Mon. 21st March.
Pop Ferris, Ronnie, Bill Oxford and I commenced cutting burrs in top farm paddock.
Glor, Rogie, Timmy and I drove to Quirindi after tea. Glor and the boys saw film of the Redex Trial in the Parish hall. I left mower parts and part of draw bar at Ray Fletchers.
Tues. 22nd March.
Ronnie, Bill Oxford, and I cutting burrs in top 50 acre paddock. Alan Armstrong arrived at midday with two more burr cutters, old Fred Head, and Oscar
Griffiths. We all finished the 50 acre and cut out think patch below the fence.
Rogie went to school again after having mumps.
Sat.
26th March.
We all drove up to Quirindi show. Lunch at "Myanbah" with Nanna and Pop. Picked up Nanna and Pop and Joyce and her 3 children and the ten of us drove to the show. All went back to "Myanbah"
and Joyce and children caught the bus. We attended pictures at night. "Desert Song". Good show.
Tues. 5th April.
Yarded
the lambs from millet paddock and cleaned up a few dirth ones.
Ronnie took us the Willow Tree in the Snipe. Glor, Neil, Rogie and I caught the flyer to Sydney. [Timmy is staying with Nanna Ferris] Pop and Joyce also travelled to Sydney with us.
Wed. 6th April.
We all took a taxi to the show ground. We looked through all of the cattle stands. Also the district exhibits. All of us and Pop and Joyce had tea at the Corrination stand and watch ring events till closing time.
Thur. 7th April.
Breakfast at the Biltmore Hotel. Caught a train to the show ground getting off at Williams Street Paddington. At the show but
very miserable at it rained all day. Went home early.
Sat, 9th April.
Out to the show ground again today. 232,000 people
there today. We watched the ring events and went home early. Tea at a restaurant and took taxi out to the Tivoli Theatre. Good show.
Mon. 11th April.
Saw Stan Rezzonico for a bit today. Went out to the show. Looked through all the pavillions. Late arvo we went in to watch ring everts. Saw the tree felling contest. Also the police horse parade and the rodeo.
Tues. 12th April.
Left Biltmore Hotel at 7am. Caught train to Central Station and boarded the Northern Tablelands express. Had good trip to Willow
Tree. Left Central at 7.50am. Arrived Willow Tree at 3.45pm. Ronnie came in the Snipe to meet us.
Sat. 16th April.
We
all drove to Quirindi and picked up Pop. Via Wallabadah to Tamworth. Picked up Neil at Hostel and on to sheep sale at Bendemeer. Purchased 611 wethers. Two and four tooth at 70/-.
Sun.
17th April.
Glor, Rogie, Timmy and I drove to Arthurs in the Austin to bring back his Fordson tractor and rotary hoe. Had lunch with them.
Sat. 23rd April.
Loaded Arthurs Fordson tractor and rotary hoe onto my Austin truck and delivered it back home. Glor, the boys and I drove to Quirindi and attended sale at "Eurabah".
Didn't buy anything. Drove on up to Werris Creek. Picked up Joyce and children and Pat Smith, Alans neice. Up to Currabubula and saw Gordon, the drover with my 611 wethers.
Tues.
26th April.
Started my 11 steers in to Willow Tree. Ted Sevil met steers and also 22 steers of Stan Richardson and delivered them to Willow Tree. Sold my 11 steers to Daws Riverstone meats at £37-10-0.
Drove to Quirindi and took delivery of 609 merino wethers from Gordon at Quirindi saleyards. Two died. Ronnie had the whole day ploughing 40 acre millet paddock.
Wed. 27th April.
Glor and I drove in Austin truck to Quirindi to get the new 609 wethers. Arrived Quirindi saleyards at 8.45am. Pop helped me out of the yards and through
town along the stock route. Glor drove the truck and I walked the weathers all the way to Willow Tree Toll Bar reserve.
Ronnie finished ploughing the 40 acres. Then he cut burrs.
Thur. 12th May.
Old Ted Barwick is very Ill and is not expected to live.
Finished
sowing the 40 acres with oats. Sowed at 40 lbs per acre. Glor, Rogie and Timmy drove to Tamworth in the Snipe this morning. They brought Neil home from the Hostel.
Mon. 16th May.
Glor, Pop and I drove into Willow Tree to Ted Barwicks funeral. Ted was 81 years old.
[Edwin Alfred Barwick.
Coorooga. Married to Ethil McCrossin from Uralla. Children, Bruce, Jean, Wallace, Hector, Nance and Ross.]
Afternoon Pop, Neil, Rogie and I repaired the flood netting in the big gully from farm
paddock to Silsoe. Also fixed the gully down in plain paddock.
Tues. 17th May.
Removed 'Jewels' front shoe. Mustered
"Yarrabah" ewes into front paddock ready to be drenched. Leo Turner brought load of lucerne hay to my armco shed for Pop Ferris.
Glor, the three boys and I drove to Quirindi to dentist Clark.
Neil had a couple of fillings. I had one filled.
Fri. 20th May.
Took the Humber into Coombs for a full service. Neil
mustered the lambs and old ewes out of the cultivation paddock. Sold them to Joe Toohey. 187 Xbred lambs at 82/- and 33 aged Xbred ewes at 47/6. Neil helped me muster the cows and calves to yard. Pop, Neil and I marked 15 calves.
Big cracker night! Good crowd of parents and children here. Big bon fire and we all let off crackers. All had supper here after.
Sat. 21st May.
Pop went home with us to Quirindi. Glor and I played in comp match V Magpies. Finished when too dark at 4 sets each. We had tea at "Mayanbah" and we all went to the pictures at night.
Sun. 22nd May.
Neil and I drove to "Quondah" to see Mum. Found her in bed with the mumps.
Fri. 27th May.
Glor, Rogie, Timmy and I drove to Tamworth today. Charlie Ashford drove us out through Somerton and through Bective country to inspect some 15 and 18 month
old steers. Glor bought 36 steers at £15-15-0 from Bill Dennis.
Sat. 28th May.
we drove to Spring Ridge for comp
match. I played but Glor didn't. We, The Wrens won 7 sets to 2 sets. Rogie and Timmy stayed in Quirindi and went to the matinee movie. Glor and I took Nanna to the pictures at night.
Laurie Seymour
married at Gunnedah today.
Fri. 3rd June.
Light rain set in last night. 34 points to 9am. Mustered the ten milking cows
to yards. Mr Carter came and tested them for reaction to TB. Found one with TB symtoms.
Fixed the wire at top of gateway near sheep yards. Afternoon I tried to burn the grass with the flame thrower
but no success. Burned some heaped up patches of burrs.
Wed. 8th June.
Maurice and Ronnie Seymour came over and we crutched
wethers all day. Crutched wigged and ringed nearly 400 wethers for the day. These are the wethers from Bendemeer and we found them very slow as they are well wooled and wooly eyed.
Sat.
11th June.
I rode up to the top paddock and waited for Athol Hamilton to come out for the two fillies but he didn't turn up.
Glor
and iIdrove to Quirindi for afternoons tennis. I played in comp match V Kookas. We beat them 6 sets to 3 sets.
Mon. 13th June.
Washed
the humber this morning. All of us and Pop and Nanna drove to the annual Red Cross day and tennis tourney at Warrah Creek hall. Glor and Renee had the fancy stall. I helped run the chocolate wheel. Wood chopping and cross cut sawing competitions also held
on the grounds.
Sat. 18th June.
We all drove to Quirindi this morning. Glor and I played in comp match V Murrurundi
No. 1. They beat us 6 sets to 3 sets. Rogie and Timmy went to the matinee while we were playing tennis. We all went to the pictures at night. Saw Elwin, Vere and Marina on way home from Sydney. 45 points of rain late.
Thur. 23rd June.
48 points rain this morning. I got out of bed feeling pretty crook. Too muddy to do anything so Glor and I drove to "Quondah" to have the day with Mum.
Called on Ron and Dette. Had a look at their new building. Ron is having his house enlarged. two new bedrooms and an office built on front. Lunch and most of afternoon with Mum.
Fri.
1st July.
Mr Godley is judging in breeding ewe comp. I entered young corriedale and border X ewes. 2 and 4 tooth. Started at 9am and crutched 174 wethers from farm paddock. Wethers are in splendid
condition. Found two flyblown. Neil is very sick today. Has reovered from mumps but now has terrible headache. He is home from school.
Sat. 2nd July.
I took the 174 wethers back to the farm paddock. Burnt some more grass in plain paddock.
Glor and I drove to Murrurundi and played in comp match V Mdi No. 2 side. We won
8 sets to one.
Sun. 3rd July.
All drove to Quirindi. Glor and I played in ladies and gents double tourney. Glor played
with Mrs Doolan and I played with Harry McInerney.
Mon. 4th July.
Pop and Nanna here for a few days. Pop and I rounded
up all the cattle in "Yarran". Counted 63 steers in farm paddock. 107 cattle in "Yarran" plain. 25 my steers, one hereford poll bull, one jersey bull. 68 share hereford steers with Pop. 12 steers Jack Ryder.
Glor
joined the Willow Tree CWA. Attended meeting.
Mon. 11th July.
The five of us drove to Tamworth by 8.45am. Landed Neil
back to the Hostel in time for school. Did a bit of shopping and then drove on to Walcha arriving at 12.45pm. Lunch there and met Dick and Doris Ferris and their two girls Barbara and Marie. Brought Aunt Maud Ferris back to "Quondah" as companion for Mum.
All had tea with Mum. Had puncture in rear back wheel on way home. Ruined both tire and tube.
Wed. 20th July.
Glor and
I drove to Geo Gardiners hut at millers creek and collected 6 bags of graded seed wheat at £2-2-0 per bag. We drove down to botton of "Yarrabah" and burned plains grass. Used the flame thrower. Repaired gully flood netting at top end of the 70 acre cultivation.
Thur. 21st July.
Spent the morning getting tractor and combine ready for sewing wheat in bottom lucerne paddock. Sowed 3 acres
oats and lucerne in top end of 23 acre paddock. Started then on the wheat. Sowing 43 lb wheat and 2lb lucerne per acre.
Sat. 23rd July.
16 points rain overnight. All drove to Quirindi this morning. Lunch with Nanna and Pop. Glor and I played comp match with Wrens Verses Warrah. We won 6 sets to 3 sets. Went to the pictures at night. Saw "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers".
First screening of cinemascope. Very good.
Fri. 29th July.
Ronnie Seymour and I continued work on the division fence
of lucerne paddock. Erected all the steel posts.
Glor and I drove to Quirindi. I had injection at Dr Cowlishaws. Sold 220 lb crutchings to Os Bryant. Picked up hardwood timber at Reg Sevils. 4x4s
and 5x2s.
Tues. 2nd Aug.
Ern Finch and Tom Wilcox are walling in the skillion of shearing shed at south end. They finished
nailing down the grating on the floor. Also built me three new wool bins. Ronnie and I helping all day in shearing shed.
Sat. 6th Aug.
Drove truck to Willow Tree for the day. Working bee at the school. Hector, Jim Sevil, Ron Symonds, Ranville Schofield, Jim Phillips, Roy Ison, Jack Kelly and myself. We erected aerial posts and new flag pole. Set up new wireless and amplifiers
in the three school rooms.
Glor played comp match in Murrurundi playing with the Wrens, V Murrurundi No. 1 team.
Mon.
8th Aug.
Commenced "Yarrabah" shearing today. Brian and Maurice Seymour are shearing and Arthur is helping with the wool classing, pressing and other shed work.
Thur. 11th Aug.
Finished the 460 big merino wethers from plain paddock. Men did 106 today and finished at 4pm after it started raining. Brother Ron came
over here and brought Mum and Aunt Maud Ferris to have a look at the shearing. Pop Ferris here helping too after he landed here last night.
Bales of wool from this flock, 1.AHAW, 3.AAW, 3.AW, 3.AAABKNW,
2.PCSW, 1.POOL.
Sat. 13th Aug.
We all had full day at Tamworth to watch football carnival. 1400 boys competing from
96 teams. Neil played in two matches with the 8 stone 7lb team. They beat Armidale in Semi-final but lost to DeLaSal in the final. Tamworth High won the open final.
Thur. 18th Aug.
Max Callaghan and Don Campbell came out and erected a new 18 foot angle iron frame and galvanised iron trough. Put the new trough in the new 70 acre paddock.
Glor went in to Willow Tree this morning to help at the school tuck shop. She took Dot in. I went in with Hector this arvo and we inspected the childrens work and art etc. Saw a school play and they did some folk dancing. We all drove to
Quirindi late.
Sat. 20th Aug.
I rode round "Yarrabah". Lambs still coming fast. Drafted off 7 cows and vealers and 5
other young cattle and turned them into the oats.
Rogie, Timmy and I went to Quirindi. Boys went to the matinee movies. I played with the Wrens in semi final of tennis comp. We beat Willow Tree
5 sets to 4 sets. Went home and we all had tea at Jacks Creek hall. R.C. Tennis tourney and dance.
Sun. 21st Aug.
Rogies
birthday. He is eleven. Took him for a ride this morning. Mummy gave Rogie a birthday party. Bryce Sevil and the four Tourle boys were here this afternoon. We gave Rogie a Daisy air rifle for his birthday.
Sat. 27th Aug.
Neil sprayed all the fruit trees and grape vines with harola.
All drove to Quirindi this arvo.
I played with the Wrens Verses Murrurundi 1 team in the final of the competition. We won 6 sets to 3 sets. Pop came home with us tonight.
Mon. 29th Aug.
Resumed "Yarrabah" shearing again today. Doing ewes. Brian and Maurice shore 166 ewes. Wool in very good order but a lot of bathurst burr in it.
Fri. 2nd
Sept.
Brian and Maurice shore 171 wethers today. They continued until 6pm and finished the farm paddock mob. Neil and Ronnie mustered the plain paddock and we drafted off all the young wethers.
Shedded about 150 wooly wethers and 15 border leicester rams.
Sun. 4th Sept.
We slept in this morning. At midday we
drove to "Quondah" for the afternoon. Had afternoon tea with Mum and Aunt Maud. Mrs Sedgewick and Mavis up there too. I drove to Quirindi to Parochial Council meeting. Brought Pop and Timmy and Adrian Bridge home.
Thur. 8th Sept.
Brian and Maurice finished the shearing today. They shore 133 young wethers and cut out at 5.25pm. Cracked a couple of bottles of beer! Full number shorn,
1692. 50 bales of wool.
Rain set in as we finished and it rained all night.
Sun. 11th Sept.
Glor and I played in mixed doubles championships in Quirindi. Os Bryant and Mrs Finch beat us 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Thur. 15th Sept.
Glor and I to Quirindi in the Austin. Sold 90 lb BKNW wool at 45, and 160 lbs BLS at 27 to Bryant and Swain.
We attended auction sale in the Pavillion of Colly Creek Station.
22,000 acres. Top price 635 acres at £30-10-0 per acre. It was cut into eleven blocks but only six sold at auction.
Ronnie dressed about half of the marked lambs this morning and then mustered
the rest of "Yarrabah" into the yards.
Sun. 18th Sept.
All drove to Quirindi this morning. Glor played with Nola Corbould
in doubles championship. I played with Cliff Garske V Bruce Slacksmith and Os Bryant. They beat us 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. We stayed and watched other matches in the championships all afternoon.
Wed.
21st Sept.
Ronnie and I took the truck and tractor down to the north east corner of "Yarran" and commenced erection of a new boundary fence between "Yarran" and "Silsoe". Ron Symonds has Paddy
Lumley helping him on the fence. We pulled down ten chains and erected one full strain of new fence. Using 16 split posts and 51 steels and two rolls of cyclone in each strain.
Sat.
24th Sept.
Neil helped me run barb on front boundary fence. We also planted the elm trees at front entrance to "Yarrabah".
We all drove in to Willow
Tree to gift evening to Tony Barwick and Niaree Avard.