Oliver George Fradd 1902

Oliver George Fradd was born on the 14^th of September 1902 in Kooringa, Burra, South Australia. ‘George’ as he was known, was one of 9* siblings to Francis and Mary Magdalene Fradd [nee Opitz] who lived in Burra, South Australia. He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters and was the third eldest child. *Chester Douglas Fradd may have been his half-brother.

 Either George or one of his three brothers was recorded in the following newspaper article:

 A child's mistake.

One day last week a young son of Mr F. Fradd by some means got hold of a bottle of liniment, and drank some of the contents. He subsequently became drowsy, but nothing serious was anticipated until at about 11:30 o’clock the same evening, when he had a fit. Dr. Sangster was sent for and prescribed for the young sufferer, who is now out of danger. Burra Record 17 1906

His family moved from Burra to Broken Hill, New South Wales sometime after 1907.

George resided in three different residences in Broken Hill, Kaolin Street, 496 Crystal Street and Argent Street.

George shift-worked as a miner, mainly in the North Mine for Broken Hill Proprietary Mine Corporation where newspaper records show he suffered a few minor injuries during the course of his employment; including scats to the elbow and an injured knee.

 In 1918, George was in trouble with the law when at age 19 he was charged with stealing £96 near Milparinka. He was brought before Judge Bevan in the Broken Hill Court and pleaded guilty to misappropriation and was sentenced to 3 months gaol, but was ordered to be released under sureties.

 In 1925 perhaps George had saved up enough money to buy a motor bike. On Christmas Eve he was booked for speeding down Lane Street in Broken Hill at a speed dangerous to the public.

Constable Schneider stated that "The defendant went along Lane Street at a speed of about 50 miles an hour. He had a man on the back of the bike and they both fell off at the corner of Lane and Zebina streets."
George stated that he had the cycle for only 3 days and that it had got out of his control.

The controls jammed and the only way he had to stop it was to fall off. He added "I would be a fool to speed up in Lane Street it is the roughest street in Broken Hill."

Constable Schneider said that the men had drink in them. "They caused a commotion as they went up the street some time before". The defendant had only a permit to drive, and is not a licensed driver. The magistrate fined George £5 with 5/6 costs in default, and 2 months’ imprisonment.

He stated that if the defendant had been a licensed driver he would have cancelled his licence.
Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW 29 Dec 1925

George married Ivy Vivian May Selby on the 23^rd of March 1929.  They had two children, a boy and a girl.  In 1931, newspaper records show that George at age 27, overturned his car near Menindie after his car had a blowout. He was taken to Broken Hill hospital for treatment for injuries to the mouth and lacerated fingers.

The Great Depression (1929–32) was a time of extreme hardship for people in Australia. For many people this period began before the market crash in prices and lasted until the Second World War (1939-1945). Even before the devastating stock market crash on Wall Street (the centre of stock market trading in New York, United States of America), unemployment in Australia was already at ten per cent. The Wall Street crash in October 1929 signalled the beginning of a severe depression for the whole industrialised world.

After the crash, unemployment in Australia more than doubled to twenty per cent in mid-1930, and reached its peak in mid-1932 when almost thirty-two per cent of Australians were out of work.

The impact on Australian society was devastating. Without work and a steady income many people lost their homes and were forced to live in makeshift dwellings with poor heating and sanitation. Many men selfishly deserted their wives and children to try and survive including George and half- brother* Chester who both deserted their wives and headed to Western Australia following a gold rush.

 

A Great Depression survivor recalls the hardship:

“People were forced into all sorts of tricks and expediencies to survive, all sorts of shabby and humiliating compromises. In thousands and thousands of homes fathers deserted the family and went on the track (became itinerant workers), or perhaps took to drink. Grown sons sat in the kitchen day after day, playing cards, studying the horses [betting on horse racing] and trying to scrounge enough for a three penny bet, or engaged in petty crime, mothers cohabited with male boarders who were in work and who might support the family, daughters attempted some amateur prostitution and children were in trouble with the police.”

Bibliography: http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/great-depression

George’s first marriage was dissolved in 1967 as a result of abandonment.

George had met Ivy Pearl Williams and had 3 children before marrying in a registry office in 1968; 2 boys and a girl. George and Ivy lived in the Yilgarn district in Western Australia in a place called Westonia where George was employed as a pumpman.  Australian Electoral Records, 1943

 



George and Chester then share farmed various properties until about 1973 at Burracoppin in the wheat-belt area just outside of Merredin, Western Australia. Then George moved to the township of Merredin and worked at the local Merredin Holden dealership up until his death in 1975.

¹“George used smoke Capstan rollies (tins) and at no stage of his life did he not have a smoke in his mouth and probably one in the ashtray (that he forgot). Being a rather large drinker (3 king browns per night) he ended up brewing his own and loved you testing out his latest mixtures.  I think he only ever did that so he had an excuse to open another bottle. He loved yelling out to Ivy get us another bottle as we are getting pretty dry.”

¹“We never even knew that grandads name was "Oliver" because he was only ever known as George Fradd. Even my Father and Grandmother never knew that his name was "Oliver" until they sighted the death certificate. He signed his marriage certificate as "George Fradd", so he kept that very secret. It’s funny that Chester didn't spill the beans on him either”.

 



Oliver George Fradd

 



¹“The best way to sum up Grandad was that he was a jolly Aussie larrikin who would give you his last cent if you asked him. He did life hard with little money, but it never worried him as long as he had a beer, his smokes, family and mates around. He had more stories than a library and loved a laugh. My biggest regret is that he died when I was too young to appreciate what he used to tell me. He fussed over all the Grandkids and never forgot a birthday even when he had no money.

He was just always happy and very jovial.”

¹ Details kindly provided by Grandson Colin George Fradd

Oliver George Fradd died on the 21^st of July1975 in Perth, Western Australia. Ivy lived another 19 years at Mt. Lawley after George’s death and died on the 15^th of July 1994.

Both Oliver "George" and Ivy Pearl Fradd were cremated at Karrakatta Crematorium in Perth.