Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lewis was a son of Thomas Charles and Charlotte Harriet (Brown) Wellard from Kent in England.  After the death of Lewis' father in 1920 and then his mother’s death in 1922, Lewis, with his brother Harold George were place into care.  The brothers spent seven years in an orphanage, possibly Barnardo's Boys Home, before they were "shipped" out to Western Australia in 1929 as part of the British Child Migration Scheme.

Lewis at age 14 years travelled out to Western Australia leaving London, England on 15 October 1929 on the SS Ballarat arriving in Fremantle on 14 November of that year accompanied by his younger brother Harold age 13 years

On arriving in WA the brothers were placed at the Kingsley Fairbridge Farm School in Pinjarra just south of Perth.  Lewis only stayed at Fairbridge until 9 April 1930 when he was fifteen years and two months old leaving to seek work on farming properties on placements arranged by Fairbridge in and around Armadale WA.  In early June 1931 Lewis was offered a work placement as a station hand at Munarra Station out from Meekatharra in Western Australia.  Station life and the work suited Lewis and he progressed to working on the station as a Jackaroo.  Whilst at the station Lewis met Norma Phillips who was working at the station and a relationship developed and they were married in 1938 in Wiluna, at which time Lewis was working as a diamond drill operator in the mining industry.

After leaving Wiluna around late 1938, Lewis tried his hand in the bakery business in the Perth area and then in the early 1940's Lewis and Norma moved to Latham in Western Australia to assist Norma's mother where she had purchased the general store/post office, at this time Lewis also did some contract shearing in the area.  In 1945 Lewis with his wife were share farming in the Buntine/Maya area before they purchased a "wheat and sheep" farm (Somervale) located between Buntine and Maya, farming there until 1964.  During this time Lewis and his wife had five children.

In the years after 1964 until retirement Lewis:

Ventured into the trucking industry, purchasing the Transport and Caltex Depot at Bindoon, a town 84 kilometres from Perth city on the Great Northern Highway until in 1976, Lewis’ deteriorating eye sight, caused the Bindoon business’ sale.

After leaving Bindoon Lewis and his wife moved to Port Hedland working as the station management at Kangan Station for three years before calling time on their working life in early 1980 and re-located to Geraldton in Western Australia where they had purchased a house and where they settled for while.

But again the north was calling Lewis and his wife to return, and they spent a further three years in the Port Hedland area assisting in the running of a trucking business until Lewis' deteriorating health (age) resulted in a move back to Geraldton.

Again this stay in Geraldton did not last long as Lewis became bored with retirement, so they took on a role as caretakers at a farm property out from Morawa, until in 1992 when Lewis unfortunately suffered a stroke which took a toll on his health.  So back to Geraldton to recuperate.

Again bored with life in suburban Geraldton, Lewis and Norma moved down to the Narrogin area to assist their youngest daughter and husband in running a pig farm, until the farm was sold so Lewis and Norma again returned to Geraldton to live.

Lewis and Norma lived out the rest of their lives in Geraldton.  During these later years Lewis and Norma spent up to two years as caretakers at Mount Gibson Station out from Paynes Find. 

Lewis died in the Geraldton Hospital after a short illness in October 2000, a memorial service was held at the Utakarra Cemetery in Geraldton.

Lewis was a humble man of many talents, demonstrated by his working career in farming, trucking and station management etc.  During his life he played the drums and served as goal umpire at local football matches.