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Norma Stevenson, née Cameron - Ellalong and Cessnock resident. Recorded 30 January 1981. Part 1/2.
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SummaryNORMA STEVENSON
Recorded 30 January 1981
Part 1/2
0:46
Joseph Cameron was her father born in Congewai.
1:09
Archibald Cameron was her grandfather.
1:44
Colin Joseph Cameron was her father's full name. Always known as Joe.
1:51
"Old Black Stump" was her father's nickname.
2:07
Fred Cameron, Joe Cameron were her uncles.
2:08
Vali Cameron, Florrie Cameron were her aunts
2:27
Reg Cameron, her brother married Mabel, nee Cronk from Queensland.
2:37
Dulcie, her sister married Jackie Caddis.
2:42
Norma Daphne Edna, her sister married Phil O'Grady
2:57
Ray, her brother was killed. Gwen married Billy Gilmore.
3:05
Norma married "Jumma" Stevenson (husband) who works at Rover Motors
3:15
Norma's son Greg Cameron married Cathy Anderson had 2 girls Donna and Cherie
3:27
Norma's daughter Annette married Kevin Richardson had Scott, Nicole and Kelly.
3:37
Norma's third child was Marie.
3:49
Neta Hazel Bridge was her mother
4:00
Ernest Bridge was Norma's grandfather who married Bessie Forbes from Quorrobolong.
4:20
Granny Allen (nee Forbes) Sister of Norma's mother's aunt was from Barraba.
4:32
Mrs Billy Allen mother's aunt had the wine shop at Ellalong. She was Norma's mother's sister.
5:14
Recalls Granny Allen's kitchen - she lived in a slab house with an open fireplace you could walk into. There were camp ovens and big, heavy iron kettles hanging over the fires. The fire was always on.
6:27
Recalls Granny Allen's pies. The kitchen table was always set and the kettle was always boiling. Real hospitality. Granny Bridge's pancakes were a ritual every Sunday morning. The slab house had a slab floor and the outside was slab - wide slabs and no lining. It was cool inside. The roof was iron.
8:28
Father attended Congewai school
8:41
Father fought in WWI and landed at Gallipoli. He never talked about it. He did say "the Arabs (they could have been the Turks) were the best fighters in the world".
9:12
Father was member of 12th Light Horse Brigade.
10:03
Ralph Scobie led the Brigade.
10:20
Father worked as timber cutter and met her mother. Her grandfather was also a timber cutter.
11:36
Val Bridge used to play the violin, Frank Souza used to play the piano in the hall at Ellalong.
11:46
Recollection of early dances/socials at Paxton etc.
12:11
Recalls listening to radio broadcasts especially the test cricket. Men used to come to the house to listen through the night.
13:17
They used to go the dances and tennis in Reg Wade's truck. They'd go to Congewai or to Beckett's.
13:45
Beryl Searston, née Beckett
13:55
Lloyd Crawford, Eddie Crawford
14:11
Recollection of Grandfather Cameron. He was 94 when he died. His wife died in childbirth. He never remarried and had 4 children.
14:26
Alwyn Cameron was her uncle.
14:49
Archibald Cameron - his father came out as a Scots soldier and probably turned to timber cutting later. It was a free passage with a minimum of 2 years' service and then received a grant of land.
17:37
Midwives - Sister Whitworth. Nurse Gordon.
18:44
Norma went to the new school at Ellalong. She was born 1927. Barraba was one of the earliest settlements and Ellalong was older than Paxton.
19:53
Recollection of early Crawford family
20:46
Recollection of early Ellalong families 21:00 Rowley Snape and Jackie Snape
21:22
Audrey Kraft, nee Hollingshed - Mrs Herb Kraft. The Hollingsheds had a lot of property and were soldiers who took up land. The Lings farmed an orchard and owned a shop.
22:03
Reg Wade married Gladys Ling
22:10
George Ling
22:20
Bert Coombs married Daisy Bridge
22:32
"Puss" Coombs had two sons - Roy and Eric. Reg Wade probably came from Bulahdelah / Stroud. They follow the timber - when the pits started they needed the pit timber.
23:20
Cleve and Reg Bridge.
23:28
Harry Bridge and his wife, Georgina had the Post Office. Harry and Norma's grandfather were brothers.
23:32
Georgina Bridge married Max Grant - she followed her father and mother with the Post Office. This later became the General Store.
24:56
Andy Hamilton was the grave digger in his retirement.
25:07
Russ Hamilton, Ambrose Hamilton
26:05
Norton Ling had the shop at Ellalong on top of the hill.
27:04
Eric Roberts had Clark's Cottage
27:54
Tommy Turner's slab cottage at Wollombi has been left as it was. Finding lots of old coins in a wine shop near the T junction in Wollombi. Dug up in the ground under the floor. Granny Allen's place is the authentic home of that era.
30:09
Granny Bridge's boiled quince dumplings. Quince Jelly jam.
30:51
Recalls Catchyboy Swamp "bull" - it was a roar like a bull. Norma often heard the sound in the night.
31:51
Reason for name of Catchyboy Swamp - Norma's dad thought it was the gases coming out of the pit. "The black fellas" named it Catchyboy Swamp because a little boy had drowned in the swamp. Old Arch and her dad told her that. Norma said there were no Aboriginal people there when she was a kid. There are traces of Aboriginal settlement in the Wollombi area. The sound of the "swamp bull" was loud enough to be heard across Ellalong.
35:55
Father cut pit timber at Quorrobolong
35:57
Amos Whiting - Norma's father cut timber for him.
36:19
Father cut timber for Wyndham - anecdote of meeting him at Norma's father's funeral.
37:39
Recalls old Mr Wyndham's car - he had a big Buick and wouldn't drive it.
38:32
Recalls Wyndham's bullock team of 8 or 10. Mr Wade said Wyndham had the best bullock team leaders. He took the wood to Turner's wood mill. Her dad used to cut and load the wood. That was an art.
40:28
Recalls father riding bike from Ellalong to Greta after the Depression during the Lock Out. He was away during the week and the family kept the garden going with buckets of water.
42:00
Recalls going to Sunday school - mother would get the kids dressed and father would walk them to church and back home. The kids would do their homework around the kitchen table by kero lamp light and father would be checking it was done properly. Electricity came on when they were at high school. The kids had to get to the Intermediate Level "even if they were 21 when they got there".
44:00
Norma did housework until she was able to start nursing at 17. Worked as nurse at Cessnock Hospital. She had to live in at the hospital. Matron Pasfield was in charge when she was there.
45:00
Minnie Forbes married Vic Forbes
45:15
Vic Bridge married Reg Bridge
45:20
Cleve Bridge
45:30
Ben Ling
45:45
Ernie Forbes
45:50
Fred Perry worked in the pits.
46:10
Helen Perry, Gladys Perry
Tape duration - 46:15
SubjectStevenson, née Cameron, Norma DaphnePersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToEdgar & Ilma SearstonReg Wade. Recorded 26 June 1995. Part 1/1Gladys Muriel Wade née Ling. Recorded 06 December 1980. Part 1/1.Eric RobertsCollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock District Hospital[2] Wollombi, NSW[3] Ellalong, NSWIdentifier279A
Recorded 30 January 1981
Part 1/2
0:46
Joseph Cameron was her father born in Congewai.
1:09
Archibald Cameron was her grandfather.
1:44
Colin Joseph Cameron was her father's full name. Always known as Joe.
1:51
"Old Black Stump" was her father's nickname.
2:07
Fred Cameron, Joe Cameron were her uncles.
2:08
Vali Cameron, Florrie Cameron were her aunts
2:27
Reg Cameron, her brother married Mabel, nee Cronk from Queensland.
2:37
Dulcie, her sister married Jackie Caddis.
2:42
Norma Daphne Edna, her sister married Phil O'Grady
2:57
Ray, her brother was killed. Gwen married Billy Gilmore.
3:05
Norma married "Jumma" Stevenson (husband) who works at Rover Motors
3:15
Norma's son Greg Cameron married Cathy Anderson had 2 girls Donna and Cherie
3:27
Norma's daughter Annette married Kevin Richardson had Scott, Nicole and Kelly.
3:37
Norma's third child was Marie.
3:49
Neta Hazel Bridge was her mother
4:00
Ernest Bridge was Norma's grandfather who married Bessie Forbes from Quorrobolong.
4:20
Granny Allen (nee Forbes) Sister of Norma's mother's aunt was from Barraba.
4:32
Mrs Billy Allen mother's aunt had the wine shop at Ellalong. She was Norma's mother's sister.
5:14
Recalls Granny Allen's kitchen - she lived in a slab house with an open fireplace you could walk into. There were camp ovens and big, heavy iron kettles hanging over the fires. The fire was always on.
6:27
Recalls Granny Allen's pies. The kitchen table was always set and the kettle was always boiling. Real hospitality. Granny Bridge's pancakes were a ritual every Sunday morning. The slab house had a slab floor and the outside was slab - wide slabs and no lining. It was cool inside. The roof was iron.
8:28
Father attended Congewai school
8:41
Father fought in WWI and landed at Gallipoli. He never talked about it. He did say "the Arabs (they could have been the Turks) were the best fighters in the world".
9:12
Father was member of 12th Light Horse Brigade.
10:03
Ralph Scobie led the Brigade.
10:20
Father worked as timber cutter and met her mother. Her grandfather was also a timber cutter.
11:36
Val Bridge used to play the violin, Frank Souza used to play the piano in the hall at Ellalong.
11:46
Recollection of early dances/socials at Paxton etc.
12:11
Recalls listening to radio broadcasts especially the test cricket. Men used to come to the house to listen through the night.
13:17
They used to go the dances and tennis in Reg Wade's truck. They'd go to Congewai or to Beckett's.
13:45
Beryl Searston, née Beckett
13:55
Lloyd Crawford, Eddie Crawford
14:11
Recollection of Grandfather Cameron. He was 94 when he died. His wife died in childbirth. He never remarried and had 4 children.
14:26
Alwyn Cameron was her uncle.
14:49
Archibald Cameron - his father came out as a Scots soldier and probably turned to timber cutting later. It was a free passage with a minimum of 2 years' service and then received a grant of land.
17:37
Midwives - Sister Whitworth. Nurse Gordon.
18:44
Norma went to the new school at Ellalong. She was born 1927. Barraba was one of the earliest settlements and Ellalong was older than Paxton.
19:53
Recollection of early Crawford family
20:46
Recollection of early Ellalong families 21:00 Rowley Snape and Jackie Snape
21:22
Audrey Kraft, nee Hollingshed - Mrs Herb Kraft. The Hollingsheds had a lot of property and were soldiers who took up land. The Lings farmed an orchard and owned a shop.
22:03
Reg Wade married Gladys Ling
22:10
George Ling
22:20
Bert Coombs married Daisy Bridge
22:32
"Puss" Coombs had two sons - Roy and Eric. Reg Wade probably came from Bulahdelah / Stroud. They follow the timber - when the pits started they needed the pit timber.
23:20
Cleve and Reg Bridge.
23:28
Harry Bridge and his wife, Georgina had the Post Office. Harry and Norma's grandfather were brothers.
23:32
Georgina Bridge married Max Grant - she followed her father and mother with the Post Office. This later became the General Store.
24:56
Andy Hamilton was the grave digger in his retirement.
25:07
Russ Hamilton, Ambrose Hamilton
26:05
Norton Ling had the shop at Ellalong on top of the hill.
27:04
Eric Roberts had Clark's Cottage
27:54
Tommy Turner's slab cottage at Wollombi has been left as it was. Finding lots of old coins in a wine shop near the T junction in Wollombi. Dug up in the ground under the floor. Granny Allen's place is the authentic home of that era.
30:09
Granny Bridge's boiled quince dumplings. Quince Jelly jam.
30:51
Recalls Catchyboy Swamp "bull" - it was a roar like a bull. Norma often heard the sound in the night.
31:51
Reason for name of Catchyboy Swamp - Norma's dad thought it was the gases coming out of the pit. "The black fellas" named it Catchyboy Swamp because a little boy had drowned in the swamp. Old Arch and her dad told her that. Norma said there were no Aboriginal people there when she was a kid. There are traces of Aboriginal settlement in the Wollombi area. The sound of the "swamp bull" was loud enough to be heard across Ellalong.
35:55
Father cut pit timber at Quorrobolong
35:57
Amos Whiting - Norma's father cut timber for him.
36:19
Father cut timber for Wyndham - anecdote of meeting him at Norma's father's funeral.
37:39
Recalls old Mr Wyndham's car - he had a big Buick and wouldn't drive it.
38:32
Recalls Wyndham's bullock team of 8 or 10. Mr Wade said Wyndham had the best bullock team leaders. He took the wood to Turner's wood mill. Her dad used to cut and load the wood. That was an art.
40:28
Recalls father riding bike from Ellalong to Greta after the Depression during the Lock Out. He was away during the week and the family kept the garden going with buckets of water.
42:00
Recalls going to Sunday school - mother would get the kids dressed and father would walk them to church and back home. The kids would do their homework around the kitchen table by kero lamp light and father would be checking it was done properly. Electricity came on when they were at high school. The kids had to get to the Intermediate Level "even if they were 21 when they got there".
44:00
Norma did housework until she was able to start nursing at 17. Worked as nurse at Cessnock Hospital. She had to live in at the hospital. Matron Pasfield was in charge when she was there.
45:00
Minnie Forbes married Vic Forbes
45:15
Vic Bridge married Reg Bridge
45:20
Cleve Bridge
45:30
Ben Ling
45:45
Ernie Forbes
45:50
Fred Perry worked in the pits.
46:10
Helen Perry, Gladys Perry
Tape duration - 46:15
SubjectStevenson, née Cameron, Norma DaphnePersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToEdgar & Ilma SearstonReg Wade. Recorded 26 June 1995. Part 1/1Gladys Muriel Wade née Ling. Recorded 06 December 1980. Part 1/1.Eric RobertsCollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock District Hospital[2] Wollombi, NSW[3] Ellalong, NSWIdentifier279Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Norma Stevenson, née Cameron - Ellalong and Cessnock resident. Recorded 30 January 1981. Part 1/2., [279A]. Living Histories, accessed 01/10/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55947