The Field Family Newsletter, Edition 33

Home    Search    Print    Login   

The FIELD Family Newsletter

33rd Edition, February 2008, Edited by Dorothy Cefarin
Reprinted here with permission

Obituary

Ian Gordon Hickman

10/3/1934 - 28/11/2007

The death took place at Goulburn on 28th November, 2007 of Ian Gordon Hickman, sadly missed by his beloved wife Heather Hickman (nee Clothier), and his much loved sons Gordon, Peter, Craig and Andrew. Peter married Melissa and they have two children Chris and Amy. Craig married Anne and they have Natalie and Casey. Andrew married Julie and they have Matthew and Nicola. The grandchildren also miss their “Poppy” very much.

Ian is now “Safe In The Arms Of Jesus”

The story below is very interesting on what it was like growing up in one country and then coming out to a strange country many years ago. My late husband Gabrijel did a similar thing from Slovenia. (Editor)

The Life Of Ian Gordon Hickman: By his son Gordon. (slightly edited)

Ian Gordon Hickman was born on 10th March, 1934 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the fourth in a family of 5 children. They lived below Edinburgh Castle, something he reminded us about every time we sat down to watch The Edinburgh Military Tattoo every year. He wouldn’t miss it!
When he was 5 years old World war 2 took over every bodieslives and fearing that Edinburgh would be a prime target of the bombers, the authorities evacuated most of the children from the city. This was to be dad’s life for the next 5 years. Apparently more bombs were dropped around the farm he was living on than were dropped on Edinburgh.

When his family got back together and life returned to normal he was offered a scholarship to go to a better school. He didn’t take up the offer because the new school didn’t play soccer and there was no way he was going to give up his soccer. he followed Hearts in the Scottish League and he always told me if they won it would be worth a trip back to Scotland. Mum tried to talk his into going back once, she thought it would be nice to see where dad was born etc. His reply was “I’ve seen the world and I’m staying right here!” I never heard the subject again.

As a teenager he put some money together by working a milk run and paper run. Most of this money went to his father, a man dad rarely spoke about. His father was a Major in the Gordon Highlanders Regiment so he probably was a hard man to live with.

At the age of 16, he packed his bag and pocketed what money he had been able to save and headed out the door. “Where are you going?” his mum asked.. “Australia!” he replied. He gave her a kiss and to my knowledge that was the last time he saw any of his family. Things must have been pretty tough, that’s what made him into the person we were to know.

In December 1950 dad set sail on the Orion. The journey took 6 weeks and was organised by the ‘Big Brother’ movement. Thousands of Poms, sorry Scotsmen and Poms were given the opportunity to new lives in Australia. I’m sure he had never been on a boat before because if he knew what the trip was going to be like he probably would have stayed in Scotland. Even recently, if you mentioned ‘seasickness’ he would start to go green around the gills. For five and a half weeks of the six week trip to Australia dad was seasick.

When the Orion arrived in Sydney dad was sent to a training camp farm at Cabramatta for 3 months, where they were taught more farming. From there he went to Neil L’Estrange’s property outside Condobolin.

One day dad was in town and missed his ride back to the property so he decided to run the 40 kilometres home. The next day the boss took him to the Police Station to get him a drivers license, he was too young so they changed his birth date and he drove home. Only recently it was corrected.

His next job was on Ned Watt’s wheat farm and from there he went to the Lachlan Shire Council. He worked his way up from grader driver to a foreman.

Along the way he met Heather Clothier, a young Nurse’s Aide working at the Condobolin Hospital. They got on well. One day he asked her the time but with that broad Scottish accent he must have had, he found himself in church. It was 20th August, 1955 and mum was to become Mrs. Heather Hickman. He still recons he only asked the time...

In the mid sixties he decided to become a work overseer. He went back to school – by correspondence – to get his ticket and in May 1966 he and his family shifted to Gunning for his first overseer job. Whilst in Gunning he and mum took up golf, a sport that was to change our lives.

In August 1968 we were off again to Narromine where kids sport dominated his life. There were athletics, rugby league, soccer, golf and more golf. He ran the junior golf for several years. He even wrote the blurb for the local newspaper under the pseudonym of ‘Slicer”. Everyone knew who it was as no one could slice a golf ball like dad.

March 1973 saw the family arrive in Goulburn. The family was complete, we grew up and some married and had children. He loved his grand kids and taught them from an early age how to cope with being stirred up and not take everything too seriously.

Dad retired as Works Overseer from Goulburn City Council in 1990.

In 2001 his health took a turn for the worst. He could not travel to see his family at Penrith, Mudgee or Mollymook. He did have Andrew and Julie living in Goulburn so he did have some family close.

Around 4pm on Wednesday 28th November his health finally gave out and he was off on his last journey.

He leaves behind a loving family who will never forget.

He was a husband, a father, a grandfather but most of all he was a good mate!

Our many thanks to Gwen and Tom Agnew for everything they have done these last few weeks and for being there for us.

“Rest in Peace Old Fella!”

The story below is quite long and I was going to continue it over two issues but if you are anything like me, I like to finish it in one go or I lose the plot. Thank you Betty Pont for the information and story and to Colin James for letting me print it.

The Jacky Bundaburra Story

By Colin James, Great grandson of Josiah Strickland. 1991

This story concerns the birth of a black child to one of the Strickland girls at Bundaburra Station, over 100 years ago.

In the first instance the title is a misnomer as the great weight of opinion excludes Jacky Bundaburra from part of it. The native concerned is said to have met a sudden end: and he did not. He was a native of some note. As his name suggests he was on Bundaburra. He was born in 1829 and died in 1909. He had been at Tumbarumba having gone there with Mr. J. J. Leahy, later associated with Cadow and Wongajong. The title was the first encountered in the search for the full story.

Obviously all present evidence is only hearsay, and second or third hand at that. However the consistency in outline given by a number of the older citizens of Forbes indicates it to be true in broad substance if not in detail. The actions of the girl’s family at the time were no doubt designed to hush the matter up but one can only say that it was the worst kept secret imaginable. There must have been few indeed who did not know of it.

“The story goes that a young Strickland girl gave birth to a black child at Bundaburra, the father being an Aboriginal resident there, and, in fact, one entrusted with the care of the children, whether the result of rape or not generally mentioned by those relating the story. The steps taken to arrange rearing of the child indicate time to prepare, but one version of how the child was removed from Bundaburra indicates very little warning of the birth.

It is said that the child was virtually smuggled away from Bundaburra in a wash basket by Mrs. Onions who at that time attended to washing there. This story is not burdened with details of how the child was kept alive or when the removal happened.

The story concerning rearing of the child has some independent supporting evidence. He, (it was a male), was entrusted to a family retainer and her husband to be brought up. The Stricklands provided land to the foster parents in return. Here it must be said that only a broad general outline of the story has been provided by all those relating the story. The surrounding detail is the total of the comments of individuals and has not been supplied by everyone. All, however, without exception, identified the child concerned as Billy Arron. On the 1922 Electoral Roll he is William Arron Strickland; in a newspaper report in 1925 William Arron Strickland; on his Death Certificate, William Arron Strickland (1938) in a newspaper report of his death William Arron.

But with one exception he was described as a very impressive and handsome man, very athletic and skilled at his occupation as a horse breaker. It is commonly related that female children were warned to keep away from him as he was a bad man.

Billy, we will call him this because most locals now do, died of a heart attack in his camp at the Botanical Gardens on 12th July, 1938. The informant for registration of his death was the Coroner, Mr. Sam. The usual inquest was held on 16th July. The funeral was on 13th July. The papers relating to the inquest are long gone. The time frame however indicates pro forma rather than a formal inquest.

The burial was in the Forbes Cemetery, Roman Catholic Section. This may be indicative of the funeral being arranged by someone in the Pierce Strickland Line as both the members of the Josiah line and the foster parent’s line were Anglican.

The only aspect of the Inquest which is of any importance to the story is the age of the deceased – to establish the date of birth. The death certificate says 66. The newspaper report says 72. The newspaper also referred to him as a pensioner. Inquiries at the Department of Social Security reveal that the records of this era has been destroyed but the Department has a very well informed historian who advises that he could not have been a Pensioner in any sense as is now understood. Pensions were subject to review and he would have been immediately disqualified by race. Inclusion in an Electoral Roll was by written application without interview which explains this apparent discrepancy in logic.

It seems we have to be satisfied with a range placing the date of birth between 1866 and 1872. The date the Coroner is more likely to have been authoritative. Here the Roman Catholic burial may be significant, as Billy had long been associated with a family of this religion and they would have been consulted by the Coroner if he did his job thoroughly. They may only have known Billy’s idea of his age, but this closer to that established below by other means than the newspaper report. Perhaps reporting was more personal in those days and away from the city but the writer cannot help but be influenced by experience, over a long period in business, of never having had statements to the press reported accurately.

There is another indication of date of birth. The identification of the foster parents came from a source whose family was closely connected with Bundaburra. The identification is substantiated to some extent by records of land held by them.

The foster parents were identified as Rebecca (or Robina) Kearns, one time employee at Bundaburra and her second husband Nels Glauder. Rebecca had been “married” to John Higgins. There is no record of such a marriage; they had 5 children between 1864 and 1873 and the form of registration of these births indicates that they were not legally married. John Higgins died in 1874. Rebecca married Nels Glauder on 20th November, 1875. They also had 5 children the first registered in 1877. This child died in October 1879 and the headstone indicated his age as 10 which placed his birth as 1869.

As Mrs. Higgins, Rebecca had children in 1866 and 1870 so it is possible that she had one in 1969, but the most likely explanation is that the Glauder child was “two” not “ten” It is generally accepted by Higgins researchers that Rebecca did not have the child during the marriage to John Higgins. Another researcher has placed Rebecca at Bogabigal in 1873.

If the story of Rebecca and Nels bringing up the child is true, and the land transaction indicates this, then the birth must have been around 1875 which would make Billy 63 at death. The time frame established is therefore not compatible with all the data. All that can be said is that 1966 is out of the question, and that birth was later rather than earlier in the range.

Another common factor of the story as told is that the Strickland girl married a bank manager. A further detail given by some was that he found out about “the child” some years later and this caused him to become grey overnight and the marriage was never the same again.

Two of the Strickland girls married bank managers, but only one of the husbands was commonly identified as such.

Mary Ann was born in 1852. She has been identified by name by one researcher, who also states the girl was 17 making Billy’s birth year as 1869 and his age at death as 69 –within the time frame set at death. Was her age deducted this way? In any event, she married Fred Morrow CBS Manager in March 1875 and she had a child in December 1875. This makes it virtually impossible for her to have been Billy’s mother if his birth was as late as placed by the Glauder marriage.

Fred Morrow did in fact go white overnight. This occurred in 1890 when, as a 49 year-old bank manager, he contracted measles, lost his hearing and had his health badly undermined, and then was dismissed from the bank as they had no use for a deaf manager. He needed nothing else to send him white. He and Mary Ann had another child shortly afterwards. Due to family misfortunes, this couple lived with, or brought up others, commencing about 1907, and the persons concerned all testify that there was never a more devoted couple – so much for the affected marriage.

Another girl married a bank manager, Virginia, who was born in 1857. She married John Lindsay Waugh in 1877. There are many newspaper reports and other records referring to him in his later capacity as Auctioneer, Stock & Station Agent, and grazier.

However, following a reference in a certificate by the Registrar General, enquiries were made at Westpac who report he was a bank employee eventually rising to manager. He was first recorded as an employee of the Australian Joint Stock Bank in 1867. He occupied various positions at various branches (with glowing reports as to his ability) and became Manager at Grenfell where he was when he resigned in 1875. He later joined the Wales at Grenfell as Manager. This was in 1885 and he resigned in 1886. There is no record of him being in Forbes. It was the site of his bank (in Forbes) which one person connected with Bundaburra, identified as the bank at which the husband of Billy’s mother worked. he did leave his family later.

Let us forget that the portion of the story relating to the bank manager and his family upheaval could have been included after the upheaval occurred, which was long after the birth. Was it added to improve a good story?

That Billy was the child of a Bundaburra girl is supported by other events (if they really happened). One old resident recalls that Billy stood outside the school hostel where Strickland children were housed; calling out “come and see your black brother” It is of note that Mary Ann’s children did not attend school in Forbes – the family moved to Orange when the youngest was three.

There were a number of stories of Billy obtaining money from Stricklands with reference to his connection. On one occasion he called Shaw Strickland ‘uncle’. This would have of course been incorrect in a strict sense. Could it have been part of the basis for another researcher believing that Billy was the son of Muriel Strickland/Bull/Cobcroft, the daughter of Joseph, brother of the two girls mentioned before? Muriel was born in 1884, so obviously the idea is completely wrong

It is clear that all the ‘facts’ gathered cannot be true.

Here the story rests for the present. Enquiries are in train to locate exactly all the building sites of the various banks in the period in question and no doubt there are others who will have something to add when they read this.

Colin James.

Recollection of John Kolges of Forbes whose adoptive mother was Mrs. Ryan (later Kolges) and in service at Bundaburra and who appears in the photographs with various family members. Mrs. Ryan was a trusted servant (more like one of the family) and a confidante of the family. Note that her period at Bundaburra was sometime after the alleged birth of William Arron to a Strickland girl but she professed to know all about it. She identified the bank manager as the one who ran the bank at the taxi stand. Enquiries show that the stand has never been moved and adjoins a building (no longer a bank) which had been occupied by the Commercial Bank of Australia (later absorbed into Westpac).

Enquiries at Westpac as to whether J.L. Waugh was ever employed by the Commercial Bank brought the attached reply. It looks as though he was not the bank manager concerned.

The building said to have been occupied by the Commercial bank of Australia in Forbes appears to be much older than 1928 vintage. It could have been occupied by another bank previously.

The Commercial of Sydney where Fred Morrow was employed is on the opposite side of the street and two blocks away. It could not be considered even as ‘opposite’ the taxi-rank.

If everything which has been told is reasonably close to the truth, it is impossible to believe that it was one of Josiah’s daughters who had the child.

Later.........

More can now be added to the story. Despite going to great lengths the Archivist at the National Bank has been unable to ascertain the address of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney prior to its occupancy of the present National Bank site. Westpac has been unable to state when the building at the taxi-rank was acquired. There was a single-storey wooden structure on the site at the turn of the century.

Perhaps all this is unimportant now. Perhaps, as surmised, the Bank manager portion of the story was added without foundation. This is certainly so if the latest information is correct.

A descendant of Virginia Strickland, with whose family Virginia lived for a time, has brought forward another possibility – perhaps more a probability. Virginia is said to have identified the mother of Billy as her younger sister Eva, who was 14 or 15 at the time. Apparently Eva was a little simple and was taken advantage of by a native who was looking after her. Eva’s age corresponds with the Glauder marriage. it would make Billy 63 or 64 at the time of death. His age was by no means certain from other indications.

Is this the end of the story?

Written by Colin James,
Great Grandson of Josiah Strickland
November, 1991

Thank you Colin James for such an interesting story, in the next edition will be death notices and obituary of some of these people mentioned. They were advertised in the Forbes Advocate.

Me And My Shape

There’s nothing whatever the matter with me;
I’m just as healthy as I can be.
I have arthritis in both of my knees;
And when I talk, I talk with a wheeze.
My pulse is weak, and my blood is thin,
But I’m awfully well for the shape I’m in.
Arch supports I have for my feet,
I wouldn’t be able to walk on the street.
Sleep is denied me night after night,
And every morning I look a sight.
My memory is failing; my head’s in a spin.
But I’m awfully well for the shape I’m in.
The moral is, as this tale we unfold,
That for you and me who are growing old,
It’s better to say “I’m fine”, with a grin,
Than to let them know the shape we’re in.

Life in the 1500

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odour. Hence the custom of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all, the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the Bath water....”

Your help is needed..

Please continue to send your birth, deaths and marriage information to me as Colin Field and David Rawsthorne are then able to update our family tree on the internet and in their files.

I also want stories on how our ancestors lived and what they did. Have you thought of writing your own life story? Your great grandchildren would be amazed at what you did and how you lived. My own grandchildren now are shocked and wonder how I survived being brought up in the country without electricity, running water and TV. They can’t imagine life without such things.

Send to:
Dorothy Cefarin
24 Eggleton Street
Blacktown. 2148
Email: doff202@unwired.com.au

For more Information on our Family Tree:
Colin Field
PO Box 51
Rivett, ACT, 2611
Fax (02) 6287 4106
E-mail: cfield@pcug.org.au

You can look up our entire family on Colin’s internet Website “From A Distant Field”
www.pcug.org.au/~cfield/distantf/

David Rawsthorne
PO. Box 139
Lithgow.2790. NSW
Email: david@davidrawsthorne.com

You can look up our entire family on David’s internet Website:
http://www.davidrawsthorne.com/

If some of your family are not listed please send me the information so it can be passed on and recorded.

To those who have not renewed their subscription this will be the last newsletter you will receive. Thank you for your interest, it is your newsletter and it is up to you to give me the information, I appreciate all the help I receive.