As part of the Jerramungup History Project, we will share an audio interview with a local legend each month. Our first interview is with Graham Carthew, better known as Crow.
In the interview Crow reflects on his love for and connection with Jerramungup and his warm sense of humour shines throughout the interview.
Crow's family arrived in Jerramungup from a small town in South Australia in a 1941 Ford Blitz on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th Month in 1961. He recalls the first Saturday they called into town for groceries when his father met up with a few locals over a carton of beer and the fact that they didn’t get home until after 10.30 that night.
Crow and his family loved sport and in fact the first footy ground, affectionately known as the “Dag Run” was built on the family farm until it was moved closer to town and then ultimately to the current location on Derrick Street.
At its peak there were over 350 sporting club members. He fondly remembers Saturdays in those early days when the different sporting codes all came together with other towns in the region and the social connection afterwards.
He recalls the building of the Jerramungup hotel and motel complex by the Vladich family and the important role this played in bringing people together. He also recalls the challenges faced by the early settlers based on their harrowing war experience and his early days as a wool-shed hand from the age of 15.
Crow feels blessed that he and his wife Meryl were able to bring up their three boys in such a friendly town and recalls that at its peak the local school had over 200 students.
Crow reflects on the community spirit shown in the recent bushfires that threatened the township and the support provided by fire brigades from around the region.
While the town is shrinking in size, he hopes it will retain its unique community spirit and can find a way to stabilise and thrive into the future. Crow is an active member of the Jerramungup History Working Group and continues to support the town through the school bus run and his strong sense of community.