Comments for Ian Jones Photo/Sketchbook Blog http://ianjones.com.au/blog Photograhic Wanderings, Notes, Works in Progress Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:05:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 Comment on The Store Goodooga by Vic Chapman PSM http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-16793 Vic Chapman PSM Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:05:44 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-16793 We came to Goodooga from Hebel in 1943 when my father left "Currawillinghi"and moved to "Retreat" - one of Major Richmond's properties.He was employed by the Richmonds for over half a century, ending up at "Mogila" late 1960's as Stud Master. I attended Goodooga P.S. and was fortunate to be taught by Mr McKinnon who thought I had some academic promise and was instrumental in me becoming a State Bursar and eventually a teacher in the NSW Education Department.I retired from the teaching service at the end of 1990. I have great memories of the town and its people. It was a lively little town, servicing the sheep industry. Characters like Shillin' Jackson and "Pickles" Graham, men of different hues and fine intellect, gave the place comic relief and distraction from the oft times racist undercurrent. Since 2005 I've travelled that way - particularly to "Currawillinghi",to scatter the ashes of our two sons on the banks of Ballandool Creek.("Currawillinghi" is a special place for the descendants of the Yueaalaraay people, a place we call "ngurrambaa") In doing so,I checked out Hebel State School where I first got a taste for learning, the Hebel Pub where as a kid, I emptied and stacked the KB Lager and Sheaf Stout bottles for Norb McIntosh for two bob a day. And, of course, we couldn't miss out on Goodooga. What a sad place it had become! A place without a soul! This was a fertile place that grew great black fellas like the Shillingsworths, Skuthorpes, Hoopers, Wests and great white fellas like Reg Barry and Jamie Richmond, whose daughters have similar recollections and who have contributed to this column. Maybe, we should just remember the good times! We came to Goodooga from Hebel in 1943 when my father left “Currawillinghi”and moved to “Retreat” – one of Major Richmond’s properties.He was employed by the Richmonds for over half a century, ending up at “Mogila” late 1960′s as Stud Master.
I attended Goodooga P.S. and was fortunate to be taught by Mr McKinnon who thought I had some academic promise and was instrumental in me becoming a State Bursar and eventually a teacher in the NSW Education Department.I retired from the teaching service at the end of 1990.
I have great memories of the town and its people. It was a lively little town, servicing the sheep industry. Characters like Shillin’ Jackson and “Pickles” Graham, men of different hues and fine intellect, gave the place comic relief and distraction from the oft times racist undercurrent.
Since 2005 I’ve travelled that way – particularly to “Currawillinghi”,to scatter the ashes of our two sons on the banks of Ballandool Creek.(“Currawillinghi” is a special place for the descendants of the Yueaalaraay people, a place we call “ngurrambaa”) In doing so,I checked out Hebel State School where I first got a taste for learning, the Hebel Pub where as a kid, I emptied and stacked the KB Lager and Sheaf Stout bottles for Norb McIntosh for two bob a day. And, of course, we couldn’t miss out on Goodooga.
What a sad place it had become! A place without a soul! This was a fertile place that grew great black fellas like the Shillingsworths, Skuthorpes, Hoopers, Wests and great white fellas like Reg Barry and Jamie Richmond, whose daughters have similar recollections and who have contributed to this column.
Maybe, we should just remember the good times!

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by Lorraine Sheldon http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-16585 Lorraine Sheldon Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:30:00 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-16585 Frank & I arrived in Goodooga in 1959 & stayed 23 years - 20 0f them in a General Store. Our family was very happy in that little town & our 4 children - Leah(Leanne), Neroli, Philip & Jenni all say they were the best years of their lives. Frank & I agree. We were isolated by distance & dirt roads. We were a unit & we helped one another. To this day I love to meet anyone who lives or lived in Goodooga. Alex, I was amused about your telling your fathers stories & I recall some of them myself. He was a great story teller & yes - his stories were true. When I tell my Goodooga stories people don't believe them either. In those days & today also people ask me what we did. Well we had fun. I remember in particular the great balls, the movies under the stars & the foorball matches. Every week we all - men, women, boys, girls & babies turned out to cheer. We drove vast distances e.g. 385 km to Cobar & 385 km back to support our team. Our family visits Goodooga every few years & are always so pleased to see our "old" friends. Frank & I arrived in Goodooga in 1959 & stayed 23 years – 20 0f them in a General Store.
Our family was very happy in that little town & our 4 children – Leah(Leanne), Neroli, Philip & Jenni all say they were the best years of their lives. Frank & I agree.
We were isolated by distance & dirt roads. We were a unit & we helped one another. To this day I love to meet anyone who lives or lived in Goodooga.
Alex, I was amused about your telling your fathers stories & I recall some of them myself. He was a great story teller & yes – his stories were true. When I tell my Goodooga stories people don’t believe them either.
In those days & today also people ask me what we did. Well we had fun. I remember in particular the great balls, the movies under the stars & the foorball matches. Every week we all – men, women, boys, girls & babies turned out to cheer. We drove vast distances e.g. 385 km to Cobar & 385 km back to support our team.
Our family visits Goodooga every few years & are always so pleased to see our “old” friends.

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by TRISH COWAN(BARRY) http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-16254 TRISH COWAN(BARRY) Sun, 04 Mar 2012 06:06:55 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-16254 Thanks to my old friend Jenny Wood (Shields) for telling me about this site, I grew up on "Mogila" and they were the happiest times of my life. I have re-visited Goodooga many times and always get that feeling of being home once more. My dad Reg is buried at the cemetery there.He worked for Jamie Richmond who I regard as 'Nature's Gentleman' and we have so many fond memories of him in our lives,I tried to encourage him and my mum to put their heads together and write a book about 'Mogila' and the people who worked there,but alas it didn't happen. I remember the open air picture theatre and feel great shame that this was a segregated facility as was the hotel, the community should have been as one. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Glen Skuthorpe on his success as a singer/songwriter, I have your albums and really enjoy them. I also recall Louis Schamp's wonderful bakery,in fact Ican still smell the bread. We would drive into town on a Saturday morning and buy the Fruit Loaf and it was delicious,sometimes half of it was missing before we got home again- after all it was seven miles! I worked on the exchange with Jenny Shields,Yvonne Woodcock and David Samuelson was the night boy who took over at 10pm, hello to all. I hope to return home for a visit in the very near future, in the meantime to all out there my thoughts are with you as you are surrounded by floodwaters,hope the sand flies and mozzies are not too bad. Hello to my old friend Christine Hooper who has done a great job with the SES. Cheers,Trish Cowan. Thanks to my old friend Jenny Wood (Shields) for telling me about this site, I grew up on “Mogila” and they were the happiest times of my life. I have re-visited Goodooga many times and always get that feeling of being home once more. My dad Reg is buried at the cemetery there.He worked for Jamie Richmond who I regard as ‘Nature’s Gentleman’ and we have so many fond memories of him in our lives,I tried to encourage him and my mum to put their heads together and write a book about ‘Mogila’ and the people who worked there,but alas it didn’t happen. I remember the open air picture theatre and feel great shame that this was a segregated facility as was the hotel, the community should have been as one. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Glen Skuthorpe on his success as a singer/songwriter, I have your albums and really enjoy them. I also recall Louis Schamp’s wonderful bakery,in fact Ican still smell the bread. We would drive into town on a Saturday morning and buy the Fruit Loaf and it was delicious,sometimes half of it was missing before we got home again- after all it was seven miles! I worked on the exchange with Jenny Shields,Yvonne Woodcock and David Samuelson was the night boy who took over at 10pm, hello to all.
I hope to return home for a visit in the very near future, in the meantime to all out there my
thoughts are with you as you are surrounded by floodwaters,hope the sand flies and mozzies are not too bad. Hello to my old friend Christine Hooper who has done a great job with the SES. Cheers,Trish Cowan.

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by Pauline http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-15035 Pauline Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:49:40 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-15035 What wonderful memories this brings back. I lived at the Goodooga Store with the Lee's back in the 1950's. I would love to hear from Norman Lee, if he could email me. I remember 'Aunty' Gladys was always so busy in the shop or in the kitchen cooking up a storm. And I have fond memories of the games I played in the street with Norm and Cheryl and watching Norm chopping the wood. It would be lovely to re-connect with Norm again. katm65@bigpond.com What wonderful memories this brings back. I lived at the Goodooga Store with the Lee’s back in the 1950′s. I would love to hear from Norman Lee, if he could email me. I remember ‘Aunty’ Gladys was always so busy in the shop or in the kitchen cooking up a storm. And I have fond memories of the games I played in the street with Norm and Cheryl and watching Norm chopping the wood. It would be lovely to re-connect with Norm again.
katm65@bigpond.com

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by Alex Richmond http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-12136 Alex Richmond Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:12:24 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-12136 Wow, what a trip down memory lane - all those names local and the temps like the teachers - know those names so well and know all the family history as well - since my father died I find myself telling his stories of Goodooga and often think noone will believe me - but they are true - that was just Goodooga! - I loved my life in Goodooga - everyone needed each other as there weren't many of us so everyone got along (most of the time) - great memories of the pony club, school, shop etc - footy on a Saturday. Lots of great people - Once a Goodooga Girl always a Goodooga Girl. Wow, what a trip down memory lane – all those names local and the temps like the teachers – know those names so well and know all the family history as well – since my father died I find myself telling his stories of Goodooga and often think noone will believe me – but they are true – that was just Goodooga! – I loved my life in Goodooga – everyone needed each other as there weren’t many of us so everyone got along (most of the time) – great memories of the pony club, school, shop etc – footy on a Saturday. Lots of great people – Once a Goodooga Girl always a Goodooga Girl.

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by Isabel (Nikki) Orcher http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-11970 Isabel (Nikki) Orcher Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:19:21 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-11970 OMG!!! i can't believe all the History you find out just by reading all these posts.. it's amazing that everyone's has communicated through this site at one point or another. just making my mark of my connection to Goodooga. my Mother (Jodie Wood) grew up all over the place, travelling with her mother (Elizabeth [Fay] Wood)and met my father (Antony Orcher) in Brewarrina. they soon moved to Goodooga to my Dads family (Orcher's and Cubby's) where i grew up on the Reserve. my Closest Friend who still is my best Friend is Reba Skuthorpe daughter of (Uncle) Kenny Skuthorpe and (Aunty) Lindy Trapman. i Survived my HSC at Goodooga Central and is now Working for Murdi Paaki in Dubbo. Please anyone with old Football/Dance photo's can you contact me. for i have tried lots of contacts for a Goodooga Rememberance Book. email me at: isabel.orcher@msn.com OMG!!!

i can’t believe all the History you find out just by reading all these posts.. it’s amazing that everyone’s has communicated through this site at one point or another.

just making my mark of my connection to Goodooga.
my Mother (Jodie Wood) grew up all over the place, travelling with her mother (Elizabeth [Fay] Wood)and met my father (Antony Orcher) in Brewarrina. they soon moved to Goodooga to my Dads family (Orcher’s and Cubby’s) where i grew up on the Reserve.
my Closest Friend who still is my best Friend is Reba Skuthorpe daughter of (Uncle) Kenny Skuthorpe and (Aunty) Lindy Trapman.

i Survived my HSC at Goodooga Central and is now Working for Murdi Paaki in Dubbo.

Please anyone with old Football/Dance photo’s can you contact me. for i have tried lots of contacts for a Goodooga Rememberance Book.

email me at: isabel.orcher@msn.com

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by David Morrison http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-9775 David Morrison Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:02:24 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-9775 It just occurred to me- is the snack bar pictured the one run by Bill Hindeman and his wife in the 1960s? Someone reading this at some stage might know. If so, I ate there a few times between 1961 and 1963. Bill served with my father in World War I. It just occurred to me- is the snack bar pictured the one run by Bill Hindeman and his wife in the 1960s? Someone reading this at some stage might know. If so, I ate there a few times between 1961 and 1963. Bill served with my father in World War I.

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by Ian Powell http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-9092 Ian Powell Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:10:22 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-9092 My Mother moved to Goodooga in early '42. My father was on his way to Singapore and fell to the Japanese when Singapore was over-run by them. His advice was"The British were bloody hopeless. They spend every waking minute musing about past glories and very little time on the problems at hand. Unless we're lucky, we'll be stuffed and mounted by the Nips. Then they'll turn their sights on Australia. Go to Goodooga. The Japs will never want it! Good advice which we followed. Our stay in Goodooga(approx. 5 years) was a happy one. Yes! I do remember the open air theatre. I think it only operated on Saturday night and sadly, the attendees were segrated. This was acutely embarassing as it meant I couldn't sit with aboriginal kids with whom I played football & cricket every day. On the day we arrived(raining, about the only rain we saw in 5 years) we stayed at the old pub. An hospitable and charming old landmark, but in those days, also segrated. The white blokes who drank there couldn't drink with black shearers and stockmen with whom they worked, day in day out. Quite shameful. Although these were different times..................... My Mother moved to Goodooga in early ’42. My father was on his way to Singapore and fell to the Japanese when Singapore was over-run by them. His advice was”The British were bloody hopeless. They spend every waking minute musing about past glories and very little time on the problems at hand. Unless we’re lucky, we’ll be stuffed and mounted by the Nips. Then they’ll turn their sights on Australia. Go to Goodooga. The Japs will never want it!
Good advice which we followed.
Our stay in Goodooga(approx. 5 years) was a happy one. Yes! I do remember the open air theatre. I think it only operated on Saturday night and sadly, the attendees were segrated. This was acutely embarassing as it meant I couldn’t sit with aboriginal kids with whom I played football & cricket every day.
On the day we arrived(raining, about the only rain we saw in 5 years) we stayed at the old pub. An hospitable and charming old landmark, but in those days, also segrated. The white blokes who drank there couldn’t drink with black shearers and stockmen with whom they worked, day in day out. Quite shameful. Although these were different times…………………

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by David Morrison http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-9030 David Morrison Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:48:42 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-9030 One other thing about my time in Goodooga- Sydney has a man with the official title of Organist of the City of Sydney (or words to that effect) and some years ago I wrote a humorous article for the Sydney Organ Journal (at least, I thought it was humorous) talking about my time as "City Organist of Goodooga". While I was there I played the little pedal-pump organs for all Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist services in the town. I don't think any of those services ever coincided because only the Anglican ones were ever on a Sunday. I played the piano for Anzac day ceremonies, carols by candle light and even a fashion parade. One of my memories is carols by candle light in the local hall when I was all ready with my music in front of me, people in the hall had candles lit, and the first carol was announced. Then the lights were all switched off and the pianist could not see to read the music. There was a short delay while a small electric lamp was found so that I could see the music sheets. The school acquired a piano while I was there and we put on a children's operetta in the town hall. We took the schoool piano down to the hall because it was better than the town instrument. I gave piano lessons to two children using the town instrument, which was in fairly good condition. When we there in August this year I was sad that the only piano I saw in the school was unplayable. Memories!! One other thing about my time in Goodooga- Sydney has a man with the official title of Organist of the City of Sydney (or words to that effect) and some years ago I wrote a humorous article for the Sydney Organ Journal (at least, I thought it was humorous) talking about my time as “City Organist of Goodooga”. While I was there I played the little pedal-pump organs for all Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist services in the town. I don’t think any of those services ever coincided because only the Anglican ones were ever on a Sunday.

I played the piano for Anzac day ceremonies, carols by candle light and even a fashion parade. One of my memories is carols by candle light in the local hall when I was all ready with my music in front of me, people in the hall had candles lit, and the first carol was announced. Then the lights were all switched off and the pianist could not see to read the music. There was a short delay while a small electric lamp was found so that I could see the music sheets.

The school acquired a piano while I was there and we put on a children’s operetta in the town hall. We took the schoool piano down to the hall because it was better than the town instrument. I gave piano lessons to two children using the town instrument, which was in fairly good condition. When we there in August this year I was sad that the only piano I saw in the school was unplayable.

Memories!!

]]> Comment on The Store Goodooga by Roger O'Shea http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54&cpage=2#comment-8997 Roger O'Shea Sun, 07 Nov 2010 02:42:39 +0000 http://ianjones.com.au/blog/?p=54#comment-8997 Sent the message off before I had completed it. The Bakery was used as a place to have a bet on the horses. I used to love the smells issuing from the Baker's oven. Les Darcy and his brother Fred made the best meat pies and sold them for ten pence. Ah the good old days. It is amazing how many people we have met who worked or lived in Doodooga at some time. Our son teaches at Wee Waa High and has taken students to Goodooga for NADOC week sports on a couple of occasions. Have touched base with Rob Scott in Wee Waa and also caught up with David Walker son of John and Brenda. We have four children and six grandchildren. Sent the message off before I had completed it. The Bakery was used as a place to have a bet on the horses. I used to love the smells issuing from the Baker’s oven. Les Darcy and his brother Fred made the best meat pies and sold them for ten pence. Ah the good old days.

It is amazing how many people we have met who worked or lived in Doodooga at some time. Our son teaches at Wee Waa High and has taken students to Goodooga for NADOC week sports on a couple of occasions. Have touched base with Rob Scott in Wee Waa and also caught up with David Walker son of John and Brenda.

We have four children and six grandchildren.

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