"Alf" John James Alford SPICER
Born 30 November 1865 in Woodside, South Australia [55]
Son of John Thomas SPICER and Ann ALFORD [55]
Married "Maggie" Margaret RYAN on 28 November 1894 at the residence of the Archbishop in Adelaide, South Australia [55]
Miner at the Treasure Lease near Kamballie in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia in 1903 [50]
In 1906 he was working as a Fireman and living at 50 George Street in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia [50]
Farmhand in Marchagee, Western Australia in 1911 [19] [50]
Farmer in Gunyidi, Western Australia 1911-1920 [19] [44] [86: 25-Apr-1914]
He commenced farming in Gunyidi on 5 December 1911 [86: 25-Apr-1914]
His farm in Gunyidi was the 998 acre Victoria Location 3947, which he sold to John T. GLOWREY in about 1920 [44]
After selling his farm in Gunyidi he appears to have leased and farmed a property in Coorow [10: 23-Mar-1923]
Held a clearing sale in Coorow at 12 noon on Friday 5 April 1923 to sell his livestock, plant, household effects and sundries [10]
Livestock sold at the sale consisted of 14 horses - ten team horses, two buggy horses, a 2-year old hack, and a Draught filly [10]
Plant and machinery included a spring dray and harness, scoop, 5-ton table top wagon, 10-twin-disc McKay plough, [10]
two 200-gallon tanks, one 30-gallon tanks; and a double buggy complete with pole, shafts and harness [10]
Household items sold included a double iron bedstead, singe iron bedstead, Duchess chest, washstand, large dresser, bookshelf, [10]
two meat safes, stool, two tables, four chairs, large desk, chair, four small deck chairs, crockery, glassware, and a Dover stove [10]
During the 1920s he bred and sold horses while living at Lot 35 Station Street in the Coorow townsite [P66]
One of such horses, named Ghandi, he sold to John READ of Tokyngton Farm in Coorow [P66]
Later resided in Dalwallinu and then Wongan Hills [P361]
He was carting hay with a wagon and team of three horses when some of the hay dislodged and scared the horses [39: 26-Mar-1935]
The frightened horses bolted and he managed to cling to the shafts of the wagon for about 40 yards before falling off [39]
When he fell from the wagon two of its wheels passed over him, and it was believed that he was killed instantly [39]
Father of "Irene" Annie Irene and "Ivy" Gwendoline Mary [P361]
Died 25 March 1935 on WALKER's farm in Wongan Hills; buried in the Anglican portion of the Northam Cemetery in Northam [P361]
From The Geraldton Guardian newspaper, Saturday 25 April 1914:
"Sand-plain Farming - What can be grown on sand plain is illustrated on Mr Spicer's farm at Gunyidi. Commencing on December 5th two years ago, Mr Spicer, with two men, had 700 acres of virgin sand plain cleared and the crop in before the end of seeding time. Harvest time saw a return of 2,700 bags of wheat and 540 bags of oats. This harvest, the second crop, was not so good, but the respectable total of 2,100 bags of wheat and 450 of oats was harvested. The reward for proper farming was illustrated by 30 acres of well-worked land returning as much as 150 acres of equal class land just run over. This year, in common with many other farmers, Mr Spicer is fallowing part of his block , and is getting more of the heavy land ready for the plough."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'John James Alford Spicer' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 25 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/john-james-alford-spicer [reference list] |
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