Born 23 August 1891 in Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia [16]
Son of Charles Henry DOWDING and Florence BEEHAG [32]
In 1916 he was working as a Gardener and living with his parents on Hardy Road in the Perth suburb of Belmont [50]
Married Martha HAYWOOD in Perth in 1918 [66]
Took out a contract to purchase 927 acres of virgin land in Winchester from the Midland Railway Company on 31 July 1922 [27]
The 927 acres was Lot M1090 of Victoria Location 1938 and cost £556/9/6, payable by instalments over 15 years [27]
Farmer in Winchester from 1922 until 1942 [6] [19] [3]
Spent a holiday in Perth in January 1930, which was his first holiday in five years [4: 26-Jan-1929]
In February 1929 purchased a new Ford truck from Messrs Moore & Kidson of Three Springs [4: 9-Feb-1929]
Purchased a Fordson tractor from Carnamah Ford salesman Rupert LAFFAN in March 1930 [4: 22-Mar-1930]
While driving a tractor attached to a harvester in December 1930 he turned around to find his crop on fire [4: 3-Jan-1931]
Before he was able to extinguish the fire it burnt approximately sixty acres of his crop, which was partly covered by insurance[4]
Attended the funeral of Mrs Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
In January 1935 sold 10 bales of wool through the agency of Elder Smith & Co for 10d. per pound [5: 1-Feb-1935]
Between August and October 1935 sold through Elder Smith & Co Ltd 342 sheep (195 suckers and 147 wethers) [5: 16-Aug-1935]
The 195 suckers consisted of 44 sold at 18/4, 60 at 16/7, 45 at 16/4, 4 at 15/4, 36 at 13/7, and 6 at 12/7 per head [5: 6-Sep-1935]
The 147 wethers consisted of 122 sold at 22/1 per head and 25 at 16/1 per head [5: 11 & 25-Oct-1935; 1-Nov-1935]
A fire destroyed 70 acres of crop and 40 acres of feed on his farm in Winchester on Friday 22 November 1935 [5: 29-Nov-1935]
This time the crop was insured, and it was surmised that the fire had been caused from a spark from his tractor [5]
During the first quarter of 1936 sold 31 woolly lambs (21 at 14/10, 10 at 19/10) and 25 lambs at 13/4 per head [5: 17-Jan-1936, 6-Mar-1936]
Attended the funeral of Carnamah agent William B. SHERIDAN at the Winchester Cemetery on 27 January 1936 [5: 31-Jan-1936]
Had a lack of feed during May 1936 and found it necessary to shepherd his sheep to feed [5: 22-May-1936]
During the shepherding some of the sheep stayed to ground containing a poisonous plant, and as a result 32 dies [5: 22-May-1936]
For at least the years 1936-1943 traded in partnership with his wife Martha as "H. N. and M. Dowding" [5: 21-Aug-1936] [12: 30-Apr-1943]
They sold 94 sheep suckers through Dalgety & Co Ltd at three Midland Markets in August, September and October 1936 [5]
The 94 suckers consisted of 24 sold at 18/7, 46 at 17/10 and 24 at 15/7 per head [5: 21-Aug-1936, 4-Sep-1936, 9-Oct-1936]
The Carnamah District Road Board decided to clear and grade a road adjoining his property in August 1936 [5: 28-Aug-1936]
The road in question was at that time known as "Dowding's Road" and is possibly part of what is now Fowler Road [5] [62]
Signatory of a petition to the Carnamah District Road Board in September 1936 requesting the extension of the new road [5: 25-Sep-1936]
They wanted the road between Lots M1090 and M1091 extended between M1084 and M1085, and M1086 and M1087 [3] [5]
If extended the road would then have intersected with the Carnamah East Road (now known as the Carnamah-Bunjil Road) [5]
The Road Board requested a deputation which comprised of himself and five others who met with the Board on 28 October [5]
He supported the request for the road and believed it should have originally been provided by the Midland Railway Company [5]
The road wasn't made as the Board considered the road unnecessary and unfavourable as it would go through a farm [5: 6-Nov-1936]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1940 and 1941[13]
Private in the local Australian Army Volunteer Defence Corps in 1942 [16]
Held a clearing sale on 13 April 1943 and sold the entire of his farm machinery, plant, livestock, furniture and poultry [12: 30-Apr-1943]
His machinery at the sale included a 10 foot Sunshine harvester, 14 disc Sundercut and 14 run combine [12: 30-Apr-1943]
Resided in Hardy Road in the Perth suburb of Belmont Park from 1943 until at least 1947 [3]
Retained ownership of his farm in Winchester until selling it to James A. WHITE of Winchester on 24 February 1947 [3]
Resided of late in the Perth suburb of Saint James [2]
Died 24 September 1986; ashes interred Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth WA (Crematorium Rose Gardens, WS, 112) [2]
Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Henry Norman Dowding' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/henry-norman-dowding [reference list] |
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