A Tribute to Mac Wroth 9574 2300
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Postage Paid TO THE HOUSEHOLDER Toodyay 6566 West Aust PO Box 100, Toodyay, WA 6566 Telephone/Fax: (08) 9574 2106 VOLUME 295 email - [email protected] September 2011 www.toodyayherald.com.au Circulation 3400 Heralding the End of an Era: a Tribute to Mac Wroth children. As Mac was a choir Elsie and Mac’s first child Jan was born in of Alma Beard. Alma served in WWII as an boy at the Anglican Church, 1949, followed by Barbara in 1951, Yvonne Army RN and was at sea when her vessel he attended all five funerals. in 1954, Charles in 1958, Jo in 1961 and was bombed. She and others survived by At the age of 16, Mac Jamie in 1964. They were both very family swimming to an island, only to have Japanese commenced his first job at the oriented and would travel to the Donnybrook soldiers force them back into the sea and Post Office as an assistant, Orchard for fun and games with their cousins used as target practice. Regrettably, many earning 1 pound a week. At every Easter and Christmas. They also including Alma were killed. night he operated the manual shared a strong faith and a united approach Mac was a high achiever in whatever he telephone switchboard from in raising their children and family matters. did and there were many awards presented 10pm to 7am, earning 10 Mac was a proud hands-on Dad and to Mac though the years. Just some of the shillings per week. He did supported his children’s education by playing awards are: 1996 - appointed as a Justice manage to sleep during this an active role on the P&C of the Toodyay of the Peace; 1988 saw him awarded the time, and would be woken by school and as the President of the Northam Toodyay Citizen of the Year; 1999 the the bells of the switchboard P&C when the children attended Northam Federal Government awarded him an OAM to perform his duties. High School. This was followed by Mac for his services. In February 2007, Mac’s son, Mac began working at the being elected vice chairman of the Western Cr Charles Wroth, presented to his father, the Toodyay Valley Cooperative Australian Government Schools Association. honour of being the first ever Freeman of the as a shop assistant and, on Both Mac and Elsie were members of the Municipality of Toodyay. weekends, delivering meat Anglican Church, where Mac was also a Many will remember Mac’s keen wit and for the butcher. Sunday School teacher and later became the wicked sense of humour in his playful tricks He was 17 when he joined district’s first Church Lay Leader and first which he played out at any given opportunity. the Light Horse Troop in Pastoral Assistant. Mac Wroth has touched so many hearts Toodyay. His father had During these years, Mac worked delivering and will be sadly missed, but fondly served in the 10th Light wood in an old Mapleleaf truck to the remembered by family, many, many friends, Horse in WWI, served in ‘Northam Electricity Undertaking’ and later and communities of the Avon Valley and Gallipoli and was awarded began a career as a bulldozer contractor beyond. the Military Medal as a and built up a solid business. A memorable Sadly, Mac’s beloved wife Elsie passed stretcher bearer in France. occasion was when his bulldozer, a General only a month ago. Rest in Peace Mac, you Mac proudly watched his Grant Tank weighing 400 tonnes, backfired are now reunited with Elsie. father act as Marshall for the and set fire to the Kurrajong tree near the ANZAC Day marches and Freemasons Hotel. An excellent conversation celebrations in Toodyay. piece for a good many years. A Toodyay Businessman, The bulldozer took its toll on his hearing this month Cyril Batty who knew Mac all and so Mac retired from bulldozing in his life, described him as an the mid 1960s. He then worked as a meat industrious, sober and well- inspector until 1986. behaved man in every way. Mac was a distinguished Freemason, and He said that Mac came from a was the master of the Toodyay Lodge on two Toodyay Family highly respected family, was occasions, was the grand sword bearer in the honest, courteous, energetic 1996 Grand Lodge Team and proudly held Physicians Open. and punctual and he would the rank of Past Senior Grand Deacon. recommend Mac to anyone He had a long and distinguished career in Phone: requiring his services. Local Government, serving 38 years. He was Mac and Elsie Wroth after renewing their marriage vows On 7 August 1940, Mac first elected in 1958 to the Toodyay Roads enlisted in the RAAF as a trainee electrician. Board, the Toodyay Council from 1961 until Joseph Charles (Mac) Wroth OAM He had to be very persuasive to gain entry 1996 and was Shire President between 1969 9574 2300 6 September 1921 - 29 August 2011 into the RAAF due to his affiliation with the and 1971. See page 3 Light Horse and, by February 1941, he was One of Mac’s legacies as a councillor JOSEPH Charles Wroth, affectionately an RAAF Aircraftman Class 1 Electrician. was saving Connors Mill from demolition. known as Mac, was born in the Toodyay In May 1943, just 11 months later, Mac was Connors Mill was the third flour mill hospital on 6 September 1921 to Earl Joseph promoted to Corporal. In April of 1944, he constructed in the district, operating until Sinclair and Dorothy (nee McDermot) was promoted to aircrew and served in Papua 1917 when the building was reconditioned Wroth. Mac was the eldest of five Children: New Guinea as an Air Gunner, followed by as a powerhouse. After 33 Toodyay was three girls and two boys. another promotion to Air Gunner Sergeant included in the SEC State grid, thus rendering Mac came from a hardworking and high in February 1945. the old Mill redundant. The building became achieving pioneering family. His great- His war service included a stint with the derelict and, in 1965, was passed by Council grandfather, on his father’s side, was one of 25th Squadron in Darwin and the 77th for demolition. Mac had witnessed many the first landowners and farmers in Toodyay, Squadron based at Dunreef, an unsealed historic buildings demolished over the the first Toodyay Postmaster, the first runway in those days, which is now the Perth years and believed that demolishing these Toodyay Town Clerk and the second Roads Airport. buildings was reducing the historic fabric Board Secretary. Later, Mac was remustered into aircrew of the town. On Mac’s mother’s side, his great- which included duties in Cunderdin, Sale Cr Ted Davy was also of the same view Assistance dog visit, page 14 grandfather, Charles McDermott, sailed his in Victoria and Adelaide, at which time he and, between them, they persuaded, through own ship from England in 1829 and built on played for the famous SAFL Club in Glenelg. quite robust reasoning, Council to turn the the first privately owned block in Fremantle. During his time in New Guinea, Mac mill into a tourist centre. A massive clean-up Mac so resembled his grandfather that he shared a tent with Bernie Clifford. Bernie’s was led by Mac to recondition the mill as the became known as “Little Mac” and, over fiancé, Audrey Kane, sent a photograph new Tourist Centre. He was the inaugural time, this was shorten to ‘Mac’. to Bernie of herself and her Cousin, Elsie Chairman on the Toodyay Tourist Committee As there were no motorised school buses Padman, which Bernie showed to Mac. Of and the impact of this Committee has seen at that time, Mac commenced his schooling course, Mac wrote to Elsie and eventually Toodyay develop from a sleepy backwater living with his grandparents during the week they met in Donnybrook. into what Toodyay is today – a vibrant town and returning home on weekends. After four On 10 March 1947, Mac and Elsie married of the Avon Valley which is highly visited years, his parents moved into the Toodyay and lived with the Wroth seniors for the next by many tourists today. town site. eight years in Toodyay on Harper Road. The naming of the Alma Beard Medical Winner Steve Jones. Photo: Circlework During Mac’s school years, a steam train Needless to say, they all got on extremely Centre was also lead by Cr Mac Wroth, Targa West results, page 8 collided with a school bus, killing five well and the four formed a very close bond. persuading Council by recounting the story Page 2. 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