Lawrence Robert Gilbert

Lawrence Gilbert was born in St Peters, the third of seven children. Lawrie and his mother soon joined his father, a labourer on the railway line being built from Hergott Springs (Marree) to Oodnadatta. Lawrie was almost five when the line was finished and the family spent the next five years moving back down the line towards Adelaide. In the first interview Mr Gilbert speaks mainly of his childhood and schooldays to the age of thirteen. In the second interview Mr Gilbert speaks of his working life, beginning at fourteen as a conductor on the horse trams during which time he had his introduction to gambling, a life long passion. In 1901 he began working in his father sandcarting business at St Peters. After a stint as labourer, and bookmaker, on the East-West Line in 1917, he began ten years of building jobs around the state until he found his feet as a building contractor in Adelaide. Mr Gilbert married in 1924 and didn't retire until the age of 75 in 1960.