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Earl Sternbeck (1896-1984) - Proprietor, Ambulance driver, Cessnock. Recorded 4 November 1982. Part 3/4.
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SummaryEARL STERNBECK
Recorded 4 November 1982
Part 3/4
0:45
Early buses. Joe Doyle lived in the house that Bill Murphy later used for a second hand shop.
1:39
The first printing press was in that building.
2:06
Kazma Poganoski – owner of the first Cessnock paper.
2:12
Recollection of early printing press and the way the sheets were printed. There were advertisers and it was sold in the newsagent Johnsons.
3:04
Galloway's Photographic Studios next door to the printing shop.
3:31
Recollection of Luscombe's buses which provided the first bus service.
3:50
Charlie Luscombe
4:40
Recollection of Mitchell's buses - near the Railway behind the Workers' Club. He had a Ford car which had a carburettor that had a habit of flooding.
6:14
Recollection of (Wondy) Patrick's horse bus in Aberdare.
7:50
Early 1932 tennis players - Clive Picton, Beryl Searston, George Ryder, Jack Crawford.
9:02
Charley Luscombe used to take the tennis players to Luskintyre in "The Drag".
9:15
Luscombe's horse drawn dray, 1914-18
9:48
Location of original Methodist Church was on Mt View Road built in 1906/7.
10:06
Rev. Williams, Methodist minister who died in Eastwood 5 or 6 years before the interview. He was aged in his 90's.
10:26
Location of early St. Patrick's church built on the hill
10:39
A.W. Bridge's house was built in 1912.
11:39
Location of early Catholic church. Bridge sold out to the church in about 1917/18
11:48
Opposite where Unwin lives on the hill (on the corner of Cooper St and High St) was the early church and school. It was a weatherboard building and Sam Unwin went to school there. (Jack Delaney attended it in 1922/23)
13:42
Russ Hamilton, Tom Cooper.
13:55
Henry Scanlon says he attended the school in 1909. Fr. MacAuliffe or Fr Cullen were in charge of the area.
14:32
Bishop Tyrrell, 1847-79
14:44
50th Anniversary of the new Nulkaba School.
15:48
Ditton & Hill Bus Company
16:20
Recollection of early pit buses
16:32
Scott McGill was the apprentice with Sternbeck. He left Cessnock and went to Lake Macquarie area.
16:54
Alec McMurray ran buses out to Maitland Main, picking up miners heading for the pits.
17:21
Amos Fogg was the principal pit bus service operator.
17:37
Stan Barksby. Charley Christiansen provided the first regular service from Kurri to Maitland. Ditton and Hill ran to meet him.
18:53
Les Hill "was one of those fellows who was a great battler."
19:10
First car owned was 1921 "Buick 4" - owned by Vic Williams and his wife (sister of Earl).
19:45
Recalls "International" Motor Buggy which had a front wheel that was 3ft high and a back wheel that was 4ft high. Bartrops had one which they drove in Cessnock - they were an agent for Buick. They used sulky wheels with the rubber tyre.
20:43
Norm Jackson - the builder.
21:08
"Clement-Talbot" motor car owned by Mr Brickett, an electrical engineer at Extended in the early 20's. “The company traded as Clément-Talbot and the factory was titled Clément-Talbot, but after the first year of trading the cars were always known as Talbots” Wikipedia.org
21:34
Cessnock town lighting started in 1909
21:60
Recalls Dr Fisher's Model-T Ford which he owned after 1916/17.
22:18
Recalls first new car sold in Cessnock in 1908 - British Star car owned by Dr Cooke. Howard the hotel keeper had a second hand Sunbeam Talbot in about the same year.
23:40
Sam Snape Snr. was the only one who had a "Detroiter" also called "the Destroyer" - he used to take Arthur Biggers to the races in 1914.
23:54
Joe Burston
24:45
Dave Webster had a Studebaker which had a gear box which was fastened to the differential.
25:09
Jimmy Johnson (the undertaker) and A. Westcott both had Hupmobiles
25:44
Bill Lane, "Fabrique Nationale" - which he bought in Collarenebri with the aid of Earl driving it back to Cessnock. (FN used to make 4 cylinder motorcycles as well).
26:15
Recalls travelling to drive car back. They had had rain on the road, days before and cattle had been driven over it. They arrived in Longworth Station and nearly had an accident with the horse and sulky. The steering wheel came off and the bracket broke and the wheels kept going. He got to the town and asked the blacksmith to help. He was too busy and Earl had to forge a new bracket himself. Just at the end of the journey they had a tyre blow out.
31:33
Dr Cecil Bloomfield's 1914 "Bean" car
31:14
Stan Mathieson, (manager of Bellbird Colliery) owned a Daimler "Knight" which had a sleeve valve.
32:48
Bill Glynn had a "British Standard"
33:02
William Wilson was a foreman who owned the American "Metz" - otherwise known as "The Cheese Grater".
35:17 "Rover 8" air-cooled twin bus owned by Ditton and Hill after the War.
35:55
Ron Hill, son of Gladstone Hill. Earl's dad left most of the mechanical stuff to Earl - he never drove a car till the early 20's. Motorcycles with sidecars were commonly used. His dad used "The Standard" after he retired.
37:31
"Douglas" motor cycle and side car
37:47
Evans the chemist and Edwards from Sawyers Gully were all 1909 car owners. Edwards had a 1910 Buick which they bought in Sydney and Sternbecks maintained it. Arthur Hancock owned a "Lincoln"
40:06
Jim Alexander owned a "Australian 6"
40:38
Joshua Brown owned a "Chandler 8 seater" They used to break the chassis straight through the centre. These were assembled from imported parts.
42:59
J. Renfrew, "Baby Grand" Chevrolet
43:47
Recalls first car repaired, 1905 - a Lafayette with pneumatic tyres - the people had come through Wollombi and were going to Maitland. It drew a lot of attention. The radiator had burst.
Tape duration: 44:54
Sternbeck, Earl Stanley, 1896-1984PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToLes Hill (1893-1974) -- Cessnock. Narrated by Jack Delaney, recorded 6th November 1983. Part 1/1.George RyderHenry Scanlon (1902-1987) - Miners Federation official. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1.CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock, NSWIdentifier277A
Recorded 4 November 1982
Part 3/4
0:45
Early buses. Joe Doyle lived in the house that Bill Murphy later used for a second hand shop.
1:39
The first printing press was in that building.
2:06
Kazma Poganoski – owner of the first Cessnock paper.
2:12
Recollection of early printing press and the way the sheets were printed. There were advertisers and it was sold in the newsagent Johnsons.
3:04
Galloway's Photographic Studios next door to the printing shop.
3:31
Recollection of Luscombe's buses which provided the first bus service.
3:50
Charlie Luscombe
4:40
Recollection of Mitchell's buses - near the Railway behind the Workers' Club. He had a Ford car which had a carburettor that had a habit of flooding.
6:14
Recollection of (Wondy) Patrick's horse bus in Aberdare.
7:50
Early 1932 tennis players - Clive Picton, Beryl Searston, George Ryder, Jack Crawford.
9:02
Charley Luscombe used to take the tennis players to Luskintyre in "The Drag".
9:15
Luscombe's horse drawn dray, 1914-18
9:48
Location of original Methodist Church was on Mt View Road built in 1906/7.
10:06
Rev. Williams, Methodist minister who died in Eastwood 5 or 6 years before the interview. He was aged in his 90's.
10:26
Location of early St. Patrick's church built on the hill
10:39
A.W. Bridge's house was built in 1912.
11:39
Location of early Catholic church. Bridge sold out to the church in about 1917/18
11:48
Opposite where Unwin lives on the hill (on the corner of Cooper St and High St) was the early church and school. It was a weatherboard building and Sam Unwin went to school there. (Jack Delaney attended it in 1922/23)
13:42
Russ Hamilton, Tom Cooper.
13:55
Henry Scanlon says he attended the school in 1909. Fr. MacAuliffe or Fr Cullen were in charge of the area.
14:32
Bishop Tyrrell, 1847-79
14:44
50th Anniversary of the new Nulkaba School.
15:48
Ditton & Hill Bus Company
16:20
Recollection of early pit buses
16:32
Scott McGill was the apprentice with Sternbeck. He left Cessnock and went to Lake Macquarie area.
16:54
Alec McMurray ran buses out to Maitland Main, picking up miners heading for the pits.
17:21
Amos Fogg was the principal pit bus service operator.
17:37
Stan Barksby. Charley Christiansen provided the first regular service from Kurri to Maitland. Ditton and Hill ran to meet him.
18:53
Les Hill "was one of those fellows who was a great battler."
19:10
First car owned was 1921 "Buick 4" - owned by Vic Williams and his wife (sister of Earl).
19:45
Recalls "International" Motor Buggy which had a front wheel that was 3ft high and a back wheel that was 4ft high. Bartrops had one which they drove in Cessnock - they were an agent for Buick. They used sulky wheels with the rubber tyre.
20:43
Norm Jackson - the builder.
21:08
"Clement-Talbot" motor car owned by Mr Brickett, an electrical engineer at Extended in the early 20's. “The company traded as Clément-Talbot and the factory was titled Clément-Talbot, but after the first year of trading the cars were always known as Talbots” Wikipedia.org
21:34
Cessnock town lighting started in 1909
21:60
Recalls Dr Fisher's Model-T Ford which he owned after 1916/17.
22:18
Recalls first new car sold in Cessnock in 1908 - British Star car owned by Dr Cooke. Howard the hotel keeper had a second hand Sunbeam Talbot in about the same year.
23:40
Sam Snape Snr. was the only one who had a "Detroiter" also called "the Destroyer" - he used to take Arthur Biggers to the races in 1914.
23:54
Joe Burston
24:45
Dave Webster had a Studebaker which had a gear box which was fastened to the differential.
25:09
Jimmy Johnson (the undertaker) and A. Westcott both had Hupmobiles
25:44
Bill Lane, "Fabrique Nationale" - which he bought in Collarenebri with the aid of Earl driving it back to Cessnock. (FN used to make 4 cylinder motorcycles as well).
26:15
Recalls travelling to drive car back. They had had rain on the road, days before and cattle had been driven over it. They arrived in Longworth Station and nearly had an accident with the horse and sulky. The steering wheel came off and the bracket broke and the wheels kept going. He got to the town and asked the blacksmith to help. He was too busy and Earl had to forge a new bracket himself. Just at the end of the journey they had a tyre blow out.
31:33
Dr Cecil Bloomfield's 1914 "Bean" car
31:14
Stan Mathieson, (manager of Bellbird Colliery) owned a Daimler "Knight" which had a sleeve valve.
32:48
Bill Glynn had a "British Standard"
33:02
William Wilson was a foreman who owned the American "Metz" - otherwise known as "The Cheese Grater".
35:17 "Rover 8" air-cooled twin bus owned by Ditton and Hill after the War.
35:55
Ron Hill, son of Gladstone Hill. Earl's dad left most of the mechanical stuff to Earl - he never drove a car till the early 20's. Motorcycles with sidecars were commonly used. His dad used "The Standard" after he retired.
37:31
"Douglas" motor cycle and side car
37:47
Evans the chemist and Edwards from Sawyers Gully were all 1909 car owners. Edwards had a 1910 Buick which they bought in Sydney and Sternbecks maintained it. Arthur Hancock owned a "Lincoln"
40:06
Jim Alexander owned a "Australian 6"
40:38
Joshua Brown owned a "Chandler 8 seater" They used to break the chassis straight through the centre. These were assembled from imported parts.
42:59
J. Renfrew, "Baby Grand" Chevrolet
43:47
Recalls first car repaired, 1905 - a Lafayette with pneumatic tyres - the people had come through Wollombi and were going to Maitland. It drew a lot of attention. The radiator had burst.
Tape duration: 44:54
Sternbeck, Earl Stanley, 1896-1984PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToLes Hill (1893-1974) -- Cessnock. Narrated by Jack Delaney, recorded 6th November 1983. Part 1/1.George RyderHenry Scanlon (1902-1987) - Miners Federation official. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1.CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock, NSWIdentifier277Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Earl Sternbeck (1896-1984) - Proprietor, Ambulance driver, Cessnock. Recorded 4 November 1982. Part 3/4., [277A]. Living Histories, accessed 27/09/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55943