Joseph and Harriet had three children, Norma (married -- House), Douglas Joseph Gordon, and Leonard who was still farming in the Ongerup area in 2009.

One of the jobs Digger worked on when he first came to Australia was the road built from Gnowangerup to Ongerup. In 1913, during their initial time in the Ongerup area, Harriet was given the honour of cutting the ribbon which was strung across the railway line to let the first train into Ongerup.

Joseph and Harriet moved back to Perth for many years, where Joseph followed his trade. Some time later Joseph's father-in-law told him of the land opening up in the lower South West of the State. His father-in-law had connections with the lands Department and told him about the beautiful little mallee blocks south of Ongerup.

They settled on –acres named ‘Blytheswood’ which was just out of the Ongerup townsite. They lived in a four roomed house made from mud batts, which was built by Old Dick Handorf. Digger remembers helping make the bricks when he was a child, so it is likely it was added to at a later date. The bricks were made on site, just south of the house. It wasn't lined or sealed but this house was still standing in 1989.

Joseph never really had any great aspirations as a farmer, and in the early 1930s he had an opportunity to run a store. Joseph built the business through hard times but with some good agencies such as Dalgety's he became very successful. It is thought that Joseph held in the Dalgety agency longer than any other person in Western Australia. He bought wheat for John Darling and Hemphill’s. At that time there were three agents in Ongerup Wesfarmers, John Darling and Bungey's. There was also Burridge and Warren who bought wheat. In about 1927 he secured the agency to buy wheat for Wesfarmers at Ongerup, Toompup and Laurier sidings. His brother-in-laws Gordon and Clarence (known as ‘Spot’) Lamont joined him. Spot was the tally clerk and Joseph did the lumping.

The practice in those days was the was a set price for wheat but the buyers would come out and if it was a good crop they may offer you a farthing more to try to get it. At this time the price for wheat was about one shillings and sixpence a bushel so for a good crop a farmer might be offered one shilling six pence and three farthings. This was how cut throat things were at that time when a good client could be bought off another buyer for an extra farthing or bushel.

The buyers would chew on the wheat and if it ‘seemed like good solid wheat’ then more would be offered. Each bag was weighed on scales and stacked. There was an art to building a wheat stack and they were many metres high. Each buyer had their own stack and was great competition to secure the empty rail trucks when they arrived, as there was always a shortage. Children would play on them.

In 1936 Digger was sent to Forest Grove School which serviced the Group 74 Settlement south of Margaret River as there was no school in Ongerup. He stayed with his uncle, aunt and cousin is for a year.

One of his cousins Rosie Sebbes eventually ended up in Ongerup for a little while. Her husband was share farming in Ongerup.

In 1937 School started in the Ongerup hall with seven or eight children including Digger's younger brother Len, who was only four but was taken along to make up the necessary numbers. Digger’s sister Norma had been attending school in Perth and staying with her grandparents and she also came back to attend school in the Ongerup Hall. For the first year they walked 3 miles to school but in the second year “we got old horse called Stella at a sulky and if we were lucky enough to catch the horse and she didn't bolt and smash up the harness, we were lucky enough to have the horse a sulky”.

Some of his teachers were Gwen Ferry, Jimmy Archibald and Mrs Costello.

Digger stayed at school until he was about 12 years old. He was keen to leave school and preferred sitting on the plough with the horse team all day or picking mallee roots. He also learned how to burn wood to make charcoal and would make eight to 10 bags at a time for people who used gas producers. A bag of charcoal was worth about five shillings. Most of the commercial travellers used gas producers such as those employed by Dalgety’s, Union Insurance and Wigmore’s. Digger's mother would provide the travellers with accommodation and meals for up to a week.

Harriet opened the Ongerup museum which was supported by the local families and active for several decades. Len and Eunice Faulkner kept the tradition going, and many oral histories of local people are kept at the Battye Library.

Harriet was an animal lover excellent horsewoman Before seeding started the are family would go to an area behind the back of Palmer’s block to collect their eight horses for the team. There were around 60 horses in that mob, and as Harriet was an expert at cutting out cows and horses. As Digger said:“she was one of the best....she did all the work...she was the star”.