Dear Fran, Love Dulcie
Page 13
Well, Fran, my baking is done and I have 300 head of cattle to push through the dip before dark (curse the fellow who brought ticks to Australia!) with the hinderance of a dead finger. Beating a cold chisel though a piece of steel yesterday and missed. Took the side off my finger and I had to go into Yeppoon and get 2 stitches in it. Can’t say it is very sore but am trying to keep it clean and dry as the Doc advised. Quite an effort for me!
Hope you are all doing well, Fran and do write soon.
Love,
Dulcie
PS Our transport service has been cancelled and we have to go to Yeppoon for our mail now. So we have a box number and a very simple address now.
3rd February 1971
Dear Fran,
What excitement your parcel caused! Our creek, two miles from the house, has been well over the bridge for days and we haven’t been able to get to Yeppoon. One day the post office phoned regarding a registered parcel they were holding and would we please claim it. When we found out it was from the USA, Terry and I hopped into the truck and walked over the flooded bridge to leave Terry safe. Then I removed the fan belt and covered the distributor and drove the truck through.
We collected the parcel, stocked up with supplies and headed for home in pouring rain. However the creek had risen much too high so we camped the night in the truck. Wet and cold and bitten by thousands of mosquitoes but we were quite happy as we had your parcel to open and were thrilled with everything in it.
We used the little collapsible cup to mix up the orange drink “Start” and the little pocket knife to slice up the food we’d bought. Then we read the Journal and Cook Book and Terry ate sweets and chewed gum till he went to sleep propped up in the corner. Thank you so much for everything, Fran.
At daylight I walked over (or should say half-swam over) the bridge to home and returned with the tractor and towed Terry home in the truck. This was on January 27th and we haven’t been able to cross since so Terry has had time off from school. We’ve had 2152 points of rain [20.5 inches or 52 cm] since January 20th and it’s still coming down hard.
Len went back to work on January 16th, out near Blackwater somewhere. They sent him and I haven’t heard from him but phoned the firm and was told all the truck drivers are isolated but quite okay. Anyway this should see an end to the crippling drought in that area at least.
Drying clothes is a bit of a problem. Most things we don’t need urgently I’ve left to hang out but other items of clothing are hanging in the sheds along with Terry’s pets. Mice, possum, bandicoot, turtle, lizard, cats and birds had to all go into the shed together (in separate cages of course).
I fastened a guide chain along one side of the bridge the other day so now I can phone someone to meet me with mail and food, etc. and walk over to get it in safety. Was a little dangerous before with nothing to hold onto and the water has quite a current.
So Fran, I’d better close and get the other mail ready to take over tomorrow. Strangely enough, Fran, even with all this rain I don’t envy you your winter! Shudder! 40 degrees [4℃] and warm! you said. Gosh, how do you survive?
Write soon and love from,
Dulcie
6th May 1971
Dear Fran,
Was so nice to hear from you again. I love to read about your trips. The roads must be wonderful over there and it seems you can drive hundreds of miles in a few hours. Here it is a tiring journey to drive over 35 miles [56 km]. I wonder if Australia will ever have completely sealed roads? Even our main and only highway, No 1, is only sealed in some sections and not wide enough for two cars to pass, unless one gets onto the gravel edge. Overseas visitors have named it the Crystal Highway because it is strewn with broken windscreen glass.
Thank you, too, for the lovely card, Fran. I really had a good birthday. Being a Wednesday I had steers to truck to the Gracemere Sales Yard.
Terry took a day off school to watch his being sold. We had to get out of bed at 3 am, drive down to the yards, and load the steers. Then drive the 45 miles [72 km] to Gracemere and unload and then back for another load as our truck can only carry 14 big ones.
Anyway we got dressed up with the last load and reached the yard in time for the start of the sale at 10:30. Was rather hectic and we hadn’t had any breakfast. Our steers were sold at 1 pm. Terry got $130 each for his 4 and Len’s 24 brought $144 each. So it wasn’t too bad.
While talking to our stock agent, Terry remarked that it was my birthday so the agent took Terry and I to lunch at an Oriental Restaurant. Was a lovely meal and I felt happy but tired driving the big rough truck home that afternoon.
More surprises to come, however, when we got home just on sunset. Coral and Tom arrived to take Terry and I to a surprise birthday dinner. Oh heck, after the day’s work and the oriental lunch! Anyway by 8 pm we had all the work done and out we went again. Had a lovely time and fell into bed at 1:30 am. Gosh, what a long day. Still I think it’s about the nicest birthday I’ve had.
Just as well Len had forgotten it, as usual, otherwise we may have had another night out when he came home that weekend. As it was we had a day out on the Sunday.
We went fishing and I caught 14 bream, about 4-pound [2 kg] ones, and Len caught 19. Terry was unlucky, he only got 7 but he also got 2 lovely big crabs. I like crab better than fish, especially small fish like these.
Still is was a nice day and we enjoyed the little fish for a couple of days’ dinners. Better luck next time I hope! The oysters were all dead too, so disappointing. The heavy run off of fresh water into the sea kills the delicious creatures.
Well, Fran, the moths and bugs are bad tonight and Sugarplum is chasing them all over my desk so I guess I’ll wrap up this letter before he completely destroys it.
Lots of love from,
Dulcie
20th August 1971
Dear Fran,
It’s so long since I’ve heard from you. I do hope everything is alright. Perhaps as it is summer over there, you are just enjoying yourselves.
Winter hasn’t been too bad this year. We had only 2 or 3 frosty mornings and have had quite a bit of rain, including a thunderstorm, so apparently winter has passed us by. Thank heavens!
Terry goes back to school on 23rd after his winter 2-week break. He went for 1 week with his father to Blackwater, where Len is working at present, and this week Terry is spending at home.
Len’s mother has been with me for a few weeks to help me.
I burnt both hands with boiling tar some weeks ago and I can describe it with one word, Painful (with a capital P).
The right hand is coming along quite well now, although only the thumb and first 2 fingers are out of bandages. The left one is still painful but shows no sign of getting well enough to “patch” yet.
I’m so useless without hands and it’s making me angry just sitting about. My dad’s hand has healed completely now. Only took his 12 weeks to heal at his age so I think mine should too!
Before this happened - the Yeppoon show was on in May and we entered a few things to help make a show.
The old cat Sugarplum won a 2nd prize (in just the common pet cat section).
My Braford bull, Chewys, won his section in the pure-bred class and Len came 2nd in the wood-chop. He was handicapped by 15 seconds.
Well, Fran, Happy Birthday and do write soon.
Love,
Dulcie
PS Thought you might like the cuttings from the paper. Len is where I have put an X.
* * *
1st February 1972
Dear Fran,
Well, the holidays are over once again and so far this new year has been a very busy one. Christmas was rather nice this year. It was fairly cool and rainy weather and my parents, Len’s parents and a young German friend (who comes every year for Christmas) had quite a lovely day. After dinner the parents and Len had a nap and John (our friend), Terry and I played Monopoly.
Boxing Day was not so good as we had the first warning of a cyclone off the coast. For tw
o days we had terrific wind and rain then the cyclone moved north to Townsville and really wrecked the town, killing 4 people. When the wind eased here we spent days mending fences and cutting off fallen trees, getting bogged, dipping cattle, etc. Then we dismantled the Holden and put a new engine in it. Planted Pangola-grass in the rain for a few days. It doesn’t grow by seed and must be planted by cuttings. It is doing well now.
Len went back to work, driving 252 miles [405 km] on 20th January, and was held up by flooded bridges for two days. He had plenty of food with him so he was ok. Terry started at the Secondary school on 24th and so far he likes it. He is very lucky with his foreign language subject, German, as I can read, write and speak it too. And if I’m not available to help in the afternoons, young John is always here after work to watch TV so Terry gets help from him.
I spent all yesterday and this morning trying to get an engine going for John - no luck - I must admit this one defeats me. We haven’t any like this one, a Japanese brand, Honda, and after seeing a Japanese engine, I sure wouldn’t buy one! Looks like he will have to take it to a garage although he says he can’t afford to. I suppose he finds things a bit hard now. He only left Germany 5 years ago and three and a half years ago bought 40 acres [16 hectares] about 5 miles [8 km] to the east of us. Must be hard to leave one’s country and start afresh in a strange land with strange customs.
Must be the time for all engines to voice their complaints as our diesel lighting motor cut out a few nights ago which meant we had no electricity, no lights, no TV, etc. Had to give it a valve grind and new injector kit and it’s going again. Strange how Australia uses 240 volt power, even our home plants. We can be electrocuted by it yet most of Europe and even your country manages with 110V to 120V. Wonder why?
We were thrilled with your parcel, Fran. The beer is much lighter than ours and quite palatable. You always manage to send things to delight us but we can’t seem to find anything unusual to send you. Thank you so very much for everything, Fran.
Now I must away and get the tea dishes washed as Terry and John have finished with TV and it will soon be time for bed.
Lots of love,
Dulcie
10th March 1972
Dear Fran,
Autumn is here and the days are getting cooler. The nights are quite cold already and I’ve had to dig out the blankets. Seems we may have an early winter.
The year hasn’t been too good for Terry so far. He came home 3 days ago after spending 4 weeks in hospital with rheumatic fever. Another week at home and he will be allowed to return to school but no sports or running about. His studies have of course fallen behind and it remains to be seen if he can catch up or slip a grade. However as long as his health is okay studies can come later.
I missed him and for the first time in my life I felt lonely when he was away. I even caught myself talking to Sugarplum! Now I know how lots of elderly folk feel when they live alone, specially the nights. Still, while visiting him and being alone at night I was able to get my winter woollies knitted. Pullovers for Terry and Len, in their chosen colours of green, and one for me. Also some baby knits for Tom’s wife Coral who is expecting the infant in July.
You were quite right - the candied substance in the package was ginger. We grow it and some I candy or preserve in syrup. Last year’s crop wasn’t so good as the horses broke into the garden and ate the tops from the ginger which of course sets the root system back and the roots are what we eat.
Please be careful about taking an extra job, Fran. Believe me, when you know how much work this entails. By the time one has finished outside and still has the home to run, sometimes there’s only three or four hour’s sleep to be had and until you adjust to this it can be very rough. I wish you all the best though. Now I must hurry as I have work to do.
So lots of love,
Dulcie
5th May 1972
Dear Fran,
Lovely to hear from you again and many thanks for the card and birthday wishes. Gosh! your boys are really young men, Fran. Makes me feel quite aged to think it’s only a few years since their pictures showed them as toddlers. When you think about it I have reached the half-way mark in life. Unfortunately I’ve too many things to do before I can retire to my rocking chair.
We’ve had over a week of terribly windy days. Great gusts make the house shudder and blows the fruit from the trees and breaks my flowers. One needs to be watchful when out working in the timbered country. Quite a few limbs falling.
Australia has Federal elections coming up on May 27th. I think we can do with a change of government so I hope my vote removes Mr. McMahon from office.
Terry has 2 weeks of winter holidays so he went back to work with Len last week. He is fascinated with Len’s new truck. A great ugly 10-ton [10,160 kg] Toyota Tipper diesel. When Len has it at home occasionally, Terry drives it around helping his Dad repair our roads. We have roads all around the boundary fences and internal ones criss-cross all over the place to water troughs, etc.
Terry can’t have a driver’s licence to drive on proper roads, of course, but anyone can drive any kind of vehicle - registered or not - on their own property. Terry has his own “bomb” to burn around the place in, an ancient 1957 Holden. The old thing runs well but he never keeps a muffler on it and I can hear him coming a mile off! Len’s favourite “bomb” is the old Zephyr also without a muffler and when the two of them take off, so do my ears.
Well, Fran, as I have the whole place to myself, guess I’ll start the generator, get a bite to eat and watch whatever I want to on TV for once, before bedtime.
Write soon.
Lots of love,
Dulcie
25th October 1972
Dear Fran,
It’s months since you wrote about your illness and operation. Many times I’ve meant to write you, but there just never seems to be time.
Every day I think of you and wonder just how you are. Strange how we have never met, and probably never will, but I always think of you as my closest friend. Perhaps it’s because I don’t see many people. Sometimes I don’t see another person, apart from Terry, for months.
How do you feel now, anyway? My mum had the same operation years ago, but she recovered and has no discomfort in the area at all. Still you have the children to care for, so more work than she had. Try to take things easy, Fran.
I’m still hale and hearty as ever. Just growing old and getting tired.
The heat and dry weather have us almost ready to give in. With an annual rainfall of 65 inches [170 cm], we’ve only had 16 inches [41 cm] so far, and this country can’t live without its rainfall.
I’ve been hand-feeding the cattle for months and got through winter with very few losses. With an average of 2 hours rest at night, and 2 hours daily, I can handle the feeding, water, irrigation of fodder and harvesting.
For how long I don’t know as the water position is drastic now.
The ninety-six foot [29 metres] deep bore for the house supply is completely dry. Two bores for stock water are dry and only 2 dams have water still. Only one bore has water now and I’m irrigating fodder but its almost useless for that now and completely out of the question for drinking, either stock or humans. The salt content is now killing the crops.
For the house I have to use the truck with a 1500-gallon [5678 litres] tank fitted to cart water from Yeppoon. The town council charge ½ cent per gallon [4 litres] but the long haul home over that road makes it a slow trip. The truck’s engine is not in the best order and it finds it hard going. I only hope the old thing doesn’t bail up altogether. The little 4-ton [4064 kg] truck can’t handle the job if the big one goes.
So I just hope for rain.
The biggest bush fire I’ve seen for 14 years went through most of this area a few weeks ago. How it started is anyone’s guess. I spent days on the dozer putting in fire breaks, when the fire was still miles away. Terry drove the dozer for hours at night too. Put up a really good effort.
But with a
strong wind for days, the fire travelled at a terrific pace, burning night and day. Our fire breaks were useless. The flames just leaped across one after another.
It reached our boundary at 11 am on a day with a temp of 105ºF [41ºC] and a humidity reading of 6. Almost suffocated us. When the flames came into our property, we knew our stock would be killed. With the grass all tinder-dry and thick, they would roast. Smoke made the horses panic and I was able to catch only one mare bred here and used to fire.
Terry stayed at the house and called the fire brigade and neighbours. The mare took me through the smoke and we picked up mobs of cattle wherever they were hanging on fences. I drove them at a gallop to the area with shorter grass where the flames were not so high. They went through the flames to safety where the fire had already burnt.
The flames were leaping up trees, burning from top to top and I couldn’t get into some paddocks. I could only take the wire cutters from the saddle bag and cut the barbs wherever possible and hope the cattle could run for their lives - anywhere.
Looking back, even the terrible times had some funny moments. Like when I circled back to the cattle yard and barns. The firemen, neighbours and my parents were there. They had saved the buildings.
My mother had been crying and was quite sure she would never see me alive. But when I rode in all she could say was, “Oh, she saved Bluey and a calf.”
Bluey, the cattle dog, always hitches a ride in front of the saddle after a day’s work. And somewhere along the way that day I had picked up a new born calf and had it on the front with Bluey sitting on top of it. Guess it did look strange!
Anyway all the buildings were saved, and the machinery. But so far I’ve found a good many stock, especially calves and foals, burned to death. Still a lot missing. But as the fire continued to burn right through to the coast - everyone cut their fences - so it will take a long time to round them all up and sort them out.