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WESTON Niel & Mollie (Please note the family always spelt “Niel” as such. “i” before
“e” as his schoolteacher sister Hazel always said.) Richard and Mary Weston were one of the very first settlers of
Pickering Brook. One of their sons, Gregory Phillip, remained in Pickering Brook and
took up 50 acres of land about 2 miles from the original Weston property,
"Springdale", on the Barton's Mill road, in about 1920. |
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ANNE & GREG WESTON #2 |
At first he built a small house on the further block, near the creek but after a while - about 1924-1925 - sold half the land to the Holroyd Family and assisted by his brother Harry, built a house on the block nearer Pickering Brook and the main road. This property was also called "Springdale".
GREG WESTON'S "SPRINGDALE" HOME 1946 #3
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GREG WESTON'S ORCHARD 1939 #4 |
GREG WESTON'S HENS IN "SPRINGDALE" ORCHARD 1950c #5 |
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ANNE & GREG WESTON #6 |
Greg was well known and
respected by all. As a Justice of the Peace, he helped many families who came
to the district Niel went to school at Pickering Brook. After finishing his schooling he carried on his
Grandfather's talent as an exceptional axeman and worker of timber. His
main occupation though was working in the bush. At first he worked for the
Forestry Department in Pemberton and the hills area and later he carried out the timber felling for Brescacin’s
Mill at Walliston. When it moved out to Pickering Brook in the 1950’s, he
continued to fell trees for the mill. Alan Hutchison, a good friend of Niel’s,
carted the logs to the mill.
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Greg Phillip Weston married Anne Hewison, eldest daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Hewison of the Pickering Brook Store, on Hazel Dawn married Edward Charles Hodgson in
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HAZEL DAWN WESTON #7 |
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NIEL WESTON #8 |
MERLE ALWYN WESTON #9 |
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NIEL & HAZEL WESTON. SCHOOL FANCY DRESS BALL 1927c |
NIEL & HAZEL WESTON 1928 #11 |
NIEL, HAZEL & MERLE WESTON #12 |
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NIEL WESTON, LORNA GRAY (Cousin) & HAZEL WESTON #13 |
NIEL WESTON, LORNA GRAY (Cousin) & HAZEL WESTON #14
HAZEL WESTON, LORNA GRAY (Cousin) & NIEL WESTON #15 |
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Ray Owen's "Indian" motor bike was one of the first motor bikes in Pickering Brook. It was his pride and joy. Because Ray was dating Flo Hewison at the time, he was a regular visitor to the Hewisons and the Westons. Mrs. Greg Weston was Flo's sister. Niel enjoyed pretending to ride the motor bike on such visits.
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NIEL WESTON ON "INDIAN" MOTOR BIKE #16 |
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HAZEL WESTON, LORNA GRAY (Cousin) & NIEL WESTON #17 |
HAZEL & NIEL WESTON WITH LORNA GRAY (COUSIN) #18
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HAZEL & NIEL WESTON WITH LORNA GRAY (COUSIN) #19 |
NIEL WESTON ON BICYCLE #20 |
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NIEL WESON & VIC HAWKINGS ON BIKES AT PICKERING BROOK RAILWAY STATION #21 |
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ANNE & GREG WESTON'S CHILDREN AND PARTNERS #22 |
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Niel’s
interest in the bush and timber extended into sports too, as he became one of
Western Australia’s best axemen, and a one stage was the Western Australian Champion Axeman. He
competed in log chopping events at the Royal Show and all the country shows on
many weekends from September through until April each year. It was whilst
working for the Forestry Department in the Pemberton area that he met the girl that was to be his future wife, Mollie
Rita Green. |
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MOLLIE'S DAD HOWARD GREEN #23 |
Mollie Rita Green was born on 14th June 1924, she was Both parents were born in South Australia and Mollie’s father worked in a sawmill then in a fruit nursery. When Mollie was four years old the family moved to Pemberton in WA where her father worked at the mill and they lived in one of the mill houses. |
MOLLIE'S MUM RITA GREEN #24 |
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RITA's FAMILY HOME IN LOBETHAL, SOUTH AUSTRALIA #25 Later her parents operated a boarding house in the mill town of Pemberton, called Green’s Boarding House. During her school years Mollie was very sports minded competing in hockey, swimming and tennis. Mollie attended school in Pemberton until the age of 14 when she left to work as a waitress at Gloucester Lodge. She wasn’t very interested in school but liked playing sport. Later becoming team Captain of the Ladies Pemberton Grass Tennis Club in 1944. |
THE GREEN CHILDREN #26 |
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MILL HOUSES AT PEMBERTON #27 |
In October 1945, Mollie’s
sister Betty became Queen of Pemberton in a Queen Carnival event in aid of the
Pemberton Youth Club. The results were: On the 31st
October 1945, Mollie’s younger sister, Jean, married Jim Nichols in the
Methodist Church, Pemberton. Mollie was bridesmaid and the reception was held
at Green’s Boarding House. |
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In July 1946, Mollie’s
father, Howard, took advantage of a shortage of apple fruit tree stock in the
area and in partnership with Mr. A. E. Manning opened the “Springfield
Nursery”. The shortage was accentuated by the realisation that trees rooted on "Northern Sky" root stock was not suitable for the deeper soils in the area. Using experience gained from his father who was a prominent
nurseryman in South Australia, they concentrated on Granny Smiths on deep
"Pomme de Neige" rooting stocks and had a 20,000 tree program under way in readiness for the 1947
season. This increased to 50,000 for the 1948 season. |
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APPLE TREES ON SPRINGFIELD NURSERY 1947 #28 |
APPLE TREES ON SPRINGFIELD NURSERY 1949 #29 |
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One of the prettiest weddings
ever seen in Pemberton took place in the Methodist Church on Saturday night the
7th September 1946, between Mollie Green and Niel Weston. The bride entered the church
on the arm of her father and was beautifully gowned in a frock of white lace
and tulle topped with a full length net veil held in place with a coronet of
orange blossom. Betty Green, sister of the bride, and Jean Carn, cousin of the
bride, acted as bridesmaids and both were frocked in a very unusual shade of
green with bead trimmings. Both bridesmaids carried bouquets of peach blossoms
and their veils held in place with heart-shaped coronets. Little Kaye Hewison, cousin
of the groom, was very sweet as flower girl dressed in blue lace trimmed with
pink bows. Vic Hawkins acted as best man and groomsman’s duties were carried
out by Bert Beard. The church was beautifully decorated by friends of the bride
and the service was conducted by Rev. O’Rourke of Manjimup. Following the wedding, a
reception was held at the Mill Hall and attended by a large number of relatives
and friends. Tables were tastefully decorated with sweet peas and Iceland
poppies. Catering was done by Mrs. McDonald and a delicious supper was served.
A beautiful three tier cake was made and decorated by Mrs. Moffatt. During the
evening toasts were proposed. Rev. O’Rourke acted as chairman at the supper
table and nearly forty telegrams were read. A great number of gifts were
presented to the couple, proving fully their popularity with the people. |
MOLLIE GREEN #30 |
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PEMBERTON MILL HALL #31 |
Rita Green, mother of the
bride, was frocked in navy with white accessories and carried a bouquet of
hyacinths. The groom’s mother, Annie Weston, was dressed in black with dusty pink
accessories. Early in the evening, the happy couple left by car to
spend their honeymoon in Bunbury, prior to settling down in Pickering Brook. An
open dance was held after the wedding, and the music was supplied by Alice Beard and Mr. Tom Osborne. |
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Niel and Mollie built a house next door to his parents,
Anne & Greg Weston. This was on the property where their daughter Jill and
her husband Fred Della Franca would later live. Niel added his father's block to his
own and Anne Weston lived in the house until her death in 1970. It was always a
happy, hospitable home. Mac Beard relates a Weston Story. He remembers his
father, Bert Beard was helping Niel Weston build his new house which they had
nearly finished when Laurie Spriggs pulled up in his truck. Stopping at the top
of the steep drive he walked down to the new house with a couple of bottles of
refreshments to share with the weary builders. However the handbrake failed and
the truck rolled down the slope and crashed in the front of the house almost
completely demolishing the front room. |
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NIEL & MOLLIE WESTON'S HOUSE #32 |
NIEL & MOLLIE WESTON'S HOUSE #33 |
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MOLLIE & NIEL WESTON #34 |
In those days the railway line ran at the back of their place but the train from Barton’s Mill stopped operating once the mill closed. The bus service to Perth was fairly new and the last stop was just down the road at “Number One”. (The corner of Pickering Brook & Bracken Roads.) Most of the roads were gravel and very narrow. The bitumen stopped where the railway line crossed the road at the corner near Vinci’s. Cars were few and far between and you could always tell who was going up or down the road just by the sound of the motor.
NIEL & MOLLIE AND CALF #35 |
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Niel and Mollie had two
Children. Marilyn Rita was born on 27th November 1947, the same month as Vic
Fernie, Rose Travicich and Phillip Vinci. Jill was born mid January 1950. A
couple of weeks before she was born May Smith and Charlie Laughton came to live
nearby with Ernie & George Holroyd. The men died over the years but May
lived in the house near the railway line (now known as Holroyd Road) for many
years. She spent a couple of years in Valencia Nursing Home and died in 1997.
Ernie was an original Anzac who fought at Gallipoli in the First World War.
They were a couple of real old characters who never lost their Yorkshire
accents. |
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THE ARCH ENTRANCE TO
ARCH ENTRANCE AT WALLISTON SCHOOL #37 THE LES NEAVE MEMORIAL GATES |
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PREPARING TIMBER FOR LES NEAVE MEMORIAL GATES #38 |
PREPARING TIMBER FOR LES NEAVE MEMORIAL GATES #39 |
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PREPARING TIMBER FOR LES NEAVE MEMORIAL GATES #40
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LES NEAVE MEMORIAL
GATES #41 |
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THE ARCH ENTRANCE TO Niel Weston helped construct this arch entrance to the Pickering Brook Sports Club on Weston Road, PIckering Brook.
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WESTON ROAD ENTRANCE TO PICKERING BROOK SPORTS CLUB. PHOTO 2008 #42 |
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THE SAW PIT Niel Weston was heavily involved in the building of the saw pit at the Kalamunda History Village.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAW PIT #43 |
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAW PIT #44 |
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GEORGE SPRIGGS AT THE OPENING OF THE SAW PIT #45
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MOLLIE WESTON NEAR PLAQUE FOR SAW PIT #45
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THE WESTON GRAVE Richard and Mary's first son Francis was born on the 17th January 1876 and he died two days later and was buried on a nearby hillside in the bush. This was a common practice in pioneering days when there was no cemetery except in Perth. This small grave is just down the road from where Mason's Mill once stood. Richard made his son's coffin and built a fence around it - the workmanship was meticulous. (Described in detail in "Kalamunda of the Dreamtime" by F. J. McNamara) The name and dates of birth and death of Francis Weston were inscribed on the head piece that was carved by Richard. He also made the picket fence around it. Thereafter, Richard tended the grave, clearing around it in case of bushfires. |
47 TWO DAY OLD BABY FRANCIS WESTON'S GRAVE IN ITS ORIGINAL STATE #37 |
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When he moved to Pickering Brook, he rode there regularly to keep it in order and safe from fire, until he died in 1922. For the next forty years Gregory Weston, the seventh son of Richard and Mary's eleven children, also rode on horseback to maintain it. This tradition was continued by his son, Niel. Niel's two daughters Marilyn (Rollings) and Jill (Della-Franca) and their children and grand-children are looking after it now. This tradition set by a loving father of his first-born son, will surely endure. The grave has been heritage listed by the Heritage Council of Western Australia and also appears on some road maps as "historic grave". |
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NIEL & MOLLIE WITH GRANDSON CRAIG AT THE WESTON GRAVE #48 |
THE WESTON GRAVE AT CARMEL #49 |
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THE McCASKILL GRAVE Baby McCaskill died on 26th August 1903. Buried in the bush off Canning Mills Road, Karragullen. Son of Emma (nee Austead) and Roderick McCaskill (labourer). Death occurred during labour, owing to delay in delivery from want of medical assistance. Niel Weston maintained the post and rail fence around this McCaskill Grave.
McCASKILL'S GRAVE #50
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McCASKILL'S GRAVE. PHOTO APRIL 2008 #51
McCASKILL'S GRAVE #52 |
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Mollie’s favourite sport was
tennis which she enjoyed immensely. Bert Williams (the school headmaster
and an ex state tennis player) was instrumental in having a tennis court built
near the school. She joined the Wednesday afternoon ladies tennis group. Some
of the players included her mother-in-law Anne Weston, Trixie Smailes, Dorrie
Marchetti, Mavis Godbold, Nita Niven, Bernice Fernie, Bunny Cunnold, Hazel
Gillespie and Nell Williams. Later, a second court was built and ladies from
Barton’s Mill joined our group. Mollie was captain of the tennis when it was at
the school and also when it moved to the courts at the Pickering Brook Sports
Club, when it was located down at No. 2 fairway of the Golf Course. She
continued to play and run tennis when they once again moved to the new courts
at their present location at the club. Later she also joined both the
golf and bowling sections of the club and held organizational roles in both
groups. |
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CARILLA TENNIS CLUB 1950 #63
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Entertainment consisted
mainly of dances at the Carilla Hall and also at Kalamunda and Karragullen. Ted
Davey used to take his truck and about a dozen others would climb on to the
back for a ride to the venues outside of Pickering Brook. Eventually they all
got their own cars and travelled by themselves. All the ladies used to take a
plate of supper to the dances and quite a few people used to enjoy a drink or
two from the kegs supplied for the occasion. On Sunday night pictures were shown at the Carilla Hall. They all sat on canvas deck chairs in the hall and it really got cold during the winter months. People came along with blankets to wrap around themselves in order to keep warm. Families used to visit each
other fairly regularly. The Westons spent many good times with Daphne &
George Spriggs, Trixie & Ted Smailes, Alice & Bert Beard and Pat &
Laurie Spriggs. These families used to have meals together and have fun during
the evenings. |
CARILL HALL #54 |
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JILL WESTON IN PRAM BEHIND CARILLA HALL #55 |
A feature of the early days
in Pickering Brook were the children’s birthday parties. Practically all the
students in the school were invited and the adults enjoyed the parties as much
as the children. Everyone put a lot of work into providing an extensive range
of party food. The children particularly enjoyed the jellies in orange halves.
These were very difficult to set in summer before refrigerators came into
being. They used to have to put them on a tray in the creek under the tea-tree
bushes to enable them to get cold enough to set. As well as the parties at
their own place for Marilyn and Jill, they enjoyed others at the Beard’s,
Marchetti’s, Sprigg’s, Fernie’s, Urbinati’s, Godbold’s and the Travicich’s
places. |
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NIEL & MOLLIE'S CHILDREN MARILYN ROLLINGS (nee Weston) Marilyn was born on 27th November 1947 whilst her parents lived in Pickering Brook She attended the Pickering Brook Primary School and later was an inaugual student at Kalamunda High School spending the years 1960 till 1962 there. In the two years 1963 -64 she went to Governor Stirling Senior High School and then on to Graylands Teachers' College where she graduated.
NIEL & MARILYN #56
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MARILYN WESTON GRADE 1 PICKERING BROOK SCHOOL |
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MARILYN WESTON #58 |
MARILYN WESTON #59
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JUNIOR FARMERS Whilst she was teaching at the Beverley Primary School, Marilyn became very active in the Junior Farmers Movement for 2 1/2 years. She participated in many different fields within the Movement. Good general knowledge won Marilyn a three month's trip to New Zealand under an exchange schemme operated in conjunction with the New Zealand Federation of Country Girls' Association. During her three months in New Zealand she was a guest in the homes of members of 10 different Country Girls' Association, and spent about a week in each district. She was keen to learn all she could about the New Zealand way of life, particularly to see how the New Zealand system of having separate rural organisations for boys and girls worked out. |
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MARILYN WESTON AT AWARDS CEREMONY #60 |
MARILYN WESTON AT BEVERLY JUNIOR FARMERS #61 |
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MARRIAGE Marilyn married Accountant and Real Estate Agent Ian Rollings on 3rd March 1978 in Perth and originally lived in Jolimont before returning to Pickering Brook in 1980. They had one son, Sean born in 1978. Sean Rollings married Emily and they have two children; Ethan & Zanna.
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MARILYN & IAN ROLLINGS #62 |
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TEACHING Marilyn's first posting was Midland Primary School and then on to Exmouth. Later while teaching at the Beverley Primary School she became very active in the local branch of Junior Farmers from 1968 till 1970. She also joined the tennis, basketball and hockey clubs. She later taught at the following schools;
WALLISTON SCHOOL #63
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MARILYN ROLLINGS & STAFF WALLISTON SCHOOL #64 |
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CHILDREN & GRAND CHILDREN Marilyn and Ian's son Sean married Emily and live in Pickering Brook. They have two children, Zanna and Ethan.
MARILYN & IAN ROLLINGS AT SON SEAN'S 21st BIRTHDAY 1999 #65 |
SEAN ROLLING & WIFE EMILY #66 |
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NIEL & MOLLIE'S CHILDREN JILL DELLA-FRANCA (nee Weston) Jill was born 14th January 1950. She first went to school at Pickering Brook Primary School then went on to Kalamunda High School. After attending Business College in Perth, she then worked on the family's poultry farm at Pickering Brook. |
JILL WESTON AT 7 MONTHS #67 |
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JILL WESTON #68 |
MARILYN & JILL WESTON #69 |
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MARRIAGE Jill Weston married Frederick "Fred" William Della-Franca on the 28th January 1972. Jill was 22 years old and Fred was 25 years old. Fred and Jill had three children; CRAIG PHILLIP born 25th December 1972 GRANT WILLIAM born 15th August 1975 SANDRA JANE born 24th September 1979
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FRED & JILL DELLA-FRANCA ON THEIR WEDDING DAY #70 |
FRED & JILL DELLA-FRANCA ON THEIR WEDDING DAY #71 |
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Craig and Grant both own their own orchards in Pickering Brook and work in conjunction with their father on 70 acres of orchards in Pickering Brook and Roleystone. Sandra studied and is a teacher and lives with her family on a nearby property.
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FRED & JILL DELLA-FRANCA #72 |
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CHILDREN & GRAND CHILDREN |
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CRAIG & GAIL Craig Phillip Della-Franca married Gail Annette Hughes on 1st October 2000. They have three children: Nicholas Phillip (twin) born 22nd May 2003
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CRAIG DELLA-FRANCA #73 |
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CRAIG & GAIL ON THEIR WEDDING DAY #74 |
CRAIG & GAIL DELLA-FRANCA March 2003 #75
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GRANT & KYLIE Grant William Della-Franca married Kylie Rae Vaga on 3rd Novmber 2001. They have two children; Lydia Shiray born 6th December 2002
NIEL WESTON WITH GRAND CHILDREN 1974 #76 |
GRANT & KYLIE ON THEIR WEDDING DAY #77 |
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SANDY (SANDRA) & PETER Sandy Jane Della Franca married Peter David Fields on 10th July 2004. They have three children; Georgia Ann born 28th March 2006
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SANDY DELLA-FRANCA #78 |
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FRED DELLA-FRANCA WITH DAUGHTER SANDY #79 |
PETER & SANDY ON THEIR WEDDING DAY #80 |
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GEORGIA & SANDI DELLA-FRANCA, MOLLIE WESTON & JILL DELLA-FRANCA #81
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NIEL & MOLLIE'S GRAND & GREAT GRAND-CHILDREN MOLLIE WESTON WITH CHILDREN & GRAND-CHILDREN |
JILL DELLA-FRANCA'S GRAND-CHILDREN #83 |
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THE GREEN FAMILY
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RITA & HOWARD GREEN #84 |
MOLLIE WESTON WITH HER PARENTS HOWARD & RITA GREEN #85 |
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HOWARD GREEN WITH THE SYDNEY OLYMPICS 2000 #86 |
THE GREEN FAMILY #87
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NIEL & MOLLIE When they left the family property Niel and Mollie had a poultry farm for egg production only. They had nearly 10,000 hens at its peak. That was their major source of income until Niel retired at the age of 52. Sadly he died at 57 from a stroke.
NIEL WESTON #88 |
MOLLIE WESTON #89
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PICKERING BROOK GOLF TEAM #90 |
MOLLIE WESTON THE GOLFER #91 |
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Marilyn, like her mother Mollie, particpated in many Mollie enjoyed her golfing days and was very good at it. During that time she hit two hole-in-one shots. The first one was in April 1992 No.1 hole at the age of 69 years. The second one was in July 2006 No.17 hole at the age of 83 years. Many members of the Weston Family have attended the Pickering Brook Primary School over many years. Only two ex-students have ever returned to the school as teachers. Greg Weston's daughter Hazel was a student at the Pickering Brook Primary School and later became a teacher there. The only other student to return to the school as a teacher was Jill Weston's daughter Sandra Fields (nee Della Franca). Now Mollie & Niel's daughter Jill (Della-Franca) lives on the original property in a house next to the old home which has since been demolished.
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MOLLIE WESTON CELEBRATING HER 90th BIRTHDAY IN 2014 #92
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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.
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References: Article: Gordon Freegard Images: Kalamunda & Districts Historical Society 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 38. 39, 40, 43, 44, 45,
Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2008-2023
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