Interviewee: Mr Ronald MIDDLETON
Date of Birth: 25/7/28
Interviewer : Lyn ADAMS
Date of Interview: 25/10/94
Synopsis: Lyn ADAMS
BOHG No: 1994.003
Total Length: 2 hrs 56 min
Personal and family details
Lived at Cottesloe
Father’s occupations, including pile-driving at Bunbury
Methodist Church activities
Pranks at Cottesloe Primary School
Being scalded in the kitchen
Sporting and water activities with brothers
Cottesloe Primary School and sport
Digging air raid trenches at the school
Messenger boy for the Air Raid Wardens
Family members
Saturday evening singsongs
Music in the church
Singing lessons
Fremantle Boys School and teacher shortage
First jobs, including bicycle deliveries
Working for Radio Station 6PM
Announcing in Northam
Personalities who worked for radio announcers
Community concerts, and personalities
Other radio stations
Cottesloe neighbourhood
Transport
Sporting activities and teams
Church & Sunday school groups
Boy Scouts
Shopping and home deliveries
Marriage and wedding day
Honeymoon On the ‘Kanimbla’
Living in Peppermint Grove and Cottesloe
Working for Lockes Furniture Company
Stints in Merredin
Working for Lockes in Northam
Living in Northam with wife and child
Transferred to Bunbury as Manager
Lockes in Bunbury and surrounding businesses
Operation of Lockes in Bunbury and district
Source of furniture and carpets in stock
Carpet laying
Competition and advertising
Working conditions
Relations with Head Office
Family adjustments to Bunbury, including brown water
Birth of second child
Breaking into business community
Rotary and Chamber of Commerce
Significant businesses and business people in Bunbury
Setting up own business in new and second-hand furniture
Flooding of Central Business District
Business move to new premises
Operation of business
Assisting with auctioneering
Moving into the Mitre Ten hardware business
Cyclone Alby and its effect on the town
Entering the Real Estate business
Escorting a tour to the Flinders Ranges and Murray River
Entering the Travel business
Enjoyment of escorting tours and places visited
Plans for future tours
Bunbury Rotary Club and other Rotary Clubs of Bunbury and district
Some of the significant Rotary projects
Paul Harris Fellowship
Past District Governor Rodney Johnston
Experience as President of the Club
Forming Bunbury Central Club
Operations of Rotary clubs and Meetings
Beginnings of the Bunbury Art Gallery
Society of Artists and City Collection
Original Art Gallery premises
Functioning of the Art Gallery Committee
Function of the Art Gallery Director
Art purchases
Joining Bunbury Repertory Club and becoming President
Music Halls
Musical Comedy
The Little Theatre in Molloy Street
Significant local actors and producers
Vlodik Wojciechowski as treasurer
Joining the Methodist Choir
Origin and development of the Bunbury Combined Choir
Methodist and Congregational/Presbyterian Churches in Bunbury
Location and changes to St Augustine’s Church and the Methodist buildings Uniting of services and eventual Uniting Church
Significant Ministers Formation and aims of the South West Music Guild
Life members of the Music Guild
Bunbury Music Festival and Bunbury Eisteddford
Spread and growth of population in Bunbury and district
Some of the significant buildings retained in Bunbury Central District
Some of the services which have developed
Hay Park and Entertainment Centre
Harbour Development and silos
Credit to Mayors and Councillors
Credit to Volunteers
Tourism and rosy future for Bunbury
Being awarded Bunbury Citizen of the Year and nomination for W.A Citizen of the Year
Citizenship Nights
Current activities
Family details of children and grandchildren, brothers and mother
To remain in Bunbury
Flooding at Picton
Maidens sandhills and walking trails
Desire to see turn of the century