George Albert Dunkley
Name: DUNKLEY George Albert
Date of Birth: June 8, 1864
Birth Location: Burton Latimer, Kettering, Northamptonshire, England.
Date of Death: August 10, 1919.
Age: 55 years
Death Location: Nurse Browns Hospital, Bunbury.
Date of Burial: August 12, 1919
Denomination: Anglican B
Row/Grave: Row 7 / Grave 91
Grave Transcription:
In Loving Memory of
GEORGE
Beloved husband of
HARRIETT DUNKLEY
DIED 10 TH AUG. 1919
AGED 55 YEARS.
——————————
Also
FREDERICK WILLIAM
Beloved son of the above
DIED 1 ST JULY 1912
AGED 13 YEARS
——————————
And
RUBY
Their beloved daughter
DIED 20 TH JULY 1913
AGED 20 YEARS
Father: Henry Dunkley born: 1835 Cranford, Northamptonshire, England. Died: Unknown
Married: October 29, 1858, Kettering, Northamptonshire.
Mother: Lucy “Sophia” Arthur born: 1837 Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. Died: Burial – May 23, 1869, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire.
Grandfather (Father): William Dunkley born: 1807 Cranford, England. Died: December 22, 1886, Burton Latimer, England.
Married: October 18, 1832, Isham, Northamptonshire.
Grandmother (Father): Hephzibah Palmer born: March 20, 1810, Isham, Northamptonshire. Died: November 5, 1885, Burton Latimer, England.
Grandfather (Mother): James Arthur born: 1807 Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. Died: December 20, 1885, Northamptonshire, England.
Married: April 7, 1828, Warkton, Northamptonshire.
Grandmother (Mother): Ann Bagshaw born: 1809 Warkton, Northamptonshire. Died: April 1852, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire.
Siblings:
Frederick William Dunkley born: c.1860, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire. Died: December 21, 1913. Buried Busselton Pioneer Cemetery. Married: Middlesex, England, December 24, 1881, Clara Bessie Broomfield.
Henry Dunkley born: c.1862, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire. Died: March 11, 1932. Buried Karrakatta Cemetery, Western Australia.
George Dunkley born: c. October 1862 Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire. Died: Burial April 8, 1863, St.Peter and St. Paul, Kettering, Northamptonshire.
Frank Dunkley born: December 18, 1865, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire. Died: Burial July 7, 1868, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire.
Spouse: Harriet Amelia McLeish born: August 17, 1870, Launceston, Tasmania. Died: February 9, 1947. Buried Capel Cemetery.
Married: May 19, 1886, Victoria.
Children:
Sophia Elvina Dunkley born: 1888 Williamstown, Victoria. Died: November 21, 1927. Buried Capel Cemetery. Married: 1925 Perth, Charles Cassimer Babb.
George Alexander Dunkley born: 1891, Footscray, Victoria. Died: March 12, 1945. Buried Yelbeni Cemetery. Married: 1916 Perth, Victoria Fitzgerald Conder.
Ruby Elizabeth / Hepzibah Dunkley born: 1893, Footscray, Victoria. Died: July 19 ,1913. Buried Capel Cemetery.
Thirza Netherlea Dunkley born: December 15, 1896, Footscray, Victoria. Died: December 3, 1995. Buried Capel Cemetery. Married: 1919 Bunbury, Edwin Raymond “Joe” Upson.
Frederick William “Bill” Dunkley born: 1899, Footscray, Victoria. Died: July 1, 1912. Buried Capel Cemetery.
Henry Thomas “Brown” Dunkley born: October 20,1902, Footscray, Victoria. Died: March 1, 1956. Buried Capel Cemetery. Married: 1926 Bunbury, Ursula Roberts Shiel.
Frank Stirling “Pat” Dunkley born: December 23,1905, Bunbury, W.A. Died: August 4, 1956. Buried Wagin Cemetery. Married: 1933 Fremantle, Vera Treloar.
Alfred Ernest “Alf” Dunkley born: June 17, 1908, Bunbury, W.A. Died: October 17, 1998. Buried Capel Cemetery. Married: 1940 Perth, Gwenyth Clarinda Negus.
Unnamed Male Dunkley stillborn: October 31,1910, Bunbury, W.A. Buried Bunbury Pioneer Cemetery.
Occupation: Farmer
Their Story:
Henry Dunkley was the second of five children born to William and Hephzibah Dunkley, who lived in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. William was an Agricultural Labourer. Henry had an older sister Sarah and three younger brothers, William, George Thomas and James Palmer. It appears Henry started his criminal activities at the age of 18, when he was convicted to three weeks hard labour for stealing a tame rabbit. Henry’s trade was as a shoemaker.
Henry married Lucy Sophia Arthur, (known as Sophia) in October 1858, at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Kettering. Sophia was the youngest of James and Ann Arthur’s children. Her older siblings were Joseph, Elizabeth and Thomas. Her family also lived in Burton Latimer. Sophia and her sister were lace makers and her brothers both agricultural labourers.
Henry and Sophia welcomed their first child Frederick William Dunkley in 1860. It then looks like they might have had twin boys, as both Henry and George are listed as born in 1862. It was around this time that Henry snr. was convicted to nine months hard labour for stealing 4 bushels of wheat. Sadly, little George died, April 1863 at seven months old. Their next child, George Albert was born in June 1864 and their last child, Frank was born December 1865. Once again Henry snr. was convicted for poaching in 1866. Little Frank died in July 1868. Sophia must have had a very hard life, trying to bring up her three small sons. Sophia died in May 1869 and was buried in Burton Latimer, leaving Frederick 9, Henry Jnr. 7 and George 5.
In September 1869, Henry snr. was convicted of leaving his family and received 42days hard labour. This seems to be the end of the family unit as in the English census of 1871, George Albert is living with his grandparents William and Hephzibah, and his brother Frederick William is living with his Uncle William and his wife Elizabeth. It is not clear where brother Henry is living. The 1881 census shows George Albert is still living with his elderly grandparents, as is Henry although he is listed as a nephew but appears to be the right age to be George’s brother. Both boys are now working as agricultural labourers. Frederick William is working as a coachman and is listed as a lodger at 206 Carlton Road, Middlesex. On Christmas Eve of 1881 Frederick marries Clara Bessie Broomfield in Middlesex. Henry snr. has been in and out of prison at regular intervals but is now serving 5years hard labour in Pentonville Prison.
Sometime between the 1881 English Census and May 1886, George Albert Dunkley came to Victoria, Australia. George initially worked at the Metropolitan Board of Works in Melbourne. He married Harriet Amelia McLeish in Melbourne, on May 19, 1886. George worked as a dairyman in Dover Road, Williamstown and this is where George and Harriet welcomed their first child, Sophia Elvina Dunkley, in 1888. By the time their second child, George Alexander Dunkley, was born in 1891, they had leased a small farm in Rye. Harriet had gone to her sisters in Footscray for the birth. George grew vegetables for his family, milked cows and grew hay. Harriet put the milk down the well to cool before she made butter which George took, along with the excess vegetables to Melbourne in his wagon, to sell. He would try to bring back a load in his wagon for someone in Rye to help get some extra income. In 1893 and 1896 daughters, Ruby and Thirza were born at Harriet’s sisters Footscray home.
Around this time, the lease of the farm in Rye expired and George bought a small farm in Carrum near the Patterson River. The family moved into the house which had a big yard with chooks and a tall hedge that had to be kept clipped. Whilst George was clipping the hedge, a thorn pierced one of his eyes. He had very limited sight in this eye for the rest of his life. There was another good well that Harriet used for cooling the milk, before making butter. George and Harriet worked hard on their farm, growing cabbages, cauliflowers, swedes, turnips and potatoes. They milked about 30 cows and grew hay. George had a carthorse called Tommy that he used on the farm and for pulling his wagon and a pony for riding.
The Dunkley farm was not far from the coast. Occasionally a ship was wrecked, and the cargo would wash ashore. On one of these occasions, George went with his wagon to salvage anything useful that had washed up on the beach. He found a barrel full of whisky, which he loaded on his wagon and bought home. Word must have spread that Dunkley’s had a barrel of whisky as it was stolen from the farm. George somehow got his barrel back, still full of whisky and took it to the local hotel where he had it bottled and sold.
Another son, Frederick William Dunkley was born in 1899, again at Harriet’s sisters’ home. The Dunkley family had now grown to five children, 3 daughters and 2 sons. The three eldest children would have been going to school. As the children got older, they had to help with the milking before and after school. On Saturday afternoons there were weekly chores to be done in the house and around the yard. Harriet liked things to be neat and tidy. Sometimes their aunties and uncles came to visit, bringing cousins to play. On Sundays Harriet took the children to the local Presbyterian Church. George always had plenty of work to keep him at the farm but if he needed Harriet to come home, he had a brass bell which he rang and home she would come! On Sunday evenings Harriet would get out her hymn book and the family would sit around her piano and sing. She had never had lessons but could play by ear.
George and Harriet worked hard and saved their money, hoping that one day they would be able to buy more land and expand their farm. Another son, Henry Thomas was born in October 1902. The following winter, the Patterson River burst its banks and flooded across the Dunkley farm and surrounding area. The Dunkley’s vegetable crops and hay fields were underwater ruining any chance of making an income from the sale of these. The haystack was also flooded. A couple of weeks later after the water had receded, the haystack caught alight and burnt. George and Harriet decided the time was right to look elsewhere for farming land. George had seen an article in the newspaper about land becoming available in Southwest, Western Australia. George came to Western Australia, to the Stirling Estate near the small town of Capel and liked what he saw. On his return home to Carrum, he sold his small farm and some of his milking cows. George cried when he had to sell his cart horse Tommy, but they couldn’t afford to bring everything. The household belongings were packed into the wagon for the trip. The family, their pony, 13 milking cows and all their belongings in the wagon, went to Williamstown the night before they were to board the “Pilbarra”. George put the 13 cows in the Botanical Gardens overnight. He thought this was a great holding pen!
Harriet’s sisters came to wave the family off at the wharf. The “Pilbarra” sailed across the bottom of Australia, calling in at the port of Adelaide on the way. The 7 day journey was rough, and Harriet was seasick, spending much of the time in the cabin. George and George Jnr. kept the cattle and pony fed and watered, whilst Sophia and Ruby were in charge of milking the cows each day. The younger children were probably confined to the cabin with Harriet for safety. After 7 days the family disembarked at the Port of Fremantle, Western Australia, ready to start their new adventure.
After spending a night in Fremantle, George loaded his family, their animals and the wagon filled with their belongings onto the train and headed for the Wonnerup siding in the Southwest. When they arrived at Wonnerup, George went to hire a draught horse to pull the wagon. Mr Pries at Sabina River hired George a draught horse and the family were then on the move. It was the end of February 1904. George had decided they would head to Manjimup. He had heard that the land in this area was rich and fertile and as the Stirling Estate land did not get released until the following year, he thought this might prove worthwhile. George, Harriet and their six children headed for Nannup, camping under the wagon, with a tarpaulin over the top to give some shelter. Sophia and George Jnr. took turns riding the pony and keeping the cattle moving in the right direction. Harriet and the older girls milked the cows. Harriet made damper in the coals of their campfire at night, making sandwiches for lunch and bread and milk sprinkled with sugar for dinner. When the family eventually arrived at Winegup, they camped at the farm of a Mr Giblett, who had an orchard with grapes, passionfruit and other fruits. He kindly told the family to help themselves. Harriet was able to do the washing in the river, she liked to make sure everything was right. George and George Jnr. had gone on the 2 horses to look at the land and surrounding area where the family were going to live and farm. On their return, Harriet questioned George about what he had seen. He told her there was a siding, but no school or town in the area he wanted to farm. This did not impress Harriet, she had read in the newspaper about the new Busselton Creamery, that would make the farmers butter and buy any that was excess to their needs. She thought this a much better option than living in the bush. She and George must have discussed this at length. Harriet asked the children and made the decision. Shortly after, the family were on their way back to Wonnerup. Once again George went and saw Mr Pries who leased him a small farm at Pidgeon Grove on the banks of the Sabina River. It had a little stone house near the estuary for the Dunkley family to live in. Sophia, George Jnr., Ruby, and Thirza walked to and from school in West Street, Busselton. Sometimes the Locke family would pick the children up on the way.
George ran the small farm and worked around the district to earn an income. He must have bought a bull to increase his small herd. Bill and Brown were too young to go to school. The two little boys probably showed great interest in all that George was doing around the farm. It appears that George’s older brother Henry had come to Western Australia at a similar time to George and Harriet. He is listed as a labourer in various places around the distict.
Trove Article – Acquisition of Land on Stirling Estate
In Autumn 1905, the Stirling Estate was opened for sale. Applications were made to the government, and the land was then allocated, to be paid off over 25 years. The Dunkley family received low lying lots near the river on the Stirling Estate. Shortly they were on the move again and left the leasehold in Pidgeon Grove, packing the family and belongings in their wagon and droving the cattle along the coast road to their own land on the river at the Stirling Estate. Here the family lived in a tent made from a tarpaulin over a big log which made the back wall. Winter was wet and cold on the low-lying ground. Harriet was pregnant again but still planted a vegetable garden and looked after the cows with the help of the children. George took on work fencing allotments for absentee landowners. George was one of three teams using horses to scoop up soil to form the banks of the Capel River. He worked hard to earn money and bought some higher ground near the tuart forest. The bridge across the river gave access to the original allotments. Harriet had another son, Frank Stirling Dunkley, in Bunbury just before Christmas 1905. George set about building a house on the new land. Timber for the house was sawn by falling a log, then digging a pit under the log and using a crosscut saw, one person would stand in the pit and the other on top. Some of the timber came from Summers Mill. The planks were placed upright to build the walls of the house. Harriet was very happy not to have to spend another winter in their tent. She planted a garden with vegetables, vines and fruit trees. George set about clearing the big red gum and tuart trees. He was able to get the help of a steam traction engine which was in the area. Summers Mill bought some of the timber. George also grew crops to make chaff for the working horses.
George and Harriet were among the settlers on the Stirling Estate who got together and petitioned the government to build a school for the many children now living in the area. A school was built and opened towards the end of 1906. Mr Jerry Murnane was the head teacher, May Smith was the monitor and there were about 30 students attending. Ruby, Thirza and Bill walked the two miles to and from the school each day. Sophia and George Jnr. were working on the home farm. The school held picnics and sports days when the community would come together to celebrate and put work aside for the day, and sometimes the night, as they often held a dance at the end of the day. They always held arbour day at the school and planted pine trees in the paddock surrounding it. Ruby and Thirza planted two Moreton Bay fig trees which still stand today marking the location of the Stirling Estate school on Mallokup Road, Capel.
George grew hay crops, and the boys had to stook the hay, then George came with the reaper and binder to finish. He also grew potatoes on land across the river that he leased from Gus Anderson. Gus also worked building the banks of the Capel River. The children had to help plant the potatoes and then harvest when the crop was ready. The cows, now numbering about 30 had to be milked. The cream, once separated from the milk was put down the well to cool and twice a week Harriet or one of the older girls would churn the butter. George had a smart pair of ponies that pulled his buggy. He would take the butter and any excess produce to Bunbury to sell. He had a number of clients along the way and then sold the remaining to the Narrogin Trading Company in Bunbury.
George had a boundary fence to erect for a landowner on the Stirling Estate. He built a 6 wire fence with posts 9 feet apart and charged ½ crown per chain. He could do 10 chain per day with the children giving a helping hand. The back boundary of the allotment was not a straight line and the strainer post ended up on the inside of the survey peg. Mr James Levi Bentley was sent to inspect the job. He told George to move the fence as too much land had been given away and that he would be back to reinspect it when done. George was not going to move the fence so promptly pulled up the survey peg and repositioned it next to the strainer post. When J.L Bentley came back he told George that he had done a much better job this time!
George was elected to the Capel Roads Board in April 1908. He had been attending meetings as a ratepayer for some time and always had an opinion on the happenings around the district. Sometimes these opinions got George into a spot of bother! He was also a member of the Stirling Drainage committee. George and Harriet welcomed Alfred Ernest Dunkley in June 1908. He was their eighth child and fifth son. George Jnr. had got himself into a bit of trouble by re-earmarking sheep that belonged to a neighbour. Although he was now old enough to be a great help to George on the farm, he went away to work on farms in the Yelbeni district. George Snr. had started exhibiting livestock and produce in the local Agricultural Shows.
Trove Article – 1909 Dunkley & Hardey
Trove Article – Dispute Continues
In 1910, George was an active member of the Roads Board and the Stirling Drainage Committee and not afraid to speak his mind. He was given the job of escorting the Premier, Mr Frank Wilson throughout the district. In particular he was to show the Premier that the settlers were in need of a bridge to cross Layman’s Gully. At present they had to go the long way around the roads or cross the logs that were put in the bottom of the river as a makeshift bridge. On their tour, George took the Premier over the crossing and expressed the need for a bridge to be built. After much discussion the Premier was not convinced that a bridge was necessary. The tour continued throughout the district without incident but on returning across Layman’s Gully crossing the buggy wheel on the side the Premier was sitting “slipped” off the edge of the logs and the Premier fell into the water! The bridge over Layman’s Gully was started within 12 months of the tour.
George and Harriet’s last child, a boy, was stillborn at the end of October 1910 and was buried in the Bunbury Pioneer Cemetery. George and Harriet’s eight other children ranged in age from 22 year old Sophia, down to 2 year old Alf. All of the children had jobs to do around the farm. Pat, Brown, Bill and Thirza were still attending Stirling School. Ruby and Sophia helped in the house and around the farm. They milked the now 30 cows. George also had the help of Mr Block.
George liked to be involved in his community and was always pitching in to help. He was often found helping out when there was an event at the Stirling School and on this occasion, he was enthusiastically setting up ready for the picnic and sports day for those coming from as far away as Bunbury!
Trove Article – Community Picnic 1910
Trove Article – Report of Show Success
Agricultural Shows throughout the district were also a favourite with many of the local farmers who took the opportunity to show the quality of their livestock and produce. George was frequently among the placegetters and travelled to most of the shows in the southwest. In February 1911 it was reported that George had grown a maize crop that outshone all others.
George’s brother Frederick William Dunkley, his wife Clara and adult children, Frederick, George and Bessie arrived in Fremantle, on board the ship “Rangatira”, July 1911. They travelled south and took up residence in Ludlow, near Busselton. It isn’t known if they had much contact with George and his family.
Trove Article – Donnybrook Show 1911
George’s commitment to the Capel district continued when he was re-elected as a committee member of the Capel Roads Board. He continued to work for what he believed to be the best for the community and in April 1912 he was elected Chairman of the Capel Roads Board.
Trove Article – Re-elected to Roads Board 1911
Trove Article – Chairman of Roads Board 1912
By 1912, the Dunkley Farm is being referred to as “Summerlea”. At the end of June young Will Dunkley got an infection in his foot and was taken to Bunbury Hospital. Unfortunately, little could be done and Will died on July 1. He was just 13 years old. He was buried in the Capel Cemetery.
The show season of 1912 was a successful one for George. His young bull won the class for bull 3 years and under at the Bunbury Show in November and then at the Busselton Show, in December, he exhibited pigs in the name of Upson Bros. and G. Dunkley, which won best in show. He also exhibited cattle, getting prizes in most classes.
George continued developing his farm. Harriet and the older girls took care of the milking and butter making and any jobs they could manage around the farm. Brown, Pat and little Alf, just 4 ½ , attended the Stirling School. George had employed Mr Block to help him with the heavier work. George wasn’t re-elected as Chairman of the Roads board in April 1913 but continued as a councillor.
Clearing the farm was one of the jobs that George and Mr Block were busy with. George used gelignite to “blow the stumps”. This involved placing gelignite under various parts of the stump lighting the fuse and waiting for the stump to loosen in the blast. Some large stumps took several attempts. This was common practice at the time.
One Saturday morning in July 1913, George placed his gelignite for the days work by the stove in the kitchen to warm and dry, as it tended to sweat. He then went outside to check that Mr Block was ready for a day of stump blowing. Harriet, Sophia and Thirza were doing the milking. Brown and Pat were outside. Ruby and Alf were in the kitchen. As George was talking to Mr Block there was an explosion. Pieces of tin and timber were blown far and wide. George and Mr Block ran into what was left of the house. They found Ruby lying by the stove, still alive but bleeding heavily. George carried her to a bed that was in the remaining part of the house. Others were looking for Alf. Brown was sent to Capel to summon the Doctor who had to come from Bunbury or Busselton. Little Alf was found terrified, hiding in the outhouse but otherwise unhurt. By this time Harriet and the girls had realised that the explosion had come from the house. The family could do little for Ruby and sadly she died as the Doctor arrived. George faced an inquest into her death, but it was found to be accidental. His family said he never forgave himself for Ruby’s death. Ruby was buried in the same grave as Bill in the Capel Cemetery.
Trove Article – Death of Ruby.
George set about rebuilding the house. There was a new Metters stove for the kitchen and a verandah around the house. The bedrooms were only slightly damaged. Having lost 2 children in 12 months the family must have wondered what was next.
George’s brother Frederick, who worked in the timber industry, drowned at Wonnerup beach in December 1913. He had been drinking and this was thought to have contributed to the accident. He left a wife and 3 adult children, who later moved to Burekup.
Trove Article – Death of Brother Frederick Dunkley December 1913
1914 saw the outbreak of WW1. George Alexander was the only Dunkley son old enough to enlist. He was farming in Yelbeni. Thirza was friendly with Edwin Raymond “Joe” Upson who, along with his brother, Harold William Upson had bought the local store from A.G. Layman in 1912. They were butchers, bakers and pastry cooks. Thirza and Sophia were often attending the local dances and raising money for the war effort.
George continued to expand his land holdings when he could. He bought land at Stratham (part of this is where the Capel Golf Course is now) from Charles Fox Roberts. He then bought the land opposite from Mr Roberts. George being a progressive farmer travelled to Yarloop to look at a clover crop. He purchased the raked burr and planted the seed on part of Cokalup Swamp where his newly acquired land was. Each year he harvested, he kept the seed and sowed a bigger area of clover, eventually having enough to sow elsewhere on his farm.
Brown was now going to High School in Bunbury. He would board during the week and come home on the weekends. Pat and Alf were still at Stirling School. Sophia and Thirza worked on the farm as well as helping their mother.
George and the Dunkley family gave generous donations to the Capel Red Cross and Patriotic Branch for their bazaar that was held to raise funds for the “boys fighting in the war”.
George continued exhibiting livestock in all of the Agricultural Shows in the district, and he continued to be very successful. His commitment to his Roads Board duties also took quite a bit of his time.
At the end of March 1916, Thirza said goodbye to Joe Upson who embarked from Fremantle, having enlisted in WW1. He was headed for France. Now the war had come to the family. There must have been great excitement when George Alexander Dunkley married Victoria Fitgerald Conder in Perth, June 1916. Shortly after, he enlisted but was declared medically unfit because he had a hernia. He could have had an operation and then passed his medical but decided against it. George Snr.’s brother Henry appears on the census helping George Jnr. in Yelbeni.
George was one of the Capel Roads Board representatives who attended a meeting concerning the successful settling of Returned Soldiers in the South West, in August 1916. This was a problem that most areas were facing as their soldiers returned home. Discussion was held about funds to be given and where the money was coming from as well as jobs for those that were no longer fit enough to return to their previous work and the difference between repatriated soldiers and returned soldiers.
George was part of a 3 man deputation to Brunswick to meet the Minister for Lands and Agriculture. They put forward the suggestion that Capel would be the ideal location for a Butter Factory and Bacon Factory. The government were going to put money into refurbishing the Busselton Butter Factory, but the Capel delegation thought it would be beneficial to build a new factory in Capel. George invited the Minister to visit Capel, saying he would be impressed by what he saw as the district had the finest grazing land around. The minister accepted the invitation but said Busselton was not too far away for the farmers to send their cream but maybe a Bacon Factory was something that could be considered.
Trove Article – Bunbury Show 1917
Trove Article – Southern Districts Show 1917
A repatriation committee was formed in Capel. George was elected chairman. They were very concerned with the welfare of the returned soldiers in the district and wanted to do all they could to help by providing jobs and land grants.
Trove Article – Repatriation Committee
Trove Article – Meeting of Welcome Home Committee
Trove Article – Returned Soldiers
George was re-elected to the Roads Board and still part of the Stirling Drainage committee too. He was always trying to get what he thought best for the district but sometimes opinions differed and things didn’t quite go to plan.
Trove Article – Fiery Drainage Meeting 1918
Harriet had noticed that George was not his usual self. He tired easily and had a lump under his arm. She eventually convinced him to see the doctor, who didn’t really know what was wrong, so told him to change his diet. He was not improving. He still continued with his civic duties. Thirza and Joe had announced their wedding but they postponed it until George was well enough to enjoy the occasion.
In early July 1919 it was reported in the newspaper that George was ill and had spent some weeks in St. Clairs Hospital in Bunbury, having been operated on, but had recently returned home to Capel. George attended the Roads Board meeting at the end of July 1919 and his request to use returned soldiers to clear the Bunbury to Vasse Road near Cokalup was granted. He also got permission to do repairs to the School Road (Mallokup Rd) on the Stirling Estate.
George’s health continued to decline, and he was readmitted to hospital in Bunbury. He was found to have hydatids which they thought had been contracted by drinking contaminated water. Unfortunately, George died in hospital August 10, 1919. His body was transported by train to Capel for his funeral on August 12 at the Capel Cemetery where he was buried in the grave with Will and Ruby.
Trove Article – Death of Mr. Dunkley
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Researched and compiled by DC member of CDCP.
© Capel District Cemeteries Project 13/05/2026
