The Patrick Plains Gazette Newsletter of the Family History Society Singleton Inc Volume 36- Number 1- April 2019 35 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE IN SINGLETON – NSW “LEST WE FORGET” FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY SINGLETON Inc GENERAL MEETING: 3rd Saturday each month at 11.30am. Please confirm. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: 3rd Saturday in February at 3pm. LIBRARY: Ground floor Mechanics Institute 74 George Street, Singleton 2330 Open Mondays 6 pm to 8 pm; Wednesdays 12 noon to 3 pm; Saturdays 1 pm to 4 pm. Closed Public Holidays and for a period in December & January. Use of Library facilities is free to members. Non members $5-00 per visit MEMBERSHIP: Dues commence 1st February each year $30 Single $35 per family. POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 422, Singleton NSW. 2330 RESEARCH ENQUIRIES: Non members $20 per letter of enquiry plus costs. Out of town members up to 3 free enquiries per year. EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] WEB ADDRESS: www.fhssi.com ALL RESEARCH ENQUIRIES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY AND SHOULD INCLUDE THE DUE FEE AND A4 STAMPED SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE. ---------- OFFICE BEARERS---------- President: Lyn MacBain (02) 65722235 Vice President: John Tindale (02) 65731734, Secretary: Pauline McLoughlin (02)65721933, Treasurer: John Tindale (02) 65731734 Committee: Jim Papworth, Eden Flak, Michael Heffernan Librarian: Lyn MacBain (02) 65722235 Research Co-ordinator: Dot Clayworth (02) 65722914 Assistant: Di Gee 0448448346 Computer Research: Lyn MacBain (02) 65722235 Publicity: Lyn MacBain (02) 65722235, Public Officer: John Tindale (02) 65731734 Newsletter Committee: Di Sneddon, Miriam Knight, Lyn MacBain and Pauline McLoughlin The Patrick Plains Gazette: Contact Editor Di Sneddon 0456822453 ---------- PUBLICATIONS FOR SALE ---------- Singleton District Pioneer Register $30 including postage 128 pages, 1,000 individual entries with Index and contributors Index. Volume 1. Broke, Bulga, Doyle’s Creek, Glenridding, Howes Valley, Jerry’s Plains, Mount Thorley, Putty, Warkworth, Wylie’s Flat. $20 each plus $5.50 postage per copy. Volume 2. Whittingham, Anglican 2nd edition. $20 plus postage $5.50 per copy. Volume 3. Queen Street Catholic Cemetery including the Sisters of Mercy Cemetery, Catholic Columbarium and the Old Methodist Cemetery [now Uniting]. $20 plus $5.50 postage per copy. Volume 4. Sedgefield Cemetery. Updated version. $20 plus $5.50 postage per copy. Volume 5. Branxton and some graves without headstones for the Singleton & Branxton Districts. $20 plus $5.50 postage per copy. First Edition Cemetery Inscription Books are available on request. Volumes 1, 3 and 4 covering Sedgefield, Old Methodist, St Clements Camberwell, Clifford Private, Sydenham Private, Gowrie Private, Carrowbrook Roll of Honour, Spottiswood, Mount Pleasant, Reedy Creek, Glendon Brook, Burdekin Park Cenotaph, Bungaraby (Howes Valley), Noisy Point (Howes Valley), Carrowbrook, Belford, Glendon, Busby Private (Belford), Goorangoola, Queens Street Catholic, All Saints Cremation Plaques Singleton, Dangar Mausoleum All Saints Church Singleton. $20 each plus $5.50 postage per copy. The Graveyard & Its Stories: Camberwell District NSW, St Clements Burial Ground. By Carol Garvie. (Camberwell Cemetery Only) $30.00, plus $5.50 postage per copy. The Caledonian Hotel Singleton; The first hundred odd years by Martin King. $35.00 plus $5.50 postage per copy Information used to produce articles for the Gazette may have been contributed by our members, correspondents and consolidated by the author’s own research. We sincerely thank these contributors and regret that space does not permit us to include all their names. Where space allows sources will be published but may otherwise be available. WHILST ALL EFFORTS ARE MADE THE SOCIETY TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR THE AUTHENTICITY OF ARTICLES PRINTED IN THIS NEWSLETTER. Front Cover Mechanics’ Institute Singleton, Built 1866. Woodblock c1880. Woodblock Donated to the 74 George Street Management Committee by the Robinson Family Collection 2 The Patrick Plains Gazette April 2019 CONTENTS Page 3 From the President Page 4 New Members, Duty Librarians Needed, 1919, The Spanish Flue Page 5 From The Argus April 1919: Trooper W.L.Harris & Corporal Bertram Ernest Horne Come Home Page 6 What Happened to Mary Hughes Garbutt nee Osborn? Page 8 Singleton Mechanics’ Institute; Plans Recovered After All These Years Page 10 Singleton Mechanics’ Institute; 153 Years of History Page 12 Back Page Bits DUTY LIBRARIANS NEEDED We need assistance for the 5th Wednesdays and Saturdays. These days do not occur often, but we would appreciate someone to cover these days. Contact 65722235 FROM THE PRESIDENT President’s Report AGM 2019 Here we are with another year added to our Society’s record and 2019 well on its way. I am happy to report the Society remains in good stead. Additionally, we have gained financial assistance from Singleton Council and a commitment of an annual contribution; I thank Singleton Council for acknowledging our value. Other good news to report is we have acquired another room and when renovated the extra room will be a tremendous bonus to us. I thank the Mechanics Institute 74 George Street Management Committee for seeing the benefit we could gain from this additional space. At present we are hopeful of a successful grant application for a Digital Camera and Multiple Sheet Scanner which will also be very well utilised by the Society. The achievements of the past year can be attributed to our dedicated volunteers who continue to contribute time and effort to progressing the Society’s endeavours and maintaining our reputation as a helpful, friendly society despite 2018 presenting many of us with unanticipated personal hurdles. The Society continues to give good service to members and visitors; this would not be possible if it were not for the commitment of John Tindale, Pauline McLouglhin, Dot Clayworth, Miriam Knight, Di Gee, George Standen, Eden Flak, Jim Papworth; these people were the Committee, the Researchers, Duty Librarians, and Newsletter Committee. I thank Michael Heffernan for assisting us with technology; it is very pleasing to finally have our own web page. I will also flag the need for an additional ex-offio position of Website Co-Ordinator. We again opened on Anzac Day for members of the community to view our Military records and I would like to thank George Standen and Miriam Knight for their assistance on this occasion. It is sad to say goodbye to any member, but it is particularly sad to say a goodbye to George Standen who due to ill health has moved closer to family. Always helpful; he was an obliging backup for duty days when others couldn’t make it. I personally will miss his local and military knowledge, his assistance with brick walls and his quirky sense of humour. He will be sadly missed but I do hope he will visit us from time to time and others take the opportunity to catch up with him when they can. Like many Family History, Historical Societies and other organisations we have challenges confronting us; one of the greatest to stay relevant in an internet and social network era. This is where our new website will be of benefit. We all need to get the message out there that no amount of internet researching can compare with primary records and at the source research. Throughout the year we have gained several new members and hope their experience with us is ongoing. I encourage all members to do what they can for the Society; there is always something you can do even if you don’t live in the area; it takes but a small effort from all to secure the Society into the future. In closing I take the opportunity to wholeheartedly thank each and every one of you personally for your support and friendship and look forward to a great year ahead. Thank you. Lyn MacBain 3 The Patrick Plains Gazette April 2019 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Ruth Beh, Phil Merrick and Neil Wallace We welcome you and wish you every success in your research endeavours. CONGRATULATIONS IN ORDER Member Peggy Moore was announced Singleton’s Citizen of the Year 2019. Peg’s contribution to Netball is phenomenal; along with other interests Peg is President of the Singleton Historical Society. Young Achiever of the Year was Byron Fletcher. Our sincere congratulations to you both. 1919 On the Throne: King George V and Queen Mary Prime Minister: Billy Hughes Gov. General: Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson Premier NSW: William Holman KCMG Governor of New South Wales: Sir Walter Davidson President of the Patrick Plains Shire Council Shire: William George Roberts Mayor of the Singleton Municipal Council: David McDougall Population of Australia: 5,193,104. Vital Statistics for Singleton & District Quarter ending 31st March 1919 Total Births 55: 30 males & 25 females. Deaths 20: 12 males 5 females. Marriages 5. King George V, Queen Mary of Teck, Prime Minister. Billy Hughes, Gov.Gen.Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson, Premier NSW William Holman, Governor of New South Wales – Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair KCB, MVO) FROM THE SINGLETON ARGUS APRIL 1919: INOCULATIONS:‘The Spanish Flu’ THE PANDEMIC ‘The Spanish Flu’ 1919 Singleton prepared for the outbreak of the ‘Spanish Flu’ as it is generally known. Emerging in Europe at the end of the World War 1, the pandemic reached Australia early in 1919. It had swept around the world, killing between 50 to 100 million people. The first wave in NSW occurred mid March to late May, resulting in about 31 per cent of total deaths. The second wave peaked in June and July and was more virulent than the first; producing a higher mortality rate. In a period of six months in 1919, more than 15,000 Australians died from the influenza and possibly as many as two million were infected. In NSW, more than 52 per cent of all deaths occurred in people aged between 20 and 39 years.