Section 9: The Depression Times 1929 to 1938

Part Three 

THE DEPRESSION TIMES           1929 to 1938   

To start this section and gain closer perspective the ages of some of the family were as follows:  Ina was 43, Dock 20 in June, Jean 18 in September, Colin 14 in January and Arch Sinclair about 30 years old.

1929 started with a report that Dock and Colin were cementing the garage floor.  Dock then went off to Country Week in Sydney where it seems he took delivery of the Chrysler 65 Roadster.  In February, Ina went to Sydney and Honolulu.  Colin and Jean went back to school and Dock to Longerenong Agricultural College.  They sold wheat for 4/- bushel and had good February rains.

For the rest of the year there is very little about ‘Kooringal’. Dock was home for the mid-year where it was ‘dry’ at Kooringal, feeding sheep and the crops not doing too well.  Very good rain was reported however, while he was home and the year actually ended up with good spring rain.  

Despite the very detailed diary Dock kept for his year at Longerenong there was no mention at all of the onset of the Great Depression when the New York stock market crashed in October. He was apparently far too busy helping organise the annual athletic sports and winning the 440, high jump and hop, step and jump.  Dock stayed at Longerenong until the end of January 1930, when the college year ended and the new intake of students arrived.                                            

February 1930 is Dock’s start at serious work on ‘Kooringal’.  Col Sinclair was at ‘Kooringal’ too.  From hearsay, he was there to tutor Dock but I gather it did not work too well. They did not ‘get on’.                                                                                                       

Colin back to College in February and it appears that Jean had left school.  Sharefarmers were working fallow (Hamiltons) and classic manure ‘single super’ was £4/15 ton plus freight of 9/-.  In April, the Harefield Tennis Club was re-activated and the Junee Golf Club was opened.  In May, there was the opening of the Wagga Country Club.  There was a lot of golf and tennis with bridge in the evenings.  Ina won many golf trophies and also pranged the car into a fence in July!   Cyril Terry started share farming that month at ‘Kooringal’.           

It snowed on August 14^th 1930 and roller skating in the Harefield Hall was ‘the new craze’.  Mention was also made that they bought the Gibbons’ wool press and started building the woolshed.

                                                                                                       

1126 sheep were shorn in September for 26 bales wool (average 6 lbs) and they topped the market with hoggets at 10/6 and cemented the stable floor.  ‘Woodside’ was put up for sale by the mortgagee this month.  Arch must have fallen victim to the Depression. Hay cutting finished on November 21^st and  a binder driver was employed on 12/6 a day with the hay selling for £1/7/6 ton and wheat for 2/- bushel at silo.  Phar Lap won the Cup at odds of 11/8 on.                                             

In December 1930, Col Sinclair went to Egypt.  I recall a story that he went to Egypt just after the war to sell hay and I think they actually sent the hay off but there was some problem getting the money from the Egyptians as the hay had become wet.  Can’t blame the Egyptians for not paying!  It appears that this is when it happened but there’s no mention in Dock’s diary of an outcome from the trip to Egypt.  Harvest was wet with oats going seven bags to the acre and wheat going eight bags.

In January 1931, the Harefield silos filled as did White Bay grain terminal in Sydney.  Wheat prices were down to 1/5 bushel.  They bought a second hand chaffcutter for £12.  Harvest finished on 28^th January after a lot of breakdowns, mostly caused by the skeleton weed.  There was no chemical control possible in those days and in a wet season the skeleton weed virtually choked the wheat out.  It must have put a great load on the old machines as it went through with the straw and I can certainly remember pulling out ‘skelo’ chokes when I started farming in the late 50’s.  It was very hard work and I can imagine it being far worse in the 30’s.  A lot of crops were unable to be harvested.  The silos closed on 30^th and many farmers still had up to 1000 bags to deliver.  ‘Will all have to be stacked in bags.’   In February, there was a cable from Col Sinclair about sale of oats, chaff and pressed hay but there is no record of the outcome.   Carting (cypress) poles and furniture from Woodside was noted so they must have been cleaning it out before the mortgagee took over. 

On 28^th January 1931, a ‘monster meeting of citizens of the Riverina’ was held to discuss the right of self government and issue an ultimatum to the Lang Government to reduce expenditure.  The next day, the family went to Narooma for two weeks holiday.  Ina stayed in a boarding house and Dock and his mate Stewart Read, camped.  The Chrysler averaged 33 mph and did 18.5 mpg (53 kph and 16 litre/100 km).  

In March, Noel Wettenhall started as a jackeroo on £1 week and 65 mm rain was recorded for month.  Reads inspected the Moloney’s farm, ‘Glenmoira’.   I think ‘Kooringal’ also had a tractor at this stage.  Flies were apparently bad and another 90mm of rain was recorded for April.  Arch and his team of horses moved to ‘Kooringal’ and May was wet with another 150mm.  A typical May day in the diaries records:  ‘Started Arch’s team in our combine in No16.  Noel still going on skim plow.  Did 15 acres for day.  Mum went to Wagga and Jean came home from Hardys.  Colin shifted wethers, 200 to No13 and lambs to No15.  Arch fixing up sulky.’  Colin must have left College at end of the first term.

June diaries report more rain, polo and rodeo practice on steers!  Trucking sheep to Melbourne was also mentioned and the wethers made 17/6.  Wagga had a 33 foot flood and at ‘Kooringal’ they were still sowing and trying to fallow.  The rainfall was 154 mm for the month and 445 for the half year.  July was similar and the diary reports: ‘cars and wagons bogged, 4300 sheep and 200 cattle on agistment to eat out No 12.  Finished sowing on the 31^st.‘   The rest of the year seemed comparatively uneventful with reference to fallowing, rabbitting, Stanley Beresford coming for harvest and Ina winning the Lockhart golf.  The oats yielded 4/5 bags and wheat up to 10 bags. It was a dry month for harvest.

The valuations at end of 1931 were as follows:  bore £400, dams totalling 9,500 cubic yards £600, residence £3200 and sheds/stables etc £960.

In 1932 the proposed cropping for the year was 740 acres and a further 270 acres on shares. Hayes was the share farmer.  1700 sheep, 13 horses, 5 cattle, 280 tons hay, 400 bags oats, 4400 bushels of wheat was on hand.  Harvest finished on January 14^th.

There is also an interesting diary entry about Captain Pitt and Bill Dunn landing in No 4 in ‘a moth’.  It was Bill Dunn’s Gypsy Moth.  There is a story that Ina was not pleased as he flew so low trying to impress Jean that he nearly hit the chimney on ‘Kooringal’ homestead!  It’s also reported that Noel Wettenhall left for Colac on a horse.  He cannot have been too well paid!  Hector had moved to Gidginbung, near Barmedman, and about this time Ina was visiting there. Col Sinclair returned from Egypt in March but still no mention of the results of his trip.  There was a bit of machinery being bought at sales etc. and in November a new Robinson Big E harvester was purchased. They had three harvesters this year and three wagons for the harvest.  Over 600 tons wheat and 250 tons hay were produced. The wheat averaged 20 bushels/acre.

The most notable event in 1933 was the leasing of ‘Glenmoira’ by Bill Cox and Bandy Coote, Bill’s friend from their days at Hawkesbury Agricultural College. This of course eventually led to Jean Lamont and Bill Cox’s marriage.  Bill and Bandy were regular visitors to ‘Kooringal’ and by October “Jean to pictures with Bill” was the start of the romance that led to their marriage.  Romance was in the air for Dock as well.  While visiting Victoria he “Took Peg to Boat Race Ball”.  All the normal farming activities continued over this time; desilting dams, killing rabbits etc.  There was plenty of tennis and golf with Colin winning the Harefield tennis championship. The Yathella rifle club was formed with Dock as President. A couple of typical diary entries in Dock’s diary reflect the scene.  Sat 22/4: “Jack on Mitchell in stony sowing Algerian oats.  Colin on drill and I on Gibbons.  Put shaft and cog in drill. Tennis at Harefield up to second on ladder, defeated Cox 6/1 and lost Colin1/6”.  Tues 18/7:  ”Colin, Bob and I on ploughs.  Had two sets tennis, won 6/5 and 5/5 all.  Bowler and Captain still not too good, Captain improving.  Bridge party Helen, Doreen, Tissie, John, Len, Arthur and Helen, Red and Isobel and Bandy and Bill.”    August Sat 5^th and Sun 6^th:  “Mother, Bill, Colin and I to Wagga.  Saw Mr Colquhoun and Dr Martin.  Bob and John on teams for morning, Colin, Bill and Jean playing in August tennis tournaments.  Margaret and Stuart Read over for lunch and tea.  Bandy and Bill also over.”

A wet harvest was reported for 1933.  It finished on January 20^th.   Wheat prices were down to 1/11 bushel. The harvest rates are of interest with the 8 foot Gaston doing 80/100 bags a day and the 10 foot Robinson about 45 bags day.

Jean and Bill were engaged in March 1934.  Dock was courting Peg when on holidays in Geelong and Ina attended the CWA conference in Albury.  Ina was interviewed at this time for a  story on her life that appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.  Long standing friends of the Lamonts, the Pattersons who owned ‘Gerilgambeth’, sold out in May for £10/11 acre to JS Taylor who owned a deal of land and shops in Junee.  At their farewell at Harefield, Patterson was presented with a wallet with forty pounds in it, so there must have been a bit of money about at that time.  Ina gave an address on Empire Day at the Dart Hill School.  Construction of the shearing shed at ‘Kooringal’ commenced and sheep were shorn in it during September.  Of additional note is lucerne pasture being sown down in No13.  The price of wheat was up to 2/1 per bushel, as a result of very dry conditions in the USA and Canada (the dust bowl years).  The year ended up with a good spring and harvest.  They purchased an IHC 15/30 tractor in October and used it in the Gaston harvester.  They still however, had nineteen working horses up to 25 years old.  A great deal of hay was cut this year. There seemed to be a large number of haystacks and they were still building stacks in January 1935.  

Bill Cox and Jean Lamont were married on April 27^th 1935. Diary entry: ‘cleaned up, scraped and marked tennis court, Colin cleaned car, Jack on grass around court.  Guests arrived for lunch, Bill, Bandy and I to Wagga.  Wedding started at church 7.30 pm.  Helen Weir and Cath Cox bridesmaids, Bandy groomsman and I best man, Patricia and Jan Vickery flower girls. Reception at Grand 8.30 and supper at 9.30.  About 50 telegrams to acknowledge. Guests invited out to ‘Kooringal’ to view gifts. Bill and Jean away safely at midnight.’

Dock’s courtship must have been going well as Peg came up to stay for five weeks in August, no doubt to check out the district and her prospective mother-in-law.  It must have been a bit of an eye opener for her.  I well remember her talking about how surprised she was at how hard everyone worked.  Once again, it was a good year, crops yielding about 9 bags/acre and selling for over 3/- bushel. The Chrysler car was sold for £175 pounds and new Ford V8 Coupe was purchased for £335 pounds.  I suppose the worst of the depression was over by the end of 1935 but I am sure they would have had a very large overdraft as money was still pretty tight.

There was a good wet start to 1936.  It ended up another good season with 650 mm of rain. Notable events for the year included Colin’s 21st birthday in January, Bill and Jean looking at properties and more visits from Peg.  The more usual social activities continued as well.  The old tractor seemed to be forever being repaired and at the Wagga show that year, they bought a Massey 25-40 (the green Massey) for £413. (The old 15-30 traded for £160.)  Other  purchases made this year were a silo for oats, a Whippet 6 truck for £145 and a fertilizer spreader for £7/-.

They had a clearing sale in October 1936 but prices were not so good. Colin spent many hours painting the old machinery for sale and firmly established his place as family painter.  He also became very involved with the scout movement and nearly every week he was off to ‘scouts’. This harvest was the first year they used Dock’s double hitch for the two harvesters - all pulled by the tractor.  It worked well taking off 160 bags a day.  Diary entry for Dec. 23^rd:  ‘Shower during night and didn’t start till after 1. Took off 70 bags, 17 acres.  Colin carted four loads wheat before lunch (on the whippet truck).  Put in gate post near dam in No 13, Had a good run with tractor and harvesters. Colin to scouts’.  They worked on Christmas Day with lunch in the paddock.  

Also of note in late 1936, was the sale of ‘Glenmoira’ to H Weston Davies after the sale to Frank Leahy fell through (and by April 1937, the McPhersons had bought it.).  Woten won the Cup at 100/1.

Harvest finished in mid January 1937 after 24 days.  It’s guessed, they must have had close to 4000 bags wheat.  There is no reference to prices.  There is also little mention of ‘Kooringal’ over this time as Dock appeared very busy organising the house at ‘Kooringal West’ to be built, after he announced his engagement to Peg in January.  It’s unsure who did the work but the costs were as follows:  walls £210, plastering and roof £817 and the rest £700.  Dock Lamont and Peg Scott were married in Geelong on October 5^th 1937 and they moved into ‘Kooringal  West’ on 31^st October 1937.  

The first grandchild of Ina and Jack was Geoffrey John Cox, son of Jean and Bill.  He was born in October 1937, the month before Andrew Lamont, Jack’s youngest brother died.  Harvest finished on 19^th December.  

Reference was also made in the 1937 diary, to the Read’s property, ‘Braehour’ being sold in April to Sir George Tallis for £8/10 per acre. 

Some statistics for 1937 include:  two male and one female employees, 1780 sheep on hand, 5560 kg wool produced, 21 cattle on hand, 3320 litres of milk and 75 kg butter produced. Lambing was 795, wheat production was 203 tons and 100 tons of hay was produced from 700 acres.

‘Kooringal’ was still worked as one place in 1938.  It was a good year despite a very dry start. A lot of fallowing was carried out as Dock’s diary entry for New Year’s Day shows:  ‘Harold took early shift, I went from 8.30 to 1 pm, Harold to 5.30 and I went to 7.30.  210 acres for 3 ½ days’.  The farm next door, (currently Baker’s) was bought by John Moloney for £9/10 acre.  ‘Kooringal’  were trying to lease some of this land themselves, in April.  It was a bad year for accidents.  Colin had a severe cut from the emery and Dock attempted to sever his leg with an adze whilst squaring posts to put around garden at ‘Kooringal West’.  Apart from that, the year passed uneventfully as Peg and Dock settled into their new house.  It must have been a bit of a shock for Peg however, during the dry autumn.  Saturday 16^th April records:  ‘Heavy dust storm from 9am till 8pm. Sky overcast with dust all day and strong north winds. Atmosphere overpowering inside, house filled with fine red dust.’                                                                                                                                                       

So ends this part of the ‘Kooringal’ story.  Having read a bit about farming during the depression years, they were lucky to survive, but it’s difficult to assess without knowing their true financial situation.  There was no shortage of hard work by Dock and Colin and the various staff they employed over this period but the years were generally good leading up to the dry times in the early forties.