The information and images on this page was sourced from ' A History of Wyndham' Fourth Edition 2003, published by the Wyndham Public School with their kind permission and other main contributor, historian Bernie Cornell.
HOW DID WYNDHAM GET ITS NAME?
During 1856 land was surveyed in the Wyndham
District and a suitable plan was drawn up
for a village. At this time, on the other
side of the world, the Crimean War was taking
place where great moments of history were
unfolding before all, such as "The Charge
of the Light Brigade". Heroes were being
made: Florence Nightingale (the lady with
the lamp) and other famous military and naval
persons such as Cathcart, Windham, Raglan,
Dundas and Nolan. These people were some
of the brave leaders of the time and it would
have been an honour in those days to name
a village or town after one of them.
Sites were fixed for the village of Windham
on the 24th July, 1856, some 4-5 months after
the finish of the Crimean War; and at Cathcart
in 1857. The village of Raglan near Bathurst
and the town of Dundas near Parramatta were
most probably named for a similar reason.
The following extract from the book "The
Crimean War" is a reference to the Colonel
Windham who it is believed Wyndham has been
named after. It makes quite interesting reading:
"Colonel Charles Windham, known for
the rest of his life by the nickname of "Redan"
Windham, had two nights before tossed a coin
with Colonel Uniet, to decide which of them
should have the honour of leading the British
assault party on the other great Russian
redoubt. Having won the toss, Colonel Windham
spent the night before the attack writing
to his wife, to suggest how she might apply
for a pension, and arranging his personal
affairs in the cool and certain expectation
of death.
At 1 pm., amid the deafening din of bombardment,
Colonel Windham drew his sword, and went
manfully over the parapet of the outermost
British trench, followed by infantrymen of
the 41st Regiment, with Grenadiers following.
A far from successful assault took place
at the Redan.
The raw recruits near Windham had begun
to speak of their mortal fear that the Redan
might be mined. Colonel Windham himself,
so far miraculously unscathed, had sent back
message after message to headquarters, insisting
that supports be sent up at once. But each
young officer sent back by Windham with this
urgent demand was shot down crossing the
bleak and bare terrain of no-man's land.
A group of British did manage to cling closely
for as long as an hour - but when Windham
had decided there was nothing for it but
to go back for reinforcements in person,
a Russian sortie at bayonet point succeeded
in driving the last of the attacking party
away from the walls of the Redan."
Wyndham 1958. Photo courtesy Bernie Cornell |
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF WYNDHAM (This section with kind permission of Bernie
Cornell )
The town's early history shows that it was
founded indirectly at least, as the result
of gold seeking.
From research we learn that during 1852,
the Rev. W.B. Clarke made a tour of the southern
districts to examine likely gold deposits.
His journey took him from Monaro to Eden
via the Big Jack route, and in the course
of it he claimed to have discovered gold
at Honeysuckle Flat. He also made mention
of the abundance of molybdenite on the way
to Eden from Honeysuckle.
Arriving at Eden in March of that year,
he reported his findings, and by October
of the same year men were, "on the average making their pound a
day", at Honeysuckle digging for gold. The bulk
of these men appeared to have come from the
diggings in the Araulen Valley, and continued
to do so for the next few years, although
the field yielded little gold, and by 1854
the men were doing little more than making
wages.
To cater for the needs of the diggers, William
Thompson was 1st licensee of the Honeysuckle
Inn erected by 1855 and continued to supply
meat, bread and provisions for the next ten
years. "Portion of this Inn still stands on
the original site and several of the square
cornered, dark glass rum bottles sold in
those days still lie around the establishment".
Particularly in the days of the Kiandra
gold rush, the peak of which was reached
in the latter part of 1860, the Inn was recognised
as somewhat of an important landmark on the
way to the diggings. In early newspapers
it is referred to as being more of a farmhouse
than an Inn, and it is spoken of as "being situated in an open flat valley,
with its high post on the opposite side of
the way; the sign board suspended and swinging
to the breeze, forcibly reminding one of
the picture of an English roadside Inn in
the olden times."
Both Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were well spoken
of by the diggers, who spent their evenings
playing quoits in the large open ground behind
the Inn.
By 1862 the rush to Kiandra had subsided
and men turned their attention to farming,
while others spread to the diggings at Bendoc
and Delegate.
Since 1853, miners had been searching for
gold at Honeysuckle and from about 1893 the
Whipstick area was mined for gold.
At Craigie, three or four hundred Chinamen
were congregated together to "devote their time to gold diggings,
opium smoking and kindred pursuits." Meanwhile, at Honeysuckle, the first farmers
were settling on the flats, and to John Robinson
must go the credit of realising the opportunities
offered to the farmer.
In 1853 he purchased 52 acres of land, and
in later years he enlarged his holdings by
further purchase. The land thereafter continued
to be sold in 52 acre blocks, as life on
the flats settled down to a more peaceful
atmosphere, broken occasionally by an arrest
or a hold-up in the vicinity.
James and Bridget Hickey took over the Inn
at Honeysuckle in 1882 although they had
no licence to sell liquor. When Whipstick
mines attracted large numbers of miners,
Bridget took over the Inn as a general store
until 1928 when the Whipstick area was burnt
out in a bushfire. Her husband worked as
a road maintenance man as well as running
a small farm in the valley. Bridget was known
to have hidden the sovereigns she received
in the chimney but her hiding place was robbed.
Several years later two sovereigns were ploughed
up on the hill behind the store and bore
the dates of 1827 and 1857. The Hickeys came
to Australia in 1865 from Tipperary in Ireland.
They had befriended another Irishman, Bernard
Grant, in Moruya where both first settled.
James and Bernard visited each other's homes
and usually walked together after the meeting
as far as the Honeysuckle Bridge where from
opposite ends they farewelled each other
in song.
For a period the innkeeper was obliged to
absent himself, being under arrest on a shooting
charge. Whilst quarrelling with his son he
became so excited "that in a burst of passion lie fired
at his son, but missing his aim, the whole
contents of the gun were lodged in the person
of Mrs. Dunn," who lived across the creek.
Daniel Dunn followed Thompson as licensee,
and he too apparently was not on good terms
with his stepson John White, and cautioned
all persons against dealings in cattle and
horses with him. With the advent of farming,
the search for gold at Honeysuckle was discontinued,
although a few men continued to search at
Scotchys Creek, near the present town of
Wyndham.
Wyndham was surveyed and the site was fixed
on July 24, 1856, and in September of the
same year the first land sale for the town
was held in Eden, little of the land offered
being sold, and of those blocks sold none
were occupied. It was not until the tune
of the Kiandra excitement that buyers became
really interested in the land. Now hundreds
of men en route to the Snowy River passed
through the town site, via Big Jack.
A further land sale was held at Pambula on
July 19, 1860, and most of the remaining
blocks were sold, mainly to Pambula and Eden
citizens, among them being Robert Turbet
and Emma Love.
John Love, during 1860, commenced to build
the Old Stockyard Inn on a site on the river
flat at the present western end of the town,
while Robert Turbet, at about the same time
built the Scottish Chief Inn on the present
site of the Robbie Burns.
Both Inns were destroyed by fire, the last
to burn being the Scottish Chief, which was
destroyed in 1865.
Candelo was visited in 1865 by two men with
blackened faces who stuck up Witten's store.
the Bombala-Cooma mail was held up at One
Tree Hill shortly afterwards and in Wyndham
a band of diggers threatened Mrs. Love "a hot seat on the fire if she did not
give them what they required." The presence of the police must have had the desired effect as the incidence
of crime decreased soon afterwards.
A local newspaper reported: "This is the second public house destroyed
by fire in this township. We might with truth
say the whole township was completely destroyed
by fire as the said township comprises of
only two houses, both inns, one being destroyed
by fire some time ago."
The Inns were rebuilt; Love's close to the
present road away from the creek, and Turbet's
on the same site and known afterwards as
the Robbie Burns.
Innkeeping in those days was rather a hazardous
occupation as masked men roamed the country
sticking-up those most likely to have money
or goods. Troopers were dispatched from Sydney
and stationed along the route to the Snowy
River. Two were allocated to the Roan Horse
Inn, two to the Dragon Inn at Cathcart, and
two to Nimmitabel, where in 1851 bushrangers
"put the town in consternation."
An early and optimistic estimate of the
farming potentialities of Wyndham in 1860
describes the land as "of the very best description" and "of great extent, with excellent pasture" sufficient to support a population of 1,000
persons.
Another describes it as "thickly wooded, barren and stony, being
adapted for no other purposes than that of
a sheep run." At this time the population was estimated
at about 20 persons.
The Wyndham district was probably the first
used as a cattle run by the Imlay brothers,
George, Alexander and Peter, who settled
at Twofold Bay and Pambula in about 1834.
By 1846 all the Imlay property had passed
over to James and William Walker, excepting
that on the north side of the Bega River,
which remained under Peter's charge. George
and Alexander having since died, Peter carried
on until 1853, when the land was purchased
mainly by Thomas Mort
September 3, 1897
Wyndham
* Meeting at Robbie Burns Hotel to consider
establishing dairy factory at Wyndham. Mr.
D. Grant occupied the chair.
THE ROBBIE BURNS HOTEL, WYNDHAM
An Account from the Sydney Mail, January 1903
"Although this is the only hotel in
Wyndham, it is a very superior hostelry.
Mrs. Turbett, the proprietress, started in
business with her husband at Wyndham during
the Kiandra rush, and family are well and
favourably known. The Robbie Burns is a treat
to the traveller, who is not likely to ask
how far it is to the next township, as is
the case in many places. The Robbie Burns
is not an old building, and has large rooms,
well ventilated. The stables and out-buildings
are very good and substantial, and contain
13 stalls and several loose boxes. The Misses
Turbet are very kind and attentive, and I
fancy they do a share of their own cooking,
for there is a chanu about the scones and
butter that does not hang around those produced
by the professional cook. There were a number
of visitors staying during my visit, and
they were all unanimous in their praise of
the house."
Wyndham
* Our township and some of its environs were
well represented in the last issue of the
"Sydney Mail". The Robbie Burns
Hotel and Dublin House stood out in bold
relief.
March 22, 1907
Wyndham
*
Mr. Dunphy of the Robbie Burns Hotel intends
having acetylene gas installed on the premises.
Inn Keeper's Licensee's | |||||||||||
Mick Grant late 1930's- 1940 Robert McBurney Turbet 1940-1958 Lou Marney 1958- 1962 Sid Robinson 1962 Harry Cramp 1963- 1965 Lail Powell 1965-1970 Springett 1970- 1975 Gordon Ashcroft 1975- 1978 |
E. Trestrail 1978- 1980 George Constable & Bill Pearce 1980 - 1987 Jenny Vincent & David Carey 1987- 1992 License changed to Hotelier's license Terry Percival 1992- 1995 Bernadette Godfrey 1995 - |
Mrs. Turbet | Robbie Burns Hotel 1903 |
Robbie Burns Inn Date unknown Photo courtesy Bernie Cornell |
Robbie Burns Hotel 1926 |
Wyndham Hotel with Grant's Butchery on right.
c1920. (Robby Burns Hotel, Wyndham, built on the site of Scottish Chief Inn. Photo courtesy Whitby family. |
In 1848 the Walkers had several stations
consisting of all the Kameruka, Candelo,
Towamba, Wyndham and Rocky Hall country.
The Wyndham area would most likely have been
included in the Yaclama Run, which included
the Rocky Hall land. Following Walkers came
the Twofold Bay Pastoral Association, in
1854.
This association split up in about 1860
and divided the property amongst its members.
Thus R. and E. Tooth, Styles and Manning
occupied that country between Kameruka and
Rocky Hall and south to Towamba. Other members
had interests in some of this land and Kanoonah,
in the Bega district, belonged to Styles
and Manning.
It should be understood that the bulk of
the land was leased, and small farmers were
prevented from settling on the land until
after the Free Selection Act was passed in
1861. Any man could now occupy land providing
he paid for portions of it over a period
of time.
The Robertson family arrived in Wyndham from
Pambula. Charles Robertson was the son of
Charles senior the licencee of the Governor
Fitzroy Inn near Oaklands property on Pambula
Flat. Young Charles married Elizabeth Robinson,
daughter of John and Martha, in 1868 and
raised a large family the sons occupying
the total Honeysuckle land until half way
through this century.
Meanwhile the village developed at two ends;
Honeysuckle and Diversi's to the west of
the townsite. Under the new legislation,
Ferdinand Diversi selected land about two
miles west of Wyndham along the present Rocky
Hall road. In about 1870 he built a store
and later operated the first Post Office.
There was also a blacksmith shop and assembly
room and hotel. Combining farming with the
running of the store and Post Office, he
endeavoured to draw the population and business
centre away from the surveyed township, which
by then was practically nonexistent. This
was done by arranging concerts, dances, rifle
shoots and athletic meetings. At a rifle
shoot in 1893, Mrs. Diversi donated a bracelet,
as a special prize, valued at £1/10/-. Shooting
ranges were 100, 200, and 300 yards and each
shooter was allowed five shots. Daniel Grant
and Robert Beek, storekeeper from Rocky Hall,
were appointed handicappers and cartridges
were sold on the ground. That night a fancy
dress ball was held in the assembly room.
Sometimes live pigeons were used and seven
birds were allowed each shooter.
In 1885 a police station and courthouse
were built close to Diversi's and this was
visited by travelling Magistrates Charles
Stiles and Patrick Sheehy on the bench.
Photo courtesy Bernie Cornell |
When the new Police Station and Court House
were built in 1898 in the village and with
the post office already moved, Diversi's
plan to have the village move west came to
a finish. A brickmaking industry had begun
in the town the clay for the bricks, being
dug from Robert Turbet junior's property
on the old Burragate Road. Bricks made here
were used in the new school buildings opened
in 1892.
Others to select land west of the town were
Power, Shipway and McCausland. The position
then was that at the two ends of the town
were two small settlements Honeysuckle and
Diversi's.
Construction of the road to Candelo commenced
in 1888 along with a new road to Burragate.
Creek crossings at Pretty Point and Honeysuckle
remained major problems, until wooden bridges
were constructed in 1888 at Honeysuckle and
1896 at Pretty Point. Wyndham's oldest inhabitant,
Mrs. Ellen Love, wife of John, broke a bottle
of champagne on the last named bridge, built
of box timber milled by Rayners Mill at Myrtle
Creek.
A school was built between Wyndham and Honeysuckle
but this was burnt down shortly afterwards
and lessons were then conducted in a room
at the Robbie Burns Inn until 1871 when a
slab school was built on the present site.
The 1968 history says weatherboard but in
1878 there is a reference in school files
to a slab building.
As the century moved to a close, most of
the permanent buildings in the town had been
completed. Dairying was established; the
mines at Whipstick were experiencing mixed
fortunes and timber milling near Honeysuckle
was carried on by the sons of Charles Rayner
after his death at the mill in 1896.
Thomas Beare the teacher died in 1902 following
his wife's death from typhoid fever in 1900.
Mr. Frank Fell, the new teacher remained
for twenty seven years. The disastrous fire
of 1904, and rabbit plagues of 1911 were
still to come. When asked, shortly before
he died, what was the principal life-sustaining
force in Wyndham, Robert Turbet hesitated,
before going on to say that "On a cold winters day, a good glass
of Scotch is not to be despised".
Preparing for the trip to Merimbula wharf
with a load of skins and hides. Taken about 1910 in front of Skin and Hide Shop. Note two policemen on the verandah Photo courtesy Bernie Cornell |
THE FIRST WYNDHAM
RACE MEETING
Race Meetings commenced on St. Patrick's
Day 1888 and were held until the 1930's.
The course was situated on Charles Robertson's
property on the Burragate Road close to the
Pambula Road. Although the track itself was
cleared of timber, many trees and stumps
covered the area, so much so, that one jockey
at the first Meeting was thrown onto a stump
and injured, and a horse and rider collided
with a tree. Mr. P.M. Sheehy acted as Judge
and Charles Turbot was Secretary for early
Meetings. A publican's booth was organised
by Robert Turbet, the hotel-keeper, and all
settlements with the bookmaker were made
at the "Robbie Burns" after the
Meeting.
The first Race Ball was held in the new School
of Arts on 18.3.89, but the day's events
must have tired the dancers as only 25 couples
attended.
Although there was a full programme of races
at the first Meeting, the number of nominations
for each race was usually six or seven horses,
many horses being nominated for more than
one race.
Race Meetings and Athletics Carnivals were
often associated with St. Patrick's Day and
Charles Turbet, the Secretary, appears to
have been Wyndham's fastest footrunner. A
handicap system operated throughout the District
and runners' handicaps were published in
the newspapers prior to the meetings.
Source: Candelo & Eden Union 1888-89,
courtesy of the Mitchell Library.
Footnote: Charles Turbot married Evelyn Robinson
from Honeysuckle, later joined the Police
Force and became Superintendent of Motor
Transport, one of the most senior positions
in the NSW Police at the time.
Photo courtesy Bernie Cornell |
(The following is a transcript of a story
which was sent Bernie Cornell in 1956 by
Dan Grant. I have rewritten it as faithfully
as I could to the way Dan had related it.
Some slight word changes were made to assist
in the continuity of the story.) Bernie Cornell
LITTLE BOY LOST - 1871
It was a Pic - Nic at Honeysuckle about the
year 1870 or 1871. There was a march to Honeysuckle
by the schoolchildren. Charley Turbet became
lost. A long and diligent search was mounted
by a number of people looking in logs and
bog holes.
He was eventually found by Edward Power in
a tussock, on the flat the tussock were about
4" high.
The tracks of the boy were discovered crossing
the sandy stream bed which led the searchers
through the tussock to where the boy was
found by Mr. Power carrying his little straw
hat in his hand.
The lost child would have been three years
old when all the above happened. He lived
on to become the Chief of Police.*
The partners on the way to the Pic-Nic were
George Grant and Edward Whitby, Bob Turbet
and Charles Whitby. Jams Grant and Harry
Whitby, Peter and Dan Grant.
*Charles Turbet was in fact Chief Superintendent
of Motor Traffic, a position once held by
a member of the police force.
WYNDHAM VISITED BY GOVERNOR - GENERAL
On his tour of the Southern districts (in
March 1907), the Governor-General, Baron
Northcote, had a mishap with his carriage
as it descended the Big Jack Mountain. A
brake shoe on the hind wheel failed and the
carriage shot down the hill. The driver and
passengers, excepting His Excellency, were
thrown to the ground, but hanging onto the
reins, the driver held the horses and assisted
by a mounted trooper who helped him, brought
the carriage to a halt.
After this incident, the children at Rocky
Hall School welcomed the party, which then
set out for Wyndham, where they arrived on
11th March, 1907. A number of residents escorted
the party into the town and a banquet took
place in the School of Arts. Thomas Waterson,
the local carpenter, storekeeper and undertaker,
chaired the banquet proceedings and Thomas
Moore delivered the address of welcome.
On behalf of the children of the local school,
and Whipstick and Stony Batter schools, Dollie
Grant (Cornell) read an address of welcome
and Linda Beare (Keys) presented some children's
drawings to His Excellency who praised the
beauty of the local countryside and also
the inhabitants for their loyalty to Britain.
Ref: Pambula Voice 15.3.1907 State Library
of NSW
(Accepted as) The arrival of the Governor-General, Baron
Northcote, 1907 Possibly Rocky Hall or Wyndham. |
THE OLD POST OFFICE
Known Post Masters of Wyndham
1887 - Crown Grant to George Berney. (Opposite
park) House built. Berney He was Police Constable
in Wyndham 1886/87
1888 - New Post Office and Telephone Office
in Wyndham. Post Office at Diversi's Closed.
Post Office Mr. Flanders (Pambula Voice)
1888 - Berney's occupation was Storekeeper.
Left Wyndham same year
1890 - 1907 William Edwards was Postmaster.
1907 - 1914 Unknown
1914 - 1948 Harriet Goldberg.
1948 - 1955 Jack Fleming
1955 - 1983 Fred Umback until he died (27
years).
The Post Office then went to the General
Store.
Stan Reid with the mail car next to the pub.
Probably taken in the late twenties |
Game of tennis on the court beside the Post
Office c.1908. The court was constructed in 1899. Those in the photograph would all be relatives of each other as they are: L - R: Ivy Turbet, William Edwards, Elsie Waterson (1st seated), Cuthbert Edwards (standing), Tom Waterson, Jane Waterson, Frank Fell. |
Wyndham
Our township and some of its environs were
well represented in the last issue of the
"Sydney Mail". The Robbie Burns
Hotel and Dublin House stood out in bold
relief. Moorvale farm and area looked well
but, strange to say, the champion farm of
the district, Mr. Chas. Robertson's was reproduced
in anything but an attractive form, though
the genial "Charley" himself is
there all right, and some of his cows look
what they are. Mr. Robertson's Jersey herd
will compare favourably with any of the kind
on the South Coast...
June 24, 1898
Wyndham
...The new court house is rapidly nearing
completion, and when finished will tend much
towards enhancing the look of the town...
DUBLIN HOUSE, WYNDHAM
Mr. Simon Goldberg commenced business in
Wyndham in general storekeeping in 1888.
Since that time the business has had several
changes also some ups and down. Mr. Louis
Goldberg was a partner for some considerable
time, but withdrew and commenced business
on his own account in Pambula. The steady
growth of the trade compelled Mr. S. Goldberg
to remove into far more commodious premises,
and far the past years his business has been
opposite the Robbie Burns Hotel, in the centre
of the town of Wyndham. The Dublin House,
like many other places, has had some trying
experiences. The most important were the
`93 bank failures. and maritime strike, together
with several mining failures in the neighbourhood,
and a succession of very dry seasons. lately
business has been improving under a good
system.
Goods are delivered to customers within a
radius of 16 miles and a branch store has
been established at Rocky Hall, about 13
miles out, under the management of Mr. Gen.
Beare, and another is contemplated at Burragate
(about eight miles away). In the aggregate,
some 250 tons of goods are received annually.
Mr. Goldberg is a native of Russia, and
has resided in the colony for 20 years. During
his residence here he has taken great interest
in the welfare of the town and surrounding
district. His establishment is the Anthony
Borden's of Wyndham district, for he supplies
everything from a needle to an anchor. Wire
fencing. barbed wire, ironmongery of all
descriptions, buckets for dairies, small
dairy supplies.. a general store in all its
branches, and very scat and stylish hats
and drapery - in fact, it is one of the most
up-to-date country stores to be met with
in the South Coast, and has able and smart
assistants.
SOURCE: Sydney Daily Mail 28.1.1903 Courtesy
Mitchell Library
January 29, 1904
Wyndham
*
Last Tuesday quite a number of patients were
here to meet Dr. Bruce who visits Wyndham
on that day. There is no doubt the want of
a resident medical man is keenly felt in
some parts of the district.
August 26 1904
* With this issue the "Voice" completes
the 12th year of its existence. The first
copy of the first issue of the "Voice"
was printed by our local postmaster Mr. E.J.
Cornell on 27th August, 1892.
S. Goldberg Store Wyndham 1896 Photo courtesy Bernie Cornell |
THE WYNDHAM GENERAL STORE
Built in 1888 on the present site for Simon
Goldberg the Dublin House carried on until
its destruction by fire on the night of 31st
December, 1930. Only a mass of burnt roofing
iron and the front concrete steps survived.
The Foley family who operated the business
left the town.
The large home across from the blacksmith
shop still belonged to members of the Irish
Grant family, so S.A. (Dolly) Grant and her
husband, Reg Cornell, opened a Store in the
eastern side of that home. A sign was erected
on the roof corner indicating that it was
a Cash store. A Texaco petrol pump was installed
at the western end of the home. The telephone
number was ' 1 '
The severe economic depression soon made
the Store a Credit store and also a place
for the exchange of food for Dole Coupons.
Reg Cornell died in 1935 and Alfred Bower
from Candelo managed the Store for S.A. Cornell
until after the war.
In 1938 Louise Turbet sold the burnt out
store site to her niece Dollie, who had the
present Store built by Bill Higgins and Tommy
Wragge. The Store sold every type of merchandise
and even took measurements for men's suits.
Closed on Wednesday afternoons and Sundays,
it was a hive of activity on Saturday nights
when almost everyone came to town. Wartime
rationing of tea, sugar, butter, petrol,
clothing, and tobacco caused much anguish
especially when the tobacco failed to arrive
on the ship. A common scene was that of many
men gathered outside the shop waiting for
their tobacco rations.
In 1951 the Cornell's moved away from Wyndham.
Electricity came in 1954 and with refrigeration
the range of goods sold underwent a change.
After Fred Umbach died in 1983 the postal
and banking facilities were transferred to
the Store.
Bernie Cornell 2003
WYNDHAM SCHOOL OF ARTS 1888
Wyndham, as well as several other small settlements,
erected its School of Arts in the 1880s.
The town began as two centres one in its
present position and the other at what was
known as Diversi's. Ferdinand Diversi erected
his hotel on the Rocky Hall road not far
from the present Mt. Darragh turnoff and
he managed to attract the first post office,
police station, court house and several other
dwellings to his settlement. Here the first
policeman had a lockup and those locked up
were first brought before Justices of the
Peace Charles Styles and Patrick Sheehy on
19th July, 1888. Sheehy was also judge at
the first Wyndham Race Meeting in Charles
Robertson's paddock on 17th March, 1888.
He was also given the credit for securing
a telegraph office in Wyndham, for which
approval was received in December 1888, though
a line to Candelo had yet to be constructed.
Until 1888 all public functions were held
in Diversi's Assembly Room, however that
year saw several new buildings erected at
the eastern section of Wyndham and the building
of the School of Arts must have put an end
to the controversy.
A Committee to build the School of Arts was
active in the first month of 1888 and set
about canvassing subscriptions from the public
and by February, £114 was placed in the A.J.S.
Bank at Pambula. The rest of the money being
collected, tenders were called in May and
Thomas Waterson was awarded the contract,
which was completed in about 4 months.
The Committee responsible for the project
was:
President A.W. Small
V. President Charles Robertson (farmer)
Secretary Thomas Beare (teacher)
Treasurer Pat Conlon (farmer) Members Wm.
McCarthy (blacksmith) Robert Turbet (hotel)
Edward Power (farmer)
The building cost £171-11-00 and was free
of debt when opened.
WYNDHAM PRESBYTERIAN - UNITING CHURCH 1861
- 2003
Land reserved and dedicated as the site
for the erection thereon of a Presbyterian
Church was granted to Arthur Newton, Henry
Grant, John Grant, Thomas Beare, Robert Turbet
and The Moderator of the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church on 26/7/1861.
(Ref title deeds)
Wyndham Presbyterian Church was built by
Thomas Waterson and opened in 1889. The Minister
of the Eden Charge at the time was the Rev
James Lawson Forbes M.A.B.D., who ministered
the area from 1885-1920. Services were being
held at the Eden, Kiah, Pambula, Lochiel
and Wyndham. Towamba, Burragate and Rocky
Hall services were being held in the local
halls. Services in all centres were attended
by large numbers of people and the stories
that surround Mr. Forbes are legend.
His horse and buggy were a well-known sight
to many people and this quiet well-loved
man was often to be seen reading a book as
his faithful horse took him around often
on trodden roads. Often Mr. Forbes was so
weary that he would fall asleep and his faithful
horse would bring him to his destination.
Some people recall that their first job,
when Mr. Forbes arrived to stay overnight
was to take his horse and feed it and put
it out to pasture for the night and then
to put the buggy away safely.
The earthly remains of the Rev and Mrs.
Forbes and those of their only child Mrs.
Bertha Robertson now rest in the quiet of
the Wyndham Cemetery. (Ref Bega-Eden Presbyterian
Charge 1861-1861 Centenary souvenir).
Vivian James (Bob) Grant recalled Mr. Forbes
as a very learned man who lived with his
wife Eliza on one of the Honey Suckle farms
near Whipstick. He remembered the family
going to their home for christenings and
recalled going to the farm after the Forbes
home had been destroyed in the 1929 bushfires
and seeing the piles of charred books among
the ashes. Apparently much of the history
of the early Presbyterian Church was also
destroyed.
Wyndham Presbyterian - Uniting Church |
Robert Turbet 1821-94 was a very prominent
member of the Presbyterian Church and Colin
Turbet, his grandson, recalls that he gave
the bell which hung over the roof. Robert
Turbet's funeral was the first to he held
in the new church building.
In 1965 a communion set of altar table and
three chairs was given by the Goldberg family,
dedicated to the memory of Harriet Ann Goldberg
who was the daughter of Thomas Beare, a former
teacher at Wyndham School.
Harriet was also Post Mistress at Wyndham.
Sons of Mrs. Goldberg were Dudley, Austin,
Rawson and Cecil.
In reply to an invitation from Bruce Grant
to attend a barbecue on the 24/3/1974 to
celebrate the 85th anniversary of the Church
Building, Cecil Goldberg of Woollarah wrote:
-
"Memories are recalled as I write this:
One in particular, which is that I rang the
bell there nearly 56 years ago when the news
of the Armistice of the first World War was
declared - such came by telephone through
the Post Office where I worked assisting
Mum. The Bell ringing (which I did for 10/15
minutes) was to inform the "Vast"
population of Wyndham of the news!!
Austin Goldberg played piano and Bob Grant
violin and both were members of the Wyndham
Band. Austin, a professor of music, played
for the Queen some years later. Dudley married
Doris Grant daughter of Viv and Elsie Grant
and Great daughter of Henry Grant Jnr, along
with being an Elder of the Bega Church was
Session Clerk at the time of the centenary
of the Bega-Eden Presbyterian Charge. Dudley
also was Mayor of Bega during the sixties.
Through the Ministry of the Rev John Broadhead,
and with Jack Jones as Teacher in Charge
at Wyndham, a second Teacher Dennis O'Neill
was appointed. This is remembered as a time
of strong Christian and community bonding.
A Sunday school was started and Bruce Grant,
Roxey Cunningham and Mrs. Stem Tasker are
remembered as being Sunday school Teachers
in the church. Church concerts were held
at the hall. Combined evening services were
held in the
C of E Church because there was no electricity
connected to the Presbyterian Church.
Known Elders to serve at Wyndham Presbyterian
Church are Dan Grant, Jack Fleming, Mac Turbet,
James (Squire) Robertson, Herbert Robertson,
Earl Robertson, Bob Grant. Mesdames Goldberg
and Turbet for the part they played as Lady
Helpers, all were acknowledged in the booklet
published for the Parish Centenary. Also,
along with supporting elders from Towamba
- Vern Clements and James Sawers. At the
time of Church Union 1977, Bruce Grant, Gloria
Grant and Phillip Grant had been inducted
as elders.
Mac Turbet was Church Secretary and Bruce
Grant was Treasurer. After Mac and his mother,
proprietors of the Robbie Burns Hotel, left
the district, Bruce held the position of
both secretary and treasurer for around 30
years, until he moved to Pambula in 1990.
Earl Robertson, V.J. (Bob) Grant, Colin Turbot,
Fred Grant, Charley Parish, Carl, David,
Allan and Dalby Elton were all supporting
committee men.
Organists over the years that we know played
the beautiful old organ on many occasions
are Harriet Goldberg, Austin Goldberg, Beatrice
William, Eva Elton, David Elton, Tom Porter
and Freda Bower, all were regulars in our
Church family.
The younger families of our Church carry
on this tradition and we still serve sandwiches
today filled with a recipe handed down by
Mrs. Robert Turbet."
The sixties and seventies saw a number of
the families move from the area and numbers
dropped considerably. However services have
continued every third Sunday of each month
over all these years. Early 1990 saw the
building needing paint and repair and funding
was hard to come by. A working bee was held
and some painting had been commenced but
more unexpected repairs were needed on the
building.
November 22, 1895
Wyndham
The timber turned out of the local saw mill
is meeting with the highest praise on the
Monaro, and the contact is likely to prove
a beneficial advertisement for the Wyndham
box-wood.
BOILER EXPLOSION AT WYNDHAM
On 4th November, 1896, the quiet around Wyndham
was shattered by a deafening explosion. Charles
Rayner's sawmill on the bank of the Mataganah
Creek, a short distance along the road into
Devil's Hole from the Candelo Road, was shrouded
in vapour and dust.
The galvanised iron roof lay about crumpled
like paper, and the nearby trees were scarred
by flying fragments. The boiler, which had
tumbled end for end, had been thrown 80 metres
in a south easterly direction, and Charles
lay dead, with a severe wound to the back
of his head, having been struck by a piece
of sawn timber.
He had come to Wyndham about ten years previously
and set up a mill at Myrtle Creek, but then
had two more moves to the place where the
accident occurred. The mills produced boxwood
timber for bridge building, and the new bridge
across the Mataganah on the Wyndham - Rocky
Hall Road had just been built with timber
milled by Rayners, and opened on 20.10.1896.
Charles was an engine driver and fitter by
trade, and was the father of three sons who
were working with him at the time of the
accident. Charles Junior, 23, and Leonard
21, were setting up a log ready for sawing
when their father called:
"Hurry up and let me start the engine
and pump, there is only an inch of water
in her."
He started the engine and the boiler exploded.
Charles, who was standing in front of the
stoke hole, was hurled north-west, as was
George who received a piece of timber across
his body, breaking three ribs. The other
boys were protected from the blast by the
log. The flywheel (15 cwt.) had its iron
spokes broken and was thrown 30 metres.
At an inquest held in Bombala the jury found
that the cause was either a lack of water
in the boiler or possibly due to a defective
water gauge.
It recommended in future that boilers be
regularly inspected by Government inspectors.
The Rayner family continued to mill lumber
around Wyndham at intervals until the 1930s
and later in Bombala for a good many years.
George, who was injured, operated these mills
at Myrtle Creek and Bombala.
Charles was buried in Wyndham Cemetery and
he and his wife's graves are identified by
a marble column topped by an urn.
References:
Pambula Voice (13.11.1896) N.S.W. State Library.
compiled by Bernie Cornell.
The headstone of the grave of Charles Raynor
and his wife Elizabeth in the Wyndham Cemetery
The headstone of the grave of Charles Raynor and his wife Elizabeth in the Wyndham Cemetery |
October 12, 1934
'The Bombala Times'
WYNDHAM
(From Our Own Correspondent).
*
Mr. Merve Rixon has gone to Sydney to see
his sister, who is very ill. Two dairy farmers
in the vicinity of Wyndham, are likely to
be moving from the district shortly. Family
endowment applicants had to go to Eden last
week to attend an inquiry into their claims.
* Mr. Green, Instructor of Agriculture, is
putting in a corn experimental plot on Mr.
Bert Whitby's farm near Wyndham.
February 8, 1935
'The Southern Record and Advertiser'
* Mr. Carl Holzhauser, of Wyndham, has established
a fish run from Merimbula to Candelo.