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The early days of the
Woodanilling Road Board
In the early days of settlement, Woodanilling was part of the Katanning Road Board and formed part of its West Ward. Due to the size of the Ward, the growing number of settlers and the distance from Katanning, those early settlers felt they were not receiving a fair go and petitioned the Katanning Road Board to allow it to separate and form its own Road Board. The Great Southern Herald’s reports of those 1905 meetings are below.
On Saturday, 26 August, 1905, a ratepayers meeting called by the Woodanilling Progress Association, was held in Woodanilling to discuss the formation of a new Road Board. Further meetings were held at the Mechanic’s Institute in Katanning in September and December of the same year.
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THE WEST WARD.
MEETING OF RATEPAYERS
Great Southern Herald
30 August, 1905
SEPARATE ROADS BOARD FOR WOODANILLING AGAIN URGED.
A meeting of ratepayers was held at Woodanilling last Saturday to discuss details in connection with the expenditure of the special grant for the West Ward.
The chairman of the Board (Mr A. E. Piesse), who presided, pointed out that all matters decided that afternoon would have to be sanctioned by the Board before they were made valid. Besides the ordinary amount allowed for the West Ward, there was a special grant of £300 and an extra £100 for the Cartmeticup Road. He also referred to the advisability of forming an independent Roads Board for Woodanilling.
Mr A. Keirle stated that the Woodanilling Progress Association did not petition the Katanning Roads Board to hold this public meeting at Woodanilling through any ill-feeling, but solely with the object of giving the representatives of the West Ward, which was a very large one, a better knowledge of the needs of that ward.
Mr Patterson intimated that on February 13 last, 18 gentlemen attended a public meeting at Cartmeticup for the same purpose as the one held that day. It was then decided with regard to the special grant of £300, to spend £150 on the east and $150 on the west sides of the line.
Some of the works specified to be done were: Three miles clearing from Cartmeticup to Oxley Road, 30 chains gravelling on Oxley Road and north of Mr. T. Haddleton’s, Cronin’s Road continued to Darby Road, gravelling on Darby Road, 10 chains gravelling on Robertson Road, &c. The minutes of the meeting, he continued, were held over until after the Roads Board elections.
Mr Mouritz: Was this a public meeting?
Mr Patterson: Yes.
Mr Bell: The Oxley Road is outside west ward and the Harvey Road on the boundary. Five miles of clearing are badly wanted on the Wardering Road by Mr Douglas’s and a portion leading to the Carrolup River cleared.
Mr Kealley said he considered that those who had no roads should be first considered. He represented a locality where there were 18 new settlers. Three or four miles of clearing was badly needed in order to have access to Trimmer Road.
Mr J. J. Mouritz: £25 should be spent on the Boyerine Road running eastwards; £200 or £250 should be spent on the west side of the line.
Mr Patterson: As much should be spent on the east side as on the west side of the line. The Cartmeticup Road was in a very bad state.
Mr Keirle moved, Mr Mouritz seconded, that the special grant of £300 be spent on roads leading into Woodanilling only and within the west ward.
An amendment was moved by Mr Bell, seconded by Mr Kealley, that the above mentioned £300 be spent within the west ward and not necessarily on roads leading into Woodanilling.
The motion was carried by a majority of two.
Mr Jeffries moved, Mr Wilcox seconded, that £150 be spent on the west and, £150 on the east side of the line respectively.
Mr Bell moved, and Mr Keirle seconded, an amendment, that £200 be spent on the west and £100 on the east side of the line respectively.
The amendment was carried, Mr Douglas, Sen., said 6 ½ miles of clearing was very urgently needed on Wardering Road and £40 could profitably be spent in gravelling the sandy patches at the deviation of Robertson’s Road.
At this juncture it was necessary for the chairman (Mr A. E. Piesse) and the secretary (Mr Rhodes) to catch the train back to Katanning, and after a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, Mr E. R. Bell occupied that position and Mr Wakeham acted in the capacity of secretary pro. tem.
The necessity for the improvement of other roads was then discussed and will be referred to the Katanning Roads Board.
Mr E. R. Bell advised those present to endeavour to obtain a Woodanilling Roads Board independent of the one at Katanning; and remarked that now that a part of the Wagin district had been made theirs, it was almost impossible to become thoroughly acquainted with their needs. The last meeting of the Katanning Roads Board took over five hours, at the end of which time various matters had to be held over.
Mr Wilhelm accordingly moved, and Mr Mouritz seconded, that, a petition be sent through the Katanning Roads Board the Government asking for an independent Roads Board at Woodanilling.
Carried.
Mr Patterson intimated that the Woodanilling Roads Board committee had never been abolished.
A Voice: No, but the Progress Committee jumped their claim.
Mr Duke Bell moved, and Mr G. S. Douglas seconded, that the old committee be asked to work for the formation of an independent Roads Board. Carried.
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WOODANILLING (Katanning Meeting)
Great Southern Herald
13 September 1905 – P2
From our resident correspondent
The Roads Board committee appointed by the ratepayers of Woodanilling twelve months ago, met at the Woodanilling Hotel last Thursday when the matter of again bringing before the Government the request for a separate Roads Board here was discussed. Mr W. Patterson presided.
“When trying to obtain a Board twelve months ago, the committee was informed that a sum of money would be placed on the estimates for Woodanilling but in the meantime the Government wished the ratepayers to adopt the ward system and again bring the matter up at the end of a year’s time.
A year’s trial has been given but the people are not satisfied with the present state of affairs and are of opinion that a local Board is required. The chairman of the Katanning Roads Board, at the recent public meeting held here, asserted that he would do all in his power to help Woodanilling to get its own Roads Boards and the ratepayers and committee are now thinking, it is time to be “up and doing.”
At the meeting referred to Mr Keirle suggested that a petition be sent round asking the ratepayers to sign same, but as this procedure was adopted last year, it was decided to appoint a deputation to interview the Katanning Roads Board. Accordingly, Messrs W. Patterson, R. Bell and Keirle were asked to wait on the Board at its next meeting to urge it to recommend a separate Board for Woodanilling.
The question of boundaries was discussed and it was agreed that those shown on the marked may used (sic) last year be adhered to. It was resolved to call a public meeting as soon as the committee received a definite reply from the Katanning Board.
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BOARD DISTRICT.
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
Great Southern Herald
20 December, 1905
An enquiry was conducted at the Katanning Mechanics Institute on Monday by Mr A. E. Sanderson, Departmental officer, concerning the proposed amendment of the Katanning Roads Board district. Mr I. Mills conducted the case for the Katanning Roads Board. Mr J. J. Mouritz represented the Woodanilling settlers and Mr T. Norrish appeared on behalf of the Broomehill Road Board.
Walter Longmire said he was a farmer, residing 11 miles south-west of Katanning, with which township he transacted all his business. It would suit the farmers in his immediate neighbourhood as well as himself if that locality were under the control of the Katanning instead of the Broomehill Roads Board. He had marked on the plan what alteration he thought best for the settlers near him.
Mr J. J. Mouritz intimated he was the chairman of the Woodanilling Roads Board League.
Mr Sanderson: Is that an armed force?
Witness, continuing, stated that the proposed boundaries of the Woodanilling district as marked on map would be suitable except the south-eastern boundary which should continue in a north-east direction for some distance in order to embrace a locality that would soon receive more settlement, and which was nearer to Woodanilling than Katanning.
A voice: Who is living out there?
Witness further considered that the new Roads Board would make a road in that direction in order that settlers there might have access to Woodanilling.
Mr Mills: Do you think the Woodanilling Board will make this road to help a few settlers considering that they are already near the Warren Road, which is in good condition?
Witness: Yes. This settlement is much nearer to Woodanilling than Katanning.
Mr Mills: The Katanning Roads Board could not afford to do so, but perhaps the Woodanilling one can. (Laughter.)
Michael Cronin. said he lived 13 miles from Woodanilling and 17 from Katanning. If the south-east boundary were amended it should continue due east and net north-east as Mr Mouritz had affirmed.
Mr Mouritz: In the event of the extension of this south-east corner what kind of country will it embrace?
Mr Sanderson: You will have the last word; Are you a married man?
Mr Mouritz: Yes, a muchly married man.
Thomas Haddleton
Thomas Haddleton considered that the proposed boundaries as drawn with blue on the map were the most suitable and that the people in the North Ward of the Katanning Board, of which he was a representative, agreed with him.
Tom Garstone was of opinion that the proposed boundaries as already defined would be acceptable. There might be dissatisfaction in isolated cases. He believed greater objections, however, would be to exist in and around Moojebing, not through any apparent reason but in great measure because the dividing boundary was in that district. He believed that some of the settlers in Mr Longmire’s neighbourhood should be in the Katanning district, but he was not prepared to define whom.
Alfred Keirle, storekeeper at Woodanilling, marked the boundary that be considered the most suitable for the south-east portion of the district, extending same in a due easterly direction.
Isaac Mills, farmer, residing 26 miles east of Katanning intimated that as a member of the Katanning Board he had heard much discussion on the proposed boundaries of the Woodanilling district, and these had been finally thrashed out amongst his fellow members and himself, and a draught plan of same sent to headquarters. If these were adhered to, he considered they would give general satisfaction and save much friction in the future.
He also believed some alteration ought to be made between the Katanning and Broomehill districts in Mr Longmire’s locality for the local Board had to make the roads whilst the Broomehill Board collected the rates.
William Pemble, supervisor for the Katanning Roads Board, said he lived in Katanning. Geographically, Moojebing should be in the Woodanilling district. If Moojebing were placed in the Katanning district, he considered the proposed boundary as marked with blue on map should be amended.
He then defined on the map what he considered the best boundary. He did not agree with the suggestion of either Mr Keirle or Mr Mouritz re the south-east portion of the Woodanilling district, for the people living east and north of Coblinine River would be better served by the Warren road leading into Katanning than they would be by a shorter and more direct road leading into Woodanilling on account of the sandy patches that would be encountered by the latter route.
The proposed alteration, he continued, in the south boundary of the Katanning district had been discussed by that Board but there was a delicacy in approaching the Broomehill Board about this subject. Two thirds of the rates in the immediate neighbourhood of Mr Longmire were paid to the Broomehill Board whilst Katanning paid for the upkeep of the roads. The Court then adjourned for lunch and resumed at 2.30 p.m. when the following evidence was taken.
Robert William Allison Warren, a farmer and grazier, 25 miles east of Katanning, stated that he was in accord with the division of the districts having the boundary as agreed up to point marked B, and thence with the amendments suggested by Mr Pemble, thence following the original idea throughout as marked in blue. He was opposed to either of the amendments proposed by Mr Mouritz and Mr Keirle because he knew it was the wish of the settlers living east of the Coblinine River to remain members of the Katanning district.
Another reason was that in the near future a railway would probably be made to Dumbleyung Lake, and another Board would be applied for that district. Regarding the suggestion of Mr Longmire, as it seemed to be the wish of the settlers, and he knew the majority of them used the Katanning-Kojonup road, they should be included in the Katanning Board district. Concerning the south-east boundary, he thought it had better remain as it was. If any alteration were made, and he thought for future settlement it should be, about 15 miles east of railway marked CC on plan by him was desirable.
By Mr Mills: As it was probable that a spur railway would be built from Broomehill it might be desirable to let the south-east boundary remain as it was.
Alexander Prosser, farmer, living six miles from Woodanilling, said that he knew the eastern country and considered the boundary should be as shown in blue which could not be improved on. He thought it would result in mutual advantage were the area marked by Mr Longmire taken into the Katanning district as he had distinct recollections of roads having been applied for in that area and moneys paid to them by people living within it who were under the impression they were in the Katanning district.
Mr Pemble, recalled, said he wished it to be thoroughly understood that he thought his amendment marked BBB should be adapted if Moojebing were placed in the Katanning district.
Mr Mouritz, recalled, said that with regard to Mr Pemble’s amendment there were only two settlers who were likely to use Trimmer Road to Moojebing, Messrs Higgins and Baker.
Thomas Norrish, Chairman of the Broomehill Roads Board, said that he had heard of the proposal to cut off part of the Broomehill and he protested against it. There had been cases where rates had been paid to Katanning by people in his district, also vice versa, but these had been adjusted by refunds. As for the traffic from Broomehill coming into Katanning by the Katanning-Kojonup Road the same reason applied elsewhere.
By the Court: Mr Longmire did trade to Katanning and that was his nearest centre, but the new railway, as suggested, should adjust Mr Longmire’s position, and he suggested that it should be allowed to remain until the railway were completed.
In the event of their having to export wheat it would mean that a lot of people in the Katanning district would use the Broomehill Road to get to the station nearest Albany. As regard to the extension eastward to give Broomehill more territory the territory was useless as far as rates were concerned.
Wm Lewis Rhodes, secretary of the Katanning Road Board stated that he considered the boundary should be as agreed to marked in blue, and Moojebing placed in the Katanning district. The number of ratepayers and amount of rateable property in the two districts if the boundary were adopted was, Woodanilling: number of ratepayers, 268; property, £5,487 5s; Katanning; number of ratepayers, 452; property, £12,999.
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