|
a.
|
Note: LIFE OF MR THOMAS HAIR
"I was priveleged to be able to attend the burial of the above deceased gentleman and friend and a record of his life and family is worthy of record. Mr Thomas Hair, along with his brother John, their respectivefamilies, 19 persons in all, overlanded from Coolomon, near Wagga, NSW, to Queensland in 1909 and settled, as pioneers on the land, at Tchanning Creek, NorthDulacca, where all resided for many years. About 1910 they were joined by brothers Malcolm and Robert, the latter coming over from Western Australia. Some Daughters, grand-children and great-grandchildren of these pioneers are today amoung the leading citizens of the district.
The Old pioneers, I now write of Thomas and John, over-laded it with 22 horses attached to two wagons, one dray, one spring cart, one buggy, one sulky and an old time stripper. The route was via Boggabri, NSW, through Dirranbandi, St George, to Roma, and hence Dulacca. The journey was said to be 1,308 miles and the time tacken was exactly 13 weeks.Their selections on the Tchanning were the Mecca, where the "Star of Hope" rested.
Who can visage the trials of that long journey, the eager of the young ones, as day by day, their journey went on-Who can tell of the womens work, as with camp ovens, frying pans and pots, they prepared the wayside meals? The menhad to find camps, where water and feed succoured their animals-just let us, for a moment envisage the trials as the convey trekked acros the then scarcely discernable tracks leading from place to place.
The families ultimarely arrived at Tchanning Creek. What did they arrive at? An unfenced, heavily timbered place. No home, blaxing fire or friend to welcome them. The teams pulled up, themen set about unharnessing and hobbling them out, the women out with the pots and pans to feed the hungry. At night time a watch had to be kept to hold the horses in control. Next day the men set about erecting the first temporary living Quarters, trees were stripped of large sheets of bark and what is today called a bark humpy was soon erected. Other dwellings were erected and units of the family essayed to occupy their own selections. Mill able timber, cypress pine and spotted gum, was abundant. It was salable on trucks at Dulacca - distant over heavy black soil some 18 miles away.
Hungry mouths had to be fed and so it ame that wagons and bullock teams were purchased and the timber carving was an industry. One son erected a saw mill and large quantities of cypress pine were milled, the bulk of the hevier stuff, spottered gum and iron bark, was bullock- carted and railed in the logs at Dulacca.
The family co-opereated in the foundation of the Miles Hospital and the Miles Show Society. Thomas Hair becamea member of the Murilla Shire Council, and was re-elected term after term without opposition over a period of 18 years, when at 75 years of age, he retired from that position and political local government life.
In 1941 he suffered one of lifes greatest losses with the passing of his belovered wife. They had weathered life together for nearly sixty years and her going marked a decline inThomas life.
Thomas was a man of very robust build, he had no ill health untill well past 84 years of age, his only medical lay down was two days in the Roma hospital, which immediatly preceded his passing. Two sons, John & Malcolm,had some distinction in the Great War, in that they were singled out as members of the Australian Guard of mightily built soldiers of the Kings Guard. His 7 sons Robert, Alexander, William, John, Malcolm, Thomas and Colin and his 3 daughters Kate (Mrs C Norris), Euphemie (Mrs F Norris) and Mary (Mrs J Holly) and his 45 grand children and 48 great gran children are bereft of a great father and grandfather, and we are all bereft of a staunch friend.
Thomas's sister Catherine Hair and his brother in-law Charles Rice owned the wheat team which isfeatured on the Australian 10 pound note from about 1915 to 1930. The story behind this picture is told in the book "Australian Banknotes" by Michael P Vort-Ronald.
|
