Wednesday Sept 9th 1931:
Hard work again. Put blocks in. Some of them took lifting too. Hot weather. A fair number in town. Several meetings to be held. Attended hospital meeting at night.
Thursday Sept 10th 1931:
Levelled blocks today and started to cut the tops. Awkward work. Much easier of two at it with big cross-cut, but not too many about I found of voluntary labor. Attended School Comittee meeting this evening.
Friday Sept 11th 1931:
Had rain today so could not work on the house. Did quite a lot of writing instead. Attended tennis meeting at night.
Sundaty Sept 13th 1931:
Fair number of children at S.School this morning although whooping cough being prevalent is keeping some away. Some of the older folk are also affected. Called on some of the folk around the town. Visited hospital. Had a nice service at night.
Monday Sept 14th 1931:
Back on the job today. Finished cutting the blocks and put ground plates in position and got other timber ready.
Tuesday Sept 15th 1931:
Put in a good day and made a bit of a show, getting up the four walls. Very windy making things a bit awkward on my own.
Wednesday Sept 16th 1931:
More rain today. Had to leave job for the day. Had a call at hospital in connection with needs and requirements of same established. In spare time this morning baked some short bread and it was eatable. Air mail arrived alright although some thought weather may have held him up.
Thursday Sept 17th 1931:
Back on to the job again today and each day sees it a little nearer completion. Feeling a bit off color today although not yet a hospital case.
Friday Sept 18th 1931:
Still able to get about and do some work. Just about finished all the frame work. Weather warming up again. Still inclined to be windy though.
Monday Sept 21st 1931:
Back to hard work today. Started putting the iron on the walls. Bed finds me early.
Wednesday Sept 23rd 1931:
Wind very strong making working with sheets of iron very difficult.
Thursday Sept 24th 1931:
Put iron on roof today and finished most of outside work. A crowd arriving in town for races.
Friday Sept 25th 1931:
Worked on the house all the morning and did some writing in the afternoon. Town very uiet while all at races. Had some rain late at night.
Saturday Sept 26th 1931:
Another full day on the job. All others at races. Big dance at night. Some more rain this morning.
Sunday Sept 27th 1931:
Races and dancing too much for many of the children as quite a number away from S.School. Did some visiting. Had no service at night but went to Synnotts and listened to a service from Brisbane.
Monday Sept 28th 1931:
Back to the job and getting flooring down.
Tuesday Sept 29th 1931:
Still wending my way to the small house on the rise.
Wednesday Sept 30th 1931:
Made a temporary stairway today out of Benzine cases. Will act for awhile. Went visiting to Shire Hall.
Thursday Oct 1st 1931:
Work and still more work, although will soon be sifting in. Plane went over today to Avon. Taking 2 of the heads from Brisbane. Called on the twins.
Friday Oct 2nd 1931:
Built recess for stove and other jobs. Did some writing and paid my bills. Called on patients at the hospital.
Sunday Oct 4th 1931:
Had a good attendance at Sunday School this morning and was prevailed on by some of them to drive them out this afternoon to the 2 mile caves. A fair number out at the evening service. Windy weather.
Monday Oct 5th 1931:
Had the full day in shifting and I did not know I had accumulated so much rubbish. Have had to put a lot of things in boxes until I can make proper places for them. Slept in my new home.
Tuesday Oct 6th 1931:
Finished shifting and cleaning up the old home. Tidied up things here. Visited the school. Called at the hospital.
Wednesday Oct 7th 1931:
Started on the car and oiled and greased up and after lunch left for Mt Isa. Called in at Yelvertoft. Reached Isa at 9.30 pm. Dazzled by all the bright lights and seemed strange to be amongst so much traffic. Threw my swag on the floor at back of A.C.B building. Met Young party from Cloncurry just as I arrived in. Had toast and tea at Danvers combining supper and tea.
Thursday Oct 8th 1931:
Busy around town delivering parcels and messages. Spent the afternoon on the golf course with Tom Doyle. Having meals at McIntosh’s. Called over at the hospital and saw old Jim Francis. He is a very sick man and could not talk as he is so weak. Met Mrs Francis as I was coming away.
Friday Oct 9th 1931:
Started on my car this morning. Taking it down so as to replace a broken cross member. Got nicely covered in grease, when a message came to go to the hospital as old Jim Francis was waiting over there. Found him very low and stayed and had a little talk and watched by his bed for a couple of hours. Called again in the afternoon and evening. Went over to G.Moore’s for a while.
Saturday Oct 10th 1931:
Went over to the hospital this morning and found old Jim a little easier. Stayed most of the morning. Got to work on the car again. Had Stan helping me.
Sunday Oct 11th 1931:
Went up to the S.School and gave a little talk to the children, many of whom were once my own scholars. Called at the hospital and found old Jim much brighter. Had a quiet afternoon and went to lunch at night. Rev Whitney of the Cloncurry Presbyterian Church eas in the pulpit. Three parsons had supper at Danvers afterwards.
Monday Oct 12th 1931:
A busy day with no rests. Working on the car and doing shopping. Took the car to garage to have a wheel taken off that has seized on the axle but after watching them mess about for a whole afternoon put everything back as it was and took the car out. Could do better on my own. Had tea at Moore’s and afterwards called at hospital. feeling better and looks it.
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Tuesday Oct 13th 1931:
Thought I might have got away today but was delayed too much in one way and another so decided to leave and start early in the morning. Stayed over with Jim at the hospital until kicked out. Stan received word today to return to Townsville and is so excited, he hardly knows what he is doing. He is leaving early too. Had atomiser put on car.
Wednesday Oct 14th 1931:
Up at 5am and left Mt Isa at 6.30. Mrs Mac got up and got us some breakfast. Stan ready to leave when I did but was waiting on a passenger. Had a good run and reached here (Camooweal) for lunch. Had a clean up then visited the hospital. Did some writing and attended hospital meeting at night. In absence of President had to take the ‘chair’.
Thursday Oct 15th 1931:
Trying to get things a bit shipshape in the home today. Quinn had a row with his landlady so arrived here tonight with all his belongings, bringing some disorder. Had to go out 20 miles to a bore to get hospital cheques signed by a chap now working out there.
Saturday Oct 17th 1931:
Spent the morning attending to cricket business and interviewing players, trying to infuse a little enthusiasm into them. Got a few out to practice in the afternoon. A south easter sprang up at lunch time and is increasing in velocity.
Sunday Oct 18th 1931:
Had the usual number of kiddies out at at S.S this morning, after which I did some visiting again in the afternoon, calling also at the hospital. Wind blowing with unabated fury. A nice service at night, in spite of wildness of the elements.
Monday Oct 19th 1931:
And still it blows and somewhat cold too. Awful weather. Cleaned and tidied up the home and did some washing. Had cricket practice. Retired early.
Tuesday Oct 20th 1931:
No let up in the fury of the wind. In my ‘study’ for rest of the morning and then did some work on the cricket pitch. Visited the school for religious instruction . Had cricket practice. Wandered around to some of the homes until 8.30 and then home and did some writing. A few spots of rain made us put our beds in off the verandah.
Wednesday Oct 21st 1931:
The wind from the four corners of the earth seem to be concentrating on Camooweal these days. Delayed somewhat this morning by callers but eventually started on the cricket pitch, carting ant-bed, breaking it up, rolling and watering. An all day job. Had some help this afternoon, making it somewhat easier. Went out to Daphnes 13th birthday party which was wild and fast. ( Daphne was mum’s bridesmaid and many years later I was able to make contact. She is in a hostel in Brisbane, aged 93, and I visit her when I go to Brisbane and its lovely to listen to her tell about her family’s days in Camooweal…they owned and operated the hotel. ) Played games outside and the stones on our wonderful streets were fearful on the feet, heads and every other part of the anatomy. Severe dust storm arrived at 11 pm.
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