Dear Fran, Love Dulcie
Page 8
Dear Fran,
Well, Christmas is only eight weeks away and I’ll soon have to start shopping and baking the cakes. Terry wants Santa Claus to bring a 20-inch [50 cm] bike and various other things. What do Ricky and Mark want? Terry will also get a “bonus” gift. My little saddle mare is expecting a foal about Christmas time. I had her mated to an Arab stallion and I told Terry he could have the foal. Len should be home in about 5 weeks. I hope to have all the dipping, branding, etc. done by then.
You asked if we had help, Fran. Well, no, we don’t employ anyone. Len has to cut cane to get ahead a bit and we just don’t have the extra money to pay anyone to help while he is away. I can handle most of it myself - sometimes I get so tired though. Out of bed at 5 o’clock every morning and not finished the work until 10 o’clock at night. I don’t mind branding the calves but I hate castrating the young bull calves.
Terry’s school work had to be dropped but I’m not worried about it as he will be going to school in Yeppoon next February. The State government has agreed to pay half the cost of running a bus to and from school each day to collect the 14 children between here and Yeppoon. The three other families and us are to pay the other half - which is not bad.
I smashed our Zephyr car up last Sunday night. Hit a kangaroo when Terry and I were coming home from the far paddock. Smashed in all the bonnet [hood], mudguard [fender], grille and headlights. Killed the ’roo anyway so that’s one less grass-eater. I wish the scientists would hurry up and invent some disease to spread among the ’roos to kill them out. They are terrible pests - eat more grass than the cattle. Terry’s pet one keeps the lawn mowed perfectly - so I guess that’s all they are good for.
Well, Fran, I must close and go to bed as its nearly midnight and I have a full day tomorrow. I hope you get the parcel of Christmas presents I sent you in time for Christmas.
Lots of love from,
Dulcie
13th January 1965
Dear Fran,
Well, Christmas is over once again and we had a very busy time. Didn’t feel like Christmas really. Len came home Christmas Eve night and we spent the day at home watching Terry play with his presents. Boxing day we spent riding about repairing boundary fences and have been looking for missing stock ever since.
We’ve had a terrific summer. Has been around 102 to 107 [39ºC to 42℃] most days and the week before Christmas a bushfire burnt us out and most of the fences were badly damaged. We found some bodies of cattle that had been caught by the fire. Most of the cattle are weak from want of water and feed and if rain doesn’t fall within a week we will lose heavily.
Today has been about the worst day we’ve ever had. Len was riding a new gelding he’d just broken in and it played up all day. Bucked, kicked and bit every time he got off it or tried to get back on it. He ended up walking and leading the horse most of the day, so we didn’t get much work done.
I received the magazines you sent, Fran, they had come unwrapped and were rolled up and tied with string. The three little cards “Birds of North America” were placed in an envelope and posted from the Postmaster at the Brisbane Post office. I do hope the parcel I sent you arrived in better condition. One of Terry’s guinea pigs had 4 babies last night. They are lovely little things.
Things look pretty bad here at the moment. War with Indonesia [Vietnam] is expected within the next few weeks and all boys of 20 to 25 years are being called up for the Army. I guess it will be a race to see who can bomb who first.
Well Fran, Len and Terry have long since gone to bed so guess I’d better follow. Write soon and tell me about your Christmas celebrations.
Love,
Dulcie
27th January 1965
Dear Fran,
Well, Terry started school last week. I took him in the first day and he came home on the bus in the evening and is going in and out and enjoys the bus ride. Some of the children were crying when we were waiting to enrol but Terry loved it right from the start.
He is starting to droop a bit now though - the heat combined with the bus ride of 48 miles [77 km] a day and the long day on top of it. He leaves home at 7:30 and the bus returns here at 5 in the afternoon. I feel so lonely now without him - even his dog misses him! Guess I’ll have to have another baby to keep me company.
My little mare had her foal 3 days ago. It’s a lovely little thing and very quiet. The mother lets me touch it but doesn’t let Len or anyone else to go near. I promised it to Terry before it was born so now he will have to make friends with it and get it to follow him about. Of course it can’t be broken in until it’s 2 years old.
Terry’s guinea pigs also had babies. Three mother ones had 10 babies between them. They are really lovely little mites.
Terry was thrilled with the idea that your boys had play-motors for their bikes. I tried all the shops in Rockhampton for one for him but alas, no one has heard of such things out here. Terry can ride the bike no trouble now - had a few falls at the start - but soon mastered it. It is a 24-inch [60 cm].
He had his 6th birthday a week ago and received lots of toys and things from his grandparents and others. I made him a big Teddy Bear cake, 18 inches long and 11 inches wide [45 cm by 28 cm]. Gee, it looked lovely. I hope Ricky enjoyed his birthday.
We still haven’t had any rain since the fire and we are in a desperate position for water and grass. Len has the boring machine going, night and day, frantically trying to hit water, but water seems to be a long way down here. He bored down 120 feet [36.6 metres] and hit solid rock and had to pull out and try another place. Since the end of November the temp hasn’t been below 98 degrees [37ºC] during the day and most days it’s around 105 [41℃].
We have been felling trees for the cattle to eat the leaves and my hands are massed with blisters from holding the chainsaw all day. I’ve often felt like giving up but when I see the cattle - just bones with skin on - I realise I’m not as bad as they are and get a new burst of energy.
I wonder sometimes if there’s any sense battling on like this. It would be easier to give up the lot and live in town but we just keep on for Terry’s sake, hoping to build up a place for him when he’s older.
Half the plants in the garden are dead and the lawn is so dry a dropped cigarette butt will set it on fire.
Well, Fran, I do hope your new year started off better than it has here and do write soon as it is the only happy thing to look forward to at the moment.
Lots of love,
Dulcie
19th February 1965
Dear Fran,
It is now midday and I’ve just come in from working, have made coffee and a sandwich. Gee, it’s lovely to sit down for a few minutes. I had a terrific headache from the noise of the chainsaw I think. Still felling trees for fodder. We’ve given up hope of ever seeing rain again. Today there is a terrific hot north wind blowing and with the temp 102 [39ºC] everything seems to be burning up a bit more.
My brother’s wife, Ann, is expecting a baby in July and at night I’m making clothes for the infant. Ann can’t sew or knit and won’t try. I’ve only one little jacket to finish knitting and that will be the last I’m doing for her. Have done 8 pairs of booties, 3 coats, 3 bonnets and sewed 3 dresses and 4 nighties. Ann isn’t very pleased about the coming baby. She didn’t want children for 3 years yet. I think she is very childish to carry on like that but I can’t say anything to her. Perhaps she will change when the baby arrives.
Terry was very excited when I told him you had sent him a motor like your boys have. Thank you very sincerely, Fran. Yesterday afternoon Terry rode his horse down to Len after school and the horse fell in a hole. Terry hit the ground rather hard and has a fair bit of skin missing. However he wouldn’t stay home from school today so he mustn’t be feeling too bad.
In your letter, Fran, you asked about the ready-mixed foods. Well, I did try a few of the cake mixes but didn’t care for them as they all tasted the same and I’ve never tried any other kind of food mix. I really don’t mind coo
king.
Len bought me a new stove a few weeks ago. It is an Aga slow combustion and burns coke. It has a big oven, specially for bread, and another all-purpose oven. It has its own hot water system so there’s hot water aplenty with no extra cost. Two small scoops of coke keep it hot for 24 hours. Coke is £8 per ton [1016 kg] and a ton lasts 1 year without letting the stove go out. It’s very cheap to get hot water and continuous heat all year for £8. The cost of the stove is rather a lot though - £540. Still it’s wonderful to come home and find the stove and oven hot and water ready for baths.
The stove is beautifully finished in black and white enamel with chrome touches here and there and measures 4 feet 6 inches [137 cm] long and 30 inches [75 cm] deep. We had a terrific time unloading it off the truck and getting it inside. It weighs 12 hundredweight [610 kg]. I see some storm clouds gathering in the southwest. How I hope we get it! I wouldn’t mind if it rained 20 inches [45 cm] and flooded us out.
We went to town last Monday for our TB [tuberculosis] X-rays and I got a few things to make up a parcel to send to you. About the X-ray, Fran, do you have it over there? Every 2 years everyone over 14 years of age is compelled to have a chest X-ray to see if they have TB. If the X-ray shows it’s positive, the person is put into a sanitarium to be cured. Years ago the disease was very common but now, due to the X-rays and treatment, it’s very rare. Also vaccination against polio and diphtheria is compulsory. I think it does help to keep these terrible illnesses down.
Well, Fran, I guess I’d better go back and do some work.
So lots of love to you all.
Dulcie
13th April 1965
Dear Fran,
It must be weeks since I received your last letter - please forgive me for not writing sooner. Terry received the motor you sent and he is so pleased. He can’t wait to get home in the evenings to play with it. He showed it to the children on the school bus yesterday and every child wanted one! I love the way the little “spark plugs” light up. I wonder why Australia is so behind in getting new types of toys. Most of the toys here are about the same as when I was a child.
I’ve enclosed some stamps for the boys. How are their collections coming along?
I hope you can follow this writing, Fran. I cut the end off the first finger of my right hand last week and it’s awkward trying to hold a pen. I was putting a new muffler and exhaust pipes on the car and one pipe had to fit inside the other. So I held onto the join and hammered the end with a piece of wood.
The pipe went into the other one alright, with the end of my finger inside it. Cut through the nail and was hanging by the skin. I tied it up and finished getting the pipes connected to the car and drove into the doctor. He stitched it on again so I hope it grows back.
We went to the pictures last Saturday night. First time for nearly a year. Terry loved it. There were two cowboy pictures on but I can’t remember the names of them. I thought they were rather silly.
The ducks are all starting to hatch out their young and we have little yellow ducklings everywhere. They are so lovely when they’re small. We also are getting overrun with guinea pigs. Terry started off with 3 females and 1 male just before Christmas and now we have 21! Len was saying he wished the cattle would breed as fast.
They are not doing too bad now though we lost a lot when the fire went through. Last year Len bought some Santa Gertrudis - a breed the American King Ranch Company brought out from America. They are lovely beasts. Dark red all over and very fast growing. Only trouble is they can jump over 8-foot [2.4 metres] high fences.
Have enclosed a snap of my mare and her foal when it was just born in January. The stallion was a dapple grey Arab and the foal has now changed to that colour. The mare is black and white. She’s usually more red colour from rolling in our red soil!
Terry is awaiting Easter. He loves Easter eggs! He has a holiday Good Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Easter Monday. Then another the following Monday - Anzac Day. Also May 5th Labour Day. The 7th anniversary of Karen’s death. Seven years sounds a long time but it doesn’t feel that long since it happened.
Well, Fran, I must close and get some ironing done. Sore finger or not it has to be done.
Lots of love from,
Dulcie
28th May 1965
Dear Fran,
Our winter has started and how I hate it! 43 [6ºC] degrees this morning. However, it’s back around 70 [21℃] now (midday). I’ve just made Len a birthday cake, he will be 37 tomorrow. Guess I’d better not put that many candles on the cake though! For my birthday last month, Len bought me a new watch. So far I haven’t got anything for him though. I may take a drive into town tomorrow and get something.
By the way did I thank you for the card you sent me? I can’t remember if I wrote you since my birthday. I seem to have lost track of time lately. I owe you dozens of letters. Some folks I haven’t written to since Christmas.
You must have had a lovely time at the Tulip festival, Fran. How I’d love to see all those beautiful flowers! Are you going to celebrate your 10th wedding anniversary in any special way? Our 11th comes up on July 10th but guess we’ll both forget like we usually do.
My brother’s wife had twin boys last Sunday. One weighs 3 pounds [1.4 kg] and the other 5 and ½ pounds [2.5 kg]. They are doing well. The doctor was about as shocked as Ann when two were born. I don’t think much of him for a doctor. Ann named them Kenneth Brian and William Robert.
I think your idea of a course in fiction writing is a good one, Fran. Wish I had time to take a course in diesel mechanics. Diesel engines are about the only thing that stumps me. They are just too complicated! However they are better than petrol motors and we must have them.
Well, there’s no news here so I guess I’ll close and go around the dingo baits. Might find a few dead ones.
Lots of love,
Dulcie
19th July 1965
Dear Fran,
You and the children must certainly be enjoying the holidays. I wish we could find time to enjoy ourselves. The years are flying away and all we seem to do is work, work, work. We celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on July 10 putting up a new dividing fence. Very enjoyable time I must say. Len went to Mackay to cut cane again, so I won’t see him till November. Ah, I feel in a miserable mood now - maybe things won’t look so bad tomorrow.
We’ve had a few frosts, nothing really like winter though, and the days are quite warm, mostly about 80 degrees. [27℃]
I’ve done a bit to the garden in the last week. Most of the roses are in bloom, also gerberas and hibiscus - however everything else has lost their leaves till spring. I mowed half an acre [0.2 hectares] of lawn and will finish the rest tomorrow. Looks lovely when it’s mowed, wish I could keep it neat all the time. At nights I’ve been knitting and made a long-sleeved polo-necked pullover for my brother, Tom.
Brian’s wife brought the twins home on Friday. They are 2 months old now. One weights 7 pounds 9 ounces [3.4 kg] and the other 6 pounds 9 ounces [3 kg]. Their new house isn’t quite finished yet so they are living with Mum and Dad. Mum says the babies cry nearly all night so I guess everyone will have short dreams for awhile.
Terry hasn’t been too well lately. Took him to the doctor last Friday and he has to have an X-ray this Friday, Doctor thinks he may have sinus trouble - unusual for one so young.
Yes, Fran, the children do print differently. Terry is not supposed to be still printing. They do writing in the second year but he finds it easier to print. He says he will write the boys a letter this time. Will probably take him all day.
Well, I must go to bed so will finish this tomorrow.
* * *
21st July
Didn’t get around to writing yesterday - was too cold. We had the coldest night on record for the central district. Snow fell only 80 miles [129 km] away. First time in history. You should see the garden, just a black mess and no flowers now! Two baby calves I had tied up near the car shed were frozen dead.
Di
d I say it was nothing like winter? Sleet is forecast for today. I’ve never seen sleet or snow so guess it will be an eye-opener if we are brave enough to go out.
The school closed for today as the children would probably freeze. None of the houses or schools, shops, etc. are heated here. Not considered necessary.
Terry and I are tucked into a bed we put up in the kitchen and have the stove coked full. Locked the dogs in the car shed along with guinea pigs, ducks, fowls, etc. I hope the poor things don’t freeze to death. Guess we’ll lose a few head of cattle. Heard on the radio that hundreds of sheep were frozen to death yesterday in the snow. As if a drought wasn’t enough hardship now this to top it off.
Well, Fran, I’d better close as Terry is complaining that I’m letting the cold under the blankets.
Lots of love and hope to God we are still alive tomorrow,
Dulcie
PS The mail transport probably won’t be along today to get this anyway.
25th October 1965
Dear Fran,
I think the last time I wrote you was sometime in August. I hope you didn’t think I’d forgotten you. Time has been against us and there’s been no time for writing.
We had a terribly hard winter and suffered heavy stock losses and to top it off there’s been no rain since. The whole of Queensland and New South Wales are drought struck and the stock losses have amounted to hundreds of thousands. Out of 300 head of cattle we now have the grand total of 60 left. I’ve been working like a madman trying to fell trees for them to eat the leaves and carting 1000 gallons [3785 litres] of water a day - had to fence up all the water holes and dams - as the weak cattle were bogging.