First Ten Years: 1930-1940
Written for Walpole Nornalup and District Historical Society Inc
by Life Member: Lee Hunter R.I.P, 2016
Imagine the Walpole district 85 years ago – heavily forested and almost unpopulated. Prior to the establishment of the Walpole Land Settlement Scheme in 1930 there were only 3 families living west of Bow River. The Bellangers had settled at Nornalup in 1910, the Thompsons at ‘Tinglewood’ on the Deep River in 1911 and the Swarbricks who came to Nornalup in 1919 and moved to Rest Point in 1926. This is the 90th anniversary year of the Swarbrick family settling in the district. They would welcome new settlers to the district.
In 1929 the Great Depression began. Its effects were to be felt for almost ten years. The Government was forced to find work for increasing numbers of unemployed through Relief programmes. In 1930 the Liberal Party was voted in and the new Premier James Mitchell, proposed a Special Settlement Scheme on land near the Walpole and Nornalup Inlets, land which he believed would be ideal for dairy farming. Despite the difficulties encountered by the previous WA Group Settlement Schemes of the 1920s, similar implementation plans were put forward for this new Scheme. These proved to be hasty and inadequate.
Surveyors were sent to the area and, in August, 1930, having been given concessional fares and 2 weeks’ sustenance money, 120 men in 3 groups arrived at Nornalup Siding, by train. They were then trucked via Nornalup Bridge (built in 2910) to ‘Main Camp” on what is now Pioneer Park, Walpole. These were unemployed, married men already living in WA and mainly from cities. They were to work on road- building and block=clearing for an initial payment of £15 ($30) per acre. By 1932 the rate had dropped to £5 ($10). The majority of men wanted to become farmers. A few were accompanied by their families who had nowhere else to live. All had very few belongings.
‘Main Camp’ was a tent village. Even the dining-room was two tents. There was a small tin shed for the blacksmith, Jim Snell, and a Depot to store tools, horse feed and seed for pastures. Bob Nockolds had a small tin shed as his store and Post Office. He soon replaced it with another on the site of today’s Pioneer Store (IGA). Bill Harrison relocated a farm house from Hazelvale, the first house to be built in Walpole.
Each homestead farm was a Free Grant of around 120 acres (48ha). After about 5kms of tracks had been cleared the Supervisor held a Ballot to allocate the adjacent blocks. Despite not yet being gazette in Parliament the first Ballot was held on October 14, 1930. 29 blocks then and 36 in the second ballot of November 12. One hundred blocks were eventually partially cleared. 85 of these were suitable for farming. The remainder converted back to the Forests Dept. Some were too difficult to clear; others had no water.
The new settlers were already in debt to the financier, the Govt Lands and Surveys Dept – 10 Survey fee, 20 office fee, the cost of a tent, second- hand tools (axe, mattock and shovel) and, later, a Metter’s No. 2 stove and water tank for the temporary 2- room iron shack with no floorboards, lining or furniture. Chaff bags were supplied free for beds.
Conditions were harsh. Trees were ringbarked, stumps were gelingnited.
Women helped plough, fertilise, plant seeds, cut hay. Farm, life was dangerous.
The first ‘mottley collection’ of Guernsey cows were allocated, one per farm, and in 1931 work horses were brought in.
They were shared on roster by at least 4 farmers and many died from old age, overwork or starvation. Initially free feed was available from the Depot but in times of poor pasture it was given to the cows. Later, feed had to be paid for.
Motor vehicles began to appear on the roads and tacks. Alf Jones had contracted to carry passengers and goods from Manjimup to the Bellangers at Nornalup from 1924 onwards, and cream from the farms to Nornalup in 1930. His Ford was known as the Tucker Truck.
Tourists to Tinglewood and Rest Point also braved the roads. By 1939 many settlers had cars or trucks that were replaced by horses because of fuel rationing during World War II.
By the end of 1932 the site for Walpole townsite had been selected, 3 schools had been built on North Walpole Road, Dr Bruce Burnside had settled at Nornalup, Nornalup Cottage Hospital run by Sr Jane Anderson had opened and many children had been born. The Walpole Sub-branch of the RSL had been formed and various social occasions, such as the Annual Boxing Day Picnic at Rest Point, were being enjoyed by the people of the district.
The name WALPOLE was confirmed in 1934; Central Hall was built as was the ‘Lady Walpole’ at Rest Point. The following year Bob Nockolds built a new store and Post Office and installed a telephone line from Nornalup. He also built 2 houses. Walpole was growing.
Also in 1935 the Cemetery opened. In 1936 ‘Red Lick’, a treatment of copper and cobalt to combat Coastie disease in cattle, had been found. The Big Fire occurred in 1937. It was a catastrophe that ruined many Walpole farmers. Soon after the Agricultural Bank took over farmers’ finances and issued mortgages – another blow.
The Butter Factory now wanted cream only, so in 1938 farmers started to raise pigs to supplement their meagre income and use up unwanted skim milk. Most farmers had 8 cows each. Winder and/or children milked the cows by hand.
Walpolians were finally recovering from the Depression years, when World War II broke out. This presented new challenges as men enlisted and fuel and food rationing began. Schools opened and closed according to staff availability; public transport (except the train) ceased; public works, especially road work, slowed; medical services ceased when the Nornalup Hospital closed and Dr Burnside re- enlisted. Eventually only 13 of the original settlers from 1930 were left. But undaunted, those who remained carried on. Others returned, new people arrived.
2015 saw the 85th Anniversary of the Walpole Land Settlement Scheme which, despite its difficult beginning, was the start of a very special place. It’s story is told, in part, in ’85 Years in the Making’, published by the Walpole Nornalup and District Historical Society in 2015, copies of which are still available for sale at $20.
