"Randolph" Henry Randolph CHRISTIE
Born 21 September 1886 in Newington, Edinburgh, Scotland [28]
Son of tobacco manufacturer Henry Duncan CHRISTIE and Jane Hewit LAWSON [28]
In 1891 he was living with his parents at 7 Cameron Crescent in Liberton, Edinburgh, Scotland [20]
Appointed a Second Lieutenant in The Queen's Rifle Volunteer Brigade of the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) in 1904 [306: 1-Apr-1904]
In 1913 he was working as an Insurance Broker and was living at 35 Mayfield Gardens in Edinburgh, Scotland [426: 7-Jun-1913]
He continued to reside at 35 Mayfield Gardens in Edinburgh until leaving for Western Australia [28] [34]
On 26 May 1914 he arranged to purchase 854 acres of farmland in Carnamah, Western Australia [34]
The land was two Ready-Made Farms which had been developed and were being sold by the Midland Railway Company [34]
Paid a 10% deposit on the 854 acres, which were Lots M956 and M957 of Victoria Locations 1935 and 1936, priced at £3,646 [34]
A month later he extended his contract with the Midland Railway Company to also purchase the 416 acre Lot M953 for £1,976 [34]
Married Rosa Emma Martha FELTON at the New North United Free Church in Edinburgh, Scotland on 2 June 1914 [28] [302]
Witnesses to their marriage were R. Morrison IRELAND and his sister "Lena" E. Elena CHRISTIE [28]
After travelling to England he and his wife departed Liverpool on the steamship Medic on 27 June 1914 [34] [195]
They were accompanied by his brother G. L. Duncan CHRISTIE, his sister E. Elena CHRISTIE and James B. GRIEG [34] [195]
They arrived in Albany, Western Australia in early August, and on 4 August 1914 travelled from Albany to Perth by train [34]
Travelled from Perth to Carnamah by the Midland Railway passenger train on 12 August 1914 [34]
Five cases of his belongings that arrived in Albany on the steamship Medic were temporarily misplaced [34]
On the train to Carnamah the wagon next to the engine was burnt to ashes at Mogumber resulting in the loss of his sulky [34]
No one met them at the railway siding when they arrived in Carnamah and on inspection he was unhappy with his farm [34]
He claimed there was insufficient water for livestock, no water at the house, the clearing was badly done, there were no stables, [34]
the house was poorly placed, was further from Carnamah than he'd been told, and wouldn't carry as many sheep as promised [34]
Accepted invitations and aired his grievances with the Lands Committee of the Midland Railway Company on two occasions [34]
James B. GRIEG wrote "there is a scarcity of water and the Midland Railway is fighting with Randolph already" [195]
The Company allowed him to cancel his previous contract/agreement and on 12 November 1914 he entered into a new one [27] [34]
The new contract was to purchase 1,016 acres of farmland in Lots M953 and M1057 of Victoria Locations 1934 and 1935 [27]
The total cost of the land, which was partially cleared and fenced, and included a house, was £4,800 payable by instalments [27]
Thomas J. BERRIGAN of Three Springs bored for water on the property at the expense of the Midland Railway Company [34]
He purchased a buggy for £10 from the Midland Railway Company, presumably to replace his sulky that was burned on the train [34]
Farmer of Felton Mains and Kilmaurs Farms in Carnamah in 1914 and 1915 [34] [195]
His two farms were Lots M953 and M1057 of Victoria Locations 1934 and 1936, and collectively were 1,016 acres in size [27]
He's believed to have named Felton Mains after his wife's surname and Kilmaurs after the parish in Ayrshire, Scotland [P1]
He settled on the farms with his wife Rosa, brother Duncan, sister Lena, and James B. GRIEG [195]
They resided in a house on his Felton Mains Farm in Carnamah, which was Lot M953 [34] [195]
Shortly after arrival he employed Sydney EDWARDS as manager of his Felton Mains and Kilmaurs Farms in Carnamah [195]
He had four sows and seven little piglets by October 1914, which were running loose on the farm [195]
In late October 1914 they had a visit from the Minister who visited Carnamah once a month [195]
He also purchased a small property by the name of Lucerne in Serpentine and travelled between this and his Carnamah farm [34]
In November 1914 shifted to his property at Serpentine as there wasn't enough water for livestock on the farm in Carnamah [34]
He intended to run Lucerne Farm in Serpentine on the Canadian style of farming - which was using a tractor instead of horses [195]
Railed his household furniture and livestock, including horses and pigs, to Lucerne in Serpentine on 24 November 1914 [34]
He, his wife, his sister Lena and James B. GREIG left Carnamah by train on Wednesday 25 November 1914 [34] [195]
Left Felton Mains and Kilmaurs Farms in Carnamah under the management of his brother Duncan and Sydney EDWARDS [195]
By December 1914 he had employee James B. GREIG back in Carnamah working on Felton Mains and Kilmaurs Farms [195]
In late January 1915 a 38 foot deep well was finished on his farm in Carnamah, and was getting 13 feet of quite good water [195]
Two other bores that were sunk produced good flows of water that was "saltier than the sea" and at only 16 feet deep [195]
He arrived in Carnamah during the early hours of the morning on 10 February 1915 to visit his farms [195]
On 21 February 1915 he "gave up Carnamah as a hopeless job" and moved his employee James B. GREIG back to Serpentine [195]
Departed Fremantle, Western Australia on the steamship Persic and arrived in London, England on 21 September 1915 [204]
Following their arrival he, his wife and their infant daughter resided at 35 Mayfield Gardens in Edinburgh, Scotland [204]
He employed the services of solicitors who corresponded with the solicitors of the Midland Railway Company [34]
From Scotland he sent a letter to London to A. J. BARBER, the General Manager of the Midland Railway Company [34]
He reached a settlement with the Midland Railway Company and signed an agreement with them on 13 April 1916 [34]
The Company agreed to give him £86/7/- and discharge him from contracts to purchase Lots M953 and M1057 in Carnamah [34]
In exchange for being released from his contracts he withdrew all claims and allegations against the Midland Railway Company [34]
Departed Marseilles, France on the Kaisar-I-Hind and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on 14 July 1916 [70]
Four years later departed London, England on the Orontes and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on 27 March 1920 [70]
In mid June 1920 he was reported to have been among the guests staying at the Savoy Hotel in Perth [408: 18-Jun-1920]
In 1920 the Midland Railway Company re-sold what had previously been his Felton Mains and Kilmaurs Farms in Carnamah [27] [34]
They sold Lot M953 to the Repatriation Department on 15 April 1920 and it became part of the Carnamah Estate [27]
The Carnamah Estate was surveyed into new Victoria Locations and allocated to ex-servicemen from the First World War [P1]
What had been his house and farm is said to have become Victoria Location 7186 which was allocated to Zebulun GREEN [P96]
His Lot M1057 might in fact have been M1047, which was sold to local farmer W. Henry WATSON on 10 September 1920 [27]
He later returned to Scotland where he worked as a Company Promoter and resided at 13 Marchmont Crescent in Edinburgh [28]
Father of Anita [204]
Died 9 October 1926 at the Royal Asylum in Morningside, Edinburgh, Scotland [28]
He was buried in the same grave as his parents and his father's parents at Saint Cuthbert's Churchyard in Edinburgh [425]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Henry Randolph Christie' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 25 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/henry-randolph-christie [reference list] |
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