the end of an era: life in old Eaglehawk and Bendigo by William Perry (Second hand book)

SECOND HAND BOOK

William (Bill) Perry had a long, non-conformist and eventful life spent in his beloved Eaglehawk, born of proud Cornish stock on 22 August 1911. From an early age he became a keen observer of what was and took place around him.
When only eight years old his mother died and his father re-married a widow with three daughters.
William’s father was a keen amateur naturalist, this rubbed off onto Bill. Mines which still dominated life in Eaglehawk and Bendigo became a source of fascination. His grandfather Sam Bartlett had been manager of the famous South New Moon Mine.
At fourteen William left school to first work in a market garden; then in a boot repairer, finally before the weight of depression set in, he became an apprentice tin smith.
Bill experienced unemployment, looked for alluvial gold, and sank a shaft with his brother Jack. Bill made cyanide tanks, and later became a plumber on his own account.
After a long courtship he married Gwen Walls in 1937, who was to be his companion for fifty eight years. When in his mid forties he took permanent employment at the Bendigo Railway Workshops, later appointed as sheetmetal instructor at the Bendigo Training Prison.
William Perry was a member of the Rifle Club and between shoots explored the surrounding whispstick environment, taking note of its flora and fauna, a subject on which he became an authority. He was a foundation member of the Bendigo Field Naturalists’ and its first librarian.
In 1975 he published the highly regarded “Tales of the Whipstick”, “The End of an Era”, although written in 1983, was not to be published till after his death 5 March 1995.

Specifications:

Condition: Good, ex-lib with associated stamps and labels

Publisher: J & E Lerk

Year: 1995

Format: Paperback

Pages: 128

ISBN: 0646258648

$13.00

1 in stock