Letters to Aunt Connie of the Weekly Times: Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang and Five Mile

The Weekly Times used to have a ‘Young Folks’ page, edited by ‘Aunt Connie’ and 'Uncle Ben' and children would write letters to them and have them published in the paper. The letters are quite descriptive and the children would write about their gardens, the town they lived in, their farms, school life etc. In this post we look at how the children described Koo Wee Rup Lang Lang and Five Mile. In another post we look at what they wrote about Garfield, Bunyip, Tynong and Cora Lynn. I have researched some biographical information about the writers.

Letters from Linda Ellis of Koo Wee Rup

Linda wrote about grasshoppers in 1902 -

The grass is very poor about here, and the grasshoppers are numerous. They eat all the grass up. They ate the leaves off our turnips, and now they have started on the fruit trees. A couple of weeks ago the crows started on the grasshoppers, and they are having such feeds. It is amusing to watch them fight to get the most grasshoppers. There is a lot of work going on here at present, as all the drains are being enlarged. It will be a good thing when they are done, as it will keep the people from being flooded. We are only milking four cows at present; they do not give much milk. [Weekly Times, February 15, 1902, see here]

In September 1903 Linda wrote again, this time a much more poignant letter-

The crops around here are looking splendid. We have a nice lot of cabbages in, but just as soon as they begin to look nice and green the hares come and eat them off. My father is away from home just now, working, and we do miss him so much. Since I last wrote to you we have lost a little sister, and just six weeks before she died one of my aunties died in New South Wales. Mother took my little sister to the Children's Hospital, but the doctors could do nothing for her, and about three months afterwards she died. My father's mother died, too, so you see we had a very bad misfortune last year. Our flower garden looks very nice this year; especially the violets.....Some of my cousins are saying what they would like to do when they grow up. I think I would like to always stay at home. I do not like going from home. [Weekly Times, September 19, 1903, see here]

Linda was the daughter of Henry Ernest and Jemina (nee Milroy) Ellis; she was the eldest of ten children, born in 1890. They are listed in the Electoral Rolls at Koo Wee Rup in 1903 and 1906; by 1909 the family had moved to Abbotsford. Linda married Richard Semmens in 1911 and she died in 1966. 

In May 1902, Priscilla Rundle wrote about Koo Wee Rup 

Our township consists of two general stores, a blacksmith’s shop, a draper’s shop, a bakery and also a butcher’s shop.  We have a nice Presbyterian Church and a Sunday school combined. The Roman Catholics have recently called for tenders for the erection of a chapel. A few months back some of the leading spirits of our town called a meeting, in view of building a public hall. It has been decided to do so, so we now have the prospect of another building in our small township. The local agent for the Massey-Harris machinery has arranged with my father to hold a field trial of their farm implements in one of our paddocks on Tuesday, the 20^th. Everybody seems to think that it will be a fair trial, as everything looks very favourable so far. As we live about four miles from the township, we do not see much life, so we expect to have a pleasant day the day of the trial. [Weekly Times, May 31, 1902, see here]

Priscilla Rundle, was born in 1888 to James Charles and Jessie (nee Campbell) Rundle, so she was 14 when she wrote this letter ; her parents had a farm at Koo Wee Rup. Priscilla is listed in the 1909 Electoral Rolls as a school teacher, and her address was also Koo Wee Rup. She married William Freeman in 1913 and they farmed around Traralgon. She died in 1965.

Eight year old, Dorothy Gray wrote about  her life  in Koo Wee Rup, in 1904

I am eight years old, and in the third class. I have one little sister, her name is Vera Muriel. She is two years old. I am learning to ride. We have a large orchard. Kooweerup is a small place. It is very wet in winter. There is a township and in it there is one butcher, one baker two grocers, one saddler, one blacksmith one bootmaker and a draper's shop. The people get their living by sowing oats and maize mostly, and dairying. There are three orchards altogether. My father has been taking "The Weekly Times" for a great number of years. My favourite hymns are "Holy, Holy, Holy" and "Jesus Loves Me."

My father planted 600 fruit trees. I like going to school, I wish there were six school days a week. We are milking six cows, and we also have a separator. We send the cream away once a week now. We used to send it twice a week in the summer time. My little sister is such a chatterbox. My pets are a cat, parrot, calf, and a pup. Please Aunt Connie, would you mind sending a name for him. My favorite flowers are Cape Forget-me-not, sweet pea, carnation, dahlia, and chrysanthemum. [Weekly Times, July 2, 1904, see here]

Dorothy was the daughter of Richard and Margaret Mary (nee Browne) Gray. As Dorothy wrote, they had a farm at Koo Wee Rup.  Dorothy was married in 1916 to Albert Jack. A report in the paper said that she had been in charge of Christies Post Office, Wonyip for the past three years and the couple would be making their home at Daylesford. [Toora & Welshpool Ensign, August 4, 1916, see here]  Dorothy died in 1985.

Ethel Glover of Caldermeade wrote about family life and  Lang Lang in 1904 

 It has been a cold, wet day to-day, but Nellie and I went to school. Bertha has a bad cold, and she has been home from school all the week. My sister gives her lessons at home. We have skipping at school to keep us warm these cold days. I passed in everything except mental arithmetic at our last examination. I am in the higher sixth, and Nellie is in the fourth class. We go to Lang Lang State School. I will tell you a little about Lang Lang. It is becoming quite a flourishing little centre. There are four grocers' shops, two blacksmiths', two drapers', a chemist's, a green grocer's, a saddler's, barber's, baker's, and two dressmakers'; a butcher's, a printing office and butter factory, besides many private residences. So you will see it has made great headway since the railway has been constructed. When my father came to Gippsland first, 15 years ago, Drouin was the nearest railway station, and he says the roads were in a fearful state then. We have got good roads at Caldermeade. It will soon be twelve months since we came here to live. My little sister Alice is sixteen months old now, and she does torment us sometimes, when we are doing our lessons. She likes to get hold of a pen and if we don't watch her she will make a dive at the ink bottle. She races about all day like a little rabbit, and she can say a few words. We have a nice little pony to ride now. I am very fond of riding, and so are my sisters. When we lived in Lang Lang East we sometimes rode to school over the hills and small creeks, "gullies," we call them. One evening, when crossing the last gully, our pony stumbled, and tipped us over her head, splashing into the water. We were not long in scrambling up the bank, dripping wet, and the pony was quietly waiting for us. It was good of her not to clear off home and leave us. [Weekly Times, July 23, 1904, see here]

Samuel and Johanna (nee Bindt) Glover had six children - Gertrude (born 1887), Edwin (1890, died aged 7 months), Ethel (1891), Nellie (1894), Bertha (1897) and Alice (1903).  Glover. Ethel married David Scott Donaldson in 1917, they lived in Lang Lang and she died in 1971.

In 1908, 12 year old Hazel Charman of Koo Wee Rup wrote

One of my sisters and both of my brothers are away from home. One brother is driving bulls through Queensland up to the Gulf, and the other brother is with my sister in New South Wales. The cows are not milking well now. We are milking 23 cows, and we feed them with ensilage. We are making a flower garden, find we have many nice flowers. We also have an orchard, and we sell the fruit sometimes. I am 12 years old, and I am in the fifth class at the Yallock school. [Weekly Times, September 19, 1908, see here]

Hazel was the daughter of Stephen and Mary (nee Ward) Charman, who had a farm at Koo Wee Rup. She was the second youngest of their eleven children.  Hazel married William Robert Hopkins in 1920, and she died in Queensland in 1970. 

Letters from Catherine 'Kate' Garbellini of Five Mile (Koo Wee Rup North) 

In 1916, when she was 13 years old, Kate wrote -

I will take for my subject a flood that we have just had. It began to rise one Saturday afternoon and we were not able to get out until the following Friday. There were two little boys drowned, one having been swept off his feet from the flow of the water. We had to paddle out in the water to milk our cows, while my brothers had to take the horses away. I have one brother at the front. He has been in the trenches for about six months, but has not been wounded yet. He left home on May 4, 1915, to sail to Egypt. I have five sisters and seven brothers. Four of us go to school, which is about a quarter of a mile away. There are 49 children attending our school. I am 13 years and eight months old, and in the seventh grade at school. [Weekly Times, November 4, 1916, see here]

In March 1917, Catherine, as she called herself,  wrote again -

I will take for my subject ‘Our Farm’ There are 110 acres in our farm, of which 65 acres are under potatoes. The potatoes are looking well after this rain. We had about 40 acres sown down with oats and barley, but it is now cut and stacked, and the rest of the land we have sown down with grass for the horses and cows. We have six horses and a little foal, besides seven cows. We separate our milk, and send our cream to the factory, where it is made into butter. My brother at the front has been in hospital for about two months. My age is 14. [Weekly Times, March 17, 1917, see here]

Katie, as she now called herself, wrote in July 1918, this time about Koo Wee Rup -  

Koo-Wee- Rup is a large, one sided township. It consists of a large hotel, a coffee palace, a school, a baker’s shop, two butcher’s shops, three churches, four general stores, a lollie shop and a blacksmith’s shop. Large quantities of oats, barley and potatoes are grown, but some of the farmers are talking of growing flax. I have left school and am helping at home. I wish this War was over. I have had one brother killed. Many of the boys from here have gone and some of them have returned. [Weekly Times, July 6 1918, see here]

Katie was the eighth child of Pietro (Peter) and Jane (nee Crombie) Garbellini. She married David Blackwood from Pakenham South in 1923 and they had four children and lived in the Pakenham area. She died in 1983. Her brother, George, enlisted in February 1915 at the age of 23 and was Killed in Action in France in May 1917.

Letter from Airlie Ragg, eleven years old, of Lightwood Park Yannathan, 1919

I will take for my subject, the district where I live. There is no township at Yannathan. Our nearest town is Lang Lang, eight miles away. There are a school, hall, church, and butter factory here, but they are all situated in different parts of the district. The chief thing that is done here is dairying. Some of the farmers send their milk to Melbourne. others send their cream to the factory. The country all around here is very flat, and is often flooded in the winter. The Lang Lang River flows through Yannathan. Most of the farmers around bore for water, and have windmills to pump the water for the cattle. It is good grass country, mostly rye grass and clover. There is no railway here at present. Our nearest station. Caldermeade, is eight miles from here. There is a branch railway line being made from Koo-Wee-Rup to a place called McDonald's Track, and the Yannathan station is going to be on the farm where I live. My brother and I go to the Heath Hill school, which is nearer for us than the Yannathan school. I have a little sister, her name is Nancy. She is just four years old, and is going to school next year. My father has been taking the "Weekly Times" for a long while and I always enjoy reading the Young Folks' page. I am eleven years and three months old, and in the seventh grade at school. [Weekly Times, May 31 1919, see here]

Airlie was the daughter of Thomas and Rose Amelia (nee Newbound) Ragg. She married Thomas John Collins in 1937 and they lived (according to the Electoral Rolls) in Flowerdale and they had five children.

In this post we looked at how the children described Koo Wee Rup Lang Lang and Five Mile. In another post we look at what they wrote about Garfield, Bunyip, Tynong and Cora Lynn.

Letters to Aunt Connie of the Weekly Times: Cora Lynn, Garfield, Tynong and Bunyip

The Weekly Times used to have a ‘Young Folks’ page, edited by ‘Aunt Connie’ and 'Uncle Ben' and children would write letters to them and have them published in the paper. In  this post we will find out how they described Garfield, Bunyip, Tynong and Cora Lynn. In another post we looked at what the children wrote about Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang and Five Mile. I have researched some biographical information about the writers. 

Twelve year old Alice Greenham from Bunyip, wrote in October 1900  - 

I have a little duck of my own. I saved it from dying the other day. Mother is in town at present, with one of my sisters. I am 12 years old, and in the sixth standard. I received my certificate two years ago. My brother Bertie is a terrible boy for reading. Whenever he has a chance he gets a book and reads it through. It is a very bad winter this year, too wet. Bunyip is rather a small township. There are two hotels, one grocer, one baker, one butcher, one blacksmith, and a few other houses. Most of the people live at the Koo-wee-rup Swamp. We have to walk about four miles to school, but the creeks are up now, and we cannot cross. I have two sisters and one brother. My sister in town has two little girls,  May and Elsie. [Weekly Times, October 20, 1900, see here]

Alice was born in 1888 to Edward Langdon and Annie Maria (nee Baum) Greenham. They are listed in the Shire of Berwick Rate books for the year 1900/1901, rated for 458 acres and by 1903 they are in East Malvern. Alice married Otto Pump in 1909 and she died in 1961.

Ten year old Eva Siedeberg wrote to Aunt Connie in September 1903 -

My sister, and I both go to school at Garfield. Our head teacher is Mr Daly, and Miss Skinner is our sewing mistress. They are both very nice. I am in the fourth class, and Madoline, my sister, is in the fifth. Nearly all of the children have a garden each, and the big boys have a garden between them; they grow vegetables. We have a garden in the shape of Australia, and for the towns are cactus, and for the ranges are violets; the edge of it is made of bark. Mr Daly and the boys have planted a lot of pines and blue-gums, and other sorts of trees. We also have a library in our school, and there are many nice books in it. We live about three miles from Garfield, and about four from Bunyip. I have a nice little kitten, and it jumps if you put your hand out. My brothers have two dogs; they often go out hunting with them. The bigger dog's name is Captain, and Baden is the smaller. .. We had an arbor day at our school not long ago, and each child planted a pine. [Weekly Times, September 26, 1903, see here]

I don’t know much about Eva, apart from the fact that she was the daughter of Hugo and Mary Ann (nee Edge) Siedeberg and by 1909 they are listed in the Electoral Rolls at Prahran, so weren’t in Garfield that long. The only other thing I know was that, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, she applied for a divorce from her husband, Austin Corcoran, on the grounds of desertion in October 1927. They had been married at Winton in Queensland in 1916.

In 1906, 14-year-old Inez Coombs wrote from Tynong - 

Christmas Day was hot, so stayed at home. On Boxing Day we went to the Nar-Nar-Goon sports, where I enjoyed myself. I went in a race but did not win. All the rest of the week I did not go anywhere very particular. On New Year's Day we had our school picnic. It was a lovely day. We got there early and had a few games; then we had dinner. After the races were run, I won two races and came second in two. After tea we had our photos taken. Then we went home and milked the cows and separated the milk. When we were done we got ready and went back to the hall, where we had a dance. We all enjoyed ourselves very much. There were crowds at the picnic, and nearly all stayed for the dance. Tynong is getting quite a nice little township. There is a store, school, and a good many houses. Most of the people have orchards and some have farms. We have a farm and an orchard, too. My father is making our farm very nice. He has a lot of stumps grubbed out and he has a lot of ground ploughed. We have a lot of potatoes, peas, pumpkins, melons, sunflowers, carrots and turnips in this year. [Weekly Times, February 3,  1906, see here]

Inez born January 1892 in Queensland, was the daughter of  Harry and Inez (nee Frost) Coombs. She married Arthur Weatherhead in 1915 and the couple lived in North Tynong. Inez died in 1952, predeceased by her husband Arthur, who died in 1945. 

Ethel Brent, 13 years 10 months wrote in October 1907 -

I live in Tynong which is situated 43 miles from Melbourne, on the main Gippsland line. I am going to tell you a little about this district, and also an account of a ramble in the bush. Tynong is a small township, consisting of two stores, a railway station, post office, hall, and a bank. The school is held at present in the hall, but a new school, which is being moved from Cardinia Creek, will be ready for occupation at the end of October. The town itself is on a flat, but hills rise towards the north. A vast swamp occupies the southern portion. To the east of Tynong is Garfield, and to the west Nar-Nar-Goon. The chief occupation of the residents is farming and dairying. The cream is sent to Melbourne to the butter factories to be made into butter. By the station is a sawmill, to which wood is sent to be cut into blocks. On 13th September our teacher took us for a ramble in the bush. We went up the Quarry Hill, which lies north of the school. The children collected nature study specimens and brought them to the teacher, who had a box to put them in. Several kinds of mosses were gathered, also a variety of orchids. We then journeyed on till we came to some large rocks, which are on the northern slope of the hill. The teacher sat on one large rock, and the children gathered around her to hear some of the letters of the Young Folks' Page read. We then visited an old quarry, which had been made some years ago. From here we saw Western Port in the distance. We then travelled on making observations as we went, till we reached the school, from which the children dispersed to their various homes. I am 13 years of age, and am in the upper sixth class at school. The school was opened two years ago last May. There are 32 children's names on the roll, and the average for last week was 27. We are going to have a concert to celebrate the opening of the new school.   [Weekly Times, October 26, 1907, see here]

Ethel was the daughter of Felix and Emma (nee Larcombe) Brent - Felix was a farmer.  Ethel married Geoff Bryant in 1921 and she died at the age of 44 in February 1938.

In November 1907,  Arthur Murdoch, aged 10 years 3 months, wrote from Cora Lynn - 

I go to school every day, and I am in the second class. I have two miles to walk to school. We have a football at school, and we have great fun with it. My father is getting a new store built in Cora Lynn. It will only be about two chains from the school. We are having lovely weather here now. The grass is looking beautiful in the paddocks. My sister has a little pet lamb. There are a good many hares about here. My father shot one yesterday. There are a great many snakes here this season. I killed a small one last week.   [Weekly Times, November 16, 1907, see here]

Arthur was the son of George and Emma Rose (nee Parker) Murdoch who owned the Cora Lynn store from 1907 to 1922. Arthur (Service Number 2636) served in the First World War; he enlisted at the age of 19 in October 1917. His name is on the Cora Lynn War Memorial and he died in 1984.

In June 1911, Selyna Ida Juers, aged 10 years, 11 months wrote - 

Garfield is a small town. It consists of three stores, one hotel, two blacksmith's shops, one post-office, one butcher's shop, a hall, a State school, a bank, and a lot of private houses. The farmers around here are growing potatoes, onions, and fruit. We are having very wet weather this year. I go to school. I am in the second class at school. I have one sister and two brothers. My sister and one brother go to school. [Weekly Times, June 3, 1911, see here]

Selyna was the daughter of Herman and Elizabeth (nee Starrick) Juers of Garfield. She married Alfred Bull in 1920 and died in 1990 aged 89. 

Dorothe Nelson, 14 years old, from Bunyip, wrote in October 1915 - 

Bunyip is a very small but picturesque township. It is situated on a hill overlooking an extensive and promising plain. Bunyip has a background of a small forest of eucalyptus (generally called gum-trees), which extends back about 20 miles. The population of Bunyip is nearly 500. It is increasing every month, as many people are buying and settling on the swamp, because the land is very fertile owing to a river, known as the Bunyip River, flowing through it down to Westernport. Potato crops are just showing above the earth now, and the orchards are a mass of pink and white blossom. Of course, crops and orchards are not grown and kept in the township, but on the plain which Bunyip overlooks. [Weekly Times, October 30, 1915, see here]

Dorothe (sometimes listed as Dorothy) was the daughter of Albert Horatio and Ada (nee Pendleton) Nelson. Albert was a farmer, and by 1916, according to the Electoral Roll they had moved to Croydon. Dorothy married Charles Hancy in 1925 and she died in 1984.

In November 1915, 14 year old Eva Weatherhead, of Tynong, wrote to Aunt Connie -   

Tynong is a small country township situated on the main Gippsland line. In it are two stores, a boarding-house, post office, station, school and some very nice private residences. We live over five miles from Tynong. There are some pretty fern gullies. They are made beautiful by different sorts of ferns and shrubs, with creepers climbing everywhere. Some of the ferns grow to a great height—30 feet and 35 feet. A very good view can be obtained from the mountains, and on clear days one can easily see the sea. Tynong is on the edge of Kooweerup Swamp. The people around here make a living by farming, dairying, and fruit growing principally. There are many wild flowers out now. Some are very pretty. Kangaroos, wallabies, rabbits, foxes, wild dogs, and wombats frequent the bush. We have a pony which I ride and drive. I have two soldier brothers. One is at Seymour and the other at the front. I have three cousins at the front. One was killed, and another wounded. [Weekly Times, November 6, 1915, see here]

Eva was the daughter of Horatio and Eleanor (nee Hunt) Weatherhead and married Joe Rouse in 1922 and they lived at Cora Lynn. She’s my grandma and died in 1982.

Marion McDonald, 11 years 11 months, wrote to Aunt Connie in April 1924 about Cora Lynn -

I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters, one sister is staying in Queensland with my auntie and uncle, so she is a long way away, isn't she? We live on a farm of 80 acres three miles from the township of Cora Lynn. There is a State school, 2 shops, a bank, a hall and a cheese factory in the township of Cora Lynn. We go to church in the hall, and we also go to the Cora Lynn school. [Weekly Times, April 12, 1924, see here]

Marion was the daughter of John James and Marion Leslie (nee Wilson) McDonald. He was a carpenter and coincidently built my grandparents house - Joe and Eva Rouse, see above - when they married in 1922. Marion married William Rodber in 1935 and she died in Queensland in 2009.

In January 1925, 12 year old Jean Chilcott wrote to Aunt Connie with this description of Tynong - 

Tynong is 42 miles from Melbourne. Tynong is a very small township. There are two grocers, two butchers, two fruit shops, two blacksmiths, one draper, and one dressmaker's shop, and also one post-office. The school is about a quarter of a mile from the township. Our teacher is Mr Giles. There are about 50 children going to Tvnong school. Our school is called the State School. The number is 2854. We are about three-quarters of a mile from the station.  [Weekly Times, January 31, 1925, see here]

Jean was the daughter of William Henry and Gertrude (nee Cubit) Chillcott.  William was a farmer. By 1928 William and Gertrude are in Tasmania, according to the Electoral Rolls. Jean married Reg Diprose of Yolla, in Tasmania, in 1939 and she died in 1954, aged 42.

In  this post looks at how children described Garfield, Bunyip, Tynong and Cora Lynn in their letters to Aunt Connie. In another post we looked at what the children wrote about Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang and Five Mile.

Lyonville by Eva Weatherhead

This letter was written by my Grandma, Eva, to Aunt Connie, the editor of the 'Young Folks' page in the Weekly Times.  Eva, the daughter of Horatio and Eleanor (nee Hunt) Weatherhead, lived at Lyonville, before most of the family moved  to North Tynong in 1909. Eleanor and Eva, the youngest child, stayed at Lyonville until Eva finished school around 1914. Eva married Joe Rouse in 1922 and they farmed at Cora Lynn. This letter was published December 7, 1912.

Eva Weatherhead's letter

Weekly Times December 7 1912 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224035245

Lyonville

Eva Weatherhead, living at Lyonville writes:

Dear Aunt Connie,  I will take for my subject Lyonville. Lyonville is situated on the side of the Dividing Range. The Loddon and Coliban Rivers flow past Lyonville. Not far away there are several mineral springs and the Bullarto reservoir. It supplies Daylesford with water. The reservoir is a nice picnic resort. In Lyonville there are two hotels, two shops, the English and Roman Catholic churches, a hall, two boarding-houses and a school. A great many visitors come here every year to enjoy the mineral water. One of the mineral springs is situated at the bottom of Babington's Hill. It is nice to walk up to the top of the hill. I go to school, and am in the sixth grade. Please may I write again? Age, 11 years. 

(Yes, Eva; write again next month. -  Aunt Connie)

Two Soldier Brothers by Eva Weatherhead

This letter to Aunt Connie, the editor of the 'Young Folks' page of the Weekly Times was written by my Grandma, Eva Rouse (nee Weatherhead) It was published in the Weekly Times on November 6, 1915.  It has an interesting description of the town of Tynong.

Eva's letter about Tynong and her brothers.

Weekly Times November 6, 1915  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132708870

Two Soldier Brothers

Eva Weatherhead, who lives at Tynong, writes:
Dear Aunt Connie, It is a very long time since I wrote to you. Since then we have shifted from Lyonville, where we formerly lived. Tynong is a small country township situated on the main Gippsland line. In it are two stores, a boarding-house, post office, station, school and some very nice private residences. We live over five miles from Tynong. There are some pretty fern gullies. They are made beautiful by different sorts of ferns and shrubs, with creepers climbing everywhere. Some of the ferns grow to a great height - 30 feet and 35 feet. A very good view can be obtained from the mountains, and on clear days one can easily see the sea. Tynong is on the edge of Kooweerup Swamp. The people around here make a living by farming, dairying, and fruit growing principally. There are many wild flowers out now. Some are very pretty. Kangaroos, wallabies, rabbits, foxes, wild dogs, and wombats frequent the bush. We have a pony which I ride and drive. I have two soldier brothers. One is at Seymour and the other at the front. I have three cousins at the front. One was killed, and another wounded. My age is 14 years and 1 month. Please may I write again?
[Yes, Eva. I hope your brothers will come safely home to you all. Aunt Connie.]

The two brothers Eva writes about are Frank and Alf - you can read about them here.

The use of a Sawmill by Eva Weatherhead

This was published in the Weekly Times on January 1, 1916, in the 'Young Folks' page, edited by Aunt Connie.  It was written by my grandma, Eva Rouse (nee Weatherhead) She was the youngest child of Horatio and Eleanor (nee Hunt) Weatherhead (read about them here)

Eva's letter about Sawmills

Weekly Times  January 1, 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121101109

The use of a  sawmill

Eva E. Weatherhead who lives in Tynong writes:
Dear Aunt Connie - I will take for my subject ' the use of a sawmill'  A sawmill is used for converting logs into  into timber, to be used for building purposes. The trees are cut down in the bush by men, who saw them into the various required lengths. The logs are hauled, by means of a jinker and team of bullocks or horses, or sometimes a traction
engine, to the mill, where they are barked, and made ready to put the saws through. The first saw used is the 'breaking down' saw, which splits the logs into pieces that can be conveniently handled by the sawyer. These pieces are put on to the skids and turned over to the 'running out' saw. This saw, which is usually smaller than the 'breaking down' saw, cuts the pieces into boards, or the timber required. The boards with defective ends have the defects cut off by the docking saw. The timber is then put on a truck, wheeled out, and loaded on to a waggon, or another truck, and taken to its destination by bullocks or horses. The machinery in a sawmill is driven by a steam engine, which burns up all the waste timber. The sawdust is all wheeled away and put in a heap, while the bark off the logs is burnt. My brother, who was in the Seymour camp, was shifted into the 4th F.A. He sailed on November 18. We had a letter from my brother who is at the front. He had narrow escape. A shell landed about nine feet from him, and alongside his mate. The mate was killed, and my brother knocked down and dazed, but not hurt. Thank you, Aunt Connie, for your kind wishes regarding my brothers. T wish 'The Weekly Times" every success. Please may I write again?
[Thank you, dear, for your good wishes. Yes, write again. Aunt Connie.]

This is Eva, aged 14 - taken 1915. 

She was born on August 30, 1901 and she died on February 8, 1982.