Obituary to Harold Hankinson 1906-2003

In 1906 my grandfather, Harold Hankinson was born in Congleton, Cheshire, England to Harry Randle Hankinson and Emma Hankinson (nee Wootton). He had an older sister Mabel and later, a younger brother John. He was educated at St Stephen’s School until High School when he spent a year at Macclesfield King’s Grammar. In 1919, he started his first job as an office boy for Redfern, Rheade and Co. who made boot, shoelaces, knitted ties and singlets. His next job was in a steelworks at Blackbull in North Staffordshire owned by Heath and Lowmoor, but he was laid off when shifts were cut from 3 to 1 and he was out of work for 6 months.

In 1923, he began work as a farm worker at Church Farm about 5 miles from Congleton and worked 7 days a week, 6.00-6.00 for 6 shillings. He then worked for Jim Bailey, of Moss Farm, where he had his first experience with a horse team. He worked for a nephew of Jim Bailey for 6 months, and then when Police came to ask Harold to be a witness in court, to a fight (though not involved) Bailey gave him the sack, as he didn't like the police coming around. On the way home, however, he got a job with a chaff cutting team, with another member of the Bailey family. Through them, he got a job working for Frank Walkley at Mill Lane Farm. He was a good boss and Harold had his first chance to break in a working horse. He stayed with Frank Walkley until 1926. (All of these farms worked on, were part of the estate of Sir William Bromley Devonport of Capesthorne Hall.)

In 1926 as a 20 year old, Harold set out for adventure and emigrated to Australia. He worked for a number of farmers, in the wheatbelt of Victoria; harvesting, sharefarming, working the horse teams and digging channels that would bring water to this semi-desert region of Australia. He carted stumps dug up by stump jump ploughs, and during the depression worked for almost a year for no wages though he was given a horse for payment.

In 1931, he took up a selection and continued to work with and for farmers in the region. There was a drought and the harvests were poor for several years.

In 1933 Harold’s father Harry and bother John came out from Congleton to join him, following the death of his mother Emma. Harold met Annie Littlewood, a niece of a neighbour visiting from Rand in NSW. Harold rode a borrowed motorbike to Rand NSW for Christmas and they got engaged. They were married at Rand in Feb. 1934

They farmed the land for several years, through droughts and good years. Harold bought a Bulldog tractor (One of the last shipment out of Germany before the war started) and a chaffcutter. They survived some of the poor years on contract work he obtained with these and from contract stump pulling. During these years they had 3 children, Norma, Valerie and Robert (Bobbie).

In 1944 Harold bought a property in Piangil, on the Murray River. He continued to work the Mallee farm as well as the new property, until the Mallee block was lost in a government re-shuffle of Mallee blocks after the war. He decided to go into commercial orange growing and was one of the first in the region to do so. He developed innovative techniques for transplanting trees which are still used by citrus growers to this day. He was the first in the area to use overhead sprays and when the trees started producing in 1950, fruit was sold privately for many years. (Green Island Oranges) Norma and Valerie were married in the next few years and, tragically, Bobbie was killed in a car accident.

In the 1960s Harold sold most of the farm and he and Annie “retired” to a smaller block across the road where he raised Poll Dorset sheep. The grandchildren were always impressed that Pop used to ride a three-wheeled motorbike around the sheep. In the 1960s he and Annie did a world tour and over the next couple of decades he also had several trips back to England. Some years after Annie died, Harold sold the block and moved into a unit in Swan Hill. In his 80s he went back to England for a last visit and on the way home took a tour of the Greek islands, though hampered a little by painful hips. He decided that his painful legs were not worth putting up with and had hip replacement surgery in spite of Doctors not recommending it.

He was a generous man of great integrity, well respected in his community, a J.P, an advocate and sponsor for Italian families after the war. He was a quiet man with a wry sense of humour who enjoyed the visits of and accomplishments of his 6 grand children, and his 9 great grand children; watching cricket and soccer and visiting at the hospital day centre once a week to have a beer with his "mates". His body was failing, but his mind was bright and alert.

After a number of falls during 2000-2001, he agreed with some reluctance to go into the ECU (extended care unit) at the hospital in Swan Hill. Someone in the family visited every day and occasionally he would escape on his electric “Gopher” to go down the street. He maintained his interest in the world and in all his family until the end.

Harold Hankinson passed away peacefully on June 4 2003, at age 97.

Beth Young 2003