NAME Thomas Frank Arkinstall
BORN 13 May 1899, Castlemaine Vic
DIED Queensland, 1971
MILITARY SERIAL NO. 2561
UNIT 8th F.A. Brigade
ENLISTED 18 September 1917, Castlemaine, Vic
DISCHARGED 27 September 1919, Melbourne, Vic

Thomas Frank Arkinstall had several small blocks of land – all Settlement Purchases – 1923/11, 1924/22, 1926/17 and 1926/18 near Deniliquin.    He applied for his loan on 3 January, 1921 but had not received it by 16 December 1921.[1] Arkinstall was reported as being ‘most energetic … having completed many improvements on the land but the lack of funds was hindering him a great deal.’[2]  On 6 June 1924, he had still not received the loan and he wrote again asked about the delay in receiving it.

I desire to state that since my return from the war I have been practically all my time on the land and I do not think there is any branch of the farming industry that I am not acquainted with. [3]

The Advance had eventually been approved by July 1925.  In 1927 Arkinstall applied to sub-divide and transfer part of his holding, he said to lower his debt.[4] According to the Officer-in-Charge of the Closer Settlement Branch, he was not successful in this. He eventually transferred his Settlement Purchase blocks – possibly around March 1928.

After leaving Deniliquin, Arkinstall had a second farm which he called ‘Youngara’ at Ungarie near Wyalong.  This block was Settlement Purchase 1930/4.  He applied for a second advance, despite such an action in the face of government policy to give one only advance to each settler.   Despite several attempts on his behalf, a memorandum written on 24 May 1935 indicates that his second application for another loan of £625 was declined.[5] He took possession of the block at Ungarie in March 1930 but only remained there until September 1935.  The block was eventually transferred to Ann Jane Thompson on 30 January 1936.

Footnotes

[1] SRNSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan file [12/7388 No. 9638]  Thomas Frank Arkinstall, Application for Loan 3 January 1921.

[2] Ibid, Local Land Committee to Director of Soldier Settlements, 16 December 1921.

[3] Ibid, Frank Arkinstall to Mr. Fleming Under-Secretary for Lands, 6 June 1924.

[4] Ibid, Closer Settlement Report, 7 December 1928.

[5] Ibid, Department of Lands Memorandum, 24 May 1935.

Sources used to compile this entry

State Records NSW: Lands Department, NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files [12/7388 No. 9638]  Thomas Frank Arkinstall.

SRNSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files [12/7493 No. 14553] Thomas Frank Arkinstall.

National Archives of Australia:  First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Thomas Frank Arkinstall) online: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3035134