WELLSTEAD Roderick "Eric"

Eric was the ninth child and eighth son of John and Bridget Wellstead and was born in 1899.
He attended school for several years at Broomehill.
As a youth he shepherded the family sheep with his brothers and local aboriginals.
He learned the Noongar language and later told his daughters and one son, about being a blood brother to Charlie Bullfrog who was a local Aboriginal of the Bremer Bay area.
 He met and courted Louisa Brenda Franklyn and on March 26th, 1926 they were married in the Methodist Church at Gnowangerup.

RODERICK AND BRENDA WELLSTEAD                 #1
 

JOHN AND BRIDGET WELLSTEAD                 #
 

Eric set up a farming enterprise on "Arizona" south of Borden, but he found it extremely hard to get a start.
The work was very hard for both man and his horses.
The following snapshot about carting loads of wheat gives an idea of the effort required to deliver it the railway depot at Toompup- a siding on the railway between Borden and Ongerup:
"The Jamvale Hill - not very far from home-was too steep for the horses to pull up a full load.
So Eric would load his wagon to half capacity, go to the top of the hill, unload and return for a similar amount.
On reaching the top of the hill again, he would reload the first half load and continue on to Toompup”.
The effects of the depression forced him to leave Arizona, and take up position with his wife's Uncle Ted Moir at Mongup.
He became manager after Ted's death and held that position until the estate was wound up in 1936.
It was then he and his family moved to Toolbrunup to work on the farm of Bob Bluntish.
He worked around the Gnowangerup district as a farmhand, rouseabout, fencer, seasonally for Cooperative Bulk Handling and for a time, for the Gnowangerup Road Board.
A highlight of his contract fencing was a vermin proof fence built at "Mianelup", Gnowangerup. Much of this fence is still standing today (1998).
During the years of the Second World War Eric worked at the Gnowangerup Coop in various positions and he was a member of the Voluntary Defence Corps.

Eric continued to be a skilled odd job man and was well known in the Gnowangerup district.
In later years he kept active by tending to his large vegetable garden.
Eric died in the Gnowangerup Hospital in 1973 and his wife Brenda died just a month later in 1974.
Eric and Brenda are both buried in the Gnowangerup Cemetery.

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

References:                 Article:     Research by Merilyn Stewart

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Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2024