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Biographical Dictionary - Coorow, Carnamah, Three Springs


Surname

"Bob" Bingham Robert SPARKS

Born 29 June 1910 in Rose Park, South Australia [55]
Son of William Gillies SPARKS and Jessie BREWSTER [55]
     He was raised by his aunt and uncle "Bill" William A. T. SARGENT after his mother died and his father fell in the First World War [31]
Boarding Student at Scotch College in the Perth suburb of Claremont from 1924 until at least 1926 [31: 26-Nov-1926]
     When he arrived at the college he was suffering badly from hip disease and his right leg was supported by a heavy iron frame [31]
     He could barely walk, had to be helped into a bath and the other students remarked he had the thinnest legs they'd ever seen [31]
     After seeing his fellow students playing games and enjoying life he decided it was up to him to build up his strength [31]
     By late 1926 he was one of the college's star performers, could swim like a fish and was on the school's cricket team [31]
     He was described as a "Carnamah lad" so presumably spent his holidays with his aunt and uncle on their farm in Carnamah [31]
Farmhand for his uncle "Bill" William A. T. SARGENT on Wongyarra Farm in Carnamah 1932-1941 [19] [P46]
     Main driver of his uncle's International WD 40 Crawler Tractor during seeding on Wongyarra Farm [P46]
     Member of the Carnamah Rifle Club 1930-1936 [4: 26-Apr-1930] [5: 5-Aug-1932, 12-Jul-1935, 17-Jul-1936]
     Member of the Carnamah Badminton Club - was Treasurer in 1933 [5: 2-Jun-1933]
     Represented the Carnamah Rifle Club at the annual shoot for the Shearn Cup in Mingenew on 20 October 1935 [5: 25-Oct-1935]
     Committee Member and Coach of the Carnamah Rifle Club in 1936 [5: 17-Jul-1936]
     Won 1st for Farm Life and 2nd for Any Subject in the Photography section of the Carnamah Agricultural Show in 1936 [5: 18-Sep-1936]
     Member of Carnamah's Miniature Rifle Club in 1941 [0: image 02933]
Married Mary Camillus WILLIAMSON in 1942 [66]
     His wife had taught at the Wongyarra State School on Wongyarra Farm in Carnamah from 3 February 1941 to 26 August 1941 [277]


Reference:  Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Bingham Robert Sparks' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/bingham-robert-sparks [reference list]




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