Robert Edwin Green

Robert (Bob) Edwin Green was born on 17 October 1936 in Albany. He was the son of Arthur Spencer Green and Merab Constance Nichols. His Mother and 3 year old sister Anne were both murdered on their Farm in Palmdale by a farmhand when Bob was just 10. The shocking discovery of the bodies was made by school bus driver John Lawrence, who finished his run that evening and it was common practice for him to spend the night at the Green farm before setting off the next day. He arrived at 5pm with the Bob, who took the bus to school.

Bob had two other brothers, Norman Stanley Green, who died at 80, and Francis John Green who died at 68.

Bob came to WA’s Midwest to work on surrounding farms and play football. He attended the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968 with his friend and Dongara farmer, Fred Burton before returning to the region to resume working on farms.

He met and married Patricia McCarley and they bought a fish and chip shop in Geraldton. Together they had three sons. Bob got his fishing tickets after being a deckhand for Bob Ritchie. After getting these qualifications, they sold the fish and chip shop and bought the fishing boat CMT. Bob and Patricia were based in Dongara but Bob cray fished from Wallabi Island (Abrolhos Islands) during the cray season.

6 May 1976 proved to be a fateful day. Bob’s deckhand had cray poisoning and he couldn’t go to sea. Keith Hanstrum, who lived on the same island as Bob, could have gone out with him but Bob decided to do the job on his own. Tragedy struck when Bob fell over the side, pulled over by a pot rope wrapped around his leg. He was found the following day with his boat still dragging him around.

Barry Yelverton who worked at the Kailis Factory, heard the news and let his friends in the close-knit Dongara community know.

Six weeks after Bob’s youngest son was born, Patricia visited him at the Islands. Only one week later he had passed away. He was 39 years old.

He is buried at Geraldton’s Utakarra Cemetery in Geraldton.