Henry (Harry) George Archibald JULIUS [889]

   Cause of his death was killed fighting a bush fire.

  General Notes:

Harry left school in 1932 and worked his fathers run "Eloura", assisting at times at the Ottery mine, and studying with the Kingsford Smith Correspondence School. In 1937 he went mining, working for Burma Malay Tin Pty Ltd and the Golden Plateau gold mine at Cracow Queensland, while completing a 5 year mining course with the International Correspondence School.

Enlisted in 1941 with the Royal Aust Airforce he trained as a pilot and instructor in blind flying, he was demobbed in 1943 to join New Occidental Gold Mines NL at Cobar, to assist with the production of copper for the War effort. After the war he rose to Underground Manager then Supervisor of the mines before taking up residence of a Soldiers Settlers block "Strathsevern" at Ashford.

STRATHSEVERN
ASHFORD, 2360.
24 Mar 1973.
Dear Gordon and Alice,
Just a short note to let you know we are okay down this way and to forward you a copy of a letter I have sent to Geoffrey Pike re lots 11 and 12 section 5 Frome Street, Ashford. You will note by the letter that certain encumberances exist on this land,the rates must always be paid first and by law become a debt on the land, not so the water unless it was as a rate, charge,or the gravel, you will note by the letter inserted in my letter from A.N.Heywood that on completion of the sale the remainder of the debt would be written off by Council.
The $145.63 in rates and interest at December 31st; will now be added to in current 1973 rates, this of course will be reducing your debt on the gravel etc; by write off, I do not know what John Butler will say to the suggestion by Geoffrey Pike re old debts, this I still have to find out. When Geoffrey lets me have the Deeds I will carry on with the sale unless otherwise instructed. I heard the other day that you bought a property near Nambour, tnis I take it will render you unable to make that advance you suggested at Xmas; but don't let it worry you we will manage some how, you will certainly need all you can get your hands on to.
What kind of a farm is it and what will you produce, I take it you are moving right out of the Pike Association in Maroochydore.
We have had a good season so far this year,stock are all doing well; but some rain now would be handy to boost on oat crops that are up and allow us to sow more areas and get other ground disc ploughed for grain paddocks for winter sowing.
We have sold a few steers lately that George brought home from sale last year when offered only $84.00 per head,this time we have got up to $188.50 for the same caes, the extra year is a good investment, we intend to keep around 100 of last years steers that we might normally have sold now, the extra year should pay a good dividend.
We have the area to carry them now that we have got KY "Yambagunya", the deal has been finalised now.
Jack and I have spent about a week at Tent Hill clearing etc; but it is too dry and I am breaking off too many trees, will leave it for awhile until we get some rain,in the mean time we are getting the Allis-Chalmers tractor into shape.
We are going to George's little boys christning tomorrow when Warren George will be offically launched.
Eileen had another daughter on the 18th of this month, her name is Leeanne Grace and she is a very popular little sister too, two year old Angela wants to take over the whole care of her.
Dot and I are both keeping well excluding a few pains now and again the usual old age.
Address replies per george,
Kindest regards.

Unrecorded Newspaper Report.
c1968
Brisbane Wool Sales
MacTaggarts F. & G. Wool Selling
Co-operative Limited.
Approximately 69,000 bales of wool were submitted to auction at the fourth series of Brisbane Wool Sales held from the 15th to the 18th November. The selection was considerably better than that of the previous Brisbane Sale held in October. The overall standard on this occasion being principally of good topmaking to best topmaking style wools. Although a considerable portion reflected the state of the season in shorter length of staple, soft handling and freeness from vegetable fault features were very much in evidence. Generally speaking the most drought affected wools tended to be drawn from the Northern and Central areas of Queensland, these at times being dusty in condition and of weak staple. The sales opened on the Monday with good wide-spread competition from Japan, the Continent and Britain with useful support from the Australian Mills. However, prices were not quite as high as earlier anticipated due to the easing of the market at the close of Southern Sales during the previous week. Values compared to Sydney Sales were generally unchanged whilst compared to the previous Brisbane Sale were from par to 21 per cent. dearer for most descriptions. As the sale progressed over the week, there was a further slight easing in values concluding with prices generally 23 per cent. below opening rates on Monday. At times there was irregularity In the sale of dusty and doubtful yielding wools and these showed the greatest depreciation in values.
Our own catalogue did not possess a substantial quantity of lower style wool, the selection being mostly of best to good topmaking with wools drawn principally from the Downs, Northern New South Wales and South Western areas of Queensland. Our top price was 93¼d per pound for 6 bales branded AAA EM & AAA M submitted on account of Messrs. H. G. A. and G. A. Julius, Strathsevern, Ashford, N.S.W. This wool was of spinners' style, of superfine qualities, showing good length of staple, practically free from vegetable fault and possessing good yielding properties. . . . . .
Some prices realised in our Catalogue this week were:

A/c. H. G. A. and G. A. Julius, Strathsevern, Ashford, N.S.W., 6 AAA EM & AAAM 93¼d, 8 AAA CO E & AAA CO 87¾d, 12 A COM 77¾d 17 bkn 74¾d, 13 1st pcs 54¾d, AA M 83¼d, A M 81¾d, AA COM 80d, BBB M 79d,• AAA HM 79d, AA HM 74½d, A HM 64¼d, bls 50d, pcs 34d. . . . . .

A/c. R. C. Julius, Taviton, Ashford, N.S.W., 5 AAA 821d, 6 AAA 81d, 5 AA 740, 5 bkn 641d, BBB 741d, pcs 50d, LOX 34d, bls 40d, LMS 66d, LMS bkn 441d, CRTS 371d.

THE INVERELL TIMES
January 1999
OBITUARY
HENRY (HARRY) JULIUS
The late Henry George Archibald Julius, who was tragically killed on December 27, 1998, while fighting a bushfire was born on January 16, 1916, at Redfern in Sydney. Harry, as he was best known, was the son of Archibald and Clara Julius, who lived at Tent Hill. There he attended primary school before two years schooling at Emmaville. Harry left school at 14 to manage his fathers property "Eloura" at Ashford.
At the age of 17 he left "Eloura" and travelled to Cracow in north Queensland, where he gained employment as a miner for two years.
On returning to Emmaville he worked on the Ottery Mine at Tent Hill and the Deep Lead Mine west of Emmaville.
From the time of leaving school he furthered his own education with numerous correspondence courses while still working full-time.
With mine management his ultimate goal, he achieved the highest marks in NSW and at the age of 28 became the youngest mine manager in Australia.
In 1941 he joined the RAAF and due to his leadership ability he was trained as a fighter pilot. But due to his B1 eyes he couldn't judge depths, so he was then trained as a bomber pilot and went onto achieve the rank of fight sergeant.
He married Dorothy Drake in Tamworth in 1942 and was discharged from the RAAF in 1943 at the request of the Mines Department to become the underground mine manager of the three Cobar mines. Harry and his two elder brothers, Ralph and Jack, obtained the first three, soldier settlement blocks in NSW after the Second World War.
In May 1948 he and his family moved to "Strathsevern" Ashford.
In 1950 he was elected a councilor on the Ashford Shire, where he served until 1961. In 1957, Harry introduced the first Merryville sheep into the Ashford area, where they have proved to be highly successful. In 1961 he returned to tin mining at Ruby Hill, which was on his father's property "Eloura", where he and his son George, mined for nine years. In 1980 they took up a mining lease at Tent Hill, where Harry had lived and attended school 60 years prior as a boy.
Harry and George successfully mined tin until 1985 when the tin market collapsed. After that Harry spent the rest of his life at "Strathsevern", Ashford, running his properties in conjunction with his son George, a partnership lasting over 37 years until his untimely death. Harry was predeceased by his wife Dot in 1996 and is survived by his daughter Eileen Porritt of Inverell, and son George of "Strathsevern", Ashford, as well as seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Gloria Lowrey of Inverell, and brother Gordon (Bink) Julius of Brisbane. His brothers Ralph and Jack, both of Ashford, and a sister Alice, of Inverell, predeceased him.

  Research Notes:

Harry wrote this of his father.
Archibald Cowper Julius
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 (L.5.00.0) left and asked the publican would he let him know when it cut out. Of course L.5.00.0 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 Swamp 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 plenty of 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 of the mine staff catching the common 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" (sic) 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,
Eloura" 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.

George Archibald Julius wrote this of his father.
HISTORY OF THE JULIUS PROPERTIES.
Dad was born on the 16. 01.1916 at Redfern in Sydney, to Archibald & Clara Julius, who lived at Tent Hill. Dad attended school at Emmaville; he left school at 14 to manage his father's property 'Eloura' at Ashford, furthering his education by doing numerous correspondence courses. At 17 he left the property & gained employment as a miner at Cracow in Nth QLD where he stayed for 2 years. He then returned to Emmaville where he worked on the Ottery Mine at Tent Hill & the Deep Lead Mine west of Emmaville. With mine management being his ultimate goal, he achieved the highest marks in NSW. At the age of 28 he became the youngest mine manager in Australia at the time. In 1941 he joined the RAAF & due to his leadership ability he was trained as a fighter pilot, then trained as a bomber pilot, where he achieved the rank of flight sergeant. Eileen was born on the 13.12.1937. As a stepdaughter she was wholly dependent on Dad. At no stage can Eileen argue that she wasn't provided for adequately during her childhood, a proper level of education & advancement in her life was more then seen to by Dad. Mum & Dad married on the 28.12.1942 in Tamworth, then moved to Cobar where Dad was employed at the New Cobar Mine. I was born on the 19.10.1945 and legally adopted by Mum & Dad (Henry & Dorothy Julius). My birth mother being my father's sister. My Grandfather, A C Julius, made contact with Mum & Dad about my birth, in relation to adoption, & as I was a boy it was important to him I remain in the family, being as I was his 1st blood grandson.
We all left Cobar in May 1948, & moved to Dad's property 'Strathsevern' in Ashford, NSW, the property Dad obtained through a war service ballot. In 1952 Dad purchased Scotch Hills for 5000 pounds, paid for by him & is in his name only. At the time he had to sell all the cows & calves he owned to raise the money for the deposit. Eileen boarded in Ashford during 1949 while in class 5, then in Armidale in 1950 for 6th class. Due to financial reasons she returned to Ashford School in 1952 to complete her education. Things were very hard on the land around this time. In June 1953 Dad had a balance of around 59 pound in the bank. In 1955 things hadn't improved as Dad asked the bank to allow a temporary accommodation against his wool proceeds, the bank declined as they too were feeling the pinch, also in 1956 Dad asked & received an advance through Farmers & Graziers of 2500 pound. After leaving school in 1952 Eileen worked as a nanny until she commenced nursing training in 1954, at which time I don't recall her spending much time at all on the farm with us, except for some shed hand work which she was paid just over 8 pound for, then in 1955 she was paid just over 13 pound for helping out at shearing time, in August 1970 she cooked for the shearers & was also paid for it. Leon was also paid for work he did at shearing time in 1956 when he was paid about 10 pounds, again in 1957 he got 13 pound & in 1958 again at shearing time was paid 52 pound. Eileen met Leon Porritt in 1955 & was engaged in 1957. In 1956 she had her application finalised with the Local Government Superannuation Board, she started her contribution payable half by the employer & half by herself. Her annual contribution at the time was just over 34 pound. She completed her training in 1958 at the age of 21. She then worked at the Inverell Hospital until commencing further training in Sydney in 1959. She & Leon married in 1960, & had 3 Children. They built their house in Lang St Inverell on a loan but the block of land was given to Eileen by a patient she nursed. Schooling wasn't easy for me either, as my schooling was correspondence to the end of 5th class. 6th class I boarded in Ashford at Mrs Herons home. 7th & 8th class I rode a bike or a horse to school. Dad let me leave when I was 14 at the end of 8th class, as the travelling was very tiring; it was a distance of 10 miles each way. I also wanted to be home to work with Dad on the farm.
My mother once had a conversation with my Aunt Gloria (my blood mother) as to my education. Aunt asked if I was to be sent away to school like Eileen was, & Mum's reply was No as her daughter had to be educated as she wanted to be a nurse & George was only ever going to be a farm labourer. It was a very slow process building up a farming business, money was very scarce, and Dad's bank balance in April 1957 was overdrawn by 162 pounds, which got him a letter from the bank manager. These letters were a regular occurrence over a lot of years; by June 1958 he had reduced his account to being overdrawn by only 110 pounds.
During the winter of 1958, at the age of 13, while riding a bike & horse to school, I looked after the farm while Dad & Uncle Bink were on the road with sheep due to the drought, this I did before & after school. I left school at.ft end of that year & worked for Dad for 2 years or so at 2 pound per week & I paid Mum 1 pound board per week. Prior to this I always helped Dad around the farm whenever possible & all this work was unpaid as I felt it was my duty, unlike Eileen who was paid for any work she did.
A letter sent to Dad from the bank in June 1958 outline the difficulties we were experiencing due to unfavourable seasonal conditions & made available to us a carry-on fund, the limit was 1000 pound to be cleared over 2 years. In accepting this we were under the obligation of a second mortgage. During the winters of 1958-59 I trapped rabbits for the freezer & sold them. Doing this I earned 163 pound over the 2 years & this was the money I had for the down payment on 'Sabrina' which I purchased for 23000 pound in 1961 from my Uncle Jack, at the time he left in 5500 pound which I paid interest on at 5%, payments didn't start until June 1967 & had to be paid by June 1978 but due to the tough times we were experiencing I didn't get Uncle Jack's debt paid until Dec 1981, the balance of the purchase price I borrowed from the bank, which Dad went guarantor for. I stayed very loyal to my father for this, as he was totally liable for the debt. My taxable income for 1961 was 357 pound. We were still experiencing tough times at this stage as Dad had to write to the shearers & tell them we had no money to employ them & told them that Dad & I would be doing the shearing ourselves. Around the time our balance owing to Farmers & Graziers' was 3117 pounds.
Also in 1961 Dad returned to mining at Ruby Hill, which was on the property 'Eloura', that his father had once owned. Dad & I together mined at Ruby Hill for 9 years. All costs were paid for 50/50 & any profit went into our grazing business, which enabled us to keep the property alive. We had become partners & our joint bank account for end June 1963 was a credit of 498 pounds but June 1965 found us in the red again & overdrawn to the sum of 489 pounds, this didn't improve into 1967 as we were still overdrawn by $1402.09. At the same time asking F & G to advance our credit from $2000. to $4000. against that seasons wool. In 1968, at the age of 23, Dad insisted I buy myself a car, which I paid $500.00 for, as I hardly left the property for the past 7 years. I married in 1969 & lived in the Sabrina house with very little furnishings & very little money. We had 4 children born between Nov 1970 & Jan 1976, during most of this period we lived on $10.00 per week & during winter months would go shooting & sell the rabbits for grocery money. Eileen & Leon went into a service station in 1963 where Dad went Guarantor for them. In Dec 1967 they asked to have the overdraft increased a further $4000.00, which Dad did. At the time we, having an overdrawn account of $577.50 ourselves. In 1970 they left the Business, they say due to long hours & very little return. We also worked long hours, a minimum of 70 hrs per week & our return was far less then there's, In the long run Leon's disposition did very little to help the success of their business. They did not clear their overdraft until Oct 1973. In 1970-76 Leon worked at different jobs, including with Dad. In 1976 they went into a spare parts business called Brisset Bros with a silent partner. Dad & I went guarantor for them for $25,000, as well as we supported their business by shopping there whenever possible.
They were selling Niva Cars; during this time they won a trip to Singapore as first prize for the most car sales in NSW. After this Leon came to us wanting to increase their overdraft to $50,000. After much discussion Dad & I decided against it as people were telling us just how unpleasant Leon was in the shop & I was very much against it because when things were good for them, they made no attempt at all to repay or reduce their overdraft. Due to the rural recession in 1992 they closed the shop, still with the $25,000 overdraft & we had to wait until 1994 before they cleared this debt & we could have the mortgage cover released on our business. At the same time we were struggling ourselves as the rural recession had hit us badly. Our bank balance throughout the year of 1992 was overdrawn from as little as $250.00 up to $45,975.15 In 1972 Dad & I became equal partners when I purchased Yamba Gunya for $26,000.00, we now owned 2 properties each. Yamba Gunya as paid for jointly by Dad & myself, but was in my name only. Also in that same year we had to defer payment of our rates as we had reached saturation point on short-term loan advances from both the bank & the wool firm, we didn't create this situation as it was due to the rural recession. Our bank balance in July of that year was a credit of $200.00. In 1973/74 this didn't improve as our end of financial year overdrawn bank balance for '73.was $8256.21 & for '74 it was $7713.56. In 1975 we again had to defer our rate payments due to our difficult financial position, which our income was expected to be down by 45% on last year, we were facing a very dismal future, as we were still overdrawn to the sum of $9225.00. At this time I was forced under the circumstances to except a labouring job in Sydney to supplement our income while Dad had to stay & keep the farm running.
In 1979 we advanced our overdraft by $14,000 making our balance debt a sum of $15,569.14. In 1980 Dad purchased Glenora for $56,525.00, which involved a loan from F&G for $20,862.50 & from the Commonwealth Bank for $32,799.79, these loans were repaid jointly by us both but the property was in Dad's name only. In April 1982 we advanced our overdraft by $14,000 making a debt balance of $17,148019, & again in Aug by $14,000 & again in 1983 we again advanced it by $14,000 making our balance debt $21,032.16. In May 1983 Dad gave me Power of Attorney.
We mined Tin at Tent Hill from 1980 up until 1985 when the Tin industry collapsed, dropping all leases. In 1991 Dad purchased the property at Tent Hill for $25,060.00, which was paid for jointly by both of us, but the property was in Dad's name only. Later on in early 1996 Dad considered reopening the mine to recover tailings, but this never eventuated, due to the very high cost structure. The only income from Tent Hill since 1985 is the wool production off 50 wethers & this goes to paying the rates etc, there is no homestead, only a caravan & attached annex, no power, no phone or town water etc.
In 1986 we again had to advance our overdraft by $14,000. making our balance debt at $23,170.00. In 1987, because the unpaid overdraft Eileen & Leon had, that we were Guarantee's for, our properties 'Strathsevern', 'Yamba Gunya',
Sabrina' &
Glenora' were liabilities under which the mortgage was secured. In Feb '87 we again had to increase our own overdraft by $14,000.00 making our balanced debt at $19,445.17. Then again in Aug of the same year it was increased by another $14,000 making a debt balance of $15,334.25. In 1988 Mum moved to town into a home in Short St Inverell, which Dad & I bought jointly for $75,000 00. Dad did not buy this house on his own (something Eileen likes to believe). Dad remained living at Strathsevem & would drive to town on a regular basis to check on Mum & her medication.
Eileen & Mum found it difficult to get along, even after Mum started to have strokes Dad had to make the 120km round trip more often checking on her as she would not give Eileen a key to the house nor did she want her checking on her. This we found unfortunate & inconvenient as Dad was in his 70's & not in the best of health. Also in 1988 we obtained an additional increase of $15,000 to our overdraft making the total debt $40,000 we need this to assist in the purchase & installation of grain silo's. The wool industry did pick up quite considerably in the 1988/89 year & this enabled us to purchase new machinery & do some long awaited building, such as renovate the wool shed & honey shed, purchase a combine, do some land clearing to increase production etc, these things we were unable to do before as there was just no money for these types of improvements, it also allowed us to repay the debt we owed to the bank. In 1989/90 the wool return fell by 50% & the next year fell even more. In 1990 I purchased Almond Bank for $120,000.00, for this we borrowed $92,500.00 from the Commonwealth Bank & repaid it jointly with Dad but the property is in my name only.
In 1991 Dad purchased Tent Hill for around $25,000.00, this was paid for by both of us but was in Dad's name only. In this year we were experiencing a very bad drought, we lost most of our lambs only marking 25%. Our income had dropped by 60170%. Also the Australian Wool Board went bankrupt. The price crash nearly sunk us. In 1992 the returns for the wool were extensively down on the sales of the year before by about 35%, & the return in '91 were down by 53% on the previous year, while wool prices kept falling we had to cut back on all expenditure except those that could not be avoided such as shire rates, government charges, award rates for shearing etc. At the time we were overdrawn to the tune of $16,029.51. In 1993/94 the wool market started to slowly climb & has levelled out to enable us to progress & again do a little maintenance.
Also on 11th October 1993 Dad underwent 7 heart bypass operations. The winter of 1994 was a very long dry one & we fed our sheep & cattle right through to the spring. Things fell into a slump again in 1995/96. In 1995 Dad sold off about 440 acres of Scotch Hills that was resumed by the Water Resources Department for the increase to Pindari Dam. The sale price was around $80/$85.00 per acre. Dad put this money away & in 1996 used it to pay for him, Mum, Eileen, Leon & myself to go on a trip to England & Europe for about 7 weeks. Dad wanted to take Mum back to Cardiff to see her homeland, as her brother & sister were both born in a home at Llandaff. We went over during our winter, as it would be summer in England & both he & Mum felt the cold badly. In 1997/98 the wool proceeds dropped again. They were down 44.9% on our proceeds of 1988/89, just alone our shearing costs were up by 98.84%, our insurance premiums were up by 72.4%, stock purchases, machinery & building maintenance were all down by more then 88%, showing again that only the necessary expenditure was being taken care of. On the 27th December 1998 Dad was tragically killed whilst fighting a bush fire, which was deliberately lit on Boxing Day, by persons unknown. My father was a very generous man as he has given to charities over many years, even when time was very tough they never missed out.
George Archibald Julius.

  Medical Notes:

Harry suffered several heart attacks, and had had 7 coronary bypasses at St Andrews Hospital Brisbane, by Oct 1993. He also had two knee replacements.

  Other Records

1. Henry (Harry) George A Julius.: Some pictures of his life.
Harry in his WWII Airforce Uniform, with his grandchildren & siblings on his 80th birthday, far right Strathsevern Station Ashford NSW.

Photo 3 Grandchildren. L to R back. Warren, Angela, Josip, Harry, Philip, Leanne.
L to R front William, Pixie.
Photo 4 Harry's siblings. L to R. Annette, Dorothy, George, Harry, & Eileen & Leon Porritt

2. Harry's early life and Air Force Service.
Harry failed his medical for the Air Force, below requested his release for essential work in the mining industry.

From 421021 LAC. Julius H. G. A
To: Chief ground instructor, Central flying School.
Date: 31.12.42
Ref: Release from RAAF
Reference postgram P775 herewith application release from RAAF
My reasons for such action is that I was found medically unfit during my flying course which was then terminated.
In the interim I made application to undergo a Link Trainer Instructors Course and during that time I was flying and after my flying ceased the New Occidental Gold Mines No Liability Company made application through the Man Power authorities, which was supported by the Chief Inspector of Mines Mr Slalter for my release from the RAAF. I refused whilst undergoing my flying course, but on cessation of flying, after much consideration and persuasion from the Mines Department to respectfully request my release from the RAAF
It is with much regret that I request that this application be given favourable consideration but it is thought by the Mines Department and myself that my services to the country better utilised in the mining sphere, rather than that of a Link Trainer Instructor.
Signed H.G.A. Julius

3. Harry Julius: Work life in mining.
Various testimonials to Harrys work proficiency and certificates related to his mining career.
Although Harry went farming later in his life mining was his first love.

William Cooper & Nephews (Australia) Ltd
Ottery Mine
Tent Hill via Deepwater
NSW
1st April 1937
Though It May Concern.
This is to certify that the bearer Mr H G A Julius is 21 years old, and has been in my employ ever since leaving school.
For the majority of that time he has been in charge of a grazing property that I own, and he has shown the ability, in the many and varied classes of work that he has had to perform, which included full responsibility in letting out ring barking, and clearing contracts, and generally arranging the work on the property.
He is handy with most pools, and has erected a windmill, and has sunk and timbered a well for same, built to large corrugated iron tanks, built to large sheds for machinery and hay, drives a tractor for general farming work etc etc. He also erected and incline tramline on the above mining property, for carrying tracks off ore to the top of the 820 foot high ore bin.
This land has ability he is a non-smoker and a teetotaler, to anyone requiring his services, I can recommend him with every confidence.
Yours faithfully
A C Julius
Manager

Golden Plateau No Liability.
Cracow Queensland.
3 August 1938
To Whom It May Concern.
This is to certify that H G A Julius was in this companies employ from May 1937 to 16 June 1938. He started as a trucker but eventually rose to First Machine man and has a thorough knowledge of all forms of machine work. He has at all times proved himself industrious and has always given the management entire satisfaction.
J V Smith
Underground Manager.

Burma-Malay Tin Ltd.
Moore Street,
Emmaville,
5th April 1941.
To Whom It May Concern
This is to certify that the bearer, Harry Julius, was employed as underground Foreman by the above company from the date of commencement of operations at the Ottery Mine on the 27th of June 38 to the date of completion of operations on the 22nd May 40.
During this period the main shaft was sunk 100' from No2 to No3 level, 510' of driving down on No3 level, 160' of winzing and 100' of rising completed in various parts of the mine in addition to the stoping of ore for the requirements of 10 head battery working 11 shifts a week.
Julius is a good thinker, has displayed excellent organising ability, is tactful and can handle men, himself a good miner and expert machine man. He is young and ambitious and is now studying for the Mine Managers examination.
He has had the advantage of a good training in mining matters under the guidance of his father Mr A. C. Julius, who is a Certified Mine Manager.
Since leaving the employee of Burma-Malay Tin Ltd he has been engaged in sinking a shaft on the Vegetable Creek Deep Lead under contract for a Company of which I am a Director. The shaft is 912' on and underlie off 1 in 2'2". Julius took over at 566' the shaft then being in hard slate: from 760' the sinking was in soft decomposed slate. The contract included all underground and surface labour for working three shifts, seven days per week in addition to the supply of all stores &c, with the exception of mine timber and firewood.
Julius is to be complemented on the manner in which he organised and handled this job. He is of temperate habits and can be relied upon in positions of trust to the utmost degree, being perfectly honest and conscientious.
I have much pleasure in recommending him to anyone requiring his services.
. . . . . J.P.
Mine Manager.

New Occidental Gold Mines NL
Cobar NSW
17 July 1944
The Chief Inspector of Mines
Mines Department
Sydney
Dear Sir,
This is to certify that Mr H G A Julius after being released from the RAAF has been employed by this company since the eighth of February 1943, in various capacities.
For 3 months as a Miner, and for 2 months as Shift Boss in New Occidental, and during the past 12 months, as Mine Foreman at New Cobar.
Mr Julius has proved himself to be thoroughly competent, conscientious, and of strictly sober habits.
Yours faithfully
Chas E Blackett
General Manager.

Managers Certificate of Competency
24 Nov 1944.

New South Wales.
Department of Mines.
Mudgee Box 69
17/4/46
To Whom It May Concern:-
Since taking over the Mid-West district from the late Mr Warren, Senior Inspector of Mines, in August 1942, I have paid periodical visits of inspection to the New Occidental group of mines at Cobar.
During this period of 3^1/2 years Mr H. Julius has been employed in all three mines, Chesney, New Cobar, and New Occidental, Shift Boss, Foreman and Assistant Underground Superintendent.
As Assistant Superintendent Mr Julius has been in charge of the extensive development programme at the New Occidental Mine, consisting of sinking the main shaft to 1927ft excavating for the underground crushing station and new loading station.
During his period as Foreman in charge at the New Cobar Mine Mr Julius was given a free hand and during the 16 months he was there he developed the mine so that production was more than doubled and he improved the ventilation and the general working conditions to such an extent that this mine was frequently quoted as an example to the Foreman and Shift Bosses at Chesney and New Occidental as to how a mine should be run regarding hygiene and safety.
Mr Julius showed ability in handling the staff and men under him and it was noticed that during his term in charge at New Cobar man from there strongly resented being transferred to either of the other mines belonging to the Company.
Mr Julius has always shown an appreciation of what may be termed good housekeeping underground, not only to comply with Mines Inspection Act but also as a dividend payer in as much as it keeps down expensive accidents and keeps employees more contented and therefore more efficient.
In 1944 Mr Julius obtained his Mine Managers Certificate, being placed second in order of merit of those who sat for the examination in New South Wales.
Mr Julius was a pilot in the RAAF but received his discharge due to eye trouble.
Douglas Wilson
Inspector of Mines.

Miners Right.
Allowing the holder to prospect.

Shotfirers Permit.
Allowing the holder to use explosives in a mine.

Mining was Harry's first love he took up a lease at Ruby Hill at tin mine in Ashford (1960), then was mine manager at Halls Peak Ltd Armidale (silver,lead,zinc,copper,sapphires), then back to tin in 1971 at Tent Hill east of Emmaville.

Strathsevern
Ashford 2360
13 April 1971
The Chief Inspector of Mines
Department of Mines
State Office Block
Philip Street
Sydney 2000.
Dear Sir
I wish to inform you that I have severed my mine managing connections with the Halls Peak Mining Companies mining operations, taking effect as at 30 April 1971.
I will be resuming 10 mining operations on my own behalf stop
Yours faithfully
H G A Julius

Ashford 2361
14 November 1983.
Mr H P Maxwell
First Assistant Secretary
Commodities No 1 Division
Department of Trade and Resources
Canberra.
ACT 2600
Dear Sir,
I am writing to inform you that my health has not sufficiently recovered to ensure that I will be able to meet my Tin quota production for the current quarter, October December 1983..
Therefore I wish for you to allocate my quota for this last quarter to someone else.
However I would suggest that you allocate it through Campbell Bros, Inverell agents for Associated Tin Smelters Pty Ltd of Alexandrina N S W to share up between my friends of Inverell who sell their tin through them.
Yours faithfully
Unsigned but from Harry Julius.

4. Harry's Station at Strathsevern & Ottery Arsenic mine.
Strathsevern from the air on the banks of the Severn River Inverell Northern NSW.

The Ottery Arsenic was of a very high quality being 99.8% As03 (Arsenic Trioxide) this produced a very high quality sheep dip.

5. Harry Julius: Public service.
Harry entered Local Government as Councillor of the Ashford Shire in December 1950 serving on the council until August 1961.

He received a Police award for his work in supervising the recovery of a murder victim from a deep well (160 ft) on "Bulla" station near Cobar.

Police Force of N. S. W.
The Commissioner of police, New South Wales, extends the appreciation of the police authorities to Henry George Archibald Julius valuable assistance rendered to the police on 3rd of September 1944 when in connection with the recovery of the body of a man who had been murdered he supervised the lowering of another man well at "Bulla" station near Cobar to a depth of 160 feet and then the raising of the man and the body to the surface.
James a Scott
Deputy Commissioner of police
Sydney 12 Mar 1945.

Harry served his community as a Bushfire Captain 1950 - 69.
Tragically he was killed while fighting bush fires when the machine he was driving overturned and crushed him.

CERTIFICATE FOR FORMER ' COUNCILLOR
President of the Ashford Shire Council (Cr J R Black) on Friday presented a former councillor Mr. H. G. A. Julius with a certificate of service on behalf of the Shires Association of N.S.W.
Cr. Julius resigned last year after rendering 11 years service to the community as a member of the council. Cr. Black said
Today it is my pleasure to present to Mr. Julius a certificate of service for the work he has done for this community during the past 11 years.
I think its rather good that we should present this certificate on this day we have had a naturalisation.
Today especially it shows these new citizens that they can come on to this council and in so doing are in a position to do something for the community to which most of us owe a great deal.
"GOOD COUNCILLOR"
Here today we express appreciation to Mr Julius for his service to the community while a member of this council
Mr Julius was a good councillor.
He was a good councillor in this respect he was forthright and anything he had to say he always said.
He argued all the points out he could for the betterment of the area I am sure.
This council was better for his association with and we were sorry to lose him
In presentIng the Shires Association certificate, Cr black and we present you with a certificate for the manner in which you served this council and community for a period of 11 years
In expressing his appreciation Mr Julius said one did not realise the good they may or may not have been doing as a councillor until they stepped away and had a look. He said we put an with a lot as councillors but apparently we are doing a good job as bad as it may seem to ourselves.
WELL REWARDED
l feel however, my services have been well rewarded in the words spoken here today. I would have to say I am sorry I had to leave the council but circumstances change from time to time, I have become more youthful since leaving for there is a lot of worry in serving as a councillor. You have big decisions to make as a councillor especially in deciding how you will spend other people's money, for that is what you are virtually doing for the betterment of the community.
Finally I thank you Mr President for this token and who knows in the years to come you may have to take it from me

6. Harry Julius: Seeking grant of land from NSW Govt, 1946.
Harry's father Arch Julius farming Eloura at Ashford wrote to the local MP seeking Solder Settlement grants for his sons after WWII.
Harry was granted 'Strathsevern' in Ashford, NSW

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.

Henry married Dorothy Elizabeth WOODS Nee Drake [4471] [MRIN: 1536], daughter of George Henry DRAKE [9598] and Mary Jane HAILES [9599], on 28 Dec 1942 in Tamworth. (Dorothy Elizabeth WOODS Nee Drake [4471] was born on 30 Jan 1917 in Bankstown Sydney and died on 6 Sep 1996 in Inverell N.S.W..)