Composed and shared by Ceduna Old Photos, Sue Trewartha and Erica Bodger.
Also known as Charlie or Michans, Carl was born at South Kilkerran, Yorke Peninsula, on 11 December 1884. He came to the West Coast with his parents when only young and lived with them on the farm in Hd O Loughlin.
As a young man he worked for various people, working quite some time for the pioneer Mr McKenzie at Denial Bay, where he learnt the trade of a blacksmith. At times he used to go to Alexander s in Ceduna for more knowledge, as Mr Alexander was a well known blacksmith.
Charlie acquired land further out in the Hd O’Loughlin where he built a hut, then set to work clearing the land with an axe, later a roller drawn by horses. He ploughed the land with a 5 or 6 furrow plough, broadcasting some seed by hand. Later he obtained a small seed box, which was attached to the front of the plough. Charlie stripped the crop with a 5 foot stripper, then used a hand winnower to clean the wheat. As the years went by he purchased bigger machinery, one machine a motor winnower, the first in the district, so all the neighbours helped so they could have the use of the machine. One day the men cleaned 350 bags of wheat – a record for many years. Then the wheat, 100 bags on a wagon, was carted 10 miles to the Wiabuna railway siding. The wagon was pulled by 11 horses.
He took much pride in his horses, especially one, a Clydesdale stallion named ‘Royal’, who won several prizes at the local shows, much to his honour.
He made a lime kiln by carting loads of lime stone then burning the stones with heaps of stumps. After many weeks the lime was ready for use. Charlie would use the lime mixed with cement to build underground tanks for stock water. Some tanks are still used today, 2003. He ran a few sheep for rations and a cow for milk.
Charlie œMichans Kloeden married Selma Blondina Lutz on 4 August 1909 at the Denial Bay Lutheran Church.
Michans was a great community man, repairing the neighbours’ machinery for miles around. He was known as the local bush doctor and bush vet, as Murat Bay was 25 miles away and too far for people to travel to. The first, and only, school in the district, was built on his property west of the house, also the first tennis courts. He served as Councillor in the District Council of Murat Bay, for many years during the war.
He had one of the first cars in the district, a Dodge, and everybody relied on him for transport for many years. He was a very successful farmer despite droughts, mice and grasshopper plagues.
Sickness struck and his wife passed away leaving him with a young family.
