"Norm" Norman Ray WATSON
Born 7 July 1906 in Wellington Mills, Western Australia [16]
Son of "Harry" William Henry WATSON and Harriett STIRK [P24]
Arrived in Carnamah with his father on 9 November 1915 [P24]
Resided with his parents on The Mannas Farm in Carnamah [P24] and was a Student at the Carnamah State School [97]
Came 3rd in the 12-14 years Boys Running Race at the Peace Day Celebrations in Carnamah on Saturday 19 July 1919 [10: 25-Jul-1919]
Appears to have farmed The Mannas Farm in Carnamah with his father 1928-1947 [3] [19]
Prior to his marriage himself and his wife to be were tendered a kitchen tea in Carnamah by some of their friends [4: 23-Feb-1929]
Married "Bett" Ivy Beatrice BOOTH on Thursday 28 February 1929 in Carnamah [P24] [4: 23-Feb-1929]
Attended the Plain and Fancy Dress Ball held at the Carnamah Town Hall on Thursday 8 August 1929 [4: 17-Aug-1929]
Attended the Grand Ball following the Carnamah Show and opening of Centenary Park on 19 September 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
Attended the Carnamah Anglican Church's Freak Ball at the Carnamah Hall on Thursday 3 October 1929 [4: 12-Oct-1929]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in the later 1920s and 1930s [53]
Purchased a Studibaker car with American body and six cylinder engine from salesman Robert MACKIE in August 1932 [5: 26-Aug-1932]
Attended the Carnamah Church of England's New Year Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 30 December 1933 [5: 5-Jan-1934]
In April 1934 purchased a new Sunshine combine, which he received on the morning of Thursday 12 April 1934 [5: 13-Apr-1934]
Member of the Carnamah Lodge of the Manchester Unity Oddfellows Friendly Society 1934-1936 [4: 10-Nov-1934, 23-Oct-1936]
Attended the funeral of Mrs Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
Attended the Carnamah Football Club's Premiership Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 20 October 1934 [5: 26-Oct-1934]
Designed and patented an improved rabbit exterminator, known at the Watson Rabbit Exterminator, which cost nothing to run [5]
He began advertising in March 1935 that his rabbit exterminators were available for purchase and demonstration [5: 1 & 8-Mar-1935]
In April 1935 purchased a new Chevrolet Six truck from local agent William B. SHERIDAN [5: 5-Apr-1935]
Presided over May ROCCHI's birthday at her brother's farm in Carnamah on Thursday evening 15 August 1935 [5: 23-Aug-1935]
Member of the Carnamah Rifle Club in 1935 and 1936 - was Treasurer in 1936 [5: 30-Aug-1935, 17-Jul-1936]
He and his brother Arthur motored to Perth on 3 October 1935 and returned to Carnamah on 5 October 1935 [5: 8-Nov-1935]
Attended the Wedding Social & Dance for Stuart and May FORD at Koolabba Farm in Carnamah on 25 January 1936 [5: 31-Jan-1936]
Attended the funeral of Carnamah agent William B. SHERIDAN at the Winchester Cemetery on 27 January 1936 [5: 31-Jan-1936]
Member of the Three Springs Rifle Club in 1936 [5: 19-Jun-1936]
Competed at the Official Opening of the Three Springs Rifle Club's rifle range in Three Springs on Thursday 23 July 1936 [5: 31-Jul-1936]
He and his brother-in-law Arthur BOOTH motored from Carnamah to Perth on a short visit on 19 August 1936 [5: 21-Aug-1936]
By 1939 he'd had the telephone connected - was telephone number Carnamah-11W from 1939 to 1950 [60]
Paid a 5/- Vermin Bonus by the Carnamah District Road Board in 1941 for helping to control vermin by killing two foxes [416: page 40]
He and his wife left Carnamah in February 1941 after leasing his farm to Cyril J. T. MARTYN [5: 14-Feb-1941]
Their plans at the time were undecided but it was probable they would enter the hotel business [5: 14-Feb-1941]
Enlisted in the Australian Army on 6 May 1941 [16]
Private WX121402 in the Australian Army's 8th AAOA during the Second World War[16]
Discharged from the Australian Army on 30 September 1943 [16] and returned to Carnamah [P24]
Farmer in Carnamah 1947-1951 [3] [4: 7-Apr-1951]
In 1947 purchased 873 acres of his father's farmland - Lot M1082 of Victoria Location 1935 [3]
By 1948 he had purchased an additional 1149 acres - Lot M1026 and a Portion of Lot M1025, both of Victoria Location 1935 [3]
Member of the Carnamah Sub-Branch of the Returned Soldiers League in the 1940s [52]
Became a member of the Carnamah Masonic Lodge No.150 WAC on 19 March 1948 [96]
In April 1951 sold the 873 acre Lot M1082 of Victoria Location 1935 to Bevan J. GREGORY [3]
Held a clearing sale to sell his sheep, plant, machinery, produce and household furniture on 16 April 1951 [0: image 04614]
His machinery included a 10 foot McKay header, 20-run spring tyne Sunshine combine, 18 tyne Sunshine scarifier, [4: 7-Apr-1951]
12 disc Sun General plough, McDonald Imperial Tractor, 1942 V-8 Ford truck, Bagshaw chaffcutter and elevators [4: 7-Apr-1951]
Around 1953 he sold his remaining 1,149 acres of farmland in Carnamah to local farmer Theodore O. WITTWER [3]
He and his wife were living on Elizabeth Street in the Perth hills suburb of Kalamunda in 1954 [50]
In 1958 he was the proprietor of the Mundaring Hotel in the Perth hills suburb of Mundaring [50]
He and his wife were living at 27 Swan Street in the Perth suburb of Guildford in 1963 and on Osnaburg Street in Augusta in 1968 [50]
Later resided in Collie [2]
Father of Sylvia Pearl WATSON [14]
Died 20 June 1971; ashes interred at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, Western Australia (Crematorium Rose Gardens, 21, 285) [2]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Norman Ray Watson' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 27 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/norman-ray-watson [reference list] |
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