"Jim" James William DIXON
Born 30 April 1901 in Sproatley Grange, Yorkshire, England [P130]
On arrival in Western Australia he worked as a farmhand for Walter PADBURY in Bindoon and Chittering [P130]
At the Refreshment Rooms of the Gingin train station one day he met John BOWMAN of Carnamah, who offered him a job [P130]
By 1924 he had shifted to Carnamah to work as a farmhand for John BOWMAN on The Home Farm [19] [P130]
Farmhand in Carnamah for John BOWMAN from 1924 [19] to 1934 [P131]
Attended the Grand Plain & Fancy Dress Ball held in the Carnamah Hall on 6 August 1925 dressed as "Charlie's Aunt" [9: 21-Aug-1925]
Won the Gent's Flag Race in the Sports section of the Carnamah Agricultural Show on Thursday 30 September 1926 [9: 15-Oct-1926]
Member of the Carnamah Rifle Club 1926-1934 - was Vice Captain in 1929 and 1934 [4: 1-Sep-1926 & 16-Feb-1929] [5: 24-Aug-1934]
Married his employer's daughter "Nell" Helen Kay BOWMAN at her parents' homestead in Carnamah on 5 April 1927 [P31]
Resided at Lockington on his father-in-law's The Home Farm on the Carnamah-Perenjori Road in Carnamah 1927-1934 [P131]
Attended Charles ROBERTSON and Winifred LANG's wedding dance on 27 March 1928 at the Carnamah Hall [4: 31-Mar-1928]
Won the Gents Hack in the Horse Events section at the Carnamah Show and Sports Carnival on 4 October 1928 [4: 13-Oct-1928]
Attended a meeting at the Carnamah Hall on 19 April 1929 to discuss the establishment of flour mills in Carnamah [86: 20-Apr-1929]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanic Henry Parkin & Son in 1929 [53]
Travelled to England and Scotland with his wife and infant daughter Betty for a holiday in 1930 [P130]
Their last address during their holiday was Park Farm in Londesborough, Yorkshire, England [203]
They departed London, England on the steamship Bendigo and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on 7 December 1930 [63]
Attended the funeral of "Father of Carnamah" Donald MACPHERSON at the Winchester Cemetery on 14 August 1931 [4: 22-Aug-1931]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1932 [13]
Became a member of the Carnamah Masonic Lodge No.150 WAC on 11 November 1932 [96]
The local newspaper revealed on 25 August 1933 that goods for him had arrived at the Carnamah railway station [5: 25-Aug-1933]
Along with his wife Nell had a run of a few hundred chooks up behind their home [P131]
Proprietor of the "Lockington Poultry Farm" situated behind his home on his father-in-law's farm in Carnamah [P1] [13]
Advertised his poultry business in the Schedule of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show in 1933 [13]
In 1933 sold fresh eggs, dressed poultry, day old chicks and sex link chicks; his poultry farm was telephone Carnamah-5 [13]
The breeds of chooks sold were White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, Australorpe and Light Sussex [13]
Remnants of a two roomed stone and mud brick building and a stone floor from the Poultry farm are still visible today [P1]
Exhibited some of his poultry in the Carnamah Agricultural Show at Centenary Park, Carnamah on Thursday 14 September 1933 [5]
Received 1st prizes for male Rhode Island Red, Rhode Island Red Cockerel and Rhode Island Red Pullet [5: 22-Sep-1933]
Won 1st prizes for male White Leghorn, White Leghorn Cockerel and White Leghorn Pullet; and 2nd for female White Leghorn [5]
Member of John BOWMAN's XI who competed against the Carnamah Cricket Club at the opening of the 1933-34 season [4: 9-Dec-1933]
Attended the funeral of Mrs Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
At the Carnamah Agricultural Show in 1934 won 1st and 2nd for White Hen Eggs and 1st and 2nd for Brown Hen Eggs [5]
Won 1st and 2nd for female White Leghorn, 1st and 2nd for female Rhode Island Red and 2nd for female Black Orpington [5]
Also received 1st prize for a Selection of Fodder Plants exhibited in the Grain & Fodder section [5: 14-Sep-1934]
A week later won 1st prizes for both Brown Hen Eggs and White Hen Eggs at the Three Springs Agricultural Show [5: 21-Sep-1934]
Continued to work for John BOWMAN until leaving Carnamah in 1934 and working at mines east of Perenjori [P131]
Worked as an Engine Driver and did some prospecting variously at Rothsay, Gulawa, Yalgoo and Fields Find [P131]
Member of the Carnamah Cricket Club in 1937-38 - played for Carnamah Reds [5: 24-Dec-1937]
His wife and two children resided in Carnamah in 1939 and some of 1940 when he was working in Mount Ida [P131]
Enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 6 April 1940 [16]
He spent a portion of his leave visiting relatives in Carnamah in June 1941 [0: image 04003]
In 1941 was a member of the Royal Australian Air Force's 70 Squadron [0: image 04070]
In December 1941 while serving in the Middle East received a Christmas present from the Carnamah Girls Club [5: 13-Feb-1942]
Also received some shortbread from his mother-in-law Mrs Margaret BOWMAN of Carnamah [5: 13-Feb-1942]
Later Sergeant 16130 in the Royal Australian Air Force's 4 Central Recovery Depot during the Second World War [16]
Discharged from the Royal Australian Air Force on 16 January 1946 [16]
Following his discharge resided with his wife and children at a house in Park Street in the Perth suburb of Subiaco [P131]
Worked at building a fishing boat, then as a Clerk for an organisation like Veteran's Affairs and then as a Night Watchman [P131]
In 1952 they shifted from the Perth suburb of Subiaco to Chittering [P131]
Overseer of a farm in Chittering belonging to his wife's sister Ruth and brother-in-law Peter W. THOMSON in 1952 [P131]
In about 1953 they purchased their own 100 acre property The Bend in Chittering and later extended it by a further 50 acres [P131]
Resided on The Bend in Chittering from C.1953 until 1965 [P131]
On The Bend they ran sheep and grew grapevines and oranges while he also worked locally as a farmhand [P131]
His wife Nell passed away following a series of heart problems four days before her 59th birthday on 11 June 1959 [P1]
Sold his property The Bend in Chittering in 1965 and retired to Mandurah [P131]
Father of Betty and Bill [P9]
Died 29 April 1990 in Mandurah; ashes scattered in the Church Yard of the Holy Trinity Church in Chittering [P130]
From The North Midland Times newspaper, Friday 13 February 1942:
Letters from Abroad
"The following letters have been received by the Carnamah Girls' Club in appreciation of the Christmas parcels which they forwarded to members of the forces serving overseas:-
Aus. No. 16130 J. W. Dixon, Royal Australian Air Force, 70 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Middle East
Please convey to your fellow members my most sincere thanks for your parcel which arrived here this afternoon. Also the general thanks of 70 Squadron Workshop, as I wasn't nearly "numerous" enough on my own to stop the general rush. It has least given me a respite to write a letter or two. I got away with one book myself, also some "chewie" and the sweets. Some wag is now singing "Oh Mother, this Carnamah is a Wonderful Place!" Many a true word is spoken in jest. I had another parcel from Carnamah containing shortbread from Mrs. Bowman. It had a disastrous effect on the Scotch element - (you in Carnamah have not the monopoly) - it made them all sick. Home sick! As a matter of fact we, the few Australians here, have a decided advantage, on the other fellows in matters of mail and our parcels are more numerous than theirs. Still, we always try to be as generous as our evil natures will let us be. Candidly though, books are a blessing, for if someone pinches a book you have a reasonable (fairly) chance of getting it back, but edibles, no! In all sincerity, the feeling that your club has succeeded in conveying to me is quite beyond my ability to express. I can only say that I feel like one of the kids I have so often seen get something he or she so much wanted, off the Carnamah Christmas tree. Enough! I should like to convey through your members my very best wishes for the coming new year to my many friends in Carnamah. Black as things look just at the time of writing, one can only be tempted to say, the darkest hour is just before the dawn."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'James William Dixon' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 20 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/james-william-dixon [reference list] |
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