It must have been financially hard for Frank and Noel living on a Repat Allowance, particularly when Glenda was born in 1951 and then Garry in 1953.

They managed somehow and Frank built a house at 31 Edward Street, Macleod with a loan from the Navy and by being a brickie's labourer.
Frank recalled getting money from his mother to make ends meet.

Noel and Frank made some very good friends during this time, particularly Blue and Sue Cameron who feature in many of the photos that were taken during this time.

Frank and Noel and the children returned to Perth, living in Eighth Avenue Maylands from where Frank travelled to Royal perth Hospital to complete his internship.

He then completed a locum in Boulder for Pat Shanahan before buying into a medical partnership with Tony Walsh in Northam in 1956 by buying out Len Chester.



The practice was first located in the grounds of the family home at 63 Duke Street. It was a gracious and sprawling federation house that had always been a doctors residence.
Tony and Mollie Walsh and various of their 7 children lived next door. There was a hole in the fence between the 2 properties to allow the kids to go to and fro. After some years, the practice was relocated to a house over the road and it remains a surgery.

Frank was an enthusiastic and involved member of the Northam Community.

He loved his tennis and golf and the Northam Club provided many hours of good fellowship and a chance to play billiards and snooker.

He held a number of committee positions in various clubs in the town. On Boxing Day (before the crack down on driving under the influence), Noel and Frank would invite all their friends and associates to join them for a drink and food.

It was a long day with people only leaving when the last drop had been drained from the keg.

During his time as a Medical Practitioner, Frank specialised in Obstetrics and delivered many babies.
He was distraught if any babies died.

He spent about 6 months doing post graduate studies at King Edward Memorial Hospital in 1975.
He and Noel moved to Perth during that time.

It was testing for both of them as Frank often worked 12 hour days and longer, and Noel felt that she knew few people in Perth and tended to remain in the house.

Frank was also keen to realise his dream as a farmer and he and Noel bought 1500 acres of land on Chitty Road, Baker's Hill in the early 1970's.

Frank spent many hours and lots of money fencing, cropping and managing sheep. He turned his hand to shearing and practiced the wool - classing skills he had acquired as a young man inNarrogin.

The property was named Wunda -Y.