UNCLE STAN’S LETTER TO FATHER 16/03/64 (STANLET.001)
16 Minna Street Burwood NSW
16/03/64
Dear Les,
I have had your letter and also Stanley the youngsters for some weeks trying to make up my mind what to write to you. I am not very good at it lately, anyhow, here goes. You should be getting out of the winter now and we are just coming to it. I don’t blame you for not liking the cold Les, I don’t like it myself. We must be two of a kind as I start the winter with bronchitis or cigarette cough also. I have taken on eating a spoonful of honey every night, sometimes in orange or lemon juice, it seems to ease it a bit. Of course, it could be imagination. We have had one of the hottest and driest summers here for about five years but have had a good rain lately. According to the photo Stan sent me of your garden Les, it looks a pretty green one. I should imagine it would keep you pretty busy. I do no gardening now, Alan does that. We grow no vegetables, he has a good few shrubs and some trees, including gums. Sade grows a few flowers now and again. Sade and I are in a flat at the rear of the house, it is quite big enough for us. Alan bought the place some time ago, they live in the main part. Alan got out of the foundry about eight years ago, he is with Manufacturer’s in Burwood now. It is a much cleaner and better job, five days a week and I think he gets more pay out of it than he got in the foundry. Lesley, their daughter, is chasing seventeen years now. She left school at 15 after getting an intermediate and then did twelve months at a business college, now she is doing twelve months at the Technical College learning lady’s hairdressing. You say Les you often recall our young days at Eumalga. I often do too. People sometimes say Les that we old folk live on our memories now. Whilst I often recall the past Les, I do not live entirely in the past, but it undoubtedly does give me some pleasure to look back on our childhood, if it is only to compare the past with the present and wonder what the younger generation’s reaction would be if they were temporarily transferred back to those times. Most young people today Les, at least, those here, are not interested in our young days. We did have some good times at Eumalga and Berrida and Warrambungles though Les and I don’t regret them. It was out on Hoskins place near the Warrambungles that I left Dad. I often think that was a mistake on my part Les. Poor old Mum always told me it was. I am not sure that she ever forgave me for that Les. She often mentioned it to me even years after. Dad never ever said a word about it. I was pretty sure he knew where I was though as the chap I was with, Tot McGuire, was engaged to Hoskin’s daughter and subsequently married her. I was in Bathurst and Wellington not long ago and I told Dos about it Les. You giving me threepence and half a loaf of bread before I left. I think I only had a very hazy idea about what I was going to do but I was lucky. As you know, I had a job with Tot McGuire the next day ringbarking at 25/- a week and tucker. I was a millionaire so I thought. We went out to the Warrambungles after and did some fencing on a place Hoskins had out there. Later did some on Tundubrine. I don’t know if I ever told you Les. There was a chap on Hoskin’s place out there called Bray. Dad told me not long before he died that this Bray was his cousin. One of his Mother’s sisters did marry a Bray from Young NSW. It was then known as Lambing Flat. Berida was cut up long ago, they grow wheat there also sheep and beef cattle. All round Traweenak, Coonabarabran, Gilgandra and up to Coonamble and Walgett is wheat country, sheep and cattle. Most of those large stations being sub-divided. I think Eumalga was sub-divided into two places also. Of course, Brownlows left it years past. Around Dubbo, Wongarbon and Guerick have quite a lot of sheep and cattle and of course, wheat. There are quite a lot of studs around those places, cattle and sheep, some merinos but mostly fat lambs. It has become a bit of practice now in the good rainfall areas to have a bit of a stud on the place. Dubbo is one of the best towns in the West now. It is one of the few towns out there which is still growing. Wellington has improved but not to the extent of Dubbo. Bathurst and Lithgow are falling back. There are not many round Dubbo that I know now Les. There are a good few of the old names but younger generation. Some of the Salters and Woodleys are still there. The last time I was there I met Albert Salter, he asked me after Dubs or Snooks was it. I told him you were still in England. Cherry Langley and Claude Salter were still there then, also Gill Henderson, he asks after you every time I see him. He has a shop in Talbragar Street, Mrs Dennis is still there, she was Fanny Sullivan, they lived opposite the showground in Fitzroy Street, her husband died not long ago. They have a first class abattoir there now, it is in what we called Bucks Paddock not far from the old place, also new cattle and sheep yards at Troy Junction. They hold about four sales a week there. There are quite a lot of abattoirs in the country now. Practically all the one-man slaughter houses have been abolished except in isolated places.
The old place is still standing but it is practically in ruins. Dos and Vera got that when Dad died. They had an offer to sell it some time ago but Vera would not agree so I don’t know what has been done with it. You know Les, Dad could have done a lot better for himself, and I think we could have too. When you look back at some of the opportunities there were. I know that Dick Brownlow twice offered to put him on a place at Dubbo. Old John Murray wanted him to go on that farm he had at Gilgandra, but he knocked them back. He told me not long before he died that Mac Barry wanted him to take up a block out near Collie. Another man and his sons went on it. Dad earned a lot of money for other people. He was a pretty smart man, there was not many jobs he couldn’t do. He used to say to me in later years when he became more communicative “Show me how to do a job and I’ll do it.” I believed him too. He never used to talk too much to us when we were young but in later years he got more confidential to me at any rate. I always went up there on my holiday and after I was retired I went up once and often twice a year for a month at a time, always at showtime. He told me quite a lot about his past life. He told me his Mother’s Father wanted him to go with him when he was a young man but he wouldn’t go. There were five daughters and no sons in his Mother’s family then. Later, there was a boy when the old man married again after his wife died. Many of the offspring are still around Young. Although he used to get very close to telling me his exact age he never did so. I mean he never stated the year outright. He did claim to Fred Wise and Rick Brownlow that he was a hundred years old at the Dubbo Show in 1956 (May). He was living with Vera and Mollie then opposite the Show Ground in Wenguiana Street. They gave him the freedom of the showground that year and the man who declared the show open mentioned it in his speech and gave him a bit of a leg up. Uncle Harry always claimed he was one hundred and one. He told Dos that when he (Harry) was born at Coonanbarabra, Dad was about 22 years of age. Uncle Harry was 79 when he died in July 1956. Dad died in August 1956. I asked him once about that and he said "Oh, I was a big lump of a young man then.” He said he was doing a fencing job on Guntywong, old --------‘s place when he got word he had a young brother. So it could be right. I used to give him a pipe each birthday. I know it was in April, so I said once when I gave it to him “Many happy returns Dad, whenever your birthday is.” He said “It’s on the 9th of April.” Mum always said Dad was born at Lambing Flat but he told me definitely that he was born at Araluen near Majors Creek, it was a gold mining place then, his Father used to follow the gold it seems. Incidentally, Dad said that was the reason why his Mother’s Father wouldn’t help Dad’s Father as he was opposed to gold mining. He helped all the others it seems.
After Araluen they shifted back to Lambing Flat, of course there was gold there too, quite a lot at one time. We were talking one day at Dubbo, about 1955 I think, he was a bit more confidential this day, there had appeared in one of the Sydney papers about that time an account of Frank Gardiner’s holding up the gold escort at Eugora rock. He said to me that a few days after that his Mother pointed out to him some horsemen riding along a ridge somewhere out that way and she told him they were Frank Gardiner and his gang. So, trying to get a line on his age I said to him “How old were you then Dad.” He said “I was six or seven years old then clamped up and would say no more. Well, Frank Gardiner and his gang robbed the gold escort at Eugora Rock on a Sunday (I think) it was in May or June 1862. The year is correct. So if he was six then he would be a hundred and five months at his death. If seven, he would be a hundred and one and five months, that tallies with Uncle Harry. I tried to get a record of his birth from Araluen, also from Young but was unsuccessful. I had to give all his particulars and register his death, it was about a month before I got them such as his Mother and Father’s Christian names, where they were born and where they were married etc. They were married at Lambing Flat, his Mother was born in Frankfurt in Germany and his Father was born somewhere in Fifeshire, Scotland or so I was informed. Anyhow, that is the information I gave them, also age 100 years. But I am personally not sure about that between you and me Les. Sometimes I reckon it at 101, other ways at 100 and then again I reckoned it at 93 years. Which is correct I can’t say. I wasn’t about then. There are some of Uncle Ern’s family living around Liverpool, Sydney. I have not seen any of them since they were young. Some of Uncle Arthur’s family live at Haverfield, Sydney. I have never met any of the Haverfield ones. There was one of them had a shop at Waterfall on the South Coastline. I met him once or twice years ago. I haven’t seen any of the Crawfords for about four years. Les lives at Petersham, Kathy is at Greenacres near Sydney. Dora and Be—are in Trangie. I hear from them at Christmas when I send cards to them. Marianne and Vera are at Wilcannia on the Darling. Vera’s house is let to someone. I haven’t been up there for some time, I’m thinking of going up there in May if I can raise the wind. Sade says it’s too far for me, I don’t know, I went to Wellington and until I came back she thought I was only going to Bathurst. She reckons that’s far enough. But the trains are good now Les, about four hours to Bathurst and about eight hours to Dubbo. That’s on the daylight trains, all electric to Lithgow then diesel to Dubbo. I don’t know what became of Pat Crawford. I haven’t seen him since he came back from England after playing cricket with the Australians. He gave cricket up when he came back and see his name mentioned in connection with the game now. I heard once some years ago that he was in Bourke, then I heard he was in Nyngan but I haven’t been able to verify that. I received a letter from his wife about that time asking me to give him a letter that was enclosed. I sent it to Bourke but it was returned unclaimed, then I sent it to Nyngan and it was returned again. I still have it. I am very sorry I have been unable to get in touch with him. I have asked Les but I don’t know whether he knows or not where he is now. I don’t know what you think Les but I was hostile over that. If I ever do contact him I will give him the letter but it is a bit late now. The last time I wrote you Les, I think it was about Christmas 1958, I sent [him] a card and letter. I told you about it then, but they were both returned to me from England marked not known or gone away. I haven’t seen Alex since about 1944, he was working for a firm Kell and Rigby, builders at Katoomba. He came here and had some Xmas dinner. I haven’t seen him since. One of the Ryan boys told me he was talking to him at Springwood one day but that is a long way back too. Poor old Mollie had no property left when she died. I don’t know what happened to it all. I suppose Dos has told you all about that Les. Well Old Chap, it is 1:30am. on the 17th of March 1964 now so I had better shut the trap eh! Sade is in Wollongong for a few days. I am batching. She has a week every now and again at Katoomba. I stay at home. I give her a break. I’ve been sticking around the house now for 18 years since I retired. They must get a bit sick of men hanging about especially after the railway job, away for days at a time. Tell Stanley the Younger I will follow up with a letter for him. I wish you could win the pool Les. We would all like to see you again, especially myself and Dos, Sade and those here too. It’s a long while you know, 45 years next June. I doubt whether I will ever get enough to go over there unless I win a lottery and I’ve been trying to do that for 33 years now. Anyway, here’s luck to the pool. It is now 2:00am. I have smoked a packet of cigs. No wonder I get the cigarette cough sez you. You never said whether you had your eyes fixed Les. I hope you have. Also I hope you, Mary, Doris [Dorothy] Leslie and all the family are well. The Younger I will write to. Love and best wishes to you all from myself and all at home. From your fond Brother, Stan. PS. I never ever had the address of Pat Crawfords wife. Otherwise I would have written to her. I am enclosing a photo of Dad taken Christmas 1954 (?) The two little girls are Arthur and Fanny Dennis’s girls. They were very good to Dad and to Mollie and Vera. Stan.
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