Gnowangerup History

Norman Thomas Lamont was born at Ballarat in the State of Victoria, year 1874, the son of William and Harriet Lamont, nee Crowl.
William Lamont came to Victoria from Pitlochry in the Highlands of Scotland. He came to Australia in 1846.
Norman Thomas Lamont married Jane Eliza Hughes in Melbourne on 8 March 1904.
Jane Eliza was the only daughter of Isaac B. Hughes and Catherine Hughes nee Cameron.
Jane was born at Torumburry on 27 April 1883. After their marriage they farmed the Hughes family property in the Echuca district in Victoria for two years.
In 1906 Tom and James sold their farming interests in Echuca and came to Western Australia. They share farmed at Brookton for several years.
When Ongerup land was opened for selection in 1910, they were successful in obtaining a block just over a mile North-East of where Ongerup town now stands.
The land was heavily timbered with salmon gum, moort, mallet, yate and she-oak. Tom and two brothers Alec and Jack did some preliminary work on the selection before taking up residence permanently.
In 1911 Tom and Jane and their three children – Harriet, Gordon and Clarence arrived. They came in a buggy and dray to the property which they named ‘Oak-Bank’.

This name was chosen for my Father and Mother’s farm because at the time many she-oak trees grew around the homestead area. 

Another plant that grew around the granite rock was the tussock, called the Vinegar bush. I think it is extinct today, another shrub grew around the granite rocks we called Xmas bush, a bottle brush type of flower.
Oh what hardships those early settlers endured!
The nearest railway station was at Broomehill over 60 miles away. A trip was made to Broomehill per horse and cart or by buggy only when supplies ran low.
Flour, tea, sugar, salt and baking powder were the basic necessities, as was tinned meat.
Tom and Jane had five children of their own, namely Harriet Catherine, Cyril Gordon (known as Gordon), Clarence Aubrey (known as Spot or Clarry), Rupert Stirling (died when three years old), and Margaret Alice.
Rupert and Margaret were born to Tom and Jane after settling at Oak Bank

However tragedy struck when Rupert died of pneumonia at the age of three years.
In the year 1919 Tom Lamont was made a Justice of the Peace and served the District in this capacity for 46 years.
Tom was a keen sportsman. He loved cricket and played in the original Ongerup team which was formed just after the end of the First World War.
Tom and Jane sold Oak Bank in the year 1938 and bought a small farm close to Albany.
In 1954 they sold the Albany farm owing to failing health and the desire to return to Ongerup. Which they did and lived in the town of Ongerup for the remainder of their lives.
Norman Thomas passed away on 22 October 1965 aged 91 years at his home in Ongerup.

Jane Eliza after the death of her husband lived with her daughter Mrs Harriet Weir until her passing on 20 November 1972 aged 89 years.  She died in the Gnowangerup Hospital after a short illness.