"Jim" James Joseph STARLING
Born 1879 in Greenough, Western Australia [15]
Son of Robert STARLING and Beulah Emily CRIPPIN [15]
His grandfather Joseph CRIPPIN had arrived in Western Australia as a convict under the alias of James OSBORNE in 1861 [20] [21] [107]
His father died at the age of 58 years in 1882 and in 1885 his mother married "Frank" Francis Henry Reeves THOMAS [15]
At the age of 18 years and seven months he began working for the Western Australian Government Railways [389]
Railway Repairer in Taylors 1897-1900, in Wolla Wolla in 1900, Howatharra in 1900 and 1901 and Yarragabbie in 1901 [389]
Railway Ganger in Yarragabbie in 1902, in Greenough River 1902-1904 and in Wolla Wolla in 1904 and 1905 [389]
Married Daisy JACKSON in Northampton in 1900 [15]
Their first child, Florence May, was born in 1900 in Northampton and died at the age of two months [15]
Their second child, James Joseph, was born in Mount Magnet in 1901 and passed away aged just one day [15]
His employment with the Western Australian Government Railways was dispensed with on 11 July 1905 [389]
The reason for his dismissal was "booking time not worked and frequent neglect of duty" [389]
He then worked for the Midland Railway Company of Western Australia for over 20 years [6] [19] [50]
Railway Ganger in Three Springs in 1907 [6]
Railway Ganger in Wannamal in 1908 [6]
Railway Ganger in Coorow 1908-1913 [19] [50]
His mother and stepfather were also in Coorow - on Coorow Station and then Jun Jun Farm [6] [19] [44] [50]
Guaranteed to contribute to the teacher's salary if the attendance fell below ten at the proposed Coorow State School in 1911 [215]
His daughters Gladys and Pearl were listed as prospective students of the proposed school, but their ages were exaggerated up [215]
Attended the Coorow Farmers' Progress Association's Picnic & Sports Meeting in Coorow on 7 October 1911 [39: 12-Oct-1911]
Won the Sheffield Handicap, Half-mile Handicap, Putting the Weight; 2nd in Hop Step & Jump and Live Wheelbarrow Race [39]
Railway Night Officer in Dongara in 1914 and 1915 [19] [50]
He resided with his wife and children at the Railway Cottages in Dongara [50]
Railway Stationmaster in Coorow in 1916 [50]
Railway Stationmaster in Arrino in 1917 [6] [30: item 8090793]
Enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) in Perth on 18 May 1917 [30: item 8090793]
Upon enlistment he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 196 pounds and had blue eyes, fair hair and a fresh complexion [30]
Gave his wife Mrs Daisy STARLING as his next of kin, her address being Arrino, Midland Railway, Western Australia [30]
Private and later Trooper during Light Horse camp training at Blackboy Hill in the Perth hills from 2 July 1917 [30]
After he entered camp his wife and children appear to have left Arrino and moved to the Perth suburb of Midland Junction [30]
He regretfully applied for his discharge on 6 September 1917 as his pay wasn't sufficient to support his wife and six children [30]
His wife wrote to the A.I.F. reiterating her distress at surviving with six daughters aged between 11 years and 20 months [30]
Owing the size of his family and ages of his children his request was recommended for approval and was subsequently granted [30]
He had to pay for the kit he'd been issued with, but was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on 14 September 1917 [30]
Railway Fettler in Carnamah in 1919 [19]
Donated 5/- to the Three Springs Saint Patrick's Day Committee in 1919 [124]
Donated 6/- to the appeal for William B. and Sarah J. HAMMOND of Wannamal who lost their house in a fire in 1919 [10: 23-May-1919]
Following an absence shifted back to Carnamah on 29 January 1921 [9: 4-Feb-1921]
Railway Stationmaster in Carnamah from 1 February 1921 until June 1921 [9: 8-Jul-1921]
Member of the Carnamah Football Club in 1921 [9: 8-Jul-1921]
The Carnamah Football Club held a function to bid him farewell on the evening of Monday 18 June 1921 [9: 8-Jul-1921]
At his farewell remarked that he regretted leaving and that "the people of Carnamah as a whole would long live in his memory" [9]
Left Carnamah in June 1921 after being promoted to the position of Stationmaster of the railway station in Dongara [9]
His half-brother Frank THOMAS rose to notoriety as a local bushranger in Coorow, Carnamah and surrounding districts [P1]
In late 1920 he was living with his family in Muchea [39: 11-Dec-1920]
Railway Stationmaster in Dongara in 1921 and 1922 [50]
Railway Stationmaster in Three Springs 1923-1925 [6] [9] [19]
Judge of the horse races at the Saint Patrick's Day Celebrations in Three Springs on Thursday 15 March 1923 [9: 13-Apr-1923]
Member of the Three Springs Football Club - was Secretary in 1923 [9: 4-May-1923]
Represented the Three Springs Football Club at meetings of the North Midlands Football Association in 1923 [9: 4-May-1923]
Member of the Three Springs Lodge of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows Friendly Society [9: 24-Jul-1925]
He was farewelled by the residents of Three Springs and presented with a cheque on the evening of Friday 17 July 1925 [9]
At his farewell Archie BASTIAN, Evander FRANKLIN and Fred JAMES testified to "his many good qualities and popularity" [9]
Left Three Springs in July 1925 following his transfer to Midland Junction, but by later 1925 was in Dongara [9: 24-Jul-1925]
Railway Stationmaster in Dongara 1925-1929 [6] [50]
Railway Ganger in Gunyidi later in 1929 and in 1930 [6] [19]
Resided at 12 Spring Park Road in the Perth suburb of Midland Junction from 1931 until his death in 1933 [6] [50]
Father of Gladys, Pearl, Sylvia, Doris, Amy, Ivy, Gertrude, Cyril, Beryl and Victor [39: 31-Jan-1933]
Died 29 January 1933; buried at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, Western Australia (Anglican, NA, 424) [2]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'James Joseph Starling' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 20 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/james-joseph-starling [reference list] |
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