| Notes |
- Charles Farquharson Baxter
Charles was the seventh child and fifth son of, Patrick Duncan Jane Barnes and was born in Penshurst VIC on 27 May 1874. His father, Patrick, was the first School Master and later Postmaster at Penshurst. He was also appointed as the Deputy Registrar for Births, Deaths and Marriages for the Mount Rouse District. At the time of Charles birth the family resided in Burckett St.
Charles was educated in and spent his early years in Penshurst. As a young man he was an enthusiastic and successful cyclist and won a number of road races in Victoria. This interest in cycling later led him to establishing a bicycle sales and repair business in later years.
Sometime around 1893, he and a mate left Penshurst and travelled, by ship, to Albany WA The story goes that by the time they reached Adelaide they were short of cash so they decided to enter a couple of cycle races, as novices, to earn a bit of pocket money. They managed to borrow a couple of bikes from someone and entered a couple of races and managed to win about Ä5.0.0 each. As soon as they got their prize money they headed back to the ship as fast as they could before someone woke up to the fact that they were both professional riders.
On arrival at Albany, he obtained work as a ganger on the Great Southern Railway Line which, runs between Perth and Albany. While working on the railway line he obtained a contract to carry out repairs to the Overland Telegraph Line, between Esperance and Eucla. This line was the only form of communication, other than shipping, between Perth and the cities of the eastern states. After several years in WA he returned to' Victoria and started work in Melbourne as a butcher for (Bill) William Charles Angliss. He eventually became the manager of one of Angliss butcher shops. Although he left the business, he and Bill Angliss remained firm friends for the rest of their lives.
While he was working in Melbourne, he met and courted Jessie Minnie Millsore. Jessie was employed as a tailoress in a men's clothing factory. They were married at Kew VIC on 13 December 1896. After they married he and Jessie took up residence in the accommodation over the butcher shop, which he managed. However, this accommodation was totally unsuitable for Jessie. In those years butchers used to render all the fat for tallow and the smell of boiling tallow used to make Jessie violently ill. Eventually Charles decided that he would give up butchering and he would do something else.
Through his cycling racing circle he learned that a cycle agency was for sale in Kalgoorlie. Apparently it was already established the owner had died and his widow wanted to sell out in order to get some money to return to England. He decided to purchase this agency.' and they would both go to WA. However, during the negotiations Jessie found that she was pregnant. It was then decided that she would remain in Victoria to have the baby while he would go ahead, takeover the business running and find some accommodation. Jessie and the baby would join him when they were fit enough to travel. In early 1901 he left for WA to take over the business, which was located at 30 Piesse St, Boulder. It was subsequently named 'Baxter's Cycle Agency'. At the time the huge gold mining boom in the Kalgoolie and Boulder area was just beginning and there was a strong demand for bicycles, which was the main means of transport for the miners. The agency was so busy that he asked his older Duncan (ka "Don') assisted him to run the business.
After Charles left for WA, Jessie returned to her parents' home at Korumburra in the Gippsland district of Victoria. Jessie's parents, Robert and Harriet Millsom, ran a small mixed farm in the district. Her mother was also the district midwife. They had moved from Melbourne some years earlier where Robert, was a carpenter.
On 26 September 1901 Jessie gave birth to their first child Dorothy Maude, at Korumburra. Jessie and Dorothy travelled by steamship to Fremantle arriving there in February 1903. Owing to the unreliable shipping schedules Charles was not there to meet them but arrived a couple of days later, which did not please Jessie, and took them back to Boulder. While they were at Boulder their first son, Charles Farquharson Russell, was born on 20 November 1902. This business must have proved to be quite a profitable venture, as he seemed to have made sufficient money from it to purchase a farming property.
In 1904 he purchased, a 2023ha, homestead property, named 'Whitehaven', from T.C. Hodgson, a Water Supply Department Engineer. Only about 16 hectares had been cleared when he made the purchase. The property, (still known as 'Whitehaven') is located 28 km south of Cunderdin and about 16 kms from Quairading. For the next 11 years he cleared and improved the property and turned it into a viable farm. In order to earn extra income while establishing the farm he caught, broke-in and sold 'brumbies', which roamed around the property. Their three younger children, Robert Barnes, Jessie Norman Eric and George Whitehaven, were all born in Perth but taken back to the farm soon after they were born.
In early 1913, Charles attended the inaugural meeting of the Farmers' and Settlers' Association which was held at Kellerberin. The purpose of this meeting was to form a political party and as a result the first 'Country Party.' branch in Australia was formed. Later that year he unsuccessfully stood as a Country Party candidate for the seat of York in the Legislative Assembly. In May 1914 he stood for the Legislative Council, as a Country. Pare, representative, and was elected as the member for East Province. He held this seat for 36 years unopposed. He was also the first Country Party member to be elected to an Australian Parliament.
After his election to Parliament, Charles and the family moved to Perth and took up temporary, residence in St Alban's Av, Highgate. As Charles still owned 'Whitehaven' he needed someone to manage the property for him (The whereabouts of Duncan (Don) seems to be unknown but he would seem to have been the logical choice for this position) However, in 1915, another of his older brothers, Robert Leys, who was an Auctioneer at Penshurst VIC moved to WA, with his family and took over as manager. Also in that year Charles purchased a home at 23 Vale Rd, Mt Lawley. This would be the family' residence until late 1952.
In 1924 Charles sold 'Whitehaven' and purchased a 404.7ha farm at Waeel Siding, located midway between Cunderdin and Meckering on the Perth to Kalgoorlie railway line. His eldest son Russell, who attended Narrogin Agricultural Collage then later Hawkesbury Agricultural Collage near Richmond NSW, was established as manager. Russell had been working on 'Whitehaven', which at that time was being managed by a Jack Gooch. With the aided of a married couple Russell worked the Waeel property until his youngest brother, George Whitehaven, joined him Together they worked the farm, which was named, 'Ellerslie'. In 1928 they were joined by their second eldest brother, (Bob) Robert Barnes, and the three brothers continued to work the farm until 1931 when Bob took it over.
During his long political career Charles held several ministerial portfolios; Minister for Agriculture, 1919 - 1912, Minister for Water Supply, and Chief Secretary in 1931 - 1933. In 1919 as Minister for Agriculture, Charles he introduced the Gram Elevators Bill, which was the forerunner of bulk handling wheat in WA. Unfortunately this bill was defeated on the floor of the house due to lobbying by several city interests, particularly Westalian Farmers Pty LId, which was involved in handling wheat sales. As a result this legislation, which would have revolutionised the handling of grain in Australia was not passed until 1932. Prior to the introduction of bulk handling most grain was handled in, three bushel, jute bags. Each bag of wheat when rammed and sewn, weighed about 82 kg's and had to be manhandled, as there were very few mechanical lifting devises in those days. Had this bill been introduced in 1919 it could have saved a very large number farmer's and grain workers from back and neck injury.
He also held a third interest in Mt Edith cattle station, about 3,000,000 acres, on the Robe River in the West Pilbara for several years, with partners; William Charles Angliss and Alfred Everett Neave. He was also parner in a leather and saddlery supplier; Basnett and Garland Pty Ltd, in King St, and a senior Director of the British Traders' Insurance Co.
Charles died of cancer, in St John of Gods Hospital, Subiaco WA, on 2 March 1950. Adrienne Shooter was still alive as at June 1999.
Sources
1. Norman Eric Baxter, (3rd Son)
2. Helen Pauline Cotterill, (Granddaughter)
3. Ramon James Baxter (Grandson)
4. Various WA newspaper cuttings
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1874 - 1950 (75 years)
