I was recently contacted by Dorothy Maude Rodoreda (nee McMeikan). She told me of her very interesting family history story from Yunndaga (Woolgar). Her great-uncle, Richard Goninon, was the mine manager of Menzies Consolidated Goldmine for some 25 years from about 1900 to 1925. She had photos of the Manager’s Residence next to the mine and the tennis court and gardens, which she is sharing with us, along with her family story and more photographs from her family album.
Dorothy’s Grandmother’s name was Alice Maude McMeikan (nee Potter). Her husband, William Giles, was the accountant at the mine.
In the mid 1970’s Dorothy and her husband Jim took their young sons for a trip back to Yunndaga (Woolgar) to find the homestead, but unfortunately it had been knocked down only 6 weeks before because it became dangerous. The remains were scattered around and the nice front door was lying on the ground.
An afternoon of tennis at the Mine Managers House Woolgar 1920’s
Tennis Court next to the Mine Managers House at Woolgar
This is the remarkable story of two sisters, Alice Maude and Evelyn Potter. It all began in 1896 when William Giles McMeikan travelled to Menzies from Mt Macedon in Victoria, like so many others, in the excitement of the gold discovery. His brother Robert McMeikan, also joined him (not sure how long after, but Robert had lost his wife earlier in Victoria). In November 1896, William returned to Melbourne to marry the love of his life, Alice Maude Potter. They were married in Albion House, Parke St, South Melbourne. When they returned to Menzies they had to live in a tent, as did so many others, until they could get a house. William was an Accountant and Land Broker.
Alice McMeikan nee Potter
William McMeikan
Their first child was Roy McMeikan born in 1897 in Menzies. Roy was Dorothy’s father. He was lucky he survived the Typhoid epidemic. In 1905 a daughter Alison Mary McMeikan was born in Wiluna and also survived.
Mr and Mrs Richard Goninon, Manager of the Menzies Consolidated GM and her nephew Roy McMeikan on a Sunday outing in 1914
Alice was to lose three of her children to Typhoid. One of her sons, Eric George McMeikan, d 20 Nov 1900 age 15mths and is buried in the Kalgoorlie cemetery. Evelyn Maud McMeikan, d 13 Jun 1902, age 9mths and Robert Kenneth Agnew McMeikan d 5 Jan 1909 aged 12 mths are both buried in the Menzies cemetery.
Bike Riding Menzies 1900 L-R Mr Moore, Alice McMeikan, Dr Paul, Annie Tregear is on the far right on her left is Sister Edith (the Doctors assistant)
When things were getting tough for Alice, she asked her sister Evelyn to come over to WA to help her. Evelyn came to the rescue and of course, when she met and married Richard Goninon, it was such a help for them with all the goings on at the mine residence in Woolgar.
Richard and Evelyn Goninon married in Perth 1900
Alice and William, and their two remaining children, Roy and Alison lived in Woolgar until 1916 when Roy enlisted in the AIF. He went to first to Blackboy Hill to train and then to England for more training and then to France and Belgium on the Western Front. He was in the 19/11th Reinforcements. He was seriously injured on the 23rd August 1918. He was in the Battle of Amiens in the Machine Gun Section and returned to England to recover in Hospital
William Roy Bishop ‘Roy’ McMeikan age 19yrs
Alison Mary McMeikan in 1916 age 11yrs
In 1916 Alice and William moved to Quairading in the Central Wheatbelt of WA where William worked as Secretary of the Roads Board. Owing to some very unfortunate circumstances they moved to caretake a property further east. This property at Babakin had been taken up by William’s brother Robert McMeikan, who moved there with his son James Reginald in 1912. The land was being taken up for wheat and sheep farming. Unfortunately Robert died suddenly on the property in 1914. James Reginald also joined the AIF and was injured at Polygon Wood. After the war the two boys returned to Babakin. The decision was made for William and Alice to stay where they were on the property which they had named “Macedon” and Reg took up another property further east and named it “Polygon Wood” .
Roy and Reg were in the Voluntary Defence Corp (VDC) in Ardath .WA. Picture taken in 1942 not long before Roy’s fatal accident. Roy is first on the left and Reg is behind him.
It was very hard for them to be so isolated after their life on the Goldfields and Will had no experience in farming and the little dwelling was very primitive. However Will used his skill in carpentry to improve things as best as he could. Will was also a Methodist Lay Preacher and it wasn’t long before many new friends were made. Soon after they had a very hard-working man named George Smith, who was on a Ticket of Leave from England, as their worker.
When Roy and Reg returned from the War the decision was made to make a go of it as the doctors had advised them that work in the open air would be best for their recovery. They were both very strong men and Roy was a good cricketer in the district.
Roy McMeikan with his five children at Macedon
The First Little home at Macedon.
In 1925 Roy married his love, Doris Dixon from Claremont. Will and Alice stayed on until 1928 when they moved to live with Evelyn Goninon in her Nedlands home. By now Roy and Doris had two children, Robert (called Bob) and Bryce. Their third child Ailsa was born in 1931 then John in 1932 and lastly Dorothy Maude in 1934.
Wedding or Roy McMeikan and Doris Dixon 1925
1936 was a very sad year. Doris suddenly became very ill and was taken to St. Hilda’s Hospital in Fremantle where she passed away from Pancreatic Cancer. Roy’s mother Alice, came back to the farm straight away to look after the family. Only three months later in June William was to pass away during an Asthma attack at the Nedlands home.
William McMeikan with his first grandchild Bob at Macedon.
The decision was made for Roy and his mother Alice to soldier on with George Smith to help them. By now Alice was 68 years old. One can only imagine the hard work with all the children to care for with very little conveniences. Alice was a clever sewer and made all the children’s clothes. They all went to the Babakin School and had to be at the bus stop by the gate at 7.30 each morning.
Somehow they managed to get help for Alice in the house. A young lady named Mary Christianson came to the rescue and she was loved by all the children. In 1940 Evelyn helped to finance a new house on the farm.
Things went along relatively smoothly until 1943 when Roy met with a terrible accident whilst ploughing with his team of horses. He had gone up to the leading horse to adjust the haimes when something frightened the team and they bolted knocking Roy down, trampling on his chest and the side wheel ran right over his wounded head.
We are not sure how long he lay there with his faithful dog “Digger” beside him. When we came past in the school bus in the afternoon, he was still lying in the paddock. Neighbours came quickly to the rescue and he was taken to the Bruce Rock Hospital on a mattress on the back of a truck. Roy was so badly injured that he passed away whilst being carried up the steps of the hospital.
Through all this George Smith was still with us. He organised all the work of the clearing sale.
That was the end of our life on “Macedon”
There is a tragic end to the story with the two sisters Alice and Evelyn living in Evelyn’s Nedlands home and raising the five children of Roy and Doris McMeikan.
Dorothy and husband Jim at Roy’s grave in the Bruce Rock Cemetery
With the help of Aunt Alison who had been living with Evelyn, the three wonderful women raised all the McMeikan children and lived to see them all married.
Alice McMeikan
In April 1956 just two months after the last wedding, Alice passed away peacefully in Tresillian Hospital Nedlands. She was 87. I don’t know what happened to George Smith only that he moved to live in Perth. I didn’t see him until the day of Alice’s funeral. When we were all standing at her graveside we looked up and standing there in his worn old brown suit and hat, bent over on his walking stick was faithful old George.
Aunt Evelyn lived on at her Nedlands home until 1966 when she passed away at the age of 103.
Moya Sharp
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