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5.1 M U N G O REPORT the Statement of Significance of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area to Aboriginal People of Western New South Wales statements contributed between 1985 and 1991 update to 2017 production and editorial content by Western Heritage Group CHAPTER 5 WORKING ON STATIONS AROUND THE WILLANDRA LAKES5.25.3 They were all black stations, there were mobs and mobs of our people out there. The white people couldn’t do without them, they did all the work. Gertie Johnson (Wilcannia, 1985) CHAPTER 5 WORKING ON STATIONS AROUND THE WILLANDRA LAKES CONTENTS Workers and Their Families Remembered from the 19th Century Workers and Their Families Remembered from the Early to Mid 20th Century Droving Through the Area Memories About Life on the Stations5.4 WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES REMEMBERED FROM THE 19TH CENTURY Cuthro Jimmy Tolarno Tommy Manfred Mary (Mary Johnson / Brodie) Cuthro Mary Marfield Geordie (Geordie Murray) Bill Webster Manfred Mary was my aunty. Jim Whyman (Wilcannia, 1985) Elsie Jones (Wilcannia, 1985) Bill Webster, Rita Wilson’s grandfather, did a lot of yard building around Top Hut and those stations. Arthur Lawson (Dareton,1986) The first mob of sheep they took from Mungo to Lake Victoria, it was one of the Mitchell family who took them. Old Jack Smith Grandfather William Murray Cooperluke Johnson Bill Johnson Dick Willow Old Harry Johnson Fred Brown Pluto Charlotte (Pluto’s wife) Isaac Murrray Rosie Murray Jacky Clare (Jack Connelly) Ngarlu Lucy ‘One of the Mitchells’ Susan Webster’s mother Louisa Brown Jeremiah Kirby Jimmy Keewong Kitty Keewong Moolbong Johnson Jimmy Tyson Bookara Bob Sarah Cabbage Nellie Johnson Cuthro Jack What We Know About Who Worked Where The oral history recorded between 1985 and 1991 is just a start to finding out who spent time working on which stations. A notable bias is that the father of the family is most often named as the worker. It is important to remember the unpaid work of many women, children and old people. In the 19th century some people chose to live independently in the old ways rather than be employed on stations. There is much more research yet to be done, including examining station employment records. 5.65.7 Map showing some of the largest Station camps in the region in the late 19th century LAKE MUNGO5.85.9 ALBEMARLE Albemarle station was one of the Aborigines Protection Board ration centres. Although we know a lot of Aboriginal people lived there, we have no names of Aboriginal workers. BREAKBUCK Kirby family Walters family Pearce family CANALLY Kirby family Walters family Pearce family CARRATHOOL Kirby family Walters family Pearce family CLARE Topsy Lily Maggie Minnie Pluto Charlotte LIGNUM PARK Ted McCormack MANFRED Manfred Mary Lindsay McDonald Charlie Kirby Arthur Kirby Doocie Mitchell May Mitchell (Smith) Jim Smith Locky Mitchell Laurie Mitchell Tom (Toodli) Mitchell Many of the Mitchell family Manny Johnson Albert Jackson Ned Rogers Jack Jackson Old Jack Smith Young Jack Smith George Jackson MARFIELD Marfield Geordie Liza Kennedy George Kennedy Jim Kennedy David Williams King Kennedy Arthur Lawson Ted Brodie Bill Kennedy Frank Bugmy Jack Kennedy MAUDE Kirby family Walters family Pearce family MOOLBONG Moolbong Johnson Old Jack Quayle John (Sonny) Quayle MOUNT MANARA Marfield Geordie Locky Mitchell Tom (Toodli) Mitchell Tom Bugmy Ngarlu Lucy Clara (Ngarlu Lucy’s daughter) Cora Mitchell (Lawson) Jack Mitchell Jack Kelly Liza Kennedy George Kennedy Arthur Lawson MULURULU Dick Willow Stan O'Donnell David 'King' Kennedy Tom Bugmy Jack Quayle NEWMARKET Jack Jackson OXLEY Jeremiah Kirby Charlie Kirby Arthur Cole Lilian Kirby Paddy Kirby Arthur Pearce Walters family PADDINGTON Manny Johnson Anzac Williams PAIKA Jeremiah Kirby Clara Kirby (nee Walters) Charlie Kirby Lily Kirby Mary Kirby Pearce family Theresa Kirby Walters family PRUNGLE Eddie Pearce Clarence Pearce Aggie Briggs ROTO Charlotte TALPEE Bes Murray TARWONG Jeremiah Kirby TIL TIL Harry Field Charlie Kirby Harry Davis Myrtle Clayton Jack Jackson Laurie Mitchell Arthur [?] TOLARNO Tolarno Tommy George Cabbage Tom Bugmy Old Jack Quayle Alex Johnson Dennis Williams TOP HUT Bill Webster Fred Brown Harry Mitchell Harry Davis Tom Bugmy Harry Johnson Tom (Toodli) Mitchell Alec Mitchell Bill Johnson Fred Johnson TUPRA Teresa Kirby Clara Walters Arthur Pearce TURLEE Harry Pearce Kirby Family Walters Family WEE ELWAH Bill Williams WIRRYILKA Beryl Philp Carmichael YANGA Jeremiah Kirby Jack Jackson Pearce family Walters family Ned Rogers Jacky Clare Isaac Murray Jeremiah Kirby Locky Mitchell Tom Bugmy Jack Jackson Alfie Keewong King Kennedy Hughie Foot Gordon Charles Eddie Murray Paddy Smith Tommy Clayton CONOBLE Joe Smith Milly Smith Cigarette Mary (Mary Murray) CUTHRO Cuthro Jimmy Cuthro Mary Cuthro Harry Harry Mitchell George Cabbage Tom Bugmy Alec Mitchell Tom (Toodli) Mitchell Locky Mitchell Gordon Mitchell Jim Whyman Old Jack Quayle Alex Johnson GARNPUNG Cooperluke Johnson Tom Bugmy One of the Mitchell family David ‘King’ Kennedy GOL GOL Mungo station was part of Gol Gol until 1921 Bill Johnson David (King) Kennedy Harry Pearce Lance Johnson ‘Some of the Mitchell family’ Jack Coomatree Jack Kirby Ned Rogers JUNO Eddie Pearce KARPA KORA Tom Bugmy KEEWONG Dave Harris KILFERA Marfield Geordie Charlotte Tom Bugmy Kate Bugmy Alf Whyman Mamie Whyman Harry Whyman Arthur Lawson Locky Mitchell Old Jack Smith Young Jack Smith Jimmy Christmas LEAGHUR George Cabbage Alex Johnson Bill Johnson Old Jack Quayle WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES REMEMBERED FROM THE EARLY TO MID 20TH CENTURY Remembering a worker usually meant that their wife or husband and family were also on the station. Stations are listed in alphabetical order and located on the following map.Map showing stations remembered for work in the early to mid 20th century LAKE MUNGO5.125.13 MEMORIES ABOUT WORKERS Cooperluke Johnson was my uncle. He was named for a place out the back of Albemarle. He worked on Garnpung too. Jim Whyman (Wilcannia, 1985) I remember two Aboriginal stockmen on Garnpung in my father’s time, but I don’t recall their names. Ted Richardson, leaseholder of Garnpung (1986) Dick Willow talked about Mulurulu. I think he used to work out there. Elsie Jones (Wilcannia,1985) That old chap they called Cooperluke Johnson, his real name was Kupalurrka, but the people he worked for couldn’t pronounce it, so they just called him Cooperluke. Cooperluke was more used to speaking Paakantji than English, same as Granny Maggie Brody. He was very hard to understand till you got used to him, because he wasn’t used to speaking English. Elsie Jones (Wilcannia,1985) There’s a sign up at Mungo saying that the woolshed there was built by Chinamen. But my great-uncles helped build that woolshed. Bill Johnson and his nephews sank the tanks at Mungo. His nephews were my uncles. Irene Mitchell (Dareton, 1985) The old homestead at Gol Gol was built in 1869, the same year that the woolshed (now called Mungo woolshed) was built. The same people built both. Ted Richardson Mungo Woolshed, built 18695.145.15 Eddie Pearce did station work on Prungle. Clarence Pearce was a jack of all trades. Aggie Briggs was on Prungle, cutting suckers. Alice Kelly (Balranald, 1990) I tell you who worked at Leaghur, was Bill Johnson. He sank some tanks there. He was a tank sinker, and he used to do other work too. Old Jack Quayle worked at Leaghur, Tolarno and Cuthro. And Alex Johnson, May Hudson’s oldest brother, and my uncle George Cabbage, worked all around there. Auntie Gertie Johnson’s uncle, Fred Brown, worked at Top Hut. Fred Johnson, and old Harry Johnson did mustering, lamb marking and horse breaking out there. Harry was a very smart, active man. Bill Webster, Rita Wilson’s grandfather, did a lot of yard building around Top Hut and those stations, and the girls used to work like men, them days. Oh yes, there was a lot of Paakantji people worked on those stations. Elsie Jones (Wilcannia,1985) Harry Field used to work at Til Til with a chap doing windmills. Elsie Jones (Wilcannia,1985) Grandfather Jack Quayle was a contract tank sinker. He owned his own tank sinking rig. Polly Green (Wilcannia, 1990) Grandfather Jack Quayle A black drover called Arthur once brought some sheep to Til Til with my husband, then stayed and worked for three to six months. Mrs Connell, leaseholder since the 1960s (Til Til Station, 1985) Mrs Connell My father was Bill Williams. He managed Wee Elwah station for thirty two years. Fay Johnstone (Ivanhoe,1990)5.165.17 I worked on stations for years. I worked on Clare as a builder. I was on Yanga in the sheds, drafting sheep. I managed Newmarket station for twelve months, and I worked on Til for years. I was sorry to leave the stations. I liked the work. I had a lot of experience and I did a variety of work. But a doctor told me to quit and move into town. I miss the work. I liked the life. Jack Jackson (Robinvale, l986) My grandfather was Jeremiah Kirby. He was on Oxley and Tarwong. I remember him. He was a big man. Gwen Jackson (Robinvale, l985) The Kirby, Walters, and Pearce families used to work on Tupra, Turlee, Yanga, Canally, Breakbuck, Oxley, Maude, Paika and Carathool. Clara Walters and Charlie Kirby were married at Paika. They worked there - they did everything. Alice Kelly (Balranald, 1990) There were three mobs [of Aboriginal people] camping on Clare before World War One, that I can remember. One was at Eastern Tank - there was permanent fourteen foot water there. One was down the south, in the Mallee - there was a swamp there. One was at Barney’s Lake, where Bellevue station is now. That was fed out of Willandra Creek. The camps on the stations were small - twelve would have been a big camp. They were nomads. They moved around a lot. We employed about one hundred whites in those days, only a few blacks. But before World War One we had three permanent black workers: Jacky Clare, Isaac Murray, and Pluto. There was an average of three to four black workers at a time working on any station around here. And there were four young girls I remember working here. They were Topsy, Lily, Maggie and Minnie. Soldier Settlement blocks after World War One helped break up the blacks’ camps - stations became too small. They also stopped big employment. I remember Tommy Clayton was on Clare a good while in the 1940s. His father was a police tracker. And Eddie Murray was here too - they came together. Angus Waugh (Clare Station,1985) My father was Charlie Kirby. He was the head man on Oxley with stock. Arthur Cole was on Oxley too. I worked around Balranald. I worked with Walter Bright, grooming on a station six miles from Oxley. Len (‘Baschie’) Kirby (Murrin Bridge, l985) That man he calls ‘Jacky Clare’ might’ve been Jack Connolly. And those girls who worked on Clare would’ve been my mother’s mob. They were all out that way. My auntie was Maggie, and my people come from out that way. Mount Manara, Marfield, Manfred, Clare - they were all black stations, there were mobs and mobs of our people out there. The white people couldn’t do without them, they did all the work. Gertie Johnson (Wilcannia, 1985) Gwen JacksonNext >