1920S - blame – Whillas Wiki

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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>

# Timeline: 1920s

Dick and Cath are born; the McLeods emigrate to Australia; Norman begins his lighthouse career.

## Events

- **31 Jul 1920** — [Richard Charles (Lex/Dick) Whillas](/people/richard-charles-whillas-b1920) born, Woodville, Adelaide. No birth certificate.

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

- **28 Sep 1921** — [Catherine McLeod (Cath)](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1921) born at 10 Grove St, [Glasgow](/places/glasgow-scotland) (birth certificate held).

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>

- **24 Jun 1925** — [John H. Whillas (JH)](/people/john-henry-whillas-b1909) commences work with the PMG; except for a stint on Sth Neptune lighthouse in 1931–32, he remains with the PMG all his working life.

- **11 Feb 1927** — [Norman McLeod](/people/norman-macleod-b1880) appointed to the SA Lighthouse Service at [Cape Jaffa light](/places/cape-jaffa-lighthouse).

- **Jun 1927** — JH passes the exam for Junior Mechanic with the PMG.

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

- **7 Oct 1927** — [Cath](/people/catherine-mcleod-whillas-b1921), with her mother [Catherine Gunn](/people/catherine-gunn-macleod-b1873), arrives in Adelaide on the *Orvieto* from Tilbury (passenger list held). They were nominated as assisted immigrants to SA. See [immigration event](/events/immigration-catherine-mcleod-orvieto-1927).

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>

- **Oct 1928** — "Uncle Joe" working for the PMG, probably at Bordertown.

## Notes & uncertainties

- **Norman's SA lighthouse tenure** (from Australian Archives log extracts, faxed to Robert Whillas 19 Mar 1997; he was on 3-year contracts, not staff): [Cape Jaffa](/places/cape-jaffa-lighthouse) from 11 Feb 1927; [Neptune Island](/places/neptune-island-lighthouse) from 7 May 1930; [Cape Northumberland](/places/cape-northumberland-lighthouse) from 19 Feb 1933 until 29 Mar 1936. Cath's later recollections add Althorpe Island (1934–36) and [Cape du Couedic](/places/cape-du-couedic-lighthouse), Kangaroo Island (1936–40), plus Troubridge Shoal and Lowly Point during installation periods.

- At Cape Jaffa there were onshore houses 25 km from [Kingston](/places/kingston-south-australia); the lighthouse itself was 8 km offshore. For the last 6 months there, Cath boarded in Kingston with Jim (Wag) Winter.

- Cath was born in Glasgow where Norman worked as an electrician. He had been in Australia ~2 years before Cath and her mother arrived in 1927.

## Related pages

- [1910s](/timeline/1910s) · [1930s](/timeline/1930s)

## Sources

- Whillas–McLeod family history spreadsheet (Rev 4), *1920s* sheet.