Charles Holland

Information provided by Judy Carroll

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Charles Holland was born at 40 Maw Green Road, Church Coppenhall on 1890 son of William Holland (3) [John Holland (2) William Holland (1)] and Emma Hirst.

Departing England at the age of 21 on the old Orsova he first went to Geraldton and worked for William Burges as a farm hand on his Bowes Estate outside Northampton. When his property sold in 1912 he headed for Narrogin and went to work on the construction of the Wickepin - Merredin line.

However, the north of the state held an attraction for him and he returned there to take a job droving sheep from Port Hedland to Austin Downs (just outside Cue), which occupied the time of nine men for six months.

When war broke out he enlisted in the 11th Battalion on 28 January 1915 aged 25. He departed for the Middle East onboard HMAS "Horarata" 22 April 1915 and proceeded to Gallipoli. After the battle at the Peninsula, the 11th Battalion was split and Charles was posted to the 51st Battalion with the rank of sergeant. He was wounded at Paschendale in 1917.

Charles married Jane (Jean) Barnes on 28 January 1919 St Boniface, Bunbury, England daughter of Thomas Henry Barnes Thompson and Harriet Hewitt. They had known each other before he immigrated to Australia. Jean returned with Charles to Australia only to find thousands of unemployed thronging the cities, and all a grateful nation could offer was work on the roads near Wickepin. He managed to secure a farming property near the centre in 1920 but met with little success and was forced to take work with the PMG Department.

The Repatriation Department provided him with a farm in the Highbury district (Narrogin) in 1924, where he remained for the next 25 years until ill health forced his retirement. During this time he took a very keen interest in all activities in the Highbury district. He was President of the Highbury Sports Committee for a number of years during the period when the Committee conducted a number of successful sports meetings at the centre.

He was the foundation President of the Wheat growers Union at Highbury and during World War II, played his part by raising and training the Highbury Section of the VDC and acting as President of the Red Cross in that district.

Charles and Jane had two children; Betty Eileen Holland b. 22 April 1921 and Francis Henry Holland b. 1 November 1922 both born in Wickepin.

Charles Holland died in Narrogin on 22 April 1968 and is interred at the local cemetery.

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