"Bob" Robert Armstrong CALDOW
Born 1880 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England [20] [21]
Son of Robert CALDOW and Helen ARMSTRONG [20] [21]
His parents were both born in Scotland and his father worked as a Draper in England and then as a Farmer in Scotland [20]
He was living with his parents, siblings Agnes, John and Helen and two of his cousins at 1 Natches Villas in Twickenham in 1881 [20]
Following the birth in England of another three children - Janet, William and Robert - they shifted to Scotland [20]
In 1891 hewas with living with his parents and siblings at Rigghead in Irongray, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland [20]
He departed from Liverpool, England on the steamship Afric on 1 July 1909 bound for Albany, Western Australia [203]
Purchased 605 acres of land in Three Springs, Western Australia from the Midland Railway Company on 12 April 1910 [27]
The 605 acres consisted of Lots M739 and M740 of Victoria Location 1933, and cost £1,058/15/- (or 35/- an acre) [27]
The cost of the land was repayable to the Midland Railway Company by instalments over 15 years [27]
Farmer of Glencairn Farm in Three Springs 1910-1934 [5] [19]
The £1,058/15/- for his farm was payable by instalments to the Midland Railway Company over 15 years [27]
After taking out a mortgage with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia he completed the purchase from the Company [27]
His farm in Three Springs was initially called Rigghead Farm [19]
His early settlement and farming efforts along with others of his time helped prove the potential wealth of Three Springs [120: 5-Oct-1933]
Member of the Kadathinni Farmers & Progress Association in 1910 and 1911 [9: 28-Oct-1910, 24-Feb-1911]
In 1913 he gave a five shilling subscription towards the annual Three Springs Day event [9: 3-Oct-1913]
He was seeding 27 acres a day in May 1915 - which was believed to be a seeding record of the time for Three Springs [10: 28-May-1915]
In 1915 spent half a day shooting cockatoos over his crop resulting in the death of 40 and the moving on of the remainder [10: 30-Jul-1915]
Best man at the wedding of fellow Scotsman Robert BLACK and Clare KOCH in Three Springs on Thursday 20 July 1916 [10: 28-Jul-1916]
Inaugural Member of the Arrino Cemetery Board, which managed the Arrino Cemetery, in 1916 [10: 18-Aug-1916]
Grew 300 acres of wheat crop on his Glencairn Farm in Three Springs in 1917 [10: 19-Jun-1917]
Entrant in the Ugly Man Competition held in 1917 to raise money to pay for the gas plant at the Agricultural Hall in Three Springs [10]
Out of the ten competitors he came ninth, his involvement helping to raise the amount of £42/13/4 [10: 6-Jul-1917]
Signed the petition and financial guarantee in 1917 for the Midland Railway Company to provide a resident doctor at Three Springs [34]
Purchased for a generous value a donated bag of wheat at a Red Cross Dance held in Three Springs on 22 August 1917 [10: 31-Aug-1917]
Member of the Three Springs Saint Patrick's Day Committee in 1918 and 1928 [124]
Vice President of the Three Springs Saint Patrick's Day Committee's Sports Meetings in 1918, 1919 and 1920 [124]
Donated £1/1/- to the Three Springs Saint Patrick's Day Committee in 1919, 1920 and 1928 [124]
Clerk of Scales at the Committee's Picnic Race Meetings held to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day from 1921 to 1928 [9: 11-Mar-1921] [124]
He and May BYRNE came 2nd in the Waltzing Competition at the Gala Day in Three Springs on 23 May 1918 [10: 31-May-1918]
Member of the Three Springs Day Committee - was Secretary in 1918 [10: 6-Sep-1918, 4-Oct-1918]
He was credited for the great success of the Three Springs Day which was held on Thursday 26 September 1918 [10]
Just before the dance which was held on the evening of the Three Springs Day he received a kick from his horse [10]
Spoke at the Welcome Home tendered to Private Frederick E. S. JAMES in Three Springs on Monday 7 October 1918 [10: 18-Oct-1918]
Proposed a vote of the thanks to the hosts of the Ball held at the Agricultural Hall in Three Springs on 31 December 1918 [10]
The Ball, which went until daylight, was hosted by Tom & Johanna BERRIGAN and Bob & Elizabeth IRONSIDE [10: 10-Jan-1919]
Speaker at the Welcome Home Social & Dance in Three Springs for Private Vernon C. BASTIAN on 11 June 1919 [9: 13-Jun-1919]
Attended May BERRIGAN's 21st Birthday held at the Agricultural Hall in Three Springs on Friday 12 September 1919 [9: 19-Sep-1919]
Member of the Three Springs Race Club - was Clerk of Scales at their Race Meetings 1919-1929 [10: 31-Jan-1919] [9: 25-Feb-1921] [4: 23-Feb-1929]
In May 1921 he had a fine new "bonzer" of a large house built on his farm for him and his bride elect [10: 13-May-1921]
Limestone for the foundations of the house, and for some of the building was acquired from a limestone outcrop on the farm [P426]
Married May Isabella BYRNE on 5 October 1921 at the Agricultural Hall in Three Springs [9: 21-Oct-1921]
His best man was Winchester farmer George A. RAFFAN, while the bridesmaid was May's sister Annie [9: 21-Oct-1921]
He and May had courted, which had mostly taken place on the back of his sulky pulled by a horse named Tenacity [P426]
When they were courting they were, at the insistence of May's parents, always accompanied by May's sister Annie [P426]
Won 1st prize for Cauliflower exhibited at the Three Springs Day held in Three Springs on Thursday 28 September 1922 [9: 20-Oct-1922]
Spoke highly of the Ladies Hospital Committee at their Hospital Ball held in Three Springs on Thursday 5 April 1923 [9: 27-Apr-1923]
One of the speakers at a gathering to show appreciation to Senator Patrick J. LYNCH in Three Springs on 2 October 1925 [9: 9-Oct-1925]
Attended a dinner tendered to visiting city pressmen at the Commercial Hotel in Three Springs in October 1926 [9: 22-Oct-1926]
Following the birth of his third child he purchased his first car as he decided that a horse-drawn sulky was no longer good enough [P426]
Attended the wedding of Alexander J. F. BROWN and Clara V. BERRIGAN at the Carnamah Hall on Tuesday 28 August 1928 [4]
As an old friend of the BERRIGAN family he was chairman at the reception which followed the wedding ceremony [4: 8-Sep-1928]
Proposed one of the toasts at the Official Luncheon of the Three Springs Agricultural Society's First Annual Show in 1928 [4: 29-Sep-1928]
He was among those who welcomed Prime Minister of Australia, Stanley BRUCE, on his visit to Mingenew in mid 1928 [4: 14-Jul-1928]
Unsuccessful nominee for the Womarden Ward Member on the new Three Springs District Road Board in February 1929 [4: 16-Feb-1929]
Board Member and Inaugural Chairman of the North Midlands District Hospital in Three Springs 1929-1934 [120: 26-Dec-1929] [5: 13-Jul-1934]
Presented the Three Springs Anglican Church with fruit and veg at its Harvest Thanksgiving service on 23 March 1930 [4: 29-Mar-1930]
Foundation Patron of the Three Springs Golf Club in 1930 [4: 14-Jun-1930]
In June 1931 he informed the Three Springs Road Board that rock poison was growing at Break Neck Gully [4: 6-Jun-1931]
Attended the funeral of "Father of Carnamah" Donald MACPHERSON at the Winchester Cemetery on 14 August 1931 [4: 22-Aug-1931]
Attended the Commemoration Dinner held at the Commercial Hotel in Three Springs on Friday 26 August 1932 [5: 9-Sep-1932]
The dinner was to commemorate Three Springs having the highest average yield for wheat in the State for the 1931-32 season [5]
Attended a large meeting in Three Springs to form a North Midlands Chamber of Commerce on 18 November 1932 [4: 26-Nov-1932]
Speaker at the Farewell Evening tendered to local pioneer Mrs Blanche M. KOCH in Three Springs on 3 December 1932 [4: 10-Dec-1932]
Attended the send-off social and dance to Charles S. MACDONALD at the Three Springs Hall on Thursday 29 June 1933 [5: 30-Jun-1933]
Committee Member of the Three Springs Progress Association in 1933 [5: 1-Sep-1933]
In 1933 he was the owner of stockyards four miles from Three Springs town, which were used for local stock sales [5: 22 & 29-Sep-1933]
Won 1st for Medium Wool Merino Ram and 2nd for Champion Merino Ewe at the 1934 Three Springs Agricultural Show [5: 29-Sep-1933]
Along with his wife departed Three Springs on Wednesday 11 October 1933 for a few weeks holiday in Dongara [5: 13-Oct-1933]
In October 1933 sold through Westralian Farmers Ltd seven bales of wool at 15½d. per pound and nine at 15d. per pound [5: 13-Oct-1933]
Inaugural Member and North Lieutenant of the Three Springs Road Board District Bush Fire Brigade in 1933 [5: 27-Oct-1933]
Attended and presided over the send-off to Hugh F. MCKENZIE-MCHARG in Three Springs on 4 December 1933 [5: 8-Dec-1933]
Attended and gave a speech at the farewell to Dick and Lilian HARRIS in Three Springs on Monday 12 March 1934 [5: 16-Mar-1934]
Member of the Three Springs Agricultural Society - was President in 1934 [5: 18-May-1934]
Won the euchre competition at the House Party held at the Dominican Convent in Three Springs on Monday 21 May 1934 [5: 25-May-1934]
Presided over the Farewell to Matron Catherine COFFEY held at the Agricultural Hall in Three Springs on 24 May 1934 [5: 25-May-1934]
He and his wife departed Three Springs by train on Monday 28 May 1934 to spend a week in Perth [5: 1-Jun-1934]
In 1934 he was presented with a set of golf sticks and bag in appreciation of his good work for the Hospital and district [5: 25-May-1934]
The local newspaper, The North Midland Times, remarked in 1934 that he was "a most popular and respected man" [5: 18-May-1934]
Presided over the Farewell Evening to John J. KELLEHER at the Hall in Three Springs on Wednesday 1 August 1934 [5: 3-Aug-1934]
Gave away his sister-in-law C. Annie BYRNE at her wedding to Dr. Mario A. MAYRHOFER on 15 September 1934 [5: 5-Oct-1934]
Presided over the social tendered to Mario and Annie MAYRHOFER on 15 October 1934 at the Hall in Three Springs [5: 19-Oct-1934]
Attended the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show at Centenary Park, Carnamah on 6 September 1934 [5: 14-Sep-1934]
Presided over the Welcome Home tendered to Mick and Rene COFFEY in Three Springs on 21 November 1934 [5: 23-Nov-1934]
Attended the Three Springs C.W.A. Ball at the Agricultural Hall in Three Springs on Thursday 22 November 1934 [5: 23-Nov-1934]
Having sold his Glencairn Farm to Douglas THOMSON he held a dispersal sale on Friday 14 December 1934 [5: 7 & 14-Dec-1934]
Local agent Oswald S. SOWERBY conducted the sale at which he sold his remaining stock, machinery and household items [5]
Stock sold at his clearing sale included sheep (2,050 wethers and 9 Koonoona rams) and cattle (30 steers, cows and heifers) [5]
Machinery, plant and sundries included a six cylinder Chrysler car, Horwood Bagshaw header, two-ton spring dray, tip dray, [5]
land roller, centrifugal pump, rotary pump, grass mower, bricks, tools, carpenters bench and a number of galvanised iron tanks [5]
His 2,050 wethers were all purchased by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company for 11/6 per head [4: 22-Dec-1934]
After leaving Three Springs and shifting to Perth he purchased a butcher's shop in Mount Hawthorn [P426]
In 1936 he was working as a Butcher and living at 70 Flinders Street in the Perth suburb of Mount Hawthorn [50]
Later resided at 291 Bulwer Street in Perth [P426]
Resided of late in Perth [2]
Father of Helen, Jean, Robert and twins Douglas and William [P137]
Died 17 December 1955; ashes interred at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth (Crematorium Rose Gardens, B, 115) [2]
From The Western Mail newspaper, Thursday 26 December 1929:
Country Towns and Districts - Three Springs and Mingenew - Cereal and Pastoral Wealth - People and Properties
"A native of Twickenham (England), Mr. R. A. Caldow, the owner of Glencairn, a rich pastoral property of 1,000 acres, has been in the Three Springs district for 20 years. When he arrived 200 acres was considered a demesne. Glencairn carried one and a half sheep to the acre all the year round. Trefoil is the mainstay, but wild oats and canary grass are valuable. Mr. Caldow has 150 Wanganella ewes mated with Cranmore Park Wanganella rams. He carries 1,600 sheep, and at last shearing the grown sheep averaged 10lb. of wool. At the local show this year he took three first prizes in the sheep section. A fervent believer in top dressing, he applied about 90lb. to the acre every third year, but is considering 56lb. every year. Glencairn is well watered from surface catchments. Mr. Caldow has been the chairman of the hospital maintenance committee for seven years. Before the erection of the present modern building, a cottage, generously loaned by the late Mr. C. C. Maley, M.L.A., was used as a hospital."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Robert Armstrong Caldow' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 15 November 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/robert-armstrong-caldow [reference list] |
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