Arthur TODD

Arthur Todd

Arthur Todd

Arthur Stanley Todd was the first born of Arthur Robert and Avis Jane (nee Osborne) Todd on Saturday, January 7, 1950, at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women in Subiaco {2}, Western Australia. He and his four younger siblings; Robert Francis, Norman Douglas, Aileen Marie (Hinschen) and Kay Lorraine Petrecivich (nee Todd), grew up in the Perth suburb of Doubleview.

He had a difficult home life, having to help care for his four siblings and his sick mother, however he enjoyed most of his free time at Scarborough Beach {2}. He started primary school in 1955 at North Scarborough Primary School (later Newborough Primary School) followed with three years at the adjacent Scarborough Senior High School. Arthur also spent several years with the Australian Air Training Corps as a cadet leading aircraftman during and after his school years.

On leaving school at the end of 1965, his first ‘real’ job was with the wholesale firm of Goode Durrant and Murray in William Street, Perth before starting a career with the West Australian Government Railways (WAGR) at Perth Goods in Melbourne Road, Perth as a Junior Traffic Officer.

In late 1969 he asked for, and received, a transfer to Katanning on the Great Southern Railway where, arriving in the early hours of a cold wet morning on the Albany Progress, he was met by Kevin Kinsella and taken to the boarding establishment of Mrs. G. Gawn in Avon Street.

His first position in Katanning was paymaster and ticket clerk and, at the time, there where 105 men and one woman on the Katanning payroll. Also at that time, there were four overnight passenger trains in each direction from Perth to Albany and return (Albany Progress and Albany Weekender) as well as passenger bus services to Bunbury via Kojonup, from Katanning to Pingrup and return, and from Perth to Esperance via Katanning and return.

In Katanning Arthur met Pauline Newbey, who was working in the railway goods office, and who was to become his wife and life-long partner. Pauline is the daughter of George and June (nee Moncaster) Newbey of Richardson Street and the couple have two sons and three grandchildren.

Late in 1970 he transferred to Narrogin in a similar position with the WAGR before transferring late in 1971 to Kondinin as Assistant Station Master. It was while stationed in Narrogin that he and Pauline were married on 20 March, 1971, at St Andrew’s Anglican Church {2} in Katanning. Arthur was also the honorary secretary of the Railway Institute in Narrogin.

After twelve months at Kondinin the young couple transferred to Geraldton Railway Station where their first son, Jason Graeme, was born. Arthur had taken up the position of Station Relief Officer at that centre, a position he held for about two years. He again took on the role of honorary secretary of the Railway Institute while in Geraldton.

Gnowangerup Railway Station

Arthur and Pauline then transferred to Gnowangerup Railway Station, which was the rail-head for the south-eastern agricultural region. At Gnowangerup he was appointed Station Master with life-long friend, Peter Jolly, his Assistant Station Master before Peter took up a position with the Agricultural Protection Board in Borden. Porter, Norm Heberle, was appointed to replace Peter. Their second son, Glenn Arthur, was born in Gnowangerup.

A further, and final, transfer with the WAGR, was back to Katanning, again as a station relief officer and then as Assistant Marketing Manager before resigning in 1982 to take up a position with the Great Southern Herald newspaper. He quickly worked his way up to Manager, a position he held for nearly twenty years. Under his management, the circulation and readership increased and the newspaper won several awards. Following his resignation from the newspaper he spent an ill-fated eighteen months at the BKW Co-op before taking up a position as station manager for Radio Station 6WB – 1071. During his time the turnover of the station increased ten-fold and it was able to employ a breakfast radio announcer based in Katanning

After nearly nine years in this position, a severe case of depression saw him hospitalised and invalided out of the work-force.

Now recovered, he has retired from the paid workforce but works full-time researching the history of Katanning and surrounding districts on an entirely volunteer basis. The work includes promoting Katanning as a tourist destination along with his tourism website “Route 120 – The pioneer Way“.

A Lifetime of Community Involvement

Arthur has been involved in community activities all his adult life including sporting and social clubs. Although having only a limited sporting ability he has held many committee positions throughout the community. These include:

Community Awards

Interview with Darryl Sinclair on Great Southern Radio’s “Talking Football,”
following the announcement of being inducted into the AFL Umpiring Hall of Fame.