Ephraim Mayo Clarke (1846-1921)
Mayor of Bunbury 1888, 1894-1897, 1899-1900, 1908
Early Life
Ephraim Mayo Clarke was born at Australind in 1846 to Ephraim Senior and Sarah (nee Pearson), who had come to Western Australia in 1841 as part of the failed Australind settlement scheme. His parents were living at the junction of the Brunswick and Collie Rivers at his birth. They later moved to Hampden further down the coast, where in 1849, Mr Clarke Senior owned and operated the Hampden Inn. Mr Clarke Senior was appointed as overseer for the Bunbury convict Depot in 1852, and in 1856, he purchased 10 acres of land on the banks of the Harvey River. In 1859, when Ephraim was 18 years old, the family moved to this property and lived in a cottage built by Mr Clarke (reference; reference; reference).
Ephraim Junior worked both his father's farm and his own holding in Harvey before moving to Bunbury in 1874 to open a store (reference; reference).
Business Man
Soon after Ephraim moved to Bunbury, he opened a general store operating from rented rooms in Koombana House in Victoria Street. In 1880 he purchased property on the corner of Victoria and Stirling Streets, moving his business to the new premises (reference). In 1884 he bought neighbouring land and, at what is now 30 Stirling Street, built a home, stable and substantial business premises named Colonial House, which included a large shop. This shop became one of the main emporiums in Bunbury (reference; reference; reference). He was also exporting kangaroo skins in 1888 (reference).
Around 1905, his son Charles opened another store on the corner of Victoria and Stephen Streets called Clarke's Corner, which sold soft furnishings, manchester and clothes while E. M. Clarke became a grocery store, and they advertised together as branches of the one business (reference, reference). In 1910, Clarke's Corner was sold by 1913 to Harry Trenoweth, who opened a Bon Marché franchise (reference; reference). The Clarkes then amalgamated in Stirling Street as Clarke's Stores which was still in business at Ephraim's death in 1921 (reference).
Mr Clarke was on the board of several companies in Bunbury. These included the Bunbury Jarrah Timber Company; Bunbury Tin Mining Company; Mineral Prospecting Machinery Company; Collie Commercial Coal Company; and the Bunbury Butter Factory (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference).
Orchardist and Viticulturist
Mr Clarke established orange trees at Jardup. The oranges produced there were described in 1889 by the Southern Times as "without doubt, fine specimens of fruit, fit for Covent Garden Market, London, and should command a ready sale." (reference).
Mr Clarke also co-owned Kookolup Swamp with Dr James Meehan (reference). This swamp was one and a half miles out of Bunbury on Vasse Road and was part of Big Swamp (reference; reference). They began draining land around the swamp in 1888 and organised for the access road to be surveyed (reference). In 1891, they had the land cleared for ₤30 per acre, and Mr Clarke planted seven acres of fruit trees and fourteen acres of vines (reference). Two years later, in 1993, Ephraim was involved in forming the Wellington Fruit and Vine Growers Association and became the first President (reference). At the same time, Mr L. L. Cowan visited Bunbury. He was an expert in viticulture and fruit growing who the West Australian employed to report on the progress of the fruit growing industry around the state. Speaking at the association's inaugural meeting, Mr Cowan praised Mr Clarke's efforts, saying, "I saw the new state of this industry in Mr E. M Clarke's vineyard. He has not hesitated to spend pounds upon pounds upon developing his property, but when he told me that these trees had only been planted two years I was astonished and compelled to admit that during the whole of my experience I had never seen such tremendous growth even when the trees had the advantage of irrigation. Of course I do not wish to appear to doubt Mr. Clarke's veracity but the growth is really most surprising." (reference; reference). Shortly after he visited Bunbury, Mr Cowan wrote in his report published in the West Australian that Mr Clarke's property was "the piece de resistance" of the Bunbury area. He also included the following description of Mr Clarke: "Mr. Clarke himself has no spare flesh about him but a lot of spare energy. He is thin and wiry and lively, and he has a good head and a keen bright eye, and he knows enough to go indoors when it rains, and he can talk quite as much sense as most men in a given time, and he has a lot of "git up" and go about him, and altogether is most like one of those "infernal and eternal Yankees" who are forever moving ahead of everyone else, and won't let people go to sleep. Mr. Clarke's faith is "The simple creed for word or deed. Be sure you're right then go ahead."
In one of the early meetings of the Wellington Fruit and Vine Growers Association, Mr Clarke presented a paper that he had written on various aspects of viticulture (reference). The full article was printed in the Western Mail and the West Australian (reference; reference). He also lobbied the government for a Bureau of Agriculture (reference).
Mr Clarke chose grapes suitable for raisins and to make both red and white wines, and around 1913, he began producing and marketing the wines under the brand name "Punchbowl Wines" (reference, reference). The brand was still being sold in 1937 (reference).
Civic and Political Involvement
It did not take long after Mr Clarke arrived in Bunbury to become involved in the community. In 1877 he was on the committee of the Mechanic's Institute and advocated for a railway to Bunbury (reference; reference). He also helped organise The Bunbury Mounted Rifle Corps and served with the Wellington Volunteers (reference; reference).
In 1879, Mr Clarke became a town councillor (reference). Ephriam becoming a town councillor was the beginning of nearly twenty-eight years of being involved in the municipal affairs of Bunbury. During that time, he held the office of Mayor eight times (reference). When Mr Clarke ran for Mayor in 1894, the Bunbury Herald reported, "this gentleman's name has been associated with every public movement for the town and district's prosperity." (reference).
Mr Clarke was the Inaugural Treasurer of the Wellington District Political Association in 1889 and served on the Wellington Roads Board in 1991 (reference, reference). He was also a member of the Bunbury Progress Association (reference).
Mr Clarke was often called a juror by the local court, and in 1894, he was appointed as a Justice of the Peace along with Mr George Rich and Mr James Moore. Mr Clarke was the only one of the three singled out by the Bunbury Herald as being worthy of the honour: "The selection of Mr. E. M. Clarke for the honor was an acknowledgment of that gentleman's sterling character, and a recognition of his past public services and the estimation he is held by all classes of the community." (reference)
In 1901, Mr Clarke stood for election to the State Senate in the southwest province and won a decisive victory over Mr Tom Malloy. He served in that position for 19 years until his death, consistently winning elections with ease.
Community Involvement and Interests
Ephraim Clarke was involved in many different aspects of the community. He helped form the Bunbury Rifle Club in sports and was an active and skilful participant in shooting competitions. In his obituary, Mr Clarke was described as "an excellent shot with almost any sort of firearm, even the ancient breech-loader with which our early settlers were wont to secure their kangaroo steaks." (reference). He was also a keen fisherman and had just returned from a fish trip to Augusta the day before he died (reference).
Mr and Mrs Clarke were both active members of the Wesleyan Church, and Mr Clarke was Treasurer in his early days in Bunbury (reference; reference). Mr Clarke was also a freemason and became their trustee in 1894 (reference).
One of Mr Clarke's chief hobbies was gardening. He won prizes for his flowers, and his garden was a mass of blooms (reference; reference). He was working in his garden in the afternoon on the day before his death (reference).
Mr Clarke had heart problems since at least 1893, but it didn't seem to slow him down in any way (reference). However, in the early morning of Friday, 15 April 1921, he told his wife he did not feel well but seemingly recovered. He complained about pains in his heart three hours later, and his wife called Dr Ignatius Flynn. Unfortunately, he died from heart failure within minutes of the doctor's arrival (reference).
Family
Ephraim Clarke married Louisa Francis Teede, the daughter of George Robert Teede and Mildred Mary Teede in 1876 (reference). They had twelve children: Edith Bertha (b. 1877); Janet Louise (1878-1926); George Ephraim (1880-1958); Alfred Pearson (b. 1881); Charles Lionel (1883-1950); Arthur Hubert (b. 1885); Maurice Brett (1887-1950); Raymond Arthur (b. 1889); Leonard Bertram (b. 1891); Alice Evie (b. 1892); Ephraim Mervyn (b. 1894); and Gwendoline Victoria (b. 1897).
Edith married George Rose in 1901, and Janet married his brother Edwin in 1902 (reference). George married Elsie Oakley in 1905, but she died in 1910, leaving behind two small children. (reference; reference). George served on the Bunbury Council and attained the office of Mayor in 1914 (reference). Charles married Elvina Lowe in 1906 (reference). He ran the family business for some time and was Chairman of the Bunbury Butter company before becoming the Commissioner of the Agricultural Bank in 1935 (reference). Arthur "Hubert" married Cecilia Castieau in 1914 (reference). He had an orchard at Roelands and was also one of the leading potato growers in the area (reference, reference). Hubert volunteered for service in 1915 (reference). Maurice "Brett" Clarke married Ethel Sharland in 1910 (reference). Brett was in retail and had a store in Stephen Street in 1942 (reference). Raymond "Ray" served in the 11th Battalion in World War 1. He fought and was wounded at Gallipoli, then recovered and fought in France, where he was severely injured. He was awarded a Military Cross for carrying out his duties efficiently and under fire (reference). In 1915, the Bunbury Herald reported he was one of the best shooters sent from Australia (reference). Raymond married Marjorie Clifton in 1918 and became a farmer in Roelands (reference, reference). He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1948 (reference). A more detailed biography of Ray can be found at the Bunbury War Heroes website (reference). Alice married Alfred Cullen in 1940 (reference). Their son Kevin was the founder of Cullen Wines in Wilyabrup (reference). Ephraim's great granddaughter Vanya Cullen has won several awards for viticulture (reference). Ephraim Mervyn "Dick" served in the 11th Battalion and was one of the first soldiers to come ashore at Gallipoli. He was wounded several times while fighting in France and was blinded for life after being shot through the eyes during the battle for Lihons in 1918. He married Irene Benson in 1926 and became a furniture maker (reference). Gwendoline Clarke "Gwen" married John Davy in 1933 (reference). John delivered cream on contract for the South West Dairy Cooperative (reference). Alfred and Leonard both died in infancy (reference).
Written by Gaye Englund for the Streets of Bunbury project.