In 1911 Jack purchased Brayton, property joining the Broomehill side of ‘Woodyarrup'. Jack's father’s property also joined Brayton. In 1912 their second child Jean was born at Katanning. Rachael was told after the birth of Kathleen that she would never have more children as she was too small for child bearing. She spent 3 months in hospital prior to Jean's birth. To earn ready cash Jack went sandalwood cutting and collecting mallet bark for tanning and gum for glue.
In about 1914 Jack and Rachael purchased a house in Jewel St Broomehill so Kathleen could go to school. The house had an iron roof, an underground water tank with a hand pump, a wood fueled stove and a telephone. Lighting was by in kerosene lamp and the toilet was down the backyard. There was a large tin bath which was rarely used because water was so scarce. Instead a smaller tub was used in front of the kitchen fire.
They kept a cow and a horse in the backyard. Vegetables were grown for the families use. Jack soon purchased a car, an Overland, which he put to good use. To earn cash he took on several mail runs. Probably one between Katanning and Broomehill and certainly one between Broomehill and Gnowangerup. He had another mail run around Broomehill which he serviced by horse and dog cart. He employed a man named Prior for this run. Both were contract services. Jean well remembers her christening at 3 years old. She was most indignant at water splashed on her forehead and very busily wiped it away with her handkerchief.
During the time the family lived in Broomehill a cyclone passed through which caused considerable damage. The only snow Jean ever saw fall was during the time the family lived at Broomehill. Much more exciting than this however was when Sir Norman Brierley arrived in his aeroplane. Jack went for a joyride but Jean made so much noise that her mother could not go. The plane landed in one of the nearby farmers paddocks. When the family set off to Perth on a journey they always stayed overnight at Bannister.
Roads in those days were not conducive to speed. The so called roads were then only bush tracks stiil made by horse drawn vehicles. Jack would meet Mr Justice Burnside and his friends in Katanning and would drive them over rough bush tracks to Bremer Bay some one hundred 150 miles to the south east on the coast for fishing holidays. Rachael and Jack moved to Albany in either 1919 or 20. Their first home there was in Cliff St. It was owned by George Everett who ran a grocery business in Stirling Terrace as did his father before him, opposite the old post office. The house had gas lighting.
The family shifted again to another rented house in View Street. This was behind the Governor's summer residence and had electric light!
Jack became extremely ill while the family was living in Albany. He had an abscess on his bowel and he had to travel by train to Perth to undergo an operation. Albany doctors thought he would not survive the trip. This was to be proved wrong. He survived the operation and lived for many years afterwards.
Jack soon returned to good health. The family moved to the city in late 1924. It was then he sold Brayton to Frank Thompson. He soon became bored with city life. His income not being sufficient to keep them, he started a poultry farm in Raleigh Street, Bayswater. He purchased a number of lots totaling 2 acres. Here he had approximately 750 hundred head of poultry. Also a chaff cutter and sheds when he sold it in 1927.
Jack later worked at Foggitt Jones in Bellvue, making sausages and small goods. He worked purchasing pigs, their slaughtering and scalding. He remained for a number of years in this occupation.
Rachael and Jack purchased a house at 20 Burnside St Bayswater. This was their home until Jack passed away. Rachael survived him by forty one years. She continued to live there until 1973 when an accident necessitated her moving to a nursing home, where she was regularly visited by her daughter Jean. Rachael reluctantly sold 20 Burnside St in 1975."
Rachael never remarried and died aged 96 in 1981 at Subiaco, and is buried at Karrakatta.