122.106.15.135 at 10:16, 19 December 2022

2022-12-19T10:16:45Z

New page

{{Short description|Australian businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{infobox person
| name = Charles R. Bunning
| birth_place =
| birth_date = 1 March 1905
| death_place =
| death_date = 3 June 1994 (aged 89)
| occupation = retail businessman
| family = [[Robert Bunning]] (father), Arthur Bunning (uncle)
| known_for = ''[[Bunnings]]''
}}

'''Charles R. Bunning''' (1 March 1905<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25375925 |title=Family Notices. |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |location=Perth |date=6 March 1905 |accessdate=28 November 2012 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> – 3 June 1994<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/NameSearch/details.php?id=KC00115853|title=Metropolitan Cemeteries Board Record}}</ref>) was a [[Western Australia|West Australian]] businessman who played an early significant role in the development of major retailer [[Bunnings]].<ref name=" Donnelly River Mill, Register of Heritage Places, Assessment Documentation ">{{cite web|url=http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/D%20-%20A-D/Donnelly%20Riv%20Mill%20(P-AD).PDF|title=Assessment Documentation|work=Heritage Council of WA|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722042820/http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/D%20-%20A-D/Donnelly%20Riv%20Mill%20%28P-AD%29.PDF|archivedate=2008-07-22}}</ref>

==Biography==
Charles was a son of [[Robert Bunning]], an English [[immigrant|migrant]] who, with his brother Arthur, formed Bunning Brothers in 1886. The firm developed into one of Australia's largest timber companies.

Charles and his brothers Joe and Tom enlarged the business after their father's death. They made bricks and during World War II joined the rival [[Perth]] group Millars at the request of the federal Ministry of Munitions. As [[shipbuilder]]s they built the small snake boats used by [[Z Special Unit|Z force]] to land on Japanese-occupied land in Asia.<ref name=" Brothers build foundations for success">{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/27/1077676961652.html|title= BusinessNews |work=The Age | location=Melbourne | date=2004-02-28}}</ref>

Bunnings rode the post-War housing boom to become the largest logging operators in Australia. Charles was prominent in the Association of Sawmillers and Timber Merchants during the 1950s and, as president of the Employers Federation, championed the cause of greater national and international investment in West Australian industry.<ref name=" Brothers build foundations for success"/>

Charles was instrumental in the construction of the [[Donnelly River Mill]], south-west of [[Bridgetown, Western Australia|Bridgetown]],<ref name=" Donnelly River Mill, Register of Heritage Places, Assessment Documentation "/> and the [[Gascoyne River Bridge]], 13 km north-east of [[Carnarvon, Western Australia|Carnarvon]].<ref name=" Gascoyne River Bridge, Register of Heritage Places, Assessment Documentation ">{{cite web|url=http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/G%20-%20A-D/Gascoyne%20Riv%20Br%20(I-AD).PDF|title=Assessment Documentation|work=Heritage Council of WA|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727000812/http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/G%20-%20A-D/Gascoyne%20Riv%20Br%20%28I-AD%29.PDF|archivedate=2008-07-27}}</ref> Both structures are on the [[Heritage Council of Western Australia]]'s register of heritage places.

In 1931 Charles married noted WA artist [[Elizabeth Blair Barber]] (1909–2001) in Melbourne,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83897665 |title=Woman's World. |newspaper=[[Daily News (Perth, Western Australia)|The Daily News]] |location=Perth |date=24 June 1931 |accessdate=28 November 2012 |page=9 Edition: HOME (FINAL) EDITION |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> who portrayed scenes of the south-west timber industry.<ref name=" I Buried My Dolls in the Garden ">{{cite web|url=http://www.postnewspapers.com.au/20070602/timeout/timeout.pdf|title=Time Out|work=POST Newspapers|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011184838/http://www.postnewspapers.com.au/20070602/timeout/timeout.pdf|archivedate=2009-10-11}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunning, Charles}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian businesspeople in retailing]]
[[Category:People from Western Australia]]

Charles Bunning - Revision history

122.106.15.135 at 10:16, 19 December 2022