Can you help with info about the Dower and Stevens families?

HISTORY NOTES

By Julie Williams and Terry Threlfall

Are you related to these families?

A few weeks ago the following query appeared on the Barraba Historical Museum Facebook page:

Good morning

This is my first attempt to make contact with the Barraba Historical group. We are digging into the family history of the Stevens and Dower families who had strong connections to Barraba and Gulf Creek Mine over the late 1890s to early 1920s. These were Copper mining families from Cornwall. William Stevens died and was buried in Barraba in 1918. His son in law Michael Barnett Dower was Mine manager at Gulf Creek around the 1900 period. His sons Henry Martin (Harry) Stevens and John James Lachlan (Loch) Stevens were living in Barraba over this period perhaps with a connection to the Royal Hotel. Loch Stevens enlisted in the AIF in Barraba in January 1918. He served in the 6th Light Horse in Egypt. He gave his brother Harry as his next of kin and the military notes on the record suggest his address might have been the Royal Hotel Barraba. William Stevens’ daughter was Frances Jane Stevens and she is my wife’s great grandmother. She died in 1960 and was known to my wife. She married Michael Dower and moved to Barraba in 1900. Her first son William Frances Barnett Dower was born in Barraba in 1901.

Two questions…..

Is any of this ringing any bells for anyone?

Is the Barraba Museum open on Friday 12th July? We are planning a trip to Barraba on that day.

Thanks for reading this far and for any leads you can provide.

Brian and Marianne Keating

Then a post a while later:

Yes we will definitely plan to be in Barraba on Friday 12th July and find our way to the Museum at 10 am. We’d love to chat with anyone who is interested in Barraba at the start of the 20th century. Anyone with some insights into the Stevens or Dower families and the links to the Gulf Creek mine at that time would be great to meet.

Best regards Brian and Marianne Keating, Tatiara Farm, Duranbah NSW.

If you could help Brian and Marianne Keating with their quest to find out more about their relatives, please call/text Julie Williams 0412 603 831, or write to The Editor, Barraba Community News.

The Barraba Saleyards – a social centre of town?

When I wrote about the Barraba Saleyards in last week’s “History Notes” (later published on the Facebook page), I didn’t think about the social aspect of that regular gathering of locals. I was reminded of this by two local farmers who came up to me, and by numerous responses that appeared on the Facebook page.

Two examples from the Facebook page:

From Chris Hagan –

I loved helping dad up at the saleyards, pre and post sales day. The day following the sales, some cattle and sheep would be kept over and need feed and water. These were mostly cattle, taken down to the trucking yards to be sent by rail. They were good days being around Lloydy Perry, Trevor Perry, Billy and Jim McKid, Mrs White, Jimmy Dunn, Mr Cameron, Mrs Wilson. Some great people.

From Fay Corin –

On sale days, the shops in town were booming with business..every second Wednesday I believe.

Thanks everybody.