Heberle Brothers
Cyril, Leslie, Eva, Ronald, Eric and Norman in Katanning WA 1938.
The four brothers where the sons of Leslie and Eva Elizabeth Heberle.
They also had a sister, Phyllis May Heberle, b 6.9.1915 d 21.10.2005.
RONALD LESLIE HEBERLE
24/12/1913 – 5/2/2004
Ron, Phyllis (bride), Frank Merson, Eva Ernestine, Perth 21.5.1938.
Ron married Pauline Emily Graham on 26.4.1946 in Katanning, W.A. (daughter of William and Thekla Graham), who worked in Richardson’s store in Katanning and Kojonup during 1939 and 1940 and on family farm near Narrogin between 1941 and 1942.
He was educated Perth and New Norcia before leaving school in 1927 to work as messenger boy for shoe shop, Ezywalkins. As were many at the time he was sacked in the Depression (1930) and took up fishing with his father at Furnisdale from 1930 to 1932 and went to Kalgoorlie with him in 1932. He then fished with his father and brother Eric in Esperance area from 1932, later fishing near Hopetoun. By 1937 he was fishing in Pallinup, Bremer, Cape Riche areas and was based at Katanning.
During World War II Ron joined the air force (6.7.1942) and was at Cunderdin May-August 1943 then graduated as pilot at Geraldton 10.12.1943. He was overseas from 29.1.1944 to 30.12.1945 in England and his service terminated 4.3.1946.
After the war he resumed fishing and married in 1946. Ron was a full time fisherman until 1968 then fished salmon seasons at Doubtful Island Bay and had other jobs in off season. He had jobs working for Hunts Cannery field harvesting operations 1968 to 1973, Mayne Nickless carriers, and also drove a tip truck. Ron retired from fishing 1992.
He had an interested in native orchids and had written papers on, and attended conferences, on orchids. Two orchids named after him, Caladenia heberleana “Heberles spider orchid” and Diuris heberlei “Heberles donkey orchid”. Both grow near Albany.
ERIC WILLIAM HEBERLE
18/9/1917 – 27/2/2003
Eric married Pearl Bain in 1946, however they were divorced in 1951 and he married Dorothy Florence (Doss) Hardingham (nee Newland) in 1980.
He went completed his schooling around Perth before working as Blue Cap messenger boy in 1931. He then went to Kalgoorlie in 1932 and fished with his father and brothers in the Esperance area from 1934 to 1937. Eric also worked on a farm at Boyitup near Ravensthorpe during this period. In 1939, he joined the navy before retiring in 1946 and resumed fishing in 1947.
He owned National Cafe in Katanning with Clarrie Daws until 1950, then built sheds around Katanning before becoming an insurance agent in 1950-52. He went on to manage a poultry farm in Wanneroo 1952-56, before taking up work for Waroona Abattoirs. This followed with time on a poultry farm for Diamond Ice at Wanneroo, then as a chef in north west W.A. at Barrow Island (WAPET) c1960-62, Marble Bar (c1966), Rippon Hills (c1970), and Telfer (c1975-77). In 1965 he cooked at 12 Mile Camp M.R.D. Wyndham WA and was involved in tree growing and establishment at Telfer until retirement at age 60 years in 1977.
NORMAN ALFRED HEBERLE
4/4/1919 – 9/11/1990
Norm married Violet Florence Quartermaine on 15.12.1945 in Katanning WA (eldest daughter of Walter W and Jessie SF (nee Treloar) Quartermaine, who was from a farming background, and they had four children: Ian b 1947, Ross b 1948, Kevin b 1950, Alana b 1955.
He was educated at St Joseph’s Convent and the government school in Katanning. He proved very good at sport having played football, cricket, golf, bowls and was the Inaugural captain of the Wanderers Football Club in Katanning W.A.
Norm was an excellent golfer and was club champion at Forrest Hill Golf Club in Katanning 16 years in a row – 1959 to 1974 and champion some eight times at Gnowangerup Golf Club. He also won club championships in bowls in Katanning and Gnowangerup as well as playing hockey. He was the golf champion for Upper Great Southern of WA in 1963.
Norm started work for Good, Durant and Murray clothes providers in c1934 and worked as cook at Gnowangerup Hospital from 1975 to 1985. He was in the army from 1939 to 1946 when he started fishing with other family members.
He also worked as cook in Strand Cafe in Katanning during 1947 and with Mobil Oil 1947 to 1957. He became manager of the Katanning Club in Amherst St and then went back fishing with his brother Ron in 1972. In 1974 he and Vi moved to Gnowangerup where he worked on farms and with the West Australian Government Railways when employed by then Station Master, Arthur Todd.
CYRIL ERNEST HEBERLE
13/1/1925 – 16/6/2004
Cyril and Margaret Ann (Peg) Heberle in Perth, August 1990.
Peg Heberle holding Malcolm, Phyllis, Rosalene, Margaret Merson, Cyril, and Judy Merson in Katanning WA c1956
Cyril married Margaret Ann (Peggie) Baxter on 11.9.1948, in Katanning ,and the couple had three children: Rosalene, Malcolm, Jennifer.
He went to school Leederville, Kalgoorlie, Hopetoun, Lake Grace and Katanning and fished with other family members in the Pallinup, Cape Riche, Bremer, Doubtful Island Bay areas between 1940 and 1947.
Cyril then worked for carriers Old and Cornish in Katanning for about 11 years before buying and operating the business as C.E. Heberle & Co, carriers and wood merchant from 1958 to 1978. The backbone of that business was delivering goods from the railway yard to the various Katanning businesses at the time. He sold the carrier business in 1978 and worked for the Katanning Shire as caretaker until retiring at 65 in 1990.
FURTHER READING
Heberle Brothers. Heberle Brothers.