One hundred years ago today – 15 November

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

NEW MOTOR SERVICE: By our business page it will be seen that Mr. H.F. Thomas has opened up a new motor service from Bega to Moruya in conjunction with a Cooma service, connecting here with Harrison’s Nowra line. Mr. Thomas will run his cars to Eden, thus enabling passengers to catch the Melbourne boats. The new service is entitled the “Blue Line,” and will have a railway to railway. S.W. Nelson is agent at Moruya and C. Tuckfield at Bega. 15/11/1913

MOTOR TRADE: On Tuesday last Mr. C.R. Tuckfield, of Bega, passed through Moruya with a fine 35 h.p. Studebaker car. This car is a recent purchase of Mr. Tuckfield. It will hold eight passengers, and two side seats are moveable, so as to enable the occupants to face each other if necessary. It can be covered with a khaki hood which allows no rain to enter, and fitted with a celluloid side screen that serves the double purpose of protecting the occupants from the rain or wind and allowing them to see the country they are passing through. The car is electrically lighted. 15/11/1913

ECONOMIC PROBLEM: An endeavour is to be made to establish a Housewive’s League in Sydney, for the purpose of having produce sent direct from the farm to the homes of the consumer. There is a similar league in America with a membership of 800,000 women. The object is to break down the barrier between the producer and the consumer. With the consumers and the producers thoroughly organised, and with a central distributing depot, it is believed that the producer would get more for his produce, while the consumer would pay considerably less. The introduction of the new system of carrying goods by post is expected to be of much assistance to farmers and housewives. 15/11/1913

BATEMAN’S BAY: Our most energetic tiller of the soil, Mr. Alf Duffy, has converted 10 acres of his farm into a market garden, and purposes supplying a long-felt want in this locality, and has been fortunate enough to strike an exceptional season for a start. Alf says in a few weeks he will be able to supply cabbages of abnormal dimensions, one of which will keep a large family eating for a month, more power to him if they each weigh a ton, no one here begrudges it to him as he deserves it… 15/11/1913

NERRIGUNDAH (From our Correspondent): What has become of the Progress Association of Nerrigundah? It is about time that they again approached the Shire Council with regard to having the holes filled up along the road between Nerrigundah and Deep Creek. Only last week Mr. H. O’Toole had the misfortune to lose a very valuable filly, the animal having fallen down one of these shafts, which was about 25 feet deep. Willing hands worked all night endeavouring to get the beast out, which they succeeded in doing, but, unfortunately, its injuries were so great that it died immediately on reaching the surface. Some of these holes are within three or four feet of the wheel tracks of the road, and should be attended to before some human life is lost….15/11/1913

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).