Mural in Bridge View Inn

Mural in Bridge View Inn

Photo: Virginia Hollister
 

Unique Rylstone Mural Hidden for 100 Years

The heritage-listed Bridge View Inn in the main street of Rylstone first opened as a hotel in 1872 during the gold rush at Hill End and Gulgong. Over the fireplace in what would have been the bar parlour is a unique painted mural dating to the earliest days of the hotel.
When the Society purchased the building in 1967 no one was aware of the existence of the mural. The handsome two-storey sandstone building, originally known as the Bridge Hotel, was built for the ex-convict publican Goodwin Spires Hall. Hall was a colourful character transported in 1836 for manslaughter. It traded as a public house from 1872 to 1894, and then was repossessed by the Australian Joint Stock Bank for unpaid mortgage. The AJS Bank converted the Bar into a banking chamber and the rest of the premises into a residence. Speculation is that the mural was covered with wallpaper and paint in order not to offend the banker’s family. It was used by a succession of banks until 1957.
The painting on the wall was rediscovered during restoration work in the 1980’s. At that stage the mural’s origin was unclear. In the 1970’s the building was used to film scenes in “The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith”. Was the mural a cinematic backdrop? Only some of the image was showing. On either side of a round framed scenic view showing a timber bridge crossing the Cudgegong River, with cattle and a fisherman on the riverbank, were two headless bare-breasted ladies, decorative leaves and below, a cheeky face peeking out of painting! What was this all about? Did the mural continue above the picture rail under the house paint?
In 2010 the Historical Society engaged art specialists from International Conservation Services to investigate. They found an aged, faded, cracked and damaged mural at risk of further deterioration or permanent loss, and recommended conservation and restoration. With funding assistance from the NSW Government, an appeal set up by the National Trust, and huge support from the local community, the Historical Society was able to employ International Conservation Services to undertake the work during 2012 and 2013.
Starting by literally gluing the cracked plaster render back onto the wall, ICS then went on to remove wall plugs, fill in cracks and holes, remove the picture rail and painstakingly scrape off five layers of house paint above the rail. The imagery revealed that the bare-breasted ladies had complete heads, sported wings and each held an arrow in a raised fist, and above all hovered a winged Cherub. Once the surface was sealed, ICS carefully inpainted the blemishes to repair losses in the mural, though sadly some details are lost forever.
Research shows that the allegorical figures in the mural are all associated with drinking and with love - racy but appropriate imagery to decorate the walls of a Victorian hotel in an era of booming gold fields.
It is strongly believed that the artist is Augustus Baker Peirce, an itinerant American theatrical entrepreneur, riverboat captain and painter, who was living in nearby Hill End in 1872-73. Peirce is known to have painted the interiors of at least four hotels. Fortunately he wrote a wonderful memoir “Knocking About: being some adventures of Augustus Baker Peirce in Australia 1859-1892”. Similarities in style with other

extant paintings in Australia and with illustrations in his book all point to him as the creator of the mural.
There are only a handful of 19th century painted murals still in existence in public buildings throughout Australia, making the Rylstone mural rare and significant. This amazing piece of history, depicting the local landscape in the 1870’s and framed by mythological gods associated with wine, is an important and most entertaining glimpse into Rylstone’s past.
Rylstone and District Historical Society December 2014
Virginia Hollister
Mural Conservation Volunteer Project Manager 

Nullo Mountain- 2006 Excursion

Map foe Excursion

Satellite View

Nullo Mountain

NULLO MOUNTAIN by Bremmer Morrison
 
My father first took up a selection on Nullo Mountain called "The Hole" about the turn of the
century. 

Other families on the mountain at that time were John Thompson and family at "Woodlands" - they were our nearest neighbours. 

Ernie Winter and family - on part of what is now "Beljan Park", joining them Arthur Tindale and family. The Cox family lived where "Beljan Park" house now is. 

Major Charles Bullock (an American from the First World War) and his son were the first to live on "Nullo Park". Bob Crawford bought it from the Bullocks, then a Mr. Coward from Mungindi bought. He built the present homestead, which is still in fair order. In 1936 Mr and Mrs A. (Doc) North bought it. They lived there till 1965. Andy Black lived at 'The Hole" for a time. 

All these people I knew well. Percy Mills owned where John Innes' property "Rhu-Na-Mohr" now is. Maurie Thompson lived on “Woodlands" - now "Yoothamurra" for a good many years. He used to have a bullock team and did a lot of carting of timber and other goods. He was the son of Thompson the original owner. 

"" where I live was first taken up by William Thompson. He then exchanged it with a John Frost from Widden Valley. Frosts' came to live here in the old house which is still standing. It is built of slabs with big stone fireplaces and high pitched roof. 

I bought this place in 1936 and have lived in it ever since. 

There is an old cemetery on the property in which are the graves of people who lived here.
Andy Black, named as a resident of the Nullo was a superb bushman. Andy knew the Nullo like the back of his hand. He could, and often did move cattle on the blackest night, never getting lost, always completely at home with the bush. 

Ref: The Way It Was - Reminiscences of Early Life in Rylstone 


 'SUMMERVALE' – NULL0 MOUNTAIN by Bremmer Morrison

Our first home on Nullo Mountain was at "The Hole” now called "Evermoren. 

When I was about 4 years old my father exchanged "The Hole” for a property called "Budulla" - later called "The Range”. This property – 9 miles further on was owned by the W.F. Black family. The move was made by horse and dray and it took several loads to move us. My mother and Aunt Ida Morrison and myself walked up the long steep hill behind the dray and so on out to our new home.
Our new house was a four roomed slab house with a large stone fire place in the front room. More rooms were added later on the back. 

The family at that time was Mum, Dad and myself. When I was five years old my brother Darcy was born, then three years later my brother Man (Manning).

Our life style was pretty hum-drum. the usual country life, ploughing and sowing crops, harvesting, fencing, clearing, tending sheep from dingoes, shearing, trapping rabbits and breaking in horses.
I first had some schooling with a tutor at the Eames family home at Olinda but wasn't there long before I went to school in Rylstone. Whilst we did our schooling we lived in a house my father bought in Louee Street. As my brothers became old enough they started school too. We always looked forward to going home to the mountain for holidays. 

The original school burnt down while we were attending it. It caused quite a deal of excitement at the time. It was caused by the flue from the stove getting too hot and igniting the roof timbers.
Until the new school was built, we had lessons in the shelter shed, tents and the Masonic Hall. 

We went to church three times a day on Sundays as well as going to Sunday School. Mother thought it would improve us!

When I was twelve I went to school at Sutherland, also my brother Darcy came. We boarded with my Aunt and Uncle. 

Our food was quite simple. We killed our own sheep for meat and an odd steer or two - (shared with neighbours), had home grown vegetables and fruit, made our own bread and damper, milked our own cows and made butter. We bought flour in 501b bags and sugar in 701b bags. 

We had no holidays in the sense that we went away anywhere. There was no money for that. 

We made our own entertainment. Dad used to play cricket with us, took us horse back riding, got to know the northern end of Nullo Mountain quite well that way. Also went fishing at the Cudgegong River. Dances were held at Narrango every now and then. Darcy learnt to dance but not Man or I - probably thought it was too sissy.

For a time pictures were held every Saturday night in Kandos and Rylstone. There was a mad dash between the towns at interval to exchange the films so the second half could be shown.

Clothes weren't very spectacular, ordinary shirt, pants and boots forwork with better shirts, trousers and shoes for best. 

The first show was held in 1938. I don't know anything about it as I wasn't there.

Our only means of transport was by horseback, horse and buggy or horse and dray. If we went by

dray it took a week, by buggy - two days.("The Range" is 30 miles from Rylstone.)
 
The mail was run by horse back once a week - every Friday. Maurie Thompsons grandfather, Harry
Thompson, was the first mailman. Later on dad took the contract and I ran it for him.

The first car on the mountain was owned by Valdi Glew. Dad bought our first car, a '24 Dodge Sedan Tourer in 1934 for £60 I remember once the brakes failed when I was driving down the mountain and the only way I could stop it was head for a tree - no great damage done.

Ref: The Way It Was - Reminiscences of Early Life in Rylstone 

THE CEDAR CUTTERS by Millie Morrison

In the latter part of the 1800's there was a fairly large cedar cutters camp in Cedar Gully on the Nullo Mountain. This camp is supposed to have housed some 40 plus men, with some women and children. The gully is very deep and steep so that the logs were brought out by flying fox.

Some of the timber - as in the doors on "The Range", were pit sawn on the Nullo but most of the logs were hauled by bullock wagon to Bathurst to be sawn and were made into quality furniture.

In 1970 my son , whilst riding his horse through the scrub noticed an apparent "ring" of trees with peculiar markings high up the trunk. Leading from this ring to the edge of the gully was a well worn but overgrown track so we concluded that what he had found was the area used to yard the bullocks. 

We followed the track down into Cedar Gully and found the remains of an old camp. High up on cliff face we found a cave which had obviously been used as a dwelling. The walls still had evidence of the fires which had been lit, and at the back of the cave was an old hand blown bottle, half imbedded in the sand stone. It had been used to collect water from a seepage in the cave.

In another cave we found the remains of a well, which had been constructed of sand stone rocks plugged together with clay to hold water which seeped out of the rocks. We found also boot spriggs and pieces of cedar, which were probably used as chocks for holding the logs.

Cedar Gully is a beautiful place. Full of tree ferns and almost tropical growth. The stinging trees and stinging nettles make it impossible to ride a horse through and very difficult for man also. The sun reaches into it fora very short time each day.

There have been various attempts to take cedar out through the Widden Valley, but with little success. Nowadays, of course, it is protected, as it should be. It is doubly protected by the fact that there are only about out two laces to enter and these are only for the fittest.

Ref: The Way It Was - Reminiscences of Early Life in Rylstone

THE RANGE – NULL0 MOUNTAIN

I lived in the house on "The Range" some thirty three years after the time mentioned in Bremmer Morrison's story. It seemed incredibly primitive to me even then. There was no bathroom, no laundry, kerosene lamps, a drip safe for keeping food fresh. There was no water laid on to the house.

The older part of the house was comfortable. It consisted of four rooms and a verandah. It was lined and the walls kalsomined. The big living room had a very large open fireplace. The verandah timbered part way up and had blinds to make it a sleepout.

The extension was still unfinished. It was one long room with a verandah one side and a skillion on the other. It was, as was the early part, made of adzed slabs beautifully fitted, unlined - except for the news papers stuck on with flour and water paste. 

The ceiling timbers were round bush cut timber, and was unsealed except for some sheets of stringy bark laid on the timber. The whole of one end consisted of sand stone fireplaces, and open fire, a double oven stove and in the skillion a copper - or a fireplace to house a copper. The copper was mostly used to mix drench!

In the older part of the house the doors were made of thick pit-sawn cedar timber, cut in Cedar Gully and sawn on a pit saw in what was later Nullo Mountain State Forest.

Despite all its draw backs and discomforts the house somehow had a charm of its own. The thick slabs provided a natural insulation, cool in summer and warm in winter (after we had ceiled the kitchen-dining room). 

It was partly surrounded by a very large orchard with a large variety of fruits. It stood almost at the top of a hill with a magnificent view away over the Liverpool Ranges.

They stretched to infinity. At night we could see car lights on the road at Denman. Sometimes we could see puffs of smoke of trains on the track at Murrunundi. The mountains changed often, but were always beautiful.

Even though it was 30 miles from Rylstone we seemed to have a large number of visitors. People did visit then and of course it was accepted that they were fed and if necessary, offered a bed with a feed for a horse or dog. 

Sadly, not long after we came to Rylstone to live, the house was burnt down - only the sandstone chimneys remain.

Ref: The Way It Was - Reminiscences of Early Life in Rylstone

ANOTHER “SAMMY” – The Lost Watch

While out timber cutting on Nullo Mountain, Sammy hung his pocket watch up in a tree – moving around the bush he completely forgot where it was hung and could not find it. Three years later, whilst up the mountain again Sammy saw a flash of light in a nearby tree and behold! There was the watch still on perfect time ticking away like new. "You see” said Sammy "a small branch had been resting upon the winder and as the wind blew the branch back and forth it kept the watch wound up".

Ref: The Way It Was - Reminiscences of Early Life in Rylstone 


Source: Nullo Mountain-Widden Valley 2006 Excursion - Background Notes by Wal Pilz download

 

"Andy" Black & Jessie Hickman

'Jessie Hickman' seems to be a current topic - the Newcastle Herald is due to publish an article in the near future.

I have just received a comprehensive paper entitled George Andrew Albert BLACK (1887- 1978) & Jessie Elizabeth HICKMAN (1890-1936).

An index to the paper would include "Andy", Morrison, cattle duffers, horse-breaker, Nullo Mountain, lassie bred tough, Skulthorp, Summervale, Olinda , Kandos etc.

Read more . . . 
 

Virtual Excursion to Capertee Valley

A Virtual Excursion to the Capertee Valley

The day had come.

We were assembling outside the Rylstone Shire Memorial Hall which some 50 years ago 
 

Rylstone Shire Memorial Hall as Roxy Talkies
Photo: RAHS collection

was known by many as the Roxy Talkies.

However, more interest was taken in examining this Silver Trowel 

which was:
'Presented to Major General C.F. Cox. C.B, C.M.G D.S.O on the occasion of the Laying of the Foundation Stone of the Rylstone Memorial Hall 17.4.26'

Time to get going.

Heading out, with a slight diversion, we passed the Rylstone Cemetery and then some old properties such as “Dabee” Station, “Ti Tree”, Max Jackson’s “Marloo” and Rox Jackson’s “Marsden”.

Then you go down the hill into the valley and, if you turn your historical watches back some 125 years, you come upon -

Photo: Rylstone and District Historical Society

William Moss (1856-1937) of "Warrangee Terrace", Glen Alice with his team of horses hauling bags of wheat on the Glen Alice Road heading for Rylstone.

A bit further on, with watches set to 70 years ago, we can see that a retort, on its way to the Glen Davis shale oil works, has fallen off the jinker at the entrance to Ted Mulholland's property "Marsden Forest".

His children Gwenda, Betty, Nona and Patricia are enjoying their latest new toy and pose for a photo.

Continuing on, there is a road off to the left with the pointer saying 'Dunville Loop' which rejoins the Glen Alice Road a bit further on. Do we have time to go this way? Not too much longer if we don't stop for too many photos.

However, we must stop for the one.

Photo: Dunville Loop, Capertee Valley by Vicki Powys

Getting back on the Glen Alice Road, we check our latest map.

Bit faded but looks as though we are nearly to Glen Alice.

Whats this? The Glen Alice mailman blocking the way - Pantony’s Crown can be seen in the background.

Glen Alice mailman blocking the road
Photo: original source not known

Before we get to Glen Alice we come upon Thorne's "Umbiella" property.

Christo Aitken tells us that "Settlement in this region started in the mid 1820's with individuals such as Dr James Innes at Warrengy and John Savary Rodd at Umbiella. Umbiella is in fact the first gazetted land in the valley and also in the Rylstone area."

In 1838, "Umbiella" was purchased by Sir John Jamison as was "Numietta" in 1836.

We were now in Jamison country. Sir John, while he never resided there, owned most of the Valley in 1800's.

For more on Sir John, "Numietta" and the Capertee Valley read - its a 50 page report and best left 'till you get home.

Arriving at Glen Alice we look for the old school, having seen a photo of Claude Agnew and Charles Booth in front of it in 1986.

Photo: Mickel Cowie collection

Moving on to Glen Davis we pass Simmo's Museum on the way to the the shale oil works.

Oil Shale Works Ruins

A bit of history: 
Between 1939 and 1952 National Oil Proprietary Limited extracted oil from shale at their Glen Davis works in the Capertee Valley. 
The plant was built using much equipment salvaged from the closed Newnes shale oil works nearby.
Although regarded as strategic for Australia's wartime oil supply, the venture was plagued by technical, financial and political difficulties, and anticipated production was never fully realised.
Viability of the shale mine and oil works were always questionable and they closed after a short and troubled life.

One of the technical problems was the supply of water.
The works needed one million gallons of water per day. This was provided by the  Public Works Department by building a pipeline from the Oberon Dam to Glen Davis. The pipeline crosses the Great Dividing Range three times but by clever surveying the water gravitates all the way, without a pump on the line.

A few photos:

The Eucalyptus Factory on Nullo Moutain

THE EUCALYPTUS FACTORY ON NULLO MOUNTAIN.

Bremmer Morrison.

After World War II Bill Bennett and the folk from the store tried to start up a Eucalyptus Factory on Nullo Mountain

They cut branches of the Eurabbie Blue Gums and transported on horsedrawn waggons to their still, which they had set up on the creek (near the headwaters of Cox's Creek)

The still was made from several ship's tanks that were placed over a fire. The tanks were with the creek water and the branches of the blue compressed inside. From the screwed-on roof of the tank there was a pipe that lead under the creek and down to the container. The steam from the boiling water in the tanks combined with the oil from the blue gum leaves and as it ran through the creek and cooled, the oil condensed out, and so it was eucalyptus oil that dripped into the container. Some of this eucalyptus oil was sent off for testing and was stated to be some of the best quality oil produced in N.S.W.

There were hopes of doing well from it but the 'factory' did not for very long, perhaps because the set was so primitive and it took such enormous effect collecting branches in the mountains and keeping up the supply. 

There is a pamphlet put out by the Dept. of Technical Education (Museum of Arts and Science) in 1952 that deals with the production of eucalyptus oil in just such a manner as Bremmer Morrison describes. They mention many gums, but NOT Eurabbie Blue Gums, as suitable. Perhaps this Blue Gum is rare and this is why it was such high quality? It seems to have been quite a thriving industry then.

It seems obvious from their instructions that there were big problems in obtaining a large enough area to keep up the supply of fresh leaves.

Ref: “TELL IT NOW” 1990

 

History in Black and White

Photo: Len Brown collection

Len Brown, an Australian of Aboriginal and Norwegian descent in the year 2000.
Len Brown's many unsuspecting relatives in Norway, who had no knowledge of the Australian branch of their family until Len contacted them, held a reunion for him in 1997. About 50 or 60 people attended, welcoming him as part of their extended family.

In a paper he calls "History in Black and White - Len Brown's family forest" he says:

Len Brown, 'white as a fridge', is descended from the Greens of Rylstone. He's been researching his family for the last twenty years.

Jimmy and Peggy Lambert from the Cudgegond /Rylstone area, are known locally as the 'last' of the Dabee. And yet Peggy, in particular, is the head of a large family of descendents, mny of whom still reside in the Rylstone area.

Read more , , ,

ONE DAY IN THE CAPERTEE VALLEY

Trevor Jamison says:
"This is a little story to explain the joys and connections of us all to the Capertee Valley."

The trip took place in 2007. It revived great memories for Trevor and will do for anyone else who know the Jamisons and the Capertee Valley.

Read more . . .

John Lloyd - an Early Settler in the Rylstone District

In 1852, John Lloyd came to the Rylstone District arriving at Dabee Station about 17th October.
Lloyd was born and brought up on a farm about five miles from that very old town Carmarthen, South Wales and as he grew up he became rather fond of the plough, and was a good all-round hand with the horses.
The discovery of gold in Australia caused great excitement so he made up his mind to try his luck in Australia - got on board the emigrant ship "Kate" and sailed from Gravesend on the 26th June, 1852.
The voyage occupied about 100 days from Gravesend to Sydney and as soon as the "Kate" cast anchor in Port Jackson she was surrounded by boats and agents coming on board wanting to hire both men and women. Lloyd was one of six young men hired to go to Dabee, a station of Mr. Fitzgerald's, in the south of Rylstone, county of Roxburgh, the wages being at the rate of £6 per annum, and rations .
After arriving in Sydney and staying one night there he was sent to Windsor, and remained for some days on a farm of Mr. Fitzgerald's near Windsor, waiting for the teams to get ready, to start for the station.
There were several days on the road travelling with the horse teams until they came to a place on the Mudgee-road called the Round Swamp, where they left the teams and made a short cut over Vincent's Mountain on to the flat land, reaching Dabee Station about the 17th October, 1852.
In May 1857 he and two others went to prospect the Bogie Creek, where they got onto a fair run of gold.
Early in the spring of that year we had some very rough cold weather and there was a big flood in the Bogie Creek. They continued to work the ground with success until about April 1858 and then he went to Rylstone and started prospecting. I found a good patch of gold in the Cudgegong just below Rylstone and got between three and four ounces for ten or twelve days work.
Earlier, Lloyd had saved money while in the police force, and bought 80 acres of land in 1855 at the first land sale ever held in the Rylstone district
- the sale was held at Mr. Blackstone's house, about a mile from the township.
Lloyd says in his Autobiography: “So about the end of July 1858 I pitched my tent on that 80 acres, and here I have resided ever since.”
John Lloyd died on 6th May, 1910 aged 81 years and 8 months.
John Lloyd and his wife Mary Ann are buried in Rylstone Cemetery.
John Lloyd's epitaph reads :-
          "Though Thou hast called me to resign

          What most I tried to keep was mine


          I only yielded what was there

          Thy will be Done."
Source: John Lloyd's Autobiography

Bob O’Neill’s letters to Members

These letters will provide a good record of RDHS during Bob's term as President.

See compendium.

This compendium of Bob O'Neill's letters to Members is certainly not complete. If you can find more in your archives, could you please send me a copy to add to this collection.