George McLeod
George McLeod Junior was born in York on 21 June, 1865 to ex convict George McLeod Senior and his wife Annie. He left school at a very young age to commence working with his father who had employed around 112 “Ticket of Leave” men.
George McLeod Jnr.
During the 1880’s George Jnr travelled to the Williams district with his father carting sandalwood and worked on the construction of the new Albany road.
The family moved to Katanning in the early 1880s. George Snr died there in 1917 and Annie in 1914. Her death notice, published in Perth’s Western Mail, read: ‘Mrs George McLeod, Snr, who came to Katanning with her husband and family 23 years ago, passed away on Friday Night, in her 74th year, leaving a husband, four daughters, and three sons“.
He excelled at hauling awkward loads of sandalwood and became a contract teamster from Northam to Coolgardie and is believed to have carried the first load of machinery to Menzies in the goldfields. He later extended that business to Kalgoorlie and Boulder. George also had a water condenser in Kalgoorlie stoked by George Bitmead.
The original single-storey wood and iron Katanning Hotel was erected in 1889 by Frederick Piesse and, on Saturday, 23rd January, 1897, the building was razed by fire and was soon destroyed. In 1898 George moved back to Katanning and purchased the freehold and goodwill outright of Katanning Hotel from F & C Piesse. He rebuilt the hotel and personally conducted the management for twelve years. The first copy of the Great Southern Herald was printed on 5 October 1901 and he was one of the twelve business men who advertised in that first edition.
In 1911, in order to free himself to attend to other interests, he let the hotel business on a lease and purchased the property “Capemont,” a farm within five miles of the town, of which he made a hobby and finally turned over to the management of his son William. Although he owned real estate in various parts of the district, his interests were centred in Katanning, and ultimately most of his capital was distributed amongst various business concerns in this town including the Katanning Stock and Trading Company (where he was one of the original directors), Lyric Enterprise Pictures, and the “Advocate” Printing Works.
PUBLIC LIFE
In 1906, George, along with five others, went guarantor for 2,500 pounds project to build the Mechanic’s Institute hall. A controversial 99-year lease was placed on it.
The following year he was elected to the Katanning Road Board district of Central West Ward and, in 1912, was elected chairman, a position he held 1912 to 1918, 1920 to 1922 and 1925 to 1928 making him, with 21 years, the longest serving member of the Road Board.
As Chairman, he called a ratepayers meeting in 1912 to discuss obtaining better hospital facilities which resulted in a public hospital being built in the town. Other positions he held during his time on the Road Board included chairman of the Red Cross Fund committee, chairman of the Health Board, member of the Katanning Hospital Committee, member of the Katanning Agricultural Society (vice-president for twelve years), member and president of the local racing club as well as president of the Katanning District Cricket Association for three years. He was also chairman of the Road Board Association of Western Australia.
FAMILY LIFE
George Jnr married Sarah Louise Lilley in 1890, who sadly passed away in 1898. The couple had three children.
The McLeod Residence
Built by L F Kleeman
He married Hester Elizabeth Cornwall in 1900 and McLeod built his residence in 1912, the design being that of well-known architect M Cavanagh of Perth, who also designed other buildings in Katanning for McLeod. The contractor for the residence was L F Kleeman. The McLeod’s lived in this house until the mid-1930s, after which time it was converted into a block of three apartments. In 1978 Geoffrey Ogden, the local pharmacist, purchased the property and restored it to almost the original condition.
George and Hester had a room at the top of the stairs of the where they could rest during the day. The McLeod children would come home from school at lunchtime to have a meal and sat at a table at the back of the dining room.
George Junior’s mother Annie McLeod around c1910 with her granddaughter Mabel Toms
The last two descendants of George McLeod Jnr living in Katanning included Ken McLeod and his wife Patricia, and Ann Yardley (nee McLeod) and her husband Brian. Ken passed away peacefully recently in Katanning.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The information on this page was researched by
Gillian J. O’Hara (nee McLeod) dcd. using, in part,
information by historian and writer Merle Bignell.
OBITUARY
Great Southern Herald
30 March 1929
Death of Mr. Geo. McLeod.
NOTABLE CAREER ENDED.
The death occurred with tragic suddenness at St. John of God’s Hospital. Subiaco, on Wednesday morning of Mr. George McLeod, Chairman of the Katanning Road Board and one who has been active in associated with the town almost since its inception.
Mr. McLeod went to Perth last week to witness the international cricket match, and on Friday was stricken with a heart attack. He was taken to the St. John of God’s Hospital, his wife and daughter hastening to his bedside, to find that he appeared to be making satisfactory progress. On Wednesday morning, a further heart attack occurred, from which he failed to rally.
Born at York (W.A.), Mr. McLeod was educated in his native town, and at a very early age left school to engage with his father in the sandalwood industry in the Williams district. For several years he continued to follow this and kindred pursuits, and in 1892 found his way to the eastern goldfields, where for seven years he was employed in the business of a carrier and contractor between Northam and Coolgardie, at a later date extending his operations to Kalgoorlie and Boulder.
Selling out in 1898, Mr. McLeod came to Katanning, and purchased the goodwill and freehold of the Katanning Hotel, at that period the only house of its kind in the town. For twelve years he personally conducted the management, and in 1911, in order to free himself to attend to other interests, let the business on a lease. In more recent years he purchased the property “Capemont,” a farm within five miles of the town, of which he made a hobby and finally turned over to the management of his son William.
In 1908 he was elected a member of the Katanning Road Board, and for many years occupied the position of chairman, for the latter portion of his life devoting practically the whole of his time to local government and various town matters.
Amongst other activities, he was a member of the Hospital Committee, vice-president of the Katanning Agricultural Society, and prominently connected with the Australian Natives’ Association. He identified himself closely with matters of sport and occupied the position of president for two years of the local racing club, and a similar position for many years on the Katanning District Cricket Association. Although he owned real estate in various parts of the district, his interests were centred in Katanning, and ultimately most of his capital was distributed amongst various business concerns in this town. Including the Katanning Stock and Trading Company, Lyric Enterprise Pictures, and the “Advocate” Printing Works.
His loss will come as a blow to the Road Board and the town in general, in addition to the sporting and public bodies in which, he was interested and supported liberally.
A widow, two sons, William and Ernest, and five daughters, Hester, Mollie, Marlon, Norma, and Jean, are left to mourn their loss, in addition to Sarah and Maud, children of the first marriage. His eldest son, Albert, was killed during the war. Two brothers, Jim and Dave, and three sisters, Mrs. Toms, Mrs. Budd and Mrs. Rogers, survive him.
The funeral took place on Thursday afternoon, the cortege leaving his late residence, in Blantyre Street, at 3.30 p.m., proceeding to the Presbyterian Church, where the Rev. J. R. Thrum conducted the funeral service, thence moving to the Presbyterian portion of the Katanning General Cemetery for the burial.
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