Albert Barnett Facey (1894 - 1982)

Born 31 Aug 1894 in Maidestone, Victoria

Ancestors

Husband of Evelyn (Gibson) Facey — married 21 Aug 1916 in St. Davids Church, South Bunbury, Western Australia

Descendants

Died 11 Feb 1982 at age 87 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia

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Biography

Bert Facey is Notable.

An Australian author and World War I veteran, whose main work was his autobiography, A Fortunate Life published in 1981. This book is now considered a classic in Australian literature.

A Fortunate Life by A. B. Facey

A. B. Facey was born in 1894 and grew up on the Kalgoorlie goldfields and in the wheat-belt of Western Australia. His father died before he was two and his mother deserted him soon afterwards. He was raised by his grandmother and at eight years of age, went out to work with no formal education.

His many jobs included fencing, sinking dams, clearing, ploughing, droving, rail line construction, crop and livestock farming, shearing, tram and trolley bus driver, union rep, local govt member and even a stint in a boxing troupe. He was an air raid warden, St. John's ambulance attendant, council member and Justice of the Peace.

He enlisted in WWI on 4 Jan 1915 and served with the 11th Battalion 4 Platoon D Coy. In his enlistment papers he listed Arthur Thomas Downie as his father. His service number was 1536.

He landed at Gallipoli on 9 May 1915.

While in Gallipoli Albert and the rest of his troop received care packages from Australia. Albert received socks. He was sure he was the only one who did get socks. Inside them rolled up was a message from Evelyn Gibson, Hon Sec., of the Girl Guides, Bunbury wishing whoever received those socks safety.

Albert was to eventually marry Evelyn. After a chance meeting, they married on the 21st of August 1916; 10 months after his return from war.

He was evacuated on 19 Aug 1915 with heart trouble. He returned from Gallipoli to Australia on 31 October 1915 and was discharged on 3 June 1916.

He had taught himself to read and write and after the war, filled notebooks with his accounts of his life experiences. After urging from his children, he submitted his manuscript to the Fremantle Arts Centre Press who recognised its value and the classic Australian novel was released.

In June 1921 he was hospitalised for 3 weeks with diptheria. He then left his job at the tramways and applied for a farming property under the returned soldiers' settlement scheme. He was approved to take over a 1200 acre property in the Narrogin district, 10 miles from Wickepin. They sold their Victoria Park home and arrived at their farm, Oak View, Norman's Lake in late July, 1922. The farm house was destroyed in an accidental fire in February, 1924.

The electoral roll of 1925 shows Evelyn and Albert residing at ‘Oak View’, Norman’s Lake (near Wickepin).

In 1932 he was again hospitalised and a fragment of bullet was located and removed. By 1934 his health and the economic conditions at the time prompted the sale of the farm and the family moved to Perth and Bert worked for a brief period as a truck driver carting lime before taking ill. Another brief stint as an assistant to a surveyor then returning to work at the Perth Tramways.

He and Evelyn acquired a home at Royal St., Tuart Hill in 1935. By 1946 after successfully raising chickens and producing eggs he left the Tramways to become a full-time poultry farmer. The business moved to Wanneroo when the expansion of Perth dictated same.

The property was sold in increments and finally in 1950. Wanneroo has a street named Facey Street and another, Barney Street, named after their son killed in action in 1942.

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE.

Mr. A. B. Facey, who was successful by a wide margin for the Osborne Ward in the recent Perth Road Board election, was congratulated at the last meeting of the Metropolitan Council.

- Westralian Worker (Perth, WA) Fri 17 May 1946

They moved south of Perth, purchasing a property at Gosnells and proceeded to farm pigs and sheep. This farm was sold in 1953 and they moved to six acres at Mount Helena. At this time Bert became a local council member of the Mundaring Roads Board and a Justice of the Peace.

"Diggers are doing a big job throughout the State serving on local governing bodies. This is very creditable as all this work is absolutely honorary. A good Digger in Mr A. B. (Bert) Facey, is contesting the Osborne ward of the Perth Road Board at the elections on April 19 next and we wish him success. Bert who served with the 11th Batt., has been a member of the League since our war, is vice-President of the Yokine sub-branch and is prominent in local and patriotic organisations. His son, Barney, is in 2/4th Machine Gun Batt., A.I.F"" - [RSL Listening Post, Sat 15 Mar 1941 / Page 13]

Following a heart attack in 1958 he was advised to retire. The livestock and property was sold and in 1960 they bought a home at Midland, Perth. A proposed road forced the sale of that property and they moved in 1967 to another home in the same suburb.

Evelyn passed away in 1976 and his memoir writing ceased. Albert died in 1982 age 87 at the Perth Hospital, Western Australia. A fascinating life.

He is buried in the Midland Cemetery.

CHILDREN
- 3 Feb 1919 Albert (Barney) Barnett (died 15/2/1942 killed in action)
-28 Jan 1921 Olive Doreen
- 7 Jul 1923 George Leonard
- 5 May 1925 Barbara Maxine
-26 Oct1927 Joseph (Joe) Lindsay
- 1932 Matilda (Shirley)
- 21 Sep 1939 Eric

A FIGHTING FAMILY.
One of the best known families in Devon and Cornwall, and who have been noted as always having had a representative in every big or little scrap which Britain has engaged in during the last 200 years, is the Faceys. To the men of the Navy no name is better known, as the first hotel they meet on paying off at Devonport is the Royal, and the last they see before going aboard is the same Facey 's Royal Hotel, in the Fire Street.
The Facey's were primarily a naval family, as is right and proper for a family of the country of Drake, Hawkins and Frobisher. In the present war representatives of this family have not been wanting in the great fight on sea and land, as both branches of the service have the name in their list. The West Australian contingents have had a branch of the family represented in the Australian Navy, in Vern Facey, now on his way to the front. Sad to say, two have lost their lives at Gallipoli —Joseph Facey in the famous Tenth Light Horse (being shot, and received seven bayonet wounds on September 14th). He saw service also in South Africa in the 6th Westralian Contingent, and was wounded there (being first man wounded of the 6th contingent) on 7th May, 1901. Another brother, Roy Barker Facey, of A Company of 11th Batallion, was killed on June 28th, being blown to pieces by the explosion of a shell on the Peninsula.
The fourth brother, Albert Barnet Facey, of D Company 11th Battallion, is now an inmate of No. 8 General Hospital, where he is slowly recovering from the effects of injuries received from being buried under a quantity of sand bags, displaced by a shell, and later from the effects of a bomb which was thrown by a Turkish Infantryman at close quarters.
The Facey family have done their bit, and more than a bit.
- Camp Chronicle (Midland Junction, WA ) Thu 27 Apr 1916

Sources

• VIC BDM records. Birth reg 30880/1894.
• War Service records. National Archives of Australia. https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3546196
• Metropolitan Cemetery Board records. https://portal.mcb.wa.gov.au/name-search/ns-detail/?id=020e9f63-c71c-ec11-b6e7-00224814c0bd
• A Fortunate Life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fortunate_Life
• Find A Grave: Memorial #142674085
• https://2nd4thmgb.com.au/soldier/wx4915/