Esther Newbey nee Whit
Esther Whit was born on 17 July 1904 at Cradley, Worcestershire, England. She arrived in Western Australia with her parents and eleven siblings in 1912 when eight years old. She married George Horace (Horace) Newbey in 1926 in Katanning and had three children. Esther died in Katanning on 15 January 1999, aged 93 years and was buried in the Katanning cemetery on 18 January 1999.
Esther married George Horace (Horace) Newbey, son of Samuel John Newbey and Annie Rebecca Heffer, 5 April 1926 in Katanning, Western Australia. George Horace (Horace) Newbey was born on 18 November 1901, in Kerang, Victoria, Australia. He died on 27 September 1973, in Gnowangerup, and was buried on 29 September 1973 in Katanning.
Esther Whit’s (nee Newbey) Memories
I was born in Nottingham, England, but came out to Australia in 1912 with my parents when I was eight years old. I was the second youngest of 12 children (5 boys and 7 girls).
My two eldest brothers came out a year earlier and took up land near Gnowangerup. We were six weeks on the ship to Fremantle and then went by train to Broomehill. What a sight we must have made as my brothers were waiting with a great big wagon, pulled by four horses plus an extra two carts to take all our things.
My sister and her husband, Mr Smith, ran a boarding house in Gnowangerup. I lived with them in town (which was only half a dozen buildings in those days) so as to be close to the school. Later they had the Co-op in Woodanilling.[2]
My father, William John Whit, was a butcher by trade. During the First World War we came to Katanning and my father was butchering with Mr Gunter. Later we shifted to Kojonup where I completed my schooling. We had a very clever teacher in Kojonup by the name of Mr Bumstead who was a great musician. He organised wonderful concerts to raise money for the Red Cross. I remember the Cracker girls on the piano were excellent.
After school I was working at “Sunny Side” farm just east of Kojonup where I met and married Horace George Newbey.
We had a very happy life together – he was the sort of man who could turn his hand to anything. We worked on various farms around the Great Southern but spent a good deal of time at Woodyarrup. We always milked a cow and formed a vegetable garden. We brought our own grain into the mill for flour and bran.
Esther on her 90th birthday with two of her three children
Horace George (George) Newbey and Esther Doreen Quartermaine
We had three children (one girl and two boys); Esther Doreen ( – ), Horace George (George) 26/12/1927, and William – 19.06.1930 – 30.10.2016.
.We used to enjoy a game of tennis. We built a clay court on the farm and that was the beginning of tennis around Pallinup. People came to our place to play and then built their own courts. We finished up with a strong club at Pallinup School and we travelled around to play at Gnowangerup, Broomehill [2] and Katanning.
After a lot of hard saving we purchased a demo T-Model Ford which my husband made into a ute which was very handy – especially for going on holidays. We first began our camping holidays in Bremer Bay in 1928 which was lovely in those days. It was all wild and unspoiled with just a few dirt tracks. We took food and fuel and water, and you could just throw your line in anywhere and catch a good feed of fish. Lots of Borden people used to go down – the kids loved lit – it was just like one great happy family.
One year old Mr Barnes divined for fresh water and we dug a well fed by a beautiful fresh water spring just a little way from the sea amongst the paper barks. The next year he took a milking cow down to Bremer so we had lovely fresh milk also. We used to bury the vegetables to keep them fresh. One day we came back from fishing and saw the back of the cow sticking out of the tent. She had broken her rope and was into all the food.
We used to take a gramophone with us which was a real novelty. Everyone would come around and we would waltz around the camp fire or play hill billy tunes. They were very happy times. I can remember the coming of the television and I thought then “That will be the end of all the social life” and my word it was too, you know.
In the 1920’s we used to go to some great dances. There was a lovely dance hall in Broomehill and people-from Katanning would come on the back of a truck. Something we looked forward to every year was the Golf Club Ball which was a real turn out. Charlie Dickson was a fantastic pianist – he only had one eye but he could make a piano talk.
Our children went to school in Pallinup and then Katanning when Horace got a job with Richardson’s Store. One son took up the baking trade and the other went farming. My daughter married Eric Quartermaine and they also had twelve children.
I’m lucky to have 58 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. In a lot of ways I think it is a harder world now for the young ones. We were never stuck for a bit of work – but those jobs don’t exist any more.
I don’t think the woman’s role in farming in those days has really been recognised. They did a lot to bring up families and keep them fed and clothed and in good health. Many drove tractors and worked hard manually as well. I remember a very clever woman from near Katanning, Linda Leppard – she was as proficient as any man at working and fixing machinery.
We retired and moved to Bremer Bay in 1963. I returned to Katanning after my husband died in 1973. These days I enjoy a game of cards at the Autumn Club and the ladies do a fantastic job every month when they put on a lovely meal and a bit of entertainment. I think we are very lucky in Katanning in that respect.
Do you have any photos of Esther Newbey’s grandchildren?
If so I would love to hear from you.
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