Athol Beaufort Stirling ('Bob') GORDON

1889 - 1969  (79 years)

• Name	Athol Beaufort Stirling ('Bob') GORDON
  Born	16 Sep 1889	Port Sturt, SA, Australia   [1]
  Gender	Male
  General event	BIOGRAPHY : From page 55 in 'The Gordons' by Natalie & Colin Semmler. This book can be seen in Stories on the left side of the home page. Athol, commonly called Bob by his family and friends, was born on 16.9.1899 at Point Sturt, S.A. Athol commenced school at Point Sturt but only three months later the family moved to "Watulunga" station near Finniss. He, along with the younger members of the family, continued his schooling his at Finniss, where school was held in a private home. Athol hated school and on one never-to-be-forgotten day he jumped out of the window, never to return. Apparently, his parents were sympathetic to the situation as they had him tutored at home. Athol remained a "Watulunga" until the age of twenty-two when he and the family moved to the Murray Mallee, in the Mantung district, about fifty kilometres south west of Loxton. He helped his father and three brothers to clear the land of mallee scrub in preparation for wheat growing and sheep grazing. By the age of twenty-six Athol had purchased his own farm, "Huntley Brae", where his brothers helped him clear the land and construct a new home of limestone. It was to this home that he took his new wife, Margaret Bruce (formally of Edinburgh, Scotland). He met Margaret when visiting his mother in Geelong, where his brother, Giff, was Church of Christ minister. They were married by Giff at the Prahran Church of Christ. Athol, Margaret and their daughter, Nathalie, lived at "Huntley Brae" until 1922. Athol's health began to be affected by the continuous bumping over the limestones when working the implements. He leased the farm and took up a position as a share farmer at Quambatook, Vic, for James Mann. The position was obtained for him by his brother, Allan, who was already working for Mr Mann. In 1924 their second child, "T-Model Ford" was bought. Three years later it was traded for a much more comfortable "Dodge". It was Athol's intention at this stage to buy his own farm in the district, but as there was nothing suitable for sale he decided, in 1926, to take a trip into New South Wales. He liked the Barellan district in the Riverina. It happened to be a boom year with wheat growing as high as the fences, so in 1927 he took another trip and purchased a mallee farm, 'Glenora', at Moombooldool, about eleven kilometres from Barellan. The family moved to the new farm on 4.4.1927, just in time to sow the crops. The rains did not come, and the next two years saw drought and severe late frosts, then the Great Depression. Life was a battle for a number of years. The South Australian farm, "Huntley Brae", was to be sold to pay for the new one, but the purchaser became insolvent, with the result that Athol was paid one shilling in the pound. In today's terms this is equal to ten cents in two dollars.) In 1948 after his son, Bruce, had returned from World War II, Athol made over the farm to him and he and Margaret retired to Kiama on the south coast of NSW. Here Athol did odd jobs for people and sometimes worked as a labourer, building houses. They lived in Kiama until Athol's death in 1969. Margaret later returned to Moombooldool to live with her daughter Nathalie, for a time. She spent her final years in a nursing home in Griffith, where she died at the age of ninety-eight in 1982. Athol and Margaret are both buried at Kiama.
  Residence	Residence : South Australia and New South Wales. Athol and Margaret retired from Moombooldool to Kiama in 1948. They had a small cottage overlooking Bombo Beach. There were traditional family holidays there every January. (ref : Colin Semmler)
  Died	13 Aug 1969  [1]
  Buried	Kiama, NSW   [1]
  Person ID	I112	Alexander & Jessie
  Last Modified	26 Jun 2018

  
  

  Father	Alexander (jnr) GORDON,   b. 4 Apr 1852, Larbert, Stirling, Scotland, UK ,   d. 21 Apr 1925, Wxx Laurences Private Hospital, Wakefield St, Hindmarsh West, Adelaide  (Age 73 years)
  Mother	Annie SALTMARSH,   b. 28 Oct 1853, Bugle Ranges via Hahndorf, SA, Australia ,   d. 4 Nov 1932  (Age 79 years)
  Married	31 Mar 1875	Christian Chapel, Groote St, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  	They might have been married in 1876 rather than 1875.
  Children	As well as their own 11 children, they also raised Alexander Duff Gordon whose mother died in an accident soon after he was born and his father, Coningsby, went to America. Baby Alexander was Alexander's and Annie's first grandchild - he was born in 1902, just 8 years after their youngest child
  Residence	Annie and Alexander farmed around the Strathalbyn district. They lived at 'Watulunga'.
  Wedding	Wedding : Alexander and Annie were married on 31st March 1875 at the Christian Chapel in Grote St, Adelaide. The witnesses on the marriage certificate were Mary McGREGOR of Alma, Henry SALTMARSH of Lake Plains, and Robert D LAWRIE of Alma.
  Family ID	F36	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Margaret Findlay BRUCE,   b. 29 May 1884, Edinburgh, Scotland ,   d. 18 Sep 1982  (Age 98 years)
  Married	19 Jan 1916  [2]
  	Wedding at the Prahan Church of Christ. Gifford Gordon conducted the marriage ceremony.
  Children	+ 1. Nathalie Cyrilla Floy GORDON,   b. 3 Jan 1917,   d. 13 Jun 2021  (Age 104 years) + 2. Bruce Stirling GORDON,   b. 13 May 1924, Kerang, Vic ,   d. 26 Nov 1983  (Age 59 years)
  Last Modified	9 Apr 2014
  Family ID	F150	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Athol Beaufort Stirling Gordon
  		Athol, Roy, Ron and possibly Lav - by the lagoon at Watulunga
  		Athol with whip near the lagoon at Watulunga
  		Athol

  
  

  Our places

  Farming at Watulunga - the Gordon boys at work

  
  

• Sources

  [S67] 'The Gordons' by Nathalie Semmler & Colin Semmler, 1997, Page 27. [S67] 'The Gordons' by Nathalie Semmler & Colin Semmler, 1997, Page 55.