History Notes
History Notes
The Historical Society had a very busy week to mark the beginning of November – three different groups of visitors and then the markets on Saturday. The markets were quieter than usual, but the next one should be busier – the last one before Christmas and the holidays. I noticed someone buying a useful Christmas present on Saturday and there will be more opportunities in December including calendars and local history books as well as pot plants – some tomato plants went home this week.
During a bit of a clean-up this week, I came across one of the old undertaker’s books. A very interesting book considering that it was also used for building jobs in the 1920’s.
However, before going any further I checked the funeral records to make sure they were included in our printed books. Denis Behan’s last Will on a piece of paper, witnessed by a couple of witnesses, and then two years later on 8th January 1897 it was noted that his son received the Estate two years later after the testator had died.
Exploring further into this album I found the plans for the “Presbytery” at Barraba – actually it is the additions for the Church of England Vicarage in 1921, when the side veranda and a new kitchen were added.
Lots of vacant pages up to the last few pages of this 570-page tome. Two Bingara funerals in the 1960’s is listed – both are in the Bingara Cemetery Book – followed by another page of brick making for John Crowley – it included 81,000 bricks made possibly for John or was it for Albert Tufrey who owned the land.
Reading on another page we find a sulky hired at Cobbadah and Albert was to make a brick mould. There are a lot more comments re supply of equipment etc and Albert Thorpe paid the bill which points to the fact that “Carisbrooke” was built first as the works were on his ground and then Cobbadah Station was built on the other side of Cobbadah Creek.
Albert Thorpe moved his family across Oakey Creek and when Roy Crowley bought Carisbrooke in later years, it was the Crowley family who moved two rooms and a bathroom over to the brick home before demolishing what else remained of the old Carisbrooke.
Finally, on the last page is a note that Mrs B.J. Spence of Horton River ordered a water closet, a tank stand and a complete seat for a contract price of 285 pounds in 1908. I suspect that this was to be fitted at the Spence home on the bank of the Horton River.