Robert WALLACE
Born 4 November 1889 in Dysart, Fife Scotland [28]
Son of engine fitter John WALLACE and Elizabeth YOUNG [15] [28]
He was born at ten minutes past midday at 121 Arthur Street at Sinclairtown in Dysart, Fife, Scotland [28]
Resided with his parents at various addresses in Govan, a suburb of Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland [20]
He was one of at least four children, with young sisters Margaret and Isabella, and a younger brother Thomas [20]
In 1889 they were at 10 Plantation Street, Govan; in 1901 at 9 Burndyke Street, Govan; and in 1901 at 21 Princes Street, Govan [20]
He immigrated to Western Australia in about 1914 and initially worked in Wagin and Beverley [P182]
It's possible that he worked in Beverley for his future father-in-law, William Holladay RICHARDS, who was a builder and farmer [P182]
Married Lila Isabel RICHARDS on 25 September 1916 at the Methodist Manse in Beverley [120: 2-Pct-1916]
On 2 October 1920 he purchased 782 acres of farmland in Coorow from the Midland Railway Company [27]
The 782 acres consisted of Lots M971 and M972 of Victoria Location 2023 and cost £1350 [27]
The land had been developed by the Midland Railway Company and was payable by instalments over 20 years [120: 20-Dec-1928] [27]
Farmer in Coorow 1921-1953 [19] [44]
Expanded his farm with the purchase of 220 acres of virgin land from the Midland Railway Company on 24 August 1925 [27]
The 220 acres was Lot M1589 of Victoria Location 2023 and cost £220/9/3 (20/- per acre), also payable by instalments [27]
On 21 August 1926 purchased another 321 acres of virgin land in Coorow from the Midland Railway Company [27]
The 321 acres was Lot M1666 of Victoria Location 2023 and cost £160/18/9 (10/- per acre), payable over five years [27]
He had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in 1927 [53]
In October 1928 purchased a new Chevrolet truck from Carnamah dealer L. Scott WYLIE [4: 3-Nov-1928]
He was hopeful that his 1928 wheat crops would yield in excess of 15 bushels per acre [120: 20-Dec-1928]
He was one of 98 people from the Coorow district who signed a petition in 1929 for a local hotel license to be granted [39: 6-Feb-1929]
In 1932 owned a Chevrolet truck which was registered with the Carnamah District Road Board with license plate CA-230 [4: 12-Nov-1932]
Received £1 in Vermin Bonuses from the Carnamah District Road Board in February 1934 for killing two foxes [300: page 42]
Travelled to Perth on 4 May 1934 to see his son Jock row for Scotch College in the inter-school rowing the next day [5: 11-May-1934]
He purchased two Dorset horn and five Southdown rams from W. G. BURGES of York during September 1934 [86: 2-Oct-1934]
Witnessed the Scotch College crew, which included his son, win the Head of the River in Perth on 4 May 1935 [5: 10-May-1935]
Sold 180 sheep through Westralian Farmers Ltd with three consignments to Midland Markets in September and October 1935 [5]
The 180 sheep consisted of 80 shorn ewes (46 at 8/4, 24 at 6/4), 57 shorn lambs (23 at 15/4, 19 at 16/1, 15 at 11/10), [5]
42 suckers (30 at 18/1, 12 at 15/1), and 1 stained lamb at 1/- per head [5: 6 & 20-Sep-1935, 11-Oct-1935]
Purchased a new Chrysler all-wave wireless set through the agency of E. V. CASEY of Coorow in February 1936 [5: 28-Feb-1936]
Sold 22 bales of wool through Elder Smith & Co Ltd in 1936 - 10 bales at 18d., 6 at 17½d., and 6 at 17¼d. per pound [5: 13-Mar-1936]
He was in Perth to witness the Head of the River rowing race on Monday 4 May 1936 [5: 8-May-1936]
Through Westralian Famers he sold 13 head of cattle at Midland Market in September 1936 [39: 17-Sep-1936]
The 13 consisted of 8 cows averaging £4/4/4, 1 bullock for £12/2/6, 1 steer for £3/2/6 and 3 bull calves for £8/2/6 [39]
Sold 78 sheep through Westralian Farmers at the Midland Market in 1936 - 35 at 13/1, 3 at 7/10, 40 suckers at 10/7 [5: 16 & 23-Oct-1936]
Sold 7 suckers at 26/4 and 12 lambs at 20/1 through Westralian Farmers at the Midland Market on 18 August 1937 [5: 20-Aug-1937]
He won in a tie the Export Lamb Competition run by the Australian Society of Breeders in November 1937 [39: 20-Nov-1937]
He exhibited 25 Southdown-Border Leicester cross Merino lambs with an average weight of 35.78 pounds (16.23 kilograms) [39]
He selected and purchased 10 Southdown mated stud ewes from the GOSMAN family in Victoria in June 1939 [39: 5-Jul-1939]
Attended the funeral of Waddy Forest farmer Stanley L. FOLLAND at the Moora Cemetery on Monday 25 August 1941 [4: 30-Aug-1941]
Financially contributed in 1945 to the Coorow Patriotic Fund run during the Second World War [5: 6-Apr-1945]
Sent a floral tribute for the grave of Tom BONHAM of the Coorow at the Winchester Cemetery on 10 August 1945 [5: 24-Aug-1945]
Committee Member of Coorow-Waddy Forest Districts Agricultural Society in 1945 [5: 20-Apr-1945]
Member of the Coorow-Waddy branch of the Primary Producers Association - was President in 1945 and 1946 [5: 19-Jan-1945, 4-Oct-1946]
He was the delegate for Coorow-Waddy at the annual conferences of the P.P.A. in 1945 and 1946 [5: 20-Jul-1945, 19-Jul-1946]
Also one of the local delegates at the proposed initial conference of the Farmers Union of WA in 1946 [5: 19-Jul-1946, 2-Aug-1946]
In 1946 he donated £10 to the Wheat Fighting Fund set up by the Primary Producers Association [5: 30-Aug-1946]
Sent a floral tribute for the grave of Price W. HUNT of Waddy Forest at Winchester Cemetery on 11 September 1946 [5: 20-Sep-1946]
Foundation President of the Coorow-Waddy Forest branch of the Farmers Union of WA in December 1946 [5: 20-Dec-1946, 5-Sep-1947]
He was the branch's President in 1946 and 1947, Zone Delegate in 1947 and Vice President in 1948 [5: 9-May-1947, 30-Jan-1948]
Gave £3 to the Farmers Union Appeal Fund in 1949 and was still a member of the local branch in 1950 [4: 18-Mar-1950] [5: 1-Sep-1949]
Owner and sheep breeder of the Warraroo Southdown Stud, with Registered Flock number F700 [150]
Advertised in the Schedule of the 1947 Coorow-Waddy Forest Show that he had "specially selected and flock rams for sale" [150]
Also advertised his Warraroo Stud in the Schedule of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show in 1949 [13]
Exhibited sheep at the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Shows held at Maley Park in Coorow in 1947 and 1948 [5: 12-Sep-1947, 23-Sep-1948]
Both years he won 1st for Southdown Ram under 1½ years bred by exhibitor and both times it was the Show's Champion Ram [5]
In 1948 he also received 1st prize for Three Fat Lambs suitable for export in the farmer classes of the section [5: 23-Sep-1948]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1948 [13]
Exhibited in the Sheep section at the Carnamah Agricultural Show held in Carnamah on 11 September 1948 [5: 16-Sep-1948]
In the stud stock classes he was awarded two 1st prizes for Southdown Ram of any age and Southdown Ewe of any age [5]
In the farmers classes he received 2nd prize for Three Fat Lambs suitable for export Southdown ex Crossbred Ewes [5]
He had six working farm horses for sale at Elder's Horse & Dairy Cow Market in Perth on 12 November 1948 [39: 12-Nov-1948]
Resided at 241 Hancock Street in the Perth suburb of Doubleview from as early as 1954 until his death in 1968 [50]
In 1959 ownership of his 1,323 acre farm in Coorow appears to have transferred to his son William [3]
Father of "Isa" Elizabeth Isabell, "Jock" John William, "Wink" William Holladay and Lila Jean [P182]
Died 14 July 1968 in the Perth suburb of Doubleview [2] [15]
His wife Lila, late of the Perth suburb of Yokine, died at the age of 79 years on 12 August 1974 [2]
From The West Australian newspaper, Saturday 20 November 1937:
Export Lambs – Keen Competition
"... Top place was filled by C. L. E. Orton, of Petworth Park, Moora, with a pen of Southdown-English Leicester x Merino lambs with an average weight of 34.7 lb., and R. Wallace, of Coorow, with a pen of Southdown-Border Leicester x Merino lambs with an average weight of 35.78 lb. ...The comments in the case of Mr Wallace's entry were "An exceptionally nice quality exhibit and one which reflected credit on the exhibitor. No surplus fat was noticed on any of the carcasses though a few were on the heavy side and odd ones were inclined to be leggy." His allocation of points was 60 for quality and 36 for evenness of weight and conformation.
Second position went to N. P. Burges, of Wooregong, Burges Siding, with a pen of Southdown-Border Leicester x Merino lambs, averaging 38.52 lb.... and J. W. Green, of Fremantle, with a pen of Southdown-Border Leicester lambs with an average weight of 36.08 lb. ... Concerning Mr Green's lambs they said "A really nice exhibit in both type and quality, Had they had a little more covering on the legs and had some weighed a little less, they could have been termed perfect."
94 points were secured by an entry submitted by Mr H. H. Chappel, of Winchester, with a pen of Southdown-Romney Marsh x Merino lambs, the average weight of which was 33.48 lb. "This was a nice quality exhibit "said the judges, "but a few were a little bare on the legs, Conformity also good, but odd ones a little narrow"."
From The Geraldton Guardian and Express newspaper, Tuesday 25 January 1938:
Fat Lamb Breeding – Coorow Farmers' Success
"... They have learned the value of Crossbred ewes and good rams of the right type to join with them, and this is where their success comes in. Taking into consideration breeders like Messrs. S. B. Rudduck, S. A. Rudduck, B. D. Bothe, C. C. Bothe, R. Wallace, and many more, the the lambs they breed, it can be realised that nothing better is grown anywhere in the State. ... Another breeder who must be singled out for special mention is Mr R. Wallace, of Coorow, whose fat lamb exhibits were so successful at Midland line shows this year, and who achieved the meritorious success of tying for first place in the State wide competition conducted this year by Perpetual Trustees. ..."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Robert Wallace' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/robert-wallace [reference list] |
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