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Isabella Wheatley née Hill. Recorded 15th November 1983. Part 1/1.
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SummaryISABELLA WHEATLEY
Recorded on 15th November 1983
Part 1/1
0:23
Les Hill was her brother.
0:52
She was born Plattsburg, Wallsend 0:58 Moved to Cessnock in 1905 aged 14
1:04
She married Ernest James Wheatley
1:15
Husband worked at Aberdare Extended Colliery.
1:19
Alf Kirk, the manager of Aberdare pit was her uncle. His first wife was Isabella's father's sister.
1:33
Jack Hill was Isabella's father.
2:03
The family first lived on Aberdare Rd.
2:11
Isabella was born in Plattsburg, 1891. Arrived in Cessnock 1905.
2:39
Recalls early days spent in Cessnock - arriving in summertime and finding no water in the tank
3:08
Husband wore raincoat while in pit. He worked afternoon shift. The family used to walk up the line bringing Jack his tea at Aberdare. Extended wasn't operating then. The family went down the tunnel where it was raining. She left school and learned dressmaking
4:04
Fran Bailey was the dressmaker who lived on Aberdare Road.
4:14
Nat Bailey. Isabella left the Baileys and started learning from Miss Tobin in Vincent Street.
4:30
Recollection of early Vincent Street - the road at the time wasn't fully formed. There was no Aberdare Road. She lived on the corner of Cumberland and Aberdare Roads.
6:05
Location of first residence in Cessnock - there were 3 or 4 shops. A tailor, also a shop owned by Italians which caught alight on Christmas eve.
6:50
Recollection of first Christmas in Cessnock.
6:58
Their new house was shifted from Wallsend - it was shifted whole on a bullock dray. It arrived at night in a storm. They had 100 gallons tipped in from the creek - the rain flushed through it. The water was later connected in 1910/12. Electricity wasn't on.
8:12
Recalls using kerosene lamps
8:20
Her sister married Albert Vial brother-in-law - who had a milk run.
8:45
Annie was her sister.
8:51
Alda was her other sister.
8:54
Jack Kerr married Alda. Jack was a painter and they Lived at South Cessnock.
9:05
Jim Hartley was the tailor whose business went up in flames. He lost 14 suits in the fire.
10:15
Father was founder member of Co-operative Store. His name is on the stone.
10:29
Ada, her youngest sister worked in the refreshment room.
11:35
Bill Foster was her brother-in-law. He worked on the carts for the Store.
13:05
She relates that her brother Les and Ernie Ditton had a bus service until Johnny Brown came along and "he wanted something off me brother and he wouldn't give it to him. Well, he ran him off the road. He put an inspector anywhere on the road between here and Neath." "If he was five minutes late he was fined."
13:41
George Ryder - "Johnny Brown put him on the road and put me brother off. He went in opposition."
14:01
Anstey's Corner
14:13
Gladstone Hill was her brother
14:20
Recalls accident involving bus and car. Her brother ran the bus up the footpath, saving every person in the bus.
15:16
Matt Bailey
16:14
Location of mother's house, Cessnock - Isabella married late because she didn't want to leave her mother who was sick.
17:11
Miss Tobin's dress shop in Vincent Street. "if it hadn't been for the buttonholes you made..."
18:15
Recollection of trains from Cessnock - services at 9am and 4pm.
18:29
Alf Ditton "was slow, a nice and sincere man and so was Mrs Ditton." Isabella had her for a month after being in hospital, getting her on her feet. Bus boys, conductors and drivers.
19:45
Isabella counted the bus fare money, preparing it for the bank.
20:33
Brother fought in WWI - he was Digger. He was a sergeant.
21:16
Les married Chloe Cotterill from Scotland during the 1914-1918 War
21:58
Father purchased lorry to use as bus. It sat 14 or 15 passengers.
22:57
She was married at West Cessnock in the minister's house.
23:22
Recollection of Methodist Church, Cessnock. Her husband "never worried the church". Isabella was one of the first members with Mrs Kearsley.
23:45
Bill Kearsley - Mrs. Kearsley used to make cakes every weekend. She had a sister, Mrs Pendlebury. Mrs Pendlebury's maiden name was Wilkinson. [NB. This is incorrect. Betsy Kearsley née Wilkinson's sister, Sarah Ann, was married to Edward Woodman. Mrs Alice Pendlebury née Kearsley was William Kearsley's sister.]
25:31
May Thompson, Henry Thompson, Bill Thompson
25:53
Alf Kirk
26:37
Recollection of Bellbird explosion
27:23
Recollection of early train service - eventually another service at 12 noon was introduced.
28:25
Recalls flooding of hotel cellar Her father sold their house to Mr Johnson the undertaker. He had a shed full of straw which his kids set alight. One of them "was burned to death" - Mrs Barringham's boy.
29:25
Recalls family owning skating rink when she was 17. It was in Vincent St. and went through to Charlton St. Isabella collected the money.
29:47
Another skating rink was made of wood
30:42
Mabey's tailor shop
31:31
Price of admission to skating rink and hire of skates - her father bought 50 sets of skates. The family ran carnivals on the rink. People came from Sydney to be there.
32:10
Early tennis courts were situated on the Mount View Road.
32:22
George Brown offered them the grounds to build a church. When they built the church they went to him for the money and he said "that's not a church, that's a hall".
33:30
Arthur Biggers had a picture show behind his shop. She was about 17 at the time - 1908.
35:35
Dave Brown, auctioneer
36:17
Jim Sanderson and his wife had a pie shop.
36:51
Bill Piper
37:28
Father delivered mail to Wollombi from Cessnock. Mail was delivered by sulky. Her mother delivered to Congewai.
39:45
Recollection of walking to Mount View.
41:07
Bronwyn (Ronnie) and Jimmy Hill
41:21
Barbara Hill was their daughter who died at 21 "she was always delicate"
41:41
Roy McMahon's wife speaks to Jack from the hospital bed. She isn't at all well - Jack worked with her husband for many years. He worked in the signal box at the junction box at Bellbird - also at Caledonia. Isabella had her leg amputated in Newcastle Hospital due to bad circulation.
Tape duration: 44:51
PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToErn DittonGeorge RyderCollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Aberdare Extended Colliery, NSW[2] Cessnock, NSWIdentifier304A
Recorded on 15th November 1983
Part 1/1
0:23
Les Hill was her brother.
0:52
She was born Plattsburg, Wallsend 0:58 Moved to Cessnock in 1905 aged 14
1:04
She married Ernest James Wheatley
1:15
Husband worked at Aberdare Extended Colliery.
1:19
Alf Kirk, the manager of Aberdare pit was her uncle. His first wife was Isabella's father's sister.
1:33
Jack Hill was Isabella's father.
2:03
The family first lived on Aberdare Rd.
2:11
Isabella was born in Plattsburg, 1891. Arrived in Cessnock 1905.
2:39
Recalls early days spent in Cessnock - arriving in summertime and finding no water in the tank
3:08
Husband wore raincoat while in pit. He worked afternoon shift. The family used to walk up the line bringing Jack his tea at Aberdare. Extended wasn't operating then. The family went down the tunnel where it was raining. She left school and learned dressmaking
4:04
Fran Bailey was the dressmaker who lived on Aberdare Road.
4:14
Nat Bailey. Isabella left the Baileys and started learning from Miss Tobin in Vincent Street.
4:30
Recollection of early Vincent Street - the road at the time wasn't fully formed. There was no Aberdare Road. She lived on the corner of Cumberland and Aberdare Roads.
6:05
Location of first residence in Cessnock - there were 3 or 4 shops. A tailor, also a shop owned by Italians which caught alight on Christmas eve.
6:50
Recollection of first Christmas in Cessnock.
6:58
Their new house was shifted from Wallsend - it was shifted whole on a bullock dray. It arrived at night in a storm. They had 100 gallons tipped in from the creek - the rain flushed through it. The water was later connected in 1910/12. Electricity wasn't on.
8:12
Recalls using kerosene lamps
8:20
Her sister married Albert Vial brother-in-law - who had a milk run.
8:45
Annie was her sister.
8:51
Alda was her other sister.
8:54
Jack Kerr married Alda. Jack was a painter and they Lived at South Cessnock.
9:05
Jim Hartley was the tailor whose business went up in flames. He lost 14 suits in the fire.
10:15
Father was founder member of Co-operative Store. His name is on the stone.
10:29
Ada, her youngest sister worked in the refreshment room.
11:35
Bill Foster was her brother-in-law. He worked on the carts for the Store.
13:05
She relates that her brother Les and Ernie Ditton had a bus service until Johnny Brown came along and "he wanted something off me brother and he wouldn't give it to him. Well, he ran him off the road. He put an inspector anywhere on the road between here and Neath." "If he was five minutes late he was fined."
13:41
George Ryder - "Johnny Brown put him on the road and put me brother off. He went in opposition."
14:01
Anstey's Corner
14:13
Gladstone Hill was her brother
14:20
Recalls accident involving bus and car. Her brother ran the bus up the footpath, saving every person in the bus.
15:16
Matt Bailey
16:14
Location of mother's house, Cessnock - Isabella married late because she didn't want to leave her mother who was sick.
17:11
Miss Tobin's dress shop in Vincent Street. "if it hadn't been for the buttonholes you made..."
18:15
Recollection of trains from Cessnock - services at 9am and 4pm.
18:29
Alf Ditton "was slow, a nice and sincere man and so was Mrs Ditton." Isabella had her for a month after being in hospital, getting her on her feet. Bus boys, conductors and drivers.
19:45
Isabella counted the bus fare money, preparing it for the bank.
20:33
Brother fought in WWI - he was Digger. He was a sergeant.
21:16
Les married Chloe Cotterill from Scotland during the 1914-1918 War
21:58
Father purchased lorry to use as bus. It sat 14 or 15 passengers.
22:57
She was married at West Cessnock in the minister's house.
23:22
Recollection of Methodist Church, Cessnock. Her husband "never worried the church". Isabella was one of the first members with Mrs Kearsley.
23:45
Bill Kearsley - Mrs. Kearsley used to make cakes every weekend. She had a sister, Mrs Pendlebury. Mrs Pendlebury's maiden name was Wilkinson. [NB. This is incorrect. Betsy Kearsley née Wilkinson's sister, Sarah Ann, was married to Edward Woodman. Mrs Alice Pendlebury née Kearsley was William Kearsley's sister.]
25:31
May Thompson, Henry Thompson, Bill Thompson
25:53
Alf Kirk
26:37
Recollection of Bellbird explosion
27:23
Recollection of early train service - eventually another service at 12 noon was introduced.
28:25
Recalls flooding of hotel cellar Her father sold their house to Mr Johnson the undertaker. He had a shed full of straw which his kids set alight. One of them "was burned to death" - Mrs Barringham's boy.
29:25
Recalls family owning skating rink when she was 17. It was in Vincent St. and went through to Charlton St. Isabella collected the money.
29:47
Another skating rink was made of wood
30:42
Mabey's tailor shop
31:31
Price of admission to skating rink and hire of skates - her father bought 50 sets of skates. The family ran carnivals on the rink. People came from Sydney to be there.
32:10
Early tennis courts were situated on the Mount View Road.
32:22
George Brown offered them the grounds to build a church. When they built the church they went to him for the money and he said "that's not a church, that's a hall".
33:30
Arthur Biggers had a picture show behind his shop. She was about 17 at the time - 1908.
35:35
Dave Brown, auctioneer
36:17
Jim Sanderson and his wife had a pie shop.
36:51
Bill Piper
37:28
Father delivered mail to Wollombi from Cessnock. Mail was delivered by sulky. Her mother delivered to Congewai.
39:45
Recollection of walking to Mount View.
41:07
Bronwyn (Ronnie) and Jimmy Hill
41:21
Barbara Hill was their daughter who died at 21 "she was always delicate"
41:41
Roy McMahon's wife speaks to Jack from the hospital bed. She isn't at all well - Jack worked with her husband for many years. He worked in the signal box at the junction box at Bellbird - also at Caledonia. Isabella had her leg amputated in Newcastle Hospital due to bad circulation.
Tape duration: 44:51
PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToErn DittonGeorge RyderCollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Aberdare Extended Colliery, NSW[2] Cessnock, NSWIdentifier304Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Isabella Wheatley née Hill. Recorded 15th November 1983. Part 1/1., [304A]. Living Histories, accessed 07/12/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55993