Harvey Family. Harvey Family. Harvey Family.
1949 – 1975
Written by Teresa Harvey
In 1949, Phil and Audrey Harvey came from Kukerin to Kwobrup to start farming on a property previously owned by a William Ross, known as Roseburn. With their two children, Ronald and Gloria (now Jury), in tow they settled into what was going to be a busy life. Land had to be cleared to make way for cropping and running sheep. Also, only having horses made working the land tough. The only shed was all bush timber which would eventually be upgraded years later.
A few years on when a Fordson tractor was purchased it was like Christmas as this would lighten the work load. Cows were milked and cream was taken to the Kwobrup siding and put on the train to be taken away for sale.
Audrey, Phil, Ron and Gloria Harvey
Audrey and the horse called ‘Violet’ carted water from a soak hauled up by a rope and bucket and tipped into a tank she pulled on a trailer, then taken home and bucketed out on the garden. This was a chore but to have a garden, it was what had to be done.
In 1952, a massive hail storm hit and wiped out their entire crop and was a disaster financially, However, they managed to carry on and made it through the difficult year ahead.
Pauline Foster with Violet the horse
In 1954, Phil spent two terms as a councillor on the local roads board while Audrey also worked in the offices. Audrey also spent time working at the Badgebup store.
Ron and Gloria attended school in Nyabing, travelling daily on the bus known as ‘the butter box’ owned by Tommy Gillis. Gill McLaren then took over with an ex army ambulance painted in school colours. When the runs changed Charlie Wallace owned the bus.
Ron received the hiding of his life the day he decided he didn’t want to go to school and hid behind a tree, with Gloria letting the cat out of the bag the moment she stepped on the bus. We assume she paid for it later when she got home.
With Ron playing football and Gloria playing hockey for Nyabing, there was always time for catching up with friends far and wide.
In 1955, the district had bad floods and all the cleared land was under water with sheep up to their bellies in mud and water.
Annual holidays were always spent at Middleton Beach in Albany usually with the Ramm,s, but most other neighbours ended up there as well. Audrey and Phil enjoyed their tennis and played at Badgebup. They were also very keen football fans. they even painted their Ford Consul car red and white which were Kent colors at the time. Audrey was well known by the umpires as she often threatened them, running on to the field waving her umbrella.
Holidays in Albany – Audrey and Gloria Harvey
The local Agricultural Society was strongly supported by the Harvey’s where Audrey took off many prizes for her beautiful needlework, much of which her family still have today. C.W.A. was also something Audrey loved and was still heavily involved in when she moved to Katanning.
In 1971, while visiting family in Victoria, Phil was involved in a bad accident and spent many weeks in hospital. This took its toll on him and he never really recovered from it. In 1975, Phil and Audrey had had enough of the hard farm life and decided to retire to Katanning, where they lived for the next 25 years, coming out for Nyabing show days and visiting family regularly.
Phil Harvey with 1948 T Model
Gloria married her childhood sweetheart Norman Jury, after a six year courtship and went on to have two boys, Duane and Michael, who are still on the family farm (Tobruk) today.
In 1969 Ron married Teresa (nee Batt) and continued to run the farm as well as cocky shearing and many truck loads of mallee roots still to be picked.
Teresa worked at the Nyabing post office before they got married and then at the Badgebup General store. Ron and Teresa had two children, Bradley and Vicki. Both attended Nyabing Primary School and then later High School in Katanning.
They spent their holidays picking mallee roots for little more than a hot cup a soup under a tree in the middle of the paddock and always a promise for pocket money later.
Fred Foster at Badgebup
(Audrey Harvey’s Dad)
Brad lives and works in Albany. Vicki married a Pingrup local, John Jolley and manages a farm with their three children Caitlyn, Campbell and Seth.
These days Ron and Teresa don’t farm their land but they still live there and now have a more relaxed lifestyle and are planning a more permanent retirement to Albany.
