A member of the Schmidt family still living in Barraba is Cliff Schmidt – son of Charles Edward. Though in retirement with his wife Rose, and not enjoying the best of health, Cliff has many tales to recall as he clearly remembers many of his ancestors – having lived in the Barraba district all his life.
As a child, Cliff lived and grew up in Barraba, attending school at what is now known as Barraba Central from the age of seven years to fourteen years. On completion of school he worked under the guidance of his father, especially contract fencing and farming at “Long Arm”.
When Cliff and Rose were married they lived at “Long Arm”. Cliff actually worked at “Long Arm” for a total of 38 years.
At this point Cliff recalls how ‘When we had been married for about ten years Rose and I realised that we had been married on the same day as Conrad and Louisa – they on 26 November 1861 and we on 26 November 1945.’
According to Cliff, Granny Louisa had built several houses in Barraba. One of these was “Dresden”, a substantial brick dwelling in Edward Street where she was living with her son John and his wife Louisa, at the time of her death. Two brick houses were also built in Alice Street – No. 34 and No. 36. No. 36 later became the nursing home. Two timber houses, next door and almost identical to each other, were built in Lower Edward Street No. 24 and No. 26 – where Louisa’s two daughters, Mary and Louisa, lived. Louisa also purchased a house in Tamworth for use by her other daughter, Annie. The Barraba houses remain occupied and in good condition, “Dresden” and the other brick houses having been sold to non-family members many years ago.
Cliff and Rose now live in Mary’s house in Edward Street and Violet Simpson (nee Brodbeck) lives in her mother Louisa’s house. The three girls – Mary, Louisa and Annie each paid rent to their mother for the use of their house while she was alive.
John (k/a Jack, son of Conrad and Louisa) knew before his death that he was going blind – and worried that he could not see well enough to groom and tend his horses as he would have liked them cared for. He had several horses and a four-wheeled cart that he used for carrying wood and other goods to and from “Slatey Gully”.
Cliff loved to visit Granny Louisa as often as possible as a child, to listen to her stories – and she always managed to sneak 2/- to him. After Granny died, Louisa, John’s wife, sold up and moved to Dora Creek, Newcastle, where she lived until her death.
A story handed down to Cliff from his Granny Louisa refers to an occasion at “Slatey Gully” when some horsemen arrived at the homestead, and while the girls admired the horses, and no doubt the riders, Granny made the men a cup of tea. After having refreshments, the men bade Granny and the girls farewell. It was not until some time later that Granny heard that the men had arrived in Barraba, robbed the bank and shot the bank manager. The police and helpers were seen galloping towards “Mt. Lindsay Station” where it was later discovered that the robbers had escaped after sending their horses over the mountain and getting away on foot. (Cliff’s story refers to an incident in 1894 when bushrangers Lee and Cummens held up the Commercial Bank at Barraba, and shot and killed the bank manager.)
The old Commercial Bank (the only bank in Barraba in 1894) was formerly on the site of the present Victoria Hotel.
Relics of the incident are on display at the Victoria Hotel, in the form of black, charred bullet holes in a door at the side of the bar. (ref. “Barraba – Something to Celebrate”)
A humorous incident is referred to by Cliff.
‘One day while looking after the sheep a neighbour asked Grandfather Conrad, “What do you put on them for fly?”
Grandfather replied, “Just water! Just water!”
(A typical Simshauser – did not like to give too much away!)
