Stories of Rural Women in the Manning Valley 1850 – 1950
Compiled by Lucy Weller and Ruth Woodward
This book is dedicated to the many women who have made their home in the Manning Valley.
Di Morrissey’s Foreward noted:
“Their perspectives reflected through reminiscences and research show clearly that devotion to the values of hard work, truth, frugality, family, friends and community, greatly enriched the heritage of future generations…It is a fitting tribute to the battlers of bush and town back in those very simple yet difficult days …Their stories are inspiring, and a valuable contribution to the recorded history of the region, and our nation.”
Softcover
200 pages
14.5 cm x 21 cm
Printed 2005
Cost: $20
The History and Legacy of Isabella Murray
Ross Murray
Like thousands of other Scots, John and Isabella Murray were victims of the vast changes that transformed British society during the Industrial Revolution. As tenant farmers, they lost their small holding as farms on the large estates were amalgamated and as sheep production replaced the more traditional intensive cropping. When John died in 1845, Isabella was left with ten children in a situation of great uncertainty.
This book traces the story of the families of John and Isabella, as far as available records allow, for the two centuries prior to these events. It considers the issues involved in the decision of Isabella and the children to migrate to Australia, describes the voyages themselves in 1848 and 1851, and records the settlement of the family in the fertile and picturesque Manning Valley.
It is the story of the pioneering origins of a prolific family that has made a significant contribution to the Manning District.
Softcover
96 pages
21 cm x 29.5 cm
Printed 2012
Cost: $10
Author F. A. Fitzpatrick
First published in 1914. Reprinted in 1986
Pioneering Days On The Manning
Frederick Arthur Fitzpatrick was born at Windsor, NSW in 1873 where he grew up and was
educated. He entered the journalistic world as an apprentice with the Windsor and
Richmond Gazette, in 1888. After a period with the Molong Argus, he came to Wingham in
1909. Here he took a position with the Wingham Chronicle.
In 1912 he became Managing Editor and Director, becoming the sole proprietor in 1938. He
continued this position until he retired from active journalism. As well as conducting the
Wingham Chronicle he contributed to a number of newspapers and journals including the
Sydney Morning Herald and the Bulletin. F. A. Fitzpatrick died in 1958.
During his life he was closely associated with Local Government, serving as an Alderman on
Windsor, Molong and Wingham Council.
He was an astute observer of contemporary social history, collecting and recording many of
his observations and reminiscences of the early residents of this district. He may well be
called the father of local history in the Manning Valley.
Second-hand book – good condition
196 pages with some black and white photographs
18cm x 12cm
Reprinted 1986
Cost $50
Still Going Strong
Margaret A Clark
This book is based on over 200 postcards sent by Alfred Haynes to his wife and children during the years 1916-1919 . Author Margaret Clark has also used letters written by other soldiers from the Manning Valley to provide additional detail.
Alf’s cards, in particular reflect the anguish experienced by a soldier who has left wife and family behind to proceed to a war that was consuming men at a fearsome rate.
Softcover
230 pages
15.5 cm x 23.5 cm
Printed 2010
Cost: $10
Compiled by Manning Valley Historical Society
Celebrating the history of cookery in the Manning Valley NSW
This book is a recognition of the talents of women, past and present and of colonial settlers in and around the Manning Valley of NSW. It also includes documents and copies of original photographs from the MVHS museum and archives collection.
Softcover
68 pages with photographs
21 cm x 29.5 cm
Printed 2011
Cost: $20
Anzac Stories of the Great War
John Ramsland
This book by Historian John Ramsland is packed with unusual stories of a personal nature. They are brought to life from when the first shot was fired until the last bullet and, then, beyond to the aftermath. From the life stories of historical figures, John elegantly crafts an anthology of epic heroism in WWI.
564 pages including photographs
13.5 cm x 21 cm
Soft cover
Price: $27.00
Taree Scribblers
This fine collection by the writers of Taree Scribblers Club promises plenty of laughs, some poignant moments, and the occasional surprise. Short stories, memoirs, poems and cartoons showcase the broad talents of nine authors.
Softcover
122 pages
14 cm x 21 cm
First published 2010
Cost: $20
Manning Valley Historical Society. John Hoskins, David Freeman
Some notes about the Breelong Massacre and the events leading up to it, which may be of interest to students studying the case.
Also a story written by Arthur Mowle, who was also known as the bushranger ‘Moonlight’ (not Captain Moonlite), who was born in 1889 at Serpentine on the New England.
Softcover
30 pages with photographs
21 cm x 15 cm
First printed 1994, reprint 2025
Cost $8
Therese Archinal
In this book Therese records both the strengths and weaknesses of the Andrews families. Using impeccable research she tells the stories of the Andrews family in the Manning Valley. There are hundreds of photographs – many of which are being seen for the first time.
176 pages including photographs
21 cm x 29.5 cm
Printed 2003
Softcoverost: $30
Author: Ian McDonell
Ian McDonell is the son of Frederick Barton McDonell and Fanny Elizabeth Wynter. Fanny
was a descendant of William Wynter. Ian states that this is “…the short but important story
of the man who settled a north coast river estate, the place now named Taree: my home
town.”
“Much of a story such as this is personal opinion, reasonably structured, and interwoven
with established facts. There is no intentional or mischievous mishandling of historical
facts.”
Second-hand book – good condition
28 pages with family tree timelines and one black and white photo of a local map.
14cm x 22cm
Printed in 1989 (out of print)
Cost $5.00
Compiled and written by Jim Revitt
Introduction
“In the introduction to “The Good Old Days along the Manning River and Great Lakes” I expressed the hope that the book would bring to light more old photographs of the past that had been saved by descendants of the pioneers of the area. The response from the public exceeded all expectations, and scores of people came forward with valuable photographs. The amount of fresh material, and the enthusiasm of the public for “The Good Old Days”, made a second book imperative. Such a wealth of exciting photographs had to be recorded and shared.
Once again, the Wallamba District Historical Society and the Manning Valley Historical Society have played a major role in the production of this second volume of “The Good Old Days”, richly supported by the Gloucester District Historical Society. The scope of this book has been extended to include the Gloucester area because there were strong economic and family links between the pioneers of Gloucester and the pioneers of the Manning and Great Lakes. Also, the photographs from Gloucester sources greatly enriched the stock of visual images that appeal so strongly to Australians with an appreciation of their heritage.
Tribute must again be made to the photographers who recorded these fascinating portraits of the past. Every effort has been made to trace copyright and any possible infringement is regretted.
While every effort was made to authenticate the text in the first volume of “The Good Old Days”, it was inevitable that some mistakes should have been made. Identifying people and places in old photographs so often depends on failing and faulty memories, or on information handed down verbally from generation to generation. Corrections to captions in volume one are printed on this page.”
Jim Revitt
Second-hand book – fair – good condition
99 pages with black and white photographs
28cm x 21.5cm
Reprinted 1980 (now out of print)
Cost $25.00
Compiled and written by Jim Revitt
“In 1978 I set out on what I expected to be a pleasant but short journey into the past. The aim of the exercise was to produce a book of old photographs that reflected the spirit as well as the achievements of the pioneering days along the Manning and around the Great Lakes. Now, four years and three books later, the journey has at last come to an end. It lasted much longer than I expected, yielded more great photographs than I initially imagined existed, and gave more pleasure than I can describe.
The sense of achievement that I feel at having published for posterity such wide-ranging images of our heritage must be shared by the persistent and hard working members of the Historical Societies of the region. Without their resources and help, the task would have been an impossible one. The fact that we have three volumes instead of the originally anticipated single book is due largely to the recognition by scores of people in the Gloucester, Manning and Great Lakes region that they had in their possession valuable historical photographs that should be shared with the community at large. To their awareness, and to the unknown photographers of bygone days, we all owe a great debt.
Over the past four years I have developed a much greater respect for the value of old photographs as a source of information for the historian as well as the general reader. In the books I have tried to give the pictures a chance to make their own statement. Their value will, I’m sure, increase with the years, and their message to future generations may well be more significant than what they have to say to us today.”
Jim Revitt
Second-hand book – fair – good condition
99 pages with black and white photographs
28cm x 21.5cm
Reprinted 1982 (now out of print)
Cost $25.00
Compiled and written by Jim Revitt
Introduction
“In recent years Australians have been looking at their past with a new awareness of their inheritance. As the nation approaches it’s bi-centenary, there is a growing sense of history that’s not restricted to those whose ancestors played a pioneering role.
In seeking out and understanding the roots of our heritage, it is very enriching to look at local history, as well as the people and events that dominated the national scene. The struggles and achievements of men and women far removed from the major centres of power and settlement are rich sources for anyone seeking a comprehensive picture of the past.
Unfortunately, very few pioneer communities in the bush were blessed with historians and diarists, and later generations recklessly destroyed much valuable material that had been handed down. Yet, despite these handicaps, there is still a great deal of useful historical material waiting to be salvaged by the custodians of local history. Happily, their ranks and resources are growing stronger.
In this book I’ve tried to record for wider appreciation some of the fascinating historical photographs of the past along the Manning River and Great Lakes, including Tuncurry and Forster. I’ve also endeavoured to background the photographs with historical facts, and colour them with human interest stories. A key objective has been to preserve some of these fast-fading images of an important era of our history and, in doing so, stimulate greater interest in local history. The book makes no pretension to be a definitive local history. That important task must eventually be taken by a trained historian.
The production of this book would not have been possible without the tremendous amount of work done over the years by members of the Manning Valley Historical Society, and I am deeply indebted to them. In return, I hope that sales of the book will financially benefit the Societies and encourage greater public support for their work.
I am indebted to the scored of photographers, most of them anonymous, who so faithfully and imaginatively recorded so many facets of the past. The photographs selected for this volume represent only a fraction of those now in public archives and private collections. Perhaps many more will be dug out of family collections as a result of this publication to provide additional material for another volume.
Every effort has been made to trace copyright and any possible infringement is regretted.
Jim Revitt
Second-hand book – fair – good condition
99 pages with black and white photographs
28cm x 21.5cm
Reprinted 1979 (now out of print)
Cost $25.00
Evelyn Boyce
This is the story of some of the people who lived and worked on Somerset during the period spanning almost a century when the property was owned by the Andrews family.
Softcover
52 pages
14.5 cm x 21 cm
Printed 1982
cost $6
Author: John Ramsland
The author was commissioned by the Greater Taree City Council at the beginning of 1985 to research and write this comprehensive history of the Manning River Valley as the City’s major contribution to the Bicentennial Celebrations.
“This book is about the people of the Manning and the history of their existence in the region since 1770. The Aborigines had already been on the Manning for thousands of years when the first few European settlers began to invade the valley in 1827. Their motive in establishing permanent settlement was to provide a healthy, prosperous life for their families and to reap the potential commercial harvest from the valley’s natural resources. The Aborigines, on the other hand, sought to maintain their traditional and subtle way of life based on hunting, fishing and food gathering, with as little alteration to the valley’s natural environment as possible. The European culture and the Aboriginal culture were very different from one another and some kind of clash was inevitable. The collision and eventual accommodation between the invading European civilisation is an important historical issue despite the patchiness of local documentation on the matter.”
Second-hand book – good condition
336 pages with black and white photos and illustrations
16.7cm x 25cm Hard Cover
Published 1987 (out of print)
Cost $45.00
Theodor Müller’s Nineteen Years in Australia
Translated by Frank Pammer
Edited by Maurie Garland & John Ramsland
Theodor Müller left his home in Switzerland and arrived in Sydney in 1857. He spent nineteen years travelling the Australian Outback, mainly on foot. He roamed north to Brisbane, west to Mudgee and south to Gundagai, sleeping beneath the stars and finding work where he could. In observing the culture of this new country, Müller also wrote chapters on gold, squatters, bushrangers, & Aboriginals.
To supplement the text, the editors have illustrated the book with many nineteenth century drawings, and provided annotations, background boxes and commentary boxes.
320 pages
13.5 cm x 21 cm
Printed 2007
Softcover
Cost: $25
A Folk History of the Upper Manning Cooplacurripa – Tiri – Tigrah
Compiled and written by Suzanne Sampson & Margaret Smith
This book makes no claim to give a scholarly account of the early settlement of the Upper Manning area. Rather, it is a folk history told, as they remember it, by the descendants of the early pioneering families.
Softcover
112 pages
21 cm x 29.5 cm
printed 1987
cost $25
A Pioneering Woman’s Struggle for Justice
Maurie Garland
Isabella Mary Kelly (no relation to Ned) was born in Dublin, and arrived in Australia in 1835, a wealthy single woman in a man’s world. She became the third settler in the Manning Valley, a pioneer in her own right. Isabella ran her property herself, using assigned convict labour. Isabella was disliked by her male counterparts who lived nearby and was eventually accused and convicted of a crime she did not commit
This is the story of her struggle to prove her innocence and obtain justice.
355 pages
13.5 cm x 21 cm
Revised and Updated Edition Printed 2012
Softcover
Cost: $30
Jim Frazier
Autobiography
Jim Frazier – the boy from the Aussie bush, created an Oscar winning lens system that would change photography forever.
This is Jim’s story – one of tenacity, brilliance and downright perseverance.
270 pages including photographs
17 cm x 23.5 cm
Printed 2021
Soft cover
Price: $40.00
“Tinobi” (Big Shark)
A brief history of Tinonee
Softcover
40 pages
14 cm x 21.5 cm
First published 1988
Cost: $20
