"Dick" Richard Joseph POWER
Born 28 April 1895 in Bonmahon, County Waterford, Ireland [P4] [16]
Son of Richard POWER and Bridget FITZPATRICK [28]
His father, who was a fisherman, [28] drowned in a fishing accident when he was four years old [P4]
Left school at age eleven and worked in a butter factory at Waterford, Ireland[P4]
Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War he travelled to England where he enlisted in the Royal Navy at Davenport [P4]
Served in the Royal Navy throughout the war; when his ship called at Glasgow he met Lily STRAITON [P4]
After the war worked as a ship's rigger at the Fairfield shipyard on the Clyde near Glasgow [P4]
One of the ship's he helped to build at the Fairfield shipyard was the Athenia (one of the first British ships sunk during WW2) [P4]
In 1920 was a ship's rigger and was living at 91 Pellok Street in Glasgow [28]
Married "Lily" Lilias Michie STRAITON on 16 July 1920 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland [28]
Witnesses to their marriage were his wife's sister Rachel STRAITON and her brother Peter STRAITON [28]
After a honeymoon spent at Saint Andrews in Fife, Scotland they resided in the Glasgow suburb of Govan [P4]
He decided to migrate to Western Australia due to the uncertainty in the British shipbuilding industry [P4]
Along with his wife and son departed London, England on the steamship Beltana on 6 July 1925 [P4]
Arrived on the steamship Beltana in Fremantle, Western Australia during August of 1925 [P4]
On 17 August 1925 arrived with his wife and son in Winchester, Western Australia [P4]
Resident Farmhand for his brother-in-law James S. STRAITON's Hursley Farm in Winchester August 1925 to December 1926 [P4]
Resident Farmhand for "JLB" James L. B. WEIR on Petan Farm in Winchester from January 1927 to 1928 [P4]
Remained working and living on Petan Farm for a short time following its sale to William J. PETHICK in 1928 [P4]
After leaving Petan resided in a cottage on RAFFAN's Inchgower Farm in Winchester while working variously on local farms [P4]
Worked for his brother-in-law Jim STRAITON during seeding in May 1929 without wages, just for food [P4]
Farmhand in Winchester for John MCINTOSH from June 1929 to December 1929; resided on MCINTOSH's farm during the week [P4]
As there was no accommodation for his family, his wife and two children continued to reside in the cottage on RAFFAN's farm [P4]
Cycled the five miles to the cottage on RAFFAN's Inchgower Farm each Saturday afternoon to spent the weekend with his family [P4]
At the end of the 1929 harvest he was without a job however six weeks later secured employment in Carnamah with JK Forrester [P4]
Shifted with his wife Lily, son Alex and daughter Rachel to Carnamah on 15 February 1930 [P4]
Farmhand in Carnamah for "JK" James K. FORRESTER from February 1930 to 1941 [P4]
Resided with his family in a four roomed weatherboard house on JK FORRESTER's Cullens Farm, about 2½ miles east of town [P4]
His wages were initially £3/15/- however as the depression worsened they were reduced by a pound to £2/15/- [P4]
Usually rose each morning at 5:00 AM to get the farm horses fed, groomed and harnessed, and to milk the cow [P4]
Attended the funeral of Mrs Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
After leaving JK FORRESTER's employment he worked for the PMG Department as a Linesman in Wongan Hills [P4]
His wife and three children remained in Carnamah and lived in a rented house on Old Telegraph Road [P4]
In 1942 transferred to Carnamah where he continued to work as a Linesman for PMG [P4]
Resided with his wife and children at 15 Caron Street in Carnamah town, which was rented from Jasper W. GREEN [P4]
During the 1943-44 financial year purchased Edward HELLEWELL's house at 2 Caron Street and vacant block at 4 Caron Street [3]
The house and two blocks were Lots 41 and 42 of Victoria Location 1936 [3] and were purchased for £350 [P4]
Resided at 2 Caron Street, Carnamah from 1944 until his death in 1963 [P4]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1946 [13]
Member of the Carnamah Sub-Branch of the Returned Soldiers League in the 1940s and 1950s [52] [7: page 193]
Retired from his position with PMG in 1958, owing to ill-health [P4]
Father of Alex, Rachel and Bridie [P4]
Died 22 April 1963 in Carnamah; buried at the Winchester Cemetery in Carnamah in Western Australia (Row E, Plot 12) [1]
Following his death his house at 2 Caron Street was inherited by his daughter Bridie and the vacant block at 4 Caron Street sold [P4]
From The North Midland Times newspaper, Friday 26 April 1963:
Peaceful End For Resident of Carnamah
"A well-known Carnamah resident for many years the late Mr Dick Power died peacefully in his sleep on Monday. He had returned home in the middle of last week after spending 10 days in hospital following a heart attack. Mr Power was born in Waterford (Ireland) in 1895. He fought in the 1914-1918 war and married Miss Lilias Michie Straiton in Perth, Scotland. The pair came to Australia in 1925. For a time, Mr Power worked at Winchester and then spent 12 years in the employment of Mr J.K. Forrester. Following this, he was for 16 years a linesman of the P.M.G. Department, retiring at the age of 60. Since then he has enjoyed reasonable health. Last year he travelled to Melbourne to spend a holiday with his son and family. Mr Power is survived by three children: - Mr Alex Power, of Melbourne, whose children are John, Judith, Colin, Susan, Jennifer and Heather; Rachel (Mrs Lloyd Hughes, of Katanning) and her children Margaret and Keith; and Bridie (Mrs Dick Evans, Carnamah) whose children are Shirley, David, Richard, Rosemarie and Wendy. In his latter years, Mr Power resided with Mr and Mrs Evans and their family. Many friends gathered to pay their last tributes at the funeral last Tuesday, gathering at Carnamah and then proceeding to the cemetery at Winchester. He had been a loyal member of the R.S.L. and during the service the prayer of that organisation was read and the Last Post sounded. The pallbearers were Messrs. K. Sears, J. Peacock, B. Jackson, M. Franklin, R. Lounge and C. Joyce."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Richard Joseph Power' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 18 November 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/richard-joseph-power [reference list] |
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