News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) Wed 3 Oct 192874019

MARRIED FIFTY YEARS
Mr. and Mrs. Woolcock, of Henley
LIFE OF MANY CHANGES
Mr. and Mrs. James Woolcok, of Koo-
ringal, Sussex stret, Henley Beach, will
celebrate their golden wedding at the Free-
masons' Hall, Henley Beaclh, on Friday.
Both were born in South Australia. Mr.
Woolcock is the fourth son of the late
John and Martha Woolcock, of Montacute,
and his wife is the youngest daughter of
the late Charles and.Emma Smith of Rus-
sell street, Adelaide.
They were married at the Wesleyan
Church, Kent Town, on October 5, 1878,
by Rev. H. H. Teague.
Mr. Woolcock was born at Burra but his
family left'there when he was a child and
went to Montacute. At the invitation of
Capt. J. Warmington (manager of Moonta.
Mines from its inception), the late Mr.
John Woolcock accepted a position in the
mines and his family was the first to
settle there. In April of 1861 the family
todk up residence, and after a brief period
of whatever schooling was available James
Woolcock, then 10 years of age, became a
worker in the mines. His first position
was connected with the separating of ores.
There was no township at that time and
the first shops and hotel were situated at
Moonta Mines.
In 1877 his father bought an orchard. at
Montacute.
Went on Land
After his marriage Mr. Woolcock took
up land at Port.Pirie and tried his hand
at farming. The seasons were so bad,
however, that in 1882 he was forced to give
up and he took a position as cook to a
party of Government surveyors. He was
with the party while the townships of
Telowie and Port Pirie were surveyed and
later at a Kangaroo Island which was then
covered with scrub.
In 1883 he came back to thle mainland
and was employed at the Edwin Smith
nursery at Walkerville. Having gained
experience as a gardener Mr. Woolcock
accepted a position with ithe late Mr. Wil-
liam Taylor and laid out the beautiful
garden at his residence on the Magill road.
After 11 years' service at Magill he ac-
cepted the position of head gardener to
the late Sir Samuel Way and in 1902,
after years of saving, he bought an or-
chard at Barossa. His first shipment of
50 cases of oranges for export went down
on the ill fated Waratah. He sold his
orchard in 1912 and became gardener, for
the late Dr. H. H. Wigg at Aldgate.
Having performed all types of gardening
Mr. Wooleock took up work as a journey-
man to fitters in the firm of S. Perry and
Co., and while with this company met
with an accident which resulted in a frac-
tured spine.
Knitted Socks for Red Cross.
After eight months in hospital he spent
three years in an invalid chair, but never-
theless refused to be inactive. So he
learned to knit and during the war made
100 pairs of socks for the Red Cross
Society.
In 1919 he took a position as caretaker
of the bathing house at Henley Beach,
and in 1924 secured a five years' lease of
the new Henley Beach bathing houses, a
work which he still enjoys. At the age of
70 years Mr. Woolcock decided to try his
hand at motoring, and bought a car. In
the 18 months in which he has been in
possession of it he has driven more than
10,000 miles. Among his travels he has
visited the whole of the South-East dis-
tricts, the West Coast, Port Pirie, and
Yorke's Peninsula.
Last year he revisted Moonta for the
Back to Moonta carnival after 50 years'
absence.
Mr. and Mrs. Woolcock have six chili
dren-Mr. Albert Henry Woolcock of
Henley Beach, Mrs. Claurice Maude Geue,
of Henley Beach. Mr. Edgar F. Woolcock,
of Hallett, Mr. Ernest J. R. Woolcock, of
West Coast, Mrs. Matilda Helen Geue, of
Henley Beach, and Mrs, Isabella Edith
William Clode, of Henley Beach.
There are 17. grandchildren and one
great-grandchild.

News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) Fri 30 Jan 194274018

WOOLCOCK.--On January 30, at hos-
pital, James, dearly beloved husband of
Emma M. Woolcock, late of Prospect and
Henley Beach; aged 84 years. Resting.

The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) Thu 5 Feb 194274017

OBITUARY
Mr James Woolcock. 84, who died
recently was well known as a gar-
dener who bred several new varie-
ties or plants and flowers. He lived
for 25 years at Henley Beach, where
he served on the local police court
bench. For the past six months he
had lived at Prospect. Mr. Wool-
cock was born at Burra, and spent
his early life at Moonta. As head
gardener for the late Mr. William
Taylor he introduced the banana
passion fruit (Tacsonia Taylorii),
and raised several chrysanthemums
from seed. He was also gardener
for the late Sir Samuel Way at
North Adelaide. Many years ago
he was responsible for converting
an old cemetery at Murray street,
Gawler into a recreation park.
For more than 75 years he was con-
nected with the Rechabite lodge,
and was a Druid for 50 years. He
met with an accident 25 years ago,
and while an invalid learnt to knit,
and has knitted many pairs of socks
for soldiers in the last and this war.
He married Miss Emma Smith, of
Montacute, and they celebrated the
63rd anniversary of their wedding
last October. He left a widow, three
sons—Messrs. A. H. Woolcock
(Grange), E. F. Woolcock (Clare),
E. J. R Woolcock (Unley), and
Mesdames A. W. Geue and R. J.
Geue (Henley), and P. S. Clode
(Henley).