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Geraldton Historical Society Inc, 355 Chapman Road, Geraldton (2026)

17/10/2026

𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐀 𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐃𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐀𝐎𝐋 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐄?

One of Geraldton's most remarkable newspaper editors was born 161 years ago today, and his journey from a telegraph boy to a government minister was anything but ordinary.

John Michael Drew was born at Wanerenooka, near Northampton, on 17 October 1865.

Leaving school at just 15, he worked as a telegraph operator, later became a schoolteacher and eventually found his calling in journalism.

In 1892, aged only 26, Drew became editor of the Victorian Express, later renamed the Geraldton Express and Murchison Goldfields News. He subsequently became its proprietor, helping establish it as one of Western Australia's leading regional newspapers.

But Drew was no ordinary newspaper editor.

When a correspondent criticised a doctor at Geraldton Hospital, Drew became embroiled in a legal dispute. Rather than reveal the writer's identity, he refused and spent 14 days in gaol.

Even imprisonment did not silence his journalistic curiosity. During his confinement, he interviewed fellow prisoners and the colony's hangman, later publishing his experiences in a series known as his Jail Journal.

His influence extended far beyond the newspaper office.

In 1900, Drew was elected unopposed to the Western Australian Legislative Council, representing Central Province. Over a political career spanning more than four decades, he held several important ministerial positions, including Minister for Education, Lands, Agriculture and Health.

He also championed closer agricultural settlement in the Northampton and Chapman Valley districts, supporting the subdivision of large estates to provide opportunities for farming families.

In 1926, while responsible for the State Shipping Service, he travelled to Java and Singapore to encourage trade with Western Australia.

Despite his achievements in politics, Drew maintained a strong interest in the history and development of the district where he had grown up.

He died on 17 July 1947, aged 81.

From a young telegraph operator in the Northampton district to a newspaper proprietor, outspoken journalist and government minister, John Michael Drew's life was certainly an extraordinary one.

📸 John Michael Drew, 1927. Truth (Perth newspaper), State Library of Western Australia, catalogue b2455559. Public domain.

Iistory

14/10/2026

𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋?

Can you imagine attending a school where goats wandered through the grounds, children sometimes sat on kerosene tins, and an old explosives magazine served as a classroom?

These were just some of the challenges faced by pupils and teachers at Bluff Point School during its early years.

This week marks 113 years since Bluff Point School first opened its doors on 14 October 1913.

In the early 1900s, children living at Bluff Point faced a long journey into Geraldton to attend school. During winter, the roads often became so muddy that they were almost impassable.

Determined to change this, local resident Reginald M. Gibb wrote to the local Member of the Legislative Assembly in January 1912, seeking support for the establishment of a school at Bluff Point. His letter was accompanied by a petition representing 37 school-aged children, including two children of the Bluff Point Lighthouse Keeper.

Their persistence eventually paid off, and on 14 October 1913, the new brick schoolhouse opened with Richard C. G. Brown as its first teacher.

Built by contractors Jenner and Haffner at a cost of £718 11s, the school initially consisted of a single classroom. Its opening was reported in the Geraldton Express on 17 October 1913, followed by the Geraldton Guardian the next day.

As Bluff Point grew, so did the number of children attending the school, and accommodation soon became a problem. By 1917, enrolments had reached 60 pupils, prompting the unusual decision to relocate an old explosives magazine from Geraldton and convert it into an additional classroom in 1918.

The school grounds presented their own difficulties. Strong coastal winds continually eroded the soil, while wandering goats became such a nuisance that, in 1922, the head teacher enlisted the help of the schoolboys to erect a fence around the grounds.

Overcrowding remained an ongoing problem, and by 1929 conditions had become so cramped that some children were reportedly sitting on kerosene tins during lessons.

Despite these challenges, the little school continued to serve generations of Bluff Point families for more than half a century.

In March 1965, Bluff Point School finally relocated to its new site, bringing an end to an important chapter in the suburb's history.

Remarkably, the original 1913 brick schoolhouse survived, later becoming part of the Geraldton Camp School.

For many Geraldton families, this building represents far more than an old school. It holds memories of childhood friendships, favourite teachers, playground adventures and schooldays long past.

Do you remember the old Bluff Point School on Chapman Road?

Perhaps you attended classes there, your parents or grandparents were pupils, or you remember the building in its later years.

We'd love to hear your stories and see any old school photographs you might have tucked away. Share your memories in the comments and tag anyone who might remember those schooldays.

📷 GHS1298 The original Bluff Point School on Chapman Road, date unknown.

12/10/2026

𝗗𝗢 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗗𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗦?
DURLACHER STREET, GERALDTON

Have you ever wondered who Durlacher Street was named after? Behind this familiar street name lies the story of a respected magistrate, a pioneer of Geraldton cricket, a sudden death and a financial scandal that emerged in the months that followed.

𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗟𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗨𝗥𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗥?

Alfred Durlacher arrived in Western Australia aboard the Shepherd in 1838. He began his career as an Assistant Surveyor before holding several government positions, including Resident Magistrate at Toodyay.

In December 1865, he was appointed Resident Magistrate and Collector of Customs at Geraldton, becoming one of the town's most prominent colonial officials.

His responsibilities included administering justice, collecting government revenue and dealing with the challenges of a growing settlement.

Durlacher married twice. His first wife, Christina Slade, died in 1860. In 1864, he married Deborah Wilberforce Clarkson, daughter of Michael Clarkson and Jane Drummond. His two marriages produced eight children.

𝗔 𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗗𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧 🏏

Durlacher also helped shape Geraldton's early sporting life. In 1866, he and George Baston established what is believed to have been the town's first cricket team.

𝗔 𝗦𝗨𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗬𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛

On 15 November 1869, Durlacher became unwell after attending to his duties at the Geraldton Court. He went to Mr Crowther's premises to rest but later lost consciousness and died that evening.

His death shocked the district. The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times described him as widely respected, praising his kindness and hospitality. He was considered:

"the right man in the right place"

His funeral attracted a large gathering of Geraldton residents.

Tragically, Durlacher never met his youngest daughter, Miriam Dorothy, who was born several months after his death.

𝗔 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗦

In the months following his death, a government investigation uncovered serious financial irregularities involving more than £2,000 in public funds.

Evidence suggested that Durlacher had used government money to meet private expenses. The inquiry also exposed weaknesses in colonial government financial oversight.

Some later historical accounts suggest that his death may have been su***de, although the contemporary newspaper reports did not establish a cause of death.

𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗨𝗥𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧

Originally known as Greenough Road, the thoroughfare was later renamed Durlacher Street in his honour.

In 1881, the Geraldton Roads Board improved the road, while the Norfolk Island pines planted around the turn of the twentieth century became one of its most recognisable features.

More than 150 years after his death, Alfred Durlacher's name remains part of Geraldton's landscape.

Next time you travel along Durlacher Street, remember the remarkable and complicated story behind its name.

📷 Photograph: An early Geraldton cricket team, date unknown. Alfred Durlacher (umpire) and his son Fred are among those pictured. Geraldton Guardian, 23 September 1950.

08/10/2026

𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐃𝐓𝐎𝐍’𝐒 𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊’𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒’ 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄

For generations of Geraldton boys, it was simply “St Pat’s.”

Older photographs and newspaper reports often refer to the school as the Christian Brothers’ College, Geraldton. However, generations of students and locals knew it simply as St Patrick’s College, or affectionately as “St Pat’s.”

The story began in 1925, when Geraldton’s Bishop Richard Ryan appealed to the Australian Provincial of the Christian Brothers to establish a school for boys in the town. On 11 December 1925, Brother Celsus O’Donnell arrived in Geraldton to make the necessary preparations.

Accommodation in those first days was modest. A four-roomed cottage was converted into a dormitory, and the first boarder arrived on 31 January 1926. The school officially opened on 2 February 1926, and within a fortnight there were already 60 day pupils and 10 boarders.

The Christian Brothers initially operated close to the Catholic precinct in central Geraldton, with the first St Patrick’s junior school situated adjacent to the Bishop’s Palace. As enrolments increased, a much larger permanent college was needed.

The Bishop provided an 11-acre site, and in 1936 the imposing college building familiar to generations of Geraldton residents was completed at a cost of approximately £9,000. Its long arcaded verandahs and distinctive central tower made it one of the town’s most recognisable buildings.

On Sunday, 1 November 1936, the new college was formally blessed and opened by the Bishop of Geraldton, Most Rev. Dr James Patrick O’Collins. The foundation stone records it as the College of the Irish Christian Brothers.

St Patrick’s was not simply a school in Geraldton. As a boarding college, it drew boys from throughout the vast Mid West and northern regions of Western Australia. Students came from farming and pastoral districts, the Murchison and Pilbara, and from communities much further north. For many country families, St Pat’s became an important link between their isolated homes and secondary education in Geraldton.

Academics were accompanied by a strong tradition of sport, music, religious life and boarding-school camaraderie. By January 1937, the Geraldton Guardian and Express was already reporting the college’s successes in public examinations, with Geraldton students gaining high results alongside pupils from other Christian Brothers’ colleges throughout Western Australia.

For almost seven decades, St Patrick’s and the Presentation Sisters’ Stella Maris College educated generations of Geraldton boys and girls separately. During the late 1980s, planning began to bring the two traditions together, and at the beginning of 1994, the two colleges amalgamated to form Nagle Catholic College.

Although St Patrick’s College itself had closed, its story did not disappear. The former campus continued to have an educational role, and the original 1936 building has been retained because of its considerable historic and architectural significance. Its tower and sweeping arches remain an unmistakable reminder of the generations of boys who passed through “St Pat’s.”

📷 Christian Brothers’ College, Geraldton, April 1949. Courtesy of Beth Drayton nee Shilling.

𝐷𝑖𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑡 𝑃𝑎𝑡’𝑠, 𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑑? 𝑊𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑒.

05/10/2026

𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐘 — 𝟓 𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟔
𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐭𝐨𝐧

On 5 October 1916, Clarence John “Clarrie” Stokes enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force.

Clarrie was the son of George Stokes and Emma Jane Whitby. He was a 23-year-old railway employee, born in Greenough. He was unmarried and named his father, George Stokes of Bookara Siding on the Midland Line, as his next of kin.

His surviving enlistment papers provide a glimpse of the young man behind the service number. Clarrie was 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a pale complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. On 5 October he underwent his medical examination at Geraldton and was declared fit for active service.

Allocated service number 3218, Clarrie later joined the 48th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. He embarked from Fremantle in December 1916, travelled to England and, in July 1917, proceeded to France to join his battalion in the field.

His active service on the Western Front was tragically brief.
On 29 September 1917, Clarrie was wounded by shrapnel to the thigh. He was taken to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station in Belgium, where he died of his wounds the following day, 30 September 1917. He was only 24 years old.

His service record later recorded his burial at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, near Poperinghe, Belgium.

Today, 110 years after his enlistment, we remember Clarence John Stokes and the many young men of Geraldton and the Greenough district who left their communities to serve during the First World War.

🌺 Lest We Forget 🌺

📸 Private Clarence John “Clarrie” Stokes (1893–1917), 48th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.

𝐷𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑏𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑜𝑟 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒’𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡?

04/10/2026

𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐘 — 𝟏𝟒𝟖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐎

On 4 October 1878, Lady Julia Ord, wife of Governor Sir Harry Ord, laid the foundation stone for Geraldton’s new Government School on the corner of Fitzgerald and Sandford streets.

It was an important milestone for the growing town.

Less than two months earlier, on 13 August 1878, tenders had been called for the construction of the new “Geraldton School”. The plans were prepared by colonial architect Richard Roach Jewell, with speed of construction among the considerations when the contract was awarded.

The successful tenderer was R. Creswick, whose price was £1,859 14 shillings, while A. Stewart undertook the stonemasonry.

The substantial stone building was divided into separate sections for boys and girls, each containing a large and a small classroom, a reminder of the very different approach to education in the nineteenth century.

The Geraldton Boys’ and Girls’ School opened in 1879, with 59 boys and 54 girls enrolled. The Girls’ School was led by Theresa Strappini, while the Boys’ School was headed by Alfred Carson, who was just 19 years old.

Over the following decades, the school changed names, buildings were extended, and new classrooms and facilities were added, but remarkably, the original 1878 stone school building survived and remains part of the school complex today.

For nearly a century and a half, generations of Geraldton children have been educated on this historic site.

The foundation stone laid by Lady Julia Ord 148 years ago today marked the beginning of a building that would become a familiar part of Geraldton life and an enduring link between the town’s nineteenth-century children and the students of today.

Did you, your parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents attend Geraldton Primary School? We would love to hear your memories and see your old school photographs.

01/10/2026

𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗱𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱

On this day 60 years ago, Geraldton celebrated the official opening of its new Geraldton Regional Hospital.

Opened on 1 October 1966 by Western Australian Premier Sir David Brand, the new hospital represented a major step forward for health care in Geraldton and the wider Mid West. Its foundation stone had been laid on 4 December 1964 by Minister for Health Ross Hutchinson.

The opening also marked the beginning of a new chapter, replacing the old Victoria District Hospital, which had cared for generations of local families.

For those living nearby, the hospital was not just a major public project. It was something they watched rise from the ground.

Liz Blayney, whose parents Gordon and Joan Blayney lived in Milford Street, remembers watching the hospital being built and seeing the earthworks taking place around the site.

This wonderful photograph, believed to have been taken from outside the Blayney family home, captures that moment in Geraldton’s history. A brand new hospital standing amid largely open ground, before the surrounding area developed into the streetscape we know today.

Sixty years later, the hospital site remains closely connected with the lives of countless Geraldton and Mid West families, a place of births, recoveries, difficult moments, reunions and memories.

𝐷𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡, 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡 𝐻𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑟 𝐺𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑑𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑅𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐻𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙? 𝑊𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠.

📷 Geraldton Regional Hospital, c1966
Photograph and family recollections courtesy of Kate Campbell.

29/09/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐈’𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝟏𝟔 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟔 – 𝟐𝟖 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

David I’Anson was a wool classer, businessman, community leader, volunteer and much-loved family man whose life was marked by enterprise, humour, service and a genuine interest in people.

His story was beautifully recalled by his eldest daughter Tamra, who delivered David’s eulogy earlier this year.

David grew up on a farm north of Terowie in South Australia. Even as a boy, there were early signs of the entrepreneurial spirit that would remain with him throughout his life.

He earned two shillings a week in pocket money by milking the cows, although when he went into town he had a habit of forgetting to take it with him. He would borrow more on the understanding that he would pay it back, something he later admitted did not happen.

David also described one of his earliest “jobs” as selling eggs to his mother, despite the fact that she had purchased the chooks.

His sense of mischief extended to Sunday church. Given two shillings to place in the collection tray, David recalled pretending to put the money in while making the appropriate sound of coins being dropped.

David’s childhood changed significantly when his father died when David was only seven years old. His mother, Joan, later moved the family to Adelaide.

In Adelaide, David found work at a corner delicatessen that sold just about everything, including what the family remembered as the best double malted milkshakes.

After leaving school, he attended the Institute of Technology and studied wool classing. His great ambition was to become a farmer, and he travelled to Western Australia to work on his uncle’s farm at Greenhills.

Although his dream of owning a farm was never realised, his love of farming remained with him for life. In later years he would ring his son-in-law from the comfort of his armchair to offer farming advice, enquire how much rain had fallen or ask how many bags to the acre were being harvested.

After his time at Greenhills, David returned to South Australia and worked on his uncle and cousin’s farm.

It was around this time that he met his future wife, Mary, at the local swimming pool.

On Mary’s twentieth birthday, David had neglected to buy her a present, so he improvised by suggesting they get married.

Mary’s mother brought him up short with a simple question:
“What are your prospects?”
David replied:
“I don’t have any.”

After almost 58 years of marriage, he certainly proved otherwise.
Years later, when his daughters brought home the men who would become David’s sons-in-law, he made sure to ask them the same question.

Following their marriage, David and Mary came to Western Australia in search of their future and settled in Cunderdin, where David worked as a farm labourer for his cousin.

It was there that David’s entrepreneurial instincts came to the fore.
At the Cunderdin Hotel, he devised a contracting arrangement whereby he would provide an entire shearing team, including labour and a wool classer, provided the farmer supplied the shearing shed.

He also offered to provide two smokos and lunch for the workers at $7.50 per head.

By the end of the evening, David had reportedly secured work involving 90,000 sheep.

The farmers needed only to bring the sheep in and take them away.
Mary, meanwhile, found herself preparing the two smokos and lunch each morning for David to take out to the sheds.

David’s assessment of the arrangement was characteristically brief:
“Win, win.”

David became deeply involved in the Cunderdin community. He was a volunteer ambulance driver, enjoyed playing pennant tennis, and served as both Treasurer and President of the Cunderdin Tennis Club. David and Mary made lifelong friendships during their years there.

After around twelve years in Cunderdin, David felt he had “run out of puff” and began looking for new opportunities for his family.

In 1984, he saw an advertisement in The West Australian for a stationery business for sale in Geraldton.

Despite advice from their accountant not to proceed, David and Mary purchased Midwest Business Services.

David had never used a photocopier or a telex machine before.
Not long afterwards, fax machines began changing the way businesses communicated, and David adapted quickly. With his natural confidence and famous “gift of the gab”, he proved to be an instinctive businessman and salesman.

Midwest Business Services later became Office Choice and developed into a highly successful Geraldton business winning many dealer awards.

David and Mary remained in the business for 22 years before retiring on David’s 60th birthday.

But business was only one part of David’s contribution to Geraldton.

Over many years he gave an extraordinary amount of time to community organisations and public service.

David was an active member of the Rotary Club of Geraldton, a former president and was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow. He was also involved with the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, with the I’Anson family welcoming a number of exchange students into their home.

His other community roles included serving on the Midwest Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, as Chairman of the Midwest Games, and as Chairman and Board Member of the Regional TAFE Council.

David also served in local government, first as a Councillor of the City of Geraldton and later as a Councillor of the City of Geraldton-Greenough following the amalgamation with the Shire of Greenough.

His strong commitment to Geraldton’s history and heritage was particularly evident through his long association with the HMAS Sydney II Memorial and the Geraldton Voluntary Tour Guides.
He served as Chairman of the HMAS Sydney II Memorial Advisory Committee, as President of the Geraldton Voluntary Tour Guides, and was himself a volunteer guide, generously sharing history with visitors to the city.

David and Mary travelled widely and shared a life filled with family, friendships, community involvement and experiences.

David died on 28 February 2026, shortly before he and Mary would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary.

In a final touch of the humour that had accompanied him throughout his life, his family observed that, in true David form, he had left before having to buy another present.

But perhaps David himself provided the most fitting reflection on the life he and Mary shared:

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏, 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏.”

📸 David Ross I’Anson. Photograph featured on the rear of his memorial booklet; date unknown.

28/09/2026

✈️ 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬 – 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗫 “𝗦𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗧” 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗭𝗜𝗘

On 28 September 1948, Geraldton-born Flight Lieutenant Alex “S***t” McKenzie lost his life when a RAAF Catalina crashed on Lord Howe Island. He was just 25 years old.

S***t's story began in the Geraldton district, with family connections stretching through Bluff Point, Howatharra and Oakabella.

His mother, Lucy Madeline Taylor, was born at the Bluff Point Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage on 15 September 1892, the daughter of William Frederick Taylor and Amelia Masters.

Lucy married Alexander McKenzie in Geraldton in 1909. Alexander worked on the railways, first as a fettler and later as a ganger.

The McKenzie family had strong ties to Oakabella, Howatharra. S***t’s grandfather, Alexander McKenzie senior, had begun farming at Oakabella around 1904. When he died in 1934, the Geraldton Guardian and Express remembered him as one of the district’s “good honest toilers”, a highly respected pioneer farmer and a familiar figure on the local tennis courts.

On 22 April 1923, Lucy gave birth at Nurse Ethell-Olsen’s in Geraldton to twins. Two days later the Geraldton Guardian announced the arrival of the “twin son and daughter”, reporting that all was well.

The twins were Marjorie and Alex McKenzie, with Alex, later known to everyone as “S***t”, the youngest of the family.

For a time the McKenzies lived at “Oakabella”, Howatharra. S***t’s older brother Donald Mervyn McKenzie later wrote of their childhood and the realities of life for an ordinary working family. Few people owned motor vehicles, and travelling the approximately 18 miles to Geraldton, even for medical treatment, often meant going by train.

Their mother made the children’s clothes by hand and taught them from an early age to look after and repair what they had. Donald remembered Lucy as a:

“determined, physically tough, resourceful lady”

Both Donald and S***t suffered poor health as children. On the advice of Geraldton doctors, Lucy eventually pressed for the family to move south, believing the change would benefit her two sons.

In October 1928, the Geraldton Guardian reported that Alexander McKenzie, who had lived in the district for the previous 18 years and was employed on the railway, had been transferred south. His wife and their seven children had left the district the previous week.

Donald’s memoirs record that the family moved to Margaret River, making the long journey south by train with their household possessions.

S***t later developed into a good athlete and attended Collie High School, where Donald recalled that he achieved excellent results.

Known as “S***t” because he was short and slight of build, Donald wrote that his younger brother:

“made up for his small size by athleticism and energy.”

When the Second World War began, S***t was still a teenager but was determined to join the RAAF. Donald recalled that he entered the service at the age of 17 and was eager to become aircrew.

S***t went on to serve with the RAAF during the war, with Donald’s memoirs recalling service in New Guinea and throughout the Pacific, before his involvement with Catalina flying boats and Air-Sea Rescue operations.

He remained in the RAAF after the war and had risen to the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

On the evening of 28 September 1948, S***t was one of nine men aboard Catalina A24-381 of No. 11 Squadron, based at Rathmines, on a navigation exercise to Lord Howe Island.

After completing the outward leg, the aircraft developed a serious fuel leak during the return journey. The captain decided to turn back and attempt a landing on the sheltered lagoon at Lord Howe Island.

In darkness, while manoeuvring over the island, the Catalina struck the ridgeline below Malabar Hill at about 7.30 pm, careered down the slope and burst into flames.

Seven of the nine men aboard were killed. Two survived.

Among those who died was Flight Lieutenant Alex McKenzie, Service No. 38188.

Donald later recorded that S***t had been acting as wireless operator on the exercise and was awaiting discharge from the RAAF.

A memorial now stands on Lord Howe Island commemorating those who lost their lives in the crash.

Today, 78 years after the tragedy, we remember Alex “S***t” McKenzie, a Geraldton-born boy from a railway and farming family.

🌺 Lest We Forget 🌺

26/09/2026

𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐀 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐓 (𝐍𝐄́𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐎𝐍)

Louisa Eliot, née Clifton, was born in London on 26 September 1814. An artist and diarist, Louisa was a remarkable woman for her time, leaving behind her own written and visual record of life in early colonial Western Australia.

Her diary, kept during 1840 and 1841, recorded her family’s departure from France, their voyage to Western Australia aboard the Parkfield, and their experiences establishing themselves in the new colony. Her writing often reveals the same eye for landscape that can be seen in her artwork. On arriving at Leschenault Bay in March 1841, she wrote:

“We were all struck by the pretty aspect of the country at the mouth of the inlet and in parts along the shore. Masses of beautiful foliage grow down to the water’s edge.”

Louisa also sketched and painted the people and landscapes around her. Only a small number of her works survive, but today they are valued as important historical records of early colonial settlement in Western Australia.

It is this combination of artist and diarist that makes Louisa particularly significant. Through her own words and images, she left historians a personal record of nineteenth century Western Australia and a perspective that might otherwise have been lost.

Louisa arrived in Western Australia with her family in 1841 and married George Eliot the following year. After many years in the southern districts, Louisa and George moved to Geraldton in 1870, where George took up the position of Registered Magistrate.

For the next ten years, Geraldton was Louisa’s home, and the home associated with the Eliot family still stands today, providing a tangible link with her life here.

Louisa died in Geraldton on 12 October 1880, aged 66. Her death was clearly felt within the community. The Victorian Express wrote that during her ten years in Geraldton she had “endeared herself to all”, while her funeral was attended by many of the principal residents and settlers of the district.

Her funeral procession left the Residency at four o’clock, proceeded to the Episcopal Church and then to the cemetery. The choir sang “Just as I am”, noted as one of Louisa’s favourite hymns.

Although Louisa Clifton is remembered particularly for her association with Australind and the south west, the final decade of her life belongs very much to Geraldton’s story.

📷 Louisa Eliot, née Clifton, reproduced in the Western Mail, 24 March 1927. Courtesy of Trove, National Library of Australia.

Geraldton Historical Society Inc

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