Charles R. Bunning (1 March 1905 – 3 June 1994) was a
West Australian businessman who played an early significant role in the development of major retailer
Bunnings.
Biography
Charles was a son of
Robert Bunning, an English
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
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
group Millars at the request of the federal Ministry of Munitions. As
shipbuilder
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
s they built the small snake boats used by
Z force to land on Japanese-occupied land in Asia.
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.
Charles was instrumental in the construction of the
Donnelly River Mill, south-west of
Bridgetown
Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the Parishes of Barbados, parish of Saint Michael, Barbados, Saint Mic ...
,
and the
Gascoyne River Bridge, 13 km north-east of
Carnarvon.
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,
who portrayed scenes of the south-west timber industry.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunning, Charles
1905 births
1994 deaths
Australian businesspeople in retailing
People from Western Australia