Gillett

"I came across your history of Munglinup when I was trying to find out just when my brother, Douglas Russell GILLETT died [b 1945 – d 20.3.12]

I grew up on a farm in York, WA, and my family were near neighbours of Ken & Elsie FUSS. To the best of my knowledge my father, Robert Vincent GILLETT [b 1910 – d 9.9.1959], was granted land at Munglinup at the same time as Ken FUSS in approx 1957. At this time I was about 11 years old and Doug was 12.

I remember Doug and I having to walk behind the tractor & plough my father was driving when he first started clearing our allocated property at Oldfield/Munglinup . It was Doug’s and my job to toss any rocks and long branches to the side (while dodging terrified snakes). I cannot remember where exactly the property was, but it was between ‘Christies Beach’ [The story goes that this stretch of coastline was referred to as ‘Christies Beach’ as it reminded one of the early pioneer farmers of Christies Beach in SA], and an old house ruin near an old track & creek (mainly just the stone chimney remaining).

Not long after Dad acquired the land he had a very small tin hut built with the obligatory outhouse just a little way down slope from the hut. A large three sided machinery shed was built just up the rise from the hut. I recall visiting a nearby neighbour who had sectioned off one end of his large machinery shed with living quarters for he& his family.

My brother & I were mostly only at the Oldfield property during school holidays. The rest of time was spent back at the York property. I remember paper bark trees alongside creek beds; living on kangaroo meat; day trips to Esperance or Ravensthorpe for supplies.

The names: Gerjardt Frey; Hienz Eglar; Giles; Doyle; Dempster; Coxall, and especially Fuss & Pickersgill are familiar to me.

On 9/9/59 my parents were involved in a car accident during trip to Perth – Dad was killed. Mum was making plans at that time to leave us for good and return to her family in Vic, and Dad was going to move permanently to Munglinup with Doug & I (He wanted me to ‘keep house’ for him). After his death I still recall a trip to Munglinup. Attached photo of my brother (aged 13/14) in front of the hut. The small white van in background was one my mother bought as soon as we moved into the York township from the farm after Dad died. I was showing off my very first wrist watch I bought for 5 pounds on my 13^th birthday.

Doug left home when he was 13/14 to work on a farm south of York, and when I was age 13 (Jan 1960) my mother sent me away to a children’s home in Perth where I stayed until aged 16. We were never close as a family and I was not au fait with what was happening about family and property matters. I rarely saw my mother during that time, and my brother not at all.

I left WA as soon as I turned 21. I do remember prior to age 21 on a visit to Munglinup of having driven from the same Oldfield property [So, I assume my father’s allotment still in family hands] down to ‘Christies beach’ (a pristine beach with not another soul to be seen) and getting bogged on the way back to the farm. It was after dark when my brother found me and towed me back to the farm. At one time I recall seeing bales of rubber that had been washed up on this beach.

I don’t recall when the Oldfield property was sold, or who bought it. The last time I went back to the Munglinup area was in 1982/3 when along with my husband and our 3 children we flew over to WA for a short holiday and visited Doug at his property. I do remember that during that time, Margaret Pickersgill made a visit to Doug’s place."