Obituaries Australia

Henry Clarkson, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 15 August 1925

The death of Mr. Henry Wilberforce Clarkson, who passed away at the age of 53 when undergoing what was expected to be a comparatively simple operation, removed one of the best known pastoralists of Western Australia. He was born at Toodyay, and was the son of Mr. B. Clarkson, one of the pioneers of the district, and the selector of the well-known Wilberforce Estate, near York.

The late Mr. Henry Clarkson spent some time on the goldfields in the nineties, but after that settled down to farming and stock raising, in which he was eminently successful. Apart from his beautiful farm, The Range, near Toodyay, he bought a large area of land from the Midland Railway Company, north of Bolgart, and his enterprise in improving this country was characteristic. He made wheat growing pay for the cost of turning salmon gum forest land into first class sheep country. Some twelve years ago he invested in Noondie Station, in the Murchison district, some 60 miles from Cue, and a few years later secured the adjoining Meeka Station. On both properties he embarked on a vigorous policy of station improvement. He established a Merino stud flock at The Range, the basis being Hawker-Bungaree imported sheep. From this he supplied his station, and at the time of his death his sheep were acknowledged to be some of the best on the Murchison.

Mr. Clarkson devoted some of his energies to stud cattle. He established a high-class stud of Shorthorns at Bolgart, based on importations from Mr. Anthony Hordern's Milton Park stud, N.S.W., and at The Grange he built up one of the best studs of Friesian cattle in the State, importing high class animals from South Australia, Victoria and New Zealand.

Mr. Clarkson was a prominent member of the council of the Royal Agricultural Society, and on the committee of management of the W.A. Stud Merino Sheepbreeders' Association. He married a daughter of the late John Phillip, of Culham, Toodyay, and leaves a widow and three children.