William Thomas DALE 1889-1960
&
Catherine "Katie" VEITCH 1892-1968

William Thomas DALE 1889-1960, b. Campbell's Creek (Castlemaine), Victoria to William Edgar DALE and Margery Janett PLACE, died at Melbourne, Victoria; married in 1915 at Casterton, Victoria to Catherine "Katie" VEITCH 1892-1968, b. Casterton, S-W Victoria to George Knox VEITCH and Mary Ann CAFFREY, d. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They had three children : William George "Bill" (1916-1960), Arthur Robert (1919-1943), and Mary Doris (1921-1974) DALE.

1914 : William Thomas DALE probably arrived at Casterton, Victoria when his uncle, Hugh Alexander PLACE, a monumental mason of Daylesford, Victoria opened Monumental Yards in Jackson-street, Casterton, S-W Victoria. His agent and manager was to be Thomas William DALE (his nephew), Monumental Mason, Casterton, S-W Victoria, Australia

"The Casterton News" (Vic.) Thursday, 15th January 1914.
H. A. PLACE, Monumental Mason, Next to Casterton State School, Has much pleasure in informing the Public of Casterton and surrounding districts that he HAS OPENED Monumental Yards at the Above Address. Granite and Marble Monuments and Iron Railings in every design. All work guaranteed. Large number of designs to select from. Price Lists supplied on application.

1915 : William Thomas DALE puchased a new motor cycle at Casterton, S-W Victoria.

"The Casterton News" (Vic.) Thursday, 18th February 1915.
We have just inspected an A.O.B. motor cycle, fitted with six-eight J.A.P. engine, manufactured by Mr A. O. Berkefeld for Mr W. T. Dale. This machine is finished in a gun-boat grey, with positively the latest fitments, having Armstrong three speeds, free engine, kick starter, two and a half Dunlop studded tyres, and a tank to hold two gallons of petrol. This machine is capable of doing 70 miles an hour, and reflects great credit on the local manufacturer, the workmanship being of the highest standard.

1917 : William Thomas DALE, Monumental Mason, Casterton, S-W Victoria, Australia took over the operation of the Monumental Yards in Jackson-street, Casterton, S-W Victoria, opened in 1914 by Hugh Alexander PLACE (his uncle).

"The Casterton News" (Vic.) Thursday, 9th August 1917.
Mr W. T. Dale elsewhere announces that he has taken over the business as a Monumental Sculptor that he as hitherto conducted as manager for his uncle, Mr. H. A. Place, and is prepared to supply marble and granite monuments, headstones, church and other memorial tablets in stone, with all accessories and to undertake renovation of existing monuments. etc.
W. T. DALE, Late A. H. Place,
Monumental Sculptor, Jackson Street, Casterton
Marble and Granite Monuments, Headstones, &c.
Public, Church and other Memorial Work
Carried Out and Erected in all parts of the District.
Existing Work Renovated, and Inscriptions Engraved in all Cemeteries.
Wrought and Cast Iron Railings of every Description.
Designs and Estimates Posted Free.

1917 : William Thomas DALE, Monumental Mason, Casterton, was recorded as the Agent for Hugh Alexander PLACE Monumental Mason of Daylesford, Victoria when he applied for a mining lease for a granite quarry known as "St. Elmo Granite Quarries" at Wando Vale, near Casterton, S-W Victoria.

"The Casterton Free Press" (Vic.) Monday, 3rd December 1917.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A MINING LEASE.
WITHIN Twelve days from the 28th day of November, 1917, I shall lodge with the Secretary for Mines, Melbourne, an application for a Lease, the particulars of which are:--
Name (in full) and address of each applicant.--Hugh Alexander Place, monumental mason, Daylesford.
Name by which mine will be known.--St. Elmo Granite Quarries.
Area.--About two acres.
Whether on or below the surface, or both.--Both.
Full description and precise locality of the land.--In the south-west corner of Allotment 12, Section 5, Parish of Wando, County of Dundas.
Name of each owner and each occupier of the land, so far as applicant has been able to learn.--Owner : John Francis Mullane, of Wando Vale, farmer ; occupier : John Francis Mullane.
Whether the boundaries of the land include any river, creek, deposit of permanent water, spring, or artificial reservoir.--NO.
Nature of proposed mining operations.--Surface quarrying.
Term required.--Fifteen years.
Estimated expenditure.--£250.
Metal or mineral to be worked.--Granite.
Where it is private land, state whether a prospecting area is required.--No.
General remarks.--The proposed quarry is situated ten miles from the Casterton Railway Station.
Signature of Applicant.--HUGH ALEXANDER PLACE, by his agent, William Thomas Dale.
Place and Date.--Casterton, December 3rd, 1917.
SILVESTER & SILVESTER, Solicitors for Applicant.

1918 : William Thomas DALE, Monumental Mason, Casterton, was recorded as driving force behind the establishment of a granite quarry known as "St. Elmo Granite Quarries" at Wando Vale, near Casterton, S-W Victoria, which has just delivered its first granite to the Casterton Railway Station.

"The Casterton News" (Vic.) Thursday, 7th February 1918.
New Enterprise. --- Valuable Industry Started.
The new enterprise which Mr. H. A. Place, of Daylesford, entered upon some months ago by obtaining under mining lease the right to raise granite from a quarry on the property of Messrs Healey, Wando Vale, was advanced a stage by delivery on Tuesday last at the Casterton Railway Station for despatch to Melbourne of three fine blocks of granite taken from the new quarry. These blocks weighed 4 tons 8 cwt., and are to be included with other blocks to be brought in to constitute the first consignment of stone from this district, quarried for use for building and monumental purposes. It is believed that the quantity of stone that exists at the quarry and elsewhere in the vicinity of Wando Vale, is practically unlimited, and as this granite is pronounced by experts to be superior even to that obtained from the Harcourt Quarries that for half a century or more have supplied this class of stone for ornamental and other use in buildings in Melbourne and elsewhere, and also in the erection of memorial monuments, there is good prospect of the development of this granite quarry into a valuable source of revenue and an equally valuable opening for employment, with consequent increase of population and corresponding increase in value of district properties. The establishment of this new industry is mainly due to Mr W. T. Dale, monumental mason, Jackson street, Casterton, local representative of Mr Place, in the quarry enterprise, for it was the high opinion expressed by Mr Dale of the quality of the Wando Vale granite, and his estimate of large quantity available, that induced Mr Place to take out the lease, and enter upon a business which means outlay of a considerable amount of capital. The quarry has now been equipped with crane and all other necessary appliances for breaking out the stone in blocks and transferring those to waggons for transit to the railway station or elsewhere, as required, and the further progress of the industry, which should have important effect in promoting the prosperous development of this district will be watched with interest.

1918 : Merino Honor Roll William Thomas DALE, Monumental Mason, Casterton, designed and was commissioned to construct the Merino Honor Roll, at Merino, near Casterton, S-W Victoria. Later he constructed the Casterton War Memorial.

"The Casterton News" (Vic.) Monday, 18th March 1918.
At a recent meeting of Committee of the people at Merino, appointed to arrange that a suitable memorial to district soldiers should be erected, the offer of Mr. W. T. Dale, Casterton, to provide at £136, a stone Honor Roll according to design submitted, was accepted.

"The Casterton News" (Vic.) Thursday, 21st March 1918.
Merino Honor Roll --- District Design and Material.
The Merino Honor Roll Committee have been fortunate and wise in being able to select for permanent record of the gallant soldiers of their district who have served in the great war now in progress, in defence of their country, the design of a district artist in stone work, which is to be carried out in material of district origin. The material is to be Wando Vale granite, from the quarry recently opened up by Mr W. T. Dale, Jackson street, Casterton, for Mr H. A. Place, Daylesford, and the selected design is the work of Mr Dale himself. It would be a misfortune, of course, if any preference for artist or material should be given solely because one or both were local, for in that case there would probably be a memorial that would be of inferior design or material unworthy of the occasion. In this case, happily, both design and material are worthy, on their merits, of adoption, and, in the days to come, it will no doubt be a source of pleasure to the men commemorated, and their decendants, that it has been found possible to get, without going outside of their own district, and that is required for providing a handsome and appropriate memorial.