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Interviewee

Flora (McLeod) Manson

Place Recorded

Coffs Harbour-NSW

Interviewer

Collection

Agency

Yarrila Arts & Museum (YAM)

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Flora Manson Interview

Details

IntervieweeFlora (McLeod) MansonInterview Date18 September 1986Place RecordedCoffs Harbour-NSWDuration46m31sAccession NumberLS2020.1.145Credit LineCoffs Harbour City Council, 1988.

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Description

Mrs Manson was born Flora McLeod on 31 August 1927. She went to Karangi Public School and talks about her family history and the history of the Upper Orara area.

InterviewerSheridah MelvinKerri MossCollectionYAM 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. "My grandfather, Angus McLeod, came firstly to Dorrigo, Paddy's Plains and then moved to Karangi" -- "His married brother, John, was granted a farm at Upper Orara in the First Land Court, Grafton 1886" -- Her grandfather married Mary Shaw from Barrington in 1890 -- On their way to Karangi they encountered floods -- Angus used to take food supplies by horse and cart to the mines at Bucca Creek (1890s) -- He made enough money from the sale of his produce to the miners to build a new home -- The kitchen was separate from the house in case of a fire - "frog mouth chimney". They purchased a milk separator in 1900 -- Transportation was by spring cart and sulky, "kept very good horses" -- "1910 to 1917 they leased their farm to Alf Spinks" -- Angus built the first bakery in Edinburgh Street" -- They retained an orchard at the farm and grew citrus fruit -- They returned to the farm in 1917 and had quite a dairy herd -- Mrs Sullivan sold her farm to Mr Watkin and the family camped in a hollow black stump at Angus's farm. "My grandmother was a foundation member of the Presbyterian Church guild" -- "Mr And Mrs Pat O'Neill were life long friends" -- They sometimes went fishing at Bonville Creek -- "My dad was the eldest in the family and they had one of the first cars in the district, a Ford T" -- "My dad married Ethel Wilmont in 1923"."The district was settled from 1886" -- They built a mission hall on Mr John McLeod's property in 1889. Mr Norman Watkin sang at the opening of the hall -- Mr Colin Buchanan donated a block of land for a church at Karangi. It was the first wooden church in the area -- Before the church was built, services were held at Mr and Mrs Sherwood's home at Nana Glen -- Mrs Clare Mason donated the font -- Mr Small was the surveyor of the district -- The organists in the church -- The first Camphor laurels planted -- The Cochran family donated the honour roll -- Harvest Festivals. Mrs Hunter judged the cooking. In 1908 the Methodist folk of Upper Orara built their fine church on Mrs Ide's property -- The Karangi church was sold to Mr Robert Hunter in 1966 for 10 pounds -- "My father often said that a home without a piano was a very lonely home" -- "My mother was a good public speaker when young" -- Her mother was also a member of the CWA -- Her grandchildren still own the family farm. My husband's grandfather was Jabez James Boultwood -- He was a councillor for the Dorrigo Shire -- He wrote articles for the paper and also a local history. Flora started school at Karangi around 1933 or 1934 -- Her first teacher was Mr. Simpson -- Mr James replaced him. "He was a gifted teacher" -- There were about 40 pupils then -- The teacher's wife taught cooking and home management -- Mr James also taught the boys woodwork -- His father was a Labor politician who lived at Kurri Kurri -- Flora and her sister Heather rode the pony to school -- Dairying and timber were the main industries then -- The new bridge at Karangi was built about 1936 -- The teacher used to see the children across the bridge to safety at flood times -- The corn bag was used as a raincoat in those times -- Children were often barefoot, in the wet weather especially -- The method of getting rid of 'money-spiders or nits' was to mix equal quantities of kerosene and olive oil in a saucer and to apply that to the hair of a night, wrap in an old pillow case and wash it out in the morning -- The beautiful playground at Karangi school. There's lots of birdlife too. Tom Somerhill, the Fisher family, the Hope girls, the Allison girls, Alene Lee, the Brooks, the Potts, the O'Neil's, the Watkins etc. -- Mrs Fisher's maiden name was Cornish -- Pioneer women -- "Mr. Kelly used to bring the meat". Her father used to catch perch in the river -- They had a unique butter churn -- In times of a death the community helped out -- They used to put 3 corncobs in the oven to keep it an even temperature -- Houses were scrubbed out once a week and the floors were polished with bee's wax -- Empire Day picnics at the school. The way of disposing of old cows -- Sprays weren't used in the gardens then -- Washing in the copper at bath time -- Swimming in the river -- Mrs McLeod and Mrs Cochran had tea parties at the river -- Jean McLeod (Flora's aunt) 'a pioneer daughter".