Dear Fran, Love Dulcie

by Victoria Twead

  She is the oldest dog we have and the other four working dogs are blue heelers. We use these for driving cattle. They work very much like sheep dogs only instead of barking they run quietly and bite the legs of any cattle that get out of line.

  A good heeler can do the work of two riders. Of course it takes time to train a young dog but it soon learns from the older dogs. Terry is reading this letter as I write and he said to tell Ricky and Mark that in the grain shed there are 23 cats - he counted them yesterday!

  I don’t count these as pets because they are not allowed to be brought to the house, they are strictly working cats. Their job is to keep the mice and rats out of the stock feed. They only get ¾ gallon of milk each day and have to catch anything else they want to eat.

  Well, Fran, I guess we need some lunch so I’ll away for now.

  Lots of love,

  Dulcie

  10th February 1968

  Dear Fran,

  Last week we were invited to do another show with some recording artists to raise funds for charity. This is a tape Len took while sitting in the audience. Hence the loud yells. He tried to cut most of it out. Anyway, I hope you can hear the tunes okay.

  We started off with Slim Dusty a leading recording artist and holder of two gold records. All together doing “Along the Road to Gundagai” and “I’m Going Back to Yarrawonga”.

  Next he sang a “Fire of Gidgee Coal”. Then a portion of Tom doing “Lofty” and “Back Street Affair”.

  Tom was troubled with his amplifier all night. It insisted on making crackling noises. Been doing this for some time now. I guess he should discard it.

  Next Slim Dusty again with “Queensland State So Fair” and “Ace of Hearts”. A pity Len didn’t record all of that number as I like it very much. “In the Dog House Now” is another number by Tom.

  Next, our own group doing “Guitar Boogie”.

  Then Rick Clearly and I with a duet and violin backing, “Let’s Grow Old Together”. Last for this side is Dusty Rankin doing “Little Blue Eyes”.

  On side 2, I kicked off with a solo “I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight”. Then funny man Chad Morgan with “Two Up”. Dusty Rankin again with “The Drifting Stockman”. Tom still with amplifier trouble doing “Sunshine My Side of the Street”. Rick and I with an encore to do “Let’s Grow Old Together” again. Slim Dusty with “Sesias Jace” and, to close, me doing a repeat of “I’ll Be all Smiles Tonight”.

  Hearing ourselves against the professionals just shows that we sure aren’t much good. Anyway we helped make up a show and the money came rolling in for a good cause.

  Well, Fran, hope you think the tape is worth wasting the batteries over.

  Lots of love,

  Dulcie

  14th April 1968

  Dear Fran,

  Today is Easter Sunday so we are having an extra long lunch break before we go back to branding and dehorning. Two jobs I hate most. The hot brand may not hurt for long but when the horns are removed, just like teeth, gosh! I’m glad I’m not a cow.

  Since February there just hasn’t been a spare moment. Len went interstate with some friends on 9th February. Two days later the wet season started and this time it was extra wet. In 3 weeks we had 63 inches [160 cm] of rain. We were cut off on all roads and the Army helicopters at the Shoalwater Base, which joins our property, kept in contact with us in case we needed anything.

  Terry couldn’t go to school and he moped about trying to find something to do. I took all the stock to higher ground after the first of the rain. Some places were so flooded I had to get off the horse and swim with it. Then we had an outbreak of ephemeral fever in the cattle which meant they had to be hand-fed and watered where they lay. If you try to walk them they die.

  I lost count of the times the truck bogged with loads of feed on. Terry came in handy then. He managed the truck while I towed it out with the crawler. Putting feed and buckets of water under each animal’s nose twice a day for 10 days - 280 of them, too - we just tumbled into bed around midnight each night.

  All this time the phone was out and the roads out and Len couldn’t be contacted. As soon as the animals were okay Len’s father had a heart attack. I nursed him for 4 days waiting for a helicopter to come over to signal it down. They were the worst 4 days and nights I’ve ever known.

  He lives in another house on our place, ½ mile from our house. I went to see him one evening and found him unable to speak properly and hardly able to walk. Terry and I got him into the truck and brought him home. I don’t know much about medicine and thought he would die before we got help.

  However on the 5th day a copter came over the house and I put Terry on the roof to wave a sheet. It came down and took the old chap to hospital. He came home 12 days ago and has been staying with us.

  He and his wife parted many years ago. Eight days ago my mother also had a heart attack. She is still in hospital but progressing alright. Len came home 6 days ago and we are busy once more. We took Good Friday off and went fishing, didn’t do much good as the fresh water run off had killed most of the crabs and oysters. Anyway, we had a day out.

  I’ve just found your last letter, looked it up to see how long it was since I’d wrote you a letter. You mentioned square dancing. I believe a fair bit of it is done in the southern states but in Queensland it appeared to die out in 1953-54. I remember doing this dance when I was still in high school - it was very popular then and I loved the full skirted frocks. Seems a pity it’s not done here now.

  How are you going with the income tax business? Yes, Fran, we pay tax too, 10 cents in every dollar we earn. Doesn’t allow anyone to get rich. I do all the book-keeping and tax returns. Every month my big headache begins when it’s time to pay the accounts and enter it in the books. Of course we don’t pay tax on the gross income just what is left after we deduct farming expenses.

  For instance we may have a gross income of $8,000 but fodder, fuel, machinery, fencing requirements, etc. may amount to $5000 So we are taxed on what is left. We can claim deductions for everything put into or onto the land but not living expenses or personal things. The cost of Terry’s schooling is deductible - books, fees and uniforms, etc.

  Most of the articles I’ve seen about American schools, the children appear to wear what they like. Is this really so, Fran? Here, each school, private or public, has its own uniform in the school colours. Terry’s is grey and blue which means he must wear grey trousers and a shirt trimmed with a blue band on the sleeves. Socks are grey with blue stripe at the top. Grey and blue striped tie and grey hat with the school brand and motto. The girls have grey frocks with sleeves trimmed with blue and grey, stockings and tie. They look very neat and each school is proud of its colours.

  Well, Fran, I’ve cut myself a bit short of time to do the other things I planned to do this lunch time. I must get the washing soaked in to do tonight and make up the extra beds for two of Terry’s playmates. They are coming late this evening to stay till Monday night. Then I must leave everything in order for Len to baby sit while I go to Rockhampton to visit Mum tonight (if possible after I’ve done the washing).

  Well, I must away and do these things and then back to work or Len will be growling about women who waste time, a favourite growl.

  Lots of love, and write often. I love hearing from you even though I don’t write often myself.

  Dulcie

  PS Enclosed some stamps for the boys. Terry has the collecting bug also and thought Ricky and Mark would like these.

  Tuesday 23rd April 1968

  Dear Fran,

  Many thanks for the lovely birthday card. It arrived on Monday and until then no one, not even myself, thought of it being my birthday the day before. We had a good excuse - tiredness.

  On Saturday the school had its second Marathon Walk to raise funds for a swimming pool, the cost of which is $32,000. The government refused to build a pool but promised to give $1 for every $1 raised by Yeppoon and Districts with a population of 3,000 people. At the be
ginning this looked an impossible task and I think the government thought we would never be able to raise $16,000.

  We thought up this idea of human race-horses, the idea being everyone who wanted to walk should get as many people as possible to sponsor him at so much per mile. Generally most people sponsored from 1 cent to 10 cents per mile. We went as far as Rockhampton for sponsors.

  Terry walked 36 miles [58 km] this year and raised $30.36. Last year’s walk he did only 30 miles [48 km] and raised $36.00. We set out at six o’clock in the morning and only had till six in the evening to walk. The police were very good and kept the traffic at a slow pace all the way. At each mile peg an adult manned a checkpoint where you could pull out of the walk if you chose and a pick-up car would collect all the “dropouts” and return them to the starting point.

  When Terry dropped out at 36 miles, I continued on and reached “home” at 5 minutes to six so completing the 40 mile [64 km] course with just 5 minutes to spare. I was backed for 48 cents per mile, so only raised $19.20 after all that walking!

  However, some of the children walked the whole distance with only 10 cents per mile given. Oh well, we are only $5000 short of our target now, so another walk is planned later this year. One thing, Yeppoon people can be really proud of the pool they earned the money for.

  Mark and Ricky are sure growing up fast, Fran. Terry loved the style of their hair-cuts. Here they have to stick to school regulation cuts, short back and sides sort of thing, like the Army.

  I’ve just finished hanging out the washing and trying to bake bread and cakes while writing and listening to the radio. Len and Terry have gone to bed. The song “Memories of Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro is my favourite at the moment. In fact I’m crazy about it. I think it’s quite beautiful although a little sad.

  I went in to see Mum yesterday evening - she won’t be home for maybe six weeks so the doctor says.

  Well, Fran, maybe if I stop writing I’ll finish the work quicker and get to bed.

  Lots of love and thanks again for the card,

  Dulcie

  9th August 1968

  Dear Fran,

  It must be months since I wrote you and so much has happened in that time. The death of Mr. Kennedy [Robert Kennedy] was a terrible thing. I was hoping he would be your next president.

  At the end of May, Terry was admitted to hospital with bronchial pneumonia. He was there for 4 weeks. One week after I brought him home he had a relapse and was back in again, a very sick boy, for another 5 weeks. I brought him home again a couple of weeks ago. He won’t be able to return to school until the end of this month.

  He has had bronchitis ever since he was about 9 months old and every winter gets influenza and I always watch him carefully. However, this time he said he wasn’t feeling too ill and wanted to go to school to finish his first term exam. He finished it okay, got good marks too. English 98%, Social Studies 99%, Maths 84%, other subjects 92%. How he managed I don’t know because that very weekend he was terribly ill and put straight into hospital. When I showed him his exam results, he said he should have done better! Some people are never satisfied.

  Len left in mid-June to go back to the cane again. He came down to see Terry during his second stay in hospital but hasn’t been back since. We need a new car, the old one has just about parted from us. So we have to find $4,000 to buy another. Len won’t borrow from the bank or use time purchase so he is working to earn it.

  This time we are going to buy a Valiant. Our truck, car and tractors are all Ford and have given us no end of trouble, so I think it’s time to leave that make. No one seems to have a good word to say about Ford lately. The Ford Falcon gave everyone trouble. Mainly the gear box and differential appeared too weak for the car. Maybe our rough roads don’t suit.

  I’ve been kept pretty busy here lately. I don’t know if the USA is interested in our tick problem, so maybe you haven’t heard, but Queensland cattle ticks are getting rather hard to kill and we now have what is termed resistant ticks in many areas. Any property found with them on is quarantined by the Department of Primary Industries. Also the properties adjoining, as in our case one of our neighbours has the resistant ticks, so we are also under quarantine.

  Every ten days I have to muster and yard the cattle and dip them with chemicals the DPI are experimenting with. No stock, cattle, horses, dogs, etc. can be moved off the place and no plants soil or anything else in which ticks might be present. It means we can’t sell cattle for maybe 6 months or so until they’ve cleared our neighbour. It makes a lot of work dipping so often.

  Usually we dip only every 7 weeks. With Terry sick it made things awkward but Len’s mother came to my rescue and is staying with us so she minds Terry and helps with the housework. Heck! I’ll miss her when she goes home.

  I probably told you before that she and Len’s father parted many years ago, long before I met Len. They are Catholics so are not divorced. Mother has a cattle property of her own and is quite well off. Father lives in the old home on our place. Mother has a manager to run her place and travels about a fair bit. She doesn’t visit us very often because of her husband being on the place. Funny, they are both very nice people and yet can’t stand the sight of each other.

  Both of Len’s sisters, the one now dead and Margaret, were baptised in the parents’ faith but Len was brought up Church of England. Seems a funny thing to have done and whenever we have asked the parents why they did this, they both say, “We had our reasons” and that’s the end of the subject. Oh well, suits me, makes Len and I the same faith.

  The days are warming up nicely again. Was 80 degrees [27ºC] yesterday, a little cooler today. How I love to see winter take off! Fitted in a bit of gardening last week. First time I’ve replanted anything since the 1964, ’65 drought. Kind of lost interest then when lots of things died. Probably have another dry year now that I planted up again! Cheerful, aren’t I!

  I put in one dozen new roses and wish I could have hundreds, I love roses. Also planted up the orchard again. Grapes, oranges, lemons, custard apples, mulberries, bananas, mandarins, pawpaws, passion fruit, avocados, grapefruit and a few other things. Missed our fruit last year. So here’s to a big crop next year.

  Well, Fran, have a happy birthday and celebrate somewhere nice.

  Love,

  Dulcie

  PS I just remembered. A man from New York, I think, he was staying with the Clarkes during his Army service out here during the last war, is coming to stay with Len’s father for a few weeks. He gets here August 28th. We’ll tell you about him next letter. Maybe he can visit you when he goes back and tell you about us.

  5th December 1968

  Dear Fran,

  Guess you are having some fun in the snow now. Every time I think of you having sled rides and making snowmen and skating I turn green with envy. Not that I like cold weather but I’d just love to see snow.

  Summer got off to a good start here. The temp has varied between 102 to 104 [39 to 40ºC] the past month. Every second day or so a storm comes roaring and banging. Last Monday we had a really terrific one - blew down trees, unroofed sheds and some houses (not ours, thank heaven). The school bus didn’t arrive until 6:30 that night. The road was blocked with fallen trees.

  It is raining at the moment and the sky is lit with lightning. Our close neighbour, a German woman, is terrified of storms and when her husband is not home she runs the 1 and ½ miles to stay with me. At the moment both her and her 16 year old daughter are huddled in the kitchen playing games with Terry. I had some bookwork to do in the office so I’ve also taken the opportunity to write a couple of letters while they finish their game. The noise of thunder reminds the poor thing of the bombing raids over Germany during the last war. She is a nice woman and would do anything to help anyone.

  Remember me telling you about the little kitten Terry had? The thing has developed into a man-eating tiger! When he is on the floor, he bites feet and legs. When he’s picked up he bites arms, hands and even our faces.
If this is his way of showing thanks for being saved I don’t like it.

  We went into Yeppoon last Saturday night to the movies. A double feature, one was a cowboy film. Terry loves these. The only thing I like about them are the lovely cactus plants growing everywhere. I especially like how big they grow. If ever I get to USA, Fran, the first thing I’ll do is send back a big crate full of cactus. I have a fair cactus garden now but nothing like those American ones.

  Well, I must rejoin the others as their game is over now and as the storm shows no sign of abating, I’ll have to prepare beds for the guests.

  Merry Christmas, Fran, to you and all your family and have a good time.

  Love,

  Dulcie

  Part III

  1969 - 1973

  9th May 1969

  Dear Fran,

  For the first time in months I have a few minutes spare. First of all have I thanked you for the Christmas parcel? What manners I have! Also Terry’s birthday card and mine. And anything else I’ve neglected to thank you for.

  We are terribly overworked here. I thought we worked hard before but now we do twenty hours a day. All the western half of Queensland is still drought-stricken and the State Government has ruled that any grazier with grass land must take the cattle from drought areas. Three hundred head of cattle were brought to us and we are forced to care for them until the owners are able to take them back after rain.

  They were brought here at the end of November last and look like being here for another year at least. Together, with our more than 400, it makes hard work for Len and myself. The government pays us $120 per week for keeping them. The big Army training area at Shoalwater Bay near us is also being used to feed stock. There are 44,000 head of cattle there at the moment. Being a tick-free area the men there haven’t much work to do though.