Born 10 May 1909 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales [P49]
Son of John Snowden ROOKE and Louisa Annie OATES [P95]
Resided with his parents in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales from 1909 until 1915 [P95]
Along with his parents, brother Frank and sister Madge departed London, England on the steamship Omrah on 23 October 1915 [203]
They arrived on the steamship Omrah in Fremantle, Western Australia on 27 November 1915 [70]
Arrived in Carnamah with his parents during January 1916 to settle on a Ready-Made Farm [7: page 145]
Resided with his parents on Kilburn Farm in Carnamah 1916-1933 [P94]
Educated at the Carnamah State School [P94]
Won the 10-12 years Boys Running Race at the Peace Day Celebrations in Carnamah on Saturday 19 July 1919 [10: 25-Jul-1919]
After leaving school helped his father farm Kilburn Farm in Carnamah [P94]
While cranking a tractor in September 1924 he received a kick which broke one of the bones in his wrist [9: 5-Sep-1924]
Member of the Carnamah Rifle Club in 1927 [9: 5-Aug-1927]
Attended the Masquerade Ball held in Carnamah on 14 May 1927 and won a prize for his "Fredo Brake Lining" costume [4: 21-May-1927]
On 10 March 1928 at the Carnamah Railway Station his horses were startled by the whistle of an approaching engine [4: 17-Mar-1928]
He was standing at the horses front at the time and on the whistle blowing the horses bolted [4: 17-Mar-1928]
He held onto one of the horses as they galloped away however lost his hold and fell underneath them [4: 17-Mar-1928]
The horses passed over him and his left arm was severely injured [4: 17-Mar-1928]
He was taken to Albert COWDEROY's residence and an urgent message was sent to Dr MAYRHOFER in Three Springs [4]
After the doctor arrived he was taken to Geraldton by train where his left arm was amputated [4: 17-Mar-1928]
After a considerable time in hospital in Geraldton he returned to Kilburn Farm in Carnamah [P94]
Came second in the Quarter Mild Handicap race at the Carnamah Show and Sports Carnival on 4 October 1928 [4: 13-Oct-1928]
Attended the Carnamah Football Club's Opening Season Ball held at the Carnamah Town Hall on 18 May 1929 [4: 25-May-1929]
He was among those who attended the Centenary Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on 26 July 1929 [86: 3-Aug-1929]
The ball was to celebrate 100 years since the founding of Perth and the establishment of the Swan River Colony [86]
Attended the Grand Ball following the Carnamah Show and opening of Centenary Park on Thursday 19 September 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
In October 1929 purchased a Chev six truck from Carnamah agent L. Scott WYLIE[4: 19-Oct-1929]
Saw in the new year of 1930 with the singing of Auld Lang Syne at the Church of England's Dance at the Carnamah Hall [86: 4-Jan-1930]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and general repairers Henry Parkin & Son in 1930 [53]
In 1931 his postal address was P.O. Box 12 at the Carnamah Post Office [50]
Left Carnamah in early 1933 with Harry ZUEGG and Harry's wife Kath and their daughter Jill to go prospecting [P87]
Prospected for gold with Harry [P87] at Yalgoo and Gullawa without much success until Saturday 30 June 1934 [4: 7-Jul-1934]
Attended the Carnamah Church of England's New Year Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 30 December 1933 [5: 5-Jan-1934]
Miner of the Shanandoah Gold Mine in Gullewa 1934-1937 [5: 6-Jul-1934] [39: 7-Jul-1937]
He owned the mine with Harry & Kathleen ZUEGG and an F. SLEEMAN in 1934 [4: 14-Jul-1934]
On Saturday 30 June 1934 they found a 165 gold nugget at their mine which was worth £1,500 [5: 6-Jul-1934]
Himself, Harry ZUEGG and Kathleen ZUEGG were reported in local newspapers as the "Carnamah Prospectors" [4: 14-Jul-1934]
His brother Frank travelled from Carnamah to visit them at their mine at Gullawa on Thursday 19 July 1934 [5: 27-Jul-1934]
Attended the wedding of Richard H. S. JAMES and Rachel M. A. WALLACE in Three Springs on 5 January 1937 [5: 8-Jan-1937]
Later ran the mine as a partner of the firm "Zuegg & Rooke" until retiring from the partnership on 12 March 1937 [39: 7-Jul-1937]
Garage Proprietor in Capel in 1937 [50]
Member of the Capel Football Club - was President in 1937 and 1938 [39: 27-May-1937, 21-Jun-1937, 5-May-1938]
Member of the Capel Pastimes Club in 1938 [351: 8-Apr-1938]
Married "Dolly" Thelma DRAGE nee NAIRN in Northampton on 21 October 1937 [P94]
For a short while they lived in Capel where he ran a garage [P94]
Returned to Carnamah C.1938 and settled on farmland his father had recently purchased from Samuel E. BROAD [3] [P94]
Farmer of Kapella Farm in Carnamah where he established and ran a piggery and diary [P94]
On 28 September 1939 sold by auction furniture, effects and tools as well as poultry and other items [0: image 03837]
Due to a severe allergy to cape weed he left Carnamah in October 1939 and moved to the Perth suburb of City Beach [P94]
His sister Madge and her husband Harold COPE came to Kapella and ran things for him until the end of 1939 [P94] [P95]
Pallbearer at the funeral of his good friend Harry ZUEGG at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth on 11 November 1941 [4]
Resided in the Perth suburbs of City Beach, Kelmscott, Wembley, and Leederville[P94]
Ran a restaurant in City Beach, a saw mill in Kelmscott, a corner store in Wembley and then a delivery business around Perth [P94]
Upon retirement resided in Mandurah and then in the Perth suburb of Swan View[P94]
Resided in the Perth suburb of Swan View until his death in 1974 [2]
Died 20 April 1974; ashes interred Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth WA (Garden of Remembrance) [2]
Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'John Patrick Rooke' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/john-patrick-rooke [reference list] |
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