Gnowangerup History

John Black was born in South Australia and came to Western Australia just as Gnowangerup was starting to get established.
In the year 1910 Gnowangerup (or, as it was then spelt Ngnowangerupp) was mainly bush.When blocks were surveyed for building purposes, John Black was able to get three, one on Yougenup Road, and two behind it, where the Gnowangerup and District Motor's building used to stand.Mr. Black owned a team of horses and a wagon, which he used to cart supplies from Broomehill - the nearest railhead. He did a lot of hard manual work himself as was well known as a wheat lumper and stack builder. While waiting to build, he and his wife Louisa, son Charles and daughter, Eva, lived out of town in the old Yougenup house.

CARRIER JOHN BLACK WITH TEAM ARRIVING FROM BROOMEHILL #1

“At that time his brother, William, also came to Gnowangerup bringing with him his wife, Jane and two sons, Leslie and Kenneth.
As there were no houses, William Black built two tents of bush timber and hessian on one of the above blocks.
Bags were sewn together for mats for the floor. With beds, homemade cupboards and table it began to look like a home.
Curtains over an imitation window made it even more so.
When William was away on some work contract – clearing land, damsinking or driving his brother’s team and wagon to Broomehill – his wife used to barricade the tent door with the table or cupboards.
For cooking, a camp oven was used outside.
Such as it was, this was the town’s first residence.
As timber had to be carted from Broomehill, it was too expensive to build otherwise.”
John Black's daughter Eva married Robert Mildwaters of Pingelly.
John Black died at Pinjelly Hospital aged 71 years.