A History in Three Rivers Dungog Shire Heritage Study Thematic History April 2012 Michael Williams Gresford Crossing source: Dungog Shire Heritage Study, Karskens, 1986 Ships at Clarence Town source: Dungog Shire Heritage Study Karskens, 1986 Mill on the Allyn River source: Dungog Shire Heritage Study, Karskens, 1986 carste STUDIO Pty Ltd Architects and Heritage Consultants ADDENDUM TO THEMATIC HISTORY 1 DUNGOG HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC COMMENTS ON ‘A HISTORY IN THREE RIVERS’ JANUARY 2014 The Dungog Historical Society makes the following observations for your consideration. They are intended to enhance the project. One of the general observations is ‘A History in Three Rivers’ is largely about wealthier or prominent males their roles and their activities. Professor Glenda Strachan has carried out detailed research on Dungog highlighting the role of women and children in poorer farming families. Because of the nature of the research it also gives insights into life for poorer rural men. See, for example ‘Women’s Work is Never Done” The intersection of Work and Family’ 2004http://www.griffith.edu.au/?a=314657 accessed 10 January 2014, G Strachan, E Jordan, H Carey, ‘Women’s Work in a Rural Community: Dungog and the Upper Williams Valley 1880- 1900’ Labour History No 78, 28 May 2000, p 7 and G Strachan ‘Assumed but Rarely Documented: Women’s Entrepreneurial Activities in Late Ninetieth Country Australia’ www.historycooperative.org/proceedings/asslh/strachan accessed 13/9/2006 p7 Second paragraph reference to Barton – the point of the visit was electioneering for his seat of Hunter, which included Dungog. The first elections were held later in the year and he was elected unopposed. Edmund Barton Fact Sheet 210. www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs210 accessed 28/11/2012. A Centenary of Memories: The Dungog Chronicle 1888-1888 p21. p7 The Dungog Cottage Hospital was opened in June 1893 see comments below on p103 p.8-9 Suggest that for consistency the formation of the Dungog Historical Society in 1963 and the Dungog Museum in 1968be added to the time line. p13 We agree owith the comments on the Chichester Dam by Paterson Historical Society. It became a very popular picnic site, as significant tree plantings were made and picnic facilities installed John W Armstrong ‘Pipelines and People’ The Hunter District Water Board, pp97-99. After construction of the dam and pipeline they continued to provide work opportunities for men from Dungog. The first 9 miles (14.48 kms) of the first pipeline was made from brush box timber due to the shortage of metal after WWI. p14 Suggest that the section of the wooden pipeline at the Dungog Museum be added to the Heritage Survivals. P19 While it is clear that Charley was hung in Dungog we are not aware of any primary sources that shows where he was hung. See comments on Section 7.2 below p23 para 2 reference to Gazette order re aboriginals did not apply in Dungog. The order only applied to ‘the Stations beyond the limits of location’ and the reference to licence is to the cancelling of licences to use Crown Land. Aboriginal women were being ‘detained by force’, in men’s’ huts and any person found to be involved ‘in so abominable and unchristian proceeding …’ NSW Gazette No 294 20/9/1837. Footnote 54 is a reference to to the Gazette of 13 /9/1837, which is not relevant p25 para 3 footnote 71 is a report of the minutes of evidence given by ‘Robert Scott Esq’ to the ‘Aborigines Question’ and not evidence given by Lord. p28 para 2 the small booklet ‘The Earliest Inhabitants of Dungog, Port Stephens and Gresford’ by Gordon Bennett reprinted in 1964 was also largely based on Dr McKinley’s research and we suggest it also be included in this paragraph. Dungog Historical Society Inc 2 p36 para 2 Reference by G Mackenzie JP to Court. The reference by him is to the Court (not the Dungog Court house), which is described as being 15 miles from his residence and 25 miles from another JP. The original Court was located on the cnr of Dowling and Chapman Streets and could hardly be described as a direct line between the AA Co and the Hunter River. The Court was only established in Dungog in December 1833. Quite often, in remote areas, like Dungog at that time, courts would sit in any available building until a court house was built. M. Bennett, ‘Early Days of the Law in Country Districts’, The Australian Law Journal, Vol, 46, November, 1972, pp. 578-579. A letter from the then Department Works says that the original court house was built about 1835 by D F Mackay. Public Works Letter dated 20/9/1974 from the Department of Works to the Clerk of Petty Sessions, Dungog DHS file on the Court. The earliest reference we know about the building is in 1836. James Backhouse, ‘A Narrative of a Visit to the Colonies’, London 1836 Hamilton and Adams & Co p402 p38 Heritage Survivals – In all the licences granted to Stephenson between 18/9/1840 (licence no 0442) to 6 May 1860 (0913) the inn is described as ‘The Dungog Inn’ not Stephenson’s Inn. See http://srwww.records.nsw.gov.au/indexsearch/searchhits.aspx?table=Publicans%20Licenses&ID=69&query =Stephenson&frm=0 p40- 41 There are about 14 older families in the Dungog area with German ancestry i.e. not just the Rumbels and Eybs. Another legacy of the German migrants is the Pinzgaur cattle, which have a distinct white mark down their backs and tails. They can still be seen around the Wallarobba area. Probably the first Greek Café in Dungog was run by Arthur and Harry Crithary, from Piraeus Greece, who were registered as Aliens in Dungog during part of WWI. They ran the ‘Oyster Saloon’. Our photographic collection shows that it was located on the cnr of Dowling and Mackay Streets (now the ‘Dungog Chronicle” office) http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/printArticleJpg/134142034/3?print=y William George Rose was born in Lebanon and in 1913 opened a shop in the northern end of Dowling Street. Later the shop was moved to the Angus & Coote building. After his death in 1961 his nephew, John Rose took over the business. As well as running a clothing/shoe shop they had an import export business (Mokha Trading Export/ Import). ‘Dungog Chronicle’ 17/1/1913 and 20 September 1961. The Barboutis family had two cafes, one on the railway station, since demolished and the other one was located in the café now called the ‘Country Grub Café’. p49 first full paragraph – it was separated milk not curd that was fed to pigs and heifer calves. Another reason for the decline in pigs was that in later years all the milk was sent to the factory. p54 second para Rex Kingston has advised that the dairy farmers did not threaten to strike but threatened to withhold supply. p57 para 2.There now only about 12 dairy farms in the Williams Valley. Items 3.2 and 3.4 –There is much emphasis on the larger land holders. See our comments, paragraph 1 about some of Professor Glenda Strahan’s articles. A small number of women also obtained grants in the Dungog area. Geoff Cannon, ‘The First Title Holders of Land in the Counties of Camden, Cook, Hunter, Durham and Gloucester, 2004 CD p.67 para two. We understand that the glulam timber in the Opera House was not used on the floors but in structural item such as beams, mouldings and door jambs and that timber was supplied for flooring, wall panelling, stairs and runners. C Hunter ‘Croll’s Mill’ pp48-50 Dungog Historical Society Inc 3 p69 first paragraph animals were also driven to markets. Rex Kingston’s grandfather walked pigs from Bandon Grove to Clarence Town. p75 Clarification is needed about blacksmiths. It is farriers who are also blacksmiths that make horse shoes and shoe horses. Not all blacksmiths are farriers. p77 para 3 – Chatswood on the Lane Cove – should that be a reference instead to Concord on the Parramatta River? p78 The clothing factory that operated in Dungog during part of WWII was the Just-Rite Clothing Factory Pty Ltd ‘Centenary of Memories’ p78. p81 In 1916 the village of Wangat and farms in the Chichester valley were appropriated for the Chichester Dam and its catchment. either closing of the village and nearby mines it had nothing to do with access difficulties. ‘Pipelines and Peoples’ pp86-87. p88 fifth para. There are additional stations at Telarah, Oakhampton and Mindaribba. p89 Second paragraph – suggest that farrier replace blacksmith pp95-101, 3.11 No mention is made of the untrained midwives and neighbours who delivered many of the children born in the early years. G Strachan “Present at the Birth: Midwives, ‘Handy Women’ and Neighbours in Rural New South Wales 1850-1900”, Labour History No 81 Nov. 2001 pp13-28. Also it would be useful to add in information about dentistry. There are numerous advertisements in the ‘Dungog Chronicle’ for the earlier travelling dentists. Heritage Listings Suggest that pharmaceutical equipment in Museums be added to the list. pp 103 fourth para. The Earl of Jersey came to Dungog on 23 November 1892 and his main task was to lay the foundation stone for the Cottage Hospital http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13887422?searchTerm=%22earl%20of%20Jersey%22%20Du ngog&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc It opened in June 1893. p104 reference to dinner – it should be a reference to lunch. A banquet lunch was organised for invited guests and a picnic organised at the Showground for about 3,000.