Harrie Keith Barnwell
Birth
Death Marriage Spouse Father Mother Sibling/s Children |
1 August 1926
19 January 2014 11 December 1948 Elva Alice Grace Shave Harrie Weston Barnwell Ada Bertha Meredith Bertha Joyce Barnwell Jack Weston Barnwell Ada Gwen Barnwell Margaret Elva Barnwell Alan Keith Barnwell Robyn Yvonne Barnwell Kenneth Harrie Barnwell |
Location
Location Location |
Eastwood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Eastwood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Harrie Keith Barnwell was born on the 1st of August 1926 at 8 Lakeside Road, Eastwood (his family home that his father had built in 1922) to Harrie Weston Barnwell and Ada Bertha Meredith. He was known as Keith.
In 1929, at age 3, Keith was taken by the family to Young in country NSW, where his father Harrie Barnwell and uncle Fred Meredith bought and ran a bakery.
It was also at Young that Keith first started to learn the piano.
On returning to Eastwood, Keith spent 2 years at Eastwood Primary School, 3 years at Sydney Technical High School and then 2 years of evening classes at Fort Street Boys High, before attaining his Leaving Certificate. This was followed by 5 years of evening study at Sydney Technical College to attain his Diploma in Building.
In 1929, at age 3, Keith was taken by the family to Young in country NSW, where his father Harrie Barnwell and uncle Fred Meredith bought and ran a bakery.
It was also at Young that Keith first started to learn the piano.
On returning to Eastwood, Keith spent 2 years at Eastwood Primary School, 3 years at Sydney Technical High School and then 2 years of evening classes at Fort Street Boys High, before attaining his Leaving Certificate. This was followed by 5 years of evening study at Sydney Technical College to attain his Diploma in Building.
During the 7 years of evening studies, (which started in 1940 during the war) he started work with his father, as an apprentice carpenter and commenced gaining the valuable building experience that was to be such an important part of the rest of his life.
In 1942, due to the Second World War, private building work ceased and Keith’s father (being a tradesman) was directed to work as a Shipwright at Halvorsen’s Boatyard on the banks of the Parramatta River at Ryde. Keith, being indentured to his father was similarly directed. For the next 4 years they worked together building timber hulled boats ranging from 38 to 112 feet long.
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However other important things were also happening in Keith’s life during the 1940’s. Having suffered the sadness of losing his older brother Jack during an Air Force accident in 1943, Keith’s war years were sweetened by his developing friendship with a young Elva Shave, becoming engaged in 1945.
When the war finished, Keith had both completed his apprenticeship and graduated as a builder and proudly assisted his father to establish the family building business, H W Barnwell Pty Ltd, initially operating from Uncle Fred’s new bakery in Hillview Lane, Eastwood, and then from a property they bought in Progress Ave, Eastwood. When Westfield made them an offer too good to refuse, they sold and set up an office and workshop in Rowe St, Eastwood.
He married Elva Alice Grace Shave on the 11th of December 1948 at the Lakeside Road Methodist Church in Eastwood. They had 4 children; Margaret Elva Barnwell, Alan Keith Barnwell, Robyn Yvonne Barnwell, and Kenneth Harrie Barnwell. Keith’s sister Gwen Barnwell married Elva’s brother Roy Shave.
Keith built, and on his marriage to Elva, moved into the family home at 68 Epping Ave, Epping.
Married life for Keith and Elva revolved around family, building, the Church, holidays, and travel.
The Barnwells shared many happy Christmas Holidays literally on the edge of Lake Conjola on the South Coast. It was here that Keith’s love of boating grew. He bought a clinker ply boat, called it “Seaspray” and spent many hours showing the children how to catch flathead “up the back lake”.
After many years at Lake Conjola, Keith and Elva bought a caravan and joined other Lakeside Road church families for their Christmas holidays at South Haven Caravan Park, Merimbula. Here, together with up to 10 other families, including the Wrights, Masseys, Minchins, Pearsons, Calcutts, Aitchisons, Steers & Gillards, the family shared many happy times, surfing, worming, prawning, fishing and simply sitting around in large groups talking.
In 1969 Keith upgraded his boat to a Fibreglass runabout (also called “Seaspray”), that would no longer fit on the roof of his car, so Alan would have tow it down to Merimbula. Keith, being the “Captain”, enjoyed taking us all out through the entrance bar, a mile or so off shore fishing for flathead. He especially enjoyed being Captain, when fishing with the avid fishermen, Harold Wright & George Minchin who would want to fish for ever, Keith would simply say “I’ve had enough” and head for home.
Following a number of caravan upgrades, he bought a 22 foot tandem wheel Caravan in 1969, a van that Keith and Elva were to enjoy for many years.
In 1978 Keith and Elva bought a foreshore holiday retreat home at Currarong, on the northern end of Beecroft Headland out from Nowra. This retreat provided the family, including by this time the grandchildren, with many hours of enjoyment. The children can all remember the times playing in the rocks, using the tractor to launch “Seaspray” at the ocean beach ramp, fishing, hiking and enjoying either a BBQ or a spa.
After 19 years of holidaying in Currarong, the travelling through Sydney traffic became a bit of drag, so Keith and Elva sold Currarong and in 1997 bought and continued to share, a lovely water front unit at Ettalong.
Apart from the above, Keith and Elva also enjoyed and shared many other holidays, many of them travelling Australia with the big caravan in tow. Working for yourself certainly had the advantage of always being able to holiday during school breaks. Margaret and Robyn remember clearly spending nights around the dining table planning the route the family would take and then having to have the car and van packed and ready so they could leave early on the Friday afternoon to “beat the traffic out of Sydney”. There were also weekends on Halverson Cruisers out of Bobbin Head; Long weekends with Church groups caravanning or camping adjacent to the Colo River up from Putty; a weekend at Jenolan Caves or a trip to a relative’s farm down at Young or Greenthorpe.
In 1974, when Alan and his wife Elizabeth were married and he was old enough to look after the family business, Keith and Elva packed themselves off for their first and only overseas trip to England, Wales, Scotland, and Europe. They also subsequently enjoyed trips to Hayman Island, Perth, and in 1988 a cruise on the QE2 from Sydney to Perth returning via the Indian Pacific.
Apart from travel, Keith also had a love of cars, especially large American ones. His children vividly remember, the 2 early 1960’s Cadillacs and being amongst the first in Australia to have electric windows. In 1964 Keith bought a maroon Chevrolet Impala station wagon. He proudly displayed a photo of his “Car and Van” in his study all hooked up and ready to go with himself and Elva standing in front. He had by this time developed an excellent ability to reverse a caravan or trailer and often amazed others with his ability to back a caravan into any tight situation with ease. Reversing the 22 footer at an angle, down the 1 in 4 driveway onto a concrete pad at Epping Avenue, had to be seen to be believed.
His love for the piano and later for the organ is something that influenced all his children, one way or another. Keith fell in love with the theatre organ, and his children remember at an early age going off to the Marrickville Town Hall to hear David Parsons on the magnificent theatre organ. There was always an organ in the home or holiday unit. Robyn was influenced in particular by the Sunday night family gatherings around the piano or organ for a sing along of favourite hymns. Robyn at least when she plays, reads the music – Keith simply opened the index and started to play.
Keith would always have a diary tucked into his top pocket, at the ready. He also would not miss reading the Sydney Morning Herald from cover to cover every day till the last.
He loved doing so many things; spending time tending to his staghorns in his fernery, his waratahs and hibiscus, indeed his garden in general; watching his beloved Woodies (Eastwood) playing Rugby, and attending Masonic Lodge meetings.
Keith would occasionally take the children to work with him, visiting the building jobs and meeting the employees. However they always had to be home on the dot of 12 noon for lunch, so that Keith could then sit and listen to the 12.30 ABC news followed by “Blue Hills” before returning to work. Building was a family affair, with both of Keith’s sons, Alan and Ken, following their father into the building business.
When the war finished, Keith had both completed his apprenticeship and graduated as a builder and proudly assisted his father to establish the family building business, H W Barnwell Pty Ltd, initially operating from Uncle Fred’s new bakery in Hillview Lane, Eastwood, and then from a property they bought in Progress Ave, Eastwood. When Westfield made them an offer too good to refuse, they sold and set up an office and workshop in Rowe St, Eastwood.
He married Elva Alice Grace Shave on the 11th of December 1948 at the Lakeside Road Methodist Church in Eastwood. They had 4 children; Margaret Elva Barnwell, Alan Keith Barnwell, Robyn Yvonne Barnwell, and Kenneth Harrie Barnwell. Keith’s sister Gwen Barnwell married Elva’s brother Roy Shave.
Keith built, and on his marriage to Elva, moved into the family home at 68 Epping Ave, Epping.
Married life for Keith and Elva revolved around family, building, the Church, holidays, and travel.
The Barnwells shared many happy Christmas Holidays literally on the edge of Lake Conjola on the South Coast. It was here that Keith’s love of boating grew. He bought a clinker ply boat, called it “Seaspray” and spent many hours showing the children how to catch flathead “up the back lake”.
After many years at Lake Conjola, Keith and Elva bought a caravan and joined other Lakeside Road church families for their Christmas holidays at South Haven Caravan Park, Merimbula. Here, together with up to 10 other families, including the Wrights, Masseys, Minchins, Pearsons, Calcutts, Aitchisons, Steers & Gillards, the family shared many happy times, surfing, worming, prawning, fishing and simply sitting around in large groups talking.
In 1969 Keith upgraded his boat to a Fibreglass runabout (also called “Seaspray”), that would no longer fit on the roof of his car, so Alan would have tow it down to Merimbula. Keith, being the “Captain”, enjoyed taking us all out through the entrance bar, a mile or so off shore fishing for flathead. He especially enjoyed being Captain, when fishing with the avid fishermen, Harold Wright & George Minchin who would want to fish for ever, Keith would simply say “I’ve had enough” and head for home.
Following a number of caravan upgrades, he bought a 22 foot tandem wheel Caravan in 1969, a van that Keith and Elva were to enjoy for many years.
In 1978 Keith and Elva bought a foreshore holiday retreat home at Currarong, on the northern end of Beecroft Headland out from Nowra. This retreat provided the family, including by this time the grandchildren, with many hours of enjoyment. The children can all remember the times playing in the rocks, using the tractor to launch “Seaspray” at the ocean beach ramp, fishing, hiking and enjoying either a BBQ or a spa.
After 19 years of holidaying in Currarong, the travelling through Sydney traffic became a bit of drag, so Keith and Elva sold Currarong and in 1997 bought and continued to share, a lovely water front unit at Ettalong.
Apart from the above, Keith and Elva also enjoyed and shared many other holidays, many of them travelling Australia with the big caravan in tow. Working for yourself certainly had the advantage of always being able to holiday during school breaks. Margaret and Robyn remember clearly spending nights around the dining table planning the route the family would take and then having to have the car and van packed and ready so they could leave early on the Friday afternoon to “beat the traffic out of Sydney”. There were also weekends on Halverson Cruisers out of Bobbin Head; Long weekends with Church groups caravanning or camping adjacent to the Colo River up from Putty; a weekend at Jenolan Caves or a trip to a relative’s farm down at Young or Greenthorpe.
In 1974, when Alan and his wife Elizabeth were married and he was old enough to look after the family business, Keith and Elva packed themselves off for their first and only overseas trip to England, Wales, Scotland, and Europe. They also subsequently enjoyed trips to Hayman Island, Perth, and in 1988 a cruise on the QE2 from Sydney to Perth returning via the Indian Pacific.
Apart from travel, Keith also had a love of cars, especially large American ones. His children vividly remember, the 2 early 1960’s Cadillacs and being amongst the first in Australia to have electric windows. In 1964 Keith bought a maroon Chevrolet Impala station wagon. He proudly displayed a photo of his “Car and Van” in his study all hooked up and ready to go with himself and Elva standing in front. He had by this time developed an excellent ability to reverse a caravan or trailer and often amazed others with his ability to back a caravan into any tight situation with ease. Reversing the 22 footer at an angle, down the 1 in 4 driveway onto a concrete pad at Epping Avenue, had to be seen to be believed.
His love for the piano and later for the organ is something that influenced all his children, one way or another. Keith fell in love with the theatre organ, and his children remember at an early age going off to the Marrickville Town Hall to hear David Parsons on the magnificent theatre organ. There was always an organ in the home or holiday unit. Robyn was influenced in particular by the Sunday night family gatherings around the piano or organ for a sing along of favourite hymns. Robyn at least when she plays, reads the music – Keith simply opened the index and started to play.
Keith would always have a diary tucked into his top pocket, at the ready. He also would not miss reading the Sydney Morning Herald from cover to cover every day till the last.
He loved doing so many things; spending time tending to his staghorns in his fernery, his waratahs and hibiscus, indeed his garden in general; watching his beloved Woodies (Eastwood) playing Rugby, and attending Masonic Lodge meetings.
Keith would occasionally take the children to work with him, visiting the building jobs and meeting the employees. However they always had to be home on the dot of 12 noon for lunch, so that Keith could then sit and listen to the 12.30 ABC news followed by “Blue Hills” before returning to work. Building was a family affair, with both of Keith’s sons, Alan and Ken, following their father into the building business.
Following his retirement Keith and Elva spent many happy years at Wirreanda Village in West Pennant Hills, a village he was instrumental in creating, building and managing. After Elva’s death in 2010, Keith continued to live on his own at Wirreanda for all but the last 8 months, which he spent in the Donald Coburn Centre at the Anglican Retirement Village at Castle Hill.
Keith died on the 19th of January 2014 in Sydney aged 87 years. His ashes are in Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium (Methodist Monumental, Section C8, Grave 23) along with those of his wife Elva. |