Gnowangerup History

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NORRIS Francis "Frank" King

Francis (Frank) King Norris was born in Bunsden, Wanborough, England on 25 September 1883 and immigrated to West Australia with life long friend Albert Freegard.
They arrived aboard the Orsova on 13 June 1911. His mother was Amelia Norris (1854-) of Blunsden, Highworth, England and was stated as his Next Of Kin when he enlisted.
His father Joseph (1844-), a farmer, who is assumed to have died between 1901 (census) and 1916.
Frank had an older brother who would inherit the farm, so he set out to try his luck in Australia with Albert, who was a cattle worker. Friends remember him as being about 6 foot tall (actually 5 foot 10 inches per his enlistment papers), with an olive complexion, brown eyes (and very nice hands!)

FRANK KING NORRIS #1

Frank was linked romantically with Agnes Cuss (1884-1974) in 1910. According to friends, Frank did not know Agnes was expecting a child. Francis Cuss was born 24 January 1911 at Newent, Gloucestershire, England. Frank wrote to his sweetheart from Australia and she to him, but as fate would have it, the letters did not reach each other.
Frank enlisted in Albany on 6 April 1916, and gave his address at that time as Albany. He was a single farmer, aged 32. Frank was originally assigned to the 3rd Light Horse, Frank and Albert had enlisted within 2 months of each other at Black Boy Hill. Frank was 32 years and 5 months of age, and departed from Fremantle aboard the RMS Mooltan on 28 August 1916. He served in Egypt, his service history includes notations from Alexandria, Abassia, Moascar, Port Said, Zagazig, Ismalia, Jericho, Zeitoun, Boulae, and Maraket.

FRANK KING NORRIS' COTTAGE #2

He undertook courses and in December 1916 passed as a 2nd Class Machine Gunner. In March 1917 he passed attended the course of Instruction for Machine Gun Artificers at Alexandria. Frank was admitted to hospital several times ‘sick’, once for heatstroke. On 19 January 1919 he was fined one days pay for not ‘saluting an officer
Frank returned to Australia on 17 July 1919 aboard the HT Dunuce Castle
Frank and Albert applied for Soldier Settler land at the recently subdivided Pallinup Estate, and each received blocks of about 660 acres adjacent to each other – Kojonup Locations 7110 and 7111.
These were about 7 miles out from Gnowangerup. Frank had all his meals at the Freegard’s home but lived in his own small weatherboard hut (about 12 foot by 8 foot - a single unlined room, with no ceiling, a corrugated iron roof, one window, one door).

Frank’s son Francis Norris Cuss wrote a book on his life story, and as part of this process uncovered the other half of his father’s life story. Following the war and aged 39, Frank returned to England with a ruby engagement ring to find her, but on arrival discovered Agnes had just married
Heartbroken, Frank left England and returned to Australia aboard the Jervis Bay on 21 November 1924
Frank never married, devoting his life to his small circle of friends, his farm and his animals. Albert and his wife Mabel had 4 sons and 3 daughters, so Frank had a family around him.
Frank was an animal lover, and an article in the Gnowangerup Star comments on how Frank and Albert’s animals were as ‘fat as butter’ during a drought year, as they always ensured they kept plenty of stock feed.

MABEL & ALBERT FREEGARD WITH FRANK KING NORRIS #3

Frank was much loved by local children, one example is that each year he would purchase a case of oranges and take it to the Pallinup State School. Oranges were not on a regular shopping list due to the expense, in fact one student recalled that one of her favourite stocking items at Christmas was an orange.
In another instance a former student wrote “One memory I have always treasured is how after our father died in 1942 when I was seven an elderly neighbor Mr. Frank Norris used to walk about 2 miles to the river crossing if there was a heavy rain and the river was over the crossing he would he ‘just happen’ to be there and carry Margaret and I across after school..I never thought about it much at the time…. He really was a kind old Gentleman”
When Albert and Mrs Freegard retired to Perth, Frank moved to Perth as well. In the last years of his life he was very sick with prostate cancer.
He was nursed by Daphne Stain (nee Freegard) and her two sisters who cared for him in their homes. The family refused to see him go into a retirement home. Eventually he was so sick he was admitted to hospital.
Frank died in Perth on 8 January 1966 aged 82. He is buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, and in 1998 his son wrote from England, commenting that Daphne was still tending his grave and placing flowers there.

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

References: Article: Research by Merilyn Stewart

Image: 2 Merilyn Stewart