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Voices of the Hunter

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Jack Delaney

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Voices of the Hunter

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Cessnock, NSW

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Rita Barnes née Brown (1913-) - Mount View resident. Recorded 20 April 1983. Part 1/1.

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Rita Barnes was a resident of Mount View, Her husband, George Barnes, was a miner who worked at Aberdare Central. Mrs Barnes recalls early dances at the "Kit Kat" Club (Memorial Hall), Express Hall, and Lyceum Hall, Cessnock.

SummaryRita Barnes
Recorded 20 April 1983
Part 1 of 1

0:10
Rita is a granddaughter of John Brown, a brother of George Brown. John Brown held the Cessnock Showground in his early days and was also an innkeeper at the Cessnock Inn. Hawkins was the name of one of her Grandmothers. Rita’s father is Bob Brown who lived on mount view road, and was born in one of the brick houses, and her mother is Florida Murrell. Dan Murrell is her grandfather. Rita thinks her Grandparents were married in St. James church at Morpeth. Rita attended Aberdare Primary School and Maitland Girls High.

3:16
Her father worked at Aberdare Extended at the Colliery. He served in WWI, he was a Major Captain, and died in 1943. Rita was born in Mount View in 1913. Her grandfather lived in the hotel on Mount View Road and died just before her father went off to the War. There were early orchards all along back of mount view road –Hunter Avenue, talk of the orchards. They moved up to where their Grandmother and Grandfather had lived after her father returned from the War, her Grandmother moved into one of the brick houses with one of her daughters who lost her husband in the War; Edie Tinson Rita’s Aunt. In her father’s family there were three girls and a boy, and two other baby boys who didn’t make it. One married a Tinson, another married Les Hipwell, and the other married Cecil Russell.

7:41
Rita’s husband George Barnes worked at Aberdare Central. Dulcie Barnes is Rita’s sister-in-law, and Jim Barnes is her brother-in-law. People around town; Jack Delaney was the baker. Frank Delaney lived up on the hill and lost his leg. Railway fellas that lived at South Cessnock that Delaney knows are Fred Cains who worked in the timber company and married Agnes McCribben. The original school was behind the hotel before it moved to Nulkaba where John went. Clive Picton grand uncle built it, his father was Bill Picton.

13:30
Chris Callaghan was at the dances Rita went to so was her husband George, also "Dixie" Biggers, Dave Coaldrake, and Ken Miles. Lil Powell lived over at the creek on Mount View Road. George Barnes played in the band at the age of 14. The Express Hall near the Hotel in Cessnock, used to have skating there as well. Before that was the "Kit Kat" was held in the Memorial Hotel. The early dancehall where the social security is now, George used to play there. John Barnes is Rita’s Son. Enid Caban, Harry Brown, and Keith Brown used to play at the church of England dances at the Parish Hall every Tuesday night. The Lyceum Hall dances were on every Thursday night. Ernie Vidler used to play and work at the store. After Rita married George he joined Gordon Andrews’ band and they used to go all over and play at the Balls. Ernie Vidler was the trumpeter, David Crow was the drummer.

21:18
Every Sunday Night all the musicians would travel from Sydney to the Club at Newcastle, including Callaghans’ band and George, Alec Pate and Mrs Pate from Kurri she used to play the piano used to give them a lift in the car, Rita’s son John was a toddler at the time, they gave him a trumpet to carry and when he got tired they wrapped him in the rug and put him under the seat. Talking of those from the area who are still around and who are gone, and the history of the connections with some of the families. Rita’s Grandmother on her father’s side is Selina Walmsley, from out Ourimbah way she married John Brown Rita’s Grandfather.

30:38
Harry Brown was the teacher, and lived on Wollombi Road, Myrtle Scott lives there now. Harry’s son is Garney Brown. Rowley Brown’s father and Rita’s grandfather are brothers. Rita recalls "Granny" Brown's 90th birthday party when Rita was about ten years old, and her Grandmother used to smoke a little clay pipe. George had Alan Wilde sink a bore near the coal board at the kink in the road. In the bore they found coal there about 70 feet down and 34 foot thick. It’s why the Caledonian Collieries came here first and it may have been the property of George Brown, and sold it to them later on.

34:53
Rita and others used to cross the paddock where the sports ground is now to get to school behind the butchers. Dolly Tinson, Rita’s cousin was with her one day along with several others, and when she went under the wire she got caught up, and it was zapping her the others tried to get her off but got zapped too. Mr Jenkins in the shop on the corner where a little lolly shop was, before Vince O'Neill was there, opposite Leggett's butcher shop. Mr Jenkins came to help after someone ran down to get him to get Dolly out of the wire that was there to stop the cows.

38:07
Ms Cusack was Rita’s teacher when she first started at Aberdare, then she had Ms Mackstead, and also Ms Halstead after the War. The pneumonic plague was being cleaned up when Rita started school, a lot of people were sick and some died, the school was made the quarantine station, since they couldn’t put them in the hospital. Talk of the isolation and blocks in the area. George and Stan Biggers were mates, Stan married Jean Armstrong, Bob’s sister. The Armstrong kids were Dixie Biggers and Arthur Biggers. The Cessnock Hotel I was made in 1856, Michael Carroll was in it then.

42:16 End (Tape 230/Side B) Part 1 of 1

Please email archives@newcastle.edu.au if you are a subject of the interview, or know a subject of the interview, and have cultural or other reservations about the interview and summary being made available on this website and would like to discuss this with us. Last edited by: Dave Trimble

SubjectMaitland Girls High SchoolAberdare Extended Colliery (N.S.W.)Aberdare Central Colliery (N.S.W.)DancesCessnock (N.S.W.)Barnes née Brown, Rita Florida, 1913- Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

PersonJack Delaney Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CreatorBarnes née Brown, Rita Florida, 1913-Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CollectionVoices of the Hunter Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

PlaceCessnock, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date Created1983-04-20Location^[1]Cessnock Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

^[2]Aberdare Central Colliery Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

^[3]Aberdare Extended Colliery Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Identifier230B Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Job Identifier230B

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