Harold George Wilson Potts

HAROLD GEORGE WILSON POTTS, ninth child and seventh Son.

Harold was the youngest of the family. He was most successful at school, and continued his studies after leaving school. He followed Jay into the printing trade, taking his place at Healesville under Ormie Pettit, when Jay transferred to William Pettit's employ at Lilydale. Later he went to Lilydale and then to Box Hill, where he was apprenticed to a printer named Daly, who was a member of the Plymouth Brethren faith.

When Harold enlisted in 1918 - at the age of 18 years - for service in World War 1. Daly refused to release him from his apprenticeship. Daly was a pacifist and did not believe in war.

Harold entered the Salvation Army and trained for officership, in which capacity he served for 10 years. He married Emma Haines Sedgman - a girl of equal education and culture-at Box Hill on December 8, 1927. Emma also had passed through the training college and was an officer of the Salvation Army. They served at various Corps, mainly In South Australia until 1932, and then the family with two children moved to the township of Kaniva, where Harold worked with Jay until 1940, when he purchased the Rupanyup Spectator.

At Kaniva he was appointed band master of the town band and the State School band. The town band reached its zenith under his conductorship. He was one of the few responsible for creating Band Park at Kaniva and the building of the band rotunda.

He was most active in church work, and was a local preacher for the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches.

He sold the Rupanyup Spectator and went to Melbourne to give the children an opportunity to attend the University. This paid dividends as the three children all gained degrees, with honours. They all entered the Education Department as school teachers in secondary education.

For a while Harold worked as a linotype operator with Fraser & Morphett, and also had a business in St. Kilda. He eventually accepted a position with the Herald, Melbourne, where he remained until he retired in 1964. Being active and physically sound, he went to the Box Hill Reporter as a linotype operator and was still working there in 1967.