There is sufficient space to park off the road: check carefully when re-entering. BYOP
William was born near Guildford in 1838, being amongst the first of the white children born in Western Australia. In early manhood he joined the police force and came to these districts nearly 60 years ago when, as a trooper, he was sent to what is now Katanning in the year 1860, forming an outpost to the military station at Kojonup. Two years later he married Bridget Noonan, then twenty years of age, and the union continued unbroken for 58 years, being blessed with eleven children, of whom nine survive.
Shortly after their marriage, when settlement commenced, he relinquished his position to select land, and took up a large tract of fertile country, close to Katanning, which he held to the time of his death (a period of over 50 years) with his brother-in-law, Michael Noonan, the two acquiring some 40,000 acres under pastoral lease. The property was originally known as Springfield, although the name of the property was soon changed to āIndinupā.
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In the very beginning a small flock of 150 ewes were purchased from the late William Cornwall, at the Beaufort, and the sheep now on āIndinupā are the descendants of those first ewes.
In those days the sheep were shepherded with the aid of friendly natives and ticket-of-leave whites: but it was a precarious game at best and brushes with the aboriginals were frequent. A native tracker, who left the police with William Grover and worked for him as a shepherd, was killed by other natives, while more than once.
As settlement progressed, the old pastoral lands were encroached upon by other pioneers, until finally they were abandoned, to be replaced by leases under purchase. These now comprise the 7,500 acres of freehold in āIndinupā and form one of the finest properties in these districts.
When the Katanning Road Board was formed in 1892, Mr. Grover was one of the original members, the late F. H. Piesse, C.M.G., being the first chairman. For a long time, he took a keen Interest in public affairs, but with advancing age was compelled to retire from active participation. Of late years he suffered from indifferent health and for months prior to his death was an invalid. His death severs him from his wife; to whom he was married for 62 years, and he leaves three sons and seven daughters to mourn his loss.
Ref: Lost Katanning - Home Lost Katanning Great Southern Western Australia
With gratitude to Arthur Todd for encouragement, help and support. Lost Katanning, Old Railway Station, 67 Austral Terrace, Katanning
Congratulations for the shared F2F to Cravo 10, Barney 12, Laughlin 177 and Burns 345 š£
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