"Bill" William Alfred TURNER
Born 2 August 1909 in Fremantle, Western Australia [16]
Son of Arthur John PROCKTOR and Clara Rose COX; and stepson of "Charlie" Charles William John TURNER [P9]
His father, late of Gingin, died at the age of 39 years on 22 April 1913 and was buried at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth [2]
In 1916 was living with his widowed mother and siblings at 37 Hulbert Street in Fremantle [50]
His mother married "Charlie Charles William John TURNER in 1916 [66]
One afternoon in October 1916 they left their home in Fremantle and caught the suburban train to Midland Junction [P399]
That evening they caught the train from Midland Junction up to Carnamah - travelling all night on hard bench seats [P399]
They were met at the railway station by his stepfather and they then travelled out to his farm with a horse and sulky [P399]
His stepfather walked ahead holding the horse, his mother and sisters in the sulky and he walked behind with the dog [P399]
Resided with his mother and stepfather on Karragee Farm in Carnamah [P96]
The farm was initially 794 acres in size consisting of Lots M954 and M955 of Victoria Locations 1934 and 1936 [27]
Student at the Carnamah State School [97]
Winner of the 8-10 years Boys Running Race at the Peace Day Celebrations in Carnamah on Saturday 19 July 1919 [10: 25-Jul-1919]
Won 1st for Standard III copy book at the Picnic Race Meeting & Agricultural Show in Carnamah in 1921 [9: 30-Sep-1921]
He and his sisters typically walked to school as the horse would be required for farm work [P399]
They would stop at Robert PALFREYMAN's for a drink of water from his tank on their way home from school each day [P399]
If there was no or little water at PALFREYMAN's they would instead call at the MACPHERSON's homestead [P399]
After leaving school he worked as a farmhand for neighbouring farmer John S. ROOKE on Kilburn Farm in Carnamah [P96]
While working for the ROOKE family resided both on their Kilburn Farm and at home on Karragee Farm in Carnamah [P96]
For a period he also worked as a farmhand on his step-uncle Sydney L. TURNER's farm in Carnamah [P96]
During a portion of the Great Depression he went to Yalgoo in search of gold [P99]
Member of the Carnamah Rifle Club in 1927 [9: 5-Aug-1927]
Attended the Grand Ball following the Carnamah Show and opening of Centenary Park on 19 September 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
Participated in the Carnamah Athletic Club's Boxing Tournaments held in Carnamah in 1933 [5: 30-Jun-1933] [P11]
Attended the Carnamah Football Club's Grand Opening Ball at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 12 May 1934 [5: 18-May-1934]
Spent three months working in Waroona in 1934, arriving back in Carnamah on Saturday 23 July 1934 [5: 29-Jun-1934] [P11]
Travelled from Carnamah to Perth by train on Tuesday 22 October 1935 [5: 25-Oct-1935]
Underwent an appendicitis operation at the Carnamah Private Hospital at 14 Robertson Street on 5 November 1935 [5: 8-Nov-1935]
Frank ROOKE obtained permission to watch the operation and did so capped and gowned with his hands behind his back [P399]
Years later when he had apprehension about buying his own farm Frank said he knew he had the guts for it as he'd seen them [P399]
Attended the Wedding Social & Dance for Stuart and May FORD at Koolabba Farm in Carnamah on 25 January 1936 [5: 31-Jan-1936]
Also worked in Carnamah and neighbouring districts as a Shearer [P11]
Himself, Joseph G. DRISCOLL and Francis B. O'GRADY collectively shore 403 sheep on Friday 28 August 1936 [5: 4-Sep-1936]
The shearing, which was done on Peter M. BONNERUP's Minjin Farm in Carnamah, was claimed to be a local shearing record [5]
Signatory of a petition to the Carnamah District Road Board in September 1936 requesting the extension of a 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 on the matter, but appear to have in the end decided against extending the road [5] [62]
Member of the Carnamah Adult Education Circle in 1937 [5: 10-Sep-1937]
Became a member of the Carnamah Masonic Lodge No.150 WAC on 12 August 1938 [96]
After being called up for service in the Royal Australian Air Force he left Carnamah on Sunday 8 June 1941 [0: image 04009]
Enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 9 June 1941[16]
Underwent training in the Eastern States of Australia; spent his leave in December 1941 with his parents in Carnamah [0: image 04054]
During his leave in Carnamah before active service was honoured at a function in the Carnamah Hall in December 1941 [0: image 04060]
Corporal 38937 in the Royal Australian Air Force's 4 Aircraft Depot during the Second World War [16]
During the war he served with the Air Force in New Guinea and other nearby islands [P96]
Discharged from the Royal Australian Air Force on 4 September 1945 [16]
Appears to have leased and farmed John S. ROOKE's Kilburn and KapellaFarms in Carnamah in 1945 and 1946 [60] [0: image 04322]
Married "Peggy" Monica Marguerita COLT in Perth in 1946 [P96]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1946 [13]
On 10 June 1947 purchased John Snowden ROOKE's farmland in Carnamah, amounting to 2909 acres [3]
The farm consisted of Lots M956, M957, M1270, M1461, M1528 and 7186, all portions of Victoria Location 1936 [3]
Farmer of Kilburn Farm in Carnamah 1947 onwards [3]
His home on the farm was telephone number Carnamah-11K and later number Carnamah-11U [60]
Had a new house built on Kilburn Farm, after which he sold the old house to David I. M. BOWMAN C.1952 [P9]
The house had been built in 1915 or 1916, and David I. M. BOWMAN had it moved to 9 Yarra Street, Carnamah [P9]
In 1947 he sold another old house, on a part of the farm known as Kapella, to Donald F. A. ROWLAND [P80]
Donald F. A. ROWLAND had rented the house and after buying it had it shifted to 20 Railway Avenue, Carnamah [P80]
Member of the Carnamah Masonic Lodge [P96]
Later took up the 4,992 acre Victoria Location 9920 in West Carnamah [P77], which was initially virgin bush [P208]
By 1956 had sold the 4,992 acres, which bounded the Carnamah-Eneabba Road, to Oswald H. HEINRICH of South Australia [3]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Mrs Ada Rose HAIG of Carnamah on 27 September 1955 at the Winchester Cemetery [4]
Following his wife Peggy's death in 1971 he sold Kilburn Farm to HAEUSLERs [P96]
Shifted to the Eastern States of Australia where he married a woman he'd met while he was in the Air Force [P96]
Later separated or divorced from his second wife, returned to Western Australia and settled in Toodyay [P96]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'William Alfred Turner' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 15 November 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/william-alfred-turner [reference list] |
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