"Jim" James ARMSTRONG
Born C.1889 [14] in Harrington, Cumberland, England [20]
Son of railway platelayer and fenceman John ARMSTRONG and Mary Isabella SCOTT [20] [21]
He was one of seven children with elder sisters Mary, Sarah, Ann and Rachel and younger siblings Jane and Samuel [20]
During the 1890s and 1900s he lived with his parents and siblings at The Elms in Harrington, Cumberland, England [20]
Departed London, England on the steamship Orvieto on 28 October 1910 bound for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia [203]
Married Gladys Ethel BECK in 1912 in Yarra Glen, Victoria, Australia [P263]
Resided for a few years near Yarra Glen in Victoria before shifting to Western Australia in 1915 [P263]
Farmhand on Dalmore Farm in Bridgetown 1916-1918 [50]
Arrived at Winchester in the Carnamah district in March 1918 [P263]
Farm Manager of James L. B. WEIR's Petan Farm in Winchester 1918-1928 [P263]
Called for tenders for the clearing of 200 to 500 acres of Gimlet, Salmon and York Gum country of Petan Farm [39: 28-Jan-1920]
Listed as the Manager of "Petan Estate Ltd" in 1925, when Petan Farm was telephone number Winchester-1 [60]
His employer James L. B. WEIR sold Petan Farm in Winchester to William J. PETHICK in April 1928 [39: 21-Apr-1928]
After leaving Petan Farm they lived for a year in a house on John RAFFAN's Inchgower Farm in Winchester [P263]
In July 1928 it was reported he'd purchased the farm in Winchester previously owned by the Carnamah Hotel Company [4: 28-Jul-1928]
The farm had been owned by Henry E. MCNAMARA [P263] and George H. DAVIES [61] of the Carnamah Hotel [6]
The property was called Lakeside Farm, was 2,240 acres in size, and consisted of Victoria Locations 3775 and 6928 [3] [62]
Despite the July 1928 report the property was advertised for selection in January 1929 under "Forfeited Blocks" [81: 13-Jan-1929]
The property was described as being about three miles west of Winchester [81]
There was a crop on the property in January 1929 which was "now being harvested and is the property of the Crown" [81]
Victoria Location 6928 of 1,140 acres was advertised at 17/6 per acre, and Victoria Location 3775 of 998 acres at 6/9 per acre [81]
The selection was subject to an Agricultural Bank mortgage of £326/19/- plus interest of £23/15/9, and payment of £464/1/6 [81]
The payment of £464/1/6 was the value of improvements above the Agricultural Bank mortgage [81]
Farmer of Lakeside Farm in Winchester, South Carnamah 1929-1957 [P263]
At a meeting of the Land Board on 19 February 1929 he was the successful applicant to take up Lakeside Farm [81: 24-Feb-1929]
By early March 1929 he, his wife and their children had taken up residence on Lakeside Farm [81: 10-Mar-1929]
Lakeside Farm was 2,240 acres in size and consisted of Victoria Locations 3775 and 6928 [3] [62]
On purchase only 150 acres of the farm were cleared and it contained a small four-roomed house with a front verandah [P263]
The only fence on the property was one that went through the middle of it to help keep out wild horses [P263]
Made the first stable on the farm out of bush timber with roof beams of tea-tree trunks and thatched with straw [P263]
Cut fence posts to fence the farm from Jam trees on the farm, which were plentiful [P263]
Couldn't find a good supply of water on the farm so their livestock were watered at a well on the Yarra Yarra Reserve [P263]
In the 1950s laid down piping and put a windmill on the well - which was watering five farms with unlimited supply [P263]
His horse Golden Papps won the Pony Race at the Picnic Race Meeting in Carnamah on Thursday 16 September 1920 [10: 1-Oct-1920]
The same horse, reported as "Golden Pips" came 3rd in the Pony Race at the Carnamah Races on 28 March 1921 [10: 1-Apr-1921]
Signatory to a letter sent to the Director of Education by Mrs Annie M. BATTERSBY of Coorow on 14 March 1921 [215]
The letter complained about the sporadic nature, including too many closed days, in which the Coorow State School was run [215]
His elder daughters May and Linned were boarding in Coorow so they could attend the Coorow State School [215]
He battled for years for a school to be opened in Winchester and was "a very pleased man" when it was built in 1927 [4: 10-Dec-1927]
Signed the petition in February 1923 for the Irwin Licensing Court to grant a hotel license for Carnamah [10: 9-Mar-1923]
Won 2nd prize in the Hunter over Hurdles class of the Ring Events at the Carnamah Agricultural Show in 1927 [9: 21-Oct-1927]
Member of the Winchester Sports Picnic Meeting Committee in 1927 [4: 10-Dec-1927]
Attended the wedding of Kathleen HÄUSSLER and Harry ZUEGG of Winchester in Carnamah on 7 February 1928 [4: 11-Feb-1928]
Member of the Winchester Sports Ground Committee in 1928 [4: 1-Sep-1928]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Winchester farmer John RAFFAN on 9 October 1928 at the Winchester Cemetery [4: 20-Oct-1928]
Judge of the Sheep section at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show on 19 September 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
In October 1929 purchased a stand cab Ford truck from Carnamah dealer Rupert LAFFAN [4: 19-Oct-1929]
Attended the funeral of "Father of Carnamah" Donald MACPHERSON at the Winchester Cemetery on 14 August 1931 [4: 22-Aug-1931]
At the Carnamah Agricultural Show in 1930 he won 1st prize for the Best Dairy Heifer exhibited in the Cattle section [4: 27-Sep-1930]
His horse stumbled over a railway guide wire one night in 1932 and he fell off the horse and broke one of his legs and his hip [P263]
His horse arrived home without him so his sons and neighbours John W. COLPITTS and Arthur WHITE started searching [P263]
When they found him his neighbours took him to the North Midlands District Hospital in Three Springs on the back of a truck [P263]
Won 1st prize for Three Merino Ewes 2-tooth in the Sheep section of the Carnamah Agricultural Show in 1932 [5: 23-Sep-1932]
Financial Member 1932-1956 and Committee Member 1933-1941 of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society [13]
Participant in the Winchester Dingo Hunt of 1932 which resulted in a frequently seen dingo meeting its end [4]
The local newspaper reported in October 1933 that approximately 60 seagulls had been seen on his farm in Carnamah [5: 20-Oct-1933]
On Saturday 28 April 1934, while riding home after collecting his mail from the post office, he was thrown from his horse [5]
He broke his leg and after a while managed to get back on his horse and ride the remainder of the way home [5: 4-May-1934]
Once home he was helped off his horse, and was later admitted to the Carnamah Private Hospital for medical attention [5]
Owing to him being unable to work at seeding time the Carnamah branch of the Wheatgrowers Union launched an appeal [5: 11-May-1934]
The branch intended to employ a man to plant his crop for him, and pay his wages from donations and the profit of a dance [5]
In gratitude and thanks, he gracefully requested the man and dance be cancelled, as he had already made arrangements [5]
Prior to the launching of the appeal for him he had already arranged for his neighbours to plant his crop for him [5: 18-May-1934]
Travelled from Winchester to Perth by train on Monday 23 July 1934 [5: 27-Jul-1934]
Steward of the Cattle section at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show on 6 September 1934 [5: 27-Jul-1934]
Exhibited in the Cattle and Sheep section of the Show, winning 2nd prizes for Jersey Cow and Dairy Cow [5: 14-Sep-1934]
Received both 1st and 2nd prizes for a Milking Strain Heifer under 2 years and for Three Merino Ewe Lambs under 6 months [5]
Gained permission from the Carnamah District Road Board to put a gate on a road adjacent to his farm in December 1934 [5: 21-Dec-1934]
Sold 42 suckers at 10/9 per head through Dalgety & Co Ltd at the Midland Market on Wednesday 11 September 1935 [5: 13-Sep-1935]
Received 2nd prize for Pony Hunter in the Ring Events at the Three Springs Agricultural Show on 19 September 1935 [5: 27-Sep-1935]
Attended the funeral of Miss "May" Mary L. LANG of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 26 November 1935 [5: 29-Nov-1935]
Sent in apologies for his absence at the Farewell Social for George & Ester MULLIGAN in Winchester on 25 June 1936 [5: 3-Jul-1936]
In July 1937 requested the closure of a road that ran from east to west through the centre of his farm dividing it into two [5: 16-Jul-1937]
With his request he stated the road was unnecessary as there were roads north and south of his farm [5]
The Carnamah District Road Board deferred making a decision about the road to find out the reason why it was surveyed [5]
In August 1937 trapped a female dingo that stood two feet nine inches high and measured six feet from tip to tip [5: 20-Aug-1937]
For some he had been trying to trap the full blooded dingo which had been killing sheep in the Winchester district [5]
In 1938 he caught another dingo on his property and was praised locally for his skill and patience [0: image 03744]
Steward of the Sheep Dog Trials at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show held on 7 September 1939 [13]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in 1942 and 1943 [53]
Father of May, Linned, Harvey, Jack and Neil [P263]
Died 14 June 1957 in Three Springs; buried at Winchester Cemetery in Carnamah, Western Australia (Row E, Plot 15) [1] [15]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'James Armstrong' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/james-armstrong [reference list] |
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