__________________________
|
_Partick DRIES __________|
| (1886 - 1965) m 1907 |
| |__________________________
|
|
|--Pattie DRIES
|
| _Edward William MEDHURST _+
| | (1857 - 1925) m 1888
|_Maria Adeline MEDHURST _|
(1889 - 1953) m 1907 |
|_Maria Jane MERRICK ______
(1855 - 1947) m 1888
[150] living - details excluded
_John MEDHURST ______+
| (.... - 1887) m 1833
_George MEDHURST ____|
| (1838 - 1888) m 1857|
| |_Catherine SHAW _____+
| (1799 - 1894) m 1833
|
|--Annie Catherine MEDHURST
| (1858 - 1936)
| _Joseph BRIDGE ______
| | (1814 - 1891) m 1834
|_Ann Matilda BRIDGE _|
(1839 - 1927) m 1857|
|_Sarah WOODBURY _____
(1819 - 1904) m 1834
[987]
Annie Catherine Medhurst
At this early satge of our history, Annie was a fourth generation Australian born. She would have been four years old when her parents made themove from the Wollombi district to Inverell.
It is known that Annie helped her mother in the hospital she was managing. In those days before refrigeration, a patient at the hospital was running a high temperature. After a storm Annie scooped up hailstones to put on the man's forehead to help bring his temperature down. Many improvisions such as this had to be made by our pioneers.
On the 16th March 1881 at St. Augustine's Anglican Church, Inverell, Annie married Donald Wall, son of William Wall and Christina McPhee. Their first child Clara was born in Inverell. Sometime after the birth in 1882, Donald acquired a Colonial Wine and Spirit Licence and built the "Cedar Tree" wine shop near Bingara.
This wine shop, or shanty, was famous throughout the district. There were tale of bare knuckle fights, horse races, buck jumping contests and a Ghost. It even had it's own racecourse which ended quite conveniently and appropriately at the bar. The tale that there was a ghost at the hotel spread far and wide. Great was the trade it brought to the hotel, but when it was finaly laid to rest, Donald denied any complicity. Knowing him as they did, the locals had their doupts.
During these eventful years, Annie bore nine children, eight of whom lived to adult-hood.
Annie and Donald left Bingara around 1902 and spent some time at a hotel at Deepwater. Eventuallyy a move was made to the coast near Grafton, where they spent time with Annie's sister Bertha and her husband Ben Bridge. Bertha and Ben decided to go on to the Inverell area, and Annie and Donald selected eighty acres of land at Dirty Creek, south of Grafton in 1911. Donald felled most of the timber for their home himself, from trees growing on their property. He worked at the Dundoo Mill opposite and had the slabs for the home sawn there. The house still stands to-day cherished by the Johnson family.
At the relatively young age of sixty-four, Donald passed away on the 3rd June 1921 at his home. Annie had four brothers at this time and all through the sadness of her husband's death, she kept working. It has been said of Annie Medhurst-Wall, that she feared no danger for she knew no sin. She had many troubles but bore them without complaint, meeting triumph and disaster with equal calm. No traveller ever called at her door in vain for a meal or a "shake down" fo the night. Her home was always available for Anglican Church Services. Her children having married members of the community, there was a large extended family. Many times Annies home was used for happy gatherings with dancing being enjoyed by all.
Annie died on the 16th August 1936 with her family around her. She is burried beside her husband at Corindi, a lonely bush grave that bushfires have passed through. In the words of a family friend, "This couple shared their lives together in the tough old days of pioneering, they are now joined by death for eternity."
[1901] St.Augustine's Anglican Church
________________________
|
_Colin Eric MEPHAN _______|
| |
| |________________________
|
|
|--Joanne Marie MEPHAN
|
| _Keith MEDHURST ________+
| | (1905 - 1985)
|_Jeanette Marie MEDHURST _|
|
|_Annie Clara SCHMIERER _
_Norman Francis PASSFIELD _
|
_Kevin John PASSFIELD _|
| |
| |_Clarice Daphne GRAYSON ___+
|
|
|--Lynda Marie PASSFIELD
|
| ___________________________
| |
|_Denise Ann LYMAN _____|
|
|___________________________
[698] living - details excluded
_Douglas Edward PETERSON _
|
_Douglas Neil PETERSON _|
| |
| |_Bernice HANCOCK _________+
|
|
|--Elizabeth Clair PETERSON
| (1076 - ....)
| __________________________
| |
|_Rosemary FAIBROTHER ___|
|
|__________________________