History Notes - does anyone know of the Hardman family?

10th August 2022

History Notes

This is the week before the markets return.  We have missed a couple due to illness, cold weather, school holidays etc. so let us make this a good one with lots of people, stalls and a social day to meet up with people.  The advertisement is displayed for your information.

The continuous run of visitors continues and information via the internet is keeping us busy as well.  Last Thursday we had a visit from a couple from Armidale trying to trace an ancestor who worked as a mechanic in Barraba for a few years.  Sadly, we could not find him in any records, so I now appeal to Barraba residents to help us out.

Les Hardman was evidently keen on motorbikes, and we think he may have worked at Clifton’s Garage in the early 1920’s as G.R. White may not have opened as early as that.  His wife, Gladys, was a daughter of Richard Thomas Heywood and she grew up in Manilla – her father died in Manilla.

The Hardman family lived in Orchard Lane for the few years they were in Barraba, possibly in a house on a corner of the lane.  Two daughters were born in Barraba, and it is thought they were baptised into the Methodist Church.  The visitor actually found the name of one of them, Betty Jean, on the memorial board outside the Post Office.

Orchard Lane is only a short street and I thought we should be able to work out who was living there in 1920.  Two of the houses were used as a maternity home, Dr Spencer and Mr Ryan owned on the Fitzroy Street end of the lane and C.B. Leard lived on the western end of the lane which only leaves one or two older homes there – we know the Baker family lived there as well.  If anyone can help out, please let me know.

Our President is very busy trying to get the Main Street book together so that it can be proofread by a few members before a final printing, and we seem to be receiving orders for our publications from everywhere.  The calendar plans are progressing and hopefully will be on exhibition at the September markets, so everyone is busy.

Recently we have had another request for the whereabouts of the grave of Mary Ann Natty who died in 1925 and a James Natty who died in 1909.  This is a big family, and it is rather sad that accurate records have not been kept – over in the north-west corner is really not good enough for any descendant.  I am always hopeful that someone has some accurate records.

News for August 2022