Mr Thomas Clarkson

I was born in 1911 in Newcastle-on-Tyne in England where I lived until 1930 when I boarded the ship the "Orvieto" for the journey to Australia. During this journey I celebrated my 19th birthday and can remember that the Cadbury 1lb chocolate blocks cost 1 shilling and a bottle of scotch was 7 shillings and 6 pence.

An Uncle of my Mothers was already living in Australia at this time. He had been working in Queensland but during an early bank crash in 1905 he sailed to Albany. He then worked his way to Kalgoorlie, travelling by horse and dray when possible, or walking. He was spurred on by 'gold fever' and eventually opened a grocery business in Boulder. When I disembarked in Fremantle my Uncle was there to meet me and he took me back to Boulder to work in his family business.

In 1932, at the age of 66 my uncle died of pneumonia and at the request of my mother I stayed at Boulder to help run the business with my cousin, to whom it had been left.

Apart from the usual grocery lines the shop also sold hardware, wines and spirits. A 'Gallon Licence' was issued to grocery outlets in those days which meant that you were not allowed to put liquor in single bottles, it had to be bulk purchased. Only pubs were allowed to sell single bottles of beer, which cost sixpence, or a glass of spirits, which you poured yourself and cost 1 shilling.

In 1932 gold was worth 7 pounds 17 shillings and 6 pence an ounce. A large 'find' was discovered at The Diggings and shares became available. I bought some of these shares and the profit I made from this deal enabled me to return to England for a three month visit. When I returned to Boulder my cousin then went to visit Japan for a holiday. Over the next few years another store was opened in Kalgoorlie and I earned a quarter share in the business.

In 1937 I met and married Elwyn, a trained nurse, and in 1938 our son, Gerald was born. Gerald is now a veterinarian and has a practice in Melbourne.

During the war years I joined the RAAF and did my training in navigation, bombing, air gunnery, morse code, etc, and finally emerged as a fully fledged Flight Lieutenant (navigator). Active service took me to Balik Papan in Borneo; New Guinea; Morotai Island which is west of New Guinea and also to Darwin after it was bombed. At one stage, when my squadron was carrying out surveillance work off the N.S.W. coast, we were based at the gracious homestead of the McArthur-Onslows (related to John McArthur of merino wool fame).

I love travel with a passion and in Coronation year (1953) Elwyn and I sailed on the "Orcades" to England. The Australian Cricket team were also on this voyage, including Lindsay Hassett, Don Bradman and Ritchie Benaud. From England we travelled across to France where I, as a member of the Rotary Club, represented the "Food Industries Groceries Retailers" at a convention in Paris.

By 1968 more grocery businesses were making their presence felt (names such as Tom-the-Cheap, Coles and Charlie Carters) so Elwyn and I decided to sell up and move to Perth. We settled in Cottesloe where every morning for the following 18 years I enjoyed a morning swim. Sadly in 1975, following a long illness and devoted home nursing, Elwyn passed away.

Between 1976 and 1988 I made several visits to the UK once on the P & O liner the “Canberra”, twice by plane (a Boeing 707 and then the Boeing 747) and in 1979 I cruised on the P & O liner, the “Oriana”, via the Panama Canal, Mexico, Vancouver and the west coast of the U.S.A. It was a wonderful cruise.

My interests over the years have included swimming, travelling, the Rotary Club, bowling, being a member of Legacy and also of Hannan's Club in Kalgoorlie. I am also an Honorary Member of the Manly (NSW) Surf Club.

Since living in Perth I also worked for a stockbrokers for two and a half years and in 1992 I moved to my present home in Wembley.