90) he was chairman of the Kojonup Roads Board and he displayed an active interest in the welfare of the district. When the route of the great southern railway was fixed the land taken up by the late gentleman during his lifetime proved to be 30 miles distant from the line, and at his death his three sons decided to strike out for themselves. The gentleman under review accordingly accepted employment with various settlers in the surrounding agricultural districts, and by the time he was twenty-six years of age he had made sufficient headway to contemplate the idea of launching out on his own account. In 1894 he selected the first block of land where the “Black Forest” homestead now stands, the original holding comprising 100 acres. Gradually he acquired further holdings until, to-day, his property covers 4,000 acres, the whole of which is fenced and subdivided into several paddocks. Between 400 and 500 acres are cleared and cultivated on the fallow system, but the chief attention is given to
sheep which are bred both for mutton and wool. The flock, which comprises from 1,000 to 1,500 sheep, is an almost exclusively merino one.
Burtletto, Perth.
Mr. Richard Lewis Spencer.
Mr. Spencer is a member and committeeman of the Kojonup Agricultural Society, and takes part in the different movements for the betterment of the district. His time for recreation is scant, but he makes a hobby of the development of his proposition and takes special interest in the breeding of horses. In August, 1891, ho married Isabelle, daughter of the late Thomas Cook, of “Oakland,” Toodyay, and has a son and a daughter, the former assisting in the working of the property.
Mr. r. L. Spencer’s homestead, Kojonup.
775
CHARLES KNOX ROSS, J.P., owner and occupant of “Glenlossie,” Kojonup, was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on December 26, 1865, and is a son of the late John Ross, a merchant of the Granite City. He received his education at the well-known Silver Street Academy in his native place under the late William Rattray, a schoolmaster of repute, and at the age of seventeen entered upon clerical and mercantile work in connection with a shipowners’ office, where he continued for some years. In 1887 he came to Australia with his brother, a civil engineer, who perceived in the new country a sphere where his energy and talents might have due scope; and shortly after arrival, with the idea of gaining experience, took a position as j acker oo on a pastoral property known as “Mootwingie” Station, situated between Broken Hill and Wilcannia. During the two years spent by Mr. Ross on the station he gained considerable acquaintance with the methods of dealing with stock, principally sheep, which has stood him in good stead since he settled on the land. Upon leaving “Mootwingie” he joined Messrs. Bloomfield Brothers, railway contractors, in connection with which firm his brother held an official position on the building of the Terang to Warrnambool and Terang to Mortlake lines. After four years with this firm, upon the completion of the work in hand, he was associated with the firm of Messrs. McDonald & Urquhart, stock and station agents, of the western
district of Victoria, where he took charge of the sales department of the firm for a couple of years. In 1893, attracted by the possibilities offering in the Western State then in the height of the mining boom days, he sailed for Geraldton, and having landed at that port proceeded direct to the Murchison goldfields, where in the vicinity of Cue he was
W. E. Elston, Wag in.
Mr. Charles Knox Ross.
engaged in prospecting for some time with varied success. Subsequently he travelled overland to Kimberley, prospecting the surrounding fields, and at the end of the year 1895 found his way to Kalgoorlie, where he was connected with the Hainault and Kalgurli mines for some years,
during which period he occupied the position of secretary to the companies working these mines. In 1909 he left the fields and purchased “Glen-lossie,” an estate comprising 3,700 acres, 1,900 acres of which are now freehold property, while the balance will become freehold within the next decade. Mr. Ross took up his residence with his family on the farm, and immediately turned all his energies to the task of making the best of the proposition, in which he has succeeded in a very marked degree. “Glenlossie” is situated a mile from Kojonup on the Perth-Albany Road, having a frontage to both sides of this highway. It is well watered with springs and soaks, and dams have been constructed to conserve the natural supply. Practically all the initial work of improvement has been completed, the whole of the property being fenced, while 500 acres are cleared and a house of modern villa design built out of stone and brick. This residence contains nine rooms, with verandahs and accessory offices, and in front is a pretty garden area where flowers and decorative trees make a picturesque setting to the dwelling. A four-acre orchard in the rear of the homestead produces all kinds of fruit of magnificent quality, the peaches in particular being equal to any grown in the State. The outhouses include stabling for eight horses, a splendid woolshed, and machinery shed, where up-to-date machines are sheltered. Mr. Ross devotes the major share of his attention to sheep-farming, and has a handsome flock of 1,500 sheep, which find good pasture on the large areas of ringbarked country comprising the greater portion of the estate. He takes an active interest in the public and social life of any place in which he resides, and was one of the earliest members of the well-known “Hannan’s dub,” Kalgoorlie, while since his advent to Kojonup he has served as a member of the local roads board; is a foundation member of the progress committee formed in June, 1913, and in 1911 was gazetted a Justice of the Peace by the Wilson Administration. He also occupies the post of president of the Kojonup Agricultural Society. He married in 1889 Nellie, daughter of Mr. Edward Wigglesworth, well known for many years as founder and manager, etc., in connection with the Perth Gas Company, and has a son and a daughter.
Mr. C. A. Simm s Commonwealth Hotel. Kojonup.
won his houses so enviable a reputation. For nearly five years he conducted the Federal Hotel at Wagin as licensee, disposing of his interest there in 1908 in order to purchase the goodwill of the old Royal Hotel at Kojonup, one of the ancient landmarks of the Perth to Albany route in the days of the mail coach service. After carrying this on for a couple of years he decided that not only was the accommodation of the house insufficient for the rapidly-rising
Mb. Charles Albert Simms.
district, but also that the old buildings were hardly of a nature to command the better class of trade for which he desired to cater, and accordingly he took the earliest opportunity to purchase the lease of the Commonwealth Hotel, a more modern structure and the only other hotel within a radius of 26 miles, Katanning being the nearest populated centre. Subsequently, in 1912, he purchased the freehold of the hotel outright after disposing of- his interest in the Royal, and has since devoted his attention to building up his proposition on first-class lines. In this he has attained conspicuous success, the general management and cuisine equalling many of the agricultural district hotels, while in cleanliness and comfort it surpasses most of such houses. The building is of stone, and, apart from a commodious bar and well-equipped billiard - room, comprises twenty -three rooms in all, including s'tting-and dining-rooms, double and single bedrooms, etc., which with the catering department are all under
late Mr. Simms was a native of the Central State, which he left to follow the rush to the mining fields of Western Australia in the early nineties; and during his residence in this part of the Island-Continent he took a prominent interest in many matters affecting the welfare of the community at large. As a pas-toralist he attained a standing among horse and cattle breeders, being among the most successful exhibitors of these classes of stock at the various agricultural shows, chiefly along the great southern line. He was also one of the leading men in Masonic circles, holding many offices of honour in the craft. His death occurred in 1912. The gentleman under review received his educa-at Way College, Adelaide, and upon the completion of his studies entered upon commercial life, having first spent a brief period in the study of electrical science. At the age of eighteen he began to assist his father in the affairs of his metropolitan hotel, and to the wide experience and expert knowledge in various directions possessed by the late Mr. Simms the younger man owed much of his after success in life. Since launching out on his own account, he has proved the advice tendered to him by his father to be of the soundest character and many a homeless itinerant and weary traveller has had reason to be grateful to the source whence Mr. Simms derived those principles of excellent management which have
CHARLES ALBERT SIMMS, proprietor of the Commonwealth Hotel, Kojonup, was born in Adelaide, South Australia, on December 13, 1882, and is a son of the late Charles Simms, one of the best
Mr. Charles Simms.
known identities in the hotelkeeping trade in Western Australia for the lengthy period of nearly twenty years, during which time he conducted licensed houses in seven different parts of the State, including the metropolitan, goldfields, and agricultural areas, previously having been associated with the same class of business in the Mother State and South Australia. Like his son, the
777
the management of Mrs. Simms, who is assisted by a capable staff. Mr. Simms is ca.ptain of the local rifle club, in which he takes a great interest, and concerns himself generally in the advancement of the district. He was married in the year 1909 to Edith, daughter of Mr. Thomas Cusdin, of Victoria, formerly of New Zealand, well known in the sawmilling, smithy, and agricultural industries.
JAMES JEFFERY, who owns the “Yarranup” property, via Kojonup, is a son of the late Mr. William George Jeffery, of Jamestown, South Australia, and was born at Victor Harbour, in that State, on July 13, 1865. He was educated at Laura, a
IT'. £’. E/stoii, Wag in.
Mr. James Jeffery.
northern town, and leaving school at an early age became a teamster in the northern areas, which occupation he followed for fourteen years. In 1893, just prior to the Norseman gold rush, Mr. Jeffery came to Western Australia, bringing with him a team of horses, waggon, etc., with which he disembarked at Esperance Bay, and immediately took up carrying contracts in connection with the Dundas fields, and subsequently at Norseman. Here he remained for about four years, and at that time decided to settle on the land in the country of his adoption. Starting with his team from Esperance for five weeks he “trekked” in a westerly direction, and coming to Tambellup halted to
explore for suitable country on which to make his home. Eventually he took up the block on which his present homestead now stands, and immediately began to clear and improve the property with such success that the “Yarranup” Estate — which covers over 2,000 acres—is well known as one of the best developed in the district. The country is undulating and timbered with jam, white- and red-gum, and here and there with patches of jarrah. The soil is mixed sandy and red loam, and there are a number of natural soaks and pools, the supply from which has been augmented by the construction of six dams, scarcity of water being known only during one season since the place was first taken up. The boundary is fenced substantially with three wires and netting, put up at a cost of £32 per mile, while the sub-divisional fences are of six wires and sheep-proof. About 300 acres are cleared and cultivated, while the whole area has been rung, preparatory to further clearing operations. Among the cereals oats form the principal crop, as Mr. Jeffery is a strong believer in plenty of fodder to carry his stock over the dry season, and every year sees an increase in the numbers of his flocks and herds. His merino sheep produce wool of good quality, which he sells locally, always receiving the highest prices; a few dairy cattle are run for the convenience of the homestead. His specialty, however, is horsebreeding, and for this purpose he has obtained good results with the Clydesdale stallion “Ben Bolt,” by “Ben More,” specially chosen in Victoria by Henry Wills & Co. for the improvement of the local stock. He breeds a large number every year, and rarely has to send any to market, the “Yarranup” reputation being so good that they are usually bought privately at the best figures. Mr. Jeffery married in 1896, Lena, daughter of Mr. G. Mar-chetti, farmer, of Greenock Flats, near Geraldton.
The late JOHN NORRISH, of “Warkulup,” Kojonup, was a son of the late Richard Norrish, a native of Devonshire, England, who served in the 96th Regiment of Foot in Tasmania and was transferred with the regiment to Western Australia in the forties of the last century. After his retirement on a pension he settled at Kojonup and devoted his attention to the breeding of horses
and other pastoral enterprises with success until the time of his death m the early sixties. The property subsequently was carried on by his
Mr. John Norrish.
sons, eventually falling into the hands of the youngest, the subject of this memoir, who took over and occupied the original homestead until 1892, in which year his death occurred. Operations on the farm were then continued by his widow, Mrs. Margaret Elizabeth Norrish, and when the lands in the great southern districts were thrown open for selection by the Government she selected additional areas, and in course of time became the owner of close on 6,000 acres. Mrs. Norrish is a daughter of the late William Noonan, who came to the State in the Imperial Service in 1852, being identified with the Prisons Department. Great credit is due to her for the manner in which, after her husband's death, she assumed the responsibility of management of the proposition at “Warkulup,” not shirking even strenuous labour, but with marked patience and industry pursuing her aim alike through periods of prosperity and discouragement, until she saw her endeavours crowned with success. Mrs. Norrish has attained a reputation as a judge of stock, and has been very successful as an exhibitor of cattle and horses at the local shows, while her sons are also recognized as being skilful in matters pertaining to the pastoral industry and capable judges of stock. Mrs. Margaret Norrish
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
now lives in retirement at Kojonup. The late John Norrish was well known in the district as an active participant in all that tended in any way to its advancement, and was one of the first councillors of the Albany municipality, where he assisted in the pioneer work of local government.
JAMES MICHAEL FLANAGAN, J.P., “Fern Hill,” Kojonup, is a son of the late Mr. Richard Flanagan, of Ireland, who was sent to Western Australia by the Imperial Government in 1856 in charge of a band of convicts. He was born at Perth on April 15, 1859, and received his scholastic training at the Roman Catholic school in that city. Completing his studies at the age of fourteen he went to the Victoria plains, near New Norcia, in order to learn sheep-farming, being identified with the “Walebing” and “Berkshire Valley’’ Stations for nearly three years. He then returned to Perth and entered the service of Sir John Forrest, with whom he remained for
Mr. James Michael Flanagan.
some time, subsequently filling various positions. From coach-driving he entered the police force at Albany, and resigned from the latter service to engage in hotel-keeping at Kojonup for three years. Selling out, Mr. Flanagan returned to the southern seaport and took over the lease of the Weld Arms Hotel, which he conducted until the discovery of the Dundas goldfield, when he
became one of the pioneers to the Norseman district. He spent some considerable time in prospecting and pegged out St. Agnes Mine, which afterwards was floated by a London syndicate, and was also one of the prospectors of the Princess Royal, from which a large quantity of ore has been taken. While in this district Mr. Flanagan took a keen interest in its advancement, and was one of the founders of the Norseman Progress Association. He was also responsible for the establishment of the first newspaper in the Norseman, and played a leading part in the founding of the first hospital. One of his early business ventures was made in connection with the Norseman Brewing Company, but eventually he relinquished all his interests in the goldfield, and coming to Kojonup selected 4,000 acres of land, upon which he built a homestead and commenced farming operations. He has since disposed of 3,000 acres, and on the remaining portion continues the various industries connected with mixed farming, with very satisfactory results. Since his advent to the district he has taken a prominent part in all public affairs, and started the movement for the establishment of the agricultural society in the neighbourhood, acting as secretary for a lengthy period, as well as filling the office of president at a later date. He holds a Commission of Justice of the Peace, and for many years was a member of the local roads board. In 1886 Mr. Flanagan married Elizabeth, daughter of the late Mr. Edward Treasure, of Martiupp, and has six sons and two daughters.
JOHN JAMES TREASURE, of “Glen Burn,” Kojonup, is a son of the late Edward Treasure, of Martinup, a farmer and grazier who came from Somersetshire, England, in the forties, and was well known among the early pioneers of the pastoral and agricultural industries in the southern districts of Western Australia. Born at Warkulup, near Kojonup, on May 22, 1865, the gentleman under review was sent to Adelaide to receive his education at the Christian Brothers’ College, and upon leaving school joined his father in farming pursuits until the outbreak of the Norseman goldfield when he -proceeded thither and became engaged in mining, carrying, and hotel business. During the four
years that he spent on the goldfields ho drove the first waggon team through from Esperance to the Dundas field, his passengers on this occasion being the members of the first Wardens’ Court which officiated on the area referred to. Ultimately Mr. Treasure tired of the precarious life, and returning to the Kojonup
—
' ' - 'A
Mr. John James Treasure.
district commenced farming on his own account, acquiring his present farm, a property of 1,500 acres now in a forward state of development. About a half of this is cleared and devoted to mixed farming, and Mr. Treasure has made a specialty of the breeding of draught horses, it being in this connection that his name is widely known throughout the State. He has firmly established his reputation as an exhibitor of this class of stock at the country shows, where he has been successful in carrying off over 200 prizes; and the years of careful attention and study which he has given to the production of a superior type of Clydesdale have been fraught with all the interest pertaining to the pursuit of a hobby. Mr. Treasure has been for twenty-one years a member of various roads boards, and has served as chairman of such bodies for a lengthy period. He is one of the founders of the Katanning Agricultural Society, and also took a prominent part in the establishment of the similar organization at Kojonup. In 1887 he married Emma Jane, daughter of the late Charles Carpenter, a farmer of the Williams district, and has six sons and two daughters.
THE CYCLOrEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
779
BROOME HILL TO MOUNT BARKER.
Broome Hill forms one of the stations on the great southern railway, and is situated a little over a hundred miles to the north of Albany in country that is admirably suited for wheat-growing and sheep-farming. The contour of the country roundabout is undulating, and the soil good chocolate ground interspersed with patches of gravel and white sand. The progress of the district was for a time somewhat retarded owing to the fact that many of the large areas taken up were not sold subject to a.ny improvement conditions. Of recent years, however, there has been a considerable impetus, and the district is rapidly being brought under cultivation. At Broome Hill and a little to the south of it are the well-known estates of “Goblup” and “Kendenup,” the former having been for many years the property of Lord Brassey. The town of Broome Hill is but small, numbering only about 300 persons, but the surrounding district has about five times that population, with every prospect of continued growth.
Further down the line towards Albany are the townships of Cranbrook, Tenterden, and Tambellup, all of them centres of rising agricultural communities. From Tambellup there is a spur line of railway running in an easterly direction to Ongerup, thus bringing a further large area within cheap and easy reach of a market.
The Mount Barker district may roughly be described as a block of country about 15 miles long by 30 miles wide, through the centre of which the great southern
railway runs. Mount Barker, from which the district takes its name, is a prominent hill about 35 miles from the magnificent harbour of Albany. Long before the southern railway had been projected this district had been found to be admirably adapted to the production of fruit, more especially of the apple. The cool breezes and occasional showers of summer seem to produce such a remarkable effect on the fruit that in the opinion of many judges it is unsurpassed. As the apple is a fruit for which the demand is unlimited, and as the produce from this district can be placed on the English and German markets some two or three weeks earlier than that of the Eastern States, there is every indication that the cultivation of this fruit alone offers exceptional advantages to the orchardist. All varieties of fruit, particularly pears and peaches as well as apples, flourish abundantly in this locality, and with the increased area that is being every year brought under cultivation an important industry is being built up with every prospect of the development of a large export trade. In addition to its prominence as a fruit country, the district holds the championship within the western half of the Continent for the highest priced merino wool, while on the swamp lands potatoes a-re being produced in large quantities. Mount Barker has been described as “the fruit-grower’s paradise,” and if its altitude, climate, soil, and rainfall are taken into consideration, there is very little doubt that the title is well applied.
FREDERIC THOMAS ALEXANDER LOVEGROVE, M.B., Ch.B. (Victoria and Liverpool), M.R.C.S. (Eng.) and L.R.C.P. (Lond.), Government Medical Officer for Tambellup district, was born at Bootle, near Liverpool, on July 27, 1875. lie is the second son of the late Rev. Edwin Lovegrove, for some time British chaplain at Barcelona, Spain, and as a lad attended the Merchant Tailors’ School at Great Crosby, near Liverpool. At seventeen years of age he entered the Liverpool University College, where he studied medicine, qualifying for his M.B. degree at that institution in 1900, having taken his London diploma two years previously. Dr. Lovegrove accepted various appointments in England, including a post in the Children’s Hospital at Liverpool, and for a year he held the Robert Gee Fellowship in Anatomy in connection with the University College, during which period he interested himself largely in research work. In 1900 he came to Western Australia, and for some time was
engaged in locum tenens work, subsequently receiving the appointment of
IT7. E. Elston, Waw.
Dr. F. T. A. Lovegrove.
medical officer for Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company after having acted
as Government medical officer at York and Carnarvon. In 1902 he took a trip abroad and spent a considerable time in America and England, visiting the principal hospitals of both the Old and New World, and acquainting himself with the most up-to-date methods of treatment at the medical schools. Returning in 1904, he filled Government appointments at Kookynie and Marble Bar, and at the end of the following year again revisited his native land. His appointment as medical officer at Yarloop followed his return to Western Australia, this being in connection with his former firm of Messrs. Millar, from which he resigned in order to accept an appointment from the Government to proceed to Bernier Island, where he pioneered the Lock Hospital, in which the aborigines of the north-west are segregated for treatment. Dr. Love-grove’s work on behalf of the Aborigines Department and his tact and skill in dealing with the natives have earned for him the gratitude not only of those most closely concerned,
bub of all interested in the cause of humanity and the preservation of the aboriginal races. In 1909 he was appointed Protector of Aborigines and still holds that office. After two years spent on the Island he accepted the appointment to his present office and entered upon its duties in 1911. Dr. Lovegrove is a member of the British Medical Association, a life member of the Liverpool Geographical Society, and a member of the Natural History and Science Society of Western Australia. He has displayed an active interest in the local organizations and is president of the agricultural society, while his enthusiasm in the Boy Scout movement led to his election as scout-master of the local corps. He joins in the different pastimes inaugurated in the district, especially in swimming and rowing on the Gordon River, and is a cordial supporter of every movement having for its object the welfare of the community. He married in 1906 Edith, daughter of Mr. D. A. W. Baile, shipowner, of Liverpool, England.
CHARLES WILLIAM HOWARD BIRT, Secretary of the Tambellup Roads Board, is a son of Mr. George Howard Birt, who came originally from Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England, where he was born, and landing at South Australia spent a short period in Adelaide, afterwards settling on the Murray River, New South Wales, in the fifties. He spent about forty years in the Mother State, being connected with the Civil Service during a large portion of that time, and was also interested in the pastoral industry. In 1904 he came to Western Australia with his five sons, and has since lived in retirement in the Tambellup district. Upon the conclusion of his scholastic career at sixteen years of age he entered the employ of Mr. Malcolm Reid, timber merchant, of Adelaide, with whom he remained for seven years. He resigned from this connection in order to accept the appointment of accountant of Messrs. W. & A. McArthur, wheatbuyers, and continued in this service for some years. In 1904 Mr. Birt came to Western Australia and took up a block of land in the Tambellup district, in partnership with other members of his father's family, where he has since devoted his energies to the development of his portion of the property. Mr. Birt was appointed
secretary to the local roads board in 1907, and has filled that post ever since. He takes a very keen interest in the affairs of the district altogether apart from his official capacity, and no movement for the public good is set on foot without his active co-operation. In matters of sport he is also well to the fore, and is honorary secretary of the local rowing club, which owes its existence to his zealous organizing powers.
HAROLD ROBERT BLAKE, Manager of the Tambellup and Cran-brook branches of the Western Australian Bank, is the youngest son of the late Mr. Edward Blake, timber merchant and owner of sawmills in Ballan and Blakeville, Victoria. He
TP. E. Elston, Wapiti.
Mu. Harold Robert Blake.
was born at the former town on August 1, 1879, and received his education in his native place, completing his scholastic course in his nineteenth year. Entering mercantile life, he joined the staff of the Commercial Bank of Australia at the head office at Melbourne, and after being connected with this institution in various branches throughout the State, he was ultimately transferred to the Perth staff. Resigning from this service in 1902 he entered that of the Western Australian Bank, and after spending seven years at the head and branch offices, in 1911 he received his present appointment to the management of the Tambellup and Cranbrook
branches. Mr. Blake has since made himself very popular with the commercial and farming communities of these thriving districts, and concerns himself in every effort put forth for the advancement of their interests. The agricultural society is the object of his special patronage, and he is a valued member of the first committee of this organization. He is always willing to take office for the good of his fellow-townsmen, and is frequently chosen as honorary treasurer of newly-formed societies. His tastes in the matter, of recreation lead him in the direction of aquatic pursuits on the fine waters of the Gordon River. He is fond of boating and swimming, and his efforts toward promoting the success of the pioneer regatta, which took place in 1911, were highly appreciated. He is also a good shot, and with his setter dog “Shot” wiles away an hour in the bush as opportunity occurs. A prolific reader, Scott, Dickens, Thackeray, and Ruskin are to be found among his favourite authors, and his bookshelves also contain many well-handled works of an historical nature.
NATHANIEL PHILLIPS,
general storekeeper, Tambellup, is a son of the late Mr. Joseph Phillips, of Liskeard, Cornwall, who came to South Australia in the early sixties. He was born at Magill, in the Central State, on November 27, 1867, and pursued his scholasti: studies at the Hindmarsh Public School. Before his thirteenth year he began his commercial career in the general store of F. Hun wick & Sons, Hindmarsh, where ho obtained an excellent acquaintance with the general details of the business in all its branches, during the seven years of his connection with this old-established firm. At the end of that period he resigned to take a more responsible position in Mr. Peter McRostie’s store in Adelaide, and in 1889 undertook the appointment of charge hand in the grocery department of Messrs. Edward Barnett and Co., of Albany, which post he held for nearly four years. He then returned to Adelaide and settled there for eight years, being engaged as city travelling representative for the firm of R. H. Crawford & Co., of King William Street. At the end of 1901 the firm of Edward Barnett & Co. again established communication with him, and returning to Albany he accepted his old position, to which
781
was added the management of the wine and spirit department. Three and a half years later, in 1905, his present business, then owned by Mr. Cowen, was in the market, and he became the successful tenderer, resigning his position with Mr. Barnett in order to start at Tambellup on his own account. Since his advent he has witnessed the steady progress of
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Nathaniel Phillips.
the district, and has extended his operations to keep pace with the growing population, until now it is one of the most representative businesses in a wide radius. He carries all the goods necessary to a country store, large and complete stocks of drapery, groceries, ironmongery,
boots and shoes, etc., and in addition is agent for H. J. Wigmore, the Liverpool, London, & Globe Insurance Company, Henry Wills & Co., Malloch Brothers, and other firms.
Mr. Phillips is recognized as one of the leading spirits of the place, and has taken an active part in the establishment of the agricultural society, of which he is a committeeman, besides being one of the founders of the agricultural hall and its first hon. secretary, which post he still holds. He has been prominent in the .movement for railway extension to the eastern areas, and the present line of 25 miles now running, with further construction under way, is largely a result of his persistent agitation
toward that end. He is a member of the Methodist Church and one of the trustees of the local body, a member of the Rechabite Order, and a Freemason, his present Lodge being the
Plantagenet Lodge, E.C. He makes a hobby of music, and has acted as organist to the Brompton Methodist Church, South Australia, and the Albany and Tambellup Churches of the same communion, also taking part in operatic and other musical societies at Hindmarsh for many years. In 1892 he married Mary Sophia, daughter of the late Mr. Daniel Davis, of Bowden, South Australia, who came from Cornwall among the earliest of South Australia's pioneers, and has two daughters.
ALBERT LEVITZKE, auctioneer, land and estate agent, Tambellup, was born at Natimuk, Victoria, on November 10, 1878, and is a son of the late Mr. Christian Levitzke, of that place. He was educated at public and private schools in his native town, and at fifteen years of age became attached to a surveyor's camp with the object of following that profession. After a couple of years he relinquished this intention and returned home to join his father and brothers in the work and management of the farms, where he continued for three years. In 1895 he came to Western Australia and obtained his first position as clerk in the employ of Mr. J. C. Port, timber merchant, Bunbury,
Photo by W. E. Elston. .. _
y MR- n- Phillips store. Tami
Photo by IF. 77. Elston. Interior of Store.
782
from which he resigned to join his brother-in-law, Mr. Butt, in business in Perth. This connection extended over some nine or ten years, when the prospects of land settlement on the great southern line allured him
orchestras in Perth and suburbs. He married in 1906 Mabel, third daughter of the late Mr. James Lawrence, of the South Australian Civil Service, and better known latterly as a single-tax lecturer, and has two daughters.
HAROLD APPLETON, proprietor of the Tambellup Hotel, was born near Hamilton, in the western district of Victoria, on May 6, 1877, and is the eldest son of Mr. A. W.
by joining the Bank of Australasia at Wycheproof as junior clerk. In less than two years he was transferred to Bendigo, and remained on the staff in that town for over two years, when he received promotion and was transferred to Western Australia in 1897. Mr. Appleton was stationed for some considerable time at Cue, being subsequently sent to Peak Hill to open a branch of the same institution at that centre. At a later date, resigning from the bank, he accepted the position of accountant to the Peak
Pony and Sulky, owned by Mr. h. Appleton.
Appleton, of Gippsland. He was educated at various schools in Victoria, being sent to complete his scholastic course in Melbourne. Leaving college at fifteen years of age he entered upon a commercial career
Hill Goldfields Company, Limited, with which he continued until he went into the hotel business, purchasing the lease of the Cunderdin Hotel. After conducting this house for a period he sold his interest to become
Mr. H. Appleton’s Residence, Tambellup.
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Albert Levitzke.
from the capital, and he settled at Tambellup, where he had taken up a holding. Conjointly with the development of this property he established an auctioneering, land, and estate agency business in the township, and holds agencies for all agricultural requirements, this connection taking up the major portion of his time and attention. He comes prominently before his fellow-townsmen by the interest he takes in local public affairs, and the personal assistance he gives to the various organizations and movements having for their object the advancement of the district. He is secretary of the local agricultural society, and has given much consideration to the subject of the eradication of the poison plants, which have done so much harm to the stock. For some years he has occupied a seat on the Tambellup Roads Board, and he has filled the highest position of honour in the Australian Natives’ Association. In politics he is a strong supporter of the Liberal Party and a warm advocate of it3 policy, acting as secretary of the local Liberal club. He is a member of the race club, and has filled the office of president of that body. Mr. Levitzke has musical gifts and was a well-known performer in brass bands and
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licensee of the Freemasons’ Hotel at Fremantle, which he carried on for over two years. Receiving a tempting offer from the firm of J. & W. Bateman, of Fremantle, Mr. Apple-ton relinquished hotel keeping for a time and became representative in the State of Western Australia for the wine and spirit department of this well-known firm. This connection
Mr. Harold Appleton.
lasted until April, 1911, when he took over the Tambellup Hotel, which had just been erected, and is one of the most up-to-date and commodious houses on the great southern line. With the assistance of his wife Mr. Appleton has established the conduct of the hotel on first-class lines, great appreciation
being expressed by those who partake of the hospitality of the place. He is a well-known patron of sport in almost all its branches, and occupies the position of president of the Tambellup Racing and Football Clubs respectively. He is also vice-president of the East Fremantle Football Club. A keen lover of horses he takes recreation in driving, and always manages to possess the finest blood roadsters procurable. At his private home at East Fremantle, he is known as a breeder of ‘the best St. Bernard dogs in the State, and is a most appreciative friend of the canine race. In 1905 he married Ethel, daughter of the late Mr. Morlcy, a well-known personality of the South Sea Islands.
ARTHUR JOSEPH BACKHOUSE, building contractor and agent for Messrs. Millars’ Timber and Trading Company at Tambellup, was born at Ipswich, Queensland, on August 11, 1866, and is a son of the late Joseph Backhouse, architect, who came from Ipswich, England, in the early forties. Educated at Albury, New South Wales, in a Church of England Grammar School, he completed his scholastic career at Sydney, and at the age of fifteen commenced to study under his father for the profession of architect and draughtsman. After three years under this tuition, during which he gained valuablo theoretical knowledge, he entered upon the building trade, and made himself acquainted with every branch of practical work.
In 1890 he launched out on his own account, and has since been identified with this calling in various parts of Australia, his first connection with the Western State occurring in 1892, when he took building contracts on the goldfields and became financially interested in the mining industry. Mr. Backhouse spent a couple of years on the fields, after which he returned to the East, and in 1894 again sailed for Western Australia, where he has made his home ever since. Ten years later he opened up business connections at Kojonup, where he remained for about four years, when perceiving an opening at Tambellup, which he looked upon as a rising town, he removed to this centre. Most of the up-to-date buildings in the locality during the past five years may be
IT7. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Arthur Joseph Backhouse.
placed to his credit, many homesteads having been erected by him, and in the township various structures for commercial purposes which reflect considerable credit upon his knowledge of his craft. He has been prominent in all matters affecting the progress of the district, having made a hobby of the study of local government, and represents the town or Central Ward on the Roads Board, being the first member elected by an almost unanimous vote of the ratepayers to represent this ward. He also acts on the committee of the agricultural society and of other bodies. He has been associated with the A.N.A. ever since his arrival in Tambellup, and takes an active part as a member and committeeman of
the local Church of England. Some years back Mr. Backhouse made a prolonged visit to the Old Country, during which he toured through most places of interest, returning to Australia in 1898. He married in 1901 Prudence, eldest daughter of the late John Noon, of Maryborough, Queensland, an early settler of that State, and has two sons and three daughters.
THOMAS GARDINER GOODE, “Philomena,” near Tambellup, is a South Australian by birth, being a
Mr. Thomas Gardiner Goode.
son of Mr. C. R. Goode, of Port Pirie, who served in the South Australian Parliament as member for the Burra district for some considerable time.
He was born at Saddleworth on March 25, 1871, and received his education at the Stanley Grammar School, Watervale. At the close of his scholastic career he proceeded to
the “Canowie” Station, and having completed seven years on this well-known run he came to Western Australia in 1897, and in the first instance directed his attention to the mining industry, proceeding to the eastern goldfields, where he was connected with various claims. After a short time on the fields, he relinquished mining pursuits to return to station life, and took a position on “Mundabullangana” pastoral run on behalf of Mr. S. Mackay, and subsequently became identified with the “Roy Hill” Station, after a time being appointed manager and later
managing shareholder. After selling his interest in this property Mr. Goode founded the “Ida Valley” Station, west of Leonora, which he supervised personally for four years
and ultimately sold to Mr. J. Shar-man. He then came to the Tambellup district, and purchased a homestead block of 1,100 acres, where he built his present residence, which he has successfully developed chiefly as a pastoral proposition. The property has been enlarged by the addition of neighbouring territory, and now includes nearly 3,500 acres of country timbered with white-gum, jam, yate, pepperbark, and sheaoak. Situated two and a half miles west of Tingerup Siding, with Tambellup as its postal town, the property possesses the advantage of over two miles
Photo by IF. E. Elston. Mr. T. G. Goode’s Residence. Tambellup.
Photo by W. E. Elston.
General View of " Philomena'• Homestead.
785
of frontage to the Gordon River, and there is a large dam in one of the outlying paddocks. A wire fence, fitted with sheep-proof netting, has been put up on the boundary at a cost of £30 per mile, and the whole of the property has been ringbarked. It is Mr. Goode’s intention to engage in sheep-raising on a large scale, and his flock, founded from the “Palli-nup” strain, is realizing the best expectations. The homestead is situated on the Gordon River (where boating is carried on all the year round), and is a very pretty, up-to-date villa containing eight rooms and the usual offices. Mr. Goode has achieved repute as a breeder of blood stock, and is the owner of “Subiaco” by “Light Artillery” out of “Rosedalc,” bred in South Australia, a well-known performer on the turf arid winner of various events at country meetings. He makee a point of attending all the leading race meetings in the vicinity of Tambellup, and has raced with considerable success on various occasions. He is also keen on football and follows this game with much interest. Mr. Goode married in 1908 Alice, daughter of the late Mr. Patrick Gillespie, of Tcrowie, South Australia. This lady died in 1910.
GEORGE CHEYNE MOTR, “Bininup,” via Tambellup, was born at Leslie, Scotland, on June 14, 1852, and came to Australia in the early part of 1859 with his father, the late Mr. John Moir, who was engaged in farming pursuits here and in the Central State. The gentleman under review, upon attaining an age when he was able to work, served a short apprenticeship to the blacksmith’s trade, but relinquished this calling in favour of agriculture, and for three years assisted on his father’s farm in South Australia. In 1870 he came to the Western State and aided in the construction of a road through the densely-timbered bush from Forrest Hill to Deep River, where his brother had taken up land. This road, traversing a distance of over 60 miles, took a considerable time to complete, and at the conclusion of the work Mr. Moir became engaged in farming pursuits on the Frankland River, after three years taking up a block of land on his own account at Pin-ganup—a grazing lease of 10,000 acres—which he held for three years. This proposition he abandoned in order to join his brother,
Mr. William Moir, in sheepfarming at Fanny Cove, and this partnership was maintained for over twenty years with considerable success. In 1902 the connection was dissolved, and Mr. G. C. Moir came to the district of Tambellup, where he purchased the “Bininup” property from Mr. Devine, and has since carried on mixed farming operations with good results. He has enlarged the original area of the estate by the purchase of adjoining property, and has now 3,400 acres, fenced with three wires and sheep-proof netting,
IF. E. Ehton, Wagin.
Mr. Georgr Cheyne Motr.
and subdivided into paddocks of convenient size. There are nearly 400 acres cleared, about 100 acres being placed annually under crop with cereals, which are chiefly grown for hay, and the merino wool industry forms an important feature of the farm. Mr. Moir is a member of the local progress association and takes an interest in the various movements having for their object the benefit of the neighbourhood.
“GURLEEN,” the property of Messrs. McArthur Brothers, is situated upon the Gordon River, eight miles south-west of Tambellup, and contains over 2,500 acres of good mixed grazing and cropping country, timbered chiefly with jam and white-gum. The original homestead blo'-k was taken up in 1903 by Mr. J. W. Thompson, from whom it was purchased by Messrs. McArthur Brothers in 1911. This consisted of 780
acres, but the present proprietors had already at various times selected a considerable amount of adjoining property, which brought the area of the whole estate up to its present extent. The land has a frontage of three and a half miles to the Gordon River, which is a permanent watercourse, and is bordered by picturesque and fertile river flats. Securely fenced with three wires and netting on the boundary, nine subdivisions have been made and 300 acres are cleared, nearly half of this area being cropped annually. The wool and mutton industries are catered for by a sturdy flock of crossbred sheep, which arc run on the uncultivated portions of the estate, and horses are bred in small numbers for use on the farm. WILLIAM HENRY McARTHUR, J.P. (who is assisting his two sons to manage the estate), is a son of Mr. Benjamin McArthur, now of Adelaide, and was born at Rapid Bay, South Australia, on September 14, 1855. He received
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. William Henry McArthur.
his education at the local State school, and until the age of twenty-one was identified with farming pursuits. Subsequently for eight years he was attached to the Glenelg Railway Company, holding various positions, and finally being promoted to the post of traffic inspector, from which he resigned in 1885. He then opened a store in Glenelg and organized a most successful business, which he sold in 1904. In the latter year Mr. McArthur came to Western Australia, and built and opened a store at Tambellup, seven years later
YY
selling out to Messrs; Richardson and Co. in order to settle on the land with his two sons. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Wilson Administration in 1910. Mr. McArthur married in 1881 Martha, daughter of the late David Miller, one of the original settlers of Glenclg, South Australia, and has a surviving family of two sons and two daughters, the latter being married to Mr. J. A. McDonald, of Tambellup, and Mr. E. P. Gmeiner, of the same place, respectively. It is interesting to note that Mr. McArthur’s late son, D. W. S. McArthur, who died recently in West Africa, was one of the most brilliant graduates of the University of Adelaide, taking his B.Sc. degree at nineteen years of age, and being regarded as an expert in all branches of mining. FREDERICK ROY McARTIIUR, the eldest surviving son, was born at Glenelg, South Australia, on July 18, 1890, and after a preliminary course at the local State school completed his education at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide. He came from school to Western Australia, where he first spent some time on the commercial staff of The West Australian newspaper, subsequently being connected with the office of the Mutual Life and Citizens’ Insurance Company. He afterwards was engaged in the mining industry at Meeka-tharra, which he relinquished in order to join his brother in the working of the “Gurleen” Estate. NORMAN ARNOLD McARTHUR is also a native of Glenelg, and attended the State school at that place, afterwards becoming a student at the Scotch College, Perth. He had a year’s pastoral experience on the “Gabyon” Station, on the Murchison, where he obtained a knowledge of sheep-raising, which has proved useful since he began his association with his brother in the present property.
WILLIAM IIODBY, “Fairview,” near Tambellup, is a son of the late John Hodby, of Huntingdonshire, En gl and, who came to South Australia in 1848, and settled at East Payne-liam, near Adelaide, where he carried on farming pursuits until his demise in 1863. Born at Kensington, near Adelaide, South Australia, on October 16, 1848, Mr. Hodby received his education at Magill and at a private school at East Payneham,
which he left in his early teens to assist in the duties of his father’s farm, where he remained for many years, taking the management for his mother upon the decease of the late Mr. Hodby. Subsequently he went to the Northern Territory and engaged as a teamster in the Port Darwin Company, which occupation he relinquished in order to take a partnership in a blacksmithing business on the Sandy Creek diggings, of which district he was one of the pioneers. From here he went to Pine Creek and took a position of feeder in a crushing mill, and eventually he settled at Cavanagh, in the northern part of South Australia; but on account of the climatic conditions was obliged to leave this locality. Prospects being bright in
W. E. Elston, W agin.
Mr. William Hodby.
Western Australia, in 1899 he sailed for her shores, and coming to the Tambellup district selected the land upon which his present home is situated. The original block was 1,800 acres in extent, and as he was the pioneer settler in the place he was able to secure the pick land of the district, which has amply rewarded his selection and the subsequent work of development. The holding is free from all noxious growths, no trace of poison shrubs being found, and the flock of mer-inoes — founded from the noted “Kendenup” strain—thrive well on the natural grasses with which the estate is plentifully endowed. All the fences arc sheep-proof, constructed with 3-ft. wire-netting in addition
to the ordinary wires, and subdivisions have been made, about 260 acres being cleared and devoted to tillage. Mr. Hodby is a well-known advocate of all forms of clean sport, and has acted as adjudicator in connection with the local race meetings. He has been twice married, his first wife being a daughter of tho late George Allington, of South Australia, and his second Mrs. Fanny Kuch (widow), daughter of the late Daniel Cox, one of South Australia’s early pioneers. His family consists of three sons and two daughters.
“THE SPRINGS,” one of the most representative properties of Tambel-lup, owned by Messrs. Balston and Cowen, comprises 3,700 acres of good undulating country, timbered with jam and York gum. A good metal road leads directly east from Tambellup, from which town the nearest portion of the property lies four miles distant, while the Tambellup-Ongerup railway line skirts the north-eastern boundary, Dartnell Siding being less than a mile distant. The property, which consists of good loam, well mixed with red soil, originally was taken up in small areas by different selectors, Messrs. Balston and Cowen acquiring portions of it at various times, as opportunity occurred. Since their advent to the district, when the partnership was first established in 1907, they have combined all these small holdings in one estate, to which the name of “The Springs” has been given, and the development of which has absorbed the whole of their time and attention. Fencing has been carried out on a substantial system, jam timber being used for posts, and 2,000 acres have been made sheep-proof by the addition of 3-ft. wire-netting, the remainder being constructed with three wires, barbed and plain. The property is watered by dams and soaks, one noted soak having provided 800 sheep and a number of horses and cattle with a plentiful supply of water during the driest season on record. The flock, which is a pure merino one, was founded by the partners upon their taking up the property, rams being imported from the famous South Australian Murray - Dawson flock, and from Messrs. Falkiner & Son’s “Boonoke” stud in the Riverina district of New South Wales, so popular among pastoralists all over Australia. These wero mated with ewes bred
78?
from imported stock from the Central State, and the result has been the establishment of a flock second to none in the district.' The lambing average reaches about 80 per cent., and the wool holds its own with all
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Herbert Ralston.
the flocks of the surrounding estates, a ready market at top prices being obtained locally. Among the stock, pride of place is given to the now famous shire stallion “Long Lawford Forester,” which has secured great
repute in the neighbourhood, and is used by the partners for stud purposes in connection with a number of pure-bred Clydesdale mares. “Long Lawford Forester” was foaled on July 10, 1909, his immediate pedigree in sires including “Dunchurch Forester,” “Lockinge Forest King,” “Lockinge Manners,” and “Prince Harold,” while his dam is “Lawford Janette” by “Dunsmore Masterman,” and his granddam “Swinford Nun” by “Market Hay.” His grandsire, “Lochinge Forest King,” especially has a long record of honours to his credit, among which may be mentioned:—In 1901, Fourth London S.H.S.; First and Reserve for Champion, Peterboro’; First and Champion at Oxfordshire Show, and Champion (mare or stallion); First, Bath and West of England; First and Champion, Royal Counties; First, R.A.S.E. at Cardiff, Leicestershire, and Peterboro’ Summer Show. In 1902, First in class of 120, S.H.S. London and Reserve for the Champion Cup. “Lockinge Forest King’s” sire, “Lockinge Manners,” and grandsire, “Prince Harold,” have also had equally distinguished careers at the stud and in the showring, while the sire of “Lawford Janette,” “Dunsmore Masterman,” won First Great Yorkshire and Ashbourne in 1890, Fourth, S.H.S., London, 1892, and First and Champion, Oxfordshire, and First,
“Long Lawford Forester" by “ Punchurch Forester."
yy2
Northampton, in the same year. The stock of the last-named horse has won over 200 prizes, and he was sire of the largest number of winners of any living stallion at the London Show of 1902. “Long Lawford Forester” was bred near Rugby by Mr. John Crawley, and was imported from England as a yearling. He stands 17 hands, and is of a beautiful bay colour, and in his class would be difficult to beat. Messrs. Balston & Cowen are importing some pure Shire mares from England, in order to make the breeding of this class of blood stock
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Henry Charles Edward Cowen.
a special feature of their enterprise. “Long Lawford Forestjer” is also used in the district by owners of well-bred mares desirous of obtaining first-class stock for their farms and pastoral properties. HERBERT BALSTON was born in London on June 6, 1886, and is a son of Mr. W. E. Balston, of Barvin, Potter’s Bar, Herts, England. Educated at Stoke Poges and Eton College, upon the conclusion of his studies he came to Western Australia, where his father had acquired landed interests some years previously. Upon arrival he entered into partnership with Mr. Cowen in “The Springs,” and has since resided there, taking occasional trips to England, where he makes a point of interviewing stock experts, and uses his time to the best advantage for his Australian enterprise. HENRY CHARLES EDWARD COWEN is a son of the late Mr. James Cowen, who came to Victoria from the North of Ireland at twenty-three years of
788
age, and died recently at the age of eighty-one. He was born at Elphin-stone, Victoria, on September 26, 1870, and received his education in his native town. Subsequently he entered upon commercial pursuits, joining the stall of the Colonial Mutual Life Association at the head office at Melbourne, where he remained for a decade, passing through various stages of promotion. Upon resigning this connection he went to the west coast of Tasmania, and joined his brother in storekeeping pursuits at Gormanston and Crotty. In 1902 he came to Western Australia and opened a store at Tambel-lup, which he carried on for two years, when he met Mr. Balston and joined forces with him in the development of their present proposition.
HENRY TRATHAN, J.P., of “Newlands,” Tambellup, was born near Truro, Cornwall, England, on
\V. E. Elat on, Wagin.
Mr. Henry Trathan.
November 11, 1844, and is a son of the late Mr. Henry Trathan, who came to South Australia with his family in 1851. He received his education by private tuition and in the State school at Kapunda, in which town he was apprenticed to the saddlery trade, serving a seven years’ apprenticeship and subsequently following that calling. He opened a business on his own account at Stock-port, whence he proceeded to the sister colony of Victoria in 1868, and was engaged in the trade in Melbourne for about a year. Returning
to Adelaide Mr. Trathan accepted the appointment of foreman in the saddlery factory of Messrs. Holden and Frost, which position he held for over twenty years, during almost the whole of the time discharging the duties of general manager of the factory. In 1899 he resigned from this connection and came to Western Australia with the object in view of opening a business for himself. Proceeding to Tambellup, on the great southern line, lie established a successful concern which, after a few years, he transferred to his sons, turning his attention to a farming property which he had previously taken up, and in which the latter gentlemen are also interested. The extent of this estate is 2,000 acres, and mixed farming operations are carried on with considerable success, sheep-raising and the growing of cereals forming the chief departments of the industry. While in South Australia Mr. Trathan took a prominent part in local government, and for several years was a member of the Unley Town Corporation. The public institute and library were also the objects of his special interest, and he was a member of the school board of advice for the Sturt district. He also took a very prominent part in matters connected with the Church of England, and was for many years people’s warden in the Church of St. Augustine,. Unley. Since coming to Western Australia he has interested himself in the foundation of various organizations for the advancement of the district, and besides assisting in the inauguration of the first progress association was instrumental in obtaining for the residents the post office and agricultural hall. Through his representation the junction of the Ongerup railway was fixed at Tambellup, which has proved a great benefit to the district. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Moore Government in 1906. He is a member of the M.U.,I.O.O.F., and has been connected with this body for nearly half a century, also being a Forester for about forty years. In 1872 he married Sarah, daughter of the late Mr. Henry Sanders, of Riverton, South Australia, and has three sons and four daughters. His two sons, Messrs. Henry Harold and Gilbert William Trathan, who carry on the business at Tambellup as general farmers* supply agents, aro also engaged in farming pursuits. With their brother, Mr. John Edwin
Trathan, now engaged in commercial life in New Zealand, they served with honour in the Boer War in South Africa, and have followed in the footsteps of their father in the interest they display in the welfare of the district where they reside.
STEPHEN MASLEM, owner of “Devon Park,” Tambellup, and proprietor of the Railway Coffee Palace in that town, was born at North Newton, Wilts, England, on November 17, 1866, and is a son of the late Mr. Jesse Maslem of that place. Pie received his education in the same county, and at the termination of his scholastic course before entering his teens was employed as signal-cabin boy on the North London Railway. In due time he became signalman, and upon his retirement after some
W. E. Elston, Wagin,
Mr. Stephen Maslem.
years from that position had completed twelve years in the service of the company. In 1890 he came to Australia, and spent four years in the Railway Department of New South Wales, at the end of this period proceeding to Queensland. Here he carried on business in the softgoods line at The Valley, one of the suburbs of Brisbane, eventually selling out in order to go to Tasmania, his object being to inspect the country with the ultimate aim of settling on the land. After a year in the “Apple State” and a similar period spent in Victoria and South Australia, without attaining the object of his search, Mr. Maslem continued his travels, and in
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the early part of 1897 arrived in Western Australia. He settled at Claremont, joining the services of the Western Australian Railway Department while still continuing his quest. Finally he secured a block of land near Tam bell up in 1905, and while still holding his post in the Railway Department commenced preparations for entering upon pastoral and horticultural operations. The whole of the property—which now embraces 1,600 acres—has been fenced and subdivided into seven paddocks and dams have been constructed, while much of the yate, white-gum, and jam timber has been cleared away to make cultivation paddocks for cerealgrowing and pastures for cattle. The orchard also is an important feature, and the whole farm is highly developed and productive. In addition to this industry Mr. Maslem also carries on the Railway Coffee Palace at Tambellup, prior to his resignation from the Government service having occupied the post of static nm aster here. He takes part in all movements for the betterment of the town and district, and is one of the trustees of the local agricultural hall. In 1888 he married Elizabeth, daughter of the late Mr. John Lagal, of Plymouth, England.
“1IEATHVILLE,” a property lying three miles east of Tambellup,
Australia for eighteen years prior to his arrival in this State in the above year. The original homestead property comprised 260 acres, but some years subsequent to its selection Mr. Dunce’s two sons, Messrs. Ernest William Heath Bunce and Frederick John Bunco, joined their father and took up land on their own account in the vicinity of the paternal property, combining the whole in one estate. At the present time these gentlemen, who are joint owners of the place, have over 1,530 acres of good mixed jam and whitegum country, highly adapted both to grazing and agriculture. The whole area has been
f.
Bunce, is also a native of South Australia, having been born at Glenelg, the favourite watering-place, on April 13, 1884. He was educated locally, and at the close of his scholastic career immediately became identified with farming pursuits in Western Australia, in conjunction with his father and other members of the family. In the past the Messrs. Bunce varied their occupation by taking contracts in the district, and by this means were enabled to finance themselves in order to the more rapid development of their holding. Both brothers are members of the local agricultural society.
JAMES SHANNON CRAWFORD, of “Watergarrup,” near Tambellup, was born at Blayney, New South Wales, on December 27, 1863. He received his education under his father, Mr. William Crawford, J.P., for nearly forty years connected with the Education Departments of New South Wales and Victoria, and after four years spent in farming pursuits entered the survey camp of Mr. J. M. Coane, one of the adjudicators on the prize designs of the Federal City. Another four years were passed in this connection, and in 1885 Mr. Crawford sat for his examination in survey work in New South Wales, being successful in both this and a subsequent test in Victoria in the
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Ernest William Heath Bunce.
was first taken up in 1897 by the late William Henry Bunco, an English' man by birth, and a colonist of South
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Frederick John Bunce.
well developed, about 400 acres being cleared and cultivated, and fine crops of wheat and oats are harvested annually. A valuable flock of merino sheep is raised for the wool and mutton industries, and general mixed farming operations arc carried on with very satisfactory results. Mr. E. W. H. Bunce was born in Adelaide on August 20, 1882, and received his education at the Glenelg State School. Completing his studies at fourteen years of age he entered commercial life, spending a couple of years in a general store at Brighton, South Australia. Relinquishing this occupation, with an eye to the future he took a position on a dairy farm at the same place and remained there for some time prior to joining his father in Western Australia a year after the advent of the latter gentleman to this State. The younger member of the firm, Mr. F. J.
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. James Shannon Craweord.
following year. He then became the pioneer in the surveying of the water channels for the Western Wimmera
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Irrigation Trust, which occupied him for some years, and in 1890 qualified in V ictoria as a civil engineer. For seven years he practised his profession in the capacity of municipal engineer in addition to his survey work, and at the end of that period came to Western Australia, where he continued in the same manner until 1903, when he joined the Lands Department as contract surveyor. He was appointed to the Tambellup district on the great southern line, and shortly after arrival took up a block of 3,000 acres, which he proceeded to develop as a pastoral holding, and has now a flock of merinoes and crossbreds, which he raises for both wool and mutton with very good results. About 200 acres have been cleared, two-thirds of which is cultivated chiefly for fodder, and the estate is completely fenced with sheep-proof wire-netting. Mr. Crawford has made a special feature of a small orchard with a view to testing the value of sandy loam for fruit-trees, and has proved to his satisfaction that such soil is excellent for the production of apples, pears, and peaches, which reach a perfection of flavour and are very prolific in bearing. A comfortable house has been erected on the property and is fitted with all modern conveniences, many luxuries being found in its well-furnished apartments. Mr. Crawford takes a prominent part in local affairs, and is connected with most of the local organizations, including the agricultural society, being a cordial supporter of all movements for the advancement of the district. For many years he has been a member of the Australian Natives' Association, and has held honourable office in that body. In his younger days he was a crack cricketer and footballer, but tennis is now his favourite form of recreation, a fine court gracing the homestead area. In 1887 he married Florence Annie, daughter of the late Mr. T. A. Creaton, of East St. Kilda, Victoria, and has three daughters.
WILLIAM FOWLER CROSBY, proprietor of “Brooklands,” Tambellup, is a son of Mr. B. Crosby, of “Black Oak" Farm, Kadina, South Australia, where the gentleman under review was born on May 14, 1878. lie pursued his scholastic studies at the local school, and from his early teens to twenty-two years of age worked upon the parental
farm, where he gained a good insight into the agricultural industry. He then proceeded to Melbourne, and shortly after arrival in that State joined the 5th Victorian Contingent, which, under command of Colonel Otter, sailed for South Africa to take part in the Boer War. After twelve months’ experience at the front, during which he was under fire on various occasions, he was awarded the King’s Medal and returned home. Whilst continuing to assist on his father’s property, Mr. Crosby kept his eyes open for a holding on which to begin independent operations, but owing to most of the good arable land in suitable localities
W. E. Elston, Wugin,
Mr. William Fowler Crosby.
being already taken up he turned his attention to Western Australia. The liberal land laws existent in this State had already attracted many farmers and pastoralists from other quarters, and in July, 1903, Mr. Crosby, accompanied by his father, came to the Tambellup district and settled on the land, where his homestead now stands. The original block of 1,300 acres has since been added to, and the development of the place, once begun, was vigorously pushed forward. To-day, 400 acres have been cleared, half of which is cropped annually, and a flock of merino sheep finds excellent pasturage on the timbered part of the holding. In the early days of the enterprise Mr. Crosby undertook various carting and dam-sinking contracts, by which means he was enabled to expend more capital on his own property, and so accomplish
greater results in less time than otherwise would have been possible. He is a great lover of horses and a successful breeder of medium draughts suitable to the class of country, his stud having been started by imported stock. His lively interest in the welfare of the district was recognized in 1907 by his election to a seat on the Tambellup Roads Board, in which he represented the north-west ward for three years, when he was re-elected and filled the chairman’s office for a term. During this period the medical needs of the district were considered, and his board was responsible for securing for Tambellup a Government medical officer. Mr. Crosby is a keen supporter of all healthy and clean forms of outdoor recreation, and holds membership in all local sporting and progressive bodies. In March, 1913, he married Alice, daughter of the late William Dix, of Kadina, South Australia.
CARL OSKA BESSEN, of “Oak Park,’’ Moonies Hills, Tambellup, is a son of the late Mr. Frederick Carl Bessen, well known in South Australia for many years before his advent to this State, where he died in 1907. The subject of our memoir
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Frederick Carl Bessen.
was born at Baroota, South Australia, on January 7, 1881, and received his education at the Baroota Whim School. Subsequently he followed farming pursuits on the home property for upwards of seven years,
791
and in 1903 came to Western Australia. The liberal land conditions and general good prospects of this State were then being widely discussed and led to much immigration from other parts of Australia, the settlers dispersing themselves over a large area of country and opening up many new districts. Mr. Bessen selected a block of land at Tambellup of 1,000 acres and began operations, his father and other members of the family joining him within the year. Further land was taken up by the late Mr. Bessen and his sons, and at the present time the aggregate holdings of the family extend over 4,000 acres. Nearly the whole of this is fenced, and the work of improvement is rapidly going forward, 1,500 acres being cleared and about 400 acres cultivated. Sheep-raising has been started, and a healthy-looking flock of merinoes and Leicester crossbreds grazes on pasture land of the farm. The enterprise is carried on successfully by Mr. Bessen and his brothers on terms of partnership, the gentleman under review being the senior member of the firm. They are all
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mb. Carl Oska Bessen.
keen patrons of outdoor sport, and are well known on the cricket fields of the district. Mr. Bessen married in 1910 Nellie, daughter of Mr. Bird Speed, now of Geelong, Victoria, who for a considerable time was resident in this State, and has one son.
HEINRICH ADOLPH BESSEN, “Monica” Farm, Tambellup, is a son of the late Mr. F. C. Bessen,
of Madgeburg, Prussia, where the gentleman under review was born on August 2, 1858. At the close of his scholastic course, which was received at a local school, he came to South Australia at fourteen years of age to join his brother, the late F. C. Bessen, of “Oak Park,” Tambellup, then a resident of the Central State. Upon arrival he was apprenticed to the trade of blacksmith for three years, and after a further three years’ experience purchased a business at Port Germein, which he carried on for ten years. He then sold out and purchased another connection in Elliston, and eight years later (in
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mil. Heinrich Adolph Bessen.
1900) came to Western Australia, where the liberal land laws had led many to turn their attention to pastoral and agricultural pursuits. Almost immediately he took up a block of land at Tambellup, but for about a year and a half worked at his trade in the Midland Junction workshops before proceeding to the district where his holding lay. Subsequent to his advent he opened a blacksmith’s business at the settlement—the first to be established there—and conjointly with the conduct of his trade started the development of his land, in which he received the assistance of his sons. The original holding of 160 acres has been increased by additional property taken up in the names of himself and his family, and at the present time the estate consists of about 4,000 acres. Of this 500 acres have been cleared and over 200 acres of crop are
averaged annually, wheat and oats being cultivated with very good results. A healthy flock of merino sheep owes its foundation to importations from reliable studs in South Australia, which under altered conditions still maintain the good traits of their descent. Special attention has been given to the conservation of water, and the work of improving the property — which is substantially fenced and subdivided into paddocks —is steadily going forward, each year a fresh area being brought under the ringbarking axe. Mr. Bessen passes his leisure hours in reading—Ruskin, Thackeray, and Dickens being among his favourite authors, while writers on astronomical subjects also command his attention. In 1884 he married Mary Emma, daughter of the late Mr. Andrew Flugge, of Port Germein, South Australia, and has four sons and four daughters.
WILLIAM GEORGE HAMS, of “Gum Flat,” Toolbrunup, via Tambellup, is a son of Mr. E. Hams, of
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. William George Hams.
Terowie, South Australia, and was born at Lyndoch Valley on November 10, 1854. His education was of an elementary character, but he took every opportunity of improving his mind whilst a youth working on his father’s farm, where he continued until he reached man’s estate. He took up a block of land from the Government at Yongala, which he worked successfully for ten years and then disposed of in order to purchase
a holding at Terowie. For fifteen years he carried on pastoral pursuits in the latter district, at the end of which period the conditions of land settlement in Western Australia attracted his attention. Selling out, he sailed for the Western State with his wife and family of ten children and upon arrival, after inspecting various properties, took up the block of land upon which his homestead now stands. His first selection consisted of 500 acres, but he has since increased that area by over 2,000 acres, his present property embracing 2,700 acres of good agricultural country, timbered with York-gum, white-gum, and yate, and well covered with natural grasses. It is well fenced with plain wire and netting to make it slieep-proof, and 600 acres have been cleared and cultivated besides 1,800 acres where the ringman’s axe has completed its preparatory work. Success above the average has been obtained with the merino flock, which is sound and healthy, the wool commanding good prices both at the local and London markets. Mr. Hams has devoted a considerable amount of time to the study of local government and has served as a member of the roads board for four years, besides taking an interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the district. A member of the Baptist communion he concerns himself actively in the support of the local church. He is fond of reading and spends his leisure hours at home with his favourite authors. In 1876 Mr. Hams married Fanny, daughter of the late H. Steggall, of Terowie, South Australia, and has six sons and four daughters.
CHARLES WESLEY PARKER, managing partner of “Glenallan,” Tingerup, the property of Messrs. Parker Brothers, was born at Kemp-sey, Macleay River, New South Wales, on March 6, 1880, and is the youngest son of Mr. David Parker, of that place. Upon the conclusion of his education at the local State school he became associated with his father in farming pursuits, and continued in this connection until 1904. In that year he came to Western Australia to join his brother in the development of a farm which had been selected at Tingerup, in the neighbourhood of Tambellup, and on arrival entered upon the management of this property, which has
absorbed the whole of his time and attention ever since. The original holding of 400 acres has been added to from time to time, and the brothers now hold 2,800 acres, of which 300 acres have been cleared, and about half of the latter area cropped annually. A flock of merino sheep thrives exceedingly well, the
W. E. Elston, W a (fin.
Mr. Charles Wesley Parker.
clip, which is sold in London, realizing top prices, while the lambing average ranges between 75 to 80 per cent. On the agricultural side of the industry equal success has been maintained, cereals and hay being raised, and the wheat harvest in especial is very satisfactory, the average ranging from 12 to 20 bushels per acre. The whole property is fenced on the boundary and subdivided into paddocks by means of sheep- and dog-proof wire-netting fences. Mr. Parker has always taken a deep interest in local affairs, and for a considerable time he was a member of the roads board of the district, while he still retains a seat on the committee of the Tambellup Agricultural Society. He is a
stanch adherent of the Methodist Church, and holds office as steward in the Tingerup congregation of that body. His chief recreation is found in the perusal of works of philosophy and fiction, Carlyle being one of his favourite authors, while the poets also command his attention.
DAVID JONATHAN PARKER, partner of the above firm, is a member of the Education Department of the State, having charge of the East Cannington State School. He was
born at Kempsey, New South Wales, in 1873, and was connected with the Queensland and New South Wales Education Departments before coming to Western Australia in 1898. He is a sleeping partner in the farm at Tingerup, the entire management of which devolves upon his brother, Mr. C. W. Parker.
The late PATRICK O’NEILL was born at Six Mile Bridge, County Clare, Ireland, and came to South Australia in the seventies, where for thirty years he was engaged in the agricultural industry. In 1899 he sailed for the Western State, and, upon arrival, selected the “Willow” Farm property, situated about nine miles in a westerly direction from Tambellup, which he carried on with considerable success until his decease ten years later. The estate has been enlarged from time to time, and now embraces about 1,000 acres, lending itself to the pursuit of mixed farming operations with highly satisfactory results. Merino sheep, horses, and cattle comprise the pastoral side of the industry, and considerable attention is given to the growing of cereals, to which the soil is well adapted. The widow of the late Mr. O’Neill, herself a native of Ireland and a daughter of the late Patrick
Mr. Patrick O’Neill.
Quirk, farmer, of AVhitegate, County Galway, resides on the farm with her daughters and her youngest son, Mr. Daniel O’Neill, who manages the property. Two other sons, Messrs. Patrick Thomas and AVilliam Joseph O’Neill, have taken up land on their own account within a few miles of the old homestead, and are both engaged
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in farming pursuits, while the remaining members of the family, Messrs. John Peter and James Matthias O’Neill, follow the mining industry.
MURPHY BROTHERS, “Cashel Rock,” Tambellup. (Patrick Murphy and William P. Murphy.) This well-known farming property lies to the east of Tambellup and embraces over
3,000 acres of good land, a fair proportion of which consists of really first-class soil. It is undulating country timbered with yate, York-gum, white-gum, jam, and sheaoak, and 500 acres have been cleared, 300 acres of this area being devoted to the
IK. E. Elston, Wugin.
Mu. William P. MuiiniY.
cultivation of wheat and oats. The remainder of the estate is devoted to grazing purposes, merino sheep and crossbred Shropshires being the classes to which special attention is given, the wool and mutton industries both being considered in the foundation of the flock. The Messrs. Murphy have been particularly successful in the merino - Shropshire cross, and the wool, which is disposed of at the local markets, commands good prices. Both brothers were born at Mayfield, under the shadow of Cashel, in County Tipperary, Ireland, and are the sons of the late Mr. Thomas Murphy of that place. They received their education at the National School and Christian Brothers’ College, and at the termination of their studies became their father’s assistants in the work of the home
farm. The elder, Mr. Patrick Murphy, upon emigrating to Australia, settled at Queensland for a time, and also spent varying periods in New South Wales and Victoria before coming to Western Australia at the time of the gold discoveries on the eastern areas of the State. He has had and continues to hold many interests in addition to his farming enterprise, in which ho is associated with his brother, Mr. William P. Murphy, who came from Ireland in 1907 to join his brother and take the management of “Mount Erin” Farm, Kokeby. Upon disposing of that property he came to the Tambellup district and took up some blocks of land on his own account, subsequently entering into partnership with his brother, and is now manager at "Cashel Rock.” The Messrs. Murphy are very fervid Irishmen and prominent members of the Roman Catholic Church, to which body they render all the personal and financial support in their power. Prior to his advent in Western Australia, Mr. William Murphy was a leading member in the Irish National Forestry Movement. He was married in Cashel, Ireland, to Catherine, daughter of the late Mr. Lawrence Meagher, of Rose Green, Tipperary, Ireland, and has one son and four daughters.
ANDREW MACDONALD, “Miners’ Rest” Farm, near Tambcl-lup, was born at Myrtleford, Victoria, on April 11, 1868, and is a son of the late Mr. Hector MacDonald, one of the earliest pioneers of the Victorian gold diggings. After leaving school he followed farming pursuits for several years and gained considerable experience as a shearer, at a later date turning his attention to the mining industry and spending seven years in prospecting and mining at Broken Hill. In 1895 the glowing reports from the Western Australian goldfields attracted him to this part of the island-continent, and proceeding to Norseman he met with considerable success. Joining a party he assisted in the development of The Three Colonies Extended and The Four Jolly Smiths' gold mines, the former proving a richly-paying proposition. After a few years on the goldfields in 1898 he relinquished mining pursuits, and taking up a block of land in the Tambellup district, settled on it and has since directed his energies to mixed-farming operations. Consisting in
the first place of 800 acres this holding has been enlarged by the addition of adjoining territory, and now extends over 1,100 acres, the cleared portion of 300 acres being in a forward state of development. The whole property is fenced, partly with plain wire and partly with barbed wire, while 800 acres are made sheep-proof by the addition of wire-netting. About 160 acres have been brought under crop, while horse-breeding is also carried on, and with his two brothers Mr. MacDonald gives a considerable amount of attention to the merino flock, which is developed on terms of partnership. He married in 1898 Alice, daughter of Mr. Duncan McLellan, of Hammond, South Australia, and has one son and four daughters.
JOSIAH NORRISH, farmer, “Glen Idyll,” near Tambellup, in the great southern district, is a son
II. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Josiah Norrish.
of the late Mr. George Norrish, who came to Western Australia in 1847 from his native State of Tasmania. The gentleman under review was born on June 20, 1884, and received his education chiefly by private tuition in his father’s home. At an early age he began to make himself useful on the property, and has continued to reside under the parental roof tree during the whole of his life, the major portion of his time being given up to the development of the home farm. In addition to this he has interests of his own in the
Tambellup district, having taken up a selection of nearly 800 acres, where operations have already been begun. In 1912 Mr. Norrish went abroad, visiting New Zealand and other places outside the Commonwealth.
ALPHONSO HORNE STANFORD, of Gnowangerup, was born in Hindley Street, Adelaide, South Australia, on November 9, 1861. lie received his scholastic training at academies conducted respectively by Messrs. Mitton and Caterer in that city, and upon leaving school entered upon a commercial career with the firm of G. & R. Wills & Co., with whom he remained for twelve years.
H. C. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. Alphonso Horne Stanford.
This connection he severed in order to proceed to the Teetulpa goldfields, where he prospected with a party for a short time without much success, and eventually went to Victoria, where he obtained a position with Messrs. Muir & Robertson at Nathalia, having charge of the drapery department of the firm. A dissolution of partnership having taken place the gentleman under review was offered by Mr. Robertson the management of a business at Packenham, and Mr. Stanford spent three years at that town. Returning to Adelaide he remained for seven years in his native State, enlarging his experience in different departments of mercantile life. During the Russian war scare he joined the Norwood Volunteers under
Captain Basse, General Owen being in command of the forces, and composed one of the guard of honour at the laying of the foundation-stone of the Adelaide Jubilee Exhibition Building. Mr. Stanford, who is also of an artistic turn, was for three years manager of Messrs. Montgomery & Grimbly’s stained-glass and leadlight works in Peel Street, Adelaide. In 1900 he came to Western Australia under engagement to Messrs. Montgomery Brothers, then of Menzies and Kookynie, with which firm he continued for six years, with the exception of a short interval in another softgoods house. At the end of this period he entered into partnership with Mr. Johnston in the purchase of a general merchant’s business at Broome Hill. In 1912 the business was sold, and Mr. Stanford proceeded to Gnowangerup, where he is now engaged in farming pursuits. At Broome Hill he was a member of the progress association, and also occupied a seat on the board of health. He acted as secretary to the Anglican Church and is a member of the Broome Hill Rifle Club.
GEORGE ALEXANDER JOHNSTON, of Gnowangerup, is a native of the New England district of New
H. C'. Biltoft, Katanning.
Mr. George Alexander Johnston.
South Wales, where he was born September 22, 1880. Educated at Elsinore, in that State, he left school at fifteen and entered a general store at the same place, where he became
initiated into all the details of the storekeeping trade. After six years in this line he determined to emigrate to Western Australia, being moved to this decision by reports of the rapid advancement of the “Cinderella” State. Arriving in 1901 he proceeded to the eastern goldfields, eventually settling at Kookynie, where he obtained a position in control of the bookkeeping department of the principal store in the town. In 1906, in conjunction with Mr. Stanford, Mr. Johnston purchased a business at Broome Hill, one of those which had been established in the early days of the town, which they carried on until 1912, when the concern was disposed of to Messrs. Clunes Bros. The partners have an area of land about 35 miles distant from Broome Hill and comprising 3,000 acres, which is now in course of development for pastoral purposes, the intention being to devote the area to sheep- and cattleraising. Mr. Johnston displays an active interest in public affairs and is chairman of the local progress association, of which body he was one of the founders. For some time he filled the position of secretary of the Oddfellows’ Lodge, the duties of which he formerly discharged in an honorary capacity. His favourite forms of recreation are found on the tennis court and the cricket field. In 1904 Mr. Johnston married Helen, daughter of Mr. Edward Cherry, of Warburton, Victoria, and has two daughters.
SAMUEL WILLIAM TAYLOR, of “Belleville,” Tambellup, was born on February 10, 1862, at Oldham, Lancashire, England, and came to Victoria when only a year old with his late father, Mr. Charles Taylor, who during the whole of his life both in the Old Country and Victoria was connected with the brickmaking industry. The gentleman under review attended school in Ballarat and Eaglehawk, at the latter place being a student at the scholastic academy conducted by the late Mr. Slade. His studies completed he went to Kerang, where he joined his father in the brickmaking business and worked at intervals on a farm belonging to his parent in that district. After his marriage he took up land on his own account, and conjointly with the working of this property continued his connection with the brick trade.
795
In 1894, after the disastrous financial crisis in Victoria had crippled the industrial enterprise of the State for the time being, Mr. Taylor lost both his own farm and that of his late father, which he had acquired by purchase a short time subsequent to the demise of the latter. Husbanding his small capital he determined to invest it in Western Australian property, the land laws of this State being instrumental in attracting many settlers from the eastern portion of the continent. Some time after the banks suspended payment in Victoria Mr. Taylor carried out this resolution, and for a considerable period was engaged at Albany in his former occupation, that of the manufacture of bricks. He subsequently came to the Tambellup district, and took up in the first instance 260 acres of land, upon which he settled with his family. At a later date he added further blocks to his holding, and at the present time has a valuable property of 1,500 acres, in quality of soil, etc., second to none in the district. Fencing operations have been completed and. a tract of over 300 acres cleared and cultivated, the work of clearing going rapidly forward from year to year. Pastoral interests are also made a prominent feature, sheep, cattle, and horses all finding a place on the estate, which is being
1I\ E. Elston, Wag in.
Mr. Samuel William Taylor.
worked on mixed-farming principles. Mr. Taylor is a member of the local agricultural society and takes a live interest in every movement for the benefit of the district. He married
in 1888 May Belle, daughter of the late Mr. George Guy, of Kerang, Victoria, and has a family of four sons and nine daughters.
WILLIAM FREDERICK DIPROSE, owner of the “Greenwood” property, near Tambellup, was born at Mount Barker, South Australia, on April 6, 1849. He is a son of the late Mr. William Diprose, who came to Tasmania from Kent, England, at fourteen years of age, and was identified with the early Vic-torian gold diggings, being a citizen of Melbourne when Victoria was still a part of the Mother State. Subsequently he visited Western Australia, and during his term of residence here took the contract for the erection of Sir Richard Spencer’s house at Albany, this being prior to his settling in the Central State. Mr. W. F. Diprose, upon leaving school, became his father’s assistant in the work of a farm on Eyre Peninsula, subsequently working with his parent on terms of partnership. At twenty-two years of age he began operations on his own account on Yorke Peninsula, where he took up a block of land from the Government and farmed there until 1904, when he sold out in order to come to Western Australia, perceiving that this State offered greater prospects for settling his grown-up family. Prior to leaving South Australia, for nine years conjointly with his farm he had been largely interested in the salt industry, having two salt lakes on his property—one freehold and the other leasehold from which he obtained supplies. Ilis second son having preceded him to the West, land was already secured for the family upon its arrival at Tambellup, and mixed farming operations were soon in full swing. The homestead block consists of 1,100 acres, and the whole has been fenced and subdivided, while 650 acres have been cleared, and further improvements are being carried on from year to year. Mr. Diprose takes an interest in public affairs, and since coming to this State has continued his activities as a member of the community, and was one of the founders of the Tambellup Roads Board, upon which he has served for three years, and gives his cordial support to all movements having for their object the advancement of the district. He married Ann, daughter of the late Mr. Joseph Hill, of Yorke Peninsula, an old colonist of South Australia,
and has five sons and two daughters surviving. ARCHIBALD ERNEST DIPROSE, who works the “Greenwood” Estate in conjunction with his father, was born at Yorke-town, South Australia, on March 12,
H'. E. Elston, Wayin.
Mr. William Frederick Diprose.
1886, and received his education at the public school in his native town. From early youth he has been his father’s right hand in matters of farm management, and accompanying him to Western Australia has continued that co-operation in the present enterprise. In addition to the original selection he has taken up nearly 500 acres of adjoining property on his own account, and the whole is being developed as one estate. He makes a study of scientific principles in farming, and has met with gratifying success in his application of the same to the industry under his hand.
RICHARD HILL DIPROSE, owner of the “Hazeldene” Estate, near Tambellup, is a son of Mr. W. F. Diprose, of “Greenwood,” in the same district. He was born at Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, on January 10, 1888, and received his scholastic training at Yorketown, soon after leaving school accompanying his brother to Western Australia, where land had been taken up by their father. For six years he worked on this property, and in 1909 launched out on his own account,
taking contracts for the construction of dams, etc., on behalf of the farming community in the district. He continued in this way for two years, meanwhile taking up the block of land on which his homestead now stands, the development of which he began by planting an orchard. Having invested a certain amount of capital in getting things under way he abandoned his contracting work and in 1911 went to live on the property and undertook the personal conduct of the enterprise. His comfortable little cottage is in keeping with the general appearance of the holding, which presents evidences of careful management and a good grasp of the possibilities of the place. Mr. Diproso has let the contract for the clearing of four-fifths of the place to be ready for cropping in 1913, and the preparation of this area—400 acres—is going rapidly forward, 150 acres already being cleared. Jam, sheaoak, and white-gum timber are found all over the block, and the soil is of mixed character, both light and heavy sandy loams being found in different localities. The farm is fenced with sheep-proof netting, and already 100 acres have been cropped, while a small orchard of mixed fruits is in bearing. Mr. Diprose for some years has been an active member of the Australian Natives’ Association. He has always taken a deep interest in the local work of the Baptist Church, of which communion he is a member, and holds the office of honorary secretary in Tambellup. In the year 1911 he was married to Harriett, daughter of Mr. Edward King, an agriculturist of the same district.
JULIUS GMEINER, farmer, of "Parramatta,” on the Gordon River, near Tambellup, is a native of Bendigo, Victoria, removing from there to South Australia with his parents, and spending most of his boyhood in Kapunda, in the latter State. He followed the trade of cabinetmaker at Port Pirie, and in 1869 settled down in Adelaide. After residing there for fifteen years he came to Western Australia in 1904, with the object in view of taking up land for himself and his two sons. Selecting a property in the Tambellup district, he founded his homestead on the Gordon River, and has since carried on farming more as a hobby than for the sake of the financial return. Mr.
Gmeiner was married in the late seventies to Christina, daughter of the late Alexander Jack, building contractor, of Kapunda, South Australia, and has two surviving sons. ALBERT EDGAR GMEINER, who owns the “Inveraray” Estate, embracing between 1,350 and 1,400 acres on the east side of Tambellup, was born at Port Pirie on July 15, 1881, and received his education in Adelaide. At the termination of his scholastic career he entered upon commercial life in the office of the Singer Sewing Machine Company in that city, and received rapid promotion in this service. He relinquished his further prospects in mercantile interest in order to respond to the “call of the land,” for that purpose joining his parent in Western Australia. After remaining for a time on tho parental homestead, he returned to his own holding, which he has been steadily developing ever since, with an ever-increasing promise of prosperity in his undertaking. The country is undulating, with mixed soils and timbered with York-gum, white-gum, and jam, and 250 acres have been cleared, the whole of which area has been tilled, cereal-growing being the single industry to which Mr. Gmeiner has devoted his energies. He is a member of the local agricultural society, and takes a lively interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the district. In the year 1908 he was married to Constance, daughter of Mr. James Lean, of Mount Gam bier, South Australia, and has a family of two sons.
LINTORN BROOKS GODBY WESTON, “Westlands,” near Tambellup, is a son of the late Major Charles Samuel Weston, of the 36th Indian Native Light Infantry Regiment, who served for many years in India and went to the front at the time of the Indian Mutiny. The gentleman under review was born at Rogart, Sutherlandshire, Scotland, on May 7, 1870, and received his education at Loretto, near Edinburgh. Upon the completion of his scholastic career he entered the wool trade, being attached to the house of
H. Dawson & Co., where he learnt at the Yorkshire mills the different branches of wool classing, etc. In 1890 he came to New South Wales and followed pastoral pursuits for two years, at the end of that period
returning to England and resuming his former connection with the wool trade. At the end of 1894 he came out to the firm’s branch at Melbourne and after a couple of years of office life proceeded to Queensland, where he again engaged in pastoral life until 1901. Upon the outbreak of hostilities between the British and the Dutch in South Africa he accompanied the New South Wales 2nd Mounted Rifles under Colonel Lassiter to the scene of action, and during the campaign he served at the front in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, being awarded the King’s Medal. Upon his return from the war Mr. Weston came to Western Australia and took up land on the midland line which he spent some time in developing. Eventually he disposed of this property and moved to the Great Southern district, where he purchased a block of 1,200 acres from Mr. J. J. Green, which he has since extended to 3,000 acres. It consists of good grazing and agricultural country, and provides excellent pastures for the flock of merino sheep, which is an important department of the industry carried on by Mr. Weston. It is fenced and subdivided into paddocks,'the whole of which are protected by sheep-proof wirenetting, which also serves as a barrier against the invasions of dogs and other pests. .About 300 acres are cleared and cultivated with cereals— chiefly oats—and fodder crops. Mr. Weston is a member of the local agricultural society and a committeeman of that body; and is a supporter of all clean forms of recreation, being a participant in the various sports held in the district and a member of the rowing club. He married in the year 1906 Grace, daughter of the late Mr. J. T. Hobbs, one-time police magistrate of Port Macquarie, New South Wales, and has a family of one son.
ALEXANDER McLAREN MOIR, J.P., “Balmoral,” Cran-brook, is a son of the late Mr. John Moir, who settled in Western Australia in the early part of 1859. He was born at Leslie, in Fifeshire, Scotland, on March 8, 1854, and received his education at Albany, in this State, upon leaving school accompanying his father to South Australia, where he became engaged in farming pursuits. Four years later he returned to the West and
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
797
conjointly with his brothers carried on various farming propositions in different parts of the southern portion of the State, where they did much pioneer work. In 1879 the partnership was dissolved by mutual consent, and Mr. Moir commencect operations on his own account on the Frankland River, where he farmed a property leased from his uncle. Subsequently, from 1895 to 1897, he was engaged as an hotelkeeper in the north-west, but for climatic reasons relinquished this calling, and returned to his original occupation on the Frankland River. After further farming experience in that district he sold out and came to Cranbrook, where he took up a block of 160 acres, to which he has since
TF. E. Elston, IVagin.
Mr. Alexander McLaren Moir.
devoted the whole of his time and attention. Since 1905 he has continued the work of development with a view to the production of cereals and fruit, and has now 120 acres tilled and applied to this purpose, with every prospect of highly satisfactory results. Mr. Moir has interested himself in public life and has been a member of various roads boards in the localities where he has resided. He is president of the Gordon River Settlers' Association, and in 1910 received a Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Wilson Government. For many years he was a prominent member of the M.U., I.O.O.F. He married in 1880 Jane Christina, daughter of the late Mr. John Wellstead, of Bremmer
Bay. The lady died in 1906. leaving a family of three sons and two daughters.
HUGH CLTMIE, J.P., owner of “Ballochmyle” Estate, Cranbrook, is a son of the late Mr. James Climie, of Ayr, Scotland, and was born in the village of Catrine, Ayrshire, on September 9, 1847. At sixteen years of age, having concluded his education, he entered upon agricultural and grazing pursuits on his father's farms, and continued under the parental rooftree until his marriage in 1872, having previously been admitted by the late Mr. Climie into partnership. In addition to sheepfarming operations the firm also carried on as general stock traders, and this connection continued until 1880, when arrangements were made for a younger brother to take his place, while the gentleman under review received his portion of the estate and started an independent career. When the great financial crisis of 1884-5 occurred trade became so slack that he decided to try his fortune in a new country, and in 1887 came to Western Australia, arriving on Christmas Day of that year. Subsequently he took a brief trip to Victoria, but after a few weeks returned to this State and opened a store at Tenter-den, on the great southern railway line, which was then in course of construction. He further extended operations by the establishment of similar businesses at Broome Hill, Katanning, and Mount Barker, the Katanning store later passing by purchase to Mr. F. C. Piesse. Shortly after the outbreak of the eastern goldfields Mr. Climie started a carrying and forwarding enterprise on the fields, and did very well financially by this venture. It is worthy of record that at Woolgangie, 40 miles west of Coolgardie, for many weeks it cost him £350 a week to water his horses, while his charge for cartage in this locality was £16 per ton for a distance of 40 miles. Returning to the great southern district, he took up his residence on “Ballochmyle,” acquired by him some time previously, and since that period he has been actively engaged in improving the property with such satisfactory results that it is now regarded as one of the show places of the neighbourhood. “Ballochmyle” comprises nearly 4,000 acres of freehold country, timbered with iron-bark and yate and is undulating in
character. It has an average rainfall of 20 in. and good natural drainage, the estate being plentifully watered by means of wells and dams. About 500 acres have been cleared and sown with oats and other crops, Mr. Climie being the pioneer grower of peas and rape in this district. Fifty acres of orchard are in course of preparation, apples, pears, and stone fruits being planted in large quantities. The property runs 1,200 crossbred and merino sheep, and draught horses are bred from a stallion by “Hero’s Lad,” while dairy cattle, chiefly Jerseys and Ayrshires, are also raised on the estate. Mr. Climie for some years was a member
TF. E. Elston, W agin,
Mr. Hugh Climie.
of the Plantagenet Roads Board, and at the present time is a member of the Tambellup Agricultural Society. He was granted his Commission of Justice of the Peace by the Wilson Government in 1910. In the year 1872 he was married to Eliza, daughter of the late Dr. Thompson, of Glasgow, and has a family of one son and four daughters.
HUGH STRATHDEE CLIMIE, owner of the “Strathmore” property, Cranbrook, is a son of Mr. Hugh Climie, J.P., of “Ballochmyle,” in the same district, and was born at Ayr, Scotland, on January 12, 1883. In his childhood he was brought to Western Australia by his parents, and received his scholastic tuition in Albany, subsequently entering upon
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTE11N AUSTRALIA.
active work in connection with his father’s “Ballochmyle” Estate, whore he continued until his eighteenth year. He then launched out on his own account, taking up a block of land from the Government on the Gordon River, and hero applied his energies to such good purpose that after a couple of years the holding attracted the notice of a purchaser, to whom he sold his interests. In 1905 Mr. Climie came to the Cran-brook district and in the first instance selected 460 acres adjoining his father’s property, upon which to commence operations. As time advanced and his enterprise prospered ho made additions to this area, and at the present time has 1,400 acres of welLimproved land, mostly white-gum and yate country, with mixed red loam and sandy soil, over 500 acres of which are eminently suited for cropping. Even where uncleared
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Hugh Strathdee Climie.
the land is excellent for grazing pastures, a fine flock of merino and Leicester crossbreds being carried, and in this connection both mutton and wool arc considered in the type produced, the wool being of such quality as to command lljd. per lb. in the London markets of 1911. The cultivated portion of the estate covers about 150 acres, oats being the principal crop raised, and in addition to the “Strathmore” Farm Mr. Climie works on lease adjoining properties, where he has 130 acres under cultivation. Horsebreeding is carried on on a small scale, draughts of medium weight being favoured, and Mr. Climie has been a prize-winner
with a buggy pair at the Mount Barker agricultural show. He makes a hobby of his love of horses and spends most of his leisure time with his equine friends.
HENRY WILLIAMS, of “Cynfal” Farm, Cranbrook, was born at Festiniog, North Wales, on January 5, 1866, and is a son of the
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Henry Williams.
late Mr. Evan Williams, of that place, where also he received his education at the National School. At eleven years of age he became engaged in work in a slate quarry, where he spent twenty-seven years as boy and man in the same position, and conjointly with this occupation he worked a small farm on his own account. Owing to a failure in health Mr. Williams was advised by his physician to come to Western Australia, and in 1906 he arrived in this State. After spending eight months on the goldfields at Kal-goorlie he determined to settle on the land, and on January 1, 1907, entered into possession of his present block, which at that time was confined to the homestead holding. With the co-operation of his sons he has since taken up additional property, bringing the estate up to about 1,600 acres, nearly 240 of which have been cleared and cultivated, while the building of a homestead and the providing of stabling accommodation and outhouses are all evidences of the splendid effort put forth during five years’ occupation
to form a home and place the industry on a good foundation. To carry on mixed farming pursuits is the ultimate object of Mr. Williams, but at the present time his operations are confined mainly to the growing of cereals and the cultivation of an orchard, which it is his intention further to extend and develop. He is a member of the local progress association. Mr. Williams married in 1888 Mary, daughter of the late Mr. David Richards, of Festiniog, Wales, and has two sons.
RICHARD HILL, who farms the “Yarralena” property at Cranbrook, is a native of South Australia, having been born at Willunga, in that State, on February 12, 1850, and is a son of the late Mr. Richard Hill, who became a settler of that district in
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Richard Hill, sen.
1839. He received his education in his native town, and upon leaving-school was engaged in farming pursuits on his father’s property until he started on his own account in 1876. For a further quarter of a century Mr. Hill continued in the same calling in the vicinity of Willunga and in the south-eastern portion of South Australia, and not until 1904 did he relinquish his connection with his native soil. In that year, attracted by the favourable land conditions of the Western State and the opportunities offered to the rising generation, he crossed the Great Australian Bight, and on arrival at Albany took up the block
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
799
of land at Cranbrook, upon which his homestead now stands. His sons, for whose sake mainly the removal was made, have since increased the acreage, which now comprises nearly
1,000, and the block is rapidly being developed, 100 acres being cropped and the uncleared portion used for the grazing of stock. A partnership has been formed between Mr. Hill and his two sons, Messrs. R. H. and A. G. Hill, who are both personally engaged with their father in the work and management of the property and keenly interested in its development. Mr. Hill is one of the pioneer members of the local progress association. For twenty years he was prominently connected as an
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Richard Hill.
office-holder with the M.U., I.O.O.F., in South Australia. In 1875 he married Elizabeth Keenor, daughter of the late Mr. Edward Loud, of “Thornaville,” Willunga, South Australia, one of the earliest settlers of the province, and has four sons and three daughters.
SAMUEL GALLIE PHILLIPS, of “Gunwarrie,” Cranbrook, is a native of New South Wales. Pie was educated in South Australia, and at the age of nineteen became connected with the mining industry, occupying various positions on the Baker's Creek and Arltunga goldfields, at the former place filling the joint posts of assayer, purser, and assistant manager. After eighteen months at Broken Hill on the British Mine he
came to Western Australia in 1909, and immediately turned his attention to pastoral pursuits, taking up 2,500 acres of homestead property in the Hay district, to which he has since added another 1,500 acres. The breeding of sheep has constituted the chief department of his industry, and at tho present time the flock consists of about 600 sheep, that part of the property not utilized for pasturage being applied to general mixed farming operations. About 35 acres have been brought under cultivation, principally of fodder for the stock, and three acres have been planted with fruit-trees, it being Mr. Phillips’ intention later to considerably enlarge the orchard area. In 1911 he married Bessie Williams, fourth daughter of the late Rev. Thomas Field, of North Adelaide.
THOMAS GEORGE MONCK-MASON, who owns the farming property of “Masonbrook,” Cranbrook, is a son of the late Mr. Thomas Monck-Mason, who was connected with the Bombay Civil Service. He was born at Cheltenham, England, on September 30, 1872, and received his scholastic training at Bath College, and subsequently at Emanuel College, Cantab. Upon the completion of his studies he went to
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Thomas George Monok-Mason.
Ceylon, where he spent four years in tea planting, and at the time of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations was a member of the military body chosen
from the Ceylon Mounted Infantry to represent that colony in London, lie remained in England for a year, not returning to Ceylon, and in 1898 came to settle in Western Australia, attracted by the liberal land conditions obtaining in this State. Almost immediately Mr. Monck-Mason made his home on the property where he now resides, taking up a block of 420 acres, to which he has since from time to time added by selection. He has now nearly 1,600 acres, a large portion of which is under cultivation, while the remainder is in course of development. A small orchard is a feature of the industry, and for a considerable time Mr. Monck-Mason carried on dairy-farming, but has relinquished cattle in favour of sheep, experience having taught him that the latter are better suited to the class of country. He takes an interest in local public affairs, but is too far distant from the centres of settlement to concern himself practically with local organizations. In 1905 Mr. Monck-Mason took a trip to the Old Country, and revisited the place of his birth, renewing old associations, and was absent five months. In 1902 he married Jean, daughter of Mr. Hugh Climie, of “Balloch-myle,” Cranbrook, and has two daughters.
PARKER BROOM, who owns and works the “Broomleigh” property at Cranbrook, was born at Exeter, Devon, England, on October 3, 1876, and is the youngest son of the late Mr. W. W. Broom, of that city. He received his elementary education at Exeter and Oakhamp-ton, with a finishing course at Sid-mouth College. In 1896 he went to South Africa, proceeding to the diamond fields at Gong Gong, and spent three and a half years at these diggings without proving himself one of the few to win Dame Fortune’s smile. Returning to England he revisited the place of his birth and many other towns of importance in the Old Land, and thence went to Canada, the farming conditions of which country had been painted in bright colours before the British public. The severity of the Canadian winter, however, compelled him to seek a more genial climate in which to make a home, and after carefully studying the conditions of life in Western Australia he sailed for Fremantle in 1907. Upon arriving Mr. Broom
purchased his present homestead and the surrounding property of 600 acres from a Mr. Baines, and has since added to his holding by selection until the estate now covers 1,300 to 1,400 acres. About 300 acres of this territory have been cleared and tilled, and have proved highly favourable to the cultivation of cereals, while attention is now being given to the building up of a flock for the production of mutton and wool. Mr. Broom has had some military experience, having served in the Boer War in South Africa as a member of the Queenstown Mounted Rifles, and he holds the Queen’s Medal in recognition of his services. In 1907 he married Ethel Mary, daughter of the late Mr. Patrick Frost, of Castlebank, County Clare, Ireland, and has two daughters.
GEORGE NAYLER, 'Warrnam-bool” Farm, Cranbrook, is a son of the late Mr. William Nayler, of Warrnambool, Victoria, and was born at the latter place on March 23, 1872. Leaving school at fourteen
IF. E. Elston, Wagiv.
Mr. Gf.orge Nayler.
years of age he served his apprenticeship to the building trade at Koroit, in the same State, and for nearly four years followed the calling of contractor and builder in Victoria. In 1895 he came to Western Australia, and upon arrival was offered a position with the firm of Messrs. Coombe, Wood, & Co., in Perth, and continued in this connection for five years. Subsequently
Mr. Nayler spent some time on the eastern goldfields and elsewhere in contracting on his own behalf, and at a later date settled at Subiaco, where he carried on a successful furniture business for five years. In 1906, being desirous to make a home in the country, he took up the block of land near Cranbrook where he now resides, and in the following year entered personally upon its development. The property consists of nearly 1,500 acres of good mixed land, embracing yate, mallet, and white-gum country. About eight miles of sheep-proof fencing have been erected, and other improvements are rapidly being pushed forward. At the present time agricultural operations take pride of place in the industry, 100 acres being under cultivation of cereals, which are the chief product of the tilled area; but it is Mr. Nayler’s intention in the near future to inaugurate a flock and make sheep a prominent feature of the estate. He takes parr in the movement for the advancement of the district, being a member of the Cranbrook Progress Association, and also is an adherent of the fraternity of Freemasons. He is fond of literature, favouring especially the present - day school of writers, with whose works he spends many leisure hours. Tn 1896 Mr. Nayler married Harriet, daughter of Mr. George Matters, printer and stationer, of Koroit, Victoria, and has two sous and a daughter.
ARTHUR HUGH LYONS, of “Inverdon,” Cranbrook, was born at Sligo, Ireland, on October 1, 1881, and is a son of Mr. llenry Lyons, J.P., of that place. He was educated in the Coleraine Academic Institution, and upon the completion of his studies emigrated to Canada, where he followed farming pursuits for a year. Returning to the Old Country he spent another year in different parts of Scotland and England, and in 1903 came to Western Australia. Here he added to his experience a year of station life in the Ashburton district of the north-west portion of the State, and from there went to South Africa, where he took part in the Zulu War of 1906-7 as a member of the Natal Mounted Rifles, and holds the King’s Medal for services rendered during that campaign. At the conclusion of hostilities he returned to Western Australia and entered into partnership
with Mr. Andrew Currie in the development of the “Inverdon” Farm, a connection which was terminated by Mr. Lyons taking over the property on his own account. The area of the farm covers over 2,500 acres, with the additional territory acquired since its purchase by the gentleman under review, and 200 acres are under cultivation, the raising of cereals being a special
IF. E. Elston, TT'agin.
Mr. Arthur Hugh Lyons.
feature of the industry. Mr. Lyons has met with gratifying success in his mixed farming operations, and has worked the place in every way to the best advantage, among other paying propositions deserving of mention being the orchard, where apples are grown for the local markets. He is a member of the Ten-terden Progress Association, and takes his part in the conduct of general local affairs. He spends his leisure in duck-shooting, having formerly for many years been prominent in hunting circles in Ireland and Scotland.
GEORGE KERCHAW BROWN, “Boyacup,” Cranbrook, is a son of the late Mr. George Brown, who arrived in this State in the early fifties. He was born at Perth on July 12, 1860, and received his scholastic education at the Government school, which he left at twelve years of age. He was then apprenticed to the farming industry, and having served a term of three years continued to follow like avocations
801
Photo by TF. P. Piston. “boyacup” Homestead.
of cattle are kept this branch of industry is not pursued to any considerable extent, on account of the presence of the Zamia palm, which
estate “Boyacup” by “Langar” out of “Needle,” representing imported stock out of an Arab mare. This horse has been a successful performer
between Perth and Albany for a lengthy period. In 1890 he purchased his present property “Boyacup” from the executors of the late Sir Thomas Campbell, and has since enlarged its area, which then covered only 40 acres, to the handsome total of 3,600 acres. The property is situated 18 miles from Cranbrook, which lies to the eastward, and is approached by a good road. The River
A fine flock of sheep is run on are devoted, Mr. Brown possessing the estate, the merino breed being two excellent sires, a Clydesdale and predominant, and while a few head a blood stallion, named after the
IF. P. Piston, Wagin.
Mr. George Kero haw Brown.
Photo by TF. P. Piston. barn on the Property.
Gordon runs through it for a distance of two and a half miles on the one side and one and a half miles on the other, providing a fine water frontage. The estate is fenced all round the boundary with three wires and dog-proof netting and subdivided into a number of pad-docks, while a 14-acre orchard has also proved a successful proposition.
produces the disease known as rickets. Horses are bred for market and for use on the farm, and to this department much time and attention
on the turf, and his services are largely in requisition by the owners of brood mares in the district for the production of good upstanding saddle and buggy horses. The homestead block was taken up originally about sixty years ago, and has been greatly improved by the present proprietor. The dwelling is built in the “colonial” style of one story, and contains six cosy and comfortable rooms, and from its eastern aspect commands a particularly fine view of the orchard stretching to the river, a distance of 40 chains. The outhouses are roomy and up-to-date and consist of a fruit-shed, stables, barn, and pigsties, with all necessary adjuncts. Mr. Brown is a committeeman of the Gordon River Settlers’ Association, and takes a keen interest in anything conducive to the welfare of the district. He is a keen patron of racing, being a member of both the Frank-land and Cranbrook Racing Clubs
Mr. G. K. Brown’s Residence. Cranbrook.
zz
802
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
and on the committee of the former. In May, 1892, he married Lilie, youngest daughter of the late Mr. Lomas Toovey, of Tenterden (then known as the Round Swamp), one of the earliest settlers of the State.
ALFRED CHARLES GARDINER, storekeeper, of Cranbrook, on the great southern railway line,
Gardiner, who was the owner of a farm in that district, and his elementary education was conducted by private tuition in his own home.
of over 42,000 kangaroos, and besides marsupials added many hundreds of dingoes and other native pests to his credit. In this calling he had
Cranbrook Hotel, the property of Mr. A. C. Gardiner.
abundant opportunity to make himself acquainted with the character of the country, and formed so favourable an opinion of the pastoral possibilities of the property known as “Kybalup,” 25 miles west of Cranbrook, that he turned his attention to grazing pursuits, stocking the run with cattle, horses, and sheep, and supervising its operations while still pursuing the chase. The estate he afterwards disposed of to Mr. Watson-Williams, of Claremont, but subsequently acquired further property, and at the present time holds possession of some 2,300 acres of freehold and C.P. land in the same district, undulating in character and timbered with yate and white-gum, forming good farming country, which he leases in holdings to different tenants for agricultural purposes. In 1905 Mr. Gardiner directed his enterprise to commercial pursuits, and established a storekeeping business on the Frankland River, which he conducted for some considerable time. He relinquished operations at this centre upon the purchase of a store at Cranbrook, which he has since had rebuilt, enlarged, and very considerably improved. This concern he has placed under the control of an efficient manager, but retains the personal supervision of the business by means of frequent visits, driving over from Albany two or three times a week. The term “general store” is most appropriately applied to this
* STOREKEEPER
Mr. A. C. Gardiner’s Store, Cranbrook.
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Alfred Charles Gardiner.
is a native of Western Australia, having been born at the settlement of Brunswick, near the seaport of Bunbury, on December 29, 1868. He is a son of the late Mr. Alfred
This teaching he augmented during subsequent years by a course of self-imposed study as opportunity allowed, the facilities for obtaining instruction at that period being of a very limited order in the country districts. Being fond of open-air life and a good marksman, for fourteen years he made a livelihood by hunting in the Frankland River district. During this period he covered a very wide area of country, travelling over
80,000 miles, 10,000 of which were traversed on foot, and while engaged in this way accounted for the slaying
803
business, all lines of goods being stocked, besides a variety of articles not in everyday use, but inquired for at intervals by the residents of the district. As agent between the local producers and Messrs. Henry Wills and Co., of Perth and Fremantle, Mr. Gardiner purchases fully 50 per cent, of the wool produced in the district, and he is also a large buyer of local produce, which in turn finds a ready sale in the produce department of the store. He also stocks all descriptions of farming machinery, being the local representative for the Sunshine Harvester Works of Victoria and the Massey-Harris Implement Company. A branch store has been established at Tenterdcn, which is carried on under separate management, with similar supervision by the proprietor; and the hotel at Cran-brook is owned by Mr. Gardiner, who is also interested in real estate in the town of Albany. Rifle and shotgun provide him with means of recreation, and he is known as the best shot in the district, securing the biggest recorded bag in Western Australia for the year 1911. He is also somewhat keen on cricket, and is a playing member of the local club. In 1888 Mr. Gardiner married Mary, daughter of Mr. James Herbert, of Cambellup, and has five sons and six daughters surviving.
FREDERICK HENRY MOYLE, proprietor of the Cranbrook Hotel, is a son of the late Mr. Edward John Moyle, of Portsmouth, England, and was born at Deptford, Kent, on March 27, 1858. His first lucrative occupation was in the mechanical branch of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company at Greenwich, from which he was promoted to a post in the steamer “Siene,” which laid the cable from Suez to Bombay. Returning to his native land he again entered the Greenwich workshops, but after a brief period the spirit of travel once more prompted a flight, this time across the Atlantic, where he took the oath of allegiance and became a member of the United States Navy after some months’ employment on the elevated railroad in New York City. For a couple of years Mr. Moyle served under the Stars and Stripes, and eventually found himself in the Southern Continent of America. Here he again entered upon railway construction, and afterwards joined the running staff of the great southern railway, the Ferrol zz2
Carril Andino, and other lines in the Argentine Republic, in which he continued for about six years. Returning to England, he gained a useful experience of business in the wholesale firm of Wisby & Sons, of Maidstone, and in the late eighties laid his fate in the balance of chance, spinning a coin to decide whether he should emigrate to Australia or South America. Australia winning the day he duly became a citizen of the Western State, and turned his hand to one and all of the numerous avocations which await the pioneer in
W. E. Elston, 1 Vagin.
Mr. Frederick Henry Moyle.
an undeveloped country. At length he took a position on the pumping engines of the great southern railway line, which he filled for five years, and in 1895 opened a store in Wellington Street, Perth, which he conducted personally for two years, at the end of that period selling out and for a time going into retirement. The Ravensthorpe gold rush tempted him to the exciting life of the prospector, and he was sufficiently fortunate to strike a claim, which was afterwards purchased by Mr. A. E. Morgans. Whilst in this district he also interested himself in local affairs, and was the first member for the Kundip Division of the Ravensthorpe Roads Board. From Ravensthorpe he visited London to witness the coronation ceremony of the late King Edward VII., and spent a considerable time in touring through the various places of interest in his native land. Returning to his adopted country he purchased the old Mount Barker Hotel, and conducted
it for some time before disposing of it to enter again upon business pursuits in the vicinity of the capital. In 1910 he took over the Cranbrook Hotel, and has since devoted all his energies to its successful conduct, being an attentive and painstaking host. In all Mr. Moyle’s wanderings in Western Australia he has been accompanied by his wife, to whom he was married in 1890; she is a daughter of Mr. John Herbert, of Mount Barker, one of the oldest settlers of this State, where he arrived in the late thirties.
HENRY JAMES TOWNSEND, J.P., “Dovedale,” Tenterden, is a son of the late Mr. Henry Townsend, of Honiton, Devon, England, who became a settler of Western Australia in the early thirties. The gentleman under review was born at Albany on February 13, 1848, and attended school in that town until ten years of age, when he proceeded to England to complete his education and remained there until his
Mr. Henry James Townsend.
seventeenth year. Returning to the land of his birth he joined his father at the home farm on King River, near Albany, and after a couple of years in this connection gained additional experience in sheepfarming on the “Fairfields” Estate, near Broome Hill, where he spent six years. Eventually Mr. Townsend entered upon storekeeping pursuits at Albany in the employ of Mr. Hassell, but relinquished this life to
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
engage in farming on his own account on an estate in the Cran-brook district, now owned by Mr. R. Climie. For over twenty-three years he continued on this property, until at a time of financial crisis he was compelled, like many others, to dispose of the acres to the development of which he had given so many years of his life. He next took a position on the staff of the permanent-way in connection with the railways, and during a period of eight years spent in this department purchased his present holding, and in 1898 returned to the district to take up his residence on a spot only about two miles distant from the old home where he had lived so long. The property is a homestead block of 170 acres, the conduct of which he personally superintends, having 16 acres under cultivation of fruit-trees, which area he is continually extending. He is a member of the local progress association, and for some years occupied a seat on the Plantagenet Roads Board. In 1906 he received his Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Rason Government. For over thirty years he has been connected with the Masonic fraternity, and has passed two decades in the fellowship of the Oddfellows’ Lodge. In 1875 Mr. Townsend married Mary, daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Gillam, of Albany, and has three sons and two daughters. His sons are following in the footsteps of their father, and have taken up additional blocks of land in the same district.
HENRY HOWARD TOOVEY, proprietor of the “Orchard View” Estate, Tenterden, is a son of the late Mr. Lomas Toovey, who came to this State in the early fifties, and was well known to early Western Australian pioneers as the genial host of the old Shamrock Hotel at Perth. Subsequently the late Mr. Toovey drove the overland mail between Perth and Albany for a number of years, and eventually settled in the Tenterden district, where his death occurred. The gentleman under review was born at Balgarrup on August 1, 1864, and received an elementary education at Albany, but before reaching his teens was already at work as a teamster in the halcyon days of the sandalwood industry. He passed through varied experiences in the battle waged with Nature by the
early pioneers to establish civilized conditions, and continued in the avocations of the bush until the gold discoveries of the eastern fields turned all eyes in that direction.
Mr. Lomas Toovey.
Dazzled by the glamour he followed the train of eager seekers after the precious metal, but upon arrival, instead of prospecting for the virgin ore, took a position in the carrying trade, which he held for a year. At
TF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Henry Howard Toovey.
the end of this period, returning to his old haunts, he entered upon timber contracting in connection with the railways, and spent a considerable time in this and other work of a similar nature, eventually joining the permanent-ways branch of the
railway service. In 1897 Mr. Toovey acquired by purchase his present holding in the Tenterden district, which then comprised 80 acres, but has since been extended by the addition of 260 acres. With the assistance of his family he here successfully carries on mixed farming pursuits, the orchard being the chief feature of the industry. It is interesting to note that this property originally was held by Mr. Toovey’s father, who selected it in 1866, and from whom it passed into other hands, only to be again acquired by his son. Mr. Toovey is a member of the Tenterden Progress Association. He is a great lover of horses and is never happier than when trying a youngster or handling some well-known favourite. He married in 1889 Catherine, daughter of the late Mr. William Weir, of Albany, and has six sons and three daughters.
JOSEPH LUNT, who owns the well-known farming property of “Wongellelup,” Tenterden, is a son of the late Mr. John Lunt, of Aud-lem, Cheshire, England, and was born at Audley, in Staffordshire, on May 23, 1853. After attending the local school for several years, at an early age he went to work in the coal-mines, but had not been long engaged in this industry when a fearful explosion occurred (December 31, 1866) in the Talk o’ the Hill Mine in Staffordshire, by which ninety-one men and boys lost their lives. This appalling event caused him to relinquish the career of a miner and to seek other channels of industry, and he became apprenticed to the building trade. Mr. Lunt followed this calling for many years in England, first acquainting himself thoroughly with every detail in all branches of the trade and ultimately carrying on business as a building contractor. In 1882 he sailed for Australia, and landing at Sydney continued in the same line of work for some considerable time before changing his centre of operations to Victoria, in which State he remained for fourteen years. When the report of gold discoveries in Western Australia was noised abroad he responded to the lure, and upon arrival here became attached to a survey party which retained his services for some length of time. Eventually Mr. Lunt established himself as a builder and contractor at Fremantle, and after eight years
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spent in the seaport selected the block of land at Tenterden upon which he now resides, and entered upon its development. He first owned 500 acres, upon which he began operations, and as time went on purchased 'additional property until the area of his estate embraced over 2,500 acres of excellent farming land, timbered with jarrah, yate, and the red and white gum. Of this 200 acres have been cleared, and mixed farming is carried on under the management of Mr. Lunt, who is assisted in the work of the estate by some of his sons. Sheepraising forms an important department of the industry, and cereals
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Joseph Lunt.
are successfully produced, while considerable attention is given to orchard work with satisfactory results. From the very inception of the settlement Mr. Lunt has been prominently concerned with matters affecting its general advancement, and no movement has been set on foot in which he has not played a leading part. He was the founder of the agricultural society and of the progress association, and shortly after his arrival was instrumental in securing the first postal service for the district. He is hon. secretary of the local agricultural hall committee, and holds a similar position in connection with the railway league. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and finds occupation for his leisure hours in the perusal of historical and political literary works. Mr. Lunt has been
twice married, his first wife, a daughter of the late Mr. Roger Whittaker, dying in 1889, subsequent to which he was united to Clara, daughter of Mr. William Varcoe, of Ballarat, Victoria. His family consists of six sons and four daughters surviving.
WILLIAM TUFNELL, orchard-ist, proprietor of “Swaton,” Tenterden, is a son of the late Mr. Joseph Tufnell, of Heckington, Lincolnshire, England, and was born at Sleaford, in that county, on October 16, 1863. He received his education at Swaton, in Lincolnshire, and at twelve years of age began to follow farming pursuits, while continuing his studies at night classes and Sunday-school for some years. In 1886 he emigrated to Queensland and engaged in various occupations, having a good deal to do with the handling and management of horses, subsequent to which he was identified with the Fairfield gold rush, where, however, he laboured without very satisfactory results. While in the northern State he also filled in a large portion of his time in the railway service, but eventually came south to New South Wales and settled down to the study of orchard work, having the management of “Falconbridge/' the property of Messrs. Hardman Brothers. Here he had the great benefit of tuition in horticulture by the then Government botanist of New South Wales, and gained valuable experience in all the details of fruit-growing. He resigned his position in 1893 to come to Western Australia with the intention of proceeding to the goldfields, but altered his plans, and for a time was settled on the block of land which has since been purchased by Mr. 11. J. Townsend, at Tenterden. At the inception of the Agricultural Bank he took up a block of land to which he gave the name of “Swaton,” and borrowing a small sum of money for fencing began the development of the holding. To find further capital he went to the goldfields and followed mining occupations, leaving the property in the care of his wife, who planted tho first hundred fruit-trees in what has since become a very flourishing orchard. Having filled the position of foreman of the roasting plant at the Great Boulder Mine for some time Mr. Tufnell finally settled down on the “Swaton” property, and has conducted operations very
successfully ever since. He interests himself in the affairs of the district, and is a member of the local progress association and of the original hall committee at Tenterden, also being connected with tho Farmers and Settlers' Political Union. In 1892
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. William Tufnell.
he married Hannah, daughter of the late Mr. James Clarke, of Street Lane, Derbyshire, England, and has two sons and a daughter.
WILLIAM THOMAS BETTS, owner of “Ronaldshaw,” Tenterden, is a son of Mr. John Betts, a native of Western Australia, now living in retirement at Guildford, where the subject of this notice was born on January 27,1868. Having concluded his education at the Guildford State school, he became engaged in the saw-milling industry for a time, but relinquished this in favour of farming pursuits, and after working on his father's property enlarged his experience on various farms throughout the central, great southern, and southwestern districts. In 1890 he entered the railway service of the Western Australian Land Company in the ways and works branch, and was employed on the great southern line for eight years. He retired from the work of railway construction to engage on his own account in farming, and having an excellent knowledge of the fine workable qualities of the soil in the Tenterden district, purchased his present holding from Mr. J. A. Roberts, its area then
806
being about 300 acres. Since that period Mr. Betts has extended his acres both by purchase and selection, and holds 1,000 acres at the present time, about a third of which area is under cultivation, cereals being grown for the market on a fairly large scale and considerable attention given to orchard culture. Shcop, horses, and cattle are also grazed on the property and general mixed-farming operations carried on. Always to the fore in matters affecting the welfare of the district, Mr. Betts is a member of the Plantagenet Roads Board, and for a number of years was chairman of the local
IK. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. William Thomas Betts.
agricultural association, of which he is still a member. He is also prominent in church affairs, and is a member of the local committee of the Church of England. He takes his full share in promoting healthy outdoor sport and is president of the Tenterden Cricket Club. In 1889 he married Hannah, daughter of Mr. William Turton, of Wandering, and has two sons and four daughters.
“LILLYDALE,” the property of Messrs. Gustav and Hermann Meng-ler, is situated about four or five miles in an easterly direction from Tenterden, and consists of 5,000 acres of whitc-gum and yate country, where natural grasses abound and summer herbage is plentiful. The estate was first taken up by the present proprietors in 1908, and within three months from the time of entering into possession this enterprising
firm had accomplished the ringbarking of the entire area of the property, since when the work of development has proceeded rapidly. Sheep-proof fencing was put up at a cost of £34 per mile, and five dams constructed on different parts of the estate, which in addition to three natural soaks render watering facilities plentiful and convenient. The homestead is situated on rising ground about half a mile distant from the public road, and is a very comfortable abode. Nearly 300 acres have been prepared for cultivation, and the greater portion of this area has been cropped with wheat and oats, while fields sown with clover have yielded splendid results. The flock was founded with ewes from “Kendenup” Estate, the rams, imported from South Australia, being the progeny of the noted “Fane II.” out of “Bungaree” stud ewes. This well-known sire is a pure “Warrenock” ram, and was used with great success in the “Mannanarie” stud. HERMANN MENGLER was born at Eudunda, South Australia, in 1884. Coming to Western Australia he was employed at Fremantle for a time, afterwards proceeding to Kalgoorlie, where he joined his brother in trading pursuits, which he subsequently relinquished to devote the whole of his attention to the development of the “Lillydale” property. Mr. Mengler, who is chairman of the Tenterden Progress Association, married in 1910 a daughter of the late Mr. Otto Rodda, of Broken Hill, New South Wales, and has one son. Mr. G. Mengler is referred to elsewhere in this volume.
WILLIAM DUNN, “Woodburn,” the Porongarup Ranges, Mount Barker district, is the eldest son of the late Mr. James Richard Dunn, who came to this State over seventy years ago from Kent, England, and was one of the early pioneers of this neighbourhood. He was a member of the Civil Service for a considerable time, and in the course of his bush experience turned his hand to almost every kind of work that confronted the new settler, finally taking up “Woodburn” in 1860 upon his retirement from the Government Service. The subject of this memoir was born at Albany on December 18, 1847, and received his education at various schools in that seaport, and by private tuition in his own home. Aftor the completion of his studies he followed various pursuits before
joining his father on the Poron-garups in 1863, and since that period has devoted the whole of his time and energies to carrying on the industry so ably inaugurated by his parent. The original block owned by Mr. Dunn was only 40 acres in extent, but has been extensively added to by the present proprietor, whose holding now extends over 940 acres immediately surrounding the homestead, while he also owns several blocks in other localities, which are held and worked by his sons. Nearly 100 acres have been cleared, and the scope of operations includes general farming, the raising of cereals and fruit, and the breeding of live stock, all of which is carried on with considerable success. For many years Mr. Dunn has actively concerned himself in local government, and has served as a member of both the Albany and Plantagenet Roads
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. William Dunn.
Boards. He married in 1878 Alice, daughter of the late Mr. Charles Keyser, who came from America in 1836 and settled at Busselton, where Mrs. Dunn was born. The family consists of five sons and four daughters.
ANDREW MUIR, J.P., “Forest Hill,” Mount Barker, was born at Albany, Western Australia, on November 24, 1855, and is descended from one of the notable pioneering families of the southern district. His grandfather, the late Mr. Andrew Muir, arrived in this State by the
807
sailing vessol '‘Ganges” on January-18, 1844, having left his native Fife-shire to join his cousin, Mr. George Cheyne, in station pursuits at Cape Riche, where he continued for a few years. After relinquishing this connection he came to the Mount Barker district, and for a time rented a property called “Ongarup,” on the Hay River. While there he made some explorations to the westward, and discovering the locality on which “Forest Hill” Estate is situated, took over this country from the Crown and entered upon its development. In these early pioneer days, when the nearest market was Albany, 46 miles distant, whence all necessaries had to be carted by horse teams with waggons of home manufacture, much of the flour used on the place was ground by hand in an old steel mill, which still exists, and later, until 1875, the same work was done by means of horse-power, for which purpose a mill was erected, this being one of the old landmarks yet standing. In the course of his expeditions the late Mr. Andrew Muir also took up the properties of “Deeside,” “Lake Muir,” and “Nabagup,” the latter, freehold and Crown property, comprising 3,250 acres in the Nelson district, now being in possession of the gentleman under review. He settled his sons on these properties, which
Mr. Andrew Muir, sen.
were then on the “edge of the beyond,” even the roads having to be cut by the settlers, who endured many privations and hardships in their heroic endeavours to open up the country. The Muir family were
HOMESTEAD AND OUTBUILDINGS AT “ FOREST HILL."
also the pioneers of the Eucla district, to which they shipped stock from “Forest Hill,” via Albany, and met with considerable success, subsequently selling out their interests to an Adelaide Company. The late Mr. John R. Muir, who worthily established his claim to be considered the first pastoralist of the district, died a few years after its establishment. In 1866 the late Mr. Andrew Muir
appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. Andrew Muir, the present occupant of “Forest Hill,” is a son of the late Mr. Robert Muir, and received his
Mr. Andrew Muir.
education at Albany. Leaving school in 1872 he entered upon pastoral pursuits on the estate where he now resides, of which he became sole proprietor by purchase in 1902, having previously filled the position of manager for a number of years. “Forest Hill” comprises about 4,000 acres, a portion of which has been cleared and cultivated, fodder for the stock being grown in considerable quantities. Grazing is carried on on a large scale, 4,000 sheep being shorn annually here and at “Nabagup,” in which the merino breed predominates,
Mr. Robert Muir.
opened a general merchant’s business at Albany, which in 1884 was taken over by the late Mr. Robert Muir and carried on by him under the old title of A. Muir & Sons, remaining in the estate until 1902, when the sole interests were taken over by Mr. Robert Trail Muir, whose biography
fresh blood having been introduced at intervals from the famous “Boo-noke" strain in the Riverina district, New South Wales, and from Messrs. Angas and Murray Dawson's flocks in South Australia. Mr. Muir is a breeder of horses, both draught and blood stock being present on the estate and numbering about 100 head in all. He owns a fine Clydesdale stallion, “Young Donald" by “Sir Donald" from “Jipp” by “St. Hilda," and the blood sire is “Thor," by “Port Admiral" out of “Thunder Queen," imported from South Australia. There are 16 acres of orchard in full bearing, and a fine variety of apples is grown for export purposes, including Rome Beauty, Jonathan, Baldwin, and others, which find a ready market and obtain good prices in Germany, while large consignments also find their way to the Western Australian goldfields. In the orchard flourished a pear-tree, planted in the early fifties by the late Mr. Robert Muir, which during last season (1911) produced 2,197 lb. of fruit, and in a previous year (1906) realized returns of £15 for the one year's harvest. Mr. Muir has always taken an active interest in the progress of the district in which he resides, and has filled at one time or another every position of honour on the various local organizations. He has been chairman of the Planta-genet Roads Board, of which he is still a member, has been associated with the fraternity of Freemasons for nearly forty years, and for half that period with the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Forrest Administration in 1900. His favourite recreation is motoring, and he takes pleasure in assuming full responsibility for his car, attending personally to the duty of keeping it in working order, and acting as his own chauffeur with confidence and skill. In 1884 he married Sophie Elizabeth Lowe, daughter of the late Mr. Andrew Muir, of “Lake Muir," and has three sons and five daughters.
JOHN LARTER, WALL, orchardist, of “Avoca" Farm, Mount Barker, is a son of the late Mr. George Wall, of York, Western Australia, and was born at the latter town on April 4, 1854. At the close of his studies, which he pursued in his native place, he was shepherding for a time in the employ of his uncle, the late Mr. Charles Massingham,
over the Kellerberrin, Milcanning, and Minterbuckle districts. Subsequently he learnt the wheelwright and blacksmithing trade under his father at York, and continued in this connection until he was twenty-five years of age. In January, 1880, he presented himself at the Police Department in Perth as a candidate for the mounted police, and being accepted was placed on duty in the metropolitan area and Fremantle to enable him to gain the necessary experience which would fit him for the responsibilities which would fall to his share away from headquarters. His first station in the mounted force was at Albany, where he continued until July, 1887,
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Me. John Laetee Wall.
when he was transferred to the Mount Barker Station to take charge of that district, and was retained there until the outbreak of the Phillips River copper mines. Mr. Wall was then sent to open the police station at this centre, and for nearly eight years—until the early part of 1908—held control of that station with the rank of corporal. In April, 1908, having concluded a faithful and creditable term of over twenty-eight years in the service of his native State, he tendered his resignation, and retired to his farm at Mount Barker, which he had taken up about ten years previously. Since that time he has devoted himself to the working of this property, which consists of 260 acres of land which ranks in quality equal to the best in the district, and especially worthy of
mention is the orchard, which, under his careful attention, produces good harvests and shows promise of yet more excellent results in the near future. Mr. Wall is a member of the local fruit - growers' association. While in the police force he received recognition of the esteem in which he was held by the residents of Ravens-thorpe—the present name of Phillips River—by the presentation of an illuminated address and other tokens of respect. His name is a very old. one in Western Australia, his father having come to the State at the early age of seven with his parents, who were passengers by the barque “Marquis of Anglesea" in the year 1829. Mr. Wall married in 1879 Julia, daughter of Mr. Richard Newport, late of York, Western Australia, and has three sons and three daughters. His eldest son is engaged in commercial pursuits at Mount Barker, and the second fills the position of postmaster of that town.
HORACE EGERTON-WARBURTON, J.P., “St. Wer-burgh’s," Mount Barker, is the third son of the late Mr. George Edward Egcrton - Warburton, who founded the Egerton-War burton family in Western Australia in the early forties of the nineteenth century. The late gentleman came from England to Tasmania as lieutenant in the 51st Regiment, and subsequently sold his commission and settled on location No. 20, now known as “St. Wer-burgh’s." The original holding comprised 320 acres, but this area was soon extended by the late Mr. Eger ton-War bur ton, and at the time of his death he had acquired a further 360 acres, the whole property then consisting of 680 acres freehold and a quantity of pastoral leasehold. The subject of this notice, two years after his father’s death, entered into possession as the tenant of the deceased gentleman's widow, and subsequent to her demise purchased the estate from those members of the family interested therein. After this event he converted the greater portion of the pastoral leasehold into conditional purchase, the total area now being 3,300 acres. The land is of a very mixed character. Other parts of the estate are fairly heavily timbered and suitable for fruit-growing, the area available for profitable mixed farming being rather restricted owing to the natural conformation of the land. The estate
809
is subdivided into convenient paddocks, the largest being 1,100 acres, and from 1,500 to 2,000 sheep are run on the property, formerly all
Mr. G. E. Egerton-Warburton.
crossbreds, but latterly merino rams have been used with a view to improving the wool-carrying capacity of the sheep, and considerable success has attended the introduction of local stud rams bred by Mr. Andrew Muir, of “Forest Hill” Estate. The soil and climate have proved highly adapted for fruit cultivation, and apples are grown for export to London and Germany, as well as for the local markets. The orchard covers an area of between 30 and 40 acres at an average of about seventy trees to the acre, the majority of which are apples, though pears and stone fruit are also grown to a limited extent. The homestead was built in
the late forties, but has since undergone considerable alteration, changes and enlargement taking place in 1860 consequent upon the destruction of a portion of the building by fire several years previously. Mr. Horace Egerton - Warburton was born at Strawberry Hill, Albany (the original home in Western Australia of the late Sir Richard Spencer), on November 9, 1848, and he was educated by means of private tuition in his father’s homestead. He continued to reside on the estate of “St. Werburgh’s” until he was twenty-three years of age, and later was engaged for a time in a milling business at Albany. The failure of that venture led to the founding of a water-power sawmill on a tributary of the King River, near Albany, where for a decade he conducted a timber-milling business. Relinquishing this industry, he leased the mill and directed his attention to pastoral pursuits at Torbay, and the Porongarup Hills on leasehold property, where he continued for about six years, dealing chiefly with cattle. In 1889 he purchased from the trustees of the Trimmer Estate “Pootcnup,” a pastoral holding lying to the northward of Cranbrook. When land selection began in this neighbourhood Mr. Egerton-Warburton from time to time made selections from the best portion of his leasehold, and now holds about 8,000 acres freehold and conditional purchase land in this locality, which is devoted to sheep and horse-breeding and to cerealfarming, operations being under the direction of his eldest son, who has .sole charge of the estate. In 1891 he took up his residence in the old
homestoad of “St. Werburgh’s,” in the first instance as a tenant, but ultimately purchasing the property, as before stated. Mr. Egerton-Warburton has taken a prominent part in local affairs, and for many years filled the office of chairman of the Plantagenet Roads Board. He was also president of the Mount Barker Rural Association for a considerable period, and at the inauguration of the Farmers and Producers’ Political Union in that
Mr. Horace Egerton-Warbtjrton.
neighbourhood he was elected first president. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace for the whole State from the Forrest Administration in 1894. Mr.
Egerton-Warburton was married in 1875 to Selina, daughter of the late Mr. McKail, of Albany, and has two sons and four daughters.
View of Mr. H. Egerton-Warburton’s "St. Werburg’s” Estate.
EDWARD EGERTON WARBURTON, J.P., who owns “Ongarup” Estate, Mount Barker, is a native of Western Australia, having been born at Albany on May 25, 1867. He is the eighth son of the late Mr. George Edward Egerton-Warburton, of “St. Werburgh’s,” a member of the 51st Regiment Imperial Army, who originally came to Albany with troops from Tasmania, and was one of the earliest settlers in the State. The subject of this
Werburgh’s” Estate, directing his attention specially to the sheep-raising industry, which was then being carried on with considerable vigour in
for fruit-growing and pastoral operations, sheep-raising being the principal department of the industry. The whole of the estate is fenced and
Photo by TF. E. Elston. Apple Trees in Full Bearing.
subdivided with wires, and dog-proof netting on the boundary forms an efficacious barrier to the enemies of the pastoralist—the dingo and sheepkilling dog. The flock is developed chiefly for its mutton-producing qualities, wool not being specially considered in the type striven after, which has been best attained to in the Shropshire crossbred, this finding favour in the Western Australian! markets in the shape of mutton and lamb. Mr. Egerton-War-burton has a goodly acreage devoted to orchard purposes, and cultivates successfully all the popular varieties of fruits for local consumption. His family has been well known all over the district for the prominent part it has taken in its development, being recognized as pioneers of public spirit and keeping themselves in touch with the march of civilization at the older centres. The gentleman under review has displayed the same interest in local government, and has never regarded as beneath his notice any matter, however small, which was likely to prove beneficial to his neighbours and the community in general. For eleven years he has occupied a scat on the Plantagenet Roads Board, and in 1905 was elected to the position of chairman of that body, which office he has filled ever since. He has been a member of the Mount Barker Rural Association almost since its inception and acted as its president for several years. In 1901 his sphere of influence was still
Mr. E. Egerton-Warburton's "Ongarup” Estate, Mount Barker.
TF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Edward Egerton-Warbtjrton.
memoir received his education chiefly by private tuition in his own home, which was supplemented by a finishing course at a school in Albany, and having finished his scholastic career he became engaged on the “St.
that district. He continued to reside with his parents until the age of twenty-one, and having attained his majority left the paternal rooftree and enlarged his experience in the various branches of farming in different localities until 1892, when the rich acres of “Ongarup” attracted his attention. Further inspection proving satisfactory, Mr. Egerton-Warburton decided to purchase the property, the extent of which was then only 400 acres, 50 of which were cleared. The “Ongarup” Estate now exceeds 2,000 acres of good mixed land, composed chiefly of jarrah and redgum country, and highly suitable
811
further extended by his registration as a Justice of the Peace for the district, this Commission being granted by the Moore Government. Mr. Egerton-Warburton is fond of home life and finds considerable pleasure in his hours of relaxation from the cares of the estate in dipping into historical works by leading authors. He married in 1900 Mary Francis Edith, second daughter of the late Honourable C. E. Dempster, who served the State in the Legislative Council for upwards of twenty years, his residence being at “Springfield,” Northam. There is one daughter of this union.
WILLIAM WALLACE MITCHELL, J.P., who owns the picturesquely situated property of “Langton,” on the south bank of the Hay River, seven and a half miles from Mount Barker, is a son of Mr. William Owen Mitchell, of Donny-brook, in the south-western district of this State, and was born at Belvi-dere, near Bunbury, on August 7, 1858. lie was educated privately, schools being non-existent at that time, and upon reaching his teens entered upon farming occupations on his father’s property. Upon attaining manhood he launched out for himself, first leaving home and working in the Mount Barker district for a couple of years in order to gather a
little capital with which to make a start. During this time he kept his eyes open for a suitably-situated block of land on which to commence operations, but finding that his present holding was to let agreed to rent
Mil. William Wallace Mitchell.
it from the late Sir Thomas Campbell, who had built a homestead and cleared a few acres of land, but apart from this had made practically no improvements on the place. Mr. Mitchell at once set to work to develop the holding, which comprises 440 acres, and met with such success
that within six years he was able to purchase on terms. He immediately began to extend his borders, and acquired sufficient additional land to bring his property up to 2,500 acres approximately. Of this 400 acres are cleared, and mixed-farming pursuits are carried on, 30 acres of orchard absorbing the major portion of Mr. Mitchell’s attention. Horses and sheep are bred on the property, the flock consisting of about 1,000 sheep, and crops are raised successfully. The homestead lies on the Blackwood Road within easy driving distance from Mount Barker, and substantial outhouses have been erected which are up to date in every detail, as likewise is the machinery used on the farm, an 8-horsepower oil-engine providing power for chaff - cutting, timber - sawing, etc. For a number of years Mr. Mitchell was a member of the Plantagenet Roads Board, and has always taken his share of public duties, interesting himself in the various local organizations. He was at one time chairman of the agricultural society and is a Justice of the Peace for the district, besides which, on the social side, he is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Albany Club. Mr. Mitchell was married in the year 1884 to Ann, daughter of the late Mr. George Edward Egerton-Warburton, of “St. Werburgh’s,” Mount Barker.
" Lanqton.’’ Residence of Mr. W. W. Mitchell, Mount Barker.
812
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Residence of Mr. W. Sounness, Mount Barker.
were made with Mr. McKail to stock the estate with a flock of 400 sheep, which they purchased at 10s. a head, on terms, and this proved so successful a venture that a profit of 50 per cent, was recorded within
IF. E. Elston, Way in.
Mr. Wit,t,iam Sounness.
twelve months after delivery. Following on this smile of Dame Fortune it was decided that the younger pioneer should devote his whole time to the charge of the flock, which was pastured on a pastoral lease of over
20,000 acres adjoining the present holding, and excellent results accrued, in nine years the flock increasing to nearly 2,000. About this time the late Mr. Sounness, whose decease occurred at “Merryup" at the age of ninety years, retired from the active management of the property and the present owner assumed the reins of control. The gentleman under review was born at Albany on November 3, 1848, and for two years attended the local State school, subsequently advancing himself by means of private study as circumstances allowed. He became his father's right hand in the development of the “Merryup" property, and finally took over the estate, as already described. At this period the orchard area covered only a quarter of an acre, but even then it had attracted the notice of the other settlers, and “Sounness’ Orchard" was referred to as the show place of the district. Mr. Sounness accordingly decided to extend this promising branch of his industry, and year by year broke up more ground for
not proving sufficiently remunerative for garden produce, in 1860 he came to the Mount Barker district and settled at “Merryup," taking up a 40-acre block of land in the early days of the introduction of small holdings by the Government. The country at this place was regarded as an almost impossible proposition from a farming point of view owing to the very heavy timber on the land, redgum and jarrah trees attaining in some cases a diameter of 10 to 12 ft. The late Mr. Sounness, however, undaunted, faced the problem, and on June 15, 1860 (Waterloo Day)
started operations with the help of his son, the present owner of the property. The 40-acre block of 1860 is now but a tiny corner in a fine estate of 3,000 acres, the boundary-lines having been extended first on one side and then on another, and the first cleared patch of 4 acres —which it took the courageous pair several months to prepare for cropping, the wheat being sown between the big trees—is now a part of 500 acres devoted to tillage. This first crop was ground into flour by hand for use in the camp, two round stones picked up in the creek being utilized for the purpose. At times the privations endured by the settlers were very great, boiled wheat upon occasion being their only sustenance, spite of the fact that Mr. Sounness’ heroic wife toiled in Albany in order to provide the wherewithal to keep the family while the pioneering work was accomplished. Subsequently arrangements
WILLIAM SOUNNESS, J.P., “Merryup," Mount Barker, is a son of the late Mr. William Sounness, who came from the village of West Salton, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, and arrived in Western Australia in the year 1840. He began his career in the new country as manager of th9 “Kandiup" Estate, the property of the late Mr. Stewart Symes, and subsequently took control of the “Ken-den up’’ Estate on behalf of the late
Mr. William Sounness, sen.
Captain Hassell, for six years. Leaving there he went to Albany and turned his hand to various avocations, including those of market gardener and carrying contractor. The markets
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
813
the purpose of planting fruit-trees. The scheme so proceeded with prospered, and to-day the name of “Merryup” represents the largest orchard enterprise in Western Australia, over 200 acres being devoted to its operations. Many varieties of apples are grown, large quantities being regularly exported to London and Germany. For more than a quarter of a century Mr. Sounncss has been a member of the Plan-tagenet Roads Board, he received a Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Forrest Administration in 1900, and has taken his turn in presiding over every local organization that has been formed by the residents. He now lives in partial retirement on the property, the conduct and management of the place having been handed over to his sons. His marriage took place in 1876 with Charlotte, daughter of the late Mr. William John Gibbs, who left England in 1829 for Australian shores, and was among the hardy pioneers to whom the present generation of Western Australians owe so large a debt of gratitude. This lady, by whom he has seven sons and four daughters, has been of the greatest possible assistance to her husband, and by her energy and unremitting labours in the early days of their union played an important part in placing the family fortunes on the prosperous basis which has resulted in the success attained to at the present day.
ANDREW FOSTER TREE MITCHELL, who owns the “Nar-pin” property in partnership with Mr. Robert Henry Wright, is a native of Albany, where he was born on August 11, 1872, his father being the late Mr. Samuel Mitchell, for forty years connected with the Harbour and Lights Service of this State. He was educated at a private school in Albany, and for some time after the close of his scholastic career was engaged in office work at that seaport. Prompted by a strong desire to follow outdoor life, after six years of clerical work he resigned his position and began the pursuits of a farmer on the "Mount Barker” Estate, then the property of Messrs. Millar Brothers. Hero he learnt a great deal about orchard culture, and after two years’ work and study on this property he proceeded to Wagin, where he enlarged his knowledge in regard to sheep-raising and the
cultivation of cereals. The original homestead block of "Narpin” was at that time held by Mr. Mitchell’s brother-in-law and present partner, Mr. R. II. Wright, and an arrangement was made by which the gentleman under review took over the management and lived on the property while Mr. Wright continued in his position of postmaster in the Government Service. Mr. Mitchell has devoted the whole of his time and energies to the development of this estate, which at the present time comprises 1,200 acres, and has over 80 acres under cultivation, fully half of which is included in the orchard area, while the remainder is used for growing cereals, tubers, etc. Large consignments of fruit are shipped to the Continental markets, where buyers give good prices, and the balance is disposed of to local purchasers. Mr. Mitchell is prominent
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Andrew Foster Tree Mitchell.
in affairs connected with local government, and for many years has been a member of the Plantagenet Roads Board, to which he was recently appointed secretary, carrying out the duties of this office in conjunction with the farming industry. He is a member of the fruit-growers’ and rural associations and a committeeman of the Farmers and Producers’ Political Union, and takes his share in all movements toward the advancement of the district. Mr. Mitchell married in 1910 Fanny Elizabeth, daughter of the late Mr. William Milne, of Busselton, and has one daughter.
JOSEPH EDWARD DRAGE, "Effiedale,” Mount Barker, is a son of the late Mr. William Drage, of Port Pirie, South Australia, and was born at Auburn, in that State, on February 22, 1870. He received his education at the local State school, and at the close of his studies entered commercial life in the office of Messrs. Treleaven <fc Brown, of
TF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Joseph Edward Drage.
Laura, a country town m soutn Australia. After three years with these gentlemen he turned his hand to various classes of work and eventually settled at Port Pirie, where he was engaged in the smelting works for nine years. In 1899 Mr. Drage came to Western Australia, and with tho object of making a home took up his present property in its virgin state from the Grown, and proceeded at once with its development. The farm comprises nearly 1,000 acres, 100 of which are cleared and applied to purposes of cultivation, a flourishing orchard being in evidence and other farm products adding to the general appearance of prosperity. Mr. Drage gives a portion of his attention to the public affairs of the place, and is a committeeman of the Forest Hill Agricultural Hall. For many years he has been a member of the United Ancient Order of Druids. His hours of leisure are spent chiefly in the perusal of a wide range of literary works, his preference tending to those of an historical character. In 1894 he married Ethel Maud, daughter of Mr. Edwa,rd Holland, of Wagin, Western Australia, and has five sons and five daughters.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
“Teddington” Homstead.
splendidly adapted to pastoral uses, and is excellent sheep country, fine, dry, healthy pastures being provided by the hilly portions, which are covered with a good chocolate soil, gravelly in parts and rich in the constituents necessary for producing fattening herbage for the flocks. On the flats the stretches of fertile black sandy loam invite the labours of the horticulturist and give him promise of successful issues to his enterprise which is abundantly fulfilled. Clearing operations have been pursued with steady vigour, and 200 acres have been brought under cultivation, the method adopted in preparing the
“TEDDINGTON” ESTATE, the property of Mr. George Moyses Roborts, is situated 15 miles west of Mount Barker, and comprises 8,500 acres of mixed swamp land and heavy yate, rodgum, and jarrah country. Originally it was a part of the territory taken over by the Western Australian Land Company, and was purchased from it by the late Mr. J. A. Mullens, by whom it was transferred to his son, who carried it on for some twenty-five years. Subsequent to the decease of the latter the estate, which with the exception of about 600 acres consisted entirely of freehold property, was sold by his executors to the present owner in 1907. In the early days of its development gold was discovered in certain localities on the station,
Flock of Angora Goats.
but not in sufficient quantities to make the working of it a payable proposition. It has, however, proved
Outbuildings at “Teddington.
land for tillage being to ring the large timber several years before the soil is required, and when the trees are dead to burn these giants of the primeval forest, which now lie prone on mother earth, or stand stark and bare to the open sky. By this method the cost of clearing is reduced to about £7 per acre. At the present time there are about
2,000 acres ringbarked, and this work is being continued every year, plenty of timber still being left on the run ready for the ringman’s axe. The entire property is protected by fences constructed with posts and three wires, dog-proof wire-netting, 3 ft. in height, having been carried round the whole fence as a safeguard against the too-numerous enemies of the flock. Subdivisional fences have been run up on the same system, the average cost being about £32 per mile. By this means the estate is divided into eighteen paddocks of varying size, the largest covering an area of 2,000 acres and the smallest of ten acres, those of lesser size being
Photo by XV. P- Piston.
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the scene of agricultural and orchard operations. The annual rainfall of this district averages 30 in., and the estate has a natural water supply of several pools on the lower-lying portions of the property. A couple of wells, which yield good water, have been sunk, and the construction of • seven dams in different localities has assured an unfailing supply of the precious fluid. Windmills are erected at the wells, and these are provided with tanks for storage purposes, from which the water is run into troughs fitted with automatic action. A gracious sight on the estate is the homestead, erected in 1891, of granite native to the surrounding hills. It is a most comfortable structure, containing twelve rooms and the usual offices, and since its purchase by Mr. Roberts a large billiard-room has been added, measuring 28 ft. by 18 ft., and fitted with Alcock’s well-known tables and all modern appointments. A flower garden, where flourish shrubs and blooms of every shape and hue, graces the approach to the dwelling, and is protected by a row of stunted pines in the background, while a croquet
found the fruit-house, where the products of the orchard are stored, the jam-factory and preserving works, with the engine sheds which shelter the boiler-engine and a steam-engine
Apple Tree showing Heavy Crop of Fruit.
of 15 horse-power, used for driving machinery in connection with the saw-bench and other operations on the estate. There are a couple of four-roomed houses and two other cottages for the use of married men employed in work on the property
Station, and the “Adams” car kept by Mr. Roberts for his private use. A drive round the property brings the visitor within view of the 80-acre orchard, in the cultivation of which the latest methods are brought into requisition with the most satisfactory results. The chief varieties of fruits grown for commercial purposes are apples, plums, and pears, which are produced in large quantities, and much of which is destined for export, big consignments being shipped to England and Germany, where the markets are open to Australian products and good returns may be realized. A considerable amount of fruit is also disposed of locally, being sent to Perth and the goldfields, where such commodities are in constant demand, and to satisfy the requirements of the domestic manage at “Teddington” parts of the orchard are set aside for the cultivation of those more perishable products which can be enjoyed to the full only by immediate transport from the orchard to the table. In the cultivation field peas, oats, and a fair quantity of rape are grown as fodder for the stock, experience having proved that in the summer months
Photo by TF. E. Elston.
lawn on the western side is also surrounded by a similar break-wind. In the vicinity of the homestead cluster the outbuildings, including good stabling accommodation, and among these, all under one roof, are
General View of Homestead.
A shelter-shed for motors has also been a necessary adjunct, where in its leisure hours may be found the 30-horse-power motor waggon which is usod for conveying produce to and from the Mount Barker Railway
this class of food is more acceptable and nourishing than any other, though during the greater part of the year the animals find a good livelihood by cropping the natural grasses which grow in profusion in all the
surrounding country. In forming the flock on “Teddington” the merino has held its own against allcomers, as it has in many other parts of the Western Australian State, and from 1,500 to 2,000 sheep of this
breed have been shorn annually during the past few years. The gradual improvement of the type is a matter on which considerable attention is bestowed, and to further this end, in 1910 Mr. Roberts imported 200 ewes
from a reliable Victorian flock, while every year fresh importations of rams arc introduced on the “Teddington” property, displaying the best traits
for which South Australia has become so deservedly noted as a sheep-producing country. The fleeces, although not heavy, have the advantage of being very clean, which is a result of the abundant rainfall in
the district, and show good quality, commanding an average price of Is. 2d. per lb. in the English markets. Present on the property, also, is a flock of 200 Angora goats, but these animals
are utilized chiefly for their valuable assistance in clearing the property of the low scrub which abounds on some parts of the estate.
JOHN ALBERT ROBERTS,
“Teddington,” Mount Barker, is a son of Mr. Thomas Roberts, agriculturist and grazier, of “Kookynie,” Clare, South Australia, and was born at that place on July 7, 1874. He continued his studies at the local public school until the age of fifteen, and for the succeeding five years was engaged in work on his father’s farm. He then went to Broken Hill, where he learnt the blacksmithing trade, and in 1895 came to Western Australia, proceeding to Menzies and following his trade on the Lady Shenton
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. John Albert Roberts.
Gold Mine, then at its zenith. Attracted by the possibilities of the mining industry, he became connected with the mines at Kalgoorlie, and within four years was promoted to the position of shift manager at Great Boulder. Four years later, owing to an attack of typhoid fever, he was compelled to throw up this work and leave the goldfields. Accordingly he entered into partnership with his brother, Mr. George M. Roberts, in a selection of land at Wagin, and arranged to take over the personal control of the property, while his brother remained in the management of the Associated and Associated Northern mines at Kalgoorlie. For three years he continued the development of the holding, at the end of which period the present “Mount Barker” property was purchased by Mr. George M. Roberts, who offered him the post of manager, which he accepted, and he still holds that position. In 1910 the
Photo by IF. E. Elston. Seed Drill in Operation.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
817
gentleman under review took up 1,460 acres of land at Narrikup, in the Mount Barker district, and in conjunction with his other duties he is kept busy in the development of this property, giving special attention to the reclaiming of the swamp country, where drainage and clearing operations are in full swing. Mr. Roberts has filled many public positions, having been associated with the Mount Barker and Wagin roads boards, the local progress associations, etc. At the present time he is president of the Mount Barker branch of the Farmers and Producers’ Political Union, and is a member of the committee of the local fruit-growers’ association. In matters of sport he is an enthusiastic cricketer and a strong playing member of the Mount Barker Cricket Club—the crack team of the great southern line—and has distinguished himself in its ranks as a most consistently successful bowler. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.
in this State he continued in the same line of life on Mr. Wilding’s farm at Northain, leaving there two
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. David Elias Jones.
DAVID ELIAS JONES, “Gwalia Vale,” Mount Barker, is a son of the late Mr. Thomas Jones, of “Bank ITall,” Lampeter, Cardiganshire, Wales, and was born at that place on January 9, 1866. He received his education at the Llanybyther Grammar School, and at sixteen years of
years later in order to gain experience in different parts of the country, with the object of ultimately taking up land and making a home for himself. In due course he came to the Mount Barker district, where he worked for some of the older settlers while keeping his eyes open for a selection to suit his purpose. Mr.
"Gwalia Vale” Orchard, the Property of Mr. D. E. Jones. Mount Barker.
age became engaged in farming pursuits on his father’s property, where he remained until his departure for Australia in 1893. Upon his arrival
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Jones finally decided on the “Gwalia Vale” Farm, a block of land then comprising 300 acres, but to which he added from time to time, and which
now covers an area of 1,500 acres of valuable mixed soil, well suited to the various branches of industry to which it has been applied by the owner. Even after beginning the development of the property he continued for some years to spend a portion of his time in assisting the neighbouring settlers on their farms, and by this means not only was able to gather a little capital to apply to his own operations, but gained a comprehensive insight into the methods employed on the different orchard areas, and was thus enabled to avoid mistakes and take the shortest cut to success. Mr. Jones is quoted in the district as an example of what can be attained, even without capital, when energy and perseverance combine toward a given end, his merino flock, healthy crops, and 25 acres of flourishing fruit-trees giving indisputable evidence of prosperity. He is a member of the fruit-growers’ association of the district. In 1908 he married Lily Christina, daughter of the late Mr. George Wells, of Oxford, England.
WILLIAM HENRY CRANE, J.P., “Yallambee,” Mount Barker district, was born at Ballarat on January 3, 1867. Upon leaving school he entered the ironmongery business in his native town, subsequently continuing in the trade in various parts of Victoria until 1895, when he came to Western Australia. Proceeding to the Norseman district he opened a-general business, which after a number of years he relinquished in favour of the pastoral industry and agricultural occupations, and with this end in view he took up his present property, consisting of
6,000 acres of grazing country in the Mount Barker district. Only a comparatively small portion is at present cleared and cultivated, but the pastoral side of the enterprise is already assuming considerable proportions, 1,200 merino sheep being grazed on the estate, and as ringbarking advances and the subdivision into pad-docks is accomplished, Mr. Crane gradually increases the numbers of his flock. While at Norseman Mr. Crane served as councillor for eight years, and for two years occupied the mayoral office, and was gazetted a Justice of the Peace by the Forrest Administration. In 1890 he married a daughter of Mr. C. G. Hudson, of Camperdown, and has two sons and four daughters.
ISAAC WILLIAMS, J.P.,
“Rock’s Hill,” one of the principal farming and orchard properties in the Carbarup district, is a son of the late Mr. Isaac Williams, of “Dudley Fort,” Staffordshire, England, where the subject of our review was born on April 25, 1853. Undeterred by the fact that his early opportunities of attaining scholastic proficiency were few, he augmented his education by private study, and gradually obtained an extensive knowledge over a wide range of works, dealing with scientific, political, and biographical subjects. At an early age he took his place among the ironworkers, and was engaged in ehainmaking for a couple of years. Upon reaching mature years, however, Mr. Williams relinquished this industry and turned his attention to work on the canals, and by the end of two decades became known all over the English waterways as skipper in charge of boats conveying merchandise, etc. With the object of settling down in Canada he proceeded thither in 1883, and worked for some time on the Grand Trunk Railway, but liking neither the climate nor the customs of the place, in January, 1887, after having first returned to England, Mr. Williams landed in Western Australia. The prospects of the State were at the time considered to be in a very healthy condition, and, although a
line, and was identified with this class of work until 1907, during which period he was laying by capital with which to develop his present property, which he had taken up in 1894. At that early period he had settled his wife and family on the holding, and when not on duty he
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Isaac Williams.
spent every available hour in its improvement. He now took up his residence permanently on the place, and has since devoted all his energies
Government, and Mr. Williams now owns 1,400 acres of good mixed land, over 100 acres of which are cleared and under cultivation. The orchards extend over 40 to 45 acres, apples being the principal product, though pears, peaches, apricots, and other stone fruits are also grown. A large export trade is carried on with England and Germany, and the local markets are supplied with the more perishable fruits. The homestead is built of stone procured on the property, and all modern requirements have been observed in its erection and appointments, while particularly fine outbuildings mark the progress of the industry, including stables, trap-sheds, fruit-house, etc. Pastoral operations receive some attention, and a flock of merino sheep is run on the property. Mr. Williams has done his share in the necessary public work of the district, and is a member of the Plantagcnet Roads Board. He received his Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Wilson Government in 1910. He was married in England to Jane, daughtor of the late Mr. William Tolley, of Brierley Hill, Rock’s Hill, Staffordshire, and subsequent to this lady’s decease in 1906 was united to his present wife, Elizabeth, daughter of the late Mr. William Rodda, an old Victorian pioneer. His family consists of five daughters, and he has twenty-six grandchildren.
Photo by W. E. Elston. ‘‘Rock’s Hill,” the Property of Mr. I. Williams, Mount Barker.
married man with five children, the worthy pioneer took the risks of again meeting with disappointment in making a home in a strange land. He was fortunate upon arrival in obtaining employment with the firm of Millar Brothers in the construction of the great southern railway
to bringing it into line with the leading farms of the district. The block, which adjoins the famous “Ken-denup” Estate, was originally the property of the Western Australian Land Company, its former area being 100 acres. Since that time other holdings have been secured from the
JOHANN BENJAMIN STEICKE, J.P., owner of the “Wattle Hill” property, Mount Barker, is a son of the late Mr. Johann Gottlieb Steicke, of Greenock, South Australia, and was born at that village on January 15, 1869. He attended school in his
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native place until thirteen years of age, and then turned his activities to practical account in the work of his father’s farm. Being of a very independent disposition, however, and ambitious to do something on his own behalf he relinquished home interests after a brief period and spent
a time. Results of his efforts from the point of view of production were very satisfactory, but at that period
"Wattle Hill” Homestead, Mount Barker. Stirling Range in Distance.
neighbourhood and worked it success' fully for five years, adding to the property until he had 896 acre? under development. In 1906 he purchased the freehold block of 200 acres, where he has formed his present home, and leasing the Katan-nirig property to a tenant, has since devoted all his energies and attention to the “Wattle Hill” Estate. This is beautifully situated on the crest of the Porongarup Ranges, the soil being of exceptionally rich, volcanic nature, and possessing the necessary constituents for producing luxuriant harvests without the aid of manures of any kind. The view from the homestead is especially deserving of mention, commanding a wide sweep of country, including forest land dotted with settlements away to the Stirling Ranges on the north and to Albany on the south, with a broad belt of the Southern Ocean, fully 20 miles distant, gleaming with reflected sunlight. The industry carried on at “Wattle Hill” comprises the cultivation of 50 to 60 acres with fruit and potatoes, and sheep-raising for mutton - producing purposes, the strain in favour being a cross between the merino and Leicester. The products of the orchard are exported to London and Hamburg, while a quantity is also sent to the eastern goldfields, where such commodities are in constant demand and bring good prices. The soil has proved specially adapted to potatogrowing, tubers up to 4 or 5 lb. in
came to this State in 1901, and after inspection of the Katanning district took up a block of land in that
Mr. J. B, Steicke’s Residence, Mount Barker
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Johann Benjamin Steicke.
the next few years in employment in various parts of South Australia and Victoria. At twenty-three years of age he married, and about this time directed his attention to a farming proposition on the share system in the Wimmera district of Victoria, which he worked on half profits for
prices were low, and the returns realized were not sufficient to compensate him for his labours. Finding himself only able to pay his way with a struggle, Mr. Steicke was compelled to seek fresh fields for his enterprise which offered a better prospect of more speedy success as a reward for his toil. This he found in a farm at Kerang, in the mallee country, where for five years he prospered, and at the end of that period sold out in order to come to Western Australia, which was offering golden guerdons to the man of pluck and industry. He
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weight being grown without any fertilizers whatever. A sawmill has also been erected, worked by an 18-horse power oil-engine, by means of which a large timber connection has been established with the local settlers, among whom there is a large request for dressed timber for building purposes and for fruit-cases, etc. “Wattle Hill” lies 1,700 ft. above sea-level, being at a distance of 17 miles from Mount Barker, and the homestead stands at the high altitude of 1,200 ft. The house is surrounded by a flower garden, where blooms may be found all the year round, roses in particular doing remarkably well, while violets, carnations, and many other choice favourites also find their place in its borders. Mr. Steicke has always displayed a keen interest in local government, and before his advent to this district was elected a member of the Katanning Roads Board, from which he resigned on his departure from the district. For the past two years he has occupied a seat on the Plantagenet Roads Board, and he serves as a committeeman of the Mount Barker Fruit-growers’ Association, and also of the Mount Barker Rural Association. He is likewise a member of the committee of the local branch of the Liberal League of Western Australia, and he was created a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Government in 1909. Mr. Steicke was married in the year 1892 to Martha Louisa, daughter of
the late Mr. Muhl Nickel, of Lyndoch Valley, South Australia, and has a family of five sons and four daughters.
JAMES ENRIGHT, orchardist. and owner of “Fairview” property, Mount Barker, Western Australia,
TF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. James Enright.
is a son of the late Mr. James Enright, who carried on farming pursuits in the Mount Barker district of South Australia, situated in the Mount Lofty Ranges, about 30 miles from Adelaide. Born in that State
on July 25, 1860, the subject of this memoir received his education at the Convent School at Wallaroo, on Yorke Peninsula, and having concluded his studies proceeded far north to the Gawler Ranges, where for eight years, in conjunction with his brother, he was engaged in farming pursuits. At Wallaroo he took an active part in boat-pulling, and was one of the champion four which notched six victories in succession. In 1888 he turned his attention to contracting work, taking tenders for fencing, building, etc., and continued at this business until 1901 in the Port Lincoln district of the Southern State. A year later he came to Western Australia in quest of land suitable for orchard purposes, where he intended to settle down and make a home for himself and family, his chief reason for leaving his native soil being his inability to increase the size of his holding, the Lands Board passing over his application on four occasions. “Fairvicw” being at that time in the market, slightly improved, Mr. Enright purchased it from Mr. H. Jones, and at once proceeded to prepare it for his purposes. To the original 200 acres he has added a further hundred, and has completed the clearing of a third of the entire property. An apple orchard nearly 40 acres in extent is one of the chief assets of his enterprise, a ready market for his carefully packed cases of fruit being found in Germany, where in 1912 he scored a record with Dunn’s Seedlings, at 23s. per case. He also cultivates root crops on a fairly extensive scale, and has met with considerable success in this department of his industry. Mr. Enright is a member of the Mount Barker Fruit-growers’ Association. He married in 1888 Catherine, daughter of Mr. Edwin Duck, of Bramfield, South Australia, and has two sons and a daughter surviving.
WILLIAM JAMES THOMAS, proprietor of the “Thomaston” Estate at Carbarup, in the Mount Barker district, was born on February 24, 1858, and arrived in Australia at twenty years of age. He spent several years in the Eastern States previous to his advent to Western Australia, during which period he was employed in the work of railway construction in the service of Messrs. Millar Brothers, and upon his arrival at Albany in 1886 continued with
Fruit Picking on Mr. j. Enright’s “ Fairvicw" Estate.
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this well-known firm of railway contractors in the building of the great southern railway line. Mr. Thomas subsequently was promoted to the position of manager at Albany of the mills at Torbay and Denmark, and continued his connection with Millar Brothers for a quarter of a century, during twenty years holding positions of control. When the mills owned by this firm were closed down he decided to take up his residence on the “Thomaston” Estate, which he had taken up fourteen years earlier, and which, under the care of a manager, had been undergoing development, which was continued by Mr. Thomas’ son, who upon leaving school had assumed the reins of government. The property is over
2,000 acres in extent, and is gradually being cleared of scrub and timber to fit it for horticultural and pastoral purposes. This district has proved highly favourable to orchard operations, and some of the finest orchards in the State are found in its neighbourhood, where tons of splendid fruit are produced annually for local consumption and the export trade. More and more the settlers have been directing their energies to the advancement of this industry, and the acreage under cultivation is being extended annually by leaps and bounds. The opening up of the German markets especially has given a fillip to the fruit-growing community, besides which the immense field offered by the gold-mining areas where the product of the earth takes the form of ore and bullion is
recognizing the possibilities of fortune in rosy apple and golden orange, and already has 120 acres planted with fruit-trees, most of which are in full bearing, while every succeeding year witnesses new rows of well-set young
trees representing fresh varieties of the popular classes of fruits. The chief crop produced is the apple harvest, which continues for many weeks and entails a vast amount of labour, the fruit requiring the most careful handling and packing for the London and Continental markets, where it finds a ready sale and commands good prices, besides which a quantity is disposed of in Western Australia. Mr. Thomas attends personally to a large portion of the work entailed by the orchard, and has an
on which he resides. The dwelling-house is one of the comfortable old homes so frequently seen in this district, being a large one-story place, which has been added to from time to time, and to which a pervading air
of quiet prosperity gives its own charm. Mr. Thomas is a true home-lover, and is quite content to spend his hours of leisure in recreation within its precincts; but he recognizes his duty as one of the members of a community, and with his son extends cordial support to all movements having as their object the advancement of the public interest, and is a member of the various organizations of the district. He married in 1886 Agnes, second daughter of the late Mr. John
General View of Orchard on the "Thomaston” Estate.
sufficient stimulus to an orchardist efficient assistant in his son, Mr. Ed- Hamilton Smith, of Ballarat, Vic-of enterprise and energy. Mr. ward Thomas, who is associated with toria, and has a family of one son Thomas has not been behindhand in him in all the operations of the estate and one daughter.
JOHN CLARK WARNOCK, farmer and orchardist, “East Vale,” Mount Barker, is a son of the late Mr. John Warnock, of Paisley, Scotland, and was born at Hurlford, near Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, on October 11, 1866. Leaving the Kilmarnock Academy, where he received his educational training, Mr. Warnock at seventeen years of age became engaged in agricultural pursuits in his native county, and followed this occupation until 1887, in which year he came to Australia. Landing at Adelaide, he proceeded to the Roseworthy Agricultural College, where ho pursued an extended course of study, and subsequently travelled through Victoria and New South Wales with the object of settling in the Eastern States if he could find a property to suit his purposes. After a fruitless search extending over three years, he came to Western Australia in 1892, and selected the nucleus of his present holding, comprising 100 acres of the 220 acres of prime orchard land which he now owns. Clearing operations have been
IF. E. Elston, Wag-in.
Mr. John Clark Warnock.
carried on vigorously over 130 acres, and 30 acres have been planted with fruit trees, mainly apples and pears, the products of which are exported primarily to the German and London markets. The remainder of the cleared area is devoted to mixed -farming pursuits, crops being raised successfully, and the breeding of sheep and cattle carried on. In 1906 the gentleman under review admitted into partnership his brother,
Mr. Andrew Warnock, who has assisted him in the management and working of the property ever since. He is a member of the Producers’ Union of Western Australia, and also holds membership in the Mount Barker Rural Progress Association. In his younger days Mr. Warnock was an expert footballer, and was generally connected with field sports, in which he still maintains a cordial interest. He was married in the year 1897 to Emmeline, daughter of the late Mr. Edwin Duck, of Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, and has a family of two sons and four daughters.
FRANCIS COLLINS, of Mount Barker, in the great southern district, is a son of the late Mr. James Collins, of Bally muttrea, Bally-rounan, County Derry, Ireland. The subject of our notice was born on January 12 in the year 1864, and at the close of his education he went to work on his father’s farm. At twenty-two years of age desiring a wider field for his energies he decided to emigrate to Western Australia, where he could strike out for himself. Landing at Albany in 1886 he turned his hand to the various avocations of the bush, being for several years employed by the well-known firm of Millar Brothers, and was among the first to work on the “Teddington” Estate when that property was owned by the late Mr. C. G. Mullens, for whom he undertook much development labour by contract. Subsequently he followed the mining industry of the Green-bushes tin mines for some time, but not finding this very profitable, after a short period of employment in the construction of the south-western railway line he returned to the great southern district and was identified with the early development of the “Mount Barker” Estate, and with that of “Fairfield,” in the Broome Hill district. His attention was next claimed by the gold industry, and he formed one of a prospecting party which directed its efforts to the district east of Broome Hill, but without adequate results. Shortly after this he proceeded to the eastern goldfields, walking over and through very rough country, from Broome Hill to Coolgardie, in thirty-three days. He continued for five years on these fields, enduring the privations and hardships incidental to pioneering life on the mines, and
in conjunction with his party did a great deal of prospecting north and east of the Coolgardie find, camels being used for purposes of transit. Success attended their efforts in this district, and Mr. Collins, in conjunction with one James Brown, discovered the property called the Callion North, in the Menzies district, which they developed, and subsequently sold to the Gold Lands Corporation. Returning to the coast shortly afterwards Mr. Collins came to the Mount Barker district, where he made investments in real estate and purchased certain farming properties in the neighbourhood, and for a time personally conducted the Mount Barker Hotel—which he still owns—in addition to being contractor for the railway refreshment-rooms at that centre. He now lives in retirement at Mount Barker.
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Francis Collins.
Since his arrival in the district Mr. Collins has taken his share in the various movements for its advancement,, and is a well-known figure in the public life of the town. He is an honorary member of the
Hibernian Australasian Catholic
Benefit Society of Albany, and for ten years was a member of the Plantagenet Roads Board. He has been connected with all local progress associations, the turf club, and many other similar organizations. He was married in the year 1898 to Mary Amelia,
daughter of Mr. James Gorman, of Mount Barker, and has a surviving family of four sons and four daughters.
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MARTIN BROTHERS, "Mount Barker” Estate, Mount Barker. (J. McN. Martin and A. U. Martin.) JAMES McNEIL MARTIN is the elder son of Mr. John Felix Martin, head of the late firm of James Martin and Company, Limited, Gawler, South Australia, in which town he was born on March 1, 1881. He received his education at Queen's School, North Adelaide, and subsequently was apprenticed to the engineering profession, in the establishment of which his father was chief, and passed through all the branches of the trade in these well-known works, which held a premier position among the iron foundries of the Commonwealth. In conjunction with his brother he then took a trip through the various manufacturing contres of Great Britain, America, and the Continent, during which as opportunity offered the young Australians mixed with the leading men in the engineering circles of the Old World, and made a study of the latest ideas and methods then in vogue. Returning to South Australia
Mu. James McNeil Martin.
they re-entered their father’s business and continued there until 1908, when turning their attention to pastoral pursuits they joined in partnership their uncle, Mr. Neil McNeil, in the property known as "Mount Barker” Estate, situated about four miles from Mount Barker, in Western Australia. This estate, which covers an area of over 4,000 acres, is one of the oldest and best developed in the State, and has 200 acres under fruit cultivation, forming one of the
two largest orchard areas in Western Australia. Mr. J. McN. Martin is president of the Mount Barker Fruit-growers’ Association. With his brother he has strengthened the ranks of the Mount Barker Eleven, a cricketing club which has proved its prowess in numerous contests against visiting and other teams. He was formerly a very enthusiastic and successful amateur photographer, but since taking up orchard work has had little time to indulge in this hobby. ALEXANDER URQU-IIART MARTIN, the younger son of Mr. John Felix Martin, was born at Gawler, South Australia, on July 2, 1882, and at the close of his scholastic career at Queen’s School, North Adelaide, entered the Gawler ironworks and gained a thorough
Mr. Alexander Urquhart Martin.
initiation into all departments of the trade. He accompanied his elder brother on his travels through England, America, and the Continent, returned with him to South Australia, and eventually embarked on his present enterprise in 1908. Mr. A. U. Martin is a strong believer in the policy of making every Australian a good rifle shot, and is a member of the local rifle club.
EDWIN WILLIAM WEBSTER PRICE, "Emu” Farm, Mount Barker, is a son of the late William Price, of Penrith, New South Wales, where the gentleman under review was born on September 21, 1889. He received his education at Newington
College, Sydney, and subsequently at the Brisbane Grammar School, Queensland, which institution he left at seventeen years of age. He entered commercial life in the offices of Messrs. Thomas Webster & Co., Brisbane, and for somewhat less than two years was engaged in clerical work in Queensland. Attracted by reports of the favourable conditions
Mr. Edwin William Webster Price.
of land settlement in Western Australia Mr. Price sailed for Albany and spent a couple of years gaining experience in the farming and fruitgrowing industries at Denmark and in the Mount Barker district while looking for an improved holding on which to settle and begin operations on his own account. In 1909 he purchased his present property from Mr. Thomas Barnett, merchant, of Albany, and taking up his residence there at once proceeded further to clear and cultivate this holding. The block contains 525 acres, 70 of which are devoted to tillage, potatoes being the chief crop produced in addition to the grain harvests, although there are already 15 acres under cultivation of fruit-trees. A flock of merino crossbreds is run on the property, chiefly for the production of mutton. Mr. Price takes a prominent part in the rifle club movement in the district, and his abilities as a marksman are readily recognized. In his schooldays he was a good all-round athlete, football being his speciality, and at the present period he devotes a portion of his leisure to the time-honoured game of cricket.
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ROBERT ERNEST SPENCER, "Hay River” Farm, Narrikup, is a son of the late Mr. Robert John Spencer, who came to Western Australia in 1829 with his father, the late Sir Richard Spencer, the first Government Resident at Albany. The founder of this family in Western Australia was the first importer of sheep and horses to the southern part of the State, importing in 1831 from England 250 sheep, which were depastured on location 13, where Mr. Spencer’s homestead now stands, and which was the thirteenth block of land taken up in Western Australia. This was purchased by Sir Richard Spencer from Sir James Stirling, the first Governor of the State, to whom it was a grant by the Crown. The gentleman under review was educated at Mr. Sweeting’s school at Guildford, and at the age of twelve and a half he relinquished his studies to assist in the duties of the farm, his father having died some time previously. Mr. Spencer has spent the whole of his life on this property, which he has very much enlarged, having added four more blocks to the original holding, and he now owns some 1,650 acres of land, which is chiefly devoted to sheep-raising. An orchard of 25 acres also absorbs a considerable amount of time and attention, where apples and stone fruits are cultivated, the latter finding a ready market on the goldfields. Crops are also raised on a small scale. Mr. Spencer was one of the founders of the Mount Barker Rural Association, and for eleven years filled a scat on the Plantagenct Roads Board. He is president of the Narrikup Progress Association, in the foundation of which he was a chief mover, and for a decade he has been connected with the Albany branch of the Australian Natives’ Association. His leisure hours are spent mainly in reading, his preference leaning to works of science. Mr. Spencer married in 1901 Celia Alice, daughter of Mr. W. F. Stevens, East Perth.
ARCHIBALD TAYLOR BOOTH, Secretary of the Fruitgrowers’ Trading and Shipping Company of Western Australia, Limited, and proprietor of "Hillside” Estate, in the Mount Barker district, is a son of Mr. Charles Forbes Booth, commission agent and incorporated insurance broker, of King William Street, London, and was born at Finsbury Park, in that city, on July
9, 1876. He pursued his educational studies at St. John’s College and the Grocers’ Company School, and after two years of commercial life, at seventeen years of age, was offered and accepted a private secretaryship in London, which post he held for seventeen years. Casting his gaze forward into the future, Mr. Booth perceived that his opportunities in London for securing a competency for his advancing years were few, and being a great lover of horticulture, the idea of turning this hobby to account as a means of livelihood became a settled purpose. Accordingly he made extensive inquiries with regard to the prospects of the fruit-growing industry in different countries, and finding that the outlook for the Western Australian State was considered
IF. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mil. Archibald Taylor Booth.
very promising he decided to make the venture and remove his family and pursue his fortune in the Antipodes. Arriving in April, 1910, Mr. Booth encountered many initial difficulties and hardships. In the depth of an extraordinarily severe and wet winter he was compelled to live under canvas for many months, separated from his wife and children, whom he had established at Albany. At the end of the year, however, he was successful in securing a small orchard within the town boundary of Mount Barker, upon which he began operations, and subsequently added to this holding, which now comprises about 40 acres of fertile soil, unexcelled in the district for its growing qualities. Already one-half of this
area has been planted with fruit-trees, and the remainder is in preparation for future orchard operations. Mr. Booth has identified himself with the public organizations of the district, and occupied the post of hon. secretary to the Mount Barker Fruit-growers’ Association, toward the success of which body he has done much. Prior to his departure from the district to take up his present position he was very prominent in the movement to obtain further railway facilities for the settlers west of Mount Barker, and was hon. secretary of the Mount Barker Railway League, which has for its object the linking up of the great southern line with that of the south-east. He rendered invaluable assistance in the formation of the Fruitgrowers’ Trading and Shipping Company of Western Australia, Limited, in July, 1912, and in the following month, in response to the wishes of a large section of the shareholders, he accepted the post of secretary to the new concern. Leaving a manager in charge of his orchard Mr. Booth came to Perth and successfully inaugurated the affairs of the company, which promises to play an important part in the fruit-growing industry of the Western State. To his unquestioned ability Mr. Booth adds the charm and zest of a spirit full of enthusiasm in everything that he takes up, and though making his work his chief hobby, he is always ready to interest himself in any effort for the good of the community. He is an adept at carpentry, and executed all the finishing work of his homestead, which was built to his design. All forms of clean and healthy outdoor sport appeal to him, and he indulges in swimming and tennis for recreation as opportunity offers. In 1902 Mr. Booth married Caroline McKinlay, daughter of the late Dr. J. A. Miller, who filled the post of medical officer to the London Police Force, and there are a son and a daughter of this union.
SQUIRE & YOUNG, general storekeepers, commission and news agents, Mount Barker, Western Australia. The principal store in this rising district, now conducted by Messrs. Squire & Young, originally was opened in the eighties as the first business of its kind to be established at Mount Barker. The founders of the business (Messrs. Scott & Wilson) sold their interests to Mr. J. West,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
825
from whom in turn purchase was made by the present proprietors. These enterprising business men took over what was already a live concern, and concentrated their abilities on extending its avenues of usefulness in every direction, with the result
IF. Ti. Elston, Way in.
Mr. Leonard Stocker Squire.
that in the ensuing years the trade has been doubled. Every effort is put forth by each partner to forestall the requirements of customers, and special lines of goods not usually kept in stock, but which may be asked for, are immediately ordered by wire from Perth, that the reputation for prompt and business-like methods established by the firm may suffer no diminution. All kinds of groceries, drapery, and boots and shoes are carried by the business,
with general ironmongery and a wide stock of saddlery and harness. Wire-netting and wires of every description are stocked, and a large trade is done in this line of goods, which is always in demand by settlers, new or old. Stationery may also be obtained at the store, and there being no registered chemist in the district, a large and representative selection of proprietary and patent medicines, perfumes, etc., forms one of the departments which is most liberally patronized. Messrs. Squire and Young act as local agents for the Massey - Harris farm implement manufactures, for the Commercial Union Fire and Marine Insurance Company, and for Messrs. Henry Wills & Co., wool and skin merchants, fruit exporters, and leading manufacturers for all classes of goods required in the district. They are buyers of all kinds of farm produce, skins, etc., and arc continually extending the scope of their operations to include new lines of trade. LEONARD STOCKER SQUIRE is a son of Mr. John Riseley Squire, of Woodville, South Australia, and was born at that place on March 19, 1875. He received his education at the local school, and subsequently attended the Port Adelaide State School, at sixteen years of age being apprenticed to the hardware trade with the firm of W. & T. Rhodes, of Rundle Street, Adelaide. After completing his indentures he gained further experience in the establishment of H. L. Vosz, Limited, and eventually was engaged by the firm of Edward Barnett & Co., of Albany, to take control of their ironmongery department. This was in 1902, and at a later date Mr. Squire
transferred his services to the house of Messrs. Drew, Robinson, & Co., where he acted in the same capacity until his resignation, which he tendered in order to join Mr. Young in partnership in the purchase of the present business. Mr. Squire spends
Mr. Philip Harold Young.
most of his spare time in joinery and general wood work, of which he makes a hobby with profitable results, having manufactured most of his house furniture with his own hands. He supports the local organizations of athletic sport, and finds enjoyable exercise in the game of cricket. He married in 1899 Elizabeth, daughter of William Hutchins, of Queenstown, South Australia, and has four sons and a daughter. PHILIP HAROLD YOUNG, of the above firm, is a son of the late Mr. William Young, of Cooinda, Geelong, Victoria, where the gentleman under review was born on March 11, 1877. He received his education at the Geelong Grammar School and left that institution at fifteen years of age to join his brother in commercial pursuits in the Wimmera district, where he gained a comprehensive acquaintance with all the details concomitant to country storekeeping. Owing to the continued droughts in Victoria Mr. Young decided to make a trial of a new country for trading operations, and coming to Western Australia at the end of 1897 he first accepted a position with the firm of Messrs. Millar Brothers, of Denmark, where he acted as accountant in the general store attached to the mill at that centre. For nearly six
Messrs. Squire t Young's Premises. Mount Barker.
years he continued to fill this post, but eventually resigned upon receiving an offer from Messrs. Edward Barnett & Co. to take charge of their shipping and Customs department at Albany. While engaged in this
service he met Mr. Squire, and an intimacy ensued which later resulted in the present partnership and purchase of the storckccping business at Mount Barker, which has been ably carried on by them ever since, Mr.
ALBANY.
Young taking over as his special department the clerical and accountancy work. In 1899 he married Hetty, daughter of the late Mr. H. Ewels, Chiltern, Victoria, and has a son and four daughters.
Albany, a fortified town, is situated in latitude 35° 2 south and longitude 117° 54' east. As the land at this point, however, stretches out into the Indian Ocean the position is open to ocean breezes from the south,
Natural Bridge at "The Caves."
east, and west, and the climate is thus rendered the coolest in Australia. The mean maximum temperature in summer time is about 72°. King George Sound is a stretch of water some seven miles from north to south and five miles from east to west. It faces south. Princess Royal Harbour opens out to the westward and measures about two miles by three. The town itself nestles between two hills, which rise from the verge of the harbour on the east and the west. The municipality extends to the ocean beach; and beyond, in that direction, the country is drained by two rivers. These are known respectively as the King and the Kalgan rivers. Both traverse extremely fertile country, which good roads intersect, and opportunities thus exist for the most delightful drives imaginable. One drive in particular may be specified. The route skirts the harbour, and then passes into the country, following an entirely different road back to the town—a distance of some 20 miles. A made road, in splendid order, exists the whole way. There are besides many variations of this drive, while by going further afield the virgin bush, with its unknown beauties and wonders, is reached. The summit of Mount Clarence may be attained in easy stages by means of a zig-zag footpath, whilo an easily graded road is available for vehicular traffic from the eastern side. The southern side of the harbour is likewise not without
its attractions. Here the land is as Nature left it, but the atmosphere is remarkable for its purity, the locality being sheltered from the ocean breezes and richly endowed with floral growth. Further over, on the ocean side, situated some 12 miles from the town, are what are known as “The Caves.” These are really remarkable formations in granite, including a natural bridge and other wonders of volcanic origin. A road to the spot has lately been cleared. On the way thither the Little Grove forms possibly what is the most picturesque bush scene in the State. This spot is also reached by boat, and is provided with a jetty, being a favourite picnicking and sports ground. The beauties of the south, however, do not end here, for the Big Grove and Lime-burners’ Creek further round make equally attractive spots to visit. Middleton Beach, which skirts the Sound, is a brilliantly clean stretch of sand, where the ocean breezes may be enjoyed to the full, while, at the extremity of this, Emu Point, marking the entrance to the King and Kalgan rivers, is a revelation of water beauty. There are two jetties in the harbour running into deep water, the maximum draught for shipping being 33 ft. at dead low water. A choice selection of water trips is offered. Besides the Little Grove, on the
Queen’s Park, Albany.
south side of the harbour, there is the Quarantine Station, and the journey there makes an enjoyable launch trip. In the Sound, Frenchman Bay forms a favourite picnicking resort, where Emu Point makes an attractive ending to a longer sea jaunt of two miles and a half. Middleton Beach is accessible by land or water. The
827
manner in which the harbour and the Sound are protected from sea weather renders both places ideal fishing grounds. In all directions exceptionally good and varied sport of this character is to be obtained, coupled with absolute safety for boating. Devotees of the gun can also find splendid sport in the surrounding districts. Wallaby may be obtained within five miles, while a small extension of that limit will penetrate kangaroo country. Ducks in particular are most plentiful, and no better shooting could be found than exists between the town and Denmark. For lovers of outdoor games it may be mentioned that bowling, croquet, cricket, tennis, golf, and rifle clubs flourish in Albany. Bathing facilities are provided at the municipal baths, at the town jetty, and at Middleton Beach. The two former are equipped with sea and fresh water (hot and cold), while a protected swimming-bath is attached in conjunction with fresh water showers.
Historically, Albany can claim the proud distinction of being the oldest settled portion of Western Australia. It can, indeed, claim three years’ seniority of Perth. The development took place under circumstances worth noting. In June, 1825, the French vessels “Thetis” and “Esperance,” commanded respectively by De Bougainville and Du Camper/, were cruising about the southern coast, and it was at that time strongly suspected that France, recognizing the maritime strength derived from the possession of suitable colonies, desired to found a settlement in Australia, Lieutenant - General Sir Ralph Darling, then Governor of New South Wales, sent Major Lockyer, of the 57th Regiment, to found a settlement at King George III. Sound, so named by Captain Vancouver in 1791. The party comprised all told about seventy-five persons, made up of officers and rank and file of the 39th Regiment and convicts. The expedition, consisting of H.M.S. “Fly” and the brigs “Amity” and “Dragon,” sailed from Sydney on November 9, 1826, and landed at the Sound on the following Christmas Day. Only eighty -six years ago, and it took seven weeks to voyage from Sydney to Albany. To the town which was built was given the name of Frederick Town, but the name was subsequently changed to Albany. Having made all necessary arrangements, Major Lockyer left the charge to Captain Wakefield, who was relieved by Lieutenant Slceman, and he by Captain Barker. The convict settlement remained there until the year 1831, when it was withdrawn and the settlement placed under the control of Captain Stirling as part of the new colony of Western Australia.
During the next ten years a road was opened up between Perth and Albany, and on June 23, 1841, an overland monthly mail was established. Meanwhile the back country had been opened up, and this and the whaling industry caused the town to progress. In July,
1852, the Royal Mail S. N. Company’s s.s. “Australian” landed the first English mail at Albany. It took two horses six days and a half to carry the mail to Perth. The following month the “Chusan,” the first P. & O. steamer to visit Australian waters, reached the harbour from Singapore. In October, 1856, a contract was entered into between the Home Government and the P. & 0. Co. for a direct service with the Australian colonies, calling at Albany. Later on the Orient Company shared in the work to give a weekly mail service from England. The French and German mail steamers also used the port, and these connections were retained until 1900, when political influence secured the substitution of Fremantle for Albany as the port of call. To-day Albany is used by most vessels taking the Cape route, including those of the White Star line, the Peninsular and Oriental Company’s Branch Service, and the Blue Funnel Line.
The Legislative Council in May, 1870, authorized the construction of a telegraph line from Perth to Albany. This was opened on December 26 of the following year, and on January 1, 1875, the first telegraph post in the extension to Eucla was erected by Governor Weld. An inscribed stone outside the post office marks the spot to this day. At the end of 1877 telegraphic communication was opened with South Australia. The contract for the construction of the Albany-Beverley railway, on the land-grant system, was let to Mr. Anthony Hordern on October 25, 1884, the first sod was turned just two years later, and the line was opened for traffic on June 1, 1889. The railway and lands of the company were purchased by the Government in December, 1896, for the sum of XI,100,000.
As the gate of the colony up to the year 1900, Albany has from time to time been visited by all the distinguished visitors travelling to Australia. On May 16, 1881, their Royal Highnesses Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales arrived in H.M.S. “Bacchante,” which put into port after suffering a very stormy passage round Cape Leeuwin. The vessel left on June 10. Their Royal Highnesses were hospitably and pleasantly entertained here, and did not proceed to Perth. By a strange coincidence adverse weather induced King George, then Duke of York and Cornwall, to pay a second visit to Albany in 1901. His Royal Highness and the Duchess were at the time returning in H.M.S. “Ophir” from the East, whither they had gone to be present at the celebrations attending the establishment of the Commonwealth. On the way out the Royal yacht anchored for a night in the Sound, but returning she was bound for Fremantle. The prospect of bad weather, however, led to the vessel putting in at Albany. She berthed alongside the Deepwater Jetty on Saturday, July 20, and after spending a day here their Royal Highnesses and suite proceeded to Perth by special train.
m
Another notable event, this time of international importance, was the visit of the American battleship fleet in September, 1908. The fleet, commanded by Admiral Sperry, and consisting of sixteen vessels, arrived in King George Sound on September 12, and the ships were brought into Princess Royal Harbour to coal, as many as eight of them being inside at one time. H.M.S. “Gibraltar” was in port during the visit, and one morning there were, beside a White Star liner, two storeships and three oversea colliers attached to the fleet, in the harbour. The battleships required a depth of water exceeding 29 ft., and the whole of the operations were carried through without a mishap. The fleet remained exactly a week, and in that time upwards of 25,000 tons of coal were handled. The reception given the American visitors by the Government was on a lavish scale.
of the annual festivals in the State. Since 1912, however, the week has been discontinued in favour of an Albany season, commencing about the second week in February and lasting till towards the end of March. As this period is usually attended by the worst climatic conditions in other parts of the State, but by the best in Albany, there is every indication that the “season” will be even more popular than the “week.”
Surrounding Albany are numerous rich-soil flats, formed on the edge of swamps, which retain their moisture during the whole of the summer months. These flats, when drained, are suitable for intense culture, potato and vegetable-growing. When the water recedes during the summer months, the receding water may be followed up and crops grown during the driest months of the year. The swamps are capable of producing heavy yields of potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, and fodder
Photo by Imperial Studio. Albany, from Mount Melville.
Albany has been in possession of municipal government for upwards of half a century. At first the local body was known as the Town Trust, but in 1871 a Municipal Council was granted. The Imperial authorities defended the harbour some twenty years ago, and when the Commonwealth was established the forts were only handed over on the understanding that they were to be maintained in the same state of efficiency they were then.
As a health resort Albany is unequalled in Western Australia, and probably not surpassed by any seaside town in the Commonwealth. With this knowledge and with the desire to afford every possible inducement to visitors, the Municipal Council has strained every nerve to make the town attractive* For twenty years past it has been the custom to hold an “Albany week” during January, an event which came to be recognized as one
plants. Throughout the year a large quantity of vegetables are forwarded to the goldfields, where they are so much appreciated by the residents by reason of their exceptional quality. As summer gardening is general local producers have the market at that time much to themselves, and high prices are obtained.
About 38 miles to the westward of Albany is the “Denmark” Estate, recently purchased by the Government and divided into blocks of suitable size for intense culture. The timber has been ring-barked and partially cleared from these blocks and the scrub cut down, so as to enable the selector to get an early start, and thereby obtain a return from his land at an earlier date than if he had to start by clearing the virgin ground. In this district some of the best potatoes produced in the State are grown, and English grasses will grow to perfection. The country has a splendid rainfall of about 40 in. per
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
829
annum, and is well watered by numerous permanent streams, from which water can be obtained for irrigation purposes during the summer months. This country is
Residence of the Hon. C. McKenzie, M.L.C., Albany.
also admirably adapted for dairying purposes. Immense supplies of fodder suitable for dairy cattle can be grown all the year round, and it will not be long before the enterprising settlers who are now taking up land will be producing large quantities of butter, which will be known as Denmark butter, and will help to keep the imported article out of our local market. Once a start is made in the dairying industry, a butter factory built, and some well-bred cattle obtained, the industry will go forward by leaps and bounds.
In addition to the Denmark country there are large areas in the vicinity of Albany suitable for dairying purposes. On the hills to the north of Albany and on the banks of the King and Kalgan rivers are to be found some ideal spots for the growing of fruit-trees, especially apples, which, owing to the mildness of the climate, do remarkably well. The trees make rapid and strong growth, and in a very few years yield excellent crops of the primest fruits.
The Honourable JOHN ARTHUR WRIGHT, M.I.C.E., M.I.C.E.I., etc., now living in retirement at Albany, is a son of the late John Wright, M.I.C.E., of Rochester, England, and was born on November 25, 1841, at Dover, where his father was residing whilst filling the post of engineer of the south-eastern railway line, his name being one of the most eminent among his profession at that period. The gentleman under review received his early education by private tuition, subsequently attending the Queen Elizabeth School at Oranbrook and other scholastic institutions. He was articled to the late Mr. Joseph Cubitt, at that time vice-president of the Institute of Engineers, and, upon the completion of his indentures, embarked upon a wide engineering practice which, beginning in Wales, led him to Spain, Russia, and France, and eventually to Western Australia. Mr. Wright arrived in this State to take up the position of Engineer-in-Chief, Director of Public Works, and Commissioner of Railways, being selected to fill that post by Sir Charles Hutton Gregory, Consulting Engineer for the Colonies. He held these joint offices until his acceptance of the post of general manager to the great southern railway, when ho was appointed consulting engineer-in-chief to the colony, with permission to retain the title of honourable for life. He remained in charge of the construction of the great southern railway from its inception until the
completion of the work, and when the railway was taken over by the Government in December of the year 1896 he received the appointment of Government Resident at Albany, which he held until his retirement in 1908. Mr. Wright is associated with various public organizations, being a life president of the Albany Club and first District Grand Master of Freemasons of the English Constitution in Western Australia, and upon the constitution of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia was honoured by being created Past Grand Master of that body. In the year 1870 he was married to Catherine, daughter of the late Peter Whitington, M.D., of Tuxford, England, and has a family of two sons and one daughter.
Councillor GEORGE JAMES HILL, representing North Ward in the Albany Municipal Council, is a son of the late Mr. Thomas Hill, of Adelaide, South Australia. Born at Freeling, in the Central State, on April 27, 1857, the subject of
our review, at the close of his education went to work on his father’s farm, and was engaged in this manner from his early teens until he reached the age of twenty-three, when he relinquished farming pursuits in favour of the butchering trade. In partnership with his brother, Mr. F. J. Hill, who is still in business at Hamley Bridge, South Australia, he carried on a butchering and bakery business for some six or
seven years, at the end of which period the connection was dissolved and the gentleman under review found his way to the capital, where he was engaged in the same line of trade in Pirie and Hindley Streets
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mu. Geojrge James Hill.
for about eight years. Selling out in 1897 he came to Western Australia, having been commissioned by Messrs. Clutterbuck Brothers, machinery merchants, of Adelaide, to look into their business at Espcrance. This he closed, and subsequently became connected with the same class of business at Albany, with a partnership interest in the same firm, an arrangement which continued for over two
years. In 1900, upon the dissolution of partnership, Mr. Hill opened on his own account in York Street, and has since carried on a thriving business from that centre. Since his advent to the town he has always displayed an active interest in public affairs, and in 1910 was requested to allow himself to be nominated as a candidate for North Ward in the Municipal Council, since when he has represented this Ward continuously. For some years he has been a member of the Masonic craft. Most of his hours of recreation are spent on the waters of the harbour, where he has a motor launch and yacht, his three sons, who assist him in the conduct of the business, joining in this pastime. Mr. Hill married in 1881 Minnie, daughter of Mr. George Gitsham, of South Australia, for many years a railway station-master in that State. He has four sons, one of whom is an orchardist on the Kal-gan River.
Councillor CHARLES WILLIAM REDHIN, who represents the ratepayers of West Ward in the Municipal Council of Albany, is the eldest son of the late Mr. Benjamin Reddin, a member of the pilot service at the time of its being under British authority. He was born at the southern seaport on September 23, 1868, and received his education at the Christian Brothers’ School at that place, completing his scholastic studies at Adelaide, South Australia. When fifteen years of age he entered upon seafaring pursuits, and followed marine life for over twelve years, relinquishing this means of livelihood in 1889 in order to settle in Western Australia. Here for a time he ‘'roughed it,” turning his hand to various occupations, and during this period found himself in the whirl of the early rush to Coolgardie, where he met with some success in prospecting. After a visit to the Eastern States, in 1895 he again returned to his native place, where he built up a thriving carrying business, conducting the same for about seven years. At the end of this time the position was offered him of manager of the White Hart Hotel—now known as the White Star—which was then the property of the Southern Brewing Company, on whose behalf he carried on the house for four years. In 1906 he took over the interests of the business on his own account, and four years later pulled down the old
building and erected the present convenient premises, where he has continued ever since. Mr. Reddin has always taken considerable interest in the town of his birth, and has busied himself in affairs concerning the welfare of the community. In 1909 a vacancy occurring in the municipal chamber, he was requested to contest the election, and was returned as representative for West Ward, upon the following occasion being reelected unopposed. He has been a warm supporter of the new water supply scheme and the fine new municipal baths, which have been the subject of high encomiums, owe much to his persistent advocacy. He is a member of the Albany branch of the Australian Natives’ Association, and occupies the position of hon. secretary of the Princess Royal Sailing Club, of which he was one of the founders. In 1887 Mr. Reddin married Charlotte, youngest daughter of the late Mr. Patrick Garrity, of Mount Barker district, Western Australia, and has four daughters.
Councillor ERNEST GEORGE McKENZIE, A.S.A.S.M., representing East Ward in the Albany
Imperial. Studio, Albany.
Mr. Ernest George McKenzie.
Municipal Council, is a son of Mr. John McKenzie, one of the best-known identities of the district, whose biography appears elsewhere in these pages. He was born at Albany on July 21, 1878, and received his education at the Albany Church of England Grammar
School. At seventeen years of age he was apprenticed to the engineering trade in the workshops of the great southern railway at Albany, and upon the completion of his articles proceeded to the Norseman and eastern goldfields, where he was engaged in engineering work in the mines for over three years. Tiring of the monotony of this occupation, and for the sake of enlarging his experience, he accepted the position of engineer on board the s.s. “Herbert,” one of the Adelaide Steamship Company’s vessels, and, upon leaving this service, entered the South Australian School of Mines at Adelaide. Having obtained his diploma as Associate in 1902, Mr. McKenzie returned to Western Australia, where he was offered the post of State battery manager at Sandstone and Menzies, which he filled for nine years, relinquishing it in order to return to his native place. He holds large vested interests in and around Albany, the supervision of which has occupied his attention since his return; and in addition he has actively concerned himself in the welfare of the town and district. In 1911 he was honoured by election to the Council. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce. As hon. secretary of the Albany Race Club he displays a great interest in sporting affairs, but for personal diversion favours aquatics, and is vice-president and handicapper of the Albany Amateur Swimming Club, and further acts as committeeman on most of the other athletic clubs. He is a prominent member of the Australian Natives’ Association, and recently has been elected to the vice-presidency of that organization in Albany. Mr. McKenzie married Isabella, second daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Pearson, of Parkside, South Australia, and has a son and a daughter.
Councillor WILLIAM JOHN DAY, representing East Ward in the Municipal Council of Albany, was born at Mount Gambier, South Australia, on June 30, 1869. He is a son of the late Mr. Charles Day, a well-known resident of the Central State for many years, and attended a school in his native town, which he left at an early age to begin his apprenticeship to the bakery business in the same place. Upon the completion of his indentures he turned his attention
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
831
for a short time to agricultural pursuits on his father's farm, but after a couple of years relinquished this occupation in favour of his trade. After working as a journeyman in various towns of South Australia for some time, in 1888 he went to Victoria for the sake of acquiring further experience and to acquaint himself with the conditions
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. William John Day.
prevailing in other parts of the country of his birth. At the end of 1891 he left for Western Australia, calling en route at his native State, where he remained for a few weeks. July 20, 1892j witnessed his arrival at Albany, where he at once obtained the position of foreman in the establishment of Mr. F. C. Grceve, and for nearly five years the work of this factory was in his hands and under his supervision. Resigning this post, he threw himself into the project of building up a business on his own account in partnership with Mr. Phillips, who within five years was bought out by Mr. Day, by whom the business has since been carried on with conspicuous success, it being now one of the largest bakeries south of Perth. Mr. Day has always availed himself of every opportunity that presented itself to assist in the improvement of the social conditions of the community of which he formed a part, but the claims of his rapidly expanding business prevented him from taking an active part in public affairs until 1909, when for the first time he allowed himself to be nominated for a seat in the Municipal Council of Albany. Upon signifying
his consent he was elected as representative for East Ward, and has since proved himself well worthy of the confidence of his electors. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and in connection with the Plantagenet Lodge has received all the honours at the disposal of the local body. He is also a Past First Principal of the Royal Arch Chapter. To Mr. Day reverts the sole credit of founding a local branch of the Ancient Order of Foresters in Albany, and his interest in this organization continues unabated. He has passed through the various chairs of the Order and is now the oldest Past Chief Ranger in the Court. An elder of the Presbyterian Church, he has been connected with the progress and management of its affairs for nearly twenty years, and is a valued member of this communion. He has
distinguished himself in rifle-shooting, in which he is an enthusiast, and has occupied a seat on the committee of management of the local rifle club for a considerable period. He holds the marksman's badge of efficiency—the highest qualification in rifle-shooting obtainable in the State. Mr. Day married in 1896, and has three sons and two daughters.
Councillor ALFRED JOSEPH COLLINS, who represents North Ward in the Albany municipality, is a son of the late Mr. Christopher Collins, of Bendigo. Born at Melbourne on January 23, 1879, when quite young he was taken by his parents to Bendigo, where he pursued his scholastic studies. In his early teens he was apprenticed to the bootmaking trade in Bendigo, and until reaching man's estate was identified with that calling. Leaving Victoria in 1899 he came to Western Australia, and being smitten with the gold fever, plunged into work on the fields, by turns taking employment on the mines and prospecting on his own account. His efforts proving void of success he returned to his trade, and accepted a position as manager for the firm of Messrs. Long & Co., of Kanowna, which he held for three years. An opportunity presenting itself for him to enter business on his own behalf, he decided to avail himself of it, and purchasing the goodwill, interest, and stock-in-trade of Mr. Gray, of Kanowna, for three years carried on business with considerable success.
Perceiving signs of the decline of this field he disposed of his trading interests, and in 1907 came to Albany, where he established himself in the boot and shoe business on Stirling Terrace, and has since built up a very substantial connection. Since his advent to the Western Australian State Mr. Collins has taken an active interest in the welfare of the community, and was created a Justice of the Peace for the eastern goldfields by the Moore Government, which honour, however, he resigned upon his departure for the south coast. He was also a member of the Kanowna Municipal Council for a couple of years. In 1910 he was elected by the ratepayers of North Ward to represent their
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Alfred Joseph Collins.
interests in the Albany Council, and has since proved himself well worthy of their confidence. Mr. Collins discharges the duties of postal vote officer for the State. In his younger days he was prominent in football clubs in Bendigo and the eastern goldfields of Western Australia, and has always been a cordial upholder of all forms of clean sport. In 1907 he married Nellie, daughter of Mr. Alfred Perris, of Korumburra, Victoria, and has two sons.
ERNEST BRAID PATON, Town Clerk and Engineer to the town of Albany, is a son of the late Mr. John Paton, of Sydney, and was born at East Maitland, New South Wales, on
October 26, 1865. He was educated primarily at the Church of England Grammar School in the town of his birth, concluding his studies at Royston College, Sydney, and subsequently was articled to the City Council of Sydney to be trained as an engineer in the department of the city surveyor. Upon the completion of his five years' articles he was appointed on the professional staff of the city council, and held the position of engineer and draughtsman in connection with that body for eight and a half years. Having received an offer of the post of municipal engineer to Broken Hill, he accepted it, and the five and a half succeeding years were spent in the Barrier city. In 1901 he was offered his present appointment in Albany, Western Australia, and has since applied the whole of his time and energy to the efficient discharge of the duties of this important office. He is now in his thirtieth year of municipal official service, forming an
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Ernest Braid Paton.
unbroken record, in itself a testimony to the value of the expert knowledge and experience he is able to bring to bear on the various enterprises that he takes in hand. His first important work in Western Australia was the construction of the storm-water drainage scheme at Albany, costing over £5,000, which has proved an inestimable boon to the community. The splendid condition of the roads surrounding Albany as well as the fine streets of the town testify to the skill and judgment that governed their
construction, while the tennis courts in Lawley Park are also a monument to the credit of Mr. Paton, over
10,000 cubic yards of earth and sand having been removed to bring the courts and their surroundings to their present state of perfection. The fine new city baths were designed by him, for which it is claimed that they are second to none in the State. Mr. Paton is an enthusiast in his profession, and gives almost the whole of his time and attention to the duties of his office. Even his leisure is spent in experimenting in mechanical engineering in its various branches, and his private workshop is fitted up with all kinds of elaborate and up-to-date appliances. He finds recreation in rifle-shooting, and for nine years in succession has been elected to the position of captain of the Albany Rifle Club, also holding the captaincy of the local fire brigade. A Freemason for a quarter of a century, in the local lodge he holds rank as Past Master, and has also attained the high distinction of First Principal in the Royal Arch Chapter. In 1901 he married Mabel, daughter of the late Mr. Lewis Noskc, of Adelaide, and has two sons.
HENRY CHARLES SIMS, J.P., ex-Mayor of Albany, is a son of the late James Sims, of Brynmawr, Monmouthshire, Wales, where he was born on July 6, 1860. His father died shortly after his advent, into the world, and when four years of age he was brought to Australia by his mother, the party also including two sisters. The family took up their residence in South Australia, and here young Sims received his education under the guidance of the late Thomas Caterer. At the close of his scholastic career he entered the service of Messrs. Swan and Walker, builders, railway and road contractors, with whom he spent a considerable period, passing from this employ into that of Messrs. Tidswell Brothers, where also he gained valuable knowledge of the trade. In the early days of his apprenticeship the construction of the Adelaide deep - drainage scheme was being carried forward, and much of his initial experience was obtained in connection with these important works. At twenty -seven years of age Mr. Sims was offered and accepted the position of
district clerk and engineer to the Terowie District Council in South Australia, and continued to fill this post until 1895, when he received the appointment of town clerk and engineer at Esperance Bay, Western Australia. After nine years at this port he retired from the office in order to enter into business On his own account as hotelkeeper at Albany, conducting the Middleton
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Henry Chart.es Sims.
Beach Hotel for nearly two years. In 1907 he took over the lease of the London, and has continued to carry on this hotel ever since. Mr. Sims has always taken a keen interest in public affairs, and was elected Mayor of Albany before his third year of residence in the town, an honour which was repeated in the following year, when he was re-elected unopposed. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, of which body he was president for a term; and holds Com -missions of the Peace, not only for the State of Western Australia, but also for New South Wales and South Australia. He is a foremost worker in connection with the Albany Celebrations, and is recognized as one of the prime movers in all efforts for the advancement of the town and district, the harbour improvements, water supply scheme, and other prospects for Albany’s advancement owing much of their success to his diligent advocacy. Mr. Sims is a lover of art, and delights in making collections of antique engravings and other works. Rose culture is his favourite recreation, but he is also
833
very fond of horses, and devotes a good deal of his leisure to driving. In 1887 he married Emily, daughter of the late Herbert Hunter, of Clare, South Australia, and has a surviving family of three daughters.
WILLIAM MAWSON, who occupied the mayoral chair of Albany in 1911, is a son of the late Mr.
Mr. William Mawson.
Christopher Mawson, of Burgh-wallis, Yorkshire, England, and was born at that place on June 23, 1866. He received his education at the Methodist School at Castleford, in the same county, and at fifteen years of age was apprenticed to the carpentering and joinery trade. At the termination of his six years’ indentures he left the Old Country for Western Australia in December, 1888, and settled at Albany. Here he has continued with only one break, when he took up the work of a home missionary on behalf of the Methodist Connexion, spending three years in this way at Beverley. Returning to the seaport, he followed his trade, and for the past twelve years has been successfully engaged in building and contracting work in Albany and the surrounding district. About 1902 Mr. Mawson, at the solicitation of the advocates of temperance in the community, contested and won the seat for North Ward in the Albany Municipal Council, and at the two ensuing elections was returned for this division unopposed. He was repeatedly requested to be nominated for the BBB
mayoralty, but declined until 1911, when he acceded to the desire of a large section of the public and accordingly was returned. Having completed his term of office he refused to allow himself to be nominated afresh, and has not since resumed his connection with the council. During his year of office the chief project under consideration was that of a water scheme for the town of Albany, and under his initiative, and largely as a result of his unceasing efforts in that direction, the council decided unanimously in favour of the Two People Bay Scheme. Before retiring from the chair he saw the municipal governing body constituted a water board for the town, and the scheme is now being proceeded with, and will be completed in the near future. At the Legislative Assembly elections of 1911 Mr. Mawson was a candidate in the Liberal interest, but was defeated by the sitting member, Mr. W. Price. He is a member of the council of the Chamber of Commerce and president of the affiliated progress associations of the district. He holds the offices of circuit steward and local preacher in the Methodist Church, and gives the greater portion of his spare time to work in connection with that organization. In 1888 Mr. Mawson was married to Esther, daughter of Mr. George Milner, of Selby, Yorkshire, and has a family of three sons.
The late WILLIAM HENRY ANGOVE, J.P., was born in the village of Petertavy, Devonshire, England, on June 19, 1850. He was a son of the late Mr. Thomas Angove, who came to Victoria with his family and settled at Clunes, where he occupied the post of mining manager for a number of years, eventually following his sons to the Western State, where his death occurred. Mr. W. H. Angove was educated at the Government school at Clunes, subsequently studying under private tuition, and at the Ballarat School of Mines. He started life as mining and land surveyor under the late Mr. John Phillips, and in 1879 came to Western Australia, arriving at Perth on the day that the first railway contract for the State was signed. Mr. Angove joined the Lands Department of the Civil Service, where he remained for two years, at the end of that period being asked by the late
Mr. Alex. Forrest to join him in partnership. This connection extended over three years, being dissolved upon the appointment of the firm as surveyors to the Great Southern Land Company, when the partners considered it advisable to work independently at each end of the territory. Mr. Forrest remained at Perth and Mr. Angove took up his residence at Albany, where he engaged in the work of the Land Company, which absorbed the whole of his energies for a considerable time. Upon the opening of the Dundas and Norseman mining fields he proceeded to the scene of activity and undertook all the early surveys in connection with this country. Upon the taking over of the Western Australian Land Company’s concessions by the Government he was appointed to the control of the land office, part of his duty being the classification of the lands surrounding the southerly portion of what is
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. William Henry Angove.
now the route of the great southern railway line. At the time of his death Mr. Angove occupied the position of Government contract surveyor for the southern district, and also carried on in private practice. During the course of his career he tutored several now noted surveyors in the elements of the profession, among whom may be mentioned Sir Newton Moore, present Agent-General for the State, and he disinterestedly aided with expert advice on geographical position, etc., many of the prominent
and successful settlers in the great southern district now holding the choicest localities. Mr. Angove in 1908 was elected to represent the ratepayers of West Ward in the Council Chamber of Albany. He rendered the town a lasting service by fathering the local water supply scheme, which has proved of such enormous benefit to the citizens, and his assistance in any movement for beautifying the town or advancing its interests was ever cordially given. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Forrest Government at the time of the formation of the Norseman goldfield, and received his commission for the whole of the State from the Moore Administration; and for about fifteen years was a member of the local Licensing Bench. Mr. Angove married in 1876, in Bendigo, Emily, daughter of the late Mr. James Ripper, of Ballarat, Victoria, and had four sons and four daughters.
JAMES GRIBBLE, who has filled the post of municipal auditor of Albany continuously for over thirty years, was born at Mount Blackwood, Victoria, on July 4, 1855. He is the eldest son of the lat-o Mr. Charles Gribble, of that place, an early Victorian settler, who came from Cambourne, Cornwall, England. At the close of his
Mr. James Gribble.
education which he pursued in his native town the gentleman under review in November, 1878, left the eastern State for Western Australia, and upon arrival settled at
Albany, where he occupied the position of accountant to the firm of McKail & Co., prominent.merchants of that time in the southern seaport. Two years later he transferred his services to the firm of Messrs. A. Muir & Sons, and has continued in this connection ever since. He is also the holder of various agencies for well-known firms and companies, being local representative on behalf of the National Mutual Life Association of Australia, and acting in a similar capacity for the London and Lancashire Fire Office. As far back as 1882 he was elected to the post of auditor to the Albany Municipal Council, the duties of which office he has discharged meritoriously and without any break up to the present time, and acts in a similar capacity to the local roads board, his term of service in this body having extended over six years. lie is a member and auditor of the local mechanics’ institute, and also of the horticultural society and of the Albany branch of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, with which he has been connected for over twenty years. In his younger days Mr. Gribble was a participant in most forms of outdoor sport, and in cycling was much to the fore, being a winner of many trophies for his achievements in this line. He now makes a hobby of practical floriculture, and has been awarded numerous prizes for chrysanthemums, ferns, fuchsias, etc., of his own growing. In 1881 Mr. Gribble married Elizabeth, daughter of the late Mr. Robert Muir, of Albany, who came to Western Australia among the earliest of the settlers, and has two sons and three daughters.
JOHN NORMAN, jun., Chairman of the Albany Roads Board, is a son of Mr. John Norman, postmaster, of Albany, whose biography appears elsewhere in these pages. He was born in the southern seaport on November 1, 1884, and pursued his scholastic studies at the Albany Collegiate School until he reached the age of fifteen, when he became connected with the Postal Department under his father. Having continued in this service for nine years he retired upon attaining to the rank of relieving postmaster in 1909, and purchased a stationery business at Albany i,n conjunction with his younger brother, which he
has carried on successfully ever since. In 1911 Mr. Norman was returned as a member of the Albany Roads Board, and during his first term of office was honoured by election to the chair. He is a leading member of the Princess Royal Sailing Club, in which he discharged the duties of honorary secretary for two years, and is now a committeeman. He gives a considerable amount of time to church work and fills the offices of circuit steward and local preacher in the Methodist Connexion at Albany. In 1910 he married Kathleen, daughter of Mr. Walter Kemp, of Esperance, and has a son.
FRANK RAWLING DYMES, M.A. (St. John’s College, Cantab.), Barrister-at-Law, Inner Temple,
Mr. Frank Rawling Dymes.
London, and general practitioner of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, was born on October 22, 1849, at Madras, India, his father, the late Daniel David Dymes, being a merchant of that city. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge, and was callecl to the Bar in 1870, subsequently practising in England for some short time. After spending several years in travelling, during which he visited all parts of the world, Mr. Dymes in 1883 came to Western Australia, and settling at Albany established himself in professional practice, where he has continued ever since. His residence at this seaport has now extended over twenty-eight years, and few men are better known in the community,
835
which he has endeavoured to serve by every means in his power. He was one of the first to recognize the possibilities of the future for the beautiful little town, and actively advocated the erection of buildings worthy of the natural advantages of its position and fine harbour. He is keenly interested in the formation of a park on the King River, to which he has given the name of “Dymes-bury Park,” and where he is endeavouring to demonstrate the value of cultivated English grasses of different varieties. For many years he held the official position of consular agent in Albany for the United States of America, and acted in that capacity upon the advent of the American Fleet in 1910. He is commodore of the Princess Royal Sailing Club, and a patron of the local race club, being a cordial upholder of all forms of clean sport. He is fond of horseback exercise, and his love of our equine friends leads him to cooperate in those forms of recreation in which they play.a leading part. In 1906 Mr. Dymes married Ellen Belinda, only daughter of the late John Hassell, of “Kendenup.”
ALGERNON CHARLES BRA-HAM, barrister and solicitor, Albany, is a son of the late Mr. David Braham, a member of the
Mr. Algernon Charles Braham.
same profession, then practising in Melbourne, Victoria, where the gentleman under review was born on November 12, 1877. He pursued his scholastic studies at Geelong bbb2
College, subsequently becoming a student at the University of Melbourne, where he qualified for the Bar in 1904, previously having served articles for three years with the firm of Braham & Pirani, of that city. After leaving the University he established himself in practice at Bairnsdale for a few months, when the brighter prospects of the Western State drew him to its shores. Upon arrival at Perth in 1905 he fulfilled the necessary probationary service in a legal office, for this purpose accepting a position with the firm of Haynes & Robinson, of Albany, from which he was admitted to the Western Australian Bar. He was then identified for a short time with legal offices in Perth and Broome, and in 1909 received the offer of the management of the Albany practice above-mentioned, which he accepted, later being admitted as a partner in the firm, which is now carried on under the name of Haynes, Robinson, and Braham. He is a member of the Albany Club, and in affairs of sport is a genial advocate of all forms of clean and manly outdoor recreation. In his schooldays he was not only one of the most successful students, but won an enviable popularity among his fellows, and during his final year filled the position of captain of the school.
HERBERT THOMAS OFFORD, engineer, Albany, was born at Norfolk, England, on September 24, 1857, being a son of Mr. Thomas Offord, who followed the calling of nurseryman at S waff ham, in that county. Educated at Merry’s Private School on London Road, in his native town of King’s Lynn, at the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to the mechanical engineering trade in the same place, and served a term of five years under the management of Dodman’s Engineering Works. Having completed his indentures, for a time he specialized in model-making, recuperating from the strain of such work by developing a small farm which he had acquired in the neighbourhood of Swaffham, where his father now resides. In 1886 he severed his home ties and came to Western Australia, arriving at Albany by the steamer “Elderslie” in the early part of 1887. Taking up his residence in the southern port he became engaged for a time in the construction of the great southern railway line, and in 1889 opened on
his own account, establishing the nucleus of his present engineering works in Albany. From a modest beginning Mr. Offord, by dint of unstinted energy and experienced knowledge of his work, has gradually ascended the ladder of success, and now commands not only all the shipping work of the port, in which his firm is markedly successful, but practically all the engineering trade of the south coast. To such large dimensions has his business attained that he has been unable to spare time for outside duties, though on frequent occasions he has been approached by his fellow-townsmen with requisitions to allow himself to be nominated for various public or semi-public offices. He is essentially a home-loving man, and finds his chief recreation in his family circle, giving a portion of his leisure to the
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Herbert Thomas Offord.
perusal of works of a scientific character. In 1884 Mr. Offord married Charlotte Catherine, daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Ellis, naturalist, of Swaffham, who did a considerable amount of research for His Late Majesty King Edward VII. before he came to the throne. He has a family of two sons (who assist him in the business) and three daughters.
JOHN ROBINSON, senior partner of the firm of Drew, Robinson, and Co., of Albany, was born at Belfast, Ireland, in 1840 and educated privately in his native city. After six years spent in a commercial
836
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
house he joined the staff of the Northern Bank in a clerical capacity, and serving six years at the head office at Belfast received promotion to the post of manager at Ballybeg, County Monaghan, which he retained for five years. Ill-health forced Mr. Robinson to retire from the Bank’s service and seek brighter climes, and with this end in view he turned his face towards the land of the Southern Cross. He reached Melbourne in 1873, and joined the staff of the National Bank, shortly afterwards being transferred to the management of the Blackwood branch of that institution. The continued unsatisfactory state of his
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Robinson.
health led to Mr. Robinson being appointed manager at Albany, where he took up his duties in June, 1878, and remained until 1883, when he resigned in order to enter into partnership with the firm of McKail and Co., general merchants. Five years later he relinquished this connection and entered into partnership with Mr. Charles Drew, now of South Australia. This gentleman retiring in 1897 Mr. Robinson purchased his interest in the business, and after two years admitted his son into partnership, the firm trading under the old title of Drew, Robinson, and Co. For thirty-four years Mr. Robinson has been a resident of Albany, during which period, though not coming publicly before the community, he has exerted a definite though unostentatious influence upon the life of the town. His delicate health has precluded him from
undertaking many prominent official positions, but he has filled the post of chairman of the education board for some years, and did valiant service for the local mechanics’ institute while presiding over the affairs of this body. During the whole of his life he has been prominently connected with the Methodist Church, and has filled every position of trust and honour open to a layman not only in Albany, but in Victoria and Ireland. Although transplanted to Australian scenes so long ago, he still retains a strong affection for the land of his birth, and has twice revisited his native country, the first time in 1890 and again in 1912. In 1862 he married Margaret, daughter of the late Mr. Robert Thomson, linen merchant, of Belfast, and has two sons.
ROBERT TRAIL MUIR, of
Albany, is the third son of the late Mr. Robert Muir, J.P., who came to Western Australia with his father, the late Mr. Andrew Muir, by the sailing vessel “Ganges” on January 18, 1844, and settled at Cape Riche. The late Mr. Andrew Muir was a native of Fifeshire, Scotland, and may be reckoned among the hardy band of pioneers of Scottish descent who left their native heath to carve out a destiny for themselves and their children in the Land of the Southern Cross. After a few years’ residence at Cape Riche Mr. Andrew Muir rented a farm on the Hay River, and later made a home at Forest Hill, Mount Barker. In course of time other stations were taken up by the family at Lake Muir and Deeside, and in 1866 a general merchant’s business was established at Albany, which in 1884 was taken over by the late Mr. Robert Muir and carried on by him under the old title of A. Muir & Sons. The latter gentleman was first employed by Mr. George Cheyne on his station at Cape Riche, and five years later took up land at Hungerup, whence he accompanied his father to Forest Hill. This estate is now in the possession of Mr. Andrew Muir, eldest son of the late Mr. Robert Muir. The Eucla country was also pioneered by the Muir family, and for many years the late gentleman paid regular visits to the property in this district. He held membership in the Albany Town Trust in 1868 and 1871, and was appointed first chairman of the Municipal Council at its inception,
an honour afterwards several times repeated. In 1891 he was elected Mayor of Albany, and for a time was a member of the Plantagenet Roads Board, also holding a Commission of Justice of the Peace. His death occurred in 1904. The subject under review was born at Albany on August 1, 1860, and received his education at the same place. Subsequently he became connected with the business house of Messrs. A. Muir & Sons, and during the long period of thirty-six years was engaged in commercial pursuits, in 1902 taking over the sole interests of the business. It may be mentioned that this was the first firm to supply the P. & O. liners when the port of call was Albany. In March, 1912, Mr. Muir relinquished mercantile operations and has since lived in retirement. For three years he served as a councillor of the municipality, and was vice-president of the agricultural society for some time. He has been connected with the Masonic fraternity for a quarter of a century, and became a member of
Mr. Robert Trail Muir.
the Oddfellows’ Lodge at its inception in the town. He has an intimate knowledge of the district from a sportsman’s point of view, being an adept with the rod and gun, but his absorbing hobby is gardening, and his name is known from Albany to Perth as an exhibitor of flowers and vegetables at the annual shows, and a prolific prizewinner for the same. He is a member of the horticultural society and has filled the office of committeeman and vice-president on that body. In 1902 Mr. Muir
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married Eliza, daughter of the late Mr. Frederick Briggs, of Melrose, South Australia, and has a son and a daughter.
GEORGE MOIR, now living in retirement at Albany, is a son of the late Mr. John Moir, who came to Western Australia from Scotland in 1850, and arrived in the year following at Albany, being one of the earliest pioneers of that district. The gentleman under review was born at Fifeshire, Scotland, on March 19, 1834, and while still in his teens accompanied his father to the Antipodes. Proceeding to Cape Riche he
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. George Moir.
was employed on the property of the late George Cheyne for five years, and then joined his brother in farming pursuits at York for a short time. Returning to Albany he purchased from the late Mr. Barrett a small freehold property, and also took over the grazing lease held by that gentleman, joining in partnership his brother, the late Mr. Andrew Moir, who died at Albany in March, 1912. For over forty years this partnership was maintained, the Messrs. Moir becoming well known in the pastoral industry all over the Cape Riche and Mongup districts. In 1900 Mr. George Moir retired from active business pursuits, and at the present time the property is under the management of his three sons. He was married in 1862, his wife being Elizabeth, daughter of the late Mr. Frederick
Hymns, of Cambridge, England, and his family consists of three sons and eight daughters, besides which he has tweny-five grandchildren.
JOHN MOIR, J.P., is a native of Albany, being a son of the late Mr. Alexander Moir, who arrived in Western Australia about the year 1852, and became one of the early settlers in this district. Born on July 29, 1856, Mr. John Moir was sent to Perth for his scholastic training, being educated at the collegiate school then known as Bishop’s College. Upon the termination of his studies, when sixteen years of age, he became engaged in mercantile pursuits at Albany in association with his father, and after continuing in this way for a few years proceeded to South Australia in order to gain commercial experience in a wider field. After spending three years in the busy life of the capital he returned to his native town, and again became identified with his father’s business establishment, since which date he has become a well-known figure in mercantile circles in Albany. Upon the retirement from business of the late Mr. Moir, sen., in 1879 the subject of this review took over the whole interest, continuing operations in his own name and on his own behalf. The business, formerly that of general merchants, has witnessed important changes in recent years. In 1908 Mr. Moir disposed of all branches except the auctioneering business, and has found sufficient scope for his energies in supervising activities in this direction alone. He has taken considerable part in semi-public life for very many years, and was a member of the Plantagenet Roads Board, of which body his late father was chairman. On four occasions he has filled the office of chief magistrate of the town, being elected Mayor of Albany for the first time over twenty years ago, and upon the inauguration of responsible government made an official visit to Perth in this capacity, accompanied by the members of the Albany Municipal Council. For many years he has held a Commission of Justice of the Peace for the whole State, this being granted him during the regime, of Governor Brooine. He was a foundation-member of the Albany Club, and is a trustee of that body at the present time. He has also been a member of the Albany
Lodge, W.A.C., in the fraternity of Freemasons since its inception. In 1884 Mr. Moir married Edith, daughter of the late Mr. Oscar Lynes, of Woodville, South Australia, and has had one son, who died in infancy.
RICHARD ROBERT BUR-RIDGE, Albany, was born at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, British America, on August 29, 1849, and is a son of the late Mr. Ambrose Bur-ridge, of that place. He was educated in his native town, and at an early age went to sea in a merchant vessel, and continued his connection with marine pursuits until 1868. He was at that period on board the ship “Uncle Joe,” trading in coal from England to Australia, and in September of the above year arrived at Albany, where he left the boat and entered upon his first experience of bush life in the employ of Mr. A. Y. Hassell. While acting as general station hand at “Jarramon-gup” Station Mr. Burridge perceived the possibilities of the sandalwood industry, and after five years with Mr. Hassell he launched out on his own account in this direction, collecting the wood and shipping it to Albany, and continued this enterprise for some ten or twelve years. Upon the outbreak of the eastern goldfields he proceeded to the scene of activity and commenced business as a carrier and carrying contractor. After following this line of life for some time, with the capital amassed during sixteen years of strenuous work he was able to purchase a block of land from Mr. James Bridge at Beginup, and afterwards added to this property from time to time until at the period of his retirement from its active management it comprised nearly 4,500 acres, and was one of the best-known estates in the Broome Hill district. For about eighteen years Mr. Burridge continued the development of this property, on which for a time he held an hotel licence for the convenience of the travelling public, and ultimately sold the estate to Messrs. Murray Brothers, the well-known north-west pastoralists. He took an active interest in the general welfare of the community and represented both Broome Hill and Gno-wangerup on their respective roads boards. He was one of the founders of the Great Southern Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and during
the first decade of its existence was prominently concerned in the management of this body. He is a member of the Masonic craft. His chief form of recreation is found in the game of bowls, and more recently he has taken to motoring, in this way frequently visiting the beauty spots of Albany and the district. In 1877 he married Mary, daughter of Mr. William Searle, for many years a well-known identity in the Broome Hill and Albany districts, and has six surviving sons and six daughters.
JOHN McKENZIE, J.P., is a son of the late Captain Hugh McKenzie, master mariner, and grandson of Captain Hugh McKenzie, late Seaforth Highlanders, who came to Western Australia in 1842. He was born at St. John’s, New Brunswick, on April 15, 1840, and accompanied his parents on their voyage to the Antipodes, subsequently receiving his education at Albany, where his
Mr. John McKenzie.
scholastic career terminated before he had hardly entered his teens. Upon leaving the school he joined a whaler at “Cheyne’s Beach” Station, 40 miles cast of Albany, and for twenty-two years followed this arduous and hazardous calling in the waters surrounding that coast, in the summer months engaging in sealing near Esperance. Eventually he met with a severe accident, a live whale striking and overturning the boat of which he was in charge, when three men were killed and Mr. McKenzie had his back injured and several ribs
fractured. As a result he gave up marine life, and coming to Albany purchased the Freemasons’ Hotel, and entered upon the personal conduct of the house, which he continued for over ten years. He then sold the lease of the property, and since 1881 has spent his time in looking after the various investments which his years of toil had enabled him to secure. He now lives in retirement at Albany, at his residence “Tulach Ard,” in York Street, in the seaport where his home has been located for over seventy years, and from which he has been absent only a few months at a time. During this period he has taken some share in public life, serving as a member of the Municipal Council for some seventeen years, and filled the office of mayor for a term of three years. He was honoured with a Commission of the Peace for the whole State in 1889. Kind-hearted to a fault, Mr. McKenzie has ever lent a ready ear to the call of distress from stranger and friend alike, and, himself having battled through the rough life of the early days, has never withheld practical aid from those whose destiny called them to the same struggle. McKenzie has ever lent a ready ear being the only surviving foundation member of Lodge Plantagenet 1454, E.C., in the Masonic craft. He married in 1861 Janet, daughter of the late John Moir, of Albany, by which union he had issue six sons and two daughters. Mrs. McKenzie died in 1881.
Captain SAMUEL GEORGE BUTCHER, J.P., retired Government pilot, who has been connected with the town of Albany since the year 1868, was born at Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, on January 15, 1853. He received his education at the Norwich Grammar School under the late Messrs. Paul & Kedge. His father, the late Captain George Trevor Butcher, came to Western Australia in 1860 as chief officer of the barque “Tientsien,” which arrived about that date and occupied the position of pilot at Fremantle for some time. In 1867 he was appointed Harbourmaster at Albany, which office he held until his death in 1900. Upon leaving school the subject of our notice went to sea as cabin-boy in the barque “Bridgetown,” and upon arrival at Albany spent some time there before embarking on the “Chrysolite,” trading in merchandise
all over the known world. He remained for several years on this boat, and was afterwards identified with several other vessels, again visiting Western Australia as second officer of the ship “Magna Charta” in 1876. Receiving the offer of a position in the Western Australian Pilot Service he accepted it, and served as pilot for over twenty-eight years, retiring in 1904 on account of an accident while on duty which incapacitated him from further service. During
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Captain S. G. Butcher.
this long period he spent twelve years in charge of the Rottnest Pilot Station, and for a considerable period filled the position of harbourmaster at Geraldton. He also saw a lengthy term of service on the northwest coast, and for thirteen years was stationed at Albany, where he now resides. Upon settling down after his retirement he was elected a member of the Albany Municipal Council, representing the ratepayers of West Ward for a couple of years, when he retired in order to accept the position of mayor of the town, being honoured by election without opposition. Owing to ill-health he resigned his public offices in 1907 and took a trip to England, where he remained for a considerable time. An ardent Liberal in politics, he has always displayed great intelligence in his grip of the political situation and has rendered valuable assistance to Liberal candidates at the time of the elections. Upon one occasion he was asked to stand for parliamentary honours in the* Upper House, but did
839
not see his way clear to accede to this request. He was gazetted a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Government in 1906. Captain Butcher has been the recipient of many honours in Freemasonry, and was one of the founders of the Hiram Royal Arch Chapter, of which he was the original First Principal. He is also connected with the Order of Oddfellows and is a member of the Albany Club. He finds pleasant occupation in tending the flower garden surrounding his home and in the cultivation, of vegetables for home consumption, also seeking frequent recreation in the use of the fishing rod, at which sport he is an adept. In 1879 he married Elizabeth, daughter of the late Mr. Alexander Moir and sister of Mr. John Moir, of Albany.
JOHN NORMAN, Postmaster, Albany, is a native of that town, having been born there on May 20,
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. John Norman.
1861. He is a son of the late Mr. James Norman, one of the very early arrivals in Western Australia, who landed at Albany in charge of stock for the Australian Pastoral Company in 1837. At the close of his scholastic studies Mr. John Norman, in January, 1877, joined the postal service, and since that period has resided continuously at Albany, never relinquishing his connection with the office he joined as a lad thirty-five years ago. Various appointments have been offered him from time to time, in larger and
more important centres, but the happy associations which cluster round the place of his birth—to which he is greatly attached—have been too strong to break, and no offer of promotion has ever tempted him to leave that picturesque spot. He is acquainted with every detail in the routine of official work, having begun as junior clerk, and served in every branch of the department until finally he attained the dignity of postmaster. Mr. Norman has willingly rendered all the time at his command to contribute toward the progress of the community, and for a great number of years has been connected with the mechanics’ institute of Albany, serving as secretary of that institution for about ten years. Upon his retirement from this office the members of the institute honoured him by electing him a life honorary member. He has been very prominent in the work of the Methodist Church, and has given unsparingly of his time and strength to promote the ideals for which this organization stands, at the present time holding the offices of secretary and treasurer of the trust fund. He is well known in local Masonic circles, being a former Past Master in the craft, and during his term of service in this office the present home of the fraternity in Albany was built. He has also filled the post of Provincial Grand Master in the M.U., I.O.O.F., with which order he has been connected for over twenty-seven years. Fishing and shooting are his favourite recreations. In 1884 Mr. Norman married Eliza, third daughter of the late Mr. J. C. Mews, of Perth, and has three sons and two daughters.
WILLIAM JOHN RAE, Acting District Surveyor of Albany, is a son of Mr. W. A. Rae, of Orange, New South Wales. He was born at Mildura, Victoria, on June 11, 1872, and received his scholastic training at the Sydney High School, leaving this institution at the age of eighteen in order to begin his first experience in survey work in the survey camps of the Lands Department of the Mother State. In the following year he was articled, and continued his training in the profession until 1895, when he was appointed to the position of draughtsman in the New South Wales Land Tax Department. For over two years Mr. Rae continued to fill this
appointment, but upon the wholesale retrenchment practised by the Government following the long commercial depression of the nineties his services were dispensed with in 1897. Western Australia offering a likely field for members of his profession, he came to the State in the early part of that year, and soon after his arrival joined one of the Government survey camps. Here he continued until October, 1900, when he entered the Lands Department as a
> 4^
o
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. William John Rae.
computer, and a year later passed the necessary examination as licensed surveyor, since which date he has practised in the State Service. In 1903 he was promoted to the field service as staff surveyor, and for a decade has been well known all over the agricultural areas of the State. Upon the decentralization of the Survey Office in October, 1911, Mr. Rae was sent to take charge, in the capacity of relief officer, of his present district, where h3 has since remained. He is a member of the Western Australian and Albany Clubs. He finds his chief recreation in sailing, fishing, and in the perusal of historical and scientific literary works. In 1903 Mr. Rae married Nora, daughter of the late Mr. W. B. Mitchell, of Bunbury, and has two sons and a daughter surviving. It may be interesting to note that Mr. Rae’s grandfather was the late Mr. John Rae, M.A., for many years Commissioner for Railways and Under-Secretary for Public Works in New South Wales.
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THOMAS STEAD MERFIELD, M.A.C.D. (Melb.) was born at Stawell, Victoria, on September 19, 1878, and is a son of the late Mr. Thomas Merfield, mining attorney, of the same place. He received his education primarily at the Church of England Grammar School at Stawell, and at sixteen years of age became an articled student under Dr. George Tayler, a well-known dentist of that period. After three years he proceeded to Melbourne, where for a couple of years he was identified with the Australian College of Dentistry, finally graduating at the Melbourne Dental Hospital. In connection with this institution Mr Merfield had the honour to be one of the first students to whom its diploma was awarded. In 1899 he came to Western Australia and entered upon the management of a dental practice at Coolgardie, where he continued for over a year. At the end of this period, accepting an offer from Drs. Wright and Wilkinson, of Perth, to open a branch on their behalf at Albany he came to the southern seaport, and after conducting the practice for about twelve months eventually purchased it, and has since carried it on on his own account. Even in the short period referred to Mr. Merfield has been successful in establishing a large connection in the town and district, and at the present time his practice is of a very extensive nature, all the dental work of Albany being in his hands. He has always upheld the dignity of his profession, and adheres rigidly to the rules of etiquette by which its practice is safeguarded, deeming that these are necessary in order that the public may implicitly rely on commanding the services of qualified practitioners. Much of his time is spent in the perusal of up-to-date works in connection with his profession, by which means he keeps in touch with the latest methods in vogue in American and European dentistry. Mr. Merfield is a member of the Albany Club. He is a keen golfer and spends the greater part of his spare time in pursuit of this fascinating pastime. He is also connected with the Masonic craft. In 1906 he married Mabel, daughter of Mr. Augustus Egerton-Warburton, pastoralist, of “Balgarrup,” Kojonup, and has a son and a daughter.
EDWARD CHARLES BARNETT, senior partner of the firm of Edward Barnett & Co., is a son of the late Mr. John Barnett, of Devonshire, England, and was born in London on December 3, 1854. He received his education in Victoria, having come to Australia with his parents at the age of four years, and in his early teens entered upon a commercial career by joining the firm of Catto & Roy, of Kingower, with whom he served for a period of six years. Upon relinquishing this connection he augmented his experience by several years in various lines of business in Victoria, and in 1881 came to Western Australia to take a position
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Edward Charles Barnett.
with the Jarrahdale Timber Company, resigning the post after six years in order to come to Albany in 1888. Here he launched out on his own account, establishing his present business, which is well known throughout the whole district. In course of time he admitted into partnership his brother (Mr. Thomas Hinton Barnett) and Mr. John McWhirter, in conjunction with whom he carries on the business at the present time. Branches have been opened at Denmark and Hope-town, and the firm holds agencies for some of the leading wholesale firms of the world. Mr. Barnett served his fellow-ratepayers as a member of the Albany Municipal Council for upwards of twelve years, and for two years occupied the office of president of the Chamber of Commerce. He represented Albany in the Legislative
Assembly for four years, but at the end of that period found it necessary to resign his seat on account of the pressure of business claims. He is a member of the Princess Royal Sailing Club and acts as president of that body, being also associated with the Perth and Albany Clubs, also for many years he was president of the Albany Turf Club.
MICHAEL JAMES QUIRK, J.P., Manager of the Albany Branch of Millars’ Timber and Trading Company Limited, was born at Chepstowe, near Ballarat, Victoria, on October 2, 1874, and is the eldest son of the late Mr. Michael Quirk, an officer of the Victorian Railways Department for many years. lie received his scholastic training at the Roman Catholic school at St. Arnaud, Victoria, where he continued until sixteen years of age. About this time he joined the Department of the Engineer-in-Chief of Victoria on railway surveys, and remained in that department for three
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Michael James Quirk.
years, resigning in 1894 in order to come to Western Australia, whither the most progressive of Victoria’s young men were flocking. Upon arrival Mr. Quirk became connected with Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Forests Limited—since that time reconstructed—and was sent in the capacity of survey hand to Yarloop, where, however, he remained only a short period. Returning to Perth, he joined the Railway Construction
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
841
Department and proceeded to Kal-goorlie to take up duties on the survey of the Coolgardie to Kalgoorlie railway, and upon the completion of this work was transferred to Eucla, on the South Australian border, in the service of the Department. Resigning his appointment in 1896 Mr. Quirk spent nearly three years in prospecting at Mount Margaret, and in 1899 returned to Perth, where he again became identified with the Harbours and Rivers Department— this time in a clerical capacity—on the Swan River Improvements Scheme. Less than two years later, when retrenchments were being made in that department, he was offered a position in his former company, and after a period spent at the Morning-ton Mills, on the south-western railway line, was transferred to his first station at Yarloop, where he received promotion to the position of timber inspector and was sent to Bridgetown. Subsequently Mr. Quirk accepted the post of traveller for the firm of J. Barre Johnston & Co., of Fremantle and Glasgow, which he represented for nearly a year, ultimately rejoin-ing Millars’ Company and taking the position of clerk at Denmark. When the mills ceased operating at this centre he proceeded in the same capacity to Wellington, shortly afterwards being promoted to the company’s management at Narrogin, and at a later date holding a similar post for the joint branches at Hopetown and Ravensthorpe. In 1910 a managerial vacancy occurring in the Albany branch — the second in importance of local trading departments in the State—Mr. Quirk was appointed to the post, and has continued to control the operations of the company from this centre. Since his arrival in the State he has identified himself with the various movements affecting the progress of districts in which he has resided, and was a member of the Phillips River Roads Board for a considerable time, resigning on his removal from that place. He holds the position of vice-president of the Albany Chamber of Commerce, and is one of the vice-presidents of the Albany Liberal League. His Commission of Justice of the Peace for the Phillips magisterial district was granted by the Wilson Government in 1909, and has since been transferred to Albany. He is a member of the Australian Natives’ Association, and in Victoria held offices in that order. He shows his approval of all clean forms of
manly sport by filling the office of committcoman in connection with the Albany Season celebrations. Mr. Quirk married Maria Elvira, daughter of the late Mr. David Blair-Stone, of Lyons, Victoria, and has a son and three daughters.
WILLIAM ST. CLARE WHARTON WHITE, Manager for the firm of Dalgety & Co. at Albany, is a son of the late Mr. Abraham White, of Kapunda, South Australia, in which mining and agricultural town the gentleman under review was born on October 15, 1862. He re-
ceived his education at St. Peter’s College, Adelaide, and at sixteen years of age entered the office of the late Mr. James White, his uncle who was largely interested in pastoral and agricultural pursuits in the district of Light and elsewhere in South Australia. In 1897 Mr. White came to Western Australia and spent a brief period on the eastern goldfields, the rush to that region still being in full force. Returning shortly afterwards to the coast he accepted the position of manager of the Canning Jarrah Timber Company at Fremantle, which he continued to hold until the amalgamation of that firm with Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company. Mr. White then became connected with the Fremantle Branch of Messrs. Dalgety & Co., and in 1904 was transferred to Albany, where he was promoted to the management, and has since carried out the duties of that office. For some years he has been a member of the Albany Chamber of Commerce, and at the present time serves as a committeeman of that organization. He holds the office of warden in the local Church of England, and devotes most of his spare time to the work of the Church, acting as superintendent of the Sunday-school, and furthering its interests in every possible way. Though a warm sympathizer in all forms of healthy outdoor sport his onerous duties preclude him from taking any active part in the local athletic clubs, and his hours of leisure are spent chiefly in recreation with his family. In 1886 Mr. White married Penelope Annie, daughter of the late Mr. Alexander Buchanan of Anlaby, South Australia, and has a son and two daughters.
CONSTANTINE STEPHEN JOHN BAESJOU, J.P., Albany, is a son of the late Mr. John Anthony Baesjou, the first medical practitioner to engage in his profession at that seaport, also for many years holding the position of Western Australian Consul for the Netherlands, his commission bearing the date of 1864. The late Mr. Baesjou died at Albany in 1868. The subject of this review was born in the above town on January 27, 1861, and received his education at a State school. At the age of fourteen he entered upon commercial pursuits in connection with the firm of Messrs. John McKail & Co., who at that time carried on a merchandise business in Albany, and continued with them for a couple of years. At the end of this period, joining the State Civil Service, he was attached to the Customs Department for a similar space of time and relinquished this employ in order to accept an offer from the P. & O. Navigation Company to fill a clerical position in its office. The company shortly afterwards handed over its Albany connection to Mr. Hassell to act as its representative, and Mr. Baesjou continued his duties as junior clerk under the new management. For twenty-three years continuously'he was identified with this office, rising through various positions to the post of manager and chief clerk, and for a short time prior to his retirement in 1900 holding a partnership in the business. Since severing his connection with this company in that year Mr. Baesjou has been conducting a land and estate and general commission agency on his own behalf in Albany. He was appointed to a Commission of Justice of the Peace by the Leake Administration in 1904, and about the same period received the appointment of clerk of courts of Albany, from which he retired when the claims of his private business became too pressing. At the present time he occupies a seat on the Licensing Board for the district. Mr. Baesjou married in 1886 Jessie, daughter of the late Mr. Alexander Moir, of Albany, a sister of Mr. John Moir, a prominent townsman of the same place. He has two daughters and a son, the latter being on the staff of the Western Australian Bank.
JOHN BUNTING, Perth Road, Albany, was born at Ballarat, Victoria, on November 24, 1877, and is a son of Mr. William John Bunting, of Glenferrie, near Melbourne. He received his education at the Clifton Hill State School in that State, and upon the conclusion of his studies was apprenticed to the trade of coach-smith, which he followed for six years in his native State. In 1896, coming to Western Australia, he joined the rush to the goldfields soon after the outbreak of the Kalgoorlie discoveries. Completing the journey to Kanowna, he spent in all two years in prospecting with fair results in the alluvial district surrounding these centres, at the end of this period returning to Perth. Here he became connected with the traffic branch of the Railways Department, and continued in this service for over twelve years. He next purchased a farm at Rocky Crossing, near Albany, which he disposed of after two years in order to open in business as a carrying contractor at the seaport town, where he still continues. For the whole period of his connection with the railway service Mr. Bunting was an active member of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Employes. In Victoria he was identified with various sporting circles, and was a well-known player of football at Fitz-roy, and also, after his arrival in this State, upon the goldfields. He spends a good deal of his leisure time in fishing in the harbour waters, and also revels in taking periodical trips through the bush and along the coast for recreation. He is a poultry fancier on a large scale, and frequently exhibits at the Perth and Fremantle shows, where he has won many prizes. In 1899 Mr. Bunting married May, daughter of the late Mr. John Gallop, of Perth, Western Australia.
MARTIN BEAUMONT DOWNES, jeweller, Stirling Terrace, Albany, is a son of the late Mr. John Martin Downes, of Colchester, Essex, England, who spent the last few years of his life at Launceston, Tasmania. Born in the Apple State, at the town of Longford, on June 18, 1870, the subject of this memoir received his education at a State school in his native place, subsequently attending a scholastic academy at Perth, in Tasmania. When fourteen years of age he was apprenticed to the jewellery trade
with the firm of Messrs. F. & W. Stewart, of Launceston, and during the five years spent in this house obtained a thorough acquaintance with all branches of this class of work under the supervision of the most capable craftsmen under the Southern Cross. Leaving this firm, he proceeded to Melbourne in order to gain a wider knowledge and experience in the trade, and for this purpose joined the well-known firm of P. Falk & Co., in their Melbourne factory, where he spent a considerable period. He was also connected with other large wholesale and retail houses in the Victorian capital, and in 1892 an offer of employment from Mr. S. J. Eddy, of Charters Towers (now of Sydney), took him into the sub-tropics, where he remained for ten years, during which period he became one of the best-known citizens of that old Queensland mining town. Meanwhile Western Australia had been coming into prominence, and Mr. Downes, in common with many other Queenslanders, was not slow to perceive the growing prosperity of the ■‘Cinderella'’ State and to realize that its prospects offered more opportunities of advancement than the older settlements could do. Accordingly, forsaking the eastern portion of the continent, he arrived in Western Australia in 1901, and making his way direct to Boulder City accepted a position on the staff of Mr. James Robinson, established in business there. In less than a year, however, he embraced an opportunity of launching out for himself, and in partnership with Mr. M. E. Maz-zucchelli conducted a successful business for nearly eleven years. Eventually this developed into one of the foremost concerns of its kind outside the metropolis, and in 1912 Mr. Downes disposed of his interests to his partner and purchased from Messrs. Caris Brothers, of Perth, their branch establishment at Albany, which he now carries on. He has been identified with the Australian Natives' Association for some years. He finds diversion for leisure hours with his camera. In 1895 Mr. Downes married Clara, daughter of the late Mr. Charles McDonald, of Charters Towers, and youngest sister of the Hon. Charles McDonald, ex-Speaker in the House of Representatives and member for Kennedy in the Commonwealth Parliament. His family consists of two daughters.
FRANK WALTER BEVILAQUA, general draper, York Street, Albany, is the second son of Mr. F. L. Bevilaqua, of Adelaide, South Australia. He was born at Lyndoch, in that State, on September 12, 1864, and received his education at the local school. At sixteen years of age he entered commercial life in the firm of Messrs. W. & T. Rhodes, hardware merchants, of Adelaide, with whom he remained for four years. Relinquishing this connection he was for eight years identified with his father's general storekeeping business in Adelaide, and upon the retirement of the latter gentleman from mercantile pursuits went to Tasmania with a party prospecting for gold. Mr. Bevilaqua followed mining occupations in that island for about four years, and at the end of this period, being offered a position with Messrs. Robinson & Co. at Mount Lyell, he accepted it and continued with this firm for about a year. He then returned to South Australia, and two years later, in 1898, was encouraged by the glowing reports of the Western State, then in a very prosperous condition, to test her bright promises on his own behalf. Upon arrival he joined as assistant the firm of Drew, Robinson, and Co. at Albany, four years later transferring his services to the house of Messrs. E. Barnett & Co., in which he served for three years. In 1906 he opened in business on his own account at Broome Hill, conducting a general store at this centre for a couple of years, when he purchased his present drapery emporium at Albany, which he has carried on successfully ever since. His chief recreation is found in yachting, and he takes a live interest in the Princess Royal Sailing Club, of which he is vice-president, an office he has held for three terms. Mr. Bevilaqua married in February, 1898, Violet, only daughter of Mr. John Cowie, of Adelaide.
EDWARD GAMBLE EVERETT, grocery and provision merchant, of Albany, is a son of the late Mr. Charles Everett, who came to Adelaide from Ipswich, England, in 1839. He was born at Grote Street, in that city, on April 16, 1852, and pursued his scholastic studies at various private schools in South Australia. When fifteen years of age he entered the grocery
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trade, and a year later took a trip to England in order to enlarge his knowledge of the world. After an absence of about twelve months he returned to the land of his birth and resumed his connection with his former trade, from 1869 to 1883 being associated chiefly with his father’s business. In the latter year he launched out on his own account, opening a general store and post office at Windsor, and for thirteen years carried on business in that locality. During this period he also conducted a branch business at Dublin, in the same State, and discharged the postal official duties at both these places. Subsequently he established himself at Norwood, near Adelaide, for a short time, but owing to the
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mk. Eric Samuel Everett.
ill-health of one of his sons was advised to try another climate, and in 1897 came with his family to Western Australia. Mr. Everett decided to settle at Albany, and at once opened up business as a general grocer and draper, by dint of energy and strict adherence to sound commercial principles laying the foundation of the prosperous concern which has weathered all storms and is now one of the most thriving business-houses in the picturesque little seaport. Since taking up his residence in Albany he has given what time he could spare to furthering the interests of the place, and for a considerable period has been a member of the Albany Chamber of Commerce. He is also a committeeman of the agricultural and
horticultural society and has been connected with the Order of Oddfellows for over forty years. In 1879 he married, and has two sons and a daughter surviving. ERIC SAMUEL EVERETT is a son of the foregoing, and was born at North Adelaide on May 5, 1895. Being brought to Western Australia by his parents in his infancy, he pursued his scholastic studies at the State school in Albany, which institution he left before reaching the age of fifteen to join the clerical branch of the railway service, in which department he remained for about two years. At the end of that period he resigned in order to join his father in business, and has since found abundant scope for his activities in assisting in the operations of the firm. He gives a fair amount of his leisure time to athletics and enjoys participation in most forms of sport, particularly in football, tennis, and swimming, holding a trophy for his achievements in the latter line of exercise. He is a member of the Oddfellows’ Order and is a noncommissioned officer in the Cadet Forces, being also a marksman of some merit.
WILLIAM ROBERT SMITH, general storekeeper, York Street, Albany, is a son of the late Mr. William George Smith, of Liverpool,
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. William Robert Smith.
England, and was born at Birkenhead on August 24, 1863. He received his education in the St. John’s
Church of England School in his native town, and when fourteen years of age was apprenticed to the joinery trade at Clover’s Shipyard, in the same place. After serving his six years’ indentures he entered upon marine pursuits on board the S.S. “Sahara,” trading with Bombay and the Far East, and continued in this service for nearly two years. He came to Australia by the “Lord Raglan” in 1886, and worked at his trade in Victoria for some consider able time, eventually coming to Western Australia in 1896. Settling at Albany, he was engaged on the coal hulk at his calling, and spent over four years as ship’s carpenter with the firm of Mcllwraith & McEachern, on the Western Australian coast. Subsequently, for eight years, he was identified with Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company, at the Albany branch, and finally, in 1902, set up in business for himself on a modest scale in that seaport. Owing to the steady increase of business it became necessary for him to seek larger premises, and he has now one of the most thriving storekeeping concerns in Albany, being ably assisted by his wife in the conduct of the business. He is a member of the Freemasons’ craft, having been connected with that body for a lengthy period. In 1890 he married Rose, daughter of the late Mr. John Cornfield, of Birkenhead, England, and has a son and a daughter.
JOHN JOSEPH MURPHY, general grocer and provision merchant, York Street, Albany, is a son of Mr. Patrick Murphy, of Geelong, Victoria, in which town the gentleman under review was born on August 30, 1865. He was educated at St. Mary’s School at Geelong under Mr. John Spring, now retired, and at eighteen years of age entered the world of commerce in the establishment of the Mutual Stores, Limited, Melbourne, where he remained for ten years. After filling the responsible position of manager of the grocery department of this important business for some time he resigned in order to take control of the grocery, wine, and spirits department of Messrs. George & George’s large stores in Collins Street, and continued in this position for over twelve years. Eventually the firm decided to confine itself to the drapery and softgoods lines of merchandise, and Mr. Murphy retired from business
pursuits for a time. Tiring of the monotony of an idle life, he accepted an offer which he had received some time previously from the firm of Drew & Robinson, of Albany, to manage the grocery branch of their house. Upon further acquaintance with the town, however, he perceived an opening for independent business operations, and resigning his position with the above firm opened the present establishment in York Street, which has ever since engaged the whole of his time and attention, and is now one of the prominent trading concerns of Albany. Before coming to this State Mr. Murphy took an active interest in those movements most closely identified with Irish nationality, and since his arrival at Albany has taken a leading place among the laity of the Roman Catholic communion, furthering the interests of the local church in every way open to him. In matters relating to the general public he has also displayed considerable interest, and before he left Melbourne was a prominent worker in the cause of early closing, being one of the pioneers in this movement in Victoria, which was brought to a successful consummation before his departure. He has continued his labours in this direction since coming to Albany, strongly advocating that the measure should be brought into force everywhere. He has the sacred cause of charity at heart, and is a cordial supporter of all movements for the amelioration of human misery. In his youth he was well known in the hunting fields of Victoria, and at the present time finds his chief recreation in riding, being very fond of his equine companions and an excellent judge of horseflesh.
JAMES SAMUEL DEYKIN, proprietor of the Freemasons’ Hotel, Albany, is a son of Mr. James Deykin, of Staffordshire, England, and was born on August 20, 1869. He pursued his scholastic studies at Shrewsbury School, and at eighteen years of age was articled to a firm of surveyors and engineers in Birmingham, with whom he spent three years. Having-attained his majority he received the offer of an appointment from the Western Australian Land Company, which he accepted, arriving at Albany to take up the duties of the position in July, 1891. Mr. Deykin served three years as surveyor on the staff of this
company, at the end of which period the mining boom occasioned by the discovery of the eastern goldfields occurred, and in 1894 he became one of the pioneers on the Coolgardie field, being preceded by very few at this centre. For a year he carried on prospecting, but meeting with very little reward, relinquished the enterprise, and returning to more civilized regions joined the Civil Service at Perth as computing draughtsman, which post he held for nearly a year. Resigning from the service, he joined the late Robert Ironside in partnership, forming the firm known as Ironside & Deykin, mining surveyors, architects, and draughtsmen, which was in operation from 1896 until 1903, when the partnership was dissolved. During this period a large proportion of the work of the district fell into the hands of this firm, which established a good reputation during the eight years of its existence. In the fall of the latter year Mr. Deykin purchased the lease and goodwill of Albany’s leading hotel—the Freemasons’—and for over nine years he has conducted that establishment in a manner beyond criticism. Every detail of the well-appointed menage shows the master mind at work, controlling all the wheels within wheels, so that no friction may mar the smooth running of the complicated system by which such excellent results are attained, and the statement that the hotel is second to none in the State for the perfection of its management is far from being a mere platitude. Mr. Deykin, amid the numerous responsibilities of his business, has yet found time to devote to duties of a more public character, and soon after his arrival in Albany began to display an interest in those movements and organizations which make for the advancement of a town and community. In 1906 he was elected to a seat in the local municipal council, and during the six years that he was connected with this body never failed to command the attention of his brother-councillors when he gave voice to his opinions on the various matters brought before the council. He was a strong advocate of sanitary reform, and in this particular it may be said that Albany takes a high place among the towns of Western Australia. For some years Mr. Deykin has been a live member of the Chamber of Commerce, and at the present time holds the office of president of that
chamber. In the early days of Coolgardie he was well known in the Masonic fraternity, and is still prominent in the craft, being a Past Grand Lodge Officer. In 1899 he married May, daughter of Mr. James Edwards, of Albany, and has two sons.
ALBERT WITHNELL, proprietor of the York Hotel, York Street, Albany, is a son of Mr. William John Withnell, of Subiaco, Western Australia. He was born at East Bermondsey, London, England, on September 18, 1880, and after his arrival in this State with his parents in 1887 pursued his scholastic studies in Perth. While still a lad he entered upon his first position as telegraph messenger in the capital, and within two years
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Albert Withnell.
and a half received promotion to the post of telegraph operator at Bussel-ton. After continuing two years in this appointment he was placed on the relieving staff, and in the discharge of his duties visited nearly all the principal telegraph stations of the State, travelling through the north-west and the eastern goldfields. He held appointments as telegraphist at Lawlers and postmaster at Mount Sir Samuel, Black Flag, Bannister, and Kojonup for varying periods, and in 1901 resigned in order to join the contingent of telegraph operators requisitioned from Australia for service in South Africa at the time of the Boer war. After four months in
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South Africa he was placed on the fixed establishment list in the Cape Government Service, where he remained for a couple of years. On account of the depression which occurred after the war he decided to return to Western Australia, and found himself once more in Perth in December, 1904. Shortly after arrival Mr. Withnell took over the lease of the York Hotel at Albany and entered upon the personal management of the business, which he has since conducted with conspicuous success. Warm eulogy comes as a matter of course from those who have availed themselves of the hospitality afforded by this up-to-date and thoroughly well-appointed hotel, and its popularity increases as the years go by. Mr. Withnell has interested himself in Friendly Society work, being a Master Mason in the fraternity and also a member of the I.O.O.F. An athlete since his schooldays, he has been one of the most successful runners in the State, and as a bowler in cricket has won more than ordinary distinction. He is the holder of many trophies gained in various branches of sport, and after entering the professional arena invariably maintained the dignity of his side and supporters. In South Africa he was a member of the first cricket eleven formed entirely of Australians, which association is now recognized as one of the institutions of that country. Since coming to Albany he has continued his enthusiasm for all forms of sport, and has held honorary positions in the leading local clubs, besides which he is an officer of management in connection with the Albany Town Band. In 1908 he married Alice Gertrude, daughter of the late Mr. Francis Gonthier, of London, and has two daughters.
TOM CLARK, Albany Hotel, Albany, is a son of Mr. Tom Clark, of Halifax, Yorkshire, England, where the gentlemen under review was born on November 11, 1881. Educated in his native town, before he reached his teens he went to work in a woollen mill in Halifax, and continued at the frames in that establishment for six years. Before attaining man’s estate, however, he relinquished this means of livelihood and became apprenticed to the trade of brassfounder and finisher. Upon the completion of his indentures he spent two more years in the factory
of Messrs. Foster & Sons, under whom he had learnt the trade, thus receiving a full seven years’ training for the calling which he intended to make his lifework. After working for a short time as journeyman in the West of England he came to Australia, arriving at Perth in the early part of 1906. Keen disappointment awaited him here, when he found that no workmen in his trade were required in the State, but resigning himself to the pressure of circumstances he accepted what employment offered until he had acquainted himself to some extent with the conditions of the new country in which he had cast his lot. Eventually he came to Albany and occupied various positions in this seaport before finally taking over the lease of the Albany Hotel, which he has conducted successfully ever since. Mr. Clark gives close attention to the demands of his business, which occupies the major portion of his time, but he has established his reputation as a supporter of outdoor athletics, and the devotees of such diversions are always confident of finding him ready to further their interests in every possible way. He is himself especially fond of aquatic pursuits, and when he can snatch a few hours of leisure may usually be found on the harbour waters indulging in the pleasures of the piscator. Mr. Clark married in 1908 Annie, daughter of the late Mr. James King, of Gloucestershire, England.
JOHN CHARLES MEWS, of Albany, is a direct descendant of Mr. Peter Mews, who was Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1672 and occupied the See of Winchester in 1684 —one of the foremost men of his time, a leader of the Royalist Party, and personal adviser of Charles I. The late Mr. Thomas W. Mews, grandfather of the subject of this notice, arrived in Western Australia by the ship “Rockingham” in 1830, an accident to the boat delaying her a few months after the arrival of the first settlers in 1829. His son, the late Mr. John Charles Mews, occupied many public positions in the earlier days of Perth, and was the father of Mr. J. C. Mews, of Albany, who was born at the capital on November 3, 1859. After attending the State school at Perth, and subsequently a grammar school conducted by the late Mr. George A. Leich, at fifteen years of age Mr.
Mews began his apprenticeship to the late Mr. John Summers, coach-builder, and five years later proceeded to South Australia for the sake of gaining more extensive experience. Having further augmented his knowledge by working at the same trade in Melbourne, he returned to the land of his birth and opened a business in Albany in 1882, which he has carried on successfully ever since, the firm boasting the oldest business connection in that town. To Mr. Mews is accorded the credit of having built the first spring vehicles for Albany, and in this department pioneering honours will be rendered him with good grace, lie has filled various public positions, for several terms serving as a member of the Municipal Council of Albany, and acted as deputy-chairman of the Albany Roads Board
0
r%
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. John Charles Mews.
during the first year of its establishment. A member of the Australian Natives’ Association, he has occupied the position of trustee in regard to this body at Albany, and was a founder of the Albany Dog and Poultry Association, of which he is also president. He is a member of the fresh-air league, and has done much for the children of the goldfields, who are enabled to make periodical visits to Albany under the auspices of that league. He is also an energetic supporter of the “Albany Season” movement, on the committee of which he has acted for a considerable time. Mr. Mews married in 1883 Agnes Catherine, daughter of the late Mr. Colin
Campbell Matheson, of Glengoric House, Glasgow, and has a family of four sons and three daughters.
ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG, of Albany, is a son of the late Mr. Alexander Armstrong, who came to Western Australia in 1861 in charge of the convict ship “Linsels,” and afterwards filled a position as warder for fourteen years. The gentleman under review was born at Wick, Scotland, while his father was on active service in the Crimea with the 42nd Highlanders, in which regiment he held a sergeant's commission. Young Armstrong came to Western Australia with his parents at nine years of age, and for a time attended a school at Fremantle, subsequently receiving further tuition under the late Mr. Thomas Palmer at Albany, where ’ he was a schoolmate of the Honourable Cuthbert McKenzie. Leaving school, he joined the Admiralty Marine Survey Service for a short time, afterwards engaging in seafaring pursuits on the “Rob Roy” for over a year. In 1883 his father, having secured the launch “Loch Lomond,” Mr. Armstrong—who had previously been admitted into partnership in the firm of Armstrong and Son—took command of this vessel, and thereafter was closely identified with his father’s fleet of launches, which included the “Jessie,” the “Escort,” the “Dunskey,” the “Bruce,” and the “Silver Star.” Some two years subsequent to the
death of his parent Mr. George Walters was admitted as a partner in the firm, which now controls the oil launches “Mary” and “Dorothy,” in addition to the “Bruce,” “Escort,”
and “Silver Star,” already mentioned. These boats ply on the harbour waters, and are used as tugs, also being in constant requisition for the use of pleasure excursionists. Mr. Armstrong has made a study of municipal government, and for eight years occupied a seat on the local council, in addition filling the mayoral chair for a term. During the period of his mayoralty in his official capacity he entertained,
Mr. Alexander Armstrong.
among other notabilities, Lord Kitchener and the officers of the Japanese fleet, which visited Australia in 1910. He has been for some years a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and takes an interest in
all matters pertaining to the general welfare of the town. He is a Master Mason in the fraternity, and has filled the chair of Noble Grand in connection with the M.TJ., I.O.O.F.,
with which order he has been associated for over thirty-five years. In 1891 Mr. Armstrong married Mary Sarah, daughter of the late Mr. Richard Holder, of Hightington, Worcestershire, England, and has a son.
GEORGE HENRY GREEN, son of the late Mr. James Henry Green, of London, was born at Hammersmith, in the West End of that city, on August 29, 1863. He received his education at the Godol-phin School at that place, and having attained the age of fifteen years was apprenticed to the mercantile marine service and entered upon a seafaring life. For a couple of years he served in the “Dunnottar Castle,” a sailing vessel trading with the Far East. Arriving at Melbourne in the course of one of her voyages Mr. Green left this boat, and shortly afterwards sailed for Queensland, where for twelve years he was engaged in the varying occupations of prospector, station hand, and assistant on sugar plantations, and became very well known all over the State. He followed the first party of prospectors from Queensland to New Guinea, at the time of Sir Samuel McGregor’s administration in that island, but though valuable pioneering work was done by these men, they were not successful in striking gold in payable quantities. In 1892 Mr. Green revisited the Old Country with the intention of settling in England, but the severity of the climate compelled him to return to Australia. In November, 1894, he landed in the Western State, and after spending a year on the goldfields came to the south and took up a block of land on the Hay River, near Albany. The original block comprises 200 acres, but this he has increased from time to time, and is now the proprietor of a farm covering 2,800 acres, which he uses for cultivation purposes and for sheep, confining his attention to a cross between the merino and Shropshire, which he has found well suited to the climate. For eight years Mr. Green was a member of the Albany Roads Board, of which he acted as chairman for a time. In his younger days he excelled as a cricketer, but now takes his recreation in the less strenuous game of bowls, and is a member of the Albany Bowling Club. In 1895 he married Mary Eliza, daughter of the late Mr. Robert Spencer, and granddaughter
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of Sir Richard Spencer, so closely associated with the early history of Western Australia. He has four sons and two daughters, and in order to secure educational facilities for his family resides in Albany, periodically visiting the farm.
HENRY JAMES CHARLES LEISHMAN, of “Springmount,”
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Henry James Charles Leishman.
Nanarup district, lying about 16 miles eastward of Albany, is a son of the late Mr. Henry Alexander Leishman, a native of Nova Scotia,
and for many years a planter in Mauritius, who for a time was in partnership with Sir James McCulloch, of Melbourne. The subject of our review was born at Mauritius on July 12, 1850, and educated in England at the Kcir House School at Wimbledon, in Surrey. Leaving this institution at the age of nineteen he joined his father in Melbourne, and subsequently proceeded to the Murray district as jackeroo on “Yarrawonga” Station, the property of the noted sheepbreeder, Mr. John Rutherford. During the first few years of his connection with the pastoral industry he was identified in turn with nearly all the large stations in Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales, in 1877 purchasing, in partnership with his father, the pastoral property of “Lome,” situated in the Blackall district of Western Queensland. After being closely concerned in the development of this station for twelve years ill-health compelled his retirement for a time, and he spent two years on a trip to Switzerland and England, returning to Australia in 1891. Settling at Albany for a year, at the end of this period Mr. Leishman took up his present block of land from the Western Australian Land Company, and in 1892 began the work of converting what was then virgin bush into a homestead property, with such success that “Springmount” may fairly be considered the prettiest among the settlers’ homes, not only in that district, but for many miles beyond.
The dwelling is built after a quaint bungalow design, and the garden, picturesquely laid out, contains the finest rosary round Albany, exhibits from which have carried off numerous prizes at the local shows. Mr Leishman married in 1879 Alice, daughter of the late Judge Bunny, of Melbourne, and has a son and two daughters. His son, Mr. Hugh Arthur Leishman, was educated at
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Hugh Arthur Leishman.
the Church of England Grammar School, Geelong, Victoria, and ever since the conclusion of his studies has been associated with his father in the working of the property. At the present time potato-growing forms the chief department of industry, but in earlier days, when Albany was the port of call for the mail steamers, the ocean liners were supplied with fruit and vegetables of many varieties from '“Springmount.” The father and son also have an extensive oyster farm at Taylor’s Inlet, leased from the Government, from which they supply the Albany markets.
FREDERICK NORTH, J.P., “Kelvcrslcy,” near Albany, was born at Bunbury, Western Australia, on January 9, 1861, and is a son of Mr. Daniel North, of that town, one of the earliest pioneers of the State. He received his education in his native place, and at the age of fourteen left school in order to assist his father in the various road contracts and other work upon which he was at that time employed. After four
MR. H. J. C. LEISH MAN'S RESIDENCE, NANARUP.
years young North, determined to battle for himself, and leaving home he obtained employment at the Lock-ville sawmills. The sailing ship “A. L. Palmer” calling there for timber he assisted in the loading and worked his passage in her to Port Augusta, where he was employed on the wharves for two months. Returning by the “Sydney Griffiths” he worked for a time in the jarrah forests at Jarrahdale, and subsequently signed on the sailing vessel “Rapido,” bound from Rockingham to Port Adelaide with a cargo of timber. At the latter port the ship secured a cargo of wheat and bark and steered for New Zealand, Mr. North signing on for the extended voyage. He left the boat in New Zealand, where he remained for four
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Frederick North.
years, during which period he was employed in the kauri forests. He then returned to the mainland, landing in New South Wales, and took a contract on a sheep station near Young, eventually returning to Western Australia at the end of 1884. Settling in the district where he was born Mr. North found occupation in various forms of work incidental to bush life, and two years later purchased a bullock team and commenced carting contracts at Albany, chiefly in connection with the construction of the great southern railway. Subsequently he worked on the line, continuing in the district with the idea of taking up land for farming purposes, and in 1889 he secured 30 acres from the Western
Australian Land Company, where his pretty and substantial homestead now stands. This he added to at intervals, acquiring further holdings both from the Company and the Government, and at the present time his property covers an area of 150 acres, in addition to a grazing lease of over 350 acres. He has met with much success in his market garden, and raises very fine potatoes, for which he finds a ready market and obtains good prices. As the pioneer settler of the district Mr. North has played an important part in its development, and it was mainly through his influence that the Albany Roads Board came into being, this district formerly being a part of the Plantagenet district, under which board its interests had failed to receive adequate treatment. He was elected to a seat on the Albany Board in 1902. It was also largely owing to his enterprise that the value of the swamp lands in this locality became recognized, as he was the first to settle on them, which hitherto had been regarded as worthless; and to demonstrate their value as potato country he has since concerned himself prominently in the realization of a drainage scheme for the Grassmere swamp lands. He devotes a considerable amount of his leisure to matters affecting the general welfare of the district, and in 1912 was granted a Commission of Justice of the Peace by the Scaddan Administration. In 1884 Mr. North married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. John Hayes, of Albany, and has two sons and two daughters.
HENRY FAULKNER, of Albany, is a native of Hersham, Surrey, England, where he was born on June 21, 1848. He was brought up to the building trade and carried on business as a building contractor in England prior to his departure for Australia in 1891. Since coming to this State he has been principally identified with the same trade, but has also held interests in the dairying and farming industries in conjunction with his sons, with whom he has always kept closely in touch. He married in 1874 Miss Louisa Tilley, of Surrey, England, by whom he has had ten children, eight of whom survive. GILBERT FAULKNER, the eldest living son of Mr. Henry Faulkner, was born at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, on November 6, 1876, and
after a preliminary course of education in his native place concluded his scholastic studies at Bury St. Edmunds, in Suffolk. For a short time prior to coming to Australia with his
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Henry Faulkner.
father he was engaged with him in the building trade in Surrey. Upon arrival in the Western State he took a position with the late W. H. Angove, of Albany, and for a few months worked on survey camps in the district. He then turned his
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Gilbert Faulkner.
attention to dairying in partnership with his brother and built up a large connection at Albany. In 1897 he went to the Norseman Goldfields,
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but finally decided to devote himself to dairying and farming on land in the Porongarup Ranges near Albany. In order to serve the interests of the settlers, in 1909 he became a member of the Albany Roads Board, and has since been returned to that body unopposed. He is interested in politics, and is given to the perusal of works on political and social economy, also keeping himself versed in the public affairs of Great Britain, and being well abreast in the doings of the various parties in the British Houses of Parliament. In 1902 he married Lizzie, youngest daughter of Mr. John Pickles, of Mount Barker, formerly of Cowling, Yorkshire, and
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Hugh Faulkner.
has three sons and a daughter. HUGH FAULKNER, Middleton Road, Albany, is a son of Mr. Henry Faulkner, and was born at Walton-on-Thames on July 30, 1879. He attended a school in his native place, and finished his education at Albany after his arrival in Western Australia with his parents in 1891. Upon the conclusion of his studies he joined his father and brother in the dairying industry, and has continued in partnership with Mr. Gilbert Faulkner in Albany and the Porongarup district. Like his father, he takes a deep interest in the work of the local Methodist Church, and is a member of the governing committee of that body, quarterly meetings being held to discuss the general conduct and business matters connected with the Church. Mr. Faulkner spent a number of years in the study of carpentry, and is an excellent ccc
craftsman, spending some of his leisure hours in work of this nature. He is very fond of reading, his choice falling chiefly on works of an historical and biographical nature. In 1906 he married Ellen, daughter of Mr. F. Turner, formerly of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, now of Perth, Western Australia, and has three sons.
ABRAHAM HENRY SHANNON, “Ballymena,” King River, is a son of the late Mr. Andrew Shannon, a member of the old aristocratic family of that name so well known in the North of Ireland. Born at Ballymena, in County Antrim, he was brought up under the care of his guardian (the late Sir James Haselett, for many years representative of one of the Irish counties in the Imperial Parliament), his parents having died during his infancy. After a preliminary course of education at Lurgan College he became a student at Campbell College, Belfast, and continuing at this institution until the close of his teens left there to begin a travelling tour which was extended all over the globe. During his travels he made a close study of the manners and customs of the different types of humanity which he encountered, and in some places stayed a sufficient length of time to interest himself in the general conditions of things there existing.
Having arrived at Australia during the course of his journeyings he spent nearly two years in the Central State, turning his attention to scientific poultry farming at Gaw-ler, where he had relatives; and also
Mr. Abraham: Henry Shannon.
became a student of agriculture and the allied sciences at Dookie College, Victoria., continuing his researches in New Zealand, Tasmania, and the whole of the Australasian States. A desire to look into the details of the pastoral industry and to gain general knowledge led him to spend a considerable time as jackeroo on “Moculta” Station, South Australia,
Mr. A. H. Shannon’s Residence, King River.
and on other pastoral runs, and finally, in 1909, after weighing the rival advantages of the different States, he decided to settle in Western Australia. In acordance with this decision Mr. Shannon came to the Albany district and purchased his present property, situated on the King River, about seven miles from Albany, where he has formed an ideal home, which is looked upon as one of the beauty spots of the district. A flourishing poultry farm is managed on the most approved methods, and an orchard, not yet fully developed, gives promise of excellent harvests in the near future. Boating and fishing are constantly indulged in, the river flowing just at the foot of the garden, where Mr. Shannon and his wife have been very successful in the cultivation of flowers of many varieties. Besides these quieter diversions he is devoted to sport of a more exciting nature, and while at college was one of the prominent players in the football and cricket teams, winning trophies galore for his prowess in this direction. Among other distinctions he played for the North of Ireland representative team, in. itself sufficient evidence of his attainments in the world of football. Mr. Shannon married in 1910 Edith Evelyn, daughter of Mr. W. G. Tutton, of Perth, an old identity of Gawler, South Australia, and a descendant of one of the oldest settlers in that State.
SETON GIBB, farmer and orchardist, "Balgownie,” King River, Albany, is a son of the late Mr. Robert Gibb, a well-known official of the Marischal College, Aberdeen, Scotland, in which "granite city” the gentleman under review was born on April 2, 1856. He attended the National School at Aberdeen until thirteen years of age, when he was apprenticed to the trade of painter and decorator. Having completed his apprenticeship he sailed for New Zealand, where he found employment in Dunedin for about two years. At the end of that time Mr. Gibb came to Australia, and after working at his trade about Sydney returned to England for a trip in 1878, and remained in Great Britain for three years. He then came out to Queensland, where he remained for a year, eventually finding his way back to Sydney, and finally
arrived in the Western State in the year 1891. Landing at Albany he was for some time identified with his trade in that town, but seeing good prospects in the agricultural industry took up a block of land in the vicinity of King River and settled down to farming pursuits. He has a well-developed little farm and orchard, and successfully cultivates all kinds of fruit, potatoes, and other vegetables. He supplies the local and goldfields markets and exports fruit to England and Germany. Mr. Gibb is the oldest settler in the
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Ma. Seton Cibb.
district, and is a member of the King River Settlers’ Association, also holding office as trustee of the local agricultural hall. The beautiful King River runs through his property closo by the homestead, and provides recreation in the way of boating, fishing, and bathing. Mr. Gibb married in the year 1881 Mary Ann, daughter of the late Mr. John Middler, of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and has three sons and five daughters.
N. W. McKAIL, “Windy Hill,” Kalgan River, is a descendant of the family of Hugh McKail, Scottish Covenanter, who was martyred in the year 1666. His father, the late Mr. John McKail, who died in 1871 leaving a widow and seven children, arrived in Western Australia in company with Captain Sir James Stirling in the year 1828, and subsequently filled the office of postmaster
in Albany for a time. After some unprofitable experience as a sheep-farmer, when his stock was destroyed by blind grass, a fatal sheep poison at certain seasons of the year, Mr. John McKail founded the business in Albany which is now known as Drew, Robinson, & Co., and entered political life as the first member of Parliament for Albany, also acting as Consul for the German Empire. The subject of this memoir was born at Albany on August 31, 1850, and received his education at the Bishop’s College, Perth. Upon leaving school he entered upon pastoral pursuits at "Woodlands,” "Poron-garup,” and on "Fairfield” Station, where he spent some years, and left there to take part in the exploration of some of the little-known portions of his native State. Upon his return from this expedition he went to Victoria and joined the staff of the National Bank, where he obtained a good insight into financial life. In
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. N. W. McKail.
1886 he resigned from this service and returned to Western Australia, shortly afterwards becoming the first sottler on the Kalgan River under the Conditional Purchase Act. He now lives a semi-retired life on his estate, but still interests himself in the welfare of the district in which he has resided for so many years. For a very lengthy period he has served as a member of the Albany Roads Board, and for some years occupied a seat in the Albany Municipal Council. He is a member of the committee of the Kalgan River Settlers’
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Association, and gives his cordial support to most of the organizations formed for the advancement of the public weal. A keen sportsman, in his younger days he was well known in aquatics and gun sports, and still keeps himself in sympathy with the interests of athletic circles. In 1881 he married Effie, daughter of the late Mr. Henry Howson, of Castlemaine, Victoria, and has five sons and a daughter.
RICHARD EVELYN WRIGHT is a son of the Honourable J. A. Wright, whose biography appears in another part of this work. He was born at St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 20, 1874, and received his preliminary education in England, finishing at St. Lawrence’s Public School, an English institution at Belgium. Having pursued his studies for some time on the Continent, he came to Western Australia with his father, who had received the appointment of Commissioner of Railways and Director of Public Works in this State, and upon arrival, after attending the High School at Perth for a short time, joined the
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Richard Evelyn Wright.
staff of the National Bank in order to gain experience in finance. Meanwhile his family removed to Albany, and Mr. Wright, upon receiving the offer of a position from the Western Australian Land Company in the clerical branch of its business at the southern seaport, accepted it, and remained in this service until the ccc2
outbreak of the Coolgardie goldfields. Joining the eager throng of seekers for the precious metal, he pursued the search without success, and contracting typhoid fever was compelled to return home. Upon recovery he was appointed to the position of acting-warden at Menzies, which office he filled for a couple of years, resigning it in order to take up the management of the Western Australian Venture Corporation, which post he retained until the operations of the syndicate ceased. He went to South Africa with the sixth Western Australian Imperial Contingent, holding the commission of lieutenant, and took part in several important actions under Generals Kitchener and Bruce Hamilton, and Colonel Benson, being awarded the Queen’s Medal, with five clasps. Returning to Albany, Mr. Wright took up land on the Kalgan River and entered upon agricultural and pastoral pursuits, shortly afterwards adding another leasehold block, and he has since devoted his time and attention to the development of his property. He is closely associated with local affairs, being president of the Kalgan River Settlers’ Association and Vice-president of the affiliated association of agricultural societies of the district. He is a foundation member of the Albany Club. He finds recreation in music, and spends many leisure hours at the piano, also giving a good deal of time to reading, being especially fond of works of an historical character. He also makes a hobby of photography, having obtained such mastery of the art that much of his work will compare favourably with that issuing from the professional studio.
WILFRED GUY WARTH-WYKE, of “Orping Crag,” Lower Kalgan River, near Albany, is a son of the late Mr. Guy Warthwyke, a descendant of the well-known old Cumberland family, which dates back to the days prior to William the Conqueror. He was born at New Cross, near London, on September 28, 1866, and received his education at Aske’s Hatcham School, a prominent scholastic establishment in the south-east of London, of which he was one of the foundation students. He was a most successful scholar of that school in the late seventies, and holds the Cambridge University honour certificate gained while attending that institution. When
about fifteen years of age he became identified with mercantile life in London, being engaged in various well-known commercial houses until 1887, when he left his native land for Western Australia. Landing at Fremantle in July of that year, he followed the lead of most new arrivals in the State by accepting the first work that offered to his hand. This involved him in bush life for a time, which gave him some insight into the conditions of the country, but was relinquished when work of a more congenial character presented itself in an offer to take over the
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Wilfred Guy Warthwyke.
books and general accountancy work with the late firm of Symon, Hammond, & Hubble, of Fremantle and Perth. Subsequently, being seized with the gold fever, Mr. Warthwyke joined the rush to the eastern goldfields in January, 1894, and there obtained a varied experience in prospecting, dry-blowing, and all ordinary occupations connected with mining, finally erecting a crushing battery at the head of the Gascoyne River. He returned to Fremantle in 1899 and purchased an estate agency business, and while carrying this on exercised supervision over a farming property at Jandakot which, in conjunction with his brother, he had acquired in 1888, the property afterwards being disposed of in 1905. He finally decided to devote himself to rural pursuits, and with this object in view took over a farm at Kelms-cott, where he continued until 1904, when, owing to the ill-health of his wife, ho was compelled to move
farther inland. For a time he settled at Northam, and in 1907 purchased his present property on the Kalgan River, near Albany, which he is developing as a dairying and fruitgrowing proposition, with good prospects of success. ITc has also secured a block of land at Tackonarap, and keeps in touch with the working of this holding by means of periodical visits. Mr. Warthwyke for some years was a member of the Fremantle Roads Board, and while he held his Jandakot farm served as president of the local progress association, in the work of which he took an enthusiatic interest. He was connected with the Fremantle Orchestral Society for a considerable period, being a ’cellist of Some repute, and still takes great delight in music. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for about twenty years. In 1899 Mr. Warthwyke married Aimee Constance Yeldham, daughter of the late Mr. James Manning, of Perth, and has a daughter.
for Western Australia, and landing at Fremantle became engaged in the work of railway construction for a lengthy period, during which he held positions of overseer on behalf of the Western Australian Land Company and also for the Government. In 1907 he took up a block of swamp land at Eastwood and commenced its development as a market garden, which lies in proximity to his freehold homestead property, “Avondale,” the whole area of swamp and hilly country owned by him comprising about 250 acres. Vegetables of a large variety are produced, and they find their way to the eastern goldfields market, potatoes, cabbages, and turnips all coming to perfection under the skilled care they receive, added to the favourable natural conditions of the locality in which they are grown. Mr. Kavanagh married in 1894 Hannah, daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Horrigan, of Cork, Ireland, and subsequently of Otago, New Zealand, and has three sons and a daughter.
JOHN KAVANAGH, farmer, “Avondale,” Eastwood, near Albany, is a son of the late Mr. Patrick
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. John Kavanagh.
Kavanagh, of Gory, County Wexford, Ireland, where he was born on June 26, 1862. He pursued his scholastic studies at the Christian Brothers’ College in his native town, and about the age of fifteen left school to assist in the duties of his father’s farm, where he continued for the next ten years. In 1887 Mr. Kavanagh sailed
ALFRED BURVILL, Lakeside Farm, Grassmere, near Albany, is a son of Mr. Alfred Burvill, of Kent, England, who came to Victoria in the early days of the gold rushes to that State, and has continued there for over sixty years. The gentleman under review was born at East Bel-lerine, Victoria, on August 2, 1861, and received his education in his native place and at Ballarat. Leaving school at sixteen years of age, he renounced the calling of a teacher for which he was training to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a bootmaker. During his apprenticeship, however, he spent some little time in agricultural pursuits, and after learning the bootmaking trade relinquished it to accompany Mr. Burvill, sen., to Gippsland, where they settled on the land and devoted their energies to agriculture. Subsequently he worked in the saw-milling industry, and became very proficient in the various departments of work, becoming familiar with the whole of the wide timber belt of Victoria. In 1896 he was offered a position in the Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company at Denmark, and bringing his family to Western Australia he began a four years’ connection with this firm, twelve months after his arrival taking up about 200 acres of land in the
rich swamp country, where his present home is situated. In 1900 he left the timber company and joined his family on the holding, where they had been settled for two years, and with the assistance of his eldest son proceeded to develop the land, at the same time taking up outside contracts to enable him to tide over the period until the farm began to be remunerative. In the following year he acquired an additional 200 acres of karri hill country, suitable for orchard and seed potato-growing purposes, and continued his labours on the homestead block, which has
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Alfred Burvill.
been devoted chiefly to the growing of potatoes and other vegetables, a speciality being made of seed potatoes. Much success has attended Mr. Burvill’s operations, and his garden products are among the best in the district, always commanding good prices. He has given some attention to public affairs, and has served two terms as a member of the Albany Roads Board. He was one of the founders of the West Albany Settlers’ Association, and has acted as hon. secretary of this body for about eight years, during which period the association has exerted a considerable influence in the district. It was mainly through the agency of this body that the Government took over the Denmark railway line and estate, reducing the freights between Albany and the goldfields for perishable goods, thus proving a great boon to the pioneer settlers. It is now known as the West Albany-Martiupp
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Settlers’ Association. Mr. Burvill was married in 1885 to Florence, daughter of the late Mr. George Pearson, of Peppermint Bay, Tasmania, and has a surviving family of five sons and five daughters.
HERBERT HORTIN, Torbay Junction, is a son of the late Mr. William Hortin, of Charwelton, Northamptonshire, England, and was born at the latter place on July 28, 1855. From the age of eight he began to assist in farm duties, and followed agricultural occupations until 1875, when he decided to emigrate to Australia. Landing at Adelaide in the following year Mr. Hortin immediately became engaged in the agricultural industry, and spent fifteen years in the Central State, during several of which, in
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Herbert Hortin.
partnership with his brother, he was identified with wheat-growing pursuits on a farm selected from the Government in the Northern areas. In 1890 he came to Western Australia and upon arrival at Albany filled a position for a year with the Sandalwood Distilling Company. Subsequently he purchased from the Western Australian Land Company a block of land at Torbay Junction, comprising 60 acres, for which he paid 30s. an acre, and set to work to convert a portion of this holding into a market garden. The rich swamp lands he reclaimed with much success, and very shortly found his efforts rewarded by most satisfactory
results, a ready market being obtained for his products on the goldfields. Since that period Mr. llortin has taken up other blocks which he has developed by means of intense culture, and at the present time his holding will compare favourably with any other of a similar kind in the district. Over 50 acres are under cultivation—the balance of 200 acres being in process of clearing—and an apple orchard of 25 acres has proved a profitable department, producing fruit suitable for export to London and Hamburg. The inhabitants of the district owe much to Mr. Ilor-tin’s push and enterprise, among other projects brought to a successful issue by him being the establishment of an hostelry in the heart of the settlement, directly opposite the railway station, where visitors and settlers alike are entertained in a manner surpassing most country hotels, and at a nominal charge. Mr. Hortin has always given considerable attention to the progress of the district, and has aided with his experienced advice the various boards and associations upon which the burden of administration falls. For some time he occupied the post of president of the' local progress association, and is now vice-president of that body. In his younger days he took a prominent part in the volunteer movement in South Australia, and served as a non-commissioned officer for some time in that State. Although approaching sixty years of age he is the mainstay of the local cricket club, taking his place among the younger members and entering heartily into the game. In 1893 he married Mary Ann, daughter of Mr. John Hayes, of Albany, one of the pioneers of the district, and has a son and a daughter.
THOMAS ALBERT ATTWELL, market gardener, Eastwood, is a son of Mr. J. Attwell, of Albany, and was born at Tipton, Staffordshire, England, where also he received his education. Arriving in Western Australia with his father in his early teens, he became connected with the work of construction on the great southern railway line, and continued in this employment for a couple of years. Upon the completion of the line he was engaged in the brick-making industry for some time, and in 1897 took up a block of land on the Perth Road, near
Albany, which he worked with a fair measure of success. Subsequently he sold this holding with the object of securing a larger property, and shortly after acquired his present blocks, three in number, where he
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Thomas Albert Attwell.
has cultivated a very large market garden, and for the past ten years has been supplying the Perth and Kalgoorlie markets with garden products, for which he obtains excellent returns. The work connected with his industry absorbs the major share of his time and attention, and what little leisure he has is spent in recreation with his family. Mr. Attwell married in 1897 Beatrice, daughter of Dr. J. Franklin, of Worthing, England, and sister to Mr. John Franklin, qualified chemist, of Deal, Kent, England. The family consists of four sons and three daughters.
EDMUND WOODGATE STRATFORD, Torbay Junction, was born at Boston, in the United States of America, on August 27, 1830, being a son of the late Dr. Samuel John Stratford, a surgeon in the British Army. He was educated at the Upper Canada College, Toronto, and before reaching man’s estate came to Australia, landing at Adelaide when there were only a few buildings to mark the future city. After spending some time in various avocations in the Central State, at the outbreak of the early Victorian gold discoveries he made one of the pioneer
prospectors at Ballarat and Bendigo. Not meeting with any conspicuous success to compensate for the hardships endured in this life, in 1857 he continued his travels as far as New Zealand and spent two years in farming pursuits in that country. Leaving the Dominion, he next turned his attention to cotton and sugar planting at Fiji, being a pioneer in these industries in the Islands, most of which he visited during this period of his career. The Maori war proved a call to arms, and in 1863-4 he served as a soldier of the line, holding a non-commissioned post until the conclusion of the struggle. In the early seventies the spirit of travel again took possession of him, and he embarked for California, where he studied medicine; and having obtained a California diploma practised as assistant to a local practitioner at Oakland for some years. In 1887 Mr. Stratford arrived in Western Australia and became engaged in the mining industry, visiting the various scenes of the discovery of minerals of all classes. In 1904 he came to Torbay and erected a store—the first building in the place—where he has continued ever since. The gentleman under review has been twice married, and of a family of nine sons and five daughters six children now survive.
HORACE BUCKERIDGE, general storekeeper, Torbay Junction, was born at Staines, in the County of Middlesex, on January 26, 1869. He is a son of Mr. Albert Wilkinson Buckcridgc, wine and spirit merchant, of Caine, in Wiltshire, and attended a grammar school in that town until fourteen years of age, when he was apprenticed to a drapery business at Chippenham. After completing his four-years’ indentures he became identified with the trade in various leading houses in the southern part of England, and gained valuable experience during the fifteen years that he spent in these establishments. In 1903 he joined a younger brother in partnership at Wilton and carried on business on his own behalf until 1908, when he decided to relinquish his interests in this concern, and leaving the business in his brother’s hands came to Western Australia. For a time he was engaged in agricultural pursuits with another brother at Torbay, and ultimately, in February, 1909, took over the Torbay
Junction store, and proceeded to enlarge the business, his training and experience enabling him to develop it by such methods as should benefit both himself and the settlers of the district. Since his arrival at Torbay he has not neglected to study the public good of the community,
IF. E. Elston, Warjin.
Mr. Horace Buckeridge.
and has been connected with various organizations, at the present time holding the office of secretary to the Eastwood-Torbay District Progress Association. lie is also prominent in sporting matters, being a member of the local athletic clubs, and for indoor recreation possesses a taste for good literature, Thackeray, Longfellow, Byron, and Shakespeare being among his favourite writers. Mr. Buckeridge married Ellen, daughter of the late Mr. F. Rood, of Southampton, England, and has a daughter.
WILLIAM REILLY, one of the original settlers of the Torbay district, is a son of the late Mr. Bernard Reilly, of Kilmore, Victoria, where the subject of this sketch was born in January, 1850. He began life by working for a short time on a farm in the vicinity of his home, but relinquished this occupation to enter upon employment as driver for a Melbourne carrier. After seven years in the capital he took a position as station hand on a run on the Goulburn River in the same State, and subsequently was connected with the mining industry on the Mansfield
diggings. Meeting with but little success in mining, Mr. Reilly next joined the well-known firm of Messrs. Millar Brothers & Co. in the early days of its history, when roadmaking was the principal work undertaken, and prior to the time of the successful railway contracts with which the name is now indissolubly linked. His connection with this firm lasted over a period of twenty years, during which he came to Western Australia in 1886 to take charge of the horses used in connection with the large contracts carried through by the company in this State. Upon the completion of the line from Albany to Beverley Mr. Reilly was transferred to the firm’s mill at Torbay, and continued in this service until 1896, when he retired, having purchased his present holding in the same district. Since that
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. William Reilly.
period he has lived quietly, doing a little farming and dairying and enjoying the esteem and respect oi all his fellow-settlers, who justly regard him as one of the pioneers in opening up the place. He is well known as a loyal member of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society, with which he has been connected for over a quarter of a century, but most of his interests are centred within his home, and he takes his recreation in the bosom of his family. Mr. Reilly married in 1885 Mary Ann, daughter of the late Mr. Louis Harrison, of Echuca, Victoria, and has three sons and three daughters surviving
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THOMAS KNAPP, farmer and orchardist, ‘‘Springfield/' Torbay, is the second son of the late Mr. Thomas Knapp, of Southampton, England, who was among the earliest of Western Australia’s pioneers. Born at Torbay on September 15, 1862, the gentleman under review received his education by private tuition in his father’s home, no schools having been established in the district at that time. At the conclusion of his studies he was associated with the parental property for a number of years, and having arrived at the age of thirty launched out on his own account. Purchasing a block of land, consisting of 100 acres, from the Western Australian Land Company he commenced its development as a farm, and by degrees acquired additional acreage until the extent of the property had increased sevenfold. Attracted by the possibilities of intense culture he has applied 40 acres to this branch of industry, and has been successful in raising about seven tons of potatoes to the acre. Besides tubers, he grows all kinds of vegetables and fodder for his dairy herd, which is now assuming considerable dimensions. English grasses of different varieties are sown, and the experiments made in this direction have
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Thomas Knapp.
been highly successful. In conjunction with his two brothers, Mr. Knapp also holds a grazing property of 7,000 acres, where pastoral operations are carried on under the joint management of the three partners. He takes a deep and practical
interest in the welfare of the district of which he is a native, and has advanced its interests in every possible way. He is a live member of the producers’ union and of the East-wood-Torbay Settlers’ Association, and has been connected with the M.U., I.O.O.F., for over a quarter of a century. In 1890 Mr. Knapp married Mary Drysdalo, eldest daughter of the late Mr. David Young, a pioneer of Marblup, who spent in all seventy-five years in the southern district of this State. The late gentleman in 1881 entertained the present King and his brother at Marblup, upon the occasion of the Princes’ visit to Australia in H.M.S. “Bacchante,” and in an article contributed to The English Illustrated, Magazine in 1884-5 the royal travellers wrote glowing accounts of the cordial welcome and lavish hospitality wKich they received at the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Young and their family. The kindly entertainment of strangers is one of the most delightful features of the home at “Springfield,” and Mr. and Mrs. Knapp are deservedly noted for its observance. Their family consists of two sons and a daughter.
ROBERT KNAPP, farmer and orchardist, “Westwood,” Torbay, was born in the district where he now resides on May 1, 1864, and received his education privately. He is a son of the late Mr. Thomas Knapp, one of the original settlers in this neighbourhood, and from his early teens became accustomed to the work of the farm, where with his brothers he received a good insight into the agricultural industry. At twenty-seven years of age, in conjunction with his youngest brother, Mr. Frank Knapp, he took up from the Western Australian Land Company a holding of 300 acres, and after working this on terms of partnership for three years, he purchased his brother’s interest in the property and continued its development on his own account. Since that period he has more than doubled the area of the farm, which now embraces 760 acres, and a portion of this has been applied to orchard purposes, nearly 40 acres being under intense culture. Mr. Knapp has interested himself in the public affairs of the district, and has been a member of the Albany Roads Board for nine years. He was for six years president of the Albany Settlers’ Progress Association, and
still holds the office of vice-president of that body, of which he was one of the founders and a prominent member from its inception. In April, 1910, he married Agnes Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Charles Leonard
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Robert Knapp.
Jaggers, of Barragett Farm, on the South Coast of New South Wales, and has a daughter.
JOHN WALKER PATERSON, “Glen Gilghi,” Torbay, is a son of Mr. Robert S. Paterson, now of Kansas, United States of America, but some years ago a very well-known resident of Melbourne, Victoria, where he held an important position as administrator of the Yan-Yean water service scheme. The subject of this memoir was born at Liverpool, England, on August 9, 1863, and was brought to Victoria by his parents in the same year. He pursued his primary studies in that State, continuing his education in America upon the arrival of the family in that country in 1874, and in his early teens became engaged in the softgoods manufacturing industry. After seven years of this life, upon reaching man’s estate, he entered upon agricultural pursuits in Kansas and continued the working of his property for about six years. In 1895 he decided to return to the land where he had spent his early boyhood, and landing in the first instance at Melbourne was soon attracted by the glowing reports from the “Golden West” to try his fortune in Western Australia.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Arriving at Fremantle in the following year he first joined the railway service, and spent thirteen years in the locomotive department, from which he resigned in 1908 in order once more to devote himself to farming. For this purpose he selected a block of land at Torbay, about two miles from the railway station, and immediately began the work of development, which he has continued up to the present time, bringing additional areas under crop as the labour of preparation advanced. The holding embraces in all over 300 acres of well-mixed hill and swamp country, and about 20 acres of the rich swamp land have been reclaimed at a cost of £20 per acre, and this is being applied to orchard purposes, for which it is splendidly suited. Mr. Paterson is a member of the local progress association, and he interests himself in all matters affecting the welfare of the district.
Mr. John Walker Paterson.
In 1890 he married Alice, daughter of the late Mr. Reuben Rhuland, of Nova Scotia, and has a son, who assists his father on the farm.
PAUL WILKINSON BUCK-ERIDGE, of “Euniup” Farm, Tor-bay, is a son of Mr. Albert Wilkinson Buckeridge, of Caine, Wiltshire, England, where the gentleman under review was born on December 13, 1876. At the close of his education at the Caine Grammar School, at fifteen years of age he became apprenticed to the grocery, wine, and spirit business under his father,
and continued for eight and a half years in the store conducted by Mr. Buckeridge, sen., at Caine, and at Trowbridge with a different firm, during which period he gained a thorough acquaintance with all the details of the trade. In 1900 he left England to seek his fortune in newer lands, and arriving at Fremantle at the end of the year spent a short time in this State, only to discover that owing to a drought
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Paul Wilkinson .Buckeridge.
then prevailing there was a general depression in trade. Continuing his voyage to New Zealand Mr. Buckeridge there turned his attention to agricultural pursuits at Karere, in the Palmerston North district, and followed farming occupations for two years. Conjointly with his farming interests he engaged in carting and contracting in the same neighbourhood, and two years later, in partnership with Mr. O. Monrad, took over a large farm near Palmerston North, which they cut up into small holdings and sold for dairying purposes. After the completion of this venture Mr. Buckeridge went to England for a trip, and upon his return journey made a tour through the Argentine. In 1908 he landed in Western Australia, having decided, on account of the liberal land laws obtaining here, to settle in this State, and selecting his present holding of 320 acres in the Torbay district has met with considerable success in his enterprise, a profit being secured as early as the third year after beginning operations. Mr.
Buckeridge has been a member of the Eastwood-Torbay Progress Association for a considerable time, and has recently been elected to the committee of that body. He served as representative for West Ward on the Albany Roads Board for one term, but was obliged to retire from this office owing to the pressure of his farming interests. He is a member of the local rifle club, and for indoor recreation turns to chess, of which game he is a great lover. In 1910 he married Edith, daughter of the late Mr. Henry Bagnall, of ‘'Manor Farm,” Hampnett, Gloucestershire.
DAVID MORGAN, owner of “The View,” a flourishing farm and orchard property at Martiupp, is a son of the late Mr. David Morgan, and was born at Black Lead, near Buninyong, Victoria, his father also being a native of that State. He
Imperial Sludio} Albany.
Mr. David Morgan.
pursued his studies at the Ballarat State School, and at the close of his scholastic career became engaged in farming occupations in the Victorian State, where he continued for four years. At the end of that period he proceeded to St. Arnaud, where he filled a position in the business carried on by the Honourable P. McBride, Minister for Mines in Victoria, upon the attainment of manhood turning his eyes toward Western Australia. Mr. Morgan arrived in Perth upon the
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day of the proclamation of responsible government, and in company with his brother immediately began the search for a suitable block of land for farming purposes, which he found at Wagin, and settled in that district for three years. For many years he had been a most earnest and active worker in the Methodist Church, and in 1894, owing to his zeal in the cause, the authorities of that body urged him to accept the post of home missionary at Greenough, where he laboured for some time, and was afterwards sent to Cue in charge of the mission there, resigning the post in 1895. In the same year he entered into partnership with Mr. Robert Allen, Cue being the centre chosen to eroct premises and carry on operations. For a considerable time this partnership was continued, the firm undertaking contracts and doing a fairly brisk business, and in 1897 it was by mutual consent dissolved, Mr. Morgan removing to Melville, near Yalgoo, where he established a business on his own account. He remained in this district until the decline of the field, and then went to Kanowna and followed alluvial mining, with, however, only partial success. Eventually he arrived at Trafalgar, where he remained until 1905, being engaged in enginedriving for the Brown Hill Mining Company for a couple of years subsequently. In 1907 he received the appointment of manager of the Gentle Polly Mine, which paid over £30,000 in dividends during the term of his control. Two years later Mr. Morgan purchased from Mr. R. Knapp the block of land near Albany, where his homestead now stands, comprising 300 acres of very valuable property. He has brought scientific methods to bear on the working of this farm, and has met with unqualified success, his industry and enterprise being amply rewarded with most satisfactory results. A member of the Albany Roads Board he has also been connected with the West Albany-Martiupp Settlers’ Association since his arrival in the district, and acts as hon. secretary to this body. He married in 1892 Emily, daughter of the late Mr. Josiah Avery, of St. Arnaud, Victoria.
GEORGE FAUSSON HILL, owner of the “Rockleigh” property at Kronkupp, situated about 19 miles from Albany, is a son of Mr. George
A. Hill, of Sale, Gippsland, where the subject of this sketch was born on May 1, 1879. He received his education in his native place, and upon leaving school at once became engaged in the farming industry in that district, where he continued for about eight years. At the time of the Boer War he joined the 6th Australian Commonwealth Ilorse and accompanied this contingent from Victoria to the scene of action. In 1908 he came to Western Australia, having previously for five years worked a property on his own account at Yarragon, Victoria. This
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. George Fausson Hill.
proved a valuable experience, and upon arrival in this State Mr. Hill took up from the Government 114 acres of mixed hill and swamp country, to the development of which he has since applied himself. Since taking up his residence in this country he has thrown himself wholeheartedly into every scheme for the promotion of the public welfare and for the advancement and benefit of the district where he has made his home. Early in 1912 he was elected to a seat on the Albany Roads Board, and he is also a member of the administrative body of the West Albany Settlers’ Association, with which he has been connected ever since his advent to the neighbourhood. A leading spirit in the rifleshooting movement, he holds the position of captain of the Kronkupp Rifle Club, in his Victorian days having been connected with a similar organization at Yarragon.
He also holds office as chairman of the committee of the local agricultural Hall. Mr. Hill is a great reader, his choice falling chiefly on scientific works. He married in 1895 Elizabeth, daughter of the late Captain John Gray don, of Lindon, later of Yarragon, who saw active service with the 1st Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War under General Lee. He has one daughter.
ALFRED NORMAN PULS, “Happy Valley” Farm, Kronkupp, is a son of Mr. F. Puls, of the same place, and is a native of the Wim-mera district, Victoria, where he was born on June 3, 1884. He received his education at the Dooen State School, and in his early teens came to Western Australia with his family, his father having previously settled on a farm at Grassmere, in this State. Upon arrival his services were in demand on this property, but after a brief period he proceeded to Katanning and filled a position with the firm of F. & C. Piesse and others for two years, during which he turned his hand to various kinds of work. Returning
W. 77. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Alj<'red Norman Puls.
to the parental roof tree he joined his father and brothers in contracting and roadmaking, and some years later took up a block of Crown lands, comprising nearly 50 acres of swamp country, to which he has recently added 108 acres of hill land specially suited to fruit culture. Mr. Puls has brought great industry
and perseverance to bear on the carrying out of his designs, and has engaged in intense cultivation on the swampy portions of the holding, with very considerable success. He interests himself in the public organizations of the district, and is a member of the Eastwood-Torbay Association and hon. treasurer of the local rifle club. He also takes a keen interest in athletics, and is closely identified with the various sporting clubs, filling the post of captain of the local football club. His father and mother reside with him on the “Happy Valley” Farm.
THOMAS HORTIN, proprietor of “Spring Vale” Farm, Hortons, is a son of the late Mr. William Hortin, of Northamptonshire, England. From the time of his leaving school he was engaged in the agricultural industry in the Old Country until his departure for Australia in 1875 with his brother, Mr. Herbert Hortin, now of Torbay Junction, Western Australia. For thirteen years the brothers carried on farming pursuits in the northern areas of the Central State, and in 1898 the gentleman
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Thomas Hortin.
under review followed Mr. H. Hortin to Western Australia, the latter having preceded him by eight years. For a time he was connected with the repairing of the railway line from Torbay Junction to Denmark, on behalf of the Millars' Karri and Jarrah Company, which was responsible for the building of this
line. While thus engaged he selected a block of land from the Government and began to develop it in his spare time. At the closing down of the mills at Denmark Mr. Hortin devoted the whole of his time and energies to the working of this block, with such excellent results that his holding was specially pointed out by the Government to intending settlers to show what was possible to accomplish on the swamp lands of the district. Owing to this success others were induced to settle on adjoining blocks, and so prosperous did the little settlement become that railway communication with the more-established centres was recognized as a necessity, and Millars’ disused line was purchased by the authorities and reopened for traffic. Much credit is gladly accorded Mr. Hortin for the plucky way in which he continued his venture during the pioneer period when discouragements were numerous and privation and discomforts the order of the day, as it is in a great measure due to him that the district has been opened up. He has added to his original holding, and now possesses over 250 acres of good mixed land, which is well advanced in the matter of improvement. He is treasurer of the West Albany -Martiupp Settlers’ Association, with which body he has been associated for the past decade. Cricket is his favourite sport, and he is still an enthusiastic participant in this game, being one of the leading players in the district. He married in 1884 Eliza, daughter of the late Mr. C. Williams, of Snowtown, South Australia, and has five sons and four daughters.
WALTER JOSEPH SAMPSON, farmer and orchardist, “Ellendale” Farm, Hortons, near Albany, is a son of the late Mr. Philip Popplestone Sampson, who came to Victoria from Cornwall in his teens and spent a quarter of a century in the mining industry in Victoria. The subject of this memoir was born at Sebastopol, in that State, on July 16, 1876, and received his education in the public school at Ballarat. He left this institution at the age of fourteen with the intention of learning the trade of a monumental sculptor, but after less than three years he relinquished this calling in order to join his father, who was working the Last Chance Mine on tribute at Ballarat. In the early part of 1898 the
gold-mining boom in the Western State drew him to its shores, and proceeding direct to, Boulder City he went to work at the famous Great Boulder Mine, shortly after being transferred to a position in the battery, where he began to learn amalgamating, and before he left this
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Walter Joseph Sampson.
employ he had risen to the position of chief amalgamator. Mr. Sampson spent in all twelve years with the Great Boulder Company, at the end of which period, upon the advice of the medical fraternity of Boulder and Kalgoorlie, in addition to special advice in Victoria, he resigned his position and left the fields in order to regain his shattered health by the outdoor life provided by farming pursuits. A portion of his present holding being in the market, he purchased 50 acres of swamp flats from Mr. James, and has since added to this another selection, comprising over 400 acres of hill country for grazing and orchard purposes, and at the present time the “Ellendale” Farm bids fair to take its place among the foremost properties of its kind in the district. Mr. Sampson has displayed an active interest in the various movements having for their object the advancement of the district, and is a member and committeeman of the West Albany-Martiupp Settlers’ association. He is a trustee of the local agricultural hall, and has taken a prominent part in connection with this institution, having acted as the pioneer organizing secretary of the movement. A member of the
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
859
Independent Order of Oddfellows for over twelve years, he has held high offices in that body; and he is a member of the committee of the Kron-kupp Rifle Club. The cause of outdoor sport finds in Mr. Sampson a cordial advocate, and he fills the post of vice-president of the district football club. In 1897 he married Rose Amelia, daughter of Mr. James Harris, a pioneer since 1849 in the Victorian gold-mining industry, now of Hortons, Western Australia, and has a family of two sons and three daughters.
GILBERT EDWARD STAKER, member of the Denmark Roads Board, is a son of Mr. William R. Staker, of Kapunda, South Australia, where the gentleman under review was born on January 1, 1878. He attended schools at Sutherlands and Mount Mary, in the same State, and at the conclusion of his education followed agricultural pursuits for some years. In 1897 he came to Western Australia, and for six years was connected with the mining industry, developing a claim on his own account, prospecting in a general way, and working on the established mines. In 1902 he once more turned his attention to farming, and purchasing a property at Northam continued there for four years. Eventually he disposed of this holding in order to take a position in a battery at Kal-goorlie, and two years later left the eastern goldfields with the intention of again settling on the land. Coming to the Denmark district, he selected a block four miles north of the township, and at the present time has nearly 300 acres, upon which mixed farming operations are already in full swing. Fruit-growing, dairying, and potato culture arc the chief departments of his industry, and his efforts have produced good results. Mr. Staker spends a portion of his leisure in the study of works dealing with the scientific side of mixed farming, which he finds helpful in the practical work. He was elected to a seat on the first Denmark Roads Board at the inception of that body. He is also a member of the local progress association. For years he was known on the goldfields as a devotee of football and cricket, and still retains his love for all forms of manly outdoor sport. In 1900 Mr. Staker married Evelyn, daughter of Mr. William McKenzie, a well-known Australian mine manager.
YOUNG BROTHERS, farmers, Marblup. (Henry Young, William Wallace Young, and Robert Muir Young.) The property now owned
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Henry Young.
and worked conjointly by the Messrs Young Brothers, originally was purchased from a Mr. Tully by the late Mr. David Young, father of the gentlemen under review, who was the first settler in the district. Since
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. William Wallace Young.
that period it has been considerably extended, and now embraces over 310 acres, the soil being of very superior quality and well adapted to the mixed farming operations to which
it is applied by the proprietors. The homestead has an historic interest in the fact that, upon the occasion of the present King, George V. of England, and his late brother visiting Australia by H.M.S. “Bacchante” in 1881 the young princes were entertained here, and gracefully acknowledged the hospitality they then received in subsequent contributions to the English Press. Messrs. Young Brothers have been associated with the farming industry all their lives in this district, being chiefly educated at home, with a supplementary course
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Robert Muir Young.
of instruction at the Government School at Albany, from which they naturally fell into their place on the home farm. One only is married, Mr. R. M. Young, who espoused Ann, daughter of the late Mr. Samuel Pig-gott, of Hay River, Western Australia, and has three sons and four daughters.
GEORGE ARTHUR FLAY, Chairman of the Denmark Roads Board, was born at Brisbane, Queensland, on June 22, 1865, being a son of the late Mr. George Flay, of that place. He pursued his scholastic studies at Gympie, and on leaving school followed agricultural pursuits in the neighbourhood of the latter town. Upon reaching manhood he became identified with the mining industry for a brief period, and subsequently proceeded to Townsville, where he spent seven years as foreman in a general,store owned by Mr.
P. F. Hanran. In 1905 he opened a cordial factory in the same place, which he carried on for a year and then sold out in order to come to Perth, where he established himself in the same line of business for two years. Being offered by Messrs. Sar-jeant & Light the position of
Mil. George Arthur Flay.
manager of a farm at Denmark, comprising over 1,800 acres, Mr. Flay came to this district, and has filled this post ever since. He has been closely associated with the public life of the neighbourhood, and was elected first chairman of the recently created roads board, being also a member of the health board and of the Denmark Progress Association. He supports all charitable movements, and being the possessor of musical gifts is in frequent request as a singer at the local concerts. He is fond of reading, finding especial charm in works of an historical character.
ARNOLD BARKER ADAMS, “Weedon Hill,” Denmark, is a son of the late Mr. Thomas E. Adams, of Weedon, Northamptonshire, England, where the gentleman under review was born on September 6, 1880. He received his primary instruction at Montauban at the Grammar school, St: Annes-on-Sea, in Lancashire, and subsequently took a course of study in scientific agriculture at the Harris Institute, Preston. Having completed his studies he went to South Africa, and was farming in the Molteno and Queenstown
district for about four years, at the end of which period he returned to England. In 1907 he sailed for Western Australia, attracted by the liberal land laws existent in this State and the assured rainfall of the great southern district. After inspecting the various agricultural localities he took up his present holding near Denmark, consisting of 160 acres, which he has since extended to 420 acres, forming a snug little farm, embracing both hill and swamp country, which he is applying to purposes of mixed farming. Shortly after his arrival in the district he began to take a leading part in the various movements having as their object the progress of the place and the welfare of the settlers, and was one of the founders of the original settlers’ association in this district. Upon the creation of the Denmark
Mr. Arnold Barker Adams.
Roads Board he was chosen by a section of the ratepayers to represent them on that body, and still retains this seat. He is a Liberal in politics, and takes a keen interest in the trend of public affairs, not only in his adopted country, but in Great Britain and foreign administrations. In 1909 Mr. Adams married Mar-celle Kathleen, daughter of the late Mr. C. Gros, of Manchester, and has a daughter.
HAROLD VINCENT BUCK-LEY, Secretary of the Denmark Roads Board, is a Victorian native, having been born at Rutherglen, in that State, on October 1, 1878, and is a son of Mr. Allan Knox Buckley,
of Wickepin, Western Australia. He pursued his scholastic studies at Flinders School, Geelong, and at the age of sixteen left the hands of his instructors to become assistant to his father, who was a shire secretary in Victoria. This position he held irregularly for some time, and in 1906 decided to come to Western Australia. With the object of entering upon farming pursuits Mr. Buckley took up a block of land in the Denmark district and established a worthy claim as the pioneer settler of the neighbourhood, nothing now remaining of the old Denmark but an
Mr. Harold Vincent Buckley.
abandoned timber mill. His block of 260 acres he has steadily prepared for cultivation of potatoes and other vegetables, and each year witnesses an additional portion cleared and ready for tillage. Mr. Buckley has made himself active in the advancement of the district, and was instrumental in founding the Denmark Settlers’ Association with a membership of six, which has increased so rapidly that, at the present time, there are over a hundred names on the roll and the organization is in a most healthy condition. Upon the creation of the Denmark Roads Board he was appointed secretary of that body, and for two years occupied the position of Government land guide, at the present time holding the office of Government agent at Denmark, his services in this regard being invaluable to new and intending settlers. In 1911 Mr. Buckley married Elsie, daughter of Mr. William J. Manning, of Denmark, and has a sort.
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WILLIAM JOHN BEVERIDGE, M.D., Fellow Royal Academy of Medicine, Ireland, Government Medical Officer at Denmark, is a son of the late Mr. John Francis Beveridge, LL.B., who practised at the Irish Bar and for a lengthy period filled the post of town clerk of the City of Dublin. The gentleman under review was born at Dublin on October 4, 1874, and received his primary
Dr. William John Beveridge.
education at Clongowes Wood College. Subsequently he studied medicine at Dublin, and after qualifying L.R.C.P.S.I. & L.M. (Rotunda Hospital) in 1896 accepted the appointment of house surgeon at Jervis Street Hospital, where he continued for over a year. At the termination of this period he made an extended tour of the world, in due course arriving at Peru, where he was appointed medical officer of the Cayl-lona Silver Mines, which position he held for nearly five years, during which time he was made a member of the Provisional Council of Cayllona. Returning to the land of his birth, Dr. Beveridge took the post-graduate courses at Dublin University, London, and Brussels, gaining his M.D. degree at the latter institution. In 1906 he came to Western Australia, and shortly after arrival proceeded to Kalgoorlie, where for some years he had an extensive practice. His health suffering through overwork, Dr. Beveridge was offered and accepted the appointment of district medical officer at Denmark, and finding that the climate effected a complete restoration to his health has
continued here ever since. lie holds a captain’s commission in the A.A.M.C. Reserve, and is keenly interested in ambulance work. A crack shot with the rifle, he is the possessor of numerous trophies testifying to his skill as a marksman. His favourite amusements are found iij motoring and yachting, and he spends many leisure hours sailing on Wilson’s Inlet. Dr. Beveridge married in 1907 Beatrice Maud, daughter of Mr. H. F. M. Latham, of Ravens-thorpe, a well-known figure in journalistic circles in Tasmania and Western Australia, and has a daughter. He resides at “Arborfield,” Denmark.
ALFRED RUSHTON, farmer, ‘Whinfield,” Denmark, is a son of the late Mr. Lawrence Rushton, of
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Alfred Rushton.
North Lancashire, England. He was born at Dutton, in the same county, on February 1, 1858, and pursued his educational studies at Chipping and Ribchester. Leaving school at fifteen years of age, he studied privately for some years, and upon reaching maturity applied himself to the farming industry on his father’s property, subsequently launching out on his own account in the same walk of life. Attracted by the bright prospects offering to farmers in the Western State of Australia, Mr. Rushton sailed for the Antipodes, and having satisfied himself that these reports were justified by the existing condition of things returned to England for his family. Purchasing a
homestead and block of land at Denmark overlooking the town he took up his abode in this dwelling— which is one of the most comfortable houses in the district—and proceeded to develop the holding, which consists of about 150 acres. It is his intention to devote his efforts principally to fruit-growing, for which the soil and locality is well suited, and already he has several acres under cultivation. Mr. Rushton was married in 1888 to Jane, daughter of Mr. John Fielding, of Balderstone, Lancashire, England, and has four sons and a daughter.
JOHN RICKETTS, farmer, of “Ealing Dean,” on the Denmark River, was born at Ealing West, formerly known as Ealing Dean, London, on May 1, 1864, being a son of Mr. John Ricketts, of that place. He was educated at the National School in that suburb, and at the close of his scholastic career served a seven years’ apprenticeship to the trade of carpenter and joiner. Upon the completion of his articles he came to Australia, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, the late Mr. John Allnutt, who arrived in this State in 1844 and died at
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. John Ricketts.
Australind, after having played a worthy part in forwarding the development of a land which at that time was regarded as being on the “edge of the beyond.” Mr. Ricketts landed at Fremantle in June, 1886, and after following his trade for
some time, during a period of commercial slackness turned his steps toward the north-west, and continuing his travels to Kimberley tried his hand at station work for a time. Returning to Derby he became engaged in building and general contracting in that town for five years, and having been financially successful took a trip to England, via the East, and spent some time at the various ports of call before arriving at the Old Country, where he remained for a considerable period. Returning to Western Australia he settled near Cue, on the Murchison goldfield, and gave his attention to market-gardening with the aid of an irrigation scheme which proved highly satisfactory. After fourteen years, however, the district declined rapidly, the population diminished, and Mr. Ricketts found himself at a considerable loss. Leaving the north he came to Denmark and took up his present block of land, and while attending to its development, which he has since continued, worked throughout the district at the trade which he had learned in his boyhood. He was always active in public life, and held various positions of honour and trust, having been a member of the Kimberley Roads Board and chairman of the similar organzation at Cue. Since coming to Denmark he has been elected a member of the newly - formed Denmark Roads Board, and ever since his arrival in the district has been connected with the local settlers’ association. He is also a keen student of political economy. Mr. Ricketts is an enthusiastic cricketer, a crack wicketkeeper, and a more than average player in other departments of the game. lie married in 1896 Elizabeth Mary, daughter of Mr. Samuel Hope, one time superintendent of Fremantle Prison, now living in retirement at Perth, and has a son and three daughters.
JOSEPH DAVID SMITH, J.P., “Hawthorn Hill,” Denmark, is a son of the late Mr. Richard Smith, of Port Albert, South Gippsland, Victoria, and was born in that district on November 11, 1868. At the close of his education, which he received in his native town, he spent several years in the fishing industry, and in 1898 came to Western Australia, where he was engaged for a time in
the same calling prior to taking up farming pursuits. Subsequently he secured a homestead farm at Young Siding, not far from Denmark, and at a later date purchased a suburban block on the northern hill overlooking the town, where he built his present home. He has since devoted his energies to farming his property with satisfactory results. Since coming to the district Mr. Smith has made himself prominent in public affairs, and has served two terms as a councillor of the Municipal Board of Albany. For many years he has occupied a seat on the Albany Roads Board, and upon the creation of the Denmark governing body in 1912 was elected one of the original members. He is also chairman of the board of health and a member of the school board, and for four years filled the office of chairman of the parent settlers’ association of Denmark. In
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mk. Joseph David Smith.
1911 he was granted a Commission of Justice of the Peace for his district by the Wilson Administration. Mr. Smith married in 1892 Ada Harriet, daughter of Mr. Frederick George Winter, of Port Albert, Victoria, and has three surviving sons and a daughter.
HENRY RODNEY ROBERT KINGDON, “Wattlebrae,” Denmark, is the eldest son of Mr. John Kingdon, of Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand, and was born at Wellington on April 15, 1885. He was educated at the Lower Hutt State School and at Wellington
College, and upon leaving the last-named institution at sixteen years of age entered mercantile life in an office where he was engaged in accountancy work for a time before rejoining his father on the home farm. In 1908 he came to Western Australia and took up the block of
W. E. Elston, Wagin.
Mr. Henry Rodney Robert Kingdon.
land where he now resides, immediately beginning the work of clearing, and as soon as the land was prepared putting in the seed. The holding consists of 560 acres, and is chiefly hill country, containing a good proportion of fine mixed soil. When fully developed it is Mr. Kingdon’s intention to devote the property primarily to dairy-farming, but at the present time he is going in for intense culture on a small scale. Since his arrival in the district he has been prominently associated with every movement for its advancement, and is one of the original members of the recently created roads board. He holds office as secretary of the William Bay Settlers’ Association, of which body he was one of the founders. While at school Mr. Kingdon joined freely in all athletic sports, and is equally at home in swimming, footracing, tennis, and hockey events, being the winner of several trophies which record his prowess in the arena of sport.
HERBERT EDWIN STAFFORD, “Belgravia,” Denmark, is a son of the late Mr. Edwin H.
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Stafford, of New South Wales, and was born at Leichhardt, Sydney, on December 12, 1883. He received his education at the Leichhardt School, and upon leaving that institution became engaged in station life on the pastoral properties of “Killa-loolah” and “Eulandoolah,” in New South Wales, until the outbreak of the struggle between the British and the Boers in South Africa. Joining the 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles Contingent he proceeded with his regiment to the scene of action, and spent two years with the troops in South Africa, being the recipient of the Queen's Medal for his services during that period. Upon his return to Australia he was again identified with pastoral life, and a year
later, with the idea of enlarging his knowledge of the world, sailed for Canada, where he spent about twelve months. The climate, however, proved uncongenial, and he left the Dominion for the United States of America, where he completed three years, and both here and in Canada, in the capacity of cowboy, met with some exciting experiences. Having convinced himself that Australia was the country of his preference he returned to the island continent, landing at the Western State in 1908, and almost immediately took up a block of Government land comprising 266 acres, which he has since been engaged in developing. Clearing operations are now being carried well forward, and it is Mr. Stafford’s
intention in course of time to devote his energies chiefly to the dairying industry. As a member of the William Bay Settlers’ Association he is involved in the various movements for the advancement of the district, which is rapidly taking its place among the different agricultural centres of the State. Mr. Stafford is an experienced marksman and finds frequent recreation in the pursuit of game. His quieter tastes lead him to the perusal of literary works of a biographical and historical nature, as well as lighter literature. In 1909 ho married Elm a, daughter of the late Mr. William Lichfield, of Tingah, New South Wales, and has a son and a daughter.
THE SOUTH-EASTERN DISTRICTS.
This district comprises practically the whole of that large area stretching eastward from Albany to Eucla, and lying to the south of the goldfields’ line. With the exception of the arid areas of the far interior it is the least developed portion of the State. In places there has been a certain amount of activity in some directions, as, for example, in the mining districts around Phillips River and Norseman, and in the agricultural development in the neighbourhood of Esperance; but on the whole the territory is still in its virgin state. Since the time, 70 years ago, when it was crossed by the explorer Eyre from Adelaide under memorable circumstances, several expeditions have examined portions of it, and telegraph lines have been carried through from Albany and from Dundas to Eucla; but in no case have the reports brought back been favourable enough to encourage agricultural or pastoral settlement on anything like a large scale. And yet there are extensive sections of grassy country well adapted for carrying stock, if only the water difficulty could be solved. In the northern areas boring has disclosed the existence of a large artesian basin which has greatly enhanced the value of the land. If only the same facilities could be secured throughout the southeastern districts there is little doubt that the coming of the Trans-Australian Railway, which would solve the additional present difficulties of transport, would result in the rapid opening up of these at present neglected areas.
The pioneers of those who have established themselves in the district were the Messrs. Dempster, who many years ago took up nearly 1,000,000 acres in the vicinity of Esperance, and who, notwithstanding initial difficulties and remoteness, made their venture a success. Others followed and have in a measure succeeded also, but the fact that land equally good, with better water
facilities and within easier reach of a market, was easily available in other parts of the State, acted as a bar to any great development. Since the Trans-Australian Railway was started there has been another movement in the direction of taking up large areas of this country, with the intention, it is hoped, of working them, so that there is some prospect at least of the impression that this territory is “no man’s land” being removed during the next few years.
The towns throughout the district are few and far between.
RAVENSTHORPE.
This town is the centre of the Phillips River goldfield and is situated about 34 miles north of Hopetoun, a small port on the coast, which is connected with it by rail, and forms the depot to which supplies for the goldfield are brought from Albany. The population of Ravensthorpc is very small, but the town is the headquarters of the warden of the mining field, and the buildings in addition to his court consist of a hospital, mechanics’ institute, post office, roads board hall, and several hotels. Both gold and copper are found in the district, and batteries have been erected at Ravensthorpe and Kundip, while there is also a smelter at the former place for the treatment of copper ore. Apart from the mineral resources there is a large area of agricultural land within comparatively easy reach. With an assured rainfall of 15 in., practically the whole of this land is easily capable of yielding 12 bushels to the acre.
ESPERANCE.
This town is situated on the coast some 237 miles east of Albany and about 125 miles south of Norseman. Ever since the establishment of the eastern goldfields it
has been looked upon by the people there as the natural port for those fields, and for years past there has been almost continuous agitation for a railway between Esper-ance and Coolgardic. Some years ago the first section —Coolgardie to Norseman—was completed, but the remaining portion is still a question for discussion, and nothwithstanding several attempts on the part of various Governments, has not yet succeeded in reaching the stage of parliamentary authorization.
In the vicinity of the town are Mount Merivale, Frenchman Peak, Mount Le Grand, and other eminences, while a few miles inland there are the Wittenoom Hills, beyond which is the Hampton tableland. The port contains a large and safe natural harbour, completely sheltered by numerous small islands, and a substantial jetty nearly half a mile long, giving 18 ft. of water at low tide, has been erected.
For some years Esperance enjoyed the advantages— and expense—of municipal government, but secured relief when the trade with the goldfields diminished and the danger of depopulation began to make itself felt. When the Esperance railway is built it will probably forge ahead again, as it will not only be the nearest port of shipment for supplies for the fields, but will also be the nearest seaside resort where goldfields residents may go
to receive the benefits of the invigorating ocean breezes. The town contains the usual public buildings such as post office, courthouse, school, and hospital, as well as Customs office, and an enclosed goods shed area of nearly four acres. The present population of the district is about 400; this embraces the agricultural areas of Grass Patch, Myrup, Doombup, Corranup, and Dalyup, where a certain amount of settlement is taking place.
EUCLA.
Eucla is a small township about seven miles west of the eastern boundary of the State, and about 520 miles east of Albany. It is situated about half a mile from the shore, and is the connecting point of the electric telegraph system of Western Australia with that of South Australia. In fact the population, which consists of about a score of persons, is made up wholly of officials connected with the telegraph service. The roadstead off the settlement, which was surveyed by Captain Douglas in 1867, provides a good anchorage, being protected by a reef about six miles from the shore. The want of water is a drawback to development, but recent experiments in wheat-growing conducted in the surrounding country have met with satisfactory results. The chief buildings are, of course, the telegraph offices.
Eastern Goldfields
SOUTHERN CROSS.
East from Perth some 250 miles stands a small town which has had a most interesting history, redolent of the earliest days of gold mining in this State, and familiar in the nineties through all Australia almost as a household word as “The Cross.” Even its name and the manner in which it was gained has clinging to it the glamour of romance, and to many it contains the beginning and end of some of life’s deepest tragedies. When the first prospectors set out in the middle of the year 1888 on their march through those trackless wastes of the interior of Western Australia in search of that “philosopher’s stone” that through all ages has levied such a heavy toll on the best and most adventurous of men, they were dependent in no small measure on the aboriginal for their topographical information. To the uninitiated many of the native names of Western Australia possess peculiarities that are ever a source of wonder, which even outlives the discovery of their prosaic meaning. To no name more than “Yilgarn” is this feature so true, and the native name for white quartz in Western Australia is destined to be indelibly stamped on more than one mind and heart even to the present day. When these earlier prospectors
set out on their voyage of discovery to unearth that “white quartz,” or “yilgarn,” they checked the course every evening by the Southern Cross, and eventually their search was successful, and in the miles of quartz country discovered the embryo town of Southern Cross sprung into being. In the near future it was destined to have a wider development, and to become familiar in all the gold-mining communities throughout the world.
The growth of the town was phenomenal, and four years after its discovery it was proclaimed a municipality, its progress being further accelerated by becoming the
DDD
“railhead” of the eastern goldfields railway then under construction. As the distributing centre to the further and more important goldfields, the phenomenal increase can easily be imagined. The earlier town was of necessity of mushroom growth, and congregated, as do many of those in Western Australia, around the distributing centre—the railway—but the later municipality is well laid out and worthy of praise. The town has been well planned, five wide streets have been provided, and everything done by the council for the convenience and comfort of the ratepayers. Even before the construction of the goldfields water scheme the town was well served by an immense tank having a capacity of 1,250,000 gallons and situated a mile and a quarter from the town.
Particular care was taken to keep the catchment area free from all pollution, and the sanitary details even in the earlier period of the town’s existence were carefully considered. Very early in the history of the municipality the comfort and well - being of pedestrian and vehicular traffic was a feature of the administration, and, despite its genesis as a hurriedly constructed mining camp, Southern Cross could lay claim to many of those minor conveniences not usually seen apart from more settled communities. The town is situated on the western edge of a long, narrow salt lake, which extends for many miles north and south, and is at no point more than half a mile wide. The country is of but slight elevation, consisting of low, thickly timbered hills, flats, and claypans or lakes.
Almost the only industry of the place is that of gold mining, and the reefs are generally on the low ridges, but they are in some places also visible on the edges of the lakes. Within a mile of the town are several batteries and other extensive mechanical appliances for
Photo by L. Shapcott. Southern Cross.
866
the treatment of quartz. The public buildings of the town include a public hall, a mechanics’ institute well supplied with technical works and scientific literature as well as that of a more general nature. Fine municipal chambers have been erected, and the travelling public are well catered for in the magnificent hotels in the town. Among other improvements carried out by the council in the earlier stages of the existence of the municipality was the embellishment of the main streets by the planting of trees and the construction of a fine reserve, and the present ratepayers reap the benefit of their care and forethought.
Though some of its ancient importance has departed in late years from the town, nevertheless it still is of more than ordinary importance, and the revival of its mining interests will go far to again place it in the forefront of the municipal life of the eastern goldfields.
Situated about 23 miles north-west of Southern Cross, and called after the famous Bullfinch mining lease, is the mining town site of Bullfinch. The interest
and attention that was paid to this town site in its earlier stages, owing to the fabulous wealth discovered a.t shallow depths on the field in 1910, has not yet entirely departed. The township is the centre of the Golden Valley and Mount Jackson goldfields, and is connected with Southern Cross by rail. Provision is made for supply of water from the goldfields water supply, and many conveniences of more settled centres are now to be found at this outlying mining centre.
But few points of interest are to be found between Southern Cross and the town of Coolgardie, though the country throughout is more or less auriferous, but only small value now attaches thereto. In the past, however, this tract of country teemed with unknown possibilities, and no stretch of Australian land, despite its unending monotony, is more redolent of that romance which is inseparable from the stories of the earlier struggles and conquests of that indefatigable pioneer in Australian discovery, the gold prospector.
JOHN EDWIN CHADWICK, J.P., Mayor of Southern Cross, is a son of the late John Chadwick, and was born at Rutherglen, Victoria, on March 13, 1867. After attending a private scholastic academy for some time, he was sent to a public school to complete his education, and at the age of fifteen years elected to follow cattle-droving as a means of livelihood. After seven years, during which term he traversed almost the. whole of New South Wales and Queensland, he decided to visit Western Australia, and landing at Fremantle in 1892 spent a few months in the Northam district. Not being impressed with his experience of the country he returned to the land of his birth, but six months later turned his steps again towards the Western State. Proceeding to Southern Cross he tried prospecting in the surrounding district and also opened a butchering business, but failed to satisfy his ambition of success by either venture. During the nineteen years that have elapsed since he first arrived on the goldfields, he has indulged in a variety of occupations with varying results, and at the present time, besides carrying on a tobacco and billiard saloon, is interested in 480 acres of agricultural land in close proximity to the town. This pro-
perty has been very successfully farmed, and for the production of hay has proved second to none in the State. During his long residence in the district Mr. Chadwick has exerted himself in every possible way
for the benefit of his fellow townsmen, and has been elected to a seat on the municipal council no fewer than eight times, while on three occasions he has filled the office of chief magistrate of the town. He was convener of the first meeting for the formation of a branch of the Political Labour Party. A member of the Masonic Lodge at Southern Cross, he has passed through numerous chairs of office, has attained to the distinction of Arch Druid in the U.A.O.D., and is secretary to the Rovers’ Football Club. He is a member and consistent patron of all the outdoor sporting bodies of the district, and has fulfilled the duties of clerk of the course for the Southern Cross Racing Club ever since its inception. In 1898 he married Annie Louisa, daughter of the late Samuel West, of Regent Park, London, and has four daughters.
Councillor WILLIAM HENRY, who represents the ratepayers in the municipality of Southern Cross, is a son of the late William Henry, of Castlemaine, Victoria, in which town he was born on May 28, 1876. He received his education at local public schools, and at fifteen years of age was apprenticed to the blacksmith-ing trade at Serviceton, where he served a term of about two years. Upon the report of gold discoveries in Western Australia he sailed for this State, arriving at Esperance
Bay in 1895. Proceeding thence to Norseman Mr. Henry started in business as a water-condenser and carrier, and continuing in this occupation for twelve months disposed of his plant at a profit and turned his attention to mining pursuits. Having spent seven years in the Norseman district he determined to visit Southern Cross, where he had previously acquired an interest in the
Mr. William Henry.
Leviathan Gold Mine at Kennyville. This venture proved most successful, and the mine afterwards was sold to advantage, Mr. Henry subsequently continuing in the mining industry
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with varying results. More recently he has taken up a pastoral lease in the neighbourhood of Southern Cross, consisting of 40,000 acres, and holds the opinion that, though he has as yet given little attention to agriculture on his holding, the country is well suited to the raising of crops, and should eventually occupy a prominent place among agricultural districts. Mr. Henry— who is a member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and has acted as treasurer of that body—was elected to a seat on the local municipal council in 1909, and has since retained this office. He is a member of the local branch of the 1I.A.C.B.S., in which he occupies the position of president, and evinces the greatest interest in the sporting events of the district.
Councillor ARTHUR ROGERS, proprietor of the Commercial Hotel, Southern Cross, is a son of Mr. Albert Rogers, of Gilgandra, New
Mr. Arthur Rogers.
South Wales, and was born at Wail, in the Wimmera district of Victoria, on September 14, 1883. He received his education at local public schools, and at fifteen years of age came with his sister to Western Australia, landing at Fremantle and proceeding direct to the Norseman district, where he assisted his brother in the hotelkeeping business for about eighteen months. He then essayed to test his fortune in prospecting, but met with indifferent success, and subsequently found a more profitable occupation in fulfilling carrying ddd2
contracts. A year and a half later he left for Kalgoorlie, and again turned his hand to prospecting with similar results, afterwards journeying to Roebourne, where he had been led to understand that sluicing for alluvial gold was a paying proposition. Disappointment, however, again awaited him, and accepting a position as drover, he arrived at Leonora with stock, proceeding thence to Coolgardie, where he once more became a prospector and pursued the search for precious metal for a further eight months. Dame Fortune still proving obdurate in this direction, Mr. Rogers went to Davy-hurst and spent a brief period in the employ of the Golden Pole Goldmining Company, eventually joining his brother-in-law, Mr. Dick Roberts, in hotelkeeping pursuits at Southern Cross. At t7he present time, as boni-face of the Commercial Hotel, he enjoys the widest popularity. In addition to his hotel business he has invested in 300 acres of C.P. property adjacent to the town, where he is experimenting in the cultivation of a 30-acre area, and is confident that, with the proper use of manures and by taking due advantage of the natural rainfall, the industry should prove a very flourishing one. During the year 1912 Mr. Rogers was elected to a seat on the local municipal council. He is a member of the Southern Cross Agricultural Society, a member and committeeman of the local racing club, and keen patron of all the sporting bodies of the district. He married in 1910 Barbara, daughter of Mr. John Hogg, of Coolgardie.
GEORGE ANTHONY WILSON, Town Clerk to the Municipality of Southern Cross, is a son of the late John Paul Wilson, of Kildare, Ireland, at which town he was born on February 29, 1860. He received his education at the public schools of the district, and at the age of fifteen years became connected with a firm of storekeepers, to whom he served an apprenticeship extending over four years. His attention having been directed to Australia he arrived in Melbourne in 1879 and purchased a grocery business at Fitzroy, which he conducted with fair success for about twelve years. At the bursting of the great land boom in Victoria he found it expedient to abandon trading pursuits, and selecting 320 acres of land near Reena, in South Gippsland,
devoted his efforts to the agricultural industry for two years. Upon the report of gold discoveries at Coolgardie, Western Australia, Mr. Wilson took passage to Albany, bringing with him a couple of teams, with which he proceeded overland to the scene of the recent find. This was the first attempt to traverse the track with waggons, and many hardships had to be endured, the recital of which makes very vivid the reminiscences of those early days of the gold-mining industry on the eastern fields. Upon arrival Mr. Wilson engaged in the carrying business between Southern
Mr. George Anthony Wilson.
Cross and Coolgardie, and at a later date joined Mr. Thomas King in the grocery trade at the former settlement. This partnership, after existing for four years, was dissolved in 1904, when the gentleman under review was offered and accepted the position of town clerk, which he has filled in the most successful manner ever since. Mr. Wilson received his Commission of Justice of the Peace in 1900. He identifies himself with the public and social life of the place in a wholehearted manner, is a member of the agricultural society—having applied for an agricultural lease in the district—and for the past three years has filled the position of captain to the Southern Cross Rifle Club. He is a member of the Masonic craft, with which he has been connected since 1882, and has held rank as Worshipful Master of that body. As treasurer and steward of the local racing club, he takes a cordial interest in the sporting events that occur, and is a patron of all outdoor
athletic organizations. In the year 1888 Mr. Wilson married Kate, daughter of the late John McLean, of Melbourne, Victoria.
EDMOND PATRICK MACKEY, J.P., is a son of the late Mr. David Mackey, of Melbourne, and was born at Albert Park, Victoria, on October 2, 1874. Ho received his education at St. James' Grammar School, William Street, Melbourne, and left this
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Edmond Patrick Mackey.
institution at fifteen years of age. He served articles to Mr. A. D. Pley-dell, civil engineer, in the Western district of Victoria, with whom he continued for six years. With the mining town of Southern Cross as an objective, in 1896 he left his native State for Western Australia, and filled a position for two years as accountant to Fraser’s Gold-mining Company. Resigning this appointment, Mr. Mackey acquired interests in the Fraser’s, Central, Central Extended, Hope’s Hill, Greenmount, and Transvaal Mines, and met with unqualified success in these ventures. He has since devoted the major portion of his time and attention to the mining industry, and speaks in glowing terms of the future of Southern Cross. He is the local representative of the Adelaide Bullfinch Company, which possesses about 4,000 acres of agricultural land in the same district. Mr. Mackey takes keen interest in public affairs, and fills the post of chairman of the Yilgarn Roads Board. He has been a councillor of
the municipal chamber of Southern Cross, and occupied the mayoral office for a term of one year. His Commission of Justice of the Peace was granted by the Scaddan Administration in 1912. An advocate of all forms of outdoor sport, he is a live member of the Southern Cross Racing Club, and finds recreation in following the affairs of all local sporting organizations.
GEORGE WILSON, general storekeeper, Southern Cross, is a son of the late William Louden Wilson, of Kilmarnock, Scotland, and was born at Ballarat, Victoria, on November 21, 1874. He received his education at local State schools, and at an early age was apprenticed to Messrs. James McKay & Sons, grocers, of that city, where he remained for seven years. Leaving for Western Australia in 1896, upon
Mr. George Wilson.
arrival at Fremantle he proceeded to Midland Junction and joined the firm of Messrs. James McHenry Clark & Co., general storekeepers. After a short period of service with this company Mr. Wilson purchased a branch business established by the firm at Southern Cross, which he carried on for about eight years. After engaging in other pursuits for a few months subsequent to giving up this concern, he again started trading operations, this time in conjunction with Mr. R. N. Moany. About three years later Mr. Wilson took over his partner’s share of the business, and has since operated successfully on
his own account. He has great confidence in the future of the district, and has lately established a branch business at Marvel Loch, regarding which he is very optimistic. He has taken considerable interest in public affairs, and about 1905 was elected a member of the local municipal council, which seat he has filled with one or two breaks ever since. Upon the formation of the agricultural society of the district, he displayed a lively concern in its advancement, and is generally recognized as a leading spirit in all movements having for their object the welfare of the place. For some years he was a member of the Yilgarn Roads Board, and during his long sojourn in the neighbourhood has served as a member of most of the organizations formed for the promotion of industries or sport. Since 1897 he has been connected with the U.A.O.D., and during this period has passed through all the chairs of office, being the present treasurer and the Southern Cross representative in united gatherings of the order. He is also a member of the Southern Cross Masonic Lodge, No. 44. A consistent patron of all outdoor sport, he was one of the prime movers in the formation of the local racing club, of which he was president for some years, and in earlier days paid particular attention to rifle shooting. In 1897 Mr. Wilson married Margaret, daughter of the late Alexander Laing Robertson, of Perth, Scotland, and has a family of two sons and one daughter.
FRANK HERBERT SNOOK, proprietor of the Palace Hotel, Southern Cross, was born at Fremantle on December 21, 1866, being a son of the late John Snook, of that town. He received his education at public schools in his native place, and at sixteen years of age was apprenticed to the cabinetmaking trade. After serving a five-years’ term he opened in business on his own account, and did a very successful trade for three or four years. Tiring of this occupation he sold out advantageously, and in 1893 started as a builder and contractor at Southern Cross. In this capacity he conducted a most flourishing trade until ten years later, when he again disposed of his business and became proprietor of the Southern Cross Hotel, which he carried on successfully for about seven years. In May,
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1910, lie sold this hotel and purchased the old Exchange Hotel at Southern Cross, shortly afterwards taking a trip to England, which extended over eight months. Upon his return to Western Australia, during the boom of the Bullfinch district, he built his present imposing premises at Southern Cross, to which he gave the name of the Palace Hotel—a most commodious building with handsome exterior
Mu. Frank Herbert Snook.
and containing forty-seven rooms. Mr. Snook has unbounded confidence in the development of the place as a mining centre, and is the owner of many valuable town properties. He takes a keen interest in the progress of the
municipality in which he has so much at stake, having served in the council chamber and on four separate occasions been elected to the mayoral chair. He holds the position of Arch-Druid in the U.A.O.D., is connected with the M.U., I.O.O.F., and has filled the office of treasurer to the Masonic Lodge, of which he is a member. He has been associated with the local racing club almost since its inception, and has occupied the position of president of that body. The various athletic organizations also claim his support, and he displays especial interest in football, being the possessor of a cup presented to him in 1885 in his capacity of captain of the Union Football Club of Fremantle. Mr. Snook married in 1887 Catherine, daughter of Mr. David Murray, of Edinburgh, Scotland, and has one son and one daughter.
ARTHUR EDWARD PRETTY, is a son of the late Arthur Pretty, of Melbourne, in which city he was born on May 15, 1876.
He was educated primarily at public schools in Ascot Vale, and subsequently completed his scholastic career at Carlton College. At sixteen years of age he made his first entry into active business life in the employ of Messrs. Dillon, Burrows, and Co., wholesale confectioners, with whom he served a term of three years. At the end of that period he accepted a position with Messrs. James Watson & Co., whisky distillers, and continued in this connection
for some eight years, during which he acquired a complete knowledge of the details of the liquor trade. Mr. Pretty was associated for a short time in liquor agency business with the late manager for Messrs. Watson & Co., before deciding to come to Western Australia in 1901. Upon arrival in this State he established himself in a similar business at Fremantle, but twelve months later relinquished operations in order to join the staff of Messrs. Burns,_ Philp, & Co., Limited. Sufficient inducement offering, eventually he took over the management of Ilis Majesty’s Hotel, Perth, and for three and a half years conducted this well-known house in the most efficient manner. The desire for travel again taking hold of him, Mr. Pretty became connected with the firm of Messrs. Lionel Samson and Son, of Fremantle, as country traveller. Four years later, upon the rise of the Bullfinch gold boom, he was induced to open on his own account at Southern Cross as a wine and spirit merchant, but upon the bursting of the bubble abandoned this enterprise, and in May, 1912, took over the Railway Hotel at Southern Cross. After continuing at this centre for some months he came to Cottesloe and assumed the direction of the Ocean Beach Hotel. Mr. Pretty has been connected with the Masonic craft for the past five years, his mother lodge being the Commercial . Travellers’ Lodge, No. 61. He takes an active interest in cricket and golf; and is held in high esteem for his histrionic skill.
COOLGARDIE.
Towards the middle of the year 1892, two prospectors named Bayley and Ford, the former of whom had previously been very successful on the earlier goldfields of the Murchison district, made a wonderful discovery of gold at a point 120 miles due east of Southern Cross on the site of the present town of Coolgardie. As was only to be expected, on tho news of this rich find reaching the outside world a “rush” set in, and very soon a large population was on the site of the new field, then called Gnarlbine. The “rush” was extremely cosmopolitan in character, and many constituents were present, the absence of which would have been a distinct boon to the community. This formed the nucleus of the population of a township, which was variously known as Gnarlbine or Coolgardie, both of which titles were
derived from native sources, the former being called after a native soak in the neighbourhood of Bayley’s find, whilst the latter was that of the immediate district. A new Eldorado had now been discovered, and as rich finds followed each other with a rapidity that can only be characterized as startling, the numbers on the new field increased by leaps and bounds. Many of the new arrivals were not content to stop at Coolgardie, but accepted the more adventurous possibilities of the country further afield, to which course we owe the discovery of the later and even more richly endowed fields.
The earlier members of the community had not taken that care of sanitary arrangements so essential in such an heterogeneous colony, but as the field progressed
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
the demands of health and public convenience were more and more impressed upon the population. Hence steps were taken to form the inevitable forerunner of municipal government in Western Australia—a progress committee. A Government survey of the township was now undertaken, and some semblance of order instilled into what had been a description of chaos. The name of the discoverer of the field (Bayley) was given to the main thoroughfare, for it was thought that the town should be indissolubly associated with the name of the man to whose pluck and endurance the field owed its discovery. Not’alone had the find been a fortunate one for Bayley, but it changed forever the destiny of the State. To anyone standing in that handsome thoroughfare to-day it is difficult to conceive that a little over two decades ago the spot was a pathless wilderness untrodden by men (the bete noire of the explorer), except
infant town, and many crushing plants were erected, and Coolgardie became the trading centre of the eastern goldfields and found employment for many thousands. The rapid expansion in mining soon brought the place into greater prominence, and a migration set in from all quarters of the globe towards the new Eldorado. Boundless were the hopes of the new arrivals. With the ready optimism that accompanied the search for the elusive metal they foresaw visions of wealth, with its concomitant features of ease and comfort, as the outcome of a few years of strenuous labour. Many of these visions were to be fulfilled, but, alas, others were born only to be shattered. The utter lack of proper sanitary precautions in the earlier stages of the “rush” now bore terrible fruit, and the scourge of enteric fever ended many promising lives. The prosperity of Coolgardie declined considerably on the discovery of the larger
Photo by F. Marlyn.
Bayley Street, Coolgardie.
for tho wanderings of the native tribes after sufficient sustenance to support an aimless existence. Rapid expansion soon entitled the new settlement to the distinction of local self-government, and it was proclaimed as a municipality on July. 4, 1894, just about two years after its discovery by Bayley and Ford.
A large amount of prospecting had been carried out eastward of Southern Cross before the wonderful find of Bayley and Ford at Coolgardie, and 700 oz. of gold had been chopped out of an outcrop with a tomahawk; still to these indefatigable pioneers is due the discovery that was to change the outlook of a State and be the direct precursor of its expansion and position in the Australian Commonwealth of to-day. During the year 1895, following the foundation of the municipality, great progress was made in the mining industry of the
and richer fields at Kalgoorlie and Boulder, but the former glory of the town is only in abeyance, and the “Old Camp,” as it is still affectionately designated, may still become of an importance equal to its earlier days.
During the infant stages of the municipality some fine buildings of a by no means insignificant architectural design were erected, and are even now a substantial acquisition to the town. Indeed, to the eye attuned to the endless monotony of the sand plains, Coolgardie at first sight strikes the traveller as something distinct and apart from any other place before met. The municipality when formed was up to date in every respect. The general illuminant was electricity, and the roads constructed would have done credit to a town in a far more settled community. Steps were taken to correct
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the errors of sanitation whilst it was a mining camp, and everything to make life comfortable and enjoyable was carried out. The labour of gold mining is exhausting, and in every way the infant council sought to give compensating advantages to those compelled to toil in the bowels of the earth. Before the construction of the water supply to which the town gave its name the life-giving fluid was even more precious than that metal for which so many had left home and country to secure. Many times water reached the high price of 20s. per 100 gallons, and often had to be ordered a week before it was required. The owner of a reliable condensing plant had a perfect “gold mine” in his appliance, a.nd even after the advent of the water scheme a shower-bath cost Is.
The output of gold after the opening up of such famous mines as Bayley’s, Londonderry, Burbanks, and Bonnie Vale, was greatly increased, and indifferent management is, in many cases, practically to bla-me for present condition of inactivity. Many of the small centres in the vicinity, such as Carbine and Siberia, suffer from want of water and the consequent proper mining treatment, but the outlook for the future is slightly more promising. Since the discovery of Cool-gardie the total output of gold up to December 31, 1911, was 1,347,974 oz., certainly not an inconsiderable yield.
The town hall and municipal offices are handsome
structures, whilst the public library and reading-room vie in excellence with any to be found in the smaller towns of the State. The Government hospital is a standing monument to the executive ability of the State, and is well officered and splendidly equipped. The town is also very well served by the educational institutions it possesses. The religious life is vigorous and pronounced, all the denominations being well represented. The needs of the travelling public are well served, and the palatial nature of the hotels, with their excellent and up-to-date equipment, are a fine commentary on the importance of the town. The, want of natural beauty features has been supplied by the municipal gardens, and since the arrival of the goldfields water scheme the domestic garden has reached a position of more than usual excellence. Agricultural settlement is not unknown in the vicinity of the town, and thousands of acres of rich cultivatable land have been taken up. The population of the town is about 2,000, and of the immediate neighbourhood 4,000.
Though Coolgardie has suffered a period of depression, being overshadowed by more imposing centres within a few miles, there is every hope of a revival of the mining industry, and a proper system of irrigation by means of an extension of the water scheme would prove that a wealth even more potential than gold is within measurable distance.
DONALD MACPHERSON, J.P., Mayor of Coolgardie, was born at Broadmeadows, Victoria, on January 19, 1864, and is a son of the late Malcolm Macpherson, one of Scotland’s representatives in the early pioneering days of that State. He attended the Broadmeadows State school until fifteen years of age, removing two years later with his parents to the Yarrawonga district, on the River Murray, where he followed farming pursuits for ten years. He was next engaged in commercial life in Melbourne for about three years, and in 1895 came to Western Australia, in January of the following year joining the staff of the Mutual Stores Company—in those days a large trading concern in Coolgardie. After occupying a responsible position in this business for three years, Mr. Macpherson, upon the closing down of the firm, opened in business in the same town on his own account as general merchant and commission and indent agent, and has carried on successfully ever since. From the first he secured excellent agencies, representing firms in the Eastern States, etc., and, among other things,
is local agent for the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company. He received his Commission
Mr. Donald Macpherson.
of the Peace from the Moore Administration in 1904, and is a member of the local Licensing Bench of Magistrates. His connection with municipal
life has extended over seven or eight years, during which time he has served as councillor and shown himself warmly devoted to public work; and, recently, he has been elected unopposed to mayoral honours. He has always taken a prominent part on the committee of the Fresh Air League, and is hon. treasurer of the Coolgardie branch. He is also a member of Lodge Scotia, S.C., in the Masonic fraternity, and has taken a leading part for many years in the work of the Presbyterian Church at Coolgardie. He has been chairman of the Coolgardie Racing Club, Limited, for two years, having also held the position of honorary judge with eclat for some years. His chief recreation is taken on the bowling green and golf links, and he is a member of the local clubs, while a large portion of his leisure time is spent in his favorite pursuit of gardening, the culture of roses and carnations receiving special attention at his hands. Mr. Macpherson married in 1897 Mary, daughter of the late James Hill, of Midhurst, Sussex, England, and has a family of three sons.
Councillor HENRY AUGUSTUS ELLIS, M.B., Ch.B., of the municipality of Coolgardie, was born at Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland, on July 21, 1861, and is a son of the late Colonel Francis Ellis, of the Irish Militia Forces. He received his primary education at St. Columba’s College, Dundrum, and in 1879 entered the famous ancient seat of learning, Trinity College, Dublin, where he pursued his professional studies, qualifying in medicine and surgery in 1884. Having received his diplomas he came to Australia and established himself in private practice in Sydney, where he continued for ten years, during portion of this period acting as honorary surgeon to the Sydney Public Hospital. In 1894, at a time of financial depression following the great bank failures, Dr. Ellis came to Western Australia, and upon the discovery of the eastern goldfields settled in Coolgardie, where he was soon fully engaged in professional work, and has
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Dr. Henry Augustus Ellis.
continued there ever since. Dr. Ellis is one of the most widely known men of the district, having always taken a most prominent part in all movements for the advancement of the place and the uplifting of the community. He was the trusted friend and adviser of the pioneer goldseeker, and as the first health officer of the fields he drew up a code of by-laws in which he embodied his own ideas in regard to the best methods to cope with diseases arising
in the mining camps, new gold rushes, and the increasing number of town settlements, etc., a code which has since been copied almost in detail by the goldfields bodies of Western Australian organization. His name is well remembered in connection with the early days of the Pioneer Progress League of Coolgardie, in which his knowledge and experience proved invaluable to his fellow citizens, and he was prominent in the movement for the establishment of Australian Federation. Upon the refusal of Sir John Forrest, the then Premier of the State, to take a referendum of the people on the subject, Dr. Ellis was chief amongst the organizers of the league then formed on the goldfields with the motto “Separation for Federation/' through the influence of which a petition was forwarded to Her late Majesty, Queen Victoria, with over 27,000 signatures, the result being that the Referendum Bill was put to the people, and Western Australia fell into line as a federated State. Dr. Ellis was an unsuccessful candidate for the first Senate of the Commonwealth, declining a requisition to stand for Coolgardie in the election for the State Parliament in 1900. Four years later, however, he allowed himself to be nominated, and was returned to this seat, which he retained for a term of fifteen months. He is deeply interested in the future of agriculture in Western Australia and has a large holding in the Run jinn district, where wheatgrowing pursuits are successfully carried on. He was one of the founders of the Coolgardie Club, and holds the distinction of being the only original member of the club whose name is still on the roll. A man of versatile interests he concerns himself in inventions, and is a good draughtsman, while as an amateur photographer he is excelled by few professionals in the execution of this art. As a reader his taste dictates a wide range of subjects, scientific works bearing on his profession gaining a large share of his attention, while he has attained considerable popularity as a lecturer, his favourite subject being “Democracy." Although he never enters the arena of sport, he holds the office of president of the Coolgardie Racing Club. Dr. Ellis is a widower, his late wife being a daughter of the late James Speer, of Sydney, New South Wales.
Councillor ALFRED MERCER, J.P., who represents the ratepayers in the Coolgardie Municipal Council, and who has on two occasions occupied the mayoral chair, was born at Nairne, South Australia, on November 15, 1853, and is a son of the late John Mercer, one of the early agricultural pioneers of the Central State. He was educated at the public grant school in his native town, and upon the close of his studies, followed pastoral pursuits for over a quarter of a century in the Cooper’s Creek and Diamantina
F. Martyr, Coolgardie.
Mr. Alfred Mercer.
districts, also being well known in the cattle- and horse-breeding stations around Hergott Springs. During this period he travelled many thousands of miles with stock, undertaking the work on contract, and thus obtained an intimate knowledge of the interior of the vast island-continent—a knowledge surpassed, perhaps, by that of no other man in Australia. Coming to Western Australia in 1892, he turned his attention to the mining industry, and was one of the pioneers of the eastern goldfields, where his name has since become very widely known. He was among the first to bring camels into Western Australia for general use and prospecting purposes, and at one time carried on a fairly large camel trade with India, his knowledge of these useful beasts of burden comparing favourably with that of many a native Indian. As a bushman also his record is second to none in Australia, and making Coolgardie his headquarters from a few days
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after the discovery of the field, he prospected over the greater portion of the auriferous belt, and has been a consistent supporter of the mining industry ever since. For three years Mr. Mercer was engaged in mercantile pursuits as a butcher and storekeeper in Cool-gardie, but eventually sold his interest in the firm with which he was identified, in order to give more time to the enterprise nearer his heart. One of Mr. Mercer's records in bush travelling was a trip from Mount Magnet to Tanami, a distance of 1,250 miles, which he undertook on behalf of a Perth syndicate. The distance was covered in eight weeks with camels, each of which carried over 500 lb. weight, and Mr. Mercer claims this as a record for crosscountry travel in Australasia. In referring to this great journey Mr. Mercer speaks in eulogistic terms of his first officer, Mr. W. Benstead, without whose aid the journey could not have had such a successful issue. He has given a portion of his attention to municipal affairs, and was elected a member of the local council in 1896, since which date he has served continuously, with the exception of two brief periods when absent on mining business. He has been twice elected to the mayoral chair, is a member of the Licensing Bench, and received a Commission of the Peace from the Rason Administration in 1904. Mr. Mercer is a member of the Coolgardie Club. In 1887 he married Jessie, daughter of the late John Brown, of Springbrook, South Australia.
Councillor ROBERT NISBET, one of the representatives of Coolgardie in the local municipal council, was born at Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, Scotland, on March 9, 1862, and is a son of the late Mr. Robert Nisbet, mining manager and contractor, of that place. He was educated at the National School at Fasking, near Airdrie, and upon the close of his studies was identified with the mining industry in the old country until the time of his departure for Australia in 1883. Landing at Flat-top Island, Port Mackay, Queensland, he subsequently proceeded to New South Wales, and spent about six years in mining pursuits in the employ of Messrs. J. & A. Brown, of that State. Relinquishing this service, he entered that of the late James Fletcher, then
Minister for Mines in New South Wales, and following on this period occurred his connection with Messrs. Longworth Bros., for whom he opened up the Dulwich Mine, near Singleton, this firm having taken over the Cobar Mine. In 1888 he visited Melbourne at the time of the Exhibition held in that year, and deciding to remain there joined the staff of Mr. McKenzie in the construction of the Glenferrie tramline. Returning to the Mother State he was again engaged in mining at Newcastle when the reports of gold discoveries in Western Australia were noised abroad, and early in 1893 Mr. Nisbet arrived at Coolgardie. On account of the serious water famine that occurred shortly afterwards he left the country and went to New Zealand, where prospecting in the mineral districts engaged his attention until 1896, when he returned to the Golden West. He then accepted the management for Messrs. McKenzie, Grant, & Co. of their various leases, and remained in this connection for a considerable
F. Martyn, Coolgardie.
Mr. Robert Nisbet.
time, subsequently working on Bay-ley’s Reward claim prior to his appointment as underground manager on the Grand Junction Mine at Burbanks, under the general management of the late W. L. Daniels. In the absence of Mr. H. M. G. Cobb, Mr. Nisbet had full control of this mine and plant, and at a later date,when the property was given up by the company, he took over a portion of it in partnership with Mr. J. Park, and was very successful,
selling out at a profit after mining a considerable quantity of gold. He then spent some years in prospecting the district, and in 1909 took over the lease of the Australia Hotel, of which he is still holder. Mr. Nisbet is looked upon as a staunch supporter of the district, and was elected to a seat on the local municipal council in the beginning of 1912. He is a member of the Masonic Order, being a Past Master in the craft (S.C.), and has filled the office of District Grand Senior Warden of the goldfields of Western Australia. For over a quarter of a century he has been connected with the G.U.O.O.F. and the Free Gardeners’ Societies, and is a foundation member of Royal Oak Lodge, No. 9, in the latter body. Mr. Nisbet is a Past Chief of the Caledonian Society and treasurer of the Prospectors and Leaseholders’ Association and of the local amateur swimming club, these bodies having a large membership. He married in 1885 Agnes, daughter of the late Richard Sneddon, of Lanarkshire, Scotland, and has one son and two daughters surviving.
Councillor WILLIAM TINDAL, of Coolgardie, is a son of the late Robert Tindal, and was born at London in 1856. He received his education in Melbourne, and Upon leaving school entered the mining industry, which he has followed in its various branches ever since. About the year 1887 he first set foot upon Western Australian soil, and had some experience in the mining resources of the State before the outbreak of the Coolgardie field, where he was among the first arrivals. He followed prospecting pursuits all round the newly-discovered gold-bearing locality, and was richly rewarded by the discovery of various payable propositions, among which Tindal’s Mine in 1892 took pride of place. Mr. Tindal was elected a member of the Coolgardie Municipal Council in 1909, and takes a prominent interest in all matters connected with the advancement of the place. He is a member of the Prospectors’ Association and of the Masonic craft. Mr. Tindal married in 1884 a daughter of the late John Heath, of Tipperary, Ireland, and his family consists of five sons and four daughters.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Councillor EDWARD LINKSON, of Coolgardie, was born at Burra Burra, South Australia, on October 2, 1869, and is a son of the late William George Linkson, of that place. Upon leaving school he joined the staff of the South Australian railways, with which he was connected for nine years. During one of his annual holidays he made a trip to Western Australia, and was so favorably impressed with local conditions that he resigned his position and became connected with the Western Australian railway service. In 1902 he resigned from the service in order to enter upon storekeeping, and purchased the business which he still carries on in the same premises at Coolgardie. Since his advent to the town Mr. Linkson has done all in his power to advance the interests of his fellow-citizens. In 1908 he was returned as a member of the local municipal council, and has retained his seat at each subsequent election. He is a member of the Coolgardie Racing Club, patron and president of the local football association, and delegate from Coolgardie to the parent body. In 1897 Mr. Linkson married a daughter of the late Simon Crowley, of Freeling, South Australia, and has a son and a daughter.
ALONZO POLYBLANK WYMOND, J.P., Coolgardie, secretary of the Coolgardie Roads Board, is a Victorian by birth, having been born at Melbourne on August 20, 1856, in which city and at Ballarat his father, the late John Herbert Wymond, was one of the first softgoods merchants. He received his scholastic tuition at Wesley College, which he entered upon its opening in 1866, and afterward at the model school. Upon leaving the latter institution he began his business career in a mining office, whence he advanced to practical mining and supervision of mining properties, and was from 1883 to 1886 on the Barrier Silver fields, when he proceeded to London, where he was connected with mining circles for nearly a decade. In 1895 he came to Western Australia, and as mining engineer and attorney took charge of several mining properties floated by English companies, continuing to discharge the duties incident to these appointments in conjunction with other work for about eight years. Always interested in public affairs Mr.
Wymond was chairman of the Coolgardie Roads Board for eight years in succession, and ultimately was appointed secretary, which office he still holds. He was elected to the chair of the municipal council in 1902 and the following two years, and was invested with mayoral honours for two successive terms, this being the first time in the history of the municipality that such a distinction had been conferred. During his term of office and chiefly through his influence the present beautiful gardens, which add so greatly to the appearance of the city, were laid out, and various other public works completed. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1900 by the Forrest Administration, and is senior justice in the district, being also acting-coroner and a member of the
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Alonzo Polyblank Wymond.
Licensing Bench. He has been a member of the chamber of mines ever since its inception in Coolgardie, and is secretary of the local committee in connection with that body. Mr. Wymond was one of the promoters of the Coolgardie Exhibition in 1899, and as a member'of the executive took a leading part in this successful function. He was one of the founders of the Coolgardie Bowling Club, and takes his chief recreation on the green. In 1886 he married Emily Taylor, daughter of the late Gedde Pearse, chief inspector of the Victorian State Schools, and has four sons.
JOSEPH MONAGHAN, who occupied the office of mayor of Coolgardie for three consecutive terms, first being returned to the chair in 1909, was born at Ederney, County Fermanagh, Ireland, on January 19, 1869, and is a son of the late James Monaghan, a farmer of that place. He received his education at the National School in his native town, and at seventeen years of age, after the death of his father, accompanied his mother to Australia. Landing at
F. Martyn, Coolgardie.
Mr. JosErn Monaghan.
Sydney, New South Wales, he entered the employ of Messrs. Anthony Hordern & Sons, where he served his apprenticeship in the furniture department, and was identified with this famous emporium for the better part of a decade. In 1894 he was attracted by the glowing reports of gold discovery in Western Australia, and coming to this State became engaged in prospecting at Coolgardie for a time. At a subsequent date he again entered upon commercial life, joining the clerical staff of the Mutual Store, and six months later was placed in charge of the furnishing department of this business. After three years’ service Mr. Monaghan relinquished his connection with the Mutual Store in order to devote his energies to the calling of licensed victualler, and for a" few years carried on the Exchange Hotel at Coolgardie. In 1898 he purchased the Metropolitan Hotel in the same town, which he conducted until his departure from the goldfields in 1912, and which is still his property. At the same time he acquired
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interests in some mining properties, in several of which he is a present shareholder, besides being interested in real estate in the town. While resident on the fields he was particularly prominent in everything which stood for the advancement of the place, and, upon entering business on his own account, identified himself wholeheartedly with all public affairs. He was first returned to the municipal council in 1893, and served on that body for eight years. In 1909 he was elected mayor of Coolgardie, and holds the distinction of being the only one who has filled that office for three years consecutively. Ultimately, when business calls compelled him to sever his connection with the fields and settle in Fremantle, he resigned the mayoralty, upon which occasion the council refused to accept his resignation, granting him leave of absence until the end of his unexpired term of office. Upon leaving the town Mr. Monaghan was accorded a public send-off, and was made the recipient of a public banquet, an illuminated address, and a purse of sovereigns by the citizens and various organizations, a similar honour being bestowed upon his wife. For five years he was Coolgardie delegate on all conferences of local bodies, and represented. the goldfields on the health board under the old Health Act, prior to the days of Ministerial control. He has always displayed a deep interest in the hopes and aspirations of his native land, and is actively devoted to the cause of Home Rule. He was one of the first members, and for a considerable time secretary, of the Irish National League at Coolgardie, and was chairman of the committee which received the delegates from Ireland in 1894 and 1895. For many years Mr. Monaghan filled the office of committeeman- of the Coolgardie Race Club, and he is a patron of all forms of clean sport. In 1899 he married Annie, daughter of the late John Kiely, of County Limerick, Ireland, and has three sons and one daughter.
ROBERT MACFARLANE MITCHELL, M.B., B.S., F.R.C.S.
(Edin.), D.P.H.R.C.P.S. (Lond.), District Medical Officer, Coolgardie, and Medical Officer in Charge of Coolgardie Government General and Consumptive Hospital. The subject of this brief sketch was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, on June 19, 1876, being a
son of the late John Mitchell, of that city. He was educated privately at St. Bee’s Grammar School in Cumberland, and subsequently studied medicine and surgery at Edinburgh, London, and Paris, obtaining his final diplomas in 1905. Returning to Edinburgh he received the appointment of assistant medical officer to the Edinburgh City Hospital, and in the absence of the superintendent acted for a considerable time as medical superintendent of that institution. He served for a term as senior house surgeon in Leith Hospital, and was also connected with the Royal Maternity and Simpson Memorial Hospital at Edinburgh, at a later date practising in London, while for something less than two years he served as medical officer in the P. & O. Steamship Company,
Dr. Robert Macfarlane Mitchell.
during which period he visited India, China, Japan, the Phillipine Islands, and Australia. In 1906 Dr. Mitchell settled in Western Australia, and immediately was appointed acting district medical officer at Coolgardie, receiving the permanent appointment some time later. The special department for consumptives had just been inaugurated, and Dr. Mitchell had his hands very full upon assuming charge, as no proper provision had been made for open-air treatment, and the patients slept out of doors with little or no protection, the nurses having to attend to their wants while standing ankle deep in mud. Dr. Mitchell set himself the task of organizing, and had the original wards altered to meet the needs of the patients, and as far as
the finances would allow brought the hospital up to date, verandahs being added, jarrah floors replacing the former soft wood, and a sanitary service with septic tank installed, and hot and cold water laid on. An irrigation area was established for the cultivation of fresh vegetables, recreation rooms for the nurses, etc., were built, and entirely new quarters for the nursing staff, all of which improvements were carried out under Dr. Mitchell’s initiative and direct supervision. As a result of his strong advocacy of the removal of the consumptives’ hospital to a more equable climate and more congenial surroundings, the Government of the day has reserved an area of 3,500 acres at Beechina Hill, in the Darling Ranges, including a partially improved farm, 50 acres being reserved for building purposes, the plans being now in course of completion by the Government Architect, who has drawn them up in accordance with suggestions made by Dr. Mitchell. The doctor was the medical member of the Royal Commission on Miners’ Lung Diseases in Western Australia (1911), in which he took a bold and consistent stand for compulsory national medical insurance as the best solution of the question of tubercular disease. He does a large amount of reading, by this means keeping himself abreast of the latest thought and methods in the different departments of his profession. He is a committeeman of the Coolgardie Club, a member of the Perth Club, and a member of Tattersall’s Club; and was for some time vice-president of the Coolgardie Racing Club, of which he is honorary surgeon. He married in 1906 Helen Mary Han-field, daughter of the late Septimus V. Pizey, of Adelaide, and has three daughters.
CHARLES VINCENT, managing director of the West Australian Lion Brewing and Ice Company, Limited, Coolgardie, is a son of the late Francis Vincent, and was born at Villa France, in the South of France, on August 1, 1852. He was brought up and educated at Sorrento, in Italy, and in 1868 came to South Australia, when Adelaide was little more than a village. Here he followed the calling of stevedore, subsequently amalgamating his business with that of the Australasian Stevedoring Company, of which he was appointed manager. In 1892 he
resigned his position and revisited his boyhood's home, as he had done from time to time all through his sojourn in the Central State. After making a tour to all the places of interest on the Continent and in England, in 1893, after the outbreak of the Coolgardie goldfields, he came to Western Australia, and turned his attention to hotelkeeping on the field. For about three years he conducted the Freemasons' Hotel at Coolgardie, at the end of which period he became interested in the Lion Brewery, from which he afterwards sold out in order to build the Grand Hotel in that town. It is interesting to note that Mr. Vincent installed in this hotel the first electric light plant used by any hotel in the State, having brought the plant from England with an engineer to put it in working order. The hotel prospered, and Mr. Vincent again purchased an interest in the Lion Brewery Company, of which eventually he became managing director, a position he still holds. At that time the enterprise was conducted on terms of partnership between the gentleman under review and the late Tudor Lipman, but before the decease of the latter it was floated into a limited liability company, the
F. Martyn, Coolgardie.
Mr. Charles Vincent.
shareholders being Mr. Vincent and the executors of the late Mr. Lipman. The principal hotels in Coolgardie, and others in Burbanks and Kal-goorlie—eleven in all—are owned by the Lion Brewing Company, besides various important commercial buildings in the town, and Mr. Vincent is
also a private investor to a large extent in real estate, owning more property in Coolgardie than any other single individual. His mining investments are also considerable, and he has unbounded faith in the district, which owes much to the confidence with which he has staked his capital on its progress and resources. Mr. Vincent—who has travelled considerably in America as well as in Europe—is a member of various clubs, including the National Liberal Club, of London, and several Perth bodies. He takes a general interest in sport, and is a supporter of racing, being a life member and committeeman of the local club, of which he has also been president for several terms, and presented the Coolgardie Gold Cup to this institution in 1910. Mr. Vincent married a daughter of the late G. Parker, of Devon, England, and after the demise of this lady he espoused in 1909 Winnifred, daughter of the late J. Ilodnett, of the same county. His family consists of two sons and one daughter.
MORDAUNT LESLIE REID, resident engineer and manager for the Electric Supply Company of Western Australia, Limited, Coolgardie, was born at Elmore, Victoria, on August 22, 1881, and is a son of the late Donald Reid, a well-known pastoral manager in New South Wales. The gentlen an under review was brought up on “Puckawidgce" Station, in the latter State, and, in due course, was sent to Surrey College, Melbourne, afterwards training for his profession at the Melbourne Technical School, where he won the first diploma for electrical engineering ever awarded by this institution. Subsequently Mr. Reid became engaged in practical engineering with the British Insulated Wire Company, of Liverpool, which had taken the contract for the erection of an electrical plant for the municipality of Bendigo, and, at the completion of the work, he transferred his services to the company which took over the working of the plant, and continued in this connection for nearly four years. In October, 1905, the post which he nfiw fills at Coolgardie became vacant, and Mr. Reid received the appointment, which he has retained ever since. During the seven years that have elapsed since his arrival on the field, he has carried out the duties of his post with credit to himself, and his administration has
given the greatest possible satisfaction to the municipal authorities and to those who avail themselves of the benefit of the electric light and power. Outside of his official duties Mr. Reid devotes a considerable amount of time to military matters, and holds rank as area officer for Coolgardie and the Southern Cross and Norseman districts, having been transferred from the 84th Infantry Regiment, in which he held rank as lieutenant. He is one of the best rifle shots in the district, and has been a winner of many trophies, while in earlier days he attained distinction in football and running events, and is now devoted to tennis as a recreation. Pie is a member of the local racing club, and for some time has occupied the post of honorary starter in
F. Martyn, Coolgardie.
Mr. Mordaunt Leslie Reid.
connection with this organization, lie is also a member of the Coolgardie Club. Mr. Reid married in 1905 Pauline, daughter of Mr. Frank Dowd, of Randwick, Sydney.
FREDERICK WALTER BAR-WICK, Postmaster at Coolgardie, was born in the Beaufort district of Victoria on November 26, 1875, and is the eldest son of the late Thomas Jackson Barwick, a farmer of that place. He received his education at State schools in Victoria and South Australia, and upon the close of his scholastic career pursued the trade of printing for a couple of years. On August 8, 1890, he joined the postal department of Victoria at Nhill, and after two years' service in that State sailed for
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Western Australia, where on September 1, 1892, he was appointed telegraphist at the General Post Office, Perth. After a short period of service as operator in the capital Mr. Barwick was transferred to the country, and by degrees gained promotion, eventually becoming postmaster at Pingelly in 1894, and has since occupied a similar position at Israelite Bay, Leonora, Kookynie, and Coolgardie. Upon the appointment of Mr. Tepper to the position of acting-divisional inspector, Mr. Barwick took over the duties of acting-postmaster at Kalgoorlie, one of the largest and most important offices in the Commonwealth. It is interesting to note that in the early days of the gold-mining industry in Western Australia, when the traffic was beyond the scope of the lines, Mr. Barwick was one of the telegraphists at Eucla—the repeating station on the South Australian border—and in the days of the old
open-circuit system he was the operator who wrote down at that
J, J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Frederick Walter Barwick.
place the first message which conveyed from West to East the news of the discoveries of the Londonderry and Wealth of Nations, two mines which established the fame of Western Australia in the mining world. About the same time, also, he received the message which reported the wreck of the steamer “Rodondo” on Pollock Reef, with over 200 souls on board, of whom only four were lost. Mr. Barwick is well known in musical circles throughout a good portion of Western Australia, having devoted a great deal of time to pursuit of this art in its various branches, particularly to organ playing, this being his favourite instrument. He is of a literary and studious turn of mind, and is especially fond of the perusal of historical works by French authors. A student of political economy, he interests himself in debating, and was at one time a well-known frequenter of gatherings of this nature. He is a member of the Coolgardie Club.
NORSEMAN.
Situated about 110 miles south of Coolgardie, and on the south-east of Lake Cowan, is the mining township of Norseman. The railway which connects the township with Coolgardie is the first link with Esperance in that much-desired rail com nunication with the south coast of the State. Norseman itself is the principal gold-producing centre of the Dundas goldfield, and is a pretty and well-built town in the heydey of prosperity. Every essential that makes for urban comfort and well-being the Norseman municipality has acquired. The town is well lighted, the sanitary system is up to date and efficient, whilst the protection afforded by the local fire brigade against fire is as satisfactory as that of the large centres of population in the State. The hospital is efficient and well equipped in the latest modern appliances to combat disease or remedy the effect of injury. Three public halls, with a seating capacity for 600, are used frequently for public entertainments. The town has a telephone exchange, and the postal arrangements are such as would
do credit to a larger centre. There is a fine recreation reserve provided with a first-class bicycle track, cricket pitch, tennis courts, golf links, and racecourse. The two principal streets are adorned with trees, and besides communication by railway with Coolgardie there is a weekly coach service to Esperance. The mining industry at this centre is in an extremely healthy condition, the State and two privately owned batteries being in constant operation. Norseman possesses its own water supply, there being a Government reservoir of 3,000,000 gallons capacity. The mines are supplied by two other dams having a capacity of 10,000,000 gallons. The reticulation of the town has been carried out on a thoroughly modern system, and the total length of reticulating mains is over ten miles. Thus in this little population of a little over half a thousand people, on the very outposts of civilization in the vast State of Western Australia, a municipal system exists that would do honor to far older and more established communities.
KALGOORLIE.
On June 15, 1893, a prospector named Patrick Hannan applied for an alluvial claim on a spot about 380 miles east of Perth, and a “rush” set in to the scene of his discovery, which was named Hannan’s Find. This was the genesis of, perhaps, the most famous gold-mining town in this world’s history. When the original prospector discovered his claim and located himself on the spot no more desolate region could be described. Sand,
stunted scrub, and rocks—one of those stretches of country all too frequent in the desert portion of the interior of Western Australia—were the salient features of the landscape. But to-day on the same site is a modern city, and no creation of the fictionist brain, not even of an Oriental nature, has ever portrayed a story of nearer approach to the famed attributes of Aladdin’s lamp than is to be found in the history of the modern
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city of Kalgoorlie. The marvellous transformation from a dreary waste of spinifex and sand to a highly civilized centre, replete with every modern comfort and adorned with handsome and substantial edifices of no mean architectural design and beauty, would almost appear to be the creation of a fairy story, if the fact were not so self-evident. Only those familiar with the rapid growth of a gold-mining community can grasp the fact that within ten years from the date of Hannan’s discovery Kalgoorlie was an accomplished fact. To those dwellers in older lands and more settled communities, familiar with the steady but almost imperceptible progress in urban populations decade by decade, the presence of this great city remote from all others of a like nature and size, will ever be a matter of astonishment.
The municipality was proclaimed in 1895 over a conglomeration of canvas tents, interspersed here and there with the more pretentious structure of hessian and galvanized iron, and it appeared that this great concourse would be soon moved to other and what was deemed more favourable pastures, for the wonderful alluvial wealth appeared to be nearly exhausted. The discovery of the “Golden Mile,” however, at this opportune moment infused new life into the community. By this new discovery such an impetus was given to business that the dismal prognostications of the detractors was forever silenced, and as if at the waving of a wizard’s wand canvas town began to disappear and its place to be taken by the more substantial edifices that bespeak the assurance of a community in a well-defined future. Thus between the years 1896 and 1898 not only did Kalgoorlie give definite assurance of its existence, but the distinct municipality of Boulder City had its birth. By taking due notice of the faults in older cities wisdom was exercised in laying out the earlier streets in Kalgoorlie. Winding narrow streets have been avoided, and unlike many of the streets in Ballarat, Victoria, despite the magnificence of its main street, Kalgoorlie for a gold-mining town can justly lay claim to being the most correctly designed gold-mining city in the Empire. On its gazettal as a municipality in 1895 the estimated population was very small and its area about 100 acres, and at the outset the principal of municipalization was adopted in the city services. These were the days of small beginnings. No one then dreamt of the future greatness of the “Golden Mile,” that small patch of uninteresting country that has since yielded gold of no less value than £51,000,000 and paid dividends amounting to £18,000,000, and at the present day employs over 5,000 men, upon whose earning a population of nearly 28,000 mainly depend.
The visitor to Kalgoorlie to-day, viewing the town with its broad, well-paved streets, its substantial and handsome buildings, street trees, parks and gardens,
electric tramways, and its brilliantly-lighted thoroughfares at night, could not imagine that to be the Hannan’s —as it was called—of 1895, when the unmade roads were pulverized to the fineness of flour several inches deep by the traffic of teams. These were the days when public conveniences were few, and even in many cases nonexistent, and when every drop of drinking water had to be distilled from salt water, and that at such cost as to render the wasting of a pint a matter of serious moment.
To those great civilizing influences—the modern railway and an up-to-date water scheme—Kalgoorlie owes in some measure its present greatness as a city, and when in the year 1896 the railway was opened to this desert centre, the era of its larger prosperity could be said to have started. The opening of that gigantic undertaking —the goldfields water supply—the catchment area for which was nearly 400 miles away, set the coping-stone on Kalgoorlie’s position as a city of no mean order. The catchment area of this scheme is 569 square miles in extent, and the capacity of the impounding reservoir 4,600,000,000 gallons. This great reservoir is 760 acres in extent, and the weir 100 ft. high and 755 ft. long. From the impounding reservoir the water is pumped through a steel main of 30 in. internal diameter by a series of pumping stations located at intervals along the main. The reticulation of Kalgoorlie is carried out by gravity from the main service reservoir.
But to return to the earlier struggles of the municipality. One of the first acts of the council was to buy out some squatters who had taken possession of what was then a part of Hannan Street, and had erected small business places thereon. Some difficulty was encountered when an attempt was made to remove them, and Sir John Forrest told the council that if they could be removed the land would be given to the municipality as an endowment. With that promptitude that is a characteristic of gold-mining communities, the council took the shortest way out of the difficulty and bought out the squatters. Subsequent events have proved the extreme wisdom of the step, for upwards of £20,000 has been received for ground rents by the municipality, while buildings, including two hotels, have been erected upon the land to the value of £10,000, which will ultimately become the property of the municipality. To a governing body of city fathers gifted with such farsightedness the present city of Kalgoorlie owes many of its present conveniences, and the adoption of the municipal trading system in the electric lighting scheme is another of the many features for which the ratepayers of to-day are in receipt of full value. The electric lighting of the town was begun by the council in a very small way in the year 1897. It consisted of eight arc lamps for lighting the corners of the principal streets, the engine of a local
timber merchant being utilized to generate the current. To-day the equivalent of 60,000 8-candle power lamps are in use in the municipality, being 85 per cent, of the possible lighting of the city. The infant undertaking waxed strong, and a small plant was erected in Brook-man Street, an old plant from the Perth Gas Company being employed. The municipal venture continued to thrive, and finally a much larger plant had to be procured to carry out the work. From time to time this has been extended, and at the present day it has become a huge trading concern, and on the plant alone £62,000 of earnings, with an additional £22,500 of loan money, have been spent. The book value at present, allowing for a generous writing off for depreciation is £40,000, and on this a net profit of about 4 per cent.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 879
be to render a swim prohibitive to the youthful members of the community, who extract a considerable amount of enjoyment out of the healthy pastime. In the year 1901 were established also municipal markets in the interests primarily of the householder who wished to buy produce in small quantities. At the time there was more than a suspicion that a strong fruit and vegetable ring was in existence. The markets were a pronounced success from the point of view of the small consumer, and protected the ratepayer from the actions of any combine. Fruit and vegetables have since been almost as cheap as in the capital city, and often of a superior quality, as the long rail journey precludes any but the best quality from being sent to the goldfields. In these markets £200,000 worth of produce has been moved over to date. The
KALCOORLIE, from Mf.Char/otte
HANNAN STREET. foQM/ng West.
Looking West From Post Office.
Looking East from Post Office.
Photo by J. J. Dwyer.
Views of Kalgoorlie.
is made, while the ratepayers enjoy the inestimable benefit which comes from well-lighted thoroughfares at an almost nominal cost. In the year 1911 municipal baths were constructed at a cost of £3,000, and comprise swimming and shower baths. The swimming basin holds nearly 100,000 gallons, and has a depth of from 2 ft. to 8 ft., and is fitted with springboards and modern appliances. At the outset these baths were greatly appreciated, even though the water used in the initial stages was so salt that one was borne up, even though unable to swim. After the opening of the water scheme fresh water was available, and the baths became even more popular than before. No attempt is made to run these baths at a profit, as the effect of such an action would
council allowed a private company to establish an electric tramway system, and receives from it 3 per cent, on the gross earnings, amounting to about £500 per annum; up to the present time £4,000 has been received from this source. The sanitary services of the city are well equipped and efficient. The Health Amending Act in 1905 constituted the council a health board also, and since then the sanitary arrangements and services have been under direct municipal control, resulting in a profit of £1,000 being added to the city funds. Kalgoorlie affords an excellent example of municipal enterprise at its best, as all its undertakings pay, while the prices to the ratepayer are less than would be paid for similar services to private individuals.
The present town hall was opened in 1908. It is a very commodious place, and though its architecture is not striking it is built on a most convenient plan, all its offices being large and spacious and readily available to the public. An exceedingly well-appointed theatre is an adjunct to the building, and despite the fact that Kalgoorlie is so far inland some of the best companies in Australia perform there. The theatre pays a fair interest on the capital cost. In 1895 was established a miners’ institute, and a commodious building was erected in Hannan Street on land granted by the Government. The land was vested in trustees, and the Government also gave two special monetary grants of £500, and the institute has received annual grants of varying amounts ever since. Some time later a special grant was made to the institute to allow it to cope with the special needs of the scientific problems exhibited on the fields. Though this institution is not directly the outcome of municipal enterprise, the subscribers behave with that liberality to the general public which has always been such a special feature of goldfields life. The institute contains fine public reading-rooms, liberally supplied with newspapers and periodicals, smoking- and lounge-rooms, and a library containing several thousand volumes, not entirely devoted to fiction. The institute is ably managed, and in point of utility and usefulness supplies a need on the eastern goldfields that would be hard to replace. The Chamber of Mines, Kalgoorlie, was established in the year 1901, and since its inauguration has done much to consolidate the scientific methods existing for the extraction of gold from the refractory ores that abound on this field. The scientific papers published under the auspices of the chamber have had a world-wide circulation and fame, for in many methods of gold extraction Kalgoorlie has been the pioneer. The main mineral belt of the district stretches a length of five miles north and south, and has been proved to be rich in gold for a length of one mile north and four miles south of the town by a quarter of a mile wide. The lodes are maintaining their richness as depth is attained, as proved at 2,900 ft. At such a depth and through the varying strata that exist the need of a proper scientific training to cope with this mineral problem was justly observed, and a school of mines was established for the eastern goldfields at Kalgoorlie. The value of this educational departure was speedily felt on the field, and the East Coolgardie goldfields district is now equipped to carry out that scientific training so absolutely necessary in the industry in Western Australia. The secondary school has not yet taken root in Kalgoorlie, but with the establishment of a university in the capital city no doubt this feature of educational life will receive attention. Primary education is carried on by moans of the usual well-founded Government schools,
and in most essentials necessary for the training of the youth this centre of mining activity takes a deservedly high position. When the fact that Kalgoorlie possesses, perhaps, the most valuable and complicated plants for the recovery of gold, scarcely equalled throughout the Empire, the need of proper scientific training is so urgent and insistent that the high position reached by the educational establishment is but a concomitant of the necessities of the situation.
Kalgoorlie is the headquarters of the 84th Infantry Regiment, the outcome of the old Goldfields Infantry Regiment, which together with the other infantry units in this State played no inconsiderable part with the Australian contingents that during the Boer War (1899-1902) volunteered for service in South Africa. Mining communities have generally been composed of shifting and unstable elements, the eternal quest for the elusive metal being the one spring of the actions of its members, but even taking into consideration this fact the population of Kalgoorlie is, generally speaking, stable. The city is the headquarters of the social life on the eastern goldfields, and from it as a centre radiate many social actions; in fact, this district as a whole constitutes a community unto itself, widely separated on many points from the older-established communities on and near the coast. The religious life is strong and vigorous, all denominations being well represented. The question of an Anglican goldfields bishopric has frequently been mooted, and in all probability will be the next expansion of that sect in Western Australia.
As can well be imagined, the municipal life in a city abounding with such examples of municipal enterprise should contain on its roll of honour the names of many who have found the bounds of municipal thought too narrow for their soaring energies. Thus the council chamber of Kalgoorlie can boast of being the probationary period of men whose names have become well known in State and Federal Parliamentary Cabinets. Amongst these can be mentioned J., D. Connolly, a former Colonial Secretary of Western Australia; Norbert Keenan, K.C., who has held the high and honourable position of Attorney-General in a State Cabinet; and Mr. R. D. McKenzie, who also attained Ministerial rank in the State Cabinet. To these can be added the names of C. E. Fraser, M.P. (P.M.G. in the late Labour Ministry), and Miles Staniforth Smith, whose valuable work as Acting-Administrator of Federal Territory in Papua can hardly be overestimated.
Kalgoorlie has no natural beauty spots. Nature has been very niggardly in this respect, the natural surroundings being dull, dfab, and monotonous. The racecourse and Victoria Park are the results of efforts to supply what Nature has denied, and the efforts have been crowned with perfect success. For the greater part
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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of the year ample lawns of velvety softness and depth afford a pleasing contrast to the natural surroundings, whilst the feast of colour in the profusion of flowers is extremely pleasing to the eye. Kalgoorlie is justly famed for its roses, and the gardens of the householders help to dissipate that monotony of t.he sand dunes and plains by which it is surrounded. The public
Post and Telegraph Offices and public Buildings.
park and racecourse are the meeting ground of the community during its leisure hours, and these beauty spots, though small and perhaps all too few, serve to lighten the lives of those who are compelled to toil amidst the stunted scrub and arid red soil of the city’s surroundings.
The principal buildings are substantial and useful, and are not entirely devoid of architectural beauty, but this latter essential does not seem to have been their first consideration. They are the expression of a practical people engaged in the most strenuous of industrial employments, utility being of necessity the primary principle of their erection. Though the architecture is mixed, nevertheless a few buildings, like the Town Hall, St. Mary’s Church, Palace Chambers, and the Western Australian Bank, are not devoid of some expression of architectural design. Three newspapers are published in the town, the needs of the community being well catered for in this respect. Being the headquarters of the eastern goldfields railway system, Kalgoorlie naturally is the distributing centre for the commerce and productions of the coastal district throughout the eastern goldfields, and as such the main business arteries of the city abound in well-built and well-equipped and stocked commercial emporiums. In such measure has it also become the centre of all sport and athletics. The recreation reserve possesses all the requisite improvements and appointments, including an up-to-date grandstand and other buildings. Football, cricket, and various other sporting institutions abound, and the premiership of the goldfields district is as keenly contested as that in the metropolitan centres.
A description, however, of Kalgoorlie, would not be complete without some extended mention of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club, the grounds of which have a far greater interest than of racing alone. The racecourse is within easy walking distance of the town, being about one mile distant from the post office. The course is one of the best in Western Australia, and the necessary buildings have been constructed on the most up-to-date designs and possess every modern convenience and appliance. The grandstand, a commodious brick and stone structure, is capable of seating 3,000 persons. Luncheon-rooms, tea kiosks, and many other conveniences for the comfort and wellbeing of the patrons abound. There is an excellent brick stand, with a seating accommodation for 2,000 persons, provided for the Leger patrons, and in all that makes for the proper control of modern racing Kalgoorlie is not one whit behind the older-established racecourses of the other States. Following tho example of Flemington in Victoria an electric chronograph for the accurate timing of races has been installed. However, perhaps, the crowning beauty of the course has been the design displayed in the landscape gardening of the enclosure. Several thousand trees have been planted, and there are four acres of lawns. So generous has been the course committee to the public of Kalgoorlie that what is really a proprietary concern has now come to be regarded as the public park of Kalgoorlie. The expense for water of this gardening project
Town Hall, Kalgoorlie.
has been something enormous, and between 7,000,000 and 8,000,000 gallons of water are obtained per annum from the goldfields water supply to construct and render this possible, and the total expenditure on the conveniences and improvements of the course will not fall much less than £80,000. The policy of the club is one of progress, and since its foundation the amount disbursed in prize-money has reached nearly £90,000.
The population of the municipality is 8,781 (4,642 males and 4,139 females), but of the East Coolgardie district the estimated population is over 95,000.
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CHARLES AUGUSTUS CUT-BUSH, Mayor of Kalgoorlie, was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on January 2, 1865, and is a son of Mr. William Montague Cutbush, pastoralist, of “Pillacawarrena” Station, New South Wales. lie obtained his early scholastic training at public educational institutions, and subsequently received a finishing course at the Sydney Grammar School. At seventeen years of age ho entered commercial life in the service of the firm of Messrs. Edward Dunlop & Co., with whom he remained for nine years, resigning his
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Charles Augustus Cutbush.
position to come to Western Australia about the time of the inauguration of responsible government. For a time Lp carried on a sports depot and tobacconist business in Perth, and in 1893, two years after his arrival, joined the first Kurnalpi alluvial gold rush, where, however, results failed to justify his expectations. In June, 1894, he came to Kalgoorlie, then known as Hannans, and joined Mr. J. W. Fimister, who about a year previously had established a general store in that vicinity and was in the full swing of trading pursuits. The store was constructed of hessian, but a comprehensive stock was protected within its frail walls, and almost from the first the business took a leading place in the infant settlement. Mr. Cutbush threw all his energies into its advancement, and as a result of both partners’ unremitting efforts the trade has expanded, fine stone premises have been erected, and to-day
the business is one of the landmarks of Kalgoorlie history. With his partner Mr. Cutbush is also largely interested in the mining industry, particularly in the development of the Ora Banda field, and besides gaining valuable experience has reaped considerable financial rewards from his ventures. Since taking up his residence in Kalgoorlie he hae made himself prominent in public affairs, and has given his support to all matters affecting the welfare not only of the town of Kalgoorlie but of the goldfields district generally. A founder of the first progress association in the place, he was placed at the top of the poll at the ensuing election of officers by the residents, and was a-ppointed first secretary to that body, which was the forerunner of municipal government in Kalgoorlie. In 1895, when Kalgoorlie was created a municipality, the pressure of his many and devious interests prevented him from rendering immediate service, but later when this was relaxed he gave his time freely to the work of the council. After six years’ connection with this body, in 1912, a vacancy in the mayoral office occurred and Mr. Cutbush was invested with the honours of chief magistrate of the town, which post he now holds. He is a keen upholder of the sport of kings, and was one of the founders of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club, and its first honorary secretary. For his invaluable services to this body he was honoured by being elected the first life member in 1907, and still retains his seat on the committee. Among other excellent specimens of blood stock which he has owned pride of place may be given to “Fifeness” (“Bill of Portland”—“Melodese”), the champion of the Western Australian turf in 1907. In his younger days he was a keen athlete, and made the record against time on hard-tyred bicycles from Adelaide to Sydney, doing the 1,300 miles in less than thirteen days. lie has been married twice, his first wife being a daughter of the late William English, of Perth, while his second marriage took place in 1905, when he was united to Adeline May, daughter of the late J. Smith, of Sydney. He has two sons.
Councillor HENRY WALTER DAVIDSON, J.P., of Kalgoorlie, who is also a member of the Kalgoorlie Roads Board, was born at Mount Clear, near Ballarat, on October 5, 1865, and is a son of Mr.
J. Davidson, of Footscray, Victoria. He was educated in the place of his birth, and upon the completion of his scholastic career became engaged in commercial life, joining a Footscray firm in the grocery line of business. He continued as assistant in this house until his twentieth year, in the course of which he entered the hardware trade on his own account, and also carried on as a contractor in house decoration work for several years. In 1895 he came to Western Australia and conducted a similar business in Coolgardie, where he remained for some four years, during which he gave a portion of his attention to the mining industry. In 1896, shortly after the Kanowna gold rush took place, he joined in the search for the precious metal, prospecting in the surrounding locality and had an interest in an alluvial claim on the cemetery lead, but, aside from this departure, he has spent the whole of his time in managing his commercial interests on the goldfields. In 1898, after some months spent in Perth, Mr. Davidson removed to Kalgoorlie and established a factory for sauces, jams, self-raising flour, etc., which still holds
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Henry Walter Davidson.
its unique position of being the only manufactory of foodstuffs on the goldfields. He also inaugurated the Goldfields Soap Company, Limited —in which he occupies the post of managing director—one of the most complete in arrangements for its size in the Commonwealth, with a plant which, though small, is considered
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to be a model one. In January, 1903, be was elected a member of the Kalgoorlie Roads Board, and later in the same year was returned by the ratepayers of Kalgoorlie to represent them in the municipal council, heading the poll on both occasions. During the nine and a half years he has been on the roads board he has occupied the chair for four years, and holds a record in municipal elections, having been returned at the head of the poll on three occasions. In 1905 he was appointed to a Commission of the Peace by the Moore Administration, and among other offices ho has represented the goldfields on the central board of health for twelve months. Mr. Davidson is a member of the executive of the Roads Boards Association of Western Australia, and has been a member of the conference of the goldfields local bodies since its inception. He is also a member of the Commercial Travellers’ Association and of the Kalgoorlie Club. In 1885 he married Charlotte, daughter of the late William. Pannell, contractor, Geelong, Victoria, and has four sons and one daughter.
Councillor PATRICK DUNNE, of the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council, was born at Ballycommon, near Tul-lamore, King’s County, Ireland, on October 17, 1848, and is a son of the late Terence Dunne, a farmer and canal builder of that place. Having accompanied his father to Victoria in his early boyhood, he received his education at St. Patrick’s College, Melbourne, and upon the termination of his scholastic career entered the commercial house of John McDonnell & Co., of Little Collins Street, where he remained for some years. Upon the attainment of his majority he was offered the post of assistant manager and accountant of the Mutual Store, soon after being appointed general manager of the Lyceum Stores, Limited, of Bendigo. Five years later he resigned in order to take over control of the Melbourne Bread and Flour Stores, in less than a year transferring his services to the firm of Messrs. Perkins & Co., Limited, brewers and wholesale wine and spirit merchants, of Brisbane and Toowoomba, Queensland, which business he managed for two years. In 1880 he relinquished this connection and became connected with the pastoral industry in the Herberton district, at the same time building eee2
and opening a brewery at Herberton. These dual interests absorbed his attention until the occurrence of the financial depression at the time of the big bank failures, when, selling out in Queensland, he returned to Victoria to attend to his various properties in that State. Whilst here he was returned as councillor of the Shire of Coburg, where he resided, and for some years served the ratepayers as a member of that council. He came to Western Australia in 1894 and spent a considerable period in the mining industry all over Western Australia, prospecting in many
J. J. Dwyer, kalgoorlie.
Mr. Patrick Dunne.
fields, but principally in the Murchison district. About 1898 he settled at Kalgoorlie, and opening a bakery and flour business in the town has personally conducted this concern with considerable success. To Mr. Dunne must be accorded the credit of having established the first machine bakery in Western Australia, and he takes a leading place among similar businesses on the goldfields. During the whole of his career he has always interested himself in matters of public moment, and in 1909 offered his services officially to the people of the Kalgoorlie municipality, upon which occasion he was returned, and has since retained his seat in the council. He is a member of nearly all the clubs in the town, including the racing and other sporting organizations. He is also a member of the committee of the mechanics’ institute, and spends many of his leisure hours in the perusal of scientific and historical works.
Mr. Dunne married Catherine, daughter of the late Patrick Hallion, one of Victoria’s early pioneers, and has a family of five Sons and four daughters.
Councillor ERNEST SMITH, of the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council, was born at Fitzroy, Victoria, on July 5, 1869, and is a son of the late Mr. Charles Robert Smith, general land and estate agent, of that State. At the termination of his scholastic course at a public school he entered commercial life in the firm of Messrs. Smith & Timms, railway contractors, with whom he remained for five years. In 1896 he came to Western Australia and proceeded to the northwest district on behalf of the same firm in the capacity of paymaster on the jetty construction works which had been undertaken by Messrs. Smith & Timms. Upon the completion of this work Mr. Smith resigned in order to accept a position as paymaster in the original firm of Messrs. Millar Bros. Two years later he retired from this service and entered upon the duties of assistant manager and paymaster at Kurrawang for the
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Ernest Smith.
Western Australian Firewood Company, Limited. Retaining the position until 1903, in that year he joined the newly-formed Millars’ Karri and Jarrah (1902) Company, Limited (now Millars’ Timber and Trading Company Limited), as paymaster at the head office, and after twelve months was
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promoted to the charge of the eastern goldfields branches, which appointment he has filled ever since. Since coming to Kalgoorlie he has taken considerable interest in local public affairs, and on two occasions was a candidate for municipal honours, ultimately being returned to represent the ratepayers in 1911. At the end of the same year the general elections for the council oc-cured, when he was again returned for the ensuing term of three years, and at present occupies a seat on the finance committee. He identifies himself with local organizations, being a member of the Masonic craft and of the Kalgoorlie and City Clubs. In 1892 he married Margaret Ann, daughter of Mr. James E. Smith, of Coburg, Victoria, and has four sons and one daughter.
Councillor THOMAS JAMES SULLIVAN, member of the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council, is a son of the late Daniel Sullivan, of Wallaroo, South Australia, where he was born on September 6, 1871. He received his education at the State and Roman Catholic schools in Jamestown, in the same State, and when
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Thomas James Sullivan.
thirteen years of age became engaged in the grocery trade. Three years later he left Jamestown for Broken Hill, and shortly afterwards went to work on the mines. He continued in the silver-mining industry for eight years, and at the end of that period came to Western Australia,
the Norseman goldfields first attracting his attention. He followed mining pursuits in this district for some time, until the better conditions prevailing on the Coolgardie fields drew him to the more northerly locality. From Coolgardie he went to Broad Arrow, and making this the centre of his operations, he prospected and worked all over the eastern goldfields with more or less success for about six years. In 1905 he came to reside at Kalgoorlie, and deciding to return to his former calling opened a grocery business at the west end of Hannan Street, which he has since continued to conduct. He has manifested considerable interest in municipal affairs, and in 1912 was returned to a seat in the local council chamber. He has always been very prominent in the political Labour movement on the goldfields, and among other offices has filled for some years that of president of the Paddington and Broad Arrow branch of the A.W.A. He was honorary treasurer of the Broad Arrow Hospital for three years, and is chairman of the West Kalgoorlie Progress Committee, of which he was one of the founders. He married in 1897 Johanna Louisa, daughter of the late Lawrence Egan, of Moss Vale, New South Wales, and has one son and two daughters.
Councillor EDWIN KERRY BEAUMONT, C.E., M.T.M.E., of the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council, was born at Castlemaine, Victoria, on October 30, 1869, and is a son of the late Amos Thomas Beaumont, a pioneer of the Forest Creek Diggings in Victoria in 1851. He received his primary education at the Castlemaine Grammar School, and subsequently continued his studies at the University of Melbourne, where he was one of the first twelve to join the University geodetic survey camp, under the direction of Mr. Thomas Walker Fowler, M.C.E. The formation of this camp, which met at Sorrento, Victoria, was the first attempt on the part of the University to train students for the higher forms of survey work. Subsequently Mr. Beaumont was connected with the Victorian Government's Lands and Mining and Survey Departments, and had opportunity of proving his proficiency in both surface and underground work. He was also employed by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works in the sewage
reticulation scheme and previously surveyed the whole of the construction work in connection with the underground sewerage scheme for the city of Carlton. Ho resigned from the Board of Works to entor upon seven and a half years' engineering and mining practice with the Sulphide Corporation, Limited, at the Central Mine, Broken Hill, and during this period, in 1904, received the appointment of underground manager, the duties of which responsible post he carried out in a very able and satisfactory manner. He rendered considerable service to the Engineering Association of New South Wales by putting forward in a popular, interesting, and instructive way an account of the systems of stoping and timbering adopted in the Broken Hill mines, talcing up the evolution of the systems then in vogue from the time
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Edwin Kerby Beaumont.
when the square-set system was introduced. The value of this work was enhanced by a series of drawings, by means of which professional and practical men abroad could form an accurate idea as to the methods of work on the great Broken Hill Mine, which as a school for miners and mining engineers is second to none in Australia. After the passing of the Mines Inspection Act in 1901 Mr. Beaumont was the first candidate in Broken Hill to prosent himself for examination for the position of mine manager under the New South Wales law, and having satisfied the examiners received his certificate of competency. Upon his departure for Western Australia in 1904 lie was
8&5
tendered a public send-off by tbe mayor and councillors and residents, at which he was the recipient of an address and presentation as a mark of the esteem in which he was held by the townspeople. Proceeding to the goldfields, he became engineer and surveyor to the group of mines controlled by the Oroya-Brown Hill Company, Limited, and was later employed on several other mines, where he obtained valuable experience of the Kalgoorlie ore deposits and mining methods. He designed and supervised the erection of several plants on the Western Australian goldfields, which are now in successful operation, and in 1907 was appointed Government Inspector of Mines in Western Australia. He has a comprehensive knowledge of a large number of mines, including the Mount Margaret, the Sons of Gwalia, the Cosmopolitan, Lancefield, Mount Morgan, and many others, the inspection of which demands a general and practical knowledge of mining administration. Mr. Beaumont has identified himself with the public life of the district, and in 1912 was returned as a member of the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council by a large majority. He takes special interest in matters of charity, particularly as regards the care of aboriginal children, and aided by his wife gives active support to tne institution at Lamington Heights, where such little ones are cared for. He married in 1901 Frances, daughter of Mr. G. W. Greenhill, of Castlemaine, Victoria.
CHARLES EDWARD ECCLES, Town Clerk of Kalgoorlie, was born at Brisbane, Queensland, on July 18, 1874. At -an early age he was brought to Victoria, where he received his education at a State school, subsequently matriculating at the University of Melbourne. In 1894, shortly after the report of gold discoveries at Coolgardie, he came to Western Australia, and, proceeding to the Murchison district, began the life of a prospector on that field. At a later date he worked in the mines at Day Dawn, and from there came to Kalgoorlie in 1896 and entered the office of Mr. R. M. Stow, barrister and solicitor. After two years he left this position and accepted an appointment in the Kalgoorlie office of Messrs. Connor, Doherty, and Durack, with whom he remained for six years. In 1905 he entered the
employ of the municipal council of Kalgoorlie in the electric lighting department, and having fulfilled five years’ service, upon a vacancy occurring for the position of town clerk, he received his present appointment. Mr. Eccles is also interested in the agricultural industry and owns a
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Charles Edward Eccles.
farm near the Wongan Hills. He is a lover of home, and spends most of his leisure hours in gardening. In 1910 Mr. Eccles married Alice, daughter of the late Frederick Rose, of Nathalia, Victoria, and has two daughters.
WILLIAM ARDAGH GARDNER WALTER, Warden and Resident Magistrate of Kalgoorlie district, extending from Kalgoorlie, Boulder, Kanowna, and Coolgardie in the east to Southern Cross and Norseman in the west and south, and Broad Arrow in the north, is a son of Mr. Octavius Gardner Walter,
J.P., of Ford House, Wellington, Somerset, England. He was born at Taunton, in that county, on August 13, 1860, and pursued his studies at the Taunton College School and Exeter College, Oxford. After leaving the University he came to Western Australia and turned his attention to agricultural and pastoral pursuits in the Lower Blackwood district. In 1891 he joined the Government service, being engaged in the compilation of the census under Mr. Gale, and in September of the same year he accepted the position of
warden on the Murchison goldfield, which had just been discovered. He administered mining affairs at that centre until the end of 1892, when he was appointed resident magistrate for the Blackwood district in succession to the late Mr. Richard Gibbons. These duties he relinquished in 1902 to take over the post of acting police magistrate at Perth, Mr. A. S. Roe, the former occupant, having been appointed acting judge of the Supreme Court. In 1905, upon the return of the latter gentleman to the Police Court, Mr. Walter was transferred to Geraldton as resident magistrate, which position he filled for three years. Four years later, after a furlough of a few months, he was appointed resident magistrate at Kalgoorlie, and upon the retirement of Mr. J. M. Fin-nerty, the warden of the district, this office was added to his other duties, and he has acted in the dual capacity ever since. Mr. Walter is a member of the Weld Club (Perth), Hannans Club (Kalgoorlie), and of the Western Australian Turf Club. He is a keen supporter of all healthy outdoor recreation, and fills the post of president of the Eastern Goldfields Cricket Association, of which he is a playing member. Cricket has been his principal sport during the whole of his life, but he has also aquatic honours to his credit, having been a member of his college crew at Oxford which at that time held the head of the river for three years. He played Rugby as forward for Somerset for five years, and for two years in succession was chosen as representative for the West of England team. He varies his diversions at the present time by indulgence in tennis and golf. Mr. Walter married in 1887 Lucille, daughter of the late J. G. Thomson, of Brookhampton, near Bunbury, one of the early pioneers of the south-western district, and has one son and one daughter.
ROBERT GILKINSON CREGOE SHAW, Town Treasurer of Kalgoorlie, was born at Kaiapoi, Canterbury Plains, New Zealand, on March 30, 1869, and is a son of Mr. John Agnew Shaw, a well-known identity in the early pioneering days of the gold industry of Victoria, whence he came from the Dominion, to which he had emigrated in the early sixties. The gentleman under review received his education at various public and private schools in New
Zealand, and shortly after entering his teens joined the Civil Service of that country, being attached to the telegraph branch there for a few years. At nineteen years of age he went to Victoria and became connected with the Telegraph Department of the General Post Office at Melbourne, which he left to join the Railway Department in a similar capacity. Eventually Mr. Shaw resigned from the public service, and proceeding to the country districts entered upon the occupation of loading goods on pack saddles for transit to the various mines, and in this way traded through many new districts where road accommodation had yet to be provided. In 1893 he left Victoria for Western Australia, and for some years faced the vicissitudes common to early prospectors on the eastern goldfields, during which period he walked from Coolgardie to Perth on three occasions. In 1895 he was appointed secretary of the Kalgoorlie Hospital, and held that position until the institution was
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Robert Gilicinson Cregoe Shaw.
taken over by the Government in the latter end of 1896. At that date he received the appointment of acting town clerk, having previously been connected with the municipal council almost from its inception and having held office continuously in various capacities. In 1900 he took over the duties of town treasurer, and has since continued to fill this post. Among his other offices is that of secretary of the cemetery board, which he has held ever since the foundation of the board, in which he
played a leading part. He is a man of hobbies, being an expert amateur carpenter and very fond of gardening. In 1895 Mr. Shaw married Eleanor, daughter of the late John Abbott, of Donnybrook, Victoria, and has four daughters and two sons.
MATHIAS JAMES RICHARDSON, Secretary of the Kalgoorlie Roads Board, was born at Clunes, Victoria, on April 14, 1867, and is a son of the late William Richardson, of that place. He was educated at the Clunes Grammar School and South Yarra College, and with a view to entering the legal profession
&
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Mathtas James Richardson.
studied at Ormond College in connection with the Melbourne University for two years. Altering his intention with regard to his career he served indentures to a licensed surveyor for a couple of years, relinquishing this connection to take a trip through New South Wales and Victoria. Eventually Mr. Richardson settled down to farming pursuits in the Gippsland district, near Leon-gatha, and carried on the development of his property until his departure for Western Australia at the time that the mining boom was in full swing. This was towards the end of 1895, and upon arrival he opened an office at Kalgoorlie and conducted business as a mining and land agent, at the same time being concerned in the different phases of mining enterprise when speculation was rife and many risks were taken. He
continued with varying success until 1896, when he was requested by the Government of the day to assist in the establishment of the Kalgoorlie Roads Board, to which he was appointed first secretary, a post he has held ever since. In 1899 Mr. Richardson was prominent in the movement for the formation of the Reform League, and served on the executive of that League at the time that strenuous work was being done in order to bring about the consummation of the federation of Western Australia with the rest of the States of the Commonwealth. For about eight years he was a member of the Kalgoorlie Muncipal Council; and he was one of the two leading spirits in the establishment of the goldfields branch of the Australian Natives’ Association, of which he was president for some considerable time. He has made a deep study of municipal and local government law, and is looked upon as an expert in this department, on various occasions having been called in by the authorities to advise on certain modes of procedure. A Liberal in politics, he has been‘consistent in his support of that party, and, in 1911, was a candidate in the Liberal interest for the Kalgoorlie seat in the House of Assembly, but without success. He is secretary of the conference of goldfields local bodies; and for a number of years has been connected with the Masonic craft. He has been twice married, his first wife being a daughter of Mr. R. Pine, of Victoria. The present Mrs. Richardson is a daughter of the late Pere Lafon-taine, of St. Kilda, Victoria, and he has a surviving family of one son and one daughter.
ARTHUR RICHARDSON, M.D., M.R.C.S.E., medical practitioner at Kalgoorlie, was bom at Tadmarten, Oxfordshire, England, on December 9, 1844, and is a son of the late Geoffrey Richardson, Government merchant contractor. He received his education at the Birmingham Grammar School, and subsequently qualified for the medical profession at the Victoria University, Manchester, where he took his diplomas of medicine and surgery in 1876. Dr. Richardson then established himself in practice in the same city, and in addition to his private connection obtained considerable hospital experience there. In 1880 he came to Australia, and practised for fifteen years
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in the Central State, during the greater part of which period he exercised a Commission of Justice of the Peace. In the early nineties, upon the discovery of the eastern goldfields in Western Australia, Dr. Richardson joined the exodus from South Australia, and proceeding to Kalgoorlie has resided ever since on the fields. He keeps himself in touch with the advanced ideas and methods of the medical world by the perusal
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Dr. Arthur Richardson.
of up-to-date works on medicine and surgery, and follows the various progressive movements in the Old Country with considerable interest. Outside of his profession he has actively concerned himself in the public life of the town, and for a lengthy period has served as a member of the local municipal council, whilst the pressure of his calls as a physician alone has prevented him from acceding to the numerous requests he has received from different quarters to contest the mayoralty on various occasions. A Freemason of long standing, he was first Master of the original Lodge opened at Kalgoorlie, and has been trustee of this body ever since, besides holding other offices, at the present time being an officer of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia. Dr. Richardson married, in 1870, Isabella, daughter of the late Thomas Merrifield, of Wainflcet, Lincolnshire, England, and has a family of six daughters and four sons.
CHARLES WILLIAM CAMERON, stock- and share-broker, Kalgoorlie, was born at Angustown, Victoria, on October 31, 1885, and is a son of the late John William Cameron, a well-known figure in the pioneering days of that State. At the close of his schooldays the bright prospects of the gold-mining industry in Western Australia tempted him to this State, and proceeding to Coolgardie he became engaged on the clerical staff of Mr. Harold Barrett, the well-known sharebroker and one-time mayor of the “Old Camp/' Mr. Cameron spent thirteen years in this business, during which period he obtained a thorough acquaintance with all the intricacies of share- and
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Charles William Cameron.
stock-broking. In 1911, when Mr. Sydney J. Yeo decided to relinquish his connection with Kalgoorlie, Mr. Cameron acquired his business interests and established himself on his own account, and is now one of the leading stock- and share-brokers on the eastern fields. Mr. Cameron in earlier days was a fair exponent of the game of cricket, and since his arrival in Western Australia has acted as patron of all forms of clean outdoor sport. He is a member of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club and of the Kalgoorlie Club. In 1910 he married Alice E., daughter of the late William Bingley, formerly of Bordertown, South Australia, who for a decade was a well-known contractor on the goldfields. There is issue one daughter.
JOHN WILLIAM RHIND, one of the best-known identities of the eastern goldfields during the past two decades, was born at Preston in Lancashire on March 21, 1853, and is a son of the late P. S. Rhind, treasurer to the corporation of Liverpool. He received his education at Hevcrsham Grammar School, and at the termination of his scholastic course became apprenticed to the engineering trade in the house of Messrs. David & William Henderson, of the Anchor Line, of Glasgow. In 1886 he came to Australia as agent for Messrs. James Pain and Sons, the well-known pyrotechnists, and after executing some special work in Sydney at the time of the celebration of the late Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, took control of the fireworks and set pieces shown on behalf of this firm in the Friendly Societies’ Gardens in Melbourne, and subsequently gave a series of similar displays in Adelaide. In 1896 he came to Western Australia as general manager of the West Australian Fresh Food,
Mr. John William Rhind.
Ice, and Cold Storage Company, Limited, taking over the control of the company’s works at Coolgardie, where he continued for six years. In 1903 the works were reconstructed and removed to Kalgoorlie, where they became known as the Kalgoorlie Ice Works and were carried on under the conduct of Mr. Rhind until 1912, when he disposed of his interest in the business, and retired. Mr. Rhind is a member of Hannan’s Club.
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ARTHUR FRANCIS, Kalgoorlic, was born at Ballarat, Victoria, on January 6, 1872, and is a son of the late Owen Francis, owner of “Killa-warra” Station, in the north-eastern district of that State. After leaving school he joined the service of the London Chartered Bank, from which he resigned in 1895 in order to come to Western Australia. Upon arrival at Kalgoorlie he formed a very close friendship with the late Edward Graham Price, who was largely interested in Western Australian mining and finance companies, and for several years the gentleman under review acted as office manager for Mr. Graham Price’s firm, as well as accountant to the Kalgoorlie Electric Tramways, Limited. In 1910 Mr. Francis entered into partnership with Mr. Graham Price, and upon the doccase of his late partner in June, 1911, he became the head of the firm of Messrs. E. Graham Price and Co., one of the best known and longest established firms on the goldfields. The scope of his operations includes the general control of the Hampton Uruguay, Limited, the Kalgoorlie Electric Tramways, Limited, and the Westralia Timber and Firewood Company, Limited; while he is attorney to the Hampton
Properties Company, Limited, the Brown Hill Extended, Limited, the Star Explorations, Limited, and the Lady Miller Leases; and director of
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Arthur Francis.
the Morning Star Gold Mines, Limited, and of Charles Atkins and Co. (W.A.) Limited. The large land-holding on the Western Australian goldfields, formerly floated in London in 1900 as the Hampton Plains
Estate, Limited, but now included in the properties of the Hampton Uruguay, Limited, a large London syndicate owning considerable interests in different parts of America and Western Australia, is registered under the powers conferred by Section 57 of “The Mining on Private Property Act, 1898.” It comprises 189,192 acres of freehold land with full mineral rights—the only land-holding of the kind in Western Australia—and 292,932 acres of land held under pastoral leases from the Government of Western Australia. The freehold territory has displayed decided evidences of auriferous wealth, large quantities of alluvial gold having been taken from it at various times, and although the drought which prevailed in 1911 proved a serious setback to the efforts of prospectors, the splendid rains which- have since fallen have stimulated the work of development, and there is every reason to hope that prospectors will proceed to work with fresh zeal, ultimately to reap a fair reward for their labours. It is considered highly probable that the Kalgoorlie gold belt traverses the estate, an hypothesis which makes the vista sufficiently rosy in view of the results obtained from deep-sinking on other
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. Rolling Stock and Car Barn of the Kalgoorlie Electric Tramways Company.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
889
parts of the belt; and another item of importance to intending investors is that it is practically certain that the Trans-Australian Railway connecting Port Augusta in South Australia with Kalgoorlie in the Western State will pass in the vicinity of some of the company’s freehold blocks. A fair revenue has been derived for some years past from royalties payable to the company for the cutting and removal of mining timber and firewood from its properties, the income from this source alone for the year ending in June, 1912, amounting to £3,234. With regard to the Kalgoorlie Electric Tramways, Limited, for which Mr. Francis is general manager, a few remarks may not be without interest. Kalgoorlie, as heir to the municipal improvements of the ages, might naturally be expected to share in the benefits of the latest triumphs of science, but although it is generally known that modern methods are the order of the day on the Western Australian goldfields there is no doubt that, on a first visit, one could not but be impressed with the travelling facilities offered to the public by the
splendid system of electric tramways operating in that city. The official opening of the first section took place
Mr. Edward Graham Price.
on May 20, 1902, when a regular service was inaugurated between Kalgoorlie and Boulder City and Kalgoorlie and Boulder Block. The
construction of other lines followed, and the company now has some 20^ miles of track (3 ft. 6 in. gauge) in operation, which serves a population of approximately 23,000 people. The company’s rolling stock includes twenty Brills 19-ft. closed motor-car bodies with patent electric motor-car trucks, each having a seating capacity for twenty-eight passengers, the approximate weight of each of these cars being 12 tons ; also five Brills 33-ft. closed motor-car bodies, each with a seating capacity for fifty-two passengers, the weight of these bogie cars being 22 tons each. Steel tyre wheels are used on all of the company’s cars, and the small cars are fitted with hand breaks, while each car is equipped with circuit breakers. The company also keeps available for rush traffic a number of trailers, each with seating capacity for thirty-four passengers. The car barn and repairing shop are situated on the Boulder Road, and for its size is one of the most up-to-date in Australia. The building is composed entirely of steel and iron with the exception of the window frames and sashes, and measures 300 ft. long by 60 ft. wide.
Hampton Uruguay Limited.
Western Australian Properties of Hampton Uruguay Limited, with the exception of blocks 45 and 50, which are owned by
Hampton Properties Company, Limited, a subsidiary company.
All the necessary car repairs, re-tyreing of wheels, armature winding, etc., are carried out on the premises, every variety of machinery for this purpose having been installed in the workshops. The late Mr. E. Graham Price took over the general management in March, 1903, and was fortunate in having from the very first the able assistance of Mr. W. H. Stanley, the present manager, who still continues to fill this appointment. From the high terms in which visitors to Kalgoorlie speak of the tramway system and its administration, it is evident that the general manager and his staff are fully in touch with the requirements of the travelling public and spare no pains in their efforts to meet them in every possible way. The firm of Messrs. E. Graham Price & Co. is agent for various private persons and companies throughout the Eastern States and in England, while Mr. Francis is also personally interested in mining, pastoral, and commercial enterprises in Western Australia. In 1903 he married Jean, daughter of the late William Johnston, of Fremantle, and has one son and three daughters.
FELIX CECIL COWLE, M.A., LL.B. (Melb.), barrister and solicitor, is a son of the late C. T. Cowle, who for many years occupied the position of manager of the English, Scottish, and Australian Chartered Bank at Adelaide. He was born at Maldon, Victoria, on August 18, 1865, and received his education at St. Peter’s College, Adelaide, and at the Geelong Grammar School, entering Trinity College, University of Melbourne, for the study of law in 1883. During his course he was successful in winning a scholarship in modern languages, and completed his legal studies in 1889, being called to the Victorian Bar in that year. After practising in Melbourne for a couple of years in January, 1892, he came to Western Australia, and having served his six months’ probationary period settled down to the practice of his profession in Albany, where he continued for about eighteen months. He next proceeded to Cue, where he arrived in 1893, and during the seven years of his residence there became well known throughout the Murchison district. In 1900 Mr. Cowle entered into partnership with Mr. C. L. Stawell on- the eastern goldfields, the firm also carrying on
business in Perth, whither Mr. Stawell proceeded on behalf of the partnership in 1904. In 1907 the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Cowle took over the practice at that centre, and has since carried it on on his own account. For twelve years Mr. Cowle has acted as solicitor to the Kalgoorlie Municipality, and fills the same office in respect to the local roads board, being recognized as the senior solicitor
J. J. Divyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Felix Cecil Cowle.
resident on the goldfields. He identifies himself with the various organizations of the district, and has been for many years a member of the local school board. He was for some time chairman of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club, and for his prominent services as a committeeman over a lengthy period has been honoured by the bestowal of life membership of that body, which owes much of its present success to his indefatigable efforts in earlier days. He is chairman of the Hannan’s Club, which office he has occupied for about nine years, president of the Kalgoorlie Lawn Tennis Club, and trustee of the same organization, and a member of both Kalgoorlie and Tattersall’s Clubs. Mr. Cowle married in 1896 Mary, daughter of Mr. Francis Bird, architect, well known in the pioneer days of the State, and now resident at Albany.
M. H. WALSH. Since the inception of the Kalgoorlie goldfields no man has become better known in the
community than Mr. Michael How-son Walsh, sharebroker and secretary of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club. He was born at Ballarat, Victoria, on August 22, 1870, and is a son of the late Judge Walsh, of that State. He pursued his educational studies at the St. Kilda Grammar School, and late in his teens began the study of law, which, however, he eventually relinquished. In 1894 he came to Western Australia, and becoming connected with mining circles was engaged in an official capacity at Menzies, on behalf of Mr. W. R. Wilson’s Octagon Syndicate. This position he resigned in order to enter upon storekeeping pursuits at the same place, and later on turned his attention seriously to sharebroking operations, in which he has been engaged for over fifteen years. It is now (1912) twelve or thirteen years since Mr. Walsh took up his residence at Kalgoorlie, and during the whole of that time he has conducted a successful business. He has also a large clientele at Perth, where
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Michael Howson Walsh.
his brother manages his offices for brokerage, keeping in close touch with Kalgoorlie. Mr. Walsh also owns considerable interests in the pastoral and agricultural industry, having taken up a block of 4,000 acres at Wickepin, which is at present in course of development for mixed-farming purposes. He is pushing forward operations rapidly, not grudging the expenditure of capital in order to attain the end he has in view. Already 1,000 acres have been cleared, and a fine flock
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of merino sheep is pastured on the property. A feature, to which Mr. Walsh is giving considerable attention, is the breeding of a high-class type of horse, and for this purpose he has imported the Suffolk Punch stallion “Neotsfield Flash,” descended from the best stock, from which he intends to breed suitable animals for use in the district. His interests are many, and the offices, honorary and otherwise, which he has filled, have brought him into touch with numerous business and social circles on the fields. He received the appointment of secretary to the Kalgoorlie Racing Club in 1910, prior to which he had been connected with that body as a committeeman and treasurer for a number of years. He is a member of the Weld Club (Perth), the Perth Club, and the Western Australian Club, and on the goldfields holds membership in the Hannan's, Kalgoorlie, and Tattersall's clubs. His hobby is gardening, and he derives great pleasure from his successful efforts in creating beautiful surroundings for his home in the well-filled flowerbeds which grace its approach. In 1898 Mr. Walsh married Martha, daughter of the late Thomas Anthony, timber merchant, of Melbourne.
JOHN GARDYNE HOLDS-WORTH, who holds the position of manager of the Australian Mutual Provident Society on the goldfields, was born at Sydney, New South Wales, on August 10, 1875, and is a son of Mr. Joseph Burdekin Holds-worth, one of the well-known citizens of that place. The subject of this memoir was educated at the Sydney High School after some preliminary preparation at private academies in Kingston-on-Thames in England. He concluded his scholastic course at seventeen years of age, and became engaged in mercantile life in the office of the A.M.P. in Sydney. Since that period Mr. Holdsworth has spent twenty years continuously in the same service, and in 1904 received the appointment of manager of the goldfields branch of that institution. Aside from his commercial interests he has been a patron and supporter of the better forms of outdoor sport, and has held official and executive positions in connection with the golf and bowling clubs on the fields, winning the Kalgoorlie Championship of the latter for the
season 1910-11. As a cyclist he registered some brilliant performances in amateur circles in Sydney and Western Australia during the period extending from 1895 to 1902, and holds many valuable trophies for his achievements. In various years he won the one-mile and five-mile championships of Western Australia. He is a member of the Goldfields Tat-tersall's Club. In 1902 Mr. Holdsworth married Grace, daughter of
J. J. Bioyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. John Gardyne Holdsworth.
Mr. William Heale, well known in banking circles in Victoria, and has one son.
ARTHUR EDWARD PEARCE GURNER, principal of the firm of Messrs. Maughan & Gurner, insurance, shipping, and mercantile agents, Kalgoorlie, was born at Hackney, near Adelaide, South Australia, on May 28, 1866, and is a son of the late J. R. Gurner, the first dental practitioner to take up his residence in South Australia. The gentleman under review was educated at St. Peter's College, Adelaide, and at the termination of his collegiate career became engaged in winegrowing pursuits at Lyndoch. Upon the discovery of the Western Australian goldfields he decided to come to this State, and arriving at the scene of activity in 1895 spent a short time at Coolgardie prior to settling in Kalgoorlie, where he turned his hand to a variety of occupations. He was employed in water condensing at a time when the price rose as high as £5 per 100
gallons wholesale, the retail figure being 2s. 6d. for a single gallon. He was engaged in mining pursuits, occupying, amongst other positions, that of accountant on the New Victoria Consols Mine. Eventually Mr. Gurner joined forces with Mr. Maughan, formerly secretary of the Chamber of Mines, and as Maughan and Gurner the firm has since become favourably known among shipping and mercantile circles. The practical management of the business is under the personal conduct of the gentleman under review, who, upon the acceptance by Mr. Maughan of his present appointment, took over his partner's interests, and is now sole proprietor. He is agent for many leading English companies, and by his prompt and business-like methods has won the confidence of a wide clientele. Mr. Gurner gives a share of his attention to the public life of the town, and for ten years has occupied the post of honorary secretary to the Kalgoorlie Benevolent Society. He is also well known
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Arthur Edward Pearce Gurner.
as an amateur theatrical performer of some merit, applying his gifts to the support of the cause of charity. He is a member of Piccadilly Lodge, W.A.C., in the Masonic craft, as well as of Hannan’s Club, while, his chief recreation being found in golf and bowls, he is a well-known figure on the local links and bowling-greens. In 1901 Mr. Gurner married Beatrice Margaret, second surviving daughter of the Hon. John Warren, of South Australia, and has one son.
JOSEPH TAYLOR MONGER, secretary of the Westralia Timber and Firewood Company, Kalgoorlie, was born at Toodyay, Western Australia—then known as Newcastle— on June 29, 1868, and is a son of the late Joseph Taylor Monger, also a native of the State and a member of the well-known Monger family, one of the oldest in Western Australia. He acquired his scholastic training at the Scotch College, Melbourne, where he remained until nineteen years of age, when he returned for a brief period to the land of his birth, and subsequently proceeded to Queensland, where he was engaged as overseer on “Coom hurrah” Station. After some years on this run, he transferred his services to Messrs. Halgety & Company’s station property, "Gnomery,” in New South Wales; and in 1893, when the mining industry began to boom in Western Australia, returned hither and became engaged for six years in the clerical and accountancy branch of
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Joseph Taylor Monger.
Messrs. Monger & Co., general merchants, of Kalgoorlie. He was afterwards employed for a short time in a clerical capacity on the South Kal-gurli Mine, and at the inception of the Westralia Timber and Firewood Company accepted the post of accountant, being appointed to the position of secretary under the management of Mr. Robert Henderson, and his services retained when the business was taken over by the firm of Messrs. Graham, Price, & Co. Mr. Monger is a rifle shot of no mean merit, and in the pursuit of game he
finds his keenest recreation. He is one of the oldest members of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club. In 1910 he married Florence (now deceased), daughter of the late Thomas Paice, of Castlemaine, Victoria.
ALEXANDER SMITH McFAll-LANE, manager of the Westralian Firewood Company, was born at Greenock, Scotland, on April 14, 1854, being a son of the late William McFarlane, of that place. He was educated in his native town, and upon leaving school became apprenticed to the engineering trade in the firm of Messrs. Card & Co., of Greenock. Having completed his indentures he engaged as engineer on one of the British-India Company’s vessels trading to India, and in 1881 was on a vessel trading from China to Australia, at which period he recalls that there was not a single Chinaman resident in the district surrounding Port Darwin in the Northern Territory. In 1882 he settled in South Australia, and during the ensuing twenty years was chiefly employed as an engineer in the vessels of the Adelaide Steamship Company, trading to Australian ports, and also occupied the position of foreman on harbour improvement works then in process in that State. In 1897 he returned to his native land and spent a year in renewing his acquaintance with the scenes of his youth, during which he visited many of the places famous in Scottish song and story. In 1898 he was appointed to take a steamer from England to Western Australia, and after arrival rebuilt the vessel on behalf of the Swan River Shipping Company, of Perth. This steamer traded on the River Swan for a couple of years, afterwards being sold to a Queensland company. Upon the termination of this work Mr. McFarlane proceeded to South Australia, where he was engaged as engineer to the Thulounga Development Company and later was appointed inspector of machinery to the South Australian Government. He was inspector of the first seamless pipes manufactured at Mephan Ferguson’s works, Kilkenny, and in 1899 erected the smelting works at Port Augusta. Eventually he was offered and accepted the post of engineer of the Outer Harbour Works, and carried out the duties attached to that position until 1903, when he resigned and came to Western Australia to take over the
management of the Westralian Firewood Company. Upon relinquishing the Outer Harbour service, he was presented with a gold watch, suitably inscribed, as a token of esteem from the officers and men with whom he had been associated in the work. Whilst resident in the Central State Mr. McFarlane was prominent among music lovers, and was a well-known member of the Orpheus Society at Port Adelaide, of which body he was
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Alexander Smith McFarlane.
one of the founders. He is an adherent of the Congregational Church, and for fourteen years was closely identified with the musical portion of the church service at the latter town. His favourite form of recreation consists in playing bowls, and he is a member of the Kalgoorlie Bowling Club. Mr. McFarlane has been twice married, his second wife being Sarah Victoria, fourth daughter of Mr. Thomas Telleson, of Moama, New South Wales, of which marriage there is a son and a daughter.
ALEXANDER PORTER, J.P., secretary and director of the Kalgoorlie and Boulder Firewood Company, was born at Kates Bridge, County Down, Ireland, on October 16, 1854, being the only son of the late Alexander Porter, a farmer and storekeeper of that place. He received his education at the National School in his native village, subsequently attending the Belfast Mercantile Academy, and concluding his scholastic career at the Methodist
893
College. Belfast. After leaving school he assisted his father in his business until 1881, when he emigrated to Victoria, and upon arrival in that State joined the staff of the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society as its representative in Victoria. After a short time he was appointed to the management of the company’s business in Hobart, Tasmania, and after a year in that city was transferred to the Adelaide office, where he controlled the operations of the institution in the Central State for about nine years. In 1896, his fortunes being adversely affected by the bank failures, which three years previously had created so great a depression in the Eastern States, he resigned his position and came to Western Australia, where his attention became attracted to the mining industry. Mr. Porter was instrumental in forming many of the early syndicates for the development of the various mining properties on the eastern goldfields, and about
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Alexander Porter.
this time received the appointment of secretary to the mining managers’ association — a body now defunct. At a later period he accepted the post of accountant of the Horseshoe Mine, but relinquishing this owing to a change of management, he entered upon the duties of secretary of the West Australian Goldfields Firewood Supply, Limited, at Kurrawang. Two years subsequently, in conjunction with Mr. John Coughlan, he established the Kalgoorlie and Boulder Firewood Company, of which he is a director, and ever since
its inception has performed the secretarial duties in connection with the business. He is also a director of the Goodwood Timber and Tramway Company, Limited, operating in Victoria; and has been one of the leading spirits in the commercial life of Kalgoorlie and the surrounding district, his interests extending over hundreds of miles of territory. Mr. Porter was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Administration in 1906. Whilst in South Australia he filled the post of Vice-Consul for Liberia for a time, and is a Justice of the Peace for that State. He is a member of Hannan’s Club, Kalgoorlie. In 1907 he visited his native country in company with his late wife, a daughter of the late Gavin Shaw, of St. Kilda, Melbourne, who afterwards succumbed to a heart affection, leaving a daughter and two sons. Of the latter one is an officer in the Royal Field Artillery, England, while the other is at the King’s School at Parramatta, New South Wales.
JAMES HURTLE CUMMINS, J.P., managing director of the Kalgoorlie Brewery, was born at Warr-nambool, Victoria, and is a son of the late Michael Cummins, one of the early pioneers of that portion of the Garden State. His education concluded, he became engaged in farming pursuits on the parental property, and subsequently followed agricultural and grazing occupations in South Australia, at a later date turning his attention to the mining industry at Broken Hill, where he remained for seven years. During this period, in conjunction with his mining interests, he entered upon hotel-keeping, and became well known as "mine host” of several of the leading houses in the "Silver City,” the erection of which was due to his enterprise and business acumen. In 1894 he came to Western Australia and spent a short time in prospecting on the eastern goldfields, towards the end of that year building a hotel at Kunnanalling, which he conducted for about four years conjointly with Mr. F. R. Williams, with whom he was in partnership. In 1898 Mr. Cummins purchased the West Australia Hotel at Kamballie, and still owns this house, which he carried on until about 1904, when he assumed the management of the Kalgoorlie Brewery, an establishment in which he was interested,
and he has continued to fill this responsible post ever since. He has a fairly large stake in the mining industry, and also holds considerable farming properties in the Kunjinn district. Mr. Cummins has taken an interest in political affairs, in 1904 unsuccessfully contesting the Ivanhoe seat, and at the general elections in 1912 he was a candidate for the North-Eastern Province, but was defeated by the lion. R. S. Ardagh. For a lengthy period he has been well known in municipal affairs, being the founder of the Coolgardie Roads Board—the first body of its kind on the fields—and at a subsequent period was returned as mayor of Kalgoorlie, holding office for two years. He was a strong advocate for the erection of a new town hall, and never relaxed his strenuous efforts to achieve this object in face of considerable opposition—particularly as regarded the site—on the part of a large section of the ratepayers. The townspeople have since recognized the good judgment and foresight exercised in the erection of their present splendid town hall in what is generally acknowledged to be a most excellently chosen locality.
The UNION BREWERY, Kalgoorlie. It is a feature of goldfields life that as soon as each primitive settlement is established as a town of less or greater size the walls of a brewery are reared within its boundaries. Usually the promoters of these establishments entertain very glowing ideas of a speedy leap to fortune through the medium of the sparkling ale and nourishing stout which shall fill the huge vats and be sent forth in great consignments to quench the thirst of the gold-seekers, while in return the gold shall fill the coffers of the brewer. It not infrequently happens that these enterprising business men lose sight of the fact that many factors contribute to the success of such an undertaking, and in the working out of the venture considerable disappointment is experienced through failure in one or another department to realize or rise to its opportunities. Although now established beyond all the assaults of captious criticism as the premier concern of its kind on the goldfields, the Union Brewery during the earlier stages of its existence had a chequered career, the record of
which makes interesting history. It was first opened in a primitive style in 1897 by that enterprising
and renovated. They then turned their attention to a matter of supreme importance in the selection of a
Photo by J. J. Dwyer.
and energetic citizen of his time, the late F. W. Whitfield, 'and in recognition of the burning political question of the day—the Federation of the Australian States—he gave the title of “The Federal” to his brewery. The difficulties in the way of producing a palatable beer, however, proved far greater than he had anticipated, and after passing through many anxious months he was obliged to admit that failure was staring him in the face.
His health failed, and after his decease the mortgagee stepped in and disposed of the business, the purchasers being three progressive gentlemen, viz., Messrs.
Paton, Mair, and Scott.
The new owners took over the reins of government with somewhat limited capital, but set to work with energy and determination to make a success of the brewery. Renaming it “The Shamrock” they had the structure, which had become very dilapidated, altered
Packing Room.
brewer, but met with one disappointment after another in this department until the appointment of the late Mr. Phil Hardwick brought
about a highly satisfactory solution of this particular difficulty. The commercial push and acumen exhibited by Mr. Frank Scott, one of the proprietary, prompted a forward policy which, including the building of hotels and the purchase of hotel leases, gave great impetus to the business and considerably increased the firm’s turnover. In the course of time Mr. Scott purchased the interests of his co-partners in the concern, and the name of the brewery was once again altered, the title by which it is popularly known at the present time, “The Union Brewery,” being bestowed upon it. Shortly after these events a severe throw-back was experienced, Mr. Hardwick, who was well known as the popular brewer, being accidentally thrown from his horse and killed. The services of Mr. Haig—who came direct from Hoare’s Brewery in London—were next secured, and he proved successful in brewing a very marketable article. The financial aspect, however, still remained precarious, and at this juncture a great admirer of Mr. Frank Scott,
Photo by J. J. Dwye)r.
WING OF SKIMMING ROOM.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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in the person of Mr. P. Whelan, came to the rescue. Selling out his large interest in Hannan’s Brewery Mr. Whelan placed the proceeds at the disposal of Mr. Scott, with whom he entered into partnership, and by this arrangement the enterprise was once more established on a sound financial basis. The untimely decease of Mr. Haig proved a severe blow, and the career of his successor in the brewing department, Mr. J. Liddington, was equally short-lived, death again intervening within a
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. J. E. Kaye.
very brief period. The heaviest reverse that had fallen to the lot of the brewery was yet to be met, when the master-mind of Mr. Scott, with its comprehensive grasp of the details of the business and ready perception of what would work to greatest advantage, was removed—his demise occurring when scarcely two months had elapsed after Mr. Whelan had entered the firm. An arrangement was then made between his widow, Mrs. May Scott, and Mr. Whelan to carry on the business on terms of partnership, and under this proprietary the brewery has been conducted ever since. The management was fortunate enough to secure the services of Mr. A. G. Simpson as brewer, and to the great ability of this gentleman, not only in the above capacity but also as a practical engineer, the subsequent success of the Union Brewery is, to a very large extent, undoubtedly due. Such excellent results have attended the efforts of Mr. Simpson in the brewing department that to-day the
concern ranks as one of the foremost breweries in the State, and such is the great popularity of the beer that it is being eagerly ; sought after, not mly in Kalgoorlie, but all over the north-eastern goldfields and other portions of Western Australia. The brewery buildings cover about two icres of ground and are up to date in character, whilst the machinery is all of the latest type, the proprietary at the present time being Dngaged in the installation of a duplicate plant of the most modern design in order to cope with the daily increasing demands for Union beer, 900 barrels being the brewing capacity per week. Upon entering the brewery the reigning order, cleanliness, and method testify to the control of an efficient head, whilst the experienced employes,
each in his own department, contribute to the perfect working of a well-devised system. To Mr. Simpson must be given the credit of being the first brewer to inaugurate
what is known as the “slamming system,” which undoubtedly effects a great saving in the production of beer. Hops from California, Bohemia, and Tasmania are used in the manufacture, all malt and sugar are of Australian production, and every step of the process is very carefully supervised, the result being that palatable beverage which has been so largely consumed during the past few years. The floor of the extensive cellar is granolithic, and, needless to state, is kept scrupulously clean, with its huge gyles and most modern refrigerating plant. All casks are manufactured on the premises from wood imported from Tasmania or America, and extensive bottling works adjoin the brewery, where a large staff is busily engaged under the supervision of Mr. Frank
Andrews in endeavouring to cope with the great demand for the popular “Gold Top” ale. The present managing secretary of the brewery is Mr. J. E. Kaye.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
ARTHUR GEORGE SIMPSON, brewer and manager of works in connection with the Union Brewery, was born at Wentworth, New South Wales, on March 6, 1881, being a son of Mr. George Walter Simpson, pastoralist of “Old Borambola” Station, near Wagga Wagga, in the same State, who, for over a score of years was a prominent figure in commercial circles at Broken Hill, where he was the proprietor of the Waverley Brewery. The subject of this memoir received his scholastic training principally at Clare College, South Australia, and upon leaving school was associated for four years with the staff of his father’s brewery. He relinquished this connection in order to serve his apprenticeship to the engineering establishment of Messrs. May Brothers, of Gawler, South Australia, his mind being bent on following this profession. A year later, however, he was recalled by his father, who initiated him into the details of the brewing business, and subsequently he spent fourteen
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Arthur George Simpson.
years in the brewery at Broken Hill, during the latter part of this period having charge of all the brewing and other work in connection with the manufacturing department of the business. Mr. Simpson also spent a short time in Victoria and New South Wales before coming to Western Australia in 1907, with the object in view of entering upon the pastoral industry in the great northwest. Upon arrival, however, he was offered the post of brewer at the Union Brewery, on the eastern
goldfields, which he accepted, and by the capable manner in which he has carried out his duties has brought the concern into the front rank among similar establishments in Western Australia. From a doubtful financial proposition the reputation of the brewery is now firmly established as a sound and paying business, and while first in importance in the State it is second in size to only one other, while as a brewer Mr. Simpson yields the palm to none in the Commonwealth. He makes a hobby of the study of mechanics and physics, the time not given to his duties at the brewery being spent in perfecting his knowledge in the theory and practice of various scientific matters, bacteriology and chemistry being two very favourite subjects. He is well versed in all things connected with engineering, and brings his knowledge of mechanics to bear upon his profession, making a study of the methods employed in the leading breweries of the world. He is fond of motoring, and may often be seen with members of his family indulging in this form of recreation. Mr. Simpson married in 1909 Violet Daisy, daughter of Mr. Albert Johnson, of Melbourne, and has two daughters.
Transvaal, South Africa. At a later date, whilst filling the appointment of chemist and metallurgist to the General Exploration Company in Melbourne, he pioneered the installation of the first electrical precipitation plant (Simien Halske process) in Victoria and New South Wales. He
J. .7. Dwyer, Kalgoorlic.
Mr. Frederick William Allsop.
ALLSOP & DON, assayers and metallurgists, Kalgoorlie and Fremantle, agents for the Australian Metal Company’s chemicals, managers for the Havilah Gold Mine, Maninga Marley, Western Australia, etc., etc. FREDERICK WILLIAM ALLSOP was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in the late sixties, and is a son of the late William Allsop, well known in connection with the early Imperial Forces in Victoria. Educated at the High School, Ballarat, and subsequently graduating at the local school of mines, Mr. Allsop at the close of his scholastic career accepted an engagement to proceed to South Africa as metallurgical chemist for the African Gold Recovery Company—a branch of the firm of McArthur, Forrest, and Co. Upon arrival he served as chief assayer at the head office of the company in Johannesburg, and during the three years that he spent in this capacity became one of the foundation members of the Chemical and Metallurgical Society, now a well-known and world-wide institution. Prior to his return to Australia in 1896 he established the first cyanide works at Spitzkop, in the
also filled the office of vice-president of the Chemical and Metallurgical Society of Victoria, and opened the first plant for giving practical demonstration in cyanide metallurgy at the Ballarat School of Mines. In 1901 he resigned his position in Melbourne, and while working on his own behalf became well known in the chemical department of the industry in that State, and is recognized as one of the first members of his profession to use the cyanide treatment in gold recovery in Australia. Upon his arrival in the Golden West in
1905 Mr. Allsop opened in practice on his own account in Kalgoorlie. In 1910 he was joined in partnership by Mr. Don, and the firm is now recognized as the leading assayers and metallurgists in Western Australia, owning cyanide plants in various parts of the State and operating over a very wide radius. Mr. Allsop is a member of the Commercial Travellers’ and of the Kalgoorlie Clubs. In his younger days he was a rifle shot of no mean merit, and made a hobby of this form of sport. He married in
1906 Lilian, daughter of the late John Holloway, merchant, of Ballarat, and has two sons and one daughter.
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DAVID HECTOR DON, partner in the firm of Messrs. Allsop and Don, assayers and metallurgists, Kalgoorlie and Fremantle, was born at Ballarat, Victoria, in the early
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. David Hector Don.
eighties, and is a son of the late Robert Don, timber merchant, who in his day was well known as one of the champion athletes of Victoria. He received his education locally, and during a finishing course at the Ballarat School of Mines was successful in winning all the diplomas granted by that institution in connection with assaying and metal lurgical chemistry. Upon the completion of his course he was appointed assistant demonstrator in chemistry at the school, and subsequently, in 1907, came to Western Australia, where he was employed in his professional capacity by several companies on the “Golden Mile.” He first joined his present firm— then known as Allsop & Howells— as assayer in 1908, and upon the retirement of Mr. Howells from the partnership in 1910 was admitted as a principal in the business, which has since been carried on under the style of Allsop & Don. The supervision of the assaying branch of its operations is Mr. Don’s special department, and in this he finds sufficient scope for the whole of his time and energies, having little lesure for the pursuit of any hobby outside of his offico life. He finds opportunity, however, for the perusal of scientific works, especially those with a bearing on his profession. Mr. Don brought to Western Australia a FFF
reputation as an oarsman, having been well known in aquatic circles all over the Victorian State as the winner of many trophies in this particular line of sport.
WILLIAM ROBERT BURTON, one of Kalgoorlie’s leading commercial agents, was born at Norwood, South Australia, on July 6, 1866, and is a son of the late Charles Burton, manufacturer, of that place. He received his education at the State school in his native town, and upon reaching his teens became connected in a clerical capacity with the firm of Messrs. Ilarrold Brothers, of Adelaide. After filling various positions during the fifteen years that he spent with this firm, in 1895 Mr.
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. William Robert Burton.
Burton came to Western Australia to open a branch for his principals at Esperance. Eventually this was closed down, and for a time he acted as manager of the local branch of Messrs. George Wills & Co. In 1898, desiring further scope for his energies, he continued his travels to Kalgoorlie, where he opened on his own account as commercial agent, and has met with signal success in the conduct of his operations. He is local representative for many well-known firms, including Messrs. George Wills & Co., of Adelaide, the Adelaide Steamship Company, the Commercial Union and National Mutual insurance societies, etc., and has established one of the largest existing connections with the big mining companies of the eastern
fields, supplying much of the material required for the development of the mining enterprise. Whilst at Esperance Mr. Burton took a deep interest in the welfare of the district, and was elected to the mayoral office, which he occupied for a couple of years. He is a Liberal in politics, and on two respective occasions has been a candidate for the Federal and State Houses of Parliament, though without success. He was one of the pioneers of the reform movement, and is always to the fore where his services are required, either in the cause of charity or in any for the benefit of the community. He is a finished orator and is versatile in his gifts, being considered the best Shakespearian scholar on the eastern goldfields. His leisure is devoted to the study of literature, the poetic side of which especially appeals to him. He is a patron of all forms of clean sport, and holds office as president of the Goldfields' Football League. In 1887 Mr. Burton married Annie, daughter of the late J. Vincent, of Norwood, South Australia, and has one son and three daughters.
JOHN BOILEAU, Ph.C., M.P.S., M.D.S. of W.A., S.A., Queensland, etc., chemist and druggist, Kalgoorlie, was born at Dublin,
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. John Boileau.
Ireland, on June 1, 1859. He is the only surviving son of the late John George Boileau, J.P., of Dublin, who was a member of the firm of Boileau and Boyd, chemists and druggists,
which business was established in Dublin in the year 1700, and at the present time is carried on under the title of Boileau & Boyd, Limited, on the same site occupied by the original firm’s premises. Mr. Boileau is also a direct descendant of the Huguenots, founders of the silkweaving industry in the liberties of Dublin in 1665, in which year some 400,000 French Protestants left their native land and found refuge in Ireland. In the records of the French Church as far back as 1781, and again in 1786, in the archives of St. Bride’s Parish Church, the name of his great grandfather is coupled with that of the famous James Nap-per Tandy as churchwardens, and the names of both gentlemen are cast in the old bell of the latter church, which is now in possession of the rector of St. Werburgh. The gentleman under review was educated at Wall’s Academy, Portarlington, Queen’s County, and at the High School, Harcourt Street, Dublin; in the late seventies he entered Trinity College, that famous and ancient scat of learning, where he studied medicine and pharmacy. Becoming connected with his father’s establishment, he served his time as a druggist and pharmacist, and also studied dentistry under Mr. Baker, of Clare Street, Dublin. Upon the completion of his indentures he decided to try his fortune in Australia, and at the beginning of 1881 landed at New South Wales. Here he engaged with the firm of Messrs. Elliott Brothers, subsequently proceeding to Queensland on their behalf, and about a year later opened in business for himself at Brisbane, where he continued successfully for a couple of years. After further experience gained in different parts of Queensland, in 1888 Mr. Boileau came to South Australia and established businesses at Adelaide and Port Pirie. In 1894, at the time of the gold rush to the Western State, he joined the exodus from South Australia, and was the first chemist to open in business on the goldfields, where he is now one of the identities of the district. He has been a loyal supporter of the mining industry, and has also at intervals turned his attention to hotelkeeping, in the early days being a popular bon if ace of the Denver City Hotel at Coolgardie. In October, 1895, sustaining severe loss in the memorable fire that swept over the town and being further affected by the second large conflagration a few weeks later, he transferred his business to
Kalgoorlie, placing it in the hands of a manager for two years, at the end of which period he took control personally, and has since resided at that centre, lie has identified himself closely with public affairs, and it would be difficult to find a more public-spirited man in any part of the fields. No movement has been set on foot without his active assistance, and his energy and enthusiasm alone are sufficient to ensure success in his undertakings. One of the founders of the first progress committee at Coolgardie since coming to Kalgoorlie, he has repeatedly served as a member of the municipal council, and is a sitting councillor at the present time. He is also a member of the local board of health. For over a quarter of a century he has been associated with the Masonic fraternity, and has made himself prominent in athletics, starting the first cricket club at Coolgardie, and taking the first team of footballers from the fields to the coast in 1896. His name stands for everything in the way of clean sport in racing circles on the eastern goldfields, and in conjunction with Mr. A. G. Hales he founded the first race club in Coolgardie. He is passionately fond of music, and was tho sole originator of the Kalgoorlie Brass Band and Eisteddfod, among the most successful of similar movements in the district. A wide reader of scientific literature, he is also a keen student of political economy. Mr. Boileau married in 1887, and has two sons surviving.
JOHN JOSEPH DWYER, photographer, Kalgoorlie, was born at Gaffney Creek, in the Gippsland district of Victoria, on January 24, 1869, and is the fourth son of the late Michael Dwyer, who came from Tipperary, Ireland, in the early days of the mining industry in Victoria, and was well known among the various “rushes” in that State. The subject of this notice was educated at the public school in his native place, and when fifteen years of age left for the Mount Bischoff tin mines in Tasmania, where he spent about five years in the blacksmithing trade. Having reached maturity he took up photograhpy as a hobby, and expended much time and thought on this work, successfully grasping the first principles of the art of which he was afterwards to make a profession. Deciding to adopt photography as a vocation, he
became connected with the studio of Mr. J. Bishop Osborne, of Zeehan and Dundas, where he remained for two years, gaining valuable knowledge and experience under the tuition of his principal. In 1892 he returned to Victoria and became engaged in a variety of occupations for a considerable time, at one period acting as travelling photographer, and subsequently figuring for a while as mining contractor on the quicksilver mine near Jamieson, Victoria. In 1896, hoping to find an opening to exercise his photographic skill profitably in a permanent position, he came to Western Australia, and in order to augment his capital followed the mining industry, prospecting through various parts of the north-eastern Coolgardie field. He also reverted to his original trade of blacksmith, at Niagara, and after doing a little
Mr. John Joseph Dwyer.
photography in the sam.e place obtained an engagement as special photographer to The Goldfields Courier, published in the palmy days of Coolgardie. A year later Mr. Dwyer established himself in business at Kalgoorlie, and rapidly worked up what is now the leading photographic connection on the fields. He still makes a hobby of his art and spends much spare time in experimental work, while his finished pictures rival any produced outside metropolitan studios. Mr. Dwyer is largely interested in the mining industry and in land, is a director of the Kalgoorlie Brewery, and .a partner in the Grave and Dwyer Motor Co., Ltd., Perth.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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J. W. FIMISTER & CO., hardware merchants, general house furnishers, wholesale and retail grocers, and wine and spirit merchants, of Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, and at 39, Phillimore Street, Fremantle. (J. W. Fimister and C. A. Cutbush.) JOHN WILLIAM FIMISTER was born at Malmsbury, Victoria, on May 23, 1867, his father being the late John Fimister, of that place. He received his education at Cor op, and subsequently was apprenticed to the blacksmithing trade, which calling he followed in Victoria for some time. In 1890 he came to Western Australia, and proceeding to Southern Cross continued there for about a couple of years until the discovery of the Coolgardie field in 1892. After following the life of a prospector for a time with varying results, the proceeds of his toil often being swallowed up by the heavy price to be paid for the daily necessaries of life, ultimately he followed the rush to Hannan’s find, and shortly after founded his present business in the main commercial thoroughfare of Kalgoorlie. His first premises were compos ed of bags, a primitive erection in keep-ing with the miners’ tents, which was subsequently replaced by an iron building, and, as time passed and the transactions o f the firm increased, in 1899 the present two-storey structure, built of stone and brick, was completed. The building now in use runs from Hannan Street back to Egan Street, the ground floor being devoted to the retail departments of the various branches of the business, while the upper floor is entirely occupied as an immense showroom, where may be found every article required in household fff2
furnishing, from the very smallest cooking utensil to handsomely upholstered drawing-, bedroom-, and dining-room furniture. At the rear are storerooms in which a considerable stock of all descriptions of hardware finds place, and the large enclosure fronting Egan Street is filled with ironware of all kinds and mining material, while beneath the storerooms is an underground tank of 30,000 gallons’ capacity. The capital value of the stock is within the vicinity of £30,000, and the firm operates over a wide area, J. W. Fimister & Co. being known as one of the leading businesses in the goldfields area. It represents the Commercial Union Assurance Company, Limited, and the Marine Association, Messrs. Brinsmead & Co. (whose pianos the firm always keeps in stock), Wertheim sewing machines, and Thos. Hardy & Son’s South Australian wines, etc. Mr. Fimister has taken an active part in the development of the mining industry, and is
one of the principal investors in the Ora Banda district, in which, with others interested, he places implicit
faith. lie is a member of the Chamber of mines of Kalgoorlie, and is one of the best-known citizens'of the goldfields, having occupied a seat on the first municipal council, and for two successive years received the honour of the mayoralty, during his term of office in 1899 being appointed a Justice of the Peace. He is a keen supporter of the turf, and for over ten
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. John William Fimister.
years has acted as president and chairman of the Kalgoorlie Race Club.
CHARLES ALFRED ALLEN, of the firm of Messrs. Allen and Brimage, produce merchants and forwarding agents, of Kalgoorlie, was born at Geelong, Victoria, on March 27, 1870. He is a son of Mr. George
K. Allen, well known in commercial circles in that town, where he arrived from Kent, England, in 1851. The subject of this memoir received his education at Flinders School, Geelong, and at the age of sixteen proceeded to Melbourne and joined the staff of Messrs. Campbell, Pratt, and Co., stock and general salesmen and station agents. He continued his connection with this firm for some time, eventually resigning to join the Metropolitan Gas Company, where he was identified with the furnishing department for nine years. In 1894 he came to Western Australia, following the gold rush to the eastern fields, which was then at full flood. Upon arrival he entered the employ of Messrs. Climie, Eastwood, & Co., produce merchants, of Coolgardie,
900
with whom he remained for about three years, during which period he was sent to open the firm’s branch at Kalgoorlie, of which he retained the management for about twelve months. In 1897, perceiving a good opening to start business on his own account, he joined in partnership with Mr. Ernest E. Brimage in the establishment of their present concern, and the firm now occupies a
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Charles Alfred Allen.
leading place among similar enterprises on the goldfields. As forwarding agents it has formed a very extensive connection, and it holds various agencies, including those of the Vacuum Oil Company and Messrs. Alcock & Co., billiard-table manufacturers. Mr. Allen, who is the senior partner, has charge of the financial department of the business, and manages affairs at the firm’s office at Kalgoorlie. With Mr. Brimage he also holds interests in the agricultural industry, the firm owning a farm of over 1,200 acres near Goomalling, which is in an advanced state of development and where mixed farming is successfully carried on. Mr. Allen has always displayed an active interest in the public affairs of the district, and at one time was a member of the Kalgoorlie Roads Board. He has been prominent in matters pertaining to the local rifle club, in which he has served as committeeman, and has also filled the office of president of the goldfields branch of the National Rifle Association. He has been successful as an exponent of the popular sport, and is the possessor
of many trophies, besides being winner of the King’s Badge. In his younger days he was a champion amateur swimmer, and is president of the local swimming club, besides which he is vice-president of the Kalgoorlie Bowling Club, and finds diversion for many leisure hours on the green. A portion of his spare time is given up to the cultivation of fruit trees and flowers, and he has met with more than ordinary success in his efforts in this direction. A member of the Masonic fraternity, Mr. Allen has held various honourable offices during his twenty years’ connection with the craft, and at present ranks as Past Master of his lodge. He is a member of the Tat-tersall’s and Kalgoorlie Clubs, and of the Commercial Travellers’ Club of Perth.
ERNEST ELISHA BRIMAGE, member of the firm of Messrs. Allen and Brimage, produce merchants and
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Ernest Elisha Brimage.
forwarding agents, Kalgoorlie, was born at Forest Gate, London, on October 26, 1873, and is a son of the late Captain Thomas Brimage, of that place. He received his education in South Australia, and upon the completion of his studies joined the Education Department, being stationed at Port Pirie, where he remained until 1896, when he came to Western Australia. Here he first spent some time with his brother, Mr. T. F. 0. Brimage, in the sharebroking line of business, and subsequently for three years was engaged
in storekeeping pursuits at Kanowna in partnership with Mr. Harold Church, during the time of the big boom in that district. Selling out his interests in 1900, in conjunction with Mr. C. A. Allen he established the produce business now carried on by the firm in Kalgoorlie, in addition to which they have conducted a forwarding agency with very great success. Mr. Brimage makes a hobby of rifle shooting, and is a member of the Commonwealth Council of Rifle Clubs, in which capacity he visited Sydney in 1910 as a delegate from Western Australia to the Commonwealth Conference held in that year. He evinces considerable skill as an amateur photographer, and has met with numerous successes as a prize-taker in competitions in this State. He is also fond of the game of bowls, and spends much of his leisure time in pursuit of this favourite pastime, being a member of the Kalgoorlie club. Mr. Brimage was married in 1911 to Eliza de Burgh, daughter of Mr. Edward Joyce, late of the Mines Department, Perth, and has one daughter.
GUSTAV MENGLER is a son of the late Charles Mcngler, of Kapunda, South Australia, and was born at Tanunda, in that State, on April 17, 1882. He received his education in his native town, and upon
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Gustav Mengler.
leaving school entered upon a commercial career. After a short period of experience in his native State he came to Western Australia, where he
901
joined the staff of Messrs. Watson's Produce Stores at Fremantle. Here he displayed such special adaptability that his principal within a few months transferred him to Kalgoorlie to take control of the firm's establishment at that town, with the option of purchasing the business within a given time. By the end of three months, and before he had completed his eighteenth year, he took advantage of this offer, and taking over the concern, began his career as one of the most successful merchants of Kalgoorlie, and among the best known on the eastern goldfields. In 1908, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. Plermann Mengler, he took up the “Lillydale" property, situated at Tenterden, and since that time has devoted himself to pastoral and agricultural pursuits, breeding some very fine merino flocks on his property. He has taken his share of public responsibility, being a councillor of the Kalgoorlie municipality, and a committeeman of the trading employers' association of the eastern goldfields, besides being identified with other organizations. His sport is the “sport of kings," and he is a member of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club, but he is also a general advocate for all forms of healthy and clean outdoor diversion. In 1908 he married Lucy, daughter of Mr. Richard Jaentsch, consulting engineer, his wife being a lady well known in musical circles on the goldfields, and his family consists of two daughters.
ALBERT RAYMENT DAVIS, engineer, Maritana Street, Kalgoorlie, was born at Wellington, New Zealand, on August 24, 1876, and is a son of the late T. F. Davis, an artist, who resided in the latter city. He pursued his scholastic studies in Victoria, and at fifteen years of age was employed for a short time in the printing office of one of the Melbourne jjapers. This was followed by a period of two years spent in the engineering department of Mr. B. J. Davis's business, which position he resigned to take charge of the mechanical department of the firm of Messrs. J. A. Walter & Co., of Melbourne. He remained with this firm until his departure for Western Australia in 1894, and upon arrival in this State first spent a considerable time in Perth, after which he went to Albany in 1899 to engage in the general engineering and bicycle business in partnership with Mr. C. F.
Baxter, now of Cunderdin. After a couple of years the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Davis coming to Kalgoorlie took a post as mechanic and engineer in the Greenwell Motor and Cycle Agency business. In 1904 he purchased the business of the Goldfields Motor and Cycle Agency, and ever since has personally conducted this concern, having the leading motor connection on the fields. Mr. Davis, who is agent at Kalgoorlie for the “Ford," “Standard," and “Adams" motor cars, has a line of cars doing constant service in the localities of new “finds" and promoting the inevitable rush of eager gold-seekers to such places. In the past Mr. Davis was well known in the early days of motor racing in Western Australia, and holds numerous trophies both for cycle and car
0
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Albert Rayment Davis.
events. The little leisure now at his command he uses in true sportsmanlike manner with his gun. Mr. Davis married at Albany in 1900 Lucy Edith, daughter of the late Mr. Milne, of Busselton, a member of one of the oldest families of the southwest, and has one son and three daughters.
THOMAS HARRY HARSE, electrical engineer, Kalgoorlie, was born at Carisbrook, Victoria, on March 4, 1883, and is a son of Mr. Robert Harse, a grazier, of that district. He was educated at Queen’s College, Maryborough, under Mr. C. McCay, and also attended the Maryborough School of Mines, subsequently taking a three years’ course
at the Perth Technical School, having come to Western Australia in 1903. Mr. Harse, after serving his time with the Deep Leads Electric Transmission Company, of Victoria, was engaged on the electrical staff of the Perth Tramways Company for three years, resigning this post in
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Thomas Harry Harse.
order to seek a wider field for his energies, and upon arrival on the eastern goldfields for a few months found employment on the electrical fittings of the Boulder Town Hall. At a later date he accepted a position with Messrs. Noyes Brothers in connection with the installation of the electric light and tramways system at Leonora, and upon the termination of this work returned to Kalgoorlie, and in 1908 opened business on his own account as an electrical contractor in Palace Chambers, Maritana Street. Since that date Mr. Harse has worked up a large and increasing connection, and has obtained the major share of his particular line of work throughout the goldfields, his success in his profession being now an uncontested fact. His especial hobby is the perusal of scientific literary works, and by this means he keeps himself well abreast of the times in the science of general electricity and all the hundred and one details of his calling. He is a member of the Masonic craft and of the I.O.O.F., and in earlier days was well known in the football field and on the tennis lawns, but pressure of his professional claims latterly has precluded him from actively participating in the world of sport.
THOMAS JOHN CONNOLLY, contractor, Kalgoorlie, was born at Shelbourne, near Bendigo, Victoria, on May 6, 1868, and is a son of tbe late Thomas Connolly, a native of Kilkenny, Ireland, who was among the early pioneers of the Victorian State. He received his education
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mu. Thomas John Connouly.
at the public school in the place of his birth, and concluding his scholastic career at the age of fifteen began to assist his father in the work of contracting and road-building. Five years later a partnership was formed between him and his brother William, which continued for about six years, and in 1894 Mr. Connolly decided to come to Western Australia, where, in conjunction with another brother, Michael, now farming in Victoria, he opened up in the
carrying business, and at the same time established and operated condensing plants at various localities
along the line of route to the goldfields and at Hannan’s Lake, now known as Lakeside. Great hardships were experienced on the road to the fields through lack of water, and Mr. Connolly and his brother, who were very successful in shaftsinking for the precious fluid, relieved much of the suffering by their enterprise in this respect and expended much capital in this way, being rewarded where others with less grit and perseverance had failed through abandoning their attempts before the requisite depths had been reached. The sphere of the firm’s carrying operations extended from Southern Cross to the farther fringe of the goldfields area, including Menzies, Leonora, etc., and in 1897 the brothers added to their business
by undertaking contracts of various kinds. The streets of Kanowna were laid down by this firm at the
time that the field was booming, and many of the largest dams on the goldfields area were completed under their supervision. In 1903 the partnership was dissolved, and upon the departure of his brother for Victoria Mr. Connolly continued contracting on his own behalf. He has now attained the honour of being ranked as the oldest contractor on the goldfields, his principal operations being in the line of wood and ore carting. Having private sidings on the different railway lines in the vicinity of the goldfields, he is able to obtain wood suitable for the various purposes of the mines. He has been a considerable supporter of the mining industry, and with his brother prospected round the General Gordon mine, in the Kanowna district, the Red Hill, Block 45, and the Kurnalpi districts. In addition Mr. Connolly is interested in the agricultural industry, his largest holding being situated at Doodlakine, where he owns about 2,000 acres, whilst he also has considerable interests at Cunderdin. Both of these properties are in a forward state of development, substantial buildings having been erected, and practically the whole territory cleared and devoted to the cultivation of cereals and the raising of sheep for wool and mutton. Mr. Connolly has also turned his attention to the breeding of heavy draught stock, and has met with gratifying success in this department of industry. He is the owner of “Highland Shepherd,” a stallion imported from New
>
Horses on Mr. T. J. Connolly’s Farm, Doodlakine.
Mr. T. J. Connolly’s Residence, Stables, plant, etc., at Kalgoorlie.
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Zealand, bred' by Mr. Finsham, of Taumutu, Ills pedigree including a long line of noted sires, among which “Highland Prince" and “Crown Prince” were his immediate progenitors, and “Lord Salisbury," by “Young Conqueror,” his great grandsire. His dam “Shepherdess” is also of the best blood from high-class imported stock. “Abbot McCormack,” a heavy Clydesdale sire, also owned by Mr. Connolly, is well known among horse-breeders as a producer of valuable progeny, and his offspring are eagerly sought after by intending purchasers. This horse was also bred in New Zealand, and since coming into his present owner’s hands has been mated with some of the best Clydesdales mares in the State. Mr. Connolly makes a hobby of horses, never being happier than when in the company of his equine friends, and he has been an exhibitor at the periodical funcLions held by the Kalgoorlie and District Trades Gala Show Society, winning several gold medals for horses, horse turnouts, teams, etc. He is a member of the Kalgoorlie Race Club, and keeps himself in touch with the events promoted by that body, but though the love of horses is the paramount passion of his leisure hours, he has never entered enthusiastically into the “sport of kings.” Mr. Connolly married in 1902 Margaret, daughter of the late Edward Pauley, of Bendigo, Victoria, and has one son and four daughters.
ALBERT SCOTT McCLIN-TOCK, formerly secretary and librarian to the Kalgoorlie Mechanics’ Institute, is the youngest son of Mr. Robert McClintock, of Edinburgh, latterly of Sydney, New South Wales, and was born in the latter city on January 28, 1881. Having received his education at well-known public and private schools in Sydney he obtained a position as clerk in a leading solicitor’s office, which he filled for a time, and was subsequently successful in securing an appointment as assistant in the Sydney University library, which he relinquished to accept a more important post at the Working Men’s Technical College in Melbourne. Whilst resident in that metropolis he acted as one of the directors of the accountants and clerks’ association of the same city. In 1903 Mr. McClintock came to Western Aus* tralia, and thence onward, for ten
years, held the appointment of secretary and librarian of the Kalgoorlie Mechanics’ Institute, the principal public library outside of Perth. This position he resigned in March, 1913, in order to accept the post of librarian in the new circulating library opened by the well-known
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Albert Scott McClintock.
firm of drapers, Messrs. Boan Brothers, of Perth. Whilst in Kalgoorlie Mr. McClintock took a prominent part in the affairs of the town, for over six years serving as a councillor of the municipality, and acting on the electric light, fire brigade, finance, and other committees. He also, for some years, discharged the duties of secretary to the Goldfields’ State-school Board, the University extension movement, and the Adelaide and Melbourne University examinations. He edited the “Western Australian Goldfields Souvenir’’ and several publications connected with the local library; and was prominently connected with the “Kalgoorlie Week” and “Westral” committees. He was a member of the local Eisteddfod committee and for some time treasurer of that body, and was associated with the Kalgoorlie branches of the A.N.A. and of the M.U., I.O.O.F. The Masonic fraternity also claims him as an adherent. In the sporting world Mr. McClintock has been well known as president of the Kalgoorlie Swimming Club, founder and for some years secretary of the Kalgoorlie Bowling Club, of which he is now a life member; and in the past as an enthusiastic follower of cricket and other pastimes.
CHARLES EDWARD BAND, watchmaker and jeweller, Kalgoorlie, was born at Derby, England, on May 11, 1864, and is a son of the late Charles Band, a silk merchant of that town, and for many years one of the honorary governors of the Derby Infirmary during the presidency of Sir Thomas Roe, M.P., and afterwards of Sir Walter Evans. It is a matter of interest that this gentleman was selected with others to wait on the late Hon. W. E. Gladstone at his home at Hawarden Castle and present to the eminent statesman a set of Crown Derby china, costing £500, as a token of esteem from the people of Derby in recognition of his work on behalf of the Irish cause. The subject of this memoir received his education at All Saints’ High School in the same place, and at the termination of his scholastic career served articles of apprenticeship for seven years to the celebrated English watchmaker, the late R. Camp. Having completed
yf
I
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Charles Edward Band.
his indentures he went to New York, U.S.A., where he was employed in the firm of R. Nicholson, of Brooklyn, for some considerable time. Proceeding west he spent a few months at Chicago, and eventually settled for nearly three years at Fresno, California, in the capacity of manager of the business of Messrs. F. .Simon & Co., jewellers. In the early part of 1892 he was attracted by reports of the prosperity of Australia and came to Sydney, remaining in the Mother State for about a couple of years. The gold fever
904
being then at its height in the western part of the continent, Mr. Band sailed for Fremantle, and for a period was engaged in business at Mr. Fushard’s establishment in Perth. Coming to the eastern goldfields in 1898 he opened on his own account, and ever since has carried on successfully at his well-known emporium in Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie. The gentleman under review is a Freemason, and has held office in the craft at Kalgoorlie. His chief recreation at the present time is found in bowls, but he is a general patron of all forms of sport, and in former years made his mark as an amateur in the art of self-defence both in England and during the course of his travels. He is a great lover of Nature, and is fond of the pursuits of the wild, his varied experiences in America including bear-hunting expeditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, on one of which he and his Indian guide were attacked by Indians and severely wounded. Mr. Band is a warm friend of the canine race, having a special penchant for the Irish terrier, and always owns a champion representative • of this favourite breed.
PATRICK WHELAN, J.P., one of the best known residents of Kalgoorlie, was born at Sragh, County Clare, Ireland, on January 1, 1855, and is a son of the late Michael Whelan, agriculturist, of that place. He received his education in the town of Kilrush, and upon entering his teens was apprenticed to the drapery business, subsequently leaving his native place for the city of Cork, where he was identified with the softgoods trade until 1876. At the end of that year he came to Australia, and having landed in Adelaide, entered the house of Messrs. John Martin & Co., Limited, drapers, where he occupied the position of superintendent and shopwalker until 1881. He then resigned to open in business on his own account in Adelaide in partnership with Mr. James Noonan, a connection which lasted for some years, Mr. Noonan being succeeded by Mr. John Francis Landvogt. In 1895 Mr. Whelan left Adelaide for the Western Australian goldfields, where he first became interested in the mining industry, and turned his attention to prospecting with considerable success, being instrumental in disposing
of several mining leases both in the Eastern States and in London. He was one of the founders of Hannan’s Brewery Company, Limited, in which he held the post of chairman of directors for eight years, at the end of that period selling out his interest in the concern. In 1903 he acquired an interest in the Union Brewery of Kalgoorlie, which he retains in conjunction with the widow of his late partner, Mr. Frank Scott. He was one of the original shareholders of the Hannan’s Land Company, which was formed with the object of building the Palace Hotel and Palace Chambers, and Mr. Whelan was also responsible for the building of the Shamrock Hotel (1897), which property he still retains. Mr. Whelan has identified himself to a large extent with public
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Patrick Whelan.
movements, and in 1879, shortly after the establishment of the Irish National Land League by the late Michael Davitt in County Mayo, Ireland, he promoted the formation of a branch of the League in Adelaide. It is a matter of special interest to note that this was the first branch of that historical association established in the world, and its founder has received much honour on this account from his compatriots all the world over. He occupied the position of honorary secretary to the movement in Adelaide with unqualified success until his departure for Western Australia, and in 1883 while acting in this capacity was organizer of the public reception accorded to Mr. John E. Redmond, the leader of the
Irish Parliamentary Party. This gentleman and his brother, Mr. William Redmond, M.P., visited Australia as envoys of the Irish Nationalists, and at the close of their visit an Irish National Convention was held in Melbourne at St. Patrick’s Hall— the building where tho first Constitution of Victoria was framed and the earliest Parliament met for deliberation. Delegates from all parts of Australia and New Zealand attended this Convention, which was presided over by the late Hon. Dr. Kevin O’Dogherty, an Irish patriot, and Mr. Whelan was one of the two representatives chosen by their fellow countrymen in South Australia to be present on that historic occasion. A typical Irishman in love for his native land, he has never missed an opportunity to help the cause he has so deeply at heart, and much of the financial support which has been extended to it in Western Australia during the past twenty years has been a result of his untiring efforts. Mr. Whelan is a student of municipal government, and in South Australia occupied the position of councillor for three years, afterwards being returned as alderman by the citizens of Adelaide at the head of the poll by a very large majority. After three years his fellow aldermen paid him tho compliment of refusing to accept his resignation—offering him leave of absence until his retirement by effluxion of time. He has been prominent in racing circles, and was one of the founders of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club, and an original trustee in whom the racecourse lands were vested by the Government of Western Australia.
PATRICK LYNCH, one of the oldest residents of Kalgoorlie, was born at Kilkie, County Clare, Ireland, on May 13, 1858, his father, the late Mr. Patrick Lynch, owning a farming property in that district. He was educated at schools in his native town, and having completed his scholastic career at seventeen years of age emigrated to Australia. Mr. Lynch landed at Adelaide, and shortly afterwards proceeded to Mount Brown, where he became engaged on the gold diggings. He spent five years at this place, during which period he encountered the various vicissitudes common to the lot of the pioneers who prospected the early alluvial fields, but notwithstanding a few disappointments met
905
with a considerable share of success. From here he directed his steps to the Barrier Ranges, and during the succeeding twelve years became a well-known citizen of Broken Hill. In the earlier part of this time he was connected with the mining industry
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Patrick Lynch.
of the great Silver City, but at a later date became interested in commercial enterprise and took over the conduct of the Pinnacles Hotel. He also conducted a butchering establishment in the town and had a successful career until 1893, when he disposed of his various interests and crossed the Great Australian Bight to land in Western Australia. Immediately after landing at Fremantle
he made his way to Coolgardie and once more applied his energies to the search for gold, the mental visions of which like a magnet had brought him to the land of his adoption.
After three years spent in prospecting on the eastern fields Mr. Lynch came to Kalgoorlie and took over the lease of the Great Boulder Hotel, conducting that hostelry for over seven years. In 1903 he became proprietor of the Australia Hotel, one of the most favourably known and principal commercial houses on the goldfields, and has continued in the conduct of this business ever since. The building is one of the finest in Kalgoorlie, and the interior amply fulfils the promise subtly conveyed by the architect in his design for the street frontage. The bedrooms are roomy
and comfortably furnished, the dining-room and drawing-room replete with all appointments for the convenience of guests, while the
Commercial Travellers’ Association certificate is sufficient guarantee for the up-to-date management of the bar and the high-class character of
Victoria Hotel, Kalgoorlie, the Property or Mr. P. Lynch.
the catering. Mr. Lynch also owns the Commercial and Victoria Hotels at Kalgoorlie and the Globe Hotel at
Commercial Hotel, Kalgoorlie, the Property of Mr. p. Lynch.
MR. F*. LYNCH’S AUSTRALIA HOTEL, KALGOORLIE.
Coolgardie, besides which he has many and varied interests on the goldfields and elsewhere. He is a great supporter of the mining industry, and is now working various leases, whilst he also assists in the financing of prospecting parties all ever the eastern goldfields’ auriferous belt. No man on the fields is more favourably known among the Irish community than Mr. Lynch, who ever has been a loyal and consistent supporter of the Irish Home Rule cause. During each visit of Irish envoys to Western Australia bhey have been entertained as welcome guests, while his house is the headquarters of the local movement for the support of autonomy for Ireland. For many years he has been connected with the Irish National Foresters’ and Hibernian societies, and is an honorary member of both bodies. His favourite pastime is the 1'sport of kings,” and he has raced several horses in Western Australia. He is also a fine horseman, and spends much time in the saddle.
MICHAEL JAMES O’KEEFE, proprietor of the Railway Hotel, Kalgoorlie, was born at Selbourne, Tasmania, on April 16, 1869, and is a son of the late James O’Keefe, agriculturist and contractor. The latter gentleman was a native of Tipperary, Ireland, and is a son of the O’Keeffe who was a notable figure in the early days of the island, his name frequently appearing in the records as far back as the early fifties. Mr. O’Keefe’s grandfather is described in the “Jail Journal” of the Irish patriot, John Mitchell, as a “respectable farmer, intelligent, educated, and well-informed, who emigrated to Tasmania soon after Lord Hawar-den’s great extermination of tenantry in Tipperary.” He settled in the Westbury district, and became a bosom friend of the great Irish patriot, Thomas Francis Meagher, who, in company with Smith O’Brien, Kevin O’Dogherty, John Mitchell, and Gavan Duffy, was incarcerated as a political prisoner in the gaols of Van Dieman’s Land. Subsequently Mr. O’Keeffe was partly instrumental in securing the escape of these patriots, all of whom afterwards rose to high places in the citizenship of the Empire, and imprinted their names in the pages of history for all time. The subject of this memoir was educated at Westbury and Beaconsfield in Tasmania, and leaving school in his early teens contracted for and conducted the mail service between Branxholm and Gladstone for some time. Before reaching his majority he was engaged in road contracting and mining, and when about twenty years of age took a twelve months’ trip under Captain
Burt, who was making a tour of exploration through the islands adjacent to Tasmania. Upon his return he landed upon the mainland, and spent three or four years in the Gippsland district of Victoria, where he prospected over an area of some
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Michael James O’Keefe.
hundreds of miles. He next took a position on “Padman Creek” cattle station in New South Wales, where he gained considerable knowledge of stock, returning to the land of his birth in 1895. Here he again identified himself with the mining industry, and shortly after the outbreak of the eastern goldfields of Western Australia came to this State, where he occupied a
managerial position upon the mines for about four years. He then entered upon the hotel-keeping business, and since that time has owned and conducted several houses, which during his regime have commanded a well-merited popularity in official and commercial circles. He was proprietor of the Grand Hotel at Kookynie for some time, during which period he played an active part in the public life of the town and was elected to the mayoral chair. He resigned from this office on his departure, in the year 1907, for Kalgoorlie, where he purchased the lease of the Railway Hotel, which he has since conducted and rendered one of the most popular houses on the fields. The hotel, a solidly-built structure of brick and stone, contains some forty-four rooms, including diningroom with a seating capacity of over a hundred persons, billiard-room, smoke - room, drawing - room, and other apartments, all of which are most tastefully furnished and comfortable in all their appointments. Under the experienced supervision of Mrs. O’Keefe the catering is such as to satisfy the most exacting of patrons, and no effort is spared on the part of host and hostess to promote the comfort of visitors in every possible way, the atmosphere of “home” which is met with at every turn making the hotel a favourite rendezvous for a very large percentage of the travelling public. The hotel, which holds the certificate of the Commercial Travellers’ Association, is happily situated right opposite the Kalgoorlie Railway Station, and without doubt will assume a still greater importance when the great Trans-Australian Railway shall have become an accomplished fact. The claims of our equine friends have not been overlooked, and during the great goldfields race carnivals which take place periodically throughout the year the ample accommodation provided is taxed to its utmost capacity. Mr. Michael O’Keefe, the genial boniface, is a rare sportsman, and during his lifetime has spent many a day in the hunting-fields in the various States of the Commonwealth. He is a staunch supporter of the turf, and is a member of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club, occupying a seat on the committee of that organization. lie excels in the use of the gun, and frequently makes extended trips into the bush, where numerous wild turkeys, kangaroos, and other denizens of the wide, unpeopled tracts of
907
country fall victims to his unerring aim. Mr. O’Keefe married in 1901 Mary, daughter of Mr. Luke Heery, J.P., of Beaconsfield, Tasmania, a well-known and prominent citizen of that place for over a quarter of a century. He has a family of two sons and two daughters.
JOSEPH ARTHUR STRONG, proprietor of the Kalgoorlie Hotel, was born at Brunswick, Victoria, on June 10, 1876, and is a son of Mr. A. W. Strong, one of the most prominent citizens of Melbourne. He received his education at the Carlton College, in that city, and at the termination of his collegiate career entered commercial life i>y joining the firm of James McEwan & Co., Limited. Here he passed through all the departments of a big hardware establishment, resigning his connection with this well-known house in 1901 after seven years’ service. He next accepted an offer made by Messrs. McLean Brothers and Rigg to represent that firm in
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Joseph Arthur Strong.
Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, and during two years of travel in this capacity he visited every centre of commerce in the above States in the interests of the indent department of the firm. He was induced to resign this position by an invitation from the firm of Messrs. John Dynon & Sons, of Perth, to act as their representative in Western Australia, which post he filled for a year. In June, 1904, he was appointed a representative on
the eastern goldfields of the Union Brewery, and continued as sole traveller for that firm for seven years, with headquarters at Kalgoorlie. At the end of this period he took over the lease of the Grand Hotel, Boulder, which he relinquished in favour of the White Hart, and ultimately became proprietor of his present house at Kalgoorlie. He is well-known as one of the keenest patrons of sport on the fields, and fills the office of president of the Kalgoorlie Railway Football Club, whilst he is a member of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club and the sister club in Boulder City. In the late nineties he was a champion Victorian oarsman, and represented his State in the intercolonial eights, having been twice a member of the crew which won the laurels for Victoria. He was also included in the champion pair, four, and eights, and his knowledge of matters aquatic is second to none in the Commonwealth. He holds over thirty medals for rowing, and a host of trophies, many of high distinction. He was also a member of the South Melbourne Football Club at a time when the club was well advanced in the contest for champion honours. In the manly art of self-defence he has been prominent among amateurs, both during and since his college days, and advocates this sport when conducted in a clean and sportsmanlike manner. Mr. Strong is a member of the Kalgoorlie Club.
MICHAEL O’CONNELL, one of the early pioneers of the eastern goldfields, was born in South Australia, at Red Hill, near Adelaide, on December 10, 1866. He is a son of the late Michael O’Connell, who came from Ireland to Victoria when the country was very sparsely settled and was a successful prospector at Ballarat immediately after the discovery of that field. Educated in South Australia the gentleman under review started out on his own account before he entered his teens, becoming apprenticed to the carpentry trade in Adelaide where he completed his five years’ term and continued in the trade until 1894. In that year the gold rush to the Western State bore him in its train to the eastern fields, where for a time he was engaged in prospecting for the precious metal. Water, however, being almost as valuable as gold he became interested in condensing, his party being the
first to strike salt water on the field, and subsequently, while retaining a financial interest in this enterprise, Mr. O’Connell turned his attention with considerable success to building and contracting in the district. He erected the first hotel in the vicinity
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Michael O’Connell.
of the Londonderry Mine, and was identified with the trade at Cool-gardie, Kalgoorlie, Bulong, Davey-hurst, and other centres, following the rushes to each field in turn. He was a well-known supporter of prospecting parties, but although giving freely financial assistance to various enterprises was never fortunate in his investments in connection with the mining industry. In 1898 he entered upon hotel - keeping pursuits at Bulong, and has since owned and conducted the Halfway Hotel, Boulder Road, and subsequently the Union Club Hotel, McDonald Street, Kalgoorlie, where he at present resides. Mr. O’Connell took considerable part in the public life of the early days on the fields, and for some time acted as municipal councillor at Bulong in its palmy days. He was the chief promoter of whippet-racing on the goldfields, being founder of the present club; while various other athletic organizations and competitive sports events owed their formation to his energy and influence. He was a member of the Australian Natives’ Association for many years. In 1897 Mr. O’Connell married Margaret, daughter of the late Richard Deve-lin, of County Tyrone, Ireland, and has three sons and three daughters.
ALBERT CORRIGALL BOR-WICK, proprietor of the Criterion Hotel, Kalgoorlie, was born at Ballarat, Victoria, on December 26, 1886, and is a son of Mr. Peter Bor-wick, a well-known stock- and sharebroker, of Ballarat, who has been associated with that business since the earlier days of the gold industry in that district, and is now regarded as one of the oldest representatives of the Exchange of those earlier days. The gentleman under review was educated at Ballarat, and upon leaving school became engaged in commercial pursuits in the employ of Messrs. James Taylor & Co., drapers, of his native place. In 1905 he resigned his position in this business in order to come to Western Australia, where he perceived that better openings were offering to men of enterprise and ability. After arrival for a short time he continued in his former line of business at Perth, and at the end of the same year proceeded to Meekatharra, where, he joined his brother in the conduct of the Royal Hotel, of that town, and at a later date was
interested in the same connection with the Royal Hotel at Nannine. Mr. Borwick also became connected
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Albert Corrigall Borwioic.
with several mining properties noted for more or less good results, and his
name ranks among those of the progressive mining men who are supporting in their early stages various mines in the Murchison district, the development of which bids fair to benefit the State as well as their immediate promoters. With the object in view of launching out in business on his own account he left Nannine, and coming to Kalgoorlie seized the opportunity that offered of taking over the Criterion Hotel, a house which has always been distinguished as one of the best businesses of its kind on the eastern goldfields. The hotel is a well-built structure, with plenty of accommodation, the rooms being large, light, and well ventilated, while all the appointments are of an up-to-date nature and clubrooms and other conveniences are provided. Mr. Borwick is fond of sport, and has distinguished himself in various forms of athletics prior to his advent to this State. The pursuit of such game as the district affords now provides him with recreation, and he spends most of his leisure time in the saddle indulging in this diversion.
BOULDER.
Boulder is a striking manifestation of how speedily a thriving town will spring into existence after goldfields of a payable nature have been located in the vicinity. Like Kalgoorlie, two miles away, Boulder speedily expanded and adopted all the modern conveniences and comforts of civilization. At the present time it possesses wide streets and well-paved footpaths, and is excellently lighted with electricity. Viewed from one of the rises in the vicinity the appearance of Boulder and its environs makes it difficult for the onlooker to realize that the place is not two decades old. The town which was proclaimed as a municipality on August 6, 1897, vies in importance as a commercial centre with Kalgoorlie, which it adjoins. It is situated within a mile of all the important gold mines constituting what is known as the “Golden Mile.” At the first the municipal area was rather limited in extent, owing to the mine proprietors having persistently resisted being included within its boundaries, which, however, have since been gradually extended. The municipality now covers an area of 3,520 acres, and is connected by railway and tramway with Kalgoorlie, and by railway through Kalgoorlie with Perth and the coastal towns. The municipality at the end of the year 1900 contained a population of 4,550 souls, but its official population at the present time is nearly twelve thousand. The electric lighting is under the control of the council, and was
inaugurated at an initial cost of close upon £10,000, which amount has now been far exceeded. The current is supplied continuously for the whole twenty-four hours to the consumers at a cost per unit which is the lowest on the Western Australian goldfields, and is extensively used for lighting and motive power throughout the municipality. Electrically driven machinery is used by the council for breaking metal for road-making purposes, and Boulder vies with, even if it does not excel Kalgoorlie, in the value and number of its municipal enterprises. There are five miles of electric tramway, the fare over which is 3d., one terminus touching the old Boulder Block, now known as Fimiston, the very heart of the “Golden Mile,” just outside the municipal boundary. The tramways connect with the Kalgoorlie tramways, both systems being in the hands of one company. Owning as it does its own electric lighting system as in Kalgoorlie, the thoroughfares are well lighted by arc lamps. The water supply is the same as that of Cool-gardie and Kalgoorlie, being drawn from Mundaring by the goldfields water supply.
In the earlier stages of its existence the council rented offices from the mechanics’ institute for municipal purposes, but it now possesses a town hall, capable of seating 1,100, and municipal offices, the whole being erected at a cost of £12,000. The mechanics’ institute, now known as the Boulder Public Library, is of
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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considerable size. It contains a reading-room, daily open free to the public, well supplied with colonial and English newspapers, magazines, and reviews, and the library contains an excellent selection of books. The committee of the library takes advantage of the travelling libraries system, inaugurated by the Public Library of Western Australia, a purely Government institution, and the type of books forwarded to the Boulder Public Library, consisting as they do of advanced scientific textbooks and valuable general literature, is an excellent example of the reading tastes of this goldfields community. The hall attached to the public library is used for public entertainments, and is one of the largest of its kind outside Perth. It is capitally fitted up, the stage being roomy and well equipped. The united friendly societies have erected a substantial stone building, comprising a large hall for lodge meetings, a dispensary, and offices. The Kalgoorlie and Boulder Branch of the Amalgamated Workers’ Association is a strong confederation at Boulder, and has a good stone structure which carries out the purposes of a trades hall for the locality. The influence in political circles of this society is paramount at the Boulder. All the prominent religious denominations are represented, each with its own place of worship.
The recreation reserve is under the control of the council, and is a very fine one, with a capital grandstand with an extensive seating accommodation. The ground
is used for athletic purposes of all kinds, and Boulder vies with Kalgoorlie in the excellence of its sporting and athletic contests. The reserve is installed with electric light, which enables it to be used at night for any sports or amusements. In the past Boulder was famed throughout Australia for the excellence of its musical combination—the Boulder Brass Band. Of recent years it has somewhat decayed, but there are indications of a revival to ancient form in the near future. Its amateur dramatic and operatic societies, however, are very strong and efficient organizations, and it is extremely problematical whether they can be equalled by similar organizations in any other centre of population in the State. The Boulder Racing Club is extremely a-ctive, and its fixtures rank with those of Kalgoorlie in importance on the goldfields. The racecourse is conveniently situated, and the improvements effected have cost over £27,000. This, as in the sister municipality, also serves as a public park. In the public gardens there is a well-constructed bowling green and tennis court.
The commercial life of the municipality is extremely active and extensive, and the emporiums of the principal thoroughfares would do credit to the more settled districts. One proof of this can be found in the fact that the telephone exchange contains nearly 300 subscribers.
The population of the town is 10,824 (5,705 males and 5,119 females).
CHARLES ROBERT DAVIES, J.P., B.A. (Oxon.), Mayor of Boulder (1912), was born at Worcester, England, on July 18, 1870, and is the eldest son of the late T. W. Davies of that city. He received his preliminary education at Worcester Cathedral School, whence he proceeded to Hertford College, Oxford, where he took his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1893. Having qualified for the legal profession he was admitted as a solicitor in England in 1897, and was engaged in practice for some time prior to his departure for Western Australia two years later. Upon arrival in this State he joined the office of the legal firm of the late George Leake, and subsequently, upon admission to the Western Australian Bar in 1900, took up his residence at Boulder, where he established himself in legal practice, for a time in partnership with the firm of Messrs. Ewing & Downing and subsequently on his own account. He has always taken a prominent interest in matters municipal, and was a member of the council for four years before being elected to the mayoral office, which he has now filled for three years in the most efficient manner. Upon the creation of the
Western Australian Fire Brigades’ Board in 1910, he was elected to represent the eastern goldfields on this body, and still occupies that seat.
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Charles Robert Davies.
Ever since his arrival in Western Australia he has been connected with military affairs, joining the
Defence Forces in 1900, and he now holds the rank of major in the Goldfields Infanty Regiment, of which corps he is second in command. He served at the front towards the close of the South African War as a member of the 2nd Commonwealth Contingent. Major Davies is a keen student of State politics, and was a candidate for the Legislative Council in the elections of 1911, but failed in the contest for South Province, his opponent, the Hon. J. Cornell, the selected candidate of the Labour Party, winning the seat. He in-
terests himself in the various charitable and sporting bodies organized on the fields, and is a keen golfer, being a member of the local clubs. He is also a member of the Mines and City Workers’ Club, Boulder, and the Hannan’s Club, Kalgoorlie.
Councillor HENRY GLANCE, J.P., who represents the ratepayers in the Boulder Municipal Council, was born at North Melbourne, Victoria, on October 1, 1875, and is a son of the late Israel Glance, one of the oldest colonists of Victoria, and
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for many years a prominent figure in North Melbourne circles. He was educated at schools in West Melbourne, and completing his scholastic career at fourteen years of age was engaged in manual work until his nineteenth year, when he came to Western Australia. Mr. Glance walked from Southern Cross to Cool-gardie soon after his arrival in this State, and after a short sojourn in the great mining town returned to Fremantle, where for seven years he found employment in the harbour works—during which period he occupied the post of honorary secretary to the Harbour Workers’ Union. Upon the completion of the works he again made his way to the fields, and worked on the mines in various capacities, about this time beginning to take a deep interest in the trades union movement on the goldfields. Pie was elected president of the Hannan’s and Boulder A.W.A., and in 1903 was appointed to the position of secretary of that body. When the Australian Miners’ Union amalgamated with the A.W.A., under the title of the West Australian Goldfields Federated Miners’ Union, Mr. Glance contested the election for the general secretary of the combined organization, and was returned by a large, majority to fill that office. The Kalgoorlie Miner of May 15, 1912, writing on the recent goldfields elections, said : —“As an organizer of electoral campaigns, Mr. Harry Glance, the popular secretary of the Federated Miners’ Association, can claim much experience, and his energy and ability have gone a good way towards winning four seats for the Labour Party. Mr. Glance commenced duty as a candidate’s secretary and organizer when the present Minister for Mines (Mr. P. Collier) first wrested the Boulder seat in the Legislative Assembly from Mr. J. M. Hopkins, who at that time was Minister for Lands, and he acted in the same capacity when Mr. Collier was re-elected against Mr. J. Lyon Johnston. He next seconded Mr. J. E. Dodd when that gentleman won the South Province seat in the Legislative Council, and he was Mr. Cornell’s righthand man in the contest which led up to his fine victory against such a doughty opponent as the Mayor of Boulder.” It may be mentioned that all the service referred to in this paragraph was done in an honorary capacity. Mr. Glance received his Commission of the Peace from the James Government in 1904.
In 1906 he was elected to a seat on the Boulder Municipal Council, which he has occupied ever since, filling the office of acting-mayor on several occasions. He is an enthusiast in the Labour movement, and with the exception of the time he devotes to the work of the Boulder Benevolent Society and the Fresh-Air League gives every hour to the furtherance of its interests. He is honorary treasurer of the Australian Labour Federation and advocate for the miners in the Court of Arbitration, and keeps himself conversant with the life of every part of the eastern goldfields over an area of hundreds of miles. In 1897 Mr. Glance married Clara, daughter of the late Edwin Barber, of Elminster, Somersetshire, England, and has two sons and one daughter.
Councillor BERNARD LESLIE, J.P., auctioneer and estate agent, who represents Boulder City in the
Mr. Bernard Leslie.
local municipal council, was born at Dublin on July 27, 1863, and is a son of the late Patrick Leslie, solicitor, of that place. He was educated at the Jesuits’ College and the Christian Brothers’ College in Dublin, and at sixteen years of age left school to engage in commercial life. After filling a clerical position in the famous Jameson Distillery, Roe Street, Dublin, for- six years he emigrated to America and spent a couple of years in the capacity of commercial traveller all over the United States. He next purchased
a share in a schooner and traded in her on Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware and Susquehana Rivers for a further two years. He then proceeded to the State of Nevada at the time of a boom in the silvermining industry, and eventually left America for Australia. After a visit to Broken Hill he went to the Euro-longa opal fields in Queensland, and subsequently to the White Cliffs opal fields, New South Wales. Here he remained for a short period, and in 1894 followed the exodus of gold-seekers to Western Australia soon after the discovery of the eastern fields. The railway at that time extended only as far as Northam, and Mr. Leslie walked from within a few miles east of that town to Hannan’s Find (now Kalgoorlie) and commenced dryblowing, in which he met with considerable success in the many alluvial patches which he prospected. From White Feather (now Kanowna) he essayed to make a trip to Broad Arrow, where good alluvial gold was reported to have been found. With a mate he left Kanowna in good health and spirits, but after several days in the bush ran out of water, and both men were discovered by a party of prospectors in a perfectly nude condition, delirious, and very near death. So severe were the tortures which Mr. Leslie endured that his hair, jet-black only three days previously, had turned perfectly white, and his body was one raw mass from exposure to the fierce rays of the sun. Eventually he got to Broad Arrow, and after doing well there for a time returned to Kalgoorlie, where he became the proprietor of a condensing plant, frater at that time finding ready purchasers at 2s. to 2s. 6d. per gallon. Having invested in mining interests at Bardoc he sold his plant in order to concentrate his attention upon this venture, and spent six years in this district, in the building up of which he took a prominent part. Leaving here for Mertondale, he prospected at the latter place for a year without his usual success, and at length proceeded to Mount Higgins, now known as Mulwarrie. Both at Bardoc and Mulwarrie he found plenty of scope for his energies, and at the former place was first president and founder of the pioneer progress committee, while to his efforts are due the formation of most of the public institutions first established at Mulwarrie, including the State battery, the Warden’s Court, and the
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public hospital. When Daveyhurst became prominent in mining enterprise Mulwarrie began to decline, and the above institutions were transferred to the more prosperous centre, where also Mr. Leslie remained for five years as auctioneer and general commission agent, during this period filling almost every public honorary position in the district. In 1910 he came to Boulder, and opened his present auctioneering and land and estate agency business, which he has conducted successfully ever since. He received his Commission of the Peace in 1898 from the Forrest Administration, and since his advent to Boulder has accepted the honorary position of acting-coroner, which he has filled for a couple of years. In 1911 he was elected to a seat on the Boulder Municipal Council, and in addition to displaying keen interest in the deliberations of this body evinces a disposition to promote the public good in every possible way. Mr. Leslie is an honorary member of the M.U., I.O.O.F. He married, in 1903, Jean, daughter of Mr. Heriot Brown, of Quambatook, Victoria, and has two sons.
Councillor JAMES ROCHE, proprietor of Tattersall’s Hotel, Boulder, was born at Castlemaine, Victoria, on January 6, 1863, and is a son of the late John Roche, an early pioneer of Victoria, and subsequently one of the first settlers in the Lake Wakatipu district of the South Island of New Zealand. The gentleman under review was educated in New Zealand, and in his early teens left school to take up work on a sheep farm, where he obtained a good insight into the wool and mutton industry. Upon approaching manhood he became engaged in the iron foundry and engineering works at Invercargill, and served a five-years’ apprenticeship, afterwards following this business at Port Lyttelton for a couple of years. In the late eighties he came to Victoria, where he entered the service of a life assurance office and was connected with the outdoor staff of this company for a similar period. At a later date he took over a coachbuilding, blacksmithing, and machinery agency in the north-east of Victoria, where he spent some six years, leaving there in the year 1891 to come to the Western State. Shortly after his arrival he was present at the ceremony when Sir William Robinson
read the proclamation conferring responsible government on what was then the colony of Western Australia. Mr. Roche made an early visit to the Murchison district, where he prospected for a time without any very satisfactory results. Returning to Perth he again became engaged in his former occupation of engineering and foundry work at Fremantle, and in partnership with
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. James RocnE.
another gentleman for a time carried on a similar business on his own account in the same place. At the start of the Coolgardie goldfield he was among the first to find his way thither, forming one of a party of what were known as “swampers,” who, doing the journey on foot, had their swags carried by waggon. This party, taking train to York, “swamped” the remainder of the way to Coolgardie, and Mr. Roche did a considerable amount of prospecting both at that centre and in other parts of the eastern gold belt, joining in the various “rushes” and meeting with varying success. In 1903 he took up his residence at Boulder and turned his attention to hotel-keeping, and during the few years that have since elapsed has taken considerable interest in the advancement of the place. In 1911 he was elected a member of the local municipal council, and has continued to fill this seat. A supporter of the present (1913) Labour Administration in the early days of the goldfields he was prominently identified with the movement for the uplifting of the workers, and was then
vice-president of the Menzies Miners’ Union. He is a well-known patron of sport, being particularly partial to football, and has held the office of president of the Goldfields Football League. He is also a member of the Boulder Racing Club. He finds recreation in walking and driving, and makes a hobby of a poultry farm which he owns in the district. Mr. Roche is married and has three children.
EDWARD WILLIAM VINE GRIBBLE, C.E., Town Clerk and City Engineer, of Boulder, was born at Ballarat, Victoria, on November 16, 1860, and is a son of the late Edward Vine Gribble, one of the most prominent mining investors of that town in the early and palmy days of its existence. He received his education at Grenville College, Ballarat, which institution he left at sixteen years of age to enter the Crown Lands Office at Melbourne, where he
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Edward William Vine Gribble.
studied draftsmanship and surveying for some considerable time. Having completed his term of service at office, field, and observatory, he took a position in the Lands Office as Government surveyor, and spent three years in this capacity in the Portland and Strathbogie districts. In 1884 he was appointed town clerk and surveyor at Portland, and carried out the duties attached to the joint positions for four and a half years. Resigning at the end of that period, Mr. Gribble accepted the post of town clerk and treasurer of Essendon,
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Victoria, which he continued to fill for over nine years, and ultimately relinquished to take the appointment of engineer and designing draftsman in the Construction Branch of the Railway Department of Victoria. After nearly five years in this office, in 1903 he made application for the vacancy in Boulder for town engineer, and being the successful candidate took up his duties in the same year. To these were added in 1908 the further duties of town clerk of Boulder City, and since that date Mr. Gribble has successfully discharged the dual offices. Since coming to the district he has watched the growth of the place with close interest, and has assisted in its development to a very material extent. As was natural, he had much to do with the formation of the town, the construction of public works, etc., and since his first connection with what is now the third municipality of the State has been responsible for a very complete and effective system of drainage, while he has laid out reserves and been prominent in many other schemes for the benefit of the residents. Mr. Gribble was one of the foundation members of the Boulder Mines and City Workers’ Club, in which he is still interested, and he is a member of the Masonic craft. In musical circles he was actively concerned in the birth of the Boulder Liedertafel, which is now one of the most successful musical organizations of the Commonwealth, and he has also been a leading spirit in the management of the Boulder Eisteddfod. He was one of the founders of the Boulder Bowling Club, and is looked upon as the father of this sport on the eastorn fields. In 1888 Mr. Gribble married Martha Emma, daughter of the late Charles Brown, of “Stavely,” Hawthorn, Melbourne, and has three daughters.
Lieutenant - Colonel JAMES LYON JOHNSTON, J.P., commanding the 84th Infantry, Goldfields Battalion, and Secretary of the Boulder Racing Club, was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, on May 5, 1863, and is the eldest son of the late James Johnston, of that city. He received his education in his native place, and at eighteen years of age proceeded to Cape Town to engage in business there. After a short time he continued his travels to India, where he remained for seven years, visiting all parts of the country and gaining an
intimate knowledge of all the Native States. He loft India in 1890, with the intention of settling down at Aberdeen, but, after a few years the call of Greater Britain became too strong to be resisted, and leaving the land of his birth once more, he sailed for South Australia. In Adelaide he engaged in commercial pursuits for less than two years, the boom of Coolgardie’s prosperity drawing him to the Western State, where he speedily joined “The Old Camp” and began business as a sharebroker. At
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Lieut.-Col. J. Lyon Johnston.
this early period he entered very fully into the spirit of the gold “rushes,” and was among the hardy pioneers who spent their strenuous days in eager search for the elusive red metal. The excitement of prospecting appealed to him strongly, and he spent several years in courting the smiles of Fortune in this way, being one of those concerned in the cemetery “rush” at Kanowna. In 1899 he came to Boulder, and again entered the commercial arena, shortly afterwards joining his present partner, Mr. Donald Budge, in conjunction with whom he has carried on the business of sharebroking ever since. In 1876 Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston gained his first experience in military affairs as a bugler in Aberdeen. During his sojourn in South Africa he served as sergeant in the Cape Town Highlanders, and upon his arrival in India joined the Calcutta Rifles, with which he was connected for five years. He was one of the pioneers of the military movement on the
Western Australian goldfields, and upon the formation of the first volunteer corps in that district in 1900 received his commission as lieutenant. Speedy promotion to the rank of captain followed, and he attained his majority in 1909, when he was appointed second in command of the regiment and succeeded to the command upon the retirement of Lieutenant-Colonel Finnerty in 1910, being gazetted lieutenant-colonel in 1912. He has been active in municipal matters at Boulder, and during the eight years that he served as a member of the council he filled the mayoral office for three terms. A Liberal in politics, in 1908 he contested the Boulder seat unsuccessfully against the present Minister for Mines, Mr. Philip Collier. In 1909 he was appointed secretary of the Boulder Racing Club, which position he still fills, and during his period of office the club has reached the enviable point of being able to free itself from debt and build up a very considerable credit balance. Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston is a member of the Naval and Military Club of Perth. He married in 1899, Katie, daughter of the late Henry O’Sullivan White, Government surveyor of New South Wales, and granddaughter of the well-known New South Wales Government surveyor, George Boyle White, and has two sons and one daughter.
MICHAEL BALFOUR SCOTT, barrister and solicitor, Boulder, was born at Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, on April 21, 1867, and is a son of the late Rev. James Scott, D.D., of that town, and later of Hobart, Tasmania. He pursued his scholastic studies at the High School in Hobart, and at sixteen years of age, upon leaving college, was articled to the late Justice A. I. Clark, then in practice in that city. Having completed his indentures under this gentleman he was admitted to the Tasmanian Bar in 1889, and for a few years engaged in practice locally. In 1896 Mr. Scott came to Western Australia, shortly after the influx of goldseekers resulting on the important discoveries on the eastern fields. Upon arrival he became connected with the office of Mr. N. K. Ewing at Perth, with whom he served the requisite probationary period before his admission to the Western Australian Bar. In the early part of 1899 he took up
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his residence on the goldfields and established a practice at Boulder, where he has since become one of the well-known identities of the place. From the early days of his advent to the district he has held the post of solicitor to the local municipal council, and has thus been debarred from taking part in the deliberations of that body; but almost every other organization or movement having for its object the improvement of the city and the conditions under which the community exists, has had the benefit of his support and sympathy. Mr. Scott, though actually not a pioneer of the Boulder Racing Club, was one of its early members, and has always been prominent in advancing the interests of that body. For six years—from 1904**to 1910—he occupied the office of chairman, having previously served on the committee, and during his term of office most of the improvements which have caused the club to be ranked among the most up-to-date of similar organizations were devised and carried out. He was also the first to publicly advocate the appointment of stipendiary stewards to control lacing in the State. Musical societies and other recreative clubs have honoured him as a patron, and there are few circles where his personality is not recognized in a greater or less degree. Mr. Scott married in 1896 Maud, daughter of the late George Gregory, of Hobart, Tasmania, and has one daughter.
ALBERT EDWARD HEATH-COTE, surgeon dentist, Boulder, was born at “Hously Hall,” Eccles-field, Yorkshire, England, on June 14, 1878, and is a son of Mr. Thos. Heathcote, of that place. His early education was received in his native town, and upon coming to Australia with his parents while still quite a lad he completed his scholastic studies at Cootamundra, in Hew South Wales. Before reaching his teens he struck out for himself in the industrial world, serving his apprenticeship to the building trade, and long before he arrived at man’s estate had established himself as a contractor on his own behalf in Western Australia. Various important contracts, chiefly in the southwestern portion of the State, were carried out by Mr. Heathcote, who continued in this line of business until his nineteenth year. About GGG
this time he found himself in Kal-goorlie, and relinquishing the building trade entered upon a course of study at Piccadilly College, shortly afterwards turning his attention to study pharmacy under Mr. W. L. Thomas. He concluded his term with Mr. E. Parry, at that period chairman of the board of the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia, and having achieved success
J. J. Dwyer, Ealgoorlie.
Mr. Albert Edward Heathcote.
in this department took out indentures to Major T. Flintoff, dental surgeon, of Fremantle. After five years’ study under the latter gentleman, during which time he was associated with the dental work of the Government hospital at Fremantle, he passed the necessary examinations with credit, and returning to the goldfields in 1908 began practice on his own account at Boulder, At a later date he purchased the practices of Mr. Boxall and Mr. Wilson of Kalgoorlie, and within two years had worked up a connec tion so extensive that a staff of fifteen assistants was required to cope with its demands. Outside of his profession he has various interests. He holds agricultural property in the Williams district, where for a time he carried on farming pursuits. He is also a keen supporter of mining development, having been a promoter of . numerous prospecting parties and member of syndicates formed on the field with the object in view of opening up fresh claims. He is a lover of a good horse, and sporting events in connection with the racing clubs of Kalgoorlie and
Boulder command his interest as a relaxation from his professional duties. Mr. Heathcote married in 1907 Margaret, daughter of the late Paul Alday, of Portland, Victoria.
I-IARRIE SAXON LEE, J.P., M.P.S., chemist and druggist, Piesse Street, Boulder, was born at Ballarat, Victoria, on June 14, 1869. He is a son of the Rev. G. D. Lee, a Presbyterian minister who came to Australia from Nottingham, England, in the early fifties, and is one of the best-known identities of Ballarat, his years now being within a decade of the century. The gentleman under review was educated at Hamilton College, Victoria, under the late Mr. H. B. de la Poer Wall, M.A., F.R.G.S., one of the foremost educationalists of his day in Australia. At sixteen years of age he
J. J. Dwyer> Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Harrie Saxon Lee.
left the college to continue the study of pharmaceutical chemistry, begun under Mr. Wall, and served his indentures to the late Mr. Carl Klug of Hamilton. Mr. Lee concluded his studies at the School of Mines, Ballarat, from which institution he received his certificate and diploma of pharmacy, and subsequently proceeded to Melbourne. Here he became dispenser with the firm of Messrs. T. H. Huntsman & Co., at a later period acting as relieving manager in the various branch businesses carried on in Melbourne and its suburbs under that name. After two years in Melbourne he went to
Warrnambool in the same State, where he managed the business of Mr. H. London for seven years. In 1896 he came to Western Australia and accepted a position with the firm of Messrs. John Boileau & Co., as manager of its Boulder Block branch, which he retained for a year. He then resigned in order to open on his own account in his present premises, and has since conducted operations personally with marked success. It is interesting to note that this was the first chemist’s shop opened in Boulder City, and the third business of any description established in that town. Mr. Lee was granted his Commission of the Peace by the Moore Administration in 1901. He represented the ratepayers in the municipal council for three years, and subsequently contested the mayoralty against the retiring mayor, Lieutenant Colonel Johnston, but was beaten by a narrow majority. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and holds office as elder of that body. An enthusiast in Freemasonry, his honours include Past Master of Lodge, No. 25, W.A.C., and Grand Junior Warden. In 1898 Mr. Lee married Ada Frances, daughter of the late William Hughes, of Geelong, Victoria, and has one son surviving.
STEPHEN BESTON, J.P., merchant, Boulder, was born near Launceston, Tasmania, on April 8, 1866,
Mr. Stephen Beston.
and is a son of the late Patrick Beston, a farmer of that place. He pursued his scholastic studies at Bridge
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. mr, s. beston's premises, boulder.
North, about 12 miles from Launceston, and at fourteen years of age commenced work in the agricultural industry. For fifteen years he followed this calling in the Tamar River district, and at the end of that period became engaged in hydraulic sluicing on the mining fields.
In 1895 he came to Western Australia, enticed by the prosperous condition of the mining industry on the eastern goldfields, and after reaching Kalgoorlie purchased a condensing plant and conducted the business of water condensation for the public for a number of years. About eighteen months before the water supply scheme became an accomplished fact, Mr. Beston disposed of his plant and opened in the bakery trade at Boulder, five years later enlarging the scope of his operations by establishing himself as a general merchant in conjunction with his other business. He owns two stores at Boulder, the departments comprising grocery, wine and spirits, ironmongery, etc., the main premises being situated at the corner of Forrest and Wilson Streets and the branch store in the centre of Burt Street. Mr. Beston specializes in whisky, which he imports from Scotland. He has a staff of eighteen
employes who are kept employed all the year round. He acts as agent for the North British Fire Insurance Company, and is a director of the Boulder Brewery Company. In addition to the management of his manifold business affairs, he takes a
keen interest in the political affairs of the State, and gives considerable attention to the public interests of Boulder. In 1906 he was elected to a seat on the municipal council of Boulder, and two years later received his Commission of the Peace from the Moore Adminstration; he is also a member of the conference of local bodies on the goldfields. He is a trustee and treasurer of the Roman Catholic Church ah Boulder and a member of the Boulder Bowling
Mr. S. Beston’s Store. Burt Street. Boulder.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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Club. In 1898 Mr. Beston married Susan, daughter of Mr. William Eden Wright, a farmer of Victoria, and has two sons and two daughters.
The BOULDER CITY BREWERY COMPANY, Limited. This important brewing concern, which in a single decade has earned for itself a reputation extending far and wide throughout the States of the Australian Commonwealth, was founded in the year 1903, and has the unique distinction of being the only brewery in Boulder City. Its predecessor on the fields—the old Toorak Brewery at Coolgardie—was purchased outright by the present company in the year above-mentioned, since when the whole plant has been modernized and the buildings extended until, at the present time, they cover an area of four blocks, comprising in all over an acre of land. The firm’s premises, located within half a mile of the city centre, are constructed on the most approved hygienic principles, and it is under the most favourable conditions that the famous Boulder beer and stout is produced. In the erection of the brewery quarters the well-known gravitation principle was adopted, long years of experience having demonstrated the sound advantages this system maintains over all others. The tower block has four floors, and on its summit have been placed the huge tanks in which is stored thousands of gallons of water, the source of which— Mundaring—lies several hundreds
of miles distant from the present theatre of operations. From these tanks the water undergoes distillation, and in its purified form passes to the boiling vats, where the liquor from the malt (which has already been subjected to various processes
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Leo Brice.
of preparation) and sugar are added, the whole being boiled by the aid of steam. After undergoing certain other processes the beer is conducted to the fermenting gyles, whence it reaches the cellars, where it is cleansed, filtered, and placed in casks for distribution. The plant has a capacity of twenty hogsheads, while the spacious well-ventilated
and cool cellars will accommodate as many as 200 hogsheads without undue strain on its resources. Power is provided both by steam and electricity, the latter being supplied by the municipality of Boulder. The company manufactures all the casks required in the brewery, and the cooperage is replete with every requisite for the turning out of the finest casks and for the execution of repairs. To minimise the extreme heat of the goldfields summer a chilling plant of the very latest design has been installed, including a West’s refrigerator comprising two cylinders, each with a capacity of seven hogsheads, and by means of a “Gloria” machine forty dozen of beer may be bottled hourly. One product of the company, of which it is justifiably proud, is the famous Boulder stout, which surpasses in quality any similar beverage produced not only in Western Australia but in the Commonwealth, brewers generally throughout Australia, whilst claiming for their products many virtues, awarding it premier place for brilliancy and quality. The name “Boulder Stout” has become a household word from Norseman to Lawlers, and the output of this favourite beverage has each year increased until at the present time (1912) it has reached 4,000 dozen bottles per month. Only the finest English and Irish malt hops are used in its manufacture, and the stout will compare favourably with the best brands imported from the Emerald Isle. The head brewer, Mr. Theo. Bock, has been associated
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. GGG2
The Boulder City Brewery, boulder.
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with the goldfields for the past fourteen years, first with the Lion Brewery Company, and afterwards with the Toorak Brewery Company, transferring his services to the present management when the latter concern was secured and reconstructed under the present designation. Prior to coming to Western Australia Mr. Bock had had many years’ experience at the Silverton Brewery, near Broken Hill, New South Wales, and his intimate knowledge of brewing in all its details has largely contributed to the success which has attended the promotion of the present extensive brewing concern. For the past seven years the secretarial post has been filled by Mr. Leo Brice, a native of Cheltenham, England. Educated at Cardiff, Wales, at the age of ten years he commenced his commercial career as a junior in an accountant’s office in the lastnained town. In 1888 he came to Australia, and up to the time of accepting his present appointment was associated with mining accountancy at Broken Hill, Adelaide, and Kalgoorlie. Since takine up his duties as secretary Mr. Brice has ably seconded the efforts of the head brewer, and his business acumen has played no inconsiderable part in bringing about the five times’ increase in the firm’s output over the period. He is one of the best-known figures in commercial and social circles on the fields. The directors are Messrs. M. Jack-son (chairman), E. Pauley, S. Boston, A. H. de Baun, and M. T. O’Halloran. The firm’s outdoor representative is Mr. Francis B. Coory, who is also widely known on the fields.
MATTHEW EARNEST MAZ-ZUCCHELLI, watchmaker and manufacturing jeweller, Lane Street, Boulder, is a son of the late Joseph Alfred Mazzucchelli, of Coolgardie, who came from Switzerland to Victoria over half a century ago. He was born at Stawell, in that State, on May 16, 1876, and received his education in his native town. Having finished his scholastic career he entered upon the watchmaking trade in the establishment of Messrs. Cohen Brothers, well-known in the business world of Melbourne, and served with that firm for over three years. At the close of that period he returned to his native town, where he completed his apprenticeship and worked
as journeyman for Mr. Fred Sack, with whom he remained until his departure for Western Australia in 1898. During the eight years of his connection with the trade in Victoria, Mr. Mazzucchelli was employed in Stawell, Warracknabeal, and Shepparton subsequent to serving his indentures in Melbourne, and during this time gained an expert knowledge of his work. Upon arrival in Western Australia he spent a brief period at Coolgardie, a couple of months later entering the employ of Mr. James Robertson, of Boulder, where he continued for over five years in the same connection. He then formed a partnership with a fellow-employe, Mr. M. B. Downes, and, resigning from Mr. Robertson’s service,
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Matthew Earnest Mazzucchelli.
in conjunction with this gentleman established the business of Mazzucchelli & Downes, which has held a foremost place among similar concerns on the goldfields ever since. In 1912, this partnership was dissolved upon the decision of Mr. Downes to open a business in Albany, and Mr. Mazzucchelli has since carried on operations on his own behalf. In a quiet and effective way, he has interested himself in numerous affairs pertaining to the progress of the town, but on account of a very retiring disposition has consistently declined to accept any prominent public office. He takes a deep interest in all church work, and holds office as vestryman in St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Boulder, besides which he is a committeeman of the Boulder Benevolent Society. For a
considerable period he has held membership in the Masonic fraternity, and is an office-holder in the Boulder Lodge, No. 25, W.A.C. He is connected with the M.U., I.O.O.F., and is a member of the Boulder Racing Club. He has been an enthusiast cyclist ever since the wheel first made its appearance in Australia, and still continues to take exercise in this way. Mr. Mazzucchelli married in 1901 Clara, daughter of Mr. George Cronk, merchant, of Hopkins and Shannon Streets, Boulder, and has two sons and two daughters.
EDWARD PAULEY, senior partner in the firm of Pauley Brothers, produce merchants, Boulder, is a native of Victoria, having been born at Bendigo on April 5, 1869. He is a son of the late Edward Pauley, a farmer of that district, who was one of the first to prove the existence of payable gold in the deep alluvial ground at Bendigo, the first bucket of ore taken from the shaft yielding the splendid return of oz. of smelted gold. Mr. Pauley is a grandson of Gunner Edward Pauley, who distinguished himself on the field of Waterloo in 1815, under Wellington, and whose medal is now a prized possession of the gentleman under review. Educated at Wells-ford, near Bendigo, Mr. Pauley, after entering his teens, joined his father in the work of the farm, and continued in this connection until his twenty-seventh year, when he crossed the Bight to Western Australia. He was attracted to this State partly by virtue of the gold discoveries, which were bringing it into prominence all over the world, and also with the intention of joining his brother, Mr. Thomas Pauley, who had preceded him and had obtained a post on a mine near Broad Arrow. Upon the arrival of the newcomer the brothers joined forces and opened a storekeeping business at the Railway Venture Gold Mine, near Broad Arrow, which they carried on successfully for some considerable time. In 1897 a removal was made to Boulder, where the firm established a produce store towards the end of the year, which has since held its own against all competing concerns, and has the reputation of being the largest retail produce business on the eastern goldfields. The principal mines on the “Golden Mile” are supplied by this firm, and the operations of the business are under the personal
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supervision of Mr. Edwd. Pauley, who makes periodical trips throughout the agricultural areas of the State, and is accustomed to handle between 3,500 and 5,000 tons of mixed produce per annum. The partnership between the brothers—which it is interesting to note was first established in Victoria in the early nineties, so is for over twenty years’ standing— still exists, and its enterprise has been extended to the pastoral and agricultural industry. In 1900, the
7. .7. Dwyer, Kulgoorlie.
Mr. Edward Pauley.
Messrs. Pauley took up a large farming property situated near Wickepin, about 14 miles east of Cuballing. It consists of 4,000 acres, and the land when it first came into possession of the present owners was in its virgin state. A large amount of capital has been expended upon the improvement of this property, which is now in a very forward state of development, between 400 and 500 acres having been brought under cultivation, and pastoral operations inaugurated on a fairly large scale. The soil and climate have been found to be best suited to the production of cereals, wheat and oats being the chief crops harvested, and in forming the flock, the popular merino was chosen as most profitable for the purpose in view. Subsequent experience has justified this selection, excellent prices being obtained for the wool, while a very high lambing average is kept up. An ever-rcady market is found for the lambs on the goldfields, and dressed lambs, averaging 28 ft), in weight, command wholesale prices
up to 6d. per ft). The farm is under the management of Mr. Thomas Pauley, who devotes the whole of his time and attention to the various departments of the industry. The brothers have also had a considerable amount of mining experience in Western Australia, particularly in the Edjudina district, where they erected a battery for public crushing. Soon after the erection of this plant the Government of the day subsidized the mill in appreciation of the assistance given to the mining industry by our subjects. They have also been large shareholders in many schemes for the development of the industry locally. Mr. Pauley, sen., is one of the directors of the Boulder Brewery Company, Limited, in which he holds large interests, and is also a director of The Evening Star newspaper, the local daily paper at Boulder. He is a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and takes a prominent interest in the advancement of this cause. His sympathy and financial support have been of great assistance to the local church, and the committees connected with the management of that body have frequently been glad to avail themselves of the business experience possessed by him and which he is ever willing to place at their disposal. He is a true sportsman, and was among the earliest members of the Boulder Racing Club, also finding pleasurable recreation in the use of the gun, which has always been a means of favourite diversion to him. Both flying and forest game have found cause to regret his steady aim, and before Mr. Pauley’s advent to the interior of the State he was a frequent exponent with rod and hook of the
“gentle sport” of fishing in river and stream. His love of a good horse amounts almost to a hobby, and he always contrives to have in his stable one of the best roadsters obtainable. Mr. Pauley married in 1902
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Pauley.
Johanna, daughter of Mr. J. Quinlan, farmer, of Clare, South Australia, and has a family of three sons and one daughter. Mr. Thomas Pauley is now a member of the Cuballing Roads Board, and has been chairman of that body, besides which he has identified himself with most of the movements making for the progress and advancement of the district. He was married in 1908 to Edie, daughter of Mr. Barbary, of Moonta, South Australia, and has two sons.
Messrs. Pauley Brothers’ Premises, Boulder.
91$
ARTHUR STUBBS, J.P., timber merchant, Boulder, was born at Balmoral, Victoria, on January 9, 1873, and is a son of the late William
different classes of work carried out, which cannot be met by means of the local products, are imported direct from the Baltic, while the Western
charitable organizations. He was gazetted a Justice of the Peace in 1906, having received his Commission from the Moore Administration. Mr. Stubbs was one of the founders of the Boulder Eisteddfod, and was chairman during its second year, and at the time of writing (1912) still holds that office. He also acts on the committee of the Boulder Racing Club, one of the most successful
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. Mr. A. Stubbs’ Timber Yard, boulder.
Stubbs, one of the pioneer teachers in the Victorian Education Department. He received his scholastic training principally under his father, and continued his studies well into his teens, whilst working as a junior in an office from ten years of age. In 1889 he became apprenticed to the building trade, specializing in carpentry and the timber departments of the trade, and five years later came to Western Australia and engaged in contracting for seven years. During this period he placed to his credit many of the leading public and private structures in the metropolis, among which may be specially mentioned the old Legislative Council Chambers. In the year 1900 Mr. Stubbs proceeded to the goldfields and took under his own supervision a hardware business, in which he had previously held an interest in conjunction with his brother. He also contracted for several large buildings on the fields, and not long after his arrival established on a small scale the present flourishing timber business now carried on by him. This proved very successful, business increasing in volume year by year, until he now holds the premier position in the trade in Boulder. He owns the only timber mill in the town, and in addition to the output of his own trade the milling for other timber yards is done at this mill, which is a very profitable adjunct to Mr. Stubb’s other operations. Timbers of various kinds suitable for the
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. Mr. A. Stubbs* Premises, Boulder.
Australian timbers, including a large proportion of jarrah, are procured from the Greenbushes district. In connection with the other branch of the business Mr. Stubbs is a large importer of ironmongery goods and all kinds of hardware from England and America, and his stock is a very complete and representative one. During his residence on the goldfields he has taken an active interest in the municipal life of Boulder, and for three years represented the ratepayers of that city in the council chamber. He occupies a seat on the committee of the Boulder Public Library, and is an honorary officeholder in several semi-public and
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlic.
Mr. Arthur Stubbs.
sporting organizations of its kind in the Commonwealth. The popular games of golf and bowls provide him with necessary recreation, and he is a champion bowler, filling the office of vice-president of the local club, while he is vice-president of the Boulder Golf Club. Mr. Stubbs was
919
married in 1903 to Dora, daughter of the late Albert Warnecke, farmer, late of Cunderdin, and his family consists of two sons.
BENNO ZOWE, one of the pioneer commercial men of the eastern goldfields, is a native of South Australia, having been born at Blumberg, near Adelaide, on October 7, 1874. He is a son of the late Julius Fredrick Theodore Zowe, a cabinet-maker, who came from the Fatherland to Australia in the early fifties and settled at Kapunda, South Australia, where the gentleman under review received his education. At the close of his schooldays he was apprenticed to the butchering business in the firm of J. M. Watts, of that town, and completed his indentures with this old and well-established firm. At the time of the
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Benno Zowe.
first gold discoveries at Coolgardie he joined in the general exodus from the Central State, and upon arrival in Western Australia became a member of a prospecting party at Northam, which proceeded to the scene of activity. Dame Fortune, however, reserved her smiles for others, and after a year of work with only disappointing results Mr. Zowe turned his attention to commercial enterprise, and for three years conducted a butchering business at Coolgardie. Disposing of this concern in 1897 he came to Kalgoorlie and purchased the old Smithfield Meat Markets in Hannan Street, which he carried on
for a year, eventually selling out to the firm of Messrs. Kidman & Uhr. Having previously formed a partnership with Mr. Arthur Daff, he now opened in Boulder City, and since 1900 the firm has operated very successfully in Piesse Street. The subject of this notice has also established an independent business in Burt Street, which he personally supervises conjointly with his other interests, and in addition to his commercial enterprise is a power—none the less important for being unobtrusive—in mining circles. Much of the capital which he has amassed through his business operations has been applied to the opening up of new mining claims, and he has taken a personal part in the development of many of these. During the past twenty years lie has been present at all the more important “rushes” to newly-discovered fields, among which may be mentioned the Wealth of Nations, Lake Darlot, Hayes’ Find, Bullfinch, and Kurnalpi, in the last-named of which he has strong faith. He is a general advocate of sport and a member of the Boulder Racing Club. In 1892 Mr. Zowe married Rose, eldest daughter of the late Benjamin Harris, of Kapunda, South Australia, and has two sons.
CHARLES JAMES MONTGOMERY, member of the firm of Messrs. Montgomery Brothers, drapers, of Boulder, was born at Canningstowc, County Cavan, Ireland, on July 23, 1873, and is a son of the late Maxwell Montgomery, a farmer of that place. He pursued his education in the National School in his native village, and at seventeen years of age sailed for South Australia in order to join his brother who had preceded him to the Antipodes. Upon arrival he became engaged in commercial pursuits at Mintaro, but after a brief sojourn in the Central State decided to come to Western Australia, where the gold boom was in the full zenith of its brilliant day. Mr. Montgomery first entered into partnership with the late J. McHenry Clark, in conjunction with whom he opened a business at Southern Cross. This connection was dissolved, however, in less than twelve months, and the gentleman under review launched out on his own account, conducting trading operations under the name of C. J. Montgomery & Co. A year later the firm of Montgomery Brothers was formed,
and shortly afterwards a branch business was opened at Menzies under the personal conduct of the subject of this notice, who subsequently extended the scope of operations to Kookynie and Leonora. When Kalgoorlie eventually became the centre
J. J. Dioyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Charles James Montgomery.
of the mining industry of Western Australia the firm established at that important place what has since become one of the leading drapery businesses in the State. The success of the Kalgoorlie emporium justified the opening up of a similar store at Boulder, where the same good results followed; and in 1911 when the firm of Messrs. J. H. Hicks, of “White House,” Fremantle, went out of business, the Montgomery Brothers took over the establishment, and have since worked up a connection second to none in the principal seaport of Western Australia. Mr. C. J. Montgomery has always identified himself with the public life of the State, and in the earlier days of his advent here served in various capacities, at one time filling the role of municipal councillor at Menzies. He is keenly interested in the advancement of Boulder, and is a member of the committee of the Boulder Racing Club, while for many years he has been associated with the Masonic fraternity and has held office in that body. He is an enthusiastic amateur gardener, and is especially successful in the cultivation of roses. Mr. Montgomery married in 1909 Jessie, daughter of Mr. Charles Lindsay McLean, of Boulder, and has one son and one daughter.
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RAYMOND LIONEL LEANE, proprietor of the house of J. H. Pellew & Co., drapers and mercers, of Boulder, was born at Prospect, South Australia, on July 12, 1878, and is a son of the late Thomas J. Leane, of Adelaide. At the conclusion of his scholastic career he became apprenticed to the firm of Messrs. Martin Bros., drapers, of Burlington House, Rundle Street, Adelaide. During the five years that he served in this well-known establishment Mr. Leane passed through all branches and departments of the business, and in 1896, upon receiving the offer of an ajppointment from Mcssis. E. Barnett & Co., of Albany, Western Australia, came to the southern seaport. He continued in this connection for four years, eventually resigning in order to offer himself for service in the Boer War in South Africa. Failing to be selected by the authorities he joined the firm of Messrs. D. and W. Murray, Limited, at Perth, and spent seven years in this service, spending a year at Fremantle as the firm's representative there, and proceeding thence to the eastern goldfields, where he took charge of the local branch for a few months. From there he was retransferred to Perth and was given control of the millinery and lace department, remaining here until 1907. In February of that year Mr. Leane became a partner in the business known as “The New Economic, Limited,” trading in Fremantle, Kalgoorlie, and Boulder, in connection with which he took joint management
with his brother of the latter two branches of the house. During the course of 1908 he disposed of his interest in the firm and purchased the Boulder branch of the business, which he has since conducted under the original title of J. H. Pellew and Co., this house having been
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlic.
Mr. Raymond Lionel Leane.
established in the first instance by Mr. Pellew. It is a high-class establishment, and clients have found themselves able to rely with confidence on the business-like methods that are the rule of the house. Mr. Leane, whilst living at North Perth, was twice returned unopposed to
represent the East Ward in the local municipal council. He was one of the first to move in the Greater Perth scheme and one of the original delegates appointed to meet the Perth Council in conference. Mr. Leane joined the Volunteer-Garrision Artillery at Albany under the late Major Moore, and shortly after coming to Perth transferred to the Commercial Corps in the Perth Infantry Regiment, where he served for three years. On account of the pressure of business duties after his arrival on the goldfields he tendered his resignation, but upon returning to the metropolis again took his place in the forces, and in 1905 assisted in the formation of a company at North Perth and Leederville. In connection with this company -C Company, of the 11th Infantry Regiment, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Strickland—he received the appointment of lieutenant, and having passed for his captaincy was gazetted to that rank at a later date, no vacancy existing at the time of his examination. In 1910 he received his commission of captain, and having once more taken up his residence on the goldfields was given command of .C Company, Boulder, in the 84th Infantry Regiment, Goldfields Battalion. In 1911 he passed for his majority, promotion to which rank will follow in the course of time. In 1902 he married Edith, daughter of Mr. J. Lavbourne-Smith, dentist, of Adelaide, South Australia, and has three sons and one daughter.
Photo by J. J. Dwyer.
Messrs. J. H. Pellew a Co.’s Premises, Boulder.
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MATTHEW JACKSON, merchant, of Boulder, was born at Alston, Cumberland, England, on November 25, 1865, and is a son of
Mr. Matthew Jackson.
Mr. Joseph Jackson, of the same place. The latter gentleman was one of the early prospectors of Victoria in 1860, and was one of the first to erect a puddling machine in the pioneer gold-mining days of that State. Educated in his native town, upon leaving school he served his apprenticeship to the trade of carpenter and wheelwright, and after completing his five years’ indentures followed his calling in the Old
Country until the early part of 1868, when he sailed for Australia, and arriving at Townsville, in Queensland, proceeded thence to Charters Towers, where he worked at his trade for a year. He then went to Chillagoe and opened an hotel at a place called Muldiva, where he carried on for five years. Selling his interests there in 1894 Mr. Jackson came to Western Australia, attracted by the gold-mining boom, then at its height, and making his way to the Cool-gardie district started business at Mount Burgess in the grocery and bakery line of trade.
This he relinquished shortly afterwards to join in the pursuit of the elusive red metal, and journeying to Mount Darlot prospected in that district for a considerable time, but without any great success. After a return to Coolgardie and trading operations, in March, 1896, he came to Boulder Block and opened the second store in the now populous centre, where for six years he carried on as grocer and general merchant. The scope of his business expanded rapidly, and in 1901 he found it necessary to open another
store in the heart of Boulder City, and has continued ever since to operate from this central position in Burt Street. His career as one of Boulder’s prominent commercial men has been a very successful one, and he may be included among those who have aided in bringing the city into
its present premier position. He has actively identified himself with the public life of the place, and for some years has occupied a seat as city councillor, in addition to his municipal services being closely connected with the development of the mining industry. He was responsible to a large extent for the reopening and financing of the Golden Ridge Mine after it had been abandoned by an English company, and as chairman of directors, with a syndicate of twelve other citizens, continued its develojDment to the paying concern that it has since become. He is also a director of the Boulder City Brewery Company, Limited, and has occupied the chair for over five years. He is a member and president of the Mines and City Workers’ Club, aud has been associated with the Masonic fraternity for a lengthy period, being a member of the Golden Pillar Lodge, No. 67, W.A.C. A keen sportsman, he heartily advocates all forms of clean outdoor recreation, and is vice-president of the Boulder Racing Club, having served for a decade on the committee of that body, while his personal preference inclines to golf and bowls. He married Mary, daughter of the late Michael Scanlen, of County Clare, Ireland, and has two daughters.
Photo by J. J. Dwyer. interior View of Mr. M. Jackson's Premises.
JOSEPH PARERAS, proprietor of the Albion Hotel, Boulder, was born at Alella, Barcelona, Spain, on December 23, 1859. At fifteen years of age he obtained work in Barcelona, and subsequently opened a restaurant on his own account in the same city. To escape from the unsatisfactory
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. JosErn Pareras.
condition of affairs then existent in Spanish political circles, in 1892 he came to Australia, landing in the first instance at Melbourne. The report of gold discoveries in the AVes-tern State, however, determined him to seek the land where speedy fortunes were being made, and on
October 25 of the same year he first set foot on AVestern Australian soil. Mr. Pareras lost no time in establishing himself in the commercial world at Perth, and in April, 1894, in conjunction with two others he opened the Duke of York restaurant in that city.
Twelve months later he disposed of his interest in this business, and coming to Kalgoorlie in November, 1895, began a successful career as j oint - proprietor, with Mr. John Cabus Parer, of “Parer’s Restaurant.” In the big fire that occurred on October 22, 1896, this
building was burnt down, but was immediately rebuilt and reopened in the following December, and while carrying on a brisk business in the town the partners interested themselves in sending out prospecting parties to different parts of the goldfields. In 1897 the firm built the present Albion Hotel, which was opened for business on January 1, 1898, and was carried on successfully for a time. On account of the indifferent health of his partner the responsibility of the conduct of both businesses fell upon Mr. Pareras, and finding himself unable satisfactorily to cope with the demands
made upon him he leased the hotel for ten years. In 1897 he took out his papers of naturalization as a British subject, and two years later revisited his native country. In
1901 he returned to Australia, and took over control of the Kalgoorlie business, at a subsequent period rebuilding the Albion Hotel, which was destroyed in the Boulder conflagration on June 6, 1902. His dissolution of partnership with Mr. Parer took place in December of this year, and for a time the gentleman under review continued to conduct the restaurant, while interesting himself in mining enterprises at Yarri and elsewhere without any very great success. In 1904 he went abroad again and travelled extensively in different parts of Europe, returning to Australia in March, 1907. Tire lease of the Albion Hotel expiring in March, 1908, Mr. Pareras returned to Boulder and assumed control of the business which had suffered serious decline and was at a very low ebb. Under his able management operations were established on thoroughly up-to-date lines, and in the few years which have since elapsed the hotel has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the best-conducted houses on the goldfields. Mr. Pareras is a lover of art, music, and books. He is a member of the local bowling and golf clubs, and of the Boulder Racing Club, and fills the offices of patron and vice-president of leading clubs on the fields. He is a committeeman of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association of the goldfields.
rhoto by J. J. Dwyer. Lawn at Rear of Albion hotel.
Mr. J. Pareras1 Albion Hotel, Boulder.
923
ALBERT WILLIAM RODDA, of Boulder City, was born at Tan-unda, South Australia, on May 24, 1858, and is a son of the late William Murdoch Rodda, of that place. He received his education in his native town, and at fourteen years of age was apprenticed to the general storekeeping trade for four years. At the end of that period he removed to Moonta, where he was engaged in the same line of business for a considerable time, proceeding thence to Riverton and Broken Hill. At the latter town he established a men’s mercery store and remained there for seven years, making his departure for Western Australia in 1894. The excitement caused by the Coolgardie rush drew him to the scene of the find, and for about three years he followed divers occupations at the “Old Camp.” In 1898 lie came farther east., opening in business as men’s clothier at Kalgoorlie and Boulder, where he carried on successfully for some years. Mr. Rodda first became interested in the hotel trade in 1900, and with the
exception of less than two years, when he was farming in the Temora district of New South Wales, has continued in his line of business ever
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. Albert William Rodda.
since. He has been in turn “mine host” of the Miners’ Rest, the Union Club, the Court, and the Grand Hotels at Boulder, and whilst conducting these hostelries has found time to interest himself largely in the mining industry, giving material financial assistance to the development of numerous claims on the eastern fields. He has been a member of the Ancient Order of Druids and has been elected a life member of that Order. He is also a life member of the Boulder Racing Club, having been connected with this organization since its inception, serving for eleven years as a committeeman, during the greater part of which period he filled the position of honorary treasurer. In his younger days Mr. Rodda was a well-known amateur performer on the turf, having trained and ridden to victory many winners at Broken Hill and on the Western Australian goldfields. He still maintains a lively interest in this sport, but his chief recreation is taken in driving, and he has always a good horse in his stable.
KANOWNA AND BULONG.
Kanowna is one of the principal municipal townships of the North-East Coolgardie goldfield, and is situated 12 miles from Kalgoorlie, on a branch railway. Although the North-East Coolgardie goldfield was only proclaimed on February 19,
1896, Kanowna was previously known to old miners and prospectors as the “White Feather,” and was at one time an alluvial field of some importance. It attained much prominence in 1898, when the output of alluvial gold from the deep leads was very considerable. Following on the alluvial deposits reefs were discovered, &nd several companies were organized for working them. There is a peculiar feature in connection with mining in this district in the form of a “clayey” deposit known as “pug,” richly impregnated with gold, but which forms a difficult extraction problem.
The township is lit with electric light, and the comforts of civilization are not wanting, though a good deal of its ancient glory has in a measure departed. There is a telephone exchange, and the post and general
services are up to date and efficient. The Government hospital has accommodation for seventy-five patients. The religious life is well represented, and is strong and vigorous, there being several churches. The population of Kanowna within a five-mile radius is a little over 1,000.
About 15 miles south of Kanowna and 20 miles east of Kalgoorlie is situated the mining township of Bulong, to which there is communication by coach daily. It is a pretty little town, the streets and footpaths being well made and kept. Ornamental trees are planted on both sides of the streets. The natural bush and timber
surrounding the town have been preserved, giving the place a rural rather than a mining appearance. The township possesses a post and telegraph office,
a Government hospital, miners’ institute, three hotels, and a brewery. Population 550, within a five-mile radius; and of the town, 157.
JOHN LOUIS MARTIN, J.P., Mayor of Kanowna, was born at-Yandoit, near Newstead, Victoria, on April 11, 1868, and is a son of the late Henry Martin, farmer and merchant, of that place. He received his education at a public school in his native village, with a finishing course in Melbourne, and at the termination of his studies became connected with the railway department of Victoria, rising to the
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mit. John Louis Martin.
position of stationmaster before severing his connection with the department in 1894. Arriving in Western Australia during the latter year he turned his attention to the mining industry at Kanowna, being one of the pioneers of that field, where he suffered many hardships and privations in common with other early prospectors in the district. He is now looked upon as the oldest resident of the town which, from the first, he has made his headquarters, whilst following the “rushes” to all parts of the eastern goldfields as they occurred from time to time. Finally, settling down at Kanowna in 1902, he erected a crushing battery for his own use and also for public crushing purposes, and in addition to this venture is also interested in several mining propositions in the district. He takes keen interest in the public
welfare, and for ten years past has been identified with the local governing bodies, i.e., the roads board and subsequently the municipal council, in 1910 being elected to the mayoral chair, and again in 1912. Mr. Martin is a Past Master of the Golden Feather Lodge of Freemasons, a Mark Mason, a Royal Arch Mason, and an officer of the Goldfields Dis trict Grand Lodge - of Western Australia. The local hospital also claims a portion of his interest, and he holds office as a member of the committee of this institution. He married in 1900 Leila Marion, daughter of the late Ernest Wallace, of Sydney, and has one son and three daughters.
Councillor WILLIAM ADOLPHUS WYATT, who represents the ratepayers on the Kanowna Municipal Council, was born at North Adelaide, South Australia, on November 27, 1858, and is a son of the late William Wyatt, one of the early pioneers of the Central State. He was educated principally at the scholastic institution conducted by Messrs. Nesbit & Drew, and upon the conclusion of his studies became apprenticed to the trade of carpenter and joiner. Having followed his calling for a few years in his native State, in April, 1894, he came to Western Australia with the intention of proceeding direct to the eastern goldfields. With others, however, he was debarred by the authorities from going farther than Southern Cross, the scarcity of water on the fields being attended with considerable loss of life. At a later period, upon the discovery of the Wealth of Nations and Londonderry Mines, he carried out his original intention, and upon this occasion, with his wife, walked from Southern Cross to Coolgardie, where, soon after arrival, both were stricken down with typhoid fever, contracted in Mrs. Wyatt’s case from attendance upon the suffering prospectors who had preceded them. In the early part of 1895 they removed to Kanowna—Mrs. Wyatt being among the first five women to proceed thither—and opened the Federal Hotel, then known as the Oxford Saloon; and in August of the same
year Mr. Wyatt was one of the fortunate prospectors to own an interest in the General Gordon and General Gordon Extended Mines. He was present at nearly all the “rushes” that have occurred on the eastern fields, and besides actively participating in the work of prospecting has supported the mining industry by assisting in the sending out of prospecting parties, chiefly on the North-east Coolgardie field, around Kanowna. He still continues the conduct of the hotel, and since taking up his residence at Kanowna has furthered the interests of the district in every possible way. With a short break he lias been a member of the municipal council since within two years of its foundation, and he was one of the founders of the Druids’ Lodge at
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mit. William Adolphus Wyatt.
Kanowna; while his wife, who was looked upon as the mother of the town, took a leading part in the affairs of the local hospital in earlier days. Always fond of outdoor sport Mr. Wyatt, prior to his advent to this State, was known as an intercolonial footballer, as far back as 1878 playing for his State against Victoria; while he was one of the crew to win the eights in Adelaide in the year 1894. Mr. Wyatt has a family of two sons and one daughter.
925
Councillor ARTHUR WHITWORTH, who represents the ratepayers on the Kanowna municipal governing body, was born at Oldham, Lancashire, England, on February 28, 1866, his father being the late Robert Whitworth, of that place. At the close of his education, when eleven years of age, he took a commercial position in Manchester, but relinquished this line of business in favour of railway construction work, being engaged in the fitting department of the Newton Heath Railway Workshops. Some years later he worked his passage to Queensland, where he joined his brother in the mineral ' waters manufacture for about six years, in 1892 coming to Western Australia. Here he was employed as foreman in Messrs. Donaldson’s mineral waters factory at Perth, subsequently finding his way to the eastern goldfields, doing the journey from Southern Cross to Kanowna on foot. At the latter place Mr. Whitworth, in conjunction with the late John Muller, opened in the bakery business and worked up a thriving trade, eventually conducting the most important business of its kind in Kanowna. A keen supporter of the mining industry he gave a considerable amount of time to prospecting, personally sinking shafts and financing various enterprises which did not always prove successful. Having sustained somewhat serious losses in this way he turned his attention once more to the manufacture of mineral waters, and has continued successfully ever since. Mr. Whitworth is interested in real estate and owns the Commercial Hotel in Kanowna. He was returned as a member of the local municipal council some years ago and has since served continuously on that body. He is an advocate of outdoor sport, and is well known in connection with local football events. He married Lily, daughter of Mr. J. Frederick, of Hay Street, Perth, and has five children.
Councillor HENRY NELSON WILLIAMS, Town Treasurer to the Municipality of Kanowna, was born near Bega, New South Wales, on May 20, 1870, and is a son of Mr. John Williams, farmer and grazier, of that place. He pursued his primary studies in public schools in his native State, and after a finishing course under private tuition entered upon business pursuits in Bembooka,
New South Wales. For five years he was identified with the firm of Messrs. Finn Brothers, general merchants, of that town, and in 1893 resigned this connection and came to Western Australia at the time when the financial crisis in the Mother State sent the more adventurous spirits far afield in search of more promising pastures. His intention was to settle on the land, but upon arrival he changed his mind and opened a produce business in Perth, which, however, shortly afterwards he sold in order to test his fortune on the newly-discovered eastern goldfields. Accordingly he established himself in Bulong as a draper and soft-goods merchant, and conducted this business for about three years, but a fire completely destroying his premises he was reduced to making another start. For a time he acted as manager of a branch business in Kanowna for Mr. John R. Saunders, and eventually took over this concern on his own behalf in 1909, and has carried it on ever since. Mr. Williams was elected a
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlic.
Mr. Henry Nelson Williams.
member of the local municipal council in 1905, and has served as councillor, with a break of one year, ever since. When first returned he held the post of town treasurer until his retirement in 1909, and during the present year (1912) has again been appointed to that office. He is connected with almost every public or semi-public body in the town, is chairman of the hospital committee, chairman of the district school board, and treasurer of the library
and reading - room, while every movement for the advancement of tho place meets with his cordial support. Mr. Williams married in 1900 Edith Mary, daughter of the late John Holt, well known in the mining industry of Victoria and this State, and has three daughters and one son.
Councillor FRED PARTRIDGE, member of the Kanowna municipal governing body, is a son of Mr. S.
D. Partridge, of Ballarat, Victoria, who was one of the earliest colonists
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlic.
Mr. Fred Partridge.
of that State. Educated in the latter city, upon leaving school Mr. Partridge entered commercial life, and was associated in turn with several business houses, transferring his services as the opportunity of promotion presented itself. In 1901 he came to Western Australia, and upon arrival joined the well-known firm of Messrs. Sandover & Co., of Perth. Shortly afterwards he came to Kanowna and engaged in mercantile pursuits, in 1902 accepting a post as assistant to Mr. McCabe, storekeeper, of that town. Within a brief period Mr. Partridge was admitted into partnership, and at the end of 1907, when Mr. McCabe left the goldfields, he took over the business, and has since carried it on on his own behalf. Since coming to Kanowna he has been prominently identified with the public life of the place, and in 1910 was returned as councillor to the local municipal chamber, which office he still holds.
He has filled the post of chairman of the hospital committee, in which body he has served for five years, and has taken a leading part in the rifle club movement on the goldfields, being captain of the Kanowna Rifle Club, the secretarial duties of which were in his hands for a considerable period. He is connected with the Kanowna branch of the Ancient Order of Druids, and proved himself a most capable organizer in the capacity of secretary of this lodge. Social, sporting, and charitable organizations alike command his ready support and sympathy, and there are few better-known citizens in the district. Mr. Partridge married in 1909 Mary, daughter of Mr. Quigley, formerly a well-known resident of Bulong, and has two sons.
JOHN CABLE, J.P., General Chairman of the Kanowna Roads Board and member of the firm of Messrs. Cable, Lardncr, & Jones, of Kanowna and Kurnalpi, was born at Beaufort, Victoria, on October 28, 1861, and is a son of the late James Cable, a well-known identity on the goldfields of Australia and California. He received his education at Talbot, in the Victorian State,
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie.
Mr. John Cable.
and upon leaving school followed in the footsteps of his father, prior to his advent to Western Australia spending many years on the mining-fields of the eastern portion of the Island-Continent. In 1886 he took passage for Fremantle, his intention
being to prospect the mineral wealth of this State, and in pursuance of this object—with which he combined commercial pursuits as opportunity permitted—he has been identified with every goldfield in Western Australia from the Kimberley to Kurnalpi. In 1901 he came from the latter place to settle in Kanowna, where he immediately established himself in business on behalf of his firm, which, under the title of Messrs. Cable, Lardner, & Jones, general storekeepers, has become well known at Kanowna, Bulong, Randalls, and Kurnalpi. Upon taking up his residence in the town Mr. Cable began to interest himself in the public affairs of the community, and at an early period was elected to the office of councillor of the municipality, in which capacity he acted for some time. Subsequently he was returned as a member of the Kanowna Roads Board, and has served continuously on this body for the length of a decade, being the present chairman of the board. lie received his Commission of Justice of the Peace from the Forrest Administration in 1898. He is a keen supporter of the mining industry throughout the district, aiding in the promotion of prospecting parties, etc., and in addition to his other interests has devoted a share of his attention to the breeding of blood and draught horses on a pastoral property which he owns at Kurnalpi. Mr. Cable married in 1897, in the City of Buffalo, U.S.A., Ellen, daughter of the late John Lardner, of Lockport, and has five sons and three daughters.
JAMES McINTYRE, proprietor of the Kanowna Brewery, was born at Ballymenagh, County Londonderry, on March 17, 1863, and is a son of the late William McIntyre, farmer and contractor, of the same place. He received his education at the National School in his native town, and at sixteen years of age became connected with his father in the contracting business, also giving a portion of his time to work on the home farm. Upon attaining his twenty-fourth year he emigrated to Victoria, where he turned his attention to contracting on his own account, and continued in this line of trade until he was drawn into the general exodus from the Eastern States to Western Australia in 1894. For over a year he engaged in the
work of prospecting, and about the end of 1895, having been offered a position in Hannan's Brewery as cooper, devoted his spare time to learning the method of brewing under the late Daniel Langford, then chief brewer at that establishment, who afforded him an insight into the business which has since proved invaluable to him. Upon leaving Hannan's Brewery Mr. McIntyre was identified with several similar concerns in turn, and this way gained an extensive knowledge of the different methods employed with success. In 1898 he opened on his own behalf a brewing establishment at Bulong,
.7. .7. Dwyer, Kalgoorlie,
Mr. James McIntyre.
and during the halcyon days of that district for eleven years commanded all the trade of the place. In 1909 he purchased the Kanowna Brewery —the only establishment of its kind in the town—and ever since has successfully carried on business, the brewery being managed on up-to-date lines, and both brewing and management being in the hands of the proprietor. Mr. McIntyre has found time to take an interest in public affairs, and while resident at Bulong served for some years as municipal councillor, besides being a member of the hospital committee and other useful organizations. For a lengthy period he took a keen interest in rifle shooting, and occupied the position of captain of the Bulong Rifle Club for three years. In 1901 he married Katherine Matilda, daughter of the late John Coen, farmer, of Galway, Ireland, and has six sons and one daughter surviving.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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RICHARD BAUGH, A.P.S., pharmaceutical chemist, Kanowna, is a native of Llanymynech, Wales, where he was born on January 29, 1865. He is a son of the late Richard Baugh, a farmer of the same place, and received his education locally and under private tuition at Oswestry, Shropshire, subsequently passing through a collegiate course in Carnarvon. He pursued his professional studies under Dr. Muter at the South London College of Pharmacy, and after completing his apprenticeship and taking his diploma from this institution accepted a position as assistant in Kingston-on-Thames,
Mr. Richard Baugh.
where he remained for about two years. In 1887 he proceeded to Dublin, where he filled a responsible post in the famous firm of Messrs. Hamilton, Long, & Co., chemists, and afterwards was identified in a position of trust with Messrs. John Evans and Co., of the same city. At a later date he gained a wide experience in the drug and pharmacy trade in Ireland as dispenser in the Government Service to the Irish Prisons Department, which was supplemented by a couple of years in the profession in London. In 1893 he took passage for New Zealand, and after spending less than a year in the Dominion arrived at Coolgardie, Western Australia, towards the end of 1894. For awhile Mr. Baugh abandoned his profession in favour of prospecting, but not meeting with success in his endeavours opened a pharmacy at Kanowna in partnership with Mr. Owen Evans, in conjunction with whom he carried on business until
1900, when the connection was severed, and Mr. Baugh has since conducted operations on his own behalf. He has taken a leading part in the life of the town, and was one of the original managers of the Caulfield Memorial Library, in which he held office for some considerable time. He was a member of the first municipal council, and after a lapse of some years was again elected in 1901 to represent the ratepayers on this body. He has been connected with the management of the local hospital, serving on the committee, besides acting as dispenser for four or five years. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, an honorary member of the Lodge of Foresters, and interests himself in the Kanowna Rifle Club, his favourite form of recreation being wild duck shooting. In 1904 Mr. Baugh married Maud Elizabeth, daughter of the late Mr. Patrick Shiels, a well-known bank manager of Melbourne, Victoria, and has two sons.
HARRY ROWE TAYLOR, Kanowna, was born at sea, in the Bay of Bengal, on the sailing vessel “Clydesdale,” on December 23, 1864, being a son of the late Francis Taylor, of Kent, England, who followed the calling of a master mariner. He pursued his educational studies in Dublin, and upon leaving school entered upon marine pursuits as apprentice in the “Liverpool,” a boat belonging to the line of Messrs. Sinclair & Co. He followed a seafaring life for sixteen years, at the end of which period he was attracted to Western Australia by the widespread report of gold discoveries on the eastern fields, having previously spent two years as chief mate on board the revenue schooner “Meda” sailing round the north-west coast. Upon arrival at the goldfields he began dryblowing at Hannan’s Six-Mile, but meeting with but small reward for his labours continued his journey to Kanowna, where he became engaged in reefing, working leases with a couple of mates. Since that period Mr. Taylor has been a consistent supporter of the mining industry, continually testing his fortune as a prospector and giving financial assistance to various parties in their search for the precious metal. Among these may be mentioned Messrs. Routledge and Graham, who met with such brilliant success in the discovery of the rich patch of
indicator gold at Kurnalpi, on which nearly 1,100 oz. of gold were recovered in three months, its value being over j£4 per oz. Mr. Taylor is the proprietor of the Railway Hotel at Kanowna. He is a member of the Masonic craft, having joined the fraternity nearly a quarter of a century ago. He married in 1896 Myra, daughter of the late Henry Lloyd, late of Fremantle, an engineer in the railway department of the Government service.
ALEXANDER CAIRNDUFF, fancy-goods dealer and tobacconist, Kanowna, was born at Hobart, Tasmania, on January 20, 1873, and is a son of the late Rev. Alexander Cairnduff, M.A., who filled the office of a Presbyterian clergyman in the above city for nearly forty years. The gentleman under review was educated in his native place, and at the close of his scholastic career proceeded to Victoria, where he became engaged in the postal department of the Civil Service for some years. Eventually he came to Western Australia, and upon arrival at Kanowna in 1896 turned his attention to prospecting, and ever since has maintained an interest in the mining industry, supporting with financial
J. J. Dwyer, Kalgoor/ie.
Mr. Alexander Cairnduff.
assistance almost every lead discovered in the district. Success, however, followed his efforts in only a limited degree, and within a year of his advent to the field he opened in business as a fancy-goods dealer and tobacconist, and has continued
with satisfactory results in this line of trade. Mr. Cairnduff has interested himself in the public institutions of the place, and for a considerable time served the community as a member of the committee of the local hospital. He is a member of the
Foresters’ Lodge at Kanowna, and has filled the office of treasurer of that body. In matters of sport he has been prominent, acting as secretary to several athletic clubs, including the cricket and football organizations, whilst as a runner he attained
to considerable success on the eastern goldfields. Mr. Cairnduff was married in the year 1903 to Caroline, daughter of the late Francis Murphy, of Bendigo, Victoria, and has a family of two sons and three daughters.
BROAD ARROW, MENZIES, AND MALCOLM.
The township of Broad Arrow is situated about 25 miles north of Kalgoorlie, on the Kalgoorlie-Menzies railway line. The town was once the scene of very extensive alluvial operations, and there was a very large population of miners working in the immediate vicinity. For several years, however, a depression has existed, but there are signs of returning prosperity. The water supply of the township is mainly obtained from the Government dam, which has a capacity of 10,000,000 gallons. The affairs of the little community are looked after by a roads board and local board of health, and the population is about 280.
About two and a half miles south of Broad Arrow is situated the small mining township of Paddington, of which the population is about 220. There are several mines in the vicinity, the principal being Paddington Consols and Star of the West.
Continuing the journey northward from Broad Arrow along the Kalgoorlie - Menzies railway line, the small mining township of Bardoo is reached about eight miles northward of Broad Arrow. The situation of the township is very healthy, and is surrounded by hills. The township is not, however, dependent alone on mining for its existence, as from the hills in the immediate vicinity large quantities of sandalwood are obtained. It contains the usual post and telegraph services, and comfort and entertainment are not lacking. A Huntington mill has recently been erected on the old Zoroastrian Mine, and a revival of mining is confidently expected.
Menzies, the principal town of the North Coolgardie goldfield, is situated 80 miles north of Kalgoorlie, and distant 467 miles by rail from Fremantle. The town is named after L. R. Menzie, who discovered a reef and applied for a lease which has since developed into the Lady Shenton Mine. It is claimed that the first gold was unearthed in this portion of Western Australia at Ullaring by James Speakrnan some months prior to Bayley entering Coolgardie, and that records are extant of his having reported the fact to the warden at Southern Cross. The news of the Menzies discovery speedily attracted people to the spot, but the difficulties with which earlier comers had to contend were very great. Food supplies ran out, water was not obtainable in any quantity, and tales of hardship heroically endured were common. However, these difficulties did not deter the hardy pioneer, and the forerunners of commercial
enterprise were not lacking. The amelioration of these conditions was only a matter of a very short time, and soon both water and other supplies were procurable, though, as might have been expected, the cost was commensurate with the labour. In February, 1895, the goldfields warden visited the field, and having settled the locality of the townsite commenced to issue the necessary licences for business and residence areas, and settlement proceeded apace.
In December of the same year the first Government land sale was held, and the aggregate amount realized was £25,555. The prosperity of the township now seemed secure, and stores, hotels, and public buildings were soon erected. As was the case in many previous mining “rushes,** the inevitable progress committee made its appearance, one of the first members being the Hon. H. Gregory, now member for Coolgardie in the Federal House of Representatives. A significant feature was the fact that Mr. Gregory’s defeated opponent, Mr. Hugh Mahon, the same month issued the first copy of a-newspaper in the new community. On December 20, 1895, Menzies was proclaimed a municipality, and on January 20, 1896, the council, consisting of a chairman and six members, was elected, Mr. Gregory gaining the distinction of being the first chairman. Menzies continued to progress by leaps and bounds, and the population increased similarly. The natural effect of this impetus was that the municipality was granted increased representation, the council being granted the status of a corporation with a mayor and nine councillors. Mr. Gregory filled the first mayoral chair, and extended functions were granted to the council by creating it a local board of health with jurisdiction for some distance outside the boundaries of the municipality. An agitation commenced for the extension of the railway to Menzies, the mining having grown apace—not only were there many mines in full working order, but the number of small “shows” appeared innumerable. The railway was granted and the contract at once let, the line being opened for traffic on March 21, 1898. At the dawn of the twentieth century Menzies was a town of fair appearance and of some magnitude. It is situated on a plain and partially surrounded by small hills, which are the scene of the mining operations. The town is well laid out on the rectangular principle, the streets are wide, and the principal business houses are substantially built of brick
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
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and stone. At the end of December, 1900, the capital value of rateable property was £87,062, the annual value being £19,635, and the revenue derived from all sources totalling nearly £5,000. The town hall is a fine building situated at the south end of Shenton Street. It comprises a suite of offices, a large and well-appointed council chamber, a public reading-room and a circulating library. There is a large hall adjoining capable of seating 500 people, and with a well-constructed and equipped stage. At the present time Menzies has allowed is municipal privileges to be withdrawn, the decline of mining in recent years rendering it almost impossible to carry on as a distinct municipality, and it is now the centre of Menzies Roads Board district. However, the town is again making rapid strides, and it would appear that much of its previous prosperity and population may return. One of the greatest boons is the public battery, and much valuable machinery has been obtained for the proper working of the mineral leases. There are a host of small payable shows in the district, and at present the outlook is very satisfactory. The water supply for the district is conserved in a Government dam, which has a holding capacity of 3,000,000 gallons, whilst another tank with a capacity of 8,000,000 gallons supplies the
mines. The population of the town is 716, and of the surrounding district 9,000.
About midway between Menzies and Mount Malcolm there is a very promising goldfield called Niagara, which of recent years has given a definite assurance of being a fairly permanent field. A State battery has been installed in the vicinity, and the small “shows” can be profitably worked. The post and telegraph arrangements are up to date and efficient, and a Government school has been established at the centre. The population at present numbers about 150.
The township of Malcolm is situated about 170 miles north-north-east of Coolgardie, and 66 miles from Menzies by rail on the main line which extends from Kalgoorlie to Laverton. The township is on the Mount Margaret goldfield, and is the railway junction for Gwalia and Leonora in the west and Morgans and Laverton in the east. It is well supplied with hotels, having four to a total district population of about 400. There is a public works station (architectural division) at this point, post and telegraph offices, police quarters, Government hospital, and a town hall, and, being a railway junction, it has a certain importance not altogether borne out by the value of the place itself.
LEONORA.
Leonora is an important municipality and township in the Malcolm district of the Mount Margaret goldfield, and is named after a mountain of that name a short distance from the town. It is centrally situated on the field, and its history may be said to date from 1896, when it was virtually founded by a party headed by Sullivan and Weddeck, who first discovered the reef there, though prior to that other prospectors had been conducting operations for some time but without result.
The first mine was named the «Tohannesburg, and though the surface proved rich it was subsequently found to be too low grade for payable results. The discovery of other reefs, however, followed very quickly, and miners
HHH
and business men flocked to the field, and the opening of the Sons of Gwalia Mine some two miles distant from Leonora set the seal of permanency on the new field.
Soon after settlement commenced at Leonora a progress committee was elected, and it controlled the direction of public matters for a fairly lengthy period. The increase of population, however, necessitated the constitution of a body endowed with wider powers, and after some delay and a considerable amount of agitation the town was gazetted a municipality in August, 1900. Even at this early stage of the township’s history the first view of the locality impressed the beholder with an idea of solidity and prosperity, for many of the buildings
Leonora.
were, for such an outback settlement, distinctly imposing. The distance by rail from Kalgoorlie is 130 miles, and the presence of the railway allows for rapid communication witb this centre of the eastern goldfields. The township is connected with Gwalia by municipal electric tram, and electric lighting, also a municipal venture, is a feature of the place. Practically the terminus of the eastern goldfields railway, though a branch line still extends for some considerable distance from Malcolm to Laverton, it is also the centre of a number
of most important mining propositions which lie within a radius of five miles. The usual Government buildings and police quarters are supplemented by a warden’s court, and the township possesses several very healthy commercial emporiums, besides seven hotels. A splendid supply of fresh water is brought from Station Creek, eight miles distant. The town is thoroughly reticulated, the water pressure being 90 lb. to the square inch. The population of the municipality is 1,250, and of the surrounding district 2,480.
JOSEPH CURTES SEMKEN, J.P., Chairman of the Water .Board of Leonora, was born at Brighton, Victoria, on September 12, 1859, and is a son of the late William James Semken, builder and contractor, of that place. Upon leaving school at an early age he entered upon commercial life in a drapery business at St. Hilda, Victoria, and a year later became apprenticed to the carpentry trade under his father, who followed that calling. Having completed his term of training he worked as a journeyman for about five years, and for some time acted as foreman for the late Henry Cheel, a well-known building contractor, of Melbourne. At twenty-eight years of age Mr. Semken started as a contractor on his own account, and for many years pursued a successful career in Melbourne and its suburbs, being responsible for the erection of many of the leading structures in the metropolis and its vicinity. At the time that the eastern goldfields had been proved, and the boom was at Its height, in the year 1895 Mr. Semken came to Western Australia, and upon arrival at Coolgardie accepted a position as foreman for the firm of Messrs. Reid and Rowe, builders and timber merchants, which post he retained for about a year. Subsequently he came to Menzies and began operating in a business way on his own behalf, soiling out after three years and returning to the coast. For a couple of years he conducted an undertaking establishment at Fremantle and Subiaco, and in 1900 came to Leonora to open in the same line, with which he combined business as a builder, relinquishing this branch of trade after a time in order to establish livery stables, which he still carries on. After twelve months’ residence Mr. Semken was elected to a seat in the municipal council, retiring shortly afterwards in order to contest the office of mayor, which he held for three
terms. During this period lie used every effort (and with his council was successful) in securing Government assistance to replace the old steam tram service by electric traction, and also in having the town lighted by electricity. About this time, also, the Leonora water scheme was inaugurated at a cost of over £20,000, and upon the inception of the water board in 1907
Chas. Wilson, Leonora.
Mr. Joseph Ctjrtes Semken.
Mr. Semken was elected chairman, which office he has since retained. The Board is composed of two representatives nominated by the council, two by the Mines Department, one by the Government, and one by the Mount Malcolm Roads Board. The town water supply is drawn from wells situated about eight miles from Leonora, and from it 110,000 gallons are supplied daily to the Sons of Gwalia Mine, other mines in the district also being provided for. The plant includes the latest type of gas-producer, and 4-in. pipes lead to the reserve tanks, which have a storage capacity of
over 200,000 gallons. Mr. Semken was granted a Commission of the Peace in 1905 by the Moore Government. He married in 1880 Mary, daughter of the late William Holds-worth, of Windsor, Victoria, and has four sons and one daughter.
LESLIE NORMAN ASHE, Secretary of the Leonora Water Board, was born at Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, Victoria, on August 22, 1886, and is a son of the late John Henry Ashe, well known in racing circles in that State. He pursued his scholastic studies at public schools in Melbourne, completing his education at the South Melbourne College and Working Men’s College, Melbourne, subsequently entering the Broken Hill School of Mines, where he took a course in^ engineering. In 1908 he came to Western Australia and joined the staff of the Western Australian Bank at the head office at Perth, at a later date being transferred to the Leonora branch of that institution. Resigning from the bank service Mr. Ashe became identified with the mining industry, and was employed for some time in the Tower Hill Mine at Leonora, afterwards entering the fitting shop of the Sons of Gwalia Mine. Upon the resignation of the former secretary of the water board (Mr. E. L. Wright) the post was offered to Mr. Ashe, who accepted it, and has since carried out its duties. These practically comprise all the details in connection with the management of the scheme, the whole of the administration under the guidance of the board being in the hands of Mr. Ashe. Outside of his official obligations he makes a hobby of engineering and model making, devoting the whole of his leisure time to this fascinating pursuit. He is also a great reader— Shakespeare and Tennyson being his favourite writers. He married in
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1911 Grace Marjory, daughter of the late Mr. Dodds, of Queensland, and has one daughter. It is interesting to note that Mr. Ashe’s grandfather, the late Benjamin Bartley, was a well-known Victorian pioneer, who settled in Chiltern, and having amassed a considerable fortune was able to devote much of his time to the service of the community, and filled in turn almost every important public position in the district for over half a century.
Councillor VICTOR FRANKLIN VINCENT, member of the Leonora Municipal Council, was born at Glen Innes, New South Wales, on September 18, 1877, and is a son of the late Arthur Edward Vincent, journalist, of New South Wales, proprietor of some of the well-known early country newspapers of the Gwyder and New England districts of that State. lie was educated at Moree, and while still quite a lad began active life in a lawyer’s office in Sydney, being at that time intended for the legal profession. lie remained in the same office for nearly seven years, and in 1897 came to Western Australia. Upon arrival at Fremantle he
up this connection to accept the post of accountant to the Weld Hercules Gold Mine on the Murchison
Chas. Wilson, Leonora.
Mr. Victor Franklin Vincent.
field, near Cue. Upon the closing of the mines he took a temporary post in the Mines Department at Mount Magnet, this centre being the headquarters for the dispatching of goods and general supplies throughout the
turned towards Leonora upon the completion of the railway line to that town. The business was then transferred to the newer centre, and Mr. Vincent has since conducted operations at that place, and in 1906, upon the retirement of Mr. Field from active commercial pursuits, took over the sole control and ultimately the proprietorship of the store, which is the most thriving concern of its kind on the North Coolgardie and Mount Margaret goldfields. Within the past five years Mr. Vincent has found time to devote to public affairs, and prior to his election to the municipal council was well to the front in matters affecting the welfare of the community. He is a member of the Leonora Water Board, president of the A.N.A., in which body he has always taken a deep interest. He is a warm supporter of organizations for the purpose of recreation, and as an athlete has displayed more than average merit. He is fond of literature, his taste tending chiefly in the direction of Australian poetry. Mr. Vincent married in 1899 Ethel (now deceased), daughter of the late Richard Williams, of Whittlesea, Victoria, and has two sons and one daughter.
Photo by Chan. Wilson. Premises of Messrs. James Field &. Co., Limited, Leonora.
entered the service of Messrs. Dalgety and Co. as shorthand writer and corresponding clerk, resigning after six months in order to join the Government Service in the Public Works Department on the Murchison goldfield. Two years later he gave hhh2
East Murchison district. Here he became associated with Mr. Field, the principal merchant of the place, and was offered the position of manager of the business, which ho continued to carry on at Mount Magnet until the main trend of traffic
JOHN McCALL, L.R.C.S. (Edin.), District Medical Officer, Leonora, is a son of Sir John McCall, Agent-General in London for Tasmania, and was born at Ulverston, on the north-west coast of the latter island on June 5, 1884.
He received his primary education at Officer College, Hobart, whence he proceeded to Scotland and pursued his medical studies at the University of Glasgow and Anderson's Medical School in the same city. He received his diploma from the University of Edinburgh in 1909, and subsequently spent a considerable time in various hospitals in the chief centres of the Old Country. Returning to Tasmania he acted as assistant in His father’s practice until 1910, when he accepted the position of district medical officer at
Kanowna, and carried out the duties attached to that post until he was offered that of medical officer to the Gwalia medical fund at the Sons of Gwalia Mine at Leonora, which he filled until October, 1912, when he was appointed to his present position. For a considerable
time he has made a special study of diseases of the nose and throat, having had special opportunities for the observation of these diseases while walking the hospitals in England. He has also specialized in the study of gynsecology, and keeps well
abreast with modern ideas in medicine and surgery by the perusal of a wide range of medical and scientific works. Dr. McCall during his college days represented his college in Rugby football, and was also a fair exponent of the art of self-
defence.
WILLIAM LEONARD BOYD, J.P., proprietor of The Leonora Miner newspaper, was born at Beech worth, Victoria, on June 24, 1870, and commenced his career as a journalist on the staff of The Rutherglen Sun. He was next identified with The Gorowa Free Press, where he passed through every department of a newspaper office, rising from compositor to the head of the reporting staff. In 1896 he came to Western Australia, and after occupying a position on the mechanical staff of The Murchison Times for a year, purchased a plant, and in November, 1897, issued the first number of The Malcolm Chronicle, which publication he carried on for eight years. For a considerable time he edited The North Coolgardie Herald, which he relinquished to take over The Leonora Miner (started by Mr. W. H. Barker on July 8, 1899), and has conducted this journal ever since. Mr. Boyd was elected a member of the first
municipal council at Malcolm, and subsequently served in the same capacity at Leonora for four years, and has always taken a leading part in all movements for the advancement of the district. He was appointed to the honorary bench of magistrates by the Wilson Government in 1910. He was married in 1899, and has one son and two daughters.
JAMES HENRY MARKS, barrister and solicitor, Leonora, was born at Wellingrove, New South Wales, on July 28, 1873, and is the eldest of the eight sons of the late T. H. Marks, general merchant, of Mudgee, New South Wales. Educated at Newington College,
Mr. James Henry Marks.
Sydney, at the termination of his scholastic career he entered into articles with the professional firm of Messrs. Laurence & Rich, of that city, and was admitted to practise as a solicitor in New South Wales on August 22, 1896. After varying periods of practice in Berrigan, Sydney, and Bombala, Mr. Marks left his native State for Western Australia in August, 1902, and in the following year was called to the Western Australian Bar. He immediately proceeded to Cue, where he remained for over a year, at the end of which period he returned to Perth for a short time, before coming to Leonora in 1906. Since that time he has practised on “the edge of the beyond,” his clientele extending for hundreds of miles into the back country, besides which he acts as
solicitor to the Gwalia Central Gold Mines, Limited. Mr. Marks is a man of public spirit, and in pre-Federal days was prominent in the Mother State for the active interest he took in the important events leading up to the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia. He is president of the Leonora Club, and is connected with the Masonic craft, being a Past Master and Secretary of Lodge 64, W.A.C. He is a cordial patron of all forms of clean sport, and in particular is an active participant in the game of cricket. In the year 1908 Mr. Marks was married to Gertrude Marion, daughter of the late George Cruickshank, pastoralist, of ‘ Gun-ningrah” Station, Bombala, New South Wales, and has one son.
SYDNEY FRANCIS BRIDGE, J.P., ironmonger, Leonora, was born at Ramsgate, Kent, England, on May 2, 1869, and is a son of the late William Simmonds Bridge, architect, of that city. He received his education at St. Peter’s Grammar School at Broadstairs and at the Grocers’ Company School in London; at fourteen years of age entering commercial life by joining the London office of the well-known Australian firm of D. and J. Fowler, Limited, wholesale merchants, in which service he remained for four years. At the termination of this period he became connected with the business of Messrs. Henry Berry & Co., tea and coffee merchants, and continued in this employ until he decided to come to Australia in 1889. Landing in South Australia he joined his brothers in a business partnership at Mount Lofty, and three years later, upon the rush to the eastern goldfields, sailed for the Western State. Almost immediately he began work as a prospector over the Coolgardie and Murchison fields, and followed this industry for more than eight years, during which time fortune divided her favours, periods of success being balanced by a run of “bad luck” in which everything would seem against the worker. In 1897 Mr. Bridge joined the firm of Messrs. Rockcliffe & Co., merchants, then trading at Kookynie, Niagara, Men-zies, and Leonora, and subsequently he was appointed manager of the Niagara branch of the business. Being transferred from there to Leonora, at a later date he took over the business on his own account, acquiring the sole interest, and has
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since carried on successfully. Mr. Bridge was first created a Justice of the Peace by the Moore Government, but resigned his Commission owing to pressure of business claims being reappointed by the Wilson Administration in 1910, his official duties now including those of the Licensing Bench. He takes a deep interest in the advancement of the Anglican Church, and holds the position of treasurer of the local branch, having served as a committeeman for several years past. Driving and gardening form his chief means of recreation, and lie spends most of his leisure time in the bosom of his family. In 1901 he married Florence Elizabeth, daughter of the late Professor Miller-lleimann, of Heidelberg University, Germany, and the University of Adelaide, and has one son and two daughters.
HERBERT GEORGE WEBB, proprietor of the White House Hotel, Leonora, was born at Adelaide, South Australia, on September 20, 1881, and received his education at Prince Alfred College, in that city. Upon the termination of his scholastic career he came to Western Australia, where his parents had preceded him, the late Mr. Webb having come from Broken Hill to Menzies, where he was established as mine host of the White House Hotel. The subject of our memoir arrived in the State in 1896 and immediately took
up his residence on the eastern goldfields, entering the office of Messrs. Moss Brothers, assayers, of Menzies, under whom he began the study of assaying and general metallurgy. About twelve months afterwards he proceeded to Kalgoorlie, where he continued his studies and served as assistant metallurgist to the Kalgurli
Chas. Wilson, Leonora.
Mr. Herbert George Webb.
Mine, which post he held for upwards of five years, during the major portion of this time doing very responsible work. In 1903 his services were requisitioned by his father, who entrusted to him the management of a
branch hotel at Euro, near Leonora, which he conducted for over a year, subsequently joining the late Mr. Webb in the carrying on of the White House Hotel at Leonora. In 1912, upon the decease of his parent, he took over the business on his own behalf, and has since given the whole of his time and attention to the management of the hotel on the very best lines. The White House is built of brick, and is a ono-storeyed structure with lofty and well-ventilated rooms and large, airy hall. An atmosphere of comfort is breathed on every side, and most of the luxuries found in city hotels are provided, the hotel being up to date in every respect. The sitting-rooms, lounges, etc., are replete with every requisite, and one of the largest and best sample rooms in the State has been built to meet the needs of travellers, besides being in frequent use for socials and other festive meetings promoted by the local lodges and other bodies. Mr. Webb is interested in the mining industry, and has given considerable support to prospecting parties and the opening up of new mines, etc., in the past having done a little prospecting on his own account. He is very fond of horses, and takes his recreation in the saddle, generally having a good hack in his stable. He formerly acted as secretary of the local race club, but has taken up few public positions on account of the strenuous demands of his business.
GW ALIA AND LAVERTON.
Two and a half miles from Leonora and about 534 miles from Perth is to be found Gwalia, the most important mining centre north of Kalgoorlie. The township is connected with Leonora by an electric tramway. There is one big mine located at this centre employing about 500 men, and two smaller mines with very good prospects. There is a daily postal service between the township and Perth. The business portion of the town is some distance away from the post office, at what is known as the Gwalia Block. One of the first experiments of the Government as purveyors of liquor is in operation at this centre, and the only hotel in the town is conducted and controlled by the State. The township is supplied with water from wells about nine miles distant, north of Leonora, where a thoroughly efficient plant has been installed by the Government. The population of the district almost equals that of Leonora, reaching over 1,000, and Gwalia is one of the firmest established of mining fields throughout the State.
Although the Mount Margaret goldfields can lay claim to several thriving townships, some of which have gained the distinction of municipal honours, there are few that possess better futures than Laverton, if we except, perhaps, Gwalia and its famous mine. Originally known as “British Flag,” this inland mining town on the terminus, really speaking, of the eastern goldfields railway, has been named in honour of Dr. Laver, who has done so much towards the development of the district, and in recognition of the many services he has rendered the locality. When the British Flag prospectors visited Coolgardie to secure the necessary documents they met Dr. Laver and informed him of the new locality, which he decided to visit. When he did he was so impressed with what he saw there that he resolved to remain, and at once secured a personal interest in the British Flag claim, and has, furthermore, by his many investments, proved his personal faith in the field in general. Laverton is the most centrally situated town
034
in this district, and the registrar's offices have been established here, and the warden's court holds monthly sittings. The township is situated in the centre of a number of mines which are in active operation and employing considerable labour. A State battery has been erected, and is of inestimable benefit to the prospectors and owners of'small holdings. The site on which the township stands is a clean and healthy one. The district hospital, which is extensive and thoroughly equipped, is maintained by subscriptions and Government subsidy. It has three large wards and conveniences, with handsome and commodious quarters for the resident medical officer. Laverton, as can be
surmised, is the chief distributing centre of the district and is of some definite commercial importance, and as the area of its ramifications extends from 20 miles south to 120 miles north, a good impression can be gained of its importance. Besides gold mining there is considerable activity in pastoral industries, for which the country is very well adapted. The water in the district is of good quality and easily obtained by sinking, and several market gardens are being successfully cultivated. The hotel accommodation is very good, and though the population of the town and district is at present only a little over 400, the numerous industries will carry a far larger number in the future.
Along the Midland Line
The midland railway, the only remaining land-grant railway in Western Australia, was the outcome of a proposal made by Mr. John Waddington in 1884, when Western Australia was trying to secure railway communication at a price then thought to be cheap. The first idea was to run from York to Geraldton, but ultimately it was decided to start from Midland Junction and end at Walkaway, the southern terminus of the Government line from Geraldton. The railway was started by the Midland Railway Company in 1886, but
return for the fulfilment of its contract. Comparatively little alienation of it took place, however, until 1905. In that year the Government decided upon a forward agricultural policy in regard to Crown lands, and the company was not slow to see that there was advantage to the country as well as to itself in bringing the land owned by it under more immediate public notice. That this policy has been successful may be seen in the remarkable development that has taken place during the last few years. Realizing that outside the company’s area and
Photo by C. E. Farr.
financial and other difficulties delayed the construction, and it was not wholly opened to traffic until 1894. Though, strictly speaking, the railway is confined between the two termini mentioned, colloquially it is used to denote the whole stretch of country from Midland Junction to Geraldton.
Within the district served by it are large portions of what are geographically known as the Swan and Victoria districts. Extending north and south through a distance of nearly 300 miles the line serves a very considerable area of first - class country. Much of this, of course, was taken by the company in
further to the east there are equal opportunities for successful cultivation, the Government proposes, when opportunity offers, to construct a parallel railway line, some 50 miles from the midland line, connecting Goom-alling -with Mullewa on the Murchison goldfields line. The first part of this—from Goomalling to Wongan llills —has already been constructed.
As might be expected over such an enormous area, the characteristics of the soil vary considerably. In the main the country may be said to consist of large sections of undulating land of good quality, interspersed with stretches of sand plain. The good land is excellently
adapted for growing wheat, as the annually increasing yield from the district shows. The average may be assessed as “sixteen-bushel land.” Wherever the rainfall is sufficient, fruit-growing may be carried on with advantage, citrous fruits doing particularly well. In some parts, as on the Greenough Flats and around Dongarra, where the soil is heavier, root crops are successful; and even the sand plains are useful for feeding stock during the dry season. In fact, from a pastoral and cerealgrowing standpoint, there is little country in Western Australia to excel the belt that stretches from midland to north of Northampton, and runs inland for about 100 miles.
Avenues for industrial development beyond those mentioned are not wanting. Experiments at the Chapman Farm have proved that the Angora goat thrives well in the Victoria district, and those best acquainted with the country are strongly of opinion that there is a great success awaiting anyone with a knowledge of ostrich -f arming.
In the neighbourhood of the Irwin River there are
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
known deposits of coal, said to be of quite as good a quality as Collie coal. One of the seams was opened up and a lease granted by the Government. This was afterwards cancelled, as the Midland Company claimed the title to the land, consequently little work has been done. Probably there will at some later date be an industry in that district comparable with that now being carried on in and around Collie.
From Northampton to Geraldine there is a belt of metalliferous country carrying copper and lead, and extending over about 100 miles of country. In the early days this district was actively worked, and large quantities of lead and copper were exported. The isolated position of the mines and the cost of transit required good prices for the minerals, and for that reason the industry dwindled when prices fell. Later the gold discoveries claimed attention to the exclusion of other forms of mining, but of recent years there has been a slight revival, and there is little doubt that some time in the future the extraction of lead and copper will again become an important industry in the district.
GINGIN AND MOORA.
Gingin, the first important centre on the midland line, is picturesquely situated on the Gingin Brook, about 50 miles north of Perth. The district is especially noted for two things—its oranges, the excellence of which is known all over Western Australia; and the remarkably fine cattle which are bred and fattened on the rich feed which grows at the foot of the Darling Range. The land is well adapted for ordinary summer fruits as well as citrus varieties, and the plentiful supply of water afforded by the brook makes the growing of vegetables, particularly potatoes, an easy task. The character of the soil is distinctly favourable to the cultivation of cereals, and much is being done in that direction; but from the early days the district has been marked out as cattle country, and grazing is the principal industry carried on. The timber of the surrounding country is mainly banksia and redgum. Wallaby and kangaroo abound there, while the brook affords a home for ducks. To the sportsman, therefore, Gingin offers abundant facilities, and many are attracted to the town. Though situated in one of the older settled districts of the State the town is but small, the population numbering little over 400. It possesses the usual post office, police station, and courthouse, and churches belonging to the principal religious denominations. The local government is in the hands of a roads board, the town not having yet attained the dignity of a municipality.
Some 50 miles further along the midland line from the town of Gingin is situated the thriving town of Moora, the centre of an important pastoral and
agricultural district. Since the Midland Railway Company entered upon a progressive policy Moora and district has made great progress, and there is every indication that it will become the principal town on the midland line. The usual Government buildings have, of course, been erected, and are some evidence of permanence; but the commercial prosperity is better indicated by the fact that the Western Australian and National Banks and the Bank of Australasia have opened branches for the convenience of the settlers. Moora has also attained the dignity of possessing a newspaper, The Midland Advertiser, which is published once a week. The local affairs of the district are managed by a roads board, which has its office in the town, while a fine agricultural hall affords the convenience for public meetings and entertainment. The population within a four-mile radius of the post office is about 1,000.
The country round about is undulating in character and the soil varies from red loam to sand. With an average rainfall spread over eight months of the year, the district is admirably suited for wheat-growing as well as for pastoral pursuits, and though stock-raising has been the principal industry in the past, the other branch of agricultural science is rapidly forging ahead.
Some 30 odd miles to the east of Moora on the Victoria Plains is situated the well-known New Norcia Benedictine Mission Station, established by the Roman Catholic Church over fifty years ago, at present probably the most unique and important work of its kind being carried on in the Commonwealth.
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JOHN EDWARD WEDGE, J.P., pastoralist, of “Whakea” Estate, Gingin. The gentleman under review was born at Box Hill, Victoria, on June 6, 1857, and is a son of the late Charles Wedge, who came from England to Australia in the early thirties and settled at Hobson’s Bay, his profession being that of a surveyor. Removing to Fremantle at an early age Mr. J. E. Wedge attended the scholastic institution conducted by Mr. G. H. Humble at that seaport, this well-known schoolmaster still being a resident of the same place. At the conclusion of his education he proceeded to Shark Bay, where he turned his attention to the pearling industry, and eighteen months later became associated in the same class of enterprise with Mr. A. E. Anderson, of the firm of Messrs. Grant, Harper, & Anderson, of “De Grey” Station, in the Roebourne district, these gentlemen carrying on pearling pursuits in conjunction with their station interests. Eventually Mr. Wedge was employed on the station, where he gained a comprehensive knowledge of all the departments of stock management and other details of station enterprise, and at a later date, in partnership with his brother (Mr. F. A. Wedge) he took up pastoral leases on the Turner River, where he stocked and generaly developed the “Cobbalana” Station successfully for about eleven years. At the conclusion of this period he disposed of his share in the property to his brother and spent two years in making a tour of the Eastern States and New Zealand, his object in this trip being to make himself acquainted with the different systems and methods in vogue in connection with the pastoral enterprise to which he has since devoted his energies. In 1894 he returned to Western
Australia, and in 1895 joined the late Charles Harper and John Edgar in the purchase of “Cheriton” Estate, Gingin, which afterwards was subdivided, Mr. Wedge’s portion comprising 2,240 acres of beautiful undulating country, which he devotes principally to purposes of fattening
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. John Edward Wedge.
and raising stock, confining his efforts to the breeding of cattle, horses, and sheep. In conjunction with “Whakea,” by which name the estate is known, he also works another property of 14,560 acres freehold which he owns, situated 45 miles north of Gingin, and from this station, called “Mimigarra,” from time to time he draws supplies of stock, which are fattened at “Whakea” and subsequently trucked to local markets, where good prices are usually realized. The herd is composed chiefly of the popular shorthorn
strain, and recently Mr. Wedge has been crossing this breed with Hereford bulls with very satisfactory results. A flock of 700 sheep is kept, and the merino ewes crossed with English Leicester rams have proved satisfactory, a special feature being the production of early lambs for the local markets. About thirty horses, including a number of Clydesdales, are kept for the work of the farm, and in addition Mr. Wedge has made something of a hobby of the breeding of a limited supply of blood stock, well-known performers like “Jemi-dar,” “Jesserant,” and “Pumice” being representatives of the “Whakea” Estate. The station homestead is a brick building containing eight rooms and presents a very substantial and comfortable appearance, the interior being in no way disappointing. A flower garden has been cultivated in the front of the house, and amid the many favourite blooms which give colour and fragrance to the place special mention may be made of the roses, upon which much care and skill have been expended with enchanting results. An orangery of about four acres in extent also lies in the near vicinity of the house, wherein the trees, although still young, give promise of proving among the best in the district. Mr. Wedge has taken his part in the local public life of the district, and for ten years occupied the chair in connection with the local roads board. He was created a Justice of the Peace in 1897. His religious interests are centred in the Church of England, and he is a synodsman and warden of the local church of that communion. A keen supporter of all outdoor athletics and manly diversion generally, he is the present president of the Gingin Race Club. Mr. Wedge is a member of the Weld Club. He
Photo by C. E. Farr.
"Whakea” Residence of Mr. J. E. Wedge, Gingin.
married on October 7, 1896, Isabella Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. W. R. Williams, of G-ingin, and has three sons and six daughters.
The late JOHN DEWAR, “Bidda-rninnie,” Gingin, came originally from England to Western Australia by the sailing vessel “Warrior,” landing at Fremantle in the early thirties when the colony was only in its infancy. While still quite a lad he was entrusted with the carrying of the mails on horseback between Perth and York by his father, who was mail contractor for that route, and who, in addition to this enterprise, carried on farming pursuits, for which purpose he held on lease certain agricultural areas on the Swan River. After spending some years on the home farm Mr. John Dewar came to Gingin, where he purchased 65 acres of land from the Government, and in conjunction with this leased 209 acres (the property of the late W. D. Moore), which he subsequently purchased, forming the nucleus of a fine
Mr. John Dewar.
estate of nearly 8,000 acres of freehold country, of which he afterwards became possessed as a result of judicious selection of additional area, by means of which he enlarged the original holding. Here he engaged in cattle-raising on a fairly large scale, the herd numbering in the vicinity of 700, which represented the largest enterprise of this nature in the district. A good class of dairy cow, bred for the Indian markets, was a specialty of the proposition,
and dairying was also carried on to a considerable extent in spite of many obstacles to success which beset the pioneer in this industry, such as the carting of produce over fifty-six miles by teams to the city of Perth. Mixed horse-breeding was resorted to with good results and shipments of this class of stock to India were fre-qent, in those days it being no unusual thing for upwards of 150 head of horses to be grazed on the “Biddaminnie” Estate. Sheep also had their place in the scheme of the venture, the flock numbering upwards of 2,000, chiefly of the merino breed, the wool from which was despatched annually to London, in the course of the eighties, where an average figure of Is. lid. per lb. was realized. The demise of the late Mr. John Dewar took place at Gingin on June 25, 1911. WILLIAM FRANCIS DEWAR, second son of the subject of the foregoing notes, is now in possession of a portion of the old estate, to which he has given the name of “Spring Park,” and which comprises some of the finest land in the district, where sheep, cattle, and horse-breeding is conducted with conspicuous success. Mr. W. F. Dewar has been connected with affairs of local government, having served for a time as member of the Gingin Roads Board. He was married in June, 1894, to Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Charles Masters, of Guildford, Western Australia, and has four sons and one daughter.
JOHN O’NEIL, J.P., of Chitter-ing Brook, Western Australia, is a son of the late Mr. John O’Neil, one of the early pioneers of agriculture in the State, who settled at Cluttering in 1865. He was born on his father’s farm on June 22, 1866, and received his education at the State school on the Swan presided over by Mr. G. W. Logue, subsequently attending a private academy at Guildford. He left school before he was thirteen years old, on the death of his father, and went home to share with his mother the responsibilities of working the farm, which, then an undeveloped tract of scrub, has been brought by his untiring industry into the premier place among such properties in the district. Mixed-farming operations are carried on, cereals being grown, and cattle, sheep, and horses raised on the property. Mr. O’Neil has been
chairman of the Chittering Roads Board for the past twelve years, and for some time has held the position of electoral registrar. He received his Commission as Justice of the Peace from the Daglish Government, and is recognized as a man
Mr. John O’Neil.
always able and willing to play his part in the various public functions of the neighbourhood, frequently taking the chair at public meetings and in other ways displaying his interest in the welfare of the place. He is a keen student of the methods of the political world and is conversant with the details of its history in Western Australia, himself being a supporter of the Liberal Party. For over twenty years Mr. O’Neil has been a member of the H.A.C.B.S., having been connected with this society almost since its inception. He is a member of the Celtic Club, Perth, and his records in the world of sport point to him as an excellent cricketer in earlier days. In 1886 he married Ellen, daughter of the late Mr. C. W. Morely, of Swan, and has three sons and three daughters.
JOSHUA ARTHUR WAL-DECK, J.P., of “Glenholm,” Moora, was born at Greenough, Western Australia, on February 13, 1876, and is the third son of Mr. Joshua Watts Waldeck, an old and respected native of this State now residing at Greenough, but for some years engaged in pasloral pursuits at “Warracootharra,” his station
939
near Mount Magnet, on the lower Murchison, where the gentleman under review spent his boyhood days before proceeding to Fremantle to pursue his studies at the grammar school under the tuition of the Hon. Henry Briggs, President of the Legislative Council of Western Australia. Upon leaving school he returned to his father’s station, which was the first pastoral lease taken up in the district in the early eighties, when wool had to be carted to Geraldton, a distance of some 300 miles; and these long trips were undertaken by the lad of fourteen, who, with the assistance of a single native, took charge of the teams and conveyed many loads of wool to the coast for shipment to London. During such journeys various hardships and dangers had to be encountered, and one incident stands out in Mr. Waldeck’s memory, when, about halfway to Geraldton, a tire came off one of the wheels of a heavily-laden dray, and the difficulty could only be overcome by replacing the tire and wedging broken horseshoes between that and the felly of the wheel, thus enabling the teamsters to complete their journey. Mr. Waldeck remained at “Warracoo-tharra” until the year 1898, when he turned his attention to mining pursuits on the Murchison goldfields, where he had the distinction of being, in conjunction with his cousin, the discoverer of the first gold on the field now well known as You-anme. They worked the original claim known as the Marguerite with fair success, but abandoned the mine on account of the distance (80 miles) to the nearest crushing plant at Mount Magnet. After spending six
months at “Warracootharra,” Mr. Waldeek returnod to the Mount Magnet fields to join Mr. Tom Payne, the discoverer of the Paynes-ville field, and worked various claims with a fair amount of success. Eventually he decided to enter upon agricultural pursuits, and purchased an improved farm at Pingelly, which he disposed of in 1902 upon his acquirement from Mr. Fred. Broun
C. F. Farr, Perth.
Mn. Joshua Arthur Waldeck.
of “Glenholm,” where he has since resided. This estate comprises 3,010 acres of magnificent cereal-growing and grazing lands, well watered by dams and permanent wells and by the Moore River. Wheat-growing is the chief industry, and from 400 acres sown last season (1912) the splendid average of 22 bushels
of wheat was stripped. Lambs are bred from a flock of 500 merino ewes and crossbred rams, and a small clip is taken, which, in London, realized (1912) Is. 1 Jd. per Bb. A few Ayrshire cows are bred on the property, and recently Mr. Waldeck purchased a fine Jersey bull for breeding purposes. He breeds all his own Clydesdale horses, owning a fine stallion which has sired some first-class draught mares; and at the present time there are sixteen draughts working on the farm. The homestead is a pretty bungalow built of bricks made on the property, and comprises eight rooms,' forming a very comfortable home. Outbuildings, comprising stables, barn, machinery shed, etc., are constructed of sawn timber and galvanized iron, and are in every respect complete and up to date. Surrounding the homestead area is a fine orchard of various fruits, and worthy of special mention are sixty fine navel orange-trees planted by Mr. Waldeck when he first took over the property, which are very prolific bearers. Mr. Waldeck in 1897 was created a Justice of the Peace, and had the distinction of being the youngest magistrate in the State. lie takes considerable interest in the public affairs of Moora, is a member of the local roads board and the hospital committee, and is chairman of the Moora Race Club. He actively participates in various outdoor sports, and is especially fond of cricket, having captained the local cricket club. On February 25, 1902, he married Christina, daughter of the late Robert Reedhead, of “Min-ninooka,” Geraldton, and has one son and four daughters.
940
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
“RANFURLY” PARK, the magnificent property owned by Mr. John Stuart, J.P., is situated about seven miles from the town of Moora, and in close vicinity to the Barberton Railway Siding. Mr. Stuart is a native of Ireland, having been born near Dungannon, County Tyrone, on May 9, 1857. He received his education at the famous Granville and Caulfield schools, near which town his father’s farm was situated, and at the close of his studies received his initiation into agricultural pursuits on the parental property before leaving for Australia by the “Hornby Castle” in the year 1887. He landed at Melbourne after a voyage which, on account of volcanic disturbances in the tropics, extended over three and a half months, the vessel having a very rough passage, and subsequently spent five years in the Eastern States prior to his coming to Western Australia in 1892. For the next twelve years Mr. Stuart was engaged in business in the metropolis, retiring from commercial pursuits in the year 1904, when he paid a visit to England and the Continent, being absent from the State for eighteen months. Upon his return he lived privately at Cottesloe for a few years, and in 1908 purchased “Ranfurly” Park, where, in conjunction with his son, Mr. F. R. Stuart, he entered upon pastoral and agricultural pursuits. The midland railway line runs through the centre of the estate, with the Moore River on one side and the Wannery on the other. Both streams pursue their course for many miles
through the property, which comprises some 9,000 acres of what is generally acknowledged to be among the finest wheat-growing country in Western Australia. Mr. Stuart’s enterprise embraces mixed farming in its various branches, but its most important department, perhaps, is
the cultivation of the above-mentioned cereal, and in this branch of operations very successful results have been obtained. For the season of 1912 the excellent average of twenty-three bushels to the acre was harvested, in some portions of the estate forty bushels to the acre being yielded, while the hay crop went as high as three and a quarter tons to the acre. This year (1913) 1,700 acres are under crop, and it is
anticipated that the previous year’s figures will easily be maintained. Stock-breeding is carried on on a fairly extensive scale, the horses including hackneys, thoroughbreds, and draughts. Mr. Stuart owns “Polly Royal,” a beautiful bay mare with black points, and famous for her
perfect front and hind action, im-ported from the Sandringham Stud of the late King Edward VII. “Polly Royal” is by “Royal Banegelt,” out of “Polly” by “Lord Derby II.,” all English Stud Book stock, and raised in the stud of the late King. At the time of writing (June, 1913) this magnificent hackney mare has a colt foal at foot by “Suffolk King” (9034 English Stud Book), the property of Mr. Warren Marwick, of York. Special mention must also be made of the imported Shire stallion, “Ship-ton Spark” (26680 English Stud Book), a splendid black horse standing 17 hands high, and descended from some of the finest blood stock of England. Sired by the champion “Shipton Calamint” (24612), from the mare “Dignity” by “Waresley” (41699) by “Castle Bromwick Kieth” (17865), “Shipton Spark” had an unbeaten record in the Old Country. He has acclimatized well, taking kindly to his new quarters, and evidences of his quality are to be detected in his early progeny, which show great promise. Altogether there are about seventy horses on the estate, including a number of pedigreed mares sired by the famous South Australian Clydesdale, “King Edward.” South Australia has also been levied upon in the foundation of the flock, pedigreed rams having been imported from the well - known “Canowie”
941
stud of that State, and other representatives of first-class stock have been procured from Sir Rupert Clarke’s Victorian flock. Shorthorn and Jersey cattle were imported in
Mr. John Stuart.
the first instance from the Central State, and from these a good class of dairy cow has been bred, while among the swine will be found many that have figured as champions and gained awards at the Royal Agricultural Shows, Perth. Mr. Stuart has made a special point of starting his industry with high-class stock, and well deserves the success that has attended his frequent essays as an exhibitor at the Royal and other shows. The homestead at “Ranfurly” Park is a model home, while the outbuildings, which include the largest and most complete machinery-shcd in Western Australia and one of the most commodious haysheds, are a feature of the place. During his residence at Cottesloe Mr. Stuart was elected first mayor of the municipality in 1907, and was pressed by a large and influential portion of the
electors to occupy the chair for at least another term, but with this request he was unable to comply on account of having assumed the duties of director of the property under review. He was one of the founders of the Cottesloe Masonic Lodge, and is Past Grand Treasurer and representative for Rhode Island, of the same Order, while he also represents Canada in the Western Australian Royal Arch Grand Lodge and is a member of the Grand Lodge of Knights Templars. He received his Commission of the Peace for Perth district during the regime of the Leake Administration. Since coming to Moora he has been pressed into service in various directions, at the present time holding office as vice-president of the Moora Agricultural Society and trustee of the Moora Agricultural Hall. He acted on the building committee of the local hospital, and is now a member of the board of management, and was also a member of the building committee of the Padbury Memorial Church, in which he fills the office of vestryman. He is president of the Moora branch of the Liberal League, is a member of the executive committee of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of Western Australia and president of the local branch of that organization. He is well known in the neighbourhood as a cordial patron of all healthy outdoor sport, and presides over numerous sporting bodies, among which may be mentioned the rifle club, football club, and cricket and polo clubs. He is vice-president of the Moora Race Club and has acted in the capacity of honorary judge for the past four years. In 1887 Mr. Stuart married Nora Louisa (now deceased), daughter of the late Henry Charles Hills, of Hills and Saunders, and one son survives, FRANK ROBERT STUART, who was born at Perth on August 15, 1889. After attending preparatory
schools in this State he proceeded to Harrow, England, in 1903, and continued his studies at this famous seat of learning for five years. Whilst at this institution Mr. Stuart was very prominent in the athletic circles of the school, particularly in cricket, football, rifle-shooting, and boxing, and holds many trophies for combined athletic sports. He also served for three years in the 25th Middlesex Volunteers and for twelve months in the Officers’ Training Corps. Returning to Western Australia in 1908 he spent three years on his father’s estate, gaining experience in mixed
Mr. Frank Robert Stuart.
farming, and having obtained a comprehensive knowledge of all departments of agriculture and stock-raising he took over the management of the place, which has since been under his control. Mr. F. R. Stuart is secretary of the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association and represented Moora at the first conference of the parent body held in Perth. He is also secretary of the Moora branch of the Liberal League,
Photo by C. E. Farr,
Outbuildings at "Ranfurly” Park.
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a committeeman and honorary steward of the local race club, committeeman of the rifle club, and has followed up his athletic career by a prominent connection with the sporting clubs, having captained the cricket, football, and polo clubs, with which he is still associated.
GEORGE HENRY HOLMES, J.P., who resides on his “Oakfield” Estate, near Moora, was born at Elsternwick, East Yorkshire, England, on March 16, 1868, and is a son of the late Abraham Holmes, a farmer of that county. After spending his early years on the home farm he came to Western Australia in 1892, his first position in this State being with Mr. E. Roberts, of “Yatheroo,” where he spent two and a half years before selecting land on his own account in the Koojan agricultural areas. This was one of the first selections taken up in the district, and was then known as ‘'Elsternwick,” after Mr. Holmes’ birthplace. It was worked and generally developed with marked success until 1908, when it was sold by Mr. Holmes to Mr. John Stuart, who renamed it “Raufurly” Park, and has since brought it into the front rank of such properties in the neighbourhood. After relinquishing the above estate Mr. Holmes lived in retirement at Perth for a few months, but the active life he had always led made long leisure distasteful to him, and his attention being attracted to Cannington he there purchased the magnificent property of “Greenfields” from the late Mr. W. L. Gibbs. During his year’s residence on this estate Mr. Holmes considerably improved it in many respects, and it is to-day looked upon
as one of Western Australia’s finest dairying propositions. Leaving “Greenfields” in the capable hands of the manager, Mr. James Hill, he came back to Moora early in 1910, and purchased two properties owned by Messrs. Henry MacNamara and William MacNamara respectively, which he amalgamated and called “Oakfields.” Here he resided for eighteen months, at the end of which period the property was sold, and Mr. Holmes once more returned to “Greenfields.” His sojourn was,
Mr. George Henry Holmes.
however, but a brief one, as a projected trip to England caused him to lease the estate to Mr. Charles Sweeting, who still resides there, conducting a very large slaughtering and stock-dealing business on his own behalf. On August 12, 1912, Mr. Holmes, with his wife and family, sailed for England, and during an absence of ten months did a
great deal of sightseeing in Great Britain with the aid of a motor car, covering no less than 7,000 miles in this way with considerable enjoyment. France and other portions of the Continent were also visited, and in June, 1913, the party returned to Western Australia, when Mr. Holmes repurchased “Oakfield,” where the family now resides. The estate comprises some 2,000 acres of excellent wheat-growing and grazing country, through which the Moore River threads its way, and in addition to this means of water supply wells have been sunk and dams constructed, making a shortage practically impossible. About 1,400 acres have been cleared and cultivated, and apart from agricultural operations mixed types of sheep are bred for the wool and mutton markets, and an even better paying proposition are the Berkshire pigs present on the estate. The field work is carried out with the aid of fourteen strong Clydesdales, and a few lighter horses are in evidenco which are used for buggy or saddle purposes. The homestead, which has lately been reconstructed and generally improved, is a very comfortable residence of eleven rooms, and in the vicinity are the usual outbuildings, including stables, motor garage, machinery shed, slaughterhouse, milking sheds, barn, etc., nothing being wanting to hinder the most up-to-date administration of the farm. In addition to “Greenfields” and “Oakfield” Mr. Holmes also owns property in the City of Perth and at Queen’s Park and Moora, and in the last-named town he built and owns the Commercial Hotel, one of the finest country hotels in Western Australia. Whilst at Cannington Mr. Holmes served as town councillor, and subsequently was nominated for the mayoralty, being defeated by the narrow margin of six votes. He is one of the promoters of the Moora Agricultural Society and also of the local race club, and is a leading light in social as well as general public functions in the district. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Swan district in 1906. He has been twice married, his first wife, Annie, being a daughter of the late James Walker, of Hull, England, by whom he had three sons and 'two daughters, dying in 1908. On December 8, 1910, he was united to Alberta Gertrude, daughter of Mr. Joseph Ottey, of Daylesford, Victoria.
Photo by C. II. Park. “Greenfields” Homestead, Cannington.
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“BLANTYRE,” Moora, the property of Mr. James Gardiner, J.P., of Applecross, is situated about eight miles east of Moora. It is a fine property, comprising 5,000 acres of
Mr. James Gardiner.
excellent wheat-growing and stock-raising country watered by wells and several dams, all of which have been sunk within the past eight years. The estate is enclosed by a six-wire fence, for which posts were cut from the jam timber indigenous to the district, and subdivision made into twenty paddocks. A homestead and outbuildings were erected, and although at present only a small area has been cleared for cultivation it is the intention of the owner to make of “Blantyre” an up-to-date mixed-farming proposition in which wheat-growing will receive a prominent share of attention. The flock
of from 1,500 to 2,000 sheep consists principally of merinoes, but Oxford Downs and Shropshires are also bred by Mr. Gardiner, who owns the Oxford Down ewe “Annie,” winner of three championships at the Moora Show and one at the Royal Show, Claremont. “Annie” is by the English sire “Editor” (4615), and was imported to Western Australia by Mr. G. J. Gooch, of Gingin, who subsequently sold her to Mr. Gardiner. The clip from “Blantyre” is shipped to the London markets and commands good prices, last season (1912) realizing Is. Id. per lb. JAMES GARDINER is a New Zealander, having been born in the Dominion in 1861, where his father was one of the early pioneers. He was educated in South Australia, and upon leaving school joined the South Australian Carrying Company. Later on he was associated with several leading firms in the Central State, and subsequently proceeding to Victoria obtained a position with W. Hamilton & Co., stock and station agents, of Melbourne. Transferring his services to the firm of Messrs. Gordon & Gotch, in 1895, he came to Western Australia on their behalf and established the Western Australian branch of that firm, the operations of which he controlled as an auctioneer. Mr. Gardiner first entered Parliament as representative for Albany in 1901, and accepted the portfolio of Colonial Treasurer in the James Ministry on July 1, 1902, from which he resigned on April 20, 1904. ROBERT KEITH GARDINER is the eldest son of the foregoing gentleman, and was born at Middle Brighton, Victoria, on April 14, 1891. He received his
education principally at theGuildford Grammar School under the late W. Stewart Corr, M.A. At seventeen years of age he left college and proceeded immediately to “Blantyre,” then under the care of a manager, twelve months later assuming control over the whole estate. Mr. R. K. Gardiner is a prominent amateur athlete, having distinguished himself in football and cricket both before and since leaving college; and in 1912 was selected
Mr. Robert Keith Gardiner.
to represent the north-eastern district polo team in the Easter matches with Katanning, two out of three matches being won by his team. He is also a strong supporter of Moora Agricultural Society, having been for several years on the committee, and he is a regular exhibitor at the society’s shows.
“ Blantyre," the Property of Mr. James Gardiner, Moora.
WALTER REGINALD CLINCH, J.P., “West End,” Moora, was born at Greenongh, Western Australia, on November 22, 1876, and is the third son of Mr. Thomas Clinch, of that district, who came from Berkshire, England, in the early days of settlement in Australia, and was concerned in the gold “rush” to Ballarat, Victoria, where he remained for about four years. The subject of this memoir received his preparatory education at the Government school of his native place, completing his scholastic career at Prince Alfred College, South Australia, under the head mastership of Mr. Frederic Chappie, B.A., B.Sc. Leaving college, he returned home and took up clerical duties in connection with his father’s roller flourmill at Greenough, where he spent six years before embarking on a commercial enterprise on his own account at Mount Magnet on the Murchison goldfields. This business he conducted successfully until March, 1901, when he disposed of his interests and returned to Greenough, there leasing from his father a farming enterprise brought into a forward state of development by Mr. Thomas Clinch. In May, 1903, he purchased “West End,” a property near Moora, originally owned by the late Charles Clinch (uncle of the present owner), at whose demise it was inherited by his son, James, who eventually sold it to his cousin. The Moore River, a permanent stream, flows through the estate, and in addition to this means of supply the land is splendidly watered by three wells with windmills attached, while large pools on the river have been deepened from time to time, forming reservoirs which never fail. By
these means a copious supply is obtained for the farm and all domestic requirements all the year round, and it is not the least of the many advantages enjoyed by “West End” that it has never known a shortage of water. Mr. Clinch has considerably enlarged the estate since it came
Mr. Walter Reginald Clinch.
into his possession, increasing the 800 acres to something over 7,000— including 3,000 acres of pastoral leasehold. He has 1,000 acres cleared and cultivated, and the land, which is of average quality, is sown on the fallow system, the chief enterprise being the growing of cereals, principally wheat, although oats and barley are also successfully produced, and field peas on a small scale are being tried as an experiment. He has applied the use of lime with benefit to the crops, in the summer time on fallow land drilling 2 cwt.
of lime to the acre, the object of drilling in this season being to allow the lime to percolate through the soil before seeding time in the autumn, and preventing any detrimental effect upon the super sown later. As a result of this method harvests yielding as high as thirty bushels to the acre have been produced. Some attention has also been given to horticulture, and a small orchard of mixed fruits surrounding the homestead presents a very promising aspect, while twenty large almond-trees, planted by the late Charles Clinch sixty years ago, are still producing heavy crops. The flock of 1,000 merino sheep produces a good class of wool, which is sold at local markets at satisfactory prices, and the number of the flock is to be augmented very shortly in order to stock the 3,000 acres of leasehold property lately acquired by Mr. Clinch. Some fine brood mares, bred for use on the farm, were sired by the Clydesdale stallion “Royal,” lately sold by the proprietor of “West End”; and “Earl of Darnley.” a fine bay Clydesdale, now does duty on the farm. The sire is by “Darnley’s Best,” a Melbourne show-ring champion, from “Maggie” by “Young Botanist,” and was imported from Victoria by Messrs. Henry Wills and Co. for their York stud, and was subsequently purchased by Mr. Clinch. Lighter sorts include youngsters by “Christmas Carol,” trotting stallion, the property of the above firm and a prizewinner at the Royal Show. The “West End” homestead is built of ironstone excavated from the spot for the purpose, and consists of seven rooms substantially built and roofed with iron. The old dwelling-house, which adjoins the newer structure, was constructed on an old-time method, known as “rammed pug,” and now does duty as a workmen’s cottage. Water is laid on to homestead, garden, and yards. The stable,v strongly built of sawn bush timber, was erected by the original owner of the property, the timbers used being white-gum and salmon. Having stood the test of fifty years, this building utterly refutes the popular notion that salmon is unsuitable for such purposes on account of its being peculiarly open to the attacks of the white ant. The shingle roof timbers were cut and sawn by hand in the bush adjoining the homestead; and a visit of inspection reveals various other buildings, including hay sheds,
View on Mr. W. r. Clinch's ‘‘West End” Estate. Moora.
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machinery, cart, chaff and grain sheds, blacksmith and carpenter’s shop, all built on the same system. Some ornamental trees add to the beauty of the homestead area, notably two nine-year-old English oaks, which make a pleasant rest for the eye with their umbrageous branches. Mr. Clinch is a trustee and honorary secretary to the Moora Race Club, and was a member of the first committee of the local agricultural society. He is fond of all forms of clean outdoor sport, has captained the local team of cricketers, and is now president. On June 22, 1904, he married Clara Grace, daughter of Mr. J. Mortimer, of Gingin, and has three daughters and a son.
WALTER SCOTT RALSTON, J.P., merchant, Moora, was born on March 11, 1874, at Belfast, Ireland, his father being the late Francis Ralston, who was engaged in farming pursuits about twelve miles from that city. He received his primary education at the model school in Belfast, and subsequently attended the Mercantile College until he was sixteen years of age. He was then apprenticed to the ironmongery trade with the world-famed firm of Blairs, Limited, and his indentures completed he was installed at twenty-one years of age as manager of the iron-foundry branch of the same firm, during which time he was closely associated with the shipbuilding yards of Messrs. Harland & Wolf of Belfast. Early in the year 1897 Mr.
Ralston left the Old Country by the R.M.S. “Ormuz” bound for Australia and landed at Albany, whence he proceeded to Coolgardie on the hi
eastern goldfields. Here, after spending some six months in prospecting the surrounding country with varied success, he entered the firm of J. H. Monger of Coolgardie, and continued in the capacity of traveller for this firm for twelve months, at the end of which period
Mr. Walter Scott Ralston.
he accepted a similar berth in connection with the firm of Messrs. William Sandover & Co. of Perth, with whom he remained for two years. Returning to his old firm, then a limited company at Coolgardie, Mr. Ralston undertook the duties of traveller in the Murchison and Northern districts, and was also identified with the firm as manager
of the Kalgoorlie branch of the business for four years. The Monger’s W.A. Stores Limited then relinquished commercial pursuits in this
State, and Mr. Ralston, returning to the capital, was employed by the house of Messrs. McLean Brothers and Rigg as its country traveller in the agricultural areas, where he realized the opportunities offering for the establishment of a business in the centre of the Midland Railway Company concession. Resigning his position with Messrs. McLean Brothers & Rigg he came to Moora in December, 1905, and established his present up-to-date store in what was then but a tiny settlement with only a few inhabitants in the township and surrounding district. His sagacity has been amply proved by the wonderful rate at which the place has developed—which is a fair index to the excellence of its agricultural prospects—and with foresight matching the former quality he has advanced with the times and has deservedly earned the distinction of being the leading merchant of Moora. Mr. Ralston caters not only for the local trade, but does an immense business with the agriculturists and pastoralists as far distant as 100 miles from the town as a centre. His staff is large and capable, dealing efficiently with the different departments, which include drapery, grocery, ironmongery, crockery, saddlery, builders’ and building materials, oil engines, motor cars, etc., and he is sole agent in the district for the famous “Onkaparinga” woollen goods and Marshall’s boots and shoes. Being a direct importer of all kinds of goods Mr. Ralston buys at keen prices, and is able to give his customers the benefit in reduced values, besides procuring by this means a large variety of the latest and most up-to-date articles of commerce to tempt all classes of the community. In 1909 he established a branch business at Coomberdale on the same line, which has made good headway under the control of a capable manager. Mr. Ralston has interested himself in the public welfare of the district, and is highly esteemed not only for his business ability but also for the painstaking care which he displays in the smallest detail when acting in his official capacity. He is chairman of the local board of health, and in 1909 received the Commission of the Peace for the district. In 1909 he married Elizabeth Josephine, daughter of Mr. Philip Terry, of South Australia, who has proved herself a worthy helpmate.
Mr. W. S. Ralston’s Premises, Moora.
CHARLES KRUGER DAVIDSON, of “Glentromie,” New Norcia, is the fifth son of the late James Davidson, who came to Australia from “Kerrimuir,” Scotland, in the year 1847, and settled down to farming pursuits in Warrnambool, Victoria. In 1862 the late gentleman revisited his native country, and during the return voyage he met with an accident on board ship and died before the vessel reached its destination. The subject of this memoir was born at Warrnambool on October 16, 1857, and received his education in his native town under the late Mr. Burst on. After leaving school he
was employed by the late Mr. Kruger, a merchant of the same place, with whom he remained for two years. In 1875 he left Warrnambool in order to take up farming land near Sheep Hills, where, in conjunction with his brother John, he carried on business as farmer and grazier for twelve or thirteen years. At the end of this period he left his brother in charge of the Wimmera property and came with his family to Western Australia in 1888, at the invitation of his wife’s uncle, the late Walter Padbury, then owner of “Glentromie,” to take over the management of the latter estate. The property at that time consisted of 5,600 acres of freehold country, but held in connection with this was a leasehold run amounting to something over 60,000 acres. During
the four years that Mr. Davidson remained in the position of manager for Mr. Padbury he made many improvements on the estate, doing a good deal of fencing, tank-sinking, ringbarking, and clearing.
Mr. Charles Kruger Davidson.
At the end of 1892 Mr. Padbury disposed of a large portion of the leasehold property, leaving about 16,000 acres, inclusive of the above-mentioned freehold, to be embraced in the ‘'Glentromie” Estate, which about this time wa-s taken over on lease by the gentleman under review, who continued as lessee his strenuous exertions in the way of improvement.
In 1907, upon the death of Mr. Padbury, under the terms of the will the property was inherited by Mr. and Mrs. Davidson, and shortly afterwards the new proprietor purchased from the Midland Railway Company 7,000 acres of the leasehold part of the estate, which brought the freehold up to 13,000 acres. Of this from 350 to 400 acres have been cleared, while the remaining portion is ringbarked and partially cleared, making about 9,000 acres of splendid grass country. “Glentromie” is situated in the centre of the Victoria Plains and in the near vicinity of the New Norcia Mission Station— one of the landmarks of the district. The Moore River flows through the property, and in addition there are three perennial springs, which, with several tanks and dams, make the estate practically secure as far as the water question is concerned. The property was among the first taken up in the district, and even in Western Australia, as far back as the early forties, being leased from the Government by two Scotchmen, viz., Messrs. McPherson and Davidson, who erected on the property the homestead now occupied by the present owner and his family. The farming enterprise on “Glentromie” consists mainly in the breeding of sheep, cattle, pigs, and horses, while agriculture is carried on on a limited scale. For his merino flock—numbering in the vicinity of 3,000—Mr. Davidson favours a strain produced by the introduction of Victorian and Tasmanian stud sheep. For many years he has been a successful exhibitor at the Royal Show, and has carried off first prize for merino wool on many occasions, being beaten once only in seven years. At the Franco-British Exhibition in 1908 he was awarded a diploma and gold medal for merino wool, and in 1911 was successful in securing the “Diplome de Medaille D’or” at Roubaix. In 1905 at the Perth Royal Show the Gooch Cup, for five six-tooth merino wethers, was awarded to Mr. Davidson, on which occasion the sheep were shorn and their wool valued, after which they were killed and the value of the carcasses taken. The sheep averaged 14J lb. of wool, valued at lOJd. per lb., while the average weight of carcass was 73 lb., which according to the ruling standard of the time, was valued at 4Jd. per 1b., making an average for wool and carcass combined of £1 18s. 2d. per sheep. Mr,
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Davidson attributes the success of his flocks principally to the good strain introduced by five rams which he purchased in 1898 from Mr. W. T. Loton, of “Springhill,” descendants of a son of the famous “President,”
animals have been bred, and Mr. Davidson is now in possession of a. unique team of six from the one mare. Accompanying this article may be seen a photograph of the racing stallion “Valere,” who is not
adjacent to the homestead, which is considered one of the most comfortable country residences in the State. The outhouses are worthy of special mention, and include two four-roomed cottages for married
Photo by C. E. Farr.
sold in Tasmania for 1,500 guineas. The wool from the “Glentromie” Estate is shipped annually to London, where it invariably commands good prices. The herd is composed chiefly of shorthorns and numbers between 300 and 400 head, bred mostly for the beef markets, as high as .£20 per head having been obtained for a mixed mob of cattle sent to Perth in 1901. At various times Mr. Davidson has imported bulls from the well-known “Dugdale” stud of Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, and also from the famous stud of J. H. Angas in South Australia, but, latterly, he has obtained most satisfactory results from bulls purchased from Mr. A. W. Edgar, of Gingin, Western Australia. At one period horses of a light type were bred on a large scale at “Glentromie,” but of late years enterprise in this line has been
“Glentromie" Homestead and Outbuildings.
unfamiliar to sporting enthusiasts of this State. In 1909 “Valere” was favourite for the Perth Cup from the issue of the weights until the day of the race, when he ran third to “Scorcher” and “Loradano,” less than half a length separating the trio. He also ran third in the Derby, in “Post Town’s” year. “Valere,” who is by that successful sire, “Positano” by “St. Simon” out of “Valence” by “Autonomy,” one of “Chester’s” best sons, is a beautiful brown horse standing over seventeen hands high, and, given opportunities, should prove a worthy son of his famous sire. Three of “Valere’s” stock have been nominated for the Sires Produce Stakes of 1914, and their performances will be watched with interest. In the agricultural branch of the enterprise wheat and hay are the
couples employed on the farm, men’s quarters, shearing-shed, machinery-sheds, stables, and four loose-boxes, etc., all built of brick with galvanized-iron roofing. Mr. Davidson is chairman of the Victoria Plains Roads Board and president of the local agricultural society. He is a cordial patron of all forms of outdoor sport, a member of the Moora Race Club, and when in Victoria was a prominent figure in athletics, particularly in pedes-trianism, being successful at Ballarat, Stawell, Horsham, and various other places. Each year since 1902 a team of cricketers from the city have travelled to “Glentromie,” and the visitors have always carried away pleasant memories of Easter holidays spent as the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Davidson, when golf, tennis, cricket, and kangaroo hunts have been the
Photo by C. E. Farr.
View looking towards Rear of Homestead.
confined to the breeding of a few thoroughbreds and sufficient draughts for the requirements of the property. From a prolific draught mare by “Pranjip” several fine m2
chief crops produced, and in 1912 as high as twenty-six bushels to the acre was stripped and three tons of hay reaped to the acre. Three acres of orchard and vineyard lie
order of the day. Mr. Davidson married in 1885 Amelia Jane, daughter of the late Thomas Payne, of Sheep Hills, Victoria, and has a surviving family of one son and one daughter.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
THE NEW NORCIA BENEDICTINE MISSION STATION. The Spanish Roman Catholic Mission Station at New Norcia is situated in the Victoria Plains on the banks of a branch of the Moore River, some 80 miles distant from Perth and 15 miles from Mogumber on the midland railway. The mission, the primary object of which was the civilization and Christianizing of the aborigines of the district, was inaugurated in the year 1846 by members of the Benedictine Order under the administration of Father (subsequently Bishop) Salvado, one-time diocesan of Port Victoria and Palmerston, Northern Territory, and afterwards Titular Bishop of Adriana.
The present Lord Abbot of New Norcia, the Right Rev.
Dom Fulgentius Antonius Torres, succeeded Bishop Salvado on the death of the latter in December, 1900.
Dr. Torres was born at Ibiza, Balearic Islands,
Spain, on June 24, 1861.
He made his first studies in his native city. At the age of sixteen he proceeded to the university at Barcelona, there to complete his higher studies. In 1880 he entered the Episcopal Seminary of Vich, and went through a course of theology. Upon leaving the Seminary he entered the Benedictine Monastery of Montserrat, taking the Benedictine habit on June 8, 1885. After a year’s novitiate he took his simple vows on June 21,
1886. He was ordained priest in 1887. In 1889 he took his final or solemn vows. He remained at Montserrat until 1895, when his Abbot sent him as “Superior” to open a new mission in the Philippine Islands. In December, 1897, he was recalled home. In 1898 he became rector of the Montserrat Church in Naples. It was in Naples, a year before his death, that Bishop Salvado met Father Torres, and at once decided that here was the very man to succeed him as Abbot of New Norcia when the post should become vacant through his (the Bishop’s) demise. He lost no time in applying to the Superior of the Benedictine Order in Spain, his request being that Father
Torres might be permitted to accompany him back to Western Australia as his coadjutor. With wise forethought he also arranged for the affiliation of the Abbey and Benedictine Community of New Norcia to the Spanish Province of the Cas-sinese Benedictines, for up to that period the Abbey had occupied a somewhat anomalous position, in that it was attached to no province or congregation, a special favour of the Roman Pontiff, Pius IX., conferred in 1859, having absolved the Lord Abbot from any ecclesiastical jurisdiction, save only the supreme
authority of the Pope. By Bishop Salvado’s diplomatic action New Norcia was protected from the danger of falling under secular religious control after his decease. The death of Bishop Salvado in Rome, whither he had been recalled from Montserrat by Pope Leo XIII., left New Norcia without a head. Mindful of the Abbot’s expressed wish the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide, after due consultation with the Superior of the Benedictine Order, nominated Father Torres Apostolic Administrator
of the Abbey of New Norcia, and in March, 1901, he sailed for Australia. In October, 1902, at the conventual chapter of the Abbey of New Norcia, under the presidency of the Rev. P. D. Rudesindo Casanovas, Consultor of the Province of Spain, the Right Rev. Administrator was unanimously elected successor to Bishop Salvado. This election was duly “confirmed” according to the constitution of the Benedictine Order. Returning to Europe Dr. Torres received his “abbatial benediction” in January, 1903, in the church of St. Ambrose della Massina, the residence of the Procurator-general of the congregation. The fifty years and more which had elapsed since Father Salvado, fresh from the Abbey of “La Cava,” in Italy, had inaugurated the mission of New Norcia, had seen the enterprise very firmly established in the face of what must at first have seemed almost insuperable difficulties. Bishop Salvado was a man of most indomitable courage and immense powers of resource. Aided by a small but dovoted band of Benedictines, immediately upon his arrival in Western Australia he set to work to found a home in the wilderness, not only for himself and his helpers, but also for the natives who were at that time numerous in the locality. The bodily and spiritual welfare of the aborigines were ever the foremost objects in the progressive schemes of this pioneer missionary of the faith. From the humblest beginnings—a small acreage, a Government grant of 78 acres, painfully cultivated in primitive fashion by the monks themselves (Father Salvado was his own ploughman)—rude log huts, and too frequent intervals when privation seemed perilously akin to sheer starvation (lizards and edible roots were often the best of their fare), the interests of the little community gradually developed until to-day the Benedictines control upwards of 30,000 acres of land in the fertile Victoria Plains district. In addition there are now branch mission houses at
Right Rev. Dom Fulgentitjs Antonius Torres.
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by means of a dam located in the hills a quarter of a mile away. The vineyard is utilized for the cultivation of wine-making grapes. The community owns a large number of vines—about thirty thousand in all —and the cellars beneath the monastery buildings are well stocked with
Wyening and Namban, where both agriculture and viticulture are carried out to a considerable extent. The aborigines, though belligerent at
Australian streams, the flow of water diminishes, or even entirely ceases, during the summer months of the year, these properties are irrigated
which they derive a considerable revenue—their wool invariably commands a high price in the market-while for many years the horses bred at New Norcia were eagerly sought after and purchased at reasonable rates by settlers in search of sound, reliable stock. The Benedictines being an “enclosed” order, the monastery, a picturesque two-storeyed building with wide verandahs, occupies three sides of a quadrangle; on the fourth side, fronting the road from Perth to Geraldton, is the principal entrance, a good example of classical architecture with massive wrought-iron gates. Opposite this, on the far side of the quadrangle, is the mission house, erected in the renaissance style, containing the archives of the establishment and the Lord Abbot’s suite of apartments. On the first floor of each wing are the rooms occupied by the mission fathers, above are the lay brothers’ cells, and on the ground floor are reception-rooms, guest chambers, offices, and the monks’ refectory. The whole edifice is composed of brick and stucco, very solidly constructed with walls over two feet in thickness. Perhaps one of the most interesting features of the monastery is the library, which contains many volumes of very
Photo by G. F. Farr. interior of Monastery Chapel.
maturing wines. Some of these have been in wood for half a century and more. In addition to agricultural lands and vineyards the Benedictines possess fine flocks and herds from
great value—a few arc practically priceless. A very rare work is a sixteenth-century Polyglot Bible, with parallel versions in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Coptic, and Syriac.
Photo by C. F. Farr. Quadrangle of Monastery.
first, soon came to look upon the good fathers as their best friends. A native village—some of the original cottages may still be seen—became a feature of New Norcia (so-called after Norcia, a small town in Central Italy, celebrated as the birthplace of St. Benedict), schools were established, and in return the natives assisted in the field work, always, however, receiving the current rate of wages in return for their services. Others were employed in the bootmaker’s, carpenter’s, or wheelwright’s shops, or at the blacksmith’s forge. A store attached to the mission supplied the natives with all they were likely to require at cost price. By slow degrees the mission became entirely self-supporting, as it is to this day—for the small grant allocated by the Government is too infinitesimal to be seriously taken into account in the community’s financial estimates. A flour-mill was built, which not only provided for the needs of the monastery, but also proved of inestimable benefit to the scattered settlers for miles around. Soap, macaroni, butter, olive oil; in short, practically all the necessities of every-day life were, and are, manufactured at New Norcia. A large orchard of citrus and other fruits, a fine vineyard, a kitchen garden, and an extensive olive grove are situated upon the banks of the river, and when, as is the case with most
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Only very few copies of this particular edition of the Scriptures are in existence. There are two oratories within the abbey precincts— one in which the daily offices are
said, an exceedingly ornate and magnificent specimen of Byzantine architecture, with details richly elaborated—more than £300 worth of gold leaf has been utilized in decorating the carved woodwork of the chapel; the second, the lay brothers’ chapel, is chiefly noticeable for its altar-piece. The parish church of New Norcia—the boundaries of the abbey have been largely extended of late years—is situated just without the monastery gates, on the opposite side of the main road. It is a large cruciform structure of rough-hewn stone, flanked by a stately campanile of recent date. The pile is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Within the monks’ choir, at the back of the high altar, is the tomb of the late Bishop Salvado, whose body was translated thither from Rome as soon as the Italian law permitted the removal of his remains. A handsome sarcophagus of white Carrara marble is suitably inscribed and headed by the emblem signifying the word “Pax,” the motto of the Benedictine Order. The high altar of the church is enriched with a reredos of carved wood, a work executed by a craftsman of no mean ability. When Dr. Torres assumed direct control of New Norcia it did not take him long to discover that the primary object of the mission, the bodily and spiritual welfare of the aborigines, afforded insufficient
scope for bis wide culture and splendid powers of organization. The native tribes of Western Australia are a dying race; the trend of civilization must be responsible at no
remote period for their inevitable extinction—in any case in the more settled districts of the State. Already the inhabitants of the native village at New Norcia were reduced to a mere handful, the survival of the fittest. So while by no means neglecting the claims of the aborigines—those that still remain at
New Norcia have every advantage afforded them, and a branch mission under the control of Father Alti-mira, a mission which is entirely devoted to the interests of their less
accessible brethren, has comparatively recently been established on the Drysdale River, in the far northwest, a hundred and fifty miles from Wyndham—he very wisely turned his great energies into another and equally important channel. An enthusiastic educationalist, Dr. Torres is responsible for the girls’ college of St. Gertrude, an institution which is in the capable hands of sisters of the teaching order of St. Joseph. A lofty, red-brick building, with cement facings, Spanish Gothic in type, erected from Dr. Torres’ own designs, the college occupies a commanding site on the brow of a low hill overlooking the monastery and the wide valley of the Moore River. Its fine fa9ade is beautified with costly marble work and mosaic tiles imported from Spain. Expense has been no object in the accomplishment of this notable scheme, which was entirely carried out under the direct supervision of Dr. Torres himself. The ultimate cost exceeded £30,000. There are bathhouses and every convenience for the comfort and well-being of the inmates of St. Gertrude’s. The infirmary is completely isolated from the main body of the building. The dormitories are spacious and airy; the living-rooms scrupulously clean and neat. The college fees are so low as to be practically nominal. The tuition, needless to say, is admirable,
and the pupils themselves worthily uphold the credit of the establishment at their annual examinations in various branches of knowledge. The conventual chapel is a small
Photo by C. E. Farr. Girls’ School.
Photo by C. E. Farr. Boys’ School.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
961
apsidal building; the altar is of carved cedar wood, decorated by a lay brother of the community. Within the sacristy are kept the altar
separates St. Gertrude’s from a college for boys conducted by religious of the Marist Teaching Order—a fine Byzantine edifice, also
proverbial. The guest chamber at New Norcia is a nicely furnished apartment on the ground floor of the monastery, looking out on to the
Photo by C. E. Farr.
New Norcia Mission station, looking South.
vessels of precious metals and a number of sacerdotal vestments, richly jewelled and embroidered by the skilful fingers of the Benedictine nuns. The college is 200 ft. in length, 72 ft. high, and 75 ft. in breadth. Close by St. Gertrude’s is a school for native children, very little inferior in the matter of accommodation to that of their fairer-skinned sisters. The native boys’ school is not far from the
designed by Dr. Torres. All that has been said concerning the internal arrangements of St. Gertrude’s may be repeated and even emphasized here. Among the Lord Abbot’s projected improvements, which will probably take shape and form in the not too distant future, is a new monastery that is to occupy a suitable site not far away from the present abbey; the latter building will then serve as
quadrangle and cloisters. A painting of the present Pope, Pius X., and a few devotional pictures decorate the walls. While on the subject of pictures it may perhaps be mentioned that a striking portrait in oils of Bishop Salvado, done at Barcelona shortly after his death, hangs in a room adjoining the old refectory. Four bedrooms open into the guest chamber. An apartment on the opposite
Photo by C. E. Farr.
View of Monastery and church from Boys’ School.
old flour-mill and granary. The brick-kiln, where most of the bricks used in the construction of the college were manufactured, lies in a hollow near by. The New Norcia cemetery
a seminary for the training of young men of different nationalities who have a vocation for a life of prayer and sustained missionary effort. The hospitality of the Benedictines is
side of the quadrangle is utilized for the service of meals, and a lay brother is told off to attend to the wants of the visitor. The occasional guest will probably be aroused from
slumber each morning of his stay, precisely at 3 a.m., by the measured tolling of the monastery bell— twenty-four strokes in all—an iron-throated monitor whose summons the whole community, from the Abbot down to the youngest lay brother, must alike obey. From three to six, both winter and summer, the monks engage in prayer and silent meditation. At six o’clock they break their fast, then each one to his special avocation—the viticulturist to the vineyard, the shepherd to his sheep, the agriculturist to the fields. The community of New Norcia consists of fifty monks, lay brothers, and Benedictine Fathers. Some among them are men who have grown so old in good works as to be past all further toil, and these live a life of their own —a little community dwelling apart from their more active fellows, but one with them in faith and charity, and the hope that reaches out beyond the grave. The monastic choir of New Norcia is justly celebrated throughout the State for its admirable rendering of Gregorian music, and at the Easter services and on high festivals the church of the Holy Trinity is always crowded to its fullest extent. Bishop Torres is ably assisted in his onerous duties by the present prior of the community, Father Bass, and by the majordomo of the mission station, Father Gerard Castanares, the bishop’s ‘‘right-hand” man. Father Castanares was
born in the province of Burgos, Spain, on June 26, 1871. Before coming to Australia he was engaged in missionary work in the Philippine Islands during the Spanish-American war. From there he came
to Western Australia in 1901 and proceeded to New Norcia at the same time as Bishop Torres; then he took ijp his position as majordomo for the institution. After spending three years at the mission station Father Castanares proceeded to Southern Cross, where he was priest-in-charge of the Roman Catholic church of that town for eighteen months. He then took over the management of the Berkshire Valley mission station,
and there he remained for two and a half years before returning to Southern Cross to spend a further three years as priest-in-charge of the Roman Catholic church. In March, 1911, Father Castanares returned to
New Norcia, where he has remained ever since as majordomo of the mission. Dr. Torres himself inaugurated the Drysdale River mission, in the Kimberley district, a work not without a very real element of danger, for the natives in those remote regions are numerous and inclined to be bellicose when they find the white man encroaching—as they imagine—on their immemorial preserves. The community now
Photo by C. E. Farr. The Monastery.
Photo by C. E. Farr.
The Mission Station, from the Moore River.
953
holds a lease of about 50,000 acres, which grant comprises much fine grass country admirably adapted for tropical cultivation and the raising of stock. The bishop has effected many improvements in the monastic
drive by coach through the 15 miles of rather desolate country which lie between Mogumber and New Norcia it comes as something of a revelation to the traveller on topping the steep rise that overlooks Victoria Plains to
Spain; the voluminous habits, the broad-brimmed hats of the monks, the blue blouses of the field-workers, lend to the illusion, and the musical chiming of the Angelus is borne down the wind in deep and mellow tones.
Photo by C. E. Farr. View, Looking Towards the North.
regime at the mother - house since the beginning of his term of office. Some of these innovations, excellent though they are, have been resented by the elders of the community, who remember the days of their youth. For instance, the introduction of tablecloths and chinaware in the refectory pleased them not at all, and they still continue to lament the primitive tin pannikins and bare wooden boards so strongly associated in their minds with the beneficent rule of the beloved
behold lying below him the spacious colleges and the white community buildings of the mission standing ringed about with vineyards and fruitful orchards and set in the midst of fertile fields backed by low undulating hills timbered with stately forest trees. The monastery gardens, with their flower-bordered walks, by the side of still pools, the haunt of gradeful swans, make a pleasant resort for the community during the brief hours of recreation, especially when the sun is slanting
But it is the old days that go to make up history, and the story of the gradual building up of New Norcia by its intrepid founder must appeal to all who reverence whole-hearted endeavour and difficulties bravely overcome. Bishop Salvado, wandering lonely through the bush on Bagi-Bagi Hill one autumn day nearly seventy years ago close to the now historic spot, the scene of his future efforts; Bishop Salvado trudging 50 weary miles into Newcastle and 50 weary miles back to New Norcia
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Orchard and Garden at Rear of Monastery.
founder of the mission. The new refectory is a handsome roomy apartment, furnished throughout in polished jarrah. After a dreary
westwards and the whole wide valley bounded by purple hills lies steeped in a rich golden glow. One might almost imagine oneself in sunny
carrying a heavy ploughshare on his shoulders and recruiting his spent energies on bread and black tea, if he were lucky; driving a bullock-team
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
and dray through the treacherous ford of the Avon River, narrowly escaping death by drowning; organizing a concert in Perth, himself advance agent and sole performer —and no mean one at that—in order to raise much-needed funds for the mission; ministering among his faithful blacks, at one and the same time their father and their brother, their guide, counsellor, and familiar friend; superintending their amusements, baptizing their children, and at the last closing their eyes in the dark hour of death—this is the heroic figure, indissolubly connected in the mind of each one of us with his beloved
mission, whose death in the fulness of years was mourned, not only by his own little community, but the community at large, as few have been mourned within the memory of living man. New Norcia has been fortunate in its abbots. Bishop Salvado’s successor, Dr. Torres, has endeared himself to a host of friends by his unfailing courtesy and genuine kindness of heart, while his singular ability and scholarly culture are recognized at once by all who have been privileged to meet him. Under his administration the mission is likely to become an example of its kind, not only throughout the
length and breadth of Australia, but all over the world, wherever the pioneers of Christianity and civilization have penetrated. This brief article may perhaps be closed by a beautiful story which concerns the origin of the tolling of the monastic church bell at 3 o’clock each morning. It is related how once, long ago, a traveller who had lost his way in the trackless bush, becoming faint and exhausted with fatigue, lay down in the desolate forest to die. He had sunk into a semi-stupor, when suddenly he heard in the distance a measured tolling. At first he thought that he must be dreaming, but .still the muffled notes rang out. Painfully he stumbled in the direction whence the sound came, and at last, to his joy, he beheld the monastery build-ings lying grey and peaceful in the light of early dawn. Utterly spent, he arrived at the mission, where he was kindly tended by the monks and carefully nursed back to strength. Since then, in commemoration of the event, twenty-four strokes, one for each hour of the day and night, have been sounded on the church bell at three o’clock every morning year in and year out.
ROBERT JAMES McKEEVER, of “Springdale,” Moora, was born in Tyrone, Ireland, on August 12, 1859, and is a son of Mr. Robert McKeever, of that county. He received his education in his native place, and after completing his studies became engaged in marine pursuits, spending twelve years as an able-bodied seaman on various vessels. His last berth was on the ship “Glenora,” trading between England and Australia, and having left this boat at Fremantle in 1887 he shortly afterwards obtained employment in railway construction work bn the Albany to Beverley section of the
great southern railway. Subsequently he became engaged in contracts for the clearing of land, fencing, tank-sinking, etc., until 1892, when he turned his attention to land settlement on his own account and took up 250 acres in the Moora district, which he continued to develop until 1897. In that year Mr. McKeever acquired an additional 330 acres of virgin country, and this area he has since largely increased, the “Springdale” Estate now embracing an extent of between
5,000 and 6,000 acres of the pick land of the district. Some fine wheat yields have been produced from the 1,400 acres of cleared cultivation fields, and the judicious system of fallowing employed gives the soil every opportunity of retaining its energies, so that the averages are well kept up, twenty-five bushels of wheat and 30 cwt. of hay to the acres being harvested. Both wheat and wool are shipped to the London markets by Mr. McKeever, who grazes a flock of 1,400 merino and crossbred sheep, and has in addition a small herd of about
V. K. Farr, Ferth.
Mr. Robert James McKeever.
twenty cattle to supply domestic requirements, and some Berkshire pigs which are bred for market purposes. About twenty-three working Clydesdales may be found at present on the farm, besides which a few lighter sorts of horses are kept for buggy and saddle use. The property is subdivided into sixteen paddocks, all the fences being constructed with jam posts and six or seven wires, to
955
which wire-netting has been added to make the enclosures dog-proof. The homestead, built in 1897, contains eleven rooms, and in the vicinity an orchard and vineyard has been planted, where various kinds of fruits and grapes are grown for the use of the household. Mr. McKeever is a member of the local health board, and was a committeeman of the local agricultural society for some time. He is convener of the Moora Race Club, and interests himself in the general advancement of the neighbourhood as a member of the progress association committee. In 1892 he was married to Mary, daughter of Mr. John Dix, of “Mambooda,” near Moora, and has two sons and six daughters.
WILLIAM JOSEPH EDWARD MURPHY, J.P., “Wilgie Hill,” Dalwallinu, situated sixty miles north-east of Moora, is a son of the late Mr. Edward George Murphy, county councillor, of Kilmagarvoguc, County Carlow, Ireland, where the gentleman under review was born on April 16, 1880. He received his scholastic training at Clongowes Wood, County Kildare, and subsequently at Trinity College, Dublin, but while attending the latter
met with an accident which compelled him to cut short his course of study, and for several years caused him so much trouble that, upon the
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. William Joseph Edward Murphy.
advice of his physicians, in 1906 lie left the Old Country for the milder climate of Western Australia. After a year spent in visiting the chief centres of this and the Eastern States
Mr. Murphy in 1907 took up a block of land from the Government comprising about 4,000 acres, to which he subsequently added another 2,000 acres, and entered upon the development of this property, which he has continued to improve ever since. He can fairly claim to have been the pioneer of this district, which, lying 60 miles north-east of Moora, on the Midland line, the nearest railway station to the holding, before his advent was considered to be outside the rain belt. Messrs. Quinlan & O’Connor have since taken up “Milabi” Station, adjoining the property of Mr. Murphy, who acts as overseer on behalf of these gentlemen. Mr. Murphy takes considerable interest in the advancement of the district, and was one of the founders of the Wilgie Hill Progress Association, also taking an active part in the movement which eventuated in the construction of the Wongan Ilills-Mul-lewa railway. In his earlier days he was prominent in all forms of manly outdoor sport, being especially proficient in football, cricket, and hockey, while for a considerable period he was a well-known member of the Car-low and Island Hunt Club. He is a member of the Western Australian Turf Association and of the Weld and Perth Clubs.
MINGENEW AND DONGARA.
Between Moora and Mingenew on the Midland line there are several stations which are destined to become agricultural or pastoral centres of increasing importance. Among the principal of these are Watheroo, Carnamah, and Three Springs, the last-named being in the midst of a thriving agricultural area from which during the past season many thousand bags of wheat were sent away. The area of country from Arrino (the station next to Three Springs) to Nangetty, some 15 miles north of Mingenew, is probably one of the finest blocks of agricultural country that could be secured in the Commonwealth.
Mingenew, a town on the line about 80 miles from Geraldton, is the centre of the Upper Irwin district, an important agricultural and pastoral country, over the greater part of which the soil is exceptionally rich. It is the natural depot for stock of all descriptions arriving from the north-west stations. These are sold by auction and dispatched from the trucking yards to Perth and Fremantle. The town also exports large quanties of wheat, chaff, oats, and wool. The Irwin River coal beds are situated at no great distance from Mingenew, and
at Yandanooka and Arrino some few miles away there are extensive deposits of copper, in connection with which many leases have been taken out, and a certain amount of work is being done. In the town itself there are the usual Government buildings, roads board offices, bank, and an Anglican Church. The population of Mingenew is about 300, and the affairs of the town are controlled by the Upper Irwin Roads Board, sanitation being in the hands of a local board of health. The roads board district embraces an area of 10,000 square miles, and the unimproved rateable value of the land within it is £426,781.
The township of Dongara is situated about 46 miles south of Geraldton, near the mouth of the Irwin River and within a mile and a half of the coast. It is the centre of one of the oldest districts in the State, the first settlement in the neighbourhood dating back to the forties. The town, though only possessing a population of about 300, is in the middle of a wonderfully fertile district, from which magnificent grain crops are reaped. For many years a roller flourmill has been in active operation, and there are other buildings, including a
branch of the Western Australian Bank, which bear ample evidence of the solidity and commercial stability of the town. In order to facilitate the export of products, a fine jetty has been erected at a distance of one and three-quarter miles from the town. Adjoining the town is the marvellously rich Dongara flat, having an area of about four miles by two miles, the soil of which is so rich that crops grow rank if it is manured. In fact, right along the Irwin River there is good soil, and the number of successful farms shows that settlers have been quick to realize its value both for agricultural and pastoral purposes.
South of Dongara are some fine caves, which in the opinion of the residents compare favourably with the better known examples in the south-western portion of the State. These have been well described in “Victoria and Murchison Districts” issued by R. M. Cochrane, to which we are also indebted for our information concern-
ing Greenougli, Geraldton, and Northampton. “These caves have been known for years, but they have never been explored thoroughly. A few people have penetrated into them a short distance, just sufficiently far to be aware of the vast possibilities of the unknown depths •which have never been penetrated. At Jurien Bay is the Morla Cave. It has a very small entrance, but is a very large cave. There are more than three chambers opening one out of another. It has not a very high roof, but very few have ever been beyond the third chamber. One or two adventurous spirits went into the fourth chamber. No end has ever been found. The caves are haunted by wild dogs. Fifty-six miles south of Dongara are the Stockyard Gully Caves. These are the biggest caves of all. The roof is about 150 ft. above the floor, while the width is fully 200 ft. The distance to which one can penetrate is unknown. The Worada Caves are 40 miles south of Dongara.”
ROBERT ARCHIBALD STRACHAN, Manager of the Mingenew Branch of the National Bank of Australasia, Limited, is a Victorian by birth, being a son of the late Mr. John Smith Strachan, agriculturist, of Burrumbeet, near Ballarat, who was also one of the manufacturing pioneers of Victoria. The gentleman under review was born at the former town on September 7, 1856, and received his education principally at the Government school, in the intervals of study being employed on his father’s farm, where at the early age of thirteen he was entrusted with the driving of a steam thresher. In 1876 he left home and entered the Victorian Confectionery Works at Melbourne, of which his father was proprietor, spending four years in this establishment, where he learnt the confectionery trade. In 1880 Mr. Strachan, sen., disposed of this business, and his son, then a young man of twenty-four, joined the National Bank as junior clerk at Melbourne in the year 1880. His connection with this institution has now extended over thirty years, during which period he has occupied various positions in Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia, his first managerial post being at Cordillera, in the Mother State, some twenty years ago. He came to Western Australia in 1895, and for nine years was stationed at Northam. He was next transferred to Katan-ning in 1907, after several years proceeding to Mingenew, where he has since continued. During his career
Mr. Strachan has shown himself a man of wide sympathies, social, club, and sporting life all appealing to him in its different phases; but his chief interest for many years was centred in the military movement of Australia. His connection with this began in the early eighties, when he joined the East Melbourne Artillery, subsequently transferring to the Prince
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©
Mr. Robert Archibald Strachan.
of Wales Light Horse at Ballarat. Upon arrival in Western Australia he was the first unit to join the Volunteer Corps formed in the eastern district of Northam, and infused so much enthusiasm into his fellow-members that in spite of great difficulties in securing instructors,
rifle range, uniforms, rifles, and ammunition, such a standard of excellence was attained that on the occasion of the visit of the Duke of York in 1901 they distinguished themselves by taking to Perth a troop of over ninety, which for horses and horsemanship had never been equalled in the State. Prior to this Mr. Strachan had received his commission as lieutenant, and upon the resignation of Captain Mitchell he took charge of the No. 4 Squadron, 18th Australian Light Horse, shortly afterwards being gazetted as captain. In 1906 he resigned in accordance with the Federal age limit regulations, but subsequently formed the first troop of 18th Australian Light Horse at Katanning soon after his arrival in that district, and during the Kitchener campaign attended in charge of his troop. In connection with his military work he is the holder of a handsome silver cup, a medal, and other trophies. In matters of sport Mr. Strachan was one of the promoters of the Northam Bowling Club and a member of the committee of that organization. He married in 1892 Charlotte, daughter of the late Mr. Matthew Creagen, of Stawell, Victoria, and has a surviving family of three daughters.
“NANGETTY,” the property of Mr. Richard Smith, of Adelaide, now under the management of his fifth son, Mr. Gordon Law Smith, is situated about 11 miles from Mingenew in the Victoria district of Western Australia. It comprises a
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
957
Photo by C. E. Farr. Near View of Homestead.
block of land which measures about eight by six miles and includes much of the best country in the upper valley of the River Irwin. The country is chiefly undulating with a big expanse of rich alluvial flats. Scarcely any timber is to be seen. The ground is covered with an abundance of beautiful feed, trefoil, capeweed, wild oats, dandelion, crowsfoot, barley grass, and many other renowned fattening grasses, besides being thickly dotted all over with a wealth of blue bush which in the summer affords a welcome change from the dry feed for the stock. The River Irwin runs right through the property and the fine timber on the flats on either side provides welcome shade for the sheep and cattle. On the western boundary there is a fringe of fairly level and lightly -timbered sand plain, where water is easily obtained at shallow depths. Comprising 35,000 acres of territory “Nangetty” is used almost exclusively as a pastoral proposition, the small areas devoted to the cultivation of hay being tilled solely with a view to supplying the requirements of the working horses. It is, however, worthy of mention that two tons to the acre have been reaped in this department, showing that the land
only needs development in order to give splendid returns in agriculture. When purchased by Mr. Smith in 1903 comparatively little
improvement work had been done on the run. The larger portion was undivided, only five paddocks being made, and only two of the subdivisions were provided with permanent water. The rainfall, however, averages 14 or 15 in., and it
has been in connection with water conservation that Mr. Smith has scored his signal success in the building up of his enterprise. At the present time there are thirty-three paddocks each supplied with permanent water, and no part of the run is more than a mile and a half from a trough constantly supplied with clean water. Besides the original wells and several new ones on the sand plain, there are twelve large excavated tanks which have involved the removal of over 66,000 cubic yards of earth, and these are frequently more than full, for each has its depth and capacity greatly increased by embankments, and the water is often above the excavation line. In addition, on the catchment side of each tank is a dam intended
to trap the silt and form a supplementary supply, these being in themselves extensive works. Many million gallons of water are thus stored, and it is hardly possible to imagine that a shortage should ever occur, one of the most difficult problems by
Duke of Nangetty.” by "Duke of Connaught 15th.”
Photo by C. E. Farr.
‘‘Nangetty” Homestead and Outbuildings.
which the pastoralist in these regions is confronted being solved as far as “Nangetty” is concerned. The whole of the property is fenced with vermin - proof fencing constructed with six wires and netting, and the numerous subdivisions are carried out in relation to the tanks in such a way that each tank may be made to water several paddocks — a plan which is being continued in further work of the kind. Each tank is supplied with a good windmill, generally of the “Monitor” pattern, and the pumps are fixed at the water level, the intake pipe being provided with a movable elbow and the end fastened to a float, so that it always remains less than a foot under the surface. By this means the clearest water is always drawn and there is no fear of the inlet being choked with silt. On the bank of each excavator tank two 6,000-gallon corrugated iron tanks are placed, and into these the mill pumps the water, which is then served to troughs made on a simple and effective plan with sheets of 20-gauge flat galvanized iron. There are in all seventeen windmills, and “Nangetty” has a heavy dam plough and a complete tank-sinking plant of its own. During the first season of Mr. Smith's occupation the station only carried
8,000 sheep, a number which was nearly trebled within three or four years. To establish the flock he shipped several thousand picked ewes from South Australia, together with stud rams from one of the best stud flocks of strong-woolled merinoes in that State, and the result of this introduction of superior blood has been a flock which reflects great credit upon the place, in one season the whole of the grown sheep averaging 10 lb. 7 oz. of wool. There are some 600 odd head of cattle on the station, most of which are fattened for the market, the fat cattle from “Nangetty” being among the finest sent to Perth. Apart from these, Mr. Smith is building up a herd of pure shorthorns of the first quality, the head of the herd being the fine shorthorn bull “Duke of Nangetty,” a son of “Duke of Connaught the 15th,” No. 416, South Australian Stud Book, bred by Mr. T. K. Bowman, of “Campbell House,” South Australia. The cows of the breeding herds are of stock from “Bulloo Downs,” Queensland, and Macfar-lane’s herd at “Wellington Lodge,” South Australia. Mr. Gordon Law Smith took over the management of “Nangetty” in 1912.
“PARAKALIA,” the property of Messrs. Maley Brothers, Three Springs. The “Parakalia” Estate is situated in the growing district of Three Springs, lying about two miles
grain and hay and good stock-fattening grasses. Since the acquirement of the property by Messrs. Maley Brothers in 1907, however, a change has come over the face of
Photo by C. E. Farr. Group of Mares.
in a westerly direction from the town of that name and embracing some 10,000 acres of land ideal in every respect for agricultural and pastoral purposes. As brief a period as six years ago there was not an acre of cleared land in the locality, the whole being covered with a formidable forest of morrell and salmon-gum, which indicated the fertile character of the rich red and light loamy soils prevailing over a wide area—since proved so excellently suited to the production of
things, and the 2,000 acres now cleared and cultivated represent the spirit of energy and enterprise which they brought to bear in the development of their proposition. There is plenty of moisture in the soil, and wells have been sunk and dams constructed in various parts of the property, while several windmills serve their useful purpose in making the utilization of the water supply a simple and easy matter. Wheat, barley, and oats are grown in large quantities, and some marvellous
Photo by C. E. Farr. "Maori King.- by "Lord Cecil.-
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results have been secured, the splendid milling qualities of the grain proving sufficiently the filling capabilities of the soil. To quote some results: Last year (1912) from an area of close upon 1,500 acres Messrs. Maley obtained an average of 22 bushels of wheat, while “Chevalier” barley has averaged 45 bushels, “Cape” barley 60 bushels to the acre, and oats 50 bushels—constituting a record for the district. As high as three tons to the acre have been realized for hay, and even in 1911, a particularly dry season, half a ton of hay and 14 bushels of wheat to the acre were harvested. Having established on good, sound business lines the cereal-growing enterprise, Messrs. Maley Brothers turned their attention with special concentration to the project of breeding something out of the common run in draught stock, and to this end purchased, through the Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Union, twelve pedigreed mares, comprising some of the Dominion’s most renowned stock. These include “Kate,” “BIoss,” “Mag,” and “Emily,” bred by Mr. Alex. Allison, of Clarkes-ville; “Nancy” and “Dinah,” bred by Mr. J. W. Blair, of “Abbotsford Farm,” Outram; “Bess” and “Mag II.,” bred by Mr. W. R. Gawn, of “Deer Park,” Mossgiel; “Kate II.,” bred by Mr. William Charters, “Ury Park,” Mossgiel; “Jip,” bred by Mr. P. Client, “Balaclutha”; “Violet,” bred by Mr. A. Douglas, “Lowriston,” East Taieri; and “Jean,” bred by Mr. William Johnston, of “Glen Ore”; all of New Zealand. Their pedigrees are as follow: —“Kate”: sire
“Elderslie’s Pride,” g. sire “Crown
Prince,” g.g. sire “Lord Salisbury” (imp.), dam by “General Outram,” g. dam by “Marquis” (imp.);
“BIoss”: sire “Royalist,” g. sire
“Hard Times,” dam by “Jean” by “Lord Cranbourne” by “Lord Salisbury” (imp.); “Mag” : sire “Prince George,” dam 1205 C.S.B., by “Hatfield” by “Lord Salisbury” (imp.), g. dam by “Britain”; “Emily” : sire “Merry Morning” 11432 C.S.B.
(imp.), g. sire “Up to Time” 10475
Mr. Charles Crowther Maley.
C.S.B., g.g. sire “Baron’s Pride” 9122, g.g.g. sire “Sire Everard” 5353, g.g.g.g sire “Top Gallant” 1850, g-g.g-g-g. sire “Darnley” 222, dam by “Marshall Nicl”; “Nancy” : sire “Prince of Aircland” (imp.), g. sire “Baron’s Pride” 9122 C.S.B., g.g. sire “Sir Everard” 5353 C.S.B., dam by “King of the Ring,” g. dam by “Young Salisbury” by “Lord
Salisbury” (imp.); “Dinah”: sire
“Marshall Niel,” g. sire “Herd Laddie” 2863 C.S.B. (imp.), g.g. sire “Jeamie Gray” 1454, dam by “Plucky Willie,” g. dam by “Baldwin”; “Bess”: sire “Prince Alexander” 345, g. sire “St. Alexander” 9397 C.S.B., g.g. sire “St. Lawrence” 3220 C.S.B., g.g.g. sire
“Prince of Wales” 673, dam “Rose” by “Clansman”; “Mag II.”: sire “Pride’s Fancy,” g. sire “Lion King,” g.g sire “British Lion” (imp.), dam. “Rosie” by Fowler’s “Wallace” (imp.); “Kate II.”: sire “Royal George,” g. sire “Marconi,” g.g. sire “Hiawatha,” g.g.g. sire “Prince Robert,” dam “Mountain Bell,” g. dam “Jewell III.,” g.g. dam “Jewell” (imp.); “Jip”: sire “Cedric the Saxon,” g. sire “Crown Prince,” dam by “Extinguisher,” g. dam by “Sir Arthur Gordon”; “Violet”: sire “Pride of Newton” 12286 (imp.), g. sire “Pride of Blacon” 10837, g.g. sire “Baron’s Pride,” dam by “Present Times,” g. dam by “Extinguisher”; “Jean”: sire “Herd Laddie II.,” g. sire “Herd Laddie” 2863 C.S.B., g.g. sire “Jeamie Gray” 1454, dam by “Laird of Kilbride,” g. dam by “Reformer.” An earlier purchase made by Messrs. Maley Brothers from New Zealand was the fine Clydesdale stallion “Maori King,” a beautiful bright hay horse who has already made his presence felt in the Western Australian show-ring, his record being : —1910 : 1st prize, 3 years and under, Greenough Show; 1st prize, open class; 1st prize, 3 years and under, Geraldton Show; 1st prize, open class, and champion certificate, Geraldton ; 1st prize, 3-year-old class, and reserve champion certificate at
Photo by C. E, Farr.
“ PARAKAIIA •• HOMESTEAD, THE PROPERTY OF MESSRS. MALEY BROTHERS.
the Royal Show. 1911: 1st prize, open class, at the Geraldton and Greenough shows, and champion certificate at the former. 1912: 1st prize, open class, at Greenough and Irwin shows, and winner of the “Lloyds” 20-guinca cup at the latter; 1st prize, open class, Royal Horse Parade, Claremont. “Maori King” was sired by “Lord Cecil” by “Lion King” by “British Lion,” his dam being “Bloss” by “Tasman,” g. dam by “McCallum,” g.g. dam by “St. Alexander”; and he was imported direct from New Zealand, where he was bred by Mr. J. W. Blair, of “Abbotsford Farm,” Outram. Already he has got some fine foals for his owner, which may be seen at the present time at “Para-kalia.” A flock of 3,000 sheep of mixed breeds is kept chiefly for the mutton markets, and Berkshire pigs are bred from a noted strain imported to Western Australia by Mr. P. Corbett, of Broome Hill. The “Parakalia” homestead was built in 1911, and the outbuildings, comprising men’s quarters, grain and machinery shed, stabling, etc., are up to date in every respect. CHARLES CROWTHER MALEY, J.P., the senior partner of the firm, was born at Greenough, and is the fifth son of the late John Stephen Maley, a pioneer of the farming industry in this State, of which he was a native. In the early days he was engaged in mixed farming at Greenough, and also owned the Greenough and Dongara Flour Mills, while, in conjunction with Mr. D. Harwood, he was part-owner of the Geraldton Brewery and other enterprises in the same district. Young Maley received his training in farming pursuits on his father’s property at Greenough, both before and after an absence at Fremantle, where he pursued his scholastic studies under the tuition of Mr. (now the Hon.) Henry Briggs. Subsequently he spent many years in the hotelkeeping business in the mining districts, and in 1910 settled at Three Springs, where he has continued ever since. Mr. Maley is a member of the Victoria District Agricultural Society, of the Royal Agricultural Society, the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and the Upper Irwin Roads Board; and received his Commission of Justice of the Peace in 1912. On January 19, 1909, he married Sarah Teresa, daughter of Mr. Patrick O’Toole, of County Galway, Ireland.
IRWIN SAMUEL MOORE, J.P., mercantile manager, Dongara, is a son of the Hon. Samuel Joseph Fortescue Moore, who represents the Irwin district in the State Legislative Assembly, and a notice of whom appears in the first volume of the present work. He is a native of the place where he now resides, having been born at Dongara on November 21, 1875, and was educated at the Perth High School under the tuition of Mr. F. C. Faulkner, M.A., where he acquired a sound commercial training, thoroughly equipping him for the sphere in life to which he was destined by his parent. Upon the completion of his scholastic career Mr. Moore returned to the place of his birth and entered upon the position of accountant in the mercantile enterprise carried on so successfully by his father in that district. This he filled with credit right up to the period of his father’s retirement from business pursuits in 1901, when he received appointment to the responsible post of general manager of the whole of the affairs in connection with the commercial, farming, and pastoral enterprise so long and ably conducted by the latter gentleman. In addition to the large amount of business which this position entails upon him he has launched out on his own account, having a considerable stake in various farming and pastoral propositions in which he became privately interested some years ago. He is well known in the neighbourhood as a breeder of horses, sheep, and cattle, and at various times has been a successful exhibitor at the Irwin and Greenough shows, where his greatest triumphs have been scored with his draught horse stock, which bears an excellent reputation; at the present time he has running on his property some fine draught mares together with a few medium draughts. Mr. Moore owns in conjunction with his brother, Mr. R. J. Moore, a fine holding of 6,500 acres of first-class sand-plain country lying some few miles distant from Dongara, which has proved highly suitable for the depasturage of sheep; in addition to this he has taken up in the Victoria district 5,000 acres of grazing leasehold, which is proving an eminently profitable proposition. He interests himself in the local organizations formed for the advancement and government of the district and for the promotion of social and recreative intercourse. He is a member of the Irwin Agricultural
Society, taking also keen interest in the outdoor sports and pastimes indulged in by the inhabitants of the place where he resides. In 1892 in open competition he secured the Royal Humane Society’s Medal for proficiency in swimming and lifesaving. Mr. Moore is a member of the Weld Club, Perth.
REGINALD JOHNSTONE MOORE, of “Wye,” Yardarino, was born on January 26, 1878, and is the second son of the Hon. S. J. F. Moore, member of the Legislative Assembly for Irwin district, whose biography appears elsewhere in this work. He received his scholastic tuition at Perth High School under
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Reginald Johnstone Moore.
Mr. F. C. Faulkner, M.A., and leaving this institution at the end of 1896 entered the head office of the Mines Department of Western Australia during Sir E. II. Witte-noom’s term of office, where he continued for nearly two years. He next turned his attention to prospecting on the Murchison goldfields for a few months, but abandoning this venture again became associated with the Mines Department, and was resident in several towns on the eastern goldfields during the three years that he remained in this branch of the Public Service. Subsequently he followed the life of a prospector again for a time with fair success, and in 1906 came to Dongara, where, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. I. S. Moore, J.P.,
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he was occupied with the affairs connected with his father's farming and commercial enterprises until 1909. In that year he became engaged in farming pursuits on his leasehold property, “Wye,” owned by the Hon. S. J. F. Moore, situated four miles north-west of Yardarino and about 12 miles from Dongara : and about the same time, conjointly with his broth°r above-mentioned, purchased from the Midland Company 6,500 acres of what is known as superior sand-plain country, a mile distant from the latter estate, and commenced operations thereon. This land has justified their expectations as good sheep-fattening country, and on similar soil adjoining some excellent wheat yields have been recorded. Mr. Moore, therefore, is only voicing the opinion of many in the district when he affirms that “this class of country both for wheatgrowing and grazing has a great future,” its position within the 17-in. rainfall area being greatly to its advantage. Mr. Moore also leases a property adjoining “Wye” from Mr. F. Pearse, which comprises 1,200 acres, 500 of this being cleared and cultivated. “Wye” is splendidly watered by six permanent wells from which the water is pumped up by windmills; and this property, which is 9,000 acres in extent, includes
1,000 acres of first-class cerealgrowing soils. Some wonderful wheat crops have been produced by Mr. Moore on 60(f acres of this area, as high as thirty-five bushels to the acre having been harvested together with some fine hay yields, the modern method being adopted of working the soil in a thorough manner before seeding. This season (1913) 450 acres have been brought under cultivation, and the crops give promise of again being among the best in the district. The remaining portion of “Wye” Estate consists of good sheep-grazing country, and Mr. Moore has a flock of 3,000 sheep, the major portion of which are merinoes. About fifteen draught horses are kept, and recently the purchase was made of a fine Clydesdale stallion, the dam of whicli was imported from New Zealand by Mr. S. J. Phillips. This stallion, which is now (1912) two and a half years old, was sired by one of the best horses in New Zealand. Mr. Moore is a member of the Irwin Agricultural Society, of the Pastor alists’ Association, the Farmers and Settlers' Association, and of the Weld Club.
“IRWIN” HOUSE, Irwin, the property of Mrs. Scroope, widow of the late Francis Lockyer Burges. Manager, Irwin C. Burges. In the very early days of Western Australia at the time when Sir James Stirling
was Governor, nearly the whole of the country between Greenough and Mingenew in the Victoria district was taken up for pastoral purposes by Messrs. Lockyer Burges, Phillips, and Hamersley. They worked this extensive tract as a company for about twenty years, at the end of which period they divided the freehold, Mr. Hamersley taking the portion in the vicinity of Greenough, Mr. Phillips the lower country, and Mr. Burges the tract extending from nine miles above Dongara up the River Irwin, a permanent stream which flows through the property. On either side of the river for a
depth of about half a mile is wonderful pastoral and wheat-growing territory, and Mr. Burges was fortunate enough to secure about
10,000 acres of the frontage to both banks in blocks of from 100 to 200 acres, which practically secures the whole of the river frontages for about 15 miles. “Irwin” House is the oldest established homestead
in a very wide radius, and though a large part of the residential portion is comparatively modern, the surroundings all bespeak extensive settlement long before the present structure came into existence. Situated one and a half miles from Irwin Railway Siding and 12 miles from Dongara, the house is of bungalow-like building of brick, with a broad verandah running round it. A feature of the garden is a row of nine large fig-trees, on which have been carved by visitors to “Irwin” House initials and dates reaching as far back as 1866. One of the finest wells and windmills in the
district is situated in the centre of the garden; and about a mile distant from the homestead may be found the Irwin Springs, whence the
Photo by C. K. Farr. present Homestead at “Irwin."
.f.T.T
962
necessary supplies are drawn for the locomotives of the midland railway. In addition there are existent on the property eight wells, which have been fitted with elevated tanks and windmills, so that the water supply for the whole estate has
been made practically secure. The natural timbers on the property consist chiefly of blue-gum, with jam and black wattle in smaller proportion, and there is also a considerable area of scrub country. A curiosity is shown where the broken branch of a burnt blue-gum in its fall became firmly wedged in the fork of a standing tree, and Nature, bringing her wonderful resources to work, grafted the green limb on to the living wood, with the result that it lives on, drawing its supplies of nourishment through the root and trunk of its supporter. Mrs. Scroope, the owner of “Irwin” House, is at present (1913) residing in England, and the property is under the management of her eldest son, Mr. Irwin C. Burges,
who, although still quite young, has proved himself to possess administrative powers somewhat above the average. He has a large area of country to administer, various properties having been added by Mrs. Scroope to the original 10,000 acres
of freehold comprising “Irwin” House. From the Midland Railway Company was purchased 14,000 acres of good sand plain, which has made splendid sheep country, and another 9,000 acres of land of similar class was acquired from the Government, upon which stock are depastured during the summer months of the year. Some excellent stock-fattening country has also been secured about eight miles from Min-genew, and with this 3,200 acres the area of the whole is brought up to some 36,000 acres. Some of the finest wheat-growing territory in the State is to be found at “Irwin” House, and of the 4,000 acres which have been cleared about 2,000 acres aro devoted to the production of wheat
and other cereals. Mr. Burges has secured some splendid averages both in wheat and hay, and in 1911, one of the most disastrous seasons ever experienced in Western Australia, he obtained the remarkably good results of 21 bushels of wheat to the acre from land which had not been fallowed, while from the fallowed fields two tons of hay to the acre were reaped in the same year. In normal seasons this land when properly worked is capable of producing from 30 to 35 bushels to the acre. Portions of the land upon the estate have been farmed for upwards of twenty-five years, and under modern methods is still producing, and likely to produce, good crops. The property is completely fenced in and subdivided into forty paddocks. The style of fence adopted by Mr. Burges, and which he considers most economical and durable, is constructed with jam posts planted 22 ft. apart, and seven wires spaced as follows: — Ten inches between the top wire and the next, 8 in. between the fifth and sixth, the latter being barbed, 6 in. between the fourth and fifth, 5 in. between oach of the next three, and 6 in. between the lowest and ground level. Two jarrah droppers, 7 ft. apart and secured at each wire, are placed between the posts. This class of fencing, including material and labour, costs £30 per mile. Natural grasses abound on “Irwin” House Estate, making it splendid land for sheep, and a flock t>f 9,000 is grazed on different parts of the property. With Mr. Burges the merino holds pride of place, and the foundation of the flock was laid by importations from the well-known sheep station “Nalpa” in South Australia, whence
1,000 ewes and rams were bought in the first place, the characteristics
Strathalbyn Model iv.” (Champion Shorthorn Cow, Irwin Show, 1911 and 1912).
Photo by C. E. Farr.
Flock ofIMerinoes.
963
of which are now plainly evident in the well-set-np body and long-staple wool, etc. The annual clip is shipped to London, and the wool has been favourably commented upon by the leading wool-brokers of the world’s metropolis, Messrs. Buxton, Ronald, & Co., Mr. Burges holding some very complimentary and encouraging letters from that firm. A bad lambing season has never been known on this estate, the average for the past few years being a little over 80 per cent. The cattle herd consists chiefly of shorthorns, among
Mr. Irwin Carleton Burges.
which are a number of stud cows and two fine bulls—a roan, known as “Strathalbyn Brilliance 2nd,” bred by Mr. A. W. Edgar, of Gingin, and sired by “Lindenow Duke of Derrimut II.,” his dam being “Strathalbyn’s Pride” by “Pride of the Lake,” and g. dam “Lass O’Gow-rie,” bred by Mr. T. R. Bowman, of
South Australia; and the red bull “Irwin Duke of Derrimut,” a prizewinner at the Royal Show (3rd prize yearling class, 1910, and 2nd prize two-year-old, 1911), sire “Bolinda Duke of Derrimut 267th,” dam “Strathalbyn Amber Rose.” The pedigrees of the stud cows are as follows : —“Strathalbyn Model IV.”
(champion shorthorn cow, Irwin Show, 1911-12): sire “Bolinda Duke of Derrimut,” dam “Goodwood Model.” A full sister to the above is also in Mr. Burges’ possession, both being bred by Mr. A. W. Edgar, of Gingin. “Goodwood Model,” the dam, was bred by Mr. W. Whitehead, of “Goodwood Farm,” Victoria, a well-known breeder of those parts. The red cow “Strathalbyn Empress 5 th,” also bred by Mr. Edgar, was sired by “Bolinda Duke of Derrimut 165th,” dam “Strathalbyn Empress” by “Lindenow Duke of Derrimut 2nd.” Red-and-white cow “Colbinabbin Duchess 11th,” bred by Mr. David Mitchell: sire “Earl Summer ton
3rd,” dam “Wild Eyes” by “Duke 5th” from “Duchess 17th.” Red
cow, “Strathalbyn Amber Rose 3rd,” bred by Mr. Edgar : sire “Earl Sum-merton 56th,” dam “Strathalbyn Amber Rose. ’ ’ Mr. Burges also breeds a good stamp of draught horse from twenty fine Clydesdale mares present on the property. The valuable Clydesdale stallion “Clan Donald,” a Victorian bred animal, foaled on
November 26, 1907, was purchased as a two-year-old for the station, and has produced some promising foals for his owner; sire “Lord Dun-donald” (imp.) by “Royal Carrick,” dam “Kate Park” by “Princo Alexander,” g. dam “Hatton Beauty” by “Darnley,” g.g. dam “Hatton Bell” by “Time o’ Day,” g.g.g. dam “Belle” by “Young Wattie.” “Lord Dundonald” won first prizes at Kilmarnock, Ayr, Glasgow, and Highland Society and Glasgow Summer Show before being sent to Australia. He has been twice champion at the Royal Society’s Show at Melbourne and twice champion at Ballarat. His stock have been large prizetakers wherever exhibited, and a great many colts have been disposed of at high prices. Dam “Blossom 6th” by
Photo by C. E. Parr. group of Merino Rams.
Photo by C. E. Farr. JJJ2
Distant View of the Homestead and Outbuildings.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
“Sir Percival,” g. dam “Blossom 4th” by “The North,” g.g. dam “Blossom” by “Darwin,” g.g.g. dam “Blossom” by “Cromwell,” g.g.g.g. dam “Blossom” by “Star” (Watson). “Sir Percival,” sire of “Blossom 6th,” was champion at the Royal Show on several occasions, and “The North” by “Champion of the North” (imp.) was one of the best horses of his day. “Clan Donald,” who is of docile nature and easily handled, won second prize at the Royal Show as a yearling, second prize at Gerald-ton as a two-year-old, and the open prize at Irwin Show as a three-year-old. Conspicuous among the lighter sorts of horses on the estate are two polo ponies, viz., “Miss Dawson” by “Dawson” (a well-known pony sire owned by Mr. McK. Grant), dam “Spec” by “Teheran”; and a half-Arab by the pure-bred Arab “Arabian Knight” (also owned by Mr. Grant), dam “Spec” by “Teheran.” IRWIN CARLETON BURGES was born at “Irwin” House on May 25, 1888, and after a preliminary course of education under private tuition, at the age of ten proceeded to Campbell College, near Belfast, Ireland, where he not only attained success in his scholastic studies, being one of the six prefects of his college, but was a prominent figure in athletic sports, particularly in hockey and tennis teams, which he captained for some time; and was a member of the first fifteen of Rugby footballers in 1905-6 when Campbell College had an unbeaten record. Leaving school in 1906, he returned direct to Western Australia, and under Mr. O’Halloran, who was then managing “Irwin House” Estate for Mrs. Scroope, obtained valuable experience in the pastoral and agricultural industries which fitted him for assuming the sole control in 1910, since which date ho has continued to direct operations. He is a member of the Irwin Roads Board, having topped the poll with a record vote on the only two occasions he was a candidate for election ; is vice-president of the Irwin District Agricultural Society, of which body he was for three years honorary secretary; honorary secretary to the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association; and vice-president of the several athletic bodies in the district. His chief recreation is found in polo playing, and he was a member of the northern district team which visited Katanning in 1912 and 1913.
EDWARD WINTERINGHAM CLARKSON, J.P., of “Tyford” Farm, Dongara, was born at Perth, Western Australia, in the year 1845, and is a son of the late Charles Foster Clarkson who came to the new Crown colony from Salisbury, Yorkshire, England, in 1833, thus being one of the first settlers in the western portion of the Land of the Southern Cross. The gentleman under review, who is self-educated, at an early age was apprenticed to the blacksmithing trade under the late Solomon Cook, of Perth, and, his indentures completed, entered the firm of Messrs. John Summers & Co., coachbuilders, of the same city, with whom he remained until 1868, when he came to Dongara and engaged in the blacksmithing business on his own account until 1876. In that year he purchased from Mr. Joseph Chivers a property known as “Spring” Farm, comprising 700 acres, together with the stock, buildings, machinery, and everything incidental to the farming enterprise there carried on. Though never at any time resident on this property, Mr. Clarkson conducted operations there successfully until 1894, when he acquired his present fine estate “T y f o r d”
Farm, formerly owned by Sir George Shenton, and whilst retaining his in-te rests at “S p r i n g”
Farm has resided with his family at “Tyfor d.”
The original holding known under the latter title consisted of 725 acres, an area which has been increased until to-day it is represented by 1,070 acres of the best cereal-growing land. Of this area 1,000 acres are now
cultivated, 500 being sown yearly in accordance with the system of fallowing, although as high an average as thirty-three bushels to the acre has been obtained from land not fallowed and without the aid of fertilizers. Wheat-growing is the chief department of industry at “Tyford,” and it is also carried on on a lesser scale at “Spring” Farm (which is situated about two miles distant from the larger property), 150 acres of crop being sown annually here and some good results attained. Both holdings are fenced with good substantial fencing, jam and jarrah posts having been used for this purpose with seven wires strung through. It is worthy of mention that some of the jarrah posts have been in the ground for forty-eight years and are still serving their purpose. The farms are subdivided into fourteen and ten paddocks respectively, and in almost any part of either estate water may be obtained. The Irwin River flows through “Tyford” Farm, and several permanent wells, with windmills erected over them, may be found in different
Messrs. R. W. Clarkson, E. F. Clarkson. J. W. Clarkson.
AND T. H. CLARKSON.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
965
localities. The farms are stocked with sheep, cattle, aud horses, the flock being represented chiefly by
a prizewinner for his owner at the Geraldton and Dongara agricultural shows. About 300 head of cattle are
Type of Hereford Bull in use at "Tyford" Farm.
of this class of stock keeping up the reputation of the farm in this department. The homestead of ‘'Tyford ” Farm is a most comfortable and commodious house of fourteen rooms, which has been beautified in aspect by a plantation of fine fig, mulberry, and other fruit trees, together with grape vines and some well-grown ornamental and
the merino and Leicester types; while about forty draught horses are kept for the requirements of the farming proposition. Mr. Clarkson has achieved a reputation as a very successful breeder of the same class of stock for the market, the sire used for this purpose being the well-known Suffolk stallion, “Rendlesham Earl Grey” (2977), which has been
grazed, a good class of Hereford being bred by Mr. Clarkson from a fine imported bull brought to this country from England and considered by experts to be one of the finest Herefords in Western Australia; some good cows of the same type are also running on the estate. Some attention is given to Berkshire pigs, a few well-bred representatives
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Edward Winteringham Clarkson.
shade trees, worthy of mention among which is a thick clump of the beautiful ironbark, providing excellent shelter during the summer months. In addition, a three-acre orchard adjoins the homestead area, and a large kitchen garden, where
Mr. E. W. Clarkson's Homestead, Dongara.
a plentiful supply of vegetables is grown for household use, may also be found in the vicinity. Water is conserved in an underground cement tank, capable of holding 23,400 gallons, which is supplied by the homestead roof catchment of the annual rainfall. The stabling and outbuildings are complete in every respect and well up to date, and in all branches of its industry “Tyford” Farm will bear comparison with other propositions of a similar nature in the district. Cattle and horses are also grazed on “Spring” Farm, and Mr. Clarkson has been a successful exhibitor in past years at the Irwin and Greenough shows. He owns conjointly with the properties mentioned a grazing run of 664 acres close to “Tyford” Farm, where sheep and cattle are depastured, and yet another estate situated on the Upper Irwin is conducted by him and his sons, this latter consisting of 4,045 acres of excellent stock - fattening country taken up in the first instance by the late W. D. Moore in the early sixties. It was subsequently purchased by Mr. Clarkson, who grazes cattle there during the winter months, but in the absence of permanent water is compelled to transfer the stock to Dongara during the summer. The whole of this property is ringbarked, and natural grasses grow luxuriantly. Mr. Clarkson received his Commission of the Peace in 1901. He is a member of the local roads board and of the Irwin Agricultural Society. Since the inception of the Methodist Church in the district in 1885 he has occupied the office of steward in this body, and takes considerable interest in its advancement. He was married in 1875 to Sarah, daughter of the late William Grant, of Dongara, who came to Western Australia in the early fifties, and has a family of four daughters and four sons, the latter being all partners with their father in his farming enterprise. They are respectively : — Robert Wilberforce Clarkson, born May 26, 1879 (married) : Edward Foster Clarkson, born October 11, 1882; Joseph William Clarkson, born May 16, 1886 (married) ; and Thomas Henry Clarkson, born February 12, 1888.
WALDECK BROTHERS, Dongara, the proprietors of the “Bonniefield” and “Riversdale” estates. (Frederick Waldeck and
George Waldeck.) “Bonniefield,” the finely-developed property upon which Mr. Frederick Waldeck resides, was originally taken up by
Mr. Frederick Waldeck.
the late Henry Fletcher Waldeck, father of the gentleman under review and a pioneer farmer of Western Australia, Perth being his birthplace. After the decease of the late Mr. Waldeck, which occurred in 1883, his widow was left with eight little children, the youngest of whom was born on the day of Mr. Waldeck's death, and great credit is due to Mrs. Waldeck for the way in which she bravely battled for her family until her sons were old enough to shoulder the burden for her. She died in 1905, having earned the
gratitude of her children for her wise training and the respect of all who knew her for her management of the affairs of the farm. The 600 acres which comprised the holding in the first instance have since been considerably added to, and at the present time 1,000 acres of good wheatgrowing land and 5,000 acres of excellent sheep country represent the enterprise which has been apt to seize the opportunity and make additions which have multiplied the
Mr. George Waldeck.
value of the estate almost sevenfold.
''Bonniefield” is a splendidly-watered property, the precious fluid being obtainable almost anywhere at a depth of 40 ft., and full advantage has been taken of the bounty of Nature
in this respect, with the result that there are fourteen wells in different parts of the estate, each fitted with a windmill, making the utilization
of three tons to the acre was reaped from land which had been thoroughly fallowed and worked before seeding; while thirty-six bushels of wheat to
has been worked for the past forty-eight years, until the last couple of seasons no fertilizers ever having been used. A flock of from 2,000 to
Photo by C. E. Parr.
“ Bonniefield ■■ Homestead and Outbuildings.
of the supply very direct and simple. Eight hundred acres of the best land have been cleared and cultivated, and some phenomenal crops have been grown by Messrs. Waldeck Brothers, who have the reputation of being model farmers. In 1907 the excellent return of 320 tons of
the acre was stripped from a patch left for seed for the following year. “Yandilla King,” “Federation,” and “Baroota Wonder” varieties have been grown with good results, and last year 400 tons of chaff were cut at “Bonniefield” and sent to the Murchison district, while the same
3,000 sheep is bred chiefly for mutton, although the wool has realized good prices at the London markets. The head of the herd of Ayrshire cattle is a young pedigreed bull, whose sire (now defunct) was the property of Messrs. Waldeck Brothers and proved himself not
Photo by C. E. Farr. Ploughing on the " Riversdale Estate.
chaff was obtained from hay grown on 90 acres, and in the drought season of 1911 what must be considered a really wonderful average
amount was also produced at the sister property of “Riversdale.” These returns speak volumes for the fallow system upon whicli the land
only a successful sire, but also won repute as a show-ring performer in Western Australia. Among the stud cows are two worthy of mention,
one having been a prizewinner at the Irwin Show of 1910, upon which occasion she was milked at 5 p.m., and again at 9 a.in., producing 43 lb. of milk; in this event Messrs. YValdeck Brothers have been successful for the past six years continuously at the same function. Young and promising stock of a similar breed are coming on at “Bonnie-neld,” these being a splendid advertisement for the excellent grass country found m this region. The horses are principally represented by about thirty draughts, which are kept for farm requirements, and the lirm was the owner of the Clydesdale stallion “Scotch Thistle,” who before his demise was a noted prizetaker at the Greenough and Geraldion shows, where honours were also awarded to brood mares from the same property. The “Bonniefield” homestead is a modern structure containing eleven rooms which have been fitted up with every regard to the ideas of the present day, all conveniences and many luxuries being enjoyed by the inhabitants of this spacious dwelling, which is surrounded by some very fine shade trees that give it a most pleasing aspect. The companion property of “Riversdale,” where has been erected the eight-roomed homestead which forms the residence of Mr. George Waldeck and his family, is situated about three miles cast of Dongara and covers an area of 54u acres of good country, the whole of which is fenced and subdivided into six paddocks of varying extent. It
possesses the same natural advantages as “Bonniefield,” water being plentiful and fine pastures for the stock abounding, and similar improvements have been carried out in the matter of wells and windmills. In 1910 Messrs. Waldeck Brothers purchased a third property of 3,8UU acres at Mullewa, which they have since fenced with jam poses and sheep - proof wire - netting. The divining-rod was usea to discover localities favourable for well-sinking over this estate, with the result that in plenteousness of water supply eke estate equals the more southerly properties owned by the firm. A considerable amount of development, work has already been accomplished, 700 acres being cleared, and in the present year (i913) 230 acres have oeen placed under crop, while the fallowed portion covers 450 acres. Great hopes are entertained by the proprietors in regard to this property, which is expected to turn out splendid country. FREDERICK WALDECK was born at Dongara, Western Australia, in 1869, and is a son of the late Henry Fletcher Waldeck, above-mentioned. He received his primary education in his native place, subsequently completing his scholastic studies at the Fremantle Grammar school under the tuition of Mr. (now the Hon.) Henry Briggs. Leaving this institution at the age of seventeen Mr. Waldeck returned to “Bonniefield” and devoted his attention to agricultural and pastoral pursuits, taking over
control of the property conjointly with his brother in the year 1896. He has taken considerable interest in the public affairs of the district, and is a member of the Irwin Roads Board and the Irwin Agricultural Society respectively, for eleven years continuously having held the position of honorary secretary to the latter body, and he is also associated with the local branch of the Farmers and Settlers' Association. For thirty years he has served as organist to the local Methodist Church, and in earlier days was a prominent figure in cricketing circles in the district, having captained the local eleven. Mr. Waldeck married in 1902 Gertrude, daughter of Mr. Frederick Chappie, B.A., headmaster of Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, and has four sons. GEORGE WALDECK is the second son of the late H. F. Waldeck, and was born at Dongara in 1871. He was educated at the same schools as his brother above-mentioned, and has since pursued a similar career, returning to his father’s homestead a year later. He is a member of the Irwin Agricultural Society and of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of the district; and has occupied office as circuit steward in connection with the local Methodist Church for the lengthy period of eighteen years. Mr. George Waldeck was married in 1908 to Annie, daughter of Mr. Philip Lane, of the Burra, South Australia, and has a family of one son and two daughters.
GREENOUGH.
“The Greenough Flats, which are only about 13 miles from Geraldton, are justly celebrated throughout the State. There are The Front Flats and The Back Flats. The former are about 14,000 acres in extent, and the latter about 40,000 acres. In both the soil is remarkably rich and fertile. Both were settled very early in the history of this State, and then, as now, were considered the pick of the agricultural lands. In the early days some phenomenal yields were obtained, reaching to 30 bushels per acre. In those days manures were unknown. Without manure, except perhaps a little stable manure, 60 bushels of oats to the acre were obtained. These phenomenal yields were no doubt due to a very favourable season, as the method of farming employed was the same. A fair average yield on The Flats for oats would be about 20 bushels. The ground then was so rich and the wheat grew so high that it fell over. That is not so now. With good farming The
Flats will produce fine crops even now, after years of continuous cropping. The soil, for the most part, is a rich alluvial, of a chocolate colour. The water does not lodge. On the Back Flats the clay subsoil comes very near the surface. There the water in many places will lodge. In 1869 the rust destroyed the crops, and the settlers suffered great losses. There are now occasional traces of rust to be seen here and there, but nothing of any consequence. Whatever the cause of the rust in 1869 may have been, it is not now likely to recur."
The town itself, though it has been in existence for very many years, has a population of less than 400 people. It possesses, however, post office, savings bank, State and private schools, mechanics’ institute, and several fine places of worship. An up-to-date flourmill, erected in a central position in the town, grinds the wheat for the surrounding farmers.
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MAJOR JOHN LOGUE, “Mount Hill,” Walkaway, was born in the year 1861 at “Ellendale,” about nine miles cast of the place where he now resides, and is a son of the late Major Logue who came with his parents from the north of Ireland in 1830 and settled on the Swan, his father, the late Joseph Logue, B.A., being engaged in the teaching profession. For five years from 1872 Mr. Logue was a member of the Legislative Council, and during this time he rendered good service for the district, being recognized as a particularly fine speaker. The gentleman under review was educated by private tuition at his home, “Ellendale,” where he afterwards became engaged in pastoral work in association with his father. In 1881 he proceeded to the Lower Murchison and entered the employ of the late A. J. Ogilvie, of “Murchison House” Estate, where he remained for nine years in the capacity of overseer. At the end of this period he purchased a share in the “Tamala” Station, at Shark Bay, also the property of Mr. A. «). Ogn-vie, the business of which was conducted under the name of Ogilvie and Logue until the year 1906, when Mr. Logue bought out his partner’s interests in the concern and, acquiring in addition “Cararang” Station, has continued in possession of these properties ever since, spending in all twenty-nine years at the Lower Murchison and Shark Bay. The property at Shark Bay comprises 800,000 acres of pastoral country, and the value of the estate has been considerably enhanced by the installation of some 30 miles of piping for the conveyance of water by means of gravitation to all parts of the property. “Tamala” is stocked with o0,000 sheep and a mob of about 200 horses, the types bred for station use being chiefly Suffolks, with a few lighter sorts. About 500,000 acres of this run have been fenced with rabbit-proof fencing at a cost of £3,000. “Mount Hill,” near Walkaway, comprises 20,000 acres of conditional purchase pastoral and freehold lands, the major portion of which is suited principally for grazing purposes, although some of the finest wheat-growing area in the State may be found within its boundaries. The homestead here was built by the late Michael Mor-risey, and in later years has been added to and improved by Mr. Logue. The latter gentleman is a
partner in the “Ellendale” property, now managed by his brother, Mr. Ken. Logue. He takes an active interest in the public affairs of the district, and is president of the Greenough Farmers’ Club and member of the Royal, Greenough, and Northampton agricultural societies. In 1903 he married Dorcas Ann, daughter of Mr. Lockyer C. Burges, of “Oaklands,” Northampton, and has a family of three sons and three daughters.
The late F. W. WALDECK, of “Mount Pleasant,” Greenough, was born in Germany on November 3, 1807. He served an apprenticeship to the tailoring trade in Bremen, working as a journeyman for some time. Removing to London he set
Mr. F. W. Waldeck.
up in business, and whilst there was selected as a missionary and sent to Western Australia with the Rev. Dr. Gustianini, who was instructed to organize a mission among the natives. The couple arrived in the good ship “Adingham” on July 10, 1836, and immediately set about in an endeavour to Christianize the aborigines. A church and school-house was erected at Guildford, and on the banks of the Swan a farm was started, the natives being employed in the general work. The Rev. Dr. Gustianini was recalled the following year, and Mr. Waldeck setup in business in Perth, where with but one interval he continued for twenty-four years. Here he joined a little band of earnest Christians who had erected a Methodist church,
and was a zealous worker in the cause of Methodism, being steward and superintendent of the Sunday-school for nearly the whole time that he resided in the metropolis. A mission for the natives was established at Wanneroo, and Mr. Waldeck laboured in this centre for three years, at the end of which time the Church was compelled to abandon the mission from lack of sufficient funds. In 1859 Mr. Waldeck with his family removed to Greenough, where he commenced farming, which occupation he followed till the time of his death in 1895. Here, as in Perth, he worked earnestly in the Methodist cause, ably assisted by his wife, Mrs. Fredericka Waldeck. Although not a qualified medical practitioner, he rendered valuable assistance to settlers both far and near, and in many ways endeared himself to all with whom he came in contact. Mrs. Waldeck survived her husband by ten years, her death taking place in her ninety-third year. She left 135 descendants.
JOSHUA WATTS WALDECK, who owns the “Mount Pleasant” property near Greenough and is a well-known and highly-respected resident of that district, was born at Perth on May 16, 1848, and is a son of the late Frederick William Waldeck, above-mentioned. He received his education at the Perth State School, and at the age of eleven came to Greenough, where he assisted in farm duties on the “Mount Pleasant” Estate, which at that period was the property of his father. When he was twenty-one years old the late Mr. Waldeck relinquished active life and went into retirement, when the estate was taken over on a leasehold by the gentleman under review, who worked it successfully as a mixed-farming enterprise for nine years, at the end of which period the lease expired. He then commenced operations on another farming property on the “back flats” of Greenough, and continued to carry on a prosperous proposition in this locality for seven years. Becoming tired of farming about this juncture he left his family at Greenough and proceeded with sheep to the South Murchison, east of Mount Magnet, where he established the “Warra-cootharra” Station. In 1905 he left this in the hands of a capable manager, and returning to
Greenougli took over the licence of the Hampton Hotel, which he personally conducted with success for three years. This period was followed by fourteen years at "Warra-cootharra," whither he repaired with his family after disposing of the hotel, business, and settled down to the life of a pastoralist and farmer. In those days the natives of the Murchison district were more or less hostile to the whites, and Mr. Wal-deck had the misfortune to lose his eldest son at the hands of the blacks. The unfortunate lad was mustering sheep when he was speared through the abdomen by a native in hiding, the scene of the tragedy being about eight miles distant from the homestead. The alarm was given by a shepherd who, with Mrs. Waldeck, proceeded to the spot, and placing the injured boy on a vehicle started for the nearest neighbour's homestead 60 miles away. Fifteen miles of this dreary journey, however, had only been covered when young Waldeck expired. In 1905 Mrs. Waldeck and children returned to "Mount Pleasant/' and in 1911 Mr. Waldeck sold the station and purchased outright the "Mount Pleasant" Estate at Greenough, which he has conducted as a mixed-farming enterprise ever since. The property is situated on the fertile lands of the "front" flats of the district at a distance of four miles from
under cultivation. Last season (1912) the excellent return of twenty bushels of wheat to the acre was obtained from a field which has been worked for fifty years, and two and a half tons of hay to the acre is quite an ordinary harvest at "Mount
Wallace Miller, Gcraldton.
Mr. Joshua Watts Waldeck
Pleasant." Adjoining this specially superior land are 250 acres of splendid grazing paddocks, upon which during the whole of last year were depastured 1,200 sheep. The whole
localities. A special feature of the "Mount Pleasant" enterprise is the raising of pigs for market purposes, and Mr. Waldeck has gone to considerable trouble and expense in making suitable arrangements for the carrying on of this industry on a fairly extensive scale, having had 270 acres of land enclosed with cyclone fencing at a cost of £28 per mile for material alone, without including the cost of erection, as a run for the swine. In every respect the piggery is up to date, and Mr. Waldeck has given careful attention to the breed, favouring a cross between the Tamworth and Berkshire, whence he gets some fine stock which are not only very prolific but which fatten rapidly on the Greenough grasses. He deals in a smaller way with cattle and sheep, and has obtained good prices for wool from "Mount Pleasant" both at the local and London markets; while a number of draught and lighter horses are kept for the requirements of the farm. The homestead is a comfortable dwelling, beautifully situated in close proximity to the seabeach, being only half a mile distant from the shores of the Indian Ocean. Adjoining is a fine fruit and vegetable garden, and Mr. Waldeck has been a very successful exhibitor of the latter product at the local shows. The outbuildings are very complete and comprise barn and stabling,
Photo hi/ C. F. Farr. " Mount Pleasant,” Residence of Mr. J. W. Waldeck, Greenough.
the Greenough Road Siding. It comprises 900 acres of excellent agricultural country, and very fine crops are produced on the 450 acres which have been cleared and brought
of the property is fenced and subdivided, and wells provide a fine permanent water supply, which is utilized by means of windmills which have been erected in various
men's quarters, machinery shed, etc., and in every respect the appointments of the farm are such as to cause it to rank among the premier properties of the district.
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Mr. Waldeck is a very popular member of the community, and was at one time chairman of the G-reenougli Roads Board, of which he is still a member. He is chairman of the school board of advice, a member of the Greenough Farmers’ Club, and at sixty-five years of age still a keen cricketer, taking his place in the field with the Walkaway Eleven, among whom ho is affectionately known as "Sonny.” Mr. Waldeck married on December 9, 1869, Catherine, daughter of the late F. W. Pearson, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, and has six daughters and three sons.
THOMAS CLINCH, of "Cliff Grange,” Greenough, was born at Cliolsey, near W allingf ord, Berk-shire, England, on February 27, in the year 1836, and is a son of the late William Clinch, a farmer ol' the Greenough district. He received his education at the Cholsey Government School, completing his scholastic career at the private academy conducted by the late William Clifford of Aston-Upthorpe; and leaving school at the age of thirteen entered the iron-plate works of Messrs. Ewbank & Gould, manufacturers, of Long Lane, Bermondsey, and on the Thames, at the same time continuing his studies by means of evening classes. In 1857 he sailed for Australia by the American ship "Winfield Scott,” and landed at Melbourne after an uneventful voyage lasting for three months. Upon arrival he proceeded to Ballarat, then the scene of great gold-mining activity, and engaged in the carrying business at that centre until railway communication was established between the goldfield and Geelong. Upon the day of the opening of the railway Mr. Clinch boarded the coach for Melbourne, and faking passage by the s.s. "Balaclutha,” bound for Albany, arrived at that port in June, 1861. He journeyed overland to Perth, where he remained a few days only before starting out on horseback for Berkshire Valley on the Victoria Plain, a ride of 120 miles through bush country. "Berkshire Valley” Station was then the property of Mr. Clinch’s brother, James, and the gentleman under review remained at the station as overseer for a period of eighteen months before accepting a similar position on the estate owned by his younger brother,
Charles, at Moora, and known by the latter name, which has since been changed to "West End” by the present owner, Mr. W. R. Clinch, a son of Mr. Thomas Clinch. He was next engaged by the late Walter Padbury to manage his property "Yatheroo,” where he continued for five years, in 1869 coming to Greenough to take over the mill and property there from Mr. Padbury, which he conducted on his own be half until the year 1900, meanwhile having increased the landed property from 200 to 2,000 acres. Finally he handed the mill and farming interests over to his sons, and has since lived in retirement at "Cliff Grange,” a residence lying adjacent to the mill. In 1888 Mr. Clinch visited the Eastern States, and at Melbourne purchased a harvester from Messrs. Nicholson and
C. 1'L Farr, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Cuinctt.
Morrow, which being the first to be brought to Western Australia naturally became a prominent object of interest among the pioneer farmers. He also purchased from Messrs. Schumacher, of Kilkenny, South Australia, the roller plant for the flour mill, this being the second roller plant erected in Western Australia, which is still running satisfactorily. Since settling in the district Mr. Clinch lias identified himself with almost every local institution of merit, and the development and extension of many of these are due to his foresight and good judgment. He was among the first to receive the Commission of the Peace
for the State during the regime of Governor Smith, which Commission lie resigned in 1903. Mr. Clinch has in his possession an interesting curio in the shape of an old Bible which was presented to him on June 28, 1844, by the famous Dr. Arnold, who afterwards held the portfolio of Minister of Education in England. He was married in the year 1868 to Sara, daughter of the late William Mortimer, of Gingin, and has a family of four sons and two daughters.
ARTHUR CHARLES CLINCH, J.P., of "Mill Farm,” Greenough, is a native of this State, having been born at Yatheroo, in the Melbourne district of Western Australia, on November 23, 1868, and is the eldest son of Mr. Thomas Clinch, a pioneer of the State, a biographical notice of whom appears on this page. He was educated at the Fremantle Grammar school under Mr. (now the Hon.) Henry Briggs (President of the Legislative Council), and completing his scholastic studies in the year 1885 he came to Greenough and took over the management of his father's mill until 1890, when he continued the conduct of the concern on terms of partnership with his parent. Ten years later, upon the retirement of Mr. Thomas Clinch from active business life, the enterprise was taken over entirely by his son, who has since rented the mill and adjoining property and carried on operations on his own account. Prior to this time there existed in the mind of the public a good deal of prejudice in regard to Western Australian flour, and the Forrest Government, realizing that something must be done to remove this, promoted the Coolgardie Exhibition in 1899, in which a specialty was made of an exhibit of local flour, millers from all parts of the State being invited to compete. The flour turned out by the Greenough Mill obtained first and special prizes at this exhibition, and, subsequently, samples sent to the Glasgow Exhibition of 1901 secured an award, while at the Paris Exhibition of 1900 the same exhibit was again successful. Since that year the flour milled at Greenough has taken prizes whenever shown in this State. In order to test the keeping qualities of the flour, consignments were sent by the Government to the north-west, where the test proved
very satisfactory in every way. Thus the prejudice of the public was overcome, and to-day there is an extensive demand for the locally-grown Hour which extends even beyond the shores of Western Australia. It is interesting to note that the Greenough Mill, which aided so materially in bringing about this change of opinion, was the second erected in the State, and the second mill to have a roller plant. The agricultural area in connection with the “Mill” Farm now comprises 1,100 acres, a large portion of which was acquired by Mr. Clinch from adjoining farm, and practically the whole of this is cleared and under cultivation on the rotation system of cropping, this season (1913) 350 acres being sown with wheat, barley, and oats, all of which present a very promising appearance. Like most of the Greenough country this farm produces some wonderful crops, and the records have run as high as three tons of hay to the acre, thirty-five bushels of oats, thirty bushels of English and Cape barley, and twenty-five bushels of wheat. On the pastoral side of the industry some idea of the quality of the grass country may be gained from the statement that five sheep to the acre have been fattened on land where trefoil, wild oats, and dandelion grow luxuriantly, and in 1912 from this area Mr. Clinch turned off 1,000 fat sheep and about 100 head of cattle. In addition 200 pigs are
found on the property, together with lighter sorts of horses, and the blood stallion, “Beatenally,” a fine brown horse by “Fusilade,” serves as a good stamp of station sire, and is available in a limited degree to other
Qreenham & "Evans, Perth.
Mu. Ahth.uk Charles Clinch.
breeders in the district. An imported pedigreed bull is at the head of the herd, and a few fine pedigreed milkers are also grazed on the run. The “Mill” Farm is well watered by permanent wells, in connection with which windmills have been erected, and in addition the Greenough River
vicinity of the house is a vine-yard covering about two and a half acres, Mr. Clinch’s experience with vines of the right variety being that, with proper cultivation and attention, a profit of £1 per annum may be made from each vine, having proved which he intends to extend this branch of his industry. Sufficient vegetables and fruit for household use are also grown on the homestead area. The outbuildings are up to date, consisting of barn, hayloft, loose boxes, stabling, machinery shed, a fully-equipped blacksmith’s shop, drafting - yards, stockyards, chaff-cutting plant, etc., and all blacksmithing and machinery repairs are done on the property, also the building of all waggons, lorries, drays, etc., etc., needed for use on the farm. Mr. Clinch is chairman of the Greenough Roads Board, of the health board, and of the local hall committee. He is a member of the farmers’ club and of the school board, is captain of the rifle club, and has served as judge in miscellaneous sections at the Geraldton and Dongara shows. An adherent of the local Church of England, for seven years he has filled the office of vestryman to that body, for which he also acts as secretary. He received his Commission of the Peace on July 23, 1910. Mr. Clinch married in the year 1891 Edith, daughter of Mr. Joshua W. Waldeck, of “Mount Pleasant,” Greenough, and has two surviving sons.
Photo by C. 7i. Farr. mr. A. C. Clinch's Mill Farm," Greenough.
housed, representing yet another phase of industry on the “Mill” Farm. The flock is kept for the lamb trade principally, but the yearly wool clip is despatched to Loudon, where very satisfactory prices are commanded. A goodly number of working draughts are
flows through the property. The homestead, a very comfortable and commodious building with interior nicely furnished, is situated five miles distant from Walkaway, three miles from Greenough Railway Siding, and one and a half miles from the sea beach. In the immediate
FRANCIS EDWARD MORTIMER CLINCH, “Donaville,” Greenough, was born in the district where he now resides on June 1, 1879, and is the youngest son of Mr. Thomas Clinch, whose portrait and biography appear in the pages of this work. He acquired his primary
THE CYCLOPEDIA OE WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
973
education at the public school in his native place, subsequently proceeding to Fremantle, where he pursued a finishing course of study under the direction of Mr. (now the Hon.) Henry Briggs, who conducted the well - known Fremantle Grammar School where so many prominent Western Australians received their early training. Leaving this institution at the age of sixteen, Mr. Clinch returned to Greenough, where for some time he was engaged in farming and pastoral pursuits on his father’s estate. In 1901 he was established by his parent on his present property “Donaville,” an excellent farming enterprise originallv confined to 280 acres, which, by the purchase of two adjoining properties of 310 and 250 acres respectively and a conditional purchase leasehold comprising 500 acres in the near vicinity, has now an extent of 1,314 acres. The estate has the advantage of being situated on the main roads leading to Greenough Road Siding. Walkaway, and Geraldton, all macadamized highways and kept in excellent condition, and the prettilv-situated homestead overlooks the sandhills which separate the Indian Ocean from the famous Greenough Flats. Of the entire area of the estate practically the whole of the wheat-growing land is cleared and has been brought under cultivation by Mr. Clinch, who has had some fine returns. One paddock in especial has been continuously cultivated for over forty-five years, and at the present period is capable of producing two tons of hay to the acre without the aid of phosphates— an instance which gives some idea of the value of the “Donaville” land for agricultural purposes; in 1912, the excellent return of twenty-nine
bushels to the acre was obtained from a wheatfield which was awarded second prize for the district by the Greenough Farmers’ Club. The pastoral areas of “Donaville”
C. E. Fair, Perth.
Mr. F. E. M. Clinch.
are eminently suited to the fattening of stock, and close on 800 sheep are depastured there all the year round in addition to cattle and horses, the luxuriant growth of natural grasses being a feature of the country. About twenty-four draught horses are kept on the property, and a few good milking cows are also in evidence. The whole of the property is splendidly watered by permanent wells, in connection with which windmills have been erected, and for domestic purposes an ample supply of rainwater is available. A great deal of improvement work has been completed in
the shape of fencing jam posts and six or seven wires being used for this work—and outbuildings, the latter comprising barn, machinery shed, a stable containing fourteen stalls, blacksmith’s shop, dairy, piggery, etc., while fowl-runs for the accommodation of 200 fowls have already been built, and Mr. Clinch intends in the near future to give a considerable amount of attention to the poultry industry. The homestead, which is reached by a three-mile drive from the Greenough Road Siding and five miles from Walk-away, is a substantially-built structure containing seven rooms, the stone used in its construction having been quarried out of the hillside quite close to the site of the house. It is surrounded by ornamental trees, and has a well-kept vegetable garden near by where fine, fresh greens are produced with the aid of the good water supply; and a little distance apart is a small vineyard and orchard, also with the water laid on. Mr. Clinch takes an active interest in the affairs of the district, and during 1909-10 occupied the position of secretary to the farmers’ club, a body of which he is still a member. He is treasurer of the Greenough Rifle Club, and a members of the Farmers and Settlers' Association. His religious sympathies are with the Methodist connection, and he is a supporter of the local church of that communion, holding office as circuit steward. He cordially advocates indulgence in outdoor sport, and is a patron of the local institutions for this purpose. In September, 1895, Mr. Clinch married Ena Gertrude, daughter of Mr. John F. Morrell, of “Hautville,” Northam, and has two daughters.
JONES BROTHERS, "Belay” Farm, Walkaway. “Belay” Farm was originally owned by a syndicate formed by Messrs. Burges, Hamers-ley, Phillips, & Co., from whom it was purchased in 1858 by the late John Jones, father of the present owners, who worked the property successfully as a mixed-farming enterprise up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1895. The late John Jones came from Wales, England, in the very early days of colonization in Western Australia, and being a mason by trade was engaged on various works at Geraldton and in the surrounding districts before coming to take up his residence at “Belay” Farm. Mr. John Jones was a man of public spirit and was chiefly instrumental in having the railway survey removed from the front to the back flats of Greenough, touring the district to obtain signatures to a largely-signed requisition which was presented to the Government who decided in favour of the alteration, and hence the present position of the Walkaway Railway Station. The “Belay” property at his death was willed to his widow, Mrs. Maria Jones, upon whose demise on July 5, 1905, it came into possession of the present proprietors, who have continued to carry it on conjointly ever since. The estate is conveniently situated on the fertile
relief of thick clumps of trees surrounding the dwelling. The whole aspect is one of wellbeing and prosperity, and although there is at all times to be found a charm in the
Mr. William Jones.
appearance of cultivated fields, “Belay” may be said to possess a splendour which is all its own. _A more comprehensive survey of the estate confirms the impression that it has been dealt with by experienced and skilful hands, and the reputation borne by Messrs. Jones Brothers
cereals, while the remaining half is splendid stock-fattening area. The locality is favoured by a regular and abundant rainfall, and good natural grasses flourish on these grazing pastures, while for further water supply a well, 84 ft. deep, has been sunk, over which is built a powerful windmill, by means of which an inexhaustible stream of good fresh water is directed to all parts of the property through 1-in., 2-in., and 2J-in. pipes. Fencing operations have been completed all round the boundary, six and seven wires being employed to make a sheep-proof barrier, which with the jam and jar rah posts form a neat and substantial fence, and this system has been continued in the subdivisional fences cutting the estate up into ten good-sized pad-docks. Fine yields have been obtained from the cultivated portions, and even in a phenomenally bad season Messrs. Jones Brothers regis tered the respectable average of twenty bushels of wheat and two tons of hay to the acre, giving some idea of the possibilities of the soil under more favourable conditions: one paddock on the estate has been cultivated for upwards of sixty years and is still producing good crops. On the pastoral side some fine Clydesdales have been bred at ’Belay,” among which are some noticeable draught mares sired by
Photo hi/ C. E. Farr. “Belay” Farm, the Property of Messrs. Jones Bros., Walkaway.
Greenough flats, within two miles of the Walkaway Railway Station, and on approaching the homestead from the township the cultivated areas present a fine spectacle, which is enhanced by the
of being “model farmers” is thoroughly well earned by the abundance of evidence forthcoming. The property embraces some 1,800 acres of country, 900 of which are eminently suited to the growing of
the now defunct imported stallion “Albyn’s Stanley,” by “Prince of Albyn” out of the valuable mare “Nellie.” “Albyn’s Stanley” was the property of Messrs. Jones Brothers, and was three times
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successful in the Western Australian show-ring, being twice a winner at Greenough and once at the Don gar a Show. Exactly a similar record was established by “Blue Ribbon,” another of Messrs. Jones Brothers’ successful sires (also defunct), a son of “True Ribbon,” and responsible for some of the promising stock on the property; while, with a fine mare “Gipsy,” two firsts were secured at the Greenough Show. A few good Jersey cows are milked, but cattle breeding for market purposes has not been included in the operations of the farm. “Belay” homestead, in which the senior partner, Mr. William Jones, resides, is a very comfortable and substantial structure built with stone procured from the property, and giving a picturesque touch to the dwelling are some fine ornamental gums and a few large fig trees which flourish in the near vicinity and afford welcome shelter during the hot summer months. A special feature of the homestead area is a well-tended vegetable garden, and Mr. Jones has been a very successful exhibitor of products from this department at the local shows being beaten only once in the potato exhibit in eight successive years. The outbuildings are complete in every way and comprise men’s quarters, barn, stabling, wheat-house, machinery shed, blacksmith’s shop, piggery, dairy, etc. In addition to “Belay” Farm Messrs. Jones Brothers are part owners with Messrs. James, Henry, and Charles Jones of a pastoral property known as “Boojardie” situated 12 miles west of Mount Magnet on the Murchison and containing 374,000 acres of land in one vast block. Of this 273,000 acres are fenced with mulga posts and five or six wires, and on this estate are depastured 10,000 sheep, 700 head of cattle, and 120 head of horses, which rapidly put on good condition when introduced to these splendid natural grass pastures. The property is excellently watered by thirty-eight wells, sixteen of which are fully equipped with windmills and troughing, and galvanized iron tanks of a capacity of 5,000 gallons each; and this adequate water supply, together with the fact that the property is so close to a ready market and other advantages, makes “Boojardie” a very valuable station property. A homestead of six rooms
is erected on the estate and up-to-date outhouse, stockyards, etc. complete the station equipment. WILLIAM JONES, J.P., was born at “Belay” Farm on August 7, 1861,
C. K. Varr, Perth.
Mr. JosErn Jones.
and is the eldest surviving son of the late John Jones. He was educated under private tuition in his own home, and at a very early age began to assist in the work of the paternal farm, which, upon the death of his father in 1895, he took over
on lease from his mother in conjunction with his present partner. Ten years later, upon the demise of the late Mrs. Jones, they became sole
possessors, and have continued the development of the property ever since. Mr. Jones has been an energetic worker in connection with the Greenough Roads Board, of which he is still a member, for over twenty years. He is a member of the local farmers’ club, chairman of the Walkaway Hall Committee, and a member of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association. On June 10, 1896, he married Nora, daughter of the late John Morrisey, of Walkaway, and has four sons and a daughter. JOSEPH JONES was born at “Belay” Farm on February 12, 1875, and received his education at the Walkaway School, where he remained until the age of sixteen, when he entered upon the career he has since followed, receiving training of a scientific character on his father’s property. He is a member of the Greenough Farmers’ Club and of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association, and like his brother is a keen supporter of all clean forms of healthy outdoor sport. Mr. Joseph Jones recently had erected an imposing bungalow home, to which he has given the name “Redcliffe,” where he resides with his family. The house, which is built of brick, contains seven rooms and is fitted up with all modern conveniences, a broad verandah considerably enhancing its
appearance. He married on January 15, 1907, Nora, daughter of Mr. Joseph Silcock, of Greenough, and has two daughters.
‘ Redcliffe." Residence of Mr. J. Jones. Walkaway.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
GERALDTON.
Geraldton, a seaport town situated on the shores of Champion Bay, 210 miles by sea and 287 by rail from Perth, is the principal town in the State north of the capital. It is the chief port of the Victoria district, comprising a very large and important pastoral and agricultural area and also the Murchison mining fields. Judged by the amount of Customs revenue it is the second port in the State, inferior only to .Fremantle, while it exports more wool than any other port except one. The town, which is under municipal government, possesses a magnificent pile of public buildings and one of the finest town halls in the State. The other public buildings include churches, State and private schools, courthouse, convent, and many others. In the library is preserved the barrow utilized in turning the first sod for the first railway built in the State— that from Geraldton to Northampton. The most conspicuous landmarks are the tower of the Globe Brewery — an es t ab lishinent erected and epuipped at a cost of £12,000 — and the Point Moore Lighthouse. The hotel and coffee palace accommodation is particularly good, some of the hotels being spacious enough for much larger towns. The hospital is a large building, having to meet the needs of the district as well as of the town.
Geraldton is the summer resort for the mining population of the Murchison goldfields, there being an esplanade with a splendid promenade pier some 800 ft. long, fitted with a bandstand and seating accommodation. Ample provision is also made for all forms of sports, including field sports and boating, so that the visitor finds plenty to occupy his time. “But as a tourist resort Geraldton has not yet come into its own. The beach is all that could be desired, but little attempt has been made so far to make it attractive to visitors. There is, as yet, no motor-launch or pleasure steamer making cheap trips, as is the case at Bunbury, a town of the same size as Geraldton. When Geraldton caters for the tourist traffic, it is tolerably certain that she
will secure her fair proportion of it. The Abrolhos Islands, which are situated some 40 miles away from Geraldton, have been truly described as The Naturalists’ Paradise.’ If an hotel or good boarding-house were erected there, they would in time become one of the most favourite tourist resorts on the whole coast. There are few places which possess finer natural advantages than Geraldton, and in course of time it is inevitable that it will be a flourishing and populous city. Its immediate hinterland comprises millions of acres of fine arable land within the belt of assured rainfall. Behind this are the Murchison goldfields, where the industry of gold mining is firmly established for years to come, and is certain to expand as the mines of Meekatharra, the Black Range, and other centres are more fully developed.
“The prosperity of the town is based upon its industries. The tract of country, from the Irwin River to the Murchison River and beyond is destined to be one of the greatest wheat - producing centres in all Australia. It has been described as The Great Wheat Belt,’ and it is correctly so named. The annual average, with very little land in fallow, is now 16 bushels. When more land is fallowed and better systems of farming are employed the annual average should not be less than 20 bushels. Soil and climate are alike admirably adapted to the growth of cereals. The seasons are remarkably regular and the rain falls exactly at the time when it is needed. The rainfall at Geraldton averages nearly 19 in., the great bulk of which falls in the winter months. The dry months are from early in December to the end of March.
The town at present suffers from lack of a good water supply. At Higgotty Springs, about 400 ft. above the level of the town, there is an abundant supply of perfectly pure, palatable water. The cost of laying on the water from Higgotty Springs and reticulating the town would amount to £20,000 or thereabouts. There is no doubt that this is the source from which an abundant supply of pure water will ultimately be obtained.
Photo by TT allace Miller. Marine Terrace, Geraldton.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
977
“Travellers on visiting Geraldton for the first time will be struck with the similarity of the bay to the Riviera. The seascape reminds one of a strip of the Mediterranean. It is, in fact, the Australian Riviera, and when, as time goes on, the foreshore is reclaimed and adorned the resemblance will be still more striking.
Public Buildings, Geraldton.
The present frontage to the sea is anything but pleasing. The reclamation of the foreshore will obliterate this view and replace it with one more pleasing/’
The railway system to the Murchison fields starts
from Geraldton, and another railway runs first to Northampton and then out into the northern portion of
Town Hall and council chambers.
the wheat belt. The portion from Geraldton to Northampton is the oldest railway in the State, the inducement to build it in those early days being that it brought the copper mines of the latter district within easy reach of a port.
The population of Geraldton itself is set down as 4,650, but if the outlying district be included, it is little short of 10,000.
RAYMOND GEE, M.A., Resident Magistrate, Geraldton, Chairman of Quarter Sessions for the Victoria Magisterial District, Chairman of the Geraldton and Grecnough Incensing Benches, and Magistrate to the Local Courts at Geraldton, Northampton, Greenough, Dongara, and Mingenew, was born near the famous town of Ross, Herefordshire, England, on August 14, 1857, and is a son of the late Thomas Gee. He received his scholastic training at Hereford School and Brasenose College, Oxford, where his academic honours included First Class in Classical Moderations, 1877; Second Class Lit.Hum., 1879; B.A., 1880; and M.A., 1885. Upon the completion of his University course Mr. Gee spent some seven or eight years in the teaching profession in England, during a portion of which period he was a master in the Royal Naval School, New Cross. In 1887 he crossed the seas to Western Australia to fill an appointment as master in the Perth High School, which he held for two years. Resigning this post he was for some time associated with the Hon. Henry Briggs, J.P., the present President of the Legislative Council, who at that period conducted a well-known educational institution at Fremantle, and eventually Mr. Gee joined the Government
KKK
service in 1894, when he was appointed to the office of mining registrar, clerk of courts, etc., at Mount Magnet. Two years later he was transferred to Dandalup as goldfields warden, and upon the closing of this centre as a goldfield about a
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mu. Raymond Gee.
year subsequent to his appointment he was sent as registrar to the Collie coal field, during a portion of the
eight years that he spent there discharging also the duties of resident magistrate. In 1908, when the Collie and Bunbury magisterial districts were merged into one, he was transferred to Geraldton to fill his present post, and with the exception of six months, when absent on a trip to the Old Country, has continued here ever since. For four years Mr. Gee was returning-officer for the Geraldton district and central province. He is a member of the Weld Club, Perth, and of the Geraldton Club. He married in 1895 Annie Matilda, eldest daughter of the late Rev. R. W. S. Alderson, of Pin-jarra, who came to this State as chaplain to the Fremantle Prison in 1857, previously having occupied the post of Imperial chaplain, serving with the British Army in the Crimea. There is issue of this marriage, one daughter and two sons, the elder of whom is a King’s Scholar of St. Peter’s College, Westminster.
GEORGE ADAM KEMPTON, Mayor of Geraldton, is a son of the late Thomas Kempton, of Victoria. Born at Malvern, in that State, on August 5, 1872, the gentleman under review received his education locally, and at the close of his
schooldays was initiated into commercial life in Victoria, before coming to Western Australia at twenty years of age. Upon his arrival he proceeded to the newly-discovered Coolgardie goldfields, and for some three years followed the ups and downs of prospecting enterprise in that and the Lake Carey districts. In 1875 he entered into a business partnership with Mr. Walter Thomson in Boulder City, which was then
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. George Adam Kempton.
in its infancy. His intention being to study for a profession, at a later date Mr. Kempton took up his residence at Perth, and having duly qualified spent six years as assistant to Dr. A. J. Wright, the well-known surgeon-dentist of the capital, under whom he gained most valuable experience. About a couple of years after receiving his diploma he started on a professional tour through the northwest, with the object of selecting a suitable centre from which to establish a practice on his own account, and, deciding on Geraldton, settled at this seaport in 1908, where he has always found plenty of scope for his professional skill. Since his arrival Mr. Kempton has devoted all the time he can spare to the consideration of public claims, and since 1910 has served as a member of the light and finance committees of the municipal council, having been a consistent advocate and agitator for the establishment of an electric-light plant for the use of the town. In July, 1913, he was returned to the mayoral chair rendered vacant by retirement of previous occupant,
Dr. L. M. Hungerford. He is a member of the council of the Liberal League, and in pre-Federal days took an active interest in the question of federation, he being one of the returning officers at the time of the first Commonwealth elections at Boulder. He also acts on the local school board; is a member of the committee of the Geraldton Agricultural Society; is associated with the Masonic fraternity, in which he is a Past Master; and is a member of the Geraldton Club. Outdoor sports command his sympathy, and he is connected with every sporting organization formed in the district, finding personal recreation in bowls, tennis, and swimming. Mr. Kempton married Jessie, daughter of the late James Price, a well-known mining man of Victoria, and has three sons and one daughter.
LAUNCELOT MACHELL TRAVERS HUNGERFORD,
L.R.C.P. and S.I.-L.M., Rotunda, Dublin, is a native of Cork, Ireland, where he was born on January 7, 1865, his father being the late Henry J. Hungerford, LL.D., of Dublin. He pursued his primary studies at King William’s College in the Isle of Man and at St. Malo in Normandy, subsequently attending St. Faugh-man’s College in the south of Ireland. Having decided to follow the career of a physician, he became a medical student at Queen Adelaide Hospital, and took his diplomas at the College of Surgeons, Ireland. Shortly after completing his studies Dr. Hungerford came to Western Australia, where he received the appointment of district medical officer and quarantine officer at Dongara, under the Forrest Administration, and retained this position for a little less than two years, being transferred to Busselton, Sussex district, in the same capacity, to his duties being added those of resident magistrate of the latter district. After continuing at this centre for ten years, he was appointed district medical officer at Perth in 19'03, at the same time becoming health officer to the metropolis, resigning these offices in the following year in order to accept the appointment of district medical officer and quarantine officer at Geraldton, where he has since been stationed. His professional duties include the control and supervision of the Geraldton Government Hospital, medical officer to the local gaol.
police surgeon and railway medical officer, the lastnamed office being one of the only three similar appointments in the State, the other two being at Perth and Kalgoorlie. He also acts as medical officer to the Independent Order of Oddfellows in the local lodge, and is visiting district medical officer of Greenough. During the eight years that he has held these various official positions Dr. Hungerford has become a well-known figure in the community, and has given much time and attention to furthering the various schemes for the advancement of the district. Outside of his profession he has filled several public appointments, among othors that of councillor of the Geraldton municipality, and in 1912 he was elected, unopposed, to the mayoral chair, from which office he resigned in July, 1913. He is a member of the Masonic craft, being a Past Master in the fraternity; and is a member of the Geraldton Club. In addition to his official claims, Dr. Hungerford has an extensive private practice in and around Geraldton, and in consequence finds little time to devote to purposes of recreation. He married in 1892 Alice, daughter of the late Robert Wardrop, barrister, of Dublin, Ireland, the issue being one son and two daughters.
BENJAMIN MURRAY FULLER, Mayor of Geraldton (1911-12), was born at Callington, South Australia, on January 24, 1873, and is a son of the late Captain B. M. Fuller, a well-known identity of of the pioneering da,ys on the River Murray. He received his education principally at Milang and under private tuition in his father’s home, at the termination of his schooldays joining Captain Fuller on the river boats, where at a later period he became mate on the “Paringa” and the “Princess Royal,” both of these vessels being owned by his father. Subsequently he became connected with his brother-in-law, Captain E. H. Golding, in the shipping and wool trade for some considerable time, and in 1895 came to Geraldton, where he joined the staff of Messrs. Wainwright & Co., at that time leading general merchants of the town. Three years later he resigned from this service in order to join the firm of Messrs. Clutter-buck Brothers at Geraldton, where he filled the position of accountant for seven years, in 1905 accepting
979
that of manager of the produce department of Messrs. Paterson and Co., Limited, of Fremantle, in their establishment at Northam, in which firm he held an interest during the three years of his connection with its operations. In 1908 he received an offer from the firm of Messrs. F. & C. Picsse, of Katanning, to become their representative in Geraldton and the Murchison district, where, after retaining this post for a few months, he decided to open in business on his own account. In September of that year Mr. Fuller purchased from Messrs.
E. Wolff & Co. the general drapery business established and carried on by them for some time at Geraldton, and has since worked up a large connection in the neighbourhood, where the emporium has become widely and favourably known. Mr. Fuller has always taken considerable interest in public life, and prior to his departure for Northam served a year in the Geraldton Council as representative for West Ward, upon his return again being elected to the Chamber by the ratepayers of Central Ward. In 1911 he was invested
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Benjamin Murray Fuller.
with mayoral honours, and his administration of the office was of a singularly successful character, so much so, that at the ensuing election (1912) lie was again offered unopposed nomination, but owing to the pressure of his business claims he was unable to accede to the wishes of the ratepayers. Mr. Fuller still maintains, however, an kkk2
active concern in the welfare of the municipality, and is prominent in charitable movements as president of the visiting nursing scheme and other humane organizations. He is a member of the Geraldton Chamber of Commerce and president of the local traders’ association, while in the world of sport he is recognized as a patron of all clean outdoor forms of diversion. He holds office as president of the Geraldton Rowing Club, being also a member of the Geraldton Bowling Club, this being the form of recreation which most strongly appeals to him. He is an officer in the Masonic fraternity, a member of the Commercial Travellers’ Club, and of the Geraldton Club. In 1902 Mr. Fuller married Henrietta, daughter of Mr. John -Taylor, of Geraldton, and has one son and one daughter.
Councillor LEON GOLDBERG, representing West Ward in the Geraldton Municipal Council, was born near Hamburg, Germany, on February 10, 1870, and is a son of the late Solomon Goldberg, merchant, of that city. He received his education chiefly in the Fatherland and in France, at the termination of his schooldays entering upon the study of engineering. Having taken his certificates for both theoretical and practical work he came to Western Australia in the year 1899, and upon arrival became connected with the Government Railway Service. Having worked in the locomotive department for over twelve months, shortly afterwards he received his certificate for engine management and proceeded to Lawlers, where, after a brief period, he relinquished his trade and launched out in business as a produce merchant and general transport agent, continuing at this centre for six years. He also established branch businesses at Mount Magnet, Sandstone, Meeka-tharra, and Nannine, and spent about five years altogether in these respective places, ultimately selling out his goldfields commercial interests whilst retaining all real estate of which he had become proprietor in that district. Mr. Goldberg came to Geraldton in 1909, where he opened and has since conducted the operations of the Murchison Forwarding Company; and soon after his advent to this seaport he began his connection with municipal life, being elected to a seat on the municipal
council in the year following his arrival. It was chiefly owing to his influence in the Council that an electric-lighting service was secured for Geraldton, his persistent advocacy of tlie scheme demanding for it the serious attention of the authorities, by which in due time it was brought into effect. Mr. Goldberg, as a close student of politics, holds the position of vice-president of the Geraldton branch of the Liberal
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Leon Goldberg.
League. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity having filled office in the craft, is vice-president of the Geraldton Rowing Club, and a supporter of all clean forms of manly outdoor sport. He is president of the local chess club, in which game he excels, and for open-air recreation takes long trips in his Darracq motor car, which had the distinction of being the first motor car in the district. Mr. Goldberg is a member of the Geraldton Club. He married in 1895, Betty, daughter of the late L. Fyen, of Palestine, and has one son and three daughters.
Councillor ERNEST HENRY BREDE, who represents West Ward in the Geraldton Municipal Council, was bom at Southgate, Middlesex, England, on June 17, 1860, being a son of the late Robert James Brede, architect to the Metropolitan Railway Company of London. He was educated in the world’s metropolis, and upon the termination of his
studies, served his apprenticeship to the mercantile marine service on the sailing vessel “Elmstone,” which traded with China. For fourteen years Mr. Brede followed a seafaring life, voyaging over many seas in various sailing boats and steamers, and retiring after a period of service as mate in the Adelaide Steamship Company's vessels on the Australian coast. Upon abandoning marine pursuits he joined the railway branch of the Civil Service of Western Australia as foreman under the first pier-master appointed at Fremantle. Three years later he was transferred to Geraldton, where he was promoted to the charge of the Geraldton jetties, and after holding this position for a further three years, he resigned in order to open in business on his own account. His first undertaking was the recovery of the salvage of the wreck of the “Mayhill,” which occurred on the reef at the entrance to Champion Bay, and upon the conclusion of this work, which he brought to a very successful issue, he
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Ernest Henry Brede.
accepted a temporary post in the firm of Dalgety & Co. Mr. Brede ultimately took over the stevedoring business formerly carried on by Captain Tindal, and has since conducted operations with highly satisfactory results. Ever since his advent to Geraldton in 1894 he has displayed a warm interest in the welfare of the port, and has been very energetic in assisting in all movements tending to its advancement. His connection with the municipal council has extended over seven years, during the
whole of which time he has represented the ratepayers of West Ward. He was one of the founders of the Floral, Art, and Industrial Society of Geraldton, and for several years acted as honorary secretary to this body. A member of the Masonic craft, he holds office in the Royal Arch Chapter, and has also been connected with the Rechabite Friendly Society for over thirty years, having been the recipient of all honours that the lodge can confer. For a lengthy period he has interested himself in amateur sport, particularly in football and cricket, and is a member of the local race club. In 1889 Mr. Brede married Fanny Jane, daughter of the late William Gibbings, architect, of London, who came to Western Australia and settled in Northam in the late eighties. He has issue four sons and four daughters.
Councillor EBENEZER CULLI-FORD BARTLETT, representative for West Ward in the Geraldton Municipal Council, is a son of the late James Bartlett, farmer and orchardist of Belair, South Australia, where the subject of this notice was born on November 27, 1870. He received his primary education at the local public school, subsequently attending Prince Alfred College. At the close of his scholastic studies he was apprenticed to the trade of cabinetmaking in Melbourne, where he remained for over five years. Returning to South Australia, he opened in business on his own account at Unley, and after continuing there for some years, he joined the South Australian Fifth Contingent upon the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa, and entered into active service with the rank of corporal. Mr. Bartlett took part in several skirmishes; was present at the Graspan action; and during his eighteen months' service was frequently under fire, his knowledge of the bush making him invaluable as a scout. After being promoted to quartermaster-sergeant, he returned to South Australia, and having recruited in his native State, came to Western Australia, where he settled at Kalgoorlie in 1902. For five years he carried on business as a contractor and builder on the goldfields, at the end of that period leaving with the intention of proceeding to the north-west; but altering his plans, upon reaching Geraldton, he
remained there, where he has very successfully conducted business ever since. From a very early period of his advent Mr. Bartlett began to take a live interest in the public affairs of the community, and three years after his arrival contested a seat in the municipal council chamber, being returned by the ratepayers of West Ward in 1910. In the following year he took the field as a candidate for the mayoralty, but was defeated by Mr. B. M. Fuller. He has manifested a prominent activity in the Australian Natives' Association, and in the year following his arrival founded a branch of the organization in Geraldton, of which he was first president, an office he has filled for three terms. Mr. Bartlett previously held the same
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Ebenezer Culliford Bartlett.
distinction at Kalgoorlie, and he was also a member of the board of directors for the State for two years, besides which he occupied the post of general vice-president for a term. He is a member of the committee of the agricultural society, and was one of the principal movers in obtaining the new show ground from the Government. He is a keen student of politics and a supporter of the policy of the present (1912) Labor Administration. He finds his chief recreation in rifle shooting, and in the district is regarded as a fair marksman. In the year 1898 he was married to Clara Maud, daughter of the late Captain Harris, of Port Adelaide, South Australia, and has a family of two daughters.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
981
Councillor PATRICK STONE, merchant, of Geraldton, and representative for East Ward in the local municipal council, is a native of Ireland, having been born at Burn-crannah, near Londonderry, County Donegal, on March 14, 1854. His father, the late James Stone, was a member of the British Imperial Service, and, after being stationed in India for some time, accepted a position as officer in charge of the convict settlement at Fremantle, Western Australia, where he settled with his family in 1856. The subject of this memoir pursued his educational studies in the Roman Catholic School at the abovementioned seaport, under the tuition of the late Mr. Rooney, father of the present principal of the Training College, Claremont. At the close of his scholastic career he became connected with agricultural pursuits on the farm owned by the late Mr. Stone in the Geraldton district, where he continued until he reached his twenty-fifth year. He then turned his attention to mercantile enterprise, and establishing himself in business on his own account in the town of Geraldton, he followed a successful career, becoming well known as one of the pioneer commercial men of the place. Mr. Stone was a prominent supporter, in its palmy days, of the mining industry in the Northampton district, which was opened up very early in the history of the State, and which, as a lead and copper proposition, had led the way among similar enterprises in the district. He also kept his eyes open for promising investments in real estate, and from time to time purchased properties that were put upon the market. In this way he became proprietor of several valuable holdings in the surrounding localities, which are stocked with sheep and cattle, and leased to tenants who continue the development of the land for pastoral and agricultural purposes. He owns also the Commonwealth Hotel, with the adjacent block of buildings, of which his storekeeping premises form a part, and which is represented in the illustration which accompanies this article. During the thirty-five years of Mr. Stone’s residence in the town of Geraldton he has watched
the growth of the seaport with increasing interest, and has devoted a considerable amount of energy and ability to promoting the welfare of the community and the advancement of the district. While still in
C. E. Faii', Perth.
Mr. Patrick Stone.
early manhood he was elected to a seat on the Greenough Roads Board, and did good service in this body before taking up his residence in the town, where, shortly afterwards, he was returned at the local election as
period upon his election as member for Greenough district in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, an office he occupied for six years, llis jdatform was that of an Independent Liberal, and whilst in Parliament he played an active part in the breaking-up of large estates for closer settlement, and was also successful in his persistent agitation for the construction of a railway line to the Chapman district—now one of the best producing localities in the State. He was likewise prominent in the organization of the movement to bring about similar facilities for the convenience of the residents of the Murchison district, his services in this regard being fully appreciated by the inhabitants of the goldfield. In 1912 Mr. Stone again contested a seat in the municipal chamber, and was returned to represent the ratepayers of East Ward, in whose interests he continues to sit. His leisure hours are fully occupied by the claims of a large circle of friends, many of long standing, who turn to him for sympathy and advice in their various undertakings, his lengthy experience of the district and successful management of his business placing him in a position to assist those in need of such help. Mr. Stone married in 1877 Ellen Emily, daughter
Commonwealth Hotel, Store, etc., the Property of Mr. P. Stone.
a member of the Geraldton Muni- of the late James Roe, the well-cipal Council. Mr. Stone served for known journalist of an earlier period fourteen years in connection with of Western Australian history, and this body, retiring at the end of that has four sons and three daughters.
m
THE CYCLOPEDIA OP WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Councillor CHARLES CONWAY, M.P.S.A., druggist and chemist, who represents the ratepayers of Central Ward in the Geraldton Municipal Council, was born at Chicago, U.S.A., on January 15, 1857. He was educated primarily in England, at St. Peter’s School, Woolwich, and in 1879 accompanied his parents to Western Australia, where he continued his studies, especially devoting his time to mastering the science of pharmacy, which he had chosen as his profession.
Wallace Miller, Oeraldton.
Mr. Charles Conway.
Upon completing his course he proceeded to Geraldton and entered upon the appointment of dispenser to the Victoria Hospital, a position he held for seven years. In 1891 he opened the pioneer pharmacy of the North, and in a short time became a well-nigh indispensable member of the community, his services being requisitioned in the most remote parts of the district, and always readily rendered where relief could be afforded to sufferers. As assistant to the only medical practitioner between Perth and Carnarvon, Mr. Conway gained considerable experience in medicine and surgery, and became quite accustomed to prescribe for ailments, even of a serious nature. While making a close study of the plant life of the district he discovered various valuable herbal remedies which have proved successful in many cases of sickness and disease. Though a man of many professional claims, Mr. Conway has taken a lively interest in local public affairs, and has served for various
periods as a member of the municipal council, as far back as 1900 representing the ratepayers of East ward in that chamber. He is a member of the Geraldton Club. Mr. Conway is a widower; his late wife, by whom he had issue three sons and three daughters, was a daughter of Mr. Louis Levcrman, of Greenhough, an old colonist of the district.
WILLIAM HENRY FULLER, Town Clerk of Geraldton, is a son of the late lion, Henry Robert Fuller, of Adelaide, South Australia, who represented the District of West Adelaide, in the House of Assembly, from 1865 to 1870, and, in 1894, was returned for the Central District to the Legislative Council. For 21 years he was a member of the Adelaide City Council, twelve of which he was alderman, and he occupied the mayoral office for several terms. The late gentleman played an important part in the history of the largo enterprise now known as John Hill & Co., mail contractors, joining with Messrs. John Hill and George Mills in the purchase of the business upon the retirement of Messrs. Cobb & Co., and continued to hold an interest in this concern until his decease in 1905. Mr. W. H. Fuller received his early scholastic training under the tuition of the late John L. Young, whose academy of instruction at that time was the leading institution of its kind in Adelaide. Subsequently he attended the North Adelaide Grammar School, Prince Alfred College, and Hahndorf College, and proceeding to London took a finishing course with Professors Steele and Lang, and at the University Training College, Gower Street. Returning to Adelaide he entered the well-known firm of John Hill & Co., Limited, coach proprietors and mail contractors, being considered an expert “whip” and a well-known amateur rider and driver, and was in charge of the passenger booking department, at a later date becoming manager for Rayner, McGowan & Co., in a similar line of business in Terowie, Silverton, and Wilcannia. He again joined the staff of John Hill & Co., Limited, as manager and secretary at Broken Hill, and later in the same capacity at Clare. lie spent a period on his father’s station, “Harward,” at Para Wurlie, Yorke Peninsula, and for nearly three years was travelling in the Eastern States before
coming to Western Australia in July, 1904. Arrived at Perth he undertook some special business for the Royal Agricultural Society in connection with the last show held at Guildford, and was in the Statistical Department of the Government Railways for a time. He was accountant to Messrs. Wilson Gray and Co., when he was offered and accepted the appointment of town clerk in connection with the Guildford Municipal Council on May 1, 1906, which he continued to hold until August, 1911. In November, 1911, he entered upon his present duties as town clerk of Geraldton. By the efficient discharge of his many duties in Guildford Mr. Fuller won the cordial respect and esteem of the members of the council, the corporation staff, and of the community whose interests he served so well. As an administrative officer he is tactful and courteous, and by the exercise of the invaluable quality of foresight has succeeded, since taking office in Geraldton, in bringing about an increase of revenue without undue pressure on the ratepayers. His experience and knowledge of municipal procedure have been of much benefit to the Council. Mr. Fuller was appointed a Justice
Mr. William Henry Fuller.
of the Peace for South Australia in 1894, and also served in the Melville and Warooka District Councils in that State on different occasions. He is an advocate of outdoor recreation, takes a lively interest and prominent position in all public functions, and spends his
983
leisure time on the bowling-greens; when a resident of Guildford being a member and on the committee of management of the Swan Bowling Club. He married Sallie D., daughter of the late Thomas Graham, J.P., of '‘Blackwood” Estate, near Strath-albyn, South Australia, and has two daughters.
The late WILLIAM TRIGG, founder of the well-known firm of Trigg Brothers, Geraldton, was a
Mr. William Trigg.
native of Hartford, England, where he was born in 1828. Before completing his third year he came to Western Australia with his parents by the ship “Egyptian” in 1831— about two years after the foundation of the colony—the voyage extending over four months. Mr. Trigg took up his residence at the northern seaport in the early sixties, and both as an architect and a master builder soon obtained a sound and extensive reputation. He was responsible for the plans and erection of many of the finest buildings of the town— public, private, and ecclesiastical— and his worthy work of years has materially helped to place Geraldton in its present honourable position as second only to the principal seaport of the Western State. He also played his part in the early administration of the infant settlement, being elected to a seat on the first municipal council formed in 1871, and serving in that body for many years. He took an active interest in the advancement of the district, being among the prominent workers in the various movements set afoot, having as their object the welfare
of the community among whom he resided. His death occurred in 1885. Mr. William Trigg’s eldest son, the late ONSLOW A. TRIGG, followed in his father’s footsteps, and was a well-known character in Geraldton and the surrounding district. He was born in Perth in 1860, and received his education in the capital and at Geraldton, subsequently applying himself to the trade of carpenter and builder under the guidance of his parent and giving considerable attention to the study of the principles of architecture. In order to perfect himself in the details of his calling, Mr. Onslow Trigg, with his brother Ernest, proceeded to Adelaide and Melbourne in the year 1885, where he remained for a lengthy period, acquiring a comprehensive knowledge in the various branches of the building trade,
r
Mr. Onslow A. Trigg.
eventually returning to Geraldton to carry on the business left by his father, whose demise had occurred during his absence. For about two years, in conjunction with his brother, he continued the conduct of the building connection, at the end of which period Mr. Onslow Trigg took over the business of the Freemasons’ Hotel (the present structure, of which an illustration appears in these pages, being erected by Messrs. Trigg Brothers in 1896), and carried it on for about five years, becoming well known throughout the district as the genial boniface of this popular house. The administration of the family estate meanwhile was attended to by Mr. Ernest A. Trigg, who held a sleeping partner’s interest in the hotel. For many years the
late Onslow Trigg held a Commission of the Peace, and though not serving in any municipal capacity was connected with several of the local progressive and sporting bodies, and was a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Geraldton Club. He was married in 1896 to Charlotte, daughter of Mr. Thomas Wiley, of Greenough, and a family of five daughters and one son survive him. His death took place suddenly in December, 1912, as a result of heart failure, in the fifty-second year of his age. The present head of the Trigg family, ERNEST AUSTIN TRIGG, was born at Perth, Western Australia, on January 6, 1862, and is the eldest surviving son of the late William Trigg. Upon the completion of his education, which he received in Perth and Geraldton, he was initiated, with his late brother, into the practical details of the building trade, and also joined him in reading for architecture. The association thus begun was continued for many years, the brothers travelling together to the Eastern States and pursuing their further studies in company, also jointly taking over the management of the business at Geraldton, as above stated, upon the
Mr. Ernest Austin Trigg.
decease of their parent. Mr. E. A. Trigg has given a share of his attention to public matters, and was first elected a councillor of the municipality in 1894, since which date, with a few breaks, he has continued to sit at the council table. With his late brother he was prominent in local military circles, both gentlemen having won renown as crack rifle
m
shots and winners of many cups, medals, and other trophies. As members of the Geraldton Rifle Volunteers for nearly a quarter of a century, during which period they held rank as non-commissioned officers, they assisted in upholding the prestige of the district, and worthily did their part in popularizing the movement at that centre. Mr. Trigg has visited different parts of the world, being absent for months at a time on pleasure trips, when he derived considerable interest and profit from enlarging his experience in the ways and customs of other countries. Like his late father and brothers he is prominent in Masonic circles, and holds rank as Past Master, being a Freemason of longer standing than any other member of the craft in Geraldton and occupying the office of secretary of No. 3 Lodge, W.A.C. He married in 1905 Marie, daughter of the late Edmund Le Couteur, of
Wallace Miller, Oera-ldton.
Mr. Francis Aubrey Trigg.
Guernsey, Channel Islands. FRANCIS AUBREY TRIGG, third son of the late William Trigg, was born at Geraldton on February 11, 1868, and pursued his scholastic studies at the Perth High School. At the close of his education he spent some time at home prior to entering upon commercial pursuits in the firm of Messrs. Shenton & Co., of Geraldton. After two years in this business he relinquished the connection in order to learn the engineering trade in the locomotive shops at Fremantle, and having concluded his apprenticeship turned his attention
to marine pursuits, being identified with the steamship trade for many years. In particular he gained valuable experience on board the Eastern Extension Telegraph Co.’s cable ship “Sherrard Osborne,” subsequently
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Walter William James Trigg.
joining the Adelaide Steamship Company, in which service he rose by degrees to the position of chief engineer. Of the many boats of which he was chief engineer, the last was the ill-fated “Yongala,” from which he resigned some time before the fatal disaster overtook her. In conjunction with his brother, Mr. E. A. Trigg, in 1907 he opened the Geraldton Cold Storage and Ice Works, which were carried on for about five years. He has accompanied his brother, Mr. E. A. Trigg, on a couple of sea trips, and has only recently (1913) returned from England and the Continent. WALTER WILLIAM JAMES TRIGG, youngest son of the late William Trigg, is also a native of Geraldton, having been born there on September 18, 1869. He was educated at the Perth High School, and became a partner in the firm of Messrs. Cope & Trigg, land and estate agents and auctioneers, of Geraldton, with whom he remained for many years. The whole of his life has been spent in commercial pursuits in the place of his birth, and* he is the present manager for the Geraldton Ice and Cold Storage Company. In 1895 Mr. Trigg married Caroline, daughter of the late George Baston, J.P., first mayor of Geraldton, and he has a family of two sons and three daughters. Like
his brothers, Mr. W. Trigg is a crack shot, and for years has been and still is captain of the Geraldton Rifle Club.
WILLIAM MOORE, J.P., one of the oldest residents of the Gcr-aldton district, where his advent dates back to 1865, was born in Perth, Western Australia, on August 1, 1848, his father being the late James Moore, who came to this State from Kent, England, in the early thirties. He received his education in the old State school at Perth, and before reaching his teens became engaged in mercantile pursuits, joining the staff of Mr. J. T. Monger, storekeeper, of York, where he continued for two years, removing to Newcastle (now Tood-yay) when the business was transferred to that centre. In 1865 Mr. Moore came to Geraldton as assistant in the store conducted by
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. William Moore.
Messrs. H. Gray & Co., known as “Cambrian House,” which had been established two years previously. He spent 21 years as manager of the Greenough branch of this well-known firm, and upon the closing of the store was appointed to the management of the firm’s business at Geraldton, which post he has retained since the year 1897. Mr. Moore received his Commission of the Peace from the Wittenoom Government in 1897. He has worthily served the ratepayers of Geraldton by filling the position of councillor in the local governing
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
965
body for over ten years. A devoted member of the Church of England he has laboured earnestly in the interests of the Greenough and Ger-aldton branches of this cause, acting as lay reader for over a quarter of a century and assisting in the foundation of Sunday-schools in connection with both churches. He has also been a moving spirit in the Good Templar and Rechabite movements, and was the first Good Templar initiated in Western Australia, the ceremony being performed by the late Charles W. Gray, who held full authority from the Worthy Grand Lodge of Melbourne. For over 40 years he has been connected with the Rechabite Tent at Geraldton, and has filled every office in both Orders. Mr. Moore was one of the founders of the mechanics’ institute in Geraldton, and in many other ways has lent his influence for the promotion of worthy ideals among the local community. He married in 1870, Jane, daughter of the late John Jones, of the British Army, who came to this State in charge of an emigrant ship, and afterwards continued in the Western Australian Government Service until his death. He lias issue four sons and one daughter, his youngest son having been connected with the Public Service of State and Commonwealth for about 15 years.
“THE GERALDTON EXPRESS.” The Express was first brought into existence on September 3, 1878, as The Victorian Express, its name marking its connection with the magnificent Victoria district of Western Australia. In 1894, owing to the influx of many newcomers from the Eastern States, the old name was found to be misleading, particularly to residents of the goldfields, and the paper was renamed The Geraldton Express. Its founder was the late Mr. Isaac Walter and its first editor the late Mr. Stephen Montague Stout. After a lapse of ten years The Victorian Express Company, Limited, purchased the newspaper and carried it on until 1895, when it was purchased by Mr. J. M. Drew, the present proprietor, who had then been associated with it for several years in the capacity of editor. Since Mr. Stout, its original editor, vacated the chair, The Express has been editorially controlled by a number of well-known journalists who sucoeeded each other
in the following order, vis., R. C. Howes, Francis Hart, Alfred Car-son, J. M. Drew, F. C. B. Vosper, Audree Hayward, W. R. Bodley, W. Steel, and W. H. A. O’Connor, the last-mentioned having been in charge for the past eighteen months. From its foundation, but particularly since Mr. Drew took editorial and proprietorial control of its columns, The Express has always been noted for a boldly progressive and democratic policy. It has ever been an unflinching opponent of privilege, a zealous champion of the people’s rights, and an unwearying guardian of the great mining, agricultural, and pastoral interests of the Murchison and Victoria districts, with the progress and welfare of which its own interests are so closely interwoven. Long before any newspaper was published on the Murchison goldfields, The Express identified itself with the interests of the miners and sturdily urged their claims upon the attention of the somewhat apathetic authorities of the day. It was the first newspaper to urge the construction of the railway from Geraldton to Cue, it fought strenuously for the provision of water supplies for the diggers, it forcibly advocated the claims of the goldfields people to proper hospital accommodation and medical care, and in many other ways manifested a practical sympathy with the men engaged in developing the auriferous resources of the goldfields. The good work done by The Express for the Victoria district will not be soon forgotten. Under Mr. Drew’s control it steadfastly and eloquently demanded the throwing open to agricultural settlement of the vast tracts of surpassingly fertile country which form the hinterland of Geraldton, and its efforts were finally crowned with success. A striking testimony to the wisdom of this policy of unlocking the land is to be found in the enormous areas which have been and are being got ready for the plough in the Victoria district. Last year the district had over 100,000 acres under wheat, from which were harvested nearly 1,500,000 bushels of grain; yet the district is only on the threshold of its development. That the far-seeing, bold, and public-spirited policy of The Express has won it general confidence and esteem is amply proved by the large and increasing circulation it enjoys among all classes of the great communities with which it is associated.
W. H. A. O’CONNOR, the editor of The Geraldton Express, came to Western Australia over eighteen years ago from his native State of Victoria, where he had for some years been engaged in newspaper
C. E. Yarr, Perth.
Me. W. H. A. O’Connor.
enterprises. After several years of varied experiences on the goldfields Mr. O’Connor re-entered the ranks of journalism; and for the past fifteen years he had been prominently connected with the goldfields, metropolitan, and rural Press of this State
FRANCIS HENRY CRITCH, manager of The Geraldton Express Company, Limited, and a colonist of some forty-five years’ standing, served his apprenticeship to the printing trade in The Fremantle Herald office, and filled the position of foreman printer on that paper for many years, at the time that journal was owned and edited by Messrs. James Pearce and William Beres-ford. About the year 1882 he came to Geraldton as overseer and printer of The Victorian Express, the titb under which The Geraldton Express of to-day was then published. Mr. Critch has continued to hold the post of printer and publisher of this paper up to the present time, and, in conjunction with the late editor-in-chief (the Hon. J. M. Drew, M.L.C., Colonial Secretary in the present Ministry), has witnessed many changes in connection with the history of The Express. As a public
man he has served as councillor in the Geraldton municipality for eleven years, and was an enthusiastic
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Francis Henry Critch.
member of the Geraldton and Fremantle Rifle Volunteers, having served in the two companies for a period extending over twenty-two years. Upon his retirement with the rank of sergeant he was the recipient of the long-service medal.
“THE GERALDTON GUARDIAN.”—The first issue of this popular journal was published on October 8, 1905, an illustration of the Point Moore Lighthouse being appropriately embodied in the original headline, it consisted of eight demy-folio pages, printed on a demy Wharfedale machine two pages at a time, and the bulk of the reading matter was set up on a monoline typesetting machine, the motive power being provided by a 2j-h.p. oil engine. Within twelve months, however, it became necessary to instal larger machinery, and a superdouble royal Wharfedale and 5-h.p. engine having been procured, The Guardian celebrated its first anniversary by appearing as a four-page demy sheet, while shortly afterwards its periods of issue were altered from twice to thrice weekly. Since that date each succeeding year has witnessed an increase in size, and the paper now consists of four pages containing eight columns 24 inches in length, published on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings, with an
occasional supplement. The cable and telegraphic news is practically the same as that published in the metropolitan evening papers, and the circulation of The Guardian in the district for which it caters equals that of any other newspaper in the northern areas. The first editor was Mr. H. Allerton Cowper, and he was succeeded by Mr. R. M. Cochrane as leader writer. Mr. H. B. Geyer, a journalist with lengthy experience in the north-west, occupied the editorial chair for six months, and upon his yielding to the call of the land, Mr. E. G. Farrington, the present editor, an experienced English journalist, was appointed. Before and since the days of Liberal Leagues The Guardian has claimed to be a Liberal journal for the Victoria district, but though its political policy and that of the Liberal Party are generally in accord, the paper itself is independent, and the policy solely controlled by the proprietors. The Guardian has been a big factor in promoting the agricultural development of the Victoria district; in fact, the advance in land settlement in the
neighbourhood during the last few years has been coincident with the establishment of the paper. It has also forcibly advocated a policy of
decentralization and a just expenditure of the public funds in its district. Adhering to the policy of keeping abreast of the times, the proprietors have just installed a typo-graph composing-machine, the first of its kind to be used in a newspaper office in Western Australia, and the newspaper and printing office now holds a premier position among similar enterprises in any centre north of the capital. EDWARD CONSTANTINE, senior partner and founder of the business of Messrs. Constantine & Gardner, printers, publishers, and commercial stationers, proprietors of The Geraldton Guardian, was born in the village of St. Blazey, Cornwall, England. Before he attained his third year his parents emigrated to South Australia, and he was educated at the Wallaroo public school in that State. Upon the conclusion of his studies he went to work at the office of The Eadina and Wallaroo Times, and subsequently was employed in the printing trade at Broken Hill, New South Wales, coming to Western Australia in 1894. At that period the trend of the population was towards Cool-gardie, but as typhoid fever was prevalent in that district, and Mr. Constantine had only recently recover-ed from an attack contracted at Broken Hill, he decided to se ek employment on the coast, and accordingly settled at Geraldton, where he has resided ever since. In March, 1898, he opened in business on his own account as a general printer, a venture which proved very successful, the business expanding at a rapid rate, and in December, 1902, Mr. Frederick Gardner was admitted into partnership, since which date
Premises of “ The Geraldton Guardian,” Geraldton.
987
the firm has experienced an unchecked career of prosperity, having now the largest staff and widest connection of any printing office in the district. Mr. Constantine is in-
terested in sport, and as an active footballer was largely responsible for the inauguration of club football in Geraldton soon after his arrival in the town. He is also an enthusiast in aquatics and a skilful oarsman, for many years being captain of the Geraldton Amateur Rowing Club, and for his services in this respect was elected a life member of the institution. He takes a keen interest in the public affairs of the town and district, but the only official position he now occupies is that of treasurer to the Geraldton Benevolent Society. FREDERICK GARDNER, the junior partner in The Geraldton Guardian, is also a native of England, having been born near Richmond, in Surrey, in 1869. His parents settled in New Zealand when he was about seven years of age, and at a later date he was apprenticed to the firm of Joseph Payton & Co., of The Wairarapa Daily (now The Daily Times) in Masterton, in the provincial district of Wellington. At the conclusion of his apprenticeship he worked for two years on The Evening Press, Wellington, then owned by Messrs. Wakefield and Roydhouse, and at the close of that period he came to Australia, and for several years following his arrival in Adelaide was on the staff of The South Australian Register. When the sensational finds at Coolgardie were announced Mr. Gardner came to Western Australia, and after twelve months’ experience with the dryblowing dishes, etc., on the Murchison, he decided to return to the “inky way,” on the staff of The Geraldton Express. When The Morning 11 erald was started in Perth he joined that office as “stone hand,” and some few years afterwards was appointed foreman printer of The Daily News, which position he relinquished two years later to join Mr. Constantine in business at Geraldton. Mr. Gardner has taken considerable interest in public matters, and in 1912 was elected a member of the local municipal council for the second time. He has served for some years on the committee of the local agricultural society, and occupied a seat on the committee of the Geraldton Mechanics’ Institute.
RUSTAT HENRY HEM-STED, M.D. (Univ. Brux.),
M.R.C.S. (Eng.), L.R.C.P. (Lond.), is a son of Mr. Henry Hemsted, surgeon, of Whitchurch, Hampshire, England, his grandfather and great-grandfather also having followed the same profession, while two of his bi'others are doctors and two dentists. Born at Whitchurch on December 25, 1868, Dr. Hemsted
received his early scholastic training at Epsom College, subsequently taking his medical diploma from St. Mary’s Hospital, London, in 1893. After practising for some time at Wakefield, in Yorkshire, he joined his father in practice in his native
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Dr. Rustat Henry Hemsted.
town, and at a later date entered into partnership with Dr. Arthur Coates, of Bristol Infirmary, where he spent eleven years. The more genial climate of Cornwall tempted him to that county for a time, and the same reason prevailed in eventually bringing him to Australia in 1910, reports of the favourable climatic conditions, especially of the Western State, having reached him in the old country. Among the appointments held in England by Dr. Hemsted (who is a member of the British Medical Association) were those of district medical officer and medical officer to the infirmary, Whitchurch; deputy medical officer to the isolation hospital ; surgeon to the police and post-office ; and other appointments in the public service. Later he became clinical assistant at the London Throat Hospital, and also studied in Brussels, where he obtained the
degree of doctor of medicine at the University of that city. At the beginning of 1910 he decided to give up practice for a year and to devote his time to the study of the recent developments in medicine and surgery, for which purpose he attended some of the chief London hospitals, including the West London; the Hospital for Diseases of the Ear, Nose, and Throat, Golden Square; and the London Throat Hospital. Upon arrival in Western Australia he proceeded to Geraldton, where he established himself in his profession, and has since continued at this centre. Dr. Hemsted keeps himself well abreast of the times by the perusal of modern scientific works, especially those with a bearing upon medicine and surgery. He is in touch with the social life of the town, being a member of the Geraldton Club and of the local bowling club. He has been a keen motorist for many years, and was one of the first doctors in England to use a car in place of horses; this hobby, with flyfishing, constituting his principal amusements. He married in 1898 Gertrude, daughter of Mr. W. Munn, who for many years was in charge of the Bank of England note mills, and now lives in retirement. There is one daughter by the mar riage.
ADAM HENRY MUIR MAC-MORRAN, M.B., C.M., M.D.
(Edin.), Health Officer to the Geraldton district, was born at Newton Stewart, Wigtonshire, Scotland, on February 12, 1869, and is a son of the late Thomas Macmorran, general merchant, of that town. He received his education at the Ewart High School (gold medallist, 1887) in his native place, and in 1887 entered the University of Edinburgh, gaining his diploma of M.B. in 1892, that of C.M. in the same year, and M.D. in 1894. At the conclusion of his university course he travelled through the famous watering-places, the spas in Belgium and Germany, making extensive observations and gaining valuable experience, subsequently volunteering for Government service at the time of the cholera epidemic at Hamburg in 1893. Returning to England, he was appointed clinical medical officer under Mr. (now Sir) Frederick Treves at the London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, of which he is a life member, and upon resigning this
post accepted that of assistant in one of the largest practices in the East End of London, in which he later became a partner. Dr. Macmorran filled the appointment of divisional surgeon of police of the metropolitan Forces of London, and conducted the examinations of the men at work under compressed air in the Greenwich Tunnel and on the tube railways. At the commencement of the construction of the Rotherhithe Tunnel also he was engaged in similar professional duties, and contributed a paper to the British Medical Journal dealing with this class of work. Owing to a breakdown in health he took a trip to New Zealand, and on his return began practice in the West End of London, where he remained for two years, at the end of which period he was again compelled by health reasons to seek a change of climate. Arriving in Western Australia on May 1, 1906, Dr. Macmorran came straight to
Wallace Miller, Geraldtov.
Dr. A. H. Mijtr Macmorran.
Geraldton, where he purchased the practice formerly carried on by Dr. Thom, and three months later was appointed health officer t«o the Geraldton municipality, which office he has retained ever since. Dr. Macmorran is an enthusiast in analytical work and bacteriology, and his advent to Geraldton occurring soon after an outbreak of the bubonic plague in that district, he was instrumental in having all the infected area completely rebuilt, half of the main street undergoing reconstruction in carrying out these drastic measures. He takes a prominent
interest in the Commonwealth military movement, and holds the rank of captain in the A.M.C., in which he displays the keenest interest. He is a member of the Geraldton Club, and occupies the office of vice-president of that body; is Worshipful Master of the Masonic fraternity, in connection with Geraldton Lodge, No. 3, W.A.C., and Honorary Scribe “E” of the Royal Arch; and acts as honorary surgeon to the Victoria District Turf Club. Jn 1900 Dr. Macmorran married at Malta Jessie, daughter of the late Captain William McMicken, R.N.R., late commander of the Cunard fleet, and has two daughters.
ARTHUR HOUSSEMAYNE DU BOULAY, J.P., barrister of Lincoln’s Inn, London, practising at Geraldton, Western Australia, was born at ‘'Stock House,” near Sherborne, Dorsetshire, England, on March 11, 1843, and is a son of the late John du Boulay, J.P., and deputy-lieutenant for Dorsetshire and Wiltshire for many years. He received his education at Harrow School, and upon the close of his scholastic career entered the Royal Navy, but owing to indifferent health he had, after six years, to relinquish the idea of the Navy as a profession. Coming to Western Australia, he engaged in pastoral pursuits on the “Minnanooka” sheep station, in the Victoria district of this State, a property owned by his cousin, where he remained for nearly six years. Returning to England in 1868, he studied law and was called to the Bar in the year 1873. Subsequently he returned to Western Australia, settling in Geraldton, where he commenced the practice of his profession, and has continued ever since. During this period he resided for a great many years on a farm which he had purchased in the vicinity of the town known as “Woorrec,” and, in conjunction with his other pursuits engaged in the agricultural industry, personally superintending the operations of the estate. He has interested himself in the progress of the place, and, before the registration of Geraldton as a municipality, occupied the office of chairman of the then governing body. He also acted for many years in a similar capacity to the Geraldton Roads Board. On four different occasions he was appointed acting Government Resident and resident
magistrate of Geraldton, during the temporary absence of the permanent officials, and for over thirty years he has exercised a Commission of the Peace for the whole State. In the early days of the Victoria District Turf Club Mr. du Boulay was prominent among the officers of that body, and he is connected with most of the public and social organizations of the district. His favourite recreation is reading, Kipling’s, together with other well-written works of
Wallace Miller, Geraldtov.
Mr. A. Houssemayne Du Boulay.
fiction, commanding his cordial appreciation. Mr. du Boulay married in 1867 Caroline Emily Josephine, daughter of the late Rev. George Routh Howard, a former rector of Geraldton, and has three sons and one daughter.
JAMES WALKER CLYDESDALE, barrister and solicitor, Geraldton, is a native of New South Wales, having been born in Sydney on October 4, 1857, whither his father, the late James Walker, had come as a member of the Imperial troops in 1851. He received his education in different parts of the world, concluding his scholastic studies at the University of Glasgow, where he specialized in the faculty of law. Whilst waiting to be called to the Bar he maintained himself for three years by literary work in London, writing for the magazines and acting as extra leader-writer to some of the London and Scottish dailies. He was admitted to the Bar
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
989
of the Middle Temple of London on May 4, 1887, and is registered in Purcell’s ‘'English Law List” of 1904 as “Clydesdale, J. W., expert in Russian, Spanish, Spanish -American, French, Brazilian, Dutch, and Italian law.” After practising in England for ten years in the Chancery and Common Law divisions, the severity of the climate forced him to seek a milder clime, so in 1897 he came to Western Australia and settled in Perth for five years. At the end of this period he opened in practice on the eastern goldfields, where he carried on successfully for a considerable time. Returning to Perth, he seized an opportunity which offered to establish himself in the then flourishing goldfield of Meekatharra, but finding the inland temperature too trying, came to the coast again, and in March, 1911, took up his residence at Geraldton, where he has since rapidly made his way in professional circles. Mr. Clydesdale’s reputation
Mb. James Walker Clydesdale.
was enhanced during his sojourn in Perth by his conduct of the celebrated Morris-Randall murder trial, which occupied over a week in the hearing. Outside of his profession he has figured in public life, and on two occasions contested the Canning electorate—subsequently known as South Perth—as independent democrat, but in each instance was defeated by a small majority. He has played a prominent part in the military movement, having had considerable experience in England in the yeomanry and the Inns of Court Rifle Volunteers, and after his
advent to this State was responsible for the formation of the Cannington Mounted Infantry, from which he resigned with the rank of captain, being the first volunteer to be promoted under the Commonwealth defence authorities. Literature is Mr. Clydesdale’s chief hobby, and being a linguist of wide range— Arabic, Hindustani, Persian, and the various European languages all being familiar to him—he spends all his leisure hours among his books: “ Vita sine litcris mors est.” Chaucer is his favourite English author, while he makes frequent translations from the treasure storehouses of Oriental literature, this form of mental exercise having become almost a passion with him. Mr. Clydesdale has been twice married, his first wife being a daughter of Captain Crawford, shipowner, of Port Glasgow, Scotland. Some years after this lady’s decease he espoused Una Mary Caroline, daughter of Mr. Theodor von Engelbrecht, of Gerald-ton, formerly of Gwalia, South Australia.
EVERETT HENRY BARD WELL, barrister and solicitor, Ger-aldton, was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on February 18, 1856, being a son of the late Everett Bard well, Crown Solicitor of that State. His early education was received in a private school, and subsequently he became a student of the University of Melbourne, where he studied for the legal profession, qualifying in the late seventies. After practising law in the Victorian capital for about sixteen years, in 1897 he came to Western Australia, and shortly after arrival was gazetted an officer of the Supreme Court of Western Australia. Some twelve years later he resigned from the Government service in order to start practice on his own behalf in Perth, and at the close of 1910 established himself at Ger-aldton, where he has since continued. Outside of his profession Mr. Bard-well is a noted conchologist, having a very fine collection of shells, and being an acknowledged authority on the subject. He spends a good deal of his leisure in taking long walks along the sea-beach, and is continually adding to his specimens, finding healthful recreation in this pursuit. He married in 1881 Fanny, daughter of the late Hugh Peck, a well-known citizen of Melbourne, and has three sons and one daughter. Two of his
sons arc engaged in the pearling industry in the north-west, one of whom held an officers’ commission in the South African war.
HAROLD WILSON, LL.B. (Lond.), barister and solicitor, Ger-aldton, was born at Croydon, Surrey, England, on October 5, 1866, and is a son of the late Robert Wilson, a merchant, of London. He received his scholastic training at Sidcot School, Somersetshire, and subsequently took his LL.B. degree with honours at the University of London, in which city he also served his articles to the legal profession and was admitted a solicitor in 1889. In 1890 Mr. Wilson came to Western Australia as managing clerk to the well-known firm of Messrs. Parker and Parker, solicitors, of Perth, with whom he remained for over three years, resigning to open in practice on his own account at Geraldton, where he has since continued. Outside of his profession Mr. Wilson takes an active interest in politics, and he was one of the founders of the Liberal League in the district where he resides, now holding the office of president of the northern council of this organization. For many years he has acted as solicitor to the local municipal council, and he is a member of the Weld Club, Perth, and of the Geraldton Club. An omnivorous reader of the miscellaneous literature in various languages, he has made a special study of old Norse and Romana literature and the Elizabethan dramatists. Mr. Wilson married in 1912, Jean, daughter of Mr. Robert Darling, of Fremantle.
JOHN RAYMOND GEORGE ELIOT, Clerk of Courts, Clerk of Quarter Sessions, District Registrar, Branch Manager of the Government Savings Bank, Treasury Paymaster, etc., Geraldton, is a son of the late George Eliot, who arrived at Geraldton in the year 1870, and was the first Government Resident in the colony of Western Australia. He is a native of this State, having been born at Bunbury on November 17, 1853, in which town he also received his education. At the close of his schooldays, in 1871, he started active life as clerk in the Imperial Service in the Comptroller-General’s department and at the Geraldton Gaol, but
resigned this position after a year in order to enter upon the career of a settler and pastoralist in the Bun-bury district, where he continued for about nine years. In 1884 he again became connected with the Government service as clerk to the Treasury at Geraldton, and shortly afterwards was appointed to the various offices above enumerated. At this period the present well-laid-out town was, comparatively speaking, non-existent, a few buildings constituting the little settlement which was destined to expand into the important seaport of to-day. Mr. Eliot has watched with sympathetic interest the evolution of the place, and has assisted its advancement in every way in his power. He has made a hobby of his official duties, and has never allowed any private interests to interfere with the conscientious discharge of the manifold details involved in his. varied offices. lie was one of the
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. John Raymond George Eliot.
foundation members of the Geraldton Club, and in the early days of the town was prominent in racing circles. He is now a devotee of bowls, and takes his recreation on the local green. He married in 1909 Eva, daughter of Mr. M. B. McNamara, of Port Lincoln, South Australia.
EVELYN PIERREPONT ERSKINE, Sub-Collector of Customs, Geraldton, was born at Cheltenham, England, on September 7, 1870, and is a son of the late Hon. James Augustus Erskine, K.S.F. (a Spanish
order signifying “Knight of St. Ferdinand' '), who was brother to the tenth Earl of Mar and Kellie, and in 1836 was appointed first Commissary General in Australia, at Sydney. The gentleman under review received his education at Portsmouth Grammar School and St. John's College, Hurstpierpoint, and upon the termination of his scholastic career, joined the staff of the Oriental Bank in London. In the year 1889 he came to Australia and took a position as j ackeroo on “Innamincka" Station in South Australia, where he remained
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Evelyn Pierrepont Erskine.
for nearly three years. In 1894 he sailed for the Western State and entered upon commercial pursuits at Mandurah, in 1897 becoming connected with the Civil Service in the Customs branch in the days of State control. Mr. Erskine filled various positions in the service, and from time to time received promotion, until, in 1909, he was appointed to the post of sub-collector of customs at Bunbury, accepting transfer to Geraldton in 1910, since which date he has filled his present office. Outside of his official duties he has taken a prominent interest in the cause of the Church of England, of which body he is a member, vestryman, and lay reader for the Geraldton district. He is also a committeeman of the Church of England Men’s Society, in which organization he has played a leading part. He was one of the founders of the Bunbury Yacht and Rowing Club, and a member of the first mounted infantry regiment in the State of Western
Australia, being now scout-master of the Boy Scouts in Geraldton. Mr. Erskine is a deep reader, and finds enjoyment in the perusal of works of history, etc. He was married in 1897 to Amy Maria, daughter of Mr. Joseph Hough, pastoralist, of Collie River, near Bunbury, and has three sons and five daughters.
JAMES RICHARD GUARD,
Post and Telegraph Inspector for the northern division of Western Australia, was born at Clunes, Victoria, on September 22, 1872, and is a son of the late John Guard, mining manager, of Charters Towers, Queensland. He received his education in his native town, and at the termination of his studies joined the public service, in the Post and Telegraph Department. After serving for eight years in Victoria he resigned in order to accept a more
Mr. James Richard Guard.
lucrative situation in the Post and Telegraph Department under the Western Australian Government, coming to the latter State at the end of 1894. For eight years he continued as telegraphist at the head office at Perth, and in 1902 was promoted to the position of chief operator at Menzies, subsequently being appointed to the charge of that office, a position he held for three years. He was then transferred to the Laverton office, where he spent four years, at the end of which period he was removed to the more important post at Bunbury. After four years at the latter place, in 1911 he received an appointment to
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the inspectorship of the northern district, where he has since continued. His favourite outdoor recreation is bowls, and he is a member of the Geraldton Bowling Club. In 1896 he married Hannah, daughter of the late J. W. Stark, of Port Adelaide, and has one son and three daughters.
HUGH SERJEANT, District Engineer at Geraldton for the Western Australian Government Railways, was born at Lake Learmontli, Victoria, on September 5, 1865, his father, the late Canon Thomas Wilson Serjeant, B.A. (Oxon.), for twenty years incumbent of Williams-town Parish and acting-dean of Melbourne for a considerable time, having come to Australia in the early days of missionary work in the above-mentioned State. The gentleman under review at nine years of age began his education at the Scotch College, Melbourne, and upon the completion of his scholastic career on January 3, 1883, joined the staff of the Bank of Australasia in that city. He worked his way up through the various grades of the service into the correspondence room, where he held the position of general manager’s junior confidential clerk until January 3, 1885, when he severed his connection with the bank in order to take up surveying and engineering as a profession. Two days after leaving the bank’s service he commenced work as a chainman on survey for the Railway Department of Victoria, being employed on the Tatura - Echuca, Dunolly-Inglcwood, and the first section of the Avoca-Ararat railway lines. In February, 1887, he was promoted to the position of foreman in the camp, and acted in this capacity on the Frankston - Mornington, Maldon-Llanacoorie, Croydon - Warburton, and Lilydale-Warburton surveys. In July he became field assistant on the construction of the Kerang-Swanhill railway. Upon the completion of this work he took a similar position on the Great Southern line, Victoria, which cost £278,000, and was then taken into the head office, Spencer Street, Melbourne, where he spent four months; after which he was selected by the authorities for the task of supervising the construction of the Warracknabeal-Beulah line, which was built under the butty-gang system, the work being carried out under the immediate
supervision and guidance of the departmental officers without the intervention of a contractor. Upon the completion of this line Mr. Serjeant was retrenched, owing to the temporary stoppage of all railway construction work in Victoria, and after travelling through the State for a month or two he landed in Western Australia towards the end of March, 1894. Whilst waiting for parliamentary estimates relating to surveys of new lines he was engaged for six months in clearing goods through the Customs and in shipping work generally, and on October 16, 1894, joined the Western Australian Civil Sorvico and was appointed assistant to the surveyor in charge of the Yalgoo-Magnet section of the Mullewa-Cue railway survey. He next became assistant engineer on the construction of the Eastern Railway Deviation No. L, extending from Bellevue to Lion Mill, and upon the resignation of the resident engineer in charge of the work was promoted to the vacancy. » Upon the presentation by the contractor, Mr. W. N. Hedges, of a claim for £35,000 on account of extras and additions Mr. Serjeant recommended that £8,900 be paid in settlement thereof; and upon the case being referred to arbitration Mr. Hedges was awarded slightly under £10,000, the Crown Solicitor (now Mr. Justice Burnside) taking the opportunity of publicly acknowledging his appreciation of the way in which the figures had been handled and placed before them by Mr. Serjeant, who had .completed the work and signed on'behalf of the Government the final certificate for completion of the contract for £87,000. At the termination of this arbitration case Mr. Serjeant acted as chief clerk to the Chief-Engineer for Existing Lines for four months and passed on to the charge of the drafting-room, carrying out the supervision of all engineering and architectural works incidental to the requirements of a Government railway system until January 2, 1901. From this date until July, 1904, from time to time he acted as district engineer throughout the State, dealing with all legal matters affecting the branch with which he was connected and personally conducting cases on behalf of the Commissioner of Railways before the Railway Appeal Board. On July 1, 1904, he was appointed district engineer of the southern district, and held this position until
April 11, 1912, when, after a fev months’ absence on long - service loave, he resumed work as district engineer of the northern railways, which position he still holds. In addition to the maintenance work ol the district Mr. Serjeant has charge of the construction of the Geraldton new station yard and buildings, a work which is being carried out by day labour at an estimated cost of £56,000. In 1901 he was elected a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Mr. Serjeant married in 1895 Nina, daughter of the late Alfred Goulding, a well-known journalist of the Eastern States, and has one daughter.
THOMAS ANDERSON KIDD, J.P., Geraldton, was born at Elie, Fifeshire, Scotland, on November 6, 1847, being a son of the late James Kidd, originally of that place, who
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Thomas Anderson Kidd.
became one of the earliest settlers in Victoria, and the original owner of “Bushy Creek” Station. He accompanied his parents to Australia in 1859, and for many years followed commercial pursuits in Victoria, being connected with banking circles in the Eastern State for some considerable time. In 1894 he brought his family to Western Australia, and after trading for a few months as forwarding agent and provision merchant at Southern Cross, Kalgoorlie, and Coolgardie, travelled across country to Geraldton, where he settled down to business pursuits.
Mr. Kidd was created a Justice of the Peace for the whole of Western Australia by the Forrest Administration in prc-Federal days, and has acted in this capacity ever since. He is of a retiring disposition, and takes little part in the public life of the town, preferring to spend his leisure quietly in the bosom of his family He was married in 1871 to Emma, daughter of the late Mr. Nankivell, of Maldon, Victoria, and has six sons and two daughters.
Captain JAMES CECIL KIDD, public accountant, sworn valuator and auctioneer, Geraldton, was born at Stawell, Victoria, on June 15, 1877, being a son of Mr. Thomas Anderson Kidd, J.P., of the same place, mentioned elsewhere in this work. Pie received his education in Melbourne, and upon the conclusion of his scholastic career became engaged in commercial life in that city
Wallace Miller, Oeraldton.
Captain James Cecil Kidd.
until I»y4, when ne accompanied ms father to Western Australia. Upon arrival in this State he proceeded to the eastern goldfields where, with Mr. Kidd, senior, he opened as forwarding agents and provision merchants at Southern Cross, trading to Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie. In 1895 he came to Geraldton, ovcrlanding with his parents and other members of the family from the above-mentioned centre, and for a time was connected with the firm of Messrs. Parkes Brothers & Kidd; three years after his advent to the town he
established himself in business on his own behalf as above. Captain Kidd has met with pronounced success in his mercantile proposition, and in addition to being one of the prominent business men of the place has more than perhaps any other resident identified himself with the public life of Geraldton. He takes a leading part in all local institutions, since April, 1899, having filled the post of secretary of the Geraldton Mechanics' Institute, which owes to his efforts its proud position as one of the most flourishing organizations of its kind in the State, while the secretaryship of the Geraldton Chamber of Commerce has been in his hands since 1900. For over a decade he has acted as municipal auditor, and is an acknowledged authority in all matters connected with the roads board, in which he has filled the secretarial office since 1903. At a yet remoter date he became secretary of the Geraldton Club, having retained this position ever since 1898. For over fourteen years he lias been connected with the military service of the State, his first company being the Geraldton Rifles, which he joined as a private, transferring to the Geraldton Mounted Infantry, where he held rank as a non-commissioned officer. This regiment ultimately was merged into the 3rd Squadron 18th Australian Light Horse, in which he was subsequently gazetted to the rank of lieutenant, receiving his commission as captain in 1907, being then in command of the 3rd squadron, and second in command of the regiment. Captain Kidd now occupies a place on the reserve of officers. He is au fait with all kinds of athletic sports, specializing in tennis and aquatics. Rowing, perhaps, is his favourite diversion, and he was one of the earliest members of the Geraldton Amateur Rowing Club, since having had the distinction of honorary life membership conferred upon him by his fellow members. lie was also a foundation member of the Geraldton Tennis Club. Captain Kidd married in 1910, Grace, daughter of Mr. William Moore, mentioned elsewhere in these pages, who has been one of the identities of the district for well-nigh half a century.
ERNEST ALBERT HENRY GURSANSCKY UDY, accountant, Geraldton, is a son of the late Mr.
Henry Udy, and was born at Brunswick, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, on November 9, 1861. The gentleman under review was educated at Bathurst under private tuition, and upon the termination of his studies came to Western Australia, where he joined the Civil Service in 1898, being appointed junior clerk in the Lands Department. He continued in the head office at Perth for thirteen years, during which
.
^rrrrrlt**** *. "%
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. E. A. H. G. Udy.
period he rose to the position of paymaster, and at a later date was further promoted to the post of Government land agent at Geraldton. Mr. Udy resigned from the Government service in 1912 in order to launch out on his own behalf, and established himself in the same town as public accountant and valuator; he also acts as agent for the prominent firm of Messrs. George Wills & Co., of Adelaide,Perth,and Fremantle, etc., and for the Victorian Insurance Company. Since his advent to Geraldton he has made his name on the lecture platform, having previously taken a foremost part in the leading debating societies of Perth. He is very fond of study, and while devoting much of his time to various other subjects, that of political economy, perhaps, engages his chief attention. He is also in touch with most of the best writers of the day and with the classical authors. He occupies a seat on the board of directors of the central executive for Western Australia in connection with the Australian Natives' Association, of which body he has been a vice-president.
993
and has passed through its various chairs. A patron and supporter of most forms of healthy outdoor sport, he has taken a specially prominent part in football, and he represented Western Australia at the first meeting of the Australian Football Council held in Melbourne in 1906. lie also served for eight years on the council of the Western Australian Football League, and upon leaving Perth was honoured with life membership in that organization. He was closely connected with the Western Australian League of Wheelmen, and for five years acted on the council of this league; is secretary for the Victoria District Turf Club ; and takes his own recreation on the bowling-green. He married in 1909 Adelaide, daughter of Mr. Matthew Ferguson (now retired), a well-known mine manager in this State and in Queensland.
HENRY STUART MACKENZIE, J.P., founder of the well-known firm of H. S. Mackenzie and Co., auctioneers, stock, station, land, estate, forwarding, and general agents, Geraldton, now living in retirement, is a son of the late H. S. Mackenzie, of Windsor, England, formerly a resident of Rosshire, Scotland, and an early scholar of the famous Winchester College. The subject of this notice was born at Windsor, where he was educated under private tuition, and concluding his studies at the age of seventeen, came to Australia and settled in Queensland, where he became engaged in the pastoral industry for a number of years. When the rush to the Palmer gold diggings occurred he was among the pioneer prospectors on the scene of the find, and was subsequently identified with other fields, among which were the Gympie, Calliope, and Tableland diggings, while he also had considerable experience in tin-mining in the Herbert district of Queensland. In 1886, when the news of the Kimberley gold discoveries was circulated throughout the States, he was among those who financed a party to proceed to that district, and, shortly afterwards turning his steps thither, arrived at Hall Creek, in the centre of the great north-west, where he established the business of mining agent, storekeeper, and general broker, an interesting fact being that this was the first mining agency established in Western Australia. At an early date after his advent to the district, LLL
in conjunction with Messrs. McPhee, Lamond, and others, he secured a mob of cattle from Mr. Durack’s “Ord River” Station, which had then been formed only two or three years, and for some time supplied the miners with beef, which had become very scarce only a short time previously, a team of working bullocks having been sacrificed in order to provide food for the men, who gladly paid 2s. 6d. per lb. for the flesh. After residing at Hall Creek for five years Mr. Mackenzie came to Geraldton to establish a coaching and postal service to Cue, and having conducted this for half a decade, spent about two years in running a postal service on the Murchison, subsequently overlanding to Laverton, where he started business as mining agent and auctioneer, and where he continued for about five years. In 1907 he came to Geraldton, and opened the business of H. S. Mackenzie, from which he retired in 1912, after a successful commercial career in this
Imperial Studio, Albany.
Mr. Henry Stuart Mackenzie.
town. When the Geraldton co-
operative flour mill was established he was appointed first secretary, a post he held for some considerable time. Latterly he has become interested in the orchard industry, having purchased a property at Mount Barker, where he proposes to settle down and spend the remainder of his life. Mr. Mackenzie has always taken a prominent part in public affairs in the various centres where he has resided, and for some years he acted as chairman of the health board at Laverton, where he
held several other offices. He has been a member of the Masonic craft for over twenty years, and is a foundation member of the Laverton Lodge, of which he was first secretary, and before leaving the district he obtained the rank of S.W. He is one of the oldest members of the Geraldton Club, and has been closely identified with racing matters, to him being due the credit of having formed the Northern Goldfields Racing Association, while he has also acted as secretary to the Laverton and Geraldton race clubs. In 1880 Mr. Mackenzie married Agnes, daughter of the late Thomas Mc-Whinney, architectural modeller, of Brisbane, Queensland. The Mc-Whinneys were among the pioneer families of the Northern State, and to-day Mr. McWhinney’s art stands out prominently in the public buildings of that city. Mrs. Mackenzie has accompanied her husband in his many journeyings, sharing his privations, and was the first white woman on “Sturt, Creek” Station,'about 80 miles from the present Tanami goldfields, in the Kimberley district, close to the border of the Northern Territory. Their one son has also been his parents’ companion in pioneering life, and was the first European child in the above-mentioned district.
H. S. MACKENZIE & CO., auctioneers, sworn valuators, stock salesmen, and public accountants and auditors, Geraldton. (M.O.S. MacKenzie and F. C. Overheu.) This partnership was established in 1912, to take over the business founded by Mr. Henry Stuart Mackenzie in 1891, upon the retirement of the last-named gentleman from commercial life. The outdoor portion of its operations is attended to by Mr. M. O. S. Mackenzie, while Mr. Overheu, public accountant, who distinguished himself by winning the Dicksee Prize for Western Australia in 1912, has charge of the official and accountancy work connected with the firm’s business. The concern operates over a very wide range of country, the Victoria, Murchison, and north-west districts all being included within its scope, and having been founded on a sound commercial basis and conducted in accordance with approved principles the popularity which it attained under the earlier management should only be augmented under the new regime. The senior partner of
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the firm, MONTROSE OSCAR STUART MACKENZIE, is a son of the founder, and was born at Watsonville, North Queensland, on July 23, 1884. He received his education at St. Peter’s College, Adelaide, and having concluded his studies entered the office of the Western Australian Bank, as junior,
Wallace Miller. Qeraldton.
Mr. M. 0. S. Mackenzie.
at Laverton, from which he resigned three years later after having been promoted to ledger-keeper. He then joined his father in the conduct of the business of which he is now principal, and has continued in this connection ever since, in 1912 taking over the concern as above mentioned. Mr. Mackenzie is a member of the Geraldton Club, but finds little leisure for public or social life, being completely absorbed in the management of the growing business. He married in 1911, Ellen Louise, daughter of Mr. G. T. Kenward, of Katanning, Western Australia, and has one daughter. FREDERICK CHARLES OVERHEU was born at Millicent, South Australia, on July 3, 1880, and is a son of Mr.
F. Overheu, pastoralist, of “Nimde-dilling,” Pingelly, W.A. He was educated at St. Peter’s College, Adelaide, and subsequently joined a survey camp on the great southern line in the Western State, which he left to join the staff of Messrs. Henry Wills & Co., of Fremantle. After spending a short time in Albany on behalf of this firm he was transferred to the Geraldton branch as accountant, resigning after ten years’
service to take the position of secretary of the Victorian District Co-operative Flour Milling Co., Limited, which he held for two years. He relinquished this connection in order to study in Perth for his final accountancy examination in 1912, and having passed the test successfully became Dickscc Prizeman for his year. Shortly afterwards he joined Mr. M. O. S. Mackenzie in purchasing the present business in the active conduct of which he has since been engaged. Mr. Overheu has occupied the office of municipal auditor to the Geraldton Council for some years. He has filled many secretarial positions to local sporting bodies and friendly societies, and is an Associate of the London Association of Secretaries. He is fond of
Mr. Frederick Charles Overheu.
cricket and tennis, and takes his recreation chiefly in these forms of sport. Mr. Overheu married in 1912, Florence, daughter of Mr. George Bond, of Subiaco, Western Australia.
RICHARD GEORGE KELLY, manager of the Geraldton branch of the firm of Messrs. Dalgety & Co., was born at Liverpool, England, on July 29, 1872, and is a son of the late Thomas Kelly, Civil Service Inspector in connection with the Liverpool Postal Department. He was educated at the Liverpool Institute, and upon the completion of his scholastic career joined the head office of the Liverpool Blue Funnel
Line of steamers (Alfred Holt and Co.) in the clerical branch of the outward freight department. After five years he was transferred to the marine service as purser on the steamers “Saladin” and “Sultan,” respectively, trading to the Western Australian coast. In 1898 he resigned the Blue Funnel service, and on January 1, 1899, opened in Geraldton on his own account as agent for the United Service steamers trading between Fremantle, the north-west ports, Java, and Singapore. In August of the same year these agencies were taken over by the firm of Dalgety & Co., and Mr. Kelly was appointed accountant. Two years later he was promoted to the post of manager of the Geraldton branch of the Company, which position he still holds. Since coming to the district Mr. Kelly has associated himself with the various movements for the advancement of the place, and for some time occupied a seat on the local municipal council. He has taken an active interest in the deliberations of the Chamber of Commerce, in which he has filled the presidential chair ; has also presided over the Geraldton Club—the leading club of the north-west; and is a keen
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Richard George Kelly.
advocate of clean sport, having served for a considerable time as a committeeman of the Victoria District Turf Club. Mr. Kelly married in 1903 Ida Mary Lilian, daughter of the late Mr. Parker, of the western district of Victoria, and has four sons.
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
995
CROOKS & BROOKER, Limited, Geraldton. (-Director and Manager for Western Australia, A. E. Builder.) This well-known South Australian firm of ironmongers, builders, contractors, and timber merchants, first opened its doors for the transaction of business in Western Australia in the year 1893, when the managing partner at Port Adelaide, Mr. William A.McDonald, accompanied by Mr. R. P. Young, a gentleman in the employment of the firm, arrived at Cue, in the Murchison district, the settlement being then in its infancy. The journey from Geraldton to Cue occupied eleven days, being accomplished by means of an express waggon and pair of horses brought by steamer from Perth, and upon arrival Messrs. McDonald and Young found everything in a very primitive state, the Western Australian Bank conducting its business in a tent, while the warden of the goldfields was similarly accommodated.
After inspecting the different localities, a choice was made of Day Dawn as a venue of operations, the promising mine, now known as the Great Fingall, being then in course of its early development. A commodious building shortly afterwards was erected, in which, in an incredibly short space of time, taking the immense difficulties of transport into consideration, a large stock of hardware of every description was stored, and business was started under the name of R. P. Young, who remained as manager of the new enterprise. Some idea of the exceptionally heavy outlay involved in launching such a concern may be gained from the fact that teams took three weeks in conveying goods from Geraldton to Day Dawn, making a charge of £24 per ton for freight, which, in the case of such weighty merchandise as mining requisites and general hardware, brought the lll2
expenses up to a high figure. The venture prospered, nevertheless, and during Mr. Young's term of management, which lasted for three years, a branch was opened at Cue, which made such rapid progress that a large block of land in the centre of the town was secured, upon which the present large and roomy premises were built, and in 1898 the Day Dawn business was closed and the head office transferred to Cue. Upon the resignation of Mr. Young, Mr. A. E. Builder, formerly an employe in the business at Port Adelaide, was appointed to control operations, and about this period the firm’s name in South Australia was substituted for its former title, since when it has been known, both at headquarters and at the various branches which have been established, as Crooks and Brooker, Limited. In 1899 Mr. McDonald and Mr. Scales (another member of the firm) took a trip to
Peak Hill, and finding sufficient opening there to warrant the extension of operations in that direction
had premises erected in a very central position, which were completely stocked and placed under the management of Mr. H. W. Bell, who is now assistant manager at Geraldton. Prior to the latter date the firm, in 1900, continued its progressive policy by opening at Nannine, and two years later business was resumed at Day Dawn, and has continued ever since, while in 1906 a branch was established at Sandstone, and one at Meekatharra a year later. The ramifications of the business now extend all over the goldfields, and the firm carries large stocks of ironmongery, builders and contractors and miners’ requisites, with everything in the way of household hardware. A speciality is made of the timber trade. In 1910 the head office of the business was removed to Geraldton, where it has since continued. Among other important agencies held by Messrs. Crooks & Brooker is that of Nobel’s Glasgow
explosives, the firm having charge of the magazines at Cue, Meekatharra, Nannine, and Geraldton.
Messrs, crooks &. brooker's Premises, Geraldton.
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WILLIAM ERNEST RANDLE, manager for the Geraldton branch of Messrs. Millars’ Timber and Trading Company, Limited, was born at Richmond, Victoria, on March 27, 1870, and is a son of the late William Henry Randle, contractor of that place. He was educated at Prahran in the same State, and upon the completion of his education served his apprenticeship to the trade of carpenter and joiner, subsequently being compelled to enter business on account of the sudden death of his father. In 1897 he disposed of his interests in Victoria and sailed for Western Australia, upon arrival being employed in his trade on the Perth Observatory buildings. A year later he joined the staff of the Perth City Council, serving as clerk of works in connection with this body for nearly four and a half years, during which period the whole of the wood paving
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. William Ernest Randle.
of the city was carried out under his supervision, together with the Wellington Street main surface drain and the erection of the Parker-ville stone-crushing plant. Upon relinquishing the service of the council, he was engaged for a short time with the tramway company as chief receiving clerk, and with the Fremantle Council as supervisor, before joining in 1903 the firm of Millars’ Karri and Jarrah Company, Limited, by which name his present firm was then known. After serving for three and a half years in the Perth office, Mr. Randle was promoted to the charge of the Geraldton
branch, which position he has retained ever since. Since taking up his residence in the district he has given a considerable amount of attention to public affairs and holds the office of vice-president of the Geraldton Chamber of Commerce, besides which he served for two years as a committeeman of the local agricultural society. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for nearly a quarter of a century, having held various offices in the craft, he is a member of the Gerald -ton Club and takes a prominent interest in all legitimate outdoor sport. In earlier years he was well known on the cricket field, but more recently has spent his leisure chiefly in bowls, and is vice-president of the Geraldton Bowling Club, besides which he holds membership in the local polo club. Mr. Randle married in 1893, Florrie May, daughter of the late William Sedgman, of Melbourne, a lady who has taken a leading part in matters connected with the Anglican Church at Geraldton and in all charitable movements.
CHARLES HORMAN, wool, hide, and skin merchant, Geraldton and Fremantle, Western Australia. Head office: Sydney, New South Wales. This firm commenced business at Geraldton soon after the establishment of its operations in Western Australia in 1901, and during the ensuing decade its ramifications have been extended from Watheroo, on the midland railway, to Port Hedland, in the north-west, and all over the Murchison and Gascoyne districts. A very large trade in wool, hides, tallow, sheepskins, kangaroo skins, etc., is carried on in this area, the wool and skins being exported to London, kangaroo skins to America, and hides to the Eastern States; while the firm makes a speciality of rifles, guns, and ammunition, which find a ready sale among its numerous patrons. It acts as agent for various commodities and companies, being sole representative in Western Australia for Thomas’ Carbolized Soluble Sulphur Sheep Dip and Thornley & Co.’s celebrated “Kondo” (Registered) Concentrated Food for Horses and Cattle. It is also sub-agent for the Royal Exchange Assurance Society. ALBERT ELLIOT GOODISSON, manager of the Geraldton branch of Charles Horman, was born at Dubbo, New South Wales, on March 17, 1871,
being a son of Mr. Richard G. Goodisson, who is well known in the stock and pastoral industry of that State and Victoria. He was educated at Dubbo and Wagga, with a subsequent course in the Caulfield Grammar School, which was supplemented by a final year at the Melbourne Grammar School, upon completion of which he entered the firm of Messrs. Synnot Brothers, hide and skin merchants, of Melbourne. Five years later he became connected with
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Albert Elliot Goodisson.
Dalgety & Co., and after fourteen years with this well-known company, resigned his position as manager of the hide and skin department at Fremantle in order to accept his present post, which he has filled for nearly seven years. He is a member of the local agricultural society, and is one of the most active promoters of its advancement. He also takes keen interest in politics, acting as treasurer and member of the local branch of the Liberal League. His favourite sport is cricket, and for several years he has held the position of president of the Geraldton Mercantile Cricket Club. Mr. Goodisson married in 1904 Lillie Elizabeth, only surviving daughter of the late Dr. John Richard Price, of Holyhead, North Wales.
JOHN CROTHERS, builder and contractor, principal in the Geraldton Land, Building, and Investment Company, was born at Campbell’s Creek, near Castlemaine, Victoria, on March 14, 1864, and is a son of
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blie late Thomas Crothers, agriculturist, of Carag Carag, in that State. He was educated under private tuition, and in his early teens started work on his father's farm, subsequently being employed on a pastoral property near Corop. At 17 years of age he proceeded to Sydney and served a five years’ apprenticeship to the building trade in and about the New South Wales capital, being engaged in the erection of some very large residential structures. After spending some time at home with his parents he did a good deal of building and contracting at Kya-bram, then in its infancy, most of the private houses, stores, etc., being erected by him; upon leaving there he arrived in Melbourne just at the time of the bursting of the great land boom. Here he met with a severe accident in falling from a building, which occasioned his retirement from
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. John Crothers.
the building trade, and returning to Kyabram he resided there until 1896, in which year he came to Western Australia. Shortly afterwards, family reasons compelled his return to Victoria for a time, and upon once more arriving in the Western State he turned his attention to the mining industry for a time, before resuming his trade at Kalgoorlie, where among many fine buildings he erected the city markets, Fimis-ton Hotel, the grand stand on Kalgoorlie Race Course, York Hotel, and other places of importance. After eight years on the goldfields and a subsequent period at Perth,
where he fulfilled several contracts for leading commercial premises, Mr. Crothers spent two years at Carnarvon, and in 1908 came to Geraldton, where he has since become a well-known figure. Besides controlling a large connection as a contractor he is interested in the ideal concrete block manufacture, having imported the first machines for turning out concrete blocks for building purposes in Western Australia. He has established a branch of his business at Northampton, and in addition to his business interests owns considerable landed property in the town, being the proprietor of the “Harbour View” Estate, which has been cut up and is now in the market for residential purposes. Mr. Crothers has been a member of the craft of Freemasons for many years and takes an interest in politics, being a committeeman of the local branch of the Liberal League. In 1887 he married Sarah Ann, daughter of the late John Fimister, of Goulburn Valley district of Victoria, and has four sons and one daughter.
Captain WILLIAM THORBURN JOHNSTONE, trading in Geraldton under the title of the “Geraldton Stevedoring Company,” was born at
xi
C. I'J. Farr, Perth.
Captain William Thorburn Johnstone.
Lenchers, Fifeshire, Scotland, on July 6, 1870, being a son of the late Rev. Robert Johnstone, pastor of the Lenchers Presbyterian Church for over forty years. Educated at the Madras College, St. Andrew’s,
Scotland, Captain Johnstone at the close of his schooldays entered upon seafaring pursuits as an apprentice with the firm of Thomas Law & Co., of Glasgow, in the sailing ship “Morayshire.” For twelve years he continued to trade in various vessels belonging to this company, taking his master’s certificate before resigning its service in order to join the firm of Messrs. Smith & Service in the Mount Line of steamships, where he began as third officer, and within a few months was promoted to the post of chief officer. The company subsequently disposed of the ship upon which he was serving to the Donald Currie Line of boats, and Captain Johnstone transferred his services to the new owners, shortly afterwards being given command of the “Aros Castle.” During the eight years that he spent with this company he occupied various responsible appointments both ashore and afloat, including that of superintendent of loading of steamers at Continental ports, and during the progress of the Boer War was in command of troopships carrying soldiers to and from South Africa. At the close of the war he resigned from the service and joined the firm of Messrs. Maclay and McIntyre, owners of merchant steamships, for whom he commanded various boats. In 1911 he visited the port of Geraldton, in Western Australia, as master of the s.s. “Jeanara,” and perceiving a good opportunity for opening in the stevedoring line of business, arranged a partnership with Mr. Peter Forrester, and returned to this State after he had safely handed over his ship to the owners at Newcastle, England. The partnership only existed for a few months, Captain Johnstone buying out his late partner’s interest, since when he has conducted the business on his own account. He has been a.member of the Masonic fraternity for about a decade. He takes his recreation as a keen sportsman, revelling in all kinds of athletic exercise “for sport’s sake,” and latterly gaining distinction as an excellent exponent of both golf and bowls. Captain Johnstone married in 1896 Elizabeth, daughter of the late Robert Dixon, merchant, of Helensburgh, Scotland.
ALFRED SEARLE, of the firm of Messrs. Searle & Oliver, general commission agents, wheatbuyers, and representatives of Messrs. John
Darling & Sons, was born at Hind-marsh, South Australia, on January 10, 1869, and is a son of Mr. John James Searle, farmer, of the Harden district of New South Wales, and for many years a well-known resident of the Central State. The gentleman under review received his education at various South Australian schools, and having concluded his studies at Quorn joined the railway service, subsequently resigning his position of goods clerk in order to accept an appointment as wheatbuyer on behalf of the firm of Messrs. John Darling & Sons, which he retained until the failure of the wheat crop during the drought of the middle nineties. In 1896 he came to Western Australia, where for thirteen years he was identified with the Government Railway Service, during the major portion of this period filling appointments as stationmaster in different parts of the State. When the firm of John Darling & Son established its wheatbuying business in Western Australia Mr. Searle once more became connected with this well-known house, taking charge of the agency at Geraldton. In 1912 he launched out on his own account at the same centre in conjunction with Mr. Oliver, taking over the district agency for the above firm; and, in addition, acting as local representatives for Messrs. Paterson & Co., Couch, Calder, & Co., and the Insurance Office of Australia, Limited. Mr. Searle is a member of the agricultural society, and for over thirteen years has been identified with the Freemasons’ craft. He is also a member of the local turf club, and advances the cause of sport in every possible way. He married in 1894 Annie, daughter of Mr. Andrew Gwynne, farmer, of this State, and has two sons and one daughter.
WILFRID FEATILERSTONE OCKERBY, manager of the Geraldton branch of the firm of Messrs. Ockerby, Lehmann, & Co., Limited, is a son of Mr. Thomas Ockerby, the principal of the firm, and was born at Devonport, Tasmania, on July 16, 1889. He received his scholastic training at the Scotch College, Western Australia, and, at the close of his collegiate course, entered upon a commercial career by joining the clerical branch of the father’s business-house at Fremantle, subsequently taking charge of the wheat export department of the company’s
operations. At a later date he was placed in control of the firm’s business at Narrogin, and in 1911 was promoted to the management at Geraldton, where the business has expanded in a remarkable degree, this being now one of the most important branches of the house. Mr. Ockerby is an athlete of no mean merit, and whilst at Scotch College took a leading part in cricket and football, playing for two years as a representative of the institution in the latter sport. He gives the major portion of his leisure at the present time to aquatics, being an adept at rowing and swimming, and formerly
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Wilfrtd Feather stone Ockerby.
known as a prominent member of the Fremantle Swimming Club and winner of many trophies in that branch of sport. He is also fond of riding exercise, and usually has a good saddle horse in his stable.
ARNOLD MEADOWCROFT, J.P., general agent, Durlacher Street, Geraldton, was born at Vepery, Madras, India, on June 9, 1866, and is a son of the Rev. D. Meadowcroft, of Wellington, New Zealand, who officiated as pastor of the Perth Congregational Church in the early seventies. Educated in the public schools of Victoria the subject of our notice subsequently spent two years in the legal office of the late Sir Matthew Davies, of Melbourne. About the end of that period he received an offer from the late Henry Gray, who was visiting
Melbourne, of a position as assistant in his store at Geraldton, Western Australia, which he accepted, taking up his duties in 1884. Three years later Mr. Meadowcroft resigned his connection with this business in order to open on his own account, and after a further three years disposed of his interests to his partner, and entered upon a clerical position in the firm of Messrs. Wainwright & Co., with whom he remained for five years, two of which were spent in the'' management of the Green-ough branch of the business. Starting again on independent lines Mr. Meadowcroft established a business at Greenough, which he carried on for four years, but subsequently sold and became accountant to the firm of Robert Darling & Co., in Geraldton, continuing with this house until the interest was transferred to Messrs. Frank Green & Co. About 1906 he was offered and accepted the post of manager for Mr. Frank E. Davies, wine and spirit merchant and general forwarding agent, in Geraldton, and upon the subsequent disposal by Mr. Davies of his business Mr. Meadowcroft retained several of the agencies and has since carried on on his own behalf. Besides acting as a forwarding, customs, and commission agent his business comprises land and estate agency and a stock and station department, while he also undertakes accountancy and audit work, and as a valuator and auctioneer has a considerable connection. Among the various important firms for which he acts as district representative, may be mentioned the National Mutual Life Association of Australia, Ltd.; the South British Insurance Co., Ltd.; the Emu Brewery, Ltd.; Lionel Samson & Son, wine and spirit merchants; Mills & Ware, biscuit manufacturers; J. V. Ferguson, West Australian wines; S. Smith & Sons, Yalumba wines, South Australia; J. & W. Bateman, general merchants; etc., etc. Mr. Meadowcroft has served as a member of the municipal council and as valuator and auditor for the same body. He holds the position of valuer to the Commonwealth under the Land Tax Act, and is himself largely interested in the pastoral and agricultural industry, his sons having charge of his properties at Mullewa, on the Cue railway line. An active member of the Masonic fraternity he
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also has passed through all chairs of the M.U., I.O.O.F., and for some years occupied the position of secretary of the Victorian District Racing Club, being a patron and supporter of all clean forms of sport, and the present treasurer of the football association. Mr. Meadow-croft married in 1886, Maria, daughter of the late James Carson, connected with the Imperial Service in the early days of the State and later with commercial life at Ger-aldton, and has two sons and two daughters.
JAMES STOKES, saddler, Ger-aldton, was born on Stanley Island, of the Falkland Group, on September 22, 1852, and is a son of the late William Stokes, an armourer of the British Imperial Service. When eight years of age he came with his father to Fremantle, and after attending a school in that seaport for a time, turned his attention to farming pursuits on the Greenough Flats,
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. James Stokes.
where he continued for about a decade. Fie then removed to Gerald-ton and served his apprenticeship to the saddlery trade for eight years, at the end of which period he opened in business on his own account in the same town, after having spent about a year in the trade in Perth. Mr. Stokes has now (1913) completed over thirty-five years of commercial life in Geraldton, a four-years’ term of partnership with Mr. Arundel, of Perth, being included in this period.
In 1893 he took a trip to the Old Country, and visited many places of interest in Great Britain and on the Continent. Upon his return he was for a while associated with his second son, who had taken over the business from Mr. Arundel. At the present time he lives partially in retirement, and though retaining an-.interest in the concern, has handed over the chief management of its operations to his son. For over thirty years Mr. Stokes has been connected with the Rechabite Order and with the M.U., T.O.O.F., having passed through the various chairs of these organizations and received all the honours in
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Charles O’Neil Stokes.
their power to bestow, lie is a prominent member of the local Methodist Church, of which he is a trustee, and holds the office of treasurer of that body. In 1876 Mr. Stokes married Mary Ann, daughter of the late Davis McMullen, of Perth, and has five sons and two daughters surviving. CHARLES O’NEIL STOKES, who conducts the above-mentioned saddlery business in conjunction with his father, was born at Geraldton on June 30, 1880, and received his education at the local State school. Having completed his studies, he immediately joined Mr. Stokes, senior, in the trade. He has maintained his connection with the business ever since, and gives most of his time and attention to his commercial interests. He is a member of the Lodge of Oddfellows. He is fond of a good horse, but takes his chief recreation in bowling, being a member of the Geraldton Bowling Club and
of the Victoria District Bowling Club. He married in 1903 Phyllis Alethea, daughter of Mr. Francis Gow Armstrong, of Geraldton, and has two sons and three daughters.
FRANK GREEN & CO., general providers, shipping agents and farmers, ‘“The Big Store,” Geraldton. This important trading concern, which is one of the largest businesses of its kind north of Perth, commenced operations under the present management in 1907, Mr. Green having purchased the business from Mr. Robert Darling, to whom it was sold by Mr. Urch, who first established it in the early eighties. Within three years of the time of its being taken over by Mr. Green the trade had increased to such an extent that larger premises became imperative, and accordingly the drapery establishment carried on in Marine Terrace by Mr. J. G. Smith was purchased by the gentleman under review, who made various improvements and enlargements, and in addition acquired a large storehouse in order to cope with the demands of the connection. Practically all lines of goods are stocked by this progressive firm, which describes itself in detail as grocers, drapers, wine and spirit dealers, produce merchants, and importers, while ironmongery, glassware, crockery, boots and shoes, etc., are all included in the well-stocked departments; and the term of “universal providers,” which the proprietors have deservedly adopted, is no misnomer. In addition to the fresh and clean groceries—which are carefully stored during the short interval that elapses before they arc handed out in parcels over the counter or consigned to the carrying vans to be delivered all over the district—special delicacies of best quality are stocked, especially for the Christmas and other festive seasons, when such are in extra demand, fruit cakes, plum puddings, and finest English chocolates finding a ready sale. The wine and spirit department is represented by a variety of brands, Piesse’s Wines and Seppelt’s Brandies meeting with the approval of local consumers, while the “Swan,” “Globe” and 'Emu” Ales are equally popular; various cordials and liqueurs are also retailed. The store is a double-fronted, one-storey structure, with wide verandah and a large area of
handsome plate-glass window-frontage, where are displayed to best advantage the many lines of merchandise in which the firm deals, whilst in the interior cleanliness and order prevail. A staff of 21 employes is busily engaged in carrying out the requirements of customers, and the virtues of promptitude and courtesy are always observed. The firm also acts as local agents for the recently instituted State steamship service, the inauguration of which, it is anticipated, will materially assist in the development of the north-west trade. Mr. Frank Green, who personally supervises the operations of the business, was born at Yoxhall, Staffordshire, England, on August 9, 1875, and is a son of the late Thomas Green, a farmer of that place. He received his scholastic education at Tam worth Grammar School, Staffordshire, and at the close of his schooldays at 16 years of age he accompanied an elder brother to Western Australia, landing at Albany in 1891, shortly after the establishment of responsible government in this State. Upon arrival Mr. Green became engaged in railway construction work, but after a few months of this laborious occupation he decided to try his fortune in the north-west, and reaching Geraldton accepted employment on the delivery of mails between that
centre and Perth, in the days prior to the railway service, when the mails were conveyed to and fro on horseback. At a later date he turned his attention to stock-droving,
and, further, was tempted by a spirit of adventure to test his luck on the Coolgardie goldfield, being one of the first arrivals at the scene of the find. After spending a considerable period in prospecting, and enduring many privations without winning any of Fortune’s smiles, he returned to the Geraldton district, whpre he assisted in the construction of the railway line to Mullewa. Upon the completion of this work, in conjunction with Mr. W. J. Thomson, he undertook to open up the country from Mount Magnet to Lake Way and Lawlers, and was the first white man to take camels over this area. This mission occupied nearly twelve months, after which he parted from Mr. Thomson and returned to Mullewa, where he entered the Government service and attended to the despatch of mining machinery to the goldfields. In September, 1895, Mr. Green started on his own account as a carrier at Geraldton, and during the following three years was also engaged as a commission agent and auctioneer in that district. He next took a trip to the Old Country, during which he revived the old associations of his youth, and visited many places of historical interest, upon his return joining the Railway Department and working as a shunter and guard on the Murchison line for a period of three
years. In 1904 he was offered by Mr. R. Darling a position in his store in Durlacher Street, Geraldton, which he entered as assistant, but proved himself so adaptable to the
demands of the busines that he was rapidly promoted to the management, and three years later bought his employer out, and has since carried on operations on his own account. Mr. Green devotes almost the whole of his time' to his business interests and has little leisure for public life of any kind. For a considerable time he occupied the post of chairman of directors of the Victoria District Flour Milling Company, and he is interested in the
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Frank Green.
advancement of the Geraldton Agricultural Society, of which he is a committeeman. He is a member of the Geraldton Chamber of Commerce, vice-president of the Geraldton Trades Association, and a member of the M.U., I.O.O.F. Mr. Green married in 1898 Ellen, daughter of the late Thomas Cooper, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, England, and has two sons and two daughters.
JOHN URCH, wine and spirit merchant, general merchant, etc., Geraldton. This business which was established by Mr. Urch as far back as 1882, and is now the oldest commercial enterprise in Geraldton, comprises in its scope the operations of general merchant, wine and spirit dealer, produce purveyor, etc. It is conducted entirely on independent lines, the interests of no special agents having to be considered in stocking the different departments.
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Practically all lines of goods, from fche immense variety of articles large and small which go to fill the shelves and floorage space of the general store, to the smaller and well-selected wine and spirit department, are carried, to the latter branch of the business very especial attention being devoted. Mr. Urch is a large importer of liquors from all parts of the world, and his French brandies and German lager, which come direct from the cellars of the Continental vineyards and breweries, are exceedingly popular and obtain a ready sale. JEiis connection extends right through the Murchison goldfields as far north as Broome, and is continually increasing, the good name obtained for the firm’s merchandise bringing in large orders from time to time from new quarters. Mr. John Urch was born near Frome, Somersetshire, England, on June 11, 1856, and is the son of the late Stephen Urch, a merchant of that place. He received his educational training in the town of Frome, and upon the completion of his scholastic career entered commercial life by joining the well-known house of Messrs. Fry and Sons, manufacturers of cocoa, etc. For ten years he was employed in the export department of that firm, during which period his knowledge of the overseas dominions of the great Empire became greatly enhanced, and the importance of “Greater Britain” forced itself with increasing persistence on his apprehension. At length, deciding to try his fortunes abroad, Mr. Urch, in 1882, left the shores of the Old Country with Western Australia as an objective, and upon arrival in this State turned his steps direct to Geraldton, where almost immediately he perceived that there was an opening for the establishment of a business on general storekeeping lines, to which with advantage could be added the wine and spirit and produce departments. His inauguration of trading operations was attended with encouraging success, and as one by one the then existing firms closed down from one cause or another, Mr. Urch’s store came more and more into popular favour, and has held its own against all comers ever since. Mr. Urch, whose health was the chief reason for causing him to settle in Western Australia, soon found the climate of Geraldton decidedly beneficial, with the result that his shattered constitution
recovered its normal tone and he has since enjoyed the best of health. Upon his advent to what was at that period little more than a small
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. John Urch.
hamlet containing a handful of people he began to take a natural interest in the welfare of the community among which he had cast his lot, and to concern himself in all movements for the advancement of
the town and district. Prior to the days of local municipal government he was always to the fore in supporting progressive schemes, and when Geraldton at length was gazetted a
municipality he was elected to a seat on the council, which he occupied for four years, and subsequently for three successive terms the distinction of chief magistrate of the town was conferred upon him by his fellow citizens, his retirement from the mayoralty taking place in 1911. Since those early days before referred to Mr. Urch has watched the growth of the town and the development of the district, until to-day he has the satisfaction of witnessing the position of the tiny seaboard village of thirty years ago raised to that of the third port of the State. He is a member of the committee of the public library of Geraldton, on which body he has served for over twenty-seven years, having been prominent in its foundation. Mr. Urch has a stake in the agricultural interest of the district, having purchased a farming property at Narra Tarra, about 18 miles from Geraldton, consisting of 2,400 acres. Many improvements have been introduced, and the farm is devoted to cereal growing, sheep, and general mixed farming. He gives a considerable portion of his leisure time to the supervision of this property, but takes a general interest in all forms of clean sport, and spends an occasional hour for recreation on the
local bowling-green. Mr. Urch married in 1880 Martha, daughter of the late J. Masters, of Frome, Somerset, England, and has a family of two sons and four daughters.
EDWARD POPE, J.P., of the firm of Messrs. Edward Pope and Co., commisssion, indent, insurance, and general agents, Gerald-ton, was born at Hull, Yorkshire, and is a son of the late Henry Pope, who was connected with the shipping industry of that city, his brother, the late Rev. Henry John Pope, D.D., being a Methodist divine of worldwide reputation. He was educated privately, and at the conclusion of his studies entered a shipping office in his native place, and spent many years there and in London before coming to Australia in 1893 under engagement as assistant manager to the firm of Messrs. Wainwright and Co., then the leading merchants in the Geraldton district of the Western State. After a short period, however, he retired from this service and opened in business on his own account in the same town, where he has continued in different capacities ever since. Prior to coming to Australia Mr. Pope had manifested considerable interest in public affairs, and was a vice-president of a suburban school board. Shortly after his advent to Geraldton he was elected councillor to the municipality, and served with much acceptance on that body for six years.
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Edward Pope.
During this period he proposed to the council, and afterwards to the Premier of the State, Sir John Forrest, that an esplanade should be built in the vicinity of the old jetty, and the latter converted into a pleasure pier, a work which was brought to a successful completion at a time
when Mr. Pope occupied the mayoral office in 1901. He was also prominent as one of the founders of the Chamber of Commerce, and was at an earlier period president of the progress committee of the town, while the free library movement owed much of its success to his support, and it may be said that he led in the effort to rebuild and improve the mechanics’ institute. He has been chairman of the school board for many years, and is one of the principal workers in the Methodist Church, holding office as local preacher and circuit steward. Before coming to this State he did good service as a voluntary lay preacher among the German community in London, to whom he ministered in their native tongue; he is also well known as a translator of German hymns. Mr. Pope received his Commission of the Peace from the Forrest Administration in pre-Federal days, and has taken his full share of magisterial duties. He finds his recreation chiefly in literary pursuits. He was married in London to Caroline, daughter of the late Thomas Green, merchant, formerly of Melbourne, Victoria.
JOHN HENRY SCOTT, plumber and fitter, Geraldton, was born at Windsor, a suburb of Melbourne, on June 24, 1872, and is a son of the late John Henry Scott, well known at that place in the calling afterwards adopted by the gentleman under review. At the close of his education he entered the office of Messrs. G. S. Brown & Co., of Melbourne, but after a short experience abandoned the idea of mercantile life, and became apprenticed to the trade of plumber and fitter in Melbourne. Upon the completion of his indentures he spent a couple of years in the trade in his native State before coming to Western Australia in 1895. On arriving in Perth he accepted employment with Mr. J. M. Lapsley, the present superintendent of the fire brigade, who was then carrying on business in the metropolis. Relinquishing this connection, he was employed in journeyman work in different parts of the State, and eventually opened in business on his own account in Busselton, where he spent nine years. In 1905 he came to Geraldton, considering this the most progressive centre in the rural districts, and has since conducted a general plumbing business,
which has increased to substantial proportions, his connection extending over an area embracing some hundreds of miles. Mr. Scott is a member of the agricultural society of the Victoria district, and has taken an active interest in that body. His special hobby is music, and for man)' years he has taken a
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. John Henry Scott.
leading part in the leidertafel and orchestral society, being a committeeman of the latter organization. He has also given a good deal of attention to church music, being a member of the local Church of England choir, and giving material assistance at the Easter and Christmas musical festivals in connection with the services. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge and a Past Master in the craft. He takes a healthy interest in all outdoor exercises, in his younger days having been prominent in football, and now giving his attention chiefly to bowls. Mr. Scott married Rose Agnes (now deceased), daughter of the late Abraham Cole, of Perth, and has two daughters.
CHARLES EDWARD HANKINS, superintendent and inspector for the northern and midland districts of the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company, was born at Bendigo on February 3,1879, being a son of Mr. William Hankins, well known in the commercial community of Bendigo for over thirty years, and now a resident of Western Australia. The gentleman
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under review was educated primarily in Bendigo, concluding his commercial training in Messrs. Muirden Brothers’ mercantile college in Perth. Upon commencing active business life he entered the Sun Fire office as junior in the Perth branch, and rose to the position of managing clerk during the ten years that he spent in this service. He then became connected with the Guardian Insurance Company in the same capacity, and after three years in this office, resigned in order to accept his present appointment. Mr. Hankins is largely interested in the agricultural industry, owning nearly 6,000 acres of land within 50 miles of Geraldton, of which 1,000 acres are prepared for cultivation and 500 acres devoted to wheat crops. He has placed a competent manager in charge of this property, he himself attending to the demands of his business, which carries the largest connection of its kind in the district. Mr. Hankins is a shorthand writer of great ability, and for some years acted as tutor in the Stewarts’ Shorthand Academy at Perth. He takes a great interest in the Australian Natives’ Association, and has filled the office of president of the Perth
Bartletto, Perth.
Mr. Charles Edward Hankins.
branch of that body. He has also been well known in Masonic circles for the past decade, having attained the rank of Worshipful Master of King Edward Lodge, No. 68, W.A.C. He is a patron of all forms of clean outdoor sport, and takes a general interest in the advancement
of the district. Mr. Hankins married in 1904 May, daughter of the late T. Ayling, of Richmond, Victoria, and has three sons and one daughter.
WALLACE MILLER, photographic artist, Geraldton, is a native of Victoria, having been born at Ballarat on July 22, 1868, and is a son of the late John A. Wallace Miller, one of the pioneers of that district, where he arrived in 1852. At the conclusion of his scholastic course at Garbutt’s College, he was apprenticed to the photographic business with the well-known artists, Messrs.
G. Richards & Co., of Ballarat. Upon the completion of his indentures he proceeded to Melbourne, where ho gained a valuable experience of the art in some of the leading studios of that city. In 1892, coming to Western Australia, he fulfilled a year’s engagement with the firm of Messrs. Tuttle & Co., photographers, of Fremantle. Upon the outbreak of excitement consequent upon the discovery of the eastern goldfields, he left the coast and spent a considerable time in prospecting all over the Murchison and Coolgardie districts, being among the earliest pioneers at the latter place. In 1890 he opened a photographic studio at Geraldton, and has pursued his art with such siicccss that he is now regarded as the leading representative of his profession north of Perth. In the world of sport he is an enthusiastic fisherman, and spends all the hours of leisure he can command in pursuit of this diversion, being most successful with the rod and line. In 1901 he married Mary Paterson, daughter of the late Walter Downie, merchant, of Moonee Ponds, Victoria, who arrived in that State in the early fifties. His family consists of two sons and two daughters.
CLEMENT BEST, general furnisher, Geraldton, is a son of Mr. James Frederick Best, who has been connected with the mining industry of Western Australia for about fifteen years. He was born on June 12, 1870, and received his education in New South Wales and Western Australia, at the close of his studies commencing commercial pursuits in Geraldton in the employ of Messrs. Petcliell & Kenny, then in business as general storekeepers in that town. After a short experience with that
firm he joined the then premier house in the district—that of Messrs. Wainwright & Co. —and continued for seven years with this firm, subsequently removing to Perth, where he gained further valuable training in some of the leading metropolitan stores. In 1908 Mr. Best established himself in business at Geraldton,
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Clement Best.
and making excellent headway from the very start, found himself compelled to enlarge his premises at the beginning of 1913, when the present fine store in Marine Terrace was erected. Mr. Best is prominent in the local sporting world, being a patron of all forms of clean outdoor sport, while he finds personal recreation principally in fishing, swimming, boating, and all kinds of aquatic pursuits. He is fond of reading, and usually makes a selection of works dealing with the popular sciences, in the perusal of which he obtains considerable profit and enjoyment. lie married in 1902 Adelaide, daughter of Mr. R. Gilgen, of Morgan, on the River Murray, South Australia, and has three sons.
FREDERICK WTLLIAM WAR-WICKER, grocer and general storekeeper, provision dealer, ironmonger, etc., is a son of Mr. Frederick Warwicker, of Geraldton, in which town he was born on April 25, 1878. His education was received in the same place, and at the close of his schooldays he was for a short time connected with the Club
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
Hotel, which he left in order to join the firm of Messrs. E. & F. Witte-noom. He subsequently became clerk in the office of Mr. du Boulay, solicitor. Mr. Warwicker afterwards occupied a position with the firm of
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Frederick William Warwicker.
Messrs. Wainwright & Co., being employed in the grocery department, where he obtained a valuable training for the business he now carries on. After a considerable period spent in this house he joined the traffic branch of the Government railways, where he continued for nearly five years, resigning from the service at the end of that time and joining the grocery staff of Mr. W. Oswell, with whom he remained for a similar period. Tn 1906 he opened in business on his own account in Geraldton, and from a small beginning the business has extended by leaps and bounds, until it now controls as large a share of patronage as his present premises will allow. Mr. Warwicker's sphere of operations embraces the whole area between Broome and Meekatharra, and, in his special line of grocery trade, his reputation stands second to none in the Victoria district. He is a shareholder in the local co-operative flour mill, and at the present time is one of the directors of this enterprise. A member of the local agricultural society, he has served on the committee of this body; is a member of the Masonic fraternity; and makes a hobby of friendly society work, having held office as Chief Ruler in the Independent Order of Recha-bites and Provisional Grand Master
of the M.U., I.O.O.F.; while he acts as secretary of the John Shipton Lodge of the above Order, which post he has held since 1901. Mr. Warwicker married in 1907 Edith Valentine, daughter of the late William Carter, of Walkerville, South Australia, and has one son.
ARTHUR JOHN DAVIES, tobacconist and stationer and fancy goods dealer, of Geraldton, was born at Eaglehawk, Victoria, on February 15, 1874, his father, the late David Davies, being a well-known identity of Bendigo for wellnigh half a century. He received his education at the Eaglehawk State School, and at the termination of his studies was
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. Arthur John Davies.
apprenticed to the tobacco and hairdressing trade in Bendigo, where he spent five years before proceeding to Melbourne, in which city he was similarly employed for a further ten years. In 1900 he came to Western Australia and gained two years' experience of life on the goldfields before eventually coming to Geraldton and establishing at that centre a business on his own account, which he has since conducted. Mr. Davies holds various interests in real estate in the town and district, and since taking up his residence at Geraldton has identified himself with the life of the community in various ways. He is a member of the agricultural society, and for some considerable time has been connected with the Masonic Lodge and the mechanics' institute in that town. He also takes
an active interest in the Victoria District Turf Club, the local rifle club, and the rowing and bowling clubs, taking his own recreation in this last form of sport. In 1904 he married Louie, daughter of Mr. Daniel McGilvray, the first railway guard in Western Australia, whose term of service extended over a longer period than did that of any other similar official on the lines, lie has a family of two daughters.
AUGUSTINE PRUNSTER, shipping and family butcher, Geraldton, was born at Guildford, Western Australia, on December 17, 1872, and is a son of Mr. A. Prunster, of York, lie obtained his scholastic training at the Subiaco Orphanage School, and in 1889 came to Geraldton in the employ of the late John Cream, who subsequently sold his butchering business to Mr. S. L. Burges, with whom Mr. Prunster continued until he took over the connection on his own account in 1903. He has since conducted operations under the original title of his first employer, and has built up a very thriving trade, maintaining successfully the prestige of the business with which he
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Augustine Prunster.
has been connected as man and boy, employe and principal, for nearly a quarter of a century. Mr. Prunster is a member of the agricultural society and of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and has filled all the chairs in the local lodge during the period of his connection with
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
1005
that body. He is a committeeman of the Victoria District Turf Club, in which organization he has taken a leading part, and has owned various racehorses which have performed with success, chief among which was the well-known horse “Tremendous.” He married in 1890 Frances Emma, daughter of the late William Robert Smith, a former resident of Gerald-ton, and has two daughters and four sons.
GEORGE MONTGOMERY RENNIE WYLIE, proprietor of the well-known Freemasons' Hotel, Ger-aldton, was born at Dollar, Clack-mananshire, Scotland, on September 17, 1887. He is a son of the late George Wylie, of the Indian Civil Service, who, born at Kincardine on October 9, 1860, was educated at the Dollar Academy and at the Royal Indian Engineering College, Coopers Hill, where he gained the scholarship of the Public Works Committee of the Council of India in 1881, and the Fellows' Scholarship in the following year, also being made a Fellow of the College. After passing through the usual practical course the late Mr. Wylie joined the Public Works Department of the Government of Tndia in November, 1883, and was employed on special duty in the Aligarh Division, on the Ganges Canal, and on the Machua Weir. In January, 1885, he was transferred to the Mainpuri Division, and, after six months’ service there, was posted
to the Etawah Division, Lower Ganges Canal, where he remained for seven years, gaining much experience in the working of silt traps. In 1892 Mr. Wylie was transferred to the Anupshahr Division for a few
C. E. Farr, Perth.
Mr. G. M. R. Wylie.
months, and thence to Hardwar, where he superintended the putting in of the headworks of the Ganges Canal. In January, 1894, he was appointed Executive Engineer, third grade, and was posted to the Meerut Division, where he served first as sub-divisional and afterwards as divisional officer, until his death from enteric fever on December 23, 1896.
Just prior to the time of his demise he was one of those selected to fill the post of Chief Engineer in the Indian Civil Service. Mr. Wylie was elected an associate member of the Institute of Civil Engineers (Lond.), on January 14, 1890. The subject of this memoir received his education at the John Watson Academy, Edinburgh; the Brentwood Grammar School, Essex; and subsequently at the University of Edinburgh, where he took special courses in engineering and agriculture in addition to the usual curriculum. At the close of his scholastic career he came to Western Australia to rejoin his relatives, who had taken up a farming property called “Broadlands,” near York, in this State. After his arrival he resided on the farm for a couple of years, during which period he was actively engaged in the agricultural industry, and in 1911, after disposing of part of his holding, he invested in the Freemasons' Hotel at Geraldton—one of the leading hos-telries north of the metropolis. This house, which enjoys the patronage of the Commercial Travellers' Association, occupies an excellent position, being situated on the corner of Marine Terrace and Durlacher Street, directly opposite the jetty, and commanding a fine view of the bay, where steamers from Perth and the north-west are continually moored. The beach, with its fine facilities for bathing and other aquatic pursuits, is less than 100 yards distant from the hotel, which also enjoys the advantage of being only a minute's drive from the railway station. The structure is of stone and of up-to-date architecture, containing thirty large bedrooms, to the proper ventilation of which every attention has been given. The sitting-rooms are well furnished and replete with every comfort, the smoking-rooms equally inviting to devotees of My Lady Nicotine, while the specially-appointed commercial-room may be said to be the most popular of meeting-places between local representatives of the mercantile world and the ambassadors of commerce from various parts of the island-continent and other places. There are three bars, the conduct of which is above reproach; while in the region of the culinary department cleanliness reigns supreme, and the official whose duty it is to attend to the cuisine achieves triumphs daily in the perfectly-prepared and artistically-served repasts which are
MR. Q. M. R. WYUE’S FREEMASON’S HOTEL, GERALDTON.
spread in the comfortable and handsomely-furnished dining-room. At present the house is lighted through-out with gas, but arrangements are being made to have electric-light installed as soon as the projected scheme for lighting the town by this method is brought to completion by the municipal council. The Freemasons’ Hotel is easily the most popular house in the district, and among its patrons are the Governor of the State and the vice-regal party, His Honor the Chief Justice, and other notabilities who, when visiting Geraldton, always make this hotel their headquarters. The management is under the capable supervision of Mr. J. Mackay, who is thoroughly versed in all the details of his responsible position, having been in touch with the best metropolitan hotels. Mr. Wylie is a member of the Victoria District Turf Club, and has served on the committee of that body. He is a prominent patron of all forms of outdoor sport, and holds office as vice-president of the local football club and of the railway cricket club. He was married in 1911 to Veronica, daughter of Mr. Scanlan, of Perth.
ORACLE STUART GREEN, proprietor of the Victoria Hotel, Geraldton, came originally from South Australia, having been born at Black Springs, in that State, on May 16, 1884. He is a son of Mr. Charles P. Green, formerly of Douglas, in the Isle of Man, who emigrated to Australia in the early sixties. He received his education at the State school in his native town, and at the termination of his studies, followed by turns various occupations connected with country life, being employed as a shearer, and also turning his hand to station
and rural contracting. In 1906 he came to Western Australia, having first won in the Central State the distinction of the rank of “ringer”—the hall mark of proficiency in the shearers’ world—and continued in a similar line of life in the Murchison district for five years. He then opened a storekeeping business on his own account at Yoweragabbie, which he carried on for a short period, when the opportunity occurred to take over the lease of a first-class
Wallace Miller, Geraldton.
Mr. Oracle Stuart Green.
hotel, viz., the Victoria Hotel at Geraldton, and early in 1911 he entered upon the conduct of this house, in which he has since continued. Mr. Green interests himself in the organizations of the district, and is a committeeman of the Geraldton Agricultural Society and a member of the Victoria District Turf Club. In 1911 he married Florence, daughter of the late Mr. Holeman, of Melbourne, and has one daughter.
WILLIAM ROBERT EASSON, managing partner of “Macalpine,” the leading confectionery and fruit business in Geraldton, was born at Perth, Scotland, on March 24, 1874, and is a son of Mr. David Easson, who came to South Australia about 1877 and was engaged for many years in the railway department of that State. The gentleman under review pursued his scholastic studies at Kapunda, and upon leaving school was apprenticed to the bakery and confectionery trade, in which he continued after his arrival in Western Australia in 1895, conducting a bakery and storekeeping business at Mullcwa. He also carried on a store at Gullewa, and took a keen interest in the mining industry in the Murchison district, becoming well known as a supporter of prospecting parties, though rewarded with very little success in this direction of his enterprise. Mr. Easson subsequently spent four years at Field’s Find, where he was proprietor of the Club Hotel, and upon leaving that centre again engaged in his trade, this time at Kalgoorlie, where he remained for a couple of years. He next took over the conduct of a general store, with which was combined the local post office, at Baron Rothschild, on the Murchison, and at a later date followed commercial pursuits at Meeka-tharra. In 1911, coming to Geraldton, he purchased a partnership in his present business, known as “Macalpine,” of which he assumed the management, and which is now one of the best-known commercial concerns of the town, it having already established a reputation second to none in the district. For many years Mr. Easson has been a prominent member of the Ancient Order of Druids. He married a daughter of the late W. Buchanan, of Wilcannia, New South Wales, and has one son and one daughter.
NORTHAMPTON.
‘ The old town of Northampton is located in one of the most fertile spots of a fertile and favoured district. In the early days the town was an important mining centre. The mines of copper and lead employed many hundreds of men. The mining industry then was considered of such importance that the first railway built in the State was the line from Geraldton to Northampton. Then the price of the base metals fell to unremunerative figures, and one by one the mines were closed down. Since then there has been little work done, though the lodes at Northampton are true fissure
veins and are undoubtedly rich. Some day, no doubt, they will again be in active operation. But if never a pick is put into the ore or a shot fired the agricultural resources of this fertile and well-watered district are such that Northampton must grow into a town of considerable size and importance. For the growth of cereals, fruit, dairy produce, garden produce, and stock, the district can fearlessly challenge comparison with any part of the State.” The town has a population of
nearly 900, and is well provided with permanent public buildings and hotels.
The Murchison Goldfields
East from Geraldton to a point about 400 miles into the interior and then a little over 300 miles in a northerly direction is the course followed by the northern goldfields line, through the Murchison goldfields.
This goldfield was proclaimed on September 24, 1891, preceding the more important discoveries on the eastern goldfields by a few years. The boundaries were 'altered on February 8, 1895, and its area is now 20,513 square miles. Judging by the date of its proclamation it would be at once assumed that the Murchison goldfield is one of the youngest auriferous mining centres in the world, and so far as the discovery of payable gold
Murchison goldfield is highly metalliferous, and not alone gold but the baser metals can be conveniently and profitably worked. The glamour of the goldfields certainly forced the discontinuance of mining the less precious metals. But sooner or later they will receive the attention they deserve. The gold-mining centres are of proved value, for at Day Dawn is the world-famous Great Fingall Mine, which is entitled to rank as one of the greatest in the world.
The field in general is remarkable for the number of claims which were worked in its earlier days. Owing to the glamour of the richer discoveries of Coolgardie and Kal-goorlic or from want of appliances to sink to any depth
Photo by L. Shaiocott.
is concerned this is no doubt true. However, as far back as 1854 Robert Austin, the explorer, ventured the opinion that the country which is now comprised in its area would probably become one of the finest goldfields in the world. A proposition in some respects not altogether devoid of truth.
For administrative purposes the Murchison goldfields area is divided into four districts, namely, Cue, Nannine, Day Dawn, and Mount Magnet. However, the district of Day Dawn has been practically merged into that of Cue. The whole belt of country extending from Geraldton and Northampton well into the East
3r from the proverbial fickleness of prospectors ever ready to abandon a good payable moderate “show” for the hope of striking bonanza elsewhere, these mines were abandoned, though the official records in many cases show that the last crushings were payable. Many of these mines, with almost absolute certainty of payable gold below, are now left idle, awaiting men with experience and capital to realize their further richness, and so gain the reward of their adventurous exploitation.
The mineral resources, however, of the Murchison district do not altogether sum up the whole of its
1008
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
richness, for it is also well adapted for pastoral pursuits. In the early days of the history of exploration in Western Australia, in fact, this feature of its usefulness was the predominant one, and the stories told by the Gregory Brothers of its “rolling plains” pointed out even at that time its potential wealth and possibilities. There are
millions of acres which arc admirably adapted for the pastoralist industry. The ground is covered with a stunted herbage which sheep eat greedily when grass fails, and water is obtainable at very shallow depths by sinking. Practically the whole of the land almost to Meekatharra has been taken up under pastoral lease.
The output from the Murchison goldfield during the year 1911 was 119,633 oz., and though this was a decrease of over 4,000 oz. on the previous year’s record, still the mining on the field itself shows every prospect of early revival.
As the name suggests, the East Murchison goldfield lies east of Murchison, a field which was proclaimed on June 28, 1895, and contains an area of 28,369 square miles. The principal township is that of Lawlers, being named after Patrick Lawler, the head of the prospecting party which discovered the field, first finding gold on Lame Horse Creek. This was not the first party to search the field, as it had been previously traversed but without success. The natural difficulties in this field have been extreme, but the reefs have been proved of great size and are now very payable.
MULLEWA.
The first township of note on the Geraldton-Meekatharra line is about 65 miles from Geraldton. The country surrounding is not to any great extent auriferous, and the township is the centre of an agricultural and grazing community. A large area is now under cultivation, and the genesis of an agricultural district of note distinctly present.
The Victoria district was one of the first to be mentioned by the earlier explorers, and this township on its outer edge practically, will probably demonstrate its richness equally as well as its better known centres. Mullewa is within the belt of assured rainfall. Its importance can be gathered from the fact that it is the first post and telegraph office on the overland stock route after leaving the north-west stations. Large quantities of sandalwood are obtained in the vicinity, and this valuable product does not exhaust its valuable timber supplies, for quantities of salmon-gum, an excellent mining timber, are obtainable, and is railed to the adjacent Murchison fields.
About 73 miles along the Geraldton-Meeka-tharra goldfields line we come to the township of Yalgoo, the
principal centre on the goldfield of that name. Most of the mines of the district are situated at some distance from the town. However, mining is not the only industry carried on, for the principal sheep stations in the Murchison district are adjacent. In the early days of the discovery of the field considerable alluvial mining was carried on at Yalgoo, but at the present its mineral wealth is more that of the district and not of the township.
MOUNT MAGNET.
About 50 miles south from Cue, and reached from Geraldton after a rail journey of nearly twelve hours’ duration almost due east is to be found the promising mining township and municipality of Mount Magnet. Its name is given to one of the divisions of the Murchison goldfields, and its altitude is about 832 ft. above that of Geraldton. The town is well laid out, and its main streets planted- with pepper-trees. The munici: pality was formed in 1896, and is, following the usual custom of goldfields’ townships, up to date and progressive. The gold-bearing country consists of some very rich reefs which are now being worked with assiduity and enterprise. At first purely and simply a mining centre, Mount Magnet is now the centre of a very promising pastoral industry, and the clip this season (1913) should be well over 2,000 bales. The town is the centre also of a most promising district, being connected by rail with Sandstone, the headquarters of the Black Range goldfield.
The religious life of the town is strong, most of the various sects having headquarters at Mount Magnet; the district, having two other proclaimed towns, Lennon-ville and Boogardie, both active mining centres, and the new field Youanme, 60 miles south-east, giving great promise for the future. The population of the municipality is about 700, and the municipal life is strong and vigorous. The recreation ground, about five acres in extent, is largely availed of, and the productiveness of the soil in the vicinity of the township makes the beautifying of this and other centres a matter of no great difficulty.
Boogardie, which is situated about four miles from Mount Magnet, is practically a suburb of the latter place. It possesses some promising mining ventures. The population is about 200, and with more capital invested this centre would yield very good results.
Six miles from Mount Magnet towards Cue, on the main railway from Geraldton to Meekatharra, is to be found the very promising mining township of Lennon-ville. It is in direct telephonic communication with Mount Magnet, and is a very prosperous centre. One element in its prosperity is to be found in the State battery, which makes possible the successful carrying
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
1009
out of small ventures. The water supply of the town is undertaken by the mines water supply, and is reticulated throughout the township. There are a Government school and post and telegraph offices, whilst the public spirit has brought forth a most excellent mechanics’ institute and reading-room to cater for the intellectual needs of the population.
SANDSTONE.
Situated about 600 miles north-east of Perth, and 93 miles by rail from Mount Magnet, being the terminus of a branch line from the latter place, is Sandstone, the centre of the Black Range gold-mining district. Less than nine years ago this now important gold-mining area was an almost unknown and unexplored wilderness, without facilities or population, a.nd traversed only by a few teamsters who plied between Lawlers and Mount Magnet. To-day sees a remarkable
is extremely well planned and built, containing all the comforts and facilities of a city. It is well illumined with acetylene gas, and possesses a telephone exchange. The religious life is strong and vigorous, and the charitable institutions, such as the hospital, well equipped to carry out their excellent work. This township is only one of the many examples of goldfields' municipal enterprise throughout the State, for in point of view of its many facilities this outpost of civilization would vie with many older established communities, in fact, far distancing some in the race for progress.
Maninga Marley, situate about 20 miles east of Sandstone, carries a population of about 200, and has some important mines. The output of gold from this centre is increasing, and shows every prospect of greater prosperity. The country between Sandstone and the Marley is dotted here and there with mines in different stages of activity, all adding their quota to the output of the district generally.
Photo by L. Shapcott.
Meekatharra.
change, for where once reigned desolation is now the scene. of an extremely prosperous and still more promising goldfield. The whole of the district is being mined with increasing success, and the value of the ore won approximates to. £1,000,000. Even yet the goldmining industry of the district is only in its infancy, and but mere belts of a country known to be entirely auriferous have been tested and proved. To many the outlook for the district is second only to that of Kal-goorlis, and this is not the prophecy of optimistic dreamers but of those well able and competent to judge. The district was opened up as recently as 1902, the forerunner of its greatness being the finding of the usual payable alluvial field; but it has now become a big reefing centre. Sandstone itself is of even more recent growth, and now possesses a population of 900. It was practically reclaimed from a dismal scrub, and the transformation has been rapid and complete. The town
CUE.
The flourishing town of Cue might well be termed the capital of the Murchison goldfields, taking the place that Kalgoorlie holds on the eastern fields. The municipality was proclaimed in 1894, and is very pleasantly-situated. The streets are wide and well laid out and kept in excellent repair. The present population of the town is nearly 900, and that of the district about 2,000. The town is the centre of mining activity of a large field, and contains the offices of the warden and resident magistrate of the district. The town is well supplied with water from Nallan, the pumping station being some miles from the town. The water scheme was responsible for a capital cost of £23,000, and is complete and ample for the needs of the community. Cue is the place of publication of the principal newspaper of the district, The Murchison Times, which enjoys a
MMM
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
wide circulation and popularity. As in the case of Sandstone, one of the principal illuminants is acetylene gas, and the town is well lighted in consequence. The town possesses an excellent volunteer fire brigade, and the immunity it bears from disastrous fires is due to the organization and equipment of this very efficient body. In more ways than one the town bears comparison with many of the centres of eastern goldfields life, and in none more than its excellent racing club. The Murchison Racing Club has been in existence almost from the inception of the town. The club is financially a very sound institution, and possesses a thoroughly-equipped racecourse and accessories. Together with this feature of social life must be mentioned the excellence of the Murchison Club, which is located in fine premises. Municipal enterprise has not been lacking for the welfare of the community at large, for controlled by the council is a fine recreation reserve equipped with an excellent pavilion. Being the official centre of the Murchison district it has been adorned with a fine block of public buildings, including post office, savings bank, and warden’s office. The offices also of the mining registrar, inspector of mines and machinery, police and land officials are also located in this building. Among the public buildings may also be mentioned the hospital, public school, masonic hall, workers’ hall, and miners’ institute, whilst several of the associated banks have established branches at the centre.
Cue is essentially a place of small “shows,” when we except the Great Fingall Mine, which more properly speaking belongs to Day Dawn. However, these shows have yielded a considerable quantity of gold, with prospects of increasing prosperity in the future. The discovery of the field dates from 1891, when a prospector named “Tom” Cue discovered gold on “The Patch,” and it was only in 1893, two years later, that the place changed from an alluvial field to a properly constituted mining centre. The known amount of gold produced by Cue and Day Dawn fields at the end of June, 1909, was 2,032,091‘9 oz.
Cue, however, in common with other Murchison gold-mining centres, possesses very definite pastoral propositions of no inconsiderable value. The surrounding country is well adapted for a further increase in this industry. Taken altogether, then, the prospects of this earlier mining centre are still distinctly promising.
DAY DAWN.
As a mining field Day Dawn is comparable to Mount Morgans in one great and essential particular— each possesses one great mine and no other has ever been found. Situated some three or four miles from Cue and on the Geraldton side, it has a population somewhat in excess of Cue, owing to the ramifications of the
Great Fingall Mine. This mine was the first in the district to undertake the penetration of the hard diorite zone to a considerable depth. This action, successful as it has been, has gone a long way to demonstrate the existence of permanent and profitable reefs at lower levels. The record of the mine up to date is the best proof of this assertion, for up to June, 1909, 940,444*4 oz. had been recovered, the mine paying dividends to the value of £1,675,000, the total value of gold recovered being well over £4,000,000.
The mine employs close upon 500 hands, and the little community, which was proclaimed a municipality in 1895, depends almost entirely upon its success for existence. However, there are some other good gold-bearing reefs in the vicinity, and these have also to a certain extent contributed to the success of the town, which has doubled its population in the last ten years, being now about 1,400.
Everything is up to date, and the commercial life brisk and vigorous, Day Dawn sharing in some degree the value of pastoral country adjacent. The town has a telephone exchange, and the travelling public are well catered for.
NANNINE.
The township of Nannine is situated on the shores of Lake Annean, about 50 miles north-east of Cue and on the Geraldton-Meekatharra railway. There are some promising reefs in the vicinity which are being steadily developed. Until the line of railway was completed from Cue the mining industry in this neighbourhood had been greatly hampered by the cost of cartage from that centre, rendering it almost prohibitive to instal the necessary machinery to properly develop the industry. However, this is now a thing of the past, and mining in the vicinity is being steadily developed.
The township was declared in 1893, and three years later the municipality was established. Besides the usual Government buildings, there are a hospital, a miners’ institute (containing nearly 1,000 volumes), a public school, and several churches. The streets are two chains in width, and the principal thoroughfares are planted with pepper trees. The population of the municipality is now about 250, but in earlier times was nearly double. However, the revival of mining in the near future will no doubt restore the township to its former glory.
MEEKATHARRA.
About 25 miles north of Nannine, and the termination of the northern goldfields railway, is the township of Mcekatharra. The district of which Meekatharra is the centre is from a mining point of view most promising. A State battery erected at the centre is kept in constant employment, and the financial prosperity of
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
1011
the little community appears assured. There are two schools (one State and one private), a hospital, three hotels, numerous business establishments, and the town is rapidly extending. The water supply is abundant and of good quality, being brought from Garden Gully, 12 miles distant. The population is at present nearly 1,500.
WILUNA.
A record of the towns of the northern goldfields would hardly be complete without some reference to the principal mining centres of the East Murchison goldfields. Wiluna, one of the most recent and yet one of the most progressive of these centres, is situated in the East Murchison goldfields district equi-distant from Lawlers and Nannine. With Nannine and Sandstone there is weekly communication by coach. The reefs in the district, though somewhat patchy, are distinctly high grade, and the outlook of the field is very promising. The lodes are of larger size but low grade. At present on this field there is a privately-owned battery and a public battery both in full employ. The township is on the main stock route to the eastern goldfields, and the population of the centre is about 400.
LAWLERS.
Like unto the fabled stories of the Oriental seers is the growth of mining centres in this State, and Lawlers, the chief centre of the East Murchison field, comes well within this category. Though its former glory may have to a certain extent declined, the township, which is situated 76 and 90 miles respectively from railends at Leonora and Sandstone, is still the centre of an important mining district. It is the place of residence of the warden for the district, which comprises the town sites of Vivien, Sir Samuel, Kathleen Valley, and Lake Darlot or Woodarra. In the near future it should be connected by rail with Leonora, being but another link in the excellent system of goldfields railways in this State. The mining interests at present warrant this further expenditure. The principal mining centres, with their distances from Lawlers, are: —Waroonga, 7 miles; Cue’s Patch, 8 miles; Vivien, 8 miles; Sir Samuel, 32 miles; Kathleen Valley, 40 miles; and Lake Darlot, 50 miles. There are two State batteries at work in the district, and two privately-owned mills are subsidized by the Government in Lawlers. The population of the township is over 300.
m
The North-west and Far North.
The great north-west division of Western Australia embraces in the popular mind that vast area of country stretching from north of Geraldton up to Wyndliam in the extreme north of the State. To most it is still a vague and undefined territory to which attaches that glamour of romance that enfolds far distant lands, more especially if they are believed to contain hidden treasure. Though historians, more conversant with the development of the Eastern States, point with pride to Captain Cook as the effective discoverer of Australia, and to Botany Bay as the sacred spot where he first landed, that navigator was nok the first Englishman to set foot upon Australian soil. Fully a century earlier—in March, 1688—William Dampier, that compound of buccaneer and imperialist, anchored his little vessel within the protecting arms of King Sound, at the head of which the town of Derby now stands, and spent some weeks studying the habits of the natives and exploring the immediate country round about.
U n fortunately to Dampier, whose mind was filled with memories of the rich East India islands, the land seemed desolate and barren, and the report which he carried to England concerning it was unfavourable. Though he returned to the west coast eleven years later, he had no more favourable report to make, and for nearly 150 years afterwards the only knowledge of the country were a few vague marks on a chart.
The settlers who founded the colony at Swan River in 1829 had neither the means nor the opportunities for exploring this faraway territory, but in 1838 Lieutenant Grey—afterwards Sir George Grey—discovered the Glenelg River, and returning in the following year explored and named the Gascoyne. He brought back specimens of pearls secured on the trip, and
foreshadowed the development of what has since become a prominent industry in the State. From then knowledge of the country round the Gascoyne increased as the years went on, but it was not until 1861 that an expedition of any extent was carried out. In that year an expedition under Surveyor F. T. Gregory discovered the Fortescue and De Grey Rivers and the Hamersley Range, as well as a large grassy tableland admirably adapted for those pastoral pursuits which were bringing unheard of wealth to people in the Eastern States. In 1866 the country between Roebuck Bay and Point Walcott was examined and proved suitable for squatting, but it was not until 1871, when Alexander Forrest discovered the fertile Kimberley district that the northwest can be said to have been opened up. Speaking at a banquet tendered to him in 1901, shortly before his death, Mr. Forrest said:— <;He had lately returned from that country (K i m b er 1 e y) and had found fish in the waters, ducks on the pools, turkeys, kangaroos, and emus in the bush and on the plains. There were now over 1,000,000 head of cattle and 500,000 sheep and a large population. That was the result of his expedition. He had been one of the first to send sheep there in order to prove that it was a good country for sheep, and these sheep stations were now gold mines.” Since that date development has been even more marked. At the end of 1912 the total stock consisted of 1,938,554 sheep, 659,351 head of cattle, and 26,129 horses, while the area held under pastoral lease was 62,826,224 acres, of which 32,339,518 acres were embraced in the north-west district and 30,486,706 in the Kimberleys (far north). And yet little more than the fringe of the available pastoral country has yet been touched. The interior
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
1013
has been avoided because of the absence of water, but since boring has recently proved that a large artesian basin exists, country previously considered unworkable is now being stocked with every prospect of success. The sheep country is practically confined to the north-west district, while cattle are reared in the Kimberleys, but there is little doubt that when improved methods of transport are brought into use wool will form a considerable item in the Kimberley export trade.
The possibilities of the north-west and northern districts are not, however, confined to pastoral pursuits. All along the coast there are, as we have seen, extensive beds of pearl shell, and a lucrative and important pearling industry has been in existence there for many years. Then to the Kimberley district belongs the honour of possessing the first payable goldfield in Western Australia. In June, 1886, Governor Broome, in a message to the Legislative Council, congratulated the country on the discovery of “an extensive goldfield of rich promise in the Kimberley district.” Shortly afterwards gold was discovered at Pilbara and on the Ashburton, and for some years a satisfactory output was maintained. With the discoveries at Yilgarn and Kal-goorlie the interest in the north rapidly waned, but there is every chance that as the country is further opened up payable goldfields, though not perhaps of a sensational character, will be found in the great north-west.
CARNARVON.
Carnarvon is situated at the mouth of the Gascoyne River, and is the shipping port for the wool produced in the extensive pastoral district lying inland from the town, where there are several large sheep stations, the total number of sheep being well over 750,000. The town is in regular communication by water with Fremantle, and has a reputation for healthiness. Within less, than two degrees of the tropics it is naturally hot, but not unbearable, and good water is abundant. The public buildings consist of a courthouse, school, residency, gaol, hospital, and library, and many of the edifices would do credit to a larger town. The hotel accommodation is good, and commercial prosperity is shown by the existence of branches of the Western Australian and Union banks, and by the presence of several large stores. The town is governed municipally by a mayor and councillors, and has a population of 755.
ONSLOW.
Onslow, situated on the coast well within the tropics, has a population of about 300, half of whom are coloured people engaged on the pearling boats. It is the principal port of the Ashburton pastoral district and of the Ashburton goldfield. The anchorage is an open roadstead exposed to the prevailing winds, and
*mmm2
vessels calling there have to discharge their cargoes into lighters. For convenience of shipping a tidal jetty has been constructed, which is connected by a tramway with the town.. There are some good public buildings, all substantially built of stone, including those necessary for the administration of customs, post and telegraph service, and so on. The religious needs of the people are cared for by the Church of England, while the Ashburton Mechanics’ Institute and Public Hall provide meeting-places for the discussion of local affairs.
Onslow is the rendezvous for some twenty vessels engaged in the pearling trade, and from the fact that it is the port of a pastoral as well as a mineral district large quantities of wool, lead, copper, pearl shell, and kangaroo skins are exported from the port. The soil of the district is good, and with a reasonable rainfall produces those luxuriant grasses which have made the Ashburton an ideal squatting district. The fertility could be greatly increased by using the Ashburton River for irrigation purposes. If that were done there is no doubt that rubber, cotton, cinchona, and other tropical products could be cultivated with great success. As regards minerals, gold, silver, lead, and copper have already been found, and the field only needs the impetus of a sensational find to bring it under the notice of prospectors.
The temperature ranges from 41° in winter to 117° in summer, but for about seven months out of the twelve the climate is exceptionally good.
COSSACK.
Cossack, a seaport town originally known as Tientsin (from the name of the vessel which first carried stock to the north-west) and later as Port Walcott, received its present designation from H.M.S. “Cossack,” which carried Governor Weld on a visit along the west shore of Port Walcott, and is some nine miles from Roebourne, with which it is connected by a tramway. A further tramline connects Cossack with Point Sampson, about four miles away, where a long jetty has been erected for the convenience of those shipping stock. The anchorage at Cossack is an open roadstead, and vessels over 200 tons are unable to come alongside the jetty. Larger boats have to discharge the cargo into lighters. The town possesses some substantially built public buildings, two hotels, and an assembly hall. The solidity of the buildings is a matter of necessity, as the fierce storms which sweep along the coast at intervals make short work of flimsy structures. The port is regularly visited by steamers running between Fremantle and the northwest ports and Singapore, and the inhabitants of the town, numbering about seventy whites and over a hundred aliens, are thus kept in constant communication with the capital.
ROEBOURNE.
Roebourne is situated on the Harding River, some eight or nine miles inland from Cossack, which serves as the port to the town and is connected with it by a tramline for the conveyance of passengers and freight. Roebourne is named after Captain J. S. Roe, R.N., the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia, and is the chief town in the north province. Formerly it was the distributing centre for the Pilbara goldfields, but lost most of that trade when the railway was constructed from Port Hedland to Marble Bar. Its importance now rests on the fact that it is the centre of trade for a large portion of the pastoral country of the north-west. For many years it has been known that minerals such as gold, copper, and lead are to be found in the-immediate neighbourhood of Roebourne, but nothing appreciable has been done in the-way of developing the reefs and ore deposits, so that
it is still a matter of uncertainty whether payable metal could be secured. Being the centre of the district, many of the public officials have their offices in the town, while the Court of Quarter Sessions is also held, the resident magistrate being chairman of the court. The town is well laid out, with wide streets and substantial public buildings, and has a population of 250 people, about thirty of whom are Japanese or other aliens.
About 50 miles east of Roebourne is the Whim Creek mining district, where the Whim Well and Mons Cupri copper mines are situated. An outlet for this district has been made at Balia Balia on the coast, some 13 miles away. An anchorage, sheltered by Depuch Island, has been secured, and a small township is in existence. On a large rock on Depuch Island there is an inscription showing that H.M.S. "Beagle” called there in 1840, and traces still exist of the visit of French navigators still earlier in the century. The island is
practically destitute of vegetation, but must have some attraction for the natives, as rude carvings of animals and birds are found on the rock surfaces.
PORT HEDLAND.
Port Hedland, situated on the coast about 1,063 miles north of Perth, has made considerable progress since the opening of the Port Hedland to Marble Bar railway line, which made it the principal port for the Pilbara goldfields and also the distributing centre for the extensive tinfield at Wodgina. It is also a convenient place for shipping stock, and this fact, combined with its trade with the goldfields, will probably in the near future make it one of the most important towns on the north-west coast. It has a substantial jetty, and the channel has been buoyed to ensure the safety of shipping. A further stimulus to trade exists in the proximity to the port of extensive beds of pearl shell, which are being actively worked. In addition to various public buildings the town possesses four hotels, several stores, and a branch of the Union Bank. The population is about 350.
MARBLE BAR.
Marble Bar, which derives its name from a curious ridge of slate crossing the Coongan River near the town, is situated about 120 miles inland to the south-east from Port Hedland, and is connected by rail with that town. It is the chief town of the Pilbara goldfield, and is the seat of the warden and resident magistrate. At Moolyella, 12 miles from the town, and at Cooglegong, 40 miles to the west, there are large deposits of alluvial tin, and both sluicing and dryblowing are being actively carried on. For the help of the miners the Government subsidizes a public battery in the town, so that crushing may be cheaply carried
Photo by E. L. Mitchell. Roebourne
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
1015
out. The district has pastoral as well as mining possibilities, and several pastoral leases have already been taken up. The Pilbara district is well traversed by rivers which during the cyclonic storms become rushing torrents, but in ordinary circumstances they are only series of pools. The only public buildings in Marble Bar are those necessary for the transaction of official business. The population of the district is about 450.
NULLAGINE.
Nullagine, situated about 75 miles south of Marble Bar, in the southern portion of the Pilbara goldfield, has a population of about 150. In addition to the gold which exists in the district, small diamonds have been discovered in the conglomerate formation, and in several localities there are indications of copper. Asbestos has also been found. For the convenience of miners desiring to crush their stone the Government erected a ten-head battery in 1905, and this is kept working on payable stone. Like the other inland settlements in the northwest, it is becoming the centre of a pastoral district which has made good progress during the past few years. The town has telegraphic communication with Marble Bar, and a weekly mail service to and from the same centre.
BROOME.
Broome, one of the principal cargo ports on the north-west coast, is situated on the shores of Roebuck Bay. It is the terminus of the Eastern Extension Cable Company’s alternative cable from Banjoewangie, and contains extensive buildings for the accommodation of the staff. Its main importance, however, is derived from
Photo by E. I. Mitchell.
Broome, showing Jetty.
the fact that it is the headquarters of the pearling industry, and as such is possessed of a more cosmopolitan population than any other town in the State. Having an excellent harbour the pearling boats are enabled to lie up with safety during the hurricane season along the coast. The steamers running fortnightly between Fremantle and Singapore call there, and it is further served by the coastal boats on the line between Fremantle
and Wyndham. A tidal jetty for shipping, with cattle yards and tramway, have been constructed, and a splendid supply of fresh water is secured from an artesian bore. The rise and fall of the tide at Broome is about 28 ft. Being right within the tropics the climate is extremely hot in summer, but the heat is tempered by the strong sea breezes which blow almost continuously during the season. Among the public buildings are the Government residency, courthouse, public quarters, gaol, post and telegraph offices, and
Photo by E. L. Mitchell. Broome.
customs house. An excellent literary institute has been established for the use of residents, and several good hotels afford accommodation to visitors. The Church of England and Roman Catholic Church both possess excellent buildings, and there are many fairly substantial private dwellings. Two of the associated banks—the Western Australian and the Union—have branches in the town. Amusement is provided by the Broome Racing Club and tennis and cricket clubs. The town is governed by a mayor and nine councillors. It is the Quarter Sessions town for the district, Courts being held in March, June, September, and December, under the chairmanship of the resident magistrate, Mr. G. T. Wood. The white population of the town is set down as 866, while the coloured population, ashore and including the crews of the pearling boats, is estimated at about 3,300.
Seventy miles north of Broome is Beagle Bay, where, since 1890, the Roman Catholic Church has conducted a mission for the aborigines.
DERBY.
Derby, the chief town of the West Kimberley district, is situated on King Sound not far from the mouth of the Fitzroy River. At the entrance to King Sound is the spot where William Dampier, the first Englishman to land on the shores of Australia, beached his vessel. Derby has a fine natural harbour some two and a half miles away from the town, with which it is connected by a tramway in order to facilitate the loading of stock. The jetty, which is of considerable length, has a cattle
THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
yard and race attached so that cattle can be walked on to the steamers. It is estimated that about 16,000 head of cattle are sent away from the port during the year. The town has several public buildings, including courthouse, police station, post office, and goods sheds. The resident magistrate is also chairman of the Court of Quarter Sessions which sits regularly in the town. The district contains some fine pastoral land, well watered and abounding in game. It is also well adapted for the cultivation of rice, cotton, bananas, and other tropical products. Derby is the port of Kimberley goldfields, being about 380 miles from the g o 1 d-fields7 centre at Hall Creek. There is a good road between the two towns, and at Fitzroy Crossing there is telegraphic communication with Wynd-ham. The population of Derby is 228, and of the whole of the district 450.
HALL CREEK.
Hall Creek, the central township of the Kimberley goldfield, and the headquarters of the warden for the district, has several commodious public buildings, though the population of the whole district is under 200. In the days when Kimberley goldfield was a promising district the township was a place of greater importance, and there are signs of revival now manifest, as the question of treating the low-grade ores is receiving attention. In addition to mining activity, there are several large pastoral leases held in the district. Hall Creek is only 240 miles away from Wyndham, but the road is not so convenient as that to Derby.
WYNDHAM.
Wyndham, the farthest northern town in Western Australia, is situated on the shores of Cambridge Gulf. The gulf provides an excellent natural harbour, and is equipped with very complete facilities for shipping stock, Wyndham being the headquarters of the cattle trade. The arrangements for shipping the cattle are such as
to allow 500 head to be ombarked within three hours. Most of the cattle are destined for the markets of the southern portion of the State, and for some years the question of erecting freezing works at Wy n d h a m has been under consideration. It is contended
that if this were done the risks and expense attendant on shipping live cattle would be obviated, and as a consequence meat would be cheaper. So far, however, no practical step has been taken to carry the idea into effect.
The public buildings at Wyndham consist of post office, residency, hospital, police quarters and gaol, and a mechanics7 institute with A good library. The average temperature is necessarily high, but the town is not considered unhealthy, though the water supply leaves much to bo desired. The population is about fifty.
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
PAGE
Abrahamson, H. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... 435
Adams, A. B. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 860
Adams, H. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 598
Adams, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 412
Adamson, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 412
Allen, C. A...........................................899
Allsop & Don ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 896
Anderson, A. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... 158
Andrews, Councillor C. B. ... ... ... ... ... 445
Andrews, F. S. ... ... ... ... ... ... 354
Angove, The late IV. IT. ... ... ... ... ... 833
Appleton, H. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 782
Archibald, 0. A. ... ... ... ... ... ... 359
Armstrong, A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 846
“Arnold Park” ... ... ... ... ... ... 500
Ash, W. E.............................................418
Ashe, L. N............................................930
Associated Northern Blocks (W.A.), Limited ... ... 340
Attwell, T. A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 853
“Avondale” ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 670
Backhouse, A. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 783
Baesjou, C. S. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 841
Baker, W. M...........................................745
Baldock, F. W. ... ... ... ... ... ... 756
Balston & Cowen ... ... ... ... ... ... 786
Band, C. E...............„ 903
Bardwell, E. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... 989
Barnett, A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 207
Barnett, E. C. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 840
Barrett-Lennard, E. G. ... ... ... ... ... 602
Barrett-Lennard, V. D. ... ... ... ... ... 486
Barron, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 696
Bartlett, Councillor E. C. ... ... ... ... ... 980
Barwick, F. IV. ... ... ... ... ... ... 876
Bateman, IV. H. ... ... . . ... ... ... 636
Baugh, It.............................................927
Beard, Job ......................................... 552
Beauchamp, T. L. ... ... ... ... ... ... 375
Beaumont, Councillor E. K., C.E., M.I.M.E. ... 884
Becher, F. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 420
Bedlington, W. D. ... ... ... ... ... ... 427
Beeck, G. A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 761
Beeck, H. O. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 751
Behn, J. H............................................563
“Behn Ord” .......................................... 256
Belcher, H. T.........................................425
Bell, A...............................................537
Bell, E. It...........................................760
Bell, It. S...........................................761
Belt, J. F............................................679
“Belvoir” ............................................250
Benckendorff, F. O. ... ... ... ... ... ... 435
PAGE
Bernard, O. L. ... ... ... ... ... ... 521
Berry, Councillor E. ... ... ... ... ... ... 445
Bessen, C. O. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 790
Bessen, H. A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 791
Best, C. ...................................1003
Beston, S. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 914
Betts, W. T............................................805
Beveridge, W. J., M.D.................................861
Bevilaqua, F. W. ... ... ... ... ... ... 842
Bevilaqua, IV. E....................................742
Bignell, P. S.........................................444
Biltoft, H. C.........................................743
Birch, W. B............................................596
Bird, W. P............................................743
Birt, C. IV. H........................................780
Black, R. S..........................................347
Blake, H. R..........................................780
“Blantyre” ..................................... 943
Blythe, C. C.........................................192
Blythe, J.............................................194
Bodey Bros. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 678
Bodey, W...............................................650
Boileau, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 897
Bolden, J. L..........................................437
“Boolthana” ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 216
Booth, A. T............................................824
Borwick, A. C. ... ... ... ... ... ... 908
Bostock, G. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... 664
Boulder City Brewery Company, Limited, The ... ... 915
Bovell, Councillor A. R. ... ... ... ... ... 446
Bowen, J. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 577
Bowen, M. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 581
Boyd, IV. L............................................932
Braham, A. C. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 835
Brede, Councillor E. H. ... ... ... ... ... 979
Brice, G. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 711
Bridge, S. F. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 932
Brimage, E. E. ... ... ... ... ... ... 900
Brockman, C. S. ... ... ... ... ... ... 216
Brockman, The late G. J. ... ... ... ... ... 176
Brockman, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 207
Brooke, H. IV. B....................................453
“Brooking” and “Millvwindy” ......................... 192
Broom, P. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 799
Broun, C. F. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 659
Broun, G. L. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 611
Broun, J. IV...........................................610
Brown, D. E. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 457
Brown, G. K. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 800
Brown, M. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 685
Brown, IV. V..........................................626
Bryant, A. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 592
Buckeridge, H. ... ... ... ... ... ... 854
Buckeridge, P. IV.....................................856
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
1019
Buckley, H. V. ... ........
Bunce Bros.
Buhting, J.
Burbanks Main Lode (1904), Limited Burch, Lieutenant B. R. P. Bufridge, R. R.
Burrows, T. C......................
Burton, W. R. ...
Burvill, A...................
Bushalla, N.
Buswell, W. J.
Butcher, C. & J.
Butcher, F. J. ...
Butcher, Captain S. G.
Byfield, Councillor J. ...
Cable, J. ,
Cairnduff, A. ...
Caldwell, 0. A.
Camerer, The late R.
Cameron, C. W.
Oainm, J. P. ... ...
Capel Inn, The
Carroll, J. M. ... ........
Carter & Barr ...
Castle Hotel, The
Chadwick, J. E. ..............
Charsley, H. J.
Cheriton, D. L.
Cheriton, R.
Chester, L. B. ...
Chipper, W. W.
Chitty, C. ...................
Chitty, C. G..................
Clairs, Councillor J. P.
Clark, T......................
Clark, W. E...................
Clarkson, E. W.
Clayton, J. E. ...
Clifton, A. E. ...
Clifton, C. R. H.
Clifton, E. Y.................
Climie, H.
Climie, H. 8..................
Clinch, A. C..................
Clinch, F. E M................
Clinch, T.....................
Clinch, W. R. ... ........
Clune, The Right Rev. P. J. Clydesdale, J. W.
Collins, Councillor A. J.
Collins, F....................
“Oongeling”
Connaughton, F................
Cohnolly, T. J. ..............
Connor, Doherty, & Durack, Ltd. Conway, Councillor C.
Cook, A.
Gook, C. J.
Cook, J. C....................
Coomer, M.
Cope, W. J. ..................
Corbett, M..............
Cornish, A.
Cornwall T. J.
PAGE
Cotton, E. W. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 562
Courthouse Hotel ... ... ... ... ... ... 458
Cowan, W. D., R.M. ... ... ... ... ... . . 622
Cowcher, G. S. F. ... ... ... .. ... ,.. 688
Cowcher, J. E. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... 724
Cowle, F. C., M.A., LL.B............................ 890
Cox, C. B.............................................387
Crabb, J. H...........................................375
Craig, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 584
Crane, W. H..................................... ... 817
Crawford, J. 8. ... ... ... ... ... ... 789
Crawford, R. A. J. ... ... ... ... ... 464
Crawford, R. L. S. ... ... ... ... ... ... 644
Crawford, W. M. ... ... ... ... ... ... 640
Critch, F. H. ... ... ... ... ,.. ... ... 985
Cronin, M.............................................748
Crooks & Brooker, Limited ... ... ... ... ... 995
Crosby, W. F. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 790
Crossley, P. H........................................763
Crothers, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 996
“Oubbine” Station ... ... ... ... ... ... 516
Cullinane, P. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 587
Cullingworth, S. ... ... ... ... ... ... 361
Curlewis, Lieutenant G. L. ... ... ... ... ... 437
Curtis, S. "W.........................................389
Cutbush, C. A. .......................................882
Cummins, J. H. .......................................893
‘‘Dairy Creek” and “Dalgety Downs” ... ... ... 221
“Dangin Park” Estate .................................510
Darlot, L. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 206
Davey, C. W. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 722
Davidson, C. K. ... ... ... ... ... ... 946
Davidson, Councillor H. W. ... ... ... ... 882
Davies, A. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1004
Davies, C. R., B.A....................................909
Davies, M. C,, & Sons ... . . ... ... ... 188
Davies, W. T. ... ... ... ... ... ... 496
Davini, G. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 363
Davis, A. R. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 901
Day, Councillor W. J. ..............................830
de Mamie!, O. L. ... ... ... ... ... ... 468
Dempster, F. G. .. ... ... ... ... ... 219
Dempster, G. M. ... ... ... ... ... ... 585
Dempster, S. R. ............................... 572
de Pledge, T. F. ... ... ... ... ... ... 212
“Derrynasura'’ Vineyard ... 172
Dewar, The late J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 938
Deykin, J. S. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 844
Dilley, G. E.................................... ... 442
Diprose, R. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 795
Diprose, "W. F. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 795
Dixon, E. M...........................................220
Dodds, Captain J. G. .. 430
Dods, B. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 709
Don, D. H......................... ... ... ... ... 897
Donaldson, T. AV. ... ... ... ... ... ... 598
Doncon, Mrs. A. M. ... ... ... ... ... ... 600
Doncon, E. R. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 615
Donoon, R. C. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 617
Donovan, G. T., L.D.S., B.D.S., D.D.S. ... ... ... 526
Donovan, S. B. ... ... ... ... 695
DoOlette, D. L. ... ... ... 360
Douglas, W. S. ................................756
Downes, M. B. ................................ ,.. 842
Downing. R. W. Draffin, W. A. ... Drage, J. E.
Draper, A. W.
Driver, R.
Drummond, H. W. du Boulay, A. H. Duencc, R. H. ... Dunlop, C. H. ... Dunn, W.
Dunne, Councillor P. Durlacher, J. S. Dwyer, J. J. ... Dymes, F. R., M.A.
Easson, W. R.
Eastern Districts Chronicle ...
East Fremantle Literary Institute, The ... Eaton, J. E. ...
Eaton, R. M.
l^aton, W. G. ... ....................
Eccles, C. E.
Ecclestone, W. J .
Edgar, A. W. ...
Edwards, C. B.
Edwards, H. M.
Edwards, K.
Edwards, Captain R. R.
Edwards, S. H.
Egan, J. ..........................
Egerton-Warburton, A.....................
Egei'ton-Warburton, E. Egerton-Warburton, The late G. G. Egei’ton-Warburton, H. Egerton-Warburton, R.
Eliot, J. R. G............................
Elliot, F. J., M.R.C.S...................
Ellis, Councillor H. A., M.B., Ch.B. . .
Enright, J...............................
Erskine, E. P............................
“Ettrick” ...............................
Evans, T. C. ............................
Everett, E. G..........
Exchange Hotel ..........................
Fairclough, J........
“Fairfield” ...........
Faulkner, G...........
Faulkner, H...........
Fenian Gold Mine, The Ferguson, A. J. Ferguson, O. W. Fimister, J. W., & Co.
Findlay, S............
Finnerty, J. M. FitzGerald, P. Fitzpatrick, J. & M. ... Flanagan, J. M.
Flay, G. A.
Fleay Bros.
Fleay, F. W...........
Floay, J. E. J.
Fleay, J- H............
Forbes, B. J. ,....................
Forbes, W. H. .. ........
Foreman, A. R. .............
Forrest Bros. ...
Forrest, G........................
Forward, H. R. ....................
Forward, W.........................
Fouraore, R.
Fraenkel, C.
Francis, A.........................
Freedman, The Rev. D. I., B.A. ...
Freemasons’ Hotel, The ............
Fremantle Literary Institute, The
French, J..........................
Friedman, N. A. ...................
Frost, C...........................
Fry Bros. .........................
Fuller, B. M.......................
Fuller, W. ff. ...............
Gale, R. ... .......
Gannaway, R. ...
Ganzer, O. W.
Gardiner, A. C.
Gardiner, J.
Gardiner, J. (Moora)
Gardner, G. R.
Gare, F. M. .......................
Garrity, P.
Garstone, T.
Gee, R., M.A., R.M.................
Gentle, S. S. F. ..................
Ceraldton Express, The ............
Ceraldton Guardian, The ...........
Gerrans, J. ... ........
Gessner, F. D. ...
Gianini, L.
Gibb, S. ... .......
Gibbs, J. M........................
Gibsone, K. ... ........
Glance, Councillor H.
Gmeiner, A. E. .............
Gmeiner, J.........................
Goldberg, Councillor L.
Golden Zone Mine, The Goldsmith, The Right Rev. F., M.A.
Goodchild Bros. ...................
Goode, T. G........................
Graham, W. Le F., M.R.A.C.
“Grass Valley” House
Green, F., & Co....................
Green, G. H........................
Green, O. S. ......................
Greer, B. S........................
Gregory, F. A. ... .......
Gregory, J. H. ...
Gribble, E. W. V., C.E.
Gribble, J.........................
Guard, J. R. ......................
Gull, H. E. B.
Gulley, R. J. ........ ............
Gunn, Hugh, M.A. ..................
“Gnrleen”
Gufner, A. E. P. ..................
Hair, J. ••• ... 416 Johnson, J. H. ... 358
Halbert, T. G • • ... 592 Johnston, G. A. ... 794
Hamersley, E. . . ... 485 Johnston, Lieutenant-Colonel J. Lyon ... 912
Hamilton, R. 338 Johnston, W. ... ... 457
Hams, W. G. ... ... 791 Johnstone, Captain W. T. ... ... 997
Hancock, A. J. & G. E. ... 635 Jones Bros ... 974
Hancock, E. F. R. ... 455 Jones, C. E. ... 353
Hancock, F. G. T. ... 667 Jones, D. E. ... 817
Hancock, H. W. ... 546 Jones, R. C. ... ... 277
Hankins, C. E. ... 1000 ' Jones, W. T ... 768
Hannagan, N. T. ... 574
Hannan, P. ... 357
Hardie, Stewart, & Co. ... 196 “Katrine” ... 560
Hardie, T. A. and A. E ... 200 Kavanagh, J. ... ... 852
Hardwick, H. ... 163 Keating, J. J. 535
Harper, \V. E. ... 419 Kelly, R. G 994
Harris, C. A. ... ... ... 740 Kempton, G. A. .. 977
Harrison, T. A. ... 534 “Kendenup” . . 266
Harse, T. H. ... ... 901 Kennedy, Councillor N. . 524
Hart, E. H. ... 708 Keyser, H. G. ... 456
Hassell, A. Y. ... ... 270 Kidd, Captain J. C. ... 992
Hassell, J. F. T ... 266 Kidd, T. A 991
Hatch, W. ... ... ... ... 226 Killick, C. G . 109
Hayward, R. ... ... 418 Kilpatrick, A. ... . 626
Hayward, T ... 431 Kilpatrick, D 626
Heathcote, A. E. ... 913 “Kimberley Downs” ... 188
“Heathville” ... ... ... 789 Kimberley Pastoral Company, Limited- . . 184
Hemsted, R. H., M.D., L.R.G.P. ... ... 987 King, J. 411
Henning, A. H. ... 416 Kingdon, H. R. R .. 862
Henry, Councillor W. ... 866 Kinninmont, P. . 458
Hester, G. E. ... ... ... . . ... 462 Knapp, R. jtjn 855
Hester, The late Captain T. E. ... ... 461 Knapp, T. ... 855
Hill, E. H ... 726 Knowles, J. E. . 421
Hill, G. F ... 857 “Kooi’oocheang” . 425
Hill, Councillor G. J. ... 829 Kowald, F. W 753
Hill, R. ... 798
Hinkley, 0 ... 438
Hobart Bros. ... ... 767 Lake, H. 465
Hodby, W ... 786 Lange, F. 278
Hodgson, T. C. ... 595 Lange, L. E. ... 677
Holdsworth, J. G, ... 891 Langley, T. W. ... 746
Holland, J. J., M.B. ... 733 Lapsley, J. McF . i 406
Hollett, F. W. ... 594 Larsen, J. H. ... ... 576
Holmes, G. H ... 942 Law, J. H. M ... 413
Honey, D. D. G. .. ... 591 Lawrence, R. ... ... 575
Horman, C. ... 996 Layman, G. ... 444
Hortin, H. ... 853 Leake, F. W. ... ... 614
Hortin, T. ... 858 Leane, R. L. ... 920
Hudson, J. 0. ... ... 355 Lee, A. J. . . 473
Hughes, B. ... 681 Lee, H. Saxon ... ... 913
Hughes, G. ... ... ••• ... ... 361 Leeder, H. J. ... ... 528
Hungerford, L. M. T., L.R.C.P. and S.I.-L.M. ... 978 Lefroy, W. G. ... ... 208
Hunter, J. H. ... ... 562 Leishman, H. J. C. ... 847
Hussey, B. F„ M.B., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. ... 468 Leslie, Councillor B. ... ... 910
Hutchinson, W. A ... 470 Levitzke, A. ... ... 781
Lewin, C. H ... 441
Lilleyman, A. M ... 4»5
Ingram, W. H. ... 702 “Lillydale” ... ... ... 806
“Irwin” House ... 961 Linkson, Councillor E. ... 874
“Liveringa” ... ... 184
Lloyd, C. J. ... 473
Jackson, M. -... 921 Loader, J. A. ... ... 532
James, J. C. ... 457 Loaring, A. C. R ... 152
Jeffery, J. ... ... 777 Lockyer, A. E. ... 548
Jeffrey, T .., 425 liockyer, E. A. ... 528
Joel, S. Crownson, M.B., B.S ... 432 Lockyer, E. B. ... ... 680
PAGE
Lockyer, E. S. ... ... ... ... ... ... 551
Lockyer, The late J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 550
Lockyer, J. L. .. ... .. ... . . ... ... 170
Lodge, A. B. ... ... ... ... ... 489
Lodge, P. ... ... ...... ... ... ... 614
Logue, M. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 969
London & Hamburg Gold Recovery Co. (1905), Limited 346 Loton, E. W. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 250
Loton, W. T........................................242
Lovegrove, C., M.D. and C.M., etc. ........... ... 414
Lovegrove, F. T. A., M.B., Ch.B., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. 779
Lukin, C. M........................................469
Lunt, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 804
Lynch, P. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 904
Lyon, P.. B.A. 525
Lyons, A. IT. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 800
“Lyons River” ... . '. ... 226
McArthur Bros. ... .......... ... ... 785
McCall, J., L.R.C.S............................... 931
McCay, C...........................................416
McClintopk, A. S. ... ... ... ... ... ... 903
McCulloch, G...................................... 361
McCulloch, J.................................. ... 599
McDaniell, Councillor E. ... ... ... ... ... 446
McDermott, C. D. ... ... ... ... ... ... 474
McDougall, A. ... ...... ... ... ... 388
McFarlane, A. S. ... ... ... ... ... ... 892
McGarry, W. J. ....................................593
McGinty, J...................................... 680
McGrath, J. W..................................... 638
McGregor, W. H.....................................631
Mclntrye, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 926
McKail, N. W.......................................850
McKay, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 415
McKay, R...........................................497
McKeever, R, J. ...................................954
McKenzie, A. H. & L. E.............................262
McKenzie, Councillor E. G. ... ... ... ... 830
McKenzie, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 838
McLean, K. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 615
McLeod, G., jun. ... ... ... ... ... ... 753
McManus, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 555
McNeil, Neil.......................................289
McNeill, H........................................417
McPherson, J. ... ... ... 578
MacDonald, A. . .. ... . . ... 793
Macintosh, A. • ■ 399
Mackenzie, H. S . .. • 993
Mackenzie, H. S., & Co. . . .. ... ... 993
MacKenzie, J. R ... . .. .. ... ... 387
Mackey, E. P................................... 868
Mackie, J. R. ....................................516
MacLeod, D. N. ... ... ... ... ... ... 214
Macleod, W. A. .................................. 339
Macmorran, A. H. M., M.B., C.M., M.D ............. 987
Macpherson, D. ... . . ... ... ... ... 871
Madden, A. ... ... ... ... ... . . ... 731
Maley Bros. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 958
Maley, W. ... ... ... ... ... ... 764
Manning, J. L. ... ... ... ... ... 571
Mansbridge, W. 0. ... ... ... . . ... ... 360
Mare, R. C. J. D.............................. 763
PAGE
Marian, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 172
Marks, J. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 932
Marsh, W. L. ... ... ... ... ... 439
Martin, A. ... ... ... ... ... ... 564
Martin Bros. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 823
Martin, The late E. ... ... ... ... ... ... 540
Martin, J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 561
Martin, J, L. ... ■■■ ... ■■■ ... 924
Marwick Bros. ... ... ... ... ■■■ ... 490
Maslern, S. 788
Maughan, T. ... ... . ■• ... ... ... 355
Mawson, W. 833
May, J.............................................. 460
Mazzucchelli, M. E. ... ... ... ... ... ... 916
Meadowcroft, A. ... ... ... ... ... ... 998
Meeres, A. A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 526
Mengler, G. ... ... ... ... ... 900
Mengler, G. & H. ... ... ... ... ... ... 806
Mercer, Councillor A. ... ... ... ... ... 872
Mercer, Councillor A. H. ... ... ... ... ... 480
Mercer, The Very Rev. H. F. ... ... ... ... 89
Merfield, T. S., M.A.C.D..............................840
“Merriden Vale” Stud Farm ... ... ... ... 277
Mews, J. C.......................................... 845
Middleton, R. H.......................................559
Miller, T.............................................454
Miller, W............................................1003
Mills, C. A. H........................................534
Mills, I. ............................................745
“Milly Milly” 228
Milne, G. B............................:..............447
Milner, Councillor J. T. ... ... ... ... ... 523
Minchin, W. ..........................................162
“Minilya” ............................................214
Mitchell, A. F. T....................................813
Mitchell, L. D., & Sons ... ... ... ... ... 232
Mitchell, R. M„ M.B., B.S., F.R.C.S., etc............ 875
Mitchell, W. W........................................811
Mitter, C. F..........................................743
Moir, A. McL............................ ..........796
Moir, G...............................................837
Moir, G. C. ... •• 785
Moir, J. 837
“Mokine” ... • ... ... ... ... ... 246
Monaghan, J. .. ... ... ... ... ■■■ 874
Monck-Mason, T. G. . ... ... ... ... ... 799
Monger, J. T. ... ... ... ... ... 892
Montgomery, C. J. ... ... ... ... ... 919
Montgomery, J. ... ... ... ... ... 640
Moore, A. E. ... . ... ... 444
Moore, I. S. .........................................960
Moore, It. J..........................................960
Moore, S„ M.B., Ch.B..................................417
Moore, W. ... ... . . ... ... ... 984
Moran, O. J. . . ... ... ... ,.. ... 713
Morgan, D.............................................856
Morgan, H. P. C....................................508
Morgan, IV. J. ...................................... 554
Morrell, D. T.........................................526
Moyes, D. ............................................359
Moyle, F. H...........................................803
“Muecan” and “Telyarup” ... ... ... ... 204
Muir, A. ... .. ... 806
Muir, R. T............................................836
Mulcahy, D. ... 228
Murdoch, G. N. ... ... ... ... ... ... 682
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX. 1023
1'AWHi PAGE
Murphy Bros. ... 793 nesse, vj. E. C. .... ... 754
Murphy, J. J. 843 Piesse, F. & C. ... ... 737
Murphy, W. J. E 955 Piesse, H. V ... 755
Pope, E. ... ... ... ... . ... 1002
Porter, A. ... ... 892
“Nangetty” 956 Potts, R. S. ... 630
Nayler, G. 800 Pow, T. B ... 170
Nelson, F. 0. ... 455 Pretty, A. E. ... ... 869
Nelson, W. H., B.A., M.B., B.S 456 Price, E. W. W ... 823
Nenke, Councillor J C. H. ... 724 Price, T. . . 154
Newman, W. E. 159 Prince of Wales Hotel, The ... 439
New Norcia Benedictine Mission Station, The 948 Prosser, A. ... 762
Nicholson, F. W. H 668 Prunster, A. ... 1004
Nisbet, Councillor R, 873 Puls, A. N ... 857
Noack, W. F. ... 598
Norman, J. 839
Norman, J., jun. 834 Quartermaine, W. F. ... 752
Norrie, W. J 431 Quirk, M. J. . . 840
Norrish, J. 793
Norrish, The late J. ... 777
North, Councillor A. ... 430 Rabbish, W. T ... 710
North, F. 847 Rae, W. J ... 839
N&rtham Advertiser, The 525 Ralston, W. S. ... 945
Norton, A. 364 Ramsay, W, ... 442
Norton, J. 443 Ramsden, S, ... ... ... ... ... ... 762
Nutt, H. W 459 Randle, W. E. ... . ... ... ... 996
“Ranfurly Park” ... ... ... ... 940
Rath, O. C. J. ... ... ... ... 419
Oekerby, W. F. 998 Reddin, Councillor C. W. ... ... 830
O’Connell, M. ... ... ... ... 907 Reid, M. L. ... ... 876
O’Connor, W. H. A. ... 985 Reilly, W ... 854
O’Donnell, M 751 Reynolds, T, . . 587
O’Drisooll, J. ... 574 Reynolds, W. E. 590
O’Driscoll, P. ... 574 Rhind, J. W. ... ... ... ... 887
Offord, P. T 835 Richardson, A., M.D., M.R.C.S.E. 886
Ogden, W. W. ... 751 Richardson & Co. ... 740
O’Hara, J. 530 Richardson, J. E. . . 261
O'Keefe, M. J. 906 Richardson, M. J. ... 886
Oldhan), I. R. ... 536 Richardson, P. B. ... 597
O’Neil, J. 938 Richardson, T. E. ... ... 276
O'Neill, The late P. ... 792 Ricketts, J. ... . 861
Oroya Links Mine, The 345 Ridgway, G ... 347
Ridgway, T. T. ... ... 639
Rigby, W. H., M.B. ... ... ... 427
Padbury, William 252 Riley, The Right Rev. C. O. L., M.A., D.D., V.D. ... 88
Palmateer, G. H. 155 Rintoul, H. J. ... ... ... ... . . ... 694
“Parakalia” 958 “Riverside” ... ... ... ... ... ... 572
Pareras, J. 922 “Riverton” Orchard ... 418
Parker, C. W. .., 792 Roberts, The late C. M. . . 369
Parker, E. Gifford 502 Roberts, F. W. ... ... ... 434
Parker, J. S. W. ... 510 Roberts, G. M. ... ... 340
Parker, Councillor J. T. ... 480 Roberts, J. A, ... ... ... ... ... 369
Parker, S. F. A. 558 Roberts, J. A, (Mount Barker) ... ... 816
Partridge, Counoillor F. 925 Robertson, L, J., B.A., M.B., Ch.B. ... 447
Paterson, J. W. 855 Robinson, J. ... ... ... 835
Paton, E. B. 831 Robinson, J. F. G. ... ... 391
Pauley, E. ... ... 916 Robinson, W. E. ... ... ... ... 658
Pearson, R. J. 681 Robson, J., M.R.C.V.S ... 398
Pemberton, T. J. 594 Roche, Councillor J. ... ... 911
Pemble, W. 745 Rodda, A. W ... 923
Penny, H., sen. 507 Roe, F. W. ... 566
Peterson, J. 0. 391 Roe, J. Fred ... ... ... ... ... 166
Phillips, N 780 Rogers, Councillor A. ... ... 867
Phillips, S. G 799 Rogers, W. J. ... ... ... 736
Piesse Bros. 727 Rose, E. ... ... 423
Piesse, Hon. C. A., M.L.C. ... 260 Rose, F. W ... 699
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Rose, G. C.
Rose, R. H..............
Ross, C. IC.
Royal, I. H. C. Rushton, A.
Ruttle, J. T...........
Ryan, Councillor M. ... Ryan, T.
Sampson, W. J. “Sandalford”
Saunders, Hon. H. J. Schorer Bros. ...
Schunke, A............
Scott & Scott . .
Scott, C. R.
Scott, J. H.
Scott, M. Balfour Seabrook, C. W.
Searle, A.
Semken, J. O. ... Sei’jeant, H.
Sermon, J.
Sermon, John ...
Sermon, R. C.
Sermon, W.............
Sewell, C. E., LL.B. Sewell, G. E. ...
Sewell, G. M..........
Shaddick, J.
Shannon, A. H. Shannon, W. ...
Shaw, C.
Shaw, R. G. C.
Shenton, C. E.
Shephard, S...........
Shepherd, C.
Sholl, F. R...........
Simms, C. A...........
Simper, G.
Simpson,- A. G.
Sims, H. C............
Sinclair, A. W.
Sinclair, J. A. J. ... Skelton, M. F.
Smith & Haining, A. A. Smith, Councillor E. ... Smith, E. L. ...
Smith, G. H. ...
Smith, G. W. B. ... Smith, Jack ...
Smith, J. D. ...
Smith, R.
Smith, T. ............
Smith, W. R.............
Smyth,-M. McV...........
Snook, F. H...........
Snow,. A.
Somers, J.
Sounness, W...........
Spence, F. W.
Spencer, A. F.
Spencer, G. C.
Spencer, L.
Spencer, R. E.
PAGE
Spencer, R. L. .. 774
“Springhill” .. ... . .. 242
'■Springs,” The ................................. ... 786
Squire & Young . . ... ... ... ... ... 824
Stafford, H. E............................... ... ... 862
Staker, G. E........................................ 859
Stanes, H. A........................................ 596
Stanford, A. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... 794
Staples, G. T. .............................. ... ... 593
Steicke, J. B. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 818
Stewart, R. J. ... ... .. ... ... ... 538
Stewart, W. J. . ... ... ... ... . . 533
Stokes, J. ... . . ... .. ... ... ... 999
Stone, Councillor D. Me A'. .. . ... 446
Stone, J. ... .. ... .. ... ... ... 680
Stone, Councillor P. .. ... ... ... ... ... 981
Strachan, R. A. .. .. .. .. ... ... 956
Straker, C. M. ... . . ... ... . . ... 206
Strange, A. ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 632
Stratford, E. W...................................... 853
“Strathalbyn” ... ... . . ... . . ... 238
Strickland, W. H. J. ... . . ... ... ... 387
Strong, J. A................................. ... ... 907
Stuart, E. J......................................... 401
Stuart, J. .......................................... 940
Stuart, P. .............................................734
Stubbs, A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 918
Sullivan, Councillor T. J. ... ... .. ... ... 884
Swan Meat Company Limited, The ... ... ... 278
Swanson, A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 363
Syred, S. H........................................... 474
Syred, W. C. ... ,......................... 475
Talbot, A. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 274
Taylor Bros. ... .... ... ... ... ... ... 672
Taylor, G. D.......................................... 714
Taylor, H. R............................................927
Taylor, S. "W. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... 794
“Teddington” Estate ... ... ... .. ... 814
Teede, S. A............. :........................... ..349
Thackrah, R. H. ... ... ... ... . . . . 539
Thomas, J. L. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... 606
Thomas, W..................................... ... 357
Thomas, "W. J. ......................... ... 820
Thompson, G. A. ... ... ... ... ... .. 646
Thompson, R. H. ................ ... ... ... ... 683
Thomson, A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 741
Throssell, The late Hon. G. ... ... ... ... .. 522
Throssell, G. L.......................................533
Throssell, H. F.......................................557
“Tillellan” ............................................260
Tiller, G...............................................652
Tindal, Councillor W. ... ... ... 873
Tonkin, R...............................................594
Toovey, H. H............................................804
Townsend, H. J. ... ... ... ... ... . . 803
Trathan, H. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 788
Treasure, J. J. ... ... ... ... ... ... 778
Tree, R. G. ... ... ... ... ••• 757
Trefort, A. H...........................................706
Treleaven, N. J. C. ... ... ... ■■■ ... ... 734
Tresise, E. O. ... ... ... ... ... — ... 538
Trigg, E. A. ... ... ... ... 983
Trigg, The late W. ... ... ... ••• ... ... 983
Trower, The Right Rev. G., D.D. ... ... 89
Trade, F. B............
Tucker, F. R. T. H. ...
Tufnell, W.............
Tulloch, Lieutenant E. Turner, J. W. G.
Twine, E. E............
Twine, F. R............
Udy, E. A. H. G. Union Brewery, The ... Urch, J.
Vail, H. E.............
Varden, R. A. ..,
Venn, F. E.
Vincent, C.
Vincent, Councillor V. F. Viveash, L. W.
Viveash, S. H.
Waddington, A.
Waldeqk Bros.
Waldeck, The late F. W. ...
Waldeck, J. A. .............
Waldeck, J. F.
Waldeck, J. W. .............
Walkeden, G. H,, M.I.Mech.E.
Wall, J. L. ... .......
Wallace, R. ... .......
Walsh, M, H. ...
Walter J. R. ...
Walter, W. A. G}., R.M. ... Wanke, C. F. • •.
Wanke, J. F. ...
Wansbj’ough, C. P. ... Warnock,. J. C.
“Warralong” and “Boodarrie'1 Warren, J. C. ...
Warrick, J.
Wai'thwyke, W. G............
Warwipker, F. yf............
Wass, E. J.
Watts, A. J., D.D.S.
Wehh, H. G, ..,
Wedge, J. E.................
Wells, A. J.................
Wells, H. E. ... ........
Wellsted, E. J.
... 355 Weston, L. B. G........................................796
... 443 Whelan, P..............................................904
... 805 White, E. B,...........................................591
... 437 White, J...............................................576
... 411 White, M. . ... 540
... 475 White, W. B. H.........................................641
... 476 White, W. St.C. W......................................841
Whitfield, E. G........................................505
Whitford & Sons ... ... ... .. ... ... 704
009 Whittington, H. W. D. ... ... .. ... ... 634
893 Whittington, J. ... ... ... .. ... ... 653
1000 Whittington, S. ... ... ... .. ... ... 656
Whittington, T. J. ... ... ... .. ... ... 655
Whitworth, Councillor A. ... ... .. ... ... 925
Wickham, G. H. ... ... ... .. ... ... 388
■■■ 339 Wiese, W. F..................' 700
■■■ 338 Wilding, Hon. T. H., M.L.C.............................246
••• 452 Wilhelm, E. H..........................................760
■■■ 875 Wilhelm, R. G..........................................748
... 931 Wilkerson, G. T. ... ... ... .. ... ... 556
... 560 Wilkerson, R. N. ... ... ... ... ... ... 476
168 Williams, C. H...................................... 536
Williams, H. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 798
Williams, I. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 818
460 Williams, S. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 642
966 Williams, Councillor H. N.... ... ... ... ... 925
969 Wilson, G. ............................................868
938 Wilson, G. A. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 867
... 217 Wilson, H., LL.B. ... ... ... ... ... ... 989
... 969 Wlnnecbe, J. G. ... ... ... ... ... ... 757
346 Wisbey, C. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 760
... 808 Withnell, A. ... ... ... ... ... 844
365 Withnell, H. & H.......................................539
... 890 Withnell, The late J. ... ... ... ... ... 180
... 461 Wittman, J. A. ... ... ... ... ... ... 364
... 885 Woolhouse, W. ... ... ... ... ... ... 581
... 744 Wright, Hon. J. A., M.I.C.E., M.I.C.E.I., etc. ... 829
737 Wright, R. E...........................................851
... 637 Wyatt, Councillor W. A. ... ... ... ... ... 924
... 822 Wylie, G. M. K....................................... 1605
200 Wymond, A.. P. ... ... ... ... ... ... 874
... 264
... 348
... 851 “Yallalong’' ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 232
... 1003 “Yangedine” and “Mortlook” Estates ... ... ... 490
... 438 “Yanrey” ... 212
... 735 Young Bros. ... ... ... ... ... ... 859
... 933 Yule, J. S., M.B., B.S..................................452
... 937 ... 532
... 426 Zollner, E. H. ... ... ... ... ... ... 434
... 353 Zowe, B. ... ... ... ... ... ... 919
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