In her own words - The final chapter.
Ethel and Dale
Herron:
While she was working in
Brisbane Ethel continued to see Dale Herron who was training as an upholsterer in the
post-war Reconstruction scheme. The
first intake for his course only contained three students and as the trainer
was able to give full time attention to each student the course was completed
in four months.
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| Dale and Ethel with Olive Rossiner and James Herron 3 August 1946 |
Dale and Ethel were married on
3rd August 1946 at Moorooka. They lived
at his mother’s place at Salisbury.
Dale
worked at Advantage Upholsterers in 1946-47 before moving to foreman at Roy
Trenier Upholstery at Salisbury where he was paid £9 per week.
Their first son, was born on January 1947. Then followed another on July 1948 and their third son
August
1949. They continued to live at Dale’s
mother’s place at Salisbury.
Dale always held hopes to be
his own boss and after virtually running the factory at Treniers for two years
decide to make the move in March 1949.
He first tried to find a place at Kingaroy but no factory space was
available. Someone told him to try over
at Dalby. Here he found suitable
premises and set out to set up a business.
In 1949, there was still a
shortage of housing and accommodation after the war. As suitable housing was not available for a
family, Ethel and Dale decided that Ethel should stay in Brisbane with her
three young sons and Dale would move to Dalby to get the business running. Single men’s accommodation was available.
Meanwhile Ethel continued to stay on at Dale’s parent’s home before moving to
her own parent’s house at Redcliffe.
Disaster struck almost
immediately!
In January 1950, both Dale and
Ethel contracted yellow jaundice. Dale’s
case turned into hepatitis and he was brought to Greenslopes Hospital in
Brisbane by his mother and younger brother who happened to be visiting. Ethel
stayed with her three young sons in Dalby.
Dale was in hospital for six months
and Ethel’s parents came up to be with her and her family. While in Dalby, her father “came good for the
first time.” He built a new spacious
detached laundry and storeroom for the house. It included a new 3000 gallon
water tank and a new Appleby hot water system. They were the first house in the
street to have such an item.
Her husband’s business
recovered on his return in August 1950, and prospered. Ethel helped with machining and some of the
lighter work. Dale would bring lounge
suite cushions home at night and both of them would spend the night covering
them to meet orders. During wheat harvesting time, Dale would sometimes close
the upholstery business and go “bag sewing” on various properties at 6d
(sixpence) per bag.
Their first daughter, was born at Dalby August 1953.
Their great love was to go
fishing on a Sunday afternoon. Ethel
remembers fishing at Ranges Bridge on the Condamine, Wilkie’s Creek, Broadwater
lake and at several other good spots in surrounding creeks. Since Dale did
repair work for farmers, he had access to some great fishing spots. Ethel particularly remembers catching a 6lb
yellowbelly on one occasion and several others in the 2lb-3lb range.
With a very young family on her
hands, Ethel did not have a great deal of time for other pursuits. She does
recall playing regular tennis in 1955.
The family took regular holidays to Hervey Bay each year. It was a long trip over gravel roads for much
of the way but was enjoyable.
In spite of a very successful
business, Dale’s health was being affected by his war injuries and by the dry
climate in the Darling Downs. Regrettably, they had to leave Dalby and decided
to make their move to Hervey Bay in October 1956. Dale opened another
upholstery shop in the suburb of Pialba. However due to the fact that Hervey
Bay was such a slow growing area, the business did not succeed.
Boondall:
After only 6 months in Hervey
Bay the Herron family moved again, this time back to Brisbane. After years of
being an upholsterer Dale decided on a different career path. Dale and Ethel
bought a six acre small crops farm on the corner of Roscommon and Muller Roads
in the suburb of Boondall. Ethel and Dale cut and packed lettuces at 2 am so
they would be fresh for the markets.
Dale had to manage the farm
almost single handedly since his sons were too young and had to attend school.
Ethel tried to help out wherever she could on the farm but was kept very busy
looking after their young family which now comprised another daughter, who was born just prior to moving to the farm. They realised that with a very young family,
running the farm would always be difficult.
Nundah:
In 1958 Ethel and Dale sold the
farm at Boondall and moved back to her parent’s home at Redcliffe. Dale used to catch the bus into Brisbane
where worked for the Butler Bros. hardware store. To reduce Dale’s travelling time, the family
moved to Nundah in mid 1958.
A few weeks later, Dale decided
that fruit and vegetables were his forte and began work as a buyer for a fruit
and vegetable store in Sandgate.
It was while living at Nundah
that Ethel’s father died. The date was
6th October 1958.
As her family was starting to
get older, Ethel felt that she could contribute more to the family’s income and
so she and Dale decided that they should that they have their own small
business.
Ethel and her family only
stayed six months at Nundah, in which time they totally renovated their
house. In early 1959, they purchased the
major grocery store on Gympie Road at Bald Hills. With it came another shift, one of twenty
that Ethel was to make in her life.
This proved to be one of the
most successful ventures undertaken by Ethel and Dale. Ethel’s first daughter, had started school, leaving Ethel free to assist in the business.
Unfortunately the long hours took a toll on the family and Ethel and Dale were
forced to sell the business. One piece of good fortune came their way while at
Bald Hills. Ethel won a one-third share
in first prize in the Golden Casket.
Back
to Boondall:
For a short time the Herron
family moved back to Ethel’s parent’s home at Redcliffe before buying another
farm at Boondall in 1960. This farm was only 800 metres from their previous
farm. At first the owner wanted too much for the farm but owing to a stroke of
luck on the Herron’s part, the owner became ill and was desperate to sell. As Ethel and Dale were the only people
interested, the owner approached them with a more realistic price.
Ethel and Dale were now more knowledgeable in the ways of running a business and had learned a lot after their first attempt at farming a few years earlier. This time the farm was more
productive as her sons were old enough to help out. As her sons were nearing
high school age, Ethel impressed upon Dale that they must remain put so that
their sons could receive an uninterrupted high school education.
It was hard work for everyone
on the farm. Wednesdays and Sundays were
preparation days for the markets. Ethel
recalls sitting for hours picking beans and peas on Sundays and then packing
tomatoes, washing and packing lettuce, beetroot and carrots.
Ethel says that all of the hard
work paid off. In time, this brought
good rewards, such as holidays to Hervey Bay and even a boat. The whole family
indulged quite heavily in their passion for fishing.
Ethel’s mother lived with them
at Boondall for a while until she had a house built at Shorncliffe where,
incidentally, her sister Therese and her husband were living.
In 1964, while still on the
farm at Boondall, Ethel and Dale bought a milk run as a second business
venture. Dale operated the business with their eldest son. However the milk
run only lasted for about 12 months by which time their son had decided to go train
as a wool classer. Since the other two boys were still studying in high school,
Dale had to give the milk run away.
In 1963, the fruit and
vegetable markets moved from central Brisbane to Rocklea. The extra travelling made it more difficult
to continue as a supplier to the markets.
Ethel and Dale decided to build up the retail sale of fresh produce from
the farm. Not only was this successful but it required Dale to travel to the
Rocklea markets to buy fruit to supplement the vegetable sales.
The previous owner of the farm
was a solicitor and he dabbled in growing flowers. The plants were generally neglected as the
Herron’s concentrated on vegetables.
With the retail sales growing, some customers asked about the
flowers. Consequently, they received a
little more attention.
Being of a competitive nature,
Ethel entered some of these flowers into a flower show at Sandgate. When she
went to collect them on the Saturday afternoon, she also collected a swag of
awards. Ethel put the idea to Dale that instead of paddocks full of vegetables
and other crops, why not have paddocks full of flowers. They required less
intensive work. Somewhat of a change in
direction occurred as the flowers were sold commercially which proved to be a
very financially rewarding decision for the couple.
As the years went by the family
began to grow smaller as the boys left to pursue their own lives. Their eldest was
married and had settled at Bracken Ridge, one was working in Canberra and the youngest had taken to the sheet metal trade and was living at Redcliffe. Meanwhile
Ethel, Dale and their two daughters continued to prosper with a flower farm at
Boondall.
Ethel and Dale sold their farm
for a housing development and moved into semi-retirement at Redcliffe. Twelve
years was the longest period that they had ever stayed in one place.
Because of their upbringing
where they always valued what they had, Ethel and Dale never deliberately threw
anything away. Even today, they are
still the original conservationists and re-cyclers. It was in this vein that they decided to sell
everything that was lying around the old farm.
Much of it was on the farm when the Herron’s moved in. Being the start of the “collectors era”,
people paid high prices for this “junk” which astonished both Ethel and Dale.
Clontarf:
In March 1971, Ethel and Dale
moved into their first new home in Lucinda Street Clontarf. Ethel’s mother also
moved into a new home that she had built next door.
Their interest in flowers and
plants continued to play a strong part in their lives of Ethel and Dale. Both
Ethel and Dale became very active and respected members of the Redcliffe Show
Society. They also won numerous awards
for both cactii, flowers and vegetables that they continued to grow at their
new home.
In time, Ethel and Dale became
chief stewards and judges for the show.
They also became highly regarded as judges at shows all over south east
Queensland.
In 1987, Ethel’s mother died
after suffering a fall and breaking her hip.
In July 1988, Ethel and Dale
decided to move from their highset house after sixteen years. The move was a short one of two kilometres to
a low set house in Julis Street Clontarf.
They continue their interest in flowers and plants, remaining as judges
at the shows and in garden competitions and selling their plants at weekend
markets.
Ethel Herron 1995
Epilogue:
But as with any Family History story, someone is left to add to the memories.
I was very proud of my in-laws. They both had a hard life, and struggled with making ends meet and life in general. My father-in-law, Dale, was extremely clever with the financial aspects of his affairs. Even with the loss of vision due to glaucoma and shrapnel, he retired, self funded, at 50. But did they ever "retire" not at all.
They were always ready and willing to lend a hand with any work that their children were involved in. Concrete they laid, nails they hammered, and timber they sawed, And just don't ask about chrysanthemums or fishing!
They excelled in it. The favourite fishing spot was opposite the "red cliffs" for which Redcliffe was named, or in Hervey Bay, where ever they threw in a line. It was a bit of a joke, you had to be born a Herron to catch fish!
They travelled around the outback, dug opals at Emerald, and saw the sights. We took them on several holidays. Mum always had a salad on the table at 12.00 every day! She could make rice pudding, and roly poly! Still beyond my cooking skills. Every Friday they visited and usually brought a good feed of whiting!
She also had a huge interest in her family history. We used to spend many a weekend driving them to different cemeteries, to discover, uncover yet another of her family members.
As a photographer, she wasn't the best, but as a collector she was one of a kind. Little snippets cut from newspapers, which probably didn't mean much to us when we collected those treasures, after she died, and indeed, until I rescued them from our rubbish bin, when my husband decided on a clean up"
I never realised that through social media, others would have enjoyed Ethel's and as I have realised her mother's Box Brownie, faded little photos. Memories forever.
But their greatest achievements were their grandchildren.
The beginning to the end was on 18th July 2001. On phoning dad to wish him Happy Birthday for his 80th Birthday, he said that it would be nice "If I could wake Ethel up".
Ominous words, immediately we rushed over to Clontarf. By then she had gotten up.
Dementia. Not a nice word, not a nice outcome. Ethel's dementia meant she forgot to eat.
Clearly they were not able to care for themselves, and we began the steepest learning curve on handling this condition.
They spent the last few years in a nursing home at Burpengary. He is high care, she in low. That was until she climbed over the 6ft fence one Saturday afternoon, and decided to go "home".
Mum never went anywhere without her hat. Probably drummed into her from a youngster who was forced to work as hard as any man, on the family farm. She like so many others of the time did not go to school, other than some early years.
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| Planted Creek with Family Who is Who? |
Hard work, was what she was used to. She writes in her stories of life on the farm at Planter's Creek. She shared that life with animals. She simply loved them.
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Probably a favourite photo of mine, I took them to
Toowoomba to the Carnival of Flowers |
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| Her father Frederick |
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| Frederick with sheep |
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| 40th Wedding Anniversary |
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| 50th Wedding Anniversary |
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Ethel and her family 40th Wedding Anniversary
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| Ethel and her family 50th Wedding Anniversary |
When she died, her children thought the best thing they could do to ensure Ethel's memories were preserved, was to bury her with her favourite hat, and on her headstone are the words
"Gone Fishing" .........................Just as she would have loved.
Ethel was born 26th November, 1922 and died 22nd November 2006. She was aged 84.
She is buried at Redcliffe Cemetery.
APPENDIX:
1. The earliest reference to Rose Vale
is in 1847 when a John Ross held a licence for a stock run of 25,600
acres. There was a convict family called
Rose working as shepherds in the area circa 1845-1850. Many stories abound of
how they helped new settlers in tough times. The lease was transferred several
times and was continually reduced in area each time the settlers petitioned for
the release of land for “Homesteading” in 1872, 1875, 1878 and 1881.
2. This was situated in County of
Churchill, Parish of Forbes. This was
Selection Number 2513. Under the
requirements of the “Homestead Area Act of 1872”, August had to make
improvements on the grant of land. The fulfilment of conditions document was
signed by Wilhelm Schultz and Henry Schneider on the 6th June 1878.
3. The deed of grant shows this as
Selection Number 2574. It was at Coleyville,
but described as County of Churchill, Parish of Thorn, District of Ipswich.
4. This is shown as Selection Number
5203.
5. Guenther Schossow is a descendant of
Friedrich, brother of Johann Schossow. In 1955, he emigrated to Australia and
settled in Queensland for several months.
He could not locate any Schossow families in the area although his
information was that his great grandfather’s brother (Johann) had come to this
area. He subsequently moved to Newcastle and was living there when located by an
American relative in 1994. However only one Schossow family now lives there.
When
they arrived they were taken to "Nprmanby Reserve. Here they continued to live until August had
procured land at Obum Obum Road, Engelsburg and that he had built a home for
his wife and young family. Wilhelmine
was expecting their second child on the voyage, and their second son was born 5
weeks after they arrived. A third son
was born 1872, which meant they were still living at Normanby Reserve.
Hermann worked on his father's property and he married Marie
Elizabeth Weber on 7th January 1892 at the Engelsburg Baptist Church. They later moved to a property at Coulson,
near the school. He died 1957 and is
buried Kalbar General Cemetery.
He
married Anna Weber in 1894. They had a
family of 11 children. She died suddenly
aged 48 as a result of a poisoned foot, developing tetanus. She died 1919.
