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Interviewee

Nina (Sinclair) Phillips

Place Recorded

Coffs Harbour-NSW

Interviewer

Lesley Gibbs

Collection

Agency

Yarrila Arts & Museum (YAM)

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Nina Phillips Interview

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Nina Phillips Interview

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IntervieweeNina (Sinclair) PhillipsInterview Date2 October 1986Place RecordedCoffs Harbour-NSWDuration1h54m13sAccession NumberLS2020.1.89Credit LineCoffs Harbour City Council, 1988.

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Description

Mrs Phillips is one of twenty-four children and twin sister of Baden Sinclair. She was a great worker for the Dorrigo area for over fifty years.

InterviewerLesley GibbsCollectionYAM Museum CollectionVoice of Time oral history projectAgencyYarrila Arts & Museum (YAM)SummaryStandard disclaimer. Visit the 'Voice of Time' web site to read or listen to the disclaimer. Nina was born in North Dorrigo in 1901. She is the second last of twenty-four children. There are only two left now -- Her father married twice, both wives died at the age of forty-two -- Her maiden name is Sinclair. Her twin brother, Baden, is now writing a book about the history of the area -- A description of the Dorrigo area in the early days when there were great cedar forests. The bridle track from the top of the Dorrigo Mountain was the only road to the coast -- The only doctor in the area was in Bellingen; Dr Hicks and the locals relied on him to come up the Mountain to treat the sick until Dr Gaiton came to Dorrigo to practice -- Mrs Phillip's mother was Dr Gaiton's second patient -- The original cedar getters came to Dorrigo via the New England road. The men came first, and then about nine families, including the Coghlans and the Hewitts. The Spokes were the first whites to "Put foot here" -- John Spokes was the first white child born in Dorrigo -- When the first settlers arrived the main plateau was all dense scrub. The first homes were built at Paddy's Plain out of stringy bark and shingles. The families sometimes had fourteen children -- A description of Pit sawing and how it worked -- The timber was carted by bullock teams to Armidale and sold at Knots Mill -- The early women settlers "must have been the bravest women" because they had to remain at home whilst the men went to Armidale, sometimes alone for three or four weeks at a time. They banded together, sewing all night while the children slept -- The dirt floor houses were tended with tea tree brooms -- The men would shop for supplies in Armidale -- Many places in the area were named after the people who lived there -- There was a great bond between the families in the area. Grandma Phillips often spoke of how they were all like sisters. Each helped the other with births. Grandma Phillips became the mid-wife of the area. She brought 100 babies into the world and never lost one -- Dealing with childhood illness. The doctor took over a day to come up from Bellingen --The first families started arriving to the area in 1865-66 -- All the food was cooked over an open fire in camp ovens -- The cedar was beautiful. Now there is only 'Cedar Avenue' where courting couples used to go on Sunday -- The town of Dorrigo started after about 1901 -- Crown land in the area opened up for farming. The original Phillips home was built in 1902 -- There were three mills at North Dorrigo, a wine cellar and many houses. The area was always known as "Little Plain". There were no trees growing there so Mr Coghlan planted some pines. The days of no electricity. Sewing by candlelight -- Nina's mother died and the children had to be separated. Nina was sent to an aunt in Armidale. The very sad seven years that followed -- Nina had to work very hard as a child and now believes that the bad treatment she received as a child made her a better person. Nina always promised herself that she would never grow old and bitter -- The aunt who treated Nina so badly was a very religious woman and devoted to her own children. However, they deceived her and she became very bitter with the world -- Her aunt moved to Sydney and lived to be a very old lady. In later years she told a family member that she had only one love and that was for Nina. Nina's memory of seeing her father again, standing by the fire. His first words were "My poor little Cinderella" -- The days of the First World War. Family loss again. After the war all the children returned home. Nina took many positions around the Dorrigo area. She worked for three years at the Coffee Palace in Dorrigo -- Gus, the man Nina married, was a real gentleman. They had played together as children and married after knowing each other all their lives -- Their wedding took place in Armidale. All the family would come to visit the homestead; there was so much love -- Armidale was always a big place and the original cedar getters had many friends there -- The bullock drivers would always stop outside Armidale and get dressed up before entering the city -- Arthur's unfortunate day with his new cabbage tree hat "He went right off his head" -- The bullock drivers cut quite a dashing figure as they entered the town of Armidale. After the cedar the dairy farms and the opening of the Butter Factory... a great day -- The sulky truck on the Dorrigo Mountain was cut out of the rock by hand -- Tragedy on the Mountain -- The hydroelectric scheme down near the falls, supplying the Dorrigo area with electricity in 1921 -- Many people, in the Depressed times, could not afford power -- Women walked all the way from North Dorrigo to town for food vouchers during the depression -- Nina and Gus had five children. They stayed with Grandma Phillips to look after her -- The rabbit hunters. The early settlers trapped possum for skins by lantern at night. They also scalped dingos for money. Nina's father owned many properties over the years and supported his large family by bee keeping and making butter -- People who were 'the salt of Dorrigo' -- The three timber mills at North Dorrigo. The recreation time at the wine saloon. Harry Bailey would sing, Gus would play the mouth organ and Alex Bingham played the violin. They were so happy -- The Bailey family and the hard work put in by the children -- The Cordial factory. The water came from a nearby well -- The Bailey children and their orchestra. They would play at two dances a week. Nina received an award from the Queen for recognition of her community work. The trip to Government House was the 'Warmest, loveliest day I ever had" -- Walking up the red carpet in the ballroom with the kind assistance of the aide -- The garden party and meeting the Governor's wife. The band played under the trees -- Nina still has her Red Cross meetings every month and also cards once a month for the hospital. Involvement with the hospital auxiliary for fifty years. A wonderful band of women. The local halls. The former hall was burned down and the existing hall was opened in 1912 -- The difficulty in maintaining the hall and finding young blood to be part of the town -- Many new people are moving into the area. It's wonderful because "You must advance" -- North Dorrigo has always been a place of no unrest. Nina has only had a few short trips to Sydney -- Teaching the children to dance. Two dances a week at the hall, parties, a library and also school concerts. All this has changed because of all the big clubs now -- There should be more entertainment for the young now. Nina's love of football and cricket. The five Phillip's children and their families -- How the early settlers managed through the Dorrigo winters -- Making a mattress and pillows out of corn husks -- Making butter in treacle tin. Keeping food in the drip safe. Curing the bacon over the house fireplace -- The poor house puddings and the Sunday plum puddings...people would come for miles for a slice -- People always worked hard and you rarely saw a man drunk during the week -- Mr Curtell's wine shop. Beer was unheard of until the hotel came to Dorrigo -- The still at North Dorrigo and the good rum -- The bullock drivers were hard cases but no different to the kids of today -- The Larrikins and the old drunk -- The big horse teams on the Dorrigo... some accidents -- The fun at the dances. The night the corn bag was put over the chimney. The beautiful girls at the dances. Curling their hair with hot tongs -- The Galley out the back where the stolen fowls were stolen back -- Nina's recent morning with the school children in Dorrigo -- Children need more love now than ever before. Also more entertainment. The movies came to Dorrigo. They were shown in a tent at North Dorrigo -- Race Day at Tyringham over one hundred years ago -- Nina's sister and the pillow fight after she hit her "On the sit down" -- Gus Phillips worked for thirty-one years at the store at North Dorrigo. He delivered supplies to the area for many years. The beautiful mountain area and the unrest in the world today -- The care given to the children by new mothers of today. The unwed mothers of years ago, it was a great crime. The courage of the early women to the area -- Arthur Hewitt made all the coffins for the people in the area -- A fortunate life and so much love of the family -- The sanitary service in the area. The dunny up the back tied to a tree to stop it falling over. The work put into the Dorrigo shows over the years for the Red Cross -- The current drought is the worst in the area for many years -- When there was a wedding in the area everyone for miles around was invited. They would arrive in sulkies and have a wonderful time -- Only two shops remain in North Dorrigo. The locals must support local business. Nina has never bought a pound of butter from anywhere but the North Dorrigo Store. Monkey soap and sand soap were the main cleaning products. Washing soda and soap were used to clean the clothes -- Women used to make their own soap with caustic soda, lard and resin -- As a child in Armidale, Nina had to clean the steps with bath brick -- The old-timers were so clean they used to white wash everything, even the front fence posts -- The sort of food they lived on in the old days were home killed beef, home grown vegetables and canned salmon when times were good. In the dark days it was Kangaroo tail soup and Larry Parrot stew.