Stepping Back In Time

Many years back we (the Kiama Woodcraft Group) were given a set of timber-getting posters of photos printed by the Department of State Forests. It has become a tradition to display these photos at the Kiama Woodcraft  Expo, and also at our Craft Sales and Exhibitions in the Old Fire Station Gallery.

The historic photos always draw plenty of attention and provoke many interesting comments from our visitors, and occasionally a revelation that a visitor knows the area, and, on the rare occasion, someone will walk into the exhibition and recognise a photo that has a family connection. Such an incident occurred back in October 2024.

A gentleman had been standing there with his wife for a minute or two until he had my full attention, then pointing at the photo he remarked, “that man standing second from the left is my wife’s Uncle Charlie”. He then volunteered that ‘Uncle Charlie’  was a big man who wore No. 13 boots. The gent also added that the dog’s name was ‘Mick’ and that the man sitting on the log waving his hand was Reub Brown, better known as ‘Windy Jim’.

The visitor didn’t leave his name, however his wife did say that he was 85. Several days later, she graciously returned with a clipping from a Casino newspaper to round off the story of the family connection with the logging company.

The history, as written in the Casino District Newspaper clipping

“The far North coast of NSW is steeped in colourful, timber-clad history. At the turn of the century and into the early 1900s thousands of hardy timber cutters and bullock teams worked the massive forests in the Richmond, Clarence, and Tweed valleys.

This photograph is an example of the forest giants taken to supply the ever-growing demand for timber for housing, crates, and many other uses.

The photo shows six hoop pine logs arriving at Bennett Brothers Mill at South Casino on July 17, 1917. The bullock team took three days to reach there from the Richmond River State Forest, 22km to the north.

The logs first had to be cut by hand and then snigged 7km through the forest to Mummulgum, where they were loaded onto the wagons.

Glen Roach of NSW State Forests, which holds the original copy of the photograph, said the men shown were well-known local identities. Many still have relatives in the northern rivers area.

He said “standing second from the left is Charles Handford, the owner of the team. Tom Ellem is standing on the right and Herb Lancaster is on horseback behind the bullock team. The boy standing alongside the wagon is Tom Brown. The three men seated on the logs are Reub Brown, Sid Brown and Charles Greenstreet.“

Bennett Brothers Mill was owned by the Pidcock family, who are still involved in the north coast timber industry.

The logs on the load contained almost 20 cubic metres of pine.”

It was enlightening to hear the story behind the Hoop-pine logs, the Bullock teams, and the hard-working timber-getters on the far North Coast of NSW early in the 1900s. The photo captured a moment in time in the lives of the pioneers who, with their axes and sweat, “filled the ever-growing demand for timber for housing… and other uses,” and paved the way for prosperity in the district.
 
So many stories to tell… this ‘chance-visitor’ with a passion to share a story, shed light on a photo, adding depth in understanding of the endurance, determination and resilience of our early pioneers, and the legacy they forged.