Gnowangerup History

William ‘Will’ Cuthbert Ball was born at Wedderburn, Victorisa, on the 19th June 1859. His wife Charlotte ‘Gussie’ A.S.A. nee Mitchell, was born c1883.
William arrived in W.A. from an area near Bendigo in Victoria.
At the age of about 18 he had worked his way to Western Australia on a schooner. Will took up droving cattle in the North West of W.A., and joined into a partnership in a station in the De Grey area with his brother Charles and Michel ‘Mick’ Corbett.

Around 1900 Will and his brother Alexander had made their way to the district with a plan to select land along the Pallinup River. They inspected the land being offered east of the Great Southern Railway Line and selected 12,000 acres near the Mianelup Pool.

At 14 Charlotte became a Telegraph Operator (Morse Code) at the Albany Post Office.
By the age of 17 she was working as an operator on the Overland telegraph line out of Albany; her working speed was 10 words per minute at a minimum.
In 1898 age just 18 she was appointed Postmistress at the Harvey Government Post Office.
In 1902 she was Postmistress at Broomehill Post Office.
"In 1903 she was transferred to Mount Barker and the courtship had to be kept alive in letters carried by the overland bush mail.” (Bignell)

One of the letters reads:
"I have just this minute come back from meeting the mailman, and your nice long loving letter has quite set me up ... I shall not be able to give you a very long letter this time, as I have to ride to the first white gate on Pallinup (you know 11 miles from B.H. and 5 from McDonalds) as one of the men has gone on there with the dray and things, to camp and I must get there tonight to start getting timber tomorrow. -- It is the first start at making a Home for you, Love.

I cant go on with the work but I got a good chance to get the timber I want from there carted cheaply so I am taking advantage of it - I only waited back to get your letter and to answer it. Twenty Miles of a ride after dark is not much of a price to pay for a letter from my very own dear Lassie.”
And another:

“I wish I could spend half my time at your office fire. I think I could manage to keep you warm without your Jacket, Cloak and Blouse. I don't mean without all of them but without the first two. Yes I know what a Blouse is and with a Black skirt, red blouse and small Sailor hat My bonnie lassie is a Sweet wee Sonsie dearie . . . . I know you will be wondering why I didn't write on Saturday so I must tell you. I went to Katanning on Friday to see Stewart about starting to build – by the way he will come on Saturday. So I will write when either I or someone else goes in for him. And I came down to B.H. Saturday afternoon and it rained all the way down, all the time I was in B.H. (half an hour) and till I got half way to Birnam Wood.

I couldn't stay in B.H. as had no where to put the Horses out of the rain, and I had not the heart to let them shiver in the rain while I was writing . . . . I stayed at Birnam Wood last night and Phemi sends her love . . . . It rained nearly all night and when I came to the river at Camballup I could not cross with the buggy so I left it on the road and rode one of the horses over and am camped here - at Richard's waiting till morning to get the buggy over. I am writing this with three people talking so I must ask you to forgive this disjointed letter. – My own girlie I must try and run down before I go up to Perth. I would be down every

Saturday if I could but I can’t manage it. Goodnight my sweetheart. With love eternal from Your own…Will.:

On 18 January 1904, aged about 22, Charlotte married Will, aged about 45, at the All Saints Church in Mount Barker.

Will and Charlotte went to live at the farm “Mianelup”, which he had selected in 1902. “At Mianelup Pool a small house with a garden full of highly perfumed mignonette was ready for the young bride”.

The couple sold in 1904 to purchase a share in the Goblup Estate with the Anderson Brothers and others.

William and Charlotte took over the North West part which later was named “Glenalbyn”.

“In February 1905 Cuthbert, the first of their three sons was born, then Allan and Kieth, but by that time the Balls no longer lived at the pool. They had sold their land to A. R. Richardson, who foresaw its suitability for sheep rearing”.

“Unfortunately Gussie and Will's love story was destined to have a tragic ending. Within ten years Will had died, leaving his young widow to rear three small boys as well as run a property. The fact that in 1975 the property remains in the hands of her eldest son is evidence of her determination”.