Totagin, Merredin, W.A

[dennford]

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

[cando]

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

[John Bell]

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

[dennford]

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

[cando]

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

[maidmarianoops]

Kondinin WA
could this be the place
sylvia

Corrigin

Australian Electoral Rolls, 1903-1954
             Henry Nevill Dumbrill
Male
Electoral Year1916
StateWestern Australia
Dampier
Northam

[dennford]

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.

[dennford]

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

[John Bell]

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