Richard-Charles-Whillas-B1920 - blame (ff1e0e)

Blame

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

# Richard Charles "Dick / Lex" Whillas (1920–1980)

ff1e0e	Alexander Whillas	2026-09-30 23:42:28
Update Cath's birthday

Patriarch of the modern Whillas family; RAAF veteran, and with his wife [Cath](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1921) the father of 14 children.

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

## Key facts

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

- **Died:** 2 Aug 1980

ff1e0e	Alexander Whillas	2026-09-30 23:42:28
Update Cath's birthday

- **Married:** [Catherine McLeod (Cath)](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1921), 25 Feb 1943, Semaphore, SA

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

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

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

## Early life & education

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.

## RAAF service (WW2)

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

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

bab6d0	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 20:19:46
Formating of Dick's page

- **10 Jun 1940** — posted to Adelaide; 

- **25 Sep 1940** — posted to Ascot Vale

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

- **1 Apr 1941** — promoted Sergeant

bab6d0	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 20:19:46
Formating of Dick's page

- **16 Jan 1942** — posted to Darwin; 

- **24 Apr 1942** — posted out to Ascot Vale; 

- **1 May 1942** — promoted Flight Sergeant; 

- **1 Jul 1942** — posted to Hamilton

- **12 Jan 1943** — promoted Warrant Officer; 

- **13 Dec 1943** — posted to Nhill

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

- **21 Apr 1944** — transferred to Melbourne

bab6d0	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 20:19:46
Formating of Dick's page

- **27 Sep 1945** — in Labuan / Morotai ex Darwin; 

- **27 Dec 1945** — back in Australia (Townsville)

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

- **22 Jul 1946** — discharged from the RAAF (address 15 Salter St, Kensington)

## Marriage & family life

ff1e0e	Alexander Whillas	2026-09-30 23:42:28
Update Cath's birthday

Dick married [Cath](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1921) 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:

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

- **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

## Later life

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.

195402	Alexander Whillas	2026-09-30 21:46:21
Updates after Teena interview

### Teena's recollections

Dick's daughter [Teena](/people/christine-frances-whillas-b1947) remembered that “he always wanted to be a farmer,” despite his father's insistence that he become a bookkeeper. Her interview also recalls Dick building the family's house at Bray and taking up wool classing. See [Teena's interview](/documents/interview-teena-mclean-2026).

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

## Children (14)

ff1e0e	Alexander Whillas	2026-09-30 23:42:28
Update Cath's birthday

With [Cath](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1921):

67543f	Alexander Whillas	2026-08-02 13:11:24
Ingest Whillas–McLeod history spreadsheet (1860s–1970s) Ingest the 12 decade CSV sheets from source/ into the wiki: - 12 decade timeline pages (1860s–1970s) - 39 people pages (full Whillas & McLeod/Gunn lines) - 19 place pages, 9 event pages - 3 document pages + index (incl. Catherine Gunn death cert scan) - family tree (Mermaid + outline), index, log; updated home Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

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

## Sources

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

195402	Alexander Whillas	2026-09-30 21:46:21
Updates after Teena interview

- [Interview with Teena McLean, interviewed by Erika Whillas, 16 Aug 2026](/documents/interview-teena-mclean-2026).