Martin Walter Jordan
| Type of person | Individual |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15/101922 |
| Place of birth | Adelaide |
| Principal occupation | Farmer at Sandy Creek Balmoral farm |
Walter Jordan Martin put his life and soul into the community over many years and his dedication and commitment never flagged.
The District Council of Barossa, Gawler Show Society, Gawler Golf Club, Legacy Club, Farmer and Sheep organisations have all benefitted from his involvement.
He was also a board member and Trustee of the Hutchinson Hospital.
The son of the late Mr W.S.Martin, Walter (and his brother Robert) grew up on the Balmoral family property at Sandy Creek where he lived there his entire life.
The farm was then passed to Walter in 1960 when his brother sold his share.
W.S. Martin founded the Dorset sheep stud at Balmoral in 1925.
After Studying at Roseworthy College, Walter Martin joined his father and helped make the stud one of the most famous Dorset studs in Australia.
Eventually he dispersed the dorset horns and then ran pure poll Dorset sheep.
In 1959, a world record price of 1,600 guineas ($3,360) was paid for a Dorset horn ram from his stud. This record has not been broken although on one occasion a bidder did come close. Mr Martin recalled an occasion when a buyer and his agent were bidding against each other for a ram, for a while it looked as though their bidding would break the record, but they realized their folly in time.
At the start of the Second World War Walter joined the 9th. 23rd. Light Horse Regiment (militia), he served with the units veterinary section based at Roseworthy College, he also saw service at Gawler and Mount Gambier.
In October 1941, he joined the RAAF and spent most of the war flying a Kittyhawk in South West Pacific.
Returning home after the war Walter once more took up his involvement in the family stud and farm property.
Tennis and Golf were his main sporting interests in a social rather than competitive spirit. He played football for Sandy Creek, but a broken leg put paid to further involvement in this sport.
He also became deeply involved in the Gawler Show Society, serving as its president in 1961 and 1962 and being honoured with life membership in 1981. His involvement continued as member of the sheep committee and as a special steward.
For 13 years he served as a member of the Barossa District Council, during which he worked for the benefit of his ward and was deputy chair 1977 -1981. He also served as trustee and chairman of Curdnatta Recreational Park (Sandy Creek).
Walter was a member of the Legacy Club for many years , supporting its activities in fundraising and assisting the families of ex-servicemen.
Perhaps his most lasting contribution to the community was the development and establishment of the Gawler Golf Club (now the Sandy Creek Golf Club).
He was a founding member of the Club and its president for 12 years and had made many major contributions in term of time, effort and money in developing the course.
He can remember a time when Mr Eldred Riggs bogged his ute where the clubrooms now stand .
A fellow founding member said ”Walter Martin gave freely of his own time, his employees time and his plant and equipment in the early days of the club. He had the equipment and know how the club needed and the course facilities would not have been as magnificent without his input.”
Walter and his wife Betty (nee Churchill-Smith) had 4 children including twins Annabel and Christopher, Alistair and Sally.
Walter Martin has judged at major Dorset shows in Australia and Christchurch and at the New Zealand Royal Show at Auckland
Please <click here> to read a document about the history of the Martin Family.
Memories of Martin Walter Jordan
[[Rememberer::Peter Nettelbeck ]] remembers: Walter ran the leading Poll Dorset stud in Australia. Walter was a Councillor within the Barossa Council, Chairman of the Gawler Show Society in 1961 and 1962 and was made a Life Member of Gawler Show Society in 1981. He was also Chairman of the Curdnatta Recreation Park. Walter married Betty Churchill- Smith and was a “nice bloke”.
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