Frank LUCAS
Born 1887 in Nine Mile Creek, Victoria, Australia [15]
Son of George John LUCAS and Elizabeth GILSON [15]
Arrived in Western Australia in 1904 and after initially farming in the South West prospected on the goldfields [7: page 66]
Married Florence Isabella Matilda PEARSALL in Perth in 1915 [66]
In early 1915 was working as a Commercial Traveller and was living at 33 Salisbury Street in the Perth suburb of Leederville [18]
Enlisted in the Australia Imperial Force on 14 February 1915 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia [30: item 8206877]
On enlistment was described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 163 lbs. with bluish eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion [30]
Embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia for active service abroad on the H.M.A.T. A48 Seang Bee on 18 July 1916 [18]
Disembarked from the Seang Bee in Plymouth, England on 9 September 1916 and after further training proceeded to France [30]
Private 5646 in the Australian Imperial Force's 1st Machine Gun Battalion in France during the First World War [30]
Embarked from Devonport, England on the Souden on 12 May 1919 and disembarked in Australia on 21 June 1919 [30]
Discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on 21 August 1919; awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal [30]
In 1923, as a Soldier Settler, obtained the 1,051 acre Lot 2 of the Inering Estate in Carnamah [7: page 66]
It took him three weeks to travel from Perth to Carnamah as he had to go via Walebing to avoid the sandplain near Watheroo [7: page 67]
Farmer of Floradale Farm in Carnamah 1923-1934 and 1939- [7: page 67] [60]
His first home was two rooms made out of bush timber, corrugated iron and whitewashed superphosphate bags [7: page 67]
They also had another one roomed building nearby where they bathed in a tub and prepared their meals [7: page 67]
As the years passed additional rooms were added to the house before construction on a new home began [7: page 67]
The Postmaster-General's Department had a telephone line built from Carnamah to the Inering Estate in mid 1924 [86: 24-May-1924]
He had the telephone connected to his farmhouse in 1924 - was telephone number Inering-3 from 1924 until 1940 [60]
In 1941 his number changed from Inering-3 to Carnamah-50D and in 1958 it changed again to Carnamah-90R [60]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in the 1920s and 1940s [53]
Member of the Inering Progress Association 1925-1932 - was Chairman in 1925 and President in 1927 [4: 9-Jul-1932] [81: 24-Jul-1927] [276]
He was part of deputation that went before the Hon. Alexander McCALLUM, Minister for Works, on 12 December 1925 [276]
At the deputation he requested that a school be established on the Inering Estate, and failing that a bus be run to Carnamah [276]
In 1927 was described in The Sunday Times newspaper as "the strongman of the district" in relation to the Inering Estate [81: 24-Jul-1927]
Fires in early 1927 burnt all of his livestock feed in addition to scorching several of his sheep [81: 20-Feb-1927]
Member of the Carnamah Rifle Club in 1927 [9: 5-Aug-1927]
Committee Member of the Carnamah Race Club in 1928 [4: 31-Mar-1928]
Inaugural Committee Member of the Carnamah Ratepayers & Citizens Association in 1928 [4: 27-Oct-1928]
Attended a meeting at the Carnamah Hall on 19 April 1929 to discuss the establishment of flour mills in Carnamah [86: 20-Apr-1929]
Entered exhibits in the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show on Thursday 19 September 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
Won 1st prize for Three Merino Ewes under Six Months, and won 2nd for a Bag of Wheaten Chaff [4]
Also won 2nd prizes for Lettuce in the vegetable section and for Male and Female heavy breeds in the Poultry section [4]
Founding Member of the Carnamah Masonic Lodge No.150 WAC on 21 March 1930 [96]
Won 1st prizes for both male and female Black Orpingtons in the Poultry section of the Carnamah Show in 1930 [4: 27-Sep-1930]
Committee Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society 1931-1934 [4: 8-Nov-1930] [5: 17-Nov-1933] [13]
Member of the Inering Tennis Club in 1932 [5: 29-Jul-1932, 26-Aug-1932]
Won 1st prize for Three Merino Lambs at the Carnamah Agricultural Show on Thursday 15 September 1932 [5: 23-Sep-1932]
He was one of 77 ex-servicemen who attended the Sailors & Soldiers Reunion Dinner in Carnamah on 22 October 1932 [86: 29-Oct-1932]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1932, 1938 and 1941-1958 [13]
On 9 February 1933 attended the meeting in Carnamah at which Federal Member A. E. GREEN, M.H.R. was entertained [5: 17-Feb-1933]
The local newspaper revealed on 25 August 1933 that there was a parcel for him at the Carnamah railway station [5: 25-Aug-1933]
Steward of the Poultry section at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Shows in 1933 and 1934 [5: 20-Jul-1934] [13]
Exhibited in the Poultry, Vegetable and Grain & Fodder section of the Carnamah Agricultural Show on 14 September 1933 [5]
In Poultry won 1st prizes for male, female, cockerel and pullet Black Orpingtons; also won 1st prizes for Cauliflower and Radish [5]
Received 2nd prizes for Lettuce, White Turnips and Australian Premier Strong Wheat [5: 22-Sep-1933]
Judged the Poultry section at the Fifth Annual Three Springs Agricultural Show on Thursday 21 September 1933 [5: 29-Sep-1933]
In October 1933 sold four bales of wool through Dalgety & Co at 14d. per pound[5: 13-Oct-1933]
He was among those from Carnamah who attended the R.S.L. Reunion Dinner held in Morawa on 28 October 1933 [5: 3-Nov-1933]
On Tuesday 7 November 1933 he was the first to deliver a load of wheat to the Carnamah siding for the 1933 harvest [5: 10-Nov-1933]
Judge of the Poultry section at the Three Springs Agricultural Society's Seventh Annual Show held on 13 September 1934 [5: 21-Sep-1934]
Following the revival of mining at Rothsay himself in partnership with SHARP Bros opened Rothsay's first general store [5: 15-Feb-1935]
His partners SHARP Bros were well-known travelling wool and skin dealers [5] (one of whom was Alex SHARP of Perth) [P191]
Their store ran under the name of The Rothsay Trading and Agency Company and opened for business in February 1935 [5]
The store was initially managed by Jack MURRAY, who had previously managed the Carnamah Cash Supply Store [5]
He himself resided in Rothsay and ran the shop 1935-1938, however returned to his farm in Carnamah most weekends [P191]
Their store sold general supplies, petrol from a bowser [P191] and everything from a needle to a wireless set [5: 15-Feb-1935]
The store at Rothsay also became the Post Office and he delivered mail between Rothsay and Perenjori once a week [P191]
In August 1935 his son Roy left school and from then until May 1938 assisted him in the shop at Rothsay [P191]
In his absence the farm in Carnamah was run by his son Frank, wife Florence and daughter Olive [P191]
Around May 1938 he sold the shop in Rothsay and returned to his farm in Carnamah [P191]
Sold 23 ewes at 8/6, 51 lambs at 7/9 and 1 lamb at 8/7 per head through Dalgety Co & Ltd on 13 November 1935 [5: 15-Nov-1935]
Through Dalgety & Co Ltd sold ten bales of wool at 16¾d. per pound at a Wool Sale in Perth on 16 December 1935 [5: 20-Dec-1935]
Signed a guarantee on 8 December 1935 that two of his children would regularly attend the Inering State School [276]
As a result of his guarantee and that of six other families the closed Inering State School was re-opened on 3 February 1936 [276]
Attended the Wedding Social & Dance for Stuart and May FORD at Koolabba Farm in Carnamah on 25 January 1936 [5: 31-Jan-1936]
Gave the Carnamah District Road Board permission to truncate the south west and north west corners of his farm in 1936 [5: 24-Dec-1936]
In 1939 purchased six Stud Merino rams from Geraldton - one for 9½ guineas, two for 10 guineas and three for 7 guineas [0: image 03877]
Foundation Committee Member of the Carnamah District War and Patriotic Fund in 1940 and 1941 [0: images 03074, 04014]
Member of Carnamah's branch of the Red Cross Society [141]
Over nine years extended his farm to 7,107 acres with the following purchases:[3]
On 22 April 1941 purchased Lot 3 of the Inering Estate from Mrs Robina T. BALMER (851 acres) [3]
During the 1948-49 financial year purchased Lot 10 of the Inering Estate from Percival L. MILLARD (898 acres) [3]
In 1950 purchased Bedwell, Ludeman & McIntosh's 4,307 acres on the Inering Estate in Carnamah from Angus MCINTOSH [3]
The 4,307 acres consisted of Lots 1, 11 and 12 of the Inering Estate in addition to Lot M978 of Victoria Location 2022 [3]
Transferred some of his farmland into his sons' names; his sons also purchased another 4,038 acres of farmland in Carnamah [3]
The 4,038 acres consisted of Lot 5 of the Inering Estate and Lots M1027, M1028, M1475 of Victoria Locations 1935 and 2022 [3]
By 1954 himself and his four sons Frank, Roy, Stan and Les owned a collective total of 11,145 acres of farmland in Carnamah [3]
He had the dream of purchasing all of the Inering Estate for his sons [P73] and by 1961 he and his sons had 7 of its 16 lots [3]
To his misfortune William W. J. PRICE, who owned Lot 8 of the Inering Estate, went out of his way to sell it to someone else [P73]
Jude of the Poultry Section at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Shows in 1941 and 1947 [13]
Served on the Carnamah District Road Board 1941-1952 and was its Chairman in 1949-50 [7: page 111]
Member of the Carnamah Bush Fire Brigade - was Control Officer and 2nd Lieutenant in 1944 [0: image 04590]
Member of the Carnamah Sub-Branch of the Returned Soldiers League - was Vice President 1944-1946 [52]
Judge of the Poultry section at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Victory Show on Thursday 13 September 1945 [13]
Also judged the Poultry section at the Mingenew District Agricultural Society's 1946 Annual Show [261]
Vice Patron 1945-1952 and Patron 1953-1966 of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society [13] [58]
By 1949 he had been made a Justice of the Peace for the Victoria Magisterial District of Western Australia [22]
As a Justice of the Peace presided as Magistrate at criminal and traffic cases that went before the Carnamah Police Court [22]
Presided over his first case on 3 November 1949; between 1949 and 1958 presided and made rulings at 120 cases [22]
In September 1950 he was appointed by the state government to the bench of the Carnamah Children's Court [39: 26-Sep-1950]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Coorow farmer Baxter Diedrich BOTHE on 23 February 1950 at the Winchester Cemetery [0]
Pallbearer at the funeral of fellow Carnamah-Perenjori Road farmer John BOWMAN on 28 July 1952 at the Winchester Cemetery [4]
Patron of the Carnamah Cricket Club in 1956-57 [4: 14-Sep-1956]
Patron of the Carnamah Golf Club in 1957 and 1958 [4: 5-Apr-1957 & 21-Mar-1958]
He was made a Life Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society on 30 April 1959 [58]
Later resided in South Perth [2]
Father of Frank, Roy, Stan, Olive and Les [7: page 67]
Died 1 November 1970; ashes interred at the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, Western Australia (Crematorium Rose Gardens, E, 86) [2]
From The Western Mail newspaper, Thursday 9 January 1930:
Country Towns and Districts - Carnamah's Advancement
"The winner this season of the No. 1 zone 50-acre crop competition was Mr. F. Lucas, a soldier settler on the Inering Estate, who scored 72 out of the available 100 points. Mr. Lucas cropped 400 acres of wheat this season, 210 acres of which were on fallow and the balance on new land. Despite the diminished rainfall his average was 18 bushels, while the champion 50 acres of Nabawa yielded approximately 10 bags an acre. Mr. Lucas took up his block seven years ago and owns 1,052 acres, of which 950 acres are cleared. It is all good country, but 600 acres are outstanding. On one trefoil paddock of 400 acres he has carried 500 Koonoona blood sheep for 12 months. Mr. Lucas has eight Koonoona rams and intends to build up a small flock. At the Carnamah show last year he won the first prize for three merino ewe lambs. Mr. Lucas, who was an artificer in France during the war, is developing his property on sound lines, and takes a live interest in the district's progress."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Frank Lucas' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 19 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/frank-lucas [reference list] |
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