"Pete" Peter Welsh THOMSON
Born 9 November 1915 in Perth, Western Australia [108: page 2]
Son of James Fowler THOMSON and Nellie Simpson WELSH [108]
In 1921 was living with his mother and siblings with his grandmother Grace WELSH at 2 Kirkbank in Lower Largo, Fife, Scotland [20]
Began his schooling at the Parish School in Largo, Fife, Scotland [108]
Farmer of Anster Farm in Marchagee, Western Australia 1931-1969 [108]
The farm was 2,027 acres in size, consisting of Victoria Locations 3251, 3252, 3253, 3254, 3255, 6383, 3240, 3250 and 7036 [3]
Originally leased by his father, the farm was named Anster after the parish of Anstruther in Fife, Scotland [108]
Rate Books of the Upper Irwin Road Board reveal that parts of the farm had a history stretching back as far as 1915 [44]
Travelled to Round Hill to play football in the early 1930s prior to the formation of the Coorow Football Club [P361]
Others to do so were William H. JOHNS and Harry F. C. KAU of Coorow and John F. THOMAS of Marchagee [P361]
Came 2nd in the Coat, Hat and Cigarette Race in the Horse Events at the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show in 1933 [5: 15-Sep-1933]
Came 3rd in the Hurdle Race at the Athletic Sports Meeting held in Coorow on New Year's Day 1 January 1936 [5: 3-Jan-1936]
He was out taking precautionary measures due to a scrub fire on a nearby farm in Marchagee on Wednesday 29 January 1936 [5]
A large quantity of rolled scrub had caught alight and turned into a fierce blaze after being heavily fanned by hot winds [5]
While out he came across shocked and burnt George and Fred LATHAM who had run for their lives when their truck stopped [5]
Their truck had been burnt to cinders, and he conveyed them to their home in Waddy Forest [5: 31-Jan-1936]
Tied for 1st in the High Jump and came 2nd in the Hurdle Race at the Sports Meeting in Coorow on Boxing Day in 1936 [5: 8-Jan-1937]
Competed in the Carnamah Tennis Club's Easter Tennis Tournament at Centenary Park in Carnamah in March 1937 [5: 2-Apr-1937]
Part of the Best Set as "Arabians" at the Carnamah Girls Club's Masquerade Ball at the Carnamah Hall on 24 July 1937 [5: 30-Jul-1937]
Others in the set included his sister Grace W. THOMSON, Roger F. W. CLARK and Michael R. ROWLAND of Carnamah, [5]
"Daisy" Margaret D. BOWMAN and "Nan" Hannah S. DAVISON and his future wife Ruth I. BOWMAN, also of Carnamah [5]
Came 2nd in the 14-stone Gent's Hack in the Ring Events at the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show in 1937 [5: 10-Sep-1937]
Member of the Coorow Cricket Club in 1937 [0: image 03709]
Member of the Coorow Football Club 1937-1939 - was Captain 1939 [4: 29-Jul-1939] [5: 14-May-1937]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1939, 1946 and 1952-1971 [13]
Member of the Winchester-Coorow Tennis Club in 1939-40 [4: 9-Mar-1940]
Married Ruth Isabella BOWMAN in Carnamah on 29 June 1940 [P394]
Member of the Marchagee Hall Committee in 1941 [5: 20-Jun-1941]
He was best man at the wedding of "John" David I. M. BOWMAN and "Nan" Hannah S. DAVISON in Carnamah on 21 June 1941 [P1]
Corporal in the local Volunteer Defence Corps during the Second World War [16]
Committee Member of the Coorow-Waddy Forest Districts Agricultural Society in 1946 [150]
While making inspections of roads with members of the Road Board he noticed the Gunyidi State School was falling into disrepair [279]
He wrote to the Education Department on 9 October 1947 mentioning its condition and the unlikelihood of it ever re-opening [279]
He asked if the Department would consider selling the Gunyidi State School buildings [279]
Unknown to him a number of other people had previously and unsuccessfully requested to buy the school buildings [279]
Served on the Carnamah District Road Board representing the South Ward from 1946 to 1952 [7: page 111]
Chairman of the Carnamah District Road Board from 1950 to 1952 [7: page 111]
Foundation President and Member for the Central Ward of the Coorow Shire Council 1962-1970 [284]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Coorow farmer George HUTCHCRAFT at the Winchester Cemetery on 28 January 1949 [5: 3-Feb-1949]
In August 1949 was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Geraldton District[0: image 02996] [4: 27-Aug-1949]
Member of the Marchagee Tennis Club in 1950-51 [4: 7-Apr-1951]
Member of the Coorow-Waddy Forest branch of the Farmers' Union of WA in 1950 and 1951 [4: 18-Mar-1950, 7-Apr-1951]
Vice President and Zone Delegate of the Coorow-Waddy Forest branch of the Farmers' Union of WA in 1951 [4: 18-Mar-1951]
In 1953 purchased further farmland north of Marchagee which he named Kanangara Farm [108]
The additional land totalled 5,256 acres and consisted of Victoria Locations 5794, 5795, 6383, 9892 and 10089 [63]
His Kanagara Farm in Marchagee was later taken over by his son Gordon [108]
Sold his Anster Farm in Marchagee in 1969 and moved to a house in the Coorow townsite [108]
Later resided in the Perth suburbs of Nedlands, Gosnells, South Perth and Doubleview [108]
Around 1982 retired with his wife to Gooseberry Hill before later shifting to the Lakeside Nursing Home in Redcliffe [108]
Father of Gordon, Graham and Ian [P394]
Died 17 October 2002 in Redcliffe; ashes interred at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth (Lance Howard Memorial Gardens, D, 31) [P1]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Peter Welsh Thomson' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 22 November 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/peter-welsh-thomson [reference list] |
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