Leonard Charles LIGHTFOOT
Born 6 July 1905 in Perth, Western Australia [16]
Son of Arthur Allan LIGHTFOOT and Lilian May CLARK [15]
He was one of four children with three sisters Enid, Marian and Rosalie [39: 28-Feb-1934]
Resided with his parents and sisters on Thirlmere Road in the Perth suburb of Mount Lawley [50]
Attended Perth Modern School and studied a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the University of Western Australia [39: 6-Jan-1928]
In early 1928 he won the Norman Albert Prize in Agriculture and was working as a cadet in the Department of Agriculture [39: 6-Jan-1928]
His father purchased a farm in Carnamah from Mrs Norah E. C. WOODHOUSE in early 1928 [3] [4: 4-Feb-1928] [27] [61]
The farm was the 773 acre Lot M1079 of Victoria Location 1937, situated on the south side of what is now Waters Road [3] [62]
Farmer in Carnamah 1928-1933 in partnership with his father as "Lightfoot & Son" [6] [19]
Resided on and ran the farm while his father, who was the managing director of Albany Bell Ltd, resided in Perth [6] [19]
Their farm was telephone number Carnamah 11-D from 1929 to 1934 [60]
They had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son from 1929 to 1933 [53]
In 1933 their farm was leased to John E. H. OAKES, who two years later became his brother-in-law [3] [5: 10-Nov-1933]
Attended the wedding dance for Alexander J. F. BROWN and Clara V. BERRIGAN in Carnamah on 28 August 1928 [4: 8-Sep-1928]
He was among those who attended the Centenary Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on 26 July 1929 [86: 3-Aug-1929]
The ball was to celebrate 100 years since the founding of Perth and the establishment of the Swan River Colony [86]
Attended the Grand Ball following the Carnamah Show and opening of Centenary Park on 19 September 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
Member of the Carnamah Tennis Club in 1929-30 [4: 22-Mar-1930]
Two of his sisters, Marian and Rosalie, attended the New Year's Dance held at the Carnamah Hall on 31 December 1929 [84: 4-Jan-1930]
His sister Rosalie, who lived in the Perth suburb of Mount Lawley, spent a holiday with him in Carnamah in late 1930 [81: 28-Dec-1930]
Member of the Carnamah Football Club in 1932 [5: 19-Aug-1932] [4: 16-Jul-1932]
During the first week of October 1932 travelled by train from Carnamah to Perth to attend the Perth Royal Show [5: 7-Oct-1932, 14-Oct-1932]
Member of the Carnamah Literary and Debating Society in 1932 [5: 2-Sep-1932]
Committee Member of the Carnamah branch of the Primary Producers' Association in 1932 [120: 13-Oct-1932]
The North Midland Times reported on 17 November 1933 that there were goods for him at the Carnamah railway station [5: 17-Nov-1933]
His father passed away at the age of 59 years on 27 February 1934 and was buried at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth [2]
Just prior to his father's death a clearing sale was arranged to take place on the farm of Lightfoot & Son in Carnamah [5: 23-Feb-1934]
The clearing sale was held on the farm at 2 p.m. on Friday 2 March 1934 to sell stock, machinery, produce and sundries [5: 23-Feb-1934]
Machinery sold at the clearing sale, including some of the prices received, were an 18/32 Case tractor (£102), [5: 23-Feb-1934, 9-Mar-1934]
8 foot Sunshine harvester (£34), 10 disc Sundercut (£24), 17 row McCormick drill (£14), 15 row McCormick combine, [5]
33 tyne State cultivator, drill harrows, 3 knife chaffcutter, 4 fur M.B. plough, Fordson tractor (£34), 2 ton lorry, [5]
30 cwt. Chevrolet truck, spring cart, sulky, 12 disc Gaston plough and a 4 furrow Smith patent mouldboard plough [5]
Livestock, sundries and produce sold included 400 mated Merino ewes, 50 wether hoggets, 1 Border Leicester ram, 1 Jersey cow, [5]
farm gelding and mare, 1 medium draught gelding, fowls and 1 aged farm gelding; tanks, cornsacks, bags of super, bag loader, [5]
bag filler posts, drums, tools and oils; 120 bags of Merredin, Noongar and Bencubbin seed wheat and eight bags of seconds [5]
The main buyers at the clearing sale were John READ of Waddy Forest; John LAWSON and Allan WALKER of Winchester; [5]
Charlie KROSCHEL, James K. FORRESTER and Alfred J. HOLLINGSWORTH of Carnamah; and YOUNG of Bowgada [5]
His father's 773 acre farm in Carnamah was sold to HOLLINGSWORTH Bros of Carnamah [3]
In 1933 he began working for the Department of Agriculture [391: 25-Jul-1970]
He became the first agricultural scientist to make a career in soil conservation in Western Australia [391]
Soil Surveyor of the southern mallee area of Western Australia 1933 to 1935 [391]
Joined the Department's Irrigation Branch in late 1935 and worked for ten years around Harvey, Brunswick and Dardanup [391]
In January 1947 he was the second officer appointed to the Department's Soil Conservation Service [391]
As a Senior Soil Conservation Officer he was tasked with developing an advisory service for farmers across the state [391]
He later created standards for mechanical erosion and techniques for contour surveying and contour farming [391]
In 1957 he was appointed Superintendent/Chief of the Department's Soil Division and Commissioner of Soil Conservation [391]
Due to his health he stepped down as Chief after ten years and worked as a Soil Conservation Officer until retiring in 1970 [391]
Married Alice Jean MORRISON in Perth in 1936 [66]
They resided at Roelands near Bunbury in 1936 and were living in Brunswick Junction in 1937 and 1943 [50]
In 1949 they were living at 28 Walter Street in the Perth suburb of Claremont [50]
They resided for a number of years at 218 Sixth Avenue in the Perth suburb of Inglewood during the 1950s [50]
During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s they lived at 3 Minora Road in the Perth suburb of Dalkeith [50]
Father of Anthony [4: 13-Fev-1939]
Died 14 April 1984; ashes interred at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth (RC Section, Garden of Remembrance, 1, 89) [2]
Two of his first cousins, Mrs Norma C. JONES and Mrs Wylie M. HOGBIN, resided for many years on farms in Waddy Forest [15] [19]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Leonard Charles Lightfoot' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 18 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/leonard-charles-lightfoot [reference list] |
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