Frank & Effie Luyer

Frank Richard Luyer was born on 29 November 1887 in Derby, Western Australia to Walter Edward Luyer and Jesse Blanche Yates. Jesse was known locally as Adela or simply ‘Mrs Luyer’. Frank’s birth record shows his mother as Adela Cooper. It is unlikely that Walter and Adela were married, Jesse had married David Kellett in 1882 in Brisbane.

Frank attended Scotch College (or The Alexander Scotch College as it was known at the time). The school was founded in 1897 and was initailly located in the Shearer Memorial Hall in Beaufort Street, Perth. Frank represented Scotch in football and cricket.

In September 1904, Scotch College won the Secondary Schools’ Challenge. Frank Luyer is pictured standing in the third row, third from the left.

Delys Howlett wrote A 108,660-acre property known as Yellowdine Sheep Station, was in operation during the years of 1907 to 1910. Graziers, [Ranald or Ronald] McDonald [22 May 1866 - 7 January 1921] and [Walter Edward] Luyer, owned the station which adjoined the northern border of the Yellowdine railway siding. It boasted: a four roomed homestead, stables, sheepyards, a windmill and squatter’s tank, two freshwater wells as well as having scheme water laid on. During 1908, £4,000 was spent on restocking sheep, subdividing the property into 4 paddocks and erecting 40,000 acres of 7-wire dog proof fencing. In June 1910 the properly was advertised for sale. The Post Office Directories list Frank Luyer as a station-hand and Ronald McDonald as a grazier in Yellowdine for the years 1908, 1909 and 1910.

Broome about 1913 to 1923 - Master Pearler - Luyer Place (Cable Beach) was named after Frank. (in progress)

Effie in a nurse's uniform

Frank and Effie were married by the Presbyterian minister, Rev A.J. Eipper, on 3 December 1918 at the residence of Frank Luyer in Broome. Effie (Euphemia Turner Patterson) was shown on the marriage certificate as a 25 year old spinster from Duns, Scotland. Her parents were Adam Patterson (a farmer) and her mother was Euphemia Gibson.

One of the witnesses to the wedding was Arnold Yeldham (Joe) Raine (about 1890 - 11 February 1957).

Effie was a partner with Miss H Johnston in a pie shop at 227 Aberdeen Street in 1924. They were witnesses in the trial of William James Auburn who was found guilty of murdering John George O'Neil.

Frank and Effie donated some items to the Western Australian Musuem

Certificate with the words:

British Empire Exhibition
This Certificate of Honour is issued with a Medal to
F. Luyer
in recognition of having participated in
The British Empire Exhibition
at Wembley: 1924
(WA Museum catalogue entry)

Mother of Pearl Crucifix

Cossack - Lazaret (in progress)

Derby Native Hospital (in progress)

Derby leprosorium

Belmont about 1938 - at least 1949. Horse "Sunbeam" (in progress)

73 St Leonards Avenue, West Leederville (in progress, 1960)

Frank and Effie in retirement

Frank's memorial plaque at Karrakatta Cemetery

References:
Howlett, Delys (2007) Yellowdine: Treasures in the Bush: Reen's Soak, Bronti, Kellandi and Mt Palmer Alexander Heights WA (self-published)
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Department of Justice, Western Australia) Online Index Search Tool
Western Australia Post Office Directory (various years), Perth, H Wise & Co Ltd. Available on-line at the website of the State Library of Western Australia

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Frank and Effie Luyer