Water Supply

[Dykey]

I have been told that there is an old town water supply under Grocery Shop, between "Palmer's" and the Old Black & White Cafe.
Is this true?

[Ray]

I know that there is a large cellar area under that shop, perhaps they used to have tanks in there. I can't imagine anyone using the cellar itself as a reservoir, as the weight of the building would collapse the walls once the surrounding clay got wet.

It is quite possible, because the roof area was large and clean drinking water was at a premium in the early days.

[dianne48]

  

I know it's been a year ago since this message has been answered, but I would like to comment on it. I worked at the Grocery shop in question for 7 years and never was it metioned that at any time it was used to store water, I don't believe it was possible as you could not have got a Tank down there.

I worked for Jimmy Murchland he owned the "Brooks Bros 4 Square and Cash & Carry" store for many years and I am sure it would have been a talking point as he use to tell us things about the town and if his cellar was a storing facility he sure would have mentioned it. We use to store all can foods, eggs,cheeses, bacon and any fragile foods as refrigeration was very limited back then. I can recall we had to duck our heads when we went down and up the cellar.

I just rang my Auntie who also worked there before me and she was there for about 20 years or so and she said no she had never heard that and she like myself could not imagine being able to get tanks down there or it being possible to hold water.

[dianne48]

I have been doing some inquiries on the water supply in Jamestown, I maybe corrected on the following as it is a memory of, may I say the older generation, older than me that is and my memory is getting rather well you know what I mean.

An Uncle of mine recalls quite vividly when he was young the town water came from the Hospital, when that got low it was then collected or delivered to the town from the Old Cool Drink Factory.
Then from not the cellar of the Grocery Shop but from down the lane at the back. Apparently there was a tank to his recollection about 35ft x 12ft he can't recall how deep it was but it did hold a lot of water and yes it was underground. He did name two of the gentlemen that use to deliver it, but I can't recall the names. I can find out if anyone is interested.

He also recalls going there many times himself, it was brought up with buckets, put into cream or milk cans borrowed from the Factory or put into a tank on the back of a cart or an old buckboard as he called it.

[Ray]

That would be great Dianne, there are a lot of us that know very little about the old Cool Drink Factory. I can remember having to go there with someone in about 1959, and I can remember Bob White watching the boiler, but he's the only person whose name I remember but there were a lot of ladies working on the line where they filled the bottles.

I only found out 20 years ago that two of my aunties worked there when it belonged to Humphris's, and they lived in the hostel later owned by Dike's family.

[dianne48]

That would be great Dianne, there are a lot of us that know very little about the old Cool Drink Factory. I can remember having to go there with someone in about 1959, and I can remember Bob White watching the boiler, but he's the only person whose name I remember but there were a lot of ladies working on the line where they filled the bottles.

I only found out 20 years ago that two of my aunties worked there when it belonged to Humphris's, and they lived in the hostel later owned by Dike's family

MESSRS.F.HUMPHRIS & SONS LIMITED.started trading in Jamestown from the beginning of the town,the aerated water part of the business started in 1878 and the butter factory started up in 1897 it turned out hundreds of tons of butter of high grade and was sent all over Australia and England.
Later they started to make pickles, jams,preserved fruits, cordials and ice-making.
In 1932 it was sold to Jamestown Butter and Trading  Company , which then we new it as the cool drink Factory.
My father worked there when he came back from the war in 1946, I will name for you some of the people that I can recall working there at this time if your interested..

[Ray]

I am certainly interested Dianne. We at the Local History Centre are at present making an audio visual presentation that we can display view our new laptop and projector.

[dianne48]

I am certainly interested Dianne. We at the Local History Centre are at present making an audio visual presentation that we can display view our new laptop and projector.

Ray,
This is my memories of who I can recall at the FACTORY as I grew up,especially at Xmas time as we use to go up and wash bottles with our Dad so we could get cool drinks for the Holidays.
Woggy White was the Manager of the Factory, Lionel Couzner use to drive the big truck covered by a huge canvas he use to leave very Early in the mornings and go around the farms to collect the milk, cream and eggs.
Max Couzner drove the smaller truck and took the cans over to Gladstone to the Factory over there.
There was at this time three Factories, owed by Finlaysons of Balaclava, this being the head office.
Bob White also drove the truck from time to time, Bob use to take the cans as they came into the factory and with a women who I can not recall her name use to test the milk and cream and label them.
Tom Penner and his wife, both as I recall use to do the office and paper work.
Pokie Hector that's John's father use to also work there, he always seemed to be in the Ice and cool drink area.
Joe Williams use to work in the same area as him, I think Joe went there from school washing bottles etc.
There was probably more but I only remember these as the full time staff, I know there was people washing bottles and general duties but I never really took much notice of them.
They made the best cool drinks and they were delivered to all the HOTEL'S, DELI'S and FRUIT SHOP'S.

[dianne48]

I am certainly interested Dianne. We at the Local History Centre are at present making an audio visual presentation that we can display view our new laptop and projector.

PART-2

The ice was made in this huge freezer, amazing to watch Mr Hector and my Father throw those huge tubs and blocks of ice around. You could pick the ice up, or it was delivered to your home. It would be wrapped in large pieces of heshen, they would make a saw mark across the block of ice and bang it was a half block. There was no refridgeration back then and we all had Ice Chests. A chunk of ice from the block was our ice block back in those days.

[Ray]

You certainly have a great memory Dianne, I knew just about all of the people who you mentioned, but could not remember them actually working at the factory.

I went there with Wayne Loechel one day, they had the Bakers shop in 1959-1962. I can't actually remember what we were there for, but it was just before Christmas and the drinks line was in full production, all I can remember was that there was water all over the floor, Bobby White was throwing long logs of wood into the boiler, and I was fascinated by this lady operating the machine for carbonating the drinks and sealing the lids.

Anyway, once our business was done we were hustled out of the way, as no doubt we were in the way, with sack trucks loaded with cool drinks being pushed around everywhere.

The factory yard was a great place to play, but you had to be very careful as there was broken glass everywhere, and Woggie might show up at any time, the favourite place was to get up in the hay loft of the stables over the top of the Pidgeon Club Rooms, where we could look down into the street below watching everyone going about their business, through the cracks in the wooden door. It was always exciting when someone would come to start one of the trucks stored down below. We had to keep very quiet not to get caught as the only steps went down through the old stables meaning that our escape route was cut off.

All Very exciting stuff when you are 12.

[dianne48]

  Gee Ray,
   

   You have opened pandora's box, I am thinking of things that have been locked away for years.
Yes I can also recall the floor was always wet, Uncle Woggie, as we use to call him use to live across the road from us, Ron and Vi Jamison live in the house still, I think, I have not been home for about 5 years now. He was so good to my little sister and myself he was such a gentle man behind closed doors, he use to let us help him make the drinks and press the tops on the bottles, as if we did it at that age but he use to make out it was our strength. He would say gee after all that I think you deserve a drink, in other words he spoiled us to bits. After Auntie Nelli died he fell apart and we never had a lot to do with him. sad.
I was going to mention the rest of the yard but thought I was getting a bit carried away .
Now you have started something else, "the Pigeon Club" there was a big group of pigeon fliers back in the 50s and yes my Dad also flew them, I still have one of the 2 of Dads clocks, the other one was missing for many years and the last time I was up home I just happened to pop into one of my Uncle's and he was in the shed. Yes Ray it was sitting on the shelf, I said to him is that, yes he said before I got the words out of my mouth that's your Dads no one else has recognised it but I knew you would and laughed. 
Do we want to name the pigeon fliers Ray he he.

[Ray]

Yes Dianne, that's why I love this type of subject. It really puts our lives into perspective, seeing the past and knowing where we are now, remembering all of those past residents and the things they did to help make our community what it is today. Please do not hold back anything that you remember, these things and the people concerned are what makes this discussion so interesting, it also stirs up my grey matter a lot, with many pleasant memories. Even though I still live here I do forget people and the things they did. Only two days ago Cheryl, Chris and I talked for hours, much of it about your uncle Ken and your grandfather and our memories of them.

Then again it would be hard to discuss anyone in this town who is not related to you in some way.

We still have a few Pidgeon Club Members from that time in Jamestown, and one of them has the old Honour Boards packed up and stored in his shed. He has asked if the Jamestown Local History Group will accept them for safe storage and display, this has more or less been agreed to, but we are waiting to make room on the walls, as we do not want them stored anywhere where they may be touched or damaged.

I always remember "Hook" Siviour used to invite my Father to the Pidgeon Club Christmas "do" it was one of the premiere events of the town, and he never missed it. It was well known for the quality and variety of food served, and I know it went on until late in the evening with Dad not getting home until after I was in bed.

[dianne48]

   
Ray, I have A treat for you.

I was talking to my brother Trevor today and I ask him what was in the paper work that I had given him of Dads,
Much to our surprise there was a list of his customers he use to collect the milk from when he worked at the Factory.
These names will get you going it did us. Excuse me if I spelt any names wrong.

C.D.Black, F.Martin, F.L.Faye, T.I.Robinson, I.R.Growdon, J.H.&.D.H.Cummings, C.W.Crawford, D.R.Henderson, J.M.Franz, B.I.Ninnis, B.Fudge, P.J.Lovegrove, C.S.Burton, R.B.Bradtke, M.A.Y.Wehrman, E.H.&.N.A.Wehrman, Sandra Wehrman, Max.Fife, M.Smart, E.S.&.L.C.Robinson, C.S.Betton, L.A.Smart, I.R.Simpson, I.I.Napper, J.Cummings, G.Napper, A.J.Laurie, J.V.&.D.Robinson, H.D.Hanton, G.C.Robinson, E.V.Solomon, N.C.Miller, J.V.&.V.A.Crand, E.A.Adams, I.A.Cooper, C.B.Malone, E.A.Knight, H.T.&.N.B.Martin, A.Cornish, W.F.Hoffman, F.E.Bailey, A.F.Wehrman. (42 names)
 How was that for a find.  

Oh! by the way, when it was school holidays we use to go with Dad on his milk round and yes nearly 42 gates to open. Yes there was a treat for doing that, when we would come to a corner we would take in turn, that's my sister Marilyn and I of jumping over onto Dad's lap and holding the indicator arm out to indicate we were turning right or stopping. hehe    that was fun. Didn't take much to amuse us as kids back then, we never ever got bored. Thinking back Dad would have been opening and closing about 200 gates a week.

[Ray]

That is a great find Dianne, thank God that some people never throw things away.  

It just goes to show the number of farmers who kept milking cows back then. I know that Golden North were still picking up milk from Robinson's at Mannanarie in the late 1970s, but that all came to an end when farmers were forced to change from the old 10 gallon cans to refrigerated stainless steel bulk milk tanks. Most farmers were only in it as a sideline and the cost could not be justified.

The same thing happened about ten years later with honey, and all of the hobbyists were forced out by the big companies. Now Australia has to import honey instead of exporting it. It appears that over half of all the honey sold in Australia was from backyard bee keepers. It is a good example of what the greed of a few can do.

I could just picture you two girls climbing over Dad's lap to operate the turning indicator. . Obviously Dad had a method in his madness though. Not having to get out and open and shut all of the gates would have shortened his trip quite a bit.

I'll pass that list onto the local History Group, it will go into the collection of knowledge about the old butter factory and no doubt will jog a lot of memories.

[dianne48]

Back again Ray,

Before I go onto the Pigeons I just wanted to tell you that I am what you call a hoarder, I hate to throw things away that I can look back on and remember my past. I was born in Jamestown and still call it home. I have in the shed a butter box and it has written on the label, yes Finlayson Dalkeith Butter and a Docket book from the four square store from when I worked for Jimmy Murchland, I use to have to treadle my push bike around Moyeltown gathering the grocery orders. All the staff had a round to do, then we would make up the orders then place then in a huge wooden box together they would be loaded onto Owen Brogan's horse and dray and most times Jeff Hayes would go with him and take the orders in a large cane basket into the homes.
Later Mr. Murchland brought a green Holden panel van and Jeff and Brian Mathews and later Brian Carpenter would deliver them. By the way everything had to be weighed and packaged back then, the only things that came packaged was cereal, some biscuits and of coarse all tin and jars and some cleaning products.

We use to weigh all the sugar, flours, dried fruits, biscuits, sweets, spices from tiny draws, wash and bottle all the vinegar and spirits. Slice cheese, eggs went into brown paper bags with saw dust, the only thing we had for packaging was brown paper bags and small cellophane for sweets etc.
Your imagination can package the rest

These were some of the great days of my life, but you don't think so at the time, what the generation of today would call slave labour.  As we had to carry those huge bags of sugar and heavy boxes of groceries to customers cars.

Staff of Brooks Bros 1962 to 1968.
Four Square store. Mick Hector, Melva Williams, Eva Butcher, Dianne Couzner, Denise Tredrae, Leonie Alchin, office. Colleen Couzner, Later Autumn Mathews. Drivers and receiving Brian Mathews and Brian Carpenter plus Cash and carry store. Jeff Haynes, Ian Smith, Simeo ?.
Later became N.S. and Co.owned by Don Ninnis and Ross Schmidt.