52 Ancestors 2020 Week 14 Water

52 Ancestors 2020

Week 14 - Water

Those of us who grew up in post war Australia had every opportunity to learn to swim.  There were creeks, rivers and the ocean, and in almost every country town and suburb, a Municipal Baths.

In Dubbo, The Olympic Pool had been built as a Depression project in the 1930s.  When I was a teenager it was the social centre of our lives.  In summer, we were there every afternoon after school and all weekend, sprawled on the lawn with our towels and books and comics and a portable record player with a stack of 45s.  In 1996, writing about local history for the Daily Liberal, I wrote a piece this era and about Tom Yeo, who was the manager of the Dubbo Olympic Pool for 23 years from 1952 – 1975. *

Both of my parents were good swimmers and they made sure that we learnt to swim as early as possible.  I had my first lessons from a student of Dad’s at Young High School called Albert Stevens.  I would have been about 4.  When we moved to Glen Innes in 1954, we were upset that there was no pool, but the Council were raising funds to build one – it opened in about 1956 and we children quickly became regulars.  Glen Innes is on the New England Tablelands so there weren’t many really hot days in the summer, but we got used to peeling off layers of clothes to dive into freezing cold water.  Mum, famously, did it once and vowed never again.

Mum won lots of these certificates

Dad at Quirindi Baths about 1937

Our ancestors were not so fortunate.  Most of the convicts who came to Australia were from urban areas and could not swim.  Paul’s convict 3 x great grandfather, Peter McCann, was an early casualty.  He drowned in the flooded Rickerby’s Creek, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, in October 1806, only 6 years after his arrival in the colony.  

Another convict ancestor, Rebecca Harris (nee Bloxham) also met her death by drowning, in 1879.  The Northern Star:

ACCIDENT.­ We are informed that an old resident of this district, named Rebecca Harris, aged 70 years of age met her death, at Tirrania Creek, under the following circumstances, on the 6th instant. It appears that she left her home between 10 and 11 o'clock on the morning of the above day, for the purpose of taking a walk, but not returning to dinner, a search was made by her daughter in ­law, who found the deceased lying in the creek, into which it was supposed she had fallen, being rather short­sighted. As­sistance was procured, but life was found ex­tinct, and a Magisterial Inquiry being held before J Stocks, Esq., J.P., the above facts were elicited.

Peter’s great grandson (Paul’s great grandfather) also drowned in a flooded creek – Wilson’s Creek near Eureka on the North Coast of NSW.  On 20 April 1889, the Northern Star reported, “

Drowning We are sorry to hear that a well known man named Chas. McCann, was drowned fording Wilson's Creek, above Eureka on Tuesday last. It is stated that McCann was crossing the creek, which had risen several feet, when his horse slipped, McCann was washed out of his saddle, and drowned before assistance could be rendered. The police are now searching for the body, but it has not yet been recovered, owing to the flooded state of the creek.

There were drownings in my family, too.  My grandmother’s young cousin, Norman Fleming, was only 8 years old when he died in 1896.

Accidentally Drowned

 A magisterial inquiry was held by the city coroner yesterday into the circumstances connected with the death of Norman Fleming, aged 8 years, who was drowned in a waterhole off Dawes Street Leichhardt, on Saturday. William Clark Fleming, father of deceased, identified the body. Witness left home at 7.30 a.m. on Saturday and did not see deceased again alive. About 5. p.m. that afternoon his dead body was brought home. Harold Star, 8 years, said that deceased and be went to the waterhole. Witness fished, and deceased said he would have a swim. Witness warned him not to go in as the water was deep. After entering the water, he suddenly sank, and went out of his sight. Witness informed the police, and the body was recovered about 4.45 p.m. A finding of accidentally drowned was returned.

Sydney Evening News 5 December 1896

And in my father’s family too, a beach drowning.

DROWNED AT BALLINA

CAUGHT IN UNDERTOW.

Mr Ernest Talbot Willows, manager of the Lismore branch of Norco, Ltd, was drowned in the surf at South Beach, Ballina, on Sunday afternoon. A party from Lismore, including Mr and Mrs Willows, journeyed to Ballina, and joined some local residents at South Beach. About 3 o'clock the male members of the party went into the surf, and when 50 yards out got into a channel, with a swiftly flowing undertow. Mr Drake, headmaster of the Ballina School, swam back to the shore, procured a lifebelt, and went after Mr Willows, and brought him ashore. Efforts to restore animation were unsuccessful.

Northern Star  1 March, 1928.

Now that I live near a beach, I am constantly reminded that while it is beautiful,  it can be a dangerous place.  Growing up swimming in the relative safety of the local pool, I am always wary of the ocean and careful not to swim too far from the shore. 

Tallow Beach, Byron Bay, NSW

* The Daily Liberal, 28 July 1996