Fred Walker's Camp while working on Summervale 1932
Frederick Henry Walker was born in January 1911 at 28 Hares Mount, Leeds. In due course, he attended Leeds Boys Modern School.
His parents had hoped he would study engineering and become a railway engineer. However, Fred accepted a Galpin scholarship to Bathurst Experimental Farm in New South Wales. From 17 March 1927 to 5 May 1927 he was in transit aboard TSS Baradine London to Sydney, along with another boy who went to Yanco Agricultural College
Fred attended Bathurst Experimental Farm for about 12 months. He said the boys there were basically cheap labour, and he left the college.
From July to September 1927 he worked in shearing sheds at Coonamble. Then at Smith's, "Osborne" Eglington for 6 months. Then at Edgells Bathurst, from February to June 1928, where he got a very good reference from Gordon Edgell.
Next Fred worked on a number of properties in the Gulgong district:
- David Starr's, "Burringbah" on Barneys Reef Rd from January 1929 to March 1930;
- Plummer's “Rollsville” on Jacksons Lane, Gulgong from March 1930 to June 1930;
- Starr's again from June 1930 into 1931. His diet was largely rabbits and boiled wheat;
- Victor Priestley's "Brooklyn", Laheys Creek, March to May 1931;
- D McKellar, Birriwa 1932;
- Harold O'Brien's "Summervale", from January 1932 to August 1936.
- Pages & Deutscher's, Birriwa, August 1936 to Jan 1937.
After that, he undertook training at International Harvester, Sydney, from 29 December 1936 to 3 December 1938. He became a Member of the Institute of Automotive Mechanics in 1939.
Fred worked as a motor mechanic at Central Motors Narrabri from January 1939 to September 1940.
He married in January 1940.
Fred enlisted in the RAAF in September 1940 in Sydney
A cattle buyer's plane, Summervale, 1930s
Harvesting oats at Summervale, 1934
Harvesting oats at Summervale, 1934
Fred Walker & Chrysler car Summervale. 1934
Fred Walker & Ted Punch [overseeer?] Summvervale 1934
Summervale, 1934
