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THE WHEAT STACK

Many young men, looking for work in the district became "Lumpers"

A few that were known:

John Black - Gnowangerup
Albert Freegard - Gnowangerup
Eric Hayward - Broomehill
Frank Matthews
Roddy McGlade - Ongerup
Eddy Rodney - Broomehill
Tommy Stewart - Gnowangerup
R. McWalters
Herb Wise - Needilup, Toompup, Tambellup.
Dudley Wise - Needilup, Tambellup
O. J. Wood -Kwobrup

BAGGED WHEAT STACK AT GNOWANGERUP RAILWAY STATION   1913           #1
 

STACKING BAGGED WHEAT  AT GNOWANGERUP RAILWAY STATION   1917           #2
 

BAGGED WHEAT STACK AT GNOWANGERUP RAILWAY STATION   1920           #3
 

Glen Oliver comments: “R.McWalters was a lumper. In 1938 he was hospitalized when he fell off a plank and broke his foot. O.J Wood also broke his foot lumping at Kwobrup in 1932 when a number of bags fell on him. Frank Matthews, who was second in charge at Parrys, worked as a lumper for some of his 9 yrs in Gnowangerup. John Black general carrier and contractor was a well known lumper and stack builder.

David Kindred comments: “All mainly humped on their backs.My dad, Eddy Rodney and Eric Hayward moved 100 tonne of super in one day at Broomehill back in the early 1960's.

Steel wheeled Trolleys were used to get super out of railway trucks into dads trucks then unloaded into various farmers sheds ( Condeena being one of them).

A lot of humping of bags in between.

Trucks loaded 7 tonne each.”

RECORD

Bill Cestrilli established the CBH record for lumping and stacking the greatest number of wheat bags in one day. At Miling, Bill stacked 1,725 bags of wheat in eight hours - equating to 143 tonnes of grain. Not bad for a 74kg man!

BAGGED WHEAT STACK AT GNOWANGERUP RAILWAY STATION   1925           #4
 

BULK WHEAT BINS AT GNOWANGERUP RAILWAY STATION   1960c           #5
 

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References:                 Article:      

                                  Image:     1, 2, 3, 4, 5      Gordon Freegard Collection

Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2023