.

Rose of England and Lancashire

My Father Frederick William COOPER, was born in West Derby, Liverpool Lancaster on 22nd October 1905. His parents were George Frederick and Gertrude COOPER nee PARKINSON.

He was mainly bought up by his maternal grandmother, Margaret PARKINSON, whom he referred to affectionately as Maurn. See more about the PARKINSON family here.

From the age of four to nine, Dad attended a Quakers School in Liverpool.
I have yet to establish exactly where the school was situated and would like to here from anyone who might be able to enlighten me. 

Aged nine, Dad was sent to Deythuer Grammar School, a boarding school in Wales and by the age of sixteen he had successfully applied to immigrate to South Australia under the 'Barwell Boys' Scheme. On arrival in South Australia, he was sent to Minnapa on the West Coast, to work as a Farm Labourer. 

As was Dad's way, he only ever talked of the funny things. One of his favorite stories, was about the time he was out riding on the farm. The horse was going at a fair pace and decided to go between a fork in a tree. The horse went through just fine but there was not enough room for Dad and he was flung off, landing on his rear end and being left far behind. 

The farmer's wife, must have taken pity on this young sixteen year old from Liverpool because after a while, she allowed him to sleep in the farm house and eat with the family. He always referred to her as being a very kind lady.

After completing his apprenticeship under the 'Barwell Scheme', he must have headed for Adelaide because the next place he worked at was the Tramnere Bowling Green as a Greenkeeper.  He worked there both prior too and immediately after WW2 and later became Green keeper of the seven rink Bowling Green at Holdfast Bay, This was situated on the Anzac Highway, next to the old St. Leonard's Hotel at Glenelg and only a few doors from where we lived with my maternal Grandparents, Stanley and Florence BROOKS, after Dad was discharged from the Army in 1946.

He was later instrumental in planting and caring for the present day Holdfast Bay Bowling Green, situated a little further up the Anzac Highway and right opposite the turn off to Brighten Road, Glenelg. It was the the first time a Bowling Green had been laid out with so many rinks in one expanse in South Australia, It consisted of 24 rinks. Dad later planted another separate green  behind the Club House, this time consisting of 12 rinks. Giving  Holdfast Bay 36 rinks altogether. 

During WW2, he served in the Middle East in 1941 as a member of the  A.I.F. He married Evelyn Amy BROOKS on April 25th 1942, upon returning to South Australia and was posted to the Holdsworthy Army Camp, where he spent the remainder of the war. Having been discharged from the A.I.F. in 1946, he moved back to South Australia wife Evelyn and his daughter Roslyn, (me) then aged 3.

He went on to become the Head Bowling Greenkeeper of South Australia for many years, before his death in April 1970 aged 64. 

He had two daughters of which I am the eldest. I am now researching his life and ancestry. 

My main interest in doing this research, is to try to find out what happened to my Paternal Grandfather, George Frederick COOPER after 1908. More of him here. 

If you have any information regarding George or the whereabouts of the small Quaker's School in Liverpool, please please email me. I will be thrilled to hear from you. 

By Roslyn McKearney © November 11th 2002