James Castle's memories of his childhood at Moonta, as told to his
granddaughter, Michelle Holthouse.
�

I was born in Moonta in 1899.� I was told by my mother that at that time my
father worked a farm situated between Moonta and Moonta Bay.

Apparently 1899 was a very dry year and the crops were a failure.� My
family left the farm and moved nearer to town.

The house where I and my elder sisters were born was demolished.� I
have no recollection of it.Our house comprised three bedrooms, lounge
room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, sun-room and laundry.� The town
relied on gas from the local gas works, and water came from Beetaloo
and Bundaleer reservoirs in the Flinders Ranges.� It was there I spent
my childhood days.� Three younger sisters were born there.

There were a number of trees and hedges (box thorn) around the
house, almond trees and vines, but not very many fruit trees.
The housewas on a side of a hill and the block led to the roadway.
It was divided into two gardens.� A fenced pathway covered
with creepers made thegardens seem enclosed and cosy.� In one
garden we had a little pool inwhich the Kookaburra, Magpie and
Seagulls we kept liked to �puddle�. We also had a Cockatoo,
which used to wander around without being
chained to a perch, and a large cage with canaries in it.

There were a number of sheds to cater for the buggy, sulky,
fodder storage, tools, fowl house, cow bail, and pig sty.
I�ll always remember one incident at the cow
bail.� My elder sister had the job of milking.
One day, a kerosene case she used as a stool when milking
was left out. The cow Roly Poly backed around
and shook its head as if to say �I�ll
bunt you if you laugh at me� It looked so
funny I did laugh.� Disgusted Roly
Poly shook her head.

We grew vegetables - cabbages, cauliflower, turnips and tomatoes,
and flowers, such as sweet peas and roses.� When show
time came weexhibited the flowers and were happy to receive prizes.

My mother made our clothes.� She used to have
to have a pedal sewing machine and did all the
mending required. She used to bake lovely Cornish pasties
containing potato, turnip, herbs, meat and peices of home
cured bacon; rock and saffron buns and she also made
hop beer.� For this she used to cut down a kerosene
tin and put the hop beer into it to brew before bottling.
It tasted so good that I could not resist trying it,
even before it had time to brew properly.

My grandmother and auntie (Mary Anne Retallick and Anne Tossell)
had a shop in Moonta Bay. Grandfather John Retallick was a
miner and he used to hawk the deliveries.� George
Tossell was a fisherman and also looked after the shop,
which was located near the seafront, a mile from the
township.� Nearby was a shelter shed, stable and a
Harbour Master's Office.� Trams used
to come down from the township.

The day before a holiday large pans of custard were
prepared ready for icecream the next day.� The way
they made it was by a churn surrounded by ice.
The churn was turned by hand until the custard creamed.
�Icecream was sold for less than one penny
(less than one cent) in those days.
Grandma and auntie always had a busy day on holidays
selling boiled water, sandwiches, cool drinks, lollies and icecream.

On Boxing Day there were Regattas, swimming and
other races, flags would be flying, people in picnic groups
all around the beach and the water crowded with bathers.
Steamers would take people around the Bay.
The Steamers Ican remember were The Quorna,
Karrata, Investigator and Paringa.

We also hada piano and were taught to play it.� When
visitors came we had a 'magic lantern' which showed
still pictures.

We used to go to Sunday School and were excited
when Anniversary came, for then the Sunday School
put on special singing services in the Church.� It
was a time for new dresses and new suits and we enjoyed
the singing.� Our conductor also conducted the local
orchestra, so he would bring in the orchestra to help us
along.� It was always appreciated when we had marching
songs.� But I am afraid what we liked best about
Anniversary were the events, socials or picnics held
later on.� Each child was given a paper
bag containing cakes and boiled sweets.

My father was a lay reader with the Methodist Church
and sometimes we went with him.� If there was
an afternoon service I used to go as sometimes
friends would ask us to have� tea with them.
Those saffron buns, little cakes, tarts with jame and
sausage rolls were delicious!� There was
nothing to compare to that Cornish cooking!

For transport we had a buggy (hooded with front and
back seats) and a sulky.� It was my job to look after
the outside work such as attending stock, feeding
the pigs, harnessing the horse whenever mother
or the girls required the buggy or sulky, cutting
the firewood, do the seperating, help make the butter.

One day I was asked to get the horses ready for
harnessing so that the buggy coud be used.� I went
without a neck rope, bridle or winkers and jumped
on the horse's back.� A number of horses outside
the fence started to frolic and my horse started to
gallop.� That was alright until it headed for a small
bush!� At the last moment it changed it's mind,
swerved and I went right over the horse's head.

We lived within walking distance of Moonta Bay and
I used to spend alot of time fishing and swimming.
On one occasion I was amazed to see two whales
swimming not far from shore.� The attracted
my attention when they spouted water in the air.

Wallaroo was not far from Moonta Bay and at
night we used to watch the light go on and off.� The
Lighthouse Keeper (Bert Marshall) was a friend of
the family so I got an invitation to the Light House
when the weekly supplies were taken out.� I knew the
fisherman (George Phillips) who took
the supplies out.�� He would leave the supplies with me, and
then go fishing whilst I had time to inspect the light and it's workings.

My school days were spent at Moonta and I attended the Moonta
Primary School and Moonta High School, as did my sisters.

My first job was delivering papers after school. I would
take a cart to the Moonta Railway Station and
collect the papers and then deliver them
to half the township.� From this I received a job of
collecting fares on horse trams, on Fridays, Saturdays
and holidays.� The trams ran from the township to
Moonta Mines, Hamley Flat and Moonta Bay.� On
the holidays extra trams would be put on the cater for
the people going to Moonta Bay.� I remember times
when three trams would be following each other back
from Moonta Bay.� I would collect fares from one
tram, jump off and do the same to each following tram.

I remember one afternoon going to the tram barn to
collect my tickets.� A tram going to Moonta Mines
stopped as the driver, Charles Webb, wanted to see
those in the offices.� Before he could finish I saw
the tram moving off towards the Mines.� I said to the
driver "your tram has gone".� He looked out.� It was
some distance away; he said "Let it go.� I can't catch it".
I sprinted after it and caught up with it.� The tram was
full of women going home from shopping.� One of them
was up front driving, and the rest
were having the time of their lives.

When I finished school we moved to Morphett Vale.
That finished the days at Moonta.� After going to
Morphett Vale I joined the South Australian
Railways for the next 48 and a half years.� As a
Stationmaster, I spent several years each at Maryland,
Riverton, Strathalbyn, Pinnaroo, Penong,
Rudall, Wudinna, Snowtown, Berri, and Gawler
�

copyright� Michelle Holthouse