Son of Conrad and Louisa
(written by Daphne Etheridge, as told by Violet Crowley, nee Simshauser)
Edward Simshauser was born on 3 April 1870 at Maules Creek. He was the fifth child of Conrad and Louisa. Edward as a young boy walked four miles to school in Barraba. The school faced Cherry St. and the Manilla River.
Edward married Rebecca Martha Currell in 1899 on 22 November, and they went to live at “Emerald Hill” Barraba where their first child Violet Dora was born on 17 July 1901. She was delivered by a midwife (Mrs Amelia Jenner), Violet recalls. Edward and Rebecca had eight children, but only three – Violet, Clive and Tony – before leaving to live at “The Downs” Caroda, known as “Rocky Creek” area.
In about 1906 Edward won in a ballot “The Downs”. Edward then sold “Emerald Hill” and moved to “Plum Hill” for nine months. “Plum Hill”, near Barraba, was owned by Rebecca’s parents, Christina and Charles Currell.
Two years later Edward and Rebecca Simshauser, and their family of three children. moved to “The Downs”. The family left “Plum Hill” in a buggy and had a wagon with their belongings. It took about 2 – 3 days to get to “The Downs” – nights were spent at friends or relatives. On arriving, the children had iron ‘lean-to’s’ to sleep in, while a big iron shed (built by Harry Kelaher and Edward) acted as the bedroom for Rebecca and Edward, and living area for the family. A big bark hut with open fire away from the living area was the kitchen-dining area. Cooking was done in a camp-oven – a cast-iron round pot with legs and a lid.
Water for home and garden needs was carted in buckets by hand. The first
“home” (tin shed) was built on the high bank of Rocky Creek. The creek was a good water supply.
Later a house – five rooms sawn timber, and a landing to kitchen and dining area was built, but as the family increased it was found necessary to build a larger house which was higher up on the hill. It was built of weather board. The first house was later moved from the creek bank and was used as a home for Vince (Edward and Rebecca’s fifth child) when he married. “The Downs” home still stands today, but is not used by humans. The home was built about 1921-1922 by Jack McKechnie and at the time there were five “Jacks” working on it.
The Simshauser children went to school at a one teacher school – a two-mile walk to “Palaroo” School, Rocky Creek. About 30 children went to the school towards the end of Violet Simshauser’s schooling. At 15 (1916), after doing her Qualifying Certificate, she left school.
Violet, now at 90 years, remembers a terrible mouse plague at “The Downs”. After the mice came a plague of rats – the dogs caught the rats for sport. Another memory is one of a very severe drought. The stock were all moved from the
property, water was very scarce.
Bread and butter were made on the property and vegetables grown. Meat was killed for rations. Sheep and cattle were run on the property and proved to be a profitable venture.
In 1938 Edward and Rebecca, and some of their children, were still living at “The Downs” when Edward was taken ill with pneumonia and died in the Narrabri Hospital on 13 August 1938, aged 68 years. He is buried in Barraba, as is his wife Rebecca, who died on 2 May 1946 from a heart attack. She was 63.
“The Downs” was sold some years after the death of both parents. Violet Crowley (nee Simshauser) lives on. She is the mother of four children, has 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren – all living.
