Worrall Colin and Nancy

**Fast Facts**
Type of person	Family

Colin and Nancy Worrall

Compiled by John Worrall

Colin was born at Riverton on 27-11-1913. His father Astley was a horse trainer and jockey, who, during Easter 1889, rode the winning horse McCorber in the Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank.

Many years later, Colin’s mother Florence was a stagecoach driver for Cobb and Co., working between Clare and Seven Hills. She quit the job after her stagecoach and passengers were held up and robbed by bushrangers.

Nancy May Worrall [nee Corfield] was born 11-11-1917. Nancy’s parents, William and Maude Corfield migrated from England and lived at Armagh, near Clare. William was a gardener and Maude was a devoted housebound caring mother.

Colin and Nancy Worrall married on 2-10-1937 in St Michael’s Catholic Church and settled at Blyth; managing a farm, milking cows and caring for egg-laying chickens. The weekly wage was 2 pounds 5 shillings.

Around 1941, they moved closer to Adelaide and Colin commenced work at the Munitions Factory at Edinburgh near Salisbury. Within months he was called up for war service in the Air Force and was shipped off to New Guinea with the American Armed Forces.

After the War, Colin was transported to the Australian-American Air Base at Gawler. Within days he was discharged, and, liking the Gawler area, he and Nancy purchased a 10 acre property on Coventry Road at Gawler Blocks for 1,150 pounds. Together they set up a poultry farm having around 20,000 egg-laying chickens as well as hand-milking several cows twice daily.

Colin’s farming skills soon became noticed throughout the community and he was requested by many large farm property owners to help during harvest and to also build boundary fences. His two eldest children were old enough to attend school. At a Primary School meeting, Colin met the Headmaster Lawrence Webb and Jack Cooper. Within a short time, The Gawler Blocks Progress Association was formed. It was soon decided that a disused Army Nissan Hut [used by the Australian Armed Force at Sandy Creek] could be transported to Gawler Blocks to be placed next to the Primary School. The land was made available by the generosity of the farmer Murray Hillier. The hut was then transported to its current site - known as the Gawler Blocks Hall and now called the Evanston Gardens Hall.

To help to pay for the Hall, every alternate Friday night, Jack Cooper and his wife Dell organised Bridge evenings. On alternative Fridays, Colin and Nancy organised Euchre evenings. Both evenings were well attended in those non-tv days. The Progress Association members were busy conducting fortnightly Saturday night dances which usually enjoyed a “full house”. Kevin Howard organised the very popular dance-band. Photographs of these years can still be seen in the supper-room; especially ones showing Chairman Lawrence Webb, Secretary Jack Cooper and Treasurer Colin Worrall. To help promote the dances, King and Queen competitions were held, with great success. After 41 years of service, Jack and Colin retired from the Committee, knowing that the Hall, surrounds and finances were in good order.

Colin and Nancy sold their Evanston Gardens farm and moved to a conventional home at Evanston Park. Many years later, the elderly pair moved to the Churchill Court Nursing Home for many tranquil years. Nancy May Worrall 11-11-1917 to 30-7-2007 Colin Charles Worrall 27-11-1913 to 20-1-2009

Please click here to see photos of Colin and Nancy Worrall.