My family’s first Easter holidays in the South West were in 1954. We travelled down south in the family’s Ford Prefect sedan from our home in Subiaco. My brother Bruce was age 4 and I was age 7.
This collection of holiday snaps is courtesy of the King family. The photos were taken with our mum’s Kodak Box camera which has been on display at Christian Fletcher GalleryDunsborough.
Our first road stop was at the small wooden Church of St Nicholas in Australind. The tiny building measuring just 3.6 metres wide and 8.2 metres long was originally built as a two-room cottage around 1844. Often referred to as Australia’s “smallest” church, it has been “heritage listed” and given full protection under the Heritage Act.
1954 Dad and Bruce with the family’s Ford Prefect parked outside WA’s tiniest church in Australind.
In Busselton Bruce & I played on the vintage ‘Ballaarat’ steam locomotive on public display in Victoria Square since 1937. The Ballaarat locomotive was built in Ballarat Vic in 1871 and used to haul timber in WA’s milling industry, the Ballaarat helped usher in the state’s first real railway. The Ballaarat locomotive is now proudly refurbished and on display in Railway House Busselton, WA.
1954 Bruce & Jim playing on the Ballaarat steam locomotive in Victoria Square Busselton.1954 Jim & Bruce on the beach Geographe Bay Busselton.
Our next road stop was the quiet coastal hamlet of Yallingup. We stayed in a historic Hammond cottage on Elsegood Ave on Yallingup Hill. The pioneer Hammond familyran nine holiday cottages on the hill in the 50s and maintained the original Tearooms, general store and petrol bowser on the beach front. The Tearooms & store later became known as Surfside.
1954 King family Easter holiday at Hammond Cottage Yallingup. L-R Jim, Bruce & Dad with the remains of a salmon caught earlier at Yallingup beach.
The annual salmon run at Easter time is a tourist attraction in the Capes region.
1954 Jim & Bruce on Valley Road Yallingupwith a salmoncaught in the bay at Yallingup. 1954 Mum & the boys in the gardens at Caves House Yallingup.
1954 Dad and the boys at the lagoon Yallingup beach. 1954 Dad and the boys at Canal Rocks Yallingup. 1954 Bruce at Canal Rocks Yallingup.
Our next stop was the camping grounds at Hamelin Bay.
1954 Dad & the boys camping Hamelin Bay.
Our mother was a dress maker and made our Hawaiian print board shorts (see next image).
1954 Bruce & Jim with a dhufish caught Hamelin Bay.
In the late 50s our family used to visit Dad’s brother and his family in Margaret River. I remember getting up early with my uncle and his friend to check cray pots on the local reefs before they commenced work. Normal size crays were distributed to friends and the larger jumbo crays were retained and cooked in the copper in the laundry.
By the mid to late 60s Bruce & were visiting the South West on a regular basis (under our own steam) chasing waves with mates.
My brother & I are now retired and live in Dunsborough.
My family’s first Easter holidays in the South West were in 1954. We travelled down south in the family’s Ford Prefect sedan from our home in Subiaco. My brother Bruce was age 4 and I was age 7.
This collection of holiday snaps is courtesy of the King family. The photos were taken with our mum’s Kodak Box camera which has been on display at Christian Fletcher Gallery Dunsborough.
Our first road stop was at the small wooden Church of St Nicholas in Australind. The tiny building measuring just 3.6 metres wide and 8.2 metres long was originally built as a two-room cottage around 1844. Often referred to as Australia’s “smallest” church, it has been “heritage listed” and given full protection under the Heritage Act.
In Busselton Bruce & I played on the vintage ‘Ballaarat’ steam locomotive on public display in Victoria Square since 1937. The Ballaarat locomotive was built in Ballarat Vic in 1871 and used to haul timber in WA’s milling industry, the Ballaarat helped usher in the state’s first real railway. The Ballaarat locomotive is now proudly refurbished and on display in Railway House Busselton, WA.
Our next road stop was the quiet coastal hamlet of Yallingup. We stayed in a historic Hammond cottage on Elsegood Ave on Yallingup Hill. The pioneer Hammond family ran nine holiday cottages on the hill in the 50s and maintained the original Tearooms, general store and petrol bowser on the beach front. The Tearooms & store later became known as Surfside.
L-R Jim, Bruce & Dad with the remains of a salmon caught earlier at Yallingup beach.
The annual salmon run at Easter time is a tourist attraction in the Capes region.
Our next stop was the camping grounds at Hamelin Bay.
Our mother was a dress maker and made our Hawaiian print board shorts (see next image).
In the late 50s our family used to visit Dad’s brother and his family in Margaret River. I remember getting up early with my uncle and his friend to check cray pots on the local reefs before they commenced work. Normal size crays were distributed to friends and the larger jumbo crays were retained and cooked in the copper in the laundry.
By the mid to late 60s Bruce & were visiting the South West on a regular basis (under our own steam) chasing waves with mates.
My brother & I are now retired and live in Dunsborough.
Happy safe Easter holidays everyone.
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