Thursday August 15th 1935:
Up early this morning and hopping
in getting ready for the road. Mended puncture, changed oil, petrol etc.
Attended meeting at hospital and then shire hall. Further packing up, writing,
calling for parcels, delivering others, paying bills, gathering mail, picked up
passengers and left at 4.30 pm. Arrived Avon at 6.30 pm and stayed McDonalds.
Big crowd up at big house. Visitors and Alexandria folk.
Friday August 16th 1935:
After breakfast bathed Terry’s eye
and then went with Mr Spratt to bores No. 5. 9. 6 and 8. Left books with Hill
and Shankland. After lunch took car to garage and greased up and then started
on adjusting brakes. Left this to McMillan and went off and played tennis.
After tea fixed pictures and all went up to big house where shoed them, had
supper and home to bed. About 15 at the pictures.
Saturday August 17th 1935:
After partaking of breakfast
decided to do some writing and got letters away to White Rose Society Charters
Towers and Rev Mills Brisbane. Wrote up diary. Mr Spratt broke down and came in
at lunch time. I went out to 2 mile well and told Hedberg to bring in lorry.
Left after lunch. Stopped Lawn Crk with Ted. On to Rankine. Had tea and loaded
up with White family and David. Children’s concert and pictures at Alexandria.
Played tennis. After tea held service and nice crowd there.
Monday August 19th 1935:
Spent this morning at Alexandria
where until smoko time played tennis. Then wound films, wrote up diary etc, had
eyes tested, loaded up bus and after lunch left for Brunette. Met Brunette
mechanic and others at Crow’s Nest. Smoko at Brunette and yarn at house which
is being repaired. Had tea. Left for Anthony’s. 30 miles out got puncture, got
out and saw stone had gone thru petrol tank. Patched with soap and camped.
Tuesday August 20th 1935:
Fixed up tyres and tubes this
morning and ten had breakfast. Loaded up bus and came into Anthony’s. Passed
Pioneer Tourist car. Called at store and Police Station where had lunch. Went
up to Cattle station and started to mend hole in petrol tank. Big job. Hall
came along later and helped. Finished, cleaned up and tea. Mrs McGoggin very
nice. Yarned and bed. Peter Morrison cooking here.
Wednesday August 21st 1935:
Fixed up tyres and tubes again
this morning and left, calling at
Police Station and store. Stayed store for lunch and afterwards baptized
youngest Biondi and married oldest to J.Dalley. had to repeat ceremonies from
memory as had left book at home. They knew nothing about it. Left for Brunette
and arrived in time to get cleaned up and have tea. Yarned for awhile and then
down to wireless room, listened in and bed.
Thursday August 22nd 1935:
Spent most of today helping
mechanic reset springs o my bus. Lifted up the back quite a lot. Plane going to
Singapore had Fox film man on who took several shots around the place. Left
Brunette at 5.30 pm and just passed Armchair had another blowout. Put on spare. Had supper at
Crows Nest with Don Mulcahy. Arrived Alexandria at 10 pm. Talked and went to
bed.
Friday August 23rd 1935:
At Mrs Johnstons request drove her
to Camooweal in Oldsmobile. Good run in. Did business and tea at Synnotts.
Picked up Harvey and Carpenter and left at 7.30 pm. Bill in very bad humor.
Excitement on way when Mrs Johnston thought car on fire. Mrs J not very well so
decided to stay at Avon. Had supper and turned in.
Saturday August 24th 1935:
Left immediately after breakfast.
Called at Rankine P.S and store and bore on plain and Alexandria at 12 noon.
After lunch fixed tyres and tubes
and loaded up and left for Alroy. Another blow out. Yarned at Alroy and then up
to big house. Mrs Barnes here. Mr came after tea. Jack home too. Talked and
bed.
Sunday August 25th 1935:
Left for Rocky after smoko. Met
Bob Lobb, E Stanton and Tom Hare and the Rager en route. George not home. Had
swim. Went out to bore where tank building. Held little service at night.
Monday August 26th 1935:
A day at Rocky. Went out 40 miles
to where George working and men sinking bore.
E Kennedy came too. Kids in the
back. Home after lunch. Had swim. Got pictures ready and showed at night.
Talked afterwards.
Tuesday August 27th 1935:
Loaded up and left after
breakfast. Baptised Mrs Warrens baby and Lulu’s before lunch. After lunch put
tomatoes etc on and reached Rankine at 5.30 pm. Intended going on but too late
so stayed. Not feeling too good. Played Harold billiards and lost 2 out of 3.
Wednesday August 28th 1935:
Up before daylight and had drink
of tea at P.S (Police Station). Left with Mr White and reached Soudain at
sunrise. Had breakfast and a yarn. Left and called at No 5. Picked up Bill
Lawson. Called at Avon for a few minutes and reached Camooweal at 12 noon.
Delivered mail etc. Sent wires and posted letters, fixed tyres with spares from
Mr Schmidts. Eileen and I wet for a drive.
Thursday August 29th 1935:
Loaded up bus and left at 9 am for
Gregory. Had Shorty and wireless on board. At Morestone letterbox found_________ who had missed mail.
Tooko him back into Morestone. Stopped few minutes at Undilla and at Thorntonia.
Rupert gave us lunch. Good run to Gregory. Arrived 5.30 pm. Met some of folks
and made camp at river near Ramsays. Half night rigging aerial.
Friday August 30th 1935:
Had swim and went up to hotel. Not
a very big crowd about. Shorty tried out wireless but no answer from Camooweal.
Went over to course. Met a lot. Great swim before tea. Went over to dance for a
while at night. . Very poor crowd present.
Saturday August 31st 1935:
Swim after breakfast and before
went up to store and morsed to
Cloncurry. Had big tennis match, when Bill and I played 5 sets winning 4.
Another big swim and over to course and swim before tea and up to dance at
night, where slept in car until others ready to come home. Supper and bed.
Sunday September 1st 1935:
Everybody up early. Saw all off.
Went over to station for awhile.
Cleaned and car and swim. Lunch. Called P station and hotel. Left for
Riversleigh. Arrived in time for tea.
Gramaphone and bed.
