1938
[No diary found for January-October 1938]
First entry:
10 Oct Very fine weather. No sign of rain. I have a very bad cold in head. Going to Weir with Georgie.
22 Oct Paid Tess [Newham worked in PO], Thellie and Noel.
23 Oct Rain set in tonight. Fr Reen had dance tonight for Personality Queen. Took over œ7 at the door.
24 Oct Still raining. Fanny and Emilie out. Nellie down today.
25 Oct Pouring rain. Edie still at Orange. Cid won on Saturday 8/1.
Poured rain all day. Edie came from Orange. Finished cutting timber at mill today – waiting on another load of logs.
26 Oct Beautiful day. Rain seems to be gone.
30 Oct Doll’s board paid. Nellie’s birthday. Went up to see her. Stormy today but not much rain.
31 Oct Still stormy looking. Geo going to town.
5 Nov Paid Tess, Thel and Noel.
7 Nov Sent load to Francis [Timber yard, Cowra].
8 Nov Finished Form 100. Nellie and Chas to town with children to dentist. Edie took Frankie. Very hot day.
9 Nov Cecil Markham’s birthday – not a very nice day. A rainy wind blowing – but cooler. Very dusty.
10 Nov Cooler today. Winnie took Frankie to Alston Hospital to be circumcized. Edie fixing up the verandah for her new bed.
11 Nov Lovely morning. Last night was cold again. I put on warm nightie and had bottle to warm foot of bed – seems strange doesn’t it in November? Mill working after a week’s spell. Cyril [Howarth] tailing out. Country Women’s Ball tonight.
11 Nov Georgie took Tarrant’s little girl in again last night – they kept her in hospital. Millice Whitty also in hospital with bad throat. Our cow had calf at last. Waters killed a snake. Canary laid an egg.
12 Nov Ball a great success last night. Mr Gill won 10/- note and donated it to funds. The winner of Euchre also gave 5/- back. Very warm this morning – Dib has gone in to hospital for Frankie. Mr Barr has been here and taken order – his last trip this year. Thelma picnic at Wyangala Dam.
13 Nov Very warm again today.
13 Nov Desperately hot today. Cricket on – Geo hit two sixes but Darbys lost. Lots of cars going thro to the Weir. Very busy in shop in the afternoon. Mass this morning. Fr Hayes went back to Woodstock. Bishop for Confirmation.
14 Nov Going to town. Depositing big cheque for R.Newham – also a few pounds for ourselves. Girls washing and very hot morn. Mill working. 12.30 home from town again. Georgie gone to the Weir. Aub and Thelma down for an hour or so.
15 Nov Very hot yet – just done Form 100. Frankie improving. Paid Mr Glover.
16 Nov Very hot again today. Geo went to Graham early – thought he was going to Grenfell with Herb Wass, but Herb bought a utility.
17 Nov Georgie 23 years today. Very hot again. Insects nearly drove us mad last night. Win took Frankie back to Alston – not very well. Had lovely storm this afternoon – cooled the air. Pictures tonight ‘King Solomon’s Mines’. Aub and Tilly down.
18 Nov A trifle cooler this morning. Hesse loading at the mill. Georgie going to Holmwood for sheep for Fred Whitty. Jim Ward went to town with load. I was stranded so Nick sent Geo for him. I went to see Frankie who is improving, then went to pictures.
19 Nov Much cooler today. Paid Tess, Thellie and Noel.
20 Nov Mass at 8 am – Fr Hayes. Very hot day. Went to Weir after dinner. Stayed with Aub a couple of hours then over to Nellie’s. Em [Henderson] out for weekend. Win and Dib went up with Tommy. They all went to sand dump swimming – about 50 cars there. Aub and Tilly down at Wards for game of cards.
21 Nov Very hot again – Geo going to Cowra. Nick looking for a log hauler. Hesse drawing wheat. Winnie went to town – Frankie very well. Fr Reen called about party at Weir – decided to put it off till 7 December.
22 Nov Like a change this morning but storms seem to go round us. However, tis a trifle cooler. Georgie left at 5 am with Uncle Nick and Jim to move engine from Clement’s to Wass’s. Setting it up in the timber. They will not need a carter. Just heard Fanny’s mother not expected to live the night. Fanny Gallagher’s mother died this evening after a short illness.
23 Nov A trifle cooler today – we are going to see Fannyu when Georgie returns – cannot stay to funeral as he has to be at the Weir at 5 pm. Edie sent labels away for towels.
Two cops called this morning travelling around. Asked if any undesirables about. Said were police altho you wouldn’t think so and Dib says I should have said I have an SP joint but you wouldn’t think it – arf.arf. Went to Mrs Gallagher’s funeral.
24 Nov Geo has to go to Cowra again. Nick paying him to take Jim in about something. Very hot again. Hargans from Cowra – a grocer – went to the Dam this evening opposition to George. Don’t think he did much good. Paddy Neville paid Geo 12/- to take him to Wyangala.
Ted Hammond’s car went bung down the road. Tiger had to go and fix it. Ted booked up petrol but did not come back to pay for it.
25 Nov Lovely morn. Nice and cool. Winnie fixing up side verandah for sleep-out. Dibby scalded bacon cutter then he and Geo fixed up Accounts book.
26 Nov Getting warmer. Nell down – Chas. buzzed in to Cowra but didn’t buzz out till 7 pm. Win, Dib and Jack in town all day. Edie minding baby. Uncle Nick had all his teeth out. Edie’s canary hatched out one young one. Emilie out for week-end. I won œ12.10.0 at races.
27 Nov Rosie Markham’s birthday and like a change in the weather. Mass at 8 am – Fr Hayes called after. Stormy round and raining steadily.
Georgie took me, Emilie and Edie to the Weir. I stayed at Aub’s. They went to sand dump and had their afternoon tea with Nellie. Home for tea. Holy Hour tonight.
Thellie off work today with an abscess on her tooth. Dr Mahon says black-eyed susan is Citronella. Brought a plant home.
28 Nov Lovely cool day – very like rain. Thellie not back to work yet – her face still swollen. Dib going to town for Frankie. Mill working. Nick feeling much better. Doll’s board paid 4 weeks to November 27.
29 Nov Very nice day – not too hot. Thel not back to work yet – Edie did the ironing.
30 Nov Very warm again. Edie went to Hovells with Georgie – took baby. Thellie not back yet. Talking to Jimmy – he is very well.
1 Dec Beautiful morn. Last night was cold enough to put a rug over my feet. Geo going to town for goods at Railway. Men going for their tickets. Nellie went to town with Geo. Left Thomas here and Chas came and picked her up.
2 Dec Marvellous to relate – last night cold enough for a hot water bottle. This morning is beautiful also. Thellie still sick. Pearl Waters had her tonsils removed yesterday, also Heather Palmer. Dibby at work.
3 Dec Got good oil for horses. Jim wanted to put 1/- on Spig for Aida and I said she’d finish me. However, I had a win. The day is very warm. Xmas tree at Hovells Creek. Geo went up and had a good time. Aub and Tilly down. Jim went home early.
4 Dec Mass this morning – Fr Reen. Men’s Sunday. Geo had a drink of water after 12 so could not go to Holy Communion. Edie went to Weir with Ray Olivers. George to town and took Tess – invited to afternoon tea with Emilie.
5 Dec Beastly hot this morning. Thellie back to work – her face is still a bit swollen. Edie doing the washing for her. Mill still idle. Cannot hear from carter. Jim came from town – says he found a carter to be here at 5.30 tomorrow.
6 Dec Very hot again. Chas and Nellie went to Cowra – took Dos and Edie. The latter to get her hair waved. Man arrived as promised to cart logs – have brought one load and gone back to draw all small loads out and bring home the good one tonight.
7 Dec Much cooler today. Three loads of logs to Mill. Chap here today selling steel guitars – about six people fell for him – don’t know if they’ll ever learn to play them.
8 Dec Beautiful morn. Geo took Doll to doctor. He has not been well. Big load of timber left Mill this arvo for Cowra. Billy Wass not well. Aunty Bid went up.
9 Dec Beautifully cool. Edie up to give Aunty Mary her breakfast. Nick went to doctor – thinks tis gastric stomach. If pain does not leave after he takes medicine he must be x-rayed. Dreadfully windy and dusty tonight but very warm. Winnie and Edie made two Xmas cakes.
10 Dec Much cooler this morning. Thought the old shop [Taylor’s next to PO] would blow down last night. Nick a little better. Jim going to town to collect cheque. Very dusty.
11 Dec Cooler today but no rain. Nick thinks he is a little better. Aunty Bid and Mary gone to Ena’s to stay whilst Herbie went to Sydney for wool sales. Fr O’Kennedy out this morn.
12 Dec Nice cool morning. I am going to town. Edie and Thellie washing. Thellie looking much better. Dib went to work with Walter Baxter. Tiger fixing the wind mill. Edie and I went to town. Went to see Edie McClusky. Did not buy much. I bought a cake tin – Edie bought me a bread tin for Xmas box.
13 Dec Beautifully cool again but no rain. Writing to Jimmy. Nellie down to make her Christmas cakes. Winnie and Georgie up at Rodwell’s to mark toys for Xmas tree. Nellie’s cakes are beautiful.
20 Dec I haven’t written anything for 7 days. We are going through a terrible heat wave. Uncle Nick very ill – has been for some time but the hot days have played up with him. He is going to see another doctor tonight. Edie and Thellie spring cleaning the bedrooms. Rodwell’s left for Delegate Sunday morning. Peter and Mickey Eggleston over for their holidays.
Nick not well again. Doctor said give him stiff brandy and aspros. So he slept all night.
21 Dec Still spring cleaning and much cooler this morning.
22 Dec Getting very hot again. Nick went to doctor again – he advises them take him to Sydney. Nellie brought the children down for a little Christmas party. I gave them each a present – balloons and noisy whistles. They enjoyed it.
Thellie went to Cowra. Ena and Herbie down to see Nick. Geo Snr. is not too well, but tis the great heat I think – he feels weak.
23 Dec Still unbearably hot. Girls went to town with Tommy to have a look at Daddy Xmas.
Very hot again. Men loading timber at the mill – last load for Christmas. Molly Simpson rang up this morning to ask after Nick.
29 Dec Have missed a few days again – I’ve not been well for a few days. The heat has been dreadful. Yesterday – or 27th I should say – it was 112 at Hovells Creek, Wyangala Dam and Cowra, so I suppose it was here. All the young people spent two afternoons at the Dam in the water. George Markham and his wife and daughter came down to see Uncle Nick and took me to the dam for a drive – we called on Aub, Nellie and Ena.
29 Dec The young people had a night at Nellie’s and Aub’s and they are going to Ena’s too. Uncle Nick is improving. Jimmy has been home all thro Christmas – he and Georgie are going to Sydney this afternoon. More young canaries. Jimmy and Georgie left to Sydney this afternoon.
30 Dec Jimmy Larson missing. Been dragging the dam all day up till 11 pm.
31 Dec Found Jimmy Larson right at Aub’s boat site. Must have got a giddy turn and fallen in the water as he could swim. Thelma very upset. These dates are wrong re Larson. He was missed on 29th, found 30th and buried 31st.
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