Great, Great Grandfather James Barham migrated to thew Shoalhaven region in 1829 from Suffolk england. He was a labourer, farmer and timber cutter. Settling in Tomerong with his wife Charlotte Watson. They married in 1843 in a Church of England, in Phillip St. Sydney. he bought his first land in Tomerong in 1855.

A further two generations were to be born and raised in Tomerong until James, the Grandfather moved to land purchased at Jaspers Brush. He married Ivy Knapp, a great cattle breeding family from Bolong.

This interview features Jenny Pastor (nee: Barham) daughter of Donald and Una Barham (nee: Ison), the 5th generation barham to grow up farming land in the region. Today Jenny lives in her grandfathers cottage known as Northcote and on 9 acres of the original 80 acres purchased many years ago from the Oke brothers.

# Some of the local indigenous children that attended Jaspers Brush Primary School from time to time were:

The Cruse & Mundy children..

Website: theresesweeney.com.au

Photograph: Ray Strong 'Glenbrae' Jaspers Brush by Therese Sweeney.

Introduction: GLenbrae home to 6 generations of Strongs have lived on Strongs Rd.

Ray Strong is the grandson of William & Eliza Jane Strong (nee:Boyd).

Rays grandfather William arrived on the Ocean Empress in 1864 with his cousin Alexander-both were 15. They had grown up together in a densley packed house on Loughros Point County Donegal Northern Ireland. They then steamed down the south coast to Broughton Creek Wharf. 40 members from 6 related irish families had arrived on the Ocean Empress.

William & Eliza had 5 sons and 3 daughters - 2 children dying in infancy. They built a home named Glenview, now known as Strongs Rd.Jaspers Brush. Their youngest born William John Strong b 1888 is Rays father.

William married Margaret Clelland and he passed in 1942. Ray was 6 years old.

Ray's grandfather William became an astute cattle judge and cattle breeder. His bulls and heifers were famous and a great success in the show ring.He had one of the best shorthorn milking herds in the Illawarra. He was a committed member of the Berry Wesleyan Church & passed in 1916 age 68. His wife Eliza Jane passed away 3 years later age 75. They are both buried at Berry cemetery.

Presented by Therese Sweeney, Historian & Podcast presenter / producer.

Photograph: Jaspers Brush Post Office 1951 -Southern side of princes HWy

Themes: Name Jasper, cedar cutting, land owners the Berry Brothers & E.Wollstoncraft, timber exports, early butter & milk trade, roads, school, hall, railway, land owners after new sub division 1892. milk 1920s Nowra Milk Co-op.

References:

1. Notes & documents from 1997 Jaspers Brush school reunion committee. Including details and photos of pioneering families.
2. Various maps held by the Ison family of Berry, Jaspers Brush etc.
3. Sales map of Coolangatta & Berry Estates-undated (1893-1908) with Railway Line Jaspers Brush region.plus other information;
4. Roads & Maritime Services Report Berry-Bomaderry 2013
5. As above.. Gerringong to Berry 2006
6. Alexander Berry The Laird of Shoalhaven, Royal Australian Historical Society Journal Volume 27 Part 1 1941
7. Royal Australian Historical Society Journal V 46 No 2, 1960 by A.K. Weatherburn.
8. The first SubDiv. Sales of Shoalhaven Estates, The property of the late David Berry Esq. 1982. 79 pages.
9. Spotted Gum & ironbark-An environmental History of the South Coast NSW forestry. by Leith Davis University of Western Sydney PHD thesis 2020.
10. Regional Histories of NSW, Heritage Office. Dept. Urban Affairs & Planning, 1996.
11. Trove-various press articles.

First century of Dairying in NSW by Frank McCaffrey 1909.

Podcast also hosted at theresesweeney.com.au

Laurel Kellett (Nee:Davis) has dairy farmed for 70 years, born at Meroo Meadow. Today she is 86 years of age.

Samuel Thomas Davis B Portland England in 1835 married Susan Anthony on 17 August 1886. They migrated to Australia on the ship Hindostan leaving from Liverpool and arriving in Sydney on 12 August 1887. Susan was pregnant with their first child.

They were of methodist faith and lived at Milton, on Sth Coast and had 7 children there: John Davis b1857, Sarah Davis B 1860, William Davis B 1862. Edward B 1863, Robert B 1866 & Caroline B 1868.

Youngest son Robert married Selina Knapp in 1890. Selina b Nov. 1868. They too had 7 children.Stella B 1891, Oswald B 1893, Dorothy B 1896, Dulcimer B1899 (known as Dulcie), Raymond B1902, Leo B 1906 & Merle 1910. Leo Davis, the youngest son is Laurel’s father who later farmed with his father Robert at Meroo. Robert Davis, Laurels grandfather moved up to meroo in January 1923, Leo was 16. Robert was Influenced by Uncle Jim Knapp who informed him there was a farm for sale. James R Knapp (Jim) ran the cattle stud Swanlea in Bolong,

Leo Davis farmed at Meroo with his wife Minnie, they married in 1923,They are Laurel Davis’ parents. Laurel married Harry Kellett whose family date back in the region from the late 1820s.

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Season 1: Supported by Turf Co Jaspers Brush https://turfco.com.au/ &

McGoldrick Estate Agents Berry https://mcgoldrick.com.au/

James Wiley b 1840 with his brother Thomas b 1836 migrated from northern Ireland to Port Jackson in 1860. Their father Charles, with wife Jane Maquire and 4 additional children followed shortly after on the ship Hot Spur. It cost Charles 28 pounds to bring out the remaining family members.

James and brother Thomas were men with vision and savvy business acumen under the eye of father Charles. They contributed to the early development of Kangeroo Valley transforming a land parcel into a small township with a main street. Father Charles was an early lease holder in Foxground which at the time fell under Gerringong Municipality.

Thomas made his fortune and headed north to Bangalow, James also held land and business interests up north but invested and lived down south. Other siblings headed north too.

Charles passed away in 1888 and is buried in Gerringong cemetery. His second wife Anne Heatherington must have followed his sons north after his death as she is buried near Bangalow.

James, Margaret's paternal Great Grandfather died in 1915 at his home of retirement, named Kelvin Grove, on Scenic Dr Nowra. A 2 storey home later known as Mandalay Guest House. He was aged 75 and died of a stroke. He is buried in the Methodist portion at Nowra public cemetery. He was a well known farmer in the region and highly regarded in the district.

James married his wife Mary Hanigan in 1870 at Broughton Creek. Together they had 8 children. James purchased a parcel of land near Wileys Creek from the Gardener holding in 1855,some 78 acres. Further land acquisitions totalling 270 acres were made under the Berry Estate secured from families Andersons and Thorburns. Land titles are currently being analysed by the descendants and will be made available to archive down the track.

James’ 2 sons: William b 1873 & Fredrick b 1878 were the inheritors of these lands. William married Kate Pestell in Kiama in 1907. This podcast engages the only surviving Wiley of Grandfather William, who actually farmed the land. Her name is Margaret Hollingworth nee: Wiley, age 80 now living in Nowra.

Margarets father Keith was born that same year, 1915, he married Ethel James in 1940.

Keith with brother John known as Jack and their sister Margaret inherited the land portion on the southern side of Wileys Creek. Fredricks sons Fredrick and William, known as Fred and Bill farmed the northern side of Wileys Creek, where Silo’s Estate is located.

I introduce to you Margaret Wiley, daughter of Keith Wiley-she later married Peter Hollingworth in 1969 from Nowra.

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:https://theresesweeney.com.au/podcasts/

Season 1: Supported by Turf Co Jaspers Brush https://turfco.com.au/ &

McGoldrick Estate Agents Berry https://mcgoldrick.com.au/

Colin Walsh is a 5th generation dairy farmer in the meadow. His famous twin uncles Tom & Ted were instrumental in developing the Illawarra Shorthorn breed. His families paternal side is Irish Catholic convicts deported to work for Alexander Berry in 1824 & Scottish immigrants on his maternal side arriving in 1852. His aunty was Vonnie Muller (nee: Walsh) who recently passed away. Colin is 1st cousin to Patrick Muller.

Colin married Sue McIntosh and they both live in Turners Lane still on the functioning dairy farm ran by their son Justin. They also have a daughter Mel Green who lives in Hanigans Lane, Plus a few grandkids fast growing up.

Dorothy O'Neill, Colin's sister from Morschels Lane helped me through the introduction to Ep. 8 and referred to papers written by Maureen Ackland (nee: O'Mara).

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:https://theresesweeney.com.au/podcasts/

Season 1: Supported by Turf Co Jaspers Brush https://turfco.com.au/ &

McGoldrick Estate Agents Berry https://mcgoldrick.com.au/

Hans Jorgenson jumped ship in England arriving in Sydney in 1879. He was a sailor from Norway. He settled in Robertson and married Harriett Mansfield in 1883, they had 7 children, 2 boys & 5 girls. His son Bert went to school with William Miller. Perhaps that is why Bert came to Berry.

Bert established a bullock team and picked up and delivered cedar logs to saw mills. He was a character and played both Rugby Union and Rugby league around WWI. His nephew Norman settled in Bomaderry and worked at Nowra Milk factory for 50 years. Norms father William, was Berts brother.

Norm's son Ian is engaged for this episode. Ian reflects on his history, his milk factory memories and his career servicing dairies as a refrigeration electrician from Albion Park to Milton. His great-uncle Bert features front and centre in the memories of many men in Berry.

Donate Links: https://rss.com/podcasts/season-1-the-dairy-lane-project/

:https://theresesweeney.com.au/podcasts/

Season 1: Supported by Turf Co Jaspers Brush https://turfco.com.au/ &

McGoldrick Estate Agents Berry https://mcgoldrick.com.au/

Pearl Biggs (Nee: Pheeney) was born in 1944 to parents Rita & Eric Pheeney. The Pheeney's are related to the Devitts by marriage and the Vaughan's. Pearl's mother was a Rutledge. William Vaughan travelled up from Bega to secure land for sale from the Berry Estate. William farmed at Bolong til death in 1932 and was Pearls Great Grandfather. on her maternal side. Her grandparents Evelyn Vaughan and Fredrick Pheeney came up from Bega a bit later and secured some land near Fletchers lane. Evelyn came up in a horse and carriage with 3 kids and pregnant with son Eric and a wheel came off the cart on a river bed. Her husband Fredrick drove cattle up on horseback and she had to wait for him to arrive to assist her.

Fredrick sold his parcel of land (or swapped it with Fletchers) then bought Maylands, Meroo Rd in early 20th century. Evelyn travelled from Bega by horse and sulky, pregnant with Pearl's father Eric. Fredrick drove cattle up on horesback.

Pearl covers a lot of social and agricultural history in this episode and makes an invaluable contribution to Meroo villages podcast Season 1. I love the Travelling Circus coined by the locals as they all travelled up the highway on their 7 tractors to bale on farms in the district.

Donate Links: https://rss.com/podcasts/season-1-the-dairy-lane-project/

:https://theresesweeney.com.au/podcasts/

Season 1: Supported by Turf Co Jaspers Brush https://turfco.com.au/ &

McGoldrick Estate Agents Berry https://mcgoldrick.com.au/