 1825
BRAY Here we see Samuel, Gertrude, Hazel, Dora and Frank. We know Samuel was a Blacksmith by trade and that they lived in or close by Kelmscott round the time Hazel was born. Samuel was also Secretary for the Roads Board of Kelsmscott and he is listed on the honour board as Secretary of the Roads Board Shire of Kelmscott 1898 then underneath is J. H. Bray (his brother James Henry) Secretary of the Shire Roads Board 1898-1899 the Shire started the Roads Board in 1894. James apparently took over from Samuel as Samuel's health was not good. The family was next reported in the Brookton / Beverley area where they lived for many years. This is where the children went to primary school. Frank did attend High School in Northam where he held a long jump record for many years. 00/04/1902 - 02/08/1974. Hazel Gertrude Thelma Bray. (did not marry.) 00/08/1907 - 09/04/1984 Dora Tresna Eunice Bray. (did not marry.)   Dora loved to sing and she sang well. Here we see her in her younger days and also with Gertrude (her Mother on her 100th Birthday) and her Brother Frank. Dora worked for the Shire of Merredin in the office in her earlier days. She also sang in the Church of Christ choir. Dora loved to sew and made quite a lot of dresses for the two girls in the family. Carol and Joan. She also made dresses for Allyson her great niece. There is a story in the family that Dora was engaged or was about to be engaged to marry but her Mother put a stop to it as she wanted the girls to look after her. I don't know how true this is.
16/07/1914 - 11/09/1985 Leslie Howard Bray married 1940 Eugenia (Jean) Agnes Sartori born 1918.  Les and Jean pictured here in January 1971 with youngest son Cliff, baby grandson Brendan, Dora and Gertrude. Les and Jean lived most of their married life in Merredin, WA. They often took the children to Bunbury for camping holidays. Bunbury was a very small coastal town then. Les worked as an electrician with the State Electricity Department in Merredin. We could never work out how he managed as he was coloured blind as was his brother Frank, which we have recently found out. Les and Jean raised their children in Merredin and finally retired to Pambula Beach in NSW. Les died in Exmouth WA, was cremated at Karratta Cemetery in Perth WA and his memorial plaque (listing him as having served in the RAAF during World War II) is now in Canberra ACT.
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Frank grew up in Beverly Brookton area until he attended Northam High School. At one stage Frank held the long jump record at the Northam High School. He held this record for many years. He and younger Brother Les use to umpire football and travelled by motorcycle to and from different games. Frank was in the RAAF and was stationed in Alice Springs. Muriel was born and raised in Kalgoorlie - Boulder and attended Boulder Primary and Eastern Goldfields High School. She became a teacher and her first post was in Morawa, Western Australia. She met Frank in Kalgoorlie after she returned to teach on the Goldfields, they married and lived in Kalgoorlie for the rest of their lives. Frank owned and ran several businesses in Kalgoorlie - Boulder and Kambalda over many years mainly in the furniture, floor coverings and white goods lines. His first business venture was in partnership with Ron Regan and Norm Johns. They had a harware store on Maritana Street over the laneway behind the Exchange Hotel. One of their main products was Spartan Paint. They then went into the furniture business, Frank and Norm and purchased W.J. Lucas which was in Hannan street, Kalgoorlie with a long laneway down the left side leading to the rear of the Mechanic's Institute where they had a huge room full of furniture. Frank also had a furniture shop in Burt Street Boulder called Bray and Co., with Ron Regan where he also sold furniture, floor coverings and white goods. He use to allow people to purchase on a three month payoff system interest free which allowed a lot of the immigrants who worked on the mines to get furniture and pay it off. Many folk have told me their stories over the years and how their parents were able to purchase things from my Dad and pay them off. It is lovely to hear these stories.
All through his life on the goldfields Frank went prospecting on weekends and sometimes for a week or two when mates came from the city to have a go. Not every weekend as his golf was on weekends but he did spend a lot of time in the bush. He did very well from his prospecting putting most of his money back into his business and expanding. He travelled all over the middle section of the state prospecting, to places like Siberia, Niagara, Payne's Find, Eneabba to name a few. Dad taught me to drive very young and he use to allow me to drive his ute on dirt tracks and he would walk along side the ute picking up rocks that he would mark and then dolly and pan them off when at home. He always did this in the same spot and if I wanted to show someone how to pan off I would take some of the dirt from that spot and would always get some colours. Here is a photo of Frank and Muriel's youngest Great Grandson Riely learning to pan off with a family friend Don. Don made sure Riely found some gold. At different times Frank held the lease over the Son's of Gwalia Mine and also held a lease on the famous Goldern Mile which is now in the middle of the Superpit. Frank passed away on one of his mining leases north of Kalgoorlie, surrounded by his prospecting mates.