Wheel of Fortune- 61 Silas Street

61 Silas Street, (known as 91 before 1939) was a residential address from as early as 1909.  The building was demolished due to the 1974 Stirling Highway redevelopment, which involved the compulsory acquisition and demolition of 90 homes.

Many houses have rich and varied histories- as one family moves on another moves in and the story starts anew. Generally large families (13 in the case of the Smiths) occupied this house and the families in the house experienced both tragedy - the early deaths of two young women, courage- in the case of private Dan Smith and good luck- in the winning of a lottery when times looked very hard for the Patriarch of the family!

History

1932: Death- On April 3, at Fremantle Hospital, Kathleen Margaret, beloved daughter of Mr and Mrs John Plummer, of 91 Silas-street, East Fremantle, and loving sister of John, May (Mrs. F. Wood), Nora, Reginald, Bernard, Edna, Thelma, Raymond and Kevin; aged 17 years and 4 months. R.I.P. (Reference)

1936: Death- On December 31, 1935, at Fremantle Hospital, Eva Evelyn Ray, beloved second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Smith, of 91 Silas-street, East Fremantle, fond sister of Alf, Florence (Mrs. V. Dillon), Ben, Ruby (Mrs. B. Pike), Dan, Sam, Victor, George, Clara, Syd, William and Jim; aged 23 years. (Reference)

1941: One of a Fremantle family of 13, Private Dan Smith is missing. Three of his pre-war pals, with whom he went through the Greek campaign, are also missing. Last news received there from him was that he was safely out of Greece. He has said in a letter, "We gave the Germans a thrashing in Greece, although it is theirs now." Aged 23, he was employed at Elder, Smith's Fremantle wool store before joining up shortly after the war began. He has a brother also in the A.I.F.  (Reference)

1941: News that Private Daniel Smith is a prisoner of war in Germany has been received by his mother Mrs. E. Smith, of 61 Silas Street, East Fremantle. He was reported missing on June 10. About a month later the military authorities reported that he was believed to be a prisoner of war. He was last heard from on April 29 when he said he had escaped from Greece. (Reference)

1945: Relatives of the following West Australians have received advice that they have been released from Nazi prison camps, and are safe in England: WX1123 Pte. D. Smith (2/11th Batt), 61 Silas Street, East Fremantle. (Reference)

1947: Mr. and Mrs John Urquhert, of 55 Canning-highway, East Fremantle, have much pleasure in announcing the engagement of their niece Yvonne Wenn to George Smith, of 61 Silas-street, East Fremantle. (Reference)

1948: Yvonne Wenn and George Smith get married in St James’ Church, Northam.(Reference)

Jan 1949: Fremantle Lumper's Luck. For the second week in succession first prize of £3000 in the Lottery has gone to East Fremantle — and to a lumper. The first prize in Lottery No 45S drawn to-day went to the Smith family, of 61 Silas Street, East Fremantle. The head of the family, Mr. S. Smith, a lumper, hurt his back at his work about four months ago and has been unable to work since. The winning ticket (No. 84607) was bought with threepence’s from the Smith Xmas Pudding. Mr. Smith said that there were so many in the family who would qualify for a share that he would not like to count them. His daughter (twenty one-year-old Clare) first thought of buying the tickets with the pudding threepence’s. (Reference)

Residents

1910 - 1912 : Jarvis Jno

1913 - 1915 : Blythe Edwd. H

1916  : Evans, B R

1917 - 1918 : Swarbrick, Thos G

1919 - 1922 : Fleming, Clifton L

1923  : Jones. Thos Albert

1924 - 1925 : Sudlow, Mrs J C

1926 - 1927 : Nisbet Jas D H

1928 - 1929 : Nisbet, Jas D H

1930 - 1932 : Wood, Fredk A

1933  : Vacant

1934 - 1949 : Smith Emmanuel S