PACKING CASE

Joseph Bettenay arrived in Australia in the 1890s, first living in Brisbane before moving to Western Australia to work as a carpenter at Canning Mills. In 1895 and 1897 when working at Canning Mills his wife Ada gave birth to his two sons Arthur and Wilfred. In 1900 he purchase land near Karragullen and in 1901 he started the Irymple Orchard. In 1904 he moved onto the property with his young family. In WWI his two sons Wilfred and Arthur enlisted and served with the 44th Battalion in France. Arthur was captured and held as a prisoner of war. Arthur on his return lived and worked on the orchard till his death in 1979. The orchard passed on to Vern Bettenay and his wife Margaret who in turn have passed the running of the orchard onto their children.