"Lance" Alan Lancelot SHANNON
Born 5 October 1905 in Kapunda, South Australia [55]
Son of David Hopkins SHANNON and Margaret Isabel GOODCHILD [55]
He inherited £9,000 from his late mother when he turned 21 years of age, in 1896
Arrived at Woopenatty Station in Arrino, Western Australia on Thursday 24 February 1927 [144]
He'd travelled from South Australia with Frank F. WEAVER who was about to buy Woopenatty Station in Arrino [144]
He was attracted to Western Australia as farmland was cheaper than in South Australia [225: 20-Mar-1931]
Purchased 13,715 acres of prospective farmland in Carnamah from Frank E. ROBERTS and took possession on 1 March 1927 [225]
The farm cost £13,706, of which he paid £2,000 upfront and the balance at 1,000 each alternate year plus six percent interest [225]
Farmer of Racine Farm in Carnamah, Western Australia 1927-1930 [6] [50] [53] [225: 20-Mar-1931]
The farm's 13,715 acres was Lot M1647 of Victoria Location 2023, and on purchase was almost still in a virgin state [225: 20-Mar-1931]
He settled on the farm in March 1927 [144] and worked day and night clearing the land for his first crop [225: 20-Mar-1931]
In 1927 he grew 1,200 acres of crop, all of which was on new country that had just been cleared of bush [9: 29-Jul-1927]
Purchased machinery and tractors, paying cash for them, but late regretted not using horses instead of tractors [225: 20-Mar-1931]
Local papers reported him buying a new Chev truck in May 1927 and a new Fordson tractor in June 1927 [4: 7-May-1927, 11-Jun-1927]
His truck was registered with the Carnamah District Road Board and contained license plate CA-213 [325]
In 1927 he produced 4,000 bags of wheat from which he kept 1,000 bags for seed and sold 3,000 bags for 4/10½ a bushel [225]
He and Max FIELD spent Christmas at Dongara Beach in 1927 [4: 7-Jan-1928]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in 1927, 1928 and 1929 [53]
Cleared another 1,100 acres of from his farm in 1928 at a cost of 30 shillings per acre as it was mostly forest country [225: 20-Mar-1931]
He cropped 2,000 acres in 1928 which produced 8,000 bags of wheat [225: 20-Mar-1931]
Attended the wedding dance for Charles ROBERTSON and Winifred M. LANG at the Carnamah Hall on 27 March 1928 [4: 31-Mar-1928]
He left Carnamah "for a time" in June 1928 and returned to South Australia for a holiday [4: 23-Jun-1928]
As he was unable to get back to Carnamah on the train, he purchased a car and drove back [4: 27-Oct-1928]
Along with Max FIELD arrived back in Carnamah in October 1928 having received just one puncture on the overland journey [4]
In 1930 he grew 1,300 acres of crop which produced 4,500 bags of wheat, coinciding with a drop in wheat prices [225: 20-Mar-1931]
During three months of 1930 he worked through the night seeding and fallowing, from 6pm to 6am [225: 20-Mar-1931]
He'd been unable to meet the payments for the farm and Frank E. ROBERTS threatened to repossess the property [225: 20-Mar-1931]
After appealing to his father for help, his father flew from Adelaide to Perth within hours of receiving his message [225: 20-Mar-1931]
He went before the Bankruptcy Court in Perth on Friday 20 March 1931 where he was commended for his efforts and hard work [225]
"you worked at exceedingly high pressure day and night... living under Spartan conditions put in a surprising amount of energy" [225]
Ownership of his farm reverted to the vendor Frank E. ROBERTS, who received the benefit of the land he had developed [225]
He commented "the experience has been a bitter and expensive one, but I will benefit by it" [225: 20-Mar-1931]
At the court he also conceded that his father had told him the property was too big but he had believed otherwise [225: 20-Mar-1931]
He returned to South Australia in March 1931 by steamship, departing from Fremantle and arriving in Adelaide [225: 20-Mar-1931]
Farmhand on Abbavale Farm in Kapunda, South Australia 1939-1942 [50]
Enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 8 June 1942 [16]
Flight Lieutenant 286213 in the Royal Australian Air Force's 74 Operational Base Unit during the Second World War [16]
Discharged from the Royal Australian Air Force on 22 February 1945 [16]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Alan Lancelot Shannon' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 March 2025 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/alan-lancelot-shannon [reference list] |
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