The Great War begins to affect more local families -News from 100 years ago

Shire-wide news extracts from the Moruya Examiner of Date 1916, provided by the Moruya & District Historical Society:

TIMBER RIGHT – The Bodalla Estate Manager, Mr. Hutchison, advertises in this issue the right to cut timber on the Estate, tenders closing on 15th September.

HONOR ROLL – Narooma is having a handsome Roll of Honor board erected in their School of Arts, the board containing the names of no less than 30 of her brave sons.

SUNK NETS – Fisherman were notified by the Under Secretary in last issue that a net with a total length not exceeding 200 fathoms, with a mesh not less than four inches, and the hauling lines not exceeding 150 fathoms may be lawfully used as sunk nets in the waters of Wagonga River and its tributaries till 30th next.

METHODIST MEETING – At a meeting of the trustees of the Methodist Church held on Wednesday afternoon last, arrangements were made for the purchase of a new Estey organ in place of the Cornish organ installed some 15 years ago. At the same meeting a resolution expressing the appreciation of the meeting for the good and faithful work done by Mr. W. Emmott during his long connection with the trust and the best wishes were expressed to him and his family for their future.

MINING – For the fortnight ended August 12th, The Tewksbury Araluen Co. won 100 ounces of gold. The Victorian Araluen Co. obtained 73ozs, in the same period.

WOUNDED – Word has been received that cap. Dave Dudgeon, erstwhile Master of Dwyer’s Creek Public School, has been wounded in the firing line in France.

GRAZING RIGHT – R. H. Harvison sold by public auction on Saturday last the grazing rights of Moruya Park for 12 months, dating from the 1st of next month. Mr. M. Deane, as agent for Mr. A. L. Jeffrey, started the sale with a bid of £30. Bids of £1 followed rapidly until the sum of £52 was reached, when the right was knocked down to Mr Deane for his client.

DEATH – We received word on Thursday that Mr. William Clow, of Wagonga, had died that morning at the advanced age of 84 years. Deceased was a splendid type of manhood. He was an engineer by trade, and erected most of the saw-mills and mining crushers in the southern district for many years prior to his weight of years forcing him to retire from all activities.

FINAL LEAVE – No less than fifteen khaki dressed lads from the Kiama camp arrived in Moruya on Saturday night on final leave. Amongst the young braves were Privates W. Dean, son of Mr. J. Deane of this town and J. Berriman, son of Mr. C. Berriman, of Congo.

BEING REMOVED – One of the ancient landmarks of Moruya is being removed by Mr. T. Turner, who purchased the old Post Office premises at the corner of Vulcan and Queen Streets, from Mr. J. McKeon. Mr. Turner got something in the shape of a surprise when pulling down the paper and calico to find that the building was ceiled with sheets of stringy-bark, almost as hard and well preserved as bell-metal. This bears out the truth of the late Mr. “Harry” Thomson’s favourite song, or at least the chorus, that ”Green-hide and stringy-bark are the mainstay of Australia.”

MISSING – Mrs. W. Bishop, of Eurobodalla received a cablegram on Thursday stating that her son, Private “Ray” Bishop was missing.

IN LOVE WITH FRANCE – Private Frank Geelan, son of the late Mr. Robert Geelan, who is well known to the many residents of Moruya, has written a very lengthy and interesting letter to the three Braidwood ladies who contested for the honor of Queen of that place some time ago. The following extract will interest our readers: — He writes :

“The fields and the woods of France are just now (June) simply superb. On every hand one sees fields of long waving grasses, bending to the wind, with great masses of flowers, the most prominent is the wild poppy.

Seventeen 100 years ago booklets containing articles for the years 1899 to 1915 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).