Percy Southwell Frost was a prisoner of war, a baker, zoo owner, council alderman and city stalwart. He was involved in the Redcliffe Progress Association and the Returned and Services League when it was known as the Returned Sailors’ Soldiers’ Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia.
Mr Frost signed up in June 1916 aged 24.
as a reinforcement in the 15th Battalion. Records show he was about 160cm and just 49kg when he signed up for war in Europe, with soldiers having evacuated Gallipoli at the end of 1916. He was transported to Plymouth in Britain, arriving in January 1917 on HMAT Boonah, before leaving for France. Fighting in the first battle of Bullecourt, Mr Frost was shot, captured, and placed in German concentration camps, returning home in 1919 to a rousing reception at the Redcliffe Jetty.
He became a renowned baker, opening Percy Frost bakery, owned a local Zoo, and married Violet Ashmole in 1922 and died in 1973.
Frost St in Clontarf and Percy St in Redcliffe are named in his honour.
(Source: 2015 Courier Mail article by Kylie Knight, on Percy Frost)
Mr and Mrs Percy Frost’s Private Zoo:
This zoo was located on the corner of Joseph and Dover Road Margate. It was behind their home and occupied about 16 perches of land on Dover Road.
The zoo had emus, wallabies, ponies and hundreds of birds.
It was started in the 1920’s and closed in 1964.
Proposed Extensions to Existing Shed for V A Frost - Corner Chatham Street and Dover Road - Margate - Blueprint .
From the Moreton Bay Collection; Hughes Collection Original MBMP-0019-016.
