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Latest update: 5th March 2006 |
Cadet lines in Western Australia, 1851+
Charles Baskerville, Forester and timber worker of Busselton, Karridale, Boranup, Jarrahwood, Waroona, Cookernup, Wellington Mills, Jarrahdale, Treesville and Mundijong, WA
Charles Baskerville was a spring baby, born on the 9th October, 1881 in Busselton (1), the 7th child and 2nd son of Albert and Eliza Ann Baskerville. He was baptised nine months later at St. Mary's Busselton, by the Reverend Brown (2). Charlie was only five when the family moved overland to Bunbury, where he attended school until the family moved on to Karridale where he finished his schooling in 1894, and began work for the MC Davies Company at the Karridale mill painting timber and earning 2s 6d per week. He gained experience in the mill, and then transfered to Boranup, and then to Jarrahdene Later he went to Jarrahwood, which he reached by coach to Busselton, then WAGR (Western Australian Government Railways) train to Wonnerup, then by the "Jarrahwood Paving Company" railway to Jarrahwood. From Jarrahwood, he went to Newlands, taking part in the Donnybrook gold rush that fizzled out to nothing in the end. Prior to 1907, Charlie worked at many mills, including the 11 Mile mill of the Gill-McDowell Company at Waroona, and Hoffman's Mill, of the Yarloop group of mills, then back to Karridale, then again to Waroona, and then to William's Mill at Cookernup (3); all of these mills, with the exception of Karridale, being located in the Jarrah forests on the Darling Range escarpment between Pinjarra and Bunbury. Charles was in Perth in July 1906 at St. Bartholemew's Church of England in East Perth when he married Harriett Louisa Harman (4), daughter of Robert James and Mary Harman who had arrived from Victoria in the late 1890's to work in the timber industry (5). In 1907, Charles and Harriett went to Wellington Mills about 35 kilometres south east of Bunbury, where he was a rip-benchman. While here, Charlie lost some of his fingers to the mill's saw, and in compensation received a guarantee of employment for the rest of his working days. He was later appointed foreman of Wellington Mills until 1918, when he was made foreman of a new board mill at Mundijong, remaining there until the mill closed in 1929 at the onset of the Great Depression. He was then transfered to Jarrahdale as foreman of the 'No. 2 mill', both these small milling settlements being about 20 kilometres inland from Rockingham. In the December of 1930, Jarrahdale 'No. 2' was closed, and Charlie was sent to Treesville, an isolated mill about 35 kilometres north of Collie, and when this also closed in 1931, he returned to Mundijong, where he remained until returning to Treesville in 1935 as the depression was starting to lift. The following year he was back as foreman of Jarrahdale 'No. 2' and there he stayed until 1954 when, at the age of 73 years, he retired as foreman, but remained on at the mill as saw-filer until 1961, when at the age of 80 be retired from the mill (6). He stayed on at Mundijong in peaceful retirement until after his 90th birthday, when he went to live with his only daughter, Olive and her family in Redcliffe, a suburb midway between Perth and Guildford (7). He passed away in July 1972 aged 91 years, and was interred at Karrakatta Cemetery with his wife Harriett, who had predeceased him in 1955 (8). Charles and Harriett Louisa Baskerville had three sons - Victor, Albert and Robert and one daughter, Olive.
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