Murray

Distinguished and Famous people from Murray

🏛️ Ross McLarty

Ross McLarty was born at Pinjarra in 1891 and grew up within a family closely associated with the district. Elected for Murray-Wellington in 1930, he served the electorate for more than three decades. He became Premier of Western Australia in 1947 and held office until 1953. The State Library’s family records connect those political milestones with the McLartys’ Pinjarra homes and agricultural life. A childhood in the district preceded his long period representing it in parliament and later leading the state government.

🌾 Edward McLarty

Edward McLarty developed strong agricultural and political connections with Pinjarra. A son of John and Mary McLarty, he served on the Murray Roads Board from 1877 for nearly forty years. The family home at Edenvale preserves the setting of a household whose interests extended from farming into public service. His son Ross later became Western Australia’s premier. Edward’s own contribution deserves notice alongside that better-known career: the long work of local representation helped shape the district’s practical affairs, while the surviving homestead provides a record of the family life behind the official positions.

🤝 Jack Gabbedy

Jack Gabbedy played a prominent public role in disaster relief after the devastating bushfires around Dwellingup in 1961. A commissioner of the Rural and Industries Bank, he combined banking responsibilities with service on government advisory bodies. His earlier career had involved the group settlement scheme and country branch management, keeping him closely engaged with rural communities. He was also a competitive woodchopper and later wrote a history of the sport in Western Australia. The Dwellingup association is his documented disaster-relief work, one part of a public career that extended beyond bank accounts to the difficulties facing country families.