Louisa ‘May’ Johns

(1899-1985)

Louisa Ann May ‘May’ Johns lived in East Fremantle from 1928 when she married Jim Cartwright. During WWll she was active in promoting War Bonds. Four generations of her extended family grew up at 15 Oakover St.

May was born 12 May 1899 in Queensland. Her mother was Catherine Ann Wallace (1875-1943) and her father was Albert George Johns (1875-1957). May was the eldest girl of 6 children. Her elder brothers were Thomas Ronald Wallace (1895-1966) and Clifford Albert (1897-1972). The family moved to Western Australia sometime in 1900 or 1901 and lived in Chidlow St, Northam, where George was a fireman with the Railways. Her younger siblings: Clara Ellen (1901–1992), Avon Starkey (1911- 1991) and Alma Hazel (1914–2001) were all born in Northam.

In 1917 the Johns family moved to 19 Swan St, North Fremantle, where George worked as an engine driver. In 1925 the family moved 64 Swan St, North Fremantle. They lived here until November 1943 when Catherine Ann died. Her son Avon Starkie, a boiler-maker, and his wife Rose (1907-1994) were still living with her in North Fremantle at this time.

 Death: 9 Nov 1943, Catherine Ann JOHNS dearly beloved wife of Albert George Johns, of 64 Swan-street, North Fremantle (late engine-driver, WAGR), loved mother of Ron (Queensland), Cliff (Darwin), May (Mrs J. Cartwright, East Fremantle), Clara (Mrs A. Crowther, North Fremantle). Avon (North Fremantle) and Alma (Mrs W. Bynon, East Fremantle); fond mother-in-law of Kate, Jim, Arthur, Rose and Bill (AIF); aged 68 years. At rest. (West Australian, Wednesday 10 Nov 1943, page 1, Reference)

Her grandson Bill (Jnr) recalled living in Swan street (North Fremantle) during the war; the vegetable gardens were all grown in that area and there were lots of Japanese and Chinese workers. He recalls men in big pick up trucks with cattle crates, driving around targeting the Japanese and Chinese workers (we were at war with them) aiming to ‘‘rough them up and round them up’’. The Japanese and Chinese’s workers would see the big trucks coming and jump into the river to hide. (Quote from Bill).

In 1928: May married James Salmon ‘Jim’ Cartwright (1900-1960) in Fremantle.

Jim had lost his father in 1911, his brother Thomas had died in France in July 1916, his mother died just over a year later in 1917 and his sister Catherine died in 1922. He had three older sisters: Adelaide Beatrice (1898-1964), Marjorie Lillian (1893-1965) and Frances Emily (1892-1982).  In 1918 Jim was part of a group of Senior Cadets in an Imperial Challenge Shield Team, 86A, (Rifle Shooting) See photo front row: Ted Powell; Jim Johnson; Jim Cartwright. (Reference Fremantle Library Archives ref no 2066)

Jim worked as a seaman and lived at 19 Oakover St, East Fremantle from 1925. After they were married May moved into his Oakover St house and they lived there together, until 1972. They lived next door to John Tonkin and May was very friendly with his first wife. It could have been this friendship that encouraged her War Bond work during WWll.

War bonds were a means for governments to borrow money in times of war. Four Liberty Loans, four Victory Loans and one Austerity Loan were raised throughout the course of the Second World War. The government encouraged the formation of War Savings Groups in workplaces, places of worship, clubs and neighbourhoods. These groups were designed to enhance members’ capacity to buy war certificates by pooling their resources and reinforced the communal aspect of the war loans program. The relative contributions made by each suburb were publicised, with the intention of shaming those which were not ‘doing their part’. To make wartime lending more attractive to lower income earners who found it more difficult to invest in the loans, National Savings Stamps and War Savings Certificates were introduced.

Jim could not serve during WWll due to health reasons, but instead worked as a Signalman at Rottnest Island. After the war he continued to work as a signalman. A good description of the work of a signalman at Rottnest can be found in the article:

A LOOK OUT- A Signalman's Shift Night Watch At Rottnest, (Daily News, Tuesday 7 February 1928, page 5, Reference)

Jim was also a player at the St Patrick’s Football club in the early 1920s before it became the East Fremantle Football Club. He was secretary from 1923 and during WWll was a football commentator on the radio.

1920 ST. PATRICK'S NOTES. The team was defeated on Saturday last by St. Paul's, but not disgraced, the game being very evenly contested up to the last quarter… Jim Cartwright was subject to some rough handling and had to carry an injured shoulder off the ground. (Fremantle Herald, Friday 2 July 1920, page 5, Reference)

1923 EAST FREMANTLE ‘B’ GRADE. Last Saturday we met South Fremantle on the North Fremantle Oval and after a good game we were 26 points to the good, the final scores being: Easts, 8-5; Souths, 3-9- Our goal kickers were Bulliard (2), Faulds (2), Cartwright… (Weekly Herald, Friday 1 June 1923, page 5, Reference)

See photo of the 1925 B Grade East Fremantle team in the WAFL courtesy Fremantle Library Archives; Back row: from left: Seated: L Cockle; S Harrison (Vice Captain); S B Thomas (President); R Fletcher (Captain); J Cartwright (Secretary; F Collins; G Williams. Front: T Casserly (Trainer); T Dunne; L Bulliard; W Berteaux (Trainer).

May’s sister Alma Hazel Johns (a fiery redhead) married William Thomas Bynon (Snr) (1911-1991) a Fireman from Melbourne on 28 March 1934. He worked as a Crane and Hoist Driver from 1959-1963. They had one son called William ‘Bill’ James Bynon (Jnr).

Birth: BYNON (nee Alma Johns) On December 14, at Nurse Meechan's Private Hospital, Collie, to Mr. and Mrs. WT Bynon- a son (William James). (West Australian, Monday 17 December 1934, page 2)

The Bynon’s Lived in Collie from 1934 until December 1941 when William Bynon (Snr) enlisted for WWll in the 2/28 Australian Infantry Battalion ( WX18372). Alma and young ‘Bill’ lived at 15 Oakover Street with Jim and May Cartwright during WWII until William Thomas Bynon (Snr) was discharged in 1945 and they returned to Collie.

Mays brother Avon, also lived at 15 Oakover St in 1937. He married Rose Trewarn in 1941 and his daughter Patricia Rose Catherine was born at Oakover st.

Aunty May never had children of her own…you did not mess with her!- however she loved and cherished all the children of the extended the family would do absolutely anything for them, the house was her gift to be passed down the generations. ”Make sure the ‘kids’ are looked after Bill, she said”.

One year Uncle Jim gave May a set of pots and pans for Christmas. Her reply was to throw them back at him and storm off saying: “Why pots and pans?, don’t give me bloody pots & pans for Christmas I would much prefer flowers or something!” (Quotes from Bill)

Aunty May had visitors coming (visitors who couldn’t be trusted apparently) for she collected all of her jewellery and buried it in the back yard in a biscuit tin and it was never found again. That was a story we were told as kids (myself included), Aunty May had long left this earth but we spent countless hours and summers digging up the back yard looking for the Aunty Mays Treasure. We never found it! So I am not sure if it was true or just a ploy to get us kids outside, but it worked. (Quote from Ruth Carr).

In 1960 Jim Cartwright died while on a boat cruise with May, holidaying in Madang, New Guinea. He suffered a heart attack and is buried at the European Cemetery, Madang.

Louisa May Cartwright lived alone at 15 Oakover Street until approx 1980. Oakover Street was a place where the children of William James Bynon (Jnr) who was married with children by this time, would go for school holidays, football games or straitening out- Aunty May was a forceful woman not to be messed with.

As May suffered from dementia, her sister Alma and William Bynon Snr returned to 15 Oakover Street to care for her.

1985 May was admitted to Gwenfred Nursing Home and died there on the 17 Dec 1985, from Pneumonia (and dementia). As May and Jim had no children the house was inherited by May’s sister Alma.

Alma and William Thomas Bynon continued to live at 15 Oakover Street from 1980 until their deaths. During this time the home became ‘family central’ for family living in others areas: holidays, weekend visits, horse races, grandchildren and great grandchildren, funerals, christenings, weddings and Christmas were all held at 15 Oakover Street. Often all of William James (Jnr) & Hazel Bynon’s four grown children and their families and extended families gathered for Christmas.  Mrs Binks lived next door and the Reynolds lived on the top of the hill. Everyone knew everyone on the street (and their business too).

By late 1990s William Thomas Bynon (Snr) was ill due to on going injuries suffered during WWII. Deborah Bynon, a nurse, moved into 15 Oakover Street with her 3 children to help care for her father. (Myself- Ruth being one of those 3 children). We lived at 15 Oakover street from 1990-1992 until William Thomas death in 1991.

After her husband’s passing Alma Bynon lived alone at 15 Oakover Street until her death in 2001. Children and grandchildren (myself included) continued to spend school holidays at Oakover Street where we would go over to Mrs Binks for biscuits or catch the bus at the top of the hill and head into Fremantle or walk to the corner shops.  

In late 2000’s Alma suffered from dementia and was cared for by family and died in hospital from complications. The Property passed to Alma’s son William James Bynon. William and Hazel Bynon were farmers in the Wheatbelt: Wongan Hills; their children all grown with homes of their own, so they decided to sell the property.

Thank you to Ruth Carr (bynonfarm@outlook.com) for her generous correspondence, stories and photographs 2020