Topic: GW - August 1914
8 August 1914, War is Declared, The Toodyay Herald
Due to the time zone differences, the declaration of war by Britain against Germany, while officially recorded as 4 August 1914, in terms of Australia, did not happen until Wednesday, 5 August 1915. For the The Toodyay Herald, this did not happen until the end of the week, on Saturday, 8 August 1914.
Apart from being a major regional agricultural and forestry area, the Toodyay region supported minor military training facilities. The Militia formations throughout the region included: Toodyay, 25th Australian Light Horse Regiment, "A" Squadron (part); Toodyay Rifle Club; and, Goomalling Rifle Club
Toodyay was a regional centre which boasted of a weekly newpaper published every Saturday called The Toodyay Herald incorporating the Bolgart and Wyening Districts' Chronicle. It was priced at 3d [3 pence or in 2008 AUD, $5] per edition. The newspaper was circulated around the Toodyay region including the locations and towns of Toodyay, Bolgart, Wyening, Bindoon, Dewars Pool, Buckland, Mumberkine and Goomalling. Apart from some of the most breathtakingly beautiful forests and rural landscapes dotted by wonderfully rustic villages and hamlets, the area contains Swan/Avon River whose rugged terrain forms the basis of the Australian White Water Classic, the Avon Descent. The following two pages are indicative of the life experienced in the Toodyay regionwhen the Great War was declared.
War is Declared
This page explores the way The Toodyay Herald dealt with the news.
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German ship siezed at Fremantle
On the morning of 7 August 1914, a telegram was received through the news service stating that the German steamer, SS Griefswald, arrived at Fremantle and was immediately siezed by the military authorities.
War Time Profeteering
On Friday, 7 August 1915, the Western Australian Legislative Assembly pushed through three readings of a bill in an to prevent the social destabilisation and dislocation that occurs through hoarding and profiteering within a society. The law meant business in this matter by imposing a huge maximum fine of £1,000 or a period of imprisonment should a person, having three months or more supplies, refuses to sell these foodstuffs on demand at current prices. Prior to getting the Governor's assent and proclaimation through the Government Gazette, the bill still had to pass through the Legislative Council which was always a difficult prospect for any Western Australian government.War Coverage versus the Federal Elections
In a comment upon the visit by Senator Pearce to give a speech at the Toodyay Town Hall on Friday evening, 7 August 1914, the reporter for the occasion made a comment about the approach to reporting the speech: "For the sake of brevity in these piping times of war, we will condense as far as possible..." This was either a tongue in cheek comment or the editor did not appreciate the irony of the comment but the space devoted to the ensuing Federal election campaign was equal to the coverage given to war news. Indeed, the newspaper used the balance of the page to detail the local football match between the Toodyay team and the Federals. The only other news on the page related to the Comedy performance and the winning raffle tickets.
Many men who played football at Toodyay on Saturday, 1 August 1914 subsequently enlisted in the AIF and saw overseas service.
Toodyay: Boxall, Meredith, Tidswell, K Wroth, L Wroth, J Ellery, McDermott, S Davey, Pember, Robinson, Bedall, Kingston, Wroth, Smith, Rogers, Manthorpe, Harrison and A Ellery.
Federals: Nicholson, Richards, Caddy, Dempster, Forward, Minson, Peake, McMahon, Gibson, Mayersbeth, Stephens, Bell, Young, Foster, Quinn and Dhu.
On Saturday, 8 August 1914, the Toodyay football team was off to play against the Northam Unions. The eighteen were to be chosen from the following potential team members:
F Atwall, CA Bedall, J Boxall, L Davey, S Davey, A Ellery, J Ellery, V Harrison, F Kingston, H Manthorpe, R McCallum, P McDermott, H Meredith, F Pember, M Robinson, T Rogers, Smith, Smith, W Tidswell, J Wroth, K Wroth, and L Wroth.
Toodyay Activities, 8 August 1914
While the war announcement was a significant story, the life of Toodyay did not halt but just kept going on, as it did for the duration of the war. This page details quite clearly some of the life that occurred within the south Toodyay region.
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War is in the air
So are those Horrid Flies.
Householders may protect their homes from invasion by purchasing from Padbury Stores Ltd collapsible meat safes, meat covers, wire gauze and doors.
So read the advertisement by Padbury Stores Limited. The shop was owned by William Padbury who listed his business as being "merchants, importers, iron-mongers, drapers & grocers, machinery and implement importers. The main place of business was located at 114 Terrace Road in Guildford. The building still remains although now has been converted into a restaurant bearing the owner's name, Padburys Cafe Restaurant. Padbury also had branch stores at Moora and Toodyay. The innovative advertisement dealt with a perrenial problem - flies, an iconic symbol of Australian life. Meat safes were always an important part of pre-refrigeration homes in Australia.
The St John the Baptist Church planned to hold a euchre and dance party on 19 August 1914. The funds raised on the night was to contribute towards the running of the church.
The history revealed by a newspaper
A newspaper is a historical snapshot of a particular area on the day the newspaper was published. They contain a wealth of information which can be extracted and used according to the individual taste. The above extracts give an example of the depth of information contained within a simple rural newspaper. Every story contains many more stories, each layered upon each other like onion peels. As one peels away one skin, more appear to reveal a vibrant community brimming with history.
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Citation: The Toodyay Herald - War Declared