God’s Acre And The Great Majority – News From 100 Years Ago

Shire-wide news extracts from the Moruya Examiner of this time in 1915, provided by the Moruya & District Historical Society:

DAIRY HERD – Mr Thompson will sell to-day, on the premises, Kiora, on account of Mr. E. Collett, 20 head of cows and heifers in good condition; also a 3-year-old colt by Carlisle. Sale at 3.30p.m. – 4 September 1914

RAFFLES – the boot tidy raffled by Mrs. T. Flood for the Australia Day Executive Committee was won by Miss Coppin, and the tobacco pouch by Mr. Mordaunt Johnson. The sum realised for the former article was £1 and on the latter 12s. – 4 September 1914

ROLL OF HONOR – On Thursday we received a wire from Mr Nicholas Gough, formerly of Moruya but now of Rozelle, near Sydney, which read “Jim killed in action Gallipoli twelfth August.” Jim is an only brother of Nicholas, and is well known in Moruya, he being a native of the place. – 4 September 1914

GRASS RIGHT – The grazing right of the Moruya Park was sold by R. H. Harvison at the “Examiner” Office on Saturday last, Mr. A. L. Jeffery being the purchaser at £72 15s. Mr J. Hansen was the runner-up. – 4 September 1914

ART UNION – The drawing in the Art Union for the Bodalla fat bullock and pig, got up by Mrs. Ebsworth, will take place at Bodalla tonight(Saturday). The promoter extends a cordial welcome to those interested to attend.
Mrs. Ebsworth augmented the Bodalla Australia Day Fund by £86 1s 1d with her stall and art union. – 4 September 1914

GOD’S ACRE – Our Roman Catholic friends are to be complimented on their portion of the Moruya cemetery. By means of a working bee they have had the reeds, long withered grass etc, burnt, so that a person can walk about the ground without fear of stepping into a rabbit burrow or of being bitten by a snake or native dingo, a fatality that might happen to a person walking in the adjoining portion of God’s Acre. – 4 September 1914

DEATHS:  MRS. JOHN DAVIS – There passed over to the Great Majority on the 27^th inst. at her residence, Mullenderree, the beloved wife of Mr. John Davis, at the age of 57 years. The deceased, who was a native of Nerriga, was a daughter of the late Mr. Edward Owen, and at the age of 31 years married Mr. John Davis of Coila, at Braidwood. Immediately after her marriage Mrs Davis came to Moruya, where she resided up to the time of her death. Deceased leaves a widower, four sons, Thomas and Herbert (Sydney), John and Harold (Moruya), and four daughters, Medames Yates (Sydney), Jackson (Penrith), Baily (Melbourne) and O’Cass (Moruya) to mourn their irreparable loss. The funeral took place on Sunday, the remains being interred in the Presbyterian Cemetery. – 4 September 1914

DEATHS: CHARLES RUSSELL – On Monday Mr. Charles Russell, of Tilba, received the call and passed over to join the Great Majority at the age of 65 years. Mr. Russell was born at Burra, at which place and Kiora he lived practically all his life. During the existence of the Moruya Shipping Company Mr Russelll carried out the responsible duties of agent, and subsequently took over the management of the Couria Creek Model Farm, near Tilba. For some considerable time Mr. Russell was a valued member of the Moruya A. and P. Society’s committee. For the last few years he resided at Tilba with the younger members of his family but owing to an attack of neurasthenia he became a great sufferer, and tho’ treated by Drs. Quilter (Moruya), Lister (Cobargo) and Renwick (Milton), gradually became worse, and about four months ago, accompanied by his wife, came in to his Mother’s at Kiora, where he took to his bed and gradually wasted away until death ended his mortal sufferings, as above stated, influenza accelerating the end. He leaves a widow and eleven children, six sons and five daughters viz., Messrs. Percy (Bowraville), Albert (Kiora), Norman and Cecil (Milton), Gordon and Osborne (Tilba), and Mrs. R. Nickson (Bermagui) and Misses Elsie, Maud, Amy and Jessie (Tilba), to all of whom the “Examiner” offers its most heartfelt condolence. – 4 September 1914

Seventeen 100 years ago booklets containing articles for the years 1899 to 1914 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 Museum in Campbell St. Moruya (www.mdhs.org.au).

A New DVD entitled Soldiers of the Eurobodalla, Stories of our Locals is also now available from the Society.