PROMOTING THE HISTORY AND ARCHIVES OF MT COMPASS
Blakely, Keith
Randall/Randle* Keith Blakely (Rank: Leading Aircraftman)
Keith (as he preferred to be known) was born at Mt Gambier in 1920, to John Christopher Blakely and Dorothea Blakely (nee Coles). His parents then moved to the Adelaide Hills where they would remain for his school years.
In about 1936 the family moved to a property on Goolwa Road, when Keith was aged 15.
For three years he worked on P B Angus Parsons’ Glen Finnis property at Mt Compass, with his 1941 reference letter from the farm manager stating Keith had experience in sheep work, potato growing and general farm work. In 1940 he started work as an electrician’s assistant (Linesman) with BHP Co Ltd at Rapid Bay.
Keith enlisted in the RAAF on 14th October 1942 “for the duration of the war and for a period of twelve months thereafter”, aged 22. This was the same year the Japanese started their bombing attacks on Darwin, giving cause to believe that Australia may soon be invaded.
Following an aptitude test, the Air Force trained Keith first as a fitter, and then as an electrical mechanic, a course which he passed “with special distinction”. Keith did not leave Australia during the war, serving in NSW, Victoria and Adelaide prior to being based in the Northern Territory. The final months of the war saw him posted to Gorrie, the largest RAAF base in the Territory, where 6,000 RAAF personnel were based at its peak.
Service Honours/Awards he received were: War Medal 1939-45, Australian Service Medal 1939-45 and the Returned from Active Service Badge.
At the time of enlisting, Keith’s Service Record shows that he was a single man, of the Methodist religion, 5’9’ tall (1.79m) and had light brown hair.
Following the war, Keith returned to Mt Compass, working for P B Angas Parsons as a share farmer on his dairy. He is remembered for digging many of the drains through the swamp lands of the Square Waterhole property and locating the original timbered waterhole site along with relics of the small inn built there (these relics have unfortunately now been lost).
Keith married Ella Veronica Chenoweth in 1947 and together they managed the dairy which was one of the first in the district to carry 200 cows. They also purchased their own 160 acre property further along Goolwa Road in 1949.
The couple spent their first few years of married life living in the small, corrugated iron cottage, which still remains near the Square Waterhole swamp. In about 1959 they built and moved into a new solid brick house on the opposite side of Victor Harbor Road.
After he stopped working in the dairy, Keith carried out contract mowing and slashing around the district and drove a school bus, where he was known as “Jacko” by the school children.
He was actively involved in Mount Compass activities, serving on the Community Centre Committee (including two years as President) and was awarded a Life Membership with the Agricultural Bureau due to his dedicated involvement.
Keith’s interest in politics led him to become involved with the local National Party, including time as Chairman of the Mt Compass branch. He was described in a Tribute at his funeral as being both a hard-working and a hard-thinking man.
He played football for Mt Compass and remained involved with the Club for many years in a voluntary capacity, earning him another Life Membership in 1975.
Dancing became Keith’s favourite pastime, with Old Style Ballroom dancing his main focus in later years.
Keith and Ella retired onto an adjoining five acre property along Goolwa Road that they purchased from PB Angas Parsons and gave the name ‘Stobie Lodge’.
Keith passed away in 1987 and is buried in the Mt Compass cemetery. Children: Janet & Stephen (Jack).
* The spelling of Keith’s first name is dependent on which records are used. Both Randle and Randall are found in official documents.
References: https://northernterritory.com/articles/gorrie-airfield, RAAF Service Record at NAA, trove.nla.gov.au, Eulogy tribute written by I K Arthur, Janet Andrewartha (nee Blakely).
