Jimmy Ashwin, a Wongi person from Yalma Station in the Wiluna district, was the grandson of a traditional woman called Talpa and son of her daughter Winnie. The police rounded up his family and took them to Moore River Native Settlement. Later, Jimmy and his siblings were Sister Kate's Children's Home. Jimmy's sister Bella was left at Moore River because she was too dark in colour. After returning from serving in World War II at Borneo, Jimmy was hired to work at the zoo initially as a gardener and later as a keeper, looking after the elephants. He was later offered work as a groundsman and gardener at Sister Kates's Children's Home, where he had grown up, which meant that he worked a seven day week. This is where he married his wife Ethel Swan and they raised four of their children there before moving to Sevenoaks in 1972.
His daughter is Aileen Ashwin.
