This Day in History: 1935-08-18

Great interest was shown in Toodyay in a contest of wheelbarrow pushing. Frank Costello, the local barber, bet Wesley E. (Wowser) James a substantial amount that he could not push him around the ‘four mile’ in three hours. A large crowd of 300 spectators assembled near the Toodyay Railway Station to see the start at two o’clock. The pusher won easily by covering the distance in 1 hour 12 minutes, which included a stop for five minutes for refreshments. Another local resident (baker George Haymes) laid a wager to another pusher (farmer Godfrey Sinclair) that he could not push the local blacksmith (Tom James) to the top of Connor’s hill in half an hour. The pusher won by doing it in 13 minutes 15 seconds.

Sources:
Toodyay herald, 9 Aug. 1935, p.8; 16 Aug. 1935, p.8; 23 Aug. 1935, p.1.
West Australian, 19 Aug. 1935, p.14; 26 Aug. 1935, p.9.