"Tom" Thomas Kevin DOWNES
Born 31 August 1931 in Three Springs, Western Australia [P391]
Son of "Tom" Thomas Clement DOWNES and Eileen CASSERLY [P391]
Great Grandson of William LONG and Sarah GREEN who were the first non-indigenous settlers in Coorow in 1862 [P17]
Resided with his parents in Coorow [P391]
With his sisters Eileen, Verna and Loris was baptised by Rev. Father Michael LYNCH of Three Springs on 24 December 1933 [91]
Attended the Children's Fancy Dress Ball held in Coorow on Saturday 6 July 1935 dressed as a "Sailor" [5: 12-Jul-1935]
At the age of five years he was assistant fencing contractor to his father [P391]
Began his schooling at the Coorow State School in Coorow on 6 February 1937 [215]
Student at the Coorow State School until the day he turned 14, which included correspondence after grade seven [P391]
He and his brother Irwin milked cows, delivered milk, trapped and sold the skins of rabbits and foxes, collected and sold bottles [P391]
They looked after a cow belonging to Milton J. TILLY in their paddock west of the railway line in Coorow [P8]
Each day before school either himself or Irwin would take the milk from the cow to Mrs TILLY, and the evening milk they kept [P8]
During the Second World War they exchanged milk and biscuits for tins of bully beef when troop trains passed through [P391]
After leaving school he worked as a telephone operator in Waddy Forest, travelling the 10 miles each day by bicycle [P391]
By the age of 16 he was working as Postal Assistant at the Post Office in Coorow[P391]
He then worked as the Post Office in Dalwallinu and from 1951 was in Mingenew[P391]
Married Mingenew telephonist Rona Margaret MCDONALD in 1953 [P391]
Worked at post offices in Geraldton, Merredin and then Goomalling [P391]
He drove the ambulance in Merredin and Goomalling, and assisted the Presentation Sisters in Goomalling [P391]
Worked for Australia Post in the Perth suburbs of Belmont, Kalamunda, Cottesloe, Mount Lawley and Cloverdale [P391]
Retired in 1988, and passed away at the age of 78 years after a long battle with cancer [P391]
Resided of late in the Perth suburb of Rossmoyne [2]
Father of Pauline, Helen, Jillian, Susan, Michael and Anne-Marie [P391]
Died 29 December 2009; buried Fremantle Cemetery, Perth suburb of Rossmoyne (General Lawn, Lawn T, 608) [2]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Thomas Kevin Downes' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 25 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/thomas-kevin-downes [reference list] |
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