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- _HERBERT JOHN WILSON_
Bert, the first child, was born at "Aberbaldie", New England and was carried by his parents, in a blanket on their backs, as they rode by horseback to Rollands Plains, where he spent his first 30 yrs. At the age of 26 yrs. he married his first wife, Kate, at "Glen Ewan" on Rawdon Island, Port Macquarie.
Prior to his marriage, Bert spent a period of time on a cattle station in QLD managed by Uncle Jack - when leaving for QLD the locals of Rollands Plains presented him with cufflinks, which he left to his oldest grandson, Bruce Ainsworth. After this and prior to marriage, Bert and cousin, Roger Wilson, were in partnership growing maize at Rollands Plains. Bert was born and bred a dairy farmer and once held the title of "Fastest Dairy Milker on the North Coast". After marriage Bert and Kate lived at "Eugowra", Rollands Plains, owned by Thomas D. Wilson and Agnes Anna Wilson. T.D. and Agnes Anna retired to Green Hills and Bert and Kate farmed there until about 1910, when Bert purchased a property "Bronte" Emu Creek, via Degilbo, Queensland, and took his young family to live there, where they settled for some eight years. "Eugowra" was leased out by the Rudder family and shortly after, the house was burned down. - T.D. and Agnes Anna Wilson later left Green Hills and bought a home in Forth St., Kempsey -- "Bervie" - .
Extract from daughter Eileen's recollections - "When I was about 4 years of age we left the Plains, Dad having bought a dairy farm at Degilbo, Queensland -- 200 miles above Brisbane. My only memory of that move, was that grandfather drove us per buggy to Armidale, to connect with the train to travel to Qld. I remember him flicking wild flowers off the roadsides with a buggy whip, and also that we stayed with Uncle Rev. Roger W. Wilson and Aunt Isobel at Armidale. It was a four day journey to reach Degilbo, where we stayed at a hotel and picked up the measles germ. Jean , Nora and I developed them.
The farm was at Emu Creek, and three miles from Dallarnil. My school teacher drove a horse and sulky, and I went with her to Emu Creek School. I must have been only nine years old when I first drove the sulky myself after the teacher moved away. I remember a big lecture that we didn't give the children who were walking, a ride. The Khalu children were further from school than we were. So I attended Emu Creek till I was eleven. Our family consisted of Eileen, Jean, Nora, Thomas, Lucy, Florence, Geof and Wilton. In December, 1914, as a family of five, we children were stricken down with some sickness like gastroenteritis and all were in Gayndah hospital. Nora and Thomas, aged 4 and 2 years respectively, died within four days of each other. Their headstones are in Gayndah cemetery. We were in hospital nearly six weeks. For the birth of the babies, mother would go to Maryborough or Childers - the nearest hospitals. Except Florence, who was born at home. I remember being puzzled at Dad catching the horses at midnight and going off In the buggy to Dallarnil, 3 miles away to get Mrs Munt, who helped out as mid wife
Mother was a small dark eyed person who wore size 2 shoe, but she must have had lots of energy. She was one of the fifteen Bransdon family of Hastings River NSW. She as a girl had spent some years with her father's sister, Nena Slade, who had a shoe shop in Maitland, where she learnt to paint, sew and play the piano. In her married life she often sang at concerts, she played the organ, a portable one, for all denominations of church congregations. How I remember when Dad didn't want to go, and she and I would go off in the sulky. I'd mind the baby on a rug on the floor near the organ. She seemed to be always helping someone out with their children's sewing, especially Mrs Semple, who had eleven. She would ride old "Creamy" up early in the morning with the baby in her arms, and stay till it was dark, and then off home, three miles away. Being the eldest I had to be Dad's help. He had a second paddock, two and a half miles away, and the weekends were taken up shifting cattle and fencing etc. I would have to ride with him, and would have been about six when I learnt to ride. You dare not fall off or you would be put straight back on. Once "Whirley" pig rooted all the way from the house to the gate - but I didn't fall off. Also I had to help Dad plant the potatoes - I was given a piece of stick to measure distance between each plant".
Kate died at the birth of Wilton 21-3-1919 at Lady Musgrave hospital, Maryborough, QLD, leaving a sorrowing husband and 6 grieving children. Bert took the children back to NSW and left them in the care of relatives while he returned to Qld to sell up his property "Bronte". He then bought a dairy farm in NSW, Mrs. Esold's, on the river bank at Congarinni, Taylor's Arm Road, Macksville. Finding housekeepers not satisfactory, Eileen left school at 13 and raised her brothers and sisters. Their recollections make Interesting reading. They were all good cooks, and needlewomen. Bert inherited T.D. Wilson's T model Ford and later traded it in on a 1927 Whippet. After the girls married, Bert married Annie Lyons and lived in her home in Owen Street, Port Macquarie.
During his retirement, he spent much time and interest as a warden and guide of St. Thomas's Church of England, Port Macquarie, where he would guide tourist's over this historic building, explaining the construction and the history attached to this site..
Annie Lyon's home in Owen Street occupied 2 blocks, and it was his custom to cut the lawn with a scythe - he could finish the job quicker and was unhindered by wet grass. He separated from Annie and purchased a cottage at South West Rocks. He lived there, dying in Macksville at daughter Eileen's in 1968.
Herbert John was given at his birth, a silver spoon, from his Grandmother McIver. It bears the Colquhoun crest "Si Je Puis" and boar's head, and on his death it was given to his eldest daughter, Agnes Eileen Ainsworth, who also has a sugar spoon, used daily by her Grand mother Agnes Anna Wilson for brown sugar, and a butter knife from the original Wilson cutlery.
Colin, son of Wilton Wilson, has some old pieces of the Wilson cutlery.
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Born and bred a Farmer, who once held the title of "Fastest Dairy Hand Milker on the North Coast"
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1880 - 1968 (88 years)