William Francis Telfer

Role: Elder son of George Wright Telfer and Ruth Penna — Merredin storekeeper, Road Board chairman, and MLA for Avon (1943–47). The son who carried the family westward branch into Western Australia's Wheatbelt.

Born: 21 August 1885 — Gawler, South Australia
Died: 25 August 1955 (aged 70) — Subiaco, Western Australia
Buried: Merredin Cemetery, Western Australia
Occupation: Storekeeper, farmer, politician (MLA Avon 1943–47), Merredin Road Board member & chairman
Spouse: Ethel May Wisher (m. 17 March 1913, Lake St Chapel, Perth)

Family

Life Summary

William Francis "Frank" Telfer was born on 21 August 1885 at Gawler, South Australia, the eldest son of George Wright Telfer and Ruth (Penna) Telfer. He grew up at Kersbrook and Willaston before his father moved the whole family west to Western Australia. Frank came to the eastern Wheatbelt with his father around 1910, settling in Merredin, where he opened the Telfer store and agency and took up wheat farming.

He served the Merredin community for decades: Merredin Road Board 1936–1955, chairman from 1938, member of the executive of the Road Board Association 1943–1950, and Secretary of the Merredin Agricultural Society for many years.

Political Career

Frank was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Avon at the 1943 state election, defeating the sitting Country member Ignatius Boyle by 15 votes. That result was overturned in the Court of Disputed Returns, but Frank again defeated Boyle at the resulting by-election in 1944. At the 1947 election, as the Labor government fell, he lost the seat to Country candidate George Cornell. He retired from the road board after 1947.

Frank died at St John of God Hospital, Subiaco, on 25 August 1955, aged 70, and was buried at Merredin Cemetery. (Note: the family book From the Borders to the Bush gives his death as 1956; the verified record is 1955 — Wikipedia and the WA Parliament register agree on 25 Aug 1955.)

Family Stories

Frank the Politician (as told in From the Borders to the Bush, p.183)

Frank served on the Merredin Road Board from 1936 to 1955 (chairman 1938–55) and was MLA for Avon from 1943 to 1947. He was instrumental in local development of the Merredin district — the storekeeper who rose to represent the Wheatbelt in parliament.

🖊️ Anecdote — as told in From the Borders to the Bush (p.183) — the portrait of Frank in his Merredin political prime: from the family store and wheat paddocks to the floor of the Western Australian parliament.

Timeline

Sources