Folk Tales

The Lue General Store
Pages: 1 2

Don Hobbs, Preserving History
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

John Wooldrick, My Mudgee beginnings
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  Laura Wallis is a well known local historian in Mudgee, who has given her life to research. Laura now lives in a local nursing home and cannot research any more, but she has earned her rest, her outstanding contribution to local history well documented.

Laura Walllis' great grandmother was Lucy Ann Marks, who also gave a great contribution to local history in the documentation of her trip to the Mudgee region in more than 50 letters home to England.

Lucy's son, George, married Isabella Lake, and the couple became tenant farmers on a property owned by GH Cox at Burrundula. George also became a carrier, driving his team as far as Bourke.

George lived at Burrundulla for a long time. He was regarded as an expert mower, with a reaping hook and scythe, and also carved walking sticks, rocking horses, a cradle, etc. He also owned the Belmore Hotel in Mudgee, but did not run it.

George and Isabella Mark's daughter, Florence, married Walter Wallis, who in turn became Laura Wallis' parents. Florence died in her late 20s, but Walter lived until 1964. Florence and Walter lived at Uarbry, where Walter ran a store. They moved to Gulgong when Laura was a small child, and her father worked for Loneragan's store, becoming their country representative.

Laura attended Gulgong School and at the age of about 16, came to Mudgee to learn shorthand and typing. She worked most of her life at Mulley's Butcher shop office, then later at Augustine Winery office.

Laura joined the Mudgee Historical Society in the early 60s, researching family histories and local history for them and for her church, St John's Anglican Church Mudgee.

She reconnected many families to their grass roots, including the pianist, Roger Woodward, whose great, great, grandfather had a hotel at Home Rule.

For someone who has helped so many people find their family descendants, Laura treasured her own family collection of letters from her great grandmother, Lucy Ann Marks, which were collected in a book, Bring Plenty of Pickles, privately published by Gerry Tomlinson at Buckinghamshire, England for the descendants of Lucy Ann Marks. The book is a collection of 50 letters, written by a working class family and sent home from Mudgee region in the 1850s.

Here is one letter, written by Lucy Ann Marks about her journey to the goldfields at Maitland Bar in 1857.

Dear Mother,

I was surprised when I got her (sister Eliza's) letter directed to me at the Bar (Maitland Bar) for I did not know I was coming until Monday and started on Thursday and I wish I never had of come.

We all got there safe, which I did not think we should have - being half alive.

When we reached there, Baby was a month and one day old. We started on Thursday. It was wet the next day and the next day it was fine above head, till the heavening, and the drays got bogged and could not get on. We were there till dark. O, Mother, it was so dark, and then it began to sprinkle rain and then the dray was almost turned over.

Me and the children got out, but I do not know how, for we could not see each other. I had got Baby (one month old) in my arms. I found the others by their crying and then it came down in torrents.

The rain was washing under our feet, and me just out of my bed as you may say. The dray got out at last, and we to a public house and stopped there all night.

Got to the carrier's place the next day. Stopped there till the next Wednesday, then started again.

It was fine then till Saturday night and we had it again. We slept under the dray and water was running under us and over us.

My bed, clothes and clothing were all wet through. I had the children to wash and dress out in the cold - even Baby.

I thought I should never get there safe, but thank God, we did all get there safe and well.

And now I must conclude, John and children all join in love with me, from your affectionate daughter, Lucy Ann Marks.

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