Frederick K. Simshauser purchased “Willeroi” from Val Nicholas in 1946, and he took over on New Year’s Day, 1947. ‘It was pouring rain and the break of the 1946 drought’, Maurice recalls. Hercules, Gordon, Lex and Maurice went to “Willeroi” with their parents, Fred and Ethel.
Jim McKid knew Fred when he lived in Barraba.
‘I knew Fred when he managed “Campo Santo” in the late 1930’s. I knew Herc and Enid best of the children, but I also remember Clive, Gordon and Ruth. When I came back to Barraba in December 1945, after the war, I went into the agency business with my uncle, W.H. McKid.
Fred was friendly with Percy James, who owned a small property, “Saw Pit”, which joined “Willeroi”. Percy advised Fred to buy “Willeroi”, and late in 1946 the sale took place. We happened to be the agents and that was the first property sale I was involved in after becoming an agent. I did not see so much of the family after that, as Boggabri became their town.
I knew Herc very well as he spent a bit of time at “Mt. Lindsay”, just before the war, and we at times went kangaroo shooting. My father had a property joining “Mt. Lindsay” at that time.’
“Willeroi”, an area of 5,348 acres, is situated approximately 35 miles north-east of Boggabri in the head waters of Maules Creck, 46 miles from Narrabri in the west. It is high hilly country, heavily timbered. “Willeroi” was used initially in the production of medium to fine Merino wool, and later beef cattle (Herefords) and wheat.
Val Nicholas had acquired “Willeroi” in 1929 as his inherited portion of “Mayvale”. (His mother was a sister of C.P. Wilson – “Mayvale”.) Prior to 1929 “Willeroi” was owned by William Artington Wilson and William Bowie Stuart Campbell Sawyer.
Family records indicate that 10,000 pounds was paid for “Willeroi”. This price included 2,380 pounds for 2,300 sheep, 23 horses and plant. The sheep – 2217 wethers and mixed sexes @ 21/-ea; and 100 wethers and mixed sexes @ 10/6 ea. The 23 horses were in actual fact 100 horses. Val Nicholas had allowed them to breed up and Maurice adds that all the draught horses had the name of a tree – Mulga, Yarran, Myall, Gidgee, Belah, Wattle, Box and numerous others.
The plant consisted of:-
- hand-jetting pump (not in working condition)
- hand pieces
- two-furrow hillside plough (‘very modern’ says Maurice)
- three-furrow disc plough (‘broad acre’!)
- four-furrow moulboard plough (‘which we were unable to pull’)
The agent for the sale was W.H. McKid of Barraba, solicitor was Ryan & Ryan Barraba and E. Holtsbaum (Stock and Station agent/Narrabri) was the valuer.
With assistance from the Bank of New South Wales and New Zealand Loan Wool Firm, together with Fred’s savings and Herc’s deferred war payments, the deeds for “Willeroi” changed hands on 27 February 1947.
Life had its difficulties in the early days- there was no telephone, the mail service was six miles away, the house and facilities were inadequate (as the furniture had been sold when Fred Simshauser left “Campo Santo”) and the state of the road was poor.
Maurice recalls.
‘When we moved to “Willeroi” we took our personal belongings in a Buick utility, via Manilla – having left the Ford 10 at Bill McGregor’s, “Saw Pit” on top of the range. When we wished to go to Barraba, we rode our horses up the hill (three miles) to McGregor’s, and from there drove the Ford 10 to town.
The road from “Willeroi” to Boggabri was in extremely poor condition and this restricted our trips to town in that direction.
In a distance of two miles the road crossed the same gully 16 times and in the first six miles there was a total of 28 gates, not to mention the hazards of Maules Creek after a storm.’
In a recent letter, Nora Hurst (nee Hobden) recalls.
‘I remember the Simshauser family coming to “Willeroi”. They often stayed with us at “Thornfield” if the road became impassible due to storms and flooded creeks.’ (Nora lives in Guildford with her husband Ken. They have two daughters.)
Associations with Barraba continued for a while. However, Boggabri gradually became the centre for their provisions and services.
Old documents held by the family indicate that as early as February 1947, groceries, farm implements and household goods, as well as fuel, were obtained from Boggabri. Mattresses were purchased in February, and a dining suite in May (dining table and sideboard still in use at “Montague” – home of Maurice and his family). (Incidentally, 1 pound 15 shillings was paid for a kitchen table from H.L. Tebbutts General Store, Boggabri.)
The wool boom of the 1950’s gave the Simshausers an opportunity to progress more securely.
Maurice states.
‘In 1950, the top 18 bales of the clip sold in excess of a pound a pound. Gordon and Here shore the sheep that year’.
Here and Gordon worked extremely hard in these early years to help their parents, Fred and Ethel, to establish “Willeroi” as a going concern. Lex and Maurice completed their education at Tamworth High School and returned to
“Willeroi” as well.
In 1953 Fred purchased “Era” as an additional adjoining block of 2,800 acres from Gordon W. Kirk. “Era” also had been originally owned by William A. Wilson, together with various shareholders – namely Rusden, Hogan and Sawyers. 2,740 pounds was paid for “Era” by Fred. It is interesting to note that “Era” was literally ‘full of rabbits’ and was paid for by the end of the first winter with rabbit skins. Rabbit skins were about 1/- each at the time. (quoted from Maurice Simshauser)
The Homestead used by the Simshauser family was built by Cecil Townsend, Isabel Simshauser’s father, during Val Nicholas’ time at “Willeroi”, with some additions made during the Simshauser’s early days living there. The house was burnt down in 1974.
The Simshauser family lived and worked on “Willeroi” for many years. In March 1948, Hercules drew a returned soldiers’ block at Edgeroi, and though he continued to stay and work at “Willeroi” during 1948, he subsequently moved to his Edgeroi block “Cleveland” at the end of the year.
In 1953 Fred and Ethel bought a house at 3 Nandewar Street, Narrabri (4,200 pounds) – and lived there until their deaths respectively. They always maintained a special interest in “Willeroi”. Fred died at Narrabri in 1959 and Ethel at her daughter’s (Ruth Leitch) residence, “Combadello” Moree, in 1974.
In 1954 “Kyalla” Wee Waa was purchased. Lex Simshauser worked “Kyalla” for 12 months and then Gordon took over. Lex withdrew from the partnership in 1956 to pursue his own interests – having lived at “Willeroi” with his wife Margaret for a couple of years. Their sons Richard and Stuart were born during their time at
“Willeroi”.
Maurice Simshauser, with his wife Winifred, were the last of the Simshausers to live there, along with three of their children – Michael, Jane and Anthony. In 1962 they moved to “Montague” Narrabri but continued to pursue grazing interests at “Willeroi” until the property was sold in 1990 to Campbell Leitch (son of Ruth Leitch, nee Simshauser).
