Start of new diary and some entries not worth copying hence
the gaps!
Monday April 29th 1935:
Dawborns left by car for Mt Isa. I
took them in.
Tuesdy April 30th 1935:
Dawborns left Mt Isa by train.
Wednsday May 1st 1935:
I came back to Camooweal.
Monday May 6th 1935:
Picnic today at Rocklands. All the
town there. Had two trips. Mrs Easy waiting. Late coming in. A bit of a row all
round. Left town at 5.30pm. Arrived Avon at 7pm. Tea there and then on to
Rankine. Stayed night.
Tuesday May 7th 1935:
Left Rankine and on to Alroy.
Smoko here and Mrs Crouch came on and we reached Rocky at 2pm. Stayed awhile
and then back to ALroy and on to Rankine by 10pm. Stayed night.
Wednesday May 8th 1935:
Late leaving this morning but
reached town at 12 midday and caught airmail. CWA annual meeting in afternoon
and hospital mtg at night.
Saturday May 11th 1935:
Brother Townshend arrived today so
Eileen and I went to Morestone for weekend.
Sunday May 12th 1934:
Went out with Mr DeBois and met
all the men in the camp.
Monday May 13th 1934:
Back into town today arriving just
after lunch. Called at camp where men building dam. Also at bore where Cameron
got his cattle.
Friday May 17th 1935:
Did a job today that I had been
intending to do for a long while … build a safe. Did not finish as had no
timber left for the doors. Childrens dance in the hall tonight so went along and
played a few rolls on the piano for them. Not many adults present but children
enjoyed themselves. Later called at Synnotts and suffered Vic Hall ( N.T
mounted) relating experiences in which actions of all other members were
condemned.
Saturday May 18th 1935:
Mosterts shifted in here today.
All in bed when I came from the from shooting party at Grassmere. All had a
good time. Eileen particularly emjoyed the outing. Dr revealed some queer
characteristics. Met Barnes from Brunette today. Tom Norton also in town. Put
3ply in door of bus where glass was broken. Had to put netting around verandah
as protection for Mostert children.
Sunday May 19th 1935:
Was up first this morning. Poor
home well crowded out now. It is giving them a lift however. A very nice crowd
at S.S this morning. Have now 33 on roll. Went Synnotts fror lunch and tasted
ducks we shot. Great! Later Eileen and I went for drive along river. Very poor
attendance at service at night.
Monday May 20th 1935:
Gog into a few jobs at home this morning,
fixed spouting and batting damaged during cyclone. Then into washing and washed
bug mob. Rang Mt Isa and learned H Foster had gone in. After a clean up borowed
iron from Eileen and did a fair bit of it. Dr made a nuisance of himself
wanting to go to Yelvertoft and get medicine from mail ( I able). Younger set
dance at night. Went for a while and had good time. All enjoyed themselves.
Tuesday May 21st 1935:
Started on my correspondence today
but was not allowed to continue as
Wilson Bates came up and asked me o drive him to Richmonds on business so went
down after lunch and did not get back until 10pm. Richmond not home so had to
wait and then Magoffin and the rest would not get down to business. While
waiting I mooched sround amongst the various ones and then had a read of the
Register.
Wednesday May 22nd 1935:
Got into my correspondence with a
vengeance today and wrote home, to the Colonel, and got all my returns up to date. Was too late to
write up my reports so had to leave them. Eileen and I went to pictures at
night as I reckoned I deserved a little relaxation.
Thursday May 23rd 1935:
Was up early this morning, the
first of the family and kept going without a break until I was ready to leave
at 2pm. Got all my letters and cheques away as well as getting everything ready
I needed for the trip to Urandangi. Picked up Mrs Reilly and Betty and went
along arriving at Harris’ for tea. At No 1 Barkly had a yarn to a pumper. Also
at No 4 where Charlie Lambert pumping. After tea drove to Lake and stayed there
with Ted and Keith. Wireless.
Friday May 24th 1935:
Very late risers at Lake P
Station. Was 9am before sat down to breakfast, smoko time at the station. After
breakfast shaved and went across
and saw Mrs Huddlestone and Mrs Patch, morning gtea, roses lovely, bunch back
to Kath. After lunch worked on car greasing etc and took me till supper time. A
bit of trouble in a couple of spots. Listened in for awhile after tea and also
had a yarn. (
Wireless a real treat I guess!)
Saturday May 25th 1935:
Up early this morning and got
breakfast ready but did not leave until 9.30am. Smoko with the men at station .
Yarn to a few of them. Left Lake and had a good run to Headingley. Lunch in
kitchen. Went down and saw Cwayes’. On to Urandangi . Pulled up at Elliots.
Went and saw folk in hall, decorating for races, smoko in hall. Dumped swag at
Thomas’. Cleaned and called Mullers. Tea Elliots. Hall at night.
Sunday May 26th 1935:
Got up too early. Breakfast with
Charlie and P.C. Called on Wrights. Arranged S.S. Met at 3pm, nice number. Mrs
Fell attended. Smoko Elliots. Tea also. Nice number at service. Bookies.
Jockeys as well. Elliots after. Home to bed.
Monday May 27th 1935:
After breakfast at hotel, worked
on car finding greasing point. Jim helping. Changed diff and gear oils. Rang
Eileen. Lunch at Elliots.Drove to Spencers. Stayed awhile. Then to Walgra. Busy
time oon a/c so dry. Passed sheep moving. Cattle shifted. No grass. Stayed
night here. Yarned after tea. Cold night.
Tuesday May 28th 1935:
Up early here. Very cold. Met
sopme of the men after breakfast and returned Urandangi. Wallyb Godsell came up
with me. Went around all the folk.
Cut Fred’s hair. Lunch Elliotts. Left after and called Headingly. Picked
up roll of packing and took it into bore, lorry dropped it. Pulled in at
Bullecourt. Both home. In trouble, black boy cleared out with horse. After tea
played gramaphone and had a yarn. Old chap says world (?)
needs a new Director.
Wednesday May 29th 1935:
After breakfast left books and
loaded up. Put in ½ bale wool. Gave Hughes hand with his car. Came on to hole
for lunch. Ted Tregenza here and 2 pumpers. On to Barclay, yarn to Van Houten
and Clancey family. Smoko. On and pulled up Buckley bore. Engineers here
starting pumping plant. Left books with Bob Lobb. Passed Jack and Wille Miller
going Urandangie Home for tea. Cleaned and plucked 2 turkeys shot.Called
Synnots and took over one turkey. Passed chap on the road. Grass and water
scarce.
Thursday May 30th 1935:
Collected my mail this morning and
was asked to take Bunning to Morestone. Not good enough as mail goes that way
today. Told him not able to go. Got things ready for decorating hall and at
night got crowd along and nearly finished. Beginning to look rather nice too.
Friday May 31st 1935:
Up early and with Burke Cant
finished the hall by 10am. School children having school in hall on a/c of work
at the school. They did not mind
being held up through our decorating. Rang Scanlon Mt Isa . Took supper things
Mrs O’Keefe. Did some writing. Went to hall at night.
Saturday June 1st 1935:
Got writing done this morning and
reports posted. Very thankful too. Was intending having quiet afternoon but
called to go and build up end of tennis court. Kept going until 6pm. Attended
hospital meeting and lodge meeting at night. 12 nomintaions for hospital
committee.
Sunday June 2 1935:
After breakfast ready for S.S and
35 there. Great. Dinner at Reillys. Prepared for night and went drive along
river with Eileen. Great. Good service at night. Not many there. Had tea at
Synnotts.
Monday June 3rd 1935:
No celebration in honor of the
day. ( King George V birthday.) Did some washing this morning and after
dinner went down and played tennis. Had some good games.
Tuesday June 4th 1935:
Had a busy day getting the car
ready for the road and getting some writing done. Intended leaving this
afternoon but mail was late in and rain threatening decided me to await
developments.
Wednesday June 5th 1935:
Rain falling in various places
stopped me making the Burketown run but at lunch time received urgent suumons
to go Urandnangi and pick up black boy seriously ill. Had to go in spite of
weather. Stormy looking everywhere. Picked up woodcutter at Weroona and took to
Barclay and Bill Slogg at Buckley who came Urandnangi. Arrived at 9pm and rain
very close. Picked up boy and also cook at hotel, called Elliotts and started
back. Rain caught us 6 miled outand forced us to stop night at Headingley. Road
very greasy.
Thursday June 6 1935:
Up at daylight and put chains on
car before breakfast and left immediately afterwards. Patient seemed better.
Ploughed through bog all the way to within 20 miles of Barclay. Heavy. Could
not remain on road most of the way. Engine boiling. Picking up track foot wide.
Stopped No 6 and lunch Barclay. Arrived 3pm. Sergeant and then hospital with
patient. Rain at night.
Friday June 7th 1935:
Had more rain today so fortunate
to be at home. Did some writing and odd jobs about the place. Spent evening
over at Synnotts. Family left me today. Place very quiet.
Saturday June 8th 1935:
Got some mail away by todays post
and after lunch went and tolled tennis court. Called on Mrs McDonald. Heavy
rain for half an hour. Drove patient to hospital. Cooked a sponge cajke and
very good too.
Sunday June 9th
1935:
Although boggy conditions exist
big crowd at S.S and very nice to see. Lunch at Reillys. Afternoon at home.
Only few at service at night.
Monday June 10th 1935:
Had washing day today and big
clean up of the ranch. Place much improved. Erected punching ball downstairs.
Good exercise. Had an interview hospital and contractor. Rains seems to have
disappeared. Town becoming busy as race crowd gathers.
Tuesday June 11th 1935:
Did my ironing this morning, got
loan Thorleys iron. Wrote letters during afternoon.
Wednesday June 12th 1935:
Stove smoking this morning,
chimney not draw. Breakfast thus delayed. Went hospital see and drafted letter
to Hon John Mullan. Tried to fix stove chimney, unsuccessful.
