"Fred" Fergus CONNAUGHTON
Born 24 May 1910 in Loughrea, County Galway, Ireland [201]
Departed Southampton, England on the steamship Esperance Bay and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on 24 July 1930 [63]
After his arrival in Western Australia travelled to Three Springs where he secured employment with Senator Patrick J. LYNCH [201]
Farmhand for Senator Patrick J. LYNCH on Mount Leonora Farm in Three Springs for two years [79: 23-Aug-1973]
He was then Manager of Senator Patrick J. LYNCH's Mount Leonora Farm in Three Springs for four years [5: 17-Aug-1934, 4-Sep-1936] [201]
Purchased a farm in Dudawa, East Arrino from William B. MITCHELL of Dongara, which he named Kilrickle Farm [79: 23-Aug-1973]
Farmer of Kilrickle Farm in Dudawa, East Arrino [201]
Every Sunday travelled in a spring cart to mass at Saint Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Three Springs [201]
Purchased numerous other parcels of farmland, including Mrs Sara T. MALEY's Parakalia Farm in Three Springs [201]
Later resided on and farmed Parakalia Farm in Three Springs [24]
Attended the opening of Saint Andrew's Roman Catholic Church in Carnamah on Sunday on 9 November 1930 [201]
Won 1st prize for a Milking Strain Shorthorn Cow at the Three Springs Agricultural Show on 21 September 1933 [5]
Also exhibited in the Poultry section, receiving 2nd prize for male Plymouth Rock [5: 29-Sep-1933]
Exhibited in the Horse, Cattle and Vegetable sections of the Three Springs Agricultural Show on 13 September 1934 [5: 21-Sep-1934]
Won 1st and 2nd for Heifer (pure bred milking strain two years and under), and 1st for Clydesdale Stallion and for Cabbage [5]
On behalf of Senator LYNCH oversaw the Clydesdale stallion Fyvielie Pearl, which stood at Mount Leonora in 1935 [5: 23-Aug-1935]
The horse, imported from New Zealand, could stand with a mare for £3/3/-, or £2/2/- on service + £2/2/- if pregnancy followed [5]
Came 2nd in the Hurry Scurry and Farmer's Hack at the Saint Patrick's Day Sports in Three Springs on 17 March 1936 [5: 20-Mar-1936]
He was among those from Three Springs who travelled to Perth in early October 1936 for the Royal Show [5: 9-Oct-1936]
Married (1) Lizzie MURRAY in 1937 [66]
Served as a Member of the Three Springs Road Board / Three Shire Council 1937-1966 [201]
Elected to the Three Springs Road Board as the Member for Dudawa by a margin of three votes in April 1937 [5: 23-Apr-1937]
Charles F. THOMAS Jnr welcomed him as a new Road Board member and stated that he was "a valuable asset in his youth" [5]
Attended the reception in Three Springs to Charles G. LATHAM, Leader of the Opposition in WA, on 26 May 1937 [5: 28-May-1937]
Attended the opening of the Nurse's Quarters in Three Springs and dinner at the Commercial Hotel on 27 August 1937 [5: 3-Sep-1937]
Served on the Board of the North Midlands District Hospital in Three Springs in 1937-38 [5: 16-Jul-1937]
Helped organise the Farewell for Barney & Frances BARNHART, which was held in Three Springs on 3 February 1938 [4: 12-Feb-1938]
Pallbearer at the funeral of TS farmer Albert Irwin Broad at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth on 6 September 1938 [4: 10-Sep-1938]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Mrs Kate A. COLE of Three Springs at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth on 16 January 1939 [4: 21-Jan-1939]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Mrs Fanny Jane BRIMSON of Three Springs at the Three Springs Cemetery on 29 April 1946 [4: 4-May-1946]
For a period he was the owner of the Commercial Hotel in Three Springs [201]
Married (2) Margery BURTON [201]
Passed away at the age of 89 years at the North Midlands District Hospital in Three Springs [24]
Father of Shaun, Maureen, Kathleen, Gwen, Norma and Madge [P359]
Died 14 March 2000; buried Three Springs General Cemetery, Three Springs (Roman Catholic, 181) [24]
From The Countryman newspaper, Thursday 23 August 1973:
Three Springs Man Still Leads in the Winners
"Twenty-four years ago a Three Springs farmers-breeder, Fred Connaughton, led in his first metropolitan winner. Then last Saturday at Belmont Park another of his horses, Aughrim, won brilliantly to prove Fred was still in business.
Irish-born, he migrated from Galway Bay to Western Australia 43 years ago. Today, Fred Connaughton is a big landholder, farming on a big scale still vitally interested in breeding top-class racehorses.
He left school in Eire and went to work for the Irsh Ministry for Agriculture. After three years he decided to migrate to Australia where he worked as a farmhand for two years before spending four years as manager of Senator P. J. Lynch's property in the North Midlands region. Fred had decided to take up his own property and bought a 3,300-acre farm owned by the brother of Sir James Mitchell, about 12 miles north of Three Springs. He called it Kilrickle.
Later he bought a series of properties... a 1,200-acre block at Dongara; Dalgooka, a 4,000 acres north of the Kilrickle property; Belinda, a 6,300-acre property at Mingenew; Byro, a 2,900-acre block adjoining Belinda; Talarra, a 2,700 acre block adjoining Belinda and Pine Spring, a 4,000 acre block adjoining Talarra. Combined, these properties totalled 16,400 acres, which Fred Connaughton called 'Menacres.' He sold it about three years ago though still maintaining an interest in it.
He kept the Kilrickle and Dalgooka properties and with further purchases now farms a total of 17,000 acres, running 15,000 sheep, 50 stud shorthorn breeding cattle, and 150 commercial beef shorthorn cattle. He is also cropping 3,000 acres of wheat and 1,000 acres if oats and barley this season.
He has always had a keen love of good horses and 25 years ago bought his first thoroughbred broodmare, Star Lex, which was by Gay Star out of Lexan. However, the best he produced was undoubtedly Kilrickle which is now to stand his first season at stud on lease. He is racing several good horses at present including good city winner Aughrim, Buree and Ardri."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Fergus Connaughton' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 20 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/fergus-connaughton [reference list] |
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