Henry Arthur Spalding (known as Spaldo) was born in Birmingham in England in 1850. In 1877, at the age of 26, he boarded the ship ‘Robert Morrison‘ and immigrated to Western Australia. After a few years living in Perth, he moved to Northampton and was appointed the first stationmaster for the new railway.
For the next six years, he was the town’s stationmaster, he ran the Post Office and Telegraph Office, and he was also the Clerk of Courts for the small local court that heard cases relating to small debts. In 1884, he added another title to his duties when he became the traffic manager for the Northern Railway. Said to be a “courteous and efficient officer,” it was thought that the appointment would give “much satisfaction” to everyone in the town.
A correspondent shared an example of his courtesy and thoughtfulness with the Victorian Express in 1886. The writer travelled on the northern line and, upon entering a carriage, found a book left in a rack. They assumed that someone had forgotten it and opened the copy of ‘Wilson’s Border Tales’ intending to read it to while away the time. Written on the first page was a note from Spaldo. No one had forgotten their book; he had placed it there for passengers so they could “beguile the tedium of the journey.“
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And welcome him they did. The people of Perth lined the streets and cheered loudly as Prince Edward, standing in a car specially provided for him, acknowledged the thousands who came into town to see him.
The Dusty Box 