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Framed plan for Richard Gale's West Busselton Subdivision at Sussex Location 5, which is the area, that in 2024, is bound by King St, Dorset St, Bussell Highway and the The Drain.
In 1856 a 22 year Richard Gale arrived in the Swan River Colony aboard the Shanghai and immediately found work as the farm and dairy manager at William Locke Brockman's Gingin property, Cheriton. In 1860 he moved to Busselton and managed Captain John Molloy's 12,000 acre property Fairlawn. On Molloy's death, in 1867, he acquired Fairlawn and lived there until his death.
Gale became a pioneer of dairy farming in the South West and a prominent public figure in Busselton. He was a foundation member and president of the Southern Districts Agricultural Society, a Justice of the Peace and a member of the Vasse Road Board. On 5th October 1874 he was elected to the Legislative Council seat of Vasse, holding it until his resignation on 16 February 1878.
On 5th September 1877, Gale married Hannah Rebecca Margaret Spencer, daughter of William Spencer. The marriage made him a brother-in-law of James Mitchell, who had also married one of Spencer's daughters. Gale had no children, died in Busselton on 2nd January 1931 and is buried in the cemetery at St Mary's Church, Busselton.
Gale must have sold this land sometime between 1910 and his death in 1931.
Plans held by the State Library of WA for the Sussex Location 5 subdivision between West St and Queen St (now called King St). The plans were produced by Sands & McDougall c1890 and show subdivisions that pre-date this Richard Gale subdivision.
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