WOODANILLING PEOPLE Lost Katanning Bell Fidock Wilhelm

Woodanilling People. Woodanilling People

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RICHARD ELIJAH BELL
BELL FAMILY
JACK FIDOCK
MARY ANN QUARTERMAINE
JETHRO & AGNES COATE
MORRIS TRIMMING
FRANK WALLIS GILL
WILHELM FAMILY
IN THE NEWS
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Like most towns along the Great Southern Railway, the people who settled the Woodanilling area faced extreme hardships and a hostile environment to try and establish themselves and their families. History shows that, despite everything thrown at them, many survived and prospered to become part of the community fabric that makes up this resilient little town.

Oftentimes, for one reason of another, Woodanilling people made the newspapers. Many were held in such high esteem that an obituary was written and produced in local newspapers like the Great Southern Herald and the Southern Districts Advocate, which were both based in Katanning.

The stories about the life and achievements of Woodanilling people have been printed in various tombs which I will, where possible (and as I find them), add here.

BELL, Elijah Richard

Elijah Bell

On 6 April 1902, the largest crowd ever assembled at Woodanilling, gathered for the opening of the hall. To coincide with this event a cricket match, picnic and dance in the evening were organised. Elijah Bell in proposing the toast to Parliament spoke for all those present, when he drew attention to the wants of Woodanilling. Bell focused on the need for a school, a Post Office and a separate Road Board for Woodanilling.

Initially supported by Alex Prosser and later by J. Mouritz, Bell eventually succeeded in persuading the Katanning Roads Board and the Government for independence for Woodanilling with the original boundaries proposal being amended to exclude Moojebing townsite. Despite all these efforts Bell was unsuccessful in his attempt to win a seat on the new board but did later service 1911-22, with two periods as Chairman.

Elijah Bell had Woodanilling’s first hotel built by Clair Stewart in 1900 on Lot 115. Elijah and his sister Sarah, lived in the hotel for a number of years before they leased it. By 1908, the original hotel was thought to be unsuitable and new premises were built alongside the existing building. The new hotel was built using bricks made at ‘Bellevue’ with the old kiln still visible today.

Elijah Bell, partner with Luke in Bell Bros, was a bachelor and on his retirement a clearing sale was held at ‘Bellevue’. Frank, the third son of Luke and Elizabeth Bell inherited the family property ‘Bellevue’ on his father’s death in 1948 but it was sold after a few years to R. Coombes, then to Beeck and finally to the current owners.
From the WA State Heritage Office website

OBITUARY
BELL, Elijah Richard
Great Southern Herald – Katanning
Wednesday 22 November 1933
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BELL FAMILY

In 1892 Robert, Elijah and Luke Bell took up land about 2km south of Round Pool. This was named ‘Muckross‘ after their mother’s birthplace near the Killarney Lakes in Ireland. Continue reading

FIDOCK, Jack

Jack Fidock was an early farmer in Woodanilling who took a great interest in local sporting bodies, especially cricket and the Woodanilling Golf Club. He was also the foundation Chairman of the Woodanilling Co-operative where he remained until his retirement at the shareholders meeting in 1938. He and his wife retired to Albany that same year. Continue reading

QUARTERMAINE, Mary Ann

Mary Ann Quartermaine opened a store in Woodanilling and lived at the back of the corrugated iron building after the death of her husband Alfred who had settled at ‘Nyamakin’ with her and their family.

Mary Ann Quartermaine was a handsome woman, good natured and fond of animals. She was also a fine bush-woman and was a familiar sight on her favourite mounts ‘Rocky’ and “Nabob’. Her high spirit was necessary to live through the times of hardship, disappointment and tragedy which dogged her life.

Her father, Edward Knott, was speared and killed by Aborigines at York and two of her daughters were tragically taken in their early years – one from rheumatic fever and another from a riding accident. Both daughters were buried at ‘Yowanjup’. The area around the Nyamakin Well was thickly clad with jam and sandalwood trees. To many, it became known as Raspberry Hill because of the thickly wooded slopes of jam trees. About the turn of the century, Mary Ann opened a small store at Woodanilling which she operated for some years.

In 1906, Nyamakin was sold to Gus Beeck who settled his eldest son (Oscar) on it. Another property near Glencoe was sold by Mrs Quartermaine in August 1920 just 3 months before her death, her husband predeceasing her by some seven years. In 1903 F&C Piesse and Co took over her business.

COATE, Jethro & Agnes

WOODANILLING BRICKWORK’S
A new arrival in 1902 was Jethro Coate. He had emigrated to Queensland from Somerset, England in 1888, and was followed later in 1902 by his fiancée Agnes, and her widowed mother Janet Grover whom had been living at Charters Towers. Continue reading

TRIMMING, Morris

Mr. Trimming, who came to the district in the 1890’s with his parents from the Eastern States, carried on the property “Woodlands” on the death of his parents, with his sister, who predeceased him about 12 months previous, neither of them marrying. Continue reading

GILL, Frank Wallis

Frank Gill moved to Woodanilling from Northampton after marrying Woodanilling born Martha Bell. He started farming with his brothers-in-law but later became an agent for Westralian Farmers in town.

He was the inaugural manager of the Woodanilling Co-op, a position he held for over thirty years until retirement bought about by ill health. Continue reading

WILHELM FAMILY

Edward (Ted) H. Wilhelm was born in 1867 at Blumberg (South Australia) where he worked on his father’s farm for some time before taking up shearing which occupation he followed for fifteen years. After a short period of farming on his own account in Victoria he migrated to Western Australia and, in 1891, selected 400 acres (162 ha) of land at Woodanilling. Continue reading

PAST NEWS STORIES

MILO KEALLEY

Southern Districts Advocate
19 December 1932

Mr Milo Kealley, of Woodanilling, who some time ago sustained such severe injuries as the result of his team bolting and dragging him beneath the binder, is still in Katanning hospital, where he is making progress as quickly as can be expected.

Mr Kealley ‘s neighbours and friends have shown the true Christian spirit. They got together and took his hay off, carted and stacked it, and have done all possible to see that everything is in order against the time their injured neighbour is fit once more.

Mr Kealley has asked us to express for him through these columns his grateful thanks to each and every friend who has in any way lent a hand.

CAN YOU HELP?

Do you have any old photographs or information on Woodanilling’s people and families?
If so, I would love to hear from you. Help us preserve the town’s history for future generations.
I can be contact by email at admin@lostkatanning.au
or you can complete and submit the form below:

CAN YOU HELP?