BEARD Albert  

Research by Gordon Freegard
Last updated 2022
Additional Information Supplied by Lyn Beard

Albert Beard came from Gloucestershire, England to Victoria chasing gold, married there and then moved to Westport, New Zealand again after the gold. They then went to Whanganui. There is a letter published in the Whanganui Chronicle, on 9th May 1884, from him detailing an exploration up the Wanganui River looking for gold. Albert Beard worked as a journalist for many years at the “Chronicle” newspaper in Whanganui, New Zealand prior to coming back to Australia in November 1894. They were headed for Coolgardiebut appeared to have never got there. Instead deciding that pubs in Fremantle were more lucrative.     

The Whanganui Chronicle is New Zealand's oldest newspaper. Based in Whanganui, it celebrated 160 years of publishing in September 2016. Local resident Henry Stokes first proposed the paper for Petre, as the town was then called, but initial publication was held back by lack of equipment. As no printing press was available, Stokes approached the technical master at Wanganui Collegiate School, Rev. Charles Nicholls, and together they constructed a maire wood and iron makeshift printing press, on which, with the help of the staff and pupils of the school, the first edition of the Wanganui Chronicle (as it was then spelled) was printed on 18 September 1856.

MAP SHOWING WHANGANUI ON THE NORTH NEW ZEALAND ISLAND        #1

 

 THE MAGNIFICENT WHANGANUI RIVER       #2

VERY EARLY VIEW OF WHANGANUI        #3
 

                                                                                                                                      A MODERN VIEW OF WHANGANUI       #4
 
Whanganui, also spelled Wanganui, is a city on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway, runs from Mount Tongariro to the sea. Whanganui is part of the Manawatu-Whanganui region.

The picturesque river city of Whanganui has a long history. During the early days of European settlement, it was an important trading centre. The river served as a main highway for the transport of goods and people.

BEACONSFIELD HOTEL IN THE BACKGROUND. 
NEWLY LAID TRAMLINE IN FOREGROUND  1905        #5

A very unusual fact is that the Whanganui River now has the legal status of a person under a unique Treaty settlement passed into law. The settlement means the river, the third-longest in the country, has all the rights, duties and liabilities that come with personhood. Among other things, the river could now be represented in court by two officials, one from the Whanganui iwi and the other from the Crown. The concept of treating a river as a person was not unusual for Maori. It was captured in the well-known Maori saying, "I am the river and the river is me".

Albert came to Perth and later resided in Fremantle. His wife was Ellen and she died on the 6^th April 1932 at the home of her daughter, Bessie, at 9 Alfonso Street, North Perth, aged 92 years.

In the 1890's Albert Beard was granted licence for the Beaconsfield Hotel.
 

Albert and Ellen had 4 children:

George Brainsford   On the 28^th July 1902, Rev. Father Robinson at St. Mary’s Church, Kalgoorlie, conducted the marriage between George Brainsford Beard, eldest son of the late Albert Beard, of Perth, and Martha (Mattie) Josephine Brown, youngest daughter of the late John Henry Brown, of Whanganui, New Zealand and sister of Mrs. T. E. Thompson, Railway Hotel, Kalgoorlie.

Albert Daniel   Married Annie McLeod, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. McLeod, Stornoway, Victoria Park on 6^th August 1914 at Katanning by Rev. Father Reidy. Annie died as the result of an accident on 16^th December 1946 aged 62 years.

Ellen  Died at the age of only 26, in May 1899 from the effects of typhoid fever

Bessie  Married E. Barry
 

BEACONSFIELD HOTEL 1932         #6
 

ESSEX HOTEL IN THE BACKGROUND 1925           #7
 

Three years later he applied for licence for the Star Hotel, Essex Street, Fremantle in 1895.

Then in May 1896 the licence for the Beaconsfield Hotel was transferred from Edward Cooke to Albert's eldest son, George Brainsford Beard and he renewed the licence later in the year.

In December 1899 Albert took over the licence for the Kensington Hotel, at the corner of Wellington and Lord Streets, from Heinrich Wilhem Bothe. He ran adverts in the local newspapers notifying his old and the general public that he had taken over the Hotel and that civility and attention will be one off the chief characteristics for which he was noted. It also noted that the brands of wines, beer and spirits cannot be surpassed, while baths and electric light, together with a splendid billiard table, leave nothing else to be desired.

The daughter of Albert Beard of the Star Hotel, 26 year old, Miss Ellen Beard, died in May 1899 from the effects of typhoid fever at the residence of her brother, George B. Beard of the Beaconsfield Hotel. She had been ailing for the past three weeks but it was thought she was rapidly recovering, so her death was a great shock to the family.

HEINRICH BOTHE OUTSIDE THE KENSINGTON HOTEL c1900       #8
 

In June 1900, Albert entered the public bar of the Kensington Hotel to get some brandy. He had poured a small amount and was about to add some soda water when he staggered and was about to fall but was caught by the barman. He became unconscious and died before the Doctor arrived. He had been suffering from a heart complaint for some time and this was contributed to his sudden death. He was only 57 years old.

His son, Albert Daniel was granted permission to carry on the business for six months.

On the 28^th July 1902, Rev. Father Robinson at St. Mary’s Church, Kalgoorlie, conducted the marriage between George Brainsford Beard, eldest son of the late Albert Beard, of Perth, and Martha (Mattie) Josephine Brown, youngest daughter of the late John Henry Brown, of Whanganui, New Zealand and sister of Mrs. T. E. Thompson, Railway Hotel, Kalgoorlie.

George and Martha had eight Children:

Ellen Moya                       Was born on 7^th September 1903 at 152 Hampton Road, Fremantle.

Popsie (Veronica) D.       Married Robert (Bob) H. Portwine in 1928.

Albert (Bert) John          Married Alice Thelma Hewison in 1930. They had 5 children: Malcolm, Noel 1^st December 1934, Lynette, Jenny and Pam.

George Brainsford Jnr    Married Dorothy Jean Avann Moyns in 1932. He served in the A.I.F. Returned ME. Later divorced in May 1949 and in 1950                                       married Marjorie E. Westergaard.

Joan                               On 14th November, 1931 at St. Joseph's Church, Subiaco by Monsignor Verling, married Sydney Ernest D.                                       Felton, second son of the late Charles and Mrs. Felton, of Mount Lawley in 1932. Joan was the third daughter of Mr. & Mrs.                                       G. B. Beard, of Hensman Road, Subiaco.

Sheila A.                         Married William D. Simpson in 1946 and lived in Coolgardie.

Desmond Joseph            Twin with Carmel. Married Nancy M. Cornish in 1946. A.I.F. Taken Prisoner of War in Germany.

Carmel                            Twin with Desmond. Married Leonard W. Bates in 1945. They had 4 children: Allison, Sue, Robert, Gregory and Kevin.

In September 1915, George Brainsford Beard handed over the licence of the Commercial Hotel in Northam, to Roland Dunleavey Hill. Eight years later in March 1923 George Brainsford Beard took over the licence for the Maylands Hotel from Edward John Saunders.

COMMERCIAL HOTEL, NORTHAM        #9
 

MAYLANDS HOTEL, MAYLANDS        #10

Ellie died suddenly on 11th April 1926, aged 22 years.

On 12^th September 1943, George Brainsford Beard Snr died at his residence, Heath Road, Kalamunda, aged 71 years.

Driving a bus in May 1949 George Brainsford Beard Jnr, of Heath Road, Kalamunda, was involved in a collision with a utility truck at the corner of Shepparton and Teddington Roads in Victoria Park. The utility was pushed sideways 15 feet and was badly damaged. A passenger in the bus – Mrs. Clarice Hewish (42) of Walliston – collapsed from shock and the driver of the utility – Michael Deiudicbus (50) of Parry Street, East Fremantle – suffered facial abrasions. Both were taken by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital but left after treatment.

On 2nd April 1954 Martha (Mattie) Josephine Beard of King Street, Coolgardie, passed away.

BERT & ALICE BEARD

Alice’s parents, William and Helen Hewison had come to Western Australia from Scotland and settled at Barton’s Mill just south of Pickering Brook. William worked as Foreman and accountant at the mill. Helen looked after their five children and also managed a small business selling supplies to the mill workers such as cigarettes and home-brewed ginger beer.

BARTON'S MILL         #11

Their fourth daughter, Alice Thelma, was born at Barton's Mill on 13th July 1909 - the day Alexander Barton died. There are many records of what injuries he received and how he died. This is one such story. He had been badly injured in a mill accident two days before and as the Hewison house was the nearest to the mill he had been taken there. He must have known he was dying as he made Mrs. Hewison promise to name her baby, if it was a boy, Alexander and if a girl, Alice, after his wife. Alice and Mrs. Hewison were best friends and they continued to be friends until Mrs. Hewison died in 1943. When Alex was injured he was taken to the hospital in Perth on the train
 

HELEN & WILLIAM HEWISON         #12

PICKERING BROOK STORE         #13
 

In late 1915, Frederick Lindley, who had a little shop eight miles nearer Perth, at Pickering Brook, approached Mrs. Hewison. He had bought it a couple of years before from Mr. Humphries who had built it himself with timber from Barton's Mill. He had volunteered to join the war effort and signed up with the Australian Infantry Service Army, as did a lot of other local lads also. Although Fred had three sisters, Lucy, Ruby and Florrie, and a brother, none of them were interested in running the shop.

Mrs. Helen Hewison, from Barton's Mill, was asked to manage the business while Fred was away. Unfortunately two years later Fred Lindley was killed in action on the 20th September 1917, in the big offensive in the historic battle of Possieurs, France.

Alice, who was only 5 years old, remembers the day they moved very well. By the time they had driven the horse and cart to Pickering, the horse was choking with thirst so they pulled up at the water trough, near the shop, to give him a drink. She had her prize cat in a sugar bag and when she took him out and he promptly jumped out of my arms and ran into the bush. She performed a terrible din and continued crying until they went into the shop. She can remember the round oak table in the middle of the living room floor and the tin of boiled lollies on the table and only stopped crying when I was allowed to eat the lollies.

The living accommodation was attached to the shop. There were two big bedrooms, a very big kitchen and a tiny room at the end of the lounge room. There were two big open fireplaces that had to be cleaned with pipe clay and one little pokey stove in the kitchen.

The shop was just one room with a counter right up the centre. But it had a little room on the end that was later converted into a butcher shop. Right above it was a loft that was all padded with sawdust to keep it cool, there was no refrigeration as there was no electricity. We had kerosene lanterns. The butcher, a Mr. Hummerston came from Midland. Hummerston and Watson had the first shop in Kalamunda opposite the station.

Alice’s mother assisted by her husband, William, then purchased the store and Post Office and remained the proprietor of the business until 1943
 

The Hewison children started school at Pickering Brook, about a mile and a half from home. The school opened in 1915. The first teacher was Miss Seymour, a little old lady of over sixty. She walked to school from Carmel, near where the Post Office was later, in Union Road. She talked to herself all the way to school as she walked along the railway line. They often walked behind her to try to listen to what she said. She had to walk along the track as there were too many snakes to walk through the bush. There were only enough children attending Pickering Brook to keep the school open. There were three Frenchs, three Hewisons and four Westons. This was the total. After the war there were fewer still. The school was only one little room, just an unlined wooden shell with a fire place. When I was eight I went to Carmel School. Mrs. Hewison did not think her children were making progress at Pickering Brook School so she wrote to the Education Department to ask if she could change schools.

PICKERING BROOK SCHOOL         #14
 

The rule was that the children had to attend the school nearest to them and that was Pickering Brook. Mrs. Hewison was not having this so she borrowed a chain measure from Mr Owen and she and Ernie Mason made a track all the way to Carmel school and measured it. It came out to be the same distance to each. She was taken to court for sending me to Carmel but they decided as it was the same distance we could go there, they still fined her a shilling for it. Years later, the story is told be Ray Owen and he said "Yes, when I was building this house I wondered why nothing came out right with the measuring. He then realised Mrs. Hewison had taken a foot off the end of the chain, to make the distance come the way she wanted".
 

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CARMEL SCHOOL         #15
 

There were very few children at Carmel school. Just Molly Owen, Edna and Grace Wallis and Alice in her class, then other children were the Mitchell girls, Nellie Martin, Herbie Annetts, Mervin Blamire, Basil Blamire and the Loarings, Popsie, Barbara, Linda and Kevin. The teacher then was Reg Gilchrist, he taught the bubs, then Gertie Elson and later, E. A. Jackson.

When Alice turned thirteen she left Carmel school and went to Perth Girls School which meant catching the early seven o'clock train arriving at Perth at nine. Then she had to cross the bridge to North Perth, so she was always three or four minutes late for school. Jean and Peggy Shaw also went down to town on the train with her every day. Jean worked in Perth but Peggy went to Perth Modern School. The Shaw's had the orchard just up from Owen's at Carmel. As well as school work Alice was learning music, so after about six months her mother decided she should board near the school. She found board with the parents of Roy Gray who later became my brother-in-law as he married Doris.

Alice did not like school very much but she loved music. All the school exams and music exams seemed to come at the same time. Her mother could see she was not progressing too well with school and asked her what she wanted to do. Alice said she felt she could not catch up with the other girls and would prefer to concentrate on music. After two years at Perth Girls School she gave up and concentrated just studied music and took all her exams by correspondence. She excelled in her music studies and by the age of seventeen was playing for all the dances everywhere.
 

When Alice was sixteen there was a big ball over at Roleystone with a talent competition. Her mother said if she would sing in it she would take her and Doris to the ball. Alice said she would right up to the day then changed her mind and said she wouldn't. There was a terrible fuss from Doris as then neither of us could go. In the end she decided to sing and they were both allowed to go. She sang "Memories" and won the competition. Afterwards the judge, Peter Roxby, said he was very impressed and said that Mrs. Hewison should get someone to train her. So for two years Alice and Doris were both sent to Perth to be trained by Hugh Torrence. Alice went on and won several competitions. At nearly seventeen she started playing for the dances at Pickering Brook. Mrs Bevan who had a band of piano, saxophone and drums and played at Carilla a lot, helped teach her further and that really got her started playing in the band.

One night there was to be a big ball and as Mrs. Bevan got out of the car she jammed her hand in the car door. She came into the hall with her hand all swollen and of course everyone wondered what was going to happen. She came over to Alice and said she may be able to persuade her old pupil to play. Of course Alice was very shy in those days and said refused. "Yes you can" she said "Look at my hand, I can't play. I will stay beside you and stamp my foot to keep time. I shan't go home." She tapped her foot for Alice all night and after that everything was alright and now with confidence she went and played all over the place.

You couldn't always get people up from Perth to play with you in the Band in those days as it was such a long way. For years she was paid only five pounds ($10) a night. She used to give the saxy twice what she got. Many things for free, every Christmas tree, every kitchen tea and wedding in the area. Most of the kids whose weddings she played at, now have kids of their own.

ALICE HEWISON         #16
 

ALICE HEWISON         #17

To start with a violinist, old Augustus Kaiser, joined her. He had an orchard next to Owen's at Carmel. He was the only one she could get to play with her. They played for all functions around here but as the place grew a bit. About that time a friend Molly Owen was going with a chap called Bill Kirkham from Perth and he used to play for a lot of dances down there. One day he came up to a dance at which Alice was playing and Molly told him she was looking for a sax player. He said he would like to come up to play with her and it would earn him a few bob as well as let him visit Molly. Bill was the first saxophonist to join her and then she got a drummer from Perth. The three of them played for quite a few years. Later on she had the same drummer, but was joined by her my husband Bertie, and Ted Riggs was on the sax. They played for weddings all over the place, Armadale, Perth, Cottesloe. They had a lovely life doing this and because of their playing they were very welcome at all kinds of events in the district. To start with she was only paid five pounds ($10) but with the popularity, by the end that went up to twenty pounds ($40).

Every second Friday in the month she played for the Kostera's Garage dance at Kalamunda. The old man Kostera had the garage then. The dance was for all the drivers from the buses and their friends but anyone could go. Admission was two shillings. Alice never charged them for playing but they gave her some lovely gifts. The dances were in the big R.S.L. hall. She also played for the ANZAC day dances there too. They continued playing all over the district until they disbanded the band after Bert and Alice sold the Pickering Brook Store and Post Office in 1959.

Albert (Bert) was living in Carmel and working at the Midland Railway Workshops. He met Alice Thelma Hewison, whose parents owned the Pickering Brook Store and Post Office. As it was during the depression, the Workshops started to put off men that were single in preference to retaining men that were married and had family to support. They were not supposed to get married until the following year but to keep his job they decided to marry early in 1930.

BERT & ALICE BEARD         #18
ON THEIR WEDDING DAY

Anyway as it happened Bob Portwine from Kalamunda, who had married Bert’s sister, Popsie (Veronica) two years earlier, heard about them getting married and said he had heaps of work if Bert would work for him until he decided what he wanted to do permanently. Bob was a baker in Kalamunda and needed work done on his property, windmills erected and so on.

Alice Thelma Hewison married Albert (Bert) John Beard, of Carmel on 4th October 1930.

In the meantime, Mrs. Hewison asked her daughter Alice and husband Bert to come back to the shop as she was getting too old to manage and was too ill. Her husband, William was bedridden after having strokes and she carried on alone as long as she could. But in 1940 she had an operation and never really recovered.  William died on the 85^th Birthday on 5^th September 1943. She died of cancer less than 2 weeks later, on 26^th September 1943 aged 77 years old. In her will the shop was left to Bert and Alice who ran the shop until they sold out in 1959.

FROM HEWISON DOCKET BOOK         #19
 

Bert and Alice ran the Pickering Brook Store and Post Office from 1943 till 1959.

They had five children:

Malcolm   was born on 11th September 1931 at the Narrabeen                Hospital, Coolgardie Street, Subiaco. Married Pamela                May Gibbs on 29th January 1955.

Noel        was born at Narrabeen Hospital, Subiaco on 1st                December 1934. Married Esma Dawn White in 1958.

Lynette    was born in 1940. Married Sergio Poletti in 1958.

Jenny and Pam (Twins)   were born in 1946.

BERT & ALICE BEARD WITH DELIVERY TRUCK        #20
 

The Pickering Brook Store, with dwelling at the rear, was of timber frame weatherboard construction with some of the additions to the dwelling being made of "face cuts" from the mill. These face cuts were usually wide boards which had not been gauged for width or thickness and were often used for construction of rough buildings. They were attached by nails to a wooden frame in a vertical in a vertical position and the cracks and spaces between them were covered by another face cut to make a snug and weatherproof wall. The roof was of galvanised corrugated iron. Several 1000 gallon tanks collected the rain from the roof and stored it for the dry summer months for household purposes.
 

BERT & ALICE BEARD'S PICKERING BROOK STORE        #21
WITH THE 16th BATTALION CAMERON HIGHLAND PIPE BAND
 

Nearby, on the eastern side of the store was the "barn" where supplies of chaff and grain were kept for the many horses used in the timber and firewood industry and for riding and cart horses. There were also stables and horse yards on the edge of the bush at the rear. The main shop and part of the dwelling was equipped with large gas lamps supplied through metal pipes from a central acetylene generator outside near the eastern wall behind the butchers shop.

The Store itself stocked a wide range of foodstuffs displayed on shelves around the walls and carried on a table in the centre of the room. There were also tools and hardware and some articles of apparel, mainly men's working clothes and boots. The goods were sold over wide counters which were on three sides of the store room; an adjoining room under the same roof served as a butcher’s shop. Bread was brought up daily by train from Midland Junction in large wicker baskets or hampers.

FROM BEARD'S DOCKET BOOK        #22

Bert Beard and son Malcolm (Mac) ran a delivery run throughout Pickering Brook three times a week. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they delivered fresh bread from Portwine's Bakery of Kalamunda along with any other requisites their customers may require. Portwine's Bakery was situated where "Barberry Square Shopping Centre is today along with the paddocks for their horses. They originally brought the Pickering Brook bread out in an Austin Seven but later, as the district grew, they used a Ford Customline Stationwagon and roof rack fully loaded.

Daughter Lyn quite often went out on the delivery truck with her father and enjoyed stopping off at her Aunty Annie Westons for lunch.

BERT WITH DAUGHTER LYN ON DELIVERY ROUND        #23
 

Most of the trade was on a 30 day credit payment and very often a bag of sweets was given on payment of the monthly account. However some of the bush workers were "birds of passage" and because of hard times during the depression of the 1930's even some of the more stable settlers found it difficult to meet payments at times. These bad debts and delayed payments sometimes placed considerable strain on the finances of the store.

The Store was open to customers from about 7a.m. till 6 p.m. and when the mail came up on the 7.15 p.m. train, it was immediately sorted and made available by courtesy of the management to those who waited. The front door was closed later, but if anybody required service he went to the back door and called. The front door would be re-opened to the satisfaction of the late shopper or emergency caller.

Beard's Pickering Brook Store delivery round  1946 - 1947

MAP NOT TO SCALE

ABOVE IS A DIAGRAM OF THE BEARD'S DELIVERY ROUND IN THE PICKERING BROOK AREA
 Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2008

BENDALL'S PICKERING BROOK STORE      #24

George already conducted the garage and service station "over the line" in Canning Road and later transferred the business to that centre and these enterprises were consolidated under the one roof. The old shop lay dormant for ages and the vandals got to it and it was eventually destroyed by a fire.  

Because the original shop had unintentionally been built on water catchment land, they were not allowed to do much to it although they made it as nice as they could. They altered all the inside of the shop and tried to get a ninety-nine year lease on the shop, from the water board, but that was not allowed either. When the Water Board started to resume a lot of land for a catchment area they became very concerned and could see the possibility that they would take the shop land and not give them any compensation, so they decided to quit.

Charlie Bendall took over the business in 1960 until 1971 when George Spriggs, M.L.A. for the district at that tme, purchased the business. The Water Board said the shop had to be moved then and the new one was built over the road.

PICKERING BROOK STORE      #25
 

REAR OF BENDALL'S PICKERING BROOK STORE      #26
 

PICKERING BROOK STORE      #28
 

PICKERING BROOK STORE      #27
 

PICKERING BROOK STORE SITE FROM SIMILAR POSITION      #29
 

Although there are still remnants left. The two posts from the swings are there and the rose trellis that Noel built when he was fourteen is still there and all the animal graves are under the trees. The trees were planted by Pam when she was six years old. She came home one day with two little poplar trees and she planted them next to the house. They multiplied and are clearly visible on the old site to this day.

After Mr Bendell bought the Beards out, they went to Toodyay to run the Freemasons Hotel. After four years they returned back to Midland. Bert went to Broome for a holiday and Alice managed Lyle Portwine's shop at Karragullen. It had been her sister Doris's shop to start with, when she was married to Roy Gray. Alice stayed there until Lyle went away on his honeymoon. Then she went to stay at the Freemasons at Midland and began playing at the Woodbridge Hotel in the evening. Then, in 1966, went to Carnarvon and found a job in a band on Friday and Saturday nights and the Sunday afternoon sessions. This kept her very busy for the next six months. She then came back to Guildford where Bert had bought a little house next to the pub in Guildford and was working for Bunnings at the time. Alice returned and joined him in Guildford and found a job working in a wine saloon.

BERT & ALICE BEARD         #56
 

ALICE BEARD CELEBRATING HER 90th BIRTHDAY      #30
 

One of the travellers came in one day in 1968, and asked her why I was working there instead of running a place of her own. He knew of a wine saloon in James Street, Perth, that was up for lease. She did not like the idea of James Street but he said it was a nice place owned by Nat Raspoli. Alice had known Nat for years as he used to come up to Pickering Brook dances. He wanted to get out as he was into racehorses and so on. He owned the whole area between Lake Street and Bridge Street, where the big car park is now.

In the meantime, in 1970, Bert had a transfer up to Northam, as he was working for the railways then and he wanted her to go up there with him. She worked at Spencer's Brook for a while in the army store but then the wine saloon in Northam was up for lease so she took that over for two years.

ALICE BEARD      #31
 

Two sons bought a big store in Kellerberrin and asked their Mum to run it but it was very run down and took a lot of hard work to get it going properly. But in the end it was built it up so that they had three staff and it needed lot of work. It became too much for Alice so they came back to Pickering Brook. Alice rented a little house at the end of Cunnold Road at first then was offered a house by Virginia Della Franca. Her son, Hugo Della Franca, was building his new house near the cool store and leaving the old one, so, as it was much cheaper rent she took it. She was there when Bert died, in 1981, and stayed until her daughter Pam was killed in 1986, then moved into a little unit built in the garden of my daughter and son-in-law's house in Cunnold Road.

FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE BEARD FAMILY
 AT THE PICKERING BROOK SCHOOL      #32

FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE BEARD FAMILY
 AT THE PICKERING BROOK SCHOOL      #33

There has been plaque placed at the site of the old shop marking where it once stood  amd the family is also remembered by the naming the road opposite the site of the shop - "Hewison Road".

Bert and Alice were always very community minded. With their family business they were interactive with the community
through the General Store and on their deliveries. Their involvement in the Sports Club and with the local dances
held at the Carilla Hall, are all part of the history of Pickering Brook.

UNVEILING PLAQUE TO MARK OLD SHOP SITE      #57

UNVEILING PLAQUE TO MARK OLD SHOP SITE      #58

ERECTING PLAQUE TO MARK OLD SHOP SITE      #59

ERECTING PLAQUE TO MARK OLD SHOP SITE      #60

ALICE BEARD & JENNY LEWIS ERECTING PLAQUE TO MARK OLD SHOP SITE      #61

Malcolm Hewison Beard

Malcolm (Mac) was born on 11th September 1931 at the Narrabeen Hospital, Coolgardie Street, Subiaco. He was sent to school when he had just turned five or they would have closed the school because of low numbers.

MALCOLM AS A BABY ON THE HORSE      #34
 

 MALCOLM BEARD       #34
 

MALCOLM BEARD WITH DAD & SISTER LYN         #36
 

 MALCOLM BEARD & HIS DOG "LASSIE"        #37
 

Pickering Brook (Carilla)School 1936       #38

FROM BACK L - R;      BOB BERDART, TONY MAZZARDIS, ERNIE HARRIS,
MERLE WESTON, JOSE SALA TENNA, RENE TENARDI, GRAHAM STEPHENS,
AILEEN MORITZ, PETER SALA TENNA, MAC BEARD, DORIS ARMANASCO 

PAMELA MAY GIBBS         #39

He married Pamela May Gibbs, second youngest daughter of Mrs. Olive Gibbs, of Carmel, at St. Peter's Church, Victoria Park, on 29th January 1955. She was attended by two bridesmaids, her younger sister, Nina, and the groom's sister Lynette. The groom's twin sisters, Pamela and Jennifer, were flowergirls in frocks replicas of the bridesmaids. The groom was attended by Mr. Leon Neave, as best man, and the groom's brother, Mr. Noel Beard, acted as groomsman. The reception was held after the ceremony at St. Peter's Hall, adjoining the Church, where some 200 guests enjoyed the evening in dancing and the usual merry-making. The happy couple will spend their honeymoon at Geraldton, and will be living in Pickering Brook.

MALCOLM BEARD & PAM GIBBS ON THEIR WEDDING DAY         #40

MALCOLM & PAM BEARD WITH THEIR CHILDREN         #41

They had a family of three children: Garry, Trevor and Suzanne.
Transporting fruit and vegetables to market was their business. Then later both Malcolm and Pam became popular School Bus drivers in the distract for many years.

 MALCOLM BEARD        #42

Noel Beard  was born st Narrabeen Hospital, Subiaco on 1st                             December 1934.

   Noel married Esma Dawn White in 1958.

LYN WITH HER BROTHER NOEL AND THEIR DOG "LASSIE"         #43
 

NOEL BEARD WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN          #44
 

ALICE BEARD WITH SONS NOEL & MALCOLM         #45
 

NOEL BEARD WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN       #46

Lynette Jean Beard   was born in 1940 and married Sergio                                                  Poletti in 1958.
Bert Beard often took his daughter Lyn (now Poletti) on the delivery round with him. Halfway round they stopped for lunch at Aunty Anne Weston's house.  c1945

   LYN WITH JENNY BEARD SITTING ON BASE OF "PLUME"
PETROL PUMP AT PICKERING BROOK STORE    #47
 

BERT AND LYN ON THE DELIVERY ROUND  c1945         #48

   JENNIFER &ALICE BEARD WITH LYNETTE POLETTI (nee BEARD) 
AND MALCOLM BEARD      #49
 

Jennifer & Pamela Beard (Twins) were born at the Kensington Hospital,  Subiaco on 11th January 1946

TWINS PAMELA & JENNIFER        #50
 

PAMELA BEARD         #51
 

JENNIFER BEARD         #52
 

Lynette with her sisters Pamela and Jenny
at the local watering hole at the back of the
old club bushland area.

\

  LYNETTE AGED ABOUT 14 YEARS WITH HER SISTERS AGED ABOUT 9      #53

 ALICE BEARD WITH DAUGHTERS, LYNETTE, PAMELA & JENNY        #54

   ALICE & BERT BEARD WITH THEIR GIRLS      #55

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

References:              Article:     Gordon Freegard
                                             Lyn Beard

                              Images:   1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10        Internet
                                             5, 7        City of Fremantle
                                             6, 8        State Library of Western Australia
                                             11, 38     Tom Price
                                             12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22. 23, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 
                                             40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, ,52, 53, 54, 55, 56                 Beard Family
                                             15          Helen Skehan
                                             24, 26    Bendall Family
                                             25, 27, 28, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61             Kalamunda & Districts Historical Society
                                             29         Gordon Freegard

Copyright : Gordon Freegard   2008-2022