Share your history winners

The Winners
The team at the Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia is delighted to announce the adult and junior winners of the Share Your History promotion.

Best Adult Entry: Women on Drilling Rigs - Making History in Women’s Professional Employment Opportunities in Australia by Marjorie Apthorpe

Best Junior Entry: Votes for Women by Imogen Forbes-Macphail

The editorial team were impressed with the quality of the entries received. We would particularly like to congratulate four of the junior writers for their lively, well written submissions: Jennifer Mumford for The Flight of the West Coast Eagles, Victoria Gill for VII British and Commonwealth Games, Tim Brockhoff for The Amana Plane Crash, and Ben Zuidersman’s The Inspirational Life of Beryl Grant.

We would also like to make special mention of Ean McDonald. He sent in an impressive 18 submissions covering a fascinating range of topics.

Community Interest in HEWA

The Share Your History promotion was first conceived in response to keen community interest in the Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia project. We decided to capitalise on that interest and invited people to contribute their own stories for publication on our website. The community responded with enthusiasm.

Share Your History Guidelines

People with factual stories about Western Australia were invited to send in 1000 words or less on a history relating to an incident, place, person, occasion or thing. It could have happened one hundred years ago or just one year ago.

Adults and children were invited to send in their histories.

The submission needed to be:
- Western Australian in content
- submitted electronically
- about the past
- 1000 words or less
- an original, previously unpublished factual work

Media Interview Contacts

Dr Jan Gothard: Editor, Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia
Tel: 9360 2998

Professor Jenny Gregory: Editor-in-Chief, Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia and Head of School-Humanities.
Tel. 6488 2134.

List of Authors and Entries

A selection of the best Share Your History entries have been published on this site. Writers whose entries are included will receive a voucher entitling the bearer to 20 per cent discount off the price of the published Encyclopedia purchased direct from UWA Press. The best junior and adult entries will receive a free Encyclopedia.

While the authors have exercised every care to present accurate data throughout the content of their submissions, no responsibility is implied or accepted for any inaccuracies.

ANTONIA, Veronica (as told to Patrick Antonio)
Memories of Riley Road, Claremont

APTHORPE, Marjorie
Women on Drilling Rigs: Making History in Women’s Professional Employment Opportunities in Australia (Winner: Best Adult Entry)

ARMSTRONG, Walter P. C.
Nalya – The Place That Was

BROCKHOFF, Tim
The Amana Plane Crash

BURSEY, Brian
Culture Shock on the Wharf 1949

CAMPBELL PRIMARY SCHOOL EARLY LEARNING CENTRE
A Selection of Stories

COOPER, Marie
Palace Bootmakers

CRAIG, Bruce
Memories of Kondut in the 1930s

FAULKNER, Annabel
George Lewis

FORBES-MACPHAIL, Imogen
Votes for Women (Winner: Best Junior Entry)

GETHIN, Margaret
‘Fogs’ Wyatt: The Weather Man

GILL, Victoria
VII British and Commonwealth Games

GREGG, Alison
Carnarvon Tracking Station

HARRIS, Linda
Point Walter Migrant Camp 1966

HILLS, Debbie
A Lighthouse Keeping Family

KEYS, Oliver
The Perth Swan Bell Tower

KIDD, Courtney
Ernest A. La Souef and his Association with Perth Zoo

KINGSTON, Louise
John Bell

LUCY, Helen
Bellevue Primary School (1903-2004): The End of an Era

MALPASS, Joan
John Watson Rutherford

MCDONALD, Ean
Blackboy Hill Commemoration
Boddington Gold
Cathedral of the Holy Cross at Geraldton
Claude de Bernales
Coral Bay
The Dilemma of John Septimus Roe
Hyde Park Festival
Kagoshima Park
The Old Quarry Amphitheatre
Operation Clean Up
Pelican Point
Perth Boys’ School
The Plank Road
Playlovers Dramatic Club
Self Help Builders
The Western Australian Border

MCGREGOR, Mary
Synopsis of an Immigrant’s Life Since 1955

METCHER, Patricia
Ian Metcher, A Pilot at Last

MILLER, Geoff
Edward Mayhew: Pharmacist, Businessman and Scholar
William Howitt: Woodcarver and Artist

MOYNIHAN, John
Derby 1975

MULHOLLAND, Madelene
Uniforms of PLC

MUMFORD, Jennifer
The Flight of the West Coast Eagles

MURRAY, Hannah
Mosman Park

O'SULLIVAN, Sr Flo and Michelle LILLICO
The Sisters of Mercy in WA

PATERSON-MILLER, Toby
The Dental Link to the ‘Sugar and Tea’ Train

PRICE, Desma Rose (submitted by Melanie Price)
And Grandad only Had One Arm!
Growing up Near Cunderdin in the Early Twentieth Century

RENNIE, RichardThe Mulgaphone Radio

ROGERS, Philippa
Named Trains of WA
Honeymooners and Yanchep Park

RUMBALL, Gwynva
The History of Guiding in Melville Project

SOLONEC, Cindy
Employment Matters in the West Kimberley During the Mid 1900s

SORENSEN, Irene
Recollections of Irene Read (Nee Dobbins) of the 1920 and 1930s

TREVELYAN, James
Robot Sheep Shearing

TUNSILL, Kate
Meekathara School of the Air

WESSON, Jane
An Unremarkable Life: Allan Alfred French

WHEATLEY, Delma
Death at Mt Morgans: A Tribute to and Elder Brother 98 Years On
Jack Henderson: A Memoir of Mt Morgans

ZUIDERMAN, Ben
The Inspirational Life of Beryl Grant

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MEMORIES OF RILEY ROAD, CLAREMONT
By Veronica Antonia (as told to Patrick Antonio)
Veronica Antonio is the daughter of William and Sheila Joyce (nee Collopy). Her parents moved into their new home at 46 Riley Road, then Claremont, in 1929 and while in that home raised six children. This section of Riley Road was the farthest part from the Swan River and contained few houses, the road being unsealed. Big areas of bush and sand still existed in this area.

Mr and Mrs Gra Stirling lived in the house opposite the Joyces. Both came from WA pioneering families. Mr Stirling was a relation of Governor Stirling and his wife, Vi Wansborough, came from a York early family.

No sewerage system existed in this street in the 1930s. The Joyces had a septic tank but many used a "thunderbox" toilet at the rear of their blocks. A weekly nightcart removed and replaced the pans. This cart used a lane at the back of Riley Road, a lane that still exists.

For transport, most people used the tram service, the terminus being at the corner of Victoria and Waratah Avenues. Later, a bus service provided public transport, the nearest stop for the Joyce family being at Melvista Avenue, near Stone Road. United Bus Service owned and operated this service and among the fleet was a double-decker bus. Sometimes the Joyce children returned from school in this bus. No designated bus stops operated in those days as the bus stopped at any corner requested. A letter on the bus indicted the bus route. "J" stood for Jutland Parade, "M" for Melvista Avenue and "W" for Waratah Avenue.

At the foot of Riley Road, a garden called Masons Gardens, owned and operated by the Mason family, grew a variety of vegetables. As this area was wet, provision of water presented no problems.

The sealing of Riley Road and the extension of Stone Road attracted great attention from the children who excitedly ran behind the steamroller and other road-forming machines. The tar smell seemed magnificent.

The Joyces, being Catholics, every Sunday trudged through bush and often pushed a pram through the heavy sand to get to Saint Thomas’s Church, Claremont. Later, a public chapel, built onto the Carmelite Monastery in Adelma Road eased this situation considerably.

The nearby river attracted the children; the water in the 1930s and 40s then unpolluted. A favourite activity of some children was using a kylie, a sort of V-shaped piece of metal, to stun fish and allowed them to be caught.

Further along the river, towards Perth, the famous or infamous hot springs existed. Oozing warm water from the earth attracted the children and they enjoyed many playful games. At night, though, these innocuous activities were replaced by all sorts of ‘going on’. Some people landed in court because of such things as ‘frolicking in the nude’, then regarded as obscene.

The iceman came weekly to refill the ice chest, the chief cooling system in many homes. As he moved along the street, the excited children followed and he gave them pieces of ice that had fallen off ice blocks. Few people owned refrigerators in the 1930s. A Coolgardie cooler, an iron frame covered with hessian through which water ran, provided a sort of ancillary type of food cooling. These cooling devices usually contained not-so-perishable foods.

One morning every week the grocer called at the back door to collect an order and that order was delivered the same afternoon. When this grocer came with the groceries, he brought a bag of boiled lollies. Most women stayed at home in those days so this system of dealing in groceries operated well.

The baker came daily also to the back door carrying his wares in a basket. The baker’s conveyance consisted of a horse and cart, his horse sometimes being fed from a nosebag, a bag containing chaff and strapped over the horse’s head. This horse had a hat on his head and through this hat two holes allowed his ears to protrude! Sometimes the horse left his manure on the road and then residents hurried to collect these droppings and put them in their rose gardens.

During the Great Depression, a man cut clothesline props from the surrounding bush and sold them to Riley road residents. The clothesline consisted of a piece of wire strung between two poles and the wire needed a prop to hold up the wire when loaded with clothes.

The sole person having a phone connected was Mrs Freeman-Smith in the next street. She allowed certain other residents to receive calls on her phone. To signal the person required, this lady blew a whistle in blasts of one to four, each blast signalling a certain person.

Big groups of children played in the bush without a single disagreement. There were many goannas seen but never a snake. Perhaps the noise or vibrations on the ground frightened them.

Radio came to the Joyce household about 1935 and brought great excitement to the children especially for the children’s session and Uncle Peter. On birthdays the children really believed that he had placed a present in a certain place in the home. Broadcasts were intermittent and stations closed for a couple of hours during the morning and afternoon, the day’s broadcasting finishing at about 1030pm.

The humble home at 46 Riley Road has long since been demolished to be replaced by a modern structure in a suburb now called Dalkeith. It seems so sad that this home that held so many memories is now gone but that is what we call progress.

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WOMEN ON DRILLING RIGS: MAKING HISTORY IN WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA
By Marjorie Apthorpe (Winner : Adult Entry)
Until 1981, women geologists were not permitted to work offshore on petroleum drilling rigs in Australia. This severely hampered women’s attempts to gain seniority within exploration companies. Despite frequent protests, technically competent women were always ignored for promotion, due to their ‘lack of practical rig experience’. The policy of maintaining offshore rigs as an all-male domain was industry-wide, and there was no such thing as enforceable equal opportunity legislation in those days. Complaints to Western Australian government agencies, whose brief was to promote the interests of women in the workforce, resulted in the confession that the authorities were powerless to act in this matter.

One day in March 1981 that all changed due to a technical problem. The Woodside offshore well North Rankin No. 6 was drilling and the target reservoir had not been reached at the expected depth. The question was asked, is the reservoir deeper than expected? What age of sediments is the well drilling in now? Should we go on drilling? To answer these urgent questions, Woodside decided to send their palaeontologist Marjorie Apthorpe and production geologist Judy Garstone out to the drill ship on the North West Shelf. We had 18 hours notice to assemble essential equipment (microscope and accessories, steel capped boots, overalls and so on) and present ourselves early in the morning at Perth airport to fly north.

Our arrival on the crew helicopter on 6th March created something of a stir on the drill ship Regional Endeavour. Not all the crew were happy about this radical new staff development; we were told that at least one driller had to rummage for shorts to cover his normal off-duty garb of underpants. A four-berth cabin (the smallest available) had to be emptied of men so that we had somewhere to change and get a few hours sleep between long shifts. The cabin was decorated with sexually explicit Penthouse posters of women, as was the sample logging shack where we spent most of our working hours. Finding our way around and watching the drilling operation was continually interesting.

Immediately after arrival I was busy searching for microfossils in the sediment samples pumped up by the drill, looking for the age of the rocks we were drilling through. From the fossils I could see that we were higher (younger) in the sequence than had been predicted, so the word given was “Keep drilling”. That established, Judy and I took turns monitoring the samples for a couple of days. After midnight on day two, I sent word to the chief drilling engineer to say the samples I was looking at were within 30 metres of the top of the gas reservoir. Within a few minutes the drilling bit, far below us and well ahead of the samples, was cutting into the top of the reservoir and the gas pressure was showing up on the monitors of instruments in the logging cabin. We had finally reached the sandstone reservoir, and it contained gas! Collective relief spread rapidly through the entire crew. After that, life revolved around the cutting of cores, measuring, labelling and describing rock types, and documenting the indicators of gas and oil in the cores. Now it was Judy’s turn to use her expertise as she documented the reservoir geology and reported back to head office in Perth.

We spent two weeks on the Regional Endeavour that trip and enjoyed the experience. We also learnt a lot about the practicalities of drilling and recovering samples. Later the same year I made another two-week trip on my own to the same drill ship, for another well with a different set of questions to be answered.

Our March 1981 trip was really the beginning of a new era for women in the petroleum industry. Women quickly became accepted as part of the team of geologists, reservoir engineers, palaeontologists (usually palynologists) and others who now regularly travel to offshore rigs to work. Young women entering the petroleum industry today are often totally unaware of how recently this acceptance of women occurred.

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NALYA - THE PLACE THAT WAS
By Walter P.C. Armstrong
Nalya has no postcode, nor is it likely that you would find it on a map of Western Australia. Yet in the early part of the twentieth century it was a close-knit community located some 14 miles (22 km) east of Brookton on the road to Corrigin. The only reminder today is a granite obelisk bearing a plaque commemorating the pioneers in the area. My paternal grandfather, Andrew Armstrong, was one of the pioneers. I began life there on my father’s farm in November 1913. The settlement boasted only one building. The structure of mud brick and galvanised iron was used for community gatherings, church services and in 1917 also as a one-teacher school, with an enrolment of some eight students.

With World War I raging there was an overall patriotic fervour that gripped everyone in what was an outpost of the British Empire. This was never more evident than when the men, including my father (Tom Armstrong), volunteered for action with the first AIF. It even gripped me as a pre-school five-year-old who played attacking games at home while shouting ‘Kill Kaiser Bill’.

With my father away at the war the responsibility for the farm fell to my mother Daisy. I was too young to realise the stress she must have suffered. One thing, though, was very clear. She was terrified of bushfires. On more than one occasion I remember standing outside with her to watch the smoke from a fire not far away. What would happen if the wind drove the flames in our direction? We were fortunate to escape.

When it came time for me to start school I had to walk about 3 miles (5 km) along a dusty road and through a neighbour’s farm. At school the patriotic fever continued. Boys and girls were taught the soldiers’ marching procedures as we circled the playground dozens of times. We thought of ourselves as becoming real soldiers fighting the detested Germans, and it came to pass later that some of us did in World War II.

But life also had other facets, and here are some of the things that loomed large in the mind of a six-year-old:

1. Towards the end of my first year at school there was a lot of talk about the school break-up. This did not seem sensible to me. If indeed the school were to be broken up, where would the classes be held next year?

2. A cricket match was organised with the local team playing a team from Brookton. My experience with matches had been limited to using them to light the fire in the kitchen stove. How on earth could a match be part of a game of cricket?

3. I also learnt the need for realism in public performances. I was merely a blind boy whose part was to walk slowly by myself across the stage. The spell was broken when a penny was tossed onto the stage, and I quickly bent down to retrieve it. The response from the audience was immediate!

4. Mixed bathing. There was clear-cut rule that students were not to swim in the creek that ran nearby. One summer day found the temperature so high that the older students decided to disregard the swimming edict. They had no bathers, but that did not seem to matter as boys and girls stripped and had a great time cooling off in the pool. I will not detail the repercussions.

5. When it was announced that the school inspector would be coming it was a move to panic stations. This included a rehearsal in which we worked to give the correct answers to certain set questions. One thing stands out from that day. The inspector asked various pupils to suggest a number under 50. He would then write the number on the blackboard, but always in reverse, so that for example 12 was scripted as 21. This went on until it came time for one boy, who nominated 33, with the cryptic comment, ‘See if you can mess that up’!

6. The weekly train from Brookton to Corrigin would arrive at Nalya just after school finished on a Monday afternoon. Here was a golden opportunity to establish the correct time, for in those days there was no media coverage, or quartz movements to give it to us. But the guard of the train would surely know so my duty was to check with him to enable us to then adjust our clocks at home accordingly. This worked well except for one occasion when the guard dismissed my enquiry with the comment, ‘You are too young to know’.

7. Excitement ran high at school when it was announced that Father Christmas would be coming on a Saturday afternoon with a present for each scholar. We spotted the dust rising from the road as Father Christmas arrived in an old horse-drawn cart. It was truly him with his red coat and hat (made – unbeknown to me – by my mother). The joy of the scholars was intense as the presents were handed over. I was the last one in the line. As Father Christmas was about to put the present into my hand I looked him full in the face. Then to the consternation of the whole crowd, I simply said, “Why, it is Grandpa”!

These are some of my earliest experiences in Nalya.

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THE MULGAPHONE RADIO
By Richard Rennie
The Mulgaphone is a uniquely Western Australian wireless set (radio receiver). They were manufactured in Perth between 1924 and 1929.

The first broadcast radio station in Western Australia was 6WF. It was established in 1924 by The Westralian Farmers Limited Cooperative to broadcast news and entertainment to the rural community of Western Australia.

However, government regulations in force at that time required that radio receivers be ‘sealed’ sets, that is their tuning had to be locked on to those stations for which the owner of the set had paid an annual fee of £4-4-0. Westralian Farmers found that there was no ready supply of ‘sealed’ sets available in Perth from either local or overseas manufacturers that could receive 6WF’s wavelength. As a result they decided to manufacture their own radio receivers, which were branded the Mulgaphone.

The Mulgaphone was announced in January 1924, when the first orders were being accepted. To comply with the sealed set regulations the Mulgaphones had fixed coils and a tuning condenser that gave only limited coverage of the radio spectrum. Their reception was centred on 6WF, then the sole local radio station, whose wavelength was 1250m.

However, within the first month of 6WFs operation the sealed set system was abandoned by the government and the Mulgaphone was redesigned, first with tapped internal coils and then with plug-in coils (usually 'basket weave' or 'honeycomb' type). This made it possible to tune to other stations with wavelengths in the range 250 - 2000m. Often eastern states’ stations could be received at night.

The Mulgaphones were manufactured from a mix of imported and locally made components in workshops in the Westralian Farmers building in Perth. Their design and manufacture was supervised by Walter (Wally) Coxon, the chief radio engineer for the new station and probably Western Australia's leading radio engineer at that time.

Coxon was contracted to manufacture 4000 sets. However it is estimated that only about 1200 Mulgaphones were actually made in the period 1924 to 1929. At least four different models were manufactured. These ranged from a crystal set that could only be heard through a set of headphones, to a five-valve set that was capable of using a horn loudspeaker. From the few Mulgaphones that have survived it is apparent that there were many variations within the range of models sold.

Manufacture of Mulgaphones ceased when 6WF was taken over by the Australian Broadcasting Company in 1929.

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THE AMANA PLANE CRASH
By Tim Brockhoff (Junior Entry)
On Monday the 26th of June 1950 the Australian National Airways Skymaster Amana, the flagship of the company's fleet, crashed into a wooded hillside northwest of York. Of the twenty-four passengers and five crew, only one man managed to get out alive. His name was Edgar W. Forwood, aged sixty-seven. Unfortunately, his condition steadily deteriorated and he died on Saturday of the same week.

Three victims of the Amana plane crash were the Bishop of Riverina (Dr C. H. M. Murray), the Dean of Newcastle (the Very Rev. N.J. Blow) and Mr K. Douglas, the managing-director of the Winterbottom Motor Co. of Perth.

The Amana departed from the South Guildford airport at 9:55am and four minutes later reported that they were "on course for Adelaide". Aviation authorities reported that the plane crashed at about 10:15am, which was confirmed by an eyewitness.

The Amana crashed on an isolated 60,000-acre property, owned by Mr Roy Inkpen, which was almost twelve miles in a direct line northwest of York and about four miles from the main road. Leonard Bruce McNamara, the eyewitness who was living on Mr Inkpen's property at the time, reported that at 10:20am he heard the sound of the engines cutting out and ran outside to see a flaming mass in the sky. The mass then disappeared from view and soon afterwards there was a loud bang.

Mr McNamara climbed into his farm utility to inform the police. Meanwhile two ambulances could not spot the crash and drove straight through to York. Mr McNamara joined up with the ambulances and guided them back to the crash. The plane did not notify the South Guildford airport of a problem with the engines. In fact, there was not a word from the plane after they reported that they were "on course". This puzzled aviation officials as any problem as large as this would have given plenty of warning and would have been easily spotted by any of the crew onboard. In fact, the airport attempted to contact the plane several times, without response.

It has not been determined why the plane crashed, but it is presumed the plane caught fire in mid-air suggesting that there was a fault with the engines. In 1950 planes were not equipped with black boxes so there is no evidence of what happened. The Amana seemed to be trying to turn just before the crash, heading back to Guildford or a cleared field a few miles away, although the closest landing strip was the Royal Australian Air Force station at Cunderdin.

Eighteen of the twenty-eight victims of the crash were so badly burnt that they were unrecognizable. Those eighteen were buried in a mass grave in Karrakatta cemetery on Monday of the next week. Among the victims On-board the Amana were eight adults and an infant who had Western Australian residential addresses.

Five bodies, including that of the commander, were thrown from the plane as it crashed through the trees and the bodies of the co-pilot and the two airhostesses were found under the front of the wrecked fuselage. Three of the four engines attached to the plane were found strewn away from the plane, one of which was found in a gully almost 150 yards away. A T.A.A. plane left thirteen minutes after the Amana and saw it go down. The captain of the plane reports that about thirty-five miles ahead he saw a large flash of light, which mushroomed up into the sky for about six seconds.

This crash was, and still is, the worst aviation disaster in WA’s history and the fourth worst in the whole country.

CULTURE SHOCK ON THE WHARF 1949
By Brian Bursey
The family stood at the rail aboard the migrant ship SS Dorsetshire eagerly seeking their loved ones waiting on the wharf below, amid a sea of up-turned faces and fluttering white handkerchiefs. The year was 1949, in the Western Australian port of Fremantle.

The young woman who stood with her husband on the wharf pointed, ‘There they are…there…see the neck of Dad’s double bass? Just right of the one, two, three - the third lifeboat.' Her husband counted. ‘No, I can’t!' She pointed again and said, as if humoring a child. ‘Look, there darling'. `That’s lifeboat number five. You’re supposed to count from the sharp end. Your dad’s bass stands out. That’s better than a white handkerchief.’

Aboard the ship, the seventeen-year-old youth and his elder brother, together with their father and mother, prepared to struggle down the swaying gang- plank that had been lowered by the crew. His father carried his younger son’s drum kit; the large bass drum on his hip and the snare drum, cymbals and stands in a suitcase. The boy carried his father’s double bass with an air of pride. Three months prior to sailing from England he had commenced lessons with a West Indian player called Abe Claire and had managed to put in a great deal of practice during the six week sea journey. His desire to become a jazz bassist had become very important to him.

His elder brother refused point-blank to have anything to do with handling the musical instruments. ‘I feel a right twerp even walking off the ship with you dressed the way you are. Bloody embarrassing!’ The young musician could see nothing wrong with the American- styled suit that he had tailored in Shaftsbury Avenue for £5. All the musicians had their suits made there. It was a dark brown gabardine with the latest long lapels, drape-backed jacket, trousers with very narrow bottoms and two inch turn-ups, and a cream shirt with a long spear-point collar. The outfit was complimented by a candy-striped necktie and white sponge-soled shoes, kept free from any stray shoe polish. The pièce de résistance was a pair of rimless glasses – with plain glass – which many of his young musical friends were wearing in England. `You look like some sort of bloody…ah… pseudo Gene Krupuk! The brothel-creeper shoes and that bloody awful haircut, with the duck’s tail at the back. I don’t want to be seen dead with him Mother.’

To the young man, his elder brother’s remarks were water off a ducks back. He knew that his dress sense was far ahead of his ‘square' brother, who, when in England looked quite the country squire when heading up to the pub for his Sunday drinks with his sister – who now waited on the wharf. A Harris Tweed suit – not a jacket – but a suit made from tweed, with a split up the back. He looked as if he should be riding a horse! Why he wore one lemon coloured woollen glove on his right hand and carried the other glove in the same hand was strange. The pipe clamped firmly in his mouth completed the aura of the country squire. No wonder within the family his nickname was “The Baron".

At the bottom of the gangway, two wharfies stood waiting to assist the passengers with the precarious first step onto Australian soil. One was a dissipated Chips Rafferty look-alike, and his mate Jacko was short, barrel-chested, with a large beer-belly to match. Their mode of attire was strikingly different to that of the young musician with the double bass. In fact it was simplicity personified, namely, one pair of black boots, one pair of East Fremantle footy socks, one pair of black shorts (with a hole in the seat), and one navy blue singlet (faded). His mate Jacko differed only in his style of footwear and footy club preference. One pair of South Fremantle footy socks, very worse for wear. One pair of very old footy boots with the studs removed, and of course the ubiquitous blue singlet and black shorts.

The tall one with deep red hair was examining the Poms as they stepped ashore and murmuring significant comments as to their suitability as future Australians. Jacko just stood and rolled a smoke from a tin of Havelock Fine Cut tobacco. ‘Hey Blue’, said Jacko, sotto voce, ‘cop the knockers on the little Sheila in red.’ Blue stared in absolute wonder. `Strike me! Yer could rest a cupla’ full schooners on them and yer wouldn’t spill a drop!’ ‘Come on luv, watch yer step, yer could topple over if yer don’t watch out.’ `Bloody ‘ell Blue, y’game arncha? D’ya see the size of ‘er old man?’ ‘Jacko my son, a faint ‘art never won a … bugger me!...will ya ‘ave a look at what they’re sendin’ us now’. `Where…what?’ `The joker with the over-sized violin. Will yuz’ ave a look at the gear he’s wearin’? Fair dinkum I dunno what this bloody country’s comin’ to.’ Jacko, embarrased by the size and shape of this alien instrument, cracked the usual tired and worn out gag … `Betcha can’t get that under yer’ chin mate! … Ha,ha,ha.’

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A SELECTION OF STORIES
By Campbell Primary School Early Learning Centre
Here are some stories that Kindergarten children told to their teacher Mrs Wylie during the learning about 2004 the Year of the Built Environment. Our place of learning Campbell Primary School Early Learning Centre was established and officially opened during 2004 so it was rather pertinent that we included it into our learning. Children looked at a series of photographs to see the construction, from bushland through to them arriving and then much of the playground/carpark was done during the school day and they saw the workers and the machines in action.

There was trees and no buildings and then they wanted to build a Kindy at the place. There’s not much trees left. The builders brought the stuff to make the Kindy. The gates came and the roof and a cement path. A digger made a line to put pipes in for the sprinklers. They wanted grass and a playground. The Kindy was built. The teachers came and they made the classrooms pretty with all the stuff. Then it was time for all the kids to start. They were happy. I love Kindy.
By Maddison

When it first got built the builders were working on their tractors. They made the buildings, pavements and the playground. They watered the garden with the huge hose. Gravel made a place to walk on because there was too much sand. There’s all kids there now and teachers and they brought their stuff, their classroom stuff. When I first came I feeled different, a little bit crying and then when I left I wasn’t because I had a good time and my Mum picked me up.
By Maslin

Once upon a time there was lots of trees and they cut them down and built a Kindy. The workman used sand and stilts to keep the walls up. They put the roof on with a big crane and a big ladder. Then the concrete came so people don’t get sand in their shoes. When the concrete was dry they put the grass in and the toilets. It was all built. Kids start going in.
My Mum said “Have a nice day.” I was excited. I played with the trains.
By Jack S

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PALACE BOOTMAKERS
By Marie Cooper
I would like to tell you a little about a boot repair shop which older people will remember. It was called ‘ Palace Bootmakers’. The name referred to the fact that it was in the Palace Hotel building on the corner of William and St Georges Terrace Perth for many years. I am not sure what year it commenced but it must have been before World War II because I remember Wally Lothian, who was the owner of the business when I became the Senior Shop Assistant in early 1960s, telling us he returned from the war to his job in the shop. The owner at that time was a Mr Silverlock. Mr Lothian and he were partners until he bought Mr Silverlock out. The reason it was called bootmakers was that Mr Silverlock did actually make boots and shoes in the early days.

Wally Lothian had served his apprenticeship under Mr Silverlock. The business transferred to the corner of William and Murray Streets where it ran for a number of years until Mr Lothian died in the 1980s. It was in its time an icon of Perth.

I joined the firm in 1962 having returned from England, my home country. Jobs for seniors without a trade were hard to come by and the Commonwealth Employment Agency which at the time has premises in Wellington Street found me the job. Although I hated it at first and tried hard to find something more to my liking preferably in newsagents, I ended up staying for over 20 years.

The shop was very busy and, although small, had eight workers when I first started. It was cramped, hot and we worked hard. We worked over 40 hours a week over five and one half days. We had two week’s holiday a year. I do not remember how much we were paid, not a lot I remember. There was nowhere to go to have lunch so I used to sit in Forrest Place (now known as Forrest Chase) and eat my sandwiches. I could not afford to go to a café. If the weather was really bad I would go to Coles in Murray Street and buy a cup of soup or tea. We only had half an hour for lunch so could not go far. In the summer when it was really hot I used to go to the Library in Beaufort Street to cool down. It is now the Museum.

The conditions under which we worked would not be tolerated today but for all that there were compensations. I met many of the rich and famous of Perth and in later years of my employment when the business was not so busy due to the throwaway mentality, I had time to chat to some when they dropped in to have repairs done. Mrs Edgely was one of my favourites. I found most of the upper class, as we call them, to be very approachably and friendly. My boss was surprised at the way I used to chat with them. I always remember him saying one day. Do you know who that lady is? She is worth millions, lives in Peppermint Grove. How can you and she talk as though you live next door to each other? He could not understand they were just people who happened to be richer than we would ever be.

I ended up working at the shop for over 20 years in which time I saw many changes in Perth, which became quite a modern city. The old buildings gradually vanished. I was working in the shop when the AMP building opposite was demolished and the new modern one put up. The noise and dust was awful. It seemed such a shame to have so many buildings of so much glass in a city in which the temperature during the summer is high. Nowadays of course buildings are air-conditioned. We had a fan but it did not help much. It was hot work in summer and cold in the winter. As far as the shop itself was concerned I liked the wooden floor. Although on my feet all day I had no problems with my legs and feet. When we shifted to the more modern shop in an Arcade on the corner of Murray and William Street the concrete floors played havoc with my legs and I almost quit because of it. My father suggested a rubber mat with holes which I stood on. This did the trick.

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MEMORIES OF KONDUT IN THE 1930s
By Bruce Craig
If anyone asked you, ‘What town do you come from’? we always said with great pride Kondut, 140 miles (235kms) north of Perth in the wheat belt. Now Kondut wasn’t exactly a metropolis but it was where Dad and Mum did most of their weekly shopping, received their mail, delivered most of the farm’s wheat production, received and sent goods by rail, participated in the social and sporting activities that abounded in those early days and sent their children to primary school.

Kondut as I first remember it, consisted of one corrugated iron house, (which I think was a shop in earlier years), a local hall built of cement bricks with a weatherboard constructed room the width of the hall attached to the back of it. The hall had a nice jarrah floor, which was highly polished with ‘Bee’s wax and sawdust’, to make it slippery for dancing. The attached back room was called the supper room, for it was in this room that the local ladies would prepare and serve supper at these dances. However the main use of the supper room was for the children of the Kondut district to use as their schoolroom, as Kondut never had a proper school building. Next along the street was the Kondut store and post office, with the owners’ living quarters attached to the back of the shop. This also was a corrugated iron building.

Those three buildings completed that side of the gravel road. On the other side of the road we had the railway line, with the fully enclosed wheat bin running parallel and close, so as when it had to be emptied, the wheat could be transferred directly into railway trucks for transport to Fremantle. On the same side about 100 metres further south, was a flat area used for temporary storage of grain and called a ‘pig pen”. Between the wheat bin and pig pen, was a machinery -loading ramp, again so as it allowed direct loading into rail trucks. Further along on the same side were the railway stockyards, used by farmers when sending stock to market by rail.

The two-room Railway station was on the shop side of the railway line, nearly opposite the loading ramp. It was here at the station where small parcels of all descriptions were off loaded for the district residents, from the goods and passenger trains, at all hours of the day and night. To protect the parcels from the weather, the train’s guard, would place the parcels in the enclosed room but such was the honesty of most people the room was never locked. If you were expecting a parcel, you just went into the room, sorted through the items there, found yours, and away you would go. I don’t think a system like that would work today.

The other room was enclosed on three sides and had a large red bin, in which the mail in canvas bags from the post office, would be placed under lock and key and when the train travelling to Perth came through, the guard on the train would remove the mailbags to be taken to Perth. A similar thing would take place, when the train travelling from Perth stopped at the station and the guard would place the incoming mailbags into the bin, for the postmaster to pick up.

Also in this room was a telephone belonging to the railways, to be used by the train guards to phone up the next major station down the line, to let them know what time to expect their arrival. People waiting at the station often used it to find out why the train was running late and when they could expect it to turn up. Railway timetables were not very reliable. These phones worked on a Morse code system.

The only other building in the town site was a small corrugated iron shed, along side a weighbridge, on which farmers would weigh their loaded wheat trucks when delivering wheat to the wheat bin. The loaded truck would be weighed on arrival and the weight noted by the bin attendant and after the load of wheat had been delivered to the bin, the truck was weighed again and the difference in the two weights was the amount of wheat that the farmer would be paid for. This system is still used today but in a computerised form.

So that completed the actual buildings in the town site and the only other thing of note was on the outskirts, in the form of a horse racecourse with its bush stables and two or three small tin sheds for the officials and for the ladies to serve refreshments. There was, on course on race days, a bar and ice cream stall operating.

For the energetic folk, there were two anthill constructed tennis courts, with a bush bower shed to provide shade for those not taking part out on the courts. In the bower shed hung the very large water bag for all to quench their thirst and it was in here that the wonderful cup of tea, sandwiches and cakes were partaken of, during a break in play.

So you now have an idea of the town of Kondut, as I remember it in my early days. This was the place where my parents and many more district residents supported and looked to for their daily goods and social contacts. C/o Post Office Kondut was the address to be seen on the mail and parcels received. Kondut was like so many more little townships that were part of the lifestyle of the country people in that era.

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GEORGE LEWIS
By Annabel Falkner (Junior Entry)
He was born in Petersberg in South Australia in 1899, and spent his childhood years growing there. When he reached adulthood he moved to Kalgoorlie Western Australia, where his approach into the world began.

World War One had the most major effect on George’s and many others’ lives. Being just a boy when he was sent, George had no idea of what to expect of the time ahead of him. At the age of fifteen years, George Lewis was trained as an explosives officer, and soon found that his task for the war would be to set up bombs. When he arrived along with all the other young men who believed to be fighting nobly for their country, George realized how a war was fought. He was sent in with a battalion group of 400 soldiers, all trained as explosives officers. At the age of fifteen or sixteen years, George had the terrible ordeal no one should have ever experienced. Along with all of the other injuries of the war, there was one he may never have recovered from. George and the other officers were setting up a bomb when it exploded. Although he came out alive, he had his best friend’s dead body splattered over him before his eyes. George Lewis was one of the two soldiers who came out alive in their battalion group from the war, and though physically alive, emotionally scarred forever.

Transport on the goldfields in Western Australia was a very difficult but necessary task for mining companies. In the 1930s, after his childhood war was over, George provided a reliable source for people to travel by air to the outback for mining purposes. The mining was a very important part of the development of Australia’s economy at the time, as gold was a major export. George’s career of flying all began with his meeting of Joe Thorn. Through conversation with this American man, George gathered the information Thorn managed the goldfields in Kalgoorlie, but had great trouble getting to and from mining sites. He needed to travel by plane to the sites, as any other means of transport was incompetent. George added that as well as making planes, he could fly them. After conversation it was decided that George would fly the aeroplane Joe Thorn supplied to the mines as a means of transport for injured workers, supplies etc. They set up their own company by the name of Goldfield Airways. Places such as Meekatharra, Roy Hill, Mt Magnet and various others were visited while flying in the Avro Ansons and Tigermoths around Western Australia for Joe’s observations of mine sites. George not only was a part of the longest lasting airways company used for mining, but by flying out to the outback to help retrieve gold, was used as a key component in building the Western Australian economy.

A call for help was never denied when in the hands of George Lewis. Being the most reliable flyer in the industry proposed voluntary responsibilities that George grasped with open arms. His career in flying was not only based on mining, but George willingly took on the responsibility to take care for the members of the outback. As there were no medical services in remote living areas in the outback, when a person fell ill they would have to be taken to another town to regain health or even life. Planes were the only suitable means of transport being the quickest and most reliable. With the use of George’s company plane, he would respond to calls for help and fly the outback dwellers to the closest hospital when they fell ill. His first mercy mission was in 1934, when a young boy caught pneumonia and needed medical treatment by a doctor immediately. George flew the boy from Kalgoorlie to Esperance to gain treatment, saving his life. This mission was the first step in the formation of the Australian Aerial Medical Service Eastern Goldfields Branch. From then, patients would charter him and his planes if a crisis occurred. George was the only operator in the state and charged one shilling per mile (five cents per two kilometres flown). His services were so successful that the communities of Perth and Kalgoorlie raised money to buy the Service bigger and better planes which would service the whole of Western Australia. In 1937, the Australian Aerial Medical Service Eastern Goldfields Branch was established. We know it today as the Royal Flying Doctor Service. George was paid an annual fee by the Service for his work as a pilot and maintenance of planes which he provided for twenty-two years.

George never took one thing at a time. Working parallel to the first steps of the Flying Doctor Service, George had also been requested to extend his work with the GFA (Goldfield Airways) for charters. His flying expeditions then consisted of flying from Esperance to the Kimberleys and similar distances. He bought a second aeroplane for this task, and was working constantly for the mining company being involved in exploration work. George flew geologist and petrologists widespread over WA searching for minerals and oil. He was asked to find people lost in the vast expanse of the outback, and every time found and returned them to safety. He built up an ‘encyclopedic knowledge’ of the WA outback, and his skill in finding places is still today remembered as legendary.

George’s work and life just kept expanding. He did aerial photographic surveys for more mining companies following from the purchase of his new Avro Anson, and at the same time settled to have a family. Whether my Grandpa ever ‘settled down’ though is a debatable subject. He married, and had two children while still keeping his flying career. His life was well spent, and when in 1990 at the age of ninety-one it finally ended, it was one that all close to him could look back at and be proud of.

References:
Fletcher, T. 1997, ‘The Life and Times of George Lewis’, Logbook, March, pp.8-13.
Webb, M.J & Webb, A. 1993, Golden Destiny, City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia.

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VOTES FOR WOMEN IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
By Imogen Forbes-Macphail (Winner: Junior Entry)
The battle for female suffrage in Western Australia was very different from most other parts of the world. The Forrest government practically handed women the vote in 1899 to try and neutralise the rush of radicalism from the Eastern colonies and the goldfields. This made Western Australia the third place in the world to give women the vote, after New Zealand in 1893 and South Australia in 1894. But during the time when it did not suit the government’s purpose to grant women the vote, there were still several major feminist organisations which agitated in various ways for basic rights and enfranchisement.

One of the most influential of these was the Women’s Christian and Temperance Union (WCTU), a nation-wide women’s association with a major section dedicated to the issue of the vote. It was first introduced to Western Australia in 1892 by Jesse Ackman, an influential American feminist. In October 1893 Elizabeth Nicholls, the Australasian president, came to be present at the first annual WCTU convention in Western Australia, and also at the first suffrage meeting to be held in the colony. By the next year the organisation had amassed so many signatures for a petition on female enfranchisement that it stretched for a mile. The motion was supported by Mr W. Traylen and Mr George Throssell (members of the Legislative Assembly), but not by many others—including other women. At this time, Janetta Foulkes was delegated the role of Suffrage Superintendent of the WCTU, and another important feminist association was formed, the Karrakatta Club.

The Karrakatta Club, like the WCTU, was not originally or solely a suffragist organisation. It began as a literary discussion group, but later developed into a forum for discussion about the situation of women, while under the presidency of Lady Margaret Onslow. Within this circle, women could debate, discuss current issues, and publish papers. Edith Cowan, future politician, and Lady Forrest, wife of the Premier, were some of the original members of the club. Lady Forrest’s husband, unfortunately, was one of those who hindered female enfranchisement when it was proposed in Parliament in 1896 by MP J. Cookworthy. Premier Forrest had three main reasons for his refusal. Firstly, that women had not asked for the vote themselves (obviously ignoring the petition mentioned earlier). Secondly, that there was no precedent in Britain (not that these precedents were always followed either as married women were not allowed to own property in Australia until twenty-two years after English women had secured that right). Thirdly, that it was not a ‘matter of urgency’.

The next year, there was a revival of the motion by Walter James. His argument was not whether it was expedient for the country, but whether it was just. Unfortunately, this Bill too was defeated. At this time the WCTU gained new energy as Christine Clark replaced Janetta Fowles in her role as Suffrage Superintendent. Clark began intensive campaigning, proving that women did want the vote themselves, and encouraged suffragette meetings. One of these, held by Anna Throssell, sent yet another (ignored) letter to the government, stating that ‘in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that for the best interests of the Colony the Franchise be extended to women’. Another of Christine’s publicity moves was to try and get as much about the vote into the press as possible. The WCTU column in the West Australian, ‘News and Notes’, became almost solely focused on suffrage, and the editor happily published letters and positive editorials in the same paper. All this campaigning finally culminated in a renewal of the motion, again by Walter James, in 1898, which was humiliatingly defeated.

On the 27 of April 1899, the last major suffragist group was formed. Christine Clark held a meeting at the Leisure Hour Club in Perth, at which she founded an organisation solely devoted to feminism rather than Christianity, the Western Australian Women’s Franchise League. However, by this time the fight was almost over anyway—due to pressure from the goldfields rather than the suffragettes.

At this time, the goldfield areas were pushing for more equal representation in Parliament. Forrest realised that this would strengthen his opposition, as most of his support came from the over-represented city areas. However, if women were enfranchised, then the proportion of city people would rise (not many women lived out in the goldfields), and most were expected to vote conservative. He declared in June 1899 that a discussion on the issue would take place. In July, when Walter James once again introduced a Bill for female suffrage, Forrest gave his support. The Bill was passed by the Legislative Assembly by a majority of eleven, and by the Legislative Council on the 17 August 1899—finally giving Western Australian women the right to vote. This meant that they were the only women apart from those in South Australia to vote on the 1900 Federation referendum. At the next state election, there were even proportionally more women than men voting (so much for not wanting the vote).

In 1901, the year of Federation, women were finally given the right to vote at a national level. It still took them another nineteen years before they were able to sit in Parliament, but once they were, Edith Cowan was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the following year. In many ways, Western Australian women were the most progressive, producing the first parliamentarians, ministers and premiers in the whole of Australia, and often among some of the first in the world.

References:
Kirsten Lees, Votes for Women, The Australian Story, Allen and Unwin, 1995.
A Matter Of Public Importance: Votes For Women, 26 Nov. 2003 (website)
Launching the Ship Of State: A Constitutional History of Western Australia (website)

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‘FOGS’ WYATT: THE WEATHER MAN
By Margaret Gethin
A brand new year had just started and it was on this day in 1938 that Ray Wyatt at the age of 25 and newly married, stepped off the train from Adelaide at the Perth station, with his wife Joan. He had come to commence the preliminary work in connection with the setting up and maintenance of a Meteorological station at Maylands aerodrome.

The Commonwealth Government had provided special training to meteorologists and university graduates to enable them to provide weather information for civil aviation purposes. Ray, an assistant meteorologist in Adelaide commenced this special training in May 1937 in Melbourne. At the conclusion of the training he was stationed at the Adelaide Weather Bureau until he left for Perth.

Having been provisionally appointed to the position of Assistant Meteorologist for Maylands, Ray had to provide information to fight an appeal in October of the same year to support his claim to keep that appointment. He provided details of his work history with the Commonwealth Public Service and his educational qualifications. At the conclusion of the training in Melbourne he had successfully gained second position in the Examinations having received creditable marks in all subjects and in competition with men of more than 20 years experience behind them.

His appeal was successful and he subsequently arrived in Perth. He commenced giving meteorological reports to the air services in Western Australia and brought Maylands into line with the principal aerodromes in the eastern states.

The station at Maylands was temporarily located in the hanger of the Australian National Airways - in the ambulance room. The room was only big enough for one person to work in and the desk was the ambulance table covered with a sheet of plywood. At a later date the station was given an office in a Department of Civil Aviation building.

With the increase in aviation it had now become necessary to observe and compute upper air readings for the pilots and one of the methods was to use balloons. While still in Adelaide, Ray found that during the winter months it became necessary to begin special balloon flights before daylight and to be able to observe the progress of the balloon, he had constructed a lantern that was attached to the pilot balloon. This lantern proved very satisfactory and was adopted by the Adelaide office. It is assumed that he continued this practice at Maylands.

Duties as an Assistant Meteorologist included general forecasting and verification of same, and preparation of monthly returns to Central Office including extra duty claims. Initially the general weather information came from the Perth Observatory and the required information was issued to airline pilots operating to and from Maylands. In 1940 forecasts were required for the routes Kalgoorlie to Perth, Bullsbrook and District, Wiluna to Perth, Wiluna to Kalgoorlie, Perth to Onslow and Carnarvon to Onslow. Special warnings were also required to be given to the RAAF should dangerous weather conditions develop during the afternoons.

The determination of wind velocities were also an important part of weather forecasting as well as storm warnings to make for the safer operation of the aerial services.

Local weather conditions were sent by radiotelephone to pilots of planes approaching Perth and prior to their departure. Also included were weather prospects along the routes.

In mid-1938 officers of the Meteorological branches were invited to apply for vacant positions and Ray’s successful application to the newly created position of Weather Officer in Charge came into force in November 1938.

Ray’s commitment to his work was such that on a recreational leave to Adelaide he was prepared to visit Parafield office (South Australia) to compare methods. He wanted to travel by aeroplane as he considered “it would be of much assistance in forecasting to have passed over the route”. In his request to the Commonwealth Meteorologist in Melbourne he suggested that Australian National Airways might “allow a substantial concession on the airfares” for him and his family because of the experience gained. He was also prepared to travel to Essendon Aerodrome (Victoria) and the Central Bureau to get further insight into the process of air mass analysis and other aspects of the work over there. The last suggestion was not taken up, but a free return journey from Perth to Adelaide with Australian National Airways was provided.

During the war Ray transferred from civilian life to the RAAF and was employed as a Weather Officer in the services. At some stage he was moved to Corunna Downs in the far north of Western Australia, near Port Hedland.

After the war Ray was appointed to Guildford Aerodrome (Western Australia) as the office had been moved there from Maylands sometime between 1943 and 1946. Apart from a 19 months transfer to Darwin Weather Office in 1946, Ray was stationed at Guildford until 1960 when he returned to Adelaide for the last time to work at Adelaide Airport, West Beach until his death in 1962.

Ray’s wife Joan said that “Ray was given the nickname ‘Fogs’ as he often forecast fogs”. The family always appreciated getting an up-to-date weather forecast before leaving home each day whether it be foggy or not.

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VII BRITISH EMPIRE AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES
By Victoria Gill (Junior Entry)
The world of the 1960s, which had celebrated the turn of the new decade with the 1960 Olympics, was the time when Perth had its turn to show the nation that it could take on the task to host the best sports people from around the Commonwealth for the Seventh British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Perth had never really been host to anything so international so the job of moving Perth forward onto the international sporting stage was a major task. The Western Australian Government planned a costly Athletes Village that was hailed as the best ever and two major stadiums that would serve Perth for many years past the event.

In preparation for the event the Western Australian Government went to major lengths to make the athletes comfortable. They held a competition for the design of a home that would be the design of 150 homes in the new part of City Beach. The land worth at the time was £200,000. These homes gave a desirable lifestyle that many athletes of that time wanted. The houses are still in evidence in City Beach with the bungalows sold after the Games to private citizens. The two main sporting arenas were Perry Lakes, which still serves young athletes of Western Australia today, that cost one million Australian pounds to build, and Beatty Park, that hosts many significant events for Perth.

To open the Games, Prince Philip arrived in Perth a day before the opening, on the RAAF Convair from Canberra, and drove through the streets of Perth while being greeted by hordes of people that lined the streets. Yes, Perth was in its finery with banners on building and people in their Sunday best, waving flags and cheering. “Perth will become the sporting capital of the world during the Games,” pronounced the Melbourne Age, and the world was about to see if Perth could handle this.

The sweltering competition on the track between the athletes was almost beaten by the temperature which consistently rose to over 100ºF for the first three days of the Games. The first day was, not a success with officials blaming a poor turnout to the track and field events on the heat when in truth there was incorrect advertising for starting times. The Melbourne Age reported on these mess ups stating, “Perth, which has worked hard to stage the Games, is in danger of spoiling its greatest moments.” But the races had to go one and the six-mile race was the starting test for the runners as the heat continued to scorch the track.

The day of the six mile race dawned with 104ºF heat and more than one competitor found the race too hot before it had begun. All in all, seven out of the eighteen starters dropped out due to the extremity of the conditions. Bruce Kidd of Canada made the full six miles in a baseball cap, and added a gold medal to his neck. Kidd also pushed through to win bronze in the three mile, though he was beaten to the line in outstanding fashion by both Murray Halberg, of New Zealand, who won gold, and Ron Clarke who took home another silver for the host nation. Halberg’s team mate Peter Snell won gold later in the one mile event, after this Halberg enthusiastically pronounced, “It’s amazing how often Snell and I have won double, and last night we were determined to put the old firm of Halberg and Snell back into business again.” He was referring to Snell and his own victories at the 1960 Rome Olympics where the duo won gold in the 800 metres and 5,000 metres and were won within just hours of each other.

Beatty Park was the stage for the giants of the aquatic world who broke nine world records, seven by Australians, two by the English. The swimming legends Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose and Ian O’Brien performed spectacularly with eleven gold medals to be accounted for between them. Kevin Berry, also an Olympic medalist, achieved three gold medals to make Australia’s domination of the pool complete. Off the diving board, and Brian Phelps of England won the double gold in men’s diving, while Aussie Susan Knight did the same double feat in the women’s competition.

The 4 X 110 yards medley was a greatly anticipated race because the three favourites had each one girl in their team who held a world record of the individual equivalent of their leg. Pam Sargeant became the second member of Australia’s team to hold a world record when she smashed Ludgrove’s record in the first leg. The rest was a matter of holding the lead, and when Fraser dived in there was no swimmer in the pool that could out race her. She finished Australia off with a world record of four minutes forty eight point eight seconds. The Seventh British and Commonwealth Games were coming to a close and all around the world countries were celebrating, this was a year where every country that entered would win a medal.

As the closing ceremony was commenced few people remembered the hitches in the early parts of the games. The friendliness of the people of Perth was echoed in the closing ceremony when sports stars like Dixi Willis, who had earlier won the 880 yards final in front of her home crowd, walked arm-in-arm with the woman she had just beaten, Marise Chamberlain. Others like Bruce Kidd, Seraphino Antao, Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose and Geoff Dynevor paraded around the stadium to the cheers of thousands of fans. The unscheduled serenade of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ brought athletes and spectators alike to tears. Perth finally bade farewell to the athletes whom they had cared for and supported no matter what nation they come from. The world needed no more proof Perth could keep up the standard of sport and community on an international level.

References:
Dheensaw. C, 2001, ‘The Commonwealth Games Then First 60 Years 1930-1990’, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney, New South Wales.

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CARNARVON TRACKING STATION
By Alison Gregg
Most of the kids in our street in Carnarvon in the 1960s could count down from ten to zero before they learnt to count from one to ten. ‘10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-Ignition-2-1-0-Lift off!’ was their regular, joyous playground chant. It was part of their everyday play, learnt from their parents on the staff of Carnarvon Space Tracking Station, tracking Gemini and Apollo missions in the space race to the Moon.

The Station (call sign ‘CRO’) was established in 1963 in preparation for NASA’s space science research and manned spaceflight programs. Carnarvon was chosen because it was one of the few locations able to track spacecraft launched from the US into Earth orbit, then at critical points in transit, and finally into orbit around the Moon. CRO’s geographical location meant that it was the first station within the NASA network able to confirm that a newly launched spacecraft had achieved orbit, and provide precise details of its path – information critical to the success of each mission. While some CRO equipment operated 24-hours a day all year round, Tracking staff were always rostered round-the-clock during missions and in the lead-up training and fine-tuning trials that preceded them. Everyone was on call during spaceflights. CRO also supported large numbers of unmanned missions sent to gather data on activities beyond normal land-based range - sunspot activities and solar flares among them.

Staff were recruited from around Australia, the UK and anywhere else that could provide the 200 or so highly skilled physicists, electronics engineers and technicians needed to keep the station operating. Many came with young families, eager for adventure and happy to start a new life in what was then a remote, little-known outpost on Australia’s northwest coast. Antenna arrays, communications and control buildings sprouted on the red sand hills of Brown’s Range, 11 kms out of town. Staff were employed by contractor Amalgamated Wireless (A’Asia) reporting to the Australian Department of Supply. CRO was established to provide operations and maintenance for all NASA missions, to relay communication and to support and provide crucial information direct to the astronauts and NASA’s Manned Space Flight Center at Houston.

CRO staff gained renown throughout the network for their accuracy, technical efficiency, reliability and ingenuity in inventing effective solutions to problems that inevitably arose in this untried field. It was a pioneering role and they revelled in it. For the staff themselves, CRO brought an opportunity to work on state-of-the-art programs and equipment, and network with likeminded professionals around the world. It also brought travel and educational opportunities. Few had visited the US before being sent there for NASA training.

Trackers’ families benefited too. Many came to revel in the different lifestyle Carnarvon provided. They joined local sporting teams, took to fishing and swimming; gave strong support to a wide range of local service clubs, churches and community organisations. Many savoured their first taste of outback station life and small town living. They joined the local drama and music groups, formed a Trackers’ pub band, staged an annual Ball, built floats for the annual Tropical Festival street parade and they partied. Mission times - when work demands took absolute precedence - were difficult for families, but everyone there at the time remembers the elation of each successful conclusion and the splashdown party that followed.

For Carnarvon, the station meant an inflow of young families and singles with high technical skills and a willingness to adapt to new conditions. Some were disappointed, but most revelled in the opportunities Carnarvon provided. Several stayed on in the town after the Station closed in 1975. In 1994, 25 years after the first Moon landing, over 100 former staffers and families travelled back to Carnarvon to celebrate that anniversary. Now, using electronic communications that are in part a spin-off of the 1960s NASA program, they still keep in touch with each other and the town.

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POINT WALTER MIGRANT CAMP 1966
By Linda Harris
The Witkowski family arrived in Fremantle aboard the Fairsea on 28th April 1966, and stayed in a caravan at the Point Walter Migrant Hostel for six weeks until the middle of June 1966. My parents Marian (Mike) Witkowski and Ann Witkowski wanted to immigrate to Australia to give my younger sister and I a “better way of life”. My sister Janet was five and I had just turned seven when we arrived.

The first impression I got of the place was the long dining room and our first meal which was baked beans on toast. To this day the smell of baked beans reminds me of Point Walter. We wore “flip flops” (thongs) for the first time during this period and I found them very uncomfortable and hard to walk in. Within the first couple of days there, I was unfortunate to get into the middle of an older children’s rock throwing fight and stumbled into the dining room of the hostel bruised and bleeding. I was immediately taken to Fremantle Hospital were my head was promptly shaved and stitched up. Not a very good start I’m afraid.

Point Walter is on the Swan River and was turned into a Migrant Hostel after formerly being used as an Army Barracks. It was supposed to be for short-term accommodation when Australia embarked on a policy of post-war immigration. These were times when there was the White Australia Policy in place and the catch phrase was “The cradle can’t do it, let’s bring out a Brit”. So this became the home of up to 1200 British migrants otherwise known as the “ten pound Poms” as that was the cost of the assisted passage at the time. If a family chose to leave within a two year period then they would have to reimburse the government the full amount of their fare.

The swimming was great and I have lots of happy memories jumping off the Point Walter Jetty and taking my chances swimming back to shore amongst the jellyfish. We had a small shop on site and I would buy two Black Cat bubblegums for one cent and a Choo-Choo bar for three cents. What times they where when you could get ten cents a week pocket money and still have change! What happy days.

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A LIGHTHOUSE KEEPING FAMILY
By Debbie Hills
In 1957 my father became a lighthouse keeper. He and Mum, then 23 years old, packed their clothes, bedding and cookware; rented out their war service home; divvied up their furniture and car amongst family, and boarded a plane north with their three small children.

After a 14 hour boat trip from Darwin, they anchored in Cape Don lagoon at the tip of the Coburg Peninsula. A lightkeeper appeared through thick monsoon rain to row them ashore. Their possessions and stores were ferried by a trolley that the men pushed to the lighthouse station up a long sloping rail track through woolly-butt gum trees and wild grass as tall as a man. My parents, Lew and Elaine Hills, had a wet start to their almost twenty years in the lighthouse service.

Cape Don had three keepers. Each house on high stumps had wide shuttered verandas all round, breezeway passages crisscrossed down the centre, and French doors or tall windows in every wall to catch any breeze. In the Wet, mould attacked clothes and books; prickly-heat rash flourished in sweaty creases and Sand flies stamped hot red dots all over us. We learned to hold our slices of bread up to the light to pick out the weevils.

While Dad kept watch up the tower at night, carted kerosene for the lamp, cut grass, painted and laboured, Mum learnt to make bread and manage with supplies shipped in twice a year by the lighthouse ship “Cape Otway”. Mail and groceries came once a fortnight by boat from Darwin. Dad, a Navy electrician, became a carpenter, plumber, painter, mechanic, radio operator, and paramedic, while Mum became a nurse, teacher, baker, dressmaker, hairdresser and accountant.

Within six months Mum went to Darwin where I arrived, the last of four children born within three years and ten months. At 37, my father made up for his late marriage. I was three when we left Cape Don for Cape Leeuwin in the far south west of Western Australia.

As junior keeper Dad had the cottage closest to the tower. We children caught jilgies at the old Water Wheel, and swam in the little rocky pools around the station. The two eldest, Lew and Bev, went to the little black clapboard primary school in Augusta, followed by Jen, then me. At Sunday school in the main street, with our sixpences tied into the corners of our handkerchiefs, we heard bible stories in shafts of sunlight where dust motes danced like prima ballerinas.

Just after the 1964 floods when the Alexandria Bridge washed past the assembled crowd at the Augusta Hotel, we moved to Eclipse Island, off Albany where Dad was Headkeeper. On Eclipse, he told us, birds live underground and rabbits live in the trees. He was right. The Island is undermined by mutton birds that stream up at sunset like black kites to toss and reel in the gales echoing their shrieks. Rabbits burrow under Peppermint trees that the wind spreadeagles against the steep rocky slopes.

We had our last Guy Fawkes Night there, our firecrackers launched like the flares of the lost as our Guy, made from old khaki overalls stuffed with newspaper, slowly knelt in the flames.

When the fortnightly mail boat came, everything was hauled onto the Island by a crane which dangled a big round cane basket above the dinghy rowed over from the larger boat. From the bobbing dinghy, the landing above looked as sturdy as a handful of toothpicks snagged in a rock crevice. At the landing stores were loaded into a “skip” suspended on wire rope over tall trestles to the top of the Island, then lowered onto a trolley that the men pushed on rails to the three purple brick houses squatting under one asbestos roof.

We made cubbies in old chook roosts, and played Cowboys and Indians in the groves of wild Arum Lilies. We all did correspondence school until my brother was sent away to the Hostel in Albany so he could attend High School the following year.

After three years at Eclipse we transferred to Cape Leveque, north of Broome. Then a two-man station, Leveque is a tropical paradise of blood red soil, turquoise sea, vivid greenery and brilliant white beaches. We lived by the tide. Tide out meant fishing and shell collecting. Tide in meant swimming.

The mail plane came fortnightly, and the lighthouse ship “Cape Don” came three times a year. We had down-the-road neighbours for the first time – the Browns at Cygnet Bay Pearling Farm, and the Catholic Mission at Lombadina. Occasionally the Navy dropped in for a barbecue and movie show on our front lawn. There was no television, telephone, commercial radio or regular newspapers, but we had ABC radio. In 1969 we listened as Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.

Cape Leveque was semi-automatic, with a radio beacon so we had electricity all night! There were no shifts up the tower, but Dad got up to send off weather reports. His torch light moved up the hill in dots and dashes. When the light stared like a persistent eye in any one direction it meant that he was killing a snake.

After five years, we moved back to Cape Leeuwin where this time, as Headkeeper, Dad got the house closest the gate and the crowds of tourists. Bev left for nursing training at Fremantle Hospital; Jen boarded in Bunbury for senior high school, and I caught a bus each day to Margaret River High School from the Scenic Road turnoff. My brother was now a junior clerk at Bruce Rock Shire Office. When Jen and I graduated we also left for the city. Our lighthouse time was over.

Soon after my father retired, and my parents joined us. And one by one the lighthouses became automatic until there are no more families living as we did - listening to the tide; keeping an eye on the weather; watching that magnificent beam sweep the horizon.

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THE PERTH SWAN BELL TOWER
By Oliver Keys (Junior Entry)
Costing millions of dollars to build and one of the most controversial buildings in Perth, the Swan Bells is now a tourism destination in Western Australia.

The building of the Bell Tower was one of the first steps in the state government’s Barrack Street Jetty redevelopment program and was proposed by the then Premier of Western Australia, Richard Court. In November 1999, the construction of the Swan Bell Tower began. The erection of the Tower took the good part of a year and was completed in December 2000, just in time for its opening on New Years Eve to celebrate the new millennium. Eighty-two and a half meters tall the Swan Bells is one of the largest musical instruments in the world. Of the six levels, the top is an observation deck. One part of the deck looks south across the Swan River and the other north at Perth city.

There are 18 bells featured in the Swan Bells Bell Tower. Twelve of these bells were given to Perth as part of the 1988 bicentenary by the cities of London and Westminster along with five specially cast bells that are not included in the bell tower. The other six came from various other sources.

The twelve original bells hailed from the St Martin-in-the-fields church, the parish church of Buckingham Palace. Originally located in Trafalgar Square, in London, the bells have rung to celebrate many historical events. These include the English victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588, the homecoming of Captain James Cook after his voyage of discovery in 1771 and the World War II victory at El Alamein. The bells have also celebrated the coronation of every British monarch since George II in 1727 and rung in the New Year at Trafalgar Square for more than 275 years. The bells have been in existence since before the 14th century and were recast in the 16th century by Queen Elizabeth I. They were again recast between 1725 and 1770 by three generations of the Rudhall family of bell founders from Gloucester in England. The London Diocese of the Church of England and the parish of St Martin-in-the-fields gave authority for the project to proceed.

The additional bells cast in 1988 include one from the City of London with help given by the City of Westminster, and three bells bestowed by a consortium of British and Australian mining companies. The sixth bell was added into the ring by the West Australian Government to mark the second millennium.

Below is a table of the differing Mass, Note and Casting Date of the bells in the Swan bell tower.

Bells marked with an asterisk (*) were given by the Cities of London and Westminster or by the consortium of British and Australian mining companies.
The bell marked by a hash (#) is the one added by the West Australian Government.

The bells add up to have a combined mass of 8809 kilograms and a combined approximate age of 829 years. They play a variety of notes.

Bell No. Mass(kg) Note Casting Date

#Treble 241 D# 1998
*Second 238 C# 1988
*Third 263 B# 1988
*Flat Third 261 B 1988
*Fourth 254 A# 1988
Fifth 279 G# 1758
Sixth 263 F# 1770
Seventh 284 E# 1758
Eight 300 D# 1725
Ninth 370 C# 1725
Tenth 390 B# 1725

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ERNEST A. LA SOUEF AND HIS ASSOCIATION WITH PERTH ZOO
By Courtney Kidd (Junior Entry)
Ernest A. La Souef was born on September 13, 1869, and from that very moment, his life was based fully around nature. As a child he lived in a small country cottage in Gembrook, near the Dandenong Ranges, with his mother and father, his grandmother - who was a passionate, if untrained, nature artist - and his eight brothers and sisters. His home was abundant in plants, and many species of wildlife: platypuses, bellbirds, lyrebirds, koalas, kangaroos, and many others. His family had a small holiday home at Ramahyuck, where they would spend Christmas each year. In 1887, when he was eighteen, he met Miss Ellie, whom he fell in love with. They became engaged, and married at Ramahyuck Mission Station, where they first met.

La Souef was a man of fine appearance, with medium build. He wore a moustache, and had deep brown, wavy hair. He was a well-loved man, with a personality that allowed him to stand out in a crowd. He was an honest man, who had a good, clean sense of humour. He had a strong sense of values, and was courteous of everyone he met. He was the kind of person that had no trouble getting noticed. These characteristics allowed him a pleasant life.

He received his position as Head Director of Perth Zoo in 1897; the year before it opened to the public. He had been commissioned the nearly impossible job of designing, and managing the construction of the zoo on a small budget of £4000, which was funded from the West Australian Government, by the President of Perth Zoo, Winthrop Hackett; apparently a stubborn, pushy man. Here is a passage from an entry in La Souef’s diary:

"...he just pressed me altogether beyond my strength, and made me rush on with all the work. I had to design everything myself, and find out the cheapest and best ways of doing the work, and do it quickly. I knew I must make no mistakes, for my President (Mr Hackett) never forgives a blunder, and always judges a thing by its success. I was so harassed for money, and so overworked that I felt I would break down altogether, but I am feeling much stronger now, and I have got the gardens really going. People who were against the zoo are turning round, and I have converted them to the zoo by dozens” ... and in another entry he wrote ... “They (the Western Australian Government) spent £15,000 on the ballroom at government house, while the mint and observatory must each have cost a fortune, and I have only got £4000 pounds for carrying out such large work as making a zoo of thirty six acres."

This pressure placed onto him by his superiors, both financially, and physically, induced him to show to them that, despite all their negativity on the whole thing, he could, and would make this zoo to his best ability. His stubborn will aided him in forming a natural masterpiece, with tropical, extravagant plants from all around the globe, combined with a variety of beautiful, wild animals. Perth Zoological Gardens became a gem of Western Australia, with tourists coming from uncountable distances to visit the angelic, pulchritudinous gardens and wildlife.

La Souef had a deep sense of responsibility towards the zoo and finished everything he had in mind to improve it. The mouth-watering beauty of his surroundings that are such a vital element of Perth Zoological Gardens are said to have been what the visitors remembered most fondly of. La Souef flamboyantly displayed the gardens during concerts, shows, competitions and delightful dances, with fairy lights lacing each and every tree and bush within sight. Many visitors commented on the sheer beauty of these concerts. Here is one such account:

"The grounds are beautifully laid out. The aromatic flowerbeds, ornamental ponds and rockeries, gushing fountains, miniature castles and turrets make it a charming place to spend an afternoon and evening. At night the grounds are illuminated with hundreds of different coloured lamps which send a rainbow radiance over the scene. Concerts are held every Saturday evening during summer, and there is a really fine quartet called Orpheus whose harmonious blending of sweet music in the lovely summer nights is well worth listening to."

La Souef was a man with a deep love for nature, and horticulture, and so created Perth Zoo with a wide variety of beautiful, tropical plants, his favourite, however, being the tall majestic palm trees that have always been such a prominent feature of the Zoo. They were perfect for dangling fairy lights during concerts, that would sparkle and twinkle wildly, above the visitors admiring faces. La Souef’s fine choices of plants have given Perth Zoo a fine exhibit, that is still standing proudly today.

He worked at Perth Zoo as Head Director for a memorable thirty-six years. His departure was a sad day. At his departure ceremony, this song was dedicated to him:

"Farewell and Adieu

The tigers are growling the Dingoes are howling
The noise of bewailing is heard in the zoo
The elderly lions and all their young scions
They weep as they bid you farewell and adieu

(Chorus) Farewell and adieu, farewell and adieu
We weep as we bid you farewell and adieu.

The panthers and leopards are sheep without shepherds
The crocodile mourns and the hippo looks blue
Your parting enrages the birds in their cages
The monkeys are moaning farewell and adieu

The camel is grieving, the elephants leaving
his dinner untasted, as is the gnu
The peacock and emu, the crane and the seamew
are screaming in anguish farewell and adieu

So all the poor creatures, with grief on their features
are moaning and groaning, “oh what shall we do,
with sorrows eternal, we’ll long for our colonel
we can’t bear to bid you farewell and adieu".

Ernest La Souef died in Margaret River at the age of sixty-eight, in 1937.

References:
W.H. Tyler 1999, Battye library, Perth zoological gardens the First hundred years 1898- 1998 [accessed 5/11/04] pp.20-21.

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JOHN BELL
By Louise Kingston
John Bell was a remarkable human being. He was born in Armadale, Western Australia on 4th December 1935 to Edward and Emma Bell, both descendants of first settlers.

When he was eight he did swimming lessons at Crawley Bay in Perth and witnessed the magnificent Catalina flying boats landing and taking off. This inspired his life long passion for flying boats. He left school at thirteen to travel to the east to join the Air force to learn to fly. Unfortunately during this time the rules changed and he had to learn to fly privately. Such was his determination he earned the money by washing others’ uniforms and polishing their boots on his day off. He was finally granted an honourable discharge from the Air force and commenced work for an aerial spraying company in New South Wales. It was difficult and tiresome work and when he was offered a job back in Western Australia he jumped at it. He left to travel back across the Nullarbor, a dirt track in those days, with a pie and a bottle of lemonade in his trusty Willy’s jeep. He was forced to stop half way across when the rear springs snapped and spent a week or so on a farm repairing his vehicle.

Back in Western Australia he commenced work for a freight company flying supplies up to the north of the State. By chance he heard of a position spotting whales for the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company in Albany. He started as their first full time pilot in 1961 flying a Cessna 150 the company leased from a local pilot. In 1963, the Whaling Company bought their own plane, a Cessna 173 on floats. It was housed in a hangar on the Kalgan River and was a familiar site to the locals taking off each morning about daybreak to travel the forty miles to the edge of the continental shelf to join the company’s three chasers. In 1961, John was involved in a rescue of one of the Chasers’ skippers’, Ches Stubbs, who had lost the lower part of his leg which had been caught in the rope attached to the harpoon. John, in rough seas, landed the floatplane and flew Ches back to awaiting help. He received a Bravery Award, presented at Parliament House. Many stories and poems have been written about the event. In 1967, the company changed their type of plane to the more efficient push-pull Cessna 337. It had a much longer range and because of the two motors, floats were not needed giving the pilot better vision. It could also take off from the local airport.

In 1971, with the future of whaling uncertain, John moved to Geraldton to take up a position flying supplies out to the Abrolhos Islands for the cray fishing industry. The hours were exceptionally long and he missed Albany, so when the chance arose to return to Albany and open a museum at the Whaling Station, with some part time spotting, he jumped at it. The first museum, a half-round Nissan hut was opened in 1974. After the station closed in 1978, he and his family continued to operate the museum until he was offered the position of Manager after the Jaycees Community Foundation was given the shell of the Whaling Station in 1980. This proved to be a very successful partnership, with the development of what is now Whaleworld. John was also involved quite ironically in whale spotting surveys for the Western Australian Government. One of the last chasers, the Cheynes IV, which is a formidable site as you approach Whaleworld, is testament to John’s determination. He was told that no amount of money in the world would be enough to shift it, but he designed a plan that was not only cheap, but also very simple.

He also collected wartime aircraft, which were housed at Whaleworld. His ultimate dream was to fly passengers up the West Australian coast to Ningaloo Reef in his Catalina.

His life was cut tragically short on March 13th, 1996 when his Cessna 337 crashed at Manypeaks, east of Albany whilst searching for drugs. John Bell was my father and I am very proud of the legacy he has left for the people of Western Australia.

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THE SISTERS OF MERCY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
By Sr Flo O’Sullivan and Michele Lillico
The first group of Sisters of Mercy in Australia landed at Fremantle on the 7th January 1846 after responding to a request for Sisters to establish a foundation in the Swan River Colony by the then Bishop of Perth, Dr John Brady. Bishop Brady told them of thousands of children in need of education in the colony. This request struck a chord with the Sisters because at the heart of their mission was the education and relief of the poor and destitute. Six Sisters and one postulant were sent with Dr Brady from the Baggot Street Convent in Dublin Ireland.

The arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia in 1846 was only 15 years after the founding of the Order by Catherine McAuley. Catherine McAuley had earlier in 1827 set up an Institute of Mercy in the heart of Dublin, dedicated to the relief and education of poor and destitute young women. This had lead to the establishment of the religious Order known as the Sisters of Mercy in 1831.

The Sisters had no accommodation arranged for them when they arrived that first day as they were not expected and had to quickly find somewhere to stay. They were able to rent a cottage until the following week. This cottage was the Whaler’s Arms, where a Mrs Martha Crisp, a very kindly Methodist lady gave them accommodation. The building was situated close to the present premises of Sharp’s Tobacconist on the corner of Barrack and Hay Streets, directly opposite the Town Hall. Their next residence would be a small house located on St Georges Terrace, opposite the main entrance gate to Government House. This house would become the first convent of Mercy in Australia and also serve as the first Mercy school.

Throughout the past 156-year story of the Sisters of Mercy in Western Australia, the Sisters have been women of action, providing support and care whenever it was needed. In the early years of the colony, and despite primitive and intimidating conditions early in this century, the Sisters undertook to establish schools in many areas throughout this vast state. The early works of the Sisters of Mercy were the establishment of the first successful schools in Perth, and the first Ladies College in Australia, thus having a significant impact on the education and wellbeing of the early settlers.

From Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, Norseman, Leonora and Menzies in the goldfields, to Donnybrook, Bridgetown, Harvey and Dardanup in the southwest to York and Toodyay in the wheat belt, to the metropolitan area, the Sisters of Mercy operated many suburban primary and secondary schools. Health Care and Aged Care also became well-established works including the establishment of Mercy Hospital, Catherine McAuley Centre, Edgewater Mercy, Mercyville Hostel and Villa Maria Hostel.

The 150th Anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Western Australia was celebrated on Tuesday 9 January 1996. A re-enactment ceremony, held at the site of the very first school at Victoria Square (now Mercedes College), brought to life the first steps of the landing of the first pioneer sisters thousands of miles from home.

Today there are 17 Congregations of the Sisters of Mercy throughout rural and urban Australia, and there are two foundations in Papua New Guinea and Pakistan. They continue to follow their vision and mission which is to know God's loving kindness and to share it with others. While the Sisters in Western Australia no longer have direct teaching roles in their schools they continue to provide services to those most vulnerable in our society such as Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, youth, the economically poor, people in rural areas, women, migrants and refugees.

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BELLEVUE PRIMARY SCHOOL (1903-2004) THE END OF AN ERA
By Helen Lucy
The completion of the rail line from Fremantle to Guildford in 1881 and its extension to the Eastern Goldfields in the late 1890s, led to development of the greater Midland area which included Bellevue where the presence of clay deposits suitable for brick making had been found. Along with the marshalling yards, the abattoirs and the relocation of the State Railway Workshops from Fremantle to Midland completed by 1904, the area developed even more. By 1903 the population of Bellevue exceeded 600. Local children at that time went to school at either Midland Junction or Smiths Mill (now Glen Forrest) by train.

The owner of the Bellevue Hotel and Member for the District, Thomas Wilkins, approached local government and Education Department authorities about the need for a school to open in Bellevue. In 1902 a local landowner, Edward Robinson, offered a quarter acre of land for school grounds with the option of another block for £30. The government agreed to take the offer from Mr Robinson and a one-classroom school with accommodation was built.

The school was officially opened on 28 September 1903 with 53 pupils and one teacher. Numbers quickly grew and by October there were 77 pupils enrolled. At the beginning of 1904, there were 120 students. Those early years led to further additions to the school and extra staff being employed. More requests were made by the Head Teacher for furniture and materials for fencing etc to accommodate the growing population. In November 1906, a bell and post was installed in the school grounds by the front gate. In 1970, it was moved and placed inside the school corridor.

Bellevue Primary School, in its long life always took pride in the gardens and trees on the property. A huge Marri tree, believed to be between 300-400 years old was situated in the centre of the playground and remained a main focal point of the school. The school emblem was based on the tree.

Disruption to education occurred during World War II when the Army commandeered some schools for use. In 1942 the school was used as a stores depot. It is believed that during this time electric lights were installed and the school quarters demolished and a rose garden was planted.

Post World War II there was a major increase in numbers at the school due to returned servicemen’s children entering the school system and the influx of European migrants. It is believed that at some time during the late 1950s and early 1960s a family at the school represented almost every European country. Many new students spoke no English and teachers spoke no other language. Now in this day and age, it is encouraged that languages other than English be taught at our schools.

The constant changes over the years in student enrolments and needs always brought the school community together whether fighting for improved resources or increasing the number of teaching staff. Changes in government brought changes in funding and methods of schooling. In the 1950s, the threat of closure loomed due to a lack of numbers when another school opened one kilometre away but the school still remained open.

In 1998, talks of amalgamation between Helena Valley and Koongamia and including Bellevue under the Local Area Education Plan angered many parents and students. The fight to stay open was on! Many meetings were held with dozens of letters written to local government authorities, state politicians and officials from the Education Department. Finally, after years of uncertainty, the decision to close Bellevue Primary School was announced to parents by letter in December 2002. Students from the neighbouring Koongamia School would relocate to Bellevue during the demolition and rebuilding of a new combined school on the Koongamia site to be opened in 2004.

Official centenary celebrations began in July 2002 with the unveiling of the centenary banner by one of the oldest ex-students, 97 year-old Mr Ernest McSwain. The chosen motto was “A Century of Friendships and Learning”. On 1 November 2003 the school’s centenary was celebrated on the school grounds. Over eight hundred past students, teachers and staff, parents and their families attended over the course of the day. Their ages ranged from the very young to the oldest living ex -student who was 97 years old. It was a huge success with memorabilia on display in the library, a formal ceremony with speeches made by invited dignitaries in the undercover area and photographs taken of old classmates under the old Marri tree. Refreshments were served and the feeling was one of happiness and celebration. The oldest ex-student, Mr Ernest McSwain and oldest ex-teacher, 94 year-old Mr Roland Cantwell, cut two birthday cakes and received commemorative medals for their efforts. A reunion to be remembered!

A highlight of the day was the launch of the much-anticipated book containing the history of the school and stories written from past students, teachers and parents. The compilation of the book was truly a community effort. A local man volunteered his time and resources in formatting and organizing printing. Members of the Residents and Ratepayers Association collated and typed the stories and research for the formatting and funding of the project was provided through a grant from the City of Swan and donations from the P & C.

The official closure took place on the afternoon on Tuesday, 9 March 2004. Past students, teachers and families attended to listen to the final words of current students and leaders of the school community recounting their memories. The flag was lowered and the siren rung for the final time. All students and staff members were presented with a commemorative medallion.

After over 100 years of providing public education to local children, the Bellevue Primary School site has been sold to a private developer. The school bell, which dates from 1906, provides a link to the past and has been relocated to the new combined Clayton View Primary School in Koongamia.

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JOHN WATSON RUTHERFORD
By Joan Malpass
John Watson Rutherford (1831-99) was just one of around 9,718 convicts that came to Western Australia to help build the prosperity of the colony between 1850 and 1868. He was born in 1832 in North Shields, on the outskirts of Newcastle, Northumberland, England. He arrived at Fremantle as a prisoner on the ‘Stag’ on 2 June 1855. He later went on to help populate Western Australia by having ten children.

It seems that J.W. Rutherford came from seafaring roots as his marriage certificate shows his father as John Rutherford, Mariner. John Rutherford was married to Elizabeth Watson. John and Elizabeth had five other children, who were all younger than John Watson. These five siblings were Mary Ann, Susannah, Elizabeth, Alexander and George.

Britain was re-assessing her criminal system at that time and beginning to keep more of her lesser offenders at home. Rutherford had a short criminal record. His first conviction on 29 July 1850, when he was aged nineteen, was for stealing lead from a building. He was sentenced to three months imprisonment. His mother Susannah Watson had died of cholera in Newcastle in 1849 approximately one year before he was first convicted. The Cholera Enquiry Commission of 1854 found that cholera was consistently high in the Newcastle area with poverty, poor housing and sanitation being major factors in its continuation.

According to Robert Hughes, ‘poverty begets theft, monotonously and predictably’. Four fifths of all transportation was for ‘offences against property’. The crimes for which Rutherford was transported were amongst the 6% for ‘theft of wearing apparel’. On release from his first prison sentence Rutherford stole a pair of boots. For this offence, on 1 January 1851 at Unphany Assizes, he was sent to prison for one year. His occupation was given as sailor and his religion as Protestant, Northumberland. The1851 census index includes an entry for John Rutherford aged eighteen years, occupation sailor, birthplace Shields and prisoner at Morpeth. English Prison records at the time show his next of kin as his father together with two brothers and three sisters residing at North Shields,

Following his release, Rutherford quickly re-offended. At the 1852 Quarter session, in Hexham, Northumberland, England, he was convicted of larceny in that he stole clothes off a clothesline to the total value of eight shillings. The deposition stated that he: did feloniously steal take and carry away Two pairs of fustian Trowsers of the value of three shillings, one fustian Jacket of the value of three shillings one fustian Waistcoat of the value of one shilling and one Shirt to the value of one shilling of the goods and chattels of John Brookbank against the Peace of our Sovereign lady the Queen her Crown and Dignity.

For this crime, he was sentenced to fourteen years and transportation. At that time he was just twenty-three years old, and single. He is on his arrival at the ‘Stag’ in May 1855 as being five feet seven and three quarter inches with brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion. His appearance was stout and he had two bracelets with a rose, shamrock, and thistle on his left arm. His occupation was described as chain maker.

When convicts arrived in Western Australia, they were usually sent to labour on public works. John Watson Rutherford was sent to Vasse. He obtained his ticket of leave on 30 August 1856, fifteen months after he arrived in WA. With this ticket of leave he was able to work for private employers for normal wages. He worked as a timber worker for many years. Places he worked at included Bealup, Ludlow Bridge and Yokanup.

He married Elizabeth Burton, daughter of Thomas Burton, on 20 August 1860 in Busselton. They went on to have 10 children. The children were Emma, Susan, John Thomas, George, Michael, Elizabeth, Robert, Mary Ann, William and Margaret.

His second son, George Rutherford, was born at Bealup. George later married Rose Anna Smith at Quindalup. George had a son, George Arthur Rutherford, born 17 August 1896. He married Eva Lucille Smith.

Arthur George Rutherford was born on 17 August 1927. On 3 September 1949, he married Kathleen Vida Sylvia Plunkett (born 12 July 1930). Shane Arthur Rutherford (son-in-law of the author) was born as their youngest child on 11 May 1965 at Busselton Hospital.

J.W. Rutherford was granted a conditional pardon in 1863. Apparently taking advantage of the system he had been through, he subsequently employed thirty-four Ticket of Leave men on occasions between 1863–1876. On 21 February 1899 he died at Fremantle aged sixty-seven years (Registration Number 803).

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THE DILEMMA OF JOHN SEPTIMUS ROE
By Ean McDonald
A glance at the road systems of Greater Perth Metropolis in the suburbs a little way out north and east from the centre reveals strange patterns in the form of many long roads seeming to radiate out from the banks of the River. Although somewhat obscured these days by subdivisions cluttered with crescents, cul de sacs and parklands, a critical examination will show the basic underlying stretched out patterns. This can easily be seen in places from Caversham westwards though Lockridge to Dianella, from Bayswater through to Bedford, and again from Belmont eastwards through to Kewdale. Roads like Benara, Marshall, Morley Drive in the west, and Abernethy, Belgravia and Hardey in the east still run alongside one another for many kilometres all heading directly away from the banks of the river.

If that was “Town Planning” as it was practiced in the early days of the Swan River settlement, then one may wonder where John Septimus Roe learned his trade. It seems to belie logic and lifestyle of any era. There was however a deeper reason than a ruling of straight lines; as was done later in some suburbs said to have been “Town Planned ” by experts. A great deal of the “planning” came about because of a repeated dilemma faced by J S Roe as Surveyor General of the new Colony.

As Perth became known in the “Old Country” as a desirable place to have land holdings and even to settle, there were many wealthy and influential families anxious to grab a little of the pickings in the growing settlement , perhaps to occupy an errant son or two. Those who had friends in high places naturally prevailed upon them perhaps to call in a favour or two by way of a nice friendly letter from on high to Master Roe. Such a letter could read, “ You will no doubt oblige me by considering a grant to my dear friend Charles, a title to say two thousand acres of land fronting the Swan River “

As these people descended upon the colony in droves besieging Roe with their “requests” he simply ran out of such acres. He puzzled on how to divide so little river bank among so many grantees. He racked his brains to find a solution. He could give the grants in area terms but soon ran out of river banks.

His solution was brilliant. As long as the lands of his new “settler” fronted the river he had complied with the instructions of his London masters. He apportioned the river fronts in very small pieces maybe a hundred yards or so. A one thousand acre Lot could be achievable but it could then be nearly three miles “long”. Today that would be one hundred meters by about four and a half kilometres.

Benara Road is about nine kilometers long. It could well have been a boundary of a grant to a very important person of two thousand acres , and Roe could have rested in comfort satisfied that he had fulfilled his obligation to give the favoured new settler chap his land, indeed “ fronting the Swan River “.

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BLACKBOY HILL COMMEMORATION
By Ean McDonald
Blackboy Hill at Greenmount was part of a grant of land to Captain Stirling.
In 1914 a camp was set up on the hill where 32,000 men, about 11 percent of the whole of the State’s population, were trained for the A.I.F.

The camp was used as an isolation hospital during the influenza epidemic of 1919, and again used for emergency lodging of unemployed men during the depression of the 1930’s.

In 1957 the Returned Services League, learning that the State Housing Commission intended to build housing there, asked for some of the land to be a commemoration site. The site was dedicated by Bishop Tom Riley and the first sod turned by Governor Sir Charles Gairdner in 1958.

Design was entrusted to Architect Ean McDonald but it was not until 1962 that enough funds were raised to build the main features. The entrance gateway arches were built in 1989, since when the Shire of Mundaring has cared for the complex.

The centrepiece is simply a sculpture commemorating the spirit that arose among the young Anzacs of 1914 – 18, and is hopefully passing on from generation to generation among young Australians forever. It need not be warlike, but rather is one of love of country and pride in contribution to its future.

For these reasons the main axis of the complex is along the line of sunset on 24th April, the night before the Gallipoli landings. The words on the central podium say it all, “Commemorating the Spirit of Anzac that arose from this soil of Blackboy Hill”

At sunset every evening for some forty years now has gathered a group of young people of Scouting groups with their parents and others who celebrate that Spirit of Anzac and their country Australia, and they mount a vigil that lasts until dawn on Anzac Day.

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BODDINGTON GOLD
By Ean McDonald
In the midst of depression in the 1930S, the WA Government created schemes to maintain dignity among its workers as well as feed their families by putting them to work “for the Dole” on jobs like digging the Harvey Irrigation channels and clearing the Busselton area swamplands.

One scheme was to give men a kit of tools and six months tucker if they would go out into the lesser popular remote gold fields to dig for whatever. Dick Strange a farmer of Boddington, along with my father made a team to scratch a few ounces of the precious metal from Marda, way out beyond Mount Jackson, via Bullfinch, way out north from Southern Cross. So they got to know where gold might lie.

Over Christmas School holidays of 1932 I went down to Uncle Dick’s farm to help out with the harvest and odd jobs. One day, in his paddock at the very border of the Boddington township, Dick grunted to me indicating that tomorrow we would bring pick and shovel and check out a just visible quartz outcrop.

Dick bored and fired the shots, I was mullock boy. We dug out barrow loads of the quartz and my Mum took it to be assayed. It showed One and a half ounces of gold to the ton. That was great bearing quartz in the goldfields, but at Boddington, with the nearest Crushing Battery three hundred miles away it was not worth a “bumper “and the local populace giggled for years at Dick Strange’s Folly.

Where, however, is a great Gold Mine today? Boddington.

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CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS AT GERALDTON.
By Ean McDonald
Architect Edwin Whitaker, partner of McDonald and Whitaker was commissioned in 1965 to design and build the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the Diocese of the Northwest of Western Australia. Whilst it is said to be similar to Coventry Cathedral, the only similarity is that both were built of concrete. However, although there is a connection with Coventry, being a small piece of that ancient Cathedral exhibited in the wall near the entrance, Geraldton is quite unique, a creation in its own right.

We decided that a church audience was not greatly different to that of a theatre, that it was best to give most people access to communion, and that a christening was an important event. Hence was developed a nave that fanned out like an amphitheatre with a central font and a wide communion rail. The performers needed a dressing room best behind the “stage”. We reasoned that when choirs are up front people simply listen, whereas when they have a loud voice behind them they join. So the choir was placed high up back.

Whilst it is said that the plan looks like the pegged out skin of a lamb and that does have a religious connection, the plan shape grew from its functions and its building method. The final shape satisfied the symbolists. We had investigated every known way to erect a cathedral away from all normally rational materials settling on concrete and then set about resolving the problems of that material.

First the stability of the structure suggested angled wall sections and squared returned window “frames”. Concrete was usually poured to be finished off by plastering, an expensive business. “Off form” concrete was then “fashionable”, but we had tried other ways on lesser known works till we understood how best to finish our wall surfaces cheaply but pleasantly. This we achieved by using a softly reddish tinted stone aggregate from Northampton, and sand blasting it after stripping.

We had resolved other problems such as avoiding “boniness “ as the fines in concrete migrated upwards during erection and we solved jointings and bolthole markings. There still exists a method of bolting scaffold up the walls if needed by screwing frames on to the form bolts within the walls. Edwin liaised with stained glass artists Gowers and Brown to produce the very strong abstractly symbolic windows. The roof framing by Engineers Halpern and Glick is a geodesic design of very light steel members achieving wide spans within minimal thickness.

At first the cathedral earned a reputation for poor acoustics but we found that emanated from a Dean who had a rather deep and exaggerated pastoral tone of voice!

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CLAUDE DE BERNALES
By Ean McDonald
There will be a million tales of Mr de Bernales and of how he managed to gather millions at the expense of others. My story will perhaps be different.
Working at the office of Marshall Clifton Architect on one Sunday morning about 1952 to finish a drawing, I noticed in the rear courtyard of the then single story London House a pile of those beautifully leather-bound multi-coloured Company “Minute Books” obviously intended for the rubbish tip.

I felt one or two could make good note books so I checked some out, to find a most interesting series of money making moves all dutifully recorded but soon to disappear. As an example I read where on a Monday morning in the early 1900s, Mr De Bernales, at precisely 9am called a meeting of the ABC
Company, Capital £100 to be as pledged; shareholding among five Directors; Mister De Bernales 96 shares, Mr Smith one share, Mr Brown one share, Mr Robinson one share and Miss Illingworth one share. It was decided to purchase secondhand mining machinery from Charlie Minerman for £100. The meeting closed at 9.20am and Miss Illingworth lit the gas under the morning teakettle.

At 9.30am Mister De Bernales called a meeting of the DEF Company, Capital £1000, shareholding Mr De Bernales 996 shares, Mr Smith one share, Mr Brown one share, Mr Robinson one share, Miss Illingworth one share. It was decided to purchase from the ABC Company, mining machinery for £1000. Meeting closed at 9.45am and morning tea was served.

At 10.30am Mr De B. called a meeting of the MNO Company …… Yes, it went on all morning and by 12.45pm the meeting of the XYZ Company decided to sell mining machinery to the Golliwog Company of London for £10,000 to be paid by Bank draft on cabled advice of agreement, and Mr De Bernales Director Shareholder of 996 shares contemplated his profit of 1000% and his staff agreed that £100 each was a satisfactory mornings work, and all went off their various ways to lunch.

Sadly I did not stash away any of those beautiful minute books, maybe I was flabbergasted – or jealous.

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CORAL BAY
By Ean McDonald
Coral Bay was so named in the 1960s. It had for years been known as “Bill’s Bay”, said to be after a Cardabia Station hand who had died there. It was really “Billie’s Bay “. In the 1920s Charlie French of the station had wooed and won a J C Williamson singer called Billie, taking his bride to languish often alone at the remote homestead among many thousands of sheep but few musically interested companions. To relieve her boredom he built her a little shack on the beach in what thus became known as “Billie’s Bay “, and it became a favourite holiday spot among the Murchison grazing families.

Just to the north and near to the station homestead was Maud’s Landing, the out port for wool bales from the hinterlands that were brought by camel trains to load aboard sailing vessels at anchor from the old jetty there.

Realising that Western Australia offered something different to international tourists at Jet Set level, architect Ean McDonald set off in 1960 to comb the coast from Bunbury northwards to find the most suitable spot. He was looking for a “super” tourist spot, one that would combine the beautifully balanced Western Australian climate and different scenery with an atmosphere of the “last frontier”, a hideaway with accessibility but teasingly remote, near to the quite exciting developments that were going on at the time by way of oil and iron discoveries, and offering contact with the great outdoors of the station country.

When he got to Bill’s Bay he felt he had found the spot that had it all. This was a place that properly developed could attract the wealthy international Jet Setter with high expectations and a bulging pocket book. He first went to Maud’s with Ken Ryan who had similar ideas and had set up a fishing camp as base to begin.

Surely there were problems to be overcome. Whilst road access was adventurous, Cardabia had a small airstrip and there was a large open area easily adaptable for jet landings. Drinking water would have to be condensed and building would be massively expensive, but nothing was impossible. The whole idea began to gel and look exciting.

Plans were developed to create holidays at the level of the high priced Safaris of Africa. Designs were formulated for air conditioned cabins and cold beer or champagne on tap, and organized entertainment. Visitors would be whale watching, air tours taking in mining sites, shearing runs and station barbecues. There were masses of fish from schools of Red Emperor to the biggest of game, rock oysters by the ton, beautiful reef waters, fine and beautiful corals by the acre, and whales sporting offshore.

Bill’s Bay however was not the best of names, and at that stage they did not know of “Billie”. An obvious “Coral Bay “leaped to mind, but it was years before “officialdom” would agree to the name and the development, so that its original conceivers reluctantly bowed out. Perhaps it was sad that the grand concept of the exclusive Jet setter resort did not eventuate. Whilst the name stuck, Coral Bay became just another enjoyable but ordinary resort among many.

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HYDE PARK FESTIVAL
By Ean McDonald
For a number of years in the 1960s and 70s there occurred each year a Hyde Park Festival whereat the park became alive to the extent it rivaled the Royal Show.

Its beginning was sparked by a simple Australia Day long weekend concert in the Perth Town Hall, with the support of the Lord Mayor Sir Tom Wardle.
It quickly outgrew the Town Hall, moving to Hyde Park when it was kicked along by the enthusiastic vigorous Meg Sheen and a group of staunch helpers who worked for long hours over many months to put together the weekend that attracted many, many thousands of people to enjoy the park to the full.

Every hobby or interest group, singing dancing group, charity, or genuine craft person in the State could have a stall, a display, or put on a stage show.
It got so that the whole park was stacked full of people of all ages, races and creeds milling about in an atmosphere of friendship and fun, enjoying a wide variety of entertainment, food and display for three whole days and evenings.
Drinking was permitted but adequately controlled; crowds sang and danced together in good humoured company; behaving fraternally and responsibly
The Committee made sure that all rubbish was constantly collected and disposed of throughout the weekend.

Sadly there was opposition. It came from the odd Service Club jealous of its success, or from political opportunist parties who were not permitted to partake, and from cheap jack importers who were barred as everything sold at the festival had to be made by the sellers, and through lobbyists working on Councillors and bureaucrats of the City creating false rumours on matters such as that rubbish was a problem or that food was not healthy and so on.

Finally that great family festival buckled under to disappear and its great contribution was lost to the City and State and all its people.

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KAGOSHIMA PARK
By Ean McDonald
Tucked away quietly in Burswood, at the beginning of Great Eastern Highway is a small park named after Perth’s Japanese Sister City Kagoshima.
In Kagoshima City their main thoroughfare is called Parsu Dori- Perth Avenue.

The Sister City relationship began in the early seventies when our State Agent General Les Slade, then in Tokyo, realised that the two cities had similar characteristics. Each was at the western end of its country and considered similarly isolated. Each was populated by vigorous independent thinking people. Each was near a line of similar longitude and was similarly distant from the equator.

Les Slade initiated the first contact with Perth City through Councillor Frank Baden Powell who made a successful opening call. That was followed by negotiation resultant in a formal Declaration of Relationship by a party of Lord Mayor Lee Steere and Councillors and their wives. There was second formal visit by a number of Councillors who dropped by the Sister City for some pleasant days after a study tour of western American cities.

On each occasion the visitors were treated royally in a way that only the Japanese can achieve. Kagoshimans visited Perth officially and as friends on a number of occasions. Western Australian visitors included a policeman ( later Commissioner) a fireman and an ambulance man. Schools set up relationships resulting in a number of visits both ways along with numbers of exchange students and teachers, and many citizens of each nation felt they could be welcomed in their Sister Cities.

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OPERATION CLEAN UP
By Ean McDonald
As Greater Perth the Metropolis approached its Commonwealth Games, its people contributed handsomely in their various ways as Australians usually do.
There were however a number of untidy blots evidenced in and about the City; there were several very untidy indicators of disinterest. At the eastern end of the old Causeway sprawled an enormous crop of wild oats and scraggly shrubbery among which lay a rusting old car body. There were ugly unkempt border areas along long disputed local authority boundaries, like the shaggy mess along Thomas Street at the Subiaco Council and Kings Park meeting boundary.

Sunday Times Editor Murray James was quite sympathetic when I called him about the problem and my thoughts on its resolve. He promptly appointed Bob Rushton, one of his senior journalists, as my full time staffie and we sat over a beer together to map out a plan from scratch.

Out of that came our “Operation Clean Up “ that grew rapidly from well-supported meetings to planning sessions with input from everyone from Boy Scouts to City Councils and Commercial giants. Excellent radio coverage brought forth slogans for citizens like ” That’s my Ten Yards of Tidiness” and “ We have the Chiefs – Be an Indian.”

We divided the Metropolis into segments with Area Chiefs (Red Sash – donated) District Captains (Yellow) Job Chiefs (Green) and Team leaders (Blue sashes) – all donated.

Dunlop Rubber Company loaned us their complete radio van hookup
and headquarters along with their van fleet, complete with drivers.
Masses of vehicles with drivers appeared on loan along with mowers, large and small, tractors and tons of tools with wielders aplenty.

We had large wall maps, charts, and schedules, just like an army heading into battle. Operation Clean Up began at seven am on the Sunday a week or so before the Games opening. Indians came in tribefuls; thousands of them. Fifteen miles (25 K’s) of Perth’s main roads were raked and swept clear and clean and hundreds of families brought their own verges to squeaky clean.
Seventy-five tons of rubbish were dumped on City tips.

Foreign athletes gazed amazed as Indians showed up at the gates of the Games Village to ensure that its approach reflected our pride, and one Scotsman marveled at the fact that no one charged a penny.

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PELICAN POINT
By Ean McDonald
Matilda Bay in the 1920s and 30s was a long way out of town. Crawley Baths, where almost every Perth youngster learned to swim was a collection of shark-proof wooden fenced platforms nestled along Mounts Bay Road near the end of Kings Park.

From there the shoreline swept around the bay to a sand spit whereupon masses of pelicans suggested its name. At the end of the point was a collection of timber sheds and a tower with a lookout at its top, and alongside an old telephone pole made into a ship like mast. There was the home of Number One Sea Scout Troop presided over by Hal “Tinny” McKail, a curiously introverted but well loved science teacher of Perth Boys’ School.

For those who discovered Pelican Point it was a boys’ paradise. Kids of ages from about twelve to eighteen years rode their bicycles down there on Friday afternoons and holed up for their weekends. There they swam, dived in helmets, rowed and sailed, cooked their sausages and onions, sang shanties and studied sea lore, dashing about quite unashamedly naked for most of their time. Always they kept lookout for yachts in trouble and happily raced out to tow them to safety. Sea Rescue started there.

The Point was itself quite remote. There was no University; no yacht club closer than the Esplanade, and no one lived anywhere closer than a whole kilometre. Holiday times like Easter began with a flurry of preparation at the Point. The Troop owned its own brace of Nantucket whalers and couple of dinghies. Senior boys, the fourteen year olds, one of them with a “Charge Certificate” stacked their stores aboard their whalers and set off by early evening of Good Thursday to row to Fremantle; there to await the Easterly that would race them out to Garden Island. If no wind came by early dawn they simply rowed the distance, setting up camp maybe at Dance Head and living the adventures that developed lots of self-confidence, cooperation, and understanding creating memories and friendships that lasted their lifetimes.

So many of those boys served their country in its Navy and some lost their lives in their war times.

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PERTH BOYS’ SCHOOL
By Ean McDonald
Perth Boys’ School, founded in 1847 in the Courthouse that still exists behind Council House, opened on the 5 July 1830 nearly a year after the founding of the Colony, is one of the oldest schools in Australia. It was originally a co-educational school, but separation of the sexes occurred just those few years later.

The Boys’ School was moved to the Wesleyan School House in 1850 and thence to its specially built stone churchlike building in St Georges Terrace in 1854 that also still exists. As time went on it was seen that a much larger school was needed and by 1897 at a cost of ten thousand four hundred and fifty two pounds the James Street School was established to house both Boys at one end and Girls at the other. In every school’s history there will be the names that linger-on leaving their mark. Headmaster Tom Chandler was one of these; he presided over the majority of Perth’s young men for over 23 years from 1913 to his death in 1936. The school was used as a Night School for years after it ceased being a day school and finally closed in 1959.

Its buildings still remind many Western Australian men of their fine grounding in its care. The writer joined the school after a spell in the “east” in 1932 that had him placed in the 7A class a month or two after the year’s opening. Entering the class room for the first time he found only half a dozen boys blithely reading comics and cheerfully offering him loans to keep him occupied. The rest of the class of 55 boys were at class in the woodworking shed. After lunch the whole school of about 775 boys raced gleefully down to Wellington Square to play football, and at 4pm they all raced back again to find a full boxing ring set up in the central hall with two boys in their bare feet and chests and shorts standing ready to fight out a schoolyard grievance under proper Queensbury rules. Imagine his Mum’s surprise when he raced in after school for his piece of bread and dripping to tell her of this wonderful school; comics all morning, footy all afternoon and a dinkum fight at four.

There was more next day when he found that he could discard his shirt not only for morning drills in the playground but also in class at any time. Then more when he found he could wander about Perth streets and shops at lunchtime with his chest quite bare and be calmly accepted by the populace. Perth Boys’ had become famous nationally for its 'healthy' attitudes and practices. As boys drilled bare chested and berry brown in the mornings people lined the rails of the Horseshoe Bridge to watch and admire.

Classes were 'Professional' - for those who studied French and the higher Maths, or 'Commercial' for those who chose to spread their studies less ambitiously. Then there was the 'Junior Tech' where went those boys who elected to study subjects related to the Trades. Boys could leave school for work at 14 years of age and the majority did just that if only because of the economics of the day. I imagine however that most of them persisted at night schools to complete their education 'on the job' so to speak.

Some of them were able to carry on to join the academic steam at Modern School. Girls were around but regarded a s curiosities in the main. Perth Girls’ School occupied rooms in a separated part of the same James street building where they learned cooking and stuff.

Most of the writer’s school mates still manage to gather annually to enjoy company and keep tabs on their bypasses or wobbly knees.

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THE PLANK ROAD
By Ean McDonald
To get to City Beach in the 1920s and early 30s, one had to negotiate the Plank Road that began when the bitumen petered out about Selby Street at the end of Cambridge Street. From there, setting off into the sand hills and scrub, ran a track made of two lines of two planks wide set to the width of a motor car wheels.

It ran intriguingly, but lonesomely, up the steep slopes and down into the valleys all the way to the beach. There was no overtaking. If a slower vehicle was ahead you waited patiently for a passing bay and a gentleman driver to give way, and if someone came the other way, then one driver simply had to stop, to back up, thence to allow a passing, while the other proceeded with a friendly wave.

For kids on bikes it was quite an adventure. Having climbed up to the high point past the old quarry and Reabold Hill, the track ran swiftly down and up again and down again in a succession of thrilling dips each one speedier than the last till the final slope sent one surging to capsize gleefully into a flurry of the sand of the beach itself.

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PLAYLOVERS DRAMATIC CLUB
By Ean McDonald
In the spring of 1956, the congregation of St Nicholas Anglican Church of Floreat Park decided to mount a Christmas Concert that spurred its cast to go on to form a Drama Club they named Playlovers, firstly to produce one-act gems like “Husbands Supplied” in the local Methodist Hall.

Flushed with successes and a clamour for more they moved to the old tiny 60-seat weatherboard firetrap called Jolimont Hall that had a stage four metres by three and a bit. First full three acter was “Petticoat Fever” in 1957,calling for brilliant set design and slick backstage crew work.

By 1960 the club felt secure enough to move to the new Hackett Hall designed by its own president whose wife was secretary of the local Civic Association, a combination that enabled them to do a deal “in house” so to speak with Nedlands Council for the tenancy.

Playlovers has gone on presenting plays and musicals in that hall for all of the next 44 years achieving a fine reputation for dramatic work of very high standard that consistently won awards as well as audiences, occasionally moving to other venues for larger scale productions all thankfully successful, financially as well as
artistically.

Throughout its history appear well-known names like Jess McDonald Taylor, Frank Baden Powell, Christie Kerr, Elsie Wares, Elizabeth Caiacob, Wayne Garton, the Crewes family , and a large number of its younger members beginning as amateurs made their names in Australian theatre, ballet, opera, television and radio. Two of the Club’s almost original members are still members for life.

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SELF HELP BUILDERS
By Ean McDonald
As people began to build in the postwar 1940s in Floreat Park and places like Doubleview, their architects and builders had interesting problems. First he, the architect (were there any shes of the day ?), would carefully study the subdivision plan, then set off along whatever track existed to seek out the red survey pegs that gave him street corner locations. Then he estimated a right angle usually by spreading his arms then bringing them together to give him a vague direction, then he set off into the bush along what he hoped was the street to be.

At each future home site corner would be a white peg. Well it may have once been white. In fact it was probably a vaguely recognizable square bit of charcoal needing forensic science identification along with a bit of dowsing. There in the middle of the bush, he would direct the young home builder, often on his own as a self helper with a young wife and maybe a babe or two at the hip, as he carved out his house floor area and began to lay his foundations.

Using tradesmen only when they could afford or need them, young couples jointly spent months of isolated effort slowly building their dream, calling on their architect or builder for advice and on their parents for company at on-site picnics and for baby sitting and encouragement.

After sufficient young people had built homes they could unite to look to their Shire Council with enough influence to call for the building of a graveled roadway followed by lines of power and water and they could relish in their establishment of their own slice of suburbia.

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THE OLD QUARRY AMPHITHEATRE
By Ean McDonald
The old Quarry had lain forgotten for nearly a hundred years as it languished unknown and unloved nestling below the summit of Reabold Hill in Floreat Park.

In its heyday it had provided masses of limestone carried away on a narrow rail track that ran down to the roadway alongside the plank road and thence along what became Cambridge Street for use for buildings of the growing City of Perth .

It was really a dangerous great hole if you approached it from the top of the hill as it had sheer sides dropping many metres to its rugged rocky base. Fortunately very few people ever ventured to battle through the thick scrub around it. One of those people was Architect Ken Waldron who had come across it in his youth as he and friends explored the bush about the hill.

Some time about 1982 Ken and his wife Diana realized the potential of the old Quarry as an open air theatre and asked me to accompany them to see it and to join them in putting the idea to the City Council of the day. Diana had made her reputation as a Ballet Mistress and Director of the Perth City Ballet over a goodly period, so she fully understood the possibilities of the Quarry and supported Ken in his dream of developing it.

A canvass among the performing arts fraternity had received strong support but a couple of local environmentalists with a City Planner had equally strong objections and there were active attempts among the bureaucracies to shelve the concept.

The Waldrons persevered, receiving Commonwealth and State grant monies along with some community help to use unemployed people to build the project that took nearly three years to finally reach its magnificent potential so as to be opened by Lord Mayor Michael in November 1986. Its first concert included the WA Opera, the Arts String Quartet, Pit Theatre and of course the Perth City Ballet.

It has for many years now provided the much-enjoyed open-air amphitheatre venue for many fine performances as part of Perth’s unique summer arts scene.

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THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BORDER
By Ean McDonald
The question as to when the Western Australian state border was first conceived could bring the answer that it was in 1901, but that in fact was when it was finally established.

The real answer will be revealed and understood after a glance back to the days of Christopher Columbus, who of course came upon what he thought was part of India, Cathay, or Japan in 1492.

His charter company, the Royal house of Phillip and Isabella of Spain, naturally claimed sovereignty of the lands thus “discovered”, but the Portuguese, who had long fished the Newfoundland Banks and had sighted the Orinoco, objected strongly, demanding unbiased arbitration on the matter of who was to own what.

They insisted upon deliberation on the problem in the presence of the then Pope Alexander VI, a wise but somewhat liberal character, who cleverly fell back upon the ancient biblical tale of the Judgment of Solomon, deciding that the Earth, like the baby, should be divided down the middle along a line that became known as the Pope’s Line, just fifty one degrees of today’s longitude west of the Universal Meridian now based upon Greenwich in London.

He decreed that the Spaniards be allowed to claim title to that part of Earth to the West of his line and the Portuguese to claim all to the East. The Portuguese were absolutely delighted by this because they knew that it gave them the “Spice Islands”; at places like Indonesia and the Celebes and even the great conglomeration of islands called the Philippines, (after Phillip of course - but only because the Spaniards cheated and crossed the Pope’s on this side of the Earth). The Line of the Pope was ratified between the then two greatest maritime states as the Treaty of Tortdesillas in 1494.

Look at that line when it comes round our way. It becomes now 129 degrees of east longitude. Where is the Western Australian Border? It is precisely on that line. Why would that be? Well, think back to Captain Cook, whose brief from his Royal masters contained three tasks:

Firstly Captain, observe the Transit of Venus so we can calculate the distance of the Sun. Secondly, check out New Zealand. Is it one island or two? Thirdly Captain, whilst we know lots about the western coasts of Terra Australis please check out and define for us that eastern coast and, because we do not like the Spaniards you should claim the eastern bit as “New South Wales”.

But Captain, claim ONLY to the Pope’s Line, because the Portuguese have been our allies for three hundred years and we should not lower ourselves to behave like those dastardly Spaniards, and thus we must not steal the bit belonging to our friends.

Hence today, we can tell our friends, and our children, that the Western Australian border was first conceived in 1492, and ratified in 1494.

Reference:
Ean McDonald, Finders Keepers, or Terra to Let, or Who Put Australia on the Map.

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SYNOPSIS OF AN IMMIGRANT’S LIFE SINCE 1955
By Mary McGregor
In 1955: The Kwinana Refinery opened and the Kwinana flame first shot to the sky, soon to become a landmark for both fishermen and landlubbers.
In the east the Snowy River scheme started, one of the most ambitious projects to be undertaken in Australia.
Off- course betting shops open in Perth.
Patrick White’s book The Tree Of Man was published and D’Arcy Niland’s The Shiralee.
Harold Holt, Immigration Minister brings in 152,505 migrants, 70% on the £10 scheme. This little family among them: Patrick, aged twenty-five, Mary aged twenty-three, son Michael, aged five and Rory just three. Mary pregnant with Colum, who was to be born in King Edward Hospital on May 21st 1955.

1956: Saw the Olympic Games in Melbourne with Prince Phillip opening them. Australia won 13 gold medals, won all freestyle swimming events.
Darwin: report that Albert Namatjira, renowned Aboriginal artist is broke.

1957: Lorraine Crapp breaks 18 world swimming records in training.
Sydney Opera House Lottery opens : tickets cost £5.
Last trams run in Adelaide and Perth.
Lew Hoad beats Ken Rosewell in first Wimbledon final since 1919.
Australian troops fight in Malaya against Communist troops.
Floods in Queensland destroyed tobacco crops.
Television begins.
Menzies appointed as chairman of committee of Suez users which leads to a breaking off of diplomatic relations with Egypt.
After a traumatic year living in one room in a boarding house in West Perth, still trying to settle in to the Australian way of life though still very homesick for loved ones. Patrick started work the day after our arrival at Sandovers hardware, we moved into an empty house in Bayswater. Patrick then got another job at night at the Skyline Drive-in theatre. Mary still very homesick after another pregnancy resulting in a stillborn child; a girl.

1958: Margot Fontyn dances in Australia.

1959: Voss by Patrick White and They’re a Weird Mob by John O’Grady hit the bookshelves.

1960: European common market comes into being.
Suez canal reopens.

1961: By treaty there is to be no more discrimination in trade with Japan.
We had another birth. A much desired daughter, and within eleven months, another child was born. This times a boy, Sean. He was Spina Bifida. As this was rather new here he became a sort of guinea pig in the medical field. This became a hard battle for a while but eventually we adjusted and learnt to love this country.

We saw many changes over the years. Perth when we arrived was a peaceful and pleasant large town. Some of the changes have been favourable such as air conditioning installed at King Edward Hospital. More and better facilities at Princess Margaret Hospital and also Royal Perth Hospital.

A brilliant train service to and from the outer suburbs. I had to take Sean to Princess Margaret Hospital every week (with another baby and a toddler).We had two buses, then a tram to get there and home again. Quite a trying day for a young mother and children. Plus inevitably there would be at least a two to three hour wait at the hospital.

Having been here fifty years and seeing the changes, some good some bad. I feel sad that Perth is not the city I came to. The buildings were so magnificent especially in St Georges Terrace. The Palace Hotel, the Shell House; so many wonderful buildings, built in an old world way. Now we have only the facade of London Court and the Trinity Church left. Everything else is a high rise glass edifice with no personality. Hay Street: I remember the Ambassadors Theatre, what a splendid theatre. The ceiling full of stars and the surrounding walls to the stage so elegant. Another building of repute was Boans with those grand stairways leading up to the second floor. This establishment had elevators with a personal usher proclaiming each floor as it arrived.

The changes in education are quite significant and also in the caring for disabled. Even though there are things happening in the community with which I disagree, on the whole I think we made the right decision to make this country our home. I know that we have chosen the right country to give our allegiance to.

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IAN METCHER, A PILOT AT LAST
By Patricia Metcher
The desire to fly has taken Ian from a schoolboy at Brookton to the Guinness Book of Records as “ The Oldest Competing Aerobatic Pilot in the World “ He left school at 14 years of age and earned his living working on a farm, in mechanical workshops, driving trucks and at one time helping run a travelling movie show ‘Star Movies’. He also played the piano for the silent movies.

In 1940 he joined the Air Force as ground staff not having enough education to train as a pilot. As a returned serviceman he attended The School of Mines and graduated as a mechanical engineer. He then worked at P.W.D. before becoming manager of the State Engineering Works in Fremantle.

On retirement he travelled extensively round Australia and overseas in a camperwagon with his wife Pat. On returning home he learnt to scuba dive at 71 years old and took up gliding and at last applied for and received a student pilot’s licence to fly powered aircraft. In 1988 he flew solo for the first time, and qualified for his unrestricted pilot’s licence on his 75th birthday. Four years later he gained an endorsement to do aerobatics He won the Basic Aerobatic Competition at Jandakot in 2002 and was named in the Guinness Book of Records. The record still stands. He has given over 200 Australians the experience of gliding, flying or doing aerobatics. Now in his 89th year he still enjoys sharing the excitement of rolls and loops with his passengers.

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EDWARD MAYHEW: PHARMACIST, BUSINESSMAN & SCHOLAR
By Geoff Miller
Edward Mayhew , a founding member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia, as well as its first president, was also the first pharmacist to be registered in this state under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act of 1894. For over 30 years he held the position of registrar of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society, the body responsible for the administration of the Act, as well as lecturing at the Perth Technical College to pharmacy and dental students, for a similar period.

Edward William Mayhew (Teddy) was born at Hitchen, in Hertfordshire, in May 1855. He was a descendent of a very old and distinguished Essex family. His father was a surgeon, and his grandfather was a member of the House of Commons for Colchester.

When Edward was 15 years old he was apprenticed with a well known London firm, described as “Oil and Colonial Brokers” and attended London University College, probably on a part time basis. This introduced him to the world of botanical and organic chemistry and it would have been there that he learned the rudiments of materia medica, which enabled him to speak so impressively on the subject in later years.

On account of ill-health Edward went to New Zealand in 1875, and in the following year he arrived in Western Australia. For a time he was with his uncle Dr William Mayhew of Toodyay, before he obtained a position as clerk to the Superintendent of the Fremantle prison. This job depressed him, so in 1878 he resigned to join the staff of the Western Australian Bank. At the time the bank’s staff consisted of seven officers.

However, Mayhew felt stifled in the confines of the banking world, so in 1881 he teamed up with Mr William Sandover to establish the hardware and wholesale druggist business of Sandover and Mayhew, at Fremantle. With gold fever just starting to grip Western Australia, this business was very successful, and in 1884 they branched out and set up two retail pharmacies, one in Fremantle and the other in Perth.

It was not long before their own diverse interests saw the partnership dissolved, and Mayhew took over the ownership of the pharmacies as well as the wholesale druggist business. He soon diversified even further by manufacturing pharmaceuticals, starting the Pelican Confectionary Works and setting up the first soap works in the State. He sold these businesses in the 1890s and then turned to establishing an export business from the distillation of Sandalwood and other essential oils. His experiences during his apprenticeship in London no doubt encouraged this decision.

In those gold rush days, it was extremely difficult to find qualified pharmacists to employ and Mayhew, with his own limited qualifications, had to employ unqualified people in his businesses. This concerned him greatly, as well as the overall lack of any legislative control over the practice of pharmacy and the indiscriminate sale of poisons and other hazardous substances. Mayhew then decided to use his stature in the pharmacy world to interest a number of influential pharmacists in pressing for a Pharmacy and Poisons Act in Western Australia.

In October 1892, the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia was formed and Edward Mayhew became its first President. He was largely responsible for drafting the Pharmacy and Poisons Act which was assented to in November 1894 and took effect in March 1895. As the new Act required pharmacists and their premises to be registered, it is appropriate that Edward Mayhew became the first person to be registered as such in Western Australia. It was through his efforts that the highly professional and moral tone of the Society was set, and which endures in large measure today, despite the onset of rampart materialism.

For a period Mayhew held the dual roles of Society President and Council Registrar, but his anxiety for the welfare of the Society saw him retire as President as well as divesting himself of all his business interests. He joined the staff of Perth Technical College in 1903 as its lecturer in Botany and Materia Medica to pharmacy students, and he also lectured to dental students on the drugs and chemicals necessary for their work.

Sometime prior to this he had decided to acquire some form of academic recognition by seeking membership of suitable or professional learned societies. He became a member of the Society of Chemical Industry, Fellowship of the Chemical Society and the highest accolade was his award of a Fellowship of the Linnean Society of London in 1888. He combined the roles of teacher and Registrar until his death in 1933, at the age of 78.

During his time as the Society Registrar he represented Western Australia at many interstate conferences, and he was well respected by colleagues nationally.
He was a member of the Perth Mounted Artillery and later became the commanding officer of the Fremantle Artillery. For a number of years he served as consular officer in Western Australia for the United States of America.

Mr Mayhew was intimately associated with many of Western Australia's public men, and he was a friend of Lord Forrest and Sir Winthrop Hackett. At his funeral in January 1933, which was attended by many pharmacists and other dignitaries, the President of the Pharmaceutical Society, Mr F.P.Gulley, described Edward Mayhew as a “loyal, diligent and lovable man, and the profession and the State are much poorer by his death.” Other tributes referred to “his long and busy life – a life spent mainly in the service and interest of others.” He was affectionately known by students and colleagues, simply as Teddy! He was survived by four daughters and three sons.

References:
E.P. Walsh, The Mathew Inheritance, privately published, 1992.
Australasian Journal of Pharmacy, Australasian Pharmaceutical Publishing Co., Melbourne, 28 February 1933, pp.154-156.

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WILLIAM HOWITT: WOOD CARVER AND ARTIST
By Geoff Miller
The native timbers of Western Australia, especially the unique hardwood jarrah, attracted a young English wood carver and sculptor to seek his fortune half way across the world in Australia. William Howitt was an artist as well as a skilled artisan. A man who gave of his time and talent to teach others, and who contributed to his adopted country by leaving his mark in two states of Australia. It was another, totally unrelated namesake, who achieved fame as an explorer in Victoria and had been sent by the Government to retrace the steps of Burke and Wills when they perished on their journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the 1860s

William Howitt was born at Winton in the Parish of Eccles, near Manchester, on July 7th 1846 and when old enough to leave school, he studied Art at Nottingham, Liverpool and London. In his early years he was employed in decorating the interior of ships, and later restoring the broken fittings and ornaments of cathedrals and churches.

In 1888 Howitt, his wife and four children immigrated to Australia having been persuaded to come out by a builder or contractor associated with the new Cathedral of St Paul, which was being built in Melbourne. Between 1889 and 1894 he worked on the pulpit, Bishops throne, reading desk and pew ends in the new cathedral. The pulpit was constructed of Tasmanian blackwood, and that alone took Howitt and his assistants seven months to complete. It was designed by Joseph Reed in the 14th century Gothic style and was artistically decorated with elaborate carvings. The Archbishop’s throne in the cathedral was also designed by Reed and carved by Howitt in situ. Made of Tasmanian blackwood it is of imposing dimensions and is exquisitely ornamented with Gothic motifs similar to those carved on the pulpit.

About 1896 he moved to WA with his wife and two daughters, the two sons staying in Victoria. In February 1900 it was reported in the West Australian that the West Australian Royal Commission to the Paris Exhibition had sent a panel carved by William Howitt in jarrah and surrounded by a karri frame. The panel depicted a scene from “Faust’ showing Marguerite leaving a church. A special process seasoned the timber used, as the jarrah was cut only 18 months before, and the karri 12 months before.

For the WA Exhibition in 1906, the State Government purchased an inlaid table that William Howitt had carved in 1900 from WA timbers. In 1915, the Panama Exhibition was held in San Francisco and the West Australian Government purchased a jarrah panel carved by William Howitt of Stirling Street, Perth, which depicted the meeting of Beatrice and Dante Aligheri, on a bridge in Florence, Italy. His last major Exhibition was the British Empire Exhibition held at Wembley in London in 1924/25.

Another of Howitt’s interests was teaching wood carving, and he had his own studio in Wickham Street, East Perth, and many ladies learnt the new fashionable art under his guidance. He also taught Wood Carving classes at the Perth Technical College in the Carpentry Workshop in Roe Street behind James Street School. One of Mr Howitt’s pupils was James Linton, who in 1902 was appointed Art Instructor, at the Perth Technical College

Around 1902 Howitt was commissioned to work on the pulpit and lectern at Christchurch in Claremont, and this work remains today as the most public example of his skill and artistry. In July 1914 he was commissioned by Mrs. Richard Hardy, a direct descendent of the pioneer settler Joseph Hardy, of Tranby House fame, to make and carve many items of fine household furniture. This work took about six or seven years to complete, and Howitt and his family actually lived in Mrs Hardy's home in Mt Lawley, as she remained in Britain for the duration of the war. The collection of furniture is still in the possession of members of the Hardy family today.

In 1928 Howitt finally put down his mallet & chisels at the age of 82, and joined his beloved wife Isabella, who had died four years previously.

At a recent auction in Perth (2004), two chairs carved in red-gum by Howitt were sold for $2500 each, but apart from his ecclesiastical contributions and the Dante & Beatrice panel hanging in the Art Gallery of Western Australia, most of Howitt’s work remains in private collections. This is perhaps why he is not as widely recognized as a man of his skills and talents should be.

Further reading:
Grant.J, St.Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne Australia (Melbourne St.Paul’s Cathedral Guide Book, 2001)
Building & Engineering Journal, New Series vol. X, no. 241, 11 February 1893
Moore Marie, Ecclesiastical Craftsmen in Australia. PhD Thesis University of Melbourne, 1983, pp.10-17.
Sharp, P, O’Hara, L., A Goodly Heritage – Christ Church Claremont 1892-1992, (Edith Cowan University- Publication Services, 1992), pp.28-29.
Perrin, G.S, ‘Australian Timbers for use in the higher Decorative Artistic work, cabinet making, fittings, dadoes etc., with a list of the Genera & Species suitable for Railway, building, Engineering and Harbour Construction works etc’, Arts &Crafts: an illustrated Australasian Magazine of Arts, Handicrafts and Sanitation. vol.1. no.1 October 1895, pp.12-13.
Dunne, J.P., I Will Arise – History of Perth Technical College 1900-1980, Perth Technical College Press, 1980, p.5.
Kovesi, Janet, Linton, J.R.W., The Craftsman: Westralian Portraits, FACP, 1981, p.147.

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DERBY 1975
By John Moynihan
After 43 years service in telecommunications engineering one happening still stands out as the most memorable to me. At the time I was a District Engineer for Operations and Maintenance in WA’s North-West. This was at Derby on 9 March 1975, during the latter days of the Postmaster-General’s Department as Telecom (later Telstra) was formed four months later.

It was a Saturday night. The local manual (crank handle) telephone exchange was to be replaced by an automatic installation next morning. I was in the manual switchboard room at about 9.30pm carrying out last minute checks before the changeover. There was little local traffic through the exchange. A shutter dropped and the telephonist plugged up with the usual query of 'number please?'

It soon became obvious that the caller was at the local hotel and looking for a lift home, as the telephonist said to him 'he's not home Joe, I’ve been trying to get him all night, how about I ring Harry?' to which the caller agreed. She rang Harry’s number and after a while tells the caller that Harry is in Broome. The telephonist then asks 'how about Bill?' So she rang Bill & arranged for him to pick up Joe from the hotel. As she withdrew the plug from the switchboard she said, more or less to herself, but loud enough for me to hear - 'that’s the last time you'll get that kind of service.' I felt very sad as it brought home to me, more than ever, before or since, that times were changing.

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UNIFORMS OF PRESBYTERIAN LADIES’ COLLEGE
By Madelene Mulholland (Junior entry)Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC) was officially opened on 11 August, 1917 in Peppermint Grove, Perth. This private school was created as the girl’s alternative to Scotch College already established in 1917.

The inaugural uniform was simple; a navy blue pinafore dress, white hat with school colours, blazer with light colour trimming and black lace-up shoes. The 1919 school hat had a thin light silver badge which is still worn on today’s beret and panama. By 1923 the uniform was a navy blue tunic of serge or lustre, tunic belt, white blouse, school tie, navy blue tailored blazer with fresh cut edges and school pocket, low-heeled black shoes, black cashmere or lisle stockings (children under seven were allowed white socks), and, in summer, a stiff panama with school hat-band and badge, and, in winter, a navy blue felt hat with school hat-band and badge. Court shoes were not allowed.

This uniform remained until 1937, when Dr Summers suggested the change to Black Watch tartan. The tartan skirt, with detachable white bodice and double box pleat front and back, was worn with a white tobralco long-sleeved jumper, navy blue tailored blazer with pockets, black strap shoes, black stockings, a cream woollen pullover with school colours (optional for winter), a white washing crêpe de chine dress with long sleeves for Prize Day, a school tie and summer and winter hats with hat bands and badges.

This uniform is the basis of the current uniform (2004). In intervening years, rules have changed about skirt length. In the 1940s the skirt was above the knee; in the 1950s it was mid-calf length; then just above or below the knee in the early 1960s. By the mid 1960s it was knee length; by the mid-late 1960s it was mid-thigh length; and by 1988 it was knee length again. In 1989 it was just below the knee and in 1993 was once again worn just above the knee. In 2004, the skirt is worn just below the knee. These changes probably followed fashion changes.

The Kindergarten children wore free dress until 1996 when they could choose to wear either white shirts with PLC written in navy blue or free dress. In 2000 PLC rugby jumpers were also allowed. In 2001 the uniform was changed to, for boys, rugby jumpers, navy tracksuit pants and white sport shoes, and, for girls, Black Watch tartan pinafores with or without white shirts and white sport shoes, black shoes or sandals.

Over the years students in official positions wore special symbols. For example prefects wore badges. The 1930 prefect’s badge was a silver shield shape with the letters PLC, PREFECT, and 1930 one above the other. The 1935 Prefect’s badge was a circle with PLC written on it, and a left side bar saying PREFECT and a right side bar saying 1935. These badges were used until the 1960s. The 1940s Dux of the School badge was a circle of gold with the student’s name written at the top, DUX in the middle and the date underneath.

In 1948 Student Officials wore special ties as a badge of office. In 1955 they wore grey trimmed blazers. Thereafter everyone had the same uniform. The 1960s boarding house monitor badge was a circle covered by a long silver bar with BOARDING HOUSE MONITOR written on it. The writing and circle were the colour of the wearer’s house.

Sports uniforms have also changed over time. The Physical Education class uniform in 1923 was a navy blue tobralco tunic with white tobralco jumper and black lace-up sandshoes. The sports kilt was introduced in 1976 and by the mid 1980s the uniform was a white polo shirt with a small crest on left side, shorts, kilts and briefs. All pants were Black Watch and were worn at the belly button. The present uniform is navy shorts with PLC logo, tartan sports kilt, navy tracksuit pants or bike shorts and either a white or house coloured polo shirt or the PLC coloured striped basketball top.

Tennis was a big part of PLC. Imagine playing in 1918 wearing a white billowy ankle length dress. In 1925 it was a white crew neck ankle length dress. Players in the 1930s wore a white collared knee length dress with a white sash and tie. In 1948 it was a white button up blouse with white shorts that were worn at the belly button. The 1950s tennis uniform was a sleeveless knee length white button up dress, which featured pleats in the 1960s. In 2004 a white polo shirt, tartan sports kilt, white socks and white shoes, are worn.

Gymnastics, also a big part of PLC sport, began with a uniform similar to the Physical Education uniform; a white polo shirt and navy blue briefs. Since the eighties dark-coloured leotards have been worn - probably navy blue or dark green.

Bathers went through changes also, in colour and cut. The 1951 all navy blue low cut style became high-cut in the 1980s, and remains the same in 2004. In the early 80s, bathers were green with white and navy stripes across the stomach and navy straps. Now bathers are navy with green and white stripes up the sides.

The sports tracksuit also changed. The 1978 tracksuit was white cotton and the top had a zip and collar, with waistband, wristbands and ankle bands displaying the school colours. During the 1980s the tracksuit became dark navy with school colours at the neck, wrists and ankles, then reverted to white again in 1989 with a crew neckline instead of zip and collar. In 1997 navy came back and the 2004 tracksuit top has a white upper and navy bottom with a ‘V’ shaped green line separating them.

The uniform, both main and sport, and the badges have undergone significant changes to maintain a modern appearance that keeps up with fashion, while not following any fashion fads.

Reference:
Kookaburra, 1917-2003, PLC, Perth.

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THE FLIGHT OF THE WEST COAST EAGLES
By Jennifer Mumford (Junior Entry)
We’re the Eagles, the West Coast Eagles, and we’re here to show you why... this was the theme song that the West Coast Eagles enthusiastically chanted when they won the Australian Football League (AFL) Premiership in 1992, for the first time. On this day they made Australian sporting history, becoming the first non-Victorian team to win the Premiership Flag. However in the lead up to receiving this prestigious honour, they had endured a long period of suffering and negotiation.

Earlier, the West Australian Football League (WAFL) had been facing a crisis. The powerful Victorian Football League (VFL) was recruiting Western Australia’s youngest and most talented players, causing the WAFL standards to drop. The only way Western Australian football players would be able to play locally in an elite competition would be for the Eagles to join the VFL.

Further problems surfaced during negotiations with the VFL. There had never been any interstate teams in the VFL and Western Australia knew the VFL wouldn’t be interested in an exception. They were also faced with many other issues, including finding a home ground (oval) to seat large crowds, major sponsors and new club members.

In 1986 it was decided that interstate teams would be allowed to play against teams from the VFL, forming the Australian Football League (AFL). The West Coast Eagles and Brisbane Bears were the first interstate teams to join the AFL in 1987. They were followed soon after by the Adelaide Football Club (in 1991), Fremantle Football Club (in 1995) and Port Adelaide (in 1997). [Editors note: Earlier in the 1980s, Sydney Swans, the relocated South Melbourne Club, initially played as part of the VFL although located in NSW.]

Following much discussion, the name “West Coast” was chosen for the team to represent the state of Western Australia. The team also earned the nickname, “The Eagles,” because the wedge-tailed eagle is the state's largest bird of prey.

The Eagles won their first pre-season match by 29 points on March 3rd 1987 against Footscray. In their second year, they surprisingly made the finals and in 1991 the Eagles played in their first Grand Final against Hawthorn, losing by 53 points. After six hard seasons, with the team continuing to finish high on the ladder, in 1992 the West Coast Eagles finally received the nation’s greatest domestic sporting prize - the AFL Premiership trophy. Although the Eagles were trailing by two goals at half time, they managed to claw their way to victory, beating Geelong by 28 points. The West Coast Eagles continued to play high quality football and in 1994 they powered to an 80 point Grand Final victory, once again against Geelong.

The West Coast Eagles have enjoyed a love/hate relationship with the eastern state AFL teams. This is openly demonstrated by the following words in a verse from their club song, “So watch out all you know alls, all, you wise men from the east, you’ll get more than just a footy game, you’ll get a West Coast Eagles feast!”

The success of the West Coast Eagles has not been without problems. The location of their home ground is in Subiaco, which is a trendy inner suburb of Perth with an affluent and influential population. For one day every week during the winter months, the suburb and ground are filled to capacity, with many thousands of football supporters gathering before and after the games. Community leaders currently believe this brings life and atmosphere to the city, however some residents would prefer not to have thousands of people invading their living environment, causing traffic and social problems. There are two sides to every story and the wider community benefit has won through, although further growth of Western Australian football may need to be restricted to take into account local residents’ views.

Recently one of the Eagle’s players, Chris Judd, received the AFL’s highest individual honour when he was presented with the Brownlow Medal for the best and fairest player in the 2004 competition. Chris Judd is the first West Coast Eagles’ player to win this award, although many people believed that Peter Matera would have been a worthy recipient of this award during his playing career.

Since the establishment of the Fremantle “Dockers” Football Club in 1995, the Eagles have been under pressure to maintain their popularity and local news profile, as they can no longer take for granted the title of being the premier football team representing Western Australia. This has resulted in a healthy rivalry building between the two clubs, leading to the introduction of two “Western Derby” matches between the two local teams as part of each home and away season. These “grudge matches” have become an important part of Western Australian folk lore and are passionately supported by the general public. In the week preceding these games, the streets of Subiaco are awash with combinations of blue and yellow and red, green and purple, representing the opposing teams’ colours. Supporters of each team are keen to urge their team to victory to ensure they have the chance to enjoy “home town bragging rights!”

The Eagles and Dockers have experienced mixed on-field success over the last couple of years and it is far from certain which team will prove themselves to be the most famous in Western Australia’s illustrious football history. However, West Coat Eagles supporters are in no doubt as to the answer to this question and have been heard to say, “Watch this space and keep one eye on the sky, as the Eagles will be the team that will be flying high!”

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MOSMAN PARK
By Hannah Murray (Junior Entry)
Mosman Park has not always been ‘Mosman Park’. It was originally named ‘Buckland Downs’ in 1833 and after several changes, became ‘Cottesloe Beach’ in 1909. By 1912, the people decided that they wanted a change. The reason: there was no beach in Cottesloe Beach. At a meeting, two names were suggested. The names were ‘Brighton’ and ‘Mosman’ after Mosman, Sydney, N.S.W. A decision was not reached so the name remained for a decade. Then, a competition was held but still the name was left for another decade. This time in 1932, there were three suggestions. They were ‘Buckland Hill’, ‘Rivermont’ and ‘Mosman Park’. Due to popular demand, the name ‘Mosman Park’ was chosen. The official name was published in a Public Works gazette on the 15th January, 1938. In 1961 Mosman Park was designated as a shire but a year later it became a town. It is now known as the Town of Mosman Park.

Mosman Park is situated between Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove and North Fremantle. It is about 14 kilometres from Perth and has the Indian Ocean on the western boundary with the Swan River on the eastern boundary.

Mosman Park has steadily grown in population size and so have the buildings. Some significant buildings in Mosman Park have been the Oceanic Hotel (Mosman Park Hotel) which opened on the corner of Glyde and Monument Streets (1908) and the town hall (opened in 1912) now the Camelot Lodge. For the religious there have always been a variety of different churches in Mosman Park. The Methodist/ Uniting Church, the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Baptist Church have all been in Mosman Park.

As the population of Mosman Park grew, the people decided a government school was needed for the children. In May 1904 the Buckland Hill Road Board made an application to the State Government for a school in Mosman Park and to support it they started a petition. A school committee was formed and lists of future students were made. The application was granted in May 1905 and the Premier, Walter James, opened the school (now Mosman Park Primary School) on the corner of Solomon and Victoria Streets in 1906. Other schools in Mosman Park are or have been Iona Presentation College, St. Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls, Beehive Montessori School, Buckland Hill School for physically handicapped people and the Chidley Educational Centre.

The people of Mosman Park have always had plenty to do being so close to the river and several parks. The people could swim, fish, crab and do all sorts of water activities while there are also cricket, football, tennis, sailing, bowling, hockey, netball and golf clubs. A motorcycle race called the Harley Scramble was also held in Mosman Park. Then community programmes such as the Cottesloe Beach Voluntary fire brigade (1910-1914), the Ugly Men’s Association (1914-1920), the Cottesloe Beach Horticultural Society (1922-) and other such groups kept, and still keep, people busy.

In Mosman Park, most shops were along Stirling Highway and down Glyde Street. There were no big shopping centres. Some recognisable businesses were the Dingo Flour and the Colonial Sugar Refinery. The types of shops in Mosman Park were chemist, greengrocer, butcher, grocer, delicatessen, post office, barber, shoemaker, haberdasher, fish shop, bank, hairdresser, plumber, boot maker, billiard saloon, lolly shop, herbalist, electrician and newsagent. The people had plenty of shops and resources.

People come and go from Mosman Park but one man who knows Mosman Park very well is Horrie Dimmock. Horrie was born in 1922 in Hope Street, Cottesloe Beach; the very place he lives today. Cottesloe Beach became Buckland Hill and then Mosman Park so Horrie has lived in three different suburbs but has never moved house.

He had one brother called Jack who was nine years older than him. His father was a coach builder in England until he came to Australia where he worked at the Westralian Iron Works in North Fremantle. His father worked in various other jobs including the construction of the Perth Post Office and then worked at the Mount Lyell phosphate works in Mosman Park for forty-five years. His house at Hope Street had four rooms with a kitchen, a bathroom and a small verandah.

Horrie attended the Buckland Hill Primary School, now known as Mosman Park Primary School and then went to Claremont Central School in Bayview Terrace. He completed Year 12 and went to Perth Technical College.

As a child, he used to go with the other kids down to the river and the beach where they would go fishing, crabbing and chase cobblers with a gidgee. He went to the gymnasium on Monday nights from 6:30 to 7:45 pm for activities. There weren’t that many organised activities for young children to do then. He also used to play football and go swimming. He used to have school swimming lessons down at the river on Friday afternoons

Mosman Park during war time was initially uneventful for Horrie. It wasn’t until the fall of Singapore and the start of the Japanese advance down to Australia that they realised how close the war was. One day when Horrie was working in the post office, a boy came from telegraphs to tell them that they had cleared all the telephone lines throughout Australia and the Japanese were bombing Darwin. The people of Mosman Park now had to become even more aware. There were siren tests and other such procedures to make sure everybody was ready if an emergency was to come up. One morning the people of Mosman Park were shocked as a siren went off early in the morning. They all rushed to their wardens only to discover that the siren had been set off at the sight of one of their own planes that had flown off course. Horrie was never called up for the army because he was ‘medically unfit’ but he continued his war effort in the post office. Horrie still lives in Mosman Park with his wife, Norma.

References:
Tuettemann, E. 1991, Between River and Sea: A History of Mosman Park, Town of Mosman Park, Western Australia.
Dimmock, H. 28 November 2004, Interview, Perth.
Town of Mosman Park, 2004 (website)

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THE DENTAL LINK TO THE “SUGAR AND TEA” TRAIN
By Toby Paterson-Miller (Junior Entry)
The ‘sugar and tea train’ provided transport for a pioneering outback dental service commencing in 1954. Gordon Medcalf was an original dentist on the country dental service. He experienced first hand, the lack of dental care given to the children in these areas.

Gordon Medcalf studied a bachelor’s course in dentistry at UWA in 1953, instead of studying through a local practitioner. The only requirement to be given entry into this course was a leaving certificate and they would make sure that the entrants were reasonably academic. After completing his course he joined the Health Department sector of the government and was supplied with a dental van to treat country kids who had never received dental care. There were only eleven other dentists doing this work.

He worked around the wheat belt for a while but was eventually moved to Kalgoorlie during a polio epidemic. While he worked there, people began to realise that the children probably needed dental care. There were children from schools such as Coonana, Zanthus, Rawlinna, Haig and Reid who had never seen a dentist. The Department of Health then granted that a dental facility would be set up to take a train ride through to all the towns. The train ran through these towns to deliver shopping trailers that the locals would buy their weekly shopping from. Gordon arranged to spend a week in each of the towns and provide free dental care to children whereas adults usually had to pay. He received a wage of £40 a week while also receiving a few small fees from paying adults.

The accommodation he was provided at first was a small hut at each train station, which also housed five railway workers in each. At some stops, there were restrictions on how much work he could get done due to the shortages of energy technology. The families who lived between each community would send their children to the school to receive treatment when Mr. Medcalf was in town. As he travelled, Gordon began to notice that the country people always seemed to be able to cooperate even in the most difficult situations. At one school, a teacher had a class with 20 different languages spoken, but they all worked well together. The country also provided some fond memories for Gordon. He recalls that at the towns the children would run off and show Mr. Medcalf their rabbit traps that they had set on the border of town.

While he enjoyed the experience, Gordon began to realise just how badly the country needed to be aware of dental health. Most treatments involved extracting several teeth, as they were already rotten. Another thing he noticed was that on his first trip a truckload of aboriginals were brought in to be examined, and not one out of about thirty had a hint of decay. When rechecked four years later, almost half had decaying teeth, the result of confectionary being introduced to the Cundelee mission as a reward.

As soon as the trip finished, Gordon knew that they had to do another in two years time. He was also aware of the fact that his accommodation was of poor standard, so he arranged with the Department of Transport to be supplied with a full size train carriage. The carriage was modified as a home, and came with a fridge, shower and all other appliances. He could tow his van behind his carriage as he went. After two runs, he began training dental nurses to be able to take over his job. Once he had established the service, he moved down to Esperance to continue his dental work, but as Esperance was a growing town, it eventually became large enough to support a private dentist. Even though the private facilities were available, people still came to Gordon for free children’s treatment. Eventually, the government changed the offer and restricted it to children below four years of age.

After working fifteen years as a dentist, Mr Medcalf changed his role to administration in the dental sector. Along with his colleagues, he worked towards establishing a better dental health system. This required the fluoridating of Perth’s water supply, which occurred in 1968, as well as teaching the public about proper dental care, problems that can occur and dispelled the myths about the new technologies. One reason for the latter was that the Premier at the time believed that fluoridating the water was poisoning it. People were trained to visit country schools to teach the children how to look after their teeth, called school dental therapists, and they could also perform tasks like extracting teeth.

Gordon also took the job of comparing West Australian dental figures with the other states and major cities. In this position, he was able to travel around but he also found it interesting how the other states worked. When he retired in 1987, after 33 years in the government service, everything was running smoothly and WA was well on the way to becoming dentally aware. Since then, nothing much has changed in the way dentistry works, but new materials have been introduced as dentists become aware of their potential.

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GROWING UP NEAR CUNDERDIN IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY
By Desma Rose Price (submitted by Melanie Price)
Childhood is part of my life I could take over again. We were never hungry nor cold without being able to do something about it. Bush everywhere to roam in and build cubbies, berries of all kinds to eat along with various roots, yams and gum from trees, quandongs for pies and jam with eatable kernels in the nuts, likewise the sandalwood nuts. Dams to swim in although it’s remarkable how we all surfaced successfully for so many years, as rescuing someone would have been impossible as the water was so muddy.

Trees to climb to see birds’ nests- I can remember there being one large and one small bird in a nest at one stage but didn’t realise the large one was a cuckoo who tossed all the small birds over board and got all the attention itself. Nature’s way of coping as cuckoos don’t build nests. We had some very beautiful birds all around us those days, some we never see these days, more’s the pity. We would watch the curlews go past the house at sundown on their way to the dam- run a few yards and then stop was their approach- no doubt it was to survey the situation.

Mallee hens with large mounds of earth for their nests, leaving the sun to hatch the eggs. Black water fowls and ducks hatching their chicks near the dams, with cranes to keep them company. Bronze wing pigeons, blue pigeons, squeakers, and skylarks shooting from the ground straight up towards the sky. Crows, walking-gale parrots, twenty-eight parrots, miners, martin birds, butcher birds, storm birds, willy wag tails, mudlarks, magpies, hawks of various kinds, sand larks, plovers, tom tits, blue wrens, robin red breasts and parakeets with the hootin’ owls, black cockatoos and swallows building their nests in the eaves. Galahs had not appeared in our zone then. I am mentioning all these birds because I doubt if such a variety of our feathered friends will ever be seen in any one area of bush again.

Wildflowers were equally as beautiful with so many brilliant colours, we picked and pressed so many of them it’s a wonder there aren’t some in books today. When a piece of land was burnt off was the only time the lovely white flannel- daisies would appear. Then there were pink, blue and daddy long leg orchids, yellow buttercups, various kinds of everlastings we would pick and hang upside down to dry, making them into a better bunch to keep. Orange moongites, pink and yellow morrison, purple enamel orchids- a different species to the others. Blue-bells on large bushes with long round leaves, yellow wattle, red bottle-brush and all the flowering gums. Then around Christmas the white cauliflower would be in bloom.

Mum always filled the open fire place with this during summer because it kept so well. We also had the wild apple we would break open and eat the kernel, the wild pear that was so decorative. All in such abundance but they all disappeared with the clearing of the land, as did the wild animals, some of which were our main source of meat for many years- kangaroos, rabbits and the wild turkey- along with ducks and parrots. It wasn’t Christmas without wild turkey on the menu.

A lot of these animals and birds we had for pets over the years, a number of ‘roos, some of which stayed around- others went back into the bush, one big boomer copped a slug when he attacked dad. There were black, ginger, grey and even grey and white rabbits. The spiky old porcupines that always got away, mountain devils, and bob tails, the cutest of all was the dalgite. It was so timid.

We had our quota of snakes, usually being warned by the cats fighting them. One slithered over Vic’s boots one day as he stood in front of the stove so Lioney stood guard and beheaded it with the tomahawk as it emerged from behind the stove. It was a miracle no one was ever bitten.

Mum kept fowls, bantams, guinea fowls and geese so usually had a supply of eggs. I poked my nose into an old goose’s nest one day and it set me- clamping its beak on my rammies as I took off.

We also had cattle so were never short of milk, cream or butter. At first the milk would be scalded and left to set for a day or so, then the cream would be skimmed off the top then later the wooden churn and separator came into use. Pie melons were plentiful so jam and pickles would be made from those- also melon pies. When a sheep was killed in summer most of the meat would be cured by stabbing it with the knife, rubbing salt into it, then hanging it in the shade in sugar bags.

Pigs were often slaughtered-none of it going to waste, head and trotters went into brawn, all odd bits minced and made into sausages, tripe, cleaned, soaked in salt water and fried. Hams would be cured over the stove by smoke. Farmers took it in turn to kill beef and shared it among themselves.

We never failed to enjoy many feeds of mushrooms in early winter, getting in mum’s way as we roasted them on top of the stove or on the bars over the open fire, couldn’t wait for the ones in the pan.

Dad always had a vegetable garden- which brings to mind an incident when I was three. Mum was in Grass Valley awaiting the birth of Lioney. Jimmy Conroy was giving dad a hand. This day he had a row of shallots ready to put the earth around when dad called him for a cuppa. I never could resist an onion of any kind so along the line I went, pulling up the shallots and eating them. Those days small girls wore bodices with pants buttoned onto them- the tailboard being dropped at toilet time and mine was down at that particular time. I was put over Jimmy’s knee and the bare bottom got a whamming- I never liked that one armed man again.

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AND GRANDAD ONLY HAD ONE ARM!
By Desma Rose Price (submitted by Melanie Price)
In Northam, on the 27 November 1880, my father, Lewis Nathanial Beard was born, one of seven children in the family of John and Alice Maryanne (nee Cousins) Beard. John Beard had arrived in Western Australia with his parents long before. He was nine years of age and it was soon after his arrival he lost his arm in a chaff cutting machine.

After the death of Maryanne, John married Sarah Gibson in 1885 and from this marriage, a further fourteen children were added to the family- a total of 21 in all. A quote I always made when the family tree was under discussion: - ‘Yes, and Grandad only had one arm too!’ Guess it was a point: what would he have been capable of if he’d had two arms!!?

Owing to such a large family, Lewis went out working at an early age. He mainly minded sheep- sleeping under the stars on wheat bags. In his teens Lewis was a keen competitor in ploughing contests- seeing who could plough the straightest with a single-furrow plough pulled by one horse with the competitor walking behind. They also held hay pitching and stack building contests.

Dad had no schooling, he had to be taught how to sign his name when the time came for him to sign cheques, papers etc. Never-the-less he was always good at figures- seldom lost a game of Crib even it meant bending the rules slightly by putting his pegs on the wrong side of the board.

In 1906 he married Lilla Martin (our mother). He left her with the Lawsons, who had reared mum from when she was nine years of age, at the death of her own mother after the birth of a baby who also died- (I’m sure this was due to a bad fever epidemic in 1899).

Lewis set off to select land north of Meckering- a few acres at first then it grew to 1200 acres all told. Like all settlers, his possessions consisted of a horse, cart, pick, shovel, axe and waterbag- a few tins of bully beef and a bag of flour.

He cleared a small area on which to build a tent, picking a spot near some clay holes noted for holding water, which he later used to make mud bats and built a two roomed house with small kitchen and verandah. This was added to over the years and was ‘home’ for over four decades.

Dad called the farm ‘Rockway’ and his sheep brand was 9NB. In 1910 or 1911, dad brought mum and three children- Herb, Edgar and Mavis- out to the farm to live and to think back to that time, one can’t but wonder how they survived. No electricity, only lamps, lanterns and candles. No scheme water, just tanks and mud holes ‘til wells and dams could be sunk. No cars, trucks nor tractors- not even a pushbike. It was horsepower or walk. No refrigerators- in their place were hessian coolers with pieces of flannel draining water from a container on top of a tray at the bottom, continuously being recircled. No cylinders of gas- just wood stoves all set so low they were back breakers- or camp ovens.

On thinking back now I can’t but wonder how dad managed with so few acres of cleared land before 1916-17. I can remember Alf Calves clearing a paddock near the house, Pat Friell another, Tom Wilson started on the forest behind the old dam and Sid Bonser finished it and I feel I had to be over three to remember that happening. It was also around that time when two extra rooms were added to the house, then later the kitchen was rebuilt, boys’ room added also and verandahs extended.

Mum would hurriedly chop up some butter because someone else was short of that. Several times I was sent per horse with a can of milk to where the folks cow was dry. I can remember Jack Smith coming post-haste after mum to act as midwife for Mrs. Smith, as it was too late to shift her before the birth. Mum made her own bread- a batch nearly every second night. Dad took over when mum was unable to mix the dough and many times the last loaf was given to a neighbour in need of it and scones made for our own meal. Yes, our mother certainly did her share for the community as well as for her family. Dad was a great help in many ways. Always had one baby on his lap feeding him or her with another along side for him in a high chair, also being fed. He would do anything necessary at home but never wanted to go visiting nor to school functions etc. It was always mum who took us, leaving the younger ones home with dad.

In all, our family grew to 13 children, even although mum lost twin boys and another stillborn baby boy. Just how we all fitted in before the adjustments were done I’ll never understand. At times when the boys slept on the verandah or in the chaff house they would have new hessian eiderdowns annually- (three new wheat sacks sewn together). Very warm-a wagga, I believe they were called.

There were disadvantages such as ants, fleas, fowl ticks and flies that caused bung eye and lips, along with sandy blight, mumps, measles and whooping cough etc which mum got us all through without trips to the doctor. If there was one to go to it would take four hours with the two old horses who had but two gears- dead slow and full stop. Meckering was our home town then, 22 miles away which meant an all day trip.

Dad actually shot a wild turkey or two enroute, which he sold to the publican- buying groceries with the money. One day Mavis and I shot upstairs in the hotel and took ourselves a bath- no one would have known had we not overflown the tub and flooded the kitchen below. Outside the pub was a white cockatoo whose vocabulary was ‘it’s hot: cocky wants a bloody beer’.

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NAMED TRAINS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
By Philippa Rogers
To the East: Until the early 1960s most passenger trains were described by their destination eg the Kalgoorlie Express. The description ‘Express’ was an exaggeration and the overnight service was very uncomfortable initially as the railways had no sleeping cars! The accommodation did improve and later also included refreshment cars.

Along the nearly 600km journey between Perth and Kalgoorlie was another train The Westland. This overnight train was only for the use of passengers connecting with, or from, the Trans-Australian train at Kalgoorlie. Special visitors to WA travelled on this train, often in special carriages. Royalty, politicians including Robert Menzies and John Curtin, dignitaries such as Lord & Lady Baden-Powell and Governor-Generals all travelled on The Westland. Perth Railway Station was then the place for many civic welcomes and farewells dating from the first connection with the Trans Australian in 1917 when Lord and Lady Forrest were special guests.

The Western Australian Government Railways introduced the first “Westland Express” to provide a better service to connect with the upgraded Trans Australian train. The Federal Senate requested a ‘train deluxe’. A competition was held to name the train and suggestions included The Hannan, The Forrest, Goldfielder, The Westrail, Golden West and the Inlander. The name ‘Westland’ was chosen and the inaugural train left Perth on 4 June 1938. Hot showers on this train were the first provided on any Australian train. Lounge cars were provided with Boans supplying the furnishings, including tub chairs, oxford lounge chairs and card tables. The provision of foot warmers in the lounge cars is believed to be the only such use in WA. New steel sleeping cars were planned for the train but World War II commenced and the railways’ resources of time and materials were re-directed until 1947-48.

On the journey to Kalgoorlie passengers on the Westland were served their evening meal in the dining car, all cooked on the large wood stoves. Then they waited at Cunderdin where it was detached from the train. On return the dining car was reattached there in time for serving breakfast.

With the construction of standard gauge between Kalgoorlie and the metropolitan area the days of the Westland and the Kalgoorlie Express were numbered. On 15 June 1969 the ‘Trans Australian’ began running through Kalgoorlie to Perth Terminal and the Westland Express was no longer required. The ‘Indian-Pacific’ is a named train known around the world. The first one from Sydney to Perth arrived on 26 February 1970 and Australia passengers could finally travel from one side of the country to the other without changing trains.

The last Kalgoorlie Express ran on 28 November 1971 and that was the finale for nearly 75 years of narrow gauge train services between Perth and Kalgoorlie. A new air-conditioned standard-gauge railcar replaced it. To be known as the ‘Prospector’ it left Perth the next morning on a daytime, rather than overnight service. At that time it was the fastest train in Australia.

To the North and South: The post-war reconstruction of the railways included the new ‘Australind’ passenger train. It operated between Perth and Bunbury from 24 November 1947. The train had four saloon and two buffet carriages which were built at the Midland Workshops and the first in Australia with fluorescent lighting. For forty years the ‘old Australind’ operated and two days later the first new ‘Australind’ railcar service began – keeping the old name despite a competition for a new name.

In 1959 a new Commissioner of Railways, Mr Cyril Wayne, was appointed and he found largely run-down passenger services. The first of the services to be improved was the ‘Australind’. Mr Wayne was enthusiastic about naming trains. Until his time the ‘Westland’ and the ‘Australind’ were the two official ‘Named Trains’. Over the years other trains acquired names such as Wiluna Express, Esperance Flyer, but these were actually unofficial and hardly descriptive of the journey!

Bunbury was popular for passenger services as in 1964 two diesel-electric Wildflower units with four trailer cars, were refurbished to operate as the ‘Bunbury Belle’ and ‘The Shopper’, both on the Perth-Bunbury route. ‘The Shopper’ was based in Bunbury and ran its return service from there. These were the first passenger trains in Australia to be fitted with automatic vending machines for the supply of sandwiches, confectionary, etc.

In August 1964 the WA Government took over the private Midland Railway Company that operated between Midland and Geraldton. The new passenger train between Perth and Geraldton was named the ‘Midlander’ and painted in a livery of red and ivory. The train commenced as a single weekly service on 2 September 1964 (planning ahead was obviously important!). It was an overnight service and ran for over ten years.

Travel to Albany was either on the ‘Albany Progress’ (from 1961) or on the ‘Albany Weekender’ -the weekend version of the Progress. The ‘Albany Progress’ ran three overnight return services a week. Sleep was not easy on the ‘Progress’ despite sleeping berth accommodation as the train was a ‘mixed’ train carrying freight as well as passengers. This resulted in wagons being shunted off or onto the train at various stopping places during the night. Never a quiet or gentle procedure!

The ‘Mullewa’ was created in the early 1960s when several carriages were rebuilt with their end platforms enclosed. These refurbished cars were allocated to the ‘Mullewa’ due to the dust problem in the area. It was another overnight service and the number of freight wagons was usually much greater than the number of passenger cars.

After the mid-1970s the ‘Australind’ was the only named train running on other than the railway between Perth and Kalgoorlie. The Named Train era was gone and with it the experience of the overnight passenger trains in Western Australia. For most country towns their passenger rail service was now a road coach but the memories of the romantic days of rail travel remain, though in reality they were often slow and uncomfortable ... But what an experience!

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HONEYMOONERS AND YANCHEP PARK
By Philippa Rogers
The development of Yanchep Park by the State Gardens Board in the 1930s created a popular holiday destination for the average Western Australian. Sustenance workers undertook the major building projects during the depression years. The first permanent building completed was McNess Hostel, followed shortly after by The Lodge and the establishment of the old tramcar accommodation. With the improvement of facilities Yanchep Park quickly became a popular place for people to have their honeymoon. The first recorded honeymoon couple booked into a tram in 1934. The highest standard of accommodation was at the Yanchep Inn, which was opened in 1936.

Honeymooners were either driven to Yanchep late at night by friends or relatives, or arrived by taxi. Those who waited until the next morning generally caught the bus. For many years the bus departed Perth on Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings and returned in the evenings. During the busiest years for honeymooners, from the re-opening of the Park after World War II until the end of the 1950s, very few visitors had their own vehicles.

Why Yanchep? It was reasonably developed, not too far to travel and the various forms of accommodation provided for most budgets. The caves were a big attraction, just as they were for the other significant honeymoon destination of the time, Caves House at Yallingup. Many Yanchep honeymooners had only a few days holiday and as Yanchep was closer and cheaper it was chosen.

Electricity was generated by the Park for its own use and was turned off in the late evening. So people travelling to Yanchep after their wedding reception often survived the long narrow road to find their accommodation in darkness. On the back steps they found a lantern with the number of their room attached, or later a torch to help them to find their rooms. For the guests already in bed the noise from new arrivals was just one of the night-time noises. At times mosquitoes were reported to be in squadrons, with rustling rats and possums common too.

At Gloucester Lodge (renamed in 1939 to honour the visit of the Duke of Gloucester in 1934) some honeymooners only had single iron beds in their rooms and no other furniture. Only one room had a double bed. Double beds were not the norm at Yanchep Inn either. One honeymoon couple even had a cot in their room! An even more memorable bedroom experience is that of the honeymoon couple who awoke to find the cleaner vacuuming around their bed.

Many newlyweds told of amusing attempts to hide any traces of confetti so as they would not be recognized as ‘just married’. Not only was there some embarrassment but also the Park had a reputation amongst some parts of the community as a honeymoon destination for shotgun weddings. In reality it was the most popular destination for honeymooners because of the low cost and its accessibility. On one occasion a maid was reported to have knocked at the bedroom doors in the mornings to ask the newly weds if they would like a cup of tea. The couple tried to pretend they were not honeymooners and then immediately destroyed this impression when the husband did not know how his wife took her tea. Another couple had their secret smashed when their wedding was described on the front page of the Sunday Times and the Lodge manager read it to all the visitors over breakfast.

Whether staying at the Yanchep Inn or Gloucester Lodge silver service was provided for all meals, including breakfast. During the ‘peak’ years for honeymooners’ meals were at a set time. The prestige of silver service was somewhat tarnished when visitors found themselves waiting on the tables due to staff strike action in 1950. Honeymooners though generally found the staff to be very friendly and helpful and enjoyed in having meals cooked and picnic hampers provided for them.

Picnic hampers were ideal for people enjoying a trip to the beach; cave exploring or just relaxing in the park. More than one couple got lost on their wanders around and had to wait for a search party. Catching crayfish was a bonus for those who made it to the beach and kitchen staff were persuaded to let the visitors cook their catch.

Visitors were able to rent bathers for a swim in Gloucester Lodge’s pool. Some honeymooners became lifesavers with several near drownings noted. Rowboats on the lake were popular and for many new wives this was their first rowing lesson. One wife recalls that her husband tried to teach her to row (he was a rower) but the boat got stuck on mud. He made her get out, she got covered in mud and had to return to the Lodge that way!

After booking Yanchep for his honeymoon one West Australian found that his parents had honeymooned there as well as his great-aunt and great-uncle. The vision of Yanchep Park as a major tourist attraction was certainly achieved and whilst it is no longer a significant holiday destination for overnight stays it is a popular place for WA families to visit. This will no doubt continue, as the north metropolitan suburban expansion gets closer to the Park.

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THE HISTORY OF GUIDING IN MELVILLE PROJECT
By Gwynva Rumball
The History of Guiding in Melville Project was established on 30 May 2002 to preserve the wealth of information and memorabilia scattered throughout the area.

Guiding District Boundaries have changed over the years and Melville Guiding District now covers the former O’Connor Division (Fremantle, East Fremantle, Plympton and White Gum Valley) and Melville/Applecross District (Melville, Palmyra, Bicton, Canning Bridge, Attadale, Applecross and Mt Pleasant).

The first Unit Registration certificate found is for the Palmyra Brownies, registered on 1 April 1944. An early photograph of 1st Palmyra Rangers, Guides and Brownies dated 2 September 1933 was taken on their third anniversary and another was taken on 2 September 1939 to mark their ninth anniversary.

The Guides have met in schools, Tamar Street Hall, Applecross Guide Hall and Kindergarten Hall in Stock Road. The original Melville Guide Hall was opened in 1948 with the present hall opening in 1973.

The highest badge a Guide can achieve is the Queen’s Guide Badge. The first Queen’s Guide Badge in Western Australia was presented by the World Chief Guide Lady Baden-Powell in 1947 to Marjorie Genge of Kalgoorlie. Melville’s first recipients in 1949 were Norma Wilding of 1st East Fremantle and Norma (nee Collins) Luce of 1st Palmyra.

Melville District has always been very active. The Courier, which was the official publication for the Guide Association, mentions the 1st Melville Guide Co going on a “North West Safari” in 1975. This group was expert in Scottish Country Dancing. In 1978 nine Melville Guides mostly from Bicton-Palmyra attended the Festival of Perth Opening Concert to sing “Taps” as part of the Fifth Military District Band Presentation. Members also performed at the Royal Show on a couple of occasions.

Local Guides have featured prominently on many important state occasions.

Service has always been a feature of Guiding.

Camping and hiking plays a large part in the Guiding program. In the 1940s Cap Slaughter held a Melville Camp at Point Walter after the Scouts Jamborette using tents left by the Scouts. Full use was also made of the Guide Camping Ground at Seaward from as early as 1947. In 1953 when the Palmyra Rangers hiked in Attadale, the area was still bushland.

Melville conducted annual Swimming Carnivals from the 1950s. Each team wore a distinctive swimming cap and one of these recently made its way into our collection. We also have a trophy presented at one of the Carnivals. Melville Rangers won the Master Mariner’s at Waylen Bay in 1980, a keenly contested annual event between Guides and Scouts.

In 1971, Mrs Jean Segedewicz, leader of 1st Bicton/Palmyra had afternoon tea with World Chief Guide Lady Olave Baden-Powell at Hampton Court Palace and the Melville Hall has a framed thank-you letter as testimony to this.

Anson Rangers Christine Hodge and Judith Semple attended the Golden Jubilee Camp at Kenya in 1973. These girls were also fortunate to spend time with Lady Baden-Powell at Hampton Court Palace en route for home. The District helped them raise money for their fares through recycling newspapers.

In 1975 Mrs Lyla Semple leader of 1st Plympton Guide Company, Gail Holman and Vickie Leigh Shugg represented WA as part of the Australian Contingent going to the Hong Kong Eastern Gathering. Our collection has recently been presented with camp blankets worn at this gathering.

Brownies and Guides took part in a March Past before His Excellency the Governor following the opening of the Bicton R.S.L. Hall in 1956 and have regularly participated in the annual Anzac Day celebrations.

Applecross/Melville is proud of the fact that three State Commissioners, Pat Goodheart, Marion Nairn and Janis Wittber all started their guiding careers in the District. There have also been two Diplomaed Trainers, Lorna Cooper, who started her career as a Bicton Brownie, and Miss Dawn Paxton of the Fremantle Group.

22 February was the combined birthdays of both Lord and Lady Baden Powell and is set aside annually as World Guide Thinking Day when special ceremonies are conducted to remember our sister Guides internationally. Point Walter has been the scene of many special Thinking Day Ceremonies over the years.

Guiding is still active in Melville and continues to make a significant contribution to the life of people in this area.

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EMPLOYMENT MATTERS IN THE WEST KIMBERLEY DURING THE MID 1900s
By Cindy Solonec
During the middle of the twentieth century, the evolving employment opportunities of Aboriginal, mixed-descent and Gudia [non-Indigenous] people in the West Kimberley were determined by their racial grouping. This overview is based on the families of Fulgentius and Phillipena Fraser, Nygkina people from the region, Frank Rodriguez a Spanish migrant and Tony Ozies a Djugun and Gidja man.

The principal forces that shaped Indigenous people’s destiny were Government policies. Policies dictated the power, control and organisation of racial groupings: where people could live, who could be an Australian citizen, who could be formally educated and to what extent, and who was entitled to land. The Aborigines Act 1905, devised by Gudia, set the framework for the control of Aboriginal people to the present day. Determined by their racial grouping Kimberley people generally lived in different forms of accommodation travelled by different modes of transport and often had their relationships. Yet they shared the land and their lives connected at various points, particularly through employment.

The pastoral industry was dependent on Aboriginal labour until the late 1960s. Initially, the Pastoralists’ lobby strongly influenced government decisions that reflected their own need for Aboriginal labour. Legislation passed in Western Australia in 1905 required station owners and boat owners to hold permits to employ Aboriginal people; but by 1949 the Native Welfare Administration had introduced a new wage scheme for pastoral workers in the Kimberley based on caste. The permit system enabled pastoralists to manage a cohort of workers rather than having to individually identify employees. The legislation had no precise conditions and was open to manipulation. The pastoral industry in the Kimberley was flourishing during the 1940s and 50s and well into the 1960s. It even suffered a labour shortage before being hit with a downturn in global commodity prices for livestock in the late 1960s and the decision to pay Aboriginal stock workers the award wages.

All of the Frasers’ daughters worked as domestics, either on stations or in the towns. Aggie and Frances worked at Myroodah Station where they found the work very hard, and they were lonely away from the comfort and support of their family. Aggie recalled:

I was working in Myroodah as the cook for 17 people where my father got a job for me and Frances. At 14, I was the head cook and I had no experience. Frances was working in the house for Mrs Godbehere and Dad was at an out-camp called Currigan, about thirty miles from Myroodah. When we had a chance we’d visit them. We stayed for three years. I got fed up with the place, it was too long. We were on our own now; it was hard without family. We decided to just leave and get away from Myroodah. We did not walk on the road, just the spinifex and we hid under a kungaberry tree. I heard Mr Godbehere saying “can you see tracks” and the Aboriginal boy saying “no boss, no boss”.

Their cousin Dora grew up in Derby, and worked at Mt. Anderson Station. She worked in the staff kitchen in sub-standard conditions. She slept on a cyclone bed and mattress on a cement floor that was primarily for hay. The girls had to make their own dresses, have a shower before work and were never allowed to enter the boss’s house. By contrast, Dora’s later experience at Ellendale Station when she was nineteen is memorable. The managers treated everyone the same. Everyone ate at the same table and Dora even shared a bedroom with the manager’s wife. Women who were trained on the missions and had gained some formal education were better placed to secure work in the towns, usually as domestics. Edna Fraser however, went to work for the Post Master General (PMG) in Derby in the 1940s. She worked on the switchboard and handled telegrams for a weekly pay of £2.10. She was the first Aboriginal woman to be employed by the PMG in Derby although she was required to have an exemption from the Aborigines Act.

Tony Ozies worked as a station-hand and windmill mechanic at Liveringa. He travelled regularly to neighbouring properties to service the mills. He felt sorry for the Aboriginal people on the stations where he worked and believed they were treated like ‘rubbish’ by the station managers. Because they had to have limited rations, whenever he went on his rounds, Ozies took tobacco and other goods. He had grown up on Beagle Bay where he learned carpentry. In 1943 he left the mission and wanted to join the army, but was ‘man-powered’, so he worked on the wharf in Broome. On the pastoral leases, he worked with a bore-drilling contractor and unlike the full-descent workers who only received rations as payment for work, he received a wage. Ozies received £3.10 a week when he was a single man, and £7.10 a week when he married.

Employment for Rodriguez was never a problem. He had taught himself his trade as a builder, and gained his qualifications by correspondence during the 1940s. Buildings stand testimony today to his style in the region:

Much of Liveringa’s building program during this period [1950s] was carried out by Spanish migrant Frank Rodiguez [sic], a skilled carpenter and stonemason. Assisted by a number of station aborigines, Rodiguez also built the meat house and station cottages situated to the west and north of the homestead. Rodiguez was responsible for construction work on other stations including the present Camballin Homestead and the Inkata stockyards offices.

The pool at Liveringa was also built by Rodriguez and he had his daughter Josephine [Pepita] along with the manager’s children, Jarran and June Rose cast their footprints into the cement on the 15 August1950. During the 1940s, Liveringa’s progressive building program was influenced by a labour shortage and the fear of Aboriginals walking out in protest at the lack of wages and poor conditions as had happened in the Pilbara.

When working in Derby Rodriguez found it hard to always have enough materials, and to find good timber. The State ships would dump the timber in the depot and builders sorted through it. He salvaged ‘good’ pieces of old timber from the jetty that had been thrown into the sea and the tide had brought them back in. Builders at the Derby Reserve faced similar dilemmas. They were of mixed-descent, and had grown up on the missions and learned their trade from the missionaries. Vincent Martin and his brothers built lean-to huts on the reserve, while Jerome Manado built the Native Affairs’ office.

There is little doubt that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people together developed the pastoral industry throughout Australia.

References:
Jebb, Mary-Ann. Blood, Sweat and Welfare. A History of White Bosses and Aboriginal Pastoral Workers. Perth: UWA Press, 2002.
Solonec, J (2004) MA (Aboriginal & Intercultural Studies), ‘Cast(e) in between: a mixed-descent family’s coexistence in the West Kimberley 1944-1969’, ECU, Mount Lawley, WA.

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RECOLLECTIONS OF IRENE READ (NEE DOBBINS)
OF THE 1920s AND 1930s
By Irene Sorensen
London, England: mid-1920s
William Dobbins was a young returned soldier from the 1914-18 war. He married and had two daughters. I was one of them, Irene Read, nee Dobbins. Nell was my older sister.

Unemployment was rife in London and the governor of WA, James Mitchell, had a grandiose scheme to open up the south west of WA for farming, claiming it was the ’land of milk and honey’. Hundreds of people believed him and set out to make their fortunes. My father was one of them! We set sail on SS Beltana in August 1926 and arrived at Fremantle in November.

‘The Group Settlements’, Witchcliffe
On arrival we were allotted 64 acres of virgin bush and loaned money to stock the farm, to be paid back when the farm was productive. The only accommodation was in humpies until small, unlined weatherboard cottages were built. There was no water or electricity and my Mum had to cook over an open fire. Eventually Mum got a stove. We had a well and a windmill for water and used hurricane lamps for lighting. Mum used to iron our clothes with a flat iron heated on the stove. We didn’t have many clothes to iron but our grandmother would sometimes send us a ‘parcel’ from England with dresses for Nell and me, which I’m sure she bought at the flea markets, but to us they were “new’. She also sent us a doll each year – our very first toys.

I remember my father clearing the bush with a horse with a big log attached to a chain to drag the trees into a heap for burning. Then came the ploughing and seeding. I can still see my Dad behind a single furrow plough pulled by the same old horse – then he would walk along the furrows with a bag over each shoulder containing seed and fertiliser, spreading it by hand. When the crop was ready Dad would cut it with a hand scythe and my sister and I would follow with the horse and cart and toss the hay up onto the cart with pitchforks, to be taken to the shed and put through a chaff-cutter to be used for fodder.

By this time we had acquired several cows, pigs and chickens. The paddocks had to be fenced and Dad and I used to use a crosscut saw to cut logs ready to be split for fence posts. My Dad and my sister milked the cows and the cream was separated and sent to the butter factory at Brunswick. My job each day was to dismantle the separator and clean the many discs ready for the next milking. We got a cheque every month, which was our only income. Once a month we would harness up the old horse and cart and go into ‘town’ – one shop and one pub, to cash the cheque and buy groceries.

It was on one of those trips that I experienced a lot of ‘firsts’: I saw my first plane, my first car, heard my first radio and got my first pair of shoes! They were black with two straps across the instep fastened by two buttons and I had to use a button hook to do them up.

The groupies had built a hall that was used for social occasions and church services – it’s where I was christened at age six. The hall was also used for movies. It was only silent movies in those days but even though I couldn’t read the captions it was very exciting to see ‘moving pictures’.

My sister and I attended a one room school taught by one teacher, regardless of grade, by name of Barney Clarke. We had to walk barefoot across the paddocks the two and a half miles to school. Sometimes if the old horse wasn’t needed on the farm we were allowed to ride it bareback – two up- to school where we would tether it with a nosebag on until home time. Although we were not well-dressed, neither was anyone else so we didn’t feel out of place.

We sometimes had bacon that Dad cured in a homemade smoke house; as we had no refrigerator, all our meat was smoked. Mum used to make her own bread after we got the stove. I can still see a big bowl of dough sitting by the fire overnight to rise.

People were leaving in droves – it was a disaster from the start. Finally my father decided to throw in the towel and leave before we all starved to death. Sir James Mitchell has a lot to answer for!

We moved to Margaret River where my young sister, Jean, was born in 1933. Then on to Perth and into furnished rooms. After moving to the city we landed right in the middle of the Great Depression of the thirties. Jobs were at a premium, but the Government decided to build the Canning Dam. My Dad got a job there and we all moved into tents on site. The conditions of employment were that one would work for six weeks at a wage of £2/5/- and then ‘stand down’ for six weeks so that someone else could have 6 weeks work. While on ‘stand down’ we were given 'sustenance’ of £1/5/- per week per family. We would get a ride to Perth to cash our sustenance cheque and Mum would carefully write a list of groceries. Nell and I would trot off to John Wills – the only shop that would cash the cheque. After buying the groceries there was sometimes three pence left over and Nell and I would be allowed to buy three pennyworth of boiled lollies!

Because we were living in tents my little sister was two years old before she walked as we couldn’t put her on the ground. Times were very hard for my parents- and everyone else- but I remember my childhood as the happiest days of my life, because I had no real concept of what my parents really suffered.

But all good things must come to an end – the dam was finished and everyone was looking for work again. Then the depression ended, just in time for the beginning of World War Two, and the world went mad.

In my almost 80 years I have traveled the world many times over and have come to firmly believe that we are now living in the best country in the world – truly a ‘land of milk and honey’, brought about by pioneers like my parents and others like them.

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ROBOT SHEEP SHEARING
By James Trevelyan
Robot shearing was first proposed by Sir Norman Lewis of Kojonup in the early 1970s as wool prices collapsed and shearing costs doubled. With the Australian Wool Corporation (AWC) they commissioned a UK company to build a prototype shearing machine and brought it to Muresk in 1977 for a trial. University of WA (UWA) engineers saw the potential and with AWC funding they built the world’s first shearing robot in 1979, “ORACLE”. Films of the robot delicately shearing live, breathing sheep stunned audiences at international robotics conferences, attracting world-wide publicity in the National Geographic and Time magazines. In 1981 the UWA team commissioned a second robot to hold and turn over the sheep automatically.

Two more advanced robots followed: “Shear Magic” with more power and dexterity and “SLAMP”, a cradle to allow the whole fleece to be shorn in one piece. By 1993 the research was completed and robot shearing seemed to have a bright future. However, the wool industry lost confidence and capital in the wool price collapse in the early 1990s and shearing robots are still waiting for commercial interest. Merino Wool Harvesting Pty Ltd, an Adelaide company, also produced a prototype robot shearer in 1991 though it could only shear part of the sheep. Even just by deterring further rises in shearing costs, the UWA project has saved the wool industry many times the $10 million cost of the original research. At the same time it inspired a generation of robotics researchers around the world who now look to Australia as one of the world’s leading countries for advanced robotics research and development.

Reference:
http://www.mech.uwa.edu.au/jpt/shearmagic/

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MEEKATHARA SCHOOL OF THE AIR
By Kate Tunsill (Junior Entry)
Before 1918, the isolated students of Western Australia had no means of schooling. The parents were not financially able to support their children at Boarding schools or employ private tutors. After this time Distance Education, or ‘Correspondence’ was first brought into use. In 1940, in addition to the Correspondence work, broadcasts on radio were started.

The first School of the Air was based around these earlier attempts at radio communicating for education. Meekatharra School of the Air was the first official radio school in Western Australia, in 1959. The school used the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s direct, two-way radio network for around three hours a day, transmitting from a school ‘Headquarters’ in Meekatharra. A easily operated handheld transceiver was developed for students’ use. Mr J. Smedley was the first teacher, with a school of twenty-seven students. The school was under the control of the WA Correspondence School in Perth.

Meekatharra School of the Air became an autonomous school with its own principal in 1979, twenty years after it started, due to a comment first suggested at a Parents and Citizens meeting. The school was originally in the grounds of the RFDS, where it remained until 1975, when it moved adjacent to Meekatharra District High, its present site. In 1995 the school was upgraded and enlarged into its present state.

In the beginning of the radio use, Meekatharra School of the Air used the RFDS radio frequencies, but later, in 1975, it received its own radio frequencies. The school currently uses four channels, its own two, and two still used from the RFDS frequencies.

The latest information from the school was taken in Term two, 2003. Meekatharra School of the Air is the largest school of the air, with 52 students. The boundaries of its 540 000 square kilometres stretch east of Wiluna to the NT border, north to Newman, as far west as Mullewa and south to Wubin. The school includes students in pre-school (four year olds) through to Year 7. Most of the students live on stations. Other students live at roadhouses, in Aboriginal Communities, or their families are involved in prospecting.

Home Tutors teach the students for most of the school day, apart from half an hour spent on the radio with the teacher at Meekatharra, and their other classmates. The materials for air lessons are sent at the start of term, with the rest of the term’s work. Any problems encountered can be fixed by contacting the teacher by phone, radio or e-mail. The curriculum is produced by the Curriculum Development Centre, which is based in Leederville in Perth, and sent out to the students. The students send completed ‘sets’ of work back to the teachers every two weeks. A set of work is two weeks of work, and takes between two to three weeks to complete.

The students at School of the Air see each other three to four times a term, at camps at different locations. These include Home Tutor Seminar, at Geraldton, Sports and Junior Camp, in Meekatharra, Point Peron Camp at the Point Peron Camp School, and various mini-camps at different stations and towns. The camps provide a different angle to the learning that School of the Air provides, and teaches students vital interpersonal skills.

Meekatharra School of the Air is now upgrading to a computer networked learning system to take over the old radios. This lets the students use a microphone and have much clearer reception, and complete all work on the computer, and e-mail it straight to a teacher.

Reference:
www.side.wa.edu.au/schools/sota/sota_mee.html

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AN UNREMARKABLE LIFE – ALLAN ALFRED FRENCH
By Jane Wesson
Allan Alfred French’s story is representative of many ordinary men spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Australia. He did not do anything remarkable in his 75 years, but his life is one of many that, when considered together, create the patterns that make up our local and state histories. At different times during his life in WA he was a family man and city tailor, an aspiring farmer, and a lone single man and live-in gardener.

Allan French arrived in Western Australia about 1901 from Melbourne and settled in West Perth. He was part of a tide of migration in Australia from east to west in the early 1900s, attracted by the perception of better opportunities, and maybe the distance from his father. By 1901 Allan was an experienced tailor aged 33, married to Annie and with two small children, Marie (born 1897) and Allan (born 1900). It seems that Annie and the children stayed in Melbourne while Allan set himself up in Perth, where he started to work as a tailor.

In 1904, whilst Annie was living at her brother’s house in Melbourne, she contracted typhoid and died. The death of his wife forced a change in Allan’s life. As was not uncommon at the time, the four-year-old boy Allan was sent to live with his father in Perth, while his seven-year-old sister Marie went to her father’s relatives in Melbourne. Perhaps influenced by the wave of new land settlement in WA, Allan French made a brief and unsuccessful attempt to become a selector. In 1906 he applied for a lease on 420 acres in the Williams district. However, most of the land was timbered, with poor or gravelly soil and only a small area rated as good for grazing. In 1907 the rent remained unpaid and the lease was rescinded. The block was never reselected and later became State Forest.

Between 1908 and 1915 Allan French moved frequently, living in Subiaco, Claremont, South Perth and Perth whilst now giving his occupation as a gardener. In later life some of his moves were coincident with a change of ownership of a property, suggesting that he may have been brought in to refurbish or remodel a garden for new owners. In 1911 Allan French began a long association with Victoria Avenue, Claremont, where he was to live almost continuously from 1916 until his death in 1942. He became a live-in gardener and never appears on records as the owner, or even the registered occupier, of any of the properties. In this respect he was unusual, as there are few live-in servants on the electoral rolls at this time. The specific address that he was at in 1911 is not known. From 1916 to 1917/1918 Allan French lived at the house of Albert Edward Clements, a produce merchant, at ‘Normanhurst’, 34 Victoria Avenue. Mr Clements had first moved into the house in 1916.

In 1919 Allan French moved to number 98, to begin an association with the Clark family that would last most of the remainder of his life. All the evidence suggests that from this time on at least he lived alone. There is no evidence of his son Allan living with him at any of these properties. From 1919 to about 1923 Allan French was resident at ‘Wogoola’, occupied by the pastoralist James Clark, his wife Emmeline and some of their children. The Clarks had a pastoral station called ‘Wogoola’ near Onslow, and the house at Claremont was named after the property, which was a common practice at the time. In 1923 the Clarks sold number 98 and moved ‘across the road’ (after a year’s hiatus) to number 81. It is likely that this sale and move brought about Allan French’s brief move to ‘Ivanhoe’.

Allan French is listed at ‘Ivanhoe’, 46 Victoria Avenue, on the 1925 Federal Electoral Roll only (and there is no 1923 or 1924 roll). The house changed hands around this time, from Aubrey John McGlew to Mrs Alice G Drake-Brockman, and it is not known which of these owners Allan French worked for.

The Clark family moved to 81 Victoria Avenue in 1925 and gave it the name of their former home, ‘Wogoola’. The house stood on four blocks (one acre) of land and Mrs Clark was a very keen gardener. There was a tennis court to look after, a hedge all the way around and lovely trees. Allan French lived at ‘Wogoola’ from at least 1926 to 1941, with the exception of a few years during the early 1930s, when his whereabouts are not known. The house at number 81 had an unlined two-roomed weatherboard shed at the back which was the laundry and was also where Allan French lived. One room had a sash window and door with a top light. The second room contained a toilet and shower. This accommodation would have been considered perfectly adequate and comfortable for a servant at this time.

Shortly before his death in 1942 Allan French moved to the Salvation Army Eventide Home for Men in Vincent Street, Nedlands. He was buried by the Salvation Army at Karrakatta Cemetery and his sister Rose from Melbourne arranged the plot. Although he seems to have had little contact with his two children, his only known grandchild, Ken Uhr, is buried nearby. Ken Uhr is in the Perth Commonwealth War Graves next to Karrakatta Cemetery. Although a resident of Sydney, he was killed in an accident at the RAAF Training School at Cunderdin, WA in 1945 and was buried in Perth.

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DEATH AT MT MORGANS: A TRIBUTE TO AN ELDER BROTHER 98 YEARS ON
By Delma Wheatley
Elizabeth and William Henderson were married in Kalgoorlie 28th June 1900 and moved shortly after to Mt Morgans which is situated north east of Kalgoorlie. Mt Morgans was a thriving gold mining town and William worked on the mine as a Blacksmith. When their first child was nearly due Elizabeth travelled back to her Aunt’s residence in Fremantle. Nearing the time of delivery Elizabeth went into Mrs Henry’s Private Hospital, Mandurah Road, South Fremantle and on the 1st October 1901 David Henderson was born; they then returned to their home in Mt Morgans. Tragedy struck when David at 15 months old was kicked by a horse and buried in the local Cemetery. Officiating at the graveside was Rev. P. Ryall.

This sad occasion was printed together with a thankyou notice from the family in the Mount Morgans Miner dated Sat January 3, 1903. William constructed a picket fence around the grave site and placed a wooden plaque in the centre. In 1903 and 1905 Elizabeth gave birth to two more sons, then on the 1st January 1907 John Fisher Henderson (Jack – fourth boy) was born at the Mt Morgans District Hospital. He recalls as a child going regularly to the Cemetery with his Mother pushing a babe in a pram and other siblings walking by her side. Elizabeth had a total of nine children whilst living in Mt Morgans.

As time moved on Jack married Emma Kathleen Daniels and eventually moved from Kalgoorlie to a Perth suburb with their two children, John and Delma.

Delma moved back to Kalgoorlie where she married Douglas John Wheatley, so Jack and Emma were again regular visitors to the goldfields. Over a 30 year period, Delma and Doug took them back to Mt Morgans to see if Jack could locate David’s grave, a brother he never knew. Jack always seemed turned around in the Cemetery, because gates/fences had been moved because of Mining developments in the area, and it was so long ago he realised the wooden fence/plaque would have vanished. Then by chance during a visit to Laverton Shire Delma and Doug were told ‘all unmarked graves had been registered and David’s grave number was 28’.

So a fitting tribute to his elder brother David was put in place at the Mt Morgans’ Cemetery dated the 29th December 2000 – 98 years after his brother’s death. Delma and Doug had a brass plaque made, and with six bags of cement/metal combined, plus water, was carried from Perth to Mt Morgans to erect the memorial. It was a very moving day for Jack and Emma to finally close that chapter, it meant the world to Jack (my Dad). 100 years later in 2002 Jack returned with family members once more to the Mt Morgans Cemetery; Jack died on 31 July 2003 at his Riverton home aged 96.

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JACK HENDERSON: A MEMOIR OF MT MORGANS
By Delma Wheatley
My Dad’s name is John (Jack) Fisher Henderso. He was born at the Mt Morgans’ District Hospital on the 1 January 1907, baptised at St Matthew’s Church by the Rector Frederick T. Bowen on 1 September 1907. Mt Morgans was a gold mining town situated north east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Dad died in his own home at Riverton Western Australia on 31 July 2003. He was 96 years old. He recorded in his diaries his many journeys through life, especially on the outback sheep stations, with yarns to make you laugh and even shed a tear.

Jack was educated at the Mt Morgans’ Primary School and left at the age of 15 (1922) when he started his first job with a Market Gardener including a Water Delivery Service owned by Mr Owen Cunningham. When Jack wasn’t working in the garden he was delivering ‘well water’ to the town’s people, the water was delivered on a Spring Cart pulled by a horse. He worked there for about 18 months and was paid 2/6d per day, “which wasn’t bad money for a lad”.

September 1924 his next job was at Murrin Murrin as a Rouseabout on Minara Station, which was 18 miles from his home in Watkins Street, Mt Morgans. When he left early morning on his pushbike to travel the dusty rough road, he laughed stating, “there were no hugs, kisses or good luck wishes from Mother or Father”. His boss was Mr Ernest Fawcett and his pay was £2.00 per week plus keep. His job was keeping the wool clear from around the sheep being shorn, throwing the fleece onto a table, sweeping the fleece scraps off the floor and also keeping the pens full of sheep in readiness for the shearer to grab, if he didn’t he had four shearers yelling at him. He was flat out all the time, and fell into bed exhausted each night. The shearers sheared well over 100 sheep each day. Minara Station sheared between 10,000 and 12,000 sheep each year. Before leaving Minara Station with the Shearing Team to work at Glenorn Station, he asked Mr Fawcett (the manager and half-owner) for a job if one comes up.

Glenorn Station was owned by Charlie Taylor, and whilst there Jack learnt how to ride horses and to muster sheep. Charlie was ordering him out of bed at 5am to help draft the sheep and fill the shed before the shearers started at 7.30am; he often ate breakfast by himself before joining the team and doing his usual job. Then on the weekend with other station hands he was mustering sheep on horseback, so “old Taylor was getting his tuppence worth out of me”. Eventually Jack spoke to the rep and after a word with old Taylor, mustering was not expected any more. Jack continued with the team, working in the shed, and when the shearing was over he went to work again on Minara Station.

Jack is 18 years old and is now working with a Joe Glover, who is the ‘Windmill Man’ on Minara Station. The ‘well sinkers’ had just finished sinking a shaft named ‘The Dingo Well’ (a dingo was a frequent visitor at night looking for something to eat). Joe and Jack loaded up the horse drawn lorry with all the gear including the windmill, pipes, fittings, pump, curved galvanised iron to make the 10,000 gallon tank plus tools, camping gear and tucker. The next day they harnessed up the two big draft horses, Jimmy was a bay and Boulder was a chestnut. Jack set off very pleased with himself driving these two big horses. He had to get to the out-camp, Bummers Creek, by nightfall; a yard was already erected to put the horses in. That night a storm blew up and Jack thought his camp was going to blow away; it tore a couple of sheets of iron off the roof, so not much sleep that night.

Jack was up at daybreak, fed the horses, had breakfast and set off. About half a mile down the track was a big sandy creek bed about fifty yards across.He drove the horses down with the heavy load when they were half way across Boulder stopped dead in his tracks, he was in the shafts and the lorry came to a standstill (they didn’t mention that Boulder was a jibber). Jack did everything possible to get him to pull, but no luck. Jimmy was a beautiful quiet horse but he couldn’t pull the lorry by himself. Two hours or so later Joe arrived on his motorbike to find Jack in a distressed situation and Boulder lying in the sand. Boulder had no intentions of standing even though Joe did everything in his power to get him up, eventually Jimmy was unharnessed and hooked up to Boulder with the trace chain around his neck; they encouraged Jimmy to drag him a few yards and with the chain tightening around his neck caused Boulder to choke, it was only then that he decided to stand up. With the horses harnessed again another try to move them out failed. Again the horses were unharnessed and led over to the shade of a tree to rest.

By now Joe and Jack were hot and tired with one option left to pull the lorry out them selves. They couldn’t go forward as there wasn’t any trees to connect the chain block to. Fortunately there was a huge mulga behind them, after two long hours of hard pulling they eventually got the lorry back onto firm ground. The horses again were harnessed and Joe drove them around in a circle, (they thought they were heading for home) so when he got them into a trot he directed them down the bank through the sandy bed to the other side. Jack was again given the reins with 10 miles to travel to get to the Well; Joe went ahead on his motorbike.

It was dark when Jack arrived; Joe was there with a fire burning. He got the long rope from the lorry tied it to a bucket to draw water from the Well for the horses and also to make them selves a brew, but when he pulled it up the water was rotten with a terrible stench. What had happened, to prevent the sand falling in the Well Sinkers had used ‘green timbers’ for the casing at the bottom of the shaft. Joe knew of another water hole about a mile away, luckily he knew the area as his motorbike had no lights. It wasn’t long and he returned with his waterbag full but the poor old horses had to wait till morning. The water was a little muddy but tasted good; they boiled the billy, had supper then got into their bedroll. It was a daily task for Jack to take the horses to the watering hole as well as replenish their own supply.

They worked from day light to dark to get the Windmill up and pumping and five days later the mill was pumping clear water. In the meantime they did some fencing repairs and then started constructing the 10,000 gallon tank. Joe hadn’t built a tank before and Jack felt he wouldn’t be much help either. Anyway they first riveted the iron together and then fixed the bottom in place. The joins on the outside were up to mud (not a good job) however the inside looked much better, so Jack had the job to solder the inside which made it very hard to do as the seams were reversed. When the job was completed Joe didn’t feel confident and reckoned the tank would leak like a sieve. It was a stinking hot day probably 110F deg in the tank and Jack was given the job to paint inside and out, using a 4 gallon tin of coal tar they had. The next day he suffered from the fumes of the tar, his face and arms were burnt and a few days later his skin started to peel. When the tank filled with water to their surprise there wasn’t one leak. Good clear water filled the newly built trough and on that same day a stockman arrived with a big mob of sheep. It was excellent water; the sheep did well there because it was virgin country with plenty of salt bush, mulga and grasses to eat.

Jack continued working with Joe for another 12 months erecting Windmills building tanks and troughs on Minara and surrounding stations, until one day Joe decided to give up station life and go on the land himself. Jack worked on Minara Station for 12 years, leaving in 1936 to work in Grants Patch.

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THE INSPIRATIONAL LIFE OF BERYL GRANT
By Ben Zuidersma (Junior Entry)
While doing my “Share your History” project I was lucky enough to come across an amazing West Australian named Beryl Grant. She’s lived an interesting and inspirational life and I would like to share with you some of her experiences.

Beryl was born on the 11th September 1921. She grew up with a sister Jean and a brother Norman. Sadly her father, Norman Grant, died from peritonitis after an inflamed appendix when Beryl was seven and Beryl’s mum died from Breast Cancer two days after her 14th birthday. Then, as an orphan Beryl lived with another lady through to the end of Year Ten before needing to find a job. She became a telephonist in the Crown Law Department.

After working for a couple of years as a telephonist Beryl figured that she couldn’t do that for ever and became an apprentice nurse at the Children’s Hospital (now PMH) because of her love for children.

She worked as a nurse there through World War Two where she had some very different experiences. There were trenches dug around the hospital but fortunately they didn’t have to be used except in practice emergencies. Each nurse was responsible for getting three children into the trenches when the alarms rang out.

Beryl also remembered there were lots of flying boats from the American navy landing and practising in Matilda bay. They would be coming back from the tropics and often had poisonous man-of-war jellyfish attached to them so people were advised not to swim in the river.

Through the war, buildings and houses had to have blackout curtains on the to prevent light escaping at night. The war ended in 1945 and Beryl said she can certainly remember all the parties and celebrations that went on.

In 1951 Beryl chose to further her nursing career and worked in the UK staying with her Scottish cousin. While she was there King George VI passed away and she remembers watching the funeral procession. Beryl saw different monarchs, princes, Edward VIII, the Duke of Gloucester, and many more in a grand but solemn occasion.

About a year later Beryl was still working in the UK and managed to get hold of a ticket to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. She sat in one of the many seats that lined all the way down the main streets. Beryl said she saw different kings and queens go past but one of the highlights for her was when she saw the patriotic Australian soldiers on horseback ride past with emu feathers poking out of their hats.

Beryl later returned to Perth to look after children whose parents had abandoned them. This is what led Beryl to become a Children’s Court magistrate. She worked in East Perth in an old school that had been converted into a children’s court. The court was for children aged 10-18 years old. Beryl said she found this a particularly sad part of her life as a lot of the children visiting the court were the children she had previously cared for because their parents had abandoned them. She said back in the 1980s the crimes weren’t as serious as they are today but they were bad enough.

In 1981 Beryl was appointed as the first female member on the Scotch College council. She said it was kind of strange at first because the rest of the council was all male. She said she almost felt a bit rejected because of small things like at the end of meetings they would have some refreshments but there would only be beer and nothing for her. She soon became used to it and was a great member of the council for a full term of ten years.

After retiring from paid work Beryl became a volunteer for various organisations and still is. Beryl’s gifts of energy, wisdom, generosity and humour have enriched the lives of countless West Australians.

She has been rewarded for her inspirational life by being admitted to the Order of Australia, Order of the British Empire and being invited into parliament by Geoff Gallop to receive applause.

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