Patriarch of the modern Whillas family; RAAF veteran, and with his wife [Cath](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1920) the father of 14 children.

- **Born:** 31 Jul 1920, Woodville, [Adelaide](/places/adelaide-south-australia) (no birth certificate)

- **Died:** 2 Aug 1980

- **Married:** [Catherine McLeod (Cath)](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1920), 25 Feb 1943, Semaphore, SA

- **Children:** 14 (see below)

- **Parents:** [Charles Johnston Whillas](/people/charles-johnston-whillas-b1872) · [Charlotte Sloggett](/people/charlotte-sloggett-whillas-b1879)

Dick grew up at 22 Stanley St, Woodville. He finished Intermediate level (year 10) at Woodville HS in December 1935 at age 15, studying English, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geography, Bookkeeping, Typing and Shorthand. In February 1936 he joined R.A. MacKirdy as a junior clerk, then in October 1938 moved to the SA Co-op Farmers Union, where he stayed until enlisting.

- **Jan 1940** — applies to join the RAAF (home address 22 Stanley St, Woodville)

- **19 Feb 1940** — joins the RAAF in Adelaide; posted to Laverton

Dick married [Cath](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1920) at Semaphore, SA on 25 February 1943 (see [the marriage](/events/marriage-richard-whillas-to-catherine-mcleod-1943)). After the war the family moved often, following Dick's work:

- **c. 1948** — manager of a dried fruit company (Angas Park?) at [Angaston](/places/angaston-south-australia)

- **c. 1951–52** — leased Crown Land at [Bray, near Robe](/places/bray-robe-south-australia), building a house while working as a wool classer and grazier

- **c. 1954** — bought a dairy farm at [Sth Purrumbete, Victoria](/places/south-purrumbete-victoria)

- **c. 1960** — ran the [Invergordon](/places/invergordon-victoria) Post Office near Numurkah

On 9 January 1970 Dick and his son [Norman](/people/norman-vincent-whillas-b1952) were in a single-vehicle semitrailer smash at Hopetoun, Victoria (see [the accident](/events/hopetoun-truck-accident-1970)). Dick was severely injured, could no longer do heavy work or drive trucks, and was bankrupted. The family sold the Invergordon Post Office and moved to 27 Malcolm Street, [East Fremantle](/places/east-fremantle-western-australia), Perth, where Dick worked mowing lawns for the local council. He died on 2 August 1980.

With [Cath](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1920):

1. [Catherine Normandy (Nan)](/people/catherine-normandy-whillas-b1939) — b. 1939

2. [Robert Alexander](/people/robert-alexander-whillas-b1944) — b. 1944

3. [Richard Johnstone](/people/richard-johnstone-whillas-b1945) — b. 1945

4. [Christine Frances (Teena)](/people/christine-frances-whillas-b1947) — b. 1947

5. [Andrew John](/people/andrew-john-whillas-b1949) — b. 1949

6. [Janet Barbara](/people/janet-barbara-whillas-b1951) — b. 1951

7. [Norman Vincent](/people/norman-vincent-whillas-b1952) — b. 1952

8. [Lea Graham](/people/lea-graham-whillas-b1953) — b. 1953

9. [Stuart James (Jim)](/people/stuart-james-whillas-b1954) — b. 1954

10. [Mark Campbell](/people/mark-campbell-whillas-b1955) — b. 1955

11. [Fiona Victoria](/people/fiona-victoria-whillas-b1956) — b. 1956

12. [Susan Catrina](/people/susan-catrina-whillas-b1958) — b. 1958

13. [Craig Douglas](/people/craig-douglas-whillas-b1959) — b. 1959

14. [Greg Stephen](/people/greg-stephen-whillas-b1960) — b. 1960

- Whillas–McLeod family history spreadsheet (Rev 4), *1900s*, *1920s*, *1930s*, *1940s*, *1950s* and *1970s* sheets.