Published on Wednesday, 22 June 2022 at 2:00:23 PM
What started as a search for red, white and blue bunting that lined Stirling Highway for the Queen’s 1954 visit to Nedlands, ended in a trip down memory lane for retired cinematographer Daryl Binning.
Daryl recently downsized his home and moved to a retirement village south of the river. During the process, he found the bunting, along with other memorabilia from his late wife’s childhood years growing up in Nedlands.
Although Daryl was unable to find a good use for the bunting in time for the Queen’s 70th Jubilee celebrations he did find a trove of information about his late wife Wilma’s father, Bill Anderson who was the Works Supervisor at the Nedlands Road District in the early 1950’s, before the Municipality of Nedlands was founded in February 1956. (It became the City of Nedlands on 1 July 1959.)
When Wilma was eight years old, she would visit her father after school on Fridays and accompany him as he delivered pay packets to his workers. Bill was a popular boss, and in 1957 Wilma received a silver tray engraved with her name from the Municipality of Nedlands Xmas Tree Committee.
When the Municipality was created, the former Roads District office had to be refurbished as a community facility. A new wooden clock was being installed in the main hall and during the changeover the old clock was tossed onto a work truck bound for the tip. Bill Anderson retrieved the clock, repaired it and set it up in his home in Robinson Street.
Although the clock was well looked after, it finally stopped working. When Wilma married Daryl Binning in 1964, they restored the clock which kept good time during their fifty years of marriage. It continues to keep good time today.
According to Daryl, the clock is treasured by his family but it could find its way back to its old home.
“That clock has a special place in our family but if they don’t want to keep it after I ‘kark it’, I’ve let my children know it is to be offered back to the City of Nedlands collection”, Daryl said.
Sadly, Wilma Binning passed away in 2015. Daryl has dedicated a great deal of time researching and documenting the life and times of his wife’s family, most of whom migrated from Scotland during the 1930 – 1960 period, to live in and around the City of Nedlands.
Caption: Daryl Binning with the Queen’s Jubilee bunting from 1954, and the former Nedlands Road District clock taking pride of place at his new home.
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