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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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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