Archibald Cowper "Arch" JULIUS [884]

  General Notes:

Archibald an infant, arrived in Tasmania on the "Ethel" in 1881, he became a mining engineer, lived in North West New South Wales with interests in farming, and mining.

Granville School Maryborough Qld Records show:
Archibald Julius 711 20 Jan 1890 - 8-11

In 1898 he prospected for tin in the Herberton Queensland tin fields, he also prospected in Gippsland Victoria ; was mine manager Shuttleton Crowel Ck NSW 1907 ; manager Gympie Goldmine 1911 ; general manager C S A mine Cobar until 1919 ; general manager Ottery arsenic & tin mine 1920-38. He and his sons worked tin and arsenic mines over many years, trading as A. C. Julius & Sons.

Archibald was admitted to the Mason's in February 1916, but leaves in Nov 1921

Archibald retired from mining and became a grazier at "Eloura" Ashford, retiring in 1952 to Inverell.

Obituary
MR. A. C. JULIUS
Mr. Archibald Cowper Julius, aged 74. of Granville Street, Inverell, died at his home on Friday morning.
About 18 months ago Julius retired from the land at Ashford, where he owned "Elouera."
Prior to acquiring this property, he was for many years manager of the arsenic mines at Eminaville.
Besides his widow, a family of four sons and two daughters survive.
The sons are Mr. Ralph Julius, of "Taviton," Ashford.
Mr. John Julius, of "Sabina." Ashford,
Mr. Gordon Julius, of "Elouera." Ashford.
and Cr. H Julius, of "Strath Seven," Ashford.
The daughters are Miss Alice Julius, of Inverell, and Sister Gloria Julius, until recently of Wellington District Hospital.
Burial took place in the Church of England portion of the Inverell cemetery, after a service at St, Augustine's.
A Masonic funeral service was also conducted for Mr. Julius, who had been a Mason for many years.
C. S. Thorley had charge of the arrangements.
Inverell Times (NSW)
29 Nov 1954

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 3 Apr 1881, Parsonage Crowfield Suffolk. Archibald is described as a son aged 10mths born Crowfield SFK

2. Arch Julius: Letter to his Mother, 19 Apr c1894, Granville Queensland AU.
Arch is on a holiday to his Uncle, Charles Archibald Julius, and cousins (Reg & Enid) at Granville Maryborough where Charles was headmaster. Torquay 34 miles North of Maryborough Queensland is a beautiful Australian beach now part of Hervey Bay.
Arch would not have been exaggerating with his descriptions of his catch.

Granville
April 19th
Dear Mother
I am afraid I have not written to you lately, last Sunday evening we all went to church, the Sunday before we were at Torquay, so I will write this afternoon. We had great fun at Torquay and I went down in a cart provided by the ? as the coach was too full, We started the same time as the coach and we were in first. Enid and I got the house ready and lit the fire, then I went down on the beach and got some shells. Those in the buggy did not get down till after eight and I was jolly hungry as I had had nothing since eleven o'clock and we had nothing till they came. The next day we took the boat out and we had grand fun in her then Reg and I brought the fishing net down and we got a nice lot of fish for dinner. In the afternoon we rowed about two miles along the beach and sailed back again as the wind was blowing the right way. The next day which was Saturday Reg and I rowed about three miles along the beach and took the net with us, the first hawl (sic) we got a few but the next we got a shoal and there were so many that we could not pull the net up a wave came and washed it up And then the fish you could have filled a couple of drays with them, we took the net back into the sea let out as many as we could go but when we took the net out it was half full of fish with their head sticking through and Reg and I and another man took over an hour getting them all we must have taken over a thousand out of the net and I got my arms burnt sitting on the beach getting them out after we had got them all out and taken as many as we wanted we were about full up of fishing so we rowed home and had a grand bathe we were diving off the end of the boat. Enid and I came up on Monday morning and the others came in the afternoon
I send my best love and kisses to you all
I am dear mother
Your loving son
Arch

3. Arch Julius: Early life & testimonials to his work, 1900.
Arch's baptism certificate and bible given him by his mother.

E C Blake
Assayer and Analyst
Elizabeth St
Brisbane
9 Aug 1900.
I have much pleasure in the stating that Mr A C Julius has been a student at the classes in Chemistry (Theoretical and Practical) and Assaying and he has also had laboratory practice and has assisted me in assaying for gold, silver, copper, tin and lead. It has been greatly to his disadvantage that the work has been so limited, but the experience he has had should prove valuable if he is afforded an opportunity of applying it.
I have always found him courteous and obliging and shall be glad to hear of his success.
E.C. Blake

The Crowl Creek Mining Company
Shuttleton NSW
The Mine, June 9 1906.
To Whom It May Concern.
This is to certify that the bearer Mr A C Julius has been in the employ of the above company from January 1904. From then to the present date he has been my assistant in assaying and surveying both on the surface but especially underground. He has a thorough knowledge of mining instrument work and plotting. During the latter time since I have been mine manager he has conducted the survey's himself and in all cases his work has been of the best.
At all times I have found him thoroughly reliable, competent, and attentive to his duties.
He is a highly conscientious officer as well as being courteous and obliging.
To any one requiring his services in assaying or surveying I can confidently recommend him.
Yours faithfully
Charles E Cook
Mine Manager.

Chillagoe N.Q.
27th September 1906
This is to certify that Mr AC Julius was employed for about 16 months as underground miner at the Mount Garnet mind.
He was working at driving and sinking, and carried out his work in a satisfactory manner. Being anxious to qualify himself for a position as Mine Manager, he took an intelligent interest in the mining operations.
Peter Brauden
Mining Manager.

The Great Cobar Copper Mining Syndicate.
The Mine.
Cobar NSW 15 September 1906.
To Whom It May Concern
Mr A Julius has worked under me at the Crowl Creek mine Shuttleton for about two years as assayer and later as surveyor for the company and in each department has given entire satisfaction.
Mr Julius is sober and industrious and can be depended upon to perform any work given him either assaying or surveying in a thoroughly competent manner and I can safely recommend him to anyone who may require his services.
J M Ammer . . . .
Late General Manager
The Crowl Creek Mining Company
Shuttleton

The Crowl Creek Mining Company N L
Shuttleton
N S W
To Whom It May Concern
I have pleasure in certifying that since my taking charge of the above Company's mine at Shuttleton Mr A C Julius has been and still is in charge of our operations underground.
His work has been well carried out and speaks for itself.
The necessary surveying work has been entrusted to Mr Julius for some little time previous to his taking charge underground so that with his mining surveying and metallurgical attainments Mr Julius is well entitled to apply for a Manager's Certificate.
His honesty sobriety and general good conduct are unquestionable.
Les Monk
Gen Mgr
C C M Co N L
7-11-06

Melbourne Vic
30th-9-07
To Whom It May Concern.
During my period as General Manager for the Crowl Creek Shuttleton mines N L - from August 1906 to July 1907 \endash Mr AC Julius was employed by the company as underground Manager which position he still holds under my successor.
Mr Julius is a capable and painstaking officer and all the work entrusted to his care was faithfully and satisfactorily carried out.
He is steady, active and industrious and it affords me great pleasure to bear testimony to his undoubted ability.
Les Monk
ex Gen Mgr
Crowl Creek Shuttleton Mines.

Next is Arch's Managers Certificate of Competency, No 338, dated 12 January 1909

4. Arch Julius: Letter to Clara Evans, 28 Feb-28 Apr 1907, Shuttleton NSW.
Plus two letter scraps
Shuttleton
Feb 28th 07
My Darling Sweetheart
No letter last mail not even a postcard but I'm hoping for better luck tomorrow you must think me a greedy old thing wanting a letter every mail but I can't help it everyone knows when I don't get a letter, they can't get a civil word out of me.
Just at present Shuttleton is cursed with an epidemic of phonographs Nicholson, Reidy, Firkin, Watterson, and I don't know how many more have them, they start to play before dark and keep going till after 11 at night; I was down getting a haircut tonight and I'll be hanged if Sid had not got one stuck in the middle of the shop playing for all it was
Remainder of letter missing.

Shuttleton
April 28th 07
My Darling Clara,
No letter from you today but I'm sure to get one by Wednesday's mail in answer to my letter. It's hard luck only be able to get a fortnight off but never mind Darling we will make the best of our time, we can have a full week in Sydney, and we will see all we can in that time. How about sending your things on to Shuttleton, I think you had better send your things on at once and I can put them in the house before I leave. Today two weeks I'll be in Cobar on my way down to see my Darling old girl and to claim her for all time and then I ought to be the happiest and most contented of men what more could a man want, a good loving wife, a good job, and good health. I spent this Sunday the same as last took my crib underground and was surveying all day and then spent the evening down with Jim and Liz. Ive just left them after having supper at eleven o'clock and big Muriel playing the piano next-door. I was asking Liz all about you I think I must have asked her how you looked about half a dozen times, she says you are so thin and Darling that only makes me long all the more to be with you and cheer you up, I know you'll be ever so much better when you see me, do you remember the happy old days sometimes I'd come down and you would have a fit of the blues but you were always good as gold before I left, and I know it will be just the same this time. I feel in great buckle now, never felt better in my life, I think it's the cool weather. Have you seen the old Sky Pilot yet and is he very alarming, by the way you ask me in one of your letters what to put in as my occupation, " Mine Manager" of course what do you think Underground Manager would not look nearly as well.
Ted Arthur and his blushing bride arrived home yesterday and seem to be in good spirits. Ted has been promoted from the back dining room to the parlour and is quite a toff though he will have to take notice of others and improve his manners a bit, they are rather crude just at present but I think he'll improve. Percy Mathewson arrived today and will be taking the fatal step the day after tomorrow he drove over with a pair of horses.
Goodbye now Darling with fondest love
I am
Your loving Boy
Arch.
PS Miss Flood sent me a large photo of herself by last mail but it is not a bit like her.

Scrap.
07
your ever welcome letter today, & Darling. . . . . is worrying me a lot to think I will have . . . . . disappoint you for a day or two yet it can't be helped & I would like to . . . . . the house finished before I leave. . . . . . down that list you gave me to the . . . . . furnishing Company & see what they'll do it at, it will cost pretty well another L9 to have it landed here. Bye bye now . . . . . girl with fondest love from yours for ever J
I've got to sit down & write to mother now
Letter in damaged condition

5. Arch Julius: Letter to Clara Evans, 16 Mar 1907, Shuttleton NSW.
Shuttleton
March 16th 07
My Darling Sweetheart,
Two letters from me in two weeks that is awfully unkind of me, but I know you'll forgive me when I tell you how busy I've been. The directors have been up here or I should say two of them were here Roberts and my beloved old Uncle and that they have kept me very busy I can tell you, but they seem to be very pleased with the mine, and there is no doubt the mine is looking very well just at present in fact far better than it has ever looked for the last two years. So Darling we will be able to make ourselves very comfortable here for a time and I will be able to work myself on and get a good billet with a bigger salary, I may only be building castles in the air but nevertheless I think I can see a bright and happy future in front of us. Don't be disappointed Darling but I think we will have to put the happy day off for the best part of the month, I've not got a definite answer yet but we'll know after A J. Brown comes back from Mount Hope, he will most likely be back on Sunday night. We will most likely be putting up a lot more works here very soon and if so I'll have to start laying it out almost at once and making the plans of it they have got me on getting the levels for a tram from the South Mine now. What do you think, we have got a couple of wedding presents already, they are sending us a set of silver plate from home with the family crest engraved on them. I don't suppose you knew our family support a coat of arms, to tell you the honest truth I'd almost forgotten I belonged to such an aristocratic family as you'll see by the letter I got from the Madge and am enclosing, she enclosed a copy of the crest but I'm keeping that, and the other a wedding present is L5 from my old granny in England.
How are the teeth Darling and the ulcers I hope the potassium chlorate fixed them up, and you will have no more trouble with them I suppose the teeth feel very uncomfortable yet but you'll get used to them in time and won't know they are in your mouth. I thought I'd never get used to mine at first but now they don't bother me a bit, did you find it hard to talk at first.
Did you hear yet that I've thrown you over and am hanging my hat up to Miss Armstrong, I've heard it from several, so odds-on you'll hear it before long, but I know you've got too much common sense to get yellow, even if you did get a bit jealous you would be too proud to let on. I could not help it, the temptation was too great, she has been trying her hardest to get great with me for some time so I gave her a bit of a . . . . . and I can tell you I had as good a bit of fun as I've had for many a long day. I flirted with her hot and heavy for three nights and then left and have not been near her for a week now and don't intend to. I firmly believe Darling she thought she had you completely cut out, poor silly woman, little did she know how firm my love for you is or she would never have bothered trying to cut you out.
I am trying to get another improvement on the cottage that I don't think I told you of, I intend to get a brick chimney to the front room and a nice cosy fireplace, think of the happy winter evenings with a nice cosy fire it will be a lot more cheerful than that old heating stove, I've got no love for that at all, a man has to very nearly sit on top of it to get warm and then he would only warm the seat of his pants. I never thought to ask you but I suppose you will attend to getting the wedding cards and cake boxes and sundry other little things that I don't know much about make sure and have them nice and dainty and don't be . . . . .
Top of front page.
P.S. I hear Carrie Star Mrs Auswild is blessed with an infant today very near a dead heat with Mrs Jim Perry though she still holds the record by a few days.
Remainder of letter missing.

6. Arch Julius: Letter to Clara Evans, 24 Mar 1907, Shuttleton NSW.
Shuttleton
March 24th 07
My Darling Clara
The day after tomorrow my dear old sweetheart will be 18 years old (and never been kissed) so this letter will be just in time to wish you a very many happy returns of the day, and I hope most of them in my company. I'm not sending a birthday present as I was expecting to be down myself at the end of the week, and you could pick one for yourself, but I'll have to postpone it for a week or so yet as I'm up to my eyes in work and the house is not ready yet, I've had a great job to get timber and even now I don't think the side will be fenced in by the time we get back as I won't be able to get any slabs until the mill is finished, they are moving it on to Sandy Creek about 8 miles out. But I'm getting all the other timber cut before they come in, the wagon or to be . . . . . with it in a couple of days. The mail has just come in and I was so disappointed no word from the girl it's a week it's a week since I got the last, but I can't say anything as it is a week today since my last letter.
A J. Brown gave me a little more sound advice with regards to marriage, his idea of marriage is that it is a big lottery, mostly blanks and only a few prizes I kept smiling and I'm afraid all his advice went in at one ear and out of the other, he is very anxious that I don't get married for three or four months yet, until the rush of work was over, but that is no good to me and if they can't spare me for a month, well Darling we will have to be content with a couple of weeks or whatever I can get and then have a good holiday later on when everything is in good working order. I have not had an answer to my letter yet from the Federal furnishing Company but ought to get it by next mail, and I think I'll have to get everything through them as I'll have very little chance of getting more than a couple of weeks off and they won't like giving me that, but if they like it or not they'll have two.
Harriet Davies was telling me Mi. . . . . see got another letter from the " big piece" what on earth has a woman been writing about now I've come to the firm conclusion now that she has big lick and rats the size of possum's. She is still trying hard to get on with me but I don't have anything to do with her, she is not safe, I believe her main object is to cause trouble between you and me, what do you think of her chance Darling? I suppose Liz is down with you now and you are all having a good time together and poor old me up here all on my dead own, I am spending my Sunday up in the office where I seem to stop in nearly all my time now from light in the morning till 11 at night. Darling you don't know how often I think of you now, I seem to miss you even more than when you went away first, but everything comes to those who wait.
I forgot all about the specimens in my last letter that you said Dad brought in from Cadia thank him from me, but I would not bother sending them on we will be able to fetch them up with us, I don't suppose it is a very big bundle.
Smithy and his girl have had another row and Myrtle has a new boy now, a chap called Frank Moulder Theatre we have here now, Smithy wanted to fight him last night but it did not come to anything all went off in smoke.
I had to get my suits made by the Vale the local tailor as the other man did not come up he seems to have made a very fair job of them too. I got two new suits and now as I have a bit more time I'm getting another dark suit made, in fact what with all your new clothes and mine the little house will be follow-up, and I'll have two make some kind of a wardrobe like the one in Modesty Villa. Your last letter was quite cheery to the ones I've been getting so you must be getting better now and will be quite fat and rosy again by the time I get down, and oh how I long for the time, I'm not a bit contented here all on my own, and the advice of all the Uncles under the sun could not alter me now, I have not arranged with Moore yet as to getting off but we'll let you know as soon as I can.
By now my darling old kid from
Yours for ever
Arch xxxxx
Starting on the fifth page, that is something out of the common for me, you want to put a nick in the post and be sure and pat me on the back when I come down to Orange? but I was just going to say a few words with regards to the furniture I got your list but have not sent for anything yet it seems so like buying a pig in a . . . . . a way for the things, and I was thinking if only I could get a month off . . . . . would have plenty of time to . . . . . ourselves in Sydney and have the . . . . . sent on ahead of us, and I could arra. . . . . before I left here to have things . . . . . in the house.
I'm starting to get a bit sleepy and I'm . . . . . be in, in a few minutes so I'll say . . . . . for the time being.
Ever your true lover
Arch
PS I forgot to tell you about the little conversation uncle and I had about you it was short and to the point, he asked me if it was true I was going to be married and wanted to know if you were "nice" to that I told him not to ask such foolish questions if I didn't think you nice what the dickens did I intend at marrying you for. He laughed when I told him that and said as he was a confirmed bachelor himself he could not pass an opinion.

7. Archibald C Julius: Letters from Uncle Brown, 1914, Melbourne Aust.
In Nov 1914 Archie received letters from his Uncle Brown¹ living in Melbourne offering him a managers job at a mine (CSA?) he had an interest in, 7 miles outside Cobar. It would appear he took up the offer at some stage.
1. Presumably his mothers brother

8. Arch Julius: Masonic Lodge Membership, 1916.
Arch was a Mason he joined Cobar Lodge 97 in 1916

9. Arch Julius: Family Pictures wiith sons & grandsons.
Middle image with sons L to R Henry, John, Ralph, Gordon. Archibald in front.
Next with grandsons L to R Harry, George A, James A, Ralph, Archibald, Gordon, Ralph H, John F.

10. Arch Julius: Seeking grant of land from NSW Govt for his sons, 1946.
Arch Julius farming Eloura at Ashford wrote to the local MP seeking Solder Settlement grants for his sons after WWII.

Elouera
Ashford
14 Jan 1946
S R Heferen Esq
M L A
Parliament House
Sydney NSW
Dear Sir,
During the recent or, all my four sons served in the services, three of them now have their discharge from the army, the fourth an ex-POW from Singapore is in Brisbane and expects to get his discharge about the end of this month.
Their respective ages are 34, 32, 30, and 28 years, they have all had experience in farming and grazing in the Ashwood District and they are all practical men.
Three of them and probably for wish to start in the grazing and farming industry as soon as possible.
With this object in view, three of them have already made application on form one for a " Qualification Certificate" to apply for land.
The Under Secretary for Land has sent them printed particulars re assistance to be given to ex-servicemen one clause of which reads as follows " a group of three or more servicemen, in agreement with a land owner, may submit a proposal for acquisition of farms from that owner, if the proposal is approved, the Crown will purchase the land etc etc"
My wish is to help my son's to make a success of their venture when they start on the land, and I can only do this effectively, with machinery, plant, and stock if the land they get is in fairly close proximity to my grazing property.
Such a property, now belonging to Mrs W. Dunlop of "Tavinton" Ashford is now for sale, and is situated only 3 miles from my property on the Severn River. I have written to Mrs Dunlop re this matter and am enclosing herewith her reply and particulars of the property.
Two of my sons have made a thorough inspection of the land and feel confident that they could make a fair living off it and pay the 2^1/2% rental that would be due on perpetual lease.
Personally I feel confident that these lads would make successful primary producers, if given the help mentioned in the printed matter they received from the Under Secretary for Lands and we would be very much obliged if you could do anything to help them to this end, and let them know what procedure to take.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours faithfully
A. C. Julius
for and on behalf of Ralph C. Julius, John F. Julius, Henry G. Julius, and Gordon E. Julius.

Ministerial Room
Parliament House
Sydney 22nd of January 1946
Mr A. C. Julius
Elouera
Ashford.
Dear Mr Julius,
I have for acknowledgement your communication seeking further information in regard to rehabilitation of your sons under the Soldiers Settlement Scheme in accordance with the Bill just recently passed by Parliament.
I have noted that you have in mind the purchase of a property owned by Mr Dunlop, and along with your letter and information in regard to this matter I will place same before the Minister and ask that full information be supplied to you.
I am sure that the Minister will give favourable consideration to the purchase of an estate to accommodate your son's providing such an estate would be sufficient for a home maintenance area for each individual son.
On receipt of advice from the Minister I will communicate with you again will stop
yours faithfully,
Roy Heferen.

Elouera
Ashford
1 Feb 1946
Roy Heferen MLA
Parliament House
Sydney NSW
Dear Sir
Yours of 22nd ultimo to hand, and many thanks for your prompt reply to my letter of the 14th ultimo.
Since writing you I have received word from my fourth son, who is at present working in Cobar, and he is also keen to join in the land venture with the other three lads, he has a good position on the mines at present, but the excessive heat is too much for his wife and young family, this particular lad is a good leader and will be a great acquisition to the party.
With kind regards and again thanking you for what you are doing for the boys.
Yours faithfully,
A. C. Julius.

Ministerial Room
Parliament House
Sydney 11th of February 1946
Mr A. C. Julius
Eloura
Ashford.
Dear Mr Julius:
I acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 1st inst., informing me that your fourth son is interested in the Soldier Settlement Scheme, and that he is at present working in Cobar.
I might point out that all soldiers who are endeavouring to obtain land under the Soldier Settlement Scheme must have the necessary qualification certificate. However, you have not made it clear whether you'll stand is a soldier in accordance with the Act, but your three sons, as previously mentioned, would be qualified to purchase a property under the Act, and I sincerely hope that they will be in a position to submit a proposal to the Lands Department at an early date.
Should the fourth son be qualified, he will also be eligible, and the minister is very keen to assist a family arrangement such as you contemplate.
Thanking you for your kind remarks.
I am,
Yours faithfully
Roy Heferen.

Minister for Lands
New South Wales.
Sydney
Ad.Bd.
31 January 1946.

S R Heferen Esq M.L.A.
Parliament House
Sydney.
Dear Mr Herferen,
With reference to your personal representations to me on behalf of Mr. A.C. Julius of "Elouera", Ashford, whose three sons wish to acquire a property known as "Taviton" under the Settlement Promotion Provisions of the Closer Settlement Acts, I desire to inform you that the War Service Land Settlement and Closer Settle-ment (Amendment) Act, 1945, contains provision whereby a group of three or more servicemen, each of whom holds a Qualification Certificate and who are in agreement with a landowner, may submit a proposal for the acquisition of farms from that owner and, if the proposal is approved by the Commonwealth and the State, the Crown will purchase the land and allot the farms to the servicemen under perpetual lease titles. A form will shortly be prescribed on which a proposal of this nature may be submitted and a copy thereof will be forwarded to Mr. Julius when available.
Upon receipt of such an application I may cause a valuation of the lands to be made by a Closer Settlement Advisory Beard, but such valuation shall not exceed the amount at which an Advisory Board would have valued identical land as at the 10th February, 1942, excepting the value of any improvements effected on the land since that date. If the amount at which the land has been so valued is less than the price specified in the application, I am required by law to refuse the application unless the owner agrees to reduce the price to the amount of the valuation.
Before approving of the application it is necessary for me to be satisfied:-
(a) that the lands are suitable for settlement;
(b) that such lands constitute, but do not substantially exceed, a home maintenance area for each applicant; (c) that each applicant is qualified to apply for a settlement purchase and is otherwise eligible; and
(d) that the price is not in excess of the valuation by an Advisory Board.
Yours faithfully,
J M Heller [?]
MINISTER FOR LANDS.

8 Nov 1946
Advice of a hearing of the Committee in Cobar requesting Harry's attendance.

11. Arch Julius and Family Mines: Memories of Arch and his career by his son Henry (Harry), 1993.
Views of the Occidental Mine Colbar, then Ottery Mine and Tent Hill Smelter, years 1922 & 2000.

MEMORIES OF ARCHIBALD COWPER JULIUS
By his son Harry 1993.
Archibald was born Crowfield, Suffolk England, at the age of 1 year he sailed from England with his parents on the sailing ship Ethel, landed at Hobart months later his father spent some time in Tasmania teaching in his profession as a Minister of the Anglican Church. Later they moved to Gayndah in Central Queensland for a few years. School days: At the age of around 9 years he had an escapade with two neighbors children who were in the habit of getting over 'the fence and steeling eggs, young Archie, knew of hens nest with a number of bad eggs, he waited on their next visit for eggs, bombarding the fence as they hurriedly retreated, spraying the two robbers with rotten eggs. The father appeared in a terrible rage threatening terrible affixation on young Archie, his mother Alice kept him in secure confinement until she could arrange for his departure to his Uncle Charlie Julius headmaster Maryborough Grammar School. He attended the above school under strict discipline, which Uncle Charlie handed out, until he graduated to the Gatton Agricultural College commencing school in the first year the college opened. After about 3 years at Gatton he was expelled for a prank he and another student committed by putting a pig in Professor Shelton's' office. The professor gave the two a firm dressing down in front of the class and expelled them. A young student Lesley Wilson stood up and addressed Professor Shelton taking out his watch and gave the Professor three minutes to change his mind as young Lesley pointed out that the punishment excessively outweighed the crime. The two lads were subsequently let off, the other lad stayed on but Archie now 18 years of age decided he had indeed done wrong and should accept the expulsion. Lesley Wilson ultimately became one of Queensland's Governors. My father spoke of several other things that happened at the College during his sojourns; but it would take too long at this stage to go into them. At the age of 18 years he decided that, though he had a good farming education, he had not the means to purchase a farm, so set out carrying his swag to the Copper mines at Mt. Garnet in the hope that some day he would find himself so capitalized to get his farm. At the time he reached Mt. Garnet, he felt hot and dived into a dam to cool off, he had great difficulty in getting out, as he then felt desperately sick, he was put into the Mt. Garnet Hospital which at that time was only a very large tent. He had contracted typhoid fever, and barely made a recovery, the doctor used to come along every second day and all he used to say to young Archie was "What! Are you still here!" There was a glass of milk put on a box beside his bed with a piece of cardboard over it to keep out the flies. He never had the strength to pick it up and no body ever bothered to help him. Archie carried scars for the rest of his life where his shin bone, cheek bones, shoulder blades and hip bones broke through the skin from bed sores. One day he felt himself recovering from the fever, so decided he had to get away from the Tent Hospital he steadily made his passage to the roadside and sat on a log. A bakers bread cart came along. Dad asked him for a lift back to town, the baker said wait there I am delivering bread to and Italian Charcoal B s camp and I will pick you up on the way back. The baker took him to a Hotel and asked the proprietor if he would take care of him until he had recovered and gained his strength. Young Archie had only a five pound note (L5.00.0) left and asked the publican would he let him know when it cut out. Of course L5.00.0 in those days, 1898, was quite a lot of money today (1993) it would be approximately 4000% more in other words about 40 x 10 = $400.00. The publican was very good and really put him in top order by the time his money ran out, with of course the kind and loving help of a young Irish Immigrant named Molly O'Rielly who worked the Hotel, she cut his food up on his plate and feed him till he gained enough strength to manage the job himself. Molly O'Rielly had booked a passage to Australia when the sailing ship at that time came through Torres-Strait and down to Townsville, she said, "Is this Australia?" "Yes." Was the answer, so she picked up her baggage and was making shorewards, when she was told "No, you don't get off here you're booked to Sydney." "No." Was her reply. "I came to Australia. If this is Australia that's all I want." Our Dad never forgot Molly and her kindness to him, he always spoke of her with immense gratitude. Another story he often related, after his recovery he got work and became quite strong. There was a little Chinaman who used to carry two baskets of vegetables from his gardens once a week from Smiths Creek where he had his garden, to Mt. Garnet a distance of about ten miles (17km) at a trot. Dad thought, "Gee, if a little Chinaman can do that it must not be very heavy, so in front of his mate he tried to pick up the two baskets of vegetables and they didn't even leave the ground, to his great amazement, at what the little Chinaman's strength must have been. He next moved down to the Herberton tin fields while there told the story where he was working on the windlass sinking a shaft, when a Trooper rode upon his horse and inquired of a certain Sid Palfry worked there. Dads reply was yes! and called out to Sid who was working in the bottom of the shaft. Sid you better get on the bucket and come up you have a visitor. Once arriving at the top of the shaft the Trooper handed Sid a photo of a young lady from Emmaville in New South Wales and said "Do you know this person?" Sids reply was "Yes". (It appeared Sid had left the young lady in the photo with an infant and had absconded to North Queensland where the Law had eventually caught up with him). After some time Archie left the Herberton fields with a friend named Charlie McKenzie they headed south down the Burdehein River, it was in flood at the time and the travelers were hot from the summer heat and walking, they had to cross the river to they bundled all of their gear each carrying his own and crossed the river. Dad said to Charlie, "A pity we couldn't swim the river, has got a good fresh and it would be easier then walking." Charlie would not be in it, but volunteered to carry the Dad's gear if he wanted to swim, so that is what happened, Archie floated down with the current while Charlie labored along the river bank carrying the swags. They eventually arrived at a small town and went into the Pub for a cool drink. Archie was accosted by a slightly inebriated customer, claiming that Archie was a good poor bastard, at which Archie dropped him with a punch. Charlie McKenzie said, "You should not have done that, he meant no harm." Dad exclaimed "That is a fighting word, nobody calls me that and gets away with it!" Archie and his friend eventually moved down through Bega where whaling was going on he told us many stories about Bega and Whaling and one day while on the wharf a large sling of farm produce was being loaded onto a boat, the winch driver took the sling up, dropped it suddenly, then raised it again this time the contents of dozens of cases of eggs was pouring out of the sling all over the wharf Dad thought "Some poor farmers are going to be at great loss, by this kind of carelessness." They moved down into Gippsland always prospecting. They told a story while in Gippsland one night it was raining and he had no cover, to decided to crawl into a large hollow log out of the rain, the log turned out to be the home of a badger, so he pushed his saddle and gear up the log so as to keep the badger in. Eventually he moved back into Western New South Wales to the Copper Mines at Mount Hope, Condobolin, Shuttletons etc. He found plenty of work in this area, he worked on the Shuttleton mines as an assayer. At this time he started studying Mining Engineering with the International Correspondence School. He advanced into surveying as well. While here he met his wife to be Clara Anne the daughter of Harry and Louise Evans a Copper Smelterman at Mount Hope. Assay was a bit unhealthy he lost a lot of weight due to the cyanide fumes from the constant use of cyanide which is an important ingredient in Copper Assaying as well as is many other minerals such as gold, silver etc. He moved onto Crowl Creek Copper Mine as Assayer and surveyed, his boss here was Joe Armstrong the Mine Manager. While at Crowl Creek he sat for his Mine Managers Certificate. It was about this time that he and mother were married, May 15th 1907. With his Mine Managers' Certificate he took on small Mines Manager, such as Green Sw=p out of Bathurst. Napoleons Reef, Gympie, Queensland he managed a mine there called Block 17. One of the interesting stories of Gympie, there had been a very large flood previously in the Mary River although all of the mines on the Main line of reef were connected between the different mining company leases, there was a strict rule that every mine shaft had to have heavy doors that could be quickly closed over the shafts and sealed to prevent such a flood in the Mary River breaking over its banks and flooding the Mines. During a large flood one shaft was not covered and sealed in time, the water poured down this shaft and as the water built up in all of the other mines the air pressure became so great that the water tight doors started to blow off letting in even greater volumes of water sealing the fate of all mines on the main line of reef. The famous Scottish, one of the biggest and richest of the Gympie mines was drowned with the rest of them. Block 17 however was not on the main line reef and was not drowned, though there was very little survey records to show how close other mines workings were. Archie Julius made strict rules regarding mining procedures such as a long pilot hole was always kept well ahead of each work face. No blasting was to take place above any other workman this meant that firing procedure was timed from the bottom up, the higher levels firing last. One day a miner came into Dad's office, he wanted his pay. Dad asked him what his trouble was and his reply was, "There is water to west of us, and water to the East and the bloody lakes of Killarney to the South want to get out." There never was any fatality in Dad's time. Dad was then offered the job as General Manager of the C.S.A. stands for the three miners who found it a Cornishman. a Scotchman and an Australian. At that time the mine was very high in copper, silver and lead, due to a of the Sulphides down to Sulphide lode area, this actually means the surface area over the millennium has had its sulphur content dissolved oxidized and the copper, lead and silver moved downwards having leaving the lode area now called Gossan to the secondary enriched area and under that is the Sulphides. A railway was put down seven miles to the mine to bring in mine supplies and limestone which was necessary as a flux in the process of smelting out valuable minerals and carting out the crude concentrate of copper etc. Known at this stage as Matt, it was sent to Cockle Creek Port Kembla for further refining and extraction of the several minerals. While at Cobar, Dad used to send mother and all of us kids to Sydney each year during the very hot summer, that was the period Gordon and I were born, my birth place and time was 16-1-1916 at 216 Cleveland Street, Sydney. Father Pickett a Catholic Priest used to visit Dad a lot, while the C.S.A. was going, Father Pickett had a seismograph installed in a tunnel in the C.S.A. mine recording tide and earthquake movements of the earths crust, before Father Pickett put his instruments into the C. S.A. Mine he had then installed at the Fort Bourke Mine until it closed down, in later years I, H.G.A. Julius was Manager of the Fort Bourke mine 1943-44 then known as the New Cobar Mine and I often looked into Father Picketts old Seismograph stations where all the doors were sealed in with dark green velvet to prevent any interference from mine operations such as blasting etc. The Mine caught on fire in 1918-19 the shafts and the mine were sealed off to prevent oxy ladened air getting to feed the fire, the slopes were the ore had been removed was heavily timbered with 14"x14" Oregon timbers,, by the way the mine could import this Oregon timber from Seattle U.S.A. cheaper to the mine at Cobar than they could cut timber around Cobar for mine timber, delivered. The weight of the roof of the mine in some places caused the 14"x14" to flatten out considerably which made it very splintery and burnt well. The biggest problem was how ever the sulphur in the Ore it self caught on fire. Father A.C. Julius with several volunteers used to go down the mine at certain intervals with Oxygen Masks called proto masks to check the fire, to see if they were actually controlling the fire. Some areas were safe of poisonous gases to test they carried canaries small birds in cages if the bird dropped dead, they switched on their proto masks, these little birds became difficult to get, there were plentyof cats around so Dad tried cats in a cage, they were unreliable, when the birds dropped dead there was no visible^-sign of distress with the cats. Next Dad had eldest brother-Ralph and other lads gfthe niine-staffcatchiAg-the-cornrwa,.->- sparrows under a box propped up with a stick with a string attached and wheat placed under the box. When sufficient number of sparrows were feeding the boys pulled the string, down came the box capturing some sparrows each time of which the boys received three pence or sixpence each. By 1919 all hope of stopping the fire was given up and the mine was closed down. Next Dad inspected several Managers jobs a gold mine prospect at Hanging Rock? Tin Dredges at Tingha and the Ottery Arsenic Mine Tent Hill near Emmaville Northern NSW. He settled for the arsenic mine, William Cooper and Nephews the sheep and cattle dip manufacturers who wanted good white arsenic for the dip products had obtained the mine leases from a Mrs Victor Leggo. Coopers had tried out the Arsenic trioxide from the Willuna gold mine in West Australia, it was a by product from the process called calcining the ore to rid if of sulphur and arsenic before the gold milling process. This arsenic however proved unsuitable because the Antimony content caused the dip to come out as a purple colour instead of the nice yellow colour of their preferred product which at that time was being made in Birkhaustead England from arsenic Coopers were producing from their mines in Portugal. The Ottery Arsenic was of a very high quality being 99.8% As03 (Arsenic Trioxide) this produced a very high quality sheep dip. The purple sheep dip was not acceptable to the wool growers, it just had to be yellow. I will never forget on a trip that my father took me to Sydney with him on one of his many trips wherein he was a consultant to Coopers manufacturing works as well as the Ottery Mine Manager. I was left in the company of some workers who were packaging dip while Dad was accompanying their factory manager, a Mr. Rollo, around the works, ongoing home that night to 21 Great Buckingham Street where my Grandmother, Dads mother-in-law lived, "We always stayed with Grandma Evans when we went to Sydney." I said to Dad, a funny thing happened when I was with the men at the packing room. I said they filled a very great number of Coopers yellow packages called Littler Dip, then they filled an even smaller number of packets with Quibbles Dip brand on them all out of the one thing, he said "Yes, that's right, Coopers bought out the Dip manufacturers Little, Quibbles and Royal Cattle Dips, and because the different wool growers claimed that Quibbles or Littler the dips they always used were ever so much better than Coopers sheep dip, Coopers had to keep printing the dip packets to suit the requirements of different wool growers beliefs, even though the different packets were always filled out of the same dip bin. Back to the erection of the Arsenic recovery plant, at the Ottery Mine. A Mr. Williamson, Coopers top man came out from Birkhamstead to get the whole system started he had previously set up the works in Portugal where the site was flap, the Ottery was on the side of a very steep hill, this however was an advantage because it helped in the up draft of the hot gases of arsenic etc. through the furnaces and cooling chambers where the Arsenic gases cooled out to granular crystals all over the inside of the cooling chambers. There were four banks of cooling chambers, each of 26 chambers, two sets on the west side handled the crude arsenic which carried impurities of iron oxide dust making the crude arsenic a rusty colour. On the east side of the crude chambers there were two more banks each with 26 chambers, they were for refining the crude to the 99.8% Trioxide As0 3 product. At the head of the four banks of cooling chambers a common flue carried the remaining smoke from the sulphur fueled Coarse Ore Furnace and the combination of the wood and sulphur fueled Fine Ore Rotary Furnace smoke to a common large brick stack at the top of the hill most of the brick work and stack are still there today, an important draw relic to be observed by modern day tourists. It was a very busy time for Arch Julius from August 1920 when he started the works, he bought bricks from all the brick manufacturers around, he even set up a brick manufacturing works in the old Glen, in smelting sheds in lower ground below our house at Tent Hill, 2 miles south of the Ottery Mine itself, there were 2 brick kilns where the bricks were baked after being formed from local clay passed through a machine that made every brick exactly the same, then dried on pallets before being methodically stacked by men into the kilns which were fired with wood, this firing process went on for several days, then allowed to cool out, the reason for two kilns was to allow a constant flow of bricks to be made and fired. However, there was some industrial trouble with the local bricks, there were 22 (twenty two) brick layers on the job, their spokesman, name Jack Love, claimed that the local bricks were no good, that no man could lay more than 400 bricks a day. Dad pointed out to him the bricks even if they were as he said no good, they still had to be used as bricks were in short supply. A.C. as every one called Dad in those days tried hard to get the brick layers to lay the bricks on contract, so much per 100 bricks, this proved very difficult to convince them as they claimed no man could lay more than 400 per day. However, in the long run A.C. won out because the schedule was getting behind with so few bricks being laid each day, the men eventually did the laying on contract and they averaged 2000 bricks per day each. I have lots of photos showing the progress of their work. Our Dad had a plate glass camera, and did all of his own photography. There is over 450,000 bricks laid in the whole program. When the works were partly established, Mr. Williamson had to leave, I think he went to Canada after the Ottery and then back to England, but Dad said to him, "As you know this is the first time on this type of ore extraction what if the system doesn't work. I may not know what to do?" Mr. Williamson's only remark was, "Son, when that time comes I know you will have no troubles solving them, you are that sought of fellow, as it happened Mr. Williamson was right. A.C. had no trouble to solve any problem that came his way. When the first economic depression came in the late 1929 period, the mine had to close down due to the drop off in world prices of raw materials. The price of time oxide fell to 22/6 per unit and Coopers were able to import Arsenic Trioxide from Ticomma in America through Seattle a by product from gold mines in north west USA, shipping companies brought it across for next to nothing as ballast in their boats. The mine closed down in 1929 on a two-year suspension of labour conditions, the price of tin kept falling until it reached 18/6 per unit. By the way I had better mention the fact about tin that I am now mentioning. The N04 lode on the Ottery was mainly a time lode however it did carry arsenic as well. This lode was worked by the Tent Hill smelting company, the ore was roasted on wood in the open, the system was as follows a layer of logs on the ground, a layer of ore, then another layer of wood then ore and so on until it was a fair big stack. This was fired, the sulphur and arsenic was given off as fumes which cooled out and the arsenic fell to the ground everywhere, the thesis calcined ore with the tin oxide was carted by horse and dray to the tin battery at Ten Hill where it was crushed by a fifteen head stamper mill, it then was gravity was had over . . . . . tables and Cornish . . . . . the tin Oxide then was carted about forty yards to the two furnace tin smelter, where it was reduced to whit tine ingots of 99.5% Sn0 before smelting the tin oxide would assay around 70% SnO Z with the use of carbon as a flux in the furnace caused one part of the oxygen to be given off. The carbon used was locally burnt wood reduced to Charcoal. Each batch that went into the furnace was 3 tons of Tin Oxide to 1 ton of charcoal as a flux using wood as furnace fuel. Let me go back to A.C.'s time, after he had the arsenic works up and running the price of tin on the world market improved by the 1925-26 era. A.C. went to Mount Bishop in Tasmania and it rained for 21 days he was there; he was amazed that the men never stopped work when it rained, they used rain coats, as it rained so much they could not stop work, otherwise they would never get anything done. He came back, went around several old mines at Torrington and bought up tin milling machinery, had a site prepared below arsenic works and to the west. It was a gravity plant, ten one ton stamps known as a 10 head battery, there were a couple of Cornish type grinding pans, where the coarser particles after the Hydraulic Classifiers removed the two finer grades the battery material went to two different banks of tables those handling the medium grade and those handling the fine grade of material, as I said earlier the coarse went straight into the Cornish grinding pans, the treated material again went into hydraulic classifiers then to the two systems of tables one for the medium one for the fine. At the bottom of the gravity mill the tin was dried and sent up to the store room. As the price of tin was too low, it was held, waiting for the price to rise this did not happen. Consequently the tin oxide, 26 tons of it lay in the store for at least a year before the works closed down, for the 2 years of labour suspension and for a few years after that and was eventually sold when the price got to 26/- per unit. Some people may wonder what this unit price means, a unit of tin is I % of purity and percentage of 1 ton or now 1 tonne, this means tin oxide may vary from say 60% Sn0 2 to say up to 76.%% SnO Z that is the percentage of metal purity, and a unit by weight is 1% of 1 ton 22.4lbs or 1% of 1 tonne is 22.041bs if the price is given as is always quoted at 70% if assay of purity is less than 70% the price per ton is reduced, if however it is higher than 70% a premium is paid, say the assay is 70% and the unit price of tin today is $71.00 per unit you would multiply $71 x 70% = $4970.00 dollar per tonne if it were $71 of 70% + 6.5% premium @ 7.5 cents per unit above 70% you would have this figure $70.00 + 7.50 x 6% = &$71.45 per unit now we have $71.45 x 76.5 = $5,465.925 per tonne a difference of $495.925 per tonne more. When the legal period of labour suspension was over the Company holding the Mining leases were obliged to commence work with labour or loose their lease. The price for tin and arsenic wasn't sufficient to encourage Coopers and Nephews to resume, so A.C. tried to encourage the men who worked on the mine previously to work it on tribute it was not good enough for them to take on either, probably none of them were capable of running it management wise. So A.C. and my 2 elder brothers Ralph Cowper and John Franklyn Julius jointly took over the mine and treatment works on tribute during the two years the mine was closed, A.C. carried on looking after and attending to all business requirements but on a reduced salary by 505. On tribute he lost the other 505 of his original salary paid by William Cooper and Nephews. Coopers paid A.C. $23.00 ton on rail Deepwater which was still above the Arsenic they were importing from Tocoma USA The Julius tributers got under way, to cut cost the air compressor and jack hammers were dispensed with, all mining was done by hand drilling (hammer and tap) A.C. hand sharpened all stuff for drilling, mining went on underground until a sufficient supply of ore was stored underground for a run of the furnace. A.C. told those men whom he employed that the money had to come out of the ground before anyone could collect any wages, although this was not the case, A.C. kept sufficient working funds to pay all men on a fortnightly basis. When sufficient tonnage of ore was ready to haul, one boiler was fired to operate the winding engine and the crusher. A.C. drove the winding engine the boys trucked the ore up to the shaft plant and sent it up to the surface in the cages hauled by the winding engine driven by A.C. one man took then off at the top brace of the shaft and trucked it across an elevated tram line to the crushing plant bin. Here one man shoveled the ore into a jaw crusher A.C. set up a screening plant attached to the seining jaw of the crusher which gave sufficient shaking to sieve the fines from the coarse material falling into different ore gins the crusher was driven by a engine working at the same time as the winding engine. When all of the ore was raised to the surface and crushed the furnace of 8 kilos was lit, the ore burnt on the sulphur content, this ore was the coarse material about 3/4" to 2" mesh. The fires under 3/4" mesh had to go to the rotary furnace using wood as fuel, but was complimented by the sulphur content as well, the rotary furnace turned at a very slow pace, ore fed in the top center onto a cone that went down in steps, placed at several intervals, around the revolving cone there was fixed baffles that pushed the burning ore down to the next step or bench as it moved or revolved. This was necessary to get air into the fine mass, it arrived on like this until it arrived at the bottom of the cone and then into pits to cool out before going over the dump the arsenic having been removed along with the coarse ore. The 8 kiln units had approx. one ton of calcium and as soon as a few red hot stones showed, the doors were replaced and clayed up to keep the air tight only enough air was allowed in through 1/2" diameter holes in the door a series of wooden plugs were used in the holes to obtain the correct amount of air into the bottom of the kilns. After the combined ore was drawn off the bottom, a plate door at the top was drawn out to let the next batch of fresh ore dropped into the furnace kilns. During the early stages in 1932 & 33 Dad and the two boys would drive out to the Mine leaving home in the buggy drawn by a horse at 6:00 am they would put one ton of ore into each of the 8 hoppers over the kilns, then remove an equal amount of burnt ore from the bottom, then drop the new charge as it was known all of this work would be completed by 8:00 am. They would then go home to Mother and breakfast. A.C. would pick up the mail at 9:00 am then the three of them would return to the Ottery in the buggy, prepare a new shot of charges for the drop, then prepare another 8 charges and get home for tea by 5:00 pm, have a short lay down, get into the buggy be back at the mine to drop the next charge at midnight, this work went on nonstop until all or ore in reserve had been processed on a 7 days a week process.
They would go back mining again until the arsenic c on the crude side had cooled out, then working a 2 x 12 hour shifts the boys would refine the arsenic, this was not hard but very tedious and constant, however one had to be very careful no to get contaminated with the white arsenic as it caused great irritation called .Pickle, absolute cleanliness was the virtue. When the price of tin rose sufficient A.C. had the tin recovery mill put back into order this meant a few extra men being employed during this our youngest brother Gordon Evans went into the staff as apprentice to the Engineer Tom Roberts, a highly competent and versatile man. At this point I was brought back from "Elouera" Dads sheep property which I was running to erect an incline tram way to the top of the Ore bin feeding the Mill Stampers so as all ore from the arsenic plant could be transferred direct to the tin milling plant instead of as previously sent over the dump, of coarse a very large amount of calcined ore did go through the tin battery and mill back in William Cooper and Nephews time prior to close even in 1929 from the very large calcine dumps. At this point I had better go back to 1923. Gloria Elaine arrived into the family 4-1-23 also this was the year A.C. bought his first farming property that he had so long waited for from his days at Gatton Agricultural College. Gloria arrived with beautiful red or should I say auburn hair, a distinct throw back in genes to Isabelle Maria Gilder the wife of Dr George Charles Julius. I have been told that every generation of Julius' have produced some red heads from the genes of Isabella Maria Gilder ever since. The property that A.C. purchased was totally undeveloped. We started from scratch as it were, Dad and Mother selected the name of "Elouera" for the property this name was derived, I think, from the little village where we resided on the C.S.A. Mine when Dad was General Manager there. The first job on "Elouera" was a small residence A_C. took 2 of his carpenters they were also the Coopers as well George Mitchellmore and John McMahon along with a third man Charlie Stanford the Mine Blacksmith, indeed a very hardy man he was and over the period of several weekends, a comfortable, but durable housing set up was built, not so good as one would see in this day and age. It was clad with galvanized corrugated iron and lined with heshing, and grooved floor and a large open fire place, cooking was done in a camp oven, as the years progressed and the lard developed, so did the house expand, next was attached a kitchen with a real wood stove, then a bedroom, later cam a large room we called the bunk house. Next came the wool shed this was about in the year 1926 to 1927. Charlie Lamfrnacie Dad's special carpenter at the Ottery who built and repaired tin dressing tables etc. designed a special roof for the wool shed, the shed like everything else had to be cheap, it was built with all round timber using Ironbark for posts and fencing, black Cypress pine for rafters perlines and girls , the perlines and girts were faced by adzes one flat surface to receive the Iron roofing and walls, it was indeed a very substantial building, still there working as good as ever in 1993 and it will be in service as a wool shearing shed for a long time to come. All of the timber was cut by we four boys on "Elouera" and swigged to the shed site from the bush by horses, the horse that did most of the work was a Suffolk Punch, his general work was pulling the buggy, but he was useful in lots of other jobs, we called him Punch, there was a job he used to do very well, that was pulling a small tiller or cultivator down the rows of corn, of course he did have one weakness if you asked too much of him with a heavy load he would "joey", that means to a horse NO. A.C. did employ men from time to time fencing ring barking and suckering the timber to kill out such growth so as grass could grow for sheep. "Elouera" was a little over 5,000 acres with a southern frontage of seven miles to the Severn River we never went short of fish meals when ever we felt like fish, in the early days all you could catch was Murray Cod, then for some reason they became very scarce, Catt-fish took over, and you could catch big hauls of them. When "Elouera" was reaching a fair degree of development up to 3,000 sheep and some cattle were running on the property, the country produced good quality wool, up to 100 acres of basaltic soil was farmed, with hay and grain being stored for winter and bad times when stock feed was scarce. In the beginning of the farming activities around 1933 and 1934 we worked a three team of draught horses for ploughing etc., Ottery was paying little better when on tin as well as sevenic by 1935 then A.C. bought a Massey Harris tractor, a five furrow mould board plough and 12 run seed and fertilizing combine, this certainly speeded up the farming process, draught horses were utilized to work the 6ft cut mower, and hay rake. Later after my time a hay bailer was introduced, under the supervision of Gordon Evans. By this time I had left the farm 1936 and went north to Queensland mining at the Golden Plateau Mine. Dad, Mother and Gordon worked the farm a large new homestead was built and many more hay sheds. Gordon was being the chief stockman and hard worker around the place. Gloria was nursing at Inverell District Hospital and Alice worked in Sydney with Williams Cooper and Nephews. By this time Adolph Hitler was starting his stormy career and disturbing the peace of Europe. Ralph, Jack and myself joined the Australian fighting forces, Gordon remained home as some body had to look after Eloura besides A.C. and Mother. Alice came home and helped as well, she became known on the farm by Dad as Lofty the land girl, short "Lofty". We better go back to the Ottery Mine and Tent Hill. I was talking about the incline tramline to the top of the ore bin feed to the stampers. By this time quite a lot more men came onto the staff. Charlie (Darky) Stanford came back and took over the blacksmithing and drilling sharpening from Dad. Teddy Marsh a Qualified Engine driver took over from Dad all of this work, as I mentioned Tom Roberts came on as Chief Engineer, Gordon as his apprentice, Arthur Peweter as a miner, Tom McMahon had been with A.C. all of the time, and Sid Coltheart Dad's original mill Superintendent before the 1929 Closure came back to look after the tin concentration process. Even so, careful watch by management (A.C.) was still very evident and necessary, hard mining was still the name of the day Teddy Marsh the engine driver went below on hammer and tap, Darky Stanford after he had sharpened all of the steel went below ground in the evening on to the hammer and tap. A little story about Darky at this point is worthy of mention. Darky always had a bucket of water boiling on his forge on completion of drill sharpening ready for the men when they came up from underground for Crib Time, crib is the term used for miners lunch, one day a piece of newspaper that he used to lift the hot bucket of water off the forge dropped into the boiling water, by the time he fished it out, it had left a strange taste to the water out of the bucket to make their tea, Arthur Pevetea tasted his and apparently thought that there had been something in his cup "perhaps a cockroach or something that caused the queer taste, so through it out. Teddy March did the same, at this point Darky said. "Listen men, I had a mishap with the bucket of water today. I dropped one of Jack's (Julius) socks into the boiling water, it may give the tea a funny taste today. By this time around 1934 things were improving there was more money coming in and A.C. ended the tribute and commenced operations on behalf of William Cooper and Nephews to sell the Ottery, lock, stock and barrel to Burma Maley Tin Mining Company. Their plan was to sink the main shaft a further 100 feet deeper to No.3 level, drive a tunnel along the No.4 lode about 500 feet to connect by raising to meet a winder coming down from a very good pocket of tin arsenic ore on No.2 level. The prospect looked good, at his time I (H.J.) was working as a miner in the Golden Plateau Mine at Cracow in Central Queensland. With my friend Max McCallroe came down to build up a team to sink the shaft this further 100 feet and do the development work in 1938. As the mine promoter for Burma Malay Lionel Leece did not have a Mine Managers Certificate A.C. was called upon to spend two days per week for an approximate fee to take care of the Management Certificate a requirement of the New South Wales Mining Act, A.C. agreed to do this arrangement for a period of several months to enable Lionel Leece time to get some appropriate certificate so as he could manage his own right as A.C. by this time in life he wanted to retire to his farm and farm forget all about the mining business. On a night of the 3rd of September 1939 I was at a dance in the local hall at Tent Hill, when the revellers were hushed to hear the announcement that Britain and France had declared war on Germany. Although we all expected it to happen for some time, I might say when the announcement was made it made for a great silence and sober conversation, the war we knew was on and it would indeed change the lives of so many of us. However work carried on at the Ottery Mine for some time, the rich pocket of ore did not develop as was expected below the No.2 level the ore was mined out, a drought was on at the time causing the dam that supplied water to the Boilers producing steam got very low and the mine had to lay off most of the men. During my sojourn I had been appointed underground mine foreman. While there was sufficient water to supply water to the boiler for another fortnight Lionel Leece asked if Max McCaul and I would try and push up a raise on the middle section of the ore body in the hope we could pick up the bottom extent of this lode. We followed the time lode veins up to about 25 feet before the boiler feed water cut out and found nothing worth while in the way of anything valuable. The drought did not break for sometime and this was the end of mine. It closed down for good. Back to "Eloura" and A.C., he and Gordon carried on right through the war years, wool prices were set at 1 shilling per the average, Great Britain agreed to pay for all the wool Australia produced, but it had to be stock piled around Australia as it was too dangerous to ship because German Raiders, food and war supplies were more important under war conditions. After the war the wool was put back into the Auction System, and disposed of over several years. Great Britain getting back her outlay and shared with the Wool Growers any profits over and above their outlay and costs. A. C. and Mother wanted to retire,
Tloura" was bought from Dad by Gordon, Dad and Mother bought a house in Granville Street, Inverell in 1952. A.C. only enjoyed his retirement for a short period getting ill, he passed away November 1954 at the age of 74 years. A few days before the end he told be that he had had a full and very useful life, he was very happy to reach the age of 74 years that he was waiting to get a message from his creator, because of his religious background and bringing up and that he had been told by others in their last days where in they claimed to have received a message from the almighty, he said I am waiting to hear something, but so far nothing has come through to my knowledge, he never got the message he had been waiting for. Right up to the last days I found him although weak in body he was strong in mind with his full faculties. Throughout out life he gave his share to humanity he maintained the highest principles he served on the Hospital Boards in the different communities in which he dwelt, he was a long time member of the Freemasonry rising to the ranks of Grand Lodger Officers. He supported local sports events as such to the extent that his working obligations would permit his the necessary time. Clara Ann followed him nine years later.
Written by Henry George Archibald Julius "Strathsevern" Ashford 1993.

Arch married Clara Ann EVANS [885] [MRIN: 290], daughter of EVANS [35177] and Unknown, on 15 May 1907 in Orange NSW. (Clara Ann EVANS [885] was born on 27 Mar 1889 in Mount Hope N.S.W, died on 27 Mar 1962 in Inverell N.S.W. and was buried on 29 Mar 1962 in Inverell N.S.W..)