Published on Monday, 24 March 2025 at 3:03:14 PM
Welcome to #TimeWarpTuesday and this week a Thank You!
In two recent posts I have requested help from you the reader and together we have solved a photographic mystery and been able to make contact with the son of the fallen airman that we are especially commemorating this Anzac Day.
Firstly, our photographic mystery. In our #TimeWarpTuesday post of Tuesday, 4 March, we asked for your help to see if the building in a photograph could be identified. All we knew was that it was built by Abraham James a builder of some renown, having also gone on to be the President of the Master Builders’ Association in 1947/8. We even thought the photograph might have been of the Alexandra Hall, on Albany Highway, Victoria Park. As we know that Abraham James was the successful tenderer for ‘additions and alterations’ of the Alexandra Hall in 1927. But we could not match the photo of the unknown building with the two brave roof workers, to any building within the Town of Victoria Park, so we called on your wonderful help dear reader.
In the same post (4 March) I promised to reveal what we found out, and I can happily do so today. The photograph of the building being constructed and with the two brave men on the roof, is none other than of Watson’s Service Station as it was being constructed in Pingelly. The building located at 2 Parade Street, Pingelly is still standing and has a heritage plaque in situ to identify part of its story.
I have also been able to put some of Abraham James’ descendants in touch with the current owner of the building, so a very happy result that wouldn’t have happened without the help of my #TimeWarpTuesday readers.
And there was one other success story I wanted to mention today. I put a call out recently to see if I could find more photos or information about a fallen airman, a fallen local hero and the former publican of the Carlisle Hotel named Lionel Wilfred FLOHM. I was hoping that I might be able to contact his son Rodney. Thankfully I can report that I have been in touch with Rodney Flohm and it is all thanks to you my readers. Two of whom are Rodney’s cousins, whom I am told rang him independently of each other to say – ‘the Library’s doing something about your Dad, you’d better get in touch with them’. And so, Rodney did. I am most grateful too for other readers who reached out to give me tips on how I might contact Rodney. It was all so helpful and kind of people. Also, it is important I think to note here that without this kind of help we would have gaps in our history. As researchers, librarians, historians and the like can’t always find all the answers in published sources, we need to know people, to talk to people and seek memories and contacts also. There will be more to come in a forthcoming edition of #TimeWarpTuesday on the story of Flight Sergeant Lionel Wilfred Flohm, and I look forward to sharing his story with you.
In the meantime, thank you again to all my regular readers, my long-time #TimeWarpTuesday friends and all those who might be only just now stumbling across #TimeWarpTuesday. Your contributions, your interest, your reactions, sharing and story telling are inspiring and valuable to the recording of our history. I’m so grateful.
I hope you keep enjoying #TimeWarpTuesday
#LoveVicPark
Building underconstruction in late 1920s, of which Abraham James was the builder. We now know that this is a photograph of Watson’s Service Station, 2 Parade Street, Pingelly when it was under construction.
Photographed courtesy of Donelle James, grandaughter-in-law of Abraham James. Donelle is writing a biography of Abraham James.
The building as it still stands at 2 Parade Street, Pingelly today.
Courtesy of Hayley Wilson.
Heritage plaque outside the building in Pingelly today.
Courtesy of Hayley Wilson.
Watson’s Service Station, Pingelly WA.
Courtesy of Rick Ryan, Peter Narducci and Lost Pingelly.
Flight Sergeant Lionel Wilfred Flohm
Courtesy of the National Archives of Australia
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