Post by braided-rug on Apr 25, 2006 14:10:40 GMT 10
The younger generation flying along the roads of today can have no understanding of what the pioneers were called upon to undertake. Many, many miles of road were slogged out by Mr. Bland, carrying the axe on the front of the waggon, and making a roadway as he went. Some portions of his tracks are the made roads of today.
In 1913, although the Green Hills Road Board had never been called upon by any of the pioneers, and none of them had ever driven on a road made by them, the Board sent us accounts for Rates. Naturally nobody paid any attention to their demands; but the next year they sent a man out as far as Kumnunin with Summonses, incredible as it sounds.
We had a touch of humour, anyhow at our place over the affair - we owned a big, savage Kangaroo dog, who detested strangers, and when the gentleman with the blue papers, and his aide-de-camp would attempt to get out, the dog would spring at them open-mouthed. In their hurry the aide dropped a nice, big Joseph Roger pocket-knife and didn't dare descent to retrieve it. I can still recall the look of misery on his young face as they drove away leaving it on the ground. It was a very fine knife - I kept it in my machine drawer and used it to cut buttonholes, etc. It was there for him any time he liked to come for it - but he didn't.
When the Railway came through to Bruce Rock, the name Cookine was changed to Shackleton in honour of the Antartctic Exploer. The mail still came up to Kellerberrin and was brought to Shackleton by motor once a week instead of coming on the train. The camp store had passed into the hands of Mr. Montgomery, and the mail coach was generally met by the settlers to hand over the out-going mail. As there were gangs of clearers on most sleections there were may bags of mail both ways, and Mr. Montgomery's little shop was quite a busy spot in those days.
Mr. Montgomery was a fine athlete, and a keen sport, so we actually held a couple of sports meetings on the Foale Land. Alf and Percy Faole were also outstanding runners and jumpers. Mr. Bland was quite athletic, and the Holland Bros - native lads clearing in the district - could make a good show at sport; so altogether they put on sports creditable to any District.
It is sad to relate that young Montgomery met his death in painful circumstances. He came back from Perth, from a business trip, with a bad headache and general malaise, so that his hired man called in Dr. Jermyn who gave him attention and instructed him to keep to his bed. However, the next morning he was missing and after a long search through the Lakes and surrounding scrub, a railway worker found poor Albert's body in the overhead Railway tank. In his fever he had evidently climbed up the ladder with a small billy-can, and his body was standing upright under the manhole. So the first resident Tradesman of Cookine-Shackleton ended in painful tragedy.
The first Hall in Shackleton was built by the Pioneers - a small corrugated-iron shanty, and very happy little evenings were spent therein. The music was supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Soutar - violin and piano, and vocal items of outstanding quality would be given during the evening. The late Mr. Bob Thomson with his splended baritone, Mrs. Murcott, a former Gilbert and Sullivan English artist, the Misses Foate, Mr. Soutar and later on Leedman and Muir were all first-class entertainers.
After a few years when a larger Hall was called for, the material from the small one was incorporated in the new one.
Good progress was being made throughout the whole District, larger areas were being cleared, and better homes were being considered when the double misfortune of 1914 came upon us - Drought and War. With one or two exceptions the crops were absolute failures, and there was a general Exodus of clearers to join the Army. A great number of clearers were British migrants and many of these were soon in "Blackboy" on the first stage of the road back Home. The District of Shackelton was well represented in the Great Holocaust of 1914 - 1918 and there was a high percentage of Fallen; but their real memorial is not the Honour Board in Kwolyin Hall, but the fields of waving wheat and fine pastures of the Shackleton - Erikin District - these are the imperishable mementoes of their hard, heavy and dirty labours. In the words of Scripture - "There were giants in those days!"
In 1913, although the Green Hills Road Board had never been called upon by any of the pioneers, and none of them had ever driven on a road made by them, the Board sent us accounts for Rates. Naturally nobody paid any attention to their demands; but the next year they sent a man out as far as Kumnunin with Summonses, incredible as it sounds.
We had a touch of humour, anyhow at our place over the affair - we owned a big, savage Kangaroo dog, who detested strangers, and when the gentleman with the blue papers, and his aide-de-camp would attempt to get out, the dog would spring at them open-mouthed. In their hurry the aide dropped a nice, big Joseph Roger pocket-knife and didn't dare descent to retrieve it. I can still recall the look of misery on his young face as they drove away leaving it on the ground. It was a very fine knife - I kept it in my machine drawer and used it to cut buttonholes, etc. It was there for him any time he liked to come for it - but he didn't.
When the Railway came through to Bruce Rock, the name Cookine was changed to Shackleton in honour of the Antartctic Exploer. The mail still came up to Kellerberrin and was brought to Shackleton by motor once a week instead of coming on the train. The camp store had passed into the hands of Mr. Montgomery, and the mail coach was generally met by the settlers to hand over the out-going mail. As there were gangs of clearers on most sleections there were may bags of mail both ways, and Mr. Montgomery's little shop was quite a busy spot in those days.
Mr. Montgomery was a fine athlete, and a keen sport, so we actually held a couple of sports meetings on the Foale Land. Alf and Percy Faole were also outstanding runners and jumpers. Mr. Bland was quite athletic, and the Holland Bros - native lads clearing in the district - could make a good show at sport; so altogether they put on sports creditable to any District.
It is sad to relate that young Montgomery met his death in painful circumstances. He came back from Perth, from a business trip, with a bad headache and general malaise, so that his hired man called in Dr. Jermyn who gave him attention and instructed him to keep to his bed. However, the next morning he was missing and after a long search through the Lakes and surrounding scrub, a railway worker found poor Albert's body in the overhead Railway tank. In his fever he had evidently climbed up the ladder with a small billy-can, and his body was standing upright under the manhole. So the first resident Tradesman of Cookine-Shackleton ended in painful tragedy.
The first Hall in Shackleton was built by the Pioneers - a small corrugated-iron shanty, and very happy little evenings were spent therein. The music was supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Soutar - violin and piano, and vocal items of outstanding quality would be given during the evening. The late Mr. Bob Thomson with his splended baritone, Mrs. Murcott, a former Gilbert and Sullivan English artist, the Misses Foate, Mr. Soutar and later on Leedman and Muir were all first-class entertainers.
After a few years when a larger Hall was called for, the material from the small one was incorporated in the new one.
Good progress was being made throughout the whole District, larger areas were being cleared, and better homes were being considered when the double misfortune of 1914 came upon us - Drought and War. With one or two exceptions the crops were absolute failures, and there was a general Exodus of clearers to join the Army. A great number of clearers were British migrants and many of these were soon in "Blackboy" on the first stage of the road back Home. The District of Shackelton was well represented in the Great Holocaust of 1914 - 1918 and there was a high percentage of Fallen; but their real memorial is not the Honour Board in Kwolyin Hall, but the fields of waving wheat and fine pastures of the Shackleton - Erikin District - these are the imperishable mementoes of their hard, heavy and dirty labours. In the words of Scripture - "There were giants in those days!"