Leslie Raymond Poad
From Our Contribution
| Headstone Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 02 December 1904 |
| Age at Death | 92 years |
| Transcription | In Loving Memory of Leslie Raymond Poad Born 02/12/1904 Died 02/12/1996 Aged 92 Years |
Leslie Raymond Poad (1904-1996) was a resident of Westfield, moving to the district from Dardanup in the mid-1930s.
Early Life
Leslie Poad's parents were Edwin Poad and Margaret Anne Poad (nee Crowl) who married 1893 in Victoria, after Edwin Poad had come to Australia from Cornwall in 1892. Leslie was born in Mt Morgans, a gold mining area west of Laverton. Sometime later, his parents moved to Dardanup. In his teens and early adulthood, Leslie was a farmer with the family; in the 1931 electoral roll, he is listed as a farmer, with the family living at 'Stenelees', a property close to Dardanup.
Marriage
Les Poad's first wife was Florence Mary Poad (1912-2003). The couple married in 1935. Their sons were Barry Poad (1936-1990), Keith Poad (1939-1947), Alan Poad (1944-2018) and Ronald. The children were educated at Westfield State School. Lesley Poad's second marriage was to Shirley Igglesden (nee Allen).
Property
The Poad family lived on Seventh Road (a former portion of which is now known as Poad Street). Leslie Poad first bought 276 acres in 1934, a dairy farm which formerly belonged to L.W. Wells. He married Florence Mary Smith in 1935, and by 1942 the young couple were living on 110 acres on Seventh Road, according to rates books from the time. Leslie Poad resided in the Kelmscott hills during the 1980s.
Community Contribution
Les Poad was Captain of the North-West Armadale Bush Fire Brigade which was established in 1953. The unit operated from Poad's property. His interest in fire prevention first appears in the records of the Armadale-Kelmscott Road Board in 1938. His son Barry Poad was a well-respected Rotarian and community figure who had a local park, Barry Poad Reserve, named in his honour.