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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: John Bell on Tuesday 04 May 10 11:17 BST (UK)
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Can anyone help me with information about Totagin/Todagin near Merridin in Western Australia around 1913/14.
Henry Dumbrill was born in 1876 in Godstone, Surrey (I have him up to 1911 in the UK Census). At some time between 1911 and 1914 he migrates to Western Australia as a single man.
He joined the 11 Battalion AIF on the 29 August 1914 at Helena Vale in W.A.
He is recorded in the 1916 Electoral Roll but was fighting overseas by then so would have filled out his electoral application prior to 1914.
"Electoral Roll. Western Australia.
1916. Dumbrill, Henry Neville. 'Todadjin' Merredin, Market Gardener."
What was Totagin and what was going on up there around1913/14. What work would have attracted him and what would appear to be many other young men at the time, as a lot of men appear to have joined up in 1914 for WW1 from that area.
Dumbrill's background was a Royal Guardsman as a young man and living at home in Eastbourne with his family in 1911 as a 33 year old gardener.
I do not know if Totagin was a small town then, a workers camp or the name for a larger area and he just gave his previous occupation on the electoral form. On return from WW1 he mainly worked for the Railways for the rest of his life.
I have most other records for him (WW1, WW2, Electoral. Post Office address) but if this man is known to anyone I would like to hear from them.
Regards,
John
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Merridan is a rural town and Tangedin is the name of a small town. It could also be the name of a farm. There is a Totadgin Conservation Park.
http://www.merredin.wa.gov.au/about
A regional map on this site may help you.
http://www.wheatbelttourism.com/en/Maps.htm
Cando
Edit to add url for maps.
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John I really think it is just an area south west of Merridan. I live in a rural area very similar to the area around Merridan - mainly wheat growing. Many years ago we had a post office, small school, sports area and hall, today there is absolutely nothing...the area is now part of a 640 acre paddock. Try http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&tab=wl Search for Merridan and using the satellite view, you will see it is all farms. Perhaps he was a farm labourer...and it would have been hard work in 1916.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merredin,_Western_Australia
I see from your profile you are located in WA....I probably didn't need to give you the links ;D
Cheers
Cando
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Totadgin is 5km south of Merredin, as to what he was doing there he was either farming or working on the Kalgoorlie pipeline; it was too late for the building of the pipeline (1892 -always remember that because it was the year Grandma was born), however he could have been employed on maintainance of the pipe.
Google "Kalgoorlie pipeline", C Y O'Connor "golden pipeline" or goldfields pipeline; I'm sure something will come up.
Denn
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Denn there doesn't appear to be a town as such - it was obviously gazetted at one stage but nothing there now - not even a grain receival depot. Could it have been a railway construction camp for the narrow gauge railway which runs south of Merredin which appears to be under threat of closure
http://www.merredinmercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/farmers-fight-railway-closures/1731078.aspx
Cando
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Having re read the original post I see that he was listed as a market gardener. At that time it is possible that pipeline maintenance workers were stationed there, also as Cando says there was a narrow gauge rail but I can't find when that began, another possibility is telegraph workers.
However being so far from Perth fresh veges would of necessity be locally grown and in such a climate as the wheat belt water had to be a major consideration and it seems that Tontadgin may have been a suitable place for a market garden http://www.planbooktravel.com.au/attractions/wa/merredin/totadgin-dam-reserve
Denn
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Telegraph reached Merredin in 1892 and the railway station buildings [part museum] date from c1913.
On return from WW1 he mainly worked for the Railways for the rest of his life.
He was a farmer post WW1 and appeared with an Elsie only once on the electoral roll. He is buried in Karrakatta as is Elsie, but not in the same location. The Grantee of Henry's grave, tenure now expired, was Ethel Rose WORTHINGTON. His daughter born 30 Oct 1918, according to her WW2 enlistment.
During his enlistment period he married a widow in the UK -
Marriages Sep qtr 1918 - 18 Jun 1918 according to his WW1 service record.
DUMBRILL Henry N
AMOS Elsie Epsom 2a/98
On his WW1 enlistment his occupation is farmer and he was still a farmer in 1925.
Australian Electoral Roll
1925
DUMBRILL Elsie Wish Farm, Caversham HD
DUMBRILL Henry Nevill Wish Farm, Caversham Farmer
1925
DUMBRILL Henry Nevill Witchcliffe Permanentway
In 1919 he stated he had a dependant wife and four children and two stepsons applied for passage to Australia. The two boys stayed and married in WA.
I note that consistently throughout the files the name is Nevill....no 'e'.
Curious about your man when I read his files....and that is why I love helping others and learning about their ancestors. ;D
Cheers
Cando
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Hi Denn & Cando,
Mary thanks for your contributions, all helpfull.
I had not thought about the pipeline Denn so thank you for that and yes Cando he had a block of land in Benara Rd, Caversham after WW1 before working for the WAGR for the rest of his life, mainly in Margaret River, while his wife lived in Caversham/Guildford.
I have not as yet found out when he arrived in W.A but one day that info will turn up no doubt!
Best regards,
John
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John I place my bet on him being a farm labourer ;D
I have trawled the outgoing passenger records from the UK from 1911 to 1916 for DUMBR* and nothing shows except for Elsie and children Ethel Rose and Dorothy Nora embarking from London on the OSTERLEY on 21 May 1919 for Australia.
Cheers
Cando
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1925
DUMBRILL Henry Nevill Witchcliffe Permanentway
This had me puzzled - what was meant by "Permanentway" however a quick google came up with the following from Wikepedia "The permanent way is the elements of railway lines: generally the pairs of rails typically laid on ties"
Looks to me as though he was both farming and maybe supplementing his income on the railways.
Denn
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Denn - thanks for the explanation of permanentway - I thought it was something do with with railways. Later electoral rolls to 1943 show him living at Margaret River, with occupation fettler.
Cheers
Cando
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Denn & Cando,
Yes, he found time during the war to duck over to England from France in 1917 and marry a woman with several children and then bring them out to W.A after the war.
Regarding the 'Permanent' way' address..."Margaret River Railway. Official Opening 7 Nov 1924. More than 40 miles of permanent railway were officially added to the State Railway Systen today when the Busselton-Margaret River section was declared open for traffic..."
Prior to this there was a network of private railway systems servicing the timber industry in the area, mainly from Flinders Bay to Margaret River. These were taken over, reconditioned and then connected to the Busselton line.
Regards,
John
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I got side tracked and came across this http://www.dumbrill.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Magmum-Opus-6th-Ed-Part-A.doc
The only thing of obvious interest is that these Dumbrills also came from Surrey.
Denn
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Interesting link Denn.
John...The marriage details already on thread - Sept qtr 1918 and daughter Ethel Rose was born 30 Oct 1918.
Do you need any other help?
Cheers
Cando
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Kondinin WA
could this be the place
sylvia
Corrigin
Australian Electoral Rolls, 1903-1954
Henry Nevill Dumbrill
Male
Electoral Year1916
StateWestern Australia
Dampier
Northam
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I have just phoned an elderly friend of ours who has a remarkable memory and was born and brought up on a farm at Doodlakine (just west of where the Totadgin reserve now is) she indicates that there was definitely no town or farm of that name, however she suggested a railway siding - it certainly fits in. Also the fact she would have known almost any family residing within many miles and that most railway workers would probably have been itinerants.
Denn
I wish I had more contacts like her.
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On a tangent again!
It seems that Doodlakine with a population today of less than 30 was once suggested as Australias national capitol.
http://www.merredinmercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/doodlakine-the-forgotten-national-capital/1389897.aspx?storypage=0
Denn
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Thanks for the info Denn, particularly there not being a farm by that name in the area, sort of narrows things down a bit, sounding more like a siding. As far as I can ascertain Merredin was just a railway station at the time and not much more but set to grow.
John
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Deleted as the post I was replying to appears to have disappeared ::) Quite odd.
Cando
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Hi John,
I am currently in the process of editing a history of the Totadgin Belka district in Western Australia. My father is the author - his father was a pioneer of the district. Henry Dumbrill is noted on the WW1 Totadgin Honour Board. Please contact me, so that I can forward some info to you re Totadgin.
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Hi John did you find the arrival information for John Neville Dumbrill because I have a copy on ancestry 1914 was arrival alone. Then in 1919 Elsie arrived with two children. Ethel Rose is my husbands mother. I have only just joined here not sure if private chat anywhere but look forward to hearing back from you.
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Welcome to Rootschat worthingtonLisa.
You will need 2 more posts before you can use the Private Message system. John Bell should have received a notification that you have replied to his thread.
Judith
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Thank you Judith ;) :-[ :P
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Hi Leakay,
My apologies for being so long in replying to you. I somehow missed your reply and it is only yesterday (when another reply came in) that I read your message regarding Henry Dumbrill's mention of the Totadgin Honour Board.
Some years ago I did phone and write to the Merredin Shire to see if somebody could snap a photo of the board, if it still exists, and email it to me but unfortunately I never heard back from them.
I would be thankful for any information as to whether the Honour Board still exists or any information on Totagin.
Thanking you for your reply.
John.
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Hi WorthingtonLisa,
As a favour I have been gathering information on Henry Dumbrill for one of his descendants (one of your relatives no doubt) since at least 2010 and I would be interested in the information that you have on his arrival to W.A.
I had chased up a couple of leads on a Dumbrill arriving in W.A. but they prove not to be the right man.
If you reply on this forum one more time (as judb as previously detailed) I should be able to send a PM (Personal Message) to you and give you further details that I have gathered over the years... if it would be of any interest to you!
Best regards,
John.
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Hi John I will see now if I can save a copy of each item to send once private chat.