The Life of William Robinson (Bill Robinson):
The Sons of Gwalia Mine
Written by Glenn Munro, his Grandson – 11th August 2020
William (Bill) Robinson was born on the 9th February 1893, in Great Crosby, Liverpool, England. At the age of 15, he joined ‘The Boy’s Brigade’ and by the time he turned 18, he had achieved the ranks of both Sargent and Band Master. He was also a member of the 15th Liverpool Company, which I believe was the reserve army at the time.
William Robinson 15th Liverpool Company
His working life began early on the docks of Liverpool, however, sometime during his eighteenth year he decided to see the world and migrated to Western Australia. On the 19th November 1911, he sailed from London on the “Armadale”, a steam ship of 6,153 tonnes, arriving in the New Year at Fremantle Harbour. After disembarking, he proceeded to push his luggage on a wheelbarrow from Fremantle to the suburb of Cottesloe, a distance of more than 8km. Bill eventually made his way to the South West of Western Australia, where he was employed to clear the land on a local farm. He later moved inland to the Goldfields where he settled and began working on the Sons of Gwalia mine from March 1912. This began his 44-year career on the mine, as well as his considerable contribution to the local community of Gwalia, until he retired in 1956.
It was not long after moving to Gwalia, that Bill applied to the London Boy Scout Headquarters for permission to form a Scout group in Gwalia/Leonora. He received a Warrant Certificate to act as Scout Master on the 13th March, 1914, signed by the founder of Scouting, Lord Robert Baden Powell. In a letter, dated 27th November 1918, the Superintendent of the mine, John Adams, praised Bill’s efforts in training the Scouts to swim and to gain invaluable lifesaving skills. The letter also stated how one of Bill’s Scouts, Malcolm Eather (Patrol Leader), tried to rescue a boy, James Taylor, from drowning in the Malcolm Reservoir. The Patrol Leader was some 300 yards away when he heard James’ cry for help. Unfortunately, James went under before Malcolm could reach him, and he was unable to locate him in the 22 feet deep water.
William ROBINSON – Leonora Volunteer Defence Corps WWII
For the first 3 years of his life in Gwalia, Bill was employed shovelling, machine mining and timbering within the mine. He then spent 5 years as a Skipman, 5 years as a Shaftman, 6 months as a Mullock Boss, and 7 and a half years as a Shift Boss. At the aged of 42 years, on the 29th November 1935, Bill received his certificate as an Underground Supervisor, from the Mines Department of Kalgoorlie, a position that he remained in until retirement in 1956.
Grandpa shared with me a number of stories about his time on the mine. Whilst working as a Skipman, one of his tasks was to unload timber beams for bracing replacement in the main mine shaft. The skip, with Bill in it, was lowered to the section needing repair, where Bill would then unload the support beams and lean them against the mine wall adjacent to the line.
Bill Robinson and party at Gwalia
This process started at the lower end of the section to be repaired then the timbers off loaded as the skip ascended, as described above. After unloading many timber beams in this manner during his shift, suddenly the skip broke away from the wire rope used to lower it into the main shaft which ran at an angle of 46 degrees, the skip picked up speed hurling the timbers as it hit them leaning against the wall. It was now hurtling to the bottom of the mine with Bill still aboard. Grandpa new from previous accidents he was in big trouble, he was a religious man and he simply said “God Help Me” at that instant a timber beam fell in front of the skip which ground to a halt saving him from certain death.
Another story he shared with me, was from the time when he was a Shift Boss. Bill went into a shaft off the main shaft of the mine, where a man named Zenga was working alone. After checking in on him, Bill went into another shaft nearby where he knew there was a diamond drill hole to where Zengar was working. Bill placed his mouth against the drill hole and in a deep baritone voice, he said “ZENGAAAAAA!!! ZENGAAAAAA!!!” Soon afterwards, he returned to Zenga who was, by then, as white as sheet and looking around in fright for the source of the voice. Grandpa never told him the truth, so I’m sure Zenga would wondered about this for quite some time afterwards, I am sure.
Bill made an important contribution to Gwalia/Leonora community over the years. He became a Justice of the Peace (JP) on the 5th of October 1938 and continued serving the community in this role until his retirement. Interestingly, during his time as a JP, he also acted as the local Coroner in the inquest to a murder of an aboriginal man at Cosmo Newberry. The news article is to the right
Bill was also involved with St John’s Ambulance for many years and was awarded with Life Membership of their Association on 10th July 1956. He was also actively involved in the Gwalia Football Club and was awarded a writing ink set for his service as President of the club, in 1940. Bill also joined the Volunteer Defence Corps during WWII.
Bill had a great sense of humour, and he wrote entertaining poetry about local events in Gwalia over the years. Two of my favorites are “Kelley’s Eye” & “The Fruit Fly.” Both are enclosed for all to enjoy. Bill wrote the “Shift Bosses’ Chorus” which he, and the other shift Bosses, would sing at the Gwalia Pub to stir up the other miners – always in good humour, as he loved a laugh. I remember him singing the first couple of lines to me; “We are a mob of bastards, bastards are we.” Unfortunately, I never heard it all, so the rest of the song is lost.
Kelly’s Eye
Paddy was a Brace man on the Sons of Gwalia Mine
He threw a bonza party during Christmas forty-nine
The night was hot and sultry
The guests were very dry
So, Paddy mixed a cocktail
And he called it “Kelly’s Eye”
It was a great concoction
a very potent brew
So, Paddy said I’ll try it first
Here’s luck to all of you
The cocktail bowled him over
And he lay there like a lout
When he heard a voice say from far away
The Bald-headed blighters passed out
Then up he rose in righteous wrath
And gave a mighty roar
He told the guests to pack off home
And then he locked the door
There all alone the guests all gone
He gave a mournful sigh
To think he’d spoilt the party
Just through drinking Kelly’s Eye
Grandpa met his bride to be, Beatrice Martha Sheridan, in Gwalia and they married on 6th July 1915, in the Gwalia Methodist Church. Beatrice was from the Sheridan family who owned the Sheridan boarding house in Gwalia, where she & Bill met. By all accounts, they were an extremely popular couple, attracting a large crowd to both the church service and the subsequent reception.
Bill and Beatrice’s wedding in 1943 at Gwalia
The Fruit Fly
When winter comes you must take care
The fruit flies here beware beware
While underground the shift boss say
Will the hungry blighter come today
He’s fond of apple peach and pear |
Or any other fruit that’s there
And when the boss is not about
He empties all the crib tins out
Some day we will catch him you shall see
And paint his tail with DDT
So take a friends advice young man
And buy your fruit from old Ha San
Bill and Beatrice were both involved in the Choral Society in Gwalia. Bill having such a strong baritone voice, he very much enjoyed singing, amongst all his other social activities in Gwalia. Bill and Beatrice continued their involvement in the Choral Society even after they retired to Busselton.
Bill and Beatrice had two children, Fredrick Leslie Robinson (Leslie), born November 1916, and Marjorie Sylvia Robinson, born January 1923. Leslie and Marjorie both attended Gwalia Primary School. Leslie Robinson then attended high school in Kalgoorlie, before attending the School of Mines to be trained as an Assayer.
Bill & Beatrice with Leslie
Leslie married Dulcie Elizabeth Roy Millar (Betty), who was born in July 1918, and came from the Millar Sheep Station called “Desdemona”, near Gwalia. Together, they had three sons, Paul, born in 1941, Ian, born in 1946, and James, born in 1953. Interestingly, Leslie and Bill operated a small mine together on weekends. I don’t think it was very profitable, however, Bill named the mine “Moaning Martha” with his usual sense of humour, which coincidentally was also his mother in-law’s name. When the Second World War (WWII) began, Leslie joined the Army and served throughout the war. He later died in August 1967 and his wife Betty died of old age, in August 2015, having reached the age of 97.
W Robinson, Beatrice, son Leslie and daughter Marjorie.
Marjorie, Leslie’s sister, initially worked at the general store in Gwalia after leaving school. During this time, she met her husband, Gordon Munro who came to work on the wood line at Gwalia, he and Harry Chalmers used a crawler tractor and scoop to form the bank for rail tracks into the Mulga. the Mulga being cut to fuel the steam engine that powered the mine at the time. Marjorie later completed a business and bookkeeping course in Perth. Like her brother, she also joined the Army at the beginning of WWII, serving at Nungarin where armaments and supplies were stored for the war effort.
Marjorie married Gordon Munro in 1946. They had four children, including myself, Glenn born in 1947, my brother, Neil born in 1948, my sister Dianne born in 1954, and my youngest sister, Robyn born in 1956. Mum is still going at the age of 97 years. My Dad, Gordon died of a stroke on the 18th May, 1999.
Bill bought an old house in Gwalia, or perhaps from an abandoned mine, which he dismantled and had transported to Busselton. It was rebuilt on the block he purchased at 31 Dorset Street. My earliest memories were of a small hut which was built first on the block where Bill and Beatrice stayed until the old mine house was rebuilt. Bill and Beatrice rented the house to a couple with the proviso they left during Christmas holidays so that Bill and Beatrice could enjoy a holiday with us there. Eventually Bill built extra accommodation on the veranda and in the garage, which he rented out to people for holidays. This gave them a little extra income in retirement.
The home in Busselton
My parents (Gordon and Marjorie Munro) initially lived in Treesville, about 30 miles (48km), inland from Harvey. As a family, we spent many holidays in Busselton, using the original hut beside their home to stay on weekends. I also have very fond memories of spending all our childhood Christmases there with Grandpa and Nana (Bill and Beatrice).
Bill and Beatrice called their home in Busselton, “Gwalia” with the name displayed proudly on the front gate. After they retired there, they had an endless stream of visitors from the Goldfields. They continued their involvement in the community of Busselton through the Choral Society, the Methodist Church and Bill took up painting for the first time. Bill and Beatrice had lovely gardens around their home in Dorset Street, and Bill had his vegetable patch out the back and Beatrice, had her flowers out the front. They both loved Busselton and the climate must have been heaven for both of them after the cruel heat of the summer at Gwalia. Bill wrote a beautiful poem about Busselton and called it, “The Eden of the West”. They enjoyed 20 years at 31 Dorset Street, with the family coming to see them mostly from Perth All in all, this was a very happy time for them both.
William Robinson in his garden in Busselton
Bill briefly returned to England in 1973, after an absence of more than 62 years. At the age of 80, he was reunited with his brother, Tom Robinson and his sister, Mary Stuart Hughes of Hastings, for the only time in his life since leaving England.
Health issues later forced Bill and Beatrice to move to Perth in 1976, where they lived in an aged care facility, as Beatrice was diagnosed with dementia. True to his strong character, Bill moved into the aged care facility with his wife, even though he could have stayed with family. Sadly, Bill died on 30th Aug 1978, and Beatrice lived for five more years, passing, on 30th Jan 1983.
Bill’s gift to Gwalia was his total commitment to the community, through the many organisations he gave his time, including the Scouts, St John’s Ambulance, Choral Society, Gwalia Football Club, the Buffalo’s (a charity men’s club). His contribution as a Justice of the Peace, and to the Sons of Gwalia Mine also for more than 44 years. Regarding the latter, Bill was always the first person they called when there was any trouble or accident on the mine.
After discovering all the documents previously described, I realised, combined with my own memories of Grandpa, just what an outstanding citizen he was. Bill was a gentle, loving man with great sense of humanity, which is reflected in this brief history of his life. Bill asked little for himself but gave so much to others. His poetry gives life to the character of Gwalia and to Bill himself. I have written this brief story with pride – to honour and hopefully keep the memory of William Robinson alive for posterity.
by Glenn Munro (Bill’s Grandson) Contact gtmunro1@bigpond.com
William Robinson aged 80yrs
Moya Sharp
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