Open/Close Toolbox
Format: Audio
Parent Oral History
Linked To
PersonCollection
Copyright
General Use Special Collections Copyright
Please contactSpecial Collections 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.
This recording can be used for study and personal research purposes. If you wish to reproduce this recording for any other purpose please obtain permission by contacting the University of Newcastle's Special Collections. If you have any further information about the image, please contact us or leave a comment.
Grace Swinton née Dickson (1915-2000). Recorded 6 November 1982. Part 1/2.
Expand/collapse
Details
SummaryGRACE SWINTON
Recorded 6 November 1982
Part 1/2
1:22
Location of Rothbury hall opposite the old school.
1:51
Rev. Neville Arthur from East Maitland opened the hall in 1962/3. This was the Methodist hall. There had never been a Presbyterian Church in Branxton. The original place was a slab building, that was demolished and another built on land that was given to the Methodist Church.
3:54
Last minister left Branxton in 1968. He covered Branxton, North Rothbury and Glenmore. They then decided that Branxton and Greta parishioners could go into Cessnock who had two ministers. In the 1970s the second minister retired and was not replaced. The parishioners then went to Singleton. The Presbyterian and the Methodists both had ministers there.
6:25
Mrs Clyde Shearer of Branxton who considers herself of the Uniting Church.
6:52
Mrs Harold Ford, nee Mackinnon was another Presbyterian historian.
7:19
Grace Dickson was her maiden name.
7:25
Father worked as school teacher, 1934
7:33
Jack Swinton was her husband. He was related to the Cessnock Swintons. Jack's grandfather was an old Greta miner - he had two families.
9:11
Dorrie Swinton, nee Boyle was the second wife. (She was a Catholic).
9:38
The Dickson family came from Yass ACT. Her father taught in 5 schools over his career. Schools taught by father - Pooncarie on the Darling River, Cuthrow ?, Manton just outside of Yass, Yass, Sutton then to Newcastle (Rothbury).
10:26
Hamilton Hume
10:56
Pits worked at by husband. He worked in small pits like Bloomfield and Stanford Greta. The Ayrfields and Cwmdu at Rothbury closed in 1940 and reopened in 1948 operated by Maitland Extended, also R.W. Miller Co. The Rothbury pit was at North Rothbury.
12:45
The Harmon family from Greta. Her sister in law married into the Harmon family. Dave Harmon.
13:54
North Rothbury Methodist Church. This was built in the 1920's and was closed in 1968. Grace has placed the old Bible from the North Rothbury Church into the vestry in the Branxton Church. The minister comes from Singleton to take the service at Branxton.
16:08
Location of public hall, North Rothbury. The organ and the church texts were held here in the vestry. It doubled up as a church and a hall.
18:23
Gwen Pinchen - was given as the C of E historian.
19:40
CWA rooms were located behind the Bank of NSW. Branxton-Greta. July 1953 was the first meeting. Grace was secretary for 2 years.
20:39
Mrs Harold Ford had been in office ever since it started. "We're supposed to change positions every three years but we can't get any body else to take the jobs".
21:43
Rex Moore's mother - The Wilderness Church.
22:31
Dave Hipwell married Miss Osland. The Hipwells came from Rothbury.
23:56
The names of Pokolbin, Rothbury and Cessnock have all become interlinked. Circuits and parishes are interchangeable. Pokolbin Methodist church
25:42
John McGahn - Cessnock Council.
26:23
Location of original Methodist church. Confusion with rates and the original owners - the Campbells.
33:26
Archie Pankhurst - Church Trust secretary.
34:12
Mr McGowan was the minister when Grace first came to Rothbury. Harold Gorrell followed him. In March 1939 when she and her husband Jack were getting married, Dave McLachlan followed.
35:09
Ministers presiding at North Rothbury. Mr Block, a Dutchman followed. Mr Waterhouse, Mr Walker, Mr Little was there in 1948. Mr Brooks who was blind followed him in 1954. Mr Leavesley who was a Home Missionary came from England before Mr Brooks.
37:24
Horrie McAdam came in 1960 and stayed for 4 years.
37:38
Graham Mitchell stayed also for 4 years.
37:51
Recalls storm which damaged church by lifting it off its foundations. Some of the piers went up through the floorboards. You couldn't open the front door nor shut the back door. The floor was on a slope. Church services continued until 1968. Graham Mitchell was minister then. He was the last minister until they were taken over by Cessnock.
39:37
Peter Hemple from Thornleigh bought the church building and land for $2,500. The church has since been made into a home. There was no cemetery around the Rothbury Church.
42:30
Recollection of Rothbury before riots.
Tape duration: 44:01
Swinton née Dickson, Grace Imrie, 1915-2000PersonJack DelaneyCollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] England[2] Greta, NSW[3] Yass, NSW[4] North Rothbury, NSW[5] Branxton, NSW[6] Pokolbin, NSWIdentifier282A
Recorded 6 November 1982
Part 1/2
1:22
Location of Rothbury hall opposite the old school.
1:51
Rev. Neville Arthur from East Maitland opened the hall in 1962/3. This was the Methodist hall. There had never been a Presbyterian Church in Branxton. The original place was a slab building, that was demolished and another built on land that was given to the Methodist Church.
3:54
Last minister left Branxton in 1968. He covered Branxton, North Rothbury and Glenmore. They then decided that Branxton and Greta parishioners could go into Cessnock who had two ministers. In the 1970s the second minister retired and was not replaced. The parishioners then went to Singleton. The Presbyterian and the Methodists both had ministers there.
6:25
Mrs Clyde Shearer of Branxton who considers herself of the Uniting Church.
6:52
Mrs Harold Ford, nee Mackinnon was another Presbyterian historian.
7:19
Grace Dickson was her maiden name.
7:25
Father worked as school teacher, 1934
7:33
Jack Swinton was her husband. He was related to the Cessnock Swintons. Jack's grandfather was an old Greta miner - he had two families.
9:11
Dorrie Swinton, nee Boyle was the second wife. (She was a Catholic).
9:38
The Dickson family came from Yass ACT. Her father taught in 5 schools over his career. Schools taught by father - Pooncarie on the Darling River, Cuthrow ?, Manton just outside of Yass, Yass, Sutton then to Newcastle (Rothbury).
10:26
Hamilton Hume
10:56
Pits worked at by husband. He worked in small pits like Bloomfield and Stanford Greta. The Ayrfields and Cwmdu at Rothbury closed in 1940 and reopened in 1948 operated by Maitland Extended, also R.W. Miller Co. The Rothbury pit was at North Rothbury.
12:45
The Harmon family from Greta. Her sister in law married into the Harmon family. Dave Harmon.
13:54
North Rothbury Methodist Church. This was built in the 1920's and was closed in 1968. Grace has placed the old Bible from the North Rothbury Church into the vestry in the Branxton Church. The minister comes from Singleton to take the service at Branxton.
16:08
Location of public hall, North Rothbury. The organ and the church texts were held here in the vestry. It doubled up as a church and a hall.
18:23
Gwen Pinchen - was given as the C of E historian.
19:40
CWA rooms were located behind the Bank of NSW. Branxton-Greta. July 1953 was the first meeting. Grace was secretary for 2 years.
20:39
Mrs Harold Ford had been in office ever since it started. "We're supposed to change positions every three years but we can't get any body else to take the jobs".
21:43
Rex Moore's mother - The Wilderness Church.
22:31
Dave Hipwell married Miss Osland. The Hipwells came from Rothbury.
23:56
The names of Pokolbin, Rothbury and Cessnock have all become interlinked. Circuits and parishes are interchangeable. Pokolbin Methodist church
25:42
John McGahn - Cessnock Council.
26:23
Location of original Methodist church. Confusion with rates and the original owners - the Campbells.
33:26
Archie Pankhurst - Church Trust secretary.
34:12
Mr McGowan was the minister when Grace first came to Rothbury. Harold Gorrell followed him. In March 1939 when she and her husband Jack were getting married, Dave McLachlan followed.
35:09
Ministers presiding at North Rothbury. Mr Block, a Dutchman followed. Mr Waterhouse, Mr Walker, Mr Little was there in 1948. Mr Brooks who was blind followed him in 1954. Mr Leavesley who was a Home Missionary came from England before Mr Brooks.
37:24
Horrie McAdam came in 1960 and stayed for 4 years.
37:38
Graham Mitchell stayed also for 4 years.
37:51
Recalls storm which damaged church by lifting it off its foundations. Some of the piers went up through the floorboards. You couldn't open the front door nor shut the back door. The floor was on a slope. Church services continued until 1968. Graham Mitchell was minister then. He was the last minister until they were taken over by Cessnock.
39:37
Peter Hemple from Thornleigh bought the church building and land for $2,500. The church has since been made into a home. There was no cemetery around the Rothbury Church.
42:30
Recollection of Rothbury before riots.
Tape duration: 44:01
Swinton née Dickson, Grace Imrie, 1915-2000PersonJack DelaneyCollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] England[2] Greta, NSW[3] Yass, NSW[4] North Rothbury, NSW[5] Branxton, NSW[6] Pokolbin, NSWIdentifier282Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-1910, Grace Swinton née Dickson (1915-2000). Recorded 6 November 1982. Part 1/2. , [282A]. Living Histories, accessed 01/12/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55953