There is sufficient space to park off the road: check carefully when re-entering. BYOP
Michael Cronin was a son of Patrick Cronin of Youghal, County Cork, Ireland and was born on September 4, l842. In 1854, aged 12 years, he sailed on the “Berkshire” with his parents, brother John and sisters Margaret, Mary and Ann and arrived in Fremantle in March 1855.
Michael Cronin was educated at Bishop Hale’s School in Perth, and later moved with his family to Pinjarra. He left there in 1861 for Kojonup where he worked on a farm for two years, and having gained experience, leased a farm at Mallitup (now Pallinup) where he remained for seven years.
In 1866 Michael Cronin married Elinor Bridget Noonan, daughter of William Noonan, who was stationed at Kojonup as a sergeant-in-charge of the convict depot, from which the Perth-Albany road had been constructed and maintained. They had a family of five sons and five daughters.
In 1875 be moved to Glen Cove farm, which he had taken up from the Government two years previously, 17 miles northeast of what was later to become the town of Katanning. With him was a ticket-of-leave man, John Collins, and together they erected a slab and dab house of sheoak poles, mud walls and thatched roof of blackboy spines. It was erected as a makeshift but was to be occupied continuously until after Michael Cronin’s death on June 23, 1931 aged 88 years.
He held a freehold of 1,400 acres at Glen Cove (later shortened to Glencoe) and a pastoral lease of 20,000 acres on which he grazed sheep for wool. In the meantime, he cut many loads of sandalwood from his own land and the adjacent bush. From Glencoe, Michael Cronin carted his sandalwood and scoured wool to Perth or Albany at six monthly intervals, to whichever port offered the best price, and returned laden with stores, clothing and farm plant.
At the time of the Coolgardie gold rush Mr. Cronin was one of the first to blaze a trail across country to the scene of the find, with the object of opening up a route to the field from Katanning, the Holland Track. This, however, was not used, as the Government hastened the construction of the Great Southern railway to the district.
He was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Daglish Government, and for ten years served as a member of the Katanning Road Board, having been the first mover in the petition to secure a local governing body. He was also a foundation member of the Katanning Agricultural Society and the Katanning Racing Club.
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 on the F2F getnict đź‘Ł