Griffith & District Pioneers (Series 2) : A Biographical Register

GRIFFITH & DISTRICT PIONEERS A Biographical Register

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SERIES 2 Griffith Genealogical & Historical Society Inc.

SERIES 2

GRIFFITH & DISTRICT PIONEERS A Biographical Register

SERIES 2 Griffith Genealogical & Historical Society Inc.

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PRI,SEsiTAllON OF WAR MI DAISAND MEMORIAL ,SERVIC1 at 10300 1-YU1(UM HALL, GRIMM - AN7AC DAY, 25th APRIL, 1921

e\n Original painting by Enid Atkinson based on a photograph by courtesy of the Turnell family

'A x4E-Inn memorial tom, aassonduc,ed in the Ls runtTheatre_ lantlaih. on \londay lak Res 54 Ii. L Btaxa, Res lean and Pastor .\ms and a.is largely attended. In resixtn,e to an appeal from the local branch of the R S and S I.1-. of of Aus all places ot hutanekk were closed Fhe 1,kt below contains the names of those who were presented (after the scrsacc) wah medals by General War Srryicr - FL Adams, J G Adams, \V 11 Saddle. -r P Bawden. S Broome. C F Bellbs (1 F. Sutler.

S flosanyuct D Clark_ II W Coleman. G W Fitzgerald. R I Fitzgerald. C L taregstan. It ileathoue. 5 5 ilohden. A litaahkmk S Ireland Jenkins. A KtIpatru.k..\ II Knight C A Long. L C Slaves, A C McKtrn, W 1 Nichols. W fl Prance, I) Russ. K Rourke (1 Sams. F S Staiktrd W II 'raters F Inca R I Wood. R G Walton CI II \k, heeler.

L 1914-15 Stun D L Cardew. W carma ke, V Dossetor. C L Grepon. II licaihcole. li I lickson. A KtIpatnck. 1 W McCann, D Ross. C) la Young.'

Courtesy of Judith Freckman (nee McCann

GRIFFITH & DISTRICT PIONEERS A Biographical Register

SFR1ES 2

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GRIFFITH & DISTRICT PIONEERS A Biographical Register

SERIES 2

Compiled & Published by Griffith Genealogical & Historical Society Inc. PO Box 270, Griffith NSW 2680 1992

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all the Pioneers but especially to the Soldier Settlers of World War I and their wives.

Copyright This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealings for the purposes of private study. research. criticism or review. as permitted by the Copyright Act. no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.

First published 1992 ISBN 0 949043 09 5 (Set) ISBN 0 949043 12 5

Printed by Star Printery Pty Ltd. Lrskineville New South Wales

Contents

Foreword

vi

The Pioneers

vii

Acknowledgements

viii

Editor's Notes

x

Introduction

1

The Pioneers' Stories/Biographies

5

Index

461

Foreword

This volume, the second in a series of "Griffith and District Pioneers - a Biographical Register" continues the fine tradition established by Hilary Dalton and Wendy Polkinghorne in Volume I. It documents the story of the second stage of the development of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas - the settlement of many of the soldiers returning from World War I onto irrigation farms. For many of them it was the fulfilment of a Government promise of a new life on a farm once they returned from the war. Some bore the scars of war; the battle wounds, the effect of mustard gas, and many had little prior experience of irrigation farming. They camped in Barracks and Soldier Settlers Camps while serving a probationary training period.

This was the beginning of many long heart breaking years during which they struggled to establish their farms, build a home and raise their families. For the wives, many of whom had come from England as war brides, or from the cities, the primitive conditions and absence of hospitals, doctors and basic amenities, the lifestyle must have seemed unbearable.

But through all their experiences there emerges the spirit of courage and endurance, of friendship and hospitality and ability to enjoy themselves and make the best of their situation.

This district owes its survival to the courage and determination and the sheer hard work of these Soldier Settlers and their wives for without their efforts this fledgling irrigation scheme could well have failed.

This is their story, told in their own words. Future generations will now have a lasting record of their achievements - and their disappointments.

This city is fortunate that the Griffith Genealogical & Historical Society Inc. has undertaken the enormous task of collecting and recording such a wonderful social history of this area. The Editors, Hilary Dalton and Wendy Polkinghorne have devoted hours and hours of painstaking research to produce this volume. I congratulate them on the result a worthy tribute to our early Soldier Settlers and their wives.

(Helen Braync) Deputy Mayor, Griffith City Council.

vi

THE PIONEERS Baggs Bardney Beal Beilby Blance Bowkett Braby Brayne Broome

Chapman, DW Chapman, GJ Chauncy Cheesbrough Chitty Churton Clark Coleman Crawford Curran

Dalrymple Dance Dossetor Druitt Duffell

Edge

Flood Fuks

Gallagher Gibbons Goodfellow Grew

Hall Halse Harwood/Ritchie Henry Hillam Holt Hudson, H & B Hudson, JR

Meggitt Miller Molesworth More Murray

Ireland

Passey Pastega Pigott Polkinghorne Potter Power

Jennings Jones

Neville

Kilpatrick Raphael Rhead Richards Riddle Russell/Gallagher

Leach Leaver Lee Long MacDonald Macgraith Maggs Mallaby Mallinson Mannell Mannigel Martin, JW Martin, T McAuslan/MacAuslan McAuslan/MacDonald McCann McDonald McIntyre/Abbott /Nicholls McKissack

vii

Shaw Simpson Smellie Smith Spratt

Tarr Thorne Todd Turnell Wakley Webb West Wheeler

Acknowledgements

Seldom can much be achieved without the generous support of others. With this in mind at the top of the list must come our own members who gave their contribution as a tribute to the memory of their parents who were pioneers.

Mrs Kay Mitchell (nee Stevenson) Mr Jeff Stevenson Mrs Nora Gibbons (nee Crawford) Mrs Marlene & Mr Tony Gras Alderman Jim & Mrs Pam McGann Mrs Nora Southgate (nee Murphy) Mrs Betty & Mr Roger Blake Mrs Margaret Hare (nee Morrison) Special thanks is also given to the following people and bodies who have supported us so generously: Lions Club of Griffith Mirrool Mrs Sue Macdonald (nee Dalla) Mrs Frances Mansell (nee Baggs) Marsh Chiropractic Clinic Mrs Nesta McWilliam (nee Jenkins) Polkinghorne, Budd & Longhurst Ricegrowers Co-op Mills Ltd Rotary Club of Yenda Rotary Club of Griffith Central Rotary Club of Griffith East Rotary Club of Griffith Royal Australian Historical Society Mr Roy & Mrs Nancy Sainty SR Bakeries Pty Ltd State Bank Mr Don Simpson Mr Alan & Mrs Eva Taylor Mr Gerry & Mrs Giulia Vio Yenda Fruit & Case Supply

2RG Sunshine Club Apex Club of Griffith Cafe Beautiful Mrs Margaret Campbell (nee Morel) CWA - Hanwood CWA - Griffith Mr John Dalla Mrs Vina Dalla (nee Vagg) Mrs Judy Gruber (nee Dalla) Griffith City Council Griffith Community Bi-centennial Committee Griffith Exservicemens Club Ltd Griffith Garden Club Griffith RSL Innerwheel Club of Yenda Mrs Pat Jones (nee Farley) Mr George Kayess Lancaster & Del Gigante

viii

We wish to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who gave so freely of their time and expertise.

Special thanks are extended to Enid Atkinson for her artistic design of our dustcover and for the many delightful sketches within these pages. Enid also interviewed many of our contributors and wrote many of their stories. Thanks also to Wally Quinlivan who together with Enid came up with our appropriate logo and also to Jann Maguire for her assistance with sketches and pen work.

Alan and Edna Wakley very generously copied many of the contributors' photos of historical interest for "The Griffith Collection" which will no doubt be appreciated by many generations to come.

We appreciate the efforts too of Enid Atkinson, Lynette Brown, June Harriman, Ann Permezel, Brenda Prenzel, Lynne Villata and Betty Watts who assisted us by interviewing our contributors and writing their stories.

Our thanks are extended to members and friends who proofread the draft entries:- Nolene Bell, Cynthia Budd, Jenny Elwin, June Harriman, Margaret Haggarty, Jean Murphy, Ann Permezel, Brenda Prenzel, Ann Stevens and Lynne Villata. Their comments and corrections were invaluable and appreciated.

Special thanks are also extended to the contributors of the entries without whom of course, this social history could not have been recorded. Each and everyone gave willingly of their time and generously allowed their precious photos to be copied, not only to be included in this volume, but for future volumes and "The Griffith Collection".

We arc grateful to Pam Young, Joint Chief Librarian of the Western Riverina Community Library and her staff for their unfailing courtesy and help.

We are indebted to Wally Quinlivan for his research and also to Mr Jim Fielder of the Department of Water Resources and to Mrs Rose Rees of the Archives section at the Leeton Office of the Department of Water Resources.

Lastly we would like to thank our families for their understanding and acceptance of our "obsession".

Editors

ix

Editor's Notes

These are the biographies of Griffith and District First AIF Returned Soldiers/Settlers and their wives who came to this Area from 1916 onwards.

It has been our earnest endeavour to cover as many of these families as possible.

Sadly there are still many missing from this collection because over these nine years of preparation the families have not responded to the many invitations, made personally and through the local press, to include their story.

No effort has been made to convert £ into $ because any such conversion would have no relevance to to-days values.

While every effort has been made to be as accurate as possible regarding this early history, we are entirely reliant on peoples' memories and family traditions. While some might disagree about certain minor details, we feel that the overall picture of life and conditions during these early times, as depicted by the Contributors, is done so with great clarity and integrity.

However this Society and Editors can take no responsibility for any statements made in these biographical entries.

Hilary Dalton (nee Millynn) Wendy Polkinghorne (nee Bested)

Introduction

This volume - "Series 2" - covers approximately the same time span as that of the first book - "Series 1". At the outset it should be said that it has not been our intention to try to slot the individual biographies into any strict chronological order. In an exercise such as this it is not possible.

Initially, the Register was planned as a single book only but as time went on so much material was forthcoming that the project has swollen to become at least three volumes. Entries and a wonderful collection of very old photos are still being received from the families of earliest settlers as they become aware of the project and wish to be included. However, 1916 onwards saw a large inflow of men returning from active service overseas with the first AIF. These came to the Area to undertake agricultural training to win eligibility to ballot for the land put aside by the Government of the day for settlement of returning soldiers. This "training" period of three to six months has been described by one wag as "six months HARD LABOUR" because, for most, this training period consisted almost exclusively of manually grubbing out scrub and clearing country intended for Soldier Settlement farms.

Because the majority of the entries in this volume are made up of these families it is for this reason that "Series 2" is dedicated to the Returned Ex-Servicemen of World War I and their wives.

In retrospect these Soldier Settlers were the young Australian boys who, in the main, had seen nothing and knew little of the world outside Australia - often little outside their own locality before WWI. The outbreak of war in Europe was greeted enthusiastically by these adventure-bent boys who jumped at the great opportunity "to see a bit of the world", accepting the generally held opinion that it was a lark that "would be over by Christmas anyway". Sadly for almost each one of them that lark turned into horrible reality on the beaches of Gallipoli and the mud, filth and carnage of France and Belgium and lasted for four years. "The big adventure" that, up to four years later, was to see these same boys, those who survived, arrive home war weary, battle-hardened men, many mutilated from wounds or broken in health and spirit - or both.

Just a cursory look at the photos tell this all too clearly - the fresh-faced young boys (for they were scarcely more than this) who proudly posed for the family's photo of their boys "off to do their bit" compared with those of the "Men" who returned.

This generation of young men exchanged their youth for a place in history. The signing of the Armistice was to see 60,000 dead and 150,000 wounded and maimed.

Among the Australian families of 1918 barely a single family remained untouched by these happenings in Europe - a war that changed Australians and the previous way of Australian life forever.

Interesting is the comment of one of today's young adults - "I wonder how many of us has ever stopped to consider what kind of a country we would belong to now, had not the flower of young Australian manhood been so decimated in this war and the one to be fought later by their sons?"

Forged in the bitter fire of battle and privation, these young Australians of the first AIF displayed for the world to see, for the first time, a reckless bravery, loyalty, battle discipline equal to any and a wonderful spirit of independence. These were the qualities that the Soldier Settlers brought with them.

This spirit of independence is perhaps best known and epitomised by the Australian Light Horse at the battle for Beersheba. It is now well recorded that up until this time the Australians were sent into the most perilous positions. The men of the Light Horse, who had been trained to attack mounted, were forced to leave their horses behind the line and go in as foot infantry, for which they had not been trained and consequent casualties were horrendous. Beersheba was to make its mark on history with the Australians' decision to fight this battle "their way" and with such resounding results.

Throughout the biographies there are a surprising number of survivors of this Charge of Beersheba, acknowledged as a turning point of the war, along with the veterans of Gallipoli, France and Belgium who became our Soldier Settlers.

In hindsight it is not difficult to understand why so many, and so many from such totally different walks of life, were attracted to this new adventure - this new, largely experimental, irrigation scheme. It was new. It was untried. It was exciting. Most of all though it was a new beginning. This concept appealed to the returning soldiers for whom life could never be the same again. For them it was an extension of the Anzac image and "most of 'em thought it was Christmas after the War and all " (Doris Cheesbrough "Here Comes the Bailiff').

Having considered the calibre of the men, what of their wives? In nearly all previous accounts of the part played by the men in the development of the Area scant, if any, attention has been paid to the part the women played and their contribution.

These were young girls, the great majority of them city girls - shop assistants, nurses, teachers, typists - who had never been out of the city in their lives before, much less lived in a country town. They came from established homes and communities where the butcher, baker, greengrocer and milkman delivered almost daily. These were the young women, young wives swept up in the heady euphoria of happiness and relief in the wake of the end of the (ironically called) "war to end all wars".

For them too life would never be the same again. Gone were the demure long skirts and long sleeves of the Victorian establishment and replaced with the above-theknee "Flapper" fashions of the 1920's. Undoubtedly to the consternation of parents, gone too the long tresses to be replaced by "the bob", cigarette smoking and "improper" dances such as the Charleston. They shared with the men a totally new image, the generation of adventure and entered into it wholeheartedly.

These were the young women who followed their men, very often with babes and tiny children, into the primitive bush and harsh climate, to live in tents and shacks. If they were really lucky they would have a small house of a couple of rooms with a crude "roundback" lean-to at the back - which served as both kitchen and bathroom - and very little else in the way of comfort and convenience.

These were the young wives and mothers, who as problems and debts mounted, stood by their husbands and children and performed tasks that would have been considered unthinkable in their previous lifestyles. They milked cows, chopped wood, grew vegetables, made their own cream and butter, carried household water in buckets from dams and ditches. Girls who had never sewn before made new clothes from old.

So much for the glamorous "Flapper Age" but they certainly proved that they were ladies of great character, tenacity and ingenuity!!

Even before arriving back home in Australia the advent of this new irrigation scheme was greeted enthusiastically. Return to civilian life now held great uncertainty, for

2

a number of reasons - many felt no inclination to take up their former occupations after the years overseas and it was obvious that there would be great difficulty replacing and resettling the huge number of returning men in such a brief space of time.

This new irrigation scheme sounded almost too good to be true! To set them up the Commonwealth, through the State Government, provided them with a loan of £625 plus a sustenance payment - single men £2.2.0 per week and married men from £2.12.0 to £3.6.0 - all of which, plus interest was to be repaid at the end of five years when it was expected that farms would be in full production. They simply couldn't believe their good fortune! One man tells that as one of the ballots for farms progressed, an overheard comment was that (to draw a farm) was as good as winning "Tats" and the consensus was that it was indeed as good as a lottery win. After all, the sky was the limit! The WC & IC brochures circulated while they were still in Europe assured that almost anything could be grown here - as well as fruit, grains, stock and dairy products, one could even choose to grow tobacco and peanuts and one fellow by the name of Herbert over Leeton way was doing very well farming ostriches for the production of ostrich plumes'. All one had to do was to be prepared to work hard!

What transpired was something very different entirely.

Enterprise after enterprise failed, largely due to hopeless "expert" advice and totally inadequate farm sizes. Many soil types were found to be quite unsuitable for the recommended plantings and so it was back to the beginning and start again!

Sustenance payments were suspended in 1922. Meanwhile their debts had reached frightening proportion, with compounding interest, which was even more frightening.

Dreams crumbled into disillusion. Reality was seemingly uncontrollable, mounting debt and compounding interest. Bureaucratic and legal battles became the order of the day. The family of one of the men who settled at Beelbangera quote him as saying that instead of being repatriated he was overworked and persecuted!"

Faced with the overwhelming odds that eventuated as time went on, not all were successful - for a multiplicity of reasons. Many of the men, even those sound in mind and body, were quite unfit and unsuited for the hard manual work of pioneering. Those, disappointed and disillusioned, when the rosy prospects forecast didn't eventuate and crushing debt compounded who simply gave up and walked away. Others, though fit and suited for this way of life, worked hard but worked in vain. Nevertheless, despite disillusionment, most patiently followed the ethic of not giving up and after years of farm areas that were too small to be a "living area", rock bottom prices, disastrous "expert" advice, they won out through sheer persistence and the will to win. It comes through very clearly also that despite all this there prevailed a wonderful spirit of self-sufficiency and mutual help and support.

These biographies will each tell their own story. Read as a whole they give a remarkable overview of life as it was through these years.

Hilary Dalton.

"Area News" 30 August 1991.

3

March by MIA Soldier Settlers to WC & IC offices in 1923, organised in protest against demands made for repayments considered excessive by the Settlers. The outcome was a very substantial reduction in all debts on Soldier Settlers' holdings. March led by Mr S Broome.

Courtesy Western Rivcrina Community Library

4

BAGGS Charles John Stevenson Baggs, always known locally as "Jack", was one of the select one hundred AIF men chosen, whilst still in England and France to return via America and there to study for twelve months the latest irrigation farming methods in California.

Initially the Water Conservation & Irrigation Commission and the Department of Repatriation expected that the greater majority of these hundred men would settle in the MIA whereas in actual fact only nine did so Jack, Walter Bull, J S Wilson, J A Power, V C Williams, Albert Laver, Sid Marchinton and F 0 L Kempster.

The scheme had first been mooted by the WC & IC Sydney Office in 1918 and culminated in August 1919 when instructions were issued from the Director General of Demobilisation in Charles John ("Jack") Baggs London for the departure of the party to America. They "arrived at David, California, on the morning of September 12 and were met by the Dean of the University Farm and his Assistant, who with other University authorities and the population of the town had made excellent arrangements to receive our party".Jack had bad eye sight which probably would have precluded his acceptance for the AIF. He always considered it fortunate that half way through his medical examination the doctor was called away for a short time. Jack made good use of this to memorise the eye test chart and so passed the eye test with "flying colours" and it was some time before his ruse was found out. His eyesight was so poor he needed to wear glasses and probably the fact that his pre-war occupation had been that of a clerk resulted in his being assigned to the Army Medical Corp and spending three years of the war serving at Headquarters in London.

It was during this time that Jack met, at a social entertainment for the troops, the lady who was to become his future wife.

Maud Frances Goddard (nee Brett) had been widowed in 1915 when her husband, James Goddard, an antique dealer of Hammersmith, London, died leaving her with a small son, Jim. Maud was London born and bred, a daughter of the large family of Frances and Charles Brett also a shop proprietor of London.

Letter: E II Davies. 0/C. dated 17/10/1919. Dept Water Resources Archives. Lector,.

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In California, USA - Jack on hike

flustralian Imperial Expeditionary Forces. No 33 'trench Oartare Liverpool N.S.W.. October 1916.

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C J Ilaggs extreme right - front row Courtesy Frances Mansell (ncc Ilaggs)

Boi-ithin9 School.

The Brett Family - Maud in the front at the extreme left

Mr Brett in front of the Chemist Shop - I lammersmith

After Jack's departure from England Maud sold up and made her way to Australia accompanied by her small son. They spent three months in Adelaide as the guest of Colonel and Mrs Ridley who were aide-decamp to the Governor of South Australia and whom she had met and become friendly with on the voyage out. After this they stayed at Dural with Jack's father, Charles, and his step-mother. It was during this time that Maud read a great deal about Burrunjuck Dam and became very interested in the planned Soldier Settlement on the MIA. Jack, returned from America, applied for a farm in November 1920 and was granted Farm 906 of 26 acres which was later increased with 60 acres additional area on the slopes at Beelbangera.

Maud arrived shortly after and they were married in the little church at Hanwood on 25 January Maud Frances liaggs 1921 - Jack tells, in a recording made many years later - 1972 - "It (the church) had a bit of a slant on it! We had to give it a push to straighten it up so the door would open. We were the second couple married there. Jack and Nesta McWilliam were the first."3 At first the couple lived in a tin shed for eighteen months. The farm at this time was cleared and fenced but otherwise totally undeveloped. Frances, their only other child, laughingly recalls that during a period of intense heat her parents slept in the spring cart alongside the shed because it was much cooler. Early the next morning her mother "frightened the life out of the milkman" by popping up in the spring cart. The poor fellow hadn't expected anyone to be there.

Later a house was built, the timber for which all arrived by bullock team. It was three rooms, all in a row, with a verandah all around. Frances smiles as she says - "My mother didn't want a Commission type house. She wanted her own design!!"

Always a well known and liked person in the community, Maud Baggs is probably best remembered as the owner of that unique horse-drawn vehicle - the Basket Chaise.

For quite some time their only mode of transport had been the spring cart ("and you know how hard it is for a lady to get in and out of a spring cart" Jack) - until one day she saw,

3

Western Riverina Community Library tape.

8

in Cecil Leckie's blacksmith in Yambil Street, the Basket Asking if it Chaise. were for sale, Cecil said that it was. He had been using it to break in horses and for this purpose had fitted *404::, longer shafts but said he had the original ones which could easily be Reflecting replaced. many years later Jack was to say - "she couldn't sleep that night The Basket Chaise by Enid Atkinson for fear someone else might buy it! I didn't like using it because people always turned to look as we went by". Then he laughed - "She became known as the Duchess in Lavender and Lace!" and went on to explain that "Maud wore a lot of lavender-coloured things - the colour suited her complexion - a lovely, true English complexion, and of course she usually carried a parasol". He did concede that, even though it always attracted attention (unwelcomed by him) it was extremely comfortable to travel in.

One of Frances' amused memories is of the day the horse sat down in the shafts, in front of the Post Office, and broke them. "It was such a heavy thing a very sturdy horse indeed was always needed to pull it.

Observing what happened and, as always the gentleman, Carl Long offered to pull it around to Yambil Street to have Gwen and Jim Goddard the blacksmith repair it.

Carl hadn't gone very far

4

Ibid

9

at all before he discovered what burden of labour his chivalry had got for him!! From then on he always had the greatest of respect for which ever animal pulled the Chaise!"

Frances added - "it had been the Governor's chaise at some time. The Coat-of-Arms was still on the back".

In late 1921, before Frances' birth, Maud and Jack had twin boys - born prematurely as a result of Maud being injured whilst stepping out of the spring cart. The babies were both still-born and because Maud was so extremely ill after the birth, Sister Foster came from Narrandera to nurse her.

Later it was the same Sister Foster who opened her first "Boomerang" hospital in Griffith and it was here that Frances was born a little over a year later.

The first of the Baggs family came to Australia in 1870 with the arrival of Jack's father, Charles, who had been born in South Wales. On the voyage he met his wife to be Janet Muirhead Stevenson (born Glasgow 1851) whose father was a school teacher and was brought out from Scotland to teach at the Cundletown School near Taree. Charles and Janet were married on 6 September 1871 at the Cundletown School residence and Jack was born at Lithgow on 14 February 1888.

Jack with daughter Frances Charles Baggs born South Wales 1842 married 1871 Janet M Stevenson born Glasgow 1851 Charles John Stevenson Baggs born Lithgow, 1888 died August 1978. 90 years buried Griffith

Charles Brett married Frances

married Hanwood 25 January 1921

• • •

Maud Frances Brett born Hammersmith. England 1880 died 26 October 1957. 77 years buried Griffith married (1) James Goddard died 1915 • William James (Jim) Goddard (married Gwen Hurle) died Robinvale Vic 1968

Twin boys still-born Frances Maud born Griffith 20 March 1923: married Oswald James Mansell and they have four children. Brett James, Heather Julia.

James John and John Scott. Frances and Os live at Coleambally.

Entry and photos by courtesy Frances Mansell (nee Baggs), Farm 47, Coleambally 271)7.

10

BARDNEY Richard Bardney, son of William and Ann Bell Bardney, was born 16 March 1896, at Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England. He had an older sister and a brother, Rose May and William. The family had previously lived in Lincolnshire in the town of Bardney. This was the site of Bardney Abbey, built in 672 and destroyed in 870 by the Danes who murdered all 300 of the Benedictine monks. The Abbey was rebuilt in 1086.

The village of Bardney, of approximately 1,000 people, is built around a circular park, very similar to Yenda. It is in the flat fen farming country of England where the canals drain the water back to the sea. Like the MIA in reverse.

William Bardney was the Head Gardener at Ormaston Manor, Ashbourne, which was owned by one of the wealthy beer barons. The eldest Bardney son was always called William, the second son Richard. Ann Bell was a "Geordie" from the Scottish border.

After leaving school, aged 14, both sons Richard and William, worked on the Manor farm.

Farm work in England included working with irrigation pipes. When their father died in 1909 the two boys decided there was little future for them in England and decided to emigrate. Not to Canada though where their disliked Uncle Dick had gone - in case they ran into him!

They tossed to see who would go first to look at prospects in Australia and Dick won (or lost?). He arrived in Australia about 1912 (aged 16) and was working in the Coolamon district when World War I broke out. He attempted to enlist but was turned down because of flat feet. However in 1916, after the debacle of Gallipoli and the losses in France, the army was not so fussy and he enlisted 7 November 1916, Regimental Number 6953, in the 1st Battalion.

Dick Bardney fought in France at Bullecourt, Messines, Ypres, Passchendale, Poziers and Mont St Quentin. He was wounded, was sent back to England where he learned that his only brother had been killed in France in the British Army. He returned to Australia on 12 June 1919.

Back in Coolamon harvesting in midsummer, he received a letter from an army mate, Joe Baker. "Come to Yenda - there's water here". Dick thought nothing could be worse than Coolamon in drought, so packed his one bag and caught the train.

As it came over the Northern Canal near Yenda he saw the flowing water, the vines and citrus trees, the green grass and trees and thought "This will do me". This was early 1922 and he stayed at Yenda until his death in April, 1972.

Arriving at Yenda Railway Station he walked across to the town for a drink "warm metho and boot polish" (as the MIA was a Prohibition Area). Then to "The Barracks", a WC & IC Camp, on what is now Barracks Road. Seventy returned men at a time lived in the canvas camp for 90 days "training". They were paid 12/8d per day and charged 25/- per week for accommodation and meals in camp. Each day they went out to clear the new farm blocks in teams of five, under the tutelage of the Commission experts". Their equipment consisted of axes, shovels and horse drawn lorries. As each Soldier completed his term he was able to "earmark" his farm.

Dick chose Farm 1600, five miles north of Yenda and was granted ownership on 3 June 1922. It was 100 acres and was set down to be a dairy. On the Myall Park Road at that time were seventeen young bachelors, Dick was the only one with farming experience. His first home was a bag humpy under a cypress pine tree.

11

Clearing Gangs - "At Home" - 1919

Clearing Gangs - "Lunch 'lime" - 1919 Photos courtesy Annc Gribblc (ncc Barcincy)

12

Ocaring Gangs - "Off To Work" - 1919

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1927 - Making ditches with a homc-madc wooden delver and team of 6 horses Men working in commission 'gang". Notc; gaiters, thin men, all wearing flannel shirts (This photo is reproduced in thc tile mural in the Commonwealth Bank) Photos courtesy Anne Gribblc (nee Bardney)

13

The dairies were an economic disaster, so pigs were bought to drink the milk. The "experts" suggested tobacco, ostriches, peanuts, cotton, lucerne and grains. Poverty was rife, acreage inadequate, equipment scarce, many were in poor health from the war, they had little farming knowledge and received inappropriate advice.

By 1930 only eleven of the fifty-two original Soldier Settlers in the Myall Park area remained. As most had forfeited or surrendered their farms their land was given as additional acreage to those who remained. Dick was allotted three other farms which made his up to 600 acres. He always called these paddocks by the names of the farmers who had had to move on - Redmonds, Bakers and Dick Bardncy Drummonds - in memory of their efforts.

Courtesy Bill Bardney He then constructed his first real home by dragging (with horses) two deserted huts together and joined them up, with a verandah on three sides. Life was extremely hard, money very short and social pleasures simple. He would drive his horse, "The Pig", and sulky to Coolamon for dances; play tennis and cards on local farms and occasionally go to the silent movies in Yenda.

The mail was delivered twice a week, and one had to race the crows to the mailbox to get the bread. Living was mostly work. Many had had their farm debts to the Commission "excused", but Dick refused on principle and finally paid his debt off in 1944.

Edna Mary Smith was born in Boggabri NSW on 23 June 1907; went to Primary School at Boggabri and High School at St Vincent's College, Potts Point, Sydney. Her father, James Daniel Smith, was an itinerant drover and her mother, Sarah Laura Emma Jane (nee McGinnity), by then owned and managed a factory which produced women's dresses for the flappers of the twenties.

Edna went to Sydney University and did an Arts Degree, paying her way with bursaries, and was in the University Women's Cricket and Tennis teams. She graduated in 1926, then taught at Burwood, Sydney. This included teaching developmentally disabled students, a very modern concept. She was transferred to Griffith High School in 1930.

She was popular with the students but not with the Headmaster. Her ideas of equal pay for women were not appreciated. She Edna Bardncy boarded at the notorious Mirrool House.

Hanna Avenue, Griffith Dick and Edna were married at St Courtesy Anne Gribble (nee Bardney) Marys Cathedral, Sydney on 2 August 1932. A

14

city academic, as a cook and housekeeper she was hopeless! She made hop beer for the men, threw in an extra handful of raisins and they were all hopelessly drunk after half a glass; lighting the fuel copper took half the morning; sponges were turned into pudding with custard poured over the failure. A chook was set, under the instructions that if the chicks weren't hatched in three weeks then the eggs were no good. At 3pm exactly three weeks later Edna threw out the six eggs which were not hatched.

Added to the isolation and lack of homecrafts was a screaming baby two years later, who (under well-thumbed Truby King's manual) was not allowed to be picked up and "spoilt". This was Anne Sophia, born 24 May 1934. Patricia Jane, a fat placid baby, followed 22 June 1936, William James on 18 March 1942. By this time Edna was an efficient housekeeper, having been taught many household skills by experience and Mrs Glasgow who lived just over the Northern Canal on the Dry Area.

Edna and Dick with daughters, Patti and Anne Courtesy Bill Bardney

Edna's father arrived for a visit during these early days and found the house surrounded by wire (for a fence) and rose bushes (for the garden). He said "There's nothing here but thorns and wire" so Edna composed the name for the new property Thornwyran.

They had an Oldsmobile car and went to town once a fortnight, on a Saturday.

When half-day closing came in, shopping day became Friday. Edna joined the Yenda CWA for female company. The dirt roads were so bad they often drove on the channel banks, which were a better roadway. All the meat was killed on the property, milk churned for cream and butter, jams and pickles made, vegetables grown and fruit bottled each summer.

15

• "lhornwyran" - 1932

• Dick and Annc - 1934

• Anne, Bill and Pat - 1943

Patti and Anne on their ponies •

Photos courtesy Anne Dribble (nee Bardney)

16

In 1936 after the electricity was connected a refrigerator, washing machine, electric stove and 6" fan were gradually purchased. Floors were board, lino or carpet squares. Mosquito coils were burnt every summer evening; all water used was dam water, pumped into an overhead tank and then gravity-fed to the house. Bath water was heated with a chip heater. There was a 500 gallon rainwater tank near the kitchen which was only used for drinking.

The canvas blinds and curtains were -Nosomi drawn each morning in the summer to keep the heat out. During very hot spells the family would go up to the Northern Canal and spend the afternoon under the willows in the relative cool. Beds were dragged out onto the verandahs. Dust storms continually spread a layer of grit through the house. During winter a log fire in the lounge and fuel stove in the kitchen kept us warm. Several times heavy rainstorms on the Cocoparra Range sent water streaming down, bursting the Canal and flooding the house and sheds to a depth of about two feet for several weeks. Later contour banks were erected to overcome this problem.

In 1936 Dick purchased a Caterpillar Crawler Tractor for the very large sum of £200. He still had draught horses and now employed a workman. He grew fifty acres of rice on a seven year rotation, grew and baled lucerne pastures, oats and wheat and produced Romney Merino fat lambs. He topped the Sydney sales for fat lambs with £5 each. He Edna Rardncy with Pat, Annc later had a Dorset Horn stud. and Bill - 1945 Dick was an original Yenda Rotarian Courtesy Bill Bardncy (1955-72). Edna a keen golfer, was President of Yenda Golf Associates. She was also an original member of the Griffith Historical Society.

Life was very hard from 1930's until the price of wool boomed about 1945. Dick said, in later years, he could never have achieved back home in England what he had done in Australia. But in the early days if he could he would have crawled home on hands and knees.

000000000

17

Edna Bardncy

Dick Bardncy

Patrick McGinnity 1783-1828 (convict arrived Sydney 1813) m. 1820 Mary Earl (Freewoman) Resided Liverpool NSW William Bardncy

John McGinnity 1821-1885 (Blacksmith) m. 1843

Hannah White

William Bardney

William Bardney

m.

Patrick McGinnity

1840- ? m. 1872

1850-1923 m. 1871

Anne Ryan

Sophia Timms

1846- ? (lived Grenfell)

1849-1930 (a Midwife) (lived Boggabri)

1854-1928

1855-1909 (head gardener lived Derbyshire England)

Rose May

Ann Bell McCall

John Smith

1

James Daniel Smith

m

born Mauls Creek (dress factory owner.

Sydney NSW)

born Grenfell (drover. lived at Boggabri)

William

Richard

married

Sarah L E J MeGinnity

Rueben James

Edna Mary 1907-1954 (Teacher) buried Sydney

1896-1972 (Farmer) buried Griffith

Anne Sophia

Patricia Jane

William James

born 1934 m. Paul Gribble • Christopher • Rodney • Guy

born 1936 m. (1) Lance Morris • Bradley • Rohan m. (2) Keith Baker

born 1942 m. Meralyn Stokes • Craig • Scott • Brett • Kim

By courtesy Anne Gribble (nee Bardney), Yenda 2681.

18

BEAL My father, Ronald Beal came to Australia when he was 17 years old and was a Jackeroo on a farm near Grenfell. He came from Essex England to Australia initially to join his mother who at that time was residing at Manly, Sydney. He enlisted and went to Gallipoli with the Australian Army - with what Unit I have been unable to find out. He was wounded at Gallipoli and sent to hospital in England. As a result of this injury he was discharged from the Australian Army so he re-enlisted in the English Army and became an officer in the Artillery. When in action he lost half a finger when a sliver of shell (shrapnel) took it off.

Whilst in France he was billeted in Bethune and had meals at the home of my Mother, Louise Deroide where 'love bloomed'.

Ronald Beal married Louise at Bethune, France on 25 July 1917.

When Bethune was under siege Mother was sent to England - three months before I was born. I was born at Blackheath, London, on 27 June 1918. The only thing left of Bethune after the war was the town clock in the centre of the town square - where it still stands today.

About 1919 or 1920 my Wedding Day - France, 25 July 1917 parents came to Australia by Troop Ronald Beal and Bride Ship, but the only thing I can Courtesy Desiree Shearer (nee Beal) remember of our voyage to Australia was Table Mountain, South Africa.

We had missed an earlier ship because of my having Chicken Pox. While my Father came on to Yenda, Mother stayed at Punchbowl. She came to Yenda when my father drew Farm 1317 at Yenda. He had built a shack in which they lived until the house was built - a cement house which is still standing, and which until recently was occupied by the Braithwaite family.

I remember that in the early years at Yenda there was a "Happy Hour Club".

This came about by a number of farmers getting together and organising parties at the 19

various homes - card evenings, dancing, the music supplied by 'His Masters Voice' gramophone. The ladies brought 'a plate' to keep the energy flowing. Tennis was also played a lot in the early days. We had a tennis court on our farm as did many of our neighbours, however, when the fruit trees came into bearing there was not so much spare time. The wire from around our court was used to build our sultana racks!!

Many farmers kept a cow and, of course, had vegetable gardens.

The Regent Theatre was run by Ernie Bulmer - silent films - the last one shown was "All Quiet on the Western Front"! The theatre was later bought by Mr Russell and renovated for 'the talkies' - the first one shown "Charlie's Aunt". Mr Wilstenholme was the next to run it and finally Mr Robinson who also had the paper shop. It is now the town's supermarket.

Every winter balls and dances were held in the Yenda Picture Show theatre. In the Spring all the school children were taken to the hush on the back of trucks for a picnic where races were held and prizes given. At the end of the year "break up" children received book prizes for top marks and a Christmas Party was held.

Main Street of Yenda in the mid 1920's taken from the Railway looking towards the Post Office and Park Courtesy lksiree Shearer (nee Beal)

My two brothers, Andre and Peter were both horn at home, as was my sister, Denise. Mrs MacMahon, an ex-war nurse, was the midwife.

Andre joined the Air Force in 1941. He served in a Bomber S.Q.D.N. in England and the Middle East as F/S till 1944 when his plane was blown up over Italy. He and the crew are buried in the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Bari, Italy. He was not married.

Peter served in the Navy from 1943 until the end of the war. He then drew a Soldier Settlers block at McMahon's Reef, near Harden NSW.

20

• Ronald Beal • Andre Ikal

• Peter Beal

Tennis Party - Beal's Court Back Row: Morgan Watkins, Jock McKenzie, Ted Raggart, E Riddle (Mrs McKenzie's father) Front Row Miss Riddle, Mrs Barnett, Mrs Enos Hudson, Mrs Jock McKenzie, Miss Brewer, Mrs Debate, Mrs Beal Children: Deonie McKenzie, Andre and Desiree Beal Photos courtesy Desiree Shearer (nee Beal)

21

Ronald Beal born 29 July 1892 died 20 April 1958 buried at Harden

1.

married at Bethune. France 25 July 1917

Louise Deroide born 1899 died 4 June 1942 buried at Yenda

Desiree Yevonde Mary 27 June 1918. Blackheath. London. England.

Married Robert John Shearer. Lives at Primbee NSW. 1.

2.

3.

4.

Yevonde born 13 January 1939 at St Lukes Hospital, Griffith Elaine born 2 June 1940 at home. Yenda Robert Andre born 20 August 1946 at St Lukes Hospital. Griffith Judith born II May 1948 at St Lukcs I lospital.

Griffith

2.

Andre Ronald born 19 December 1920 at home. Yenda. Died 27 January 1944. killed in action, buried in The Commonwealth War Cemetery. Bari in Italy. Never married.

3.

Denise born 26 December 1922 at home. Yenda.

Married (I) Sam Ward 18 August 1955. Sam died in 1962.

1.

Peter John born 1956 2.

David Anthony born 1958 3.

Michael Gregory born 1960 Married (2) John Latham in 1970 at tiosford.

• Denise 5.

Peter Maurice born 22 February 1925 at home. Yenda. Died 6 July 1990. Married La Reine Fairall of McMahon's Reef in 1950 at Harden.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Michelle born 18 November 1951 at Harden Denise born 12 July 1953 at Harden Jannette born 25 September 1955 at Harden Suesanne born 23 January 1960 John born 9 May 1961 at Harden

Contributed by Desiree Shearer (nee Beal), 17 Illowra Crescent, Primbec.

22

BEILBY Charles Edwin Beilby was born in Sydney on November 16, 1894. His father, a solicitor, was a member of one of the Australian contingents that went to South Africa.

His mother was well known on the Area, where she lived for many years.

Charles (or Charlie as he was known) was educated at the Fort Street High School in Sydney and when he finished school he was employed for a time with a firm of woolbrokers. Leaving them he went to work as a jackeroo on a Queensland station, near Longreach. He was there when War broke out in 1914 and as soon as he turned 18 years of age he came to Sydney and enlisted in the first A.I.F. He was an original member of the 14th Battery and served in Egypt and France. He was well known in the Battery, both to the original members and to the many who passed through it during the War. He was a personality in those early days. So learnedly did he talk about Western Queensland and the pastoral industry that in camp in Australia he was known as "Kidman". Later in France he became an authority on strategy and tactics and the Battery called him "Birdwood". The knowledge of the German language gained at school proved useful and he was in demand reading captured letters and documents. Later he became very proficient in French. This was a boon to his mates whose French vocabularies were limited to a few phrases, mainly about food, drink and mademoiselles.

He was wounded towards the end of the War, but was back with the Battery when the Armistice was signed. An old programme of a race meeting held by the Battery at Thuin in Belgium, on 19 January 1919, shows Gunner Beilby as one of the totalisator stewards.

He took up Farm 884, Griffith under the Soldiers' Repatriation Scheme in 1920, and was a keen, efficient and intelligent farmer. He was member of the Committee of the Sub-Branch of the R.S.A. & A.I.L. of Australia in 1924 when debt adjustment for soldier settlers was the main problem of the Sub-Branch.

Finance for the settling of the Soldiers was done by the Water Conservation & Irrigation Commission. Advances were made to the settlers for clearing, grading, ditching and fencing of the farm and also for the purchase of trees, vines, farm implements, house, sheds, livestock, etc, and in addition a weekly sum was paid to each settler as sustenance.

Annual charges for rent and water rates were charged against the Soldiers' accounts. The whole of the advances were to be consolidated at the end of five years, when it was anticipated that the farms would be sufficiently productive for each Settler to be able to repay his debt to the WC & IC. In 1924 the first soldiers settled under the scheme were receiving their accounts for consolidated debts and it was apparent that a very small percentage would be able to make any payments, even of the annual charges for rent and water. Charles Beilby, who took a prominent part in the debates on the subject of debts at the League meetings and in committee, was deputed by the Committee to prepare a case for Debt Adjustment, for submission to the Government. This he did, preparing an excellent case covering all the reasons why a revision of the soldiers' debts should be made without further delay. This statement was adopted by the Committee and the League then took up the fight in earnest and requested the Government to appoint a Royal Commission.

A monster demonstration of all the soldier settlers was arranged and the "troops" (600 strong) fell in, in front of Mirrool House (now the Ex-Servicemen's Club) on the 23

appointed day and, led by the League President (Stan - roome), marched up Banna Avenue to the Commission offices. There, from a lorry which had been drawn up in front, the soldiers' case was presented to the Resident Commissioner, Mr G J Evatt and his senior officers. Charles Beilby was the principal speaker for the League.

The whole proceedings were orderly and well conducted. As a result the Fuller Government gave prompt consideration to the League's demands. They would not agree to a Royal Commission, but they did agree to appoint a Committee of Enquiry. This Committee was to have an independent chairman, a representative of the WC & IC and a representative of the Soldier Settlers. Mr Robert McDonald of the Lands Department was appointed Chairman, Mr F H Brewster represented the WC & IC and Charles E Beilby was elected by ballot to represent the Soldier Settlers.

The terms of reference to the Committee were fairly wide and it started its investigations on 23 September 1924, met 108 times and examined 105 witnesses (70 on horticultural matters and 35 on dairying and mixed farming). It submitted the report and recommendations to the Hon Sir George Fuller, K.C.M.G., Premier of NSW on February 14, 1925. The recommendations in the Majority Report by Messrs McDonald and Beilby were described at the time as drastic. Mr F H Brewster submitted a Minority Report, but Charles Beilby made an effective reply to Mr Brewster's objections. As a result of the enquiry, a Classification Committee was set up. Its function was to classify farm plantings, etc and having regard to the productive capacity, to adjust debts and write off any portion of the debt which, in its opinion, could not be paid.

The Commission appointed Mr Brewster and Mr H J Bruand to represent them and again Charles Beilby was elected by the soldiers, as their representative.

The Committee of Enquiry recommended an Appeals Board to which any settler not satisfied with his determination of debt from the Classification Committee, could appeal. The proposed personnel was not altogether satisfactory to the settlers and after some protests the late Capt W F Dunne who had been appointed Minister for Agriculture with the change of Government at this time, granted the settlers the right to appeal to the Land and Valuation Court presided over by Mr Justice Pike. This was a bold decision and was welcomed by the settlers. The findings of Mr Justice Pike had far-reaching effects on the economy of the MIA. The principles he laid down were largely followed in adjusting soldier settlers' debts in the other States.

There were tremendous difficulties facing the Classification Committee. Soil types had to be defined. What each type would produce, what was a fair remuneration for the farmer, how long should he be allowed to pay his debts, what further assistance was necessary, what rate of interest should he pay, etc? These points were clarified by Mr Justice Pike in the first appeal that was brought to him. He laid down the principles of a Home Maintenance Area and a Home Maintenance Income. The findings of Mr Justice Pike meant more drastic debt reductions and although the WC & IC protested, the work of the Classification Committee went on. Charles Beilby worked hard in the soldiers' interests, right through this period and when the job of classification was almost completed his health broke down and he had to resign.

He was given a complimentary Testimonial Social and a presentation was made to him by the soldier settlers of the whole Area. Many fine tributes were paid to him that night, but perhaps Mr W Moses, who was an assessor for the Land and Valuation Court at that time, put into words what most of the settlers thought. He declared that for

24

&Waft's& 0•0•0004WalkibMigfiqhf arelfale•MATAek

Testimonial Social TENDERED TO

Charles E. Beilby TO MARK OUR APPRECIATION OF HIS SERVICES TO THE AREA

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Held at Memorial Hall Griffith, Saturday Night, July 21, 1g28 (lurks Beilby Courtesy Griffith ILSI.

Arcs News Pvc,

w•. wow, ••• • my❖ To my pow rev • mg.% rom wroo%A.

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.?.Z40_9272.51127WWWWVW.79797Z277n_s29459.7527_NIZ9.2793

"CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE. _ ._, W. B. Melkie.

ABSENT FRIENDS. Our golden days withewr bated breath We play at hazards, losing unto death.

My little one's a "tiny at the fount," And wet with me the written down amount; And all the sesames of Yesteryear.

That held us open "The long terms account."

APROPOS. My girl is mundane, equally emphatic About the way we should be listening-In. When I Increase the volume she does static— But posterity will have Its turn en fin ; So wet the earths, and tune In to the stars Where the little Imps dance on the isobars.

SONG.—"Friend of Mine" "PROHIBITION"

"THE KING" J. H. Kelly.

His Realm's magnificent, 'to be It reckoned, In the Reign of good King George the Twenty Second.

SONG.—"Toreador Song" _ _

7

_ L. Mallinson.

"THE SHIRE OF WADE" Wilson Moses.

From en avenue oath I heard through the din, When riding It renal,. I Inferred with a grin That the Council of Wade wan hurriedly made, And was often unduly sworn In. SONG.—"Eight Years' C.D."

__ H, (I: Maegralth.

SONG.—"Ombra Ma Ful" —

— J. R. Kelly.

SONG.—"Sack Briton"

E. R: Iredale.

_

_.

_ J. R. Alton.

— J. H. MacAulay.

But what's It about.

The leopard is wild with his spots, And the lion without.

TALL STORIES by _...

"CONTINUANCE"

.. Everybody. _

.... R. Mallinson.

Are you envious that your heavens aloof, That mine leaks like a sweating roof, An lying In advantage of the drips The spectrum lights upon my eager lips.

DEUCH AND DORIS

"OUR GUEST"

0. M. Wallace.

J. C. Thorne.

There wan n young spark of ignition, Who started the cogs of transmission, That brought us free from insolvency To a reasonably decent position.

_

The atmosphere has sterilising ray ; Salt has the deep.

And for our elan of yesterday, Find we some sleep.

Entrepreneur

G. Maegralth.

A. Reynolds

25

brilliance of mind there was no man on the Area to touch Mr Beilby, who, it must be remembered, in his own work as Settlers' Representative on various Committees and Commissions, had been up against Mr Frank Brewster, who was undoubtedly the cleverest man in the Commission's service and Mr Beilby had more than held his own.

At a later date Charles Beilby was appointed valuer for the Shire of Wade, which had come into existence in 1928. When he had completed his work for the Shire he went back to his farm, but continued ill-health forced him to sell and he took a position with the Griffith Producers Co-operative Company Ltd. He was in charge of the Country Trade Department of the Company until he resigned to go to the WC & IC as a Field Officer.

This was a job for which he was particularly suited. He had a flair for statistics and an extensive knowledge of the Irrigation Area. The annual reports of the WC & IC which are tabled in Parliament each year, were largely the work of Charles Beilby. They contain a wealth of information on the Area as to production and values and are a most useful and informative guide for business houses and various other organisations having interests in the Area.

There have been many enquiries into the Area, both before the soldiers' enquiry, and since, but the Soldiers Enquiry was by far the most important. Before the writing down of debts, settlers were disgruntled, the Area was referred to as a sink for public money and there was an air of despondency all round. The Soldiers' Enquiry, the Pike Judgements, the Farram Committee and others and the Broken Hill Miners' enquiries, all cost the taxpayers a lot of money; but with Area production round about L8,000,000 today (c. 1960) it would be hard to find anyone who would not admit that the cost was more than justified.

Charles Beilby did his part to bring stability and prosperity to the Area. In his capacity of Field Officer for the Commission he must have gained a lot of satisfaction in preparing his annual reports and watching the production figures increasinu, steadily from year to year. It was quite a different story to the one he had to tell when he prepared his case for the soldier settlers in 1924.

Charles Beilby had other interests besides Area statistics. He was a very well read man and had a fine library of good hooks. He was fond of good literature and his ability to speak logically and express his thoughts on paper clearly were the big factors in his early success as the settlers' advocate.

For a time he was correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and he contributed many articles to various magazines and papers. He was the author of a book entitled "Diabetics - By One of Them". In 1949 he contributed a series of articles to the "Murrumbidgee Irrigator" on "Shade and Shelter Trees on the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas".

He was a keen follower of Rugby football and boxing and knew the history of all the old time "pugs". As a youngster he was present at the famous world heavy-weight contest between Jack Johnson and Tommy Burns at Rushcutters Bay on Boxing Day, 1908.

He was a member of the Jondaryan and Ex-Servicemen's Clubs. He was identified with many movements for the progress of the town and district and was mourned by a large circle of friends when he died in October 1951.

By courtesy of Western Riverina Community Library.

26

BLANCE Before occupying Farm 1443 at Bilbul, Edmund Blance or "Ted" as he was known, lived and worked out of the barracks at Yenda. Mrs Georgina Blance, known as "Poss", a nickname from her childhood, came from Sydney soon afterwards when they settled down to life on the farm. Children of "Ted" and Toss" were Dorothy and Betty who were born in Sydney and William who was born on the farm on 15 June 1922. Mrs HayesWilliams was the mid-wife.

In the early days, when the children were going to Bilbul Public School the social life of pioneering families was centred around the establishing of amenities such as the tennis courts, cricket oval and dance hall - all situated on the recreation area. Other activities were picnics at Lake View, Pleasant Valley, Finley's Beach and Taylor's Beach on the Murrumbidgee River near Darlington Point. Transport was by horse and sulky originally to the nearer points then later by Ernie Foran's truck. By 1928 some cars were making an appearance. As children reached high school age they became pupils of Griffith High, where they were transported to and from by a covered-in truck serving as a bus from Yenda to Griffith. Dorothy and Betty attended Griffith High, Bill went to Yanco. Of the three Blance children, Dorothy was better known to her school friends as enthusiastic in sport and a dedicated student.

Betty submits her contribution to achievement at Griffith High as follows:Mother encouraged her in athletics and she at one time qualified for the relay race in an High School sports meeting at Narrandera. Mum made her a sports uniform from grandma's old dress, the big day came and the competitors took their blocks. The starters gun punctured the air and Betty dropped the baton - end of an athletic career!

After his schooling at Yanco Agricultural High School, Bill played some cricket with Yoogali and football at Yenda, however other interests finally took him away from the local scene.

Of the three Blance children, only Dorothy was to work and live for any length of tune in the district. She married Walter "Sammy" King who was boys Captain at Griffith High. Wal or "Sam" as he was mostly called, will be remembered for playing Rugby League football for the Griffith Black and Whites while still at High School, and after that as well; also as a devotee of cycle racing and wrestling. Dot and "Sam" reared two daughters while in the area, who had their primary education at Bilbul Public School.

Valerie went on to Griffith High School, but tragically Heather departed this life on her seventh birthday at Sydney Hospital. Their son Geoffrey was born in Griffith and after the King family moved to Neimur near Moulamein, Geoff was sent to Griffith High for his secondary education.

With the movement of the children away from Bilbul public school, "Ted" and "Poss" developed other interests. "Ted" had been playing cricket for the Griffith town team where he will be remembered as a wicket keeper. He had many broken fingers as testimony to that!! He passed away on 27 September 1943 and is buried in the Griffith cemetery. He was very proud of having been a pioneer soldier settler and the thought of . giving up on the hard work and hard living in the early years would never have entered his mind. He was too young to die at the age of fifty four years. His family remember him with pride.

27

Ted & Dorothy •

•

'Dix, Bill and Betty on • Ikclbangcra Railway Station c.1922/23

Photos courtesy Bill Glance and Wally King

28

'l'ed Blanco c. 1923 In front of "Round Back Kitchen" at back of thc house

After the earlier years at Bilbul when the children were attending school, "Pons" became interested in keeping the score book at cricket - so was recognised as official scorer for the Griffith town team for some time.

Her main interest though, was with the Country Womens Association - where she will be remembered by her many friends in that organisation. She served as Group or Area Representative for some years before selling the farm and retiring to Sydney, where she worked with the Anti-Tuberculosis Association. A serious cancer operation, from which she recovered however, ended her active life and she passed away on 20 August 1975. Her ashes are interred at Rookwood, Sydney.

Although the pioneering days were in complete contrast to city life where many early settlers and their wives and children came from, it was accepted as a challenge for failure or achievement. A personal test of Betty fiance with workmates from Beelbangera Winery C 1937. Courtesy Bill Stance their own endurance and pride. Many of the women had never experienced mud, dust storms, mice, thousands of blow flies and many other annoying and sometimes dangerous things, but they accepted the challenges. The happy times outweighed the bad and the Pioneers triumphed to be remembered in the History of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.

Bill, Betty and Dorothy Courtesy Bill fiance

29

Georgina Blanc and daughters - Dorothy and Betty.

Ted Blanco with his brother Jim fiance and wife lAse and Betty, Dorothy and Bill

Model with a load of Bilbul Residents off on a Ernie Foran's picnic to either Pleasant Valley (Binya IN's) or Darlington Point Photos courtesy Wally King

30

James Menzies & Annie Blance arrived from Shetland Islands 4 June 1883 on "Helena"

Harry & Molly Greene

• Edmund William Glance born 29 December 1888 died 27 September 1943

married at St Andrews, Summer 11111

Georgina Myrtle Greene born 3 July 1893 died 20 August 1975

• 1.

Dorothy horn Manly (Sydney) 19 December 1917, died 27 January 1987. Married Walter King who now lives at Norah Head.

2.

Betty born Cremorne (Sydney) 13 July 1920.

Married Cohn I lambly (deceased. 12 February 1991) and lives at Norah I lead.

3.

William born Bilbul 15 June 1922. Married Joan Garland of Sydney and lives at Randwick.

Ted Blance with Dorothy and Betty - Farm 1443, Bilbul c. 1921 Courtesy Bill fiance and Wally King

By courtesy of William ("Bill") Blance, Randwick 2031.

31

BOWKETT The known history of the Bowkett family begins with Richard, born about 1758.

On 16 June 1790, he married Hannah Beek at the Tarrington Parish Church of St Phillip and St James, Herefordshire, England. Hannah, who was baptised at Holme Lacy on 29 June 1762, was the daughter of Thomas and Frances Beak (Beck).

The following Baptisms of Richard and Hannah's children have been identified by researchers from the the original Church Records (of St Phillip and St James Church, Tarrington): Ann 13 June 1791 Frances 3 November 1793 William 16 April 1797 Richard 13 April 1800 Harriet 16 July 1803 James 18 July 1806 Caroline 1 August 1809 Richard, Hannah and their children lived at Durlow Common close to the Village of Tarrington, Herefordshire. James was about twelve years old when his father, Richard, was buried at Tarrington, on 10 June 1818, aged 60. Possibly he had not been in work for a number of years, for the entry in the Register says "He was blind for many years before he died".

Hannah died aged 72 and was buried also at Tarrington on 8 December 1834.

James Bowkett, son of Richard and Hannah, married Anne Taylor on 12 April 1827, and their first son Richard was born at Munsley and baptised in the Parish Church on 12 August 1827. At the time of baptism, James was working as a ploughman, at the tiny hamlet of White House. Later when working for a Mr Francis Pitt of Tarrington, James was accused by him of stealing a mare. Horse stealing was considered serious enough to warrant the death sentence but James Bowkett's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment which meant transportation to a penal colony. Within three months of his sentence he was put aboard the ship "Manlius" bound for Van Diemen's Land.

The ship sailed from Sheerness (on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, forty miles from London) on 20 July 1828, and only one death was recorded on the voyage.

James Bowkett is recorded as "of short stature 5ft 41/2 ins, broad shouldered, flaxen hair, brown eyes, age 24, a farmer's labourer and ploughman, reads and writes, money held on his behalf 7s 7d, no packages".

As the "Manlius" ploughed its way through the rough seas, the thoughts of James would have been very much with his wife and young son back in England, while he also would have wondered what lay in store for him.

James Bowkett arrived in Tasmania in 1828 and was assigned to a William Gough at Norfolk Plains. A convict could legally remarry after a lapse of seven years and on 6 September 1841 James Bowkett, (Ticket of Leave) age 32 (he was older) married Susannah Lee, age 20, at Christ Church Longford, after Banns were read on Sundays 22 and 29 August and 5 Sentember.

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The year 1842, was a time for rejoicing in the little brick house in Marlborough Street, Longford. James was granted a Conditional Pardon on 24 May 1842 and Susannah gave birth to their first child, Alfred James. He was to be followed by Caroline, Frederick, Andrew, Harriet, Emma, Frances, Walter, Evangeline, Grace Augusta and Mary Gertrude. The Birth Certificates of the children show James' occupations as: labourer, carrier or carter and farmer.

In 1875 Susannah and then James died within a fortnight of each other. Susannah on 20 August aged 56 years and James on 3 September 1875, 72 years.

Frederick Bowkett, second son of James and Susannah was born 8 May 1847 and baptised in the Christ Church Longford. He moved to Victoria where, at the age of 24, he married Charlotte Williams aged 23, at St John's Church of England, Mansfield on 27 February 1872. Charlotte had sailed from Liverpool on 25 May 1867 on the "White Star" and arrived Melbourne 19 August 1867.

Charlotte was one of seven children born at Montgomery, Wales, to Howell Williams a wheelwright and Jane (nee Wilks). She was baptised on 22 August 1847 in the Parish Church of St Nicholas.

Their first child, Harold Howell Frederick Bowkett was born 11 February 1873 at Mansfield. The family took up land near Corowa NSW in 1874 and within a few days of arrival the child, Harold, died on 6 March 1874, aged 1 year 23 days.

The property owned by Fred was called "Bingabang". From the 'Return of Landholders 1885 Index', Fred W Bowkett held "Bingabang" of 600 acres with 46 sheep and 7 horses.

After the death of their first child, others followed, all born at "Clear Hill", Corowa.

Ada Jane Eliza Susan b. 27 July 1874 Lily Grace b. 11 October 1876 Charles Frederick b. 13 November 1878 Edward Albert b. 1880 Ernest Alfred b. 22 April 1882 Arthur Broadbent b. 22 July 1884 Herbert Walter b. 8 July 1886 Leonard Henry Robert b. 10 March 1888 Samuel David b. 14 August 1890.

On 11 September 1890 Fred purchased 640 acres in the Parish of Melrose, NSW. The deposit paid was £64/0/0. Towards the end of 1890 the Bowkett family left the Corowa district travelling on waggonette and bullock dray. On the arrival at the new property there was much to be done, a homestead erected and scrub cleared. The property "Silverlea" consisted of 640 acres which was to increase until, at its sale in 1925, the family owned 8,177 acres.

Charlotte was often called upon to act as midwife. The family were superb horsemen and women. Later the boys developed an interest in all kinds of sport. The Bowkett's won medals in this country and across the Tasman for shooting, boxing, bike

33

riding and athletics. In 1909 at Christchurch, NZ Sam won a medal for winning the 100 yards in 10 3/5 seconds, an excellent time even by today's standards.

Charlotte visited her sister and brother in New Zealand and liked it so much she made further trips across the Tasman. When in 1905 daughter Ada and husband David Draffin with their four children were about to emigrate to New Zealand, Charlotte persuaded Fred they too should go.

Fred, Charlotte and three of their sons, Herb, Len and Sam made the move to the land of the Long White Cloud. Fred died in Ashburton NZ on 22 December 1917.

Charlotte returned to Australia and spent her remaining years with various family members. She died 28 March 1929 and is buried in the Condobolin Cemetery. Her headstone bears the words "A Good Mother". Four sons of Fred and Charlotte lived for some time in Yenda NSW. Arthur Broadbent Bowkett, the seventh child of Fred and Charlotte, was born 22 July 1884 near Corowa. A man of few words but possessed a dry wit, Arthur liked nothing better than to reflect on the conversation under discussion whilst smoking a beloved pipe.

When his parents went to live in New Zealand, Arthur stayed on with his older brother Ern to run the family property.

Arthur was a member of the Army Volunteers but early in the War underwent an appendicitis operation and was later declared medically unfit.

At Condobolin, Arthur married Alice Elsie McCurrie, a daughter of James McCurrie and Alice Elizabetta Sarah (nee Medwin). After their marriage they went to live on a property near Condobolin called "Glenara" which Arthur managed for the McLeans before moving to "Boonah West" where he acted as either manager or overseer.

When this property was sold he and Miss McLean bought a place between them at Gilgandra. He is also known to have worked for a time at the property "Jemalong", and Arthur and Alice were also at Peak Hill. It was decided to move to Yenda where Arthur's brothers Len, Herb and Sam were already farming. Arthur took up a fruit farm which he later sold and in conjunction with son Fred, purchased a rice, wheat and sheep property at Myall Park. Arthur died 22 April 1951 aged 66 years from a heart attack while working on the farm. Alice died 22 March 1973. Both are buried in the Yenda cemetery.

Arthur and Alice had two children: 1.

Stella Alice (born 1920) married Ronald Dobson at Yenda. Shortly after the marriage, Ron was sent overseas and was at the fall of Singapore where he was held prisoner in Changi for four years. For the rest of his life Ron suffered from the affects of privation experienced during the War. He died in 1989. The Dobson's lived at West Wyalong with their three children, Cheryl, Cherie and Paul.

2.

Frederick James (born 1922) joined the AIF on 17 February 1942 and served with the 1st Aust Armoured Division. Fred married Ann Fuks, whose parents lived next door to the Bowketts at Myall Park. They have four children; Patricia, James, Helen and Gregory.

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Herbert Walter Bowkett, the eighth child of Fred and Charlotte, was born 8 July 1886 at Corowa. When his parents moved to Condobolin, Herb was four years old. As he grew older he helped on the family property and while still only a boy was helping his father take crops off other properties in the district.

At the age of nineteen he accompanied his parents and his brothers, Len and Sam, together with the Draffin family to New Zealand. Later Herb worked in the Freezing Works at Hastings, where he became foreman.

Herb married Edith Mary, the daughter of James Craigie and Thirza (nee Williams). Edith, who was from Wigan in Lancashire, England, had arrived in New Zealand to visit her relatives shortly before the first World War, but was forced to remain in that country when war was declared.

Possessed of a lovely singing voice, Edith, a mezzosoprano, had taken the lead role in Handel's Messiah. An excellent cook, her three tier wedding cakes Ilcrb and Edith Bowkett were works of art. In her younger Courtesy Ann Bowkett (nee Fuks) days, Edith was a crack shot and her father-in-law, Frederick, once offered to hold an apple for her to shoot at, but she refused!

Herb decided to leave New Zealand and settle near his brothers at Yenda in New South Wales. He came on his own to look around for a suitable farm. At the home of his brother Sam, he had an appendicitis attack and was rushed to Griffith Hospital where he was forced to remain for some time. Back home the family were naturally concerned for his welfare. In 1928, Molly, Laurence and Mildred, left New Zealand for Australia.

After about 33 years at Yenda, Herb and Edith sold the farm and together with daughter Mildred moved to Austinmer on the south coast of New South Wales. Edith passed away on 1 August 1970 in her 85th year. Herb passed away three weeks before his 96th birthday on 13 May 1981. Both are buried at Bulli NSW.

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Herb and Edith's three children: 1.

Molly Thirza (born 1916, Hastings NZ) took up nursing and did her training at the Bulli Hospital. After completing her training she married John Francis Smith of Thirroul. They have four children; Maureen, Norman, Patricia and Graham.

2.

Laurence Frederick (horn 1920, Hastings NZ) sadly died in 1932 when he was struck by lightning on the farm at Yenda.

3.

Mildred Jean (born 1922, Hastings NZ) married Thomas Foley of Townsville QLD whom she met at a Yenda wedding. They have two children Geoffrey and Robyn.

Leonard Henry Robert Bowkett, the ninth child of Fred and Charlotte, was born at the family property near Corowa on 10 March 1888. He was two years old when the family made the journey to Condobolin.

Like his brothers, Len worked on the family property until the age of 17 when he went with his parents to reside in New Zealand.

When he enlisted in the Army, he gave his previous address as 14 Saunders Road, Ashburton, New Zealand, which was probably the residence of his parents.

No 15690 Sapper Leonard Henry Bowkett 10th Field Engineers, C Company, 3rd Div enlisted 23 February 1916, served in France and returned to Australia 20 May 1919.

On his return from War, Len was among the many returned soldiers who applied for land in the newly established Soldier Len Bowkctt 1914-18 Settlement Scheme in the Courtesy Ann Bowkett (nee 'Inks) Murrumbidgee Irrigation Arca.

For Len, it was a welcome return to the land when he took up a block at Yenda. Len set to planting his grape vines and fruit trees, while in between building a house for his bride to be, Isabelle Potter, whom he married in 1922.

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Isabelle was a sister to Ellen who had married Len's brother Ern. Belle, as she was known, was bright and vivacious and loved having tennis parties and was, herself, capable of playing an excellent game.

One story of Len relates to a leg of lamb he had bought from the Yenda butchers shop. On returning home, the lamb was found to be alive with little crawly things!

Picking up the offending parcel, he jumped back into the saddle and headed for town where he confronted the butcher informing him, in no uncertain terms, that the leg was not fit for human consumption. The butcher took umbrage at the charge and threatened Len with his knife. Never one to ignore a challenge Len snatched up the cleaver and both began warily circling the chopping block until they saw the funny side of the argument and laid down their tools of war! They actually became good friends as a result.

Len was known in the district as a good neighbour who always went out of his way to help people. Both he and Belle, who were devoted to each other, were staunch supporters of the local Methodist Church.

Len died in 1967 after years of pain caused from the effects of the war and Belle died in 1986.

Len and Belle had two children Robert ("Bob") (born 1923 Mosman NSW) served in the army during World War II and on his return brought home a young soldier named Earl Fardon, whom the family promptly nicknamed "Joe". Bob married a Yenda girl, Jessie Geddes and Joe married Bob's sister Shirley. Bob and Jessie had two children, Russell and Sandra. Bob was tragically drowned in 1957.

Shirley (born 1925 Mosman NSW) married Earl ("Joe") Fardon and they had three sons, Kelly, Kim and Bree and a daughter, Rae. In 1982 Joe died and Shirley lives at Neville, near Blayney.

Samuel David Bowkett, the youngest son of Fred and Charlotte was born on 14 August 1890 near Corowa. He was only a babe in arms when the family set out on their trek to the new property at Condobolin.

Sam went to school at Melrose about seven miles from home and, at night, did his homework in the big kitchen lit only by a kerosene lamp. After he left school he worked on the property and was aged about fifteen when taken by his parents to New Zealand. While there Sam became a member of the Army Volunteers.

On his return to Australia, Sam and his brother Arthur, went to Queensland where their cousins, Jim and Alf Bowkett, were working on "Nive Downs" Station. After working in outback Queensland, Sam decided to try city life and went to Sydney where he obtained work as a tally clerk on the wharves. He boarded with the Weir family and it was through the Weir family that he met his future wife, Elizabeth Barton, the daughter of Robert Elvin Barton and Mary (nee Clousen).

At the time when Sam became acquainted with "Dot", as she was always known, she was working as a clerk in the office of her father, then a partner in the Real Estate firm of Barton and Ness.

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On 10 March 1920, Sam and Dot were married at the Congregational Church at Burwood. Sam and Dot went to live on "Silverlea" near Melrose - it was not the best of times, as that part of the country was in the grip of drought.

In 1921, Sam and Dot left "Silverlea". Dot went to Sydney to live with her parents whilst awaiting the birth of their first child, while Sam went to seek work at Yenda where he found a job working on the roads.

On 18 February 1922, a daughter was born. Meanwhile Sam who was house hunting was pleased to report that he had found a house for rent - and furnished too!

With the baby, Dot caught the Temora Mail for Yenda where upon her arrival, found much to her dismay, that the house owned by Hector Brewer, had very little of anything!! After the initial shock had worn off and seeing many of the settlers and their families living in tents, the house suddenly became almost luxurious.

The christening of Dorothy May was put off until the completion of the newly erected Methodist Church - it was the first baptism.

..11, Cons.: ;1,77,:::: WATER CONSERVATION ARO IRRIGATION CommiumN, MURRUMBIDOCE NTRIOAIMR ATTEAS,

OVIV9Xtl, Y,nda o

TO WHOM IT iAY COXJ101.

Inr. pootion91. 2, 24 Thit is to certify that the bearer Mr S.D.Boel:ott whoa° nignoture appears on the margin hereof is on Officer of the ,, nter Conservation and Irrigation Commis4ion whose duty it is to attend doily at the Yonda Railway Station for the purpose of inspection oriel ndmiunion of, or rofusinc of admiaalon to, fruit and vecetablen in accordenee eith the C000desion'a Rer'llations.

csi,.enticommlo -11,17 1:. .

• ;fly'

Vp"

Sam was offered a well paid job with the Irrigation Commission which meant visiting the farms in the district as well as meeting the train. The latter requirement was to prevent the entry of such fruits as bananas being brought into the MIA, as they were known to be prone to a disease known as bunchy top. Though Sam was sceptical as to what fruit would be affected by the disease, he dutifully went about the business of quizzing those who may have been tempted to bring forbidden fruit into the Area. On

38

one occasion, a lady was questioned as to what she had in a bag. Her reply was `Sausages'. Ever the gentleman, Sam accepted the answer, but, nevertheless, was to remark afterwards that after a 400 mile journey in an overcrowded and overheated carriage, the smell would have been quite different from that of bananas!

Sam took up Farm 1487 on 13 August 1925 which he ran while still working for the Commission.

On 13 April 1927, Dot gave birth to a son whom they named Keith Elvin. Mrs Alf Leaver was the midwife.

Among the farmers, Sam was noted for his ability to cure sick animals. There were a number of occasions when, in the middle of the night, a summons would come for him to go and attend a sick cow.

Farm 1487 was surrendered on 1 July 1929 and Sam acquired Farm 812 from Norman Henry Copeland. This farm was close to the town and to McWilliam's Winery.

Sam grew wine and table grapes, almonds, prunes, apples, peaches and apricots.

The flood that struck the town of Yenda in 1931 caused damage to the farms and Sam's orange trees died as a result. Some parts of Yenda were affected more than others.

When old enough, the children of the Bowkett families were enrolled at the Yenda Public School. Griffith was the nearest High School until just before the War, when, for a few years, the Yenda School ran classes for High School students. The overall attendance during that time went over the three hundred mark.

Life in the little town before the War was tranquil where, except for picture nights and the occasional dance, few went into the town after dark. Parents were strict, but had little cause for complaint as their children abided by the rules. The young people were also aware that this was the time of the Great Depression, so their demands were few.

Because many of Sam's neighbours were, like himself, battling to make a living, there was little class distinction; if it did exist, the children were not aware of it.

The leading figure in the town was Doug McWilliam of the famous wines; yet, the family were regarded as 'down to earth people'. However, when it was learned the family were about to embark on a cruise to England - AND would be taking one of the school's favourite teachers, Miss Brown, to act as governess for their son Jim, a student at the school; it was as if they were about to take off for the moon!

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the rush to enlist in the Services, saw Yenda short of manpower. A similar situation existed in other country areas until the problem was solved by the newly formed Women's Land Army. These girls took on all kinds of hard and unrewarding work; yet for some reason, their contribution was not fully recognised until recent times.

Sam, had acquired more land across the road from his farm, and in conjunction with Doug McWilliam, grew carrots for the War effort. It was a profitable undertaking for Sam after the lean years he had experienced.

In the early 1950's the Bowketts sold the farm and moved to Orange NSW where with son Keith, they bought a farm and began to fatten young lambs for the markets.

They also grew cherries and apples. Though the farm returned a profit, the family found the winters too severe and sold out and went to live at Wollongong on the south coast.

Sam suffered from a heart problem for many years, then began to be affected by crippling arthritis. Advised by his doctor to seek a warmer climate he and Dot settled in

39

Townsville. Sam passed away at Townsville in 1970 and was followed by Dot in 1973.

They were cremated at Townsville.

Sam and Dot had two children: Dorothy May (born 1922 Burwood NSW) joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in 1942 and discharged in 1946. She married Harold Gordon Abel from Townsville Old. They have four children: David, Judith, Neil and Ian. Keith Elvin (born 1927 Yenda NSW) worked on the family farm at Yenda and later went into partnership with his father. He married Pauline Parr. They have four children: Margaret, Peter, Allan and Kathleen.

L to R: Samuel David Bowkett, Leonard Henry Bowkett, Herbert Walter Bowkett c. 1955 (Missing - Arthur Bowkett) Courtesy Dorothy Abel (nee Bowkett)

Source: "Bowkett Branches" by Dorothy Abel with permission from the author, Dorothy Abel, 36 Russell Street, Aitkenvale 4814

By courtesy of the Bowkett Families.

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BRABY This is the story of the Braby family as told by Ronald, Ted, Robert and Nancy. Exact dates are not recalled, but most of this story comes from their own experiences as they lived through this period.

Their father Harold Braby, who was one of twins, was born in Sydney and educated at Sydney Grammar School.

In his youth Harold went to the Darling Downs in Queensland and as a dry area dairy farmer found his farm was right beside the famous Rudd family Dad and Dave of "On our Selection" renown.

Harold enlisted in World War I and served with the Camel Corps in the Middle East; later he changed to the 14th Light Horse.

He came home on a ship called the "Boorara" after which he later named his farm at Yenda. Whilst on the way home he heard talk I tarold Brahy - 1917 about the new Irrigation Area in Courtesy Nancy Stacy (nee Brahy) the Riverina and that there were to be blocks allotted to returned soldiers - 30 acre fruit farms or 200 acre dairy farms. Harold decided he'd had enough of dairy farming so would give fruit farming a try!

After six months in the Beelbangera barracks helping to clear blocks, he was granted Farm 707, of 32 acres, just near Mirrool Creek on 26 November 1919. Later during World War II he acquired another block of lighter soil, just up the road towards Yenda. Harold retired to Griffith in 1950 and died at the age of 77 years in 1970. The farm remained in the family until 1963.

Muriel Catherine Braby (nee Keys) was born in Captain's Flat, where her father, William Keys, was headmaster. She grew up in Yass. In 1924 she came to Yenda to assist her brother and sister-in-law who had a shop in Yenda, and were expecting their first child. Muriel met Harold, then a batchelor, at a dance in Yenda, and they were married in Yass in April 1925. Murial died on 10 February 1976, aged 80 years. Both Murial and Harold are buried in the Griffith Cemetery.

Fires in the 1930's - Fire burnt down the garage on the corner opposite the Police Station. A house over the main canal regulator on Mirrool Creek burnt down. The large 41

freezing works at the Yenda Producers was destroyed. Leach's weatherboard house was totally destroyed by fire.

1940's - Binya Hills were ablaze and burnt for several days and could be seen for miles around. Volunteers were mustered to help put it out, but equipment was not what it is today!

Floods - Yenda was flooded in 1931 after heavy rain caused the Mirrool Creek to break its banks. After this the father of Bill Rangoti (Griffith's Pioneer Radio expert) constructed a levy bank from the Northern Canal near Henry's fruit farm through Wood's rice farm. This levy bank stopped any further flooding of the Yenda village.

The levy bank was put to the test in 1939 after very hot and dry conditions were followed by heavy rain and flooding of Mirrool Creek. Flood gates on the main canal were opened to allow the water to pass through.

Mice Plague - This heavy rain was followed by a mice plague, which caused damage to wheat stacks. Short galvanised iron walls were erected around their perimeter to stop the mice. As young boys we caught mice by the bucket full.

Effect of the Depression People flooded into the Yenda area looking for work. Families were camped all around the irrigation channels in all sorts of shelter. Some in tents, others had huts made out of bits and pieces of galvanised iron and opened up four gallon kerosene tins. Bullock and Muriel Catherine Keys - 1914 horse waggons with huts built on Courtesy Nancy Stacy (nee Braby) top. Still others pushed bikes around looking for work. Their bikes were rigged up in many practical ways to carry all their belongings.

Some of these people wanted work sharpening saws and tools. Others made all types of items for sale out of off-cuts of fencing wire and netting - toasting forks and grilling racks, soap holders, garden hose holders and garden tools.

In 1939 we could hear the noise and rumble of a huge bucyrus working on the canal, long before it came into view. This machine had started in 1937 at Yanco to deepen the canal so more water could he let down as more farms opened up. It operated seven days a week, day and night with eight hour shifts, two men each shift. The bucyrus weighed eighty five tons in total, its beam was twenty five tons and the bucket five tons.

It broke down beside Farley's rice farm and being of German manufacture, parts were

42

unprocurable. Its beam was lowered onto railway sleepers and it remained there long after the war. Its fate is unknown.

Sergeant Robinson was the lone policeman in the early days, a very capable man and well respected. Constable Peter Donaghue came later but resigned to go on the land.

Yenda town - About 1940 a Water Filtration Plant was built plus a holding dam.

Previously the water supply came from the big black overhead steel tank in the Yenda Park which was later pulled down.

Tennis Courts were built in the park and for the opening two top tennis players were invited to play, one being Adrian Quist.

The showground was originally over the canal to the left of the Griffith road, before it was relocated over the railway, where it became Wade Park.

Primary school sports used to be held annually out on "Wilga Park", the property of Sheldons.

Circuses and Rodeo shows used to visit regularly and set up their tents on vacant land opposite the school. Animals in waggons and sulkies could be watered from troughs situated behind the Masonic Lodge and near the railway.

Ron Weir was an early Scout Leader, also Bob McClure. Scouts and Cubs for the boys and Girl Guides for the girls were very strong.

Kingsford Smith landed on Wade Park in the early thirties. Pilots training in Tiger Moth aircraft from Narrandera used to fly over Yenda, four or more at a time. One or two planes ran out of fuel and landed in the paddocks. One young pilot was killed when he crash landed just out of Yenda.

Ron remembers watching the planes through the school windows and one day he saw a small object fall into the playground. The teacher wouldn't let him go and fetch it until lunch break. It was a clock key with a note attached, which read "I am lost please direct me back to Narrandera"!!

Yenda Regulator - 1939 Courtesy Nancy Stacy (nee Braby)

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-Boorara" Ycnda - early 1920's

Floods Main Street Yenda - 1931 looking East from the Railway towards the Post Office

IlaroId Braby with a load of grapes - 1935 Photos courtesy Nancy Stacy (ncc Braby)

44

C W Keys' Furniture Store in Ycnda Courtesy Nancy Stacy (nee Braby)

!louse and Tennis Court - "Boorara" - Farm 707, Ycnda Courtesy Nancy Stacy (ncc Braby)

45

Remembered too, in the early years of WWII, the 24 hour military watch over the Mirrool Regulator at Yenda set up by authorities for six months5. In hindsight, absurb paranoia!!

A loop line was built through to Griffith which allowed movement of troop trains through Yenda.

Vegetable growing for the war effort was wide spread and many rice farms had acres of swedes, turnips, carrots and peas growing. At school we made camouflage nets and at home my mother knitted khaki socks, gloves and balaclavas for the troops. At Christmas time food parcels were wrapped in flour bags and sent to Britain.

Under "Lend Lease"6 American tractors and trucks arrived in the Area. In 1944 my father got an International W-4 tractor on steel wheels.

As Edward had left school by this time he took Grape Vines looking East on the tractor driving allowing our father to retire Courtesy Nancy Stacy (nee Braby) his horse team.

Many girls joined the "Land Army" and they did valuable work on the farms. A machinery pool was set up at Gordon's farm and tractors and other farm machinery were let out on contract rates.

In the late 1940's Brown Rot in peaches made its presence felt and was followed about the same time by Oriental Peach Moth. Red Scale in Citrus had already appeared and Yenda Producers had a team of men who came out and fumigated the trees. This was done by enclosing the whole tree with a light tent on long poles. After sunset the cyanide would be blown in by the fumigator which was operated by hand. The tent was left on until next morning. This operation was dangerous but very effective.7 High water tables and salt became a problem which killed the trees. This led to the tile drainage systems that saved many farms from going out of production.

The area saw many travelling salesmen. Fullerton photographed many a farm and it occupants in the early days.

Mr McKenzie travelled around the farms selling AMP insurance. George Pauling, working out of Eardley's clothing store, made regular visits to district farm homes, selling work clothes and school gear.

Jock Ritchie ran the Griffith High School bus service and when fuel became scarce during the war a gas producer (which ran on charcoal) was fitted to the bus. Some private vehicles were even running on kerosene - which was illegal!!

5

Similiar Guards were set up at Water Distribution Depot and Workshops. -Six-Feet Drop Regulator. Electrical Dept: Griffith Sub-Station: Yoogali Sub-Station and the Griffith Electrical Depot. Dept Water Resources Archives. Lecton.

6

The system. organised by the United States in 1941. by which equipment and services were provided for countries fighting Germany.

7

See Series 1. page 117 for photographs of fumigation.

46

During the War petrol, food, clothing and tobacco were rationed and coupons were needed to shop. Father attempted to brew his own beer, without success!

Phil Newth, using a T model Ford car, delivered mail and bread to farms on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

A plunge sheep dip and holding yards were built near the Mirrool Creek Regulator and was fed by a pipe from the Northern Canal. Many a mob of sheep were dipped there. Being labour intensive, dipping time was a noisy but interesting operation to watch and we helped if we were allowed.

Ron remembers waking up one morning covered in a millimetre or more of dust, as the dust storm had hit during the night and everything was covered in dust, us included!

Nancy was born and grew up in the weatherboard house on Farm 707, four miles east of Yenda. It was the first fruit farm beside the regulator and the main canal.

Her father had lemons, oranges, grapefruit, apricots, peaches, prunes and grapes.

The apricots ripened at Christmas time and many a Christmas Day was spent picking or pitting them for drying. Their Mother also made jam and bottled them. As children they earned their pocket money by pitting apricots - that is cutting them in half and removing the stone and putting them onto big wooden trays which would be put into the sulphur house and then dried. Prunes would be dipped in a copper of boiling water and caustic soda solution. They would then be spread onto trays and left in the sun to dry. Grapes for sultanas, currants and raisins, were dried in much the same manner as the prunes.

There would be panic if it rained, as all the trays would have to be carried and stacked into the shed. The worst job was picking up the prunes! The fruit was left to ripen and fall off the trees and then had to be picked up manually!

Nancy's earliest memories are of being in the CWA Hospital, on a farm about two miles west of Yenda, when she had pneumonia. Nurses were called "blue nurse", "yellow nurse" depending on the colour of their uniforms and no doubt designated their year of training. This hospital was later moved to town and became the CWA club rooms.

For many years this was the only venue in town for parties, dances and other social functions. Farewell and welcome home parties for the boys who enlisted were held in these rooms, with music played by Mrs Miller (Ron's mother) on the piano.

Saturday afternoon was shopping time and the children usually went to the matinee or the "pictures" as it was called. The mothers finished up at the CWA for tea and scones. The theatre was used for the annual Juvenile Fancy Dress Ball and other Balls as the seats were able to be moved. One year the children were taught by Mrs Willington and another lady to dance the maypole. Girls wore blue, pink, green and yellow taffeta dresses for this, made by Mrs Tony Wood, who had a dress and drapery shop in the main street.

Nancy remembers selling buttons for the Red Cross on Armistice day and as she was a member of the Junior Red Cross, marching on Anzac Day in a white uniform with a white veil on which was a red cross.

Paddy Greenshields ran the local primary school bus in a small covered truck.

When he stopped we Braby children had to go in a horse and sulky; later we rode push bikes. The Veness, Chapman, Stevens, Potter, Kilpatrick, Jennings, Wakley, Leaver, McKenzie, Flood, Lowrie, Waters, Wood and Kayess families all travelled on the school bus. Children used to make windmills with a gum leaf on a nail and hold their hands out of the bus windows to see them work.

47

Four hundred students were at the Yenda Primary School in the early 1930's before the Convent started. Teachers were Miss Mabel Brown, Miss Strachan, Mrs Jones, Mr Mick O'Connell, Mr Cahill and Mr John F Toone, who was the headmaster in 1938 and 1939. Mr O'Connell married Miss Miller. Mrs Toone taught the girls sewing. Mr Toone re-organised the school garden and grew lots of flowers. Fathers with trucks took the children on an annual picnic to Binya Hills. There was always a half day holiday on the 24th May for Empire Day and on Arbor Day trees were planted in the park and at school.

Ycnda Public School - 1936 Class 4 Back Row: Cecil Maynard, Les Graham, Don Nicholls, Maurice Bianchini, Arthur Poole, Erskine Crawford, "Bunny" Hudson, Bill Farley Second Row: June Braby, Una McDonough, Elba Poacolicro, Reginita Cunial, Lilian dc Aliva, Dot Maggs, Doris Pattcn, Annie Davies, Patricia Kaycss, Gloria Pitt Third Row: Beryl Fox, Sylvia Wakley, Eileen O'Brien, Rhonda McKenzie, Jessie Blackburn, Nancy Braby, Edna Riley, Grace Abbott, Enid Kilpatrick Front Row: Elliott Shaw, Allan Fox, Keith Spencer, Bill Taylor, Vincent Bye, Beno Forner, Mervyn Stockton, Mickie Martin, Harley Robinson Courtesy Nancy Stacy (nee Braby)

48

A treat in those days was to buy your lunch at tuck-shop and pies were only 3d each! Entertainment was swimming in the channels and playing tennis or hockey. Serials like "Dad and Dave" or "Yes What" were popular on the wireless. Girls learnt to fancy work, knit, crochet and do french knitting which was even popular with the boys. French knitting was done on a cotton reel with nails in one end and the wool was knitted with a nail or a bobby pin.

It was a hard frugal life, but then the pioneers never had it easy!

Ernest Braby born 15 Aug 1860 London died 7 Jul 1950 Nth Sydney NSW

Eva b. 1890

married 1889. NSW

Harold born 1893 Sydney NSW died 1970 Griffith married 1925 Muriel Catherine Keys born 1895 Captain's Flat NSW died 1976 Griffith

Minnie Agnes Browne born 1870 Eaglehawk Vic died 14 Dec 1937 Nth Sydney NSW

Arthur b. 1893

Ronald b. 1897

(Edward Keys (born Ireland ( married (Louise Emily Howard (born Australia 1867 (died Sydney NSW

1.

June born 9 March 1926. married John Couchman. Lives Coleambally.

2.

Nancy born 5 June 1927. married Herbert Fitroy Stacy. Lives Griffith.

3.

Edward born 26 June 1929. married June Duncan. Lives Albany WA.

4.

Ronald born 16 January 1932. married Loila Alpen. Lives Gunnedah NSW.

5.

Robert Howard born 27 December 1934. married Elaine Sharp. Lives Eltham Vic.

By courtesy Nancy Stacy (nee Braby), 48 Lawford Crescent, Griffith 2680.

Ron Braby, Gunnedah 2380.

Robert Braby, 21 Cromwell Street, Eltham 3095.

Edward Braby, Albany WA 6330.

49

BRAYNE Alfred Cecil Brayne and his wife, Eliza (nee Parr) were the first of this family to come to Australia, arriving aboard a sailing ship in 1855. Alfred was an engineer and in this capacity he was a bridge inspector, the most famous construction under his supervision being the Hawkesbury River Bridge. Living to the grand old age of 93 years, his family are very fortunate to hold background reminiscences of this man - published in 1917.

COMPLIMENTED BY THE QUEEN "I was getting top wages as a carpenter5s a day—and was thinking of gettikig married. What do you think of that, now, and bread was 8d the 21h. loaf. 1 had been working on the Great Western Railwity, as the doctor said the shop was doing my health no good. A proclamation was issued saying that contractors in--New South Wales wantMEMORIES OF QUEEN VICTORIA ed carpenters and men used to railway building.

They offered 22s 6d a day.

I went straight round to my girl that night, and we decided to get married and come out to Australia.

"MIT there's one or two Interesting little things I must tell you before we go on.

To have personal reminiscences of days when Just before leaving England, a friend of mine matches took the place of flint and tinder and and I were in Slough. (Buckinghamshire). We when the first telegram was sent is something had heard that a Wonderful invention called unique in these days of high explosives and the 'telegraPti' was to la;: seen 'there. - We aeroplanes. Mr. A. C. Brayne, of Wentworth- went down to have a look at it. It was not ville, is old enough to talk with familiarity worked by the Morse code then, but with a of the Crimean war, though he is not so old sort of disc that ticked off the words. Well, as to forget the smallest details of lite at that while my mate and I were looking at this time. See him in his little sanctum, a wea- and wondering over it, in bounced a man. He therboard building which he recently erected I looks at the man in charge. 'Can you send with the help of his grandsons!

The walls a message on that thing?' says he.

The are enlivened with several prints, among operator said he could.

'Then see if you which those of Sir Henry Parkes and Mr.) can let the station-master at the other end William Hughes stand out as being typical ! of it know that he's to stop a Quaker who of the energy of the old man who tacked them I got on the train at Slough; for he's murdered there, for Mr. I3rayne, though 87, is as inter- !a woman!' ested in the doings of Mr. Hughes as he was "The man was a detective, and the Quaker in those of Sir Henry Parkes, almost a life- turned out to be Tawell, a chap from Sydney. time ago. He sits on a straight-backed chair He had a chemist's shop in Hunter-street telling reminiscences, and wearing a carpen- while he was here, and was a great temperter's apron, for he loves pottering about. His ance 'man.

Once he led the crowd that eyes are as bright as a bird's. smashed up the casks of rum and let it run "Just after I had finished my apprenticeship In the gutters. He went back to England as a carpenter," he is saying, "the ball and after living here some years. levee room was added to Buckingham Palace.

"That was the first telegram that was sent I was one of the carpenters employed on the in England, and they4 got Tawell all right.

It took three months to lay the floor job. alone—that's how carefully things were dune HENRY PARkES LEAVES ENGLAND in those days.

"Then just before I came out the Chartist "If ever God made a fine woman it was riots took place. The Chartists were worse ,Queen Victoria—so affable she was. cum i She down and to than unionists. The boss of our shop (there tPrince Albert used often to were 4000 employees) addressed us from the ee how the work was going for ard. Of top of his brougham on a big common. He !nurse, we'd all stop work and stand with told us the 'ebels were coming, and those of ur hats in our hands when the Queen aro us who would were to be made special conier suite arrived.- '-The second or third :time stables. Only 600 went over to the Chartists. er Majesty told us she was not there to One of the leaders was Sir Henry Parkes, show off, and there was no need fur us to take who, however, got wind of trouble, and made any notice of her. Her chief lady-in-wait- for Australia, where he opened a toyshop and ing—the Duchess of Marlborough I think was became one of the greatest of loyalists." her name—was such. a beautiful woman."

"The first job we were put on to in Aus(He chuckles.) "But, oh, so different to the tralia was the building of the railway be. _ ... tween Sydney and Melbourne.

At first it Queen. You daren't look -sat her, so haughty was to start from the Haymarket, but one or she was, being the foremost beauty of Eng- two in Parliament stopped that, and the cenland." tral railway was made at Redfern. Funny

FIRST TELEGRAM

SYDNEY MAN SAW IT SENT

Germans Sound the Hawkesbury

50

how things turn back; I believe they're going to have their new city railway running almost from the spot where a few wanted the' original' line tts begin.

FIGHT WITH CONVICTS "When we came to DouglasaPark, Dr. Douglas did not like the idea of the line running through his property, so he set his assigned men to keep us off.

The railway men used picks, and the convicts anything that came to their hands, but we got the railway through after a good many fights!

"The work was not so bad until we reached Picton, where the grade was 1 in 30. They're making a deviation now, I believe.

"At Menangle we had to dig 40ft. through the river bed in building the railway bridge.

We used 50ft. piles with a 30ft. concrete top, and tubular girders instead of the lattice work which is now used for economy's sake.

That bridge we reckoned was made only for engines of 35 tons loaded; but engines of 120 tons thunder over the bridge, Which- is as good as ever to=day.

Mr. Brayne proved himself so trustworthy and so apt at railway building that it was not long before he found himself head inspector of the building of the Hawkesbury bridge.

One morning early he was up and about the works, and happening to look towards the harbor, he saw quite a small fleet of ships taking soundings. They were German gunboats. He spoke to the head superintendent about it, and suggested that on the flat platform under which theyliad run a tunnel in the making of the bride, there should be erected a battery for the protection of the harbor. The head superintendent did not see the need of such precautions.

"The Germans are our friends," said he. But nothing was done, and the head inspector went on with the bridge building, and found that Germans were excellent as laborers, being, conscientious and strong.

"I hear they're in ,disgrace nowadays," says the Fold man dryly, and continues. his description of Hawkesbury bridge.

TESTING HAWKESBURY BRIDGI "When we were testing it," he expl "we first put on 10 engines standfng ti each span. There was a deflection of 1 which was considered very good. After th we sent them over at a 20-mile pace, which caused a deflection of 11/21n.

Finally at full speed the same deflection was shown as at 20 miles, so we were satisfied the bridge was all right.

I can't quite understand why they're talking of renewing the bridge now, because, even allowing for deterioration, they don't surely expect to be getting 10 engines on it at the same time, do they?"

51

Mr. A. C. Brayne,

DEBTS Or A X•IONEEN. On Thursday morning, the - death ocetrred of a very old resident .of Wentworthvitre, in the Person of Mr. A. C. qtrayne, of Garfield street. Trio old gentlewho had seen 93 summers, had only been ailing for about a fortnight, and was in a private hospital at Hill Crest- when 'the death summons came. He had resided in Wentworthville for about 20 years. The deceased was a very wellknown engineer, and had been Identified with railway e'onstriletion since 1850. He Saw' the railway extended from Granville 'to Goulburn, and contracted for all the 'railway bridges in that extension. He built the Picton viaduct, and cent ted gunny other railway works. He w :supervising enginr for the Government when the Hawkesbury River bridge was constructed. His faculties were bright until the last. He leaves one son,'31r. A. Brayne, af.Orange, and three daughters, viz., Mrs. C. Pettindell, of Croydon; 'Mrs. E. ArmStrong,'of Arneliffe; and;Mrs. A. ormerOa, of Wentworthville. There were also twelve4grand children arid'. four Kreat-grand children. •Tbe remains were interred In-,the Churl of England Cemetery, Ro6lcirood,. on F iday afternoon.

The youngest son of Alfred and Eliza was also Alfred Cecil, but known as "Jim".

He married Hanna Turner, a girl born in Tumut NSW. Hanna's family tradition tells of this family being held up twice by bushrangers as they travelled in a covered waggon between Tumut and Wagga. Jim and Hanna married in 1882. He was a Timber Inspector with the Railways.

The youngest son of Jim and Hanna was Cyril Turner Brayne, horn at Marrickville, Sydney on 16 March 1896. A carpenter, he enlisted in the Expeditionary Forces (No. 177) and sailed aboard the SS "Ceramic" in June 1915 with the 19th Battalion.

He served on Gallipoli where he was wounded by a bullet passing through his car. He then served in France and became one of the four company signallers in 2nd Pioneer Battalion, "A" Coy. He was on active service until hostilities ended, then sailed for Australia on the SS "Warwickshire" in April, 1919.

Cyril (or "Digger" as he was usually known from this time on) married Edna Annie Spratt in 1920 and they arrived in Griffith early in 1923 with their daughter, Elva, and infant son, Allan. They settled first on a one acre block in Merrigal Street which was then on the perimeter of an open area, thickly covered by cassia and hop bush and called "The Flat" (and sometimes "The Common" Ed.).

"Digger" built houses with Harry Hurley and then with Jock Martin. Contracts for Soldier Settlers' houses on fruit farms were £300 for single men and £350 for the slightly larger houses for the married settlers.

In 1925, the family moved from this one acre block to Farm 1286, (located on what is now named 'Brayne Road'). At this time the dwelling on it was a Molonglo hut. Many of the early farms had these huts which were ex-prisoner-of-war buildings from the Molonglo River Camp. The timber used in them is all the same C '1' -1)igger" Brayne & his wile Edna (ncc Spratt) Courtesy FAva Ilcmlcy (ncc Brayne) type of dark hardwood, foreign to this part of the country.

By this time too the earlier family transport, a Minerva car, had already moved on towards the pioneer wreckers. It was reported to have had superb polished brass

52

acetylene headlights, but had the awkward defect of occasionally shedding any of its wheels - normally supposed to be held on by patented clamps.

For the move to the farm, the family possessions were stacked on the horse-drawn dray while the family walked, except Thurley, who was still a baby. She travelled in the whicker pram. Rodney was born in the following year, at Farm 1286, at Dinner time Christmas day - depriving both Dr Ernie Burrell and Nurse Taylor of their Christmas Dinner, that year.

Farm 1286 was originally cleared and planted by "Happy" Hawkins, being gazetted in 1921. None of the trees were yet bearing.

The I louse on Farm 1286 Courtesy Rod Braync

"Digger" Brayne being a skilled carpenter and joiner, built a fibrous, plaster-lined house within the minimal budget allowed for housing loans. The hut was demolished and rebuilt on to the rear of the house, but was still unlined for many years. "On frosty mornings one learned to distinguish between brown sugar dissolved on the porridge and smoke-laden condensation drips from the corrugated iron - taking evasive action!!" remembers Rod. It was not an easy life in the 1920's and 30's. Following normal practices of the time, "Digger" ploughed most of the farm every year, with a single-furrow plough. One of the draught horses was too light and consequently the ill-matched pair could not pull a double-furrow plough.

The frequent dust storms of that time left wavelets of fine red soil along the verandah so pronounced that footprints were easily discerned, while the unmade roads caused havoc. As well cars were often bogged axle-deep in red mud, and "Digger" came the rescue many times - at first with the horse and later with a tractor. While the "recovery recovery missions" were under way, Edna would treat the "victims" to tea and scones.

53

The family recalls - "Our Mother, Edna, had a fine soprano voice and, in these pre-radio days, sang all the finest arias from light opera and musicals as she worked around the house. This developed a lasting love of music in the family."

As time went on the orange trees flourished and were considered to be prime examples in the area, but unfortunately, as the 30's Depression began to wane, many trees started to show signs of 'clie-back', resulting from the rising water table.

During the Depression years conditions were tough on the farm. Many men carrying swags, called into Farm 1286, on the walk from Griffith towards Hillston looking for work or food, including oranges, to help them on their way. Many Aboriginal children also called in for oranges. Nobody ever left empty handed.

Farm 1286 was a warm happy home, with many and varied visitors. So it was that one Christmas holiday, after a constant stream of friends and relations had been welcomed, Jock Ritchie arrived in his bus with some friends. "Digger" saw the bus approaching along the driveway and was heard to say - "Hell! Don't tell me they're coming in by bus load now!!"

"Digger" carrying the Flag - Anzac Day in Griffith Courtesy Elva I lcmIcy (ncc Wayne)

Elva, an extremely talented cook and cake decorator, married Lindsay Hemley, who served in England and Darwin during the Second World War, initially as ground staff and later as a pilot. After the war they established a rice farm at Widgelli and have a son and two daughters. They now reside near Gosford NSW. Allan married Maureen Dames, a talented pianist and they also had two daughters and a son. Their son they sadly lost in 1979, aged 22 years. Allan served four years in the RAAF then studied Architecture at Melbourne University. He graduated in 1952 and served as Chief Architect in the major Building Section of the Commonwealth of Australia and New Guinea. They now live at Box Hill Vic.

54

Thurley married George Fowler, aeronautical engineer and they have two daughters and a son. Thurley was a lady Cub Master in Griffith for many years. She has had ten children's novels published and many short stories, winning the 'Book of the Year' in 1986, the Rigby's 'Juvenile Fiction of the Year' 1980 and was runner-up to the 'Family Book of the Year" 1988.

Rodney married Helen Lale, a Principal Librarian and now Deputy Mayor of the City of Griffith. They have a son and a daughter. Rodney served in the RAAF during the Second World War. He worked for the Dept of Agriculture as a fruit inspector and for the Dept of Water Resources as an irrigation inspector. For many years he was a Scout Master. Now retired one of his hobbies is cabinet-making. Photography has been his lifelong hobby and he has had his work published in several books.

Both Cyril Turner ("Digger") Brayne and his wife, Edna Annie (nee Spratt) died and are buried at Griffith - "Digger" 30 October 1974 and Edna on 11 May 1977.

000000000

Alfred Cecil BRAYNE Engineer b. 11 July 1830 d. 11 Oct 1923 Wentworthville NSW

married London 5 June 1854

Eli7a PARR

Arrived Australia 1855

• Alfred Cecil ("Jima) BRAYNE b. Sydney 13 June 1856 d. 16 May 1949

married 1882

Hanna TURNER b. Tumut NSW 23 Nov 1861 d. 26 May 1896

• • Cyril Turner ("Digger") BRAYNE b. Marrickville. Sydney 16 Mar 1896 d. Griffith 30 Oct 1974

married

Edna Annie SPRATT b. 23 June 1897 d. Griffith 11 May 1977

• • 1.

2.

3.

4.

Elva b. 6 December 1920 Allan Cecil b. 22 August 1922 Thurley b. 21 March 1925 Rodney Frederick b. 25 December 1926

By courtesy of the Brayne family.

55

BROOME Stanley Broome was born on 28 October 1889 in Newcastle, NSW. His father, Charles Broome, was a school teacher who was also born in Newcastle and his mother Ellen Robson was born in Wollongong NSW. Stan's Grandfather was born in England and later came to Australia and helped lay the first railway line in Australia. Stan's parents married in Wollongong, both died in Sydney and are buried there.

Stan was the eldest of four children - Dorothy, Geoffrey and Kathleen being the others. He was educated at Newington College, Stanmore, Sydney. As Stan's father Charles, was a headmaster, he was very keen for his children to have a good education. After matriculating, Stan worked as a Jackeroo in Queensland, but when the First World War broke out he enlisted and joined the 12th Australian Light Horse Regiment and was first shipped to Maadi near Cairo in 1915.

After landing on Gallipoli he fought on the ridge now known as "Lone Pine" where some of the bloodiest battles took place. In letters to his parents there are very graphic descriptions of the danger and dreadful conditions experienced In by these Australians.

November 1915 after service on Gallipoli, he was invalided home Stan Broome 1915. Possibly in the Army Camp to Australia recovering from at Liverpool before being sent to the Dardanelles.

Typhoid fever and dysentery.

12th Light llorse. Courtesy Elizabeth Jesting He didn't actually arrive in Australia until January 1916 because he had spent two months being moved from hospital to hospital waiting to come home. Stan then spent six months recuperating from these illnesses before returning to Egypt and rejoining the 12th Light Horse.

On 31 October 1917, at 4pm, Stan took part in the "Charge of Beersheba".

Seventy years later, Stan's son-in-law, Peter Ingram, Pamela's husband, was to collate his original letters which still exist, mostly legible, firstly in ink, "until the delicate mechanisms of the fountain pen were abandoned for the more robust contents of the pencil; along with these are the photographs" - "in a well thumbed album, a precis of the 56

hundreds that Stan took (and processed himself) during the latter two years of the war".

The resulting record is a valuable insight into the calibre of this young soldier and his peers many of whom, like Stan, were to become our future pioneer Soldier Settlers.

Coming through very clearly is the constant yearning for mail from home, the incredible tolerance of the hard living conditions, and despite the desire for home their complete acceptance of the dangers that lay ahead. Because Stan's letters are a poignant account of the experiences of our Solder Settlers brief extracts are included to reflect the character of these men generally and Stan in particular Prisoners of War Camp, Maadi, Cairo. 20/8/1915.

Dear Mother, We have been camped at the above address for over a week now, guarding Turkish prisoners They are a fine made race of men these Turks. They can beat any of us as regards chest measurement and are about the cleanest race I've seen. The difference is so remarkable when compared with the Egyptians who are the exact opposite and make me sick every time I look at them - their habits are so filthy and their bodies also.

I have been for a sail on the Nile and thoroughly enjoyed it but the boats are like the natives, that is, stink I have been very hard put to it for money since I've been here and have had to scrape along as best I could. You know the Commonwealth Bank promised to forward my account over so that it could be drawn on here, but on application to the agents, I found that no soldiers' accounts had been transferred and I have had to scratch along on my 1/- a day and hard work I have found it I would have cabled you, but the Government won't allow money to be cabled here for soldiers. Also they won't allow us to alter our allotments. so we have to grin and bear it. Cairo, as I have told you is a very expensive place for white people and the natives rob us right and left I learnt tonight that we are going to the Dardanelles on Tuesday If you should hear from the papers that something has happened to me. don't believe it right away. for there are plenty of chaps here in Cairo who have been reported killed and are still alive and hearty. The worst of the money business is that the wounded in hospital here receive no pay and although they are treated splendidly, still they feel the want of ready cash very much when they become convalescent I am enclosing a will in case anything happens. but I don't think it will be needed.

8 Troop 3rd Regiment, 12th Aust Light Horse. (late August) 1915 .......... This is the last letter I will be able to get away before we go into action We were all thoroughly tested by the doctor in all respects before we left Cairo. so you can believe I am in the best of health.

Anzac. Gallipoli 8/9/1915.

At last we are in the firing line and we have got through our baptism of fire disembarked here in punts on Sunday morning about 2 o'clock. That was last Sunday week and we have spent all the rest of the time in the firing line at a place called Lonesome Pine ("Lone Pine") The country is altogether different from what I expected to see, consisting of deep valleys and high bluffs which are made of crumbling earth and clothed in a kind of holly and low bushes. The landing place is still under fire from a big gun called 'Beachy Bill' and he got a good many for you can't step a yard We

57

without being in danger of shrapnel or snipers. However. you get used to it and when all is said and done, they get very few of us except in the charges The tucker here is pretty scarce so far. but I expect we will get used to it in time and perhaps a gallon of water a day is the allowance per man when we get into the way of it more, make it go further and you are lucky if you get a bottle a day when you are in the firing line and you want all that to drink Don't believe all you hear about the Turks being such a cruel race. Everyone here gives them the best name and say they are very fair fighters.

Holly Spur. Anzac. Gallipoli.

25/9/1915.

Well I have no answers to my earlier letters from Aden yet. and that is ten weeks ago Mother, I have been here now for a month. having landed here four weeks ago today and I am glad to say I am still alive and well and have not a scratch.

We have been in the firing line all the time and some of our boys will stop here for good. while many The first fortnight we put in at a ridge called Lonesome Pine ("Lone have gone away wounded and sick Pine") which is about the trickiest part of the line - the Turk's trenches being only an average of twenty yards away These trenches were taken from the Turks and the slaughter was reckoned the biggest since the army came here. It is very sad to see outside the trenches on the parapet between, bundles of clothes which were once men. And they are not only Turks. but a lot of our mates also, but it is impossible to reach them. it being a likely death to poke your head over the parapet. In one open place. I saw fully 400 dead Turks heaped up in a space, not more than 50 yards square.

Luckily. however. most of us are right now. but while it lasted. my word. it made us weak. I know some days it took me all my time to walk. but feel Al just at present. I think the stink and flies at Lonesome Pine must have had something to do with it for the bodies weren't quite decomposed. They stank horribly and the trenches were full of maggots and flies.

We have our dugouts on the side of a hill behind the firing line and they are quite safe from rifle fire or field guns. but this howitzer lobs them here. right on top of us and things are pretty lively at times.

Some days, he only gives us a taste. but on others, we have a continual hail of shrapnel and high explosive shells and it is marvellous what a number of narrow escapes we have.

Two men in my troop, including the sergeant. have been sent away with shattered nerves through this happening. They were very lucky men that they were not killed. as in both cases. the shell exploded in their dugouts and blew them and their belongings clean out.

It took a long while to get reconciled to the tucker. but we are now used to it. For breakfast, we get two small slices of bacon and tea. For dinner. bully beef stew made with desiccated vegetables and about once a fortnight. fresh meat being used. For tea. a pint of boiled rice. There is also an unlimited supply of hard biscuits and we get a ration of a quarter of a tin of jam and eighth tin of milk per diem (per day). About twice a week. if we are lucky. we get a loaf of bread and I tell you. there isn't much thrown away. Now we are settled down. we make porridge out of crushed biscuits and have rissoles fried in bacon fat, having been made from flour and onions which we pick up on the beach occasionally. Although they are not what you would call Parisian luxuries, still we make do of them and they fill us up a bit

No 15 Stationary Hospital, Mudros. Lemnos Island.

Sunday 7th Nov 1915.

Dear Mother.

I suppose you have been terribly anxious about me. especially as I have not written since I have taken ill. I was feeling pretty bad on the Peninsula for a long while before I gave in but had to at last and they sent me here. an island only about 40 miles away. I am convalescent and very thin and weak and the doctor won't stand me getting up yet. although I think he will in a few days. I have had typhoid fever and dysentery fever. but thank goodness am pretty well recovered now.

I have been here for three weeks now and up to a few days ago. all I lived on was a spoonful of jelly a day

58

Well Mother, I haven't much in the way of news to give you as I have been in bed all the time and please excuse the scrawl. Give my love to all at home and accept best love for yourself. S.

Hospital SS "Carisbrook Castle" Saturday 27/11/1915.

At Sea Dear Mother and Father, We boarded the above mentioned boat yesterday and started this morning bound for Alexandria We had a terrible rough time on Lemnos Island the last three weeks I was there. What with dust storms, cold and rain, its a wonder half the patients didn't get relapses, but most of us managed to survive all right We are very short of money over here as they won't pay us in hospital and it is doubtful if we can get any money when we get to Alexandria. although I am going to have a hard try. You never saw such a stoney broke lot as we are on the boat, for most have had no pay for months. in fact I've had none for over three months - and only a pound then If they keep us in Egypt as is most likely. I suppose it will be three months at least before I rejoin my regiment I don't know where all these stores go that are comforts for the troops. Of course. I have only been in English hospitals. so far, but they starved us on Lemnos and the cooking was execrable while on this boat. the tucker is nothing special and most certainly we don't get any extra comforts outside our rations Stan.

No 19 General Hospital (Oraw-el-Waska). Alexandria.

2/12/1915.

After a very rough trip on the "Carisbrook Castle" hospital ship and after hanging about outside Alexandria for two days on account of the weather. we finally finished up here Through some bungling or other, we have had nothing to eat since we arrived and not likely to get anything until tomorrow.

So I can say that everyone is very hungry and downhearted

Fever Convalescent Camp.

Port Said.

Thursday 10/12/1915.

Dear Mother I have done a lot of travelling about lately. viz: from Lemnos Island to No 19 General Hospital in Alexandria, then after 3 days there to No 3 Auxiliary of No 1 General Cairo. then to this place after another 4 day spell.

I am certain now to get a trip to Australia. but when I'll be starting is the question I am keeping fairly well, but am not putting on much flesh Stan.

Enteric Convalescent Camp Port Said.

4/1/1916.

Dear Father.

I am still here as you see and expect to be here for another fortnight. I should have been well on My way to Australia now, but through some messing up with our boarding papers. 35 of us were left behind when the last hatch left

59

The island we are on now is used at present wholly as an enteric (typhoid) convalescent camp It is only a short row across to Port Said town, but as they don't keep the money up. we don't see much of it Otherwise this is one of the most dreary and uninteresting spots imaginable for there's nothing to do but eat, read and sleep My Regiment. I believe. has returned to Egypt. but I'm sorry to say that there are not many of the old hands left. The regiment is formed again however. so when I get back, it will most likely be to the old mob.

I think I told you that my troop officer had his head blown off, and I understand that practically all the old sergeants are either wounded or sick.

Where we were stationed was the scene of the biggest fight on the Peninsula, on August 6th (1915) and the air and ground was putrid, so it isn't hard to place why so many of us got enteric and dysentery.

Besides, we had no water for days and once we saw water only as a half pint of tea that we would have with a meal. You can imagine when the water came, we didn't loose much time having a wash.

Well. they have evacuated it without The evacuation of Anzac was a marvellous feat. wasn't it any appreciable loss and my word, it was the only thing they could do for it was a regular death trap.

(This ends the Gallipoli section of the letters. Stan probably left Port Said for Australia in February 1916. Then he was back in Egypt by midOctober, so must have been on leave at home for some 6 months.)

Ismalia. Egypt.

29/10/1916. had very little sickness, bar seasickness on board, but we We had a splendid trip across are still in isolation here. I don't think there is much chance of ever getting back to the old regiment. but I have seen a few of them as they are camped close by

Camp in Egypt - (Probably Meadi.)

Christmas 1916.

Dear Mother.

I did not catch the mail last time as I was at Zeitoun. going through the Stokes Gun School There doesn't seem much hope of getting to the regiment or to France. although rumours are continually floating round to the effect that either might happen shortly We were all disappointed at the news of the defeat of conscription. but the deed is done, so it can't I am writing this on Christmas Eve. but it isn't much different to any other day here. Only be helped Your cake was very much appreciated. There are seven of sand and the tucker is by no means perfect the old regiment here in the tent and we share our parcels. so that you can guess it didn't last long.

Meadi. Egypt.

1/1/1917.

The year 1917 starts today and the world is still at war. Let's hope I won't be able to say the same next New Year's Day I put in my Christmas Day on horse picquet and we had a very ordinary Christmas dinner. consisting of cold meat and plum duff.

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(The letters take up again after El Arish. The 'regiment' of 12th Australian Light Horse, had probably moved out of Meadi Camp in early March, crossed the Suez at El Kantara and traversed the northern edge of the Sinai desert on the old caravan route, to reach the El Arish wadi [depression] some 35 miles prior to the Palestinian border.)

Somewhere in Palestine.

(Not dated) Dear Mother.

I suppose you are anxious as to how I am getting on. I dropped you a hurried scrawl from El Arish. but had not time to say much and we have been constantly on the move ever since The most acceptable thing in your parcel was those socks. I have about a dozen pairs. but we have had such little water and such short spells, that they are all hard as nails The country is like a Garden of Eden after the desert (Sinai). but strange to say. the water is scarcer here, although there are wells everywhere, we are not allowed to touch them. We may have to ride S or 6 miles from camp to water our horses you will have had the report in full of the operations the other day but I can tell you we had a very strenuous time and were just about knocked up when we came out of it. We were in the saddle day and night for nine days and the night riding was particularly tiring. Our casualties were rather heavy I think We are experiencing a taste of the Khamseen, a hot desert wind and I am writing this underground in a dugout but even here it is stifling.

On the Field.

(Not dated) Dear Mother. .......... I am writing this from a place a long way from my last camp. as we have been travelling for the last fortnight the town has been held by the Turks for over two years. We can hear the guns from here although we are still about forty miles away this is quite a sudden call to move on but thank goodness we are going to be soldiers again

Somewhere in Palestine 4/8/1917.

Dear Mother.

Three years of war and the end not in sight yet. Whoever thought that it would last as long.

Palestine.

26/10/1917.

Dear Mother.

Before this reaches you. I expect the aspect of things on this front will have altered considerably and we hope to give the World something to talk about. We will be in the thick of it on my birthday most likely and I think there is a hard tiring time in front of us. but everything points to a glorious victory this time.

61

Somewhere in Palestine (Julien).

26/11/1917.

Dear Father.

I have had no opportunity of writing. or paper to write on since we left El Fara until the present moment. so I am sending you now an account from day to day as I remember it. hoping you will keep it so that it will serve as a sort of a diary.

(Then follows a copy of the rough diary from Sunday 28th October onwards to Thursday 15th November - giving an account of the taking of Beersheba.)

Sunday 28th October: Left Tel el Fara at 6pm as advance guard for Division and arrived at Esani at midnight (about 9 miles). Bivouacked.

Monday 29th October: Spent all day at Esani, watered at White Cliffs. then left for Kalassa at 6pm. arriving at 10pm (a distance of 9 miles) and bivouacked.

Tuesday 30th October: Spent all day at Kalassa. Watered at old ruined village Wells blown up by Turks but water pumped by oil engine and an unlimited supply. Left for 34 miles ride about 6pm.

Wednesday 31st October: The day of the great adventure. At daybreak we found ourselves amongst tremendous hills about 8 miles east of Beersheba. We travelled on. tired out from night riding. Most of us boiled our quarts and went to sleep. We remained undisturbed until 4pm when we were ordered to stand to our horses. About 4 o'clock Captain Davies rode up and informed us we were going to charge Beersheba. We galloped through 4 miles of shell, rifle and machine gun fire, clean over the redoubts and rifle pits. straight up to the guns, took them, galloped through the town, surrounded it and collected prisoners, booty and guns. In all, we caught 1300 prisoners and 13 big guns, besides the machine guns and rifles galore. The town and railway was captured with nothing touched or destroyed, although everything of any importance was found mined ready to blow up. Barely 30 of us got through in the first charge. and when the others arrived. the prisoners etc were all collected. We camped in the town at night and did outpost. The infantry joined up with us early in the night and formed a cordon from the other side. The Anzacs were on our right and the 4th Regiment on our left.

Thursday 1st November: Woke up in Beersheba. spent morning going over the town. Charge was over and generally straightening things out. Water our horses at stone trough and in afternoon shifted out to the flat country round the town and formed a camp. About 4 o'clock, a Taube (Turkish Aeroplane) flew very low and deliberately bombed the 4th Field Ambulance. Sorry we took prisoners now. Pumped water until midnight.

Saturday 3rd November: Very weary - excitement of charge wearing off and reaction setting in. Fatigues all day and no water for horses. Bombs exploding in town and a few men blown up. Taube that bombed the hospital yesterday brought down by machine gun fire. The bombs killed 6 and wounded 6 as well as a number of horses and mules.

Sunday 4th November: Saddled up and left for Karm at 2pm. Still no water. Arrived at Karm. going through Turk redoubts at 2am. Dust a nightmare - worst ride experienced so far. Horses had a good drink.

Stan arrived home to Australia early in 1919 to settle back to civilian life. He lived at Rockdale with his family recuperating from war injuries until 1921 when he came to Griffith. He lived at Bagtown until he settled on Farm 1298 - a Soldier Settlers farm.

Life was good for Stan at this time, he had some great friends and plenty of social life.

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Stan was present at the first inaugural meeting of the Jondaryan Club in 1928 and served on the first Committee as a foundation member.

It was at this time too that Stan met Nellie (known as "Nellie" and"Nell") Stewart Gow and after a very happy courtship they were married on 29 May 1929.

Nellie Stewart Broome (nee Gow) was born on 2 February 1902, the second child of five children to Annie and George Gow. A curious coincidence of numbers shows that she was the second child of the family, born on the second day of the second month in the second year of this century. She was born in Narrandera and then went home to live on "Moombooldool" Station, which her father was managing. Her brother Graham Douglas died at the age of 2 years, her sisters were Margaret, who married Warwick Pope; Betty, who married Jim Elder; and Marion, who married John Woodside.

In 1910 Nell moved with her parents to "Barellan" Station homestead. "Barellan" Station was purchased and subdivided by a syndicate of which her father, George, was a member and he also accepted the management of "Barellan". The family then shifted to "Binya" Station which was also subidivied by the same syndicate, one portion of which George Gow managed and which was called "Hughenden".

Nell clearly remembered having a ride on the train when it first journeyed through to Barellan. She recalled the night train from Sydney leaving Temora at 8 a.m. and arriving at Ariah Park for lunch, taking at least half an hour to shunt out of the Ariah Park railway station!

When Nell was 7 years old she started her education in Sydney, having been sent down there to live with her Aunts, after the "Moombooldool" station homestead, where they were living at that time, had been burnt down.

Nellie Stewart Broome (nce Gow) She attended Miss Dove's School and was taught February 1926. aged 24 years by one of the Miss Doves. On returning home Courtesy lairabeth Josling she continued her education with a governess and one of her big thrills was when she realised she Could read. In 1917 Nell continued her schooling at Merton Hall, the Church of England Grammar School at Yarra, Melbourne. The large Assembly Hall she attended is still in use today. While there, peace was declared in 1918.

On returning home she taught school to her two younger sisters and a neighbour's son. In 1928 Nell met Stanley Broome, who was a brother of a good friend of hers. Stan and Nell were married in 1929 in the homestead of a property called "Hughenden" near Barellan owned by her father and mother, George and Annie Gow. They started their married life on Farm 1298, Ballingal, 3 miles from Griffith. The farm was planted with sultana and gordo grapes and a few oranges and appeared to have a bumper crop the first Year of their marriage. On the 24 October 1929 it was ruined by what was then known as an "icy blast" but what would today probably be called a black frost.

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Stan and Nell had a lot of hard work in those days, having only a copper and board for washing (Nell even made her own soap), a drip safe to keep food cool, wood stove, a cow and chooks. Nell made her own butter and cream, grew all her own vegetables and Stan would buy a sheep at the sale and kill and dress it himself. They had a lot of disappointments and hopes for a prosperous life on a farm did not come completely to fruition. In fact, it was Stan who led the protest march by the Soldier Settlers on the Commission offices to air their grievances over excessive costs and charges.

On 23 July 1930 Stan and Nell's first child, Stewart, was born - followed later by Margaret, Edward (Ted), Pamela and Elizabeth - all were born at Griffith in a span of seven years.

Times were tough but Nell and Stan still managed to be on Committees and help with many community organisations - including the Scout and Guide Movements. They were rewarded when their daughter Elizabeth became the first Queen's Guide in this town and area.

Nell was an active member of the Presbyterian Church (and later the Uniting Church) in the early thirties, taking part in the Women's Guild and was made a Life Member later on. She held the position of President and served for many years on the Committee of Management.

Nell was a foundation member of the Barellan CWA (and her mother was the foundation President) when it was commenced on 15 August 1922. She later joined the Griffith Branch holding office of President in 1951, 1952 and 1956 and also served as Secretary. She was made a Life Member in 1963. She served as President of the Murrumbidgee-Lachlan Group in 1959, 1960 and 1961 and during her term of office her work with the Aboriginal women at "Three Ways"8 was outstanding. She formed a branch of CWA there in 1962 and went every month to their meetings. Every Monday she also went out to "Three Ways" and held sewing circles with the Aboriginal women, teaching them how to sew and mend. Nell was on the Aboriginal Advancement Committee that started the "Save The Children" Pre-school at "Three Ways". The Clinic Sister then started coming out to the Hall there that had been built by the Apex Club. Unfortunately this was later burnt down.

On the farm Stan and Nell had their ups and downs . It was replanted with peaches, nectarines and oranges but many a year these crops failed. Sometimes it hailed and ruined the fruit, or brown rot set in or the prices were too low to even cover costs.

Nell was known for being an excellent shot with a rifle and her family recalled her shooting hawks attacking the chickens and one day shooting a very big brown snake on their verandah.

When son, Ted, left school he came to help Stan run the farm as Stan's health was deteriorating as a result of his war injuries. The time spent in the desert had taken its toll and Stan had developed very bad skin cancer from over exposure to the sun. For many years he had treatment, spending a lot of time in Concord Repatriation Hospital.

Ted was killed in a motor bike accident on 18 October 1970. Because Stan was very ill

8

An area north west of Griffith where the main canal branches into two - hence the canal goes in three directions and there are bridges over each of the three spurs. Later an adjacent area was declared an Aboriginal Reserve.

64

at the time the farm had to be sold. Stan died just over a year later, on 23 December 1971, aged 83 years, from cancer and was cremated. His ashes, at his request, were scattered on Farm 1298.

Nell moved to town and lived on her own until 1983 when she moved into the Pioneer Lodge. Nell died on 24 November 1990, aged 88 at the Griffith Nursing Home and is buried in the Lawn Section of the Griffith Cemetery.

Nell and Stan did not amass material wealth but enjoyed the treasure of family where love is found and the respect of their neighbours (Kay and George Smailes, Mr and Mrs Rand and Mona and Jack Duchatel) and that of the community for the services they rendered.

The treasures they left behind are in people - those who loped them and shared their life with them. Well done, good and faithful servants.

000000000

Stanley Broome born 28 Oct 1889 Newcastle NSW died 23 December 1971 Griffith NSW

Nellie Stewart Gow born 2 February 1902 Narrandera NSW died 24 November 1990 Griffith NSW

married • •

• Stewart born 23 January 1930: married Thelma Easy. Three children - Peter. Pamela and Karen. Lives at Coleambally.

Margaret born 8 April 1932; married Barry Lee. Four children Susan. Michael. Gregory and Kathy. Lives at Sydney.

3.

Edward (Ted) born 23 Janaury 1934: died 18 October 1970: married Marjory Walker. Two children - Geoffrey and Jacqueline.

4.

Pamela born 19 January 1936: married Peter Ingram. Two children David and Steven. Lives at Christchurch. New Zealand.

5.

Elizabeth born 8 November 1937: married Peter Josling. Four children - Craig. Jennifer: Paul and Michael. Lives at Griffith.

By courtesy of Elizabeth Josling (nee Broome), 60 Messner Street, Griffith.

65

Grin it h Contribiations Australia Day 0250....

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1,410 04006 D YOVIC WNW 110,7 BRYA.1 COMAM /114$11.

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Griffith Enlistments 95 (iriffith Honour Roll 1914-18 (:ourtcsy Griffith RS1, and Western Itiverina Community Library

66

CHAPMAN The youngest son of this pioneering family, Gordon, states - "I would like to point out that pioneering any place on earth is not easy, which is accepted, but I do believe that our soldier settlers could have received more support than they got from the authorities at the time. In spite of the limited resources available to them, it was disappointing and not conducive to encouraging the next generation to continue farming. For example, my father said to my elder brother - 'When I retire would you like to take over the farm?' His reply was 'No'. My answer was the same. My father often said to me, 'When I married your mother my object was to work two years, put on a farm manager, then both of us take a holiday to England, but it was many years before we could afford a holiday in Sydney!'

David William Chapman was born at Holloway, London on 18 June 1879 and prior to David William Chapman coming to Australia fought in the South African 18/6/1879 - 4/8/1963 Boer War. He migrated to Western Australia Courtesy Gordon W Chapman where he enlisted in the AIF during World War I and was drafted into the 11th Batallion.

After the War, Dave, as he was known, applied for a soldier settlement block and Farm 287 at Beelbangera was granted to him on 11 September 1919.

Whilst living in Sydney he met his future wife, Katie Isabel Anderson (a dancing teacher) from Forrest Lodge, a suburb of Sydney NSW. They were married on 4 October 1919.

Living conditions on Farm 287 were very severe in the beginning, without electricity, tap water, sewerage, telephone or radio. The "roads" were only bush tracks and when returning after dark from shopping trips to Griffith the horse found their way home!

Son Gordon recalls that "there were not many happy or funny memories. Only hardships and little money. In the great Depression of the 1930's things were very hard; the Overland car was up on blocks in the shed and we went to town by horse and cart there was no money for petrol. Once in 1933 my mother had to save for three weeks to buy a four gallon can of kerosene for the lamps - and the cost was only 4/6d (four shillings and six pence).

"It appears that the main problem was that in difficult times fruit was considered a luxury in many households whereas vegetables were considered more essential. About 1935 it cost 3/1d to produce a half bushell (28 lbs) box of table grapes over a twelve month period and sometimes they sold for as low as 2/6d a box. If the market were glutted by over supply, the fruit had to be dumped by the Sydney agent and then a

67

`dumping fee' was charged to the grower!! On occasions, after sending a consignment of fruit, instead of receiving a cheque, the farmer received a bill. HEARTBREAKING!!

"Most of the farmers in the district at the time were indebted to the Rural Bank and had to farm under instructions - when harvesting time came around a further loan was required to pay the pickers and the Bank had a lien on the first crop. There was a time when my father owed the bank £2,300 which was a lot of money. (For example, at that time a three bedroom brick bungalow could be built in Sydney for £750). Some of the growers could see no future and despair compelled them to accept the bank's offer of £300 and walk off the farm and leave everything to the bank. My father was one of those who decided to hang on hoping for improvement.

"Our eldest sister, Murial, died at the age of a few months in a private hospital in Griffith. The medical officer was probably unqualified because I recall my mother saying to me - 'Your sister could not get the right medical attention as the 'doctor' said to me 'I am sorry Mrs Chapman, but I know nothing about babies'.

"When World War II started, in 1939, conditions improved. Fruit prices rose considerably and within four years my father was able to pay off his debt to the bank, sell the farm and 'get to hell' out of it!! Our family went to Sydney in search of a better lifestyle - which they found.

"I can recall father once saying 'As a soldier settler I was alloted Farm 287 Beelbangera, but instead of being repatriated was overworked and persecuted!!'

"I believe that for future pioneers in our country, the authorities should take a better interest in their welfare and give more assistance when needed at the critical stage that first year of pioneering. If the assistance is only an improvement of just 5% overall then writing this account of hardship will have been worthwhile."

David and Katie had three children:Murial born Griffith, died Griffith when a few months old Norman David born Griffith 6 December 1922 Gordon William born Griffith 8 March 1927.

By courtesy of Gordon William Chapman, 65/6 Middlemiss Street, Rosebery 2018.

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CHAPMAN George James Chapman married Louisa Ellen (Eleanor) Pavey at the Parish of St George, County of London on 25 September 1914.

George served as a soldier and medical orderly in World War I and on returning home became a postman. The young couple's first born were twin girls, Winifred and Beatrice, who sadly died at about eight months after contracting whooping cough and are buried at Nunhead Cemetery in London.

Irene Louise was born in London in August 1920 and the young couple sailed to Australia with their new born daughter, on a trip which was to take eight long weeks. They eventually arrived in Griffith in a heatwave - hot northerly winds and dust blowing. After the climate of London, they thought they'd come to the end of the world!!

They lived first with George's brother, David, who was a soldier settler on Farm 287, Beelbangera with George doing farm work. Later they lived on various farms in the Bilbul area.

Ivy May was born at "Sylvania" Louisa and George Chapman 1914 Private Hospital, Yenda on 28 July Courtesy Dorothy Jiggins (nee Chapman) 1922. Leslie Douglas was born at the "Boomerang" Private Hospital, Griffith on 18 August 1923, with Dr Watkins in attendance.

The family then moved to the Viticultural Nursery at Hanwood, where George worked as a Nurseryman for eight years. Dorothy Rose was born in the residence there with mid-wife Nurse Taylor in attendance (no doctor) on 2 December 1925. Youngest son, Frederick George was born on Farm 862, in the Wickams Hill area of Griffith on 9 July 1927 also with mid-wife Nurse Taylor in attendance (no doctor).

The family moved to Day's farm at Hanwood where George share-farmed for twelve months and the older children commenced school there.

They then moved to Farm 1270, a one acre block, at West Griffith, which they bought for f100. The residence there was constructed of galvanised iron and unlined.

It was dreadfully hot in summer and freezing in winter.

69

George and Louisa with the twins who died about a month apart from whooping cough taken in the livingroom of their London home Courtesy Dorothy Jiggins (nee Chapman)

Things were very hard during the Depression years and life was not easy. Flour bags were made into aprons, petticoats, pillow slips and tea towels. The family walked everywhere, but they did have a horse and sulky in the early years.

There was no sewerage or electricity, lamps on the table were used for lighting and hurricane lamps for carrying. A fuel stove for cooking and flat irons, heated on the fuel stove, for ironing. Water was carried in buckets from an underground well, with one rain tank for drinking water. During winter (if it was a dry season) every drop of water was precious. After washing or bathing, the water was used to wash floors or water the garden. Bath night was in a wash tub in front of the kitchen fire.

During the summer months, being a one acre block, irrigation water was sent down (via a small cement channel about one foot deep) regularly for watering any plantings of fruit trees or vegetables and to re-fill the well.

The family was self sufficient and Louise, having been a cook at Guy's Hospital in London prior to her marriage, was able to make her own bread and jam. They had a goat which provided milk. A lot of rabbit was cooked and eaten - baked, stewed, fried or in pies!! Lots of stews were made with more vegetables than meat!

A hawker would come selling rabbits - sixpence a pair, hanging from his cart. He also sold props for clothes lines. The family would barter with neighbours, swapping fruit, vegetables, milk and eggs. They kept fowls and the ones which did not lay ended up on the table. Sometimes the wrong one was caught and killed but they wouldn't find out until it was cleaned out, and eggs a plenty were found. Their "cool drinks" were water from the

70

water bag out in the cool under the willow tree. A "Drip Safe", made of hessian, was to to keep the food cool. Buckets of water were carried daily for this also, as the hessian had to be kept wet during hot weather. All shoes were mended at home on a boot last. Home made soap was also made from left over fat nothing was wasted.

As there was no money for toys, the young children made their own fun and played all types of games - Hide and Seek, built cubby houses (out of nothing and imagination) played hopscotch, skipping, marbles and flying homemade kites as well as making Billy Carts (with wheels off old prams). Popular games also were "Sheep Sheep Come Home", "Oranges and Lemons" and make believe schools! All the children kept healthy and a visit to the doctor was unheard of.

As they grew up house parties were popular with dancing on the verandahs to music provided by a gramophone or piano accordian, mouth organ and violin. A highlight was an outing to the open air pictures on Monday nights - bargain nights George and Louisa - London 1920 Photos courtesy I)orothy Jiggins (nee Chapman)

sixpence for children and a free bag of lollies!

On very special occasions, day river trips were organised with Lawfords, who had a truck with a canopy over it - adults one shilling each and children free. They travelled twenty one miles to Taylor's Beach at Darlington Point. What wonderful days they were! Louisa had been in Griffith for twenty one years without a holiday or even leaving Griffith. The outing to Taylors Beach was her first trip away!!

The children all attended Griffith Primary School, girls wearing navy tunics and boys dark serge trousers and braces.

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George Chapman in the uniform of a London Postman

George's last job of work was painting the Griffith High School when it was first built. He was forced to cease work in 1933 due to ill health - (he had been gassed in World War I). He died in 1941 at the age of 58 years, leaving Louisa to rear the family of two sons and three daughters, whose ages ranged from 13 to 20 years.

Louisa died at home (without ever having been in a hospital for ill health) in September 1962 aged 76 years.

Family Descendants of George & Louisa Chapman - c.1945 L to R Back - Irene, Frederick, Frederick Jiggins, Leslie, Ivy Front - Irene's son Ronald, Louisa Chapman, Dorothy nursing Ivy's son Max, Edna Chapman (nee Davis) Courtesy Dorothy Jiggins (nee Chapman)

George James Chapman born London c. 1883 died Griffith December 1941

Louisa Ellen (Eleanor) Pavey born Surrey c. 1888 died Griffith September 1962

married

Winifred. died aged 8 months. Buried Nunhead Cemetery. London Beatrice, died aged 8 months. Buried Nunhead Cemetery. London Irene Louise. born London 5 August 1920. Married Ray Pizarro (divorced), one son.

Married William Baker. Lives at Footscray Vic. Two daughters.

4.

Ivy May. born Griffith 28 July 1922. Married Arthur Jones (deed). one son. Married Roy Priest. Lives at Griffith NSW. Two daughters and one son.

5.

Leslie Douglas, born Griffith 18 August 1923. Married Edna Davis. Lives Wagga Wagga NSW. Three sons.

6.

Dorothy Rose, born Griffith 2 December 1925. Married Frederick Jiggins. Lives Griffith NSW. Three sons and one daughter.

7.

Frederick George, born Griffith 9 July 1927. Married Irene Sharpley. Lives Sydney NSW. One son and two daughters.

By courtesy of Dorothy Jiggins (nee Chapman), 34 Curtin Street, Griffith 2680.

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CHAUNCY Oliver Curtis (known as Curtis) Chauncy was born in the Ganmain district in 1890 and enlisted on 1 April 1915. He served in the 20th Battalion, 1st AIF and saw active service on Gallipoli and then in France. On his return from overseas he came to Griffith in 1919 and developed Farm 1235 as an orchard where he lived until 1946.

He married Miss Edith Andrews in 1934. After leaving Griffith they lived in the Wollongong area, where his wife died and Curtis returned to Griffith in 1966. He was a cousin to the Surveyor - Harold Chauncy.

The Griffith Pioneers Lodge Hostel wing is named after Curtis Chauncy in recognition of his generous donation of money which enabled the Pioneers Lodge Committee to proceed with building the complex. He died in Griffith in 1976.

Curtis Chauncy Courtesy Norman Chauncy

The home of Curtis Chauncy - West End, Griffith.

CAiurtesy the Chauncy Family

By courtesy of Norman Chauncy (son of Harold Chauncy).

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CHEESBROUGH William Edward Webster ("Ted") Cheesbrough became one of the "Digger" pioneer farmers of this area when he took up Farm 782 at Yenda in 1919. Ted was a Light Horseman, having served with the 7th Light Horse Regiment.

The fruit farm he drew was a little over 29 acres and had a capital value of £740. It makes its own comment that by 1926 this capital value was reduced to 670/613; annual rental £18/10/4.9 Ted was forced to forfeit this block in 1927 because of the unsuitability of the soil for the type of trees grown - "on expert advice"! After five years of hard toil he found he had drawn a block on which he had no hope of making a living.

Of farming stock, Ted Cheesbrough was the grandson of Job and Fanny Maria who when they emigrated to Australia received a grant of land near Barraba NSW which they called "Tareela".

Job passed away on 1 October 1881 leaving Fanny a widow with seven children - Elizabeth, William, Charles, Margaret, Nellie, Frank Marley and John Swinfen.

Ted Cheesbrough (1893-1968) One of their sons, Frank Marley 7th Lighthorsernan, World War 1 Cheesbrough married Elizabeth Anne Courtesy Sue Che.ssbrough Newton. They had a dairy farm at Barraba where their two children grew up - Dorothy who married Thornton Spencer and William Edward ("Ted") who was born at Barraba on 9 May 1893.

Initially Ted lived on Farm 782 with his widowed mother, Elizabeth Anne Cheesbrough. At this time he supplemented his small returns by playing the piano for the Yenda Picture Show - described many years later by his wife, Doris - "Silent films of course, so it was left to him to bring forth from the ratticy old piano appropriate music banging away with gusto in a Wild Western as horses galloped madly; breaking down to a soft melody in a love scene: tinkling away brightly for a comedy. And earning a pound a night!" 10

9 10

Water Resources records.

"Here Comes The Bailiff- by Doris Cheesbrough

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Recalling their first meeting and hearing "the deep-toned voice of a man urging his horse along kindly, for he had driven quite a way a real countryman, one of Nature's gentlemen" this "Digger" farmer whom (she later discovered) "could play anything on our Bechstein Grand (piano), anything from jazz to classical, from ballad to the old war tunes - with infinite tenderness."11 After forfeiting his fruit farm at Yenda Ted went to Sydney for a short time where he met again and married Doris Wilmot Samuels (born South Melbourne 24 July 1898). The couple had first met at Yenda while Doris had been visiting friends who were also pioneering a Soldier Settlers block there.

The year after they were married Ted came back to Griffith to spend his annual holidays here, leaving Doris who was expecting their first baby to stay with her mother.

While on this trip he bought Farm 314 which was much larger than the previous farm he had had and was suitable for growing the newly introduced crop of rice; it was also suited for the production of sheep and pastures.

At Bilbul, Farm 314 had previously been owned by Abe Hicken. At this time rice growing was in the experimental stages but Ted had great expectations for the growing of this crop. However, it meant going into debt to the extent of f1,500, just to pay half the purchase price - an enormous amount in those times!

To Doris' utter dismay she was soon "to learn that (Ted was) a typical country man, lean and suntanned, with an inborn longing to grow things and could never settle away from the land he returned jubilant. He had no eyes for the comfort nor the beauty of Sydney".12 This initial dismay was nothing compared to that on her arrival, with a young infant, on a hot Spring day. They arrived after a tiring train journey with their chubby new daughter, Sue, their valuable wedding presents and "hope". Griffith had changed since Doris had last visited. It now sported two hotels - the "Griffith" and the "Victoria" - and a few new shops.

Leaving Doris and the baby at Mirrool House, Ted went to pick up the secondhand truck on which he had paid f5 deposit. He also bought other necessities - a case of food, a nice big straw mattress, a couple of deck chairs, a meat safe, a second hand dresser and some pots and pans. On top of this load went the baby's "beribboned" bassinette!

The farm itself had been allowed to become run down by the previous owner who had left behind a few bedraggled chooks, a horse with one eye and a cow! Doris' first look at the house had been one of horror!! It was not what she had been used to. It was shabby weatherboard with the paint peeling off and consisted of two small bedrooms with a passage between them, a fairly large sitting room and a detached shack out the back that served as a kitchen. Inside the house was unlined and without any ceiling. Cracks showed through the weatherboards and spider webs were everywhere. The first night was spent on the straw mattress on the floor. A few days later a bedroom suite arrived from Doris' mother. This completely filled one of the small bedrooms. Ted's mother sent a piano.

11 1'

Ibid Ibid

75

Doris had a hard time coping with the dust, the flies and, most especially, the loneliness. Trying to get the rice crop in on time, Ted left each morning while it was still dark and arrived home again after dark at night. The only means of transport was the truck, "Ricketty Kate", but as the first crop was on virgin country (referred to as the additional area) some distance from the house, Ted used it to go to work leaving Doris without any transport.

One of their closest neighbours was Ben Prior who was a regular caller. He brought his wife over to show Doris how to make bread after she had many failed attempts.

They were very good friends to the young couple.

The first crop of rice grown was a very good one and the Cheesbroughs, although able to meet their mortgage and other commitments had nothing over for the hopeful extensions to the house. These had to be postponed until later.

Bad weather and the Depression caught up with most of the farmers as it did with the Cheesbroughs and it was a struggle just to survive. It was at this time that their second baby, John, arrived - on 31 March 1932.

Ted and Doris had plenty of wheat for which there was no sale so they borrowed a crusher. In the evenings they crushed wheat which they used for fine wheatmeal for scones, cakes, bread and, of course, porridge. Doris had found a good recipe for wholemeal bread and later on won prizes in country shows with Doris Cleesbrough with daughtcr, Suc. it. An honour for her!! They also exchanged beside "Ricketty Kate 1929 some of the crushed wheat for other Courtesy Sue Chessbrough necessities.

Slowly, as economic conditions improved, the rice farms began to prosper and the shack that the Cheesbroughs had lived in for so long was replaced by a comfortable house with all "mod cons". It even had a new electric stove to replace the "old black monstrosity" that used to be in the shack out the back. It was on the new floor of the sunroom that Johnny accidently dropped a dish of home made butter. The butter was not melting in the dish - only when it hit the burning hot floor in summer did it melt! No amount of scrubbing would remove the stain so more butter was put on the rest of the floor to match the stain then rubbed up. The result was a beautiful stained floor! The recipe was taken up by all the women round!

76

Doris tells13 of her delight in her new house and how she took the opportunity to return people's hospitality over the years by asking them to afternoon tea in her new home. For this first important occasion she had made herself a new crepe-marocain frock.

She was ready to receive the visitors in her new frock, new black patent court shoes and pure silk stockings when Sue came in and announced that "Johnny would be properly drowned (by) now in the nice new dam". Doris tore over to the dam and dived into the dam after making sure that Johnny was nowhere about. She groped in the muddy water calling for help and feeling with her feet and groping near the water's edge before diving into the deeper water again. She came up for air, almost exhausted and saw Johnny's face peering at her and saying "I've come back now to fish some more"! She closed her eyes and sagged against the fence not caring about her mud-caked face, her hair in a mess and her crepe dress shrunk up to her waist displaying filthy muddy pants. Her pure silk stockings were ruined and her shoes lost. What a spectacle to greet her visitors who had chosen that precise moment to arrive and were laughing at her as she walked back to the house!!

"kalora" after renovations and additions c.1938 Courtesy Sue Chessbrough

The years of endured hardships had taken their toll on Ted's health and in the December of 1940, with much misgivings, they decided to sell out and find a better climate and an easier way of life. They then purchased a grazing property near Gooloogong in the Cowra district before retiring to Sydney.

13

Ibid

77

William Edward Webster ("Ted") Cheesbrough passed away on 17 November 1968 at their home, 20 Jamieson Parade, Collaroy and was cremated at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium.

Doris Wilmot Cheesbrough (nee Samuels) passed away 3 April 1980 in Sydney and was also cremated at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium.

Another daughter, Joan Anne was born after they left the Area. Their elder daughter, Sue, wrote the book "A Spread of Green" which contains much of local interest.

While writing her book, so as to be associated with her parent's contribution of the area, Sue decided to revert to her maiden name. At the same time, Sue changed the spelling to "Chessbrough" - its phonetic pronunciation.

Children of William Edward Webster Cheesbrough and Doris Wilmot Cheesbrough (nee Samuels): (1)

Susanne born Wagga 18 April 1928. Married Roddam Knyvet Wright.

They had two daughters: 1.

Kristin Lesley born Wagga 4 April 1951.

Married Nicholaos Tsalapatanis on 27 May 1979 on Skyros 2.

Meredith Adrienne born 19 August 1956

2.

John Webster born Griffith 31 March 1932. An engineer, is married and lives in USA.

3.

Joan Anne born Eugowra 15 November 1943. Married Geoffrey Dallimore.

1.

Kathryn Anne born 14 March 1970 (deceased).

2.

Paul Cheesbrough born 15 November 1971

3.

Anthca born 5 March 1974

4.

Michael John born 16 May 1979

By courtesy of Sue Chessbrough, 20 Jamieson Parade, Collaroy.

78

CHITTY My grandfather, also Thomas Chitty, was bailiff on an estate in Hampshire, England. His son Thomas was born on 24 January 1899 and Thomas senior died when his son was only six years old. My Dad was brought up by his uncle, Jesse Ratcliff, who was a haulage contractor. From an early age Dad drove a steam tractor for his uncle. They delivered goods all over England.

Dad boasted that he knew every watering place in England where he could refill the steam engine.

He also claimed that he left England to escape numerous "speeding' fines! Apparently great speed could be attained by slipping the steam tractor out of gear at the top of hills!!

During a huge military type manoeuvre on the Salisbury Plains early in the century, Dad was the youngest driver in the whole show.

Dad was a keen reader of all types of literature all his life, even though he had only a total of Thomas Chitty - 1914 two years education. I think he Courtesy Joan Irvine (nee Chitty) came to Australia in 1913. He said he only had five shillings in his pocket. His entire savings of £23 had gone to pay his fare out here. At first he worked at "Gambarra" Station at Greenethorpe near Cowra NSW. After a while he went to New Zealand where he worked felling trees in a forest. When war was declared he joined the New Zealand army. However, at the camp where he was sent men were dying like flies from meningitis. Because of this Dad broke camp and came hack to Australia and went back to "Gambarra" to work.

He then enlisted in the 6th Australia Light Horse. Brian Farley, later a rice farmer at Yenda, was in the same unit. They rode side by side throughout the war. They were Anzacs - landing on Gallipoli, not on the first morning, as they remained on the ship looking after the horses, but the next day. Dad was wounded by shrapnel at some time during the war and went to a Military Hospital at Ramleh in Egypt. He named our farm "Ramleh" in memory of this place.

79

Tom Chitty near the house • he built. The math room had round poles set in the corners. With him, the dog that bit me!

•

Prunes drying in the sun on wooden trays which had to be stacked and covered every time it ktolted like rain!

Tom (bitty with the car • he converted to a utility on which races of fruit were taken to the packing shed. (The fruit cases, of course, were kerosene cases). Big loads were taken by Bill Smith, carrier.

Photos courtesy Joan Irvine (nee Chitty)

80

After the war, when he disembarked from the troop ship in Sydney, he was approached by a police officer who wanted him to join the Police Force because he was such a big man. He declined because Dad wanted to be a farmer. He was offered a block straight off, on a new Soldier Settlement on "Gambarra". He could have had first pick because of being the first employee to enlist from the Station.

However he decided to come to Yenda instead, because he had heard glowing reports about the proposed sultana growing there.

Dad lived at the barracks at Yenda first; then he shared a tent with Crossley Barrat, Dick Bardney and Joe Baker (grandfather of the Corner and Rennie families). They, the soldier gangs, cleared and graded a great many of the farms in the district and finally drew their own farms. My father drew Farm 1367, now on Gribble Road, Yenda. It was granted to him on 13 October 1920.

Unaided financially, Dad built his own home. It had peeled round log uprights and fibro walls and a corrugated iron roof. I don't remember it ever being draughty or so Thomas Chitty with new wife I)ulcic terribly hot. It burnt down in the 1960's after Courtesy Joan Irvine (nee Chitty) the farm was sold.

Dad grew sultanas first and also tobacco for which we had a curing barn. I think overseas monopolies forced the locals out of tobacco growing. I can remember the plants growing a bit like very tall silver beet.

The leaves were harvested and tied in bunches much like silver beet and strung onto sticks about five feet long and hung in the heated barn to dry. I don't remember the selling part.

On the farm, the most suitable crops which evolved over the years were wine grapes, prunes, peaches, apricots and apples. Sultanas and nectarines were two crops that fell by the wayside.

In 1944 Dad built a dehydrator to dry the prunes. It was a sort of competition between Dad and a friend, Mr John Hill, who had bought Schwab's farm on the Myall Park Road. They both completed their dehydrators and dried prunes for their own farms and for other farmers in rainy weather. At first Dad's fans, which he made himself too, were driven by a tractor and then by electricity, the heat was provided by a wood furnace.

Until we got a circular saw, one of the Land Army girls and I cut all the wood into lengths with axes to feed the furnace. "Lucky" was the girl's name. I would love to meet her again. She was only seventeen when she came to us and I would have been fourteen.

81

Tobacco growing (reproduced from Glass Negatives) Courtesy Water Resources Commission

Oliver ("011ie") Mills was our neighbour across the road. He was Dad's very good friend. When people began to get refrigerators in their homes, 011ie was the only person in our end of the district who could understand and fix them when they broke down. He was in great demand. I think the other "expert" was named Hercules Dixon and he lived nearer Griffith. This would have been in the early 1940's.

One day Dad was cutting down an old Buick car, making it into a utility. This was often done in those days.

He heard me screaming. I had been bitten by our blue heeler

Dulcic (bitty (nee Wyatt) First flowering of young peach trees - about 1930 Courtesy Joan Irvine (nee (hitty)

82

dog. Dad was terrified. He had visions of rabies. He did not know that rabies had been kept out of Australia by quarantine.

I was bundled into the "naked" vehicle and rush to Sister McKay's hospital in Yenda. I had two gashes on my cheek.

One needed seven stitches, the other needed two. I was only four years old at the time but I remember it well. The dog survived. He had only just been fed when I walked past and he was defending his food.

Dad married Kathleen Nutley, an English school teacher. She died of septicaemia in hospital in Griffith when Nancy Kathleen was born. Nancy was brought up by Dad's sister, Alice Storey.

Alice was the wife of Ralph Storey, who built among others, the Storey Bridge in Brisbane.

Uncle Ralph danced with Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, at the opening of Storey Bridge in Brisbane.

She was then the Duchess of York. He hastened to tell Aunt Alice that her hair didn't smell Mrs Edith Wyatt, Tom Chitty, Dulcie Chitty as nice as Alice's! and Joan - early 1930's Nancy is married with Courtesy Joan Irvine (nee Chitty) two children and is the matron of a hospital in Adelaide.

Dad re-married - Dulcie Wyatt in 1929. I, Joan Dulcie, was born in 1930. Mrs Sully was the midwife and I was born at home. I married David Irvine and we have seven children. We live at Murrami on a rice farm.

My mother died of cancer in 1955. Dad died in 1957 of a heart attack. He is buried with Dulcie in Yenda Cemetery. I had to sell the farm in order to allow us to buy a farm at Murrami because at that time one could not own two farms and Dad's farm was deemed to be a 90% living area. I often think that was about the quality of our lives during all those years - ninety per cent!

Contributed by Joan Irvine (nee Chitty), Farm 1132, Murrami 2705.

83

CHURTON Charles Herbert Churton was born at Sands Court Farm, Dodington, Gloucestershire, England. His son, Peter, remembers his father telling him that before he joined the English Army he went to Canada where he worked for a firm of bridge builders and also as a lumber-jack.

He was 21 years and 3 months of age when he attested in London on 16 August 1897 (took the oath) to join the army. He served in Section "B" of the 3rd Hussar Regiment and his first posting, for a duration of 2 years, was to the Station Staff Office at Lucknow, India. He then served in the Boer War in South Africa from 1899-1902, after which he was transferred back to Gosport, England (11 February 1905) where he served until Discharge on 15 August 1909, having served 12 years of which 6 years and 150 days were outside of England.

Charles Churton travelled Charles Herbert Churton (right) to Australia aboard the "SS aged 33 yrs taken with a friend Persic", departing from Liverpool Lucknow, India and arrived Sydney on 30 April Courtesy Margaret Hare 1911. Aboard the same ship was Daisy Nell Henville and her mother, Rosa Maria Henville (nee Bishop) whose son was already residing at Epping, Sydney. They had met on board the ship and their courting continued after they arrived in Australia. Daisy found work with David Jones while Charles got a job truck driving.

This job took him to Brisbane and he worked there as a casual labourer for a while before coming back to Sydney.

On 23 December 1912 Charles Herbert Churton married Daisy Nell Henville at St Philips Church, Church Hill, Sydney. Their first child, Betty Rose, was born 24 November 1913 at Orange Hospital. Charles bought a dairy farm at Millthorpe near Orange (NSW) prior to the commencement of World War I and their second daughter, Mary Henville, was born 21 August 1915, also at Orange Hospital.

Daisy's mother, Rosa, returned to England in 1914 when war was imminent and at that time Betty was just a few months old.

84

Charles found it very hard to make a living on the farm and eventually lost it during a bad drought at the end of 1915. Peter also remembers his father telling him a little about the dairy farm at Millthorpe. One amusing story arose during the drought when water was scarce and had to be carted. To do this he bought some casks, cut them in half and filled them with water. What Charles didn't realise was that the casks had previously contained rum so he ended up with drunk cows, and "I suppose" says Peter, "Rum and Milk!!"

After leaving the farm Charles joined the Australian Army and was sent, as a guard, to Berrima Goal where German Prisoners-of-war were held.

During this time the family lived at the Church of England Rectory in Berrima.

Moving back to Sydney just before the third daughter, Joyce Noel, was born on 25 December 1916 the family lived with Daisy Nell (Murton (nee Ilenville) good friends of Daisy, the Shorter family.

C. 1908 taken Dorset, England On 5 February 1917 Charles, who Courtesy Margaret flare was aged 40, joined the AIF and was sent to France as a gunner in the 110th Howitzer Battery. After serving in France for 1 year and 277 days, he was discharged as medically unfit (on 1 September 1919).

Returning to Australia he did a farm training course at the Yanco Experimental Farm. During this time the family continued to live in Sydney. He was gazetted Farm 979, Griffith, a Soldier Settlers block, on 18 December 1919 on what is now Murrumbidgee Avenue.

The house which they had built on the farm consisted of two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen-come-bathroom. Two verandahs were added later - the front verandah was gauzed in and that at the back left open. When the house was ready, Betty tells "we Caught the old steam train from Central Station in Sydney and arrived late at night at Willbriggie. There we transferred to Micky Cush's horse drawn coach and started off to Our new home. On the way Micky Cush lost his way - there were no roads only tracks and our father had to walk ahead of the horses with a lantern to show the way. When we eventually got to our destination there was no bridge over the drainage channel so all our possessions were literally dumped into the bottom of the dry channel and the family had to carry the lot to the house. It wasn't far but we were all very tired and hungry after the long journey.

"The kitchen of our home was also the bathroom. I can remember that there was a board covering the bath so it could be used as a bench space for serving meals and for 85

other kitchen uses. Our mother must have found it a hit uncomfortable to work in such a confined area and Dad worked very hard to get the farm planted up with fruit trees.

Some of the vividly remembered things the drip safe for keeping the butter, milk and meat fresh. The water for baths was boiled in a copper in the backyard then carried by bucket to the bath. We girls had to walk quite a distance to Hanwood to collect the bread and milk which was always left hanging in a tree - probably to keep it away from any animals that might be around. We also had to help in the house as well as on the farm.

When the fruit was ready for harvest everyone had to help and often as children we had to miss school at harvest time."

Betty goes on to say - "When I started school mid-1920 the Public School was still in the process of being built so classes were held in the picture theatre. At the time, the footbridge over the canal had not been built either, so to go to school, I had to cross the canal (which was still in the course of construction) by climbing down a ladder, walking across sand bags which had been placed on the bed of the canal, then climbing up the ladder onto the opposite bank - a rather dangerous procedure for a 61/2 year old! The Public School was opened in the October of 1920.

"I was the first pupil to pass the Leaving Certificate at the Griffith High School, in 1930 - as printed in the Sydney Morning Herald on 28 January 1931, under the heading of 'Griffith Intermediate High School Churton, Betty 1B,5B,8B & 22B'. To do this I attended school every day and the various teachers taught me in their free periods as there was no formal Intermediate class. I also went to the Maths Teacher's (Bruce Small) Itcx%a Maria Ilenville (ncc Bishop) home on Saturday mornings. I was also in a (1854-1940) team that went to the Western District Sports Oaurtesy Margaret Hare at Narrandera and won a prize for 'Dux of the School in Sport' in 1930.

"Our brother, Peter Edward, was born in the house on the farm on 12 December 1920 with Nurse Taylor, the midwife, in attendance. He was a delicate baby and couldn't tolerate cows milk so needed goat's milk. This was a hit hard to find as goats weren't very plentiful but Dad was told where there was one and he walked miles to get it. When he eventually arrived home with the darned animal it was to find that she was dry!! So, with a lot more searching he found another one and Peter thrived on his goat's milk!!"

Mary remembers "we used to visit the Long family who lived at Lake Wyangan and they owned a very large bull which liked to chase us. Marj Long (now Lovell) was

86

usually on her horse, so had a fast get away, but I had to run up the nearest hay stack and sit on top of it until someone came to rescue me."

Peter recalls his father telling him that he was one of the men who helped to dig the hole for the first swimming pool. In the early days, many of the construction workers were a pretty wild lot. After the first Show had nearly finished this crew, after a hot day and plenty of grog, went wild. The police and Micky Cush's coach were called. Having loaded them onto the coach, Micky got aboard to drive off but in the meantime the harness had been undone from the coach. With a crack of the whip the horses took off and the coach full of drunks was left behind!!

Betty continues - "Our Mother, who had been in ill-health for some time, was eventually taken to the Moorang Home for the Incurable at Ryde in Sydney.

She died there on 8 March 1934 and is buried in the Field of Mars Cemetery at Ryde. At this time in our lives we three girls were out in the work force - Joy and I were both working for the local firm of solicitors, Cater & Blumer, and Mary for Speirs the Jewellers.

Peter, who was only 13 years old, left school not long after Mum died and got a job at Josling and Snaith's Murrumbidgee Packing House making cases.

"However, we had our good times over the years. I remember we often went to dances and walked home in the wee small hours of the morning, quite often just in time to quickly change clothes and walk back to town to be at work in time!

"The farm was forfeited on 28 September 1936 and sold by the Bank to V G Napoli. We stayed in Griffith until April when Mary was married, on 14 April 1937, to Norman Kevin Morrison. Then Dad, Peter and I went to Sydney. Joy stayed until Christmas of that year and then joined the rest of us in Sydney. Mary and Norm bought Farm 1777 at Ballingall where Norm and his father built a house for them.

Daisy Nell Churton (nee Renville) "After returning to Sydney Dad worked at the holding son Peter Edward, Water Board for a while then moved on to the Prince and daughters, Betty Rose, Mary of Wales Hospital where he was employed as a I lenville and Joy Noel. c.1920/21 `handyman'.

Peter worked as a cellar hand at Courtesy Margaret Hare McWilliam's Winery in Sydney and Joy and I worked in business offices.

"When World War II broke out Peter joined the Army and fought in New Guinea and Borneo. He was one of the lucky ones and came home again. He later married Heather Dickson Purves, on 27 March 1948, at Talong (near Goulburn). They lived with our father before going back to Griffith. Their children were all horn at Griffith. About 1966/67 they moved to Mt Beauty in Victoria. After the War Peter worked as a house painter and continued with that job until he retired. He still lives at Mt Beauty and Heather is now in a Nursing Home."

87

Charles Herbert Churton died on 5 November 1950 at the Repatriation Hospital at Concord. He was cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium and his ashes were placed in his wife's grave at the Field of Mars Cemetery, Ryde NSW,

Charles Ilerbert Churton C. 1917 Courtesy Margaret I

Charles Herbert Churton born Gloucestershire 20 April 1876 died Concord NSW 5 November 1950

married 23 December 1912

Daisy Nell Ilcnville born Dorset 21 June 1882 died Ryde NSW 8 March 1934

1.

Betty Rose born Orange 24 November 1913. remained single lives at Lane Cove. Sydney

2.

Mary Henville born Orange 21 August 1915. married Norman Kevin Morrison 14 April 1937. They have five children, fourteen grandchildren and four great grandchildren and are still living in Griffith

3.

Joyce Noel born Eastwood. Sydney 25 December 1916. married Kenneth William Marjason 3 March 1945. They have two children and three grandchildren and live at Longueville. Sydney

4.

Peter Edward born Griffith 12 December 1920. married Heather Dickson Purves 27 March 1948. They have three children. two grandchildren. Peter lives at Mt Beauty. Victoria and Heather is in a Nursing Home at Beechworth. Victoria.

Contributed by Betty Churton of Lane Cove and Mary Morrison (nee Churton) of Griffith with assistance from Joy Marjason (nee Churton), Peter Churton and Margaret Hare (nee Morrison).

88

CLARK Clarence Leslie Clark came by train from Adelaide after being granted Farm 12 on 26 June 1919, which he ran in partnership with his sister Nellie Stokes and family.

Later they split this into two portions with Clarrie's farm becoming Farm 2357.

Clarrie was born on 8 March 1897 at Leederville, Western Australia. Clarrie's mother, Harriet, was born on 15 December 1861 at Daisy Bank, Staffordshire and had arrived in Adelaide on the 8 January 1879 aboard the "Salisbury" with her parents and family. She was 17 years old.

Harriet married John Clark about 1887. Two of her children, daughter Nellie and son Clarrie were both pioneer settlers at Hanwood. Harriet died in Griffith on 24 July 1947 aged 85 years.

Clarrie served as a Signaller in World War I and during World War II became a member of the Signallers Corps, here in Griffith, with the VDC. His nephew, Mervyn Stokes, constructed heliograph equipment which was used in the training of the local VDC, sending signals from Scenic Hill to the Hanwood area.

In 1926 Clarrie married Bertha Hawkins the daughter of original settlers, Ada and Oliver Edward Hawkins of Farm 75.

Both Clarrie and Bertha were active in Hanwood community affairs - Bertha, a talented performer appeared in many of the early school concerts - later became President of the Hanwood War Workers Group, Foundation President of Hanwood Country Womens Association and President of the Griffith Branch of the Spastic Council.

Bertha and Clarrie were staunch members of the original Lake View Golf Club and also the Griffith Golf Club, after the amalgamation of the two clubs.

In 1962 the Clarks sold their farm and retired to Manly where they lived until 1982 when, due to Bertha's continuing ill 89

Bertha nark (nee I Iawkins)

Bertha and Clarrie Clark 50th Wedding Anniversary - Sept 1976 Photos courtesy Lorna McDonald

health, they moved to Narrabri to be nearer to their son, Stanley. Bertha's health deteriorated and in March 1983 passed away at the Narrabri Nursing Home. Clarrie passed away after a short illness in July 1985.

Picnic at Mirrool (:reck - spring 1919 Courtesy Lorna McDonald

By courtesy of Lorna McDonald, Narnbucca Heads 2448.

90

COLEMAN Oliver's father George Coleman and his wife Eliza (nee Knight) and three daughters Hester, Matilda and Ellen, came to Australia in 1877 on board the "La Hogue".

The family came from Pontypool, Monmouthshire in Wales where George had been a miner. George and Eliza had a further seven children in New South Wales, Oliver being born in 1888 at Newcastle NSW. Oliver served in the 30th Battalion with the AIF in the 191418 war and after the "Battle of Somme" in France, where he was badly gassed and wounded, he was sent to Salisbury Plains, Dorset for "R & R. He later met Dorothy Mullins and they were married on 7 February 1918 in Shaftesbury, Dorset, England.

The family reflects - "We marvel at the courage of our mother who bade farewell to the lush green fields of Shaftesbury and sailed on a `bride ship' for Sydney, a voyage of five weeks. Our father sailed soon afterwards on the troop ship `Kildaran Castle' leaving Devonport, Dorothy and Oliver Coleman the day after their wedding - taken Salisbury, England England on 21 March 1919. During Courtesy Iris Wellings (nee Coleman) this voyage our father wrote a daily comprehensive description of 'life at sea' and on 7 May 1919 he sailed through Sydney heads into the harbour at 6 p.m. He wrote 'the great feeling of being home was indescribable'! In his diary he mentions having attended lectures in agriculture and dairying while at sea and found them to be most interesting.

"Victor was born in Sydney in June 1919 and then our parents moved to Newcastle where Iris, was born.

"On 25 June 1920 our father arrived in Yanco where he attended lectures on pruning fruit trees and cutting canes for propagation and demonstrations on how to lay out an orchard and rotate crops. Whilst there, he mentions picking 492 Washington Navels from one tree.

91

"He reported to the barracks in Yenda on 29 October 1920 and from there, together with Todd, Craig and Smyth, he 'earmarked' a farm at Lake Wyangan. The farm - No 1856 - consisted of 181/2 acres. He mentions his hoots being buckled up with the heat! (107 degrees) and that it was blazing hot!!

"In the back of the diary dated 1920 he listed the following:-

Axe 12/6 Crow-bar 13/6 Claw-hammer 31R. brace 141Punch 1/File 21Spirit Level 31Plane 181Corrugated iron 114 per ft Spring Cart £3711511000g tank £101-1-

71Mattock Cross-cut saw £11816 Rip saw 17/4/6 3/4 & 5/8 "bits" 1/Cold chisel Screw thiver 3171Snips 41Mica Plain iron 11- per ft Two-ton low £611-1-

Fencing conditions:

Post 6' long by not less 8" - 4" small ends Strainers 7' long not less 10" diameter Stay on pole 12' not less 5" diameter Gate posts 7'6" not less 12" diameter Accept offer 01101- per acre on 21 December 1920 to clear land.

"He then returned to Newcastle, where he worked, to wait for approval from the Water Commissioner. Iris was born in Newcastle on 21 December 1921.

During this time Oliver was forced to spend long periods in Randwick Repatriation Hospital and suffered ill health.

"On 31 July 1922 the Water Commissioner granted him the block - Farm 1856, Lake Wyangan. He returned to Griffith on 28 November 1922 at "Pre-Car l)ays" - November 1925 2.40 p.m. and was met by R Oliver and Dorothy with Iris (4 yrs old) Smyth - who had settled on Farm Courtesy Iris Welling,s (nce Coleman) 1857, and was his guest for the remainder of the week. It was very hot and dusty and was 100 degrees from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. He obtained approval to build a house for £350 and farm buildings for £30.

92

"He then returned to Newcastle, packed up furniture and together with the family arrived in Griffith on 12 December 1922.

"He proceeded to work on farm buildings and one of his first jobs was to erect a 'fowl house' as one dozen fowls costing 9/4d had been brought from Newcastle! He mentions going to Griffith in a dray to collect furniture - neighbours `Woodee' Mumford, Casserly, Jones, and McClure were mentioned as helping out.

"Conditions were very primitive to begin with and 'home' was a galvanised iron shed with a dirt floor and mother often remarked on how the magpies would come and eat their food from the table! It wasn't long before a house was erected and we believe it is still on the same site.

The Coleman home on Farm 1856, Lake Wyangan Courtesy Iris Wdllings (nee Coleman)

"Our parents worked very hard planting out the orchard which was a real fruit salad - apricots, prunes, oranges, grapes, almonds and an avenue of plum trees along the drive. Our father successfully budded several fruit trees and on one tree we had three varieties of peaches and a nectarine (for our own use).

"Betty was born on 21 September 1927 and Olive on 9 December 1935 in Griffith District Hospital.

"The farm work was a real team effort as our father was often ill due to war injuries. He made frequent trips to Randwick Repatriation Hospital, some for as long as nine months.

"Our mother, Dorothy, with true pioneering spirit carried on the farm and in 1944, Oliver died in Griffith District Hospital, after a long illness. She carried on for a further seven years until she retired to her home in Gallipoli Street, Griffith.

"In 1939, it is sad to relate that our parents had actually booked a passage to return to England to see our mother's family, when World War II was declared. Of course, it was cancelled and as father died before the war ended, our mother's 'life-long' dream never eventuated."

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Oliver Coleman - The First Family Car Photos courtesy Iris Wellinp (ncc Coleman)

Iris Colcman - 2 August 1931 •

Lake View Aerodrome

•

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Irks' souvenir ticket

Oliver and Dorothy Coleman and children Iris, Vic and Betty c.1931 Courtesy Iris Wettings (ncc Coleman)

"As a family, we worked together - fruit farming being very demanding and the work had to he done regardless. Christmas holidays always meant picking, pitting and packing apricots. Other 'holidays', as well as before and after school, meant picking up prunings, picking up prunes, shelling almonds. It was always a mad rush to bring in the trays of drying apricots or prunes if it looked like rain and we would often get up in the middle of the night to get the fruit under cover.

"We all attended Lake Wyangan School - Victor being one of the first pupils.

Our greatest delight was the Christmas party at school when 'Santa' would arrive on harrows or a cultivator with the horses dressed up. There was a great community spirit among the families of Lake Wyangan.

"Of course, we all remember the century degree heat waves - day in, day out sometimes lasting up to two weeks and the dust storms which would actually block out the sun light. We can remember getting up in the morning and leaving the imprint of our bodies on the sheets, on many occasions.

"One of the things which stand out in our minds is the trip to school each day in all weathers, on gravel tracks or just sticky clay, on our hikes, a distance of five miles.

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Sometimes the magpies would swoop on us and attempt to attack our heads, despite waving our arms about.

"We can remember a bushfire roaring towards us from Scenic Hill and on another occasion storm water overflowing from a channel between our farm and that of our next door neighbour, Bob Smyth. Remembered also is going to town (Griffith) to shop in the spring cart and draft horse.

"Our parents, Oliver and Dorothy, were true pioneers, working long hours under extremely adverse conditons to make a living."

Olive Coleman aged 2 years Courtesy Iris Wettings

George Coleman married Eliza Knight Herefordshire. England. 18 June 1871

Oliver Coleman born Newcastle NSW. 1888. died 6 January 1944 aged 55 years. buried Griffith married Dorothy Mullins born Shaftesbury. Dorset.

England c 1895. died 16 October 1954. aged 59 years. buried Griffith • 1.

Victor born Sydney 7 June 1919. married Margaret Stewart. now lives at North Epping

2.

Iris born Newcastle 21 December 1921. married George Wettings (deceased). now lives at Avalon Beach

3.

Betty born Griffith 21 September 1927. married Clive Holden (divorced), now lives at Newport Beach

4.

Olive born Griffith 9 December 1935. married Stan Britton. now lives at Batemans Bay.

By courtesy of the Coleman Family - Victor, Iris, Betty and Olive.

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CRAWFORD Adrian Basil Crawford was born 4 September 1888 in Evandale, Tasmania, the second youngest of eight children to Robert and Mary Crawford (nee Parker). (His brothers and sisters were, Catherine, Thomas Paul, Frederick Charles, Erskine, Carlyle Case, Roderick Victor and Marion Beatrice).

Adrian married Jessie Campbell on 19 September 1912 at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.

Jessie Campbell was the second youngest of four daughters of Donald and Hannah Campbell (nee McLaughlin). (Her sisters were Sara, Catherine and Daisy).

Adrian came to the area first from Wingham to settle in Yenda in 1919. He was a journalist and a bookkeeper. Jessie and their two eldest children, Basil and Rex, followed a short time later. On 11 February 1920 Adrian applied for Farm 1561, Yenda. The original rent was £19/2/6 per annum. By 18 June 1928 the rent was 01 /3/10. This farm was a Adrian Basil Crawford Courtesy Christine Gavin (ncc Crawford) vineyard. By 1945, however, he had surrendered the holding and it was taken over by William Joshua Davis.

Adrian and Jessie had five children. Basil, Rex, Adrianne (known as Molly), Joan and Erskine. Basil married Betty Twigg and they are now living in Sydney. Rex married Myra Nichols. He died in 1986 and Myra ("Mitz") now lives on the Central Coast.

Adrianne ("Molly") married Donald Dean. They settled in Oberon hut have both died.

Joan married Robert Webster and are both living in Wollongong. Erskine married Emma Metcalf McKissack ("Peg"). He died 9 May 1987 and Peg is presently living at Thirroul NSW. Before coming to Yenda, Adrian Basil Crawford worked as a journalist on "The Mercury" in Hobart, Tasmania and then he joined the staff of "The Sydney Morning Herald" before moving up the North Coast to Wingham where he worked on a local paper. During the First World War, he served with the 48th Battalion with whom he was

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five years overseas and in most of the major battles in France. He was badly gassed while in France.

The following are some of Basil Crawford's memories.

He arrived with his Mother, (Jessie) and his brother Rex in 1920 by train from Wingham. The first childish impression of the boys, on viewing the collection of iron and hag huts and tents on the northern side of the station, was that it was "just like at Old Bar" which was a popular holiday beach near Taree.

That was disillusionment No. 1!

They all boarded a two horse drawn lorry for Farm 1561.

It was a very hot day and thirsts were strong on their arrival. Rex declined the cool water from a canvas waterbag. He said he could wait until it came from a tap. That resolve faded long before taps were in place! That was disillusionment No. 2!

The above impressions relate to the boys. The feelings of their parents would have been Jessie Crawford (nee Campbell) beyond the understanding of the Courtesy Christine Gavin (nec Crawford) small ones. In later years the children came to realise their parents had it tough. All four settled into the shack of roundback timber, while the house was being built and the vineyard developed.

Most farmers had two horses, even though some had little experience with them.

The Crawfords had two horses named "Biddy" and "Patch".

Basil can recall his Father and neighbouring farmer, George Veness, during the planting of tobacco, using a single furrow plough, with one leading the horse while the other manipulated the plough. After one or two days, they became more proficient.

When the waterwheels started turning, the dams became good for swimming.

Forget the mud and yabbics!

The settlers made their own social life. The annual halls like the Masonic and Armistice were functioning during the twenties and were great successes along with other dances. Happy Hour parties were held as well, but kids were too young to know much about those happenings. Early in the twenties, for a period, Yenda had a Race Club.

Football Clubs - Two Rugby League teams competed - the Waratahs and the Blues and there was also an Aussie Rules Team. A picture theatre operated (silent of course). Basil

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could recall one blowing down into the main street opposite Hogan's Boarding House during a big dust storm.

Kids were in the main unaware of the problems and privations. Their main occupation was school, which was held in a huge tent while the permanent building was in progress. School days were good days and Basil remembers the school cricket team travelling to Bilbul and Yoogali on a horse drawn lorry for their matches.

Basil left school in August 1927 after being successful in the entrance exam and began work in the original Post Office. In the years that followed he learned much about the character of the returned soldiers and gathered many stories, some humorous, some sad. During these years one thing became obvious. It was impossible not to admire their tenacity and the way they faced up to the tough times. Particularly so as their wartime experiences and privations were scarcely in the background. Most of all, the women who made the homes and raised children under those extreme condition were wonderful "They left the vine wreathed cottage and the mansion on the Hill. The houses in the busy street where life was never still". They were not "The Women of the West" (poem by George Essex Evans) but those words certainly related.

Transport was mainly horse drawn. Paddy Greenshields operated a livery stable on the corner opposite the Yenda Hotel where people shopping on Saturday, and maybe staying for social engagements or a picture show, left their vehicles and horses in Paddy's care. Later T Model Fords started to appear along with the odd Chevrolet, Morris Cowley, Buick and Dodge. Hector MacDonald had a garage and operated a taxi service, as did Ted Lanbury. There were also motorbikes - Basil could recall an Indian MS and Coventry Eagle.

Many returned men had army gear, probably surplus equipment. The army greatcoats were needed and used for the extra cold times. Generally most men had only one good suit. Navy blue serge was popular. Business shirts were made with detachable collars. Extra collars were on hand and they cut down laundry needs. Most farmers wore flannel undershirts - a valuable garment which kept them warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The women wore ankle length clothes. They looked forward to the arrival of the big fat catalogues from Anthony Horderns, Grace Bros, David Jones and Marcus Clarkes. Of course Simpsons, Daisy Allen and Tony Wood also looked after their needs.

Memories of Basil and Joan Crawford: Dusty and muddy roads. Dust storms and "sandyblight".

The big flood when the town was swamped.

The horse drawn mail runs operated by Bill Newth & Soizs: - Newths delivered mail to the Stock Route, Mvall Park and Rankin Splings (including the properties of "Ballandry", "Eastholm" and "Rothdene").

Saturday vegetable stall nin by Jimmy Chatfield (who was a farmer and a shorthand teacher) Simpson Bros and Bourne - General Store (with Sid Simpson resident story teller).

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The telegrams (in code) for the local wheat buyers - Simpsons, Ted Lanbuty and Hugh Matheson.

Because of the number of horse drawn vehicles it wasn't unusual to see "a bolt" with the usual result of an overturned baker's or milk cart.

In those early times Yenda supported two Bakers, two Blacksmiths, two Hairdressers, a Saddler and numerous other shops including at least two eating places.

Plenty of hard work with little return.

Memories I (Christine Gavin) have from Grandmother, Jessie Crawford:- "I remember her telling me how embarrassed she was when Adrian (her fiance at the time) saw her run across the hall from one room to another and she only had seven petticoats on! She told me that when women first began to wear trousers, Adrian would refuse to tip his hat in greeting to any woman in trousers. After his death, Jessie would only place violets on his grave because they were the first flowers she received from him when they were courting.

Adrian Basil Crawford died in Yenda on 30 July 1948. Jessie died 21 August 1962 in Kempsey. Their youngest child, Erskine, was my Father."

Donald Campbell married I lannah McLaughlin

Robert Crawford married Mary Parker

• Adrian Basil Crawford born 4 September 1888 Evandale. Tasmania died 30 July 1948 Yenda NSW

married St Mary's, Sydney NSW

Jessie Campbell born 13 March 1885 Killabakh Creek NSW died 21 August 1962 Kempsey NSW

Basil born 22 May 1913 Wingham. Married Betty Twigg. lives in Sydney. Four children - Betty.

Yvonne. Richard and Max. Rex horn 10 July 1915. Wingham. Married Myra Kathleen Nichols. Two children - Judy and Tony.

Adriannc Mary Zelie ("Molly") born 15 December 1920. Wingham. Married Donald Charles Dean.

Four children - Beverley. Ivan. Jeffery and Leanne.

Joan born 17 January 1922. Yenda. Married Robert James Webster. lives Woolongong. One daughter - Sue. Erskine born 22 December 1925. Yenda NSW. Married Emma Metcalfe McKissack. Two children Christine and Peter.

Contributed by Mrs Christine Gavin (nec Crawford), PO Box 149, Yenda.

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CURRAN Jack Curran arrived in Yenda from Coolamon around 1919-20. He left his wife, Lila and son, John, to gain work to qualify for a farm. He worked as a blacksmith instead of with the clearing gangs. He repaired the hoes, shovels, picks, axes and ploughs that the soldier settlers used to clear the land. He lived first in a tent in the barracks on the Stock Route, two miles east of Yenda and worked with Mr Steve Mahy for the Water Commission.

Jack had worked as a blacksmith at Coolamon where he married Elizabeth Delilia ("Lila") Smith-Jones, on 23 April 1916, at St Michaels Church. They lived on "Rockview" Station at Marrar or "Murrulebale" Station between Coolamon and Marrar.

Martin Curran, Jack's grandfather was born, about 1788, John Joseph ("Jack") Curran c.1916 in Co Kerry Ireland. He came to Courtesy Ron Curran Australia about 1822 and married Mary Ann Cummins in St Marys Cathedral Sydney on 8 September 1836 - he was 45 years old and she was 16 years old.

They had ten children, most of whom were born on the farm at Adelong Creek.

Michael Curran, their third son, married Jane McManus in the Catholic Church at Tumut in 1874 and their thirteenth son was John Joseph ("Jack") Curran born 23 November 1891 at "Murrulebale" Station.

During the 1914-18 War Jack served with in the 36th Battalion, 2nd Division. He saw action in France and Belgium. He was awarded the Military Medal and the Croix de Guirre and bar for outstanding bravery in the field. Later he was a life member of the Yenda Diggers Club and was also very active in the Roman Catholic Church in the early days of Yenda.

Jack was allocated Farm 1914 on what is now known as Barracks Road, on 23 June 1921. The house was built about this time and Lila and her two sons, John and baby Ron moved from Coolamon. Their third son Terry was born in Griffith soon after, in August 1922.

The farm area was approximately 24 acres which over the years expanded to 72 acres. The extra acres were obtained when neighbouring farmers had to walk off their farms during the Depression. After experimenting with different varieties of crops, he 101

eventually planted apricots, peaches, grapes and prunes. In those days, prunes were not picked from the trees - the fruit was left to ripen and fall onto the ground below, before being picked up. The fruit was then hand dipped in boiling water and caustic soda and placed on wooden trays and left out in the sun to dry. At the first sign of rain, the trays had to be stacked up and covered. When dried, the prunes were sold to O'Meara's in Griffith. The grapes were sold to McWilliams Wines in Yenda.

To gain credit to run the farm, the farmers had to face the Rural Bank every year in June to obtain an allowance. Exaggeration was the order of the day. If a farmer had one horse and needed two bags of chaff, he would have to ask for six bags, so that he would get the two bags required!!

Jack's first car was bought in 1928, an "A" Lila Curran and infant Terry model Ford from Vaggs in Griffith. On one trip to Courtesy Ron Curran see the "Aussie" Rules match at Whitton, the front wheel came adrift on top of the sandy hills near Wumbulgal!

Jack spent his Saturday afternoons at the Diggers Club playing cards until the bowling greens were established and then he became an avid bowler. Saturday evenings were spent at the pictures at Robinson's, where Santalucia's shop now stands in Yenda. Sundays were spent at the football during the winter season and playing cards the rest of year. Lila had card parties with Mrs Pratt, Mrs Geddes, Mrs Hudson and Mrs Smith. The neighbours came to play tennis on the court on the farm, followed by a musical night with Jack playing the button accordion and Jimmy Leaver14 playing the piano. When the movie "King Kong" was playing at the Rio (an open air picture theatre) in Griffith, the family went to great lengths to get there. As the roads were boggy, the car had to be towed from the house to Suicide Highway through the farm by the horses. When they got to Suicide Highway they found that John Joseph Curran Jnr. the road was blocked by Gilpon's goods truck, so they had 1CIA. WWII to turn around and go back home!! The next night they Courtesy Ron Curran were more successful and actually got to see "King Kong"!!

14

See Leaver entry

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Curran's Tennis Court c.1937/38 L to R Back - Rita Riley, Terry Curran, Gwen Wright, Phyllis Ward, Jack Waidc, Bernie May, Jack Rowan, Ruth Thomas, Jack Leach, Ron Curran, Andy Graham, Des Costin, Madge Waidc Front - "Gog" North, Barbara McKenzie, unknown, Juync Curran (now Benny) Courtesy Ron Curran

Jack's four sons all saw service during World War II. John, Ron and Terry were in the Army, while Brian served in the Navy. John was awarded the Military Medal for bravery, and subsequently died as a result of wounds received and is buried in the War Cemetery at Cairo.

Jack and Lila thoroughly enjoyed the company of their grandchildren. Lila spent a great deal of time cooking and serving at the St Therese tuckshop - her lamingtons were famous. Their eldest grandson, John, is now living at the same site of Jack and Lila's home.

Jack died 23 June 1963 doing what he enjoyed doing most, watching Yenda play "footy" at the Yenda grounds. He was 72 years old. Lila died on 16 August 1973 aged 75 years. They are both buried in the Roman Catholic Section of the Yenda Cemetery.

Brian, John, Terry, Ron in front c.1938 Courtesy Ron Curran

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Martin Curran married Mary Ann Cummins

Michael Curran married Jane McManus

John Joseph Curran married Elizabeth Delilia ("Lila") Smith-Jones

• John Joseph born Coolamon 18 September 1916: not married. killed in action World War II. Ronald James born Coolamon 8 May 1921: married Marie Stuart: lives at Yenda NSW. 3.

Terrence Martin born Griffith 8 August 1922: married Mary Russell: lives at Leeton NSW.

4.

Brian Francis born Griffith 23 June 1924: married Marjorie Harris: lives at Brisbane Old.

5.

Juync Aileen born Griffith 17 May 1933: married Kevin Benny: lives at Gymea NSW.

Lila Curran with daughter Juync

Jack Curran with his sister Nellie Ruffin

Contributed by Ron Curran, Farm 1914, Yenda 2681.

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DALRYMPLE WILLIAM FREW DALRYMPLE, the son of James and Sarah Dalrymple, came to Australia from Ireland in 1911 and worked in Queensland as a Jackeroo for some time.

During his time in Queensland he studied Engineering by correspondence.

At the outbreak of World War I he joined the AIF in the First Machine Gun Squadron of the First Light Horse and saw service in the Desert and at Beersheba, being wounded in that skirmish.

After his return to Australia he worked for the Water Conservation and Irrigation Bill and "Daisy" Dalrymple Commission - whether he enlisted from his job Courtesy Ada Dalrymple (nee Collier) with them and returned to the Commission after he was demobbed is not clear. However, he was in Griffith during the formation of the irrigation channels and his son, John says - "I believe he was quartered at some time at Mirrool House. Again, whether it was the original Mirrool House at Bagtown or the new one built in the New Town, I am not sure."

John Dalrymple, an only child, was born in Griffith and spent his first nineteen years here. He continues the Dalrymple story by saying - "The channels were formed by hand operated scoops drawn by a team of four or six horses (we used to have photographs of these.)

"Bill must have got tired of living on his own, so he returned to his birthplace and married a girl with whom he had corresponded. My mother, Henrietta (or "Daisy" as she was known) married my father on 24 November 1920, in Ireland, and he brought her out to Australia. You can imagine what a shock it must have been for her to come from the country of 'forty shades of green' - green grass and snow - to a `Bagtown', a country of heat, flies and blinding dust storms!!

"As Channel Superintendent, my father, 'Bill' or 'Dal' as he was called, knew most of the Soldier Settlers as well as the towns people of Griffith - such as Dr Watkins (who brought me into the world), Messrs Paul Blumer, Jim Youll, Jim Gordon and many others.

"Later he bought a five acre farm at Yoogali which he worked at weekends while still employed by the WC & IC. In 1922 a son, myself, was born to Mrs 'Daisy' Dalrymple at the 'Cottage Hospital' in Griffith."

Now almost 70 years later John says - "I remember the little cottage at Yoogali well. The harvest of the green peas, the planting of the orange trees but one thing that sticks in my mind is a humorous event! One day my father was starting the 'T' Model Ford that was supplied for his use by the WC & IC when the car moved forward and pinned him against the back of the shed. My mother was called to turn off the ignition and, as a young child, I learned some new words that day!! Henceforth the car was backed into the garage!

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"Yoogali was a quiet country backwater in those days and I attended (not willingly) the Yoogali Public School under the headmastership of Mr Bowditch.

"While we were living on the farmlet my father sponsored his brother, Samuel Rupert, and family out to Australia from Ireland and they lived with us for some time.

My cousin, William Frew Dalrymple, was an only son like me and had been given the same name as my father. I cannot remember the date that they arrived in Australia but I do remember that Aunt Lily used to dress him in a white Sailor Suit and many a fight we had!!

"My father and Uncle Sam (Samuel Rupert) went to Griffith every day as my uncle also got a job, as a clerk in the Lands Department, with the WC & IC. "The small house on the farm was now getting a little tight for two families so we moved into a house in Crossing Street, Griffith, diagonally opposite the 'Millions Club'.

Sam (or `Rup' as he was also known) bought a small farmlet near the pipeline (as it was then known) at West End. The 'Millions Club' was the foundations of an abandoned factory (now the site of Woolworths Supermarket and Variety Store) and was inhabited by 'Hobos'15 passing through in their search for work.

"My cousin Bill introduced me to Griffith Public School and we both continued through the High School. One of our teachers was Mr Alf (loran, now a well known Judge and Queen's Counsel.

"I spent all the early years of my life in Griffith and I have very fond memories of the Area, with bike picnics to Binya Hills, etc; my many conversations with the Swiss gentleman known as the 'Scenic Hill Hermit'. I spent a lot of time with him and can see in my mind's eye the layout of his beautiful gardens (before the vandals got to them!)

"In 1939 I left Griffith to join the Air Force but because of colour blindness this did not eventuate, so I took a job with the Westinghouse Company and later joined the AIF from there. I met up again with my cousin Bill when our Units were in the Darwin area.

"Discharged from Repatriation Hospital in 1945 I joined the National Cash Register Company and worked there until I retired in 1985. I was employed in the technical side of the Company.

"It was in 1955 that I met my wife to be - Betty Rhead, who unknown to me then, had also lived in Griffith. She was the daughter of Frank and Edith Rhead. Frank had started his life in Griffith on his return to Australia after serving with the first AIF with an Australian Wireless Unit in Bagdad. He worked on the installation of the first Power Station in Griffith and I know that he was also in charge of maintaining it. Later he went into partnership with Mr Jack Joshua and they had the first Ford agency and sold `T' Model and 'A' Models. He was frequently called upon to drive Sgt Sampson on some of his Police Duties.

"Betty's cousins, the Passeys, lived at Lake View (now Lake Wyangan) on the Soldiers Settlers allotment area. The second and larger lake at that time was a Gypsum Mine and many times my cousin, Bill, and I hunted rabbits and `roos' among the mallee that grew in the area west of there.

15

A tramp or vagrant

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"Betty and I were married in 1956 and have two sons, Robert and Garry. At present we are retired, living in Sydney, and we spend time touring Australia in our Campervan. We have been back to Griffith a number of times.

"The foregoing is the best that my memory can muster in my 68th year."

000000000 SAMUEL RUPERT DALRYMPLE (usually known in Griffith as "Rup") was born to James and Sarah Dalrymple, on 9 June 1889 in the town of Kells, approximately five miles south of Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. His father, James Dalrymple, was a School Headmaster so, of course, Samuel had a fine education as a boy. He also learned to play the violin and in his teens he and some of his friends used to play for the local dances.

Samuel eventually worked as a cashier and pay master at the linen mills in Bambridge. He met and married Elizabeth Campbell Brown (who was born on 11 April 1893 at Bayview, Ballymena). They married in the Presbyterian Church, Ballymena on 22 May 1917. Samuel and Elizabeth had their one and only child on 1 July 1920 - a son they called William Frew Dalrymple.

Rupert and Lily with infant Bill Dalrymple - taken in Ireland Courtesy of Ada Dalrymple (nee Collier)

In 1928 the Dalrymples decided to come to Australia where Sam's brother, also named William Frew Dalrymple ("Bill"/"Dal"), and his wife Daisy and son John, had arrived some years earlier. They had settled in Griffith where Bill worked in the work shop at the Commission - this was part of his job as Channel Superintendant.

Sam (or "Rup") and Lil, as they were called by their friends in Griffith lived first with Bill and Daisy, then at West End on a few acres of land, until young Bill had finished his schooling. Then they decided to build their new home at number 3 Palla Street. Sam worked for many years at the Commission Office in the old building where the swimming pool and Police Boys Club are located.

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Sam's wife, Lil, was a wonderful worker for the CWA. She helped run the "Younger Set" dances with her very good friend Mrs Silas Campbell.

In 1953, Sam retired from the Commission, and he and Lily, decided to sell their home in Griffith and go to Sydney to live. They bought a house in Roseville, where Sam managed an antique furniture shop.

Samuel Rupert Dalrymple died at the age of 70 years, on 2 May 1960 of a heart attack. He is buried in Sydney. Elizabeth Dalrymple then sold her Roseville home and lived with her son Bill on his property "Glenwherry", Jerilderie, where she died twelve months after Samuel, in 1961. She is buried at the Jerilderie Cemetery, a very long way from "the forty shades of green" in which she grew up!

Their only child, William Frew Dalrymple, born in Kells, Northern Ireland, was sent at the age of four years to Dunbar Private School in Bambridge, until he was eight years old. He came to Australia with his parents in 1928 and spent his early years in Griffith, where he went to the Primary School and then to Griffith High School.

Bill and his parents lived at West End on a farmlet. Mr and Mrs Silas Campbell and their family lived a few doors away and, as he was an only child, Bill spent most of his time with Ross, Keith and Doug, the three youngest of the boys. When the Campbell family moved out to their farm at Goolgowi, which was named "Mortangi", Bill would catch the train out to Goolgowi if he was unable to get a ride out to the farm. He loved the freedom of the land and the boys would go off early in the Bill Dalrymple Courtesy Ada Dalrymple (nee Collier) morning to shoot rabbits and call into the next door farmers for a visit and a cup of tea. Then, to come back to the farm to Mrs Campbell's cooking and the lovely homemade bread was out of this world, so I was told!

After leaving school, Bill worked at a grain shed for a short time. He later started work at Ernie Blair's drapery and men's wear store. Bill, who was a very good salesman, enjoyed his work and was most popular with his customers. He always had a talc for the older ladies who loved his quick wit.

Bill spent four years in the Army as a Corporal. He was trained as a switchboard operator and was then sent to Moratoi where he spent three years. Bill was discharged from the Army on 14 June 1946. After the War Bill met and married Ada Joyce Collier, youngest daughter of Jack Eli and Florence Cecilia Collier. Bill and Ada had three children, Sandra, Annette and Rodney Phillip.

Bill was always keen to work on the land, so he decided to work for various farmers in Griffith to gain experience and obtain his Certificate to make him eligible for an application for a Soldier Settlement farm. It was through the very hard work of Silas Campbell who helped his boys, Ross, Keith, Bruce and Lyle and, of course, Bill apply for land, which had been opened up at Jerilderie for Soldier Settlement. Bill drew a block land on part of "Broughshane", a property twelve miles from the town of Jerilderie in 1954.

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In 1979, owing to ill health, Bill and his wife retired into the town of Jerilderie after selling their property. William Frew Dalrymple (Bill) died on 6 February 1990 at the age of 69 years and is buried in the lawn cemetery in Jerilderie.

James & Sarah Dalrymple Samuel Rupert (SanVRup) Dalrymple born 9 June 1889 died 2 May 1960 married Elizabeth Campbell (Lily) Brown born 11 April 1893 died 1961 • 1. William Frew Dalrymple born 1920. Kells N Ireland married Ma Joyce Collier

William Frew Bill) Dalrymple born 27 August 1879 died 30 November 1947 married 24 November 1920 Henrietta ("Daisy") born 18 August 1883 died 15 January 1971 1.

John Dalrymple born Griffith 29 Dec 1922 married 26 May 1956 Betty Rhead born 14 June 1927 • 1. Robert 2. Garry

• 1. Sandra 2. Annette 3. Rodney Phillip

Six horse scoop - Andy littcrcl is the man in the white shirt (he was the ganger in the channel repair section) - Courtesy John Dalrymple

By courtesy of John Dalrymple, Earlwood 2206 and Ada Dalrymple, Jerilderie 2716.

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DANCE Fred Dance was born in Balmain, Sydney in May 1878, the son of William Dance and Mary Anne Gardner, who were married on 27 August 1868 in St Marys Church, Balmain NSW. Fred married Emily Rodier, born at Polilla Victoria in June 1892.

This couple travelled from Geelong, Victoria to Griffith in 1919 with their baby daughter Dorothy (born 17 January 1919), using steam train and sulky as their mode of transport. Fred had previously been employed as a pastry cook and caterer.

Having seen military service in the Boer War (Australian Light Horse) and in the 8th Battalion in World War I he was eligible as a soldier settler. Fred and Emily made their first home on a dairy farm at Beelbangera which was near McWilliams winery. Fred purchased, from Sydney, a quality bull at his own expense to up-grade his herd. At this time all heifer calves were returned to the WC & IC Cattle Pool at Leeton from where they were then distributed among the farmers. This being so, Fred would not receive back his better bred calves and because he'd gone to the considerable expense of buying his own bull, he refused to surrender them. He felt the system was unfair and unjust.

However his refusal resulted in much subsequent bureaucratic red tape and arguments which resulted in this farm being forfeited. The pool system was later scrapped.

Clearing Malice with horses and roller Courtesy Jeff Dance

Following this setback, the family, which now included Marjorie (born 26 June 1920), William (born 19 November 1922) and Betty (born 10 July 1924), moved to the Benerembah district, where they sharefarmed for the next five years.

Fred's days in the army seem to have followed him through to his civilian days as family members remember him always wearing jodhpurs and leggings, beautifully kept, whilst feeding pigs and milking cows! This apparel was no doubt from his time in the Boer War and as a Gallipoli veteran.

Fred and Emily increased their family in the next few years with the arrivals of Douglas (born 6 June 1926), Harry (born 8 June 1928), Joy (born 9 February 1930) and 110

Edna (born 9 September 1932), thus making a total of five girls and three boys. Marjorie remembers, at about the age of five, watching her parents going off to town in their sulky, Emily wearing a long skirted cream suit and green hat, decorated with fruit and flowers and Fred dressed in his cream pin striped suit and straw boater. They both looked lovely and so happy but things had changed by the time they returned - they were a mess!

A red dust storm followed by rain would have been enough but in addition, the horse had sneezed green fluid all over Emily's suit and that was the end of their city clothes!!

The children all enjoyed going to town and the horse and sulky would be left in Mr Leckie's horse stable until their return home.

After sharefarming in Benerembah, the family moved to a fruit farm, Farm 3 at Hanwood, and lived there until Fred's death in 1973. This farm is still being worked by Fred's grandson, Brian Dance.

Entertainment was limited in those early days and work on the farm absorbed a great deal of time but there was the occasional woolshed dance held at Gunbar Bill & his Forklift on the old Ford Truck and Myall Park to give some relief Photos courtesy Jeff Dance from the hard work.

An unfortunate fire destroyed the house on Farm 3 about 1936 and the family lost all their possessions, including all photos of the early days.

A Farmall "A" tractor with rubber tyres was purchased, replacing the steel wheeled or crawler tractors and horses and Bill (son William) used this tractor to cultivate, not only Farm 3, but his neighbours farms as well, working it thirteen or more hours nearly every day to help with the repayments.

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During World War H, vegetables were grown among the fruit trees to help feed the Army and the Women's Land Army provided much of the necessary labour required to harvest the crops. Many members of the Land Army married farmers sons in the district.

In the late 1950's, Bill adapted a forklift to an old 1930's Ford truck and it is believed to have been one of the first forklifts used on a farm. Prior to this fruit lugs were hand loaded on and off the truck.

The Dance family was the first to successfully deliver fruit on pallets to Nugans, commencing what is now an everyday occurrence.

Harry and Bill farmed Farms 2, 3 and 4 at Hanwood for many years. Bill started a beef farm in the Moruya district in 1965 and Harry also moved to Moruya in 1983.

Fred died 10 June 1973 aged 95 years and is buried in The Dance children at play Griffith Lawn Cemetery. Emily Courtesy Jeff Dance died 1 August 1987, aged 95, and is buried with Fred.

Fred Dance married Emily Rodier

Dorothy born Victoria. 17 January 1919. Married Patrick Smythe (div). Lives at Griffith NSW. Marjorie born Sydney. 26 June 1920. Married Raymond Osbourne 27 March 1937. Lives at Gosford NSW. William born Griffith 19 November 1922. Married Irma Cook. divorced 1975. Lives at Moruya NSW. Betty born Griffith 10 July 1924. Married Frederick Chilvers. at Griffith 1951. Lives Moulamein district NSW. Douglas born Griffith 6 April 1926. Died of pneumonia. aged 18. in 1944. Buried Griffith NSW. Harry born Griffith 8 August 1928. Married Evelyn Funk at Griffith 1953. Lives at Moruya NSW. Joy born Griffith 9 February 1930. Married Robert I Iardwick at Griffith 1950. Died 25 September 1983. buried Dederang Vic. Edna born Griffith 9 September 1932. Married Ronald Mason at Griffith 23 January 1954. Liles at Mundubbera Old.

By courtesy of Marjorie Osbourne, Gosford NSW William Dance, Moruya NSW Jeff Dance, Griffith NSW 112

DOSSETOR The ancestors of the Dossetor family of Griffith came to Australia as early as 1790. Arthur Vinson Dossetor's Maternal Great Great Grandfather, Obediah Ikin, arrived with the Second Fleet (102nd Regiment, NSW Corp) on 26 June 1790.

Obediah was granted land in Sydney - at one time he owned land at Lane Cove, but as it was scrubby and only accessible by row boat across the harbour, he sold it.

He then bought Pyrmont for £10 and sold it to Macarthur for £10 worth of rum a short while later!!

Obediah's wife, Sarah, had a baker's shop at "The Rocks" (Sydney) and one of their sons, Alexander, was a Ship's Chandler in Castlereagh Street. Their youngest son, Thomas married a builder's daughter, Ann Anson and on his father-in-law's death took over the family business in Hobart.

"Doss" Dossetor - France 1916 His Paternal Great Courtesy Pat Reynolds (nee Vinson-Dossetor) Grandfather, William Dossetor, came to Australia after the loss of his first wife and child and arrived in 1835 as a Government appointed stock inspector.

He met and married Charlotte Rumney, the daughter of a racehorse breeder who lived at "Acton House", Rokeby in Tasmania. It is of interest that "Acton House" is still standing, being used as a Riding School and that Mt Rumney, near Hobart, is named after Charlotte's father William Rumney.

Arthur Vinson Dossetor, known to all as "Doss", was born at Burnie in Tasmania to 1894, the son of Daniel Vinson Dossetor and Emily Patience Ikin. He spent his youth in Tasmania, New Zealand and Sydney, moving with his father, who was a pharmaceutical chemist.

His father had hoped that "Doss" would become a doctor. However, "Doss" hated school and ran away from home when he was about 13 years old to work on a dairy farm and later as a construction worker, on such projects as the approaches to the Sydney Harbour Bridge until he enlisted with the A.I.F. in 1914. "Doss" served on Gallipoli with the First Division Signals Corp and in France till the Armistice.

After the 1914-18 War, he travelled by train to Willbriggie and then by horse and cart to the Old Town at Hanwood in August 1919. At first he lived in the Water 113

Conservation and Irrigation Commission Barracks at Beelbangera.

He was one of the early Water Bailiffs, as they were then known, doing his rounds on a push bike while working with the Commission until "Doss" and Jack Scrivener 1922. sharefarmed poultry in the early days, but this was not a successful venture.

Arthur Vinson Dossetor and Annie Olivia Scrivener were married in the Griffith Methodist Church on 4 February 1924 - the fourteenth wedding to be recorded in Griffith.

Anne, as she was known, was the daughter of John Glanfield Scrivener, a railway engineer. She had been a V.A.D. during World War I and had worked in convalescent homes for soldiers, one of which was "Rose Hall". Anne came to Griffith from Sydney, where she was working as a hook-keeper, to help her brother, John Clement Scrivener with the office work in his timber yard in Banna Avenue.

Annie Olivia Scrivincr Courtesy Pat Reynolds (nec Vinson-Dossctor) When Anne went to the first Griffith Show all the women wore hats and gloves and long frocks trailing in the dust. The men ended up in a "Free-For-All" in the boxing tent! "Doss" was a skilled horseman and had trotters and jumpers and won innumerable trophies at Griffith Shows in the early years.

"Doss" acquired Farm 644 at Yoogali on which was built a "Type 7" house. The farm was planted with apricots, citrus, vines and pears. He and Anne farmed this orchard until approximately 1952 when, together with Peter Mogliotti, "Doss" started the "Midway Produce Store" on that part of the farm facing the Yoogali/Griffith Road. This business was ultimately sold to Messrs DeMartin and Donnelly who then traded as "D & D Produce".

"Doss" was a 'self-trained' featherweight boxer, a runner and a footballer. He played Rugby League and virtually started the code in the town, being the first Secretary of the "Black & White" Football Club. This love of the code was carried on by members of his family - his son Don, who was Griffith's first grade hooker for many years, and his grandsons Mark and Brian who played with the "Black and Whites".

"Doss" was the first secretary of the hospital, riding his bike to Hanwood for the meetings, keeping the minutes in an exercise book. This position was taken over by Os Whiting.

During World War II, he was first a trooper in the Light horse and then a Sergeant in the Volunteer Defence Corps (V.D.C.).

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"Doss" going over the jumps - Griffith Show (old Showg,round) Courtesy Pat Reynolds (nec Vinson-l)ossctor)

"Doss" leading Procession in Banna Avenue in 1937 to mark Australia's 150 years. Courtesy of Don 13as.sctor

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However, he will probably be best remembered for his part in the pre World War II processions astride his horse "Trooper" or as the drum major in the Griffith Town Band, spinning his mace and leading the parades and Anzac Day Marches for many years.

In the post-War years he was the cheerful and traditionally corpulent Santa Claus at many Christmas functions and for many years before and after the War on Christmas morning, visited the Griffith Hospital as "Santa".

Daughter Pat recalls "Dad could turn his hand to anything - when we went to fancy dress balls we would have wonderful costumes. I remember elves shoes with bells made of soft leather and a magnificent witches hat!"

In the last few years of his time in Griffith he ran a school bus service to Benerembah and was loved and known by all his young passengers as "Grandpop".

After fifty two years in Griffith "Doss" and Anne retired to Wahroonga where Anne died on 6 May 1975, aged 80 years and "Doss" passed away on 10 July 1976 aged 81 years.

"Doss" was a gregarious, happy man who could turn his hand to anything, and who took delight in using his many talents for the benefit and enjoyment of others. He was one of our young pioneers - it is hard to believe how young they were, "Doss" was only 19 when he went to the War!

"Doti" and Ann Doctor Courtesy Pat Reynolds (ncc Vinson-Dossetor)

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Obediah lkin 1757-1811 (circa) married 1781 Sarah Butts died 1813 William Dossetor 1791-1873 Arrived Australia 1835 married (1) Caroline Carroll (2) Charlotte Rumney

Thomas Moore lkin 1795-1860 married 1819 Ann Anson 1799-1843

Thomas Arthur Dossetor born Hobart 1843 married Elizabeth Beddome born 1845

William (kin 1824-1891 married 1850 Mary Farthing died 1890

• Daniel Vinson Dossctor 1874-1919

married 1893

Emily Patience Ikin born Hobart 1868 died 1943

ARTHUR VINSON CDOSS") DOSSETOR Born Burnie Tasmania 1894 Died 1976 married at Griffith in 1924 ANNE OLIVIA SCRIVENER Born Junee in 1894 Died 1975 • 1.

2.

3.

Patricia Vinson-Dossetor, born 1924. Griffith - married James Grant Reynolds (born 1925) and they live in Gosford.

Donald Vinson Dossetor. born 1926. Griffith - married Gladys May Bryan and they live at Benerembah.

John Vinson Dossetor. born 1928. Griffith - married Rosemary Olive Meredith and they live in Sydney.

Courtesy of Don Dossetor, Farm 58, Benerembah, 2680 Pat Reynolds (nee Vinson-Dossetor), 27 Neeworra Ave, Narara 2250 117

DRUITT Paul Raymond Druitt was born 22 November 1896 at Rosewood Farm, Hastings River NSW. He married Iris May Lasscock on 14 May 1931 and died on 7 July 1976 while visiting Kempsey.

Iris Lasscock was born 1 March 1908 at Broken Hill NSW and died 3 March 1989 at North Parramatta NSW. Iris' father, Charles Lasscock arrived in Griffith in December, 1912 where he settled Farm 74, Hanwood.

Charles' wife May and Paul and Iris Druitt young Iris followed in June Courtesy Gordon 1)ruitt 1913 when Griffith was "Bagtown" near Hanwood.

Paul Druitt arrived in Griffith in 1922 and settled Farm 1818 Lake Wyangan after having served with the 9th Field Ambulance in France and Belgium. There he was involved in such famous battles as Messines, Paschcndalc, Menin Road and Armentierres.

He was invalided to Australia after having been admitted to Harefield Hospital in England suffering the effects of Phosgene gas. He served sixteen months in the front line.

Paul and Iris Druitt had four sons; Paul Ralph, Gordon Raymond, Ross Kevin and Rodney Malcolm.

While Farm 1818 was being developed with oranges and some apricots, Paul worked with the WC & IC in Griffith as a clerk. He later become involved in many civic activities especially the P & C Association and the Farmers Extension Groups. Possessing a fine baritone voice, he sang at many civic functions as well as accompanying the silent films in the early days.

In 1946 an additional area of 20 acres - Farm 1128 - was granted near Griffith township and subsequently planted with oranges, mainly Valencias as well as many trial plantings in conjunction with the NSW Department of Agriculture. Farm 1128 was a major source of budwood for some years prior to the establishment of the Department of Agriculture's farm at Dareton on the Murray River.

He was a frequent and successful exhibitor in the Griffith Agricultural Show. Iris Druitt was involved in the Red Cross and later the Soroptimist Club. Iris had a great love of gardening and prior to leaving Farm 1818 in 1965 had developed a beautiful garden of native and exotic plants.

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Paul and Iris retired to Gosford in 1966.

Children of Paul Raymond Druitt and Iris May Lasscock 1.

Paul Ralph born 15 June 1932 at Griffith married 31 August 1957 at Griffith Lorna Mary Barber born 27 April 1935 at Griffith 1.

2.

3.

2.

Gordon Raymond born 26 September 1935 at Griffith married 29 August 1959 at Griffith Denise Maree O'Brien born 3 April 1938 at Griffith 1.

2.

3.

3.

Sally Louise Darren Paul Thomas Nicole Maree

Ross Kevin born 21 June 1937 at Griffith married 20 March 1976 at Epping, Sydney Margaret Ann ("Peggy") Birch born 8 June 1947 Edmonton, Canada 1.

2.

4.

Campbell Gordon Katherine May Robert John

Colin Eric Marcus Bradley

Rodney Malcolm born 1 September 1946 at Griffith married 7 March 1970 at Moorooka, Brisbane Qld Sandra Marion Wright born 1 March 1947 at Brisbane Qld 1.

2.

3.

Deborah Anne Anthony David Michael Paul

Contributed by Gordon Druitt of Coleambally and Ross Druitt of Sydney.

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DUFFELL The first John Duffell came to Australia from England in 1835. John, a mariner, aged 40, his wife Maryanne aged 30, a son John Junior aged 3 years and Maryann aged 2 years arrived aboard the "Indiana". They left London on 20 March and came via Hobart Town (7 October) arriving Port Jackson on 15 October 1835. The "Indiana" was a ship of 399 tons, laden with merchandise. A bounty of f20 was paid.16 They settled near the Hawkesbury River. It was his great grandson, William John Duffell (known as "John"), who after serving in World War I became a soldier settler at Venda.

John Duffell

John Duffell

William Thomas Duffell born 20 July 1869

William John Duffell born 10 October 1897

married • • married • • married • • married

Maryanne

Ellen Crumpton

Lucy Elena Earl born 5 Aug 1876

Mary Sylvia Dircks born 8 March 1897

During the war years (WWI), a young lady, Mary Sylvia Dircks became friends with John Duffell's mother and was asked to knit something for him to include in a parcel she was sending to her son in France. Mary knitted a pair of socks and put a note of good luck in one of the toes.

John wrote and thanked her and so began a correspondence which ended in marriage when the war was over.

John DulTc11 (:ourtcsy Gwcn I lodgson (ncc Duffel!)

Before the war John had been an apprentice upholsterer in Sydney, which helped in the first years on the farm as he made lounge chairs for the cottage. We still have one cherished chair, much re-covered, now in the possession of his grand daughter Dianne.

Mary was a Sydney girl and had been a tailoress. With her trusty Singer treadle sewing machine she made sure we were always warmly clad, even making our coats, during the hard struggle of the early years.

When John first came to the area he lived in a tent and helped clear the land and build channels. He was with the WC & IC gang. When he was allotted his block of land, Farm 1348, he went to Sydney, married Mary and they arrived in Yenda with all their possessions on 6 September 1921 to find their home not completed. They started their married life in a tent, all of which Mary took in her stride.

16

Shipping Records

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Mary's grandfather, Christian Dircks, had come to Australia from Belgium in the mid 1850's. Her mother Eliza Vickery came to Australia in the company of her grandmother in the 1870's from England. On the voyage out Eliza's grandmother died and was buried on an island.

Christian Dircks

married

Baggs

Thomas Albert Dircks born 18 January 1875

married

Eliza Vickery born 19 May 1871

Mary Sylvia Dircks born 8 March 1897

married

William John Duffel! born 10 October 1897

Mary and John had three children.

Thomas John was born on 8 October 1922 in the Cottage Hospital somewhere east of Yenda. Their second son Roy Dorman was born at "Gleneta" (the name they gave Farm 1348) with Nurse Leaver in attendance on 10 March 1924. Gwendolyn May was born on 2 May 1928 at "Gleneta" with Nurse Leaver again in attendance.

Gwen relates "We had a pony and sulky before our first car and I vividly remember riding in it. We did a lot of walking too in those days, to other farms for social visits and always with the old faithful sunshade up.

"I remember the flood which came through the plain before Burrinjuck Dam was built. I was about three years old. It wasn't known how high the water would rise so my two brothers and I were taken into our parent's bed room for the night. We children slept fitfully and our parents not at all. I remember waking at times and hearing my fathe r lean over the bed and pat the floor.

Finally in the early hours of the morning when he did this there was a splash and we John and Mary Durk!l knew the flood had arrived. soon after their marriage "In the morning there was no ground Courtesy Gwen llodgson (nce Duffel) to be seen except the large mound beside the dam where the horses and cow were tethered.

The chooks were up trees and on fences and I remember a cat on top of a post.

"They tell me there was a Depression. We children didn't notice it as we were always well fed, clothed and surrounded by love and security from two wonderful parents.

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We grew our own fruit and vegetables and for meat, had rabbits, ducks and the odd galah.

A lot of bartering went on as no one had any money. The dry area farmers came with food for the cattle and chooks and went away laden with fruit and vegetables. There were always men coming in looking for food and work. There was never anything for them to do but they never went away hungry.

Mary Duffel] with her sulky and pony "Midge" Courtesy Gwen I lodgson (nee 1)uffc11)

"My brother Roy developed ulcerative colitis at the age of seven years. For the next four years my mother was desperately trying to find help for him, taking him to specialists in Sydney as well as having him in Griffith Hospital for periods of treatment.

"Oh! The suffering of ill children and the anguish of their parents in those days before antibiotics and sulphanilamides had been discovered. Mostly they were nursed at home. The doctor visited, gave advice on treatment and diet and gave prescriptions for bottles of medicine. I remember visiting Roy in Griffith Hospital when the doctor deemed it necessary for him to have treatment and he proudly showed us his mustard plaster strapped to his abdomen.

"When it was known he was critically ill my parents wanted Roy to die in his own home. They were up early on the day they were to collect him and fussed about, getting the boy's bedroom just right for him before they left for the Hospital, but they were too late. Roy died just before they reached him. He was eleven years old and is buried in the Yenda Cemetery.

"During Roy's lifetime and when he was well enough my mother took us to Sydney to stay with her parents for the May holidays. We always went on the old Temora Mail, a steam train which chugged along slowly and stopped at every station and siding.

We were always taken to the Museum and the Art Gallery, and of course, across the harbour on the ferry to the Zoo. The boys loved the Museum but I loved the Art Gallery best and my parents encouraged my love of art over the years. Painting and sketching arc still my favourite hobbies.

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"All children in our area were taught to swim as soon as we could walk. It was a necessity with dams and channels so close to the house. We spent all summer in the water and made canoes from galvanised iron to go up and down the channels.

"My brother John was very interested in the Scouts and every year on Empire Night they put on a huge bonfire and concert for their parents and families near the Scout Hall.

"Yenda was very tree conscious and every Arbour Day all children in the Primary School planted a tree somewhere in the township. Most of the shady trees to-day lining the streets were pressed into place by our nervous young hands. I can now say as I pass by with my grandsons 'I planted that tree'.

"My parents worked very hard for Yenda in many organizations and holding executive positions, mainly to do with Yenda's progress as well as RSL, CWA and Red Cross.

"The little farm cottage the like of which all soldier settlers started with was added to as the years went by. It ended up a very comfortable home with tennis court, lovely shady trees and lawns spreading down to the dam.

"The early years of battle and depression finally gave way to a flourishing farm and the income enabled my father to buy two more farms twenty odd years after he settled there.

"I remember large tennis parties as people for miles around gathered to play.

The ones who owned tennis courts took it in turns to have these large gatherings.

"We learnt to dance at Moss's barn down the road from our place, and the Children's Fancy Dress Ball held yearly in the Lyceum Theatre when all the seating was pushed to the sides and back of the hall. These occasions were looked forward to immensely by all children. Our parents made our costumes from anything they could find - old clothes, crepe paper and cardboard. My mother was often called upon to help other mothers make costumes because of her sewing ability. I remember being `Goldilocks' one year, clutching my teddy bear. Being a brown haired child I wore a wig my mother made from cotton wool, complete with long ringlets and painted with gold paint.

"There was always a parade around the hall of everyone in fancy dress, while Judging went on and prizes given in the different categories.

"The piano was the usual music and I don't recall who played for the early dances but Mrs Trenerry and family played for dances when I was in my teens.

"Bread, meat, ice and groceries were all delivered to the farms. I still associate the smell of exhaust fumes with the ice man and his van. He used to chop off strips of ice while we eager youngsters hung over the back of his vehicle awaiting the chunks he passed to us, to be wrapped in pieces of rag and rapturously eaten.

"I remember too when Yenda had its own Doctor, Dentist, Chemist and three large grocery stores as well as numerous other shops catering for every need. My father was very conscious of the nearness of Griffith and its threat to Yenda's prosperity. He became very irate when he heard of anyone going to shop in Griffith.

"When World War II broke out, most of our young men enlisted in the forces and my brother John joined the Air Force. The Land Army and local girls took over and worked the farms very successfully while the young men were away. My parents took these girls into their home and hearts and we have very happy memories of these years and made lasting friendships.

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"My parents were very busy helping organise 'Send Offs' for every son of Yenda who went overseas and 'Welcome Homes' when they returned. These usually took place in the CWA hall with dancing and supper. The ones who didn't come home were mourned by us all.

"The men too old for enlistment became members of the Volunteer Defence Corp (VDC) with Dad and Angus More in charge of Yenda's platoon.

Lieutenants John Duffel! and Angus More in the front of Yenda platoon, outside the original Yenda I)igger's Club.

"The VDC consisted of men unable to enlist for active service because of age or health reasons, but who wanted to serve their country. As Australia was such a vulnerable country regarding invasion, with large areas of deserted coastline and most of the young men overseas, these men trained to defend their country from the Japanese should this happen.

"The Yenda platoon had their training ground on the Binya Hills slopes. Here they did target practice and staged mock battles. As well as enjoying themselves some serious training did take place.

"My father asked me to paint life sized Japanese soldiers on tin which 1 did and these were used for their target practice.

"The VDC training only took place on week ends, the men took care of their farms and other work during the week."

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John Duffel! died aged 68 years and Mary Duffel! died aged 72 years. They are both buried in the Yenda Cemetery.

The descendants of John and Mary are:John married Shirley Buckle. Their children Roy and Sylvia are married and live in Yenda as does their mother Shirley. Roy married Jane Derrin and has three sons, James, Jon and Owen. Sylvia married Robert Allen. John and Shirley divorced and John married Faith Catt and lives in Port Macquarie.

Gwen married Lindsay Gain. Their children Dianne and Deidre are married. Dianne recently married Gary Wiseman of Coleambally and has two children, Nicholas and Jason from a previous marriage. Deidre married Lesly Giannini and lives in Gympie Old. They have had two children, Kyle (deceased) and Carl. Gwen and Lindsay divorced and Gwen married Ian Hodgson (deceased 1990) and lives in Griffith.

"Fun on the farm in a home made canoe" Courtesy Gwen Hodgson (nee Duffel!)

By courtesy of Gwen Hodgson (nee Duffel!), 25 Walla Avenue, Griffith.

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EDGE William Edge was born in Adelaide in 1894 and died in Yenda in 1961, aged 67 years. His mother was Louisa Borough who had been born in Orroroo at the foot of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, where her family had been pioneers. Born in 1870, she had married John Edge in Orroroo in 1889 and had moved to Adelaide, Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, Fremantle, and finally, Sydney. She had two sons, John and William. She took John with her to Adelaide, and after William's birth took both boys to the Western Australian gold fields where they grew up.

It is not known what happened to her husband, John (senior), but John (junior) went to sea on a South American windjammer at an early age. He finally settled in Sydney, married and joined the Fire Brigade, reaching a senior position before his retirement. Our cousin, Frank Edge, remembers his father talking of Sidney Edge, his uncle, who was a mine manager in Kalgoorlie. On Louisa's side, her mother was Elizabeth Cotterill (18471878). Elizabeth had married an Irish surveyor, Randal Borough at Orroroo.

(He is said to have been horn in a castle near Limerick in Ireland. He is also said to have surveyed a great area of North Western South Australia, and in his old William lloracc Edge age was librarian at the Shire library.)

2nd Battalion, 1st All: Elizabeth had two daughters and then a Courtesy Una Edge son, Randal. She was killed in a wagon accident in 1878, and the baby boy died five weeks later.

In approximately 1904, Louisa moved her family to Fremantle, where John ran away to sea and William went to work at the age of eleven. He became interested in boxing and was within one match of fighting for a state championship at the age of sixteen, when his opponent died during a light. He never fought again but was always a fitness fanatic, never smoking and rarely drinking. He spoke of a patron, Jack Doherty, who greatly influenced him at this stage.

12()

Soon afterwards William and Louisa moved to Sydney. There William worked as a boilermaker's assistant and studied photography and physics. He sat for a Post Office Exam in Telephony and passed with top marks in the exam, and consequently was offered a job at only 5/- (five shillings) per week. As he was his mother's sole means of financial support, he continued as a boilermaker's assistant, at which he earned more money.

When World War I broke out, he was unable to join the AIF until 1916 because of short-sightedness. He later joined the Bicycle Corps, and trained at Salisbury Plains in England, but soon transferred to the infantry. He joined the First Second Battalion in France the same year and fought in the trenches until the armistice. He was badly wounded at Pozierres near the Somme River in 1916, having his right elbow shattered and his right achilles tendon severed. He rose to the rank of Sergeant while specialising in night patrols, mapping enemy positions and trenches for the attention of the artillery. He revered General Monash, as did most of the fighting soldiers.

On returning to Australia, he took up a farm in Yenda under the Repatriation Scheme which settled ex-soldiers on fruit and • dairy farms in the new irrigation area. He married Edith Mary Pratt in 1923.

Edith Mary Pratt was born in Junee in 1906. Her mother, Mary Bell Pratt, died three months later. Mary Bell had been born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1870, and came out to Australia with her father and older children of the family. Her mother, who was to come out with the younger children later, died before she could leave, so the family was permanently split, as the younger children remained in Glasgow in the care of relatives.

Edith's father, William Henry Pratt, secured by ballot a wheat farm at Mimosa between Temora and Coolamon, moved his parents to the area and married Mary Bell.

Edith Mary was their eighth child. William Henry's family had migrated to Australia in 1838, on the "Fairlie" from Great Shelford in Cambridgeshire, England. William Henry had grown grape vines on the farm and was a wine maker, but it is said that his wife William and Edith Edge Courtesy Una Edge disliked wine-making, so wheat farming, which became more profitable after about 1900, predominated. Edith was brought up, at first by her elder sisters, Dolly and Emma, and later by her stepmother, Nell Dunk Pratt. Later, William Henry retired to Junce where Edith completed her Primary Final Exam after a years gap caused by the pneumonic plague in 1919.

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Her brother Osmond (Ossie) Pratt had served in World War I in the Artillery, and took up a farm in Yenda, followed a little later by his brother David. Ossie's first marriage failed, and 16 year old Edith was invited to housekeep for her brother in 1922.

The next farm was William Edge's farm, 1549. He had worked in the barracks at Beelbangera and had taken up the mallee farm in 1920.

Edith was a good horsewoman and soon William was courting her seriously on long horseback rides into the surrounding bush and hills. I believe the first thing William did when he arrived in the area was to prospect it thoroughly. He did not approve of the local rocks as they were not auriferous. William had the black hair and blue eyes as well as the fluency of his Irish ancestry, and Edith had glorious curling chestnut hair. (I still have her plait, cut in the 1920's when short hair became fashionable.)

William went to Junee to ask formal permission to marry and in 1923 married Edith in the Anglican Church in Junee. Their three children were later baptised there.

He brought her home to his newly completed Commission house, one bedroom, sitting room, kitchen, pantry and bathroom and front verandah. Laundry facilities were alfresco under a Sugar Gum. The weatherboard house was fibro-lined but had splendid Cypress Pine and Western cedar woodwork. They had an Oak bed in the bedroom as well as an Oak table (which I still cherish) and four Oak chairs, a kitchen table, an Oak side-table (now my coffee table) and two kitchen chairs.

The orchard was cleared of its malice and the stumps and roots were stacked for future use and we played mountaineering on the huge stacks for many years. The block was 22 acres and it was planted to sultana and table grapes and oranges. Some of the government-supplied trees and vines turned out very odd indeed! For example, one acre of table grapes turned out to be wine grapes, of which William disapproved. The sultanas were frosted one year in every three in what the settlers had been told were "frost-free areas". I believe the settlers met frequently in social gatherings and dreamed of prosperity in their new land of milk and honey. In the early days, tennis was much played on homemade courts. Edith was a very good player.

New !louse - note the woodpile of cleared trees Courtesy Una Edge

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William was a self-educated, scholarly man, highly cultivated in his tastes and extremely well-read. At the same time he had been an athlete, and was never afraid of anything in his life.

His ideal was "a sound mind in a sound body', and he tried to live up to this, despite war injuries. He had a life-long interest in radio and electronics. He could build and repair any radio, and owned one of the first wireless sets in Yenda. He knew far more of radio physics than I learned in Physics I at university!

Three children were born, Una Edith in 1924, Mary in 1926 and William Strathearn in 1931. I did not marry but became the first member of the family to graduate at university and became a High School teacher of English and History.

My parents gave me encouragement and support throughout High School and University.

Mary had more fragile health, and left school after completing her Intermediate. She married Flight Lieutenant Allan Willington DFC after World War II and lived in Adelaide until Edith Mary Edge (nee Pratt) Courtesy Una Edge her death in 1989. She was survived by two sons, Phillip and Peter.

William (junior) had a life-long interest in fine machinery, guns and farming. He took over the farm in 1961 after William Horace's death. He married Celia More and they had four children: Margaret, Janette, Stuart and Robert.

Margaret is married to Ray Shepherd and they live in Albury. They have three children; Matthew, Adam and Amie. They are in partnership with Celia in a transport business. Janette is married to Robert Marker and they have an auto-electrical business in Brisbane. They have two children: Elise and Kathryn. Stuart and his wife Pamela live in Sydney and have an electronics and communications business. They have one son, William. Robert is unmarried and lives in Leeton where he works for the Rice Growers' Co-operative Mill.

William (junior) sold the farm in 1978 and later moved to Albury where he had started a carrying business with his son-in-law, Ray Shepherd. He died in 1983 and is buried in Albury.

Farming, as always, turned out to be a precarious occupation: frosts, hail storms, floods, disastrous markets, depressions and wars left little return for hard work. War disabilities were further problems. However, Edith's sulky and pacing pony and a first (resurrected, third-hand) car, transformed at home into a utility, were land marks. Picnics were favourite diversions, if rare. Cinemas were cheap, and Empire Night, School Concerts and School Picnics were enjoyed all the more because they did not occur every week.

William Horace battled with ill-health but during World War II he played his part as a Sergeant once again in the Volunteer Defence Corps. He had been a foundation

129

member of the Yenda Producers' Co-operative Society and contributed for a brief period to the Martial Arts Group for the Yenda Boy Scouts.

Edith worked on the farm, kept her house, raised her children, worked for St George's Anglican Church Guild, ran a Sunday School for about five years, worked for the Yenda Primary School Parents and Citizens Association, Red Cross and contributed to the Country Women's Association. She had a remarkable talent for all sorts of craftwork and had quick strong hands, which were equally adept at fine crochet and knitting, rough farm work and Lawn Bowls. Now, as she sits in the Griffith Nursing Home at the age of 85, it is saddening to see those hands no longer active and capable.

William Horace died in 1961 from a coronary heart attack and is buried in Yenda Cemetery. Edith and I bought a house in Yenda, where we lived until Edith, following serious illness, was placed in the Griffith Nursing Home.

I left Yenda in 1990, and now live at Riverwood Retirement Village in Albury.

I know the road from Albury to Merrigal Street, Griffith extremely well as it has not been possible to resettle Edith in Albury.

They had hoped that Farm 1549 would be a monument to their lives, but this was not to be. Their monument must be in the memories of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Their legacy to their descendants was the setting of a life-long example of respect for hard work, a love of learning and a total sense of honour and honesty.

Charles Pratt married Sarah Ann 1)unk

• William Henry Pratt

John Edge married

married

Louisa Borough

Mary Bell

(daughter of Randal Borough & Elizabeth Cotterill)

born Glasgow 1870 died 1906

•

• William Horace Edge born Adelaide. 1894 died Yenda. 1961

married Junee. 1923

Edith Mary Pratt born Junee. 1906 lives at Griffith

• 1.

Una Edith born Yenda, 1924. Lives at Albury NSW.

2.

Mary born Yenda. 1926. died Adelaide 1989. Married Allan Willington: two sons. Phillip and Peter.

3.

William Strathearn born Venda. 1931. died Albury 1983. Married Celia More: four children. Margaret, Janette. Stuart and Robert.

Contributed by Una Edge, 19 Woodland Close, Riverwood, Albury 2640.

130

FLOOD Eric Flood was a returned soldier, who, after discharge, cleared land and took up the eighteen acre block, Farm 1888 in 1919. This was on what is now called Twigg Road, Yenda. In the 1940's he was to occupy Farm 783, formerly owned by the Potters.

Prior to enlisting in 1916, Eric had married Alice Grace Flint in Hobart, Tasmania where he had gone seeking work.

Joan, the first daughter, was born whilst he was in France with a Field Ambulance Unit.

It was this young family that came to Yenda to live in a shack built from "roundbacks" with an earthen floor.

Eric never told his family, but it is now known, his grandfather Edward Flood, once owned land where Narrandera now stands. In Gammage's17 history of that town, he writes that Narrandera developed on land once owned by Edward Flood.

Eric, his brothers and sisters, had lost both their mother and father in the early 1900's in Coonamble. The family broke up as each went their own way.

It was remarkable that Eric returned to a place near to where his grandfather once lived.

Like others, the Flood family, grew, and after Joan, there was Mary, Eily, Eric Eric Flood - 1917 and Ruth.

Enlisted Ilobart, settled Yenda 1919 Most children went to the Yenda Courtesy of his son, Eric Flood School by walking, bike or horse. At one stage Mr Gordon operated a bus which was an open truck with seating on the back.

Our family all went to the Yenda School. Mary gained her Intermediate Certificate in Miss Miller's class, called the super primary where all the children beyond 6th class, were in the one portable room, taught by the one teacher. It wasn't until Ritchie's bus commenced the run from Yenda to Griffith that we attended Griffith High School after travelling the then wretched road, in an overcrowded bus, winter and summer.

Ruth, Eily and Eric did the bulk of their schooling at Griffith High School.

17

Bill Garnmage - "Narrandera Shire: Wiradjuri"

131

Living conditions were very simple, but we never complained. I can remember us all sitting by the open log fire, listening to a faint broadcast of the Test Cricket in England. Quietness was the order of the night despite the Bradman era.

I recall my sister Eily, trying to pump the primus and pulling a pot of boiling water over herself.

Medical help was very distant, especially without a telephone.

Again, Mary being carried away in the late night in Dr Dilger's car on wet muddy roads to Griffith Hospital because of a severe attack of appendicitis.

My sister Joan performed in the Regent Theatre with the Yenda Dramatic Society in a play called 'Tons of Money'. How ironic was the title, for money was something most orchardists did not have in the Depression years!!

It was strange for children Alice Flood (nee Mint) Married Hobart 1916, settled Ycnda 1919 isolated by distance to see the Courtesy Eric Flood beginning of many Italian families coming to Yenda. At school, I don't believe we were as understanding as we should have been to these new-comers. But it was the beginning of change.

Now as I write this in 1991 the thoughts of my sisters and I regularly return to those many days in Yenda with unmeasured affection and admiration for the families who pioneered that place and who will forever be our friends because of the character that could only be, Yenda.

Eric Flood died in Concord Hospital in 1971, and Alice Flood died in Prince Henry Hospital in 1983. Their Children: Joan married Cecil Rubie (died 1978) - lives in Coogee Mary married Frank Rosen - lives in Whale Beach Eily married Norman Campbell - lives in South Coogee Eric married Doreen Crabtree - lives in Sylvania Ruth married Ben Clarke - lives in Delegate.

132

The Flood "Kids" 1983 L to It Ruth, Eric, Mary, Joan, Ely Courtesy Eric Flood

As a retired teacher, I see the faces of countless children pass before me, but none are as vivid as the faces of the pioneer children who attended Yenda Public School a generation ago.

"Channel waters, channel waters You are ringing in my ears Fuelled by sounds of gladness And so many tears."

Contributed by Eric Flood, 2 Young Street, Sylvania 2224.

133

FU KS John Fuchs (Fuks) was born in Dorpat, Estonia on 22 April 1886. His father, David, was a monumental mason.

John left school at the age of 9 years and for four years was apprenticed to his brother-in-law, as a watchmaker.

He was conscripted into the Russian Army but on his first leave he went AWOL escaping through Finland and Sweden, where he joined a ship which was wrecked in the North Sea but eventually arrived in England. He sailed from England to Germany where he worked at the Seaman's Mission. From there he got work on a Russian ship, the "Jewsberg", which brought him to Australia. When it called into Melbourne in 1913, John jumped ship after a disagreement with the Captain.

He worked his way up through Victoria and thought that Australians were so kind - all the farmers had boxes at their front gates containing bread and papers for travellers! John only took , what he needed and left plenty for others!!

John and Kathleen Fuks At Jerilderie John went to the Courtesy Ann Ilowkett (ncc Fuks) railway station to find out when the next train was due. While waiting for the train he took out his knife and began sharpening it on the cement step. The Station Master was so frightened he locked himself in his office until the train arrived!!

He worked on the railway between Parkes and Peak Hill for a time then ventured up to Muswellbrook where he caught rabbits for a living. His next move was to Blacktown where he bought a small farm and worked as a fireman on a coastal steamer the "Argylshire". When he enlisted in the AIF, in 1917, the Army Officer spelt his surname of Fuchs as Fuks and from this time it has continued to be spelt that way. He was wounded in both legs in France, after which he returned to England where he worked as a hospital wardsman.

"A German airman was His daughter Ann recalls one of her father's stories brought into the hospital, still wearing his pistol in his holster. As Dad spoke German he told the chap that he had to give up the pistol. Dad still had that pistol when he came back to Australia!!"

Mrs Kathleen Fuks related that she "met John when he worked at an Australian Army Hospital at Southall in the south of England. I had come from Ireland with my 134

sister to work in a munitions factory in Southall, Middlesex. I was going home from the factory on a double decker tram and I could hear some soldiers talking on the lower level of the tram. I waited until I thought they had gone, but when I got off here was this handsome soldier waiting for me! I tried to discourage him but he was persistent. He used to wait for me after work and walk me home. We were married in April 1918."

After their marriage John and Kathleen came to Australia on a troop ship, the "Berrima". Despite having enlisted and served with the AIF; and being severely wounded in both legs in France, John was to learn upon his return to Australia that he would not be eligible for a Soldier Settlers block unless he became a naturalised Australian. So - he was naturalised on 15 March 1920!! He became a "dinky di Aussie".

John and Kathleen lived on the farm at Blacktown and John worked on the coastal steamer "SS Fitzroy'. He was once again ship wrecked, in the mouth of the Clarence River.

Their first son, John David, was born in December 1919 and in 1920 they travelled by train to Yenda where they were picked up by Sid Simpson who took them in his spring cart to the Soldier Settlers Camp.

At first the family lived at the Camp and John worked with the Commission, clearing timber.

John set to work and built a hut of pine round backs - Kathleen was one of the few settler's wives who had a stove inside the cabin and was pleased not to be cooking outside like most of the others did!! Kathleen told the tale of putting scones on the window sill to cool and Sid Simpson "nicked" them for a joke! She also related how her first effort of cooking a boiled pudding in a cloth was a disaster - all she had when she turned it out was the cloth!! The Briggs brothers showed her how to do it the right way.

John chose Farm 1622 in 1920 and when they first moved to the farm they lived in a tent erected under a box tree - this tree is still standing! On one occasion, when John was away cutting timber, a bush fire swept through - a neighbour saved Kathleen and son John by taking them down to the dam. This dam was sunk by Fred Chilvers and is still being using today. A few weeks later a raging dust storm was experienced - John and Kathleen wrapped their arms around the centre pole of the tent (a pine tree with the top and branches cut off) with little John between their legs! Everything that was not tied down was lost - even the chooks, who had had their feathers burnt in the fire but had survived, were never seen again!!

John cleared and fenced the farm and eventually was to grow rice, wheat, oats and to graze sheep and cattle. Their first flock of sheep was not large enough to employ shearers so Kathleen shore them herself with a pair of scissors. As John had had no experience with horses Kathleen had to show him how to harness the horses. During World War II they grew peas, carrots, parsnips and melons as food for the Armed Services.

Mr and Mrs Austin Hahm who lived on the next farm ran a dairy. Ken Flynn, another neighbour, liked to listen to the horse races on the wireless on Saturdays and as he had no wireless of his own he would come over and spend the afternoon with the Fuks family.

When Australia was playing cricket in England all the menfolk would go to Darkic Halse's as he was the only one with a wireless that could pick it up!

135

Feeding the sheep from the Bean Truck - 1929

Kathleen Fuks and family off to town

C .rro's doing

on Mr.

R

firm

NSW

From the publication - The "Commonwealth" Agriculturist October 1942 - Vol 13, No 1.

All by courtesy Ann Bowkctt (nee Fuks)

136

One of the funny tales told "Mr Jack Jenson

by Kathleen killed a goat and gave us a leg of it. As it didn't look very nice I buried it down a rabbit warren.

The next time Mr Jenson visited his dog dug it up and brought it into the house!!"

Kathleen drove a horse and sulky - she had a big red chestnut horse called "Ginger Many times the two Mick".

Proctor brothers, Ted and Harry, would try to race her.

John loved fishing - he John Fuks with "A Catch" bought a Bean truck (1924 model) at the Murrumbidgee River and after packing up would collect Courtesy Ann Bowkett (nee Fuks) George Riley (a returned man on a fruit farm at Yenda) and his family and head off for a weekend at the river, where they nearly always caught a nice lot of fish.

John bought his first tractor, a Massey Wallis. When it needed an overhaul, he loaded it onto the Bean truck and took it to Sydney!! On one trip, while crossing the Blue Mountains, he ran off the road. However, he was able to hold it with the brakes for a couple of hours when he was found and pulled back onto the road!! A real feat with gravel roads and such a small truck.

During the War years (1939-45) when fuel was short, John made a gas producer, burning malice roots to make charcoal, for the tractor. This enabled him to keep the tractor working as well as the horse team. He was contracted to the Armed Services to grow vegetables. On this enterprise he employed a number of Land Army girls. Kathleen would pick up a car load at seven o'clock each morning at either Yenda or Griffith. The girls did all the chipping and picking of the crops.

Kathleen also had to supply them with lunch and morning and afternoon teas and then return them to town. Two of the girls, Vera Philpot and Iris O'Brien, John Fuks Snr and Eileen Riley lived with us as one of the family in boat hand made by John and kept in touch with Kathleen Courtesy Ann Bowkett (nee Fuks) right up to the day she died.

137

Lou Doherty bought Hahm's farm and both Lou and John liked to "have-a-chat" and they spent hours leaning on the fence yarning.

The house was built in 1922 and is now owned by their grandaughter, Patricia (Bowkett) and her husband, Lou Toscan.

John Fuks died at the age of 82 years on 14 April 1968 and Kathleen at the age of 93 years on 24 December 1989.

A visitor from USA with Jcan - about 1922 model Hart-Parr tractor. Courtesy Jean Hill (nee Fuks)

Thomas Collins married

David and Lisa Fuchs • John (Fuchs) Fuks born 22 April 1886 at Dorpat (Dor Port) Estonia died 14 April 1968 buried Griffith Cemetery

married 16 April 1918 St George Anglican Church Southall. Middlesex. England

Ann Dalahunty • Kathleen Bride Collins born 2 November 1896 at Ballymore. Co Westmead Ireland died 24 December 1989 buried Griffith Cemetery

1.

John David born 16 December 1919, Crown Street Hospital, Sydney. Married Sheila Gorman. Lived at Brunswick Heads NSW. Died September 1988. Five children, two deceased.

/.

Linda Anna born 18 August 1922. Yenda CWA Hospital. Never married.

3.

Jean Marion born 5 September 1925, Yenda CWA Hospital. Married Edward Hill (deed 1991).

Lives at Griffith NSW. Four children. one deceased.

4.

Margaret Mary born 9 June 1927. Yenda CWA Hospital. Married (1) Michael Troy (accidentally killed c. 1958). Three children: married (2) Patrick Carroll. Lives at Clladulla NSW.

5.

Elizabeth Ann (Ann) born 16 May 1931. Venda. Married Fred Bowkett. Lives on Farm 1621 at Venda NSW. Four children.

6.

Kathleen Julia born 1 September 1942. Griffith. Married Barry Beazley. Lives at Albury NSW. Two children.

By courtesy of Ann Bowkett (nec Fuks), Farm 1621, Yenda 2680.

138

GALLAGHER When Vinton Paul Gallagher settled on Farm 1495 in 1920 he, with the help of his wife Ethel and young son Les, planted free-stone peaches, oranges, grape vines (table and wine varieties). While waiting for these crops to bear they grew cotton, onions and tobacco; the tobacco was dried in a barn at the Yenda Producers. The cotton and onions were probably sold through the Yenda Producers. It was found that when the peaches came into bear that there was no market for free-stone peaches and as the area was prone to frosts the oranges were replaced by grape vines.

The farm house, sheds and racks (used to dry sultana grapes) were built by Vinton with help from Ethel and Les and the timber used was milled at a sawmill in a pine forest towards Mt Binya.

When Vera left school she became her father's helper with the running of the farm.

Vinton Paul Gallagher married Ethel Ruby Wright at St Phillips, Church Hill, Sydney in 1912. Vinton was born 25 October 1892 in Sydney of French and Channel Island parentage.

Ethel was born 14 May 1892 of Australian born, Scottish-Irish parentage. They first lived at Waitara where their first son Leslie was born, later they moved to Mt Coolah where he built their home. After World War I was declared he Vinton Paul Gallagher and Joined the Army in 1914 and sailed with the first Ethel Ruby Gallagher (nee Wright) convoy of Australian troops to Egypt. This courtesy Marjorie Nit:Trier (nee Gallagher) convoy was targeted by the German raider "Emden" which was later destroyed by the Australian Navy ship "Sydney" off the Cocos Islands.

He was in the Light Horse Brigade and transferred to the Artillery in Egypt and landed at Anzac Cove on April 29 (four days after the first landing at Gallipoli). He served in France and was wounded at Ypres in August 1917. Later that year he was awarded the Military Medal for volunteering (with two other soldiers) to put out fires in the ammunition pits adjacent to the guns, thereby undoubtedly saving the three guns from total destruction.

After settling at Yenda with his wife and son Les, another son George was born and then three daughters, Vera, Marjorie and Eileen.

139

Leslie born Waitara; married Florrie Shearer; one daughter; lives at Ryde NSW. George born Yenda; married Sarah Harraden Tyson; five daughters and one son; lives at West Brunswick Vic. Vera born Yenda; unmarried; lives at Landsborough Old. Marjorie born Yenda; married Joe Pfitzner; one daughter and two sons; lives at Batehaven NSW. Eileen born Yenda; married John Humphreys; two sons and one daughter; lives at Kooralbyn Old. Vinton and Ethel retired to live with their daughter, Vera, on a property at Landsborough, Queensland. Vinton passed away in 1967 and Ethel passed away in 1980.

The only descendant of Vinton and Ethel Gallagher still living in the Griffith district is Karen, their granddaughter. Karen married Restyn Garry Smellie.

Karen is a descendant of two pioneer families - Gallagher and Pfitzner. Garry is also descended from two pioneer families - Borland and Smellie. So their children Heather and Craig are descended from four Griffith and Ycnda Pioneer families.

!louse and vines - Farm 1495 Courtesy Marjorie Pritzner (nee Gallagher)

By courtesy of Marjorie Pfitzner (nee Gallagher), PO Box 425, Batemans Bay NSW.

140

GIBBONS The "Orontes" brought Percy Laurence Gibbons home to Sydney from World War I on 17 July 1919 after having served in England and France in the 9th Machine Gun Company. Percy had joined up on 21 April 1917 at West Maitland.

He arrived at the Beelbangera Camp on Friday 7 November 1919 where he spent six months learning farming and clearing the land. Other men remembered in this camp were Ted Buckley, Cliff Thorne, Harry Davis, Frank Stafford, Vidal, Vigars, 0 Bloxham, Bryan Berecry, Arthur Hastings, Harold Hudson, Harold Bennett, Jack Kelly, Hugh Maegraith, Stan Broome, George Smailes, George and Chris Eipper and Jock Meickle. Percy then went to another camp, Dillon's camp, located at what is now known as the Three Ways Bridge. Here he worked with Sid Nelson on carpentry work.

In June 1921 Percy was granted Farm Percy Gibbons 1167 on Murrumbidgee Avenue - a farm of 34 Courtesy Norah Gibbons acres to which an additional 16 acres was later granted. He cleared and fenced the land prior to growing crops of tobacco, tomatoes, melons and planted grape vines and apple and orange trees. His wife, Norah recalls that "Percy was known as the vegetable king" as the neighbours used to follow his example on which catch crops to plant. ("Catch" or "Cash" crops in that they were timed to reach the Sydney markets when the prices were highest.)

Early frosts could kill young tomato plants in one night, so Percy tried a scheme of having an alarm ring when the night temperature dropped low, indicating an impending frost.

Percy would get out of bed and light cans of oil to provide heat and a smoke screen around the tomato plants. However, after a time he decided it was not worth the effort involved. Because his farm water wheel was at the end of the supply channel Percy had to often water at night to get enough water. He worked very hard on the farm. They had a large shed where they packed their own oranges and apples, and especially, table grapes for the markets.

Percy who was a good carpenter built a small one room shack. Later he built a second building onto which he added after getting a £300 home grant. At this time the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission handled all the money and credit for purchase of farm supplies and improvements.

Percy was born on 17 February 1897 at "Collaroy" Station, near Merriwa NSW, the son of Alfred and Sarah Jane (nee Lawless) Gibbons. His father managed a sheep station; later owned one. Percy's grandparents, Alexander and Emma (nee Vyce) Gibbons had arrived in Sydney on the "Aloe" on 31 July 1857 with their four year old daughter, Jane who was born in Middlesex. Alex was a carpenter from Berkshire and Emma, a cook, was born in Suffolk.

141

WATER CONSERVATION AND IRRIGATION COMMISSION. rot youn

111.(11,1 01 10.1

MURRUMBIDGEE IRRIGATION AREAS, /10111 Ret1.11••

111.11

N.S.W.

4

1.1 111•1•1

RE YOUR APPLICATION FOR FARM

No.f(67 MIRROOL No. I IRRIGATION AREA.

I beg In Inform you that your application for Fftrrn No /1.12.?.... being Portion No. acres

'

roods

t<c-te

•

' O. perches. Parinh of

District of Tattoo, MIrrool No. 1 Irrigation Area was granted on

,111O of

..

County of Cooper, Land

19/

..........

Water In available for the above farm. aubject to the regulationa/71 thin Commission, and Rent, and Water Rate will commence on and from this

21,g1:

day of

//('',

19

It will he necessary for you to have your principal place of abode on the subject farm within ala months from the dale of granting.

A Oarette Slip elbowing the special condition attaching to your lease Is forwarded herewith.

I ehall be glad If you will Inform me when you miter Into occupation of the farm.

Tears Faithfully,

RESIDENT COM ISSION)CR.

First !Ionic - Courtesy Norah Gibbons

142

Wedding Day - 8 March 1934 L to R: Marjorie Hudson, Henry Crawford, Norah, Fred Crawford, Vedas Merl, Courtesy Norah Gibbons Sitting: Percy Gibbons.

On 8 March 1934 Percy married Norah Eugenic Crawford, the only daughter of John and Mabel (nee Leahy) Crawford, pioneer settlers on Farm 47 and later Farm 452.

Norah was horn on 1 May 1910 in Worcester, South Africa and arrived here aged three years. Her parents had migrated from Ireland to South Africa to conduct a shoe store.

Whilst there saw a pamphlet saying that "a garden of Eden was opening up in NSW" so they decided to come here so that their Five sons would have a future on the land. Upon their arrival her father, John, was so disappointed by the look of the place that they would have gone back to South Africa if berths on a boat had been available.

The Crawford family arrived at Willbriggie in February 1913 and were transported in Micky Cush's coach to Bagtown where they stayed for a period. The channels were still being formed and the bridges had yet to be built. The water did not come until six months later. Domestic water had to he collected in a "Furphy" tank from the huge overhead tank which was filled with water pumped from Mirrool Creek. Norah remembers two outstanding events - the dreadful dust storm of 1914 when everything was

143

blacked out for a long time; and the summer of 1939 when the temperature was over 100 degrees fahrenheit both day and night, for a week.

During World War II the Gibbons employed up to forty Land Army girls on their farm. With the help of these girls, forty acres of tomatoes were grown on Gus Pfafflin's rice farm for the War Effort. At this time they also operated an emergency ambulance station on the farm. Another wartime activity of Norah's was the WANS - Womens Australian National Service. Mrs Nancy Blumer was the Commandant and they organised the training of young women in first aid, home nursing, repairs and maintenance of vehicles and signalling etc. Norah was also very involved with the Girl Guide movement.

Both Percy and Norah were keen tennis players and had many tennis parties on the farm.

When Percy retired he continued his interest in sport and became an avid golfer and bowler.

He became a voluntary greenkeeper at the Womens Bowling Club and also for a time at the Jondaryan Club. He was also an active member of the Ex-Scrvicemens Club. He was thought to have been the last surviving Soldier Settler farmer from World War I to live in Griffith.

In the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1979 Norah was awarded the British Empire Medal Norah and Petry Gibbons for Services to the Community 50th Wedding Anniversary - 8 March 1984 which was presented to her by Sir Courtesy Norah Gibbons Roden Cutler on 8 October 1979 at Government House in Sydney.

Norah is a life member of the Griffith Tennis Club, Griffith Golf Club and Griffith Womens Bowling Club. She has been very active, and still is, in many organisations including the War Memorial Hostel for 35 years, the Griffith High School P & C (conducted the Canteen for many years and started the clothing pool and the High School Womens Auxiliary), Hospital Auxiliary, Red Cross and the Cancer Patients Assistance Society. Norah has attended every Griffith Show bar one - making a total of 69 shows!

Percy and Norah, with their family of three, moved to 2 Carrathool Street, in 1950, later selling the farm to Sartor Brothers in 1961. They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1984. This same year Percy died on 10 December 1984 aged 87 years at Concord Repatriation Hospital, Sydney. Norah still resides at her Carrathool Street home.

000000000

144

Alexander Gibbons married Emma Vyce

John Crawford married Mabel Wills langfoni Stxxx (nee Leahy)

Alfred Gibbons married Sarah Jane lawless

Percy Laurence Gibbons born 17 February 1897 died 10 December 1984

married 8 March 1934

Norah Eugenie Crawford born 1 May 1910 lives at Griffith

• • Ronald born 26 January 1935: married Wendy Budden. Ron is the manager and Chief Flying Instructor at the Griffith Aero Club.

Dorothy Norah born 11 December 1937: married Graham Camp.

Dorothy was a school teacher, now retired. Lives at Sydney.

Margaret Ann born 7 November 1944: married John Badger.

Margaret a school teacher has just completed 13 years teaching in Saudi Arabia.

Dorothy, Ron and Margaret Gibbons Courtesy Norah Gibbons

By courtesy Mrs Norah Gibbons (nee Crawford), 2 Carrathool Street, Griffith 2680.

145

GOOD FELLOW Cecil Goodfellow, one of the original Soldier Settlers and known to his friends as "Goodie", was a little man with a big heart and an unwavering sense of humour which carried him through any disaster. Anyone who knows the history of early settlement in the Griffith area knows that, for Soldier Settlers, disasters were many and varied!

Born in Plymouth, England, in 1896, he came to Australia in 1913 with the intention of learning large area farming. He travelled from Sydney to "Isis Downs": in Queensland where he was given employment and, as a "New Chum", had his share of unexpected adventure.

The Goodfellow family - 1918 L to R.: Thomas (father), I toward (brother), Isabella (mother), Cecil Courtesy Joan Dicker

However, World War I soon intervened and he returned to Sydney where he enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, 1st AIF. His comrades in arms were to include a number who were later among the early Soldier Settlers.

After serving in France he was invalided to England, along with his brother, Howard, who later rose to the rank of Major General in the British Army. Upon his return to Australia in 1919 he was discharged as medically unfit and came to Griffith where he met his future wife, Ethel Charlotte Berthon.

He took up Farm 285 and in 1920, at Narrandera, married Ethel who had come to Griffith in 1915, when Griffith was still a "Bag town". In 1927 he moved to Farm 543 and, in 1937, to a dry area block at the back of the present aerodrome.

1939 saw him moving to Farm 1654, Beelbangera, a horticulture farm where he remained until 1956. After selling the farm he took over the Tharbogang Post Office and 146

Store; finally his war service caught up with him and he passed away in 1963. He was a member of the RSL, almost from its inception, and was a Civil Defence Controller at the time of his death. Goodfellow Place in Tharbogang bears his name.

"Fallowing for the 1927 crop on the new farm.

Unfortunately, Billy and Joan are the small objects beside me although his tales of early on the plough." Courtesy Ethel Goodfellow. irrigation Area experiences were many, and often humorous, they were never recorded for posterity.

He lived to see his grandchildren - Stephen who now lives in Tasmania and Suzanne who lives in Sydney. He is survived by his wife, Ethel, who, at the age of ninety lives in the Elizabeth Lodge Nursing Home at Willoughby in Sydney and his daughter, Joan, who lives at Forestville.

"Just Married" - Ethel and Cecil Goodfellow 29 September 1920, Narrandera Courtesy Ethel Goodfellow (nee Berthon)

By courtesy of Mrs Ethel Goodfellow and Joan Dicker (nee Goodfellow).

147

THE GREW COLLECTION

We are indebted to two of Joe Grew's nephews, Mr Paul and Fr Carol Grew, for the loan of an album full of photographs which are a "treasure trove" of early Yenda. Ed.

Farm 1328 Before and after clearing

•

Virgin bush

Rutly, !Iowan and Buchram working the "Forest Ikvil"

1 48

Clearing Joe (rew's Farm 1328 Ycnda

14()

The Steam "Donk"

Deep Ripper which was pulled by the Steam "I/onk"

Deep ripping - Farm 1328

150

Deep ploughing - Farm 1328

Harvesting first crop - Farm 1328

Bringing in the first hay - Farm 1328

151

GREW

Joseph Charles Grew who settled on Farm 1328 Yenda was a bachelor. Coming from Drummoyne (Sydney) he passed away at the age of 92 years (on 24 May 1986) and was buried with both of his parents, Patrick William Grew and Mary Catherine (nee Murphy) at the Field of Mars Cemetery, Ryde.

Little more of Joe's life in Yenda has been forthcoming except a letter, sent from Sydney, by his nephew Paul, two months after Joe's death Paul writes, "Enclosed is a letter Joe wrote to his elder sister, May, at the time of the death of a younger brother. Apart from the personal matters it also tells of his plans to build a house on the farm makes some observations on the development of Yenda in 1922. I thought this would be of interest."

000000000 Joe Grew on centre camel taken 23 January 1916

152

Farm 1328 Yenda 17112122

Dear May, I have been intending to write to you for sometime, but something always cropped up and I put it off. I hope you arc alright again? How is Albert and Moya? I expect Moya is quite a big girl now - suppose I wouldn't know her. How did Gert enjoy her stay in Brisbane? I expect it was a big shock to you, when you heard of poor Pat's death. I was unfortunate in that I didn't see him alive, - had expected the worse for a long time, but didn't realise that it would be so soon. Anyhow he is better off now.

I have got the farm in pretty good order now and expect to have a small return from my sultanas and grapes next year and the following year the oranges will be coming in. I am getting a house built and it will be finished in about a fortnight if all the material comes to hand. It will be a nice summer place and will be much more comfortable than a shack. I will try and get mother up in about March for about two months and then Gert can come up and perhaps Petty, so I ought to be able to have someone from home nearly all the year. It will be a change from Drummoyne and I think they will like it. I wouldn't go back to the city again to work. Perhaps you and Albert and Moya might be able to come down sometime for a while. I haven't ordered my car yet, but a horse and sulky will do for the present. It is surprising how this place has grown. Three years ago this place was all bush now there is a thriving township and all the farms are taken.

There are two picture shows in the town, but, no pub, and three churches, also we have a racecourse and all this before the farms have started to produce, so one can imagine what it will be like when the people have money to spend.

Well May this is about all the news for the present. I will send you a photo of the house when it is finished.

Joseph Grew With best wishes for a Merry Xmas to Albert, Moya and self.

Your a f f brother, Jo. 153

1920 - Pine logs arriving Yenda Sawmill, probably locatcd on site of McWilliam's Wines 14 llorse Team - Note the wooden wheels on the waggon

•

" •

Yenda Sawmill - 1920

Returning home from the sawmill with timber to build shack - 1920

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Ted Raggatt and Joe Grew - Ted's "Residence on Farm 1504 at Ycnda

Joe Grew and Companions cooking breakfast "in the kitchen".

Note the middle man's feet wrapped in blanket or hessian

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Joe Grew and Companions at front gate of Farm 1328, Ycnda

155

Tent and wood pile from clearing

Stage 2 - Building the Shack Note the tent in tatters

156

nIc House" - Farm 1328

"Off To Town" - "Kitchen" in the background

BY Courtesy of the nephews of the late Joseph Grew, Mr Paul Grew of Castle Cove and Fr Carol Grew of Mona Vale who allowed Joseph Grew's photos to be copied.

157

HALL James Wilfred and Minnie Hall were married in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England on 16 April 1908 and arrived in Sydney on 26 January 1911.

Their daughter, Florence ("Mollie") relates - "My father, on return from World War I, put in for a Soldiers Settlement farm at Griffith. He was given some instruction at the Experimental Farm at Glen Innes. We arrived at Griffith via train in the spring of 1920.

"The canal had been constructed as far as the town, but the water had not been released. There was only one shop and the bank was part of it. Our first home was two tents with bush beds and a bush house for eating - on land adjacent to Farm No. 985, which we eventually owned.

"My mother had left England for her health's sake - having been told she would die if she spent another winter there. Looking back, I often wonder how she coped with washing in kerosene tins, over open fires!

"Eventually we were able to build a shack of corrugated iron on our land. We had a stove in it, but we still slept in tents behind. It must have been shockingly hot in summer and cold in winter, but I don't remember that. My brother had a long walk to school as he had to go to Hanwood some miles away. Eventually school started in Griffith, but the Headmaster suggested to my mother that she should not let me go - so I was over seven years old before I started school.

"In the meantime the farm was being ploughed and planted following the directions of the 'Experts'. They might have known what crops to put in what soil, but they didn't take into account how many would yield altogether and what a hard a time one family would have harvesting the crops. Eventually our Commission built home was erected - two rooms with a verandah back and front - for a family of four!!

"While the trees and vines were growing and before they came into bearing we planted 'cash crops'. One such crop was tobacco. A curing barn had to be built for it and all the men who planted tobacco in the area had to help. It was not a success and after a time tobacco growing was abandoned. The curing shed was used as the first meeting place for the Scouts. My brother Wilf was a scout and when he was about 16, the Scout Master left so Wilf tried to keep the Scout group going. I even went down and supervised some meetings when he was unable to do so. When he was 18 there was a Scout Jamboree in England. Griffith residents, generous as always, collected donations to enable Wilf to go to this Jamboree and also to visit France and Switzerland. It was a wonderful opportunity for him which he very much appreciated.

"My parents were foundation members of the Baptist Church in Griffith along with the Smiths from Hanwood and Priors from Bilbul and Yoogali.

"First it was a cart, then a sulky, then a Model T that took us to Church or to town to shop and pick up the mail. Looking back I take my hat off to pioneers like my parents. Many of them had never been out of the city in their lives before. The heat was often up to 110 degrees and I remember one Christmas it was 124 degrees for a short time! I really wonder how they all endured the extreme conditions and the lack of conveniences!

"However the town grew, electricity came and we could have an electric stove and much later a radio! Then the phone! Such luxury!!

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"My mother who had been sent out from England 'for the goodness of her health' not only survived all this but lived to 90 years of age!! So the climate must have been very healthy, despite the dreadful dust storms that would come down on us and quite often turn round and come back again. The only holidays we had were on the Murrumbidgee River, camping, going there for many years in a horse lorry."

Youngest son Jim also recalls that "annual holidays were two or three weeks at Taylor's Beach, Darlington Point, between the end of the apricots and the start of the next fruit harvest, with one member of the family staying home to water the trees. A fruit salad farm has to operate with speed once the fruit ripens - I did not ever complete one full year at school, because I always went on holidays as soon as the apricots ripened.

"I remember when we had fruit out drying that if there was one spot of rain on the roof at 3am or any time during the night, the light would go on and 'the old man' would say 'come on boys, it's raining' and we would stack all the trays, only to have to put them out again next morning, bone dry.

"Highlights of my school days were trips on the motor train to Leeton and Narrandera for Swimming Carnivals and Football matches (Rugby League of course)."

L to R "Pop", Will', "Mum" and Jim. Front - Mollie Courtesy Jim Ilan

James Wilfred Hall born 9 February 1882 died 21 February 1950 buried French's Forest NSW

married Sheffield Yorkshire 16 April 1908

Minnie lax born 13 September 1885 died 18 October 1975 buried French's Forest

• Wilfred Harold (Wilt) born Sydney 16 January 1912: died 21 February 1968; married Violet Cooper at Leeton 1937 Florence Lillian (Molly) born Sydney 23 December 1914; married Maxwell Arthur Spooner (deed) at Griffith 1937; lives Fairlight. Sydney 3.

James William (Jim) born Griffith 4 September 1922; died 4 March 1989; married Myrtle Olive Storen at Canberra 8 June 1946; lives Redhead NSW

By courtesy of Mollie Spooner (nee Hall), 15/28-30 Lauderdale Ave, Fairlight 2094 Jim Hall, 23 Alland Street, Redhead 2301 159

HALSE Frederic Jack Halse was born at Darlinghurst NSW on the 1st November 1900. He was the only son of James Halse (died 1931 in Sydney) and Helen (nec Roberts).

Prior to the horrific droughts of the late 1890's and the early years of this century James Halse owned "Gurley' Station in the Moree district but as a result of these years of drought lost everything and worked, as a journalist in Sydney, for the remainder of his working life. He was the cousin of Bishop Reginald Halse the well known Bishop of Riverina for many years, who later became Archbishop of Brisbane.

Fred (known to his friends as "Darkie") enlisted in the first AIF in Brisbane on the 1st November 1917 his 17th Birthday - Pte No. 50737. He put his age up to join and served with the 1st Machine Gun Battalion (overseas for one year and 198 days) and saw action in both France and Belgium.

Fred liaise Courtesy John liaise

Fred (fourth from the right) boarding the troop ship.

Note the contingent of Italian men waiting to board the ship. Courtesy John liaise.

160

Returning to Australia at the end of the war, Fred worked for a short time for John Bridge & Co in Sydney (thought to be a wool firm) before coming to the area at the end of 1919.

Along with other returned men he lived first at the Yenda Barracks, located along what is now Barracks Road. Fred is remembered by his son, John, as saying that the men seldom saw those Barracks in daylight, because they usually left for work before daylight and came back after dark. At this time the returned men were clearing the land that would later be allocated as fruit growing blocks.

Before his marriage Fred settled first on a small block of 150 acres at Myall Park, which proved insufficient so he moved closer to Yenda. Whilst on this first block he lived in a hut, so arranged that the stove was next to the bed for winter warmth and the wood stacked so that Fred could top up the fire during the cold nights without getting out of bed!

The second block of 250 acres wasn't sufficient either. It was here that he shared a house with the late Jack and Daisy Broderick.

On the 15th July 1931 Fred married the daughter of a New Zealand farmer, Margaret O'Connor. Margaret was the second daughter of Arthur Bernard O'Connor (horn Wellington New Zealand) from Wanganui in the North Island and his wife, Mary (nce McLaughlin from Co Antrim Ireland). Fred and Margaret were married at Narrandera by Rev Fr P J Hartigan - the poet John O'Brien of "Around the Borce Log" fame.

Completing her nursing training in New Zealand, Margaret proved herself a girl of exceptional ability and integrity. She topped her year (in New Zealand) in General Nursing and then again in the Midwifery year.

Margaret came to Australia 1927/28 and for a short time nursed at the Royal Hospital for Women at Paddington before joining the Bush Nursing Service where she served with outstanding Margaret liaise (nee O'Connor) diligence, mainly in the Menindee Courtesy John liaise district.

In those days a call for the Bush Nurse meant catching a horse, saddling it and riding out in all weathers. As in so many other things Margaret excelled as a horsewoma n having ridden since a small child. Even in old age she appreciated a fine 161

animal, no doubt a legacy of having been brought up by a father who bred his own high standard hacks.

They finally settled permanently on Farm N.I.P. 4, which they named "Yantara" (which means a place of water) and is situated approximately two miles on the eastern side of the Main Canal Regulator. They lived here with their only child, John, until retiring and moving to a new home in Yenda.

As well as nursing in Griffith for some time, in her years in the Yenda district Margaret filled the role of doctor, nurse and friend not only to many of the early families but also many of the contemporary ones as well. She was very much loved by those who knew her well.

Fred, at one time, "stood" a draught stallion, "Ben", many of whose progeny worked the farms around about when the work was done by men and literal "horsepower".

Margaret however complained that no money was ever made from "Ben" - "he didn't even earn his feed" said Margaret - because no one was ever charged for the service!

In the early years of the Area, Fred is said to have owned one of the first cars.

He also built his own wireless on which, using a very large outdoor "T shaped" aerial, he was able to pick up shortwave broadcasts. In this way he and his friends listened to the Cricket Tests, passing the headphones from one to the other - just to name some of these friends who come to mind - Bede Crocker, Herbie Bell, Les Bridges, Walter Boast and Charlie McPherson.

In later years Fred and Margaret were extensive travellers within Australia, travelling for about three months of each year. Over this time they saw practically the whole of Australia. Fred loved his fishing too and regularly brought back magnificent Murray Cod from trips to the Murrumbidgee and Darling Rivers. His generous sharing of these is still gratefully remembered by his many friends.

Fred was a gentle, kind man; an extraordinarily well-read man, with a delightful sense of humour and wit, typical of the "waggish" sense of humour so characteristic of his generation - perhaps, in part, a spin-off of army service and camaraderie? A lovely example is Roy Dribble's story to John - Fred, not long returned from France left a note for the Water Bailiff:

"Dear (Water Bailiffs name), Please let me have enough water to fill the darn, water 30 acres of oats and wash six pairs of socks.

Love, Darkie."

•

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-1)a rkie" (Fred)

Arthur B O'Connor

James Halse (d. Sydney 1931)

married

married

Mary McLaughlin

Helen Roberts

Frederic Jack Halse b. 1 Nov 1900

Margaret O'Connor b. Wanganui NZ 2 Feb 1901

married

* * John James Halse b. "St Lukes" Griffith 29 Sept 1938 married at Sacred Heart Church, Griffith 20 May 1961 Beverley Therese Savage

1. Darren John born Sydney 26 January 1963 2. Fiona Margaret born Griffith 28 July 1969

Fred and Margaret liaise with one of the early ears Courtesy John liaise

By courtesy of John Halse, "Yantara", Yenda.

163

HARWOOD/RITCHIE The following is an account of two families brought together under the Soldier Settlement Scheme at the conclusion of World War I. This reflection is based on documentation available and the recollection of three descendants of these two families, Nell Almeida (nee Harwood), her sister Merle Waldon, and their cousin, Stanley ("Stan") Ritchie.

John Michael Harwood ("Jum" to those who knew him), was born in Rozelle, NSW on 25 April 1898. The son of Joseph Harwood and his wife Ellen (nee Crawford-Harris) who were married in Birmingham, England, and who migrated to Australia in 1889. John's father was a Baker who had a bakery on Victoria Road, Rozelle, on the fringe of what is now Sydney's central business district.

Prior to World War I John worked as a storeman in nearby Balmain. At the outbreak of the war John enlisted and saw active duty with the 33rd Battalion in France.

After returning to Australia John was interested in the Soldier Settlement Scheme and he attended Yanco Agricultural Training Farm in 1920. After travelling to Yanco by train and subsequent study, John was allotted Farm number 1356 in Rogers Road at Yenda on 28 September 1920.

John Michael Ilarwood 1919 - 33rd Ilattn Edith Nellie Ritchie, his future wife, Courtesy Nell Almeida (nee Ilarwood) arrived in Yenda about the same time, with her mother, Elizabeth Ritchie, the wife of Robert Ritchie, a Sydney clerk. As well as their daughter, Elizabeth and Robert had three sons Robert Alexander, Stanley George and Ernest. Robert and Stanley also attended Yanco Agricultural Training Farm in 1920 and met John Harwood at this time. Robert and Stanley had both served in World War I between 1914 and 1918, serving in the 14th Light Horse Regiment, as a Corporal and the Australian Signals Corps, respectively.

Robert and Stanley were allotted two farms, 1338 and 1340 at Yenda on 28 September 1920. At the time of allotment neither farm had any buildings which necessitated living in tents until more permanent structures were erected. On Farm 1340 the first building was a split log cabin constructed from local pine, where Edith and Ernest Ritchie later lived with their mother, Elizabeth.

John Harwood met Edith Ritchie at a local dance in Yenda and some time later they were married at the Methodist Church in Yenda, on 29 November 1924, by the Rev R C Barlow. After the ceremony, the congregation walked with the bride and groom to Yenda Railway Station to farewell the couple on their honeymoon to Sydney. Many years later Edith was to describe the train carriage as "dog boxes" and the journey as being "long and tiring", to her daughters.

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"FARMING - 1920 SFYI.E"

Tents on Ilarwood Farm

Ilarwood Farm - "Jum" in the middle

Washing day for "Jum"

"Jum" Ilarwood in the middle

Photos courtesy Nell Almeida (nee Ilarwood)

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Wedding of John Michael Ilarwood and Edith Nellie (nee Ritchie) Methodist Church, Ycnda 29 November 1924 Courtesy Nell Almeida (nee Ilarwood)

John had built a shed on his farm, in Rogers Road, in which the neighbours stored furniture until they had proper housing. John and Edith also lived in the shed until their first house was completed.

John was to later describe to his daughters that in the early years, the initial allotment required extensive clearing in readiness for crops, in addition to the dredging of irrigation canals. The initial crops were largely experimental, consisting of tobacco and sunflower. Later crops planted included wine grapes, apples, plums and almonds. John and Edith had two children - Nell and Merle, horn in 1925 and 1928 respectively.

Nell was born at the Yenda hospital. Merle was horn at home on the farm, her father having to run to his brother-in-law, Stan's property, as Stan owned the closest vehicle, to collect the Doctor, who was treating a patient at Binya. A neighbour, Mrs Duffel!, comforted Edith whilst awaiting the arrival of the local doctor.

Stanley George Ritchie, First shack made of pine logs with a wooden floor Edith's brother, married Frederica a proud 'June in chair - 1920's Courtesy Nell Almeida (nee Ilarwood) Johnston-Armstrong in 1934, in Melbourne. Frederica returned with Stanley to live on his farm in Yenda. They had one son Stanley John who was born at home on 21 April 1935.

To-day Nell and Merle remember growing up in the 'thirties', on a rural property, as providing a wealth of life's simple pleasures, despite the Great Depression of that time.

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"We always had fresh vegetables, eggs and honey, and still talk about the wonderful sponge cakes cooked in the fuel stove; scones that were whipped up in seconds and were always light. We had jam of every variety.

"It was a great treat for visitors from the city to help Dad rob the bee hives; the honey was delicious!! Some neighbours had tennis courts and many an afternoon was spent enjoying a game. We went swimming in the canal at Farley's Bridge, meeting all the families there.

Stanley George Ritchie 1916 - Signal Corp Courtesy Nell Almeida (nee Harwood)

"We used to ride our bicycles everywhere. We rode our hikes to Ycnda public school. Stan, our cousin, was learning the violin at the convent in Yenda and would arrive with the instrument strapped to his bicycle.

"The dust storms are well remembered by all of us, especially our mother, who would run around the house closing all the doors and windows. They were an awesome sight. The whole sky would become a red blaze and dust would enter every crack and cupboard. When we awoke in the morning our beds would he covered in dust and the outline of our heads could be seen on the pillows. After a storm had passed the task of cleaning up seemed impossible. We were coming home from school one day when a dust storm hit. We had to get off our bikes as the wind was so strong we could not see and stones were blowing hard against our legs.

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Robert Alexander Ritchie 1916 - Cpl 14th Light Horse Courtesy Nell Almeida (nee Ilarwood)

"During hot summer nights we slept on the verandah under mosquito nets. There were many mosquitoes and we could hear their drone as we were trying to sleep.

"Our mother was a gifted pianist and played for musical evenings and at local concerts.

They were very popular. Dad drove a horse and cart into town to pick up Stan and Bob Ritchie outside their "Log Cabin" - 1920's fodder, sprays and stores. The Courtesy Nell Almeida (nee I tarwood) old horses knew their way home and Dad would stretch out on top of the bags of chaff and enjoy a sleep in the sun during the journey home."

John and Edith retired from the farm in the mid sixties and built a house in the township of Yenda. John was an active member of the local RSL Bowling Club, as were both his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Stan and Freda Ritchie.

Robert Ritchie born 1864 married - 1886 Elizabeth Cridland born 1860 died 11 March 1935. buried Yenda • 1. Robert Alexander born 1887 died 27 Jul 1950. buried Yenda 2. Stanley George born 1890 died 2 Aug 1972. buried Yenda married Frederica Armstrong (18 Oct 1893 - 14 May 1965 buried Yenda) " Stanley John born 21 Apr 1935 - lives Bloomington USA

Joseph Ilarwood born 1859 died 1909 married 25 February 1889 Ellen Crawford-Harris born 1864 died 1946

John Michael Harwood born Rozelle NSW 1898 - 1972 buried Yenda

3. Ernest James born 1894 died 6 Jul 1951. buried Yenda married Methodist Church. Yenda 29 Nov 1924

4. Edith Nellie born Balmain NSW. 1902 died 12 Oct 1975. buried Yenda

1.

Nell born Yenda 6 September 1925: married Thomas Almeida. Lives at North Narrabeen

2.

Merle E born Yenda 31 July 1928: married David Waldon. Lives Bombo NSW

By courtesy of Nell Almeida (nee Harwood), 118 Garden Street, North Narrabeen 2101 and Merle Waldon (nee Harwood), Bombo 2533.

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HENRY PART OF AN INTERVIEW WITH MR GEORGE HENRY - 8 AUGUST 1984 Courtesy Western Riverina Community Library - Griffith Historical Collection Interviewer: Mr Henry: Interviewer: Mr Henry: Interviewer: Mr Henry:

Interviewer: Mr Henry:

Interviewer: Mr Henry:

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When did you come to Griffith, Mr Henry?

In July 1919.

As an Ev-senicenzan?

Yes. Why did you choose to come to Griffith?

My sister lived at Yanco - she'd shifted over from Dubbo in 1916. They thought this place was going to be a "goer". When I came back from the War, I went to see them and I had a look at the area and I decided that I wanted to go on the land.

Were you on the land before the War? Yes, I worked on the land. I worked on a daily farm when I was thirteen.

My father was killed when I was twelve, in the bush in an accident. I worked on the dairy faint, near Maitland, for three years until I was sixteen, at Minmi it was. Then I went out west to Nwromine and got a job at Trangie on a sheep station - I had three years there. Then I went to Dubbo and eventually enlisted in the army at Dubbo. I came back from the War in 1919.

1 had to get a Doctor's certificate to say I was fit to go onto a farm; I got that from the Army. Then I came to Beelbangera, to the camp there, to clear the land. They had four gangs there working.

Mix sort of work did you do at the Beelbangera camp?

Clearing by hand with axes and such. There were four gangs. There was mostly yarran timber around there and not very good soil. One Sunday, myself and three mates went down to Yenda - we borrowed the horse and buggy and took our lunch with us - to look at blocks and to make up our minds about what we would get. I chose one of thirty-one acres watered from the Northern Branch Canal. I didn't know anything about watering or anything, but I chose a good site as it turned out. It had fairly good soil and thirty-one acres was a good size. There were a lot of twenty acre and fifteen acre blocks and it turned out later that they were too small.

Were all those blocks cleared at that stage?

No, it was timbered. They said we'll clear half of your block for you.

They cleared all of the blocks before that, and then they decided that they would only clear half of the farms. You could get a contractor to do the rest and they would pay the contractor. Anyway, I gave them the heaviest part of the farm to clew; I said "Well, you can clear the western end of the farm and I'll do the rest myself'. I cleared the lighter portion - fifteen acres myself.

In 1920 we hired hands to plough the land. We didn't have any horses or implements or anything - they gave us those later. An old chap ploughed it up. 1920 was a drought year. Even Friday there would be a dust storm,

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Interviewer: Mr Henry:

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for sure! And they were terrific!! There were huge cracks in the ground and every time you watered the water would just disappear. There were no dethridge wheels then.

How were you charged for water?

Well, we never paid for any water in the end - the debts were wiped. When we started to grow fruit, dried apricots were worth 1I3d per pound, and when we got them growing they went down to 4d - and you couldn't grow them for 4d. Prunes were 1/- a pound when we stalled and when we got them growing they went down to 3d.

What did you plant at first?

Three acres of peaches, two acres of apricots and five acres of grapes I planted the first year. We worked with the neighbours together to work the land, but we only planted ten acres the first year, then I planted three or four acres each year after that. It was a pretty hard straggle. We had a cow and fowls and kept a pig and made some bacon.

Did the Commission get you to pay back the price of the land at a set rate?

They kept a book with all the things they supplied you, a debt book you could call it, and everything was put down there. The settlers got to owe the Commission £3,000 or £4,000 and there was no prospect of ever paying it back So they had a couple of re-hashes of the business and called some of the settlers in to give evidence of their affairs and what they thought. I was one of those called. I'm not sure what year that was either late in the twenties or early thirties. They decided then to mite the debts down. I don't know exactly what 171Y debt was, probably around £3,000. I always kept costs down as much as I could. I didn't go and get this and get that like some other people did! They had no idea of what to write the debts down to. Anyway they wrote mine down to £708, which was the number of the faint! I just put that down as being a coincidence.

Eventually I paid it off. I always got on well with the Commission, a lot of people were at loggerheads with them. They treated 171e yen, fairly I thought.

They nearly gave Yenda away at one stage, late in the thirties, I think it was. They sent a man by the name of Jacka from the Premier's Department and they had a man by the name of Iredale from the Rural Bank to interview certain people at Yenda about what they thought about it. They came to me and said "We're thinking about closing Yenda down, what's your opinion about that. Where would you go?" I said "I won't be be my own water bailiff I'll going anywhere, I'll be stopping right here, have to pinch water to water my farm!"

Were the farms too small?

Mostly. The thirty acre blocks were big enough, hut a lot of the other blocks, fifteen acres and such, had no room for expansion.

Did they amalgamate the smaller farms?

Yes. The chap next to me went away after about ten years. He had a twenty acre block with a small house on it. The Bank came to 171e and 170

Interviewer: Mr Henry: Interviewer: Mr Henry: Interviewer: Mr Henry: Interviewer: Mr Henry:

said "Would you be interested in taking over the block next door?" and I said "1 would as long as there's not much debt on it. I'm not in a position to take anything over that's got much debt on it." They said "We'll go away and we'll come back and let you know how much debt". So they came back and said "You can have the twenty acres and the house for £98". I didn't laugh, I had on a bit of a poker face. I said "I think that's fair enough, I'll take it". During the War the chap next door to that block (another twenty acre block with a better house on it) was for sale. The), came to me and said "Would you be interested in taking the other twenty acres?" I said "Oh yes, I'm interested, but as I told you before, there doesn't want to be much money attached to it". They said "We'll go away and come back and let you know". They came back about a month later and said "You can have it for £365". I said "Oh, I'll let you know tomorrow" (but I had made up my mind then that I would take it). The next day I let them know I would take it over, so they said "We'll rent it to you for the first year for a £1, but you'll have to pay for the water". So I said "That's okay". I did a lot of work on it, and after 1 took the crop off I got £500 for the crop - they came to me and said "How did you do with the farm?" I said "I just cleared expenses"! They said "That was good then".

When they were considering closing Yenda, they said "We'll have to spend £40,000 on draining the place or we'll have to shut it down. We've got to make up our minds whether we spend the £40,000 or not". They decided that they would drain it, after they had talked to the settlers. They put a tunnel under the main canal at Yenda where the bridge goes over the Whitton Stock Route and they took a drain down the Whitton Stock Route to Mirrool Creek and they drained all that portion that way. Then they put another tunnel under the main canal at Foley's place (the first rice farm on the left out of Yenda) and they drained it under the main Griffith road over into what they called "Main Drain J" (the Commission called it that) and it runs down into Mirrool Creek eventually. So that saved Yenda they nearly scrapped it!

Is your farm still in the family?

No. When did you sell it?

In 1956, it was a wet year. We had two wet ),ears on top of one another 1955 and 1956.

What did you do when you sold the farm?

I bought a house in Yenda and lived there until five months ago. My daughter and her husband live in the house now.

Can you tell me anything about the development of Yenda? Was there a township when you first went there?

No, there was nothing really. Simpsons had a bit of a store on the corner.

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They used to bring stuff up on a spring cart up to the camp at Beelbangera - toothpaste, tinned fruits and things like that. They had a store built in Yenda. A chap by the name of Dicker built the store for them. He later lived in my house, before I got married, out on the farm. He did a few things for me - he put a kitchen on the back of the house, for the rent, sort of and he fed me. I got married in 1921.

Did you conduct most of your business in Yenda?

Yes, I belonged to the Bank of NSW there for fifty one years. They had a party not long ago. The Manager rang me up and said 'Are you coming to our party?" and I said "What patty?" and he said "Our fiftieth birthday party, you're one of our first customers". So I went along and Doug McWilliam was one also, and Brian Farley, and Joe Bisol and me. There were five customers that had banked there for fifty years. I still bank there.

Did you go to the Yanco Experimental Farm for training?

No, no training. We went along with these people who were supposed to be experts but they, weren't experts at all. I don't know how they got the job! They brought one fellow from Mildura to show its how to prune the vines and we were cutting half the crop off we found out later. He was cutting half the next crop off.!!

What other crops were grown around Yenda in those early days?

We tried to grow tobacco. They did grow some. They had a tobacco barn at Yenda. The chap next door to inc and myself, we put in some seed and we got plants up about six inches high and one night they got downy mildew and bang away they went! In twenty four hours they were gone.

We found out later that you had to spray them as soon as they came up out of the ground. Some people were successful. It happened that the tobacco barn was burned down - we don't know whether it was accidental or what. It was insured. It was owned by the growers. They got the insurance money and they had a party with it - they bought some beer and biscuits! They didn't build again.

Were there many dailies around?

Yes, there were quite a few dairies on over fifty acre blocks and they weren't big enough, they should have been one hundred and fifty acres or something like that. Then they found out they could grow rice and they turned these daily farms, five or six of them, into one farm and they started to grow lice.

So the Commission wasn't sure about what crops would succeed and what the future of the area was?

The Commission was expending money on the farms, but they didn't know where they were going - nobody knew where they were going really. People were just guinea pigs. If rice hadn't /rave come along I don't know what would have happened. People would have all had to leave, they , nearly all left as it was - they were nearly all gone as the rice Caine in.

Thank you very much Mr Henry you have been vet). interesting.

172

George Joseph Henry was born at Terrigal NSW on 20 January 1893 the son of John and Alice Emily Henry. His Grandfather had come to Australia from England, early in the 1880's as a soldier and at one time served on Norfolk Island.

After George returned from World War I he visited his Aunt and Uncle at West Pennant Hills. It was here that he met and fell in love with his future wife, Irene Hilda Shields (always known as "Topsy").

George came to Yenda in 1920, working for a short time on the construction of the irrigation channels.

When farms were allocated he took up the horticultural block No 708, east of Venda.

George and Irene ("Topsy") married in 1921 at St Lukes Church of England at Pennant Hills. Topsy's magnificent wedding dress and head gear were made by her mother, Eliza Shields, as was the bouquet of carnations George Joseph Henry 1914 and sweet peas. After their Courtesy Lola Leaver (nee Henry) Honeymoon at Katoomba the young couple journeyed to Venda to start their lives together on Farm 708.

George and Topsy worked hard on the thirty acre farm developing it to its full potential - planting vines, peaches, apricots, wine grapes and Cornichon table grapes.

The young couple were very happy when their son, Claude Joseph, was born on their first wedding anniversary - the 24th September 1922. Topsy's mother, Eliza, was also thrilled at the arrival of her first grandchild as she loved sewing and provided an exquisite layette for the new baby.

At this time Topsy helped George on the farm and also committed herself to the arduous task of canvassing for donations to the Yenda Church of England building fund.

The usual contribution was the large sum of three pence! She was assisted in the fund raising by Mrs Edge, Mrs Leach, Mrs Swales , Mrs Win Leaver, Mr Jennings, Mr and Mrs Saltmarsh, Mr and Mrs Anderson and Mrs Phillips. The committee worked extremely hard organising flower shows, luncheons and elaborate balls which became the talk of the district.

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Topsy was widely known in the district for her cooking prowess and her ability to make exquisite fancy dress outfits for the numerous social functions during the She was very proud of her year. achievements at the Church Flower Shows winning many trophies for her cooking and sewing.

When the orchard became established Topsy prevailed upon George to build a tennis court. Some of the neighbours who assisted were Harold Braby and "Buller" (H J) Lowrie.

Topsy was a keen tennis player and taught George to play and the neighbours were enticed to join in. The tennis parties on the Henry farm became well known,

Irene Ilenry (nee Shields) c.1918 Courtesy Lola Leaver (nee I lenry)

many of which were organised to raise funds for the church and other charities. Topsy always enjoyed catering for such events.

Topsy was an enthusiastic gardener and had a great love of roses of which she grew at least sixty varieties. (Her uncles had a rose farm at West Pennant Hills and had given her a selection of their best roses).

George had built a six foot fence around the house in order to prevent the children from wandering around the orchard and getting lost. Topsy utilised this fence to grow a great variety of climbing roses. When these were in bloom people from around the district would visit just to view the display she had created.

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Irene Ililda ("Popsy") henry (nee Shields) on her Wedding I)ay Courtesy Lola Leaver (ncc I knry)

An annual social event was a Spring picnic at Pleasant Valley - the Henrys travelled via the Stock Route in a horse drawn lorry and collected neighbours as they went by. This picnic was always held on the 24th September - Claude's birthday and also George and Topsy's Wedding Anniversary. Here again, Topsy was in her element catering for the picnic - a fancy birthday cake, lamingtons, cream puffs and much, much more!

Topsy had two daughters - Lola in 1927 and Gladys in 1933. Two years later, in 1935, a baby boy, John, was born. But, this little babe was to live for only twelve hours.

A tragic loss for Topsy and her family.

Tragedy was to strike the family again many years later when Claude died whilst training in the Air Force during World War II. During the war, Lola assisted George and Topsy on the farm. Relief came with the arrival of the Land Army girls, as they were valuable farm workers at the time when manpower was reduced dramatically, due to the absence of most of the able-bodied young men.

George and Topsy eventually sold the farm in 1956 and moved into the town of Yenda to live in retirement.

George was a Wade Shire Councillor for 15 years and also a director of the Leeton Cannery for many years.

Topsy died at home where she had enjoyed a good and happy life with her family and friends, on 22 October 1964, at the age of 65. George died on 26 March 1988 at the age of 95 years. Both are buried in the Yenda Cemetery.

House on Farm 708 - "Plan T' House c.1920

view of Farm 708 from • the windmill c.1925

Photos courtesy Lola Leaver (ncc henry)

175

I lenry family and neighbours picnicing at Murrumbidgec River - c.1927 L to R George Henry, baby Lola, Irene Henry and Eliza Shields.

In the background - the Kilpatrick fmily.

Courtesy Lola Leaver (nee Henry)

John Henry married Alice Emily LiHey " George Joseph Henry born 26 January 1893 at Terrigal NSW died 26 March 1988

married at St Lukes Church. Pennant !fills 24 September 1921 `

Claude Joseph Shields married Eliza Bellamy • Irene I lilda ('Topsy") Shields born 20 March 1899 at West Pennant hills died 22 October 1964

1.

Claude Joseph born 24 September 1922. Died whilst service training in the Air Force during World War II. buried at Sale. Vic.

2.

Irene Lola ("Lola') born 6 April 1927. married Marcus Leaver (dec'd 13 December 1991). Lives at Yenda. They have a son Frank and daughter Jeanne.

3.

Gladys Mary born 20 March 1933. married Stan Cannard. Lives at "Avondale". Binya. They have two daughters Lynn and Ruth and two sons Gordon and Trevor.

4.

John born 22 January 1935 - lived for only 12 hours.

By courtesy of Lola Leaver (nee Henry), 42 Bingar Street, Ycnda 2681, her daughter, Jeanne James of Canberra and also the Western Riverina Community Library, Griffith.

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HILLAM James Kennedy Hillam came to Griffith from the family wheat and sheep property "Rocky Lea" near Wagga in 1913. He boarded in Bagtown and worked on the construction of the irrigation channels.

In 1916, he married Mary Ellis Cameron at St John's Church in Wagga and as a member of the AIF he was immediately posted to overseas service and spent the remainder of the war years in France, until the armistice in 1918; participating in the dreadful trench warfare that took place. Their daughter, Jean relates: "It was in these `dugouts' of France that most of his letters home to his wife were written and it was obvious his dream was to return to Griffith if he was fortunate enough to survive the war.

One brother returned with him, another was killed in action in France.

"Until the fruit trees came into bearing, my father must have dreamed of growing cereal crops (in a small way) to supplement the wheat and sheep property near Wagga (especially in times of drought). How I wish I had early records of these years!

"This is evident from letters written home. These very old, historical letters are still in my possession, along with many other souvenirs of the time. In one of them, speaking of an irrigation farm at Griffith he wrote, and I quote - 'I propose to put a good part of an irrigation block under stock feed crops. The balance of the block, I propose to use for such things as seem to have the best market on the area. Pigs will be one line I expect' and further on 'so there you have it written what I intend doing if I can. And I don't think you ought to worry. I believe if we have troubles they are good for us if we bear them bravely. There is a big change for you even if I do not go to Griffith. But if I go to Griffith, I shan't be taking you there straight away, unless of course you can live in a tent'.

V

James Kennedy Hillam and Mary Ellis Hillam (nee Cameron) with daughters, Hilda Margaret and Jeannie Alma - 1924 Courtesy Jean Adams (nee Hillam)

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"So, after leaving England about mid 1919, having had to wait months for his turn for shipment home, my parents took up a Soldier Settlers block, Farm 1590, Hanwood in early 1920, sometime before May, as my older sister was born at the end of May 1920 in their first dwelling. (There was probably a tent for a while.) This building was a tin shanty constructed of old iron and opened up kerosene tins and dirt floor. I was also born there, likewise my brother, who arrived before the midwife, who couldn't negotiate the impassable mud roads in her horse and sulky. Only the youngest, Eileen, was born in a hospital. Neither parent could have imagined the troubles and hardships ahead (especially my mother). That building was home for many years, with absolutely no conveniences, impassable roads at times, and much hard work. Imagine the heat (and cold) and the dust storms!

"Pioneering a fruit farm and rearing four children between two World Wars and including the great Depression could not have been an easy task. However, we had a basically happy childhood, and good education, were well fed and clothed. A highlight of our wardrobe year was one new dress, made by Mum for the Griffith show, an exciting event on the old showground (in what is now East Griffith) arriving by horse drawn lorry.

Somehow the new showground never seemed to hold the same magic! Our food was plain and home-cooked (even bread) and all farm workers were supplied with morning and afternoon teas - which meant continuous hard work for my mother, in between fruit packing etc in the shed and no 'mod cons' to assist!!

James Kennedy Ilillam - Farm 1590 Hanwood - mid 1920's Courtesy Jean Adams (nee Ilillam)

"I must have been about ten years old before we had electricity. Entertainment was therefore somewhat different from to-day. Indoors, the old gramophone was used a lot, we read more, and played cards and games like ludo, chinese checkers, draughts, etc.

Outdoors a lot of tennis, swimming in the farm dam and yabEying in the channels.

Marbles and hopscotch were popular games at school as well as basketball, cricket, vigoro and rounders. The radio was also a popular source of entertainment as well as information.

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James Kennedy HiIlam - Farm 1590 Hanwood - mid 1920's Courtesy Jean Adams (nee [Want)

"There was more visiting between families. As young people we did not drive cars, but bicycles were our means of transport, to High School and then to our places of work and pleasure.

"I feel that my father's wartime words - 'I believe if we have troubles etc' - could have been the philosophy of most of these early settlers.

"Looking back, life on the farm never did become an easy one, though of course most of the comforts of life were gradually acquired, but I feel that my parents twenty nine years as early Griffith settlers was a relatively short period, as they both passed away in April 1949, within ten days of one another."

James Kennedyllam born 15 March 1892 Petersberg SA died 10 April 1949 Griffith NSW

1.

I

married

• • •

Mary Ellis Cameron born 27 Dec 1887 Bendigo. Vic died 1 April 1949 Griffith NSW

Hilda Margaret born Hanwood 31 May 1920: died 18 September 1989: married David Fisher who came from Scotland at the age of one year.

Jeannie Alma born Hanwood 22 March 1922: married Alfred John Adams who was born at Echuca on 1 November 1916. Lives at Griffith.

3.

Samuel Kenneth Cameron born Hanwood 13 June 1925: married Valerie Trembath who was born at Binya on 5 January 1928. Lives at Griffith.

4.

Eileen Mary born Griffith 10 May 1929: died 11 August 1980: married Lionel Belford at Griffith 19 September 1953.

By courtesy of Jean Adams (nee Hillam), Griffith 2680.

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HOLT Albert Holt was an Englishman, born on 28 November 1889 at Leigh, Lancashire. He was the elder of the two sons of Ellen and Daniel Holt who were dairy farmers there.

Albert's daughter, Edna, tells us that his playmates were the late Sid and Charlie Chaplin. She remembers her father telling how, as quite a young fellow, before he became the world famous entertainer, Charlie would sing and dance in the local inns.

In 1903 Albert came out to New Zealand but stayed only a few months because in the interim his father had passed away and the dairy farm had been sold. Returning home, it was his intention to return to New Zealand with his mother and brother.

Whilst back in Lancashire he played with Leigh Rugby League team against the Australian team captained by the great Dally Messenger in 1905.

The following year he sailed for Australia and the years prior to World War I he spent travelling throughout Australia and New Frank and Albert llolt - taken Manchester, England 1916 Zealand, enjoying the lovely warm Courtesy Edna llorrigan (ncc !loll) climate and beautiful beaches after the bleak cold and snow of Leigh.

The first time he and his mate saw pineapples growing they tried to eat them with their skins on!! "Thereafter we could never get Dad to eat pineapple" says Edna. "After jumping the 'rattlers' he landed in the Tottenham/Trangie/Tullamore area where he worked before going on to Dubbo. He remained in the Dubbo district, doing farm work, until he joined the AIF in 1915."

Enlisted in the AIF - Regimental No 522 - he was assigned to the 3rd Machine Gun Company and did his training at Puckapunyal Camp near Seymour in Victoria. Edna continues "It was here he became friendly with my mother's brother who took him home on leave with him - and romance blossomed!!"

Sailing from Australia to Europe aboard the "Ballarat", the ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel. There was no loss of life on this occasion because everyone was picked up by the British Navy.

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Serving in Gallipoli he was gassed on Hill 60 and was later wounded in the leg at Villiers Bretonneaux in France. So severely was he wounded that he was put with the dead where he was discovered by a Salvation Army Officer who got him into an ambulance and undoubtedly saved his life.

As a result of this leg wound he was to spend many months in hospital in England. During this time, he again met his brother Frank who was also wounded and in the same hospital. His brother was serving with Recovered, the New Zealanders.

Albert returned to the front line where he served until the end of the war.

In 1919 he returned to Australia and came to Beelbangera Barracks to do his three months training before being allotted Farm 851 which he farmed until his death in 1961.

Eunice and her family arrived from Melbourne for their wedding in 1923. From Willbriggie they came to Mirrool House in a horse-drawn vehicle, arriving hot, dusty and very tired. The late Dr Ernest Burrell was

Albert lloIt - Banna Avenue Courte,sy Edna llorrigan (nee llolt)

their best man.

"Being a city girl, used to all the then 'mod cons' it must have been a tremendous shock for our mother to come to a house without paths, electricity or even water" says Edna. "In the following years our parents worked very hard to make ends meet. When we got older we girls did too".

"Being on the farm we all had to work - picking up apples after school, bandaging the butts of the apple trees and killing the moths in the hessian. Going to school in the winter after rain was a nightmare! We would have to walk our bikes in the supply channel until we got onto the main gravel road - Watkins Avenue.

"Dried apricot time was always before Christmas - as sure as you got into bed a thunder storm would blow up! 'Up girls! we have to stack the trays, it's going to rain' Dad would say. Nine times out of ten it wouldn't!! Then we would have to lug them all out the next morning before school.

"Those summers were very hot, 110 degrees to 112 degrees, even 120 degrees and we didn't have 'fridges' like we do today.

181

"One event I'll always remember was when I was about 6 years old. A meat cart delivered the meat at the time and I saw the butcher washing the meat in the supply channel.

I asked Mum why he would do that? For sure we didn't get any more meat from that particular meat cart!!

"I loved the days George Pauling would call around with Fred Eardley's haberdashery. It would be a The Holt home in 1922 new dresses for us girls. Mum Courtesy Edna Iforrigan (nee !bolt) was a beautiful dressmaker.

"Originally all the work was done by horses. In the mid 1920's electricity was connected and our parents had one of the first wirelesses - built by Mr McFarlane. All the neighbours would come down to our house to listen to the Cricket Tests. Their next electrical acquisition was the Malvern Star refrigerator which I am still using - after 60 years. During these years, after apricot drying, Marion and I washed the apricot kernels and sold them to get money to buy Mum her first electric iron.

"I also remember that during the Depression years I'd take three extra lunches to school to Mrs Aiton, our teacher, so that other kids who had no lunches would have something to eat!

"I was very lucky to be horn to such wonderful parents, brought home to us many times during the very hard Depression years. It was terrible to see families with young children and babies in prams walking the roads looking for food and somewhere to sleep. We had a lot of thick young trees around the farm and they would often stay there for weeks. Mum and Dad would give them food but never money. We were lucky - we had cows and chooks so there was milk, cream, butter, eggs, fruit and vegetables. I hated having to make the butter. The children of the poor, homeless people would come down to play with us dressed in hessian pants and dresses with underwear, shirts and blouses made from flour bags.

"Dad made us swings, see-saws, etc to play Albert and Eunice Ilolt - 1929 with daughters, Marion and Edna on and we had a paddock in which to play cricket, Courtesy Edna llorrigan (nee Holt) soccer and so on. During school holidays and weekends the girls would play the boys - there

182

would be twenty odd kids. Best of all though I loved my gym/tree house/diving board in the big old gum tree at the dam. It was still there until 1985 when we sold the farm but it is gone now.

"Another childhood memory is of my pet bull calf, `BuIley', who would be waiting for me when I came home from school when we would play `chasies' around the orange trees. As time went on Dad said that he would have to be sold because he was getting too big. I cried for days because I didn't want him killed. When Dad sold him to Mr Vardanega I said that I hoped the meat would go bad! When he was slaughtered the meat was inedible because `BuIley' had got into their garlic and ate it all down with the result that the meat was ruined. I was happy!!

"Saturday was the main shopping day. The men would go to town to have a few beers and talk. The ladies would have their afternoon tea on the lawns in Banna Avenue under the shady kurrajong trees while we children had our nine pence to go the matinee 6d to get in and 3d to spend.

"In 1937 the grass hoppers ate all before them and there were huge dust storms. In 1939 we were flooded Eunice Holt - Banna Avenue and all the dried sultanas went down the Courtesy Edna llorrigan (nee Ilolt) drainage channel.

"It wasn't until 1939, when the second world war broke out, that the farms all started to come good. We still had to work hard as all the young men joined the army. However, I would not have changed my happy, healthy farm life with our parents for anything.

"All I can say is that Mum and Dad must have had hearts of gold and to have been real pioneers to stay on with all the calamities and setbacks with which they had to cope", Albert died on 18 January 1961 and Eunice passed away on 18 June 1971. They are both buried in the Methodist section of the Griffith cemetery.

000000000

183

Daniel Holt married Ellen Yates

Alfred William Purves married Agnes Tanahill Ramsay

Albert Holt born Leigh, Lancashire Eng. 28 November 1889 died Griffith 18 January 1961 aged 72 years

married

Eunice Irene Purves born Flemington, Melbourne Vic died Griffith 18 June 1971 aged 80 years

1.

Marion born Griffith 29 January 1925; married Jack Cunial; three children; lives at Griffith.

2.

Edna born Griffith 4 November 1926; married Albert Horrigan; two children; lives at Griffith.

By courtesy of Edna Horrigan (nee Holt), 3 Sanders Street, Griffith 2680.

184

HUDSON Recollections of Marjorie Mcllwraith Crawford (nee Hudson) As I have the Wedding Certificates of my grandparents and parents, also the pages from my Mother's Family Bible, I am able to give quite a lot of information.

My paternal grandparents, George Hudson and Mary Hamilton, were married in Melbourne in 1856. George was born in Northumberland in 1826 and Mary in Ayrshire, Scotland in 1827. In 1856 George began his own business as a storekeeper and corn merchant. This store and the Hudson family home nearby are still in existence in Kilmore, Victoria.

My maternal grandparents, Laurence Arcus and Elizabeth Kerr were married in Kilmore in 1861. Laurence was born in the Shetland Isles in 1837 and Elizabeth in Kilmore in 1842.

My mother, Ada Jane Arcus married Andrew George Maxwell Hudson in Victoria on 9 September 1885. Mother taught school before she was married but I gathered that she did not have any special training for this.

After his marriage my father worked in his father's business as a Merchant and later went into partnership with his brother Robert. This was later dissolved and the family, then consisting of Claude, Harold, Hazel and Belle, went to live at Maryborough, Victoria, where my father was in charge of the Manchester Department at Lucas' Store. I arrived later, as an "afterthought", the only one of the family not born at Kilmore.

By the time I arrived both Claude and Harold were away working, Claude with the T & G Insurance Co and Harold with the Bank of Victoria. Claude at that time was living with our aunts in Melbourne, and the first thing he knew of his baby sister was when his aunt told him to look in the paper and he might see something of interest to him!!! Our sister Hazel died at the age of ten, apparently from some type of fever.

We were such a spread out family that except for short holidays we never lived at home all together.

Harold Maxwell Hudson 1915 Belle was 8 years older than me, a very Courtesy Marjorie Crawford (nec I ludson) big gap when I was small, but as I grew up we became very good pals.

About 1914 my father and his brothers inherited some money from a cousin, William Sloan Hamilton of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. After inheriting this legacy from Scotland Dad decided to go to Ballarat where he purchased a property of some 21/2 acres, with house, orchard, paddocks for a horse, stables and sheds.

It was a lovely place for children to play. Dad kept a number of fowls for some years and had an extensive vegetable and flower garden. He was always keen on horses 185

and Belle inherited his liking for them. While at Kilmore he belonged to the local Coursing Club and had all the correct regalia. We always kept a buggy and horse and Dad was always very good in driving us round and picking us up from school on wet days, together with all our friends.

When we went to Ballarat Belle went as a day girl to Clarendon Presbyterian Ladies College where she met Isobel McTaggart, who was a few years older. The McTaggarts were old family friends from Maryborough days and until we left Ballarat my Father and Mr McTaggart played crib one night a week, alternating at each home. After finishing at Clarendon Belle went to a Business College where she did very well at shorthand and typing and there she met Edna Eves who became a lifelong friend.

As these were war years, women were gradually being accepted into the work force and Belle started work with an old fashioned firm of Solicitors, Salter & Pinkerton, at the then, good wage of 15/- per week. This was later increased to n per week.

I went to Macarthur Street State School and later to the Ballarat Junior Technical School, an offshoot of the School of Mines.

Belle was always good at sport, as was my father. He played tennis until in his sixties and he taught Belle to go up to the net and play (not done for young ladies in those days). However it must have paid off as Belle was later "Runner up" in the Ballarat Ladies Singles against a lot of opposition.

During this time World War I was still in progress. Harold had injured the ligaments in his knee playing tennis at Mildura, about the end of 1914. He was rejected the first time he volunteered, but after treatment by a Specialist, he was accepted for the Light Horse. I can still remember what a dashing figure he was in his uniform with plumed hat. He was very popular with the local girls, taking them for buggy rides while on leave. Isobel (McTaggart) was only allowed to go if she was properly chaperoned by her mother or one of her sisters. Harold was sent to Cairo and the marching there played up with his knee. He was transferred to Headquarters Staff where he remained until the end of the War. He later went to London where he founded the Estates Branch, which was established to administer the affairs of deceased members of the armed forces.

Harold ("Ben") Bennett was his Second in charge.

Claude married Peggy Maxwell. After working for the T & G Insurance Company in various locations in Australia, he spent a brief period in the Army. After the war, he became Manager of the Company in New Zealand, where his family still live. He died in 1949.

Mother was not interested in outside interests apart from the Church. She belonged to the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union and also attended working bees where they knitted for the soldiers. She always had the Third Thursday in each month as her "Day at Home" and I can remember tearing home to see what was left over from the afternoon tea - usually drop scones, gem scones with cream, a luscious sponge cake also with cream and a fruit cake. Mother was an expert at making "5 egg sponge cakes". I never managed them!

When Harold returned from London, about a year after the Armistice, he decided not to go back to the Bank, but to go on the land in the new Soldier Settlement Scheme at Griffith. He and Harold Bennett ("Ben") did some training at Yanco Experimental Farm and then were sent to clear their own blocks at Lake View, as it was then known.

186

When Harold arrived in Griffith he found that there were openings in the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission (WC & IC) for shorthand typists. He sent an application form down to Belle which she filled in and was duly appointed to the typists pool, at what seemed to us, at that time, to be the very large salary of £3.5.0 per week.

This was some time before we came to Griffith. Belle lived at Mirrool House but spent most of the weekends out at the farm with Harold and Harold ("Ben") Bennett. They were living in a shack on Harold's farm, before the house was built. In the meantime, Isobel took on Belle's job with Salter & Pinkerton, but got very tired of being told that "she did not do things the way Miss Hudson did" so she finally left there and went to work for another Solicitor.

Commission Staff 1928, Griffith to R: unknown, Belle Hudson (later Tully), Icicle Sorley (later Stannard), Alan Scott, Ho Evans (nee James), John Reidy, unknown, Ruth Allen (later Lackie), Hefty West (ncc llabcrficld) Courtesy Marjorie Crawford (nee Hudson)

It was decided that we should sell up and come to Lake View so that Dad could help Harold on the farm. In the meantime, Harold had become engaged to Ruby Brewster, a London girl, and she came out to marry him in 1922. The marriage however was doomed from the start, as she had never lived away from a city and everything was so strange and conditions hard and primitive in the early days of the Soldier Settlement.

Harold the farmer, was a far cry from the debonair Officer she had known in London quite apart from having to share a house with her husband's family. I cannot remember how long she stayed, but when she heard that her mother had broken her leg she used it as an excuse to return to London. She did not return. Ruby and Harold later divorced.

Mother and I came to Griffith on 4 August 1922 with Harold and Ruby who were just married. Dad had come up earlier with the furniture, driving up by horse and buggy the removal vans, also horse drawn. However, much as Dad liked the farm and was looking forward to taking an active part in it, it was not to be. He had a stroke and died

187

on my birthday, 20 September 1922. Mother was devastated, as we all were. He was the kindest and most loving of fathers, always willing to help other people.

During this time, Belle had become friendly with John Aiton who worked as Manager for Alexander & Black, General Agents, their main office being at Leeton.

When I arrived he had a job waiting for me in his office. I started at f 1.0.0 per week and I stayed there for about a year. 'Then I went to work for Cater & Blumer, where I stayed until I married.

John Aiton married Kathleen Kelly, a schoolteacher, who taught many of our children in Kindergarten at Griffith school.

Originally Belle and I cycled to work from Lake View. We then progressed to a sulky and pony, which was left at Leckie's Livery stables during the day. Then Harold and Belle decided to buy an Essex car in which I had a very small interest. Belle drove and we went to work by car.

1. to 12: Ilarold Bennett ("Ben"), Belle Ilud.son, Ada I Judson (Mrs Hudson Snr.) Courtesy Elaine I;inspinner (ncc

By this time Belle was Senior Typist at the Commission and had a number of girls under her supervision. She was very popular with both the girls and the men she worked with and had a reputation for efficiency. When Archie Tully arrived to join the Commission staff, having been working in Queensland as overseer on a Station, he had eyes for no one but Belle - he was very attracted to her right from the time they met. She was not quite so impressed and informed us that the new man "wears brown boots"! (Not done in those days.) However it was not long before he was taking her out and they became engaged. They were married in Melbourne and before she left she was given a "Blue Evening" by her many friends and received many lovely pieces of blue china and pottery. Belle had vivid blue eyes and blue was definitely her colour.

188

L to R Mrs Hudson Snr, Archie and Belle Tully, Harold and Marjorie Hudson Courtesy Allan Tully

Wedding Day - 1929.

Belle and Archie went first to live in "Ben's house". After his Mother died "Ben" (Harold Bennett) became restless and went back to Sydney. His farm was divided up between Harold and Bob Stannard as additional area - the original blocks being far too small. Belle continued working for some time after she was married until she became pregnant. We were all very thrilled and looking forward to the arrival of the baby and we were very sad when the baby girl was stillborn.

During this time Harold had become very friendly with Isobel, who had spent a number of holidays with us (duly chaperoned by her elder sister). They became engaged and after they were married Mother and I went to live with Belle and Archie in what we still referred to as "Ben's House". Harold continued farming until about 1960, when he and Isobel retired to Point Lonsdale, Victoria. Isobel died in 1963, and Harold in 1973.

When Archie was transferred to Leeton, for about a year in 1932, Mother went too, while I went to board with friends in Hyandra Street, Griffith. Later I became engaged to Frederick Charles Cralvford.18 Ruth, Belle's next babe, was horn at Leeton and she was a general pet to all the family. Later Belle and Archie returned to "Ben's House" but I stayed in town until I was married. Belle was a lovely person, a quiet personality but very popular with all her family and friends and Harold especially, was very devoted to her. She enjoyed her sport and played tennis regularly and no one could ever heat her at "ping pong".

18 See "Griffith & District Pioneers Series 1"

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Hudson llomc on Farm 1848. Courtes-y Marjorie Crawford (nee I ludson)

When my daughter, Joan, was born I was very ill and spent eleven weeks in "Woodlands" Private Hospital. While I was still there Belle came in to have her next babe, Elaine, as did my sister-in-law, Norah Gibbons (nee Crawford) to have her son, Ron. Just two years after this Belle gave birth to twins, Allan and Alison. Four close pregnancies, culminating with the twins was just too much for her and she only lived for a short while after they were born. Perhaps modern medicine and blood transfusions would have saved her.

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The twins were cared for at "Woodlands", by Sister Thea Griffin and staff, for about five months until Archie's niece, Alice Tully, arrived to help my Mother with the children. During this time, Archie bought a house in Binya Street. Archie transferred to the Rural Bank as a Valuer in 1942. When the twins were seven, Archie re-married - to Dr Joan Hearman of the CSIR. He only lived for a year after this, leaving his new wife to rear the family. Joan Hearman, born in England in 1907, held a Science Degree with Honours from the University of Western Australia, and a PH.D. in Horticulture from London University (1936). She joined CSIR in Griffith, working as an agricultural scientist and later with the Extension Service. Dr Joan Tully died in Brisbane in 1973.

Fred and I had a farm just off the Hanwood Road which was formerly owned by Charlie Bcilby.

We had two more children - David Frederick and Valerie Norah. Valerie lived only five weeks. We sold the farm to Ben Oakes in 1943 and bought a citrus property at Mangrove Mountain, near Gosford. This was later sold and we semi-retired to a small farm at Wyoming, just out of Gosford. We spent a lot of time travelling, both around Australia and overseas. Fred died in 1979 and I now live in Adelene Retirement Village at Wyoming.

Mrs Bessie 'Fully and Archie about 1877 After Archie re-married, our mother went Courtesy Allan Tully to live with Harold and Isobel. Mother died in Sydney on 6 June 1951.

L to R Isobel Maaggart (later Hudson), Harold Bennett ("Ben"), Belle Tully, Ilarold Hudson .

Beside the dam on Farm 1848 about 1927 Courtesy Allan Tully

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Wedding Day - Dr Joan Ilearman and Archie 'Fully March 1944

Wedding Reception at the Research Station, I lanwood with many of the Research Station Staff and their families Photos courtesy Elaine Einspinner (nee Tully)

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George Hudson

Laurence Arcus

married Melbourne. 11 Jan 1856

married Kilmore Vic. 19 Sep 1861

Mary Hamilton • Andrew George Maxwell Hudson

Elizabeth Jane Kerr • Ada Jane Arcus

born Kilmore Vic. 1857 died Griffith NSW 20 Sept 1922

1.

married Kilmore. Vic 9 Sep 1885

born Kilmore Vic. 1864 died Sydney 6 June 1951

Claude I lamilton born Kilmore Vic 1886: Married Margaret (Peggy) Maxwell. Went to New Zealand to live.

Harold Maxwell born Kilmore Vic 1888: Married (1) Ruby Brewster: (2) Isobel McTaggart. Harold died 1973. No children.

3.

Hazel Glen born Kilmore Vic 1891: Died Maryborough Vic 1901. aged 10 yrs.

4.

Belle Arcus born Kilmore Vic 31 Dec 1898. died Griffith NSW 6 Dec 1936: Married Melbourne Vic. 31 Dec 1929 - Archie Tully (born -Brewarrana" Station. Narrandera NSW. 29 Dec 1895; the son of Walter and Bessie Tully. Archie died Griffith 14 March 1945).

• Archie Scott Tully married Dr Joan I Iearman March 1944.

1.

Still born girl.

2.

Ruth Lindsay born Leeton 12 Jan 1933: Married Charles Proctor: Lives Long Jetty NSW.

3.

Elaine Jennifer born Griffith 11 Dec 1934: Einspinner: Lives Roseville NSW.

4.

Allan Arcus born Griffith 12 Nov 1936: Married Anne Rowe: lives Dubbo NSW.

Married Peter

Twins

5.

Alison Belle born Griffith 12 Nov 1936: Died Adelaide 15 No. 1986: Un-married.

5.

Marjorie McIlviraith born Maryborough Vic. 20 Sep 1906; Married Narrandera. Frederick Charles Crawford.

1.

Joan Marjorie born Griffith 6 Nov 1934: Married (1) Peter Mors. (2) Laurence Counsel: Lives Krambach NSW. David Frederick born 13 Dec 1937: Married June Donnell: Lives Northbridge NSW.

3.

Valerie Norah born 13 Jan 1939. died 17 Feb 1939.

Contributed by Mrs Marjorie Crawford (nee Hudson), Wyoming 2250 and by courtesy of Mrs Ruth Proctor (nee Tully), Long Jetty 2261.

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HUDSON John Robert ("Jock") Hudson was a Soldier Settler who arrived in Yenda towards the end of 1919, at the age of 21.

He was born 9 October 1898 at Poona, India, where his father, also John Robert, was a British Army Officer.

His school years were spent at a boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland.

When World War 1 broke out, he "put his age up" and joined the Army and at the age of 16, saw service in the trenches in France, before a relative reported him to the authorities and he was sent home. As soon as he was old enough, he joined the Royal Scots Fusileers.

In 1919, he brought his young bride, Wilhelmina (nee Meickle) to Australia and stayed with his father (who had recently settled in Australia) at the family home in Elders Road, Dundas.

This home, built in the 18th century, still stands and is now the Cumberland Builders Bowling Club.

He applied for a Soldier Settlers farm and on 20 March 1920 was allotted Farm 1528 at Yenda. He and Wilhclmina and later their baby daughter "Bunty", lived in a shack on the farm until a house was built.

The marriage foundered, however, and after only a few years ended in divorce.

John Robert Hudson in the Royal Scots John Robert Hudson later Fusileers, August 1917. married Florence Cruse. Florence was Courtesy of Yvonne Maio nee Hudson born at Wallasey, England on 16 August 1904. One of ten children, she came to Australia for a better life, arriving on the ship "Esperance Bay" early in 1924. She worked for a period in Tasmania before coming to New South Wales and eventually Yenda in 1926.

Daughter "Babs" writes - "Times were hard for most settlers in those days, but my parents suffered a severe setback when, on 12 March 1930, our house was burnt to the ground. Dad was driving back from Sydney, Mother was working on the farm and I was asleep in a cot in the house, being only fourteen months old, when the house caught fire.

I owe my life to Baker Davis who was passing and saw the fire and having seen my mother on the farm, realised I was inside and rushed in and saved me.

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It must have been a traumatic experience for my mother, seeing the fire from the paddock and believing I was still inside as she ran to the house; and for my father, looking in vain for the familiar red roof of the house as he neared Yenda.

We lived at the `13ungalow'19 until another house was built (this second house, renovated over the years, was still standing on the farm as late as 1991). As the first house and contents were not insured, this meant getting even further into debt.

Like many other Soldier Settlers, Dad had not had any previous experience in farming apart from the training he underwent at Yanco. He had gone from school - into the army, then to farming, yet from the age of 21 he worked the farm for eighteen years.

He cultivated unworked ground, planting grape vines and fruit trees. He planted gum trees along the driveway and frontage of the farm for shade and windbreaks; it was he who many years ago planted the double row of grand old gum trees adjacent to Wade Park opposite our farm which have only recently been dug out.

1930131 Yenda Cricket Team Front row, third from left: "Jock" Hudson, Small boy; "Bunny" Hudson Other members of the Yenda Team at that time were: Joe Shannon, Les Brown, R 'Thompson, G Dickson, Jack Brown, Jim Brown, J Cameron, A Wilbers, Les Roffe, K Cameron Courtesy Mrs Yvonne Maio (nee Hudson)

19

'Back to Yenda' booklet, October 1947, page 18 - "Early in 1919. the WC & IC built a barracks for its officers in Yenda: this building is still standing and has always been known as the 'Bungalow' having been a boarding house most of the time".

195

Jack (or "Jock" as he was usually known) Hudson was a keen sportsman. He declined to represent New South Wales in Hockey to go on the farm and at one time was Riverina Tennis Champion, but it will be for his skill with a cricket hat that many 'oldtimers' will remember him.

He was instrumental in forming the Yenda Cricket Club in the 20's and played at various times in the Yenda, Carrathool and Yoogali teams as well as representing Griffith in Inter-Zone cricket. His name often appeared in 'Our Yenda Page' of The Area News and perhaps the following extracts from that paper say it all: September 21, 1937 appears to be very

'The outlook for cricket this season at Yenda . . except for 'Jock" Hudson joining up.'

December 21, 1937 Tenda's Victory! The inter-district match played last Sunday between Yenda and Griffith, the first of its kind in recent cricket history on the Area, and recording Yenda's first win over the sister town . . . . Perhaps there is no more pleasing feature in the match last Sunday than the fact that Jock Hudson, who may be regarded as the doyen of cricket in Yenda, captained the local side and led it to its first victor_ in the inter-district cricket.'

I remember the many times I accompanied Dad in the old truck or utility when he played cricket at Carrathool. Some 65 miles from Venda, it was a long dusty, bumpy dirt road we travelled on, not the present bitumen road to Hay. To travel that far in those conditions and then play to win, usually in extreme heat, one had to he keen.

And Dad was keen!! At age 51, he was still playing A Grade Cricket with the Kingsford (Sydney) Cricket Team and winning trophies for 'Best Batting Average' against young men in their twenties.

As well as working the farm, Dad also did work for the Department of Main Roads, grading and putting gravel on the various dirt roads in the area. He used to regularly grade the old 'back road' to Griffith which used to run from the railway crossing near our farm between the railway line and Wade Park.

My mother, Florence Hudson, was also new to life on the land, but she worked alongside my father whenever she could. Besides picking the fruit in season; grapes, prunes, apples, etc., she used to spend hours in a little shed treating prunes and apricots which she then spread on trays to dry in the sun. I remember one year when there was a glut of apples, she had apples, peeled, sliced and holed, strung along the verandah and in the bathroom to dry out.

She always had a jersey cow, sometimes two, which she used to milk and they always came when she called them. She kept bantams and for a while she and Dad went into keeping turkeys, but I was thankful when they gave them up - I can still hear the `gobble gobble' noise they made.

She made do with a drip safe, and had a copper outside for washing. After she cold-rinsed the sheets, we kids had to hold one end while she twisted the other end to remove excess water.

She baked her own bread, made butter. She cut all the family's hair, made our clothes. She nursed us one after the other through the childhood illnesses of measles and 196

chicken-pox. Her treatment for our coughs and colds was a poultice using a lare piece of flannel liberally coated with something which sounded like 'Antiphlogestine'-° which she would warm by the open fire before putting on our backs under our pyjamas before we went to bed at night. (It usually worked very well!!)

At Christmas time, no matter how strained finances were, she and Dad always made sure Santa left most of the things we children asked for in our letters to Santa, which we would leave on the mantelpiece. Likewise, the 'Tooth Fairy' never failed to visit.

1931 - Florence Hudson (nee Cruse) with children, "Bunny" (Alan), Pam, "Ilabs" (Yvonne), "Runty" (Agnes Courtesy Yvonne Maio (nee Iludson)

Some childhood memories: The excitement when the Circus or 'camel man' came to town.

Catching yabbies in our dam and cooking them in a billy over a fire we had built.

A not so good memory - swimming in the same dam and coming out covered in leeches!

20

Antiphlogistic - relating to the prevention or alleviation of inflammation.

197

Swimming in the channels after school (forbidden then also).

Going on 'safari' through the tall bulrushes that grew in the channel that used to run alongside Wade Park opposite our farm and hunting for golf balls (not for money but to unravel the elastic).

Climbing trees with brother "Bunny" while he collected birds eggs.

Raking up horse manure from Stockton's stable with "Bunny" for one of the railway fettlers. Some fettlers at that time lived in tents between the railway line and a fence along Railway Parade. This fettler had rows of well-kept vegetable beds in front of his tent. I think we made threepence on a bag of manure.

A thrilling (but probably illegal) ride to Binya and back on a railway trolley.

The day my aunt from Grafton arrived by train and called out loudly as she alighted 'I've brought you some bananas!' Bananas were forbidden in the Area at that time. After furtive looks around to sec if anyone had heard, the bananas soon disappeared leaving only skins as evidence and I can't remember how we disposed of them.

Collecting all the wood we could find for the biggest ever bonfire for Empire Day, when many townsfolk would join us.

The swaggies who used to come to the door looking for odd jobs in return for food.

•

The drovers and their mobs of sheep coming along the road and the black lambs I was sometimes given but which never survived.

Sitting up on the horse lorry pulled by our two draught horses and my father allowing me to hold the reins.

•

Riding my bike through a plague of grasshoppers.

*

Fierce electrical storms; a fireball coming down the chimney.

•

The annual school picnic races held on Mr R Sheldon's farm north of the canal, which almost the whole of Yenda attended in a festive atmosphere.

•

Arbor Day 1938. Too sick to attend, watching from the farm crowds of adults and children walk across the railway lines to Wade Park and the

198

golf course beyond to plant trees, most of which I understand did not survive.

The 1938 Scout concert held in the Scout Hall opposite our farm when George Martin had the starring role in 'The Colonel Takes a Bath' and everyone nearly died laughing.

A lasting memory I have always had is of a magical night of fireworks and water floats in a large pool of water at Griffith. The front page of The Area News of March 18, 1938 (Griffith Library) has refreshed that memory and the following extracts may remind others of a truly memorable night.

NIGHT OF LIGHT AND BEAUTY VENETIAN CARNIVAL A BLAZE OF SPLENDOUR Floats, Fireworks and Bathing Belles: Thousands present.

History was made in spectacular entertainment for inland Australia by Griffith's Venetian Carnival at the huge storage tank in Jondaiyan Avenue on Tuesday night, when a crowd of 4,000 watched the most brilliant and novel display which the Area has known The Carnival opened with the pool under a mantle of darkness. All the lights had been extinguished, then a rocket soared up from the Northern Bank, burst in a rain of golden fire; under a focused spotlight, the Australian flag was broken out on the flagpole over the official enclosure and the band played 'Advance Australia Fair' The first parade was marked by an impressive ceremony. The floats were headed by the entry of the Griffith Sub-branch of the R.S.S.I.L.A. Drawn by a sombre and veiled figure, It came slowly to the official enclosure and there halted, with the spotlight focused on the float, its poppy canopy, its uniformed soldiers and sailors and its nurses, and its central symbolic figure bearing aloft the torch made traditional by the lovely lines of John McCrae, who himself sleeps in a soldier's grave in Belgium.

As the float halted before the enclosure, the announcer through the loudspeakers, quoted these lines: "Take up our work, for as we go, To you, front falling hands, we throw The Torch. Be yours to lift it high!

If you break faith with us who die We shall not sleep though Poppies blow In Flanders Field." and back came the response delivered by Mr John Gold► ick, quoting the answer of the Legacy Club.

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"Fear not that you have died for naught.

The torch you threw to us we caught, And Now our hands will hold it high, Its glorious light will never die We've learned the lesson that you taught In Flanders Fields."

There was a hush for a moment over the great pool and its packed crowds of spectators, then as the float slowly resumed its way, a wave of applause swept over the water.

John Hudson - 1915

John Hudson (left) with Nursing Sister and friend, Cairo 1918

Courtesy Yvonne Maio (nee Iludson)

On the 2 August 1938 Dad sold Farm 1528 to an Italian settler, Giovanni Battochio and we moved to Narrabri where he had a contract to work as ganger on the construction of a road to the top of Mount Kaputar.

My parents leased an acre of land some three miles out of Narrabri, on the road to Mount Kaputar, where Dad built a two-roomed dwelling for us while he was at the construction camp. My mother cultivated on this acre a most beautiful flower and vegetable garden (no fruit trees!!) which passing motorists often stopped to admire.

Dad was on the Reserve Officers' List of the Australian Military Forces and with the advent of World War H he was called up, later serving with the rank of Captain (NX107917) with the 2/6th Australian General Hospital Unit (9th Division) in Labuan, Borneo.

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After the war ended, the family lived at Randwick before spreading out into the Western Suburbs. Dad died suddenly of a heart attack at their home in Merrylands on 11 July 1970, at the age of 71 years.

Mother is now nearing 87 and lives at a retirement village in Parramatta, where she still tends her flower garden and those of other residents."

John Robert Hudson Snr was the first to come to Australia. He arrived in Sydney about 1918/1919 with his second wife Ada and son George and stepson Bill - possibly three of his four daughters from his first marriage, Queenie, Dorothy and Gertrude also came, though the first two returned to England. His first wife, Margaret Lavinia, who died on 4 March 1916, was the mother of John Robert "Jock" Hudson who settled in Yenda. John Robert Hudson Snr died about 1939 and his ashes are in St Jude's Church, Randwick. George Hudson won a Miliatary Cross in Burma, but has since died, as have the others mentioned, the last being Queenie who died in 1990 at the age of 98 years.

JOHN ROBERT "JOCK" HUDSON

married (1)

born Poona. India 9 Oct 1898. died 11 July 1970. cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium.

Wilhelmina Craig Meickle born Cupar. Scotland. 5 November 1898. died 3 May 1975. cremated at Rookwood Crematorium.

• 1.

Agnes Lavinia "Bunty". born Nurse Waters' Nursing Home. Yenda 3 Feb 1921. In 1935 after leaving school "Bunty- went to Bombay.

India. to live with an aunt. She returned to Australia in 1942. then five years later married a Norwegian. Arne Baumann. and went to live in Norway and Holland before returning to Australia in 1955.

Now living at Strathfield. NSW.

married (2)

Florence Cruse. born Wallasey. England 16 Aug 1904. Now living in a retirement village at Parramatta.

• 2.

Alan Gordon ("Bunny"). born Crown Street Women's Hospital 2 Dec 1926. Married (1) Gwen. (2) Heather (dec'd). Member of the Regular Army. saw service in Vietnam. Now living at Goornong.

Victoria.

3.

Florence Yvonne ("Babs"). born Crown Street Women's Hospital 4 Jan 1929. Married (1) Christopher Matthew Hunt (2) Domenico Maio. Now living at Guildford. NSW and an Alderman on the Parramatta City Council.

4.

Pamela Margaret. born on the farm 10 March 1931. Married to John Mervyn Lowe. Now living at Merrylands. NSW.

Contributed by Yvonne Maio (nee Hudson), 21 Dudley Road, Guildford NSW 2161 201

IRELAND Samuel Lawson Ireland was born on 22 March 1878 at Ross Trevor a suburb of Belfast in Ireland. It is not known when and how he came to Australia, but it is known that he was a Soldier Settler. Water Resources records show in fact that he served with the 1st and 53rd Battalion - No 1140.

He married Annie Tasman Davis, a teacher of Muckleford in Victoria on 5 April 1920. It is thought that they came from Swan Hill (Victoria) to Griffith and at first lived at Wickham's camp in a tent with a galvanised iron open fire place for cooking and presumably warmth.

Samuel was granted Farm 259, Beelbangera which originally had an area of 28 acres, 1 rood, granted 23 August 1921 and for which he paid an annual rental of £29/13/3.

This area was later extended to 40 acres. He grew apples and his eldest daughter Isabel recalls that "he was known as 'Old Sam the Apple King'. He was always 'old' as he was a full Army pensioner due to war disabilities. He had a big moustache and always wore a grey felt hat.

Isabel also tells "My step brother, Louis John, (Dad's son to an earlier marriage) came to live with us at the ripe old age of ten. He was a city bred lad and he had to sleep in a small tent outside as there was not enough room for all the family inside the bag hut.

He told me he was so very scared and to make matters worse Dad was always reminding him to be careful with the candle as the tent could catch fire. Even now my heart goes out to the poor little lad!

"About 1922 we moved to the farm where we had a three roomed fibrolite and wooden house - two bedrooms and one living room which had an open fire place and beside that stood an old fuel stove. The stove was alight most of the time with a blackened kettle always singing quietly. Many a wonderful sponge was cooked in this stove. We were lucky as we had a thousand gallon, galvanised iron fresh water tank at the side of the house which caught the rain from the house gutters. Dad had made an entry for a tap into the corner of the living room. There was a deal table, chairs and a dresser.

We also had a couple of cane chairs, a Singer sewing machine and an organ!!!

"The house had a front and back open verandah and, of course, no bathroom.

We all bathed, once a week, in the living room, in a round galvanised wash tub brought in for that purpose. The water was probably heated in a kerosene tin, with handles attached, on top of the stove.

"We could not have done without kerosene tins or packing cases. The tins were made into buckets and plant holders which were cut down with tin snips and curled elegantly by rolling them a bit - painted perhaps. The cases, laid on their sides and tacked together one on top of the other, with a piece of fabric for a curtain, made cupboards.

My first bed was two such cases, still used as cupboards at one end but with a chicken wire mattress nailed between them. I think a kapok mattress on top of that - very comfortable!

"We had a wonderful mare called 'Bess' who trotted tirelessly like the wind, to pull the big rubber tyred sulky. We think she may have been a race horse at one time.

She was beautiful and so intelligent and loyal. When my father scolded her she took notice, but now and then, when he'd abuse her after a few drinks, she would ignore him

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completely and bring him home! She was eventually put out to pasture, but went mad and had to be shot. A shocking and stressful day for us all - she was family.

"On cold winter nights we children would get ready for bed and Mum would read us a story - perhaps the serial from the 'Bulletin' or maybe 'Ben Hur' or 'Gulliver's Travels'. She read well and we all loved it. In the meantime, Dad would peel and quarter apples that we ate with relish.

"At other times the whole family would sing - harmonising lots of the tunes. My mother had an operatic trained voice and Dad also sang well. I am tone deaf and always felt a little out of these occasions - though I loved the music. The others all sang well, so it was fun!

"In 1937 we moved to Sydney leaving a manager to run the farm, but subsequently sold it. Dad was then a TPI pensioner - he went on and off the pension for the rest of his life. Actually, he needed it but he resented being TPI. The Irish spirit I guess! He was upset when his enlistment in the Army at the outbreak of World War II was refused!!"

THE IRELAND FAMILY Louis John ("Lou") born 1911: married Ivy Boots: three children - Lorraine. Warwick and Geoffrey.

Isabel Ellen born 7 March 1921 in the tent at Wickham's Camp with Dr Watkins and Nurse O'Reilly in attendance.

James McConnell born 4 June 1922 on Farm 259. delivered by Dr Watkins: married Norma Taylor: three children - Terrie, Leigh and Julie.

Stella Hope born 18 October 1926 on Farm 259. delivered by Dr Watkins: married Keith Ward (dec'd): two children - Malcolm and Nola.

By courtesy of Miss Isabel Ireland, 8/45 Meadow Crescent, Meadow Bank 2114.

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JENNINGS "My father's parents were born at Balwest, Cornwall" explains Mona Marshall (nee Jennings).

Henry Louis Jennings, a draper (born 25 December 1864) was the son of Emmanuel, Mine Agent, and Annie Tregonning a 19 year old daughter of Joseph, a Mine Agent. They were married on 16 July 1883 at Germoe, Cornwall, just before they sailed for Australia. The voyage took six months before landing in Cairns, Queensland, where they opened a Drapery shop. Later they moved to Brisbane and then to Victoria where Garnet Tregonning Jennings was born. Their next move was to Hobart in Tasmania.

Their grandaughter,, Mona, tells us that her father "Garnet Tregonning Jennings was born on 1 May 1883 at Brunswick Victoria.

He had three sisters, Winnie, Daisy and Effie.

"The Jennings family lived in Hobart in the early years of Dad's life. I remember him saying when he was a boy digging a Garnet Jennings vegetable garden that he had dug taken Sydney c.1914 up a set of leg irons - apparently a Courtesy Noel ',card (nee Jennings) legacy from the convict days. His mother was very upset about the find and made him re-bury them and told him not to say a word to anyone about it!

"Dad's church activities began in 1903 when he joined the choir at Holy Trinity, Hobart with his father, at the age of ten and continued as a chorister for five years, at which time the family moved back to Victoria. When they lived in Sydney he was a bell ringer and server at Christ Church St Lawrence for some years.

"Prior to joining the Army in 1914, he worked as an accountant at Edwards Dunlop in Sydney. On leaving for war service he was presented with a silver watch for faithful service.

"Dad served with the 1st AIF in the 56th Battalion, in Egypt where they did desert training before going to Gallipoli. He was gassed in France which took a toll on his health and was sent to England for hospitalisation before returning to Australia at the end of the 204

war. During his service he attained the rank of Sergeant. Unfortunately, like many old Anzacs, he didn't talk very often about his experiences during the war, so there is not a great deal the family know about it.

"Garnet Jennings was gazetted Farm 785 on 1 April 1920 - neighbour to Bert Leach, Farm 790 and Alick Kilpatrick, Farm 788.

Three years later he had the farm cleared and planted with grape vines and fruit trees. During this time the men all lived in tents.

When the time came to build a house they were given two different plans to choose from - then with each others help they were able to build and set up house for their Garnet married Alick brides.

Kilpatrick's cousin, Laurel Kilpatrick on 20 January 1923 at the Presbyterian Church, Marrickville NSW. "Laurel was the daughter of John and Mary (nee Campbell) Kilpatrick. She met Garnet when Garnet Jennings on a visit to her sister Eileen who taken Sydney c.1914 Courtesy Noel ',card (nee Jennings) had married Bert Potter, also a neighbour on Farm 783. A condition of her going to live in Yenda was that Garnet buy her a sewing machine and cement washing tubs!

"The Jones sewing machine did sterling service. As well as sewing for all the family, 'Mum' Jennings sewed many a frock for the local girls for that special occasion.

Flour bags were turned into pillow slips as well as being used as lining for the boys' trousers. Uncle Toby's rolled oats bags were made into handkerchiefs for Dad and the boys. Unbleached calico was bought to make sheets for the beds. Suit samples were cadged from Mr Pauling (the travelling Draper) and patchwork bed covers were made from them - these are often called `Waggas' or `Wagga Rugs'.

"During World War II, clothes were rationed using a coupon system. At one time I was confined to Griffith Hospital with Scarlet Fever for five weeks. Mum bought a light blanket, which didn't require coupons, and made me a dressing gown with attractive stripes down the front - I thought it was so beautiful! Calico became scarce in the later part of the war so a couple of car covers were turned into sheets. These were made up and hung on the clothes line over night for the frost to bleach them."

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Wedding of Laurel and Garnet Jennings 20 January 1923 L to Back - Bill Kilpatrick, Laurel Jennings, Charlie I lenderson Front - Hazel Kilpatrick, Garnet Jennings, Oriel Kilpatrick

Mary tells of the exciting day that "five cars came along our road. It was my third birthday, 28 April 1928. They were being delivered to Bert Leach, Bert Potter, Alick Kilpatrick and us - the fifth car was to take the drivers back to town!

"When the horses that were to work the farms arrived, the men allocating them thought it was a big joke to give Dad the two tallest ones - Polly and Sarah. Dad was just over five foot, but being a very determined man, didn't complain. He built a stand to use to harness them! These two mares were not compatible so Polly was exchanged for Tom and Sarah and Tom became the farm help for many years.

"Dad designed and was responsible for a lot of the building of the original Church of England, the church of St George, Yenda. Mum and Dad used to travel into town on the four wheel lorry with the children. Dad worked on the building while Mum boiled the billy for the few helpers who came along. The children spent the day playing under the wilga trees. As Lay Preacher, our father took many of the services when the Rector was unable to attend for various reasons. On one occasion, there was a controversy about who should bury a young man who had committed suicide. (In those days anyone who took their own life was not permitted to rest in consecrated ground.) Dad contacted the Bishop and duly performed the burial.

"In the early years the head of the Riverina Diocese of the Church of England was situated at Hay. On a number of occasions because of bad road conditions, Dad would walk up the stock route to Whitton. From there he and a friend travelled by train together to Hay for the Synod meeting. The same journey was repeated to return home.

I can quite vividly remember him returning late one night in pouring rain and, of course, 206

drenched to the skin. On this occasion he had borrowed a neighbour's horse to ride. On the way home, just out of Whitton, the horse went lame so he had walked leading the horse! He spent several days in bed to get over that trip. Dad also started the Sunday School of which he was Superintendent for many years.

"On Arbour Day, the children from both schools, planted trees around the town of Yenda. Somehow Dad organised that the Jennings children plant them near the Church. I well remember spending many Saturday afternoons helping him to dig, weed and water to get them established. I was thrilled to see these trees still growing when I returned to Yenda for the 50th Anniversary of the Convent School.

"Once when Bishop Halse was to visit his flock in Yenda, the lady who was to have provided lunch for this important visitor, rang our Mother the night before and asked if she could have them instead. A few days later Mum met the lady in town who duly asked how the visit went. She was horrified to learn these important visitors had only been served sausages and eggs!! Mum's reply was 'when you live five miles from town and with short notice you just have to make do, no matter who they are.'

On that same visit, Eric and Owen, after being given permission to leave the table, were playing under the table.

Eric bumped his head and later got into dreadful trouble for saying 'Damn!

Damn! Damn!', in front of the Bishop.

My mind boggles as to what he would say today!"

"Our mother, Laurel Jennings Laurel Jennings (nee Kilpatrick) (nee Kilpatrick) was probably born to be Courtesy Noel ',card (nee Jennings) a pioneer. Laurel's mother drove a horse and sulky from Wilcannia NSW to Magill SA for her birth. What a trip it must have been in June of 1897. The Barrier Highway would have only been a bullock track.

"As her father, Bill Kilpatrick, was a horse dealer and auctioneer the family moved around outback New South Wales - Wilcannia, Cobar, Bourke, Bogan Gate etc until he died and was buried at Crookwell NSW. The family then moved to Sydney and Laurel went to work at Arnotts biscuit factory and later worked at Berlei's, where they made undergarments.

"The electricity wasn't connected to Farm 785 until about 1937, although it went to the stock route and Leach's next door a lot earlier. The drip safe sat on the verandah where the bucket of milk hung from the rafters to keep it cool. The butter was placed in a butter-cooler which was made of a porous plaster and kept damp by soaking it in water.

This kept the butter a little bit firm. Aunty Eileen Potter, bought a refrigerator, oh what 207

a delight! She would sometimes ring up on a hot day to say that she had some spare ice blocks. One of us would jump on our push bike with a billy can and ride around, about a mile, to pick them up. Dad always had a demijohn each of port and sherry and we were allowed to have a little sherry in the bottom of a cup with an ice block and filled with water out of the water bag. It was so delicious and cooling - what a wonderful treat it was for us!

"All the cooking was done on the fuel stove. The washing was boiled up in the copper that sat out in the yard, far enough away from the house to avoid setting it alight.

The water was carried in kerosene tin buckets to fill the copper and wash tubs. The white washing was often left out at night to let the frost bleach it.

"Mary, Noel and John went to school on Paddy Greenshields' truck which had seats fitted along the sides. We lived five miles from town but they travelled about 25 miles to get to school. Later Paddy ceased his bus run to concentrate on local carrying.

We were all bought push bikes to ride. The problem on wet days was that the mud built up on the wheels and it would have to be scraped off. Every now and again we would dip the bike, mud and all, in the water in the irrigation ditch to try to wash it off. In the winter the fog would be so heavy that often you couldn't see where you were going. I can remember running into the back of a poor animal that was straying on the road. Another time, Mary and I were riding on a side track in the fog when there was a mighty bang.

She had run head-on into a chap who was coming to do some work on the farm. He did ask her to go to the pictures with him after that!!

"Toys were very scarce at Farm 785 but we had great imaginations. We rolled the old tyres off the Chev around the place for 'pretend cars'. A good straight stick made a great horse. Joyce Miller (now Delpiano) came to visit a lot for holidays. We gathered the 'bull dust', where the cow frequently lay down, to make mud pies in all shapes and sizes. We were experts at 'Cow Flop' biscuits, which we let dry for a day in the sun then played 'shops' the next day and sold them to the boys. We also spent a lot of time roaming the Binya Hills, gathering wild flowers - we would walk for miles. In summer a lot of time was spent swimming in the canal. We had to duck when the water bailiff came along as swimming in the canals was frowned upon. We hammered the corrugations out of a sheet of corrugated iron, folded it up to form a point in the front and nailed the end of a packing case to the back to make a canoe. The holes were plugged up with lumps of clay dug out of the bottom of the canal. To keep the clay soft, as well as the canoe out of sight when not in use, it was always sunk on the bottom of the canal at our swimming hole."

Cousin Enid Atkinson (nee Kilpatrick) recalls that "as 24 May was John's birthday, neighbouring families would gather at Jennings to celebrate Empire Day. We would let off crackers around a big bonfire. We had sky-rockets to put in bottles and catherine wheels to pin to posts. Tom thumbs were small explosives for the beginners or more timid ones. I well remember a bunger lit and placed under a kerosene tin - what an explosion!! The tin shot up in the air!! Throwing a jumping jack behind an adult and then looking the other way to pretend innocence was a daringly mischievous act I thought.

A jumping jack was a folded cracker that exploded many times and the force of the explosion made it jump in an unpredictable way. After the fire died down and the crackers all gone, we might have a sing song and toast and cocoa or milk coffee for the adults, while turning around to first warm our fronts then our hacks. Sometimes we would 208

go inside to listen to the gramophone records. It seems laughable now but I well remember my red face and my trying not to appear to be embarrassed when they played `Halleluiah I'm a Bum' - bum was a naughty word to my family!!"

More from Mona Marshall (nee Jennings) - "Just before my eighth birthday and after years of struggling through the Depression with Bank re-payments, bad crops and six children, World War II broke out and Dad was called up. As he was so short, people laughed and said he would be the first to be turned down. However, he took up his old rank of Sergeant and spent some time at Wagga Wagga as a Drill Instructor where he gained his crown. He was later transferred to Cowra and from there took a group of Italian Prisoners-of-War almost to the West Australian border in South Australia. There they camped beside the Trans Continental Railway line. There the prisoners worked resleepering the line which eventually met up with a similar camp. The prisoners needed no guarding as they were terrified of the tribal Aboriginals who wandered around the camp site. Dad returned to Cowra and was present when the Japanese 'break out' took place. He spent about twelve months at Canowindra. Four Officers lived in a house and were responsible for the Italian POWs who were working on the farms around the area.

They had to visit them regularly to see that they were being well treated and whether they had any complaints or that their bosses had any problems with them.

Near Farm 785, between the Whitton Stock Route and the Northern Canal Courtesy Mary Goss (nee Jennings)

"Finally Dad was stationed at the Base Ordinance Depot at Moorebank where all the gear from the returning soldiers was stored and disposed of. He worked there until his retirement at the age of 65. He actually had to take a day's leave to get his discharge, so was at his desk in uniform one day and civvies at the same desk the day after!

"When Dad joined the army it left Mum with the farm to run, as well as six children to rear. Labour was very scarce so it meant, at very young ages, we all had to pitch in and help. Mum would never let the girls milk the cows as it might spoil our hands! That was one job she always did herself. I remember one morning she came in

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dripping milk from head to foot - Blossom had got tired of standing so picked up her hind leg and neatly placed it into the almost full bucket of milk. Poor Mum decided the milk was ruined so threw it over Blossom and, of course, it splashed back all over her. She did look a sorry sight!!

"The Chev sat in the shed while Mum either walked to town or cadged a lift, sometimes with a neighbour or with Mr Pauling the Water Bailiff. One day she said to the chap who was working on the farm 'Back that damn car out of the shed for me, I am going to drive it to town'. He asked 'Can you drive?'. Mum replied 'No, but I have sat beside Garnet for nearly twenty years while he did, so surely I know something about it.'

Until she got her licence she would drive in and leave the car at the fettlers house on the outskirts of town and walk the rest of the way so the 'John Hop' wouldn't see her.

"Because of the distance from town, we were allowed a ration of four gallons of petrol a month. This really didn't go very far. Mum with neighbours, Aunty Flo Kilpatrick, whose husband was in the Army and Aunty Ray Leach who had son Jack also in the Army, were foundation members of the Yenda Red Cross. With Red Cross, CWA, Church activities as well as Parents and Citizens, there were many trips to town for meetings and for making up parcels for the boys overseas. I remember being told at school by one of the Sisters at the Convent, that the ratio of population of Yenda to the number of people in the services was higher than any other town in New South Wales.

So there were a lot of balaclavas and socks to make!

"To beat the petrol shortage Mum bought a horse and sulky. That dear little pony, jogged in and out of town day and night. I well remember lying in bed at night and hearing his hoof beats coming down the road as Mum returned, from a send-off to one or two of the boys who had come home on final leave or from a fund raising function for Comfort Funds. One such night, when Mum was returning home, the pony stumbled and fell throwing her clear out of the sulky and she landed on top of him. As she was a big lady it must have really knocked the wind out of both of them!! Fortunately neither suffered any damage and they were able to continue on their way home. Ray Leach next door, was offered a ride quite often but seldom accepted. Poor Ray was terrified of that pony and would walk to a meeting in the heat or cold rather than ride in the sulky!

"As the loo' was a cut lunch and a bike ride across the yard it was rather scary at night to go out to it alone. I was accompanying Owen on one such trip one dark night when thieves came to the shed to steal petrol out of the car. The shed wasn't far from the goo' and the dog was barking like mad. I joined Owen inside and turned the hurricane lantern down low and waited, scared stiff, as we heard voices and the bumping of a can against the car. Finally, deciding we had waited long enough, we made a run for it. I grabbed the lantern in one hand and Owen in the other and ran - half way to the house Owen fell over and I kept running, leaving him in the pitch dark screaming his head off. I'm sure it must have disturbed the 'would-be' thieves. The next morning we found a tin with a little bit of petrol in it lying on the ground, where they had dropped it.

"One very hot Saturday afternoon the three boys and I were playing cricket out in the paddock when we saw a great cloud of smoke billowing from the direction of Leach's house. We knew there was no one home and that it must be their house on fire.

We yelled out to Mum to tell her, then jumped on our pushbikes and rode as fast as we could up the road. The flames were licking out of all the windows. John managed to put his hand through the laundry window and grab a dish with some socks in it. Mum had 210

rung through to town and got a message to Jack who was home on leave and at the Club.

He and some of the neighbours arrived just before the whole house fell in. Jack desperately tried to go into the house but it was too hot. They lost everything. Aunty Ray chatted John later and said he might at least have left the socks, that needed darning, to burn!! Actually, John had ridden to town on a message. He told Mum that when he came home past Leach's house there was a cat up on the roof which was picking its feet up and dancing - it was such a hot day. The house was probably burning inside then as our cricket match hadn't been going for long before we saw the smoke. It was a very sad day for the Leach family as they were left with only what they had worn to town.

"When John and I were about thirteen and fifteen we were allowed to ride back into town on Friday nights to the pictures. It cost 116d then for teenagers.

"One very dark night when we were riding home, John was having trouble with his bike lamp so we stopped to fix it. We were quite alarmed to hear movement around us. It was a team of bullocks, that were working around the area sinking dams and grubbing trees etc, that had been let go to graze on the sides of the road over night. We were surrounded by these enormous beasts with very long horns who were curious as to what we were doing. It was really quite frightening.

"Our sister Noel went to live in Sydney at 14 and did her bit for the war effort by working at Australia General Electric. Mary worked the farm with Mum as an unofficial Land Army Girl, doing jobs that the Land Army girls would never be asked to do. There was always the pruning, the watering, the harvesting, 'super' to be spread and many other chores. A 'God send' was the formation of a 'machinery pool' and the few able bodied men around who would come with the tractors and do the cultivating.

"We all did our little bit for the war effort. Picking up prunes, pitting apricots, picking grapes, washing and topping carrots and any other jobs that were needed to be done around the neighbourhood.

"Early in 1947 Mum had been down the paddock seeing to the watering. She bent down to find the key to the water wheel which was left in the ditch by arrangement with the Water Bailiff, when a black snake reared and struck at her. It gave her a terrible fright and she declared she was not going to do the water again! And she didn't!!

"Looking back over the years I feel that both Garnet and Laurel, our Dad and Mum, really did quite a bit for the settlement of the place called Yenda. Each of the six children inherited their love of this country and Noel is the only one who has settled in the city to live. John was living in Yenda when he became ill and was rushed to St Vincents Hospital in Sydney where he passed away in November 1985.

"The old saying 'You can take the boy out of the bush, but you can't take the bush out of the boy', is very true."

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John Kilpatrick born 1825. Ireland married Eliza Jane Crain born 1830. Ireland

Emmanuel Jennings born Cornwall UK

•

•

William John Kilpatrick born 1830. Adelong Creek

Henry Louis Jennings born 26 December 1864 Balwest, Cornwall UK married 16 July 1883

married Mary Edith Campbell born Magill SA

Annie Tregonning

•

•

Garnet Tregonning Jennings born 1 May 1893 Brunswick Vic died 29 October 1971 cremated Rookwood Ashes tossed to the wind

married Laurel Florence Kilpatrick 20 January 1923 born 7 June 1897 Presbyterian Church. Marrickville NSW Magill SA died 10 August 1966 • at Chester Hill Ashes tossed to the wind

• 1.

Noel FITie born 13 December 1923. Griffith. Married Oscar (Athol) Leard. Lives at Merrylands NSW

2.

Evelyn (Mary) born 28 April 1925. Sydney. Married Geoffery George Goss. Lives at Bagnoo NSW

3.

John Louis born 24 May 1929. Yenda. Married Nancye Laws. Died November 1985. was living in Yenda

4.

Mona Laurel born 16 August 1931, CWA Hospital Yenda. Married Albert (John) Marshall. Lives at Manildra NSW

5.

Eric Victor born 11 January 1934. Yenda. Married Beryl Newcomb.

Lives Culburra NSW

6.

Owen Edward born 23 February 1936. Yenda. Married Robin Nuttal. Died 16 June 1977.

By courtesy of Mona Marshall (nee Jennings), Manildra 2865.

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JONES David Jones and Violet Cathleen (nee Jones) met after World War I where Davey had served in the Welsh Pioneer Corp at Salonica (Thessaloniki) in Greece and where he contracted malaria and spent some time in hospital. After returning to Carmarthen, Davey became involved in the local choir and it was here that he and Vi met and fell in love. They were married early in 1922 at Carmarthen in Wales and the following year, 1923, came out to Australia. Davey and Vi (as they were always known to their family and friends) were both born in Carmarthen which is a large city in the south of Wales.

Davey was born on 2 July 1892 and Vi on 20 April 1904.

Davey had been in partnership with his father in a mixed farm just a few miles out of Carmarthen. The farm was not big enough to support the two familes so Davey decided to take his share and try farming in Australia, as their neighbours, the Morris family David ("Davey") Jones had done.

Four sons and a Welsh Pioneer Corps daughter of the Morris family had Courtesy Jenny Doyle (nee Jones) come out to Australia and had settled in Leeton and they agreed to help Davey find a farm.

Arriving in Australia, with their baby daughter, Jenny, they travelled to Murrami where they worked as a couple, on a dairy farm whilst looking for a farm of their own.

After a short stay on Jim Davies' farm at Hanwood, they purchased Farm 1841 at Lake Wyangan from a soldier settler, John Corrie Dymock in 1924.

Their eldest daughter, Jenny relates - "The house on Farm 1841 was originally two rooms with a verandah all round and over the years additions were built to make a comfortable home.

"For many years the weekly wash was done outside under a pine tree where a Copper and wash tubs were set up, with of course, a clothes prop to hold the line up. On wash day the hot soapy water was used to wash the floors and I can remember the back 213

verandah had to be scrubbed. An exhausting day for Mothers! We were lucky to have some lino in the kitchen and stained boards with scattered mats in the main bedroom and lounge room. However, at first, the house lacked many conveniences - the toilet was outside well away from the house and a chamber pot under the bed was a necessity.

We had a Coolgardie safe - nevertheless, the home made butter was still awful!! Mosquito nets over the beds were also a necessity.

"We had a cow, horse, fowls, vegetables and fruit and lived close to the land. Our mother worked very hard helping with farm work, sewing at night and sometimes making over second hand clothes for us so that we didn't feel different.

52 Wounds Mr. K. H. Todd, president of the Griffith R.S.L. sub-branch, was in Violet and David Jones - Wedding Day Courtesy Jenny Doyle (nee Jones)

Looking back, the Depression had most people doing the same thing! Pride and a sense of humour got most of us through.

"Our father had a fine singing voice and music was enjoyed by the family. Musical evenings with friends were our main form of entertainment. Mum also had a sweet voice and Mum and Dad's duets were always enjoyed. Mum made the CWA her way of enjoying life and she was a life member of the CWA. Her main interest was in handicrafts, of which she was a qualified instructor. For sixteen years she taught handicrafts, in a voluntary capacity, in the geriatric and children's wards at the Griffith Base Hospital.

"She also had a long association with the Lake Wyangan Red Cross, being a foundation member when it was formed in 1944. In 1985 she was awarded the Australia Day Council Award of Achievement in the Community. When she passed away a guard of honour was formed at her funeral.

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the 53rd Battalion. A German shell left him with 52 wounds—one short of his battalion number.

Mr. Todd, who is also a State country vice-president of the R.S.L., came to Sydney early this week to arrange for the arrival of men from his district.

Twenty years ago there was always a rifle strap .slung over a Digger's shoulder.

To-day, in the case of Mr. Jack Tompkins, late 8tht Mobile Veterinary Section of the A.I.F., it was a golfbag strap as he stepped from a train from the country.

There's a wide gulf between oranges and cannon balls, but it has been bridged in the past decade by Mr. W. J. Duffel]. president of Yenda R.S.L. sub-branch. artilleryman (2nd He was an Field Battery): now he's an orchardist.

He is one of the survivors of the torpedoing in the Bay of Biscay in 1918, of the hospital transport BarHe enlisted at 18 years of inga. age.

A little Welshman with a splendid baritone voice, is Mr. David from Griffith.

He served with a Welsh regiment at Solonika. He is a popular figure at. all Griffith Diggers' social evenings.

He sang himself hoarse on the journey to Sydney.

Source and Date unknown Courtesy Mary Polkinghomc (ncc Jones)

"In I lospital at Salonica" David Jones - left front Courtesy Jenny Doyle (nee Jones)

"As youngsters, picnics at Lake Wyangan were eagerly looked forward to. The school also had sports day there. This was before the golf course was set out around the Lake. Golf became our parents' game then as it was a pretty country course but for all the family tennis was the main sport. The school courts and a few private courts were used at weekends for inter-district tournaments. During one of the mice plagues I can remember being one of a few (naughty ones!) who collected a kerosene tin of mice and released them behind the chairs of ladies watching the tennis match. It was worth getting into trouble to see the scatter!! Those mice plagues are something I will never forget the hay shed was just alive with them!!

"The dust storms have no doubt been reported by many people. It just sifted in and covered everything.

"The trays of apricots, after being sulphured in sulphur boxes, were put out in the sun to dry - just a few drops of rain at night and everyone was up and out stacking them out of the rain, and then of course, putting them back out again to dry the next day."

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Farm 1841 was found to be in a frost pocket and was also affected by seepage, having two drainage channels on the boundaries. This led to the surrender of the farm in about 1938. Davey and Vi retained the house and a few acres. The remainder of the farm is now the village of Lake Wyangan.

The farm at Lake Wyangan was the only home Davey and Vi ever owned. The repayments to the Rural Bank were finalised not long before Davey died. Vi stayed on at the farm for three years after his death, but reluctantly had to give up her beloved garden and moved into the Stanley Briggs Legacy Units when they opened in 1976.

Vi was a very independent woman and starting with a T Model Ford (purchased from their neighbours, the Ted Meggitts) and subsequent cars, she drove herself and friends anywhere they may have wished to go. Vi gave up driving just before she retired to Pioneer Lodge.

Davey and Vi Jones never regretted coming to Australia.

David Jones died on 23 September 1973 aged 81 years and was cremated at Wagga and Violet died in her 87th year on 18 March 1991 and is buried in Griffith.

Vi and Davey Jones with daughters Mary and Jenny Courtesy Mary Polkinghorne (nee Jones)

David and Violet had two daughters, both of whom married "Griffith boys".

Margaret Jane (Jenny) born Carmarthen, Wales on 16 December 1922; married Brian Oswald Doyle ; three children, Bronwyn, Alan and Stephen.

Elizabeth Mary (Mary) born "Woodlands" Hospital (with Dr Bodycomb in attendance) Griffith on 26 March 1926; married Stanley Polkinghorne; five children, David, Ann, Ruth, Glenys and Helen.

By courtesy of Jenny Doyle (nee Jones), Victoria St, Deniliquin 2710 and Mary Polkinghorne (nee Jones), Langley Crescent, Griffith 2680.

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KILPATRICK Alick Kilpatrick was born at Leichhardt NSW in 1891 where his father James had a dairy and milk run. When his mother Maggie had bronchitis badly the doctor advised them to move to a warmer climate, so they shifted to the Darling Downs in 1910. Alick and his brothers, Jack and Jim, joined the armed forces. Both Jack and Jim were killed in action in World War I (Jack on 22 July 1917 at Messines, France and Jim on 31 October 1917 at Beersheba). In 1919 Alick came to Yenda. He lived in the barracks at Beelbangera while he did his three months clearing work for the WC & IC. When he drew Farm 788 he built a round-hack hut on it and he shared this with his friends Bert Leach and George Henry. Later, a house was built and his sister Kit kept house for him until he married in 1923.

Flo Gant came to Australia in 1920 from England and worked in Sydney. She and Rachel ("Ray") Leach had become firm friends when they met on the ship. Ray was coming to marry Bert Leach and to live at Yenda. When Flo lost her job she came to visit Ray and Bert and was able to get a job in French's Coffee Palace. She met her husband-to-be when visiting Leach's and ended up being next-door-neighbour to her good friend. They were the closest of friends for the rest of their lives.

Wedding Day - February 1923 Alexander Irwin Kilpatrick and Florence M E Gant Courtesy Enid Atkinson (nee Kilpatrick)

Flo and Alick had seven children (two died as babies). The five surviving children were Dorothy (1924), Enid (1927), Margaret (1928), Ted (1930 and Nora (1932). They all attended Yenda Public School and all, except Dorothy, went on to Griffith High School.

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339 Trooper J M Kilpatrick • 12th Aust Light I lorse Regiment Killed in action.

•

1251 Gunner Alick Kilpatrick 39th Battery, 10th Brigade, 4th Division. Aged 24 yrs.

419 Gunner J F Kilpatrick Sth K'fts 9th Machine Gun Coy. Transferred to 34rd Div - Jan 1917; 12th Div - April 1917

•

Photos courtesy Enid Atkinson (ncc Kilpatrick)

Enid tells us "We all have lots of happy memories of growing up in this close-knit community. Farming families with children of similar ages. We would go on picnics and visit with friends. We didn't have many toys but we were never bored. We would make tubby houses in amongst the trees and there was never a shortage of playmates. We all had bikes and would often ride out in the hills or go swimming. One year we girls pestered Mum until she let us go camping out at Spring Hill. (The boys could go camping but until then we couldn't!) We had to cart everything on our bikes. We had blankets and food and water. Margaret, Nora and I and cousin Ruth Watson set out on this adventure. We rode our bikes to the foot of the Spring Hill, Pleasant Valley, leaving them in a gully and carted our gear up the hill to the spot we had chosen. During the night the rain started and as we had no water proof gear we moved into a small cave. Margaret lit a fire at the entrance to keep any 'monsters' away. As you can imagine it wasn't a very comfortable night! In the morning it was still raining so we carted our things down the hill, loaded our bikes and headed for home. It wasn't very easy as the dirt roads were now mud and the wheels got clogged up. When 'four drowned rats' arrived home Mum didn't have to say 'I told you so!' We didn't bother to ask again!"

When Dorothy and Enid were going to school they had to walk to Chapman's, meeting up with Beryl and Lois Potter on the way. They caught the school bus which was a truck with a step to climb up and a wooden stool along each side of the truck on which to sit. Paddy Greenshields and Mr Gordon were the drivers. The route followed the main canal from Yenda and then the northern canal around to Twigg's and then back to Yenda along the tip road. Enid got a bike for her seventh birthday and after Dorothy taught her to ride, they could ride to school and this saved the money for the bus fares. Enid recalls "for some years the Kilpatrick kids went to school in a horse and sulky, but mostly we rode bikes. Sometimes we walked. Wearing new shoes after the long Christmas holidays was a problem as we worked and played barefooted mostly. Back to school we had plenty of blisters!

"We all assisted with the work to be done around the place. Mona Jennings, a next door neighbour, says she remembers hearing Mum calling 'Dorothy milk the cow, Enid chop the wood, Margaret feed the chooks'.

"Some of the games we played at school were Hop Scotch, Prisoners Base, Hideand-go-seek, Drop the Hanky, Skip Tag and Marbles - which had a language all of its own. 'Knuckle down skin tight, faint, dubs, faint slips'. Different marbles were Tom Bowlers, blood eyes, glassier, steelies. There was a relief map of Australia in the playground and when we had heaps of rain we could imagine the rain water was the sea!

"Each year we had a school picnic in September and Mum would make new cotton summer dresses for each of us girls. We would wear them for the first time to the school picnic, whatever the weather, sometimes freezing to death!

"Sometimes the picnics were held in the hills and sometimes at Wilga Park on Sheldon's farm, a few miles along the Griffith road. We would have age races, skipping races, three-legged races, egg and spoon races, blind donkey, relays, thread the needle (a boy at one end of the track with a needle, his girl partner ran to him with a thread and when the needle was threaded the boy ran with it to the finishing line). We won money for first, second and third place! Pre-schoolers all got a prize. We also received a paper bag of boiled lollies and an ice cream during the day. At lunch time a large 'tarp' was spread on the ground where we sat while sandwiches and cakes were passed around. We 219

each had an enamel mug hung around our neck on a piece of string so it was handy when we wanted a drink of raspberry cordial!

"Practising for the school concert took up quite a hit of time at the end of the year. The concert was held in the picture theatre.

"In those days Saturday was BATH DAY. The outside copper would be filled with water and then carried to the bath in kerosene tin buckets. Usually the smallest or the cleanest bathed first and hot water was added when necessary. Saturday was also visiting or 'picture' day and we dressed in our best clothes for the occasion. Matinees were held in the Yenda Lyceum Theatre on Saturday afternoons, sixpence to go in and we usually had a penny to spend. For this we saw two movies and a chapter of the serial that always stopped at an exciting part so you had to go again next week to see what happened!!

There were three types of seats in the theatre - the front rows of slightly padded wooden seats where the younger children sat, the deck chairs were in the middle of the theatre and the back rows were very comfortable padded chairs where the adults often sat. Sometimes the projector would break down and we would stamp our feet and whistle in the dark until it was repaired and the pictures would begin again.

"These seats could all be folded up and pushed hack against the wall when the hall was needed for a dance or for functions like the fancy dress ball. The P & C ran one annually for the school for many years. Mum always seemed to come up with great costumes for us to wear! I suppose we helped with some ideas. Geisha silk was very reasonably priced and available. My sister, Margaret, remembers that sometimes Mum made our costumes and we had the night out instead of pay for picking up the prunings.

"That was one of the farm jobs we had - we would do some each day after school before we could play. The prunings from the peach and apricot trees were placed neatly in heaps between the trees in every second row, then a netting slide was pulled by the draught horses, the small heaps placed on it, then at the end of the row the slide was overturned into a huge heap. Sometimes this heap was in the paspalum lined ditches and when they were burned it cleaned the ditch too.

The Mills Family moving from Juncc to Alf Leaver's farm house at Ycnda - 1935 L to IL• Andy Mills, Thomas Mills holding Maisie, Thirza Mills, May 11arbrow (ncc Mills), Flora Mills holding Alan Courtesy Enid Atkinson (ncc Kilpatrick)

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"The 24th May was Empire Day, Queen Victoria's birthday or Bonfire I)ay! This was a time when Leachs, Jennings and Kilpatricks got together and built a huge bonfire in one of the open paddocks. Some of us loved the catherine wheels best - they were pinned to a post and would spin around making very pretty circles. The jumping jacks were frightening as they seemed to follow you wherever you went. The double hungers were noisy and would distort a kerosene tin if one was placed over the hunger!

Picnic at the Hermit's Cave - c.1937 L to R Gordon Bow, Winnie Kilpatrick (nee Bow), Flora Mills (nee Kilpatrick), Andy Mills, Maisie and Alan Mills, Dave Kilpatrick, Enid Kilpatrick Courtesy Enid Atkinson (nee Kilpatrick)

"The Kilpatrick farm, No 788, grew apples, apricots, peaches and wine grapes.

We had about twenty fowls, a cow, two draught horses (Brownie and Joe) and two or three pigs. About five years before the second World War our A model Ford was put up on blocks in the shed. We suppose it was because Dad couldn't afford to run it during the Depression. We were protected from worries and encouraged to 'go out and play'.

We didn't join in adult conversation like the children do today. During the Christmas holidays we would help with the fruit harvest and the money we earnt could he used for Christmas shopping. Pitting apricots would he worth a penny a tray and was a chore everyone could help with. The wooden trays were stacked inside a large tin box about six foot by six foot and then the door was pasted up with boiled flour glue and brown paper or newspaper. Sulphur was burned under the box overnight. When the box was opened in the morning the apricot halves were full of juice. These trays were then put out in the sun to dry the apricots. In good weather they dried in three days. There was a mad scramble if it looked like rain as all the trays would have to be stacked and under cover.

Fruit fly must have been a problem then too apparently because we had a deep pit with c tin covering over it. This had a gauze window and a wooden lid. Into the pit went all the reject fruit and those fallen under the trees. It was almost impossible to pick up all the fruit that had fallen. Another big job was picking up the windfall apples to help 221

control the codlin moth. Corrugated cardboard strips were tacked around the apple tree trunks. The grubs were supposed to shelter in the tubes of the corrugation which were later collected and burnt."

Ted reminisces about Dad's remarks - "Dumb insolence!! - was a person or a horse tossing his head up; `Gawd Struth!' - was really bad; 'Smart Alick'; 'I'd kick him into the middle of next week!' He used to swear at the horses when there were no women about!

"Dad had a scythe and he cut oats growing in the young peaches (21/2 or 3 acres just over 2 ha) to feed the cows running in the (drainage channel) lane, each night and morning when he milked. The horse, Joe, used to jib (refused to pull a load). Dad did not want Joe to beat him so he would hit him on the rump with a piece of chain; Joe would jump and often break the This made Dad mad! chains.

Sometimes he would go away and tell us to drive the horse.

Sometimes this was successful and we were able to urge Joe to move the load. One time he jibbed with us on the stock route in a pool of water (with a load of trays on). A bullock driver who was passing cracked his whip over Joe's head and he pulled the lorry very willingly for days!!

"Mum would tell us about living in England before she came to Australia when we were sitting around the open fire. She could recite poems, sing and quote large sections of the Bible. We all liked to read and the job of stalking the sultanas was done while we each had a turn of reading aloud.

"Mum was a foundation England 1900 - Ilorence Gant (right front) member of the Yenda Red Cross as a child with her family. formed in August 1937 and she Courtesy Enid Atkinson (nee Kilpatrick) also worked for the combined Methodist-Presbyterian Church."

Flo Kilpatrick was a very gentle, caring person. There arc many examples of her helping others. She took her brother's children, Fred, Charlie, and Doreen into her home after their mother died and looked after them, along with her own four children for some months. When her husband's cousin, Annie Watson, migrated to Australia with her family, Flo took them in till they were able to get a home of their own on Farm 1544, Yenda.

During World War II Alick joined up and Flo managed the farm as well as the home. The car was put up on blocks as petrol was rationed and was only available for

222

essential purposes. Flo had learnt to drive the car, but did not like driving, so she said when Dad was away that the car wasn't necessary!

She became ill during this time and was diagnosed as having Parkinsons Disease.

The extra worries she had had, managing on her own, didn't help her illness so approval was given for Alick to return to Australia and he was discharged on 9 March 1943 to take over the farm again.

Towards the end of the forties, Flo was still suffering from the disease and she could not do as much as she would have liked but she helped with many charities - such as the Red Cross and her Church. About this time she needed help in getting dressed and even to get up out of a chair so her daughters, firstly Margaret and then Nora, took over the household chores. For some years she battled on until 1951 when she was taken to hospital where she died of pneumonia on 20 January 1951.

Alick died of a heart attack in July 1966, at Naradhan, at his daughter Margaret's house. Both Alick and Flo are buried in the Yenda Cemetery.

Visit to Wagga Training Camp 1941 Rack: Ernie Marsh, Ray Leach, Dorothy, Ho, Alick, Enid Front: Les and Alec Leach, "red and Margaret. Inset: Nora Courtesy Enid Atkinson (nee Kilpatrick) James Kilpatrick and Sarah (nee Donaldson ) of Co Londonderry. Ireland arrived in Sydney on SS "Formosa" in 1840 with children John. James. Ilenry. Esther and baby William. John married Eliza Jane Crain at Picton. married Their oldest son James married Margaret S McRay at 1.eichhardt. their oldest son Alexander Irwin Florence M E Gant in Sydney in 1923.

The children of Alexander Irwin ("Alick") Kilpatrick and Florence (nee Gant): 1.

2.

3.

4.

Dorothy born 1924 at Farm 788. married Allan Martin. lives at Ballina NSW. Prank horn 1926 at Farm 788, died aged 8 months.

Enid born 1927 at Farm 788. married Arthur Atkinson. lives at Griffith.

Margaret born 1928 at Farm 788. married Stan Trembath. lives at Naradhan NSW.

S.

Edward Irwin born 1930 at CWA Hospital Yenda. married Hilary Brain. lives at Alice Springs NT. Albert Alick horn 1930 at CWA Hospital Yenda. died aged 1 month.

Nora born 1932 at CWA Hospital Yenda. married Ncv Leeson. lives at Yenda NSW.

6.

7.

By courtesy Enid Atkinson (nee Kilpatrick), 99 Ortella Street, Griffith 2680.

223

LEACH Albert (Bert) Leach was born in London, England in 1890, a son of James and Clara Leach, (nee Mills). He migrated to Australia in 1912 at the age of 22 years and in time was sent by his employers, the Department of Railways, to the Carrathool district, where he worked until he and two partners applied for Farm 175, consisting of 62 acres in the Leeton area. This was granted to them on April 29, 1914.

After the outbreak of World War 1, Bert and one partner joined the AIF, leaving the other partner in charge of the farm. (On their return the farm had been sold and the partner had absconded!)

After training, Private Leach (Number 3363) was drafted into A Company, the "Gallant Company" of the 56th Battalion, which served with distinction in the desert in North Africa and later at the Somme. He was gassed while in the Somme and spent some time in hospital in Le Havre.

When he was discharged on July 26, 1919, he had the 1914-5 Albert (Bert) Leach Star, the British War Medal Courtesy Jack Leach and the Victory Medal.

When Bert was demobilised in Sydney he was informed he would be eligible for a farm under the War Service Land Settlement Scheme. He came to Yenda and lived in a camp with Alick Kilpatrick and George Henry, clearing and preparing the ground for their farms. Bert was allocated Farm 790 consisting of about twenty acres, and he took possession in November 1919. The acreage was later increased to forty-two when neighbours on either side left their farms. A barracks where ex-servicemen lived while clearing and preparing their new farms for occupation was soon established. These barracks were located on the farm now owned by Peter Saggin on Barracks Road.

224

While in hospital in Le Havre, Bert had met Rachel (Ray) Devina Leach, the daughter of John and Rachel Leach (nee Betts). Ray had been wounded also while serving as a British WAC in France. The attraction was mutual and Ray sailed to Australia on the TSS "Euripidees" in early 1920. She and Bert were married in Sydney on 27 May 1920.

Bert returned to Yenda after his marriage and arranged to have his Commission "Type Seven" house built.

Rachel (Ray) Leach aboard TSS "Euripidecs" 1920 Ray joined him later that year after on the voyage London to Sydney buying the necessary furniture for the Courtesy Jack Leach new home in Sydney for £150.

The house itself was adequate but it had no kitchen!! Most of the cooking was done in heavy pots silting on, or hanging from, iron bars over the open fire in the living room. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom and a pantry, as well as a small front verandah. The laundry consisted of a four gallon tin on the open fire until a copper and tubs arrived in the back yard some time later. There was no water connected to the house. It came from a tap connected to an outside water tank. Power was not available for several years either.

Imagine coming from England and living in the heat, dust and flies in those conditions!

When Ray was settled into her new home, her friend Flo Gant came to visit. The women had met aboard ship on the voyage from England and Flo subsequently married Bert's friend Alick Kilpatrick and they became neighbours as well as best friends.

Bert built a "round back" kitchen as soon as possible, which had a Metters wood stove with a fire box across the top. This was transferred to the proper kitchen which was built, along with a back verandah, a year or two later.

There followed many years of hard work planting and establishing peaches, apricots and grape vines.

Ray and Bert had five children: John (Jack) born December 17, 1921, Yenda Hospital located on what is now Edge Road. Married Joan ley O'Brien. (2 children, 7 grandchildren).

Lorna born early 1925. Died at six weeks from whooping cough.

Kenneth James born September 24, 1926. Unmarried.

Leslie David born July 31, 1928. Married Dawn Egan. (3 children).

Alick George born May 7, 1933. Unmarried. Accidentally killed when a truck demolished their house in 1981.

225

Jack recalled, at the age of 8 years, having his tonsils removed by Dr Dilger on the kitchen table in their home. He also said that a Dr Shallard and Dr Thomas practiced in Yenda for a short while before Dr Burrell set up practice there.

A Chevrolet motor car was purchased in 1928, prior to which, a day in Griffith meant a twelve to fourteen hour ordeal for humans and horses. During the Depression of the thirties, they were fortunate to be able to keep the car going for a Saturday afternoon shopping trip, unlike most people whose cars were put up on blocks during this time.

Another turning point in their lives was the purchase of a McCormack-Deering F12 Farmall tractor. However Bert lost control of it on one occasion and flattened two panels of grapes!! After that the tractor-driving was largely done by his permanent Ray Leach and sons (left to right: Ken, Jack & Les) workman or his son, Jack, after Courtesy Jack Leach school.

During a heatwave in February 1934 Ray contracted influenza and three days later Bert went down with pneumonic flu. He was taken to hospital on the back of a truck owned by Mr Bill Smith, a local carrier, supported on a mattress by Alick Kilpatrick, George Henry, Garnet Jennings and Bert Potter. He died after two days as his bronchial tubes had been badly damaged by the gas during the war.

Hard times followed for Ray. She had always been a hard worker, hut hadn't taken an active part in the practical side of farming. To add to her problems the permanent workman decided he didn't want to work for a woman!!

It was at this time that Alf Browne, the son of the family that had befriended Bert on his arrival in Sydney from London back in 1912, approached Ray with an offer to help, and at the same time help themselves, as living in the city was still very difficult.

Alf stayed for five years and in 1990 is currently living at Haliday's Point. The Leach family owe him and his late wife Heather a lot.

226

Early in 1944 the house on Farm 790 was burnt to the ground on a Saturday afternoon while everyone was in Yenda. Neighbours saw the fire, but because the house was weatherboard they were unable to do very much. Everything was destroyed, creating another setback.

Farm 790, as well as a neighbouring property purchased about 1958 remained in the family until 1965, when it was sold. John had been working independently since being discharged from the Army in 1946. Ken and Alick bought a rice farm at Warrawidgee, selling it some years later and retiring into Yenda. Les bought a farm at Cowra which his family still own.

Ray retired into Yenda in May 1966 where she lived quite happily for some years until moving to the Pioneers' Lodge in Griffith in November 1979 after failing health. In early 1985 she fell, broke a femur and died on March 1, from a massive stroke.

Bert and Ray are survived by three children, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren (as at early January 1991).

By courtesy of John (Jack) Leach, 26 Wood Road, Griffith.

227

LEAVER

Nop, The Leaver Family -'Taken Bromley, Kent, England, 1910 L to FL• Back rovr. Charles, Frank, Florence, Alf, Bob, Percy Front: Wife of Sid, Frederick (Father), Ellen (Mother), Grace Courtesy of Marc Leaver, Yenda

"My father, Frank Leaver, came to Yenda in 1919 and took up Farm 1469. This farm is still in the hands of my son Frank" says Marc Leaver.

"Dad was born in West Street, Chislehurst, Bromley, Kent on 5 January 1888 the son of Frederick and Ellen Leaver. He volunteered for the Royal Navy on 15 November 1904 and served on a number of ships including the "Pembroke" until his formal entry into the Royal Navy on 5 January 1906 at 18 years of age. After a number of years in the service he was admitted to Bombay Naval Hospital as a patient, where he met our mother.

"Mother's name was Winifred Shepherd. She was horn in India about 1887. Her father was a British Forestry Officer serving in the high country of India and her mother a nurse in a Military Hospital. When her father died, Winifred was 3 years old. Her mother died shortly after and she was sent to an orphanage in Somerset. She later came hack to India (aged 18) as companion to the wife of an English Judge and joined her sisters, Lillian and Ida, who had trained as Nurses at Bombay Naval Hospital.

"On completion of her training, she immigrated to Brisbane and completed her midwifery training at Brisbane General Hospital which had reciprocal arrangements with Bombay. My father was invalided out and discharged from the Navy, so joined my Mother where they were married on 4 April 1912 at All Saints Church, Brisbane. They moved to Sydney where my brother Stanley was born in 1913."

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Courtesy Olga Steele (nee Leaver)

The eldest of the family, Stan, continues the story - "Our father Frank Leaver left the Railway Department in Queensland during the big railway strike there. Coming to Sydney where both Marc and I were born, he worked with an engineering firm.

"When World War I broke out he enlisted and served as an engineer. At the cessation of hostilities he took the opportunity of coming to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to take up a block of land. After the required four months training, at Yanco, in the then farming practices of the day he was allotted Farm 1469 at Yenda.

"After makeshift accommodation of a 'round-back' shack on the block was ready, the family - our mother Winifred and two small sons - arrived by train on 4 November 1919."

Marc continues - "We all travelled by steam train from Sydney to Yenda. It was a mixed goods and passenger train. It left Sydney in the evening and reached Yenda at midday the next day, after eighteen hours travel. The carriage at the back of train was for passengers - we called them 'dog boxes'.

"Our first home was a round-back single room shed with a corrugated iron roof and a dirt floor - no stove, only an open fireplace. The four of us went through two summers and two winters in the hut before the house was built. The house was a 'type seven', similar to many others built at that time.

"We lived one and three quarter miles (3 kms) east of Yenda township. The farm of 32 acres (about 11 hectares) was planted up with peaches and wine grapes.

"Simpson Bros had an open air picture show in Yenda. Dad ran the engine that drove the generator for it.

229

Sydney 1916 Winifred Leaver with Stanley and Marcus

•

Sister Winifred Leaver takcn 1948

•

Photos courtesy Olga Steele (nee Leaver)

230

Frank & Winifred Leaver and sons Stanley and Marcus, Sydney 1915

"During the winter we enjoyed picnics out at the hills. We, like our neighbours, had a tennis court. We visited on Sunday afternoons. Transport was by horse and lorry, which was quite acceptable in those days. The trouble was dirt roads - but horse drawn lorries or sulkies could negotiate any muddy roads. In the summer we would picnic at the Murrumbidgee River. 'Two bob' (two shillings) dances at Yenda CWA Hall were always popular.

"When I was overseas in WWII with the Armed Services I became a prisoner of the Japanese. We were fed rice - some of the men could not cope with a rice diet. I think it ironic that as my parents both spent time in India, rice was often on our plates as It was cheap and nourishing. So I had no problem. (During World War II, Stan was among the first of the locals to enlist and served with the 2nd/4th Infantry Battn, 6th Division in Greece, Crete, Egpyt and New Guinea.)

"Mother, who was a registered Midwife, used our front rooms as a Hospital. It was called 'Poona Private Hospital' and many babies were born there."

Stan: "Father and Percy Shaw, a next door neighbour, purchased a Fordson tractor and plough and went into business, contract ploughing. My recollections are that it was always breaking down. Later on this partnership dissolved and father purchased a Ford T-Model truck and commenced a carrying business. Together with farming, this business continued until the Depression in the late 20's and early 30's.

"The first school which I attended was conducted in two large tents, where the Convent now stands, and we walked to and fro until the present school was built about 1923."

Marc: "Dad died suddenly in 1944. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered by our mother, Win, in the family garden which was in full bloom at the time. Mum lived with us for some years. She died at Canberra, where Olga lives, on 16 August 1984 aged 97 years. She is buried at Canberra and a plaque for Dad is on our mother's grave.

"Leaver Street and Henry Street in Yenda were named after my cousin, Jim Leaver, and my wife's brother, Claude Henry, who both lost their lives in WWII." Olga Steele (nee Leaver) recalls "I was born in 1921, one of the first born in Venda - delivered by Nurse J Hume. Later my mother became the district midwife.

"In the 1930's, the wineries were not taking grapes so my Dad built his own winery with a pick and shovel. He became a very successful wine maker.

"I have begun work on a couple of stories that deal with the early years: `Daughter of the District' and 'Woman of Canberra'. The family history with photos, documents and certificates have been listed by the National Library Historic Records section in ACT." Frank Leaver and Winifred (nee Shepherd) had a family of three: 1.

3.

Stanley Norman born Mosman. Sydney 27 February 1913: married Freda Hazard. St George's Cathedral. Perth WA; lives Henry St. Yenda.

Marcus Wilfred born Sydney 1915; died Griffith 13 December 1991: married Lola Henry-. Lola lives Bingar St. Yenda.

Olga Yenda born Yenda 1921: married Albert Steele: lives Red Hill. ACT.

By courtesy Stan, Leaver, Marc Leaver and Olga Steele (nee Leaver).

231

Ycnda Public School - 1st Year I ligh School - 1936 Back: Donald Waters, Donald Woods Middle: Joyce Tonkin, Eileen ?, Wilma Spencer, Olive Poole, Olga Leaver, Beryl Potter, Pat Farley Front: Teacher - Miss Storman, Peg Broderick, Shirley McMahon, Denise Beal, Gertrude Leaver, Dorothy Gale, Teacher ?.

Courtesy Olga Steele (nee Leaver) 47,

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Yenda early 1920's As remembered by Stan Leaver

LEE LEE, Charles Robert Charles Robert Lee was the son of Charles Robert Lec of Essex, England, the latter having married an Englishwoman Emma Frances Waggett, at Mudgee in 1860.

Charles Senior was drowned in 1863 when his horse fell while crossing a creek. Charles Junior ultimately became a rural labourer near Bourke. In 1884 he married Sarah Jane Kline. Before settling at Yoogali, Charles and Sarah lived at Bourke, White Cliffs, Wilcannia and Cobar. He was a teamster who carried supplies out to properties and wool back to the Darling River steam boats.

Sarah Kline was born at Yackandandah, Vic in 1862. Her father, Thomas Kline, a gold miner, was born of German/Canadian parents in 1828 in Pittsburgh, USA and had arrived in Victoria during the gold rush. In 1856, at Beechworth, he married Catherine Maloney from Dundalk, Co Louth, Ireland. On the death of Catherine c.1878 Thomas Kline moved to Bourke and Sarah followed by Cobb and Co, taking eight weeks to make the journey because of severe flooding at Hay. Charles Lee's father is buried at Mudgee. Sarah's father, Thomas Kline, who died in 1919 is buried, wrapped in a Stars and Stripes flag, at Bourke.

In 1921 Charles Robert Lee (Junior) drove his horse and cart to Yoogali from Cobar with the family furniture and other possessions in order to take up occupancy of Farm 688. When he had erected a rough cottage of corrugated iron on pine posts, his wife Sarah and their youngest daughter Emma travelled from Cobar by train. They arrived on 26 January 1922, on the first train from Narrandera to Griffith.

(larks Robert Lee & Sarah Jane Lec (ncc Kline) Farm 688 Yoogali - 1922 Courtesy 1)r II 1, Gardiner

233

Farm 688 Yoogali proved to be too small a block to use farming as the sole means of support. Accordingly, although Charles and Sarah remained on the farm for some thirty years, he had to obtain work, initially as a road labourer on the Scenic Hill track.

He then became the local Pound Keeper, a position he held until well into the 1930's.

Charles and Sarah Lee had a family of seven children; Frederick, Henry Thomas, Esmey, Charles, Frank, Thomas and Emma.

Their youngest daughter, Emma was the book-keeper at Dave Taylor's store from 1922-1926 and from 1926 until 1929 she was a book-keeper at the Griffith Producers.

In 1929, at Saint Alban's Griffith, Emma Lee married Harry Gardiner, a builder from Wamoon.

Harry and Emma bought the Charles Robert Lee & Sarah Jane ice Yoogali Post Office/Store in 1931, 16 February 1941 where they reared their family and Courtesy Charles Thomas Lee lived until Harry's death in 1963.

In their declining years, Charles and Sarah Lee sold Farm 688 and moved to a small cottage (behind the store) on Emma and Harry Gardiner's block.

Harry Gardiner's sister Mabel married William Foote, of Farm 1399 in the Yoogali-Beelbangera district. Another of Harry's sisters, Maude, married George Hazel!, who owned and operated a grocery store in Banna Avenue until it was bought by Emma and Harry (Chandler's Electrical now operate on the same premises).

Emma and Harry later bought the Post Office/store at Bilbul. This business was operated for them by Harry's father, Alex Gardiner, who is remembered for refusing to recognise day light saving! As a consequence, for a period during World War II, the Bilbul Post Office agency annoyed the Griffith Post Office for an hour in the morning, an hour at lunch-time, and an hour at the close of business!!

The Lee families, father and sons, together with Emma Gardiner's in-laws, the Footes and the Hazells and their families spent many weekends camping along the Murrumbidgee River, usually at Taylor's Beach. The extended family camps often included over forty men, women and children. It was cheap, tremendous fun and reflected the togetherness which permeated most of the early settlers' families, indeed probably

234

helped them survive. The men and the older children fished and hunted for the "pot" and all swam, sang, told yarns around the camp fire, and played cribbage.

Over the years, some of men became extraordinary fishermen. So much so that, the Forestry Commission has named one of the beaches in the West Willbriggie State Forest "Alfie's Beach" after Emma's brother-in-law, Alf Gardiner, who frequently caught record sized cod fish at that bend in the river.

Although Charles Lee was too old to be permitted to enlist in the First AIF, all of his sons joined up and fought in France, with at least two being at Gallipoli. All of his eligible grandsons served in the Second AIF. Two of his grandsons still work in the Griffith area (Charles Lee, electrician and John Gardiner, farmer) together with quite a number of his great grandchildren.

Farm 688 has now disappeared under a new housing development, Mussilino Place, in the expanded village of Yoogali. Not even old Charlie Lee would recognise it!

LEE, Thomas Randolph and Eva Florence Thomas Lee, the youngest son of Charles and Sarah, was born at Wilcannia NSW on 15 January 1897, educated at Cobar and was employed at Cobar power station after leaving school. He enlisted in the 1st AIF in 1916 and served overseas in France.

On returning to Australia he enrolled at Randwick Electrical and Engineering Trades School, completed the course and received his certificate on 1 October 1920.

He was then employed at Leeton by the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission (WC & IC) Electrical Branch. During this time he was involved in the administration of Leeton and District Rugby League.

Thomas and his wife Eva moved from Leeton to Griffith with the WC & IC in 1921 and took up Block 1203 that

Thomas Rando Lee (standing) Frank Lee born 1893 (sitting) Taken "Military Camp Liverpool", England Courtesy Charles Thomas Lee

235

year. In 1923 Tom commenced business on his own behalf. His mode of transport at that time was by horse and sulky.

This business is still operating to this day and has passed to the third generation, being carried on first by Tom, his sons John (deceased) and Charlie, then by Charlie and his wife Elsie, and now by his grandson Robert and his wife Rhonda. Some of Tom's original customers still trade with the firm.

Tom was also involved with the Griffith Rugby League Club with whom he played his last match in 1925 after which he received his Referees Badge in 1932. He was later heavily involved in introducing Junior footballers to the game.

Tom and Eva had three children - Charles Thomas, John Francis and Nancy. Tom died in 1979 having been predeceased by his wife Eva in 1968 and his son John in 1949.

The remaining members of his family surviving are Charlie (Griffith) and Nancy (Mrs M L to R Charles, Nancy, & John Lee Lacey) of Bilambil Heights near Courtesy Charles Thomas Lee Tweed Heads, their children and grandchildren.

L to R John Francis Lee, Thomas Randolf Lee, Nancy Lee, Eva Florence Lec, Charles "Thomas Ixe Courtesy Charles Thomas Lee

236

LEE, Henry Thomas and Agnes Grace Henry Thomas, the second son of Charles and Sarah, was born at Wilcannia in 1887 and spent his early years in the outback of New South Wales and Queensland.

Henry, or Harry as he was known, served at Gallipoli and Syria with the 12th Light Horse Regiment, taking part in the attack on Beersheba.

Harry married Agnes Grace Button in Sydney on 6 September 1919. Grace was born at Moree in 1892 and had moved to Sydney at an early age.

Harry and Grace took up permanent residence at Farm 1827 in 1922 with their infant sons, Frederick Harry and Gordon Thomas. Two more children were born at Griffith Betty Grace and Eric Ralph.

Whilst the farm was coming into production, Harry grew peanuts on contract in the dry area north of Lake View. He later had a fruit and vegetable run, touring farms and small villages in the Tabbita and Goolgowi areas. By 1930 the farm was proving to be too small an area to be a viable proposition. The Lee family was forced to leave the farm which was then divided between Henry Thomas Lee and Agnes Grace (Button) Lee neighbouring farms.

Wedding day - 6 September 1919 Shortly after, they settled on Courtesy Gordon Lee a small farm in what was then Hanwood Road where Grace conducted a Boarding House for several years. Harry became a bread carter, delivering bread to farms throughout the area.

In 1937, they moved to Banna Avenue, where they conducted a Cafe and Bakehouse for several years before moving to North Haven in 1943.

After leaving Griffith they returned many times and always took a great deal of interest in the Area.

237

Charles Robert Lee born Essex died Mudgee 1863 married Mudgee NSW 1860 Emma Frances Waggett born England

Thomas Kline born USA 1828 died Bourke NSW 1919 married Beechworth Vic 1856 Catherine Maloney born Ireland died c.1878

• Charles Robert Lee born Mudgee NSW 1861 died Yoogali NSW 1952 (buried Rookwood)

married

Sarah Jane Kline born Yackandandah Vic 1862 died Sydney 1956 (buried Rookwood)

1.

Frederick born Bourke 1884. died Sydney 1919: married Janet Stamp.

2

Henry Thomas born Wilcannia 1887. died Sydney 1967: married Grace Button. (Harry Lee settled a farm at Lake View in the 1920s.

In the late 1930s and 1940s he owned the Mirrool Bakery in Banna Avenue. Griffith).

3.

Esmey born Bourke 1890. died Sydney 1978; married Edward Rowling.

4.

CharIca born Wilcannia 1891. died Sydney c.1970: married Elizabeth Nelson.

5.

Frank born Wilcannia 1893. died Sydney c.1974: married Florence Norberry.

6.

Thomas born Wilcannia 1897. died Griffith 1979: married Eva de Traversaire. (Thomas was one of the first electricians with the WC & IC before opening an electrician's business in Banna Avenue - still owned and operated as T R Lee & Sons).

7.

Emma born Wilcannia 1903. died Griffith 1981: married harry Gardiner.

By courtesy of Dr Henry Lee Gardiner (grandson and son of Emma Lee), PO Box 692, Wagga Wagga 2650 Charles Thomas Lee (grandson and son of Thomas Rand°lf Lee), Griffith 2680 Gordon Thomas Lee (grandson and son of Henry Thomas Lee), Cheltenham 3192.

238

LONG Marjorie, the daughter of Soldier Settler Carl Long, tells us - "My Great Grandparents, George and Mary Long, arrived in Australia about 1852. Married at St Marylebone, London, County of Middlesex, England on 27 January 1838, Mary died on 5 July 1856 and is buried at Camperdown, NSW, Cemetery. George died on 21 July 1900 and is buried at Waverley Cemetery.

"My Grandfather, Frederick Long was only four years of age when he came to Australia. He married Agnes Strachan at Glen Innes. Frederick is buried in the Brisbane Cemetery and Agnes is buried in Gore Hill Cemetery, Sydney.

"My father, Carlyle Alexander Long (known as Carl) was born at Glen Innes on 15 April 1883.

"Before World War 1 Carl was working on `Kiakatoo' Station, on the north side of the Lachlan River and it was at this time he met and became engaged to my mother, Ada Thomas. Ada who had been born in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, lived with her parents on `Wardry' Station on the south side of the Lachlan River at Condobolin.

"When World War 1 broke out, Carl enlisted with the first contingent of the 6th Light Horse.

"My parents were married in Egypt and I was born there. My sister Betty was born in Sydney in 1919 and later the same year my parents, my baby sister and I arrived in Griffith by train from Sydney. On our arrival we were met by a friend of my father's, Harry Philipson, in his horse and sulky, and driven to Farm 905, his residence, which was situated opposite the first showground on the Griffith/Hanwood Road. We lived there for about two years.

"The summer of 1919 was extremely hot, so much so that I was told that even the birds were dropping dead from the trees in the heat. There was dust, dust and more dust. The flies were around in their thousands. It was terrible.

"I broke one of my arms while living at Harry's house and although the doctor set it, it was not satisfactory and was redone with my mother holding me down, screaming, on the bed.

"When my brother, Lyall Long, was born in the house on Farm 905, there was a frantic search for the doctor. It was thought he was not sober at the time but eventually he turned up and everything was all right.

"Being a returned soldier from World War I my father settled on a Soldier Settlers block, Farm 1589, Lake Wyangan in 1921. The farm was called `Wardry' after my mother's family property at Condobolin."

Lyall relates - "My father worked very hard to clear the land. After clearing the land, fifty acres were deep ploughed (approximately 3 ft) with a steam engine at each end of the area being worked. These steam engines pulled a plough which had a mould board working backwards and forwards. The engines had a belly drum to enable them to pull sideways and move foward without having to anchor.

"This land was then sown to lucerne for haymaking which was later sold. In those early days this was the main return from the farm. (My father took on a job with the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission to supplement this income). Other paddocks were planted with cereal crops which were used for chaff and sold to the local Orchardists for their horses, which they were using to cultivate their farms.

239

"All machinery used by the farmers was numbered and records kept by the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission, as they had financed all the equipment to be used by the farmers on their Soldier Settlement blocks.

"The last part of our property, on the western side of the small lake, was originally the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission's horse paddock. At one time they had over two thousand horses in this paddock and each horse had been numbered on its neck. The WC & IC allocated these horses out to different farms for use by the farmers.

It is understood that the idea was that eventually the farmers would be in a postion to purchase the horses from the WC & IC." Marjorie continues - "Later, we had sheep and some cattle and a cow, giving us milk and cream, which I separated every morning before going to school.

"My mother became a very efficient housekeeper. She grew vegetables and we also had fowls, which kept us in eggs. Mother became a very good cook having learnt, the hard way, to manage the wood fuel stove, the oven temperature of which was regulated by the amount of wood in the fire box! There were no thermometers in those days to gauge the temperature.

"As we grew older we helped our parents, each child having their allotted task.

"Originally our means of transport was by horse and buggy, enabling us to get our various food supplies from the town of Griffith.

"My father had a job in the Water Irrigation and Conservation Commission, riding a bicycle into town each day. Finally, the Commission gave him a car for his use when he was put on farm inspections. This enabled him the luxury of driving to the office.

"In May 1923, the Minister for Education visited Griffith and while there met with Mr R Stannard and my father, C A Long, regarding a school for Lake View. This was eventually opened in 1925. Previous to that I had had lessons, sent by post twice a week, from the Correspondence School in Sydney.

"My sister, brother and I went to Lake View school then to Griffith High School and finally to boarding schools.

•.

Lake Wyangan School. Photos courtesy Marjory Lovell (nee Long)

240

Pupils at Lake Wyangan School 1928 L to R Back: Nancy Fieldhouse, Marjorie Long, Audrey Stannard, Betty Long, Evelyn Smeeth, Allan Stannard, Joe Sellers, Arthur Read, Bert Hart, Frank Galloway Middle: Aubrey Briggs, Keith Clifton, unknown, Mario Bugno, Ethel Mallaby, Jean McMannis, Ethel Gibson, Ethel Read, Bill Read Front: Ken McMannis, Lyall Long, Dudley Young, Reg Bennett, Jim Bray, Walter Gibson

"A tennis court was built on our farm and during our teenage years we had many happy times playing tennis and having parties when we would dance on the front verandah.

"A big event was going to the local picture show in Banna Avenue and later an open air one in Yambil Street, where we sat in deck chairs.

"My late husband came to Griffith in 1936, to work in one of the local banks. He enjoyed duck shooting, golf and ice skating. We married in St Albans, Griffith in May 1939 and moved to Epping to live. In 1987 I moved to a Retirement Village at Castle Hill after the death of my husband."

000000000

Carlyle Alexander Long born 15 April 1883 died 9 January 1953 buried Griffith

1.

married Egypt

Ada "Illomas horn c. 1890 died 24 December 1951 buried Griffith

Marjorie Ada horn in Egypt on 12 August 1915. married Colin Mervyn Frederick Lovell (deceased 4 October 1968). lives in Sydney NSW 1 leather (Betty) Strachan horn in Sydney on 11 September 1919. married Kenneth Marshall. lives at Burleigh [leads OLD

3.

Lyall Strachan born in Griffith on 9 June 1921 married Marie Lorraine Hine, lives at Denham's Beach. Batehaven NSW

By courtesy of Marjorie Lovell, 11 Hunter Terrace, Kilvinton Village, Castle Hill 2154. and Lyall Long, 11 Graydon Avenue, Denham's Beach, Batehaven 2536.

241

MacDONALD Hector Roderick ("Mac") MacDonald's family first came to Australia in 1848. His grandfather, Malcolm MacDonald and grandmother Christina (nee McKenzie) sailed on the "General Hewitt" and arrived in Sydney on 11 November 1848. The "General Hewitt" was a ship of 961 tons and was under the command of John Gatenby. The voyage took ninety two days - we now can fly from Australia to England in two days!

Their son, Roderick (Hector's father), was born in Sydney two months later on 13 January 1849.

Roderick married Eleanor Alcorn an Irish lass, at Woodburn, Milton NSW in 1883. Their son, Hector or "Mac" as he was known, was born in 1894 at Burrier, west of Nowra on the Shoalhaven River.

Mac was educated at a one teacher school at Burlier and prior to World War I, Mac worked as a jackeroo in Queensland. He joined and served with the Army in France and the Middle II IZ MacDonald c.1919 Courtesy John MacDonald East.

After the war, Mac came to Yenda in 1920 as a soldier settler.

He met his future wife, Amy Blanche Curtis in Sydney. Amy was a nursing sister and had trained at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. Mac and Amy were married in 1921 and they returned to Yenda after their wedding, travelling in and on a motor bike and side car, to live in a house on Farm 1827, Yenda.

One of the early crops grown was tobacco and John recalls his father saying it was the hardest work he had ever done - this after coming off a dairy farm when all the milking was done by hand. He advised his son never to take on dairy farming or tobacco growing!!

Mac's son John remembers once seeing tobacco being cured and the men enjoying a cigar made from a tobacco leaf. This was out towards Simpson's place, but he can't remember exactly where.

Mac set up a garage in Railway Parade, Yenda. He conducted this business until World War II broke out, when he again joined the Army, serving within Australia. Mac may have been the first person from Yenda to have flown a plane.

After World War II Mac and Amy lived in Sydney at Coogec, Maroubra and Collaroy.

They had a family of three - Jean, Roderick and John. The children went to Yenda Public School in the 1930's when there were over 500 pupils and six teachers. They continued their education at Hay and Griffith High Schools.

242

The three have many happy memories of their childhood days in Yenda, even though they travelled and settled overseas. Jean to the United States and Roderick to Canada.

However John remained in Australia and lives at Shoal Bay NSW.

Roderick (aged 20), Jean (22) • John (18) - 1945

• "Mac" and Amy - WWII Coogee, Sydney 1943

•

Amy MacDonald c. 1919

Photos courtesy John Macdonald

243

Duncan Macdonald (1750-1810) married Poolewe. Scotland Heather Alexander • Cohn MacDonald (1775-1850) married Poolewe, Scotland Anna MacKenzie • Malcolm MacDonald born 1809. Poolewe, Scotland died 14 Feb 1876, Burrier NSW married 1837. Applecross, Scotland Christina McKenzie born 1818, died 1882

Sussan Curtis (nee Johnston)

Dan Curtis

• Dan Curtis born 11 Novmeber 1845 Charlton Wiltshire. England married 3 June 1871 Sussan Johnston born 9 September 1854 Malmesbury Wiltshire. England

Roderick McDonald born 13 January 1849. Sydney NSW died 27 July 1911. Shoalhaven NSW married 19 January 1883 Woodburn, Milton NSW Eleanor Alcorn born 1850. Lough Muck. Ireland died 1932. Sydney NSW

Hector Roderick ("Mac-) MacDonald born 17 August 1894 Burrier NSW died November 1958 Sydney NSW

married 8 January 1921 •

Amy Blanche Curtis born 1891 Wolverhampton. England died November 1967 Bega NSW

• • 1.

Jean Suzanne Christine born 25 February 1923 at Yenda: married Milos Spatny. At present living in USA.

2.

Roderick Curtis born 10 December 1924 at Yenda: married Donna Kurshinskis in Canada: died 17 March 1986. buried in Toronto.

Canada.

3.

Alexander John (known as John) born 27 March 1927 at Yenda: married Gloria White in Sydney in 1954. At present living at Shoal Bay NSW.

By courtesy of John MacDonald, 16 Ajax Avenue, Shoal Bay 2315.

244

MAEGRAITH Hugh Gilmore Maegraith was born on 10 January 1895 in Adelaide South Australia, one of the six children of Alfred Edward Maegraith and his wife Louisa (nee Gilmore), who were married in Adelaide about 1893. Hugh's wife, Lilias Flood Maegraith (nee Tresilian) was one of seven children born to Thomas Frederic Tresilian and Catherine (nee Dun) at Ganmain on 31 October 1900.

Hugh and Lilias were married on 29 December 1924 and had two daughters, Ruth Tresilian Maegraith (now Barry) who was born on 21 April 1928 and Elizabeth Katherine Maegraith (now Palmer) born on 9 May 1932.

Hugh's daughter Elizabeth writes that the first arrival in the district would have been her maternal great-grandfather, Peter Milroy Dun and his wife Margaret lIugh Gilmore Maegraith (nee Cairncros9, who had a saw mill France 1917 at "The Cliffs"-1 near Scenic Hill, Courtesy Ruth Barry (nee Maegraith) and also a grazing property there in the 1870-1880's. The property remained in the Dun family until resumed for irrigation about 1912. Catherine Dun (her grandmother) helped her brother, Francis Boyce Dun and his wife Honoria (in the Dun entry in "Griffith & District Pioneers Series 1" known as Hanorah) with their children at "The Cliffs" until her marriage to Thomas Frederic Tresilian. She died at Young in 1912.

The Duns came to Griffith from Scotland via Walbundrie and Matong around 1883, and later Ganmain. Mr Dun was a shepherd in Scotland.

Lilias Maegraith's family, the Tresilians, were well-known throughout the Riverina, moving from Adelong to Humula to Ganmain and importantly to Young, where Tom (her father) was the Mayor of Young early in this century.

The Tresilians and the Duns were linked by marriage. They were also linked to the large family of Bulls at and around Narrandera (the Bulls owned both sides of the Murrumbidgee River from there to Urana and numbered eighty or more descendants in

21

See Frontispiece Series 1 - Dun Family in front of the homestead at "The Cliffs"

245

1973). Thomas Tresilian's sister, Charlotte, married Harry Bull. It is from one branch of this family that the village of Bilbul is named.

Hugh Maegraith was educated at University College in North Adelaide and joined the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac) at Lismore in 1915. He enlisted at Brisbane in that year and served in the 15th Battalion in Egypt, France and Belgium. He was commissioned in the field on 30 April 1917 and was promoted to Lieutenant five months later. Only six days after this promotion Hugh was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in action in Belgium. Severely wounded, he was invalided home and received his discharge on 23 May 1918.

On returning from the Great War Hugh became one of the earliest Soldier Settlers at Lake Wyangan, taking up Farm 1814 (now on Mallinson Road) in 1922, part of which was subsequently held by the Maegraiths until the death of Lilias on 30 October 1986.

Hugh arrived in the district about 1920 and lived at Yanco while learning to farm and then at Bagtown while his house was being built on the farm at Lake Wyangan.

Lilias arrived in the early 1920's and lived with Mr and Mrs Hall at the Griffith Primary School. She was a teacher at Yoogali and walked there and back each day. She joined Hugh on the farm after their marriage.

Hugh again saw service in World War II with the 2nd Pioneers and attained the rank of 11.4 Major. He was wounded at Darwin during the first t iliac Maegraith big air raid by the Japanese there, but rejoined his Courtesy Ruth Barry (nee Macgraith) unit and served in Borneo.

Hugh Maegraith was active in RSL Subbranch affairs, as well as in Legacy. He was a foundation member of the Griffith ExServicemen's Club, being one of the original Vice-Presidents, and a member of the Jondaryan Club and of Masonic Lodge Ibis.

His daughter Elizabeth has many memories of her childhood at Lake Wyangan, "among them riding bikes to school in the very, very hot weather (children didn't feel the heat!) and carrying water bags because the school tanks were empty; wearing fly veils; `wonderful' red dust storms blowing in from the west and the rush to pull down the canvas blinds and close windows; swimming in the concrete dam on the farm - not the channel; mushrooming in the bush (which we called the 'Forest') across the road from our farm after rain - cultivated mushrooms have never tasted quite the same; the Coolgardie safe to keep food cool, before the arrival of the refrigerator; the great popularity of the Kelly girls, who brought a billy of ice blocks to school at lunchtime; school concerts and speech night sitting on fruit boxes in the playground, the stage being the main school verandah; the Junior Red Cross and marching every Anzac Day in Griffith for years in white uniform, including veil.

246

•

[Alas Macgraith and daughter, Ruth with Thomas Frederic Tresilian

Early days on Farm - 1932 • Ruth, 'Alias and Baby laizabeth

•

Summer - 1933. Concrete dam for storage of water on Farm 1814

Photos courtesy Ruth Barry (nee Macgraith)

247

•

First T-Modcl Ford Truck 1935/36

Off to the Show - 1937 • lizabcth, lAlias and Ruth

•

(tubby House - 1937 Elizabcth and Ruth

Photos courtesy Ruth Barry (nec Macgraith)

248

"Train trips to Sydney to holiday at Manly - crowded sleepers if very lucky, but most likely sitting up all night. Great breakfasts at Junee refreshment room on the return journey.

"Plane trips - my father having a joy ride' in the early days and waving to us from the air. The TAA and ANA service after the war - DC3's direct to Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne!!

"My father fighting bushfires which we could see on the horizon, but which never came close to our farm. The tiny local Golf Club and Course at the Lake (only one lake in those days - the • 1930's).

"People I remember Archdeacon and Mrs Twigg, Father Bongiorno, Dr Dalton, Dr Burrell, Mrs James (a great piano teacher of the early 1940's), Mr Keith Todd (RSL), Mr and Mrs Basham of Lake Wyangan School, Miss Howie, Miss Miller, Mr and Mrs Eason and Mrs Powys of Griffith Moving the house to Farm 1814 Lake Wyangan, 1(72.2 High School. The people who Bottom photo - I louse about to cress channel lived on our road - Mallinsons, Courtesy Ruth Barry (nee Maegraith) Longs, De Saxes, and Buckles. We each had a mail day and therefore our day in town - bringing out the mail and papers and putting them in the mail box at the gateway to the farms, along with the bread which had been delivered by the baker (large white loaves, often being consumed by ants before we children got it, to chew bits of crust as we walked down the drive).

"The grocer called - Carney's large grocery and general store in the middle of Banna Avenue, with cool store underneath and elasticised change-giving pots flying from the overhead accounts department to the counters where parcels were wrapped with great precision with brown paper and string. The Griffith Producers - being taken to see the oranges being washed and packed - no bins in the early days and no fruit juicing either.

Sitting in our apricot tree and eating far too much fruit, or playing in the loquat or mulberry or fig trees - we spent a lot of time in trees or on top of the sheds before homework became a reality.

"The entertainment was fairly simple - singing around the piano (or playing the piano) after dinner; tennis parties or deck tennis, which my father, a Voyage Officer on

249

the 'Queen Elizabeth' (among other appointments) in World War II, brought home and set up on one of our lawns; dancing to the radiogram when older; picnics in the bush or at the weir at Yanco; school concerts and church concerts in which we all enjoyed taking part with great gusto.

"Church going was the 'norm'. Fund raising for Legacy, Red Cross, War Effort, etc, for which the women were always busy knitting, making cakes, scones, biscuits and doing needlework to be sold. The farmers provided fruit - I sometimes think my father gave away more boxes of fruit to good causes, friends and relations than he actually sold!

"It was a pleasant, uncluttered, unhurried existence which most of my generation left for other fields. Few children of those original soldier settlers have remained in the area and hardly any on the original small orchard blocks."

Peter Milroy Dun married

Margaret Cairneross

Alfred Edward Robert Maegraith

Catherine Dun married Thomas Frederic Tresilian

married Adelaide 1893

Louisa Gilmore

• Hugh Gilmore Maegraith born Adelaide 10 January 1895 died Griffith 30 April 1969

married 29 December 1924

Lilias Mod Tresilian horn Gan main NSW 31 October 1900 died Griffith 30 October 1986

• • 1.

Ruth Tresilian Maegraith born Griffith 21 April 1928: married Maxwell Rae Barry on 20 December 1952 (now a medical practicioner at Albury) Elizabeth Katherine Maegraith born Griffith 9 May 1932: married Kenneth John Palmer on 22 September 1956 (now lives at Mosman).

By courtesy of Mrs Elizabeth Palmer (nee Maegraith), 20 David Street, Mosman.

M AGGS The Maggs family originated from Wiltshire in England. John Maggs was convicted and sentenced at "City of Canterbury" Kent, for 14 years. He had stolen two overcoats from his master, where he was employed as a coachman. He was then transported to Tasmania on the Ship "Anson" in 1843.

In 1852 he was granted a pardon. On June 12, 1850 he had married Catherine King (a widow).

They had three children - William John, Elizabeth and Rebecca.

At the age of 23 their son, William John, joined the Police Force in August 1877, at Kempton, Tasmania. It was here that he met and married Hannah Simpson and raised quite a large family.

William John committed suicide in his 57th year at his residential home where he was found by one of his daughters.

In later years three of the boys from this family found their way to the MIA. Roy married Maude Jackson. They lived in Griffith, William John Maggs (Junior) before moving to Sydney after World c 1881 - 1940 War II. They had five children Courtesy Mr Bill Maggs Peggy, Roy, Bill, Vivian and Rita.

George married Emma Florence Allen. They had eleven children and lived at Erigolia.

William John Junior married Margaret Victoria Richards and had nine children.

This William fought in World War I, enlisting on June 6, 1917 and was discharged on May 16, 1919, after suffering from gas poisoning.

It was after the war that William and Margaret put in for a soldier settlers block and drew Farm 1510 at Ycnda. When they moved from Narrandera to Yenda their family consisted of Dave, William (Bill) and Archie. While waiting for the farm house to be built they lived in tents, situated roughly where the Yenda sports ground is now. They grew grapes, oranges and peaches on the farm and at the same time, William was employed as a foreman on the canal construction.

251

The children attended school in a tent, which blew over whenever there was a strong wind. They had to walk from the farm to school each day - a three mile round trip.

A most memorable event was a trip to Griffith to see Wirths Circus. Leaving Venda at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and getting home at 4 o'clock the next morning!

Their mode of transport on this occasion was a lorry pulled by two draught horses.

Eileen and Cloris, the twins, were the next born in the family. They were the first babies to be born at Yenda. Cloris died at five months and was buried at Bagtown cemetery. After the twins came Roy, Mabel, Dot and Keith.

It was tough going in those days, with lots of meals consisting of soup or rabbit stew, although they did have a war pension to help supplement their income.

Dessert was an old favourite golden syrup dumplings. Most families had their own vegetable patch and basically only had two sets of clothes - one good set for "going out" and the other for everyday.

Bath time was usually once a week. The copper, which was outside, was lit to heat the bath water.

In 1940 William died from war related injuries and his wife, Margaret, tried to maintain the farm but with their boys away at war it was extremely hard. Finally she had to sell the farm for £300.

Margaret Victoria Maggs (nee Richards) From there they lived for Courtesy Mr Bill Maggs a short while in the Unemployment Camp (situated on the hill now occupied by the Tech College, Regional Theatre and City Council Offices). They then rented a flat where Donaldson Mitre 10 store now stands.

Three of the Maggs boys remained in Griffith.

William (Bill) met and married Lorraine Paine and they started off married life living with Bill's parents, until they built their first home - also in the Unemployment Camp. The walls were made from cement and lime and lined inside with hessian. The ceilings were painted with lime to make them white. If a blue wall was wanted the lime

252

was tinted with a "Blue bag"22 and for a pink wall, powdered "red ochre" was used.

Because of unemployment they sold the hut and moved back to Yenda until Bill was able to find work with the Water Commission.

With an income once more, they bought another bag shack at the unemployment site for £12, where they stayed till the end of the war. Bill and Lorraine then obtained a block of land at 8 Bringan Street, Griffith where they raised their family of four and where they live to this day. Bill left the Commission and found employment with the Griffith Shire where he worked for 42 years.

Roy married Gloria Johnston and they had three children. Roy worked at the hospital as a boiler attendant before retiring.

Keith married May Hillsley and they had three daughters. He worked as a truck driver for a number of years.

A cousin to this Maggs family, Roy and his wife Val, also live in Griffith and raised two sons and a daughter. Roy and Val owned and operated the BP Service Station for quite a number of years. (Roy's parents were Roy and Maude Maggs.)

1.)

A small cotton bag containing blueing for laundering

253

John Maggs born Marston. Wiltshire died 25 Nov 1882, 76 yrs married - 12 June 1850 Catherine King born Londonderry. Ireland died 8 March 1885. aged 67 yrs • • William John b. c.1854. d. c.1911. aged 56 yrs married Hannah Simpson

William John born New Norfolk. Tas died 26 September. 1940. 59 years

married

Margaret Victoria Richards died 26 June 1960. 69 years

1.

Dave born Narrandera, 16 July 1912. killed World War II: married Jean Campbell - two children

2.

William (Bill) born Narrandera, 2 January 1914: married Lorraine Paine - four children

3.

Archie born Narrandera 13 April 1917. died c. 1962. buried Mildura: married Betty Gosling - one child

4.

Eileen born Yenda. 21 June 1919. buried Sydney: married (1) Lloyd George: (2) George Weir - nine children

5.

Doris born Yenda. 21 June 1919. died 23 November 1919 aged five months. buried Bagtown Cemetery

6.

Roy born Yenda 26 October 1920: married Gloria Johnston - three children

7.

Mabel born Venda 15 January 1924. died 26 February 1968. buried Griffith: married Jim Brcheny - five children

8.

Dot born Yenda 1 June 1926. buried Griffith: married Mick Paice five children

9.

Keith born Yenda 6 October 1927: married May Hillsley - three daughters

This entry was submitted by Donna Ryan (nee Maggs) as a fond tribute to her grandfather William (Bill Maggs).

254

MALLABY Headley Mallaby and Alice (nee Noble) arrived in the area in 1921 - Leeton first and then Griffith 1922/23.

After graduation from Hawkesbury Agricultural College, where he gained his Diploma of Agriculture in 1910, Headley worked as a Jackeroo in central and western Queensland before buying a property at Moss Vale in 1914.

On the outbreak of World War I Headley Mallaby joined the AIF and served in France with the 33rd Battalion. He was badly gassed twice in France which necessitated his being hospitalised in England. From this time on heavy manual work was beyond him and upon his return to Australia in January 1919 he joined the clerical staff of the WC & IC at Leeton where he worked for about two years.

Still a man of the land at heart, Headley decided to try farming on the MIA and came to Griffith where he took up a Soldier Settler block - Farm 1864 - at Lake Wyangan.

His private investigation on this farm gave him valuable insight into water requirements for particular types of soils. This experience was extensively used by him in later years.

Headley and Alice Mallaby's Wedding - 2 April 1921 On Alice's left, her sister Lilian ("Bloss") and Faith Mallaby.

On Headley's left, his brother Cliff and Alice's brother, Charles Noble Courtesy liedley Mallaby

In 1926, whilst still retaining his farm, he was reappointed to the service of the Commission in the Land Settlement Office. There he was closely connected with the administration of the adjustment schemes and instruction work associated with the settlement of ex-soldiers on the land.

255

Headley Mallaby was one of the first to install spray irrigation on the area, testing his own theory in the battle against waterlogging. In 1931 he was transferred to the research branch of the Commission which was then being formed to investigate the causes of waterlogging and possible remedial measures. He remained with this branch, in charge of Mirrool Area activities, until being appointed Manager of the MIA at a later date.

In the year 1938 Headley, in the company of Jim Sainty, Snr, visited California at his own expense during a period of extended leave. There he studied irrigation methods and crop production under irrigation as well as up to date methods of extension work. He received great assistance from the officers of the University of California.

The value of this experience was applied in the administration of the Area when he became Manager, a position he took over from J G ("Jim") Youll on 20 January 1947.

In private life both Headley and his wife, Alice, took a very active part in community life. Before coming to this area, Alice was one of the very few ladies who gained a Life Saving Certificate which she did at Wollongong in 1916. She worked hard for her church in both Leeton and Griffith, was made a L to R: Charles, Ethel and Tcd Life Member of the Royal Far (Seasonal Workcr in background) West Childrens' Health Scheme; Box of apricots ready for pitting c.1931 Life Member of the RSL Courtesy I ledicy Mallaby Womens' Auxiliary and was awarded a Long Service Badge by the CWA. For his part, Headley was influential with other parents in obtaining and financially supporting the establishment of a school at Lake Wyangan. He supported the Junior Farmers' Club at Griffith and was District Commissioner for the Boy Scout movement in the Murrumbidgee district. Being a rifleman of outstanding enthusiasm, he was the founder of the Griffith Rifle Club and an executive of the Riverina Rifle Clubs Union. His rifle was conscripted by the Army for World War II. Numbered among his other interests were chess and golf and his Lodge.

Their son Ted says that "he was a devoted member of Lodge Ibis, then Master and later District Inspector for Blue Lodge. He was also a member of Red Lodge."

256

Remarking on the difference in the spelling of the christian name of both himself and his father - Headley/Hedley - Ted smiles as he explains why his father's name has always been spelt incorrectly. "When my grandfather was registering his birth at Armidale (where he had a soap factory, the building of which is still standing) he saw through the window his mare playing up at the hitching rail where he'd left her tied. He went out to quieten the animal and didn't check the spelling when he returned! When I got a copy of my Birth Certificate the Griffith CPS asked me why the different spelling? I am Hedley - my father is Headley!

Three Mallaby sons in the Music Room of the family home at Annidalc Courtesy I ledley Mallaby

"Our mother, Alice (nee Noble) was horn at Corowa hut was living at Merrylands on the outskirts of Sydney when she and our father were married. They met when she and her sister, `Bloss', went out on a 'blind date' one evening. At this time our mother and `Blocs' were working at the Gladesville Mental Hospital."

Headley and Alice were married at St Johns Parramatta on 2 April 1921. Ted thinks their first home at Leeton was a tent and Ethel confirms that they lived in the married quarters" at Crusher's Camp - Leeton's equivalent of Bagtown and located where the Hydro Hotel now stands. Established at Farm 1864 Ted recalls the "breadbox" nailed to the front gate, the horse drawn butcher's cart that came regularly - it had a gauze back door. The only two cars down their gravel road - their own and Molesworth's; also "Dad played a Straviolis in the Lyceum Theatre before sound movies. It had a metal horn (no wooden box) to carry the sound out. This instrument is now owned by our grandson".

257

The five children of Headley and Alice were: 1.

Ethel Harwell born Leeton 10 Jan 1922; married Donald Wellings

2.

Hedley ("Ted") Arnold born 16 Feb 1924, Farm 1864, Lake Wyangan; married Olwyn Jansen

3.

Charles born Griffith - died at 5 years, drowned in the concrete dam at Farm 1864

4.

Lilian Mice born Griffith 6 Aug 1929; married Kieran Higgins

5.

Gordon Charles born Griffith; died at the age of 11 months

The Mallaby ancestors of this family arrived in Australia about 1883. The first to come was George Chapman Mallaby who had married, on 21 May 1882, Faith Furness in Osset, County of York, England. Faith died 12 Oct 1922 and is buried in the Anglican Cemetery Manly.

•

George Chapman Mallaby

•

Faith Mallaby (ncc Furness)

Alice's parents, Charles Noble and Mary (nee Darwell) were married in the parish church at Walton-on-the-Hill, County of Lancaster and had arrived in Australia 1885/6 and lived at Merrylands, NSW. (Both are buried in the Bowral Cemetery).

Headley Mallaby snr died at Leeton on 3 April 1955. Alice died at Eastwood NSW on 10 Jan 1983. Both she and Headley are buried in the Anglican portion of the Leeton cemetery.

By courtesy of Ethel Wellings (nee Mallaby), Unit 406, Alan Walker Village, Dalmar Place, Carlingford and Hedley ("Ted") Mallaby, Princes Highway, Milton NSW.

258

MALLINSON RANDOLPH MALLINSON and his wife, Jessie Frances (nee Hammond) were both born in Victoria; Randolph at Hamilton on 22 December 1888 and Jessie at Melbourne on 4 March 1887. They were married at Preston, Victoria on 24 February 1922.

After completing his formal education Dolph (as he was always known) commenced work at the age of 15 in the newspaper office of the "Hamilton Spectator". Later he worked as an auctioneer in Hamilton and then as secretary to a firm of merchants in Warrnambool.

During this period he studied accountancy and he was also a representative Australian Rules footballer. He qualified as an accountant in late 1914 and then enlisted in the AIF. He was posted to Duntroon Military College, graduated as a lieutenant, and later sailed for France with reinforcements for the 22nd Battalion.

He was gassed on the Somme and invalided out of the line, spending some weeks in the Military Hospital at Etampes.

Upon rejoining the battalion, as a platoon Randolph Mallinson commander, Lieutenant Mallinson took part in the heavy 1912 fighting of August 1918 when the sadly depleted Anzac Corps were in the forefront of the battle for the Hindenburg Line.

On 18 August he was severely wounded in an attack on Herleville and later that day he and two other surviving members of the platoon were over-run and captured in a German counter offensive.

His experiences at this time, and during the following three months which he spent in hospital and prison camps in Germany, instilled in him much of the humanity and consideration for others that characterised his later life on the MIA. In 1920 Dolph and his brother, Les, who had served with the 4th Light Horse at Gallipoli and France, came to Griffith as intending soldier settlers.

After completing a course in general farm management at the old "Yanco Farm"; they both worked in the clearing gangs, mainly in the Beelbangera and Bilbul areas, and In 1921 Dolph drew Farm 1812, Lake Wyangan which he planted to citrus and sultanas.

The farm house, house" to which he brought Jessie after their marriage in February 1922, was an hut, which was to be modified and added to over the years as Army disposals circumstances permitted.

In the meantime Les had acquired Farm 1248 in the West End area of Griffith.

It has been written that Dolph Mallinson was largely responsible for determining the pattern of development that Griffith and the MIA were to follow, but he was content to leave the talking to others. He was active in the affairs of the RSL, being chairman of the League's sub-committee set up to advance the case of the soldier settlers for realistic debt adjustment with the WC & IC. He was a forceful and competent advocate for their cause, and it is now history that relief was granted by the government on this issue.

259

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:aril 1953

Fran The Office Staff Griffith Producers. Co—onerative Co. Ltd. To bolnh the Psri

May we address yod as Dolph, since, though addressing you as Chief or Boss in office hours, we have always thought of you as "Dolph", a man of understanding of our human frailties, always courteous, and never too busy to accord a cheerful greet— ing.

The growth of the Producers is a monument to your organising, financial and business ability, but it is a recognition of your friendliness that enjoins us to present this note of appreciation, and at the same time a feeling cf personal loss on your retirement.

That you may long live to enjoy the fruits of your arduous and at times worrying career, is the wish of all of us.

260

Dolph was appointed a director of Griffith Producers Co-op Co Ltd in 1926, and in 1928, he resigned his directorship on being appointed Secretary to the Company. He became General Manager in 1935 and held 4t20. that position until his retirement in 1953.

During the war years of 1939-45 Dolph was the MIA representative of the Citrus Growers Executive, a body set up to control the allocation of citrus to factories for processing juices for the armed forces, and negotiating prices with the government.

At war's end this body became the NSW Citrus Growers Council, and Dolph was a member of the first management committee.

Subsequently he was instrumental in having all state organisations amalgamated into one body known as the Australian Citrus Growers Federation.

Apart from his work in the horticultural industry, Dolph Mallinson was also active in many other spheres during his life on the MIA. He was co-founder and trustee of both the old Lake View Golf Club Dolph and Jessie Mallinson with and the original Griffith Ex-Servicemen's Club.

Arthur 3 mths old - April 1923 He was the honorary auditor of a number of local charitable organisations, a member of the Local Land Board and a Vice President of the Jondaryan Club.

His particular personal interest during and after the Second World War was the care and guidance of the dependants of local men who had lost their lives in that conflict. He was the initial "Contactor" in this area for Sydney Legacy and he later instigated the formation of the Griffith Legacy Group. Dolph went about his Legacy work quietly, pleasantly and efficiently, with wisdom and kindness. He maintained his interest in Legacy to the time of his death in 1972.

Dolph and Jessie had three sons - Arthur, Jim and Phil. Jim recalls "as kids we had a pretty good life. Pop allowed one shilling a week between the three of us, or 4d each, for pocket money and in order to supplement it we would trap rabbits and hock them round about. The Dolph with sons, Arthur and Jim - 1926 •

261

asking price for a fresh carcass, properly gutted and hung, was threepence (3d) but at times we had to settle for twopence rather than lose a sale. Mum could perform culinary marvels with a rabbit, and she was our best customer!

"During the summer we'd spend a lot of time swimming in the irrigation channels and dodging the Water Bailiff. In the winter we'd use the empty channels to ride our hikes up and down Jessie Mallinson with Arthur, Phil and Jim - January 1930 the sides trying to emulate `Dare Devil Dirkin', who, along with Alf Hensen's boxing troupe, was one of the attractions at the annual Griffith Show.

"At other times we'd round up a few sheep, preferably rams, from the hill near our place, shove them into an empty channel, and try them out for speed. We also fashioned boats from flattened out corrugated iron and bits of packing case and sailed them in the channels and the lake. We made them fairly watertight with melted tar and lead extracted from bullets dug from the mound at the end of the rifle range which was then located where Wood Road is now.

"Bird-egg collecting was a pretty universal pastime in that era too. With the kids from far and wide we concocted a game called 'grid hockey'. For some reason or tither bikes were called `grids'! Each kid would arm himself with a tree limb with a bit of a hook at the end of it and we'd make up a couple of teams, each with the idea of scoring goals against the opposition. The ball was usually a grape-fruit or an orange. A goal scoring opportunity was often thwarted by the opposing goalie ramming his stick into the spokes of the potential scorer's front wheel!!

"The three of us attended Lake Wyangan Public School, then Griffith High School, followed by a couple of years at a Sydney boarding school.

"The Second World War was to have a considerable impact on many of our generation, as had been the case with that of our father. The carefree days of Lake Wyangan now seem to he light years in the past". munimemoommainumisameol

Phil, Arthur and Jim - August 1943 •

In the C0len of Ditto:M.

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CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE.

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Randolph Mallinson married Christina Hartland

Frank Hammond married

Edith Hammond

Randolph ("Dolph? Mallinson born Hamilton Vic 22 December 1888 died Griffith 5 February 1972 1.

married Preston Vic 24 February' 1922 • •

Jessie Frances Hammond born Melbourne Vic 4 March 1887 died Sydney 19 September 1978

Arthur Randolph Mallinson born Griffith 16 January 1923: married Joyce Joan Griffin; they have three children (one deceased). Lives at Merimbula NSW

James Alan Mallinson born Griffith 9 October 1924: married Pearl Elizabeth Leader: they have three children. Lives at Griffith NSW 3.

John Philip Mallinson born Griffith 7 November 1927: married (1) Kathleen Clytie Smythe (deed 17 February 1982). They have 4 children (one deceased). Married (2) Elizabeth Grace Vearing (nee Grant) 23 April 1988. Lives at Griffith NSW.

263

JOHN LESLIE MALLINSON (Dolph's brother and known to his nephews as "Uncle Joe") was born at Hamilton Victoria in 1894 and he joined his father's firm after completing his primary education, becoming an accomplished farrier, wheelwright and coach builder.

He enlisted in the first AIF in Melbourne in August 1914, receiving the serial number 149, a fact of which he was always very proud. He saw service with the 4th Light Horse in Egypt and was at Gallipoli, later transferring to the Veterinary Corps and seeing further service in France.

Coming to Griffith in 1920, he did the horticultural course at Yanco Farm (now Murrumbidgee College of Agriculture) and served in the clearing gangs, eventually acquiring Farm No 1248 in the West End area of Griffith.

Ilarold ("Ben") Bennett, Les Mallinson and Harold Hudson

Selling his property in 1938 he joined the firm of Buzacotts in Queensland where he became a District Sales and Service Manager associated with their franchise of Fordson tractors.

He joined the 2nd AIF in 1940 and on his discharge at the end of the war worked on the construction of Warragamba Dam for some years.

In 1950 he married Miss Lottie Tresilian and they moved to Nowra on the South Coast of NSW where he lived in retirement until his death on 21 April 1977.

"Uncle Joe" 1940 Lining up - second time around

Entry and photos by courtesy of Arthur, Jim and Phil Mallinson, Griffith 2680.

264

MANNELL My father Charlie Mannell drove his little single-seater motor car from Sydney to Yenda. His father, Francis Mannell had bought it for him.

Francis Mannell who was born in Wales came to Australia with his wife and three daughters. My father, Charles Francis was born at Balmain in Sydney.

All but one, an aunt, are buried in Sydney.

Dad first lived at the Barracks with the other soldiers at Beelbangera, before he settled on Farm 715. Dad Charlie and Belle Mannell married Clarabelle ("Belle") Price from Courtesy Ken Mannell Manly at the Church of England in Yenda about 1922. Their house was built by a Mr Dickson. Mum had met Dad when she came to visit the settlers on the farm next door - Farm 716, then occupied by Ballantyne Mansfield Newton, better known as Field Newton. Farm 716 was later owned by Gordons.

I remember the big flood in 1932. Dad slept with his hand on the floor in case the water came inside. Our farm was fourth down from the junction where the Northern Branch Canal left the Main Canal.

The Mannells were the first on and first off the school bus. The bus was a one ton T Model tray top, with a canopy and four stools inside for the children to sit on. I remember it being driven by Paddy Greenshields. If it rained while we were at school, the roads became impassable, so we walked the four miles home.

I remember getting into trouble for coming home covered in salty soil. The soil in the seepage areas among the prune trees was soft like sand and we loved playing in it.

We often swam with the Lowrie and Braby boys in the canal. One day some girls came along and stood talking on the bridge while we hid underneath it.

We had no clothes on! It seemed a long time before they went away and we could get out and get dressed. We were freezing!!

Between our place and Gordons was a large Charlie and Belle Mannell loquat tree. Loquats ripen cultivating with horses "Bill" and "Toby' early, before the apricots. I Courtesy Tom Mannell

265

remember raiding the loquat tree while waiting for the school bus.

Milk was delivered in a milk cart. It was pulled by a horse driven by Frank Webb's older sister.

The six children of Charles and Clarabelle Mannell were all born at Yenda.

Dad left the farm because of ill health and we left Yenda about 1935. We went to Katoomba where Dad worked for the PMG (now known as Telecom).

Dad died in 1971 at Long Jetty NSW. Garlic Manncll Courtesy Tom Manncll

Charles Francis Mannell married Clarabelle Price

1.

Thomas Francis born 1924 at Farm 715; married Kathleen McMalcolm. Lives at Bateau Bay NSW (in 1988).

2.

Joan Constance born 1925 at Farm 715; married (1) John Castledene, (2) Joe Garland. Lives at Merriwa NSW.

3.

Kenneth Charles born 1927 at Farm 715; married Hazel Hannify. Lives at Yenda NSW.

4.

Betty born 1928 at CWA Hospital Yenda; Lives at Coffs married Jimmy Dunn.

Harbour NSW.

5.

John born 1930 at CWA Hospital Yenda; Lives at Coffs married Joan Garland.

Harbour NSW.

6.

Barbara born 1932 at CWA Hospital Yenda; married Harold Johnstone. Lives at Mona Vale NSW.

Contributed by Ken Mannell, Stanbridge Street, Yenda.

266

L to R - Back Ken and Tom Mannell Front: John Mannell and Bill Lowrie Courtesy Tom Manncll

MANNIGEL Albert Mannigel was born in 1896 in Darlington, Sydney - the eldest of three children of Richard and Jessie Mannigel. Albert's parents married in 1894. Richard was born in Frankfurt, Germany and he emigrated in the 1860's. Jessie was born in East Maitland, and died in Griffith in 1948, aged 87 years. She is buried in Griffith Cemetery.

Albert Mannigel served in the Australian Army in World War I in France and was discharged after being wounded in 1918. He applied for, and was granted, Irrigation Farm 628 Yoogali on 22 August 1919. He has noted in his records that he was one of the first twenty returned Soldiers to be allotted land.

Lilian Emma Mannigel (nee Sinfield) was born in Greenwich, England in 1902.

She emigrated with her mother Susan in 1912 after her parent's divorce. Lilian came to Griffith in 1924 with her mother and stepfather, James Valentine. When Susan Valentine established "Woodlands" Private Hospital, Lilian assisted her, (Nurse Valentine was a well known and respected nurse-midwife). Lilian was secretary to Dr Bodycomb (a pioneer doctor in the early days of Griffith) just prior to her marriage.

Albert and Lilian were married in 1931 in the Griffith Methodist Church. They had four daughters:Dianna born 1931. Married Ross Williams. Three children, David, Helen and Claire. Now married to Malcolm Harrison.

Marion born 1934. Married Richard Armstrong. Three children, Stephen, Matthew and Sarah.

Jennifer born 1936. Married David Rose. Two children, Kirsten and Campion. Died 1982.

Catherine horn 1940. Married Gillotte Hawken. One daughter, Kia.

. , Main canal adjacent to Macedone Road 1. to R Albert Mannigel, Maurice Crawford, I larry Smith, Clive Balmer, possibly Bill Mitchell Courtesy Marion Armstrong (nee Mannigel)

267

Daughter Marion has happy memories of going to the river - "we often joined other families to camp at Taylor's Beach at Darlington Point in the summer. The summer of 1939 was memorable - great bushfires, heat and flies led to much longer stays at the Murrumbidgee. However, we children were always warned about 'snags' whilst swimming, as quite a few deaths by drowning occurred when swimmers became snagged on submerged logs and branches. Saturday afternoon matinees at the 'Rio' (picture theatre) were the highlight of the week.

"At Yoogali school there was a high population of Italian children. Some of the more enlightened of us swapped our peanut butter or egg sandwiches for tasty Italian food! None of us had such delights at home - we ate the Sunday roast, chops, steak, baked rice, baked custard, stewed fruit and good 'English' food.

"Some of our 'skipping games' seem to be lost. Does anyone skip now, to the words: Over the garden wall I let my baby fall My mother came out And gave me a shout And sent 171e over the garden wall.

(I can't imagine what the words arc all about!)"

Albert died in 1976 in his 79th year, Lilian died in 1981, in her 79th year. Their ashes are interred at Northern Suburbs Crematorium.

1920 - Irrigation Canal just formed - what is now the junction of Dinicola and Macedonc Roads, Yoogali L to It Albert Mannigel, Barry Smith, Clive Balmer, Maurice Crawford Courtesy Marion Armstrong (nee Mannigel)

By courtesy of Marion Armstrong (nee Mannigel), 62 Floraville Road, Belmont North.

268

MARTIN "I recall the days of childhood and youth at Yenda as very happy days indeed.

Although every year was a year of Depression we were well fed, our parents tolerant and easy going, and the years seemed full of loving fun with brothers, sisters and very best friends. Fond memories of - Scout camps, cricket matches on parched paddocks, school teachers we can never forget and of spending most of the scorching summers underwater in the main canal - are easy to revive. But as I near the end of my own life on this earth these are not the thoughts of Yenda that come first to mind, nor have they been for many years.

"My most enduring and recurring thoughts are of my parents and other pioneers of Yenda in the 1920's. That such ordinary people could have so cheerfully endured such extraordinary hardships I have never understood and found impossible to explain to my own children. Perhaps, as I recall my Father once saying, 'after you've spent some time in Hell, anywhere is Heaven'.

"Jimmy Martin, my very ordinary father, at the age of 28, had twice travelled by ship from England to Australia, once as a teenage migrant in 1910 when he found work as a dairy hand at Coffs Harbour and again after World War I. At the outbreak of the war he had enlisted in the AIF, saw service with the 12th Light Horse Regiment in Palestine, as a foot soldier at Gallipoli and in France, before returning to his Regiment in Egypt. After the end of the war he was hospitalised for many months in Cairo before recuperating in England and courting Anne Burton in his home town of Burton-on-Trent.

After his return to Sydney, Anne followed later and they were married at Mosman, on 17 August 1920.

"On 20 October 1920, Farm No 1318 at Yenda was allocated to Soldier Settler, James William Martin and for them, and a thousand others like them, the great adventure had begun. Their first home was a tent near the 7th tee on what is now the Yenda Golf Course. This would have been no novelty to a Soldier Settler but what of the slip of a girl, from a brewery town in the north of England, spending her first Australian Christmas in such a place in 1920?

"When their future farm had been cleared of its pine, wilga and stunted scrub they moved across the road to the standard settlers cabin with its fuel stove, tarred paper lining, tin roof and cladding of cypress round-back off-cuts left by the timber cutters.

Initially without flooring, they had no electricity, no gas, no bathroom or laundry and no water laid on. Although meant to serve only as a temporary refuge while houses were built, they were a vast improvement on the tent or the bag humpy. Many are still standing today.

"Their neighbours, on what is called the Golf Course Road today, were Ronald and Louise Beal. Their adjoining farms were later vacated and combined. Alex and Jean Jones were on the opposite corner. Jean taught school in Yenda and the Ritchie brothers 1wed with their mother on the farm next to them. Up the road at right angles to the Golf T Course Road were Joe Grew, Stan Morris the barber and Bede Keary on one side and ubbenhauer, Pigott, Bowkett and Bromfield on the other.

"The harshness of the conditions they endured were made lighter only by the military discipline and comradeship they brought with them. First, the blistering heat of summer and the blinding dust given off, in protest, by the tortured soil. Their future 269

contained nothing tangible except hard labour with only the promise of high prices for their expected produce to spur them on. Every fruit tree, vine and trellis post needed its own hole and these were dug by hand with crow bar and long handled shovel. The soil was tilled with the most primitive of horse drawn implements. Most started with a single furrow plough and a set of harrows to break up the heavy clods of soil which had been undisturbed for centuries. Irrigation channels and ditches were dug with the plough, the horse drawn scoop and the delver. Fences, sheds and stock yards had to be built.

"After the arrival of the water and with the planting done came the long wait for the fruits of their labours. But the promise of high prices evaporated in the distant mirage of advancing Depression and their Bank debts grew. My Mother often said, in later years, that 'between 1920 and 1930 the most bountiful produce of Yenda was the output of children.'

"Prices were one thing but by no means the most serious of their problems for nobody had told them in the beginning, that they would have to compete for their crops with every pestilence imaginable. If it were not floods, frosts, heatwaves or untimely rains it was plagues of grasshoppers, flocks of starlings or downy mildew, codlin moth, black spot or red scale. How were they to know that some fruits could be planted where they would never thrive or that a careless grading contractor, before one tree was planted, could leave a farm with high spots where the water would never go or low spots it would never leave.

"By as early as 1925 many settlers had already given up in despair and gone; their farms reallocated or combined with those adjoining. For those who remained, by 1930, there was nowhere to go as more than twenty per cent of the all male work force were unemployed throughout the land. Besides, they had a roof over their heads, a vegie garden, a few chooks, a cow which always seemed to give milk in vast quantities and maybe a pig sty or a couple of lambs grazing on the lucerne patch down by the chaff shed.

"Somehow, by the perennial credit facility of Yenda Producers Co-op, farmers relief work (a fancy name for repairing roads and clearing ditches for food vouchers) and the patience of the Rural Bank, another decade crawled painfully by but for many it was to be their last in Wilda. From around 1935 an exodus of original settlers began which gradually gained momentum. Some were just plain worn out by twenty years of war, work, worry and Depression. Some, whose debts exceeded the value of their farms, just packed up and walked away. Others sold out and many accepted Bank offers for their farms. For a debt of £1,200, my parents accepted £300 to walk off the farm in 1940. It was the last time in their lives together they were to know real hardship or insecurity.

Although the more skilled, more enterprising or more patient settlers stayed on, 1940 marked the end of the pioneering era.

"The swirling winds of war, which had swept them to Yenda like so many fertile seeds had begun to howl again. Soon the sons of the Pioneers would be swept, in anger, to those same killing fields from which their fathers had been born in peace. At the same time, as if to apologise for this ultimate injustice, those same heartless winds released an urgent demand for the fruits of their labours that the Pioneers were for so long denied.

"By the time the winds of war had, again, abated and the dust settled all but the lingering spirits of the Pioneers had vanished. In place of the cruel, harsh winds of the Pioneer days the fresh breezes of opportunity and advancement had sprung up, fanned by an awakened knowledge of scientific farming methods. Unlike the hopeless mirage the 270

Pioneers had chased, success was soon forthcoming and out of the dashed hopes of the Pioneers a great industry emerged.

"Earlier this year I returned to Yenda, which I had done only occasionally over the past fifty years and drove slowly past Wade Park where one of the pepper trees near the Scout Hall was planted back in the thirties and named for 'Patrol Leader George Martin, Rosella Patrol, First Yenda Troop'. I wonder which one it was? The little old Golf House on the corner was gone of course, as had the family home where I had been delivered of my Mother by a travelling midwife just on three score years and ten ago. As I glanced in passing, at the orderly rows of Bill Braithwaite's wine grapes, flourishing where the house had once stood, I couldn't help thinking how much our Father would have approved of the use to which this sacred site had been put.

"I didn't stay long in the little town which once was mine, for I was now a stranger among strangers. I searched in vain for a familiar face or the stumps of the hitching rails where sulkies parked, the weary horses with their heads in what little shade the trees in the town park afforded and their tails in the hot sun forever swishing at the tormenting flies. I suppose I wanted to hear the clanking of the anvil in the blacksmith's shop down past the Police Station or to see Paddy Greenshields, of the leather apron, legs dangling from the side of his horse drawn lorry, delivering parcels to the shops from the midday train. A handsome young mother crossed the street with a four year old boy at foot. I hoped, as I watched them, that he would never wake in the arms of his father, shouting `fire', as I had done at the same age or that she should ever sob for days, as my mother did, as she picked over the blackened ruins of her burnt-out home.

"A ute pulled in with an Italian name and farm number on the side and from it a confident looking man in his thirties strode purposefully to the Post Office. A farmer, no doubt, I said to myself. I wondered if he had ever suffered a black frost when the new sultana shoots, back lit by the morning sun, glittered like little green-gold flames in a death dance along the trellis tops until long before noon when they will hang limp and lifeless from the wires.

"Would he stride so boldly, I wondered, if last night, clouds of grasshoppers had swarmed in from the dry area just on dusk and he had wakened this morning to the sight of his citrus orchard stripped of every leaf and his now useless, bumper crop of Washington navels, only three quarters ripe, mocking him like pale orange balls on a forest of naked Christmas Trees?

"As he drove away I wondered how much he would get for that huge crate of apples in the back of his ute and I remembered a cheque, for one shilling and sixpence, pinned for ages to our kitchen wall during the Depression. This represented the net proceeds from sixty cases of Granny Smith apples sent to the Sydney markets.

"As I watched these young strangers coming and going it occurred to me that they would know nothing of the hardships of their forebears and I think I know what I would have said to them if they had stopped to listen. I would have asked them to always remember that, for as long as the water wheels turn through the night in the channels around Yenda and the rich soil still yields up its annual bounty they can never have a debt as great as that they owe to the Soldier Settlers."

271

James ("Jimmy") William Martin born Burton-on Trent, Staffordshire 15 December 1891 died Bondi (Sydney) NSW July 1951 Ashes scattered Yenda

married Mosman NSW 17 August 1920 • • "

Ann Burton born Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire 12 November 1899 died Maroubra (Sydney) 10 February 1981 Ashes buried Griffith (Re-married 1956 to Joseph Maxwell)

• 1.

George Walter born Yenda 5 January 1922; married Mavis Morgan.

Lives at Jindabyne NSW. Dorothy born Yenda 16 March 1924: married Reg McGregor. Lives at Woody Point Old.

3.

Michael ("Mick") born Yenda 27 November 1926: married Margaret Judge. Lives at Griffith NSW.

4.

Phillip born and died Yenda November 1935. buried Yenda NSW.

5.

William ("Bill") born Yenda 24 April 1938: married Joy Bourke.

Lives at North Ryde NSW.

6.

Elizabeth born Yenda September 1941. died 1942. buried at Yenda NSW.

Contributed by George Martin of Jindabyne and by courtesy of Mick Martin of Griffith.

272

MARTIN Thomas Stirling ("Torn") Martin was born in Tintock Kirkintilloch, Scotland on 24th August 1897, the youngest of nine children. His parents had a great love of music, and even though times were hard, encouraged all their children to play a musical instrument.

One of his sisters became a professional pianist, two of his brothers were violinists - his parents couldn't afford another violin by the time he was to learn music so Tom learnt the concertina. He was to become known far and wide for his musical skills with his concertina.

He joined the Argyll and Southern Highlands Regiment during the 1914-18 War and served overseas with the British forces. He was a member of Griffith RSL and regularly attended the Anzac Day Services.

Tom came to Australia in 1922 and came to Griffith to join his brother Torn Martin Jock who was farming at Lake Wyangan.

Courtesy Ilelen and Rodney Braync He played a big part in the early development of Griffith. He worked on the construction of the road from Yenda to Griffith, was involved with construction of bridges for the Irrigation Commission and spent some years in the timber department of the Area Builders. He used to tell many stories of his experiences here in the early days.

Always a very popular figure, he had a great sense of fun and played his concertina for many of the parties and dances in the early days. He often played on his Own but played also with Trenerry's Band, with violinist Tom Simpson and with the late Ted Couchman. His music gave him great pleasure and he will long be remembered for the pleasure he gave to others.

He joined the Masonic Lodge in 1948 and retained his membership until his death.

Tom was a bachelor for the first 59 years of his life but in 1956 he married a widow, Ivy Lale and they shared over 33 years of happy life to-gether. He shared her love and pride in her family and particularly her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He was a very loving, caring person with a great sense of fun and maintained a keen interest in what everyone was doing even while he was in the Nursing Home. Torn died on 6th January 1990 at the age of 92.

By courtesy of Helen and RodneN, Brayne, PO Box 64, Lake Wyangan.

273

McAUSLAN / MacAUSLAN The McAuslan (sometimes spelt MacAuslan) family arrived in Australia in 1909, from Glasgow, Scotland on board the "Wanganui".

Robert and Agnes (nee Thomson) had seven children - Angus born in Glasgow in 1892; Euphemia; Robert Jnr horn in USA in 1897; Albert born Blantyre, South Africa, date unknown; John Thompson Palham Gore (known as "Jack") horn in South Africa 1902; Hector born in South Africa birth date unknown; Andrew born in South Africa 1906.

Three sons, Angus, Robert John23 and John Thompson settled in Griffith. While in Blantyre, Robert McAuslan Snr managed a property for the Flotilla Company.

The Family in Blantyre, South Africa (c.I900) L to R: Back - Servants, names unknown Ccntrc - Robert Bantock McAuslan, Nurse holding baby Albert, unknown Front - Agnes McAuslan (nec Thompson), Angus, Robert (Bob), unknown

The family returned to Scotland where Robert Snr worked as a civil engineer on the Clyde. They then migrated to Sydney in about 1909. Robert Snr worked in Sydney as manager of "The Sailors Rest". The family then moved to Moree, then Boomi near the Queensland border where he worked for the Government.

In 1914 they came to Darlington Point where Robert Snr was manager of "Warangesda" Mission Station. The family still have carvings done by the aboriginal people for Robert at that time. The family stayed in Darlington Point until about 1919.

23

See separate entry entitled McAuslan/MacDonald

274

Jack's daughter Heather tells "My grandparents, Robert and Agnes, and the three younger boys, Jack, Hector and Andrew returned to Sydney".

McAUSLAN, Angus The eldest son, Angus, joined the Ambulance Corp Division 14. After World War I he worked in the Taxation Department.

He was allocated Farm 1833 through the Soldier Settlement Scheme at Lake View, now In 1924 he Lake Wyangan, about 1920. married Hilda Mary Davis. Hilda and her sister Gladys were English girls who had come to Australia. Gladys was the first president and announcer on 2RG's Sunshine Club.

Angus and Hilda worked their farm until the early sixties. They retired to Palm Beach and later MacMasters Beach. Angus died at the age of 76 and Hilda at 84.

McAUSLAN, Albert Albert was engaged to Miss Dorothy Scott of Darlington Point; he died on his 21st birthday in the Solomon Islands.

MacA USLAN, John Thompson Gore Angus, Andrew, Bob and Jack John ("Jack") returned to Sydney with his parents and finished his education at Drummoyne. After World War I he joined the Militia, a part time military force in which he rose to the position of Captain. Jack married Thelma Jane Glover in February 1926 at St Andrews Cathedral, Summer Hill, a suburb of Sydney.

Jack learned the trade as a Master Joiner and was a foreman in a furniture factory but during the Depression the factory closed. He moved to Lake View to help his brother Angus with his property. Daughter Heather tells us - "A short time later my mother, Thelma and two small daughters - my older sisters Agnes and Kathleen - arrived at Willbriggie Railway Station. A very shocking arrival for Thelma who knew nothing else but upper middle class life in the city! Angus (Uncle Gus) greeted her at the station and Mum said looking around 'Where's Willbriggie?' Uncle Gus replied 'This is it'!!"

Jack helped Angus clear his farm of large stones so fruit trees, mainly apricots, could be planted; he also helped his brother Robert at Ballingall with his citrus orchard.

Angus and Jack worked at the Griffith Producers during the busy season to raise extra money. To get to work they shared the one bike! Angus would ride the bike a given distance, leave the bike under a tree for Jack to have a turn at riding, and continue his journey on foot. Jack and Thelma lived in Tharbogang and during this time Agnes and Kathleen attended the school at Tharbogang.

Agnes Mary \vas born in 1926, Kathleen Thelma in 1928, Heather in 1933 at "Woodlands" Hospital in Binya Street, and William John in 1935 at "St Lukes" Hospital.

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• Ililda McAuslan (nee Davis)

Agnes, Thelma (Mother), Kathleen, !leather and Bill

•

27()

Griffith Producers' float - 1953

In 1937 Jack, Thelma and the four children moved to Benerembah to live and work on the McNamara Brothers wheat and sheep property. The auto harvester he then drove is on display at Pioneer Park Museum.

In 1939 the Mirrool Creek flooded. One Saturday afternoon after returning from their shopping day in Griffith (the shops were open all day on Saturday) they found the house surrounded by water. One fowl on each fence post and their cattle dog 'Jimmie' sitting on the Jack MacAuslan & 'Thelma Jane (nee Glover) tank stand howling. It took a lot of coaxing to get him down.

Agnes and Kathleen did their lessons with the Blackfriars Correspondence School until 1940. A small school, `Miringa', opened on the bank of the Mirrool Creek about three miles from their house at Benerembah. For the first year Agnes (13 years) and Kathleen (11 years) and Heather (6 years) walked the three miles to school. Agnes left school at the end of that year. The next year Kathleen rode a bike to school with Heather on the back of the bike.

In 1942 Jack and family had another shift - to Hanwood. The children attended Hanwood Public School and later Bill attended Griffith High School. Jack worked at the Griffith Producers for thirty years as maintenance man, building sheds, laying concrete and any other job that needed to be done with a hammer and saw - including the displays for the Griffith Agricultural Show and the 'Crown' for the Griffith Producers float in the procession to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953.

Heather recalls that "in 1954, when I was 20 years old, we moved into a cottage on the Griffith Producers' property next to the coolrooms which were used for cooling the fruit and the ice works. Here blocks of ice were made for the railway vans for the transportation of the fruit to the Sydney markets and to Henry Jones factory. All fruit was transported by rail to Sydney, not by road as now. The engine that drove the compressors for the cool room is now in Pioneer Park.

"Mum died in January 1976 when they lived in Couch Road. Dad died in 1982 in the Pioneer Lodge. They are both buried in the Griffith Lawn Cemetery."

Jack and Jane had a family of four.

1. Agnes Mary born 1926, married Frank Smith - two sons 2^ Kathleen Thelma born 1928. married Donald Peters - two daughters 3- Heather born 1933, married Neville Spooner - one daughter 4. William John ("Bill") born 1935, married Marion Anderson - two sons

Entry and photos by courtesy of Heather Spooner (nee MacAuslan), Griffith.

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McAUSLAN / MacDONALD The marriage of Robert John McAuslan and Doris Ilma MacDonald on 28 June 1919 at the McGaw Memorial Presbyterian Church in Whitton was to establish the McAuslan family among the founders of the Griffith area of the MIA. It also effectively brought together two families - the McAuslans and the MacDonalds who had lived in the Darlington Point/Whitton/Griffith district since the early 1900's.

Robert John McAuslan, third child of Robert Bantock and Agnes Miller McAuslan (nee Thomson) was born in Galesburg, Illinois, USA on 30 April 1897.

When he was about six weeks old the family returned to Scotland where they lived for a number of years before moving to Blantyre in British Central Africa.

After Robert senior's contract expired, the family returned to Scotland for a brief period before Robert ("Ilob") McAuslan emigrating to Australia, arriving in Sydney in 1909.

After living for some time in Sydney the family moved to Darlington Point and it was from there that Robert junior moved to Griffith in 1915 where he was employed by the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission.

In 1917 he joined the British Colonial Service at Ocean Island and became a member of the British Imperial Service Force which took over the administration of the previous German Colonies in the Gilbert and Ellis Group.

He returned to Australia in 1919 intending to return to the Islands, a plan which was abandoned due to Dorrie's unsuitability for tropical living.

On their return to Griffith Robert, or Bob as he was more readily known, went into partnership with Messrs Burns and Meagher. They engaged in concrete construction work throughout the district.

In 1924 he took up Farm 1727 at Ballingal.

Doris McAuslan (nee MacDonald) During these early years Bob and Dorrie, together with a number of local families, were instrumental in having the Tharbogang Primary School opened in September, 1929. Sons, Angus and Robert were two of the original eleven students. Bob was an active member of the Parents and Citizens Association for many years.

Angus and Bob recall their first days at school as very happy ones under the guidance of Mrs Margaret Tickle.

Doris Ilma MacDonald was born at Manly in 1895. Her family moved to the Darlington Point area in the early 1900's where her father was manager of the 278

Warrangesda mission. She subsequently lived in Sydney for a number of years before returning to Griffith to take up a position with the WC & IC on 1 January 1916. She remained with them until her marriage in 1919. The marriage resulted, over some eighteen years, in the birth of six sons.

"Booty Boo" the house at the • "9 Mile* Tank on the road between Whitton and Wumbulgal.

A Cobb & Co coach stop and horse change where Dorrie's father, Thomas MacDonald lived.

Because of the shared Scottish attitude to family, we were to enjoy a happy (sometimes rowdy), always close and fairly well directed family life. Much of what was to follow stemmed from good parental control and example.

Bob served with the RAAF from 1942 until his discharge in 1945. On his return he resettled on Farm 1768, where he lived until his untimely death in 1954. After selling the farm, Dorrie lived on in Griffith until her death on 9 August, 1968. Both are buried in Griffith Cemetery.

The period of early settlement of the MIA, by ex-servicemen from the 1914-18 War, is commonly remembered as a socially satisfying experience for those concerned.

Life, seen from the technologically advanced style of living today, was very basic. People worked hard, money was scarce and most of the farmers were settling back into civilian life. At the same time they were bringing farms into production and starting families.

Most suffered under a bureaucracy more famous for procrastination than for definitive action.

The Tharbogang community cleared and developed a sports ground near the school which, together with Mrs Bourne's shed, provided the venue for parties, dancing and a variety of sports including the annual Empire Day bonfire on the 24th May. As boys, we remember the lively music supplied by the Cudmore's, Tommy Martin's concertina and Tom Simpson on the violin.

Tennis was a popular home sport for us on a court we built ourselves and also at the Gus McAuslan's at Lake Wyangan where Left - Muriel Glover & Dorrie MacDonald table tennis was an antidote for 279

"Depression Blues". Angus was quite a young star in both these activities. Presentation dinner parties with truly imaginative programmes of eating, drinking and entertainments were prominent in the calendar of activities.

We learned early how to work and to appreciate the value of the money we were able to earn. The six sons were variously involved, over a period of this development of the town (now City) of Griffith in one or another of the Scouts, Highland Band, Presbyterian Fellowship, Masonic Lodge and Sunday sports.

Our primary education completed at the Tharbogang School, we all attended Griffith High School for further education.

"The Six Boys" to R Bruce, Doug, Malcolm, 1)onald. At the front, Angus and Bob

For the three elder sons, we had only brief periods of employment before serving in the Forces - Angus and Bob in the RAN and Mac in the Army. Three sons still live in Griffith, having spent most of their lives in the town.

Angus drew a rice farm at Widgelli, a Soldier Settlers farm, in July 1951 which is still in the family. Mac worked on his own account in various positions and Douglas has retired after forty years with PDS and Collier & Miller Pty Ltd. They would not live anywhere else. Bob seemed destined to leave the home town and worked in the Commonwealth Department of Trade in Canberra, Sydney and overseas. Don, after a stint in the Navy Department, married and took up farming in Tenterfield and later served as Immigration Officer in London, before retiring to the South Coast where he died on 5 March 1981. Bruce, the youngest and tallest, worked around Widgelli, Leeton and Sydney before settling for an active life in Real Estate in Springwood. Even the

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wanderers have always enjoyed the various family get togethers which have mainly been staged in Griffith.

We find Griffith is now a city with a fine memorial which goes a long way towards summing up much of what Griffith is all Most of Griffith's old about. settler families would associate with the sentiments expressed so vividly in Beltrame's "Griffith Soldier Settlers' Memorial". Angus Bob and Dorrie, nursing Don as a long time President of the Front: "Mac", Angus and Bob Griffith Ex-Servicemen's Club, was Chairman of the planning committee for this memorial which stands appropriately at one of the city's major intersections. Succeeding generations need to be reminded through a city's works of art, of the dedication and commitment to good, gifted to them by their ancestors.

Robert John McAuslan 1897-1954

married Whitton 28 June 1919

Doris lima MacDonald 1895-1968

1. Angus born Griffith 9 Apr 1921: married Amy Winter. Parramatta 21 April 1945 1. Jan born Griffith 25 Jan 1950: married Frank Dal Bon: a son and a daughter 2. Ian born Griffith 22 Feb 1955: married Leanne Barden: two sons 2. Robert born Griffith 28 Feb 1923: married Margaret Hamilton. Canberra 10 Feb 1951 1. Jean born Canberra 24 Nov 1951 2. Robert born Canberra 2 Dec 1953 3. Neil born Canberra 16 Dec 1957; married Alison O'Hara; two daughters 4. Ian born Canberra 23 Jan 1966 3. Malcolm born Ganmain 2 Jan 1925; married Thelma Tickner. Bondi 24 Sept 1948 1. Beryl born Penrith 31 Jul 1949; married C Cliff; a daughter and son 2. Pamela born Griffith 12 Jan 1951; married D Cheers; a daughter and son 3. Sandra born Griffith 3 Aug 1952; married G Jones: two sons and one daughter 4. Kenneth born Griffith 9 Aug 1954: married C McGarry: a son and daughter 4. Donald born Griffith 23 Aug 1928: married Elaine DeLatour. Griffith 2 Jan 1954 1. Bruce born Tenterfield 31 Aug 1956: married T Martin: one daughter 2. Robert born Tenterfield 3 Nov 1959; married M Karafilof: one daughter 5. Douglas born Griffith 26 Jul 1934: married M Kook. Griffith 21 Oct 1961 1. Meredith born Sydney 13 Mar 1968: married L Salvestro 2. Fiona born Windsor 30 Jul 1970 6. Bruce born Griffith 27 Jul 1939; married D McKenzie. Griffith 29 Apr 1961 1. Susan born Griffith 11 Feb 1962; married G Law; one daughter 2. Judith born Griffith 1 Jan 1964; married B Seaman

Entry and photographs by courtesy of the McAuslan brothers.

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McCANN Wilfred McCann, who preferred to he called "Bill", was born in Summer Hill (a suburb of Sydney) NSW on June 18 1893.

His father, John McCann (1864-1936), a cotton spinner from Glossop, Derbyshire England arrived in Sydney on the ship "Abergeldie" in February 1884 with his older brother Edwin. In 1888 John McCann married Melinda Jackson (1867-1942) from Sheffield where her father was a clerk in a cutlery works. Melinda had emigrated to Australia on the "Belgic", arriving in Sydney September 1885. She and John McCann met in Summer Hill and were married at the local St Andrews Anglican Church.

When his third child Wilfred ("Bill") was born, John 9 McCann was working as a carrier.

The older McCann children found employment at an early age to help support the large family of nine children. Bill McCann first worked at 14 years as a messenger for the Postmaster-General's Department delivering telegrams in the City on horseback. While with the PMG he graduated to the position of telegraphist. His next job was on a dairy farm somewhere near Young but he was badly treated, and moved on to farm work at Maclean NSW. In April 1915, aged 21 years, he enlisted in the Army and, as No. 1207 (later Signaller) W. McCann joined the 8th reinforcements 6th Regiment PA Second Light Horse Brigade. He was sent to the Middle East on active service. In recreation breaks Bill and his mount Duncan entered military races. During August and September 1917, he attended signalling school at Zietoun with Andrew Cochrane (later of Yenda). In an engagement near Amman (Jordan) on 28 March 1918, he received a gunshot wound to the left leg and was hospitalised No.1207 Signaller W McCann, 8th Reinfs 6th Reg* 2nd Light at Port Said. About four weeks Horse Brigade, Egypt. Courtesy Judith Freckman (nee McCann) later he returned to his unit.

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Shipped back to Australia on the troopship "Prinz Ludwig', in September 1919 he and his group disembarked in Melbourne and arrived in Sydney by train. As Corporal McCann, he was formally discharged from the Army on 9 December 1919 after 4 years 239 days of service.

After leaving the Army, Bill rarely missed attending the regiment's annual reunion in Sydney. Only in later years did the enjoyment diminish as the numbers at the dinner dwindled away.

Like several of his army friends, Bill was interested in the Soldier Settlement Scheme in the MIA and not long after leaving the army he noted in his diary: "Started work at Yenda, Friday 30th January 1920". In March he was "fencing" and "post splitting".

A later entry reads: "Finished up at Yenda, Saturday 8th May 1920. Started at Griffith Yards, Monday 10th May 1920. Finished 6th August 1921". It is probable that he stayed at the single men's quarters for the first year or more. He started boarding with Mrs C ("Dot") Mayes (Yambil Street) on Monday 25th August 1921 and became good friends with the Mayes family.

Irrigation Farm 1165, Portion No 887 and its neighbours had originally been designated for use as dairy farm land. However when granted to W McCann on 30 June 1921 the lease noted the land use as "mixed farming". The annual rent for 130 acres was f70.2.11.,-4 This land allocation seems inadequate for its intended purpose, but an application for extra land was refused at this time.

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Farm 1165 to right of photo taken from corner of Murrumbidgee Avenue with supply channel in foreground. About 1921. Courtesy Judith Freckman (ncc McCann)

A simple building was erected in a group of native pine trees and there is a photo of Bill standing by the new dam in front of his hut with young Audrey Mayes. A few Years later (possibly 1924) a standard house with four main rooms, bathroom and a verandah on all sides was erected. In future years the verandah was enclosed to form more rooms.

24

I have not attempted to change this into decimal currency as it is considered irrelevant to today's values. IF.

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Frank Stafford, an army friend, and his wife Marie25 lived at Farm 973 where Bill was a frequent visitor. At the Stafford's he met Dorothy Page who was visiting from Sydney.

A war widow at 19, Dorothy ("Dorrie") Page (nee Horan) worked as a typist in the Taxation Department and lived with her widowed mother and family at Coogee. She was born in Albury NSW and her father Thomas Patrick Horan (18691924), was a customs officer. His parents, John Horan and Mary Tuite from Co Tipperary had a dairy farm in Albury NSW. Hcr mother Minnie Caroline Spehrs (18751926) was the daughter of August Spehrs and Flora McLeod of Mansfield Vic and Albury.

In October 1925, Bill McCann and Dorothy Mary Page were married at Sacred Heart Church, Randwick NSW. Her sister Irene Horan was her attendant.

Dorothy never learned to milk a cow and was timid with horses. She preferred to attend to the house and Looking across the dam to the shed enjoyed cooking, but she learned to round before the house was built. up sheep, rear orphaned lambs and, even Bill McCann with Audrey Mayes and dog. when expecting her first child, helped with Courtesy Judith Freckman (nee McCann) the fencing.

Neighbours to Farm 1165 Murrumbidgee Avenue were Percy Gibbons across the road, Frank and Win Mason (on the Hanwood of side Main Drain J), and on the unnamed side road (bordering the farm to the north) were the Davis family (Lot 616), Otto Smith and family (Lot 885) and Jim Mansell and family (Lot 884).

The social life in Griffith was a busy one. As well as informal entertaining of friends and neighbours or card evenings, there were regular dances and balls. On these occasions work could be forgotten for a while. Bachelor friends such as Frank Synnot (Goolgowi) came into town for special occasions and often stayed overnight at McCann's on one of the verandahs. A ball programme that survives from the Bachelors' Ball held at the Lyceum Palais on 3rd August 1931 bears the names of 64 bachelor hosts and notes that a buffet supper would be served from 11 pm to 1 am. Names that will be recognised are: DW Robb, AB Turner, AE Sellin, PL Gibbons, F Crawford and FG Beverley, to list

25

The first Mrs Stafford. Mrs Rose Stafford. who came to Griffith in the 1940.s. was well-known as a worker for charity and for the Show Society in Griffith.

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just a few. Early in the evening, dance partners signed their names or initials against the dance they favoured and the programme card was often filled immediately. This 1931 ball souvenir is of interest because the back of the card bears the signature of flyer Charles Kingsford Smith.

In the early 1930s, Dorothy's younger sister Irene Horan moved to Griffith and worked as a stenographer with the Ilouse in mid-1920s. Young citrus in foreground.

Water Conservation & Irrigation Courtesy Judith Freckman (nee McCann) Commission, and later the Rural Bank. She lived at Mirrool House.

In 1939 she married Leo Manning Jones, editor of the "Area News" and manager of 2RG Radio station, and remained in Griffith until her death in 1980. Irene and Dorothy were very close, and shared many friends in common.

The farm was growing but scattered. In 1932 two portions nearby were attached to the irrigation leasehold, Nos 886 adjoining and 879 on Walla Avenue making a total of 373 acres. In 1936 land at Lake Wyangan was added, but irrigation was not available to this area which lay in Ballingal Parish. After a disastrous effort at cultivation, it was used mainly for spring grazing and known as the "dry area'. In dry seasons the topsoil on this block blew up to the higher ground by the road and covered the fences. Rabbits were troublesome for many years.

house in 1950s. Courtcsy Judith Frcckman (nee McCann)

There was a heatwave raging in January 1932 when the first child (a girl) was born at the farm. Neither the telephone nor the car was working, so Bill had to ride his Pony to ask Dr Ernest Burrell to come. Nurse Taylor was also in attendance and Mrs 285

Polkinghorne Senior (mother to Murray Polkinghorne and his brother Francis) helped with meals. The heat was so intense that Irene Horan and friends borrowed an electric fan from the Garden of Roses Cafe (kindly lent by the proprietor, Jim Theodore) to cool the new mother, but the blast of air that resulted was not soothing at all and Dorothy begged them to take it away.

In the mid 1930s a young city boy named Oliver Swadling was employed as a farmhand and lived with the family for several years. When World War II began, he enlisted in the Army and saw active service in the Middle East, marvelling that he was seeing the same sights that Bill had seen some 20 years before. Each Christmas a homemade fruit cake was packed in a soldier's tin, which was covered in unbleached calico, sewn securely and carefully addressed with indelible pencil before despatch to him through the post.

In 1938, Bill and Dorothy decided to sub-let the farm for three years to have a break. Their friends farewelled them at the CWA rooms before they left for Sydney. They lived at Clovelly for about a year, and during that time their second child (a son) was horn in May 1939 at the War Memorial Hospital, Waverley. Bill purchased an almost new Ford V8 sedan to replace his former two-seater (with jump seat).

He also bought a racehorse which had Dorothy McCann (nee Horan) and Judith, Sydney c.1938 moderate success around the Sydney Courtesy Judith Frcckman (nee McCann) area before he sold it towards the end of that year on returning to Griffith.

Horse racing was a great interest, and Bill served as Honorary Secretary of Griffith Race Club which he joined in 1921. He was at one time appointed official starter for the Southern Districts Racing Association. A foundation member of the Griffith Diggers' Race Club when it was formed about 1953, Bill was made President in 1955. He and others worked hard to prepare the racecourse for meetings. Soon after its formation, Bill became an active member of the Griffith Show Society and was ring steward on several occasions. He often entered in the equestrian events. In later years he was a frequent exhibitor of livestock and farm produce.

When the local branch of the RSL was formed in Griffith about 1921, Bill was there and he remained involved with it for most of his active life. On Anzac Day 1921 he was one of the official party for the presentation of medals to the returned soldiers. A

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photo26 taken on the day shows the crowd gathered outside the Griffith Lyceum Theatre after the ceremony.

He was also a member of the Jondaryan Club from its early days and went there regularly. In later years he was a keen bowler at the Club's lawn bowls green.

-•

,,••••••••„„...•

•

Griffith Diggers' Race Meeting, April 25 1955. Bill McCann presenting trophy to S Coonan, owner of "Ballarat". A Cochrane (left) holding hat. Courtesy Judith Freckman (nee McCann)

The year of 1939 was a year memorable in the MIA for its extremely hot summer and for the rain and floods that followed. When Bill visited Griffith after the flooding had subsided in the town, he was worried by the state of the farm and a few months later he decided to return to it. In September 1939 the family came hack to Griffith and resumed life on Farm 1165.

The soil had been badly affected by the rising water table and in several paddocks the ground was overlain with the white bloom of salt. This made it impractical to cultivate any crops or to graze stock on the affected areas. It was some years before the salt retreated and the land was restored only after careful nurturing. The home orchard also suffered and eventually the dying and dead trees were pulled out by a bullock team (probably Campbell's) leaving only a few trees standing.

March 1945 was an important month for Farm 1165 as it was converted from leasehold to freehold with a total area of 852 acres. This area included the Old Verandah Rock Cemetery at Lake Wyangan, slightly north of the original holding there. In the 1960s further additions to this farm brought the total area to just over 1,000 acres (406.8

26

See endpapers of this volume.

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hectares). One of Bill's dreams was to irrigate this arid area for cultivation and for years he lobbied the WC & IC for a connection of the irrigation supply to his land at Lake Wyangan. When this appeared to be a possibility, it was too late for him to benefit.

A time of relative prosperity followed the war and continued through most of the 1950s. More farms were growing rice and, even though there were strict controls on the acreage sown, it was a profitable crop. The children were still too young to be useful on the farm, so a sharefarmer came in to help. The farm produced other crops besides rice: wheat and oats, lucerne, and spring crops of green peas. (In the 1920s and 1930s trial crops of peanuts, tobacco and maize had been grown). Fat lambs were raised for the meat market, with one occasionally chosen for the family dinner table.

Dorothy McCann and her sister Irene Jones were foundation members of the Griffith Womens Club when it was formed in the early 1950s and remained active members for the rest of their lives.

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Foundation Members of the Griffith Women's Club c.1950 I. to R: Front - Win Harris, II MeAuslan, Meg Tickle (President), Connie Swalcs, Grace Kcvan Back - Dorothy Bested, Flo Hastings, Mildred Hamilton, Irene ("Rene") Jones, M (Ice Standing - N Martin, Gladys Farley Courtesy Paul Jones

In 1954 Bill and Dorothy travelled to England and Europe, by passenger liner.

During their six months away, they had several unplanned meetings with Griffith residents.

At this time their only son was still at school and the farm was in the capable hands of sharefarmer Peter Connor.

A few years later, their son Brian came on to the farm to work with his father after a year as a jackeroo on "Merribee" Station, Binya. It was a relief for Bill who was already past 60 and beginning to tire from the constant heavy work and had bouts of ill health. Not many people realised he suffered from a form of epilepsy apparently brought on by his war service.

In 1968, on 27 November, Bill McCann died in Griffith Hospital from the effects of a stroke. A funeral service took place at St Albans Church, Griffith and after cremation in Sydney his ashes were scattered over the farm to signify his close association with the land.

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Six years later, after a long illness, Dorothy McCann died (1 November 1974) while visiting her daughter in Sydney, and was buried in Rookwood Cemetery following Requiem Mass at St Martha's Catholic Church, Strathfield NSW. A memorial service was also held at Sacred Heart Church, Griffith.

Bill and Dorothy McCann had two children: 1.

Judith Shirley born 1932 at Griffith NSW, married 1958 to LC (Charles) Freckman at St Canices Catholic Church, Elizabeth Bay. Lives at Strathfield NSW.

2.

Brian John born 1939 at Waverley NSW, married 1961 to Margaret Armstrong at the Sacred Heart Church, Griffith. Lives at Griffith NSW.

Sources: Information re Irrigation Farm Lease 1165: Department of Water Resources (courtesy of Doug Neil) and New South Wales Government Gazette.

2.

Genealogical information: Work in progress on history of McCann. Horan and Spehrs (Speirs) families. Judith Freckman.

3.

Diary notes. photos and army service information and personal history from private papers of Wilfred McCann and Dorothy McCann and from Army Archives.

4.

Information re membership of various organisations in Griffith from obituary in Area News-, November 1968, Griffith Show Society magazine Sept-Oct 1990 and -Murrumbidgee Irrigator. April 26. May 6. 1921.

5•

Other information: Registrar of Births. Deaths & Marriages. Sydney and the Government Statist. Melbourne.

6.

Irene Marjorie Jones (nee Horan). her personal papers.

7.

Family stories passed on and memories of Judith Freckman (nee McCann).

Contributed by Mrs Judith Freckman (nee McCann), 25 Redmyre Road, Strathfield 2135.

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McDONALD Alfred McDonald (known as "Fred" to his family and friends in Scotland, as "Mac", or occasionally as "Alf" to those in Australia) was horn 20 June 1889 at Lumphanan, near Aberdeen in Scotland. He was the fifth child in the family of nine (seven boys, two girls) born to Charles McDonald and his wife, Margaret.

As there were few opportunities for young men in Scotland during these years, most boys worked locally for a few years after leaving school before migrating to one of the "colonies". Mac had been considering following his older brothers, Charles and Alick, to Canada when a friend read an advertisement for jobs for agricultural workers available in New South Wales. They applied and were successful.

On arrival in Sydney in the summer of 1911, they were directed to catch the mail train to Ardlethan, where they would be met. One wonders how the young men felt as they waited there, alone for several hours in a temperature of 103 degrees, sweltering in their heavy tweed suits, surrounded by a flat, dry landscape so different from their homeland.

Eventually someone did arrive to drive them to "Narriah" Station where they were set to work cutting saplings to make their beds and mattresses for that night!!

After that, it was cutting out thistles, day after day. Labour was less expensive in those days!

Staff of Griffith Producers c.1923 to It Os Whiting, Elsie Slinpby, Sid Vagg, unknown, unknown, Jim Hardwick, unknown, I lyde Cates, unknown Courtesy Mrs Estelle (kering (nee McDonald)

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After some time on "Narriah" Station Mac heard of the jobs available on the construction of the MIA - jobs that offered better pay as well as requiring more skills.

His younger brother Jim, who had followed him to Australia, worked with him for a while before moving to Queensland to work as a refrigeration engineer in the sugar mills. Mac worked around Leeton, Whitton and Yenda, serving for some time in Paddy Burns' gang.

(Paddy another early Griffith resident, grandfather of the local Fielder family, was the Concrete Ganger responsible for the "finishing of structures such as the ornamental bridge in the town, principal culverts, etc. The ornamental Leeton Water Tower opposite the Hydro Hotel is also an example of his working skill.) Years later Mac would drive us out to show us, with pride, concrete checks he had made. The construction teams, working away from settled areas, had to travel to Narrandera for medicine/hospital attention while their provisions were obtained from hawkers, one of whom was named Louez. (This George Louez later established a business in Griffith and one of his daughters is Eleanor Grassby.)

When World War I broke out Mac left his construction job to enlist in the AIF, serving with the Seventeenth Battalion through the Gallipoli campaign, including the withdrawal, and through the years of fighting in France. He was a Lewis Gun Sergeant, was mentioned in despatches and was awarded the DCM for distinguished conduct in the trenches in France.

On discharge from the AIF Mac returned to the MIA, to the barracks at Beelbangera, and once again applied for a farm. (Although his first application had been successful, news of the allocation of a farm at Leeton reached him when he was in the trenches at Gallipoli - scarcely the time to race back to accept the offer!) This time he was allocated Farm 535, on what now is called McDonald Road, Bilbul. Originally only twenty acres, it was extended to include the adjoining farm when it became evident that the original blocks were too small to be viable.

Mac was a very good ballroom dancer. At a social in Griffith he was introduced to a young woman who, to his delight, was able to partner him in the reverse waltz. She was Elsie Slingsby, a cashier from Sydney, who had been invited to Griffith by her sister and brother-in-law, Lucy and Sid Vagg, to take a job in the office of the Producers Cooperative.

Mac and Elsie were married on 3 October 1924, in the Vagg home in Hyandra Street. They had one child Estelle Jean, born 13 March 1926, on the farm in the middle of a dust storm, with Nurse Taylor and Dr Goldberg in attendance.

Mac was a quiet man with a dry sense of humour. Although not one to seek executive positions, he was involved with his church (Griffith Presbyterian Management Committee) and community groups. He served as a director of the Griffith Co-operative Society and as a district organiser during World War II. He joined the UCP (now called the National Party) when it was formed to represent country interests. Every election day he was to be found manning the booth at Bilbul Public School. His great love of roses resulted in a front garden with rows and rows of roses - about sixty in all.

Mac and Elsie remained on Farm 535 until 1959. There had been problems.

Mac had replanted after the 1939 floods; he had watched the lower section of the farm, especially the north west corner, succumb to "salt" due to the presence of unlined supply channels on three sides of the farm, a condition exacerbated by the absence of any

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drainage ditches. After the 1956 floods he was faced with the enormous outlay of money to tile drain the farm, an outlay from which he was unlikely to benefit as he was now 70.

He sold the farm to C Ridley and he and Elsie moved to Caringbah to be near their daughter, son-in-law and four grandchildren.

It's interesting to note that three of their grandchildren, although brought up in the city, have returned to the country or have jobs connected with the country. Andrew, has a forty acre farm at Bungendore; Katrina, a Regional Archaeologist, lives on the edge of the Pilliga scrub; Donald (named after his grandfather) works as Co-ordinator of Projects with Water Resources and visits irrigation sites throughout the State.

After Elsie's death on 30 June 1974, Mac continued to live at Caringbah until 1980 when he moved to his daughter and son-in-law's home at Cronulla. He died on 11 July 1981.

Binya !fills c.1927 L to R: Elsie McDonald (nee Slingsby), Mac McDonald holding daughter Estelle, Sarah Freeman (nee Slingsby), Nocla Vagg, Lucy Vagg. Courtesy Mrs Estelle (leering (nee McDonald)

Alfred McDonald born 20 June 1889. Lumphanan. Scotland died 11 July 1981. cremated Rookwood (Sydney) NSW married in Griffith 3 October 1924 Elsie Mildred Slingsby born 16 October 1892. Fish River NSW died 30 June 1974. cremated Rookwood (Sydney) NSW (Elsie's grandparents and great grandparents arrived in Australia in 1838 on the -Amelia Thompson")

Estelle Jean horn 13 March 1926. married Gordon Alexander (leering. 20 December 1947 (tour children). Lives at Cronulla NSW.

By courtesy Mrs Estelle (leering (nee McDonald), 4 Gunnamatta Road, Cronulla NSW. 292

McINTYRE/ABBOTT/NICHOLLS Margaret Buchanan McIntyre came to Yenda first in 1922, from Scotland, with her daughter May to join her son Thomas McIntyre who had arrived some years earlier. May later married Harold Nicholls in Yenda. Their wedding was the first in the then new Methodist Church which the McIntyre family had helped to rebuild, after the former church had been blown down in a severe wind storm in September 1923.

It is uncertain when Thomas McIntyre arrived in Australia. However, he joined the Manchester Unity Lodge at Cootamundra in 1914, later transferring to the Yenda Lodge. The following is an extract from the Lodge Journal after his death in 1960:- "In the first World War Thomas McIntyre served with distinction, held a commissioned Rank with the 18th Battalion A.I.F. and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for devotion to duty, a decoration he rarely spoke of. After Gunlock &HAVIlci, returning from Active Service he took a keen interest in Lodge work and later passed John McIntyre and Margaret Buchanan McIntyre through District Office". Tom, as he was Courtesy (trace Warren (nee Abbott) known, settled on Farm 1371 Yenda and later purchased another farm opposite the Yenda Golf Course. He married late in life to Jessie Buckland in Sydney. There was no issue from this marriage and they retired to Hare!brook in the Blue Mountains and later, as his health deteriorated, they moved to the Lodge Home "Courtlands" at Parramatta, where he passed away on 7 May 1960 aged 76 years and was cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium. His wife Jessie passed away at "Courtlands" two or three years later.

Tom Abbott and Jean (nee McIntyre), also from Scotland, followed the rest of their family to Australia in 1924. They had been married at the Town Hall, Kinghorn.

At the time of his marriage to Jean, Tom was a widower with two teenage children of his previous marriage - Martha aged 15 and George aged 11.

In their native Scotland Tom had been a bottlemaker (glass blower) and Jean a shop assistant. They sailed to Australia and with the two children made their way to Yenda by train via Temora - then a journey of between 22 and 24 hours from Sydney.

Their first home was with Jean's McIntyre family on Farm 1371, Yenda. After living in four other homes over the years they finally settled on their own farm, No 1529, Yenda. Tom Abbott also worked for McWilliams Winery before becoming foreman of the Yenda Producers Co-op Packing Shed - a position he held until his retirement.

293

Their younger daughter, Grace, recalls that "settlers had very hard times in those days when farm sites were given to soldier settlers in a mostly barren, uncleared condition.

They were therefore unproductive and non-income earning. Irrigation came later but before this life seemed a progression of frightful dust storms. Then, just as many people were beginning to get on their feet, the full impact of the Great Depression began to make itself felt!!"

However, despite the many and constant hardships, "all the settlers worked together and helped one another. They made their own amusements by taking it in turn to have parties in their homes. Transport was mainly horse and dray or sulky; otherwise (it was) walk to work and school.

"My mother and father, Jean and Tom, were great golfers and bowlers. Dad coached many golfers and played on the Yenda Golf Course which no longer exists - this land is now the property of Wynvale Winery. My brother, George, holds a certificate for `holing in one' on the Yenda Course.

"I am disappointed that no street nor road was ever named after these two families because, as early settlers, their hard work, self denial and contribution generally to the community has been a factor in turning the area from a dustbowl into the beautiful and prosperous area it is today.

"In 1979 I took my mother back to Scotland which she had left 55 years before and I was interested to see where they had lived before coming to Australia. Their home in Scotland was beside the seaside so it was easy to imagine how they felt arriving in Yenda in those early days - such a vast difference! However, I know also that they had many happy memories of their life at Yenda."

Both Tom and Jean Abbott are buried in the Yenda Cemetery.

This Certificate takes the lace of a Passport and must be produced at t fur the single journey to A .stralia and must be surrendered to the Auth,_ Tom Abbott and Jean Ahhott (ncc McIntyre) Courtesy Grace Warren (nee Abbott)

294

TOM ABBOTT died on 8 December 1963 aged 79 years and JEAN ABBOTT (nee McIntyre) died on 21 April 1980 aged 83 years. Their family are: Martha Deacon Abbott born 11 April 1909 in Scotland; married Michael Raymond Sheehan (known to most as "Mick", but to the family as "Ray). Martha worked at the Yenda Bakery owned by Ellis and later by Byes. Martha died on 28 May 1974 and Ray died on 3 December 1974. Both are buried at the Northern Suburbs Cemetery, Sydney. Martha and Ray had three children one of whom, Michael Sheehan, married Nellie Spry. Nellie passed away on 26 April 1991 and is buried in the Griffith Lawn Cemetery. They had two children.

George William Abbott born 9 July 1913 in Scotland married Joyce Pritchard in the Yenda Methodist Church. George worked for Keys in their store in Yenda before working for Bill and Connie Swales until he joined the Air Force. Both Joyce and George served in the Air Force during WW2. Joyce also worked for Mr and Mrs Percy Hamilton in Yenda. After George's death on 31 January 1950 (buried Camden cemetery) Joyce remarried and lives at Pretty Beach NSW. The youngest, Grace Abbott, was born at "Loretto" Hospital Griffith on 17 December 1926. She married John Francis Albert Warren on 2 January 1950 in the Yenda Methodist Church. John (who was better known as "Jack") was born at Young NSW on 16 October 1914 and went to school at Monteagle. He served during WW2 with the 6th Division (2nd/2nd). Jack was taken prisoner-of-war in Greece and taken to prison camp Stalag 18A at Wolfburg, Austria. Grace and Jack have two children: John David born 24 September 1951; before suffering a debilitating accident on I. 17 November 1973, John worked on the Railway. The family now reside at Bateau Bay because there are more facilities available there for John.

Ronald James born 7 June 1954; married Jillian Anne Hammond (born 7 June 2.

1956) on 21 April 1979 in the Chapel of Monte St Angelo, Chatswood. Ron was a Flying Officer in the Air Force and served overseas at Butterworth Malaysia.

After ten years service he resigned and works for Telecom and lives at Wyong NSW. Ron and Jill have four children.

Tom Abbott (with the demijohn) and workers at the First Packing shed at Yenda Producers Courtesy Grace Warren (nec Abbott)

295

May Nicholls (nce McIntyre) Courtesy Elma Harris (nee Nicholls)

HAROLD NICHOLLS was horn in Sydney.

During WW1 he served as a Trooper (No 873) in the 12th Light Horse Regiment. Following WW1 he was allocated Farm 1372, Yenda through the Soldier Settlement Scheme. He married MAY McINTYRE in 1924. May had migrated from Scotland with her mother, Margaret Buchanan McIntyre to join her brother Thomas McIntyre. May had learned to play the organ from an early age and as she had brought her organ from Scotland, the McIntyre home was frequently the venue for sing-songs and get-togethers in those early days. Together May and Harold toiled to make the farm a productive vineyard and orchard. Daughter Elma recalls that "they lived on Farm 1372 until about 1941 when Harold purchased the farm of my Uncle Tom McIntyre (Farm 1371) and the family moved into the McIntyre house as it was larger and more central for working the two farms.

Harold died 26 September 1966 and is interred in the Yenda Cemetery. May moved to Bateau Bay in 1967 and at 92 years of age is now a resident at Nareen Gardens Nursing Home, Bateau Bay. May continued to play the organ until 1990, and for many years was organist at Yenda Methodist Church.

In later years her sight deteriorated and she was unable to read the music, but played for the amusement of her family, friends and herself, 'by ear'...."

Harold and May had six children - one, a twin to Bruce, died soon after birth and was buried in Yenda Cemetery. There are now thirteen Great Grandchildren of Harold and May's union.

Harold Nicholls Trooper 12th Light Horse Regiment Courtesy Elms Harris (nee Nicholls)

296

John McIntyre married (14 July 1881 at Glasgow) Margaret Buchanan

I Jean Campbell Johnstone McIntyre married Thomas Abbott (Tom's children = Martha & George)

I Thomas McIntyre married Jessie Buckland (No children)

1. Martha Deacon Abbott married Michael Raymond Sheehan 1. Michael Sheehan, lives at Griffith. Married Nellie Spry (died 26 April 1991).

Two children - Suzanne & Michael.

2. Terry Sheehan - un-married Lives at Collaroy.

3. Beverley Waite (nee Sheehan) lives at Collaroy. Three children - Peter, Michael & Melinda.

I May McIntyre married Harold Nicholls • 1. Harold (Bill) Nicholls married Elaine Wyse and lives at Barellan.

1. Jeanette married Ken Overs - Barellan.

2. Nomia married Michael West - Barmedman.

3. Anne married Neville Fisher - Weethalle 4. Harold - Barellan 2. Donald Nicholls married Patricia Webber. lives at Oak Flats.

1. Ian - Albion Park 2. Jennifer - married Ray Zoocoli - Mt Warrigal.

3. Annette - Oak Flats.

2. George William Abbott married Joyce Pritchard 1. Rosyln Smith (nee Abbott) lives at Forrestdale WA. Two children - Joanne & David 2. Ian Abbott married Bernadette Sheehan, lives at Bass Hill NSW. Two children - Brendan & Daniel.

3. Jill Fskford (nee Abbott) lives at Camden NSW. Two children Craig & Mark.

4. Georgina Robinson (nee Abbott) lives at Camden NSW. Two children - Donna & Shane.

3. Elma Nicholls married Bill Harris. lives at Long Jetty NSW. 1. Vicki - Coleambally.

2. Heather - Mermaid Beach Old. 3. Christine married Gary Mellon -Jilliby NSW. 4. Bruce Nicholls lives Bateau Bay NSW. 5. Roy Nicholls married Barbara Preston. Lives at Leeton NSW. 1. David - Leeton 2. Gregory - Leeton 3. Murray - Leeton.

3. Grace Abbott married John F A Warren 1. John David Warren 2. Ronald James Warren married Jillian Hammond, lives at Wyong. Four children Shane, Gavin. Dean & Vanessa.

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Margaret Buchanan McIntyre before coming to Australia, 1922 Courtesy Ilma Harris (nee Nichols)

McIntyre, Abbott & Nicholls Families Courtesy Grace Warren (nec Abbott)

By courtesy Mrs Grace Warren (nec Abbott), 40 Marlow Road, Bateau Bay and Mrs Elma Harris (nec Nicholls), 60 Koorinda Ave, Long Jetty.

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McKISSACK George Alwyn McKissack was born 26 February 1893 at Bendigo, Victoria. He was the third of five children of Robert Maxwell McKissack and Emma Sophie (nee Medcalf/Metcalf). His brothers and sisters were Charles Robert Norman, Alice May, William and Gladys.

He married Ethel Victoria Godfrey on 9 April 1921 at Kameruka Estate on the South Coast. Ethel was the eldest of eight children of Andrew James Godfrey and Margery (nee Williams). Her brothers and sisters were William Edgar, Harry Peter, Clifford Stanley, Walter Cyril, Ruby Josepha, Edna Allan and Anne Chelsea Excellenor.

George served in the 7th Australian Light Horse Regiment during the first World War. He met Ethel while she was serving as a Nursing Sister at No 13 Australian Auxiliary Hospital (a Military George Atwyn McKissack and Ethel Victoria Godfrey Hospital).

Courtesy Christine Gavin (nee Crawford) After World War 1, George came to Griffith and drew a block which was about where the Shell Depot is to-day in Mackay Avenue. He thought it would be too close to town and that he would have trouble with the children stealing his fruit so he purchased Farm 402, Yenda. He purchased the farm on 24 September 1920 from Louis Stephen McNeil (who had drawn the farm the previous December). The rent per annum was £60/4/5 and by 1935 the rent had increased to L179/19/11. In 1937 the farm was converted to an Irrigation Farm Purchase for L1,563/15/0.

When Ethel arrived in Yenda by train, George drove her straight across country to Farm 402. Ethel found it very difficult in the heat and the cold and also the severe dust storms. She was used to living in Sydney in Hospitals which had thick stone walls.

George bought a spring cart and later a horse and sulky. Before that he rode a horse as the country was just mud and slush.

They had a hard life and worked long hours with little social life. They started off with a dairy farm and then started rice growing. George was the first President of the RSL and drove miles collecting donations to build the first club house, which is now demolished. George and Ethel liked to help the school and supplied milk to every social activity that was possible. They liked to help anyone that needed it and George bred milking cows and bartered in fruit and vegetables so the family always had plenty of milk, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pigs and sheep.

George and Ethel had three children; Andrew Godfrey, Alwyn Robert and Emma Metcalf. Andrew Godfrey (known as Godfrey) married Marjery Geddes. He passed away 299

in December 1990. Alwyn Robert (known as Bob) married Del Woodhill and is a pastor with the Baptist Church, presently living in Narrandera. Emma Metcalf (known as "Peg) married Erskine Crawford. Erskine passed away in May 1987 and Peg is now living in Thirroul NSW. George's grandparents were William McKissack and Margaret Maxwell and Charles Medcalf and Eliza Barrand. Ethel's father (Andrew James Godfrey) was the cheese maker at Kameruka Estate and her grandfather, Samuel Isiah Williams was a Eurasian Immigrant from India. (His father was an English officer in the British Army and his Mother was an Indian).

Granddaughter, Christine recalls that "my Grandfather always wore flannel shirts, summer and winter. They kept him warm in the winter and cool in the summer when they became damp with perspiration and the breeze blew through them. Before joining the Military Nursing, Ethel had done her training at Callan Park Mental Institution.

During her Military Nursing, she used to take the soldiers up to the Blue Mountains to recover from the war.

"I remember her telling me that many subjects were taboo, particularly those of a personal nature.

"She used to sell eggs at 2/- a dozen and 5/- for a setting of eggs. During the summer, the whole family used to swim at the 'Willows' which was a very popular swimming hole in the main canal. As there were no phones, the water bailiff seemed to be the person who spread the news around the district.

"I remember my grandmother, Ethel, as being very prim and proper. She always had her arms and legs covered, no matter how hot the weather. She never went outside without a hat on and her skin was in beautiful condition right up to the day she died. I remember when I was about 16 years old, how horrified she was when she saw me sitting astride a motorbike in my short sports tunic talking to the boy who owned it! She was always reminding me to act and behave like a lady."

George McKissack died in Yenda on 19 April 1944 and in 1952 the farm was sold to Wilfred and Eileen Marriott. Ethel then moved back down to the South Coast to Merimbula. Later on, she moved back to Yenda to live with her daughter, Peg. She died in Yenda on 30 August 1978 at the age of 90 years.

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John McKissack married 1821 Ann McBeath • William Thomas McKissack (1824-1914) married 1859 Margaret Maxwell (1835-1911) • Robert Maxwell McKissack (1866-1946) married 1889 Emma Sophia Medealf • George Alwyn McKissack born 26 February 1893 died 19 April 194-1 1.

William Thomas Godfrey married Eliza Dowell •

married 9 April 1921

Andrew James Godfrey married Margery Williams • Ethel Victoria Godfrey born 24 May 1888 died 30 August 1978

• Andrew Godfrey born 1922; married Marjery Geddes; three children - Erica. Fiona and Janine

2.

Alwyn Robert born 1923; married Dell Woodhill: three children Stuart. (iwenda and Joanne

3.

Emma (Tee) Metcalf born 1925: married Erskine Crawford: two children - Christine and Peter.

By courtesy of Christine Gavin (nee Crawford), PO Box 149, Yenda 2681.

The Barracks" Yenda - now Farm 1919 Courtesy Alan and Edna Wakley

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M EGGITT Joseph Bloom Meggitt and his wife Eliza Hannah Loxley of Sheffield in England had a family of fifteen children, four of whom settled in Griffith.

Eliza's family has been traced back to 1277 to the Loxleys of Hallamshire (in Norman times) now County of York. The name Loxley derives from a stream, so named in Norman days. After Norman occupation the area became the hamlet/village of Loxley which still exists approximately ten miles south east of Stratford-on-Avon.

Family tradition has it that Robin Hood's true name was Robert Locksley (Loxley) and was connected to this family.

After Eliza's death in 1912, Joseph Meggitt also came to Australia and died in New Zealand in 1926 while visiting his daughters.

The first of the Meggitt children to come to Australia was LOXLEY, the eldest son, who landed in Sydney in 1903 where he worked as an analytical chemist for a number of years before moving to Griffith where he purchased Farm 8, Hanwood from T H Stark in 1920. Loxley married Isobel Gray.

MARGARET "Madge" Meggitt came to Australia together with her brother Edward Loxley in 1909. She met and married Frank Piggott and they lived on Farm 142 at Hanwood. After Frank died Edward Loxicy Mcggitt from a heart attack Margaret married Bill Courtesy Joan Gray (ncc Mcggitt) Gates. There was no issue from either marriage.

EDWARD LOXLEY the third youngest of the family was horn in 1892 at Mansfield in England. He came to Australia in 1909 and worked sinking bores in New South Wales and as an Estate Agent (rent collector). It was during this time that he met Elaine Coleman Waters who was to become his wife. When the War broke out he enlisted in Sydney and served in the Australian Light Horse in Egypt and then the Supply Unit in France for four years. After Edward was discharged he came to Griffith by steam train to Willbriggie. At first he lived with his brother Loxley on Farm 8 at Hanwood and helped him work the farm.

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Edward Meggitt - Cairo 1916 Courtesy Joan Gray (nee Meggitt)

In 1922 he married Elaine Waters at Summer Hill. Elaine was born in Boston, America, her parents were Robert and Susan (nee Ainsley) Waters. Born and married in Dublin, Ireland, they had migrated to Boston, The America. family later migrated, on a sailing ship, to Sydney, Australia, where they lived

until their death.

Edward and Elaine settled on Farm 1826, a mixed fruit farm, at Lake Wyangan and lived there all their lives.

Edward and Elaine had four children, Joan, Helen, William and Doreen.

Edward passed away in 1969 and Elaine in 1972 and they are buried together in the Griffith Cemetery.

Joan remembers her mother using a drip safe to keep the meat and butter cool. A wood copper in which the water was boiled to do the washing. Cooking was done on a wood stove and heating in winter was by an open fire.

Elaine and Grandfather Joseph Meggitt Clothes were made by her bathing at Cronulla Beach 1919 Courtesy Joan Gray (nec Meggitt) mother and when a collar became worn it was "turned" to get the most use from a garment. Even a blazer was "turned"27 and school uniforms home made, while socks were knitted and Joan's mother even made her father's flannel shirts.

The family owned a cow and scalded the milk and made butter from the cream.

They also had their own "chooks" for a fresh supply of eggs.

27

,T

urning" = the entire garment was unpicked and remade on the reserve side

303

Rain water tanks supplied the household with water for every day use.

Irrigation water was for the farm and a dam for outside use around the house. A watering can was often used to water the "vegie" and flower garden.

Generally transport was by horse and sulky but most visits to neighbouring farms was done by walking and pushing a pram with the baby and "littlies" in it. Draught horses were used to pull implements to work the farm.

As little "kids" they would build cubby houses with fruit boxes and drying trays.

Children also played hospitals and school with their dolls. The dolls were sent to them by relatives in Sydney. "Jacks" was a favourite game to play. As they got older, they swam in the channels and dam and went fishing for yabbies. They walked to Primary School and rode bikes to High School. Weekends and after school they helped on the farm, picking fruit and pitting fruit onto trays for drying, picking up the prunings after Dad had pruned Edward and Elaine Mcggitt, 1921 the trees in winter and harvesting and husking Courtesy Joan Gray (nee Meggitt) the almonds. There were no library books in those days but they were given many books and inherited a love of books. Their father continually read newspapers and hooks - he liked to be well informed of politics, sport and business, and listened to the news every day. He also loved playing sport - tennis and bowls. They visited the shops and went to church once a week.

Daughter Joan says "we remember our 'Granny' (Susan Waters) and Auntie Ethel Waters with much love. Every Birthday and Christmas a lovely parcel would arrive from them, books, beautifully dressed dolls (with knitted clothes) and clothes for us. They were very talented craftswomen. I still have tablecloths etc embroidered by Auntie, as well as a dressed doll".

Each year after the fruit harvest finished the family spent a holiday at Cronulla with Mother's family, playing in the sandhills and in the sea. We also visited Darlington Point during the summer months for swimming and picnics on the beach.

The children were brought up to have a love of trees, books, sport, music and handicrafts. It was a satisfying life with the family.

Joan remembers being told that one day the horse "Charlie" hacked the sulky into the dam with her mother still sitting on the seat with baby Joan in her arms.

She remembers also that her father had an accident with one horse. He was knocked over and broke his arm, just as he was getting the farm started. (At this time he

304

lived in the corner of the shed until he and Uncle Eric built the house.) He also did all the fencing and planting of the trees. They both worked hard and long hours.

Accidents a plenty! The loft in the shed fell down one day and Joan fell with it, breaking her wrist. Her brother Bill had one of his fingers on his right hand caught in the lawn mower and it was cut off at the first joint.

Their Dad had the first Model T Ford in Lake Wyangan and Joan remembers that he overturned it in the sand one day when going to Darlington Point.

Remembered also are the Saturday afternoon visits and also going to the Lyceum Theatre for sixpence and visits made on foot to family friends for afternoon tea.

However, Joan says they all enjoyed the love and care of their parents and had a happy, family orientated upbringing. She recalls that her father always said that driving to the irrigation area through the surrounding plains was like coming to an Oasis.

ULtsv-ard sitting on the verandah of the house, "Elwood”, I)ccember 1722

Edward off to the train with his first load of sultanas, March 1927 Photos courtesy Joan Gray (nee Mcggitt)

3(15

Nurse O'Reilly with Joan Mcggitt (1 week old) "Woodlands" Privatc Hospital, December 1923. Dr Bodycomb's Residence in background Photos courtesy the Mcggitt family

•

1)orecn Mcggitt

Thc Mcggitt Family - May 1933 • Edward and Maine with Ilelcn, William and Joan.

30(

ERIC GEOFFREY, the youngest member of the family, worked on two farms in England before joining the Army and serving in France.

In April 1920 he came to Australia with his brother Joe and joined Loxley on the farm at Hanwood. In 1922 he applied for land at Lake View where Edward had already settled and eventually went onto Farm 1866 in 1923.

In 1924 he married May Belle ("Mabel') Thorne (horn Tasmania 1890) sister of Cliff Thorne. The marriage was held at the home of Cliff and his wife Elsie.

Mabel was a dental nurse in Sydney prior to her marriage. They had a family of four daughters, Gwen, Ruth, Brenda and Margaret.

Their eldest daughter Gwen recalls that "Dad had a love of 'wheels'. At one time he borrowed a horse and sulky to get Mum to the maternity ward on time. Then came a motor bike with side car, and 'Lizzie' a funny little utility until 1928, when Eric and Mabel Meggitt 1934 `Chevie' was bought - his pride and joy.

Courtesy Gwen O'Toole (nec Meggitt) `She' was still going during the war years.

There was also a T model Ford truck for the farm at Yoogali. We moved to Sydney for a very short time, then in 1932 to Farm 638 at Yoogali, where we all went to school.

"As with all mothers of the time, life was very full for Mum, and we have lots of very happy memories. Going to Taylors Beach, Darlington Point, for school holidays. We travelled in a Chev Tourer, got covered in dust and came home cooked and sore, but happy!

"It was great fun going with Dad on the lorry to Penfold's to deliver grapes, where Dad's old straw hat went down the shute (a nice drop!), or to the Producers to put packed fruit on the train hound for Sydney. Picnics on Scenic Hill in the hope of seeing 'The Hermit'; going to matinees and leaving our bikes behind the Co-op and they were always there when we returned; the picnics at the Lake View Golf Course and walking around the Lake while Dad played golf.

"Dad joined the VDC about 1940 - the Company embraced Griffith, Darlington Point and Goolgowi districts. After various sorties our Dad became QC of this Company with the rank of Captain. They were properly enlisted and medically examined and Dad wrote 'I had to tell a few fibs there!' If there had been any likelihood of the enemy landing in Australia their job was to be down in Sydney in the Balmain district.

Thankfully that never came about.

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The Meggitt Family about 1940, with a load of grapes L to Ft• Ruth, Eric, Mabel (in truck), Peg (sitting), Gwen and Brenda Courtesy Gwen O'Toole (nec Meggitt)

"Because of Dad's poor health, the family moved to Gosford in 1945, and another farm, but that venture didn't last long after Dad had major surgery. They moved into Gosford and eventually to Terrigal where Dad became a keen bowler and Mum enjoyed her garden and grandchildren."

Eric Geoffrey Meggitt died at Terrigal on 31 December 1968 and Mabel died at Gosford on 5 August 1969.

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Joseph Bloom Meggitt born 13 Sep 1849 died 2 August 1926

Ilannah Loxley married born 1852 20 August 1872 died 5 June 1912 Bridgehouses Chapel Sheffield. England (fifteen children - four came to Griffith)

(1)

Loxley born 16 August 1873. Sheffield. died 21 May 1944: married (1) Isobel Gray. (2) Lucy Eleanor Heighway - no issue.

(2)

Margaret born 19 June 1891 Mansfield. died 22 September 1979 Terrigal NSW: married (1) Frank Piggott, (2) Ilted ("Bill") Gates - no issue.

(3)

Edward Loxley born 31 August 1892. Mansfield. died 5 April 1969 Griffith: married 1922 Elaine Coleman Waters died 12 November 1972, aged 81 years. They had a family of four: 1.

Joan Elaine born 14 December 1923 in Griffith. married John ("Jack") Gray and live on Farm 1826. Lake Wyangan. Four children.

Helen Margaret born 15 July 1925 in Sydney, married Wallace Stewart Barber and live in Griffith. Six children.

(4)

3.

William Harold born 21 May 1928 in Griffith. married Patricia McNamara and live in Canberra. ACT. Four children.

4.

Doreen Ethel born 2 March 1935 in Griffith. married Leo Sandberg and live on Farm 1758 at Ballingal. Griffith. Three children.

Fxie Geoffrey born 7 May 1896. died 31 December 1968 Terrigal: married 17 May 1924 May Belle ("Mabel") Thorne, born Tasmania 1890. died Gosford 5 August 1969. Both Eric and Mabel are buried at Wamberal. Gosford. They had a family of four: 1.

Gwen born 23 May 1926 at Griffith. married Frank O'Toole and now lives at Somersby via Gosford NSW. Two children.

2.

Ruth born 24 January 1928 at Griffith. married James Knight now lives at Pt Cartwright. Kawana Old. Six Children.

3.

Brenda born 16 June 1930 married Lionel Genge and lives at Mangrove Mountain via Gosford NSW. Four children.

4.

Margaret ("Peg") born 19 April 1932. married (1) William Knight. two children: (2) Garry Smallman and lives at Mildura.

By courtesy of Mrs Joan Gray (nee Meggitt), Farm 1826, Lake Wyangan and Mrs Gwen O'Toole (nee Meggitt), RMB 3436, Somersby 2250.

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MILLER Alfred Clarence Miller, the first son of Alfred Albert Miller and Emily (nee Dunn), was born at Nymagee in 1892. Alfs parents moved to Wyalong in 1894 where he lived and worked until he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces to fight in World War I. Alf, as he was known, served in the Middle East and France, attaining the rank of sergeant. After being wounded in France he was sent to England to recuperate. Here he met and later married, a hospital visitor, Mary Maude (May) Bates. May had isy2 - /98#been born in Liverpool in England, the daughter of a piano tuner, Benjamin Thomas Bates and his wife Alice Jane.

Alf and May returned to Australia in 1919 with their infant son, Thomas, and rented a house in West Wyalong, until he was able Courtesy Ron Miller to buy a farm. By this time they had three children. They named the farm "Nether Edge" after May's home in England and lived in a tent on it until their home was built. A sad experience while living on that farm was the loss of their sixth child, Douglas, from gastroenteritis when he was only a few months old.

The farm was sold in 1927 to enable Alf to buy, from his brother Harold, their father's old farm "Emu Tank". However, Alf and May Miller walked off this dry area property at Mildil 12 miles west of West Wyalong during the Great Depression. They loaded as much as possible on to a 1928 one-ton Chevrolet truck with a tray size of around 9 feet by 7 feet and moved to Ycnda in 1932. Alf s ex-army friend, Garnet Jennings a Soldier Settler of Yenda, had arranged for the Millers to move into, and to rent, a house on a farm owned by Frank ("Spud") Owens on the Yenda/Griffith road some two miles from Yenda. Neighbours were Clive Hayes-Williams, his wife and daughter Valerie to the west, Frank Stephens to the north and Owens to the east.

The truck carried the parents, their eight children and as many of their worldly possessions that could be packed on it. May was a gifted pianist who had taught music at her sister's kindergarten in Sheffield. It followed that the Beale pianola took precedence over many other necessary items and was the first item loaded.

Joyce, not yet two years of age, was nursed by her mother in the narrow cabin on a seat wide enough for two people. Tom, the eldest at 14 years, sat on the toolbox which 310

was mounted on the running board beside the cab. The remaining six children were placed in a "turkey nest" on top of the load of furniture and effects.

Soon after arrival, Alf commenced selling firewood and doing whatever carrying jobs came his way. On 17 June 1934, John was born on the property at Owen's farm. Dr Thom attended the birth. He was a regular visitor to the household and enjoyed playing the piano.

Within two to three years Alf was able to purchase another truck with greater carrying capacity.

He then purchased a small farmlet on "Suicide Highway" (Yenda-Leeton Road) which had been owned

by Alec Robinson who moved with his family to Goulburn. This farmlet - No 795 - was around 7 acres and was a residential property only. It boasted a tennis court and at weekends teenage friends of the family congregated at the Miller household. All were welcome and party games and sing-a-longs were held regularly on Sunday evenings with May at the piano or with the young ones pedalling the rolls.

May, who had a frail constitution because of a heart complaint, had been advised not to have any more children after the first was born - yet went on to have ten in all!! Her strong spirit led her to ride horses side Mary (May) Miller saddle at full gallop and ride behind her husband on the 1894-1974 Courtesy Ron Miller back of an old Douglas motor bike. She yearned to pay a return visit to England but never succeeded in doing so. Like many other women, she endured the hardships of the Depression without complaint and managed to alleviate them for her family by her hard work and ingenuity, her cheerful disposition and musical entertainment.

Accompanied by her husband, who had taught himself to play the mouth organ and accordion, she often played the piano for family sing songs. She could play with or without music and often obliged her children by listening to the latest hit tunes on the wireless then playing them by ear. She also played publicly for dances, school functions and the like, and at parties farewelling or welcoming home Yenda's servicemen.

It was during the mid-thirties that Alf purchased his first refrigerator. It was of 41/2 cubic foot capacity and, strange as it may seem today, was quite adequate for ten people not used to such luxury!

During 1935 Ron left school to work for Simpson Bros in their General Store and Tom went off to Sydney on his bicycle looking for work. He left home with just a few shillings in his pocket and returned a year later with the same amount. Things were tough!!

Sadness was added to the Depression in 1936 when Dawn died of Diphtheria.

She died at home after much suffering. Memories include the mail bringing black bordered envelopes containing black bordered sympathy cards.

Yenda was a busy place during the thirties with two doctors - Dilger and Thom; a chemist - Jim Mathieson; four grocers - Simpson Bros, Burgharts, Yenda Producers and Blackman Bros. Simpsons and Blackmans also sold clothes, shoes and probably hats.

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On Saturday afternoons, children would attend the Matinee, complete with serial, at the Regent Theatre. The canvas deck chairs were popular and the double ones even more so if you were courting! The ladies would drop their grocery orders into their favoured grocer and then spend the afternoon with friends at the CWA hall. The men would wander and talk in groups, go to the Diggers Club, to the Hotel or to the billiard room to place a few bob each way with the local SP bookie.

Each Saturday night a dance would be held at the CWA hall with music provided

by Gordon Hand who eventually married Wilma Spencer. Occasional woolshed dances were also held and adults, teenagers and children all participated. The Regent Theatre was the venue for many outstanding Balls during this period, with good support from Griffith people.

Cars were nearly all tourers and therefore unlockable but groceries and other provisions were placed in them during the afternoon by shopkeepers with no likelihood of theft.

The Annual School Picnic was a most popular event and held for some years at Rube Sheldon's property which was opposite that of Clive Hayes-Williams.

Yenda Public School catered for Year 9 or Intermediate standard. It's Principal, in the early thirties, was a disciplinarian by the name of Strang.

"Paddy" Greenshields was popular with the children of Yenda. He met the Temora Mail each day with his small one-horse lorry and delivered the mail, passengers and freight to the Post Office, Hotel and shops in that order. The kids often enjoyed a ride on the lorry with him.

Transport was scarce and to "dink" someone on a bicycle was commonplace, even with adults. The person being "dinked" sat sideways on the horizontal bar between the rider's arms.

Yenda - c. 1935. Burghari's Store oppositc Ycnda Police Station.

Charlie Keys (with pipe and white shirt) standing on load of timber.

Next person unknown. Alf Miller at driver's door (his truck) Courtesy Ron Miller

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At the end of the thirties, World War II arrived. Tom served with the 6th Division of the 2nd AIF in Libya, Greece and Crete. He returned to Australia in a hospital ship during 1942 and was soon discharged as unfit for further service.

Ron joined the RAAF after serving in the Militia and trained as a pilot in Canada and the UK. He then completed a tour of operations in the Mediterranean. Alan transferred from the Militia to the 2nd AIF and served with the Armoured Division in the northwest of Australia. Colin joined the 2nd AIF and served in New Guinea. John, being under military age, joined the Air Cadets. All four boys returned.

Brenda left home to train as a nurse at Leeton District Hospital in 1941 and graduated in 1946. Myra worked as a telephonist at Yenda exchange until she married Gus Gregory in 1941. Joyce, always interested in music, studied at the Conservatorium as well as completing her nursing training.

Swimming was a popular pastime and the favourite spots were at Farley's bridge, the Northern canal and the Murrumbidgee River at Whitton. Alf would take a group of teenagers and youngsters on the truck. During the day he would be assisted by the older ones to load the truck with river sand using shovels. They would have a great singsong on the back of the truck on a Sunday evening on the return trip. The sand would be delivered the next morning to a buyer.

L to Ft: Back - Colin, John, Ron, Alan and Tom Front - Brenda, Myra, Mother (May), Joyce Courtesy Ron Miller

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Alexander Miller & Helen (nee Robertson) arrived Australia from Scotland 22 November 1841 • William Miller b. Newcastle NSW 15 Jan 1842 married Emma Jane Grose • Alfred Albert Miller b.The Junction NSW 25 Nov 1868 married Emily Dunn • Alfred Clarence Miller married born Nymagee Abbeydale, Sheffield, England 3 February 1892 21 May 1917 died Griffith 9 August 1954 1.

Benjamin Thomas Bates married Alice Jane

Mary Maude Bates born Liverpool England 29 September 1894 died 8 July 1974

Thomas Alfred born Sheffield England 13 March 1918: married Phyllis May Carman - one daughter. Tracey Anne.

Brenda Vera born West Wyalong NSW 6 February 1920: married Frank Harold Smith - four children. Peter. Jill. Brenda and Graeme.

3.

Ronald born West Wyalong NSW 12 February 1921: married Enid Mary Rydon - four children, Annette. Peter. Wendy and Paul.

4.

Alan Arthur born West Wyalong NSW 3 February 1922: married Rue May Ethel Dunn - three children. Alan. Keith and Christina.

5.

Myra May born West Wyalong NSW 23 February 1923; married Augustine Boykett Gregory - seven children. Clifford. Christopher.

Susan. Kathleen. Judith. Gordon and Rodney.

6.

Douglas born West Wyalong NSW September 1924. died West Wyalong NSW 3 May 1925.

7.

Colin born West Wyalong NSW 3 May 1926; married Fay Margaret Kendall - two sons. Dennis and Steven.

8.

Eunice Dawn born West Wyalong 25 June 1927. died Griffith 30 May 1936.

9.

Joyce Maureen born West Wyalong 19 September 1930; married Luigi Carlos (Louis) Delpiano - four children. Gary. Magda. Amanda and Wayne.

10.

John Clifford born Yenda 17 June 1934: married Janice Ruth Plant two sons. Locky and John.

Family background and genealogical source: "The Miller Family of Newcastle, Wyalong and Wollongong"• Written and published by C E Smith. 32 Sun Hill Drive, Merewether Heights. NSW 2291.

By courtesy of Ron Miller and Joyce Delpiano (nee Miller), Griffith 2680.

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MOLESWORTH Sydney Llewellyn ("Syd") Molesworth, who was born at Newtown, a suburb of Sydney, on 5 November 1889 was the youngest son of Edmund William Molesworth and Clara (nee Smith). Syd was educated at Sydney Grammar School after which he worked in his father's shipping agency. He then entered Duntroon Military Academy and graduated as a Lieutenant. He served with the 35th Battalion in the first AIF, with the Australian Light Horse Regiment in Egypt. The horses were shipped with the Light Horsemen and they travelled to Egypt via Capetown, South Africa. They disembarked at Capetown to exercise their horses. Syd later remarked on "how the white people walked on one side of the street and the black folk on the other side and also that this was the first glimpse by South Africans of Aussie men with feathers in their hats". Leaving Capetown, they, with their horses, again boarded their ship bound for Egypt. At the end of hostilities in Egypt, they were sent to France, but before embarking, sadly the horses had to be destroyed and "each man cried as he shot his own horse". They could not take them to France nor could they bring them back to Australia because of strict quarantine regulations. As the Light Horsemen were concerned that the Arabs in Egypt would mistreat the horses, they chose to put them down and each man was held responsible for the shooting of his own horse.

Whilst in France, Syd contracted tuberculosis and, as a result, was sent to the Military Hospital on Salisbury Plain in England. It was here that he met an English Army Nursing Sister, Marion Eliza Haynes, who was to become his wife. Marion was born at Cowley, Middlesex on 7 August 1889, the daughter of Alfred Ernest Haynes and Sophie (nee Gibbs).

After World War I, Syd returned to Australia and received further treatment for TB at Leura Hospital in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. After this treatment and seeking a drier climate, he applied for a Soldier Settlement Farm in the new Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and was allotted Farm 1880 at Lake Wyangan in 1920.

The area of the farm was only 28 acres, half of which was later found to be affected by seepage.

Marion Eliza Haynes about 1923

Syd Molesworth at his daughter, Enid's Wedding

Photos courtesy Enid Ingram (nee Molesworth)

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Meanwhile, Syd and Marion corresponded regularly and eventually Syd brought his London bride to the bagtown called Griffith. While the house on Farm 1880 was being erected they lived in a house across the road, later owned by Antonio Bugno and his family.

Their marriage took place in the Church of England at Roseville NSW on 7 April 1923. The ceremony was performed by the Rev Harold Howe who was married to Syd's sister, Ethel.

The children of the union were a son, Arnold, and twins Enid and Shirley who have very happy memories of their life on the farm: "We rode bareback on the draught horses and played hide and seek amongst the citrus trees.

"Sir Charles Kingsford Smith at Griffith aerodrome giving boys free rides in exchange for fruit.

"1934 - The beautiful gardens of the Hermit who lived in the caves on Scenic Hill.

"The Primary School at Lake Wyangan that had two teachers (the Headmaster plus one teacher). The Headmaster taught the upper division - fourth, fifth and sixth class, all in the one classroom.

The other teacher taught first, second and third classes in the other classroom. We walked the two miles to the Lake Wyangan School for three years and after that we rode our bicycles.

Arnold - "filling Dad's boots"

"Later all the Lake Wyangan children rode their bicycles the six miles to Griffith High School - the only school bus at that time came from Yenda.

"Each year we spent the first two weeks of the Christmas school holidays pitting apricots for drying - the apricot halves were laid out in the sun on trays for drying. There was no dehydrator in those days."

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I. to R; Arnold with twins Enid and Shirley Photos courtesy Shirley Matheson (nee Moles-worth)

Daughters Enid and Shirley recall - "Our father owned the first car in Lake Wyangan. He had acquired it from his brother, Dr Cecil Molesworth of Leeton. On one occasion, during a mouse plague, our Mother was driving the car when a mouse ran up her leg! What an experience for a 'London Lass'!!

"Dad was a great cricketer. The matches were then played where the town reservoir is now located. 'Bun' Davis, proprietor of the Hotel Victoria, promised a bottle of Scotch to the first batsman to hit a six over the channel. Our Dad achieved this feat but by the time he had finished his innings, team members had been so busy toasting his success that the bottle was empty!!"

Other recollections - how disappointed their father was when he had to walk off his farm, as the excessive seepage problem worsened, after nearly twenty years of back breaking work. The galvanised test wells driven into the soil near citrus trees showed the water table level to be Marion Molesworth - English Army Sister within a few inches of the surface - no tile taken Salisbury England drainage in those days. The salt build-up showed Courtesy Shirley Matheson (nee Molesworth) on the surface of the soil. His compensation from the WC & IC was £300.

When they left the farm the working draught horses, which were owned by the WC & IC, were set loose to roam on the roadside on instructions from the Commission. Shirley and her twin sister, Enid, often rode their bikes out to check on the horses because of their concern for their well-being.

When they left Lake Wyangan the Molesworth family moved onto a one acre farm, No 951, behind the High School and Syd continued with his carrying business. He Syd Molcsworth with his had started this business to supplement his prize winning mare - "Bess" diminishing farm income which had become Courtesy Shirley Matheson (nee Molesworth) insufficient to support his family.

He continued in this occupation until he retired to East Gosford in 1959.

000000000

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Edmund William Molcsworth married Clara Smith • Sydney Llewellyn Molcsworth born Newtown NSW 5 November 1890 died Gosford, August 1967

married Sydney 1923

Alfred Ernest Haynes married Sophie Gibbs • Marion Eliza Haynes born Cowley. Middlesex 7 August 1889 died Gosford August 1978

• Arnold Sydney born Leeton NSW 30 January 1924: Lives at East Gosford NSW. One son, Roger Sydney.

1.

{Enid Marion born Griffith 13 March 1926: married Ronald Ingram: {lives at Wahroonga NSW. Family of three. Ian Ronald. Robert {Reginald and Diane Robyn.

Twins 3.

{Shirley Haynes born Griffith 13 March 1926: married (1) Ken {Thompson. One daughter. Gail Lynette. (2) Ron Matheson: lives {at Hornsby NSW.

Griffith Diggers Club Cricket Team L to R - Back: Ted Dunbar, Arthur llastings, Syd Butt (Rural Bank Manager), unknown, Bill Savage , Fred Apthorpe Front Dave Taylor, George Kendall, Keith Golsby-Smith, unknown, Syd Molesworth Courtesy Shirley Matheson (nee Molesworth)

Courtesy of Shirley Matheson (nee Molesworth), 8/70 Hunter Street, Hornsby 2077 and Enid Ingram (nee Molesworth), 6 Delray Avenue, Wahroonga 2076.

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MORE Angus Stuart More was born in London on the 21 July 1894 to Donald Malcolm and Esther Maude (nee Crosswaite) More, the third child of a family of nine, namely Robert, Donald, Angus (Dad), Alexander, Madge, Norman, John, Jessie and Ann. Jessie and Ann are the sole survivors, still living in England to-day, both in their eighty's. Grandfather, Donald was a Marine Engineer.

My Dad, Angus came to Australia first in 1912 when he was a merchant seaman, then returned to London. He was on a ship as a merchant seaman in Cape Town, South Africa when World War 1 was declared, he came on to Australia where he obtained his discharge from the Merchant Navy and enlisted in the AIF, 17th battalion, regimental number 627.

Dad served at Gallipoli from April to July 1915 when he became sick and was returned to Australia where he was discharged medically unfit. After four unsuccessful attempts, Dad rejoined the Army Angus Stuart More and went to France with the 8th Courtesy Don More Field Engineers. In 1917 whilst on leave in England he saw his two youngest sisters - Jessie and Ann - for the last time.

After the War and his discharge from the Army, Dad joined the clearing gangs at Yenda. As a Soldier Settler he was allotted Farm 1342, Yenda in 1919. It became a fruit orchard where fruit was grown and packed for Sydney markets.

Dad married Elsie May Webb, the only daughter of Alfred and Sarah Louise Webb, in 1927 at the Congregational Church, Pitt Street, Sydney. They had been introduced to one another by one of Dad's army friends at Kogarah, a suburb of Sydney.

My mother Elsie was born in Marrickville on 10 February 1897. She attended Fort Street High School then Sydney University where she obtained her B.A. She then worked in an Insurance office before taking on teaching as a maths mistress at Mudgee, Tamworth and Fort Street High Schools. She carried on in this field to a lesser degree

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when she came to Yenda as a private coach for girls going for nurses entrance exams and for private maths coaching.

There were three children to the marriage of Angus and Elsie.

Angus Donald ("Don") born 3 February 1928 at Anglo Square, Kogarah by midwife at our grandparent's home. Don married Gloria May Plunkett and they live in Griffith.

Celia Mavis born 19 January 1931 at CWA Hospital, Yenda.

Celia married William Stratham Edge, widowed, lives at Lavington, NSW. Malcolm Stuart horn 3 August 1934 at Sister McKay's Hospital, Yenda. Malcolm married Sandra Patricia Parkinson now lives in Darwin NT. The orchard on Farm 1342 produced all different fruits, which were hand sorted and packed for several years until a grader was purchased. Then, as well as our own, several neighbours' fruits were also graded and packed, assisted by Mrs Norris, George Hutchinson, Dan Garfitt, Win Bowe and her brother Archie. Roy Kilpatrick was the carrier. Country orders were lUsic May Mort (nee Webb) sent by camel hack to central Courtesy Don More Australia. Apricots, apples and prunes were also dried.

The orchard ceased in 1939 because of salt seepage and a dairy was commenced.

We delivered milk to all the Yenda residents, by bicycle at first, then by horse and cart advancing to delivering by utility around 1952.

In 1970 the dairy was auctioned and was purchased by Wynvale Winery and is now planted with wine grapes.

Dad's brother and sister, Alexander and Madge, arrived in Australia in 1927 and came to Yenda where Alex worked on the farm with Dad. Madge was a nurse at the CWA Hospital. I'm not sure how long Alex stayed in Yenda before he returned to Sydney where he met and married May Kanaley from Junce - she was a trained nurse at the Methodist Old People's Home, Raglan Street, Waterloo. They resided in Sydney.

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Farm 1342 - Courtesy I)on More

Madge married William Bromfield on 8 March 1934. He had arrived from England about 1925 and came to Yenda and worked on a farm for Mr Desbois, a Frenchman. William inherited this farm on Mr Desbois' death.

In 1965, brother Norman and his wife Elsie arrived in Australia to stay. It was at this time that Dad, Alex and Norman discovered that the three had been at Gallipoli at the same time and didn't know it! Dad was in the AIF. Alex was a medical orderly on a British hospital ship and Norman was on a British battle ship.

Christmas Party in Yenda Methodist (lurch as it was in the 1920's & 1930's Murial East (later Mrs Rogers), Mrs '1' East, Mrs Weir & Mrs Noad (our schoolmaster's wife) Courtesy Don More

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Dad and Mother were both regular parishioners at the local Methodist Church. They became close friends of Reverend Dick Barlow, one of the first Methodist Ministers in the district. Dad was an active contributor to the building of the Yenda Methodist Church and it is still standing to-day. He was a Sunday School Superintendent, taking Church Services if the occasion arose.

He was also Secretary of the Yenda RSL, and between 1937 and 1946, helped a lot of old diggers to get work and gave them notes to obtain six shillings worth of food from the stores, which was paid for by the RSL. Scout Master was another of his interests in the 1930's. Mother was interested in the Girl Guides.

Elsie May More (nee Webb) died 9 February 1966 and Angus Stuart More died 17 July 1975 and both are buried in the Yenda Cemetery.

Madge and Bill Bromfield of Yenda Courtesy the late Roy Kilpatrick

By courtesy of Don More, Turner Street, Griffith.

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MURRAY Henry James Murray was born in "the Rocks" area of Sydney 6 May 1896, the son of Margaret (nee Ferrow) and John Murray who was the proprietor of a small hotel, the "Australian". Previously, John had owned a produce store in Sussex Street where he sold fodder for horses and bullock teams.

Henry ("Harry") James Murray enlisted in the 53rd Battalion (re-inforcements) of the First AIF and was aboard the first Australian troop ship that sailed through the Panama Canal.

Whilst serving in France, he was wounded in the left shoulder and sent to a hospital in England to recover. Returning to Australia after the war he travelled via the Suez Canal in a Hospital Ship.

In 1920 Harry married Rena Edith McFarlane at the Mosman Catholic Church.

On his return to civilian life Harry returned to his old position - that of repairing trams at the Tramways Department at Randwick.

As a young married couple, Harry and Rena worried how they would manage on the wages Harry earned at the Tramways Department so Harry decided to have a look at the MIA and he Henry James ("I tarry") Murray 1918 liked what he saw.

Courtesy Dennis Murray This next part of the Murray story is told

by Harry himself - by courtesy of the Western Riverina Community Library from a tape in their Historical Collection "First I'll tell you what prompted me to come to Griffith. I was an electrician and worked in the Randwick workshops and, being in a trans one day, I read an advertisement - "Irrigation Area - Returned Soldiers Settlement". I go! an idea that it might suit me. I had got married and found that by the end of the week My wages ran out so I suggested to my wife that we have a look at this Irrigation Area and see if we could get a farm.

I wrote to the Loans Department and they told me I would have to do three months tuition at the Yanco Experiment Farm. I made my application and then got notice to go to the experiment farm at Yanco. I was there for three months. It was from there that I made an application for a farm on the Area."

Harry worked in Griffith as an electrician, with the Commission, for a short time.

It was then that Rena and he lived in one of the "Commission Houses" in Wakaden Street, next door to the Frank Maher family and the two families became lifelong friends.

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"I took over a farm that was already established. It was Proud's farm (50 acres which had been granted originally to George and George Thomas Proud on 24 September 1915; Annual Rental £40/-/-; transferred to H J Murray 30 March 1922)-8 I started daily farming which was unsuccessful. Most of we farmers couldn't pay our way at all and eventually the Soldier Settlers had a protest march in Griffith. Many of the settlers were leaving the place. They couldn't make a go of anything. Because of this there was a bit of an upheaval and the Commission decided that we needed more land to nm cows. You couldn't rear young stuff at all. In fact many of my cows died because I just couldn't feed them. We had a very bad time actually, at that stage. The thing was what were we going to do now?

Well we got more land and then rice came to the rescue. At that time, of course, with great changes we had a rather big battle because we had to learn how to grow rice and that had its troubles. The price for it wasn't so good but it still was a lot better than cows!!"

Harry took up other nearby farms which had been abandoned by early settlers.

These unviable settlers had received f300 compensation to walk off and leave. There was a substantial house on one of the farms (previously owned by the Boyle family) so the Murray family moved into this house about 1930 and Rena and Harry lived there until their retirement. It was here too that they reared a family of nine children.

"Who were your neighbours? Do you remember them?

Harty hyde was my nearest neighbour. He lived right opposite me. They had an orchard, Harry and Mary Thyde. The Watkins were near there and another one was - that is who came later on - Ben Martin. He wasn't very far away; also there was Mick Ryan. He lived at the back of us.

Did you ever attend Mass at Pat Boyle's?

No. I think he had Mass there?

That was before my time. We went to Griffith.. We had a cart and horse but I also had a bicycle. When I took the family out it was in the cart and horse. The first two children were born on the farm. There was no hospital for them. The only hospital then was the one the Commission built for the workmen. There was no provision made for women patients. I don't know how the poor women got on when they got sick.

Do you remember the nurse? Was it Sister Bodinnar?

No. I don't remember her name. We had an epidemic of polio and my three children caught it. That was the only time I went into the hospital. My children were kept there and my wife had to stay there to look after them because there wasn't enough nurses to look after them. She stayed in the hospital and 1 took in the food. That is how we managed. They didn't know what the trouble was. One was affected by it permanently but the other two got through it.

28

Dept of Water Resources records

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Dr Watkins was appointed by the Commission to look after the men working on the channels and he was paid a small salary to do that; he also had a private practice.

He was a ver), good man and was very good to we early settlers. He was very sympathetic and would look after us although sonzetimes we couldn't afford to pay him. He attended my wife when our first two children were born at our primitive little home."

Harry and Rena's daughter, Jean takes up the story "Our mother watched over we children during the day and Dad took over at night. The three of us were completely paralysed and Dad used to tell of how when he walked in six little eyes would turn and look at him. During one night my brother, Den, took a bad turn and turned 'all colours'.

Dad told of how he picked up a bottle of brandy and dosed him - 'That's what saved him!!' Harry always said! During this terrible trauma of the polio Harry's faith came to the fore and he told us - 'I went to the church and spent some time there. I prayed my heart out for my three children's recovery'. We did recover, although I was left with a permanent disability to the right leg. However, this made no difference to my leading a very full and active life as a Sister in the Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy".

"What did you do for entertainment in those days or did you not have any?

We never really had any entertainment except I managed to buy a gramophone and played records and that was all. Once in a while we managed to get into the pictures but that was very occasionally and only wizen we had a vehicle. But there wasn't mud: in the way of entertainment except in the way of neighbours visiting us and we visiting them. On one occasion we had a young girl (that we knew in the early, days) up here to stay with us. We had all the Inell in the world tip to see us then!! If there was a strange girl ill these parts, well that was really something!!

(Here Jean laughs and says - 'He's forgotten the Balls!! Our mother loved to dance and so, of course, they attended all the balls. Dad wasn't very keen but always went along with good grace because Mum enjoyed them so much.)

Did you work long hours?

I used to wake up early to milk the cows and I had one boy assistant to help. After washing tip from the milking we had breakfast I then had to harness the horses and go ploughing. It was three horses pulling a two furrow plough. They and I had to keep moving to be in time to feed the cattle. But I couldn't keep it up. I was working front five in the morning until dark every day.

Then when rice was introduced you were in a better position?

I got out of cows and I went into some sheep. When the rice first came in the Commission was very strict. They checked things like the banks. We had to have them a certain height and that sort of thing and the area we were allowed to grow was very small. It was about 50 acres but I could grow it.

For church you went to Griffith?

Yes. Griffith was the only church there was. We went in a cart. We didn't always stake it because sometimes we had to do the cows and it was just too much to get ill so early.

Did you find the climate very severe in those days?

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Oh yes! At times it was but it was OK really. It was hot in summer and we had dust storms pretty, bad and it was very cold in the winter but I've been in much colder places. I don't think the climate was that bad. There were lots of times when the weather was beautifill.

I remember the very severe dust storms.

Yes. On one occasion we had a big dust storm and it blew the Lyceum Theatre down. It was terrible. On that day I was taking some cream down to the Griffith railway station. It was the day the Circus anived and there were elephants in the streets. I coudn't get the horses near them so I tied the horses up where the Post Office is now and took the cream up to the railway myself. The wind, it was blowing and there were sheets of iron blowing along the streets. You were likely to get hit. I went to find the horse but it was gone - cart and all. I had to find shelter so I went to Molly and Pat Boyle's cafe. There was a crowd of people in there for shelter. Then eventually when I could I went looking for Illy horse. I found it where the old hospital used to be, with a wheel caught under a laurajong tree but no harm was done at all. The wind had been terrific. That was the only day I ever knew of a really bad cyclone.

Were you here for the opening of the Catholic church in Griffith?

Yes. Father O'Dea was vet), proud of that church. He thought it was the most beautiful church on earth.

Griffith was at that time a pretty shanty looking town. Shops were made of galvanised iron. There was Taylor's shop I remember - they had everything. There was Rogers shop but they went out of business at about that time. As far as the street itself was concerned - it was full of potholes! It was dreadful to drive on!

What about Mrs Cummings' shop?

I don't know much about the ladies' shops. They were all down the lower end of Banna Avenue. The Commission kept the better sites for the shops to come later.

But then these shops became "the good shops" so eventually this end of Banna Avenue became the main part of the town. The Police Station was where the centre of town was supposed to be - built up on the hill. It was too far away even for the police. If there was a drunk they needed a car to take him to the lock-up!! So they shifted the Police Station down to the town proper, where the town is now. Griffith was a dusty, dirty little town. I hated the sight of it at first. Then there was the Lyceum Theatre, bath by Dr Goldberg, on the corner where the aeroplane parking area is now. It was an open-air theatre for a while.

Mr Morel had one for a while?

Yes. He had an open-air one too. We went there occasionally but, of course, they were all silent movies in those days. There were some good pictures just the same.

The Co-op Store was there. It developed from Bagtown. Everyone said it was going broke but they caned on. "Scull" was here and he stalled selling "hies" - alcoholic drink. It was the only beer you could get but, of course, you could get plenty of wine. You could get it out on the farm. You had to have a two gallon licence."

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• The Dairy Farm • The young Harry bathing

• The Murray Home - in the Old Days c. 1940

• The Murray Home c. 1930 Harry with "Bob" and "Nuggett" •

Photos courtesy Dennis Murray

327

The eldest sons, Pat and Brian, went to Hanwood school for about four or five years and Dennis went there also for a short time, travelling on the Zerbst's school bus.

From about 1933 the Murray children travelled into the Griffith Convent school by horse and sulky. The horse was tethered on a rail outside the hospital, opposite the convent along with horses which brought the Lenchan, McClellan, Hardiman and Galvin children to school. One day one of the boys decided that the horses should be set loose in the school grounds. After this it was a common sight, for about ten years, to see the horses grazing in the school playground.

Dennis remembers that there was an occasional sulky race between the Murrays, the McClellans and the Lenehans on the way to school.

Passing the steam roller in the sulky was a hazard!

Dennis also recalls at one time crossing the railway Rena Edith Murray (nee McFarlane) Photos courtesy Dennis Murray line when a train was nearby. The horse didn't take kindly to that either and bolted!! Apparently a policeman of the day told Harry that the Murray children's "road manners" were perfect when the law was in sight but he knew full well that this was not so out on the open road!!

By the time Dennis was about 12 or 13 he had to ride a bike to school as there was not enough room in the sulky for all the Murray children.

Rena Edith had been born in Vancouver, Canada on 25 November, 1898, the youngest of four children. Her parents were Scottish born - Jeannie (nee Stevenson) at Mayfield Cottage, Birdston (just north of Glasgow) and her father, James Adam McFarlane in Glasgow. He was a metallurgist, specialising in silver. Because of this the family lived variously in Spain and Mexico as well as Canada.

Earlier, James' brother George, had settled in Australia.

At the time of Rena's birth James had been unwell and they had gone back to Vancouver for a change and to seek medical advice. They were advised that James should live in a dry climate. As his brother was already in Australia the idea of joining him there appealed and they arrived by sailing ship, to Sydney, about the end of 1900.

Almost immediately James had to enter hospital for a severe operation from which he never recovered. Jeannie was left with four small children and hardly any money.

Luckily the brother was not only well off but kind hearted and he undertook the cost of educating all four children.

To make a living, Jeannie opened a bookshop in Sydney, the same shop now owned by the well-known Harry, Rcna, l'at, Brian Pelligrini family in George Street. and Dennis - 1926

328

As well as the various engineering expertise in Rena's McFarlane background, many of them were very musical. This passed on to Rena who became an extremely accomplished pianist. Her talents were frequently called upon in the early Hanwood community. For the eight years that they functioned she was a foundation member and accompanist for the very successful Hanwood CWA Choir.

Henry James Murray died in 1979 and was buried on 13 March and Rena Edith died in 1981 and was buried 30 December 1981. Both are buried in Griffith Cemetery.

Harry and Rena had a family of nine: Patrick James born Farm 24 Hanwood 19 April 1922. Died 1981. buried Albury. Married Nelse Dallow.

Brian Henry born Farm 24 Hanwood 13 June 1923. Became a Marist Brother. Lives at Ayr. Queensland.

Dennis John born Loretto Hospital 17 May 1926. Married Pauline Delahunty. Lives Hanwood.

Jean Margaret born Loretto Hospital 8 January 1928. Entered the Convent as a Mercy Nun. Lives at Corowa NSW. S. Kevin George born Sydney 9 September 1929. Became a Marist Brother. Lives at Mittagong NSW. 6. Ronald Joseph born Griffith 27 August 1931. Became a Redemptionist Priest. Lives in the Philippines.

7. Barbara Mary born Griffith 11 July 1935. Entered the Convent as a Mercy Nun. Lives at Canberra ACT. 8. John Hunter born Griffith 31 July 1939. Lives at London.

9. Carmen Elizabeth born Griffith 15 June 1941. Married Anthony (Andy) McClure. Lives at Bundaberg Qld. 1.

2.

3.

4.

Murray Family - 3970 Golden Wedding L to R Back - Kevin, Dennis, (inset) Carmen, Patrick, Brian Front - John, Jean, Harry, Rena, Barbara, Ronald Courtesy Sr Jean Murray and Sr Barbara Murray

By courtesy of Dennis Murray, Hanwood.

329

NEVILLE

Guy Ncvillc Snr takcn 1912 c. 1920

Margaret Neville takcn c.1916

1922 - helping to cut vine posts on Scenic lbll Photos courtesy Guy Ncvillc Inr

330

After spending the first World War as a civilian prisoner-of-war in Germany where he had been at the outbreak of war studying landscape gardening and winemaking, Guy Neville returned to Australia, arriving in Melbourne on 6 May 1919 (his birthday).

Because of the lack of job opportunity there, he decided to go on to Sydney - his birthplace. Attracted by the advertising of the possibilities of the MIA he left for Griffith on 13 July 1919. On Tuesday 15 July 1919 he applied for a block. Two days later the Board approved his application.

"Naroola" was the name he chose for this Hanwood farm. Guy Snr told his son Guy that it was an Aboriginal word for "Hope" to which Guy Jnr comments - "Hope!

Hope the bloody pears didn't blow off!"

The original holders of Farm 54 conducted a piggery. This apparently soon folded up as Farm 54 was vacant when Guy Neville acquired it. Mr Kennedy owned Farm 53 and Dan Moriarty owned Farm 55.

In these very early days apart from developing Farm 54, Guy Jnr says that his father was associated with:1.

Mirrool Tobacco, as a grower having planted his first tobacco seed on two acres on 28 September 1919. He may have been the Secretary of the Tobacco Growers Group. I can recall seeing many books on his desk as a child. The tobacco barn, one I recall, was on Morrison's Farm 214.

2.

Mirrool Winery, in association with Eddie Mills on Farm 78 and Prendergast on Farm 77, he founded this winery on 26 August 1923.

Originally there were twelve share-holders - those I can recall - Ben Martin (President), Hector Beaumont, Claude Hamilton, Len Wincey, Stan Wright, Jim Davies, Guy Neville Snr, Eddie Mills and Juan Ceccato.

My father built the winery and was the initial winemaker for some time.

A winemaker called Auld was also employed and he lived in the house which was occupied by the Trewins many years later. This winery (now dismantled) was situated between the CSIRO and the old ice works. It was sold in 1940 to Penfolds. This was the second winery after McWilliams on the MIA.

Guy married Margaret May Lawler at Black Rock, Melbourne on 26 December 1921, returning to Griffith (Bagtown in those days), by sulky trip from Willbriggie in January 1922, his new bride was reputed to have said "What have you brought me to Guy? Hell!!". (It must have been a stinking summer day, nothing changes does it? Contributor's note).

Fluency in Italian (acquired during captivity as a civilian prisoner of war) enabled Guy to be a confidant to many of the early Italian Settlers.

Guy Neville Snr, who was born 6 May 1890 at Manly Vale, Sydney, died on 4 May 1962, aged 72 years. Margaret predeceased him by thirteen years (3 September 1949 aged 55 years). Both are intered in the Griffith Cemetery. They are survived by son Guy Spencer Neville and daughter, Margaret Madeliene Dunstone and seven grandchildren.

331

Form 70.

CROWN LANDS CONSOLIDATION ACT, 1913.

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Tobacco growing on the MIA c.1913 These two photos arc reproduced from a set of glass negatives which were rediscovered at the back of a cupboard in the offices of the then Water Resources Commission when the offices were being refurbished c.1985. By courtesy of Les Wadc

333

Tobacco Planting on MIA c.1913 Courtesy Jim Fielder, Dept of Water Resources Heritage Committee

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334

1 •

PASSEY Richard Dawson Passey was born in 1896 in Brisbane to Frederick and Hannah. Frederick had migrated from England - from Widnes, Lancashire - a few years Hannah was born in earlier.

Brisbane in 1875 of English parents, Henry and Hannah Marsden. Henry was born in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England, Hannah was also from Cumberland.

Richard, better known as Dick, had his schooling in Brisbane and after working at a number of jobs became interested in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme.

However World War I intervened and he enlisted and fought in France Dick and Mab Passcy 1923 with the 4th Machine Gun Battalion.

Courtesy Dorothy Young (ncc Passcy) He came to the Area in 1920 or 1921 and before taking up Farm 1871 at Lakeview, as it was then known, he spent some time at the Yanco Experiment Farm and later at Yenda. Before the house was built he lived as many others did, in the shed which was built first. There were very few home comforts but he had the stove which was later installed in the kitchen. "Mab" complained she could never get it to shine properly when polished, because of that time of exposure!

He met Mabel Anne Rhead in 1921 at a Church of England dance held in the old Lyceum Theatre. She was visiting her brother, Frank Rhead, who with Jack Joshua owned a Motor Garage in Banna Avenue where Vagg's Garage was later to operate.

Mabel's parents, Walter Rhead and Alice (nec Steele) came from England in the 1880's, he from London and Alice from Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire, at the age of 21, with her father, John Steele. She was a governess and Walter an engineer, but after their marriage they attempted life on the land, west of Rockhampton. This, due to drought and inexperience, ended in failure and Walter returned to his original profession.

They had nine children, one dying at birth. Mabel was born in 1897.

After Dick and Mabel became engaged she returned to her nursing until their marriage at Griffith on 5 September 1923.

Their home at Lakeview was like most of the others at that time in the district built of weatherboard, fibro lined, with a galvanised iron roof. It was painted grey and white and Mab (as she was known) called it "her little grey home in the west". It had three main rooms, a front and back verandah, a bathroom and a pantry. Later, a wide long verandah was built on the southern and western sides of the house and part of this became a sleepout for the children. By 1931 these numbered five - a boy and four girls: Dick, Dorothy, Anne, Mary and Sheila.

335

Due to the efforts of Lakeview settlers, some of whom had children of school age, a school was opened in 1924, and was attended by most of the local children. Griffith High provided their secondary education.

Dick and Mab both took an interest in community affairs, being active in P & C and Scout Associations.

Before the fruit trees started bearing Dick had a job at the Freezing Works to augment their income. In the mid-thirties the farm failed through salination so he became a PMG linesman, working locally and much further afield at Darlington Point and beyond - Binya, Barellan, Beckom and Ariah Park. The men camped on the more distant jobs so every weekend Dick rode his bike home through all weathers, sometimes having to carry his bike over the roads which were too muddy to ride on. Often it was 2 am or 3 am before he arrived, exhausted. Then there was wood to be chopped, the lavatory to be emptied and any other necessary farm work to be done, before he set out on the return journey mid-afternoon Sunday - sometimes later if he was too busy.

In later years Mab recounted with amusement how she had bought two huge milk setting pans with visions of cream and butter in endless supply, not realising the limit of production from one cow! However, they made wonderful pans for washing and draining dishes and were still going strong when she finally left the farm.

With the coming of World War H Dick enlisted again and saw service in New Guinea as a stretcher bearer with the 2nd/2nd Australian Field Ambulance. Dick junior joined the RAAF and served in England.

During the war years and afterwards Mab was a tireless worker for the Red Cross. She was an active member of the Presbyterian Women's Guild and with others was involved in establishing the Girl Guides in Griffith.

Many of the then young people of the district have long remembered the parties and dances given by Mab and Dick on the long verandah of their home, with music provided by a wind-up gramophone. It was also the setting for many "send-offs" to boys going to the war.

Dick returned to employment with the PMG after the war. Dick junior, after working for a short time at the WC & IC office, enrolled at Sydney University on a Rehabilitation Scholarship, graduating in 1952, Bachelor of Sc.Ag. and after studying for his Ph D at McGill University, Montreal, Canada he joined the Rural Science Faculty of the University of New England at Armidale.

Anne trained as a teacher at Sydney Teachers' College and taught at both Lake Wyangan and Griffith Primary Schools.

Dorothy and Mary, after training at Royal North Shore Hospital returned to Griffith to nurse at the District Hospital.

Sheila graduated from Sydney University BA Dip Ed, and taught in Sydney until her marriage.

Dick senior died in 1965 and is buried in Griffith Cemetery. Mab remained on the farm until 1970 when she moved to Sydney to be nearer her family. She died in 1982 and her ashes are interred at Griffith.

Some memories of those years.

Early picnics at the Lake - families would drive down on their horse lorries or sulkies and while the children played or paddled in the Lake, the dads played 336

cricket and the mums sat around a huge preserving pan cutting up fruit for salad and catching up on all the local news.

There must have been an amateur cricket club because I remember Dad playing cricket with Mr Crawford, Mr Holt, the Cudmores and Jardines on the cricket pitch at the Lake with Janet and Belle Morris scoring for them.

In later years I remember seeing cars drive past on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to the Lake Wyangan Golf Club. We could recognise most of the people from town by their cars.

Mum and the other Lake Wyangan ladies visiting each other for afternoon tea.

These were social occasions with formal teas. Prams were pushed over rough roads with often a baby in the pram, a toddler on the step and one running alongside.

The awful dust storms, especially the one in 1938, which seemed to come after Mum had cleaned and polished through the house.

Seeing bullock waggons going past laden with wool bales.

Our house being on the main road, drovers with sheep or cattle were a common sight - also the dust raised by them.

The Scott and Mallinson boys selling Mum freshly killed rabbits for 1/- a pair.

Or the "Rabbito"29 coming round.

As a little girl riding into town on the lorry with Dad, he pointed out the new hospital being built at the end of the long road from Lake Wyangan. The road ran through bush in those days.

Mum's story of dressing four small children for town and telling them to stay on the verandah while she got ready. Our neighbour Ernie McClure came over and remarked to the children how lovely and cool the water in the ditch looked.

When Mum came out she beheld four bedraggled and muddy urchins!!

Walking to school barefooted on rainy days - squelching through the puddles donning shoes on arrival.

School Christmas Trees with Santa (usually one of the bachelor farmers) distributing gifts provided by the P & C to all the children.

In later years there was always a "Break-up" concert.

29

An itinerant seller of rabbits for eating.

337

School Fancy Dress Frolics were always enjoyed. Mum contrived wonderful costumes for us out of crepe paper or "geisha silk"30 (at, I think, 2d a yard) and competition for prizes was keen.

Running out to watch the rare sight of an aeroplane going overhead.

Mum cracking ice on the water left overnight in laundry tubs before she could do the washing.

As a little girl wearing my brother's out-grown boots to school - no money for shoes when there were good boots available. How I hated them!

The games we played when young - mostly at school or at birthday parties - were Statues, Tens, London Bridge, Drop the Hanky, Oranges and Lemons and Giant Strides.

Camping holidays at Findlay's Beach, Darlington Point. Wonderful fishing!

Our road was unsealed for many years and as children we watched with anxiety while cars slipped and skidded and sometimes turned around to face the other way in bad weather. I remember how Mr Carl Long and Mr Headley Mallaby Snr struggled with these conditions on their way to work at the Commission.

The first diphtheria vaccinations - probably in 1932 because Sheila was a baby.

"Tramps"31 calling in for food or clothing during the Depression. Mum never sent them away empty-handed Pitting apricots - the sulphur burning under the barns - dashing out to stack the trays at the threat of rain or dust.

The smell of sultanas drying on racks.

Riding our bikes to High School in all weathers. Often in winter we arrived with our eye brows and hair quite frosted. The only School bus brought students from Yenda and Bilbul.

The Open Air Theatre behind the Lyceum.

30

A very cheap. poor quality material imported from Japan pre World War II.

31 A person who travels about on foot. usually with no permanent home. living by begging or doing casual work. During the Depression many men were forced. through desperation. to try to find work in the country and had no choice but to "tramp".

338

Swimming in the canal - hiding under the bridge when the water bailiff drove past.

Dances at the Palais and CWA Hall.

The wonderful springs with fruit trees in blossom.

The comradeship of "those years".

000000000

Frederick Passcy from Lancashire, Eng married Ilannah Marsden horn Brisbane 1875

Walter Rhead from London, England married Alice Steele from Buckinghamshire

• Richard Dawson Passey born Brisbane 1896 died 1965 buried Griffith

married Griffith 5 Sept 1923

Mabel Anne Rhead born 1897 died 1982 ashes interred Griffith

1.

Richard (Dick") born Griffith 30 May 1924: married Beverley Anderson - living at Armidale - four children - four grandchildren

2.

Dorothy born at -Woodlands", Dr Bodycomb's Hospital. Griffith 29 October 1925: married Cecil Young (died 1968) - living at Dundas (Sydney) - four children - five grandchildren

3.

Anne born "Woodlands" 30 May 1927: married Rex Campbell (died 1973) - living at Epping (Sydney) - four children (one dec'd) - seven grandchildren

4.

Mary born Griffith 2 November 1929: married Robert Croker - living Rainbow Flat via Taree - five children - five grandchildren

5.

Sheila born Wowan. Queensland 26 August 1931: married John tiellatley - living at Gosford - four children - three grandchildren.

Contributed by Dorothy Young (nee Passey), 28 Dorahy Street, Dundas 2117.

339

PASTEGA Angelo Pastega was born in Cavaso del Tomba in September 1891. As a young man in Italy he acquired skills as a bricklayer, terrazzo, concrete worker and plasterer. Like many of his companions of that time he ventured off into Switzerland in search of work. Whilst there he worked on the Bell Tower at Saint Imier.

Two of his brothers had migrated to America and suggested he should go there too. However his sights were set on Australia and arrived here in 1912 at the age of 21.

He went to the North Coast and became a labourer on the construction of the North Coast railway line. He was camped at Telegraph Point (near Port Macquarie) and worked as far afield as Kempsey. Later as prospects for work opened up at Broken Hill he moved to that centre and worked at South Broken Hill Mine for several years.

Following the outbreak of World War I he was repatriated back to Italy and sailed via Panama, New York and England.

By the time he arrived at Italy the armistice had been declared. Despite that, he still had to serve three months in the Italian Army, after which he accepted a Angelo Pastcga and luigia ("ossaltar early 1920's Government assisted passage back to Courtesy on and Roy Pastcga Australia, arriving in Griffith in March 1920.

At the time, the nearest railhead was at Willbriggie Siding on the Narrandera/Hay line. From there he headed off, on foot, with a tin trunk of personal possessions. Along the way he was given a lift on a horse and cart rig. At Griffith he met up with some of his former Broken Hill mates, settled into farm work and was living at Manera's place.

In the following year (6 January 1921) Luigia (Gina) Cossaltar together with friends, Pasqua Rostirolla, Justina Cunial and her daughter Carolina arrived in Melbourne from Italy. She came from Possagno, her home town. Next day, there was a double wedding - Angelo was married to Gina and Antonio ("Toni") Ceccato was married to Pasqua. Gina was then 22 years old.

When confronted with the bare basic living conditions back at Griffith, Gina's immediate reaction was "if I had f25 I would go back to Italy"!

340

"Early days in Australia" Angelo Pastcga at front on extreme right Courtesy Ori and Roy Pastcga

At the time of her arrival, Griffith was in its very infancy whilst the total Italian population numbered approximately 37, inclusive of grown ups and children. The family names that she recalls were: Lucca, Bonomi, Manera, Cunial, Gulielmini, G Vardanega, Toni and Valentin Ceccato, Baltieri and Paganini.

Gina recalls some of the business names that were in existence at the time of her arrival in Griffith: Louez Bros Grocery & General Merchants Taylor Bros Grocery & General Merchants Taylor Bros32 Clothing Len Mackay Furniture Gow Bros Furniture & Machinery Repairs Dr Watkins Doctor Don Robb Bicycles McWilliam Bros Winery For the first three months Angelo and Gina lived on the Manera farm and then moved to the Gulielmini holding where they lived in a shack made of hessian. To help relieve the summer's stifling conditions "windows" were cut in the hessian walls with a knife.

32

There were two Taylor Bros stores. one on the Westpac Corner and the other up to-wards where the Area Hotel is now. The clothing store was operated by the brother of David Taylor senior.

341

They both worked on fruit and tobacco farms. Seasonal workers were paid 8/per day while permanent hands received £3 per week. Angelo received 15/- per day when working with the Ceccato Bros on occasional construction of stone or brick houses.

As a Returned Soldier and with the opening up of more land he was successful in a farm ballot under the Soldier Settlement Scheme. He took occupation of Farm 1290, in the West End, in June 1922. Here he initially built a wooden shed for temporary living quarters. Over the next two years he made sufficient concrete bricks to build a new dwelling which was completed by September 1924.

He became a Naturalised Australian in 1924 and he was a member of the Griffith Sub-branch of the RSL. The original farm allocation was ten acres, which was still stump ridden. Valentin Ceccato with his four draught horses helped to clear the stumps off the land. Later the area was increased to thirty three acres by way of absorption of adjoining holdings following reassessment of farm size viability.

During the farm development and period to fruit production land holders, under the Settlement Scheme, were given a subsistence allowance. Angelo supplemented this with any bricklaying jobs that came along in the form of house foundations, chimney or wall construction.

As the farms developed Angelo looked for a more efficient means of controlling and distributing water within the farm other than through the existing earthen channel head ditches, which became inefficient because of weed growth. He began construction of internal concrete feeder ditches within his and neighbouring farms. Though built in the 20's and 30's most of these channels are still operative to this day.

His trade mark at the conclusion of each job was the impression made with the base of a beer bottle in the wet concrete or on a dob of mortar on brickwork.

Ofi Pastcga on Farm 1290 Angelo's early gape crusher driven by a small stationary engine Courtesy Ofi and Roy Pastcga

342

•

Pastcga Boys - I. to R: Leo, Roy & Ori "Off to School"

Pastcga Boys - "Getting Ready"

•

•

Roy Pastega & Bill Mackay

Photos courtesy Ofi and Roy Pastcga

343

Family Friends - Don Mackay, Gina Pastega, Len Mackay, Angelo Pastega, Mrs Mackay, Janice Mackay

Farm 1290 (the Pastega holding) was about one and three quarter miles from town. A primitive sort of road existed from the farm to the Main Canal bridge, west of the town (close to where Beltrame Bros Garage is now located). From there, over the rise (now the "Tech" College and Council Chambers), tracks wandered around the pine trees and over the rocky outcrops.33 The road into Banna Avenue recommenced in the vicinity of Rossies present day Supermarket. The unwary were instructed, when travelling from the West End, to pass a particular rock after crossing the Main Canal as that track would lead straight to town. In those early days it was not uncommon for some partly formed roads to become bog holes in wet conditions and at times impossible for horse drawn lorries to proceed.

Of all the confusing incidents the following would have been the pick.

It began sometime in late 1922, when roads were few and tracks a plenty. On that particular occasion the two proud parents, Angelo and Gina, with young Ori aboard the horse and cart headed off for the Catholic Church with high hopes of having the lad christened. On their arrival they were greeted by the then priest.

"Yes" he said "we do Christenings - but on Sundays, so come back to-morrow".

Now for some reason or another "to-morrow" did not suit. So they got back on the cart and as they headed back home, somewhat disillusioned they came across a place which looked like a church. It was worth a try they thought - so in they went. The Reverend came out and after listening to their needs said "Yes, I'll Christen the lad". And so it came to pass that their first born was Christened - Church of England. As time moved on number 2 son, Roy was duly christened as was number 3 later on. With the years moving by, and the coming of school days, scripture classes became a weekly exercise in the Public School system. On such occasions the Pastega boys settled in with the Church of England group.

In 1942 Roy, now 18, was in the process of filling in an application form to join the RAAF and the question was asked - What Religion are you? Although his immediate reaction was to state C of E he quizzed his mother instead.

"The three of you are Church of England" she responded.

"Just for curiosity could I see the Baptism Certificate" Roy queried.

When his Mum sorted out the records it turns out that the two other brothers were Church of England, but he was a Methodist!

"How did that come about?" he asked.

"Come to think of it - the Church did look different on that day" his Mum responded!

In 1928 Ori, Stan Polkinghorne and John Sidlow started school on the same day.

Ori had a major disadvantage though - he could not speak English. Nevertheless with the help of all the other kids in the class he managed to get a reasonable grip of the language within three months.

With the transition of transport to motor vehicles Angelo's first such machine was the "T" model Ford. He used this truck for a short period before acquiring an "A" model Ford in 1929. With this truck he revisited Broken Hill that year laden with fruit from his

33

This area was, during the Depression years and right up until the early years of World War II known as the "Unemployment Camp".

344

Apricot pitting and drying - note sulphur boxes in centre photograph Courtesy Ori and Roy Pastcga

345

farm. As 7 and 5 year olds Ori and Roy recall the endless number of gates encountered along the way and a sheep shed they slept in during the journey.

On several other occasions between 1930 and 1932, during the Depression years, he carted his fruit to the Melbourne markets and then back loaded with boxes of Richmond beer! In those days the beer was packed in 4 dozen lots in wooden cases each bottle encased in a sleeve of straw. The route taken at the time was via Leeton, Narrandera, Urana, Corowa, Wangaratta, Benalla, Seymour and then on to Melbourne.

With the coming of motor transport a new dimension arose in social activities.

Several truck owners (Angelo included) would, in the summer time, organise a makeshift seating bench on the back of the truck. This consisted of planks resting on wooden boxes.

After calling on various farms to pick up family groups the journey was made to Darlington Point for a day's outing on the river. Angelo usually visited Taylor's Beach on the south bank of the Murrumbidgee. Sometimes he would meet with the group on the northern bank organised by the Ceccato family. As family groups moved into motor car transport the trend began towards more independent outings and so there was a general drift away from the former communal gatherings at the river.

Over the years farmers' sons generally helped with the farm activities, especially so during school holidays - pruning, picking and packing fruit and other general work.

Christmas/New Year was a particularly busy period with the apricot season in full swing. With the then sustained hot summer temperatures, quick repetition of the picking cycle was necessary as the fruit ripened quickly under these conditions.

The apricot drying process, which many farmers resorted to, was always of concern as trays filled with apricots cut in half would be spread out in an open field, after the sulphur processing. It was not uncommon to have 500 to 1000 of these trays (about 2 ft 6 ins x 3 ft 6ins) out in a paddock being dried in the sun. Should rain develop during this time the trays had to be gathered up, stacked and covered over. This need took precedence over all else. Many a time, though out for the night at the local cinema, it was necessary to get back home quickly to carry out this work. When the weather cleared the trays were spread out again. This could happen several times during the drying process. pence to 4 At the end of the season buyers would turn up offering anything from pence per pound, depending on quality and size. Quibbling over a quarter a pence per pound was a regular ritual. This quibbling was also part and parcel of other fruit lines.

It was enough to turn you off fruit farming for life!!

Ori went on and joined the RAAF in 1941 and saw service with the Catalina Squadron No. 11 at Bowen in Queensland. He joined the Hydrographic Branch of the WC & IC in 1948 where he served in Head Office, Sydney, Albury and Tumut NSW. He transferred to the Griffith Office in 1960 and in 1964 moved to Grafton to become the Assistant Engineer with the Clarence River County Council, Flood Mitigation Authority.

He married Jean Wright of Albury in 1956 and they have two daughters, who are both married and live in Grafton. Ori retired in 1986 and lives in Grafton.

Roy also joined the RAAF - saw active service with RAF's No. 54 Spitfire Fighter Squadron in Darwin. He joined the WC & IC Head Office in Sydney in 1949, then moved to Finley, Wakool and Deniliquin. In 1964 he was appointed as the Water Commission's District Officer at Hay where he remained until his retirement in 1984. He left Hay 10 1988 to settle at Nambucca Heads on the North coast approximately sixty miles from where his Dad once worked in his early days in Australia. He married Loris Margaret

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Eagle of "Grassmere" via Deniliquin in 1954. They have two sons - Gary is married and lives at Eungai Rail near Kempsey and Allan lives in Perth WA. Leo went to Sydney in 1946 where he became a draftsman with the Department of Main Roads. He retired in 1986 and lives at Miranda. He married Jill O'Hallaran of Hurstville. They have two sons and four daughters, all of whom live in various suburbs of Sydney.

Angelo died in May 1964 at the age of 72. The Pastega farm (1290) was sold early in 1965. Luigia (Gina) left Griffith in March 1988 and lived alternatively with her sons Ori and Roy at Grafton and Nambucca Heads. She celebrated her 90th birthday in Grafton amongst the many friends she made during her visits to Grafton over the last fifteen years. She turned 92 in August 1990 at Nambucca Heads. Luigia passed away on 1 December 1991 at Grafton and is buried at Griffith.

Ori

Roy

IAN)

Angelo and Luigia ((lina) l'amega July 1954

By courtesy of Roy Pastega, 17 Salamanda Parade, Nambucca Heads 2448

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PIGOTT George Royston (Roy) Pigott's father came to Australia from Nottingham, England about 1890 and he is buried in Tamworth NSW. Roy's grandfather Pigott was a preacher at Nottingham. Roy's sister Connie married Clem Stanton, an original orchardist in Yenda and his brother Hugh married Elaine Dean of Moree.

Roy worked at the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac) in Tamworth before enlisting in the AIF in World War I on 4 December 1917. Sapper G R Pigott, No 22139, was drafted into the 13th Field Coy Australian Engineers, 4th Division, and was stationed at Brightlingsea in England during the war. There he was able to visit his Uncle Charlie at Nottingham and saw the old church where his grandfather once preached. In 1918 after the Armistice was signed his unit was sent to France and Belgium. He and his mate, Harold Raggatt, applied for repatriation. They were soon on hoard S.S. "Ulysses" and on 4 September 1919 they sailed through Sydney Heads. Roy's mother was then living at Cremorne and for the first three months or so he just loafed around, visiting Tamworth and picking up his motor bike. He then resumed his job with the hank but after two years in the Army a "desk job" didn't appeal to him, so he resigned from the Bank of New South Wales and was given three months salary as a parting gift.

The land called Roy. His uncle, Frank Smith, was Assistant Chief Engineer with the WC & IC and suggested that he have a look around Griffith and Yenda on the MIA where the New South Wales Government was throwing open irrigation farms for returned men; also the Commonwealth Government was advancing money to build a house and buy equipment. An advance of 30/- per week was made to single men and 42/- per week for married men which was to he loaned to settlers for live years. To qualify for a farm all applicants had to work for at least three months in the gangs clearing the land. Roy was paid about 13/- per day and lived in tents at "The Barracks" on the Whitton Stock Route near Yenda. There was a dining room and cookhouse at the Barracks in which most of the food was murdered! He paid 30/- a week for the privilege of living and mealing at the camp.

After his three months with the clearing gang no farms were available in the locality he preferred, so lima and Roy Pigott Roy worked for the WC & IC in the carpenter's shop Courtesy Judith Lockwood (nee Pigott) and lived in a tent he erected on an uncleared block.

In March 1921 Farm 1325 of 25 acres was granted to him. His neighbours were - on the south Gil Kenyon, on the north Tom Cassell, the east Morgan Watkin, and on the west, across the road, Dick Cooksey. Dick was a graduate of Hawkesbury Agricultural College, but Roy's knowledge of farming was almost nil! He planted the farm to prunes, wine grapes, oranges, apricots, nectarines and pears with almonds around the border - a real "fruit salad" orchard.

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The first home Roy Built on Farm 1325 - 1921 Courtesy Judith Lockwood (nee Pigott)

Roy became Hon Secretary of Yenda Agricultural Bureau and arranged many pruning demonstrations and lectures by experts. He was one of the foundation directors of the Yenda Producers' Co-operative Society, eventually becoming its sixth General Manager for a time, and finally Chairman of Directors.

Roy erected quite a comfortable little shack of pine roundbacks (the first cut from a pine log) and some 4ft x 2ft cypress timber. His mother and sister came from Sydney to stay with him, and his mother thought the place "rather stark and raw", which, of course, it was then.

Roy met his wife, Ilma, when she came to visit friends at Yenda, and they became unofficially engaged before she left for home. He built for her a three-roomed house, with wide verandahs, in front of the old roundback shack, which they used as kitchen, bathroom and store room. At last the great day arrived and Roy and Ilma were married on 9 September 1925 at Neutral Bay. The reception was held in Grandmother King's home "Irrawang". They honeymooned at Wollongong, went back to Sydney for a few days, and then home to Yenda.

Ilma turned the stark house into a real home, and Roy said the way she coped with learning to cook, dust storms and snakes (one would have invaded the kitchen once but for the pet cat, Bidgce), said much for her grit and splendid upbringing.

Their only child, Judith Ann, was born on 7 October 1935.

Very little money was coming in from the farm, but they grew vegetables and kept fowls, and the fruit from the orchard kept them going. Milk and meat were cheap, so with rigid economy they got by.

Work was hard and constant, but they had time for fun too - picnics, tennis parties and now and then a week-end picture show. About this time wireless was beginning to be broadcast from Sydney, and Roy, with the help of a friend, Bill Summers,

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built a receiving set. At first it had two sets of headphones, then later a great advance was made with a wooden horn speaker!

For transport Roy had fitted a sidecar to the motorbike, and on the first tryout he and Ilma landed in the irrigation ditch on the side of the road! Later he bought a Tmodel Ford single seater from Basil Morse, who was leaving the district. He only wanted £50 for the car, and the AMP Industrial Agency for Yenda went with it. Roy collected premiums of 1/-, 2/- and 2/6d a week and received 25/- commission for new policies, plus 15% commission on all premiums collected. As he was also agent for Standard Insurance and the Liverpool & London & Globe Fire & Accident Company, it helped to keep the wolf from the door and was valuable business experience. By now the motorbike had been sold and Roy traded in the old Ford for a trim little single seater known as a BaylissThomas. It had a four cylinder English engine with the latest Australian body. lima drove it expertly all over the district.

Young prunes on Farm 1325 - planted in 1921 Courtesy Judith Lockwood (nee Pigott)

There was an exceptionally wet winter about 1931 and Mirrool Creek to the east of Yenda banked up against the Northern Branch Canal and the Main Canal because the getaway pipes under the Main Canal were too small to cope with the enormous body of water coming down the creek bed. Finally the pressure got so great the floodwaters broke through into the Northern Branch Canal and overflowed into the orchards, pasture and rice lands. Many orchards were under two feet of water for some time. Roy managed to keep the water off most of the farm by building up the drainage ditch banks all round the boundary. However, it still came through the front gate and all round the house and kitchen. Some of the farmers tried to get water away by digging out some of the bridges and trying to blow up some of them with explosives. There was quite a "dust up" about this! A police inspector held a number of interviews to try to ascertain where the explosives came from, etc, etc. A few men gave some information, hut Roy thought it best to say nothing, and for this the inspector told him he must be the ringleader, or at least was used to being court martialled! However, he did share a cup of tea, although he said it would not perhaps be considered right for him to hobnob with the leader of an explosives gang.

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About this time Roy obtained a fine boy to help him on the farm through the "Boys on Farms Scheme". Keith Davison was the son of a Sydney police sergeant and was only paid 12/6 a week and keep. Later a rice farmer offered him more wages and Keith went to a better job. Roy then obtained another lad, Sid Milne. Sid was a very keen boy scout and did a lot to help the Yenda troop. For some years Roy had been a member of the local committee and while Sid was working for him he became the President. With voluntary labour a small hall was erected for the scouts and a cub den for the cubs. An old friend, Tom Rodgers, was Hon Secretary of the movement for many years. When the 1939 war broke out Sid, although only newly wed, enlisted and went to New Guinea and there lost his life.

It became evident before the war began that the parasite red scale was getting a grip on citrus plantings around Yenda. Some of the people formed a fumigation committee to hire and purchase tents, equipment and cyanide briquettes from the Sydney firm of Houghton & Byrne Pty Ltd. Roy was elected Secretary and formed a working gang. With the help of Jack Davidson, the Government Fruit Inspector in the Yenda district, all citrus growers were induced to have their trees fumigated. Each week Roy would pay the gang, set out a program for the following week and see that materials and transport were available. For two years the committee operated successfully and then handed the business to Yenda Producers as Roy found he had to devote so much time to the committee his own farm was suffering.

Roy was also a committee member of the Returned Soldiers' League and Vice President for some time. With the backing of the League, a Diggers' Club was formed.

After two years Roy was elected President and held this position for five years.

When World War II started in 1939 Roy was 42 years old and felt it was his duty to enlist but with the proviso that he would not be finally attested until he had someone to run the farm. This proved quite impossible and he finally joined the Volunteer Defence Corps with a corporal's rank. The VDC at Yenda was very active during the war years. They built a rifle range and training ground at the foot of Mt Binya. Parades took all day on Sundays. He went to the AIF training depot at Kapooka for ten days, doing a course on demolition. This gave him a great deal of knowledge about explosives.

Judith Pigott - 1939 • taken at Yoogali where the Yoogali Club now stands.

This was the property of Clem and Connie Stanton.

Connie was Roy Pigott's sister

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Not long after the Japanese came into the war things were getting very sticky in New Guinea and North Queensland appeared in great danger. Some time in 1942 Roy and Ilma offered Mard Maclean, her twin daughters and youngest son Neil a temporary home with them, as most of the women and children were being evacuated from the north. It was a delight having them. All four children went off to school, a walk of 2 miles each way. It was an unhappy day for the Pigott family when the Macleans returned to their home in Innisfail, North Queensland.

During these years, Ilma had been very active in the local Country Womens Association, the Yenda Red Cross and became a foundation member and President of the Yenda Inner Wheel Club. The house had been enlarged and improved and while Judy was at school, Ilma learnt many new skills including leatherwork, millinery, raffia and basket work, artificial flower making, crochet, smocking and embroidery - all of which she did very well.

Ilma always loved entertaining. Horace Lindrum, the world champion billiards and snooker player, stayed with them when he gave an exhibition at the Diggers Club.

Sailors from British warships came for a week or so. Keast Burke, the well-known photographic judge from Kodak, spent a night. Rajan, an Indian farmer visiting under the Colombo Plan, spent a week.

In 1938 the Water Commission granted Roy an additional twelve acres, which he planted with ten acres of late Valencia. However, many of these trees died after the wettest year on record (1956). Many of the Yenda farmers were in the same position.

Soon after acquiring this land the Commission offered Roy the farm adjoining his eastern boundary. However, in less than three years he found it too much to cope with and he handed back twelve and a half acres to the Commission. His solicitor, Peter Morgan, remarked "Good Lord. You are, I think, the first person ever to voluntarily hand land back".

The farm work was becoming increasingly hard for Roy as the work piled up, and at Lima's suggestion he decided to take on two sharefarmers, Maurice and Philip Bianchini. This made life a lot less hectic. Roy bought a good second-hand camera and learnt how to compose a picture, joined the Griffith Camera Club and served as President for a while.

Wine grape growers on the MIA decided it might be a good thing to have a Wine Grape Marketing Board. Mr Cliff Thorne was elected President and Roy was his deputy.

Roy was always of the opinion that the Board could not do a great deal to get higher prices, but it did improve the conditions of sale now and then and got an occasional 10/per ton rise. About this time he became a Director of Leeton Co-operative Cannery for -some years.

Early in 1949 Roy became Hon Secretary of the Yenda Parents & Citizens Association and during his year of office they made a 16mm colour film about Yenda and its lifeblood, water, titled "Flowing Gold". The first showing at the Lyceum Theatre in aid of School funds was a great success. Messrs Gurnard-Smith and Les Kubank were responsible for the camera work. They did an excellent job and Roy did what he could as script writer and director.

With the formation of a Rotary Club at Yenda, Roy was asked to be a foundation member and became the second President.

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Roy and Ilma finally left Yenda in February 1959, having sold the farm. They travelled extensively in Australia and liked to get away from the bustle of city life and covered about 60,000 miles through the "real" Australia. They made their home at Lane Cove.

000000000

George Royston Pigott born 3 November 1898 died 17 July 1990

Ilma de Gyulay born 19 May 1902 died 28 February 1982

married

Daughter Judith Ann born 7 October 1935 married David Lockwood (son of surveyor Rod Lockwood and Mrs Jean Lockwood, a well known Griffith high school teacher)

Megan Lockwood born 27 June 1958. (now Megan Jamieson, living in Griffith where her husband is a senior police constable.)

Peter Lockwood born 3 April 1961.

By courtesy of the late Royston Pigott and his daughter Judith Lockwood.

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POLK!NGHORNE The first of this Polkinghorne family to come to Australia were Thomas Polkinghorne and Grace (nee Pearce), who came from Cornwall on the "Java", arriving in Adelaide on 6 February, 1840.

This particular voyage of the "Java" has been recorded as one of the most infamous with regard to loss of life amongst the passengers. Of approximately 500 who boarded the ship in Plymouth, 26 children and 4 adults died during the voyage. A "Medical Board Enquiry" which commenced on 12 February 1840, concluded that the blame lay with the ship's Surgeon Superintendent for lack of supervision in the distribution of food and medical comforts, much of which had been squandered during the early part of the voyage.

Although Thomas was listed as an "agricultural labourer on his emigration application, it would appear that he already had some mining experience as he went immediately to the slate quarries at Willunga (SA). After some years there during which time he became part owner of the quarry with a Mr Dawe, he expanded into farming enterprises at Bald Hills and Yankalilla. During the 1860's he moved, with most of his family, to the Cocoanut - Hummocks - Kulpara area on the Yorke Peninsula to commence farming in the malice areas.

Isaac Polkinghorne, eldest son of Thomas, moved to the Yorke Peninsular with his father. This must have been a particularly difficult period for the Polkinghornes, who had to contend with clearing the thick malice, drought and lack of permanent surface water and the continual decline in soil fertility before the advent of superphosphate. After the death of Thomas in 1883, Isaac moved with his family to the new mining areas of Thackaringa near Broken Hill arriving on Christmas Eve, 1887. It was at Thackaringa that Isaac became part owner of the "Pioneer" Mine which lasted only a short time and was then abandoned.

Ernest Josiah Polkinghorne, son of Isaac, became a miner early "and first faced Ila Polkinghorne (nee King) the Barrier dust and heat in January Courtesy Stan Polkinghorne 1891"34 . It was at Broken Hill that he became involved in the strike of 1892 while striving for better working conditions for the mine workers. After being on strike for about 21/2 months, seven strike leaders including Ernest .Iosiah Polkinghorne, were arrested and charged with "unlawful conspiracy and inciting riots". At the trial held at Dcniliquin,

34

"Barrier Daily Truth-. Broken Hill. Wednesday December 24. 1913.

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six men were found guilty and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, Ernest Josiah's term being 18 months. After serving about 10 months, those four strike leaders still imprisoned, were released after the Minister for Justice made recommendations to the Governor, on the "occasion of the Royal Marriage of the Duke of York 6th July 1893'..

After his release, and possibly on his return journey to Broken Hill, Ernest Josiah was attracted to Wyalong by the gold strike, and spent a number of years there involved in mining, as an organiser for the AWU and promoting the Labour movement. After his eventual return to Broken Hill, Ernest Josiah was appointed to the staff of the Broken Hill Council as a Health or "Sanitary' Inspector. In 1899 he married Lilla Ada Elspeth King, and raised three sons, Francis Richard, Alfred Murray and Leonard Seymour.

His eldest son, Francis remembered their home on the outskirts of North Broken Hill being one of the last in the street and bordering on the scrub. Very close to their home was a camel camp with Afghan camel drivers who used their animals to transport goods to the surrounding station properties.

In July 1907, Ernest Josiah was elected to the City Council as an Alderman for Wills Ward, and in 1909 became Secretary of the Broken Hill Co-operative Society. From this position, he went on to become manager of the Co-operative, a position he held until his departure from Broken Hill.

Ernest Josiah and his family first arrived in Leeton in January 1914, settling on Farm 728, Leeton after the long journey from Broken Hill. This journey comprised train from Broken Hill to Adelaide, ship around the coast from Adelaide to Sydney, train from Sydney to Yanco and horse drawn conveyance from Yanco to Leeton.

Ernest Josiah was granted Irrigation Farm Lease 728, Yanco on 12th January 1914, and died at Leeton on 8th December 1928.

An extract from his obituary in the Murrumbidgee Irrigator stated "PUBLIC SERVICE HIS HOBBY", and that Ernest Josiah should be recognised as the prime mover in the cause of having the Education Department secure the old McCaughey Homestead for an agricultural high school.

Courtesy Murray Polkinghorne

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POLKINGHORNE, Francis Richard Francis Richard Polkinghorne (known as France or Frank) was born in Broken Hill on 19 February 1900, the first son of Ernest Josiah Polkinghorne and Lilla Ada Elspeth (nee King).

After the family's arrival, Francis Polkinghorne then aged 14, commenced work on the farm, while his two younger brothers attended school in Leeton. He was proficient with horses, and drove the teams that did most of the work on the farm. Most of the local farmers used horses and allocated part of their farm to grow hay for the animals. While his father, Ernest Josiah, contracted to reap and bind the crops, Francis became a stack builder and with Jack Moore, built stacks in the area for several years.

Frank enlisted in the Army towards the end of the war, and after hostilities ceased, he decided to come to Griffith Francis Richard Polkinghornc and apply for a farm under the Courtesy Stan Polkinghorne Soldier Settler scheme. All settlers were required to spend three months in a Water Commission Camp, and Francis spent this time in a camp at Beelbangera, from which he drove horse teams with scoops to construct channels in the Bilbul and Beelbangera areas.

In 1921 Francis married Alice Breadner and settled on Farm 1171, Griffith. At this time he also built stacks on neighbouring farms, one of which was Bill McCann's.

Farm 1171 was covered in thick Box, Yarran and Pine trees, which he cleared with axe, saw and mattocks. Roots were ripped out by a "deep knife" plough drawn by two traction engines.

Cash crops grown while the orchard was being established were melons, peas and tomatoes. During this time he also drew a "sustenance" of £8 per month (of which f6 had to be repaid and £2 was gift sustenance).

The modern convenience of electricity was not connected to Farm 1171 until 1937 and so until then power not was available for pumping water. Frank's eldest son, Stan

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Alice ("Cis") Polkinghornc & son Stan Courtesy Stan Polkinghornc

remembers carrying water from the farm dam for domestic purposes before electricity. On one occasion when he was about 4 years old he was knocked into the dam by the family dog and was lucky to survive, being dragged to safety by his Grandmother.

The dam was located in the "horse paddock", roughly 100 metres from the house and close to the largest Box tree imaginable.

This tree probably survived for so long because its huge size resisted all efforts to remove it.

The horse paddock was a very important part of the farm which was worked entirely by horses until Francis was able to purchase his first tractor about 1936 or 1937.

In 1930, Francis and his brother Murray, grew 20 acres of tobacco on Murray's Farm 1756 at Ballingall. They planted 110,000 seedlings by hand. They had decided to grow tobacco as there was 2/- per pound excise benefit, however before the crop came off there was a change of Government and the excise was changed - four and half tons of tobacco was sold for 6d per pound

instead of 2/6.

After selling the farm in 1951 to F A Marchesin, Francis became the Griffith Representative for Taubmans' Paints and later for Imperial Chemical Industries (I.C.I.).

During this time his voice was well known on the radio as "The Friendly Farmer".

Francis was well-known throughout the district, serving as a Director of the Griffith Co-operative Society and committee member of the Griffith Ex-Servicemen's Club, while Alice (or "Cis" as she was known) was renowned for her cooking, particularly for her sweet stall at the Methodist Church Fete.

Francis died 8 November 1965 and Alice died 16 June 1979. Both are buried in the Methodist Section of the Griffith Cemetery. ► "The Friendly Farmer" Courtesy Stan Polkinghorne

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POLKINGHORNE, Alfred Murray Alfred Murray Polkinghorne (known as Murray), recalls that whilst the ship was docked in Melbourne for three days on their journey from Adelaide to Sydney, his parents, Ernest Josiah and Lilla, purchased furniture for their Leeton home.

Murray still has two items from that original purchase: a maple dining room table and a large double bed.

After arriving in Leeton with his family in January 1914, Murray first attended School in Leeton, walking the three and a half miles to school each day. After leaving school he worked in a Nursery for three years. He then worked in the Dried Fruits Cooperative before proceeding to Sydney to study wireless telegraphy.

In 1924 Murray returned home to work in partnership with his father Alfred Murray Polkinghomc on Farm 728 Leeton. In Courtesy Murray Polkinghorne 1929 the farm was declared unsuitable for horticulture and after it was surrendered Murray was granted an irrigation lease at Griffith.

Murray and Lillian May Owen were married 31 March 1928 at Leeton. Murray commenced farming in the Griffith area in the Malice in the winter of 1930. This farm was near the old Gypsum mines past Lake Wyangan. Murray lived in Leeton but rode out to the Malice on an old "Indian Scout" motor bike each Sunday night and returned to Leeton every Saturday afternoon. Murray stayed on the farm for three months, but the terrible frosts convinced him that this area was unsuitable for the growing of oranges as the winter frosts were very severe (temperatures dropped to as low as 1() degrees

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Fahrenheit). Murray and other Soldier Settlers walked off their farms and he moved to Farm 1170, which was adjacent to his brother Francis' farm. Murray was given the option of buying the Hanwood farm but in 1930 decided to take up Farm 1756, Ballingall. Lily, his wife, and Lilla Ada, his mother, and his two sons Nevis and Ian stayed at Hanwood while Murray worked the farm at Ballingall. Murray rode a pushbike back to Hanwood twice a week.

Initially the family lived in a shed for two years on Farm 1756.

In 1934 a house was purchased from the WC & IC for f85 and Toni Ceccato moved it from Bilbul to Tharbogang using a Traction Engine and Jinker, taking three months to travel about 14 miles.

Every culvert had to be dismantled and electrical wires had to be lifted to allow the house to pass underneath. After successfully moving the house to Farm 1756, the verandahs and window frames were fitted back. The cost of shifting and erecting the house was £95, a total cost of £180.

At this time, before he owned a motor vehicle, Murray rode a push bike to town to purchase the groceries and carried them home on the bike. The children all rode bikes to Tharbogang School.

Murray served for twelve years as Lillian May ("IA") Polkinghorne (nee Owen) President of the Tharbogang P & C Courtesy Murray Polkinghorne Association, and for twelve years as President of the Ballingall Extension Group.

He was the Ballingall Growers Representative to the IREC and the Growers Representative on the Tile Drainage Committee. He also represented the Growers on the Fruit Fly Committee and the Winter Watering Advisory Committee.

Murray sold the Ballingall farm in 1961 to Favero Bros, and lived in Coolah Street for 18 months before shifting (on Anzac Day, 1963) to 6 Edward Street where he still lives at the age of 90 years.

For three years after leaving the farm Murray worked for IXL and then for the Leeton Cannery for thirteen years as a fruit inspector. Murray retired in 1977.

Lillian May Polkinghorne died on 5 October 1989 and is buried in the Methodist Section of the Griffith Cemetery.

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POLKINGHORNE, Leonard Seymour Len started his schooling in Broken Hill, and completed it at Fort Street High, Sydney, after winning a bursery from Leeton. After helping his father on the Leeton farm for a short time, Len forsook farming and academic pursuits to become a case maker in a local packing house - a trade in which he very quickly became expert.

He married Melva Dunn, a Leeton girl, in 1928 and after raising a young family, moved to Sydney where he continued case making. At the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, Len tried to enlist in the Armed Forces, but was denied because of his skills, and was retained in the industry to package war materials.

After his marriage failed, Len returned to Griffith to work with his brother, Francis on Farm 1171 until this farm was sold in 1951, after which he worked at the Griffith Co-operative Society and the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission as a storeman. Len died in September, 1967 and is buried in the Griffith Cemetery.

Thomas Polkinghorne (1813-1883) married Tywardreath. Cornwall 1836 Grace Pearce (1818-1855) • Isaac Polkinghorne (c. 1841-1912) married Yankalilla. SA. 1868 Jane Coad (1851-1903) • Ernest Josiah Polkinghorne (1869-1928) married Broken Hill. NSW. 1899 Lila Ada Elspcth King (1868-1951) • 1. Francis Richard Polkinghorne, (1900-1965): married Leeton. NSW. 1921. Alice Breadner (1894-1979).

1. Stanley born 2 April 1923. Griffith: married Elizabeth Mary Jones. Lives at Griffith. Five childrenDavid. Ann. Ruth. Glenys and Helen.

2. Cecil Richard born 15 Jan 1926. Griffith: died 31 Oct 1990. Perth WA: married I) Ethel Ray Peterson (dec'd). Four children - Dianne, Gae. Vicki and Neville. Married 2) Marjorie Hunt.

3. Clive born 16 September 1935. Griffith: married Wendy Edith Bested. Lives at Griffith. Three children - Gary. Brett and Karen.

2.

Alfred Murray Polkinghorne. born 1901. lives Griffith: married 1928 Lillian May Owen (1905-1989) 1. Nevis born 23 October 1931. Griffith: married Lucy Follent. Lives at Caringbah NSW. Three children - Bruce. Fiona and Lisa.

2. Ian born 8 August 1933, Griffith: died 26 February 1956, Griffith 3. Jill born 6 November 1934. Griffith: married Barry Hocking. Lives at Wollstonecraft NSW. Three children - Janene. Colin and Dianne.

4. Valerie born 9 March 1937. Griffith: married Cecil Rose. Lives at Bega. Four Children - Scott, Celia, Belinda and Bradley.

5. Maurice born 6 March 1942. Griffith: married Iris Bennett. Lives at Beecroft.

3.

Leonard Seymour Polkinghorne (1903-1967): married Melva Dunn (born 1910. lives at Sydney) 1. Elaine June King born 3 April 1929. Leeton: married John Roberts. Two children - Elaine and Gregory.

2. Warren Donald King born 9 October 1930, Bellevue Hill: married Shirley Lee. Two children Anthony and Colin.

Courtesy of the Polkinghorne Family.

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POTTER My late father, Cpl Albert Potter (2917), a veteran of the Gallipoli campaign and later to sec action in France, was born in Hull, England on February 25th 1891, the son of Thomas Henry Potter, merchant seaman, and Emma Cross. He migrated to Australia in 1912, aged 21, on the "Ovita". He formed a friendship with Jim Kilpatrick, brother of the late Alick Kilpatrick. Through his friendship with Jim he met Edith Eileen Kilpatrick, a cousin, and as he told Enid Atkinson a few years before his death "she thought I looked too girlish with my rosy cheeks and smooth English skin and hid from me each time I visited until I got a bit of a tan and grew some whiskers". He and Jim went north to Mackay in Queensland "to try our hands at a bit of cane cutting".

At the outbreak of World War I they both enlisted, Jim in the Light Horse, Albert ("Bert") in the 5th Albert Potter Field Ambulance. Jim sadly was Courtesy Beryl Stolz (nee Potter) killed at Beersheba.

In 1919, upon returning to Australia after leave in England, he applied for and was granted Farm 783 in the infant settlement of Yenda. Where he lived in those first days I do not know, most likely in barracks, although he was always very friendly with the Ellesmere family in Yoogali so there seems to be some connection there. On May 15th 1920, at Marrickville, Sydney, Bert married Edith Eileen, second daughter of William John Kilpatrick, a drover of Adelong Crossing NSW and Edith Mary Campbell of Magill, Adelaide SA. Edith (or Eileen as she was known) was born at Wilcannia NSW on January 28th 1896. Her Mother had come in from White Cliffs in a buggy for her birth, most likely by herself, as her drover husband was mostly away, like Clancy "down the Cooper".

Until the house was completed I believe Mum and Dad lived in what was to become in later years the garage, but in those days it was just a tin shed. They were still living in it when I was born on September 11th 1921 in Sydney. Those first years could not have been easy, both for the young men, some of whom knew very little about farming or for their new brides. Many of them were girls from the city, away from home and family for the first time. Money was short, amenities NIL. Mum washed in a fuel copper 361

in the back yard for many years until at last the set-in copper, still wood fueled of course, was installed under the covered-in tank stand. In time even the old galvanised iron tubs were replaced with a set of cement laundry tubs! I was very fond of those old round tubs.

I had many a bath in them as well as quite often seeing a freshly killed "chook" plunged into the hot water in them before being plucked. I suppose my Mother was not quite so isolated from her family as some of the wives. A few years after her marriage her sister Laurel married Garnet Jennings whose farm was very close to ours. Just down the road lived Alick Kilpatrick and his wife, Florence, parents of Enid Atkinson and her sisters and brother. Also, Mum and Margery Harris, senior, had been work mates at Grace Brothers in Sydney in their single days.

My sister Lois was born on August 4th 1925 at the CWA Hospital in Ycnda, with Dr Burrell in attendance. We both attended Yenda Public School. Lois went on to Griffith High after completing primary school but I stayed on at Ycnda until I left at the end of third year after passing what was then known as the Intermediate.

My father was a hard working man and our farm prospered. He tended those tiny trees and vines so well until, in time, they bore wonderful fruit and wine grapes. Later he acquired extra acreage but during World War II it became too much for him, mainly due to his ill health and the difficulty in obtaining help, so in 1941 he sold to the Flood family who in turn I think, sold to an Italian family. They moved to Sydney, living firstly in Punchbowl, then Oatley.

Eileen Potter (nee Kilpatrick) Mum had been a keen Courtesy Ikryl Stolz (ncc Potter) member of the CWA in Yenda and she remained active in the association in Sydney until her death (from a heart attack) on November 11 1966. This happened at Sydney Airport on her way, with Dad, to spend a holiday in Gladstone Old with Lois and her husband, George Macpherson. She was cremated at Woronora (a southern suburb of Sydney) and her ashes were scattered to the wind. Dad made three trips back to England before moving up to the Queensland Gold Coast with Lois and George in the early 80's. He passed away peacefully on December 21st 1986, aged 96 and rests under the roses at Allambe Gardens Crematorium at Nerang. He was a grand old

362

man, loved and respected by all who were lucky enough to have known him.

His happiest days were those spent tending his beloved Farm 783 Yenda, and in later years, reminiscing about it.

My first memories of Yenda are of cats - tabby cats! At one stage of my early life I thought all cats were tabby! I had a special one called Goldilocks when I was very young.

There was a great scarcity of cats in the early days and kittens were always welcome, so Goldilocks took full advantage of the situation. Later on, when our Grandfather died we inherited his two ginger cats, Mick and Meggs, who "Sunday Best" lived to a ripe old Beryl Stolz (nee Potter) and Lois McPherson (nee Potter) age. I remember Courtesy Beryl Stolz my father telling the story of when I was about two years old I told him a story of the lovely black pussy cat near the shed. As we didn't have a black cat he investigated and found, to his horror, a big black snake curled up in the Spring sunshine!

At first our only transport was a sulky pulled by a rogue of a white horse called Dick who had a "grandiose illusion" of being a race horse. His sole aim in life was to break the four minute mile and not always along the road! We had quite a few hairy trips into town, along the ditch banks with Dick holding the bit between his teeth and Mum or Dad clutching madly onto the reins and the kids. But then came the wonderful day in 1927, when Dad proudly brought home the new car, an Essex, totally unsuited for the dirt 363

roads because of its lack of clearance from the ground, but it was English and no way was he going to have any of "those American things". I remember the utter torture Lois and I went through driving into town for Saturday afternoon shopping and the matinees at the rip roaring speed of at least 15 miles an hour, as he looked about, passing remarks about "Alick's apples" or "Allen Harris' oranges" and sundry other things while we fretted and fumed in the back seat because we were going to miss the Serial.

Although I have not lived in Yenda since late 1939, leaving just before my 18th birthday and the outbreak of World War II, as I sit writing this I am enfolded by memories.

The huge woodstack, consisted of timber cleared from our farm by Dad and Mr George Henry. They each helped the other clear their respective farms and the families remained close friends in the years to come. My "best friend" was their son Claude. We had a love-hate relationship until his tragic death in 1944 whilst in the "At Play" RAAF. When ever he was passing through Sydney Lois and Beryl during the War he would take me to lunch or dinner Courtesy Beryl Stolz (nee Potter) at Prince's and buy me an orchid which was the thing to do in those far off days. Could this handsome young man, resplendent in his Air Force uniform be the same blonde, tousled-haired kid I had fought with all through my childhood? And remembering Claude, how can I forget those wonderful picnics with friends and neighbours, in the hills each September to celebrate his birthday or the happy school picnics held in Twigg's paddock each year when all the girls wore their first new Summer frocks, even though Yenda in Spring can be quite cold.

Once again my mind races to other days. Christmas concerts at school where we all sang carols for our proud parents, then the breakup parties, with the red and green cordial. Ruth Stockton singing the top "pop" of the time - "If You Wear a Little White Gardenia". Mr O'Connell who taught me to appreciate good books and Mr Strang, with his wonderful dry humour and his great store of wisdom. Even now, more than fifty years on, there are times when I'm battling with a problem, I find myself thinking back to advice given to me by a man who had a great influence on my life. I think how wonderful it would be if in fifty years someone would remember me for the same reason. Thinking back to school, I remember with relish, those mouth-watering pies made by Mrs Monaghan in her little tuckshop across the road and those wonderful fancy dress balls in the Regent Theatre. Mothers would sit up for nights fashioning "something different" for us to wear. When ever I smell chrysanthemums I am immediately transported back in time to far off Anzac Days around the Cenotaph with all the little girls, immaculate in their white frocks and veils proudly wearing their Junior Red Cross badges and overseered by, I think, Miss Brotherton. Our fathers, out of their flannel shirts and work trousers for the day stood stiffly to attention, in their best suits, war medals which had been polished 364

up the night before, gleaming in the sunlight. Lois 4r' always hated Anzac Day because all those beautiful flowers which we had so lovingly made into wreaths and crosses were just left to die but I somehow felt, in my childish way, that even the flowers must consider it a privilege to represent our brave soldiers whose names were etched on the cenotaph. Never do I think of Yenda, especially in Spring, without once again seeing in my mind's eye the yellow and white paper daisies or the pink and white blossoms of the fruit trees, with their heady perfume. What a pity we didn't have coloured films for our cameras in those days?

There are so many things both Lois and I recall of those far off days, such as Mr and Mrs Bill Wood's house, along with that of Mr and Mrs Frank Stephens' being moved from their original sites near the Griffith Road, I think, to new positions to make way for the growing of rice. The houses were divided into two parts and moved on linkers".

Lactogen Kid" - Lois Unfortunately however, the Wood's house somehow Courtesy Beryl Stolz (nee Potter) became wedged on a culvert near Kilpatrick's and stayed there for a few days. I remember with nostalgia, and maybe a tear or two, the Sunday morning request program on the local Griffith radio station. No portable radios in those days so it took me the whole three hours of it to dust the lounge so that I would not miss a minute. Many a romance blossomed or shattered on that program due to the cryptic requests!

After leaving school I worked with Dad on the farm for a couple of years but I'm afraid the call of the city with its bright lights, shops and beaches became too much for me to ignore so in 1939 I left Yenda, worked at David Jones then joined the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS). In 1943 I married Sgt Les Stolz, NX6313, who had been wounded whilst serving in the Western Desert.

For years I had told my husband and children about the many happy hours I had spent swimming at the big bridge which spanned the wide canal close to our beautiful farmhouse. In 1969 while spending the Australia Day weekend with our son, Graeme, who was at that time stationed at Temora (in the then Bank of NSW) we drove to Griffith, passing through my old home town. Proudly I took them to see the big bridge at the "old swimming hole" but what had happened, could my eyes be deceiving me? But worse was to come, the once beautiful farmhouse of my memories was a barn-like structure, half its original size with a decided lean to it and very much in need of a coat of paint. The present owners had built a new house on the block and fortunately, some time later, the home of my child hood memories burned to the ground.

What happens as the years pass? Do we remember things as we wish to or do we just grow older and forget"? Either way, who would want to be without our memories?

Not me!

365

Birthday Party at the Potters Courtesy Beryl Stolz (nee Potter)

Thomas Henry Potter married Emma Cross both buried in England

William John Kilpatrick married Mary Edith Campbell buried at Crookv‘ell & Sydney

•

• •

Albert Potter born Hull (England) 25 February 1891 died 21 December 1986 cremated at Nerang.

Gold Coast Qld

married Marrickville NSW 15 May 1920 •

Edith Eileen Kilpatrick born Wilcannia NSW 28 January 18% died 11 November 1966 cremated at Woronora NSW

Beryl liken born Campsie NSW 11 September 1921. Married Leslie Stolz 1943. Lives at Robina. Gold Coast Old. Two children. Janice and Graeme.

Lois Marrilyn born Yenda NSW 4 August 1925. Married George Macpherson 1949. Lives at Mermaid Waters. Gold Coast Old. No children.

By courtesy of Beryl Stolz (nee Potter), Robina, Old.

366

POWER Henry Edward Power and Ethel Power (nee Lawrence) had ten children and lived at Harrietville, Victoria. The following members of the family came to Griffith to live:Thomas Stanley (known as Stan) Power was born at Harrietville and worked in the gold mines and railway before joining the AIF in World War I. On returning from service he rejoined to the railways before he took up a War Service Farm 1311 on the "Pipe Line" road (Griffith to Tharbogang). At this time Stan was still a bachelor so his sister Ethel Lillian (Lil) Power came to housekeep for her brother and to help in the dairy.

Stan later married Amelia Mary Jean ("Milly") Hobson and they had one son, Stanley George Power.

Stan Power Snr was accidentally killed at Eurobin Falls, Victoria. His wife, Milly, later married their next door neighbour (Stan Keyworth).

Stanley George Power Jnr went to school at the Frank Widden Masonic Home, Yanco Agricultural High School and Hawkesbury Agricultural College before he joined the RAAF in World War II. Stan Power Jnr later became a stud sheep classer and bought his own farm at Cropper Creek, Moree. He now lives on the coast at Alstonville after having had heart surgery.

Ethel Lillian Power (Lil) wrote home about having met a nice man named William Stevenson Gow. So, quite "Four Generations" unexpectedly, Grandfather Power Back - "Lottic" Bastian (nec Power) arrived to "look over" this W S Grandmother Lawrence, Charlotte Bastian, Ethel Power Gow person! (He must have (nee Lawrence). Courtesy Maureen Niven (nee Power). approved of the courtship as Lillian later married Bill Gow).

The Gows opened their furniture store in August 1920, which was the fourth shop in Banna Avenue. Eighteen months later they opened a garage and hire car service adjacent to the furniture store. They had two children - Ronnie and Lorraine.

367

Eric Power

• Charlie Power

• Stan Power

• Lit Gow (nce Power)

• Charlotte ("lothe") Bastian (nee Power)

Photos courtesy Maureen Niven (nee Power)

368

Charlotte Mary Power (the eldest sister) married Thomas Bastian and they came to Griffith and lived at 58 Binya Street, a few doors from the Gows. Tom suffered with asthma caused by "dust on his lungs" from his gold mining days as an engineer in gold mines in Harrietville and Malaya.

Lottie and Tom had three daughters: 1) Charlotte 2) Beryl 3) Olive Eric George Power came to visit his brother Stan and sister Lil and later returned to settle in Griffith in 1922.

Eric worked for the Gows, driving a hire car before he started up his own carrying service with a horse and cart and later moved into trucks.

Eric met and married Ilma Lydia Spratt from Lake View.

They went to live on the block, Farm 868 Griffith (now Over's Road) and they have one surviving child, Ilma Maureen. Maureen remembers they had a nice house with two bedrooms, office, kitchen, big verandah around three sides which was gauzed in; a bathroom with septic toilet (which must have been one of the first in the area), laundry and store room "where Dad used to store furniture sometimes". She can also remember a grasshopper plague in the 30's. "The 'hoppers ate the lawn and roses all in about 20 minutes flat!!"

The old horse named Tommy, which used to pull the delivery cart was due for a rest, so Erie and lima Power Eric got a loan of another horse to Courtesy Maureen Nivcn (nee Power) give Tommy a spell for a while.

But poor old Tommy was jealous of the other horse and one day backed himself into the trailer and waited, ready to be harnessed and wouldn't move out! Later Eric bought a motor lorry and Tommy was put out to grass retirement and lived to a great old age.

369

A great treat was to go "Ma" Wallace's Cafe for a meal after an afternoon shopping. The aroma coming from the kitchen always made the customers twice as hungry as they entered the doorway of the dining room.

Wallace's always served beaut "lime spiders"35 and sundaes in the cafe section too.

At the outbreak of WWII Eric joined the Royal Australian Engineers and saw active service with the Sth Division in Malaya. He was a POW of the Japanese for 31/2 years, working on the Burma-Thailand Railway line. The War had been over three weeks before word got through to their camp deep in the jungle. Here the POW's had just about completed digging their own graves.

They were to have been shot the next day!!

Because of malnutrition and war wounds Eric spent a few weeks in hospital in Malaya and came home aboard the hospital ship "Manunda".

By that time he had reached the weight of seven "Grandma and Grandpa Power" stone! He spent a few more months convalescing Courtesy Maureen Niven (nce Power) before he started work again making cement stops for irrigation works. He also bought Berry's brickworks in partnership with Sep Chittick and later owned a taxi, before drawing a Soldiers Settlers block in the Warrawidgee No 2 Settlement Scheme. He held this block for ten years or so before retiring to The Entrance with his wife, where they lived until 1986, when they again returned to Griffith and where they still reside.

Charles Edward Power (Eric's twin brother) worked in the gold mines around Harrietville before joining the railway to become an engine driver for 42 years. Charlie came from Albury to Griffith to live during the early part of World War II. He was here for about eight years before being transferred to Parkes and then Sydney to work on the electric trains. Charlie Married Ethel Mathews from Albury and they had two sons: 1) Kevin 2) Frank.

Contributed by Mrs Maureen Niven (nee Power).

35

Lime Spiders" = long glasses of lime soda out of the soda fountain (not out of a bottle) and a generous scoop of ice cream.

370

Australian Red Cross Society

FOR SAFETY

(UNOFFICIAL) In your letters do not refer to:The name of your ship or other ships in the convoy, or its escorts.

The date of sailing, ports of call. or probable destination.

The descripiton of troops, their location, or any other information which, if intercepted, would be of

Singapore 28-9-45

value to the enemy,

Dear Lil, Bill & You will see by the above address that I have arrived in Singapore from Siam. I flew from Bangkok four days ago. I had a very good trip, we did the 1000 miles in a little over 5 hours and all the crew were Aussies and they treated us swell.

I am in hospital here, and we have all Aussie nurses and doctors and they are wonderfid, treat us like kings, and the food is excellent - you never seem to stop eating. I an: putting on weight every day. 1 have put on 2 stone since I was released, another 11/2 stone and I will be back to normal, and I look like putting that on by the tune I get home, which I hope will be very soon. My leg is just about right now it is healed up and I have it massaged every day and do exercises every hour with a bag of sand on /71y foot to get the muscles back and it is getting better every, day. I walk round on it without any crutches, it's only a matter of a few days and it will be OK. I am very worried about mail. 1 have not had a letter since Nov 7th 1943 - of course 1 can understand not getting letters while I was a P.O.W. They were mostly all burnt or destroyed by our yellow animal hosts. 1 only received six letters during the 31/2 years, the last one written on Nov 7 1943. So 1 don't know how you all are, as a lot can happen in that time, but I hope to get some any day now. Give me all the news regarding relations and friends, if you write straight back I will have a chance of getting it before 1 catch the boat address it CIO 14th A.G.H. Singapore.

Well thats enough about my troubles, lets get on to something ',lore pleasant as I have had quite a bit to do with trouble during the past 31/2 years. You have no idea how wondedid it was to get back to civilization again, and the thrill of seeing a white woman again after 31/2 years in the jungle in Burma and Sian:, working on the railway of death; which is very well named they may have broken our bones at different times but they could never break our spirit.

It is a beautiful spot here. I am looking out to sea; watching seven mine sweepers at work and a beautiful breeze blowing. 1 an: going to nick off and go to Singapore city this afternoon.

I suppose I will see a big difference in you all when 1 get back, especially the kiddies, I don't think you will see much difference in 171e. I think 1 came through it extra well considering 1 got down to just over 5 stone a few times. How's Lot and family are they still in Griffith, give them my love, and 1 will write tomorrow to them. Now Dear Lil and Bill 1 will say cheerio for this time hoping to hear from you soon and see you all shortly.

1 remain, your loving Bro, Eric.

371

RAPHAEL The Raphael family came from London to Sydney about 1840. Austace was the third son in a family of seven children born to William and Elizabeth ("Betsy" nee Anderson) Raphael, who lived much of their lives in the Wellington and Parkes area of New South Wales. Except that he was injured in one eye by a BB bullet (air rifle pellet) as a child, not much is known about his early life. Due to his defective eyesight he was not at first accepted for active service in World War I, but he finally found a country doctor, a family friend, who passed him for limited overseas service.

He married Ellen Peaston early in 1916 and soon after he sailed for France with the 9th Field Ellen and Austace Raphael - 1916 Ambulance serving as a stretcherCourtesy the Raphael Family bearer till the end of the war. He was discharged with mustard-gas poisoning of the lungs and advised to live in the healthy open air.

He came to Griffith in 1919 to take up a 27 acre (11 hectare) soldier settlement block of unfenced, uncleared land - Farm 978. As training he had a few months at the Yanco Experiment Farm. Meanwhile our grateful Government paid him "Sustenance" and added this to his debts to them!

At first he lived in a tent while building a pine round-hack slab shed of two rooms, one of which had a floor and a fireplace. The Commission was building one of their "Plan 7" cottages on the land, the cost of which was also added to his debt to them.

It had two bedrooms, a front verandah, a kitchen/living room, a bathroom and a pantry.

The outside was of weatherboard, the lining was brittle fibro and the roof corrugated iron.

A one thousand gallon (4,500 L) rainwater tank served the bathroom and this water was very precious. There was no kitchen sink - rainwater was scarce and used only for drinking and final hair rinses! Fourteen to sixteen inches of rain per annum did not yield much from the small roof area. In winter the dam became low and the water muddy.

There was a backyard "dunny" that had to be emptied and where one had to beware of red-back spiders lurking under the seat!

Before the house was completed, Ellen decided to end the strain of separation and waiting and made the sixteen hour, four hundred mile (640 km) journey from Sydney by dusty, cinder-ridden "dog-box" train carriages to Willbriggie. It was a hot March day in 1920. She brought her three year old daughter Margaret and four month old son Bill 372

to share the shed with Austace (mostly known to his mates as George). It was a vast change from city life in Sydney, but she was no complainer as well as being a very good cook and manager.

Two more daughters, Jean and Nell were born in Griffith and in 1926 Grandma Raphael came to spend the last year of her life at Farm 978. By this time two more rooms were added to the back - another bedroom and a kitchen, complete with sink and water from a second rainwater tank! There was now a "sitting room" complete with an open fireplace - very inefficient it was too!! Later the back of the house was extended, the bathroom moved there, with water also laid on from an overhead tank with a pump.

Ultimately, joy of joys, an indoor toilet and septic tank - thirty years after the original house was built!! It had taken twenty years to get all the "mod cons" of electricity, telephone and refrigeration. A far cry from the early coolgardie safe, the butter cooler and the water bag. Even the intermediate ice-chest was an unreliable adjunct - the three times a week ice delivery service could not handle those hot Griffith summers.

The Raphael Family - 1920, outside the shack.

The tent previously used by Austacc is in the background.

Courtesy the Raphael Family

Austace's experiences in the Field Ambulance gave him some knowledge of simple medications. He mixed up embrocations for sore muscles, skin softeners for cracked and hardened hands, cough concoctions for the family (they could not afford costly commercial pharmaceuticals). The children could say "syrup of ipecacuanha" before they started school. Every spring they were dosed sulphur and treacle - this was an old family tradition "to clear out winter ills"! Pneumonia and bronchitis were common in the frosty winters. The former was treated with "antiphlogistine" - an aromatic plasticine-like application spread onto the chest two or three times a day and then cocooned in cotton wool. The winter of 1925 was particularly severe. Many a farmer was laid low and was then helped out by the "working bees" of his mates and fellow farmers. During these times there was a great feeling of mateship, especially in difficulties, like illness.

It was exceedingly hard work for both Austace and Ellen, especially in the early days when the farm had to be fenced, cleared, ploughed and planted and then wait until the fruit trees and vines came into bearing some years later. "Catch crops" of peas and strawberries (Austace was the first to grow the latter) were planted between the rows of

373

trees. The children helped in their harvest and it was back breaking work. Many years before Walt Disney made the song famous, the children recall being told to "whistle while you work" - especially when picking the strawberries. The twinkle in their father's eye explained why!!!

Ellen (born in Aldershot, England in 1884) was the eldest of four children to Alexander and Margaret (nee Bingham) Peaston. This ex-Royal Scots Fusiliers Sergeant Major had spent fifteen years of continuous service in India ("ruined his digestion and hastened his death" Ellen used to say) and he only lived about ten years after marriage.

Her mother then had the same problem as faced Ellen later in her own marriage widowhood with four young children. In her youth Ellen had lived in Ayr, Scotland, but Ellen's education did not get very far, something she endeavoured to rectify in her children. Not a great deal is known about her early life. Shc was a quiet, reserved and mostly serious person when the children were young. Regrettably they did not ask many questions. It is believed she came to Australia about 1912 or 1913. In Double Bay she was a Nanny to a wealthy family with two small boys.

The house completed 1920. The builder with Margaret and Bill, Workman on the verandah and Ellen and Austacc standing near chimney (Note the original shack in the background) Courtesy the Raphael Family

After Austace's death in December 1927 Ellen carried on through the Depression with only the help of a succession of three Italians who lived in the front half of the old shed and had meals with the family. Jim, Frank and Angelo grew and introduced us to the delights of fresh vegetables including eggplants, jerusalem artichokes, peppers and various melons, also homemade (by the Italians) "schnapps"!! They had a cow and made butter and clotted cream, preserved fruits, jams, pickles and chutney and of course had to mend and make do. Ellen was a good manager. Life for her had become a very serious business in these early years of widowhood.

The farm still carried a huge debt and for six years after her husband's death Ellen received no help at all from the Government. Indeed, as he had died unexpectedly 374

and intestate, even his small insurance was frozen, then tied up due to the failure of the Government Savings Bank till it was taken over by the Rural Bank.

The children all helped pick and pack fruit, Ellen attired in a pair of men's khaki overalls and a shady hat - a far cry from the carefree and fun-loving young woman who had waited in the Edinburgh queues, entertained by buskers while hoping to get into the "gods" of the theatre for a shilling.

As children they had plenty to do, helping on the farm and in the house. Ellen believed in working "quickly and quietly" and "moderation in all things". They lacked many luxury goods like silk stockings and wrist watches, even fountain pens were a luxury beyond them till late in high school, but not the basics of good food and education as far as they could go.

Ellen nerved herself to drive the draught horse Topsy and later Blossom in the spring cart. There were sundry episodes of having the horse, equally nervous no doubt, bolting - after a cow appeared suddenly, swimming in a drainage ditch or en route to Lake View, the Hillston train screaming its whistle. Until 1930 it was their only way of getting around. Then, oh joy! Ellen bought a car - a Chev Tourer. Mr Jim Gordon not only sold it to her - he had to teach her to drive it! Being over 40 and nervous, she had to have two goes for her licence. But gripping the steering wheel in an iron hold, she mastered the manual gears and finally made it!!

From local farmers, commission agents et al, she got lots of well-meant advice of the "Mrs Raphael you ought to " variety. She used her own judgement as to whether she followed it however. But that is another story!

Ellen was a good Presbyterian and worked not only for the Guild, but in the early days, it is recalled the visiting minister snoring contentedly upon the horsehair couch in the kitchen/living room. He had done justice not only to the morning sermon but also to Ellen's delicious baked dinner.

Sadly, just as Bill was starting to help take the load of work and worry on the farm, World War II was declared. It seemed he was no sooner home from Agricultural training at the Wagga Experiment Farm than he was off to serve in the RAAF and Ellen had to employ full-time help again!

During World War II she helped organise "The Cheerful Group" - which were a unique group of neighbourly women with sons, or relatives on active service in World War II. They met regularly to mutually support one another's concern for the welfare of their related men. They raised funds for comforts to the troops with afternoon teas, and stalls etc. They also knitted socks, made fruit cakes and packed parcels to send to servicemen overseas. They, with other women's organisations met trains on the old loop line (which by-passed Griffith) and served tea and refreshment, to mainly American servicemen, travelling by devious routes to Queensland. Members of the Group included Mesdames Elsie Thorne, Skelly (Elsie Thorne's mother), Cis Polkinghorne, Nora Sidlow, Nora Turnell, Joan Baker, Rhoda Ewbank, Rene Ford, Amy Kook, Lillias Stokes and Miss Maud Peaston. Ellen continued for many years working for the RSL Auxiliary.

Ultimately after service in England with Coastal Command's Anti Submarine SQD 179, Bill came home. He married, built a new house, in which he still lives, now retired from actual farming.

Both Austace and Ellen were heroes of their times - like many of the early soldier settlers.

375

They battled debts, difficult conditions with blinding dust storms, plagues of grasshoppers, rabbits, mice etc and primitive living conditions. From these has come the district of today - a green and pleasant prosperous area, famous for many agricultural products: fruit, rice, vegetable and wine. With commercial and professional expansion, it is now a most successful area - thanks to those early settlers.

William Raphael

Alexander Pcaston

married

married

Elizabeth Anderson

Margaret Bingham

•

•

Austace George Raphael born c.1887 died 20 December 1927 aged 40 years

married 1916 •

• 1.

Margaret married Chris Burlace

2.

Bill married Binnie Carter

3.

Jean married Douglas Coppard

4.

Nell married John Reid

By courtesy of the Raphael family.

376

Ellen Pcaston born Aldershot, 1884 died 13 September 1971

RHEAD Frank Rhead was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, on 3 August 1894, one of eight children born to the second wife of his father, Walter George Rhead. Walter's first wife, Selena Clara (nee Drake) had died within a few months of their arrival in Australia from the United Kingdom. Walter Rhead owned a brass foundry in Rockhampton where all the parts for the first X-Ray machine made in the southern hemisphere were cast.

Frank's mother, Alice Mary (nee Steele), was also from the United Kingdom where she had been a governess. His parents were married in Rockhampton.

Coming to Griffith in 1919, Frank had seen service with the First Australian Wireless Squadron as a Sapper in Bagdad. Their duties, while acting as a small advance party, included transmitting by Morse Code from spotter planes, the location of enemy positions to the artillery. One such spotter plane was piloted by the renowned Lawrence of Arabia. .11,113.

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...tn. n • Ir

Courtesy Geoffrey Rhead

It was during this time that Frank forged a friendship with Sapper Sol L'Green, an electrical engineer, who was instrumental in Frank Rhead's appointment as operator and maintenance engineer of the small power station in early Griffith at the rear of Mirrool House. (Sol L'Green's association with the MIA included owning a soldiers' settlement farm at Leeton which he expanded during the following years. Prior to World War I he had worked, as a very senior electrical engineer, at the Randwick (Sydney) Tramways.) Frank's son, Geoff comments - "I assume he must have had prior knowledge of future power generating plans of which he spoke to my Dad, either during the war in the Middle East or immediately before their demobilisation."

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Interior of the Power House - described by Frank Rhead "My place of toil and abode also" Courtesy Geoffrey Rhead

REELRA,Je:EPA ROAD

t )-

The Steam Engine Section of the Wolf Generating Set which was sold to McWilliams Wines in 1924 and is now on display at their local Museum at the Ilanwood Barrett Courtesy Wally Quinlivan

Sketch showing position of Power Station in relation to present day roadways.

Compiled from research

by Wally Quinlivan Courtesy Jann Maguire

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There was no electricity supply to or at the settlement of Bagtown. The first electrical supply at Griffith was obtained from a three-phase alternator, housed in a building at the rear of the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission boarding house, Mirrool House. This plant supplied power to Mirrool House, the WC & IC Offices and some lights along Banna Avenue. This plant powered by a Hot Bulb Kero engine was installed c.1919.

Here Frank's son, Geoff, takes up the story - "As the need for electric power increased in Griffith Dad found that although the alternator would produce more power, the kero motor would not.

To the amazement of the senior engineers he made and fitted a water injector to the motor which very much increased the power of the motor and produced a subsequent increase in electrical output.

The view Frank saw from the shed door the "powerhouse" - showing the rear yard of Mirrool House taken from another angle

The engine shed - marked "DANGER" - at the rear of Mirrool house. Note the wooden cases that held two or four "laurel" kerosene tins and the tin in the front of the door.

Photos courtesy Geoff Rhead

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"He often teased the senior engineers. When the situation arose that, although the power station earth strap was 'earthed' in the water in the concrete canal, this sometimes was a poor earth return due to the non-conductive nature of the very dry concrete and caused the power to fluctuate. The engineers, on seeing the earth strap in the water in the canal then looked for the problem somewhere else, but Dad, who had had this trouble on previous occasions knew that a few buckets of water on the cable where it lay on the ground before entering the canal would fix the problem! This he did in front of them, and, when to their surprise, the fluctuations steadied he delighted in telling them that they did not know their job!! (He was a hit of a `Stirrer'! - and perhaps, this technical stuff would amuse some readers.)"

During 1918/ 1920 preparations were made for a temporary Power House to be built - a steel and galvanised iron building in what is now known as the "Mooreville Industrial Area", on a site near the area occupied by "Commercial Refrigeration" (1991) in Hams Street. A railway siding, by way of a spur line from the Temora line, was built to provide coal for the firing of the boiler which provided the steam for the engine. This in turn drove the generator with a belt drive. For speed control of the generator a unique governor was fitted to the steam engine.

•

Power House in course of construction. Earth mound for rail trucks in left foreground Courtesy the late Mr W Doyle •

Completed Power House Courtesy Geoffrey Rhcad

The railway spur was built in the form of a ramp for the unloading of the coal and it was found that the railway engines were not strong enough to push the larger trucks up this ramp, therefore smaller trucks had to he used. To provide a reliable supply of water for the steam plant, a dam was built adjacent to the Power House.

The generating set was a "Wolf' locomotive unit (50 Kw capacity, supplied by Hais and Eggers, Sydney, No 17273, Madgeburg Backaku, 12 Atm 1913). This unit was transferred from the Yanco Power House where it had been used as a standby unit.

From the time the Power House was built it was not only operated by Frank but became his living quarters as well, until the end of 1922. (Prior to this he had lived at Mirrool House).

As Griffith started to develop from a post-war soldiers settlement scheme to a much larger town, the Power Station Frank Rhead maintained soon became inadequate 380

for the job and at the end of 1922 was closed down and the power was then drawn directly from the Yanco system, until it was coupled up with the Burrinjuck System during World War II. With the closing of the station came also the demise of Frank's job. The "Wolf' plant became obsolete and was sold to McWilliams Wines. The steam engine section was used at their Yenda Winery to drive crushers, presses, etc until 1972 when it was taken to their Hanwood Winery - "The BarreII" - and placed in their local museum there.

Frank Rhead is probably best remembered however as conducting one of the very early Griffith motor garages, in partnership with Jack Joshua, first in a large galvanised iron building on the corner of Yambil Street and Jondaryan Avenue (now the site of Mackay's Furniture Store) and later in a new building next door to Miss Robinson's shop, in Banna Avenue between Ulong Street and the Victoria Hotel.

Joshua & Rhcad's First Garage on thc comer of Yambil St - now thc site of Mackay's Furniture Store Courtesy Geoffrey Rhcad

This partnership continued for approximately three years when they decided to discontinue and it was then that Jack Joshua started up a photography business in Temora which continued and grew to be a very substantial business. Frank carried on in the new building they had built next door to Miss Robinson's drapery shop.

In the early days he was agent for Dodge cars and while selling cars he also ran a Hire Car Service. He drove many business people, including the local Police Sergeant and other dignitaries who did not have driver's licences. As driving became more popular the police realised that there should be a crackdown on unlicensed drivers and this they pursued with great gusto. One day, much to their surprise, Frank presented himself at the Police Station for a licence! After the commotion died down and the red faces of the police authorities resumed their pale colour, Frank was duly handed a licence and told that he should have got one much sooner - before placing the authorities in such an embarrassing situation!!

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He relinquished the Dodge agency and took on the Ford agency and supplied Model-T cars, trucks and tractors to a very wide area of the district. He was very proud of the fact that he sold their very first tractor to McWilliams Wines.

He took a very active part, as all the business people did, in the country shows where he had a display of Ford tractors, and, at one stage, he actually had the agency for Attwater-Kent Radios and a small number of electrical appliances which he sold for a short time. However, he then realised that this was more the province of people specialising in electrical goods and thought that it was not appropriate to sell these goods from a garage.

In 1925 he married Edith Muriel Dickinson of Double Bay, Sydney, and they set up their first home in Binya Street where they lived for one or two years. During this time Edith, who had been born in Yorkshire, was terrified by her first dust storm experience. It was a very severe dust storm and she thought this was 'the end of the World' and was most unsettled hut, as the years rolled on, she realised that this was one of the prices you paid for living in a country town.

Cyclists c.1926 Frank on the "Indian" and Edith on the Net-A-Car Courtesy Geoffrey Rhcad

They had two children, Geoffrey Herbert, horn Double Bay, Sydney in 1926 and Lucy Betty, horn Griffith in 1927. They lived in Binya Street before moving to their new home in Station Street (now Wakaden Street) where they remained until 1934.

Frank's business in the new building grew and prospered. In 1929 or 1930, despite the onset of the Depression, he created a sales record for a country town, selling approximately 2(X) Model-A Fords in one year. (Surely a reflection in an upturn in the fortune of the Area after the privations of earlier years? Ed.) Unfortunately however, within two years of this - like a lot of other people in country towns - he was bankrupt!

Undoubtedly a result of the Depression!

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Front view of exhibit

Rear view of exhibit

Griffith Show c. 1926/27 - Rhead's exhibit Courtesy Geoffrey Rhead

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n d i.0-• Pi ---'wn"

Joshua & Rhcad's new building - Banna Avenue c. 1925

Frank Ihead's new building in Banna Avenue after the dissolution of the partnership with Jack Joshua c.1929 Courtesy Geoffrey Rhcad

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In 1932 he was helped in no small way by the then Manager of the Bank of New South Wales to start up the business again, in the same building, this time trading as "E M Rhead".

After the heartbreaks of bankruptcy and possibly because of Edith Muriel's desire to get back to Sydney, both Edith and Frank decided, in 1934, to start a new life there.

They sold the business to Mr Sid Vagg who continued to operate the Ford agency for quite a few years before his expanding enterprise necessitated his moving to a new address - just around the corner in Ulong Street.

In 1956 Edith and Frank's daughter, Betty married John Dalrymple, the son of another early Griffith family - that of Bill Dalrymple who had worked for the WC & IC in the early days.

In the intervening years their son, Geoff, has made several trips back to Griffith and district. Some of his personal memories are Holidays at Darlington Point - camping.

Losing sixpence in the diggings for the foundations of the new Court House - a great loss for a small boy!!

Watching the big store in Banna Avenue bum down - "I think it was Green's Emporium".

Seeing sheep stray from the railway yard to our front yard in Station Street.

Saturday late night shopping and the large Town Band playing in Banna Avenue.

Dad telling of the arrival of the Fire Brigade when the bell of St Alban's Church was rung for the first time!

Frank Rhead died in Sydney in 1977 and Edith Muriel died 1966.

The family of Edith Muriel (nee Dickinson) and Frank Rhead Geoffrey Herbert, born Double Bay Sydney 1926; married 1956 Elizabeth Jaffray. Lives at Sydney.

Lucy Betty born Griffith 1927; married John Frew Dalrymple (horn Griffith 1923). Lives at Sydney.

By courtesy of Geoffrey Rhead, 4 Melnotte Avenue, Roseville 2069 and Wally Quinlivan, Research Officer, Griffith Genealogical & Historical Society Inc. 385

RICHARDS George Alderson Hollis Richards was born on 12 August 1894 at Petersham in Sydney. He was the second son of George Thomas and Henrietta Sarah Ann (nee Smith) Richards and grew up and went to school in the Sydney area. After attending Sydney Boys' High School and attaining his Junior Public Exam, he left school in 1910 and the following year commenced work with Dalgety & Co in Sydney. Here he trained as an auctioneer and commenced accountancy studies.

Towards the end of 1913 medical advice suggested that he move from the city and seek work in the country district. He resigned from Dalgety's and spent the next three years working on properties in the Boorowa area. It was from here that he enlisted in 1916 and went into training camp, prior to overseas service during World War I. He had met a young school teacher, Claudia Cullen, who was posted in Boorowa and they were married early in 1917 on his final leave. They had only a short time together before he sailed for Europe. He served with allied troops in France and Belgium and was still in France George Alderson 1 lollis Richards - 1917 when the war ended in November 1918.

Courtesy Jean Stubbings (nee Richards) Here he spent several months with the educational school attached to the 5th Division where, having completed his accountancy studies, he worked for the Army as a tutor to Officers. After transfer to England he joined the troop ship "()rita" for return to Australia in June 1919. On the voyage home he was appointed Educational Instructor and continued teaching accountancy on board ship.

When and how he became attracted to the MIA is not certain but he appeared to waste very little time in coming to Griffith, arriving a few weeks after his discharge from the Army. While he was overseas a little daughter, Margery, was born and Claudia, who had continued teaching while he was away, resigned from her last position at West Wyalong on his return. She and baby Margery accompanied him to the district and a life of many and varied business enterprises began.

The first mention of G A H Richards' business activities appears in the "Murrumbidgee Irrigator" on Friday 21 November 1919.

Old newspapers revealed that the business continued into 1920 and a Motor Garage and Office in Banna Avenue was under construction by the middle of that year.

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It must have been one of the first of these establishments in the new town. An advertisement in the edition of 14 January 1921 indicates that it was operating then under the name of RICHARDS' GARAGE, carrying out repairs to motor cars and motor cycles, and with agencies for Essex, Hudson and Wolseley cars, motor cycles and bicycles.

George continued to conduct his agency business for the next three years selling cars, machinery and stock. The George and Claudia Richards - c.1917 latter were sold at fortnightly sales at Courtesy Jean Stubbings (nee Richards) Wickham's Camp and the newspaper rated this as the first step towards the establishment of a local stock market. A 1925 map of Griffith shows that he had purchased several town blocks both in Banna Avenue and in Yambil Street. During this period he was also involved with many organisations, becoming secretary of the Griffith Agricultural Society and the Mirrool Settlers Association in 1921. He was appointed to Griffith Hospital Committee at their inaugural meeting in April 1922 and that same year he was also elected to "D" riding of the Mirrool Executive Board. He was also an early and long serving member of the Griffith Ibis Lodge and later was appointed an honorary magistrate of Griffith Court.

The family had grown to five with the birth of a second daughter, Gwen (1920) and son, Jim (1922).

While it is not certain where they were living at this time, A. H. RICHARDS ' .Late A.lIF, • • --• records show that the blocks George had purchased in AUCTIONICER,.

Yambil Street were classed as residential and it is Motor and General. Commission 'Agent probable that he intended building there. However, like GRIFFITH so many of his contemporaries he had applied for a Is building Garage and. Ofnce In Galina Avenue. ran now be found Soldier Settler block and when he was granted a handy to Old Town, near eeeeee ole! homestead farm in the Tabbita district he wound up his /las stocks of 'Motor Car Tyres and business, resigned from his various committees and in late Tubca; Motor Cycle Tyres and Tubes; and Cycle Tyres and Tubes.

1923 moved his family out to the new farm at Boorga.

Petrui.:011•4:Gronae, and AC. Here they struggled for over three years against cessorica. _ . . . almost overwhelming odds of drought and loss from for, pmea,...itudson: Agent Wolseley_Metor Can. bushfires to establish a wheat farm on a small acreage.

Dalgety and Co.. Ltd.. Motet. and Live Stock Insurance. etc..

• They did manage to build a home which appears to have Phoenix Assurance Co.. Ltd.. Fire been well constructed as it was still there fifty years later unit Act.lilunt.

Mutual Life and Citisens Assurance and was relocated to another nearby farm in recent years.

Co.. Ltd. CAlt IfOR 11111E. As it was before the school was built at Boorga, Margery had correspondence lessons supervised by her mother.

Murrumbidgce Irrigator Gwen and Jim were too young for school. Another little 1 June 1920 daughter, Phyllis Eileen (called Eileen), was born in 1925 but tragically this little girl became ill with diphtheria and

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died in 1927. This must have been the turning point and George walked off his property and took his family back into Griffith.

Re-establishing himself back in the world of business in the town did not appear to have taken long and once again George was advertising agencies for a large number of products and working as an accountant. He operated from premises in Banna Avenue next-door to the then Bank of New South Wales. The family lived above the shop for a time and it was while here that another daughter, Jean, was born in 1928. Shortly after this they moved to Binya Street, a corner house, No 60 for some years, then moving across to 61 for a brief period and finally to 49 which became the permanent family home.

George also became involved in several town committees again, being president of the Griffith Progress Association for that year and one of the small group which became foundation members of the Jondaryan Club. He was also re-elected to the Hospital Board. This was at the time when the hospital was to be built on its present site and he was appointed Secretary in June 1930 when the hospital was opened, a position he held for the next fourteen years. Sadly, Claudia died early in 1932 leaving George with a young family. Later he met and married Agnes Armour who was a nursing sister at the hospital at the time. Another daughter, Ann, was born in 1933.

Banna Avenue - c.1922 Courtesy Jean Stubbing (nee Richards)

His long period with the hospital is probably the one most remembered by his friends and family. Here he was responsible, under the direction of the Hospital Board, for administering the newly built hospital, nursing it through inevitable teething problems, organising staff and maintenance as well as the financial side of the organisation.

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He was involved in many fund raising activities ranging from pageants, carnivals, queen competitions and balls, all necessary ways to finance hospitals in those days.

There was even an Annual Egg Day where all the school children were encouraged to bring eggs to school to be given to the hospital. During these years, from the Depression to The Richards family setting out for town c.1925 almost the end of World War Courtesy Margery Pyke (nee Richards) II, the task was often a difficult but rewarding one for George, who made some lasting friendships with others who pioneered the hospital; Matron Abbey, the first Matron of the new hospital, Dr Bodycomb, first Senior Medical Officer, many early Board members, as well as ground, ward and kitchen staff. All these helped pave the way for the building and organisation that stands today.

After resigning from the Hospital, George accepted a position of Secretary of the Griffith Cannery for a year with the thought in mind that eventually he would like to start up his own business again. In 1945 he began modest operations from an office above the Commonwealth Bank building as an accountant, tax agent and insurance representative and with a few small agencies. As the business began to grow again he moved to an office next to the old "Palais" where he would have some room to display the equipment. This now included tractors and he acquired the franchise for the "Fergie" along with other makes.

He was soon back into car agencies as well and found the Standard "Vanguard" quite popular in the early post-war years. This expansion of the business meant he would need more room and also the facilities for service, so he moved to premises next door to Area Builders. From here he operated as G A H Richards Motor Garage and his career in Griffith had turned full circle.

In April 1950 he became ill and died in a Sydney hospital in George and Agnes Richards c.1943 May that year. At age 55, he had Courtesy Jean Stubbings (nee Richards) packed into a relatively short life a great variety of experiences. He had endured a frightful war, suffered hardships of farming in the Depression, 389

bereavements, and willingly accepted community involvement and the ups and downs of a colourful business life. After his death Agnes lived on in Griffith and the business continued until her death in 1968.

4

1 to R: Back - Gwen and Jim Front - Jean, Ann and Margery - c.1938 Courtesy Jean Stubbings (nee Richards) The children of the family were: Margery Cullen born 1917 (Cowra). married Thomas Pyke: lives Allambic I 'eights. Sydney.

Gwenyth Henrietta born 1920 (Vass). married Robert Cameron: lives Bateman. Perth. WA. George Thomas James born 1922 (Griffith). married Rac Bodinnar: lives Orange. NSW Phyllis Eileen born 1925 (Griffith). died 1927 Jean Heather born 1928 (Griffith). married Peter Stubbings. lives Leeton NSW. Ann Alderson born 1933 (Griffith). married Clifford Gordon-Smith who died in 1980: Ann lives in Canberra ACT.

Source:

"The Murrumbidgcc Irrigator" "The Area News" Ronaldson Diaries - Western Riverina Community Library

Contributed on behalf of the Richards family by Jean Stubbings (nee Richards), Petersham Road, Leeton 2705.

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RIDDLE Arthur John Riddle was born on 8 March 1896 in the village of Corfe Castle in Dorset, England. He was the son of Owen and Susan Riddle. He was a choir boy there and worked as a gardener. The Riddle family lived in a stone house dating back to 1300 which is still occupied today. Arthur came to Sydney and worked as a gardener for a Church of England minister at Castle Hill.

He served in the Australian Army during the 1914-18 War. He saw action at Gallipoli and was awarded the Military Medal for bravery as a stretcher bearer whilst under fire at Mont St Quentin, near Peronne, France on 31 August 1918.

Arthur John Riddle married Lily May Brockwell on 29 April 1929 in Melbourne.

From left: Doris Brockwell, William Brockwell, William Brockwell Snr, Groom and Bride, Mr McAuley (a neighbour at Bcclbangera), Chris Aiken, Flower Girl Betty Britten.

Courtesy Mrs Lil Riddle.

Jack, as he was known, arrived in Beelbangera in January 1919 after discharge from the army and, with other soldier settlers, lived in the tent barracks in the village prior to moving onto Farm 89. He cleared the land and planted fruit trees and grape vines while living in a shack until a three roomed house was built and which was added to as the years went by. In the beginning there was no permanent supply of water to the house and poor dirt roads made travel difficult during wet weather. Electricity was not connected until 1947 and the telephone soon after. The road was sealed to the farm in 1958.

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Lil Riddle says "I first met Jack when I came with Grandma to visit my Aunty Rita and Uncle Vern Alston on Farm 87 which was next door to Farm 89. We were married on 29 April 1929, in Melbourne. I was born Lily May Brockwell on 22 February 1906 in Melbourne, the daughter of William and Ann Elizabeth Brockwell (nee Stott).

Our three children are Arthur Owen Riddle, Griffith, Doris Jean who married George WH Spry, Joan Brenda who married David Kay of Griffith and Temora."

"Arthur was born on 3 August 1930, on Farm 89, with Dr Burrell and Nurse Taylor in attendance. It had rained all the week before and the night he was born my husband and the neighbours put lanterns on the fence posts along the road so Dr Burrell could see where to come in from the main Griffith-Yenda Road. The two girls were born in Melbourne near my parents home," said Lil. "Doris on 29 August 1931 and Joan on 25 April 1933 - Anzac Day, the date giving Jack great pleasure".

The children rode their bicycles to Beelbangera school, three miles away. Arthur recalls that on many occasions they had to walk home wheeling the bikes with flat tyres due to the cat-head burrs on the road.

Lil recalls that "Jack and I worked hard and long hours trying to make a living from the allotted area. The grapes went to the Beelbangera Co-operative Winery owned by the farmers and the fruit was packed and sent to the canneries and the Sydney Markets".

"The wet year of 1939 spelt disaster for the fruit trees, leaving the family without income, so the land was planted to vegetables. Jack joined up again in the second World War and served as a guard on Government utilities around Sydney. During this time I ran the farm, part of which we share-farmed out. A horse and sulky was my only transport".

"Following Jack's return, Farm 87 was added to ours and as it was already planted to trees and vines, prosperity soon returned. The family always knew when Jack was around as he enjoyed singing".

"After selling the farm to the Signor family in 1958, we lived in Melbourne for two years then retired to Blaxland in the Lower Blue Mountains, where we built a new home and established a fine garden. Jack passed away on 9 August 1968 so I returned to Griffith to live closer to my family".

By courtesy of Mrs Lil Riddle, 29 Kooba Street, Griffith.

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RUSSELL/GALLAGHER James Russell, born South Shields, England came to Australia on the Orient Line in 1912.

He was the son of James Russell and Elizabeth (nee Hudson). James enlisted in the 10/Aust AIF Battalion - Cpl No 1474 and served at Gallipoli. It was here that he was wounded and was to have gone to England to have his leg amputated.

However, he was too ill to embark on the ship. This ship was sunk in the English channel and all lives lost! He was awarded many medals including the Military Medal, and received his ANZAC medal not long before he died.

James requested to be discharged in England so that he could visit his parents, brothers and sister. However, the authorities advised him, that as he was an Australian soldier, he had to return to Australia and be discharged there. After his discharge he settled for a time in the Barossa James Russell Valley in South Australia.

Courtesy Mary Curran (ncc Russell) Hearing about the farms being opened up on the MIA for soldier settlement, James came to the area about 1921. He travelled by train to Willbriggie and made his way to the Beelbangera Barracks. Here he lived and worked until he drew Farm 1872 at Lake View, later to be known as Lake Wyangan.

James Gallagher, came to the Area via Whitton Railway Station about 1921 and was also billeted at the Beelbangera Barracks. Jim drew Farm 1641 at Myall Park. Born of Irish parents, James Gallagher and Julia (nee Cronin) in Dulwich Hill, a Sydney suburb, 393

he had three sisters and three brothers. After his mother's death, two of his sisters, Julia and Margaret Ann, came to live with him on Farm 1641. Previously, Julia was a music teacher and Margaret Ann had worked as a telephonist for Peabody's & Co (the first company to speak to America through the cable).

At first the Gallaghers, James and his sisters, Julia and Margaret, lived in a galvanised iron house - this was later to become Tyson's shearing shed!!

James Russell and Margaret Ann Gallagher were married at the Sacred Heart Church in Griffith on 12 December 1928.

Their only daughter, Mary Therese, tells us - "I do not know how my parents met, but I do know that they were engaged for five years. Mum was a staunch Irish Catholic and Dad belonged to the Church of England. It would seem that their romance had reached a religious stalemate - Dad was eventually converted to Catholicism by Fr O'Dea.

The Wedding of James and Margaret Russell L to R Rack row - Jack Martin, George Tyson, Jim Gallagher, obscured unknown, Jack Jenson, Julia Gallagher (bridesmaid) Second row - Maggie Murphy, Mrs Martin, Mrs Ellen Jones, Ella Jones, Mrs Florence Jenson, Frank Jones Front row George Doubleday, James Russell, Margaret Gallagher Courtesy of Mary Curran (nee Russell)

"After their marriage they built a small weatherboard house on the Lake View farm and endeavoured to grow sultanas and currants but this venture was unsuccessful.

Later, Granny Smith apples and oranges were planted.

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"My father was a quiet man, who suffered greatly from war injuries and was later given a War Pension. My mother lived for her family and her Church. She was a Catechist at Lake Wyangan school for many years and travelled with the Parish Priest and other Priests to schools in the district teaching the Catholic religion.

"I married Terence Curran from Yenda in 1950. We have two children, Russell John and Narelle Marec and seven grandchildren. Terence served in World War II (2/14 Light Field Ambulance A.I.F. and later transferred to the Australian General Hospital No. NX8422) and drew a soldier settler farm at Whitton in 1956 where we resided until 1972."

James Russell died 26 August 1972; Margaret Ann Russell (nee Gallagher) died 30 January 1978.

Wedding c, RUSSELL—GALLAGHER

prem weddiug took place a ;rulith on Wednesday, 12111 De eemb..r,. ,lien the Rev. Father O'Dea joined to gether in matrimony Mr. James Ausowell-(NI.H )—late Pith battaliu.,, A.l.F.), of Lakeview, and Miss Mar \aret Ann Gallagher, younr..r eater Of...Mr. James Gallagher, Large Are, set:Zer of Yenda.

Thb, reception took place at the resl• deuce of the bride's brothers' uhen the bride's sister, dressed in vleux. rose crepe de chine received (h. guests. The Lilac looked charming lo her wedding dress of white satin trim used with lace and worn with wreath and veil. The guests were mostly Large Area settlers, who came to b:d God-speed to the bride. Another loss of the Urge Arca to the horticulturists.

The happy couple will live at the, bridegroom's farm at Lakeview

James Gallagher married Julia Cronin

James Russell married

Elizabeth Hudson

•

James Gallagher born Dulwich Hill NSW c.1884 died Griffith NSW 6 June 1960. aged 76 yrs

•

Julia Gallagher born Dulwich Hill NSW c.1890

•

•

died Griffith NSW 19 September 1965. aged 75 yrs

•

James Russell born South Sheilds 5 January 1887 died 1972. aged 85 yrs buried Griffith

• Margaret Ann Gallagher married born Dulwich Hill NSW 12 December 1928 26 June 1895 Sacred Heart Church died 1978. aged 83 yrs Griffith buried Griffith • • Mary Therese. married Terence Curran. two children. Lives at Ireton.

By courtesy of Mary Curran (nee Russell), 14 Yanco Avenue, Leeton 2705.

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SHAW Richard Edgar Shaw (known as Percy Shaw) and his bride Violet Louisa Matchett travelled to Yenda by train in 1920 to settle on soldier settler's fruit block - Farm 1471, Yenda. Percy had been born in Birmingham in England in 1891 and came to Australia in 1910 where he worked as a gem setter with the firm of Angus and Coote, Jewellers, Sydney, prior to World War I. He joined the Australian Army on 15 July 1915 and saw action in France. After the war he returned to Australia and was discharged on 10 July 1919.

Richard and Violet had met in Sydney in 1915. Violet had been born in Sydney in 1894 and her parents were William Charles Matchett and Eliza Jane (nee Elliott). Prior to her marriage, Violet worked as a secretary in Sydney and Mudgee NSW. Richard and Violet were married at the Church of All Saints, Woollahra, Sydney Off to school - c.1933 on 24 March 1920 and arrived in Yenda in the Elliott and Dick April of 1920. They worked hard on the farm, Courtesy Ann Shaw but when times got harder "Percy" became the local hairdresser and Violet looked after the farm with the help of a permanent farm hand.

In 1926, three months before the twins were born their home was destroyed by fire. For two years they lived in a "round back" shed until a new house was built in 1928.

Shaw home on Farm 1471, Ycnda - c.1935 Courtesy Ann Shaw

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Richard Edgar Shaw born Birmingham. England 1891 died February 1938, buried Rookwood NSW married Violet Louisa Matchett born Sydney NSW 1894 died October 1963. buried Yenda NSW

• • 1.

Twins

3.

Richard ('Dick") Charles born 25 January 1921: died 21 August 1969 (buried Yenda): married Doreen Mary Seymour.

(Clive Elliott (known as Elliott) born 27 May 1926: died 15 June 1991: married Ann Latham Carver: seven children - Carolyn. { Judy. Clive. Janette. Kay. Christopher and Peter. { Ann lives at Coleambally NSW. { 1 {Harold born 27 May 1926: died 25 June 1926. buried at Yenda NSW.

Shaw's Shop Yenda (1992) Courtesy Edna Wakley

By courtesy Ann Shaw (nee Carver), 5 Corella Street, Coleambally 2707.

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SIMPSON Norman Henry Simpson was born in Stanmore NSW on 3 October 1898. His parents, William Lincoln Edward Simpson and Leah Emmeline Henry, were married in Newtown Wesleyan Church on 25 November 1892.

They had five children. William who was born in Liverpool, England in 1863, came to Australia in about 1881 to gain "colonial experience". He went to Queensland first where he worked as a jackeroo for several years.

Leah was born at Pyrmont NSW in 1870. Her parents Sidney Samuel Henry and Matilda Eliza (nee Clark) were married in Hillside Cottage, Balmain.

Norman, and his older brother Sidney Lincoln Simpson, both served in World War I. Sidney took part in the landing at Gallipoli. Norman, who enlisted at Gunner Norman Simpson 1915 17, served in France with the Fifth Courtesy Judy Morgan (nee Simpson) Field Artillery Brigade. He was wounded twice.

They both came to Yenda in 1920 with their older sister Lydia and her husband, Charles Bourne. They purchased Allotment 1 on North Avenue, Yenda in March 1920, and opened a general store. Suman's now occupy this site. They also ran an open air picture theatre on the land between their store and that of Mr E Cass. The back seats were on a board floor and under a half shelter.

Daughter Judy tells us - "Operating the theatre was not without its problems.

There was already a well established picture theatre operating in the area which received preferred treatment for supply of films. I recall my father saying there were many dramas: non-arrival of films on time; poor quality films; breakdowns. On one occasion sugar was poured into the generator fuel tank, rendering it inoperable. The theatre was also used for stage performances including animal acts. I imagine these animals, lions, monkeys etc were on loan from travelling circuses which were frequent visitors to the area. The theatre finally folded after a few years when it was destroyed by fire."

There were only a handful of stores in Yenda at that time, along with French's boarding house, Oliver's billiard saloon, a Post Office, and a tin shed housing the WC & IC. There was also a big WC & IC Construction Camp of several hundred men on the "common" north of the railway line.

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The first "Simpson" store at Yenda Courtesy Griffith Collection

Simpson Bros store in the flood of 1933 Courtesy Judy Morgan (nee Simpson)

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Both Sidney and Norman were on the inaugural committees of the Yenda Progress Association (1921) and Yenda Golf Club (1922), and meetings were held either at the picture theatre or in their store. Every week or so, they would take a variety of stock to sell to the "Soldiers' Barracks" about three miles from Yenda. This would have been done with horse and cart as they had no motor transport then.

On 22 February 1922, Norman married Vera Hinwood Wright in Cronulla Methodist Church. They had met before the war, whilst they were both holidaying at Tuggerah Lakes. Vera was born at Summer Hill on 16 February 1897, the elder of two daughters of Edward Henry Wright and Catherine Annie Wright (nee Priestly). The family moved to Mosman, where the two girls were educated at "Redlands", and they then moved to Cronulla about 1916. During the war Vera was a nursing aid (VAD - Voluntary Aid Detachment) for a period at Graythwaite, North Sydney.

As a newly married couple, Vera and Norman lived at French's boarding house in Yenda until their home in Henry Street was finished. This must have been quite a contrast for a sheltered young bride from Sydney!

About this time, the store moved to bigger premises on North Avenue and added a comprehensive drapery and manchester department in addition to the grocery and hardware. A customer could order almost anything that was required from a saddle to a shoe horn.

Lydia and Charles Bourne returned to Sydney in 1927 and at about that time Sidney married Sylvia Wood in Sydney. Their Yenda home was in West Avenue. Both this home and the Henry Street house are still occupied today.

The Depression years were tough for a great number of people in the district and Simpson Bros were no exception. They were sympathetic to those in difficult circumstances and gave extended credit whenever they could.

The "I loppers" in 1935 - Norman Simpson wrote - "Giving a better idea of the hoppers - You cannot see the fence for hoppers just on the far side of where I am walking" Courtesy Judy Morgan (nee Simpson)

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Our First Car - *Jubarre 1915/36 - Ross, Judy and Barrie

A scene of desolation - Norman Simpson and builder's assistant view the wreckage

Jubarre 1936 - Grandfather Wright (Vcra's father) with Judy and Barric.

Photos courtesy Judy Morgan (nee Simpson)

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However, Judy recalls - "These were fun years for we children. We had plenty of playmates, including the McDonald children who lived next door. The store was also full of things to interest and amuse us. All the produce came in bulk, so flour fights were great fun! I particularly remember the big tea chests lined with very heavy tinfoil, which, when rolled tightly into balls, made marvellous missiles!!"

In 1935 Norman and Vera bought Irrigation Farm 1640 on the Myall Park Road from J L Paterson, and at the age of 37, without any experience, Norman became a farmer. The property was named "Jubarro", a combination of the names of their three children, Judy, Barrie and Ross. There was no house on the farm, the Paterson home having burnt down, so they set about building one. When the wooden framework was up, a violent storm blew it all down, so they had to start again. This delay meant the family was literally without a roof over its head for several weeks. Dick Cookscy, a friend who owned a fruit farm, gave them shelter during this period.

Judy goes on to say - "Living conditions on most farms were pretty primitive by today's standards. Ours was no exception: the usual wood copper in the back yard; clothes props that would slip and dump all the washing in the red dirt; a chip heater for the bath that when alight always sounded as though on the verge of exploding; hurricane lamps; a `dunny' half a mile from the house which was also home to spiders, bees and snakes; an uncertain party line telephone; boggy roads impassable in wet weather; no refrigeration, just a tiny ice chest. What an occasion it was when, once a week, the iceman came and replaced the long-since melted block of ice, and we were given a few chips of the delicious stuff to suck.

"My parent's lives were busy in those days, especially during World War II. During that time my father served a three year term on Wade Shire Council and was also President of Yenda Diggers' Club for a year. My mother was President of Women's Voluntary Service, a fund raising and comforts organisation which contributed greatly to the 'war effort'. She was also Treasurer of the Country Women's Association, Yenda and their Librarian (people read lots of books in those days). She continued to support the CWA for many years; the maintaining of the baby clinic was a special project of hers. At the time she died she had been Patron of the Girl Guides Association, Yenda for ten years.

"There was a wonderful spirit in the community during those war years. Yenda was alive with stalls, war effort activities, boys and girls home on leave, Land Army girls, and dances and balls with fabulous suppers prepared by the Ladies' Auxiliary something or other. For a period, the picture theatre operated four nights a week. The deck chair section was much sought after by young couples. There was also a Saturday matinee, the highlight of the week for the younger children.

"Overriding all this was anxiety for all those young people away on active service.

There was hardly a family not touched by the war including our own. My elder brother, Ross, served as navigator in the RAAF. If anyone's relative or friend was posted missing or killed in action, the whole town mourned.

"As petrol was rationed during the war, it had to be carefully conserved for more or less essential purposes. This brought a degree of isolation to parents and children alike - especially when living on a farm six miles or more from town and perhaps three miles from the nearest playmate. One had to learn to be self-sufficient and tough.

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"I can recall on one occasion, while riding my horse the three miles to Climsland Public School, I encountered a very large snake lying right across the road. Neither myself nor my horse liked it very much, so we turned and went home. I had expected some sympathy and a car ride to school, or the day off. No such luck. I was told to set forth again on my charger as the snake would now be gone. I was nine years old!"

It was in 1941 that Sidney and Sylvia Simpson and their sons Warwick and Jeffrey returned to Sydney and the store was sold to W J Quartly, who operated it for many years.

L to R: Barrie, Vcra, Ross and Norman Simpson - 1945 Courtesy Judy Morgan (nee Simpson)

Vera and Norman Simpson remained at "Jubarro" for the rest of their lives.

Norman died on 13 June 1984 in Griffith at the age of 85. Vera died on 27 March 1989, in Griffith at the age of 92. They are both buried in Griffith Cemetery.

It is worth noting that the home they built, improved and occupied for most of their lives remains in the family. It is now occupied by their grandson, his wife and their twin great-granddaughters; the fourth generation of Simpsons to live at "Jubarro".

Children of Vera and Norman Simpson: 1.

Ross Lincoln born 19 June 1923 at Griffith. Married Jill Howell - two daughters. Helen and Jennifer. Lives at Yenda.

Barrie Norman born 4 January 1927 at Cronulla. died 17 February 1990. buried in Griffith Cemetery. Married Oenone ("Nan") Chauncy - three children. Peter, Wendy and Geoffrey.

Lived at Yenda.

3.

Judith ("Judy") Priestly born 24 February 1930 at Cronulla. Married Ray Morgan - three children. Lee Mark and Sally. Judy lives at Sydney.

By courtesy of Judy Morgan (nee Simpson), 5/14 McIntosh Street, Gordon 2072.

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SMELLIE Restyn ("Bob") Smellie was a Soldier Settler who came to the Area and took up Farm No. 113, Hanwood. This horticultural farm of 42 acres and 1 rood was granted to Restyn Smellie on 7 July 1919 and for which he paid an annual rental of i41/3/11. It is now owned by his grandson, Garry Smellie making an occupancy by the same family of over seventy years - from 1919 to 1991.

Bob Smellie was the third born of five children of a pioneering family from Victoria.

He was born at Genoa River near Mallacoota in Victoria on 15 September 1890. When their father, James Smellie, was accidentally killed at Mallacoota at the age of 47, Sarah was left to rear alone James 10, Ann 8, Restyn (Bob) 6, Ellis Henry 3, and the baby, Avis 5 months. It is to be remembered that there was no such thing as Social Service nor the like in those times.

Bob spent his early years at Bridgewater, Victoria, where, as a boy, he worked on an orchard. He then worked with his uncles, George and Harry Curnick, on a mallee wheat farm at Waitchie near Ultima, Victoria where he remained until he Rcstyn Smellie - World War I enlisted with the First A.I.F. at 1st Field Artillary Brigade Courtesy Miss W B Smellie Inglewood, Victoria on 17 September 1914, aged 24 years (No.3261). He served in the 1st Field Artillery Brigade, gaining the rank of Sergeant.

While serving in France he was mentioned in dispatches for bravery. He was wounded towards the end of the war.

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After his discharge he was interested in going on the land and first inspected farms at Mildura. While at Mildura Bob heard of farms being available at Griffith and, with two companions, Alfred Nowotina and Basil Maidwell, they rode from Mildura to Griffith by bicycle in May of 1919. They spent their first night in Griffith camped in foundations of the old cannery - later known as the "Millions Club" and to-day the sight on which Woolworths supermarket and variety store is built. Although Department of Water Resources' records show Restyn Smellie as having been the original grantee of Farm No. 113, Hanwood, Bob's obituary, published in the "Riverina Weekly Advocate" dated 17 January 1969 states that it had been "developed a little by a Mr Burke" - verified by the photograph supplied by Richard Cox "Tiny Burke on Smellie's farm".

When Bob took up Farm 113 the Borland family were already living in the house on that farm. He boarded with this family until his marriage to Winifred Marion Borland at the Griffith Methodist Church on 21 July 1925. Bob and Winifred had two children - George and Betty - both of whom still reside in Griffith. In the early years, like so many of the other women, Winifred helped on the farm picking and packing grapes, sorting peaches and packing them. All this in addition to the work of caring for home, cooking for a family and bringing up the children.

While developing his orchard on Farm 113, Bob ran a chaff-cutting service with George Hill and in the early years grew grape cuttings and fruit trees for sale to local farmers.

He was one of the very few settlers who had had previous experience with orchards and was generous with his help and advice to others.

He did a great deal for the The Smellie Family in 1930 young district, especially Hanwood and Winifred Marion & Restyn, the community, through active with children George Restyn and Winifred Betty participation in many concerns.

Courtesy of Miss W B Smellie During his fifty years in the Griffith area Bob Smellie was president of the Hanwood Parents and Citizens Association, president of the Hanwood Progress Association and one of the citizens who contributed to buying and installing an army barracks as a Hall for Hanwood after World War II. He was a member of the old "Cash Club" of pioneering days, which became the Griffith Co-operative Society of which he was a Director for 24 years and Chairman for

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a number of years. He was also a Director of the Griffith Producers for 24 years where he served as Chairman representing the company on many committees. For many years he was member of the Wine Grapes Marketing Board, member of the IOOF and Masonic Lodges and the Griffith Subbranch of the RSL. He belonged to the ExServicemen's Club and served on that committee and that of the Jondaryan Club with whom he played Pennant Bowls for a number of years. During the second war Bob was a Lieutenant in the VDC and was also in charge of recommendations for the allotment of scarce farm equipment, including machines and tyres.

In 1939 Bob bought Farm 108 where his son George still lives.

Although he and his wife, Winifred, retired into town to live at 11 Palla Street in 1948, he was active in running his farm until just eight years before his death on 15 January 1969 at the age of 79 years.

"Tu Burke on Smellie's farm The name "Smellie" is said to be Courtesy Richard Cox a corruption of the way the Scots used to say "Smoll Lea" - a small patch of farming ground. The first of this family to arrive in Australia, probably as a steerage passenger somewhere between 1840 and 1850, was James Senior who arrived via London at Port Adelaide and married Elizabeth Hanley. It was here that their son, James Junior (the father of Restyn) was born on 20 October 1850. The family spent the early years in the Inglewood area of Victoria and it was at Inglewood (1882) that James Junior married Sarah Anne Curnick.

The two James, Senior and Junior selected, on 1 June 1866, two blocks in the Parish of Korang, near Glenalbyn, where they prospered for a while growing crops and buying and selling large flocks of sheep.

On 2 April 1881 James Junior purchased 2,753 ewes from "Narahadan" Station.

He sold 450 of them to "Ballandry" Station and sold the rest to settlers on the way back to Glenalbyn so he must have been very close to what was to become the Griffith area.

Probably went right through it on the way back.

He prospered for quite a while but a series of bad seasons forced him to sell the farm. He was left with only a bullock team and waggon.

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The family travelled with the bullock team taking work where it could be found.

One inlet where James Jnr worked and from where he carted timber became known as Smellic's Inlet because they were the first family to stay there. (Grandson, George, believes it is still known by the name having seen it on an old map of Victoria).

Eventually James Jnr selected blocks at Mallacoota Inlet where he farmed, fished, fenced, split palings and delivered the mail to Gabo Island Lighthouse across the sand spit.

He had a bullock team with which he carted timbers for a gold mine, burnt charcoal for sale, killed and sold meat - in short, worked very hard but made only a meagre existence.

James was accidentally killed on 26 February 1897, aged 47, when the lash on the end of his bullock whip broke and having nothing else to put on it, he put a small piece of wire on the end. The whip coiled around one bullock and the lash hit him in the eye.

He bled internally and died the next day from the haemorrhage.

After the death of James, Sarah's brother came to take her and the family back to Melbourne eventually to Bridgewater. When he arrived at Mallacoota to collect them he saw what he thought was a black woman in the forest. However, when he got closer it was Sarah. She was bagging-up charcoal which they made and sold. She was so covered from head to toe with the black dust off the charcoal that she looked like a black woman.

At Bridgewater she lived in her brother's house but had to support herself and the children. She did this by taking in washing, sewing and teaching children.

One of her daughters, Avis, became a nursing sister and owned her own Maternity Hospital in Caulfield, Melbourne (a street or so behind the Town Hall). Later in life, when the children had all grown up and were off her hands, Sarah helped in the hospital. Sarah lived to the age of 97 years.

James Smellie and Elizabeth (nee Hanky) • James Smellie born Port Adelaide SA 20 October 1850 died Mallacoota Vic 26 February 1897. married Inglewood, Victoria in 1882 - Sarah Ann Curnick James 1887

Ann 1889

1.

2.

Ellis'Henry Rwya i(Etob") 1893 born 15 Sept 1890, Genoa River. Vic: died 15 January 1969 Griffith: married 21 July 1925 Winifred Marion Borland born 21 July 1905 Macclesfield Vic: died 3 July 1989. Griffith.

• • George Restyn born 30 May 1926 at Farm 1233. Griffith married Lola Enid Warn. Four children - Restyn Garry. Lynne (Lennon).

Marion Joanne (Pfitzner) and Terrence Ross.

Winifred Betty born 17 March 1928. Griffith. Lives at Griffith.

By courtesy of Miss Betty Smellie, Gordon Avenue, Griffith.

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Avis 1896

SMITH This is the story of Returned Soldier/Settler, Bert Cordingley Smith and his wife Pearl Elaine Smith (nee Wilson). It is an interesting story as is the unique lady who shares it. Although nearly blind and a little deaf, Pearl Smith still possesses a sharp and clear mind, with many memories, despite the fact that she and her family celebrated her 103rd Birthday on the 24th April of this year (1991).

Bert Cordingley Smith's parents had migrated from England ten years before he was born at Candelo NSW on 3 February 1888. His father was the schoolmaster at Candelo - thought to have possibly been the first schoolmaster there.

When they met Bert was a bank officer in the Union Bank. As he could not marry on his salary of less than £2.10.0 per week he resigned from the bank and opened Cpl II C Smith the store at Burrenjuck Dam with a partner.

19th Bn All/ - France 1916 The store was sited at the dam site where Courtesy Allan Smith most of the workers were quartered. He was there for about fourteen months until early in 1915 when he enlisted, got married and after twelve months training reinforcements near Sydney he got himself on a draft to France. It was there that he was badly gassed and shell shocked.

On return from service in 1919 he applied for a soldier settler farm at Griffith, hearing about the scheme from his brother-in-law Stan Wilson. He was also a friend of Gip Youll, the area manager for the WC & IC, and through him got a job in the WC & IC as a paymaster due to his banking background.

He was sent to Yanco Training Farm for six weeks - their son, Allan, smiles and says, "Being returned men it was thought six weeks was sufficient to turn them all into competent farmers!"

Pearl joined him in the following March travelling by train to Griffith on the line which had been completed only a short time before. All these years later she recalls her first visit to see their farm - "it was the most beautiful bushland" but when she returned in 1920 it was "nothing but a barren dust heap with piles of burning timber everywhere.

They'd taken every tree and cleared every living thing off it."

Their first home was at Bagtown in a small cottage where the Research Station now stands. It was in this cottage that their second child was born - delivered by midwife Sister O'Reilly. This babe survived only two days and is one of the tiny infants buried at Bagtown Cemetery. Their next home was George Eipper's unfinished cottage at the rear of what is now the commercial premises of D & D Machinery on the Yoogali Road. The 408

house on the farm was built by a man experimenting with ash concrete. Instead of using sand which was unavailable, he used the ash out of the engines. Pearl thinks it was probably the first cement house to be built in Griffith and as far as she knows, the only one from ash concrete.

On the occasion of Pearl's 100th Birthday in 1988, a local man, Bob McAuslan who had known her over sixty years, wrote a tribute which he entitled - "Pearl Smith Centennial Australian in our Bicentennial Year". Much of the following material is by courtesy of Bob.

Pearl Smith (nee Wilson) Courtesy Allan Smith

Pearl Smith was born Pearl Wilson in Oberon NSW on 24 April 1888. She has seen, lived through and experienced many great and often traumatic happenings in our national history which may usually only be investigated, by those who arc younger, by recourse to histories which are big on facts but, very often, short on the living As qualities of personal experience we sat in her room at Allambie Nursing Home in Canberra I saw a fine, erect and very correct lady who is nearly blind and a little deaf. Otherwise her bearing and firm voice were the same as those I remember as a school boy in Griffith in the late 1930's.

Pearl Smith, or Wilson as she was then, was born on her father's property "Lammermoor" near Oberon NSW. Her grandfather, Thomas Wilson, who had

Pearl Smith on 100th Birthday Courtesy Allan Smith

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migrated from England, took up his property "Glyndwer" in 1839. He paid one shilling an acre for it. The first house was made from slabs cut from local trees and finished with a mud fill. Her father, Frederick Wilson, was the youngest of six sons born at Oberon.

He acquired "Lammermoor" where Pearl and her three brothers were born. A sister, 16 years younger, was born in Sydney. Her eldest brother died in childhood, the youngest brother, Allan, died as a result of war injuries.

As we talk, memories of the early years at "Lammermoor" flood back to Pearl the need for her father to cut a large branch of a tree and tie it to the buggy to augment the brakes when making the journey down from the Blue Mountains remained firmly in her memory as did the fact that she never attended school. The family had a teacher living in the house and it was at the kitchen table where she quite effectively learnt the three "R's". She recalls suppression as a child - "One was to be seen, but not heard!".

A vivid description of a visit, alone, to Sydney gives insight into the self reliance of an eight year old girl and also the method of transport. Her holiday commenced with a six hour coach journey to Mt Victoria where she stayed at "Mrs Cooper's Hotel" until catching her train to Sydney Central where she was met by a family member. She displays a real, deeply felt appreciation of the wonderful attention paid to her comfort and safety by the guards and passengers - "Everyone was wonderful. Everything was so safe".

Memories of this lone journey for an eight year old girl lead to some reflections to the value of good family life. Pearl's parents were married in Oberon. They created a home which was a family unit and the centre of daily life. Marriage was seen as a sacred part of life. There were always prayers and Bible readings in the evening. She remarks - "there were no working mothers, no pressures 'to buy' and no demands that the Joneses be kept up with".

"Simplicity was the chief ingredient of life". Here Pearl reflects that by comparison the 1988 picture is one in which the home is no longer a unit, children are left to themselves or looked after by strangers. Parents are no longer in control of the development of their child's attitudes. Women fundamentally are not equal.

Those who arc thinking people still see marriage as sacred and a part of sharing for which de facto relationships are no substitute. "We must experience the tests of give and take to get a workable marriage" says Pearl and, so the comments flow as she related a hundred years experience in living and observation of today's problems.

Personal aspects aside, she talked of the great events affecting Australia and its people, each creating its particular difficulties for individuals. She recalls how in the early 1890's Australia was shaken to is economic foundations by a great depression. Dozens of banks failed and people lost hard won savings; commodity prices reached rock bottom and many farmers and pastoralists lost their properties.

Pearl's father lost "Lammermoor". He was, fortunately, quickly placed into developing the Jenolan Caves which had recently been discovered. His brother was the first Manager of the caves and he became the caretaker. So that people could enjoy the new tourist attractions, he supervised the building of paths and walks and lighting of the caves with generator power. Pearl even participated in some of the works of discovery of new passages because she was small and able to squeeze into little openings. She was to live at the Caves until the turn of the century when her father went to Busselton in Western Australia to open up new caves recently discovered there. About three years

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later the family returned to Sydney and were sent to investigate caves in Victoria which proved of little value for tourism.

Meanwhile, Pearl saw her cousins going off to the Boer War. As an extra comment on the history of war she commented - "in those days they took their horses with them" It was about 1903 when Pearl got her first job at Charles Kerry 's photographic studios in Sydney. She recalls this was the first photographic studio to make studies of Aborigines. It was - for all seeking photographs of themselves - "a case of one, two, three!

Smile!!" then develop negatives in solution and print them in the sunshine. The pay was five shillings a week. Because of the suitability of such an occupation for a young lady, Pearl stayed on until she was married, on 5 March 1915 (by the Rev John Ferguson at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Macquarie Street).

Her family lived in one of the first houses built in Artarmon and each day she crossed the harbour in a punt and travelled to the studio on a horse-drawn bus which had open air seating on top. She recalls the first cable tram which travelled from Erskine Street to Kings Cross, along King Street.

The early days of Griffith Pearl remembers as friendly, very basic and lacking in those unattractive features of competitive living standards such as characterise life nowadays. Each day Bert rode a bike, three miles, to work in the austere WC & IC Offices. Then the town comprised mainly Dave Taylor's earthen-floored general store with its counters made from packing cases. Other buildings of note were the isolated Police Station, the Government Store and the WC & IC Offices. The Post Office was a small building in the top block of Banna Avenue where one had to go down a little side lane to post letters and collect mail. The town's only doctor, Dr Watkins, would call at the farm for a consultation and often stay overnight if the circumstances required it.

"What a difference in attitude to that of the doctors of today" remarks Pearl.

4 -

"Coolabong" - Farm 1308 Tharbogang First Home of Bert and Pearl Smith Courtesy Allan Smith

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To overcome the problems of his wife's isolation when their next child was expected, Bert paid for all costs for installation of a telephone, on the basis that such costs would be repaid. They never were!! "Seventy years later and we're still waiting to be repaid. How similar the attitude of government then to that applying today!" chuckles Pearl.

Despite the isolation and rugged living conditions, compared to Sydney, Pearl Smith found Griffith a friendly place in which to live. A spirit of mutual help, especially among returned servicemen, coupled with a variety of social contacts - cards, afternoon teas, weekly Saturday late night shopping - were sources of entertainment. There was of course no radio, no television, few motor cars nor any public transport services. People were very self-reliant and communities were relatively small and motivated by a common need for friendliness. Because the new farms were not at the time productive most returned servicemen were forced to seek some alternative occupation to meet everyday costs.

After the death of two tiny infants - one in Sydney and one at Bagtown - two sons were born in the 1920's; one born at home on Farm 1308 with Dr Watkins in attendance and Allan at one of the new private hospitals. This added new interest and responsibilities. In 1923 Griffith was growing quite rapidly with a new Court House, schools, cinemas and an increasing variety of shops. Their son, Bruce's, was the first Presbyterian baptism at the small timber church which was later replaced by the Scots Memorial Church, in 1958, and where Bert Smith was Session Clerk when his grandson, Ashley, was the first baby baptised in the new church.

By the onset of the great Depression of the late 1920's and early 30's most farmers had cars for transport and tractors to replace horses; farms were becoming productive and profitable. A new generation was attending primary schools and a new high school had been built. Even when Farm 1308 came into production, Bert made the decision to continue working for the WC & IC. The Depression brought severe restrictions on incomes and progress in the provision of community services slowed down. Thousands were thrown out of work.

Thinking about these times Pearl relates sadly how, day after day, men carrying their swags would call at the farm begging for food and/or work. As she says, "sometimes we could give them a bit of work but not always. However, no one ever went away without some food in their tucker bag and, usually, a few cigarettes. We never gave them money though. Lots of them would show me their boots with layers and layers of paper folded inside them where the soles had completely worn through".

It took World War II to shake off the effects of the Depression. At the same time it again took many of Griffith's new generation away to war. (Both Bert and Pearl's sons served and returned, as many others did, to marry and move away from Griffith).

Chatting to her across the room, son Allan asks "Mother do you remember any of the funny things that happened when you were first there?" "Oh yes!" laughs Pearl.

"There were lots of funny happenings! Just to tell some "A farmer who lived out our way had apparently had rather a gay time in town and wasn't feeling too well on the way home so stopped off at the canal where he was sick. Poor fellow," she laughs. "He lost his dentures!"

"Another time, Stan Broome - this was before he was married - decided to have a night out at the Club. Putting the horse into the lorry he didn't realise all his fowls were

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roosted in the lorry and so he took the lot to town!" "Hope all the chooks got home all right!" laughs Allan.

It was on a visit to Canberra, in 1974, that Bert took ill. This resulted in an immediate decision to leave Griffith and move into Allambie Nursing Home. Bert died a week after they celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary in March 1980. He is buried in Canberra.

Pearl remembers Bert as a very quiet man, severely affected by World War I, but deeply dedicated to his family while taking a quiet interest in community activities. He was Session Clerk at the Griffith Presbyterian Church for twelve years as well as being a very active member of the RSL; he also played cricket and golf. (Pearl always took a very active part in Red Cross. She was the local President for a number of years, all through the time of World War II. Here she pauses to reflect that during these war years more money was collected in Griffith for the Red Cross than any other country town.)

Now at this time in Australia's history, having experienced three major economic depressions, three great and destructive wars (and several smaller ones) and the transformation of Australian society - by rapid and, at times, questionably valuable technological changes - how does Pearl Smith, looking back over one hundred years, view things generally?

She sums if up herself this way: "I have been fortunate enough to always be in a position to live and be satisfied with a good life. Happiness with life has really meant no worries and problems for me. I was never confronted with the need for serious thoughts despite the time I have lived through. Basically I see life as pretty fiindamental. My early days in the bush pivbably largely determined my attitude to life. They were characterised by good food and clothes, plenty of freedom and a good, happy home life. I was the only girl with three brothers - (I was at work when my younger sister was born) and with school at home I had few extra companions. We played in the mountains where we were able to experience the pleasure of being near to nature with kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, the platypus and many other animals and birds. I was aware of wars and economic problems but, quite truthfitlly, I never ever permitted anything to sour my thoughts.

"Life ran like a placid river which drew its purity and richness from the splendid people around. (Quite recently I have become worked up over politics and elections but have managed to rid nzyself of these souring thoughts.) I have always been able to keep my expectations within the bounds of my own capabilities and to accept responsibility for my own actions.

"It is not difficult for me to realise I had been give the secrets of a long life lived in harmony with nature, family, home, husband, children and a changing but constantly enriching circle of friends around and about."

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Perhaps the young have much to learn from a life so rich in simplicity, but at the same time, so responsible!!

(We are greatly indebted to Bob McAuslan for this very perceptive insight into the lives of two very special pioneers. Ed.) The family of Pearl and Bert Smith were: 1.

Un-named infant, born Sydney, 1916 - survived 1 day.

2.

Bruce Smith, born Griffith, 1920 - survived 2 days; buried Bagtown.

3.

Bruce Smith, born Farm 1308, 11 October 1923; married Edith Bryson (dec'd 1969); married (2) 1970 Norma McCoy.

4.

Allan C Smith, born Griffith Private Hospital, 23 December 1925; married Winifred Thompson; lives Fadden ACT.

By courtesy of Allan Smith, 11 Fihelly Street, Fadden ACT 2904.

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SPRATT Frederick Spratt, born 1873, managed a gold crushing plant at Mullion Creek near Orange in the early 1900's. He married Eliza Jane Hartland. His eldest daughters all maintained that one day he let them have a short game of hop-scotch with a gold ingot cake just so they would have a claim no one else could match.

Fred was a sergeant in the first World War. In France he was buried for eleven hours while tunnelling in Hill 60 when it blew up. He was also gassed which resulted in severe lung problems.

The doctors recommended he move to a hot dry climate. Thus, in the early 1920's, the Spratts moved to Griffith. They settled on Farm 1838 Lake Wyangan, beside the Lake, which was officially granted to them on 21 July 1922.

There were seven children in the family but initially only the youngest three girls came to Griffith with their parents. The youngest daughter Lillian says Frederick Spratt "being so young I do not remember Courtesy Rod Brayne when the decision was made for the rest of the clan to join us. I only recall the wonderful feeling of elation when we were at last united". She also recalls vividly that as a five year old the first memory of Griffith was being lost in what seemed miles of very high grass. A slight deviation from the cart track was a great adventure for any city child.

Arthur the eldest, born Orange NSW 1895. Married Lena Bates and took up Farm 1855 on 13 January 1927. They had seven children.

Edna born Orange NSW 1897. Married Cyril (Digger) Brayne a contract builder around Griffith then a farmer. Farm 1286 - 26 February 1925. They had four children.

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Noel born Orange NSW 1901 married Phyllis Pool. Helped on Farm 1838, then an engineer at Griffith Producers. Japanese POW in Second World War. They had one child.

Bessy born Orange NSW 1903. Married (1) Gus Stonehouse a PMG Linesman. They had three children. She then married Dick Meikle, an early holder of Farm 1817.

May born Orange NSW 1908. Married Percy Hams, a blacksmith in the early days of Griffith. They had five children.

Ilma born Cobar NSW 1911. Married Eric Power a general carrier.

Eric was a Japanese P.O.W. in WW2 for 31/2 years. They had one child.

Lillian born Wentworthville NSW 1916. Married (1) Pat Cummins, then (2) Norman Bergstrom and had one child. Norm was a merchant seaman for many years then a Superintendent for Caltex, then Superintendent for B.P. in New Zealand and Australia.

Fred was a very innovative farmer, trying out numerous crops to eke out a living in hard times. He made enough out of growing peanuts the first year to help set his sons up on farms.

The second year the peanut crop failed because the Sydney firm sent the wrong variety of seed.

He battled to have Lake Wyangan School started. In the interim, sister May was tutor for Lillian who says "I must mention what a fantastic job May did in getting me to quite a proficient standard by the time the school was ready and although Mr Mason, the teacher, was a pet, I did miss May who spoiled me terribly".

Fred also helped start the Griffith Rifle Club.

Unfortunately he died in 1945 before he could see Noel and Eric come home from the Japanese POW camps.

Their early years on the farm were spent in a three roomed shed, which later became a feed and machinery shed.

There are many stories Lillian and Lima tell of goannas, rabbits, snakes

Four Generations Idna Brayne (nee Spratt), Frederick Spratt, Great Grandma Mary UIlcn Spratt and Elva Hanley (nee Wayne). Courtesy Rod Brayne

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etc. One concerned the cream setting on milk being disturbed each night. The cat was naturally blamed, but the cat disturbed the culprit, a snake, hidden in a roll of lino. The rather large snake retreated between the stove and the galvanised iron wall. Father Fred then attacked the galvanised iron with an axe from the outside resulting in a neat row of holes, which from then on used to let in the wind and rain!!

Initial Meeting to found School at Lake Wyangan July 1923; held at the horse yard of R D Passey's farm.

Back: R A Smyth, C A Long, A E Read Centre: J C Dymock, F Spratt, H T Lee, R Mallinson, R D Passey From: E Beck, — Henry, R Stewart, 0 Coleman (ihe Great, Great Grandsons of Fred Spratt, Michael and Adrian Brayne, now attend Lake Wyangan School) Courtesy Rod Brayne and Iris WeUings (nee Coleman)

"A favourite pastime in those days was singing and harmonising whether washing up or every Sunday with the many friends who filled the house. The whole house used to vibrate with the dancing and singing.

"Sister Bessie's second marriage was to Dick Meikle who had a farm a few doors from Gus McAuslan's. We used to gather at Mac's to play table tennis and dance on the verandah to Tommy Martin's squeeze box. What wonderful evenings we spent there.

Christmas on the farm was a delight. The farmhouse was built with a lovely wide verandah, just made for family gatherings. Christmas morning Dad and Co trooped down to the Lake, arriving home an hour or so later with gum branches to decorate the verandah posts. He then tied branches to every available post with bits of crepe paper.

The aroma of the eucalypt is unforgettable. Meanwhile the most delectable aromas also wafted from the kitchen where Mum and the girls were concocting culinary delights fit for a king. No fridges or freezers in those days, just a drip safe where food remained fresh 417

and cool. Jellies were set by lowering them down the well in a billy. The Christmas dinner was turkey, chicken, lamb, ham and lots of vegetables and all the trimmings as well as cranberry sauce. Not to mention the delectable sauces and the 'Xmas Pud' which Mother had set to cook in the copper at six in the morning. Somehow all the kids managed to find a sixpence hidden in their pudding portions. The whole verandah was filled with tables all in line and we sat thirty for dinner."

Lillian continued "I must not conclude without a mention of the dreadful dust storms we used to experience. The wind would blow almost like a hurricane and dust so thick it was almost impossible to see ones hand before ones eyes.

"One particular dust storm stays in my memory. The wind had been howling all day, dust so thick one could almost cut it with a knife. Then out of the dust emerged what looked like an extra large ball of mud that gradually shaped into legs and wheels.

It was Edna and Cyril Brayne pushing a pram with Elva, Allan and Thurley packed in like sardines. Their house (on Farm 1286, 5 kms away) was only partly built and fears were that it might blow down.

"Shortly after that another apparition appeared out of the gloom. It was sister May home from work in town. Not only was she covered with dust that turned her a lovely cinnamon colour, but she had been rained on as well! All we could see were two great eyes and a set of white teeth.

"The camaraderie of the Soldier Settlers was a wonderful thing. If anyone became ill it was 'one in, all in', down tools and go to the neighbour's farm. They really enjoyed their working bees, even picking and pitting apricots in the hot sun. We picked till we were colour blind. Each apricot had to be a certain ripeness to pit. Before the pitting season was over we were heartily sick of the sight and smell of apricots and the stones under our feet. One had to be a reasonably fast pitter to make any money at two pence per tray.

"I considered myself a good pitter till I went to help Iris and Paul Druitt out one year. I could pit about 90 trays a day, but Iris could pit around 120 trays a day!"

By courtesy of Mr Rod Brayne and Mrs Lillian Bergstrom (nee Spratt).

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TARR The "Irrigation Record" was a journal put out by the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust (forerunner of the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission) for the information of original settlers on the M.I.A. It was issued monthly, the cost 6d. It contained all manner of "expert advice", advertisements and news of progress of settlers.

In the issue of July 15, 1913, under the heading "Among the Settlers" the following article appeared TARR AND CLEMENTS Messrs. Tarr and Clements have farm 129 (481/2 acres). They are two young Englishmen, sons of farmers, and just the class required from the old land. Mr Clements came to New South Wales front Buckingham, England, two years ago, and went to Temora, where he was engaged in wheat fanning. Mr Tarr - who comes front Somerset - came out about 18 months ago. He, too, went to Tentora, and worked as a wheat grower.

About the middle of last month they secured the irrigation farm at Mirrool, and at once set about clearing the timber off it. Their energy has resulted in half the block being now ploughed up ready to be sown with oats. This was the quickest method of getting a return. The soil on this block is typical of the area - of that quality receptive of water and easily cultivated.

Onions are to be planted; and potatoes are to be put in during early spring as an experiment. Five acres are to be put under tobacco, and several acres under orchard. These settlers are not unmindfill of the necessity for planting trees as windbreaks at the same time as the orchard is planted.

Farm 129 - Late 1913

George Tarr (seated), Joe Clements (standing) Courtesy John Tarr

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George Tarr was born at Brendon Hill Farm, Kingsbrompton, Somerset, England on 20 October 1887. He came to Australia in 1911, staying first with cousins in Tasmania before moving to New South Wales in 1912. At this time he had a job with a tanksinker in the Temora district, driving a two-horse "wonkey" scoop. It was while working there that he heard of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and he and a partner, Joseph Clements, applied for and drew block 129 at Hanwood, next to McWilliam's winery.

George and Joe Clements cleared the block and planted it up with a fruit salad of trees, which included peaches, apricots, prunes, oranges, grapes, a few apples, pears and quince trees.

George Tarr - taken High Holborn, London Presumably George bought out Joe Courtesy John Taff Clements share because complete ownership was transferred to him on 15 April 1914. What became of Joe Clements is not known.

Some time during the following year George became ill with ptomaine poisoning.

The doctor prescribed a rest so he took a sea voyage home to England where he joined the British Army as a gunner in the Trench Mortars. Later he was commissioned and joined the 9th Division Trench Mortars. After serving in France he volunteered for the Royal Flying Corp. as an artillery observer - possibly to get back to England for training. However, he had just passed out with his Observer's Wings when the war ended.

While George was away on active service, his very good friend and neighbour, Dave Stark, took care of Farm 129.

George Tarr returned to Australia and Farm 129 after the war and on 15 June 1921 he married Enid Mary Newman at St Stephen's Church, Penrith. Enid's roots were English too but with Australian residence dating back to the 1860's. At the time of their marriage Enid was residing at Penrith NSW and her occupation is shown as having had Enid Tarr (nee Newman) "some nursing training". Enid travelled to Willbriggie Siding Courtesy John Tarr where she was met by George in a horse and sulky.

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Taken England WWI George Tarr in middle row 3rd from left Red Cross WWI Enid Tarr (nee Newman) - right front

Double Wedding First Resident Methodist Minister, Rev Ellis Thomas and Laura Stark; Dave Stark and Clara Rawlings.

Written on the back of photo sent by Dave to George Tarr while he was in England:-

"Here I am as one of the principals in a double wedding at Griffith April 3, 1918.

You will recognise the others. Photo was taken in front of (Farm) No 7 Camp."

Photos courtesy John Tarr

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In 1929 (12 April) George exchanged farms with Ted Taylor - George Tarr going to "Marathon" 12 miles north of Barellan while Ted Taylor took over Farm 129. After eight heart-breaking years the Tarrs managed to quit "Marathon" under the south-western re-settlement scheme and on 25 May 1948 bought Farm 2360, Warburn, which had once been part of "Ballingal" Station. This they named "Brendon" after George's birthplace in England. He lived there until his death in 1974 at the age of 87 years.

Enid died on 22 September 1984 at the age of 90 years. They are both buried in the Griffith Cemetery.

George and Enid had two children - Patricia Mary, born 8 May 1922 and John Newman Surridge born 19 November 1923.

Patricia ("Tish") never married. She was educated at St Catherine's School, Waverley and lived at home after leaving school. She was Secretary of the Red Cross in Griffith for some years and died George, Enid, Tish and John on 5 November 1965.

Farm 129, Hanwood - 1925 John Tarr went to Hurlstone Courtesy John Tarr Agricultural High School from 1937-39 and worked at home on "Brendon" until called-up in January 1942 and served as a gunner in the 5th Heavy Artillery until transferring to th e RAAF in October 1942. Here he trained as a Wireless Air Gunner in Canada and later served in England. At the end of the second world war he returned to "Brendon" and share-farmed with his father, George, until 1950. This same year he married Audrey Thompson from Binya. The couple took up one of the newly opened farms at Moulamein NSW which they farmed for ten years before returning to Griffith in 1960 to take over the family farm, George and Enid with Tish and John Ford Truck - Hanwood "Brendon".

Courtesy John Tarr

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GEORGE TARR b. 20 October 1887 Brendon Hill Farm Kingsbrompton. Somerset. d. 21 June 1974, Sydney aged 87 years 1.

2.

John Brown and Mary (Stockman - Warkworth. NSW) • Mary Ann Brown b. 30 June 1846: bapt Warkworth County Durham (NSW) m. 1864 William Samuel Home • Elizabeth Mary Horne b. 1865 Singleton NSW: d 1935 m. 25 August 1887, Warialda NSW William Henry Newman b. 14 February 1858 d. 1945 • ENID MARY NEWMAN b. 11 June 1895. Warialda New South Wales d. 22 September 1984. Griffith aged 90 yrs

married 15 June 1921 St Stephen's Penrith NSW •

• Patricia Mary ("Tish") - unmarried b. 8 May 1922 d. 5 November 1965, age 43 yrs

John Newman Surridge b. 19 November 1923. Chatswood NSW m. 9 February 1951. St Matthew's C of E. Manly NSW Audrey Mary Thompson b. 4 February 1927. Leeton NSW • Virginia Mary born 8 November 1951. Griffith 1. and Trevor O'Brien have two children. Vanessa and Nigel.

2.

Geoffrey Newman born 1 October 1954.

Melbourne: married Kumara Wheelahan and they have two children. Naraya and Amrita and step-daughter Isis.

3.

Suzanne Elizabeth born 21 April 1957. Swan Hill Vic; married Peter Fordham and they have two children. Carly and Emily.

4.

John Peter born 5 May 1959. Swan Hill Vic: married Glenys Polkinghorne and they have two children. Garth and Sally.

5.

Michael Edward born 12 January 1962. Griffith: married Diane Amaro and they have one daughter. Joscelyn.

By Courtesy of John N S Tarr, "Brendon", Griffith 2680.

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THORNE Late 1972 or early 1973 Cliff Thorne put on record his memories of the early days of the MIA - which give a remarkable insight into those times.

'1 thought it may be of interest to tell some of our experience when we first came on to this Soldier Settlement at Griffith. It was only natural I think that mistakes would be made.

There was nothing that ever happened before in Australia on the same scale of 'miss closer settlement - as that which took part in those early years from 1918 up to about 1923/4. I am told that similar things happened in Rome away back in early history but certainly nothing of that size in Australia!!

"It may be asked were we informed before we left France to come home that there was going to be anything of this sort of repatriation. I was with a group that was made up from all walks of life and I never heard it discussed. Most fellows, all they wanted to do was to get back home and get back into civilian clothes. They didn't want any assistance. Well that was, of course, when they were in France, but I noticed the nearer they got home and when they got home they were putting in for any of these repatriation schemes that were going.

Cliff and Elsie Thorne - September 1%9 Courtesy the Mcggitt family

"The first I heard of this settlement of the Mumunbidgee discussed was on the way home at Capetown. I met a fellow there who had worked at Leeton and he had been getting correspondence regularly from old residents of Leeton which told him the conditions and what was going to happen in the way of closer settlement on the Muniunbidgee. He told me his correspondents had told him the canneries were taking all the fruit, the bacon factory was taking all their pigs, the butter factory was taking all their cream and the Mumunbidgee, at last, had come into its own!

"He told also that there was going to be a Soldier Settlement Scheme about thirty miles from Leeton - a place called Griffith. It was better countiy, he said, than the average of Leeton, red pine country and you didn't have to have any money if you were prepared to work. The Government, through their different agencies would see that you were financed.

"Well that seemed the best news that I had ever heard. I could get on the land without having capital. I couldn't get up here quick enough to have a look at it when I returned.

"They gave me a rail pass to come up and have a look round and I spent the weekend here. I was impressed with its future although it was just scrub country and they were pulling down the timber and starting to build houses. They had a saw still going for the timber and it looked to rile to be a real activity - in all directions.

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"To be eligible I then had to go up to the Medical Officer at Victoria Barracks and get a certificate from him to say that I was physically fit to go on the land. They didn't inquire about my mental capacity as long as I was physically fit! It was the easiest thing that I ever had to do - the Doctor said 'What! You want to go on the land? Well any bloody fool that wants to go on the land can get a certificate from me.' Then I had the interview by a fellow at the C011117liSSi011. He asked me a few questions - none of them had much bearing on my knowledge of farming but he said 'Can you ride and drive horses?' Well,' I said 'I have been riding and driving mules around France for the last three years. That any good?' He said 'I suppose it will be all right'. A few more questions and then I am pretty near sure he marked my papers 'not likely to make a success as a settler'.

"However, I came up here then, I think there were 25 came in the same batch the arrived.

We went into the barracks at Beelbangera. There we had to sign for an axe, day I mattock and shovel and for a blanket and we were put two men to a tent. We lived in these barracks -I think the board was only about 301- a week. The food was quite good, and if I remember rightly, we had to do six months. It may have been four but I think it was six months in the gang in which we did grubbing and clearing timber and for which we got about 17/- a day.

"That was a pretty good method after all, because, I think of those that came into the gang and did that six months working on the land weeded them out. I would say 25% of them, at least, never went as far as nzaking applications for a farm. Of those that did stay the distance and decided that this was the sort of life they wanted - the great bulk of them took up land. I didn't take up a farm as soon as my qualification was accomplished because there wasn't a farm available that just suited my taste. I could have had a farm at Yenda, in the mallee, but I didn't care for that, I waited for another six months or thereabouts until this particular farm I am on now was made available.

"Some of the big mistakes made? - Well the blocks were too small. The original settlers here, that were here before we came, in Leeton and in Griffith, most of them had about fifty acres. Our Soldier Settlers were given roundabout twenty acres. The reason for this, of course, was that there was more applicants than they had farms. They got over that by just cutting the farms in half and putting in two wheels. For instance, my particular farm was originally forty acres. They put two settlers on - twenty acres each. That wasn't the bixest mistake made probably because it would have been better to have twenty acres well worked than fifty worked indifferently. As you only had two horses and a single furrow plough twenty acres was about all you could get round and do a really good job. However, it was more disastrous for the big area farmers - they were mostly a hundred acres, a hundred and ten, perhaps a hundred and twenty a few of them, and what could they do on that? That, of course, was before there was rice; before they knew much about pastures; before fat lamb industry and so forth. It took quite a number of years to get the C0171171iSSiOn to realise their mistakes and to build up areas. Actually it was not until after Judge Pike had given his decision that a 'living area' on the big area farms should be roundabout 640 acres. (By that time, a lot of the original settlers had left. They got £300 to leave.) They gradually built them up to an acreage roundabout that capacity - some got less than 640 and some got a little over. With the introduction of rice and better conditions generally those farm have become very profitable and that is illustrated by the sort of prices they have been getting for them. (Late 1960's and early 1970's. Ed.)

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"I know a whole lot at Yenda on really first class orchard land were given fourteen acres each. Fourteen acres of good land, if you knew the varieties to plant, in some circumstances you might have made a living but every one of them, as far as I know, failed.

There's another thing. Most of our nursery stocks were taken from the Commission Nursery but we were given varieties of peaches, for instance, that had never been proven croppers or suitable for canners. They were all varieties quite unsuitable for the canneries. Because of this men failed and they were classed as unsuitable - round pegs in square holes and all the rest. Unsuitable farmers.

"Its taken many years to adjust all the mistakes Made in the early days. I would sum it up this way. This big 'Soldier Settlement Scheme' on a short term basis was a failure but on a long term basis it was a great success. Because the), established by trial and error the varieties that did well here (according to type of country etc); today there is no occasion for a man to be in the dark as to what to plant and how to plant it; what varieties are wanted by the different canneries and factories. I resent the statement made so often that they were a lot of no-hopers. The early settlers - by and large were a good lot of men, enthusiasts, hard working and fill of hope of making a good future for themselves and their families on the Munumbidgee. You can't blame them for the mistakes that were made.

"I'd say that the greatest advance made as far as horticulture is concerned was the introduction of tile drainage. There was no permanency for any of our farms until we were tile drained and that was proven in 1956, a very wet winter. We had about 60% of our farms that just died out with water logging. Probably that was a blessing in disguise because it illustrated, once and for all, how impossible it was to go on farming if you weren't tile drained. The district really got cracking on that. 77w Federal Government 'wide available £650,000 to rehabilitate settlers who were affected and most of that was spent on tile draining. Our system of tile draining here is probably the most advanced and the most satisfactory than any other district in Australia.

"No records would be complete if I didn't mention the great part our women folk played in the pioneer days of this area. Of course that would apply to women in all our pioneering history right throughout Australia. It must be renzembered that very few of our returned Men who came here in 1919 tip to 1924 were single men. Most of them brought wives and in fact almost 100% of the women had never been in the country before. I don't know of any successfid farmer that didn't have a really good partner who did everything to assist him. Not only in work on the faun but coping with the conditions the), had to live under - they did so without any complaints.

"This has always been a rather good district for men, I thought, because the most of us had served together before we came here, or we knew the units they served in; we knew some of the people they knew. We had also the absorbing interests of developing farms. We congregated over the fence and on street corners - everywhere and 'talked shop'. For the women it wasn't so good. They were mostly, left at home with the drip safe and the water bag. As time went on we got clubs and pubs and, generally speaking it's been a good place for men. Another thing - there was never any, class distinction. We were all on the same footing and most of us were more or less broke. As well, there was also a great sense of humour in the district. This was one of the characteristics of the men of the AIF and in fact one of the Commissioners of the time made the statement 'that most of the returned soldiers here, men that had seen service, were mentally unbalanced'. It undoubtedly was a sort of reflection of the ability of their ever making a success and 'seriously' developing their farms.

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As a matter of fact, they weren't as mentally unbalanced as some of the things that the Commission tried to put over us.

"I do want probably to mention one or two of the many humorous things that happened "There were two brother-in-laws who lived at Bilbul, not far away from one another.

It was their custom for many years, for one to go to the other's place for Saturday night dinner - the next Saturday night they would go to the other brother-in-law. That went on for 25 years and as time went on the cooking became better and with more variety of food and probably a better variety of wines. On the 25th birthday of this association they had really a later night than usual and when time came to go home Bill said 'Oh look! It's a bit dark.

You had better take the hurricane lamp'. The other Bill said 'Oh &mut! I don't want the hurricane lamp! I know where the farm is - just down the road'. 'Oh no, take it. You might want it'. 'Oh' he said 'I'll take it but I don't think I'll have to light it' - and away he went. Arriving home he dropped it on the verandah and toddled into bed. Next morning, bright and early, young Bill' came over, and said 'Dad said will you give me back that cage with the cockatoo in it that you took honze last night'. What we don't know is what would've happened, had he 'lit the lamp'.

'Another occasion - some of the first settlers between Yenda and Beelbangera and some parts of Yenda were on impossible orchard land. In the meantime some good land was nzade available out at Ballingal. So the urge was to shift some of these settlers from land that was totally unsuitable for orchards and put them on the new soil, the better soil, out at Ballingal. This led to another inquiry by Judge Pike. They complained about the absolutely hard soil that you couldn't drive a pick into when dry and the trees were dying and Mr Beilby all the rest of it. After taking evidence for about three or four days Pike said I think we'll go out and have a look at these farms to see if they are as bad as they make out'. Out they went and at 9 o'clock knocked at the door of one of these settlers that had been giving evidence. As he opened the door a blooming cat flew out between his legs and down the land and as far as you could sec the old cat's going flat out with his bristles up.

Pike said 'Hey my man! What's happened? Is there something wrong with that cat or did we frighten him?' The settler said 'There's nothing wrong with the bloody cat. The poor bugger's got to run at least two mile every morning to find a bit of soil soft enough to scratch a hole in!!!' Now, its not necessary to say that that settler was one of the first to be shifted onto a new farm at Ballingal."

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John Clifford Thorne (who was known as "Cliff' or affectionately as "Cliffie") was born in Tasmania on 23 February 1888. His father was Frederick Henry Thorne and his mother Emma (nee Bowhey).

Tradition has it that the first of the Thorne family arrived in Australia aboard the "Calcutta" in 1803. Thorne snr was a Marine aboard this ship.

Cliff always claimed that either his Grandfather or Great Grandfather was the first white child to be born in Victoria.

At the age of ten years Cliff left school. His ambition was to become the Cliff on his 90th birthday "Village Blacksmith" and he Courtesy Bill and Binnie Raphael eventually worked for three different blacksmiths - all of whom became insolvent!!

Cliff was one of ten children. Six of the ten moved to Sydney where Cliff had a variety of jobs prior to World War I. He enlisted and served in Egypt and France with the 14th Battery of the Field Artillery from 1915 to 1919 - four years and eight days of which three years and 209 days were served overseas. He was 27 years of age when he enlisted and served with the rank of Private. Cliff and Norman Simpson served in the same battery. After the home had been built, Cliff married his long time sweetheart Elsie May Skelly on 22 February 1922 - the same day that his friend, Norman Simpson, was married.

Cliff launched himself into public affairs soon after coming to the area. Always a very active member of the RSL Cliff spent many hours going around neighbours and friends collecting "chooks" and other food for the "Diggers Ball" in the old Palais. Elsie, for her part, spent much time organising and working for the wonderful suppers for which these Diggers' balls were so renowned throughout the district. In later years Cliff was made a Life Member of RSL. An original member of the Griffith Division of Sydney Legacy and chairman for ten years, at his death Cliff willed a large portion of his estate to Legacy, towards the funds needed to build home units for Returned Servicemen's widows. A wing of the East Griffith units is named after him.

As well as serving as a director of the Griffith Producers and the Leeton Cannery Cliff Thorne was an original member of the Wine Grapes Marketing Board and chairman 428

for 33 years. He was a member of the Australian Wine Board for 20 years and vicepresident of the Federal Grapegrowers' Council, based in Adelaide, for 30 years.

In local Government, Cliff served for almost 15 years as a Wade Shire Councillor, seven years of which he was Deputy Shire President.

Besides all his other activities Cliff was the instigator of the concept of a memorial statue to the Pioneer Women of the area. He spent many weeks collecting a large proportion of the money required and saw the project through to fruition.

The statue which is now located in a prominent position, in front of the City Council Chambers is largely the result of his efforts.

In 1969 Cliff was honoured by the Queen and made a Member of the British Empire (MBE).

Almost a decade later he was granted "Freedom of the Shire of Wade" in recognition of his years of service.

Elsie Thorne (nee Skelly) was a wonderful kindly woman much admired by all who knew her.

She was a great dressmaker and spent many hours helping neighbouring girls to make dresses for balls and other special occasions.

"Pioneer Woman" Elsie was well known for her organising (Statue adjacent to Griffith City Council) ability in connection with many groups in and for the town. She was a very enthusiastic worker for the RSL Women's Auxiliary of which she was President for a number of years.

A member of the Hospital Auxiliary also, she was a very keen and hard working President. During her term of office the Auxiliary assisted in the purchase of much needed hospital equipment. Added to this Elsie was a member of the CWA and an active member of the Red Cross.

During the war years, a group of women under Elsie's guidance, formed an organisation which they called the "Cheerful Group". This group raised money for presents to be sent to the men fighting overseas, the Thornes' hospitable home was very often the meeting place of the group.

Cliff and Elsie had a long and happy life together and although they had no family of their own they are both remembered, with great fondness, by the children of their many friends. Elsie died 4 May 1974 after a long illness aged 82 years and Cliff died 9 June 1980 at the age of 92 years. They are buried together in the Griffith Lawn Cemetery.

Source: "The Area News".

By courtesy of Gwen O'Toole (for the Meggitt girls), Somersby 2250 Bill and Binnie Raphael and Western Riverina Community Library, Griffith 2680.

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TODD Maybe everyone's life style is different and when one takes a look at this man, Keith Hampden Todd, we can really understand why he was one of the most unusual persons ever to come to Griffith.

He was not born or bred to become a "public figure"; he more or less became one by the events which happened in the world during his life time.

Keith Todd was born in Sydney on 12 October 1895. He was educated at the Kogarah Public School until he reached the age of 14 years, so it must be considered that he never received much in the way of secondary education.

On the other hand, it could have been customary for parents at that time to expect, or have need, for their children to leave school and go to work as soon as possible. Conditions could Wedding Day - 28 February 1920 have been such that the parents Jessie and Keith Todd were in need of any extra money (Bridesmaid and Best Man unknown) coming into the household.

Courtesy Ian Todd On leaving school, Keith joined the firm of Grace Bros, his duties were mainly within the carpentry trade, so it is reasonable to assume that he was working in the cabinet making section.

He remained at Grace Bros until 8 August 1914.

At this time World War I had been in progress for just a little over three months and Keith was witness to many young Australian lads joining up and departing overseas.

Maybe the bug of adventure, or the thought that he may be the only young boy left in Australia, caused him to go along to the recruiting office on the 8 August 1914 and join up. He became a member of the 2nd Battalion but after only ten days he met with disappointment. He was then told that he was not accepted because he was under age!

This didn't deter Keith Todd. In the following year, when he had reached the required age, he re-enlisted and this time he was placed in the 53rd Battalion.

It was not long before he found himself a serving Australian in both Egypt and France.

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It could be said that Keith was unfortunate to be hit by an exploding enemy shell because this inflicted many wounds to his person; but then again there was another side to the coin. Keith was placed in hospital in England and it was here that he met Jessie Marion Stark (a daughter of Robert Stark of Peru and Scotland).

Keith later came back to Australia where he spent more time in the Randwick Repatriation Hospital before he was discharged. Altogether his total War Service amounted to 4 years and 148 days.

He was now back home but somehow home was a lonely place; he was still only young and the girl that he loved was thousands of miles away. This problem was solved when Jessie Marion Stark came out to Australia and it was on the 28 February 1920 that they were married in Sydney.

Keith came to Griffith and worked for a short period for the WC & IC. This was mainly in the preparation of land for future farm development; he also attended a school at the Yanco Agricultural College for three months. This was to be the basic knowledge which he would require to become a farmer. Apparently, in those times, three months school and plenty of hard work was all that was considered necessary. Of course, Keith soon learnt that there was plenty of hard work to be done. The land had to be cleared and this was done with the aid of a steam traction engine; it also had to be ploughed and fenced - furthermore something had to be done regarding living quarters.

While all this was going on Keith lived in a tent on the farm. His wife stayed in town - at Mirrool House. This was only to be for as long as it took to build a `Molonglo' hut on the farm. It was then that she took up her duties as a "farmer's wife".

The Todd's were now the proud owners of Farm 1828, Lake Wyangan.

With the aid of two horses and a small amount of machinery Keith was now to begin life as a farmer. In fact, it may be said his farm represented a fruit salad. The plantings included citrus, prunes, apricots, apples and peaches.

He worked the farm himself until 1940 when the work became too strenuous.

Keith, over the years never gave up the fight for Ex-servicemen and Exservicewomen - their battles were his battles. Wherever possible he was prepared to help and assist any ex-service personnel. He held many Country and State positions within the RSSALA and he repeatedly held the position of President or Vice President.

He not only served the Griffith Sub-Branch for a period of 43 years and became a Life Member of the Griffith Sub-Branch but he also became a Life Director of the Griffith Hospital; he was also instrumental in the establishment of the Griffith Technical College where he spent some fifteen years as Chairman.

All these duties Keith Todd carried out on a honorary basis.

For the many years of service to the community in general and especially Exservice personnel, the late King George VI honoured him, by creating Keith Todd an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Keith Hampden Todd died on 9 October 1968, just three days before his 73rd birthday.

When one looks at the life of Keith Todd one must ask just what made this man tick, why was he so different; how could he mix and express himself amongst more senior and educated people?

Only one conclusion can be reached - Keith Todd must have had great confidence in his own ability and possessed attributes which endeared him to his fellow men.

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Keith's wife, Jessie Marion (nee Stark), was born in Peru in South America and was sent to England by her parents to be educated. Jessie was working as a nurses' aid, in the hospital where Keith was convalescing, during World War I. Following the war, Jessie came to Australia as a war bride and after her marriage, settled with Keith, on their farm at Lake Wyangan.

Jessie was at the forefront of the formation of Griffith Returned Soldier's League Women's Auxiliary in 1939. She was the inaugural president of the branch and the first State President of the Auxiliary and she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Jessie died 26 February 1983 at the age of 86 years and is buried with her husband in the Church of England section of the Griffith Cemetery.

At the time of her death, the Auxiliary's Publicity Officer, Mrs Florence Rolfe said36 "It was with deep and sincere regret that the RSL Women's Auxiliary learned of the death of Mrs Marion Todd, MBE, their beloved Patroness. Her home was at Lake Wyangan, where she and her husband settled after World War One. "It was in response to her call that the Griffith RSL Women's Auxiliary was formed in September 1939, at the outbreak of World War Two. "It was under her guidance and leadership, as the first president, that the organisation dedicated to help the returned servicemen and his family, in war time and peace, was formed. It speaks well for her leadership when one is reminded that the Auxiliary is still an active charity here in Griffith and many of our present day members were part of those first years under Mrs Todd and are still active in the Auxiliary today.

"Mrs Todd formulated the idea of a Central Council for the Women's Auxiliary to guide and control Auxiliary affairs State wide, and was instrumental in its establishment and structure, and became the first State President of the Women's Auxiliary.

"Always a lady, Mrs Todd was an inspiring and forceful speaker. Her honesty, dedication and integrity underlined every word she spoke. Her interest in the Griffith branch never flagged and she was always an interested listener to Auxiliary doings.

"She will be sadly missed - for her true friendship and her great knowledge, which together with her willingness and ability to help anyone who appealed to her, endeared her to all. In these days when morality is at such a low ebb and honesty seems to have become an old fashioned word - the passing of a great lady like Marion Todd MBE must be deeply mourned by all who knew and loved her."

Keith and Jessie Todd had one son, Ian, who was born in Woodlands Hospital on 5 May 1927. Ian is still living on the family farm.

Source: Clive Pritchard's private papers.

"The Area News", March 8, 1983

By courtesy of Ian Todd, Farm 1828, Lake Wyangan 2680.

36

"The Area News". Tuesday. March 8, 1983

433

TURNELL Our Grandfather, William Turnell, came to Australia in the latter part of the 19th century. His family had owned a hotel on Bell's corner, Upminster near London. William Turnell married Elizabeth Gardiner from Cork City, Youghal and Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland. It is believed they are both buried in the Botany Cemetery.

Dad (John Frederick, known as "Fred") was born in Marrickville 6 January 1892, the second eldest of six boys and one girl. He went to Primary School in Marrickville. His father had a produce store for which Dad ran messages, did deliveries and worked in the store. As a young teenager he went to work on a dairy farm in Dorrigo and Mullumbimby. Later he moved to the Leeton district, first settling on a dairy farm at Wamoon. It was here that he met and married Catherine McDonald.

On 3 November 1915, their son Eric was born. The family moved into an adobe (mud brick) house on the outskirts of Lecton built by Fred - the house stood for many years. He enlisted from Lecton and was presented with a wrist watch which his son, John wore during service in World War 11. Fred served in the Artillery and was wounded in France.

On his return to Australia the family came to live in Griffith, first in Bagtown before he took up a 28 acre Soldier Settlement Block which he cleared and planted Farm 908, situated on the Fred Turnell 1914-1918 Hanwood Road.

Courtcsy Ron Turnell While waiting for the farm to come into bearing he worked as a ganger on the construction of channels in the Yenda area. In November 1921 his wife, Catherine, died at the age of 29 years. She is buried in the Griffith Cemetery.

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In 1922 he met Nora Nash (widow of Percy Nash) who had two small daughters Betty and Joan. They were married at Auburn in 1922. A big decision for a young mother to make - she had always lived in the city, worked in the Trades Hall, Sydney and had no idea where Griffith was! So now they were a family of five.

To supplement the family income Dad became the local agent for GW Molesworth of the Sydney Markets. He would wait at the Griffith Railway Station to give out "pea bags" to growers of green peas. Mum was a good organist and played at various churches for weddings and other services.

Excavating Dam - Fred Turncll in Sulky Courtesy Joan Baker (nee Turnell)

In the years that followed three more sons and two daughters were born to the family. It was hard work and the farm produced well but during the Depression years oranges were bringing three shillings a packed bushel case - not worth the picking! Many "swaggies" called and Mum would always pack them some food. We were fortunate as we had a cow, chooks and plenty of fruit. Many times we were glad to also have good neighbours who would give us wheat for chooks, vegetables, or whatever - in exchange for fruit in season.

Our very dear neighbours, Cliff and Elsie Thorne, who had no family of their own were amongst the first to get a kerosene "Frig". It was no trouble at all for one of the Turnell kids to take a billy of milk to Mrs Thorne and return home with the billy filled with ice blocks!!

Wine grapes in the early part of our farming life always seemed the best crop.

Grapes were picked into "kero" buckets - some opened at the top and others from the

436

side. Filled buckets were loaded onto a lorry drawn by two draught horses. The trip out to McWilliam's at Hanwood took hours. Daughter Joan recalls "I learned why the buckets were cut different ways - the tall buckets made the side of the load and the flat ones packed to the centre". How farming has changed!!

The winter of 1956 was excessively wet. Because of this water was released from the dams and filled canals and channels in the Area leaving nowhere for drainage from farms to go. Farm 908 was flooded. All soft fruit trees and some orange trees died, but the grape vines survived. This made it necessary for the farm to be tile drained at a later date.

Joan also recalls that .041 "washing days were hard work. Dad always had to help, the copper Washing Day - Fred Turnell boiled all day. The clothes line Courtesy Ron Turnell was a wire hung from tree to tree around the yard. As the family grew so the clothes line had to be extended! What a wonderful day when the washing machine arrived from Palmers (of Sydney). From then on Mum was able to cope with the washing.

"I recall that one day Eric, Betty and I were playing near the dam, Eric overbalanced and fell in - his broken arm in a sling was not much help! Dad heard the commotion and ran down the yard and was in the water before he realised he was dressed in a suit, money and mail etc. still in his coat pocket! Another day Dad had just finished building a hay stack and was quite proud of his effort. He wasn't pleased when he saw us pulling sheaves out so we could The 'rumen children and the Rac girls in Dam on Farm 908 climb the stack then slip down - it Courtesy Joan Baker made a wonderful slippery slide!

"We hadn't long owned our first car when Dad went to town and took Peg who was only very young. As Dad turned into a parking bay the door flew open and Peg fell out. The back wheel went over her foot, cut it from toe to ankle, cut her leg and there was blue metal in the wounds she was a very lucky little girl as the Doctors were able to save her foot. That made all of us very aware of car doors!"

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John's recollections: "Dad was a hard worker for the family and the community. Loved his cricket with the RSL cricketers between the wars. Depression years were tough. Swaggies were never denied a feed when they called in. My bed covering as a young child was Dad's army greatcoat. We all slept dormitory style on a long verandah on the side of the house.

Bread was delivered from Burge's Bakery to the breadbox on our gatepost -paid for by tokens. Meat was delivered by Arthur Coote of Hanwood (I used to spray him with the hose!!). Mr Mallick would also call with his ice-cream cart and sell us ld and 3d cones.

"Strong in my memory are such things as the Druid's Christmas tree in the CWA Hall; shopping with the family on Saturday afternoons; Saturday afternoon Matinees in the Lyceum - 6d for ticket and ld to spend; adult dances at the CWA and later in the Palaise de Dance with Tommie Simpson, Mrs Trenerry, Mr Couchman providing the music; picnics to Findlay's at the river; my first flight in a bi-plane which took off from a strip that ran between the high school and the old rugby ground, alongside the canal; football games when Bob James was "king" and the day he bowled Bradman at Leeton, breaking the stump; the visit of Kingsford Smith to Mrs Fred Turncll Irvine's paddock, now the aerodrome, 5/- a Courtesy Ron 'FumeII trip; the golf course at the Lake; Banna Avenue as a gravel road with Dave Taylor's Store where Westpac now is; the Police Station in Benerembah Street now used as "Neighbourhood House"; the Primary School with the fence dividing the girls from the boys; games of tops, marbles, release, cotton reel tractors; cricket on concrete pitches; swimming in the old baths; Wallace's Cafe - three course meals for 1/6d; Mrs Aiton, our beloved "kinder" teacher and her husband Jack who would sing anywhere anytime; the old Rio where the aeroplane monument now stands and the mini golf course there before that."

Dad served the community in many capacities: Druids Lodge (Secretary), Griffith District Hospital (Director and Chairman), Griffith Co-operative Society (Director and Chairman), Griffith Building Society (Chairman), Griffith Public School P & C (President), Methodist Church (Steward, Circuit Steward jnr and snr, Trustee, 438

Representative to Conference, foundation member of Men's Brotherhood).

Dad and Mum were both involved in Church work - Mum was the Organist for 32 years, belonged to the Choir and Women's Church Aid and they attended many Synod and Conferences together.

The farm was sold in 1966 and Mum and Dad retired to live at 16 Noorilla Street. Dad passed away 15 February 1970 age 78 and Mum passed away 29 August 1976 age 76. They are buried together in the Methodist Portion of the Griffith Cemetery.

000000000 L to R Betty Turnell, Eileen Wood, Joan Turnell Courtesy Joan Baker (nee 'fumell)

The Turnell Family, 1941 - Farm 908 Courtesy Ron Turncll

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THE TURNELL FAMILY 1.

Eric born Leeton 3 November 1915, died Griffith 2 June 1986: married Amelia Tyson - two children; Lynn and Raymond.

2.

Betty born Auburn, Sydney 12 February 1918, died 4 December 1978: married Earnest Richardson.

3.

Joan born Auburn, Sydney 6 September 1919: married Charles Baker (dec'd), lives Griffith - four children; John, Peter (dec'd), Colin, Christine.

4.

John ("Jack") born Woodlands Hospital, Griffith 1925: married Margaret Hornery, lives Gunnedah - three children; Gregory, Richard, Leonie.

5.

Keith born Farm 908, Griffith 26 November 1928: married Nancy Nitschke, lives Mollymook - one child; Kym.

6.

Alice born Farm 908, Griffith 30 April 1930: married Keith Tipping, lives Lane Cove - two children; Elizabeth and Robert.

7.

Margaret ("Peg") born Farm 908, Griffith 17 April 1933: married Morris Stokes, lives Griffith - three children; Margaret, Linda and Barbara.

8.

Ron born Griffith Hospital, Griffith 26 April 1936: married Janet Harvey, lives Griffith - three children; Barry, Peter and David.

By courtesy of the Turnell Family.

440

WAKLEY Marcus Wakley junior joined the British Navy in Sydney on 7 September 1908.

At this time there was no Australian Navy. His first posting was as a member of a gun crew aboard the HMS "Pyramus"; the second to the British Flagship HMS "Challenger".

He was a member of crew when the first Australian Flagship, "The Australian", sailed into Sydney Harbour late in 1912.

Gertrude Grace Smith, holidaying in Sydney from Tamworth with a friend, went aboard "The Australian". It was here that she met Marcus (Mark) Wakley. Shortly after this he left the Navy and after marrying Gertrude at Tamworth on 16 April 1913, worked on a farm for a short while before the young couple returned to Sydney. Here he worked on the Railway for a time then for Gertrude's brother who was a builder.

Wedding Day - Gertrude and Marcus (Mark) Wakley 1916 Attendants - Joseph and Guinever Smith Courtesy the Wakley Family

With the outbreak of World War I, Mark enlisted in the Army - No 908 - and was sent to New Guinea where he contracted Malaria and was invalided back to hospital in Sydney and later discharged.

As soon as he was well again he joined the Australian Army Service Corp with whom he served until his discharge, at Victoria Barracks, on 15 October 1919. That same year he came to Yenda in the company of his brother, Sidney.

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Mark Waklcy • Grease crayon drawing done by a German Prisoner-of-War, named Ilaupman, whom he was guarding in the 1 lay 1 lospital Courtesy the Wakley Family

The Wakley brothers lived at the Yenda "Barracks" and worked there with other ex-servicemen in the clearing gangs. Mark and Sid took up adjoining farms at Yenda.

Sid returned to Sydney to be married but his bride refused to come to Yenda so he was forced to give up his farm.

In the meantime, Gertrude, who now had four small children, arrived in 1920.

Until a small two-roomed hut was built on their farm - Farm 1479 - Gertrude and the children lived with Florence Phillips, the wife of Arthur Phillips. Florence Phillips was the first woman to come to live permanently in Yenda - Gertrude Wakley was the second.

In the years to follow Florence was a very great friend and help to the Wakley family.

Gertrude and Mark worked the farm together until the outbreak of World War II when Mark again enlisted - 7 November 1940 - and was sent out to Hay as a guard at the Prisoner-of-War Camp there. He served there until 22 October 1945.

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Gertrude's "granddaughter-in-law" Edna continues " 'Mum' Wakley did it the hard way for most of her life!!

Until about 1965 she carried hot water for baths by bucket from a copper in the laundry which was about seventy yards or so from the house. This continued until she bought a washing machine which heated the water. This was installed in the bathroom as this was the only room in the house to have a tap to the water tank.

"Throughout Mark's absence during WWII 'Mum' Wakley worked hard, long hours with only the help of Land Army girls and an Irishman, Harry Dorman (who is remembered as one who could always tell a good joke and keep everyone laughing!). As well as running the farm `Mum' had three small grandsons and a granddaughter to look after.

Silvia Wakley, 1927-1980

Wakiey Family L to 12: Back - Ray, Lin, Vern Front - Mavis and Astrea Photos courtesy the Wakley Family

"In the mid-1970's their son, Ray, built a new modern home for her in Yenda town and it was here that she lived until her death in 1982."

Thinking fondly of this true pioneering lady, Edna adds - "Though times were hard for her, 'Mum' Wakley could still be happy and have a good laugh. Week-ends would see her, the Land Army girl Gwyn and Harry load up the horse and lorry and with the children be off to Binya Hills for a picnic. As anyone who knew her will tell 'Mum' Wakley was a great, hard working Pioneer Lady, loved and respected by all who knew her".

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John Smith born 10 March 1854 West Maitland NSW died 12 July 1914 buried West TanrAcrth NNW married Mary Ann Whiteman born 20 July 1861 died 22 June 1935 buried Tamworth NSW

Marcus Wakley born 1863 - Stoke Hill Somerset. England Arrived Australia per "Peterborough" 30 July 1882 died 1902. buried Rookwood. Sydney married Charlotte Boyce born 5 July 1867 died 1900, buried Rookwood.

Sydney

Marcus (Mark) Wakley born 1 March 1890 57 Howard St. Sydney died 28 December 1973 buried Griffith

married West Tamworth •

Gertrude Grace Smith born 2 October 1894 West Tamworth died 1 September 1982 buried Griffith

Astrea born 1913 Tamworth: married (1) Rueben Watters: (2) John Darcey 1. Colleen Watters married Sonny Hodges Marcus Verna ("Vern") born 1914 Tamworth: married (1) Isabel Cameron 1. Alan married Edna Clarke - three children. Veronica. Marcus and Shane 2. Ronald married Sandra Mills - three children. Nigel Troy and Jamaica 3. Kevin married Laurel King - two sons. Craig and Mathew married (2) Velma Bramston 4. Vicki married Geoffrey Scott - two children. Tracy and Shaun 5. Michael married Christine Pantovich - two children. Patrick and Amy 3.

Mavis Beryl born 1916 Tamworth: married Norman England 1. Richard

4.

Clive Lindsay ("Lin") born 1918 Tamworth: married Elizabeth Forbes 1. Vicki married Terry Burchnall - two children. Samantha and Dean 2. Robyn married Peter Goulding - two children. Tara and Daniel

5.

Raymond Cedric ("Ray") born 1925 Yenda: married Thelma Coyle 1. Carol married Paul Fielder - two children. Tolis and Jasmain 2. Jennifer married Bryan Byrnes - three children Brent. Heidi. Dodd 3. Judith married Christopher Martin - two children. Luke and Amy

6.

Silvia Mary born 1927 Yenda: married Bede Whiteman: died 1980 1. Karana married Daniel Clemmensen - two daughters Heidi and Maya 2. Tracy

By courtesy of Alan and Edna Wakley, Short Street, Yenda 2681.

Prior to the Great War of 1914-18 Germany held island territories in the Pacific, mainly German New Guinea (New Britain), the Bismarcks and Western Samoa.

At the outbreak on 4 August 1914, the Australian navy's flagship HMAS "Australia" (a new battle cruiser of 19,200 tons) was coaling prior to clearing Sydney Harbour. She was under orders to escort an armed force raised for the purpose of seizing these territories; the reason being that the German raiders "Schanthorst" and "Gneisenau" 37 had already been deployed in the Pacific for the purpose of intercepting allied shipping including convoys of Australian and New Zealand troops soon expected to be sailing for the war zones of Europe and the Middle East. The German ships were to a large extent dependent upon her territories for coaling victualling and radio intelligence as to allied shipping movements.

Germany's main communications centre was the wireless station some miles inland from Rabaul.

Two infantry battalions (ie up to 2,000 men) designated the 'Australian Navy and Military Expeditionary Force" had been hastily recruited in Sydney, and sailed for Rabaul as soon as the ships (which included the transports "Berrima" and "Kanowna") had completed coaling. The escort also included "AEI", one of the RAN's two submarines. ("AE1", with her crew of 35 men, was fated to disappear forever off New Britain a few weeks after sailing.

At that time it was the worst submarine disaster to occur anywhere in the world).

The force was provisioned at Townsville where its complement was boosted by members of rifle clubs and other volunteers. On 16 August the convoy proceeded via Thursday Island to Rabaul.

On 11 September 1914 a landing party from the "Berrima" went ashore against opposition and took the wireless station. During the process Able Seaman W G V Williams was the first Australian serviceman to be killed in action in World War I. The second was the contingent's medical officer, Captain B C A Pockley who was shot whilst attending a wounded German.

On 19 September the wireless station in the Pelew Islands was raided and destroyed, after which the German governor in the Pacific agreed that all resistance in the territories under his administration would cease. Australian troops remained in occupation of them until after the war, when the League of Nations gave Australia and New Zealand mandates over them.

By courtesy of Jim Mallinson.

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"Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau- were both sunk by British ships later in 1914 in what has become known as the Battle of the Falklands. A generation later German warships bearing identical names were heavily involved in World War II.

445

WEBB "My father, Arthur Leslie Webb, was wheat-lumping at Cootamundra when World War I broke out. Dad enlisted in the AIF, (No 667) and had his 21st birthday at Gallipoli.

He later served in France and was wounded in the arm at Bullecourt. He was sent to England to recover. He then returned to France. This time he was wounded in the leg, in the thigh area, at Agincourt and again sent to Hospital in England to recover.

"It was at this time that he met my mother, Martha Mayo. They married in 1917. I was born in London in 1918. I recall my mother telling me that her elder sister, Alice had been `Lady in Waiting' to the Governor's wife in South Australia in 1912.

"Dad's father was a civil engineer. They lived at Lane Cove. My father was the second born of three brothers - Cecil the eldest, my father Arthur and his younger brother Harold.

Grandfather Webb was at one time a bridge builder in China - consequently he was often away from home for periods of three years or more. He told me about his work. I remember too the times we would spend holidays with him where he retired at Woodford in the Blue Mountains.

"Grandfather was a great lover of cats - one was named 'Le Cusse'. I being the oldest of the family was up early, but not as early as grandfather!

He was feeding his two cats on the kitchen table. I remember pushing the Martha and Arthur Wcbb two cats off the table to prepare my in ()range Lodge Regalia breakfast and receiving a heavy crack on the backside with his walking stick for my action. The cats had No 1 priority!

"On 8 October 1919 I duly arrived with my mother at Beelbangera. We had been ten weeks on the seas coming out from England, via Capetown, on the `Orsova'. Mother said we first lived in the 'married quarters' on what was then called the 'common' at Beelbangera. One of Dad's jobs at this time was chaff-cutting.

"Our house was the seventh under construction under the rehabilitation scheme.

My father had taken up Farm 616 on 17 July 1919. The farm of twenty-one acres was fully planted up with peach and apricot trees. This farm had to be forfeited because of bad drainage. The drainage channels were not large enough to take the volume of water after heavy rain. Rice is now growing where our first home was.

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"We then moved to Farm 629 Yoogali which was only a home maintenance area of fourteen acres. It had been owned previously by Mr Skinner. We had an additional area of nineteen acres of wine grapes as well on the Yenda Road alongside Johnny Ward's large citrus orchard.

Martha with Teddy, Arthur with son Arthur and Dick Edwards in front of house on Farm 629

"I remember my brother Owen always had 'bung eyes' - hence the nickname "Barney Googles with the googley eyes". Mum made him wear a hat with a fly veil. She also smeared castor-oil around his eyes but nothing seemed to stop the flies getting at his eyes.

"One of my early memories is of the death of my third brother, Jack. There was a post mortem on his death which revealed he had an abnormally large heart, twice as large as that of an adult and could not have lived to twelve years of age. Jack was only two years and ten months old when he died. I remember going to the Court House. Joe Moyanahan was the bailiff of the Court. He and his family lived on the Red Cross farms that were on the way to Myall Park. Dr Watkins and Dr Bodycomb were the two doctors in the Court on this day. My second brother Teddy made up the three of us who slept in the one bedroom.

"We suffered a further loss to the family when my youngest brother Roy was drowned in the dam. I still, to this day, have a feeling of guilt, as my father told me to take Roy back to the house, when we were all going over to the main canal to pull up a drum net my father had in, to catch cat fish. Later I found my brother in the dam drowned. He had tried to recover a sailing boat my father had made for us.

"Miss Bromley was my teacher at Yoogali. She boarded with the Blows family.

They lived on the right hand side as you go to the CSIRO Research Station. I began school at Beelbangera on 23 March 1924. We had a 21/2 mile walk to and from school.

Mr Bowditch (Len's father) was my first headmaster. Mrs Lane was the infants teacher.

She, and her only son Bert, used to drive a horse and sulky from Bilbul. Miss Ruby Coote was also a teacher at this time. Her two brothers were known as channel bank butchers.

Miss Coote later married Len Crocker of Beelbangera. He and his brother Bede had a farm out where Proctor's later had a property.

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"When there were "nits" (head lice) in the school, every Friday night Mum would comb our hair over a sheet of white butchers paper. The comb was very fine and was to comb off the lice to be squashed with a thumb nail with a satisfying click-sound. We hoped also to comb out some of the nits (lice eggs).

"My sister June got diphtheria. We had to look after her at home for fear of giving it to others. This was before immunisation. The doctor would visit at home The Council sent men to pour phenol in our drains from the kitchen and bathroom. Like everyone else we had open drains then.

L to R Dick Edwards, next door neighbour, Martha holding Teddy Arthur on horse, and his father, Arthur

"My mother saw to it that Teddy and I went to the Salvation Army Sunday School.

She gave us sixpence each to put on the collection plate. Captain Howell was the Salvation Army Officer. The Frank family had the Yoogali Store and the Salvation Army Hall was next to the store. We were given picture cards at Sunday School. I can still see them hanging on kalsomined bedroom walls. My card had printed on it 'Clod is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all'. Teddy's card was 'Learn of Me'. He complained that my card had more words than his! Mum said 'Yes, but Arthur went to Sunday School when I sent him. You went under the Railway Bridge and smoked cigarettes!!'

"She was right - but I went to the Railway Bridge too. We used to change one of the sixpences for two threepences at Frank's store. Then with the other sixpence we would buy a packet of 'Wild Woodbine' cigarettes. There were ten in a packet and we would smoke the lot. On one occasion I couldn't eat my tea. I had a sore blister on my tongue.

"Dad smoked 'Westwood Ho' fine cut tobacco. It was one shilling and nine pence for a two ounce tin. Twopence for a box of Bryant and Mays Matches.

"Mrs Darky Ellesmere was the 'gun' apricot pitter in the district! She could do one hundred and thirty trays a day! Threepence a tray we got.

"Our Mum was a fantastic cook - I loved her sultana cake but we loved it best if it went down in the middle. We like that part best!

448

"I passed my QC (Qualifying Certificate) or Primary Final at Yoogali and my mother enrolled me at the Yanco Agricultural High School. This was in 1931. However, I had to leave because my mother could not afford the school fees, such as they were; this was the Depression time. Most will recall the Depression years and how hard they were.

I can recall working all my school holidays pitting apricots and other fruits. This netted me £26, which bought all my school clothes and books. I did well at Griffith High School for the remainder of the year. I brought a good report home on 14 December 1931 only to be told by my mother that she had secured a job for me at the Griffith Co-op Store.

This was to my dismay as I liked school. So after much deliberation off I went to town to have my first hair cut by a barber - Mr Bill Evans. From the barber's shop I went to O'Gilpins chain store to buy a tie (1/111/2 d) and a bottle of 'Oil of Roses' hair oil (111/2d).

The Webb Family L to R "Barney", Arthur, Martha, 'Teddy" and Arthur Front: June and the calf "Daisy"

"The then Co-op General Manager was Mr Os Whiting. On the first day I was early for work and was told where to find the office, to be briefed by Mr Whiting. I was on a month's probation and would be told at the end of the month if I was satisfactory or not. If not he would get somebody else. My jobs were many and varied, plus all the manual tasks as a junior; sweeping out the whole of the store in front of and behind counters, sprinkled with sawdust and water mixed in a bucket to keep the dust down.

Once a week the sawdust was mixed with kerosene - it gave the shop a pleasant smell, as well I had to sweep and hose down the shop front - rough concrete it was too; clean the two shop windows and two glass front doors. Monday morning put out clean blotting paper in the main office, clean ink wells and so on. I can remember finding money on the floor each morning as I swept - a penny, a threepence, a sixpence and now and again a shilling. But this all stopped after the month's probation - presumably a test of my honesty!!

449

"I received nine shillings and threepence a week of forty eight hours! One shilling Insurance Policy a week, two shillings and sixpence to pay off my bike on which I collected the Co-op orders and two shillings and sixpence towards shares in New Zealand Paper Mills.

"Mr Bishop was the grocery department manager. It was my main duty to do the weighing up of all the sundry food items such as white, brown and raw sugar, dried fruits (such as currants, dates, raisins, mixed peel), salt, rice, barley, split peas, sago, tapioca etc.

This job may sound easy, but for a lad of thirteen to carry a seventy pound bag of sugar was difficult at first, but it was not long before I could handle the situation. I also had to post the mail and collect parcels and mail from the Post Office and Railway Parcels Office and as time went on I was trusted to bank the money from the Store.

"Mr Bishop used to talk to himself a lot! I told my mother this and she said ask him - 'Are you talking to me?' He replied 'No! I am talking to myself because there isn't anybody intelligent enough here to talk to!!'

"When I was about eighteen I was sent out collecting orders, going from house to house in Wakaden, Binya, Hyandra and Carrathool Streets. They were the best streets as most Griffith business people lived there. George Hazel of Hazel's store, along with the popular Harry Green from Carney's Store, and Bill Starr from Taylor Brothers were also collecting orders. We would all work out whom we would call on, on a monthly basis so each of us would take a turn. Wednesday was my biggest day. I would push my bike twenty four miles for twenty two orders! Out to the farms around the CSIRO, to the Hanwood area, to Polkinghorne's, Mason's, Chadwick's, Johnstone's, then to Walla Avenue to Nurse Taylor, Stacy's, Ring's, Proud's, Moyanahan's etc and then onto West End, collecting the mail on the way home. Wednesday was a half-day holiday - but not for Arthur Webb. I would get home about 3.30pm well and truly buggered in the hot weather."

Arthur Leslie Webb born Neutral Bay NSW 4 August 1893 died 15 Apr 1958, aged 64 yrs buried Wyong NSW 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Martha Louise Mayo born Shaftsbury. Dorset 6 February 1897 died 29 July 1980 at Wyong cremated Ourimbah NSW

married London 1917

• " Arthur Leslie born Wandsworth Hospital London 14 May 1918; married Catherine Margaret Cook: lives Griffith; three sons, Greg. Philip and Mark.

Edwin Robert Victor (Teddy") born Farm 616 Beclbangera with Nurse Taylor in attendance 19 March 1920 (deed): married Vera Saunders: three children. Robert. Louise and Vickie.

William John Ernest (lack") born May 1921: died 1 March 1924 Owen Lawrence Gregory ("Barney") born Farm 629 Yoogali with Nurse Taylor in attendance 24 October 1923: married Margery Roome: lives Ettalong.

June Louise Beatrice born Farm 629 Yoogali with Nurse Taylor in attendance 6 August 1925: married Stan Martin; lives Wyong: four children. Alan. Sue. Jill and Bill.

Roy Thomas born with Nurse Taylor in attendance 2 July 1928; drowned 30 Mar 1930 aged 21 mths.

Patricia Margaret born at Royal North Shore Hospital. Sydney 17 March 1941: married (1) Peter Morgan - two sons. Glenn and Bradley: married (2) Jack Frewin: lives Wyong North.

By courtesy of Arthur Webb, Groongal Avenue, Griffith 2680 and photos courtesy Pat Frewin (nee Webb), Wyong North 2259

450

WEST At the time of his death in November of 1977 one of the many tributes paid to Eric Stodden West was that "....The MIA has had many notable pioneers but outstanding among these was Eric West who devoted more than 30 years to scientific pioneering into a wide range of aspects of crop production in the MIA".38 Eric West was the grandson of a Dublin builder and contractor, John West (born 1823) who migrated to Australia in 1852. Eric's father, William Arthur West, was born in Geelong, April 22, 1856 (and died Adelaide November 8, 1922).

William West was the Chief Inspector of Schools in South Australia. He married Emily Burnard who was also a teacher.

William and Emily had a family of nine children: 1.

Reginald Arthur (Principal of Adelaide High School for 30 years) Eric Stodden West Courtesy Marian Rosenboom Gordon Roy (Doctor of Medicine) (nee West) John Stanley (Civil Engineer - he worked on construction of Burrinjuck Dam and the design of the canal system in the MIA,lived for some time in Griffith) Wilfred Arnold (Statistician - Partner in West Bros Farm 1985 at Nericon) Lorna Emilie (Married a School Teacher) Doris Marjorie (a Teacher) ERIC STODDEN (Agricultural Scientist) Esmond Frank (Doctor of Medicine, specialising in Orthopaedics) Eleanor Ruth (School Principal).

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

The seventh child, Eric Stodden West, was born in Adelaide on May 30, 1896.

He attended Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia and as soon as he completed his diploma course there he volunteered for service in the first A.I.F. He served in the trenches in France and was critically wounded in the Battle of Bullecourt, one of the bloodiest encounters of the First World War. On his discharge from the Army he went to Adelaide University where he gained his Bachelor of Science Degree.

While in Adelaide he won the Lowrie Scholarship, which enabled him to continue his studies at the University of California at Berkeley where he was awarded his Master of Science Degree in Agriculture.

38

.'The Area News", November 1977

451

He came to Griffith in 1922 to establish what is now known as the CSIRO Division of Irrigation Research. Originally known as the Commonwealth Citrus Station it was set up jointly by the Water Resources Commission (then Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission) and the former Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry.

It was taken over by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research when that organisation came into being in 1926. At that time Eric West was responsible for a staff of three - Ben Martin, Phil Coonan and Frank Dufty. Over the years the Station has grown and at the time of his death there was a staff of more than seventy.

Research Station Residence about 1928 Courtesy Marian Rosenboom (nee West)

This Station has played a vital role in the progress of agriculture in Australia.

Eric West personally worked on such aspects as fertiliser requirements of citrus and other crops, bud selection, soil amelioration, irrigation methods, drainage and waterlogging problems, salinity of soils, frost protection - to name just a few.

His work during his period as Officer-in-Charge of the CSIRO laboratory Griffith can be conveniently divided into three phases: Basic cultural methods for citrus 1924-1933 Agricultural technology of citrus production and other crops 1933-1945 Scientific studies on drainage and irrigation 1945-1954 In the first phase West laid down the basic foundation for establishment of the citrus industry in the MIA. Not only did he solve problems as they came along such as salting and frost damage but he often anticipated problems in his thinking and foresaw, for instance, the dangers of inadequate drainage.

In the second phase of his work he encouraged and developed a more scientific technology and was often ahead of his time. For example, he advocated banding of fertilisers in the soil for orchard and field crops and only recently has this become a

452

common practice. He initiated the citrus experiment at Farm 466 to examine longer-term problems at a time when the statistical techniques for this type of experiment were only just emerging and it would be one of the first examples of this type of experiment with tree crops.

In the third aspect of his work he was deeply concerned with the use of mathematics and physics as tools to solve problems of drainage of water in soils and for examining the problems of plant-water-soil relationships.

Although he published little on this it is well known that he was ahead of the now `classical' works in this field, such as those of Thornthwaite and Penman. As a scientist he was extremely thorough in his work, demanding accuracy and he was a pioneer in many senses of the word: now at the time when the value of technology is being questioned it would be instructive to examine his work and see how much it contributed to the successful development of the MIA. His was a fine example of the interaction of a keen mind with the agricultural environment in which he found himself. His achievements must surely strengthen the argument for the retention of the scientists in key agricultural locations by CSIRO. Not only did Eric West have a brilliant career in agricultural technology and applied science but he was very highly regarded by those who worked with him and under his supervision - an all too rare combination. His influence will be around for a long time to come.39 In 1926 on December 27 Eric married in Adelaide, Rosalind Dorothy ("Hetty") Haberfield. Hetty was born on 30 April 1901 in London and came to Australia in 1924 aboard the T.S.S. "Moreton Bay".

Her family lived in Hackney where her father Arthur Thomas Haberfield had a grocer's shop. Her mother, born Elizabeth Jane Chapman was a widow, Mrs Appleby, with three daughters Louise, Ivy and Lily when she married Arthur Haberfield.

These three girls took their step-father's name of Haberfield. From the second marriage there were four more children two sons and two daughters - Arthur Thomas, Rosalind Dorothy, Harold Horatio and Elsie.

Standing Hetty West (nee Haberticld) It was the middle daughter of the Sitting Ivy Haberfield Courtesy Marian Rosenboom (nee West) first marriage, Ivy, who came to Griffith first.

Ivy Elizabeth Haberfield (born

39

Ibid

453

London April, 1889, died Narrandera 25 March 1986, buried Griffith Lawn Cemetery) arrived in Griffith on 18 July 1924 to work as a stenographer for the WC & IC. Hetty arrived on 18 September 1924. In those early years Ivy and Hetty lived at Mirrool House as did Eric West. In 1939 Ivy moved to Manly Vale in Sydney where she continued to work for the WC & IC in what was then known as "Wall House" in Loftus Street. After their marriage Hetty and Eric lived in a house on the CSIRO Research Station where they reared a family of five children.

The West Family at the Reception after Arthur's Wedding.

L to R Eric, Rosalind, John Shelton, Shirley, I Jetty, Arthur, Mildred, Ivy, (live Front: Roger Rosenboom, Marian.

Courtesy Marian Rosentxxmn (nee West)

On his retirement from the CSIRO in 1956 Eric started a new career as a full time farmer when he moved to Farm 1985, at Nericon. He had originally taken up the farm in 1929, in partnership with his brother Arnold. Before moving to live on the farm, Eric had employed Pat Hillam and then Don Johns as manager for many years. They produced citrus, prunes, vegetables and later concentrated on fat lamb production. The year after his retirement he was joined in the partnership by his daughter Marian and sonin-law, Bill Rosenboom. In 1975 this farm was sold to John Irvine of Melbergen and Hetty and Eric moved into Griffith where they lived in retirement in Thorby Crescent.

As well as his enormous contribution to agriculture, Eric served for many years as president of the Parents and Citizens Associations of both Griffith Public and Griffith High Schools. In his role of president of the High School P & C he played a major role in the establishment of the War Memorial Hostel for country children in Griffith. He 454

was chairman of the fund raising committee in its critical early years. He also inaugurated the Clarrie Doak Scholarship, which enabled students to attend university, the rules being later changed to allow children to continue their studies at high school. He was also well known as an avid student of chess and a keen tennis player. In his retirement he kept fit and active and even at 80 years of age walked three or four miles daily.

In 1976 he was the guest of honour at a function at the Research Station to mark the Golden Jubilee of the CSIRO. At this ceremony, Mr Harry Frith, the then Chief of the Division of Wild Life said that Eric West was ahead of his time in research. Nobody else had carried out such far reaching experiments on citrus. In December of this same year, 1976, Hetty and Eric celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary.

The family of Hetty and Eric: 1.

Rosalind Haberfield (Teacher) born Griffith 11 November 1928; married Ian Bagley - lives Feilding, New Zealand

2.

Marian Haberfield (Teacher) born Griffith 16 January 1931; married Berend ("Bill") Rosenboom - lives Griffith. Three children - Roger, Peter & Sonya

3.

Mildred Burnard (Teacher) born Griffith 9 July 1932; married John Shelton of Yarrawonga Victoria, died November 1976. Four children Margaret and Dorothy (twins), Ian and Christine

4.

Arthur Haberfield (Surveyor) born Griffith 1 May 1935; married Shirley Anne Marshall - lives Griffith. Three children - Jennifer, Barbara and John

5.

Clive Eric (Research Scientist) born Griffith 27 July 1939; married Helen Chambers - works at the Agricultural University Wageningen, Holland.

Two children - Rachel and Andrew

Eric Stodden West died in Griffith 24 November, 1977 and is buried in the Griffith Lawn Cemetery.

Rosalind Dorothy ("Hetty") West died in Griffith 28 January, 1986 and is buried in the same grave as her husband in the Griffith Lawn Cemetery.

By courtesy of Arthur West, Noorilla Street, Griffith. and Marian Rosenboom (nee West), Messner Street, Griffith

455

WC & IC Clerical Staff 1928 to R: unknown, Bcllc Tully (nee Hudson), Lexie Soricy (later Stannard), unknown, John Reidy, Alan Scott, unknown, !lefty West (nee Ilaberfield) Courtesy of Marjorie Crawford

(SIR() Staff about 1940 or 1941. to It Back row - Rcg Pcnncfathcr, Avcril Borland, Zoe Lasscock, Mcry Hamilton, Stan Polkinghornc, Unknown Middle row - Hardwick, Helene Lawler, Frances Mann, Kath Mason, 1)r Joan Ilearman (later Tully) Front row - Alf lloward, Eric West, Nancy Newell, "Wop" (Reg Pennefather's dog) disappearing.

Courtesy Stan Polkinghorne

456

WHEELER George Henry Wheeler was born Melbourne in 1892 and joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 14 years. He left the Navy and worked on the land in South Australia and then joined the first AIF and served as a Dispatch Rider overseas.

After World War I he was married in Sydney in February 1919 to Hilda Dorothea Budd (who was born in 1896). They travelled to Griffith the same year on a Harley Davidson motor bike and sidecar. At first they lived in a tent and George worked at the Nursery that supplied the growers until he was allocated Farm 616. A few years later he acquired the adjoining Farm 617 on which they made their home.

All four children were born at home with Nurse Taylor in attendance. The eldest daughter, Winifred recalls being told by her mother that, as a babe of two weeks, she was placed under a bush whilst her parents were busy planting apricot trees.

By 1923 the family had bought a Singer car. However, the road was so boggy that George had to use his horse to tow the car to the main road!

L to R

'Sports Day" with friends in Top Paddock Back - John Currie, Lcs Foote, Clive Woodbridge, Angelo Negro, Jay Smith, J Bugno, Stan Wheeler Second row - Billy Smith, Balmer's dog, Anto LorenA Third row - Judy Woodbridge, Joan Wheeler, Gwen Smith, Elsa LorenA, Rita Foote Front row - Dorothy Crawford, Betty Wheeler, Shirley Crawford, Mary Negro, Rita Bates, Daisy Curric, Audrey Balmer, Beryl Hannan Courtesy Mrs Rita Black (nee Foote)

"during one heavy dust storm, One vivid memory still remains with Winifred I remember my Mother coming to meet us as we were walking home from Griffith School.

The dust was so thick that Mum was holding onto the fence and calling our names!!".

457

The children all had to work on the farm, but they do remember that there was time for games - making tubby houses under trees, making very elaborate mud cakes and pies (all decorated) beside the channel, flying kites, hop scotch, playing marbles and swimming in the channel near the water wheel.

Winifred recalls that "during the August school holidays all the neighbouring children gathered in our top paddock and a 'Sports Day' was held until one child broke her leg - so no more were allowed!"

Camping at Taylor's Beach was a highlight. Then of course tennis, dancing and wonderful times singing around the piano.

George and Hilda had a family of four: 1.

Winifred Evelyn born Griffith: married Vic Treadwell (deceased).

Winifred lives at Merbein Vic.

/.

Joan Marjorie born Griffith; married Dudley Jones (deceased). Joan lives at Mildura Vic.

3.

Stanley George born Griffith: married Barbara Crossley. They live at Adelaide SA.

4.

Alice Elizabeth born Griffith: married Alex Nuttall. They live at Sydney NSW.

By courtesy Winifred E Treadwell (nee Wheeler), PO Box 170, Merbein 3505.

000000000

Griffith Cenotaph, designed by A B lAmig, soon after completion.

Photo by Jack Carney. Courtesy Ikrothy Kook (nee Long).

458

REFLECTION

AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE CHARGE Gallant and brave with no other choice They charged at the command As commanding Officers made their stand Fierce yells as bombs fell left, right and centre Some lost their hat with an Emu feather Many men and horses fell Then the casualties they could not tell As bayonets joined the charge of glor), In Beersheba it was another story As bombs could no longer fire The Turks began to tire The wells were ready to explode As the Turks began the /ilk mode Again men and horse they die Wives and children they were to cry As the men to Beersheba came near The Turks had deathly fear Finally with many men dead Over Beersheba Light Horse spread Over swearing and fighting There came a sighting Stop that gun!

Which was a cannon Pulled by horse and waxon As what would have looked fim Trooper S Bolton retrieved the gun And then stopped the wells front blowing And the Turk's numbers were slowing Australia finally won Slaughter and murder was done light Infantry mounted Gallant Honourable Tough

Hungry. humorous Overseas Rough Sensible Energetic

Manly Entertaining Naturally Australian

Written by Nayce Forbes, Wahroonga NSW aged 11 years (1991)

'As long as the water wheels turn through the night in the channels around Yenda and the rich soil still yields up its annual bounty they can never have a debt as great as that they owe to the Soldier Settlers".

Geoige Martin.

460

INDEX

Abbey 389 Abbott 48, 293-298 Abel 40 Adams 179 Aiken 391 Ainsley 303 Aiton 25, 182, 188, 260, 438 Alcorn 242, 244 Alexander 244 Alexander & Black 188 Allen 99, 125, 187. 251 Almeida 164, 168 Alpen 49 Alston 392 Amaro 423 Anderson 67, 173, 277, 339, 372, 376 Andrews 73 Anson 113, 117 Appleby 453 Apthorpe 318 Arcus 185, 193 Armour 388 Armstrong 168. 267. 289 Atkinson 208, 223, 361, 362 Auld 331

Badger 145 Baggs 5-10, 121 Bagley 455 Baker 11, 14. 18, 72, 81, 375, 440 Ballard 66 Balmer 267, 268, 457 Balthazar 260 Baltieri 341 Barber 119, 309 Barden 281 Bardney 11-18. 81 Baring 66 Barlow 164, 322 Barnett 21 Barrand 300 Barrat 81 Barry 245, 250 Barton 37 Basham 249

Bastian 367. 369 Bates 310. 314. 415. 457 Battochio 200 Baumann 201 Beak 32 Beal 19-22, 232. 269 Beaumont 331 Beazley 138 Beck 417 Beddome 117 Beecher 260 Beek 32 Bcilby 23-26. 191. 427 Belford 179 Bell 11, 127. 130. 162 Bellamy 176 Beltrame 281, 344 Bennett 141, 186-188, 241, 264, 360 Benny 104 Berecry 141 Bergstrom 416, 418 Berry 370 Berthon 146 Bested 288. 360 Betts 225 Beverley 284 Bianchini 48. 352 Bingham 374, 376 Birch 119 Bishop 84, 450 Bisol 172 Black 457 Blackburn 48 Blackman 311 Blair 108 Blanco 27-31 Bland 66 Blows 447 Bloxham 141 Blumer 87. 105, 144 Boast 162 Bodinnar 324. 390 Bodycomb 216. 267. 306.

339, 389, 447 Bongiorno 249 Bonomi 341 Boots 203 Borland 140. 405. 407, 456

461

Borough 126. 130 Botterill 66 Bourke 272 Bourne 99. 279, 398, 400 Bow 221 Bowditch 106, 447 Bowe 320 Bowhey 428 Bowkett 32-40, 138. 269 Boyce 444 Boyle 324.326 Braby 41-49. 174, 265 Bradman 132. 438 Brain 223 Braithwaite 19, 271 Bramston 444 Bray 66, 241 Brayne 50-55, 260, 273, 415, 417. 418 Breadner 356, 360 Breheny 254 Brett 5, 10 Brewer 21, 38 Brewster 24, 26, 187. 193 Bridge 161 Bridges 162 Briggs 135. 216. 241 Britten 391 Britton 96 Brockwell 391. 392 Broderick 161. 232 Bromfield 269. 321. 322 Bromley 447 Brooks 66 Broome 4. 24. 56-65. 141.

412 Brotherton 364 Brown 39. 48. 66. 107.

109, 195. 423 Browne 49. 226 Bruand 24 Bryan 117 Bryant 66 Bryson 414 Buchanan 297 Buchram 148 Buckland 293. 297 Buckle 125, 249 Buckley 141 Budd 457

Budden 145 Bugno 241. 316. 457 Bull 5. 245, 246 Bulmer 20 Burchnall 444 Burge 438 Burghart 311, 312 Burke 352, 405 Burlace 376 Burnard 451 Burns 26. 278. 291 Burrell 53. 181. 226. 249.

285, 362. 392 Burton 269, 272 Butt 318 Button 237. 238 Butts 117 Buzacott 264 Bye 48 Byes 295 Byrne 351 Byrnes 444

Cahill 48 Cairncross 245. 250 Cameron 177. 179. 195.

390, 444 Camp 145 Campbell 97, 100. 108.

132. 205. 212.

254, 287, 339, 361. 366 Cannard 176 Carman 314 Carney 249. 450. 458 Carroll 117. 138 Carter 376 Carver 397 Cass 398 Cassell 348 Casserly 93 Castledene 266 Cater & Blumer 87, 188 Cates 290 Catt 125 Ceccato 331. 340-342, 346. 359 Chadwick 450 Chambers 455 Chandler 234 Chaplin 180 Chapman 47. 67-68.

69-72. 219. 453 Chatfield 99 Chauncy 73. 403

Cheers 281 Cheesbrough 2. 74-78.

260 Chessbrough 78 Chilvers 112. 135 Chittick 370 Chitty 79-83 Churton 84-88 Clancy 361 Clark 89-90. 398 Clarke 132. 444 Clements 419. 420 Clemmensen 444 Cliff 281 Clifton 241 Clousen 37 Coad 360 Cochrane 282. 287 Coleman 91-96. 417 Collier 108. 109. 280 Collins 138 Collis 66 Condron 66 Connelly 66 Connor 288 Cook 112. 450 Cooksey 348, 402 Coonan 287. 452 Cooper 159. 410 Coote 438. 447 Copeland 39 Coppard 376 Corbett 66 Corfield 66 Corner 81 Cossaltar 340 Costin 103 Cotterill 126. 130 Couchman 49. 273. 438 Counsel 193 Cowans 66 Cox 66. 405. 406 Coyle 444 Crabtree 132 Craig 92 Craigie 35 Crain 212. 223 Crawford 48. 97-100. 143.

145. 189. 190.

193. 267. 268.

284. 300, 301.

337. 456. 457 Crawford-Harris 164. 168 Cridland 168 Crocker 162. 447 Croker 339

462

Cronin 393. 395 Cross 361.366 Crossley 458 Crosswaite 319 Crumpton 120 Cruse 194, 201 Cudlipp 66 Cudmore 279, 337 Cullen 386 Cummings 326 Cummins 101. 104. 416 Cunial 48. 184. 340. 341 Cunningham 66 Curnick 404. 406. 407 Curran 101-104. 395 Currie 457 Curtis 242. 244 Cush 85. 87. 143 Cutler 144

Dal Bon 281 Dalahunty 138 Daley 66 Dalgety 386 Dallimore 78 Dallow 329 Dalrymple 66. 105-109.

385 Dalton 249 Daly 66 Dames 54 Dance 110-112 Darcey 444 Darwell 258 Davidson 351 Davies 48. 62. 213. 331 Davis 72. 97. 141. 194.

202. 275. 284.

317 Davison 351 Dawe 354 Day 69 De Aliva 48 De Gyulay 353 De Saxe 249 De Traversaire 238 Dean 97. 100. 348 Debelle 21 Degotardi 66 Delahunty 329 DeLatour 281 Delpiano 208. 314 DeMartin 114 Deroide 19. 22 Derrin 125

Desbois 321 Dicken 172 Dickinson 382, 385 Dickson 195, 265 Dilger 132, 226, 311 Dillon 141 Dircks 120. 121 Dixon 82 Doak 455 Dobson 34 Doherty 126. 138 Dolan 66 Donaghue 43 Donaldson 223 Donnell 193 Donnelly 66, 114 Doolan 260 Dorman 443 Dossetor 113-117 Doubleday 394 Dove 63 Dowell 301 Doyle 216. 380 Draffin 34. 35 Drake 377 Druitt 25. 118-119. 418 Drummond 14 Duchatel 65. 66 Duffel! 120-125, 166 Duffin 104 Dufty 452 Dun 245. 250 Dunbar 318 Duncan 49 Dunk 130 Dunlop 204 Dunn 266. 310. 314. 360 Dunne 24 Dunstone 331 Dymock 213. 417

Eagle 347 Eardley 46. 182 Earl 18. 120 Eason 249 East 321 Easy 65 Ebert 143 Eddington 66 Edge 126-130. 173. 320 Edwards 204. 447. 448 Egan 225 Eggers 380 Einspinner 193 Eipper 141. 260. 408

Elder 63 Ellesmere 361. 448 Elliott 396 Ellis 295 Ellison 66 Ely 66 England 444 Eskford 297 Esmonde 66 Evans 99. 187. 449 Evatt 24 Eves 186 Ewbank 375

Fahey 66 Fairall 22 Fardon 37 Farley 42. 48. 79. 167.

172. 232. 288.

313 Farthing 117 Favero 359 Ferguson 411 Ferrow 323 Fielder 291. 334. 444 Fieldhouse 241 Findlay 338.438 Fisher 179. 297 Fletcher 66 Flint 131 Flood 47. 131-133, 362 Flynn 135 Foley 36. 171 Follent 360 Foote 234. 457 Foran 27. 30 Forbes 444. 459 Ford 375 Fordham 423 Forner 48 Foster 10 Fowler 55 Fox 48 Frank 448 Fraser 66 Freckman 289 Freeman 292 French 217. 398. 400 Frewin 450 Frith 455 Frost 66 Fuchs 134. 138 Fuks 34. 134-138 Fuller 24 Fullerton 46

463

Funk 112 Furness 258

Gain 125 Gale 232 Gallagher 139-140.

393-395 Galloway 241 Galvin 328 Gammage 131 Gant 217. 223. 225 234, 235, 238.

G._ardiner . _.

435 Gardner 110 Garfit t 320 Garland 31. 266 Gatenby 242 Gates 302, 309 Gavel 66 Gavin 100. 301 Geddes 37. 102. 299. 301 Gee 288 Geering 292 Gellatley 339 Genge 309 George 254 Gianinini 125 Gibbons 141-145. 190, 284 Gibbs 315. 318 Gibson 241 Gilmore 245. 250 Gilpon 102 Glasgow 15 Glover 275. 279 Goddard 5. 10 Godfrey 299-301 Goldberg 291. 326 Goldrick 199 Golsby-Smith 318 Goodfellow 146-147 Goran 106 Gordon 46, 105. 131. 219.

265. 375 Gordon-Smith 390 Gorman 66. 138 Gosling 254 Goss 212 Gough 32 Goulding 444 Gow 63. 65. 341. 367 Graham 48. 103 Grant 263 Grassby 291 Gray 302. 309

Green 385. 450 Greene 31 Greenshields 47, 99, 208.

219. 265. 271, 312 Gregory 313. 314 Grew 148-157, 152, 269 Gribble 18, 162 Griffin 191. 263 Grose 314 Gulielmini 341 Gurnard-Smith 352

Haberfield 187, 453. 456 Hahm 135, 138 Hais 380 Hall 158-159. 246 Halse 135, 160-163, 207 Hambly 31 Hamilton 185, 193, 281.

288, 295. 331, 456 Hammond 259, 263. 295.

297 Hams 416 Hand 312 Hanky 406, 407 Hannan 457 Hannify 266 Hardiman 328 Hardwick 112, 290. 456 Hare 88 Harris 104. 288. 297. 298.

362 Harrison 267 Hart 241 Hartigan 161 Hartland 263. 415 Harvey 440 Harwood 164-168 Hastings 141. 288. 318 Haupman 442 Hawken 267 Hawkins 53.89 Hayes-Williams 27. 310.

312 Haynes 315. 318 Hazard 231 Hazel 450 Hazell 234 Hcarman 191. 193. 456 Heighway 309 Hemley 54. 416 Henderson 206

Henry 42. 169-176. 217.

224. 226. 231.

364, 398. 417 Hensen 262 Henville 84. 88 Herbert 3 Hicken 75 Higgins 258 Hill 81, 138. 405 Hillam 177-179. 454 Hillsley 253. 254 Hine 241 Hobson 367 Hocking 360 Hodges 444 Hodgson 125 Hogan 99. 148 Holden 96 Holt 180-184. 337 Horan 284-286 Horne 423 flornery 440 Horrigan 184 Houghton 351 Howard 49. 456 Howe 316 Howell 403, 448 Howie 249 Hudson 393. 395. 456 Hudson 21. 48. 102. 141.

185-193. 194201. 264. 393.

395. 456 flume 231 Humphreys 140 Hunt 201. 360 Hurle 10 Hurley 52 Hutchinson 320

lkin 113. 117 Ingram 56, 65. 318 Iredalc 25. 170 Ireland 202-203 Irvine 83. 438, 454

Jacka 170 Jackson 251. 282 Jaffray 385 James 176. 187. 249. 438 Jamieson 353 Jansen 258

464

Jardine 337 Jennings 47. 173. 204212. 219. 221.

226, 310. 362 Jenson 137. 394 Jiggins 72 Johns 454 Johnson 26 Johnston 244, 253. 254 Johnston-Armstrong 166 Johnstone 266. 450 Jones 48. 72. 93, 213-216.

269. 277. 281.

285. 288. 360.

394. 458 Joshua 106. 335. 381 Josling 65. 87 Josling & Snaith 344 Judge 272

Kanaley 320 Karafilof 281 Kay 392 Kayess 47. 48 Keary 269 Kelly 25. 141. 188. 246 Kempstcr 5 Kendall 314. 318 Kennedy 331 Kenyon 348 Kerr 185. 193 Kerry 411 Kevan 288 Keys 41. 49, 295, 312 Keyworth 367 Kilpatrick 47. 48. 176.

205. 206. 210.

212. 217-223.

224-226. 320.

322. 361. 362.

365. 366 King 15. 27, 30. 31, 251.

254. 349. 355.

356. 360. 444 Kingsford Smith 43. 285.

438 Kline 233. 238 Knight 91. 96, 309 Kook 281. 375. 458 Kubank 352 Kurshinskis 244 L'Green 377 Lacey 236

Lackie 187 Lale 55, 273 Lanbury 99, 100 Lane 447 Lasscock 118. 456 Latham 22 Laver 5 Law 281 Lawford 71 Lawler 331. 456 Lawless 141. 145 Lawrence 367 Laws 212 Lawson 66 Lax 159 Leach 42. 103. 173.

205-207. 210, 217. 221, 224227 Leader 263 Leahy 143. 145 Leard 212 Leaver 39. 47. 102, 121.

173, 176. 220, 228-232 Leckie 9, 111. 188 Lee 32, 65, 233-238, 360.

417 Leeson 223 Lenehan 328 Lennon 407 Lewis 260 Lilley 176 Lindrum 352 Litterel 109 Locksley 302 Lockwood 353 Long 9, 86. 239-241. 249, 338. 417. 458 Lorenzi 457 Louez 291. 341 Lovell 86, 241 Lowe 201 Lowrie 47. 174. 265, 266 Loxley 302. 309 Lucas 185 Lucca 341

Macandrew 66 MacAulay 25 MacAuslan 274 MacDonald 99. 242-244.

278. 281 Macduff 66

Mackay 341. 343, 381 MacKenzie 244 Maclean 352 MacMahon 20 Macpherson 362. 366 Maegraith 25, 141.

245-250 Maggs 48. 251-254 Maguire 378 Maher 66, 323 Mahy 101 Maidwell 405 Maio 201 Mallaby 241, 255-258.

338 Mallick 438 Mallinson 25, 249. 259264, 337. 417.

445 Maloney 233.238 Manera 340, 341 Mann 456 Mannell 265-266 Mannigel 267-268 Mansell 10. 284 Marchesin 357 Marchinton 5 Marjason 88 Marker 129 Marriott 300 Marsden 335. 339 Marshall 204. 212, 241.

455 Martin 48. 52. 199, 223.

269-272, 273.

279. 281. 288.

324. 331. 394.

417, 444. 450.

452. 460 Mason 112. 284. 416. 450.

456 Matchett 396. 397 Matheson 100. 318 Mathews 370 Mathieson 311 Maxwell 186. 193. 272, 300,301 May 103 Mayes 283 Maynard 48 Mayo 446. 450

McAllister 66 McAnuety 66 McAuley 391

465

McAuslan 274-277, 278281, 288, 409, 414, 417 McBay 223 McBeath 301 McCall 18 McCann 282-289, 356 McCaughey 355 McClellan 328 McClure 43, 93, 329, 337 McCormack 66 McCoy 414 McCrae 199 McCurrie 34 McDonald 24. 66. 90.

290-292, 402.

435 McDonough 48 McFarlane 182. 323, 328 McGarry 281 McGinnity 14, 18 McGregor 272 McIntyre 66. 293-298 McKay 83. 320 McKenzie 21, 46-48. 103.

242, 244, 281 McKissack 97. 100. 299301 McLaughlin 97, 100, 161.

163 McLean 34 McLeod 284 McMahon 232 McMalcolm 266 McMannis 241 McManus 101. 104 McNabb 66 McNamara 277, 309 McNeil 299 McPherson 162 McTaggart 186. 193 McWilliam 8. 39. 87. 102.

110. 172. 293.

331. 341. 378, 381. 382. 420.

437 Meagher 278 Medcalf 299-301 Medwin 34 Meggitt 216. 302-309, 424. 429 Meickle 141. 194. 201 Meikle 25. 416. 417 Mellon 297 Menzies 31 Meredith 117

Messenger 180 Miller 47. 48, 66. 131, 208. 249. 280.

310-314 Mills 82. 220. 221. 224.

331. 444 Milne 351 Mitchell 66. 267 Mogliot ti 114 Molesworth 257. 315-318, 436 Monaghan 364 Monash 127 Moore 356 More 124, 129. 130. 319322 Morel 326 Morgan 272. 352. 403.

450 Moriarty 331 Morris 18. 213, 269. 337 Morrison 87. 88. 331 Mors 193 Morse 350 Moses 24 Moss 123 Moyanahan 447, 450 Mullins 91, 96 Mumford 93 Murphy 66. 152. 394 Murray 323-329

Napoli 87 Nash 436 Negro 457 Neil 289 Nelson 141. 238 Ness 37 Neville 330-334 Newcomb 212 Newell 456 Newman 420. 423 Newth 47, 99 Newton 74. 265 Nicholls 48. 293-298 Nichols 97, 100 Nitschke 440 Noad 321 Noble 255, 257. 258 Norberry 238 Norris 320 North 103 Northington 66 Nowotina 405

Nugan 112 Nutley 83 Nuttal 212 Nuttall 458 O'Brien 48. 119. 137. 161.

225. 423 O'Connell 48. 364 O'Connor 66. 161. 163 O'Dea 326. 394 O'Gilpin 449 O'Hallaran 347 O'Hara 281 O'Meara 102 O'Reilly 203. 306. 408 O'Toole 309 O'Toole 429 Oakes 191 Oliver 398 Osborn 66 Osbourne 112 Overs 297 Owen 358. 360 Owens 310

Paganini 341 Page 284 Paice 254 Paine 252. 254 Palmer 245, 250. 437 Pantovich 444 Parker 97. 100 Parkinson 320 Parr 40, 50. 55 Parslow 66 Passey 106. 335-339.417 Pastega 340-347 Paterson 402 Patten 48 Pauling 46. 182. 205. 210 Pavey 69. 72 Peabody 394 Peacock 66 Pearce 354,360 Peaston 372.374-376 Pelligrini 328 Penfold 331 Penman 453 Pennefather 456 Peters 277 Peterson 360 Pfafflin 144 Pfitzner 140.407

466

Philipson 239 Phillips 173. 442 Philpot 137 Piggott 302. 309 Pigott 66. 269. 348-353 Pike 24, 427 Pitt 32. 48 Pizarro 72 Plant 314 Plunkett 320 Pockley 445 Polkinghorne 216, 286.

344. 354-360.

375, 423, 450, 456 Pool 416 Poole 48. 232 Pope 63 Poscoliero 48 Potter 36. 47, 131.

205-207, 219, 226, 232. 361366 Power 5. 367-371.416 Powys 249 Pratt 102. 127. 128. 130 Prendergast 331 Preston 297 Price 265. 266 Priest 72 Priestly 400 Prior 76. 158 Pritchard 295, 297 Proctor 137, 193. 447 Proud 324, 450 Pryde 324 Purves 87. 88. 184 Pyke 390

Quartly 403 Quinlivan 378. 385 Quist 43

Rae 437 Raggart 21 Raggatt 155. 348 Rajan 352 Ramsay 66. 184 Rand 65 Rangott 42 Raphael 372-376.429 Ratcliff 79

Rawlings 421 Read 241, 417 Rebecca 66 Redmond 14 Reid 376 Reidy 187. 260. 456 Rennie 81 Reynolds 25. 117. 260 Rhead 106, 109, 335. 339, 377-385 Richards 251, 254. 386390 Richardson 66. 440 Riddle 21, 391-392 Ridley 8. 292 Riley 48, 66. 103. 137 Ring 450 Ritchie 46. 54. 131, 164168. 269 Robb 284. 341 Roberts 160. 163, 260, 360 Robertson 314 Robinson 20. 43. 48. 102.

297, 311, 381 Robson 56 Rodgers 351 Rodier 110, 112 Roffe 195 Rogers 321. 326 Rolfe 433 Roome 450 Rose 267, 360 Rosen 132 Rosenboom 454. 455 Rossies 344 Rostirolla 340 Rowan 103 Rowe 193 Rowling 238 Rubie 132 Rudd 41 Rumney 113, 117 Russell 20, 104. 393-395 Rutly 148 Ryan 18, 254, 324 Rydon 314

Saggin 224 Sainty 256 Salter & Pinkerton 186.

187 Saltmarsh 173 Salvestro 281

Sampson 106 Samuels 75 Sandberg 309 Santalucia 102 Sartor 144 Saunders 450 Savage 163. 318 Schwab 81 Scott 187, 275. 337. 444.

456 Scrivener 114. 117 Seaman 281 Sellers 241 Sellin 284 Seymour 397 Shallard 226 Shannon 195 Sharp 49 Sharpley 72 Shaw 48. 231. 396-397 Shearer 22,140 Sheehan 295,297 Sheldon 43, 198. 219, 312 Shelton 454, 455 Shepherd 129. 228. 231 Shields 173. 176, 260 Shorter 85 Sidlow 344. 375 Signor 392 Simpson 99. 100. 135.

171. 229. 242.

251. 254. 273.

279. 311. 398403. 428. 438 Sinfield 267 Skelly 375, 428. 429 Skinner 447 Slingsby 290-292 Smailes 65. 141. 260 Small 86 Smallman 309 Smeeth 66. 241 Smellie 140. 404-407 Smith 14. 18. 36. 66. 80.

102. 158. 226, 267. 268. 277.

284. 297. 314.

315. 318, 348.

386, 408-414.

441, 444. 457 Smith-Jones 101. 104 Smyth 92. 96. 417 Smythe 112. 260. 263 Snaith 87 Sorley 187. 456 Spatny 244

467

Speer 145 Spehrs 284 Speirs 87, 289 Spencer 48. 74. 232. 312 Spooner 159. 277 Spratt 52. 55. 369. 415418 Spry 295. 297, 392 Stacy 49. 450 Stafford 141. 284 Stamp 238 Stanmore 66 Stannard 187. 189. 240.

241. 456 Stanton 348.351 Stark 302. 420. 421. 431.

433 Starr 450 Steele 231. 335, 339. 377 Stephens 310,365 Stevens 47 Stevenson 10. 328 Stewart 96. 417 Stockton 48. 198. 364 Stokes 18. 89. 375, 440 Stolz 365. 366 Stonehouse 416 Storen 159 Storey 83 Storman 232 Stott 392 Strachan 48.239 Strang 312. 364 Stuart 104 Stubbings 390 Sullivan 66 Sully 83 Suman 398 Summers 349 Summut 66 Swadling 286 Swales 173. 288. 295 Swift 260 Synnot 284 Tarr 66, 419-423 Taylor 32. 48. 53. 69. 71.

86. 159, 203.

234, 268, 285.

291. 307. 318, 326. 341, 346, 392, 411. 422.

438. 450. 457 Theodore 286 Thom 311

Thomas 66. 103, 226. 239, 241, 421 Thompson 66, 195. 318.

414, 422, 423 Thorns 18 Thomson 274, 278 Thorne 25. 141. 307, 309.

352. 375. 424429. 428. 436 Thornthwaite 453 Tickle 260, 278, 288 Tickner 281 Tipping 440 Todd 92, 249, 430-437 Tonkin 232 Toone 48 Toscan 138 Traversaire 238 Treadwell 458 Tregonning 204,212 Trembath 179. 223 Trenerry 273. 438 Trent 66 Tresilian 245, 246. 250.

264 Trewin 331 Troy 138 Tsalapatanis 78 Tubbenhauer 269 Tuitc 284 Tully 187. 188. 191. 193.

456 Turncll 375. 434-440 Turner 52. 55. 66. 284 Twigg 97. 100. 219. 249.

364 Tyson 140. 394, 440

Vagg 102. 290-292. 335.

385 Valentine 267 Vardanega 183. 341 Vaughan 66 Vearing 263 Vcness 47. 98 Vickery 121 Vidal 141 Vigars 141 Vyce 141, 145

Wade 66, 333 Waggctt 233. 238

Waide 103 Waite 297 Wakley 47. 48. 441-445 Waldon 164, 168 Walker 65 Wallace 25. 370. 438 Ward 22. 66. 103, 203.

447 Warn 407 Warren 295. 297. 298 Waters 47. 232, 302. 304.

309 Watkin 348 Watkins 21. 69. 105, 203, 324. 325. 341.

411. 412. 447 Watson 219. 222 Wafters 444 Wcbb 266. 319. 322. 446450 Webber. 297 Webster 97. 100 Weir 37, 43. 254. 321 Wellings 96, 258. 417 West 187. 297. 451-456 Wheelahan 423 Wheeler 457-458 White 18, 244 Whiteman 444 Whiting 114. 290, 449 Wickham 387 Wilbers 195 Wild 66 Wilks 33 Williams 5. 33. 35. 66.

267, 299-301.

445 Willington 47. 129, 130 Wilson 5. 408. 409 Wilstenholnrie 20 Wincey 331 Wincy 66 Winter 281 Wiseman 125 Wood 42. 47. 99. 365. 400 Woodbridge 457 Woodhill 300. 301 Woods 232 Woodside 63 Wright 78, 103. 119, 139, 331. 346. 400.

401 Wyatt 83 Wynvale Winery 294 Wyse 297

468

Yates 184 Youll 105, 256. 408 Young 66. 241. 260. 339 Zerbst 328 Zoccoli 297

Ir t

PRESIMADON OF WAR MEDALS AND MEMORIAL STIRVICE at 10.3C LYCEUM IIALL GRIMM AN-LAC DAY, LSth APRIL, 1921 'A solemn m,monal ser,ce was conducted in the Lyceum Theatre GnIfith. on Mom attended. In response to an appeal front the local branch of the R S and S.I I.. of 0 of thane who were presented (after the service) with medals bs- General Phillips War Saner • IT Adams. 1 G Adams. W II Eiuddle. T P 13awden. S Broome. C Fitzgerald, R I Fitzgerald. C L Greg on. H Heathcote..A R Hohdch. A Dochkins.

C McKem, W 1 Nichols, W H Pnnce. D Ross. K Rourke. G Sams. F I) Stafford. V. 1914-15 Stara D L Cardew, W Carslake. A V Dossetor. C L Gregson. H I leathcote

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