Freeman, Walter Frank Harcourt

• Walter Freeman, MBE

Walter Frank Harcourt Freeman was born on the Bau Levu Estate, Rewa River, Fiji on 9 March 1900. He was the son of Isabella Freeman (born in Fiji where her father was an apothecary who joined CSR at the Nausori Mill in 1885) and Richard Freeman (who joined CSR as a laboratory clerk in 1884, moved to Fiji as a sugar chemist in 1889 and in 1900 took up the lease of the Bau Levu Estate where he grew sugar cane and managed the Estate for CSR until 1928). Walter Freeman was educated at Chatswood Preparatory School, Sydney and Sydney Church of England Grammar School. He began work with CSR on 1 March 1918 at the Nausori Mill, initially in agriculture on several estates before being promoted to Assistant Cane Inspector in 1921, where he oversaw the work of Indian cane growers and was responsible for the supply of cane to the mill by river. He was promoted to Cane Inspector in 1942 and in January 1948 became Field Superintendent at Sigatoka District, Lautoka Mill. He was later promoted to Field Supervisor, then Acting Manager of Lautoka Mill. In December 1955 he transferred to Nausori Mill, as Acting Manager then Manager. In September 1960 he retired to Sydney and was awarded the MBE. By 1985, Walter Freeman's eldest son and grandson were working at CSR.

Sydney; Rewa River, Fiji

personnel manager; sugar refinery worker

Entered from deposit description on 2 September 2011