4 Grandparents.pub

GrandparentsCharlotte and George Bell with Reta. c 1900.Page 1

Grandparents"Charlotte (Lottie) Bell 1877-1966Told by Charlie Bell, born 1904.Charlie's parents were Charlotte (Lottie) and George Henry Bell. Lottie wasborn in Tumbarumba 18/8/77, her parents were Henry and Harriet Bartholomew,nee Moody, who lived at Tumbarumba.Lottie and George's children, Reta (1899), Harold (1901), Bert (1902), Charlie(1904), Jack (1906), Ivy (1908), Maisy (1912). Charlie's memories are thatMidwife McLachlan did deliver most of these children to his parents; it couldhave been they all were delivered by her. She would ride a horse to their place.Charlie's mother Lottie was an acting Midwife. She delivered many babies inTumbarumba from the year 1905 until she moved to Kiandra in 1914, where shedelivered the babies to Kiandra residents until1918. There is no record of how many babiesshe delivered at Kiandra. Her only means oftransport was as Charlie said by "shanks'spony".Lottie Bell modelling the latest swim suit,Kiandra c.1930Charlie can remember when he was onlyseven years of age his mother was given amessage at 3.30 am that she was needed todeliver a baby to Mrs Denny Broadhurst wholived at Tumbarumba Creek, above the oldTumba-Adelong Road. Charlie had to escorthis mother through heavily timbered countrycarrying a hurricane lantern, there was notrack at all for them to follow. Their sense ofdirection must have been very good as theyarrived in time for the delivery of the baby,Stanley Broadhurst in 1911. The journeyhome in daylight was so much easier.He remembers his mother delivered children to Mrs Ned Wake (whose husbandwas manager of Willigobung Station) from the year 1905 and after.There were no doctors in the area and if you did need one it was almost impossibleto get one to come. Lottie also helped in many other ways besides midwifeduties. Charlie remembers, when Steamboat Heinecke's wife was bedridden,how his mother would bathe her and tend to all her needs, then do all her houseworkand washing. She would walk seven mile to this house, then return to herown home, walking another seven mile."Likewise, apart from some small black and white photographs of grandfather's mining ventures,our knowledge of his background remained until his orbituary enlightened us:Page 3

"SUDDEN DEATH OF WELL- KNOWN FORMER DISTRICT PROSPECTOR”GrandparentsThe death of George Henry Bell of Tuncurry on September 21, 1966, at the ageof 87 years, closed the career of a man who was always prospecting for anothergood strike of gold.He was never without his "miner's right" and had intended to go with two mateson a prospecting tour at the time of his death.Born at Boorowa on September 8, 1879, to Thomas and Matilda Bell, of Picton,he seemed to have inherited the wander-lust of his grandfather, George Bell, whomigrated from England in the early 1800s with his brother, both under the age of30 years.Thomas Bell was known in the Tumbarumba district as a mining engineer, alwaystaking an active interest in the district's welfare. He was chosen as one ofthe six original Councillors from the Tumbarumba Shire Council - a position heretained until his ventures at gold mining ceased at Cherry Hill about 1910.Matilda Bell nee Anderson. - c.1880 Thomas Bell - c.1905George was brought by his father, at the early age of 14, to get his baptism ofalluvial mining with his elder brother Will and younger brother Jack.The country here is wild and rugged with basalt traversing the whole of the TumbarumbaRange. Soon the whole family of the Bell's - father, mother, sevensons and a daughter were established in alluvial mining at Cherry Hill, andhigher up the range.Before George had reached the age of 19 years he met his life long companion tobe. She was Charlotte Caroline Bartholomew, the daughter of a mining pros-Page 4

Grandparentspector living on the banks of the Tumbarumba Creek.Married at the age of 19, he settled in Wagga, but soon the urge to travel overcamehim. He worked hard in the mines at Rutherglen in Victoria where he metJack McIntyre, who later induced him to accompany him to Mt. Lyell in Tasmaniawhere miner's wages were high, although tough conditions prevailed.He yearned to get back to the basalt ranges where gold still influenced his mind.Consequently, with Jack McIntyre, he came back to Leykauf's Hill where a rangeof basalt formation had him fascinated.Building a home a few hundred yards from their activities, his wife and daughter,Reta, were once again under the roof. Their first tunnel failed and funds nearlyexhausted. However, rummaging through the rugged ridge they came across awombat hole, disclosing water worn wash and gravel with promising signs ofgood gold. So the lucky strike put George and the two McIntyre's, Jack and Jim,on to a well-paying mining venture that amassed quite a small fortune for them.Water had to be obtained, so they constructed a race from the head of TumbarumbaCreek for a couple of miles, where a wide gorge separated them from theobjective. How to get around the gorge was the problem which they solved byconstructing a pipe line- using much ingenuity in so doing. From sheet flat galvanizediron 6'x3', they rolled it out to form 12" pipe. rivetted every inch with agalvanized rivet, making one end slightly smaller than the other, so as to make aperfect join when slotted together with hot tar to make them water-tight.George Bell’s water race and sluice at Leykauf’s Hill - c.1915Page 5

GrandparentsGeorge’s race at workAll the experts predicted failure for the water had to travel down hill through thepipes to a high level crude bridge over 1010ft long and 40ft high, then to forceitself uphill as far as gravitation would allow. The water then ran through theopen cut race to their mine. This pipe line gave them plenty of water for theyears required to finish their lease. Ultimately, their lease was worked out butmore miners had arrived and pegged the rest of the range with rewarding resultsfor them.The McIntyres retired to a property Jim had held at Bombowlee, and George hadlost two staunch mates and workers. However, he still believed that the alluvialdeposits originally came north and south for miles. His faith was rewarded whenhe and Uncle Harry struck the "Grindstone Reef" behind which lay a pocket ofcoarse granulated quartz heavily impregnated with gold. It was a regular bonanza,but like most pockets of that nature soon petered out, and further searchfailed.He realised his growing family, now numbering five, needed schooling, so hebuilt another home at Courabyra, a couple of miles from his father's home andstarted there. After a couple more children were born there, he migrated toKiandra as manager of a mining venture. This kept him hard at work for a fewyears, but it was never a success. He resided at the old deserted Kiandra Hotelrenovated to suit his family. Just before leaving Kiandra, one of the daughtersdied as a result of burns sustained when the building caught fire. From therewas a constant number of moves; most of his family had grown up and married,but he and his devoted wife ever by his side moved from place to place until ulti-Page 6

mately he built a home for himself and family at Tuncurry in 1945. During thecourse of his married life he lived in no fewer than 20 homes.GrandparentsTwo incidents in his love for cricket are worth recording. He was due to play atBatlow one week-end, but earlier in the week took his brother Alf with him toinspect an alluvial mine about 15 miles from Yarrangobilly. To get back fromthere he had to cross the Tumut River below Talbingo, and with time runningout, he decided with his brother to ride their horses over the swollen floodedriver about 100yd wide. They did this and were saturated to the skin and thenrode their tired horses across rugged country to arrive only half an hour late atthe Batlow cricket ground. The second occasion as secretary of the "Wombats"Cricket Club, he arranged a tour of four matches over one Easter. This meantthat the whole team went by horseback or sulky to Wondalga on Good Friday,Adelong on Saturday, Tumut Easter Monday, and Gilmore the following day ,Tuesday. Can anyone imagine going such long distances on horseback, etc, today?George was laid to rest beside his devoted wife - after 67 years of married lifetogether - in a small cemetery at Failford where tall gum and iron bark trees surroundtheir graves, leaving them to rest side by side for all eternity.He left four sons and two daughters - Reta, Harold, Bert, Charlie, Jack and Maisie,all happily married, and four brothers and one sister - Will, Alf, Tom, Arthurand Ada. In addition, 22 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren live to remembera grand old couple."George Bell’s siblings William, Alfred, Thomas, Arthur and Ada Pigram.- c.1950Page 7

GrandparentsKiandra to Kosciusko, by Klaus Hueneke, 1987, Grandfather is described as:“...a very affable man of robust build with lots of witticisms.” p61 and:“It was during these preparations that George Bell’s fund of droll and amusingsayings became manifest and soon he had us all laughing and making light of ourweariness; he was a natural morale booster.” p62.The Museum of NSW holds a replica of a nugget from Grandfather’s successes.Grandfather's ingenuity was evident all around his home at Tuncurry where wewere always welcome to stay. The large windmill which he constructed drewon bore water for the lovely cottage garden created by Grandma. Cabbage treetrunks interlocked concave and convex provided the decorative roof of the outsidetoilet. In the centre ofhis acreage he built a cabinespecially to house the largenumber of grandchildren -in our family there wereeight! Their home wassparse but with all the essentials.No carpets or lino- just painted concrete softenedby the pile woollenrugs made by Grandmawith exotic designs such astigers. These she alsomade as gifts to her large family. We all admired the large Rayburn fuel stovethat seemed to cook food better than electric stoves. It also provided the hot waterfor the house.George and Lottie’s retirement home in Short Street, Tuncurry - 1945Most memorable were the breakfasts cooked by Grandma after spending an hour in her garden:porridge of oats or wheatmeal withbrown sugar, tomato and onion gravy withfried vegetables which was cooked so as toform a tasty crust which we called 'bottom'and fought over, and of course, deliciouswheatmeal toast which was so much betterthan toast from an electric toaster.Grandma was a great cook and I think herspecialty was her sultana cake. Every SundayReta and Cyril came with farm producesuch as a freshly prepared chook, cream,farm vegetables and maybe a delicioussponge cake made by Reta who was also awonderful cook. A magnificent meal wasPage 8Gathered around George and Lottie’s table. - c.1963

Grandparentsthen provided for everyone. Grandma was also a dab hand at catching fish from the beachwhich she pan cooked in butter to perfection.Grandma loved fashionable dresses and having her hair 'done' at the hairdressers. Her adviceto us was always keep your hair nice and your shoes clean. When she visited us inSydney her highlight was to visit Paddy's Market. In spite of Grandma's background as abush nurse/midwife, she did not encounter the experience of hospitalisation until her lateeighties, when after falling in her bathroom after a gardening session, became shockedenough to require admission to Hospital. After a couple of days her Doctor (Joan Redshaw)announced that she could go home, when to everyone's amazement she replied "If it's all thesame to you , Dr, I'd like to book in for another week!" Permission granted and during thatweek Charlotte passed away, suffering a cerebral haemorrhage.Finally,Ggrandfather's devout religiosity must bementioned. Somewhere in his travels he convertedto Seventh Day Adventism. He therefore kept theSabbath (Saturday) as a holy day of rest, prohibitedpig meat from his home and ate the many Sanitariumhealth food products. He carried in his hip pocket apious book titled "A Little Time of Peace", whichacquired the shape of his backside. By the manyunderlinings he used this book frequently. His faithmodified his character making him a peace lovingman who was never overtly angry. I rememberGrandma telling me that Grandfather had not been areligious man in his earlier days.George’s backyard windmill - c.1950George and Lottie admiring their garden andwindmill. - c.1965Page Fashionable 9 Lottie at Mrs Aughtie’s home in Yass. - c.1930

GrandparentsWe are thankful for the many happy times they provided for us while holidaying at Tuncurry,the influence gGandfather's faith had upon us and the example of making do with thesimple things of living and eating! Leonie.Grandfather George Bell kept a journal for most of his life.Above is an excerpt from his 1940 diary.Page 10