Family background
Frank Cridland was born on 3 March 1873 at Meroo, near Mudgee and spent some of his childhood in Temora, in south-western NSW. In 1895 he married Harriett (Hettie) Hall, of West Maitland, with whom he had four sons, Alan, Walter, Arthur and Gordon and three daughters, Ethel, Edna and Dorothy. In 1906 they were living in Baptist Street, Redfern. Both Alan and Walter joined the RAAF during World War II and were both killed, Alan in the Northern Territory and Walter in Borneo. Cridland died on 28 May 1954 at Cronulla and was interred at Woronora Memorial Park.
Occupation & interests
In 1892 Cridland established Frank Cridland (Carriers) Ltd which, by 1922, had become one of the largest and best known transport and customs agency businesses in Australia. From 1900 onwards the firm celebrated the King’s Birthday holiday in November each year with an employee picnic. By 1908 the annual picnic had moved to New Year’s Day, being held that year at Mortlake Pleasure Grounds.
In 1920 Cridland was the president of the Master Carriers’ Association, having previously been president of the Master Carriers’ Federal Council. In the early 1920s Cridland made contributions to debates about traffic congestion in Sydney to the Sydney Morning Herald and in trade journals.
Community activity
While living in Redfern, Cridland played bowls, being the club secretary of the Redfern Bowling Club in 1908. Cridland was also a foundation member of the Legacy Club of Sydney, a member of the Millions Club of NSW (founded in 1912 with the aim of making Sydney the first Australian city to reach a population of one million) and of the Imperial Service Club. He was a life member of the Royal Australian Historical Society, a member of the Fellowship of Australian Writers and the author of The Story of Port Hacking, Cronulla and Sutherland Shire (Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1924, Second edition, 1950).
Honours & awards
Cridland was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1920, primarily as a result of the contribution of the Master Carriers’ Association (of which body he was the president) to the war effort. During the war members of the association carried free of charge all War Chest and Red Cross goods, as well as most of the battalion comforts. Cridland had also acted as a War Chest Commissioner during the World War I.
Local government service
Cridland was elected as an alderman for the Surry Hills Ward, Redfern Council in October 1905 to fill an extraordinary vacancy caused by the death of Alderman Parkes. In 1906 Cridland stood again, successfully, for the Surry Hills Ward of Redfern Council, his candidature being supported by a ‘largely attended meeting’ at Fagon’s Hotel, Bourke Street prior to the elections. In February 1908 he again contested the council elections for the Surry Hills Ward but was unsuccessful.
References
‘Local and General Items’, Maitland Daily Mercury, 27 June 1895, p. 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/121317941
‘Social Items’, Evening News, 21 November 1903, p. 4, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113801216
‘Borough of Redfern’, Government Gazette of the State of NSW, 20 October 1905, Issue No. 545, p. 7056, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220952113
‘Advertising’, Sydney Morning Herald, 31 January 1906, p. 14, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14729295
‘Lady Doctors’, Evening News, 9 February 1906, p. 8, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114229758
‘Carriers’ Picnic’, Evening News, 4 January 1908, p. 7, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114103494
‘Metropolitan Returns’, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 February 1908, p. 8, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14947630
‘Social Items’, Evening News, 3 October 1908, p. 14, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113768406
‘Commanders’, Daily Telegraph, 16 October 1920, p. 11, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/239767354
‘Frank Cridland (Carriers) Limited, Daily Commercial News and Shipping List, 3 May 1922, p. 10, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/159687385
‘The Traffic Ways of Sydney VI, Reasons and Remedies for Congestion, by Frank Cridland’, Construction and Local Government Journal, 3 October 1923, p. 19, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109762193
‘The Widening of Botany Road’, Sydney Morning Herald, 11 April 1924, p. 8, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16140874
‘Flight-Lieutenant Cridland Killed’, Kalgoorlie Miner, 23 November 1942, p. 2, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/95168048
‘Family Notices’, Sydney Morning Herald, 12 July 1945, p. 12, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17946795
‘Death of Frank Cridland’, Propeller, 3 June 1954, p. 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236967165
Frank Cridland, https://localhistory.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/103827
Cridland, Frank, The story of Port Hacking, Cronulla and Sutherland Shire (Sydney, NSW: Angus & Robertson, 1924, Second edition, 1950)
Rennie, Philip, 100 years on the move: the Frank Cridland story, Alexandria, Frank Cridland Ray Katte Customs Agencies, 1992.