Born 25 June 1902 in Lincoln, England [16]
Resided with his parents for seven years in Lincoln, another seven in Sheffield, Yorkshire and then in Bradford, Yorkshire [290]
At the age of 19 he began working as a Bus Driver in Whitby before returning to Bradford and starting his own carrying business [290]
His Overland truck broke down and while being towed by another he ran into the back of the other truck after it suddenly braked [290]
Sold his damaged truck for £10 and purchased his fare to Western Australia - which cost £37 plus two extra for a better berth [290]
Departed London, England on the steamship Borda and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on 4 May 1924 [70]
He was met at Fremantle by his brother and soon after unsuccessfully attempted to get work in Perth as a motor mechanic [290]
After approaching the Immigration Department he secured a job on a farm in Winchester [290]
Farmhand for Major John W. COLPITTS on Heppleholme Farm in Winchester for three months [P70]
Resided in one of the two Midland Railway houses on Heppleholme Farm but had his meals at the Major's house [P70]
Returned to Perth in search of more work and obtained a clearing contract with Vidal F. JACKSON in Carnamah [290]
The contract was to clear 150 acres of bush on Vidal F. JACKSON's farm in Carnamah, for which he received 30/- per acre [290]
Before finishing the clearing he sold the contract onto someone else and secured a job driving a tractor in Arrino [290]
Towards the end of 1925 he inspected prospective farmland near the Five Gums reserve in Carnamah [P70]
On 13 February 1926 purchased from the Midland Railway Company 1,172 acres of virgin land at Five Gums in Carnamah [27]
The 1,172 acres was Lot M1621 of Victoria Location 2022 and cost £586 (10/- per acre), payable by instalments over 15 years [27]
On purchasing the land his address was "C/- Mr COUSINS, Arrino" so it's presumed he was working for Albert H. COUSINS [34]
Farmer of Five Gums Farm at Five Gums in Carnamah from 1926 until 1993[P70] [147]
Initially settled on the farm in a six by eight foot tent and began clearing the bush on the property with an axe [P70] [290]
After initial clearing gradually cleared more land each year thus slowly extending the crop-able acreage of the farm [290]
Nearby farmer and friend Vidal F. JACKSON, who he'd previously worked for, planted his first crop for him in 1927 [290]
For the harvest of his first crop in 1927 he purchased a Fordson tractor and Big E harvester [P70]
Used a horse and cart until 1929 [P70] when he purchased a new Chev truck from local dealer L. Scott WYLIE [4: 9-Nov-1929]
Married Florence May HOYLE in Perth in 1926 [66]
Florence had sailed from England for their marriage, and after their wedding came to live with him on the farm at Five Gums [P70]
Initially resided with his wife on the farm in the six by eight foot tent [P70]
Their first house was made out of corrugated iron, logs cut from trees with crushed anthill floor coated in roofing tar [P70] [290]
The white ants were so prolific in their first home that all of their books were ruined [P70]
In the early years very rarely went to Carnamah town however received their mail and some supplies via the Carnamah carrier [P70]
The carrier only went as far as Walter BODYCOAT's farm so his items were left there and he walked there to collect them [P70]
His neighbours "Angus" Allan E. GOULD and "Maurie" Maurice B. CLARK helped him build a proper house on the farm [P70]
Obtained the telephone in 1928 - was telephone number Inering-17 from 1928 to 1939 (had no telephone from 1940 to 1944) [60]
Had many failed attempts at trying to locate water on the property [P70]
Employed the services of Carnamah agent Thomas J. BERRIGAN to sink a well however the water from it caused stomach aches [P70]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in 1929, 1930 and 1941 [53]
The local newspaper revealed on 1 June 1934 that a parcel had arrived for him at the Carnamah Railway Station [5: 1-Jun-1934]
Member of the Five Gums Tennis Club from 1935-36 to 1940-41 and from 1946-47 to 1950-51 [5: 20-Mar-1936] [89]
Along with Maurice B. CLARK he was Joint Auditor of the Five Gums Tennis Club for the 1935-36 season [5: 4-Oct-1935] [89]
Through four consignments between March and September 1936 he sold 37 pigs at the Midland Market through Dalgety & Co Ltd [5]
The 37 pigs comprised 8 pigs at £1/1/7, 6 at £1/9/3, 8 at £1/9/3, 15 at £1/5/2 per head [5: 13-Mar-1936, 8-May-1936, 14-Aug-1936, 11-Sep-1936]
Attended the meeting at Five Gums on 10 March 1937 to discuss the establishment of a state school at Five Gums, Carnamah [278]
Sold four pigs at £1/16/6 per head (a total of £7/6/-) through Dalgety & Co Ltd at Midland Market on 26 May 1937 [5: 28-May-1937]
Enlisted in the Australian Army in the Perth suburb of Claremont on 4 December 1940 [16]
Enlisted partly because it increased the security of his farm as creditors couldn't foreclose of the properties of soldiers [290]
Staff Sergeant WX9620 in the Australian Army's 2/137 Brigade Workshops during the Second World War [16]
His wife and two sons took over the running of the farm during his time in the Australian Army [P70]
Spent a week with his wife and sons at Five Gums while on leave in November 1941 [0: image 04046]
Prior to his return to camp he was the guest of honour at a function held at the Carnamah Hall on 22 November 1941 [0: image 04046]
At the function he was presented with a fountain pen from the R.S.L. on behalf of the residents of the district [0: image 04046]
Following the end of hostilities he was discharged from the Australian Army on 1 February 1946 [16]
Re-obtained the telephone in 1945 and was telephone number Carnamah-17G from 1945 to 1968 [60]
After the war they built a new house on the farm after making cement bricks [290]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society 1946-1971 [13]
Committee Member and Vice Captain of the Five Gums Tennis Club during the 1949-50 season [89]
Member of the Carnamah Sub-Branch of the Returned Soldiers League in 1954 [7: page 193]
Initially farmed wheat and sheep on his property but with his son Derek introduced stud Poll Hereford cattle in 1965 [79: 23-Aug-1973, page 16]
Extended his farm with the purchase of Allan E. GOULD's 1,396 acre Ethalan Farm at Five Gums in 1971 [P260]
The 1,396 acres consisted of adjacent Lots M987 and M989 of Victoria Location 2022 and made his farm a total of 2,568 acres [27]
In 1973 himself and his son Derek ran about 1,000 sheep and 150 head of cattle including 40 commercial breeders [79: 23-Aug-1973, page 16]
Attended the "Day of Pioneers" luncheon held at the Shire Council Chambers in Carnamah on 13 October 1982 [253]
Resided in Carnamah until moving to the Lady Brand Lodge in Three Springs on 12 November 1993 [147]
Father of Vernon and Derek [290]
Died 7 November 1995; ashes interred at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth (L. H. Memorial Gardens, Niche Wall, W29, 89) [2]
Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Smith Ewart Jackson' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 10 November 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/smith-ewart-jackson [reference list] |
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