Moruya's Scottish Connection

Journal of the Moruya & District Historical Society Inc. September 2007 Moruya’s Scottish Connection. Barrabool Bill Glennie Pakeha In this article Bill relates how he became interested in the Moruya Aberdeen connection. He gives us an insight into the research techniques of an historian and illustrates how every little lead must be followed up. My interest in the history of and a house in Caringbah, while later learn that Peter, his wife and the Sydney Harbour Bridge dates the owners, good friends, travelled their infant son, Sandy, left from 2003. In that year, it was my to the United States. I decided to Aberdeen in May 1926, part of the good fortune to participate in a use the time between cat-feeds to same group that included Ruby teacher exchange programme learn more of Moruya’s Grant, better known in Moruya as which took me to Cronulla High Aberdonians and the part they Ruby Webberley, author of School in Sutherland Shire. My played in the Bridge project. Granitetown Memories.) exchange partner, who arrived in Even before I set off for There were other Scotland before I left for Australia in August I had made developments before I left. I had Australia, told me that the Year 10 progress. I learned, thanks to the mentioned to a friend that I students had to carry out a site internet, that Daniel MacKay, a thought it might be possible to put study as part of their course, and Year 9 student at the Scots together something on the at Cronulla the subject of that College in Bathurst, had won Aberdeen workers to submit to the study was the Harbour Bridge. second prize in a competition local Aberdeen newspaper, the I was dismayed to find that organised by the Australian Press and Journal. He suggested there was next to nothing in the National Trust for a project on his the Scots Magazine might be way of resources suitable for great uncle who had travelled with worth approaching, and he also teachers or students, but armed his family to Moruya in 1926 mentioned Dr Marjory Harper of with a second-hand copy of Peter from Aberdeen. Had someone Aberdeen University, an authority Spearritt’s Sydney Harbour done all the research before I had on emigrants from the north-east Bridge: a life and a rather poorly even started? By the time I of Scotland. Indeed, in one of her reproduced item from the arrived in Sydney, my cat-owning books, I did find a brief reference Department of Main Roads friend in Caringbah had contacted to masons travelling to New South bought at the Pylon Lookout Daniel’s school, and there, Wales in 1926, and more Exhibition shop, I managed to waiting for me, was a copy of importantly, a name – Norah cobble together a few resources young Daniel’s project, telling the Berry – who had been a mature for classroom use. story of Peter Geddes. (I would student at Aberdeen University, Following my return to and who had discussed with Dr Scotland, I took early retirement Harper her father’s experiences at from my post as Head of History a granite quarry in New South in a Dunfermline high school, and Wales. Following e-mail contact returned to Sydney in October with Dr Harper, I met up with 2004 to escape the Scottish Norah in her home in Aberdeen. winter. I decided to spend some There, too, waiting to meet me of my new-found leisure time was Norah’s Aunt Mattie, who putting together a package of had been born in Moruya in 1928. resources on the Bridge that might Her father, Alexander Campbell, be of use in Sydney schools. It along with his family, had also was during those many hours in travelled on the Pakeha from the libraries of Sydney that I first Liverpool, along with the Grants came across references to Moruya, and the Geddeses. In addition, I granite and the quarrymen and now had my first photographs, masons from Aberdeen, my home including one taken of the Pakeha town. group at Aberdeen railway station In 2006 I was given the in May 1926 before boarding the opportunity to look after three cats Peter (Pat) Geddes train for Liverpool. Page 9 Journal of the Moruya & District Historical Society Inc. September 2007 family bereavement back in Scotland, and I had to fly home earlier than expected. I decided I would return to Sydney. After all, how often would the bridge celebrate its 75th birthday? I had been told, too, I would get an invite to the launch night of the Bridging Sydney exhibition in December at the Museum of Sydney. And I still had to visit Moruya, and meet Nell. Back in Scotland, during a Above: The Pakeha group at The Library holds visit to Aberdeen to check if there Aberdeen Joint Station March 1926. microfilm copy of the Moruya were any items of relevance in the Below: Ruby Grant (Webberley) with Examiner, and a search through local history section of the City young Sandy Geddes on the Pakeha editions from late 1924 until the Library, I asked the librarians if quarry wound up in 1931 was they would be interested in invaluable in building up a picture putting on some kind of display of life at the quarry and the around the time of the Bridge’s development of the Granite Town birthday celebrations in March community. The references were 2007, to raise the profile of the at times detailed, for example the Aberdeen workers’ contribution to reader might be given a full the Bridge’s construction. I am account of a scouts’ concert held grateful indeed that after giving in the community hall, then, after the matter some thought, and at a few weeks of silence, there very short notice, the City Library might be nothing more than the agreed to find the time and space briefest mention of a gardening to mount a display, on condition competition. Nevertheless, along that I came up with the materials. with the books by Christine Greig, Before returning to Sydney Ruth Webberley and Bob Colefax, in November, I had found another the Examiner remains one of the mason. This one was different. most useful printed resources on Angus Cruickshank had worked the quarry I have yet come across. on the Bridge itself. I managed to My Caringbah contact had track down a step-daughter in helped me in other ways, Auckland, who, very fortunately, including putting me in touch with had held onto a couple of In the midst of all this, I had Caroline Mackaness and Fabienne interesting items from his time in made contact via the Moruya and Virago at Historic Houses Sydney: a work tag that he would District Historical Society with (Sydney). have used when he took his tools John Sewell, and learned that a The Scots Magazine, from the workshop at Milsons daughter of John Gilmore, the meanwhile, showed immediate Point, and a coloured enamel quarry manager, was still living in interest when I contacted them badge that showed he had been Moruya. The daughter Nell Greig regarding my quarry research, and one of the Bridge workers who is 93 years old, with a great gave me a deadline for November. had crossed the Bridge in the memory and Scottish accent. They were especially interested in opening day procession on March Once in Sydney I was a the prospect of my meeting up 19, 1932. What made Angus frequent visitor to the State with Nell Greig. This, and the Cruickshank’s badge unusual, Library, making myself familiar knowledge that the Bridge was however, was the misspelling of with items published by the about to celebrate its 75th birthday the word pageant as pagaent. Moruya and District Historical in March 2007, made me all the Following an e-mail to Caroline Society, in particular the works of more determined to pursue the Mackaness, I learned that one Christine Greig (great project. Plans for the trip south to other such badge was known granddaughter of John Gilmore) meet up with John Sewell and about, and that was held in the and Ruby Webberley, and began Nell Greig were well advanced Powerhouse Museum in Sydney – to build up a picture of what had when I received the sad news of a but by the time of its production, gone on down at Moruya. Page 10 Journal of the Moruya & District Historical Society Inc. September 2007 Dorman Long had got their Back in the State Library, Stanley Purves was awarded the spelling right! shortly before I set off home, I Military Cross. What better found mention of what turned out preparation for a quarry engineer! to be a very important item. It In Scotland, a few more was a modest album of descendants of quarry workers photographs that had been taken were traced. There had been a by Stanley Purves, and one of letter found at Moruya from one these, dated March 1926, shows Robert Middleton, sent some clearly an extension being built to years before, but with an Back in Sydney during the dressing sheds at the Quarry. Aberdeen address and a phone visits to the State Archives, I It began to make sense: it would number. In Aberdeen he was found the passenger lists for the appear that some time at the end better known as Bob Middleton, Barrabool and the Pakeha, the of 1925, Dorman Long realised and was at one time the Convener two ships which had carried out that current capacity and of Grampian Regional Council.

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