Issue 1 2025 - Old Collegians
Old Collegians
Don McCausland
Hi Everyone,
Well, here we are again with another New Year. How time flies. Vale Rob Smith (1945 past student, life member, name on Honour Wall). Rob was born on 16th August 1930 at Wagin and passed away on 5th December 2024 aged 94 years. His funeral was held at Dumbleyung on an extremely hot 42 degree day in December. So hot that the service was moved from the church to the town hall and one lady fainted at the graveside. He was buried at Nippering with wife Bette and son Jeffery.
After Rob’s parents bought a property named ‘Lensfield’ at Dongolocking in 1924, Rob and his three older sisters and brother travelled 5 miles each way to school at Rosehill by horse and cart. They were later able to attend school in Dongolocking. In 1945 Rob attended Denmark Ag School. Students boarded at Mrs Pearce’s boarding house (where the Co-op is today). At that time food and fuel were rationed.
Rob Smith, Derek Lee, Jim Fawell, Don Carter, Don Wass, Rol Patterson
Cattle for sale were walked from the Research Station along roads and bush to the rail terminus to be loaded onto rail carriages. Work was done by horse and cart as there were no tractors at the farm. In fact, there were more horses and carts than motor vehicles in Denmark at that time. Rob made lifelong friends at the school in Colin Duggan, Harry Merrifield, Peter Whittaker and Don Wass. Rob only stayed for one year at the Ag school. With the end of the 2nd World War, he returned to ‘Lensfield’ farm to work at the farm with his father and siblings.
In 1950 Rob met Bette Fewson at a local dance and they were married two and a half years later in Wagin. The marriage continued for 66 and a half years. They had seven children, five daughters and two sons, between 1954 and 1969. They all grew up on the farm, attending primary school in Dumbleyung and high school in Katanning.
A brilliant look at the past: When Rob’s parents retired to Albany in 1952, Rob took over ‘Lensfield’ which comprised over 2000 acres of cleared land. He ran 2000 Merino ewes and wethers which yielded 60 bales of wool. In October 1952, wool made a pound a pound reaching an all time record price of 144.2 pence per pound when the Korean war broke out.
A loaf of bread cost 8 pence (7 cents), a quart of milk 11 pence (9 cents) and a pound of butter 26 pence (22 cents). In 1953 an FJ Holden cost 1,074 pounds – equivalent to 68 weeks wages for the average worker.
The machinery at that time consisted of a W9 International tractor, a Crawler tractor, harvester, Diamond T Truck, red Ford truck and a twin spinner fertiliser spreader. Crops were sown with a 20 run Sunshine seeder covering 100 acres a day. Cropping consisted of 800 acres of wheat, oats and barley which increased to 1000 acres by 1953. Grain was bagged from the harvester, manually loaded onto a truck and taken in to the Dumbleyung grain silos, unloaded and each bag tipped into an elevator. Grain for seed and screening were hand sewn into bags and stored in the grain shed. Bags of super phosphate were delivered to Dumbleyung by train then manually loaded onto the truck. Jam posts were used to keep bags off the ground at the farm shed. This was called ‘dunnage’. The land was ripped with a scarifier for cropping, repeated after 10 days with the crop sown another 10 days later.
Rob milked 4 cows morning and night from which he separated cream and fed the skim milk to the pigs and calves. Meanwhile, Bette made butter with a churn and ice cream which was frozen in trays in the kerosene fridge. Rob also made porridge from crushed wheat. Four sows each had litters of 8 and these were used for meat on the farm. Chooks kept for eggs and meat, ducks for eggs and bee hives for honey. Rob loved his dogs and horses and had numerous other animals as well as pet cats, birds, kangaroos and emus. Rob was a born farmer. He loved animal husbandry and cropping and shearing times.
Rob with son Michael and grandson Mark
His son, Michael, took over the farm 30 years ago and Rob and Bette retired to Denmark. Their house in Harper Street overlooked Wilsons Inlet. However, Rob visited the farm regularly. Just recently a new state of the art six stand shearing shed with a raised staggered board shearing section and sloped catching pens was built to replace the old shed. 800 sheep can be housed undercover. Rob with son, Michael, grandson, Mark, son-in-law Ian Batchelor and grandson Mac Cole were very proud of the installation.
Rob saw huge changes in his time. From machines pulled by an eight horse team to 600hp tractors, harvesters and seeders with enclosed cabs and other luxuries to replace a chaff bag over a metal frame. To sit in a header that harvested in one hour what used to take him a week in years gone by.
In 1979 Rob bought 3,650 acres at $40 per acre and all equipment was trucked on a Ford F700. He sold the farm in 1982 for $100 per acre in order to purchase more land locally. Land at Tone River was bought in 2001 to agist his sheep during dry periods on other properties. This was sold in 2003. Adjoining properties were purchased to bring the Lensfield holdings to over 7,000 acres. It has the capacity to run 15,500 merinos with a breeding flock of 5,000 ewes.
In 2024, 3,700 acres of wheat, barley and oats were sown. A percentage of the oats and barley are kept for sheep feed. After he retired, Rob returned to the farm to help out with harvest, seeding, shearing and to keep his ‘finger on the pulse’. Rob was a member of the original Old Boys Association and was one of those responsible for the saving of the school buildings from being demolished. Those buildings are now used by TAFE. Thank goodness for Rob and the other petitioners for preserving history.
Bette sadly passed away in 2019. Rob lived independently until moving to Blue Wren Lodge in Denmark in 2024. Locals will remember him with his white floppy hat driving around in his white ute and stopping for a chat.
On behalf of all the past students, wives, partners and families of the Denmark Agricultural Old Boys/Old Collegians Association, we extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to Marilynn, Janice, Terri, Michael, Peta and Jodi and all their families on the passing of Rob. May he rest in peace.
With sadness I report the passing of more connections of our past students – all with a remarkable life journey. I mentioned in my last segment the passing of Ann Daw. Ann passed away on 18th November aged 73 years after a tragic accident on the 11th November. She was the wife of Clive Daw (past student 1952-1953, name on Honour Board).
Mike Martin and I attended her funeral service on the 13th December at Middle Swan. Ann was born in Scotland on 4th August 1951. In 1967, at the age of 15, she migrated to Australia by ship to Fremantle with her parents and seven of her nine siblings. Whilst temporarily living in Subiaco she worked at a local dry cleaners. After a disagreement with her father, she headed north to work as a jillaroo on a sheep and cattle station 200 kms north of Meekatharra, thinking it was a farm near a train station, having no idea it was a property of more than half a million acres named Bryah Station.
It was here that she became one of the best horsewomen in the mid-west. Her first horse, named ‘Viking Lady’ which she broke in herself. It was a strong willed horse and she wouldn’t let anyone else ride her. At Paynes Find against 128 competitors she was leading lady rider. At Meekatharra she equalled the Australian barrel race record. She was an aggressive polo player and ended up in hospital with broken collar bones, ribs, a fractured skull and in a coma for two days before being flown to Royal Perth hospital. Ann also had a lead foot and managed to take two hours off the drive from Perth to Meekatharra.
Ann met Clive at Bryah Station when he visited as a Goldsborough Mort livestock representative. After a couple of years he proposed to her in Kings Park just prior to their marriage in 1973. They bought their first house in Lesmurdie. Two years later their first daughter, Georgia, was born followed by Jessie, Emma and Elysia. In 1976 they purchased a former orchard in Roleystone where they have resided ever since. Ann travelled to Nepal and Tibet and with Clive to India.
Ann was an amazing cook, famous for her shortbread, Christmas Day with dining tables wall to wall through the dining and living rooms and New Years Eve parties that lasted for up to three days with constant supplies of food.
On behalf of all the past students, wives, partners and families of the Denmark Agricultural Old Boys/Old Collegians Association, we extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to Clive, Georgi, Jessie, Elysia and all their families on the passing of Ann. May she rest in peace.
Vale Judy Dunbar, wife of Bob Dunbar (1951-1952 past student, life member, name on Honour Wall) who passed away on 30th November 2024. Also vale Elspeth Ferguson, wife of Mal Ferguson, passed away on 5th January 2025.
Vale Don Ashley who passed away on 19th February and his wife, Elizabeth, who died 8 days earlier on 11th February 2025. I will tell you about them next time.
In January I visited Leo Cox (1943-1944 past student) at Ellendale Aged Care in Broadwater, Busselton. Mike Martin and I visited Denmark between 6th and 8th February to meet with the College administration. Melanie Constable joined us for the meeting which was held to discuss how the history of the school/College can best be displayed. Positive plans are already in place.
Many thanks to Alf Mungioli for his continual enthusiasm. Obviously, there will be some costs involved and it is the intention of the Administration to seek donations of money and memorabilia from past students and parents. Please support this worthwhile venture if you are able.
Whilst in the area, Mike and I visited Brian Greenslade (1953-1954 past student) and Bruce Macmahon (1956-1957 past student) in Mt Barker and Fran Wallace, wife of Steuart (1952-1953 past student) who passed away some time ago. Fran was pleased to see us and paid for Steuart’s name to be placed on the Honour Wall. We also held a luncheon at the Premier Hotel, Albany with 10 former students from the 1950’s. We provided a description of what was planned for the College and received several donations there and then. Thank you, friends. On our way home we called in to see Ian Wauchope (1953-1954 past student) in Manjimup.
As part of our endeavour to keep in contact now that our group is well into their 80’s, we also held a luncheon at the Esplanade Hotel Busselton on 25th February for those living in that area. There was a total of 16, including wives/partners. A very pleasant get together.
Finally – 1950 past student, Gus Parke, turned 90 years old on 26th February. A well-attended celebration lunch was held at the Ship Inn, Busselton on Sunday 25th February. Congratulations Gus on a wonderful milestone.
Calling all past students….. Reminder that the college is asking for input to their storyboard questionnaire. The information that you provide will be used to co-ordinate with year photos and your individual achievements as a history of the college. There is some on the website already. Your participation and contribution would be very much appreciated. Get the form at:
https://www.denmarkag.wa.edu.au/alumni via the storyboard form link.
As always - get your name on the honour wall - contact us to have your name added. Contacts are:
Wendy Sutton 0419 048 694;
Marjorie Morrison 9848 1633;
Delys Ravenhill 0427 408 051 or
myself 0428 526 398, email: smaunder6@gmail.com.
News from all years of the School/College is always welcome.
Cheers,
Don McCausland