Coolamon - Farmers Review A celebration of heritage in the A celebration of heritage in the Coolamon Shire

Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, , Marrar, FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 Price 4d. Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 Price 4d.

ON THIS “Well, the shops in “In my lifetime I’ve LOOK OUT RADIO YOU Ardlethan. Ernie seen Ardlethan WILL HEAR… Frost had a shop. QUALITY change from a tin Kirby’s had a shop. mining town, to STORE’S OUR SHIRE farming town, to a ARDLETHAN Jack McDougal and Neil Quinane used to PHENOMENAL very industrious tin TIN MINING. have the groceries. STOCKTAKING mining town and then featuring the voices and stories of John Stewart, John O’Brien and Neville Those days, when the settle back to what Caldow. These recordings unveil personal recollections and memories of the tin shop was wanting we have now. Which OUR STORIES mining industry in Ardlethan SALE is a service area, a ‘Our Shire, Our stories: a Celebration to shut, they would of Heritage in the Coolamon Shire’ is a leave everybody’s service area for the collaborative project, aiming to unveil POWERING farmers around and the personal stories and recollections that groceries outside. truly defi ne the history of community HOME LIFE. No nobody touched an education area for and place. featuring the voices and stories of a lot of children” The project began with extensive Eileen Gaynor, Vera Davies and John them.” consultation with the six towns and villages O’Brien. These recordings give insight - John O’Brien that make up the Coolamon Shire. The into home and domestic life in Ardlethan, - William ‘Nobby’ respective community committees from including the introduction of electricity. each town was tasked with identifying both Clark R. TILTMAN interviewers and interviewees to participate. BUILDER & CONTRACTOR Eight volunteers were then provided training ------to conduct interviews in their communities. Available for all lines of work An astounding thirty-two interviews “I can remember took place in kitchens, living rooms and dining tables across the Shire The result originally, every “And the main thing of these interviews was a truly personal recollection of what it means to be a part of (that makes this a community. The stories that were unveiled morning we’d wake reveal a history that is not told in books. area unique) is the Like many rural communities, the up to the “thump Coolamon Shire is shaped largely by its farming. Wheat, residents and their stories. Reflecting on the history and heritage of our community thump thump” of sheep, barley, allows us to appreciate and celebrate the past, and the experiences and memories that “We used to have canola and all that. create our community. There is a resounding the stampers as fear of losing vital parts of community three or four stores The main thing heritage and history as time goes by and they separated the stories are no longer told. By mapping our there, grocery stores, about the Ardlethan heritage and past with an oral history project we widen the scope, we bring history into, tin” area, I think, it’s all and out of the community. Regardless of to get anything you age, status, gender, culture, each individual about Agriculture.” story or experience of a time allows us to - John O’Brien want.” create a sense of belonging. - John Wood - John Wood

WHY RADIO AND NEWSPAPER? During the evening of 23 November 1923 it provided a lifeline for rural and regional people across gathered eagerly in , and an invaluable link to Europe and the rest of the world their homes around pieces of wondrous This exhibition aims to pay homage to new technology to hear the fi rst radio forms of communication from the past. It is broadcast in Australia. hoped that as you move the dials on the radios and turn the pages of the newspaper you are Australia’s nationhood coincided with taken back to a time when news and stories were the beginning of the radio age, and radio has shared among the community by a wireless on a always played a central role in our history mantle and printed press. and social life. We took to the new invention immediately and enthusiastically, and it soon became an inextricable part of Australian life. Also, because of the vast distances involved,

Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong Price 4d. Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong Price 4d. Beckom Coolamon A celebration of heritage in the Coolamon Shire A celebration of heritage in the Coolamon Shire

Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 Price 4d. Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 Price 4d.

S. RK. SLOAN. ON THIS “I would say ON THIS ------happened in the DINKUM SUMMER CASH SALE RADIO YOU RADIO YOU SATURDAY, 2ND FEBRUARY. early 50s, the late WILL HEAR… WILL HEAR… WE HAVE FOR SALE: 40s. The horses went ◊ OATS ◊ SUGAR by the wayside and ◊ CHAFF BAGS ◊ OILS FARMING COOLAMON ◊ SEWING TWINE ◊ GREASE tractors come into ◊ SUGAR ◊ FRUITS THROUGH the area. Some of MEMORIES. ◊ PRESERVATIVES the old tractors we Featuring the stories and voices THE YEARS . of Barrie Holden, Colin Patterson and featuring the voices and stories of first started to use, Barbara Carmichael. A personal insight to Lindsey Smith, Noel ‘Buster’ Fairman, one Dad had was a living and working in Coolamon. George Cox, Jim Gardner and Errol Foster. SCHUTE These recollections share an insight to the WD 40 which used to WOOL importance of farming to the Beckom & BELL district. start on petrol with WAR SKINS & CO a crank handle and YEARS IN GROWING then change over UP IN to diesel as it got THE SHIRE. Featuring the stories and voices of warm, it had a habit Val Brill, John Stewart, Pat Quinn, Laura IMPORTANT BECKOM. of the motor bloating. Evans and Dan McIntyre. This recording ------provides a glimpse into life in the shire Clearing Sale. featuring the voices and stories of Millar and Farms, enquire by Mail Lindsey Smith, Noel ‘Buster’ Fairman, Jim You had to run up during the War years. Gardner and Errol Foster. This recording alongside, grab a Samuel and shares fond and personal memories of L.. M REDGRAVE “Counsellor Henry “I started at growing up in the Beckom community. spanner and shove it PIONEER STORES Aitken. He was a Elizabeth Stinson back to petrol. It’s a ------Coolamon co-op We wish to THANK our Customers for their good mate of mine… .. were the first N. MUTTON AN CO., wonder it didn’t kill generous support during the past year. in 1950…And so ------We hope that by attention to every detail he came to town white settlers at Auctioneers, someone!” of our business and the requirements of the things were totally Stock, Station and General Commission community, we will merit a continuance of and he said “is there North Coolamon Agents. - Jim Gardner such support. different, you know, anything wrong so it must must’ve “The Canzna theatre behind the counter, was going to back in CONSTRUCTING CROCKER & REID. around the place?” been very hard and ------writing the orders, they grew the first the late 50s. Oh well, THE BECKOM General Produce Merchants and one bloke said COOLAMON Coolamon. CO-OPERATIVE., taking the orders wheat in 1857. They during the 1950s HALL “Yeah, when are ------WE HAVE FOR SALE: and cushing the cash “So we organised a group which you going to fix that General Merchandise, ploughed up five and 1940’s through wasn’t very hard in Beckom and ◊ OATS ◊ SUGAR All your Stock, Station and General across to the office people come in from everywhere. We ◊ CHAFF BAGS ◊ OILS big hole over there Needs. acres of ground to, I think it was the always had a work group there. And ◊ SEWING TWINE ◊ GREASE in the little spring with a forked early 1960s’, when we tore the old fl oor up, put a new one near the railway line ◊ SUGAR ◊ FRUITS down. And then the Hall Committee cart thing. Groceries sapling pulled by a ◊ PRESERVATIVES when you come into it burned down but decided that was too good a fl oor were extremely without a supper room and all the town?” And he said bullock. Then they we used to go to the rest of it. cheap in those days’ scattered the weed So Henry Aitkin and I got together and FOR BEST PRICES “oh that’s not too bad pictures there. So, started to do a few plans and put it to them Sheppard Harvey & Compnay comparison what by hand from a big they had a picture S. HOLLAND and everyone agreed. So we went around, ------is it?” “Bad? I’ll be or the executives went around to organise Wheat & Barley Seed they are today. A five fi nancing and I’ve got to say the whole of buggered, there was dish. And when it theatre and they used GANMAIN the Beckom area and put a heck of a lot of effort into that. or six-pound quid grew they cut it to have the balls there It is truly a wonderful investment. ------a mini minor buzzing A. J. ADAMS There were big working bees, out at CONTRACTOR Henry’s to build this steel construction. DAVIES PATENT FASTNER order was a big order. with a scythe and too and that’s where ------around in the bottom ------And then we had chaps from all around SOLE AGENT .... ------Beckom in there putting the walls up and H. Davies the other day!!” So the Available for all lines of work Three or four pound then thrashed it I made my Debut at building the fl oor. And it fi nished up quite Matong to Old . a good job. Still standing!” Propertier hole got fixed!!” one was normal.” with frail. the Canzna theatre.” -Stan Maslin LOCKHART N.S.WALES - Errol Foster -Colin Patterson - Barb Carmichael - Barb Carmichael

Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong Price 4d. Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong Price 4d. Ganmain Marrar A celebration of heritage in the Coolamon Shire A celebration of heritage in the Coolamon Shire

Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 Price 4d. Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 Price 4d.

ON THIS “Well, the shops in ON THIS R. TILTMAN LOOK OUT! N. MUTTON & CO BUILDER & CONTRACTOR ------Ardlethan. Ernie QUALITY ------RADIO YOU RADIO YOU Available for all lines of work Frost had a shop. Auctioniers, SYDNEY. WILL HEAR… BICYCLES STORE Quality Stock and Station WILL HEAR… Kirby’s had a shop. Agents. FUNDRAISING HAY STACKS. Jack McDougal and PHENOMENAL WHEAT IN MARRAR STOCKTAKING “A sheaf hay stack “Somebody came up with the idea featuring the voices and stories of Neil Quinane used to that there was to be a wheelbarrow Barrie Logan and Bernadette Milne. These AND SHEEP. recollections share the history of the sheaf have the groceries. would be 17 or 18 race from Wagga to Leeton sponsored hay industry in Ganmain. Featuring the voices and stories of Eric by the Letona Fruit Company or yards long and about ‘Porridge’ McKelvie, Dan McIntyre and Those days, when the SALE whatever they were. Brian McKelvie. These stories share the shop was wanting eight yards wide and rich agricultural history of Marrar. And it was with a big cement wheelbarrow with a 50-pound box of TOWN HALL they would build the Letona products in it. So it was a big to shut, they would barrow anyway somebody at Marrar got the bright idea and put three teams in. for DANCES. leave everybody’s wall. They had to our training we went out to Clive Willis’s featuring the stories and voices of Val stack the hay in and one day and we ran up the road with a Brill and Bernie Quinn. This recording groceries outside. wheelbarrow and back again and that was all the training we did.” provides beautiful memories of balls, No nobody touched it buts out all the way dancing and socialising in the shire. - Bob Hodge them.” but they would weave - William ‘Nobby’ it sort of in, so that “All those little “We had our businesses like the Clark wedding reception it wouldn’t slide out. Men’s Working Shirts, So you had to bind butcher shop, the ------in the Red Cross YORK bakers shop and MOLESKINS, rooms years ago. it together as you ------STREET the cafe, they all Ready 0 Made Suits, They used to have stacked it up. You’d CHEAP AND GOOD featuring the stories and voices of made livings for fl ower shows there. get up about oh, 14 Bob Hodge, Eric McKelvie and John SHIERLAW & CO. I can remember the families and then foot, oh no, probably Seymour OAM. This vivid retelling of added greatly to Church of England the main street of Marrar in the past. “When we were having fl ower shows 17 foot in the wall and the community and kids. Ganmain had then you’d put what “I think I’ll say one my life highlights kept families going.” there when I wasn’t was being asked to represent Marrar two butcher shops all that old and being they call the eave row in the 1956 Olympic Games.” - Eric “Porridge” and three grocery The editor of the Junee Southern Cross there and helped on. That’s just like the Mr. Len Bennett asked would I represent McKelvie stores and two CAMERON & CO Marrar. And then there were some also from ------the old ladies, well I eaves on a house, they Coolamon I think there was a few other ones too. Noel Armstrong and a few others S. G. SIMMONDS hotels and three General Produce Merchants thought they were ------Ganmain. would stick out past from Marrar ran. They were connected cafes” old ladies in those with another athletic club somewhere else. Waterview St, Ganmain. COME ON DOWN AND SAY HELLO the wall and from Anyway, one of the hardest things was -Kevin Corbett TO OUR FRIENDLY STAFF days! two or three days before the race, we had a ◊ MAGAZINES ◊ POSTERS practice run in Junee. there they built the ◊ FASHION ◊ STYLED BY We must have had We had to run a mile in six minutes. And BOOKS MAGAZINES roof which should we had to carry this big iron bar and it was 100 or so at the a lot heavier than what the Olympic torch ◊ LATEST MUSIC ◊ FASHION LOOK BOOKS was I think people were very tired after ◊ NOVELS wedding and they probably go up for that. fi tted them in there.” about another, oh, fi ve And anyway it was quite easy then when we had the run the mile. The run was or six yards in height. between Junee and Wagga and It was a WHEAT -Ann Cameron little uphill. GROWERS So it just looked like a There was an army truck in front of us ------telling us how fast to go. We just had to MEETING TO BE HELD. giant house out in the run along and it turned out quite good. And then we received a medal which I’m very Thursday, 24th N. MUTTON & CO proud to still have. Regarding carrying the ------middle of a paddock Olympic torch these days it’s much easier. MAIN STREET Auctioniers, SYDNEY. People are not running as far, we had to OF MARRAR. sort of thing.” run the mile in six minutes which was Quality Stock and Station - Barrie Logan quite a long way to do.” Agents. - Leo Pattison 7:00 PM

Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong Price 4d. Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong Price 4d. Matong Coolamon - Ganmain Farmers Review A celebration of heritage in the Coolamon Shire A celebration of heritage in the Coolamon Shire

Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 Price 4d. Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 Price 4d. ON THIS “ The school has always been the focal Coolamon Shire Council wish to thank the following RADIO YOU interviewees for taking part in this project. Ann Cameron, Barb point. And I suppose Carmichael, Barrie Holden, Barrie Logan, Bernadette Milne, Bernie Quinn, Bob Hodge, Brian McKelvie, Colin Patterson, Dan WILL HEAR… we’ve been fortunate McIntyre, Eileen Gaynor, Eric ‘Porridge’ McKelvie, Errol Foster, George Cox, Helen Hatty, James Gardner, John Doherty, John because we live a bit O’Brien, John Seymour, John Stewart, John Wood, Kevin Corbett, HEART OF Laura Evans, Leo Patterson, Lindsey Smith, Neville Caldow, Noel isolated from a town ‘Buster’ Fairman, Pat Quinn, Stan Maslin, Val Brill, Vera Davies THE and William ‘Nobby’ Clark and children travel Coolamon Shire Council wish to thank the following COMMUNITY . by buses from the interviewers for their invaluable contribution to this project. Bernadette Bodel, Carolyn Cox, Clare Munro, Deb Reisinger, Featuring stories from Helen Hatty. Jim Slater, Joanne Langtry, Karen Wood and Vicki Langtry. Hear a truly personal retelling of the farms on or near the importance of the Matong Public School This project was made possible by the and other community groups. river, they’ve come Government Offi ce of Environment and Heritage, Community in and stayed. So we Heritage Projects Steam Photo Credits – Various sources were used while collating MATONG have been fortunate photos for this project, including the Coolamon Shire Council archives, photos provided by participants in the project and the that the school has following publications; A History of Marrar and District, Ardlethan IN THE and District Centenary, Coolamon 1881 – 2006, Starting Points: especially grown.” Beginning a Heritage Study of the Coolamon Shire, History of Ganmain and District and The Farmer’s Home Hotel, Matong: FORTIES. - Helen Hatty 1899-2008. featuring stories from Laura Evans. “It was a very busy little Main Street. Recollections of days gone by and changes MATONG Because there was a post offi ce and “We had interclub for the Matong community. BUSH PICNIC there was another shop R.A Smith, who was an agent for machinery parts. sports here and the “ The Bush Picnic…up in the street, and Little cafe and of course the big general BENJAMIN AND it all started from a bet at the hotel. That store…And then a little bit further Ganmain Coolamon COMPANY. somebody being able to run so far in along that was actually a boarding ------such as distance or something. house and also a butcher shop. and , IS. D. BENJAMIN, MANAGER) There’s no electricity in Matong at this And so they used to have this foot race time of course. And they had to get ice out they used to come one for the man and one for the women and from in very large blocks on THE ONLY RECOGNISED AUCTIONEERS, they had all sorts of activities. They had the train. And it was packed in sawdust STOCK, PROPERTY, BUSINESS, ESTATE, Sheaf tossing, and throwing the rolling pin and wrapped in hessian. And they used to to but it was in two get it three times a week from the cordial INSURANCE AND GENERAL COMMISSION the furthest, egg and spoon races and lots factory in Narrandera. Of course is go AGENTS, HOTEL BROKERS. of those sort of activities but just a lot more down further the hotel which was always groups. Ashbridge, ------for adults to attract more people, barbecues the main building of Matong.” WOOL BUYERS FOR EXPORT. and things became very big again. We even - Laura Evans had for a while a Bush Picnic Ball then at Kamandi and all LIBERAL CASH ADVANCES. the hall, would that be on the Friday night. And you know it brought people from all them, they had their Auction Sales of Stock and over the place would come to that. People Property Consducted in any part of would come from Sydney and everywhere. So it was a really good activity for a number own schools then. the State. Our 23 years experience of years enables us to give Hotel and Land And they would Seekers reliable and up-to-date - Helen Hatty information. be in the junior ------Motor Car for Conenience of competition and we buyers. ------were in the senior. WRITE FOR OUR LISTS. But the juniors would ------beat us sometimes. BREAD! YOU WANT THE BEST! GET IT FROM Matong school had W.G.GILLARD THE MARRAR BAKERY ------them sports for LINDEY WALKER about 10 or 15 years I CO-OPERATIVE WHEAT CO. ------Grain Agents and Experters. reckon.”

WRITE FOR OUR LISTS. Mark lane Sydney - John Doherty

Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong Price 4d. Coolamon, Ganmain, Ardlethan, Beckom, Marrar, Matong Price 4d.