One hundred years ago today – 30 August

Featured image – The Deua River

Historical newspapers were the Facebook of their day – recording the comings and goings of everyone in town.
ancestry.com

While not necessarily agreeing with the above blanket statement, a quick look through the papers of the past really provide us with some incredible detail. We now know that a Mr. Fermanagh Mallon of the Deua had a virulent form of influenza one hundred years ago today!

Shire-wide news extracts from the Moruya Examiner of this time in 1913, provided by the Moruya & District Historical Society:

GOOD TRAVELLING –  Last week Mr. A.F. Walker, manager of the local Bank of N.S.Wales, with four adults and a juvenile in his new Ford motor car travelled to Goulburn in 6 ½ hours.  Not bad, considering the state of the roads and steep mountains which had to be negotiated in order to reach the tableland.  30/8/1913

OIL LAUNCH – Mr. Weatherby’s new oil launch arrived from Sydney on Thursday morning, the s.s. Wee Clyde landing her down at the Heads on its way South.  This new addition to our river fleet is a very fine one indeed and was built by Morrison and Sinclair, of Balmain, who are at present building a new steamer for the I.S.N. Co.  She is fitted with an 8 h.p. union engine, is 30ft. in length with a 9ft. beam and is capable of carrying 50 passengers.  Mr. Weatherby intends her for the river and for parties desirous of deep-sea fishing.  30/8/1913

BENEFIT RACES – The race meeting promoted by the Moruya Picnic Association for the benefit of widow Arnett and young children after two unavoidable postponements eventuated on the Park course on Saturday afternoon last.  The day was an ideal one and the attendance satisfactory.  The course was in excellent order and fast, and the races on the whole interesting.  Bookmakers were in galore with the usual cramped prices against anything they thought had a chance.  The members of the Association, Messrs. R. Knight, J. Crapp, Albert Lynch and Clem Luck, together with the obliging hon. secretary to the movement, Mr. “Jack” Hansen, worked well to make the charitable affair the gratifying success it was and have all earned the thanks of the community for their efforts.  Mr. V. McCauley had the publican’s booth and appeared to be well patronised.  The gate takings amounted to £30 14s 3d which with £7 for bookmakers’ fees and nominations, £2 for booth, besides £8 for the Cinderella will leave a nice margin for the cause after paying the prizes…30/8/1913

DEUA RIVER –  Mr. H. Ball, sen., of Sydney, is on a visit to Deua River.  Mr. Ball, who formally resided here, is now a ranger at National Park. – Quite a number of our residents have been laid up with influenza in the most virulent form.  Mr. Fermanagh Mallon had to take to the bed last week in consequence of an attack.  –  The Merricumbene dredge which capsized a couple of months’ ago, is being rectified again.  The company are erecting winches adequately powerful enough (they think) to bring her over.  The boiler embedded in the sand is also to be extricated by the same gear.  – There is some talk of again opening the local cheese factory to suppliers of the lacteal fluid.  It will be remembered that this factory closed down some five months’ ago in consequence of the protracted drought then existing.  30/8/1913

XMAS & MID-SUMMER  NEW GOODS AT J. & W. Emmott’s Are Superb and Up-to-date – INSPECTION INVITED.   30/8/1913

Fourteen 100 years ago booklets containing articles for the years 1899 to 1912 are available ($5 ea) from the society’s rooms.  Copies of local newspapers from the 1860s to date can be viewed at the society’s Family History Research Centre (Ph 4474 3224) situated at the rear of the Pioneer Museum in Campbell St. Moruya (mdhs.org.au).