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Tom Wells - Timber cutter. Recorded 23 November 1984. Part 1/1.
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SummaryTOM WELLS
Recorded 23 November 1984
Part 1/1
Thomas Wells was born at Durham, England and immigrated to Australia in 1924. He worked as a timber cutter for a number of years, cutting timber for girders, wharves, and post & rail fencing.
Higson bought the Donnybrook racetrack. There were also fights organised by Bill Shakespeare. Nat Smith was one of the fighters - on the grass - there wasn't a ring. It appears that fights which began at the pub ended up on the racetrack.
The church was knocked down when Thomas was young.
5:49
Thomas was born in Durham, England.
5:56
Immigrated to Australia in 1924.
6:11
He met Major Goodsall who was a champion rower. Recalls rowing on Parramatta River
6:29
Tom Childs was Thomas' uncle and a champion bike rider.
Thomas married a Kurri girl - Ms Outridge.
6:58
Ms Outridge worked at the blacksmith, Arnold Bailey
They had two daughters.
One daughter married Mr Waugh, a carpenter who "got killed up at Gundy"
7:50
The second daughter married Jimmy McTaggart.
8:00
Ernie Wells was his brother was a ganger. "He's a tough bloke" says Jack.
8:38
Thomas got cabled out at Hebburn No. 2
8:30
Recalls applying for job, Aberdare No. 2
11:42
Recalls cutting pit timber around Lochinvar area for girders.
12:02
Recalls cutting timber at BHP wharves. He earned 6 guineas a day with expenses.
Dickie Bagnall - the night officer.
The McTaggarts brought a lot of books from Sydney.
"There were some tough nuts in the fighting game" - Yellow Jimmy was Frank Phoenix's father.
Mrs Crompton's grave. Major King "Old God Bless Ya"
16:49
Billum Henderson
16:49
Whirlwind Grant
17:08
Recalls meeting Whirlwind Grant "a beautiful natured fellow, kind hearted and where there's women you wouldn't get him to say a wrong word".
17:48
Snowy Harold. Old Stacey couldn't stop laughing - he went to school with Thomas' dad.
18:50
Recollection of early Kurri township
19:06
Baker's brickworks, Kurri Kurri
19:13
Albert Baker - one of the sons.
They made the bricks for the Co-op
20:05
Recalls buying house for £150 - his mother, mother-in-law and sister loaned him £50 to put down as a deposit. He paid 11/6 to the building society each week.
23:13
Bill Wells his brother was a leather worker/cobbler, making handbags and wallets.
23:30
William Wells his nephew - Billy Wells, the sergeant in Maitland.
Ron Wells his nephew.
24:28
Bill Elliott
Maudie Elliott from Buchanan was the eldest Elliott.
25:33
Ted Elliott
George Elliott
28:13
Albert Elliott
28:37
Recalls cutting fence posts & rails - in every street in Kurri which he delivered by carthorse.
29:25
Charley Christiansen
29:31
Connelly & Smith - bookmakers in Sydney.
30:03
Mick Little, Danny McNeill
31:17
Toby Taafe
31:46
His collection of possum skins. Recalls catching platypus at Surveyors Creek.
34:46
Claude Dymock - "a fair dinkum bloke".
His gambling anecdotes.
37:13
George Wallace - was a bookie.
38:13
Dot Walpole married George.
38:26
Rene Walpole, nee Hill
38:31
Frank Walpole a fruiterer with a stall on Sundays in Maitland.
41:36
End (Tape 303/Side A)
SubjectWells, ThomasPersonJack DelaneyCollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock, NSW[2] Kurri Kurri, NSWIdentifier303A
Recorded 23 November 1984
Part 1/1
Thomas Wells was born at Durham, England and immigrated to Australia in 1924. He worked as a timber cutter for a number of years, cutting timber for girders, wharves, and post & rail fencing.
Higson bought the Donnybrook racetrack. There were also fights organised by Bill Shakespeare. Nat Smith was one of the fighters - on the grass - there wasn't a ring. It appears that fights which began at the pub ended up on the racetrack.
The church was knocked down when Thomas was young.
5:49
Thomas was born in Durham, England.
5:56
Immigrated to Australia in 1924.
6:11
He met Major Goodsall who was a champion rower. Recalls rowing on Parramatta River
6:29
Tom Childs was Thomas' uncle and a champion bike rider.
Thomas married a Kurri girl - Ms Outridge.
6:58
Ms Outridge worked at the blacksmith, Arnold Bailey
They had two daughters.
One daughter married Mr Waugh, a carpenter who "got killed up at Gundy"
7:50
The second daughter married Jimmy McTaggart.
8:00
Ernie Wells was his brother was a ganger. "He's a tough bloke" says Jack.
8:38
Thomas got cabled out at Hebburn No. 2
8:30
Recalls applying for job, Aberdare No. 2
11:42
Recalls cutting pit timber around Lochinvar area for girders.
12:02
Recalls cutting timber at BHP wharves. He earned 6 guineas a day with expenses.
Dickie Bagnall - the night officer.
The McTaggarts brought a lot of books from Sydney.
"There were some tough nuts in the fighting game" - Yellow Jimmy was Frank Phoenix's father.
Mrs Crompton's grave. Major King "Old God Bless Ya"
16:49
Billum Henderson
16:49
Whirlwind Grant
17:08
Recalls meeting Whirlwind Grant "a beautiful natured fellow, kind hearted and where there's women you wouldn't get him to say a wrong word".
17:48
Snowy Harold. Old Stacey couldn't stop laughing - he went to school with Thomas' dad.
18:50
Recollection of early Kurri township
19:06
Baker's brickworks, Kurri Kurri
19:13
Albert Baker - one of the sons.
They made the bricks for the Co-op
20:05
Recalls buying house for £150 - his mother, mother-in-law and sister loaned him £50 to put down as a deposit. He paid 11/6 to the building society each week.
23:13
Bill Wells his brother was a leather worker/cobbler, making handbags and wallets.
23:30
William Wells his nephew - Billy Wells, the sergeant in Maitland.
Ron Wells his nephew.
24:28
Bill Elliott
Maudie Elliott from Buchanan was the eldest Elliott.
25:33
Ted Elliott
George Elliott
28:13
Albert Elliott
28:37
Recalls cutting fence posts & rails - in every street in Kurri which he delivered by carthorse.
29:25
Charley Christiansen
29:31
Connelly & Smith - bookmakers in Sydney.
30:03
Mick Little, Danny McNeill
31:17
Toby Taafe
31:46
His collection of possum skins. Recalls catching platypus at Surveyors Creek.
34:46
Claude Dymock - "a fair dinkum bloke".
His gambling anecdotes.
37:13
George Wallace - was a bookie.
38:13
Dot Walpole married George.
38:26
Rene Walpole, nee Hill
38:31
Frank Walpole a fruiterer with a stall on Sundays in Maitland.
41:36
End (Tape 303/Side A)
SubjectWells, ThomasPersonJack DelaneyCollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock, NSW[2] Kurri Kurri, NSWIdentifier303Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Tom Wells - Timber cutter. Recorded 23 November 1984. Part 1/1., [303A]. Living Histories, accessed 30/11/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55991