"Charlie" Charles CHAPMAN
Born 5 October 1904 in Upper Preston, Western Australia [16]
Son of Alfred CHAPMAN and Mary Ann GIBBS [15]
Initially resided with his parents on Ferndale Farm in Preston, Western Australia [P204]
His father died following an accident when he was only months old, and his mother died from tuberculosis when he was five [P204]
Following the deaths of his parents was cared for by his uncle and aunt George CHAPMAN and Sarah J. CHAPMAN nee GIBBS [P344]
His uncle and aunt were strict Seventh Day Adventists, and during his time with them he was educated in Carmel [P204]
At the age of 13 he left school and initially worked as a land clearer before studying Medicine in Sydney, New South Wales [P204]
Left Sydney to commence farming in Winchester, Western Australia [P204]
On 30 January 1925 purchased in partnership with his brother Walter 838 acres of farm land in Winchester [27]
The 838 acres was Lot M1086 of Victoria Location 1938 and was purchased from Charles B. PEARSON [27]
PEARSON had purchased the land as virgin bush in 1922, and it still had instalments owing to the Midland Railway Company [27]
They may have been attracted to Winchester as his cousins Basil and Joseph CHAPMAN were already farming in the district [19]
Farmer of Glenisla Farm on the Billeroo Road in Winchester in partnership with his brother Walter 1925-1930 [P344]
They had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in 1928 [53]
On 22 April 1929 himself and his brother purchased a further 1,174 acres in Winchester from Harold V. MOSEDALE [27]
The 1,174 acres was Lot M1213 of Victoria Location 1938 and had instalments owing to the Midland Railway Company [27]
His brother became the sole owner of Lot M1086 on 5 May 1930, and he became the sole owner of Lot M1213 on 28 July 1932 [27]
Farmer of Elouera Farm in Winchester from 1930 until the 1980s [6] [19] [P204]
To begin with his farm was 1,175 acres in size being Lot M1213 of Victoria Location 2023 [3]
In March 1930 purchased a new Fordson tractor from Carnamah Ford salesman Rupert LAFFAN [4: 22-Mar-1930]
Attended the meeting of wheatgrowers on the Wheat Hold-up issue at the Carnamah Hall on Sunday 4 December 1932 [5: 9-Dec-1932]
Married Hilda POPPLEWELL on 18 February 1933 at Wesley Church in Perth [P204] [5: 7-Jul-1933]
Attended the funeral of Mrs Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
Through Elder Smith & Co Ltd sold 214 sheep at Midland Market between August and December 1935 [5: 16-Aug-1935, 6-Sep-1935]
Sold 171 suckers consisting of 20 at 15/1, 13 at 13/10, 22 at 13/7, 27 at 13/1, 15 at 12/1, 24 at 11/7, 15 at 10/1, 35 at 9/10 [5]
Sold 20 woolly lambs at 20/10, 20 shorn suckers at 14/1, and 3 shorn ewes at 8/1 per head [5: 4-Oct-1935, 15-Nov-1935; 3-Jan-1936]
Attended the funeral of Miss "May" Mary L. LANG of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 26 November 1935 [5: 29-Nov-1935]
Won 1st prize for Fodder Plants in the Grain & Fodder section of the Carnamah Agricultural Show on 10 September 1936 [5: 18-Sep-1936]
Sold 321 sheep through Westralian Farmers Ltd and Dalgety & Co Ltd with five consignments to the Midland Market in 1936 [5]
The sheep were 150 suckers (20 at 17/1, 60 at 15/7, 26 at 14/10, 17 at 12/7, 27 at 13/1), [5: 11 & 25-Sep-1936, 2 & 9-Oct-1936, 24-Dec-1936]
147 lambs (1 at 16/10, 86 at 13/8, 41 at 10/10, 19 at 9/1) , 20 ewes (1 at 9/-, 19 at 5/10) and 4 wethers at 14/4 per head [5]
In 1937 he sold his sheep through Elder Smith & Co Ltd and Westralian Farmers Ltd at Midland Markets [5: 5-Mar-1937; 9, 16 & 30-Jul-1937]
161 ewes (36 at 18/1, 38 at 17/1, 19 at 15/4, 15 at 11/10, 23 at 11/7, 30 at 10/7) [5]
137 lambs (17 at 22/7, 34 at 22/1, 12 at 21/10, 8 at 18/10, 11 at 14/1, 33 at 12/1, 22 at 8/10) [5]
One day a cow fell down a well near the south side of his house on Elouera Farm [P23]
With difficulty they almost got it out alive but it struggled as it neared the top of the well, fell back and broke its neck [P23]
Member of the Winchester and Billeroo grasshopper eradication committee in 1937 [0: image 02876]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society 1937-1958 [13]
Vice President of the Billeroo Cricket Club in 1938 and 1939 [0: images 03778 & 03853]
In 1939 had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son [53]
Had the telephone connected in 1939 - was telephone number Carnamah-9U and later number Winchester-7 [60]
Member of the No. 2 Troop of the "C" Squadron of the motorised 25th Light Horse Machine Gun Regiment in 1939 [P15]
The No. 2 Troop was a local militia unit made of people from the North Midlands and trained in Carnamah once a fortnight [P15]
During the Second World War he later served with the 25th Light Horse at Canning Weir where he was Lance Corporal [16]
He employed a few Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War and kept in touch with them when they returned to Italy [P23]
In April 1944 extended his farm by 1,711 acres with Walter C. JOHNSON's Lot M1532 of Victoria Location 2023 [3]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Winchester farmer Thomas LAWSON on 26 August 1947 at the Winchester Cemetery [0]
In 1948 extended the farm by another 863 acres with Lots M913 and M1307 of Victoria Location 2023 from Clarence R. MILLARD [3]
Committee Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1948 and 1955 [58]
Served on the Carnamah District Road Board 1948-1961 and was Chairman of the Board 1953-1961 [7: page 112]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Coorow farmer George HUTCHCRAFT on 28 January 1949 at the Winchester Cemetery [0]
Member of Carnamah's branch of the Farmers' Union of WA - was Treasurer in 1950 and 1951 [4: 22-Apr-1950 & 7-Apr-1951]
Member of the Carnamah Bush Fire Brigade - was First Lieutenant in 1951 [4: 8-Sep-1951]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Mrs Margaret S. BOWMAN formerly of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 8 December 1954 [4]
Patron of the Winchester Cricket Club in 1955 [0: image 04794]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Mrs Ada Rose HAIG on 27 September 1955 at the Winchester Cemetery [4]
Served on the Carnamah Shire Council 1961-1963 and was Shire President 1961-1963[7: page 112]
By 1962 had been made a Justice of the Peace for the Victoria Magisterial District of Western Australia [22]
As a Justice of the Peace presided as Magistrate at criminal and traffic cases that went before the Carnamah Police Court [22]
The Carnamah Police Court dealt with cases involving Carnamah, Winchester, Waddy Forest, Coorow, Marchagee and Gunyidi [22]
Presided over his first case before the Carnamah Police Court on 16 March 1962 [22]
He was widely known for his interest and knowledge of native flora and local flowers and had several visits from botanists [7: page 106]
He sent several specimens of local wildflowers to the herbarium and had at least one plant named after him [P204]
Once or twice a year he held slide evenings at the Winchester Hall at which he showed photos of plants and flowers [P23]
There was no electricity at the hall so he took his own projector and a motor of about one-horsepower [P23]
The Carnamah Shire had to nominate a wildflower as an emblem and approached him to nominate one for Carnamah [7: page 106]
He recommended Calytrix Superba which is found in the western sandplain areas of Carnamah and surrounding districts [7]
Attended the "Day of Pioneers" luncheon held at the Shire Council Chambers in Carnamah on 13 October 1982 [253]
Retired to Perth during the 1980s and resided with his wife at a house in the Perth suburb of Graylands [P204]
On retirement sold Elouera Farm in Winchester however retained and continued farming his sandplain block [P204]
Father of Lila, Christine, Alison and Julie [25]
Died 4 April 1989; ashes interred at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, Western Australia (Sir T. Meagher Gardens, Lawn 5C, 3) [2]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Charles Chapman' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 19 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/charles-chapman [reference list] |
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