"Mick" Michael Richard ROWLAND
Born 22 May 1906 in Irwin, Western Australia [16]
Son of Frederick Charles ROWLAND and Sophia MITCHELL [P80]
Resided with his parents in Irwin, and was baptised by Methodist Minister J. E. STONE of Dongara on 12 August 1906 [84]
Grew up and initially worked in the Irwin district of Western Australia [7: page 4]
In 1925 his mother purchased 980 acres of virgin scrub in Carnamah (Lot M1567 of Victoria Location 1936) [27]
Along with his brothers Locke and Harry, he shifted to Carnamah in 1927 and began farming the property [P80]
Farmer of Wyulda Farm in Carnamah, initially with brothers "Locke" Avon R. M. ROWLAND and Harry M. G. ROWLAND [P80] [64]
Resided on Wyulda Farm in Carnamah 1927-1951 and cleared the farm with nothing but an axe [P80] [7: page 4]
Obtained accountancy qualifications by correspondence and for a time worked for accountant Clarence RYAN in Carnamah [64]
Won two 2nd prizes in the Ring Events section of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show in 1927 [9: 21-Oct-1927]
He was among those who attended the Centenary Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on 26 July 1929 [86: 3-Aug-1929]
The ball was to celebrate 100 years since the founding of Perth and the establishment of the Swan River Colony [86]
Attended the Plain and Fancy Dress Ball held at the Carnamah Town Hall on Thursday 8 August 1929 [4: 17-Aug-1929]
On the evening of Saturday 10 August 1929 attended the Euchre Party and Dance held in Winchester [4: 17-Aug-1929]
Attended the Grand Ball following the Carnamah Show and opening of Centenary Park on 19 September 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
Spent some of May 1929 recuperating at Irwin after an operation for appendicitis [4: 25-May-1929]
Came 1st in the Flag Race, 2nd in Gretna Green, 2nd in Trotting Race in the Ring Events at the Carnamah Show in 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
Saw in the new year of 1930 with the singing of Auld Lang Syne at the Church of England's Dance at the Carnamah Hall [86: 4-Jan-1930]
Committee Member of the Carnamah Race Club in 1930 [4: 21-Dec-1929]
Attended the Ball in Carnamah in aid of the local Roman Catholic Church's building fund on Thursday 24 May 1930 [4: 31-May-1930]
Show Ball Committee Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1930[4: 4-Oct-1930]
Won both the Flag Race and the Grenta Green in the Ring Events at the Carnamah Agricultural Show in 1930 [4: 27-Sep-1930]
By 1933 it was just himself and Harry farming Wyulda, Locke having left and obtained a job on a station near Yalgoo [5: 5-Jan-1934] [142]
Attended the Carnamah Church of England's New Year Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 30 December 1933 [5: 5-Jan-1934]
Himself and Harry put a notice in local paper thanking those who helped extinguish a fire on Wyulda on 30 December 1933 [5: 5-Jan-1934]
Attended the Carnamah Football Club's Premiership Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 20 October 1934 [5: 26-Oct-1934]
Member of the Billeroo Cricket Club in 1935-36 [5: 13-Dec-1935]
Member of the Carnamah Tennis Club in 1935-36 and 1936-37 [5: 1-Nov-1935, 16-Oct-1936]
After spending a week long holiday in Perth himself and his brother Rupe returned to Carnamah on 29 January 1936 [5: 31-Jan-1936]
"M. & H. Rowland" sold two bales of wool at 16½d. per pound through Westralian Farmers Ltd on 10 February 1936 [5: 14-Feb-1936]
"M., A. & H. Rowland" sold 2 pigs at £1/16/6 on 11 March 1936, and 1 pig at £2/4/6 and 7 at £1/12/1 per head [5: 13-Mar-1936, 8-May-1936]
Member of the Carnamah Repertory Club in 1936 and 1937 [5: 27-Mar-1936, 7-May-1937]
Member of the Carnamah Golf Club in 1936 and 1937 [5: 22-May-1936, 18-Jun-1937]
Attended the Carnamah Repertory Club's Social Evening & Play Presentation at the Carnamah Hall on 17 June 1936 [5: 19-Jun-1936]
Attended the Bridge Evening to bid farewell to Tom & Johanna BERRIGAN in Carnamah on Sunday 21 June 1936 [5: 26-Jun-1936]
Best man at the wedding of his brother "Locke" Avon R. M. ROWLAND and Elsie C. DUNN in Perth in July 1936 [5: 17-Jul-1936] [66]
After his trip to Perth for his brother's wedding he arrived back in Carnamah on Saturday evening 11 July 1936 [5: 17-Jul-1936]
"M., A. & H. Rowland" sold 75 sheep through Westralian Farmers Ltd with two consignments to the Midland Market in 1936 [5]
The 75 sheep consisted of 41 wethers (25 at 26/10, 15 at 24/4, 6 at 13/10) and 34 suckers at 12/4 per head [5: 11-Sep-1936, 23-Oct-1936]
Won 2nd prize for Flag Race and Tilting at the Ring in the Ring Events at the Carnamah Agricultural Show in 1936 [5: 18-Sep-1936]
Played Mr Spenlow in the play "The Paris Model" at the Carnamah Repertory Club's Social held on 2 October 1936 [5: 9-Oct-1936]
Played the friend Benton in the play "Enter the Author" at the Carnamah Repertory Club's Concert on 9 December 1936 [5: 11-Dec-1936]
Attended the Annual General Meeting of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society on Saturday 16 January 1937 [5: 22-Jan-1937]
"M., A. & H. Rowland" sold 40 wethers at 17/1 and 39 sheep at 13/10 through Westralian Farmers Ltd in early 1937 [5: 12 & 19-Feb-1937]
Member of the Carnamah Adult Education Circle in 1937 [5: 19-Feb-1937]
Advertised in June 1937 that he had lost a Chestnut gelding hack with two white hind legs and a white streak on its face [5: 25-Jun-1937]
By 1937 his postal address was P.O. Box 3 at the Carnamah Post Office [5: 25-Jun-1937]
He was the mannequin "Lucie Loud" in a tailored costume at the Carnamah Football Club's Opening Ball on 19 June 1937 [5: 25-Jun-1937]
Was Geoffrey Chandler in the play "Evening Dress Indispensable" at the Carnamah Repertory Club Social on 25 June 1937 [5: 2-Jul-1937]
Part of the Best Set as "Arabians" at the Carnamah Girls Club's Masquerade Ball at the Carnamah Hall on 24 July 1937 [5: 30-Jul-1937]
Others in the set included Roger F. W. CLARK, "Nan" Hannah S. DAVISON, "Daisy" Margaret D. BOWMAN, [5]
and Ruth I. BOWMAN of Carnamah; and siblings Peter W. THOMSON and Grace W. THOMSON of Marchagee [5]
Played the golfing antagonist in the play "Meet the Family" at the Carnamah Repertory Club's Concert on 20 August 1937 [5: 27-Aug-1937]
On Saturday 2 July 1938 he rode into Carnamah on his horse and after arriving at 7 p.m. attended the Carnamah Hotel [88]
He put his saddle on a rail outside the Carnamah Hotel and let his horse loose to walk home [88]
He later asked his cousin to put the saddle in his brother's car however his cousin accidentally put the saddle in the wrong car [88]
Reported the incident of his lost saddle at the Carnamah Police Station at 6 p.m. on 4 July 1938 [88]
On 9 July 1938 the saddle was handed into the Carnamah Police Station who returned it to him [88]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society 1938-1971 [13]
Steward in Charge of the Pig and Dog sections of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show on 8 September 1938 [13]
Had the telephone connected in 1939 - was telephone number Carnamah-7D from 1939 to 1960 [60]
Member of the Carnamah Cricket Club in 1940 - played for Carnamah Reds [4: 9-Mar-1940]
On his 1940 Carnamah show schedule he pencilled "MR Rowland, Wyulda, Carnamah Telephone 7:D P.O. Box 3" [13]
Committee Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1940, 1941 and 1952 [13] [58]
Steward of the Sheep Weight Competition at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show on 12 September 1940 [13]
It cost 1/- to enter the competition to guess the weight of the sheep, and the winner of the competition won the sheep [13]
Steward of the Ring Events section at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show on 11 September 1941 [13]
In 1943 conducted a number of local dances to help raise funds for Carnamah's branch of the Red Cross Society [0: images 04252 & 04254]
Mater of Ceremonies (M.C.) of the Second Annual Ball of the Younger Set of the Carnamah C.W.A. on 15 July 1944 [5: 21-Jul-1944]
Steward of the Ring Events section at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Victory Show on 13 September 1945 [13]
Member of Carnamah's branch of the Red Cross Society - was Secretary 1945-46[141]
Member of the Carnamah Repertory Club - was President in 1947 and 1948 [72] [0: images 03190, 03716 & 04483]
Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s [13] [58]
During 1944 helped arrange a number of dances in Carnamah to raise funds for the Red Cross Society [7: page 178]
Master of Ceremonies at the thanksgiving peace celebrations at the Carnamah Town Hall on Thursday 23 August 1945 [7: page 48]
Vice President in 1947 and Secretary in 1950 of the Carnamah Football Club [0: images 04466 & 04608]
Travelled to Perth to attend the wedding of local shop assistant John F. PATERSON on 14 January 1950 [4: 21-Jan-1950]
On 23 April 1951 accompanied by Jack ARMSTRONG and Arthur WATSON rode west of Carnamah to inspect the land [7: page 4]
Although it was thick scrub, without a tree removed, he found suitable land about 23 kilometres from Carnamah [7: page 4]
In 1951 successfully applied for and purchased 4836 acres west of Carnamah which he named Benella Downs [P80] [64]
Resided on and farmed Benella Downs Farm in Carnamah from 1951 until 1989[64]
Benella Downs' 4,836 acres was Victoria Location 9919, which is located on the south side of the Carnamah-Eneabba Road [3] [62]
The elderly Mrs Harriet WATSON of Carnamah told him where to look for water and he found some on his first attempt [7: page 5]
Member of the Carnamah Cricket Club in 1951 - played for Carnamah Country [0: image 04628]
President 1953-1955 and Vice Patron 1956-1957 of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society [13] [58]
Secretary of the Carnamah and Districts Cricket Association in 1955 [0: image 04792]
Regularly officiated as Master of Ceremonies (M.C.) at dances held in Carnamah[142]
In early 1957 lost about 15 sheep through dingo attacks, nearby farmer Bill GREIERSON experiencing similar losses [4: 15-Mar-1957]
Had the telephone connected to Benella Downs in 1967 - was telephone number Carnamah-533 [60]
Attended the "Day of Pioneers" luncheon held at the Shire Council Chambers in Carnamah on 13 October 1982 [253]
In 1989 shifted to the North Midlands District Hospital in Three Springs, where he died aged 88 years [64]
Died 20 September 1994 in Three Springs; buried Winchester Cemetery, Carnamah (Row G, Plot 8) [1]
From the Daily News newspaper, Thursday 16 July 1981:
Mick gets a buzz out of nature - Life at an easy pace. Story by Bill Power.
"The hardest thing Carnamah farmer Mick Rowland ever had to do was destroy his two sheep dogs. The dogs were more than 20 years old, they could hardly stand, and their time had come. Mick is one of nature's men - he can not stand seeing anything killed but the job was necessary. It is still obviously painful to him. Around Eneabba and Carnamah they call Mick "Nature Man". To see his farm and hear him talk, the reason is obvious. His farmhouse is practically surrounded by beehives. He doesn't raid the hived and one would about 15 kilograms of honey and wax inside. Right outside his door is a hive and under the water tap a pot is kept, collecting the drips for the bees and new dogs to have a drink. Mick has replaced his two old dogs with another two red kelpies. They obviously adore the man. Both the dogs and bees have a free run inside Mick's home. On two walls, old beehives remain, though both have been destroyed by wax moths. A piece of black tarpaulin covers Mick's bed so that the dogs can't get at his rugs and sheets. But the worst thing you could think of Mick Rowland is as a derelict. He is far from it... he just likes animals to have their own way - like snakes. He welcomes them around his home and yard. "They keep down the mice," Mick said. He did have a hair-raising experience with a snake when he moved onto the farm in the 1950s. "I was having shave without a mirror," he said. "Something lying on the floor in front of me looked like a piece of rope but I knew there was none in the house. Next thing it moved. I shot that snake." While other farmers deliberately shoot kangaroos because the say the 'roos damage crops, Mick leave them alone. "I haven't shot a 'roo since 1950," he says. "They don't worry me... they don't do much damage." Mick also has something unique on his property - koonak, a small crustacean like a marron. He introduced them to freshwater ponds on the farm and now they are prolific. But he doesn't eat them. Mick's 2000 hectare farm has been right in the drought the past few years but he knew it was coming. "I put the rams in to mate with the ewes, but they wouldn't," he says. "Birds weren't nesting, and the bush wouldn't flower. They knew something was coming." But all these signs were completely reversed this year and Mick predicts a good season. And it looks like he is right. The country between Eneabba and Carnamah was soaked and the road was nearly mud."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Michael Richard Rowland' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 8 May 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/michael-richard-rowland [reference list] |
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