"Jack" William John MELVIN
Born 1 August 1900 in Port Adelaide, South Australia [16]
Son of William Harold MELVIN and Catherine Helena JOHNSON [55]
Prior to enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force had worked as a farmhand and had 2½ years experience as an Army Cadet [30]
Enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 30 October 1918 in Perth, Western Australia [30: item 8039889]
On enlistment was described as being 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 128 lbs. with brown eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion [30]
Trained with the A.I.F. for a short time however was discharged on 24 December 1919 following the end of hostilities [30]
He and his brother "Tim" Harold Threadgold MELVIN purchased 2,118 acres of virgin land in Coorow on 10 August 1926 [27]
The 2,118 acres was Lot M1669 of Victoria Location 2023 and was purchased from the Midland Railway Company for £847/4/- [27]
Their father purchased a further 2,253 acres in Victoria Location 1116, Lots M1311 M1312 & M1528 of Victoria Location 2023 [3]
Farmer of Melsom Farm in Coorow 1926-1950 [19] [27]
He and his brother farmed their own and their father's land in Coorow in partnership as "Melvin Bros" [3] [120: 20-Dec-1928]
Together they were later the joint freehold owners of their 2,118 acres and their father's 2,253 acres [61]
Their first crop in 1927 was 800 acres of wheat which averaged 12 bushels per acre [120: 20-Dec-1928]
Married Myra Mary RICE in Perth in 1927 [66]
Member of the Coorow Football Club 1927-1929 [4: 25-May-1929] [10: 19-May-1927]
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 1930 he and his brother grew 1,650 acres of wheat on their farm in Coorow[4: 31-May-1930]
He, his wife, brother Tim and Tim's wife Therese arrived back in Coorow on 8 March 1930 after a month's holiday [4: 15-Mar-1930]
Won 1st prize for "Oaten Hay, cured, binder tied (1931 season)" at the first Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show in 1932 [5: 16-Sep-1932]
Awarded 2nd prize for a Sheaf of Green Wheat for Hay at the second annual Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show in 1933 [5: 15-Sep-1933]
Committee Member of the Coorow-Waddy Forest Districts Agricultural Society 1934-1936 [5: 10-Nov-1933, 2-Aug-1935, 13-Mar-1936]
He and his brother as "Melvin Bros" sold 119 sheep through Elder Smith & Co Ltd on Wednesday 30 October 1935 [5: 1-Nov-1935]
The sheep consisted of 39 lambs and 12 ewes at 8/7 per head, 58 lambs at 6/7 per head and 10 wethers at 8/10 per head [5]
In 1935 purchased for 45 Guineas a seven valve Chrysler wireless set through the Coorow agency of Eva V. CASEY [5: 10-Jan-1936]
Attended the Coorow Golf Club's Opening Day for the 1936 season in Coorow on Sunday 17 May 1936 [5: 22-May-1936]
Member of the Coorow Golf Club in 1936, and Committee Member in 1937 [5: 3-Jul-1936, 16-Apr-1937]
Financial Member of the Coorow-Waddy Forest Districts Agricultural Society 1936-1946 [150]
Attended the Ratepayers Meeting of the Carnamah District Road Board in Coorow on Wednesday 25 November 1936 [5: 27-Nov-1936]
Played for the Married Men who almost defeated the Single Men in a cricket match in Coorow on 6 December 1936 [5: 11-Dec-1936]
Won the Nail Driving at the Sports Meeting at Maley Park in Coorow on Boxing Day 26 December 1936 [5: 8-Jan-1937]
Member of the Coorow Cricket Club in 1936-37 [5: 19-Mar-1937]
Played for the again defeated Married Men in a cricket match against Single Men in Coorow on Sunday 11 April 1937 [5: 16-Apr-1937]
Attended and competed at the Carnamah Golf Club's Season Opening at Centenary Park in Carnamah on 2 May 1937 [5: 7-May-1937]
Member of the Coorow Tennis Club in 1940-41 [4: 29-Mar-1941]
Represented the Winchester Tennis Club at meetings of the Coorow Tennis Association in 1951 [4: 14-Apr-1951]
Private in the local Volunteer Defence Corps during the Second World War [16]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1946 [13]
During the 1952-53 financial he and his brother sold the entirety of their farmland to W. Thomas WHITE & Son [3]
After selling the farm he and his wife remained in Coorow until 1958 [19]
Founding Committee Member of the Coorow Pasture Improvement Group in 1954 [4: 18-Dec-1954]
Member of the Winchester Tennis Club in 1956-57 [4: 15-Mar-1957]
Later resided in the Perth suburb of South Perth [2]
Father of Betty [91]
Died 22 February 1964; buried Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth WA (Roman Catholic, Lawn 3, 213) [2]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'William John Melvin' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 25 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/william-john-melvin [reference list] |
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